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 On March 20, NBC News Peter Alexander asked President Donald Trump what he would say to people who are scared amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which at the time had infected 14,000 Americans and left nearly 200 dead. I say that youre a terrible reporter, Trump responded. The president deemed the question nasty and claimed the reporter delivered a very bad signal to Americans. Now, less than a month after Trumps testy exchange with Alexander, 600,000 Americans are infected and nearly 30,000 have died from coronavirus. While Trump, in his daily COVID-19 news briefings, has updated Americans on social distancing guidelines, the economy and shipments of ventilators and protective gear, hes also continued to use the briefings to dismiss questions he considers nasty or unfair, while repeatedly blasting fake news and dishonest press." The Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent nonprofit that promotes global press freedom, says Trumps unprecedented hostility toward the press," denigrating journalists as scum, low life reporters" and the enemy of the people is orchestrated to dismantle the credibility of those who report on him. In a letter to Trump sent Thursday, CPJs leaders urged the president to "refrain from delegitimizing or discrediting the media or journalists performing their vital function not least during a public health crisis. According to a CPJ report also released Thursday, the coordinated attacks on the press including White House aides, administration officials and Trump allies in Congress parroting the presidents language" are proving effective in a way that undercuts American democracy. Along with Trumps thousands of documented false statements and his promotion of discredited conspiracy theories, the administrations attacks on the credibility of the news media have dangerously undermined truth and consensus in a deeply divided country, wrote the reports author, Leonard Downie Jr., a former executive editor of The Washington Post. Downie in 2013 wrote a CPJ report critical of the Obama administration. But he noted in the report on Trump that former President Barack Obama did not engage in anti-press rhetoric. CPJ, which tracks how many journalists go missing, are imprisoned or killed worldwide, noted that Trumps insults may have sparked more than just boos at rallies; reporters hes named in tweets have faced repeated harassment, and news organizations, including frequent Trump target CNN, have received credible threats of violence. The attacks on the American press also have a global impact, Downie wrote. Authoritarian leaders in other countries have used fake news as their justification for restricting press freedom, and many of them praised Trumps rhetoric as encouragement, the report said. David Ardia, co-director of the University of North Carolinas Center for Media Law and Policy, said in the report that other countries are thinking, 'If the U.S. does not value independent journalism, why should we have it?' Its diminishing journalism around the world." Downie added that beyond verbal attacks, the Trump administration "has threatened the work of the American press in a many ways, including increased investigations of sources of classified information and refusing to rule out prosecuting journalists; Customs and Border Patrol agents questioning journalists at border posts; threatens of boycotts, federal government interference and lawsuits against several outlets; and attempts to strip credentials from reporters and organizations the president doesnt like. The result: some experts fear an existential threat to American freedom of the press, Downie wrote. Trump disrespects the press as a core democratic institution, RonNell Anderson Jones, University of Utah media law professor, said in the report. Jones added that American media depend on citizens acceptance of the presss First Amendment role, and if that erodes ... freedom of the press is in peril. Trumps attacks, both verbal and administrative, have helped further divide the nation, CPJ argues. A Pew Research study in late 2019 showed a plurality of Republicans distrusted most news media, other than Fox News, while pluralities of Democrats trusted most media. Pew said evidence suggests that the partisan divides have grown over the past five years, particularly with more Republicans voicing distrust in a number of sources. As of Thursday evening, the White House had not yet responded to an emailed request for comment on the CPJ report and its recommendations. CPJ requests meeting with the president CPJ Chair Kathleen Carroll and Executive Director Joel Simon wrote a letter to Trump on Thursday, urging him to take several steps to improve press freedom, first among them to publicly recognize and affirm the role of a free press in a democracy." They also called on Trump to resume daily press briefings and fair access to the White House and State Department; to stop retaliating against outlets by interfering or threatening financial or licensing repercussions based on coverage; to instruct government agencies to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests; to prohibit homeland security and CBP agents from questioning journalists or seizing and searching their devices; to cease bringing espionage charges against news sources who leak classified information; and to provide a report listing individuals involved in the 2018 murder of The Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and impose sanctions on those responsible. We recognize that you have made yourself personally accessible to the media in a way no president has before, Carroll and Simon wrote. 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. The pair asked to meet with Trump or a representative he designates, either virtually or in-person after the nations social distancing guidelines ease up. Michael Dubke, Trumps former director of communications, told Downie that Trump attacked the media and described it as fake out of frustration with how the press has reported on him. There have been no stories on the progress he made with the economy and foreign policy, Dubke said. The stories have been very negative at best. Downie, who based his report on interviews with dozens of journalists, press freedom advocates, media lawyers and educators, said repeated requests for a response from former Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham went unanswered. Downie told The Daily Beast that White House officials cooperated when he prepared a 2013 report on the Obama administration. That report criticized former President Barack Obama for failing to meet a pledge that his administration would be the most transparent in history. The Obama White House frequently used websites and social media to bypass the news media in presenting its own version of reality to the public, in a precursor to how Donald Trump would later use Twitter," Downie wrote. The Obama administration actively discouraged unauthorized interviews ... and it went to great lengths to combat leaks to reporters, including an unprecedented number of prosecutions of officials and contractors under the Espionage Act, the report said. The author of a Local Opinion piece defending the appearance of the Confederate flag in the Tucson Rodeo Parade weighs in again to clarify his point, along with other topics in our Sunday letters to the Editor. Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, is one of the three persons that are to speak at this year's Spring Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Several finance ministers and dignitaries have in the past attended the meetings usually held in Washington DC. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, only Mr Ofori-Atta, President of the World Bank Group, David R. Malpass and Managing Director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, are speakers at the summit which may be virtual. In an earlier article, Mr Ofori-Atta had observed the sharp impact of Covid-19 on the world especially the economies of Africa. Economic activity has been massively disrupted; hotels are closing, industry is tottering, airlines are grounded, and our toast-of-the-region airport lies asleep, he lamented. He added that The Bank of Ghana cut rates by 150 basis points and reduced the reserve requirements by 2 per cent, enabling banks to increase their lending to the private sector by some $500m a good effort, but an underwhelming response to what should be done. I need answers. A U-shaped recovery is touted, but ours will likely be a steep drop, then a two- to three-year downward slide before a recovery; a trapezoid-shaped recovery!, he said. Back to completing our schedule for the day. [Bank of Ghana] governor [Ernest] Addison and I finish Ghana's application for the IMF's rapid credit facility. However, Ghana and Africa desperately need fresh capital. We will work with the World Bank for a renewed approach. (I wonder what past bank heads such as [Robert] McNamara and [James] Wolfensohn would have been thinking at this time.) We are interrupted by a call. One of our major partners in the energy sector from Europe has triggered a letter of credit facility for $200m. I am outraged at such callousness. I am reminded of the parable in Matthew where a man's debt is forgiven, but he then finds the fellow servant who owes him and has him thrown in jail. I am now even more convinced that the African finance ministers' proposal for a debt standstill and issuance and/or mobilisation of special drawing rights should be extended for two years and not be limited to low-income countries only. So, what is the world coming to? Extraordinary times, sobering times. Ghana, at the last count, had 636 cases and eight deaths. Analysis by the University of Ghana's Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research indicates that about four-fifths of the first 300 cases were direct imports; the virus's genetic sequencing shows its origins are from Wuhan through Norway, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Hungary and India. What does an African finance minister do now? How can we restore 10-15 per cent of GDP over a two- to three-year period? This is not a passing blizzard, as a friend said; more like a long winter, even a mini ice age. But there are some structural elements that need fixing; our health sector, digitalisation of the continent to formalise our economies; and Africa's debt the most controversial element and the topic of much discussion. Africa's external debt stock is more than $700bn. Africa needs to pay $44bn to service our debt this year. ----Daily Guide IT IS "quite possible and in fact probable that Covid-19 could be eradicated from the Turks and Caicos Islands, according to a local doctor. Dr Sam Slattery of Grace Bay Medical spoke about the importance of sticking to the rules of the territorys lockdown in a recent video posted on the practices Facebook page. "Were a small community of 30,000 to 36,000 people. We currently have very few cases of Covid-19 and it looks like the last week has gone well, he said. The lockdown began on March 27 and has been extended to May 4. Residents can exercise twice a day but are not allowed to use public beaches or drive unnecessarily. Essential services are open throughout the week but supermarkets and petrol stations are closed every Wednesday and Sunday. "Our goal in the Turks and Caicos is different from those in larger countries who are attempting to flatten the curve, Dr Slattery explained. "Here in the Turks and Caicos if we actually practise social isolation and distancing, and all the other practises that weve all been talking about for the last two weeks, it is quite possible and in fact probable that we will be able to actually eradicate the virus from our community. "This is a big deal, because what it means is that as a community, if we get it right, if we follow the rules, if we all play our part, we can actually go back to life as normal in terms of our local existence. This means returning to work for non-tourism industry workers, shops and restaurants reopening, and public beaches and waterways being made available for local use. "A different issue would be how to get our visitors to return safely and protect ourselves, but thats for the future and Im sure the Government are working on it, Dr Slattery added. "I just want to reiterate, its really, really, really important that we all play our part, that we all stay at home, that we all remain isolated and that we all follow good hygiene practice. The three-minute post, which has gained nearly 2,000 views since April 9, follows on from an hour-long video posted on April 6 in which Dr Slattery spoke about Covid-19 in detail. About 4,000 people watched that video and it went on to gather hundreds of likes and comments. Dr Slattery, a 29-year veteran and TCI Belonger, is the owner and founder of Inter Island Medical Services and Grace Bay Medical Intergrative Health Centre. His initial training was at St Thomass Hospital in London, part of London University. Dr Slattery was the first doctor to introduce ultrasound to the TCI over 25 years ago. (By Rebecca Bird) Swedish government representatives on Friday defended the country's strategy in the fight against the new coronavirus, which compared to many other countries, stands out for placing fewer restrictions on the public. "The difference between the approach in Sweden and in other countries is not very big. It's mainly the tone that we deal with," said Johan Carlson, General Director of Sweden's Public Health Agency. "Rather than saying 'you need to stay at home, you're not allowed to do that and that' we are trying to explain to the population why this should be done, the reason for it and also the rationale for doing certain things," he added. So far, Sweden has banned gatherings larger than 50 people, closed high schools and universties, and urged those over 70 or otherwise at greater risk from the virus to self-isolate. The softer approach means that schools for younger children, restaurants and most businesses are still open, creating the impression that Swedes are living their lives as usual. However, foreign minister Ann Linde, who spoke alongside Carlson at Friday's briefing in Stockholm, dismissed the idea that life goes on as normal in Sweden, calling it "a myth." "Many people stay at home and have stopped travelling. Many businesses are collapsing. Unemployment is expected to rise dramatically," Linde said. "There is no full lockdown of Sweden, but many parts of Swedish society have shut down," she argued. Sweden has so far reported more than 13,200 positive cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, and 1,400 deaths. 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. (Newser) Bill Gates has been warning the world about a pandemic for years, and now that we've got one, Gates himself is getting some unwanted attention. The New York Times reports that he's now the No. 1 topic of wild conspiracy theories related to the coronavirus, as tracked by the media analysis company Zignal Labs. That includes YouTube videos with misinformation that were viewed about 5 million times. Coverage: Told you so: Gates had a TED Talk in 2015 warning that the next big global threat would come from "not missiles, but microbes," and the speech is again in wide circulation. He cautioned that governments around the world were unprepared for a highly infectious virus. Watch the speech here. Gates had a TED Talk in 2015 warning that the next big global threat would come from "not missiles, but microbes," and the speech is again in wide circulation. He cautioned that governments around the world were unprepared for a highly infectious virus. Watch the speech here. On Trump: Gates has criticized US preparation amid the COVID-19 outbreak, writing, "There's no question the United States missed the opportunity to get ahead of the novel coronavirus" in a Washington Post op-ed on March 31. He also criticized President Trump's decision to halt funding to the World Health Organization, though he didn't name Trump in his tweet. As a result, some high-profile Trump supporters have been going after Gates, notes the Daily Beast. story continues below Conspiracies: Organizations such as QAnon and Alex Jones' Infowars have been pushing wild tales. One typical variation: Gates is somehow behind the virus as part of a sinister plot to vaccinate the world and be able to track people as a result. Another out-there idea is that Gates or an affiliated institute holds the patent for the virus causing the pandemic, and USA Today susses that one out as it debunks it. Coverage notes Gates seems to have supplanted George Soros as the main boogeyman of conspiracy theorists on the far-right. Organizations such as QAnon and Alex Jones' Infowars have been pushing wild tales. One typical variation: Gates is somehow behind the virus as part of a sinister plot to vaccinate the world and be able to track people as a result. Another out-there idea is that Gates or an affiliated institute holds the patent for the virus causing the pandemic, and USA Today susses that one out as it debunks it. Coverage notes Gates seems to have supplanted George Soros as the main boogeyman of conspiracy theorists on the far-right. Familiar names: It's not just on the fringes: Some prominent Trump backers are picking up on the theme. "Whether Bill Gates played some role in the creation and spread of this virus is open for vigorous debate," declared Roger Stone in a radio interview this week, per the New York Post. He accused Gates of wanting to "microchip" people. The duo of Diamond and Silk tweeted, "Bill Gates money does not give him permission to control, and rule the world with vaccines!" On April 7, Laura Ingraham of Fox News referenced Gates when she tweeted, "Digitally tracking Americans' every move has been a dream of the globalists for years. This health crisis is the perfect vehicle for them to push this." Anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., son of RFK, also has piled on against Gates. It's not just on the fringes: Some prominent Trump backers are picking up on the theme. "Whether Bill Gates played some role in the creation and spread of this virus is open for vigorous debate," declared Roger Stone in a radio interview this week, per the New York Post. He accused Gates of wanting to "microchip" people. The duo of Diamond and Silk tweeted, "Bill Gates money does not give him permission to control, and rule the world with vaccines!" On April 7, Laura Ingraham of Fox News referenced Gates when she tweeted, "Digitally tracking Americans' every move has been a dream of the globalists for years. This health crisis is the perfect vehicle for them to push this." Anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., son of RFK, also has piled on against Gates. No comment: Gates himself declined to comment on the phenomenon, but the chief executive of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation tells the Times it is distressing that there are people spreading misinformation when we should all be looking for ways to collaborate and save lives. Gates himself declined to comment on the phenomenon, but the chief executive of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation tells the Times it is distressing that there are people spreading misinformation when we should all be looking for ways to collaborate and save lives. Planning ahead: A related endnote on all this: Gates' wife, Melinda, told BBC Radio this week that their family stockpiled supplies awhile back for just this scenario, reports CNBC. "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," she said. "We had prepared, and had some food in the basement in case needed, and now we're all in the same situation." (Read more Bill Gates stories.) Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg shared a preliminary plan with City Council members on Thursday outlining a series of conditions that are needed before social-distancing restrictions can be lifted and the city returned to pre-coronavirus times. "I think the immediate task and track will be twofold," Tecklenburg said. "One is really to make sure we're getting our heads around testing and contact tracing ... to the level of specificity where we'll be able to recommend to businesses reopening on a testing protocol and availability." The other, Tecklenburg said, is to make sure that the tri-county area has uniform guidelines for various business sectors like restaurants, manufacturing and distribution. He wants a uniform standard that's rooted in recommendations from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state Department of Health and Environmental Control so it's clear to restaurant owners, for example, how many people can be seated or how far apart tables should be. "I think that it is inevitable that until a vaccine and effective treatment is in place that we'll have to continue some measure of social distancing in all that we do even after an initial reopening," Tecklenburg said. Part of that effort includes the formation of a tri-county task force to examine and create guidelines. Tecklenburg said the Charleston Regional Development Alliance, with representation from all cities in the tri-county area, would be the best to lead this effort. The other conditions Tecklenburg outlined included a low rate of COVID-19 infection and knowing that local hospitals are capable of handling a surge of coronavirus cases, which MUSC has indicated to the city. Tecklenburg said the city needs to work with the state Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Governor's Office to improve health infrastructure and contact tracing. Councilwoman Carol Jackson suggested the mayor share the plan with the state as it assembles its own "Accelerate South Carolina" group next week. Councilman Ross Appel praised Tecklenburg's initial plan. "I think we would benefit tremendously as a city by focusing on what we have direct control over: our ordinances, our processes and procedures," Appel said. "Find the low-hanging fruit at our fingertips for ways that we can remove barriers, remove obstacles, remove red-tape for small businesses, for affordable housing and other types of efforts to enable the city to spring back to its feet." The city has been under stay-at-home restrictions for over three weeks, with some businesses, like salons, barbershops and gyms, deemed nonessential businesses and required to be closed. Parks are closed to the public and people are encouraged to leave their homes only for trips to the grocery store, pharmacy or doctor's office, or to exercise. On March 17, the city required restaurants to close indoor dining and asked residents to not gather in groups of 50 or more. A week later the stay-at-home restrictions were put in place. About 30% of all nursing homes in Ireland have been infected by Covid-19, it has emerged. Of the 335 outbreaks of Covid-19 in residential care centres, 196 were in nursing homes where both staff, as well as residents, were infected. HSE chief operations officer, Anne OConnor, said there are more than 550 nursing homes but just 20% are run by the health authority. The HSE only began working with private nursing homes since the end of January but there is an absolute requirement for the health authority to do more, she said. So for us since the beginning of Covid-19 we have been putting our arms around private nursing in a way we have not done before. We would never have had a formal relationship with private nursing homes prior to this, Ms OConnor said. The Health Information and Quality Authority would have interacted with the nursing homes, she said at a media briefing: We would have supported them (nursing homes) in relation to some health service provision but not in the way that we are doing now. The kind of support now being provided by the HSE is on a different scale altogether, she said. Ms OConnor said that it was only towards the end of March that the HSE started receiving more requests from private nursing homes for personal protective equipment. Before Covid-19 arrived in Ireland private nursing homes used their own supplies of PPE. However, over the last two weeks, the demand for PPE from nursing homes has increased significantly but no restrictions has been placed on supplies, she emphasised. Ms OConnor said they want to enhance testing on-site for both staff and residents in residential care settings to contain the spread of the virus. They are now looking at testing everybody in nursing homes where there are confirmed cases: We are now scaling up to be able to test all residents, and staff where there are confirmed outbreaks. Asked when testing in nursing homes will be ramped up, Ms OConnor said scaling up testing will begin at facilities with particular concern. They are also looking at having nursing homes involved in taking swabs to test for Covid-19. It also emerged that the health authority has redeployed 61 people to nursing homes. In some cases, staff from the National Ambulance Service have helped nursing homes manage a crisis point. Ms OConnor said response teams will be available in all areas and there will be specialist guidance so that they can continue to function: As you can understand the pace of this and the scale of this is something that is a huge challenge for us. There is no doubt about it. Ms OConnor said they have not yet reached a stage where doctors have to be redeployed to nursing homes. Nursing homes are supported by GPs so it is about having sufficient medical support available. Ms OConnor also confirmed that the HSE has block-booked the Citywest Hotel and Conference Centre in Dublin until the end of December but hopes it will not be needed. The facility is being used as a self-isolation and step-down facility to free up space in acute hospitals. HSE chief clinical officer, Dr Colm Henry, said detecting a change in older peoples condition is particularly challenging. For most of the population, the symptoms of Covid-19 would be cough, shortness of breath, fever, and feeling generally unwell. Older people do not show some of these signs because their immune system is weakened. Dr Henry also said time would tell if action should have been taken earlier regarding nursing homes. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 09:38:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ABUJA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria received on Thursday the second batch of medical supplies from China to help the West African country combat the COVID-19 outbreak. The donation was handed over at the Cargo Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in the capital of Abuja. The items donated by China will go a long way to assist Niger in containing the COVID-19 pandemic, said Li Yuan, economic and commercial counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, while handing over the supplies to local officials. The medical supplies include 1,500 N95 masks, 10,000 surgical masks, 1,750 disposable gown, 350 infrared thermometer, 1,750 pairs of medical goggles, 9,750 pairs of gloves and 9,750 pairs of shoe covers. The first batch of medical supplies from China arrived in Lagos, the Nigerian commercial hub, three days earlier. Nigeria has received donations from the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and the Jack Ma Foundation. Many Chinese enterprises in Nigeria have made donations to local communities, either in the form of medical equipment or food, or in funding to help the country combat the pandemic. Enditem Tensions are rising in the disputed South China Sea, where a Chinese survey vessel has been tagging an exploration ship which Malaysias state oil firm Petronas is operating in the area, security sources in the region told Reuters on Friday. The long-running dispute in the South China Sea involves territorial claims by China as well as Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, and Malaysia. China has territorial claims to about 90 percent of the South China Sea, which has put it at odds with its neighbors. The Chinese research and survey vessel Haiyang Dizhi 8 was close to Malaysian waters, and at one point on Friday, the Chinese ship was flanked by Chinese ships of the coast guard and maritime militia, according to Reuters sources. The Haiyang Dizhi 8 ship was close to the West Capella exploration vessel operated by Petronas. The same Chinese ship was spotted off Vietnams waters earlier this week, and moving closer to Malaysia, according to ship-tracking data cited by Reuters on Thursday. At the end of last year, the Chinese and Philippine foreign ministers sealed an agreement for the two countries to pursue joint oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea. The talks between the two countries on the South China Seas oil and gas potential and how to exploit it had been going on for years. An agreement has proved challenging to reach, however, mostly because of Chinas territorial claims to the basin, which cover nearly the entirety of it. But tensions in the South China Sea have increased in recent weeks. Last week, the U.S. State Department said, commenting on reports that China had sunk a Vietnamese fishing vessel in the South China Sea: We call on the PRC to remain focused on supporting international efforts to combat the global pandemic, and to stop exploiting the distraction or vulnerability of other states to expand its unlawful claims in the South China Sea. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: TORONTO and KNOXVILLE, Tenn., April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Solar Alliance Energy Inc. (Solar Alliance) or (the Company) (TSX-V: SOLR) announces it has reached agreement (Debt Settlement Agreement) with certain senior management to fully settle an aggregate of up to $54,999 of unpaid fees for shares in the Company. Pursuant to the Debt Settlement Agreement, the Company would issue up to 1,099,980 common shares of the Company at a deemed price of $0.05 per share to Clark Public Affairs Ltd. (a company controlled by CEO Michael Clark). The Company also reports that the Board of Directors has granted stock options of a total of 2,900,000 common shares to certain Directors and Officer, exercisable for up to five years at a price of C$0.05 per share. The options granted will be subject applicable regulatory hold periods. The Debt Settlement Agreement is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued will be subject to a four month hold period which will expire on the date that is four months and one day from the date of issue. For more information: Solar Alliance Myke Clark, CEO 416-848-7744 mclark@solaralliance.com About Solar Alliance Energy Inc. ( www.solaralliance.com ) Solar Alliance is an energy solutions provider focused on residential, commercial and industrial solar installations. The Company operates in California, Tennessee, North/South Carolina and Kentucky and has an expanding pipeline of solar projects. Since it was founded in 2003, the Company has developed wind and solar projects with a combined capital cost exceeding $1 billion that provide enough electricity to power 150,000 homes. Our passion is improving life through ingenuity, simplicity and freedom of choice. Solar Alliance reduces or eliminates customers' vulnerability to rising energy costs, offers an environmentally-friendly source of electricity generation, and provides affordable, turnkey clean energy solutions. Statements in this news release, other than purely historical information, including statements relating to the Company's future plans and objectives or expected results, constitute Forward-looking statements. The words would, will, expected and estimated or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Companys actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different than those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include but are not limited to: uncertainties related to the ability to raise sufficient capital, changes in economic conditions or financial markets, litigation, legislative or other judicial, regulatory and political competitive developments and technological or operational difficulties. Consequently, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. 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 release. Michigan Senate Republicans are backing a plan that would trigger the reopening of certain businesses based on trends in COVID-19 cases and deaths, including allowing companies to resume in-person operations if they incorporate certain safety measures. The plan introduced Thursday afternoon calls for five phases of reopening the economy, starting with a modified stay-at-home order that would allow businesses to reopen if their employees are at lower risk of exposure and can either maintain social distancing or be provided appropriate personal protection equipment. The first phase would continue until cases and deaths stop rising and health care capacity improves. The state on Thursday reported 2,093 coronavirus deaths and 29,263 cases overall. Michigan is the third state to eclipse 2,000 deaths, after New York and New Jersey. Michigan is currently under a stay-at-home order meant to limit the spread of the virus, although the terms of the latest order put in place by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have resulted in significant partisan friction. When cases and deaths fall and pressure on health care system capacity eases, the Republican plan calls for certain types of businesses, activities and regional travel to be allowed to reopen. Under the proposal, bars and restaurants could reopen limited in-person dining in the third phase, and restore full capacity in the fourth phase. Festivals, concerts and sporting events would only be allowed after theres been no active spread for 30 days, or if a vaccine has been available for 30 days under the plan. Our citizens need a proposal to consider," Shirkey said in a statement. Mental health is as important and directly tied to our physical health. We must provide a pathway that empowers our population to take control of the circumstances in our state, rather than be powerless against this virus. The proposal also includes suggestions for what precautions individuals should take at each phase, including recommendations on mask-wearing, social distancing measures and who should remain at home, such as individuals who are vulnerable to the virus. Gatherings under 100 individuals would be allowed in the third phase, and gatherings under 250 would be allowed in the fourth phase under the plan. Shirkey said he and other caucus members welcome input from the medical community on the proposed framework. Shirkey spokesperson Amber McCann said the plan is a caucus proposal and isnt connected to a bipartisan workgroup created earlier this month to look into how to safely reopen the economy, although she said the caucus hopes it helps contribute to the workgroups efforts. Several Michigan Democrats expressed concern with the plan after it was announced. Sen. Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, is one of the lawmakers serving on the bipartisan workgroup. He shared a video on Twitter showing Shirkeys previous comments on the workgroup, and said the plan undermines the good faith effort of participants. Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, said in a statement: One mans idea is not a plan. On the day that Michigan reached 2,000 dead, Senate Republicans issued a haphazard plan that has no input from the frontline responders who are saving lives every day," he said. The state is currently subject to a stay-at-home order through April 30, which Whitmer extended and expanded last week. The move was met with significant pushback, which culminated in thousands of people protesting at the Michigan Capitol Wednesday to urge the governor to relax restrictions. A wide majority of states currently have some form of a stay-at-home order in effect. Earlier Thursday, Whitmer and the governors of Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky announced theyd be working closely on measures to reopen the economy at a regional level. The group of governors said in a joint announcement theyd be making decisions based on several factors, including sustained control of the rate of new infections and hospitalizations, enhanced testing and tracing capabilities, sufficient health care capacity in the event of a resurgence and best practices for social distancing in the workplace. Phasing in various sectors of the economy will be more effective if the region works together, they said in a statement. Our number one priority when analyzing when best to reopen our economy is the health and safety of our citizens," they said. We will make decisions based on facts, science, and recommendations from experts in health care, business, labor, and education. 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 Protesters angry with Gov. Whitmers stay-at-home order gridlock Michigan capitol Michigan inmates hide coronavirus symptoms to avoid prison quarantine Republicans, Democrats at odds about who should return to work and when When and how will it end? Considering the end-game for Michigans coronavirus crisis Busch offers 1 year of beer to couples whove changed wedding plans amid coronavirus (RNS) Willow Creek Community Church announced Wednesday (April 15) that David Dummitt, a megachurch pastor from Michigan, will be the churchs new senior pastor. The announcement comes just over two years after Willow Creeks founding pastor 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, Bill Hybels, was known for his high-intensity personality and his admiration for corporate culture and business practices. Stetzer said Dummit 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 its 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. READ THIS STORY AT RELIGIONNEWS.COM Article originally published by Religion News Service. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: Religion News Service/David Dummitt The National Assembly elected on Friday the next governor of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) nominated by the ruling My Step alliance. The 41-year-old Martin Galstian will replace the CBAs outgoing governor, Artur Javadian, in June. Javadian has run the bank since 2008. According to his official biography, Galstian joined the CBA even before graduating from the Economics Department of Yerevan State University in 2002. He also studied public administration at a Harvard University graduate school in 2009-2010. Galstian has held various positions in the CBA for two decades. He was appointed to the banks governing board in September 2018. Galstian was the only candidate nominated for the top CBA post. The Armenian parliament elected him for a six-year term by 104 votes to 15. With My Step holding 88 parliament seats, this means that he was also backed by 16 opposition lawmakers. Galstian answered questions from dozens of deputies during Thursdays parliament debate on his candidacy. Most of the questions related to the economic fallout from the coronavirus epidemic. People must be certain that in any case macroeconomic stability will be maintained, prices will remain stable and the financial system will function without disruptions, he said. He stressed that the CBA has eased some of its monetary regulations to help Armenian commercial banks suspend loan repayments of as many as 380,000 citizens hit hard by economic disruptions. Also, he said, it has already distributed 12 billion drams ($25 million) in government subsidies to the banks that will provide more than 1,000 low-interest loans to businesses and individual entrepreneurs. Galstian spoke at the same of a great uncertainty about the epidemics impact on the Armenian economy. Will there be only one wave [of infections?] he asked. Will it subside now but come back in the autumn? In that case, what will we do in the autumn if we take all possible [economic] measures now? In a recent report, the Central Bank forecast that economic growth in Armenia will practically grind to a halt this year. Government officials agreed with this projection. Britains Prince Harry and his wife Meghan handed out meals to sick people in Los Angeles, in their first known public activity since moving to California at the start of the states coronavirus lockdown. The pair, who have formally stepped down as senior members of the British royal family, first volunteered with Project Angel Food on Sunday, delivering food to people living with chronic illnesses. They were here Easter Sunday, and then they surprised us on Wednesday, said communications manager Anne-Marie Williams. They handed out to 20 of our clients, and they rocked their worlds. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex relocated to California last month after announcing in January that they intended to quit royal life and work to become financially independent. They have kept a low profile, with even their location unknown amid unconfirmed reports that the pair are living in Malibu. It emerged last week that they are planning to launch a wide-ranging non-profit organization in the United States named Archewell, focusing on mental health, education and wellbeing. They said they wanted to do something of meaning, to do something that matters, but have delayed releasing full details because of the pandemic and will make an announcement when the time is right. Los Angeles nonprofit Project Angel Food, which delivers medically tailored food to chronically ill people, appears to be the first charity publicly supported by the pair since their secretive move. We kept the conversation very casual, all I know is that theyre very intent on being of service, and that they want to see Los Angeles through the lens of Project Angel Food and through the lens of philanthropy, Richard Ayoub, the organizations CEO, told AFP. The pair learnt of the charity through Meghans mother, who lives in Los Angeles and had heard that the organization needed extra help during the pandemic. Upon their departure from the frontline of the British monarchy, the couple agreed to relinquish their Royal Highness titles. Theyre very down to earth people -- very sweet and genuine and dont stand on ceremony at all. They insisted we call them Harry and Meghan, said Ayoub. Many of Project Angel Foods clients are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus, and Ayoub said he hoped the couples attention would help drive donations to www.angelfood.org/covid19. He added: Im keeping my fingers crossed, hoping theyll come back. With all this publicity, we dont know. But were hoping that they do come back. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said hes outraged that bodies of residents who died at a Sussex County nursing home during the coronavirus outbreak were allowed to pile up at a makeshift morgue" and called for the states top law enforcement officer to investigate. New Jerseyans living in our longterm care facilities deserve to be cared for with respect, compassion and dignity, Murphy said during his daily coronavirus briefing Thursday in Trenton. We can and must do better. This is just completely beyond the pale, the governor added. "A story like this shakes you to the bones. Murphy said hes asked state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal to look into the matter and review all longterm care facilities in New Jersey that have experienced a disproportionate number of deaths during the pandemic. I know he will take any and all appropriate action, Murphy said. Our full focus must be on mitigating the spread of the virus and minimizing the impact of all who remain, in this case at the Andover facility, as well as all of our other longterm care facilities. Plus, the governor said the state Department of Health will enforce critical safety measures and protocols at the Andover facility and has sent a team there to assist the centers staff and residents. And the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid has sent out-of-state surveyors to do a full survey of the the facility, state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said. The Andover center which officials say is the states largest longterm care facility has been the subject of news reports in recent days after authorities discovered 17 dead bodies there last weekend. On Sunday, authorities received a request for 28 body bags at the home and discovered five bodies being stored in a room, officials said. Staff also reported three other bodies had been released earlier in the day, state Persichilli said Thursday. Persichilli said authorities then required the facility to report daily to the local health department. On Monday, police received an anonymous tip about a body being loaded into a shed on the property, and discovered 12 more bodies being stored on site, officials said. Persichilli said the local health department surveyed the facility and reported they were short on staffing. On Thursday morning, she said, the owner said current staffing is solid. Were not pleased with what is going on at the Andover facility, Persichilli added. In all, 35 people have died at the facility since March 30 19 due to COVID-19, Persichilli said. Meanwhile, 103 residents and four staff members have tested positive for the virus, while 133 residents are reporting flu-like or respiratory symptoms, and 48 staff members are reporting flu-like symptoms, she said. Grewal, the state attorney general, said he is also deeply troubled by the high number of deaths at certain nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in the state, especially those with below-average track records for health inspections, staffing, and quality of care. The facilitys owner has now placed a refrigerated truck on site in case of any further issues. Murphy said he is heartbroken by the deaths and prays for the health and recovery of other residents and employees. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. More: She survived the Holocaust, but died from coronavirus 75 years later Dauphin County nursing homes reporting 35 cases of COVID-19 among residents 6 people who attended South Carolina funeral now dead of coronavirus, officials say Several COVID-19 patients offered experimental drug at Hershey Med Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Beijing Says There is 'No Scientific Evidence' in Claims About COVID-19 Leak From Wuhan Laboratory Sputnik News 10:36 GMT 16.04.2020 BEIJING (Sputnik) - A version of events circulating in US media that COVID-19 allegedly leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan has no scientific evidence behind it, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said. "As for the so-called leak of the virus and other assumptions, they have no scientific evidence", Zhao said at a briefing. Earlier in the day, the Fox News broadcaster reported, citing informed sources, that the first carrier of COVID-19 had worked in the laboratory of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Sources who have seen some classified materials believe that the coronavirus originated in the laboratory not as a bioweapon, but as part of Beijing's intention to show the United States its greater capabilities in the field of identifying and combating viruses. US officials, including President Donald Trump, have repeatedly accused China of attempting to cover-up the coronavirus outbreak at first, and later launching a disinformation campaign to suggest that the coronavirus may have originated in the United States, something denied by Beijing. US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley told reporters on Tuesday that "the weight of evidence" seemed to indicate that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic had natural causes. He admitted, however, that the data available to the US military on the matter looked "inconclusive". Various media outlets have published reports suggesting China created the coronavirus, which has caused the ongoing deadly outbreak, in a laboratory in Wuhan. China has repeatedly dismissed these claims and called on Washington to stop shifting responsibility for wasting time it had to prepare for the pandemic on others. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NBN Co has announced a $150 million relief package designed to get low-income households connected so their children can study online and support struggling customers and businesses. With the country turning to online education, remote work and tele-health during the COVID-19 crisis, community organisations have been calling for help for vulnerable Australians without internet connections. NBN Co chief executive Stephen Rue said the measures were "unprecedented". Credit:Edwina Pickles A $50 million centrepiece of the package will waive a $37 wholesale charge on basic 25Mbps internet plans to allow telcos on the national broadband network to lower their prices between April and September. "This is intended to help make education accessible to all Australian students who are home schooling in response to social distancing measures," Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said. (Newser) A mayor in Australia made a video, shared by the Warrnambool City Council, urging his people to stay home during the pandemic, in accordance with social distancing guidelines. "Let's keep doing the things we have been asked to do by the government," Tony Herbert said in the video. Hours later, the BBC reports, he was spotted on the sidewalk outside a hotel in town, downing a bottle of beer. He was standing with three other people at his city car when someone driving by took a photo. Police investigated, and the mayor was fined for violating the chief health officer's order prohibiting gatherings of more than two people, per ABC. The other people were fined, too. story continues below The mayor defended his actions earlier this week but has since apologized. It was a "chance, unplanned and emotional encounter with one business owner," he said. "It is important for any mayor, where reasonable and safe to do so, to find out first-hand about the state of their city." Another business owner joined them, he said. Invoking a historically popular excuse, the mayor said somebody then handed him a beer. With the gathering broke up, the discussion left them "with a sense of optimism for the future," Herbert said. Later, he said, "I realize that I had inadvertently breached the new laws to keep the community safe." On top of that, drinking is prohibited in that area. And the mayor's car was parked the wrong way on a one-way street. Those breaches brought warnings from police. (Read more social distancing stories.) A federal US trade body announced to award a grant to an Indian company to accelerate its use of natural gas and improve energy access to support economic growth. Under the grant, the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) will fund a feasibility study to evaluate the development of a virtual pipeline that will distribute natural gas via truck, rail or ship to areas unserved by traditional gas pipeline infrastructure. The grant, which was not specified, has been awarded to Arush Gas Technology Services LLP, the USTDA said in a press release. According to Thomas Hardy, USTDA's Acting Director the project will improve the resilience of India's energy network, making it better able to meet increased energy demand from industry and its citizens. It will make a critical difference in achieving a cleaner and more resilient energy supply system in India, while creating significant opportunities for U.S. industry and American workers, he said. USTDA said the new implementation of a flexible virtual pipeline network will serve as an interim transportation solution while India's physical gas pipeline infrastructure is developed, as well as a long-term option in areas where physical pipelines are not viable. AGTS has selected Houston-bases Galway Group to conduct the study. The natural gas virtual pipeline project transferring LNG across the country is a long-term parallel solution for natural gas in India; pipeline gas can cover only a segment of the energy landscape, even if the physical pipeline doubles up in fifteen years, said Shreyas C. Sheth, president, Arush Gas. We believe the experiences from the US technology and services, lessons learnt will greatly benefit India. The Government of India, through its various departments and statutory directives is supporting this energy transition very effectively, and Arush Gas is proud to be a partner in this significant transition, he said. Based on Galway Group's experience in the small-scale LNG and virtual pipelines segment, we are pleased to be given the opportunity to participate and contribute to India's clean energy strategy and virtual pipelines developmental framework, through this USTDA initiative, said Hal Miller, Chairman & CEO of Galway Group LLC, USA. The study supports USTDA's US Gas Infrastructure Exports Initiative and the Administration's Asia Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy (Asia EDGE) initiative goals to strengthen energy security and expand energy access in partner countries, the media release said. CBS cancels God Friended Me after 2 seasons Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment CBS has decided to pull the plug on its Sunday-night drama God Friended Me, which is scheduled for a two-hour season finale on April 26. "God Friended Me," drew 10.45 million viewers in its debut episode in September 2018. The series tells the story of an atheist who receives a friend request from God. The show is based around Miles (Brandon Micheal Hall), an outspoken atheist, and his quest to find the person behind the "God account" on Facebook who continues to send him on little missions that help various people around New York City. The atheism argument is contrasted by Miles' father, the Rev. Arthur Finer (Joe Morton), who tries to convince his son to return to his Christian faith and stop pushing disbelief on his public podcast. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the producers of the series, Greg Berlanti, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, were given a good amount of time to come up with an elaborate conclusion, which viewers are hoping will finally reveal who is behind the God account. Were extremely proud of the unique concept and uplifting stories 'God Friended Me' has told over the past two seasons, CBS and Warner Bros. TV said in a statement. We thank the brilliant cast, writers, production team and crew for a show that stirred thoughtful conversation about faith, life and happiness, and made viewers feel good at the end of each episode. The creative team behind the show has one last friend suggestion in mind, as well as an ending we hope brings a satisfying conclusion to Miles journey in search of the God Account. The series stars Brandon Micheal Hall who's an outspoken atheist who receives a social-media friend request from God and unwittingly becomes an agent of change for the people around him. The cast also includes Violett Beane, Suraj Sharma, Javicia Leslie, Joe Morton and Erica Gimpel. The CBS show was warmly received by Christians and mainstream audiences alike upon its release and it kept a lot of support despite the notion that the show might have lost some conservative viewers as it introduced a lesbian relationship, which was approved by the show's preacher. The show averaged a little under 7.7 million viewers on Sunday nights. Wynbrandt told Patheos.com they were honored to have such loyal viewers. Making 'God Friended Me' has been an absolute joy. Getting to work every day with our amazing cast and crew is what every showrunner and creator hopes for. And on top of that, we had the most amazing and devoted fans. They came out every Sunday night to support the show and we are forever grateful for that, he said. While CBS is ending God Friended Me, the networks supernatural drama Evil has been given a season-two greenlight. Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce gave an unequivocal assurance he was not in a sexual relationship with staff member Vikki Campion in May 2017, despite later writing about how close they were at that time. Months before the affair became public, Mr Joyce gave the assurance to then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after being with Ms Campion at a doctors surgery in Canberra. Mr Turnbull says his advisers told him during budget week in May that journalist Sharri Markson of The Daily Telegraph was asking about the visit to the doctor and the issue should be raised with Mr Joyce. Barnaby had become aware of what Markson was chasing so I asked him what was going on, Mr Turnbull writes. Note: While most shelters have closed their doors to the public for the coming weeks many are still meeting prospective adopters through appointments. Please visit the shelters website or call to get information on adoption or fostering an animal at this time. Each week, MassLive showcases pets available for adoption at shelters at rescue organizations across Massachusetts. With the participation of the shelters listed below, many animals should be able to find a permanent home. Pets are adopted daily so please contact the shelter directly if you are interested in an animal. Massachusetts Shelters: Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society Address: 163 Montague Road, Leverett Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Telephone: (413) 548-9898 Address: 171 Union St., Springfield Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Telephone: (413) 781-4000 Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center Address: 627 Cottage St., Springfield Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Saturday, noon-4 p.m.; Thursday, noon-7 p.m. Telephone: (413) 781-1484 Westfield Homeless Cat Project Address: 1124 East Mountain Road, Westfield Hours: Adoption clinics, Thursday, 5-7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Westfield Regional Animal Shelter Address: 178 Apremont Way, Westfield Hours: Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Telephone: (413) 564-3129 Franklin County Sheriffs Office Regional Dog Shelter and Adoption CenterAddress: 10 Sandy Lane, Turners Falls Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Telephone: (413) 676-9182 Polverari/Southwick Animal Control Facility Address: 11 Depot St., Southwick Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Telephone: (413) 569-5348, ext. 649 Berkshire Humane Society Address: 214 Barker Road, Pittsfield Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Telephone: (413) 447-7878 Animal Rescue League of Boston Address: 10 Chandler Street, Boston, MA 02116 Telephone: (617) 426-9170 Fax: (617) 426-3028 DAKIN HUMANE SOCIETY There are still pets available for adoption in the Springfield Adoption Center only (Leverett is temporarily closed). People are asked to visit the Dakin webpage first to see what pets we have available, then call us if they are interested in one in particular to set an appointment. The staff will return the call within 48 hours to set an appointment for prospective adopters to come in and see the animal. That will help make the adoption process go more smoothly and prevent unproductive time spent by the lean on-site staff. The Brain- Animals are available for adoption at Dakin Humane Society by appointment only. Jessie Breed: Budgie/Budgerigar Age: 10 Months Gender: Male Location: Springfield Argiope - Animals are available for adoption at Dakin Humane Society by appointment only. Argiope in foster (to be adopted with Nephila) Breed: Rat Age: 1 Year Gender: Female Location: Springfield Jyn and Rey - Animals are available for adoption at Dakin Humane Society by appointment only. Jyn in foster (to be adopted with Rey) Breed: Degu Age: 1 Year Gender: Female Location: Springfield Rey in foster (to be adopted with Jyn) Breed: Degu Age: 1 Year Gender: Female Location: Springfield Marci - Animals are available for adoption by appointment only at Dakin Humane Society. Marci Breed: Domestic Shorthair Age: 1 Year Gender: Female Location: Springfield Nephilia - Animals are available for adoption at Dakin Humane Society by appointment only. Nephila in foster (to be adopted with Argiope) Breed: Rat Age: 1 Year Gender: Female Location: Springfield Giz- These animals are available at Dakin Humane Society by appointment only. Giz to be adopted to Blaze-spirit-cat https://www.dakinhumane.org/adopt/giz-spirit-cat-44081876.html Breed: Domestic Shorthair Age: 2 Year Gender: Male Location: Springfield Blaze - Animals are available for adoption at Dakin Humane Society by appointment only. Blaze to be adopted with Giz Breed: Domestic Shorthair Age: 2 Year Gender: Male Location: Springfield The Brain - Animals are available for adoption at Dakin Humane Society by appointment only. The Brain Breed: American Age: 3 Year Gender: Female Location: Springfield Callan - Animals are available for adoption at Dakin Humane Society by appointment only. Callan Breed: Domestic Shorthair Age: 1 Year Gender: Male Location: Springfield Jane - Animals are available for adoption at Dakin Humane Society by appointment only. Jane - Breed: American Gender: Female Location: Springfield MSPCA ANIMAL CARE AND ADOPTION CENTERS Animals are still available for adoption you just need to make an appointment! Finding homes for our current population of shelter animals will be vital for our ability to provide temporary housing and increased surrender intake as a result of the outbreak. Animals in need of immediate surrender will continue to be accepted by appointment . If the need to surrender your pet is not urgent, we ask that you wait to bring in your animal. This will allow us to ensure room for emergency cases and keep traffic low. Rest assured we are here to help if needed. Please visit our website at . If the need to surrender your pet is not urgent, we ask that you wait to bring in your animal. This will allow us to ensure room for emergency cases and keep traffic low. Rest assured we are here to help if needed. Please visit our website at mspca.org/surrender for more information. Adoption centers will make disaster preparedness supplies available to the public on an as-needed basis in the event of emergency. Supplies include dog crates, water bowls and pet food is available. Please call the MSPCA adoption centers if you are in need of supplies. Shelby - Animals are available at MSPCA by appointment only. Shelby - Pit Bull Terrier, female, 7 months. Cody- Animals are available for adoption by appointment only at MSPCA. Cody - Domestic shorthair, male, 10 years old. Jasmine - Animals available at MSPCA by appointment only. Jasmine - Domestic Longhair, female, 9 years old. Brodie - Animals are available for adoption by appointment only at MSPCA. Brodie - Domestic shorthair, male, 8 years old. Boxy - MSPCA animals are available for adoption by appointment only. Boxy - Domestic shorthair, female, 12 years old. Ursula - Animals are available for adoption at MSPCA by adoption only. WORCESTER ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE Animals can be adopted by appointment only. Call (508) 853-0030 or visit www.worcesterarl.org for more details. Coco - Animals are available by adoption only at Worcester Animal Rescue League. Coco - Breed: German Shepherd/Mix Age: 10 years Gender: Female Gigi - Animals available at Worcester Animal Rescue League by adoption only. Breed: Schnauzer, Giant/Mix Age: 12 years Gender: Female Iris - Animals available by appointment only at Worcester Animal Rescue League. Iris - Breed: Mixed Breed, Medium (up to 44 lbs fully grown)/Mix Age: 3 years Gender: Female Waffles - Animals available by appointment only at Worcester Animal Rescue League. Waffles - To be adopted with Churro Breed: Chihuahua, Short Coat/Mix Age: 12 years Gender: Male Churro - Animals available by appointment only at Worcester Animal Rescue League. Churro - Breed: Chihuahua, Short Coat/Mix Age: 12 years Gender: Male Sasha- Worcester Animal Rescue League has animals available for adoption by appointment only. Sasha - Breed: Mixed Breed, Large (over 44 lbs fully grown)/Mix Age: 2 years Gender: Female Panda - Animals available for adoption at Worcester Animal Rescue League by appointment only. Panda - Breed: Chihuahua, Short Coat/Terrier Age: 2 years Gender: Male Aaron - Animals are available for adoption by appointment only at Worcester Animal Rescue League. Aaron - Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix Age: 7 years Gender: Male Harley - Animals are available for adoption by appointment only at Worcester Animal Rescue League. Harley - Breed: Domestic Longhair/Mix Age: 8 months Gender: Female Gandolf- Animals are available for adoption by appointment only at Worcester Animal Rescue League. Gandolf - Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix Age: 6 years 7 Gender: Male Oscar - Animals are available for adoption by appointment only at Worcester Animal Rescue League. Oscar - Gender: Male/Neutered Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix Age: 1 year BERKSHIRE HUMANE SOCIETY Shelters will be closed to the public. The main shelter at 214 Barker Road in Pittsfield will still be staffed at r our staff and volunteers and the animals in our care and to support national, state and local recommendations, we are scaling back our op Adoptions and Surrenders will be by appointment only. You can still surrender a pet or come to see a pet you'd like to adopt at the main shelter, but you'll have to make an appointment to do so. Please call 413-447-7878 to set up a time. Adoptions will not be available through Purradise. If you do come to Pittsfield for an adoption or surrender, please know that BHS has taken extra precautions to keep you safe from the virus. Cat Boarding will be available at main shelter. Although Purradise will be closed for feline boarding, BHS can board your cat at the main shelter. Please call 413-447-7878 extension 124. Pet Food Bank and SafePet programs are still available. If you are a food bank recipient, please call 413-447-7878 to set up an appointment. The BHS If you are a food bank recipient, please call 413-447-7878 to set up an appointment. The BHS SafePet program is available for owners of pets through our Participating Partners. Medical care to shelter animals, including spay and neuter surgeries will continue. BHS will keep the shelter animals healthy and adoptable by continuing to work with local veterinarians. Low-cost spay and neuter surgeries for cats will still be available to the public . Please call 413-447-7878 extension 124. Family Dog School is closed Education Programs are on hold: All meetings of Humane Heroes and Defenders are cancelled until further notice as are tours and community programs. Alfonso- Berkshire Humane Society has animals available for adoption by appointment only. Alfonso - Breed: Bulldog, American/Pointer Age: 5 years, 6 months Gender: Male Ethan - Animals are available for adoption at Berkshire Humane Society by adoption only. Ethan - Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix Age: 1 year Gender: Male Orsen - Adoptions by appointment only at Berkshire Humane Society. Orsen - Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix Age: 10 years Gender: Male Clifford - Animals are available for adoption by appointment only. Clifford - Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix Age: 2 years Gender: Male Gusty- Animals are available for adoption by appointment only. Gusty - Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix Age: 6 years Gender: Female Missy - Animals are available for adoption by appointment only. Missy - Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix Age: 6 years Gender: Female Gilbert - Pets at Berkshire Humane Society are available for adoption by appointment only. Gilbert - Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix Age: 2 years Gender: Male The CDC has warned parents not to put face masks on babies during the coronavirus pandemic as it may suffocate them. While the wider public have been advised to wear a mask or face covering when they go out in order to prevent the infection spreading, pediatricians say it may be harmful for babies. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said infants have such small airways that a mask could do more harm than good and doctors have warned of suffocation. 'No child under the age of two should ever wear a mask due to the risk of accidental suffocation,' said Dr. Mike Cappello, a neonatologist at Advocate Children's Hospital Park Ridge in Illinois told Fox 5 News. Experts including Dr. Mike Cappello, a neonatologist at Advocate Children's Hospital Park Ridge (pictured), have warned parents not to put face masks on babies during the coronavirus pandemic as it may suffocate them The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said infants have such small airways that a mask could do more harm than good and doctors have warned of suffocation. Pictured: a company selling masks for babies on Amazon 'Children that are that young have very small airways and they lack the strength and wherewithal to reposition themselves if there was an obstruction from the mask. 'The size of the airway and the risk for limiting oxygen delivery to their lungs and organs would be very significant.' On the CDC website it says: 'Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age two, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.' Amazon searches reveal several companies selling masks that are supposedly specially made to fit the size of a baby. Advice adds that if you have to go out you should place a blanket loosely over the car seat or carrier but never over the baby. Yesterday Gov. Andrew Cuomo told all New Yorkers that they must wear faces masks in public. The new outbreak-fighting mandate will require a mask or face covering on busy streets, subways, buses or any situation where people cannot maintain six feet of social distancing. Advice adds that if you have to go out you should place a blanket loosely over the car seat or carrier but never over the baby The promised executive order from Cuomo echoes recommendations from the CDC that list it as a way to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The order takes effect Friday, the governor said, and either a mask or a cloth covering such as a bandanna will work. 'Stopping the spread is everything. How can you not wear a mask when you're going to come close to a person?' Cuomo said at his daily briefing. 'On what theory would you not do that?' The governor said there will initially be no civil penalties for noncompliance, but he's urging merchants to enforce it among customers. Fomenting trouble at the time of a pandemic: Violations by Pakistan spiked in March India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 17: Between January and March, Pakistan violated the ceasefire 1,144 times. The highest number of violations were reported in March and the number stood at 411. This was the time when there was a sharp increase in the number of coronavirus cases. For the same period in 2019 and 2018, Pakistan had violated the ceasefire 685 and 627 times respectively. This is a clear indicator that Pakistan is taking advantage of the ongoing crisis and trying to send in its terrorists into India. The ceasefire is only meant to act as a cover for the terrorists seeking to infiltrate. With 411 ceasefire violations being reported in March alone, India issues demarche to Pakistan This has promoted Army Chief, General M M Naravane to say that at a time when we are busy not only helping our own citizens but the rest of the world, Pakistan is exporting terror. This does not augur well, he also said. Our neighbours continue to foment trouble for us at a time when we are fighting the menace of the pandemic, he also said. Intelligence Bureau officials say that this is a deliberate strategy by Pakistan. They too have a big problem of the coronavirus, but their terror infrastructure remains intact. They have already activated their launchpads along the Line of Control and the violations are only meant to provide cover fire to them, the officer also said. NEWS AT 3 PM, APRIL 17th, 2020 The official also said that Pakistan would go to any lengths to continue with their proxy war with India. ISI linked operations are on in full flow not only in Pakistan but in Afghanistan as well. The JeM and the Lashkar-e-Tayiba have lined up nearly 200 of their terrorists along the border and are looking to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir, a report by the Intelligence Bureau also said. India issues demarche to Pak over killing of 3 Indians in ceasefire violations in J&K The Army Chief who reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir amidst the lockdown and unusual spike in ceasefire violations by Pakistan said that these acts by Pakistan are condemnable. The entire world is battling the pandemic, but the neighbouring country has not stopped stirring trouble, he also said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fatih Anfasa (The Jakarta Post) Rotterdam, the Netherlands Fri, April 17, 2020 11:35 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd27645f 3 Opinion public-space,pandemic,COVID-19,public-transportation,PSBB,large-scale-social-restrictions,social-distancing Free 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 Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Naomi Watts shared a stunning photo of her mother Myfanwy 'Miv' Watts, proving her age-defying looks runs in the family. The 51-year-old King Kong star is currently in coronavirus lockdown with her former partner Liev Schreiber and their children in the Hamptons, but misses her mother Miv, who lives a world away in Byron Bay. 'Missing my mum today. Thank god for FaceTime,' Naomi said on Friday. Age-defying looks run in the family! Australian actor Naomi Watts shared a stunning picture of her mother Myfanwy 'Miv' Watts (pictured) on Friday in an Instagram post Sharing a beautiful selfie of her mother, she added: 'Looking gorgeous mum!' The epitome of ageing gracefully, Miv's silver locks cascaded to her shoulders, the sun hitting her strong cheekbones that bare a striking similarity to her daughter's. Miv is a renowned interior designer and antiques curator, as well as the the mother of Naomi and her acclaimed New-York based photographer brother Ben Watts. 'Looking gorgeous mum!' The epitome of ageing gracefully, Miv's (L) strong cheekbones bare a striking similarity to her daughter's (R) Also an esteemed author, her 2017 book The Maverick Soul explores 25 bohemian and eclectic homes around the world. She lives her own bohemian lifestyle on a property in the Byron Bay hinterland. Meanwhile, Naomi in quarantine with her sons Alexander 'Sasha' Pete, 13, and Samuel 'Sammy' Kai, 11, as well as Liev Schreiber and reportedly his girlfriend Taylor Neisen. Sweet: Naomi in quarantine with her sons Alexander 'Sasha' Pete, 13, and Samuel 'Sammy' Kai, 11, (both pictured) as well as Liev Schreiber and reportedly his girlfriend Taylor Neisen Last week, the Australian actress was treated to a homemade face mask by her son, with hilarious results. The actress shared a sweet video on Instagram of her son applying a concoction of brown sugar, honey, coconut oil, olive oil and cinnamon to her face. Naomi showed off her age-defying complexion as she went makeup free, before the mixture was generously dolloped onto her face. 'Spa day at home for mommy!' Naomi wrote in the caption, noticeably using the American spelling. For the first time, the graduating class of the Air Force Academy will have a contingent of cadets who have committed to serve in the newest branch of the military -- U.S. Space Force. "We're going to commission [88] Air Force Academy cadets directly into the Space Force" from the graduating class of about 1,000, Gen. Jay Raymond, who serves as the first chief of space operations, said Thursday. "They will take the oath of office and they will be commissioned into the Space Force, so we are really excited to get those cadets onto the team," Raymond said. Saturdays graduation ceremony has been drastically scaled back because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Related: These 23 Air Force Missions Are Transferring to the Space Force Vice President Mike Pence is set to address the graduating class in person at the academy's Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but no family members, spectators or visitors will be allowed to attend. The ceremony has been shortened to 30 minutes, according to academy officials. To comply with the official guidelines on social distancing, the cadets will march into the stadium eight feet apart and sit six feet apart, but the ceremony will end with a traditional flyover by the Air Force Thunderbirds. Space Force, which was formally created only four months ago, is facing enormous personnel challenges ahead with decisions to be made during the pandemic. However, "this is a historic opportunity" and "we get to start from scratch," Raymond said Thursday in a Facebook town hall with Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman, his senior enlisted adviser. "There is no checklist on how to set up an independent service," Raymond said, adding he wants to make sure "we don't have a huge bureaucracy" that would stifle innovation. Raymond and Towberman said they are sticking with the timetable of a 30-day window, to start May 1, for current Air Force personnel to decide whether they want to switch to Space Force. "I understand it's a life-changing decision" and some may need more time, Towberman said. "If you just aren't sure, I want you to understand we've got a service we've got to plan for." Those from other services can also apply to join the Space Force. "If you're interested, we'd love to have you," Raymond said. But Towberman cautioned that service members from other branches should check first with their leadership before volunteering. In the rush to set up the new force, Raymond and Towberman said some of the fundamentals expected by the traditions of service and the culture of the U.S. military have yet to be decided for the Space Force. Raymond said it's yet to be decided what a Space Force honor guard would look like, and Towberman said no decisions have been made on what the rank insignia will look like for enlisted personnel, or even what the ranks will be called. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Read more: Space Force Is Now Fighting Coronavirus. Here's How A bomb "accidentally dropped" from a Chadian jet onto the home of a senior army officer Friday, killing four people and wounding two near N'Djamena, a prosecutor and an air force officer told AFP. The blast destroyed the home of Mahamat Saleh Arim, deputy commander of the presidential guard and a close ally of President Idriss Deby Itno, an AFP journalist at the scene near the Adji Kossei airbase said. The warhead struck just metres from the Chad headquarters of anti-jihadist Operation Barkhane, the French-led military campaign fighting militants in the region. "An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of this incident," said Youssouf Tom, public prosecutor at the N'Djamena High Court, who visited the scene. Two women and two children were killed, an air force official said. "The plane was taking off when the bomb broke loose, and hit a private residence in the city that houses soldiers' families next to the airbase," an air force officer added on condition of anonymity. Russian-made Sukhoi jets used by the Chadian air force at the base were recently involved in strikes against Boko Haram militants in the Lake Chad region. That massive operation followed a militant attack on a Chad army base in March that killed 98 troops. At least 150 Chadian soldiers have been killed in the area since mid-March. Deby has said his country's troops, who have been fighting jihadists in the Lake Chad region and the Sahel, will no longer take part in military operations outside national borders. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) RMIT and La Trobe University have moved to let go of hundreds of casual staff, in a sign of the mounting financial pressure on Australias universities. What is believed to be hundreds of non-essential RMIT research and professional staff casuals worked their final day at the university on Friday. Hundreds of casual staff at RMIT, including research assistants, library workers and IT staff, were let go on Friday. Credit:Rob Homer La Trobe Vice-Chancellor Professor John Dewar similarly emailed staff on Thursday evening informing them that all non-essential casuals would be let off on May 1 as the university prepares for severe financial woes. The job cuts represent the first significant loss of university staff due to the coronavirus pandemic. In view of the ongoing spread of COVID-19 across the world and its growing global impact, the board of directors of the European Society of Radiology (Vienna) has decided not to hold an onsite European Congress of Radiology (ECR) in 2020. Instead, ECR 2020 will go ahead as an online congress to ensure a safe experience for its members, partners, staff and the general public.Due to the spread of COVID-19 in Europe, the European Society of Radiology had earlier decided to postpone ECR 2020 until July. However, since then, the outbreak has worsened, with Europe becoming the epicenter of the global pandemic. Public health authorities in Austria, as well as much of the rest of the world, have restricted large meetings and enforced travel bans, with no official indication as to when these restrictions will be lifted. Almost all specialty and subspecialty societies and other congress organizers have already, or will shortly, cancel their meetings for 2020.As a result, the board of directors of the European Society of Radiology has decided not to hold an onsite ECR in 2020. However, ECR 2020 will go ahead as an online congress taking place on July 15-19, 2020. The European Society of Radiology will provide further information regarding the online event in the near future, as it plans to ensure that only useful and unique content is delivered. If you live in California, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Puerto Rico or Hawaii, you may qualify for Temporary Disability Insurance. This law gives you the right to money in your pocket to partially make up for the loss of your paycheck when youre unable to work due to off-the-job meaning not workers comp illness or injury, said Williamson. Your benefits may kick in if you have a pregnancy-related disability. When you have given birth, your doctor will certify you for a period of time as disabled for purposes of T.D.I., said Williamson. Women in these states can organize maternity leave this way: disability benefits for recovery from childbirth followed by paid family leave benefits for bonding. The terms and the amount of money you get differ per state. No federal laws guarantee paid sick leave, a worst-case option. Check to see if you live in one of the 11 states or district that have paid sick time laws on the books. Find an advocate. Seek the advice of an attorney well in advance of your need for leave, advises Laura Brown, executive director of First Shift Justice, a workers rights group. A Better Balance (833-633-3222) and the Center for WorkLife Law (415-703-8276) have free hotlines that connect you with an attorney. If you end up with a discrimination case and the company doesnt respond appropriately, we can intervene on a more formal basis, said Liz Morris, deputy director of the Center for WorkLife Law. If you are connected with a social worker for other services, said Brown, think about using that person as a resource to help you advocate for yourself. New laws pop up all the time. Dont assume youre out of luck until youve talked to an attorney. Assess your situation. Think hard about your relationship with your boss and whether you feel safe coming forward, said Shilpa Phadke, vice president of the Womens Initiative at the Center for American Progress: The power dynamic between your boss and you is real. Understand the dynamics of the workplace, and see who else has taken leave, Phadke suggested. When Melissa Carlile-Price, an actor and restaurant worker, told her shift manager at Union Square Cafe in New York that she was pregnant, the manager immediately asked her what she needed. She wanted to work eight hours maximum and no double-shifts. Management agreed. In her third trimester, her manager kept her on the first floor so she wouldnt have to climb stairs. These concessions made pregnancy while waiting tables more tolerable, she said. The management team was constantly checking in on me, making sure I was comfortable, drinking water and getting breaks. She wasnt eligible for F.M.L.A. leave, but the human resources department guided her and her husband, a caterer, through New York States Paid Family Leave, which gave them job-protected paid time off. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Leading politicians, popular temples, a global Muslim evangelical organization, society blades and event organisers have all repeatedly flouted health directives and transgress new pandemic norms across the country, exposing thousands of people to the deadly scourge. In the absence of rigorous testing, it is still early to determine the extent of damage caused. In this willful act of defiance, politicians have led the charge. After much reluctance, handwringing and public outrage, former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, has come to the conclusion that his son Nikhils wedding will be a low-key affair in the presence of close family members on April 17, given the compulsions of COVID-19. The decision did not come easy after plans of a huge fat wedding hit the headlines. Karnatakas celebrated political family was determined to go ahead with a large public gathering, irrespective of the cost, unmindful of the fact that Bengaluru is one of the six metros in India that has been declared a hot spot with strong restrictions on movement of people and on holding large gatherings. In distant Bengal, feisty Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a none-too-subtle attempt at cocking a snook at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP and its policies, has permitted the holding of large Friday jumma prayers. Last week, images of a packed mosque full of believers in Murshidabad became viral on the social media. The Union Home Ministry has shot off a letter to the West Bengal government asking them to take strict action against those flouting lockdown rules in Murshidabad and elsewhere in the state. 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 Given the fact that the country is dealing with a self-inflicted Tablighi Jamaat scare, a mass Muslim evangelical event held in Delhi last month that is sending shivers down the spine of Corona virus-hit India, events such as organizing Friday prayers in Bengal aimed at forced secularization, are hardly likely to help. The Delhi congregation, attended by more than 2,000 people, including foreign delegates, was organised by Tablighi Jamaat, a global Islamic missionary movement, which took place from March 13-15 in the capitals Nizamuddin area. Even as the fallout of the Nizamuddin fiasco is being assessed, the lens is on the Nalanda Markaz in Bihar. According to reports on April 16, 640 people attended the Nalanda Markaz, out of which more than 300 are untraceable. Of them, four have reportedly tested positive for the virus, prompting a massive manhunt by the Bihar Police and central intelligence agencies. But the Tablighi scare is by no means the only blip on the radar. On April 14, the 129th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar was celebrated with verve, both by the BJP and the Congress, at small functions away from the public eye. Nonetheless, they were all described as significant gatherings in large numbers that took place in various states, from UP to Karnataka. Starting off as a solemn promise to maintain social distances, it petered out into large public processions in towns and suburbs, perhaps the spots most vulnerable to the corona virus and places that have witnessed virtually no testing of suspected cases at all. In Assam earlier this week, politicians led celebrations on the states most important festival of the year, Rongali Bihu, which was held amidst `low key enthusiasm. They were led by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who appealed to the people to celebrate Bihu adhering to the protocols of social distancing put in place during the lockdown period to contain and control COVID-1. While the festivities were relatively muted, there were reports of social gatherings in the states interior towns, even though capital Guwahati itself was quiet. Clearly, the political class across the country has dealt a body blow to the concept of social distancing. While it is relatively easier to impose curbs on the public, the lockdown rules do not apply to politicians, both national and local, who have quietly but steadily tip-toed past well laid down rules to do what they and their supporters have planned, never mind the homilies mouthed for the record. Consider the following: *** On April 16, people in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, participated in the funeral of a Jallikattu bull. Shocking images of people jostling against each other in confined spaces have prompted the authorities to lodge FIRs against those organizing the ritual. *** On March 24, Ramnavami celebrations were held in many parts of the country, notably in UP, lead by the states heavyweight politicians. But long lines of those wanting to visit temples in Bengal, among other states, were also witnessed on the special day. *** Despite Karnatakas ban on mass gatherings, on March 15, hundreds of people attended the wedding of state legislator Mahantesh Kavatgimaths daughter. Chief minister, BS Yeddyurappa, himself attended the ceremony. *** A 70-year-old Corona virus-infected Sikh preacher took part in a fair in Punjab on March 10-12, putting thousands at risk. The preacher himself died due to COVID-19 on March 26. Around 40,000 of his devotees are now under isolation. Clearly, no lockdown can be entirely successful if the public does not cooperate. It is virtually impossible to police every nook and cranny of the country and if even that were to be done, there is still no guarantee that rules will be followed to the last mile. Ranjit Bhushan is an independent journalist and former Nehru Fellow at Jamia Millia University. In a career spanning more than three decades, he has worked with Outlook, The Times of India, The Indian Express, the Press Trust of India, Associated Press, Financial Chronicle, and DNA. Illinois schools will remain closed through the end of the academic year, Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered Friday. Schools statewide, both public and private, have been closed since March 17 and students will now finish out the remainder of the school year with remote learning. The announcement came as Pritzkers administration reported 1,842 new known cases of the new coronavirus. Thats the highest number of new known cases reported in a 24-hour period since the pandemic began. Officials also warned that the pandemic has yet to peak in Illinois. Heres a recap of what happened on April 17 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois: 7:56 p.m.: Amid the coronavirus outbreak, 500 new Great Lakes Navy recruits will stay at Great Wolf Lodge for two weeks Navy officials confirmed Friday night that theyd take an unusual step: Isolating about 500 new recruits headed to Naval Station Great Lakes for about two weeks at Great Wolf Lodge, a hotel and indoor waterpark in nearby Gurnee. Thats the plan for the future sailors who report next week, and Navy officials will continue to evaluate the situation after that, said Lt. Cmdr. Frederick Martin, a Navy spokesman. A two-week stay at an indoor waterpark might not fit the popular image of military boot camp, but Martin said the recruits will not have access to resort-type amenities. Read more here. Dan Hinkel 7:55 p.m.: Sky center Stefanie Dolson reveals she tested positive for the coronavirus Sky center Stefanie Dolson revealed she tested positive for the novel coronavirus during Friday nights broadcast of the WNBA draft on ESPN. Dolson becomes the first known Chicago professional athlete and the second known WNBA player to have contracted COVID-19. Read more here. Phil Thompson 6:58 p.m.: 8 more deaths reported in DuPage County, highest single day yet Eight more people with the coronavirus died in DuPage County, the highest total in a single day, and half of them were residents of long-term care facilities, officials reported Friday. The county health department also reported 87 new known cases, which raised the total countywide to 1,560. The latest victims to die included three men in their 80s who lived in long-term care facilities in Carol Stream, Elmhurst and Wheaton, and a woman in her 90s who lived in a long-term care facility in Lisle, according to a news release. Read more here. Robert McCoppin 6:17 p.m.: Joliet mayor asks state to conduct investigation of Symphony nursing home, which reported 23 COVID-related deaths Joliet Mayor Bob ODekirk on Friday called for a full investigation into the COVID-19-related deaths of 22 patients and one worker at Symphony of Joliet nursing home. During a news conference, ODekirk said he contacted the governors office Thursday to request the investigation after hearing what he described as concerning stories from Joliet paramedics who have responded to more than 30 calls at the nursing home in recent weeks. We dont have the answers right now, but were going to get the answers, ODekirk said. Certainly Joliet families and people who lost their loved ones inside the nursing home have a right to get those answers. ODekirk would not elaborate on what the first responders told him theyve seen inside the facility that caused concern, but said he wants the Illinois Department of Public Health to investigate. Read more here. Alicia Fabbre and Robert McCoppin 6:14 p.m.: Extension of the school shutdown is a blow to teachers, parents and students especially the class of 2020 Prom dresses had been picked out, graduation parties had been planned or at least, still hoped for. But Fridays announcement from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker that in-school instruction would be canceled through the end of the academic year made it clear that such events would be off or, at best, completely altered. It was tough if widely expected news to hear, especially for seniors who are facing both the upheaval of long-standing end-of-high-school traditions as well as vast uncertainty about the future. Read more here as students, parents and teachers react to the extension of the school shutdown. 5:43 p.m.: Highland Park to require residents to wear face coverings while in public People in Highland Park will be required to wear face coverings, effective Monday, when doing essential activities during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new emergency order issued by the mayor. With the requirement, Highland Park also joins a group of several villages and cities throughout the northern suburbs, including Skokie, Glenview and Niles, that have introduced similar emergency orders this week. Read more here. James T. Norman 5:04 p.m.: Daily Southtown columnist shares his experience as COVID-19 patient As news worsened a month ago about the coming virus, we vowed to be prepared. Just a day after joining the throngs at a packed IHSA playoff basketball game to root on the team from my sons school, we began planning for impending quarantine. We hit the stores for some essentials, including a pork shoulder I could throw on the smoker and turn into a variety of meals, feeding us deliciously for days if need be. We picked up some seeds for the coming growing season and some crowlers of beer from the local brewery. I ordered a new book of tuba lessons so I could improve on the instrument Id resumed playing after 25 years. We would be serious about sheltering in place. And we would be prepared. But even during a pandemic, nobody is prepared to get sick. Daily Southtown columnist Paul Eisenberg shares his experience as a COVID-19 patient at University of Chicago Medical Center: I spent two nights in the pandemic wing of a city hospital during a global virus event, but I was one of the lucky ones. Read more here. 4:53 p.m.: Lightfoot to seek retroactive City Council approval for budget powers to deal with coronavirus pandemic Mayor Lori Lightfoot will ask aldermen next week to retroactively bless her executive order that gives her additional power to spend city money and make changes to the 2020 budget to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. The mayor issued the order on March 17, creating a new section in the citys budget to consolidate coronavirus expenses and giving her the ability to move money around to cover the costs that are piling up as the city tries to cope with the pandemic. The order also allows the citys procurement department to negotiate and execute contracts for emergency supplies and services up to $1 million, up from the $500,000 cap on such emergency contracts thats usually in place. With aldermen grumbling about the move, Lightfoot will introduce an ordinance directly to the Budget Committee on Tuesday, asking for the City Councils approval of the additional powers. In a bid to quell dissent, Lightfoot also has agreed that her administration will give weekly updates to aldermen on the virus spending. Read more here. John Byrne 4:46 p.m.: Andersons Bookshop had plans to close La Grange location before coronavirus shutdown, employees say In less than a week, Andersons Bookshop has raised more than half of its $100,000 goal in a GoFundMe campaign to keep the beloved bookseller in business during the global coronavirus pandemic. But some employees expressed frustration that owners did not communicate on the fundraising post their plans to close the La Grange store in July, plans they said were told to employees before the states stay-at-home order shuttered the storefronts of all non-essential businesses. As of Thursday, the fundraiser had raised more than $59,000 toward its $100,000 goal. Our three bookshops (Naperville, Downers Grove and La Grange), our Andersons Toyshop (Naperville) and our school bookfair division (Aurora) need assistance to support our hardworking employees, pay our rents, and allow us to serve you again once this crisis is over, Andersons GoFundMe page reads. The employees say they were told March 13 that the La Grange store would close July 31, the date when the lease term ended. Gov. J.B. Pritzkers stay-at-home order took effect March 21. Read more here. Bob Chiarito 4:43 p.m.: Provident Hospital to reopen emergency room Monday after coronavirus reconfiguration Provident Hospital on Chicagos South Side will reopen its emergency room on Monday after shuttering it for two weeks to reconfigure the facility to handle patients in a time of COVID-19 social distancing, Cook County Health and Hospitals officials announced Friday. The announcement came less than an hour before nurses were set to speak out about the temporary closure during a shift change. The nurses response was organized by National Nurses United, a union. Among the changes made to the emergency room: new seating to meet social distancing guidelines and set aside space for suspected COVID-19 patients; reconfigured nursing stations to meet the same guidelines; and designating triage, exam and isolation areas for COVID-19 patients. Provident, a community hospital, and the much larger regional Stroger Hospital are both run by the Cook County Health and Hospitals System. A plan to build a new, $240 million Provident Hospital was put on hold last month after the ouster of Dr. Jay Shannon, the health systems former CEO. The rest of Provident Hospital and a clinic at the location remained open during the renovations. Hal Dardick 4:27 p.m.: Former Lake County jail inmate tests positive for coronavirus two days after release Antonio Ellis of Des Plaines started feeling poorly on April 8. He woke up that morning in his bunk at the Lake County jail with a headache and, when he stood up, his equilibrium was off. Concerned, he told a correctional officer, who called a nurse. Ellis said he continued to feel sick through the remainder of the week, with his temperature at one point hitting 101.3 degrees, but the Lake County jails health care provider never tested Ellis for the novel coronavirus. The Lake County jail has not tested any of its inmates for COVID-19, according to Sgt. Christopher Covelli, the spokesman for the jail. He also confirmed Friday that a 28-year-old Des Plaines man, who was in the jail Feb. 27 to April 13, had been tested at a Cook County hospital and come back with positive results. Read more here. Emily K. Coleman 4:13 p.m.: Pharmacists push for coronavirus protections as they serve potentially ill customers For generations, Illinois pharmacists have filled prescriptions in friendly, open-air settings without great fear that their normal give-and-take with customers would make them sick. But the coronavirus has changed all that. With patients lining up at drugstore counters in the middle of a deadly pandemic, rank-and-file pharmacists have been pressing big chains and pharmacy owners to provide protective masks, gloves and sneeze guards to lessen the risks. Read more here. Ray Long 3:27 p.m.: McCormick Place gets its first COVID-19 patients McCormick Place got its first COVID-19 patients this week as health care professionals begin trying out the hastily built medical center. Patients started arriving Tuesday afternoon, and five were there Friday, officials said. They are all people who have low-acuity COVID-19, said Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who noted that the pop-up hospital was not designed to treat the sickest patients. They will be there for as long as it will take for them to recover. Read more here. Hal Dardick and Gregory Pratt 2:51 p.m.: Pritzker officially announces in-person learning will be suspended at schools statewide Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday announced in-person learning will be suspended at schools statewide through the end of the current school year to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. Schools statewide, both public and private, have been closed a full month, since March 17. Pritzkers initial school closure order had an expiration date of March 30, which was then extended into April. Pritzkers statewide stay-at-home order is in effect until the end of this month, but he has strongly hinted this week that the order will be extended, with possible modifications. The order took effect March 21, and has been extended once so far. Pritzker said Thursday he planned to announce a decision about the stay-at-home order within the next week, as his administration announced the largest number of deaths the state has seen in a single day. Folks, Ive said time and time again my decisions are hard ones, but they will follow the science and the science says our students cant go back to their normal routine, Pritzker said. Therefore I am suspending in-person learning in schools for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. We know that there are many school districts with unique challenges, and we will work with them on any issues that may arise. I know that many have felt that this was inevitable. But trust me when I say this was not a decision I made lightly. The school closure announcement came as Pritzkers administration reported 1,842 new known cases of the new coronavirus statewide, including 62 additional deaths. Thats the highest number of new known cases to date. That brings the total of known cases statewide to 27,575 cases, including 1,134 deaths, with 92 of the states 102 counties reporting known cases. Pritzker will also waive a student teaching requirement for educator candidates who have finished all other requirements needed to become licensed, and he has amended graduation requirements for high school seniors, allowing them to graduate without the normally required participation in consumer education and physical fitness assessments. Jamie Munks 2:42 p.m.: With federal funds depleted, Chicago-area small businesses can get emergency loans locally. But the process is slow. Chicago-area small businesses shut out by the depleted federal Paycheck Protection Program may look to the city and state for emergency relief during the coronavirus pandemic, but they shouldnt expect a check anytime soon. Established last month, the $100 million Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund has received more than 8,000 applications, but has approved only 124 loans for about $4.7 million as of Friday, the city said. It is going to be a long process, were moving as quickly as we can, said Rosa Escareno, commissioner of the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. But we certainly understand that quick is just not quick enough for somebody who is really hurting right now. Read more here. Robert Channick 2:41 p.m.: Illinois National Guard activated for COVID-19 response at Park Forest developmental center with more than 100 cases The Illinois National Guard has been activated in response to a COVID-19 outbreak at a Park Forest residential center for adults with developmental disabilities, where more than 110 residents and staff have now tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Members of the Illinois National Guard will soon begin performing temperature checks for staff at the state-run Elisabeth Ludeman Developmental Center to permit employees who had been conducting the checks to return to caring directly for residents, Illinois Department of Human Services spokeswoman Meghan Powers said. Powers did not immediately say how many Guard members were involved in the effort or when they would take over the temperature checks, which are performed in the course of screening staff members for COVID-19 symptoms prior to their shifts. Read more here. Zak Koeske 2:34 p.m.: Jenni Spinner, founder of Chicagos Bon Jovi singalong, just lost her dad to the coronavirus Al Spinner liked to tuck notes inside the cards he sent his kids for their birthdays and Christmas, not content to let the greeting card companies do all the talking for him. When I look at you, here is what I see, he wrote to his daughter, Jenni, at Christmas 2019. A well-rounded, educated, smart, clever, funny, caring and involved adult person." When Jennis dog, Willie, was getting old and struggling to jump onto the bed at night, Al Spinner built a set of stairs (carpeted, no less), to ease Willies way. He used the wood from an old cornhole set hed built a few years back. He loved to work with his hands, and he loved to do favors, Jenni said Friday. Al Spinner died Thursday from COVID-19. He was 71. Read more here. Heidi Stevens 1:16 p.m.: Pandemic pivot: How Chicago-area businesses and workers are managing the coronavirus crisis The coronavirus pandemic is forcing Chicago-area companies and workers to face harsh realities about their paychecks and their place in the local economy. The Tribune is reaching out to hear, and share, their stories. Read more here. 1:11 p.m.: Layoffs, furloughs, pay cuts begin as architects see building slow and fear worse is ahead As scores of architects were laid off and forced to find make-due jobs during the 1992 real estate recession, a cruel joke made its way around Chicago. How do you find an architect? "Hail a cab. Now, a dozen years after the Great Recession of 2008 put another cohort of architects out of work, the coronavirus pandemic is placing a financial squeeze on design firms as some clients hit the pause button, revenue streams dry up, and economic storm clouds loom on the horizon. As a result, it appears likely that more architects will join the 22 million Americans who have filed for unemployment in the last month due to virus-related shutdowns. Read more here. Blair Kamin 12:08 p.m.: Outgunned, outmanned and underfunded: Inside Roseland hospitals battle against the coronavirus Inside the Roseland Community Hospital intensive care unit, nurse Subu Kirugulige suctions secretions from the mouth of a COVID-19 patient, an unconscious middle-aged man who has been on a ventilator for several days. A television plays quietly in the background as Kirugulige goes about his work in the cramped room, a three-walled stall with a privacy curtain. The nurse never once glances at the screen, not even when a city public health official declares Chicago has begun to flatten the coronavirus curve. But Kiruguliges brow one of the few parts of his head not covered by a mask or hair net furrows behind his large face shield. His 10-bed ICU has been at capacity for weeks. At the moment, there are nine confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases. Eight patients are on ventilators. Many of them have organs threatening to fail. And Ive got three more in the emergency room who are waiting for a bed up here," Kirugulige says after leaving the patients room. I know the city has all the data, but it doesnt feel like anything is flattening for us. Read more here. Stacy St. Clair 12:05 p.m.: Chicago alderman proposes benefits fund for essential city workers who die in a disaster, such as coronavirus pandemic A Chicago alderman wants to create a fund to pay benefits to the families of city workers who die because theyre required to work during a disaster such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Southwest Side Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, said city workers deemed essential during a catastrophe should get benefits like police and firefighters who die in the line of duty. He plans to introduce an Essential Municipal Employees Death Benefit Fund" ordinance at Wednesdays City Council meeting. Lopez, a critic of Mayor Lori Lightfoot, wants an initial $1 million payment into the fund. That would cover an $8,000 payment for the employees funeral expenses, plus payments of between $20,000 and $40,000 to the surviving family members based on how many children are in the household and whether another parent is still alive. Families would be eligible for benefits if a family member who works for the city dies during any current, continuing or future crisis, regardless if it is a natural or man-made phenomenon," according to Lopez. While Lightfoot has ordered many members of the citys huge workforce to work from home, those providing services deemed essential, such as garbage pickup, parts of the water department and various other agencies, have remained on the job. Read more here. John Byrne 11:54 a.m.: Pritzker expected to close schools for remainder of academic year Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to order that the states schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year due to the coronavirus crisis, sources told the Tribune. Shutting down the states schools was one of the first major moves by Pritzker to address COVID-19 before issuing a statewide stay-at-home order. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday said she expected an announcement to come soon. Though she said she hasnt discussed keeping schools closed for the rest of the school year with Pritzker, Lightfoot said she would like to talk with him before he announces any decision. We have not had that conversation yet with the governor although we are hearing that he might make some kind of announcement later this week, Lightfoot said. Read more here. Gregory Pratt 11:45 a.m.: Better Call Saul star says son, a DePaul student, had coronavirus Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk, who grew up in Naperville, said his son contracted the coronavirus a few weeks ago. Nathan Odenkirk majors in political science at DePaul University. My only big concern was Nate had dealt with asthma for a good chunk of his life, so I worried that that would be an extra complication. In the end, it was pretty bad, and it was worse than the flu. And according to him, the pain in his throat was the worst thing of all. But I think also the fatigue, and it lasted longer than the flu. But you know Id say he got out pretty easily, obviously, compared to a lot of people, Odenkirk said Thursday on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Tracy Swartz 11:41 a.m.: Man charged with attacking nurse on CTA bus after accusing her of coughing on him Felony charges have been filed against a man accused of punching a nurse on a CTA bus after complaining that she coughed on him and tried to infect him with the coronavirus. The nurse, 31, told police she was still wearing her scrubs and mask, and was riding the bus home with a co-worker. She coughed into her elbow and a 29-year-old man accused her of trying to give him the coronavirus, police said. He punched her in the face as he got off the bus. Read more here. Chicago Tribune staff 11:28 a.m.: Major Frida Kahlo exhibition postponed Frida Kahlo 2020 is now going to take place in 2021. The new title? Frida Kahlo: Timeless. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the College of DuPages Cleve Carney Art Museum is pushing back by almost exactly a year what it says will be the largest exhibition of the iconic Mexican painters work in the Chicago area since the 1970s. Originally scheduled for June 1 to Aug. 31 of 2021, the show will run June 5 to Sept. 6, 2021. Read more here. Steve Johnson 11:07 a.m.: Third Chicago police officer dies after contracting COVID-19 A third Chicago police officer has died from complications stemming from COVID-19, according to the department. The officer was assigned to the South Chicago patrol district, which covers the area from 75th Street to the southern edge of the city, and from roughly the Bishop Ford expressway east to Indiana. Read more here. Peter Nickeas 11:06 a.m.: Wall Street credits ratings agency downgrades Illinois debt to one notch above junk status A day after Gov. J.B. Pritzker said that his administration is projecting the coronavirus pandemic will blow a $2.7 billion hole in this years state budget and create an even larger gap next year, a Wall Street credits ratings agency downgraded Illinois debt to one notch above junk status. Fitch Ratings on Thursday downgraded the states credit from BBB to BBB-, a reflection of the havoc COVID-19 is wreaking on the states precarious finances. The downgrade reflects Fitchs anticipation of a fundamental weakening of the states financial resilience given its already tenuous position entering the current severe downturn, according to the agencys analysis. While Illinois should avoid any immediate cash flow pressures, the states lack of meaningful reserves and the limited nature of other fiscal-management tools at its disposal mean Illinois will be challenged to maintain its investment-grade rating, Fitch said. Fitch noted that its rating for Illinois is well below the level of other states and reflects a long history of weak operating performance and irresolute fiscal decision-making. Its also a reflection of the states elevated long-term liabilities, including $137 billion in pension debt. In addition to downgrading the states credit rating, which could result in higher borrowing costs that would ultimately be borne by taxpayers, Fitch changed its outlook for Illinois finances from stable to negative. The agency improved its outlook for the state to stable last summer after Illinois received a surprise influx of tax revenue in April 2019 and Pritzker signed what Fitch at the time called a plausible and achievable $40 billion spending plan for the current year. Fitch projects that an economic recovery could begin in the second half of 2020. However, should the downturn extend well beyond that point, even if for Illinois alone, Fitchs assessment of the states long-term economic growth prospects could be fundamentally weakened from an already modest level, its analysis says. This would pressure all aspects of the states credit profile. Read more here. Dan Petrella 10:42 a.m.: Pritzker strolls with Shedd Aquarium penguins, chastises fish in latest All in Illinois video to encourage social distancing Gov. J.B. Pritzker released a video Friday for the All in Illinois campaign featuring a new celebrity cohortthe animals at Shedd Aquarium. In the video, Pritzker strolls around the aquarium with rockhopper penguins, encouraging them to socially distance by walking six feet apart. Using sea otters and garden eels as examples, the governor also reminds viewers to wash their hands frequently, avoid touching their faces, and stay home. What is this? Lollapalooza? Pritzker playfully shouts at a tank full of hundreds of fish before instructing viewers to avoid gathering. Shedd Aquarium is proud to partner with the state of Illinois to support and promote the unifying message of All in Illinois, Shedd Aquarium CEO and President Bridget Coughlin said in a statement Friday. We sincerely hope the incredible connection and joy the aquatic world brings to millions of guests each year will also help to amplify this important message to millions more during this unprecedented time when we all must do our part to stay healthy and safe. Read more here. Antonia Ayres-Brown 9 a.m.: COVID-19 outbreak at Lincoln Park nursing home leaves 4 dead, 10 others sickened as workers run low on protective gowns, other supplies An outbreak of COVID-19 at a Lincoln Park nursing home has left four residents dead and 10 other people ill with the coronavirus, including six other residents and four workers, according to the religious order that runs the facility. The virus seemed to spread quickly at St. Marys Home, operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor at 2325 N. Lakewood Ave., according to Sister Constance Veit, communications director for the order. The facility consists of two connected buildings and contains 76 beds in the nursing home section and 50 independent living apartments. The facility had tried practicing social distancing for weeks, including serving dinner at individual rooms. But within days, residents started to become sick with COVID-19, Veit said. All four residents who died were in the nursing home, she said. They were between 71 to 97 years old. Read more here. Elvia Malagon and Cecilia Reyes 8:50 a.m.: Hundreds of people have died of COVID-19 at Illinois nursing homes. The state wont say which homes. Nearly 300 Illinois nursing home patients and staff have died from COVID-19, but exactly where still remains largely cloaked in secrecy. Unlike some states, Illinois hasnt named specific facilities where the virus has been detected. Thats been true even in cases of significant clusters of deaths. While state officials signal that could be changing, for now patients, staff and family members often must rely on homes themselves to disclose cases, such as a Joliet home on Wednesday announcing 23 total deaths. The lack of comprehensive information has led one advocacy group, AARP Illinois, to ask the state to begin posting cases and death counts online for each nursing home. Read more here. Joe Mahr, Robert McCoppin, Dan Hinkel, Elvia Malagon, Cecilia Reyes 8:30 a.m.: With CPS report cards due, some teachers decry plans to grade students during shutdown How students schoolwork will be graded during the pandemic is a topic that has created confusion since the statewide school shutdown began on March 17. So when Chicago Public Schools let teachers and families know this week that, with the end of the third quarter, report cards would be forthcoming, some said they were taken by surprise. With a large chunk of the third quarter having taken place after classrooms were shut down, the Chicago Teachers Union says its unfair to give grades to students, especially when some dont have access to a computer or the internet. The customary way of grading is inappropriate given remote learning during a global health pandemic," Union President Jesse Sharkey said in a news release. Read more here. Hannah Leone 7:30 a.m.: At 108 years old, Luther Coleman was always trying to help somebody. He is the oldest person in Cook County to die from the coronavirus A little over a month ago, Luther Coleman celebrated his 108th birthday surrounded by generations of family who loved him. They gathered at the Avantara Evergreen Park nursing home, where Coleman had lived in recent years. The celebration of a long, full life would be the last time his family would get to enjoy the company of a man who seemed to know everything. Coleman died April 11 after contracting the coronavirus, according to the Cook County medical examiners office. He is the oldest person in Cook County to die from the virus, the office said. His memory was as good as yours and he could still read without glasses, said his niece, Bertha Gunter. Read more here. Morgan Greene 6:45 a.m.: Wisconsin governor extends stay-at-home order another month, closes schools for rest of academic year, angering Republicans Gov. Tony Evers has closed all K-12 schools for the remainder of the academic year and extended Wisconsin's stay-at-home order for another month, keeping most nonessential businesses shuttered until after the Memorial Day holiday weekend to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Wisconsin Republicans reacted with anger to Evers extension, threatening lawsuits, the firing of his health secretary and other curbs on his power. The president of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the powerful state chamber of commerce, also called the legality of the order into question, saying it will lead to more businesses closing and people losing their jobs. Read more here. Associated Press 6:40 a.m.: Busy, yet struggling: Illinois hospitals lose $1.4 billion a month as coronavirus cancels surgeries Though Illinois hospitals are, in many ways, busier than ever as they care for patients with the new coronavirus, theyre also taking a financial beating thats affecting their workers and raising questions about how the institutions will recover once the worst of the pandemic has passed. The Illinois Health and Hospital Association estimates that hospitals statewide could now be losing about $1.4 billion a month. Thats the money hospitals are missing out on because of canceled elective surgeries and fewer visits by other patients, many of whom may be avoiding medical care for fear of catching the virus. Hospitals across the country are receiving federal dollars to help them handle their cash-flow issues, but experts say its not nearly enough to plug the financial holes many are now facing. Read more here. Lisa Schencker and David Heinzmann 6:30 a.m.: For a front-lines pharmacist at Rush, for a Homewood librarian, its all an anxious Monday: Another Chicago day in the life of coronavirus About a month ago, as Illinois began to stay at home, as work vanished, as movie theaters closed and supermarkets emptied, we asked four people in the Chicago area to keep a diary for 24 hours and record their thoughts, fears, hopes to note how the world was upending. A month ago was long ago. A month, in corona-time, is more like a lifetime, a day closer to a week, and a week becomes a month. So, it seemed natural then, now deep into a pandemic, to ask another four people to keep diaries for a day and observe a transformed world. What follows are excerpts from those notes, taken again on a Monday, edited and condensed and with added context. Read more here. Christopher Borrelli Thursday, April 16 Here are five things that happened Thursday that you need to know: Wednesday, April 15 Here are five things that happened Wednesday that you need to know: Tuesday, April 14 Here are five things that happened Monday that you need to know: Monday, April 13 Just a few weeks ago, our national Congress debated about government giveaways to corporations. The majority managed to insert some levels of accountability for government expenditures before the 3rd Coronavirus Relief Act passed and received the Presidents signature. Not so in Pennsylvania! House Bill 1100, a massive taxpayer handout to the fossil fuel industry, recently passed the PA House and the Senate. It permits a $660 million tax credit over the next 30 years for new petrochemical projects in PA. That is $22 million per plant per year, an environmental disaster. Wisely, the governor vetoed it. The bill has returned to the Senate, which will attempt to override the veto. In light of the rapidly expanding COVID-19 epidemic, the bill is also an economic disaster. Businesses are closed; people are sheltering at home; Pennsylvania has the highest number of applicants for unemployment relief in the country. Rather than support one of the worlds wealthiest and most environmentally destructive industries, the $660 million could go towards immediate and long term relief for Pennsylvanians and their state. I cannot imagine a better use for those funds. Now is the time for Pennsylvanians to contact their senators and tell them to support, not override, the governors veto of HB 1100. Glenavie Norton, Philadelphia, PA The number of Pennsylvania coronavirus cases rose by 1,706 on Friday, the largest single-day increase in a week, bringing the case count to 29,441. The COVID-19 death toll also continued to rise, with 49 more coronavirus-related deaths bringing the state to at least 756 lost lives, according to daily figures issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Health Secretary Rachel Levine, speaking to media in a conference call on Friday, said more coronavirus tests are being returned after a slower holiday weekend, and that the department is working on expanding COVID-19 testing. We have still bent the curve, she said, but COVID-19 continues to pose a significant public health threat in Pennsylvania. (Dont see the map above? Click here.) The coronavirus has claimed at least three more lives in the Lehigh Valley, where the states official toll is 56 deaths. The state showed deaths in Lehigh County at 29, up one from the prior day. It also listed Northampton County up two to 27, though the county itself has reported a death toll of 30. (Dont see the chart above? Click here.) Nearby, Bucks County and Montgomery County led the state in new coronavirus deaths reported Friday, each with eight. Bucks County now has lost at least 64 residents, and Montgomery 97 second only to Philadelphia, where 136 have died from COVID-19. Berks County had three more deaths. The state now reports 34 residents there have died. Carbon County also reported one more death, its seventh. No new deaths were reported in Monroe County, where 29 people have died. (Dont see the chart above? Click here.) The upturn in the rise of overall coronavirus cases comes after days where the rate appeared to be slowing. The day-over-day increase of 1,706 has been matched only twice before, two days last week when the number of daily new cases reached its peak near 2,000. Five counties had more than 100 new cases in the last day alone: Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Berks and Bucks. Lehigh had 93 new cases, now putting it among five counties with more than 2,000 coronavirus cases. As a two-county region, the Lehigh Valley surpassed 3,000 cases in the April 15 report. Lehigh also still leads the state in cases per capita, with about 580 cases per 100,000 people. (Dont see the chart above? Click here.) There have been 3,716 coronavirus cases reported in residents of long-term care facilities, like nursing homes, and 420 cases in staff. Those facilities have also reported 398 deaths from COVID-19. New data provided by the health department show that women account for 53% of the states coronavirus cases, while 55% percent of deaths are men. The state also released limited data on race, but that information was not reported in three-quarters of cases. In the number of coronavirus tests administered, another new metric, Philadelphia and Montgomery counties lead the state with a combined 40,907 mass testing facilities had been set up in both counties. Lehigh is fourth on the list with 7,533 tests administered. Northampton has tested 5,885 people. (Dont see the chart above? Click here.) State health officials have warned that their tallies are likely undercounts due to limited testing reserved for those most at risk or showing strong symptoms. Others are likely recovering at home. 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 He survived World War II, Carter said. This is the least we could do. Were here to pay tribute and honor his sacrifice that he made for our country. The band played a few songs, including Happy Birthday and God Bless America, during which Foster made sure to salute from his wheelchair situated a safe distance away. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Fosters nieces, Lee-Ann Carney, of Manahawkin, and Viki-Jo Gaudiello, of Galloway, were there to celebrate with their uncle, both wearing face masks, to make his day just a little brighter. If there wasnt a COVID-19 outbreak, Foster was going to have a party with family and friends. Instead, a bagpipe performance, a giant screen with his picture, a Thank you for your service note displayed on a truck outside and a few staff and family members to lift his spirits were all he needed. Carney said Foster was so instrumental when she was growing up because he was always there for her. She was told by staff that they had a surprise for Foster and his family but thought the surprise would be to simply bring Foster outside. We thought wed be waving through a window at him, she said. They just went above and beyond for his birthday. A North Carolina mother has shared incredible photos of the moment her identical twin daughters became the second most premature babies in the world to survive being born at 22 weeks. Tracey Hernandez, 33, was out Christmas shopping on December 8, 2019, when she started feeling uncomfortable. Just hours later, she found herself in a hospital giving birth to her twin girls, Makenzie and Makayla, who weren't supposed to enter the world until April 9, 2020. Doctors warned Hernandez and her fiance Anthony Pope, the girls' father, that their babies had no chance at survival. North Carolina mom, Tracey Hernandez, 33, has shared photos of the moment her twin daughters (left and right) became the second most premature babies ever to survive being born at 22 weeks on December 8, 2019 Hernandez said she was out Christmas shopping on December 8, 2019, when she started feeling uncomfortable. Just hours later, she found herself in a hospital giving birth to her twin girls, Makenzie and Makayla, who weren't supposed to enter the world until April 9, 2020 Doctors warned Hernandez and her fiance Anthony Pope, the girls' father, that their babies had no chance at survival But they proved doctors wrong. According to a GoFundMe account set up for the Hernandez family, Makayla weighed 1 pound, 3 ounces when she was born at 7.55pm and Makenzie weighed a little less at 1 pound, 1 ounce when she was born at 8.04pm Both infants have experienced some significant health problems with Makayla having back surgery (pictured) and Makenzie needing a surgery to close the hole in her heart 'When I went into labor they told me the survival rate for them was zero per cent. They said that babies born at less than 23 weeks just don't make it,' Hernandez, who is a nurse, told the Metro. According to a GoFundMe account set up for the Hernandez family, Makayla weighed 1 pound, 3 ounces when she was born at 7.55pm. Makenzie weighed a little less at 1 pound, 1 ounce when she was born at 8.04pm. Hernandez said that her girls 'were only able to help them survive because they both came out breathing on their own'. 'If they had struggled to breathe the doctors said they wouldn't have been able to resuscitate. The moment I saw them gasping for air was the best moment of my life, it was such a relief,' Hernandez told the Metro. Since their birth, the girls have remained at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Makayla and Makenzie are not only beating the odds against them, but they have also made history When they were born at 22 weeks and three days, they became the world's second most premature babies to ever survive Hernandez is seen with one of her daughters in the neonatal intensive care unit at Duke University Hospital Doting dad, Anthony Pope, 29, is seen holding his twin daughters at the hospital The twins are not in the clear yet, but their parents (pictured together) are expected to take them home next month And while the girls are proving doctors wrong, both infants have experienced some significant health problems with Makayla having back surgery and Makenzie needing a blood transfusion. Makenzie also had to have surgery to close the hole in her heart and Makayla at one point had been battling a fungal infection. The twins are not in the clear yet, but their parents are expected to take them home next month. 'I am so lucky and I know it's an absolute miracle. I feel blessed. 'They are a creation of God and I have watched them develop outside the womb,' their mother said. Makayla and Makenzie are not only beating the odds against them, but they have also made history. When they were born at 22 weeks and three days, they became the world's second most premature babies to ever survive. The twins who hold the Guinness World Record are Iowa siblings Keeley and Kambry Ewoldt. The Ewoldt twins were born at 22 weeks and one day on November 24, 2018. Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-Telegram Diamondback Energy has made $100,000 in donations to support various non-profits who have risen to meet the needs of the communities where its employees live and work. We are continually moved by the spirit of our employees during these unprecedented times, and how their actions reflect our companys core valued. When this pandemic started, our employees gave generously through our donation matching program to the West Texas Food Bank or the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, said Travis Stice, chief executive officer. (Photo : REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo) FILE PHOTO: A bridge is decorated with the logo of a Bayer AG, a German pharmaceutical and chemical maker in Wuppertal, Germany August 9, 2019. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns the public about significant risks of chloroquine as the country received a hefty donation of pills from Bayer AG. In an exchange of emails among federal health officials obtained by Reuters, Keagan Lenihan, FDA's chief of staff, warned that "3-4 days" of testing would be needed. "Potentially serious issues with [the] product, so let's be careful when we take that win," she said. Bayer has donated three million drugs, called as Resochin, to the U.S. nationwide stockpile for treatment of COVID-19. The United States approved the use of chloroquine on an emergency basis after a brief duration of clinical tests. ALSO READ: Coronavirus Update: FDA Gives Anti-Malaria Drugs Emergency Approval to Treat COVID-19 Unauthorized? Three United States government officials familiar with the matter told Reuters that there might be motives to be worried about the quality of Resochin and its makers in India and Pakistan. Sources who spoke on condition of anonymity told Reuters that the FDA dropped its quality requirements despite waiving a few rules in an emergency due to the limited supply of chloroquine tablets. Chloroquine capsules, according to Forbes, have been authorized by the FDA as antimalarial medicines. The authorization procedure required plant inspections, FDA said. According to three government officials, the plants that make Resochin ingredients in India and Pakistan have not been registered with or inspected by the FDA. The factory's legal documents had not been registered in FDA's online database, officials added Responding to questions from Reuters about Resochin, FDA spokesman Michael Felberbaum said they "sampled and examined the donated pills to evaluate acceptability for importation." He added the medicine failed to meet appropriate requirements. The three U.S. sources who spoke with Reuters, as well as an independent expert, said spot-testing isn't always enough to ensure a drug's protection and effectiveness. They added plant inspections usually executed by using the FDA are essential to making sure overall quality. ALSO READ: Coronavirus: High Dosage of Chloroquine Could Pose Heart Risk Concerns For COVID-19 Patients, Scientists Claim 'Gross Failure' Pakistani regulators, who inspected Bayer's Resochin plant in Karachi in 2015, saw a "gross failure" in manufacturing procedures there, the Drugs Regulatory Authority of Pakistan told Reuters. Although the FDA has not screened the Indore, India, plant that substances components for Resochin, the U.S. organization inspected other Indian plants run by the same Indian supplier. The officials discovered critical deficiencies, which include the falsification of inspection documents from 2014 through 2019. According to inspection files obtained by Reuters, Bayer Pakistan Private Ltd. in Pakistan was cited by the country's regulators in 2015 for making Resochin that was lower in potency than labeled. Officials blamed the trouble on a "gross failure" of producing operations, bringing up improperly calibrated machines, poorly trained workers, and inadequate staffing. In 2016, the FDA issued a warning to Ipca concerning three of its plants in India that make chloroquine ingredients and made tablets for companies apart from Bayer. The plants did not include making the active ingredient for Bayer's Resochin. Nonetheless, the U.S. government resources said, Ipca's troubled records calls into query its preferred practices. The FDA also discovered the company was deleting, manipulating, and fabricating laboratory data, Reuters reported. In 2017, the agency restricted tablets and ingredients from those three plants from getting into the U.S. Market. In August 2019, the FDA accused one of the Ipca plants of a "cascade of failure" for not properly keeping its essential data, business enterprise statistics show. Ipca did not respond to questions from Reuters about its track report with the FDA. READ ALSO: Studies Say that Anti-Malaria Drug 'Hydroxychloroquine' Shows No Improvements in Recovery Against COVID-19 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The British public has a right to know how ministers intend to end the coronavirus lockdown, one of the government's top science advisers has said as Downing Street insists the focus must remain on stopping the spread of the disease. Dr James Rubin, the government's chief behavioural science adviser, told MPs transparency about the route back to normal life was needed in order to maintain public trust in the 'difficult and costly' social distancing restrictions. He suggested a failure to be clear with the nation about the way forward risked backfiring because it is 'very important that people have their expectations set on this'. He added: 'People need to understand and have a right to understand what the plan is and what timelines look like. I am very much in favour of as much openness as we can have.' Dr Rubin's comments came as Dominic Raab announced the UK's lockdown will remain in place for at least the next three weeks. Dr James Rubin, pictured giving evidence to the Science and Technology Select Committee yesterday, said the public 'have a right to understand what the plan is' on ending lockdown Dominic Raab, pictured participating in Clap For Our Carers last night, said lockdown will continue for at least another three weeks The First Secretary of State declined to set out when the lockdown could start to be lifted with ministers concerned that giving too much detail now could cause people to stop complying with the government's stay at home guidance. That could then prompt a surge in the spread of the killer bug, undoing the nation's efforts to date. A source close to the government told The Telegraph: 'If you start talking openly about lifting restrictions, the public could let their guard down. 'You need simple message discipline. Once you start complicating it with talk of what could be in the future, you will cause people to ease back into old habits.' However, despite the government's insistence that now is not the right time to set out its end of lockdown blueprint in detail, there is growing pressure from MPs for more information to be made public. Peter Kyle, the shadow justice minister, said people in Britain will see other countries easing their restrictions and 'rightly expect a more forthcoming approach' from Number 10. Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, echoed a similar sentiment as he said the nation needs 'clarity about what plans are being put in place to lift the lockdown when the time is right'. Mr Raab last night conceded the public 'would like to hear more details' about the exit strategy. But he batted away demands for 'exact dates' to be set for measures to be lifted as he said the government is 'being as open as we responsibly can at this stage'. The Foreign Secretary, who continues to deputise for Boris Johnson, did set out some of the broad criteria which will be used to determine when lockdown can be eased. He said ministers will need to be confident that the NHS is able to provide enough critical care treatment in the future and there will also need to be a 'sustained and consistent fall' in the death rate. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 09:45:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday reaffirmed China's support for the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) in playing a leading role in coordinating international cooperation against COVID-19. Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks in a letter sent to President of the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and permanent representatives of member states to the United Nations. Zhang said that Chinese President Xi Jinping had intensive telephone conversations recently with Guterres and leaders of other countries. They exchanged views and reached an important consensus on strengthening international cooperation in combating the pandemic. "President Xi emphasized that the world is a community with a shared future. In fighting a disease that threatens the people of all countries, solidarity and cooperation is the most powerful weapon. It is imperative for the international community to strengthen confidence, act with unity, and work collectively to win this battle against a highly dangerous virus," said the ambassador. Zhang said as a UN specialized agency responsible for public health matters, the WHO "plays a crucial role" in responding to the epidemic. "Under the leadership of Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO upholds a science-based, objective and unbiased stance and provides active guidance and assistance to countries around the world, making important contributions to international cooperation against epidemics," he said. "China enjoys close communication and cooperation with the WHO, and updates the WHO in an open, transparent and responsible manner. After the outbreak of COVID-19, China immediately reported to the WHO, shared with it and the international community the genetic sequence and China's prevention and treatment experience without reservation," said the ambassador. Zhang said that China donated 20 million U.S. dollars to the WHO in support of global efforts to fight the disease. At the Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit on COVID-19, President Xi Jinping called for support to the WHO. A joint statement was issued by the Group of 77 and China, commending the WHO's efforts in responding to the epidemic. "China echoed the communique adopted by the Non-Aligned Movement, which supports the WHO and Director-General Tedros in performing their duties and opposes the politicization of COVID-19. China firmly opposes any attempt to weaken the WHO, whose role is indispensable at this crucial stage," he said. Zhang said that virus knows no border or race. No country can wall itself off from its impact. The only way to defeat the virus is to work together. "Blame-shifting will not help focus on pandemic response, but only divides the international community and jeopardizes international anti-epidemic cooperation. We firmly oppose such wrong acts as labeling, politicizing and stigmatizing, a position shared by the international community," he said. COVID-19 will not be the last emergency in an era of economic globalization, and humankind will continue to be tested by various traditional and non-traditional security challenges, noted the ambassador. This global public health emergency has driven home the urgency of building a community with a shared future for humankind, he said, adding that "through solidarity and mutual assistance, we will prevail over this outbreak and embrace a brighter future for all." Enditem President Donald Trump encouraged protesters in Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia who are defying social distancing orders to rally against the states' safety measures intended to stop the coronavirus spread. In back-to-back tweets Friday morning, Trump wrote: "LIBERATE MINNESOTA" and then, "LIBERATE MICHIGAN" and then, "LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!" It's unclear why Trump seems to be siding with the protesters given that the states in question have imposed restrictions that follow the recommendations laid out by Trump's White House coronavirus task force last month that go by the name "The President's Coronavirus Guidelines For America." When the guidelines were released, Trump urged all Americans to follow them for the sake of the country. "Our future is in our own hands, and the choices and sacrifices we make will determine the fate of this virus and, really, the fate of our victory. We will have a great victory. We have no other choice," he said on March 30. "Every one of us has a role to play in winning this war. Every citizen, family, and business can make the difference in stopping the virus. This is our shared patriotic duty." Minutes before Trump's tweets, Fox News had shown a segment about a group calling itself "Liberate Minnesota," which had planned a protest that day outside the residence of Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, in opposition to his stay-at-home order. Fox also had on a Michigan sheriff to discuss people challenging the orders of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, who has also publicly clashed with Trump over his handling of the public health crisis, skewered the president over the tweets. "The president's statements this morning encourage illegal and dangerous acts. He is putting millions of people in danger of contracting covid-19," Inslee said. "His unhinged rantings and calls for people to "liberate" states could also lead to violence." Vice Preside Mike Pence also got an earful from Democratic senators angry about Trump's tweets during a conference call Friday. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., raised the issue, telling the vice president that Trump was trying to drive a wedge between governors and the federal government and asked why Trump was tweeting such sentiments. Pence had no response, an official on the call said. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., then asked Pence to answer Kaine's question, but the vice president still didn't offer a direct response. All but seven states have ordered their citizens to stay home to beat the virus, but Trump was only antagonistic with a handful of Democratic governors. The three states where Trump seemed to endorse civil unrest are considered battlegrounds in the presidential campaign. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won Minnesota while Trump took Michigan, each by narrow margins. Clinton more easily won Virginia. Trump has been known to incite his supporters with his rhetoric. During his rallies in 2016, he offered to pay the legal bills of supporters who roughed up a protester and also made an oblique reference to using the Second Amendment against Clinton if she won. The president's far-right supporters seemed to interpret his tweets as a call to arms against the government, according to a report by NBC News on the uptick of discussion about civil war on social media. A rowdy protest Thursday outside the Michigan capitol clogged roads and crowded the downtown streets, resembling a Trump rally, with maskless people wearing MAGA hats and chanting "Lock her up," referring to Whitmer. Trump has publicly sparred with Whitmer, widely considered a possible Democratic vice president candidate, who has been critical of the White House's response to the public health crisis. Whitmer warned Thursday night that these public displays of disobedience threaten to extend the stay-at-home guidance by spreading the infection among those gathering. On Friday morning, during an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America," Whitmer said she could handle people lashing out at her, but urged them not to make this pandemic "overly political." "Let's focus on the public health. . . . I know that there are a lot of businesses and people that are hurting right now. But the fact of the matter is it's better to be six feet apart right now than six feet under," she said. Also Thursday, a smaller group protested in Virginia by holding a picnic on the capitol grounds without social distancing or wearing masks. Trump's reference in his tweet to the Second Amendment is most likely a reference to a slate of gun safety bills Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, signed into law last week, which included expanding background checks to all firearm sales. "As the governor of the commonwealth of Virginia I, along with my staff, are fighting a biological war," Northam said when asked about Trump's tweet. "I do not have time to involve myself in Twitter wars. I will continue to do everything that I can to keep Virginia safe and to save lives." Trump also directed his ire at New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, tweeting that the Democrat should "spend more time 'doing' and less time 'complaining.' Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking!" Cuomo was in the middle of his daily news briefing and responded in real time to the president: "If he's sitting home watching TV, maybe he should get up and go to work." - - - The Washington Post's Seung Min Kim, Gregory Schneider and John Wagner contributed to this report. S outh Africa's Kruger National Park lions have been taking advantage of the quiet roads during the coronavirus lockdown to sleep in areas that would normally be busy with tourists. The wildlife park in the north-east of the country has been closed since March 25 in compliance with the Government's lockdown measures. Park ranger Richard Sowry was out on patrol on Wednesday when he spotted a sleeping pride in the road. He told the BBC: "Lions are used to people in vehicles. "All animals have much more of an instinctive fear of people on foot, so if I had walked up they would never have allowed me to get so close. "These are difficult times for everyone and the intention was to bring people joy." Park ranger Richard Sowry captured pictures of the sleeping lions / Richard Sowry/Kruger National Park The oldest lioness in the pride is about 14, which according to Mr Sowry, is "very old for a lioness". The lions often sleep on the park's roads during the winter when the tar still retains some heat to warm the animals. "Everybody realises the importance of lockdown and the rangers are there to do their normal duties," media officer Isaac Phaala told the BBC. "To maintain the infrastructure takes quite a bit of work so that when the park opens, you don't start from scratch." He added that the lions are intelligent creatures and they are now "enjoying the freedom of the park without us". South Africa is one of the worst-hit countries in Africa with 2,605 Covid-19 cases and 48 deaths, according to John Hopkins data. A hospital in Almaty -- the largest city in Kazakhstan -- has become the country's COVID-19 hotspot with nearly 200 health-care workers and many patients testing positive for the coronavirus. The Central Almaty City Hospital has been under quarantine since April 11 with many medics continuing to treat the patients locked down inside the facility. Many of the other employees -- many with a high fever and persistent cough -- were placed in the city's infectious-diseases hospital. A small group of workers were transferred to another location for a two-week quarantine. "Ninety-eight percent of the employees in the surgery department, where I work, have tested positive for the virus," said Dr. Ernar Pirimkhan. "I'm the only one who hasn't tested positive," he told RFE/RL on April 15. But the following day Pirimkhan was also diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, after exhibiting a cough and high fever. The Blame Game Municipal health authorities and doctors at the hospital are trading accusations over how the unbelievable situation could occur. Aizat Moldagasimova, Almaty's chief hygienist, blamed the doctors for what she described as "failing to take precautionary measures." Moldagasimova said at a press conference on April 13 that some of the doctors continued coming to work despite having a fever themselves. Doctors, however, say the city Health Department caused confusion by initially declaring that the Almaty Central City Hospital had not been designated a facility that would receive coronavirus patients and therefore it wouldn't be given the necessary personal-protection equipment (PPE) so essential for health-care workers. Despite making such a declaration, health officials ordered ambulances to take people suspected of having the coronavirus to the hospital, even though it was unprepared for such patients, said Dr. Azigul Zhumakulbai. 'Time Bomb' "Ambulance workers clad in [PPE] brought the patients with fever and symptoms of pneumonia to our hospital's internal-diseases department...transporting them through a common corridor," said Zhumakulbai. "It's an airborne infection [and] many employees in the department got infected," she added. "We tried to isolate the department as much as we could. [Eventually] we got protective clothing." On April 14, hospital chief Almaz Juvashev resigned as the number of new infections grew. In a Facebook post, Juvashev said, "The city Health Department's instruction to place patients with pneumonia and respiratory diseases symptoms [at an unprepared hospital] was like setting a time bomb." The hospital workers demanded that health officials reinstate Juvashev and also threatened to sue Moldagasimova. The Kazakh Health Ministry has apologized to the doctors and vowed to address the problem. The scandal comes as figures from April 17 show about 400 of the total of 1,498 people infected with the coronavirus in Kazakhstan are medical workers, most of them in Almaty and the capital, Nur-Sultan. Officials have attributed 17 deaths to COVID-19. The Health Ministry blamed regional governments for failing to provide PPE and other necessary supplies to hospital workers on the front line of the battle against the coronavirus. The ministry said medical workers' prolonged exposure to people infected with the virus is the main factor behind the high number of infections. But it partially blamed the medics themselves for failing to take precautionary measures. 'Make Your Own Masks' In some regions of Kazakhstan, doctors complained about a shortage of equipment, test kits, and specialists in rural hospitals. Tolkynai Ordabaeva, a doctor from Jambyl Province, said she was the only infectious-disease specialist on hand to deal with COVID-19 patients at the main hospital in the Merki district, which has nearly 85,000 inhabitants. For at least two days in early April, Ordabaeva said she had to come to work with a high fever she developed after coming into contact with COVID-19 patients. She told RFE/RL that, in the beginning, medics received up to six face masks a day, but eventually nurses were ordered to make their own masks. "I received masks because I was in direct contact with the patients," said Ordabaeva, who has since been hospitalized. "I got a disposable PPE, although the hem was dirty. But later a hospital manager told us to be economical with the resources." Resource-rich Kazakhstan was the first country in Central Asia to report the presence of the coronavirus on March 13. Two days later, the country announced an emergency situation that shut the borders and banned public gatherings. Written by Farangis Najibullah based on reporting by RFE/RL Kazakh Service correspondent Manas Kaiyrtayuly. Aisulu Berik also contributed to this report. Top official warns of HK as 'weak link' PLA Daily Source: China Daily Editor: Wang Xinjuan 2020-04-16 17:21:27 Hong Kong must not become a weak link in national security, Luo Huining, the central government's top official in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said on Wednesday. There remains room for improvement in the mechanism for maintaining national security in Hong Kong, and this has resulted in a relatively low awareness of the importance of national security among its people since Hong Kong's return to the motherland 23 years ago, he said. "This weak link would be fatal to the nation's security at a critical moment," Luo said. He said Hong Kong should enact, amend and activate laws and law enforcement mechanism related to national security as soon as possible. Otherwise, he said, there is a risk of the city becoming a potential risk to national security. The director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region made the remarks in a video address as the city held a series of online activities to mark the fifth National Security Education Day, including a writing contest, quizzes and themed talks featuring video speeches by a number of government officials and prestigious civic leaders. Other guests included Tung Chee-hwa, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and renowned respiratory disease expert Zhong Nanshan. Daily life Luo stressed that national security is part of daily life. He cited current epidemic prevention and control measures, saying they are not only a matter of national security but a matter of importance to Hong Kong's families. In his opinion, observing the rule of law and safeguarding the rule of law, which are integral to safeguarding national security, are the responsibilities of all residents of the city. There should be zero tolerance of actions that jeopardize rule of law in the city, he said. Last June, radicalism and street violence began to take hold in the city, undermining the rule of law. He said that advocacy of separatism during the prolonged unrest destabilized Hong Kong, challenged the "one country, two systems" principle and threatened national security. Radical acts of violence carried on even as the city was locked in a desperate effort to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak, creating additional destabilizing factors, he added. Lam said had the unlawful acts and radicalism not been curbed effectively, they could have threatened national security. She was referring to violence that she said came close to terrorism during last year's civil unrest that had lasted for more than seven months. Lam said the social unrest in Hong Kong over the past year gave people in the city a deeper understanding of the importance of national security. Hong Kong, as an inalienable part of China, has a constitutional responsibility to safeguard national security, Lam said. The Hong Kong government, schools, universities and social groups should work together to educate and promote national security in the city, said Lam. Critical stage Several key players on the Hong Kong and national political scene endorsed Luo and Lam's remarks. They said that Hong Kong had entered a critical stage, with a renewed focus on national security awareness. Last year's violence and political unrest exposed a vulnerability that brought the issue into clear focus. Leung Chun-ying, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said Hong Kong is the most open, free and international city in the world and it enjoys a high degree of autonomy. As a result, Hong Kong would be the only choice as a weak point in national security throughout China, he added. Maria Tam Wai-chu, deputy director of the HKSAR Basic Law Committee of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, said that activities openly defying the central government and principle of "one country, two systems" had emerged from the shadows during last year's unrest. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Andi Hajramurni (The Jakarta Post) Makassar Fri, April 17, 2020 09:57 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd26d346 1 National COVID-19,COVID-19-Indonesian-patients,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,coronavirus,South-Sulawesi,Makassar Free The South Sulawesi administration is soon to impose large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) to contain the rapid spread of the coronavirus in the provincial capital of Makassar, following the Health Ministry's approval of its PSBB proposal on Thursday. In particular, South Sulawesi plans to lock down the hot zones in Makassar and heighten monitoring to restrict the movement of people in border areas, namely the regencies of Maros, Gowa and Takalar. The PSBB would be implemented once the administration had confirmed that all residents had sufficient stock of basic goods for the duration of the partial lockdown, particularly those in hot zones, South Sulawesi Governor Nurdin Abdullah said on Thursday. Essential services such as markets, grocery stores and pharmacies will operate as usual while the PSBB is in place, while offices and schools are to remain closed. People are urged to continue adhering to the stay-at-home and work from home (WFH) policies. However, employees who are still required to go in to the office would still be permitted to do so. "People can still carry out activities, except those in isolated areas [hot zones], because they are considered to be ODP [people under monitoring]," said Nurdin. Read also: COVID-19: Pekanbaru first area in Sumatra granted request to impose large-scale social restrictions The Makassar administration was now drafting a regulation on the PSBB implementation, he added. With the green light from the central government Makassar will soon be joining at least 10 other regions that have imposed partial lockdowns under the PSBB to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia. The regions include the nation's capital, Jakarta, the epicenter of the Indonesian outbreak, as well as its satellite cities of Bogor, Bekasi, Depok and Tangerang, as well as Pekanbaru in Riau. On Thursday, the country reported 5,516 confirmed cases and 496 deaths. Iqbal Suhaeb of the Makassar administration confirmed that the South Sulawesi capital was drafting the PSBB regulation in coordination with the Makassar city council. "We will disseminate the regulation [to the public] first before [the PSBB] is enforced," said Iqbal, adding that he expected the the regulation to be ready to issue by next week. The Makassar administration has prepared 35,000 packages of staple goods for distributing to the poor. It has also readied 35,000 masks for people who needed them, as the PSBB requires all residents to wear masks when they venture outdoors. The administration also plans to build public kitchens in quarantined areas so that food is readily available. Makassar had set aside some Rp 300 billion (US$19.1 million) for its COVID-19 response, Iqbal said. South Sulawesi is one of the "red zones" of the Indonesian outbreak, recording 271 confirmed cases and 23 deaths by Thursday afternoon. Meanwhile, its neighboring provinces of West Sulawesi and South Sulawesi had respectively recorded seven and 26 confirmed cases. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe A Boeing logo sits on the fuselage of a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, produced by Boeing Co., as it stands on display prior to the opening of the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, U.K., on Sunday, July 13, 2014. Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading on Friday: Boeing Shares of the aerospace company jumped more than 12% after Boeing said it would resume commercial aircraft production at its Seattle-area plant as early as Monday, with social distancing policies in place. Shares of the plane manufacturer have shed 54% this year. Apple The iPhone maker slid more than 2% after Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to a sell rating. The firm cut its forecast for Apple for the third time since February, saying it's "now modeling a deeper reduction in unit demand through mid-2020 and then a shallower recovery into early 2021." Goldman also cut its price target from $250 to $233, which is roughly 16% below where the stock currently trades. Gilead Sciences Shares of Gilead Sciences jumped 8% after a report said the biotech's antiviral drug showed encouraging early results in treating the coronavirus. STAT news reported Thursday evening that a Chicago hospital treating coronavirus patients with remdesivir in a trial were recovering rapidly from severe symptoms. The stock popped as much as 12% on Friday. Gap, L Brands, Kohl's Shares of some of the largest apparel retailers in the U.S. popped on Friday amid optimism about the U.S. economy possibly reopening sooner than expected. L Brands, owner of Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works, rose more than 11%; Gap rallied 9.8%; and Kohl's rose 6.1% in midday trading. The SPDR S&P Retail ETF, which tracks the performance of scores of U.S. retail stocks, rose 2.5%. Simon Property Group Shares of the largest mall owner in the U.S. gained more than 12% on hopes of a coronavirus treatment and a reopening of the economy. Shares of Simon Property Group have been beaten down due to the coronavirus shutdown, as retail struggles. Moderna Shares of the drugmaker soared more than 16% after the company announced up to $483 million in federal funding for vaccine development. The company launched a phase 1 trial of its potential Covid-19 vaccine in mid-March. CEO Stephane Bancel said the company could potentially begin phase 2 trials in the fall, if the first phase goes well. KeyCorp, Citizens Financial, Comerica Regional bank stocks soared in midday trading Friday after the White House announced that it will recommend to states to slowly start reopening their economies. Regional bank stocks, which took a thrashing amid the springtime sell-off and lending stress, rose 7.8% as tracked by the SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF. KeyCorp rose 10.11%, Citizens Financial jumped 14.1% and Comerica gained 11.2%. Chewy The pet e-commerce store fell 5% after Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock to equal-weight from overweight. The stock, which has strongly outperformed the market this year like other stay-at-home names, had surpassed the bank's $41 per share price target. After a strong first quarter, "incremental data points from here could be less bullish," the bank said in a note. CNBC's Michael Bloom, Pippa Stevens, Maggie Fitzgerald, Michael Sheetz, Yun Li and Jesse Pound contributed reporting. Subscribe to CNBC PRO for exclusive insights and analysis, and live business day programming from around the world. Bajaj Auto, TVS Motors and several other auto companies have decided to cut salaries of their employees in order to tide over the coronavirus crisis. Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj has said that he would not be withdrawing a salary during this period. On the other hand, Apollo Tyres CMD Onkar Kanwar and vice-chairman Neeraj Kanwar will take 25 per cent cut in FY21. Besides, employees are also not likely to receive the annual increment this year. Auto sector is one of the severely impacted sectors in the country pushing firms to opt for cut salaries instead of laying off employees to survive during the pandemic. According to an Economic Times report, Bajaj Auto has reduced pay for April. Bajaj Auto has said that it is not looking to lay off employees but is opting for pay reduction instead. "There is definitely a likelihood of pay cut for the period of lockdown. We are reviewing the situation frequently and will finalise the quantum and timelines for payment in due course," Bajaj Auto executive Director Rakesh Sharma said. TVS Motors has also deferred increments of its employees indefinitely. Ashok Leyland might also announce a wage cut across its board members. Most auto component makers have paid March salaries. However, in April, there might be a slew of announcements on pay cuts to manage cash flow challenges in the auto industry. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also urged companies to not fire employees due to coronavirus lockdown. "Be kind to people who work with you in your business, your industry. Do not expel anyone," PM said. Also read: Coronavirus Stimulus 2: Wage support to 110 million workers likely; Rs 1 lakh crore loans to MSMEs; recapitalisation of distressed sectors Also read: RBI booster 2.0: Housing finance to get Rs 50,000 crore refinancing facility Banking stocks led the rally today after Reserve Bank of India (RBI) eased norms for NPA classification and announced more liquidity measures to support NBFCs, HFCs, and MFIs. Bank Nifty closed 6.61% or 1,281 points higher at 20,681. Similarly, BSE bankex gained 1,515 points or 6.83% to end at 23,684. All nine components on BSE bankex closed in the green. Axis Bank (13.45%), ICICI Bank (9.89%) , IndusInd Bank (9.13%) , Federal Bank (9.02%) and Kotak Mahindra Bank (4.96%) were top gainers on the index. Country's largest lender SBI closed 2.49% higher at Rs 193.30. On Bank Nifty, Axis Bank 13.31%), Bandhan Bank (9.13%) , Bank of Baroda (1.21%) and Federal Bank (9%) were the top gainers. All 12 Bank Nifty components closed in the green. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to provide a relief to the standard bank accounts availing a loan moratorium between March 1 and May 31. Now, the 90-day non-performing asset (NPA) norm would exclude the moratorium period for such accounts, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said. RBI would provide a standstill on asset classification for standard bank accounts, implying these couldn't be classified as bad assets after stipulated 90-day period. However, the banks will have to maintain an additional provisioning of 10 per cent on such accounts, Das said. On March 27, RBI announced a three-month moratorium on term loans whose installments were due between March 1 and May 31. According to the RBI's latest announcement, the bad loan classification period now changes from 90 days to 180 days for all such accounts. To boost the housing finance sector, RBI announced a refinancing facility worth Rs 50,000 crore. NABARD (Rs 25,000 crore), SIDBI (Rs 15,000 crore) and NHB (Rs 10,000 crore) would be the beneficiaries. They will be charged at the repo rate of 4.4 per cent for this amount. The companies had earlier asked the government to help them with liquidity as they were suffering on account of tight liquidity conditions. By Aseem Thapliyal Also Read: Coronavirus fallout: India's GDP growth rate may fall to 1.1% in FY21, says SBI Ecowrap Also Read: Coronavirus test results in 2 hours for Rs 1,000; Kerala institute develops new kit Also Read: IMF's projection of 1.9% GDP growth for India highest in G-20, says RBI Governor Das Advertisement Drone photos have captured nearly 12,000 cars lining up for emergency food aid from before dawn today in San Antonio, Texas - nearly 2,000 more than the week before. A photograph taken from a drone of the packed parking lot fully captured just how many people are in now in need of assistance when it comes to simply eating. The sheer scale of the problem mirrors what the country saw in the nation's jobless figures this week with more than 20 million Americans now unemployed - virtually all of them laid off because of the coronavirus pandemic. People wait in their cars at Traders Village for the San Antonio Food Bank to begin food distribution. The coronavirus pandemic has provoked a spike in demand for food pantries in the U.S. People waiting in line to get food at the San Antonio Food Bank distribution center being held in the parking lot at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, Texas, are checked A man wearing a bandana is reflected in his side mirror while a volunteer loads the car in front of him as he waits in line to get food at the San Antonio Food Bank distribution center Thousands of people have been showing up and waiting in long lines to get food from the Food Bank The San Antonio Food Bank served 12,000 families who all showed up in their cars to receive a food handout on Friday Several thousand residents, affected by the economic fallout caused by the coronavirus pandemic, lined-up in their vehicles as they await their turn to collect groceries from the San Antonio Food Bank in San Antonio, Texas The San Antonio Food Bank runs a massive 200,000sq warehouse on the outskirts of the city. It has been stocked full of fruit including apples, oranges and watermelons along with a host of vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes and onions and protein including chicken, ground beef and tater tots. 'We stock refrigerated, frozen and nonperishable food items so it moves through our facility at a fairly rapid pace,' said food bank CEO Eric Cooper to NPR. 'Obviously, now in the midst of COVID-19, the demand far outpaces the supply.' In a normal week, the food bank would be providing supplies for 500 food pantries across South Texas feeding around 60,000 people - but that number has now doubled. Last week some 6,000 people preregistered for food distribution but by the time the food bank opened up, word had spread and an additional 4,000 cars had showed up. 'I panicked. I've never seen a line that long,' Cooper said. 'So I called our warehouse to send more trucks, to get more food on site. But we, in the end, served 10,000 families.' The pictures which show a parking lot full of waiting vehicles serve as a stark reminder of the current economic crisis The Food Bank served more than 10,000 people last week and ended up serving another 12,000 this Friday The San Antonio Food Bank went viral after pictures of people in cars waiting in lines at Traders Village circled the Internet One-year-old Eileen Tavera and her sheep dog Charlie look out of their vehicle as they wait in line with thousands of others Cooper believes that half of those of those coming to the food bank are doing so for the first time. 'We are going to need families to weather this crisis,' Cooper said to News4SanAntonio. 'They are going to need to apply for several public benefits along with getting food from the food bank if we're going to have enough food to nourish them and their loved ones.' 'I never, ever could have even imagined anything like this,' said. Erica Campos, 42, who drove to the food bank for the very first time. Campos, a single mother, had a stable job working in a bank and even owns her own home but had two young mouths to feed at home. 'I was almost ashamed, to be honest, to even pick up food from the food bank because somebody might look at my used Cadillac and be like, 'What is she doing in the food bank line?' But I had to get past those feelings of shame. There's no shame in feeding my children.' A driver wearing a facemask is reflected in a mirror as volunteers help the San Antonio Food Bank distribute food Volunteers help the San Antonio Food Bank distribute food at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Friday. The city remains under stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 outbreak The bank was ready to distribute even more food to those who have registered and encourage more to sign up Last week, the San Antonio Food Bank fed about 10,000 households in a single day the largest distribution day in the organization's history - and it's believed it served even more this week A volunteer wears protective gear as he helps the San Antonio Food Bank distribute food to thousands The San Antonio Food Bank is getting assistance from FEMA and will be getting around 140 semi truckloads of food, which will help bolster the food supply for a month The first car in line waits along with other people to get food at the San Antonio Food Bank distribution center Judging by the huge numbers of people showing up at San Antonio parking lot it is clear that those affected are from across the spectrum and not just the poorest members of society. 'What we're seeing at the San Antonio Food Bank, Feeding America food banks are seeing all over the country,' said the group's spokesperson Zaina Villareal. 'The pandemic is showing the fragility of families' household budgets,' she added. 'With one lost paycheck, many families are figuring out how to put food on the table.' 'Being a steward of the resources of the food that we have, especially in a rationed environment ... the biggest challenges for us is when we see families that need, and when we don't have all the resources that we want to give them, that's what breaks our heart. And that's what really emboldens us to ask the community for help,' said Michael Guerra, chief development officer of the SA Food Bank. 'There's nothing we hate more than someone being turned away, but we're only bringing so much food. So we know if more come, we won't be able to serve them all,' he said. On Friday, a second San Antonio Food Bank set up another pop-up distribution center. By the time the food packages began being delivered, more than 2,000 cars area already in line with some waiting all night long. The San Antonio Food Bank will also be getting assistance from FEMA and they will be receiving around 140 semi truckloads of food - enough for an entire month. People show up to the food bank with their trunks open so that volunteers are easily able to load food into the back Most drivers showed up as early as 6am in order to get a spot in line to receive the handouts. All had to pre-register online A man wears a bandana as he waits for the San Antonio Food Bank to begin handing out supplies on Friday Volunteers help the San Antonio Food Bank distribute food to thousands at the Alamodome in San Antonio File photo According to Sun News, the Okigwe division of the Imo State Police Command, yesterday, accused youths from Arondizuogu community of defying the stay-at-home order to celebrate the Ikeji cultural festival and that a set of policemen. Division Police Officer (DPO) for Okigwe, Chijioke Nwokoma, who disclosed this at a press conference in Owerri said elders of the community have disowned the decision to hold the festival because of the ban on social gathering as well as religious and cultural activities by the state government. Nwokoma said the youths had rebuffed the order by elders of the community not to hold the annual festival. He said when police got to the scene of the festival, it met a large turnout of people and masquerades and that after several entreaties to disperse peacefully failed, the police had to retreat. Nwokoma said the youths with their masquerades, took advantage of the police retreating from the scene and chased them back to their station. No arrest was made, no life was lost, nobody was hurt. We didnt want to be provoked to a level where there could be loss of lives. If you see the crowd you can imagine what could have happened if police did not retreat, Nwokoma said. Imo Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Orlando Ikeokwu, who confirmed the incident also denied any riot by the crowd. However, Abia Government has condemned what it described as acts of extra-judicial killing by security agents in the state. A personnel of Abia command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) whose name was given as Richard on Wednesday shot and killed a commercial vehicle driver, Amobi Igwe, at Umuikaa junction, near Aba. This came barely one week after a police Inspector shot and killed a petrol attendant after his bullet missed a motorist who allegedly failed to comply with the lockdown directives. In a statement, the commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi-Kalu, said the state government roundly condemned the extra-judicial killings. Soldiers are seen in Mocimboa da Praia, Mozambique, on March 7, 2018. Journalist Ibraimo Abu Mbaruco recently went missing in Mozambique. (AFP/Adrien Barbier) New York, April 17, 2020 -- Authorities in Mozambique must conduct a swift and transparent investigation into the whereabouts of journalist Ibraimo Abu Mbaruco and hold those responsible for his disappearance to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On April 7, Mbaruco, a reporter and news presenter for the Palma Community Radio broadcaster in the northern Cabo Delgado province, left work at about 6 p.m. and soon thereafter sent a text message to a colleague saying he was surrounded by soldiers, according to a statement by the Mozambican chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), a regional press freedom group, and local news reports. He has not been seen since, and has not replied to calls or text messages from his colleagues, according to the MISA statement. Mozambican authorities must be thorough and transparent in their investigation into Ibraimo Abu Mbaruco's whereabouts and ensure accountability, given that Cabo Delgado has become a no-go area for the press and human rights defenders, said Angela Quintal, CPJ's Africa program coordinator. It is unacceptable that 10 days after he disappeared, his family and colleagues remain in the dark about his whereabouts. Fernando Goncalves, president of MISA's Mozambique chapter, told CPJ in a phone interview that a police officer, who spoke to his organization on the condition of anonymity, said that soldiers took Mbaruco to Mueda, a city about 300 kilometers away, for interrogation. CPJ was not able to independently verify this information. Goncalves added that the military had no authority to detain civilians and that Mozambican laws did not allow for arrests without a warrant. The journalist's brother, Juma Abu Mbaruco, told CPJ via messaging app today that the family had yet to receive any information about Ibraimo's whereabouts, and did not know if he was still alive. He said he had reported the disappearance to local police and the provincial prosecutor's office. Mbaruco also worked as a human rights advocate and was part of the Sekelekani network, a local civil society organization that trains people to become citizen journalists, according to a report by the local news website Zitamar News. Another Sekelekani contributor in Palma, Roberto Abdala, has not been seen since March, according to that report. Anti-government attacks by insurgent groups have increased in Cabo Delgado province in recent weeks, according to news reports. The Mozambican military has been accused of human rights abuses in its fight against the insurgency, which the government denies, according to reports. Police have recently enforced a curfew in Pemba and Palma, forcing people to stay in their homes, according to Zitamar News. On April 14, soldiers in Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado, detained Izidine Acha, a reporter for local television broadcaster STV, for about two hours and forced him to delete footage he had taken of the police and military operations, the journalist told CPJ via messaging app. CPJ sent text messages to police spokesperson Agusto Guto and Cabo Delgado Governor Valige Tawabo for comment, but did not receive any responses. Last year, soldiers in Cabo Delgado arrested journalist Amade Abubacar and later arrested his colleague Germano Adriano, and held them in pre-trial detention for three months; they continue to face prosecution, according to CPJ research. The military also previously arrested investigative journalist Estacio Valoi and Pinde Dube, the Zimbabwean correspondent for the South African private broadcaster eNCA, while they were covering the insurgency in the province, according to CPJ research. By MARC LEVY, MICHAEL RUBINKAM AND MARK SCOLFORO, Associated Press Pennsylvania will gradually reopen its economy using a regional, sector-based approach and a modeling tool that will help public officials decide when its safe, according to a plan outlined by Gov. Tom Wolf during a live-streamed address Friday. The plan offered few details. It does not include a timetable or spell out the metrics that Wolf and his administration will use to decide that Pennsylvania can begin emerging from the coronavirus pandemic after weeks of social distancing. Wolf called the plan a "framework" and said he would lay out more concrete steps next week. There is no magic wand to wave to get us back to where we want to be, said Wolf in unveiling his Relief, Reopening, Recovery plan. "Unfortunately, we cannot flip a switch and reopen the commonwealth. There's not going to be one big day," Wolf said. "We need to be smart and make data-driven decisions." The Democratic governor has imposed a series of progressively tougher measures in the face of a pandemic state officials say threatened to swamp hospitals and spike the death toll. COVID-19 has sickened nearly 30,000 Pennsylvania residents and killed more than 750. Wolf shut down businesses deemed "non-life-sustaining," closed schools through the end of the academic year and ordered all 12.8 million Pennsylvania residents to stay at home unless absolutely necessary. Just this week, the Wolf administration ordered people to wear masks inside supermarkets, pharmacies and other stores. State health officials have said the restrictions have worked to slow the rate of infections and prevent hospitals from running out of bed space, ventilators and other supplies. But the pandemic and Wolf's business shutdown order have caused economic devastation, throwing at least 1.4 million Pennsylvania residents out of work. Wolf has been under increasing pressure from Republicans, small business owners and others to relax the restrictions. Protesters plan to gather Monday in Harrisburg to demonstrate against the shutdown. Under Wolf's plan, employers and other organizations that are permitted to reopen will be required to follow guidance from the state Department of Health and other state agencies, and will have to close again if there's a "significant" COVID-19 outbreak. A "strong testing regime" must be in place in areas that are permitted to reopen, along with a monitoring and surveillance program. And limitations on mass gatherings will remain in place for the duration of the reopening process, according to plan documents. The state needs to be careful and deliberate about reopening the economy, with the flexibility to respond to new outbreaks, Wolf said. Doing otherwise, he contended, would prolong the crisis. Wolf's plan comes a day after President Donald Trump, pressing to restart the ravaged U.S. economy, gave governors a road map for economic recovery. The White House guidance said that states should see a "downward trajectory" of documented cases over a 14-day period. Wolf's plan does not mention the two-week metric. Wolf acknowledged Trump's guidance to the states but said he wanted to have a plan that "respects the reality" on the ground in Pennsylvania. The push to restart the states economy comes as Pennsylvanias unemployment rate zoomed upward in March to its highest point since 2014 as the effects of Wolfs business shutdown and stay-at-home orders began to be felt, according to figures released Friday. Pennsylvania's unemployment rate shot up to 6%, up from 4.7% in February, the state Department of Labor and Industry said. The national rate was 4.4% in March. But unemployment surveys were conducted well before the full force of the shutdowns took effect, resulting in more than 1.4 million Pennsylvanians filing for unemployment benefits since March 15, or nearly one in four workers. Pennsylvania's unemployment rate last year hit a nearly two-decade low of 4.1%. A separate survey of households found Pennsylvania's civilian labor force fell by 19,000, just a month after hitting a new record above 6.5 million. Employment fell by 104,000, while unemployment rose by 85,000. A separate survey of employers showed seasonally adjusted nonfarm payrolls fell by 40,000 in March, below 6.1 million after hitting record levels earlier this year. That wiped out eight months of gains. Hardest hit was the leisure and hospitality sector, off by 17,000. Financial activities grew slightly, the only sector to expand. Friday's figures are preliminary and could change. Pennsylvanias COVID-19 death toll rose by 49 to 756, the state Department of Health reported Friday, with more than 1,700 additional people testing positive for the virus. Statewide, more than 29,400 people have tested positive, according to the latest statistics. More than half of the people infected are 50 or older, while most of the deaths are among people 65 and older. Nursing homes are bearing the brunt. More than half of the state's fatalities have occurred in more than 320 nursing and personal-care homes scattered throughout Pennsylvania, according to the department, while more than 3,700 residents of nursing homes and personal care homes and 420 employees have contracted the virus. 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. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Kabul, April 17 : Six Afghan contractors who worked at the Bagram Airfield, the largest US military base in the country, were killed after they were attacked on their way home, a local official confirmed. Wahida Shahkar, a spokesperson for the Parwan governor, said that at least 10 workers at the Bagram Airfield were returning home in a vehicle when they were attacked by gunmen "affiliated with the Taliban" at around 9.40 p.m. on Thursday, reports TOLO News. She said that six of them were killed and four others were wounded. The Taliban has denied involvement in the attack. WATERLOO The federal government is providing nearly $5 million for MET Transit to respond to the COVID-19 health emergency. The money is part of $55 million Iowas public bus services are receiving through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to deal with unexpected costs and funding loss during the pandemic. MET Transit, which provides fixed-route and paratransit bus service in Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Evandsale, received $1.75 million in its regular federal support for the current fiscal year. General Manager Mark Little said the agency is still seeking clarification on how the money can be used. For sure, loss of revenue, additional bus service needed during COVID-19, cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment, materials and labor for the modifications made to the buses, and maybe additional protective modifications options added to any new buses we place orders for, Little said. This could include an enclosed area around the driver for possible future outbreaks and security, he added. MET Transit has seen ridership fall about 65 percent on fixed routes and nearly 70 percent in paratransit service since the state issued an emergency proclamation last month, Little said. Not all but a majority of our current riders are essential workers or riders making essential trips, he said. We are fine with this, (but) we are asking people not to ride unless it is essential. Detainees commission says there are 700 Palestinians currently held in Israeli prisons who are sick. Noureddine Sarsour was not surprised when his test for COVID-19 came back positive. He received the news a day after his release from an Israeli prison on March 31. During his two-week detention at Israels Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank on charges of throwing stones and firebombs at Israeli forces the 19-year-old said he underwent two blood tests and a throat swab. A day later, the charges against him were dropped and he was released, although he was not informed of the test results. Usually, before the prisoner is released from Israeli prisons, he should meet the prison manager, Sarsour, who in 2017 has previously been detained and released without charge, told Al Jazeera from isolation in a hotel in Ramallah. When I went to see him, the manager was wearing an anti-static uniform with a face mask and spoke to me while standing about three metres away. At that moment, I felt there was something wrong, he said. Noureddine Sarsour said authorities did not take precautions to prevent infection in Ofer [Al Jazeera] Sarsours suspicion that he had been infected with the new coronavirus increased when the guards who escorted him to the car as he was leaving kept their distance. I myself opened the car door and closed it behind. They didnt approach me until I was dropped near a checkpoint, he said. Upon his arrival at the checkpoint, he was transferred by Palestinian medical crews to a Ramallah hospital and tested for coronavirus. The test returned positive the next day, and in the following days, he began showing mild symptoms, including a headache, fever and throat pain. My big fear is about the prisoners in Ofer prison. I mixed with about 30 to 70 prisoners while staying in Ofer prison, as the Israeli prison service keeps moving new prisoners between sections. 200415094502070 He said the authorities did not take special precautions to prevent infection inside the prison, such as enforcing social distancing. According to Sarsour, the prisoners asked the Israeli prison service multiple times to place new prisoners in a 14-day quarantine, before allowing them to mix with other prisoners. All these calls went unheard, Sarsour said. In the days after his release, some of the inmates at Ofer held a demonstration to call for testing for the inmates who had been in contact with Sarsour. The Palestinian Prisoners Society said about nine prisoners who were known to have mixed with Sarsour were placed in quarantine. The Israeli Prison Service (IPS) said in a statement on April 2 that every new detainee was held separately for 14 days before being absorbed into a regular part of the prison. Thaer Shretieh, head of the media unit for the Commission of Detainees and Ex-detainees Affairs, told Al Jazeera the commission sent a letter to the IPS calling for an investigation into Sarsours case. The letter also called on the prison service to implement preventive measures, especially with prisoners who had been in recent contact with Sarsour, he added. The Israeli side totally denied that the prisoner was infected inside their prisons. Despite that, Israel has confirmed that three guards at Ofer prison and al-Ramleh prison tested positive for coronavirus, Shretieh said. The IPS said on March 31 that prison guards at Ofer who had tested positive for COVID-19 were placed into isolation and investigations showed they had not been in direct contact with prisoners. As of April 16, Israel has reported more than 12,000 cases of coronavirus infections and 143 deaths linked to it. The Palestinian Authority has confirmed a total of 295 cases across the West Bank and Gaza, of whom two people have died. Calls for release The detainees commission has called on the Red Cross and the WHO to intervene to release prisoners who may be more susceptible to the coronavirus. According to the commission, there are 5,000 Palestinians currently held in Israeli prisons, including 700 who are sick. On April 17, Palestinians mark Prisoners Day to remind the public of the plight of those thousands of Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli military jails. Yehia Masawdeh, spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Jerusalem and the West Bank, told Al Jazeera that non-public meetings are carried out weekly with the Israeli authorities to discuss the conditions of prisons. We made sure that the infected Israeli guards were put in quarantine, he said. We urge the Israeli authorities to commit to the prevention and sterilisation standards, in accordance with international humanitarian law, he added. {articleGUID} Masawdeh said the ICRC has stopped family visits and is holding weekly meetings with Israeli authorities to inspect prison conditions through visits by an international doctor. We have received many demands for the release of prisoners, and the ICRC, in turn, has demanded the Israeli authorities to release prisoners over the age of 65 in addition to those suffering from chronic diseases. On April 16 the IPS announced it had begun a programme of coronavirus testing for prisoners and staff. The testing process began on April 14 and will initially be conducted by 100 prisoners and staff serving in the IPS Medical Center (ROSH), the statement said. Further, and according to the rate of issuance of test kits from the Ministry of Health, the sample testing procedure will continue for the entire IPS population, it said. My son is dying slowly For the relatives of the most vulnerable Palestinian prisoners currently held in Israeli jails, the outbreak has been agonising. Sabbah al-Jerjawis son Iyad is currently serving a 9-year sentence for multiple charges in Gilboa Prison in northern Israel. Iyad is 34 years old and was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour two months ago. Iyads parents have called for his release [Al Jazeera] Iyad, originally from Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, was detained in June 2011 at the Israeli-controlled Erez crossing, on his way back from receiving medical treatment in Israel. My life has turned upside down two months ago, after the medical check-ups of my son, Iyad, showed that he suffers from a brain cancer, 58-year old Sabbah said. Since then, we called all bodies and the Red Cross to intervene to release my son and to let him receive the proper treatment outside the prison, but in vain. My son is dying slowly in prison. Since the outbreak of coronavirus, were not sleeping due to our anxiety and fear. The conditions of prisoners in Israeli prisons are very deteriorated. They dont have the immunity to confront this pandemic that spreads across the world, she added. Only 60 days are remaining for the release of my son, but my joy turned into horror, because every day that passes without intervention increases the risk of a coronavirus outbreak inside Israeli prisons. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17 By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend: The draft law on the prohibition of the development, production, distribution and using chemical weapons, as well as on their destruction, was discussed on first reading at the meeting of Azerbaijans Parliament held on April 17, Trend reports. According to paragraphs 1 and 20 of the first part of Article 94 of the Constitution of Azerbaijan, the law determines the legal basis for maintaining peace and security of mankind, ensuring the national security of Azerbaijan, maintaining environmental safety, including the development, production, distribution and prohibition of the use of chemical weapons and their destruction with a view to preventing the violation of the ecological balance in the country. The law prohibits the development, production, acquisition, storage, distribution of chemical weapons in Azerbaijan, or the direct or indirect transfer of them to other persons, the holding of military exercises on their use or participation in any military exercises, and also prohibits in any way promoting or inducing other persons to carry out any activities prohibited by this law, the use of chemicals used to violate public safety and order and as a means of warfare. The law allows using chemicals for industrial, agricultural, research, medical, pharmaceutical, or other peaceful purposes, in activities directly related to the protection against chemical weapons and toxic chemicals, using for other military purposes, except for use as a means of conducting wars, as well as using chemicals to combat violations of public safety and public order. Three persons were dragged out of their car and beaten to death by a group of villagers in Palghar district of Maharashtra on suspicion that they were thieves, police said on Friday. Inspector Anandrao Kale of the Kasa police station said the gruesome incident took place between 9.30-10 pm on Thursday. The mob attack took place at a time when a nationwide lockdown is in force to curb the spread of coronavirus. The identity of the victims was not yet established, he said, adding more than 100 people have been detained by the police. The bodies of the three persons, who were travelling in a car from Mumbai, have been sent for post-mortem to the government hospital in Palghar, Kale said. Their vehicle was stopped on the Dhabadi-Khanvel road near village Gadchinchale by local residents, he said. They were pulled out of the car and attacked by villagers with stones and other objects on suspicion that they were thieves, he said. The police, which came to know about the incident in the middle of the night, rushed to the spot and found the three lying dead and their car badly damaged, he said. An offence under IPC section 302 (murder) along with others, including armed rioting and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), has been registered, Kale said. IPC section 188 has been invoked in the case due to the coronavirus-enforced lockdown under which sweeping curbs have been imposed on movement and assembly of people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Industry body COAI on Friday said it will write to all states seeking to open retail recharge points in a staggered manner to help feature phone mobile users in recharging. The association said it has already highlighted the need for opening up retail recharge points to the Karnataka government during a conference call on Friday. COAI said it will be writing to all states now for permission to restart retail recharge points along with requisite passes for movement of people who will man these centres. "We are requesting states to open retail recharging centres to help facilitate recharging by feature phone subscribers, as well as and passes for people who are involved in the retail recharge business," Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) Director General Rajan Mathews told PTI. As it is, telecom is classified as essential services, he said, adding "so the only question is how do we move gradually state by state...so we are working with each of the states. We hope it will be consistent approach amongst states". The association is also seeking permission for movement of people to handle any fibre cuts. "For retail recharge points we are suggesting a staggered approach as it would depend on severity (of coronavirus cases) in each state. So we are suggesting a staggered approach based on what each state sees as appropriate," Mathews said. Meanwhile, telecom operators including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have approached sector regulator TRAI seeking time till April 20 to submit data on recharge pattern of prepaid users. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), had earlier this week, asked operators to explain the pattern of mobile phone recharge by prepaid users during the lockdown period as it examined uninterrupted services. According to sources privy to the development, telecom companies have asked TRAI for time till April 20 to provide the details. The operators have said that assimilating information would require additional time given the ongoing lockdown, and that 24 hour turnaround would be difficult. TRAI had given operators 24 hours to revert with data on recharge pattern during lockdown. In similar letters sent to operators on April 14, TRAI had asked telcos for data on number of prepaid subscribers whose balance got exhausted and was not recharged on their own (between midnight of March 24 and midnight of April 13, 2020). The regulator further asked for data on number of prepaid subscribers whose balance got exhausted but were provided top up of Rs 10 or more by the operators or credited additional minutes for voice calls during the period of lockdown. The regulator also asked for number of prepaid subscribers whose prepaid balance got exhausted and were not recharged during February. India, earlier this week, decided to extend lockdown restrictions till May 3 to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the country, which has so far claimed 437 lives and infected 13,387 people in the country. During the first phase of the lockdown, telecom operators had announced benefits for low income prepaid users to help them tide over ongoing crisis. Vodafone Idea had announced extension of validity on prepaid plans availed by low-income customers using feature phones till April 17, and Rs 10 talktime credit, while Bharti Airtel too had offered extension in the validity period of over 8 crore prepaid connections until April 17 as well as credited Rs 10 talk time in these accounts. Reliance Jio had offered its JioPhone users 100 minutes of free talktime and 100 free SMS till April 17, and their incoming calls would continue even post validity of their prepaid vouchers. The telecom industry has rejected TRAI's call for extending benefits of talktime credit and extended validity to all prepaid mobile phone user base. COAI had previously argued that telecom firms had offered over Rs 600 crore of benefits to low-income users to stay connected during the nationwide lockdown, and extending it to all prepaid users was unjustified. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Evie Blad and Andrew Ujifusa After President Donald Trump hosted days of briefings filled with bluster about his ability to override state decisions, the White House is leaving the decision about when to open schools and businesses largely to states Thursday, releasing guidelines that call for a tiered approach to reopening the country as it confronts the coronavirus pandemic. However, schools that are currently closed would not reopen in the first of three phases of the medically driven criteria proposed by these guidelines. The guidelines, first published by the Washington Post Thursday and outlined in greater detail in a lengthy White House press briefing that night, call for several phases that depend on the severity of continued transmission in a state or region. And they depict a reopening process that will be heavily dependent on testing for the illness, isolating individuals who have it, and ensuring proper capacity in hospitals should it re-emerge. The plan, which Trump released after a conference call with governors Thursday, includes gating criteria that states would need to pass before moving through to the next phase of reopening. Those criteria lay out specific calls for a downward trajectory of symptomatic people and documented cases of the virus, and a robust testing program for at-risk health-care workers. Those gating criteria are below: States and regions that satisfy the gating criteria and are prepared to test and track cases of the virus would be considered in Phase One under the plan. In Phase One, schools and organized youth activities that are currently closed should remain closed. (According to Education Weeks tracker , 27 states and three U.S. territories have ordered or recommended school building closures for the rest of the academic year.) Here are the second and third phases of the plan: To qualify for Phase Two of the plan, a state or region would need to show no evidence that the virus rebounded under the first phase and prove that it can meet the gating criteria a second time. Under Phase Two, schools and youth activities could reopen, the plan says, but there should also be continue social distancing, and gatherings of more than 50 people where such distancing isnt practical are discouraged. The guidelines say vulnerable people, including those with asthma, should continue to shelter in place, and other members of their household should be aware that by returning to work or other environments where distancing is not practical, they could carry the virus back home, the plan says. Employers in those regions should close common areas where people may congregate, it says. Under Phase Three in the plan, states and regions would show no evidence of another uptick of the virus after mitigation efforts were eased, and they would have to meet the gating criteria a third time. In those areas, schools could be open and employers could return to unrestricted staffing, but places like bars and large venues may have to modify operations to allow for social distancing. Those criteria for reopening largely match what state leaders have already suggested. Also, as we reported Wednesday, many governors have suggested their states dont have the testing capacity to effectively monitor the illness at levels necessary for reopening schools and businesses . And some state education officials are preparing for the possibility of continued closures or the need to modify school operations to allow for social distancing in the fall. The White House plan does not include a timeline or projected dates for reopening. And, while Trump has touted an ambitious May 1 date, most state leaders have set their sights much further into the future. Things wont return to normal until there is a vaccine for the coronavirus, theyve cautioned. Some states will be able to open up sooner than others, Trump said at a Thursday press briefing. Every state is very different. The federal guidelines come as state leaders face pressure from both sides. At demonstrations in states like Michigan this week, protesters called on governors to reopen businesses and end stay-home orders, but many of those businesses would not be able to operate at fully capacity if employees have to stay home with out-of-school children. On the other hand, Floridas teachers union also protested Wednesday, encouraging Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, to keep schools closed beyond May 1, the states current recommended date to remain closed. In all phases of reopening, the plan suggests individuals should consider wearing masks while in public, continue frequent handwashing, and stay home from school and work if they are feeling sick. See the full Opening Up American Again guidelines below: Photo: President Donald J. Trump speaks during the coronavirus task force briefing at the White House on April 15, 2020. (Shawn Thew/CNP via ZUMA Wire) Follow us on Twitter @PoliticsK12 . And follow the Politics K-12 reporters @EvieBlad @Daarel and @AndrewUjifusa . The number of deaths from the novel coronavirus spiked to a new one-day high of 4,591 on Friday, nearly double the previous record, as President Donald Trump issued guidelines for reopening the country but left it to the states to decide; some of whom announced extended restrictions instead. The 24 hours ending late Thursday the number of new fatalities went up to 4,591, overtaking by a wide margin the previous high of 2, 494 on Wednesday, according to the Johns Hopkins Universitys coronavirus tracker (other tallies may be higher or lower; the previous record was put at 2,569 by one them). The US toll so far was up, thus, to 33,286, and the number of confirmed cases went up by 31,451 over the same 24-hour period to 671,493. The number of cases increased in New York state, the epicenter of the American epidemic, to 223,691 thus far; with 14,832 fatalities, most of them in New York City, at 11,477. Despite these growing numbers, public health officials have expressed optimism that the United States is past the peak in new cases 30% of US counties had not reported new cases in the last seven days, for instance. A drop in hospitalization and flattening of the curve on other metrics are the other signs giving them hope. Were starting our life again, President Trump told reporters at theWhite House daily briefing Thursday, as he unveiled the new federal guidelines citing those signs of improvement. Were starting rejuvenation of our economy again in a safe and structured and very responsible fashion. States were expected to announce their own reopening plans under guidelines but there no prescriptive timelines; governors will decide. Some states, in fact, chose to extend their restrictions instead. New York, for instance, extended its shutdown to May 15; Michigan and Missouri had also extended their stay-at-home orders. Trump said there are 29 states (of the total of 50) that can start soon and some of whom can get on to it right away. The White House task force has spoken of nine states that have reported less than 1,000 coronavirus cases each, with less than 30 new cases a day. But no specifics were forthcoming once again. The guidelines provide the reopening to be spread over three phases and laid down gatekeeping criteria for progressing from one phase to another. A state could decide to start phase for the entire state or parts of it based on 14 days of declining confirmed cases and testing, the ability of its hospitals to be able to deal with the the load without going into crisis mode; and provide robust and full testing for health workers. In the first phase, movie theaters, gyms, restaurants, places of worship and others could open if they are able to abide by strict social distancing rules of six-feet apart at the least. Employers could bring back workers if teleworking was not working out for them, but only in batches of 20% of 25%. All non-essential travel for employees could resume. Schools will remain closed and visits to senior living facilities and homes will remain prohibited. Stay-at-home orders will remain in force for vulnerable people, the elderly and those with underlying conditions. Schools, day care centers and camps could reopen in the second phase, elective surgeries could resume. Large venues may be allowed to reopen, but with moderate social distancing. Visits to senior living facilities will remain prohibited. All restrictions on workplaces will go in the third phase, ushering in the new normal, as Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House task force, put it. People will be expected to continue good hygiene practices and respect some amount of social distancing as we still have an issue with asymptomatic spread, she added. The mitigation efforts now in force in most parts of the United States have shut down businesses causing large-scale layoff close to 22 million people have filed for unemployment benefits in the last four weeks and brought to the country to edge of the worst slowdown in US history, comparisons are being drawn to the Great Depression of 1929. Protests have broken out across the country with marchers demanding the reopening of the country in Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Michigan, Kentucky, Utah and Wyoming. And more are expected over the next few days. President Trump has been just as keen as the protestors to reopen the economy and when asked about them, he told reporters, They all want to open. Nobody wants to stay shut but they want to open safely. So do I. But there is growing popular disapproval of his handling of the outbreak, which has come under growing criticism for being delayed and botched. Majority of Americans disapprove of the presidents response, according to two new polls. A CNN poll out Wednesday showed 52% disapproved of his response, up from 48% in March. In another poll, by Monmouth University, 49% of the respondents said he was doing a bod job, compared to 46% who approved. In March, half of the respondents had said he was doing a good job. A video posted on Facebook and Twitter shows a man wearing traditional Maasai clothes breaking up groups of people standing in the street. On social media, many claimed the video showed a Maasai huntsman that the Kenyan government had recruited to help enforce social distancing rules meant to stop the spread of COVID-19. Turns out, however, that the whole thing was staged by a comedian. The video shows a man wearing traditional Maasai clothing running down the street armed with a whip. He hits out at several people who are standing in groups and chatting. As he whips them, he shouts One metre! in reference to social distancing measures put in place by many countries to contain the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. One Facebook user wrote a caption for the video in Arabic: "This man is a Maasai from Kenya. His tribe is known for lion hunting. They were brought to town to enforce social distancing measures because the police arent able to. If you cry out, hell hit you even harder." His post alone was viewed more than 1.5 million times. Other people shared the footage along with a similar explanation in other languages. "Respect social distancing, if not, youll get a Masai-style whipping! reads a Facebook post in French. "Since people were not taking the police seriously the Kenyan government started using the Maasai tribe for the curfew, reads one Reddit post in English. Coronavirus brings violence to East Africa, reads this Facebook post. An artistic performance However, this scene was staged by a Kenyan comedian and actor who wanted to raise awareness about the importance of social distancing. In the top left corner of the video, there is text that read "Mbuzi Seller". We searched this name on Facebook and found a profile showing a man wearing traditional Maasai clothes. A quick scroll through his page makes it apparent that the man is a comedian and the video must have been staged. Mbuzi Seller, whose real name is Nelson Saisi Lemiso, is a 27-year-old Kenyan comedian, actor and commercial director based in Nairobi. He filmed this video in the Embakasi neighborhood in Nairobi on April 2. He spoke to the FRANCE 24 Observers about the video and his motivation for making it. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen (R) speaks to the media beside Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Council of Ministers Bin Chhin, wearing a face mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus, during a press conference at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, April 7, 2020. Legislation authorizing a state of emergency to contain the spread of the coronavirus in Cambodia risks violating the right to privacy, free speech, and peaceful assembly, a United Nations expert said Friday, as lawmakers gave their final approval of the bill. Emergency measures must be necessary and proportionate to the crisis they seek to address, Rhona Smith, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, said in a statement. The broadly worded language on the protection of national security and public order, ostensibly aimed at addressing COVID-19 [the disease caused by the coronavirus], can potentially be used to infringe on the right to privacy and unnecessarily restrict freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly. The Law on Governing the Country in a State of Emergency was unanimously approved by Cambodias one-party National Assembly on April 10 and by the Senate within two hours of its introduction on Friday. Under the billwhich will now be examined by the Constitutional Council before it is forwarded to King Norodom Sihamoni to be signed into lawCambodias government can be granted sweeping powers for an initial period of three months, including restrictions and bans on the distribution of information, as well as monitor[ing] and surveillance, by all means. Smith said Friday that offenses such as obstruction or staging an obstacle to government operations were open to interpretation and penalties of up to 10 years in prison and heavy fines were disproportionate. Penalties and fines should be commensurate to the seriousness of offence committed, with consideration given to the individuals economic situation, she said. This is particularly relevant for people already jobless and/or unable to generate income because of the emergency measures. Instead, Smith said, Cambodia should be introducing laws that can be used to address public health needs while also protecting fundamental freedoms. Authorities should take steps to ensure that everyone has access to adequate health care and adopt special measures for people in particular situations of vulnerability, including those with underlying illnesses, disabilities, the elderly, detainees, the rural poor, indigenous peoples, and ethnic minorities, she said. Smith warned that the new laws penalties and criminal responsibilities could also be used to target civil society and human rights organizations, which she said already operate within a highly restrictive environment in Cambodia. A state of emergency should be guided by human rights principles and should not, in any circumstances, be an excuse to quash dissent or disproportionately and negatively impact any other group, she said. The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Cambodia remained steady at 122 on Friday. Not necessary for public health Smiths statement follows earlier ones by New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), which said the law contained vague clauses that would provide Prime Minister Hun Sen with a means to run the country by fiat, and Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, which said it would lead to gross violations of the freedom to inform and be informed that could have serious consequences during the coronavirus crisis. On Monday, HRWs Asia director Brad Adams said the law gives Hun Sen almost unlimited powers for an unlimited period of time. This includes martial powers. It also allows the government to read all emails and listen to all phone calls, which is not necessary for public health, he wrote in a commentary. It also came days after Australias former Foreign Minister Gareth Evans wrote in an op-ed in the Sydney Morning Herald that the law should be ringing alarm bells for anyone anywhere concerned with the erosion of human rights and democracy, and called on his countrys government to sanction officials responsible for rights violations in Cambodia. On Friday, the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which was banned by the Supreme Court in November 2017 for its alleged role in a plot to topple the government, issued a statement denouncing the law as lacking benefits for Cambodians and aimed at maintaining power for the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP). The ban on the political opposition, along with a wider crackdown by Hun Sen on NGOs and the independent media, paved the way for the CPP to win all 125 seats in parliament in the countrys July 2018 general election. The CNRP believes that the draft law approved by the one-party National Assembly produced by a fake election aims to protect Hun Sens power and his family members more than protecting the nation and the harmony of the people, the opposition said in its statement. The CNRP, which represents half of the population, would like to request that King Norodom Sihamoni refrain from signing the draft law. U.S. Representative Alan Lowenthal of California, also responded to the approval of the law, calling it appalling that after initially dismissing the seriousness of the coronavirus, Hun Sen is now using the pandemic as cover to push through emergency legislation that only increases his authoritarian hold over the people of Cambodia. This sweeping and draconian law only further empowers him to expand his consistent track record of human rights violations, all while claiming it is for the good of the country, the U.S. lawmaker said. Hun Sen and others in his government have waved off concerns about the bill, and on Friday, Senate spokesman Mam Bunneang told RFAs Khmer Service that lawmakers understand the necessity for such legislation, which he vowed would protect democratic principles. He also said that the law will not grant absolute power to the government because the National Assembly and the Senate will provide checks and balances. The rest of the world is using state of emergency laws, so we also need one to ensure the country doesnt fall into disaster, he said. Ministry of Justice spokesman Chin Malin told RFA that international human rights principles allow for some limitations on peoples freedom during a state of emergency for the sake of public health and said Cambodias draft law complies with those principles. The CNRPs criticism runs contrary to the content of the draft law, he said. Opposition targeted The approval of the law comes a day after authorities in Banteay Meanchey province arrested the former CNRP chief of Svay Rieng province, Nhem Van, and sent him to the capital Phnom Penh for detention, making him the ninth member of the opposition taken into custody since the coronavirus outbreak was first confirmed in Cambodia in January. His wife, Pao Sarann, told RFA that her husband had been on the run in Banteay Meanchey for the previous 10 days after authorities increased their surveillance of him. He had also gone into hiding in 2019 after police surrounded his home and only returned after Hun Sen ordered authorities to stop targeting the CNRP. National Police Commissioner Chhay Kimkoeun police arrested Nhem Van based on a court order and that he was charged with incitement to commit a felony. Soeung Senkarona, spokesman for Cambodian rights group Adhoc, described the arrest as politically motivated and warned that such moves will draw condemnation from the international community. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Thursday also denied bail to seven CNRP activists recently arrested on treason charges. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. The state government of Victoria extended support to residential tenants and landlords affected by the COVID-19 outbreak with a $500m relief package, as part of the $24.5bn additional emergency funding announced by the state. The emergency funding aims to support efforts to fight the coronavirus, support jobs, and boost the Victorias recovery from the pandemic over the next two years. Around $80m of the relief package will be set aside to help struggling tenants, while the remaining $420m will be spent on land tax reductions for commercial and residential landlords. Landlords whose tenants are impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak will be eligible for a 25% discount on their land tax, while any remaining land tax can be deferred until March 2021. Sarah Megginson, editor of Your Investment Property, told Channel 10 News that that package doesnt go far enough to help landlords, who are being asked to give up thousands of dollars in rental income. Everyone is going to have the make some sacrifices, but I dont think the landlord should have to bear the brunt of it all, Megginson said. In Victoria, land tax doesnt apply to land worth less than $250,000, and Megginson points out this means that owners of apartments and units may not be required to pay any land tax. As a result, this measure offers them little to relief. Even if you do pay land tax, the 25% amounts to just a few hundred dollars in most cases. For instance on land worth $750,000 keeping in mind this is just the land, not the entire propertys value the land tax amount is $1750, so the discount being offered is worth just $375. If youre being asked by the community at large to make these kinds of [long-term] rental reductions, a few hundred dollars in land tax relief isnt going to offset much, Megginson added. How does it work for tenants? Under the package, tenants could qualify for up to $2,000 in relief payments. To be eligible, renters need to have registered their revised agreement with Consumer Affairs Victoria or gone through mediation, have less than $5,000 in savings and still be paying at least 30% of their income in rent. Also read: Six Initiatives To Support Construction More than ever, we need to be working in partnership, with landlords working with tenants and tenants working with landlords. The government is willing to help those most in need, said Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews. Aside from the package, the government also announced that evictions and rental increases will be banned for residential and commercial tenancies for six months. The state government urged tenants and landlords to work together to "get through this crisis". Tenants and landlords who struggle to strike a deal over rent reductions will be given access to a fast-tracked dispute resolution service, with Consumer Affairs Victoria or the Victorian Small Business Commission mediating to ensure fair agreements are reached, the government said in a statement. Nneka Elliott getting herself ready for another scene in the Netflix series. The story of African American Madam CJ Walker, who was born in 1867 and first carried the name Sarah Breedlove, and who became a heralded hair product pioneer and entrepreneur - is truly remarkable. And Netflix has packaged that story in a series entitled; Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker. Vincentians here and in the diaspora have an added reason to follow the series, for Vincentian Canadian media personality, Nneka Elliott, daughter of Jacinta Elliot and granddaughter of renowned novelist George C. Thomas, makes her mark in the series, playing a sales agent. Elliott, resident in Canada, is an award winning TV news personality turned actor and beauty influencer. She has served as president of The Media Huddle, reporter and anchor at News Talk 1010, national weather broadcaster for The Weather Network, weather anchor for CTV news Toronto/ Canada AM, and most notably Reporter/Anchor/Host at CP24 news. She trained at the Armstrong Acting Studios and Second City Toronto. Now a beauty specialist on The Marilyn Denis Show, Eliott also writes for CBC Life and Refinery 29 Canada. She can be recognized in TV/Film roles such as in Shazam, Designated Survivor, V-Wars, Conviction, Remember and now, Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J Walker. THE VINCENTIAN quizzed Elliot about her recent Netflix opportunity. What role did you play? I played the role of sales agent. Madam C.J Walker who empowered thousands of women to become entrepreneurs in their own right. She trained them, gave them licenses and they sold her products and got a percentage. I played one of these women. Towards the end of the series, we were frustrated by news of a big decision that Madam C.J Walker was about to make. I, as the sales agent, spoke out on behalf of the sales agents. Tell us, how was it? Even though I was only in a few scenes, it was still a magical experience. In this business, you come to learn, so there are really no small roles. I always remind myself that Viola Davis won an Oscar after being in one scene in the movie "Doubt. Im no Viola Davis though LOL...at least not yet. Ive fortunately been on many sets, but never had I been on one where every department head was a black woman! The directors, director of photography, wardrobe, hair...I could go on and on. To see them all working together, calmly, delegating to men, empowering other women. On top of that, I had never seen so many black actors in one place. It was a beautiful thing to see! What was your most memorable moment? There were so many, including what I mentioned above. But a key moment had to be when acclaimed director DeMane Davis of Queen Sugar and How to Get Away With Murder came up to me, squeezed my hand and said, " Im so happy to have you. Thank you for being here, I really loved your audition. I felt so seen. There were hundreds of people on set that day; there was so much going on. The fact that she could take that time out to say a few words of kindness to me, meant the world!!! Media, film and television could be tough, any advice to others? I suppose Id tell other up and coming actors to remember that everyone has a different path. Dont get caught up in what you think you should be doing, or steps you should be taking based on what others have done. There is no one route to success. The quicker you understand and respect your own path, you will also come to respect what is unique about you in all aspects. And if you can bring YOU in your most authentic form to the craft...then youve already won! Re: Setting a precedent that lasted more than a century,George [ #permalink 2 Kudos Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 12:48:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The National Portrait Gallery is closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Washington D.C., the United States, on April 16, 2020. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled guidelines for a phased reopening of the U.S. economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has grounded the nation to a halt. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) by Matthew Rusling WASHINGTON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled guidelines for a phased reopening of the U.S. economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has grounded the nation to a halt. "My administration is issuing new federal guidelines that will allow governors to take a phased and deliberate approach to reopening their individual states," Trump said at a White House press conference. "Governors will be empowered to tailor an approach that meets the diverse circumstances they have in their own states," he said. "If they need to remain closed we will allow them to do that. And if they believe it is time to reopen, we will provide them the freedom and guidance to accomplish that task and very, very quickly," he added. According to the guidelines, the criteria for reopening include showing a downward trajectory of COVID-like symptoms reported over 14 days in a given state or region, a drop in documented cases or positive tests during the same 14-day window, and assurances that hospitals have the capacity to treat all patients without crisis care and a solid testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers. DIFFERENT REACTIONS The COVID-19 pandemic is believed to be the worst U.S. crisis since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, as over 670,000 Americans have been infected with and more than 30,000 have died of the disease. The U.S. economy has also been disrupted, as authorities have ordered to shut down the service sector -- restaurants, coffee shops, hair salons and bars -- as well as some factories in the country, which has sparked an upsurge in unemployment. Statistics showed that over the past month, a historic 22 million Americans have filed unemployment claims. A national shutdown is not a sustainable long-term solution, and a prolonged lockdown, combined with a forced economic depression, would "inflict an immense and wide-ranging toll" on public health, Trump noted at Thursday's press conference, explaining to the public why Washington issued such guidelines. Experts believed that as state governors have the final call on the phased reopening, they will react differently to the guidelines. "I suspect we're going to see a lot of lowering of expectations, as for instance Los Angeles' warning that sporting events and concerts might not come back for a couple of years," Christopher Galdieri, assistant professor at Saint Anselm College, told Xinhua. "There will be a phased reopening with some cities and states in low impact areas opening before others," Darrell West, senior fellow of Washington-based think tank Brookings Institution, told Xinhua. "Their rationale is they have not been much affected and therefore want to resume business activity," West said. WIDESPREAD TESTING NEEDED There are hidden dangers of a phased reopening right now, for example, possible emergence of new epidemic hotspots, experts noted. "States that haven't been impacted much are simply in the earliest part of the curve, unless they took strong preventive steps in mid-March," Clay Ramsay, a senior research associate at the Center for International and Security Studies at University of Maryland, told Xinhua. Experts suggested that the country should secure widespread testing before the phased reopening of the economy, which they believe is the reason behind the successful curb of the spread of the virus in countries like South Korea. "We are told that the shortage of test kits will come to an end fairly soon. That's good, because without more test kits it's not actually possible to reopen the economy," Ramsay said. "With widespread testing, temperature checks, contact tracing, and continued wearing of masks, it's possible much of the economy could reopen safely, in stages," Ramsay said. Echoing Ramsay, West said no one wants a "case resurgence that would prolong the pandemic." "There needs to be widespread testing to monitor health status and provide leaders with up-to-date information on infection rates. That is the only way to know for sure when the best time is to reopen activities," West said. In 1994, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development began the Back to Sleep campaign, which encouraged parents to place their infants to sleep on their backs at nap- and bedtimes. Within 10 years, SIDS deaths in infants plummeted from more than 5,000 per year in the 1990s to between 2,000 to 3,000 deaths each year in the early 2000s. But by the mid-2000s, that decline in SIDS deaths stalled, and a small but persistent number of babies continued to die in their sleep. While scientists were successful in identifying certain factors that might increase an infants risk of dying of SIDS, said Dr. Peter Blair, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, we dont really know the ultimate causes of these deaths. SIDS remained distressingly, and perplexingly, random; and its causes much harder to pinpoint. Is the brain to blame? In her work as a neuropathologist at Boston Childrens Hospital in Massachusetts, Dr. Hannah Kinney, M.D., saw many unexplained infant deaths. If she could understand what caused them, Dr. Kinney reasoned, she might be able to prevent them. In the 1980s, Dr. Kinney found that infants who had died of SIDS had showed cellular signs of damage in the part of the brain that controls breathing. As she homed in on the thick, stemlike structure in the brainstem called the medulla oblongata, she noticed that about 40 percent of the brains of babies who had died from SIDS had produced unusually low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is famous for its links to mood, but it also plays a role in controlling breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, temperature regulation and arousal from sleep. When Dr. Kinney and Dr. Susan Dymecki, M.D., Ph.D., a neuroscientist from Harvard University, engineered mice with the same serotonin deficiencies as seen in the brains of babies who had died of SIDS, these mice didnt gasp and resuscitate themselves in low-oxygen, high-carbon dioxide environments. Instead, they just lied there and died, said Dr. Goldstein. In 2018, Dr. Dymecki and her colleagues published a follow-up study in the journal eLIFE, which demonstrated that blocking the activity of serotonin neurons in the brainstems of mice prevented them from returning to a normal breathing pattern after they temporarily stopped during sleep. In other words, Dr. Dymeckis mice behaved exactly like babies who had died from SIDS, bolstering the idea that serotonin deficiencies are at least partly to blame for some SIDS deaths. PRIME Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand has gained world attention for her outstanding work in the fight against Covid-19 and rightly so. Prior to declaring total lockdown in the nation of five million, she announced the adoption of alert levels that would serve notice to the public on the conduct of institutions and people in the level declared. A few days later, she announced that effective March 25, 2020, New Zealand was on Alert Level 4 and that the nation was on a State of Emergency. Businesses closed and majority of New Zealanders stayed at home with exception of workers in essential services, enumerated in the guidelines. The government also put a package of assistance to businesses and individuals affected by the lockdown. The opposition leader, Simon Bridges, was designated as chair of the Epidemic Response Committee, a special select committee created to consider the Governments response to the Covid-19 outbreak. Ardern together with Ashley Bloomfield, the chief executive of the Ministry of Health and the countrys director-general of health, have a daily media conference to update on developments against the pandemic, as well as reminding the public to conduct themselves in accordance with rules issued. With nine deaths reported and 1,084 confirmed cases (as of April 16), there is a chance that the alert level will be lowered to 3, but this will not be known until April 20. The government has identified 16 existing clusters, continues to conduct contact tracing, requires compulsory quarantine for Kiwis returning from overseas and regularly makes tests (60,160 as of this writing). On a personal level, I have not gone out of my residence since March 23, when my wife arrived from the Philippines and went on self-isolation in one of the bedrooms in our house. All my children are in essential services and have been kind enough to buy groceries in our behalf. Generally, Kiwis have heeded the call of government to stay at home, while the police have been stopping vehicles to check if they are doing necessary travel. Story continues The Minister of Health, Dr. David Clark, was demoted by Ardern for driving his family to the beach (to exercise on bike) on the first weekend of the national stay-at-home measures. Clark called himself an idiot and apologized. It, therefore, horrifies me to learn about the conduct of a number of Filipinos who continue to defy the quarantine directive of government. Two photo feeds, the one at the Carbon Public Market on Holy Thursday and the horrendous traffic jam on Gov. M. Cuenco Ave. on April 15, send shivers to my bones; as the sacrifices of the majority will have been in vain. Let us take notice on one of the most advanced urban centers of the world, New York: 222,284 confirmed cases with 14,636 deaths (the latest tally). Covid-19 is deadly, and people really have to take this seriously. Very seriously. Donald Trump claims that China's coronavirus death toll is "far higher" than what the country has confirmed. He also claims the US death toll is "not even close" to China's. More than 4,600 deaths have been reported in China; the US has confirmed more than 33,000. The Covid-19-related death toll in Wuhan spiked by 50 per cent as the country begins attributing earlier deaths to the disease. But the country's reported numbers represent roughly an eighth of the total deaths in the US, far fewer than the president's claims that the death toll is "not even close" to US figures as he continues his claims that the country is covering up its coronavirus mortality rate. This week, the administration has repeatedly pressured China and the World Health Organisation to "come clean" about the latest coronavirus origins, as the White House floats theories that the virus escaped from a research lab in Wuhan. The president has accused the WHO of "covering up" the outbreak as reports surface that he had ignored or downplayed several warnings of the outbreak's impact as early as January from members of his administration. That month, the president said: "China has been working hard to contain the coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency." Through February, the president repeatedly said that he spoke with President Xi Jinping and was assured that the country is "working hard" to combat the outbreak. On Tuesday, the president announced the US would suspend financial support for the WHO after he accused the United Nations agency of "severely mismanaging" the global response and "pushing misinformation" from China's government. His latest remarks follow a flood of tweets as he appears to respond to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo during his daily press conference, responding to the president's push to "reopen" states during the pandemic. Officials in China have pushed back against the administration's claims and have accused the president of relying on China to shift the blame for his own mishandling of the pandemic response. On Thursday, the president continued to downplay criticisms about his response, saying that "people should have told us about this" and "they should've told the rest of the world, too" despite several briefings from his own officials and the dismissal of his pandemic response team while in office. The president has refused to respond to questions about his administration's lack of a response through February after putting travel restrictions from China in place in late January. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, who had previously suggested that the virus could have emerged from the US, said on Friday that the White House is promoting the lab virus theory to distract from those criticisms. Harrisburg police believe Joseph Ayala-Maya was shot inside a home near 13th and Magnolia streets on Easter Sunday, then fled without his shoes and collapsed in a nearby apartment complex parking lot. Video surveillance that police obtained showed Maya, 20, fleeing from the front door of a home in the 1400 block of South 13th Street. He could be seen running east on Magnolia toward the Harrisburg Park Apartments, but then he ran out of view of the cameras. He collapsed in between two parked cars in the complex parking lot. He was on the ground for about 15 minutes before someone spotted him and called 911. He was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound that entered his left shoulder, traveled through his chest cavity and exited the right side, according to an affidavit filed in the case. Police noted in the affidavit that Maya did not have his shoes, cell phone or car keys with him, which indicated that he wasnt planning to leave the residence but rather fled abruptly. Police used the affidavit to obtain a search warrant of the home where they believe the killing occurred to obtain evidence. Police searched a home near the intersection of 13th and Magnolia streets in Harrisburg after the fatal shooting April 12, 2020. Police on Tuesday arrested and charged an acquaintance of Maya with the killing as they believe he was planning to flee. Police charged Jomar Perez Escobales, 23, with criminal homicide. He remained in jail Thursday night with no bail. His next court appearance was set for May 5. Police originally were looking for a 23-year-old woman in the case as well, as a person of interest. Police arrested her Wednesday on an outstanding charge of possession of marijuana. She was released on unsecured bail. Police have not released any additional details about the killing, including a possible motive. Friends of Maya said they believed the shooting stemmed from an argument over a woman. Carla Torruellas lived next door to Maya in the Hall Manor housing community and said Maya had a girlfriend but she had not met her. Torruellas said Maya moved to Harrisburg from Puerto Rico about three years ago. He had already graduated from high school in Puerto Rico, she said. Maya did not have any family members in the city, so Torruellas was not sure what brought him to Pennsylvania. Most of his family remained in Puerto Rico. His grandmother regularly wrote loving messages to him on his Facebook account. I love you my angel, she wrote on one his photos last June. God bless you always. His sister is now trying to raise money to bring his body back to Puerto Rico for a funeral and burial. We want to bring his corpse to PR so my dad Jose Luis Ayala, my grandparents, my younger brother and I can give him Christian burial and give him one last goodbye as he deserves, his younger sister posted on Facebook. Neighbors put together this memorial for Joseph Ayala Maya in Hall Manor. Torruellas said she took on the role of Mayas mother in Harrisburg, sharing coffee with him each morning. His family was us, Torruellas said of she and her son. We were there for him for whatever he needed. He always treated us well. He loved us. Torruellas said Maya was great with children and if there was a child around, he was focused on making that child happy. He also was independent, namely because he had to be since he was on his own. He did not deserve that and he didnt deserve to die that way, she said. I am very hurt. There is not a second that I cant stop thinking about himI have all these memories in my mind and it kills me to have to accept that they took a good friend. Torruellas said Maya didnt cause any trouble with anyone. She remembers seeing him Easter Sunday, before he left for the home on South 13th Street. He came to pick something up from my neighbors, she said. He said, Hey Mami! Ill see you later. Be good! Mayas killing was the sixth homicide in the city so far this year, compared to three homicides at the same date last year. READ: Coronavirus silver lining: Crime and crashes plummet across Pa. READ: Heres what crime looked like in Harrisburg, York and Lancaster, before coronavirus hit READ: Harrisburg man ran down street to fire back at fleeing shooters: watch video Western Australia's "gold standard" COVID-19 testing measures have continued to reveal a flattening curve, with continuously low case numbers suggesting the disease may be close to extinction in the state. WA has one of the most expansive testing regimes in the country, and with a number of private diagnostic companies officially signing up to lend as a hand as "disease detectives" on Thursday, the government's ability to track community transmission has gone from strength to strength. The dedicated COVID clinic at Royal Perth Hospital. Credit:Marta Pascual Juanola Since testing first began, there have been 535 confirmed positive cases out of more than 30,000 people tested in WA's metropolitan and regional areas. Over time, testing has opened up to include anyone who has a fever, a history of a fever, or an acute respiratory illness such as a cough. There has been a significant uptake in people tested after the criteria threshold was lowered. A grandmother who contracted coronavirus said she was marked as 'do not resuscitate' while in hospital despite telling doctors she wanted to fight for her life. Lorraine Lewis and her partner Stephen Taylor had returned to Australia on a mercy flight after sailing around the Italian coast on a Costa Victoria cruise. The 71-year-old tested positive to the killer COVID-19 and was admitted to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth. The grandmother said she was instantly asked if she would opt for 'do not resuscitate' if her condition worsened. 'The first contact I had with any medical person, he came in and he sat on the chair near me and he said, ''no CPR'',' she told 7News. 'I said, ''Pardon? I haven't asked for that. I'm not ready to cark it yet. I'm going to fight this''.' Ms Lewis assumes the only reason she was asked was because she was classified as elderly. She battled the deadly disease on her own as her partner Mr Taylor was quarantined struggling to find answers. 'You ask questions and you don't get answers,' he said. Her discharge papers indicated that she had opted for ward-based treatment if her condition were to worsen, and did not want CPR, no ICU, and no intubation. Lorraine Lewis and her partner Stephen Taylor had returned to Australia on a mercy flight after sailing around the Italian coast on a Costa Victoria cruise The couple is now back home and Ms Lewis has made a full recovery from COVID-19. They wanted to share their story so no other elderly person would be treated the same way. Ms Lewis has since been issued an apology from the hospital. 'The clinician documented that Ms Lewis was accepting of the proposed course of action, when she may not have been at the time,' the hospital said in a statement. Australia has recorded 6,509 positive cases of coronavirus with 3,752 recoveries. A total of 63 people have died from the deadly disease. Positive results from Kerastems Phase 2 clinical trial in early-stage hair loss patients, known as the STYLE study, were published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal (https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjaa037). The STYLE study evaluated the effect of Puregraft purified fat + Adipose Derived Regenerative Cells (ADRCs) in different doses in a single procedure. Patients were followed up to 1-year. In men with early stage hair loss, the investigators reported a statistically significant increase in mean terminal (mature) hair count in men who received Puregraft fat + a low dose of ADRCs when compared to the control group at 6-months. Based on the positive results, Kerastem plans to move the technology forward in a phase 3 clinical trial. Kerastem therapy is a one-time treatment that delivers adipose (fat) derived regenerative cells combined with purified fat to the affected area of the scalp. The Phase 2 trial was a U.S. 70 patient, multi-center, randomized, single-blinded, and controlled clinical trial to assess the safety, tolerability, dosing and hair counts in patients with early hair loss. Our Phase 2 study showed the Kerastem treatment stimulates hair growth in early stage male hair loss," said Bran Conlan, CEO of Kerastem. "If our Phase 3 trial is successful, more than 40 million people in the United States with early stage hair loss would have a new option. STUDY RESULTS Low dose Adipose Derived Regenerative Cells (ADRCs) + Puregraft fat treatment group achieved a statistically significant increase in mean terminal hair count, at 6 months, when compared to control, in males with early (Grade III) stage hair loss relative to control, an average increase of 29 terminal (mature) hairs per cm2 of scalp was observed, corresponding to a 17% increase (p < 0.05). All treatment arms of STYLE were safe with no serious adverse events reported. STYLE indicates that the dosing of this autologous cell product and tissue preparation can play a role in achieving a successful outcome," explained Principal Investigator Ken Washenik, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor in the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, NYU School of Medicine & Medical Director, Bosley Medical Group. "To identify the optimal procedure, we designed STYLE to evaluate controls with and without the addition of autologous fat as well as both high and lower doses of ADRCs doses and determined that 500,000 cells per square centimeter resulted in a superior outcome. In short, dose matters. Kerastems planned Phase 3 trial will support a Pre-Market Approval (PMA) filing in the United States for males with early hair loss. The company will also explore other product pipeline expansion opportunities including the Kerastem treatment for females with patterned hair loss. ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA MARKET SIZE Hair loss affects more than 40 million men and over 21 million women and in the United States alone. The global hair loss treatment market generates more than $7 Billion annually and currently has limited options for men and women with early stage hair loss. ABOUT KERASTEM Kerastem is the leader in the development and commercialization of cell-based approaches to hair growth. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bimini Health Tech. The Bimini portfolio also includes Puregraft, the worlds leading fat transfer solution. Conservation groups say poaching is on the rise as tourism income dries up at wildlife reserves. Conservation groups say nature must be a cornerstone of economic recovery plans for the sake of people, health and economies. The call comes amid fears of a "spike in poaching" as rural communities lose vital income. In Cambodia, 1% of the entire population of one critically endangered bird was wiped out in a single event. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) said three of only a few hundred remaining giant ibis were poisoned. And more than 100 painted stork chicks were killed at Cambodia's Prek Toal Ramsar Site, the largest water bird colony in Southeast Asia. Conservationists are noticing increases in hunting of protected species since the spread of coronavirus began to disrupt traditional economic and social systems in rural areas, said the WCS. "Suddenly rural people have little to turn to but natural resources and we're already seeing a spike in poaching," said Colin Poole, WCS regional director in Phnom Penh. Conservation organisations need to be doing their utmost to support local people, he said. "They're the last line of defence for these forests, these birds, these wetlands, and they're the people that need support right now so they have alternatives and they don't need to turn to natural resource extraction to survive." In India, there have been reports of an upsurge in tiger poaching, while there are fears in Africa that the rhinoceros and other endangered species could be at risk. Matt Brown, director of the Africa region for the Nature Conservancy, spoke of a sudden decline in tourism revenue at some of Africa's key wildlife reserves and national parks as a result of the pandemic. "The concern is how do these areas maintain the effectiveness of their wildlife patrolling and security when about 50% of their planned revenue for the year has now dropped to zero," he said. And the closing of export businesses and manufacturing plants had put a lot of people out of work, which on top of the tourism drop was "a double whammy". "There could be an increased direct poaching pressure on wildlife as a result of the downturn in the global economy," he said. Value of nature Finance ministers from G20 countries are meeting this week to discuss economic recovery plans to address the impacts of the pandemic. Conservation group Campaign for Nature, which includes experts from Asia, Africa and Latin America, is calling on ministers to include protection of nature in their plans. Hugo van der Westhuizen, of the Frankfurt Zoological Society, said now more than ever was the time to re-evaluate the value of nature. "Conservation cannot be built and maintained only on tourism income or donor funding," he said. "Covid-19 is teaching us that we take nature for granted, together with clean water and air, and it seems we need to lose something before we realise its value. Nature cannot be recreated once it is gone." BBC We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it Coronavirus: 80 containment zones declared in Kashmir India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Srinagar, Apr 17: 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. 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. Full list of hotspot districts in India Only persons with valid passes were allowed to move, they added. The declared containment or red zones across the valley have been sealed to ensure strict adherence to the standard operating procedure. The officials said there were 80 red zones in the Kashmir valley and all such areas would remain as red zones up to 42 days unless no new positive case of COVID-19 is detected. NEWS AT 3 PM, APRIL 17th, 2020 If any new case is detected in those areas, then from that date, the area will again remain a red zone for another 42 days, they added. They said those areas have been sealed off and strict restrictions were being implemented there. The officials said rapid anti-body testing would be initiated in red zones very soon and Jammu and Kashmir will be among the few states in the country to do that. Meanwhile, the markets across the valley were shut and public transport was off the roads with only pharmacies and groceries allowed to open, the officials said. Educational institutions across Kashmir are closed, while all public places including gymnasiums, parks, clubs and restaurants were shut down more than a week before the nationwide lock down announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Coronavirus outbreak: Delhi govt puts Shaheen Bagh area under containment zone list While the Prime Minister announced the country-wide lock down on the evening of March 24, the union territory administration here had on March 22 announced a lock down across Jammu and Kashmir till 31 March as part of its efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The administration said the essential services including healthcare personnel have been exempted from the restrictions. Restrictions were first imposed in many parts of the valley on March 19 to contain the spread of the virus infection. The measures were taken after the detection of the first positive case of coronavirus in the valley. The total number of positive cases in the union territory has risen to 314. Four patients have died in Jammu and Kashmir and 36 have recovered. More than 58,000 people have been kept under surveillance including those who are either in government established quarantine facilities or in-home isolation. How do lockdown guidelines bring a change to containment zones Till date, 58,076 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance which includes 7,463 persons in-home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 265 in hospital quarantine, 272 in hospital isolation and 29,366 under home surveillance. Besides, 20,706 persons have completed their surveillance period, the officials said. 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. Related Documents The Nifty50 ended the week on a month-high, as the measure announced by the RBI in the morning to boost liquidity and reclassify NPAs for commercial banks lifted the mood. Positive global cues also aided the rally on April 17. Rate sensitive stocks--banking & financial services, auto and realty--outperformed the others. The Nifty rallied 3 percent to close above 9,250 levels and formed a Hanging Man pattern on the daily and the weekly charts. It was up 1.7 percent for the week and continued to make higher highs, higher lows for the second consecutive week. A Hanging Man is a bearish reversal candlestick pattern, usually formed at the end of an uptrend or at the top (around 1,183-point rally from its recent low of 8,083 recorded on April 6). In a perfect Hanging Man pattern, there will be a small upper shadow or no upper shadow at all, a small body and long lower shadow. Market breadth remained in favour of the advancing counters for the fifth consecutive session, a sign of relief for the bulls. Experts expect the index to consolidate in coming sessions and feel 9,324 could be a crucial level for further upside. The Nifty50 opened strong at 9,323.45 on positive global cues but came off day's high after RBI announcements to hit the day's low of 9,091.35. The index gained strength again in the last couple of hours of trade and closed at 9,266.75, up 273.95 points or 3.05 percent. "Albeit Nifty50 witnessed a breakout above its minor congestion zone of last four trading sessions, it registered a Hanging Man kind of formation on both the daily as well as the weekly charts. Usually, this kind of formation occurs around short-term turning points and hence suggests some sort of exhaustion in the ongoing upmove," Mazhar Mohammad, Chief Strategist Technical Research & Trading Advisory, Chartviewindia.in told Moneycontrol. "Moreover, our twin momentum oscillators generated a sell signal, hinting either a sideways consolidation or a near-term corrective downswing to occur in the next couple of trading session. However, confirmation of weakness on a price chart will occur if Nifty slips below 9,091 levels in the next trading session then the initial target will be in the zone of 8,885 8,820 levels whereas bigger correction shall be expected on a close below 8,820," he said. If the upmove extends beyond 9,324, then the index may go up to 9,512, he said. For the time, Mohammad said traders should avoid fresh positional longs, whereas shorting can be considered below 9,091 for a target of 8,850 with a stop above intraday high, Mohammad said. On the monthly options front, maximum Call open interest was at 10,000 then 9,000 strike while maximum Put open interest was at 8,000 then 9,000 strike. Put writing was seen at 9,000 then 9,200 strike while Call writing was seen at 9,500 then 9,800 strike. India VIX fell by 7.61 percent to 42.59 levels. VIX is cooling down from higher levels, which is providing support to the market. The Bank Nifty outperformed the benchmark index for the second consecutive session and rallied by 6.61 percent to close at 20,681.50. The index opened above its hurdle of 20,300 but failed to sustain and corrected below 19,700 in e first half of the session. However, it rallied sharply by more than 1,100 points from day's low in the later half and formed a bullish candle on the daily scale. It moved up by around 4 percent on weekly basis and formed a bullish candle. "The Bank Nifty moved above 20-DEMA for the first time in the last two months, which is a sign of relief for the bulls. However, it is yet to cross its recent swing high of 21,462," Chandan Taparia, Vice President | Analyst-Derivatives at Motilal Oswal Financial Services said. "Going forward, we may see an extension in ongoing bounce towards 21,500 - 22,000 levels while support is inching higher towards 19,700 and then 19,100 levels," he added. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17 Trend: As a people, we have already shown unity and solidarity; now we must demonstrate more responsibility and discipline, said Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev at the meeting on the socio-economic results of the first quarter of 2020 through videoconference, Trend reports. I should note, of course, that our economic and social plans remain unchanged. Although coronavirus has had a definite impact on our plans, it cannot make us turn off the main path. Of course, today all our efforts are aimed at combating coronavirus. And this is natural. This is why the Operational Headquarters led by the Prime Minister has been set up by my order. The Headquarters works very efficiently around the clock. I can say that I am in contact on a round-the-clock basis. During the day, we probably call each other five to six times and talk. I can say that if these steps had not been taken in good time, if very serious coordination had not been carried out, we could have faced even greater problems, said President Ilham Aliyev. The head of state noted that to date, it is possible to say that we have managed to protect ourselves from major problems. The dynamics of the last two days, i.e. the difference between the number of patients and those who have recovered, instills a certain optimism. But I dont want to jump the gun as analysis is still under way. As you know, the quarantine regime is valid until the 20th. Next week, both the Operational Headquarters and all other relevant agencies should submit their proposals on what steps we should take after the 20th, whether the quarantine regime should remain in force and, if so, in what form and when we can begin to start mitigating it. We need to know all of this for sure. I want to say this again: the main goal is to protect our people from this disease. The economy can be restored. We are now working hard and will continue to work to overcome this situation with minimal losses, said President Ilham Aliyev. The head of state pointed out that consistent action is being taken in relation to coronavirus. Currently, patients are being treated in more than 20 hospitals. At the same time, citizens are quarantined in 4-5-star hotels, including the Athletes Village. We have already conducted more than 70,000 tests, and by the number of tests we are in 30th place on a global scale. Attention is being paid to doctors, their salaries have been increased by three, four and five times. We started the production of masks, one enterprise has already begun to operate. I am told that another enterprise is about to be launched. This is also a very positive fact. The construction of 10 modular hospitals has already begun. Six of them will be built by the state and four by the private sector. At the end of last month, our most modern hospital, Yeni klinika", was commissioned. This is the most modern clinic with 575 beds and it was placed at the disposal of those infected with coronavirus. At the opening of the clinic, I noted that because of this disease, we commissioned this clinic somewhat ahead of schedule, and it gradually begins to operate. According to recent data, 100 coronavirus infected people are already undergoing treatment in this clinic. So, the process of commissioning more beds there continues and all the possibilities will be mobilized as much as possible, said President Ilham Aliyev. The head of state pointed out that the best assessment of our work in this area is given by the Azerbaijani people. I want to say again that I am receiving thousands of emails. People express their appreciation for the work done. The World Health Organization has praised our work and described Azerbaijan as an exemplary country in the fight against coronavirus. All this gives us reason to say that we will overcome this misfortune and get the upper hand in this struggle. As a people, we have already shown unity and solidarity. Now we must demonstrate more responsibility and discipline. If this is the case, we will get out of this difficult situation with dignity and small losses. I wish the people of Azerbaijan good health and happiness. Thank you! said President Ilham Aliyev. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was absent from an important national holiday event this week, rekindling speculation over his potential health problems. North Korea on Wednesday (April 15) marked the anniversary of the birthday of its founder, Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung. Known as the Day of the Sun, state media shows senior officials paying tribute to the embalmed body of the former leader. But there's no mention of Kim Jong Un as part of the delegation, unlike past holidays. He was also absent from the photos released by the party newspaper. Analysts say Kim, who is aged 36 and overweight, may be having health problems. The North Korean leader was last publicly seen presiding over a Politburo meeting of the ruling Workers Party last Saturday. Adding to the absence: Pyongyang also fired multiple short-range missiles on Tuesday (April 14), according to the South Korean government. Such military events would usually be observed by Kim, but there was no report by North Korean State media on the test at all. WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, will represent Illinois on a bipartisan task force advising President Donald Trump on reopening the economy shut down by the coronavirus pandemic. "Up until last month, we had months of record-low unemployment and historic economic growth, but this pandemic has halted everything and now we need to figure out how we get through this and back to a booming economy," Davis said in a statement. "I believe we can start by ensuring the administration has the resources needed to continue to implement successful programs, like the Paycheck Protection Program, to help businesses now." The program had been providing loans to small businesses during the pandemic, but it stopped accepting applications because it ran out of money. Thirty-two members of the House are on the panel, called the Opening Up America Again Congressional Group. About two-thirds of the U.S. Senate are part of the group as well, including U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin, both Democrats. Durbin is the Senate's No. 2 leader on the Democratic side. By Friday, Trump intends to issue guidelines to states for easing restrictions. He has clashed with governors after saying that he has "total" authority to nullify restrictions imposed at the state and local level. The White House in a statement said a call was held Thursday with members and they "discussed the rapidly expanding access to COVID-19 diagnostic and anti-body tests, ventilators, face masks, and other" equipment in addition to how to reopen the economy. Actor Nikhil Gowda, son of former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, has got married to Revathi on Friday morning amid Coronavirus lockdown. The duo tied the knot in a low-key event at a farmhouse in Kethaganahalli, near Bengaluru on Friday, April 17. The wedding ceremony happened in the presence of family members and close relatives. The pictures of Nikhil and Revathi's wedding and pre-wedding rituals are becoming viral on social media. The couple tied the knot at 9:30 am and around 60 to 70 people graced the ceremony. After the wedding, Nikhil's family will come back to their residence at around 12 pm. Nikhil Gowda and Revathi got married as per the Gowda's custom. But despite having a big wedding, they didn't allow media to cover their affair. Talking about Revathi, she has done Masters in Computer Application. She is the grandniece of Vijayanagara MLA M Krishnappa. Her father Manju is into real estate business. Earlier, Nikhil's father and former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy wanted to have a grand wedding at Ramanagara district. However, due to the Coronavirus lockdown, the venue and plans had to be changed. The politician told media, "The wedding of my son had been fixed in Ramanagara on April 17. It was planned in a big way. Because of the guidelines due to the virus given by the government and the WHO, it has to be scaled down. Even keeping the family members - my siblings and their families - that (the gathering) comes to 60, 70 (invitees)." HD Kumaraswamy apologized to his party workers and well-wishers for not inviting them to his son's wedding. He said, "I once again request my well-wishers with folded hands, with pain and apologies - although I wanted to invite you all, these unavoidable circumstances mean it has to be limited and at home. Please forgive me, please don't flout the rules, send them good wishes from home on Friday morning." However, HD Kumaraswamy ensured that he will throw a grand reception party in Ramanagar once the situation gets under control. SAN JOSE, Calif., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As the spread of COVID-19 continues to impact the world, Caliva, the leading consumer brand in cannabis, is proud to announce its 4/20 give-back initiative, "It's a Joint Effort." Throughout the month of April 2020, the campaign will both recognize and honor Caliva's staff who are part of California's essential workforce, helping to serve customers and community in need during the current "shelter-in-place." Kicking off this April a month that historically celebrates the cannabis industry - Caliva will champion the efforts of its essential employees by providing gratitude pay and additional benefits to essential staff through the duration of California's "shelter-in-place" ordinances. To further highlight and reward its retail, delivery and operations colleagues, Caliva will also donate $4.20 from the sale of every Limited Edition Product items specially created to commemorate the only time in modern history when it will be 4/20 for an entire month towards funding additional resources for its essential workers. "Given the unique degree of responsibility that comes with remaining operational in the midst of a global pandemic, we do not take the Governor's designation of cannabis being 'essential' lightly," said Caliva CEO Dennis O'Malley. "We believe, and know from experience, that we are essential to the overall health and well-being of many Californians who rely on plant-based solutions for a wide range of functional benefits and medical needs. That said, we are deeply grateful for our associates' hard work and commitment to our cause the least we can do in return is provide the extra support they require and keep them exceptionally safe each and every day." Caliva has taken meticulous measures to ensure necessary protocols are upheld seamlessly across all operations: essential employees are equipped with gloves and masks for each customer interaction, plexiglass walls have been installed at dispensary locations to further protect budtenders and wellness consultants, curbside pickup is being offered to all customers who use cannabis for medical purposes, and, as of last week, first-to-market "contactless" electronic payments have been implemented for all customer transactions. Since dissolving its partnership with online marketplace and technology delivery platform Eaze last month, the company has also been focused on investing in its own direct-to-consumer channels. To now meet the considerable demand of delivery through www.caliva.com, Caliva will be significantly increasing its delivery parameters throughout Greater Los Angeles, beginning with the April 18 opening of a new Culver City distribution hub. Like Caliva's Bay Area delivery service, Greater Los Angeles will feature all (200)+ Caliva branded products, via on-demand delivery with no delivery fees and no service fees. In addition to supporting its own staff and customers, Caliva will also serve the Bay Area community at large via its partnership with Silicon Valley Strong an organization created in response to COVID-19 that addresses economic impact to Silicon Valley residents with the highest risk of displacement. As part of the partnership, Caliva is matching up to $10,000 in Silicon Valley Strong donations received through Caliva.com. Every contribution will directly benefit families and individuals who can least afford a medical or financial crisis, small businesses whose revenues have subsided and nonprofits seeing an increased need for services during this tumultuous time. Lastly, Caliva will maintain its Social Equity commitment, a cause the company believes in at its core, by donating a portion of Caliva-branded 4/20 Limited Edition Product and merchandise sales to the Historically Black Colleges & Universities ("HBCU") Cannabis Equity Initiative. Alongside this portion of overall Limited Edition sales, donated funds will include 4.2% of the company's net sales from Monday, 4/20. The HBCU Cannabis Equity Initiative empowers the next generation of leaders to take their place in the cannabis industry through increasing the pool of African American experts, entrepreneurs, and leaders in cannabis-based careers, politics, educational programming and research. For further information regarding all give-back initiatives and partnerships included within Caliva's 'It's a Joint Effort' 4/20 campaign, please contact Nike Communications at [email protected]. ABOUT CALIVA Caliva is the leading consumer brand in cannabis. Founded in 2015, Caliva's strength comes from its vertical integration. Its direct to consumer experience enables customers to place cannabis orders that can be picked up at a Caliva retail store or delivered to their door through Caliva's same-day delivery services. Focused in California, Caliva's plant-based solutions serve over 1 million customers and are designed to fit any lifestyle. Caliva's commitment to compliance and quality reinforce its position as THE MOST TRUSTED NAME IN CANNABIS. Business Insider and BDS Analytics named Caliva the #1 cannabis dispensary in the nation and a top-selling flower company by revenue in California, respectively. For more information visit Caliva.com or follow along on Instagram , @GoCaliva. SOURCE Caliva Related Links http://www.Caliva.com BARC India and Nielsen Media have jointly released the 4th Edition of their report on Crisis Consumption on TV and Smartphones. In Week 14, total TV consumption increased by 38 per cent at all-India level, while weekly viewing minutes were up 38 per cent over the pre-Covid-19 period [Week 2 to Week 4 (Jan 11-31)] at 1.2 trillion minutes. The number of people watching TV for all seven days of the week rose to 47 per cent. Viewership growth was registered among all demographics, as viewership of male, young and NCCS A audiences continued to grow in Week 14. As far as genres were concerned, News and Movies continued to grow in Week 14, with News registering a growth of 219 per cent, followed by Movies at 73 per cent and Business News at 66 per cent. Meanwhile, Hindi GECs attained an all-time high viewership with 4 billion impressions since 2015 at HSM Urban in Week 14, growing 26 per cent. Non-prime time is still the driver for TV viewership growth in Week 14, registering 76 per cent growth at All-India, compared to 5 per cent growth of prime time. Rural India growth is driven by non-prime time only. Prime time in urban market has grown by 10 per cent, while rural market is stable. In HSM, movie viewership has been surpassed/ equalised with GECs in corresponding markets. However, unlike HSM, GEC maintains its share and continued to rule across the 4 South markets of Andhra Pradesh/ Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu/ Pondicherry and Kerala. The previous editions of the BARC-Nielsen had shown how the re-telecast of old classics on Doordharshan as well as some other GECs has got tremendous traction. The trend continues in Week 14 as well. The percentage of duplication for Ramayan on DD National was the highest among all Hindi GEC shows. The report reveals that 22 per cent kids are watching Ramayan with their grandparents/ senior person at home. Meanwhile, the return of Mahabharat has changed the viewer profile of DD Bharati, with viewership contribution from NCCS A shooting up to 43 per cent. DD Bharati is now among Top 5 Hindi GEC channels. 25 per cent kids are watching Mahabharat with their grandparents/ senior person at home. Key Highlights of Week 4 of lockdown: Considerations: BARC Nielsen Smartphone Panel Coverage All India (Urban + Rural) All India (Urban 1 Lakh plus) TG ALL NCCS 2+ years 1. NCCS ABC 15-44 years 2. Android Smartphone Users Time Period PRE COVID - 11th Jan 2020- 31st Jan 2020 PRE COVID - 13th Jan 2020 - 2nd Feb 2020 COVID DISRUPTION Week 3 28thMarch 2020 to 3rd April 2020 Week 4 4thMarch 2020 to 10th April 2020 NEW HAVEN A large testing site for COVID-19 stands ready to greet its first patient this morning in the latest partnership between CVS and Abbott Laboratories that officials hope begins to fill a huge need. The lack of sufficient and convenient testing for the coronavirus continues to leave the country in the dark as to hotspots for the disease as it tries to get the pandemic under control by determining the extent of the spread and then containing it through self quarantining. As of Thursday, there were 671,425 positive cases for COVID-19 in the country with 33,286 fatalities. Those numbers for Connecticut are 971 fatalities and 23 for New Haven. The drive through testing site is at 60 Sargent Drive, the former Gateway Community College, where cars will line up in a continuous loop to be greeted by licensed health care providers from CVSs MinuteClinics, who will hand the patient a nasal swab that is then collected for testing. One of the major problems in New Haven is getting tests for people without cars or who cant apply because they lack internet access. The city and state have figured out a way to solve that. The New Haven Health Department has directed persons without internet access to call 203-946-4949 and they will get the help they need on the application. If they need a ride, residents are directed to dial 211 and the state will provide them with a taxi service through the Connecticut based taxi company M7 free of charge. The city said the taxi drivers will wear new personal protective equipment - masks and glovesfor each ride. Riders will also be given PPE before entering the vehicle. There will be a plexiglass shield separating the driver from the passenger. This ride service through 2-1-1 is also available for residents experiencing a disability. After each ride, the driver will clean and disinfect the vehicle. The operation will use the Abbott ID NOW COVID-19 rapid-response test, which recently received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The fact that New Haven would be the site in Connecticut was first announced in the New Haven Register. Abbott claims it can show positive results for the potentially deadly respiratory ailment in as little as five minutes and negative results in 13 minutes. Following the test, the patient heads to the Jordans Furniture parking lot across from the former college site to wait for the test results. Emmanuel Kolady, senior vice president of CVS, toured the large parking lot and medical tent that was set up in one weeks time through the efforts of the Connecticut National Guard, the state Department of Emergency Management/Homeland Security, the state Department of Transportation and local public safety personnel. He was on the site Thursday where CVS was conducting a dry run. He said the operation on Sargent Drive will be open seven days a week: Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. He said they have the ability to expand capacity on the site if needed. CVS has already partnered with Abbott in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Georgia and Kolady was in Michigan early Thursday in talks with that state. This testing site is the only one of its kind in Connecticut; the tests are free. Point of care testing is a big part of the containment strategy against this pandemic so in partnership with the federal, state and local government, CVS is able to bring point of care testing to this site ... where we would have the ability to test up to, and higher, than 750 patients a day, Kolady said. Patients are directed to go to CVS.com and register for an appointment to get the test. They will not be tested without going through this registration process. Patients, at least 18 years of age, answer questions on the form as to their symptoms and will get a time slot to come to the site if they meet criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They must bring their confirmation email or text message from CVS, as well as proof of in-state residency and age to their appointment. They are also asked to bring their mobile phone in case the provider needs to reach them. Patients stay in their cars where their paperwork is checked and the swab test takes place. Kolady said the screening questions asked on the form make sure that CVS is prioritizing the test for the neediest patients. He said this includes first responders, law enforcement, healthcare professionals and people over age 65 with underlying conditions The swab is inserted approximately 1 inch into the nasal passage. In many cases, the patient will be asked to perform this swabbing themselves under the guidance of a MinuteClinic health care professional. The process is set up for same day testing, although the website says an appointment can be made as early as two days in advance. You will get a result before you drive off the site, Kolady promised. He said the total process will take about 30 minutes from the time the patient drives in. He said once the test results are back, the tester will walk over to the car and deliver the results by phone. Kolady said they will be pretty much standing right in front of their vehicle while communicating the results and instructions as to whats next. The CVS official said the demand for testing remains high in those states where they already have been operating for more than a week. He said it takes a lot of coordination with state and local officials to set up an operation and he thanked the many agencies in Connecticut that made it possible. Kolady said CVS already had an existing relationship with Abbott before this testing partnership. He said they expect to be at the Sargent Drive site until the demand is met. The test is not being offered at CVS pharmacies. New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker has said the CVS/Abbott site will be a significant asset. He expects the number of New Haven residents testing positive for COVID-19 will jump significantly once testing ramps up. Gov. Ned Lamont thanked CVS for coming to Connecticut. While a vaccine does not yet exist for this virus, one of the ways we can mitigate its impact is through increasing our testing capacity.Not only will this new testing site significantly increase the number of people being tested, but the speed at which we can get results will aid in our efforts to prevent further spread of the disease. Public-private relationships like this will only strengthen our state in the fight against the coronavirus. We appreciate the community outreach that CVS is doing here in Connecticut as their work is quite literally saving lives, Lamont said in a statement. mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577 The signs were there that Therase Pace was going to leave. Her husband had noticed a sports bag filled with clothes stashed behind the couch and her eldest daughter then only 12 or 13 remembers her mother warning her she was planning to go. As Joseph Pace got the three children ready to spend a day at the beach on the morning of January 22, 1997, Mrs Pace told her youngest, then six years old: Be good for Daddy, Ill see you when you grow up. A coroner has found Therase Pace, who went missing in 1997, likely met with foul play. When Mrs Pace left the family home in St Albans in Melbournes west that Wednesday, her husband first thought that shed left of her own accord. She had been having an affair for years and at the time she left, Mr and Mrs Pace werent speaking. Her three children have grown up now, but Mrs Pace hasnt been heard from since that day. Apart from a grainy black-and-white photo published during a missing persons appeal two decades ago, she has faded into the ether. FARMINGTON, Conn., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: OTIS) will host a conference call on Thursday, May 7, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. Otis President & CEO Judy Marks and Executive Vice President & CFO Rahul Ghai will discuss first quarter results and the company outlook. Participants are encouraged to listen live via webcast on www.otis.com. To join by phone, dial +1-877-735-3703 and an operator will place you on hold until the conference begins. Please allow 15 minutes before the scheduled start time to connect to the teleconference. A corresponding presentation and news release will be available on www.otis.com prior to the call and a recording of the call will be made available on the website later in the day. About Otis Otis is the world's leading elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation and service company. We move 2 billion people a day and maintain more than 2 million customer units worldwide, the industry's largest maintenance portfolio. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 69,000 people strong, including 40,000 field professionals, all committed to meeting the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. For more information, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn , Instagram , Facebook and Twitter @OtisElevatorCo. SOURCE Otis Worldwide Corporation Related Links http://www.otis.com I hate to be a stick in the mud during a rare outbreak of mellifluous bipartisan, interbranch cooperation. But the White House task force on reopening the economy a seeming cast of thousands drawn from inside and outside government, much heralded by the president but still somewhat amorphous is a curious affair. It may be too early to say for sure, but it certainly seems like the sort of thing the Constitution frowns on, and for good reason. Michael Brendan Dougherty has an interesting piece about the task force yesterday. Its responsibilities are sufficiently elastic that our MBD plausibly suggested something of a crisscross: The economists and business leaders thus far tapped for the new task force would be reassigned to the existing task force on public health (i.e., the White House Coronavirus Task Force, led by Vice President Pence); simultaneously, the public-health officials on the latter would be reassigned to the former. The idea is that the expertise each brings to the table would shore up the respective weaknesses of the other the business guys might do more reliable projections of medical outcomes, while the docs might advise the CEOs on how to operate their companies safely. Meantime, Zachary Evans reported that the White House had recruited Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) to participate in the reopening task force. Hawley has informed ideas about subsidizing American workers although they sure sound like theyre fit for legislative action more than an executive task force. At any rate, in addition to Trump-administration officials and the afore-described expert advisers from outside the government, Senator Hawley joins what reportedly is a bipartisan group of senators and House members. It is this conglomeration that I want to home in on. I am all for government officials getting the best advice while making policy in a time of crisis. There is nothing wrong with all these people consulting each other, and if a presidential task force is just an informal vehicle for facilitating that process, I suppose thats fine. Story continues Still, our system is based on separation of powers. We do not have a parliamentary arrangement in which executive and legislative functions are liberally intermingled. Still less do we have a system in which private actors are advantaged over their peers by serving in the government that regulates their industries. The Constitution makes the separation of executive and legislative authority explicit in Article I, Section 6, Clause 2, forbidding legislators from serving as executive officials (No Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office). Again, behind-the-scenes consultations go on all the time. Presidents prudently speak to legislative leaders to get a sense of what Congress is willing to authorize. The executive and legislative branches speak with outside experts to test the pros and cons of existing or prospective policy. In the end, though, the executive and the legislature are separate branches that are supposed to check each other. This is not just a formalistic technicality; it is a substantive safeguard of liberty. Its an incentive for them to do their jobs well, to know that someone is going to be checking their work. And there should always be a bright line between government officials and private actors. We dont want the latter, in effect, exercising (or at least heavily influencing) government action, while the former picks winners and losers in the private sector. The Trump administration has been less than sensitive to these boundaries. To take the most obvious example, Mark Meadows was still serving as a member of Congress (and a top Trump ally there) when he began performing the duties of White House chief-of-staff, the position he now holds. This was a temporary arrangement, and Im sure the president would say it made then-Representative Meadows especially valuable to the negotiations over the CARES Act though the jury is very much still out on how well that legislation addressed the current crisis. The constitutional structure of government is not passe. At least conservatives did not seem to think it was earlier this week, when they revolted against the presidents claim that he had total authority on the matter of when and how the economy will reopen. Instantly, there were Republican disquisitions on federalism even far-left Democrats seemed smitten with the Tenth Amendment (a posture that just may have been a tad political). And self-proclaimed constitutionalists were none too pleased in 2009, when President Obama rolled out his concept of administration by czar. Many of us saw it as an end-run around the Senates advice-and-consent power (Article II, Section 2), as a way to repose power in radical thinkers who stood no chance of being confirmed. There is so much partisan infighting in Washington, it is refreshing to see that at least some officials and public-spirited private citizens can still come together for the sake of the country in a time of crisis. The government must work cooperatively if it is to work effectively against the coronavirus. Still, our system provides for cooperation with the important qualification that each political branch must maintain its institutional independence. It must police the other branchs use of governmental power, not join in it. And the ultimate check on our democratically accountable government is the demos, just as the government must evenhandedly regulate the public to which it answers. There needs to be separation between the public and private sectors a person should not be permitted to wear both hats at the same time. The Framers were wise to arrange things this way. It is a mistake to encourage committees that undermine such arrangements. More from National Review The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has revealed that the federal government cannot accommodate all Nigerians returning back to their fatherland due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that the number of Nigerians willing to return from abroad is so high that they cannot be accommodated in the available isolation centers in the country. Naija NewsUnderstands that he made this known this in Abuja yesterday at a briefing of the Presidential Taskforce Force on COVID-19. Weve received all the numbers from our various embassies around the world and were collating them. Then weve now selected two airlines that would be responsible to fetch them. The numbers are high and the places where we can isolate them are not enough for those numbers. So, we wouldve to do it in a staggered fashion and together with the NEMA and the Ministry of Health, we wouldve to come to an agreement to be bringing (them) back according to the numbers of beds and so forth that are available. Weve now identified and we can go on with process. We are almost ready to go, Onyeama said. The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, urged Nigerians to report any perceived illegal entry into the country through the nations borders, to the Nigeria Immigration Service. He also urged the states sharing borders with other countries like Lagos, Sokoto, Cross Rivers, Zamfara, Taraba, Kebbi, Niger and others to ensure that the boarders were closely monitored so as not to allow any aliens into the country at this period to stem the spread of the COVID-19 in the country. Share this post with your Friends on A New Jersey woman is suing the Bergen County Animal Shelter and a volunteer rescue group, claiming they gave away her dog after she was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Daria Sawczyn, 72, of North Arlington, says she fell ill in her apartment in early February, called police and was taken by ambulance to St. Marys Hospital in Paterson, according to the suit, filed Tuesday in Bergen County Superior Court. As she left her building with EMTs, she saw men in uniform walking away with her purebred Afghan Hound, Sasha, on a leash. The officers assured her that the dog would be kept safe for at least 30 days until she recovered, the suit states. Sawczyn owned Sasha for nearly nine years, paying a breeder $1,000 for the puppy in June 2011, according to court documents. At St. Marys, Sawczyn was treated for her illness for about a week. She was unable to walk when she was ready for discharge, the suit states. Instead of returning home, Sawczyn was taken to a healthcare facility in Fair Lawn, where she received physical therapy until March 11, the suit states. The suit states while Sawczyn was receiving medical treatment, workers at the Bergen County Animal Shelter in Teterboro gave the dog to a local rescue group, Halfway Hounds of Park Ridge. The suit states the animal shelter tried to call Sawczyn but she wasnt picking up her phone, which she had left behind in her apartment during her hospitalization, according to the suit. When Sawczyn was released from the healthcare facility, she tried to locate the dog. Unable to contact anyone at the county animal shelter, she called Halfway Hounds, a not-for-profit pet rescue group. Daria was told that Sasha had been rescued out two weeks prior, the suit states. They refused to tell her to whom the dog was released or where the dog was, the suit states. Sawczyns attorney, Gina A. Calogero of Oradell, told NJ Advance Media on Friday that the animal shelter should not have turned the dog over to the rescue group. And the rescue group, she said, should not have given the pet away. Calogero said a volunteer at Halfway Hounds told Sawczyn that because of her health problems, the dog might be better off with another owner. Their job is to place homeless animals, Calogero said Friday. This animal isnt homeless. They are not doggy DYFS. On Friday, Calogero said an attorney for the rescue group told her that Sasha was being fostered until the lawsuit can be resolved. Calogero said she also spoke with Marianne Borbar Ortega, an assistant attorney for Bergen County, who was trying on Friday to resolve the matter. Ortega could not immediately be reached to comment on the lawsuit Friday. However, Bergen County spokesman Michael Pagan released the following statement: Sashas owner gave Sasha to the BCAS at a time when she unfortunately was unable to care for the dog. The BCAS placed Sasha for adoption with a reputable agency. The county no longer has custody or control of Sasha and is not preventing the return of Sasha to the owner. The county sincerely hopes that the matter will be resolved quickly and amicably. Sasha is a beautiful, unique and special dog, registered with the American Kennel Club as a purebred, Calogero wrote in court papers. Sasha is intelligent, affectionate and gentle, and is very attached to Daria. Sasha sleeps in Darias bed and Daria sings her to sleep with a lullaby every night. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Twenty-one patients were declared free of the novel coronavirus on Friday, bringing Vietnams total number of recovered COVID-19 cases to 198. So far more than two-thirds of the 268 patients have made a full recovery, according to Ministry of Health figures. Seventeen of the newly recovered patients were discharged from the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi, including a reporter of the English-language daily Viet Nam News, which suspended its print newspaper for two weeks following her diagnosis. All the patients had tested negative for the virus for 2-3 times in a row. They are in good health and will be isolated for 14 more days, in accordance with the health ministrys regulations. Three other patients were released from the Hospital for Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh after testing negative for three times. The three are Vietnamese and had returned home from Malaysia and the UK. Two of them were hospitalized on March 22 while the other was admitted to the hospital on March 25. They will be quarantined for 14 more days upon their discharge. The last of those discharged had been treated at a district-level hospital in Ninh Binh Province, located in northern Vietnam. The hospital is expected to declare another patient clear of the virus in the coming days. Vietnam is treating 70 active COVID-19 cases, with no virus-related fatality having been confirmed so far. Three critical cases are showing improvement signs, including a 43-year-old British pilot who has been given life support for a few weeks. At least 18 cases have been linked to a Ho Chi Minh City bar the Vietnam Airlines pilot had visited on March 14. Infection rates have been going down in the Southeast Asian country for more than a week, apparently due to social distancing measures taken since April 1. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Dr. Deborah Birx serves as the Coronavirus Response Coordinator for the Trump Administration's White House Coronavirus Task Force. With her calming demeanor and extensive knowledge on health ad immunology, the 64-year Pennsylvania-native addresses the nation with style and grace. While tuning in to the president's daily briefings, it's impossible to ignore Dr, Birx's vast collection of scarves, a fan has even created an Instagram account @deborahbirxscarves dedicated to them. VIP: Dr. Deborah Birx serves as the Coronavirus Response Coordinator for the Trump Administration's White House Coronavirus Task Force Tune in: With her calming demeanor and extensive knowledge, the 64-year Pennsylvania-native addresses the nation with style and grace Muse: While tuning in to the president's daily briefings, it's impossible to ignore Dr, Birx's vast collection of scarves, there's even been an Instagram account @deborahbirxscarves dedicated to them Victoria Strout, the music marketing executive behind the account, told the New York Post: 'Im getting a lot of people who are messaging me knowing its a fan account, simply to say they love her.' Since its inception on March 29, the account has garnered almost 22,000 followers. Victoria documents the physician's scarves daily and identifies the designer when possible. While not proven effective, President Donald Trump has said that Americans could 'use a scarf' to protect their faces from the coronavirus instead of face masks. Whether or not the decorative fabric can help stop the spread of the virus, Dr. Birx has made a case for wearing a scarf for fashion's sake. Going viral: Since its inception on March 29, the account has garnered almost 22,000 followers Signature: Whether or not the decorative fabric can help stop the spread of the virus, Dr. Birx has made a case for wearing one for fashion's sake While on our TV screens, her signature accessory has provided a nice distraction to the gravity of the pandemic. There are countless combinations of tying, tucking, wrapping and draping the necktie and Dr. Birx seems to know them all. It's clear, the great doctor is a pro at wearing a scarf. Whether it's around her shoulders (boy scout style), tied around her neck or wrapped around her torso, she's donned a scarf at almost every press conference. From high-end designer labels like Hermes to affordable brands like Echo, she doesn't discriminate. And Dr. Birx lets the eye-catching accessory take center stage by pairing it with solid colored garments. Happy: When on the screen, her signature accessory has provided a nice distraction to the gravity of the pandemic. She's a pro: There are countless combinations of tying, tucking, wrapping and draping the necktie and Dr. Birx seems to know them all. GET THE LOOK: Left: Lip Print Silk Scarf by Lisou, $43; lisou.com. Right: Prowling Ocelot Silk Square by Echo, $44; echonewyork.com Left: Gateway To Giza by Camilla, $279; camilla.com. Right: Compassion Fund Blooming Flowers Square Scarf by J.Jill, $39; jjill.com Left: White Side of The Moon, $199; camilla.com. Right: Linen Scarf by Brooks Brothers, $128; brooksbrothers.com Left: Ziba Ziba scarf by Camilla, $279; camilla.com. Right: Coastal Floral Bandana by Echo, $25; echonewyork.com Left: Mini Nova, $58; johnnywas.com. Right: Dresley tie-dye scarf by Isabel Marant, $135; farfetch.com Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 My interest in politics didnt come out of a political party, she once told an interviewer, according to the Newark Star-Ledger. It came much more out of a family background of escaping from the Holocaust and thinking that unless we had good government and good democracy and the world got to be a better place, none of us would make it through. Welcome to Good Weekend Talks, a weekly chance for our audience to luxuriate in a long-form story from the magazine, read by an actor and followed by a discussion with an editor, a writer and an expert although in this episode the writer and expert are one and the same. This week, actor Nic English will bring to life our latest cover story "Mal Content" in which David Crowe, chief political correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, examines the tumultuous career of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. David will then be joined by Good Weekend editor Katrina Strickland for a freewheeling discussion of the hot-button topics in Mr Turnbull's life and times from Tony Abbott to climate change failure through the lens of his hotly anticipated political memoir, A Bigger Picture. In 1967, when John Chick Donohue was a 26-year-old Marine Corps veteran and merchant mariner living in New York City, he and some friends cooked up an outlandish show of support for their buddies in Vietnam. Donohue, whose U.S. merchant mariner status permitted him to enter the country, joined the crew of a cargo ship and set out to deliver a backpack full of beer to guys from the neighborhood serving there. In The Greatest Beer Run Ever (Morrow, Nov.), Donohue, writing with former New York Daily News columnist J.T. Molloy, relates his journey in what PWs starred review called a fascinating, vividly narrated recollection of the chaos of the Vietnam War. What did you do once you tracked down your friends in-country? I went and patted them on the back and told them I cared for them, and their community cared for them. I told them we thought about them, we prayed for them. In the middle of that unrest, one side was condemning our own kids, and the other side was lying to us about the conditions. I did the best I could. I went and showed the guys who were really in harms wayand in fact dyingthat we loved them. Why did this story go largely untold until now? Its not that I didnt talk about it. Quite frankly, most people didnt believe it. Two weeks ago, I had dinner with one of the four guys I visited over there, Ricky Duggan, and we were talking about this. It was a good 40 years before Ricky said more than two words about Vietnam to me. He just never spoke about it. Weve all heard the stories about post-traumatic stress, so I wasnt going to pull it out of him. What finally got you to put pen to paper? I was getting ready to retire, and J.T. Molloy, whom Id met during the Daily News strike [in 1990, when Donohue was with the Teamsters Union], said, Can I come speak to you about the Vietnam story? She told me she wanted to write a book about it, and would I cooperate with her? I certainly didnt plan to wait 50 years to get a book out. I wish I was that smart to figure that one out, but it finally came out and just at the right time. What do you mean by that? Why is now the right time? The 60s were toughtough times politically, tough times for the nation, tough times all around. The country was divided, not exactly like it is today, but similar. Youre afraid today to talk to your neighbor to see who they voted for; you were afraid in those days to talk to your neighbor to see what their position on Vietnam was, particularly if you had friends or family over there in harms way. I went and told [my friends who were fighting] that we were all together, as bad as it was, we were all together about this thing. Recently, a friend of mine said, Chickie, its the appropriate time for this story to come out, because it says, I simply did the right thing for my community. Return to the main feature. Last month, U.S. Postal Service workers delivered President Trumps Coronavirus Guidelines for America to households across the country. But Trump, of course, has no interest in helping the agency he relied on to get out his message and feels no patriotic duty to support postal workers who are on the front lines of essential service delivery during the coronavirus pandemic, putting their own health at risk to supply all Americans with medicine, supplies, and information. Instead, the Trump administration has a long-range plan to privatize the Postal Service. In the meantime, the president wrongly blames longstanding financial problems on a package delivery deal the U.S. Postal Service has with Amazon. That leaves any rescue plan up to Congress. Unless lawmakers step in, the Trump administration and a drop in mail volume connected to COVID-19 just might accomplish what the internet threatened to do: kill a universal delivery service that traces its roots back to the birth of this nation. In 1775, members of the Second Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin as the first postmaster general. After that, Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution empowered Congress to establish post offices, which evolved into the U.S. Postal Service. Universal delivery the idea that everyone in the country would be linked together by dependable mail service was considered essential to the free flow of information. Of course, times have changed dramatically since then. The U.S. Postal Service lost business over the years, as personal letter-writing was overtaken by electronic communication which has also put dents in common business communications like billing and payments. The agency also bears the burden of a huge pension liability, due to a congressional mandate that it pre-fund its benefit obligations. But the concept of universal delivery is still important in this country, especially in rural areas. Postal workers deliver medicines, packages ordered online, and communications from the government including Trumps coronavirus guidelines. Voting by mail could also play a role in Novembers presidential election, as the contagion forces states to explore alternatives to in-person balloting. Today, the rapid drop in mail volume connected to the coronavirus could be catastrophic to that agency, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, D-Virginia, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Government Operations, told New Hampshire Public Radio. With business advertising halted, mail volume could drop as much as 60% by the end of the year, he said. Last year, the U.S. Postal Service reported an $8.8 billion loss. According to The New York Times, the Postal Service is projecting a $13 billion revenue shortfall this fiscal year and predicts $54 billion in losses over 10 years. To offset those grim numbers, the Postal Service is asking lawmakers to support an $89 billion relief package. However, the Trump administration is fighting that request, and some Republican lawmakers are resisting it, too. At a recent press conference, Trump said the Postal Service is losing billions of dollars, and the taxpayers are paying for that money because it delivers packages for Amazon at a very below cost. He wants the agency to raise prices on Amazon package delivery a push that some see as punishment aimed at Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, which often publishes articles that are critical of Trump. At the end of the day, they have an agenda, Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union, told the Times. Raise prices, reduce worker benefits and reduce service, make it appear more profitable and set it up for sale. Added Dimondstein: The COVID crisis should not be used to achieve political aims. Hes right. The millions of Americans holed up at home and relying on delivery are getting a fresh reminder of just how vital a mail system that reaches all Americans remains. Trump has now threatened to veto any stimulus package that includes funding to shore up the agency. Congress should call his bluff, and do what it takes to save the U.S. Postal Service or make the president pay the political consequences of signing its death warrant. Boston Globe ESO telescope sees star dance around supermassive black hole, proves Einstein right 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 This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. When a Fox News host compared coronavirus to HIV, Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, kicked the legs out from under the argument. Laura Ingraham interviewed Mr Fauci on her show, The Ingraham Angle, and questioned whether waiting for a vaccine before re-opening the country was necessary. "This idea that we are definitely going to have a vaccine, we didn't really approach much else in the same way as we are pegging going back to normal with a vaccine. Did we?" she asked. She cited HIV/Aids, suggesting that the world never developed a vaccine for that virus, yet people continued to live as normal regardless. Mr Fauci rejected the question's premise and pushed back against Ms Ingraham. "We don't have a vaccine for HIV/AIDS, but we have spectacularly effective treatment. People who invariably would have died years ago right now are leading essentially normal lives," he said. "SARS is a different story. SARS disappeared." Mr Fauci then went on to explain how researchers had been developing a SARS vaccine, but stopped when the virus appeared to disappear on its own. That iteration of the SARS virus infected 8,100 people, which was far fewer than the current number infected by coronavirus. "I think it's a little bit misleading maybe to compare what we are going through now with HIV or SARS," Mr Fauci said. "They're really different." Ms Ingraham - who in March tweeted that "Americans need to know [a] date certain when this will end" claiming that "the uncertainty for businesses, parents and kids is just not sustainable" pushed Mr Fauci, asking if the coronavirus might just "go away" the way SARS disappeared. Again, Mr Fauci swept away the notion. "You know, anything could, Laura, but I have to tell you the degree of efficiency of transmissibility of this is really unprecedented in anything that I've seen," he said. "It's an extraordinarily efficient virus in transmitting from one person to another. Those kinds of viruses don't just disappear." In addition to demanding solid end dates for a pandemic, Ms Ingraham has also been under fire for her proximity to a controversial anti-malarial drug that President Donald Trump has been pushing as an effective treatment for Covid-19. Ms Ingraham shared a tweet suggesting the drug hydroxychloroquine had been tested with "very promising results" in a New York hospital and claimed a "seriously ill" patient had a "Lazarus-like" recovery thanks to the drug. Twitter deleted the tweet, claiming it was misleading. Regardless, Ms Ingraham continued to push the drug, brokering a meeting between President Donald Trump and a pair of doctors who reportedly supported the drug's use as a Covid-19 treatment. Since then, a French study has been published suggesting that the antimalarial drug has no impact on treating coronavirus but can cause cardiac problems. Faced with the prospect of spending the pandemic alone, some people have chosen to move in with friends to make quarantining a bit more social. With experts recommending social distancing, and several states in the US issuing stay-at-home orders, people living alone were faced with the prospect of spending months without seeing a friend or family member in person So several have made their own temporary households, shacking up with close friends in a new trend that CNN calls 'quaranteaming.' Quaranteaming: Faced with the prospect of spending the pandemic alone, some people have chosen to move in with friends to make quarantining a bit more social (stock image) C. Vaile Wright, a psychologist and director of clinical research and quality at the American Psychological Association, told the outlet that quaranteaming is a positive thing to come out of the pandemic. 'This is an example of how resilient people and communities can be,' she said. 'This sense of really thinking about how can we in some ways unconventionally address this challenge together. ' Weight added that, because of these unique circumstances, people are now facing things they took for granted before. 'All these really minor interactions that you never thought about before are now gone. And so we do need to replace them with something,' she went on. 'In some ways this is a huge social experiment about how do we think about our relationships,' she said. Celebs are doing it! The Bachelorette's Hannah Brown spent a month with contestant Tyler Cameron and his friends at his Jupiter, Florida Hangin'! They posted pictures goofing around together, and seemed to cook dinner as a group as well. Now, however, she appears to be back in Alabama with her parents Even celebrities are getting in on the trend. The Bachelorette's Hannah Brown spent a month with contestant Tyler Cameron and his friends at his Jupiter, Florida. They posted pictures goofing around together, and seemed to cook dinner as a group as well. Now, however, she appears to be back in Alabama with her parents. Moving in with friends for a few months seems to be working for the non-famous, too. Jennica Onstot, 22, usually lives with just one roommate, a person she doesn't know well and doesn't talk to. So for quarantine, she is housing with three of her friends in Olympia, Washington. 'Its been interesting to move in with them but pretty easy because they all already lived together, and I was over here already pretty much every day it [already],' she told DailyMail.com. They have figured out a routine, and it helps that they have different schedules. New roomies! Jennica Onstot, 22, moved in with three of her friends in Olympia, Washington, and said it 'has made seem like living and not just getting through it' Bro-chelor pad: Fiends and coworkers Charles Lichaa and Lo Noulinthavong, both 30, are currently also living together in the same West Hollywood, California, apartment 'One works mornings during the week, and I work afternoons on the weekends, but we always all have dinner together and are watching a couple of series together!' she said. 'Weve also started movie series in our down time! School makes it tough, but we all find time to hang out, cook, do homework, and still enjoy each other's time,' she went on. 'We go on walks together or just sit in the backyard in the sun. 'Its definitely made quarantine so much better,' she added. 'Being surround by friends I love has made seem like living and not just getting through it!' Meanwhile, friends and coworkers Charles Lichaa and Lo Noulinthavong, both 30, are currently also living together in the same West Hollywood, California, apartment in an effort to make self-isolation a bit more enjoyable. 'I think as a society, we crave human interaction and being around people,' Lichaa who is selling masks at 8 Other Reasons, with all proceeds going to COVID-19 relief told CNN. 'Pre-corona, no one wanted to go out, everyone was living on their phones, stimulated by this world that didn't exist. It felt kind of all fake. Now you're forced to be alone, and you realize how much you miss human interaction.' Moving in: Others have spoken out on Twitter about moving in with friends Then there's Wilson Li, a University of California, Davis, law student, who packed a suitcase, a carry-on, and a backpack and moved in with his friend Dennis in Seattle a week ago. The 28-year-old was living alone near campus, but now compares is cohabitating friendship to 'an extended sleepover.' Soy Nguyen, from of Los Angeles, moved in with a friend about a month ago as well and she thinks it's been great for her mental health. 'Honestly, if we werent quarantined together and kind of lifting each other up, I dont know how I would hold up,' she told the New York Times. Others have shared their new living arrangements on Twitter, like a woman who said she'd be going 'crazy' had she stayed alone in her own apartment. In states judged to be doing well enough to enter the first phase, schools would remain closed and people would still be urged to avoid socializing in groups of more than 10. But some large public places including restaurants, movie theaters, sporting venues and places of worship would be allowed to operate under strict physical distancing protocols. Elective surgeries could resume and gyms could reopen as long as they maintained physical distancing. Bars would remain closed. In the second phase, which could begin after another two-week decline in the number of coronavirus cases, schools could reopen and people would be advised to avoid social gatherings of more than 50. By the third phase, states with no evidence of a resurgence of infections would be able to resume unrestricted staffing of work sites, visits to hospitals and nursing homes, and the operation of large venues under limited social distancing protocols. Bars could reopen with increased standing room. In addition to the guidelines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are expected to soon announce that the agency will hire hundreds of people to perform contact tracing as part of the push to allow the country to go back to work and school, according to a federal official. Under the plan, the official said that the federal government would also help states pay for more medical personnel to help track the spread of the coronavirus by contacting people who test positive to see who they had contact with three or four days before they started showing symptoms. If we see a hot spot developing, weve learned a lot, Mr. Trump said. Well be able to suppress it, whack it. Many public health experts have cautioned that hiring several hundred people for the entire country will be nowhere near enough to keep track of the virus as it spreads. Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, a former C.D.C. director, said there were estimates that the country would need to hire as many as 300,000 such workers. The federal guidelines outline much the same strategy that a number of local and state governments have already adopted in anticipation of the day when social restrictions are eased, interviews with health officials in a half-dozen states show. The pair are hopeful that he will be able to make it for the birth of their first child. Pilkington, also 38 weeks pregnant, has not yet been able to arrange an appointment with a midwife in Launceston. "I called them to try and organise one and they basically said they're really busy and they probably won't be able to see me for three weeks," she says. The closure of the maternity ward is a microcosm of how the north-west Tasmanian coronavirus outbreak - believed to have started with COVID-19 patients from the Ruby Princess cruise ship is affecting the community. Cancer patients in the region have had their treatment plans interrupted and the state has lost 20 per cent of its acute hospital capacity, while 1200 healthcare workers and a further 3800 close household contacts have been placed under a 14-day isolation. The Defence Force has been called in to set up a makeshift emergency department. As at 5pm on Friday, Tasmania had 180 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 10 linked to an outbreak in the state's north-west, three of whom were staff members of the North West Regional Hospital or the North West Private Hospital, or both. There have been seven deaths in the state. Australian Defence Force and Australian Medical Assistance team members arrive at Burnie Airport. Credit:The Department of Premier and Cabinet On Friday, it emerged that a worker at the hospitals had also worked across three aged-care facilities, where residents were now being tested. The cluster came as a shock to Tasmanians, who had hoped their little slice of paradise would be safe from the deadly global pandemic after Premier Peter Gutwein acted swiftly to ban cruise ships from docking and close the state's borders last month. Federal independent senator for Tasmania Jacqui Lambie describes the sentiment on the ground in Burnie, saying: "We've been walking past people in the park over the last few days saying 'oh, and we thought we were the safest place on Earth'." "It could get really nasty here. We've got an elderly population, a lot of people here live on or below the poverty line and probably haven't got the best health." Once news of the hospital outbreak came last weekend, the entire north-west region was locked down, with all but essential businesses forced to shut their doors and the hospitals closed for deep cleaning. The response has drawn praise from federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, who this week pointed to the north-west as an example of how a quick reaction could contain isolated outbreaks once social restrictions were gradually eased around the country. But by Friday, it became clear the containment effort was not yet complete. Gutwein said while the state had "taken every step that we possibly can to protect Tasmanians", the outbreak remained "a challenging situation" as health authorities began testing residents at the three aged-care facilities. Word spreads quickly in regional Tasmania, and in the north-west rumours about who is to blame for the disastrous outbreak have flown thick and fast. On Tuesday, the nation's Chief Medical Officer, Brendan Murphy, stunned those watching his evidence to a New Zealand parliamentary inquiry when he alleged hospital workers had spread the infection through an "illegal dinner party". While Mr Gutwein referred the accusation which Professor Murphy quickly withdrew amid fury from the nurses' union to police, the rumour mill has since moved on to other theories, including that a locum doctor from Melbourne might have been the source. The fact that seriously ill patients with confirmed COVID-19 were treated in the hospital seems to have faded into the background, says independent Tasmanian state MP Ruth Forrest. The North West Regional Hospital is closed in Burnie, Tasmania. Credit:AAP "People want to apportion blame and not take any responsibility for themselves," Forrest said. She said while the regional healthcare system did rely on locums, who were not required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in the state, blaming a fly-in fly-out doctor was not a rational assumption since "the disease was already in the hospital". Loading Prime Minister Scott Morrison added to criticism of healthcare workers on Friday when he accused the man who had worked at three aged-care facilities and the hospital while infected of lying to contact tracers, using the case to bolster his government's push for Australians to download a tracing app. Gutwein and Tasmania's director of public health Mark Veitch said on Friday while the man had clarified that his symptoms might have begun earlier than initially reported, authorities were not accusing him of dishonesty. Lambie called on the state government to set up a parliamentary committee to probe the origins and handling of the outbreak. Gutwein says his government would welcome an inquiry once the pandemic is over. While Lambie has been pushing for a "state-of-the-art" new hospital for Burnie, Forrest says the existing hospital has a good track record, pointing to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showing a better-than-average record of infection control. "It therefore seems unlikely that reckless staff behaviour is implicated in this outbreak," she says. Loading Australian Medical Association Tasmanian president John Burgess says hospitals are prone to COVID-19 outbreaks, as seen overseas and in Sydney and Melbourne, where clusters have so far been contained to individual wards. "It's just a warning to all areas and all regions ... we just have to get on top of it and learn from whatever needs to be learned from it," Professor Burgess says. Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian secretary Emily Shepherd says healthcare workers under isolation including those sick with COVID-19 were "shattered" by Murphy's dinner party comment. "Not only is it their own personal health and wellbeing affected now, it's also that of their families, given that their partners and other extended family have also had to go into isolation as well," she says. "That's meant some fairly significant financial strain for partners that are unable to work." Health and Community Service Union state assistant secretary Robbie Moore says limitations on access to personal protective equipment in the hospital may have been a factor, noting that not all of the infected workers were caring for confirmed COVID-19 cases. Tasmanian Health Minister Sarah Courtney said on Friday the state's hospitals complied with official PPE guidelines, which across Australia require P2 and N95 masks, goggles, visors and gowns to be used only for high-risk patients, and procedures to preserve stock amid supply concerns. Moore says because regional hospitals like the ones in Burnie are small, medical staff move between wards more frequently than would happen in a larger metropolitan hospital. Two militants, alleged to be locals, were on Friday killed in an encounter with security forces in South Kashmir's Shopian district and later buried as "unidentified terrorists" in North Kashmir. The security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Dairoo area of Shopian early morning following a specific intelligence input about the presence of terrorists there, a police official said. The search operation turned into an encounter after militants fired upon the security forces, who retaliated. In the ensuing gunfight, two militants were killed, the official said, adding that their identity and group affiliation was being ascertained. However, the bodies were not handed over to anyone as the police authorities maintained that the deceased could not be identified and hence were buried at unmarked graves in North Kashmir. The authorities have been strict about gatherings at the funerals of local terrorists and recently police had registered cases in this regard. Police registered a case against unknown people last week for attending the funeral of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militant Sajad Nawab Dar for violating government health advisories and regulations that strictly prohibit any gathering because of COVID-19 cases. A similar case was registered in Kulgam district for violation of prohibitory orders and attending another funeral of a terrorist. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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. REUTERS/Chris Wattie Canopy Growth (WEED.TO)(CGC) has announced it will shut down another facility in Canada, cease cultivation at a New York facility, and pare back its global operations. The company expects a charge of up to $800 million and a headcount reduction of 85 full-time positions. The move is the latest phase of chief executive officer David Kleins strategic review to bring the cannabis giants footprint in line with current market conditions. 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," Klein said in a statement on Thursday. 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. In Canada, Canopy plans to shut down its Tweed Grasslands indoor facility in Yorkton, Sask. The company said the decision will not impact its ability to meet demand in its home market. The facility represents a small portion of Canopys overall cultivation capacity, yielding an estimated 6,000 kilograms per year. The company said it harvested nearly 30,000 kilograms in its latest quarter alone. Canopy has invested millions in a hemp industrial park in New York to produce CBD products for the United States market. The company said cultivation operations will cease at its Springfield, NY farming operation, due to an abundance of hemp produced in the 2019 growing season. Beyond North America, Canopy announced it will exit its operations in South Africa and Lesotho, and has entered into an agreement targeting local ownership that it expects to close in the coming weeks. It is also halting cultivation at its Colombia facility in a move towards an asset-light model that leverages local suppliers. Canopy said the pre-tax charge of $700 million to $800 million is expected in the quarter ending March 31. Story continues Jefferies analyst Owen Bennett praised the announcement. He expects the market will reward decisions demonstrating stricter financial discipline. It shows that management are willing to make some big decisions in order to form a more sustainable business, he wrote in a note to clients on Thursday. The changes follow the shutdown of two large growing facilities in British Columbia last month, resulting in the elimination of about 500 jobs. I want to sincerely thank the members of the teams affected by these decisions for their contributions in helping build Canopy Growth, Klein added in the statement. Cowen analyst Vivien Azer said the global reductions reinforce her outperform rating on Canopy, the lone Canadian cannabis company under her coverage to receive that designation. Azer has a price target of $35 on Toronto-listed shares. Our thesis continues to be driven by the quality of its management team, namely CEO and former [Constellation Brands] CFO David Klein, as well as its balance sheet, she wrote in a research note. Hours prior to the announcement, Bennett upgraded Canopy shares to hold from an underperform rating. However, he shaved a dollar off his price target for Toronto-listed shares, lowering it to $22. TSX-listed shares dipped about two per cent in mid-afternoon trading to $20.48. Jeff Lagerquist is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jefflagerquist. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. With the coronavirus pandemic driving up demand for protective gear, profiteers and unscrupulous middlemen have taken advantage. Now, one of the biggest manufacturers of the products is fighting back. 3M Co. , the maker of the coveted N95 mask that drew criticism from President Donald Trump over their availability, has filed four lawsuits in the past week against alleged price-gougers in New York, California, Texas and Florida. The firms were seeking to sell 3M respirator masks to the Strategic National Stockpile, New York City government and a California medical center at prices as much as six times the normal cost -- while 3M said it has not increased its prices. "Despite 3M's extensive efforts during Covid-19, unsavory characters continue their quests to take advantage of health care workers, first responders, and others in a time of need and trade off the fame of the 3M brand and marks," the company said in its complaints. In taking action, the company joins a number of states in going after firms trying to sell consumer goods at inflated prices. They have threatened fines and even jail time for anyone who jacks up prices beyond what the state has deemed appropriate. Several state attorneys general are working with online sales platforms like EBay Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Craigslist to shut down resellers who are charging obscenely high amounts. That 3M has had to rely on trademark law to police the matter has also fueled calls for lawmakers to do something. "There is no federal price gouging statute," though Congress is considering legislation to address prices charged to consumers, businesses and governments during the pandemic, said Gretchen Jankowski, a lawyer with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney in Pittsburgh. Many state laws "typically do not apply to state and hospital purchases, but rather focus on the sale of essential goods and services to consumers." The Maryland Attorney General's Office has received more than 200 complaints from consumers and sent more than 100 letters to retailers suspected of price-gouging, said Raquel Coombs, director of communications for the agency. Among the complaints are gas stations selling toilet paper for $20 for a four-pack, face masks for $70 and bottles of hand sanitizer for $11 a bottle, she said. Elizabeth, New Jersey, officials have been going through the county's consumer affairs office and a state procurement program to make sure offers to sell masks and other protective gear are legitimate, said Mayor Christian Bollwage. While the city and local hospital have been able to fulfill their needs for now, "in a week or two, they're going to be in dire straits," Bollwage said. He joined with more than 100 mayors and county executives in a letter to the Trump administration calling for a more uniform federal supply plan. "The system that is in place in this country is an abomination for a pandemic or an emergency," Bollwage said. He's calling for a "a pricing mechanism through the federal government that would alleviate all this price-gouging." The state actions are designed to protect consumers, but many states don't have laws to protect themselves when they are the buyers paying the inflated prices. The Federal Emergency Management Agency last week announced a "supply chain stabilization task force" that won't eliminate the situation where states and health care providers bid against each other for supplies."As we process orders through the supply chain, we are maintaining close coordination with governors to identify potential bidding conflicts," the agency said in a statement. "If a bidding conflict does arise, we will work closely with the state to resolve it in a way that best serves their needs." The bidding wars have strained state and local government budgets. A ProPublica investigation found that New York state had paid almost $250,000 for a portable X-ray machine that normally cost as little as $30,000. Even FEMA is overpaying for the masks. The agency awarded a $55 million contract -- several multiples of the 3M prices -- to a company that's filed for bankruptcy and has no employees, the Washington Post reported. "All 50 states are competing against each other, the hospitals are competing against each other and they're all competing with the federal government," said Matt Wellington, public health campaign director at the Public Interest Research Group. "The federal government needs to do something to remedy the conditions that have made this ripe for price-gouging and profiteering." 3M accuses the companies in its lawsuits of improper use of its trademarks, false advertising and undermining the value of the 3M brand.Use of trademark law is "an interesting approach" because the law is more designed to ensure consumers know the origin of goods, said Eric Moran, a trademark lawyer with McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff in Chicago. While 3M may not be able to stop all price-gouging, the firms putting themselves out as being affiliated with 3M gives the company the legal basis for its suits, he said."If there is consumer confusion in the sales of these price-gouged mask, that's a legitimate trademark suit," Moran said. "It's clear they feel that such price gouging has the potential to undermine the value of the 3M name." 3M is trying to ramp up production of the protective respirator masks amid a drastic shortage of gear needed to safeguard health-care workers against the coronavirus, and a global effort to get as many of the masks as possible. The lawsuits are as much about brand protection as they are an effort to fend off criticisms. Billionaire Mark Cuban is among the critics who accused the company of not doing enough to limit price-gouging among distributors. The company reached an agreement recently with the Trump administration to import 166.5 million masks from China after Trump had criticized it and tried to stop it from exporting products to neighboring countries. In its suits and in public statements, 3M has said it may pursue criminal cases against some firms and is supporting legal efforts to go after counterfeits. "3M is working with national and international law enforcement, state Attorneys General, and the largest online retail and tech companies in the world to identify illegal activity and help punish criminals," the company said. "The goal is to prevent fraud before it starts and stop it where it is happening." The World Health Organisation (WHO) is easy to cast aside as just another lumbering UN bureaucracy, and there is more than a bit of truth in that. Established in 1948 in the aftermath of World War II, its mandate comes from no fewer than 193 member states, with their own peculiarities and vested interests. The organisation is lauded for its role in the eradication of smallpox, the near-eradication of polio and the fight against the three big global killers - HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis. But, as it freely admits, it also gets things wrong. It reacted too slowly to the 2013 Ebola outbreak in west Africa and, in 2009, critics say it overplayed the threat posed by H1N1 swine flu. What makes the WHO unique is not the core bureaucracy itself but the thousands of scientists who make up its vast archipelago of expert committees. Working for the WHO in the advancement of human health holds huge cachet for any vocationally minded academic and it attracts many of the best minds. With knowledge comes power, and it is no coincidence, as the value of science and data booms, governments around the world have started eyeing the WHO with growing interest, sometimes envy. "The strength of the WHO is that it is able to bring together public health experts from around the world to exchange information, review scientific evidence and make evidence-based consensus recommendations on disease prevention and control," says WHO adviser David Heymann, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. "By bringing experts from all countries together informally and through its independent advisory groups WHO is a trusted source of information about the Covid-19 pandemic." For countries that reacted slowly to the coronavirus outbreak, the WHO's expertise in Covid-19 and pandemics generally poses a political challenge. Its advice, always honed down into concise and readable bulletins, is shared equally with its 193 member states and the world. Take Taiwan for example, where the reaction to the pandemic is generally judged to have been exemplary. It is not a WHO member but its national pandemic plan could have been written after the current outbreak rather than seven years before it. Stockpiles of personal protective equipment, the capacity for mass testing, a plan for nationwide quarantine and technology to help keep the economy running were all there. At the top of the document it says: "[This] strategic plan is defined pursuant to the recommendations of the World Health Organisation". US President Donald Trump accuses the WHO of being "China-centric" but it is more the case that Asia, scarred by Sars in 2003, has become more WHO-centric than many in the west, excepting Iceland and Germany. These countries did not just have plans in place of the type the WHO recommends but readied themselves quickly when it issued its first warnings. When, on January 14, Maria Van Kerhkove, the American epidemiologist who heads the WHO's emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, told reporters there was "the possibility of human-to-human transmission" and "there's also the possibility of super-spreading events", they activated their plans. Will the WHO be found to have reacted too slowly to the pandemic? It may be and, if so, an independent inquiry will almost certainly dig up the evidence. But you might also ask, did the WHO shout a warning in time for nations to act? The reactions of Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore all suggest it did. (Natural News) Bloomberg News killed one of their reporters investigations into the wealth of Chinas Communist Party elites six years ago because they feared financial repercussions from the Chinese government. At the same time, they silenced the reporters who were involved and even went so far as to try to keep one reporters spouse quiet as well. The journalist in question is Mike Forsythe, who used to work as a Beijing correspondent for Bloomberg News and is now a reporter for the New York Times. He formed part of a team responsible for Bloombergs award-winning investigation into the wealth of the ruling classes in China. Bloomberg News published the first story despite warnings from the Chinese ambassador against moving forward. Shortly thereafter, Forsythe said that he started receiving death threats and moved his family to Hong Kong for safety. Nevertheless, the team continued to work on a follow-up to the story that focused on the richest man in China, Wang Jianlin, and his ties to Chinese leaders. The family of the incoming Chinese president, Xi Jinping, was also a target of the story. Financial concerns got story axed While several news editors at Bloomberg seemed excited about the story at first, it ultimately never ran. Later, the team was told by Bloombergs editor-in-chief, Matthew Winkler, that publishing the story would prompt the Communist Parity to kick Bloomberg out of the country. The excuse that two Bloomberg editors gave at the time for not running the story was that it needed further reporting, but audio recordings show how afraid the newsroom leaders were of losing important business in China. After they published the first story in 2012, Chinese authorities searched their news bureaus, ordered state-owned companies not to give Bloombergs terminals new leases, and delayed the visas of their reporters. Its the terminals that seemed to be of particular concern to Bloomberg as they play a central role in the personal fortune of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Theyve been estimated to be worth more than $50 billion, and subscribers pay $20,000 a year for access to their specialized financial analysis and data. China was considered a strategic priority for the terminals at the time the story was in the works. Forsythe was ultimately suspended by Bloomberg News in 2013 on an accusation of leaking the controversy to other news outlets. He was later fired and ended up working for the New York Times. NDAs part of Bloomberg company culture A nondisclosure agreement he signed when he left the company prevents him from talking publicly about what happened there; other reporters on the investigative team behind the China story who have since left the company are also subject to an NDA, which some say they signed to avoid losing their pay. Another person who was pressured into signing an NDA was Forsythes wife, journalist Leta Hong Fincher. Bloomberg threatened to sue the couple for six figures to pay for the firms legal costs and the tens of thousands of dollars that were spent moving their family to Hong Kong in response to the death threats. Its an odd move to target the wife of an employee with an NDA. Other media companies told NPR that they had never heard of companies demanding employees spouses sign nondisclosure agreements. A former CNBC correspondent, Fincher made it clear she wouldnt be signing it. The pressure continued until she hired a pair of famous Hong Kong lawyers whose past clients included whistleblower Edward Snowden. Thats when Bloomberg finally backed off. The New York Times later published Forsythes China expose. When Senator Elizabeth Warren came down on Michael Bloomberg at a Democratic debate earlier this year for using NDAs to silence countless allegations of sexist and racist comments hes made to employees over the years, Fincher was inspired to write about her own experience for The Intercept. In the piece, she outlined how his company has an environment of sexism, with managers and lawyers treating her like an appendage of her husband and trying to bully her into submission. Now that we see more of what goes on at Bloomberg, its easy to wonder what else the NDA-happy man and his company could be hiding. Sources for this article include: NPR.org TheIntercept.com With no Eurovision Song Contest held in 2020, SBS has now confirmed a week-long festival from 10-17 May, culminating in a new special Eurovision 2020: Big Night In! plus Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light from The Netherlands. SBS is inviting fans to vote for their favourite three 2020 acts from all competing nations*. Myf Warhurst and Joel Creasey will host a 3 hour countdown of results, which will include special guest appearances from big names across the globe and an exclusive studio performance from Montaigne of her planned Dont Break Me concept. Social TV will also play a central role through tweets on screen and party pics from lounge rooms across Australia using #Eurovision #BigNightIn. Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light will screen from The Netherlands, hosted by Dutch presenters Chantal Janzen, Edsilia Rombley and Jan Smit. It will honour all 41 songs in a non-competitive format. SBS Commissioning Editor and Australian Head of Delegation Josh Martin said: Sixty-four years ago, Eurovision was born as an idea to help unite people after a period of turmoil and instability. In 2020, SBS is incredibly proud to fill the gap left from the cancellation of this years contest in Rotterdam, with a network event that champions the very same goal. Music really is the great unifier and a perfect antidote for a nation in isolation. Weve already seen this through the thousands of apartment block singalongs and virtual choirs and, in this spirit, we promise this will be a fun, exciting and inclusive party that everyone is invited to! So get your costumes planned, and your twitter fingers ready as we countdown Australias Eurovision 2020 votes. Joel Creasey said, Myf and I are stoked to be able to celebrate Eurovision with Australia as we countdown to your favourite 2020 artists and songs. Thank you to SBS for putting together a whole week of festivities to keep us entertained while were spending more time at home. I thought I was going to have to play Sound of Silence on repeat. Join us and a bunch of big names with nothing else to do. Eurovision 2020: Big Night In! is going to be bigger than a big night out, but wont break the bank and youll still feel good about your decision the next day (well, hopefully!). Myf Warhurst said, We cant wait to see who your favourite acts are, Australia. Will it be one of the bookies favourites Dai & Gagnamagni from Iceland, VICTORIA from Bulgaria or The Roop from Lithuania? Or will our love of kitsch see Russias Little Big take the virtual crown? Lets come together and celebrate our passion for music and make this an unforgettable moment in Eurovision history! There are also Eurovision replays all week. On Sunday 10 May, SBS VICELAND will kick off Eurovision week with a Road to Eurovision special filmed live in the Netherlands in December. The two-hour program featured this years hosts of Eurovision celebrating the 64-year history of the event with 22 past Eurovision winners and performers coming together to perform their biggest hits including names like Sergey Lazarev, Dana International, Netta and Johnny Logan. From Monday to Friday, we celebrate Australias history in Eurovision. Australia has been an official competitor in the song contest since 2015 and has progressed through to the Grand Final every year since. Relive these historic moments weekdays on SBS, with replays of the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Finals 2015-2019. On Monday 11 May, watch 2015 wild card entrant Guy Sebastian take the stage in Vienna, Austria, with Tonight Again taking out fifth place. On Tuesday, relive the moment Australia almost won it with Dami Ims 2016 performance of Sound of Silence in Stockholm, Sweden. On Wednesday, watch another top 10 performance from Australia with Isaiahs Dont Come Easy coming in ninth at the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. On Thursday, be transported to Lisbon, Portugal in 2018 featuring Jessica Mauboys We Got Love, and on Friday, Kate Miller-Heidke takes Australia to new heights, literally, with the performance of Zero Gravity in 2019. Eurovision Week on SBS and SBS VICELAND Sunday 10 May 8.30pm-10.30pm Road to Eurovision 2020 on SBS VICELAND Monday 11 May 1.30pm 5.30pm Eurovision Song Contest 2015 on SBS Guy Tuesday 12 May 1.30pm 5.30pm Eurovision Song Contest 2016 on SBS Isaiah Wednesday 13 May 1.30pm 5.30pm Eurovision Song Contest 2017 on SBS Dami Thursday 14 May 1.30pm 5.30pm Eurovision Song Contest 2018 on SBS Jessica Friday 15 May 1.15pm 5.30pm Eurovision Song Contest 2019 on SBS Kate Saturday 16 May 7.30pm 1030pm Eurovision 2020: Big Night In! Produced by Blink TV for SBS Saturday 16 May 10.30pm 12.30am Eurovision Top 40 Controversies on SBS Saturday 16 May 12.30am 1.30am Secrets of Eurovision on SBS Sunday 17 May 8.30pm 1030pm Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light Produced by the EBU and its Dutch Members NPO, NOS and AVROTROS Vote for your favourite Eurovision 2020 artists and songs: sbs.com.au/Eurovision *As per the official Eurovision Song Contest rules, Australia is ineligible to vote for their own country and artist. **Voting opens Friday 17 April at 9.00am AEST and closes on Sunday 3 May at 11.59pm AEST. For terms and conditions, and to vote, visit sbs.com.au/Eurovision. Were going to get back to living life, even if it kills us Fasten your seat belt for one of the biggest propaganda campaigns of all time as Team Trump works to convince voters that up is down, black is white and reality is fake news. Jay Rosen, media guru and New York University professor, expects the Trump campaign and its allies will do whatever it takes to keep Americans from understanding just how badly the Administration screwed up the response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The goal of the push is the re-election of the president. "The Republican Party and the Trump campaign and the MAGA coalition are going to have to produce confusion and doubt on a scale that is unlike anything youve ever seen before," Rosen told Vox. "And that, of course, is going to be a huge challenge for the press." Rosen said Team Trump would face many challenges in its bid to persuade Americans that it isn't responsible for the needless deaths of so many Americans because Trump's false claims and incompetence are on the record. He expects Trump's propaganda salvo to strain the nation's information system. The key for the Trump campaign is to create confusion, not belief," he said. "And thats what were going to see in the months ahead is the massive effort to create doubt and confusion about things that are overwhelmingly clear from the public record. COVID-19 pandemic powers Procter and Gamble as organic revenues surged six percent during the first-quarter, the biggest gain in decades, as consumers stocked up on Tide, Charmin, Mr. Clean, Vicks and Bounty to ward off COVID-19. CEO David Taylor said P&G's robust results quarter are a direct reflection of the integral role our products play in meeting the daily health, hygiene and cleaning needs of consumers around the world, P&G's North America and European groups sparked a 10 percent advance in organic growth, performance hindered by disruptions in the China market. The company expects to thrive in the aftermath of the pandemic as consumers adjust to the "new normal" of keeping homes and clothing germ-free. Consumption of our products is not likely to dissipate, he said. We will serve what will likely become a forever altered health, hygiene and cleaning focus for consumers. Google searches for good PR via its Journalism Emergency Relief Fund to support small media outlets that are struggling during the pandemic. The Fund is restricted to outlets producing original news for local communities with an online presence of at least 12 months. Awards are limited to newsrooms with under 100 full-time journalists. Applicants can be for-profit or nonprofit traditional news organizations, digital natives or radio/TV broadcasters. Google did not disclose how much it has budgeted for the program. It did say grants would be in the low thousands of dollars/euros for small hyper-local newsrooms to low tens of thousands for larger newsrooms. Hats off to Florida Congressman Charlie Crist for nominating Captain Brett Crozier for a "Profile in Courage" award from the JFK Presidential Library and Museum. Established in 1989, the award recognizes a federal, state or local public official, whose actions demonstrate the qualities of politically courageous leadership in the spirit of "Profiles in Courage," President Kennedy's 1957 book Crozier was relieved of his command of the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier after he faulted US Navy brass for their lack of support of his crew stricken with COVID-19 virus. In his letter of recommendation, Crist noted there is no playbook for the current healthcare crisis. He praised Crozier for standing up for his crew when others failed to act, "who put himself in harm's way to protect the men and women under his command, and who took the incredible courageous and unselfish act to reach out for the health and safety of his crew when others turned away." After a nearly 30-year Navy career, Crozier knew his actions would likely be his last in uniform, noted Crist, but "he did so anyway because it was the right thing to doexample of leadership, a Profile in Courage." Safari operator Pankaj Shah would normally be showing tourists around the beauty spots of his native Kenya. Instead, he is spearheading a volunteer effort to feed thousands of families left penniless when the new coronavirus devastated the economy. One old woman told us she hadnt eaten for days - her sons had stopped supplying her because they have no work, he said, walking down a line of young men packing rice, flour, beans and long-life milk into boxes. Kenya reported its first case of the coronavirus on March 12. Schools closed the following week. Businesses shut, families left the capital and the casual work sustaining the vast majority of urban Kenyans dried up. The government offered tax breaks - little help to those too poor to pay taxes. Newspapers called for total lockdown and forgotten families in the slums began to starve and to seethe. People were getting hungry and angry, Shah said. Someone had to act, he decided, and he asked a couple of friends to pitch in. A local school, shuttered by the virus, offered their premises as headquarters. Kenyas Asian community - officially recognised three years ago as the nations 44th tribe - rallied round. They brought cheques or truckloads of food or vegetables planted for export and now marooned by the lack of flights. The operation has been going daily for three weeks. Shahs volunteers, who call themselves Team Pankaj, 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. He is asking wealthy Kenyans to donate 4,000 Kenya shillings each ($40) to fund the hampers - about the cost of two pizzas and a bottle of wine, he points out. I just need half the rich people here to care enough to fund a hamper, he says impatiently. His phone buzzes with community leaders, imams, church leaders and chiefs asking for help. Shah tests potential partners with a small distribution - say 100 boxes - and scales up if they handle it well. Last week he sent two lorryloads of food to a distribution in the Deep Sea slum, where residents presented orange tokens and had their fingers inked before carting away the boxes and bags of vegetables. Volunteers helped pregnant women and those with babies. Mary Wangui, 29, said she had been desperate. You cant hug a child to sleep when they are hungry, she said. Although Shah has never run any kind of aid operation before, he has a guiding spirit: Mother Teresa, whom he said he met more than three decades ago in Nairobi. A wheel spun off the Roman Catholic nuns ancient pickup truck and hit his new Mercedes, he said. The accident brought an unlikely friendship between a young, wild businessman and the world famous missionary who cared for the poor, he said. He volunteered with her for three months, he said, and adopted a baby girl from one of her orphanages. I think about what she would do, he says, after the coronavirus hit. Thats the inspiration for the rest of my life. Experts say health issues, socioeconomic inequality and discrimination among factors, as UK government announces review. London, United Kingdom In late February, Amged el-Hawrani, a 55-year-old ear, throat and nose consultant, was showing mild signs of coronavirus, but put feelings of exhaustion down to his gruelling shifts at the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton. Despite having no underlying health issues, his condition deteriorated. On March 4, he was admitted to Glenfield Hospital in Leicester. Three weeks later, on March 28, he died of COVID-19. He was among the first 10 British doctors to die from the disease, all of whom were all from Black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds. It may be a coincidence, el-Hawranis brother, Amal, told Al Jazeera. It may be a genetic element where certain people from a particular region in the world are predisposed to succumbing to the virus. According to a tally by Al Jazeera, some 70 percent of at least 50 healthcare workers who have so far died of coronavirus in the UK have ancestry in other regions including Asia, Africa and the Middle East, alarming statistics that prompted calls to investigate why this is happening. You've got a high proportion of BAME people not able to stay at home, serving the nation, putting themselves at risk. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the British Medical Association On Thursday, the government heeded those calls, which were led by Chair of the British Medical Association Chaand Nagpaul, and promised a formal review into why BME communities appear to be more vulnerable. Amal was among those who welcomed the move; the review is expected to begin in the coming days. About 20 percent of the UK belongs to an ethnic minority, according to a 2011 census. Forty percent of NHS staff are from BME backgrounds, a number which rises to 45 percent in London, an epicentre of the pandemic. The capital is home to the UKs highest ethnic minority population, 40.2 percent. As well as healthcare workers, BME communities among the wider population are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus. Data published on April 11 by the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) found that one-third of over 2,000 critically ill coronavirus patients were from BME backgrounds. From left: Adil El Tayar, Amged el-Hawrani and Habib Zaidi were among the first named doctors to die while fighting on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic in the UK [Images courtesy of doctors families] Azeem Majeed, a professor of primary care at Imperial College in London, said that while the reason ethnic minorities were more vulnerable was unclear, comorbidities the presence of more than one disease or condition in a patient at the same time might be among the factors. It could be related to underlying medical problems such as diabetes and kidney disease, Majeed told Al Jazeera. There are also concerns that social and economic inequality, which impacts minority communities more starkly, could be playing a role. Youve got a high proportion of BAME people not able to stay at home, serving the nation, putting themselves at risk, said the BMAs Nagpaul. And if you add that to overcrowded and multigenerational occupancies, the infections can be brought back home and spread to other members of the family. 200401082454308 Overcrowding affects 30 percent of Bangladeshi and 15 percent of Black African households in the UK, compared with about 2 percent of white households in the UK, government data suggests. Zubaida Haque, the deputy director of race equality think-tank Runnymede Trust, said it was important to note that BME NHS staff were likely more privileged and therefore able to afford better living conditions. On average, doctors will be different from your average Black and minority person in the community, in terms of housing conditions and the area they live in, because socioeconomically theyre better off, she said. We know that if youre from a more disadvantaged background, you have worse health outcomes. Haque warned, however, that structural racial inequalities impacted non-white people, regardless of their class status. We know that BME NHS staff cant complain as much because theyre worried about the recriminations of complaining, she said. Theyre much likely to be harassed and face discrimination compared to their white counterparts. There is the question of, did they have the appropriate PPE equipment? If they didnt, did they feel they could complain or were they worried about the recriminations from complaining? According to a poll on Thursday, 75 percent of healthcare workers in the UK believe the government has failed to protect them amid the coronavirus pandemic. Nagpaul also pointed to institutional racism in the medical profession, saying it loaded pressure on ethnic minority NHS staff. BME doctors often feel bullied and harassed at higher levels compared to their white counterparts, he said, and they are twice as likely not to raise concerns because of fears of recrimination. Amged el-Hawrani pictured as a young medicine graduate [Courtesy: el-Hawrani family] A report commissioned last year by the General Medical Council (GMC), the regulatory body for doctors in the UK, found employers and healthcare providers were more likely to refer doctors from BME backgrounds who obtained their primary medical qualification outside the UK to the GMC, compared with their white or UK qualified peers. Earlier this year, the BMA warned that British ethnic minority medical students experience racial harassment on campus and during work experience. For Amal, the disproportionate number of deaths highlighted the prejudice in the system, and reminded him of his late brothers student days. When Amged graduated and he was training as a doctor, he was sent far away from any of his desired locations. I remember him saying to me, All I see my front window is sheep, and all I see from my back window are cows. Whereas some of his British white counterparts would get London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool the major cities. The UK's leading doctors' union on Friday called on the government to ensure its review into the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on black, Asian and minority ethnic communities must be informed by the real-time data collection for the real effect. The British Medical Association (BMA) welcomed Downing Street's announcement this week that the Public Health England will be leading an investigation into the factors behind the higher death rates and more severe symptoms of the novel coronavirus among Indian and other ethnic minority communities in the country. However, the exact nature of the review is yet to be laid out, with calls for it to be independent as well as with some definitive parameters. We are pleased that the government has heeded the BMA's call for this review. However, if the review is to have any meaningful impact, it needs to be informed with real-time data to understand why and how this deadly virus can have such a tragic disproportionate toll on our BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) communities and healthcare workers, said Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the BMA Council Chair. Nagpaul had pushed for the review after an "overwhelming majority" of those who have died from coronavirus came from the BAME communities. This must include daily updates on ethnicity, circumstance and all protected characteristics of all patients in hospital as well as levels of illness in the community, which is not currently recorded. The government must take every necessary step to address this devastating disparity and protect all sectors of the population equally and now, he said. The BMA wants the government to issue a directive to every hospital telling them to record the ethnicity of patients who are admitted and succumb to COVID-19 immediately. Among some of the measures to be put in place immediately until a detailed understanding of the threats faced by BAME communities is established, it also recommends that those at greatest risk, including older and retired doctors, are kept away from working in potentially infectious settings. A failure to take such steps will mean that the heart-breaking questions of the families, friends and colleagues of those who have died before their time will remain. We stand ready to play our part, to fight this inequality, and help protect all doctors and health and care staff, Nagpaul said. A report by the UK's Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) recently revealed that 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. It suggested this could be linked to socio-economic factors and the demographic make-up of the two worst-affected cities in the UK, namely London and Birmingham. The alarm bells went off as the first 10 medics on the frontlines of the National Health Service (NHS) to die from the virus were from BAME communities, including Indian-origin doctors. 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 as the review was announced. "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 British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) has also taken steps to conduct its own research into the issue and reached out to the health authorities for more data. 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, said Marsha de Cordova, UK Opposition Labour's Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Job Interview (Photo : Image by Tumisu from Pixabay ) Image by Tumisu from Pixabay Advertisement KEY POINTS 22 million Americans have filed initial unemployment claims in the past four weeks Biden says keeping people on reduced hours would position companies for rapid scale up President Trump was poised to announce guidelines for reopening the economy Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Thursday released a short-term compensation plan to help companies keep employees on the payroll in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, changing the way unemployment insurance is viewed. "We should be committed to keeping as many people as possible attached to their employment, so they can easily return to work when appropriate, and maintain their income and benefits," the former vice president said in an emailed statement. The announcement came as the Department of Labor announced more than 5 million Americans filed first-time unemployment claims last week, bringing to 22 million the number who have been filed in the last four weeks and wiping out all the gains made since the Great Recession. Biden called for revamping unemployment systems across the country so that companies reduce hours rather than lay off workers and have the government pick up the difference in wages. Twenty-seven states already have such compensation plans in place, changing the way we think about the situation as employment insurance rather than unemployment insurance. "This dire economic dislocation stems from the need to protect public health through strong social distancing measures," Biden said. "But let's not forget: These measures are required to the extent they are because we didn't prepare early enough, and when the virus surfaced in our communities, we didn't test sufficiently to contain it. This pain is a product of poor decision making by Donald Trump." Biden said Americans must be made whole, compensated for lost wages and health benefits. "This is more than just the right thing to do - it is the surest road to a rapid recovery, because the faster everyone returns to their jobs, the faster we can improve demand and get our economy running again," he said. President Trump was poised to release guidelines on when it would be safe to reopen their economies. (Natural News) A doctor who was hired on by Facebook to fact check content about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) has been outed as a disinformation shill who used to work at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in communist China. Danielle Anderson, who currently works at Duke Universitys NUS Medical School lab in Singapore, has already debunked numerous articles posted to Facebook that suggest the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) may have leaked from the Wuhan lab where we now know she used to test coronavirus on bats. A contributor to Science Feedback, Andersons job as a Facebook fact checker involves slapping false information designations on any and all content that links the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Anderson has also been exposed for engaging in no fewer than nine collaborations with Dr. Peng Zhou, whos also a fellow scientist from the Wuhan Institute of Virology and who also experimented with coronavirus and bats. Though youre not allowed to talk about any of this on social media even mentioning Peng Zhou on Twitter could lead to a suspension or ban word is spreading throughout the independent media that Facebook is paying communist liars and Chinese sympathizers to censor truth and spread lies on social media. If you follow the info, you will find the Facebook fake fact-checker on the China Wuhan lab is a scientist who works/worked at Chinas Wuhan lab the past two years and says it is impossible that they would be sloppy because they are very careful! tweeted investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson about Andersons deep state connections. Be sure to listen below to The Health Ranger Report as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, asks the question: Has President Trump secretly declared a state of war over the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19)? Facebook fact checking simply means steering the narrative one direction or another Apparently the only requirement for being a fact checker at Facebook is to be willing to say and do whatever Facebook wants you to say and do. In Andersons case, this means claiming that the Wuhan lab was perfectly safe and 100 percent contained, without having to present a shred of evidence. In response to an article published by the New York Post claiming that China [is having] a problem keeping dangerous pathogens in test tubes where they belong, Anderson wrote that because she worked at the Wuhan lab for two years, shes somehow qualified to personally attest to the strict control and containment measures implemented while working there. Anderson also denies the claim that evidence points to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) research being carried out at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Even though The Wall Street Journal, the Daily Mail, and Fox News are all now reporting that Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) testing was, in fact, taking place at the Wuhan lab, Anderson says it wasnt. And this is apparently more than enough evidence for Facebook, which wants that narrative obliterated. As it turns out, the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is genetically identical to a coronavirus that was found in a horseshoe bat collected by hazmat-clad scientists from the Institute of Virology in Wuhan, according to the Journal. Fox also reported that patient zero in the current pandemic was an employee at the Wuhan lab who became infected and spread the virus throughout the local community. Just when you think Facebook, Zuckerberg, etc. couldnt be any more bizarre or stupid they prove you wrong, wrote one Zero Hedge commenter. They live in their own alternate reality. Of course they could be just bought off by the Chinese good old-fashioned greed. To keep up with the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), be sure to check out Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com NaturalNews.com West Australian students who will be learning from home in term 2 but dont have the necessary devices or online connections will be supported by the department, Education Minister Sue Ellery said. Loading Ms Ellery said there were 153,000 devices and 5000 wifi dongles and SIM cards available across the public school sector through the departments partnership with Telstra. Schools will work with families to establish where there is an identified need for students to have access to devices or internet access is not available at home, she said. We will enter into arrangements with those families to lend them those devices, and the internet access devices as well. The premise continues to be that no student will be disadvantaged. Students who are not physically present at school, are going to be provided with online learning and teaching opportunities or physical work practice packages. Ms Ellery said parents were not expected to be teachers. Parents and students will be provided with information about the content and online platforms, which may be used for learning and communicating with the teacher, the teacher will use the school's preferred online platform to teach or will provide printed work packages or a combination of both, she said. Continued access to education is not reliant on connectivity to the internet or appropriate electronic devices. Sharing a meal is a huge part of the human experience, one that many of us especially those of us who live alone are missing now that Manitobans are a month into the isolating reality of physical distancing. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Sharing a meal is a huge part of the human experience, one that many of us especially those of us who live alone are missing now that Manitobans are a month into the isolating reality of physical distancing. And with no clear end to the pandemic in sight, its time for those of us who hate dining alone to take matters into our own hands. It is time to plan a virtual dinner party. But where to begin? Theres no Emily Post of pandemic-forced virtual dinner parties to consult, no standards to adhere to. These are unchartered waters where the only rule is there are no rules. But thats a big part of the fun. So with any sort of social gatherings shifting to online platforms for the foreseeable future, heres a handy guide for beginners based on lessons learned from an only mildly traumatic first-hand experience as a host. Pick a platform There are multiple platforms to choose from, and it can be difficult to know which is best, depending on the size of your guest list and your ultimate party goal. TRIBUNE MEDIA FILES Frances ultimately decided to use Zoom. Theres Google Hangouts, which can host up to 10 people and is available on your phone or computer; FaceTime, which can handle 32 devices but is limited to Apple users only; the reliable Skype, which can host up to 50 people and the hot newcomer Zoom, which can host up to 100 people. After testing them all, I ultimately decided to use Zoom for my attempt. Even though the platform has security issues, it has one incredible option that the others dont: the capacity to create multiple rooms. With an upgraded account, you can create an entire virtual house for your guests to wander through, so when two friends start getting a little too cosy, you can suggest they take the conversation to another room. Its absolutely brilliant. With constant technology upgrades theres almost no limit to what you can create if you have a green screen its by far the best choice to support virtual-party creativity. Curate your guest list The social dynamic of a virtual dinner party is unpredictable and it can be difficult to read the room and keep the conversation flowing. Thats your job as host, but you can make things easier with a well-conceived group of guests. One lesson I learned is that the type of person who is normally the life of an in-person party can easily overwhelm a virtual gathering, where taking turns in conversation becomes a priority. Its useful to take stock of the personalities of each potential invitee to reach some balance in your mind before finalizing the list. Whos a good listener? Who asks a lot of questions? Who tends to ramble about their problems non-stop? Who cries too much? Supplied Clockwise from top left: Melissa Langdon and friend, Frances Koncan, Tristan Foy, Leah Borchert, Angelica Schwartz, Erin Meaghan Schwartz and Elizabeth Whitbread (centre). Fundamentally, creating the guest list meant a deep dive into what I value in my relationships. My baseline question was this: who is going to make me laugh the most? The answer, naturally, was unemployed actors. The invitations Director Felix Barret of Londons experimental theatre company Punchdrunk once told me that a play begins as soon as the invitation to attend is sent out. The party mood is set with the right invitation. I have adopted this attitude every time I host, as well. The party begins with the invitation, and the invitation needs to be great. It should be inspiring and exciting. I want people to feel happy, curious and full of anticipation. For my party, I used some blank cards from the now-closed Tiny Feast store in the Exchange. Each card contained a handwritten invitation, a link to detailed instructions on how to access the platform and the general theme. And a dress code. Pandemic "fashion" is (very) casual: sweatpants, face masks and oily hair. Thats great (I love all the money Im saving not having to buy makeup), but a dinner party is a celebration and calls for guests to come dressed to impress. The theme of my party was Seven Deadly Sins, with a dress code note simply saying "wear your sins on your sleeve." I like to use evocative phrases for themes and dress codes rather than specifics, which encourages people to get creative. The menu No plastic glasses allowed. Planning a virtual menu is much the same as doing it for a regular dinner party, with one catch: whatever you plan, everyone needs to access it. One creative way of doing this is sending a menu to everyone and cooking it together in real time. If you and your friends are capable in the kitchen, this could be a lot of fun. As someone with a set of cooking skills that is limited exclusively to toasting and microwaving, I opted for easy: order everyone a pizza and bottle of wine and have it delivered right to their doors. Try our Dish The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. Dish arrives in your inbox every other Friday. See sample. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Hosting the party Youve curated a guest list, planned the menu and done a technical run-through. Your makeup is on fire, your hair has never looked better and your outfit incorporates all seven deadly sins in a way that surely deserves an award. You are ready to host your virtual dinner party. What I learned from my first attempt was that much like a real party, the hard work is truly the preparation. If youre been thoughtful and diligent about the planning, things will unfold effortlessly. All you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy sharing a meal with your friends. Frances.Koncan@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @franceskoncan Enrico Clini has been running hospitals for almost 20 years. As the head of the pulmonary department in the Policlinico hospital in the Italian city of Modena, thinking ahead is what he does best. But as Italy and other European countries take the first cautious steps out of lockdown, Clini and other Italian doctors are now thinking of how to prepare for the second phase of the coronavirus outbreak: living with the virus. No ones knows what the next year will look like, says Clini. Im thinking in terms of weeks, not years. As in other overwhelmed towns and cities across the northern Italian region of Emilia Romagna, Modena officials have spent the last few weeks focused on logistics. At the peak of the crisis, Clini walked the 2 miles from his home to the hospital each day through the empty cobblestones streets of Modena, constantly running numbers through his head: the number of ICU beds, how much personal protective equipment is available, how many nurses are out sick. Keep up to date on the growing threat to global health by signing up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. This week, he woke to a new, more optimistic number: in the last 15 days, his hospital has seen a 30% decrease in COVID-19 patients. For the first time since the beginning of the outbreak, the region of Emilia Romagna has seen more people recover than getting tested positive, according to the Italian newspaper la Repubblica. But as a limited number of shops and businesses have been allowed to reopen in some regions of Italy, including bookstores and childrens stores, doctors and nurses are already preparing for a second wave of cases. Annalisa De Santis and Beatrice D'Annibale (right), two nurses at Policlinico hospital in Modena, get ready for a morning shift on the COVID-19 ward. | Courtesy of Enrico Clini, Policlinico Hospital Im terrified of the country reopening, says Roberto Tonelli, a pulmonologist who has spent the last 6 weeks away from his 2-year-old daughter. I understand the economy needs to restart, but I already see parks and streets full of people, and I cant help but worry. Story continues As European countries are slowly thinking of how to reopen, hospitals are thinking of how to adapt. In recent weeks, all our usual patients disappeared overnight, Tonelli says. Now we have to start thinking of how to handle non-COVID and COVID patients alike. Since the end of February, the Modena Policlinico hospitals has seen 1,240 COVID patients, an extraordinary number for a pulmonology ward usually staffed by 25 doctors and 13 nurses. It shifted its entire focus on responding to the coronavirus outbreak. Well have to return to how things were, the problem is that we dont know if were at the right time to go back, Clini says. Valentino Capone, a 27-year-old nurse who has been working 12-16 hour shifts to respond to the emergency, is worried of what that will mean for the hospital staff. When the number of casualties wont make the front pages of newspapers, the working situation in hospitals will be the same. Masks, washing hands, protective equipment is our new normal. Please send tips, leads, and stories from the front lines to virus@time.com Washington, April 17 : A senior US Federal Reserve official has urged large banks to raise capital to help economy weather the COVID-19 pandemic. "Large banks are eager to be part of the solution to the coronavirus crisis. The most patriotic thing they could do today would be to stop paying dividends and raise equity capital, to ensure that they can endure a deep economic downturn," Xinhua news agency quoted Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, as saying in the Financial Times on Thursday. While US banks have more equity today than they had going into the 2008 global financial crisis, a prolonged COVID-19 pandemic could put banks at risk again, Kashkari noted. "An extended economic downturn could easily sap banks' current equity capital. Stress test modelling by the Minneapolis Fed indicates that under severe COVID-19 scenarios, large banks ... could together lose hundreds of billions of dollars of equity capital," he said. Noting that US taxpayers injected about $200 billion of capital to strengthen banks in 2008, Kashkari said raising that amount from private investors today would ensure that large banks can support the economy over a broad range of virus scenarios. "If the crisis turns out less serious than we fear, banks can return the capital through buybacks and dividends once the crisis passes," he said. Kashkari's comments came after the Fed said on Wednesday that economic activity "contracted sharply and abruptly" across all regions in the US as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The hardest-hit industries - because of social distancing measures and mandated closures - were leisure and hospitality, and retail aside from essential goods," the Fed said in its latest survey on economic conditions, known as the Beige Book. 17.04.2020 LISTEN As part of measures on fetching for solutions to curb the global pandemic of Covid19, leading awards scheme for distinguished Africans, African Achievers Awards in partnership with Africans Rising and Infodemics, Avance Media and Dominieum Technology will combine their efforts for the 3rd conference on the COVID19 pandemic. The conference which is themed Africa Unite against COVID-19; Policy, Economy, Community action and Interregional Cooperation discussing with key experts debating the key issues in combatting the virus in Africa. The Speakers include Justice Ishaq Usman Bello Chief Judge FCT High court Nigeria, Cellou Dalein Diall Guinean economist and former Prime Minister of Guinea, Paul Alaje, Senior Economist SPM Professionals, Hon. Jospeh F. Kamara Former Attorney General & Minister for Justice Sierra Leone , Ms. Heather Mudhari Hon. Consul/ Trade & travel Executive The Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. Alyster Soyode Founder BEN TV London, Senator Rose Nyamunga Chairperson Senate Committee on health, Kenya, Dr. Ayobami Olufadeji MD Emergency physician at Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians and a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Vera Songwe , Head of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Beldina Auma President SCIP International & former Chairperson World Bank-African Society, Dr. Tunji John Asaolu Nigerian Representative African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (AU-ECOSOCC), Elsie Appau Klu Ghanaian Lawyer, Grace Jibril HR Director for The Anne Arundel County Department of Health State of Maryland. USA, Jacques Papenfus Founder if MGS - South Africa etc. The virtual conference is slated for Friday 17th April 2020 and Saturday 5th April 2020 and will be hosted on Zoom by 4pm GMT and streamed on Facebook via: www.facebook.com/AfricanAward/ According to CEO of African Achievers Awards, Dr Tonye Rex Idaminabo, the conference is in response to the advice given by the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) for Africa to scale up its response to COVID-19. He also mentioned that, the conference is aimed to raise more awareness of the novel virus and its effects but create a blueprint for African leaders to act on. As part of getting influential leaders involved in the fight, the Virtual Conference will also have African leaders committing to shielding the continent from future pandemics and to have a comprehensive African response to the ongoing pandemic. With expert speakers picked from various sectors such as Public Health, Disaster Management, Policy Advice, Good Governance, Gender Relations and Media across the world, the conference will provide results on how to increase investments in the health sector across Africa, protect vulnerable groups of persons such as Disabled Persons, Women and the Girl child and provide protection to Industries as well as Small and Medium scale Enterprises. The Conference Coordinator Alimatu Dimonokene is an Award winning Activist from Sierra Leone and Togolese Farida Nabourema human rights activist will moderate the Conference. Past Speakers Includes Kim Schofield Member of the Georgia House of Representatives, Janet Mbugua - Kenyan media personality, anchor and actress , Hon Beatrice Elachi - Speaker Nairobi County Assembly Kenya, Hon. Favour Tomomewo. Nigeria Ondo State Member of Parliament & Chairman house committee on women Affairs and social development, Mohamed Macmomd Micheal Kallon - Sierra Leone, Public health and Policy specialist, OB Sisay OBE - Country Head at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Hassan Arouni - Award Winning Senior Broadcast Journalist BBC, Maryam Abdullah - CEO at Situation Hub Ltd, Jake Epelle - Convener Disability Inclusion Nigeria Founder/CEO The Albino Foundation and a few others. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - In its ongoing efforts to prevent the spread of harmful misinformation about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on its apps, Facebook plans to start showing messages in News Feed to people who have liked, reacted or commented on such information that have since been removed. This will alert them about fake news. Facebook also added recently a new section to its COVID-19 Information Center called Get the Facts, which will be updated every week, to make it easier for people to find accurate information about the pandemic. It includes fact-checked articles from its partners that debunk misinformation about the virus. The social media giant has been trying to prevent the spread of misinformation on its apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and Instagram ever since COVID-19 was declared a global public health emergency in January. The company has now directed its over 2.5 billion monthly users to resources from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health authorities through its COVID-19 Information Center and pop-ups on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook is working with over 60 fact-checking organizations that review and rate content in more than 50 languages around the world. It is also adding more organizations and languages for this program. It also recently announced the first round of recipients of its $1 million grant program in partnership with the International Fact-Checking Network, providing grants to 13 fact-checking organizations around the world. Once a piece of content is rated false by fact-checkers, Facebook reduces its distribution and shows warning labels with more contexts. Based on one fact-check, it is able to kick off similarity detection methods that identify duplicates of debunked stories. During the month of March, Facebook displayed warnings on about 40 million posts related to COVID-19 on Facebook, based on around 4,000 articles by its independent fact-checking partners. To date, it has also removed hundreds of thousands of pieces of misinformation that could lead to imminent physical harm, such as claims like drinking bleach cures the virus. Recently, Facebook has announced plans to invest $100 million in the news industry to help the news companies during these times as advertisers cut back on spending during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de NORWALK Norwalk is nearing 900 coronavirus cases as officials report 31 new positive cases on Friday for a total of 891 in the city. Forty-six Norwalkers have died of coronavirus, including 10 local nursing home residents according to data released by the state on Thursday. Statewide, there are now 16,809 cases which is up by 925 from Thursday and 330 new cases in Fairfield County for a total of 7,146 confirmed cases. Norwalks Director of Health, Deanna DAmore, said its difficult to report on how many people have recovered from coronavirus because theres no real definition of what that looks like. The disease severity, duration, and long-term health impacts are so varied and the virus is still being studied, DAmore said. There is no mechanism to collect the data (even if there was a standard definition), as most patients recover at home in self-isolation. Neither the patients nor the doctors report recoveries in those situations. DAmore said officials are monitoring the number of patients discharged from the hospital. However, hospital discharge does not necessarily mean that the person is recovered, just that they have improved enough to return home and continue recovering there, she said. Also, only a portion of people who get COVID-19 are hospitalized, so that metric does not capture everyone. DAmore did not provide data on how many people have been discharged from the hospital in Norwalk. I remind the public that when positive cases are reported to us we share the news immediately. We should all remember, however, that case data is a lagging indicator of what is happening throughout the community and is dependent on who is getting tested. We know many people are recovering in their homes on their doctors orders without ever being tested, Mayor Harry Rilling said. The speed at which results will be provided at the New Haven testing site will hopefully slow the spread through the community. However, I caution residents that the site can process up to 750 tests per day, so the positive case numbers are likely to continue to rise in the days and weeks ahead. Stay safe, everyone. However, Gov. Ned Lamont announced that the state formed a partnership with CVS Health in an initiative that will make free, rapid COVID-19 tests available to eligible Connecticut residents. This includes the opening of the states first rapid testing site at the former Gateway Community College campus at Long Wharf in New Haven. Rilling will be hosting a Zoom Town Hall on Monday, April 20 at 5:30 p.m. Members of the public can submit questions live to Mayor Rilling by visiting bit.ly/April20TownHall on Monday. The Town Hall will also be broadcast on YouTube and Facebook. No registration is required. erin.kayata@hearstmediact.com Many critically-ill Covid-19 patients who are unable to see their families while in intensive care will be given access to video-conferencing equipment following a huge fundraising campaign. Restrictions on visitors mean that patients battling coronavirus can go for weeks without seeing family or friends. A number of people have died without having the chance to say goodbye to their loved ones because many hospitals in Ireland are operating a no-visit policy to curb the spread of Covid-19. After a group of friends from Dublin saw the devastating impact of Covid-19, they saw an opportunity to help allay some of the difficulties patients face, particularly the elderly. First batch of tablets almost ready to go to hospitals and nursing homes around the country. Thanks to @Powercity_Ltd https://t.co/d9nHO29phT please help us raise funds for more! We will be sending out 150 this weekend and demand is rising pic.twitter.com/my6VKyLVpi Suzanne Stewart (@suzannestew_g) April 16, 2020 Suzanne Stewart, a medical devices specialist, experienced first-hand some of the trauma people face after her partner, an ICU doctor, was admitted to hospital with Covid-19. The group have raised almost 22,000 euro to buy tablets for Covid-19 wards and critical care units. Ms Stewart said: It was when my boyfriend was in hospital that it was really highlighted how hard it is to communicate with someone when you cant see them, especially when theyre really sick. Lots of people who go to hospital in an ambulance dont think about their phone, tablet or charger. Also a lot of elderly people dont have those kind of capabilities, they might have a regular phone and hospitals dont have that kind of technology either. Ciara Close, an electronic engineer, said they are hoping to purchase some 300 tablets and have received over 100 donated tablets. The group are also donating tablets to nursing homes across Ireland after visiting restrictions left thousands of elderly people unable to see loved ones. Ms Stewart said the demand for tablets is insurmountable. She added: Around 1,500 to 2,000 tablets are needed to try to address the actual demand out there. The elderly people have been locked up for weeks and they are crying out for some sort of human connection. All of the nurses and consultants are delighted to hear that this is coming in because they too are dealing with this on the other side. Family members cant come in and say goodbye so they have to say things over the phone. You might not be able to hug someone but if you could just see their face or have a conversation with someone you love, then that's amazing Suzanne Stewart Ms Close added: Were also also putting Spotify and other music apps on the tablets because people want to listen to music as they will find that calming. We received our first batch of 60 tablets this week so we are now setting them up with lots of different apps, including WhatsApp. Ms Stewart added: I think that theyll be so excited to be able to actually hold a conversation with somebody that they know and be able to see their face. People are telling me that theyre bringing family members to windows and they cant hear them, and then theyre getting upset because they cant have a conversation. You might not be able to hug someone but if you could just see their face or have a conversation with someone you love, then thats amazing. New Delhi, April 17 : A special military train with around 950 army personnel left Bengaluru on Friday and is expected to reach Jammu on April 20, a defence statement said. The personnel have completed professional courses at Army training establishments in Bengaluru, Belgaum and Secundrabad and due to rejoin units deployed in operational areas in North India are onboard. The Indian Army stated that all personnel have undergone mandatory quarantine period and are medically fit. "The train is scheduled to reach Jammu on April 20," said Indian Army. Before the personnel boarded the train, it was ensured that disinfection of platform and train bogies were carried out. The Army also ensured that a sanitisation tunnel was set up and baggage of personnel were disinfected. The force also ensured that social distance was maintained while entraining and screening The second train to cater for transportation of army personnel to units deployed in the North Eastern part of the country that the New Jalpaiguri and Guwahati is scheduled on April 18 from Bengaluru. The army said that the personnel due to rejoin units deployed in northern and eastern borders have undergone mandatory quarantine period and found medically fit. They will now be accommodated. It also stated that "further coordination with Ministry of Railways is in progress for planning additional trains in the coming weeks". Some parts of Accra still lack water despite promises that there will be water tankers to supply water. President Nana Akufo-Addo in a national address last week indicated that government had absorbed the water bills of all Ghanaians for a period of three months. He said communities without water connections are to get free supply from tanker operators as part of relief packages in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in Ghana. The President also directed that there must be no interruption in the supply of water but some communities are not benefiting from this. Citi News checks in communities like Latebiokoshie and Adabraka showed that many still lacked water. In most instances, those who had water flowing through their taps only enjoyed it for a few hours. Some of the residents who narrated the situation to Citi News said something urgent must be done about the situation to enable them to practice good hygiene. It has not been flowing for about two weeks now. We dont have water. The water will come around midnight and by 3 am it is off. We are told to observe personal hygiene especially frequent hand washing but we dont have water. Sometimes we have to walk to other places to fetch from wells, one worried resident at Latebiokoshie said. The water comes at dawn so you have to wake up and fetch the water. Apart from that, you sometimes have to wait till around midnight to fetch water. It also doesnt flow every day. After the lockdown was announced, we surprisingly had water for a whole week but the past three days we havent had any water supply, another resident said. Meanwhile, the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) is urging the public to desist from misusing water. In a statement following the Presidents directive, the company said Ghanaians must avoid the unnecessary use of water to help the company through this critical period. The general public has been asked to cease indiscriminate watering of lawns with treated water, moderate the use of treated water for car washing through the use of buckets instead of hosing, and report all persons engaged in illegal connections, by-passes, and all malpractices against GWCL to the nearest Police station or to the district offices. ---citinewsroom Contract research organizations (CRO) are the companies that provide contract-based research services to several pharmaceutical & biotechnology industries, medical devices industries, and various government research organizations. New York, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Healthcare CRO Services Market By Service Type By End User By Therapeutic Area By Region, Industry Analysis and Forecast, 2019 - 2025" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05885916/?utm_source=GNW Such facilities include research and development of medicines & devices, i.e. pre-discovery, CMS, preclinical research, clinical trials, post-marketing monitoring, and laboratory facilities. Through globalization and rapid technological advancements enable many biotech and pharmaceutical companies to outsource their research production to many contract research organizations. In addition, investments by many main players in various clinical & non-clinical research activities outsourced by many contract research organizations services that aid in cost-effective production product options would propel the growth of the global market for CRO services over the forecast period. Healthcare project management helps companies improve and function more efficiently in several ways. Perhaps the greatest advantage of hospital project management is that it can minimize the possibility of litigation that prevails for every organization in healthcare. Step by step establishing processes removes as many adverse results as possible. Managing a project aligns money with the operation. In other words, it guarantees at various points of a project that you have the money for your efforts. Youll know, for example, if you have the budget to start a project. As and when additional costs occur, it is important to have a mechanism in place to update the budget and re-prioritize as appropriate. With the sudden break of Covid-19 in late months of year 2019, the markets worldwide are unfortunately experiencing its grip. The suppliers and consumers of the products & Services are affected in a big way across the sectors resulting in declining revenues in last quarters of year 2019. Based on Service Type, the market is segmented into Clinical Research Services, Early Phase Development, Laboratory Services and Consulting Services. Based on End User, the market is segmented into Pharmaceutical companies, Medical Device Companies and Academic Institutes. Based on Therapeutic Area, the market is segmented into Oncology, CNS Disorder, Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, Metabolic Diseases, Infectious Diseases and Other therapeutic areas. Based on Regions, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, Middle East & Africa. The major strategies followed by the market participants are partnerships and Acquisitions. Based on the Analysis presented in the Cardinal matrix, ICON PLC, Dassault Systemes SE, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, IQVIA Holdings, Inc., and Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. are the forerunners in the Healthcare CRO Services Market. Companies such as Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc., Pharmaron Beijing Co., Ltd., Parexel International Corporation, and Syneos Health, Inc., and GVK Biosciences Private Limited are some of the key innovators in Healthcare CRO Services Market. The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include IQVIA Holdings, Inc., Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (Covance, Inc.), Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc., Parexel International Corporation (Pamplona Capital Management), Charles River Laboratories International, Inc., ICON PLC, Dassault Systemes SE (Medidata Solutions, Inc.), Syneos Health, Inc., Pharmaron Beijing Co., Ltd., and GVK Biosciences Private Limited. Recent strategies deployed in Healthcare CRO Services Market Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements: Mar-2020: Medidata signed an agreement with Medpace Inc. for integrating Medidata Rave Imaging with Medpaces imaging systems and workflow. The combination would create a seamless platform for capturing, managing, analyzing, and storing images and imaging data for clinical trials. Jan-2020: Aragen Bioscience, Inc, a subsidiary unit of GVK BIO collaborated with Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. (Serum), the worlds largest vaccine manufacturer. Following the collaboration, the companies would develop multiple stable cell lines for supporting Serums HIV program. Dec-2019: Paerxel International signed an agreement with Vivera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an innovative, science-driven pharmaceutical company. The agreement was aimed at Clinical Development Services. Parexels Biotech division would conduct a Phase 1 study for evaluating the bioavailability of TABMELT technology and provide regulatory support for Viveras IND process. Nov-2019: Syneos Health signed a partnership agreement with AiCure, an AI and advanced data analytics company. The partnership drives faster and smarter trials for optimizing patient engagement. Oct-2019: Parexel came into partnership with Datavant, a company that provides solutions for helping institutions protect, match, and share health data. The partnership was aimed to connect real-world data across the clinical trials Parexel conducts. Sep-2019: Parexel announced partnership with three prominent healthcare institutions: PKUCare Luzhong Hospital, West China Medical Center, and Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital. The partnership would deliver an enhanced level of support for customers conducting Phase I studies in China. Aug-2019: Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD) collaborated with Harbour BioMed (HBM), a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. The collaboration was focused on developing HBMs innovative therapeutics in the fields of oncology and immunology. Aug-2019: Evidera, a business of Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD) teamed up with Clinical Study Support, Inc. (CSS), a subsidiary of Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories Ltd. (SNBL). The collaboration aimed to broaden the capabilities of both organizations for providing more robust consulting and analytical capabilities and creating a more complete geographic customer solution for clinical, real-world and patient-centered research. Jul-2019: Medidata teamed up with Catalyst Clinical Research following which the latter company chose the Medidata Rave Clinical Cloud for its one-platform approach to clinical trials. Catalyst aims to offer a data-driven, state-of-the-art unified clinical platform as it launches its new CRO full-service managed solutions business in addition to its flagship resourcing and FSP businesses. Jul-2019: GVK BIO teamed up with BE Pharmaceuticals Inc. (BE Inc), a company that develops, manufactures, and markets complex and critical injectable products. Under this partnership, GVK BIO would develop a certain set of injectable products for BE Inc. The aim of the collaboration is the successful regulatory submissions and marketing authorizations for the products in the US, Europe, and RoW markets. Acquisition and Mergers: Oct-2019: ICON took over Symphony Clinical Research, a global leader in clinical research. The acquisition enabled the company in minimizing travel burden for patients by providing them access to clinical research studies that they have otherwise not been able to participate in. Sep-2019: Accelerated Enrollment Solutions (AES), a business of Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD) took over the clinical research site business of Bioclinica. The acquisition expanded AES global foothold and its leadership position in patient access and site conduct. May-2019: Evidera, a business of Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD) signed a definitive agreement to acquire Medimix International, a global technology company providing real-world evidence (RWE) insights and information to the pharmaceutical, diagnostic and medical device industries. The acquisition would enable the former company in providing its customers with enhanced technology solutions, real-world data, and access to health care providers. May-2019: ICON announced the acquisition of a majority stake in MeDiNova Research, a site network with research sites in key markets in Europe and Africa. The acquisition enhanced the former companys patient recruitment capabilities in EMEA and complemented its site network in the US, PMG Research. May-2019: Pharmaron acquired a majority stake in CR Medicon Holding Inc. (together with its wholly-owned subsidiary, Nanjing CR Medicon Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd. CR Medicon), a clinical CRO based in Nanjing, China. The acquisition aimed to expand the clinical development services. Product Launches and Product Expansions: Feb-2020: IQVIA launched Avacare Clinical Research Network, a technology-based global site network. This network opens opportunities for more clinical trials at experienced clinical and research sites. Avacares unique analytical tools help sites in Avacares network in matching patients to clinical trials faster and more effectively. Jan-2020: LabCorp and Covance introduced Extensive Preclinical, Clinical and Post-Approval Cell, and Gene Therapy Development. These solutions would minimize time and risk for sponsors at each phase and across the full continuum of their therapy development needs in one of the industrys fastest-growing segments. Aug-2019: IQVIA unveiled the IQVIA Patient Portal, a global web-based solution built on a leading health cloud platform. The portal allows increases in clinical trial patient recruitment, engagement, and retention by ensuring transparency and collaboration before, during, and, after a clinical study. Aug-2019: Laboratory Corporation announced that its Covance Drug Development arm launched a laboratory solution within its functional service provider (FSPx) portfolio. This new laboratory data management FSPx would serve to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers. May-2019: ICON launched a web-based patient engagement platform. The platform provides patients with study-specific information and connectivity with the nearest investigative site. Feb-2019: IQVIA introduced IQVIA Biotech and its new approach for delivering tailored clinical and commercial solutions for small biotech and biopharma companies. This approach would provide simplified operating procedures, specialized teams, and services for offering a more agile way for innovators to reach their drug development and commercialization milestones. Feb-2019: LabCorp released the DoseASSURE, a new assay in its therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). The new Certolizumab Concentration and Anti-Certolizumab Antibody DoseASSURE CTZ assay help the physicians in monitoring individual drug response for patients who are on Certolizumab, a biologic drug used for the treatment of certain inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohns disease. Jan-2019: IQVIA released two new capabilities for supporting clinical teams in more easily and quickly sharing cross-trial training materials and safety notifications. Scope of the Study Market Segmentation: Asia Pacific Healthcare CRO Market Segmentation By Service Type Clinical Research Services Early Phase Development Laboratory Services and Consulting Services By End User Pharmaceutical companies Medical Device Companies and Academic Institutes By Therapeutic Area Oncology CNS Disorder Cardiovascular Disease Diabetes Metabolic Diseases Infectious Diseases and Other therapeutic areas By Geography North America o US o Canada o Mexico o Rest of North America Europe o Germany o UK o France o Russia o Spain o Italy o Rest of Europe Asia Pacific o China o Japan o India o South Korea o Singapore o Malaysia o Rest of Asia Pacific LAMEA o Brazil o Argentina o UAE o Saudi Arabia o South Africa o Nigeria o Rest of LAMEA Companies Profiled IQVIA Holdings, Inc. Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (Covance, Inc.) Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc. Parexel International Corporation (Pamplona Capital Management) Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. ICON PLC Dassault Systemes SE (Medidata Solutions, Inc.) Syneos Health, Inc. Pharmaron Beijing Co., Ltd. GVK Biosciences Private Limited Unique Offerings Exhaustive coverage Highest number of market tables and figures Subscription based model available Guaranteed best price Assured post sales research support with 10% customization free Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05885916/?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. __________________________ Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 Their study was uploaded today to MedRxiv , a website created by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to make research quickly available to the scientific community before undergoing the usual peer review process. It has become widely used to share information quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic. "COVID-19 studies worldwide have consistently shown a higher incidence and greater severity of the disease in men compared with women," says Aditi Shastri, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Einstein, a clinical oncologist at the Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care, and lead author of the Montefiore-Einstein study. "Our collaborative study found that men have more difficulty clearing coronavirus following infection, which could explain their more serious problems with COVID-19 disease." The viral-clearance analysis involved 68 people (48 men and 20 women) with symptoms of COVID-19 who were examined at India's Kasturba Hospital for Infectious Diseases, in Mumbai. After undergoing initial nasal swab tests indicating active infection, individuals were re-tested with serial swabs until the tests turned negative, indicating the time taken to clear the coronavirus. The women cleared the virus significantly earlier than men: a median of four days for women vs. six days for men. Next, three Mumbai families were identified in which men and women had tested positive for coronavirus infection on swab testing. Again, the women in all three families cleared the coronavirus earlier than male members of the same family. Why do men have trouble shaking off their infections? Seeking a molecular explanation, the researchers focused on how coronavirus infection occurs. To infect cells, coronaviruses must first latch onto well-known proteins, called ACE2 receptors, that sprout like tiny antennae from the surfaces of cells. Cell types expressing copious levels of ACE2 on their surfaces would theoretically be most susceptible to infection. The researchers consulted three independent databases with information on ACE2 expression in different tissues. They saw that the testes, along with the lungs and kidneys, were among the areas of the body with the highest ACE2 expression. By contrast, ACE2 could not be detected in tissue of the ovaries, the female equivalent of the testes. Dr. Shastri stresses that the novel coronavirus' ability to infect and multiply in testicular tissue needs to be confirmed, but says it wouldn't surprise her. A recent study from China compared the levels and ratios of sex hormones in male COVID-19 patients vs. healthy men of the same age. The results indicated that the COVID-19 patients had experienced impaired testicular functionevidence that the testes may be significantly affected when men develop COVID-19. Such a COVID-19 complication could have important medical and public health implications, she notes, and deserves to be investigated by clinical trials. The study's Montefiore-Einstein senior authors are Amit Verma, M.B.B.S., professor of medicine and of developmental & molecular biology at Einstein and director of hematologic malignancies at Montefiore; and Ulrich Steidl, M.D., Ph.D., professor of cell biology and of medicine and the Diane and Arthur B. Belfer Faculty Scholar in Cancer Research at Einstein, and associate chair for translational research in oncology at Montefiore. The study's other senior author is Jayanthi Shastri, M.D., a microbiologist and infectious disease specialist. As director of Kasturba Hospital's molecular diagnostic laboratory, Dr. Jayanthi Shastri led Mumbai's effort to serially monitor and analyze coronavirus infection in individuals and their family members. About Montefiore Health System Montefiore Health System is one of New York's premier academic health systems and is a recognized leader in providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable care to approximately three million people in communities across the Bronx, Westchester and the Hudson Valley. It is comprised of 11 hospitals, including the Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and more than 200 outpatient ambulatory care sites. The advanced clinical and translational research at its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation, to its preeminent school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive care to patients and their families. For more information please visit www.montefiore.org. Follow us on Twitter and view us on Facebook and YouTube. About Albert Einstein College of Medicine Albert Einstein College of Medicine is one of the nation's premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. During the 2019-20 academic year, Einstein is home to 724 M.D. students, 158 Ph.D. students, 106 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and 265 postdoctoral research fellows. The College of Medicine has more than 1,800 full-time faculty members located on the main campus and at its clinical affiliates. In 2019, Einstein received more than $178 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in aging, intellectual development disorders, diabetes, cancer, clinical and translational research, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Its partnership with Montefiore, the University Hospital and academic medical center for Einstein, advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. Einstein runs one of the largest residency and fellowship training programs in the medical and dental professions in the United States through Montefiore and an affiliation network involving hospitals and medical centers in the Bronx, Brooklyn and on Long Island. For more information, please visit www.einstein.yu.edu, read our blog, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook , and view us on YouTube. SOURCE Montefiore Health System; Albert Einstein College of Medicine Related Links http://www.montefiore.org The students graduation was brought forward to get more doctors into the field amid the pandemic (PA) Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that for the first time, every graduate of medicine this year will be offered an internship within Irelands health system as part of the effort to battle the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr Varadkar made the pledge as he addressed the University College Cork (UCC) medicine graduates of 2020. The students exams and graduation were brought forward to get more doctors into the field amid the pandemic. A total of 197 graduates were conferred in Fridays ceremony the first in UCCs 175-year history to be conducted entirely online. I know were living in very strange times as a pandemic affects the world, Mr Varadkar said in a pre-recorded message. Youre graduating early, and youre doing so without being able to celebrate with your friends and your families as I know youd like to. We need you to graduate early, and to start work as interns already, because there's so much work to be done Leo Varadkar But there will be a time for that in the months ahead, when we develop new treatments, a new vaccine, a much better and more effective testing and contact tracing regime. In the meantime, we need you to graduate early, and to start work as interns already, because theres so much work to be done. I know you will be starting in posts in the middle of May, in hospitals, and also some of you in community settings, and for the first time ever, we are providing for over 1,000 internships for medical graduates in Ireland. That pretty much means that everyone graduating this year will be offered an internship, he added. In half an hour we will conduct the first entirely online conferring ceremony in our University's 175 year history. Proud loved ones can watch our Medicine Class of 2020 graduate online from anywhere in the world at https://t.co/W9v3m7xob8#UCCMedGrad20 UCC Ireland (@UCC) April 17, 2020 UCC president Patrick OShea paid tribute to those graduating in unprecedented circumstances. He said: We understand that this ceremony will not fully replace being on our beautiful UCC campus in person. Still, we hope it will go some way towards expressing our gratitude to you, as we celebrate your significant achievements on the occasion of your graduation from University College Cork. Your resilience and adaptability in responding to Covid-19 is genuinely remarkable and has no doubt prepared you for the challenges and rewards of the career path you have chosen. Professor Helen Whelton, head of the College of Medicine and Health, UCC, and chief academic officer to the HSE, said: Worldwide, the leadership, commitment, resilience and excellence of your profession in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic has been acknowledged and lauded. Today marks a most special commencement ceremony for you all. My colleagues and I, as university and professional representatives, are truly honoured to be with you virtually to celebrate your graduation from student to medical doctor. It is a true testament to your character and resolve to have excelled during these unprecedented times. The entire university is proud of you and supports you. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump during a debate in 2016. Trump has accused Democrats of colluding with Russia. (AFP/Getty Images) In 2018 President Trump tweeted: The only Collusion is that of the Democrats with Russia and many others. This week the idea that Trump was the victim, not the beneficiary, of Russian meddling in 2016 was revived. The impetus was the release of previously redacted footnotes from last years report on the Russia investigation by Michael E. Horowitz, the Justice Departments inspector general. According to an editorial in The Wall Street Journal, the new information showed that the FBI was duped by Russian intelligence. Russia interfered in Americas 2016 election, as several government reports have established, the editorial said. The latest disturbing news is that Russia may have received an assist from no less than the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The vehicle for that meddling, the editorial suggested, was the so-called Steele dossier, a collection of reports provided to the FBI by Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence agent, as part of an investigation funded by Democrats. Steele's material was cited by the FBI in application for a court order to conduct surveillance on Carter Page, a former Trump campaign advisor. The idea that the Steele dossier might have contained Russian disinformation isnt new. (A Los Angeles Times editorial mentioned that possibility in 2017.) In Horowitzs report, he wrote that the FBI should have done more to examine Steeles contacts with Russian oligarchs in order to assess those contacts as potential sources of disinformation that could have influenced Steele's reporting. He also found fault with decisions made in the Page surveillance. But Horowitz also wrote that his investigators did not find documentary evidence that political bias or improper motivation influenced decisions to investigate people with connection to the Trump campaign. That demolished a key pillar of Trumps witch hunt narrative. Moreover, the inspector general made clear that, contrary to what some Trump supporters believed, the Russia investigation didnt begin with the Steele dossier. (FactCheck.org debunked that talking point here.) Story continues But the new information does buttress the argument that the FBI wasnt sufficiently skeptical about Steeles information. And some in the news media also probably gave it too much credence. (Erik Wemple, a Washington Post columnist, has written about what he sees as media credulity where the dossier is concerned.) But even with the latest revelations, its a reach to argue that, by paying for an investigation that might have relied on questionable Russian sources, the Democrats were colluding with Russia. Its also true, of course, that Special Counsel Robert S. Muller III failed to establish that the Trump campaign "conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities." (Mueller did find that there were "multiple links between Trump campaign officials and individuals tied to the Russian government. Those links included Russian offers of assistance to the campaign.") But for purposes of evaluating Trump as a candidate for reelection, the question of whether his campaign colluded with Russia in 2016 is old news. There is no doubt that he asked Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a potential (now almost certain) 2020 opponent. Trumps infamous July 25, 2019, telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky occurred the day after Mueller testified to Congress about the Russia investigation. The difference, of course, is that Trump was president when he pressured Zelensky, which makes his conduct even worse than a presidential candidate inviting a foreign power to involve itself in a U.S. election. And it can be argued that Trump did exactly that in 2016 when he said: "Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 [Hillary Clinton] emails that are missing. Trump, of course, dismissed the scandal that led to his impeachment as a hoax and a continuation of a witch hunt. But it was far from that. He was put in the dock of the House by his own words and deeds, such as the administrations stalling of security assistance to Ukraine. Those incriminating words and actions constitute a truly damaging dossier, and its not Russian disinformation. Oswego, N.Y. Dozens of Chinese scholars who formerly spent time at SUNY Oswego consider Oswego home. So when the scholars heard coronavirus cases were soaring across New York state, they decided to help their Oswegonian family. A group of 53 former SUNY Oswego visiting scholars from China donated five boxes filled with personal protection equipment to the Oswego Health Foundation. The gift-filled boxes unpacked on Monday contained: 6,000 isolation masks 1,000 N95 masks 1,200 pairs of latex gloves Working together, SUNY Oswego and Oswego County Department of Health officials determined the donation should be given to the Oswego Health Foundation. Speaking on behalf of the 53 former scholars, Junhua Qiao said the group is thinking of their Oswego colleagues. We have all greatly benefited from our visit to Oswego at different years and thankful to you who were so kind and generous in offering time and help both academically and in life to make us feel at home in Oswego," Qiao said. "We are always ready to help other Oswego family members. With PPE supplies remaining scare, the gift was a welcome surprise. In response to the generous gift of PPE, Margaret Barclay, executive director of Oswego Health Foundation, wrote, Thank you for helping us protect our community," Margaret Barclay, executive director of Oswego Health Foundation, told the scholars. As a not-for-profit community healthcare system, we count on support from generous donors, like you, to help us deliver outstanding medical care our patients deserve right at home. Authorities have defined cross-border workers, exemptions from quarantine. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Our paywall policy: The Slovak Spectator has decided to make all the articles on the special measures, statistics and basic information about the coronavirus available to everyone. If you appreciate our work and would like to support good journalism, please buy our subscription. We believe this is an issue where accurate and fact-based information is important for people to cope. Cross-border workers will need to have their negative coronavirus test result at hand when entering Slovakia. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The requirement to prove they are COVID-19 free with a test no older than 30 days will become effective as of May 1. Chief Hygienist Jan Mikas informed of the updates to the measures applying to border crossings that the crisis staff approved on Friday. Who are "pendlers"? The cross-border workers, so-called pendlers, have been defined more properly as well. They are not required to go into state-run quarantine facilities after they enter Slovakia. Related article Related article New coronavirus measures: Mandatory isolation for everybody arriving in Slovakia Read more The Public Health Authority in its directive specified the definition of cross-border workers, or pendlers, as people whose home or workplace is up to 30 km road distance from the nearest open border crossing. Persons who are exempt from the requirement to be quarantined in state facilities are required to show confirmation from a doctor. This goes for pregnant women and persons with limited orientation and movement abilities. They also need to show a COVID-19 negative test no older than 48 hours. "Those who fulfil these conditions do not go into state quarantine but only into home isolation," Mikas said. Those who are ordered to go into home isolation must inform their doctor about it. If they do not have a doctor in Slovakia, they should inform the doctor of the respective regional authority. Who does not go into quarantine? Related article Related article These are the measures currently in place in Slovakia Read more Health care workers with permanent or temporary residence in Slovakia working in hospitals in four regions in the east of the Czech Republic (Juhomoravsky, Olomoucky, Zlinsky, Moravskosliezsky) are not required to be quarantined after their entry to Slovakia. They need a confirmation from their employer and a COVID-19 negative test no older than 48 hours. This measure is valid as of April 20. The exceptions now also include people working in cargo transport (road, ships, trains) travelling to Slovakia using other means of transport. It is presumed that they are moving to the place in Slovakia from where they will conduct cargo transport. They need to prove this with confirmation from their employer. Persons who enter and exit Slovakia with the aim of healing serious health conditions, the transit of police corps through the territory of Slovakia to fulfil tasks linked with EU membership and members of the Slovak armed forces and NATO, are also exempt from quarantine. EU citizens transiting through Slovakia on their return to their home country, without stopping, are also exempt. This includes pregnant women and people with restricted movement as well. Changes in the repatriation form Related article Related article From abroad to Slovakia: What repatriations look like Read more The crisis staff also assigned the Foreign Ministry the task of adjusting the repatriation form available on the ministry website. Under the planned rules, people returning to Slovakia should report their return 72 hours in advance. "People who register and keep to the day and time and border crossing they stated will be handled as a priority," PM Matovic informed as quoted by the TASR newswire. Mississippi National Guard personnel, along with UMMC and numerous other state agencies were on hand in Eupora on Thursday to conduct free drive-thru testing for pre-screened patients. Authorities in Pennsylvania released the identities of the three bodies that were found dead on Thursday evening. The York County Coroners Office said in an updated release (pdf) that 28-year-old David Jonathan Schlenoff shot and killed his mother and father before turning the gun on himself in a double murder-suicide. The coroners office identified Schlenoffs father as 71-year-old David Schlenoff, and his mother as 66-year-old Elizabeth Schlenoff. According to the release, all three died from a gunshot wound to the head. The chief of the Rose Fire Company, Chris Boyer, told The York Dispatch he was the first on the scene in what was reported as a structure fire. There was no fire, Boyer told the outlet. It was just a pot of food burning on the stove. Boyer added that he met with responding officers shortly after entering the house. I was met by a police officer, who told me to step back, that it was a police incident, Boyer told The York Dispatch. The Southern Regional Police Department discovered the bodies. Coroner Pam Gay said in a news release Friday that Schlenoffs death is listed as a suicide while his father and mothers deaths are listed as homicides. The next of kin have been notified and there will be no autopsy. Officers with the Southern Regional Police Department are continuing to work on the investigation. New Freedom Borough is located in the southern portion of York County in Pennsylvania, about 61 miles from Washington. Manitoba announced Thursday it is expanding its COVID-19 test criteria to include symptomatic workers in essential services, while the premier acknowledged that increased testing will play a key role in re-opening the provincial economy. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Manitoba announced Thursday it is expanding its COVID-19 test criteria to include symptomatic workers in essential services, while the premier acknowledged that increased testing will play a key role in re-opening the provincial economy. The province's chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, said all workers or volunteers with symptoms of the virus at workplaces that have been identified as essential from retail and wholesale to communications, construction and transportation will now be tested. CP All workers or volunteers with symptoms of the virus at workplaces that have been identified as essential will now be tested. (Mark Baker / The Associated Press files) As well, any symptomatic person who lives with a health-care worker, first responder or employee in such settings as correctional facilities, shelters, long-term care or residential facilities will also be tested. In recent days, the number of tests carried out at the Cadham Provincial Laboratory has declined, but it's not been due to any backlogs at the lab, Roussin said. "The low numbers all reflect the demand the amount of people showing up for testing (under the old criteria)," he said. The head of the laboratory, Paul Van Caeseele, said he and his colleagues have always managed to turn around results within 48 hours, with more equipment coming on board as the number of tests rise. "There's always a maximum capacity, but right now it's dictated by how many specimens we receive in a day," he told the Free Press. The recent drop in demand has allowed health officials to expand their testing criteria, Roussin said. "As we see our numbers of tests dwindling, now we are going to expand access to lower-risk groups trying to ensure we keep getting a good sampling of the population," he told a press briefing. Increased testing will give health officials and the general public greater confidence in the timing of efforts to get the economy back on track, but there's always the fear that acting too soon will lead to the resurgence of the virus, Premier Brian Pallister said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?rel=0&wmode=transparent" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen> On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said when Canada is able to loosen controls on physical distancing and begin ramping up economic activity that rapid testing on a wide-scale basis will be an essential part of country's continued vigilance. Premier shoots back Premier Brian Pallister took a shot Thursday at the Winnipeg Free Press, as he defended his plan to have some Manitoba civil servants work reduced hours, supplemented by Employment Insurance benefits. Theres a well-established work-share program that has been used for some time," Pallister told a news conference. click to read more Premier Brian Pallister took a shot Thursday at the Winnipeg Free Press, as he defended his plan to have some Manitoba civil servants work reduced hours, supplemented by Employment Insurance benefits. Theres a well-established work-share program that has been used for some time," Pallister told a news conference. "Im being criticized for trying to come up with, according to one newspaper today, some kind of a harebrained scheme or something. If its that bad an idea, why are private-sector companies like the Winnipeg Free Press using it? Free Press publisher Bob Cox said, despite what the premier claimed, the newspaper does not have any employees participating in work-share programs supplemented by EI. Staff at the newspaper have instead taken pay cuts ranging from 12 per cent to 20 per cent; in the case of the publisher, the salary reduction is 50 per cent, Cox said. Close It's unclear how soon Manitoba and other provinces will have the greater and quicker testing capability they'll need. Dr. Joel Kettner, a former Manitoba chief public health officer, said he doesn't see any harm in Trudeau's testing aspirations. "(But) if you say mass testing, one has to define that," he said. One potential plan would be to test any person with symptoms who works in an area where they can infect others. "An aggressive testing strategy would say, 'If you have symptoms don't go to work until we test you. If you test negative then you might go to work (if you're feeling well enough). If you're testing positive you're staying home." 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?rel=0&wmode=transparent" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen> With certain categories of workers who have close dealings with the public, such as health-care workers and grocery clerks, you might test them periodically, even if they don't have symptoms, said Kettner, an associate professor at the University of Manitoba. Current testing parameters in Manitoba include people with symptoms who have travelled outside the province in the past 14 days, close contacts of a confirmed case, health workers, patients admitted to hospital with respiratory symptoms, lab workers who have worked with COVID-19 tests, first responders and individuals who live or work in the north, a remote or isolated community, or in a congregate setting, such as a jail. Any person concerned about their exposure to, or risk of having, the coronavirus should call Health Links to be screened to see if a test is required. with files from Carol Sanders and Dylan Robertson larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca His home in volatile northwest Syria may have been destroyed, but Hassan Khraiby decided returning was better than risking his 10 children catch the coronavirus in a packed displacement camp. "We were scared the coronavirus might spread because of the severe overcrowding," 45-year-old Khraiby says. So, like others, "we decided to come home -- even if our homes have been destroyed." No case of the COVID-19 illness has yet been recorded in northwest Syria, but aid organisations fear any outbreak in the last major rebel bastion of Idlib would be catastrophic. They warn the virus could rage through jam-packed displaced camps, where maintaining basic hygiene is difficult and social distancing near impossible. Khraiby and his family were among nearly one million to flee their homes during a deadly Moscow-backed regime offensive against the jihadist-dominated region from December -- the largest such wave of displacement in Syria's nine-year-old war. Now, just a few weeks into a fragile truce that took effect as the virus outbreak was turning into a pandemic, they are among hundreds to have returned to Ariha, some to stay. In the town, children giggle as they scale mountains of grey rubble where buildings once stood. In one bakery, flat circles of dough are loaded into a blazing oven, before being churned back out on a conveyor belt as piping hot loaves. - Regime 'too busy for us' - In one of the town's streets, Khraiby admires his parked water tanker. "I've gone back to transporting drinking water to the townspeople," says the burly man, grey stubble framing his tanned face. He says he and his family spent a month in a camp near the Turkish border before moving to expensive rented accommodation. They decided to come home while the Russian-backed truce still holds. When the ceasefire came into effect on March 6 in the wider jihadist-dominated region, weary residents were deeply sceptical it would last. But it has so far, as Damascus grapples to contain a rising COVID-19 illness tally of at least 29 cases, including two deaths. "Because of the coronavirus, the regime and Russia are too busy for us," Khraiby says. "I hope they will be too busy for us for a long time." Nearby, Rami Abu Raed, 32, also believes the regime would have resumed military operations had it not been for the virus, and says the attacks will eventually restart. The father of three returned to Ariha last week, fearing his children would contract the novel coronavirus in the camps further north. "The north has now become so crowded. People are living on top of each other," he says. "I was scared for my children so I decided to return to Ariha." - 'Scared to come back' - Not far off, a few small trucks drive back into town, the odd mattress stacked in the back. In one damaged building, workers lay cement cinder blocks in a gaping hole in a wall. On the rubble of another, men swing sledgehammers at what remains of a collapsed top floor. Yahya, 34, says he returned to help people rebuild their homes but is reluctant to bring back his wife and three children, or any of their furniture. "People are scared to come back," he says, standing inside his small workshop, supplies hanging along the wall. "At any time, the regime could break the truce, start advancing or bombarding us again." In the town cemetery, 40-year-old Umm Abdu presses her forehead to the side of a tall white tombstone, a child in a face mask by her side. Amid the wild grass and spring flowers, she says she has only returned to Ariha briefly to visit the graves of two sons slain during the war. Along with her husband and five other children, Umm Abdu has lived in a mosque near the Turkish border for two months. If the situation remains stable, the family plans to move back by the end of April, even though their home has been destroyed. "Hopefully everything will go back to normal in our town and we can stay, and I can visit the graves of my two deceased children," she says. Emmanuel Samano, fourth from right, leads a drumming performance at La Chinesca alley in Mexicali, Mexico. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) For Mexico's biggest Chinatown, the ribbon cutting for a new cultural hub felt like the start of a long-hoped-for renaissance. There were lion and dragon dancers. Student musicians played tanggu, a traditional Chinese drum, beneath a string of red lanterns. New murals depicting local heroes who helped establish the community were unveiled. And there was a booth where people could learn how to write their names in Chinese characters. Cultural events were planned out for the next three months. That was in February. The novel coronavirus was already taking its deadly toll in China but had not yet become a crisis in Mexico or the United States. How quickly things changed in the place known in this sprawling border city as La Chinesca. Students wait for their parents to pick them up after class at the Chinese Assn. on March 8 in Mexicali, Mexico. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times) About 75% of Chinese restaurants in Mexicali's Chinatown have temporarily suspended their services with few offering limited take-out. The Chinese Assn. of Mexicali, which offers Mandarin language classes and helps newly arrived Chinese migrants settle in the city, shut its doors last month. "Every event has been canceled until this situation passes," said Ramon Yee, a representative of the Assn. of Chinese Descendants in Mexicali who is third-generation Chinese Mexican. "It's been lonely in the Chinesca. Only some businesses are open, but those are very few." In Mexicali, a city of some 690,000 people bordering the much smaller California town of Calexico, there were `216 confirmed and 122 suspected cases as of Thursday afternoon. By then, the number of deaths had grown to 22. Mexico has seen a growing number of infections and deaths. People pass murals painted on La Chinesca alley in Mexicali. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times) In La Chinesca, Chinese Mexicans have had to contend not just with fear of contracting the new coronavirus which was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December but also with a hyper-awareness of their Asian roots as reports of the pandemic have fueled anti-Chinese sentiment and racist attacks around the globe. Walking down the street in Mexicali, some Mexicans are quick to pull their eyes to the side with their fingers and dance, mimicking a Chinese person walking on the same street, some residents say. In grocery stores, Chinese people are accused of eating dogs. Before schools were shut down, Mexican students stopped socializing with Chinese students on campus, especially if they sneezed or coughed. Story continues Emmanuel Samano, a 38-year-old martial arts and lion-and-dragon dance instructor for the Chinese Assn. of Mexicali, said he and his students who are of Chinese descent have felt maligned. "When we arrived at an event to show our lion and dragon dances, as soon as they saw our dragons, we'd get comments like, 'Oh, they're bringing the coronavirus,'" Samano said, adding that he tried to change the topic to avoid conflict. A Mexicali street sign has both Spanish and Chinese characters. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times) "It's sad. ... It could be a way to cope with the stress and fear COVID-19 provokes," he said. "But from our end, we're focusing on continuing our work in showing that the Chinese culture is just another part of the world where you can find a lot of beautiful things." Despite this, many Chinese Mexicans say they have largely avoided the kind of scapegoating and personal attacks that have been recorded in other parts of the world, including the U.S. Most Mexicans acknowledge the important role the Chinese community has played in shaping Mexicali. For years, La Chinesca has struggled to keep its identity alive and vibrant, making the blow caused by the coronavirus feel especially painful. Chinese people still live in Mexicali but no longer live inside the businesses they owned or worked at in the downtown area. According to the association, there's an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 Chinese residents, including mestizos and descendants, though there hasn't been an official census count. Young people of Chinese descent are mainly Mexican-born, unlike their parents who were born and raised in Canton. "Our roots have slowly been lost because there was a point in history where in one way or another we experienced certain discrimination and families preferred speaking Spanish over Chinese and no longer taught their kids," said Yee, of the Assn. of Chinese Descendants in Mexicali. Mexicali's Chinese roots go back to the late 19th century. That's when a wave of Chinese immigrants began to call Mexicali home after they helped create railroads in the U.S. in the late 1800s. These immigrants joined other Chinese laborers who helped develop the Mexicali Valley under the Colorado River Land Co., whose top leaders included Los Angeles Times Publisher Harrison Gray Otis and his son-in-law Harry Chandler. Laborers created La Chinesca, an ethnic hub within a two-block perimeter of the city, where they found success with shoe stores, laundries, restaurants and cafes. That helped set the building blocks for the Chinese Assn. of Mexicali, which began its mission in 1919. About 60 years ago, it opened a school on its second floor to educate students of Chinese descent about their language and culture. Huilin Li, center, reviews students' work at the end of a general Chinese class at the Chinese Assn. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times) By late February, as the worldwide pandemic grew, the school, which could be packed with about 200 students on a typical weekend, quickly started seeing a drop-off in attendance until only several dozen pupils remained. In March, the school closed like others across Mexico. Esteban Leon, the association's academic director and third-generation Chinese Mexican, tried to reassure parents. He said teachers kept tabs on families who had traveled abroad to China. He kept a thermometer on hand in case students started showing symptoms. It did little to allay their fears. Students who attended Mandarin classes had felt the pandemic provided an opportunity to show support for their parents' motherland. A pinboard located on the first floor in the association's hallway displayed the names of parents and the amount of money they donated to help purchase masks to send to Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the coronavirus. This was before the outbreak hit the U.S. hard, and eventually Mexico. Cristina Chen, 42, the association's director of teachers, said her 12-year-old son Erick attended the Mandarin classes. "I have friends in Tijuana whose kids don't speak Mandarin," Chen said. "They can't read Chinese characters because they don't have a school where they can learn." Alexia Ma, 13, after class at the Chinese Assn. Ma is of Chinese heritage but was born in Mexicali and has lived there her whole life. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times) For the last seven years, Alexia Ma dedicated her weekends to perfecting her Mandarin. The 13-year-old sat attentively through classes every Saturday and Sunday until her parents made her stop going because they were afraid she'd get infected with COVID-19. Eventually, the family's flights to visit family in China were canceled by China Southern Airlines. The dual doses of bad news hit the teenager hard. She was born in this sprawling Mexican border city but had longed to revisit the homeland of her mother and father in Guangdong, a coastal province in southern China. "I was born here and I like Mexico but I'm just so proud to be Chinese," she said. "I cried a lot. ... I hadnt seen [my family] in a long time, and it had been even longer since my mom had seen her mom." Arson investigators are working to determine what sparked a fire inside a southeast Houston warehouse Friday afternoon. Houston firefighters were called to the large metal building in the 6400 block of Eppes Street around 1:20 p.m. and found heavy smoke pouring out of the eaves, according to District Chief Richard Cole. They had trouble getting into the building and were forced to cut through the metal walls to find the fire. MORE FROM JAY R. JORDAN: Abbott announces plan to reopen Texas economy The blaze appeared to be contained to a small office inside the building. The business, which manufactures emergency shut off valves, was closed Friday. Cole called for Houston Fire Department arson detectives to look into the cause and origin of the fire. No injuries were reported. 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 Normal is having your health insurance tied to your job and suddenly losing both, plus housing. Normal is driving hours back and forth to a job that doesnt pay you enough, doesnt care if you drop dead or become ill, and doesnt properly protect you from hazardous conditions. Normal means that our politicians dont warn of an impending pandemic but will dump their stocks after a closed-door meeting regarding said pandemic. Normal means that billionaires, many who have paid zero in taxes, will not help us or will give laughable amounts of money compared to what they are worth just to say they helped. Normal is having a half a million homeless people, half of whom have a serious mental illness. Normal is having the largest prison population in the world. And normal has gotten us 2 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus and nearly 131,000 deaths worldwide, as of Thursday. Police in Kwekwe have arrested three men suspected to be members of the armed gang of robbers who lured their victim from Harare before robbing him of $600 cash and other valuables at gunpoint. Officer Commanding Kwekwe District Chief Superintendent Conrad Mubaiwa confirmed the arrest of Cain Mukainganwa (34) of Mbizo, but has been based in Cape Town, South Africa; Obvious Mugodhi (23) and Tawanda Chiku, both from Mbizo. He said police also recovered a loaded pistol, believed to have been smuggled from South Africa. The three suspects were arrested on Monday following a tip-off from members of the public, said Chief Supt Mubaiwa. SAN DIEGO, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Longhouse Wines, a local San Diego wine company launched in 2017, announces it's signing with Scout Distribution, as it continues expansion throughout San Diego and Orange County. The award-winning wine brand recently increased production 232% over 2019 production levels to meet surging demand. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, GSM Red Blend "We are thrilled to have Longhouse Wines join the Scout Family! Their styles are a perfect complement to our portfolio as we continue to curate a high-quality, approachable wine program. They share our passion for bringing the best product and memorable customer service experience to our accounts," said Lisa Penwell Govenar, Sr. Director of Accounts, Scout Distribution. Founded by brothers Ryan and Andrew Jacobson, Longhouse Wines produces wines sourced from small "mom & pop" vineyards around California, with an emphasis on premium AVAs like the Sierra Foothills, Sonoma, and Monterey. The wines are characterized by refreshing natural acidity, complexity, and attention to detail. The name 'Longhouse' originates from a memorable childhood fort bearing the same name. "Scout Distribution represents everything that a distribution partner should be. Their 'rising tide lifts all boats' approach is what separates them from the rest. From brand awareness to product positioning, they are constantly pushing to further the advancement of their entire portfolio. We are excited to work with the Scout team as we build together," said Ryan Jacobson. Longhouse will initially offer three wines through Scout, with plans to release a new wine every three months. The initial offerings include: 2016 Monterey County Pinot Noir - An old vine Pinot Noir with concentrated red fruit notes and bright acidity. 2017 Sierra Foothills GSM Red Blend - A Rhone-style French blend, 70% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre. 2019 Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc - Produced in 100% Stainless Steel with notes of lemon zest, stone fruit, and tropical undertones. Andrew Jacobson explains, "The San Diego community has been amazing from the beginning. All of the positive feedback from stores, restaurants, and consumers has allowed us to create high-quality wines that we are proud of." "Seeing what Longhouse Wines has been able to accomplish with a team of two in San Diego has been very impressive, and we look forward to partnering up with them to help drive their sales forward. The wines they produce are fantastic and we couldn't be more excited to have them on board," commented Anthony Levas, Vice President, Scout Distribution. Ryan adds, "One thing that is worth mentioning is that the company culture at Scout is something special. They're all working long hours on little sleep but are having so much fun, you can't help but want to be a part of it." Media Contact: Ryan Jacobson Phone: (607)267-2114 Email: [email protected] Related Images longhouse-wines.jpg Longhouse Wines Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, GSM Red Blend longhouse-wines-logo.png Longhouse Wines Logo image3.jpg image4.jpg SOURCE Longhouse Wines A new report on working conditions at Amazon reveals there have been COVID-19 cases at more than half of the company's warehouses in the US and predicts the disease will spread exponentially among workers in the coming weeks. The report was prepared by the workers rights groups Athena Coalition and Hedge Clippers, using data from government health agencies and a range of local and national news sources. As of April 14th, the report claims, 'nearly 75' of Amazon's 110 US warehouse facilities have had at least one worker test positive for COVID-19, and without intervention the groups predict case numbers among Amazon workers will 'exponentially' increase. A new report from workers rights groups warns that COVID-19 infections could grow exponentially in Amazon's US warehouses without urgent intervention 'Amazon is responsible for not becoming a vector for the coronavirus,' the report says. 'The company must protect the health and safety of more than 250,000 people across 110 US warehouses, subcontracted delivery service partners, and 75,000 Flex drivers, for the sake of workers, their loved ones and Amazon customers.' The groups argue that Amazon's inadequate safety policies has placed a disproportionate burden on people of color, who make up 58 percent of the company's warehouse workers. A major breakout at Amazon warehouse facilities could have a devastating impact not just on the company's employees and contractors, but all of Amazon's customer base which includes more than 112 million Amazon Prime subscribers in the US. Amazon has disputed the report's findings, describing Athena Coalition and Hedge Clippers as 'self-interested critics' who are funded by unions and Amazon's competitors. The report recommends all Amazon warehouses be closed for two weeks for deep cleaning, and that the company suspend its rigorous productivity quotas to give workers more time to wash their hands and disinfect shared tools or work stations 'Nothing is more important than the safety of our teams,' Amazon spokesperson Kristen Kish told Vice. 'Since the early days of this situation, we have worked closely with health authorities to proactively respond, ensuring we continue to serve communities while taking care of our associates and teams.' 'And, we have implemented more than 150 significant process changes to support our teams including increasing rates of pay, adjusting time off and providing temperature checks, masks, gloves and other safety measures at our sites.' The Athena Coalition is a new collaborative project between more than 30 workers right groups that is partially backed by $15million in seed funding from George Soros's Open Society Foundations. Hedge Clippers is an open structure advocacy group dedicated to raising awareness on the exploitative effects of hedge funds on education, healthcare and workers rights. Amazon recently posted a blog highlighting a number of changes it's made at its warehouses, including daily temperature checks and regular face mask distribution for warehouse workers. Amazon disputes many of the claims in the report, saying it was funded by 'self-interested' pro-union groups, and points to the fact that it has raised wages $2 an hour for warehouse workers as well as offered face masks and daily temperature checks as evidence it's supporting workers The company has also increased the pay rate for US employees by $2 an hour, doubled overtime pay, and established a $25 million relief fund for partners like contract delivery drivers. Amazon is also working to develop its own in-house testing facilities to help identify and isolate infected workers. According to the Athena and Hedge Clippers report, these are piecemeal measures that don't adequately address the concerns of many of the company's workers. The groups call for Amazon to pay for COVID-19 testing and treatment, both for full-time employees and contractors, and offer full pay for all workers who self-quarantine for pre-existing health conditions or suspect a family member or housemate may be sick. They also say the company should give workers hazard pay equal to time and a half the hourly wage, not just a $2 an hour increase, and also suspend its productivity quotas for employees, which leave no time for proper protective sanitation. The group says Amazon should close all its warehouses for two weeks and perform a comprehensive disinfecting deep clean. A group of current and former workers have called for a 'virtual walkout' to protest the company's COVID-19 policies on April 24 The report arrives as another group of Amazon workers have announced plans to organize a one-day 'virtual workout' to protest the company's COVID-19 worker safety policies. 'We're asking tech workers to virtually walk out on Friday (April 24),' organizer Maren Costa said. A former Amazon employee, Costa was fired along with Emily Cunningham after criticizing the company's policies. 'We want to tell Amazon that we are sick of all this - sick of the firings, sick of the silencing, sick of pollution, sick of racism, and sick of the climate crisis.' MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI The number of coronavirus cases in Muskegon County has doubled since the start of the work week. There are now a total of 128 confirmed coronavirus cases in Muskegon County after the state of Michigan reported 18 new cases Friday, April 17, according to data on the state health department website. Thats up from 68 total cases on Monday. The number of deaths has remained at five since the most recent death was reported earlier this week. So far, Muskegon County officials have reported the coronavirus-related deaths of a 78-year-old man and an 83-year-old man on March 27, a 64-year-old woman on April 3, a 57-year-old man on April 4 and a 58-year-old man on April 13. Statewide, there were 760 new coronavirus cases reported Friday, bringing the states total number of cases to 30,023, according to data on the state of Michigan website. The number of deaths jumped by 134 to 2,227. Fifty-seven percent of Muskegon County coronavirus patients are female and 41 percent are male, according to data on the county health departments website. Two patients have been reported as an unknown gender, the website stated. Sixty percent of all coronavirus cases in Muskegon County are in the cities of Muskegon and Muskegon Heights. Muskegon Countys coronavirus patients range from ages 1-97, health officials reported. Forty percent of patients are within the ages of 50-69. The county health department confirmed Thursday that staff and residents of Muskegon County residential living facilities, like assisted living and adult foster care, have been hit by the coronavirus. County health officials declined to specify which facilities have been affected. RELATED: Coronavirus at Muskegon area group living facilities confirmed by health department Mercy Health would not provide MLive information on COVID-19 hospitalizations in Muskegon County, saying the information was private. MLive asked only for numbers, and no identifying information. A spokeswoman for the health department said she is not privy to hospitalization numbers in the county. In Oceana County, there was one new coronavirus case reported Friday, bringing the total to four. Theres been one death in the county, according to the district 10 health department website. In Newaygo County, there have been eight positive coronavirus cases and no deaths. 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: Friday, April 17: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan West Michigan company accused of fraudulent sales of N95 masks Medical experts say Michigans coronavirus death count isnt accurate. But is it too high or too low? Japanas cabinet said on Friday an official had tested positive for the coronavirus, making him the third case among officials at the cabinet office. The case inside the cabinet office comes as Japan has expanded a state of emergency to all regions. The move allows local municipalities to urge people to stay inside, but without punitive measures or legal force. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans a press conference later on Friday on the coronavirus, but details are not known yet. With more than 9,000 infections and nearly 200 deaths nationally, Abe said on Thursday the government is considering cash payouts for all in an effort to cushion the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The infected cabinet official in his 50s works at the cabinetas council for science, technology and innovation, but had no close contact with ministers around when he developed symptoms from April 10, an official at the cabinet office said. He was confirmed with the virus on April 16. Two officials who worked with the man, and were within two meters, are staying at home, based on cabinet policy, according to the cabinet office. Both have yet to test for the virus but public health centers in their towns will decide, depending on their conditions, according to the cabinet. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 13:42:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries have discussed efforts to combat COVID-19 and launch an economic recovery, the White House said on Thursday. In a statement, the White House said that G7 leaders agreed to take essential measures to ensure a coordinated global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to launch a robust recovery. "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," it said. The statement added that the leaders also touched upon the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) during the pandemic. "Much of the conversation centered on the lack of transparency and chronic mismanagement of the pandemic by the WHO," it said. However, the remarks of German Chancellor Angela Merkel during the video conference revealed that no consensus has been reached in this regard among G7 leaders. In a statement issued by Germany's federal government, Merkel told attendees that the crisis could only be tackled with a strong and coordinated international response, expressing her full support for the WHO and similar international groups. U.S. President Donald Trump has faced intense criticism at home and abroad over his decision to withhold the nation's funding to the WHO in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in U.S. Congress, on Wednesday called the decision "senseless," as the WHO is leading the global fight against COVID-19. The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 660,000 as of Thursday evening with more than 32,000 deaths, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Enditem Guns lined up in front of Attorney General Xavier Becerra press conference in Sacramento View Photo Sacramento, CA California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is defending the states ability to restrict what would normally be guaranteed rights and freedoms of people, during the coronavirus pandemic. Becerra told the Associated Press, The Constitution remains in place. The Constitution U.S. and our state constitution has provisions in it that address emergencies like this. And so I dont think theres any doubt that for the protection of peoples, not just their health but their lives, our government must take actions which protect our communities and the individuals in those communities. Becerra acknowledged the state is facing several lawsuits over the way health orders are picking winners and losers regarding whom can remain open. The lawsuits range from a group of churches wanting to assemble to gun rights advocates wishing to be able to purchase firearms. Becerra notes that coronavirus has also shifted the types of crimes his office is focusing in on. A recent priority has been cracking down on price gouging and scams related to COVID-19. The sad news of the suicide of the finance minister of Hesse state had shocked Germany in March. A second high-ranking member of the same ministry allegedly took his own life on Thursday, German media reported. Thomas Schaefer, the finance minister of Germany's Hesse state, had committed suicide apparently after becoming "deeply worried" over how to cope with the economic fallout from the coronavirus, state premier Volker Bouffier had said in March. According to Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), a second high-ranking member of the Hesse ministry of finance took his own life last Thursday. The RND cited an internal email that finance secretary Martin Worms allegedly sent to staff of the Wiesbaden-based ministry. The exact circumstances remain unclear but the senior member of staff was found dead in his office, German media said, adding that initial police investigations pointed towards suicide. A "disgusting" queue-jumper at Poundland has been jailed after spitting at store staff and police officers. Darren Swain was sentenced to six months in prison at Leeds Magistrates' Court, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Friday. Swain, 57, became aggressive and abusive to staff who were supervising a queue of shoppers at the Poundland store in Castleford, West Yorkshire, a CPS spokeswoman said. It happened as the staff were allowing only a restricted number into the store at any one time to ensure social distancing. "Swain attempted to jump the queue and, when prevented by staff, coughed theatrically into the air close to them and to nearby members of the public," the spokeswoman said. "He then gargled and spat in the direction of a female staff member, and laughed. 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 "When police officers arrived at the scene, he spat at them also." She said Swain was sentenced on Thursday after admitting common assault and common assault on emergency workers. Gerry Wareham, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Yorkshire and Humberside, said: "Swain's behaviour was both disgusting and dangerous. "His actions potentially endangered not only members of the public who were patiently waiting their turn in the queue, but also the staff at Poundland, and the police officers who attended - all of whom were attempting to carry out their duties in challenging circumstances. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor * Huge discounts of $50-70/oz offered in China BENGALURU/MUMBAI, April 17 (Reuters) - Physical gold demand in China continued to be in the doldrums this week as the coronavirus-led restrictions stalled activity, with dealers in the top consumer offering massive discounts. Traders and dealers quoted massive discounts of about $50 to $70 over benchmark spot prices in China, the biggest on record as per data going back to 2014. "In the short term, until the coronavirus disappears, I don't see any physical demand in China," said Peter Fung, head of dealing at Wing Fung Precious Metals. Spot gold prices traded between $1,672.69 and $1,746.50 an ounce this week, a peak since 2012. "I heard jewellery stores stocked up in January so they're now stuck with all of that and this week, could be more interested in selling for cash," said Samson Li, a Hong Kong-based precious metals analyst at Refinitiv GFMS. The Hong Kong market, however, did exhibit some signs of steady activity, with premiums around $0.50-$1.00. "We resumed operations so we're getting better but on the economy side, most shops are still closed," said Dick Poon, general manager at Heraeus Metals Hong Kong Ltd. Singapore saw premiums of $1.50-$3 an ounce, although restrictions strained supply and reduced retail activity, traders said. "Bullion sales remain very high as clients scramble to protect their wealth in physical gold and silver amidst the crisis in the real economy," said Vincent Tie, sales manager at Silver Bullion, adding customers were opting for online purchases. Singapore's annual exports growth accelerated in March, driven by a jump in shipments of pharmaceuticals and gold. However, high premiums on retail gold has slowed physical demand, said Spencer Campbell, director at Precious Metals Consultants SE Asia Consulting in Singapore. In the world's second biggest bullion consumer, India, an extended lockdown kept physical gold trading suspended while local prices soared to a record. "Bullion industry is not expecting any kind of respite from the lockdown in near future," said a Mumbai-based dealer with a bullion importing bank. India's gold consumption in 2020 could fall as much as 50% from last year as the lockdown has closed jewellery stores during key festival and wedding seasons. Japan, which also recently declared an emergency due to the outbreak, saw premiums of $0.50-$1.00 an ounce, a Tokyo-based retailer said, adding supply constraints led to a slight rise in premiums from last week's $0.50 level. Meanwhile, in Thailand, cash-strapped citizens rushed to sell gold in Bangkok's Chinatown as prices in the Thai baht surged to an all-time high this week. WASHINGTON - A team of government officials - led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - has created a public health strategy to combat the coronavirus and reopen parts of the country. Their strategy, obtained by The Washington Post, is part of a larger White House effort to draft a national plan to get Americans out of their homes and back to work. It gives guidance to state and local governments on how they can ease mitigation efforts, moving from drastic restrictions such as stay-at-home orders in a phased way to support a safe reopening. CDC and FEMA officials have worked on the public health response for at least the past week, and the resulting document by the two agencies has been discussed at the White House including by members of the coronavirus task force, according to two administration officials speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. President Donald Trump wants a final detailed plan on reopening the country ready within days so he can issue suggestions for some states to reopen May 1, officials said. "The plans to reopen the country are close to being finalized," Trump said at a White House briefing Tuesday. Trump said he planned to speak with all 50 governors "very shortly" and would then begin authorizing individual governors to implement "a very powerful reopening plan" at a specific time and date for each state. He said about 20 states have avoided the outbreaks that have affected others, and he hinted that some could begin restarting their economies even before May 1. "We think we're going to be able to get them open very quickly," Trump said. He added: "We will hold the governors accountable. But again, we're going to be working with them to make sure it works very well." Other agencies and White House officials have drafted similar planning documents, a White House aide said. The version obtained by The Post appears to be an early draft by FEMA and contains granular instructions for a phased reopening of institutions such as schools, child-care facilities, summer camps, parks, faith-based organizations and restaurants. Within the White House, one senior administration official said, Trump has been so insistent on the reopening that some officials worry only a narrow window exists to provide information to change the president's mind or to ensure that the effort to reopen does not significantly add to the country's still rising number of infections and deaths. The president has not committed to following the guidelines delineated in the draft. "Beneath the bluster of the president saying May 1, and he's in charge, and all the other things, there are real efforts to figure out how we could safely and actually do this," that official said. A federal official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss evolving plans said the overall planning document has eight parts; the public health response obtained by The Post represents only two of those parts. The public health response portion of "A Framework for Re-Opening America" is dated April 10. It runs 36 pages. An 11-page executive summary called "Focus on the Future - Going to Work for America" was the subject of discussions last week by FEMA and CDC officials, among others. "It's a road map for if they want to do it gradually," said one participant in the planning who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plan has not been made official. The plan lays out three-phases: Preparing the nation to reopen with a national communication campaign and community readiness assessment until May 1. Then, the effort, through May 15, would involve ramping up manufacturing of testing kits and personal protective equipment and increasing emergency funding. Then staged reopenings would begin, depending on local conditions. The plan does not give specific dates for reopenings but specified "not before May 1." The first priority, according to the CDC response document, is to "reopen community settings where children are cared for, including K-12 schools, day cares, and locally attended summer camps, to allow the workforce to return to work. Other community settings will follow with careful monitoring for increased transmission that exceeds the public health and health care systems." The document also says that during phased reopenings, it is critical to strictly follow recommendations on hand-washing and wearing face coverings in group settings. The plan also carries this warning: "Models indicate 30-day shelter in place followed by 180 day lifting of all mitigation results in large rebound curve - some level of mitigation will be needed until vaccines or broad community immunity is achieved for recovering communities." The document says re-opening communities in this phased approach "will entail a significant risk of resurgence of the virus." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Any reopening must meet four conditions: - Incidence of infection is "genuinely low." - A "well functioning" monitoring system capable of "promptly detecting any increase in incidence" of infection. - A public health system that is "reacting robustly" to all cases of covid-19 and has surge capacity to react to an increase in cases. - A health system that has enough inpatient beds and staffing to rapidly scale up and deal with a surge in cases. The plan describes the conditions under which it is reasonable to lift some community mitigation measures, the phased steps to reduce those measures and indicators to monitor the impact of transmission on public health and health system capacities. Communities where it is necessary to maintain only "low mitigation" are places where the virus never spread significantly, and those locations can reopen soon, according to the document. Moderate mitigation is called for in former hot spots entering "controlled recovery." Significant mitigation is recommended in current or emerging hot spots, or moderate mitigation communities showing signs of strained capacity. In a community following the moderate mitigation track, the report says, schools could remain open with enhanced distancing measures, such as no assemblies, no sporting events and staggered scheduling. The document calls for the CDC to establish a Covid-19 Response Corps to help state and local health departments with key public health functions, including contact tracing, which involves locating people who may have had contact with someone infected with the coronavirus. Health experts in recent days have called for federal and state officials to help expand capacity throughout the country for the labor-intensive work of tracing people who have come into contacted with infected patients, because local health departments lack the necessary staff, money and training. The plan also says that solutions for "app-based case and contact investigations will be necessary for augmenting the actions of public health workers and for greatly increasing the important role of slowing covid-19 transmission in the community." Tech experts and companies such as Google and Apple are developing software that uses cellphones and apps to track people's movements. Once someone is confirmed as infected with the coronavirus, public health workers could go back and trace people the infected person has come into contact with. But the invasive nature of cellphone tracking and apps have raised sharp concerns about civil liberties. The document calls for a workforce of 670 to support communities to do contact tracing as part of a surge staff, not nearly large enough based on plans from other groups. Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked the country's lead agency in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic to take measures to cope up with the deadly disease during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan as the number of Covid-19 cases in the country crossed 7,000. Khan was on Thursday addressing a meeting of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), which has been formed to take unanimous decision on all issues related to the coronavirus. It became operational earlier this month. The NCOC officials were asked to take steps to fight the disease during the month of Ramadan which starts from April 23. He ordered compilation of accurate data about Covid-19 patients and the number of deaths, according to officials. The spike in the number of cases in the last two days has been due to the increase in the per day testing capacity. Officials said that the testing capacity was being gradually raised to 25,000 people per day by the end of this month. The number of Covid-19 cases in the country rose to 7,125 after 497 new infections were reported in the last 24 hours, according to the latest official data. At least 11 people died during the period, taking the number of total deaths in the country to 135. A total of 1,765 people have recovered so far from the disease. The Ministry of National Health Services reported that Punjab registered 3,376 cases, Sindh 2,008, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 993, Balochistan 303, Gilgit-Baltistan 245 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 46. So far 84,794 tests have been conducted, including 6,264 in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, the government has urged has urged people to offer the Friday prayers at home to contain the spread of the disease. The Sindh provincial government has imposed complete restrictions on the movement of people from 12-3 pm. The government is facing difficulties in holding people back as hardline clerics earlier this week announced to resume congregational prayers in mosques in clear defiance of the government directives to curb the spread of the pandemic. The government has banned prayer congregations of more than five people as part of its measures to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Despite the government's pleas to observe social distancing, a group of hardline clerics held a meeting in Karachi on April 14 to discuss the issue of ban on such prayers and announced to resume congregational prayers. Despite efforts by the government, there has no been much improvement in curbing the spread of the disease and as the government allowed opening up of selected industries, it was feared that the disease might further spread. PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-17 12:30:54 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 976 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Empower Clinics closes private placement of $653,000.00 to support the Company growth plan and goes live with physician based immune boosting tele-medicine consultations with online professional supplement dispensingVANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 17, 2020 / EMPOWER CLINICS INC. (CSE:CBDT)(Frankfurt:8EC)(OTCQB:EPWCF) ("Empower" or the "Company"), a vertically integrated life sciences company, is pleased to announce the closing of its non-brokered private placement of an aggregate of 16,325,000 units of the Company (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.04 per Unit for gross proceeds of $653,000.00 (the "Offering").The proceeds of the Offering are expected to be used by the Company for general working capital and corporate purposes.The Company, as part of the recently announced digital health initiative, has added physician based tele-medicine consultations to address immune system boosting requirements for existing patients and new patients, on a nationwide basis. The Company clinics have also seen a 480% increase in patient visits in the first half of April 2020."Securing additional capital provides our Company more flexibility to support our staff and patients, during such a difficult time in history", said Steven McAuley, Chairman & CEO. "We are hiring physicians and administrative staff right now to meet patient demand and adding technology resources to ensure our new services are available nationwide." In addition, our network of physicians will now be able to dispense over 250 premium supplement products to support patients' needs, through a new online Sun Valley Health supplement store."Our new telemedicine platform is extremely robust, giving us the opportunity to provide a variety of modalities to our patients." said Dustin Klein, Director and SVP Business Development. "We are focused on helping patients boost their immune systems and reduce stress and anxiety that may arise with isolation and social distancing." Each Unit is comprised of one Share and one Warrant, with each Warrant exercisable into one Warrant Share at an exercise price of $0.10 per Warrant Share for a period of two years following the Closing.The Units, and the underlying Shares, Warrants and Warrant Shares (collectively, the "Securities"), are subject to restrictions on resale under applicable Canadian securities laws for a period of four months and one day from the closing of the Offerings. None of the Securities have been or will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the securities, in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would require registration or otherwise be unlawful.ABOUT EMPOWEREmpower is a vertically integrated health & wellness company operating a network of physician-staffed wellness clinics, focused on helping patients improve and protect their health, through innovative physician recommended treatment options. The Company has its first hemp-derived CBD extraction facility under development, to produce proprietary lines of cannabidiol (CBD) based products to distribute through company owned and franchised clinics, wholesale partnerships, online channels and developing retail channels nationwide in the U.S.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:Steven McAuleyChief Executive OfficerInvestors: Dustin KleinDirectordustin@svmmjcc,com720-352-1398Investors: Steven McAuleyCEOs.mcauley@ empowerclinics.com 604-789-2146For French inquiries: Remy Scalabrini, Maricom Inc., E: rs@ maricom.ca , T: (888) 585-MARIDISCLAIMER FOR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTSThis news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively "forward looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements can frequently be identified by words such as "plans", "continues", "expects", "projects", "intends", "believes", "anticipates", "estimates", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or information that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding; the Company's intention to open a hemp-based CBD extraction facility, the expected benefits to the Company and its shareholders as a result of the proposed acquisitions and partnerships; the effectiveness of the extraction technology; the expected benefits for Empower's patient base and customers; the benefits of CBD based products; the effect of the approval of the Farm Bill; the growth of the Company's patient list and that the Company will be positioned to be a market-leading service provider for complex patient requirements in 2019 and beyond. Such statements are only projections, are based on assumptions known to management at this time, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including; that the Company may not open a hemp-based CBD extraction facility; that legislative changes may have an adverse effect on the Company's business and product development; that the Company may not be able to obtain adequate financing to pursue its business plan; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; failure to obtain any necessary approvals in connection with the proposed acquisitions and partnerships; and other factors beyond the Company's control. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this release, which are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation%2 The Konongo Area of The Church of Pentecost has donated medical supplies worth over GHC7,000.00 to the Asante Akim Health Directorate for onward distribution to 14 public and private health facilities and the Divisional Police office within its administrative enclave in support of the efforts by the health directorate in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. The items were presented to the health directorate by the Area Head, Apostle Frederick K. Andoh on Thursday, April 16, 2020 during a brief meeting with the health directors and some staff of Asante Akim Central Municipality, Asante Akim North and South District. Others in the meeting included representatives of the various health facilities, some Pastors and key personalities in the Konongo Area of the Church. The meeting was held at the forecourt of Asante Akim Central Municipal Health office in Konongo. Items donated include Veronica buckets, hand sanitizers, tissue papers, Soaps and packs of bottled water. According to the Area Head, Apostle Frederick K. Andoh, the donation was part of the church's support to the fight against the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic by providing the frontline health officials the needed support in the battle against the deadly virus. Receiving the items on behalf of the three health directorates, Dr. Martin Sarfo Osei, the Asante Akim Central Municipal Health Director commended the church for the timely intervention. According to the director, he was very much satisfied with the church's intelligent efforts to provide such important items not only to the public health facilities but to the private as well. He further made a clarion call on all to get involved by observing the safety protocols outlined by the GHS to help curb the spread of the deadly COVID-19. While pledging to put the items to good use, Dr. Martin Sarfo Osei asked God's blessings on the church for the gesture. Chief Superintendent Osei Shaibu, the Asante Akim Divisional Police Commander who was there to receive items on behalf of his division, was very worried about how many people have disregarded the President's directive on social distancing and other safety protocols. He hinted that they were going to step up their efforts to ensure that all protocols issued by relevant agencies in the fight against the pandemic are respected and adhered to. Billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer, who launched an expensive unsuccessful presidential campaign, will co-chair a task force in California that will focus on getting the economy up and running again. The panel, announced on Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, will be composed of more than 70 members including former Chair of the Federal Reserve Janet Yellen, Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger and Apple CEO Tim Cook. Steyer's co-chair will be Newsom's chief of staff Ann O'Leary, a former senior advisor to Hilary Clinton. The task force's goal is to help Californian's recover as fast as possible from the economic calamity resulting from the coronavirus. The economic task force will meet twice a month through 2020. California's economy is the fifth largest in the world and Newsom has acknowledged the stunning economic toll of the coronavirus. A record 2.7 million Californians have filed for unemployment benefits in the last month, according to the governor. The Newsom administration projects the unemployment rate could top records set during the 2009 Great Recession when close to 13% of Californian's were unemployed. Despite California being the most populous state in the country and containing two densely packed cities San Francisco and Los Angeles a relatively low 28,000 cases have been confirmed in the state, including 970 deaths, according to California's Health Department. Briefing With Dr. William Walters, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Operations, Bureau of Medical Services; Deputy Assistant Secretary Hugo Yon, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs; and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Ian Brownlee, Bureau of Consular Affairs On COVID-19: Updates on Health Impact and Assistance for American Citizens Abroad Special Briefing Dr. William Walters, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Operations, Bureau of Medical Services Hugo Yon, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Affairs Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Ian G. Brownlee, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Bureau of Consular Affairs Via Teleconference April 16, 2020 MR BROWN: Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome to what is our ninth briefing on the State Department's unprecedented effort to bring Americans home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since this effort began at the end of January, we've helped bring home over 63,000 Americans from all corners of the globe. Today we have three subject matter experts for this on-the-record briefing to help tell that extraordinary story: Ian Brownlee, our Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary from the Bureau of Consular Affairs; Dr. William Walters, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Operations from the Bureau of Medical Services; and Hugo Yon, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Transportation Affairs in our Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. Dr. Walters will begin with some opening remarks and turn it over to DAS Yon. Following that, PDAS Brownlee will give the latest repatriation figures, and then we'll have time to take a few of your questions. A reminder that this briefing is embargoed until the end of the call. Dr. Walters, please go ahead. DR WALTERS: Thank you and good afternoon, colleagues. The Bureau of Medical Services continues to support the COVID response and the health and welfare of the workforce, and happy to say that our efforts and the efforts of the department in both social distancing and taking appropriate measures while continuing the meet the mission are paying off. Current cases are 187 overseas with 125 recovered cases, and current cases domestically are 72. We're showing four recovered cases, but part of the discrepancy there is likely cases that are picked up by state and local public health for monitoring, and so we anticipate that trend line is much closer to what you would see if you mapped out the overseas cases. Overall, we have a healthy workforce, and look forward to taking your questions. MR BROWN: DAS Yon, please go ahead. MR YON: Okay. Good afternoon. Hey, I'm glad to be back along with Dr. Walters and Ian Brownlee. Last time I spoke with you, I highlighted a new way that we at the department have worked with the U.S. airline industry to deploy commercial rescue flights. Today I'll quickly recap, provide a few examples, and note how we are putting the commercial rescue model in place as mass repatriation operations wind down country by country. Since early March, the department's Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs has been coordinating with our embassies and airlines to facilitate over 280 commercial rescue flights. These flights have been used to repatriate more than 27,000 American citizens, and at no cost to the U.S. taxpayer. That 27,000 is over 40 percent of all Americans repatriated from around the world. Amid the worst crisis in the aviation industry's history, our commercial carriers and other partners helped double the department's capacity to repatriate Americans. Our airlines are exhibiting flexibility to stand up these unique commercial rescue flights in the face of unprecedented challenges in host countries, such as reduced airport functions, curfews and internal travel restrictions in those countries, and quarantine requirements. Their provision of these flights has allowed the department to prioritize resources to where they are needed the most. This commercial rescue model has been particularly successful in Latin America and Caribbean countries, from which the vast majority of Americans were repatriated. I'll provide you just a few examples. From Honduras we were able to repatriate 4,600 American citizens on commercial rescue flights without the need for any State Department-funded charters. We worked with our embassy and United Airlines to provide commercial rescue flights within 48 hours of the Honduran Government's orders to close the country's borders and suspend international flights. In Ecuador, despite increasingly challenging flight restrictions, we worked with our embassy to facilitate the vast majority of the 3,500 American repatriations on commercial rescue flights operated by Eastern Airlines, Swift Air, Sun Country Airlines, and United Airlines. In Haiti, within just a few days of suspended scheduled service flights, commercial rescue operations operated by American Airlines, Eastern Airlines, and Jet Blue facilitated the repatriation of over 1,300 American citizens. In Peru U.S. Embassy Lima has been has helped repatriate over 7,200 U.S. citizens to date. We continue to help the U.S. citizens who remain there to return to the United States. Embassy Lima's repatriation efforts just transitioned to facilitating commercial rescue flights, with one scheduled to depart today and more planned in the coming days. The embassy is offering repatriation loans for U.S. citizens who request assistance to help pay for the flight tickets. Overall, we are winding down department-chartered flights in countries where the vast majority of Americans have already come home. As we do that, we are focusing on our ability to conduct more commercial rescue operations. Our embassies play a critical role in convincing countries to provide the necessary approvals to allow these on-demand repatriation flights to happen. In addition to airlines operating large aircraft, airlines that operate smaller aircraft and private jets have also expressed a readiness to help, and we expect those airlines to play a larger role when numbers of Americans needing repatriation become smaller in each country. That said, we can't guarantee that there will be flights into an uncertain future, so Americans still overseas who want to come home should register with our embassies through the STEP program and get on available flights now. I look forward to your questions. Thank you. MR BROWNLEE: Good afternoon. Thanks very much for the opportunity to speak with all of you again. I'm really glad to be back here because today I have this wonderful opportunity. Any incisive questions you may have can be directed to my good friend and colleague Hugo Yon, please. It may seem like Groundhog Day to you and me as we come together yet again to discuss the same topic, but really day in and day out, our State Department teams around the world and back here at home have been getting up, going to work all over again, and working relentlessly to help Americans and to get this job done. It is truly, as Cale said, an incredible and historic accomplishment. I want to take a moment to recognize individually a few of those posts around the world that have been doing so much to get our Americans home via air, land, and sea. For example, yesterday the final repatriation flight with Greg Mortimer cruise ship, which had been stranded in Uruguayan waters since March 27th, brought home the last U.S. the last six U.S. citizen passengers. Our embassy team down there in Montevideo worked closely with the Government of Uruguay to repatriate over 130 citizens on seven different cruise ships. Despite other countries in the region closing their borders and refusing to allow cruise ship passengers to disembark, the Government of Uruguay continued to work closely with diplomatic missions to ensure an emergency sanitary corridor was put in place to move passengers in the port side to the airport for their onward flights. Our embassy in Montevideo worked with several U.S. Government agencies, the cruise ship companies, and the Government of Uruguay to ensure flights were made available for American passengers to depart Uruguay. As I previewed to you in earlier briefings, and as Hugo just told us, we have now shifted to commercially managed flights in Peru. Our embassy in Lima is still supporting those efforts by providing logistical advice to Eastern Airlines and by issuing transit letters for U.S. citizens to present to Peruvian security officials at checkpoints. The first of these flights left Lima today and there's another scheduled for Saturday. We are happy to report this transition has been a smooth one, and that with the help of private sector partners and foreign governments, there are sustainable, long-term transportation options for Americans abroad. I also want to take this opportunity to highlight our team's efforts on repatriations from Africa since we haven't focused as much on that region in our briefings so far. The department has coordinated the repatriation of 10,878 U.S. citizens from Africa so far, and we continue to work closely with host governments and partners on these efforts. Providing help to U.S. citizens spread across such a vast continent, including some on remote islands, has posed a particular challenge when host countries have imposed severe internal travel restrictions. For example, in Namibia, our embassy in Windhoek helped get 43 U.S. citizens home on a special commercial flight, the logistics of which required many sections of the embassy to pitch in. The regional security office worked with local police to make sure Americans coming from around the country could pass through checkpoints. At the same time, the consular section was hard at work sending messages through STEP, e-mail, FaceTime, WhatsApp, and making phone calls to keep the 43 passengers informed about logistics. We will continue to be creative and pursue all possible solutions, but as the Secretary has said, our ability to assist U.S. citizens is limited by demand and resources. In some areas, local conditions such as quarantines or remoteness may compel Americans on the ground to shelter in place until the crisis is passed. Given these challenges, it is especially important that the U.S. citizens who are still abroad make sure they are registered in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, STEP, and make themselves known to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. With that, I look forward to your questions. Thank you very much. MR BROWN: Okay, for our first question, can you open the line of Matt Lee? QUESTION: I'll be very brief. For Doc Walters, I just wanted to check to make sure that the fatalities, the deaths, are still where they were when we last had a call. And then kind of a more esoteric question for PDAS Brownlee. You mentioned remote islands off Africa. I remember kind of early on in this whole thing there was concern about Americans who might be stranded on Easter Island. Did anything ever come of that? Were there people actually there? And also in places like the Andaman Islands off of India, which are I know that you've talked in the past about getting people out of base camp at Everest and other places, but in terms of those islands that are really out of the off the beaten track, are there any examples of repatriation from there? Thank you. DR WALTERS: Afternoon, Matt. No change in the deaths from previous report. MR BROWNLEE: And Matt, Ian here. Yeah, we were hearing reports about folks on Easter Island. I'm not seeing anything, so I do not know. Either they weren't there or they've made it back, because there were still commercial flights out of Santiago, so it could very well be that these folks managed to make their way back from Easter Island to the mainland and come on in. And what I was really referring to was some a young woman who was on one of the really remote islands in the Maldives, and there were complete inter-island restrictions imposed there, and so it took a great deal of effort to get her moved from where she was to the airport so she could get out. But I believe that has now been effected. I have not heard anything about the Andamans, but I wouldn't be surprised. Over. MR BROWN: Okay, for the next question, can we go to the line of Lara Jakes? QUESTION: I was wondering I think, Ian, this goes to you, but if somebody could explain to me whether there is a policy that requires embassy staff to book flights out before it's offered to American citizens. I understand that's happening and was just curious as to why. MR BROWNLEE: I'm not sure I'm clear on the question. To book flights out before they're made available; is that what you're asking? QUESTION: So yes, embassy staff get first priority to leave on the flights before they're open to American citizens in whatever country to book flights out. MR BROWNLEE: No, we had we are on worldwide authorized departure and ordered departure in some areas, and in some areas we are continuing to bring what we call chief of mission personnel, either employees or family members, out. This is an ongoing thing, so no, they're not getting first dibs, because we've brought out whatever it is, 64,000 private U.S. citizens, and we're still continuing to bring out some chief of mission personnel. Does that answer the question? MR BROWN: Yeah, I believe it does. Thanks. Let's go to the line of Tracy Wilkinson. QUESTION: Thanks. One of you I think it was Hugo mentioned repatriation loans that travelers can avail themselves of. Could you talk a little bit more about that? I mean, how do you qualify, how do you apply for that? I assume a traveler doesn't have the money to pay for his or her ticket home and you guys lend that person the money, but how does it all work? I don't know about MR BROWNLEE: Yes. Tracy, hi. This is Ian. That's really a consular question. QUESTION: Okay, thanks. MR BROWNLEE: This is a long, longstanding program, and I've been at this for 31 years now, and I was doing repat loans back when I was a first-tour vice consul. So it's been around for at least that long. And it wasn't a new thing then, I don't think. And essentially, what it says is, if we've got a U.S. citizen who is overseas and destitute, unable to pay their way home again, we may lend them the money to buy that ticket. And as I say, this is a program of longstanding, used many, many times a year around the world. Now, obviously, in these circumstances with a near-complete shutdown of international air travel and the stranding of so many people, we are processing more repat loans than we previously did, but essentially, it is the same program that has existed for a long time. So we have people availing themselves of this program in I know in Peru and in other places, in Africa, a great many places. Over. MR BROWN: Great. For our next question, can we go to the line of Carol Morello? QUESTION: (Inaudible.) Say, I saw on your repatriation website that you at one point got nine Americans on two flights out of Somalia. Are you still able to get Americans out of Somalia when it's such small numbers and it's such a difficult place to get someone out of? Can you still extract people from Somalia? Thank you. DR WALTERS: This is Dr. Walters MR BROWNLEE: Hi, Carol. Ian here. It is an yeah, I'll let Doc Walters come in on the specifics of those nine, but let me just say that with regard to folks who are in many, many parts of Somalia, our ability to assist them is very limited given the dire security situation on the ground there. Our folks rarely leave the compound except to go to the airport. But with regard to the specifics, I'll let Doc Walters answer. DR WALTERS: Yeah. So the Bureau of Medical Services, working closely with posts and Diplomatic Security, maintains a contract aviation capability. As Ian pointed out, any operation inside of Somalia is dangerous and complex, but yes, we still have the ability to extract certainly chief of mission personnel, DOD service members, and in rare instances that can be carefully coordinated and choreographed, others that, again, coordinated carefully through the mission there in Mogadishu. MR BROWNLEE: Ian here. What we have a hard time doing is assisting anybody who isn't right within that right within Mogadishu. Over. MR BROWN: Okay, thanks. Next, can we go to the line of Courtney McBride? QUESTION: Thanks. Just to return quickly to the cost question, do you have any details and this may be something to take to the record but on the cost to individual citizens for the various methods of repatriation, the commercial flights and charters? And then on the repatriation loans, what account within the department covers that, and what are the terms or the timelines for repayment? MR BROWNLEE: Let me take Ian here. Let me take the last part, and I think Hugo is better placed to address the first part. There is a fund made available to the Bureau of Consular Affairs for repatriation loans. In normal times, it is at about a million dollars that gets replenished and as they get drawn down. These are not entirely normal times in this respect, so I couldn't tell you what the running balance is. What happens is somebody takes out the loan, we purchase the ticket, they come home again, and we pass the loan to another part of the State Department for a collection effort. We have a very high repayment rate on those loans, so it's I don't know, does that answer your question? DR WALTERS: And it's Dr. Walters. I can take the first one, actually. MR BROWNLEE: Okay. DR WALTERS: The first part of the question was with regard to calculation of what amounts to a ticket price, right, what on a repatriation flight that is not a commercial rescue, but a what we would call a K Fund flight, the amount due for reimbursement legally required by the department to seek is the cost of a full-fare, Y-class economy ticket from that location back to whatever the destination is in most cases, back to Washington, D.C. And so our office of transportation management goes back through the ticketing system, identifies what the price of that type of ticket would be and essentially, this is the ticket you would get if you walked up to the counter prior to that this global pandemic. And that is the amount of money that becomes the basis of a promissory note. MR YON: Hi, this is Hugo. Let me add to that, is so that's for the K Fund flights and so it's there's a upper limit on what the charge is. For a commercial flight, the State Department doesn't determine that price. That is a price that the airlines charge themselves. In this time of COVID-19 with the unprecedented response from multiple all the countries around the world, there are a number of obstacles to normal flight. So these special flights have to overcome a number of obstacles, including our own K Fund flights, and those obstacles increase the risk and the cost of these flights. And we understand that those are the factors that go into the pricing that the airlines price, and again, some of those hurdles severely reduced airport services due to internal host country curfews. There simply aren't enough airline workers to service the airport. Second, requirements to fly the planes empty to the country. As a country's borders are closed, you can't fly any passengers down, so there increases the cost. Another one is the internal movement restrictions that can cause American citizens to not make it to the airport in time for their flight, so then you have people who don't get on the planes, and that also increases price pressure. So that's a little bit more on the commercial rescue side of the pricing. I hope that answers the question. Over. MR BROWN: Okay. For our next question, can we go to the line of Conor Finnegan? QUESTION: Hey, I have two questions. First, there are a handful of Americans who are working on one of Holland America's cruise ships, the MS Volendam, and they're unable to disembark in the Bahamas. What kind of consular service or advice would you have for them as they're sort of trapped in that scenario? And generally, what kind of recommendations are you making for the hundreds of Americans, if not more, that are still out to sea on these cruise ships? And then secondly, and this may not be relevant to what it may not be a question the three of you can answer, but on Secretary Pompeo's call yesterday with Yang Jiechi of China, he noted the importance of continued exportation of medical supplies. Are you seeing shortages here in terms of either particular medicines or equipment because of China's export controls that they've put in place over COVID? MR BROWN: We'll tackle the second question as a taken question, but we can tackle the first one. MR BROWNLEE: With regard to cruise ships, you are correct that I think almost all of the passengers are off almost all of the cruise ships by now. That one I mentioned at the top, the Greg Mortimer, was one of the last that I'm aware of. This does leave some number, some fairly significant number of U.S. citizen crew members on cruise ships. And there are a number of them around the world that are seeking to get into port and then to be able to disembark their crews. We are working with governments where these ships are trying to put ashore so that U.S. citizens and likeminded government, fellow other governments are working in the same ports to try to get their nationals off the ships. But what we're finding is, in a great many places, the governments are simply refusing to allow the ships to come in and to dock. What we're doing is continuing to press to let these folks get off the ships. In the meantime, they're on board the ship, where they're being fed and taken care of by the cruise line themselves. Over. MR YON: Hi, this is Hugo. Let me try to address the second part of the question. In terms of the part of the question on the short supply, I want to defer you to FEMA. They are the ones tracking that, could give you a better answer. What I can say is that we in the State Department and the Economic Bureau, along with other agencies in the White House, have been working very hard with the Chinese to keep cargo and critical cargo moving between our countries, including air cargo that carries this PPE that's important in the battle against COVID-19. So we've had good communications and working on facilitating planes and crews to keep those kinds of goods moving. Over. MR BROWN: Okay, for the next question, I think we have time for two more. Let's go to the line of Said Arikat. QUESTION: Thank you. I have a very quick question. Your call for all Americans to return includes security contractors that are maybe under contract with the U.S. military or foreign governments in places like Iraq and Afghanistan? Thank you. MR BROWNLEE: My call is not necessarily for all Americans to return; it's for all Americans to decide whether they seek our assistance in returning now, or to be prepared to ride out some indefinite stay where they are. Over. MR BROWN: Nick? Okay, I hear nothing there. Let's go to the line of Kylie Atwood. QUESTION: Hi there. Thanks for doing this. Two questions. So when you guys are done, to the best of your ability, with these repatriation efforts, what does the task force plan to do? Like, how long will you guys be stood up, and is there another mission related to coronavirus that you guys will refocus on, I guess? And then the second question is General Tod Wolters, commander of U.S. European Command, said that they got three Americans out of Kabul this week to treat them for COVID. And I'm just wondering, were any of them U.S. embassy officials? Thank you. MR BROWNLEE: I'll take the first part of that. We have no intention of pulling down or terminating this task force. This is going to be an ongoing effort. It may cease to be a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week, in-person operation at some point in the future may cease to be that. We are beginning discussions as to what this should look like going out into the future. But it will continue. There's no end date in mind. So we will not be turning to something else; we'll be continuing to address the needs of U.S. citizens overseas as the pandemic hopefully wanes, but as it develops over the future months. Over. DR WALTERS: Hi, this is Dr. Walters. The three individual it's tough to say for certain, so I would direct your question over to TRANSCOM. But I can confirm on the Afghanistan piece that they were not U.S. embassy personnel. I would add to what PDAS Brownlee stated that from the Bureau of Medical Services has two separate task forces that are in addition to the repatriation task force, and I think that probably goes across the department. A number of bureaus have their own component to what is the most complex problem set weve seen in a very long time. And those efforts will continue. Our duties under occupational safety and health, and that MED HART task force and contact tracing and providing guidance will continue for the foreseeable future, and we will continue to focus very hard on the safety and security of our overseas embassy populations, managing complex logistics and supply chains not necessarily related to PPE, but everything else it takes to run an embassy in during a time, as DAS Yon pointed out, where the usual backbone of commercial flights and cargo flights has been significantly disrupted. So theres going to be a lot of work to do for the various task forces at the State Department well after the repatriation flights start to slow down. MR BROWN: Okay. It seems like Nick has gotten back on the line, if our briefers have time for one more. MR BROWNLEE: Sure. MR BROWN: Okay. Nick, go ahead. QUESTION: Hey. Hey, thank you. Hugo, I was just hoping you could follow up on the answer you gave to Conor. You mentioned that the State Department is working hard with China to keep critical cargo moving between our countries. Can you at least indicate whether there has been some concern or delay about some of these Chinese measures resulting in exports to the U.S. being held up, and give us some sense of degree to which thats a challenge and a concern at the State Department? Thank you. MR YON: Hi, Nick. Im sorry, on that one I personally have not been following that particular factor. The part that I and my team have been working on are the flight crew testing issues that have been that caused a block to a number of flights coming in. And that is getting resolved. In terms of the other factor you mentioned, I actually dont have that information. Sorry. Over. MR BROWN: Okay, well take that as a taken question, Nick. All right, thanks everyone. Thanks to our briefers for joining us again today, for your valuable time. Thanks, everybody for joining the call. Now that weve reached the end, the embargo on the call is lifted. Have a great day, everybody. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Photo: Courtesy of Tally Abecassis and Kim France As Gen-X women cross the Rubicon of perimenopause, theyre hungry for stories that reflect their experiences. Most OB-GYNs seem mystified by the particulars of menopause. Gwyneth Paltrow would like to Goop-ify it. Even Michelle Obama seems flummoxed by the contradictions of aging. Enter Everything Is Fine, a new podcast co-hosted by Kim France and Tally Abecassis that nails the experience in all its highs and lows. France, 56, has a long-running fashion and lifestyle blog called Girls of a Certain Age, and the sort of hip bona fides that only a career launched at Sassy can offer. Abecassis, 46, is a documentary filmmaker who produced the podcast First Day Back (which was featured here in 2017) and was the subject of its first season; she emailed France after reading the latters writing on the Cut about her time at Conde Nast (where she was the founding editor of Lucky), vanity, and dressing your age. The two womens formidable skills as interviewers and journalists create a dynamic discussion boosted by guests like Darcey Steinke, Soraya Chemaly, Ada Calhoun, and Jane Larkworthy. They have found themselves at the forefront of a new wave of media focused on the topic. Somebody said to me, Its a trend, and I was like, How could that be a trend? Were here to stay, Abecassis said. I talked to them about their podcast, ageism, womens media, and more. The podcast comes off as very raw and personal. Do you ever worry that being so honest might cost you future professional opportunities? Kim France: I made a decision after Lucky to just sort of after having to be so careful representing a brand and having to be so careful about what I said and did and tweeted, that I wasnt going to really have a place for the Man in my life. That working for the Man again wasnt going to happen to me. Being at Conde Nast for a long time gave me the financial security to make a decision like that So, no, I dont worry about it because I just feel like, Im 56 next week, Im a print editor, Im unhirable [laughing]. Whos going to hire me? Which is what led me to build the blog and work on my book and do this with [Abecassis], because I think that is the only answer to reinvent however you know how. I was relistening to your episode on invisibility, because that hits me so hard it has the ability to make you feel angry. Yet it seems like your anger is often kept in check on the podcast. France: I dont know if invisibility makes me angry. Tally Abecassis: It makes me bummed. France: It bums me out a little, but like I said in our episode, nobody was given more advantages as a result of being young than I was. I got really good jobs at young ages, and I think in large part because I was young, and so it only stands to reason that now Im dealing with the other side of that. But there are so many other things about being in this stage of life that Im pleased about, that I think it keeps me from being too angry. Tally Abecassis and Kim France. Photo: Todd France Theres something really refreshing about aging, where I just dont care as much in some ways. Abecassis: Thats what I keep saying to you, Kim. I give less fucks. I hear that so much! France: And its whats allowed me to forge a path for myself after Lucky, at 46 or 47 or however old I was when that happened. To be like, Im gonna make a blog that says exactly what I want. If I think a designers overpriced, Ill talk about how theyre overpriced. Ill talk about anything with Tally. And I think, you know, its because of that. Correct me if Im wrong, but you guys hadnt actually met before doing the podcast it was sort of like a cold call. Abecassis: This is true! France: Thats exactly what it was. Abecassis: Yes, it was the first time I think, for me that a cold email has produced a fruitful collaboration. I cold-emailed Kim because of her blog and because of some articles she wrote on the Cut about getting older, wanting to maintain yourself, etc. France: She wrote to me, and my readers had wanted me to do a podcast anyway, and I knew that I was never going to get off my ass and do it, and so I was like, Oh, wow! This girl seems really cool, and she wants to do this, and it made a lot of sense. So we were like, Okay, weve got to talk on the phone and make sure we have some kind of chemistry. We talked a lot before we actually met in person to record the first episode. But we didnt meet in person until the very first episode. Abecassis: Instead of emailing, at first we had a weekly phone call, just to talk and get to know each other a little bit. Whats the difference between having a conversation and writing about these same topics? I get the feeling it lends a sort of openness thats not present in writing. France: Well, you do a lot of editing yourself while you write, and most of us dont do as much editing when were talking, I think. I was listening to our failure episode, and I was like, Wow, did you just say that? The things that come out of my mouth! I need to remember that people are actually going to listen to this. But when Im writing, Im much more disciplined about watching my own back, I would say. Do you think that womens media is getting better about addressing ageism? Abecassis: There seem to be pockets. In Canada, theres a magazine called Chatelaine I dont think you have it here. And then I bought Elle, because there was a thing about Everything Is Fine in Elle, the Canadian Elle, and both of them had covers that were related to aging, being comfortable in your skin, aging power, blah blah blah. Theyre very pro-aging. All the articles were pro-aging, etc. But then the fashion parts of them were just 20-year-old models wearing ridiculous clothing that we could never wear. And I was like, There is a real blind spot here that you could be showing clothing that works better for what is obviously your demographic, because youre obviously speaking to women over 40. Anyway, so the text to me seemed to be improved, in some way, but the photos [havent]. France: Because the fashion is so caught up in advertiser money and the clothes have to look a certain way, the clothes only come in model sample sizes, and the model sample sizes are teeny, like even teenier than what a sample size really is, and it all just sort of keeps the fashion looking the same. Even Mirabella magazine, which existed for a while, which was for women over 40, was the same way: The fashion just felt like a disconnect from everything else. I feel like its getting a little bit better, but people still prefer to look at that which is young and dewy. In a way, the onus has been on women to make it part of the conversation as we grow into that age. None of our doctors know anything about menopause, and the media has been so slow to cover it, so we share information with each other. France: People have talked about that a fair amount, and what it comes down to a lot is mothers dont talk about it with their daughters, and so theres shame around it. Abecassis: Theres shame around a lot of aging. When I heard that term age shame for the first time, I was like, Oh! Thats a thing that I feel! Also, because I work in media, I feel like for a long time I was definitely trying to pass for younger, and that was another thing when the podcast came out right off the top, I said I was 46, and I started getting all these emails from people I work with, like, Youre 46? And I was like, Fuck! What did I just do? And then I was doing the mental calculation of Who knows that Im 46? that kind of thing because everybody, especially in TV, wants to be working with, unless youre Martin Scorsese, the youngest person in the room, or the hot young director. France: But its like all this conversation lately around people sharing their salaries. I think its very empowering to share your age, and have other people share their age, so they can see that 55 looks like a lot of different things, that 46 looks like a lot of different things. Its a good thing. The latest novel coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Friday (this file will be updated throughout the day). Web links to longer stories if available. This file is no longer updating. Click here for Saturdays rolling file. 7.16 p.m. There are 31,884 cases of COVID-10, of which 12 are presumed to be COVID-19, according to The Canadian Press. The total includes 1,310 deaths, and 10,559 cases that have been resolved. The total breaks down as follows: Quebec: 16,798 confirmed (including 688 deaths, 3,068 resolved) Ontario: 9,525 confirmed (including 478 deaths, 4,556 resolved) British Columbia: 1,575 confirmed (including 78 deaths, 983 resolved) British Columbia: 1,575 confirmed (including 78 deaths, 983 resolved) Nova Scotia: 606 confirmed (including four deaths, 177 resolved) Saskatchewan: 306 confirmed (including four deaths, 228 resolved), 1 presumptive Newfoundland and Labrador: 256 confirmed (including three deaths, 176 resolved) Manitoba: 239 confirmed (including five deaths, 132 resolved), 11 presumptive New Brunswick: 117 confirmed (including 83 resolved) Prince Edward Island: 26 confirmed (including 23 resolved) Repatriated Canadians account for 13 confirmed cases Yukon: nine confirmed (including seven resolved) Nunavut reports no confirmed cases. Nunavut reports no confirmed cases. 6.54 p.m. Toronto Mayor John Tory has announced that the City is working with Beck Taxi to ensure transportation for people travelling to and from COVID testing sites, while also ensuring the safety of both drivers and residents. Those people need to receive transportation, but its also a fair concern to ensure that taxi drivers are kept safe, Tory said. Mayor Tory has asked the Emergency Operations Centre under the directions of Chief Mathew Pegg to work with Beck Taxi to set up a protocol to protect drivers and residents. However, people booking the taxi to go for testing are asked to advise the company beforehand so they can prepare accordingly. 6.28 p.m. Federal Minister of Transport Marc Garneau announced that as of April 20, all air passengers will be required to wear a non-medical mask or face covering during air travel. Travellers on flights departing or arriving at Canadian airport will be required to demonstrate they have the appropriate mask prior to boarding, otherwise they wont be able to fly. According to the ministry, passengers travelling by bus are strongly encouraged to wear masks as much as possible, and may be asked by the operator to cover their mouths and noses when social-distancing isnt possible. 5 p.m. Ontarios regional health units are reporting another 629 COVID-19 cases (6.2 per cent) and 35 more deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Stars latest count. As of 5 p.m. Friday, the Star has counted 10,753 confirmed or probable cases and 535 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. Earlier Friday, Toronto released a detailed tally of institutional outbreaks in the city. That data reveals 17 facilities have now seen deaths in the pandemic. These include three of the provinces worst long-term-care home outbreaks: At Eatonville Care Centre in Etobicoke, 30 are dead among 111 cases; at Seven Oaks in Scarborough, 21 have died among 97 infections; and, at Sienna Altamont Care Community in Scarborough, 12 have died among 87 confirmed cases. Also Friday, a personal support worker at Altamont, Christine Mandegarian, was reported, by her union, to have died from the disease. The Stars count is based on the public tallies and statements of Ontarios 34 regional health units, the local bodies that collect and publish this data often before reporting to the province through its central reporting system. As such, the Stars count is more current than the data the province publishes each morning. The Stars count is based on the public tallies and statements of Ontarios 34 regional health units, the local bodies that collect and publish this data often before reporting to the province through its central reporting system. As such, the Stars count is more current than the data the province publishes each morning. Earlier Friday, the province reported 4,556 people have recovered after testing positive for the coronavirus. The province also says a total of 829 patients are now hospitalized with COVID-19, including 245 in intensive care, of whom 200 are on a ventilator. The totals remain significantly less severe than Ontarios worst-case projections. The province says its data is accurate to 4 p.m. the previous day. It cautions its latest count of deaths, 478, may be incomplete or out of date due to delays in the reporting system. It says 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. 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. 3.40 p.m. Dr. Eileen de Villa, medical officer of health for the City of Toronto, reported, as of 12.30 p.m., there are 3,145 cases of COVID-19, 244 people in hospital and 97 in intensive care, and 154 people have died. The most important thing you can do is to stay home and stay safe, de Villa said. De Villa said that about 23 per cent of cases have occurred among people over 80. About 35 per cent of those hospitalized are between the ages of 40 to59. About 35 per cent of those with COVID-19 as a result of being in close contact with someone who has it already. Asked if Toronto is faring worse than Ontario, de Villa said the city is more densely packed than other communities and has a relatively high number of long-term care and other congregate living settings, and this should be taken into account. Things are, absolutely, improving in Toronto. We are on the right trajectory, said de Villa, who added that people must continue to stay at home, especially those who have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19. De Villa said her team has posted data online data on long-term care homes and will update it through the week. It is also posting data on shelters and will post more details on Monday. De Villa will provide an update on Monday on where Toronto is at in its fight against the virus. Mayor John Tory said, This is one of the greatest financial challenges this city has ever faced. Tory said Toronto will need the help of the other levels of government. A three-month lockdown, followed by a six-month recovery period could cost Toronto as much as $1.5 billion and that is the best case scenario. Much of the impact derives from lost TTC revenue. The City is reviewing its capital projects, including rebuiliding the Gardiner. 2:35 p.m.: No one will be flying internationally or gathering in packed theatres, but if B.C.s coronavirus fight stays on track, the province may start allowing families to get together for an ice cream cone by summertime. B.C. on Friday became one of the first jurisdictions in Canada to offer a glimpse of a future loosened-lockdown scenario. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry released a detailed update on the progress of B.C.s pandemic, which indicated that a stringent public health response has worked in B.C. to level off, then reduce, the number of coronavirus cases in the province. Our case rates are far below what could have been, Henry said, comparing the growth of cases in the province to models of what would have happened if B.C. were experiencing an outbreak like the ones in Hubei, China or Italy. Some restrictions will probably not be loosened until there is a vaccine for COVID-19, Henry said. That includes travel and the general rule to stay two metres apart from people outside your household. 2:27 p.m.: Manitoba health officials say there are no new COVID-19 cases in the province, leaving the total at 250. For the first time, the number of recovered cases has surpassed the number of active cases. Five people have died in Manitoba since the pandemic began, and eight are currently in hospital. 2:05 p.m.: B.C. reported 14 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday for a total of 1,575 cases and 78 deaths. 2 p.m.: Western Canadas largest private-sector union is proposing that people be limited to one trip to the grocery store each week to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among customers and workers. Tom Hesse, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers 401, which represents 32,000 workers, says governments should also bring in regulations that allow only one person per family in a store at a time. The union suggests loyalty programs and membership cards could be used to track visits and peace officers may be needed to enforce the regulations. He says the union will be sending an official proposal to the Alberta government and grocery store chains next week. He says the union will be sending an official proposal to the Alberta government and grocery store chains next week. 2 p.m.: Environmental groups are praising the federal governments oilpatch bailout, saying it helps people and not polluters. Merran Smith of Clean Energy Canada says the $1.7 billion plan to clean up abandoned energy facilities and $750 million to reduce methane emissions shows the Liberals remain committed to their environmental program. Keith Stewart of Greenpeace says the program will put people back to work, but he warns the money should include conditions to ensure taxpayers arent stuck with future environmental liabilities. 1:51 p.m.: Floridas governor on Friday gave the green light for some beaches and parks to reopen if it can be done safely, and north Florida beaches became among the first to allow allow beach-goers to return since closures because of the coronavirus. Mayor Lenny Curry said Duval County beaches were reopening Friday afternoon with restricted hours, and they can only be used for walking, biking, hiking, fishing, running, swimming, taking care of pets and surfing. The beaches will be open from 6 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 8 p.m., Curry said in a video posted to social media. Gatherings of 50 or more people are prohibited and people must still practice social distancing. Folks, this could be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life, but please respect and follow these limitations, Curry said. Well get back to life as we know it, but we must be patient. 1:45 p.m.: The Quebec government is appealing to people who have recently lost their jobs because of the pandemic to lend a hand in farm fields. Premier Francois Legault says the province will be announcing a program this afternoon to make the work more attractive by adding $100 a week to what farmers pay their workers. He says he knows the work is not easy but it could be a beautiful experience for many Quebecers. 1:20 p.m.: Quebec is reporting a total of 16,798 cases and 58 more COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the provincial toll to 688. 1:20 p.m.: Quebec is reporting a total of 16,798 cases and 58 more COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the provincial toll to 688. Premier Francois Legault says while 1,076 people are hospitalized, with 207 of those in intensive care, the COVID-19 situation in Quebec is largely stable outside the Montreal area. Legault said hes been considering what he could have done since becoming premier to have avoided the situation in the provinces hard-hit long-term care homes that are dealing with a severe lack of staffing. 1:15 p.m.: Premier Doug Ford says he was briefed last night on updated modelling on COVID-19 and it will be released on Monday. 1:15 p.m.: Premier Doug Ford says he was briefed last night on updated modelling on COVID-19 and it will be released on Monday. (Updated) 1:08 p.m.: Ontario is making free emergency child care available for more workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Education Minister Stephen Lecce says that in addition to previously announced spaces for health-care workers, first responders and correctional officers, another 11,300 spots could be needed under the expansion. Workers who will be eligible now include staff in developmental services, victim services, violence against women services, childrens aid societies, probation and parole officers, staff in homeless shelters, power workers, RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency officers, and Canada Post employees. Lecce did not give any indication if school closures will be extended beyond May 4, but says Ontario has partnered with Rogers Communications and Apple to send more than 21,000 iPads with free wireless data to families in need to help with at-home learning. 1:04 p.m.: Premier Doug Ford say government will provide iPads to students in need to help with online learning. Ford says its a deal with Apple and Rogers. 12:50 p.m.: Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting four new cases of COVID-19. 12:50 p.m.: Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting four new cases of COVID-19. The provinces total number of confirmed cases now stands at 256. Health officials say seven people remain in hospital, three of them in intensive care. The viral infection has claimed three lives in the easternmost province. 12:35 p.m.: The federal government is planning virtual Canada Day celebrations in place of the traditional gathering on Parliament Hill. It is working with Canadian artists to put together a program, and promises more details soon. 12:29 p.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will provide $500 million in support to the arts, culture and sports sectors through Heritage Canada. The move comes as part of broader efforts to support creative industries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. He added those industries continue to make us dream, particularly in dark times. More details on the financial support are expected to be outlined today by Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault. 12:25 p.m.: Health authorities in Nova Scotia have confirmed a fourth person in the province has died from complications caused by COVID-19. The latest victim is a woman in her 80s from Cape Breton. The province now has 606 confirmed cases, with 27 cases added to the list on Friday. Eleven individuals are in hospital five in intensive care and 177 have now recovered. 12:11 p.m.: The Senate will not resume sitting until June 2 at the earliest. The office of the Speaker of the upper chamber says the decision was taken as part of the Senates efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Senate was slated to return on Tuesday. Negotiations continue among the major parties as to whether and exactly how the House of Commons will resume Monday, with the Conservatives seeking four days of sittings a week so they can question ministers and debate legislation and the Liberals wanting fewer. The work of three Senate committees will continue by videoconference or teleconference during the adjournment. In addition, the Speakers office says, the Senate could be recalled before June if its needed to deal with government legislation. 11:58 a.m.: Michael Cohen, President Donald Trumps former lawyer, was among several inmates at a federal prison camp in upstate New York who were told they would be released into home confinement because of concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, several defense lawyers said Friday. The inmates were all serving sentences at the minimum-security camp, which is attached to a medium-security federal prison in Otisville, New York, about 75 miles (120 kilometres) northwest of New York City. 11:54 a.m.: Despite extremely aligned and extremely productive discussions with the U.S., Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stresses the border is not going to open any time soon. Canada will be listening to the science on containing the pandemic, he says. 11:50 a.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is suggesting Parliament sit one day a week to support democratic principles while respecting public-health advice during the pandemic. The Conservatives want four days a week of in-person sittings, potentially supplemented by eventual virtual meetings. The four main parties in the House of Commons are locked in negotiations to determine if and how Parliament resumes on Monday, the deadline set for it to reconvene following its adjournment in mid-March. 11:49 a.m.: Denmark became the first country in the Western world to reopen its elementary schools since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. It has turned the Danish education system into a laboratory for whether and how schools can function in an age of contagion. It is a new world, said Tanja Linnet, the schools head teacher, as pupils arrived early Thursday morning. We used to make plans for if there was a terrorist attack here but never this kind of attack. 11:46 a.m.: Transat A.T. Inc. plans to use the federal emergency wage subsidy to rehire 4,000 employees it had temporarily laid off after halting all flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Transat says the employees, 1,900 of whom are flight attendants, will not be required to work as part of their recall. The returning staff will receive 75 per cent of their baseline pay up to a maximum of $847 per week, as defined in federal legislation passed last week. 11:38 a.m.: Canadian insurance companies are slashing premiums in a bid to help small- and medium-sized businesses grappling with COVID-19. Canada Life President Jeff Macoun said the reductions will be 50 per cent for dental and 20 per cent for vision and extended health care benefits, excluding prescription drugs. Canada Life President Jeff Macoun said the reductions will be 50 per cent for dental and 20 per cent for vision and extended health care benefits, excluding prescription drugs. Unlike premium deferrals, these savings do not need to be repaid later, and reflect that some healthcare service providers have shifted to virtual treatment, while others are offering more limited services, he said, in a release. Canada Life said prescription drugs are not included as the services are essential and the number of claims have not dropped. Macoun said the offer will kick in for the month of April, will be applied in May and will be retroactive to Apr. 1. 11:36 a.m.: An application for a class action lawsuit has been filed against a private long-term care home in suburban Montreal where 31 residents reportedly died in less than a month during the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit filed Thursday is brought on behalf of Barbara Schneider, the daughter of Mary Schneider, who died at the Residence Herron on April 10 after arriving there just months earlier. Lawyer Arthur Weschler of law firm Kugler Kandestin says the lawsuit, which hasnt been authorized yet, seeks compensation for three groups the estates of the deceased, current residents and immediate family members. It seeks $25,000 on behalf of residents who died and those still in the facility in Dorval, Que., as well as $10,000 per family member. The filing seeks an additional $2 million in punitive damages for estates and residents for allegedly failing to respect the residents rights to personal security and dignity protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 11:30 a.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is sending military assistance to Quebec. He says 125 members of the Canadian Armed Forces with medical expertise will travel to the province to support the provinces long-term care facilities. 11:29 a.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will support work in the oil and gas sector by spending $1.7 billion to help clean up orphaned wells. The federal government is also creating a $700-million fund to cut methane emissions. The federal government is also creating a $700-million fund to cut methane emissions. Trudeau says more assistance is coming for workers in the arts and other sectors as well. 11:17 a.m.: The TTC is now reporting that as of yesterday, 19 of its employees had tested positive for COVID-19, up two from the day before. The latest people added to the list are a subway operator at Danforth, and a foreperson in building services. 11:00 a.m.: As of 11 a.m. Friday, Ontarios regional health units are reporting 10,312 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19, with 518 deaths. According to the Stars count, the province has seen 574 new cases and 49 more deaths since this time Thursday. The jump in fatal cases includes the largest single-day increase in the death toll in Toronto, a jump of 26 cases to 147 that was announced Thursday afternoon. Meantime, overall COVID-19 cases continue to grow at a slower rate than in previous weeks. At 5.9 per cent growth, the 24-hour jump in cases is below last week, which averaged 8.6 per cent daily growth. The week before that averaged 15.6 per cent growth. The Stars count is based on the public tallies and statements of Ontarios 34 regional health units, the local bodies that collect and publish this data public often before reporting to the province through its central reporting system. As such, the Stars count is more current than the data the province publishes each morning. Earlier Friday, the province reported 829 patients are now hospitalized with COVID-19, including 245 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 says its data is accurate to 4 p.m. the previous day. The province also cautions its latest count of deaths 478 may be incomplete or out of date due to delays in the 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. 11:00 a.m.: The French Navy is investigating how the coronavirus infected more than 900 sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, now in a lengthy disinfection process since returning to its home base in Toulon five days ago. One person remains in intensive care and some 20 others hospitalized, Navy spokesman Commander Eric Lavault said in an interview Friday. He insisted that the commander sought to increase the physical distancing of those on the vessel where there was no testing equipment or, for most of its three months on operations, no masks. It is very difficult to apply social distancing measures on a combat vessel, Lavault said. But security of the crew is the first concern. A combat ship, especially an aircraft carrier, is nothing without its crew. A similar outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt led to the firing of its captain and the resignation this month of the acting U.S. Navy secretary, in a controversy about how that at-sea crisis was handled and that the French have been spared. 10:53 a.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to provide an update at 11:15 a.m. EST. A livestream of the news conference will be available on thestar.com. 10:50 a.m.: Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says his party isnt satisfied with the governments response to a proposal to have Parliament sit virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tories have asked for a few sittings a week, with just a few MPs in the House of Commons sitting at least two metres apart. The Liberals are proposing virtual sittings with all MPs. Speaking at a press conference this morning, Scheer says there is no reason that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet ministers cant stand in the House of Commons to answer questions when they hold daily press briefings. 10:50 a.m.: More than 2,300 inmates in Ontario were released early as the province tries to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Six inmates had tested positive for the virus when Corrections officials started releasing prisoners to allow for physical distancing between inmates. Since March 16, the populations in provincial jails has fallen from 8,344 to 6,025 according tot he Ministry of the Attorney General. 10:11 a.m.: Federal government ready to roll out at least part of its bailout package for distressed sectors, sources say. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau have indicated repeatedly that extra help will be coming for industries that are being decimated by the pandemic: oil and gas, tourism, airlines and commercial real estate. 9:20 a.m.: Quebecs political parties have agreed to adjourn the legislature until May 5 amid the COVID-19 epidemic. At the beginning of the outbreak, the government had set April 21 as a date to resume sitting. The request for an extension came from the governing Coalition Avenir Quebec and was agreed to by the three other main parties at the national assembly. The parties have also agreed to hold virtual parliamentary committee hearings between April 24 and May 1 that will feature several cabinet ministers, including Health Minister Danielle McCann. 9:24 a.m.: New rules requiring New Yorkers to cover their faces in public are going into effect Friday as the states residents prepared for at least another month of social distancing to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Under the guidelines announced this week by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, everyone must wear a mask or face covering when in a public place and unable to maintain appropriate distance from others. Children younger than 2 and people with a medical reason why they cant tolerate a mask are exempt from the rule, which takes effect at 8 p.m. Cuomo announced Thursday that the states stay-at-home restrictions that have been in place since March 22 will last at least until May 15. He said the extension was made in consultation with officials from other Northeast states and will be reevaluated next month. 9:18 a.m.: An Ontario health-care union says a personal support worker at a Toronto long-term care home has died from COVID-19. SEIU Healthcare says their member of 31 years was a caring and compassionate worker, and her death is a reminder of the very real dangers front-line health workers are facing. The woman worked at Sienna Altamont Care Community in Scarborough. 9:15 a.m.: An emergency order now allows Ontario ambulance services to hire college students in ambulance/paramedic programs who have not graduated to provide services appropriate to their skill level, the Stars Rob Ferguson reports. 8:07 a.m.: President Donald Trump has given governors a road map 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. 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. And they largely reinforce plans already in the works by governors, who have primary responsibility for public health in their states. Youre going to call your own shots, Trump told the governors Thursday afternoon in a conference call, according to an audio recording obtained by The Associated Press. Were going to be standing alongside of you. 7:10 a.m.: Ontario Premier Doug Ford has introduced new emergency measures requiring retirement home workers to only work at one facility at a time. The provincial government says all care homes must be compliant with the order by April 22. Ford has said that having staff work at multiple facilities puts residents at higher risk. Another emergency measure will allow local health units to more easily reassign frontline staff between long-term care homes, hospitals and other community facilities. 6:22 a.m.: Chinas official death toll from the coronavirus pandemic jumped sharply Friday as the hardest-hit city of Wuhan announced a major revision that added nearly 1,300 fatalities. The new figures resulted from an in-depth review of deaths during a response that was chaotic in the early days. They raised the official toll in Wuhan by 50% to 3,869 deaths. While China has yet to update its national totals, the revised numbers push up Chinas total to 4,632 deaths from a previously reported 3,342. The higher numbers are not a surprise it is virtually impossible to get an accurate count when health systems are overwhelmed at the height of a crisis and they confirm suspicions that many more people died than the official figures had showed. The undercount stemmed from several factors, according to a notification issued by Wuhans coronavirus response headquarters and published by the official Xinhua News Agency. The reasons included the deaths of people at home because overwhelmed hospitals had no room for them, mistaken reporting by medical staff focused on saving lives, and deaths at a few medical institutions that werent linked to the epidemic information network, it said. As a result, belated, missed and mistaken reporting occurred, Xinhua quoted an unidentified official from the citys response headquarters as saying. Deaths outside hospitals were not registered previously and some medical institutions reported cases late or not at all, the official said. A group to review the numbers was established in late March. It looked at data from multiple sources including the citys hospital and funeral service systems and collected information from fever clinics, temporary hospitals, quarantine sites, prisons and elderly care centres. The review found 1,454 additional deaths, as well as 164 that had been double-counted or misclassified as coronavirus cases, resulting in a net increase of 1,290. The number of confirmed cases in the city of 11 million people was revised up slightly to 50,333. 6:18 a.m.: China is accusing the U.S. administration of attempting to shift the focus from its own defects in dealing with coronavirus by talking-up a theory that the global pandemic was started by a pathogen that escaped from a Chinese laboratory. Anyone discerning can tell at a glance that the purpose of the U.S. is simply to confuse the public, divert attention, and shirk responsibility, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters at a daily briefing on Friday. We have said many times that tracing of the virus origin is a serious scientific issue and requires scientific and professional assessment. Officials including President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have suggested the lab theory may be valid, with Pompeo saying, The mere fact that we dont know the answers that China hasnt shared the answers I think is very, very telling. Scientists say the virus arose naturally in bats. They say the leading theory is that infection among humans began at an animal market in Wuhan, China, probably from an animal that got the virus from a bat. The Wuhan Institute of Virology specializes in research on animal-to-human transmission of such viruses but there is no evidence to backup the theory that the virus came from the lab. 5:49 a.m.: Prince William says the most important thing to do to deal with the mental stress of the coronavirus lockdown is to talk. In an online video chat with the BBC with his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, William said its always underestimated how much talking can help in maintaining mental health especially in an environment like this. The royal couple have supported an initiative by Public Health Englands Every Mind Matters platform, by voicing a new film which signposts people to access tips and support for their mental health and well-being during the coronavirus pandemic. The film is set to be broadcast from April 20. Catherine said we mustnt forget our mental well-being as well. William said members of the royal family have really appreciated being able to talk to each other online, though he conceded that the younger generation are a little bit more tech-savvy. Williams also said he was initially quite concerned when he heard his father, Prince Charles, contracted the coronavirus given he is 71, and in the fairly risky category. Charles ended up having mild symptoms and came out of self-isolation on March 30. William also laid out his hope that the world comes out of the pandemic in a better place, that it recenters, refocuses and brings us all together. 4:57 a.m.: Spains official gazette has published Friday a government order for the countrys 17 autonomous regions to unify the criteria on counting the dead in the coronavirus pandemic. The government says that its following World Health Organization guidance and insists on counting only those who die having tested positive for the virus, whether they show or not symptoms and no matter where the death takes place. That figure on Thursday rose above the 19,000 mark, with a total of more than 182,000 infections. But the accounting system leaves out the patients who died with symptoms but not tested. The difference is significant. The northeastern Catalonia region, for example, had 3,700 fatalities recorded earlier this week with tests but only in hospitals, not at centres for pensioners or private homes. And when it looked at the data of death certificates in funeral houses it found 3,200 additional fatalities that could potentially be linked to the COVID-19. The scale of the tragedy at nursing homes is also a source of confusion. Regional governments are reporting that over 11,000 have died with the virus or its symptoms in these supervised facilities, a figure that is also believed to be inconsistent because each of the Spanish regions has different criteria when it comes to include or not cases unconfirmed by tests, or how to count those who die at day-care centres for the disabled. Trudeau promised earlier this week that the federal government would provide funding to top up the wages earned by essential workers in nursing homes who earn less than $2,500 a month. Trudeau promised earlier this week that the federal government would provide funding to top up the wages earned by essential workers in nursing homes who earn less than $2,500 a month. That promise was discussed during a conference call among first ministers late Thursday. No details of the call were immediately forthcoming, other than a brief summary of the discussion issued by the Prime Ministers Office which said first ministers agreed on the urgent need to ensure long-term care facilities have the resources they need to protect the health and well-being of their residents and workers. Since the salaries paid to workers in long-term care homes fall under provincial jurisdiction, Trudeau has been clear that whatever the federal government does must be in collaboration with the provinces. Personal support workers in nursing homes often work poorly paid part-time jobs in multiple facilities, which has contributed to the spread of COVID-19. Personal support workers in nursing homes often work poorly paid part-time jobs in multiple facilities, which has contributed to the spread of COVID-19. Topping up their wages is intended to compensate them for orders in some provinces that ban them from working in more than one facility. Its also intended to encourage them to stay on a job that has become increasingly risky as COVID-19 sweeps like wildfire through long-term care homes across Canada. About half of Canadas more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 have involved residents of long-term care facilities. Quebec has already announced it will top up the wages of essential workers in nursing homes; Ontario Premier Doug Ford indicated Thursday that his province will follow suit but first he wanted to see what financial assistance Ottawa would offer. Trudeaus government will also be under pressure today from the Conservatives to have in-person sittings of the House of Commons throughout the crisis. Parliament has been adjourned since mid-March, except for two single-day sittings to pass emergency aid legislation. It is to resume business as usual on Monday, unless all four recognized parties in the Commons agree to a further suspension of business. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is insisting that a small group of MPs must sit up to four days each week in the Commons in order to hold the government to account for what he contends is a sloppy response to the health crisis. In a letter late Thursday to Commons Speaker Anthony Rota, Conservative whip Mark Strahl argued that regular sittings could be done safely without putting at risk the health of MPs or Commons staff at a time when all Canadians are being advised to keep two-metres physical distance from one another and stay home as much as possible. In a letter late Thursday to Commons Speaker Anthony Rota, Conservative whip Mark Strahl argued that regular sittings could be done safely without putting at risk the health of MPs or Commons staff at a time when all Canadians are being advised to keep two-metres physical distance from one another and stay home as much as possible. Strahl said only essential staff necessary for the operation of the Commons should be required to work, they should be issued with masks and gloves where necessary and hand sanitizing stations should be set up at entrances and exits of the Commons and other strategic locations throughout the parliamentary precinct. 3:45 a.m.: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened martial law-style enforcement of a monthlong lockdown in the main northern region of the country as violations of the quarantine soared. Duterte said in a late-night televised speech Thursday he would order the military and police to strictly enforce social distancing and curfews if compliance would not improve. Police said they have accosted about 120,000 quarantine violators since last month, including people who engaged in cockfighting and drinking sprees. The police and military will enforce social distancing and curfews. They will. Its like martial law. You choose. I dont like it, Duterte said but added that he may be forced to if the country gets compromised and you wont show discipline. Duterte, who took office in mid-2016, already had drawn concern about potential human rights violations for his bloody anti-drugs crackdown in which thousands of mostly poor drug suspects have been killed. Some irate local officials have taken enforcement of his coronavirus lockdown to extremes, including a village guard who locked five drunken curfew violators in a dog cage and others who paraded violators to shame them in public or made them sit under the scorching sun for hours. The Philippines has reported 5,660 infections, the most in Southeast Asia, including 362 deaths from COVID-19. 3:18 a.m.: The coronavirus pandemic could kill 300,000 people in Africa this year, even with assertive government measures to limit social interactions, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Overcrowded slums with no access to water coupled with fragile health-care systems make the continent especially vulnerable to the disease, the Addis Ababa-based body said in a report on Friday. Countries across the continent have implemented measures from nationwide lockdowns, in which people are only allowed to leave their homes to buy food and medicine, to suspending schools, prohibiting public gatherings and halting all travel. The report presents four scenarios and shows that zero interventions a worst-case scenario would lead to the death of as many as 3.3 million people in a continent with a population of 1.3 billion. How African countries respond to the Covid-19 crisis in the coming weeks will affect the trajectory of national epidemics across the continent, it said. The virus has killed 962 people in Africa so far, compared with 145,603 deaths worldwide. However, the pace of contagion has picked up with the number of cases more than doubling to 18,333 in two weeks, according to data from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The pandemic also threatens to push as many as 29 million people into extreme poverty in a continent that is already home to nearly two-thirds of the worlds destitute, Uneca said. The continents economy could contract as much as 2.6% this year. A third of the 440 million formal and informal jobs in Africa could be affected as lockdowns across the continent deprive people of the means to make a living, according to McKinsey & Co. Africa needs an initial $100 billion to beef up its health-care system and social-safety net and another $100 billion in emergency economic stimulus, Uneca said. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Read more about: An Australian mother has revealed the reason why Woolworths' free recipe cards are perfect for families self-isolating at home as the coronavirus pandemic continues. The woman said she collects the recipes from her local store and recently made the french onion meatball pasta, which requires just four ingredients and requires little time commitment. She said it's delicious and convenient as she can stockpile leftovers in the freezer for short weeks or nights when she isn't in the mood to spend hours in the kitchen. An Australian mother has said she collects the recipes from her local store and recently made the french onion meatball pasta 'I picked this one up a few weeks back and tried it last week well lets just say there was none left. My kids and partner loved it,' she wrote on Facebook. She used four ingredients including pasta, chicken sausages, sachet of French onion soup and shredded mozzarella to make the dish. The woman said she cut the 'sausages to bite size pieces to save time and waste and also hid a few veggies like mushrooms, tomato and spinach'. After prepping the dinner, the mother said all she needed to do was to add the soup and cheese. She said it's delicious and convenient as she 'can stockpile leftovers in the freezer for short weeks or nights I can't be fagged' How to make Woolworths' French onion and meatball pasta Ingredients: 350g Woolworths penne rigate 680g RSPCA approved chicken sausages 40g sachet French onion soup 1 cup shredded mozzarella Method: 1. Cook pasta in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Drain reserving 1 and a half cups pasta water 2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Working with one sausage at a time, squeeze meat from casing and shape into rough balls. Cook for 8 minutes, turning frequently until golden brown 3. Stir soup mix into pasta water. Add soup mixture and pasta in pan with meatballs and stir well to coat. Bring to boil 4. Preheat oven grill on high. Scatter mozzarella over meatballs and pasta, season with pepper and grill for 5 minutes or until cheese melts Advertisement This comes after another mum recently shared a budget-friendly shopping plan she uses for her family of four and said her system gets her everything she needs for $50 to $150 a week, as shelves are stripped bare. 'I'm a brilliant stockpiler and money manager and my system means my weekly groceries (getting literally what I want when I want) is $15 a week,' she wrote on Facebook. What are the best tricks for stockpiling? - Only bulk buys items with they are on sale - Buy enough of an item for 4-6 weeks when it is on special - Purchase your groceries as well as additional products on sale each week - Always have two of everything in the cupboard - If an item never goes on sale, buy the homebrand Advertisement 'And if I was struggling and couldn't afford much I could literally get away with a $50 shop a week. So I thought I'd share my system here in case it helps some of you out,' she explained. Firstly she said you work out what you want to buy and check the specials and when something is 20 to 50 per cent off you buy enough of that item for 4-6 weeks as well as your normal groceries. She said each week she purchases one to three of the items on her list in bulk when they go on special. 'If nothing is on special you buy an extra 1-2 of things that are never on special (such as homebrand stuff) as your back up, and save the rest of your budget for next week when something new is on sale.' She also said she has a 'two' system, meaning there are always two of everything in her cupboard so when one is being used, the other is back up. The Australian mother said this is a perfect way to save when you can't afford to buy something one week as you'll already have an extra at home. 'Basically what this means is you never buy expensive stuff at full price again,' she wrote. 'If one week you have a [bad] money week you just stop with the stockpile for that week, and you don't need to buy much because you have your two system - all you need is the basics (bread/milk) and fruit/veg/meat,' she wrote. Despite the insatiable appetite for remakes in Hollywood, few remakes offer more than the original masterwork. Shelves of reboots line the programming history books, but lightning does not often strike twice. Party of Five, the 1990s-era teen drama about five siblings forced to raise themselves after the loss of their parents in a car accident, may be the show that bucks the trend. The second time around Party of Five has been given both a cultural and political facelift, rebooted as the story of a sibling group whose Mexican-American parents are deported by immigration authorities. Such a dramatic reframing of what was, in its first iteration, a somewhat soap-operatic story, manages to tap America's ethno-cultural divisions, contemporary border politics and, unexpectedly, also keeps the parents alive and in the frame. The cast of Party of Five. Credit:Freeform "When we looked at the Salinger family in the 1990s, they were having an experience that was really unique and it was their own and they didn't have a lot of people who could relate to it," the show's co-creator, executive producer and writer Amy Lippman says. "One of the things that we're doing with this go-round is it's an experience that is not unique to them. It's happening across the country. So there is the sense that they are not alone in their experience of having to raise themselves." Unusually too, most remakes are aimed squarely with the purpose of including the original show's audience, a sort of gift-with-purchase that television programmers like to think will bolster the chances of launching a hit show with older, loyal eyeballs. Party of Five 2.0 doesn't offer that much to fans of the original. There is no dimple-cheeked Bailey to be found here, nor an angst-ridden Julia. The dynamics are different, more potent and where the original ebbed towards teen-focused social and sexual issues, this feels more politically charged. BRIDGEPORT Tarek Sobh, a dean and executive vice president of research and economic development at the University of Bridgeport, was named Friday as interim provost of the institution. Tarek takes the spot held by Stephen Healey, who was named interim president after Laura Trombley abruptly quit as president for a job in Texas. She had been president at UB for just 18 months. I am delighted that he is serving in this capacity, Healey said in a message released to staff and alumni on Friday. Tarek, who has been at UB since 1995, is a distinguished professor of engineering and computer science. I am honored to be named the interim provost at the University of Bridgeport and look forward to working with university community, Sobh said. Having spent 25 years at the university in various roles, I know that this is a special place that has impacted the lives of generations of students and improved the world through scholarship, discovery, and community service. He is excited, Sobh added, to work together with individuals across the university to help it realize its tremendous promise. Sobhs disciplinary expertise is in the fields of computer science and engineering, STEM education, control theory, robotics, automation, manufacturing, artificial intelligence, computer vision and signal processing. He is internationally recognized as a scholar and contributor to his field. He was one of the finalists for the job of UB president in 2018; Trombley was hired for the spot. He joined UB as an associate professor of computer science and was the founding director of the CTech IncUBator, the UB research division, the Bauer Hall Innovation Center and the Interdisciplinary Robotics, Intelligent Sensing and Control (RISC) laboratory. Many of his students have won awards in robotics, prototyping, computer vision, control and manufacturing. Healey said in coming days, UB will select an interim dean of the College of Engineering, Business and Education. Tarek received an engineering degree in computer science and automatic control from the Alexandria University in Egypt in 1988, and master of science and doctoral degrees in computer and information science from the University of Pennsylvanias School of Engineering in 1989 and 1991, respectively. He is a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences and a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering. lclambeck@ctpost.com; twitter/lclambeck Nouveau-Brunswick United Ways will receive financial support to meet increased needs in communities VARENNES, QC, April 17, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - The Jean Coutu pharmacies network will donate $50 000 to New-Brunswick United Ways to support community relief efforts in the current pandemic context. Mindful of the public's concerns and the impact COVID-19 has on their lives, the Jean Coutu Pharmacies network is pleased to answer the call of its long-time community partner. This donation will help to meet the most urgent need in the communities in which we are present. Among other things, it will allow supporting vulnerable individuals and families, as well as front-line organizations, through the delivery of food, access to health supplies and transportation to critical appointments, in addition to helping with mental health and social resources. Well established in New Brunswick since 1982, The Jean Coutu Group, through its network of 28 pharmacies in the province, has been at the forefront to meet the essential health needs of the population since the beginning of the crisis. Our priority has been to ensure the safety of our employees, our pharmacists owners and their clientele so that they can continue to take care of people's health. About Jean Coutu Founded in 1969, the Jean Coutu network is one of the most trusted names in Canadian pharmacy retailing, with more than 415 franchised stores in Quebec, New Brunswick and Ontario under the banners PJC Jean Coutu, PJC Sante and PJC Sante Beaute. For more details, visit jeancoutu.com. SOURCE The Jean Coutu Group (PJC) Inc. For further information: METRO, Media Relations, 514 643-1009 or 1 800 463-2190, [email protected] There is no more chatting in the coffee bars of Bergamo. Streets lie empty, the silence punctured by the sound of blaring ambulance sirens. In the distance, only a swing and a small merry-go-round at a local park move in the breeze. Priests have instructed the church to ring the death knell just once a day, to stop the bells from ringing all day long. In Italys north, ravaged by the worlds deadliest coronavirus outbreak, hand-drawn notes taped at every corner make an attempt at reassurance: Andra tutto bene everything will be fine. But the residents of Bergamo the countrys worst hit city are experiencing a collective emotional trauma that, bereaved families claim, was hatched out of blunders and corporate interests. Noi Denunceremo we will speak up Over 30,000 of its residents have so far signed a petition demanding an inquiry in why authorities never declared Bergamo a so-called red zone, and how negligence turned the Pesenti Fenaroli hospital into a hotbed of contagion. A statue of the late Pope John XXIII, originally from the province of Bergamo, is seen with a sign that reads everything will be fine (Getty) (Getty Images) We want justice for our loved ones, Stefano Fusco, the founder of a Facebook voicing residents demands, tells The Independent. The page Noi Denunceremo we will speak up has reached more than 25,000 followers in the span of a couple of weeks and collected dozens of accounts from families torn apart by the spread of Covid-19. The hospital that become a threat to life One family looking for answers and comfort online is that of Sara Gargantini, whose father, Giancarlo, passed away at the Bolognini hospital in the town of Seriate in Bergamo on 7 March. The sturdy 82-year-old grandfather had developed a fever on 20 February, just as Italy confirmed its first case of Covid-19 in Codogno, an hours drive south. Three days later, Bergamos province announced its first two cases, located in the town of Alzano Lombardo. Still, as it was their habit, the Gargantini family gathered to watch TV and drink tea as 9-year-old Marta returned from school. Five days later, Giancarlo complained he had still not been able to shake off a jelly-like sensation in his legs and a persistent fever. He had no cough though, which reassured Sara. Both my daughter and I had had heavy flu-like symptoms a few weeks earlier, so I thought it must have been a seasonal flu, she tells The Independent. Giancarlo passed away at the Bolognini hospital on 7 March (Federica Marsi/The Independent) (Federica Marsi/ The Independent) But soon Giancarlo started to feel faint and lose his breath. For the first time, he had missed Martas horse race and bailed on the weekly dinner with the Alpini, the armys mountain infantry, where he cooked and reminisced with fellow comrades. An ambulance was later called and took him to the Pesenti Fenaroli hospital, but he was discharged a few hours later and sent home. Tests showed he had a persistent fever and the early stages of pneumonia. Doctors gave him a prognosis of seven days. He was already dead by then, says Sara, holding back tears. No test was conducted to ascertain whether he had contracted the virus. The hospital is now known to have been a hotspot for Covid-19. Bergamos first two coronavirus cases were detected inside its wards. The hospital was forced to shut for a week, but when it reopened, it had not been properly sanitised. It was after the hospital opened its doors again that Saras father was taken in. Guido Marinoni, the president of Bergamos order of doctors, has since confirmed the hospital mishandled the situation, with infected doctors becoming strong accelerators in the spread of the deadly virus. Saras final goodbye could not get past the wheezing noise of the oxygen mask. I was shouting on the phone, but he could not hear me. Sara Gargantini with her father, Giancarlo (Federica Marsi/The Independent) (Federica Marsi/ The Independent) The Gargantini family was unable to hold a funeral, as all religious ceremonies have been banned to limit contagion. Due to the unprecedented number of deaths, coffins have piled up in churches until army vehicles ferried them to morgues in less-affected regions. Giancarlos family does not know where his remains are located. The impossibility to mourn him has made the death seem unreal. It feels as if he disintegrated, disappeared all of a sudden, she says. In one family, three deaths in two weeks Roberto Micheletti, 87, known as Berto, was a carpenter in the town of Bagnatica. His workplace, a garage in the compact three-storey house where he lived with extended family, is decorated with his nephews drawings and a cutout of Pope Francis benevolently waving his hand. Lorella Carminati insider her uncles workplace (Federica Marsi/The Independent) (Federica Marsi/ The Independent) The day Berto died, on 18 March, his wife Rosa Fretti, who was about to turn 80, was taken to the hospital. Every Sunday, Rosa cooked homemade lasagne and, by means of her tireless work, kept the family together. It was always homemade food, that was her thing, her niece Lorella Carminati tells The Independent. Rosa Fretti making lasagne (Federica Marsi/The Independent) (Federica Marsi/ The Independent) The day Rosa died, on 24 March, her brother Valter had been taken to hospital. It felt like the cycle was never going to stop, we were stuck in a nightmare, Carminati, who is the daughter of Rosa and Valters sister Maria, says. Valter, a nurse who had spent his life tending to others, was now bed-bound. Before falling ill, he had resolved to resume his profession and join the ranks of retired nurses called to join in the battle against Covid-19. Valter Fretti (Federica Marsi/The Independent) (Federica Marsi/ The Independent) When Valter died on 30 March, contagions in Bergamo totalled 8,664. For Carminati, who lost three family members in the span of two weeks, the loss inflicted is incalculable. We knew they werent immortal, but they shouldnt have had to die alone, without even a funeral, after all they have done for us, she says. What went wrong in Bergamo? The province of Bergamo has officially registered more than 2,200 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak. Estimates place the real figure at 4,800, suggesting as many have died without a test confirming the presence of the virus. Bergamo, like the rest of Lombardy, went into lockdown on 8 March. But specific measures were never taken for the province, despite the spike in infections. In February, prime minister Giuseppe Conte had cordoned off and quarantined 10 towns in Lodi, a province roughly 70km south of Bergamo, and effectively established Italys first localised exclusion zone or red zone. Rosa Fretti with Roberto Micheletti (Federica Marsi/The Independent) (Federica Marsi/ The Independent) In these zones, patrols and roadblocks were set up and people were stopped from entering or leaving, thereby cutting it off from surrounding areas. The town of Vo Euganeo, in the neighbouring Veneto region roughly 250km east of Bergamo followed suit, but the province of Bergamo was exempted from localised restrictions. But by 1 March, contagions in the Bergamo province had soared to 220. The mayors of Nembro, Alzano Lombardo and Albino in Bergamo informed their towns that they were about to become a new red zone, and the army swept in. The area surrounding Codogno where the first patient had been detected had been cordoned off as contagions hit 50, and the residents of Val Seriana thought they were next in line. But when it came to locking down Bergamo an area home to 376 factories yielding 850m of profits a year, both Lombardys regional authority and the central government backpedalled. The extended family of Lorella Carminati (Federica Marsi/The Independent) (Federica Marsi/ The Independent) The desire by both the central and the regional authorities to protect Italys economy and the interests of powerful industry owners in the area are thought to have been behind the U-turn. The regional authority led by Attilio Fontana and the central government of Giuseppe Conte have been trading accusations, pointing fingers at each other over whose responsibility it was to establish a red zone. We want to understand if what happened is someones responsibility or if it was just a tragic mistake, Fusco, who founded Noi Denunceremo after the death of his grandfather, says. If its the former, we want justice to take its course. A nurse who beat coronavirus has been attacked and robbed on her way to work by a group of thugs who threw her to the ground and fled with her purse. Martha Toscano, 60, had just got out of the 6 train station and was making her way to Bellevue Hospital on Wednesday evening at 10.30pm. She was approached by around 15 thugs who ran her down and pummeled her to the floor, she told The New York Post. Toscano said: 'I thought they were going to kill me. 'They hit me on the head, on the face, I ran and fell on the floor and they keep hitting me.' Martha Toscano, pictured, had only been back at work for three days after beating coronavirus when the assault took place She wept as she told the Post how the attack happened just three days after she returned to work from beating Covid-19. She had been off for two weeks while she recovered from the virus. The vicious assault was interrupted only when three men driving down the street came to her rescue and screamed at the thugs to stop. She said: 'Thank God these angels came, because nobody was in the street, nobody.' The men helped the woman up and chased the muggers to retrieve her purse, to no avail. Toscano said she has been left with 'pain in all my body', including 'my back, my neck, bumps on my head, even on my elbows' and was taken to hospital for her injuries. She returned home at around 4am and was forced to call her landlord to get into her apartment because her keys, ID and credit cards were all in the purse swiped by her attackers. The 60-year-old has been left in excruciating pain to 'my back, my neck, bumps on my head, even on my elbows' On Thursday police arrested three of the alleged assailants. They include two teenage girls aged 14 and 15 and a 19-year-old man named Deshaun Harrison, the Post reported. All three suspects are allegedly residents of a nearby group home run by the city's Administration for Children's Services (ACS), sources told the Post. Harrison was charged with robbery in the second degree, the sources said. An ACS spokeswoman told the Post the agency couldn't legally comment. Toscano is now recovering at home with her fiance in Queens and said she didn't know when she would return to work because of how terrified she was. The makeshift trailers pictured above outside the Bellevue Hospital are being used to store a surge of bodies as the hospital grapples with the coronavirus pandemic The Bellevue Hospital is the oldest public hospital in the US and dealing with an unprecedented number of Covid-19 cases. It has installed temporary refrigerators outside to act as makeshift morgues while it deals with rising death tolls. New York city - the epicentre of the country's coronavirus pandemic - has so far seen more than 123,000 diagnoses and more than 11,000 deaths. The nationwide lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus was the "best possible decision" taken at an "appropriate time" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister and Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala said on Friday. He assured people that there won't be any shortage of food, both in his state as well as across the country, and said the Haryana government will ensure procurement of all food grains from farmers. "I am visiting three to four grain markets and personally monitoring procurement of food grains. Farmers in the state need not worry, their each and every food grain will be procured," Dushyant Chautala told PTI in an interview. He also said mills such as that of rice and flour can resume their operations as these products come under the list of essential commodities. About resuming operation of industries, especially in the state's automobile hub Manesar, the deputy chief minister said, "Necessary orders will be issued, most likely tomorrow, after which the industries in the state which are in non-containment zones can resume operations in a phased manner after April 20." He, however, suggested that it will be better if industries sanitise their premises at least twice a day. When asked about automobile manufacturer Maruti resuming operations, Chautala said the company's plant in Manesar is in a non-containment zone, so it can also resume operations after April 20. Similarly, Information Technology players and multi-national companies in the state which are in non-containment zones can also apply for resuming operations in a phased manner after April 20, he said, and underlined that economic activity can be kickstarted in the state only after ensuring the safety of people. About the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown, the JJP leader said it was a good move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the initial days of the outbreak of the virus. "Have you seen the number of deaths in a single day in developed countries such as the US and can you imagine what would have been the situation in India if same had happened here... the lockdown was the best move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the initial days," he said. Terming the lockdown the "best possible decision" to tackle COVID-19 and was taken at an "appropriate time", Chautala said the prime minister took all chief ministers on board and everybody is united in this battle against the contagion. About the condition of daily wagers and migrant labourers amid the lockdown, the deputy chief minister said required arrangements for their food and lodging have been made across all districts. Asserting that political differences have taken a back seat in this time of crisis, he said all possible help were extended to the stranded vulnerable people, daily wagers and students from other states after a number of leaders, including RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija, approached the BJP ally in Haryana on social media for help. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bail outs Regarding Businesses should be better prepared for crises, recession, (B1, April 15): Chris Tomlinsons column about U.S. businesses being ill prepared for the current economic downturn because these so-called business leaders were padding their own nests is spot on. The column goes on to recommend several solutions but I fear that none will be implemented because lobbyists wont let them see the light of day in Congress. We should just go ahead and redefine capitalism as unbridled greed and quit kidding ourselves. Paul Pieri, Houston Well presented story today by Chris Tomlinson, and spot on. The expectations of private business for government bailouts in times of distress has seemingly become a standard fallback position. If we taxpayers are called on to rescue these too big to fail businesses to the tune of billions of dollars, then it is right to demand from them stricter standards, particularly on stock buybacks and executive compensation. Raymond Ruiz, Manvel Daily briefings Regarding Time to stop airing Trumps briefings, (A13, April 8): Enough already! I am a news junkie but am tired of the daily press briefings by President Donald Trump rambles. Mayor Sylvester Turner and Judge Lina Hidalgo, while more succinct, appear to repeat the same thing day in and day out. The numerous people they bring out do not offer anything to the conversation. In this time of stress, we dont need to be pounded endlessly with information (or misinformation). Briefings should be just that: brief! They should include only new, important and pertinent information; the rest can be presented on the nightly news, in the Houston Chronicle or via the web. Help me and others de-stress, quit interrupting regular programming and stop airing the briefings. They are redundant and rarely present anything that is breaking news. Mary Hunter, Tomball WHO funding cuts Regarding Trump says U.S. will stop payments to WHO, (A6, April 16): A visitor from the World Health Organization (WHO) informed us not long ago that the annual budget of the WHO is about the same as that of a medium-sized New York City hospital. For us to withdraw funding from a noble international organization with a goal to help many poor at risk for coronavirus infection in the developing world is mean-spirited and unthinkable. Wayne Shandera, MD, Houston Health versus economy Regarding Fears of a new Great Depression, (A1, April 12): I think the debate of lives versus livelihoods is a false choice. While there will be some businesses that will require continued restrictions to safely reopen, most businesses can do so sooner rather than later. Office environments can allow workers to come back to work while maintaining safe working conditions almost immediately. We will never be able to test everyone; therefore, we are all going to have to accept some risk to get our lives and economy back to normal. Wade Seidel, Brenham As public health officials scramble to tackle the spread of COVID-19 in long-term care homes and residential care facilities, people with severe physical disabilities living in the community are watching and worrying. The isolation many feel under normal circumstances has been heightened by social-distancing orders. Everyday health challenges now put them at significant risk of falling ill. The Star spoke to several people with disabilities and their families to see how they are faring in the face of the pandemic: I know they are deciding if people are going to live Michelle Kungl says she is not afraid of dying of COVID-19. Im just worried about knowing when to go to hospital, said the 37-year-old Richmond Hill woman, who suffered a spinal cord injury at birth and is believed to be one of the oldest people in Canada living independently, while partially dependent on a ventilator. Before this, when I got sick I would know when to go to the hospital, she said in a phone interview from her accessible, ground-floor apartment, which has on-site attendant care. But now, I know if I go there, Im probably going to be around people who are much sicker than I am, she said.I know they are deciding if people are going to live , so it might be healthier for me to stay home. Critically ill COVID-19 patients are put on hospital ventilators when they can no longer get enough oxygen into their seriously infected lungs. But Kungl has relied on a personal ventilator, hooked up to a tracheostomy tube in her neck, her entire life. My mother is much more scared than I am, Kungl said. But as you know, Im never really nervous about much. The Star profiled Kungls remarkable life in 2017, from her years as a child forced to live in SickKids hospital in Toronto, because doctors couldnt keep her alive at home, to her life as an adult living on her own, roaring around in her power wheelchair and driving to her full-time job in her accessible van. If a vaccine for COVID-19 isnt developed soon, Kungl, whose condition makes her highly susceptible to respiratory illnesses, says shes fairly sure she is going to get the virus. Her mother Lyn Kungl, her daughters fiercest advocate, is not optimistic. Michelle will die of a respiratory issue due to her limited lung capacity, she said in an interview from her cottage near Wasaga Beach, where she has been in isolation with her husband since mid-March when they returned from a trip to the Maldives. The question is whether it will be because of COVID-19. Like most people who are still employed, Kungl has been working from home since the province declared a state of emergency March 17. It is lonely. I miss the camaraderie of my office colleagues, she said of her job as a credit-card fraud investigator for a bank. Working from home, however, has its advantages, Kungl noted. She can log overtime hours and not have to cancel evening appointments with attendant care workers, who now wear surgical masks in addition to gloves, when they clean her equipment, cook her meals and do light housekeeping. Lyn, who speaks by phone to Kungl every day and comes into the city once a week to check on her Riverdale home, has offered to buy groceries for her daughter. But so far, Kungl, who guards her independence, insists on buying them, herself. Her one concession is to allow personal shoppers to accompany her down the aisles to pick out her groceries, bring them to the check out and help her load them into her van to limit the things she has to touch. Lyn cringes at the thought of Kungl in a grocery store during the health crisis. But she knows her daughter. Michelle likes to look after herself as best as she can, and she wants to be independent and advocate for herself, Lyn said. So am I going to stop her from going to Walmart? No, Im not. My mother and I pray together over the phone Michelle MacGugan, 47, is very worried about catching COVID-19. I cant go out. Ive had pneumonia five times, says the Scarborough mother of three who became a quadriplegic 14 years ago when she broke her neck in an accident. I try to think positive. But Im scared. Im very scared. MacGugan, an Indigenous woman from the Dene Tha First Nation in Alberta, has been living independently with the help of attendant care services for 11 years. She has no use of her arms and legs and limited use of one hand which she uses to move her power wheelchair and make calls on her cellphone. She was in a state of crisis even before the global pandemic. In February, the erratic care she had been receiving through one of the attendant care agencies had almost ground to a halt. For about a month, MacGugan was not fed dinner most nights, and many mornings she waited in bed for hours, wondering if an attendant would arrive to get her up and feed her breakfast. Her lawyer, Gabriel Reznick with ARCH Disability Law Centre, said MacGugans case is one of the worst he has seen and highlighted the need for more personal support workers and provincial funding, even before the pandemic. It also underscores the need for an independent complaints system for people with disabilities who receive attendant services in their homes, he said. It is important to understand the psychological and physical impact that the lack of services has had on her, he said in an interview last month before a new attendant care agency took over April 1. Over the last few months, Michelle has been diagnosed with urinary tract infections, severe bed sores and bowel obstructions that have been linked by her doctor to the lack of care she has received, said Reznick. She has been approved for five government-subsidized attendant care visits a day to help her with the activities of daily life, including emptying her constantly overflowing catheter bag; bathing; and light housekeeping in her ground-floor apartment. Despite the improved service since April 1, MacGugan has another urinary tract infection, due to her catheter bag not being emptied before it backs up into her bladder. And she worries that if she cant get attendant care workers to empty her catheter bag regularly, she may end up in a long-term-care facility where Premier Doug Ford acknowledged this week COVID-19 is raging like a wildfire. In the meantime, MacGugan is self-isolating in her apartment and missing visits from friends and her daughter Myrah, 21, who lives nearby. With up to five different attendants coming into her apartment every day, MacGugan knows she is at risk of becoming infected with the coronavirus. But they all wear masks and gloves, she said. They are very good to me. The one at dinner time she likes to talk to me, because she knows I am by myself. One of them picked up my pain medication at the drugstore for me. MacGugan speaks by phone to Myrah and to her 72-year-old mother in a seniors assisted living building in Edmonton where the rest of her extended family lives. I really feel isolated here some times, MacGugan said. I think about people who are passing on from this virus. My mother and I pray together over the phone. A lot families with complex kids have no support Disability activist Sherry Caldwell has been advocating for people with disabilities since the birth of her daughter Ashley, 15, who is non-verbal and uses a wheelchair for mobility and a feeding tube for liquids. Caldwell, who co-founded the Ontario Disability Coalition in 2017, believes the provinces new $600-million autism program discriminates against children with other disabilities who get very little direct funding and endure long waits for provincially funded programs. She wants the government to include all children with physical and development disabilities in a single, inclusive program. Since COVID-19 swept the country, Caldwell has helped raise the alarm over the provinces decision to temporarily shutter a program that funds mobility and medical devices for children and adults with disabilities. Her coalition signed an April 8 Open Letter from ARCH Disability Law Centre calling on the province to ensure people with physical and intellectual disabilities have equal access to emergency responders, hospitals and life-saving ventilators in the case of shortages. And Caldwell was among those who alerted government and the media when staff at Markhams Participation House group home for adults with developmental disabilities walked off the job earlier this month. Like most Canadians, Caldwell and her family have been self-isolating in their Richmond Hill home since mid-March to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Her husband, Ian, is working from home, and Caldwell has been helping her sons in Grade 5 and Grade 12 complete their studies. The couples third son remains in Ottawa where he attends university. Caldwell, who has a part-time job at the LCBO, took a leave of absence in March to protect Ashley. She also asked the personal support workers who had been caring for Ashley before and after school every day to stop coming to their home during the pandemic. They work in other homes, and I just couldnt risk having them bring the virus to our home, Caldwell said. A nurse who worked in Ashleys school before everything closed in March continues to visit the Caldwell home two days a week to bathe, feed and provide other attendant care services to the teen. She knows Ashley and ours is the only house she comes to, Caldwell said. But I know not all families are fortunate enough to find someone they trust. A lot families with complex kids have no support and are absolutely in tears, because their staff work in other homes and care facilities and its just not safe for them to be in their homes at this time. (Adds quote from Ivanhoe CEO) By Helen Reid and Hereward Holland JOHANNESBURG, April 17 (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo's mining minister warned mine shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic would trigger a "catastrophic" economic and social crisis in the country, as he reported a 15% slump in cobalt exports in the first quarter. Congo, the world's biggest producer of cobalt, is highly reliant on mining, with the industry contributing 32% of its GDP and 95% of export revenue in 2018, according to the central bank. "The DRC would not be able to withstand an abrupt halt in the mining production of the flagship projects operating there if they invoked force majeure," Mines Minister Willy Kitobo Samsoni wrote in a ministry analysis seen by Reuters. Exports of cobalt, a metal used in batteries, fell by 15.2% in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, he said in the memo, while copper exports increased by 12.8%. "As a result (of mine shutdowns), we risk moving from a health crisis to an economic crisis, which would in turn lead to a social crisis," Samsoni wrote. The clause of force majeure allows certain terms of an otherwise legally binding agreement to be ignored because of unavoidable circumstances. Companies mining in Congo's southern copper belt include Glencore subsidiary Katanga Mining , China Molybdenum's Tenke Fungurume, MMG , and Chemaf, while Ivanhoe is developing two copper mines there. Disruption caused by the pandemic has so far driven Chemaf to shut its Usoke copper-cobalt processing plant, while Ivanhoe has suspended operations at its Kipushi copper mine project. Restrictions on movement in countries through which Congo's metals are transported could also trigger declarations of force majeure, Samsoni said. Zambia, a key transit country for copper and cobalt, has mandated all returning residents and foreigners to be quarantined for 14 days in a government facility at their own cost, according to a foreign ministry document seen by Reuters. A logistics official said this would affect the transport of metals from DRC, as truck drivers would have to go into quarantine on arrival in Zambia. "This situation cannot be sustained," he said. Depressed copper prices could also slow the development of new mines in Congo, Samsoni said, with facilities expected to enter production in 2020 or 2021, like Ivanhoe's Kamoa-Kakula project, likely to be postponed. Ivanhoe Mines Executive Co-Chairman Robert Friedland said the recent copper price decline has not affected the development schedule for Kamoa-Kakula, and that the mine's high expected grade of copper makes it better able to withstand low prices. "The Kakula mine is making excellent progress on its development," he said in a written statement to Reuters, reiterating the company's previous guidance for first production in the third quarter of 2021. On April 2 the company said it had locked down the Kamoa-Kakula project with all key personnel on site in order to ensure operational continuity and minimise the impact of the pandemic on the development schedule. (Reporting by Hereward Holland and Helen Reid; Editing by Jane Merriman, Elaine Hardcastle and Jan Harvey) Citizens of Plainview and Hale County are now advised to wear face coverings in public. Dr. Sergio Lara, Plainview/Hale County Public Health Authority, issued a health advisory Friday morning advising citizens to wear cloth face coverings in public and practice other social distancing measures in an effort to stop the further spread of COVID-19. The face covers are to be work in public settings, particularly where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, such as grocery stores and pharmacies, according to the health advisory from the city of Plainview. Wearing a face cover is not necessarily required but it is strongly recommended. The advisory notes that wearing a face cover can help prevent the spread of the virus by people who may not be aware they have it. The face coverings can be created out of low-cost common materials. Multiple links to instructions on how to make masks are available at www.plainviewtx.org/covid19. The advisory also asks citizens not to purchase N95 respirator masks as they are intended for medical use and critical to healthcare workers on the front lines. Citizens should also uphold social distancing practices by maintaining up to six feet of space between people in public, according to the advisory. Citizens are also encouraged to stay home. Hale County is currently under stay-at-home orders. The orders urge citizens to only leave home for essential purposes, to practice the social distancing guidelines reiterated in the health advisory, and to avoid congregating in even small groups outside their homes. Noncompliance of the stay-at-home orders is punishable by a fine and/or jail time. Corporation officials say they will not disclose information about the new areas of infection because it will create unnecessary panic Hyderabad: Twenty-five new coronavirus-positive cases were reported in the limits of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Thursday. Very few new cases have been reported in existing containment zones but many have been reported in new areas. All these areas have been notified as containment zones. Corporation officials say they will not disclose information about the new areas of infection for various reasons and it will also create unnecessary panic. According to GHMC officials, containment measures have been put in place for all the localities where the new positive cases have surfaced by barricading the entire area, as per the guidelines issued by the government. All roads to the locality have been closed with just one common entry and exit point. Information pertaining to containment zones has been intimated to all the residents of that area. Nodal officers have been appointed from the GHMC, health, police and entomology wings. A sanitation officer from the GHMC has also been appointed and surveillance teams will conduct door to door fever survey. In order to get medicines, details of the nearest medical shops have been communicated to all households. All residents in the containment areas have been confined to their houses. One nodal officer has been appointed for the convenience of the public in each containment area. Pamphlets have been distributed to all residents with numbers to call for essential needs. Vendors have been appointed to supply essential commodities, vegetables and milk. GHMC appointed one employee to attend to household calls for home delivery. Special teams have been deployed to do sanitation twice a day. Teams have also been appointed for spraying sodium hypochlorite twice a day in the containment zone. Emergency teams are working round the clock to monitor the situation in the containment areas. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: First Minister Arlene Foster and during the daily media broadcast in the Long Gallery at Parliament Buildings, Stormont on Friday. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. First Minister Arlene Foster has said the Executive is planning for a "route back" to normality, after it was confirmed a further 18 people have died in hospital in Northern Ireland after contracting coronavirus. Speaking at the Executive's daily coronavirus press conference on Friday, Mrs Foster said "every death has robbed families of individuals who are cherished" and we cannot "relax our guard". "This is a matter of life and death," she added. Mrs Foster said we would in time return to normality and schools, bars and sports grounds would open again. "It is important these restrictions are only temporary, we will return to something resembling normality," she said. The First Minister said that the Executive was already working on a "recovery plan" for when the pandemic ends. Her comments come after it was announced that the total number of patients who have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus has now reached 176. The Public Health Agency has said that a further 137 people have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of infections in Northern Ireland to 2,338. So far a total of 15,025 people have been tested for the virus. It comes as officials in Northern Ireland are now reporting the number of Covid-19 related deaths outside the hospital setting, and the figures make grim reading. Some 41 patients died from coronavirus in care homes and hospices, while seven died in private residences. Not all of these deaths necessarily followed a positive test for Covid-19, but are those where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate as a possible cause of contributing factor. Meanwhile, in the Republic 44 more people have died from Covid-19, the Department of Health there confirmed. A further 597 cases of the coronavirus have also been diagnosed, along with a backlog of 112 tests from a laboratory in Germany - bringing the total to 13,980 confirmed cases. Read More Here's how Friday unfolded: Scientists claim to have cured Crohn's disease after a treatment of antibiotics and faecal transplants sparked long-lasting 'profound remissions' in ten patients. Previously thought incurable, Crohn's is a debilitating gut disease that affects around 115,000 people in the United Kingdom and almost 3 million globally. It is thought to occur when the body's immune system attacks its own gastrointestinal tract, often causing pain, diarrhoea, fever and weight loss. Scroll down for video Scientists claim to have cured Crohn's disease after a treatment of antibiotics and faecal transplants sparked long-lasting 'profound remissions' in ten patients The study was undertaken by Gaurav Agrawal, Thomas Borody and colleagues at the Centre for Digestive Diseases in New South Wales, Australia. 'Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory process of the digestive tract,' they explained in their paper. 'It has a negative impact on many aspects of quality of life including physical, social, psychological, and sexual functioning.' The disease which is becoming more common is conventionally treated using substances that suppress the activity of the body's immune system. However, such treatments are not always effective and relapse is common. Previous research had revealed that patients with Crohn's disease have an imbalance present in the makeup of their gut microbiome one possibly resulting from an infection of the bacteria Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis. To tackle this, the team gave ten patients individualised treatments that featured either specific doses and combinations of antibiotics, faecal transplants, or both. The transplants saw the patients' damaged gut ecosystems repopulated with bacteria from a healthy donor, which was delivered orally by a what the team have dubbed a freeze-dried 'c**psule'. The team gave ten patients treatments that featured either specific doses and combinations of antibiotics, faecal transplants, or both. The transplants saw the patients' damaged gut ecosystems repopulated with bacteria from a healthy donor, which was delivered orally by a what the team have dubbed a freeze-dried 'c**psule'. Pictured, Professor Borody 'Prolonged remission has been achieved for 323 years,' the researchers said, enabling patients to be off all forms of Crohn's therapy. Professor Borody who heads up the Centre for Digestive Diseases is also noted for having developed a cure for the stomach ulcers caused by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori. The full findings of the study were published in the journal Gut Pathogens. A bombshell report from The Washington Post on Tuesday revealed that U.S. officials sounded the alarm about the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) back in 2018 over safety concerns as the lab researched coronaviruses from bats.The Washington Post's Josh Rogin reported Tuesday.The Post added.The January 2018 cable stated that the U.S. officials who had repeatedly visited the labthe cable continued.The report noted that there is no proof and no one credible is suggesting that the coronavirus was "engineered," but that is not the same thing as saying that it did not come from a lab. The lab was researching coronaviruses from bats and it appears as though there is a possibility that it escaped the lab.the Post added.A U.S. official told the Post that the cables were "a warning shot" and that the U.S. officials who visited the labThe Post noted that "many national security officials" in the Trump administration suspect that the coronavirus escaped one of the two aforementioned labs, which are both located very close in proximity to the wet market that the outbreak had been tied to. U.S. officials had also noticed problems at the WIV in 2014 and 2015.a U.S. official told The Post.The Post noted that the timeline of events that unfolded in China, along with factual realities on the ground in Wuhan, do not add credence to the notion that the coronavirus came from a wet market.The Post points to the fact that one of the first patients who was identified as reportedly having the virus did not have any connection to the wet marketThe Post also added an important fact to this entire story: The market did not sell bats.General Mark A. Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed the report during a press conference on Tuesday, saying,Milley continued.In a tweet, Rogin responded to Milley's remarks, writing, BOCA RATON, Fla., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mill Creek Residential, a leading multifamily developer and operator specializing in premier communities across the U.S., today announced the formation of a programmatic joint venture with QuadReal Property Group, a global real estate investment firm. The venture will invest up to $421 million to develop and operate multifamily communities in targeted US markets over the next two to three years. The venture has closed on its first land acquisition for the development of Modera Six Pines, a proposed Class A apartment community with 429 apartment homes in The Woodlands, Texas area. "QuadReal is a well-respected firm with a depth of experience in the multifamily sector," said William C. MacDonald, chief executive officer, president and chief investment officer for Mill Creek. "We are looking forward to working with this world-class organization to grow our portfolio of high-quality, award-winning communities in some of the most desirable markets in the country. This venture serves as an important step in further developing our investment management business." Tim Works, managing director, Americas for QuadReal, added: "We are pleased to form this new relationship with Mill Creek, a first-rate developer and operator of multifamily communities, with whom we are keen to grow our portfolio of Class A apartment properties throughout the US. Mill Creek and QuadReal share a deep conviction in the asset class and a commitment to building and operating high quality communities." Hodes Weill Securities acted as financial advisor and global placement agent for Mill Creek in connection with the formation and capitalization of the investment joint venture. About Mill Creek Residential Mill Creek Residential Trust LLC has raised over $10.6 billion in capital since 2011 and has over $7 billion in current capitalization including four separately managed accounts and various joint ventures. It has a development pipeline valued at approximately $5 billion. The national multifamily company, headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida proactively develops, acquires, constructs and operates multifamily communities through its seasoned team of real estate professionals in 16 offices across the United States. As of December 31, 2019, the company's portfolio is comprised of 80 communities representing over 21,300 apartment homes that are operating and/or under construction. For more information, please visit www.MillCreekPlaces.com. About QuadReal Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, QuadReal Property Group is a global real estate investment, operating and development company. QuadReal manages the real estate and mortgage programs of British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), one of Canada's largest asset managers with a $153.4 billion portfolio. QuadReal manages a $37.6 billion portfolio spanning 23 Global Cities across 17 countries. The company seeks to deliver strong investment returns while creating sustainable environments that bring value to the people and communities it serves. About Hodes Weill Securities Hodes Weill & Associates is a leading, global advisory firm focused on the real estate investment and funds management industry.* The firm has offices in New York, Denver, Hong Kong and London. Founded in 2009, Hodes Weill provides institutional capital raising for funds, transactions, co-investments and separate accounts; M&A, strategic and restructuring advisory services; and fairness and valuation analysis. For more information, please contact [email protected] or visit www.hodesweill.com *All U.S. regulated capital market and securities advisory services are provided by Hodes Weill Securities, LLC, a registered broker-dealer with the SEC, and a member of FINRA and SIPC, and internationally, by non-U.S. Hodes Weill affiliates. Media Contact Samantha Chalmers LinnellTaylor Marketing (303) 682-5001 [email protected] SOURCE Mill Creek Residential Related Links http://www.millcreekplaces.com This disease has challenged everything that we believed was right six weeks ago. Its different than anything weve seen before, and maybe the way weve taken care of things is not the right way of doing it. There is a lively and healthy debate, that I think is a good debate, about what the right thing to do here is. Im concerned that if we continue on the path that were on, that hundreds of thousands of lives and lungs may be at risk. Its actually kind of vital that we not deviate from those treatment protocols because we know that they reduce mortality. Low oxygen levels. They will tire out within a few hours. So whats your next step? Before Covid-19, I would recommend putting you on a breathing machine. I would have rushed to intubate. Because that was probably the right thing to do. I know when to put in a breathing tube. Ive worked long enough, and Ive worked enough places with enough people. But in this disease, it is extremely confusing, you know, it just doesnt make sense. Listen, I stocked up for the apocalypse, like most people. Now, I just cant believe that I ever thought that Id somehow be home to make all my frozen food. On a normal day in an I.C.U., you have very sick patients. Patients will are dying, but this is just different. Its just you have a disease we dont understand that is very deadly with patients that are scared and staff that are scared, and on top of that, it does not appear that we have a good treatment strategy other than a ventilator. And we dont were not sure when to put a breathing tube in. The crux of it is, we dont want to put a breathing tube into someone who doesnt need it knowing that theres a 70 percent chance theyll die, and then we dont want to not put it into someone who would need it too late. When you go to the E.R., and theres like 40 people that need oxygen, and they all look terrible, but they can all talk to you. And no apparent distress whatsoever. And then you get them on a monitor, and you look up, and you see this oxygen saturation of 45 percent or 50 percent. And telling myself this is impossible. This is not possible. How can this be? Its just not compatible with life to have an oxygen saturation that low. You know, this is strange. Its out of a horror movie. Ive been unable to sleep because Im trying to wrap my head around it. This goes against anything Ive ever believed. The paradigm of ARDS is not matching with the patients that Im seeing, so its like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. The core of the core of the core it is just, what disease are we treating? And are we treating something that is naturally ARDS, or are we not? We protect the lung against what we do to the lung. Protect it from what? From what we do in mechanical ventilation. So what he is saying is that we just have to be gentle. People will need a ventilator, and those that do need as high oxygen as possible, as little pressure as possible, in order to buy time until this demon virus stops. These patients have ARDS. I think the editorial has both been misinterpreted, and I think people have misunderstood that its just that. Its an editorial. Its not a study and its not a trial. I dont doubt that people have seen some cases with some terrifyingly low oxygen numbers. On average, theyre as sick as prior cohorts with ARDS. I just think its important to say that its not a settled question. Every hospital in the world is probably solving its problems slightly differently. Were using an early intubation strategy here, and of our first 66 patients, already a third of them have been extubated. Im arguing for evidence-based medicine, which is something that we all purported to agree with before this outbreak hit. We have large, randomized, controlled trials. The patients in those trials had met the same diagnostic criteria that our current patients meet. We should apply the results of the trials. Today, we do not rush to intubate. Intubate shouldnt has become the last resort, and the protocol once theyre intubated has changed drastically. So within the last two weeks, I mean, what has been unacceptable has become very acceptable. Some of these patients dont need to be intubated. You watch them carefully. You make sure their oxygenation is adequate, and they can recover. I am not saying we dont need ventilators, but perhaps we need to think about how were using them. Somebody, and preferably people that are not taking care of patients every day, needs to look at the disease and figure out how we can treat it better. The truth will come out eventually. In the meantime, the question is: What do we do until that happens? And yes, Im nervous. Im scared everyday when I go into work, but Im just trying to do the best I can. Sorry! This content is not available in your region International tourists may not visit Queensland until 2021 to prevent sparking further coronavirus outbreaks. Queensland's Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said coronavirus progress would be undone if the borders were opened too fast. 'The recovery is going to take years. This is not going to be a quick fix,' she told 7News. International tourist may not visit Queensland until 2021 to avoid undoing the state's coronavirus progress. Pictured: Mermaid Beach on The Gold Coast Queensland's Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said COVID-19 recovery would take years Ms Palaszczuk expected that international tourists would not be allowed to visit Queensland until 2021. 'We're not going to see international tourism, I think, for at least a year,' she said. Ms Palaszczuk explained coronavirus recovery could be damaged if the restrictions were lifted. 'Queenslanders have done a great job but we can undo all of that in a flash if we lift too quickly,' she said. She noted the safety of Queenslanders would be prioritised over tourism. 'We can't put people's health and lives at risk,' Ms Palaszczuk said. The Premier said Queensland would still be able to benefit from domestic travel. 'That's not to say that we won't be able to generate some domestic tourism,' she explained. The number of positive coronavirus cases across Australia as of Friday April 17 Ms Palaszczuk also hinted that certain parts of Queensland would re-open quicker than others. 'Some of our regional economies might be able to fire up faster than the South-East,' she 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 The Premier commended Queenslanders on complying with social distancing regulations. 'The fact that we are adhering to the social distancing means that we saved thousands of lives and every Queenslander deserves credit for that,' Ms Palaszczuk said. The state's social distancing measures restrict gatherings to two people and residents are only allowed to leave their homes for essential reasons. These include buying food, getting a medical treatment or engaging in physical exercise. Queenslanders are also allowed to visit a terminally ill relative and attend childcare, school or university. The state's borders are closed to everyone except residents and essential workers. 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. WASHINGTON, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin issued the following statement regarding the success of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): "The Treasury Department and SBA launched the unprecedented Paycheck Protection Program in just one week. Following its launch, the SBA processed more than 14 years' worth of loans in less than 14 days, which will protect a vast number of American jobs. "The PPP enjoyed broad-based participation across the country from lenders of all sizes and a wide array of industries and businesses. From its start on April 3, PPP provided payroll assistance to more than 1.6 million small businesses in all 50 states and territories. Nearly 5,000 lenders participated in this critical program, including significant lending by community banks and credit unions. Nearly 20% of the amount approved was processed by lenders with less than $1 billion in assets, and approximately 60% of the loans were approved by banks with $10 billion of assets or less. No lender accounted for more than 5% of the total dollar amount of the program. "The vast majority of these loans74% of themwere for under $150,000, demonstrating the accessibility of this program to even the smallest of small businesses. "The PPP provided funds to a wide variety of industries in all sectors of the economy, including construction, manufacturing, food and hospitality services, health care, agriculture, and retail, among many others. This demonstrates the broad diversity of PPP and its support for American workers across the board. "The Paycheck Protection program is saving millions of American jobs and helping small businesses get through this challenging time. We urge Congress to protect millions more American workers and their families by appropriating additional funding to support PPP." Click HERE to view the data. 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: 20-33 SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration Related Links http://www.sba.gov DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Aramco has allocated around 4 million barrels per day of crude oil to its Asian customers, which is lower than its full contractual volumes to Asia by about 2 million bpd, a Saudi oil source familiar with the company's plans told Reuters on Friday. The Saudi source was clarifying a Reuters report earlier on Friday, which cited four source saying Aramco has notified some refiners in Asia that it would supply full contractual volumes of crude in May. "The full contractual volumes to Asia are about 6 million bpd. What Aramco has allocated is what was nominated, which is around 4 million bpd," the Saudi source said on condition of anonymity. Aramco said on Friday that it would supply its customers inside the kingdom and abroad with around 8.5 million bpd of crude, in line with a supply cut pact agreed by Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other leading oil producers. Saudi Arabia's oil output quota under the OPEC+ agreement, which was reached on Sunday, is 8.492 million bpd. (Reporting by Rania El Gamal; editing by Barbara Lewis) Islamabad, April 17 : ConfronAted with adjournment of cases on a daily basis as well as difficulties faced by litigants in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the Pakistan Supreme Court has proposed adopting social network apps to overcome regular postponement of cases. On Thursday, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, while presiding over a two-judge bench during the hearing of a case and facing a similar problem with the absence of a counsel, suggested the use of social network applications, such as Skype, WhatsApp, Telegram or any other suitable video-conferencing platform, to deal with the situation, reports Dawn news. Justice Isa asked Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) preAsiAdent Sayyed Qalbe Hassan to help resolve the issue. The SCBA president acknowledged by stating that he was receiving calls on a daily basis from different counsel that they were not in a position to appear in the court on account of the pandemic. According to him, even those who are willing to come from outstation have no place to stay as the SupAreme Court hostel complex and most hotels in Rawalpindi and Islamabad were closed. Justice Isa also proposed that each courtroom of the apex court should be provided with a WiFi-connected mobile phone, the number of which should be mentioned in the cause list as well as at the Supreme Court's website. Besides applications like Skype, WhatsApp or Telegram, any other suitable video-conferencing platform be installed in the Supreme Court mobile phone whereas counsel arguing a case be asked to also install the same application in their mobile phones. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) -- As the government-ordered shutdown continues in Luzon, data show the coronavirus curve is starting to flatten, a health expert said Friday. Actually we have started to see the flattening. The doubling rate has decreased. Even our number of people [who] recover has already surpassed the number of our patients dying from COVID 19, Dr. Ted Herbosa, special adviser of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 told CNN Philippines New Day. Herbosa also pointed out the country has been able to bring down the viral disease reproduction number to 0.65 from 1.5 -- the previous rate reported during the early stages of the enhanced community quarantine over the northern Philippines. This means the average number of people that a person can infect decreased from more than one to less than one. But the Philippines has to be cautious in interpreting the statistics, Herbosa said, adding it should not let its guard down to prevent a resurgence of cases. Tony Leachon, a doctor and health reform advocate, earlier underscored the importance of mass testing. He noted that the numbers presented by health officials do not reflect the real situation because only selected people are tested for COVID-19 due to limited test kits. "Flatten the curve" means spreading out the number of new coronavirus cases over a long period of time. That way, hospitals are not overwhelmed, and people can have better access to the health care system. Dr. Drew Harris, a population health analyst at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, earlier told CNN Philippines that "flattening the curve" buys people time. If you have time, thats time to prepare. Thats time to make personal protective equipment for the healthcare workers. Thats time to build extra hospitals if you need to. Thats time to begin to manufacture the testing kits so you can identify those sick with the disease," he said. Real-time update For his part, pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Benjamin Co said that a real-time data on the pandemic situation would determine if the country is winning its battle against COVID-19. Once we have gotten all the backlogs... and we got real time data, we should be able to know if we are flattening the curve or not, Co told CNN Philippines. Co also said that the number of recoveries will increase in the days to come as the Department of Health already included those who have gotten well while under home quarantine. I think if we have all the patients all together, we might be getting different numbers later on, with an increase on the total number of recoveries, he said. He added, If you follow the natural force of illness, this week or next week we should be getting more recoveries. More tests to stop deaths Herbosa raised the need to ramp up testing as he expressed concern about the high case mortality rate of the country, which may be due to lack of tests. Unfortunately, this is where we need to act because I think our fatality is one of the higher ones. I think it is the fact that we lack doing more tests. He backed his proposal by citing the case of South Korea, which did more tests to identify all possible cases it should isolate to avoid transmission of the COVID-19 virus. COVID-19 is a disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which is related to the virus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The country now has a case fatality rate of 6.6 percent, slightly above the global average of 6.4 percent, the Department of Health said Thursday. But Herbosa said the government has already acknowledged that lack of testing is the key problem in our current battle vs COVID-19. There are already 16 laboratories across the Philippines which could process coronavirus tests. The country is also set to purchase testing kits worth around 3.3 billion. Ideology does not provide protection from this syndrome. It is the same type of reasoning that declares the war against terrorism to be an overreaction to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. On that day, terrorist operations costing $500,000 killed nearly 3,000 people and resulted in an estimated $3.3 trillion in economic damage. An attack with chemical or biological weapons could have multiplied these results. Under President George W. Bush, the United States undertook a global campaign against terrorist networks and financing that was costly but, on the whole, successful. The effort was continued by President Barack Obama employing different terminology and more drone strikes with continued effect. Yet some insist that a lack of attacks on the American homeland proves the aggressive prevention of those attacks unnecessary. At least 2,391 people from Mizoram are stranded in different parts of the country due to the nationwide lockdown imposed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, an official statement said on Friday. According to the statement issued by a government- appointed task force, 185 people from the state are also stranded in other countries due to the global crisis. The figure could increase as reports are still coming in from various states, it said. The Mizoram government is in close contact with different states to facilitate security and aids to the stranded people, the statement said. Many of them were provided with food and shelter at the Mizoram houses in various cities, while the Mizo welfare committees in different parts of the country were also extending help, it said. At least 2,839 migrant workers and visitors are stranded in Mizoram at present, the statement said. The government is providing them relief and many of them have taken shelter at the relief camps set up in different parts of the state. About 47 foreigners, who entered Mizoram with valid passports, are also currently stranded in the state, it said. The Mizoram government has launched a website -- tankhang.mizoram.gov.in -- for those stranded outside the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) About a dozen people watched from a safe distance as three Rs 500 currency notes lay unattended right outside a house in Delhi. For several minutes, no one dared to touch the currencies. Then someone dialled the police. The fear among many people that currency notes could be carriers of coronavirus disease Covid-19 resulted in this peculiar situation in North Delhis Lawrence Road on Wednesday afternoon. It all began around 1.15 pm when someone noticed three soiled notes lying outside a house. Soon, there were a host of curious onlookers and no one to claim the unattended cash. A call was made to the Keshavpuram police station at 1.27 pm. A police team arrived at the spot, but they too didnt want to take chances. We cordoned off the street and sent the onlookers into their homes. One of us wore hand gloves to pick up the notes. We then sprayed them with sanitiser and packed them in an envelope, said a senior police officer. The police asked around, but didnt find anyone who would claim the cash. The residents of the house outside which the currency notes were found too did not claim them. No one had picked the money off the street. No one would claim it either. It felt like Ram Rajya, said the officer. But the suspense over the notes ended soon after the policemen returned to the police station. A woman, Charanjeet Kaur, visited the police station to claim that the notes belonged to her, said Vijayanta Arya, deputy commissioner of police (north-west). Kaur, a 49-year-old teacher at a government school in nearby Shakurpur, told the police that the notes were part of Rs 10,000 she had withdrawn from an ATM in RG City Centre, a mall in Keshavpuram. Afraid that the notes could be carrying the virus, she had washed them with sanitiser and put them on a table in the balcony of her second floor house to dry. The wind may have blown away three of them, said DCP Arya. Kaur had remained unaware of the drama when the police had landed outside her house. It was only when she walked out to her balcony, that she got to know of the missing notes and the drama that had unfolded. The police asked her to produce the other notes she had withdrawn. The notes found on the street were of the same series as the other notes with her. We gave back the currencies to her, said the DCP. While there isnt enough scientific evidence to suggest that the virus survives on currency notes, many people have tried to play safe while exchanging notes. At a fuel station in Delhis Saket, for example, many customers chose not to take loose change from attendants after paying for the fuel. Earlier, some residents of Saharsa in Bihar had found currency notes scattered outside their homes. The currencies were accompanied by notes which said, I have come with Corona. Accept this note, otherwise Ill harass everyone. A large gold nugget, with an estimated sale price of USD 100,000-150,000, is on display at an auction preview, May 6, 2010 in Los Angeles. Authorities in Laos Luang Prabang province arrested three rural villagers for trespassing after they tried to mine gold on land granted in a concession to a Chinese company, RFA has learned. The villagers, from Phapon village in Luang Prabangs Pak Ou district, were initially detained by Chinese employees of the Thian Chin Huakjan-Lao mining company. The Lao authorities arrived later to take them in. They were accused of illegally mining gold on the concession land. Three Hmong people stole gold from the cave, an employee of the company, who requested anonymity to speak freely, told RFAs Lao Service Thursday, identifying the suspects as members of the large ethnic minority group. We dont know if they will be released or just fined. It depends on the district authorities to make that decision, the employee said. A village official told RFA that while they were aware of the situation, the coronavirus emergency has made it difficult to assist the detained villagers. I heard about the [three] having done that, but I couldnt do anything to help them right now because of the lockdown, said the official. Local media reports say that the three were fined five million kip (U.S. $557) each in exchange for their releases, but RFA was not able to confirm that they were released. District officials, the military, and police officers declined to provide RFA with information about the case, but a resident of a nearby village told RFA that this was not the first incident involving people sneaking into the mines. Many of the villagers have gone to the area. Some are even from other provinces, said the villager, who requested anonymity to speak freely. The mine belongs to the Chinese, since they have the concession. Outsiders are not allowed to enter, so [those three] were trespassing. So thats why the soldiers came in to arrest them, the villager added. Dozens of villagers entered a cave on the land in April last year, hoping to collect gold, when disaster struck. Three were trapped and killed by a landslide they caused by their own digging. Another four were suffocated by exhaust from their own gasoline-powered equipment in a separate illegal mining incident in September. After those incidents, the police and village authorities banned unauthorized entry onto the land. But despite the ban, poor jobless villagers still take the chance. The Chinese-owned company began mining the cave on the concession in 2018 and built a gold processing plant there. Any gold found on the parcel is exported to China for as long as the 50-year concession is in effect. Much of Laoss recent economic growth is generated through land concessions to China, Thailand and Vietnam for natural resources, including timber, agricultural products, minerals, and energy, but the policies have sparked friction over land taken without proper compensation, environmental pollution. Land grabs and the appropriation of public property to turn over to foreign and domestic companies are common in Laos, and villagers affected by them often refuse to speak out publicly because they fear retribution. Reported by RFAs Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Eugene Whong. KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Corrections officers with the Kansas Department of Corrections are taking precautions amid the COVID-19 pandemic to protect inmates, according to Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. In an interview with 41 Action News anchor Taylor Hemness, Kelly acknowledged the concerns of inmates' family members , and said the state is looking for ways to limit the virus' spread within KDOC facilities. Google has now updated the policy surrounding apps allowed in its Play Store to ensure transparency in subscription services and limits on location tracking. Thats based on recent reports stemming from Googles Android Developers Blog. The former change wont arrive for a couple of months, giving developers more time to implement changes. But it will undoubtedly prove a popular alteration for users who want to save a bit of money. Thats because the policy update will fundamentally alter how developers are required to present subscriptions to end-users. Google says that its underlying goal is to ensure clarity in those subscriptions on offer in apps. Namely, the company wants end-users to understand upfront what all of the terms are. That applies not just to introductory offers and free trials. But it also applies to subscription management. Clarity will need to not only be provided upfront, including subscription benefits, costs, billing frequency, and benefits. That will also need to include a way for users to easily dismiss offers at sign-up as well as the procedure for cancellation. Advertisement The Google Play Store will continue to handle reminders regarding renewals of subscriptions bought through apps it manages. But the new policy will ensure developers are doing their part to eliminate confusion too. Limiting location tracking for Google Play apps will keep user data safer The second change in policy was already announced alongside the initial rollout of the Android 11 Developer Preview. Thats a change enforcing background location tracking practices that better comport with the requirements of an app. The goal here is to assuage growing concerns over the past couple of years about applications tracking users locations needlessly. Now, apps will need a clear and definite reason to be tracking a users location when the app isnt in active use. More directly, apps will need Googles direct permission to do so. Advertisement Google has provided some examples of permitted use of always-on location data tracking. Those wont necessarily appeal to everybody since social networking apps and similar will still have access, once users grant that permission. Tools meant to broadcast an emergency alert with location information will still work too. But apps that dont necessarily need that information to function normally will not. When, exactly, are these changes set to take effect? The changes in Google Play policy to ensure subscription management is easier for Android users and ending constant location tracking for some apps arent going to take effect immediately. Developers will undoubtedly want to get the jump on rolling them out but arent required to do that until June 16. Similarly, new apps on the Google Play Store will need to comply with background data tracking policies by August. Those that dont hold to the policy when submitted with summarily be denied. Advertisement Existing apps on the Play Store are being granted a bit more leeway to provide time to implement changes. That will benefit both end-users and developers. But those that dont comply by November will be removed from the app market. Thats been the case with all apps that violate these types of policies, including recent changes that are arriving with Android 11. We read to know were not alone. These words, taken from William Nicholsons play Shadowlands, capture our deep motivation to read. When we read, we see life through anothers eyes, sometimes recognizing our own desires, dreams, and disappointments. Its like the feeling of a friends arm, silently extended around your shoulders. Youre not alone. But as Christians, we are called to more than this. Were called not to comfort ourselves but to discomfort ourselves. Were calledlike the Good Samaritanto stop in the wayside world of the other, especially others who are least like ourselves. And sometimes, the passport to that world is a book. Playful Complexities Girl, Woman, Other is a 2019 Booker Prizewinning novel by Bernardine Evaristo, whose works experiment with prose and verse and explore the African diaspora. The book is set in London, my hometown. I recognize its places, streets, and turns of phrase. But its 12 protagonists could hardly be more different from me. Most were born in poverty. Most experiment sexually. All live as black or brown women in majority-white contexts. One whose faith had carried her through trials felt that faith die along with her beloved husband. (It was buried when her prosperity-gospel pastor traded sex for a small business loan.) But even across these differences, Evaristo conjures empathy with a magicians flare. Indeed, the book is structured around empathy. Chapters 1 to 4 narrate 12 womens tales, in clusters of three. For example, chapter 1 gives us the keys first to Ammas inner thoughts, then to those of her daughter, Yazz, and finally to those of her best friend, Dominique. We learn each woman from the inside out, but we also see them from the outside in. The effect is a sustained soliloquy, as actor after actor takes the stage. Time and again, the other becomes the self. As a white, British woman, I emerged from this book with a richer understanding of the range of experiences of black and brown women in my countrynot least the hurt and the heartbreak. Despite addressing issues as serious as rape and emotional abuse, and topics as fraught as gender, cultural origin, immigrant status, and sexual experience, Evaristo is never monochrome or preachy. She highlights the complexities at play while being playful with complexity. One example of this playfulness is Evaristos portrayal of Nzinga, an African-American builder of timber houses on wimmins lands in the Dis-United States of America, with whom Dominique falls deeply in love. When Dominique first brings Nzinga to meet her best friend Amma, Nzinga opines on what black women should and shouldnt do, including not wearing black socks or underpants or using black garbage bags. As Evaristo tells it, Amma kept flashing Dominique looks, is she serious? are you serious? But Dominique is lapping it up. Weve all seen friends imbibe nonsense from those they adore. If were honest, weve probably done that ourselves. But the comedy of this moment becomes poignant as we witness Nzinga shrinking Dominiques world down, inch by inch, to an abusive cage, from which Amma ultimately helps her escape. Evaristos characters have flaws and foibles, and intermural fights, and we see how love and politics get tangled up. But even as we are struck by difference, were also invited to identify. Some of Evaristos most powerful moments knock at generational walls. Amma is not the conventional sort. An iconoclastic black, lesbian, feminist playwright, she is also deliberately promiscuous. Yet the Amma with whom Evaristo leaves us when she quietly passes the mic to Ammas daughter, Yazz, is filled with conventional feelings. Shes realized her dead father, whose traditional thinking she despised, was a good man. Shes started trying to police her daughters clothes. And she has suffered that same daughters rejection of her most deeply held beliefs: Article continues below [F]eminism is so herd-like, Yazz told her, to be honest, even being a woman is passe these days, we had a non-binary activist at uni[versity] called Morgan Melenga who opened my eyes, I reckon were all going to be non-binary in the future, neither male nor female, which are gendered performances anyway, which means your womens politics, Mumsy, will become redundant. Amma wont miss the spiteful snake that slithers out of [Yazzs] tongue to hurt her mother, because and here comes the punchin Yazzs world, young people are the only ones with feelings. But she will miss Yazz, so painfully. Ammas monologue ends like this: the house breathes differently when Yazz isnt there waiting for her to return and create some noise and chaos she hopes she comes home after university most of them do these days, dont they? they cant afford otherwise Yazz can stay forever really. In these moments, the most conventional, conservative, lifelong Christian parents among us will feel an unexpected arm across the shoulder. We feel it again when we hear from Yazzs father. Roland is a gay academic with whom Amma chose to have a child. He has risen to celebrity heights. But when we hear snatches of his inner monologue, we find that the validation he desperately craves is from Yazz, from whom he longs to hear, just once, You done good, Dad. And we hear how he feels about the hollow in his side left by the long-gone little girl who used to curl up under his arm. Purity and Compassion Common bonds of parenting aside, should we even read about lives like Ammas? The poet and Paradise Lost author John Milton urged that books should be promiscuously read. But should we Christians read books that feature promiscuity? Girl, Woman, Other is not explicit in its depictions of sex. Nor is it evasive. When Carole is gang-raped at age 14, we feel its force. When Amma conquers woman after woman, we see her mental scorecard. When Dominique enters what becomes an emotionally abusive relationship with Nzinga, were not left wondering if theyre just close friends. Some of us will find even relatively delicate portrayals of sex to be deeply unhelpful. If thats where you are, dont read this book. But sometimes I wonder if we are so concerned with our purity that we sacrifice empathy on its altarlike the priest and the Levite, crossing to the other side. Jesus set a standard of sexual purity before which all of us must quake. We must not look at women (or men) lustfully, and we must gouge out the things that take us there (Matt. 5:2829). As Christians, we must surely guard our minds and hearts. But, sexual sinners that we are, must we not also open ourselves up to those whose sexual experiences (chosen and unchosen) are very different from our own? Jesuswhose mind was absolutely pureturned his eyes of love to prostitutes and welcomed women known for sexual sin (Luke 7:3650). Dont get me wrong: We dont need gratuitous details. Books like 50 Shades of Grey are written to arouse, and we must flee pornography in all its forms. There are many books and films Id scrupulously avoid. But Scripture itself sometimes narrates illicit sex scenes (Tamars rape by Amnon in 2 Samuel 13, for instance). And in many of the narratives from Girl, Woman, Other, we only understand the characterher fears, hopes, and disappointmentsbecause we know the life shes lived. LaTisha, the loud-mouthed grocery store manager, parenting three kids from different men, is sculpted by painful encounters with sex. So is Carole, the successful, faithfully married businesswoman, who was gang-raped outside LaTishas party when they were kids. Sometimes peoples sexual pasts are visible. Sometimes they are hidden. But they are always important. Article continues below Listen and Love Knowing the story of a fictional character will not give us access to any real life. But fiction can expand our moral space, preparing us to empathize with those whose lives diverge from ours. Some differences of experience are morally neutral. I can read and learn what its like to grow up in a different time, or place, or as a boy rather than a girl, or with a different racial or cultural heritage. Some lives call for moral sympathy, as with Evaristos Carole, a gang-rape victim whose endurance of horrific sin shaped her irrevocably. And some are culpably immoral, as with the heartless promiscuity of Amma, who never sleeps with the same woman more than twice to avoid entanglement. But all these categories of experience matter to a persons life. We all long to be known and loved. But if others wont look at the parts of us most mired in sin, then theyll never really know us in full. This applies to friendships with other Christians. Its vital to me that my close friends listen when I confess my sin. I dont need them to enable me, or to affirm what God does not. But I do need them to listen and to try to understand. Then they can truly help. This same principle applies all the more to friendships with non-Christians, whose ethics may diverge from ours. To listen and understand is not to endorse. And while we must fight our own sinful tendencies, neglecting to understand the sins of others leaves us vulnerable to that most dangerous of all besetting sins: pride. The Pharisees judged the tax collectors and prostitutes. Jesus ate with them. But what if the book we are reading has explicit anti-Christian bias? While Girl, Woman, Other is careful to poke fun at every ideological viewpointincluding those evidently embraced by its authortheres no way to spin it as pro-Christian. But this is no reason to remove it (or books like it) from our shelves. I frequently read books by strident atheistsRichard Dawkins, Steven Pinker, and the liketo understand the arguments they make. And books like Girl, Woman, Other give us access to something more precious: the internal worlds of non-believers, not just their arguments. Like inviting us into someones house, books can help us see the landscape in which our unbelieving friends might live. And when we see life through their eyes, were moved to greater tenderness as we point them to the Light of the World. Girl, Woman, Other may not be for you. You may have other mission fields, and its themes might hit you in unhelpful ways. But it is excellently written and offers us the keys to houses that may (or of course may not) be quite unlike our own. We read to know were not alone. But as Christians, we can also read to ensure were not leaving others alone. The hand across their shoulder could be ours. And reading might just help us stretch it out. Rebecca McLaughlin is the author of Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the Worlds Largest Religion (Crossway). You can follow her on Twitter @RebeccMcLaugh. A bill signed by Gov. Charlie Baker extends liability protections to health care workers treating patients during the coronavirus pandemic. Baker, who filed the legislation, signed it into law Friday afternoon. The bill, S.2640, protects health care workers authorized to treat COVID-19 patients from lawsuits and civil liabilities over certain errors made in good faith, similar to protections that hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities have in place. The bill applies to health care workers and their employers at hospitals, chronic disease rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, rest homes, community health centers, psychiatric hospitals and other health care facilities. During this unprecedented crisis, these liability protections enable physicians and health care providers to continue providing the best care possible under extreme, increasingly strained circumstances, Dr. Maryanne C. Bombaugh, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, said in a statement after the bill was signed. Importantly, this law strikes a careful balance, addressing the unprecedented needs and circumstances created by this pandemic while still protecting patients rights. While hospitals and other entities have their own liability protections for employees, the statewide COVID-19 response has drawn help from medical students, retired medical professionals and others who are not traditionally part of a companys liability policy. The state and its commercial partners have also launched field hospitals and other sites for COVID-19 treatment outside of hospitals where the lines of who is protected and when may become blurred. If youre trying to utilize as much of the talent as you can when it comes to medical professionals, you want to ensure theyre going to be protected, Sen. James Welch, a West Springfield Democrat and chairman of the Joint Committee on Financial Services, told MassLive when the bill was under review in his committee. The bill garnered support from health care workers across the state. Sioban Haldeman, a registered nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, urged lawmakers to pass the bill to help bring in more health care providers and resources. I believe this legislation is imperative to ensure continue functioning of our healthcare system, Halderman wrote in testimony submitted to the committee. We are being called upon to address a fast-moving, often lethal viral illness within a healthcare system in this state and country that has limit[ed] margin for spending to prepare for pandemics. The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, said the bill is especially important as the state outlines crisis standards of care. Crisis standards released last week included guidelines on who should receive ventilators if the health care system becomes overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases. It is essential that this legislation be enacted into law immediately to ensure that Massachusetts healthcare professionals are confident as they work through overwhelming challenges and patient surges, the association wrote in prepared testimony. We urgently appeal to the Massachusetts Legislature to pass this bill now with no amendments. Under the bill, health care facilities and medical professionals are immune if their efforts to provide care were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic or the states emergency orders and if the facility or employees efforts were done in good faith. Health care workers and the facilities are not immune from liability if they acted out of gross negligence, recklessness or with an intent to harm based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. They are also not immune if they were committing fraud. Volunteer organizations would also be immune unless they show gross negligence, recklessness or an intent to harm. Related Content: Advertisement 'I learned how to just be and follow the rhythm of nature,' Audun Amundsen says, reflecting on his life off-grid in the jungle with the Mentawai tribe, where there was little on the daily agenda other than making arrows or canoes and hunting for food such as monkeys, bats or shrimp. The Norwegian engineer and filmmaker first went to live with the tribe deep in the undergrowth of western Indonesia as a 24-year-old, for a month in 2004. He returned in 2009 - this time for a three-year stay, during which time he would learn their unwritten language. He says that the biggest thing he missed living in isolation was 'the convenience of modern society' and 'eating food for pleasure, and not simply for survival'. Having conversations with people he could relate to was another thing he yearned for at times. Scroll down for video Audun Amundsen, pictured, has spent over three years living with the Mentawai tribe in Indonesia Amundsen filmed his life with the Mentawai tribe and the footage has been turned into a documentary - Newtopia The Norwegian engineer and filmmaker first went to live with the tribe deep in the undergrowth of western Indonesia as a 24-year-old, for a month in 2004. He returned in 2009 - this time for a three-year stay Life in the wild was a life far removed from the one Amundsen had left behind. In 2004 he quit his lucrative job working on an oil rig off the Scottish coast and left his modern, comfortable apartment in Trondheim, Norway, to satisfy his itch for travel. He started his travels in India, before moving on to Nepal and then on to Indonesia to 'warm up a little' and recover from the altitude of the Himalayas. Amundsen, 40, says when he got to Padang in West Sumatra he decided that he 'wanted to go off the beaten track and go as far away from my own culture as possible. Recounting his tale, he continues: 'I got to hear that these traditional people were living in the jungle on Siberut Island and I was like "wow thats really interesting, I want to see that". Asked what his hope is for people watching his film, Amundsen concludes: 'I would like people to cherish the diversity and differences of the world, culturally, ecologically, between sexes, traditions and so on. And, I want to evoke questions about what kind of progress we want for the future.' Above, a view of the jungle area where the Mentawai tribe live 'I went to this island - a 12-hour trip on a shabby wooden boat from Padang - and spent a week trying to convince someone to take me upriver to where I'd heard the tribe live. On this island there would be no possibility to communicate with the rest of the world. It was really far away - no access to Google Maps or Facebook. 'When I got there, this guy comes walking towards me and it was a pretty exciting moment. Luckily he was smiling and we couldnt really communicate that much but we became friends.' The man Amundsen befriended was a Mentawai shaman called Aman Paksa. The Norwegian, who describes himself at the time as a 'naive and young backpacker', spent just over a month living with Paksa. He says: 'Because he liked me we made a deal for me to stay for a few weeks. In return for their hospitality, I helped with daily chores and life around the bush house.' They communicated, Amundsen says, mostly through body language. A still from Amundsen's film showing a typical house in the jungle that he lived in He eventually left to continue on his travels and take the flight home he'd booked. After returning to Norway with no money and setting up home in an abandoned factory, Amundsen says he couldn't get the 'magic of the jungle' out of his head and he decided he wanted to return and make a documentary about Paksa. For this, he managed to get funding from the Norwegian cultural department. The adventurer says he didn't have a formal education as a filmmaker so before setting off on his adventure he spent all his time 'studying and trying to suck up all the knowledge I could in videography, directing and about the people and so on'. Amundsen had a couple of health setbacks before leaving for Indonesia, including a stroke and heart surgery, but eventually he managed to get his strength back and he set off overseas in 2009. After landing in Padang once more, Amundsen boarded the old wooden boat back to Siberut Island. From there, he went upriver again to look for his old friend Paksa - hoping that he'd be welcomed once again. After all, he couldn't exactly message him to pre-book a room. Amundsen says: 'After a week I finally found Aman Paksa. He was still there and he was well. He had a new son, he also had a watch. Already I saw that things were starting to change in this short period I had been away.' Tribe member Paksa demonstrates how to hunt using a traditional bow and arrow The documentary maker had no plan regarding how long he would stay in the jungle this time. He joked to Paksa that he might stay for a year, with the tribesman merely replying in his native tongue, 'sure, if you can'. Amundsen had returned with a larger Indonesian vocabulary, solar panels and a camera - so he could document what life was like there. He would later turn his footage into a documentary - Newtopia. He also packed some Western medicine, which proved useful when he got a mystery eye infection that caused his eyes to turn red and his eyelids to almost fuse shut. The adventurer describes his time in a 'lost world' as the equivalent of a 'timeless and long meditation' where he 'simply lost track of linear time'. Describing his daily routine in the forest, he tells MailOnline Travel: 'We would wake up by ourselves before sunrise when the fog still surrounded the trees. As the sun warmed the jungle we would sit on the porch, relax, chat and drink a hot drink. Amundsen suffered a severe eye infection in the jungle - and was glad he packed some antibiotics 'Then we would feed the semi-wild pigs with sagu (extracted starch from sago palm). After that, we were free to plan whatever project we wanted. Projects could be to hunt monkeys, bats, or river shrimps. Making equipment, canoes, arrows, baskets and so on. 'Usually, we took a small rest midday, and then we would always have something social going on. Houses are open, and visitors often came by or we would go to visit someone for gossip and news. 'When darkness came, we sat inside around an oil lamp. I read a lot of books when I was there. Sometimes we made handiwork like knitting baskets. Days were filled with a slow variety, but somehow time just moved on without notice.' Over time, Amundsen witnesses modernity creeping into jungle life, with Western clothing being adopted, plastic objects replacing plant-made goods and the hunger for money taking hold. Chickens and pigs were traditional methods of payment. The adventurer explains in Newtopia that when he first met Paksa he was amazed at how he had 'no money, electricity or machines'. Over time, Amundsen witnessed modernity creeping into jungle life, with Western clothing being adopted, plastic objects replacing plant-made goods and the hunger for money taking hold Paksa, pictured, cuts his hair and adopts Western clothing to land a construction job in the city of Padang Amundsen has returned to the jungle numerous times since shooting his documentary and his friendship with Paksa spans 16 years. Above, the friends seen on a trip to Jakarta While the city seemed attractive from a distance, Paksa soon realised it's not all it's cracked up to be Amundsen's 90-minute film shows how he befriends Paksa (pictured above with wife, Bai) He muses: 'It was amazing. It was like a tale from my childhood had come to life.' But as time moves on, Amundsen's fairytale loses its shine as members of the Mentawai tribe start to get curious about the outside world with ramshackle towns on the periphery of the forest turning into bustling trading hubs. The filmmaker says it never occurred to him that Aman Paksa 'would one day have a bank account and a cell phone' but he slowly comes to realise that this is the reality. The tribe members come to adopt motors for their boats instead of paddles, they realise they can hunt with guns instead of arrows and that chainsaws are more efficient than handsaws. In a bid to make money to buy these modern tools, Paksa cuts his hair and adopts Western clothing to land a construction job in the city of Padang. Amundsen says it was 'difficult' witnessing these changes but he accepted that he couldn't prevent Paksa from tasting a different way of life. While the city seemed attractive from a distance, Paksa soon realises it's not all it's cracked up to be. He tells Amundsen at one point: 'If it's all this noise, I don't like it.' Missing the peace of the jungle Paksa decides to go back home, armed with a wig he purchases in a modern shopping mall to replace his cut hair Paksa goes back to his traditional way of life after leaving the jungle to sample the city Missing the peace of the jungle Paksa decides to go back home, armed with a wig he purchases in a modern shopping mall to replace his cut hair. He sheds his Western clothes in favour of traditional garbs and goes back to hunting with bow and arrow. Amundsen has returned to the jungle numerous times since shooting his documentary and his unique friendship with Paksa now spans 16 years. Asked what his hope is for people watching his film, Amundsen concludes: 'I would like people to cherish the diversity and differences of the world, culturally, ecologically, between sexes, traditions and so on. 'And, I want to evoke questions about what kind of progress we want for the future. 'I do think we eventually will find a balance between nature and modernity, but unfortunately, I suspect that a lot of species and ecosystems will vanish before we do. 'In many ways, living with the Mentawaians has made me think of the quote from the famous American historian Will Durant: A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself within.' Amundsen's documentary Newtopia is currently only available to download in Norway, with further distribution opportunities being sought. Proceeds from downloads will be donated to the Mentawai community. Newtopia will continue being shown at film festivals worldwide when travel resumes. For more information visit www.newtopiafilm.com. Amundsen has also recently released another film documenting how a friend of his from Norway made a joke song about Indonesian food that went viral overnight, making him a celebrity in Indonesia. Nasi Padang - A Viral Adventure is set to air on Norwegian TV soon with a view for further distribution. For more information visit www.nasipadangthemovie.com/nasi-padang. Three Georgia men accused of belonging to the white supremacist group The Base and of plotting to kill an anti-fascist couple were denied bond Thursday after voicing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. Floyd County Superior Court Chief Judge Bryant Durham denied bond requests for 25-year-old Michael Helterbrand of Dalton; 19-year-old Jacob Kaderli of Dacula; and 21-year-old Luke Lane of Silver Creek. The three men face charges of conspiring to kill members of a militant anti-fascist group and participation in a criminal gang. A Georgia county judge on Thursday denied bond requests for suspected neo-Nazis Luke Austin Lane (left), Jacob Kaderli (center) and Michael Helterbrand (right) after they voiced concerns over the coronavirus outbreak Investigators say the trio belong to The Base, described by the FBI as a collective of hardcore neo-Nazis operating as a paramilitary organization (pictured) Floyd County police said the men belong to The Base, which was described by the FBI as a collective of hardcore neo-Nazis, operating as a paramilitary organization that is hostile to minority communities. An arrest affidavit said the men planned to kill a married couple who were part of the Antifa movement, and believed that killing the couple would send a message to enemies of The Base. The men were previously denied bond in February but requested another hearing amid coronavirus concerns and delays. Lane's attorney, Emily Matson, said social distancing was impossible in the county jail and inmates don't have access to disinfectants. Matson and the other attorneys argued they couldn't adequately represent their clients because of massive amounts of evidence presented by the FBI and limited access to their clients because of COVID-19 restrictions. Helterbrands attorney, Radford Bunker, told the judge the online visitation system has a long sound delay, which makes it difficult to communicate with his client. 'I cant be an effective advocate for my client,' Bunker said. The judge told the attorneys to appeal in two weeks. A screen capture from a video posted to the group's chatroom shows members conducting drills at a recent 'hate camp' Floyd County Sheriff's Sgt. Anthony Cromer said there have been no cases of COVID-19 in the jail. 'We are screening all of our staff two times per shift at least,' Cromer said. The Base: A militant neo-Nazi group that focuses on self-defense and preparing for imminent chaos The Base is a small militant neo-Nazi organization that emerged in 2018 and is primarily active in the United States. Group members portray themselves as vigilante soldiers defending the 'European race' against a broken 'system' that has been infected by Jewish values. The Base embraces Hitlerian ideology coupled with a mission to prepare for an impending race war. The group espouses nihilistic and accelerationist rhetoric an ideology embraced by white supremacists who have determined that a societal collapse is both imminent and necessary, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The Base organizes in the virtual space, but their on the ground presence has increased to include alleged criminal activity. Source: Anti-Defamation League Advertisement The male target of the white supremacists' alleged assassination plot expressed relief that the judge rejected the suspects' bond request. 'They do not need to be out among the public,' the Antifa activist told the Atlanta Journal Constitution of the jailed trio. 'In this case, Im glad the judge did the right thing.' An analysis of information in charging documents by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution revealed The Base's 'regional training camp' a few miles south of downtown Rome, Georgia. An undercover law enforcement agent visited the 105-acre property in Silver Creek to participate in training with the group, according to an affidavit. According to the affidavit, members of The Base used the compound 'to prepare for the 'Boogaloo,' a term used by members of The Base to describe the collapse of the United States and subsequent race war.' Organizers of The Base recruit fellow white supremacists online - especially veterans because of their military training - and use encrypted chat rooms and train members in military-style camps in the woods, according to experts who track extremist groups. The group, which has the motto 'learn, train, fight,' brings together white supremacists of varying ideologies, the experts say. Unlike other extremist groups, it's not focused on spreading propaganda - instead the group aims to bring together highly skilled members to train them for acts of violence. The Anti-Defamation League said members of The Base and other white supremacist groups have frequently posted online messages advocating for 'accelerationism,' a fringe philosophy in which far-right extremists 'have assigned to their desire to hasten the collapse of society as we know it.' Watch: What this doctor has to say about those who recovered from COVID-19 India oi-Briti Roy Barman Chennai, Apr 17: Dr R Narayanababu, Dean of Omandurar Medical College, Chennai said that patients who were tested positive of coronavirus, admitted in hospitals, went to quarantine for 15days, faced mild depression after coming out. The doctor also said that the public should not isolate the people who returned home after they got cured of COVID-19. Dr Narayanababu said, "As patients are coming out of quarantine after 15 days, they will have mild depression. When they return to their homes they can isolate themselves, the public should not isolate them". #WATCH Dr. R. Narayanababu, Dean of Omandurar Medical College, Chennai says, "As patients are coming out of quarantine after 15 days, they will have mild depression. When they return to their homes they can isolate themselves, the public should not isolate them". #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/ftRiA6fxt8 ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 While the people around the globe are facing coronavirus outrage, it is evident that the recovery percentage among the virus-positive patients is much higher than the death. Where the number of active patients worldwide is 14,89,112 at present, the number of the recovered is 5,54,525, that is 79 per cent of the total. NEWS AT 3 PM, APRIL 17th, 2020 Coronavirus outbreak: About 203 million people watched PM Modi's address to nation, says BARC Meanwhile, in India, the rate of the recovered patients is 13 per cent as 1,749 got cured among 11,201 active cases. North Korean Defector Directly Chosen in South Korean Parliamentary Vote for 1st Time - Reports Sputnik News 08:19 GMT 16.04.2020 SEOUL (Sputnik) - Thae Yong-ho, who defected while serving on North Korea's diplomatic mission in London in 2016, won 58 percent of the votes from the Gangnam district in capital city Seoul, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported. A high-profile North Korean defector won a seat in South Korea's parliamentary election for conservative opposition party United Future, media reported Thursday. This makes him the first North Korean directly elected by South Korean voters. "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", Thae Yong-ho said as quoted by Yonhap. The politician campaigned under a different name and registered a different name, according to the agency, as a security measure against possible North Korean attacks. Another defector from the North, Ji Seong-ho, also won a seat in the parliament, although he was not directly elected but was on the ballot as a proportional representative in South Korea's mixed electoral system. According to Yonhap, North Korean defectors living in the South, 33,000 strong, have begun to participate in the country's political and social life by forming a political party last month. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ontario has gone from zero to 518 COVID-19 deaths in the space of one month, with the tally now including a personal support worker who cared for residents at a Scarborough nursing home. The unidentified woman from the Altamont Care Community in West Hill is the first personal support worker to die in the growing outbreaks that have now hit at least 106 of the provinces 626 long-term care facilities, a problem Premier Doug Ford has dubbed a wildfire. She will be sadly missed by all of her colleagues and by all the residents she cared for, said Lois Cormack, president and chief executive of Sienna Senior Living. The woman was much loved and valued, Cormack added in a statement breaking the difficult news. Staff in long-term care account for almost 60 per cent of the 1,068 cases of COVID-19 among all health-care workers. There have been concerns that nursing home employees have not had enough masks and other personal protective equipment. According to the latest Ministry of Health figures, there have now been 1,854 cases of COVID-19 in long-term care, which includes 1,229 residents and 621 staff. The number of residents testing positive increased by 296, or 32 per cent, in the 24 hours preceding the ministrys reporting deadline of 4 p.m. Thursday. At least 216 nursing home residents have died, prompting Fords government to increase protection measures including increased testing to better determine the extent of the spread amid criticism that more action should have been taken sooner. Ontarios first fatality from the new coronavirus was reported March 17, just days into voluntary-self isolation. The death toll has almost doubled since this time last week. Another 629 Ontarians have confirmed or probable cases of the new coronavirus in the 24 hours prior to the Stars compilation of data from public health units as of 5 p.m. Friday, bringing the total to 10,753. Thats an increase of 5.9 per cent, which is in line with recent daily growth in cases. There were 49 new deaths. There were 829 Ontarians in hospital, including 245 in intensive care and 200 of those critically ill patients on ventilators to breathe. The Ministry of Health said 4,555 people have recovered from COVID-19 since the first case was identified in January. Its believed there are thousands more cases of COVID-19 than official figures indicate because many people with mild symptoms have not been tested and were asked to stay at home in self-isolation. Lindsey Graham Wants Sanctions on Chinese Regime for Being Largest Sponsor of Pandemics Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Thursday that Chinas communist regime, which he called the largest state sponsor of pandemics, should face punishment for its role in the global unleashing of COVID-19. Speaking to host Sean Hannity on Thursday, Graham said data suggests the regime failed to disclose information about the severity of the outbreak of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, thereby fanning its global spread. All the evidence indicates that they locked their country to protect their people and they did not tell the world about the true state of play inside of China, Graham said on Hannitys show. Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism, China is the largest state sponsor of pandemics. He said China should face consequences for the virus-related actions of its leadership. What did we do to Iran whos a bad actor? We sanctioned Iran. What should we do to the largest state sponsor of pandemics on the globe? We should sanction China to get them to change their behavior, Graham said. The South Carolina senator then attributed the pandemic-driven loss of life in the United States, as well as the economic fallout, to the actions of the Chinese regime. If it were not for the irresponsibility of the Chinese Communist Party, there would be no pandemic in the world, Graham said. Americans would be alive today and 22 million people would be at work. Grahams remarks refer to the over 20 million Americans who filed for unemployment benefits in the past month, Thursdays Labor Department figures show. His comments follow an initiative by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who this week introduced legislation to hold the Chinese officials involved in covering up the coronavirus outbreak accountable. The Chinese Communist Party deliberately silenced those who tried to sound the alarm and provide the world with medical information Had the Chinese government acted responsibly, the coronavirus outbreak might not have turned into a global pandemic, Cruz said in an April 14 press release. Fauci Says He Doubts Chinese Regimes COVID-19 Numbers Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the governments top infectious disease expert, said Thursday that he doubts official COVID-19 figures released by the Chinese regime. Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told Fox News that he does not find Chinas claim of less than 5,000 COVID-19 deaths credible, nor does he believe the regime has released all the pertinent data. That number is really rather a low number. That number surprises me that that number is so low, Fauci said, referring to the regimes official claim of the number of people in China who fell victim to the CCP virus. I think any of us who have been dealing with this now, for the last few months, dont feel confident at all that we have all of the data of the originally infected individuals, how long there were people in circulation or even now, how many deaths there really are in China, Fauci said in the interview. The CCP virus has caused at least 146,201 deaths globally and infected nearly 2.2 million people as of Friday morning, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. The numbers are considered inaccurate by many because of a lag in data collection by governments as well as significant underreporting of known cases and deaths by mainland China. There are 671,425 confirmed cases and 33,628 deaths in the United States, the data shows. You may have just that one patient with the coronavirus that come into your facility, and you dont know. I can go to work today, wind up feeding them. And then find out two hours later, Oh, they have that virus. And Ive already been exposed. Nursing Assistants, CNAs, were the closest ones, were the front line. The work of nursing assistants has always been difficult and low paying. But add coronavirus, and its become dangerous. TV announcers: Across the country, nursing homes are especially vulnerable One elder care facility, where 19 residents have died In Palo Alto In the New Orleans area In DuPage County In Sacramento County. Covid-19 spreading through our most vulnerable population. We met up with caregivers from nursing homes in Northern California. They attend to the kind of patients who are most likely to die if they get the virus. So can you do your job without touching people, or without Its impossible. Everything is touch. Bathing. Feeding. Assist them to the restroom. Brushing their teeth. Turning. Its almost like a holding and cleaning at the same time. Helping nurses with wound care. Cleaning their ears, tying their shoes. We do everything. Well, you could be feeding that patient or you could be doing something and the patient starts coughing. Its too late to turn around, you already done got crap all over you. You know, you just run to the bathroom, wash your face or whatever. And then go about your day. Social distance? Cant do it. Its impossible. If this video were filmed at a different time, youd be seeing footage of these workers with their patients. But nursing homes are closed to visitors right now to protect the people inside. Actually everything youre seeing here we filmed from afar, following recommendations to slow the spread of Covid-19. But these caregivers cant maintain that kind of distance in their work. And now, shortages of protective gear like masks are putting them at risk, not just for getting the virus but for spreading it. If you want to speak, press star 6. Were running out of supplies of masks in our building. And trying to take care of these patients without us also getting sick is worrisome. Were rationing right now, masks, protective gear. But its like, what happens if we run out? It scares me. They gave us the N95 mask, and told us to maintain it. If the elastic comes off by accident or something, staple and reuse it. So youre actually cleaning the N95 masks in between uses? Yeah, with with alcohol. You like wipe off the outside of it or how do you do that? The outside, the inside and just let it air dry, and put it back in a Ziploc bag for the next day. A lot of people in this field, we have families. So you dont want to take nothing home. My granddaughter, shes special needs. So she has a low immune system. When she was born, she was really sick. So weve been cautious ever since shes been born. I am very concerned of taking it home. My mom, shes diabetic, and my dad also just beat cancer in the thyroid. I have asthma. So if I were to get Covid, It would affect my lungs. And how am I going to pay my bills? Because its paycheck to paycheck, what Im doing. The pay for this work is low: In the U.S., the median salary is less than $30,000 a year. As a result, many nursing assistants work multiple jobs. And as they move between facilities, so can disease. Usually when I finish the first job, I go right to the second job. I work 16 hours, thats not including driving time. And Im not the only one majority of my co-workers, they work two jobs. I work home health care too, on top of taking care of my mom and my grandmother. Im kind of worried because you dont see the virus because theyre droplets, and you dont know whos coughing or sneezing on you. Even though I do try to sanitize, like along the way, going to my next client. But sometimes its just not enough I think. But who else is going to take care of them? Former foreign minister Alexander Downer acted without clearance from Australian officials when he contacted United States diplomats four years ago to raise concerns about potential Russian interference in the US presidential election. A new memoir by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull reveals that Mr Downer raised his concerns directly with the US embassy in London in July 2016 but had "no authority from Canberra" to do so. Former Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer. Credit:AP The move was crucial to the launch of an FBI investigation into the Russian support for the election of US President Donald Trump, who dismissed the inquiry as a "witch-hunt" and ordered an inquiry into the affair. Mr Downer, the Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom at the time, met Trump aide George Papadopoulos in London in May 2016 and was told the Russians had "damaging" material on Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton. A group commissioned a poll in two Midwestern swing states to test the viability of women of color to be Joe Biden's vice presidential pick and found Stacey Abrams as the top choice for black voters but Elizabeth Warren as the overall candidate to beat. Details: Kamala Harris was the only candidate of color to break the top three for overall support, along with Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Warren, in this survey of Michigan and Wisconsin voters conducted for Donors of Color Action and reviewed by Axios. But Warren reflected the most consistent support among white and black voters in both states. Why it matters: This is one of the only publicly disclosed polls surveying likely voters on specific VP candidates at the same time Biden's campaign is forming a committee to vet women on his shortlist. It offers some early insights into how voters in two battleground states are feeling about the 2020 ticket. Donors of Color Action is part of the Donors of Color Network, a community of high-net-worth donors that launched in March 2019. The group commissioned MRG Research to conduct the study, which was intended to explore the viability of a woman of color as Biden's VP pick with voters in Michigan and Wisconsin. The group asked likely Democratic and independent voters about eight prospective VP picks: Sens. Warren, Harris, Klobuchar, Catherine Cortez Masto and Tammy Duckworth; former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams; Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; and Florida congresswoman Val Demings. The big picture: Democrats are focused on the electoral college after losing the 2016 election to Donald Trump, including losses by less than a percentage point each in Michigan and Wisconsin. Conversations about race and gender, and how those factors play into Democrats' ability to beat Trump in November, persisted throughout the 2020 primary including whether it would take a white man to win over voters in the Midwest. The memo for Donors of Color points out the differences in how black voters view these potential VPs relative to voters overall. "We think it's clear that a ticket that mobilizes and excites the broadest coalition of voters will help Democrats take back the White House," Ashindi Maxton, co-director of Donors of Color Action, told Axios in a statement. By the numbers: Black voters in Michigan and Wisconsin picked Abrams as their favorite hypothetical running mate for Biden, at 36% and 38%, respectively. While Klobuchar is popular among voters overall in these states, she got just 12% support from black voters in Michigan and 20% from black voters in Wisconsin. Harris underperformed with black voters in Michigan (22%) relative to her overall support in these two states, and she did 10 percentage points better with black voters in Wisconsin. Warren earned the most consistent support among the group, in the low 30s among black voters in both states. Abrams performance without being a sitting senator or having just run for president, shows potential to build a broad coalition and turn out voters. Methodology: MRG Research surveyed registered voters in Michigan and Wisconsin between March 23 - April 5, 2020. Sample sizes: Michigan = 798 (margin of error +/- 3.5 percentage points); Wisconsin = 842 (margin of error +/- 3.4 percentage points). This article is part of a continuing series on World War I. For more World War I features visit the Military.com World War I overview. The battlefields of Waterloo and the Marne are separated by a physical distance of approximately 180 miles and by a time span of roughly a century. They mark the defeat of two successive attempts for the mastery of Europethe first by Napoleon and the second by Kaiser Wilhelm. They frame an era of unprecedented peace, more or less, and economic prosperity on the European continenta peace and prosperity that would be shattered by the onset of World War I. In the summer of 1815, on the field of Waterloo, in what is now Belgium, a French army under the command of the former Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was decisively defeated. The victors were a pan-European force under the overall command of British Field Marshall Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, supported by Prussian troops under Marshall Gebhard von Blucher. The defeat ended once and for all Napoleon's ambitions for mastery of Europe. The peace that followed the Congress of Vienna, the Pax Britannica or the British peace, did not end war on the European continent, but it did bring a measure of stability. By creating a system of checks and balances, backed with Great Britain's money and the powerful Royal Navy, while ostensibly remaining neutral, London ensured that no single European power would emerge to dominate the continent and risk another all-out war. British Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, summed up Great Britain's European policy as, "We have no permanent allies, we have no permanent enemies, we have only permanent interests." Preventing the emergence of a dominant European power was at the core of those permanent interests. For just over a century, Europe was spared the destructive, continent-wide wars that had dominated its politics for almost three centuries previously. The ambitions of would be conquerors, from Phillip II of Spain, to France's Sun King, Louis XIV and finally Napoleon Bonaparte, had been checked for good. Or so it seemed. The Rise of Prussia Prussia, a small German principality on the periphery of Western Europe, was an unlikely candidate to aspire to the mastery of Europe. Located on the north German plain, it was poor, predominantly agricultural, with few natural defenses. To the west and south were a bevy of small German duchies. It was vulnerable, however, to its larger neighbors. There were two formidable powers, Poland to the east and Sweden to the north. Beginning in the eighteenth century, Fredrick William I, and then his son Fredrick II, began transforming their Prussian kingdom into a major military power. The ambitions and actions of one man, Otto von Bismarck, would transform Prussia into a German empire stretching from the Rhine in the west to the Oder in the east, and from the Baltic to the foothills of the Alps. As Prime Minister of Prussia, and later as the Chancellor of the German Empire, Bismarck figured large in European politics from the 1860s until his dismissal by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1890. It was Bismarck who, by intrigue and warfare, succeeded in creating an empire out of a loose collection of confederated German states. His first step in 1866, was to reduce Austria's influence as the most important Germanic state by drawing it into a war over disputed territory in the duchy of Holstein. The seven-week war was fought between the Austrian Empire and its allies in the German Confederation and the Kingdom of Prussia and its German allies. Italy was also allied with Prussia. Italian troops attacked Austria and took control of Venice and the province of Venetia. After some initial setbacks, the Prussian military quickly established its dominance on the battlefield. The result was a shift in power among the German states away from Austria and toward Prussia. The German Confederation was abolished and replaced by the North German Confederation. The latter excluded Austria and the south German states, and was dominated by Prussia. Austria also ceded Schleswig, Holstein, Hanover, Hesse, Nassau and Frankfurt to Prussia. Next, Bismarck turned his attention to the south with the aim of uniting the remaining German states under Prussia. To facilitate this, he engineered a war with Francethe Franco-Prussian War of 1870. A dispute had arisen between France and Germany over the succession to the Spanish throne. A German prince, a member of the Catholic wing of the Hohenzollern dynasty, had been offered the position. French emperor, Napoleon III, already concerned by the growth of German power and influence, feared encirclement between a rising Prussia and a German influenced Spain. He had objected to the German Prince Leopold, and had instructed his ambassador to Prussia to obtain a promise from King Wilhelm I that Prussia would never again support the nomination of a Hohenzollern prince to the Spanish throne. Bismarck arranged for the release of a transcript of the conversation between King Wilhelm I of Prussia and the French ambassador. Bismarck's carefully edited version, the "Ems Telegram," gave the impression that the two men had insulted each other and caused an uproar in both Paris and Berlin. Napoleon III, pressured by the French press and public opinion, seized upon the telegram as an insult to the French ambassador and his government, and promptly declared war. Forced to choose between France and Prussia, the south German states rallied to Prussia. German military forces proved superior in the field. A series of swift Prussian victories in eastern France culminated in the Battle of Sedan on September 1, during which a large portion of the 120,000 strong French Army of Chalons, along with the French Emperor Napoleon III, were captured. Fighting continued for some five more months, culminating in the siege and subsequent fall of Paris on January 28, 1871. Hostilities were brought to a close with the Treaty of Frankfurt on May 10, 1871. France agreed to pay reparations of five billion francs, gave Germany the city of Strasbourg and the fortifications of Metz, and relinquished control of the province of Alsace and the northern portion of Lorraine, Moselle. Alsace was home to a majority of ethnic Germans and had been part of the Holy Roman Empire until seized by Louis XIV. Lorraine, however, was predominantly French. For Germany it was simply taking back a region that was historically a rightful part of the German-speaking world. For the French, "to the injury of Alsace was added the insult of Lorraine." The "lost provinces" of Alsace-Lorraine became a source of resentment that would poison French-German relations for the next three-quarters of a century, and it would become one of the contributing factors leading to World War I. Significantly, Bismarck had opposed the annexations, but had finally conceded the point in the face of overwhelming German support for their seizure. With the south German States now solidly in Prussia's orbit, Bismarck, on January 18, 1871, at the Palace of Versailles just outside Paris, had orchestrated the proclamation of the new German Empire, the Deutsches Kaiserreich. The Reich would be led by the now Emperor Wilhelm Fredrick, with Berlin as its capital. He had brought into being a new European superpower. The German Empire had the largest population of any European state, was the most industrialized and boasted an economic output that would soon overtake even that of Great Britain. Having unified Germany, Bismarck now needed to ensure its stability. This he intended to do by building alliances with key European powers and forestalling the creation of any alliances that might conceivably threaten the German Empire. The "Bismarckian System" that he created proved instrumental in preventing the rise of anti-German alliance for almost a quarter century. Its ultimate collapse would lead to the formation of the pan-European alliances that would eventually precipitate World War I. The Collapse of the Bismarckian System: Alternative Alliances and WW I Bismarck is said to have once observed that, "German foreign and military policy was hostage to its geography." Lying astride the heart of the continent, the rise of German military power could simultaneously threaten virtually all of Europe. Bismarck's principal aim was to guarantee that the rise of Germany would not precipitate an anti-German alliance by its neighbors. Above all else, he wanted to ensure that Germany would not find itself in a position where it would have to fight a war on two fronts concurrently. The Bismarckian international system that he implemented had three principal objectives: maintain friendly relations with Great Britain to ensure continued British neutrality, isolate France, and seek an alliance with the conservative monarchies of Austria-Hungary and Russia. While aware of the danger of French ambitions to retake Alsace and Lorraine, Bismarck realized that France alone could not stand up to German military power. The possibility of any kind of French-British alliance, while possible, seemed remote. Britain was continuing to pursue a policy of non-involvement in European politics. Moreover, France, its historic enemy, remained a potent rival in the race to colonize Asia and Africa. In 1873, Bismarck turned his attention to Russia and Austria, creating the League of the Three Emperors. The League was designed to bring the conservative monarchies of Austria-Hungary, under Emperor Franz Joseph I, and Russia, under Tsar Alexander II, into alignment with Prussia. Each party was obliged to come to the others' aid in time of war. In this way, Bismarck intended to maintain the balance of power within Europe and ensure that no anti-German alliance would be formed. The Three Emperors League had an inherent weakness, however. Austrian and Russian interests were increasingly at odds in the Balkans. Ultimately, Germany would have to choose between an alliance with Austria-Hungary and an alliance with Russia. Wilhelm Fredrick I and Alexander II had both favored a German-Russian alliance. This was not without precedence. A similar alliance had existed between Catherine II (the Great) of Russia and Fredrick II of Prussia. Their mutual animosities notwithstanding, the two had signed a defensive alliance in 1764, and had collaborated in the successive partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth that began in 1772. A similar alliance would be made between Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin in 1939. Bismarck, however, was determined to unite the German-speaking people under Prussian leadership, and insisted on Austria-Hungary as Germany's main alliance partner. He threatened to step down as Chancellor if he did not get his way. There was nothing inevitable about the alliance structure that would ultimately coalesce in the period from 1890 to 1910. A German-Russian alliance had always been a distinct possibility. Indeed were it not for Bismarck's opposition, it might well have come about. Such an alliance would have left Austria and France as the two "isolated" parties. Having both been victims of Prussian aggression, the two countries would have been natural allies. Moreover, their foreign policies were highly compatible. France had little interest in the Balkans and Austria-Hungary had little interest in overseas colonies. A Russian-German versus an Austrian-French alignment would have left Italy surrounded by two historic enemies and put it firmly in the German-Russian camp. Such an alignment would not only have been plausible but it would also have been more consistent with historical precedent. We can only speculate how an alternative alliance structure would have affected British and Turkish policy. One thing seems clear, however, confronted by a German-Russian alliance that included its historic enemy Russia, it's likely that the Ottomans would have looked to Britain and France, as they had in the Crimean War, for support in resisting Russian aggression. Great Britain, rather than being the main antagonist of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, might instead have emerged as its primary defender. We cannot even begin to imagine how the Middle East would be different today if the Ottoman Empire had survived World War I or how that empire might have subsequently evolved. Angered by what it perceived as a lack of German diplomatic support for its gains from the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, Russia abandoned the pact in 1879. Bismarck tried again, creating a formal, Three Emperors Alliance. The alliance was concluded in 1881, for a term of three years, and was renewed in 1884, but it lapsed in 1887. Bismarck then proposed a "reinsurance treaty" with Russia under which Germany and Russia both agreed to observe neutrality should either party be involved in a war with a third country. The fact that Russia and Germany had moved from mutually supporting each other in the event that one of them found itself at war to being neutral underscores the steady divergence in Russian-German relations over this period. The three-year treaty remained in force until 1890. The Russians asked for a renewal, but by then Bismarck had been dismissed and his successor, Leo von Caprivi, was unsupportive. Moreover, the German Foreign Office had concluded that the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia was incompatible with the aims of the Dual Alliance between Germany and Austria. Even though Bismarck had insisted on an alliance with Austria, he had repeatedly sought a diplomatic accommodation with Russia to forestall any kind of French-Russian alliance. Such an alliance seemed a remote possibility. Republican, revolutionary France seemed to have little in common with conservative, backward Russia. But driven by what they both perceived as an increasingly belligerent Germany, the two countries increasingly found common ground. The rapprochement was rapid. In 1891, barely a year after the collapse of the Russian-German reinsurance treaty, a contingent of the French Naval fleet visited the Russian naval base at Kronstadt and was warmly welcomed by Tsar Alexander II. On their arrival, a Russian military band playing the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, serenaded the French fleet. This was the first time that the song had been performed in public in Russia. Up until then its performance had been a crime, punishable by imprisonment. Two years later, the Russian Fleet reciprocated with a visit to the French naval base at Toulon. The two countries agreed on a military convention in August 1892, signed by the chiefs of the respective Army General Staffs, pledging that if either was attacked by Germany, or by one of Germany's allies supported by Germany, the other would immediately attack Germany. The agreement further stipulated that in the event of war France was obligated to mobilize at least 1.3 million troops and Russia 700,000 to 800,000. After extensive negotiations, this Franco-Russian alliance was formally accepted in both countries on January 4, 1894. The new alliance made all things Russian the height of fashion in Paris. From the Ballets Russe to vodka and caviar, Russian culture was greeted with open arms by Russia's new French allies. In 1898, Germany enacted the first, of what would eventually be four, Fleet Acts as part of a deliberate policy of challenging British naval supremacy. The German action came at a time when London was acutely aware of a sense of imperial over reach. Great Britain remained a powerful country capable of meeting the challenge of any of its adversaries, but increasingly it was clear that it would be hard pressed to meet the challenge of multiple adversaries simultaneously. Faced with a direct threat to its naval supremacy, the Admiralty developed and launched the Dreadnought class of battleships. Named after the first ship launched in the class (1906), the Dreadnought design offered two revolutionary innovations: an "all big gun" armament configuration with an unprecedented number of heavy caliber guns and a steam turbine propulsion system. Subsequent innovation saw the power plant converted from coal to fuel oil, increasing both speed and cruising range. These super battleships, by the standards of the early twentieth century, instantly made all previous pre-Dreadnought battle ships obsolete, towering over them in both speed and fire power. Confronted by what it perceived as a direct and growing threat from Germany, Great Britain slowly abandoned its historical neutrality and began to look for allies to contain German ambitions. The search brought an unlikely set of allies, from an accommodation with the United States to an alliance with Italy in the Mediterranean and Japan in East Asia. Two additional allies, in particular, would, historically, have been highly unlikely ones. France had been Great Britain's historic nemesis. Between 1066 and 1815, the two countries had found themselves at war more than 50 times. Even after Waterloo, it remained a formidable competitor to Great Britain for power and influence around the world, and it had emerged as a strong rival in the race to colonize Africa and Asia. As late as 1898, the two countries had almost gone to war over the Fashoda incident in the Sudan. But now, British attitudes toward its historic rival began to change. In 1904, London and Paris signed a series of agreements called the Entente Cordials. The agreements marked the formal end of Britain policy of neutrality in European affairs. There was still one more unlikely reconciliation required to form the alliance. For decades Russia and Great Britain had engaged in "The Great Game" for power and influence across central and East Asia. Russia's steady expansion to the east had often brought it into conflict with British interests in Persia and the Indian subcontinent. By 1907, however, the tensions and rivalries of "The Great Game" had been set aside for a newer and more acute concern, containing German ambitions. That year, Great Britain and Russia signed the Anglo-Russian convention. Bismarck's carefully constructed foreign policy was in ruins. One-by-one, the core principles of the Bismarckian system had collapsed: Britain had abandoned its historic neutrality to join an anti-German alliance and had reconciled with Russia, its great power rival in Asia. France had ended its isolation by reconciling with its historic nemesis Great Britain and had successfully forged a military alliance with Russia. Germany now faced the one scenario that Bismarck had worked so tirelessly to avoidpowerful enemies joined together in mutual support on both its eastern and western borders. That alliance would ultimately shape both the character and scope of the war and its principal battlefields. Joseph V. Micallef is a military historian, bestselling author, keynote speaker, syndicated columnist and commentator on international politics and the future. A man who police say was angry after not being allowed into a relatives home coughed on Jersey Cit police officers and shouted If Im going to die, youre going to die, authorities said. Eric Rock, 35, who claimed he is infected with the coronavirus, was charged with two counts of second-degree terroristic threats during an emergency, two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer and two counts of throwing bodily fluid at an officer for his actions Thursday morning. Police were responding to a Jersey City home on a report that Rock went to a relatives home and kicked in a window of the house when she would not let him inside, the state Attorney Generals Office said. Rocks arrest was one of several announced by state law enforcement officials regarding coronavirus-related crimes. Had he not threatened and coughed on the officers, Rock would have likely been issued summonses for criminal mischief and harassment, and released with a court date. Now he is facing jail time, state officials say. More than a dozen staff at a far north Queensland hospital pathology laboratory have gone into quarantine after coming into contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19. A Cairns Hospital employee who works at an internal laboratory tested positive to the virus overnight and might have unknowingly infected colleagues. An employee at Cairns Hospital, in Queensland's far north, who works at an internal laboratory has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. State Health Minister Steven Miles said the pathology worker had contact with another known case and it was "very unlikely" they became infected when testing coronavirus samples. Mr Miles said the worker was in isolation, colleagues were in quarantine and the laboratory was closed until a deep clean was completed. Pakistan is planning to conduct over 20,000 COVID-19 tests daily by the end of April as sixty per cent of the new coronavirus cases in the country are due to local transmission, a senior official said on Friday. Addressing media on the COVID-19 situation in the country, Pakistan's Advisor on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said most of the coronavirus cases in the country was due to local transmissions. According to the Johns Hopkins University data, the virus has infected over 671,000 people and claimed more than 33,000 lives, the highest for any country in the world. Pakistan has so far reported a total of 7,125 cases with 137 deaths. In the last 24 hours Pakistan has reported 494 cases of coronavirus. The local transmissions are 60 percent of total new cases, he said during the press briefing held after the daily meeting of National Command and Operation Center, which is tasked to suggest policy interventions and implement decisions of the government. He said the Pakistan government would conduct more than 20,000 COVID-19 tests daily by the end of April. Mirza also said an information technology-based platform would be launched on Saturday to enable overseas Pakistani healthcare professionals to help the government's coronavirus response. He said Pakistan had more than 1 million testing kits and there was no shortage of any material related to the disease. Average daily positive COVID-19 cases reported in last 2 days has been 509 versus average of 281 from April 10 to 15. This is due to scaling up of testing. Last 2 days average of 5,892 tests versus average of 2,918 tests April 10 to 15. Positive results last 2 days were 8.6 per cent versus 9.6 per cent from April 10 to 15, he tweeted, he said. Prime Minister Imran Khan also urged officials on Thursday to take measures to cope with the disease during the upcoming month of Ramzan. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi launched a special app to monitor the working of Pakistan's foreign missions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The coronavirus pandemic in Germany is under control thanks to measures imposed after an early surge in cases, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Friday. Imposing restrictions to keep people home from mid-March had been successful, Spahn told reporters in Berlin, as the country prepares to ease the measures and ramp up production of protective masks. The infection numbers have sunk significantly, especially the relative day-by-day increase. The outbreak is today again under control. On Wednesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that smaller shops would open from next week and schools reopen to some pupils from May 4. But other elements of the wide-ranging restrictions will remain in effect, including a ban on gatherings of more than two people in public and on large public events. On Thursday, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for disease control released data showing each disease carrier in Germany was infecting fewer than one other person -- the person-to-person rate dropping to 0.7. The figures justified a first easing of the lockdown with a review after two or three weeks, Merkel said, while warning that there was little margin for error and that caution should be the watchword, not over-confidence. As Germany prepares to allow public life to resume, Spahn said the country would produce up to 50 million masks a week from August. Some 40 million would be surgical masks and 10 million would be FFP2 masks, which offer more protection. But so far Germany has not aped neighbouring Austria by introducing a nationwide requirement for people to wear masks in public, issuing only a strong recommendation. Defending the decision to hold off a mask requirement, Spahn said people had been very responsible so far. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In World Tour, our original clan, including Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake), discover a wider world of trolls. The trolls we know believe in the power of pop, but it turns out there are others out there devoted to techno, classical, country, funk and rock. There are even other pockets they find along the way, too, including those for hip-hop, Reggaeton and even dedicated yodelers. (Unfortunately, there are no cameos for Prog Rock or Crunk.) It's the Rock Trolls that start the trouble in World Tour." Their leader, Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom), sets out to dominate the other groups. Armed with heavy-metal power chords and Metallica-esque bombast, Queen Barb plots a rock reign to drown out the other styles. The plot gives World Tour an opportunity to cycle through countless hits, and it does so so speedily that the film often feels less like a story than an impatient, candy-colored battle of the bands. When it slows down, and allows more than a snippet of a song, Trolls World Tour is more enjoyable. There's a good hip-hop interlude and a fine Kelly Clarkson country ballad. Male pattern baldness and hair loss affect up to half of middle-aged male Caucasians, and almost all Caucasian men when they reach the old age according to a study. However, historically, Asian men, particularly East Asian males, have the lowest hair loss incidence in the world are now experiencing a sharp increase due to changing lifestyles. Less than 3 percent of men aged 18-29 and just over 13 percent of men in their 30s have experienced male pattern baldness, based on a study in six Chinese cities in 2010. A 2001 study conducted in South Korea analyzed 5531 Korean males and 4601 females, and the results have shown that the prevalence of androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness at all ages in the country was 14.1 percent. Hair loss also steadily increased as men aged, but it was still lower than Caucasians, with 2.3 percent of males in their 30s, 4 percent in their 40s, 10.8 percent in their 50s, 24.5 percent in their 60s, 34.4 percent in their 70s, and 46.9 percent when males are over 70. In a 2012 study, Japanese men were also identified to develop male pattern baldness almost ten years later than their European counterparts, and that the prevalence of hair loss in these Asian men was 1.4 fold lower in each decade of life. A population-based cross-sectional survey conducted in Taiwan in 2007 revealed that there is a significant positive association between a person's smoking status and moderate or severe androgenetic alopecia. The prevalence of pattern baldness was affected by a person's smoking status, smoking intensity, and his current amount of cigarette smoking, after controlling for age and family status. Hair loss now ranks fifth among primary health concerns of Chinese. A survey by the China Association of Health Promotion and Education discovered that around 130 million males were troubled by hair loss. The study found that males within the 20 to 40 years old age group is the principal group experiencing the problem. 1 out of 4 males in the 20-40 age group had some form of hair loss, while men in their 30s were losing their hair quicker than any other age group. A lot of students in China are also experiencing some degree of pattern baldness or hair loss, according to a survey conducted by Tsinghua University in Beijing. Almost 60 percent of the 4,000 respondents were identified to be suffering from hair loss. Students studying Marxism and the arts were most likely to have hair loss concerns according to the survey. With the rise in popularity of male idols in East Asian pop culture, the standard of beauty for males include thick hair and boyish looks. A study in the International Journal of Dermatology in Korea found that males with pattern baldness were considered less attractive or older-looking by 90 percent of non-bald respondents. In 2018, a building management company was called out by the Human Rights Commission of Korea as it allegedly rejected an applicant because of his bald head. As the cases of hair loss increase among Asian men, the hair transplant industry is also booming with revenue. Statistics published in 2019 show that the revenue of the hair transplant industry in China has reached twelve billion yuan or around 1.7 billion US dollars. The increase of pattern baldness in the younger generation will most likely result in a continuing expansion in the market revenue of the hair transplant industry. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 19:54:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Belgian health authorities confirmed Friday 313 new COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 5,163. Among the total victims, 49 percent occurred in hospitals while 50 percent in nursing homes, said the public health institute Sciensano. Belgium recorded 1,329 new cases in the past 24 hours. The country has registered a total of 36,138 COVID-19 confirmed cases between March 15 and April 16, according to the health authorities. The public health institute said the strength of the virus is decreasing thanks to the collective effort and respect for containment measures. They called on people to maintain containment efforts and respect social distance. "Let's only make essential journeys because the objective is clear: the curve must decrease and together we can do it," concluded the authorities in a press briefing on Friday. Enditem The moment Virgin Australia pilot Tracey Haynes felt the full gravity of her situation was when she was lucky enough to secure a casual job stacking shelves at Woolworths. "When I got my job at Woolies, my kids couldnt understand why I was crying," Haynes says. "They thought: well you got a job mum, isnt that what you wanted? And it is and Im incredibly lucky. But the thing that brought a tear to my eye is that this is real. This is really happening." Tracey and Richard Haynes have worked for Virgin for 17 years. Their careers and the airline's future is now in doubt. Credit:Justin McManus The Boeing 737 pilot and her husband Richard, who trains and examines Virgin's Airbus 330 pilots, are two of 8000 employees Virgin has stood down as it fights for survival. The coronavirus pandemic has thrown Australia's number-two airline into financial turmoil and it has asked the Morrison government for a $1.4 billion loan to ensure it comes through the crisis. The pleas for assistance have so far fallen on deaf ears and it appears increasingly likely Virgin will collapse unless the government or a white knight investor comes to the rescue. Multnomah County commissioners on Thursday voted to ditch their own eviction moratorium and instead adopt Gov. Kate Browns statewide order, which extends protections to commercial renters and doesnt require residential tenants to provide a reason or meet a specific notification deadline if they cant pay rent. Commissioners also retained a six-month grace period for tenants to repay any unpaid residential rent that was in the original county order. It will begin after either the state eviction moratorium ends or the county emergency declaration ends, whichever occurs on a later date. Currently, that is the county declaration set to end in early July. If landlords dont comply with the grace period, tenants can sue for as much as three times their monthly rent, plus other fees and damages. County Chair Deborah Kafoury told The Oregonian/OregonLive last week county officials were considering aligning the countys order with the state to rectify some issues, including that some renters may not have been able to contact their landlords under the previous timeline required by the county. The county required renters to notify landlords before or on the day rent was due. The statewide order, which has been in effect since April 1 and ends June 30, requires renters to tell their landlords they arent able to pay rent as soon as reasonably possible. The initial county moratorium also required renters to submit proof to their landlord or property manager that cites COVID-19 as an explanation for being unable to pay, but the state order has no such requirement. Brown announced the statewide eviction moratorium March 22 that prevents law enforcement officers from acting on any order or notice to evict residential tenants from their homes for not paying rent. The order was to be in effect for 90 days and is currently slated to end in June, but that could be extended. She issued another order April 1 that included a commercial eviction moratorium as well as additional guidelines designed to strengthen protections for residential tenants. Commercial tenants have to provide documentation or other evidence within 30 days of unpaid rent being due, that they cant pay because of coronavirus-related impacts. Many households in the Portland area struggled to pay rent at the first of the month. However, data from national housing groups thus far shows most renters in the Portland area and nationwide did eventually pay their rent in April. Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter -- Everton Bailey Jr. ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 |@EvertonBailey Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. Shell has announced the final investment decision on the $6.4-billion Surat Gas Project in Queensland, Australia, the company said in a press release. The project will produce some 90 billion cu ft of natural gas at peak production levels, Shell said, that will be sold both domestically and on export markets. The Surat Gas Project is a partnership between Shell and Arrow, Energy, a 50/50 joint venture between the Anglo-Dutch supermajor and PetroChina. The news, while it comes at a time of depressed gas prices, is good for Queensland: Australia's southeast is facing gas shortages in just a few years. The ironic situation is the result of two oversights, the first of which was that most of the LNG production capacity that came on stream in the last few years was directed abroad. As the International Energy Agency said in 2018, "Increasing LNG exports have created a tight supply in Australia's eastern market, which is characterized by weak regulation, poor transparency and low liquidity. Market inefficiencies need to be addressed swiftly and transparency improved rapidly for domestic consumption and LNG exports to successfully coexist." Queensland is particularly vulnerable: the state is a major LNG producer, but the resources are running out, and according to one local consultancy, it would be forced to shut down 33 percent of its LNG production capacity because of resource depletion by 2025. According to Shell, its Arrow Energy venture already produces 140 million cu ft daily, which is sufficient to meet some 40 percent of Queensland's natural gas demand, equal to a tenth of total gas demand on the country's east coast. The Arrow Energy venture was approved by the Queensland authorities in February last year, likely with a sigh of relief. The project will tap an estimated 3 trillion cu ft of natural gas in the Surat Basin. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: UTICA, N.Y. A judge has granted Mohawk Valley Health Systems motion to move a case challenging its downtown hospital planning board to Oneida County from Albany County. A group is filed suit against MVHS, challenging some of the approvals the board made concerning the downtown hospital project. The case will now be heard in Oneida County Supreme Court, as well as any pending or further challenges to the project not dismissed by Judge Mackey. Michelle Obama is preparing to announce her endorsement of Joe Biden and bring her star power to his presidential campaign. Plans are still in the works for the rollout but the former first lady could appear in an online video and send out an email fundraising plea for the former vice president, The Hill newspaper reported. Obama also is expected to work the phones to get her celebrity friends and high-dollar donors in Bidens corner. Any effort on her part will likely be a boost to the former vice president. But Michelle Obama is notorious for hating campaigning and would rarely make appearances on the trail for her husband let alone other Democratic candidates. Michelle Obama is preparing to roll out her endorsement of Joe Biden, now the presumptive Democratic nominee Michelle Obama (left), pictured with Jill (center) and Joe Biden (right) in 2008. The former first lady will soon endorse the former vice president's 2020 bid Michelle Obama (right) campaigned for Hillary Clinton (left) in 2016, but it wasn't enough to help the Democratic nominee with the election over President Trump We obviously think that Michelle Obama is one of the most popular and beloved figures in the party and wed be honored to have her endorsement, a Biden aide told DailyMail.com. We think the work she is doing registering voters is important and we know how her important her voice is, the person said. She crosses the political aisle in ways others cant. The aide said the endorsement would be down the road and it would be an incredibly powerful and influential moment. The former first lady made a memorable speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention where Hillary Clinton was nominated famously telling Americans when they go low, we go high but made few appearances on the campaign trail for Clinton. The two women didnt appear at a rally together until October 27th of that year less than two weeks before the election - where Obama called her my girl and Clinton gushed Obama was amazing. At that North Carolina event, it was Obama who got the most cheers and applause. Michelle Obama also held solo get-out-the-vote rallies that year but it wasnt enough to help Clinton beat Donald Trump. This year, Obama is a part of When We All Vote an initiative to get people to the polls this November. She had planned a voter participation rally in Detroit last month that was canceled when containment measures to combat the coronavirus were put into place. She will host an online voter registration drive on Monday evening. I'm counting on all of you to help make sure everyone in this country knows how to register and vote safely in the 2020 elections. Join me and @WhenWeAllVote this Monday nightRSVP now for the voter registration #CouchParty at http://weall.vote/couchparty, she tweeted on Thursday. Obama launched the group in the 2018 election cycle with the help of celebrity friends like Tom Hanks and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Since she left the White House, shes also wrote her best-selling memoir Becoming and went on a book tour that filled arenas usually only sold out by rock stars. Michelle Obama is also reactivating her get out the vote group When We All Vote, announcing that she'll host a 'couch party' on Monday Michelle Obama (left) and Jill Biden (right) and the Biden's dog Champ are photographed as part of their Joining Forces initiative in 2012, when their husbands were still in the White House The two couples at an event in Iowa City, Iowa during their re-election bid in 2012 The timing of her Biden endorsement is yet to be determined. She was close to both Joe and Jill Biden when President Barack Obama was in office. Michelle Obama and Jill Biden worked together to support military spouses and families as part of their Joining Forces campaign. And Obama remains close to Kathleen Biden, the former wife of Hunter Biden. The two women have been workout buddies for years. Additionally, the children of both - Maisy, Finnegan, and Naomi Biden and Malia and Sasha Obama all attended Sidwell Friends, the posh Washington D.C. private school that counts Chelsea Clinton as one of its alumni. Her endorsement of Joe Biden would follow former President Obamas blessing. He endorsed Biden on Tuesday. Other Democrats have also lined up behind Biden as the nominee. Bernie Sanders ended his primary bid on Monday to endorse Biden. Elizabeth Warren endorsed him on Wednesday. This week was President Obama's moment to enter the campaign. Of course, Mrs. Obama supports Joe Biden and we will keep you posted on her plans, an Obama aide told The Hill. But her popularity could bring an even greater boost to Biden than the former president could give. We know what pretty much everyone in America does: Michelle Obama is probably the most beloved member of the Democratic party and her support is a big deal, a Biden aide told the newspaper. Any future announcement would reflect the incredible impact her voice has. 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 browser not support iframe. 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. A guy wants to hang out with his neighbour but his neighbour isnt interested. In fact, the neighbour looks like hes on the verge of turning his lights out and pretending hes not home. Im not talking about Ned Flanders and Homer Simpson, but another set of diametrically opposed next-door neighbours: U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the latter of whom appears to have as much love for the former as Simpson has for Flanders. That is: none. There are about a hundred reasons for this, but the most recent is probably Trumps desire to resume business as usual amid a global pandemic; specifically, his confidence that non-essential travel will begin sooner rather later across the U.S.-Canada border. Our relationship with Canada is very good, he told reporters this week. It will be one of the early borders to be released. Canada is doing well. Were doing well. We have a lot of nations that are heavily infected. Were keeping very strong borders with those nations but with Canada we are talking about very different things. Very different things indeed. The Canadian prime minister does not share the American leaders excitement about a grand reopening. There will be special thought given to this relationship, Trudeau said on Thursday, acknowledging the U.S.-Canada bond. But at the same time we know that there is a significant amount of time still before we can talk about loosening such restrictions. On Friday, after news emerged about a likely 30-day extension of U.S.-Canada travel restrictions, the PM stressed this point again. Decisions, he said, will be made with science in mind. Its unsurprising that Canada is leaning harder into science right now than the United States, a country whose president worships at the altar of the economy and might, I suspect, deny science altogether in its service. What is surprising, however, is that we now occupy a reality that would have been unthinkable mere weeks ago: one where Donald Trump wants a porous border and Trudeau wants a tight one. A reality in which we are the nation that is wary of outsiders and Trump is raring to embrace them. It is interesting that it looks as though its the Canadians that are more hesitant about reopening the border for the moment than the Americans, says Andrew McDougall, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Thats not normally the way we think that that would work. No, it isnt. But Im glad it isnt. I like this upside-down world of Canadian isolationism, one I sincerely hope remains bottom-up for a long while because if it doesnt if we indulge our neighbour too soon we risk undoing all the good work weve done toward keeping infection rates down and preventing our hospitals from becoming overburdened. The United States is a gargantuan country led by a man who seems more concerned with touting unproven drug treatments than protecting vulnerable people and more desperate to find a scapegoat than a cure. He champions staying home one day and leaving it the next. On Friday, Trump appeared to tweet approvingly of American citizens who flouted the guidelines of his own Opening up America Again plan, which states that all individuals, when in public, should maximize physical distance from others. LIBERATE MINNESOTA LIBERATE MICHIGAN, he tweeted, most likely alluding to protesters in those states who turned out in public to resist physical distancing measures. Canada isnt perfect either. Weve seen devastating failures of leadership and tragedy recently, particularly where our nations nursing homes and its elderly residents are concerned. But overall, the people making decisions for us heed science and embrace bipartisan co-operation. Do we really want to rush to resume close contact with a neighbour whose president does neither? Andrew McDougall tells me theres an economic imperative to reopen the border as quickly as possible. Its up to our leaders, he says, to strike the appropriate balance between the public health imperative and the economic one. I dont think theyve quite found their footing there yet, he says, but I imagine theyre working their way there now. I hope they take their time. Read more about: This is the incredible moment Shaun Snelly jumped into the sea to rescue a struggling turtle intertwined with discarded fishing nets. The clip, filmed in December 2018 in the Maldives, shows the moment Shaun and his girlfriend Rose were sailing with Voyages Maldives to the island of Baa Atoll when he noticed a struggling turtle and without hesitation jumped into the water to save it. Shaun explained the ordeal to Newsflare: "I gathered my mask and fins and jumped in the ocean in a bid to save the turtle. When I got to the turtle, it was wrapped up in a fishing net and so exhausted that it didn't put up a fight when I grabbed it. He continued: "I brought the turtle back to the boat where the crew managed to cut the tangled net free. Abdula, our captain, estimated that the turtle had been struggling like this for 4-5 days and the net had cut into its neck. As seen in the video the turtle swam free. It is however very sad imagining how much marine life get caught in ocean pollution and aren't as lucky as this little turtle." American Express to Audio Webcast Its Annual Meeting of Shareholders on May 5 American Express (News - Alert) (NYSE: AXP) announced today that it is transitioning the format of its previously-scheduled annual shareholder meeting to a live audio webcast, which will be held on Tuesday, May 5, 2020 at 9 a.m. (ET). Given public health concerns and guidance from government and medical authorities relating to the COVID-19 situation, the company will no longer host the event with in-person attendees. To participate in the meeting virtually and access the webcast, shareholders entitled to vote as of the March 9, 2020 record date can visit www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/AXP2020 and enter the 16-digit control number provided to them in their notice, on their proxy card, or in the voting instructions that accompanied their proxy materials. Non-shareholders and shareholders without a control number may attend the annual meeting, but they will not have the option to vote or ask questions during the meeting. A replay of the meeting will be available on American Express' Investor Relations website at http://ir.americanexpress.com. Whether or not shareholders plan to attend the virtual-only meeting, American Express encourages shareholders to vote and submit their proxies using one of the methods described in the proxy materials in advance of the meeting. Beneficial owners of shares held in street name will need to follow the instructions provided by the bank, broker or other intermediary that holds their shares. For additional information about how to participate in and vote at the virtual annual meeting, visit www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/AXP2020. About American Express American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, instagram.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/company/american-express, twitter.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress. Key links to products, services and corporate responsibility information: charge and credit cards, business credit cards, travel services, gift cards, prepaid cards, merchant services, Accertify, InAuth, corporate card, business travel, and corporate responsibility. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005487/en/ TROY A Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researcher has developed a model that shows the number of coronavirus cases in the Capital Region peaking anywhere from May 9 through mid-June, depending on how many people stay home and how quickly serious cases climb. The model developed by Malik Magdon-Ismail, a computer science professor with expertise in machine learning, data mining and pattern recognition relies on machine learning and robust algorithms that factor in known case and population data, epidemiological assumptions about infection spread, and assumptions about the severity of confirmed cases in order to forecast projections. The first projection examines a scenario in which 75 percent of Capital Region residents stay home, which is Magdon-Ismails best guess for where we currently are based on Google mobility data for the region. Under that scenario, cases across Albany, Columbia, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady counties are projected to peak May 28 with a net 750 daily confirmed infections and a total of 29,000, the model shows. The second projection looks at what would happen with 50 percent of the five-county area remaining home. In that scenario, the model shows cases peaking on June 8 with 1,490 daily net confirmed infections and 58,000 total. Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage Theres a lot of forecasting going on for New York City, he said. But how relevant is that for Albany? In New York City, there are way more people to infect and the virus is doing so way quicker than here because they are not able to social distance the way we are. If I stay home in Albany its me in my little house. In New York, its very high density. All you need is one person in an apartment complex to get it and you have spread. Magdon-Ismail said his model takes into account the lack of widespread testing in the region. Provided Graphed out, confirmed case data for the region correlate with spikes in testing capacity in the region, he notes. In mid-March, when hospitals opened drive-through and walk-up testing in the region, confirmed daily infections appear to spike. They dip around the same time that testing was suspended due to a nationwide shortage of test kits, and start to climb again around the time a new state-run testing site opened at the University at Albany. Because tests have been and still are generally reserved for the sickest (also, the sicker someone is the more likely they are to seek testing), Magnon-Ismail said its safe to assume that confirmed cases represent the more serious infections in the community. Asymptomatic cases or cases with milder symptoms are less likely to show up in the data, he said. The machine-learning component of the model considers this and is able to estimate the number of unconfirmed cases in the region as well, he said. As of April 10, for example, when confirmed infections in the five counties hovered around 1,000, Magnon-Ismails model guesses there were 14,000 other cases that were asymptomatic. Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. As government leaders debate when and how to reopen portions of society in hopes of ameliorating the nations worst economic crash since the Great Depression, projection models that show when cases are expected to peak and where are going to be crucial in determining which areas to reopen. Much of the modeling to date, however, has looked at state and nationwide projections, which may differ from peaks expected in specific regions. New York as a whole may have hit its apex several days ago, according to daily case and hospitalization data, which has been heavily skewed to reflect New York City because of the density of cases there. You really need to analyze local data to get local projections, Magdon-Ismail said. It would not be a very accurate thing to decide what should happen in Albany based on whats happening in New York City. Area hospitals, which were ordered by the state to boost staffed bed capacity in their facilities by at least 50 percent, said two weeks ago that they were hoping to develop a region-wide surge model in order to better plan for an influx of cases. Several of them said they have been developing individual models based on their own inpatient data, but had since started feeding data to Albany Medical Center, which was working on the region-wide model. Albany Med did not respond Friday to a question as to how that modeling has developed. St. Peters Health Partners, which has four hospitals in Albany and Troy, said Friday it has been feeding data to Albany Med for the regional model, and using models from its parent organization, Trinity Health, the governors office and the state Department of Health, in order to plan its surge needs. The best barometer for our own surge needs has been our own inpatient statistics, particularly since there has not been widespread community testing, spokeswoman Courtney Weisberg said. We believe that we peaked in regional hospitals about 10 days ago and have had a slow, steady drift downward ever since, she continued. We have not exceeded capacity. Albany Med CEO Dennis McKenna and hospital general director Fred Venditti have been posting near-daily updates from the hospital on the systems YouTube page. They have said in recent weeks that new COVID-19 admissions at hospitals across the region appear to be slowing. On Friday, however, Albany County Health Commissioner Elizabeth Whalen said hospitals had recently seen a slight increase in cases and estimated the regions peak may not arrive until early June. "I know people are starting to talking about when can we go back we're not there yet," she said. "We are not in any way, shape or form, in a downward trend at this point." Callers to the national rape crisis helpline are feeling intensely isolated and anxious with the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 measures. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, which operates the national helpline, said many callers, and clients, are cut off from normal supports and routines they typically use for relief. The centre said it is crucial that the message is spread that they and other centres are open and welcomed the recent Government awareness campaign to promote this. DRCC CEO Noeline Blackwell reminded people in danger of sexual and domestic violence that the 2km restrictions around certain travel from their home does not apply to people needing to escape from harm. Our clients and callers are telling us that they feel intensely isolated and anxious at this time, said Ms Blackwell. Many are cut off from the normal supports and routines they rely on for relief or for escape. They say they value our help more than ever. That means that it is vitally important that we get the message out widely that if they can reach out for help, we will be there. Ms Blackwell said she is very concerned that it seems people who need support may not be able to access it, either because they do not know services are available during the crisis, or because they are prevented from doing so. She said the centre welcomes the new Government awareness-raising campaign, Still Here, spearheaded by the Department of Justice & Equality, to emphasise that domestic and sexual violence support services from State agencies and the voluntary sector are operating during the Covid-19 crisis. Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is very glad to see this initiative, she said. It will remind people that the National 24-Hour Rape Crisis Centre Helpline and our other services remain open and are working hard to support those who have suffered rape and other sexual abuse, as well as supporting their families and friends. Ms Blackwell stressed that sexual violence is a frequent element of wider domestic violence: Based on our statistics over the years, we know that 20% suffered adult sexual abuse, including rape at the hands of their partners or ex-partners. For some children, home can be a very dangerous place, with as much as 50% of child rape and other sexual abuse happening in the immediate family. She added: The public health emergency and any frustrations that arise from it are not an excuse or justification for any abuse. Sexual violence remains harmful and will very often be criminal. She said a very important element highlighted by the Still Here campaign is that the 2km restrictions on movement do not apply to a person seeking to escape risk of harm or access services. Safe Ireland, which works with 36 refuges across the country, also welcomed the Still Here campaign. Safe Irelands Co-CEO Sharon OHalloran said that from regular Zoom meetings with its members over recent weeks, there is evidence that abusers are using Covid-19 as a weapon of control. The silence is ominous, she said. Our greatest concern, nearly five weeks into this pandemic, is that women are finding it much more difficult to make contact for support. * Contact the DRCC National Helpline on 1800 77 8888 Jair Bolsonaro, for his part, has repeatedly characterized the virus as a little flu, said shutting down the economy would cause more damage than confining only high-risk Brazilians, and touted the yet-unproven efficacy of an anti-malarial drug. Rio De Janeiro: Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro, whose dismissive stance toward the COVID-19 pandemic has angered many health experts, fired his popular health minister following a series of disagreements over the proper response to contain the virus' spread in South America's most populous country. Luiz Henrique Mandetta, an orthopedist, had garnered support for his handling of the pandemic that included promotion of broad isolation measures enacted by state governors, even drawing comparisons to Dr Anthony Fauci, US President Donald Trump's top virus expert. His dismissal comes as experts say the peak of the new coronavirus outbreak in Brazil is expected in the coming weeks. You should have absolute certainty that we fought a good fight until here, Mandetta told fellow ministry workers in a televised press conference Thursday after announcing his departure. But we're at the start of the battle. Bolsonaro, for his part, has repeatedly characterized the virus as a little flu, said shutting down the economy would cause more damage than confining only high-risk Brazilians, and touted the yet-unproven efficacy of an anti-malarial drug. Life is priceless, but the economy and employment need to return to normality, Bolsonaro said at a press conference on Thursday. He also said he would neither condemn nor criticize Mandetta. It was a consensual divorce because more important than me and more important than him as a minister is the health of the Brazilian people. For Mandetta's replacement, Bolsonaro named Nelson Teich, an oncologist and senior consultant at medical services company Teich Health Care. He also has a Master's in Business Administration, according to his LinkedIn page. Speaking alongside Bolsonaro, Teich said he didn't want to announce any changes abruptly, as little is known about the virus. He added that he and the president are completely aligned. Health and the economy are complementary, Teich said. While Fauci isn't a politician like Mandetta, both have often made public statements about the virus that differed with those of their bosses. The White House has said this week that Fauci's job is secure. Still, Republicans close to the White House say Trump has complained about Fauci's positive media attention and sought to leave him out of task force briefings. Bolsonaro, likewise, had convened doctors without inviting Mandetta and, in a televised interview earlier this month, said Mandetta had failed to show humility. A few days later, on 5 April, Bolsonaro told a group of supporters that he would act against officials in his government who are full of themselves. Those comments were widely understood as signaling an end to Mandetta's tenure, so much so that the minister said the next day his subordinates had cleaned out his desk. He survived, but questions swirled over whether Bolsonaro had indeed backed away from dismissing the man whose COVID-19 response was welcomed by many Brazilians, or if he were just biding his time while recruiting a replacement. That uncertainty vanished on Thursday. While rising quickly, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Brazil is still relatively low in relation to the country's massive population of 211 million, though it does have the most cases in Latin America. There have been almost 2,000 deaths. Its peak is expected in May. For most people, the 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 Mandetta's announcement of his firing, people in apartment buildings in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro could be heard yelling insults at Bolsonaro from their windows. A survey earlier this month by pollster Datafolha showed three-quarters of Brazilians approved of the health ministry's handling of the crisis, versus just one-third for Bolsonaro. At his press conference, Mandetta offered thanks to individuals with whom he had worked, and even to Bolsonaro. I leave the health ministry with a lot of gratitude to the president for having nominated me and allowing me to nominate each of you, Mandetta said. I know I am leaving the best team. Work for the next minister like you worked for me. Don't spare any effort. Aarogya Setu, Indias contact tracing app launched in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak in the country earlier this month has been updated with new features and privacy policy. Aarogya Setu, Indias contact tracing app launched in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak in the country earlier this month has been updated with new features and privacy policy. The updated policy answers some of the pertinent questions around privacy and security concerns raised by cybersecurity experts and agencies. Aarogya Setu is the worlds highest downloaded app as it reached 50 million milestones in 13 days, the fastest ever for an application, Android or iOS. Telephone took 75 years to reach 50 milion users, radio 38 yrs,television 13 yrs,Internet 4 yrs, Facebook 19 months, Pokemon Go 19 days. #AarogyaSetu,Indias app to fight COVID-19 has reached 50 mn users in just 13 days-fastest ever globally for an App Salute the spirit of India! pic.twitter.com/xKqt3Tmj4f Amitabh Kant (@amitabhk87) April 14, 2020 Contact tracing is being adopted by many countries in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 and Indias app is no different as it is capable of producing a social graph from the various data points it collects automatically. It also uses Bluetooth and GPS to ascertain real-time information thats logged in the app and based on the graph, the app determines whether you have been near an infected person. The changes in the privacy policy now state that the personal data of its users will not be shared with third-party. The government has made it clear that all private data collected by the app is encrypted and that it is assigned a unique DiD (Digital ID). This data is stored locally as well as on the government server and will only be used in two cases-- for the generation of anonymized statistical figures and graphs related to the spread of Coronavirus and for communication to the user in case of detecting infection. Interestingly, the location data is collected every 15 minutes and stored locally and is only uploaded to the government servers if the user tests COVID-19 positive. The changes in the policy also make it clear that the data stored on the government server of people not infected by the disease will be deleted after 45 days from the date of upload while the data of those infected will only be deleted after 60 days of being declared cured. Outside of this, however, the app has recently received an update that adds a link to donate to PM CARES fund and is reportedly being prepared for another update that will add the functionality of getting an e-pass for lockdown. Therefore, Aarogya Setu can easily transcend its fundamental use case if the government wants to. According to a recent report by PTI, Tata Consultancy Services and Mahindra group are both working on different aspects of the Aarogya Setu for the next version with data science and machine learning baked in. The app will soon be launched for feature phones as well because, for contact tracing to work, the social graph needs to feed on data points of more users. This is why the government has been pushing citizens and its employees alike for downloading the app, including all educational departments and institutions. While the new privacy policy does clear some doubts regarding how the government will handle users data, the app isnt open-source and neither allows auditing of code as stated in the white-paper released by the Internet Freedom Foundation. Meanwhile, Aarogya Setu is set to get more users as the PM suggested every citizen to download the app in his nation-wide address, earlier this week. A Los Angeles man has pleaded not guilty to killing his ex-girlfriend, a prominent family therapist and former fiancee of comedian Drew Carey. Dr Amie Harwick died on February 15 after she was thrown over the third-floor balcony of her Hollywood Hills apartment, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said. An autopsy determined she had been strangled first. Drew Carey dated Harwick for two years before the pair split in 2018, months after announcing their engagement. 'I hope you're lucky enough to have someone in your life that loves as much as she did,' Carey said on Twitter in February upon learning of her death. Gareth Pursehouse, 41, was charged with one count each of murder and first-degree residential burglary with the special circumstance allegation of lying in wait, prosecutors said. Pursehouse was initially arrested shortly after Harwick's death and posted $2million bond. He was re-arrested this week on a no bail warrant. Gareth Pursehouse, 41, of Los Angeles, has pleaded not guilty to killing his ex-girlfriend, Dr Amie Harwick, 38, a prominent family therapist The Playboy model-turned sex therapist was formerly engaged to the Price is Right host Drew Carey (left) but the pair split in November 2018 Detectives learned Harwick had expressed fear about an ex-boyfriend and had previously filed a restraining order against him, according to a police statement. Harwick was a prominent Hollywood marriage and sex therapist. She appeared on TV and radio shows and wrote a book called The New Sex Bible for Women. Pursehouse was ordered to return to court on June 24. The special circumstance allegation of lying in wait would make Pursehouse eligible for the death penalty if he was found guilty at trial. A decision on whether to seek capital punishment will be made at a later date, prosecutors said. Last week, Harwick's autopsy revealed that she fought with her killer before her death. Last week, Harwick's (pictured holding her book The New Sex Bible for Women) autopsy revealed that she fought with her killer before her death The coroner's office ruled Harwick's death a homicide and attributed the cause to blunt force injuries, according to its website The more detailed autopsy report showed injuries to Harwick's hands and fingers An autopsy report released by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner indicates how Harwick was found with wounds on her hands and fingers 'consistent with a combination of defense and assault type wounds, suggestive of an altercation'. She was found with blunt force injuries to the head and torso and had been strangled but the new report suggests that she had been fighting for her life in the final seconds before her fatal fall. Officers found evidence of a struggle and a forced entry to the home, police said. The autopsy report which was first seen by The Blast also has a statement from a sheriff's deputy describing how Harwick's roommate 'was awoken by sounds of a female screaming'. 'He was able to tell the screaming was coming from up above his residence and could hear sounds of some type of physical fight; he then realized that it was [Amie] screaming.' The report details Harwick 'sustained severe injuries of her brain, liver, and pelvis in an apparent fall from a height'. 'Injuries of her neck, particularly strap muscle hemorrhage, are consistent with manual strangulation.' Pursehouse had dated Harwick 10 years ago but had allegedly continued to stalk her in the years since. She had filed two restraining orders against him but the final one had expired in 2015. Pursehouse (left and right) had dated Harwick 10 years ago but had allegedly continued to stalk her in the years since. She had filed two restraining orders against him but the final one had expired in 2015 Harwick was found unconscious after falling from a third-floor balcony of her home (pictured) Harwick, who was a well-known sex therapist and former Playboy model, issued restraining orders against the photographer, Pursehouse, in 2011 and 2012 detailing a series of physical attacks. Court documents reviewed by DailyMail.com earlier this year detailed how he once pushed her out of a car on the freeway, and in another incident forced her onto the ground and viciously kicked her in the face. Harwick accused Pursehouse of trying to suffocate her in May 2011, saying he brutally beat her until she was unable to walk. 'There were multiple arguments in which Gareth Pursehouse choked me, suffocated me, pushed me against walls, kicked me, dropped me to the ground with force, force-restrained me, slammed my head into the ground and punched me with a closed fist,' she wrote in court paperwork dated June 22, 2011. On June 18, 2011, Pursehouse is said to have pushed her out of a car and left her on the freeway late at night. Harwick obtained a temporary restraining order against Pursehouse in 2011 and was granted another one less than a year later, which expired in April 2015. In California the maximum length of a restraining order is five years. Harwick had seen Pursehouse in January this year at the XBiz adult-industry awards ceremony in downtown Los Angeles where he was working as a photographer. She was a guest at the show, hosted by porn star Stormy Daniels, and was pictured posing on the red carpet. FP Trending Google has launched the YouTube Learning Destination to help parents, students and educators continue learning and teaching from home amid the lockdown imposed to restrict the spread of coronavirus. The feature will provide high-quality learning content by education-focused creators on YouTube. The YouTube Learning Destination can be assessed on mobile and desktop from the Explore tab. Google in its blog post said that YouTube Learning Destination contains resources spanning the full breadth of learning needs, from curriculum-relevant topics in physics, math, biology, taxonomy, study hacks (How to make smart notes), language skills (How to change basic English into business English) and interest-based content like photography, yoga. So whether youre studying for a test, want to learn a new skill, or are just curious about the world, the YouTube Learning Destination is a handy resource to supplement curriculum learning for students or general skill building, Google said. The YouTube Learning Destination is presently featuring content in English and Hindi. Other Indian languages including Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi will be made available soon. Google said that in order to ease the transition to remote learning during the prevailing pandemic, it has also rolled out free access to the premium features of Google Meet to education customers until September 2020. The search giant has also extended video-conferencing features to all G Suite and G Suite for education customers until September 2020. This enables up to 250 participants in a single video conference. In India, Google has collaborated with FICCI Arise and has so far trained over 250 schools across 23 states on how to use these tools. Google has also provided training and tips to teachers and educators through the Teach from Home Hub to enable them to begin teaching remotely. The feature is also available in Hindi. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has welcomed a Kazakh court ruling that an investigation should continue into the failure of police to act against individuals who attacked the broadcaster's reporters and hindered their professional activities. The Almaty City Investigation Court on April 15 agreed with a lawsuit filed by Aiman Omarova, a lawyer for RFE/RL, against police and asked for a deeper investigation of the incident. "We welcome the court's ruling that an investigation should continue into inaction by Kazakh law enforcement during a series of attacks against RFE/RL journalists last year," RFE/RL President Jamie Fly said in a statement on April 17. "Police inaction, on numerous occasions, abetted physical attacks against our reporters and lent impunity to people who sought to interfere with our reporting and the duties of an independent press. I once again call upon the Kazakh government to take this issue seriously and to prosecute those responsible, he added. During mass antigovernment rallies in Almaty last March, several unknown people aggressively covered RFE/RL cameras with newspapers and began physically and verbally abusing them. RFE/RL correspondents in Almaty filed an official request with local police, asking them to identify the attackers and bring them to justice. Omarova subsequently filed a lawsuit against police, accusing them of inaction when the case failed to develop. Tamara Kaleyeva, chairwoman of the Adil Soz (A Just Word) group that protects journalists' rights, told RFE/RL on April 15 that reporters in Kazakhstan rarely file lawsuits against police in such cases because "they almost never reach the courts." Kazakhstan ranked 158th out of 179 countries in the 2019 World Press Freedom Index published by the rights group Reporters Without Borders. A 23-year-old Berks County man is in jail after grabbing a knife from his 24-year-old girlfriend with whom he was arguing and fatally stabbing her in the neck, Pennsylvania State Police report. Troopers were requested at 8:20 a.m. Thursday to help Boyertown police investigate the 8 a.m. incident in Room 43 at 1 S. Reading Ave. in the borough, a news release says. Austin Michael Miller was arguing with Christina Blackburn when Blackburn retrieved a knife, police said. Miller and Blackburn were struggling over the knife when Miller overpowered her and stabbed her in the neck, police said. Before she was taken to the hospital, a Boyertown police officer asked Blackburn, Who did this to you? Austin," she replied, state police said. Blackburn, suffering from multiple lacerations and stab wounds to the left side of her neck, was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township where she died from her wounds, police said. The Lehigh County Coroners Office pronounced her dead, police said. Miller was taken to Reading Central Processing for arraignment on charges of homicide, aggravated assault and possession of an instrument of crime, police said. There is no bail allowed in homicide cases in Pennsylvania. He was housed in Berks County Prison to await his preliminary hearing, records show. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. And oh my little sister, when the drugs were wearing off I climbed into your bed and said, "I think I did too much" In some ways that was simpler, being too fucked up to see I didn't have to wake up to the world that was around me And now we are awake and it seems too much to take I want to close my eyes because I fear my heart will break Carlton & United Breweries is selling tap beer from pubs across Australia in glass bottles in an ingenious effort to save its precious amber fluid from going down the drain. In a classic case of 'Only in Australia', the Federal Government has paved the way for CUB to get its isolated beers into the glasses of trapped Aussies around the nation. From Saturday, Australians will be able to visit select pubs and purchase one or two litre glass flagons of beer that have been poured directly out of the tap. Isolated Australians will be able to take away brewery fresh tap beer in one and two litre bottles poured directly from pub taps CUB CEO Peter Filipovic (left) and The All Nations in Richmond publican Bob OKane (right) pour a beer into a new two-litre bottle that can be taken home by beer lovers It is hoped the initiative will free thousands of litres of tap beer currently locked inside Australian pubs since the Prime Minister closed them all down late last month. The 20,000 takeaway bottles come in two sizes known as 'squealers' and 'growlers'. They will be available from select pubs free of charge and no deposit is required, with people only having to buy the beer itself. The cost of the take away beers will be determined by individual pubs, with the All Nations in Richmond - just outside of Melbourne - selling them for $10 a litre or $20 for two litres. All CUB beers will be available to buy, including classics Carlton Draught and Victoria Bitter and others such as Great Northern, Carlton Dry, Melbourne Bitter and anything else the brewer sells on tap. Since the COVID-19 restrictions halted Australia's $20 billion-plus pub and club industry, it is estimated more than 15,000 litres - or 750-plus kegs - of beer have been abandoned. Beginning of the end: March 18 in Melbourne when pubs remained open were still near empty. Things went from bad to worse about 10 days later when they were shut altogether UK pubs are on the verge of having to dump thousands of litres of beer down the drain amid the COVID-19 chaos Similar scenes are unfolding in the U.S. where one brewery in North Carolina lined up barrels on 'death row' In the UK, it was revealed this week that 50 million pints of beer and cider could go down the drain after unused barrels go out of date in pub cellars across the country. CUB CEO Peter Filipovic said the pub industry was reeling from the recent shutdowns. While CUB has been doing its best to collect and refund pubs for kegs it was unable to tap, the effort has proven logistically challenging for the company. 'So to help pubs take advantage of the Federal and State Government concessions, were donating 20,000 resealable bottles to more than 100 pubs in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth,' Mr Filipovic said. Australians trapped in isolation have been worried about what would happen to all the precious tap beer trapped in pubs across the country. Their prays have been answered 'What makes tap beer so great is its freshness, which is also why it has a relatively short best before date and why publicans would otherwise soon be disposing of it.' Daily Mail Australia has been told the bottled tap beer should be consumed within 48 hours of being poured to enjoy its peak freshness. Mr Filipovic said the resealable bottles would allow beer lovers to enjoy tap beer and support their local pub in its hour of need. 'Itll also give many people their first taste of tap beer from the comfort of their own home.' he said. Regular pub booze hounds told Daily Mail Australia the idea should be continued long after pubs eventually re-open. 'Surely they can arrange delivery like the milkman,' Hoppers Crossing rummy 'Mick' said. 'And can they now open the pub on Zoom and we can drink the beer with everyone there.' Richmonds All Nations publican Bob OKane said shutting the pub had been incredibly tough on the industry as a whole. 'But were making the best fist of it that we can,' he said. 'This is a great innovation from Carlton & United Breweries. Selling takeaway tap beer is a big break with pub tradition but it will help ensure cash flow as we bunker down and try to see this crisis out and keep as many staff employed as possible.' The initiative comes hot on the heels of CUB's 'For the Love of Your Local' initiative, which encourages people to get back into their local when it re-opens with the offer of 2 for 1 pints. Mr Filipovic said the tapped beer initiative was a great example of how business and government could work together to overcome the COVID-19 crisis. 'The federal treasurer immediately understood the importance of this initiative to support pubs and clubs at this time. 'Likewise, state governments have been quick to support small businesses to innovate and adapt their business,' he said. 'Pubs are at the heart of many local communities and CUB has relationships with some stretching back more than 150 years. Were doing everything we can to ensure were still partnering with them in another 150 years.' For a full list of participating pubs on the tapped beer visit www.cub.com.au Epidemic prevention and control require coordinated efforts; so does related scientific research. Around the time of the 2020 Spring Festival, Ma Juncai, a researcher at the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and Wei Qiang from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), got together to brainstorm ideas about how to develop a support system for COVID-19 related research by leveraging strengths of both sides. The National Microbiology Data Center managed by Ma can serve as an information platform, while the National Pathogen Resource Collection Center led by Wei can provide virus strains. At the beginning of the outbreak, the two researchers started exploring ways to better contribute to the fight against the virus. Shortly after their brainstorming session, on Jan. 24, the Novel Coronavirus National Science and Technology Resource Service System was launched. Apart from publishing information on virus strains and scientific data concerning the outbreak, the system also provides other science and technology information and resources for the prevention and control of the disease, such as methods for virus detection, genomes, and scientific literature. The system is an epitome of coordinated services to advanced scientific research on COVID-19. Such cooperation is not limited to within the scientific community. Relevant institutes, universities, and enterprises have also been working together to develop drugs and vaccines. Li Hangwen, founder and CEO of Stemirna Therapeutics, a biotechnology company, said, "we contacted China CDC on Jan. 16, hoping to cooperate on the development of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. " Li recalled that a few days before the Spring Festival, Tan Wenjie, a researcher at China CDC, sent him the antigens that were expected to be produced. Based on professional analysis of the viral sequences, researchers from China CDC believed that certain sequences may evoke immune responses. Li said that the vaccine development got off to a good start, thanks to China CDC's valuable experiences and cutting-edge analysis techniques. After they received the antigens, R&D personnel at Stemirna Therapeutics began to work around the clock. To address the shortage of raw materials during the Spring Festival holiday, Li mobilized all partners and suppliers of his company. "Learning that their supply would be used for scientific research on COVID-19, they offered to help as much as they could to facilitate our development work," Li said. Other innovative types of vaccines are also under development through collaboration among research institutions, universities, and enterprises. For example, Xiamen University and Changchun Bcht Biotechnology Co. are cooperating on the development of a nasal drop vaccine; the Institute of Microbiology of the CAS and Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products Co. are working together to develop a recombinant protein vaccine; the Academy of Military Medical Sciences is cooperating with CanSinoBIO on the development of an adenovirus vector vaccine. After the virus broke out, China's scientific community has carried out close and fruitful cooperation and shared the latest progress with other countries in a timely manner. China was quick to share the whole genetic sequence of the virus with the world, winning praise from the global scientific community. The country's efforts toward sharing information and progress have never stopped. China's Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Health Commission, and other departments jointly built the COVID-19 Academic Research Communication Platform, which has become an important channel for worldwide scientific personnel to communicate the latest findings. China has shared its guidelines for COVID-19 prevention and control, as well as diagnosis and treatment plans, with 180 countries and over 10 international and regional organizations. Many Chinese enterprises and research institutions are cooperating with their foreign counterparts on the development of COVID-19 vaccines. China has translated all policies, management manuals, and clinical guidelines related to makeshift hospitals into the languages of countries facing rapidly growing COVID-19 outbreaks. As the fight against the virus continues, researchers are working tirelessly at laboratories and wards to pursue scientific breakthroughs, which will undoubtedly play a major role in overcoming the pandemic. Content in partnership with Science and Technology Daily The family of a west Belfast man who died after he was deemed not fit for a ventilator due to a physical disability said they will never understand why his life was worth less than that of another. Annaleigh Walsh described how the value of her wheelchair-bound uncle Vincent Macklins life was judged on his inability to walk. The 55-year-old, who had suffered injuries in a car accident in 1983 and had been left with brain injuries and paralysis down his left side, passed away in the Mater Hospital on April 9. His funeral took place on Wednesday. In a coma for 10 months and in hospital just short of two years, his family had helped him walk and talk again. My uncle Vincent was injured in a car crash in 1983 at the age of 17 since then has fought so hard and defeated everything that came his way, a true fighter, she said. After his accident he was left in a vegetative state, with my late grandmother, Alice Macklin, being told he would never walk again. He proved them all wrong. He was the joker of the family, his smile would light up any room he went into. It was amazing to grow up with a family like mine, to see the unbreakable bond that my mother Karen had with my uncle, how her and her three sisters. Deirdre, Martine and Alice, all cared for him up until his last days at home. Watching this throughout my life has taught me so many things about what it is to be a family and to put others first, how to truly love one another and Im so very grateful to have had such strong women in my life influencing the person Ive became. When we arrived at the hospital last week, my family were told that Vincent was deemed not fit for a ventilator. They judged the value of Vincents life based on his ability to walk, unable to see past his wheelchair and they deemed him unworthy of saving and unfortunately did not give him a chance of surviving from the moment he was admitted. We are all finding this extremely frustrating and are struggling to come to terms with. Our NHS is simply anaemic, the lack of funding ensured a shortage of ventilators and ICU beds, resulting in someone having to make the difficult decision that our uncle was not deserving of the desperately needed life saving equipment. How someone can deem one life to be more valuable than another, I will simply never understand. This is through no fault of the amazing nurses and other staff members of the hospital, we understand difficult decisions must be made, but it should never have got to this. Our hospitals should have been properly funded and provided with the equipment they desperately need, if they were we might have had a very different story to tell today. I cant express how heartbreaking it is to know that your loved one is sitting in a hospital fighting for their life and you cant go near them, get the closure you need or even a hug goodbye. All we can do now is send a massive thank you to the wonderful, kind-hearted nurse who held his hand as he took his last breath, a true angel who gave us the comfort of knowing Vinty wasnt exactly on his own in his dying moments. It is extremely hard to look at my other family members struggling to deal with the loss, and not even be able to give them a hug, to have a proper funeral or a wake, to take him home to be with us as a family. We cannot mourn this loss together, which as a family is just heartbreaking to go through. Belfast Health Trust said it had contacted Mr Macklins family to discuss their specific concerns. The decision to ventilate a patient is taken by a clinician, in line with government guidance, and a number of factors have to be taken into consideration before placing a patient on a ventilator, the spokesperson said. As a health and social care provider, protecting patients in our care is central to our values. We are truly sorry for the loss the Macklin family have experienced at this difficult time, the spokesperson said. Losing a family member to Covid-19 is particularly difficult and we have contacted the Macklin family to discuss their specific concerns. Annaleigh said her uncle should not have lost his life in such circumstances. Our hearts are absolutely broken, she said. I cant begin express the raw pain we all feel. These past two weeks have been an absolute living nightmare. If you think that Vincent was disabled and the same thing could not happen to you me, my mummy and my daddy, all healthy people, all contracted coronavirus and were completely wiped off our feet with it. Coronavirus is indiscriminate and could very well come to you next. Please start to take this more seriously. Stay at home. Every time someone goes to store for something unnecessary, you risk a life. Every time someone decides they want to see their boyfriend/girlfriend, friends, family, Anyone who does not live in your home, you risk so many lives. "Please stop taking to social media to complain about how bored you are indoors, how hard it is to not see your mates or how much you just want to go for a pint because quite frankly its so insulting to families suffering the loss of a loved one through this time." A drive-thru testing site for COVID-19 on a runway at Edinburgh Airport has opened - but there are concerns over a lack of protective gear for staff. (SWNS) A drive-through coronavirus testing centre has opened at Edinburgh Airport for key workers - amid claims that staff at the site are not being provided with protective masks or gloves. Front-line NHS staff will be the first to be offered PCR swabs to identify whether they have the virus as part of government attempts to increase COVID-19 testing - with public access strictly forbidden. The Edinburgh Airport testing centre is being operated in partnership with Sodexo, with Boots medical staff administering some tests, while others are being self-administered. However, concerns have been raised about a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff at the centre. Concerns have been raised about a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff at the centre. (SWNS) The area is split up into five lanes, marked with traffic cones, and prefab buildings have red signs warning 'keep windows closed' in front of them. On the first day of testing, it was claimed less than 20 people were booked in - with a concerned source claiming staff had not been provided with gloves or masks. The source said: Workers have just been told to step back from car windows, they dont think gloves or masks are needed. 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 The virus could be in the air. I dont really feel comfortable about it. I'm quite concerned. It closed at 4pm yesterday, there were less than 20 people booked in. It takes about 20 minutes to test each person. They drive out then get a certificate saying theyll get the results. Nose and throat tests are performed through a car window - but if a 'priority' key worker is feeling too unwell to drive, a family member is permitted to drive them. NHS staff are then instructed to self-isolate at home until the result is sent by text in 72 hours. Two workers set up lanes on runway at the new testing site. (SWNS) Yahoo News has approached the UK Government Scotland Office for comment. Story continues The testing site is the latest facility to be set up across the UK to check key staff and identify if they currently have the virus - with a further two Scottish sites open at Glasgow and Aberdeen airports. A spokesman for Boots said: We feel incredibly proud to be supporting Covid-19 testing for critical workers in Edinburgh. It was claimed less than 20 people were booked in for the first day of testing. (SWNS) Boots has been at the heart of UK healthcare for 171 years and has always come forward to support the community in times of need. Our team in Edinburgh is no exception. Some of our colleagues have already stepped forward to volunteer to run this Covid-19 testing station, which will start testing its first critical workers today. Scottish secretary Alister Jack said: This new testing centre at Edinburgh Airport, which is funded by the UK Government, will help key workers continue to do their life-saving work and look after those who need it most. The UK Government has committed to expand our testing capacity right across the UK and this new centre is now one of three in Scotland. We will continue to work for everyone in the UK to save lives and protect our NHS. Coronavirus: what happened today Watch the latest videos on Yahoo News MAZDA HONORS HEALTHCARE HEROES WITH NEW ESSENTIAL CAR CARE PROGRAM MAZDA DEALERS ACROSS THE NATION TO OFFER STANDARD FREE OIL CHANGES AND ENHANCED VEHICLE CLEANING FOR MOST MAKES AND MODELS IRVINE, Calif. (April 15, 2020) Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) announced it will provide free standard oil changes and enhanced cleaning services for U.S. healthcare workers at participating dealers nationwide. This program, which begins on April 16, is not limited to Mazda owners and is available for most makes and models from other manufacturers. The Essential Car Care program, developed in partnership with the Mazda dealer network, will invest a minimum of $5 million as part of the initiative. Supporting the communities where we live and work is rooted deeply in Mazdas 100-year history. We are honored to give back to those dedicated to saving lives during this pandemic, MNAO President Jeff Guyton said. We understand the important role vehicles play in peoples lives, and by partnering with our dealer network, we hope to make a meaningful impact in communities around the country. Inspired by Mazda dealers who implemented similar programs for healthcare workers locally, Mazda quickly developed a nationwide plan to partner with its dealer network to invest in this initiative honoring healthcare heroes across the U.S. Mazda dealers prioritize giving back to the communities in which they operate, Jim McDonald, Mazda National Dealer Advisory Council Chairman said. In this challenging time, we want to do what we can to support our local healthcare workers. We deeply appreciate all they have done and will continue to do in the fight against COVID-19. In order to help ensure the safety of healthcare workers and service employees, dealers participating in the Essential Car Care initiative have committed to enhanced vehicle cleaning of high-touch interior and exterior surfaces using Mazda and EPA-approved cleansers. Mazda has also encouraged dealers to continue following the recommendations from the CDC and local public health and government officials, along with workplace personal hygiene practices to help ensure the safety of everyone in the service areas. Details on the Essential Car Care initiative can be found here. Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through approximately 620 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. Ukraine, pro-Russia forces start first 2020 prisoner swap Iran Press TV Thursday, 16 April 2020 10:24 AM The Ukrainian government and pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine have started the first prisoner swap in 2020 as part of measures aimed at easing tensions between Kiev and Moscow. Ukraine's presidential office announced on Thursday that Kiev would take back 19 of its citizens, without mentioning the number of prisoners it would return. "The current release demonstrates the effectiveness of the president's strategy and compliance with the agreements reached during the Normandy summit in December 2019," the office said in a statement. In December last year, the representatives of the Kiev government and the pro-Russia forces in Ukraine agreed to carry out an exchange. The agreement came after Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, held their first face-to-face talk at a Paris summit in the same month and agreed to "commit to a full and comprehensive implementation" of a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine by the end of December and proceed with a new withdrawal of forces from conflict zones by March 2020. Zelensky said at the time that he expected all the 72 Ukrainian prisoners held by the pro-Russians to return home before year's end. Russia and Ukraine last swapped prisoners in September 2019, the first such exchange in two years. The full release of the prisoners appears to pave the way for the restoration of relations between the two countries after a nearly five-year hiatus over the conflict. Relations between Moscow and Kiev deteriorated in 2014, when the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea joined Russia following a referendum. An armed conflict then broke out in Ukraine's east between the government and allied militia on the one side and pro-Russians on the other. The conflict has killed more than 13,000 people since April 2014. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Jaipur, April 17 : Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Friday condemned the Friday morning attack on policemen trying to enforce lockdown in Tonk, saying seven persons have been detained and an inquiry has been ordered into the incident. The incident took place in Kasai Mohalla of Panch Batti area under Kotwali police station limits of Tonk. "Non-compliance of curfew and lockdown norms will be dealt with severely", said Pilot. Tonk is the Deputy CM's home constituency which has emerged as yet another corona hotspot of the state with 84 positive cases being registered till Friday. A curfew has been clamped in the district in the wake of the severity of corona spread. On Friday around 8 a.m, the policemen patrolling the streets were attacked by around a dozen people when they were asked to stay indoors. On whether provisions of National Security Act (NSA) would be slapped on the accused, the Deputy CM said, "We will deal with them strictly, there will be no compromise on safety of these corona warriors who are risking their lives for others", he said. Meanwhile, Bhupindra Singh, Director General of Police said, "We are taking this matter seriously. The District Superintendent of Police has been instructed to ensure that there is no confusion or misunderstanding in any community. Such stray incidents should never recur," he said. Vipin Sharma, Tonk's Additional Superintendent of Police, said, "Five of our men were seriously injured in the attack. All of them were rushed to a hospital and an additional force was sent to the affected area where the situation was brought under control." While two of the injured policemen were discharged, three of them are still hospitalised with serious injuries. Their condition was stated to be stable. New Delhi/IBNS: The April 4 raid by Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS), in which the Islamic State Khorasan Province chief was arrested for the Mar 25 Kabul Gurudwara attack, also netted the chief recruiter of the Islamic State Jammu & Kashmir Aijaz Ahangar, 25 years after he had vanished from the valley, said a Hindustan Times report. The NDS did not identify Ahangar at first, as it was focussed on Aslam Farooqi, who had taken responsibility of Kabul Gurudwara attack, which had killed 25 people, the report said. Ahangar managed to hide his identity in the early rounds of questioning. The investigators did not suspect when he identified himself as one Ali Mohammed from Islamabad, it said. In the mid-nineties, Ahangar was jailed for terror links, but was later released. He then disappeared from Kashmir. This was some twenty-five years ago, it added. The HT report said the counter-terror officials both in India and Afghanistan were surprised at the discovery. The interrogators were able to unmask his true identity during the course of investigation but the series of events that led to the revelation was not known, added the report. Ahangar went to Pakistan via Bangladesh, avoiding the more risky LoC, indicating his connection with Pakistani extremists, a counter-terror official said, stated the report. He was settled in Islambad by Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence and later joined Al Qaeda briefly. Finally, he joined Islamic State Khorasan Province. And from Portugal to, on another trip to Mexico, Santa Fe de la Laguna, outside the lovely town of Patzcuaro, a few hours west of Mexico City, where we ate in the home of Rosario Lucas, known in town as Nana Chayo, who is a cocinera tradicional; she earns part of the familys living cooking for tourists. She is among the Indigenous people in the state of Michoacan and prepared a traditional Purepecha meal. A bottle of local mezcal with two small glasses sat alongside the tortillas, which had been whole kernels of blue corn when we arrived, and the beef stew, churipo, shed cooked in an earthenware pot over the flames of burning branches. This was a variation on a meal thats been consumed here for a thousand years or more. And here Ann and I sat, with our guide, Alejandro Vilchis, booked through our hotel, Casa Encantada, who had delivered us to this home. If you go to Patzcuaro someday, seek him out for personal tours. Ask him about his days as a bullfighter and he may take you out the next day for his favorite barbecue, chicken cooked on a spit leaning against a cement wall in front of an open fire, or suggest a visit to El Rosario to see the monarch migration. And as long as you are there, Diana Kennedy, a British expatriate, the Julia Child of Mexican cuisine, is only 20 minutes away you can go say hello if shes up for it. We did all that with Mr. Vilchis on our visit. It was after 10 p.m. when we returned to Patzcuaro from this part of the journey, hungry again. A brightly lighted taco stand in the little square, Plaza Chica, had tacos Mr. Vilchis liked. Here we finished our day. Michael Ruhlmans most recent book is From Scratch: 10 Meals, 175 Recipes and Dozens of Techniques Youll Use Over and Over. Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places list. The fantasy genre is not new to China. Most Chinese, if not all, grow up reading The Classic of Mountains and Seas, which was written at least 2,200 years ago and is filled with mythical creatures (about 450 of them), mountains (550 at least), and bodies of water (around 300). Deities, spirits, and supernatural beings roam exotic locales in three realmsearthly, heavenly, and subterraneanthroughout the 18 chapters of this ancient text. In the real world, archaeologists have found inscriptions about Chinese mythology on shells and bones that dated from more than 3,000 years ago. Ancient bronze pieces, created around the same time, also alluded to old myths. Furthermore, China had its first emperor entombed in an underground necropolis, supposedly surrounded by a mercury-filled moat and an arsenal of booby trapsand has yet to be excavated. Suffice it to say that there is much fodder for inspiration in the Chinese culture, history, and literature for aspiring fantasy writers. So while Harry Potter and his Nimbus broom might have cast a magic spell on the Chinese childrens book market back in 2000 and gotten fantasy writers all revved up, the ideas and sparks were already in place long ago. Traditional Chinese culture is filled with mythology and fantastical elements, and what we really need are some imaginative minds to blend what is already in our history and culture and bring it into the contemporary world, says Li Xin, v-p and general editor at Thinkingdom Childrens Books. Pure Chinese-style fantasy works do not travel well outside the country. The plot needs to be more universal to transcend cultural and geographical barriers. The success of Harry Potter in China both promotes and hinders the growth of the childrens original fantasy genre, says Bai Bing, editor-in-chief of Jieli Publishing House. It sets a very high standard, which can also be daunting to aspiring authors, who have to be extremely innovative and creative to stand out. They have to find new materials and ways to plot their narrative. While authors have to derive inspiration from the present state of life and its challenges and possibilities, illustrators must also be equally imaginative to sketch out the scenarios. Fantasies are about picking the mood and engaging the mind, Li says. Fantasy titles need boundless imagination on the part of the creator. A fantasy title would not touch the readers heart if it only speaks to its creator. So fantasy authors need to understand their readers, and their inner thoughts and needs are paramount. They need to ask themselves two big questions: How do children view the world around them? What are the biggest difficulties children encounter in life? Finding fantasy authors that are original, imaginative, and kids at heart is a major challenge. Thinkingdom has published several fantasy novels in recent months, including Wu Yuzhongs The Monster School, Huang Jiajias The Oracle Bone School, and Li Rongs The Snowstorm Beast; all are aimed at primary school students of eight years and older. The Oracle Bone School is a major success: published in January 2019, it went back to print nearly every month for the first 10 months. Sales have exceeded 78,000 copies. This has prompted Li and her team to get the author to turn the story into a longer series, of at least eight volumes. The third volume, focused on Li Bai, one of the greatest poets of the Tang Dynasty, has just been completed. (Thinkingdoms catalogue is dominated by single-title publications.) The Oracle Bone School plot revolves around history. Many children are reluctant to learn history, thinking that history books are nothing interesting, just a jumble of dates, figures, and events, Li says. But what if we let young readers go back in time and experience a historical event for themselves? How about getting them to sit down for a meal or to enjoy a game of Chinese chess with specific historical figures? If we can do that, then the history becomes alive, interesting, and immersive. Author Huang Jiajia has been able to accomplish that with ease in this series. Interestingly, the Oracle Bone School is Huangs debut work. She has conducted massive research to unearth relevant historical data and has diligently and cleverly fine-tuned her ideas to make the stories work with young readers, Li says, adding that her team had a difficult time promoting the title when it first came out because, in China, it is always tough to promote a single title, and even more so for a fantasy title, which tends to be in a series. But good content wins the day. We also did a lot of marketing activities for schools, including having the author visit primary schools, give talks, and getting children interested in learning history, Li notes. Teachers and parents, who really want their children to love history, welcome this approach, and this book is now on the recommended reading list for many primary schools across China. Over at Jieli Publishing House, Leon Images Monster Master, now in 21 volumes, is its major fantasy bestseller. The second edition was launched last July and the total sales have now exceeded 20 million copies, spawning a dedicated website and a fan club. Two other bestsellers are the series White Fox Dila and the King Book, with sales of 120,000 and 60,000 copies, respectively. The first title of the White Fox Dila series, now available in English from Chicken House, made the Financial Times list of the best childrens books of 2019. Rights have been sold to France, Germany, Mexico, and the U.S. As for the King Book, author Cao Wenxuan, who is the first Chinese to win the Hans Christian Andersen award, needs little introduction. This series, Caos only fantasy work, took him eight years to create and revolves around a shepherd boy who became the king during a tumultuous period. The Jieli team launched a comprehensive mobile marketing plan for Monster Master and strove to make fan communication faster and simpler. We redesigned the website to fit mobile devices and launched it last July, Bai says. By November 11, it recorded over 1.2 million page views, with about 426,000 unique visitors. More than 100,000 viewers registered to view videos on the series, and more than 5,000 logged in to watch the authors live broadcast. Bais team also organized a campaign titled Write a Letter to the Author (held in 43 major cities across China), a prelaunch coloring competition, and an exhibition of original illustrations and fan works. The promotional campaign for Chen Jiatongs White Fox Dila was just as broad, including special print editions, marketing freebies, and author tours and talks. For online marketing, we rely on KOLs [key opinion leaders] on major platforms to reach the target audience, Bai says. We sold upwards of 3,000 sets using this method within three weeks. There were also more than 30 WeChat groups exchanging information about the series, indirectly fanning interest and pushing sales. Bais team introduced a special WeChat public account for fans to dissect the plot and talk about fantasy titles. Last month, Bai launched the Master of Memory by Zhuang Haiyan, a former champion Rubiks Cube solver. We explore new directions for fantasy literature with this author and leverage his expertise and imagination to entertain children, as well as help to improve their learning and memorization abilities, he says. For Bai, publishing fantasy titles does not stop with just the book edition. We want to turn each title into a versatile IP that can be transformed into formats such as animated features, language courses, and merchandise, he notes. We want to give such a work a pair of wings and, as befitting its fantasy genre, let it live in different worlds and amaze us anew in each one. Return to the main feature. Senators Ask FBI Director to Provide All Records on Crossfire Hurricane Two senators on Thursday asked FBI Director Christopher Wray to provide all records on the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Senators Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in a letter to Wray (pdf) questioned how much Russian disinformation influence had infected the FBIs investigation. They cited recently declassified information on the Steele dossier, which showed that a portion of the dossier likely was the product of a Russian disinformation campaign. Johnson, Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Grassley, Chairman of the Committee on Finance, asked Wray to provide by April 30 all intelligence records received or reviewed by the FBIs Crossfire Hurricane team, and related FBI records. Crossfire Hurricane was the FBIs code name for its counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign. In July 2016, the FBI launched its investigation based on information contained in the Steele dossier. The dossier was produced by Fusion GPS and former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele. The Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee funded the dossier. Then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller took over the FBIs investigation in May 2017 and after a 22-month investigation found no evidence that Trump or his campaign knowingly conspired or coordinated with the Russian government to sway the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz released a report (pdf) on Dec. 9 that found 17 significant inaccuracies and omissions in the application and renewals for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant that the FBI used to spy on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Read More Steele Dossier Played Essential Role in FBI Obtaining Spy Warrant on Trump Campaign Aide Johnson and Grassley on Jan. 28 wrote to Attorney General William Barr requesting that four footnotes in Horowitzs report be declassified. The Department of Justice released the footnotes (pdf) on April 2. Since then, we received declassified versions of those and other footnotes, and they reveal disturbing facts about the FBIs investigation: the Crossfire Hurricane teams investigative file included at least two intelligence reports stating that key parts of the reporting from Christopher Steelereporting that played a central and essential role in the decision to request FISA orderswere part of a Russian disinformation campaign, the two senators wrote in their latest letter. The senators also noted that the footnotes contained information that directly contradicts statements provided by FBI officials in the OIG [Office of Inspector General] report. We are deeply troubled by the Crossfire Hurricane teams awareness of and apparent indifference to Russian disinformation, as well as by the grossly inaccurate statements by the FBI official in charge of the investigation and its supervisory intelligence analyst, the senators wrote. Again citing the newly released footnotes, Johnson and Grassley wrote: [T]he FBI knew that Russian intelligence was targeting Christopher Steeles company, that Steele relied on sources affiliated with Russian intelligence, and at least two of Steeles reports were described as the product of a Russian disinformation campaign. Because these facts show the intention, means, and ability to plant Russian disinformation in Steeles reporting, they suggest that the prevalence of such disinformation in the FBIs Crossfire Hurricane investigation may have been widespread. Business owners and employees of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic can now seek assistance from the Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK). This comes after the agency outlined five proposals to support these parties in need. SMEs are crucial in moving the countrys quest to become a higher-income nation. Individuals and business owners who are affected by the crisis are welcome to seek assistance to solve their difficulties. We will help by providing ways to manage it, said the operation general manager of AKPK, Nor Fazleen Zakaria. Nor Fazleen further added that the measures proposed will include financial review and counselling, enrolment in debt management programme, delivery of financial education modules, voluntary arrangement service, and lifestyle change programmes. To illustrate how AKPK can help, Nor Fazleen cited that businesses facing financial difficulties and cannot pay its bills will need to consider liquidating their assets. During the financial review and counselling, some of the ways we can assist them are by connecting them to the Human Resource Department, Social Security Organisations (Socso) social synergy programme, and other entities, she elaborated. AKPK also has a debt management programme to assist individuals or business owners who have been overleveraged. The agency can approach banks on their clients behalf to request for a debt restructure or a lower monthly instalment. While the Perikatan Nasional government has done its best to help SMEs with the Prihatin Economic Stimulus Package and the Extended Prihatin Economic Stimulus Package, Nor Fazleen said that it will take a while for the aid to make any real difference on the ground. In the interim, SMEs may be unable to pay salaries and may face possible bankruptcy. They may resort to using credit cards to support their fixed costs, and only make minimum payments on the cards when due. The inevitable burden from the loans could be devastating down the road, Nor Fazleen explained. AKPK was originally set up by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) in 2006 to help individuals take control of their personal financial situation and gain the peace of mind that comes from the wise use of credit. It primarily offers three main services: financial education, financial counselling, and debt management programmes. For more information, you can head on to AKPKs website, or contact the agencys POWER! AKPK Infoline at 03-2616 7766. (Source: Focus Malaysia) 0 0 votes Article Rating SHARE How do we get out of here? What is the best way to release whole populations from coronavirus lockdown? Which restrictions should be lifted first, and when? These are the questions taxing governments around the world as they try to plan for the aftermath of the pandemic. They must tread the finest possible line between restricting the further spread of Covid-19 and inflicting catastrophic damage on their economies. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that the worldwide response to coronavirus would take the greatest toll on the global economy since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Office for Budget Responsibility warns that the UK economy could shrink by a record 35% and unemployment rise by two million by June. So the stakes couldn't be higher. Lives saved by the lockdown could be at the cost of future lives lost due to poverty and ill-health caused by a lockdown-induced recession of unprecedented severity. We are starting to realise that this is not about "lives versus the economy": it's "lives versus lives". The most impossible of choices. There are already disturbing signs of unintended collateral damage. This week England and Wales endured a record number of deaths in a single week - 6,000 more than average for this time of year. But only half of the extra death toll numbers were attributed to Covid-19, creating concern that patients might not be seeking help for life-threatening conditions because they're scared of catching coronavirus if they go to hospital. There are no easy answers to all this, just least worst ones. Mathematical modelling is only as good as the data it's based on, and much of that doesn't exist yet. It will probably take years, if ever, before any kind of final reckoning of the successes and failures of this nightmare period can be made. The British Government was reportedly surprised when so many people complied with the restrictions placed on their liberty in order to preserve life and prevent the NHS from collapse. So-called "covidiots", partying in the park, are in a vanishingly tiny minority. According to a YouGov poll, the remarkable level of public compliance with the measures stands at over 90%. Some 48% of people approve of the current level of restrictions, while a further 44% want the rules to be even tougher. The authorities didn't think we'd be so obedient, so willing to fall into line. But this puts them in an equally unforeseen quandary. If most people think that the lockdown should stay in place, and a sizeable minority want us to be locked down still tighter, then how - at some point - do you persuade this frightened populace to leave their homes and venture out into the world again? Back to work, back to school? Back - gulp - to being near one another again? One unnamed British Government minister admitted: "There's no point announcing something before the public is ready for it." Another - also anonymous - said: "Even if you re-open schools, you can't force parents to put their kids in." By that reasoning it would be the people, not the Government, who decide when to lift the lockdown. Now I'm no fan of institutional authority, but the idea that something as nebulous as public opinion could be the key factor in a decision of such critical importance - one that requires the most thoroughly-researched, deeply-nuanced scientific judgments - disturbs me. The exit strategy from lockdown is not equivalent to the Brexit referendum. It's far more significant than that, far more unpredictable, and the consequences far greater. The world's best scientists do not agree on the nature of this new disease and the most effective ways to control it. Leading economists, too, differ on how deeply the bite of the lockdown will be felt and for how long the financial pain will last. So, if the most highly-informed people on the planet are unsure when and how to lift lockdown, then how on Earth would we, the general public, have a clue? When it comes the decision to ease restrictions will be a calculated risk, an educated gamble, while we all hold our breath, cross our fingers and wait to see the results. In this incredible situation there are no certainties any more. The best we can hope for is that the Government weighs up scientific guidance from as broad a range of expert voices as possible, including dissenting ones, because vigorous, robust debate has always been the mother of progress. This is no time to put our faith in the wisdom of crowds. The science may be flawed, it may lack vital data, and it may be disputed - but right now it's all that we've got. Netflix has unveiled a brand new dating game show its hoping will be as successful as Love is Blind. Months after that show took over social media, the streaming service has dropped Too Hot to Handle, which it has described as our next truly wild dating experiment. The reality series focuses on 10 single people who are placed on an island in the hope of finding love those who are successful can win up to $100,000. However, the contestants are told that if they engage in any romantic or sensual contact, the prize money will decrease. The new series consists of eight episodes, and features people from the US, UK, Canada and Ireland. Hours after being added to Netflix, the show is being binged by viewers who have been sharing their verdicts. Five minutes into Too Hot to Handle and this is EXACTLY what i needed, one wrote, with another adding: Yes, I did just stay up all night watching Too Hot To Handle. Yes, it is amazing. One viewer said they were watching the show considering they were missing Love Island, while anothers candid verdict read: Too Hot to Handle on Netflix is such s**t TV, but Im obsessed. Too Hot to Handle is available to stream on Netflix now. The 500,000 kits, which arrived in New Delhi on Thursday morning, will be used to test people with fever, cough, and shortness of breath in 325 districts that are currently unaffected by coronavirus, starting with those that are in states with a high number of COVID-19 cases When it comes to the fight against the novel coronavirus more and more states in India are set to opt for "rapid tests" instead of the traditional swab-based procedures, despite the controversy surrounding its efficacy, in order to considerably increase the pace of testing and test more people with fewer symptoms. This after South Korea, which sat atop the world coronavirus charts in early February managed to avoid a nationwide lockdown and set a model for other states by moving aggressively to contain the pandemic through a mass rapid testing strategy, among several other measures. The 500,000 kits, which arrived in New Delhi on Thursday morning, will be used to test people with fever, cough, and shortness of breath in 325 districts that are currently unaffected by the coronavirus, starting with those that are in states with a high number of COVID-19 cases, an official told Hindustan Times. Calibrated approach falls by wayside India at the outside of the coronavirus outbreak, adopted a "calibrated" approach to testing, with only symptomatic people in quarantine, health workers and contacts of positive cases being tested. As of today, only 85,000 people have been tested across India even as Kerala, Delhi, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, among other states, have been pushing the Centre to adopt the "Korea model" over the past few weeks. Indeed, it was Kerala, which has done a remarkable job fighting the coronavirus, that was first to implement the rapid tests in early April after receiving approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on 30 March. Kerala, which has a strong healthcare system and instituted a slew of other measures, including contact tracing and cooked meals, has seen a mere 395 cases and just three deaths, placing it at 10th position in terms of the number of cases across all Indian states. Compare Kerala's success to Maharashtra, which has 3,205 positive cases and 194 deaths, and has seen an explosion of coronavirus cases over the past few weeks, and whose officials admit their fight against the disease "got off on the wrong foot". "Unlike Kerala, we start testing late," an official told Economic Times. Kerala began testing in January itself at its airports and they aggressively practised home quarantine even for those who came from the Middle East countries, even before the Gulf countries were not included in the initial list of countries that needed compulsory quarantine. While Maharashtra is set to roll out rapid testing after the all-clear from the Centre, the BMC is complicating matters with its decision to only selectively test asymptomatic high-risk people (that is, close contacts of positive cases), as per a report in Yahoo News. The BMC's testing criteria differs from the ICMR guidelines that state that all asymptomatic high-risk contacts, such as family members, between fifth and 14th day of suspected exposure, should now be tested. The Karnataka government's COVID-19 task force on Thursday decided to purchase of additional two lakh rapid test kits to identify coronavirus infections in the state more rapidly. "Approvals have been given to a company mentioned in the official list of the Chinese government for the supply of kits and once it comes the number of tests will be increased further," Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayana was quoted as saying about the decisions taken at the task force meeting, in a release from his office. PCR vs rapid tests India has previously been going with the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method to test for coronavirus, which, as per the Indian Council of Medical Research, is foolproof and widely used. As per a report in Indian Express, this is done after taking nasal or throat swabs of the patient, from which RNA is extracted and converted to DNA, which is then amplified before being checked for confirmation of the virus. The test takes up to nine hours. As per a report in Moneycontrol, serology tests or rapid test kits are blood tests that track down antibodies, which are created by the immune system for fighting off a disease. The test requires just two drops of blood from a pinprick to detect a virus and takes only 15 or 20 minutes to get a result. This test has three distinct advantages over traditional tests: they can be mass-produced and are relatively less expensive and easy to self administer. Controversy over efficacy As per the ICMR, while rapid tests can be a good tool to check for community transition, it is not a confirmatory test for SARS-CoV-2 that causes the coronavirus infection. Guidelines released by the ICMR on 28 March state that these rapid kits should only be used for preliminary screening. Positive test indicates exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Negative test does not rule out Covid-19 infection, as per the guidelines. A subject, after taking the rapid test, must still take the PCR test to get confirmation that he is indeed negative for the virus. Bought tests, burned fingers While there are reasons to be optimistic, India needs to tread cautiously. Several countries that rushed to place orders for these rapid kits have resulted with burned fingers. As per a report in Bloomberg, the UK, after stocking up on more than 4 million finger-prick antibody blood tests available on Amazon and in pharmacies, is now looking for a refund. Spain, after purchasing thousands of antigen tests from a Chinese supplier, discovered that the kits often fail to detect the disease. The Czech Republic also found tests it purchased from China to be less reliable than stated, while leaders in neighbouring Slovakia have been critical of the kits, as per the report. Until we have independently validated tests, governments shouldnt be rushing in to buy millions of them, Rosanna Peeling, director of the International Diagnostics Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told Bloomberg. Forecast for domestic consumption and ending stocks of soybeans was cut Open source The agriculture consultancy agency changed the forecast for export of soybean from Ukraine in 2019-2020. According to the updated date, it will increase by 6.3% or up to 2.55 million tonnes as Successful Farming reported. According to the information, domestic consumption and ending stocks of soybeans were cut. Meanwhile, the soybean harvest declined by around 9% in 2019 up to 4.35 million tonnes As of April 10, Ukraine exported 2.027 million tonnes of soybean, while in 2019, it exported 1.106 million tonnes. As we reported, the rate of wheat exporting from Ukraine has dropped in April. As for April 6, the export of Ukrainian wheat made 17,9 million tons. According to the appendix to the Memorandum signed between the Ministry and the association of exporters and reproducers of what, the limit for export of grain in this marketing season is set on the level of 20.2 million tons. Thus, 2.3 tons remain available for the period from April till June 2020. Earlier, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the decree, according to which the export of buckwheat will be forbidden until July 1, 2020. The Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture reported that on April 3. Illinois has one of the strictest laws in the nation protecting biometric data, which can include data from facial, fingerprint and iris scans. The 2008 law mandates that companies collecting such information obtain prior consent from consumers, detail how theyll use it and specify how long the information will be kept. The law also allows private citizens, rather than just governmental entities, to file lawsuits over the issue. Increasing emphasis on online ordering and pivots to offering products and services that are most needed in the absence of face-to-face sales has meant web designers and digital marketers are busy working behind-the-scenes to keep businesses up and running. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Increasing emphasis on online ordering and pivots to offering products and services that are most needed in the absence of face-to-face sales has meant web designers and digital marketers are busy working behind-the-scenes to keep businesses up and running. Work has been steady, in some cases even a little chaotic, at local digital marketing firms as many businesses rushed to deal with rapidly-changing public-health alerts about a virus most Canadians weren't thinking much about two months ago. "Oddly enough, I would say we're as busy as ever right now because so many of our customers are leaning on us to just try and manoeuvre the waters, so to speak," said Mike Betten, CEO of Unite Interactive, a digital marketing agency with offices in Winnipeg and Vancouver. Companies were quick to realize they should ramp-up their online presences; many posted messages on their websites and social media pages to tell potential customers what they were doing to help slow the spread of the virus. Over the past couple of weeks, there was a "huge burst of activity" as some businesses recognized their online branding was weak or needed to be upgraded, said David Guspodarchuk, sales manager for Fresh Traffic Group. "There's definitely been a great urgency in ensuring that we're getting these messages up as quickly as information is coming in, as quickly as things are changing. So in that respect we have to be very reactive," he said. "Oddly enough, I would say we're as busy as ever right now because so many of our customers are leaning on us to just try and manoeuvre the waters." Mike Betten But as the initial shock fades, and with all but essential storefronts closed in most places, many small businesses want to offer more online than ever before. Digital marketers have the task of making websites more functional -- they're adding online menu options for restaurants, curbside pickup details for retailers, or even designing entire online stores for manufacturers that still relied on trade shows or door-to-door salesmen. (At least one hot tub manufacturer, for example, is now in the process of selling direct to home-bound customers online, a glass-industry professional is focusing on making protective shields, and a wine-tour travel company had its online booking system transformed into a grocery delivery service thanks to technical work from local web designers). It's all happening really fast, as design firms prioritize function over aesthetic and marketers try to strike a fine balance. Their goal is to help their clients let customers know they can still conduct business safely, but no one wants to be seen as profiting from a pandemic. "Lately, more people are just focused on getting something done. So we're not trying to pixel-perfect a website or a campaign right to the last detail. People are more worried about just getting it out there, because the understanding is that we're buying people's attention now. Nobody's going to really criticize or critique your brand just because something is slightly off," said Josh Hay, business development partner at Hello Digital Marketing. "We're not trying to pixelperfect a website or a campaign right to the last detail. People are more worried about just getting it out there." Josh Hay Sandeep Arora, department head of Marketing at the University of Manitoba, agrees "it doesn't have to be perfect." As companies embrace new technologies and new ways of doing things, customers will likely be more forgiving now -- and they won't forget which companies treated their employees well or stepped in to help during this pandemic, he said. "People remember, society remembers," Arora said. The most important thing businesses should be doing now, and always, is be transparent with their customers, he said. "They have to be very clear about how things are. Suppose something doesn't work, suppose they don't have something in stock. Keep the line of communication open. That's even more important during these times when there is so much rumours going around, there is so much uncertainty. I think communication is the key." "Keep the line of communication open. That's even more important during these times when there is so much rumours going around, there is so much uncertainty." Sandeep Arora To that end, local digital marketers have been recommending interactive chat functions for many websites, something their clients are now increasingly welcoming, to allow customers to communicate directly with staff even when they can't show up in person. It's technology that's expected to stick around long after the pandemic ends. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "I think that everything we've put in place to help companies streamline their operations online, I think they'll remain," said Guspodarchuk. "But I think when things blow over, I think people are going to have a real desire to connect... people are going to probably want to go out and just be in the presence of other people." katie.may@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @thatkatiemay Google has been pressured to closely follow Europe's data privacy rules with the coronavirus tracing apps that it's developing alongside Apple. The two tech giants announced last week a partnership to develop tools that will help track the spread of the coronavirus via Bluetooth technology. The idea is to mitigate the number of new infections when lockdown measures are lifted over the coming months. However, the announcement has raised concerns that such technology could breach an individual's privacy. "Contact tracing apps can be useful to limit the spread of the coronavirus. But their development and interoperability need to fully respect our values and privacy," Thierry Breton, the EU's internal market commissioner, said after a video meeting with Google and YouTube CEOs on Wednesday. According to the European institution, Wednesday's conversation focused on the "full and strict compliance" of the technology with European rules. Google was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC Friday. Europe has been at the forefront when it comes to regulating data privacy. In May 2018, the EU implemented legislation called General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which has proved to be a foundation for similar rules in other countries. Desperate times require desperate measures. Even as we wait for the world to open, the businesses that are going to be on the edge are those that offer products we can classify as discretionary purchases, which is what pretty much of the luxury industry sells. Altagamma, an Italian luxury brands body and Boston Consulting Group have predicted that coronavirus can bring down global luxury sales between 30 billion euros and 40 billion euros. With store closures and customers stuck indoors, luxury brands have been severely hit. The brands are scurrying to survive in a post-COVID world as they realise that selling to wary consumers insecure about the spread of coronavirus, chary to go out and shop and worried about the economy will become extremely difficult. So, how do you keep the consumer engaged and maybe, just maybe, sell something in these difficult times? From the worlds iconic luxury brands to art biennales and vineyards, here is how luxury is adapting to the situation. Patek Philippe 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 evolution of Patek Philippe is intricately linked to the spread of the cult of luxury across the world. The 175-year-old Genevan brand, established by a Polish immigrant, defines the best of Swiss watchmaking heritage. Known for its exquisite handcraftsmanship, the brand makes only 62,000 timepieces annually and features high on the list of collectors worldwide. In November 2019, Patek Philippes steel Grandmaster Chime sold for $31 million at a charity Christie's auction. Four months later, the brand, which had an aversion for selling their painstakingly made watches through the e-commerce route, has allowed its authorised dealers to sell online. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced retailers to shut shop and run up losses. The brand responded by temporarily relaxing its policies against online sales, in a move to support retailerssome of whom have worked with Patek Philippe for more than a century. "This is only for a temporary period to help Patek Philippe authorised retailers that are closed due to the COVID-19 situation," the company emailed in a statement. Napas hard-to-get wines go online For the second time in four weeks, vineyards across the picturesque Napa region went online for an Open the Cellar sale. On offer: 250 wines from across 150 vineyards at what they called a bargain price. Many more sales will come up over the next few weeks as Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) tries to find ways to stay in the green. The idea is to help small producers, who sell their wines to travellers and connoisseurs through their cellars and tasting rooms, reach out to a wider world, as tasting rooms remain closed. In 2019, 4.1 million people visited the 500-odd Napa wineries. Among the vintners who put up his wines for sale is Tom Gamble, who listed his Gamble Family Vineyards 2015 Cairo Cabernet Sauvignon. He says, This was the best way we could reach out to our customers since we are not part of any big group with a worldwide distribution network. We depend only on cellar and vineyard sales. NVV members are offering really deep discounts after their annual Auction Napa Valley, held annually since 1981, was called off. Live streams from African savannahs When the lockdown forced countries to close borders and airlines to ground flights, WildEarth, which takes travellers on drives across game reserves and forests of South Africa called up Raj Awasthi, a Mumbai-based finance professional who had booked an African adventure for his family, requesting him to postpone his trip rather than cancel it. Graham Wellington, CEO, WildEarth. I intended to do that anyway; I had paid good money and I thought we could go few months down the line, he says. To keep Awasthi and other travellers who had booked their safaris engaged, WildEarth is doing a daily livestream offering the South African game reserve experience. The live streams are hosted by experienced guides from two vehicles in the Djuma Game Reserve and one vehicle at Ngala Private Reserve, in collaboration with leading wildlife adventure operator andBeyond. Graham Wallington, the CEO of WildEarth says that their audience for the live stream has tripled in two weeks since they began. The guides have been reporting scenes involving wild hunting dogs in the private forests in the middle of the day, which was previously unheard of. The shy creatures generally hunt in the middle of the night. Besides the rare view of hunting dogs, go online to meet some of South Africas famous wild animals, like Thandi, the female leopard, or the Birmingham lion pride, who live between both these reserves, moving freely. Selling the hotel and F&B experience Hotels and restaurants, much like travel or aviation, are likely to see a huge slump all through 2020. So, what do smart hoteliers do? Some offer their dining experience through fancy takeaways, which opens up new revenue streams for them. Like many of AccorHotels in India, such as Sofitel Mumbai BKC and Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach, who are either delivering elaborate meals or offering equally widespread takeaway options. Jaydeep Mukherjee. This is pretty much what Smoke House Deli is also doing in Mumbai. Jaydeep Mukherjee, Brand Head, says, Smoke House Deli, Pali Hill is delivering DIY Deli, a range of packages filled with fresh ingredients and recipes which our patrons can use to cook their favourite dishes at home. Each DIY Deli includes a selection of our best mains and desserts. We do the painstaking prep, while people who can just finish the dish. Some global hotel brands are extending their offerings beyond the dining experience, to include their signature decor accessories online. Four Seasons is selling their famous bedding, known to be one of the most comfortable in the hospitality space; Fairmont has put out its crystal glassware; St Regis has gone online with its plush bath towels and robes. Pretty much everything is on sale, from artisan glassware to Pucci pillow covers. SonevaFushi, the luxury spa in the Maldives, is hawking its stunning range of glassware, which is handmade in the Maldives sustainably using old wine glasses and bottles. Hotels in Italys Amalfi Coast, in the meantime, have taken the altruistic route and gifted stays a year down the line, to the first 40 people who donate towards the research of a vaccine for COVID-19. Four of Amalfi Coasts biggest propertiesLe Sirenuse, II San Pietro di Positano, Palazzo Avino and Hotel Santa Caterina have banded together to offer certificates for future stays and experiences to people who support research and hope to raise 200,000. The art experience A segment of luxury that would perhaps be the worst hit is the world of art, which often faces the brunt of every crisis, from economic to pandemic. Kochi Muziris Biennale is keeping art collectors and connoisseurs curious by reaching out to artists across the country to share the art they create during the lockdown, on their Instagram handle @kochibiennale. We want to showcase how artists continue to work during such a situation and the purpose art serves during times like this, says co-founder Bose Krishnamachari. The first artist they showcased was Jitish Kallat, who sent out his work in progress, with a note, The inaugural 10 weeks of the new decade have thrown several unexpected curveballs at us, human species. Since I returned to Mumbai from the US on 14th March I hadnt visited my home until the end of the month. For that fortnight, I was in self-imposed isolation at the studio across the street from my home. During this time I did one watercolour in which fragments of discarded sculptures sit atop the drawing, and lines freely run over the various elements. I may never end up exhibiting this work but it allowed me a degree of creative nonconformity. Since then, several other artists have showcased their work on the biennales Instagram handle. Deepali Nandwani is a journalist who keeps a close watch on the world of luxury. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 20:09:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- China highly commends Saudi Arabia on proposing to convene a special meeting of the G20 agriculture ministers and hopes the meeting will send a positive signal in safeguarding global food security amid COVID-19 fight, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the G20 Extraordinary Virtual Leaders' Summit on COVID-19 on March 26 reached an important consensus on fighting the pandemic through solidarity and stabilizing the world economy. As the pandemic develops, Saudi Arabia has proposed to convene a special meeting of the G20 agriculture ministers on April 21 to cope with the food and agricultural security issues under the current situation, said Zhao, adding that China highly commends this proposal. Chinese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Changfu will attend the G20 meeting, Zhao said. China has always attached great importance to the issue of food security and hopes the meeting will send a positive signal in fighting the pandemic with solidarity and maintaining the security and stability of the global food supply, he added. Enditem Social video app TikTok has donated 5 million to help nurses and doctors working on the coronavirus frontline get practical and psychological support. The money is going to the Royal College of Nursing Foundation, part of the Royal College of Nursing Group, and its COVID-19 Healthcare Support Appeal. TikTok owners, ByteDance, say the donation will also help midwives, healthcare support workers, paramedics, physiotherapists, cleaners and porters. It came as the video-sharing platform revealed that TikTok videos celebrating NHS and other healthcare workers reached 330 million views in one month. There have been over 200,000 videos shared using the #ThankYouNHS hashtag and is one of the biggest trending healthcare related trending topics on the site. TikTok owners, ByteDance, say the donation will also help midwives, healthcare support workers, paramedics, physiotherapists, cleaners and porters The donation is part of a global fund of $250 million (201 million) for frontline medical workers, educators and local communities affected by the coronavirus pandemic given by TikTok The app saw a 5,000 per cent increase on views for videos supporting healthcare workers in just four weeks, according to ByteDance. According to the video platform, #ThankYouNHS and #ClapForOurCarers were two of the more popular tags as people find ways to celebrate frontline workers during lockdown. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the whole country had been overwhelmed by the dedication and professionalism of all of our health and social care heroes. 'I know the extraordinary pressures this virus has brought to professional and private lives, and I'm delighted that TikTok is supporting the RCN Foundation, which brings so much support to so many,' Hancock said. As the UK is set for at least another three weeks of lockdown measures, TikTok says social media is helping people come together despite being further apart than ever. 'It has been humbling to see so many people turn to TikTok for moments of light relief and to connect with one another in the face of such struggle,' said a spokesman. The donation is part of a global fund of $250 million (201 million) for frontline workers from the Chinese owned social network. The money from TikTok will go to medical workers, educators and local communities affected by the coronavirus pandemic. 'The courageous work of those on the front line of our healthcare system is both poignant and inspiring,' said Rich Waterworth, TikTok's UK general manager. 'I hope our donation to the Covid-19 Healthcare Support Appeal, established by the RCN Foundation, can go some way in alleviating just some of the pressures many of these workers are dealing with at this time. 'I would like to personally thank them for the work they are doing in these unprecedented times.' Posts using the hashtag #ClapForOurCarers has been viewed 23 million times on the social video app TikTok and includes posts by NHS workers as well as people supporting them Posts using the hashtag #ThankYouNHS have been viewed over 300 million times, those using NHS have been seen 175 million times Waterworth said he'd been 'enormously heartened' by some of the videos shared on the platform showing a huge amount of support for healthcare workers. He said they'd seen the TikTok community show thanks and appreciation for healthcare workers in their masses and videos viewed in large numbers. 'We're also seeing the workers themselves use the platform for some light relief.' 'We have seen so many of them take to TikTok in their breaks to add a bit of light relief while at work, which I hope has provided a touch of joy during their difficult days,' Waterworth added. Posts using the hashtag #ThankYouNHS have been viewed over 300 million times, those using NHS have been seen 175 million times and #ClapForOurCarers has been viewed 23 million times. Videos posted to those tags include everything from dances and expressions of gratitude to more artistic creations like rainbows made from skittles. What is a Strategic Petroleum Reserve? Its maybe the sort of thing you thought you knew. Perhaps you picture vast, dank pools of oil stashed in caverns located in specially selected locations strategic, as it were in the U.S. And for 635 million barrels of the stuff, youve pretty much nailed it. But you really need to embrace the abstract; go bigger and more lateral, like youre micro-dosing your way through a McKinsey interview. Because on some level, an SPR is really just, like, a number. Which brings us to a report that President Donald Trump is considering paying domestic oil producers to just keep their oil in the ground and designating that as part of the SPR, as broken by Bloomberg News. As the oil industry stares into the abyss of the Covid-19 shock, the Trump administration has been searching for ways to alleviate its pain. There has been talk of buying barrels from producers and using them to fill up the existing SPR theres room for about 80 million barrels more or leasing some of that capacity to producers. Democratic members of Congress nixed the first initiative, and the second is marginal. FILL IT UP: Cornyn, Texas congressmen push $3 billion bill to buy crude The keep-it-in-the-ground plan represents a whole other level. The federal government is authorized to build a strategic reserve of up to 1 billion barrels, or roughly 365 million more than it has right now. The new plan would encompass the latter. Unlike the existing SPR, these are barrels that have never seen the light of day, so to speak, but petroleum engineers are sure theyre down there. In theory and in theory does the work of a small nuclear reactor here when an emergency strikes, the feds, having purchased the rights to that oil, would demand delivery. This is some boss-level whiteboarding in action. Because what we are talking about here is really just a financial transaction: Uncle Sam buying an open-ended call option from oil producers. Numbers and sort-of obligations. Someone is surely calling their bankers right now about setting up a special-purpose acquisition company. That purpose: Buy proved developed reserves from distressed frackers and then turn around and sell the option to the Department of Energy. Lets just hope Virtuoil LP is still operating when the next war hits. Quasi-petroleum is more common than you might think. Writing about the 2 million barrels a day of cuts the U.S. offered in last weekends frantic round of oil diplomacy, Kevin Book of ClearView Energy Partners pointed out in a report this was really just future oil that wasnt going to be produced anyway at these prices; trend barrels, he called them. FUEL FIX: Get our energy news in your inbox each weekday But theres something about Uncle Sams new kinda-reserve that just doesnt add up. As it is, the SPR has hardly ever been used, even when triple-digit oil prices were putting real strain on the U.S. economy. It has mostly been, in practical terms, dead oil or just a number in a ledger. If we ever were to face a true oil shortage, with prices to match, then any fracker with decent reserves would cash in by pumping them out as quickly as possible anyway. As the shale boom taught us, thats just what they do. No star-spangled option required. The barrels dont really matter. This is a plan to funnel money to an industry facing disaster; troubled oil relief with a veneer of energy security. Numbers in a ledger. An oil producer pumping a barrel at a cost of maybe $15-20 and selling it into the SPR for $21 is one thing. You dont have to be a genius to see that just getting cash in exchange for a promise that will likely never be called is far more attractive. Call it a strategic petroleum reprieve. That this is even being talked about speaks to the pressure on the oil market. But it is also inescapably a testament to Trumps long-standing affinity for any fuel that burns. He has tried this sort of thing before, floating the Defense Production Act as a way of forcing utilities to stockpile coal they didnt need (energy dominance comes with a pronounced hoarding fetish, it seems). Maybe Trump will try to use that emergency legislation this time. But he may instead need House Democrats to unlock the funds. This is where his monumental baggage hinders rather than helps his favored fuels; Democrats arent going to authorize what amounts to helicopter money for frackers without extracting a sizable quid pro quo(1). Long-term, expanded electric vehicle subsidies, trading virtual barrels for future batteries, is just one option among many. Time to think expansively and get out that whiteboard. (1) Too soon? This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Liam Denning is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy, mining and commodities. He previously was editor of the Wall Street Journal's Heard on the Street column and wrote for the Financial Times' Lex column. He was also an investment banker. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Shaktikanta Das on Friday announced a refinancing facility worth Rs 50,000 crore to boost the housing finance sector. NABARD (Rs 25,000 crore), SIDBI (Rs 15,000 crore) and NHB (Rs 10,000 crore) would be the beneficiaries. They will be charged at the repo rate of 4.4 per cent for this amount. The companies had earlier asked the government to help them with liquidity as they were suffering on account of tight liquidity conditions. In a separate devlopment, the government has allowed non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), housing finance companies (HFCs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs) to operate with bare minimum staff amid the extended lockdown. The RBI would also conduct another targeted long-term repo operation (TLTRO) for an aggregate amount of Rs 50,000 crore to begin in tranches for small and mid-sized MFI-NBFCs. The banks would be required to invest 50 per cent of funds under TLTRO 2.0 to small and mid-sized NBFCs, it added. The RBI also cut the reverse repo rate cut by 25 bps. However, all other policy rates remain the same. The reverse repo rate now stands at 3.75 per cent from 4 per cent. The RBI on March 27 announced a slew of economic relief measures approved by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to tackle the sluggishness in the economy due to coronavirus lockdown. In its last MPC meet, the repo rate was cut by 75 bps to 4.4 percent, and reverse repo rate by 90 bps. In addition, the central bank reduced the cash reserve ratio (CRR) to 3 per cent from 4 per cent. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met on Thursday amid speculation that another stimulus package may be announced soon by the government to aid the sectors hit hard by the lockdown. In March, the government announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore relief package along with insurance cover for frontline medical personnel. The government also promised to give free cereals and cooking gas apart from cash through direct transfers for three months. India is currently under an extended lockdown until March 3 to fight against the fast spreading coronavirus pandemic. Also read: Coronavirus Live Updates: US reports over 4,500-deaths in one day: India's tally crosses-13,000-mark Also read: Coronavirus effect: RBI cuts reverse repo rate by 25 bps to 3.75%, maintains status quo on repo rate We try to educate people that if you have a kid who might not be following all the rules in the community, does the response have to be to try and get them locked up? Foley Geib said. He could be bringing in something from the community into the detention center. Or he might have underlying issues where if he remained home, they might be better managed there. In normal times, Lights Alive, a local company that puts together annual Christmas lights shows, would be preparing for the holiday season. Instead, the company is using its skills to design intubation boxes for healthcare workers in San Antonio during the pandemic. Lights Alive owner Matthew Johnson told mySA.com its latest project is an inexpensive reusable device that functions as a protective shield between COVID-19 patients and healthcare providers. The intubation box works by sitting over the head and shoulders of a patient who is being intubated by a physician. The box can be cleaned with bleach, alcohol or wipes. Johnson said the company is utilizing the same robotic manufacturing and plastic forming expertise it uses for its shows to the boxes. READ MORE: The latest news and features about coronavirus in San Antonio The project began two weeks ago after Johnson learned that doctors around the world were becoming ill from their exposure to COVID-19 patients. With the help of local anesthesiologist Dr. Francis Van Wisse, Johnson has sold four intubation boxes to San Antonio hospitals. The hospitals were not named because the device is not FDA approved, Johnson said. Van Wisse said the boxes are an extra safety net for medical professionals who are handling COVID-19 patients. He added that he now uses the device on his patients. The boxes typically run up to $300, however, Johnson set up a GoFundMe page so the company can raise enough funds to begin donating the boxes to local hospitals. The money donated will be used on materials, labor and distribution and shipping costs, Johnson said. READ ALSO: 'It's not about you': Local doctor urges San Antonians to stay home during coronavirus pandemic "I would like to able to have the ability where if a hospital needs them, they can get them," Johnson said, adding that hopefully production ramps up so he can bring back some of the staff he laid off due to the coronavirus pandemic. Lights Alive has created musically synchronized Christmas light shows for the San Antonio Zoo, the San Antonio River Walk Association and Sea World. Last year, Lights Alive had a nearly mile-long Christmas lights drive-thru show in the Alamo Ranch area. While the company is considered a non-essential business during the pandemic, Johnson said he plans to use their machines and expertise to help the local healthcare community. Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks at his daily CCP virus briefing in Albany, N.Y., on April 17, 2020. (Matthew Cavanaugh/Getty Images) New York Moving to the Reopening Phase: Cuomo New York is moving to the reopening phase, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Friday as state officials recorded the fourth consecutive daily decrease in COVID-19 patients being cared for in hospitals. More patients are being discharged from state hospitals than the number of new admissions. The net change of hospitalizations is undeniably on the decline, Cuomo told reporters in Albany. Hospitals also reported declines in patients in intensive care and new intubations. The conditions are prompting officials to explore when and how to reopen. New York is leading a regional pact that includes New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The situation were in now is unsustainable. People cant stay in their homes for this length of time. They cant stay out of work. You cant keep the economy closed forever. You just cant. Society cant handle it, personally or economically, Cuomo said. So now were moving into another phase, which is this reopening phase. The governor on Thursday said certain businesses will be allowed to reopen first. He declined to set a date for the first phase of reopening and reiterated that he believes the situation wont fully resolve until a vaccine is developed or a treatment proved to work against COVID-19 is produced. A vaccine is not expected until next year. Two people walk a dog during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City on April 16, 2020. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images) Governors across the country are planning on reopening their states and the federal government issued guidelines late Thursday for when to start different phases of reopening. States and regions that see a downward trajectory of documented cases of positive tests as a percent of total tests, have hospitals able to treat all patients without crisis care, and have a robust testing program in place were told to proceed to phase one, which includes some businesses reopening and minimal non-essential travel. If you look at Montana, Wyoming, North Dakotathats a lot different than New York. Its a lot different than New Jersey. So its going to be very dependent on the governor, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House. The first phase of the response was bringing down the infection rate, Cuomo said Friday. The rate has dropped from one person infecting 1.4 other people on average to one person infecting 0.9 people on average, according to state data. That then sees the outbreak starting to subside, the numbers starting to come down, the governor stated. The state also required hospitals to boost capacity by at least 50 percent and the federal government transformed the Javits Center, a large convention center on the West side of Manhattan, into an emergency hospital. A military hospital ship arrived in Manhattan last month. Army Lieutenant General Laura Richardson, commanding general of U.S. Army North, puts on personal protective equipment before entering the patient care area at Javits New York Medical Station, which is supporting local hospitals treating the CCP virus in New York City on April 12, 2020. (U.S. Navy/Chief Mass Communication Specialist Barry Riley/Handout via Reuters) New York officials relied on models that projected a need of up to 140,000 hospital beds and 40,000 ventilators. The states peak instead arrived with under 19,000 COVID-19 patients in hospital beds. Only a subset of patients require assistance breathing. Officials have said people committing to social distancing brought the peak down. Many models already factored in some degree of social distancing. New York is the hardest-hit state in the nation by the pandemic, with over 12,000 deaths and hundreds of thousands of cases. Over 17,000 patients remain hospitalized, a number thats dropped by the hundreds in each of the last four days. Phase two for New York will revolve around doing no harm. Officials dont want the infection rate to go back up. A slow reopening will be underpinned by a system of testing, tracing contacts of people who tested positive, and isolating confirmed and suspected cases. The current testing system is insufficient to handle the expected volume needed, according to Cuomo. He compared the rapid boost officials project is necessary for testing to how the state boosted hospital capacity. Officials envision one system featuring the 301 laboratories and hospitals that are licensed to perform testing in the state. Besides coordinating the hundreds of facilities, officials must figure out supply chain issues. A major problem is a dearth of chemicals required to run some of the tests. The chemicals, or reagents, originate in China, where the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus started last year. States need help from the federal government, Cuomo said, claiming New York has seen no federal funds from the three virus-related bills Congress approved in recent weeks. Is there any funding so I can do these things that you want us to do? No,' Cuomo said. That is passing the buck without passing the bucks. Cuomo and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who lead a governors group, asked for $500 billion for states earlier this month. World coronavirus deaths surged past 150,000 Friday as US President Donald Trump accused China of continuing to cover up its toll, even after Beijing revised figures sharply upward for Wuhan, the original epicenter of the global pandemic. COVID-19 fatalities mounted in the United States and hard-hit Western Europe countries, but fresh data on rising infections and deaths in Africa showed the virus is leaving no continent uscathed in its global march. More than half of humanity -- 4.5 billion people -- were confined to their homes, with evidence mounting of social distancing's success in slowing the pandemic. But widespread nervousness remained over when and how to ease confinement measures to revive the world economy, battered by what the International Monetary Fund has dubbed the "Great Lockdown." - 2.2 million cases worldwide - More than 2.2 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in 193 countries and territories, according to figures collected by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organization (WHO). The figures probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections however, because many countries are testing only the most serious cases. For example, a new Stanford University study testing Silicon Valley residents for viral antibodies suggested that the true number of COVID-19 infections was at least 50 times higher than the official figure. The daily number of confirmed deaths across the globe remained high at over 8,800. Out of more than 150,000 total deaths since the outbreak erupted, the United States has recorded 36,773, Italy 22,745, Spain 19,478 and France 18,681. Illustrating the increasing threat in countries less in focus, Africa reported its 1,000th death on Friday. China meanwhile raised its estimate of deaths to 4,636 on Friday. That came after it increased the official toll for the city of Wuhan by 1,290 -- a precise 50.0 percent -- to 3,869. Trump, who has been accused of reacting too slowly to the coronavirus threat, alleged that Beijing's numbers were still not accurate. "It is far higher than that and far higher than the U.S., not even close!" Trump tweeted. Trump did not offer evidence, but pressure has mounted in recent days on Beijing to come clean over its handling of the original outbreak. US media has reported suspicions that the virus came not from a Wuhan wet market as first claimed, but from a poorly managed nearby research facility studying bat-related diseases including coronaviruses. Leaders in France and Britain have also questioned China's management of the crisis, and French President Emmanuel Macron said it would be "naive" to think Beijing had handled the pandemic well. Beijing hit back earlier Friday, insisting there had been no cover-up. "There has never been any concealment, and we'll never allow any concealment," a foreign ministry spokesman said. - Life-and-death balance - Governments around the world are grappling with the question of when to reopen society, seeking a life-and-death balance between unfreezing stalled economies and preventing a second deadly coronavirus wave. Germany became the latest country to unveil plans to lift some restrictions, taking on the delicate task of reopening without triggering a new wave of infections. The government declared its outbreak "under control" and said select small shops will be allowed to reopen Monday and some children would return to school within weeks. Infection rates there "have sunk significantly," Health Minister Jens Spahn said Friday. Switzerland, Denmark and Finland were also gradually re-opening shops and schools, and even in hard-hit Italy, people began emerging from lockdown, with Venice residents strolling around quiet canals stripped of their usual throngs of tourists. But Japan, Britain and Mexico all expanded current restrictions. And in Russia, recorded infections topped 32,000 as President Vladimir Putin warned that "the risks surrounding the epidemic's spread are still very high, not just in Moscow but in many other Russian regions". In the United States, a more complex picture was emerging. Trump, whose reelection in November could hinge on how fast US life returns to normal, appeared to endorse protests against stay-at-home orders in several states -- although he has officially left it to governors to decide when to lift lockdowns. In Florida the governor, a close Trump ally, gave a green light to reopening some beaches and parks. But in New York state, with its namesake city the hardest hit in the world by the coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo extended a shutdown order until May 15, as he accused Trump of not helping in efforts to expand testing. - Vulnerable economies - Signs of the economic damage of the pandemic also mounted. China reported Friday its GDP shrank 6.8 percent in the first quarter, the first contraction since quarterly growth data started in the early 1990s. Lockdown measures were starting to pinch some of the world's most vulnerable economies. Tobacco farmers in Zimbabwe fear a delayed start to the normally busy auction season, the lifeblood for thousands of growers in impoverished rural regions, due to lockdown measures. "This year our harvest hasn't been good at all," farmer Shaw Mutalepo told AFP, as workers in face masks crunched cured leaves into large bales. In Washington, the Trump administration announced another $19 billion in relief for farmers, who have been hit by a massive shift in food consumption with schools and restaurants shuttered across the country. "Having to dump milk and plow under vegetables ready to market is not only financially distressing, but it's heartbreaking as well to those who produce them," Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said. Some $3 billion will be used to buy up surplus dairy products and produce that farmers have been destroying, unable to get it to consumers or food processors. Meanwhile the IMF and World Bank said that Africa needs another $44 billion to fight the pandemic, even after a freeze in debt payments for many countries and massive support pledges. The IMF also warned the virus could spark another "lost decade" in Latin America, with debt moratoriums said not to be enough support. A bus driver has his temperature checked before his shift in a parking and carwash, in Buenos Aires, on April 17 amid the coronavirus pandemic Members of the Tarlabasi Solidarity Network prepare aid packages of disinfectants, gloves, face masks as well as food cards for African migrants in Istanbul A woman wearing a face mask and a plastic bag pulls a cart loaded with bags of recyclables through the streets of Lower Manhattan A man sells face masks to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, in north Guayaquil, Ecuador COVID-19 and the immune system Officers patrol the streets of Venice, which saw some stringent lockdown measures eased this week A rickshaw driver carries passengers wearing face masks in New Delhi during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown World toll of coronavirus infections and deaths as of April 17 at 1900 GMT Courtesy David Williams(NEW YORK) -- David Williams described his wife of 19 years, Vitalina, as "the most wonderful lady on the face of the planet." "Me being in love with her, I was just following the crowd," he said. "Because everybody loved her." Vitalina Williams worked two jobs to make ends meet, at a Walmart and their local grocer, Market Basket in Salem, Massachusetts. As a newly-deemed essential worker during the novel coronavirus pandemic, she continued going to work even as COVID-19 made its spread through the U.S. On April 4, she passed away from the coronavirus at the age of 59. After falling ill just a week-and-a-half earlier, her condition quickly deteriorated. She was in the hospital by March 28 and on a ventilator shortly thereafter, her husband said. Like many other essential workers, she paid the ultimate price for continuing to provide a crucial service during the pandemic. But unlike many of those traditionally deemed essential workers, this new group of workers deemed essential in the COVID-19 crisis generally makes lower wages, doesn't have benefits like paid sick leave, proper training or ready access to potentially life-saving personal protective equipment. Vitalina Williams' husband said despite coming face-to-face with dozens of people every day, she was given almost no protective gear while working during the pandemic. Frontline medical workers and first responders have been struggling, massively in some cases, with access to PPE as well and many have died. "Hindsight is 20/20. Yeah, I wish more was done," David Williams said. "I havent been wanting to preach at people that they should do the common sense things that they should be doing in the first place, but I guess Im forced to." "You start getting into the politics of things and so on, and I start shying away from it, thats for wiser men than me to figure out," he said. Still, he said, "I think workers should get P.P.E. [personal protective equipment] when they need it." David Williams said he is speaking out about his wife's story now because he realized she is "one of many" and he hopes it will help put some protections in place for others. Market Basket spokesperson Justine Griffin told ABC News in a statement that "the loss of Vitalina is a tragedy for our entire Market Basket family." She said the supermarket chain has taken steps to protect workers and customers, including limiting the number of shoppers allowed in a store at one time, making gloves and protective masks available to associates who do not have their own, and installing plexiglass shields at checkout. The company said it has also implemented a heightened disinfection program for high-touch surfaces such as cash registers, countertops, register belts, baskets, carriages and more. Walmart did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment Thursday, but on March 31 announced a series of new safety measures at all of its stores, including closing stores overnight for cleaning, installing sneeze guards at checkout lanes and pharmacy windows, wiping and spraying carts, and putting up signage reminding workers and customers to maintain social distance. New class of 'essential workers' are 'risking their lives' for minimum wage with almost no protections Vitalina Williams is one of the millions of newly-classified "essential workers" in the COVID-19 pandemic, who still have to come into work to support their families and keep the economy going while the country is being told to stay at home. As a slew of typically low-wage workers are now risking their lives to feed the country, experts say more needs to be done to recognize the risks they are taking through benefits, pay and protections. "Typically, when we think of a crisis and we think of personnel that are essential, we think of first responders, ambulances, police officers," Molly Kinder, a David Rubenstein Fellow at the Brookings Institute, told ABC News. "They are trained for this," she added. "We have systems set up to make sure they are taken care of first, [and have ] access to personal protective equipment." Moreover, these traditional essential workers often have paid sick leave, union representation and other protections in place. In this "unprecedented" coronavirus crisis, the definition of an essential worker has become much more expansive, according to Kinder. "It includes those first responders, but as you notice, it includes mail carriers and grocery cashiers, food preparers, package handlers, the workers that are showing up to deliver our meals at our home," she said. "It is just such a wide range of workers, and many of them are low-wage workers," she added, "potentially up to half of them make under a living wage or close to that." "Millions of them, a month ago when this pandemic hit, had no paid sick leave, uneven access to health insurance, and wages that did not even sustain a family," she said. "They're now going to jobs and risking their lives for $9, $10 dollars an hour." The coronavirus pandemic has "put a harsh spotlight on how poor these conditions have been for workers that have a low wage," Kinder added. "And suddenly they are keeping the rest of us alive." Celine McNicholas, the director of government affairs at the Economic Policy Institute, told ABC News that the pandemic hasn't "changed who's essential," but rather, "it's revealed it." "These have long been the engines that drive our economy, the workers who stock our shelves, who pick up our garbage," she said. "Everyone is sort of recognizing that in this moment these workers are providing services that we desperately need to keep our families fed, to keep our families healthy," McNicholas added. "These jobs have long been low-wage jobs, very difficult for these folks to access to a union to have representation." As a result, many of these workers are still heading to public-facing jobs absent many protections -- from paid sick leave to basic protective equipment. "We shouldnt have workers on the frontline pay the price of that by having to go to work absent that gear," McNicholas said. McNicholas said it's imperative that employers provide employees with "necessary protective equipment so that they can do their job safely and effectively" and that it's incumbent on the government to enforce this. Nationally, there have been more than two dozen grocery workers who have died of the novel coronavirus. Kinder said there has been a lot of frustration "that the Trump Administration has been very slow to put out federal guidelines for workplace safety standards" and that many states and in some cases employers have been left to set them up for themselves. On Tuesday, the grocery chain Kroger and the UFCW, America's largest food and retail union, called for lawmakers to designate grocery workers as "extended first responders" amid the pandemic. The groups said the new status would allow these frontline workers to gain priority access to personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves. In the case of Vitalina Williams, Market Basket spokesperson Justine Griffin says the company has "implemented the same steps that we take with all reported cases." She added, "We also have now confirmed that two other associates from the Salem store have tested positive for COVID-19 and have quarantined themselves and their close contacts. We have reported this information to public health officials and followed their guidance and have brought in a specialized cleaning crew to clean and disinfect the store, as an added precaution." On the death of Vitalina Williams, the statement said, "A Guatemalan immigrant, her journey here embodied so much of what the culture of our own company personifies -- a hardworking, selfless and kind individual, who was always warm and helpful to others. Our more than 25,000 associates each share in a mutual respect for one another and during this time, equally share in the grief of the Williams family." "We offer our support to her family and coworkers during this difficult time. We have made counseling services available to any colleagues or family members in need," Griffin added. Walmart said it would begin taking temperatures of all store associates when they report to work and is installing infrared thermometers at all locations. An associate with a temperature of 100 degrees "will be paid for reporting to work and asked to return home and seek medical treatment if necessary. The associate will not be able to return to work until they are fever-free for at least three days," the company said. Masks and gloves will also be available "as supplies permit" for associates who wish to wear them. 'I'm not ready to die' Maria Chavez, 62, from San Jose, California, said she has underlying health conditions including asthma but that she has still been going to her job at McDonald's amid the pandemic because she needs to be able to support herself. Chavez said she fears going to work every day, telling ABC News, "We don't know what kind of people come to the store and we can get sick." "Im really afraid because I am 62 years old, I have problem with asthma and if I get the virus I don't think my body will receive it because I am old," she said. "I really dont want to die. Im not ready to die." She said they didn't get any personal protective equipment -- from hand sanitizer to masks -- until after they organized strikes during the pandemic, and before that they were using dish soap to wash their hands. Chavez is now advocating for hazard pay of $3 an hour on top of base pay "because of the risks we are taking when we go to work," and for paid sick leave if they are forced to quarantine or self-isolate. David Tovar, the vice president of U.S. communications and government relations at McDonald's, told ABC News they were working "tirelessly" to change procedures and provide equipment to employees "to keep them safe in this unprecedented situation that we are in." He said they have made at least 50 changes to procedures to keep employees safe, and that these were all decided and implemented as fast as possible. "One of the challenges that we are having like a lot of companies when it comes to personal protective equipment is supply issues," he added, particularly for masks, but said that the restaurant Chavez works in is "supplied with all elements of PPE at this time." "Were spending a lot of time listening to our employees, we know they have concerns, Tovar said. We know that we cant do it without our employees, thats why we are working as hard as we are to take care of them." He outlined more of McDonald's efforts to help workers and the community in a blogpost here. David Levine, a professor and the chair of economics of the University of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business, said that paid sick leave for essential workers at a time like this should not come as an act of goodwill for these companies, but is in "everybody's interest." "If they are left without paid sick leave, without access to health care, it makes everyone in this country unsafe," Levine told ABC News. Kinder said hazard pay for essential workers in situations like this is also especially important because most of these newly classified essential workers were already barely earning a livable wage. "This crisis has really revealed this gap in the value that these workers have brought to society and the wages that they get in return," she said. "I hope this is a moment of reckoning of how poorly these workers have been treated." "The burden that we're asking so many millions of essential workers to carry for the rest of us falls often on those with the least," Kinder added. "The least respect, the least pay, the least everything, and now they are holding up the country for us." When this pandemic is over, she said, "There is going to be a big question of are companies going to do right by their workers." "If in the end, what we see is workers perishing in numbers that should never be happening and companies are not passing on the value of the business onto the workers risking their life," she said, "I think you are going to see a reckoning of basically capitalism getting this crisis wrong." Levine added that taking care of workers is also good for business in the long run, especially during a pandemic. "In the next few months and maybe the next few years, the majority of businesses that serve customers will have to address the challenge of convincing those customers that they are being served in a way that doesn't put the customers' lives at risk," he said. "That doesn't mean every business will act responsibly," Levine said. "But especially businesses that face customers and have a valuable brand, have a very strong incentive to avoid scandal." Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. 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! (Kitco News) - What a difference a month can make as one international bank has revised its year-end gold price forecast as central banks and governments continue to throw trillions of dollars into the global economy that has ground to a halt because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a report Thursday, Georgette Boele, precious-metal strategist at ABN AMRO, said that the stars appear to be aligning for the gold market. She added that she now sees gold prices ending the year at $1,700 an ounce. The comments come as gold prices are ending Friday significantly down from its 7.5-year highs hit at the start of the trading week. June gold futures last traded at $1,696 an ounce, down 2% on the day. Looking at expected price action for the rest of the year, Boele said that she sees five factors supporting gold prices through the rest of the year: aggressive central bank quantitative easing, negative yielding government bonds, interest rates remaining close to zero and rising fiscal deficits. Investors buy gold because of monetary policy easing, because it is not a negative yielding investment, and because the yield difference between gold and the US dollar has declined to almost zero. However, its not all bullish news for gold prices; although Boele said that she sees higher prices through the rest of the year, she warned that markets will remain volatile. Even though we recognize that the drivers are supportive for gold prices, we dont expect another strong rise in prices. In fact, we still expect another wave of risk-off to support the U.S. dollar and to weigh on gold prices, she said. As soon as we experience another wave of risk-off as we expect, it is likely that gold prices will decline again. The Dutch banks outlook also does not bode well for physical bullion investors. Boele said that she expect to see strong investment demand for physical metal, putting pressure on an already tight market. If an investor is worried about a collapse of the financial system or that fiscal deficits are unsustainable, this investor will likely opt for physical gold and is not that price sensitive, she said. We think that investors will probably try to switch more into physical gold, meaning that the premium between physical gold and the spot could remain high. Investors are already seeing unprecedented premiums for bullion gold and silver coins. The global supply-chain in the precious metal sector has been crippled because of the coronavirus. Wednesday, the U.S. Mint said that it was shutting down its West Point facility due to growing risks of COVID-19. Other mints and refineries around the world are working at reduced capacity and havent been able to keep up with the growing demand. The St Ann's Bay Regional Hospital in St Ann is advising that over 40 of its healthcare workers are out sick due to COVID-19. Further, the hospital is also seeing an increase in COVID-19 admissions since December. Essentially, we're... A 49-year-old man who was the only coronavirus patient detected so far in Hingoli district of Maharashtra was discharged from hospital on Friday, a health official said. The man, who had traveled to Delhi, was admitted to civil hospital in Hingoli on April 2. His latest swab tests came out negative twice, indicating that he had recovered from virus infection, so he was discharged on Friday evening, said District Surveillance Officer Dr Ganesh Jogdand. "At present there are no active COVID-19 patients here but swab reports of 16 suspected patients are awaited," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Lambert Strether of Corrente. #COVID-19 At reader request, Ive added this daily chart: But the number of new cases in the state seems to have reached a plateau, and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has said, I believe the worst is over if we continue to be smart.' [New York Times]. This curve hasnt gone flat though. The data is the John Hopkins CSSE data. Here is the site. I have changed to a logarithmic scale for US States and territories, adjusted for population. See Vice, How to Read the Coronavirus Graphs: Quantities that grow exponentially, when depicted on a linear scale, look like curves that bend sharply upward, with the curve getting constantly steeper. On a log scale, exponentially growing values can be depicted with straight diagonal lines. Thats the beauty of plotting things on log scales. Plots are meant to make things easy to understand, and we humans are much more adept at understanding linear, straight-line behavior. Log plots enable us to grasp exponential behavior by transferring the complexity of constantly steepening curves into the simplicity of an exponentially increasing scale. On a log scale, we want to constantly be making the line more and more horizontal. The general concept of flattening is still a good one, but its never going to curve down. And so what we should be looking, and hoping for is a trend toward horizontal. I hope this change is helpful. One also notices at once that the New York and New Jersey metroplexes stand out. Politics But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? James Madison, Federalist 51 They had one weapon left and both knew it: treachery. Frank Herbert, Dune They had learned nothing, and forgotten nothing. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord * * * 2020 * * * * * * Biden (D)(1): Joe Biden Needs to Start Acting Like a Presidential Candidate [The Nation]. Donald Trump goes on Twitter and television every day and promises Americans miracle cures and a stimulus check with his name on it. He holds court while sitting on a throne figuratively composed of the dead bodies of the victims of his administrations ineffective response to the pandemic. And all Biden can come up with in response to this flagrant failure of governance is a 940-word essay in The New York Times. Maybe next week Biden can write a cartoon caption for The New Yorker so we know he still has a pulse. Yeah, it sure is odd. Biden (D)(2): Michelle Obama to lend star power to Biden [The Hill]. The trick for Michelle Obama and the Biden campaign is finding the right balance for the pop culture icon, who could be a massive asset for the campaign but has never shown much enthusiasm for campaign politics Political observers say the Obamas provide the one-two punch Biden needs to help rally Democrats as he seeks to address an enthusiasm gap against President Trump. The most natural spot for Obama could be on the voter registration side, where she launched a group in 2018 called When We All Vote, along with Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monae, Chris Paul, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. She will lead a virtual event for the group on Monday as part of an effort to encourage voters to take advantage of mail and absentee balloting during the coronavirus pandemic. Of course, if voter registration were a priority for Democrats, it would be a core party function. Maybe bring in some of those voters Sanders was trying to reach, eh? Biiden (D)(3): Biden campaigns selection of preferred super PAC stokes strife in Democratic Party [WaPo]. Joe Bidens campaign signaled to donors this week that Priorities USA would be its main big-money partner for the general election a move that has alarmed some of Bidens ardent backers, who fear the campaign has given outsize influence to a super PAC that many donors associate with the partys loss in 2016. At stake are hundreds of millions of dollars in independent spending for Biden by super PACs and politically active nonprofits that can raise and spend unlimited sums to try to influence elections. Priorities USA supported Obama in 2012, Clinton in 2016, is rife with Clintonites, and focuses on big donors (they, I assume, are the priorities mentioned). So I guess Biden wont be running a small donor campaign? Biden (D)(4): Joe Biden cant beat Donald Trump or restore decency [USA Today]. Though hes branded as the affable Uncle Joe, his policy record and personal temperament are far from decent. And while conventional wisdom holds that moderate equals electable, theres nothing particularly safe about him, either. In 2016, Democrats ran the candidate with a perfect resume and party credentials. She lost to a far-right game show host. Biden has every liability Hillary Clinton had and then some. His Iraq War vote, ties to the financial sector, scandals involving his son and brother these issues got little attention from the liberal press during the primary, but Trump and the conservative media will give no quarter. Bidens one advantage over Clinton his folksy charm has been eroded by age. Last fall, pundits and politicians alluded to him losing a step. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said at the time that he wasnt sure whether Biden could get the ball over the (goal line) without fumbling.' A little unusual to see an editorial like this after a candidates selection. Biden (D)(5): Joe Biden must pick a progressive black woman as VP if he wants to win [Debbie HInes, The Hill]. If Joe Biden expects to win the presidential election, he must import some extreme vigor into what I perceive as an unexciting campaign and candidate A winning formula would likely be the selection of Sen. Kamala Harris or Stacy Abrams as Bidens running mate. Those two have name recognition and the much-needed magnetism and charisma to carry the day for Joe Biden. A cop or one of Neera Tandens many hack. Im feeling the energy right now. Sanders (D)(1): The Tyranny of Decorum [David Sirota, TMI]. Yes, it is true a small group of us with many years of campaign experience pushed Bernie to sharply contrast his own progressive record with Bidens record of working with Republicans against the Democratic agenda. Ive been on seven underdog challenger campaigns in my life, and won a few of them this is campaigning 101: you contrast, or you lose. And with Biden, the contrast was particularly stark. Contrast doesnt equal scorched earth, no matter how much think-skinned liberal Democrat power brokers clutch their pearls and head for the fainting couch. UPDATE Sanders (D)(2): Bernie Sanders thinks the media cost him the nomination [CNN]. I think what we saw from Nevada on out was a cry from the rooftops, from the political establishment, from the media that they wanted anybody but Bernie. Anybody but Bernie! My God, I dont know how many articles they were about, we need anybody but Bernie and, you know, they ended up succeeding. And thats that. In just a few sentences, Sanders a) lumps the media in with the political establishment as actors working to keep him from the nomination and b) lambastes the number of articles allegedly written seeking anybody but Bernie.' Wheres the lie? UPDATE Sanders (D)(3): Sanders says Bidens sexual assault accuser has the right to make her claims and get a public hearing' [The Week]. Sanders was asked about [Tara Reades] claims in a Thursday interview with CBS This Morning, partly because Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a prominent Sanders supporter, had recently said the allegations are relevant when it comes to deciding whether to vote for Biden. I think its relevant to talk about anything. And I think every woman who feels she has been assaulted has every right in the world to stand up and make her claims, Sanders said. The public will make their own conclusions about it, Sanders continued, before saying I just dont know enough about it to comment further.' That should cause a little heartburn, I would think. UPDATE Sanders (D)(4): I support @seiu200united and TCGPlayer warehouse workers work to organize a union. Now more than ever, workers need a union contract to protect their wages, benefits, and safety on the job. https://t.co/N3FUldba2r Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) April 16, 2020 Good, but not enough. Fundraise for them!. Because that is what a working class movement would do. UPDATE Sanders (D)(5): Nina Turner reveals whether she will serve as Bidens Vice President: Impressive. UPDATE Trump (D)(1): Donald Trumps Greatest Escape [Politico]. Trump has built an astonishingly consistent record of surviving crises, of dodging the comeuppance everyone assumes is coming his way, and then turning seeming calamity into his next great opportunityand emerging not just intact but emboldened.. He dodged the Access Hollywood tape fiasco. He evaded the noose of impeachment over the Ukraine deal. Those might now seem minor compared to the challenge of trying to get reelected during a worldwide health crisis and a looming depressionbut if one acknowledges that he has been training in some sense for this sort of a jam for the bulk of his adult existence, then this nightmarish predicament starts to look less like an uncrackable problem than a potential capstone accomplishment. Trumps aghast critics see a president backed into a corner, desperate and unmanned, in a frantic, final freefall. But people whove watched him for years, whove witnessed the dizzying pivots, the great escapes, the gobsmacking victories in the face of arguably more unforgiving audiences than American voterswhat they see is Trump deploying tools and tactics that have worked before and could work again. This time weve got him! This is well worth a read, because it doesnt seem particularly embubbled (especially for Politico). We have checks counter 200 days til the election. Thats not just a long time. Thats an eternity. Warren (D)(1): The Case for Joe Biden to Pick Elizabeth Warren as His Running Mate [The New Yorker]. [Warrens selection] would help unify Democrats going into the fall [T]he Democratic Party today is a fractious coalition, and much of its progressive wing, which plays a key role in mobilizing support at the local level, has little enthusiasm for Biden. In an interview with Politico on Wednesday, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who supported Sanders during the primary, called on Biden to choose a more progressive running mate who he knows may push him. Picking Warren would address this issue. Picturing disaffected Sanders supporters in between tabling for DSA bringing big inflatable snakes to Warren rallies. I dont think so. * * * WI: Alert reader AH used the 91-DIVOC tool weve been using to look at the Wisconsin primary. A redrawn version of the chart he sent: AH writes: Its only a couple days, but given the data reporting lag and the incubation period it seems likely that the renewed uptick in new cases per day is likely a post primary day contagion surge. So Biden, who urged voters to the polls, would be in part responsible for the uptick (which, mind you, is not necessarily due to voters, but to innocent bystanders they infected). Realignment and Legitimacy WTF @jack: OnPolitics: It isnt really politics as usual [USA Today]. But the biggest news, albeit somewhat obvious, was President Barack Obamas announcement on Tuesday. Biden of course was Obamas vice president, but the 44th president had been clear throughout the primary that he was not going to pick sides . With the last opponent, Sanders, exiting the race last week, Obama was free to speak out. This is just so patently not true. Obama signaled an absolute lack of neutrality by standing up Perez. The Neutral Partisan Effects of Vote-by-Mail: Evidence from County-Level Roll-Outs (PDF) [Daniel M. Thompson, Jennifer Wu, Jesse Yoder, and Andrew B. Hall, Democracy & Polarization Lab, Stanford University]. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive design-based analysis of the effect of vote-by-mail on electoral outcomes. We collect data from 1996-2018 on all three U.S. states who implemented vote-by-mail in a staggered fashion across counties, allowing us to use a difference-in-differences design at the county level to estimate the causal effect of vote-by-mail programs. We find that: (1) vote-by-mail does not appear to affect either partys share of turnout; (2) vote-by-mail does not appear to increase either partys vote share; and (3) vote-by-mail modestly increases overall average turnout rates, in line with previous estimates. All three conclusions support the conventional wisdom of election administration experts and contradict many popular claims in the media. Suit claims Mecklenburg voting machines could leave voters vulnerable to COVID-19 [Charlotte Observer]. North Carolinas NAACP has filed suit against election boards in Mecklenburg County and elsewhere, charging in part that new, touch screen voting machines risk exposing voters to COVID-19. The suit also says the ExpressVotemachines are insecure, unreliable, and unverifiable and threaten the integrity of North Carolinas elections. The lawsuit also points to what it says is the particular risk the machines pose during the current health crisis. Using the ExpressVote is particularly perilous during the COVID-19 pandemic, it says. COVID-19 can be spread to many North Carolinians through contact with the touchscreen computer or other parts of the ExpressVote using the (machine) will exacerbate the public health crisis and cause longer lines where more voters will be exposed to one another. Mecklenburg Elections Director Michael Dickerson said his office is working with the state to ensure that voting is safe. There are ways to clean the equipment and, if you are using a disposable stylus, you can eliminate the human touch of the panels, he said. Also, it is not only the voting panels but the check-in stations, poll book tables, entry and exit doors are all concerns that we will have to deal with. These are ballot marking devices, and so the suit is correct: The vote cannot be audited. UPDATE House Democrats Come One Step Closer To Allowing Lawmaking From Home [HuffPost]. House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, formally unveiled a plan on Thursday to enable House members to cast votes from afar through in-person proxies. The plan, which has the blessing of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), marks House Democrats first real step toward reactivating the legislative process after weeks of recess during which President Donald Trump has led the countrys response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the proposal addresses McGovern and Pelosis professed technological concerns about enabling digital voting from afar, the inherent limits it places on the legislative process disappoint some proponents of remote voting. Individual members of Congress would not be able to file motions or otherwise shape legislative debates. The need for remote members to make up their mind relatively far in advance might restrict their leverage over the process as well. Sounds like one of those temporarily permanent things, since the members might like less accountability, and the leadership would have even more control. Also, no pesky reporters. Stats Watch At reader request, I added some business stats back in. Please give Econintersect click-throughs; theyre a good, old-school blog that covers more than stats. If anybody knows of other aggregators, please contact me at the email address below. Employment Situation: The coronavirus has destroyed the job market in every state [Bloomberg]. The coronavirus outbreak made Americas job market go from 60 to zero in the blink of an eye. Diane Swonk, chief economist at the auditing firm Grant Thornton, said many laid-off workers have yet to file for benefits simply because state unemployment portals were not built for the wave of traffic they are now receiving. As bad as this is, its still an undercount. Swonk said. With an interactive chart for all the states. Rail: Rail Week Ending 11 April 2020 Rail Decline Continues [Econintersect]. Intermodal and carloads are under 2013 levels. Whilst container exports from China are now recovering, container exports from the U.S. continues to slow. The rate of growth of rail had been improving before the coronavirus (even though it was in contraction) and now the coronavirus is driving rail deeper into contraction. The effects of coronavirus will continue to slow rail. * * * Money: Why The War On Physical Cash Is A War On Freedom (podcast) [Joe Weisenthal & Tracy Alloway, Odd Lots]. This is a Blloomberg podcast, but Weisenthal and Alloway are fun. Marketing: Influencer Brands Are Staying (Scarily) Strong And Are Quickly Pivoting To Quarantine Sponcon [Buzzfeed]. Over the past week or so, Ive noticed how seamlessly influencers and their sponsored partners have started to post quarantine or crisis-related things. Its impressive, and its surreal. Brands and influencers have also quickly realized how mutually beneficial it is for their consumers and their image to align themselves with (seemingly) doing public good. I wouldnt say surreal. Id say creepy. Perhaps Im allergic to Instagram prose: Its your internet BFF Dani here and its giveaway time!!! Theres no smiley-face for the dot of the i in Dani, but I feel sure there would be, if that were technically feasible. Commodities: The Global Airline Shutdown Has a Surprise Victim: Gold Miners [Bloomberg]. A shutdown of the airline industry has made transporting gold in all forms more difficult, the World Gold Councils chief market strategist John Reade said last month. Difficulties in moving metal between trading hubs, and linking those markets with vaults and refineries has impacted prices, widening the spread between New York futures and London spot prices. Commodities: Fresh produce goes to waste as coronavirus wrecks supply chains [The Hill]. The Produce Marketing Association, an industry trade group, estimates that about $5 billion of fresh fruits and vegetables have already been wasted. I think what it demonstrates is that the food supply chain that we have set up now, its not set up to pivot quickly to address this kind of shock to the system, Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, told The Hill. Produce Marketing Association CEO Cathy Burns said the wasted fruits and vegetables were planted months ago and that farmers are already starting to plan for the next harvest Shipping: The coronavirus crash in trade may trigger a new look at container shippings drive toward megaships. The ultra-large vessels that were supposed to carry liner companies into a new era of efficiency-driven profitability have become a financial albatross during the pandemic and some industry experts suggest carriers may have to reconsider whether scaling up remains a priority [Wall Street Journal]. Massive ships with capacity for 20,000 or more containers make it tough for operators to be flexible, and carriers are seeing the impact as they navigate todays caving demand. The Bezzle: Senators Accuse Airlines of Holding Billions in Customer Funds [Bloomberg]. Airlines in the U.S. that have halted flights are holding more than $10 billion in customer money while offering credits for future travel instead of cash refunds, a group of senators charged Friday. Markey, Warren, Blumenthal. Tech: In case you need more proof the worlds gone mad: Behold, Apples $699 Mac Pro wheels [Tech Register]. In case you needed more proof that the world is in a very strange moment, Apple now sells a US$699 (560) wheel kit for the Mac Pro. Apple recommends the wheels as ideal for moving your Mac Pro quickly and easily without having to lift it. For this price we thought that perhaps Apple has reinvented the wheel Fiscal Policy: This week we released our COVID state stress tests and the results were sobering. Under @MoodysAnalytics baseline an unprecedented 21 states will need to cut >10% of their budgets in FY21. Some >25% #Muniland pic.twitter.com/TmDsAPFOZq Dan White (@DanWhiteEcon) April 17, 2020 Incidentally, this shows why single payer, even at the regional compact level, should still be handled only by a currency issuer. Todays Fear & Greed Index: 44 Fear (previous close: 42 Neutral) [CNN]. One week ago: 42 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Apr 17 at 12:32pm. The Biosphere Tremendous Victory For Wildlife: Federal Judge Invalidates Keystone XL Pipeline Permit [HuffPo]. A federal judge in Montana on Wednesday overturned a key water crossing permit needed to build the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, handing a major victory to environmental groups who said the oil network could imperil endangered species and threaten drinking water. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris said in his decision that the Army Corps of Engineers had failed to consider how a 2017 permit allowing the pipeline to cross waterways could harm some species, including the endangered pallid sturgeon. Health Care What Have Epidemiologists Learned About the Coronavirus? (interview) [Justin Lessler, The New Yorker]. Lessler is a professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. [T]ake the number of deaths in a place like New York. The population is over eight million people, and just over eight thousand people have died. [New York City recently revised its death count to more than ten thousand people.] If the death rate is one out of a hundred, that implies that eight hundred thousand people have been infected, which is reasonable. But if the mortality rate is one out of a thousand, that assumes that eight million people have been infected in New York City, which is everyone. So if you scale those up by too big of a factor, you quickly get to a point where it implies that an unrealistic percentage of the city has been infected. So that sort of puts an upper limit on that scenario. The entire interview is worth a read, even if it does underline how little we know. (Mortality is also not merely a biological function, either.) One despairs: Laura Ingraham: "Many are willing to take the risk of contracting the virus" pic.twitter.com/woc5NLGfS3 Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) April 16, 2020 You want to get infected? Knock yourself out! What none of these loons seem to understand is that the issue is infecting others. Especially since SARS-COVID-19 is highly infectious and spreads rapidly. The stupid! It b-u-r-r-r-r-n-n-n-n-s-s-s-s!!!!!!!!!! Coronavirus clue? Most cases aboard U.S. aircraft carrier are symptom-free [Reuters]. The Navys testing of the entire 4,800-member crew of the [U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt] which is about 94% complete [shows that] roughly 60 percent of the over 600 sailors who tested positive so far have not shown symptoms of COVID-19. With regard to COVID-19, were learning that stealth in the form of asymptomatic transmission is this adversarys secret power, said Rear Admiral Bruce Gillingham, surgeon general of the Navy. The figure is higher than the 25% to 50% range offered on April 5 by Dr. Anthony Fauci. Again, though, a closed environment, I would imagine with a lot of air conditioning. SARS-COV-19 and transport network: And here's a map of U.S. "megaregions" used by the U.S. Department of Transportation for planning purposes. pic.twitter.com/prmpwD2609 Mark Miller (@markdmiller2) April 16, 2020 Class Warfare Amazon workers: THREAD/ Our virtual panel event today with warehouse workers and @NaomiAKlein was a hit! Nearly 400 Amazon tech workers tuned in despite Amazons efforts to censor us and block access to the event. Heres our press release about the event: pic.twitter.com/aMLhyvGgQK Amazon Employees For Climate Justice (@AMZNforClimate) April 17, 2020 Well, er: the cognitive dissonance between 4,591 US virus deaths in a single day and escalating demands for the economy to "re-open" is resolved once you realize that for liberal empire opening markets has always meant mass death inverted vibe curve: futurist edition (@PatBlanchfield) April 17, 2020 Ive Got the Light of Freedom (review) [Joe Costello, SSRN]. Immersed in our degraded political culture today, a person finds it difficult to appreciate only fifty years ago the United States experienced one of the great democratic movements of world history. Paynes book records some of the thinking, discussions, and actions of the multitudes of people across the small towns and communities of the South, who came together and seized their democratic rights. Most essentially, the book offers lessons in the processes of democratic organizing, a necessary first step to reviving, reforming, and evolving democracy in America. News of the Wired When time stops [Damon Linker, The Week]. Amidst the pervasive anxiety about illness and economic hardship, it can be easy to miss somewhat subtler forms of distress like the sense that time itself is coming unwound, with forward motion halted A life without forward momentum is to a considerable extent a life without purpose or at least the kind of purpose that lifts our spirits and enlivens our steps as we traverse time. Without the momentum and purpose, we flounder. A present without a future is a life that feels less worth living, because its a life haunted by a shadow of futility. Being almost entirely inner-directed, and with the technical capacity to do what I care about most when isolated, this doesnt really speak to me. But I can see how children, and people with children, would feel this form of distress acutely. * * * Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, (c) how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal, and (d) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here . Todays plant (TH): TH writes: If I were a kid I would SOOOO be climbing this tree. El Dorado Park in Long Beach, CA. Me too! * * * : Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldnt see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals: Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated. If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you! All 20 million people living in Nigeria's second-biggest city, Kano, are under a seven-day lockdown starting from Friday. Poverty and religion are the major issues at play with some saying obeying the governments stay-at-home order will mean dying of hunger at home. "My wife gave birth yesterday and I am locked up at home today instead of going out to look for food for her and the baby - with no expectation of help from anybody - I think nothing could be worse," said Yakubu Abdu who scavenges for iron materials on the streets of the city. One of the most respected clerics in Kano told the BBC: "I am against the closure of mosques by the government because in my opinion that won't help solve the coronavirus problem." Trade with neighbouring Niger and Chad is key for Kano. Its popular Kantin Kwari textile market and the grains market in Dawanau attracts buyers and sellers from across the borders. Sani Moussa, from Maradi in Niger, visits Kano every week to buy textiles and shoes for himself and many traders. He told the BBC: "The stay-at-home order will no doubt affect us greatly. We rely on Kano for our products." Kano state officials say more than 400m naira (about $1m; 828,000) has been raised in coronavirus relief money that will be distributed to the most needy. But others say this simply isn't enough and even want Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote - who hails from the state - to step in and help. Source: BBC 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 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sarah White and Emma Thomasson (Reuters) Paris and Berlin Fri, April 17, 2020 16:05 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd28c2ef 2 Lifestyle salon,hair,haircut,loreal,hair-salon,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free L'Oreal is counting on consumers rushing back to hair salons to help its business recover quickly once European and US coronavirus lockdowns are lifted, it said on Thursday, adding that beauty sales were bouncing back already in China. Like peers, the French firm, which makes Garnier shampoo and Lancome creams, has been hit by the closure of airport duty-free shops, department stores and salons as countries restrict people's movements to fight the pandemic. Confinement measures have dragged on make-up sales, with about 90 percent of women shunning their cosmetic routines while working from home, according to a survey by Jefferies. But L'Oreal, the world's biggest beauty firm by sales, provided an upbeat outlook despite a 4.8 percent fall in comparable first-quarter sales, in a potential boost for some rivals like US-based Estee Lauder. It pointed to a turnaround in China, where sales rose 6.4 percent in the January to March period, and lockdown measures have eased. Skin and hair-care products did well during the confinement period there as e-commerce sales surged, L'Oreal Chief Executive Jean-Paul Agon said, and other items are now in demand too, even if some make-up products are lagging as Chinese consumers wear face masks to return to work. "It is not of course a great incentive to wear lipstick," Agon told analysts. "Once stores will be open again ... I think we will be back to a consumption pretty similar to what we have seen before," he said of other countries. L'Oreal did not provide an earnings forecast for 2020, and analysts expect the sales drop will worsen in the second quarter as the European and US closures bite. But revenue from China, L'Oreal's biggest market, could increase over 10 percent in the April to June period, Agon said. The company also provides products for professional hairdressers, which could be a bright spot later this year, with Agon citing a "dire need" expressed by many women to touch up their hair color. "This frustration will create a strong return trend (to salons)," he said. Read also: Kosovo's traveling barber keeps hair trimmed in virus lockdown Nail care in, fake tan out Beauty treatments like hair cuts and eyebrow waxing were the activity people were most looking forward to once lockdowns are lifted, research by consultancy Kantar showed last week. Cosmetics firms, meanwhile, have been trying to make up for lost business by selling more online. Zalando, Europe's biggest pure online fashion retailer, said on Thursday that beauty items were performing well. "We receive three times as many orders of skin care, nail care, hair care, and beauty accessories compared to the same time last year," a Zalando spokeswoman said, adding that detox products and candles were also popular. Not all products are garnering the same demand, however, and unlike Estee Lauder and Guerlain-owner LVMH, which are largely focused on luxury cosmetics, L'Oreal has the advantage of also selling its lower-end ranges in supermarkets, which remain open. LVMH reported a steeper 18% fall in comparable first-quarter revenues for its perfume and cosmetics business on Thursday. Britain's PZ Cussons said demand for its Carex hand wash and Imperial leather soap was surging due to the pandemic, but products like its fake tan lines were struggling. L'Oreal's first-quarter sales reached 7.2 billion euros ($7.8 billion), down 4.3% on a reported basis from a quarter earlier, and dropping 4.8 percent drop like-for-like, which strips out the effects of acquisitions and currency swings. Online sales accounted for nearly 20 percent of revenue. The group said it had put off some product launches planned for the second quarter and would slash advertising spending temporarily to keep a lid on costs. If theres one sad truth about every tragedy, its that people will look around for someone to blame. In 2001, American Muslims found themselves singled out for abuse in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. Two decades into the endless war on terror, theyre still the subject of groundless hatred. American Jews have felt the same hatred, most recently and horribly, in the Tree of Life killings in Pittsburgh in 2018. Black Americans have endured that hatred for generations, dating back to the countrys founding. Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian-Americans have found themselves the targets of fresh abuse by those including President Donald Trump who continue to incorrectly call the global pandemic a Chinese virus. This pandemic has unleashed a torrent of hate and violence by bigots who blame Asian Americans for the global pandemic we have been intimidated, spit on, physically attacked, Marian Lien, president of the Pittsburgh chapter of OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, said in a statement. Hundreds of people have come forward, but we know hundreds more go unreported. As recently as last week, the FBI warned against a surge in hate crimes as infections and deaths continue to mount. Trump, in typical fashion, initially doubled-down on his rhetoric, defensively telling journalists questioning him about the impact of his language that it did come from China. It is a very accurate term. Two days later, Trump wisely backed off, saying in a Tweet that, We have to protect our Asian Americans, adding that the pandemic was NOT their fault in any way, shape, or form. Weeks into the pandemic, Rep. Scott Perry pointlessly deployed similar rhetoric in a tweet in the wake of the House vote approving the coronavirus stimulus package. The coronavirus [that] emanated from China is here, the Pennsylvania Republican said, despite the fact that the virus had long since spread worldwide. We cant stop that. We cant go back. That kind of talk doesnt help. Those at the top, as we all know, set the tone. And Asian-Americans across the nation have felt the sting of hate as a result. Here in Pennsylvania, Democrats in the state House and Senate stepped up to denounce that cruel bigotry, even as they urged Asian-American residents who think theyve been targeted because of their ethnicity to report abuse to the Pennsylvania State Police. It truly saddens me to hear that the Asian American community has been the target of such painful attacks. I would like to urge members of the Asian American community and people of the commonwealth to report these crimes so they can be addressed, state Rep. Patty Kim, an Asian-American Democrat from the capital city of Harrisburg, said in a statement. Even though we need to keep a safe distance from each other, its incredibly important that we stand with the community and show our support. Pennsylvania state Rep. Dan Frankel and state Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, both Pittsburgh Democrats whose districts include the Tree of Life synagogue in the citys Squirrel Hill neighborhood, said they want to make it clear to Pennsylvanias Asian community that we have your back. We are hearing, both locally and as part of a nationwide problem, that our Asian American communities are being attacked and maligned as somehow responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, Frankel said. While ridiculous on its face, this line of thinking is dangerous, and we unfortunately know very well in my district what can happen when a community is made to be a scapegoat for societys problems. We are here today to say to the Asian communities throughout Pennsylvania: We are taking this seriously, and we have your back. Last year, on the anniversary of the Tree of Life shootings, Frankel stood on the dais of the state House to call on his colleagues to help fight hate in the commonwealth. House and Senate Democrats later rolled out a package of hate-crimes legislation. At the time, Frankel, who is Jewish, was realistic about the challenge facing him and his colleagues: We know that this has to be bipartisan. I am optimistic, but I am also realistic. So here we are again, facing an implacable enemy that, unlike the human beings it is killing, is utterly non-discriminating. Its victims are young and old; American and foreign; male and female. Unlike us, it is blind to bias. And it wont be stopped unless all of us men, women, white, black, Asian, old, young come together to make it stop. At this time of great need, scapegoating wastes both time and lives. So lets do as Frankel recommended, and just look at each other and say, out loud: I have your back. An award-winning political journalist, John L. Micek is editor in chief of The Pennsylvania Capital-Star in Harrisburg. Pro-medvital.ru 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 11 Jan 2014, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The total number of people who shared the pro-medvital homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the pro-medvital homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the pro-medvital homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. 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A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The URL of the found Facebook page. The type of Facebook page. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND What doesnt kill me makes me want you more. Photo: Isabel Infantes/PA Images via Getty Images Those of us wondering what, exactly, Lover Fest was to be will have to wait another year. Taylor Swift is the latest, and one of the most prominent, musicians to cancel performances in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Shes canceling all of her 2020 performances, including the semi-mysterious two-day Lover Fest East and West events she had scheduled for late July. Those, along with her Brazil dates, will be rescheduled to 2021, while her European tour looks to be canceled. Im so sad I wont be able to see you guys in concert this year, but I know this is the right decision. Please, please stay healthy and safe, she tweeted with her cancellation statement. Ill see you on stage as soon as I can but right now whats important is committing to this quarantine, for the sake of all of us. Until then, find us blasting Cruel Summer. I'm so sad I won't be able to see you guys in concert this year, but I know this is the right decision. Please, please stay healthy and safe. Ill see you on stage as soon as I can but right now whats important is committing to this quarantine, for the sake of all of us. pic.twitter.com/qeiMk2Tgon Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) April 17, 2020 Flash 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." A COVID-19 outbreak will bring disasters to Yemen's economy, warned Lowcock. Yemen depends almost entirely on imports for supplies. Imports must be purchased in hard currency, which means the government needs foreign exchange to finance them, and people need the Yemeni rial to maintain a reasonable exchange rate to afford those imports, he explained. 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. 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. Its definitely April in Alabama. Another round of strong to severe storms is in the forecast for Alabama for Sunday, exactly one week after the last round of storms that produced two dozen tornadoes on Easter. Everything will be on the table again this Sunday, including tornadoes, damaging winds, hail and heavy rain. NOAAs Storm Prediction Center has nearly the entire state under some sort of severe weather risk on Sunday, with the higher chances for severe weather in south Alabama. There is an enhanced risk over the southern half of the state, from south of Birmingham all the way to the Gulf Coast. An enhanced risk is Level 3 out of 5 and means numerous severe storms will be possible. There will be a slight risk for parts of central Alabama, which means scattered severe storms will be possible. And north Alabama has a marginal risk, which means they could have to deal with isolated severe storms. The National Weather Service also said that 1-4inches of rain will be possible in a short time, which could cause flash flooding. The Weather Prediction Center has a moderate risk of excessive rainfall over parts of central Alabama on Sunday. The timing which could change appears to be Sunday afternoon into Sunday night. However, the weather service in Birmingham is also monitoring the possibility of a few strong storms early in the morning as a warm front moves northward over the state from the Gulf Coast. Although theres still some uncertainty about this, the early storms could bring the threat of large hail and damaging winds, especially for areas in west Alabama, forecasters said. More storms will be possible later in the afternoon, and these could be stronger, especially south of Interstate 20, according to forecasters. The key on Sunday will be how far north the warm front travels. Areas south of it will have more of a risk for severe weather. Areas north of the warm front could still see strong storms but the threat will not be as high. Those same areas could still be at risk for heavy rain, however. The storms are expected to move out of Alabama on Monday, and calmer weather is expected for the first part of next week. Unfortunately, strong storms may enter the picture again by Thursday, according to forecasters, though it is too early to say if they could be severe. 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 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 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." 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) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 17:05:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson Friday denounced the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority in Taiwan for taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to seek independence. The DPP authority claimed that the island's epidemic prevention department had warned the World Health Organization (WHO) about the people-to-people transmission of the virus, said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, calling such a claim "totally opposed to facts." "Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have provided timely information to the WHO and relevant countries and regions," Zhu said. It is a clear fact that the mainland published the relevant information first, Zhu said, noting that the only source of the messages sent by Taiwan is the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission and Taiwan's health authorities just cited the mainland's information. She stressed that it is a lie to claim that Taiwan reported the information first, adding that the message sent by Taiwan did not mention "people-to-people transmission." Enditem Britain's stock markets closed 2.82 per cent up on Friday as investors reacted positively to the Government's extension of its furlough scheme. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the multi-billion pound programme will now run until the end of June, rather than stopping at the end of May as originally planned. Mr Sunak said the 'unprecedented action' would stay in place in light of the continued social distancing measures, which have been wreaking havoc on the economy. The scheme, which allows firms to furlough employees with the government paying cash grants of 80 per cent of their wages up to a maximum of 2,500 a month, was originally open for three months and backdated from March 1 to the end of May. The FTSE 100 leapt 2.7 per cent this morning over Donald Trump's plans for the gradual restarting of the U.S. economy and encouraging data on possible treatment for coronavirus. The surge was led by world's top iron ore miner Rio Tinto Ltd, which jumped 4.5%, after posting higher-than-expected quarterly production. The wider mining index gained 4.1%, with peers Anglo American and Glencore adding more than 4.5%. Today: The FTSE100 rose sharply this morning, after Donald Trump rolled out a provisional plan to get the US out of lockdown Weekly: Despite the promising news, both indexes are on track to post weekly losses after the UK extended its lockdown for another three weeks The domestically-focused midcap index rose 3.2%. However, despite the promising news, both indexes are on track to post weekly losses after the UK extended its lockdown for another three weeks to prevent the spread of the pandemic, which has claimed 13,729 lives as of Wednesday. The surge appeared to be part-fueled by news that US drugmaker Gilead Science's antiviral medicine showed rapid recoveries in severe coronavirus patients with fever and respiratory symptoms. Also, the United States joined other countries in planning lockdown exit measures with a staggered, three-stage approach following weeks-long lockdown that has disrupted economic activity. Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed the multi-billion pound furlough scheme will now run until the end of June, rather than stopping at the end of May as originally planned Donald Trump's approach signalled a general idea of how and when states would get to a point where their citizens could congregate, work, get educated, and dine in public - though the reopening of states would be left to individual governors. 'Stocks are reacting naturally to Trump's talk of re-opening the economy, because some people don't want to be left out of the rally,' said Ayako Sera, market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank in Tokyo. 'The problem is there is a big gap between expectations and the underlying economic reality, which is that many countries are still very weak.' South Korean dealers work in front of monitors at the Hana Bank in Seoul. Markets in Asia and Europe also rose today Primark owner Associated British Foods also rose 4.8% after saying it is eligible to access funding under the UK government's Covid Corporate Financing Facility to help it through the coronavirus crisis. Europe's stock markets also rallied in opening deals today, after news that China's economy has not been hit as badly as feared by the outbreak. In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX soared 2.9 percent to 10,596.28 points and the Paris CAC 40 rebounded 2.6 percent to 4,464.21. Milan's FTSE Mib advanced 2.4 percent to 17,167.43 and Madrid's IBEX 35 won 2.3 percent to 6,918.60 points. Asia indices also posted healthy gains after official data in China showed the coronavirus pandemic had not hit economic growth as badly as some had feared. Official data showed a 6.8-percent contraction last quarter -- the first negative growth reported since the country began logging quarterly data in the early 1990s. The result was slightly better than the 8.2-percent fall forecast by economists in an AFP poll, though analysts in China and abroad have long harboured doubts about the accuracy of official GDP data. Subscribe to the Wake Up, cleveland.coms free morning newsletter, delivered to your inbox weekdays at 5:30 a.m. Today's Wake Up newsletter is longer than usual because it includes every coronavirus story from the last 24 hours. Read it and you're up to date on the crisis. Weather This is a forecast more suited for November. Highs will be in the upper 30s and it will snow during the morning and early afternoon. Its expected to change to a mix of rain and snow by the late afternoon and into the evening. The good news Saturday should be mostly sunny with highs around 50 degrees. Read more. The headlines Reopening: Gov. Mike DeWine plans to begin reopening Ohio on May 1, reports cleveland.coms Laura Johnston. DeWine did not detail a plan for how businesses will reopen, when sporting events can take place or whether kids will go back to school in May. As for mass gatherings like county fairs, the stuff we all really like, DeWine said it will be tough. State coordination: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker sent out a news release announcing a partnership among seven states -- including Ohio -- to ease restrictions as they work their way out of the coronavirus emergency. But Gov. Mike DeWine said it was not a formal coordination among Midwestern states, cleveland.coms Laura Hancock reports. Subtext: Cleveland.com has started a new, free Subtext account to send coronavirus updates. Every day, the team covering the coronavirus will send three to four updates about the progress of the virus -- confirmed cases of the virus, major cancellations, the latest medical advice, relevant scientific information and more. You can even text us back. Go to https://joinsubtext.com/ohiocoronavirus and enter your phone number. Fill out the form below. Or send a text to 216-279-7784. Did we mention its free? This Week in the CLE: Cleveland.com editors contemplate the proper care for masks, now that well be wearing them for a year, in the latest episode of the This Week in the CLE, the daily news podcast. Helpful tip: Dont microwave them or use cleaning wipes. 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 New numbers: Three-hundred eighty-nine people have died from COVID-19, including 16 probable deaths, reports cleveland.coms Laura Hancock. The number of Ohio infections is 8,414, including 175 probable cases. Cleveland numbers: The Ohio Department of Health notified Cleveland of 25 new cases of COVID-19 coronavirus involving city residents Thursday, cleveland.coms Robert Higgs reports. The jump is the largest single-day increase in new cases to date. Meanwhile, the death of another Cleveland resident, a man in his 90s, was reported. Trends: Cleveland.coms Rich Exner breaks down the 8,414 coronavirus cases spread across 87 of Ohios 88 counties. Acton sued: 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 violates her constitutional rights because it doesnt provide a way for a business to challenge a forced closure, cleveland.coms Eric Heisig reports. JoAnns: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost will allow JoAnn Fabric and Craft and Michaels stores to remain open during the coronavirus crisis after agreeing to social-distancing precautions, reports cleveland.coms Jeremy Pelzer. Yost originally demanded they close their Ohio stores under Gov. Mike DeWines order to shut all non-essential businesses. University Hospitals nurses and medical assistants puts on their personal protective equipment before the start of drive-thru testing. Joshua Gunter,cleveland.com Testing swabs: Because of a shortage of the long swabs used to test for coronavirus, University Hospitals is having patients swab themselves in its drive-thru testing sites. Cleveland.coms Mary Kilpatrick reports patients use a shorter swab, with a medical professional supervising. Mouthspray: 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. Cleveland.coms Mary Kilpatrick reports University Hospital doctors studied the drug, ARMS-I, in 2015 and found that it was safe and reduced upper respiratory infections. Coronavirus class: More than 500 incoming freshmen at Oberlin College signed up for a remote class on the coronavirus, where rotating lecturers address the pandemic from multiple angles. Cleveland.coms Emily Bamforth reports that students are learning about the disease, as well as exploring liberal arts education. Introverts: For some introverts, Ohios stay-at-home orders feel like a vacation. Cleveland.coms Peter Krouse reports that some people find spending more time in the comfort of their family a welcome respite. Unemployment: More than 855,000 people filed for unemployment benefits in Ohio in the four weeks since the state started closing businesses because of the coronavirus pandemic, reports cleveland.coms Evan MacDonald. The state received 158,678 unemployment applications last week, the lowest of the four weeks since Ohio started closing businesses. Cleveland tax revenue: The city of Cleveland is not talking about the kind of across-the-board spending cuts being considered by Cuyahoga County in anticipation of tax revenues lost to the coronavirus crisis. Mayor Frank Jackson tells cleveland.coms Robert Higgs thats because hes waiting to see how much tax revenue Cleveland might lose principally in income taxes that account for two-thirds of the citys general operating budget. Small-business program: A program to shore up small businesses reeling from the effects of coronavirus is set to run out of money at the end of the week. Cleveland.coms Sabrina Eaton reports Republicans want Congress to immediately provide an extra $250 billion, but Democrats want a bill to provide money for other sectors walloped by the virus, such as hospitals, and state and local governments. Task force: Ohio GOP Sen. Rob Portman is among a bipartisan group of lawmakers that the Trump administration has asked to join a task force on reopening the economy after the coronavirus pandemic. Cleveland.coms Sabrina Eaton reports a formal White House announcement is forthcoming. Summit ZIP codes: Summit County Public Health for the first time Thursday released a map showing the range of coronavirus cases in each ZIP code, with the highest numbers between 21 and 30 cases in West Akron, Hudson and Twinsburg, reports cleveland.coms Robin Goist. Nursing home: Seven residents of an Akron nursing home have died of the coronavirus, accounting for nearly half of Summit Countys 16 coronavirus-related deaths as of Wednesday. Ohio Living Rockynol on West Market Street has reported a total of 28 COVID-19 cases among its residents and staff, cleveland.coms Robin Goist reports. Medina court: The Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday ordered Medina County Domestic Relations Court Judge Mary Kovack to stop holding in-person, non-emergency hearings amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Cleveland.coms Cory Shaffer reports the ruling was in response to two lawyers that said Kovack places them, their clients, their families and court staff at risk of being exposed to the COVID-19 virus. Sheriffs deputy: A Cuyahoga County Sheriffs deputy tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday, reports cleveland.coms Adam Ferrise. Jimmy Dimora: Federal appeals court judges on Thursday grilled a prosecutor and a defense lawyer on whether former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora should get another chance to prove his innocence, cleveland.coms Eric Heisig reports. Fyre Festival: The man behind the doomed Fyre Festival has asked a judge to release him from the Federal Correctional Institution Elkton because of the coronavirus. Cleveland.coms Eric Heisig reports that Billy McFarland says the dire situation puts him at an increased risk of serious illness. Officer charged: A Cleveland police officer is accused of threatening a man with a gun, cleveland.coms Adam Ferrise reports. Officer Jalisse Jones, 23, is charged with aggravated menacing, a first-degree misdemeanor. ICE: 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. Cleveland.coms Eric Heisig reports U.S. District Judge Dan Polster told attorneys for ICE and the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio that they should confer to see if they could come up with a plan to release Romel Amaya-Cruz from the Geauga County Jail. Giant Eagle: Giant Eagle will convert its Garfield Heights supermarket on Transportation Boulevard in Garfield Heights into a center for curbside pickup and delivery, cleveland.coms Peter Krouse reports. The chain already has a store on Howe Avenue in Cuyahoga Falls that is set up for the same services so customers can avoid possible exposure to the highly contagious coronavirus. Food drive: The Greater Cleveland Food Bank completed its third food drive Thursday at the Municipal Lot downtown. Cleveland.com photographer John Kuntz has photos from the drive. 28 Locals show support for Southwest General hospital workers with parade, April 16, 2020 Hospital parade: Cleveland.com photographer Joshua Gunter has photos of Middleburg Heights residents, along with police, fire and EMS from local and surrounding communities, holding a parade for the frontline workers at Southwest General Health Center. Libraries: Even though all of Ohio's public libraries have been closed because of the coronavirus crisis, libraries around the state are stepping up to help their patrons, reports cleveland.coms Jeremy Pelzer. Missing you: What do you miss, or not miss, during the coronavirus crisis? Cleveland.com readers weighed in. Of course they miss their family and friends. Not so much? Getting up early. Snow fair: After the winter that wasnt, may Clevelanders awoke to snow on the ground Thursday morning. Cleveland.coms Rich Exner runs down the numbers, while photographer Dave Petkiewicz provides snowy white photos. Brandywine Falls: You cant go to Brandywine Falls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park during the coronavirus shutdown. But you can check out this video if you need a waterfall break. Hello, weekend: Its Friday, so its time to get some exercise, grab some food, or enjoy some new music or a podcast. Cleveland.coms Joey Morona has 15 socially distant ways to entertain yourself on your days off, starting with movies streaming from the Cleveland International Film Festival. Royal fact check: Royal correspondent Katie Nicholl is fact-checking scenes from the first three seasons of The Crown' on cleveland.coms sister site, Vanity Fair. Other headlines Coronavirus closings, delays and restrictions for Friday, April 17, 2020 Read more East Cleveland officer shot man after police say he pulled gun from waistband Read more U.S. marshals task force arrests Cleveland man wanted in deadly shooting Read more Akron police arrest teen suspect in robbery arranged through Facebook Read more Berea City Council supports Dettmer despite stance on public access to remote meetings Read more Lakewood Summer Meltdown postponed until Aug. 8 due to coronavirus pandemic Read more Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 17, 2020) - Contact Gold Corp. (the "Company" or "Contact Gold") (TSXV: C) is pleased to announce that the non-brokered private placement offering (the "Offering") of up to 7,500,000 units ("Units") at a price of $0.10 per Unit (the "Offering Price") for gross proceeds of up to $750,000 previously announced in the Company's news release of March 27, 2020 has been increased to up to 12,500,000 Units at $0.10 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $1,250,000. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"), with each Warrant entitling the holder to purchase an additional Common Share at a price of $0.15 per share for a period of 24 months from the closing date (the "Expiry Date"). In the event that at any time between four months and one day following the closing date and the Expiry Date, the Common Shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") at a closing price which is equal to or greater than $0.30 for a period of ten consecutive trading days, the Company may accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants by giving notice to the holders thereof and in such case the Warrants will expire on the 30th day after the date such notice is provided. Net proceeds of the Offering are expected to be used to undertake further drilling at Contact Gold's Green Springs & Pony Creek gold projects located in Nevada, and for general working capital. Green Springs Project: In 2019 Contact Gold confirmed that past drilling at the Echo and Charlie zones hit entirely oxidized gold mineralization in 4 drill holes that were re-assayed for cyanide solubility. Subsequently Contact Gold started a drill program to follow-up and extend oxide gold mineralization from in the known zones and drilled 1,300m in 10 drill holes. Contact Gold recently reported new oxide gold discoveries at the Alpha and Echo Zones. The past-producing Green Springs gold project is located at the southern end of Nevada's prolific Carlin Trend, 60 km southwest of the historic mining centre of Ely, Nevada in a region hosting numerous producing and past producing Carlin-type gold deposits. Green Springs encompasses 16 km2 and is approximately 10 km east of Fiore Gold's Gold Rock Project, 10 km south of Waterton's Mt. Hamilton gold deposit and 20 km southeast of Fiore Gold's producing Pan Mine. 2019 Drill Highlights include: 4.09 g/t Au over 38.10 m in hole GS19-09 (Echo, news release January 28, 2020 ) 1.02 g/t Au over 22.86 m in hole GS19-10 (Bravo, news release February 12, 2020 ) 1.68 g/t Au over 35.05 m in hole GS19-03 (Alpha, news release January 14, 2020) In 2020, the Company anticipates continuing exploration on the Green Springs property. The Company plans to grow discoveries at Alpha and Echo Zones as well as drill new target areas. Pony Creek Project: The Pony Creek project is located on Nevada's prolific Carlin Trend, immediately south of Gold Standard Venture's Railroad project and 20 km south of the Nevada Gold Mines Joint Venture's Rain and Emigrant gold mines. Pony Creek totals 81 km2 of prospective mineral tenure and hosts multiple Carlin Type gold occurrences, including the Bowl and West Zones, and multiple untested exploration targets. In 2018 Contact Gold made a new gold discovery at Pony Creek's Stallion Zone, with near surface oxide gold mineralization in drilling over a 2.3 kilometre strike length. During 2020, the Company anticipates continuing exploration on the Pony Creek property. The Company plans to grow the new discovery at the Stallion Zone and drill new targets Palomino, Mustang and Elliott Dome. Details of the Offering: The offered securities have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, any person in the United States or any "U.S person", as such term is defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act, absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. Offers and sales in the United States will be limited to institutional accredited investor. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a four month and one day statutory hold period in Canada, and are also deemed to be "restricted securities" under Rule 144 of the Securities Act, which generally requires a one-year hold period. Completion of the Offering is subject to the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the conditional approval of the TSXV. Certain persons may be eligible to receive finder fees, payable in cash, in connection with the Offering. Closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about April 22, 2020. About Contact Gold Corp. Contact Gold is an exploration company focused on producing district scale gold discoveries in Nevada. Contact Gold's extensive land holdings are on the prolific Carlin, Independence and Northern Nevada Rift gold trends which host numerous gold deposits and mines. Contact Gold's land position comprises approximately 140 km2 of target rich mineral tenure hosting numerous known gold occurrences, ranging from early- to advanced-exploration and resource definition stage. Green Springs and Pony Creek are early stage exploration properties and do not contain any mineral resource estimates as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource estimate at Green Springs and Pony Creek. It is uncertain if further exploration will result in targets at either project being delineated as a mineral resource. There are no assurances that the geological similarities to projects mentioned herein (or documents referenced herein) operated by Gold Standard Ventures, Waterton, Fiore Gold or the Nevada Gold Mines Joint Venture, will result in the establishment of any mineral resource estimates at any of the Company's property interests including Green Springs or Pony Creek, or that the projects can be advanced in a similar timeframe. Additional information about Pony Creek is summarized in the NI 43-101 Technical Report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Pony Creek Project, Elko County, Nevada, USA" prepared for Contact Gold, with an effective date of October 16, 2018, and dated October 22, 2018, as prepared by Vance Spalding, C.P.G; VP Exploration of Contact Gold, and can be viewed under Contact Gold's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Vance Spalding, CPG, VP Exploration, Contact Gold, who is a "qualified person" within the meaning of NI 43-101. Additional information about the Company is available at www.contactgold.com. For more information, please contact: +1 (604) 449-3361 Matthew Lennox-King - President & CEO E-mail: info@ContactGold.com Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to the Offering generally, the anticipated closing and successful completion of the Offering, the use of proceeds therefrom, receipt of applicable regulatory approvals including TSXV conditional approval, and proposed exploration activities of the Company on the Green Springs and Pony Creek properties and the results thereof. These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as 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 materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: impacts arising from the global disruption caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; receipt of applicable regulatory approvals including TSXV conditional approval of the Offering; availability of financing; business integration risks; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAWS. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54583 A doctor being disinfected by his colleague at a quarantine zone in Wuhan on January 3. STR/AFP via Getty Images The central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus first appeared, on Friday revised its death toll almost exactly 50% higher, to 3,869 from 2,579. Local officials in Wuhan said earlier deaths were missed because the city's medical facilities were overwhelmed, according to Chinese state media. Questions have long swirled about China's official figures. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said: "Do you really believe those numbers in this vast country called China?" Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus first appeared late last year, revised its death toll sharply higher on Friday. Local authorities changed the previous figure of 2,579 to 3,869, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. The change, 1,290 additional deaths, is an increase of almost exactly 50%. Officials also added another 325 cases that had not led to a death, bringing the city's total reported cases to 50,333. That brings China's official death toll up to 4,632. According to Xinhua, an unnamed official from the Wuhan municipal headquarters for COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control said cases were missed earlier because of the immense pressure on the city's health system. "Due to the insufficiency in admission and treatment capability, a few medical institutions failed to connect with the disease prevention and control system in time, while hospitals were overloaded and medics were overwhelmed with patients," the official said. "As a result, belated, missed, and mistaken reporting occurred." There have long been questions about China's official coronavirus figures, which are considerably lower than some other countries despite the novel virus first appearing in China in December, if not earlier. While China's population is about four times that of the US, the US has more than 670,000 cases and more than 33,000 dead. Story continues Chinese officials have repeatedly argued that China's aggressive response to the virus, such as the decision to lock down Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, for months, kept the situation from spiraling out of control. The unnamed official who announced the change to the city's death toll said Friday: "As the main battleground for securing a decisive victory in the national epidemic prevention and control, Wuhan has taken the most comprehensive, stringent, and thorough prevention and control measures." Many outside observers, including the US president, have expressed doubts. "Do you think you're getting honest numbers from some of these countries? Do you really believe those numbers in this vast country called China?" President Donald Trump asked at a White House coronavirus task force press briefing on Wednesday. "Does anybody really believe that?" "Some countries that are in big, big trouble," he added. "And, they're not reporting the facts." The US intelligence community believes that China has intentionally concealed the true extent of the damage caused by the coronavirus in the country, presenting fabricated case and death totals, Bloomberg News reported earlier this month. Responding to the news that China's official coronavirus death toll has risen, President Donald Trump tweeted that the actual number of deaths in China from the virus "is far higher than that and far higher than the US, not even close." Revisions to official tallies have not been limited strictly to China. New York City, a major hot spot in a hard-hit state, revised its death toll higher Tuesday by 3,700, bringing the city's total above 10,000. The added deaths were those who had never tested positive but were presumed to have died from the disease, The New York Times reported. Update: This story has been updated with President Donald Trump's reaction to the news that Wuhan has raised its coronavirus death toll by 50%. Read the original article on Business Insider While quarantining herself in the midst of Coronavirus, Taapsee Pannu has been sharing interesting throwback pictures from film sets and key events in her life. The latest throwback picture is from her look test of Anurag Kashyap's directorial Manmarziyaan. Taapsee posted the picture, sharing how it is to work with Anurag, and called him a 'penguin'. Take a look! Taapsee shared the image of her look test for 'Rumi', the fiery character she plays in Manmarziyaan. She captioned the image, "This is from the look trial of #Manmarziyaan which actually happened in Amritsar. Typical Anurag Kashyap prep..... last minute ! Got the idea of colouring the hair red after I landed in Amritsar. This is the first time I felt the skin of Rumi , that is, 2 days before we went for shoot." She added, "Anyone who works with Anurag will shatter the image he/she has built about him over years of watching his work. A penguin who gets happy with smallest of things and cracks the poorest of jokes, has the brightest of smiles (unlike the 'dark' films he is known for ) and goes with ZERO prep on set n now I'm gonna get a stinking message from him as soon as he reads this but he knows I love him #Throwback #Archive #QuarantinePost." Manmarziyaan was a 2018 romantic comedy which starred Abhishek Bachchan and Vicky Kaushal alongside Taapsee. The film was loved by audiences as well as critics. Taapsee's co-star Vicky commented, 'Cha Cha ji' on the post. The actress has a number of films lined up in her kitty, including Shabaash Mithu, Haseen Dillruba, Rashmi Rocket, Womaniya, Tadka and Looop Lapeta. ALSO READ: Taapsee Pannu Takes A Dig At Anubhav Sinha; Asks What Happened Between 'Ra.One' And 'Mulk' ALSO READ: Taapsee Pannu Shares Picture Of Her Tattoo Trial For Pink: Girls Wanted Similar Tattoos Afterwards But the second one is nothing like the first. The one sold in America was loaded with extra luxuries and amenities, the Middle Eastern version goes back to basics. There's even a bit of a throwback to the '80s and '90s too. This special edition of the Land Cruiser comes in two flavors, namely Heritage 4.0L and Heritage 4.6L, which refers to their engine sizes. They started with the Heritage Edition in the US, but now they've followed it up with, well, another Heritage Edition. This time it's for the Middle East market; a prime region for big 4x4s like the LC and the Patrol. The current-generation Land Cruiser (LC200) is already in its twilight years. And as we expected, Toyota has started to release special, limited edition variants of the SUV as a swansong for the long-selling LC200. The Heritage 4.0L has a bit of a retro vibe going with its exterior. For instance, it's riding on steel-pressed rims and uses the classic 'barn door' arrangement which splits the tailgate in half vertically. Another nod to the past is its tailgate-mounted spare tire and the side graphics which are inspired by the ones used by the LC60, the Land Cruiser generation sold from 1980 to 1990. Just how basic is the Heritage 4.0L? It doesn't have cruise control and nor does it have a touchscreen. The seats are trimmed in cloth and you have to adjust the ones at the front manually, just like in Land Cruisers from decades ago. This version doesn't even come with third-row seats, which gives way to an expansive cargo area. It's not totally bare though as it does have automatic climate control and a cool box that refrigerates your refreshments. This Land Cruiser's 4.0-liter V6 puts out 271 PS and 385 Nm of torque, which is then coursed through a five-speed manual and permanent four-wheel drive. But if you prefer the car shift itself, you have to opt for the Heritage 4.6L with its V8 engine. Whereas the Heritage 4.0L, this one has more in the way of creature comforts. Yes, it's still on cloth seats but it's tan in color, and the words Heritage Edition are stitched on to the headrest. The driver's seat is power-adjustable and it comes with a touchscreen this time around. Other comforts and convenience features include cruise control, the cool box, sunroof, headlight levelers, and even an on-board air compressor. Also, the Heritage 4.6L has a slightly more spruced up exterior too. It now has alloys instead of steel rims, and there's more chrome to be seen as well. LED headlights replace the standard halogens in this variant, and it also gains a pair of LED foglights. Roof rails are part of the package too and last but not least are those decals on the side which Toyota says is reminiscent of the LC80's (1990 to 2000) stripes. The 4.6-liter V8 in this particular variant makes 304 PS and 440 Nm of torque. It shifts via a six-speed automatic. Given how strong of a following the Land Cruiser has in the Philippines, we do hope Toyota Motor Philippines comes up with a special edition of this popular SUV. A retro-inspired Land Cruiser would be a nice sight on our roads, wouldn't it? Most every day for the past few weeks, New Jersey officials have been disclosing the names of dozens of people whose alleged transgressions would have meant little, if not for a virus cutting a deadly path across the state. On Easter Sunday, a 21-year-old man was charged with disorderly conduct at a closed local beach for reading a book on a lifeguard stand. Six men in search of a place to work out were cited last week for opening their local tennis and fitness club. Six people were cited for hosting a large backyard party of adults and children, where police found kids playing in a bouncy castle while a chef and two waiters readied a catered meal. These are the new crimes of a pandemic. This is certainly about sending a message of deterrence, because compliance is the only way we can slow the spread and save lives, state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal told USA TODAY. We want to name and shame people, and its working. Civil liberties: Governments have intruded during the pandemic, raising risks, rewards Infecting cops: More police are getting coronavirus, that could be bad for public safety Just how effective the strategy proves to be may not be fully known until well after the coronavirus abates. Yet in the month since governors issued a flurry of stay-at-home orders, several states and local governments are stepping up enforcement campaigns that threaten hefty fines and jail time all in the name of slowing the coronavirus. Coronavirus in the US: How all 50 states are responding From warnings to citations and arrests In Maryland, police have charged at least three dozen people with violations of state orders aimed at controlling the virus while authorities have conducted more than 20,000 compliance checks across the state. Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer this week announced charges against 10 businesses, including five tobacco shops, that have allegedly defied state orders prohibiting the operation of nonessential businesses. Story continues The sooner we achieve maximum compliance from businesses and residents alike the sooner all Angelenos can get back to work and resume our normal routines, Feuer said. Enforcing the shutdown: Officials grapple with stay-at-home orders, social distancing Officials want to encourage people to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The actions appear to run counter to a collective stance by police and other law enforcement officials, who in the early days of the health emergency sought local compliance with simple warnings to those who strayed from bans on large gatherings, nonessential business operations and in-person religious services. In Greenville, Mississippi, local church officials sued police, claiming that officers were dispatched to an April 8 drive-in service where members of the congregation had gathered in their cars, windows rolled up, to listen to a pre-Easter sermon. Police, according to court documents, responded by "knocking on car windows, demanding drivers' licenses and writing citations with $500 fines." The service took place a day after the city issued a prohibition against drive-in services, an order that appeared to conflict with a state action designating churches and religious activities as essential operations as long as they complied with social distancing guidelines published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Mississippi Department of Health. Reducing the risk: Jails releasing hundreds of prisoners amid coronavirus fears The citations have since been rescinded, but the incident prompted the intervention this week of the Justice Department, which has sided with the church in its religious liberty claim against the city. Elizabeth Goitein, director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, said that while states have the authority to issue emergency orders and enforce them, "it doesn't mean that it's always a good idea." "Taking a hands-on approach can spark a backlash," Goitein said. "People are already protesting, and you are likely to see more of that if officials move too aggressively." This week, protests have erupted in Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Utah and Virginia, where demonstrators have expressed frustration with continuing restrictions adopted to contain the virus' spread. "What seems to work best is a cooperative approach, where you encourage a sense of people doing their civic duty," Goitein said. "Enforcement of these orders represents the kind of power that we wouldn't want the government to exercise at any other time; it behooves the government to take a light touch." No apology for enforcement effort New decals inside Walmart stores for social distancing. In New Jersey, Attorney General Grewal makes no apology for the enforcement effort, describing it in terms of a life and death struggle in a state ravaged by the virus. More than 75,000 residents have been infected and 3,518 have died as of Thursday, Gov. Phil Murphy said. "We are going to use every lever and tool available to us," Grewal said, referring to local policing of the stay-at-home restrictions and other state orders aimed at slowing the spread of the virus. "In the midst of this pandemic, we need to make sure (people) stay home." As of this week, 1,700 people have been charged in COVID-19 related incidents in New Jersey. Of that number, officials said, 156 cases rose to felony offenses; 1,544 were direct violations of emergency orders that carried a maximum punishment of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Most disturbing, Grewal said, are the 18 cases in which people have been charged with terroristic threats. In those cases, suspects claimed to be infected with the virus and either coughed or spit in the direction of officers, threatening to expose them to the disease. If convicted, each faces maximum punishments of 10 years in prison and $150,000 in fines. "We have had cops who have contracted the virus who were exposed like this," Grewal said, adding that it is not known whether the encounters could be traced to the actual transmission of the virus. In one of the cases, a 31-year-old Camden man who had been arrested last week in connection with a domestic dispute allegedly spit on officers as they attempted to speak with him through the open window of a police car. "He allegedly stated that he had the coronavirus and that the officers were going to get it," police said, adding that he spit on a third officer while the suspect was waiting to be tested at a local hospital. The result of the suspect's test was not immediately known. "This is particularly disturbing," Grewal said. "These are certainly unique times." While the threats of virus transmission to police represented the most serious incidents on the New Jersey police blotter, the plight of a 21-year-old Manchester man appeared among the most benign and cooperative. Charged with "defiant trespass and violating the emergency orders," Seaside Park police said the man had been reading a book Easter Sunday atop a local lifeguard stand. "He admitted," according to the report, "that he knew the beach was closed." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus arrests rise as police enforce stay-home orders in states Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-18 03:17:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SKOPJE, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in North Macedonia imposed a nationwide 85-hour lockdown during the Easter holiday, Media Information Agency (MIA) said here on Friday. A nationwide ban on movement is enforced during the Orthodox Easter holiday starting from Friday 4 pm to 5 am on Tuesday, according to MIA. According to the government orders, movement and gatherings in parks, forests or in recreation areas are strictly prohibited during the lockdown. Authorities have called for increased police controls around churches during the holiday. An estimated 65 percent of North Macedonia's population is Orthodox Christians, according to the last national census in 2002. Excluded from the movement ban are police and army forces, health workers, markets and restaurants offering delivery services. On Friday, North Macedonia's Prime Minister Oliver Spasovski and Health Minister Venko Filipce called on all citizens to be responsible, stay at home, avoid gatherings and respect social distancing measures, to curb the spread of COVID-19 infection. According to the health ministry, 36 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours, bringing the total in the country to 1,117, with 139 recoveries and 49 fatalities. Enditem Having been a college counselor in the Charleston area for 25 years, first at Ashley Hall and currently at the Charleston Charter School for Math and Science, I am deeply interested in how school closings are affecting college plans for high school seniors in the immediate future and later their impact on how juniors will navigate the college search process. My intent here is to offer advice and assurances to relieve your concerns To the good news: All colleges and universities are working to accommodate everyone with the application process to make transitions as smooth as possible. For the students who have been accepted and sent in a deposit to the college of their choice, things should be fine. In time, your school will need to supply a final transcript, but that will happen when it can. Seniors still debating the merits of several colleges that have offered acceptances need to bite the bullet and eliminate all that you know in your heart are not likely to be your choice. Then, of the remaining ones, choose the top two and concentrate on learning how each is working through this interruption to the normal process. You will probably hear that they are not rigid about the May 1 candidates reply date, and if you have not visited a campus and are reluctant to make a commitment before doing so, I suspect you will be given some leniency in making the deposit. If financial arrangements for attending college have not been finalized and resolving the financial concerns satisfactorily seems not doable, find out if you may postpone your entrance for a year, and then consider two options: 1. Attend Trident Technical College to get a solid foundation of credits that can allow you to enter with advanced standing at another time, or 2. Take a gap year, which normally means spending the coming year in a worthwhile endeavor, with the colleges approval. The school closings also may affect juniors' college decisions. We can hope that the upcoming school year will be normal, but there is every reason to expect that some parts of the college process will see changes. Notably, with the cancellation of the spring SATs and ACTs, students may be entering the senior year with few if any test scores to present to colleges. It is my strong hunch that more and more colleges will make test scores optional for admission. Many colleges have already offered this option for students who are strong performers but weak test takers. Another likely effect will be on the number of students who elect to apply under the early decision plan allowing students to apply to only one college with the commitment to attend if accepted. Consider the alternative for students who have certain colleges in mind but need time to sort out the whole picture. The early action plan lets you submit a fall application with a decision coming before the holidays, but you are not required to make your choice until the May 1 reply date. I believe that this pandemic is providing the fodder for some excellent application and scholarship essays that could become the compelling factor in a colleges decision to accept you or provide generous financial help. In many cases, when all else was equal, the essay tilts the scale one way or the other. Being uneasy about what will come of all this interruption in your college planning is perfectly normal, but take heart in knowing that colleges will be exploring all ways to ease your anxiety. Good luck. Bert Hudnall, who has lived in Charleston for 25 years, has been an educator his entire adult life. He currently is at the Charleston Charter School for Math and Science. Neighbours ignored a mother-of-three's cries for help and the shouts of a man threatening to kill her as the woman lay dying on the floor of her home. The mum-of-three, 35, was found dead at her home in Adelaide at about 12.30pm Thursday. It is thought her body had been there for around 19 hours before it was found by police. A man has been charged over the murder. Detective Superintendent Des Bray said the motive for the homicide was unclear, but said the woman had died a 'really horrible, violent death'. Scroll down for video A mother-of-three was brutally murdered in her own home after neighbours failed to raise the alarm It is thought her body had been there for around 19 hours before it was found by police. A man has been charged over the murder 'An altercation was heard. A person threatening to kill the occupant and at one point a female was heard to cry for help. Sadly the police were not contacted,' Det Bray said. 'She had an injury to her body which is unexplained. It was a sufficient injury to leave an amount of blood at the scene,' he said. He said while detectives were grateful for what witnesses had told them of the disturbance at the home, it was a 'sad reflection on society' that police were not called at the time. Police are pictured outside the Adelaide home where the woman was murdered Detective Superintendent Des Bray said the motive for the homicide was unclear, but said the woman (pictured) had died a 'really horrible, violent death' 'I'm at a complete loss to understand why anybody wouldn't do something and go to the aid or ensure that somebody went to the aid of a woman who was screaming for help,' he said. Neighbours who overheard 'loud banging' and verbal threats told the Adelaide Advertiser they were distraught about what had happened. '(I feel sad for) the kids and for what she's gone through,' the resident said. Police believe the woman's front door was forced open at some point between 5pm and 11pm on Wednesday. The investigation into the woman's death has been declared a major crime Police have returned to the scene to conduct a search of a nearby park and to door-knock the neighbourhood and collect CCTV footage. Officers are calling on anyone who saw a 'very tall' man wearing a dark shirt, light-coloured pants and black trainers in the area between 5pm and 11pm on Thursday to contact them. 'We believe the offender travelled into the city on a bus, caught the train, caught a bus to nearby the home and walked the remaining distance to the house,' Det Bray said. 'He likely returned on the same route.' The investigation into the woman's death has been declared a major crime. Ceylon Chamber of Commerce proposes public-private shared vision for accelerated economic recovery post COVID-19 The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, in a communication to His Excellency the President has proposed a Shared Vision, Economic Recovery Strategy and Stimulus Plan targeting an accelerated Post-COVID-19 recovery of the Sri Lankan Economy. The following sets out the key elements of the proposal addressed to His Excellency the President by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce: (1) Primacy for Protection of Livelihoods as an Immediate Exit Priority, where Sri Lankas Human Development and Socio-Economic base line indicators are protected as first priority. (2) Target the achievement of a U Shaped Economic Recovery at National Average level where Sri Lanka regains it Economic Growth Rate within 6-8 months of the COVID-19 Exit, while aiming for V shaped recovery in targeted internal sectors culminating in a similar V shaped recovery at National Level in the longer run. (3) Unequivocal support for strong measures required to establish a foundation for accelerated recovery such as a. Engagement with multilateral institutions such as the IMF, ADB and World Bank with a view to securing immediate excepting funding support. b. Continuation of the Crisis Action Plan of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka including but not limited to Maintenance of Liquidity at the potential compromise of external reserves and resorting to quantitative easing in the short run. (4) Commitment of 2.5% to 3.0% of GDP towards Economic Recovery over a time frame of 12 months, alongside the consequent funding measures and expenditure controls the GoSL will necessarily need to put in place. (5) Recognition of the role of the private sector in achieving the shared vision of accelerated recovery through: a. Adjustment of production and service portfolios to meet demand in adjacent sectors thereby achieving employment retention and creation. b. Re-engineering of Supply & Value chains with primacy for domestic supply eco-systems, central to which will be SME Capacity Building and Financial Support where feasible. c. Supporting Sri Lankas Foreign Exchange Liquidity constraints by adopting aggressive negotiation measures with foreign suppliers to secure preferential credit terms d. Accelerating the Digitisation of Operations as well as the interfaces to Suppliers, Partners and Domestic and Global customers. (6) Strong endorsement of immediate term measures adopted by the government with regards to livelihood protection & SME sustenance. These relief include the relief for low income families, relief to the public in terms of loan repayments and Rs 50 billion refinancing facility. (7) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Framework for a Comprehensive economic stimulus strategy and action plan. a. Primacy for the underlying objective of maintaining paid employment both in the formal and informal sectors of the economy including livelihood maintenance for daily income workers and low-income workers. b. Establishment of a Directional Budgetary Provision of 2.5%-3.0% of GDP (Rs 375-450 Billion) and announce the same as Sri Lankas commitment to an accelerated recovery c. The Establishment of an Economic Recovery Task Force (ERTF) under the Leadership of His Excellency the President and comprising senior government officials and private sector representation through the Chambers of Commerce, supplemented with representation of Economic Expertise Think Tanks and Local and International Experts. (8) Immediate Term Stimulus Initiatives a. Immediate Relief in the form of Settlement or Compensation via Sovereign Supported Credit Facilities, of unpaid Government bills to the private sector - unpaid bills by government to these sectors alone add up to Rs 68 billion. b. Targeted Cash transfers to the most vulnerable segments of society including daily paid casual workers. Current measures are laudable and may need to be scaled up using digital means including Mobile Money systems in order to ensure accurate targeting and Efficient Delivery keeping in view Social Distancing constraints c. Employment Assistance Schemes for Cash Strapped Firms. The survival of Enterprises across the Small, Medium and Large Sectors is an imperative which will underlie an accelerated recovery trajectory. The modality of such employment assistance could include Multi-Year, Tax Deduction Multipliers on Employment Costs. d. Portfolio of Relief Measures for Citizens & SMEs which will not put pressure on the fiscal front such as Moratorium on EPF and ETF Contribution by firms as well as employees for at least the next 6 months and concessionary deferment of electricity and water charges. (9) Medium Term Stimulus Strategies (May 2020 End of 2020) a. Easing of the stress on the Financial Sector during the second half of 2020 via the following measures i. Refinancing or credit guarantees and/or tax concessions to support concessionary relief financing by commercial banks. The government could in turn seek a refinancing facility or credit guarantee line from multilateral institutions. ii. Provision of Longer term arrangements to support Banks and NBFIs to match the potential deferment of anticipated inflows in the wake of repayment deferrals iii. Waiver of any penal action on shortfalls in capital adequacy of financial institutions during the recovery phase during which time financial institutions are at risk of recording losses due to the marking to market of Sovereign bonds, SLDBs, and government securities. b. Comprehensive Digitisation of Government Services for access by citizens and business via the acceleration of ongoing digitization efforts. c. Formulation of a Winter 2020/21 Visit Sri Lanka Campaign targeting specific markets where COVID-19 dynamics would result in a pent up demand for overseas travel and a preference for less affected Indian Ocean destinations. The strategy should be well funded and designed in alignment with COVID-19 Exit planning of airlines including the national carrier. (10) Long Term Stimulus Strategies (12-24 Months) a. Reintroduction of the exemption from income tax of interest from all debt securities to encourage the deployment of debt capital and increasing access to cash b. Abolishment of all transaction taxes including Capital Gains Tax, Stamp Duty, VAT and other forms of taxes to facilitate restructuring to overcome crisis scenarios c. Granting of investment relief for companies that invest in Covid-Resistant sectors of the economy creating additional employment d. Structural Re-Engineering, Digitisation and Transformation of Key Sectors - Every Crisis gives an opportunity to restructure and start afresh. It is hence, considered opportune that the GoSL should encourage and incentivise structural changes in sectors such as agriculture, education, energy and transportation. (11) Funding of an Accelerated Recovery Strategy a. Securing 1-3 Year Moratoriums from Multi-Lateral and Bilateral Lenders in order to ease the pressure on budget deficits due to foreign borrowing falling due. b. Engagement with the IMF and other Multilateral Agencies for a Rapid Funding Instruments (RFI) c. Securing of at least a USD 1 billion currency swap line for a minimum of 12 months from bilateral partner nations d. CBSL to provide financing to the government by purchasing government securities thereby injecting liquidity to finance a part of the recovery package. e. Deploy strategic procurement strategies to exploit the sharp fall in global oil prices. f. Initiate measures to reduce the proposed public investment of 3.7% of GDP to a lower figure of 2.5%- 3.0% of GDP for 2020, and redeploy resources towards economic recovery initiatives and the enhancement of Health infrastructure. The Chamber of Commerce, on behalf of the Private Sector will support the efforts of the Government to achieve an accelerated economic recovery strategy in the post-COVID-19 era. The Chamber will continue to echo the views and recommendations of the Private Sector as we collectively address the challenges of the period ahead and progress towards the shared vision of an exemplary economic recovery. Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it COVID-19: India to provide additional relief, economic stimulus soon, says FM India pti-PTI New Delhi, Apr 17: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said India will soon announce fresh relief measures and economic stimulus to help the poor and industry fight the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participating in the 101st meeting of the Development Committee Plenary of the World Bank through video conference, Sitharaman also assured the global community that India would continue to supply critical medicines to needy countries for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Sharing details of welfare measures announced by the government last month, the finance minister said support measures worth USD 23 billion (Rs 1.70 lakh crore) were provided, comprising free health insurance to health workers; cash transfers, free food and gas distribution; and social security measures for affected workers. Coronavirus outbreak: PM Modi hails RBI, says steps will improve in credit supply To help companies, especially SME firms, cope with sudden loss of economic opportunity, the government has provided relief in statutory and regulatory compliance matters related to income tax, GST, customs, financial services and corporate affairs, she said. The central bank has also been accommodative, she said, adding regulators are taking steps to reduce market volatility. "Government is working extensively with stakeholders for providing additional relief in the form of humanitarian aid and to provide economic stimulus in the coming days," she said. In her intervention at the session, Sitharaman stated that given the size of population, India could have become a major COVID hotspot. Taking no chances, the government launched massive efforts to assist the health system respond effectively to the outbreak, she said. Important measures included social distancing, travel restrictions, work from and stay at home in public and private sectors, and direct health interventions centred on scaled up testing, screening and treatment have helped contain impact of the pandemic, she added. As responsible citizens of the global community, she said "we are supplying critical medicines to the needy countries and will continue to do so if the situation demands." India started shipment of critical drug hydroxychloroquine for treatment of coronavirus to various countries, including the US after a bit of diplomatic tussle between the two nations. She also commended the speedy response and efficiency of the World Bank Group in rolling out the Fast Track COVID-19 Response Facility. LARGO, Fla., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- itSpray, Spray Vitamins, has stocked 646 Circle K stores across Arizona and Nevada with BOOSTit, their immune support spray vitamin. Immune Support Spray Vitamin itSpray offers a growing line of vitamin sprays With 46% of Americans unable to swallow pills, itSpray provides a unique solution. Their spray vitamin line uses a sublingual delivery system, which has proven to be faster acting than pills, powders and gummies taking under 30 seconds for the nutrients to hit the blood stream versus the average 45-60 minute with other supplements. Additionally, the liquid spray approach eliminates a need for fillers and binder used in traditional supplements, allowing the body to absorb 85-95% of the nutrients. Traditional supplements average 20% absorption. Kimberly Stiele, itSpray Founder, notes, "In a time when strong immune health is critical, we are excited to partner with Circle K to offer their customers our BOOSTit immune support vitamin spray. The vitamin industry, what we take, how we take it, is evolving. We have developed a product that hits the bloodstream quicker, offers optimal absorption of nutrients, and is convenient for the consumer. Our motto at itSpray, Spray it. Solve it., is simple and clean, just like our products. No fillers/binders, non-gmo, gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan vitamins made purely with the ingredients needed to achieve the best results." itSpray offers a growing line of vitamin sprays, including BOOSTit supporting immune health, CHARGEit providing natural sustained energy enhancements, and DREAMit delivering anti-anxiety and sleep support without the drag. To learn more about itSpray Vitamins, and their parent company BeneSprays visit www.itspray.com. About itSpray Founded in 2018 by Kimberly Stiele, a mother of two and a tenured CPG executive, our company's mission is to provide cutting edge alternatives for better health that outperform traditional pills, powders, and gummies. We offer oral spray vitamins that support your immunity, charge your energy, and help you sleep. Using a sublingual approach, a few sprays under the tongue, our vitamins are 9 times more effective than pills, gummies, and powders. Each liquid formula is made from the highest-quality ingredients with no fillers or binders, GF, Non-GMO, and sugar free. Media Files Available: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bamvs3rxh9h7jn2/AADtcF9Bq25V8jIIW7Rf1V0pa?dl=0 Contact: Jody Walstrom 952.250.0665 [email protected] SOURCE itSpray Vitamins Enrolling in a vocational school was an easy decision for 23-year-old Truong The Dieu, even though he was under pressure to become an engineer. Truong The Dieu works with a monitoring machine during a practising session at Hanoi Vocational College of Technology. VNA/VNS Photo Born and raised in Nghe An Provinces Quynh Luu District one of Vietnams poorest localities and home of the countrys most famous intellectuals, Dieu was told that getting into university would be a life-changer. Graduating high school in 2015, instead of taking the university exam, Dieu registered at the Hanoi Vocational College of Technology. I was planning to follow a technical career and knowing it would be difficult to make my way to a good university, I decided to take another route, said Dieu. Going to a vocational school, all I wanted at the time was to be able to easily find a job that suited my passion and skills, he added. Dieu said his studies at high school had given him a special interest in graphics and 3D objects. I searched for jobs in the field. The labour markets current demands and vocational schools have a good reputation, so I decided to choose a training programme on metal work, he said. At the Hanoi Vocational College of Technology, Dieu got his first opportunity in 2016 when Denso, a Japanese company, collaborated with the school to select participants for the 2019 World Vocational Skills Competition. Overcoming more than 100 candidates in three rounds of quick maths problem solving, IQ and theory tests, Dieu was named among the top ten. After several other rounds, he became Vietnams only representative at the largest global vocational contest, and decided to defer his studies to pour his heart and soul into the competition. The company set very high demands for the candidate in terms of visual thinking, adapting to situations and foreign languages during our two years of training at the Denso Skills Training Institute, said Dieu. He spent up to 10 hours a day, six days a week training at the institute before debuting at the 2019 World Vocational Skills Competition in Russia. Facing competitors from 34 countries and territories, Dieu pocketed a silver medal for CNC (computerised numerically controlled) milling. I was surprised and proud, Dieu said. It required participants to create very small details which I was not so familiar with. However, the skills I had sharpened helped me to complete the task on time and the final product satisfied the requirements. The medal unlocked my future, he added. Dieu was featured in Vietnams top 10 significant youngsters in 2019 and was awarded the second-class Labour Order by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Poor facilities and the lack of domestic professional competitions are the main reasons Vietnamese technical workers still lagged behind their fellows from other countries, according to Dieu. Meanwhile, their diligence, creativity and intelligence needed unleashing. Coming back from the competition, I will finish my studies then start focusing on training in CNC milling for Vietnamese participants at the next world vocational skills competitions, he said. Enrolling in vocational schools no longer means elbow grease, he said. The increasing application of innovations requires workers to pay attention to catching up with emerging waves of new technology, Dieu added. VNS Vietnam wins silver medal at WorldSkills 2019 Vietnam secured a silver medal at the 45th World Skills Competition (WorldSkills 2019) which concluded in Kazan, the Republic of Tatarstan (Russia) on August 27. Vietnam ready for World Skills Competition 2019 The 45th World Skills Competition will begin on August 16 in Kazan, Russia, where Vietnamese contestants will show off their vocational skills in 19 professions with the goal of earning as many medals as possible. New Delhi, April 17 : The consumption of paracetamol has not increased in the past one month nor is there an increase in the number of cases of pneumonia, especially a surge in critical patients needing admission in ICUs. Therefore there is not a huge difference between the declared number of positive coronavirus cases by the government and the real number (undetected persons), said Dr. Arvind Kumar. Speaking to IANS, Kumar, Founder & Managing Trustee Lung Care Foundation, said even if we assume that instead of 15,000 cases there are 15 lakh cases in the country, then 50 percent symptomatic people would have fever. "In fever these people would have taken paracetamol, but in the past one month or 45 days, the sales of paracetamol have not shot up. In fact, I have been informed it is a cold season for these medicines. Therefore, it is not correct that we are not testing enough, there is a minor discrepancy between real numbers and detected cases so far", said Kumar. Kumar is presently Chairman, Centre for Chest Surgery and Director, Institute of Robotic Surgery, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. He insisted that the lockdown has saved India over testing, and in its absence conditions would have been much worse. Most Covid-19 infected people have mild or moderate symptoms like coughing, fever and shortness of breath. If there were scores of undetected coronavirus positive cases in the country, then they would have consumed medicines to address the increase in body temperature leading to the increase in their demand, said Kumar. But some who catch the new coronavirus get severe pneumonia in both lungs -- Covid-19 pneumonia is a critical illness, which could be deadly. Kumar added that in case of severe pneumonia or an increase in the number of undiagnosed people having pneumonia, they would need ICUs. "There has to be an increase in the number of people admitted to ICUs, but it has not been noticed yet", said Kumar. On Thursday, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) refuted the allegation of testing less people to detect the transmission of novel coronavirus in the country. ICMR's Chief Scientist Raman Gangakhedkar said that in Japan, 11.7 persons are tested to detect one positive case and in Italy, 6.7 people are tested to find one positive case. He added that in the US it's 5.3 and in the UK it's 3.4. "In India, we do 24 tests for one positive case", said Gangakhedkar, insisting that the ratio of tests and population of the country cannot be a defining criteria to arrive at a conclusion that India is lagging behind in testing. (Sumit Saxena can be contacted at sumit.s@ians.in) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text - The campaign sought to raise at least $ 20,000 ( KSh 2.1 million) and $ 1,515 (KSh 160,000) had been raised in the last nine hours by 33 people - Generous Kenyans living abroad were the largest contributor to forex reserves in Kenya before coronavirus halted economic operations worldwide as massive jobs were cut - President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund which had been receiving donations from salary cuts by politicians and corporates in Kenya Kenyans in diaspora have launched a campaign to skip lunch so as to raise funds meant to buy food for hungry Kenyans whose daily lives and income have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The campaign sought to raise at least $ 20,000 ( KSh 2.1 million) and $ 1,515 (KSh 160,000) had been raised in the last nine hours by 33 people. READ ALSO: KDF disinfects Kibra streets to curb spread of COVID-19 Kenyans in diaspora have set a target to raise KSh 2 million to feed hungry Kenyans affected by COVID-19. Photo: Getty images. Source: Getty Images READ ALSO: Gideon Saburi: Kilifi deputy governor released on KSh 200k cash bail In a statement on GoFundMe, the generous Kenyans said they started the initiative as they could not sit and watch their fellow citizens die from hunger. "In neighborhoods and communities around our country Kenya, hunger is an issue that people including families and children, face everyday. Our most vulnerable populations -children who are out of school, low-income families, the elderly and individuals facing job disruptions face great challenge putting food on the table," "We have an opportunity to come together to support our parents, brothers, sisters, neighbours and our country Kenya in this critical time of need," part of their statement read. Kibra residents scramble for food donated by ODM leader Raila Odinga. Photo: Abraham Mutai. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Mamake marehemu Ken Walibora azungumza kufuatia kifo cha mwanawe The kind-hearted Kenyans living abroad were the largest contributor to forex reserves in Kenya before coronavirus halted economic operations worldwide as massive jobs were cut. They provided the numbers: +1 2057204397, +1 253 954 5576 or +1 314 585 6014, for contact purposes in case one wanted to donate. Diaspora remittances stood at KSh 280 billion in 2019 but the figure was expected to drop in 2020 due to the rising uncertainty in global markets as economists had predicted a global recession. President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund which had been receiving donations from salary cuts by politicians and corporates in Kenya. The 10-member team led by East African Breweries managing director Jane Karuku was put together to rally Kenyans in raising resources that would support government's efforts in mitigating the effects of the 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. Ruth Matete is not telling the truth about her husband's death - Pastor John's manager | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke The governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, said he acted against the advice of security agencies in the state by insisting on the arrest of some ExxonMobil workers who came into Rivers through Akwa Ibom State. Mr Wike had signed an executive order which bars vehicles and flights from entering Rivers because of the new coronavirus. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the oil workers were arrested on Thursday in a border town between Rivers and Akwa Ibom by the commissioner of police in Rivers State, accompanied by a military commander. The workers who drove in a convoy, with police protection, were on their way to work in an oil facility in Intel, Port Harcourt. The oil workers association in Nigeria, PENGASSAN said the arrested workers are 21. But Mr Wike while briefing the press on Friday in Port Harcourt said they are 22. Even though security agencies advised that they be allowed to go back to Akwa Ibom State, I insisted that the law must take its course, Mr Wike said. This is because nobody is above the law. Mr Wike said the state government could not ascertain the health status of the arrested Mobil employees. As a responsive government, we have quarantined them in line with the relevant health protocols and they will be charged to court. The arrest of the Mobil workers comes a few days after two Caverton Helicopters pilots and their ten passengers were arrested, charged to court, and remanded in Port Harcourt prison for allegedly violating the lockdown order in Rivers State. Some people want the escalation of the virus in Rivers State. People were paid to canvass a negative narrative on Caverton pilots. We are doing what we can within available resources to fight coronavirus. You can fly, but as you fly and land, dont enter our territory. We will fight this matter legally. ExxonMobil does not operate in Rivers State. That they have a point at the Onne seaport does not mean that they operate in Rivers State. READ ALSO: People in Abuja are not happy. They want Rivers State to be infected. They want to kill Rivers people and I will not allow it. I was elected to protect Rivers people. Rivers State is not a pariah State. People selling Akara are being charged to court in Lagos. But they want us to allow oil companies to flout the law. I am a boy to Rivers people, not to anybody outside Rivers State, the governor said. In contrast with Governor Wikes position, the police in River state had earlier told PREMIUM TIMES that the workers have not been arrested. They were not arrested, the police spokesperson in the state, Nnamdi Omoni, said on Friday. The CP (the commissioner of police) and other service commanders went on an inspection tour of all the border points, when we got to the Ogoni axis we saw these people (the Mobil workers), they wanted to come in. They showed us a letter but that was not the issue; the issue was that they were not screened. The people were taken from that border post to the screening centre at the Elekaya Stadium. They are still being screened (for coronavirus). Nobody arrested them. PENGASSAN said the oil workers did not violate any law and should, therefore, be released. It is appalling that Rivers State authorities have turned the global effort to tame COVID-19 to a tool of muscle-flexing and petty oppression of oilfield workers, the association said. E-commerce companies like Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal are engaging with brands and seller partners and preparing them to resume operations from April 20, when these platforms will be allowed to ship non-essential items as well to customers. 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. Earlier this week, the Home Affairs Ministry issued fresh guidelines for the lockdown -- which has been extended till May 3 -- allowing e-commerce companies to sell non-essential items as well. "In line with the recent guidelines by the government and effective April 20, we will serve customers, in addition to daily essentials, with products they need the most and which they have not been able to access because of the nationwide lockdown...We are now reaching out to all our partners -- brands, manufacturers, sellers, small businesses and local shops -- requesting them to be ready to resume operations by stocking up inventory, do workforce planning, and apply for curfew passes," an Amazon India spokesperson said. Following MHA orders, many states have also issued similar notifications about permitting complete e-commerce activities. 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. The move will provide respite to every industry, especially electronics, apparel and home appliances that account for a significant portion of sales for e-commerce companies in the country. Walmart-owned Flipkart said it is continuously working with the seller community to provide them with support and enabling business readiness as these businesses await to make a comeback online. "With around two lakh sellers on its platform, Flipkart's seller support team is providing constant counsel and on-ground support to sellers on its platform to help them resume operations in a few days...The analytics teams are supporting sellers with market intelligence to ensure smooth listings on the platforms," Flipkart said in a statement. It added that Flipkart's supply chain team continues to maintain an intense focus on safety and health procedures in all Flipkart facilities and staff that will support the movement of goods for sellers. Myntra CEO Amar Nagaram said the company is undertaking contactless delivery and pick-up, and has discontinued customer signature capture. "...there will be no ringing of doorbells and packets will be placed at a handover point the customer is comfortable with. We are also encouraging UPI payments for contactless COD transactions," he added. Nagaram said "Myntra will be launching itself on day one with 5 lakh styles, as we go live in states that have opened doors for operations". Snapdeal said it is in the process of trimming delivery timelines to align with faster deliveries expected from next week onwards. "These will be dynamically adjusted as per the flow of goods as well as operating conditions in various regions," it added. The company added that it does not anticipate any short-term supply chain constraints across popular categories as sellers have stocks and orders are also in transit. "We have informed sellers about the resumption of operations for all product categories and we will be providing them with all required operational support," Snapdeal said. Apart from e-commerce platforms, brands are also looking scaling up efforts to meet the pent up demand as retail stores have not been allowed to operate to ensure social distancing. realme Vice President and India CEO Madhav Sheth said it has already held discussions with Flipkart to make available devices for sale from April 20. Leon Yu, Regional Director of ASUS India and South Asia (System Business Group), said the government's decision to allow delivery of non-essential items is beneficial as there is a need for PCs as well as smartphones in the current work from home scenario. Even, the education system has seen a big shift to online tutoring by schools and so, the company is looking at introducing a lineup of products to cater to this category, he added. "Being a customer centric company, we have been working closely with e-commerce partners for the past three weeks since the lockdown. We aim to meet the surge in demand for PCs and smartphones successfully and shall ensure complete compliance of every guideline from the directive," Yu said. Xiaomi - which is the largest smartphone brand in the country - said it is currently discussing the details with all its partners and evaluating the strategy ahead. A vivo spokesperson also said the company is in conversation with its stakeholders and evaluating the situation continuously, keeping the well-being of employees and partners as priority. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tetyana Chornovol, seen as a leader of the 2014 uprising, denies trumped up charges as an attack on the movement. Kyiv, Ukraine She sported a red dress, fur coat, high heels and an AK 5-45 gun she got from her husband who died in 2014 fighting pro-Russian separatists in southeast Ukraine. We are solving national problems, but keep [Russian President Vladimir] Putin in the crosshairs, says Tetyana Chornovol, in a video she posted on Facebook in January. In todays fiercely anti-Russian Ukraine, many see the 40-year-old former legislator and investigative journalist as a fearless heroine of the 2014 Revolution of Dignity that toppled a pro-Kremlin president and steered the nation of 43 million away from Moscows political orbit. 200414110232992 In the past two decades, Chornovol has become an outspoken figure she has been badly beaten, doused with paint, fined and arrested for her investigative reports and political stunts. She chained herself to a railway to protest against the arrests of nationalist activists in 2001, and was arrested for scribbling graffiti lambasting the decision of the pro-Kremlin president, Viktor Yanukovych, to make Russian an official language in parts of Ukraine in 2012. During the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution, Chornovol assaulted pro-Russian figures, led protesters to seize the city hall and also incited them to throw Molotov cocktails into an office of Yanukovychs Party of Regions, according to Ukraines State Bureau of Investigations. A 57-year-old IT expert named Volodymir Zakharov suffocated in the smoke, and his death had not been investigated until April 10, when investigators searched Chornovols house outside the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and charged her with arson and premeditated murder. Chornovil admitted that she set the fire, but refused to testify, calling the charges an attack on the achievements of the uprising. I personally supervised the evacuation of the Party of Regions office, Chornovol, a mother of two and the widow of a volunteer who died fighting pro-Russian separatists in Ukraines east in 2014, wrote on Facebook on Thursday after reading her case in a Kyiv court. They trumped up the murder charges without any evidence, she said, adding that even the case file stated that Zakharov entered the smoke-filled office after the protesters left it. Heroes with impunity? If convicted, Chornovol faces life in prison, but so far, she has only been placed under house arrest. She is an adrenalin junkie, she wants hype and thinks her principles make her untouchable, Chornovols former colleague told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity. She does not understand that she went too far. The punishment so far is common practice in Ukraine, where authorities let suspected killers stay at home awaiting their trials because their arrests may, according to critics, antagonise opposition groups and trigger protest rallies. In 2015, eccentric pro-Russian publicist Oles Buzina was shot dead next to his apartment building in Kyiv. Two suspected killers from the C14 ultra-nationalist group were arrested, but soon released awaiting a sentence in the continuing trial. They move around Ukraine freely, organising nationalist marches and concerts by a band that advocates white supremacy. In 2018, far-right activist Serhiy Sternenko stabbed a person to death and live-streamed the victims agony in the Black Sea port of Odesa. He claimed the victim was an attacker who tried to kill him with a gas pistol. Sternenko is still awaiting trial. Thousands of ultra-nationalists volunteered to fight pro-Russian separatists who started what became Europes hottest armed conflict that has claimed 13,000 lives and displaced millions. The far-right have successfully used the war to legitimise themselves in the public eye, they are viewed not as proponents of certain views, but as defenders of Ukraine, Kyiv-based hate crime expert Vyacheslav Likhachyov told Al Jazeera. Many became part of armed forces and law enforcement agencies, nationalist and ultraconservative parties and abused their newfound fame as defenders of Ukraines independence, he said. They have attacked dozens of pro-Russian figures, liberal politicians, feminists, LGBTQ activists and artists. After trying to disperse a gay pride event in Kyiv in 2018, some 150 far-right activists clashed with police assaulting and injuring police officers, but walked free within hours. Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has faced mounting criticism for turning a blind eye to the attacks. Political hostage? Avakov immediately stood up in Chornovols defence, claiming the case was revenge of alleged supporters of overthrown ex-President Yanukovych. Get the hell out of your government jobs or go back to Yanukovych, he wrote on Facebook on April 10. Avakov also urged the investigators not to distract incumbent President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from rebuilding the nation. But analysts claim that the entire Chornovol affair was instigated by Zelenskyy, a former comedian and anti-establishment political novice who trounced President Petro Poroshenko in last years election. After losing the election, Poroshenko, a chameleonic oligarch who shifted political loyalties and whose party embraced Chornovol, has been summoned for questioning as a witness in more than a dozen cases linked to him and his allies. Poroshenkos European Solidarity party has 25 seats in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraines lower house of Parliament. Even though Zelenskyys Servant of the People party dominates the Rada, Poroshenkos support is vital for voting in controversial bills, analysts say. This is 24-carat political persecution, Kyiv-based analyst and publicist Igor Solovey told Al Jazeera. They think they will make Petro [Poroshenko] more flexible and accommodating before an important [parliament] vote. Kyiv-based analyst Aleksey Kushch told Al Jazeera that there is an unwritten pact between political elites not to investigate the violence committed by the anti-Russian protesters during the Revolution of Dignity. Within this context, the activisation of certain investigations is only used as a tool of political infighting, so the real goal is not the real investigation but the pressure that can be applied to certain political groups, Kushch said. Meanwhile, some Ukrainians were also sceptical about any real jail time for Chornovil and other alleged perpetrators of violence. Shell get off the hook, she wont spend a day in jail, Yaroslav Oseledko, who for weeks supplied hot tea and snacks to protesters during the revolution, told Al Jazeera. Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL quarterback turned activist, has contributed $100,000 to a coronavirus relief fund aiding black and brown communities affected by the coronavirus. The fund was launched under Kaepernicks Know Your Rights campaign, which will go toward food, shelter relief, education, personal protective equipment and incarcerated people to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus and provide resources to underserved populations. Black and brown communities are being disproportionately devastated by COVID-19 because of hundreds of years of structural racism, Kaepernick said in a video posted on his social media accounts Thursday. Structural racism makes Black & Brown ppl more likely to die from #COVID19. @kaepernick7 launched the Know Your Rights Camp COVID-19 Relief Fund to directly impact the disproportionate effect #coronavirus is having on our communities. #WeGotUs Donate: https://t.co/drZYeE3a3O pic.twitter.com/vZwsu38nro Know Your Rights Camp (@yourrightscamp) April 16, 2020 Although most states havent disclosed racial and ethnic data on coronavirus infections, early reports in major U.S. cities like Chicago and Detroit suggest COVID-19 has disproportionately affected African American and Latino communities many of which have pre-existing conditions, jobs that cant be done remotely, and are less likely to trust their doctors. Thats why weve established the Know Your Rights Camp COVID-19 Relief Fund to help address these issues, said Kaepernick. We need each other now more than ever. Story continues Image: Colin Kaepernick, Eric Reid (Mike McCarn / AP file) In 2016, Kaepernick, 32, began kneeling for the National Anthem before games to protest police brutality and racism against African Americans. He has been an unsigned free agent for more than three years. In 2017, he filed a grievance against the NFL, accusing the league of colluding to exclude him. They later reached an undisclosed settlement. With Kaepernicks donation, the relief fund has surpassed $150,000, the website said. President Barack Obama is seen in the Oval Office at the White House on Jan. 20, 2017. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) Declassification Raises Further Questions About Timing of Obama Data Sharing Order Analysis In a newly unredacted footnote from the Department of Justice (DOJ) inspector generals report on Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) abuses, the urgency behind the FBI obtaining a FISA warrant on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page becomes clear. Inspector General Michael Horowitz in his report detailed a last-minute flurry of activity that transpired ahead of the issuance of the Page FISA, including a possible intervention from then-Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, to push a seemingly reluctant DOJ official, Stuart Evans, for approval. [3:11 p.m.] FBI lawyer Lisa Page texts McCabe: OI [Office of Intelligence] now has a robust explanation re any possible bias of the chs in the package. Dont know what the holdup is now, other than Stus continued concerns. Strong operational need to have in place before Monday if at all possible, which means ct tomorrow. [Footnote 276] I communicated you and bosss greenlight to Stu earlier, and just sent an email to Stu asking where things stood. This might take a high-level push. Will keep you posted. [3:13 p.m.] Page texts McCabe: If I have not heard back from Stu in an hour, I will invoke your name to say you want to know where things are, so long as okay with you. Footnote 276 was initially redacted in the public version of the IG report, but was declassified, among other footnotes, following a request from Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). In the declassified footnote, the IG elaborated on the urgency behind Lisa Pages communications with McCabe: [Redacted] As described below, it appears the desire to have FISA authority in place before Monday, October 17, was due, at least in part, to the fact that Carter Page was expected to travel to the United Kingdom and South Africa shortly thereafter, and the Crossfire Hurricane team wanted FISA coverage targeting Carter Page in place before that trip. Declassified Footnote Regarding EO 12333 Another unredacted footnote pertained to the FISA signoff by then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, noting that her approval provided the requisite authorization required under Executive Order 12333, Section 2.5, which requires that the attorney general has determined in each case that there is probable cause to believe that the technique is directed against a foreign power or an agent of a foreign power. The unredacted footnote, number 293, reads: Her signature also specifically authorized overseas surveillance of Carter Page under Section 705(b) of the FISA and Executive Order 12333 Section 2.5 During congressional testimony on Aug. 31, 2018, Trisha Anderson, the principal deputy general counsel for the FBI and head of the bureaus National Security and Cyber Law Branch, highlighted the unusual nature of the Page FISA application process and the unusual roles of McCabe and Yates, who provided approvals of the Page FISA before regular FBI and DOJ approvals had been obtained: There were individuals, all the way up to the Deputy Director and the Deputy Attorney General on the DOJ side, who had essentially given their approval to the FISA before it got to that step in the process. That part of it was unusual, and so I didnt consider my review at that point in the process to be substantive in nature, Anderson told congressional investigators. A major problem with the issuance of the Page FISA was that information had been provided to the FBI indicating that Page had previously worked with or on behalf of another agency, likely the CIA. That information, if provided to the Office of Intelligence (OI) or the FISA court, would have made it significantly more difficult for the FBI to claim that Page was an agent of a foreign power. EO Allowed for Dissemination of Raw Intelligence On Jan. 3, 2017, another section of Executive Order 12333, Section 2.3 Procedures for the Availability or Dissemination of Raw Signals Intelligence Information by the NSA [National Security Agency], was signed into effect by the Obama administration. James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, signed off on Section 2.3 on Dec. 15, 2016, and the order was finalized when Attorney General Loretta Lynch signed it on Jan. 3, 2017. The new order allowed for the other intelligence agencies to ask the NSA for access to specific surveillance simply by claiming the intercepts contain relevant information that would be useful to a particular mission. Crucially, privacy protection of the underlying raw data was specifically bypassed by the order. As The New York Times noted at the time, the new rules significantly relax longstanding limits on what the N.S.A. may do with the information gathered by its most powerful surveillance operations, which are largely unregulated by American wiretapping laws. On its face, the rule was supposedly put in place in order to reduce the risk that the N.S.A. will fail to recognize that a piece of information would be valuable to another agency, but in reality, it dramatically expanded government officials access to the private information of American citizens. As noted by the NY Times, historically, the N.S.A. filtered information before sharing intercepted communications with another agency, like the C.I.A. or the intelligence branches of the F.B.I. and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The N.S.A.s analysts passed on only information they deemed pertinent, screening out the identities of innocent people and irrelevant personal information. However, with the Jan. 3, 2017, approval of Section 2.3, and the associated expansion of sharing globally intercepted communications, other intelligence agencies would be able to search directly through raw repositories of communications intercepted by the N.S.A. and then apply such rules for minimizing privacy intrusions. The requirement for this broad latitude was fairly simple and spelled out in the executive order. An Intelligence Community element may intentionally select foreign communications of or concerning a U.S. person or a person in the United States if the elements compliance organization or legal counsel confirms that the targeted person is a current FISA target or has been determined to be an agent of a foreign power or employee of a foreign power and the purpose of the selection is to acquire significant foreign intelligence or counterintelligence information. As of Oct. 21, 2016, although it wasnt known to the public, Carter Page met these requirements. When the order was signed, many wondered at the timing and questioned why there was a pressing need to rush an order that allowed for significant expansion in the sharing of raw intelligence among agencies during the final days of the Obama administration. An equally valid question was why was the order so overdue. Section 2.3 was reported as being on the verge of finalization in late February 2016 as reported by the NY Times: Robert S. Litt, the general counsel in the office of the Director of National Intelligence, said that the administration had developed and was fine-tuning what is now a 21-page draft set of procedures to permit the sharing. It had been anticipated that the order would be finalized by early- to mid-2016. Interestingly, the finalized version contained a provision relating to Political Process that hadnt been in place in earlier versions of Section 2.3: 3. (U) Political Process in the United States. [Any IC element that obtains access to raw SIGINT under these Procedures will] Not engage in any intelligence activity authorized by these Procedures, including disseminations to the White House, for the purpose of affecting the political process in the United States. The IC element will comply with the guidance applicable to NSA regarding the application of this prohibition. Questions about whether a particular activity falls within this prohibition will be resolved in consultation with the elements legal counsel and the General Counsel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) (and the DoDs Office of the General Counsel in the case of a DoD IC element). [emphasis added] If the above language had been implemented in early 2016 as originally scheduled, dissemination of any raw intelligence on or relating to the Trump campaign to officials within the Obama White House would likely have been made more difficult or prohibited. In other words, prior to the signing of Section 2.3, it appears that greater latitude existed for officials in the Obama administration to gain access to information. But once the order was signed into effect, Section 2.3 granted greater latitude to interagency sharing of that information. On July 27, 2017, Devin Nunes (R-Calif), then-chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, sent a letter to the Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats regarding the ongoing leaks of classified information and the need for new unmasking legislation to address the problem. Nuness letter specifically pointed out officials within the Obama administration: We have found evidence that current and former government officials had easy access to U.S. person information and that it is possible that they used this information to achieve partisan political purposes, including the selective, anonymous leaking of such information. Nunes noted that one particular official within the Obama administration had made a huge number of unmasking request in 2016: This committee has learned that one official, whose position had no apparent intelligence related function, made hundreds of unmasking requests during the final year of the Obama administration. Of those requests, only one offered a justification that was not boilerplate and articulated why that specific official required the U.S. person information for the performance of his or her official duties. That unnamed individual is almost certainly former U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power. Interestingly, Power has denied that she was the person making the unmasking requests. Her testimony is they may be under my name, but I did not make those requests, then-House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) said of Power during an interview with Fox News Bret Baier in October 2017. The letter from Nunes also specified that Obama officials sought information from intelligence reports that was specific to Trump transition officials: The Committee also understands that Obama-era officials sought the identities of Trump transition officials within intelligence reports. However, there was no meaningful explanation offered by these officials as to why they needed or how they would use this U.S. person information, and thus, the Committee is left with the impression that these officials may have used this information for improper purposes, including the possibility of leaking. More pointedly, some of the requests for unminimized U.S. person information were followed by anonymous leaks of those names to the media. Nunes told Coats that his committee had found that the Intelligence Communitys U.S. person unmasking policies are inadequate to prevent abuse, such as political spying and asked for help from Coatss office in drafting legislation to fix the issue. That wasnt the first time that Nunes had made mention of dissemination of information from intelligence channels. On March 22, 2017, after learning of the unmasking of members of the Trump transition team, Nunes gave an impromptu press conference, followed by a more formal press conference later that day. This is information that was brought to me that I thought the President needed to know about incidental collection, where the President himself and others in the Trump transition team were clearly put into intelligence reports that ended up at this White House and across a whole bunch of other agencies, Nunes said. The press conference from Nunes followed an earlier March 2, 2017 MSNBC interview with Obamas Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Evelyn Farkas. In the interview, Farkas detailed how the Obama administration gathered and disseminated intelligence on the Trump Team, as well as how the information was disseminated: I was urging my former colleagues, and, frankly speaking, the people on the Hill, it was more, actually, aimed at telling the Hill people: Get as much information as you can, get as much intelligence as you can, before President Obama leaves the administration, because I had a fear that somehow that information would disappear with the senior people that left. So it would be hidden away in the bureaucracy. The Trump folks, if they found out how we knew what we knew about the Trump staff dealing with Russians, that they would try to compromise those sources and methods, meaning we would no longer have access to that intelligence. Farkas, who penned a Dec. 12, 2016 op-ed against then-President-elect Trump, left the Obama administration in late 2015 and campaigned for Hillary Clintons failed presidential bid. Given her early departure from the Obama administration, Farkass knowledge of the information dissemination program is all the more notable. A possible showdown is brewing in Sussex County over Gov. Phil Murphys executive orders ending public gatherings in New Jersey amid the coronavirus outbreak. The president of the Skylands Tea Party, William J. Hayden, said the local police chief warned he would be arrested if he went ahead with a protest at the county-owned Newton Green on Saturday. If Hayden moves forward anyway he was noncommittal in an interview Thursday it might be the first protest in New Jersey targeting the directives from Murphy, a Democrat. Protests against stay-at-home orders have taken place in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina and Utah, according to CNN. Murphy has closed state and county parks and banned public gatherings in an attempt to the limit the spread of the coronavirus which as of Thursday afternoon had claimed 3,518 lives in New Jersey, including 26 at a nursing home four miles from the Newton Green. Hayden told NJ Advance Media that he had planned to gather with 10 to 20 others on the Newton Green, all standing at least 6 feet apart, while live-streaming a reading of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He said he opposes closing the parks, in addition to other restrictions imposed by Murphy. Where does it end? Hayden asked. Murphy was asked Thursday what he might say to any protesters in New Jersey. The governor said his administration is making decisions as best we can based on fact, data, science. Do we always get it right? Im sure we dont always get it right. Were trying like heck," Murphy told reporters at his daily coronavirus briefing in Trenton. This virus spreads when we let our guard down." While Hayden said he had received a permit, prior to the coronavirus outbreak, to use the Newton Green on Saturday for a Patriots Day-themed event, county officials reportedly cited Murphys executive orders in reiterating that it is closed to the public. Hayden said Newtons police chief, Robert Osborn, threatened him with arrest if he went ahead with the gathering. Asked whether it will still happen, Hayden was coy. Weve got fun planned. Well leave it at that, Hayden said. Osborn declined comment on Thursday night. Hayden was similarly ambiguous on his Facebook page. After posting photos of the taped-off Newton Green on Thursday and writing, we werent going there anyway morons, he responded to one disappointed commenter by writing, there is still something planned .. you think they stopped me ... its county property. The Sussex County prosecutors office, though, is aware of the possible protest and offered an implicit rebuke. In a statement Thursday that First Assistant Prosecutor Gregory Mueller said was prompted by hints on social media of what might be happening, it thanked residents for their adherence to the governors executive orders and asserted that doing so was saving lives. Projections show that we are nearing the apex of this crisis and, with your continued cooperation, we will slow the spread of this deadly virus. We need all of you. Your actions now, and in the coming weeks, could save the life of someone you know or someone you may never meet, read the statement from the prosecutors office. Murphy expressed a similar sentiment, telling reporters, This virus spreads when we let our guard down. Were in a moment in time ... and the way we get through it is we stay home and we stay away from each other," Murphy said. Hayden said it made no sense to close county and state parks, a decision that has drawn pushback from some Republican lawmakers, while letting other locations remain open. If you have people in close proximity in a store, why not allow them in a park, Hayden said. Hayden is a construction and maintenance technician for the New Jersey Department of Transportation, but said he isnt worried about any blowback. They cant fire me, Hayden said. NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson 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. 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. Kenneth Juarez DWS Group, an asset management firm that was spun off by Deutsche Bank in 2018, has named Kenneth Juarez head of communications in the Americas. Juarez comes to DWS Group from AIG, where he most recently served as head of communications for its life & retirement business. Before joining AIG, he was a managing director in the corporate communications practice at Burson-Marsteller, where he worked with such clients as Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and Bloomberg on on issues including crisis communications for companies in the financial technology and media sectors. Prior to working at Burson, he served in financial communications executive leadership positions at both GE and the Abernathy MacGregor Group. In his new role, Juarez will work to build the DWS Group brand in the Americas, leading day-to-day external and internal communications. DWS Group currently has more than $800 billion in assets under management. The ramp from eastbound U.S. 30 to northbound Interstate 405 closes at 8 p.m. Friday and will remain closed for construction through 5 a.m. Monday, May 4. The closure is part of the Oregon Department of Transportations I-405 Ramps Project and will allow crews to repair and replace bridge joints on elevated sections of I-405 on both sides of the Fremont Bridge. The closure is all hours and days through early May 4. Travelers will need to choose an alternate route (see map). Detour map. Courtesy of ODOT Construction began March 2019 and will last through the fall of 2020. *** MAX ORANGE LINE 6:47 a.m.: TriMet reports the MAX Orange line to Portland City Center experiencing at least 15 minute delays through 7 a.m. Friday from an earlier medical activity near SE Tacoma St/Johnson Creek. *** Interstate Bridge file photo. Mark Graves/StaffMark Graves The southbound span of the Interstate Bride, Interstate 5 will close to all traffic 10 p.m.-6 a.m. Saturday to Sunday, April 18-19. Crews will be working on the draw span and lighting and will carry out required inspections. Travelers should use Interstate 205 to cross the Columbia River during the closure. Those in Vancouver can take SR 14 eastbound to the Glenn Jackson Bridge and cross into Oregon. The closure also includes the sidewalk on the southbound span. Cyclists and pedestrians can use the northbound span sidewalk. Travelers should also plan ahead for the September 12-20 closure of the northbound span to replace lift mechanism parts in the south tower. Expect major delays and consider alternate routes for that time. Visit the bridge web site for more information. The intersection of Northwest Cornelius Pass Road and Northwest Skyline Boulevard. Oregonian file photo. Sections of Northwest Cornelius Pass Road will be closed to all traffic 10 p.m. Friday-5 a.m. Saturday, April 17-18 for the movement of large industrial loads traveling from Longview, WA. Extra-large load trucks will be moving industrial equipment from Longview to Intels campus in Hillsboro. All travel lanes will be blocked during this time from U.S. 30 to Northwest West Union Road. The schedule for the weekend includes: Closure of Cornelius Pass Road between U.S. 30 and Northwest Skyline Boulevard to through traffic from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Saturday to allow the wide loads room to safely travel this section. They will then be parked for the day near the intersection with Skyline. Through traffic (except trucks) can detour around the closed section using Northwest Newberry Road and Skyline. Trucks should use the detour of U.S. 30 south to I-405 south to U.S. 26 west. From 9 p.m. Saturday until 5 a.m. Sunday, the section of Cornelius Pass Road south of Skyline Blvd. will be closed to allow the loads to be moved to Hillsboro. Through traffic can use Northwest Old Cornelius Pass Road. Trucks should continue to use U.S. 30 detour. Depending on how the move progresses, Cornelius Pass Road may need to be closed from 10 p.m Sunday until 5 a.m. Monday, April 20 to complete the move. Through traffic and trucks should use the detour of U.S. 30 south to I-405 south to U.S. 26 west. Check back throughout the morning for the latest commuting updates and follow us on Twitter: @trafficportland Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with healthcare executives in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 14, 2020. Leah Millis/Reuters In mid-March, US officials and the CDC were discouraging the public from wearing face masks and to reserve the supply for healthcare workers. Meanwhile, a team at the White House was rushing to obtain them, The Washington Post reported. A team from the National Security Council reached a deal with Taiwan which has shown low coronavirus spread despite its proximity to the epicenter of the outbreak in China for a shipment of masks. The country donated thousands of masks, 3,600 of which were procured by the White House for key officials, The Post reported. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley refuted the report, telling The Post that there was a sufficient supply for masks for the president and the first family, as well as essential staff members. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The White House worked to acquire masks for senior officials, two weeks before health officials recommended that members of the public should wear them to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, The Washington Post reported. In mid-March, White House officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were advising the public that masks wouldn't be necessary to prevent infection and masks and should be reserved for healthcare workers at the front lines treating coronavirus patients. Meanwhile, on March 14, a team from the National Security Council was looking to obtain the masks for government officials, The Post reported. They appealed to the government of Taiwan which has shown low coronavirus spread despite its proximity to the epicenter of the outbreak in China for a shipment of masks. "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 Post anonymously. "That was a lesson learned. We did look at buying some, but couldn't find available supply." Story continues Taiwan made a donation of 500,000 masks to the US in order to supplement the dwindling national stockpile. The White House kept 3,600 masks half going to NSC staff and the other half to the White House medical unit. An announcement by the Taiwanese government failed to mention that the White House would keep a portion of the donation, The Post reported. Two weeks later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and US health officials began to recommend Americans wear cloth masks in public to contain the spread of the coronavirus, which causes a respiratory illness known as COVID-19. President Donald Trump, however, has said he will not wear a mask. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told The Post that there was a sufficient number of masks to protect President Donald Trump, the first family, and essential staff, a point which was confirmed by another administration official. "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," Gidley told The Post in a statement, "and quite frankly, it's ignorant, naive or intentionally dishonest for anyone to suggest otherwise." Read the original article on Business Insider The fashion fraternity across the globe are coming together to join the fight against Covid-19 in their own creative way. From surgical and nonsurgical masks to medical kits, overalls and funds, the fashion fraternity are putting in efforts to make a difference. Recently, Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani temporarily switched all the Italian production plants to manufacture single use medical overalls. Armani shared on his Instagram post that the medical overalls will be used for individual protection of health care workers engaged in the fight against Covid-19. Similarly, the fashion designers Leon Vaz and Karan Berry at Karleo have tied with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to manufacture and distribute a total of 5000 masks in the city. The masks will be made for BMC sweepers, garbage pickers and many more to reduce the risk for those who are contributing to the society on a daily basis. We are following the standard guidelines for the making of any non-surgical masks and the BMC approved the same and suggested to make as many as possible for them due to the lack of it. We are targeting to give a batch of about 2000 masks to them every 5th day and shall continue to do so beyond 5000 as well, as per the requirements, inform the designer duo. The ban on export of masks, led fashion brand Limerick to jump in and pledge 3,000 surgical masks free of cost to health care officials at Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai. According to the brands creative director, Nanki Papneja, their company also manufactures spun bonded non-woven fabrics which are primarily used in health care products such as surgical masks, diapers, sanitary napkins etc. We were aware that because of the Covid-19 outbreak, there was a dearth of surgical masks in the country, so much that the government had not only banned the export of the masks but also declared it an essential commodity. Therefore, it made a lot of sense to us to donate these masks to Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai, adds Papneja. Also, in a small effort to utilise their skills and ability, fashion designer Pallavi Mohan along with some of her team members made 25,000 masks for hospitals. Similarly, fashion designer Neeta Lulla distributed masks among the security guards in the vicinity, and to workers, vegetable vendors in Mahim, Matunga, and Dadar. While some dedicated their skills and time to creating masks, others helped through creating funds and medical kits. Mumbai-based footwear brand Fizzy Goblet created 200 medical kits that had all essentials like sanitisers, vitamins, paracetamol medicines, masks etc that they distributed with the help of the NGO HelpAge India in Delhi to elderly people in need, and fashion designer Anita Dongre announced a medical fund of 1.5 crore to support their smaller vendors, selfemployed artisans, and partners who do not have medical insurance or coverage to prepare for medical emergencies arising from Covid-19. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON (Natural News) McDonalds has come under fire in China after one of its locations there posted a sign on the door stating that black people are not allowed to enter. The restaurant in question is situated in the southern city of Guangzhou, where tensions have been on the rise between police and Africans since a COVID-19 cluster was announced in a migrant neighborhood there. The sign stated: Weve been informed that from now on black people are not allowed to enter the restaurant. Please understand the inconvenience caused. Photos of the sign were shared online and quickly went viral, sparking outrage around the world. It has since been removed and the restaurant was shut down temporarily, according to a McDonalds representative, who categorized the sign as an unauthorized communication to our guests. The company has stated that the sign does not represent their inclusive values and that the branchs staff is being placed in values training. Guangzhou has the biggest population of African migrants in the entire Asian continent and is considered a hub for African traders who are buying and selling goods, but its hard to say precisely how large the population is as many of the Africans working there go back and forth on short-term business visas. Roughly 320,000 Africans entered or left the country through Guangzhou in 2017. So far, 111 African nationals in the city have tested positive for coronavirus, and black people living there have been subjected to mandatory testing and quarantines even if they havent traveled to other places. Health workers are said to be going door to door testing Africans for the virus regardless of whether or not they have had any symptoms or contact with confirmed cases. There have also been reports of discrimination not only at restaurants but also hotels and other public places. Some Africans have been evicted from their homes by their landlords, and videos online have shown Africans there sleeping on the street, outside police stations, and under bridges. Tensions rising over Chinas treatment of African migrants The problem is causing diplomatic rows, with envoys and ambassadors from more than a dozen African countries meeting with Chinas assistant foreign minister, Chen Xiaodong, to try to reach a solution. Xiaodong claimed at the meeting that the government of Guangdong is trying to improve the situation and act in a non-discriminatory way. The U.S. Consulate General there has advised Americans to avoid the area entirely on account of the targeted crackdown. The U.S. has accused Chinese authorities of displaying xenophobia toward people from Africa, while Beijing has accused America of using the spat for political gain to cause tensions between Africa and China. McDonalds suffering on several fronts in coronavirus wake McDonalds, meanwhile, has entered into damage control mode as they try to save their reputation and turn around their fortunes in the wake of coronavirus. Last week, the company reported that sales at its restaurants that had been open for at least one year had dropped by more than 22 percent in March thanks to coronavirus, with a 35 percent drop in the companys internationally operated markets. Although 75 percent of their restaurants around the world are currently operating, all restaurants are fully closed in France, Italy, Spain and the UK. Open locations elsewhere are shifting their focus to drive-through, takeout and delivery. Meanwhile, a localized outbreak involving at least a dozen people has been linked to two McDonalds locations in Kona, Hawaii. Those who tested positive have been a mix of employees and their family members. Workers at other McDonald locations in Illinois, Connecticut and California have also tested positive for the virus. Sources for this article include: France24.com USAToday.com BusinessInsider.com WHO chief says "regret" U.S. decision to halt funding to WHO People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 08:24, April 16, 2020 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 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 Amid allegations that not enough tests are being conducted to detect Covid-19 patients in West Bengal and the number of infections increasing steadily everyday, chief minister Mamata Banerjees government has finally decided to expand testing to include even asymptomatic people, or those showing no symptoms of the virus Swab samples [to] be taken for all symptomatic contacts, and all asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case as per Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines and in clusters and quarantine centres, as deemed fit by the local administration, said a directive issued by the state government. The step is a part of the state governments 11-point containment and treatment strategy for high-risk spots announced on Monday. Only symptomatic patients were to be tested under the strategy, which was amended on Thursday to include even asymptomatic people who may be carrying the virus. Coronavirus outbreak: Full coverage This is a huge step taken by the state government. We doctors have been banging our head against the wall for this for the last 10 days. It is because a lockdown and policing alone cannot bring desired results. We need to ramp up our tests. We need to go for random sampling. Tests, tests and more tests ae the need of the hour because we need to identify asymptomatic carriers and confine them, said Kunal Sarkar, a cardiologist. Around 12,200 people are now under observation in 582 institutional quarantine centres run by the state. They are likely to be tested, said a top official at the state health department. Earlier the ICMR had suggested that only symptomatic patients need to be tested. Now with ICMR coming up with new guidelines, we have also issued fresh guidelines. The state has also placed requisition for 50,000 rapid antibody testing kits. We will start the rapid test as soon as the kits arrive, the official added. West Bengals Trinamool Congress government has been drawing flak for allegedly not conducting enough tests.Only 3,811 tests have been conducted in Bengal, with a population of around 100 million, compared to 56,673 tests in Maharashtra, 21,384 in Uttar Pradesh and 17,650 in Madhya Pradesh. Till date, at least 205 persons have tested positive for the virus in Bengal out of whom 10 have died. Allegations have surfaced that a few other patients who died Covid-19 hadnt been included in the toll; the state government says that they had comorbid conditions that may have been responsible for their deaths. The state has set up a panel of doctors to look into such deaths before declaring whether they died of Covid-19 or other ailments. The latest directive, expanding testing to asymptomatic people, didnt silence critics. the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that t was another attempt to suppress numbers. Health minister Mamata Banerjee continues assault on Doctors rights, proscribes them from prescribing Covid tests! How is it that a doctor treating a Covid patient can neither decide on the test nor write reasons for death but local admin or some random committee can? tweeted Amit Malviya, head of the BJPs information technology cell. The health department offered no immediate clarification. Repeated calls and messages to top officials in the department elicited no response . The Union government has identified Kolkata and Howrah as red zones where the number of cases could easily double within four days. The state administration has started a house-to-house survey in high-risk containment areas to trace Covid-19 suspects who need to be quarantined. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 11:55:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close YANGON, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar President U Win Myint Friday urged people in the country to cooperate and participate in combating the COVID-19 pandemic in unity as a national duty. The Myanmar president made the remarks in his message delivered on the first day of the Myanmar calendar New Year. He extended gratitude to the staff implementing protection, containment and treatment procedures concerning COVID-19, all individuals who participated in the fight, as well as citizens who closely followed the directives and regulations during the period. The president expressed deep sadness over the fact that people could not celebrate this year's traditional Thingyan Water Festival which was canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak. He also affirmed that the government is working hard to address the pandemic through systematic preparations and processes while carrying out implementations concerning the rule of law, socioeconomic development, national reconciliation, internal peace and establishment of a democratic federal union. Myanmar has reported 85 COVID-19 confirmed cases with four deaths so far. Enditem KEY HIGHLIGHTS Government could announce payroll support for 110 million MSMEs workers and staff Towards payroll support, government may waive employers' PF contribution or reduce PF contribution for both; salary payment in two instalments FM Nirmala Sithraman met PM Narendra Modi on Thursday to finalise relief package RBI will also make announcements, sharing the burden of stimulus with the govt Close on the heels of a Rs 1.7 lakh crore relief package for poor and needy, the Centre may now announce a fiscal stimulus for industry. The package could come in phases and target worst-affected sectors like automobile, construction and textiles. But given that stress on MSMEs, a helping hand in the form of payroll support for workers is likely to precede the bigger stimulus. Towards payroll support, government may waive employers' PF contribution or reduce PF contribution for both; salary payment in two instalments With April salary date approaching for nearly 110 million MSMEs workers and staff, the government is keen that salaries and wages are paid on time. Wage support can be in the form of government sharing part of the provident fund (PF) contribution of employers or employees or both. It may also be suspension of mandatory PF contribution and allowing MSMEs to pay wages and salaries in instalments. While such measures are under consideration, firms in the MSME sector want the government to bear the salary burden for worker category for the entire lockdown period. Also read: Coronavirus Lockdown India Live Updates: RBI Governor to address media at 10am; Additional stimulus on cards? "A comprehensive relief package has been in works for nearly 20 days now. The government is almost ready with it and could announce in phases. The immediate priority is to help workers in the informal sector and MSMEs," said an official. Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to finalise the emergency relief package for the industry, workers and households. The ruling BJP's National Spokesperson (Economic Affairs) Gopal Krishna Agarwal feels there is no "pressing emergency" for the fiscal stimulus, but MSMEs need immediate support. "They (MSMEs) need hand-holding. There is no pressing emergency for a stimulus package immediately," Agarwal said differentiating financial support from fiscal stimulus. He noted that travel, tourism, hospitality and construction were the worst affected sectors and would need stimulus in due course of time. He argued that a fiscal stimulus for travel sector would not work till it gets off the ground. Adopting a gradual exit strategy from the lockdown, the Centre has allowed select industries outside coronavirus hotspots to open from April 20 provided they strictly adhere to social distancing norms and personal hygiene. Apart from e-commerce players and IT companies, a Home Ministry order has permitted factories operating from special economic zones (SEZs) and export oriented units (EOUs) to open. Further relaxation has been provided to logistics and agriculture sector. The move is indicative of government plan to allow more economic activities from May 3. Coronavirus outbreak has dealt a body blow to the economy and disrupted entire supply chain. Investment bank Barclays has estimated that India's loss of economic activity could be as high as $234 billion (Rs 18 lakh crore) in the 40-day lockdown period. Other research and rating agencies have slashed their FY21 GDP forecast for the economy with projections varying from 0 to sub-2 per cent. A section of policy-makers has been of the view that India cannot afford to go for much longer lockdown and nor is it necessary given the relatively low count of positive cases compared to other countries like US, Italy, Spain and Germany. A senior bureaucrat argued that countries in South Asia geographical region are not affected much and cited the cases of Pakistan and Bangladesh. He made a strong case for kick-starting the economy. Among measures to support the business and economy hammered by the virus, the centre's fiscal stimulus is expected to include payroll support for workers in the informal sector, liquidity support to MSMEs, recast of bank loans for large corporates and release of unpaid dues to businesses. Officials have indicated that the government would provide support to industry more in terms of deferment of statutory payments, relaxed terms for credit, restructuring of existing debt and easier procedures to raise capital from overseas markets. Since government finances itself has been under tremendous pressure due to revenue shortfall, a sizeable burden to support the industry could be on RBI. The RBI on March 27 cut its key policy rate by 75 basis points to 4.40 per cent making loan cheaper for corporates, consumers and homebuyers. It also provided three months moratorium on all term loans thus bringing much-needed relief for the borrowers. While RBI has taken a slew of measures to ensure liquidity in the market and credit supply, the industry is facing cash crunch due to payments getting stuck across supply chain. The MSMEs are worst affected as their payments remain due from PSUs, government agencies and large corporates. As Centre readies the stimulus package, it is set to provide for clearing such dues quickly. This alone could ease the problem considerably for a large number of MSMEs. As the lockdown has now been extended by another 19 days to May 3 the industry has been mounting pressure on the government to come out with emergency relief measures sooner than later. "I do feel that the stimulus package for the industry is required very strongly. I think government should do at least 5 per cent of GDP as a first phase, the size of Rs 8-9 lakh crore, to set aside for the stimulus," DCM Shriram Chairman & Senior Managing Director Ajay S Shriram told BusinessToday.in. The size of fiscal stimulus announced by various countries vary in the range of 9% to 26% of their gross domestic products (GDPs). Government think-tank Niti Aayog is learnt to have deliberated on a set of relief measures that could be part of the proposed stimulus package. It has suggested measures to help workers, households, MSMEs and large corporates. They include direct benefit transfer (DBT) for needy, payroll support for informal sector and easier credit for MSMEs. Also read: Coronavirus lockdown: Flipkart, Amazon can sell non-essential goods from April 20 [April 17, 2020] Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP, a Leading Securities Fraud Law Firm, Announces Investigation of iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. (ITHUF) on Behalf of Investors Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM"), a leading national shareholder rights law firm, today announced that it has commenced 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 the federal securities laws. If you suffered a loss on your iAnthus investments or would like to inquire about potentially pursuing claims to recover your loss under the federal securities laws, you can submit your contact information here or contact Charles H. Linehan, of GPM at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, via email [email protected] or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com to learn more about your rights. On April 6, 2020, iAnthus disclosed that it had faild 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 investigation 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. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. Whistleblower Notice: Persons with non-public information regarding iAnthus should consider their options to aid the investigation or take advantage of the SEC (News - Alert) Whistleblower Program. Under the program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Charles H. Linehan at 310-201-9150 or 888-773-9224 or email [email protected]. About GPM Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP is a premier law firm representing investors and consumers in securities litigation and other complex class action litigation. ISS Securities Class Action Services has consistently ranked GPM in its annual SCAS Top 50 Report. In 2018, GPM was ranked a top five law firm in number of securities class action settlements, and a top six law firm for total dollar size of settlements. With four offices across the country, GPM's nearly 40 attorneys have won groundbreaking rulings and recovered billions of dollars for investors and consumers in securities, antitrust, consumer, and employment class actions. GPM's lawyers have handled cases covering a wide spectrum of corporate misconduct including cases involving financial restatements, internal control weaknesses, earnings management, fraudulent earnings guidance and forward looking statements, auditor misconduct, insider trading, violations of FDA regulations, actions resulting in FDA and DOJ investigations, and many other forms of corporate misconduct. GPM's attorneys have worked on securities cases relating to nearly all industries and sectors in the financial markets, including, energy, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, real estate and REITs, financial, insurance, information technology, health care, biotech, cryptocurrency, medical devices, and many more. GPM's past successes have been widely covered by leading news and industry publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Reuters, the Associated Press (News - Alert), Barron's, Investor's Business Daily, Forbes, and Money. 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/20200417005035/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The United States on Thursday recorded a slight drop in the number of reported coronavirus deaths just a day after setting a record the day before as fatalities surpassed 2,500 within a 24-hour period. In total, a reported 2,290 Americans died on Thursday from COVID-19 - nearly reaching Wednesday's grim record of 2,524 fatalities. As of midnight on Friday Eastern time, the US has recorded 677,824 confirmed cases of coronavirus. On Thursday, the US added 31,935 cases to the coronavirus count. In total, 34,846 Americans have died of COVID-19. That figure does not include the total number of probable deaths - those individuals who died in their home or in a nursing home and did not receive a medical test since March 11. American officials said that 3,914 people are in this category of people likely to have died of the virus. A statistical model relied on by the White House projected that the peak death day would be Monday with 2,150 fatalities. 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 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, recorded a decrease in its daily death toll on Thursday. 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. 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.' 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. Trump laid out new guidelines on Thursday for states to emerge from a coronavirus shutdown in a staggered, three-stage approach meant to revive the US economy even as the country continues to fight the pandemic. The recommendations call on states to show a 'downward trajectory' of COVID-19 cases or positive tests for the disease over 14 days before proceeding with the plan, which gradually loosens restrictions on businesses that have been shuttered to blunt the spread of the virus. 'We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time,' Trump told reporters at the White House. The president had said earlier this month he wanted to reopen the economy with a 'big bang.' The plan is a set of recommendations for state governors, not orders. In that sense, it represents a backdown by Trump, who on Monday insisted he had total authority to direct states to re-open or remain closed. The responsibility for such decisions lies with state, not federal, authorities. With the onus on governors, the plan also gives Trump political cover if not everything goes well. The president, a Republican who is running for re-election in November, has faced criticism for downplaying the seriousness of the virus in the early weeks of the outbreak. The recommendations drew criticism from Ron Klain, who spearheaded the Obama administrations response to Ebola and has advised former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee. 'This isnt a plan. Its barely a powerpoint,' he said on Twitter, noting it did not include provisions to ramp up testing or set a specific standard for levels of the disease before economic opening. Democrats such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Biden said testing was key to opening the country and criticized Trumps presentation for lacking specifics. 'I wouldnt call it a plan. I think what hes done, hes kind of punted,' Biden said in an interview on CNN. The new guidelines effectively end, at least for some states, the 30-day federal virus mitigation rules that were meant to stay in place through the end of April. States that have met the criteria can move into the first phase of re-opening on Friday, Trump said. Some 29 states would be in a position to re-open soon, he said. Pakistan on Friday said a comprehensive and phased repatriation plan was underway to bring back approximately 43,000 Pakistanis stuck in different countries due to the coronavirus pandemic. Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said approximately 2,000 Pakistanis are being brought back home in the second phase of repatriation from April 14-18 through nine special flights. She said approximately 43,000 Pakistanis in different countries need to be brought back for which a comprehensive and phased repatriation plan was underway. So far, 2,287 stranded Pakistanis have been repatriated home through 12 PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) special flights from Doha, Dubai, Bangkok, Istanbul, London, Baku, Tashkent, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, Farooqui said. The spokesperson said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Missions abroad established a robust and round the clock outreach initiative to provide overseas communities with relief and assistance in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. She said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is providing Pakistan Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine, biohazard safety cabinets, test kits and related consumables to help fight the novel coronavirus through the use of a nuclear derived machine. The provision of this equipment will augment Pakistan's national capacity to conduct COVID-19 tests which are crucial in containing the spread of the disease. The Embassy of Pakistan in Vienna is coordinating with the IAEA for the equipment's early shipment to Pakistan, Farooqui said. The number of COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 7,125 on Friday after 497 new infections were reported, according to the latest official data. At least 11 people died during the period, taking the number of total deaths in the country to 135. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos boasted in a letter to shareholders that the lowest paid Amazon worker makes more than 40 million Americans in the US. Amazon raised its minimum wage to $15 in 2018; the US federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Despite offering a competitive salary for workers, the company has come under scrutiny over its warehouse conditions, most recently in the context of safety during the coronavirus pandemic. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Billionaire CEO Jeff Bezos talked up the perks of a job at Amazon in a letter to shareholders in on Thursday. 56-year-old Bezos proudly stated that the lowest paid Amazon worker makes more than 40 million Americans in the US, earning $15 an hour versus the US federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Amazon raised its minimum wage to $15 in 2018. Talking about the 2018 raise, Bezos said: "it had an immediate and meaningful impact on the hundreds of thousands of people working in our fulfillment centers. We want other big employers to join us by raising their own minimum pay rates, and we continue to lobby for a $15 federal minimum wage." Despite its competitive wages, Amazon has continued to come under scrutiny over the treatment of its workers. At present, the narrative has been centered around its warehouse workers who are protesting conditions during the coronavirus pandemic, saying they are at high risk of catching the virus. Amazon has repeatedly defended the working conditions in its warehouses, however. In a blog post online, which it continues to update, the company outlines the measures it is taking to protect workers. These include "enhanced cleaning and social distancing measures," temperature checks, and masks for workers. Since March, Amazon has hired 100,000 new workers to cope with the surge in demand and has plans to hire a further 75,000 more. In the letter, Bezos highlighted two recent hires, who had recently lost their jobs or been furloughed because of the pandemic. He said that Amazon is "happy" to hire workers until "things return to normal, and either their former employer can bring them back or new jobs become available." He continued: "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." Business Insider The two come from vastly different backgrounds. One is the slick 58-year-old former diplomat Thae Yong-ho, who has proved a natural politician and comes from an elite background in Pyongyang. The other is Ji Seong-ho, 38, who was born to an impoverished family near northernmost border with China. Two North Korean defectors won National Assembly seats in Wednesday's election for the first time ever. Thae became the first North Korean defector to be elected as a constituency lawmaker, winning 58.4 percent of the votes in the affluent Gangnam district for the conservative United Future Party. The first North Korean defector ever to enter the South Korean parliament was Cho Myong-chol, another high-profile figure who won eight years ago for the conservative UFP's predecessor, the Saenuri Party. But Cho was appointed by proportional vote. Thae, the former second-in-command at the North Korean Embassy in London, defected to the South in 2016. He uses his new name Thae Gu-min, which means "saving people" in Chinese character, and wore a bulletproof vest during his campaign for fear of a terror attack. Ji was elected through proportional representation for the Future Korea Party, a minor conservative proxy. As an orphan in a mining town in North Hamgyong Province, he was 14 years old when he tried to steal coal in order to survive but was hit by a train and lost his hand and leg. He escaped North Korea in 2006 and walked 51,000 km to come to the South. Since then he has campaigned for North Korean human rights with an organization thought to have saved hundreds of North Koreans who fled the repressive country since 2010. Ji gave a speech during U.S. President Donald Trump's state of the union address in Washington in January 2018. Policemen stand guard during an operation to ensure the curfew declared by the government due to the Covid-19 pandemic in El Callao, on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, last week While the world was slowly coming to terms with the biggest pandemic to hit the globe in a century, one Wexford woman was completely oblivious to the fact that while she was self-isolating from technology in the jungles of Peru, people around the entire world were self-isolating to protect themselves from one of the deadliest viruses to ever hit the world's population. Maeve Carey, who lives in Wexford town, is originally from Camolin, but moved with her parents to Clonhaston when she was still in school. Always interested in travelling and seeing the world, she made a trip to Colombia last October which reaffirmed her desire to explore the world a bit more. That led to her deciding to spend six weeks in South America this year and, on February 1, she left Ireland with the intention of spending time in Peru. However, what transpired was an incredible adventure that saw her emerge from the natural beauty of the jungle to find the world turned upside down. Speaking to this newspaper about the ordeal of trying to get back home to Ireland, Maeve said it was a surreal experience. 'When I left I had heard of something going on in China but there wasn't too much about it at that stage,' she said. 'I just wanted to spend time away from the world of technology and the net and to just go off-grid for a while,' she added. 'It's something I had wanted to do for some time and South America is such a beautiful place and it's a place I wanted to go to for years.' Maeve highlighted that one of the most striking things about the people of Peru is their friendliness. 'They are living on very little but yet are so giving, generous and friendly.' From that perspective, she said the experience of visiting the country was amazing. 'They are so friendly and anything that is theirs is yours and nobody hoards anything and they basically live one day at a time,' said Maeve. She also said that Peruvian people give while expecting nothing in return. 'If they had a biscuit they would offer to share half of it with you,' she said. The jungle village she stayed in is called Libertad and, highlighting how different it is compared to here, she said there is very little crime there and when someone does commit a crime, more-often-than-not, they're jail time consists of them being put in a cupboard on a platform for six hours. Some of the locals told Maeve that rarely do people who do commit crimes go into the cupboard more than twice. 'Two times seems to do the trick and it really is just a cupboard,' she said. When Maeve travelled to Colombia in October it was a 10-day trip as part of a group but she travelled to Peru on her own with the intention of spending a few weeks there. 'I even thought I might spend some time living there for a bit,' she said. While she was flying she saw the top of the Andes mountains and said they looked amazing. One of the things that was a little difficult was communicating with people because Maeve, by her own admission, doesn't have great Spanish and the people in Peru 'have no English'. On her way to Peru she flew from Europe to Bogota, in Colombia, and from there to Peru. 'I was living with an indigenous tribe and the nearest town was four hours away,' said Maeve. 'It was up in the mountains and we were sleeping in hammocks at night, covered with a plastic sheet in case it rained,' she added. Some of the villagers had shotguns to protect everyone in case a tiger attacked and they also had machetes to cut through the jungle paths. 'Cooking was over an open fire and light faded very quickly because of the trees and you're in the middle of the forest,' said Maeve. 'In the evening time we sat around a candle or fire telling stories and jokes and we went to bed early because it got dark quickly,' she added. Washing of clothes was done using a bar of soap in a nearby river. While she was in the jungle Maeve was blissfully unaware of the turmoil that was taking place across the globe. 'I had planned to be back in Ireland by March 20 anyway because there was an event in Galway that I planned to be at,' she said. However, nothing could have prepared her for what greeted her when she emerged from the jungle to the small city of Iquitos. 'I went into a restaurant there and there were some Americans there who I overheard talking about Europe being on lockdown and I thought what's that about,' said Maeve. From that moment on things began to develop very rapidly and so did the predicament that Maeve was beginning to find herself in. The Peruvian government gave an instruction that people had 24 hours to get out of the country before it went into complete lockdown. The military were brought in to patrol the streets of Iquitos and another problem facing Maeve was that for her to get out of the country she would have to get from Iquitos to Lima and then get a flight out of Peru. 'Flights weren't going and I began to think I was going to be stranded there,' she said. She went to an Airbnb because it was cheaper and was lucky to find one on the outskirts of Iquitos that was run by an Italian named David. 'He had very good English so he began to fill me in on what was happening on the TV,' said Maeve. She admitted that while she was off-grid she had no idea at all about what was happening and it shocked her when she did find out in Iquitos. She said that while she was trying to sort out her own predicament and find a way of getting to Lima and on a flight home she was also worried about what would happen if the virus hit Iquitos and the people in the jungle. 'Iquitos is a really poor and many people rely on markets and selling food to make a living,' said Maeve. 'There are also taxi drivers who basically ride motorbikes and that's how they make their living,' she added. Because of the lockdown now in place they have no means of income at all and Maeve said that's something she thinks about still. 'The curfew meant they could drive between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. but not after that at all so taxi drivers could not work during the day,' she said. 'That is how they put food on the table so their position is very serious,' she added. Through social media and platforms like WhatsApp, Maeve got in contact with other Irish people caught in the country and there was also a social group for UK and Irish people in Iquitos. 'People kept finding each other and the groups got bigger.' Through such interaction Maeve heard that the Irish Embassy was trying to arrange to get the Irish out of the country and back home. She got to know another two people from Ireland, a woman named Ciara and a man from Louth, named Danny. Maeve said that as the seriousness of the situation developed she began to wonder would she ever get out of the country. 'You start hearing about countries that were getting people out but to make the plane you obviously had to be healthy so you could on a plane if the chance came,' she said. Maeve went into self-isolation to enhance her chances of not getting sick and she said she got great help from David, the man who owned the Airbnb. 'He would ask me of I wanted anything when he went to the shop and would bring it back for me,' she said. 'I got an electric kettle, oats, milk power and chia seeds and lived on that, and boiled tap water, during my self-isolation.' The building she was in was three-storeys high with a fourth floor under construction. 'Because the fourth floor wasn't completed I was able to go up there to get some fresh air.' 'I stayed in my room and then after 12 days I had to get out just for the sake of my sanity,' said Maeve. 'There was an open kitchen there downstairs so it was ok because we were able to keep our distance,' she added 'After 12 days and with the [planned] flight not happening I said to myself that I couldn't stay in my room any longer and that's why I went down.' Maeve heard about a possible flight leaving from Lima but she still had the problem of getting from Iquitos to the Peruvian capital. She also heard about a group of Israelis who were leaving from a city called Cusco for Lima. However, the Peruvian government stopped that flight because the Israelis would have been in Lima for more than three hours. 'The government just wanted people arriving in Lima and then leaving again straight away,' said Maeve. 'They did not want anyone staying there for too long and instead wanted you moving on as soon as possible.' Maeve said that upon hearing reports that the Irish had got out of the country she was worried that she would be left behind and possibly even be forgotten about. Ireland's Ambassador to Chile, Peru and Ecuador, Paul Gleeson, then contacted Maeve and offered assistance. He put her in contact with the Austrian Honorary Consulate to Peru, Stephan Germuth, who was helping get people from EU cities out of the country. 'We still had the problem of getting from Iquitos to Lima because if we couldn't do that we wondered how we would ever get out,' said Maeve. Her predicament was compounded by the fact there is no road access to or from Iquitos. Eventually, Maeve got word that her name was on the list of passengers for a scheduled, approved flight to Santiago and from there to Frankfurt but she still had to get out of Iquitos. 'I had to get a motor taxi to get to the meeting point to get the bus to the [Iquitos] airport,' she said. However, that was a precarious position to be in too as that trip took place on a day when women were supposed to be in quarantine. 'I had been told that if we were stopped by a policeman not to go to the station because that would mean a big delay and I'd miss the flight,' she added. She kept her head down in the motor taxi but on the way to the meeting point was stopped at a military checkpoint. 'We were stopped as we headed to the meeting point and I gave the driver my phone so he could show it to the soldier as it had my [travel] permit on it and the soldier the let us go.' After she arrived at the meeting point she had to take a 20 minute bus journey to the airport. However, once there they had to wait for 40 minutes before being allowed into the airport and then they had a further four-hour wait because there was something wrong with the plane. 'Once we were on the plane we had to wear masks but when we landed in Frankfurt people were not wearing them,' said Maeve. She had to stay in the transit area of the airport and ended up sleeping on the airport seats along with Danny, from Louth, and another Russian man they met. 'We had the whole run of the airport to ourselves it was a bit surreal,' said Maeve. 'We slept on the bench and the we flew out the following day,' she added. Arriving back in Dublin airport was an emotional moment for her: 'It was just great to be back home in Ireland.' She got a Bus Eireann bus back to Wexford and there was only a couple of other people on board 'so there was plenty of space to keep apart'. Her parents were waiting outside her flat in the car when she got to Wexford and her mam had done some shopping for her and left the items at her door. Happy to be home she said everyone needs to be aware of the danger posed by the virus and said if that means staying inside that's what people need to do. 'You have to do it, because everyone is doing it and playing their part,' she said. Having already done a period of self-isolation Maeve knows she could do it again - especially given the circumstances in which she did it the first time around. 'Well this is luxurious compared to before so that's ok,' she said. 'At the moment just having the sense of security and safety or being in your own apartment is great,' she added. 'At least you know that your family and friends are just a drive away and at the end of the phone so that's good; it's a nice place to be.' Maeve also feels that lessons can be learned from the situation the world now finds itself in. 'People need to realise that other countries aren't just neighbouring territories,' she said. 'If something happens in a poorer country it can have an effect on the entire world and there is absolutely no reason why there can't be a reasonable standard of healthcare for everyone all over the world,' she added. 'People should also have enough food to eat; good things can come from all of this but we have to approach things differently.' Maeve also commented that the gardai shouldn't have to force people to stay at home. 'People should just stay at home,' she said. 'The gardai should not have to force people to stay at home,' she added. 'What needs to happen to get people to realise that this is real.' Iquitos only has a small hospital which has one ventilator and Maeve heard that police officers are beginning to get sick there now. She said the hospital will not be able to cope with any kind of pandemic. 'They are also trying to deal with dengue fever, which people are dying from, and now they have to deal with this as well.' David, the man who owns the Airbnb where Maeve stayed, bought up a lot of paracetamol and malaria medicine so that if someone needs it he has something to give them. 'The hospital is not going to be able to handle it but Iquitos is surrounded by the jungle so hopefully the people will be protected to some extent because of that,' said Maeve Some of the measures brought in include men only being able to venture out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and women only getting out on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Thursdays, with nobody allowed out at all on Sundays. 'They also brought in new quarantine measures as I left which meant nobody could go out on Thursdays and Fridays as well as Sundays,' said Maeve. 'I am really afraid that if it hits there it will get really bad and when I left they were bringing in that people could only be out between 5 a.m. and 4 p.m..' She heard that 21,000 people were arrested in Iquitos under marshal law measures for breaking the curfew as efforts intensify to keep the pandemic to a minimum. 'The rubbish is put into bags and placed out on the streets at night and then a lorry comes along at night to pick them up but I heard of a man who put out his rubbish after curfew hours and was arrested and put in jail for 24 hours,' said Maeve. She plans to work on her Spanish: 'I want to build up my Spanish because it was frustrating not being able to communicate.' For now she's happy to be home but for Maeve the world has many more places to explore when the time is right. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Ric Campo became the CEO of Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT) in 1993. 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. See our latest analysis for Camden Property Trust How Does Ric Campo's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? Our data indicates that Camden Property Trust is worth US$8.6b, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as US$4.1m for the year to December 2019. That's just a smallish increase of 1.1% on last year. We think total compensation is more important but we note that the CEO salary is lower, at US$566k. We note that more than half of the total compensation is not the salary; and performance requirements may apply to this non-salary portion. As part of our analysis we looked at companies in the same jurisdiction, with market capitalizations of US$4.0b to US$12b. The median total CEO compensation was US$7.6m. Pay mix tells us a lot about how a company functions versus the wider industry, and it's no different in the case of Camden Property Trust. Speaking on an industry level, we can see that nearly 15% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 85% is other remuneration. Our data reveals that Camden Property Trust allocates salary in line with the wider market. Most shareholders would consider it a positive that Ric Campo takes less total compensation than the CEOs of most similar size companies, leaving more for shareholders. However, before we heap on the praise, we should delve deeper to understand business performance. You can see, below, how CEO compensation at Camden Property Trust has changed over time. Story continues NYSE:CPT CEO Compensation April 17th 2020 Is Camden Property Trust Growing? On average over the last three years, Camden Property Trust has shrunk earnings per share by 38% each year (measured with a line of best fit). It achieved revenue growth of 7.9% over the last year. Few shareholders would be pleased to read that earnings per share are lower over three years. And the modest revenue growth over 12 months isn't much comfort against the reduced earnings per share. It's hard to argue the company is firing on all cylinders, so shareholders might be averse to high CEO remuneration. You might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for future earnings. Has Camden Property Trust Been A Good Investment? Camden Property Trust has generated a total shareholder return of 13% over three years, so most shareholders would be reasonably content. But they would probably prefer not to see CEO compensation far in excess of the median. In Summary... It appears that Camden Property Trust remunerates its CEO below most similar sized companies. Ric Campo is remunerated more modestly than is a normal at similar sized companies. But the business isn't growing earnings per share, and the returns to shareholders haven't been wonderful. So while shareholders shouldn't be overly concerned about CEO compensation, we suspect most would prefer see improved performance, before increasing pay. On another note, we've spotted 4 warning signs for Camden Property Trust 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. Ajay Kanth By Express News Service KOCHI: GP Saju Kumar, owner of city-based car rental Sach Cars, is a worried man as he points to the fleet of over 50 cars lying idle in front of his office at Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in the city, since the lockdown started on March 25. The rent-a-car industry is one of the nascent businesses in the state which got its formal government approval only in 2017 and Saju Kumar is one of the few entrepreneurs in Kerala who have officially launched the business by adhering to stringent licence rules of having at least five offices in tourism spots in the state and a minimum of 50 cars. We were the first among the lot to get a licence from the government to start the rent-a-cab business. Currently, there are eight firms in Kerala which are into official car rental business, he said.We have been somehow managing with the business as Keralites are yet to embrace the concept of renting a car for their travel purpose. The volume of income generated from the business is not that profitable considering the investment that goes into setting up of five offices and maintaining 50 cars. Our major customer base was NRKs and tourists. Now, the unexpected lockdown has totally crippled our business resulting in mounting debt in the form of interest to EMIs of car loans. My company has to make payment of over Rs 10 lakh as EMI for the cars. Though the Union government has announced three-month moratorium, the additional interest for the moratorium period to be levied by the banks will be a huge burden on us, he said. Mathew Joji Abraham of LAA Cabs in Tiruvalla said the rent-a-cab industry will meet an untimely death if the state and Union government fail to intervene. As per our assessment, we will be facing a mounting loss of at least Rs 10 lakh per month in the coming six to five months. Our main client base is NRKs and considering the current scenario, it will take a minimum of five to six months for the business to return to normalcy, he said. He added, The government should offer us some relief in the form of subsidising a percentage of the additional interest to be levied by banks for EMI moratorium period, extending the permit and licences for another year and permission to shed a few cars for a specific period. We ask our community to help Mental Health for Heroes rally support for the medical community by bringing together mental health resources throughout Texas. Patterson Law Group, a Texas-based personal injury law firm, is proud to announce a new partnership with Readiness Group, LLC. This partnership, Mental Health for Heroes, will provide quality crisis intervention and counseling services to Texas medical workers directly involved in the Covid-19 response. Both as a law firm and generally as a community, we owe a great debt to our healthcare workers, says Travis Patterson, Managing Partner of Patterson Law Group. What they are doing right now in response to this pandemic is the most heroic thing Ive ever seen. They are doing whatever it takes to save the lives of complete strangers, even though it means often putting themselves and their own loved ones at risk. The mental toll all of it must have on them is staggering, but they somehow continue to put one foot in front of the other. If they need someone to work through this fight with (which is completely to be expected), its our mission to support them. Its the least we can do for these heroes. The purpose behind this initiative is to nurture and build mental resiliency in the medical workers on the front line of the Texas Covid-19 response. The stress and fear that is being placed on these heroes and their families is yet to be fully realized. But, we cannot wait to act. We know it is immensely challenging to do a job in the face of fear, tragedy, and uncertainty. That is why we are stepping up to provide the mental health support and relief our healthcare heroes need to remain in action and at the top of their games. Our initial goal is crisis intervention, but we want to do more. We want to provide long-term solutions. To do so, we have designed a three (3) phase approach: Current Phase (Free Initial Service): Crisis Intervention: Initial donations will provide free Crisis Interventions and Resiliency Checks to healthcare professionals who are feeling overwhelmed by their role in the response to the Coronavirus all done via HIPAA-compliant telehealth platforms. Future Phases (Cost-Effective Continuation of Care): Recovery: As we gain momentum raising funds, donations will also go toward providing six (6) free therapy sessions for health care professionals screened through the Resiliency program and determined to be in need of further therapy. Sustainability: Sustainability of mental healthcare for our medical community. The initial crisis intervention calls (to be provided free of cost) will focus on trauma intervention, bringing chaos to calm, and developing a plan for moving forward. The recovery phase will offer traditional counseling and education components to keep the calm as we emerge from the COVID-19 crisis. The sustainability phase will provide long-term access to mental health providers to maintain the calm well after we beat the pandemicthrough whatever else life throws at these heroes. The goal is for the Recovery and Sustainability phase services to be provided with minimal to no out-of-pocket costs to our heroes. We need donations to make this happen. All therapists will be Texas licensed clinicians trained in trauma response, the intervention process, and the medical culture. We ask our community to help Mental Health for Heroes rally support for the medical community by bringing together mental health resources throughout Texas and making them readily available to our medical professionals. Please donate to our GoFundMe campaign. A $1,000 donation will provide twenty (20) crisis intervention sessions or ten (10) counseling sessions. Readiness Group is thrilled at the opportunity to partner with Patterson Law Group to rally the mental health community to support our local medical heroes, says Dr. Brenda Tillman, LPC-S, Ph.D., Owner at Readiness Group, LLC. We know that the support is out there and ready to respond. Mental Health for Heroes will consolidate these resources and make them readily available and affordable for Texas Medical Workers. Mental Health for Heroes, by and through its partners at the Readiness Group, is establishing a network of trained therapists to provide crisis intervention responses seven (7) days per week. Participating therapists will receive training on the culture of the medical community as well as how to carry out Crisis Intervention calls. If you are an agency interested in providing support to this cause, please email us at hello@mentalhealthforheroes.org. Readiness Group will contact you to discuss your participation! About Mental Health for Heroes: Mental Health for Heroes is an organization created to meet the mental health needs of the Texas healthcare heroes on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight. Mental Health for Heroes will provide free crisis interventions for individuals who are feeling overwhelmed by their role in response to COVID-19. These calls will focus on trauma intervention, bringing chaos to calm, and developing a plan for moving forward. All therapists will be trained in trauma response, the intervention process, and the medical culture. Mental Health for Heroes is primarily funded through a GoFundMe-funded campaign. Mental Health for Heroes applied for expedited 501(c)(3) tax status on April 16, 2020. We are confident that status will be obtained, but make no guarantees. If granted, your donation should be treated as any other donation you make to a recognized 501(c)(3) organization. To read more about Mental Health for Heroes, please visit https://mentalhealthforheroes.org/. About Patterson Law Group: Patterson Law Group has been representing Texans for their personal injury claims since 1995. They learned a long time ago the value of high-level mental health counseling for individuals who have been through trauma, as well as the value of partnerships with medical providers who only want whats best for patients. To read more about Patterson Law Group and the legal services they provide, visit https://pattersonpersonalinjury.com/. About Readiness Group: Readiness Groups focus over the last twenty (20) years has been aligning with first responders, military, and medical organizations to build resilient communities. The fundamental purpose of these communities is to change the negative stigma associated with mental health and trauma response. By using a mind-body approach, the RG team educates individuals in the Science of Trauma and develops specific programs that foster a trauma-informed culture at the peer level. The primary mission of Readiness Group is developing communities that bring individuals, organizations, families, and resources together to build strength and resiliency. To read more about the Readiness Group mission, visit https://www.readinessgrp.com. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions Navy assures Phuket fishing fleet clear of COVID-19 PHUKET: Vice Admiral Cherngchai Chomcherngpat of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command today (Apr 17) announced that Phukets fishing fleet was COVID-free as he led inspections of fishing crews as part of the efforts to help prevent the spread of virus. marineCOVID-19Coronavirusdeatheconomicsmilitary By Eakkapop Thongtub Friday 17 April 2020, 07:52PM Officers at the fishing port were issued face shields and sanitiser to protect themselves from infection. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Phukets fishing fleet is free from COVID-19, Vice Admiral Cherngchai Chomcherngpat of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command said today (Apr 17). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub An officer at the fishing port checks a crewman for possible infection. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Phukets fishing fleet is free from COVID-19, Vice Admiral Cherngchai Chomcherngpat of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command said today (Apr 17). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub V/Adm Cherngchai also serves as Director of the Third Area Commands Maritime Enforcement Coordination Centre (THAI-MECC Area 3), a body set up to regulate and enforce laws protecting workers in the fishing industry in the wake of the fishing slavery scandal that rocked the Thai fishing industry a handful of years ago and led to Thailand facing dramtic economic punishments from the EU and the US if the country did not improve its efforts to prevent human trafficking. Today, the focus was on COVID-19 and preventing the spread of the virus throughout the fishing industry, and came after an illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing boat seized by the Navy in 2016 blazed near the harbour last night. (See story here.) During todays visit to Phuket Fishing Pier, V/Adm Cherngchai and his entourage visited the Phuket Port In and Port Out Control Center (Phuket PIPO), commanded by Capt Kriangkrai Lai-ngen of the Royal Thai Navy. The visit was held to give the officers encouragement, hear about their problems firsthand, hand out virus personal protective equipment and to observe fishing boat inspections. The operation result is in accordance with the regulations. Staff have good morale, was the official appraisal of operations at the centre. Although all land, air and sea ports of entry to Phuket have been closed due to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the fisheries industry is allowed to continue to operate as they provide essential consumer goods. No other marine activities are allowed in Phuket, V/Adm Cherngchai explained. Fishing is an important industry which directly affects the economy of Phuket and it has not been affected by COVID-19, V/Adm Cherngchai proclaimed. Thai-MECC Area 3 officers instructed the PIPO officials to wear protective equipment while conducting inspections, and handed them face shields and sanitiser. PIPO officers were also ordered to make sure the fishing fleet also took measures to protect their crews and not to bring risk groups" into the area. At present, about 240 fishing boats enter and leave Phuket waters each day, of which about 90 boats are inspected. Only one to two of these are considered among risk groups that need to be inspected, it was explained during the visit today. Thai-MECC Area 3 is worried about the fishermen who live close together. If an infection occurs, it will affect the entire boat, affect port use, and affect fishermen and the whole system of Phuket, V/Adm Cherngchai noted. Therefore, there are precautionary measures to prevent the infection of COVID-19, which includes repeated screening [for the virus], he said. No fishermen have been found infected with COVID-19, V/Adm Cherngchai repeated. Similar measures are in force in other Andman provinces, such as Phang Nga and Satun, V/Adm Cherngchai explained. As many boats cannot return to their home ports due to the ban on all boats travelling between provincial waters, many boats are still operating from the provinces they were in when the ban came into force, he said. Thai-MECC Area 3 supports the screening of fishing vessels in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on all fishing boats in the Andaman Sea, V/Adm Cherngchai said. Flash Unknown motorcyclist shot dead six local employees of the U.S. military base in Bagram airfield of Afghanistan's Parwan province on Thursday, provincial government spokesperson Wahida Shahkar said Friday. According to the official, an unknown "terrorist riding a motorbike" opened fire on the vehicle of local employees of Bagram airfield at 09:40 p.m. local time outside the base when they were going home on Thursday, killing six on the spot and wounding three others. Investigation has been initiated into the incident, said the spokesperson, without providing more details. However, the Taliban outfit, which inked a peace deal with the United States on Feb. 29 in Doha, has rejected its involvement in the deadly attack. Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for the Taliban group in contact with media said the attack on the employees of Bagram base has no link with the Taliban fighters. AdventHealth hospitals in the West Florida Division are now providing rapid testing using the Cepheid Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 device for patients who are in our care and meet the evaluation criteria for coronavirus (COVID-19) testing. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA gave emergency authorization for the device and its specialized cartridges to be used for rapid laboratory testing. The testing device, which is standard in all AdventHealth West Florida Division hospitals, can provide rapid detection of COVID-19 in approximately 45 minutes, improving the turnaround time on test results. The new rapid testing will launch in two phases. Phase one will launch immediately at AdventHealth Tampa, AdventHealth Ocala and AdventHealth Sebring hospitals. Phase two will launch with all remaining AdventHealth West Florida Division hospital locations by the end of April. AdventHealth is aggressively pursuing and implementing the best testing options available in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, said Jose Tirado, Jr., Division Director of Laboratory Services, AdventHealth West Florida Division. This new rapid test is an important tool, and advantage, for our physicians and providers who need expedited lab results in order to provide immediate treatment to patients and improve clinical outcomes. By implementing the new rapid testing, AdventHealth is helping to alleviate the burden on private labs that are inundated with COVID-19 test samples for processing. Last month, AdventHealth Tampa began in-house testing for patients who meet evaluation criteria for COVID-19 in Florida. Both the rapid testing and standard in-house testing can only be facilitated with a physicians order for patients who meet the evaluation criteria as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Frequently Asked Questions Q: Where do I go if I want to be tested? If you are sick and exhibiting symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath), you should seek treatment with your primary care physician. Existing AdventHealth Medical Group patients can call DOC-2DAY to set up in-person or video visits with a physician. The public can also call the free AdventHealth Coronavirus Information Hotline at 1-877-VIRUS-HQ ( Call1-877-847-8747) which is open 24/7. *Please note: Currently, the public is not allowed to order their own COVID-19 test at an AdventHealth hospital, physician practice or Centra Care urgent care. The test must be ordered by a physician. Q: I have questions about COVID-19 or AdventHealths testing capabilities, how can I learn more? To ask general questions about COVID-19, get screened, find testing locations, or speak to a nurse, you can call the free AdventHealth Coronavirus Information Hotline at 1-877-VIRUS-HQ ( Call1-877-847-8747) which is open 24/7. Learn more, take an online screening assessment or connect to a doctor video visit online at CoronavirusResourceHub.com. Q: Can I get a coronavirus test at AdventHealth if I am not sick? Not at this time. Currently all tests are designated for those who are exhibiting symptoms and meet the testing criteria. Q: I have a fever and cough. Will I be automatically tested for COVID-19? No. Fever and cough are common symptoms for other illnesses, including the flu. Physicians will evaluate your symptoms, travel history, potential for exposure and other factors and determine if a COVID-19 test is appropriate for you. They will also test you for other viruses, including the flu. Q: How can I be tested? A physician must order a COVID-19 test based on testing criteria guidelines. Q: Does AdventHealth share test results with the Florida Department of Health? Yes. AdventHealth shares COVID-19 test results with the Florida Department of Health as required by regulation. About AdventHealth West Florida Division The West Florida Division of AdventHealth has some of the nations brightest medical minds making lifesaving breakthroughs with surgical pioneers, scientists and researchers using leading edge technology and innovation to deliver our brand of whole-person care. Our network of care includes AdventHealth Carrollwood, AdventHealth Connerton, AdventHealth Dade City, AdventHealth Lake Placid, AdventHealth North Pinellas, AdventHealth Ocala, AdventHealth Sebring, AdventHealth Tampa, AdventHealth Wauchula, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and AdventHealth Zephyrhills, as well as five freestanding offsite Emergency Rooms including AdventHealth Brandon ER, AdventHealth Central Pasco ER, AdventHealth Palm Harbor ER, AdventHealth TimberRidge ER, and AdventHealth Westchase ER. We are more than hospitals, as we have a robust system of care including long-term acute care, over 200 primary care and specialty employed physicians, Express Care at Walgreens clinics, Centra Care urgent care centers, wound care, physical therapy, home care, mobile mammography and more. AdventHealth is a faith-based not-for-profit health care system with a mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ. AdventHealth has hundreds of care sites and nearly 50 hospitals across the United States. For more information about AdventHealth, visit AdventHealth.com, or Facebook.com/AdventHealth. Singapore on Friday said that 558 new coronavirus cases out of 623 reported on Friday were from dormitories used for foreign workers. "A total of 558 new cases are from foreign worker dormitories, while 37 are work permit holders residing outside dormitories," said the Singapore's Health Ministry. The total number of coronavirus infections in the country now stands at 5,050, with 11 deaths. National Development Minister Lawrence Wong has warned Singaporeans, saying a "long fight" with COVID-19 may last "many more months, and likely beyond the end of the year". "We have to be prepared for future waves of infection and we have to steel ourselves for a long fight," he said in a Facebook post on Friday. Minister Wong, who is part of the Muti-ministry Task Force to combat COVID-19, said the number of cases among foreign workers should be expected to remain high as authorities continue to actively test and isolate workers who caught the coronavirus. "The vast majority of the workers are young, and they tend to have very mild cough/cold symptoms that are not picked up by temperature taking alone. "So, the teams are working doubly hard to sweep through the dorms and test the workers, and this is also the reason why we are seeing such high reported cases every day," he said in a Facebook post on Friday. "We have to expect the numbers to remain high for some time as we continue this effort to swab, test and isolate the workers," he added. Of the new cases announced on Friday, 69 per cent are linked to previously identified clusters while the rest are pending contact tracing. Twenty-seven cases reported on Friday were local from the community. Twenty-two of the 2,113 confirmed cases in hospital are in critical condition in the intensive care unit. Most of the rest are stable or improving. A total of 2,218 cases who are clinically well but still test positive for COVID-19 are isolated and cared for at community facilities. Twenty-five more patients have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities on Friday. In all, 708 have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged. Since measures to contain the spread of deadly disease, the "circuit breaker", was implemented on Apr 7, the number of new cases in the community has decreased, "from an average of 40 cases per day in the week before, to an average of 32 per day in the past week", the ministry said. "The circuit breaker measures appear to have helped, but we still have to monitor carefully the numbers over the next few days," it said. The Ministry has been detecting new cases by testing "a small sample of patients at our primary care facilities" for COVID-19 as part of an ongoing surveillance programme. This indicates the presence of undetected cases in the community, the Ministry added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After comparing how infections from SARS-CoV-2 (which causes COVID-19) and two other human coronaviruses develop in cynomolgus macaques, researchers report that SARS-CoV-2 gives the animals a mild COVID-19-like disease. The results - based on a combination of experimental and historical infection data - suggest these animals are a promising model for testing COVID-19 therapeutics. Treatments for COVID-19 are urgently needed, as are animal models to test them. Which animal(s) can be used most precisely to model the efficacy of control measures in humans remains a question. To better understand key pathways in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2, Barry Rockx et al. infected young and old cynomolgus macaques with SARS-CoV-2 (from a strain from a German traveler returning from China), as well as with MERS-CoV, comparing their results with historical reports of infections by SARS-CoV. All experiments were performed under Biosafety Level-3 conditions. SARS-CoV-2 leads to mild infection with little to no symptoms, the authors report, even as animals infected were shedding the virus; this is similar to how asymptomatic humans shed the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Viral RNA was detected at higher levels and for longer duration in older macaques, the authors report, though none showed the severe symptoms that older humans do. Also, like influenza, the animals shed the virus from the respiratory tract very early during infection as compared to with SARS-CoV; this could explain the explosive global spread of COVID-19 and why case detection and isolation may not be as effective as it was for controlling SARS-CoV. The macaques infected with MERS-CoV did not develop notable symptoms during study period. "This study provides a novel infection model which will be critical in the evaluation and licensure of preventive and therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2 infection for use in humans," write the authors. ### April 17 : Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez recently celebrated the Sinhala New Year at home and practiced social distancing in her own way. Though we dont see her often in Bollywood films, she has been a busy girl in various other projects. Recently, she was seen in a lovely retro-styled song Genda Phool, and then last she had also acted in a Netflix film named Drive along with Sushant Rajput. Today, however, she has shared that she will yet again seen in a new film on Netflix. It has been titled, Mrs. Serial Killer. The post announced that Playing Sona Mukerjee, a loyal wife who sets out to prove her husbands innocence. How far will she go for love? This one is close to my heart and excited to share that the trailer will be out at 12 PM on @netflix_in on 17 April!! Mrs. Serial Killer premieres May 1 If you read her post, it can be understood that viewers can get to see the trailer today on April 17, by 12 pm. The web film will be premiered on May 1, on Netflix too. The lead roles will be played by Jacqueline as the wife, along with Manjo Bajpayee and also Mohit Raina. Along with this cast, Zayne Marie, Aamir Khans niece will be showcasing her debut performance in this movie. It will a Shirish Kunder film and produced by Faraha Khan (his wife) The storyline revolves around the life of a couple who are deeply in love. Once the wife finds out that her husband has been wrongly accused, she thinks on how to prove that he is innocent. He has also been jailed and framed up for a couple of serial murders. For this, she crafts out a plan to perform a kill in the same way the original crime was done. About 68 local firms are producing medical face masks and healthcare equipment The Government Office on April 15 announced the Prime Ministers conclusion at the latest government meeting regarding COVID-19 prevention. Accordingly, the PM agreed to export medical face masks, protective suits, and other healthcare equipment to countries suffering a heavy impact from the epidemic. According to Resolution No.20/NQ-CP dated February 28 outlining the export licensing regime for medical face masks during the COVID-19 prevention period, a maximum of 25 per cent of the products are allowed to be exported and 75 per cent will be retained for domestic use. However, the PM required the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and other relevant ministries to quickly adjust regulations to avoid missing the huge demand for healthcare equipment and medical masks cross the world. Many markets have been stepping up the manufacturing of face masks and healthcare equipment, including China and Vietnam. In addition to anti-viral masks, textile and garment firms have poured more investment in production lines of protective suits and have been receiving orders from Europe and America. According to the MoH, about 68 local firms are producing these items. Several textile companies have started shifting business to these goods such as May 10 and TNG. May 10 estimated to deliver about 700 million medical face masks to its foreign partners in July 2020. TNG also plans to begin production in May. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, apprehending community transmission in the state, on Friday urged people to avoid crowding the markets and hinted at stricter implementation of lockdown rules to combat coronavirus. Over the last three days, 63 persons tested positive for novel coronavirus infection. The states cumulative figure of Covid-19 positive cases rose from 69 on April 4 to 255 on April 16, according to the Union ministry of health and family welfare. The prospect of community transmission looms large if we do not implement the lockdown strictly. I dont want to see crowds in the markets. Armed police personnel will also be deployed in markets if necessary, she said on Friday. Also watch | COVID-19 | Doubling rate reduced since lockdown, growth factor down 40%: Govt The CM said that every market must have hand sanitisers for people to use before they step in. The administration has relocated most of the markets to spacious areas nearby over the past three days. There was a significant change in the chief ministers approach. The chief minister had so long been insisting that the state would have a lockdown with a humane face and instructed the police not to indulge in excesses. However, on Friday, she said, Whoever breaks lockdown will face legal action. We will land in great danger if the lockdown is not strictly followed. She also took a dig at governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, though without naming him, for seeking central paramilitary forces to enforce lockdown in Bengal. Incidentally, Dhankhar on April 15 had written in a social media post that the state should requisition central forces, a demand that was later supported by Bharatiya Janata Party national secretary Rahul Sinha, among others. On Friday, the chief minister said, Some people are seeking central paramilitary forces for the sake of petty politics. Why should we need central forces when the state police are doing so well? BJP leaders, however, attributed the chief ministers toughening of stand to their effort in putting pressure on the state government. The Centre had warned the state. The governor had raised an alarm. We have been persistently raising the issue. All these factors have led to her waking up from a slumber, said BJP state unit president Dilip Ghosh. Banerjee also flagged the issue of infiltration through the Bangladesh border and said, People keep entering through the borders with Bangladesh in 24-Parganas. It must be ensured that no one enters through the border with Bangladesh. The Border Security Force (BSF), however, said that the border has remained entirely sealed. We are maintaining a strict vigil and there has been no case of infiltration from Bangladesh, said S S Guleria, spokesperson of BSF South Bengal Frontier. She said that the situation in Howrah district is ultra-sensitive and that some wards in Kolkata are also red zones. No one will be allowed to enter or move out of red zones, said the chief minister. Chief secretary Rajiva Sinha said that 81% of the states Covid-19 positive cases are from urban areas, especially urban Howrah and northern and central part of Kolkata. Banerjee has fixed targets for three weeks for the state and district administrations to bring back red zones into green zones. Kolkata and Howrah, will have to come back to the orange zone within 14 days and then in another seven days to the green zone. Kolkata and Howrah are a challenge for us, she added. She also warned the top brass of some districts which presently have very few or no cases that she would not spare them if there is any outbreak in their districts. The state, however, has allowed inter-district movement from Friday. Commenting on this, the chief minister said, Even though there is still no inter-state movement of migrant workers, inter-district movement has started from Friday. So we have to take special care, she added. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the nations economy, healthcare system, and social environments, tech companies are coming to the aid everywhere. Millions of businesses have sent employees home to work with many people now having been at home for five weeks or longer. For many, the transition has been easy from a technology perspective those who had already made the move to the cloud. But others delayed moving to teleworking, or rushed to concoct makeshift solutions while they figured out how to best handle the crisis. Fortunately, countless tech vendors have come to the aid of those businesses and are offering their communications services, including video conferencing and unified communications platforms, at no cost. Many are also bringing their technology to the front lines of the coronavirus battle, giving first responders, healthcare workers, and government organizations the tools they need to safely serve their communities. Among them, Verizon set up its Verizon Response Team (VRT) early in the outbreak to deploy emergency services and solutions to COVID-19 response sites and teams across the country. Its teams are supporting pandemic operations in more than 30 states. VRT assistance has included portable cell sites, WiFi hotspots, charging stations, mobile devices, and other technology to ensure reliable communications for essential personnel. Rhode Island Virtual Call Center Verizon set up a virtual call center in Rhode Island to help the Rhode Island Department of Health accommodate a massive increase in call volumes from residents looking for information and guidance about COVID-19. With the cloud-based call center, calls are being routed to the right teams and agents, who need only a browser and headset or phone to handle calls. We understood that a project of this size and scope normally takes 45-60 days, and together we did it in 48 hours, said Brian Tardiff, the States Chief Information Security Officer. In addition to adding the service and getting it up and running, we also trained the agents on the system, completing the entire scope of work and taking calls from Rhode Islanders in a matter of hours, not weeks. Emergency Operations Base in Queens In Fort Totten Park in Queens, New York, Verizon provided a mobile cell site as well as landline connectivity to support an emergency base of operations for emergency responders, including the military, fire department, and medical teams. The site is managing as many as 300 ambulances and could be set up as a field hospital to handle hospital overflow. In addition, Verizon provided hundreds of smartphones and other devices within a 24-hour window to the U.S. National Guard, which was called into New York City Nursing Homes During Shelter in-Place Most residents across the country have been ordered to shelter in place to curb the spread of the virus. That includes nursing home residents, who suddenly find themselves cut off from their friends and family and even other residents. In New Mexico, Verizon worked with the Aging and Long-Term Services Department to bring hundreds to tablets to facilities across the state, so residents could continue to communicate with others including seeing each other over video. As you can imagine, this level of social distancing can be very difficult for families that are separated from their loved ones, said Katrina Hotrum-Lopez, Cabinet Secretary, State of New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services. We have received so much feedback from family members and nursing home residents who are using these tablets to connect with each other they are so grateful. There are only a few specific examples of Verizon bringing its technology to help contain a virus that has infected more than 2.2 million people globally, and nearly 700,000 in the United States. While the debate rages over how long stay-at-home mandates will remain in effect, what certain is these organizations will benefit from the technology implementations, which include: Standing up temporary emergency operations centers, hospital facilities and testing centers in areas like state parks, convention centers and vacant buildings by deploying network coverage; Connecting quarantine sites by deploying network coverage; Providing portable hospitals with WiFi connectivity; Facilitating communications at testing facilities by issuing smartphones and tablets; Keeping teams connected at critical care units, testing facilities and emergency operations; centers by providing charging stations for medical staff, emergency management services, law enforcement and other first responders; Issuing smartphones and charging units for emergency operations centers; and Enabling communications for emergency management field workers by deploying smart phones and providing network coverage. The Verizon Response Teams extreme sense of urgency, combined with its ability to cross multiple segments whether healthcare, education, emergency management, or law enforcement furthers the missions of those we serve by delivering the connectivity and solutions they need on a moments notice, said Andres Irlando, senior vice president and president, Public Sector and Verizon Connect at Verizon. The COVID-19 pandemic marks the first time the VRT has worked on a national crisis, and despite running at nearly five times its normal number of deployments, the VRT continues to operate effectively and deliver for response teams serving communities across the country. For the latest in COVID-19 technology news from across the world, visit Pandemic Tech Report. Edited by Erik Linask 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. DESPITE the local government unit (LGU) pushing through with the opening Friday of the Marikina City Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, the facility won't be getting the approval of the Department of Health (DOH) until April 22, 2020. In a radio interview, DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said the facility is not expected to be accredited as a testing laboratory for the novel coronavirus until next week. "According to (DOH) Undersecretary (Maria Rosario) Vergeire, the (Marikina) laboratory will likely be accredited already by Wednesday," said Duque. His announcement comes amid the decision of Marikina Mayor Marcy Teodoro to open their own Covid-19 testing facility without DOH approval. Teodoro had cited the snail-paced accreditation process of the DOH as the reason for the delay in the commissioning of the laboratory. Duque defended the accreditation process, noting that they are dealing with a highly contagious virus. "Safety is our number one concern as this is a live virus we are dealing with. If the safety of the laboratory is not ascertained, it can result to an epidemic beginning in the laboratory and may even reach the community," Duque said. "This is the reason why we are being very strict in following our set of standards and criteria," added Duque. Earlier, the DOH warned that opening the Marikina laboratory without appropriate certifications will expose more people to undue harm. The DOH also assured Marikina that they are allies in the battle versus Covid-19 but that this should not come at the expense of the scientific process of accrediting laboratories. The DOH has so far accredited 15 molecular laboratories as testing centers for the novel coronavirus, or Sars-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes Covid-19. (HDT/SunStar Philippines) A teenager has been remanded in custody with a recommendation he receive a mental health assessment after he was charged with the murder of a young man who was stabbed to death near his home in Dublin. Father-to-be Glen Osborne, 20, from Taafe Place, Ballybough, D.3, was stabbed in the upper body in a car park outside Ballybough House just before 10pm on Wednesday. Paramedics treated him at the scene before he was rushed to the Mater Hospital where he died a short time later. A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, from Dublins north inner city had been arrested and was detained at Mountjoy Garda station. He appeared before a special late sitting of the Dublin Childrens Court this evening. Dressed in a grey top, black tracksuit trousers and runners, his visibly upset mother accompanied him from the custody section into the courtroom. His grandparents and an aunt were given permission by Judge Brendan Toale to sit in during the proceedings which the general public are not allowed to attend. His mother sat closest to the boy, who sat silently throughout the hearing, glancing around the court and over to his family during the hearing. Due to the Covid-19 crisis the courtroom has been partitioned with a glass barrier. In evidence, Detective Sergeant Kenneth Hoare told Judge Brendan Toale the teenager was arrested at 4.38pm for the purpose of charge today, following directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). In response to the charge after caution, he had no response, made no reply at all, Detective Sergeant Hoare said. The teenager, who was charged in the presence of his mother, was handed a copy of the charge sheet, the court was told. Judge Toale said given the nature of the charge and the boys age he was satisfied to grant legal aid. The Childrens Court does not have jurisdiction to consider a bail application in a murder case. Defence solicitor Brian Keenan indicated consent to remand in custody for one week. He also said he wished to flag to the court that he had very significant concerns for the boys mental health. This, he said, was heightened due to the fact his client was a child, aged 16, facing a murder charge. He sought a recommendation from the court to the director of the Oberstown juvenile detention centre for a multi-disciplinary assessment of the boy in custody. Mr Keenan said, That will assist everyone moving forward with this case. Judge Toale said he had no difficulty in recommending the mental health assessment. The boy was remanded in custody to appear again on April 24 next for formal directions from the DPP. At the end of the hearing the teen spoke briefly to his distraught family, who hugged and kissed him, before he was escorted from the courtroom to await transfer to the Oberstown detention centre. He has not yet indicated how he will plead. Due to the nature of the charge, an application for bail would have to be brought before the High Court. Section 93 of the Children Act states that no report shall be published or included in a broadcast which reveals the name, address or school of any child concerned in the proceedings or includes any particulars likely to lead to the identification of any child concerned in the proceedings. The judge said these reporting restrictions applied. The scene where Mr Osborne was injured, which is overlooked by several flats, was preserved for technical and forensic examination. Gardai have appealed for witnesses or people with information to come forward. They are particularly interested in speaking to any motorists, taxi drivers in particular, with dash cam footage of the Ballybough area around the time of the incident. Shortly before he died, Mr Osborne posted ultrasound photos with a message for his unborn son. It read: I just cant wait till youre born, to see you, to get a father and son bond, Ill be there for you no matter what ..........youll be born in the next few months and youll never have me out of your life. B2Gold Corp BTG recently delivered record annual gold production and gold revenues for first-quarter 2020. Operational Update In the first quarter, the company recorded consolidated gold production of 250,632 ounces, 7% above the budget level. It marks a year-over-year increase of 25% driven by the Fekola Mine in Mali. Consolidated gold revenues were $380 million on sales volume of 239,500 ounces compared with the $264 million on sales of 203,400 ounces in the prior-year quarter. Increase in gold revenues was driven by a 22% increase in the average realized gold price and 18% increase in gold ounces sold. The company witnessed solid performances across its Fekola, Masbate and Otjikoto mine operations outpacing the respective targeted production for the quarter. Encouraging Outlook Backed by the current assumptions in 2020, B2Gold is well poised to gain from a strong operational and financial performance. The company has reaffirmed the consolidated production and financial guidance, backed by the better-than-expected performance of its operating mines. B2Gold continues to expect gold production between 1,000,000 and 1,055,000 ounces for 2020. Cash operating costs are envisioned between $415 and $455 per ounce and All-in sustaining costs (AISC) are projected between $780 and $820 per ounce for the year. Mining Operations in Detail Fekola mine recorded gold production of 164,011 ounces during the first-quarter 2020, 9% above the budget. It also highlights year-over-year growth of 49%. Significant increase in gold production primarily resulted from the expansion of the Fekola mining fleet as well as optimization of the pit designs and mine plan for the current year. The low-cost Fekola mine is projected to produce between 590,000 and 620,000 ounces of gold this year. Cash operating costs are expected between $285 and $325 per ounce and AISC between $555 and $595 per ounce. The mines expansion is on track and is expected to be completed by the end of the third-quarter 2020. However, the company has temporarily suspended the off-grid Fekola solar plant project due to the coronavirus outbreak. However, the suspension is unlikely to impact Fekolas current-year production guidance. Construction of the solar plant is expected to be completed within six months of the restart. The Masbate mine in the Philippines produced 44,872 ounces of gold during the quarter, slightly above budget by 2%. The company has resumed operations at the mine, which had been suspended for few days in the previous month, due to temporary fuel shortage. New regulations imposed by the Philippine Government to ensure that all materials, including fuel, arriving on Masbate island are not contaminated by the coronavirus outbreak was the primary reason behind the shortage. Meanwhile, the milling activity continued, processing ore from stockpiles. Mining has now restarted in the Montana pit, using an estimated 50% of the mining fleet. For the ongoing year, the mine is expected to produce between 200,000 and 210,000 ounces of gold from the Main Vein and Montana Pits. In Namibia, the Otjikoto Mine produced 41,749 ounces of gold in the first quarter, 3% above budget, with year-over-year growth of 29%. The mine is projected to produce between 165,000 and 175,000 ounces of gold in 2020, from the Otjikoto and Wolfshag Pits. Including attributable gold production from the Calibre mine, the company recorded total quarterly gold production of 262,632 ounces. However, at the end of first-quarter 2020, the Calibre mine declared the temporary suspension of its Nicaraguan operations due to the coronavirus pandemic. Financial Position & Liquidity The company continues to maintain a strong financial position and liquidity. It had $140 million in cash in hand at the end of 2019. Recently, B2Gold completed the drawdown of $250 million on its $600-million revolving credit facility given the turbulent situation. In response to the virus outbreak, B2Gold has implemented several measures and introduced additional precautionary steps to manage and respond to the risks associated to ensure the safety of employees and surrounding communities while it continues to operate. Additionally, the company is providing financial support to local and national authorities in the countries in which it operates. Coronavirus has become a major threat to public health worldwide. Several mining companies like Newmont Corporation NEM, Freeport-McMoRan Inc. FCX, Vale S.A. VALE and others are halting their operations as governments across the globe are imposing restrictions to contain the spread of the virus. However, though gold has gained from its safe-haven demand, other commodities are bearing the brunt of the pandemic. In fact, gold prices have been up 9.6%, so far this year, fueled by the slowdown in manufacturing activities, rate cuts, lower oil prices, geopolitical tensions and uncertainties related to the coronavirus outbreak. The combination of lower mined-gold supply and higher demand, and geopolitical tensions are likely to drive prices north. This, in turn, will drive Franco-Nevadas margins. Share Price Performance B2Gold currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). In the past year, shares of B2Gold have appreciated 32.8%, outperforming the industrys gain of 27.6%.You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Story continues Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX) : Free Stock Analysis Report VALE S.A. (VALE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Newmont Corporation (NEM) : Free Stock Analysis Report B2Gold Corp (BTG) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Twelve Indians are among the 14 new coronavirus cases reported in Nepal on Friday, nearly doubling the number of infected persons in the country. The number of infected persons in the country jumped to 30 after 14 more people tested positive for coronavirus, Ministry of Health and Population has confirmed. Earlier Nepal had reported 16 coronavirus cases. According to a statement issued by the ministry, 14 men from Udayapur in eastern Nepal and Chitwan district in southern Nepal tested positive for the deadly virus. According to Chief District Officer of Udaypur Deepak Pahadi, all 12 Covid infected patients from Udaypur district are Indian nationals under quaratine in Triyuga Multiple Campus in Triyuga Municipality-3 for some time. They were earlier staying in a local mosque, but were quarantined in a school building after residents informed authorities about them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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." Imagery from many of the damaged areas is now available to GIC members, giving insurers the ability to search an address and view before and after aerials images of properties within the impacted area. High-resolution aerial imagery provides insurers with vital information to better serve policyholders, speed up the claims resolution process, and aid in improved fraud detection. Additionally, GIC imagery is provided at no cost to emergency personnel, first responders, and law enforcement to assist in their response to the damage. "Post-catastrophe damage assessment is crucial to recovery efforts following devastating tornadoes and other events like these. Impacted areas need to be assessed to ascertain how many structures have been damaged or completely destroyed," said Richard Butgereit, director of catastrophe response, GIC. "It is our hope that by getting in quickly and assessing these efforts utilizing high-resolution aerial imagery, we can help speed up the recovery process for those effected by these events." Several years ago, the NICB started searching for solutions to help their members and law enforcement advance technology post-disaster, that lead to the creation of the Geospatial Intelligence Center Program that licenses high resolution aerial images from Vexcel Imaging US, Inc. "Technological advances have improved in recent years, providing insurers the opportunity to leverage cutting edge technologies like the high-resolution imagery provided by the GIC to enhance fraud detection and expedite fraud investigations. The GIC program is just another example of how the industry is leveraging innovation to help fight fraud in the wake of a disaster," said NICB chief operating officer Jim Schweitzer. REPORT FRAUD: Anyone with information concerning insurance fraud or vehicle theft can report it anonymously by calling toll-free 800.TEL.NICB (800.835.6422)or submitting a form on our website. ABOUT GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER: The Geospatial Intelligence Center's mission is to provide the most comprehensive, precise, and up-to-date geospatial information to insurers. This insurance industry consortium delivers geospatial imagery and analytics, leading to more informed underwriting, better claims decisions, reducing fraud and delivering faster catastrophe response. GIC's growing member base includes Travelers, Metlife, MunichRe, USAA, Allstate, Citizens, and Brit. To learn more visit www.geointel.org. ABOUT THE NATIONAL INSURANCE CRIME BUREAU: Headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the NICB is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to preventing, detecting and defeating insurance fraud and vehicle theft through data analytics, investigations, learning and development, government affairs and public affairs. The NICB is supported by more than 1,300 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. NICB member companies wrote over $496 billion in insurance premiums in 2018, or more than 81 percent of the nation's property/casualty insurance. That includes more than 92 percent ($254 billion) of the nation's personal auto insurance. To learn more visit www.nicb.org. Get the latest on our social pages: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Snapchat Blog SOURCE National Insurance Crime Bureau Related Links http://www.nicb.org South Africa: Essential services businesses need new certificate Companies, which are registered through the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission's (CIPC) BizPortal to perform essential services during the lockdown period, will be required to have a new certificate from the BizPortal website for the extended period of the lockdown. The new certificate will clearly state that it is for the extended lockdown period, beginning 17 April 2020, and South African Police Service officials will be told which certificates to look for, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition said in a statement. To provide time for businesses to adjust to the new requirements, the new certificates will be available to be displayed from start of business on Monday, 20 April 2020. The certificate will be sent via email using the details provided at the time of registration, and will also be available for download from Thursday. Companies will receive the certificates from Thursday and the full list of registered companies will have received their certificates by the weekend, the department said. The CIPC certificate is a reference to the legal registration of the company in terms of the Companies Act, 2008 (Act No. 71 of 2008) and a record of registration to the CIPC. It does not give a firm or individual a right to trade if that company does not fall into an essential service as defined in the lockdown regulations. The department reminded the public that possession of the CIPC certificate is still subject to the company fully complying with the applicable lockdown regulations and is a record of the companys details, and does not in itself constitute the right to continue operating during the period. Only businesses which provide essential services in terms of the lockdown regulations, as amended, issued by the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs may continue their operations during the COVID-19 lockdown, the department said The registration Bizportal is only for companies registered in terms of the Companies Act. Other essential service providers, like healthcare professionals registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa, sole proprietors who provide essential goods and services (like small business owners and spaza shops), and small-scale farmers will not register through the Bizportal. These businesses will not have a CIPC certificate, but must still comply with the provisions of the lockdown regulations. Where the CIPC finds that certificates have been issued to companies which do not meet the definitions of an essential service, such certificate will be revoked, and the company will be referred to the South African Police Services. False declaration by the company is a criminal offence and will result in prosecution, in terms of lockdown regulations, the department said. The regulations for the extended lockdown have also clarified that the transportation of liquor is prohibited, except where alcohol is required for industries producing hand sanitisers, disinfectants, soap, alcohol for industrial use and household cleaning products. To confirm if your business complies, the public can consult the necessary regulation at https://www.gov.za/documents/disaster-management-act-regulations-address.... - SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. LONDON and PHILADELPHIA, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarivate Analytics plc (NYSE: CCC) (the "Company"), a global leader in providing trusted insights and analytics to accelerate the pace of innovation, today announced it will report its financial results for the first quarter 2020 before the market opens on Monday, May 4. The press release and earnings supplement, with accompanying financial information, will be posted on the Clarivate investor website at www.clarivate.com. The Company will host a conference call and webcast on Monday, May 4 at 8:00 AM Eastern Time to review the results. The live webcast of the call will be accessible through the investor relations section of the Company's website. To join the webcast please visit https://services.choruscall.com/links/ccc200506.html. A replay will also be available on the investor relations section of the Company's website. Interested parties may access the live audio broadcast by dialing (888) 317-6003 (in the United States), 412-317-6061 (International) and 866-284-3684 (Canada). The conference ID number is 3226578. An audio replay will be available approximately two hours after the completion of the call at 877-344-7529 (in the US), 412-371-0088 (International) and 855-669-9658 (Canada). The replay access code is 10138015. The recording will be available for replay through May 20, 2020. About Clarivate Clarivate is a global leader in providing trusted insights and analytics to accelerate the pace of innovation. We have built some of the most trusted brands across the innovation lifecycle, including the Web of Science, Cortellis, Derwent, CompuMark, MarkMonitor and Techstreet. Today, Clarivate is on a bold entrepreneurial mission to help customers reduce the time from new ideas to life-changing innovations. For more information, please visit clarivate.com. SOURCE Clarivate Analytics Related Links http://www.clarivate.com An Australian celebrity stylist has revealed his top budget picks for working, lounging and exercising at home while in COVID-19 isolation. Donny Galella believes it's still important to 'get ready for the day' as you would normally as it will help you feel prepared to work at a high standard and maintain motivation. 'Fabrics with stretch are a great option. Comfortable fabrics like cotton, jersey and soft stretch denim are perfect,' Mr Galella told FEMAIL. 'But if you are on conference calls during the day, avoid fine checks or stripes as they can sometimes strobe on camera.' Donny Galella believes it's still important to get 'ready for our days' in isolation WORK FROM HOME IN SPECTACULAR (YET COMFY) STYLE Mr Galella's first suggestion is a $30 shirt dress from Big W that features an on-trend paisley print. 'A shirt dress is a casual yet professional looking option. Something you can wear during isolation but will also be extremely versatile to wear post-coronavirus,' he said. Alternatively, a comfy blouse or shirt with stretchy jeans is always a winning combination. Alternatively, a comfy blouse or shirt with stretchy jeans is always a winning combination Mr Galella's recommends this $30 shirt dress from Big W that features a paisley print 'This $20 blouse is animal print (and since Netflix's hit Tiger King animal prints have had a bigger spike again) and the jeans are $30 bringing the total of this outfit to $50,' Mr Galella said. A soft fabric jumpsuit or boiler suit is a great option to work from home in, he explained, sharing a $39 black option with tortoiseshell button detail. The buttons give it a luxe feeling without having to pay a hefty price tag. 'Lots of colour psychology studies suggest certain colours can positively impact your mood and impact your emotions,' Mr Galella said. 'So during these uncertain and gloomy days, embrace colours that help lift your spirits. Mustard is a warm colour tone and is trending right now, as are ruffles so this pick from Forecast for $49 is a great option.' A soft fabric jumpsuit or boiler suit is a great option to work from home in, he explained, sharing a $39 black option with tortoiseshell button detail (left) WHO SAID YOU CAN'T LOUNGE AND LOOK GREAT? There have been plenty of celebrities, including Gigi Hadid, the Kardashian's and Tammy Hembrow, spotted in velour tracksuits of late and you don't have to miss out on the fun. 'They are super soft and comfy, perfect for couch time,' Mr Galella said. This wine coloured velour tracksuit from Big W works as a two piece set with the hoodie and trousers setting you back $40 in total. This wine coloured velour tracksuit from Big W works as a two piece set with the hoodie and trousers setting you back $40 in total (left) If you're looking for a slightly more luxury set, ASOS is offering a two-piece satin bomber jacket for $60 and matching track pants for $48 on its website If you're looking for a slightly more luxurious set, ASOS is offering a two-piece satin bomber jacket for $60 and matching track pants for $48 on its website. 'Wear them when lounging around the house, or popping up to get groceries. In post coronavirus times, you could add some heels and wear this out at night,' he said. Alternatively just stay in your pyjamas with this super soft $25 animal print pair from Big W. UPDATE YOUR WORKOUT WARDROBE ON A BUDGET Some of the big name activewear brands will charge $100 or more for a two-piece set but you don't have to outlay that much cash. 'This on-trend animal print legging and matching crop top are a fun colourway and only cost $15 for the leggings and $15 for the crop,' Mr Galella said. Activewear with bright pops of neon and bold colours are hugely popular with brands like P.E Nation leading the way, but you can get the look for less with $20 Kmart leggings. Match them with a $12 fluro pink crop for the full ensemble. Coronavirus has reshaped the political map of the presidential race, putting Republicans on the defensive in key states. If attack advertisements now being rolled out are any indication, United States President Donald Trump and his campaign managers have settled on a scapegoat for the coronavirus pandemic that has upended his re-election prospects China. New advertisements now hitting three critical battleground states cast likely Democratic challenger Joe Biden as friendly to China while championing Trumps decision in January to ban travel from China after the countrys coronavirus outbreak. Now more than ever, America must stop China, a narrator intones over menacing music as a Chinese flag waves on screen in one of the television spots. And to stop China, you have to stop Joe Biden. Some $10m in the Beijing Biden ads are being rolled out by the Trump-allied political group America First Action PAC in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, three swing states viewed as critical to Trumps re-election strategy. When Clinton beat us in 1992, he ran as being tougher on China. (People didn't vote on China, but it was an indicator he wasn't simply a McGovern-Carter-Dukakis Democrat.) China will be a big 2020 issue. Biden needs to beand can betougher on China than Trump's fake toughness. Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 17, 2020 The Trump campaign hopes to mine Bidens nearly five-decade record on China as a senator and vice president for attacks going forward, according to Brian Walsh, head of the America First PAC. The fight is one welcomed by Biden and his allies, who increasingly expect the November 3 election to be a fight about Trumps reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic that first emerged in China but has now killed more than 31,000 people in the US, more than in any other country. Trump has made a tough-on-China trade policy a centrepiece of his political campaign. He has also faced criticism for earlier public statements downplaying the coronavirus crisis and praising the response of Chinese President Xi Jinping. China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2020 Trump spent vital weeks praising Chinas response as successful and transparent while deceiving the American people about the extreme threat we faced and failing to prepare our country, Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates in an emailed statement. China played Donald Trump for a sucker, and now all of us are paying an atrocious price for his malpractice. A memo from the Democratic National Committee obtained by Axios on Thursday hinted that the Democrats would push the talking point that Trump rolled over in a way that has been catastrophic for our country and put himself and his political fortunes first in order to avoid offending the Chinese. Both sides in the campaign have come to the realisation that the coronavirus is poised to reshape the political map, putting Republicans who once counted on a strong US economy to boost Trumps odds on the defensive. Key states once considered relatively safe for the president are suddenly in play. Using knowingly inaccurate numbers to make decisions is criminal on the part of @GovRonDeSantis, undercounting #COVID19 cases and deaths and then using bad data to make decisions about opening up Florida will result in increased illness and death. Gwen Graham (@GwenGraham) April 17, 2020 The Trump-friendly governor of Florida, a state all-but essential to Trumps re-election, has taken considerable heat for his early decisions to keep the state open for business despite its massive population of vulnerable senior citizens. Alarm bells about Wisconsin, a key Midwestern state Trump seemed likeliest to keep in the Republican column, went off last week as images of mask-wearing voters lining up outside polling places seemed to signal newfound Democratic enthusiasm. A poll by Reuters/Ipsos released on Thursday suggested that Democrats across the country are far more determined to vote in November than they were four years ago. We are starting to see more evidence that suburban voters disapprove of the way Trump is handling the coronavirus pandemic, said Democratic strategist Adrienne Elrod, who noted that counties outside Philadelphia and Phoenix have a similar electorate to the suburban areas that delivered a huge win for Democrats in Wisconsin. And in Michigan, which Trump won in 2016 by fewer than 11,000 votes, more than one million jobs have been lost since early March. More than 20 percent of the states workers are unemployed, according to Labor Department figures. Without a strong economy, the election is instead shaping up to be a referendum on Trumps management of the coronavirus crisis. It makes me wonder if theres something brewing in the weaker elements of the Trump base, said Paul Maslin, a Wisconsin-based Democratic pollster. Is the pandemic fight the final straw thats going to cause some of this small slice of votes he needs to win these states to back away? Trumps approval rating had remained steady through the crisis, even ticking up slightly at the onset of the pandemic. As the lockdown entered its second month, however, those ratings began to drop. A Gallup poll released on Thursday showed his approval rating dropping by six points, to 43 percent, since mid-March, the steepest drop since he took office in January 2017. The pandemic has hamstrung Trumps effort to reverse that trend. Though its digital outreach has ramped up, the campaign has been unable to wield its financial advantage over Biden and cannot hold its signature rallies to bolster enthusiasm and collect valuable voter data. We cant wait to get back out there and do things the old-fashioned way, Lara Trump, a senior campaign official and the presidents daughter-in-law told the Associated Press news agency. 'China conducted nuclear tests' a US trick to push West-led treaty: Chinese expert Global Times By Fan Lingzhi and Liu Xuanzun Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/16 21:13:40 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In the aftermath of the Coronavirus outbreak which claimed over 3000 lives in China, healthcare workers in China are now tasked with the painful job of returning the belongings of the deceased patients to their loved ones. A heartbreaking video emerged from Wuhan where medical professionals were seen going through tedious records and returning back the belongings of the deceased patients to their families. One of the healthcare professionals revealed that she wanted to do this in person so as to provide some closure to the families of those who had succumbed to the disease. China's Coronavirus ground-zero city of Wuhan on Friday abruptly raised its death toll by 50 percent to a total of 3,869, admitting that many cases were "mistakenly reported" or missed entirely. Around 1,290 cases were added to its death tally. Read: China's Wuhan Raises COVID-19 Death Toll By 1,290, Up 50%: Govt Read: COVID-19: Sellers At China's Wet Market Say 'we Are Doomed This Year' Coronavirus outbreak The deadly Coronavirus infection has claimed around 1,46,847 lives across the world and has infected over 2,183,452 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 in the number of deaths 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: India Received 5 Lakh Rapid COVID-19 Testing Kits From China: Health Ministry The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy will start consideration of the Draft Law On Amending Legislative Acts of Ukraine to Improve Certain Mechanisms of Banking Activity Regulation at second reading on Tuesday, April 21. This was announced by first deputy chairman of the Committee Yaroslav Zhelezniak (the Holos Party faction). "It is already official. On April 21, the meeting of our Committee will be held with the only one issue on the agenda the bill on banks," Zhelezniak posted on Facebook. The lawmaker also published a screenshot of the committee's meeting agenda. It will start at 10:00 and will be held via videoconferencing. As reported, at a special meeting on March 30, the Parliament of Ukraine adopted at first reading the Draft Law On Amending Legislative Acts of Ukraine to Improve Certain Mechanisms of Banking Activity Regulation and shortened the time of preparation for its second reading. The law, in particular, will make it impossible to overturn the NBU's decision on nationalization / liquidation of banks and to return unfair compensation from the state budget to the previous owners of the banks. The adoption of this bill is one of the two main IMFs conditions for provision of assistance to Ukraine. The second condition is the adoption of a law on the land market. During the preparation of the bill for the second reading, the MPs introduced more than 16,000 amendments to it. ol The coronavirus pandemic has now reached 185 countries and infected more than 2 million people. But it has spared Vanuatu, so far. The tiny Pacific island nation is one of very few places on Earth with no confirmed cases of COVID-19. Cyclone Harold, however, did not spare it. The category 5 storm, one of the strongest ever recorded in the Southeast Pacific, caused catastrophic damage when it struck April 6. Nearly 160,000 of the nations 300,000 residents were impacted, according to Oxfam. The U.N. estimates that in some places, 80-90% of the population may have lost homes, Now, isolated Vanuatu, which is made of some 80 islands stretching across 800 miles of the South Pacific Ocean, finds its response to one disaster hampered by its efforts to prevent another. To prevent the coronavirus from being brought to Vanuatu, officials have banned foreign aid workers from entering the country to help. This is an internally run response. We need to work together, the countrys National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) said on its Facebook page. Foreign countries, including Australia, New Zealand and China, are flying in aid, but any supplies that enter are being quarantined for three days and disinfected to ensure there is no lingering coronavirus. The devastating storm in Vanuatu along with a string of tornadoes that rocked the southern U.S. over Easter weekend provide an unwanted reminder that natural disasters will not wait for COVID-19 to abate. And even though few countries have been able to keep coronavirus out entirely, the situation Vanuatu provides a grim example of how much more difficult disaster relief is during the pandemic, as officials grapple with how to respond to a natural disaster without exposing citizens to the deadly virus. Its a disaster wrapped in a catastrophe inside a calamity, says Sheldon Yett, UNICEFs representative for Pacific island countries. Keeping coronavirus out makes it harder to let help in Story continues This photo, taken by Vanuatu Red Cross Society volunteer Densly Mansop, shows devastation left by Cyclone Harold, one the most powerful storms on record in the Southeast Pacific. | Courtesy Vanuatu Red Cross Society volunteer Densly Mansop In March, authorities in Vanuatu enacted strict measures to keep coronavirus from entering and spreading in the country. All borders and airports were closed and the archipelago banned travel between its islands. Curfews were imposed on businesses and public transport and gatherings of more than 5 people were banned. Vanuatu is fortunate that it is an archipelago of islands and relatively isolated so they can shut down their borders from the vast majority of visitors quite effectively, says Jonathan Pryke, the director of the Pacific Islands Program at the Australian think tank the Lowy Institute. But now some of those restrictions are hindering the flow of aid. The islands of Espiritu Santo (referred to by locals as Santo) and Pentecostwhere two people are reported to have died as a result of the stormwere particularly hard-hit. The southern part of the island of Pentecost (part of #Vanuatu) is now inside the eye of Cyclone #Harold, which is now ranked as category 5 on the South Pacific cyclone scale. pic.twitter.com/soRVCIaEwx Met Office Storms (@metofficestorms) April 6, 2020 Vanuatu resident Ian Baltor says friends and family in Pentecost say it looks like a bomb went off. It was hell, he says. When you consider the extent of the damage, its amazing that they got through it. On Espiritu Santo, close to 70% of the buildings may have been destroyed in Luganville, Vanuatus second largest city, according to Radio New Zealand. Many houses are gone, says Onen Gaviga, the deputy mayor of Luganville. Vanuatus decision not to let foreign aid workers in is complicating the efforts to bring help to affected people, aid agencies say. The country currently lacks enough people with the right skills and technical training to deal with the problems Vanuatu is facing, says Dr. Collin Tukuitonga, the associate dean (Pacific) in the University of Auckland Medical School and the former director general of the international development organization the Pacific Community. Theres quite a small group of people that are expected to deal with the aftermath of the cyclone as well as prepare for COVID-19 work, he says. They have a hell of a job on their hands. Since the storm, the government has lifted restrictions on domestic air and sea travel to facilitate the movement of aid supplies, according to the U.N. But the initial restrictions and a lack of commercial flights operating make it very, very, very hard to get health workers where they need to go, aid workers where they need to go, and critical supplies where they need to go, says Yett of UNICEF. On Pentecost, where about 2,000 households have been impacted, the Red Cross has 25 volunteers supporting government efforts, according to Olivia Finau, communication officer for the Vanuatu Red Cross Society. Normally after a storm this size, more than 100 volunteers might be deployed, she says. More vulnerable to coronavirus Despite the precautions, some worry that the risk of COVID-19 reaching the island and spreading there have increased. Im not convinced that sufficient safeguards are in effect for air crews arriving on Vanuatu soil, Dan McGarry, an independent journalist who has lived in Vanuatu for much of the last 17 years, tells TIME. With thousands of homes destroyed in the country, many have fled to crowded evacuation centers, where social distancing is not possible. The relief shelters could increase the risk of COVID-19 spreading if it does reach the country, says Tukuitonga. If COVID-19 were introduced there now, it would just go like wildfire, he says. That, he says, would be a catastrophe given the countrys weak medical system: The health system is underfunded, they lack a lot of the skills required, the buildings are quite dated, they often dont have the right medication required, they dont have the necessary equipment. Given the risk COVID-19 presents to the country, many in Vanuatu believe that strict precautions to prevent COVID-19 from reaching the remote island nation are necessary, even as residents struggle to recover from the devastating storm. The cyclone came, the cyclone went, but COVID-19, that could be here forever, says Baltor. Never seen anything like it: Inside the last-minute scramble for small business loans Alabama should require masks in public, says Huntsville Hospital CEO Could some of Alabamas beaches reopen by May 1? Listen to Down in Alabama, above. Get this post and more in your weekday Down in Alabama newsletter by subscribing here. You can also hear Ike each weekday by looking for Down in Alabama on the device of your choosing. Click here for the Spotify podcast page Click here for the Alexa skill page on Amazon Click here for the iTunes podcast page Click here for the Stitcher podcast page Nurturing and facilitating collaborations between homegrown and overseas talents is one unique feature at CCPPG. For company president Sun Zhu, such collaboration is made possible by the global village that we live in. The younger generation is much more inclusive and multicultural, and our program is aimed at cultivating more such world citizens, Sun says. The illustrators whom we work with come from different parts of the world, with some having cross-cultural identities that are reflected in their works. Suns team is set to launch Grandpa and Me by author Xu Lu and Spanish illustrator Javier Zabala. Other collaborations include Huang Yus Dinosaur Bus (illustrated by Ross Kinnaird), Xu Lus Flying Little Umbrella (illustrated by Yoko Miyahara), and Huang Chunhuas What a Scare (illustrated by Mahboobeh Yazdani). The team also worked with Belgian author and former IBBY president Wally De Doncker and Chinese illustrator Liang Xiong to produce Nian and the Boy, a classic title. This collaboration offers the opportunity to tell the same story from different perspectives, Sun says. A Belgian author has different interpretations than those of Chinese authors, and this makes the story unique and multicultural. As for New Year, author Mei Zihan collaborated with Toronto-based (and Shanghai-born) designer/illustrator Qin Leng on a story about a painter spending the festive season overseas and away from her family. It is a story that appeals to local and overseas audiences, Sun notes. In fact, that appeal has led a Canadian publishing house to buy the rights before the Chinese edition was published. CCPPGs Sino-foreign collaborative program kick-started in 2012 with The Feather, by Cao Wenxuan and Roger Mello, both Hans Christian Andersen Award winners. It was a local bestseller with sales exceeding 100,000 copies, and rights were acquired by a dozen countries, including the Netherlands and the U.S. We have continued to expand our pool of overseas illustrators for original works and further enrich our publishing program, adds Sun, whose team had organized the Chinese Original Illustration Exhibition at the Bologna Childrens Book Fair since 2015. In several cases, the overseas collaborators have promoted the titles to their domestic markets. Russian illustrator Anastasia Arkhipova, who worked on Across the River with author Xue Tao, for instance, recommended the picture book to Rech Publishing House; 3,000 copies were sold in Russia. The same happened to Grandma Lives in Fragrance Village, which was illustrated by Germany-based Sonja Danowski, and The Feathers in Brazil. Sun explains, Deepening our international exchanges and creative collaborations has effectively spread our original picture books into other markets around the world. Meanwhile, creating IP-based products has been keeping Sun and his team busy. After acquiring a stake in the New Zealandbased Milly and Molly Childrens Publishing Group in 2018, CCPPG started redeveloping the Happy Milly and Molly series. A Chinese character, Lily, was introduced together with additional activities to turn it into extracurricular reading courseware for kindergartens and elementary schools. Plans are afoot for new formats such as a bilingual Chinese-English edition, audiobooks, and animation based on the series. Copyright agreements for Arabic, Dutch, and French editions were signed at the previous Frankfurt Fair. Creating IP-based courses requires considerable planning, Sun says. We must discover, mine, or cultivate an IP with derivative development properties. But at the core, the course must have high-quality content, character depth, internet-enabled scalability, continuity, transformability, and recognizability. For the successful Lucky Rabbit Elf series, for instance, CCPPG partners with Chinese author Ge Jing to create a Reading Training Camp to further cultivate childrens interest in reading, and to improve their reading ability and comprehension. CCPPG also partners with Todays Animation Company to create Magic Martin New Readings, an extended reading series that is synchronized with primary school textbooks. As for CCPPGs Happy Reading Platform, it continues to offer young readers material across four categories: newspapers and periodicals, animation, picture books, and an African-wildlife resource library. Its newspaper and periodical resource database contains content from CCPPGs five newspapers and 13 magazines. The animation resource database offers 3,800 animated episodes, with 150 new ones updated annually, while the picture book resource database has recently launched five series of nearly 1,500 e-books, including the Happy Milly, Molly, and Lily series and many original picture books from CCPPG. Our program is planned around meeting the reading and learning needs of young readers, Sun says. We are focused on publishing titles that will inspire, motivate, and resonate with them. Return to the main feature. In a series of tweets about the coronavirus on Sunday, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged the international community to develop containment strategies and warned that "we may only be seeing the tip of the iceberg." As of Monday morning, the outbreak has killed at least 910 people and infected over 40,500, according to the New York Times. The vast majority of cases and deaths have been concentrated around Wuhan, China, where the virus was first reported on Dec. 31, 2019. Sunday was the deadliest day of the outbreak, killing nearly 100 people in China. There was also a surge in Chinese cases, with over 3,000 new diagnoses. At the end of January, as Common Dreams reported, the U.N. agency declared coronavirus a global health emergency and Tedros praised the Chinese government for its efforts to contain the spread of the respiratory illness. Earlier this year, "the Chinese authorities took the extraordinary step of closing off Wuhan, canceling planes and trains leaving the city and suspending buses, subways and ferries within it," the Times noted. "By Jan. 24, at least 12 other cities in Hubei Province had issued travel restrictions." Despite travel restrictions and other countries' efforts to evacuate their citizens from China, the virus has spread globally. The Associated Press reported Monday that there are confirmed cases in the Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. After the number of confirmed cases in the U.K. doubled from four to eight, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Monday that "the incidence or transmission of novel coronavirus constitutes a serious and imminent threat to public health," and empowered public health professionals to forcibly detain people at a reasonable risk for the virus at one of two designated "isolation" facilities. "NHS staff and others will now be supported with additional legal powers to keep people safe across the country," Hancock added. "The transmission of coronavirus would constitute a serious threatso I am taking action to protect the public and isolate those at risk of spreading the virus. Clinical advice has not changed about the risk to the public, which remains moderate." Behind China, the greatest number of confirmed cases is in Japan, with at least 161, according to the AP. Although not verified by Japan's health ministry, the Times reported that "an additional 65 cases of the new coronavirus have been confirmed on a cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama, Japan, raising the total number to 135, the ship's captain told passengers on Monday." About 3,700 passengers and crew members have been quarantined on the ship, the Diamond Princess, for the past weeksince a passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus. While the Japanese health ministry has said the quarantine will last through at least Feb. 19, according to the Guardian, "the World Health Organization said late on Sunday that the period could be extended 'as appropriate' for close contacts of newly confirmed cases." As Tedros highlighted in his Twitter thread Sunday, the U.N. agency plans to convene a two-day forum in Geneva Tuesday, in collaboration with the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness, to bring together hundreds of scientists and representatives from public health agencies, ministries of health, and research funders who will establish a global research agenda for the virus and fast-track diagnostic tests, vaccines, and medicines. "Harnessing the power of science is critical for bringing this outbreak under control," Tedros said last week in a statement announcing the forum. "There are questions we need answers to, and tools we need developed as quickly as possible. WHO is playing an important coordinating role by bringing the scientific community together to identify research priorities and accelerate progress." As a WHO team arrived in Wuhan Monday to help battle the outbreak, Tedros said during a press briefing that the diagnoses of coronavirus for a small number of people who have no history of traveling to China "could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire. But for now, it's only a spark. Our objective remains containment." On Twitter Sunday, the WHO chief reiterated his call for all countries to share what they know about the illness with the WHO in real time and saluted the public health professionals who are risking their personal safety to treat those who have been infected. Read the full Twitter thread below: This post has been updated with details from a Monday press briefing. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 17, 2020 15:45 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2897a0 1 National omnibus-bill-on-job-creation,labor-union,massive-rally,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,house-of-representatives,politics,labor-rights Free Darsih, a 41-year-old single mother of two, spent more than a year fighting for her right to severance pay after she was laid off in October 2018. At the time, she was working for a South Korean garment factory operating in North Jakarta. She was one of hundreds of workers who were laid off for the sake of cost efficiency. Even after months of battling it out through legal channels with the help of the Inter-Factory Laborers Federation (FBLP), Darsih still lost her appeal. But her focus held steady on the struggle. She was well aware of what little chance factory workers had to win a battle for rights against corporations. The fact that the government has moved in favor of investment has made the fight that much harder. Read also: Key points of labor reform in omnibus bill on job creation Winning is just a reward, Darsih said. I have learned a lot about the labor movement, including the hard work and commitment needed to fight for my right as a worker, she told The Jakarta Post last weekend. Now with the COVID-19 outbreak looming over her struggle, Darsih said the sense of community she gained from joining the FBLP had been crucial for her survival, since there were few opportunities for someone like her to get a formal education. Darsih is one of 40 FBLP members whose source of income evaporated as a result of the pandemic, joining more than a million others nationwide. Weeks ago, she was still able to run her mobile cafe, serving coffee and tea to workers at public facilities and malls around North Jakarta on her motorcycle. Now, she can no longer do that because of the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) imposed by the government in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. She and other union members who lost their jobs have set up a small home industry to produce fabric face masks in order to survive, as they have had little luck with social aid programs. FBLP is not alone in the struggle to support dismissed workers and their families on a daily basis. Other labor unions, including an alliance of the countrys three biggest groups, who all supported President Joko Jokowi Widodo the Workers Union Confederation (KSPI), the All-Indonesia Workers Union Confederation (KSPSI) and the Indonesia Welfare Labor Confederation (KSBSI) face the same problems. Desperation has fueled anger about the governments insistence on continuing to deliberate the omnibus bill on job creation at a time when people have been told to stay at home. Now workers may be bold enough to risk catching COVID-19. They plan to stage massive rallies in front of executive and legislative offices nationwide on April 30. The option is either to die from the coronavirus for joining a rally or die of starvation for having nothing to eat, FBLP chairwoman Jumisih said on Monday. Read also: Workers blast lawmakers with messages opposing omnibus bill on job creation Come rain or shine: Workers from the Federation of Independent Trade Unions (FSPM) participate in the People's Meeting held by the Mobile People's Alliance (ARB) at the junction at Jl. Gejayan in Sleman, Yogyakarta, on March 9. Workers have widely opposed the omnibus bill on job creation for impinging upon labor rights. (JP/Bambang Muryanto) Rallies at the House complex were initially planned by the big-three unions at the end of March, but the police urged them to postpone and obey the state-led stay-at-home order. They were also briefly persuaded that progress on the bill would be delayed after several political leaders, including House speaker Puan Maharani of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), questioned the need to rush the process. Much to their surprise, lawmakers moved to proceed with the bills deliberation, a decision announced by House Deputy Speaker Azis Syamsuddin, a Golkar Party lawmaker, during a House plenary session earlier this month. Azis claims the President himself gave the green light for the discussions. We urge lawmakers to stop the deliberation [process]. President Jokowi must immediately retract the bill from the House, said KSPSI chairman Andi Ghani Nuwa Wea. Our members nationwide are getting ready to rally, and I can assure you that they are prepared to die. Read also: PDI-P, NasDem call to remove labor provisions from omnibus jobs bill The insistence of politicians from the ruling coalition on continuing the talks in private has raised concerns about the motivation behind the omnibus bill. Lawmakers and officials have argued that the bill is required to boost investment, but labor unions consider that the hasty political horse trade occurring behind the curtain of physical distancing serves a single purpose: to provide companies a way out of honoring their responsibilities to their workers. The leaders of several progressive labor unions, including FBLP, KSPSI and the Congress Alliance of Indonesian Labor Unions (KASBI) said that both officials and lawmakers were using the COVID-19 crisis to legitimize the exploitation of workers. While we are hard at work pushing firms to hand over severance pay to workers already laid off, the government and lawmakers are working fast to pass a bill that allows them to easily lay off even more people, said KASBI chair Nining Elitos. According to Manpower Ministry data, more than a million workers have been laid off or furloughed since the COVID-19 outbreak took hold in the country. An estimated 5.2 million more workers could still lose their jobs. Read also: Millions to lose jobs, fall into poverty as Indonesia braces for recession The bill has been criticized for its pro-business bent, which would make it harder for laborers to negotiate on equal footing. It promotes the spirit of individualism by restricting the role of unions in negotiations. It involves pitting [individual] workers against entire companies, so how can you expect a fair fight? Jumisih said. Responding to mounting protests, leaders of the House Legislation Body (Baleg) tasked with negotiating the bill have pledged to remain transparent and accountable, with promises to broadcast all the meetings publicly on the legislatures television channel and its social media accounts. We also promise to invite the unions to participate in the meetings, whether virtually or face-to-face, said Baleg chairman Supratman Andi Atgas of the Gerindra Party. However, backroom talks remain unsupervised. Read also: Backroom bargain: House holds closed meeting on job creation bill Baleg kicked off the bills virtual deliberation process on April 7, having made only the last few minutes of the meeting accessible to the public. Another meeting on April 14 was broadcast for the first 30 minutes before it was switched with a parallel program led by Golkars Azis detailing solutions that firms have come up with. Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan has completed 12 years of his blog and the actor has thanked his fans for tolerating him for so long. He took to Twitter to announce the 12th anniversary of his blog. T 3504 - 12 YEARS of my Blog today .. began first DAY on 17th April 2008 .. today 4424 DAYs , thats four thousand four hundred and twenty four days of writing my Blog .. EVERYDAY , without missing out a single day .. ! Thank you my Ef .. love and because of you , Amitabh tweeted. T 3504 - 12 YEARS of my Blog today .. began first DAY on 17th April 2008 .. today 4424 DAYs , thats four thousand four hundred and twenty four days of writing my Blog .. EVERYDAY , without missing out a single day .. ! Thank you my Ef .. love and because of you .. pic.twitter.com/S7IHHLb9tr Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 17, 2020 He also took to his blog and wrote, 12 years .. !! .. that is simply unbelievable .. I mean not for me , but you .. .. how could you tolerate this Blog for 12 years .. !! .. but truly without all of you .. it would never have been possible ..17th April 2020 .. 17th April 2008 .. !! Also read: Anushka Sharma heckles Virat Kohli so he doesnt miss cricket field: Ae Kohli, chauka marna chauka. His reaction is priceless Do not miss the tongue pierce in the memoji ; and the beard growth .. Rochelle feels its not a lawn mower I need .. I need to let it out to the goats, said a footnote on the blog signed Thursday. The text on his blog was peppered with emojis that Amitabh himself had created. The veteran actor has learnt the art of creating emojis only recently. He wrote on his blog on Wednesday night, and finally the mystery of manufacturing the Memoji has been resolved .. and it was not some great political signing of trade agreements with super power countries .. it was as simple as knowing that the morrow shall be another day of locked out perseverance .... the beard has been exaggerated a bit .. but that is the condition at the moment. Follow @htshowbiz for more Asymptomatic residents in nursing homes will now be tested for the coronavirus Asymptomatic residents in nursing homes will now be tested for the coronavirus. Health minister Simon Harris said that a lot more needs to be done regarding the spreading of the virus in residential care settings. There is clearly a need to do an awful lot more," he told RTEs Morning Ireland. Today were going to see a number of more measures taken, particularly an increase in extra testing in our residential settings." He said that leading doctors have said that common COVID-19 symptoms like a fever or cough are not present in all residential care settings. We need to start testing now asymptomatic people, people without symptoms and the HSE will start today using the National Ambulance Service to carry out more tests. Theres absolutely no doubt that we need to do more in our residential care settings, he added. The frontline battle against this deadly disgusting virus is in our residential settings. With current strict lockdown measures in place until May 5, the health minister added that he really hopes to see some easing of restrictions. I really do, I really would like for the people of Ireland to see that as a dividend for their work. We all have to beat COVID-19 but we also have to protect our mental health and our physical health. But I dont want to create a false expectation and I dont want to engage in any bull - in the first week of May, youre not going to see a significant lifting of restrictions. What I hope, really hope, is that we continue to make the progress, he explained. Weve another two weeks to go. Mr Harris said that in these two weeks, the reproduction rate of virus needs to be reduced, progress needs to be made in residential settings and ICU numbers stabilise. I really hope beyond hope that at that stage, we will be able to ease some restrictions. But I do have to be honest, its going to be gradual, slow, and we have to monitor it really, really carefully. He added that an easing of restrictions will not see us going back to our normal lives and will involve social distancing. He said that all decisions taken in regards to the restrictions will be grounded in public health. A top security official in Ukraine who was arrested for alleged collaboration with Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) is suspected in plotting the assassination of Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov. Avakov's deputy, Anton Herashchenko, said in a televised interview late on April 16 that Major General Valeriy Shaytanov of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is suspected in planning to murder Avakov and Adam Osmayev, the leader of Chechen volunteers who fought alongside Ukrainian soldiers against Russia-backed separatists in Ukraines east. Earlier in the day, the SBU said it detained an unidentified former officer also suspected of collaborating with the FSB along with Shaytanov. Shaytanov was detained on April 14 on suspicion of high treason and terrorism. A day later, the FSB announced that it detained a Russian servicewoman and a Ukrainian national in the annexed Crimea region for alleged espionage for Ukraine. Ukrainian-Russian relations have been strained since 2014, when Russia seized Crimea 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 Ukraines eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where some 13,200 people have been killed in the ongoing conflict. Based on reporting by Ukrayina 24, Ukrayinska Pravda, and UNIAN By the time Chris Ramsay was finally told he would not be on the last-scheduled British Airways repatriation flight from Lima, Peru, to London on Wednesday, he had already been awake with no food or water for hours, informed that a military plane due to fly him to the capital from neighbouring Cusco had taken off without him, then that it had turned around to come and get him, and finally that it had left again still without him on it. Ramsay, from Salisbury, isnt alone. Hes one of 11 British nationals still stuck in Peru due to the coronavirus lockdown, who were all barred from catching this chartered flight confirmed by the British Embassy in Peru, via its Twitter account yesterday, to be the final one taking citizens directly from Lima to London. So far, not one of those trapped have been told when or even if they will now return to the UK in the near future. Were all so used to being ignored by the Embassy and being let down now that it hardly came as a surprise when they finally confirmed we werent flying back, Ramsay told The Independent on what was day 32 of his isolation in Peru. Wed all woken up, packed our bags and were stood in the queue to get on a bus to the airport in Cusco when we were told that the military plane had taken off without us for a second time and that we wouldnt be going home after all. On Tuesday the group had been cleared to fly by the Peruvian Ministry of Health, despite four of them including Ramsay testing positive for coronavirus in the most recent round of blood tests. Kate Harrison, the British Ambassador in Peru, posted on her own Twitter account last night that the change of plan was due to new medical information relating to positive molecular testing of part of the group. Ramsay said neither him nor anyone else in the group had been told what that actually means. When approached by The Independent, Harrison declined to comment. When asked about the situation, an FCO spokesperson said: We can confirm that, unfortunately, a dozen passengers were refused access to the military flight from Cusco to Lima that was due to join up with the flight to London. The Peruvian authorities denied them boarding following health screening. We recognise this is deeply disappointing for these passengers and a worrying time. We will continue to do all we can to support them and other British nationals who remain in Peru. Harrison also made the announcement yesterday, again via her Twitter, that she was now back in the UK to spend time with her three young children. Through further investigation by The Independent, it has become clear that it is not just Harrison who has now returned to the UK but other members of her team too leaving those still stuck, Ramsay said, with even fewer people on the ground in Peru to help them. Andrew Soper, the British Ambassador for Venezuela, has temporarily taken over Harrisons post in Lima. He made an announcement on the Embassys Twitter account yesterday, stating those still stuck in Peru were his number one priority. According to Ramsay: The worst part about being told we werent going home was that the call came from the only member of Kate Harrisons team whod actually been replying to us since all this began and it was to say that it wouldnt be us getting flown home, but them instead. He said he, along with the others, felt abandoned by the British Embassy at this point. The group have been tested for the virus on various occasions, with the latest results showing that four had become infected (Chris Ramsay) Theres no other word for it. Weve literally been abandoned by our own f****** Embassy, he said, before apologising for raising his voice. He also said that after immense pressure from the 11 Brits, the Embassy staff sent the group a supposedly 24-hour hotline for any queries they had. It was only later, he said, when the group tried to ring the number, that they realised it was UK-registered and not one they could call from their mobiles without risking astronomical phone charges. Ramsay added that the back-and-forth between the Embassy and the group, as well as the flitting between plans, had taken a toll on his mental health. We understand that this is a complicated situation, but to be messed around like this with the high of thinking youre going home, and then the real low when thats taken away and youre told your seats are being taken by the people supposed to be helping you its hard not to feel helpless. First repatriation flights from India amid coronavirus lockdown Patricia Pacheco, a retired GP who lives in Wales, is one of the 11. She is in a private apartment with her Peruvian husband, as well as her brother and sister-in-law. She said the decision made by Perus Ministry of Health, as well as the reasoning given by them and Kate Harrison, makes no sense whatsoever. She added: I called the Ministry of Health yesterday and demanded that I be told what this supposed new information was from four-day-old blood tests, who had made the call to keep us here, and what the plan was. Unsurprisingly, Ive heard nothing back. 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 Pacheco, whose brother tested positive for coronavirus in March but has since recovered, says she highly doubts that any new information could be found from days-old, unpreserved blood tests. She added: It bewilders me that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office arent trying to find out what this move by Perus Ministry of Health means and why we havent been told. Its very worrying. Since Peru went into a nationwide lockdown on 15 March, The British Embassy said it has flown over 1,200 Brits back to the UK. Two of those, who The Independent spoke to three weeks ago, are some of those now home. Sian Forkan, from Manchester, and Abi Dennison, an NHS nurse from Nottingham, landed back in the UK on 9 April. They said they are delighted to be back home safe with [their] loved ones, but gutted for those that are still stuck and shocked at the treatment they received from the British Embassy on Wednesday. Forkan added: The emotional rollercoaster theyve been on is appalling and the British Embassy need to step up to effectively and swiftly deal with the situation so they can leave Peru before they officially close the borders on the 22 April. Compared to other European countries, the UKs attempts to get its citizens back are lacking. Yesterday, The Guardian revealed that the UK has chartered just six flights via the EU crisis scheme, bringing 1,000 Britons home. Germany, it said, in comparison, has organised 101 such flights through the programme, repatriating a total of 21,815 of its citizens with EU cash. Martin Vizcarra, the president of Peru, announced in March that after 22 April, no more repatriation flights would be allowed into Peru. Both Ramsay and Pacheco said theyre terrified they wont be on a flight home before then and, as of Friday, the only plan theyve been told about is the possibility of [them] being put on another European flight, so [they] at least get closer to home. Ramsay added: Though lets be honest, its clearly no more than just that right now: a plan. On this, the British Embassy in Peru said: We continue to work with international partners to secure space on any potential future flights including via other European countries where commercial routes to the UK are still available. We will continue to update British travellers of any details that become available to us. Recommended The British nationals trapped in Peru due to coronavirus Ultimately, Ramsay and Pacheco just want to get home. Ramsay, who left his job as a research engineer to travel South America for a year, said hes more worried about his mum than anyone or anything else, myself included. He said: My dad told me shes been really stressed out by all this and Im worried about her, but theres nothing I can do. He added: I never thought Id have to beg for help to get home, especially from the British Embassy, but thats the situation we find ourselves in now. So, please, help. The Independent has contacted Perus health ministry for comment. Phil McGraw, host of the syndicated talk show "Dr. Phil." (John Shearer / Getty Images) Two of television's most well-known daytime hosts are under fire for their comments questioning stay-at-home restrictions put in place to contain the spread of the coronavirus. In a Thursday appearance on the Fox News show "The Ingraham Angle," Phil McGraw suggested it was dangerous to shut down the economy in order to stop the COVID-19 pandemic. "The fact of the matter is 40,000 people die a year from automobile accidents. 480,000 from cigarettes. 360,000 a year die from swimming pools, but we dont shut the country down for that. But yet were doing it for this?" said the host of "Dr. Phil." . (He also incorrectly stated how many people die in swimming accidents each year; that number is closer to 3,600 a year, not 360,000, according to the CDC.) Dr. Oz: sending kids back to school might only cause a 2-3% increase in mortality from COVID! Thats appetizing. Dr. Phil: Hold my beer... https://t.co/GQnbwvmMKz Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) April 17, 2020 A day earlier, Dr. Mehmet Oz expressed similar sentiments during Fox News' prime-time programming. "We need our mojo back," he said on "Hannity." "Lets start with things really critical to the nation. Schools are a very appetizing opportunity. I just saw a nice piece in the Lancet arguing that the opening of schools may only cost us 2-3% in terms of total mortality. Any life is a life lost, but to get every child back into school where theyre safely being educated, being fed, and making the most out of their lives with a theoretical risk on the backside it might be a trade-off some folks would consider." Both hosts faced immediate backlash on social media. Many users noted that McGraw was not a medical doctor and that both men had risen to fame through appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Story continues The statements from two of TV's most recognizable "doctors" licensed or otherwise come amid a growing call among conservatives to ease social-distancing measures even as the virus continues to claim hundreds of lives across the country each day. Fox News personalities such as Laura Ingraham have been pushing to reopen the economy. Meanwhile, people in Ohio, Michigan and elsewhere have gathered in recent days to protest restrictions in their states. Neither host is an expert on infectious disease or epidemiology. Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon. McGraw has never been a medical doctor. He has a PhD in clinical psychology but is no longer licensed to practice psychology. (In the same episode of "The Ingraham Angle" on which McGraw appeared, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, pushed back against Ingraham's suggestion that the virus may simply "disappear" without a vaccine.) Both Oz and McGraw have been accused of using their clout to promote misinformation while engaging in ethically questionable behavior. In 2014, Oz was grilled by a Senate subcommittee about various dubious weight-loss remedies he'd featured on his daytime talk show. That same year, researchers found that less than one-third of the advice dispensed on his show was backed up by medical science. More recently, he has made multiple appearances on Fox News eagerly promoting the use of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19, even though there is growing doubt about its effectiveness. McGraw has drawn scrutiny for promoting a diabetes drug under the guise of an awareness campaign and was criticized by mental health professionals for making statements about Britney Spears' well-being following a visit with her in the hospital during a psychiatric stay in 2008. Oz later attempted to clarify his remarks. "Ive realized my comments on risks around opening schools have confused and upset people, which was never my intention. I misspoke," he said in a video shared Thursday on Twitter. "As a heart surgeon, I've spent my career fighting to save lives in the operating room by minimizing risks. At the same time, I'm being asked constantly, 'How will we be able to get people back to their normal lives?' To do that, one of the important steps will we get our children safely back to schools. We know for many kids, school is a place of security, nutrition and learning that is missing right now." Ive realized my comments on risks around opening schools have confused and upset people, which was never my intention. I misspoke. pic.twitter.com/Kq1utwiCjR Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) April 16, 2020 McGraw also responded to the controversy in a video posted on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube on Friday, saying that he supported the CDC guidelines but was concerned about the mental health effects of long-term quarantine. Sony Pictures Television, which produces "The Dr. Oz Show," declined to comment. New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, where Oz practices, did not respond to a request for comment. CBS Television Distribution, which produces "Dr. Phil," did not respond to requests for comment. The back-to-back controversies have also invited renewed scrutiny of Oprah Winfrey, who helped both men make the transition into broadcasting, and has been criticized for a giving a platform to people such as actress and anti-vaccine activist Jenny McCarthy. Dr. Bartlett had done stringent due diligence before putting her mother, a daughter of Italian immigrants who loved to cook her special meatballs for her two granddaughters, at the Herron. She visited half a dozen nursing homes and interviewed Herrons medical staff. She even consulted a specialist in placing seniors in homes. In the end, she decided on the Herron, which charged her mother 6,500 Canadian dollars a month. Dr. Bartlett was originally impressed by its diligent staff, and services that included a beauty salon. Today, Dr. Bartlett laments that even her extensive research failed to turn up the criminal record of the residences owner, Samir Chowieri, who in the 1980s served 15 months in prison for drug trafficking and had been convicted of fraud. One of his retirement homes was later the subject of a money-laundering investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Had any of this criminality been exposed I wouldve never put my mom there, she told me. But there was a reason for the lack of a paper trail: In 2014, Mr. Chowieri was successful in obtaining a pardon and having his criminal record expunged. The Quebec premier, Francois Legault, this week said it was unacceptable that a person convicted of serious crimes ended up running a home for the elderly, and asked why there were rigorous background checks for employees of long-term care facilities in Quebec but not for owners. Dr. Bartlett said that while her mothers care had initially been satisfactory, conditions at the residence deteriorated as the owners went on an aggressive cost-cutting spree and struggled to find qualified staff. She attributed the 31 recent deaths to the fact that, as Covid-19 spread and the residence was locked down, relatives of families were not able to visit and act as advocates for their loved ones. That in turn helped create a perfect storm of neglect, when overstretched and depleted health care workers, fearful of the virus and lacking sufficient protective equipment, fled. Yet Dr. Bartlett said it was hard to fathom that the body bags leaving the residence did not raise alarms sooner. Why didnt anyone scream at the top of their lungs? she asked. Credit: CC0 Public Domain African-Americans are at greater risk of being killed by police, even though they are less likely to pose an objective threat to law enforcement, according to new data-driven research by Northeastern professor Matt Miller. Hispanics are also more likely to be victims of police shootings. The Northeastern-Harvard study combs through shooting deaths by police across 27 states in 2014-15, based on details culled from police and medical-examiner reports by the relatively new National Violent Death Reporting System. Overall, close to 1,000 people are shot to death by police officers in the U.S. every year, according to a database maintained by the Washington Post. "One in 15 firearm deaths is at the hands of police; among African-Americans it's about one in 10," says Miller, a professor of health sciences and epidemiology who has been researching injury and violence prevention for two decades. "Which isn't to say that these shootings are all unjustified. But it sure makes you feel like we should try really hard to figure out how to use less lethal ways of arresting someone's threatening behavior." Instead of approaching the study with a point of view to be proved or disproved, the researchers set out on a fact-finding mission. They spent two years analyzing the two-year database of 603 firearm homicides by police. They tagged and coded the narratives to put each shooting into context, and then ran the detailed results through a computer program. "The computer looked at the variations in the data and grouped the victims into categories," says Miller. "It turned out that there were seven categories that fit the statistics." The seven subtypes of police shootings set apart victims who were armed (with guns or knives) or unarmed, victims who were violent or non-violent, and other crucial details. Among those who were unarmed and appeared to show no objective threat to police, nearly two-thirds of the victims were Hispanic or Black. Miller noted that none of the seven categories accounted for "suicide by cop," in which victims seek to end their own lives by willfully provoking a police shooting. Instead, suicidal people were distributed across all seven categories. In every subtype, African-Americans were victims at a rate higher than their proportion to the national population. "This disparity is at its most extreme among incidents involving unarmed victims who pose no apparent threat to law enforcement," says Joey Wertz, a medical student at the University of California Los Angeles who was first author of the study. Such details contribute to a larger, sobering issue, says Miller. "A third of all homes have guns in this country, and we know that police shootings are occurring at higher rates when people live in areas with more guns," says Miller. "It's really sobering. It makes you want to step back and try to think about ways to help everybody reduce the number of fatal encounters. I mean, nobody walks away from this better." A next step will be to compare fatal encounters against encounters that did not result in a shooting, in hope of coming up with methods that may help defuse the violence. The database recently expanded to account for all 50 states, which should strengthen future studies. "This report is a modest addition to what's out there," Miller says. "Hopefully it offers help to people who know a lot more than I do about what it's like to be on the street and policing, and to be on the street as a victim. We hope that working together and at least trying to have discussions might contribute to reducing the toll." Explore further Fatal police shootings more frequent in US states with high household gun ownership More information: Joseph Wertz et al. A Typology of Civilians Shot and Killed by US Police: a Latent Class Analysis of Firearm Legal Intervention Homicide in the 20142015 National Violent Death Reporting System, Journal of Urban Health (2020). Joseph Wertz et al. A Typology of Civilians Shot and Killed by US Police: a Latent Class Analysis of Firearm Legal Intervention Homicide in the 20142015 National Violent Death Reporting System,(2020). DOI: 10.1007/s11524-020-00430-0 The city of Midland Health Department is currently conducting an investigation on four new confirmed cases of coronavirus in Midland County, bringing the overall case count to 41. Two cases are male residents of Midland Medical Lodge and one is a female staffer, according to separate press releases from the citys spokeswoman. The 38th confirmed case is a male in his 80s, who was tested by Midland Health. He is an inpatient at Midland Memorial Hospital; he was transported there from the long-term care facility on Wednesday. The source of exposure is contact to known case. The 39th confirmed case is a male in his 70s, who was tested by Midland Health. He also is an inpatient at Midland Memorial Hospital; he was transported there from the long-term care facility on Wednesday. The source of exposure is contact to known case. The 40th confirmed case is a female in her 50s who was tested by Midland Health. The woman, who is self-isolating at home, is a staff member at Midland Medical Lodge and has not worked there since Friday. The source of exposure is contact to known case. The two male patients are the third and fourth Midland Medical Lodge residents who have been confirmed with the virus, according to the city. A part-time nurse and four administrative employees also are confirmed cases. The 41st confirmed case is a female in her 20s who was tested by Midland Health. She is self-isolating at home. The source of exposure is community-acquired. The health department will continue to monitor the individuals in accordance with the CDC. The Laredo Police Department descended upon Vanessita Court late Thursday due to a report of a deceased person. Unfortunately, officers would go on to find four bodies that night. LPD announced on Friday afternoon that Samuel Enrique Lopez has been arrested in connection to the death of four family members, including a 2-year-old child. Lopez, 20, has been charged with capital murder of multiple persons and capital murder of a person under the age of 10 years of age. Capital murder, a capital felony offense according to Texas law, carries options for punishment including life in prison or the death penalty by lethal injection. Lopez was transported to Webb County Jail and is being held with no bond. Officers arrived on location at the 4500 block of Vanessita Court late Thursday after a call of an unknown nature at a nearby residence. After allegedly finding visible signs of a potential crime scene at a residence, police said they discovered that they could not locate members of that household. LPD said it searched the area and found three bodies in an adjacent lot. Meanwhile, a 2-year-old child was later found in a separate location. LPD said that Lopez was identified as a person of interest and was brought in for questioning. Police said that the case later led them to the 4700 block of Arias Court where the childs body was discovered. The four alleged murders are more than the city had previously in 2020. Laredo's third murder allegedly occurred one day prior as a Laredo Customs and Border Protection officer was arrested in connection with the shooting death of a Laredo firefighter on late Wednesday night. TANZANIA, Tanzania - Children have so far largely escaped the most severe symptoms of COVID-19 but the social and economic impact is potentially catastrophic for millions of children, according to a U.N. report launched Thursday. It said COVID-19 is turning into a broader child-rights crisis. All children, of all ages, and in all countries, are affected, it said. However, some children are destined to bear the greatest costs. Those badly hit will be children living in slums, refugee and displacement camps, conflict zones, institutions and detention centres and youngsters with disabilities, the report said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned in a video statement launching the report that the coronavirus pandemic is putting many of the worlds children in jeopardy and urged families everywhere and leaders at all levels to protect our children. The U.N. chief said the lives of children are being totally upended by COVID-19. He pointed to almost all students out of school, family stress levels rising as communities face lock-downs, and reduced household income expected to force poor families to cut back on essential health and food expenditures, particularly affecting children. Guterres said the global recession that is gathering pace as a result of the pandemic and the measures being taken to mitigate it could lead to hundreds of thousands additional child deaths in 2020. According to the report, This would effectively reverse the last two to three years of progress in reducing infant mortality within a single year. The estimate of hundreds of thousands of additional child deaths came from a 2011 paper by three economists Sarah Baird, Jed Friedman, and Norbert Schady who investigated the impact of income shocks, like a recession, on infant mortality. The report urges governments and donors to prioritize education for all children and give special priority to the most vulnerable youngsters in conflicts and refugee camps, and those who are displaced and disabled. It also calls for governments and donors to provide economic assistance, including cash transfers, to low-income families. On education, the report said 188 countries have imposed countrywide school closures, affecting more than 1.5 billion children and young people. And it said nearly 369 million children in 143 countries who rely on school meals for daily nutrition must now look to other sources. Guterres said some schools are offering online learning but children without access to the internet and in countries with slow and expensive services are severely disadvantaged. Noting that children are both victims and witnesses of domestic violence and abuse, he said, with schools closed, an important early warning mechanism is missing. 70 Ukrainians who returned from abroad tried to leave Ukraine without waiting for the mandatory self-isolation to end Over the past day, more than 12,000 people crossed the Ukrainian border. Representative of the State Border Service of Ukraine Andriy Demchenko said so, as 112 Ukraine reports. There are 19 automobile directions at the state border where you can cross it while entering and exiting by car. "At the beginning of the week, passenger traffic amounted to 9-10,000 people in general, both for entry and exit. Over the past day, a little more than 12,000 people crossed the border as a whole. From the beginning of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus at the state border in the overwhelming majority of them fixes the daily advantage of entry over departure of citizens," Demchenko said. He added that border guards had already transferred to law enforcement officers more than 70 Ukrainians who returned to Ukraine, but subsequently tried to travel outside the state. However, they did not wait for the completion of the mandatory period of self-isolation (14 days). The violators, thus, face a fine in the amount of $600. As we reported before, the European Parliament offers to create the international peacekeeping mission at the Russian-Ukrainian border Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 09:33:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ROME, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Italian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Marina Sereni on Thursday voiced support for the World Health Organization (WHO) and called for a more coordinated international response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sereni made the remarks after a video conference of foreign ministers in the Alliance for Multilateralism, which was organized by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. She said the WHO is "essential" in fighting the pandemic and that Italy will continue to back the organization's mission. 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. The goal of the video conference was to "discuss the need to strengthen global health governance and commit to promoting a coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic," according to a statement of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Beyond the need to respond to domestic problems, there is a need to take action beyond national borders," Sereni said. "This pandemic requires a global response ... This initiative is focused on strengthening multilateralism, which has seen its institutions weakened in recent decades." Sereni's comments were echoed by foreign ministers from such participating countries as Canada, France and Germany, which also expressed solidarity with the WHO. Maas called the organization the "backbone of the fight against the pandemic" in a statement. The Alliance for Multilateralism is an informal network of countries grouped with the conviction of the "rules-based international order" and the aim of supporting the United Nations and promoting international collaboration. The network, which includes 66 participating countries, was founded by Germany and France in 2018. Among the member states, 23 of them attended the video conference on Thursday. The conference was held after U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration is halting the nation's funding to the WHO, which triggered widespread backlash and criticism across the world. Enditem The death toll due to coronavirus rose to 437 and the number of cases to 13,387 in the country on Friday, according to the Union Health Ministry. While the number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 11,201, as many as 1,748 people have been cured and discharged, and one had migrated, it said. The total number of positive cases includes 76 foreign nationals. Seventeen deaths have been reported since Thursday evening -- seven from Maharashtra, six from Delhi, three from West Bengal and one from Tamil Nadu. Of the total 437 deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 194 fatalities, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 53, Delhi 38, Gujarat 36 and Telengana 18. Tamil Nadu has reported 15 deaths while Andhra Pradesh has 14 deaths. Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka have reported 13 deaths each. West Bengal has registered ten fatalities. Four persons have lost lives in Jammu and Kashmir. Kerala, Haryana and Rajasthan have recorded three deaths each. Jharkhand has reported two deaths. Meghalaya, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam reported one fatality each, according to the health ministry's latest data. However, a PTI tally of figures reported by various states as on Thursday evening showed at least 444 deaths. There has been a lag in the Union Health Ministry figures, compared to the number of deaths announced by different states, which officials attribute to procedural delays in assigning the cases to individual states. According to the ministry's data updated in the morning, the highest number of confirmed cases in the country are from Maharashtra at 3,205, followed by Delhi at 1,640 and Tamil Nadu at 1,267. COVID-19 cases have gone up to 1,131 in Rajasthan, followed by 1,120 in Madhya Pradesh, 930 in Gujarat and 805 in Uttar Pradesh. Telengana has 700 cases, followed by Andhra Pradesh at 534 and Kerala at 395. The number of novel coronavirus cases has risen to 315 in Karanataka, 314 in Jammu and Kashmir, 255 in West Bengal, 205 in Haryana and 186 in Punjab. Bihar has reported 80 cases and Odisha 60. Thirty-seven people were infected with the virus in Uttarakhand, while Himachal Pradesh and Assam have registered 35 cases each. Chhattisgarh have registered 33 cases, Jharkhand 28, Chandigarh 21 and Ladakh 18. Eleven 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. "State-wise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation," the ministry said on its website. The website also mentions that a COVID-19 patient from Nagaland has been shifted to Assam. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Luiza Ilie BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Carmen Mocanu, a 51-year-old labourer, has spent most springs for 15 years picking fruit and vegetables on a German farm. When her employer called again this April, she decided to go, despite the coronavirus pandemic that has forced countries across Europe to go into lockdown, including her native Romania. Travelling might carry additional health risks but she felt she might be safer in German hospitals than in Romania, if she did contract the highly contagious virus. And the money, about six times what she earns at home, was important. Tens of thousands of Romanians are expected to make the same choice in the coming weeks, flying to Germany and Britain, where farmers have lobbied their governments to relax travel restrictions and allow badly needed foreign workers - primarily from poorer eastern Europe - to rescue harvests. Waiting at the airport in Bucharest, Mocanu greeted familiar faces she had met on previous travels. "The work is the same as here, but over there it is much better paid, and we've been taken care of," said Mocanu, wearing a protective mask and gloves, as she waited with some 300 others to board planes for Dusseldorf and Rheinmunster in Germany. Some were travelling with family members. Many have been working on farms in Germany for years. Like many other countries in Europe, Romania has closed schools and restaurants and banned public gatherings before enforcing a nationwide lockdown on March 24. It has reported 8,067 coronavirus cases and 411 deaths. Some German trade unionists have warned of risks that some seasonal workers might be underpaid, overworked and not be granted health insurance, but Mocanu said the fear she would be infected with coronavirus was not an overriding concern. She and the new arrivals will get a medical checkup on arrival, will be isolated from other workers for two weeks and will lodge two to a room instead of four as in previous years. Story continues Images of almost 2,000 Romanians crowding to catch back-to-back charter planes in the western city of Cluj last week fuelled a heated public debate in Romania, with some worried about the spread of disease. A resident of the eastern Romanian town of Buzau, Mocanu normally earns 16 euros a day working in a nursing home. She has seen her town shrink every year as people leave, frustrated with low pay, political corruption and decrepit public services. Roughly five million Romanians now live abroad, a third of the total population. Mocanu first found work in Germany through her twin sister, who immigrated there permanently with her husband and son. "It was hard in the beginning, your back hurts from bending so much, but it's worth it in the end. It's a financial choice." (Editing by Justyna Pawlak and Gareth Jones) Amid the unprecedented outbreak of deadly coronavirus, Princess of Sweden, Sofia Kristina Hellqvist has joined the health care services and be among the frontline fighters of the pandemic in the country. The Duchess of Varmland had to complete a three-day training course at Sophiahemmet University College in Stockholm and is now eligible to assist the medical practitioners at the Sophiahemmet hospital. A member of the Swedish royal family joining the hospital staff came while the country has confirmed 12,540 cases of coronavirus with at least 1,333 fatalities. With global infections of COVID-19 being more than 2.1 million, hospitals around the world have been overburdened and understaffed including the ones in Sweden. While declaring that she will be contributing to the fight against the pandemic, Princess of Sweden posted an image of her uniform on official Instagram account with the caption describing how she got the opportunity to help in the difficult times and even called it extremely rewarding. Ever since then, Princess Sophia has been widely applauded on social media with most people calling her a "hero". The caption said, Within the framework of the emergency response, I am now placed in one of the hospital's care units where, together with other newly trained colleagues, I support and relieve the care staff with various tasks, including care of patients and cleaning. It added, I have previously been involved in the Sophia home business. To have the opportunity to help in this difficult time is extremely rewarding. Thanks. Read - Coronavirus Deaths In Sweden Pass 1,000 Mark Read - As Virus Deaths Rise, Sweden Sticks To low-scale Lockdown Coronavirus outbreak in Sweden Despite rising infections and fatalities, Sweden continues to stick to what the country's chief epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell, called a low scale approach to tackle coronavirus. Tegnell, who is the top strategist against COVID-19 in Sweden reportedly said that his nation's approach was "more sustainable over a long period of time." Earlier this week, the Swedish government had banned the gathering including more than 50 people, closed schools and universities and urged people over 70 years of age or those at greater risk to self-quarantine. However, the new softer approach allowed primary schools, restaurants, eating joints and most businesses to function normally. Read - Sweden Faces Pressure To Impose Lockdown After Death Toll Rises Read - Sweden Reports Over 100 Coronavirus Deaths Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Fri, April 17, 2020 09:19 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd26c147 2 Business Boeing-737,Boeing-777X,COVID-19,Boeing,manufacturer,Washington Free Boeing workers return to their jobs starting next week to resume building commercial planes in Washington state for the first time since the plant was shuttered due to the coronavirus, the company said Thursday. Boeing said it plans a "phased" ramp-up at its facilities in Everett Washington, which was closed in late March due to COVID-19 outbreak The facility in the Puget Sound-region builds several commercial aircraft models including the 777 and the 737, and Boeing said about 27,000 workers will return to the operation. The manufacturer's South Carolina plant, which produces the 787 Dreamliner, remains closed. "The health and safety of our employees, their families and communities is our shared priority," said Stan Deal, chief of Boeing's commercial plane division. "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." The Washington complex will operate under modified manufacturing procedures to enhance safety, including staggered shift times; a requirement for face coverings and extra hand-washing equipment. In addition, Boeing will implement employee wellness checks at the start of every shift, including voluntary temperature screenings at many locales; and contact tracing when an employee tests positive for the virus. The announcement lifted shares in the aerospace giant in after-hours trading by 7.6 percent to US$144.50. Boeing had suffered an eight percent drop during Thursday's session, joining other airlines that suffered another drubbing on the bleak outlook for commercial travel. In a note to employees, Boeing Chief Executive David Calhoun praised a US Treasury agreement announced earlier this week to support commercial airlines as "vital to maintaining the aviation pillar of the US economy, even if full recovery will take years, not months." Talks between Boeing and US Treasury officials are expected later this month on terms of potential federal support for the company. US emergency aid legislation last month included about $17 billion in funds aimed at Boeing. "Our team continues to focus on the best ways to keep liquidity flowing through our business and to our supply chain until our customers are buying airplanes again," Calhoun said. "We continue to believe strongly in the future of aviation and of Boeing as the industry leader and are willing to borrow against that future." 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. The COVID-19 pandemic will likely kill at least 300,000 Africans and risks pushing 29 million into extreme poverty, a United Nations agency said on Friday. The U.N. Economic Commission for Africa - known as the UNECA - is calling for a $100 billion dollar safety net for the continent, but the head of the United Nations said much more was needed. Although Africas 54 countries have so far reported fewer than 20,000 confirmed cases, the World Health Organization warned on Thursday that Africa could see as many as 10 million cases in three to six months. Most of Africa has already mandated social distancing measures, ranging from curfews and travel guidelines in some countries to full lockdowns in others. But combating the disease is complicated by the fact that 36% of Africans have no access to household washing facilities. The continent also counts just 1.8 hospital beds per 1,000 people AND it imports 94% of its pharmaceuticals. The health crisis could also shrink the continent's economy - pushing tens of millions of people into extreme poverty. Nigeria alone will lose up to around $19 billion dollars in revenues from oil exports this year. Dusk settles on downtown Los Angeles as Southern California completes a month of coronavirus lockdown. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) Because of the colossal impact that the coronavirus outbreak has had on the U.S. economy, less than half of Los Angeles County residents 45% compared with 61% in mid-March still hold a job, a decline of 16 percentage points, or an estimated 1.3 million jobs, according to findings from a national survey released Friday. The survey also suggests that 25.5 million jobs have been potentially lost across the U.S. since mid-March, and that people of color, especially black Americans, are more likely to have lost their jobs since mid-March. Nationally, 15% of white people said they had lost their jobs, while 18% of Latinos and 21% of black people reported job losses. But a significant majority of job losses, 67% nationally, were reported as temporary layoffs. Angelenos reported similar experiences. Under normal circumstances losing a job without access to benefits would be bad enough, but in the current situation, chances of finding a new job are likely to be close to nonexistent," Arie Kapteyn, director of the USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research, which administers the tracking survey, said in a statement. "These changes are nothing less than catastrophic for those affected." The Understanding Coronavirus in America Study, led by the USC Dornsife Center, has been surveying a panel of nearly 5,500 adults in the United States about their perceptions and attitudes regarding the coronavirus outbreak and how its affecting their lives since mid-March. The latest survey was conducted from April 1 to April 14 and compares findings from a similar survey from March 10 to March 31, two time periods that reflect immense change in California and the United States as policymakers grappled with how to address the outbreak with limited information and significant consequences. The researchers have a representative sample of the United States and a representative sample of L.A. County. Because our panel members fill out questions in the Understanding Coronavirus in America tracking survey on a daily basis, we are able to pick up any changes in behavior or attitudes that may occur as a result of the pandemic, Jill Darling, survey director for the Understanding America Study online panel that provides the sample for the tracking survey, said in a statement. Since the same people respond to each wave of the survey, we can detect real shifts in the impact the pandemic is having on peoples financial and personal lives. Story continues The researchers found that some of the most pronounced changes over the two time periods came in how Americans are actually heeding the warnings of public health officials and taking personal responsibility in slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Ninety percent of Americans now avoid public spaces, according to the survey results, up 57 percentage points since March. In L.A. County, 94% are doing so, compared with 69% previously. A high percentage of respondents, 86%, reported avoiding restaurants, up 46 percentage points since March. And many more people, both across the United States and in L.A. County, are wearing masks or other types of face coverings. Whereas only 10% of Americans wore face coverings in March, now 48% report doing so. In L.A. County, the figure soared from 18% to 77%. It's an increase that makes sense and is likely to be encouraging news for public officials who have continued to stress the importance of a largely self-enforced effort. Since the first wave of surveys, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued a mandatory face covering order April 7 for anyone visiting most essential businesses, and the county's facial covering order went into effect Wednesday. Many other municipalities and counties across the state and country have followed suit. Some of the motivation to protect oneself has likely been, in part, from fear. In California, almost 30,000 people have been confirmed to have the coronavirus and nearly 1,000 people have died. Although people with no more than a high school education believe they're less likely to contract the virus than those with some college education, they believe they're more likely to die from it if they are infected, the researchers found. Nationally, people estimate they have a 25% chance of dying from the virus if they are infected, up from 15% in the earlier survey period in March. Overall, Americans estimate a 28% chance of contracting COVID-19 within the next three months, up from 21% previously. The percentages were similar for Angelenos. Unsurprisingly, the proportion of L.A. County residents suffering from psychological distress rose 12 percentage points to 48%. The survey results also give a glimpse into how people are behaving and feeling about their financial stability amid the coronavirus outbreak. Whereas the only disruption some Angelenos have faced has primarily been a switch to working from home, some of the survey participants reported much more dire financial situations. Across the country and county, more people are fearing losing their jobs and running out of money. In L.A. County, people estimated their chances of running out of money within the next three months at 33%, and those who are currently employed estimated their chances of losing their jobs at 22%. Nationally, those measures were 22% and 15%, respectively. The researchers found that Latinos are least confident about their job security. But since mid-March, black Americans reported the steepest increase in their chances of running out of money, from a 23% likelihood to a 32% likelihood. GyanDhan Scholarship The GyanDhan scholarship is a one-time award that will be given to a student at the beginning of the academic year. The scholarship amount is INR 1 lakh. Irrespective of the course and the country, one student will be awarded the scholarship for their postgraduate program. The scholarship is merit-based and will be presented to the student with excellent academic records and calibre. How Does the GyanDhan Scholarship Work? GyanDhan scholarship PARIS The French navy is investigating how the coronavirus infected more than 1,000 sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, amid growing pressure on government leaders to explain how it could have happened. The ship, Frances biggest carrier and the flagship of its navy, is undergoing a lengthy disinfection process since returning to its home base in Toulon five days ago. One person remains in intensive care and some 20 others hospitalized, navy spokesman Cmdr. Eric Lavault told The Associated Press. Two of four U.S. sailors serving aboard the Charles de Gaulle as part of an exchange program also tested positive, according to a U.S. Navy statement. A British sailor was aboard another vessel, Lavault said, refusing to reveal the sailors health status. Lavault insisted that the aircraft carriers commander sought to increase the physical distance among the crew on the vessel, where there was no testing equipment and for most of its three months on operations, no masks. It is very difficult to apply social distancing measures on a combat vessel, Lavault said. But security of the crew is the first concern. A combat ship, especially an aircraft carrier, is nothing without its crew. A similar outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt and a dispute about how the at-sea health crisis was handled led to the firing of its captain and the resignation this month of the acting U.S. Navy secretary. The French navy has been spared major controversy so far, but the defense minister and the head of the French militarys health service arm were questioned Friday about the infections at parliamentary hearings. Defense Minister Florence Parly told lawmakers that 1,081 of the 2,300 people aboard the Charles de Gaulle and its escort vessels have tested positive so far nearly half the overall personnel. While the virus has immobilized the immense and important ship, Parly insisted that otherwise our forces continue to assure the defense of our country at sea, under the sea, on land and in the air. An investigation to retrace the paths of the personnel is in progress. Lavault noted that the aircraft carrier made a call in the French port of Brest, on the Atlantic Ocean, had been in the North Sea as part of a naval diplomacy mission with NATO partners, and had stopped in Cyprus during an operation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea to join in the fight against the Islamic State group. Journalists had boarded the vessel at one point. All hypotheses are on the table, Lavault said. So far, 350 crew members have been grilled about their movements on and off the vessel, according to Lavault. The defense minister defended the decision to allow the ship to stop in Brest in mid-March, even though France had already ordered all schools closed to fight the virus and the government was preparing confinement measures. Hours after the ship left, President Emmanuel Macron announced a nationwide lockdown, among the strictest in Europe. With nearly 2,000 sailors on the aircraft carrier alone, there is a constant flow of people frequenting the infirmary. In the North Sea, temperatures sometimes dropped to -5 degrees Celsius (23 F), he said. The number of infections rose exponentially from about April 4-5, and lung scans were taken on suspected cases, Lavault said. Its from this date that the commander decided to alert Navy headquarters to propose ending the operation, a decision taken immediately by the (defense) minister, he said. The aircraft carrier was back in its home base at the Mediterranean port of Toulon on April 12. We are and will be transparent about the health situation, the health director Maryline Gygax Genero told the parliamentary commission. Lavault said the carrier was being cleaned top to bottom, first with high-pressure water at 60 C (140 F), then with an anti-viral product, a process that could take weeks. He said the goal is to get the carrier back to sea sometime in May. France has been among the countries hardest hit by the virus, with more than 18,000 deaths confirmed as of Friday and more than 100,000 reported cases. As France heads into a second month of confinement, the head of the national health agency said Friday that the country is seeing a slow but regular decline in the virus, with the number of hospitalizations and people in intensive care continuing to drop. ___ Nicolas Garriga and Angela Charlton contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak ARLINGTON, Va., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law American Diabetes Association (ADA)-supported legislation capping monthly copayments for insulin at $100 for a 30-day supply. Senate Bill 6087 (SB 6087) requires insulin to be covered by state regulated commercial health insurance plans and state employee plans without being subject to a deductible. In addition, any cost sharing the individual is required to pay by their policy will be applied toward their deductible. The bill also contains a provision directing the Washington Health Care Authority to monitor the wholesale cost of insulin sold in the state. The ADA is encouraged that Governor Inslee and state's legislature put the nearly 700,000 people living with diabetes in Washington at the forefront in this difficult time. "Americans with diabetes are facing unprecedented health and financial challenges as COVID-19 continues to spread," said LaShawn McIver, MD, MPH, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs & Advocacy for the ADA. "The high cost of insulin can have devastating consequences, often forcing those living with diabetes to make hard choices that can lead to devastating health complications. The good news is, help is on the way for Washington residents with diabetes who are struggling to pay for their insulin. Starting January 1, 2021, this new law will remove one of the burdens faced by many people with diabetes in in the state who need insulin to live. We are grateful to Governor Inslee, as well as bill sponsor Karen Keiser and the Washington legislature for taking steps to help those with diabetes thrive." "This is huge for people with diabetes," said Irl B. Hirsch, MD, Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington (UW) and former chair of the ADA's Professional Practice Committee. "Affording insulin is by far the number one challenge my patients with diabetes face. We are fortunate to be living in a forward-thinking state that has made this issue a priority. Now more than ever finances are a major challenge, and anything we can do to reduce this stress will improve the lives of these Washingtonians." For more information about this legislation, please contact Senator Keiser at [email protected]. While this co-pay cap is a step forward in the fight for affordable insulin, the ADA recognizes that people with diabetes need relief now more than ever to stay healthy and out of doctor's offices, emergency rooms and hospitals. To address the immediate needs of people with diabetes in Washington during the coronavirus pandemic, the ADA has urged Governor Inslee to eliminate all cost-sharing for insulin in state-regulated health insurance plans and revert to the $100 co-pay cap when the crisis passes. The ADA also urged state governors to ensure continuous access to health care for residents with diabetes who have lost their jobs due to the economic impact of the pandemic. The ADA continues to be the driving force in federal and state efforts to ensure that insulin is affordable and accessible for all people who need it. Take action today at diabetes.org/advocacy/platform. If you are struggling to pay for insulin or know someone who is, the ADA has resources to helpvisit InsulinHelp.org. About the American Diabetes Association Every day more than 4,000 people are newly diagnosed with diabetes in America. More than 122 million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes and are striving to manage their lives while living with the disease. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation's leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For nearly 80 years the ADA has been driving discovery and research to treat, manage and prevent diabetes, while working relentlessly for a cure. We help people with diabetes thrive by fighting for their rights and developing programs, advocacy and education designed to improve their quality of life. Diabetes has brought us together. What we do next will make us Connected for Life. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn). Contact: Alex Day, 703-253-4843 [email protected] SOURCE American Diabetes Association Related Links http://www.diabetes.org On January 9, 2020, a media outlet released a very revealing documentary about cocaine's effect on Colombia. Charlet Duboc, a correspondent, joined a team of military officers in their quest to uproot and eradicate the infamous coca plants. In Tumaco, Narino, a vast area of land is covered with nothing but coca plants, making it the largest concentration of coca crops across in the world. The anti-narcotics division had been storming and uprooting the coca farms for a decade. However, the end of coca production is still not in sight. With poverty gripping on local farmers and residents, most turn to coca cultivation, tripling output over the last five years. The Process Cocaine is a highly addictive and illegal drug made from a plant native to South America. According to the DEA, Colombia produces the most number of cocaine per year, with Peru and other Latin American countries trailing behind. The process of making cocaine involves three main steps, making it a labor-intensive process. Coca farmers start by harvesting the leaves of the crops, which are then soaked in gasoline. After much of the liquid has been drained, the coca base is dried, dissolved in a solvent, and is dried into bricks. The drug sold off the street is rarely in its purest form. Cocaine makers typically add in at least one foreign substance to increase profits. In Colombia, coca farms were initially operating without any government presence. When the state began sending forces, they brought with them repressive tactics such as eradication and fumigation. Many, especially those along the Inirida River and other outlying areas, steadily lose their only source of income. Life in Cocaine A large number of Colombian farmers and families depend on coca production for their daily needs. The neighborhoods located along the river were once thriving fishing villages. However, after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) incentivized coca cultivation, most turned to farm the illegal drug as a more sustainable and stable source of income. Coca farmers often create the paste in their own kitchens. Most coca workers live in areas where paper money and coins equate to nothing. In impoverished regions, coca paste has largely become their currency---commodities such as a bar of soap cost ten grams of cocaine. Against the Odds In 2017, the Colombian government signed an agreement with FARC in hopes of eradicating more than 100,000 hectares of coca crops. In the program, farmers are given $11,000 over the course of two years to clear coca crops and replace it with cacao trees used to make chocolate. With help from the Colombian authorities, many coca farmers were given seeds, incentives, and technology needed to grow pineapple, peppercorn, and cacao. Others were taught how to raise livestock like pigs and cows. Coca farmers are asked to sever ties with the guerillas who buy the illicit drug. Workers who have had their crops substituted travel to nearby towns and cities to sell their products. Some who've signed up for the program see the news crops as profitable. Others disagree. The crop substitution program has been around for the past two decades. Many of the projects were badly designed and underfunded, causing farmers to turn to coca production once again. Part of the reason lies in the remoteness of the zones where coca farmers live. They are in a very isolated part of the country where there are no roads, and the primary means of transportation are boats. They also do not have access to technology, electricity, and the internet. The Colombian government also fails to impose a guaranteed minimum price for legal products, leaving farmers to fend for themselves. Criminal bands also factor into the failing program. On paper, authorities claim more than 75,000 farmers signed on the substitution program. In reality, some of these "farmers" are actors from criminal bands waiting to take over territories previously dominated by FARC to expand their drug operations. In some areas, the criminal groups, also known as BACRIM, prevent local coca farmers from transitioning to other produce. Many families linked to the government's program received threats and intimidation from the rebels. National security forces cannot keep the illegal armed groups from moving into spaces previously occupied by coca farmers. Offered with just a temporary financial subsidy, many workers still fall back to cocaine production to curb hunger and poverty. Agorabardo Burdos, who now grows three acres of pepper, said the demand for the product has fallen since more people prefer to buy the cheaper alternative from Ecuador. "Coca meant less work and more money," he said. "With pepper, we are just surviving." Want to read more Latin American news? Check these out: CLEVELAND, Ohio Federal appeals court judges on Thursday grilled a prosecutor and a defense lawyer on whether former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora should get another chance to prove his innocence. Dimora, 64, has argued that errors in the instructions a federal judge gave to the jury that convicted him in 2012, as well as the judges decision to disallow the former commissioner and Democratic Party chairman to present his ethics reports, means he should get a new trial. On Thursday, the questions from 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judges Amal Thapar, Joan Larsen and Gilbert Merritt Jr. centered on two issues: whether there were actual errors and whether that was enough to adversely affect the jurys decision. Dimora is serving a 28-year federal prison sentence for corruption-related convictions. He has argued that the U.S. Supreme Courts 2016 ruling in McDonnell v. U.S., which narrowed the definition of an official act that prosecutors are required to prove as part of a federal bribery charge, invalidated the instructions U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi gave to the jury. While some actions like votes are still official acts, others like taking or making phone calls are not. The former commissioner also argued that Liois decision not to allow the jury to see his Ohio Ethics Commission reports, which disclosed gifts he received while in office, was an error that tainted the entire case. Lioi shot down both arguments in an October 2018 ruling. Dimoras lawyer David Mills conceded during oral arguments Thursday that his client undertook some official acts such as votes in connection with some of the convictions, which still qualified after the Supreme Court decision. However, the problem is that jurors were told that they could consider other acts that are perfectly legal when deciding whether to convict. Nobody disputes Mr. Dimora did a lot of official acts and votes, Mills said. What Im telling you is that the government stood up at the very end of the trial, on the last day, and they said to this jury you dont have to tie it to votes. Votes are not part of the instructions. You can tie this to a phone call. The Justice Department said that Dimoras racketeering and other convictions, which total more than 30, should stand, arguing that the judge did not make any errors with either the jury instructions or the exclusion of the ethics reports. But even if there were errors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura McMullen Ford said the convictions should still stand because of the overwhelming evidence against Dimora and because there were still official acts that still count. We do have to go count by count, Ford said. And almost nearly all the counts are supported by multiple votes in favor of the bribers. The judges conducted oral arguments via video conference. Attorneys were set to argue the case in person at the 6th Circuits courthouse in downtown Cincinnati on March 19, but the court called them off because of the coronavirus. Dimora is serving his sentence at a federal prison in Elkton, about 100 miles southeast of Cleveland. The low-security Columbiana County facility has seen increases in the number of coronavirus cases among prisoners and staff in the past few weeks. As of Thursday, 39 prisoners have tested positive for the virus, along with 34 staff members. Six prisoners have died. After a Houthi Court in Yemen sentenced four journalists to death on charges of treason and spying for foreign states, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) have written to the UN Secretary-General urging him to support moves to protect their lives and demand the release of all journalists jailed in Yemen. The co-signed letter, sent on 16 April, comes after a Houthi Court in Sanaa, sentenced journalists Abdelkhaleq Omran, Akram Al Walidi, Harith Hamid, and Tawfiq Al Mansouri to dealth for treason and espionage on 11 April. They were arrested together with five other journalists in July 2015 at the Palace of Dreams Hotel in Sanaa, where their media had moved to access communications and utilities. Since their arrest, they have been subjected to physical and psychological torture and deprived of basic rights guaranteed under international law. The IFJ has relentlessly denounced attacks onpress freedom in Yemen and the dangers facing journalists. On 9 April, IFJ and YJS called for the release of 20 journalists: 16 abducted and detained by the Houthi group, three arrested by the government and one kidnapped by Al-Qaeda. YJS General Secretary Mohammed Shubaitah and IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger wrote in the letter: Today, we need to hear from UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to stand up for Yemeni journalists and unequivocally remind Ansar Allah, the de facto government in Sanaa, that torturing and executing journalists is a war crime and that the UN does not and will not work or cooperate with war criminals. WASHINGTON - The Trump administration has awarded bulk contracts to third-party vendors in recent weeks in a scramble to obtain N95 respirator masks, and the government has paid the companies more than $5 per unit, nearly eight times what it would have spent in January and February when U.S. intelligence agencies warned of a looming global pandemic, procurement records show. The N95 masks are essential protective gear for health-care workers and others at elevated risk of coronavirus infection, and the government has recommended that people across the country wear masks and other face coverings when outside. Demand for the masks has created a frenzied, freewheeling global market that has pitted U.S. states against the federal government and rich nations against poorer ones. Administration officials leaped into the fray late, then embarked on a voracious spending spree. Though U.S. federal agencies made a small number of relatively modest purchases before the second half of March, the government has ordered more than $600 million worth of masks since then. Large U.S. companies such as Honeywell and 3M have received the biggest orders, but the Trump administration also has signed high-dollar deals with third-party vendors selling masks for many times the standard price. The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded a $55 million contract for N95s this month to Panthera Worldwide LLC, which is in the business of tactical training. One of its owners testified last year that Panthera's parent company had not had employees since May 2018, according to the sworn testimony. It also has no history of manufacturing or procuring medical equipment, according to a review of records produced as a result of legal disputes involving the company and its affiliates. Panthera Worldwide's parent company filed for bankruptcy last fall, and the LLC is no longer recognized in Virginia - where it has its main office - following nonpayment of fees, which according to Virginia code results in "the existence of a limited liability company" being "automatically canceled." James V. Punelli, one of the company's executives, said he is working his military contacts to obtain the masks. "We've done DoD medical training over the years and through those contacts with that community were brought sources of supply in order to assist in the COVID-19 response," Punelli said in a text message to The Washington Post, referring to the Defense Department. "We made the connection with FEMA and offered these supplies to them." Asked about delivery of the masks, Punelli said: "We will provide these masks before May 1 for certain, in full and with a very high-quality product." He said the company is registered as an LLC in Delaware and allowed its Virginia registration to lapse "because we're not doing business in Virginia." According to its website, Panthera offers "elite training and mission support" for the U.S. military and other agencies. But in 2018, it entered into a 42-year lease handing over its principal asset - a 750-acre training facility in West Virginia - to a separate company that now operates the site. The facility features a mock village for training exercises in anti-terrorism and tactical operations. "They don't have masks. They're not in that line of business," said Robert Starer, a Virginia businessman who leased the training center from Panthera's owners. "Is it possible that they have a relationship with someone in the world who could provide those masks? Who knows." Starer is now suing the company's two executives - Punelli and Raymond Jones - alleging they overstated the extent of their contracts and customer base, resulting in financial losses for his company. In a complaint filed in Virginia's Hanover County Circuit Court, Starer alleges that the two men misrepresented "estimated revenue" as "actual cash payments . . . based on existing contracts," causing him to suffer cash losses in 2018 and 2019. Punelli and Jones have not responded to the lawsuit, according to an attorney who represents Starer. Jones did not respond to requests for comment. Punelli said of the lawsuit, "Those frivolous claims are being addressed in due course." The FEMA contract with Panthera, which was awarded without competitive bidding, has a start date of April 1, according to a summary. Lizzie Litzow, a FEMA spokeswoman, said the Panthera contract is for 10 million masks, adding, "Panthera is not a manufacturer, they are a distributor of N95 masks." The price that FEMA is paying Panthera per mask, about $5.50, is significantly higher than what the government pays companies such as 3M, which charges as little as 63 cents per N95 mask, with an average cost of about $1.50 for more advanced models, according to a price index. Prestige Ameritech, the largest domestic mask manufacturer, is charging FEMA about 80 cents per mask for the government's order of 12 million N95 respirators, part of a $9.5 million contract that started April 7. Beyond the premium the federal government is paying to Panthera, the decision to award a contract to an insolvent organization with no apparent expertise in the given field struck experts as unusual. "Something is amiss there," said Chuck Hagel, a former defense secretary and Republican senator from Nebraska. "This is not how the government procures training or any type of supplies. You just wouldn't do business with somebody like that." In its bankruptcy filing, Panthera Enterprises estimated that it had as many as 99 creditors and said its liabilities could be as high as $50 million. Punelli said Panthera Worldwide "has no significant debt," but both companies are jointly owned by him and Jones and use the same facilities, according to court records. Founded as TenX Group in 2011, the parent company is incorporated in Delaware but has its primary office in Leesburg, Virginia, 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. Litzow, in response to questions about FEMA's contract with Panthera, said the agency is "bound by law to follow federal acquisition requirements and processes" and did so in this case. "Per these federal acquisition requirements and processes, the Contracting Officer conducted a contractor responsibility determination." The Department of Health and Human Services began gathering information on global supplies of N95s in January and posted a formal notice Feb. 24 to companies that it was preparing to place large orders, according to a department spokeswoman. On March 21, HHS bought 600 million N95s from five companies, with the largest orders going to 3M and Honeywell. If the U.S. government had attempted to make large purchases before then, it would have thrown global markets out of whack, according to Stephanie Bialek, a spokeswoman assigned to the agency's Strategic National Stockpile. "It is never the intent of the SNS to disrupt the supply chain when supply is able to meet demand, even if demand is high," she said. "Making large government purchases at that time likely would have disrupted supplies." Among members of the public, too, demand for masks has climbed, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that Americans wear masks and face coverings when in public. On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., said he would issue an executive order requiring them for all New York residents. Purchasing records show the Trump administration has placed at least $628 million worth of orders for masks in recent weeks. HHS has placed more than $400 million in mask orders, and the Department of Veterans Affairs has placed orders worth about $82 million. One of the biggest buyers is FEMA, which has transformed itself into the supply chain manager for the White House coronavirus task force. The agency proposed a deal in recent weeks to obtain an additional 114 million N95 masks from Nutratrade Australia, whose website says it specializes in bulk shipments of grains, dairy products and other foodstuffs. The FEMA proposal was for $591 million worth of N95 masks, at an average cost of $5.19 per mask, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post. The agency said late Wednesday that it does not have a contract with Nutratrade Australia. A representative for Nutratrade reached Wednesday declined to respond to questions about the proposed contract. FEMA is importing most of the medical supplies through a process the Trump administration calls "Project Airbridge," and uses chartered cargo flights to slash delivery times and steer shipments directly to hospitals. The government pays the cost of the flights, but it hands over approximately half of the supplies to large private medical supply companies, which then distribute them to their clients, according to FEMA. Critics of the arrangement say it amounts to a lavish giveaway to the private companies, but administration officials say they are just trying to get badly needed supplies to hospitals as quickly as possible. "All the traditional procurement rules are out the window," said Rick Grimm, executive director of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, which trains and advises state and local governments on procurement. Grimm said that when the market is unstable, it can invite price manipulation or the possibility "you may end up with an inferior product you can't use." Jennifer Ehrlich, a spokeswoman for 3M, said the company has not raised its prices and has taken aggressive legal action against vendors selling its products at a significant markup. The company is planning to increase its output from about 1.1 billion masks per year to 2 billion during the next 12 months, Ehrlich said. The company has filed several lawsuits within the past week against companies it says have been engaged in price-gouging and fraudulent sales, including one company that tried to sell 45 million 3M masks to New York City officials at bloated prices and another that tried to sell "tens of millions of likely nonexistent 3M N95 respirators at grossly inflated prices to the federal Division of Strategic National Stockpile, all the while falsely affiliating itself with 3M." San Jose-headquartered Xilinx Inc has been tapped to help Samsung roll out 5G network equipment. Thats according to a statement reportedly released by the companies as recently as this week. The pair is unsurprisingly keeping underlying financial details well under wraps. But the deal does position Xilinx as a chief supplier of chips for Samsungs mobile networking efforts. Xilinx will be providing Samsung with its Versal chips. Those are programmable chips used in telecommunications base stations and typically joined with hardware built by Ericsson, Nokia, and Huawei each a major player in the networking game in its own right. Specifically, in this case, the chips will be used to help Samsung provide beamforming in its 5G equipment. Beamforming effectively manages the connections between networking equipment for efficiency, allowing more bandwidth and a better connection overall. Thats going to be an important part of 5G build-outs from Samsung. Advertisement This could be a big move for Samsung in the 5G market and potentially for Xilinx Now, Samsung is not the biggest name in mobile networking equipment in the US or globally. But it has been slowing expanding its business into that territory recently. In particular, the company is behind many of the build-outs in its home region of South Korea. This deal with Xilinx will ensure its supply of chipsets, enabling those implementations, is stable. So Samsung should be in a good position to continue progress on that front. But this could be an equally big deal for Xilinx. While the company has been supplying chipsets for some time, in recent years, that business has been interrupted. Primarily, thats because of the US decision to move Huawei to its Entity List and halt its ability to operate in the US. The list marks the company as a perceived threat to national security. Huawei has summarily dismissed claims as theyve been put forward but authorities remain unconvinced. Because of that decision, not only are various world companies being pressured to bring operations to the US. American companies such as Xilinx are unable to operate with Huawei. The Chinese tech giant is a global leader in networking equipment, especially 5G. So the ban has an especially detrimental impact on Xilinx since it has undoubtedly lost one of its biggest customers just as 5G rollouts are beginning to ramp up. Advertisement If Samsung can scale its 5G and networking business, the deal means that Xilinx may not face quite as large a setback as a result of that ban. Samsung probably isnt leaving its home region with this anytime soon Samsungs decision to accept a partnership with the US-based chip provider for its 5G networking equipment likely wont have an immediate impact outside of its home region. Not only will this have no impact on the smartphones the company is most well-known for. Its also unlikely that Samsung will become a major player in the wider global 5G market in the near future. But the move could feasibly help the South Korean tech giant start to grow its 5G business in that direction. Chron.com is compiling the latest headlines on the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the Houston area. 9:30 a.m. Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to lay out a plan to reopen Texas' economy Friday during a noon press conference in Austin. The governor has previously promised an additional announcement on whether schools will reopen or stay closed through the end of the school year. You can watch a live stream of the press conference here. 8:25 a.m. Austin, Dallas and San Antonio are now under orders to wear face masks in public, leaving Houston and Harris County as the only major Texas metro where residents are not required to cover their faces while out of the house. Do you think Houston should require face coverings? Tell us in the comments. LATEST: Two Houston-area Walgreens pharmacies are open today for COVID-19 testing. The two locations - 14531 Westheimer Road in Houston and 101 W. Southmore Ave. in Pasadena - will offer up to 200 tests each day, according to a joint statement from Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Gov. Greg Abbott. Anyone seeking testing must first confirm eligibility and make an appointment here. "Collection and testing is one of the most powerful tools we have in the fight against COVID-19, and we are working every day to increase testing capacity for the people of Harris County," the two leaders said in a statement. "We are grateful to Walgreens for their partnership to get these new sites online so we can continue to ramp up testing, identify Texans who have contracted COVID-19, and slow the spread of this virus." In other news, Sugar Land-based stem cell lab, Hope Biosciences, just received FDA approval for its second protocol to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of stem cell therapy against COVID-19. The stem cell treatment could ultimately boost the immune system of potential high-risk patients, according to Hope Biosciences CEO Donna Chang. COVID-FREE: The Fort Bend County Jail has no cases of COVID-19. Here's how they've managed the virus. Check back for updates as they come in. New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday (April 17) reduced the reverse repo rate by 25 basis points from four per cent to 3.75 per cent in a bid to inject liquidity in financial markets. However, the repo rate remains unchanged. This comes amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent countrywide lockdown. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said the liquidity injection has been 3.2 per cent of GDP since February 6 to March 27. "The RBI has been taking pro-active measures and monitoring the situation closely. The contraction in exports at 34.6 per cent has been much worse than 2008-09 global financial crisis," Das said. He said that India is expected to post a sharp turnaround by growing at 7.4 per cent in 2021-22. "For 2021-22, International Monetary Fund projects sizable reshaped recoveries, close to 9 percentage points for the global GDP. India is expected to post a sharp turnaround and resume its pre-COVID, pre-slowdown trajectory by growing at 7.4 per cent in 2021-22," the RBI Governor said, adding that banks, financial institutions have risen to occasion to ensure normal functioning during the outbreak of the pandemic. With regard to other measures, Das said RBI will begin with giving an additional Rs 50,000 crore through targeted long-term repo operation (TLTRO) to be undertaken in tranches. Besides, he announced a re-financing window of Rs 50,000 crore for financial institutions like Nabard, National Housing Bank and Sidbi. He further said surplus liquidity in the banking system has increased substantially as a result of the central bank's actions. Stating that the RBI is monitoring the situation developing out of COVID-19 outbreak, he noted that the contraction in exports in March at 34.6 per cent was much more severe than the global financial crisis of 2008-09. He said automobile production and sales declined sharply in March while electricity demand has fallen sharply. He further said that by April 10, pre-monsoon kharif sowing had begun strongly, with acreage of paddy - the principal kharif crop - up by 37 per cent in comparison with the last season. States such as West Bengal, Telangana, Odisha, Assam, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh are leading in sowing activity despite the lockdown. On April 15, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast a normal south west monsoon for the 2020 season, with rainfall expected to be 100 per cent of the long period average. "These early developments bode well for rural demand, supported as they are by accelerating fertiliser production up to February 2020," Das said. The robust growth of 21.3 per cent in tractor sales up to February 2020 - as against a contraction of 0.5 per cent in April-February last year ? may provide an offset to farm labour shortages on account of the lockdown, he added. He, however noted the index of industrial production (IIP) for February showing that industrial output accelerated to its highest rate in seven months actually does not capture the impact of Covid-19. Latest data on exports too has turned out to be much more severe than during the global financial crisis. The governor further said that in the period ahead, inflation could recede even further, barring supply disruption shocks and may even settle well below the target of 4 per cent by the second half of 2020-21. "Such an outlook would make policy space available to address the intensification of risks to growth and financial stability brought on by COVID-19. This space needs to be used effectively and in time," Das said. This is the RBI Governor's second press briefing since the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak began in India. In his previous address on March 27, he had announced a rate cut of 75 basis points. (With inputs from PTI) KALAMAZOO, MI -- After 21 days at Bronson Methodist Hospital, Nancy Blodgett is leaving victorious from her battle with COVID-19. Hospital staff applauded as Blodgett was wheeled down the hallway on Friday, April 17. She was discharged to a rehabilitation facility, according to a statement from Bronson. During her hospital stay, Blodgett was on a ventilator for nine days, according to the statement. Its one of the scariest things Ive ever been through, but I pulled through, she said. Im still weak, but Im alive. The biggest thing Im looking forward to is gaining my strength and doing everything they tell me to do to get back to a normal life. I cant wait to spend time with my grandsons and family and friends. To date, all Bronson Healthcare facilities have discharged 28 patients who were successfully treated for COVID-19, according to the statement. As of Friday, Bronson Methodist Hospital reported treating 20 patients and having 14 who have recovered. The hospital also reported eight deaths among COVID-19 patients treated there. I feel like I did everything right and I still got sick," Blodgett said. "So, keep washing your hands, keep using sanitizer, wear a mask and be careful. Coronavirus cases continue an upward trend in the Kalamazoo area as testing programs are expanded and becoming faster. Kalamazoo County reported another 13 positive tests for COVID-19 and one additional death on Friday, April 17. The second double-digit increase after 14 new cases were reported Thursday, it brings the countywide count to 131 confirmed cases. State data shows that an estimated 7% of confirmed cases have ended in death. Data on recovered cases comes out weekly. As of April 10, 433 confirmed patients had recovered. A visual representation of the increasing case counts and death toll in Kalamazoo County is shown below, based on data reported by the state. Apparent conflicts in data reported there result from slight differences in daily case counts provided by state and county health officials. Browser does not support frames. More coronavirus coverage on MLive: Several residents, employees test positive for coronavirus at Berrien County nursing home Kalamazoo teachers adapt to new normal during coronavirus pandemic New day shelter set up in Kalamazoo for people with nowhere else to go Hotel used as quarantine space for homeless population exposed to coronavirus Members of the public pass a mural in Portobello, Dublin during the Covid-19 pandemic in Ireland. Photo:Gareth Chaney/Collins Keep informed of these unprecedented times with the latest coronavirus updates on Independent.ie's live blog. 22:10 17/04/2020 Dr Tony Holohan says he is optimistic of relaxing some restrictions after May 5 time frame Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said that he is currently optimistic of relaxing some restrictions at the end of the current restrictions time frame which is May 5. Speaking on RTE's Late Late Show, Mr Holohan said that it is imperative that people continue to follow current social distancing guideline but if they do current restrictions may be eased at the end of the current May 5 time frame. This, he said, includes those cocooning to remain in their homes. Mr Holohan who was also hospitalised recently for an unrelated illness, said that he witnessed first-hand people being afraid to enter hospitals. He reassured people that proper guidelines are being followed and not to fear. Read More 20:29 17/04/2020 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that he is uncomfortable with Keelings flying over workers from Bulgaria Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that he is uncomfortable with a large number of people coming to Ireland to work on Keelings Strawberry farm. This comes following a statement from the Government acknowledging that they were aware of the incoming workers, and were also preparing a recruitment drive to get more similar workers from the Irish live register over in the near future. Mr Varadkar said that he agrees with Dr Tony Holohan in being uncomfortable with such a large number of people coming into Ireland during the Covid-19 pandemic. I share the discomfort expressed by the Chief Medical Officer about the report of a large number of people coming to Ireland earlier this week to work in the horiculture sector," An Taoiseach said. "We need to keep our airports and ports open so essential goods and essential workers can get in and out of the country and Irish citizens and residents can return home." Read More 18:10 17/04/2020 Breakdown of today's figures The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been informed that 44 people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Ireland have died. 33 deaths located in the east, three in the north west, three in the south and five in the west of the country The deaths included 19 females and 25 males The median age of todays reported deaths is 84 25 people were reported as having underlying health conditions There have now been 530 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland. A summary of all 530 deaths provided by the HPSC shows that: 308 (58pc) of those who died were male, 222 (42pc) were female The age range is 23 - 105 years The median age of those who died is 83 316 of these cases were admitted to hospital with 45 admitted to ICU As of 11:15am today, the HPSC has been notified of the following cases: An additional 597 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported by Irish laboratories An additional 112 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported by a laboratory in Germany With the latest figures from Germany included, there are now a total of 13,980 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. 18:00 17/04/2020 Ireland's death toll from Covid-19 sees biggest increase so far as 44 further deaths and 709 new Covid-19 cases confirmed Dr Tony Holohan has confirmed 709 new Covid-19 cases in Ireland. Of the cases, 597 were registered in Ireland and the other 112 by a laboratory in Germany. In total in the Republic, 13,980 have now tested positive for the virus. A further 44 patients in Ireland have died after contracting the coronavirus. It brings the total number of deaths associated with Covid-19 here to 530. In total on the island of Ireland there have now been 16,318 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 745 people have sadly died as a result. 17:05 17/04/2020 Further waves of coronavirus will hit Britain, leading doctor warns Britain will face further waves of Covid-19 and will probably have the highest death rate in Europe because the Government was too slow to act, a leading physician has warned. Professor Anthony Costello, of University College Londons Institute for Global Health, told a committee of MPs that the harsh reality is that we were too slow with a number of things and deaths could reach to 40,000. His comments came as the Department of Health said a total of 14,576 patients have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Thursday, up by 847 from the day before. 15:16 17/04/2020 Further 18 deaths in Northern Ireland hospitals A further 18 people have died in hospital in Northern Ireland after contracting coronavirus. It brings the total number of patients who have died in hospital in the region to 176. The Public Health Agency has said that a further 137 people have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of infections in Northern Ireland to 2,338. So far a total of 15,025 people have been tested for the virus. 14.34 17/04/2020 Gardai warn of bogus email asking people to repay pandemic unemployment benefit A BOGUS email asking people to repay the pandemic unemployment benefit into a bank account has been reported to gardai by the Department of Social Protection. The emails, purporting to be from the Department, are being issued from a Hotmail or Gmail address telling people they should not have been paid the pandemic welfare benefit and asking them to repay money into a nominated bank account. The Department has warned people that it does not use such email accounts when issuing notifications to customers. Over half-a-million people who have lost their jobs as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic have received the 350 per week payment from the Department in recent weeks. Four-month extension for driver licences, permits and NCTs that are due to expire ALL drivers licences and learner permits due to expire before June 30 will be valid for another four months, the Government has said. The extension is being granted for all licences, permits, NCTs, and theory and competency certificates, senior Department of the Taoiseach official Liz Canavan confirmed. The change means that for any person whose licence, permit, certificate, or NCT expires today, it will be valid for an extra four months. The same circumstances will apply to anyone whose documentation is due to expire before the end of June and they will automatically receive a four-month extension. Ms Canavan told a briefing: This will ensure that people will not lose out due to the temporary closure of the Road Safety Authority facilities and will in particular help to keep vital health and supply chain workers on our roads. Read More 13:58 17/04/2020 Calls for TDs 250,000 travel expenses to be cut during coronavirus lockdown TDs are still collectively entitled to about 250,000 a month in travel and accommodation expenses from the taxpayer - despite limits on the numbers attending the Dail. The sums involved come to an average of more than 1,900 a month for eligible TDs, although they get greater or lesser amounts depending on how far they live from Leinster House. The clock-in system has been suspended for the duration of the crisis, meaning there is no way of knowing whether a TD has travelled to Leinster House. The continued payment of the Travel and Accommodation Allowance (TAA) despite the coronavirus lockdown has prompted calls for it to be cut back during the crisis. Read More 'Forever my mother, always my best friend' - tributes paid to two healthcare workers who died from coronavirus The daughter of a healthcare worker who died after being diagnosed with Covid-19 has paid a heart-rending tribute to her mother. Mechaela Whelan Hickey hailed her mother, Catherine, who was one of two staff at a Kilkenny hospital to die this week after being diagnosed with the coronavirus. Tributes poured in to Ms Hickey and her colleague, Jim Kenny, who died within 24 hours of each other. Ms Whelan Hickey posted a social media tribute to her healthcare worker mother as: "Forever my mother - always my best friend." Read More 13.19 17/04/2020 Coronavirus claims 48 lives in Northern Ireland's hospices, care homes and private residential addresses Forty-one more patients have died from coronavirus in care homes and hospices in Northern Ireland officials said today. The figures were revealed in a bulletin published this morning by the regions official statistics agency. Until now, the number of people to die from the virus outside hospital had not been known. A daily bulletin released by the Public Health Agency includes only those who died in hospital after testing positive for Covid-19. The PHAs latest bulletin, published at 2pm yesterday, put the hospital death toll in Northern Ireland at 158. 12.14 17/04/2020 'Give frontline workers national bravery award' - former Labour TD A former Labour TD who is now 'cocooning' because of Covid-19 has proposed a special national bravery award for healthcare workers involved in the frontline fight against the pandemic. John Mulvihill (75), who won a Dail seat for Labour in Cork East at the so-called 'Spring Tide' election of 1992, said that the award should be separate to a special pay review for healthcare staff once the virus crisis has ended. "I think every doctor, nurse, paramedic, hospital worker and nursing home care giver should be honoured for the courage they have shown over these past few weeks," he said. "Applauding them every evening is right and proper because they are true national heroes - but I believe a more permanent award is also well deserved." Read More WATCH: Galway choir's re-endition of Kodaline's Wherever You Are Healthcare workers account for almost one-in-ten coronavirus cases, says INMO Healthcare workers make up over a quarter of positive coronavirus cases in Ireland, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO). Out of the 9,599 cases diagnosed by April 11, 26pc or 2,501 healthcare workers tested positive, with 883, or over a third of which were nurses. According to HSE figures obtained by the INMO, almost one in ten (9.2pc) diagnosed COVID-19 cases in Ireland are nurses. This comes after two healthcare workers in St Lukes General Hospital in Kilkenny died after contracting the virus. Read More 11.30 17/04/2020 Daily government briefing at government buildings from taoiseach spokeswoman Liz Canavan: Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme: 45,150 employers are now registered with Revenue. 267m payments will be generated by Revenue For employees earning less than 412, the subsidy has been increased from 70pc to 80pc of previous next weekly income. For those earning 412-500, subsidy is 300 per week. Payments for Green Low Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) scheme will commence a month ahead of schedule Screen Ireland funding: 4m funding has been announced for production companies to support talent across TV and animation Employees: bogus email circulates seeking a refund of payments issued from Hotmail and Gmail addresses. Department of Social Affairs and Employment warns that it does not use Gmail or Hotmail addresses Community call forums can provide a "much needed lifeline" 106pc in ebook loans and 66pc increase in audio book loans from online libraries Driver licenses and permits due to expire before June 2020 will be valid for a further four months TG4 have a new education initiative from next Monday - Cule Cathair ar Scoil, 30min programme catering for children in Gaelscoileanna 5,000 Irish citizens have returned to Ireland from abroad in recent weeks. An additional 1,000 citizens have indicated an interest to return A dispute between PNO and Liverpool Port has caused issues for transportation of goods to Ireland. However supply chains will not be materially impacted 500 beds in homeless accommodation in Dublin have been put in place 09.20 17/04/2020 Asymptomatic residents in nursing homes will now be tested for virus - Simon Harris Asymptomatic residents in nursing homes will now be tested for the coronavirus. Health minister Simon Harris said that a lot more needs to be done regarding the spreading of the virus in residential care settings. There is clearly a need to do an awful lot more," he told RTEs Morning Ireland. Today were going to see a number of more measures taken, particularly an increase in extra testing in our residential settings." Read More Close to 200 horticulture staff flown to Ireland on chartered flight to pick strawberries Close to 200 horticulture staff were flown to Ireland on a chartered flight into Dublin Airport to pick strawberries. 189 workers arrived from Sofia in Bulgaria on Monday on chartered Ryanair flight FR6015 to work on Keelings strawberry farms. In a statement, the Irish company said that it is essential to have adequate staffing on their farms. It is essential that we have adequate staffing on the farm to pick crops quickly as they ripen, or we risk shortages in the market. Read More 07.30 17/04/2020 Heavy death toll overshadows progress in war against virus There is growing hope that the spread of Covid-19 is slowing - but caution is being urged after the deadliest day since the virus outbreak in this country. Experts believe the current trajectory will pave the way for the easing of some lockdown restriction in May. Health Minister Simon Harris also revealed that hospital admissions have "plateaued". However, the progress was overshadowed last night as it was announced that another 43 people have lost their lives, bringing the death toll to 486. Read More Spread of deadly virus 'has now stabilised' The spread of the coronavirus has stabilised, paving the way for the easing of some restrictive emergency measures in early May. However, Prof Philip Nolan of Maynooth University, who is leading a team modelling the pandemic in the Republic, said there continued to be a delicate balance between suppressing and spiking of the infection. Any easing of restrictions would need to be "exceptionally careful". His analysis comes as another 43 people died of the virus, bringing the death toll to 486. Read More Anger rises against restrictions in the US In Kentucky the protesters chanted "we want to work" and "facts over fear". In Michigan some carried rifles with their US flags as the snow fell. There were Trump caps visible among the crowds gathered in Ohio, while in North Carolina a woman led away by the police shouted: "God bless America!" Right across the United States, a country now in its second month of tight restrictions to stem the spread of Covid-19, small but vocal protests have begun to spring up. These anti-quarantine gatherings, emerging amid unprecedented surges in unemployment, are happening in state capitals and are often targeted at governors. The common thread is a demand for orders keeping people at home and businesses shut to be loosened, thereby helping a US economy choked off by the lockdowns. Read More Theres a shortage of personal protective equipment in New York and there has been for weeks. On Wednesday, the New York Nurses Association, the states biggest nurses union, filed three lawsuits against the state health department and two hospitals, The Montefiore Health System and Westchester Medical Center. In the lawsuits, the union alleged that the hospitals did not provide medical workers with the protective gear they needed, such as N95 masks, gowns and other materials. It also alleged that the state has been providing dangerous guidance to medical workers, telling them to reuse their gear until it becomes soiled. While Montefiore has yet to comment on the suits, Westchester asserted that it was following the Center for Disease Controls guidelines, which states that protective equipment should be reused when supplies are limited. "Like every other healthcare organization in the nation, we are managing our supply use and source pipelines very carefully," Andrew LaGuardia, a spokesperson for the hospital system, told Politico. "We are providing PPE to our staff in accordance with New York State and CDC recommendations, and staff have appropriate access to PPE." Typically a new mask is worn each time a new patient is being treated, but the state is now asking hospital workers to reuse their supplies until they become soiled. However, new guidance doesnt change the fact that reusing this equipment puts medical workers at risk. Without healthy medical workers, the state would be unable to effectively treat COVID-19 patients and suppress the virus. Over 900 medical workers in New York Citys 11 public hospitals have tested positive, The City reports, and at least 26 have already succumbed to the virus. Inadequate and improper rationing of PPE results in nurses getting sick and further exposes patients to the virus, Pat Kane, executive director of the New York State Nurses Association, told the New York Post. First, it brings an end to hospital policies permitting the reuse of the same N95 multiple days at a time policies that are even substandard to the already loosened CDCs (Center for Disease Control) Crisis Capacity guidelines for when there is a shortage. While Gov. Andrew Cuomo and de Blasio may have said that the city and state have an adequate supply of PPE, most medical professionals in the state have said that this is not the case. What the Covid-19 pandemic makes clear is that our inefficient, profit-driven health care system is ill-equipped to respond to public health crises, and it's costing countless lives, Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, the president of the state nurses union, told Politico. A functional system would have had the necessary preparations research and testing capacity, appropriate PPE, ventilators and other equipment, hospital beds, and additional staff trained to care for victims. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, however, has continued to say that hospitals have the resources they need, glossing over the fact that this is only true if measured using crisis guidelines. Any hospital that is short, in urgent need of anything, we provide them with that material on a daily basis, Cuomo said during a press conference on Monday. We do not have any hospital that has said to us: we have an urgent need for x that we have not been able to fulfill. You can have employees in a hospital who say, I dont like this protocol, I dont like what the hospital is telling me to do. Thats a different set of issues, he added. It has been reported that medical staff have had to resort to re-wearing masks and using ponchos and garbage bags instead of disposable hospital gowns. Just weeks ago, medical workers expressed concern that their lack of protective equipment would result in their own contamination, which is exactly what has happened. I had to use the same one throughout my whole shift, which was disgusting, because how can you disinfect a plastic gown? an anonymous nurse told Politico. That was very bad for me, where I was like, I don't know how Im not cross contaminating anything.' We had to wipe it down with alcohol and bleach and put it in a paper bag and put it back on. Chris Miller, a spokesperson for the citys public hospital systems, however, has said that the state has enough PPE, its just trying to ensure that its stockpile of supplies doesnt get depleted. Were trying to preserve the stock that we have, so we are asking staff to reuse them unless they become soiled." Miller told Politico. Preserving your stock, however, isnt the same as having a sufficient amount of medical supplies. And the lack of equipment provided to medical staff forces them to continually search for the supplies they need. Six weeks ago, nobody wouldve suggested reusing face masks and other PPE, Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, told the Daily Beast. Were now operating in the climate of crisis standards of care. Its already started, and its something that weve always feared. MEGA Beverages Limited, producers of K-Vant Premium Spirit brand, has supported the governments efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 after donating alcohol-based sanitizers for communities and health facilities in Arusha. Since registering the first case of COVID-19 in the country last month, the demand for hand sanitizers has increased drastically, creating a need for more supply of the product. Speaking of the contribution, Mega Beverages Limited, General Manager, Chris Ndosi, said here that his company donated a total of 2,500 litres of alcohol-based sanitizer and 50 hand washing containers to Arusha Regional Commissioners office for distribution to health facilities and various community groups across the region. Ndosi further said that the company believes that without a healthy society and a stable environment it is difficult to operate its business and contribute to the nations economic growth. We believe our contribution will help the community in the fight against the rapid spread of the disease he emphasized. Mega Beverages Limited has a long history of supporting the socio-economic development of Tanzania as well as community challenges through its CSR programme. For his part, Arusha Regional Commissioner, Mrisho Gambo, thanked the company for donation and called on other stakeholders to continue supporting the Governments efforts to combat the spread of Corona disease in the country. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram New York, April 17, 2020 Authorities in Mozambique must conduct a swift and transparent investigation into the whereabouts of journalist Ibraimo Abu Mbaruco and hold those responsible for his disappearance to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On April 7, Mbaruco, a reporter and news presenter for the Palma Community Radio broadcaster in the northern Cabo Delgado province, left work at about 6 p.m. and soon thereafter sent a text message to a colleague saying he was surrounded by soldiers, according to a statement by the Mozambican chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), a regional press freedom group, and local news reports. He has not been seen since, and has not replied to calls or text messages from his colleagues, according to the MISA statement. Mozambican authorities must be thorough and transparent in their investigation into Ibraimo Abu Mbarucos whereabouts and ensure accountability, given that Cabo Delgado has become a no-go area for the press and human rights defenders, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator. It is unacceptable that 10 days after he disappeared, his family and colleagues remain in the dark about his whereabouts. Fernando Goncalves, president of MISAs Mozambique chapter, told CPJ in a phone interview that a police officer, who spoke to his organization on the condition of anonymity, said that soldiers took Mbaruco to Mueda, a city about 300 kilometers away, for interrogation. CPJ was not able to independently verify this information. Goncalves added that the military had no authority to detain civilians, and that Mozambican laws did not allow for arrests without a warrant. Ibraimo Abu Mbaruco. (Photo: Juma Abu Mbaruco) The journalists brother, Juma Abu Mbaruco, told CPJ via messaging app today that the family had yet to receive any information about Ibraimos whereabouts, and did not know if he was still alive. He said he had reported the disappearance to local police and the provincial prosecutors office. Mbaruco also worked as a human rights advocate and was part of the Sekelekani network, a local civil society organization that trains people to become citizen journalists, according to a report by the local news website Zitamar News. Another Sekelekani contributor in Palma, Roberto Abdala, has not been seen since March, according to that report. Anti-government attacks by insurgent groups have increased in Cabo Delgado province in recent weeks, according to news reports. The Mozambican military has been accused of human rights abuses in its fight against the insurgency, which the government denies, according to reports. Police have recently enforced a curfew in Pemba and Palma, forcing people to stay in their homes, according to Zitamar News. On April 14, soldiers in Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado, detained Izidine Acha, a reporter for local television broadcaster STV, for about two hours and forced him to delete footage he had taken of the police and military operations, the journalist told CPJ via messaging app. CPJ sent text messages to police spokesperson Agusto Guto and Cabo Delgado Governor Valige Tawabo for comment, but did not receive any responses. Last year, soldiers in Cabo Delgado arrested journalist Amade Abubacar and later arrested his colleague Germano Adriano, and held them in pre-trial detention for three months; they continue to face prosecution, according to CPJ research. The military also previously arrested investigative journalist Estacio Valoi and Pinde Dube, the Zimbabwean correspondent for the South African private broadcaster eNCA, while they were covering the insurgency in the province, according to CPJ research. The nationwide lockdown in India owing to the outbreak of COVID-19 has left the celebrities with ample of time. While some are working on their hobbies, some are spending quality time with their families and some others are connecting with their fans by sharing some interesting throwback pictures and stories . Actor Abhishek Bachchan is from the third category and the actor dug up an old picture from the sets of his film, Guru and shared an interesting story about his friend, who had come to visit Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on the shooting location in Madurai. Abhishek shared, "Mani had decided to shoot the song Tere Bina (my all time favourite) much after we had finished principle photography. If you look closely during the song I had long hair, which I had grown for my film Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. Since this shoot happened in the middle of JBJ's shoot (Shaad, the director of JBJ can never say no to Mani as he used to be Mani's assistant and considers him to be like family, hence adjusted his dates to enable this shoot) I just shaved my beard but obviously couldn't cut my hair." He added, "They used to pin up my hair during this shoot to look shorter and match the continuity look of Gurukant Desai. This photo was taken whilst I was seeing the playback of the now famous scene where Guru says the very famous dialogue " , . "Mani, last minute decided to include this scene in the film. So we used to shoot all night for the song, sleep a couple of hours and then shoot this scene in the daytime in the patio of the hotel we were staying at in Madurai. I think it was the Taj," Abhishek further wrote. While sharing a fun fact about his friend, Gaurav, Abhishek shared, "Also seen in this photo is one of my best friends Gaurav. Babu, as I fondly call him had come to visit me and Aishwarya during the shoot as he stays in Chennai." Abhishek Bachchan Teases Farah Khan On Twitter; Asks Her To Make A Work-Out Video "Just as we were about to begin the scene Mani decided he wanted to shoot this scene in OS (over the shoulder) of the "minister". Since we didn't have an actor on hand, they (Mani and @dirrajivmenon [also seen in this photo]) literally put a very reluctant Babu into the shot as he was on set watching the shoot and made him into the "minister". I don't think he will ever forgive us for doing that to him and has since never visited any shoot of mine! ," concluded Abhishek. At least 12 Myanmarese nationals have been arrested for illegally crossing the Indo-Myanmar border in Mizoram during the lockdown imposed to break the chain of coronavirus transmission, a senior officer said. The foreign nationals were booked under 'The Foreigners Act, 1946' and sent to a district jail in Champhai near Myanmar border after completing 14 days of quarantine protocol, Inspector General of Prisons Maria C T Zuali said on Friday. "The foreign nationals, mostly traders, entered the state without valid documents after imposition of partial lockdown by the Mizoram government and thereafter nationwide lockdown," Zuali told PTI. On March 22, Mizoram had declared a statewide partial lockdown and a nationwide lockdown was announced from March 25. More than 50 foreign nationals are currently in jail or detained in Mizoram, she said. At present, over 30 Rohingya women are detained at Vairengte on the Mizoram-Assam border, she said. The women suspected to be victims of human trafficking were detained by the state police for entering the state without travel documents last year. Efforts are on to send them to a correctional facility in Saitual before their deportation, she said. Six Arakan Army militants and a Chinese national are also incarcerated in Lawngtlai district jail and Central jail in Aizawl respectively. The officer said that the state government has released about 327 prisoners, including 48 convicts, from various jails in view of the coronavirus outbreak. The 48 convicts, who were nearing completion of their imprisonment term were granted remission and 279 others, who were undertrial prisoners, were released on bail after signing bonds, she said. The move was taken in accordance with a Supreme Court order to decongest jails in the wake of the outbreak of novel coronavirus, she said. Though the state government had decided to release another 25 people on account of sickness and old age, the officer said that the process has been delayed due to the severity of the crime committed by them. She also said that at least 129 people have been arrested on charges of different crimes and sent to jails after the imposition of lockdown. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (C) and Government Office chief Mai Tien Dung (R) gives a box symbolizing a batch of face masks to U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink, April 17, 2020. Photo courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Vietnam donated hundreds of thousands of antibacterial face masks and other medical supplies to the U.S. and Japan to combat Covid-19 on Thursday. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son symbolically handed over 250,000 masks to the American Ambassador to Vietnam, Daniel Kritenbrink, at a ceremony. The U.S. is the worst hit country with over 678,000 Covid-19 cases and more than 34,000 deaths so far. Kritenbrink thanked the Vietnamese government and people and said the donation was a tremendous show of solidarity and support. The same day Son also gifted face masks and other medical supplies worth $100,000 to Japan. He said Vietnam and Japan had quickly instituted cooperation within bilateral and multilateral frameworks to combat the pandemic, including coordination to successfully hold an online Special ASEAN 3 Summit on Covid-19 on Tuesday. Japan has had over 9,000 cases and 190 deaths, prompting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to declare an emergency on Thursday. Government Office chief Mai Tien Dung handed over to Russian Ambassador Konstantin Vnukov 50,000 masks to add to the 150,000 Vietnam had donated on April 13. On April 7 Vietnam had donated 550,000 masks to France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the U.K., which have been battered by the pandemic and face a critical shortage of medical supplies. Vietnam also sent medical equipment to China, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Laos. Vietnamese companies are capable of producing eight million antibacterial cloth face masks a day, and the government has allowed their export after domestic demand is met. Vietnam has had 268 cases as of Friday morning, with 91 people now in hospital and the remaining 177 being discharged after recovering. Covid-19 has spread to 210 countries and territories, claiming 145,551 lives. 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. As the Revenge filmmaker ponders the possibility of a second wave of illness in her city, she turns to the Jumanji movie franchise for solace. Photo: Coralie Fargeat I was in the States when things started to get really serious. I was in Los Angeles for my new feature that Im still writing. I started to do a few meetings there to think about the next steps of production. Before I left France, there were a few voices who were aware that maybe Trump was going to close the U.S. borders for Europeans. But it was still okay, so I left. While I was there, Trump said that he would [enact] the travel ban for all European travelers. At the beginning, we didnt know if people who were already [in the U.S.] could go back, so I had all these texts on my phone saying, Oh my God, did you see Trump do that? How are you going to come back? I really didnt want to be in the middle of this potential nightmare not at home. I took a plane ticket for the day after [the announcement]. It was almost empty. There were only 15 or 20 people on the plane. I got back to Paris, and the day after, the government said, Now everybodys going to be under lockdown. You cant go out of homes. Everything was so quick and crazy. Matilda Lutz, the actress who was in Revenge, lives in Los Angeles and Milan, where the situation in Italy was like 15 days before France. We chat a lot, and she said, Please, Coralie, be careful. In Italy, its a nightmare. The country is on its knees. She was basically witnessing what France was going to have two weeks after, and I really thanked her for opening my eyes. Its crazy, because it brings you a lot of anxiety, and at the same time its very not real. You are sitting at home. Nothing happens. Everything is quiet and okay, and just when you turn on the TV, you see all those crazy numbers and there is this kind of schizophrenic difference between what you see and what you live at home. Like, [when I am] writing, I am most of the time at home, so it doesnt change much of my everyday organization. And for the stage where I am now in my script the project is almost finished I dont need the same concentration as at the beginning. I really need the world to fade out in the beginning, but obviously during this time, you dont need to do anything to have the world feel very, very far away. For our industry, we dont really know what the consequences are going to be. Its going to harm a lot of movies, for sure. Im definitely thinking about people who had a movie ready to be released when this happened, and, my God, that is so awful. You know, youre working two, three, four years on a film and its ready and its your moment and bam! Everything collapses. Its going to be tough, and there are discussions here in France for how we can support the cinema industry so that it doesnt suffer too much. Now, you see that people who are nothing are everything, because its thanks to them that the whole country doesnt collapse. You see, on social media, everybody is like, Im going to watch this movie! Im going to do this and that! And that is like, oh my God, I can do nothing. I have a list of films and series I wanted to see for a long time. I was like, Great. Its going to be the moment I will be able to catch up. But I havent been able to watch anything except one or two things [that dont require] mental ability. Thats something that is very strange. My mind has never been less open to discovery than now. The only thing I was able to watch and really enjoy was Jumanji. I wanted to see [Welcome to the Jungle] that somebody told me about it, but before I watched it, I said, Okay, I have to watch the original [Robin Williams] one. It was a very fresh, happy bubble. Entertaining and very funny and moving. I really liked both of them. It is a little bit easier for me to watch series, so I also watched HBOs Succession. That was so cool. I started just when I got back to Paris, and I watched the two seasons in a row, and it was great. The show is very smart and well written, but at the same time there is a lot of the soap-opera dynamic with all those characters and family and relationships and betrayal and everything. You can really let yourself go into that, being yelled at in helicopters. Now, in Paris and other regions, its very good weather. So its very tough to stay inside. You can feel that people go out a little bit more. I think people dont respect the lockdown that much, because theyre already saying the peak of the curve is behind us. I hope we dont have a second wave, but because people are now used to it, they think they can handle it better, and I really hope that this is not going to hurt the slowdown of the infections. It has been very strange, because definitely weve got very contradictory information. At the beginning, it was, Youre going to be under lockdown, but tomorrow you have to go out to vote. And after you got the information that you dont need to wear a mask, you discover that they said that because they didnt have masks. Now that the government starts to receive masks, they said, Okay, now everybody has to wear a mask. Who do I believe? I had seen Chernobyl, the series, not a long time ago and its not the same scale, obviously but when you see this thing happened and all the firemen go without any protection into the radioactive stuff, its like, I have to think by myself, take my information, and make my own idea. What was very disturbing from the beginning is that the virus really brings into light the oldest social inequalities. In France, I think two years ago, there was an inauguration of a big train station, and President Macron said, This train station is a place where everybody meets people who succeeded and people who are nothing. He [meant] all the different classes of society, but he said it in a way that was really shocking. So, people who didnt succeed are nothing? Now, when you have this virus, you see that people who are nothing are everything, because its thanks to them that the whole country doesnt collapse. People who go to collect the garbage, the cashiers at the supermarkets, the people in the hospitals. And they have to go to work without any protection. There are so many different types of reactions [to our new reality]. I think there is a lot of need for humor, and what is great is it takes you very close to friends with whom you text or have WhatsApp group chats. Its a great way to live this together. Ive seen great solidarity. People do shopping for elderly who cant leave home, and people are happy for [ecological advancements]. I think thats great, but the thing that I cant take off my mind is that you can be sure, unfortunately, that the day all this stops, all these idealistic thoughts are gonna collapse again. I so much hope it doesnt, but my realistic voice says once the economy goes up again, like, maybe its going to be even worse, because everybodys going to want to produce. So, I hope we can keep something positive from this crisis, in terms of how we behave in society and how we behave with our planet. Bill Gates has been one of the most outspoken public figures about the coronavirus pandemic. But the billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder has also become a leading target of various conspiracies that have popped up around the spread of Covid-19. Conspiracy theories falsely linking Gates to the coronavirus' origins in some way or another were mentioned 1.2 million times on television or social media from February to April, according to an analysis by The New York Times and Zignal Labs, a media analytics company, released on Friday. That's roughly 33% more than the second most popular coronavirus conspiracy theory topic during that time, which linked 5G wireless technology with the viral pandemic. In fact, in April, conspiracy theories linking Gates to coronavirus including some claiming Gates had prior knowledge that there would be a coronavirus pandemic, or another claiming the billionaire wanted to implant the global population with vaccine microchips to fight the Covid-19 disease peaked at 18,000 mentions on TV and social media per day, according to Zignal Labs. Gates is a regular presence in television and podcast interviews in which he's weighed in on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's $250 million pledge to help the world develop an effective coronavirus vaccine. He's also, at times, been critical of the timing of the U.S. government's response to the global pandemic. The daughter of a healthcare worker who died after being diagnosed with Covid-19 has paid a heart-rending tribute to her mother. Mechaela Whelan Hickey hailed her mother, Catherine, who was one of two staff at a Kilkenny hospital to die this week after being diagnosed with the coronavirus. Tributes poured in to Ms Hickey and her colleague, Jim Kenny, who died within 24 hours of each other. Ms Whelan Hickey posted a social media tribute to her healthcare worker mother as: "Forever my mother - always my best friend." Both healthcare workers were said to have "made the ultimate sacrifice" in the battle against Covid-19. The two healthcare staff were employed at St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny and were working until they fell ill. Ms Hickey, who was in her 50s, died after being treated in the intensive care unit at the hospital for several days. Mr Kenny, who was in his 40s, died at his Kilkenny home. No details as to the precise causes of death involved have been released. Ms Hickey was a member of the household staff at St Luke's Hospital. The mother of two, who lived at Butt's Green in Kilkenny city but was originally from the village of The Rower, died on Wednesday after several days in intensive care and her funeral takes place today. Mr Kenny, from Ballyragget, worked as a healthcare assistant at St Luke's and died at his home on Tuesday. He is survived by his son Cathal, mother Lena and brothers Padraig and Tony. A special memorial Mass to celebrate his life will take place at a future date. Siptu said both were deeply mourned by their colleagues. "We offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of our two deceased members," division organiser Paul Bell said. "The colleagues of these two workers as well as the members and staff of the union health division are deeply shocked by their deaths. They have made the ultimate sacrifice while assisting in the fight against the Covid-19 virus." Green Party TD Malcolm Noonan paid tribute to the two healthcare workers and underlined the debt that Ireland owed all healthcare staff. Kilkenny priest Fr Pat Byrne said everyone in the community was deeply shocked by what had happened," said Fr Byrne. "This is a very difficult morning - I pray for them, for their families and for their friends and work colleagues. "We also pray in solidarity for everyone else (affected by the pandemic)." Councillor Eugene McGuinness said everyone in Ireland owed health workers an enormous debt of gratitude. "We salute, applaud and thank you for your bravery." U.S. defunding WHO amid world health crisis, drawing criticism People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 13:27, April 16, 2020 WASHINGTON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- With a rise of 2,494 over the past 24 hours, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 has reached 28,364 Wednesday, as the total confirmed cases amounted to nearly 640,000, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally. However, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a day earlier that his administration is suspending funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), at a time when the specialized UN agency for international public health is coordinating global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "The U.S. has been a longstanding and generous friend to WHO, and we hope it will continue to be so," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a virtual press conference from Geneva on Wednesday, adding the WHO regretted the U.S. decision. 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. The U.S. plan to withhold funding to the WHO is one more move of the administration that should come under scrutiny as a recent investigation report done by the Washington Post has revealed multiple failures from the White House in responding to COVID-19. The post noted in the story published early April that the government received its first formal notification of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China as early as Jan. 3, but did not treat it in a more serious manner until 70 days later. "That more-than-two-month stretch now stands as critical time that was squandered," the story wrote. Besides, it pointed out "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." Other failures, according to the story, "cascaded through the system." "The administration often seemed weeks behind the curve in reacting to the viral spread, closing doors that were already contaminated," it said. "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 country's health-care system without protective gear until the outbreak had become a pandemic." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address As part of efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria, Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu has directed the management of Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) to begin the production of face masks. In a statement signed by the ministrys spokesperson, Abdulganiyu Aminu, on Friday, Mr Onu said the face masks must meet the World Health Organisations standard. The face masks to be produced must be in line with the standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO), he said. According to the statement, Mr Onu said the production of the facemasks will save Nigeria much needed foreign exchange being depleted through importation aside from curtailing Covid-19. Mr Onu was at (RMRDC) to inspect its inputs into the Covid-19 management in Nigeria. Similarly, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), has commenced the local production of ventilators and disinfectant spraying devices to battle the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Mr Onu launched the newly produced devices on behalf of the government. He commended the (RMRDC) for using wild tubers in producing pharmaceutical starch used in industries, thereby saving Nigeria billions of naira,. He said the production of pharmaceutical-grade starch from wild yam tubers, could be used to produce capsules, tablets, syrups, and glucose. READ ALSO: These innovations could help Nigeria reduce import of these materials and improve the countrys health sector, he added. He said he is hopeful that many businesses could be generated through the council as many Nigerians would be encouraged to venture into wild tuber production and other raw materials. He further said Nigeria has competent scientists that could produce vaccines capable of fighting infectious diseases. Considering the harsh economic condition facing the country, he said Nigeria cannot afford to import medical materials at this moment, as this could strain the nations foreign exchange reserve and harm the economy. Turkey's deadly drone strike on Iraqi refugee camp draws angry reactions Iran Press TV Thursday, 16 April 2020 9:52 AM Turkey has launched a deadly drone strike on a refugee camp in Iraq's northern semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, drawing angry reactions from Iraqi politicians of different factions, who censured the attack as a violation of the Arab country's sovereignty. The media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement that its air defense detected a Turkish drone breaching the Iraqi airspace and firing a rocket on Maxmur refugee camp near the town of Makhmour on Wednesday. Two women were killed in the raid, the statement said. Iraqi media later reported that the death toll had risen to three. 'A violation of Iraqi sovereignty' In a statement on Wednesday, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) condemned the airstrike on the refugee camp as a breach of Iraq's sovereignty, saying such attacks threatens peace and stability in the region. The statement further called on the Iraqi government to protect the county's sovereignty and reconsider trade exchanges with Turkey. It also called on the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to play their part in finding peaceful solutions to prevent recurrence of such attacks. In turn, Ammar al-Hakim, the Leader of Iraq's National Wisdom Movement, denounced the airstrike and said the violation of Iraqi sovereignty is "unjustifiable." The Iraqi government should shoulder its responsibility regarding such violations, he said. Iraq 'must sue Turkey at UN' The Iraqi Parliament's Foreign Relation Committee also denounced the airstrike. Similarly, Kate' al-Rikabi, a member of the parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, urged the Baghdad the government to file a complaint with the UN Security Council (UNSC) over the act of aggression. It is not the first time Turkey has carried out airstrikes against refugees and in areas where minorities, such as Izadis, live in northern Iraq. Turkey claims it is targeting the positions of the homegrown Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group in northern Iraq, but has never presented any evidence that its airstrikes have eliminated anyone involved in recent terror attacks against Turkey. The militants regularly clash with Turkish forces in the Kurdish-dominated southeast of Turkey, which is attached to northern Iraq. Turkish ground and air forces have also been carrying out operations in neighboring Syria against militants of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), considered by Ankara a terrorist organization and an extension of the PKK. The YPG makes up the bulk of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed coalition of fighters who have seized parts of territory from Daesh in northern Syria. The Syrian government has likewise called on Ankara to end its unlawful military intervention in the neighboring Arab country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump faces intense blowback over decision to defund WHO amid coronavirus pandemic People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 13:26, April 16, 2020 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 19:31:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed sharply higher Friday, with the benchmark Nikkei stock index ending at a one-and-a-half-month high on rising expectations the U.S. economy could restart soon as Washington has compiled guidelines for lifting restrictions. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 607.06 points, or 3.15 percent, from Thursday to close the day at 19,897.26, marking its highest closing level since March 6. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, added 20.30 points, or 1.43 percent, to finish at 1,442.54. Trading got off to a bright start and remained relatively firm throughout the day as the market mood was buoyed by U.S. President Donald Trump unveiling federal guidelines that could lead to state governors easing some of the stay-at-home measures and see citizens possibly returning to work in a phased manner, analysts here said. "Japanese shares were supported by rises in U.S. stocks as Trump vowed to press ahead with reopening the economy," Toshiyuki Kanayama, senior market analyst at Monex, was quoted as saying. Local analysts also added that sentiment was also bolstered by reports that the antiviral drug Remdesivir had shown some positive results in treating coronavirus patients in a clinical trial in the U.S.. Chinese equities and U.S. stock futures tracking higher helped underpin the market, strategists here said, adding that China's latest GDP data was largely within market expectations. "But the impact of China's GDP on the market was limited as the negative figures were within expectations," Yoshihiro Okumura, general manager at Chibagin Asset Management, said. Japan declaring a nationwide state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic a day earlier, expanding the coverage from seven prefectures to the entire country through May 6, also had little bearing on the market, analysts here also noted. "The announcement was a little bit of a surprise, but it's better to take action thoroughly than taking halfway measures," Okumura said. Exporters here got a boost from hopes the U.S. economy may reopen, in twine with the yen softening against the U.S. dollar. The U.S. dollar retreated from the upper 107 yen zone to 107.79-81 yen at 5 p.m., compared with 107.85-95 yen in New York and 107.82-83 yen at 5 p.m. on Thursday in Tokyo. The euro, meanwhile, fetched 1.0828-0829 dollars and 116.72-76 yen against 1.0835-0845 dollars and 116.87-97 yen in New York and 1.0872-0873 dollars and 117.22-26 yen in late Thursday afternoon trade in Tokyo. Exporters finding favor included, Sony jumping 4.0 percent, Honda Motors accelerating 8.3 percent, and Advantest who closed the day 6.5 percent higher. Cyclical issues highly susceptible to external factors also advanced on hopes for increased demand, with JFE Holdings Inc. climbing 4.7 percent and Nippon Steel Corp. adding 4.4 percent. Japan Steel Works leapt 5.1 percent, while Mitsui Mining and Smelting ended the day 5.2 percent higher. By the close of play, marine transportation, transportation equipment and nonferrous metal issues comprised those that gained the most, and issues that rose just outpaced those that fell by 1,063 to 1,034 on the First Section, while 71 ended the day unchanged. On the main section on Friday, 1.409 billion shares changed hands, rising from Thursday's volume of 1.298 billion shares. The turnover on the final trading day of the week came to 2.610 trillion yen (24.19 billion U.S. dollars). Enditem By Ross Kerber BOSTON, April 16 (Reuters) - Vanguard Group said on Thursday it closed its $39.5 billion Treasury Money Market Fund to new investors, becoming the latest big asset manager looking to protect the returns of existing clients. Restricting the flow of new money helps reduce the amount of new securities paying lower yields that Vanguard will need to purchase, slowing the rate of dilution to returns for current shareholders. "Vanguard is taking this prudent step to temper cash flows and will continue to monitor the Fund and employ additional measures if needed," the company said in a statement. New money market investors would still have access to other funds in its $414 billion lineup, Vanguard said. Other fund companies have taken similar steps including Fidelity Investments on March 31. U.S. Treasury yields have fallen precipitously since the start of 2020 as a rolling economic collapse stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed investors into the securities and the cash-like funds that own them. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note was at 0.6273% on Thursday afternoon, having reached close to 2% at the start of the year. Dan Wiener, editor of a newsletter for Vanguard investors, said the newly-closed fund had net new deposits of $7.4 billion in March, up from $600 million of net new deposits in February, and another big money fund also saw a big increase. In a note to investors Wiener wrote that "the huge jump in inflows into these money funds suggest someone, somewhere is going to cash." (Reporting by Ross Kerber; editing by Grant McCool) RTHK: US accuses Iran Navy of 'dangerous' actions in Gulf The US Department of Defence accused Tehran of dangerous and provocative actions on Wednesday after 11 Iranian Navy vessels harassed US ships in the Gulf. The Pentagon said the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps boats "repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the US vessels at extremely close range and high speeds," coming at one point within nine metres of the bow of one. At the time the US Navy and Coast Guard ships were conducting operations in international waters in the northern Gulf with Apache attack helicopters, the US Navy said in a statement. The much smaller speedboat-like IRGC Navy vessels ignored warnings from the US ships for about one hour, before finally responding to radio communications and then leaving, the US side said. "The IRGCN's dangerous and provocative actions increased the risk of miscalculation and collision," the US said, adding they violated maritime customs and laws. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. His group is now one of many in the U.S., most with similar concerns and lobbying for a similar result to lift the lockdown restrictions and reopen the country. Protests outside state capitols are taking place in several states, including Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan, where thousands of protesters on Wednesday chanted Lock her up, referring to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and some carried Confederate flags and displayed weapons. In Indiana, which has had nearly 500 COVID-19 deaths, the shutdown order officially ends April 20, though Gov. Eric Holcomb has said he will likely extend it beyond that date. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has responded to a sexual assault allegation against former Vice President Joe Biden. Last month, Tara Reade, a former assistant to Biden when he was in the Senate, accused Biden of sexual assault during that time. Sanders responded to them for the first time on Thursday, saying Reade "has a right to make her claims and get a public hearing." Sanders was asked about the claims in a Thursday interview with CBS This Morning, partly because Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a prominent Sanders supporter, had recently said the allegations are relevant when it comes to deciding whether to vote for Biden. "I think it's relevant to talk about anything. And I think every woman who feels she has been assaulted has every right in the world to stand up and make her claims," Sanders said. "The public will make their own conclusions about it," Sanders continued, before saying "I just don't know enough about it to comment further." I think its relevant [...] And I think any woman who feels that she was assaulted has every right in the world to stand up and make her claims. -Sen. @BernieSanders on sexual assault allegations against VP Biden, via @CBSThisMorning pic.twitter.com/8NM3S7lqUC Cara Korte (@CaraKorte) April 16, 2020 Sanders was Biden's top rival in the presidential primary until he suspended his 2020 run last week and endorsed Biden. Biden "firmly believes that women have a right to be heard and heard respectfully," his campaign said, but maintained Reade's claim is untrue. More stories from theweek.com 5 scathing cartoons about Trump's rush to reopen the economy The new mysteries of coronavirus Why can't you go fishing during the pandemic? The Somey Traditional Area has distanced itself from suggestions that the COVID-19 would disappear from Ghana after Zakadza Shrine (Nogokpo Shrine) rituals on April 19. Mr Williams Amuzu Agbodzalo, Senior Panel member of Zakadza Shrine, had said mystical powers of Torgbui Zakadza would be invoked during private rituals on April 19 to cleanse the land of the pandemic. He said this last month when he represented the Shrine at a meeting of chiefs, traditional priests and priestesses with the Municipal Chief Executive for Ketu South to deliberate on ways to prevent the virus spread. But the Traditional Authority in a press statement signed by Torgbui Atiane IV, Leader of Royal Family of Somey, said Mr Agbodzalo's comment was "his personal conviction", saying, the Traditional Authority is aware of the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic, and did not "endorse" that position. The statement said though the Authority in conjunction with the leaders of the Zakadza Shrine" wholly supported the measures being adopted by the Government to fight the virus spread, efforts were being made to consult Torgbui Zakadza on the way to combat the pandemic, assuring that the Zakadza Shrine will also do everything in its power to help in the combat of the virus. Mr Charlse Nickson Agbagedi, Secretary, Somey Traditional Authority, told the GNA that the Authority had had several meetings with the Zakadza Shrine and that rituals, which would be privately performed in compliance with the ban on social gathering, would commence on April 19. The Somey Traditional Area under whose auspices the Zakadza Shrine operates, is one of the three traditional areas in Ketu South Municipality with the other two being Aflao and Klikor Traditional Areas. 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 Technavio has been monitoring the metrology services market and it is poised to grow by USD 301.11 mn during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of about 7% 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/20200417005117/en/ Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Global Metrology Services 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. FARO Technologies Inc., HEXAGON, Mitutoyo Corp., Nikon Corp., TRESCAL SA, and ZEISS International, 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. Increasing use of CAD by manufacturers has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Metrology Services Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Metrology services market is segmented as below: Application Heavy Equipment Automotive Aerospace and Defense Others 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=IRTNTR31188 Metrology Services 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 metrology services market report covers the following areas: Metrology Services Market Size Metrology Services Market Trends Metrology Services Market Industry Analysis This study identifies emerging applications of metrology services in additive manufacturing as one of the prime reasons driving the metrology services market growth during the next few years. Metrology Services Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the metrology services market, including some of the vendors such as FARO Technologies Inc., HEXAGON, Mitutoyo Corp., Nikon Corp., TRESCAL SA, and ZEISS International. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the metrology services 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 Metrology Services Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist metrology services market growth during the next five years Estimation of the metrology services market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the metrology services market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of metrology services 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 Heavy equipment Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Automotive Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Aerospace and defense Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Others Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by application PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023 APAC 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 Shrinking lifecycle of consumer and industrial products Increasing number of M&A in the market Emerging applications of metrology services in additive manufacturing PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors FARO Technologies Inc. HEXAGON Mitutoyo Corp. Nikon Corp. TRESCAL SA ZEISS International 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/20200417005117/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/ They will be working on the eve of this big Christian holiday, too Open source On April 18 and 19, the police and the National Guard will be on duty near 179 churches in Kyiv. The press service of the Kyiv police reported that. "A sufficient number of police and military personnel of the National Guard of Ukraine will be attracted to maintain law and order. They will be on duty near 179 religious buildings located in the capital," the statement said. They will enter service near these facilities on the evening before the religious holiday and will monitor citizens' compliance with quarantine restrictions. It is noted that police representatives met with representatives of churches and the clergy of various religious organizations. They emphasized the importance of quarantine and the peaceful nature of events. As we reported, the provocations with urges to violate quarantine may occur before Easter. It is noted that before the Easter holidays the provocations may occur with the urges to violate quarantine and protection events, the message said. As we reported, 85% of pollees are not going to church on Easter, only 4% are going to attend divine services, and 7% will just consecrate the Easter basket. Adoptive parents Emily and Ryan Pickerel had a plan in the weeks leading up to the birth of their new baby in late March. Husband and wife would meet the birth mother over dinner, orchestrated through their adoption agency, the St. Elizabeth Foundation. After the birth mother went into labor, Emily and Ryan would stay at the hospital in a separate room until the baby was discharged, while a sitter would remain with their three other children at their Lutcher home. And then, coronavirus struck, Emily Pickerel said. And it struck like lightning. The Pickerels careful plan began to fall apart. They were unable to meet the birth mother prior to the delivery, hampered by orders to socially distance. Hospitals enacted stricter visitation policies, some barring all but one support person from their facilities. +5 Giving birth amid a pandemic: New parents face baby nerves on top of coronavirus anxieties When 21-year-old Madicyn Garrett went into labor on St. Patricks Day in the middle of Airline Highway as she rushed to Womans Hospital, she They prepared for a less intimate, less involved option: Picking up their newborn curbside at the hospital. To their surprise, they were told they both could stay at the hospital following the delivery, but to mitigate risk, the couple agreed only Emily would undergo the screening process and the post-delivery sojourn. After getting her temperature taken, she was escorted to a private room where she waited to meet the birth mother and baby. Seeing them wheel her in, in her little bassinet, it was an unforgettable moment, she said. We have been waiting and praying for an adoption for so long. Its like my arms, they physically ached for (her)." Nicole Spann and her husband, Kevin, werent so lucky. The Watson couple also had plans to join the birth mother of their adopted son in the delivery room, but their hospital refused when the baby arrived early on St. Patricks Day. By then, the pandemic had begun to escalate. Instead, Nicole Spann drove to the hospital and sat in the parking lot until she received word the birth mother and baby were safe. 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 Coronavirus test comes back negative for newborn who died after mom went into premature labor A newborn baby girl who died in Baton Rouge last week after her mother became infected with the coronavirus and went into preterm labor tested When their baby was discharged, the couple met their son outside the hospital. There are things I wish I could have done for the birth mom, Spann said. I wish I could have brought her some meals, showered her with love. I couldnt even hug her. As the pandemic continues, the preparation for and execution of adoptions may play out in increasingly creative ways. Adoption is, today, an act of great love and lots of desperation, said Teri Casso, foundation director for the St. Elizabeth Foundation, a local adoption agency. The foundation, which has spent more than 30 years matching birth mothers and adoptive families, faces an unprecedented challenge: Support and nurture all parties involved in the notoriously tricky and nuanced adoption process from a distance. Nelda Hunt, the foundations birth mother case manager, said this means gathering lists from an expectant mother so someone can purchase her groceries. Instead of accompanying the mothers to their doctors appointments, the case worker waits in the car. Meet-ups between prospective adoptive families and birth mothers are coordinated via video call. I think that were managing to be as engaged as we possibly can, Casso said. Our primary client is that young mom who is in the process of considering making an adoption plan. Were having to ask our adoptive parents to be comfortable with less interaction. In the past few weeks, the foundation has placed two children with adoptive families one of whom found a home with the Pickerels. But Casso noted the foundation has also received an increase in calls. While it is too early to make the connection between call volume and the pandemic, Casso pointed out the foundation saw a wave of adoptions in 2016 following the flood. Theres always an uptick in difficult times, Casso said. Generally speaking, its the lack of resources that necessitates for some women to seek an adoption plan. Im concerned that we will see an uptick as a result in all the financial challenges that are going to happen as a result of this pandemic. Bollywood actors are known to often post pictures of their vacations. Two years ago, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan rejoiced their holidays in the Maldives with Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Kemmu. Their trip also included the young members of the family like Taimur Ali Khan and Inaaya Naumi Kemmu. In no time, their photos went viral on the internet. As Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Kemmu posted some of them on their Instagram, they garnered innumerable likes and comments. Both the families clicked adorable photos of themselves and their children. Therefore, we have compiled some of the best photos that will make you miss your vacay plans. Have a look. Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khans Maldives vacation photos 1. Down the memory lane Hand in hand, Saif Ali Khan and his baby boy Taimur are walking in the beach barefooted. This memorable photo showcases them in cool summery outfits and glaring at the beach. Check out their fresh look. 2. The one featuring Inaaya Naumi Kemmu Soha Ali Khan took to Instagram and shared a photo of her world. She clicked an adorable picture of her daughter Inaaya Naumi Kemmu and gave clicking credits to her husband. Moreover, in the caption accompanying the photo, she wrote My World. 3. First-timers Soha Ali Khan is holding her baby daughter. She is making her dip in the refreshing waters of the beach. In the caption, she revealed that it's Inaayas first time. 4. Wall of fame Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan are posing against the wall in this photo. They have donned beach outfits and are holding hands. Kareena Kapoor Khan is flaunting her no-makeup look and freshly drenched hair. Also read: Kareena Kapoor Khan And Amrita Arora Are Workout Buddies And These Pics Prove It Also read: Kareena Kapoor Khan To Play A Stripper In 'Veere Di Wedding 2'? Details Inside 5. The one with everyone in a frame Saif Ali Khan and Kunal Kemmus family are dipped in the water. They are posing for the photo while having a gala time. Have a look: Also read: Kareena Kapoor Khan Is Missing Hanging Out With Her 'girl Gang' Amid Lockdown Also read: Times Kartik Aaryan Walked The Ramp With Kareena Kapoor Khan 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. FILE PHOTO: Logo of Bayer AG at a plant of the German pharmaceutical and chemical maker in Wuppertal By Katherine Eban (Reuters) - On March 21, two days after President Donald Trump first touted chloroquine drugs as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, administration officials privately described what they felt was a win in the presidents efforts to build an emergency stockpile of the drugs: a hefty donation of pills from Bayer AG. In an exchange of enthusiastic emails among federal health officials reviewed by Reuters, Keagan Lenihan, chief of staff of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), cautioned that 3-4 days of testing would be needed. Potentially serious issues with product so lets be careful when we take that win, she wrote. Bayer has since donated three million tablets of the drug, called Resochin, to the U.S. national stockpile for treatment of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. After a brief period of testing, its use in the United States was approved on an emergency basis. But three U.S. government sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that there is reason to be concerned about the quality of Resochin and its makers, located in India and Pakistan. Although some rules can be waived in an emergency, the FDA dropped its quality-control standards too far as it scoured the world for scarce supplies of chloroquine drugs, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The plants that make Resochin ingredients and finished doses in India and Pakistan have never been registered with, or inspected by, the FDA, according to the three government sources, as well as FDA documents compiled in the private online database FDAzilla.com. Some chloroquine drugs were already approved by the FDA before the pandemic as antimalarial medications, a process that required plant inspections. Resochin was not approved. Pakistani regulators, who inspected Bayers Resochin plant in Karachi in 2015, found a gross failure in manufacturing processes there, according to documents from the Drugs Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, reviewed by Reuters. And though the FDA has never screened the Indore, India, plant that supplies ingredients for Resochin, the U.S. agency has inspected other Indian plants run by the same Indian supplier and found serious deficiencies, including falsification of records, inspection documents spanning 2014 through 2019 show. Story continues Responding to questions from Reuters about Resochin, FDA spokesman Michael Felberbaum said that the agency sampled and tested the donated drugs to evaluate acceptability for importation and they met appropriate standards. Asked about Lenihan's March 21 email, the FDA spokesman said the agency "does not comment on alleged, leaked emails. In a statement to Reuters, Bayer said that the FDA had tested Resochin and found it to be of appropriate quality for release to the (stockpile) for emergency use. We are proud to make this donation to the U.S. government in the fight against COVID-19. Resochin is part of a class of medications containing one of two active ingredients - chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine - that the Trump administration has praised as a potentially lifesaving treatment. But the effectiveness of chloroquine drugs against coronavirus has not been proven. Though in use for years in the United States as a treatment for malaria and autoimmune conditions such as lupus, the medicines can have serious side effects, including heart arrhythmias. The three U.S. sources who spoke with Reuters, as well as an independent expert, said spot-testing is not always sufficient to ensure a drug's safety and effectiveness, and plant inspections normally done by the FDA are crucial to ensuring overall quality. If youre talking about millions of doses, you cant test every product, said Stephen Payne, who for years chaired a practice group specializing in the FDA and health care at a global law firm. You have no idea what you dont know. A PHOTO OPPORTUNITY Trump first endorsed chloroquine drugs to treat COVID-19 from the White House podium on March 19, citing very, very encouraging early results and downplaying any risks. If things dont go as planned, its not going to kill anyone, he said. The statements came as the administration was being hammered for its slow response to the growing coronavirus crisis, which to date has infected more than 637,000 people in the United States, killing almost 31,000. His comments set high public expectations for the drugs, which are now being snapped up all over the globe. In emails two days later, federal health officials greeted the Bayer donation of chloroquine phosphate, or Resochin, with eagerness. Cicely Waters, director of external affairs for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), saw a media opportunity. A shipment of two million tablets was due to arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. I would like to get photos of the product coming off of the FedEx plane so we can be prepared to support the story with visuals if this turns out the way we hope, wrote Waters. Lenihan of the FDA told the group of health officials that "if it is the product we think it is and it is not toxic we will release it to ASPR - the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, a division within HHS. Reached by email, Lenihan referred Reuters back to the FDA press office. Waters did not respond to an email seeking comment. One of the participants in the March 21 email discussion appeared to raise the issue of which agency should get credit for the deal. Joseph Hamel, ASPRs manager of strategic innovation and emerging technology, asked in an email to the group: How do you want to handle? FDA win? ASPR win? Happy either way, please let us know. Hamel did not return an email seeking comment. Asked about the email exchanges, an HHS spokesman echoed the FDA's statement, saying the agency would not comment on alleged, leaked emails. GROSS FAILURE The pills and ingredients welcomed by the administration had origins that should have raised red flags and prompted greater scrutiny, said the three sources who spoke to Reuters. In 2015, Bayers plant in Pakistan, Bayer Pakistan Private Ltd, was cited by that countrys regulators for making Resochin that was lower in potency than labeled, according to inspection documents reviewed by Reuters. A whistleblower complaint led to the discovery of more than 21 million Resochin tablets that were too weak, more than 12% under the specified weight of 400 milligrams, according to the Pakistani regulatory records. Officials blamed the problem on a gross failure of manufacturing operations, citing improperly calibrated machines, poorly trained workers and insufficient staffing. Weak medications can fail to treat the illness for which theyre prescribed and harm patients. The investigation was ultimately resolved with Bayers agreement to destroy the 21 million doses. Regarding the 2015 incident, the company told Reuters: All batches produced with lower content due to an error in production were never released, the corresponding batches destroyed. According to FDA records reviewed by Reuters, the active ingredients for the drug are made at a plant in Indore, India, run by Ipca Laboratories Ltd, an Indian drug manufacturer and ingredient supplier that exports its products globally. In 2016, the FDA issued a warning letter to Ipca regarding three of its plants in India that make chloroquine ingredients and finished pills for companies other than Bayer. The plants did not include the one making the active ingredient for Bayers Resochin. Nonetheless, the U.S. government sources said, Ipcas troubled history calls into question its general practices. The FDA found the company was deleting, manipulating and fabricating laboratory data, according to the agency's records. The company vowed at the time to resolve these issues at the earliest. In 2017, the agency restricted drugs and ingredients from those three plants from entering the U.S. market, a regulatory sanction called an import alert. Then in August 2019, the FDA accused one of the Ipca plants of a cascade of failure for not properly maintaining its quality data, agency records show. Ipca did not respond to questions from Reuters about its track record with the FDA. On March 20, a day after Trump praised the antimalarial drug from the podium, the FDA lifted its import alert for Ipcas chloroquine ingredients and completed tablets from the three restricted plants, according to a March 21 statement filed by Ipca with the Indian stock exchange. The company pledged in the statement to adhere to stringent manufacturing standards, and thus help mankind in the best possible way in these testing times. (Katherine Eban reported from New York; Editing by Elyse Tanouye and Julie Marquis) For some members of the Chinese Association of Southeast Texas, the spread of coronavirus has felt like a one-two punch. They first had to watch as the virus swirled around friends and family still in China and then as it overtook their Southeast Texas home. I know how bad this can be because my hometown is Wuhan, said association member Ni Song. My family and friends are still in Wuhan, so I knew it could get really bad. When we found out it could happen here, we were so surprised. We just wanted to do something to help. Wei Yun and her husband, who currently leads the organization, collected donations from organization members, researched information on the best quality masks and ordered them from factories in China, which had plenty of masks for the market. She said the couple has a few friends who work with mask supply companies abroad that were able to help facilitate the orders and shipping. RELATED: SE Texas opening first coronavirus test site for residents without symptoms, other risk factors So far, the organization has donated nearly 2,000 masks to several Southeast Texas medical and emergency providers. Members are seeking opportunities to give more. While coronavirus is new and United States residents havent seen a pandemic of this scale in their lifetime, Southeast Texans like Yun, Song and others in the association are no stranger to pulling together as a community around such a threat. More Information See More Collapse As with the tropical devastation of such storms as Harvey, Imelda Ike and Rita, COVID-19 is showing the very best side of many Southeast Texans. Southeast Texas has shown an abundance of generosity to our hospital. We have received donations beyond our wildest imagination, said Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas spokeswoman Mary Poole, as she was driving around town picking up other donations for the hospital. Baptist was one of many medical providers to receive masks from the Chinese Association of Southeast Texas. Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox Its just like any other disaster or crisis people want to help in any way they can, she continued. From giving blood, plasma, making masks and buying masks, its been amazing. While doctors and nurses use personal protective equipment including masks, medical gloves and gowns on a daily basis, the sheer number of patients and the ease of transmission of the virus has put a strain on the supply. In general, most PPE is designed to be used only one time and by one person prior to disposal. Even in Southeast Texas, where on Thursday, fewer than 40 people were hospitalized as a result of the virus, Southeast Texas Regional Operations Center spokeswoman Davilyn Walston said a recent order placed for more masks for the Centers coronavirus-testing sites gave an expected delivery date in June. Yun said in addition to having Chinese Association members with family in Wuhan, their background means they have more first-hand experience with the SARS outbreak and knew what to expect. We know how difficult this is and we know about the shortage of supplies, she said. RELATED: Baptist continues plasma treatment, calls for donors Once the masks were delivered to her home, she put out messages on social media crowd-sourcing ideas for which places could best use them. In addition to Baptist, the association also donated to the city of Beaumonts emergency management, Christus St. Elizabeth hospital and the local VA outpatient clinic, among several others. Song said they couldnt get all N95 masks respirators designed to have a very close fit and highly efficient filtration of airborne particles. So they also donated surgical masks and KN95 masks, which were given emergency authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this month. If theres a shortage, we think that something is better than no mask, she said. Yun said this is especially true after hearing stories from relatives quarantined for almost two months in China. RELATED: Christus introduces new antibody testing for COVID-19 However, instead of larger homes like many live in, in the United States, more people in China live in small apartments. They only have little space. You cant imagine a whole family stuck in their apartment for two months, and still a lot of people died in Wuhan, she said. Its like a battle. We just dont want everyone here to have to experience the same thing. She said shes happy to have been able to make the donations and encourages other people to do something similar if they have the time and money. She underscored the importance of everyones staying home. You have a responsibility to the whole society. You have to regulate yourself, she said. Its very difficult, but if everyone regulates themselves, the whole thing will go through very quick. The worst of the situation will come and go soon. Recently, the Chinese government implemented more restrictions on the purchase and shipment of masks. But Yun said shes still looking for other ways to get more delivered. Maybe well ship to Hong Kong and then here, she said. Well find another way soon. The plan announced Friday by Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth provided the first detailed look at what health and sanitation guidelines might be required for small businesses to reopen in Alabama. Those guidelines are still tentative, and have yet to be approved. They were released to the public today and were provided to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey as recommendations from a task force led by Ainsworth, state legislators and business leaders. State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris has ordered non-essential businesses closed until May 1 to slow the spread of coronavirus in Alabama, but he and Ivey could amend that order based on these recommendations, or incorporate these suggestions into a new order that goes into effect after the old one expires. Ivey released a statement Friday saying she did not plan to take any immediate actions based on the recommendations, and a doctor from the Alabama Department of Public Health said people need to stay at home and continue social distancing for now. Read the full plan here to see how your business might reopen. The plans vary according for each type of business -- from retail stores to dentists offices and hair salons -- but all of them include some type of enhanced sanitation and social distancing requirements. Some measures are required for certain types of businesses and not others. Here are some of the recommendations that vary from business to business: Masks and gloves -- The proposal would require employees at certain kinds of businesses wear masks and gloves to protect customers and themselves, and at other businesses, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is recommended or encouraged but not required. Jewelry store employees would have to wear gloves but not masks. Restaurant workers could "wear masks at their discretion. Employees of businesses that require close contact with customers would be required to wear masks and gloves at all times. Usually, one mask per day would be allowed but often the employee would be required to wear fresh gloves for every customer. Barbers, hair stylists and nail salon technicians fall under this category. Tattoo and body artists, and employees at waxing salons, and massage businesses should wear a disposable lab-coat or protective gown. Real estate agents would also have to wear masks for house showings. Employees at retail stores would be allowed to wear masks. Masks would be encouraged for retail shoppers, but not required. Masks are also required for some construction crews working in close contact. Employee or customer temperature checks -- Employers are instructed to send workers home who have a fever or other possible symptoms of coronavirus. Many businesses, such as tattoo parlors and museums, would be required would be required to check employees temperatures daily when they begin their shifts as an extra precaution. For others, like restaurants, it would only be up to the employee to report when they have a fever. Businesses requiring employee temperature checks under the plan also include waxing salons, nail salons, planetariums, childcare facilities and medical facilities like doctors offices, including dentists and optometrists. For providers of non-emergency medical or dental services, the patients would also be given a temperature check before entering the facility and their procedure rescheduled if they have a fever or other symptoms of COVID. The daily temperature checks would not be required for barbers, hair stylists, restaurant employees or other small businesses covered in the plan. No waiting... rooms -- Most businesses that typically have waiting rooms would not allow customers to wait inside the store under this plan. Barber shops, tattoo parlors, waxing salons, massage therapy centers are to completely close their waiting areas. All services are offered by appointment only, no walk-ins allowed. Customers are to wait in their cars until their turn. Nail and hair salons, pharmacies and medical facilities are not to provide magazines, books or other reading material for their patients/customers. At restaurants, indoor or outdoor waiting areas must be marked so customers can maintain social distance, and one customer in a party may remain there until their table is ready. The rest of the party would be asked to wait in the car. Medical facilities are urged to limit the number of people in waiting rooms as much as possible, such as the parent of a child patient or the caretaker of an older patient who requires assistance. Designated safety employee -- The report also recommends certain businesses be required to have a dedicated employee during open hours whose primary role is to enforce the sanitation and social distancing guidelines and make sure that surfaces are sanitized, etc. Businesses like retail stores, medical facilities, and gyms would be required to designate an employee for these roles. So would real estate agents and commercial construction sites. Restaurants, hair and nail salons would not. Gaming facilities and museums would not be required to designate an employee to monitor hygiene, but [a]ll employees will be educated and trained on best practices for sanitization. Testing is not in the plan -- The plan does not include specific recommendations that any employee be tested for COVID-19 who is not feeling symptoms. Most of the long-term mitigation strategies include regular testing of high-contact individuals even when healthy to prevent people from spreading the disease before they start showing symptoms. Currently testing healthy workers is not part of the states small business plan. Here are some related stories on Fridays recommendations: Alabama doctors offices open up in May, plan recommends As Alabama looks to reopen, state health official says people need to stay home When will beaches reopen? Is it safe? Uncertainty looms despite proposal to reopen Alabama salons, tattoo shops Could youth sports really resume in Alabama on May 11? Small businesses optimistic with recommendations to re-open; caution urged Over the last month, the coronavirus has torn through New Jersey nursing homes with terrifying speed and efficiency. While the families of residents who have been sickened or killed by COVID-19 have spent weeks piecing together the true impact of the pandemic without concrete statewide numbers state officials on Friday finally released figures for the first time. During New Jerseys daily coronavirus press briefing in Trenton, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said as of Friday, there have been at least 9,094 cases and 1,530 deaths within 384 longterm care facilities in New Jersey reporting at least one positive COVID-19 case. The states total number of longterm facilities include 375 nursing homes, 200 assisted living facilities, and 28 dementia care homes, state officials said. Weve seen extreme vulnerability of longterm care facilities in New Jersey and nationally," Persichilli said. We continue to be vigilant and do everything in our power to assist these facilities, from shipping personal protective equipment to connecting facilities with staffing support to replace the certified nursing assistant who are either ill or have not reported to work. The staggering nursing home totals amount to just under 40% the total deaths (3,840) and more than 11% of total cases (78,467) reported in New Jersey as of Friday. Only New York has more overall confirmed cases and deaths among U.S. states. Perschilli broke down the totals by county, noting that Bergen County the states coronavirus epicenter leads all 21 counties in facilities reporting cases (51), total cases (1,831) and total deaths (352). Essex, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean and Passaic counties have all reported at least 500 positive cases in nursing care facilities. The news comes two days after authorities discovered 17 dead bodies at a nursing home in Andover on Wednesday following a request for body bags and an anonymous tip about a body being loaded into a shed. The bodies were allowed to pile up at a makeshift morgue," an angered Gov. Phil Murphy described Thursday. Officials said Wednesday 26 people have died of COVID-19 at Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II. In addition, 103 residents and four staff members have tested positive for the virus, while 133 residents are reporting flu-like or respiratory symptoms and 48 staff members are reporting flu-like symptoms. The facilitys owner blamed the crammed storage of the bodies and the number of deaths to a holiday weekend backup and more than average deaths." Murphy expressed further frustration over the Andover facility Friday. Youve got a vulnerable population, a deadly virus and if that werent enough you have some folks who are doing what they should not be doing or need to be doing, the governor said, chastising the facilitys operators. This Andover thing is a complete outrage. Folks out there who are upset about this, we dont blame you." Murphy announced Thursday that state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal is investigating the matter and will review all longterm care facilities in the state that have experienced a disproportionate number of deaths during the pandemic. Meanwhile, Murphy said said the state Department of Health has sent a team to the Andover facility to assist staff and residents. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid has sent out-of-state surveyors to do a full survey of the the facility, state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli added. Officials say about 85% of people who contract COVID-19 see only mild symptoms, but 15% especially older residents and those with underlying conditions see more severe cases. 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. Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier and Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. With close to 26,000 members of the Tablighi Jamaat and their contacts already under Covid-19 quarantine, the ministry of home affairs has found that Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar spread across regions of India, too, attended activities of the Islamic group in March and several of them were missing. The ministry has asked all the state governments and police chiefs to trace the Rohingyas and their contacts on a priority basis. In a letter sent to all state chief secretaries, directors generals of police and the Delhi police commissioner, a copy which was reviewed by HT, the MHA wrote:It has been reported that Rohingya Muslis have attended ijtemas (largest annual Islamic congregation organized by Tablighi Jamaat March 13 to 15) and other religious congregations of Tablighi Jamaat and there is a possibility of their contracting Covid-19. Rohingyas residing in camps in Hyderabad, Telangana had attended Tablighi Jamaat ijtema at Mewat, Haryana and had visited Nizamuddin Markaz at New Delhi. Similarly, Rohingyas living in Shram Vihar, Shaheen Bagh, Delhi who had gone for TJ activities, have not returned to their camps. Following the Tablighi Jamaats mid-March congregation at its Markaz headquarters in Delhis Nizamuddin Basti, the area emerged as the countrys biggest hotspot of the coronavirus disease. The MHAs letter said the presence of Rohingya Muslims who attended the Tabligh Jamaat events has been reported from Derabassi, Punjab and the Jammu area. Rohingya Muslims and their contacts need to be screened for Covid-19. Accordingly, necessary measures may be taken in this regard on priority, the MHA letter said. According to an estimate by the government, there are around 40,000 Rohingyas living in camps across several states in India; 17,500 of them are registered as refugees with the United Nations. A senior official who didnt wish to be named noted the spurt in Covid-19 cases following the event in the Markaz,, and said: ... if Rohingyas ,who attended it ,living in camps across states ,are also affected, then it will be a bigger problem. The authorities urge residents to stay inside and keep windows shut. As of Friday morning, Kyiv ranks second in the Air Quality Ranking as the world's most polluted city after topping the list Thursday night. On April 17, US Air Quality Index (AQI) for Kyiv is 163, with the norm being up to 50m as reported by a Swiss-based IQAir, which monitors the level of air quality across the globe. The dirtiest air is recorded in the Chinese city of Chongqing. On Thursday night, AQI for Kyiv stood at an unprecedented 380, turning Ukraine's capital into the most polluted city in the world. Municipal authorities strongly advise that local residents stay inside and keep their windows shut. Many Kyivans report they had trouble falling asleep overnight Friday as they sensed smoke even inside their households. Read alsoWildfire destroys 30% of tourist sites in Chornobyl zone In several spots outside Kyiv, including northwest of the city in Zhytomyr region and the Chornobyl exclusion zone wildfires broke out on Thursday before strong winds brought combustion products toward Kyiv. This came in an aftermath of a highly unusual dust and sand storm that hit the capital in the afternoon. Here's a glimpse into a sand dust storm observed in Kyiv Thursday afternoon. Ruth Mandel did not remember her transatlantic passage on the St. Louis, a German ocean liner that set sail from Hamburg for Cuba in May 1939 carrying more than 900 Jewish refugees. Traveling with her parents, she was 9 months old, one of the youngest passengers aboard the ship that would come to loom over the collective memory of the Holocaust. When the ship docked in Havana, the passengers were informed that Cuba had canceled their landing permits amid internal government turmoil. Without U.S. immigration visas, they could not enter the United States. Canada, too, denied them entry. The St. Louis was forced to return to Europe, where a Jewish organization had frantically secured visas allowing the passengers to enter countries outside Nazi Germany. But with the invasion of Western Europe in 1940, even that safety proved fleeting for many of them, and by the end of World War II, 254 of the refugees had perished in the Holocaust, according to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. The voyage of the St. Louis became emblematic of the plight of European Jews who sought safe haven outside Nazi Europe and were unable to find it because of a confluence of factors that included entrenched government bureaucracy, worldwide economic deprivation, xenophobia and anti-Semitism. For Dr. Mandel, who survived the war, settled in the United States and became a leading scholar and advocate of women in politics, the St. Louis was also a symbol of the power that governments held over "homeless souls wandering the seas at the mercy of forces and powers that had no knowledge of us as individuals." "My interest in politics didn't come out of a political party," she once told an interviewer, according to the Newark Star-Ledger. "It came much more out of a family background of escaping from the Holocaust and thinking that unless we had good government and good democracy and the world got to be a better place, none of us would make it through." Mandel, 81, died April 11 at her home in Princeton, New Jersey. Her death was announced by the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University in New Jersey, which she had led from 1995 until last year, and where she helped found the Center for American Women and Politics in 1971. She had ovarian cancer, said her daughter, Maud Mandel, who is president of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. When the St. Louis returned to Europe, four countries - Great Britain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands - each agreed to admit a group of the passengers. The most fortunate were the 288 refugees who ended up outside continental Europe in Great Britain, where except for one person killed in an air raid, all survived the war. Mandel and her parents were among that group. In 1947, when she was 8, they once again sailed across the Atlantic, this time to join relatives in the United States. "We entered New York waters on a clear May morning," Mandel recalled years later at a naturalization ceremony held at the Eagleton Institute. "And there I saw her - standing tall and magnificent - the Statue of Liberty. It is the sight of that Lady in the Harbor that is my indelible moment of arrival." Scarred by their experience in the Holocaust, her parents never shed their fear of persecution, Mandel said. She recalled her mother's anxiety when, in an early sign of her political engagement, Mandel wrote letters to the editor or signed petitions expressing opposition to the Vietnam War. "They'll have your name," her mother admonished her, "and then they can find you." Mandel completed a doctorate in English literature and had no expertise in politics when she accompanied her then-husband to Rutgers University for his teaching position. But when she heard about a fledgling center at the university devoted to women and politics, she joined the initiative as a volunteer, quickly rising to the position of director. In that role, and later as director of the Eagleton Institute overall, Mandel became a sought-after voice on the obstacles women faced on the campaign trail and in government well into the 21st century. "I don't think we're going back to a day when little girls grow up being told that if they want to be true females they'll plan a life with four options - the kitchen, the church, kindergarten teaching or nursing," she told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1989. But politics remained "brutal and grindingly difficult for women." Her writings included the book "In the Running: The New Woman Candidate" (1981), in which she explored the prejudices and double standards women faced even as they sought elective office in greater numbers. If they were overly passionate, they risked appearing strident; if they were more reserved, they might look weak. Too beautiful, and voters doubted their intelligence; not attractive enough, and they were mocked. Under Mandel's leadership, the Eagleton Institute pursued initiatives on topics including youth political participation, state governments, and immigration, in addition to its work on female political candidates. Reporters turned to Mandel for insight when Hillary Clinton, the former first lady and U.S. senator, unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2008. "I have a question," Mandel told the Star-Ledger in 2008, "about whether that is a rejection of this strong, outspoken, tough, older woman." Ruth Blumenstock was born in Vienna on Aug. 29, 1938. Her mother was a homemaker, and her father co-owned a small chain of women's clothing stories. He was arrested and imprisoned temporarily at the Dachau concentration camp in Germany shortly after Kristallnacht in November 1938, prompting the young couple to seek a way out of Europe. "My childhood was supposed to have played out differently," Mandel said in 1999 in an address at the Holocaust museum. "I was supposed to have grown up as the daughter of a prosperous Viennese family. I was supposed to have had sisters and brothers, aunts, uncles and cousins, grandparents on both sides. It didn't work out that way." Mandel's paternal grandparents and many other relatives died in the Holocaust. She and her parents were reunited with her mother's family in New York, where her father worked at a box factory before resuming his earlier career and running several clothing stores with his wife. Mandel studied English literature at Brooklyn College, where she graduated in 1960, and at the University of Connecticut, where she received a PhD in 1969. She taught at the University of Pittsburgh and Rider College in New Jersey before joining Rutgers, where her first husband, Barrett John Mandel, taught English literature. They were divorced but remained close until the end Mandel's life. In addition to their daughter, Maud Mandel of Williamstown, Mandel's survivors include her husband of 29 years, Jeff Lucker, of Princeton; and two grandchildren. Mandel rarely spoke publicly about her wartime experience until the founding of the Holocaust museum in Washington, which was chartered by an act of Congress in 1980 and opened in 1993. She was inspired to share her story when she learned that the museum was planning an exhibit about the St. Louis. President George H.W. Bush appointed her in 1991 to the council governing the museum, and two years later, President Bill Clinton named her vice chair. She remained on the board until 2005. "My mom came to the United States as a young girl after having been turned away as a baby," Maud Mandel said in an interview. "The United States did offer a beacon of hope, but also a concern, because they had been on a ship that had not been allowed in. She saw this as a country that provided refuge . . . to her and her family and great opportunity for her personally, but she was also aware of how fragile the Democratic project was." Mandel regarded that Democratic project, her daughter said, as "something to be fought for and protected." "I do not know for sure that we learn from the past," Mandel observed. "I have my doubts that recalling evil can make people good. But at least we have to try. As an act of faith, we have to try." But the editorial did not acknowledge environmental racism: the deliberate placement of dirty industries in black and brown communities and these communities ensuing disproportionate exposure to air pollution. Black children are more likely to suffer from asthma partly because they live in segregated neighborhoods that are near busy highways that put harmful matter into the air, as noted by Eugene Scott in his April 10 online article 4 reasons coronavirus is hitting black communities so hard. However, this passive rhetoric elides the fact that these neighborhoods are targeted not only for highways but also bus depots, coal-fired power plants and refineries (to name a few) that generate the fine particulate matter that we now know makes ones lungs more susceptible to the coronavirus. WASHINGTON - The Environmental Protection Agency changed the way the federal government calculates the costs and benefits of dangerous air pollutants, a shift that could restrict the ability of regulators to control toxins in the future. The move announced Thursday, one in a series of actions taken by the Trump administration that experts say will probably increase air pollution, comes as the nation is fighting a deadly respiratory virus. In its controversial decision, the EPA declared that it is not "appropriate and necessary" for the government to limit mercury and other harmful pollutants from power plants, even though every utility in America has complied with standards put in place in 2011 under President Barack Obama. While the agency technically plans to keep existing restrictions on mercury, the changes mean the government would not be able to count collateral benefits - such as reducing soot and smog - when it sets limits on toxic air pollutants. Some coal executives lobbied for the rollback, calling the Obama-era rule one of the worst examples of what President Donald Trump has labeled the "war on coal." But most utilities urged the EPA to leave intact a rule they once opposed. Some share the concerns of environmental advocates, who worry that the change could lead to a legal challenge, prompting some power plants to turn off their pollution controls to save money and ultimately sicken more Americans. "It's a disgraceful decision coming on the heels of other poor decisions on air quality at a time we can least afford it," former EPA administrator Carol Browner, now chair of the board of the League of Conservation Voters, said in a statement. Sen. Thomas Carper of Delaware, the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said the move will worsen air quality and harm some of the country's most vulnerable communities. "This is a truly needless rollback that will only create more uncertainty for our nation's utilities. It will only lead to worse public health outcomes and, truly, could not come at a worse time," Carper said in a statement. "Our country is suffering the grave and growing loss of tens of thousands of American lives to a novel coronavirus that attacks our respiratory systems, and this EPA is advancing rules that will cause more respiratory illness." The rule in question, known as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), targets a powerful neurotoxin that can affect the IQ and motor skills of children, even in utero. Between 2006, when states began to curb mercury from coal plants, and 2016, when the Obama-era rule took full effect, emissions have declined 85 percent. The Obama administration initially projected that the industry would spend between up to $9.6 billion each year to comply with the regulation, while society as a whole would save between $37 billion and $90 billion from the prevention of thousands of premature deaths and lost work days. Those estimates included not just lower mercury emissions but corresponding benefits from less soot and other smog-forming pollutants that contribute to asthma and other respiratory problems. Utilities ultimately paid far less to comply, spending about $18 billion between 2012 and 2018, or $3 billion annually. But the Trump administration has argued that it is inappropriate to count such "co-benefits" when considering the economic impact of regulation, saying Obama used creative math to justify burdensome new requirements. "We have put in place an honest accounting mechanism," EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler told reporters Thursday, adding that "99 percent of the benefits" from the mercury rule came from a reduction in soot. "One would not say it is even rational, never mind appropriate, to impose billions in economic cost in return for a few dollars in health benefits." America's Power President and CEO Michelle Bloodworth, whose group advocates for coal-fired electricity, said in an email that the agency was right to revise its estimate to include not only "the large costs of the MATS rule but also the negligible benefits" that stem from controlling mercury. "Contrary to what some will claim, this step by EPA does not weaken environmental protections," she said. Wheeler emphasized that under the revised rule, no more mercury will be emitted into the air than before, because emissions limits remained intact. But critics have warned that the EPA's declaration that the original rule is unjustified will lay the groundwork for a legal effort to nullify the mercury rule. "While Administrator Wheeler claims the agency will keep the existing mercury standards in place, the decision to go after the underlying basis for the standards is an invitation for industry to kill these vital rules in court," Rachel Cleetus, a policy director at the Union for Concerned Scientists, said in a statement Thursday. Even the electric industry is skeptical. Edison Electric Institute spokesman Brian Reil, whose group represents most of America's power industry, said that if the agency repeals the underlying basis for the rule, it introduces "new uncertainty and risk for companies that still are recovering the costs for installing those control technologies." Some utilities are concerned that they could face legal challenges over investments made to comply with the Obama-era rule - costs that were often passed to ratepayers. Reil noted the electric power industry has invested more than $18 billion to install pollution controls to comply with existing law and has reduced its mercury emissions by nearly 90 percent since 2010. The 2011 requirements did more to hasten the closure of coal-fired power plants than any other regulation adopted under Obama. Facing the first-ever limits on these pollutants, companies across the country chose to switch to natural gas or renewable energy rather than invest in costly new pollution controls. Utilities initially fought the rule in court, along with coal producers and Republican attorneys general. The Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that the EPA had failed to adequately justify the economic impact of the standards. The following year, the Obama administration published an analysis saying the combined benefits of curbing mercury and other pollutants, such as soot, outweighed the costs even when taking industry expenditures into account. To the Editor: As Americans sacrifice and suffer, the president defends the miserable federal response to the coronavirus by saying, Who knew? In a 2014 speech, then-President Obama warned of the need to put politics aside and prepare for a possible pandemic but the GOP controlled congress refused. Bill Gates sounded the alarm in 2015 when he warned that there would be a worldwide pandemic and we are not ready. In 2017, the incoming Trump team was warned by the Obama administration to prepare for a possible pandemic. If a crisis occurred, this country would face a shortage of ventilators, anti-viral drugs and medical equipment. President Trump responded by firing the Pandemic Response Team in 2018. But who knew? By early January, intelligence issued classified warnings about the possible pandemic in the presidents daily Brief. Memos reveal that as early as Jan. 18, Secretary of Health Alex Azar warned the president of the dangers of the coronavirus. But who knew?" On March 13, the president issued a National Emergency but failed to actually use it. Finally last week, the president responded to pressure from governors to use the Defense Production Act to produce more ventilators for hospitals and personal protective equipment for healthcare workers. So here we are, locked down, unemployed and understandably scared. We crave leadership but have a president that ignores the advice of health care professionals and governs through narrow vision. But who knew? Elizabeth Tregoning Carterville Love 1 Funny 4 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 0 Chea Sinon bid farewell to her sister and roommate, Chea Channeath, on Friday as she headed back to her home province of Kampong Cham. The now-dismissed garment factory worker lost her job at Bowker Garment Factory on Thursday, April 16, for visiting her family over the Khmer New Year holidays earlier this week. On account of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the government on April 7 announced that the four-day annual holiday would be canceled. The administration even declared an inter-province travel ban the evening of April 9, fearing garment workers would defy the order to continue working and head home. Chea Sinon, who lives in Kandal provinces Ang Snoul district, left for Kampong Cham the morning of April 9, hours before the travel ban was announced, to visit her family for the weekend. Her supervisor had approved two days of leave. She intended to come back to Phnom Penh and said her sister, Chea Channeath, called her to come back to work immediately. She even informed her factory supervisor about her predicament. But, there were no transportation options because of the travel ban, she said. This morning I went inside the factory and I was brought to meet the administration and they fired me saying because I didnt work for six days, said the 22-year-old Chea Sinon, who had worked at the factory since December 2019. A document titled Payroll Letter confirming her termination was reviewed by VOA Khmer. The document was stamped on April 16 and has her first day of work, last date of work, her photograph and a stamp from the companys human resources office. On Friday, the Ministry of Labor issued a three-page document to deal with workers returning to work after visiting the provinces. It asked the factories to send these workers to health centers for checkups, to enforce a quarantine period, ensure safety measures and how much to pay them during the quarantine. It added that failure to comply with all of the ministrys instructions could lead to termination without benefits. Last week, the same day the travel ban was announced on April 9, Heng Sour, a Labor Ministry spokesperson, said on Facebook that workers who defied the order to continue working over the Khmer New Year holidays can be fired without compensation. People who are off from work during the New Year can be considered as committing a serious mistake. The company can fire them from work without compensation, he said in the Facebook post. However, hours earlier on the same day, he struck a softer tone, saying workers would only be quarantined for 14 days potentially without pay. Ken Loo, general-secretary of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, agreed with Heng Sours assertion that workers could be fired if they hadnt followed the governments directive and took leave without approval from the factory. They cant go to work immediately since we need to protect the health of workers who still work [on Khmer New Year], he said, supporting the decision to quarantine workers. If they didnt ask for permission and they went without approval... it is a serious mistake and it means we can fire them immediately, he said. According to the Health Ministry, directive workers could be fired only if they violated the quarantine conditions. But some workers said they were fired even before being asked to start the 14-day quarantine period. Yang Sophorn, president of workers union Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions, said she was receiving information from workers that they have been fired. Factories will take this opportunity to fire workers, she said, though she didnt have an estimate for the numbers of workers fired so far. She added that her union will seek the intervention of the Labor Minister for unfair terminations and discuss how workers could not afford to go into quarantine without pay. The question is how can [the government] solve their problems when putting them in quarantine? They need income and have [to pay for] rental rooms, she said. Labor Ministry spokesperson Heng Sour did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Another worker at Chea Sinons factory, Phat Phuong said she was fired Friday morning, despite asking her superior for permission to go back to her hometown in Battambang for two days last weekend. Again, she was unable to come back to Phnom Penh because of transportation issues. The road was blocked and I could not come back, she said. After informing the factory that she was given permission to leave and could not return because of the travel ban, the administration asked her to stay away from the factory for 14 days, but have not clarified if they have withdrawn the termination. Seang Ratha, head of the human resource at Bowker Garment Factory, denied that workers had been fired, calling it a rumor. He only added that the factory had around 100 workers who had left for the holidays and returned recently. On her way to Kampong Cham, Chea Sinon said she was worried about not having money to feed her two children. Additionally, she used to send around $150 a month to help her mother pay off a hefty debt. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Finland will continue its involvement in peacekeeping missions in various states, in particular in Lebanon and Iraq, and also plans to expand its participation in the EU military training mission in Mali, the government press service said on Friday HELSINKI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th April, 2020) Finland will continue its involvement in peacekeeping missions in various states, in particular in Lebanon and Iraq, and also plans to expand its participation in the EU military training mission in Mali, the government press service said on Friday. Finland has deployed around 400 servicemen to conflict zones as part of UN, EU and NATO-led missions and US-led international coalition fighting against the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia). "Finland [will] continue to participate in the UN UNIFIL operation in Lebanon with approximately 200 soldiers in the French reserve battalion from 1 January 2021 until further notice . .. Finland is preparing to continue its participation in Iraq both in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS' Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) and in NATO Mission Iraq (NMI). Finland is also preparing to increase its participation in the EU military training mission in Mali," the statement said. Finland will also take part in the Very High Readiness exercise of the NATO Response Force (NRF) in 2022. The country has been participating in these drills since 2012. Finland's military activities oversees were discussed on Friday at a meeting of the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy on Friday, which was attended by President Sauli Niinisto. For three years, the left has been peddling the story that the Russians interfered in the 2016 election in collaboration with the Trump campaign, with the ridiculous Steele Dossier cited as the proof. Now, the Party Line has shifted. The Russians still did it, says the new line, possibly working with the Clinton campaign, only they fed disinformation to the gullible Christopher Steele, who than helped deceive the innocents at the CIA and the FBI. So if these agencies spent three years conducting a sham investigation that hamstrung the American Presidency and embittered political relations -- well, it was still the Russians fault. Perhaps Putin himself made up the more salacious details. One can imagine some Russian intelligence operative amusing himself by making up kompromat about U.S. political figures and throwing it out into the world, sort in the tradition of the old Mad magazine Spy vs Spy comic strip. But it is hard to take the idea seriously, largely because no rational Russian could have thought that U.S. government agencies would take the Dossier seriously. (Come on Boris! You want the FBI to believe that Trump got two prostitutes to pee on a bed?) The real explanation is that the causation went in the other direction, as suggested by the Conservative Treehouse. The truth is the CIA and FBI worked to plant disinformation in the Steele dossier. The CIA/FBI did not get duped by Russian Disinformation. The CIA/FBI knowingly and willfully solicited Russian disinformation to be channeled to Chris Steele. The current DOJ, current FBI, and current political class (both parties), do not want to reveal that U.S. intelligence agencies worked with Russian actors to seed disinformation into the Steele Dossier that could then be laundered and returned to the U.S. intelligence apparatus for exploitation -- via political surveillance -- using FISA. Russian involvement, says CTH, came from oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who has deep and mysterious ties with people of influence all over the world, including the FBI. If one made a list of people who had a motive and leverage to encourage Deripaska to work with Steele, the Russian government would be far down it. Democratic politicians would qualify though, because Deripaska wanted relief from sanctions, and Hillary was regarded as a shoo-in winner. If one applies the cui bono? principle to look for others who had and continue to have good reason to promote the Russia did it narrative, and thus to continue to pound a wedge between the U.S. and Russia, the roster of suspects is as long as it is obvious. The CIA/FBI conglomerate is at the top, on the theory that is better to be regarded as a fool than a knave, especially when knavery could result in criminal indictments. One should certainly expect these agencies to stand this ground, however ridiculous they appear. They will be supported by the weight of the military-industrial complex, which can never have too many enemies to fear. These Deep State actors may also be abetted by the Republicans. Political operatives will find it hard to resist flipping the collusion narrative to claim that the Hillary campaign colluded with Russia, and the neocon wing of the party is always happy to seize an opportunity to bash the Russians. A number of foreign nations could also have good reason to support the Russia-blaming orgy. China is an obvious possibility; promoting enmity between the U.S. and Russia has great strategic and economic advantages. The Ukraine is equally obvious. Our national interest in the affairs of the Donbass or Crimea, or the Ukraine itself, is zero. If U.S.-Russia relations are raw, we will support the Ukraine reflexively, without much input from realpolitik considerations. The Baltic states are in a similar situation; they have reason to fear Russia and we have no real stake, so persuading us to support them for the sake of annoying Russia is good strategy. A little further afield is the United Kingdom and Europe. Steele was a Brit intelligence operative, and the U.K. appears to be involved in the affair somehow, but the reasons are obscure. The EU has as a simple calculus: it wants us to pay for NATO, and this requires us to maintain our animosity toward Russia. Finally, there is the Middle East, but I confess to zero understanding of what either the U.S. or Russia is trying to accomplish there, so I pass. On the whole, the foreign nation with the least discernible motive to disrupt U.S.-Russia relations is Russia itself. Nor does Russia have any reason to want to sow chaos in the U.S. -- another staple of the Russia did it narrative. We are doing that quite well on our own, and a chaotic U.S. with a $900 billion defense budget and an arsenal of fearsome weapons is not something that any other nation should want to live with. The degree to which any of these have been involved with the Steele Dossier and its aftermath are speculative, but all of them could be involved in keeping the story going, and the list is depressingly long. So enough. We have had three years of absurdity. It is devoutly to be hoped that Durham ends it, and soon. We need to face that we ourselves are the agents of our own destruction, and that the remedies must be internal. The nursing home sent an email to families Wednesday that might as well have been attached to a live grenade. Total Center Census: 101 Number of Residents Symptomatic and on Center Watch-List: 80 Number of COVID Residents in the Center and Hospital: 13 Residents with COVID test pending results: 2 Total Number of deaths: 33 Total Number of deaths with COVID diagnosis: 19 Dan Martel said he and his siblings quickly deduced their 78-year-old mother was one of only six seemingly healthy residents left at Atrium Post Acute Care at Park Ridge. And with nearly 60 employees sidelined with respiratory symptoms and 25 with confirmed COVID-19, according to the email, Claudia Martels family is petrified Atrium wont be able to protect her from the coronavirus. I dont really think there is a plan, said Dan Martel, the oldest of Claudias three sons. The nurses and the aides, these poor people are left to their own devices. They are stressed beyond belief. The Martels want the facility to ask the state to help recruit nurses and aides for the exhausted and frightened staff who are working as hard as they possibly can but are dwindling in number. And they want their questions answered, not just through terse emails and one-sided conference calls with administrators. We havent seen sympathy and compassion for those who have died, and that is horrible," he said. A staffing shortage appears to be driving a decision behind moving symptomatic and COVID-19 positive residents onto the same floor as their mother, Martel said. Less than a month ago, there were 144 residents on three floors; now the entire first floor is empty, he said. Its ridiculous they would send something so alarming that they are moving people and when you call to talk to someone about it, they do not pick up the phone, he said. The family has since learned their mother is down the hall from infected patients, and for the moment in a room by herself, he said. But that may change if space was tight, he added. Yesterday, a nurse told Martels mother two people on her floor had died. She called us in a state of complete panic at almost midnight, hysterically crying," he said. Atrium Health & Senior Living spokeswoman Hope Horwitz did not specifically address questions raised by the Martel family. But in a statement Friday, Horwitz said the company is as concerned as everyone for the health, safety and well-being of our patients, residents, staff and the entire community. We are extremely proud of the Atrium associates who fight like soldiers every day for the health and wellbeing of our patients and residents, Horwitz said. Atrium long-term care properties, owned by Spring Hills Senior Communities in 2019, are accepting outside COVID-19 patients and creating separate units in other facilities. About a dozen Park Ridge residents were transferred to an Atrium facility in Woodbury, The Courier-Post reported on April 7. Horwitz also clarified how many residents of Atrium Post Acute Care of Park Ridge died from the coronavirus. There are currently 8 COVID-19 positive cases in the facility. There have been 19 total deaths due to COVID-19, her statement said. Claire Collins, 87, died of what her family suspects was COVID-19 at Atrium Post Acute Care of Park Ridge on April 6. Her daughter wanted her mother tested, even in death, so her mother is counted among the victims of the virus. Catherine Collins-Mullen said her 87-year-old mother, Claire Collins, died at Park Ridge on April 6. But shes not counted among the 19 fatalities attributed to the deadly virus, even though she heard and saw her mother exhibiting a cough and difficulty breathing. The facility never tested her because they told her there werent enough tests, Collins-Mullen said. The night she died, Atrium sent an email with the regular rundown on COVID-19 statistics but there was no mention of any new deaths, Collins Mullen said. I thought, are you not counting my mother because you didnt test her? Thats a big concern. They said she died peacefully. We dont know. Thats the most heartbreaking thing, she said. The state suspended visiting privileges at nursing homes a month ago. But thanks to her mothers social worker, Amanda Alvaro, the family had multiple phone and zoom visits in the days before Claire died. Holding up signs saying, We love you, mom and Thank you Atrium staff," Collins-Mullen said she, her son and her sister also stood outside in the rain and talking on the phone to her mother on the other side of the plate-glass door. Claire Collins, a woman who liked to laugh and sing, crooned, Singin in the Rain, to her adoring family. Like the Martels, Claires family said they have nothing but praise for the nurses, aides and social workers. Our hearts go out to the staff -- we dont have a complaint with them, she said. Between the unanswered questions, and knowing the staff and her mothers friends who remain are in harms way, I cant mourn her death, Collins-Mullen said. They need help. Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said Friday that 9,094 nursing home residents have tested positive for the coronavirus in New Jersey, and 1,530 have died. 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. Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. LIGHTNING PHOTOS: First responders honor 'Elvi' Foster in drive-by visitation Dozens of sheriff's cruisers, police cars, fire trucks and ambulances caravaned along North Grove Street on Thursday night in honor of Terry "Elvi" Foster, a retired sheriff's lieutenant who died Friday at the age of 57. Beloved by fellow first responders in law enforcement and the volunteer fire service, Foster was honored by hundreds of people in a Covid-compliant way. In a solemn scene brightened by a setting sun under blue skies, members of the Henderson County Sheriff's Office Guard stood at attention at either end of Foster's flag-draped coffin, Blue Ridge Fire & Rescue flew a giant American flag from a ladder truck and a Skoal No. 33 stock car donated by Andy Petree rested off to the side, a salute to the lawman's passion for Nascar. Elvi's family sat in chairs beside the coffin, watching as the first responder vehicles, red and blue lights flashing, rolled slowly by. Raised in Edneyville, Foster graduated from Edneyville High School. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ab and Dorothy Laughter Foster, and a sister, Barbara Foster. He served in the U.S. Army as a gunner in the field artillery. He retired as lieutenant with the Henderson County Sheriffs Office after more than 30 years of service. He had also worked part time at the Polk County Sheriffs Office for a brief period and remained active serving the Henderson County Sheriffs office on a part-time basis until his death. He also was a long-time member of the Edneyville Fire and Rescue and later Dana Fire and Rescue. He attended Main Street Baptist Church. He was competitive, enjoyed playing softball, NASCAR and NHRA racing but most of all he loved his family. He is survived by his loving wife of 34 years, Arline Noxon Foster and daughter, Ashley Foster, and her husband Shane Foster and their children, Jenna and Landon, all of Hendersonville. He is also survived by his loving in-laws, William and Susan Noxon, of Boiling Springs, S.C. The visitation was to be followed by a small, private memorial service for the family only. The public can view both events by going to the Henderson County Sheriffs Office Facebook Page or the Henderson County Sheriffs Office YouTube Channel. A celebration of Fosters life will he held at a later date. Condolence cards may be sent to the family at www.jacksonfuneralservice.com or to P.O. Box 945, Hendersonville, NC 28793. In a surprise move, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today suspended the dividend payouts by public, private and foreign banks to its shareholders, which is going to affect retiree-investors and pensioners. The central bank has given a justification that the dividend suspension has been done to conserve the banks' capital to support the economy and create a cushion for absorbing any future losses. But shouldn't it be left to bank boards and managements to decide based on their profitability and balance sheet strengths? There are some private banks like HDFC Bank or Kotak Bank, which are running their houses efficiently and prudently. They are meeting all regulatory requirements or obligations, including the stringent priority sector regulations and making handsome profits for their shareholders. Public sector banks are known for crawling when asked to bend, but directing private banks where there are institutional investors as majority shareholders could have direct implications on the stock market. Investors like mutual funds, insurance and foreign investors also have customers expecting a return on their investments. There is a reason and a logic why private banks enjoy a high price to book than PSBs in the stock market. Similarly, there are retired people, pensioners who depend on dividend income. Should investors shun the banking stocks as there is a risk now that the government or the RBI will direct them to extend a helping hand in times of a crisis? Also read: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das announces fresh stimulus: Key highlights After this, some pertinent questions arise. Has the RBI taken a cue from global central banks to suspend dividend? Many European banks like ING, ABN Amro, KBC, etc, have suspended dividend on the advise of European Central Bank. The United Kingdom based banks have also followed the suit. Similarly, former US Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen has said she was in favour of US banks cutting their share buybacks and dividends. The US banks, however, are bit reluctant. The global central banks or governments have every right to ask for dividend suspension as they have in the past pumped in trillions of dollars or tax payers money to bail out banks. Banks should return the favour now when their economies are in danger of falling into recession. The Indian private banks, however, managed each of the past crisis without any bailout from the government. The reverse is happening in India. Private banks are bailing out banks, where government or the RBI should be coming as a lender of the last resort. Take, for instance, the bail out of ailing YES Bank, which was done with the help of half a dozen private banks and institutions. Even new banks like Bandhan Bank and IDFC First Bank came forward with investment to help the Centre and the RBI in saving a private bank. The IDBI First Bank, a public sector bank, was saved by the Life Insurance Corporation without any support from the government in terms of funds, etc. Private banks have never shied away from their national responsibility -- be it Jan Dhan Yojana, demonetisation and Mudra loans, they have happily worked with the government even at the cost of their losses. After the COVID-19 outbreak in India, many private banks came out voluntarily to contribute to the PM CARES Fund. For example, Kotak Mahindra Bank CEO Uday Kotak has decided to take a token salary of Rs 1 for the entire year. Ideally, there should be a flood of corporate CEOs who should be taking salary cuts or suspending buybacks. The government asking public sector banks for sacrifices is understandable but directing private and foreign banks seems to be stretching too far. The private banks are already doing heavy lifting by supporting the government in offering moratorium, and meeting priority sector needs. Also Read: TLTRO 2.0: RBI announces Rs 50,000 crore for NBFCs, MFIs If this trend continues, the investors would surely look at banking stocks with skepticism. This will have serious implications on investors' interest and valuation of the banking stocks. This could also discourage private entrepreneurs to enter in the banking space. Besides, there are some merits in the RBI's decision. If the view is that the Indian bank defences are now weak because of regulatory relaxation and unknown consequences of the nation-wide lockdown, the dividend payout suspension at this juncture looks justifiable. Similarly, if one argues that the eventual responsibility of saving a private bank is anyway going to fall on the RBI and not equity shareholders, the RBI has a case to direct them to set aside money for future contingencies. Also Read: RBI gives NPA classification relief to bank accounts under 3-month loan moratorium By Hoda Emam Bay City News Foundation The COVID-19-induced scramble to obtain face masks hit home for Bay Area tech entrepreneur Mark Linsey when his father, a Southern California physician, told Mark he was facing a shortage. Linsey set off to find a face mask supply for his dad, but with talk of price gouging and the resale of stolen supplies, he wanted to avoid competing for the scarce N95 masks in America. "I didn't want to be fighting over the same limited pool," Linsey said. So, he looked outside the country and found that millions of medical-grade KN95 masks were in stock in China at a cost that was competitive and, in some cases, lower than the price charged for N95 masks in America. The KN95 masks, which are certified by the Chinese government, are almost identical to the N95s that are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A recent study by 3M Company found China KN95 masks are "equivalent" to U.S. N95s for filtering non-oil-based particles such as bioaerosols (e.g. viruses), and earlier this month the Food and Drug Administration said it would allow the use of KN95s. After speaking with many people in the medical community, Linsey found that physicians, nurses and some hospitals would gladly use the KN95s in view of the current supply shortage. There was one problem, however; the suppliers in China would only allow orders of masks in the tens of thousands - not just a few hundred. With a base price of $2.95 per unit, Linsey needed tens of thousands of dollars to place his first order - money he didn't readily have. So to secure enough for a bulk order, Linsey launched a GoFundMe page and began soliciting his social network. And through the crowdfunding platform and other funding sources, Linsey succeeded in raising $130,000 and so far has purchased 60,000 masks. "I started this solely trying to find masks for my dad and the physicians he works with. I didn't envision a mass fundraiser for physicians across California," Linsey said. Despite several flight delays and customs inquiries, earlier this month Linsey was able to deliver 20,000 KN95 masks to hospitals in the Los Angeles area. Next, Lindsey plans to distribute masks across the Bay Area. "Santa Clara Valley, the San Mateo Medical Center, Stanford Hospital, Mills-Peninsula and Zuckerberg General are currently on our list, though we have yet to distribute to any of these," Linsey said. Linsey plans to continue for at least another major round of shipments and to extend the initiative outside California. "A couple weeks ago, everyone expected San Francisco and L.A. to follow similar trajectories as New York City," he said. "It's clear now that for the moment, New York is heavily impacted, so we are starting to talk to hospitals there." With no certainty as to how long the novel coronavirus pandemic and shortage will last, Linsey has provided hospitals with details of his suppliers in China. Still, his underlying hope is that U.S. manufacturers will ramp up production of N95 masks. "I'd be extremely happy if the need for this sort of project no longer exists." This story was originally published by Bay City News Foundation. Please use the original link when sharing: https://www.localnewsmatters.org/2020/04/06/covid-19-face-masks-tech-entrepreneur-looks-outside-u-s-to-combat-scarcity/ 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. WASHINGTON Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and top Democrats negotiated on Friday to break an impasse over replenishing a stimulus program to help small businesses weather the coronavirus pandemic, even as some Republicans privately worried that Mr. Mnuchin would concede too much in his zeal to unfreeze a critical aid initiative. Top Republicans had steadfastly refused to discuss a deal with Democrats on their demands to couple an infusion for the small-business program the Paycheck Protection Program with more money for states, cities and hospitals to combat the virus. But after the funding lapsed on Thursday, they expressed the first hints of openness to accepting additional hospital or grant funding beyond the administrations request for $250 billion to keep the small-business program afloat. Im open to that discussion being very narrowly focused on what we did in Phase 3 thats already proven to be not quite hitting the mark we hope to hit, said Senator Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri, referring to the $2.2 trillion stimulus package that was the third spending measure enacted to respond to the coronavirus crisis. Still, with Mr. Mnuchin pursuing talks primarily with Democrats, there is lingering apprehension among some Republicans on Capitol Hill that in an effort to limit the economic fallout from the spread of the coronavirus and restart the program, Mr. Mnuchin will go too far in accommodating the Democrats and agree to policies they cannot support. Portland police are investigating what led to the death of a 27-year-old man whose body was found Monday. Officers said Kyle Brecheen was found inside a tent along the Eastbank Esplanade, which runs along the east side of the Willamette River across from downtown Portland. Someone called 911 to report finding him a little before 11 a.m. Monday, police said. The state medical examiner is determining how Brecheen died. Police asked anyone with information about what happened to contact Det. Scott Broughton by calling 503-823-3774 or emailing scott.broughton@portlandoregon.gov or Det. Rico Beniga by calling 503-823-0457 or emailing rico.beniga@portlandoregon.gov. Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Irish Fish Cakes Here's what you will need to make these fish cakes. How to prepare your seafood for these fish cakes. How to make fish cakes: Serving suggestions for Irish fish cakes. Irish Fish Cakes Print With Image Without Image Yield: 12 fish cakes Author: Karen Kerr These fish cakes are one of my favorite treats from Ireland. They can be made with salmon, cod, hake, halibut, rockfish, or any flaky seafood you have access too. Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, coarsely chopped, and boiled until tender. 1 pound mixed fish filets, such as cod, halibut, salmon, turbot, rockfish, or hake. 1 tablespoon ketchup 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon Salt and pepper 2 large eggs, separated and beaten 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1 cup bread crumbs 1/4 cup oil, for frying Salt and pepper Instructions: How to cook Irish Fish Cakes Mash the cooked potatoes until smooth. Place the fish filets in a saute pan, cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for five minutes. Drain the fish and, when cool, and flake the fish into large chunks with a fork. Mix the potatoes with the fish. Add the ketchup, lemon juice, herbs, and salt and pepper. Add one beaten egg and mix. Form the mixture into 12 patties. Dip the patties into the flour, then the beaten eggs, and then the bread crumbs. Refrigerate the patties for thirty minutes. Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the patties in batches over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side. Serve with a salad of your choice. Calories 280.69 Fat (grams) 6.46 Sat. Fat (grams) 1.30 Carbs (grams) 26.83 Fiber (grams) 3.09 Net carbs 23.75 Sugar (grams) 1.57 Protein (grams) 28.09 Sodium (milligrams) 4981.41 Cholesterol (grams) 105.08 https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2020/04/irish-fish-cakes.html Karen's Kitchen Stories fish cakes, potato cakes side dish, main dish Irish Did you make this recipe? Tag @KarensKitchenStories on instagram and hashtag it #KarensKitchenStories Created using The Recipes Generator These fish cakes are one of my favorite treats from Ireland. They can be made with salmon, cod, hake, halibut, rockfish, or any flaky seafood you have access too.Fish cakes are popular in pubs along the coast of Ireland. They are pretty much a comfort food, and take the ubiquitous potato and combine it with the bounty from the coasts of the country.These fish cakes are also a great way to use any leftover cooked fish you might have on hand. You can also use a mixture of seafood. For these, I used a mixture of cod and salmon.Starchy potatoes, such as russets.Ketchup (just a little bit)Minced fresh parsleyMinced fresh tarragonEggsFlourLemon juiceBread crumbsSalt and pepperOil for shallow-frying1 pound of mixed fish filletsIf you are using fresh or thawed raw fish, the easiest way to prepare it is to poach it. Place the fish in a skillet, just cover it with water and bring it to a simmer, cover, and cook for 5 minutes or so, until cooked.You can also use leftover pan-fried or baked fish in these fish cakes.First, peel and cut you potatoes into chunks and simmer them in water until they are tender. Next, mash the potatoes and add the ketchup, herbs, lemon juice, and one egg. Stir in the fish and form the mixture into patties.Dip the patties into flour, then a beaten egg, and then bread crumbs.After you have chilled the patties in the refrigerator, fry them for five minutes per side.I served these fish cakes with a light watercress salad with vinaigrette. They also go well with...This month, the Fish Friday Foodies are posting seafood recipes inspired by our travels. Our host is Culinary Adventures with Camilla I decided to choose Ireland for my fish inspiration. I have been to Ireland twice, mostly because my husband was born in Dublin and still has relatives there.We took our kids there when the youngest graduated from high school. They had so much fun meeting their cousins and enjoying the younger drinking age.When we went back the second time, we drove the southern route, staying in Galway, Kenmare, Waterford, Kinsale, Wicklow, and Dublin. One of the towns, Kinsale is a gorgeous seaside town in County Cork. It is probably the first Irish culinary capitol, and pioneered fine dining in the country. We had so much fun visiting the pubs of Kinsale, and enjoyed these fish cakes.Here is everyone's inspired dish! Some 87 foreigners among those to be released, but not clear whether political prisoners will be included in amnesty. Myanmar will release almost 25,000 prisoners in an amnesty to mark the traditional New Year, the presidents office has announced. President Win Myint said on Friday that 24,896 people jailed across the country, including 87 foreigners, would be freed unconditionally to bring delights to the citizens of Myanmar and taking into consideration humanitarian concerns. The president gave no details of the crimes the prisoners being released had been charged with. Crowds gathered outside Insein prison in the commercial capital of Yangon, hoping to welcome family members, despite a ban on gatherings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Myanmar has reported 85 cases of the virus and four deaths. It was not immediately clear whether the amnesty, which happens annually, would include anyone convicted in connection with acts of dissent against the government. A spokesman for the prison department could not be reached for comment. #Myanmar to release almost 25000 prisoners in New Year Amnesty. A large crowd outside of Insein prison to welcome the released prisoners can be seen in the photos although Myanmar bans gatherings of more than five people to control the spread of #COVID19. Photos @HtetHak pic.twitter.com/bhLOPhXl2x Cape Diamond (@cape_diamond) April 17, 2020 When Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi took power in 2016, after more than half a century of military rule in Myanmar, one of her first acts was to release hundreds of political prisoners. The prisons department has since said there are no political prisoners in Myanmar, but rights groups say dozens of people are in prison because of their political activity. The government doesnt actually acknowledge political prisoners, but we were asked for some lists, and we gave a list of over 70, Aung Myo Kyaw of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said. We still dont know if any of them are released. More than 331 people were prosecuted in freedom of expression-related cases in 2019, according to human rights nonprofit group Athan. Those behind bars include members of a satirical poetry troupe and students imprisoned last month for protesting against a government-imposed internet shutdown. While the military retains extensive powers, activists say the civilian government has failed to use its overwhelming parliamentary majority to scrap repressive laws stifling dissent and tightening restrictions on civil society. Astronauts who have spent the past 200 days on the International Space Station have returned to Earth in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. The international crew of NASA and Roscosmos astronauts were met by face mask wearing doctors after landing safely in Kazakhstan at 06:15 BST on Friday. NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan and Jessica Meir were joined in the Soyuz capsule by Russian space agency Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka. Russian officials said they took stringent measures to protect the crew amid the pandemic including ensuring the recovery team had been tested for the virus. NASA astronaut Jessica Meir (pictured) was among the crew of three returning to Earth from the International Space Station amid the COVID-19 pandemic Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos (pictured) and US astronauts Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan of NASA made a parachute-assisted landing in Kazakhstan The Russian-made capsule landed under a striped orange-and-white parachute about 93 miles south-east of Dzhezkazgan in central Kazakhstan. The recovery team and medical personnel assigned to help the crew out of the capsule and for post-flight checks had been under close medical observation for nearly a month, according to Roscosmos officials. The space crew smiled as they talked to medical experts wearing masks. Following a quick check-up, the crew will be flown by helicopters to Baikonur, from where Skripochka will be taken to Moscow, said Vyacheslav Rogozhnikov, a Russian medical official who oversaw the crew's return. Morgan and Meir will have to be driven from Baikonur to Kyzyl-Orda, 190 miles away, to board a flight to the US. This is a strenuous and unusual journey for a crew used to zero-gravity but was made necessary by Kazakhstan's quarantine measures. The crew returned to Earth exactly 50 years after the Apollo 13 astronauts splashed down in the Pacific after an oxygen tank explosion aborted the moon-landing mission - as shown in the Tom Hanks film of the same name. Morgan wrapped up a 272-day mission on his first flight into space which saw him make seven space walks, four of which were to improve and extend the life of the station's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. The spectrometer is used to look for evidence of dark matter in the universe. Meir and Skripochka spent 205 days in space, with Meir carrying out the first three all-women spacewalks with her crewmate Christina Koch, who returned from space in February. Speaking from the orbiting outpost before the return to Earth, the crew said that coming back to the world drastically changed by the pandemic will be challenging. US astronaut Andrew Morgan of NASA is assisted by support personnel after landing aboard the Soyuz MS-15 capsule with two other ISS Expedition 62 crew members in Kazakhstan ISS Expedition 62 crew members are assisted by support personnel after landing aboard the Soyuz MS-15 capsule in Kazakhstan Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos and US astronauts Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan of NASA made a parachute-assisted landing after departing the International Space Station Morgan said the crew has tried to keep atop the coronavirus news, but added that it was hard to comprehend what was really going on. 'It is quite surreal for us to see this whole situation unfolding on the planet below,' said Meir. 'We can tell you that the Earth still looks just as stunning as always from up here, so it's difficult to believe all the changes that have taken place since both of us have been up here.' A new crew comprising NASAs Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos' Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner arrived at the station on April 9. They said before blast-off that they had been under a very strict quarantine for a month before the flight and were feeling good. On Thursday, the Russian government coronavirus headquarters reported the first contagion at the Star City, which serves as the main hub for pre-flight training of US, Russian and other international crew members of the International Space Station. The Star City also has residential quarters for cosmonauts and support staff. Roscosmos director Dmitry Rogozin said on Wednesday that the Russian space corporation had 30 coronavirus cases. T he Government has set out what needs to happen before it will consider lifting the coronavirus lockdown as the stay-at-home orders were extended for another three weeks. Dominic Raab said if there was a rush to relax the measures the UK would risk "wasting all the sacrifices" and progress that has been made so far. The Foreign Secretary Mr Raab said ministers and scientists needed to be satisfied with five things before they would think about starting to lift some of the rules. This is what they are looking for: - Protect the NHS's ability to cope and be confident that the NHS is able to provide sufficient critical care across the UK The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 in Great Britain fell by 3 per cent in the 24 hours to Thursday evening, Government scientists said. Graphs presented at the daily briefing showed a decrease in the number of patients in hotspot areas such as London and the Midlands. 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 - See a sustained and consistent fall in daily death rates to be confident the UK is beyond the peak The number of new deaths confirmed in hospitals on Thursday was 861, bringing the total to 13,729, according to the Department of Health. Last Friday, 980 new deaths were added to the national total, the biggest increase in a single day. - Reliable data from Sage (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) showing rate of infection is decreasing to manageable levels across the board Government scientists now believe that people who catch Covid-19 are passing it on to fewer than one person. The Government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said: "Sage looked very carefully at all of the evidence and is of the opinion that it is highly likely that the R is below one - the transmission force of the virus is below one, meaning that one person will, on average, be infecting fewer than one other person. "That's an important change. It means in the community it's likely that the virus and the epidemic is now shrinking." - Confident that testing capacity and PPE are in hand with supply able to meet future demand Concerns have been raised about provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing for frontline NHS staff. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Government had now identified 27 NHS workers who had died after contracting coronavirus, however the true total is thought to be far greater. Lockdown: A woman in a protective mask walks past a sign in a window in London on Thursday / AP - Confident that any adjustments to the current measures would not risk a second peak in infections which would overwhelm the NHS Mr Raab said a second peak would lead to a second lockdown, increasing the economic damage of the pandemic. Lockdown to be extended by three weeks, says Raab He explained: "It's not a trade-off here, if we get a second peak it's not just damaging for people's health and public safety, we will also end up back in a second lockdown which will prolong the economic risks," he said. "So we are taking the right decision at the right time, as we have always said." Mr Raab said the Government would 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" when officials are confident on the five points. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast He said: "But we will only do it when the evidence demonstrates that it is safe to do it. (JNS)-The four men acquitted in the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in Pakistan have been rearrested and will remain in custody pending prosecutors appealing the ruling in the country's Supreme Court, announced Pakistan's interior ministry on Friday. Three were handed life sentences, and a fourth, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, was awaiting execution. The Karachi court last week reduced Sheikh's sentence to seven years for kidnapping following the hearing of an appeal last month. Following worldwide outrage to the overturning of the convictions, the four have been rearrested and will remain behind bars "for a period of three months pending filing of the appeal," said the interior ministry. The statement emphasized the government's "commitment to follow due process under the laws of the country to bring terrorists to task." A Twitter post by the U.S. State Department Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, signed with the initials of Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Alice Wells, read: "We welcome #Pakistan's April 3 statement and the Sindh government's decision to continue to detain those responsible for Daniel Pearl's kidnapping and murder and to mount a strong appeal. The perpetrators of this horrific act of terrorism will not escape justice." In the wake of rising anger by workers over the unchecked spread of COVID-19 in the US meatpacking industry, officials have announced more temporary closures of pork, beef and poultry facilities. After state and local health officials ordered the closure of the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley, Colorado the company said it would close the facility for two weeks after winding down operations Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. The action follows reports that at least 102 workers at the plant have tested positive for COVID-19 and four have died. A fifth worker at the Cargill facility in Fort Morgan, Colorado, 55 miles east of Greeley, has also died. Fifteen workers at the Cargill plant have also tested positive. There are 6,000 workers at the JBS plant in Greeley and the report of 102 infections is undoubtedly a significant underestimation. On Monday, JBS announced it was cancelling further COVID-19 testing due to the shutdown. Workers in a Hog Slaughter and Processing Plant (Wikipedia Commons) Among the dead at the JBS plant were Tibursio Rivera Lopez, age 69, who died on April 10; Saul Sanchez, age 78, and Eduardo Conchas de la Cruz, age 60. The fourth worker was apparently a supervisory employee, but his name has not been made public. Responding to the announcement one worker, David, wrote on the JBS Facebook page Its a little too late. JBS has killed 4 employees because of their greed. Now the question is, JBS what are you going to do for the families that lost their loved ones? And for the employees that you JBS put at risk. Remember JBS We The People made you, We The People can break you. Another worker, Christopher, wrote, Youre canceling testing because youre afraid of the backlash, both socially and legally, if the actual number of infected people came out. Being tested is something that can be carried out without the employees going to the job. Randy asked, How much are you going to pay the families of the workers you killed because of your negligence? Adolfo commented angrily, JBS SWIFT acted like the President. THEY HAD TIME TO CONTROL THIS OUTBREAK but they ignored almost all the phone calls that could have saved lives Chelsea added, They work in conditions I would not wish on a rat. You are not protecting them from COVID-19 I wish I could do more, report them to your governor and local mayor. You are worth more, JBS employees, while Andre [CEO Andre Nogueira] has his mansion in Brazil; He will continue to treat you like cattle. Stand up for yourselves. The closure of the JBS plant follows shutdowns of several other meatpacking facilities. Smithfield Foods, the top pork processor in the US, is closing plants in Wisconsin and Missouri this week. Smithfield had announced Sunday the shutdown of its large Sioux Falls, South Dakota plant. Sioux Falls was the scene of a bloody union organizing battle by meatpacking workers in the 1930s that saw confrontations with the National Guard. The factory, then owned by Morrell, was also the site of a 1987 strike, which was isolated and betrayed by the United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW). Company officials said that workers at all three Smithfield plants had tested positive for COVID-19 and that the Missouri plant was also closed because it relied on shipments from the Sioux Falls facility. Smithfield only reluctantly agreed to the temporary closure of the Sioux Falls plant after opposition from workers who denounced an earlier two-day closure and the inadequate safety measures, which the UFCW had agreed to. Last weekend, hundreds of workers and local residents protested by encircling the factory with their cars and demanding its immediate closure and testing for workers. Afterwards, South Dakotas Republican Governor Kristi Lynn Noemone of the few governors who has not ordered a state shutdownand Sioux Falls mayor, Democrat Paul TenHakencalled for Smithfield to shut down. TenHaken has since issued a city-wide shelter-in-place order while publicly stating, Smithfield is not the enemy. The Sioux Falls plant has been pinpointed as the source of most of the 1,311 COVID-19 infections in South Dakota, with more than 640 cases linked to the plant. On Wednesday, Austin Rodriguez, a 64-year-old plant worker, died of COVID-19 after spending two-weeks on a respirator. Most of those employed at the plant are immigrants and refugees from Latin America, Africa and East Asia, and many are undocumented without access to sick leave or health insurance. He was a very friendly, respectful person, said Jose Lopez, a former Smithfield worker, who knew Rodriguez, in comments to the local media. I have many friends who tested positive. This virus really hit us badly. Susan Strobel, an assistant professor of public health at University of South Dakota, in comments to the local media noted that 18 counties in the state do not have a clinic or hospital in them. Adding Some people live two hours from a hospital in really rural areas. COVID-19 concerns have also led to the closure of a Cargill meat packing plant in Pennsylvania and a Tyson plant in Columbus Junction, Iowa. Many of the workers have reportedly been transferred to the Tyson Waterloo plant, 114 miles north of Columbus Junction, with no quarantine time in between. With COVID-19 cases rising, hundreds of Waterloo workers have refused to work, according to a report in the Waterloo Courier . The local newspaper interviewed the medical staff at the Peoples Community Health Clinic, where many Tyson employees go because the clinic has good interpreting services for Tysons large non-English speaking population. Our clinic is seeing tons of COVID-19, one staff member told the Courier, adding that cases at the clinic accounted for half or more of the total in Black Hawk county. Workers told staff members that they were not being provided with personal protection equipment and alleged hand sanitizer stations were not being filled. We have had actual managers confirm that there are cases in the plant, but they dont want to cause panic and cause people to not come to work, the employee told the Courier Wednesday, declining to go on the record for fear of being fired. Three Tyson workers have died at a plant in Camilla, Georgia and there have been protests at the Perdue Perry Cook Plant in Kathleen, Georgia. Forty-seven COVID-19 cases have been traced to a Tyson plant in Wallula, in eastern Washington state. The facility employs 1,400. The role of the unions in every case has been to provide a cover for managements indifference to health and safety and suppress strikes and protests by workers. The United Food and Commercial Workers reports that at least 1,500 of its members have been infected and 30 have died from the coronavirus, including workers at grocery stores. Despite this, the union has sought to block every job action. The UFCW has also signed temporary deals for small bonuses, many tied to attendance, as a means of increasing economic pressure on workers to remain on the job, despite the threat to their lives. At the Tyson plant in Shelbyville, Tennessee the local branch of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) was effusive in its praise of management in comments to local Newschannel 5 reporters. Seventeen workers at the plant, which employs 1,000, have tested positive for COVID-19. Workers who spoke to the media had a different take on the situation. One said, Im scared. I know I got to work. Aint nobody handing me nothing. So, I know I got to go there. Im going there putting my life on the line to make sure they get the chicken out. Another added, They are worried that they will take it home to their kids. Tyson offered a derisory $500 bonus to workers who dont miss a day of work over three months, but as one worker noted, it only encouraged workers who are sick to come in to work. It does because at the end of the day, they cant afford to miss work because they [dont have any] type of money saved up to fall back on, a worker said. Six or seven day workweeks are typical in the meatpacking industry. Often workers depend on overtime to pay their bills given the poverty level wages that are typical. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics the average meatpacking worker made just $28,450 a year in 2016, or around $13.50 an hour assuming a 40-hour workweek. Despite the production shutdowns, there does not appear to be a shortage of food. However demand has shifted. The pandemic has halted food sales by restaurants and ended lunches at school cafeterias. On the other hand, demand from food banks has surged as workers lose their paychecks. These disruptions have impacted the cattle and dairy industry, which because of the capitalist markets lack of planning, have been left with product they cannot dispose of, despite increasing hunger. According to the Dairy Farmers of America cooperative, dairy farmers are now dumping as much as eight percent of their milk. There has also been talk of pork producers euthanizing their herds if they cant bring them to market due to the just-in-time production system that makes it more expensive to feed animals then to just dispose of them. The Trump administration has indicated it plans to carry out purchases of milk and meat products. Inevitably the bulk of the money will end up in the coffers of giant agribusiness, not the shrinking bank accounts of small farmers. As the COVID-19 death toll neared 34,800 in the US on Thursday, an advisory panel expert from the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) has issued a chilling warning that the alarming number is just the 'tip of the iceberg'. Mark Hayward, a sociology professor at the University of Texas-Austin who is an expert on mortality statistics for the CDC, believes the country's coronavirus death count is being severely underestimated. The purported inaccuracy of the figures could be caused by a number of factors. Staff shortages in certain states may be causing delays in reporting the latest figures to the CDC,and an 'untold' number of people potentially infected by the disease have also been also dying at home before they could be tested. Medical examiners do not test people after death. 'The biggest challenge in obtaining an accurate tally of COVID-19 deaths is to [be able to] implement widespread testing,' Hayward explained to Newsweek. 'Locales that lack testing and where populations are rural, reside in nursing homes, or people live alone are likely to be major contributors to the undercount; note that these are not mutually exclusive categories. 'There are also varying standards (and timing of rollouts) of testing by state,' Hayward continued. 'Cause-of death classification schemes have also been evolving and it's not always straightforward in assigning COVID-19 as a cause of death. I think the biggest barrier, though, is the lack of testing.' As the COVID-19 death toll neared 34,800 in the US on Thursday, an advisory panel expert from the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) has issued a chilling warning that the alarming sum is just the 'tip of the iceberg' As of Thursday evening, 3,401,064 people in the US have been tested for the virus less than one percent of the country's total population, and 34,846 Americans have died Mark Hayward, a sociology professor at the University of Texas-Austin who's an expert on mortality statistics for the CDC, believes the country's coronavirus death count is being severely underestimated As of Thursday evening, 3,420,39 people in the US have been tested for the virus less than one percent of the country's total population. It's precisely this lack of widespread testing that has led Hayward to believe the US death count, which currently stands at 34,846, is just the 'tip of the iceberg'. Just how underreported the deaths are, Hayward says he can't be certain. He said: 'I do not have an actual figure of underreporting and this will vary over time as testing becomes more widespread. The degree of under-reporting will vary across localities in the U.S. and over time. 'The geographic and temporal variability are tightly linked because of the geographic differences in testing.' Hayward also pointed out that it's hard to use other countries as a standard to gauge how underreported death statistics may be, 'given differences in vital registration systems'. Having an accurate understanding of the country's death toll is imperative for mitigation purposes, not only to know when stay-at-home and social distancing orders may appropriately be lifted, but to also help spot any potential emerging hotspots for the virus. Identifying a potential hotspot before an explosion in COVID-19 cases will allow local and federal governments to mobilize the required resources to prevent an outbreak potentially saving thousands of lives in the process. Chief of the CDC's mortality statistics branch, Robert Anderson, reiterated this point to ProPublica. 'One of the reasons we count deaths is to allocate resources to where they need to go,' Anderson said. 'It becomes a little more time-sensitive when you're dealing with something like a pandemic.' A lack of widespread testing has led Hayward to believe the US death count, which currently stands at 34,846, is just the 'tip of the iceberg' Having an accurate understanding of the country's death toll is imperative for mitigation purposes, not only to know when stay-at-home and social distancing orders may appropriately be lifted, but to also help spot any potential emerging hotspots for the virus New York City, the U.S.'s most populated city, announced Tuesday that 10,899 people had died of coronavirus in the city, a jump of 4,059 fatalities from the day before. The sudden surge came from here the victims reportedly exhibited symptoms of COVID-19 before their deaths but were actually never tested. The change in the city's accounting of deaths came after officials acknowledged that statistics based only on laboratory-confirmed tests were failing to account for many people dying at home as many as 200 per day - before they reached a hospital or even sought treatment. The causes of an untold number of deaths have also gone unconfirmed, city officials said, and the medical examiner's office does not test dead bodies for the virus. Spokesperson for the city's health department, Michael Lanza, explained to the Gothamist: 'Every person with a lab-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis is counted in the number of fatalities. 'While undiagnosed cases that result in at-home deaths are connected to a public health pandemic...not all suspected COVID-19 deaths are brought in for examination by OCME [Office of Chief Medical Examiner], nor do we provide testing in most of these natural at-home deaths.' The Fire Department of New York City also responded to 2,192 home deaths in the city between March 20 and April 5 a 400 percent increase on the 453 calls the department received in the same period last year. New York is not alone in this phenomenon either. Heath officials in Massachusetts say they've seen a 20 percent increase in the number of at-home deaths (317) they responded to in March, compared to last year. Detroit also recorded 150 'dead person observed' calls between April 1 and April 10 a 40 percent increase on the same period for the last three years. New York City, the U.S.'s most populated city, announced Tuesday that 10,899 people had died of coronavirus in the city, a jump of 4,059 fatalities from the day before (pictured: Workers wearing personal protective equipment bury bodies in a trench on Hart Island in the Bronx borough of New York) Hayward says there's hope that the accuracy of diagnosis and death figures will improve as testing is set to further expand across the country. 'The CDC is responding to the need to accurately count COVID-19 death,' Hayward assured. Much like in New York, the CDC issued new guidelines for states nationwide to begin tracking the death toll by including both confirmed COVID-19 death and 'probable' cases resulting in death to their overall tolls. 'State and local public health departments are now testing and publicly reporting their cases. In the event of a discrepancy between CDC cases and cases reported by state and local public health officials, data reported by states should be considered the most up to date,' a statement on the CDC's website reads. Hayward said the new guidelines will help to identify 'probable COVID-19 deaths in the absence of testing which is important.' 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. New Delhi: 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 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. A total of 72 families have been put under quarantine after a 19-year-old delivery agent from a restaurant in Malviya Nagar tested positive for the virus on April 14. Many Delhitees on Thursday woke up to a barrage of messages on their WhatsApp groups strictly advising them not to order food from outside anymore. "Our area is largely an open colony, so we cannot check everybody who is coming in. We have circulated the news clippings in the whatsapp groups, with a message: Bhai, thode din ghar ka bana hi kha lo. Fizool main quarantine hone ka koi faida nahi hai (Please for some days eat home-made food only, you won't be serving any purpose being quarantined due to this)," BS Vohra, East-Delhi RWAs Joint Front told PTI. "We have been talking about this news in the RWA whatsapp group since morning, but we don't know how to stop this. The government can perhaps take some steps, or at least instruct us to deploy some measures," he added. While many had already bid goodbye to outside food after the lockdown was announced on 24 March, there were others who couldn't resist the temptation for a meal from a restaurant at least on a few days. But not anymore as they realise that hassle-free not always translates into risk-free, especially amid a global pandemic. "My daughter is a big foodie. She would always pester me to order momos or burgers for outside. Many times I would try to entice her with home-made snacks. But it won't always work. So there were days when we ordered food online. "Today when I watched this news of the delivery agent getting infected, I made it clear to my daughter that we won't be ordering online from now. She understood and agreed," said Vandana Thapa, a homemaker in her 40s. 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. Zomato, the online platform service whose partner restaurant's delivery agent has tested positive in this incident, said they are constantly training their delivery partners on safety and hygiene in addition to providing masks to them. "Fifty thousand plus restaurants which cover a majority of our order volume have set up hand sanitisation stations for delivery partners. We continue to ramp up our safety practices as we speak," a Zomato spokesperson told PTI. The food delivery platform on Wednesday launched a new safety feature where users can see the body temperature of their delivery partner on its app. That said, they did acknowledge that despite "best efforts'' home deliveries of essential services like food and grocery cannot be "risk-free". "Customers should be cognisant of the risks involved and follow careful package handling practices if they are getting anything home delivered," he added. Pizza giant Domino's or restaurants like The Baker's Dozen, Out Of The Blue and Deli By The Blue also reassured their customers by listing out all the safety measures in place. "Understanding the current situation, we have taken some important measures for our staff and senior members and have made them stay quarantined at Hotel Le Sutra to maintain the utmost care and cleanliness discipline," said Rahul Bajaj, director and conceptualiser at Out Of The Blue and Deli By The Blue. But the fear that the incident would dent the food industry business further was palpable among many restauranteurs. According to Karan Tanna, founder of Ghost Kitchens, there would be a drop of more than 50 percent in people ordering food online. The sector had already seen a drastic drop due to the spread of coronavirus. Anurag Katriar, president, National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), too took notice of the event and admitted of "some impact of the incident on the consumer's mind". However, Katriar used the analogy that like medical professionals, anyone working on ground zero can contract the virus and that it was no different for the delivery agent in question. "Ideally, if medical services are not getting impacted when their staff is infected, this incident should not impact the restaurant deliveries either, but in the minds of the people the essentiality of the two services is different and rightly so. "We have been very steadfast in our advisories to the restaurants, which was reiterated last evening that they need to follow the strictest form of hygiene with services and as well as goods," he added. The novel coronavirus has infected more than 12,300 people and claimed at least 400 lives. Ashley Graham posted some new footage Thursday in which she breastfed her baby son Isaac, who will be four months old on Saturday. She uploaded the clip to Insta Stories with a digitally added backdrop that flipped back and forth between different city views. The 32-year-old is hunkering down with her family in her hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska amid the coronavirus pandemic. Baby mine: Ashley Graham posted some new footage Thursday in which she breastfed her baby son Isaac, who will be four months old on Saturday Ashley shares Isaac with her husband Justin Ervin, whom she will celebrate her 10th wedding anniversary with in August. That day Ashley posted a tongue-in-cheek selfie with Justin in which she used a filter to blend their features together on both their faces. Although the family live in New York, they all traveled out to Lincoln to ride through the pandemic at the home of Ashley's mother Linda Graham. 'About a month ago, my husband, my baby, and my mom all drove from New York to Nebraska,' she told Oprah magazine in a new Instagram Live interview. Variety: She uploaded the clip to Insta Stories with a digitally added backdrop that flipped back and forth between different city views Escape from New York: The 32-year-old is hunkering down with her family in her hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska amid the coronavirus pandemic 'It was 20 hours! Obviously we stopped to feed Isaac and to pee, but that was it,' revealed the plus-size supermodel. 'We had a lamb roast in the car with us, so we made lamb roast sandwiches in the car...we didn't even stop to eat!' Ashley explained: 'We didn't know what was gonna happen in New York, we just wanted to be in a place where we had space and outside accessibility.' Family matters: Ashley shares Isaac with her husband Justin Ervin, whom she will celebrate her 10th wedding anniversary with in August The Nebraska girl, who was scouted at an Omaha mall as a teenager, shared that 'in New York in a two-bedroom apartment, we were like: "We don't know how we're gonna do this!" So thank God for my mom, that she had this house here.' Ashley posted Insta Stories footage this Thursday revealing it had begun to snow where she was, to the point the grass in the backyard was completely covered. 'I just feel like this really rude, Mother Nature, very rude,' said the model. 'And it's actually sticking! Oh my gosh!' And, on Thursday, Morrison emerged from a meeting of the national cabinet to announce to a press conference how the next phase would be pursued. The baseline restrictions on movement would be maintained for the next four weeks. In that time, three key capabilities would be ramped up, summarised as "test, trace, isolate" to aggressively seek and destroy new localised outbreaks. "If we are going to move to an environment where there are fewer restrictions then you need these three things in place," Morrison said. "That," says the man credited with persuading NZ to embrace elimination, Professor Michael Baker, "sounds exactly like an elimination strategy to me." But not according to Morrison. At his Thursday press conference, he said that Australia was continuing with suppression. "We are not in an eradication mode." Why not aim for eradication, asked a reporter, if it's all going so well? It could happen as a "byproduct" Morrison conceded. "But the eradication pathway involves an approach which would see even more economic restrictions than are currently in place." Morrison waxed lyrical for a moment on the importance of staying in the "groove of Australian ethos" and Australian's great love of freedom and barbecues, as if to suggest the Kiwis are somehow partial to repression, maybe the odd bit of police brutality, and prefer their snags raw. He concluded by saying "we are not looking to copy anyone". It's true that the NZ restrictions are tighter than Australia's on some measures. For instance, all schools are closed and learning is done online. Even many food retailers, like butchers, are shut. But the restrictions are broadly similar. You can go to the park for exercise but the gyms are closed. You can shop for groceries and pharmaceuticals but don't leave home unnecessarily. Work from home if you can but go to work if you must. "Your lockdown is not as intense as ours," says Baker, professor of public health at NZ's Otago University. "But we are pretty much in sync except maybe haircuts. It always amuses us that you can get a haircut in Australia. We are all getting quite shaggy." Loading His big chance may be approaching. After successfully limiting its outbreak, NZ is due to consider easing its level four lockdown to level three in the next few days. Baker, a member of the NZ government's technical advisory group on COVID-19, understands why Morrison mightn't want to declare eradication. "Our politicians didn't want to use the 'elimination' word for a while because it sounds too absolute." "I really understand not wanting to apply an absolute," Baker says. "In fact, the definition of 'elimination' allows for failure as long as it's controlled." And that is precisely the point of the three-part system that Morrison has set out as a prerequisite for easing restrictions. The more rigorous program of intensified testing, tracing and isolating is designed to find and crush any new outbreak before it can become a second wave. What does Australia's Chief Medical Officer, Brendan Murphy, have to say on this? After listening to Morrison reject "eradication" on Thursday, Murphy said: "We are on the same trajectory as NZ, which is aiming for eradication, and if we achieve complete lack of transmission and no cases that would be great," said Murphy. Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy is circumspect about the ultimate goal. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "Essentially there is not a lot of difference between an aggressive suppression strategy and an eradication strategy, with the exception that we don't feel the need to hold the country very seriously in lockdown until we have no cases. But if that happens, with the measures we are doing now, that would be fantastic." It verges on being a distinction without a meaningful difference. Indeed, in the official statement published by the Australian national cabinet on Thursday, it commits that "Australia will continue to progress a successful suppression/elimination strategy". So why does Morrison go to such trouble to resist using the words "elimination" or "eradication"? If the national cabinet, his own health minister and public health experts are happy enough to embrace elimination, or a variation such as Hunt's "effective eradication", why not the Prime Minister? It serves a political purpose. He can tell the Coalition's political tribe that he's different to NZ's Jacinda Ardern, a Labor prime minister. He's not some kind of Kiwi collectivist, he seems to be implying. She may be some kind of fanatic who enjoys shutting down the economy, but Morrison is not. Loading Does it matter in the real world? Yes, it does. Once the virus is effectively eliminated, NZ Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has raised the possibility of Australia and NZ, while keeping their borders closed to the rest of the world, opening to each other. Peters describes it as a "trans-Tasman bubble" that would allow the two nations to trade and travel freely with each other even as the rest of the world remains too dangerous. Ardern added: "Both [Australia and NZ] 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 were able to achieve." Morrison's response was to say that no border changes with NZ were under contemplation, then added: "Our measures have largely mirrored each other, NZ decided to go a lot further but Id note that the outcomes we are getting are actually on a per capita basis actually better than what is happening in NZ, that is not a criticism that is just to say that while following different practices, where weve pitched it has managed to get as good if not a better outcome." It seems more important to Morrison to maintain a difference rather than to find common cause. Which is, of course, entirely his choice. But if fortune has presented the Prime Minister with the opportunity to establish total victory over the epidemic without needing any further restrictions, perhaps he should embrace his luck. Loading Just as Morrison appears to have embraced the opportunity presented to him by the Reserve Bank governor, Philip Lowe. The Prime Minister said that Lowe had given the national cabinet a briefing on Thursday with "a very clear message": "If you think you can grow the economy under the old settings then we need to think again." Morrison, who to now has resisted any proposals for economic reform, seized the moment: "On the other side of the virus," he said, "any sense of business-as-usual when it comes to the policy frameworks that we had prior to the election will need to be reconsidered on the other side to ensure that we can achieve the growth that will be necessary in our economy to get people back into work, to get our economy back on track." Trinity College Dublin is freezing recruitment as the financial fallout from the Covid-19 crisis hits. While there will be some exceptions, hiring will be allowed only on a "case by case basis and where a "strong business case can be made. Trinity's HR Director Antoinette Quinn sent an email to heads of departments yesterday advising of the decision taken by senior management earlier this week. The email refers to Covid-19i public health emergency stating it has become clear that there will be a significant financial consequences for Trinity in the coming years. It adds that at this stage we cannot know how long the crisis will continue or what the full financial impact will be,but that they were working to focus limited resource where they are needed. It states that recruitment, including research nominations, will only be allowed where a strong business case can be made. A committee will assess each case for recruitment and will make final decisions. A number of senior academic appointments already in the pipeline will go ahead. The clampdown comes only weeks after Trinity announced an ambitious strategic plan for the next five years, including the recruitment of more academics out of its own resources to improve the staff: student ratio. The seven traditional universities are bracing themselves for combined losses of hundreds of millions of euro in the year head as a result of the Covid-19 emergency. A major fall off in international students who are worth 300m a year to the seven traditional universities, is anticipated, and they fear up to 80pc of that business will be lost in 2020/21. The seven universities will also take a hit in other areas, such as not being able to rent out student accommodation to tourists over the summer. Already Trinity and other universities have apaid refunds to students in on-campus accommodation who returned him because of the health emergency. Funding for research is among the other revenue streams facing uncertainty. 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. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Asanti Astari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, April 18 2020 Magic potion: A jamu (herbal drink) seller prepares kunyit asam (turmeric, ginger and tamarind) in Denpasar, Bali, on April 8. Believed to boost the immune system, especially in time of the COVID-19 pandemic, jamu is a well-preserved cultural heritage. (JP/Zul Trio Anggono) Not many people are aware that April 18 is celebrated annually as International Day of Monuments and Sites, popularly known as World Heritage Day. The observance began in the early 1980s, driven by two large cultural organizations, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This year, the theme Shared Culture, Shared Heritage and Shared Responsibility is timely to highlight our shared cultural tradition in Southeast Asia that can address socio-economic issues, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Shared heritage is commonly defined as property carrying historical, cultural or even religious importance for one or more societies in different countries. These are the properties that embody shared bonds and identities between several nationalities. The term encompasses various intangible heritage assets, such as historic buildings and archaeological sites, cultural practices and artefacts. In the past, heritage became shared due to wars and colonial occupations. Nowadays, it is more attributed to the dynamic pace of globalization leading to higher migration rates, growing diasporas, more accessible travel, as well as widespread use of social media. There is more people interaction online and offline. The propagation of culture and heritage to many other parts of the world may have blurred the ownership of a particular object, which could even lead to disputes in responsibility over its conservation. However, opportunities lie behind these challenges. The conservation of a shared heritage should be viewed as one of the approaches to strengthen dialogue among nations driven by the need to safeguard collective identity and historical narratives considered important to several societies. Furthermore, it should also be viewed as a form of capital to promote economic and social growth. The COVID-19 outbreak has inadvertently revived a long-standing cultural tradition that is insofar pushed aside, namely the herbal drink culture. It is an ancient healing remedy that has been passed down through generations by using a concoction of herbs and spices, such as roots, leaves, flowers and bark. The herbal drink is believed to have the power to boost our immune system, cure a variety of illnesses and maintain beauty. The medicinal elixirs come in a variety of mixtures depending on the societys traditional knowledge: It is known as jamu in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, salabat in the Philippines or bondol-pich in Cambodia. Through whichever alloy, herbal drinks are an inherent part of Southeast Asian culture, while continuously reminding us of our collective identity, local wisdom as well as regional bonds underlined by the richness of herbs resources in the region and the shared history of space trade. In the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the herbal drink culture is surprisingly becoming more popular. In Indonesia, demand for jamu elixirs surged as people try to boost their immune system in an attempt to fend off the virus. All of a sudden, empon-empon, a mixture of curcuma, ginger, lemongrass, turmeric and cinnamon, has emerged on peoples daily menu to complement healthy eating and vitamins. In Malaysia, people are stocking up on dried herbs like dried yam, red jujube dates and dried longan to be made as herbal soups, while many people in Myanmar are resorting to drinking ginger tea as an attempt to boost their immunity. Given the benefit of herbal drinks, governments of Southeast Asian countries could jointly consider nominating the herbal drink culture as a regional heritage. The second article of the ASEAN Declaration points out the need to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavors in the spirit of equality and partnerships. Thus, recognition of the herbal drink culture can help boost economic progress and shared cultural identity. Once the discourse of herbal drink culture can been further explored, stakeholders mapped and safeguarding strategies devised, Citizens of Southeast Asian governments ASEAN should also propose inscribing the it herbal drink culture in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list as a multinational nomination to formalize and advance regional collaboration. Further, promoting the tradition of herbal drinks will lead to increased demand for herbs and spices, as we have seen in this pandemic, consequently enhancing the livelihood of smallholders, particularly herb and spice growers. According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization, the cultivation of spice and herb plants can be produced with very little cash, labor and land. These are ideal crops to be integrated into small-scale farming systems and are also suitable for smaller garden production. In Indonesia, most herbal drink producers and sellers are women, thus conservation of the herbal drink culture can help foster equal opportunities for women. In short, the collective safeguarding of the herbal drink tradition at the regional level will create a ripple effect on the health and wellbeing of consumers, the prosperity of smallholders across the region, job creation and women empowerment. These are in line with several targets under the global Sustainable Development Goals. What connected us in the past should be viewed as a basis for cooperation for the present and in the future. Shared heritage entails shared responsibility. Let us use World Heritage Day as an opportunity to remind Let this be a reminder for people in Southeast Asia that our shared herbal drink culture is a testimony of our historical links and shared cultural roots. Moreover, let us treat this tradition as another invaluable Southeast Asian cultural asset that we can offer to the world. As shared heritage entails shared responsibility, we hope that the rising As such, there is a popularity of the herbal drink culture leads to a collective responsibility to safeguard this healthy tradition for generations to come. Happy World Heritage Day to people in Southeast Asia! ______ to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it Coronavirus outbreak: How COVID-19 made changes in education system India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Apr 17: A few weeks ago, India, in an attempt to stop the spread of coronavirus, called for a nationwide lockdown that helped in reducing large gatherings, but this decision was a major step taken by the government, to safeguard its citizens. It can be seen that several corporate organisations are functioning from home, while the schools, colleges and other educational institutions have called for a temporary shut down. Fresh exemptions for lockdown period: MHA allows construction in rural areas With these swift actions by the government, students' education is at stake. With tens of thousands school-going students in India are more or less under "house arrest", it is time to improve digital platforms judiciously to ensure that their learning does not stop. NEWS AT 3 PM, APRIL 17th, 2020 With this, the UNESCO too suggested that digital learning platforms can help students' access to quality education remotely during times like these which can be a shift to e-learning. The usage of the internet and technology has gathered new opportunities of learning for students of all ages and broke the barrier between classrooms and education. Odisha to begin online education for class 10 students of govt schools However, it can be seen that the students are missing the physical classroom environment and their interaction with their classmates and teachers. Also, this lockdown, due to COVID-19 has left no choice to students apart from forcing themselves to adopt digital education. As Virgin Australia scrambles to stay intact and afloat, more than a dozen private equity funds are hovering in the hope the airline will call it a day so they can pick up the carcass on the cheap. The Australian Financial Review revealed on Friday that two private consortia, including BGH Capital, a private equity operator run by Ben Gray, were doing the numbers on the airline. Virgin Australia is struggling to stay afloat. Credit:Rhett Wyman The newspaper said their interest would take the pressure off the government to provide a $1.4 billion loan to the struggling airline. However, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald can reveal that numerous private equity operators and hedge funds would be interested in buying the airline if it was put into administration. One big private equity operator said he knew of 20 funds looking at Virgin but a deal would only work if the airline was placed into administration due to its bulging $5 billion debt. Nobody will put money in and be behind the existing debt, he said. Face time: K-State projects creating face shields, cloth masks Friday, April 17, 2020 A 3D-printed face shield, left, made by student members of the Kansas State University Digital Fabrication Club, and face masks made by volunteers through a project led by K-State. MANHATTAN Area health care organizations are getting custom-made face shields and cloth face masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, courtesy of Kansas State University. College of Architecture, Planning & Design students are 3D-printing face shields, while the Department of Interior Design and Fashion Studies in the College of Health and Human Sciences has teamed up with the K-State Office of Community Relations and Department of Environmental Health and Safety for a project to sew face masks. The face shields are being made by students in the Digital Fabrication Club, or DigiFab Club. The students are under the direction of Jonathan Dessi-Olive, assistant professor of architecture. The shields feature the K-State Powercat and the word "K-State." Based on an open-source design plan, the shields are produced using the college's 3D-printing and laser-cutting resources. "We have four printers up and running and are able to produce around 30 shields a day, barring any temporary printer breakdowns," said D.J. Plankinton, architecture student from Wamego and president of the DigiFab Club. The frames of the shields are made out of PLA plastic and their front covers are made from sheets of clear acetate. The shields are disinfected after they are made, according to club member Matt Cox, architecture student from Southlake, Texas. The club has made 175 face shields so far and demand for them is high. "So far we have distributed 130 shields to local health care facilities from Junction City to Lawrence," said club member Aubry Sittner, architecture student from Tonganoxie. "We've even gotten requests from the hospital in Hoxie and as far away as Florida." Grant Delka, interior architecture and industrial design student from Topeka, said the club is filling orders as quickly as it can, prioritizing requests from health care organizations. Club members said they were inspired to get involved when they saw similar efforts from academia and professional practices in the architectural community. Sherry Haar, professor of interior design and fashion studies, wanted to help the Riley County Health Department and Riley County EMS with their needs for fabric face masks. "When worn correctly and washed after each use, a fabric mask can be an additional measure to the prevention practices of social distancing, hand washing and not touching your face," Haar said. Working with Linda Cook, K-State chief of staff and director of community relations, and Christina Aguilera, director of K-State Environmental Health and Safety, Haar got university support to draft a team of volunteer sewers to make the masks. "We have 31 volunteers in the fabric mask sewing network," Haar said. "The requirements include advanced sewing experience; access to cotton fabric, preferably from a personal stash; and a commitment to sewing 12 masks each week for three weeks." Most of the volunteers are from the K-State family as well as local quilting guilds. The face mask pattern has been adapted with permission from Jessica Nandino's A.B. Mask for a Nurse by a Nurse. "I'm so impressed with our community," Haar said. "We had 25 volunteers within two days of sending a few emails. Several of the volunteers have already made hundreds of masks for other organizations, yet continue to offer their time, resources and skills." The sewing network also has received donated materials from area fabric stores, including Linda Lee, a K-State interior design and fashion studies alumna and owner of The Sewing Workshop in Topeka, and Liv Olsen, owner of Fenceline Fabrics and The Thrifty Notion in Manhattan. Haar and her fellow interior design and fashion studies faculty members Marla Day and Kim Hiller and student Andrada Redmond, senior in apparel and textiles from Manhattan, used the donated fabric to make the initial batch of 80 masks. The initial masks include several from K-State-themed fabrics. Once the masks are made, Aguilera made arrangements with Cintas, the uniform-maker and business cleaning company, to have the masks sanitized and then delivered to the Riley County Health Department and EMS. Haar said she is committed to continue the project through the summer if needed. "With the current volunteer sewing network, there will be around 1,200 masks donated by May 1," Haar said. "New volunteers will be added as current volunteers deplete their fabric stash and finish their commitment to the project." Haar said volunteers are still needed and can contact her at haar@k-state.edu for more information. President Donald Trump told the nations governors on Thursday that they could begin reopening businesses, restaurants and other elements of daily life by 1 May or earlier if they wanted to, abandoning his threat to use what he had claimed was his absolute authority to impose his will on them Washington: President Donald Trump told the nations governors on Thursday that they could begin reopening businesses, restaurants and other elements of daily life by 1 May or earlier if they wanted to, abandoning his threat to use what he had claimed was his absolute authority to impose his will on them. On a day when the nations toll from the coronavirus increased by more than 2,000 for a total of more than 30,000, the president released a set of non-binding guidelines that envisioned a slow return to work and school over weeks or months. Based on each states conditions, the guidelines in effect guarantee that any restoration of American society will take place on a patchwork basis rather than on a one-size-fits-all prescription from Washington that some of the governors had feared in recent days. We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time, Trump told reporters during a briefing at the White House. Trump essentially gave cover to mainly Republican governors of states in the South and West that have not been as hard hit by the pandemic to begin reopening sooner. The president, who has previously said that as many as 29 states could reopen soon, told governors on a conference call before his announcement that some of them were in very, very good shape and could move further and faster to resuming economic and social activities. If they follow the guidelines, New York and other states in the Northeast, as well as states in the Midwest and West, that have seen large outbreaks would remain shuttered for weeks until new cases of the virus and death tolls fall and hospital capacity is restored. The guidelines envision proceeding without the comprehensive testing program that many public health experts have sought and opened the president to criticism that in his eagerness to start rebuilding a cratered economy, he may have encouraged some states to move too quickly and leave themselves exposed to a second wave of the coronavirus. Youre going to call your own shots, Trump told the governors, according to an audio recording provided to The New York Times. Youre going to be calling the shots. Well be standing right alongside of you, and were going to get our country open and get it working. People want to get working. At the evening briefing, the president conceded that the choice of how and when to reopen the country would not be his. If they need to remain closed, he said, we will allow them to do that. Trumps choice of words amounted to a significant reversal only three days after he insisted that the President of the United States calls the shots and that he had the total authority to decide how and when the country would end widespread lockdowns. Several governors rebelled at the notion, defying Trumps assertion of unilateral power and declaring that they would come to their own conclusions. The president said a little more than three weeks ago that he wanted to reopen the country by Easter, 12 April, then changed the date to 1 May before declaring that when to do it would be the biggest decision Ive ever had to make. He has repeatedly lurched from one position to another as his administration has struggled to confront what he calls an invisible enemy. For weeks, he played down the threat from the coronavirus, predicting it would miraculously disappear in warm weather. As the number of cases overwhelmed some hospitals, Trump blamed governors for failing to prepare, even as he claimed credit for federal help that was slow to arrive. The federal guidelines, which recommend phased reopenings depending on case levels and hospital capacity, came as governors were already setting their own courses. Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York announced that the states sweeping shutdown would last until at least 15 May, while Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio said he planned to begin lifting restrictions on public activities starting on 1 May. Governor Tony Evers of Wisconsin said residents must stay at home until 26 May, and in Missouri, Kansas City and St Louis County both extended similar orders. A bipartisan group of governors from the Midwest that included DeWine and Evers announced the formation of a regional coalition to weigh next steps, which the governors said would be fact-based and data-driven. Other coalition members include Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois, Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, Governor Eric Holcomb of Indiana and Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky. States elsewhere in the country with fewer cases and smaller, more rural and more distant populations may take their cue from Trump and begin moving to lift restrictions. The fitful movement toward reopening came as another 5.2 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits, bringing the total number of people put out of work in the past four weeks to a staggering 22 million. Facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression only six months before an election, Trump has felt enormous pressure to get business restarted and put Americans back to work. A federal loan program intended to help small businesses keep workers on their payrolls has proved woefully insufficient. The administration said Thursday that the Paycheck Protection Program had run out of money, leaving millions of businesses unable to apply for the loans while Congress struggled to reach a deal to replenish the funds. The 18-page guidelines released by the president titled Opening Up America Again urge states not to lift stay-at-home or travel restrictions until they reach a 14-day period in which the number of coronavirus cases is steadily declining, hospitals are not overwhelmed, and robust testing is in place for health care workers and others. The dominating drive of this was to make sure this is done in the safest way possible, said Dr Anthony S Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the presidents coronavirus task force, who spoke at the White House briefing alongside Trump. In states judged to be doing well enough to enter the first phase, schools would remain closed and people would still be urged to avoid socialising in groups of more than 10. But some large public places including restaurants, movie theaters, sporting venues and places of worship would be allowed to operate under strict physical distancing protocols. Elective surgeries could resume and gyms could reopen as long as they maintained physical distancing. Bars would remain closed. In the second phase, which could begin after another two-week decline in the number of coronavirus cases, schools could reopen and people would be advised to avoid social gatherings of more than 50. By the third phase, states with no evidence of a resurgence of infections would be able to resume unrestricted staffing of work sites, visits to hospitals and nursing homes, and the operation of large venues under limited social distancing protocols. Bars could reopen with increased standing room. In addition to the guidelines, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention are expected to soon announce that the agency will hire hundreds of people to perform contact tracing as part of the push to allow the country to go back to work and school, according to a federal official. Under the plan, the official said that the federal government would also help states pay for more medical personnel to help track the spread of the coronavirus by contacting people who test positive to see who they had contact with three or four days before they started showing symptoms. Many public health experts have cautioned that hiring several hundred people for the entire country will be nowhere near enough to keep track of the virus as it spreads. Dr Thomas R Frieden, a former CDC director, said there were estimates that the country would need to hire as many as 300,000 such workers. The federal guidelines outline much the same strategy that a number of local and state governments have already adopted in anticipation of the day when social restrictions are eased, interviews with health officials in a half-dozen states show. Several governors had expressed concern that Trump would try to pressure the states to reopen too quickly and had made clear that they were not going to bend to the presidents will if he continued to insist he could order them to end restrictions. Governor Jay Inslee of Washington state, which was the first hit hard by the virus, said Thursday that while his state has been one of the most successful in flattening the curve, the number of cases has plateaued without going down, meaning the danger is not over. Although the president cannot impose his will through fiat, Inslee said before the call that Trumps public comments could be dangerous if he encouraged the public to think the crisis would end prematurely. If he repeats the error he made at the beginning of this, it could be equally fatal, Inslee said in an interview. We lost a month because of his failure to recognise the seriousness of this. Other governors said they would continue with their own plans to reopen their states in gradual phases, often in coordination with other states in their regions. We have a plan to start opening Ohio back up, DeWine said on Twitter. Its going to be gradual one thing after another. We want to do this in a thoughtful way that engenders confidence and ensures customers and employees are safe. Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, who had said Wednesday that he would create a task force to make recommendations on how to reopen restaurants, events, businesses and schools, added that he might also issue specific guidelines for South Florida, the hardest-hit part of the state. I think that were going to be able to come up with a thoughtful approach to restart the economy, said DeSantis, a Republican. Governor Gavin Newsom of California praised Trump for recognising different circumstances across the country. I do want to extend a broad-strokes appreciation for what I heard from the president as it relates to recognising the differentiation as it exists and persists in terms of conditions in counties, not just in states, across this nation, Newsom said. Trump sounded upbeat during his meeting with the governors and acknowledged no troubles, despite continuing problems experienced by many of those on the call. Were in excellent shape on testing, the president said, hailing the newer version of a test for the coronavirus that involves a saliva test and complaining in graphic detail about the earlier version that was conducted on him to rule out any infection. I was a victim of the first test, meaning I had to go through it, and I didnt like what was happening, he said. They tell you that it goes up your nose and then they hang a right and it goes under your eye, and I said you got to be kidding. I called it an operation not a test. After days of toggling back and forth between conflict and conciliation with the governors, he went out of his way on Thursdays call to heap praise on them. Youre very capable people, he said. I think in all cases very capable people. Peter Baker and Michael D Shear c.2020 The New York Times Company India is four times more populous than the US, but has just 2% the number of cases and only 1.5% of the number of Covid-19 deaths. How has the country, whose per capita income is just tenth of the US, avoided being flattened by the pandemic? There are four possible explanations: The epidemic may have struck later than in other countries. Since epidemics have exponential growth at the start, a small delay can have massive effects on the number of cases. Indias 21-day lockdown may have successfully suppressed the epidemic. Physical distancing is one of the best ways to slow the epidemic and, if anything, many have criticized the lockdown for being too draconian in that regard. India has not been able to test enough to count all cases and deaths. Without sufficient testing, many deaths may not be labeled with Covid-19 for official statistics, leading to an underestimation of the severity of the crisis. India may have protective characteristics against Covid-19. Researchers have proposed that the low share of elderly in the population, the high temperatures and humidity in India, widespread BCG vaccination for tuberculosis, or resistance to malaria have helped India escape the brunt of the pandemic. First, we can rule out that India is in an early stage of the pandemic. The first infected travelers from Wuhan reached Kerala, southwest India, on January 29. While it is true that Kerala acted quickly and contained a potential outbreak, more carriers reached other states by early March. While the lockdown will certainly have an effect on the pandemic in India in the long run, there has not been enough time for its impact to be felt. So the current low level of deaths is really telling us about what happened before the lockdown began. Moreover, it is unclear that the lockdown has been total. Besides videos of migrants crowding the Delhi/Uttar Pradesh border or Bandra station in Mumbai waiting to go home and the news of the Tablighi Jamaat Markaz event in New Delhi (which led to a spike in cases), there is also Google Mobility data that backs this thesis. In addition, if Indias caseload is low because of the lockdown, it will not help when the lockdown ends. Story continues India, like many countries, has been unable to procure enough tests. The lack of surveillance means that many deaths due to Covid-19 may not have been classified as such. A Covid-19 death typically is confirmed by a Covid RT-PCR test. Those tests are in short supply and cost INR 4500 ($60) in India. Moreover, if an individual with Covid-like symptoms dies, but a test is not performed before his death, it does not make sense to waste scarce resources on the cadaver. Nor do officials report unconfirmed, Covid-like deaths, because there are many reasons that one may die from flu-like symptoms, and officials do not want to create panic. As a backstop, one can look at all-cause mortality. If the coronavirus has really taken off, surely we would see the impact in total deaths. Such an analysis is complicated, however, by the fact that the lockdown has led to delays in updating death records. Moreover, the lockdown has affected mortality in ways that are unrelated to Covid-19. By shutting down travel and factories, it has eliminated transport-linked deaths and deaths triggered by air pollution. Physical distancing measures may also lower deaths from influenza, just as they reduce Covid-19 deaths. So it is theoretically possible that Covid-19 has had a substantial mortality impact, but that total deaths have not risen because the lockdown reduced non-Covid deaths. This leaves the intriguing possibility that Covid-19 will have less of an impact in India than in other countries. However, it is important to not use it as an excuse to be less vigilant. Its reproductive rate in India is around 1.8, which implies that approximately 65% percent of the population will be infected without a lockdown or vaccine. Even if India has a death rate as low as Germanys 0.3%, two million people could die. With that caveat, lets consider why the death rate may be lower in India. Initial data from China suggested that the mortality rate from Covid-19 infection is much higher among the elderly: it is 14.8% for those above 80, but just 0.2% for individuals below 39. In India, only 0.8% of the population is above 80 and nearly 75% are below the age of 40. An offsetting factor, however, is the poor health of even younger Indians. The fatality rate rises by roughly 30% if a person has cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, or hypertension. India has roughly double the rate of heart disease as Italy, and among the highest prevalence of respiratory diseases in the world. In addition, India is home to one in six people with diabetes. Another complicating factor is that India is home to many multi-generational, joint families. This structure places elderly Indians at considerable risk from catching diseases from younger family members, especially asymptomatic ones. A second explanation is that hotter temperatures in India may slow the virus. There is some evidence consistent with this theory. Countries with latitudes between 30-50 degrees above or below the equator, and average temperatures between 5 and 11 degrees celsius have, thus far, borne a higher burden from Covid. However, some preliminary research has suggested that India may face higher transmission rates during the monsoon, which is Indias flu season. Humidity may also play a role; studies have found varying results on its importance as a factor. In addition, a brand new study at Harvard has suggested that Covid-19 may not go away in warm weather as colds do, because significant parts of the population remain vulnerable to the virus. The weather alone is insufficient to protect India. Other explanations center on universal BCG vaccination in India, or domestic hydroxychloroquine use to combat malaria. While it is true, for instance, that countries with BCG vaccination appear so far to have less transmission, these countries are also warmer, have younger populations, andbecause they are poorerlikely tested late. So it is hard to know whether there is a true link between Covid-19 and BCG or malaria burdens. Further analysis is required, though it may not come fast enough to help in this epidemic. Ultimately, Indias relatively light exposure to Covid-19 remains a puzzle. It may have certain characteristics that protect it from the deadliest impact, but they do not suggest that it will escape the pandemic unscathed. Great care and vigilance are still necessary. Anup Malani is a professor at the University of Chicago Law School and Pritzker School of Medicine; Arpit Gupta is an assistant professor of finance at the NYU Stern School of Business; and Reuben Abraham is CEO of the IDFC Foundation and IDFC Institute in Mumbai. Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news. More stories from Quartz: During the 14-day lockdown in Nigeria to curb the spread of coronavirus, Human Rights Commission has said on April 16 that security officials killed at least 18 civilians which is greater than people who have been died due to COVID-19 disease. As of now, Nigeria has reported 407 confirmed cases of coronavirus with 12 casualties, however, the countrys commission, that was founded to monitor the violations of human rights, released a report based on over 100 petitions it received from the family members of the people who were killed. According to reports, Nigerias National Human Rights Commission head, Anthony Ojukwu said in a televised address that civilians in the country complained about brutality and killing by the law enforcement authorities during the COVID-19 lockdown. Moreover, 24 out of the total 36 Nigerian states had reached out to the Commission between the period of March 30 to April 13. According to an international news agency, the cases of human rights violations were higher in Lagos, Nigerian capital Abuja, and other states in the Southwest region. COVID-19 The National Human Rights Commission has released the report of incidents of human rights violations across the country following the stay- at -home directives of Federal and state governments to contain COVID-19 pandemic. Pls check NHRC Nigeria Online for details . NHRC Nigeria tweets (@NhrcTweets) April 15, 2020 Read - Nigeria Faithful Attend Easter Mass By Video Read - 2 Nigerian Nationals Arrested For Supplying Drugs: Police 'Will face justice' According to reports, while talking to a media broadcaster, a police deputy inspector general has said that police officials are concerned about the report by the Commission. He further assured that those who will be found responsible after investigation, will face justice. Nigerian President Mohammadu Buhari had imposed the 14-day lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19 from March 29 and now has even extended it to two more weeks. Most countries including Nigeria are battling with the health crisis that has not only taken a toll on the economy but COVID-19 disease has killed thousands worldwide. Read - Haryana Police Arrests 3 Nigerians From Delhi With 2.4 Kg Heroin Read - Nigeria Imposes 14-day Lockdown In Lagos, Abuja To Curb Coronavirus Spread (Image Source: AP) D onald Trump has tweeted his support for coronavirus lockdown protests in parts of the US as he called for three states to be "liberated" from stay-at-home orders. The US president posted "LIBERATE Minnesota" on Friday, which he quickly followed up with tweets calling for Michigan and Virginia to be liberated from their stay-at-home orders. The states tweeted about have seen protesters gather this week to demonstrate against lockdowns issued by Democratic governors. Posting on Friday, he said that Virginia, along with Minnesota and Michigan, should be liberated and its citizens should "save your great Second Amendment", adding: "It is under siege." Thousands of protesters have gathered in the capitals of Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia against the restrictions in place. Protesters say that the severe economic impact of the restrictions is hurting citizens, while health officials warn lifting the measures could spread infection. One sign held up at a protest in Virginia read: "Stop this madness. It is just a cold virus. End the shutdown for the good of us all." Mr Trump's tweets appear to go against his decision to hand power to ease restrictions to the individual state's governor. The US president faced a backlash for the tweets, with Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan branding the comments "insanely dangerous". It comes after the US saw its highest daily death toll on Thursday, with 4,591 deaths recorded in a single day. Protesters rally against stay-at-home orders at Capitol Square in Richmond, Virginia / AFP via Getty Images On Thursday, the president unveiled guidelines to give US governors a road map for recovering from the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic. The plan outlined on Thursday set 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. A demonstrator holds a sign at a protest in Virginia's capital / Getty Images Were starting our life again, the president said during his daily press briefing. Were starting rejuvenation of our economy again. This is a gradual process. 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 normality will be a far longer process than he had initially envisioned. People take part in a protest for "Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine" / AFP via Getty Images Federal officials warned that some social distancing measures may need to remain in place through the end of the year to prevent a new outbreak. They largely reinforce plans already in the works by governors, who have primary responsibility for public health in their states. Youre going to call your own shots, Mr Trump told the governors in a conference call. Were going to be standing alongside of you. Demonstrators hold signs at a protest in Virginia / REUTERS Mr Trump said recent trends in some states were so positive they could begin phase one almost immediately. They will be able to go literally tomorrow, he said. We have a very large number of states that want to get going and theyre in very good shape. Thats good with us, frankly. The guidelines recommend that states pass checkpoints that look at new cases, testing and surveillance data over the prior 14 days before advancing from one phase to another. The RBI's measures on Friday to boost the economy hit hard by the coronavirus crisis were slammed as "far too little" by the Congress but the ruling BJP lauded them, saying they will help protect people's livelihoods by infusing liquidity and improving credit flow. The opposition party termed the announcements made by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das a disappointment and sought a sector-specific package from the Modi government. The BJP, however, cheered these measures, with its president J P Nadda saying that the they will be a "milestone" in helping Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to keep economy strong during and after the COVID-19 crisis. Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the steps taken by central bank to boost the economy further reinforce Modi's vision, and the prime minister is leaving no stone unturned to tackle the crisis caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak. Another BJP leader and Union minister Piyush Goyal said that RBI governor's announcement to do "whatever it takes" is a "massive confidence booster" for the economy. The Reserve Bank of India on Friday cut the reverse repo rate and announced a slew of measures including re-finance window of Rs 50,000 crore and targeted long-term repo auction of similar amount to deal with the impact of the pandemic. Das assured that the RBI will use all instruments at its disposal to deal with the challenges posed by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, depending on the evolving situation. In a statement, Nadda said the RBI's decision will infuse liquidity and improve credit flow, and it is in line with Modi's vision for decisions that are friendly to business as well as people. The Union government, he added, is taking all necessary steps to help the economy cope with this crisis during the pandemic. "Initial Rs 50,000 crore to support small and mid NBFCs, refinance facilities of Rs 25,000 crore to NABARD to help farmers, Rs 15,000 crore to SIDBI to boost loans to start-ups and SMEs, Rs 10,000 crore to NHB to support housing for all, will prove to be significant steps," the BJP president said, citing various measures announced by the RBI governor. "These steps will prove to be a milestone in helping Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to keep the economy strong during and after the pandemic," Nadda said. He noted that the RBI had taken several decisions last month as well in this regard. The central bank's measures, however, left the opposition Congress disappointed. Its senior spokesperson Anand Sharma dubbed them far too little to meet the industry's needs and to prevent the MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) sector from "sliding into ICU". He urged the prime minister to announce sector-specific package for industry."Moratorium on instalments will not be enough, complete waiver of interest for 180 days and rescheduling of NPAs up to September 1, 2020 is the way forward," he said. At a party briefing, Congress leader Ajay Maken expressed disappointment over the announcements made by the RBI, saying the government should take more measures to mitigate the problems of those suffering due to the lockdown over coronavirus. "The announcements made by the RBI have no meaning. The Congress and people are disappointed with the announcements. The government should take more measures to mitigate the problems of the poor and the vulnerable," he said. Praising the RBI's announcements, Shah said its decision to extend Rs 20,000 crore credit facility to NABARD and Rs 15,000 crore to SIDBI will greatly help the farmers, provide the much needed financial stability to MSMEs and start ups, and boost the 'Make in India' programme. Shah said the Rs 10,000 crore to National Housing Bank (NHB) and liquidity measures for banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) will help too. Goyal, who is railways, and commerce and industry minister, said these steps will provide liquidity for growth and help India emerge as a world leader in the post COVID-19 world. "The RBI governor's announcement to do 'whatever it takes' is a massive confidence booster for the economy. RBI is continuously monitoring the economy to support growth. IMF has also projected India as one of the fastest growing countries in the current financial year," he tweeted. BJP ally and LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan, also a Union minister, said these decisions will hugely benefit farmers and small traders by injecting more liquidity into the market. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Estuaries on the south-east coast of Australia are warming at twice the rate of oceans and the atmosphere, a new study has found. Researchers say the apparent accelerated impact from climate change on estuaries could adversely affect economic activity and ecological biodiversity in rivers and lakes worldwide. Dr Elliot Scanes from the University of Sydney said: "Our research shows that estuaries are particularly vulnerable to a warming environment. This is a concern not only for the marine and bird life that rely on them but the millions of people who depend on rivers, lakes and lagoons for their livelihoods around the world." The researchers say that changes in estuarine temperature, acidity and salinity are likely to reduce the global profitability of aquaculture and wild fisheries. Global aquaculture is worth $US243.5 billion a year and wild fisheries, much of which occurs in estuaries, is worth $US152 billion. More than 55 million people globally rely on these industries for income. Professor Pauline Ross, who leads the research group in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, said: "Estuaries provide services of immense ecological and economic value. The rates of change observed in this study may also jeopardise the viability of coastal vegetation such as mangroves and saltmarsh in the coming decades and reduce their capacity to mitigate storm damage and sea-level rise." The results are based on 12 years of recording temperatures in 166 estuaries along the entire 1100-kilometre stretch of the New South Wales coast in south-eastern Australia. In that time more than 6200 temperature observations were taken. advertisement The data, which are publicly available, were taken by field officers of the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and the Environment and used in a marine research collaboration with the University of Sydney. On average, the estuary systems experienced a 2.16-degree temperature increase, about 0.2 degrees each year. Dr Elliot Scanes said: "This is evidence that climate change has arrived in Australia; it is not a projection based on modelling, but empirical data from more than a decade of investigation." Studies on specific lake and river systems have found evidence of warming, such as along the North Sea, in Germany, in the Hudson River in New York and Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. This is the world's first long-term study that has considered a diverse range of estuary types on such a large scale. It is published today in Nature Communications. advertisement "This increase in temperature is an order of magnitude faster than predicted by global ocean and atmospheric models," Dr Elliot Scanes said. According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, air and sea temperatures in Australia have increased by about 1 degree since 1910. And over the past decade, air temperatures have increase 1.5 degrees as compared to the 1961 to 1990 average. "Our results highlight that air or ocean temperatures alone cannot be relied upon to estimate climate change in estuaries; rather, individual traits of any estuary need to be considered in the context of regional climate trends," Dr Elliot Scanes said. "New models will need to be developed to help predict estuarine changes." The study also found that acidification of estuaries was increasing by 0.09 pH units a year. There was also changes to the salinity of estuary systems: creeks and lagoons became less saline while river salinity increased. Temperature increases in estuaries were also dependent on the type, or morphology of the system, the study found. Professor Ross said: "Lagoons and rivers increased in temperature faster than creeks and lakes because they are shallower with more limited ocean exchange." She said that this suggests industries and communities that rely on shallow estuaries for culture, income and food could be particularly vulnerable during global warming. "This is of concern in other dry temperate zones like the Mediterranean and South Africa where many of the estuaries are similar to those studied here," she said. The study suggests that estuaries that remain open may also soon begin to "tropicalise," and estuarine ecosystems could become colonised by tropical marine species and reflect a warmer environment. Professor Ross said: "This research will help local fisheries and aquaculture to develop mitigation strategies as the climate changes." Nearly 400 Irish troops on overseas peacekeeping duty face uncertainty about when they will be able to return home after the UN suspended all movement of its forces until June 30 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the UN also said that each nation supplying it with troops could apply for exemptions to this directive. The bulk of the Irish troops are serving in Lebanon with UNIFIL and they were due to fly home to their families by mid or late May at the latest. Members of the elite Army Ranger Wing (ARW) are deployed in Mali, but are part of a German contingent who have airlift capability and it may therefore be easier to get them home on time. There are also other troops on peacekeeping/peace-monitoring missions in Western Sahara and the Democratic Republic of Congo who need to get home. It is understood the Department of Defence and senior Defence Forces officers are examining ways in which they might be able to get all the troops home on time. However, according to military sources repatriation is likely to be more complicated than before due to restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. For starters, all the troops will have to undergo 14 days of self-isolation before they leave the country they are in and a further 14 days when they return. In addition, for larger contingents like the one in Lebanon it is more complicated. Because of their numbers it would take additional flights to enforce social distancing. A source within the Defence Forces said that all their troops abroad had been informed of the UN directive and liaison officers are also keeping their families up to speed on the issues. A definitive decision has not been made yet. We appreciate it is very hard for the troops and their families, the source said. There is no issue, however, with peacekeepers who are operating in the Golan Heights, on the Israeli/Syrian borders because a new contingent was posted there recently and is not due home for several months. There have been previous delays in getting troops home on time, primarily because there were issues with paperwork at borders. However, this is more complicated as many borders are in lockdown because of the pandemic. Also, the Defence Forces don't possess aircraft with the range to pick up troops in the likes of Mali and have to rely on the goodwill of other nations. U.S. to increase aid to Ukraine for fight against COVID-19 by $9.1 mln - Ukrainian Embassy in U.S. The U.S. will expand its assistance to Ukraine in countering the COVID-19 pandemic to $9.1 million, the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States reports. "The funds will be allocated to Ukraine through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)," the Embassy's press service said on Facebook. The assistance will be aimed at preparing laboratory systems, detecting a disease, providing technical support in responding to and communicating the risks of the spread of COVID-19. "In addition, assistance will contribute to the support of measures on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 patients, water supply, sanitation and hygiene measures for the most vulnerable segments of the population of Donetsk and Luhansk regions," the Embassy emphasized. The embassy thanked U.S. partners for their support and well-coordinated efforts. An 80-mile corridor in Louisiana has among the highest risks of cancer in the US, with dozens of petrochemical plants stretching along the Mississippi River and into communities breathing in an aggressive list of pollutants. To the residents who have tirelessly fought against the multi-billion dollar industries hovering on their skylines, lit up with flares burning off excess gasses and filling the air with smog, the seven-parish stretch between Baton Rouge and New Orleans is known as Cancer Alley. The coronavirus crisis has raised fears of increased risks of illness and death for thousands of people living in their shadow, many of whom are black and from lower-income families. More than 200 of the state's deaths caused by the Covid-19 disease are within the largely rural parishes between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The New Orleans metropolitan area, encompassing more than a million people in the city's neighbouring Jefferson and St Tammany parishes, has reported nearly 400 deaths. St John the Baptist Parish, which has no morgue or hospital let alone a respirator, has recorded at least 48 coronavirus-linked deaths in a population of just 46,000 people, one of the highest per capita death tolls not just in the state but in the entire US. Sharon Lavigne, wearing gloves and a face mask on the site of another planned petrochemical plant in St James Parish, called on elected officials to "put people before product and pollution" as the community braces for more death. Seven of the top 10 US Census tracts with the highest cancer risks are in Louisiana, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Six are in St John the Baptist Parish, and another is in neighbouring St Charles Parish. Taiwanese plastics manufacturer Formosa is the latest company to enter the area, with plans to build a multi-billion dollar complex in St James Parish, neighbouring St John the Baptist to the west. The EPA estimates the facility could more than double the amount of pollutants in the area, making it one of the largest emitters of carcinogenic ethylene oxide. "Black people are dying," said Ms Lavigne, the founder of community action group RISE St James. "We're already being polluted by 12 different industries and refineries. They want to build a $9.4 bn industry right across from where I'm standing. ... They don't care if we're already polluted. They want to pollute us even more." Reeling from the economic fallout and toxic hangover from the BP oil disaster in 2010, along with the trauma and ongoing recovery from hurricanes Katrina and Rita and a decade of storms and flooding that followed, residents are wielding their collective power against international companies operating in areas where the median income is as low as $17,000. Meanwhile, the EPA under Donald Trump's administration plans to relax its rules and halt enforcement efforts against polluters as the nation battles the coronavirus, while vulnerable communities like those in St John the Baptist and St James continue to push back against powerful industries as their funeral homes and neighbourhoods are overwhelmed during the pandemic. "We don't need you and we don't want you in St James," Ms Lavigne said. "How can you build while we're suffering with coronavirus?" Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans Show all 25 1 /25 Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans A view of empty Bourbon street in the French Quarter amid the coronavirus pandemic in New Orleans, Louisiana Getty Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans Nyla Clark, 3, accompanied by her mother, Chavonne Clark, sits in a baby stroller at a corner in New Orleans, hoping to get a few dollars from an occasional passerby. Clark was a phlebotomist with a local company until she lost her job because of the coronavirus pandemic. She is waiting for unemployment The Advocate via AP Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans A man boards a streetcar Reuters Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans Jackson Square, normally bustling with tourists, is seen deserted AP Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans Words from Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" are painted onto plywood covering the window of a closed business AFP via Getty Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans Street performer Eddie Webb looks around the nearly deserted French Quarter looking to make money AP Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans Boarded up businesses Reuters Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans The normally bustling tourist mecca of Bourbon Street lies deserted in the early afternoon Reuters Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans A sign along I-10 informing persons who travel from Louisiana to quarantine AP Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans A man cycles along Jackson Square AFP via Getty Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans Elena Likaj, prevention department manager at Odyssey House Louisiana (OHL) which runs a drive-through testing site, takes the temperature of New Orleans resident Peyton Gill Reuters Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans A man walks his dog past a boarded up business on Frenchmen Street Reuters Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans An empty Bourbon street Getty Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans A meal is distributed at the Lantern Light Ministry at the Rebuild Center Reuters Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans A woman walks in the French Quarter Reuters Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans People practice social distancing as they queue up for a meal at the Lantern Light Ministry at the Rebuild Center Reuters Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans French Quarter Getty Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans A sign is pictured in the French Quarter amid the outbreak Reuters Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans A view of Bourbon Street Reuters Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans National Guard members walk down Rampart Street AFP via Getty Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans A man rides his bicycle in front of a boarded up French Quarter restaurant Reuters Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans A shuttered business is pictured on Decatur Street AFP via Getty Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans The normally bustling tourist mecca of Bourbon Street lies deserted Reuters Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans A view of Canal Street Reuters Impact coronavirus is having on Louisiana and New Orleans A New Orleans firefighter works to contain an early morning fire Reuters When Louisiana first reported the demographics of its coronavirus-related deaths, officials found that black residents accounted for roughly 70 per cent of the state's deaths, though black residents make up only 30 per cent of the state's population. "That deserves more attention," Governor John Bel Edwards said at a press briefing. "We'll have to dig into that and see what we can do to slow that trend down." The racial disparities in the state's health rooted in systemic racism and a historic lack of public health support for the state's poorest residents are especially acute in the mostly black parishes in its industrial corridors. Through the 20th century, companies built chemical plants outside densely populated urban areas along the Mississippi River corridor's then-recently built oil and gas shipping lanes, landing in majority black parishes that were largely invisible to the industries and the government that supported them as the state emerged as a crucial tool for Big Oil. As offshore drilling brought the promise of lucrative jobs to coastal communities, residents living among refineries and factories believed better-paying jobs would be made available to them. Over the decades, communities began organising against industrial giants after reports of significant health issues, from cancers to miscarriages, though companies and state health officials have disputed those findings. Coronavirus patients in areas exposed to high levels of air pollution are more likely to die from Covid-19 infection than people who live in areas with cleaner air, according to a recent report from Harvard University. The report offers the first major piece of evidence linking long-term exposure to pollution and death from the latest virus outbreak. Harvard's TH Chan School of Public Health found that higher levels of microscopic toxins found in the air, known as particulate matter, were linked with higher death rates from Covid-19. St John the Baptist has the highest risk of cancer from air pollution in the US, which residents point to chloroprene emissions from Denka Performance Elastomer's neoprene plant, according to a 2015 report from the EPA. The risk of cancer in St John is nearly 50 times higher than in other parts of the US. Its rate of coronavirus-related deaths has once again put the community under a national microscope, as it outpaces New York for the highest per capita death rate in the US. "Disasters have a way for revealing the cracks," said Anne Rolfes, director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, a 20-year-old environmental health and justice watchdog. The group has joined Concerned Citizens of St John and several other environmental organisations and community groups to pressure both the plants and the government to hold the industry accountable and protect the health of the generations to follow. "With all we know about past disasters and injustice, that they would not only let that happen but actively work to do so, it's shocking," Ms Rolfes told The Independent. "If you don't have a government that's not only actively interested in helping people but also investigating cancer clusters and investigating particulate matter, this is only going to get much worse." The senior leadership of a community group fighting the Denka plant is now in their eighties, seeing many of their friends and family get sick from Covid-19. Robert Taylor, who founded Concerns Citizens of St John in 2016 following reports that the parish had been exposed to dangerous levels of chloroprene, lives within a mile of the plant that produces the chemical. In 2015, DuPont sold its longtime plant in LaPlace to Denka, which produces neoprene by synthesising chloroprene, a synthetic rubber used for medical and military equipment, cell phone cases and other materials. By then, the facility had emitted chloroprene in the parish for more than five decades. The EPA released its 2011 National Air Toxics Assessment in 2015 showing that St John residents had higher risks of two types of cancer. In 2018, the plant finished installing equipment to lower its emissions, which Denka claims have been reduced by 85 per cent compared to levels from 2014. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has disputed those claims. In a statement to The Independent, Denka spokesperson Jim Harris said that the facility's operations "do not have any impact on health outcomes or Covid-19 sensitivity." He said: "In this critical time, it is important to look to our state and federal health officials for guidance. Health data suggests pre-existing illnesses including diabetes, hypertension and obesity to be linked to Covid-19 impacts. [Denka's] operations are in no way related to these illnesses and health data show no negative health impacts resulting from [Denka's] operations." But residents fear exposure to facilities in their own backyards puts them at greater risk of serious illness from the novel coronavirus outbreak. "We are suffering at rates worse than anywhere else in the country," Mr Taylor said. "Our people have been compromised terribly ... As black people we are disproportionately suffering from the ravages of this coronavirus ... It's frightening. My heart is so heavy." Outside the St John the Baptist government complex in LaPlace on 11 April, demonstrators in surgical masks and bandannas demanded officials "shut it down" before conditions get worse. On 10 April, Governor Edwards announced a task force to "leverage research capabilities and intellectual brain power in a collective effort" to address health disparities in the state, but Louisiana residents on the frontlines of environmental racism have long known what's needed. Without government intervention, unmitigated toxic exposure in vulnerable areas "looks like carnage and it looks like genocide," Ms Rolfes said. "I do not use that word lightly at all." Mr Taylor said quarantine guidelines have forced many people to die alone, without the comfort of their families or "men of the cloth" at their side. The government has "denied the right for a decent burial" and has denied residents "going about our business", he said, "but they do not deny this chemical plant to continue this onslaught." "What is it going to take for people to stand up to this?" he said. "We need the support of the people. If the people stand with us, the government is going to have to listen." (Natural News) In case you havent noticed, Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates is champing at the bit to implement his long-awaited mandatory vaccination agenda. And what better catalyst for making it happen than the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis? Just months after his infamous Event 201, which was all about a hypothetical pandemic scenario, out pops the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) right on schedule to bring to life Gates fantasy dream of jabbing every person on the planet with one of his philanthropic vaccines. And wouldnt you know it, but Gates also recently stepped down from the board of Microsoft just before the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) struck, its important to note in order to focus more on his philanthropic endeavors, which we know from history actually center around his eugenics agenda. With the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) being a ripe target for exploitation, Gates has already thrown billions of dollars into setting up multiple avenues for developing not just one, but seven, potential vaccines for it. Hes also calling for digital certificates to prove that a person has been vaccinated, allowing them reentry back into the world economy. This is in addition to the $450 million that Gates contributed to the effort to eradicate polio, as well as numerous other endeavors hes been a part of over the years that all have one thing in common: mandatory vaccination. The guy lives to vaccinate, and its really the only thing he ever seems to talk about. Sure, hell occasionally mention pharmaceuticals as well never nutrition, by the way but vaccines are Gates thing, for which he almost has a bizarre type of fetish. Be sure to watch The Health Ranger Report below as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, talks about how globalists like Bill Gates want to turn you and your family into vaccinated cattle who exist and live on a giant tax farm plantation: Bill Gates has killed THOUSANDS of children why would we trust him with coronavirus? The mainstream media is having a heyday parading Bill Gates around as some kind of benevolent humanitarian who only wants to help protect people from deadly disease. But all it takes is about five minutes of independent research, along with common sense, to realize that this is a farcical notion. Gates has admitted on numerous occasions that he supports mass depopulation of the planet, and has even admitted that vaccines are part of whats going to make that happen. Why, then, are some people trusting him to bring to fruition a magical vaccine for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) that will somehow save people rather than harming or killing them? Dont forget that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has spread deadly drugs and vaccines all around the world that, if you actually look at the data, have injured and killed tens of thousands of innocent children whose parents believed the lie that Gates and his cronies were there to help them. More of the details about all this are available at Childrens Health Defense (CHD). Suffice it to say that Bill and Melinda Gates arent the benevolent humanitarians theyre being presented as, nor do they have the best interests of you and your family at heart. By their own admissions, they want to jab you with chemicals, tag you with tracking devices, and ultimately brand you with their mark of the beast, which appears to be the next solution to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). Gates appears confident that the Covid-19 crisis will now give him the opportunity to force his dictatorial vaccine programs on all American children and adults, warns CHD. To keep up with the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), be sure to check out Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org BusinessInsider.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com Pop star Pink, having recovered from coronavirus, is donating $1M to fight the disease By Marcy Oster (JTA)Jewish pop star Pink and her 3-year-old son have recovered from the coronavirus, she announced on Twitter. She and her son Jameson were sheltering at home in Los Angeles when they began experiencing symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago, she wrote in a series of tweets Saturday. A retest in recent days came back negative, she said. She added that she was donating $1 million to fight the coronavirus: $500,000 each to the Temple University Hospital Emergency Fund in Philadelphia and the City of Los Angeles Mayors Emergency Covid-19 Crisis Fund. The donation to Temple, she wrote, is in honor of her mother, Judy Moore, who worked there for 18 years in the Cardiomyopathy and Heart Transplant Center. Thank you to all of our healthcare professionals and everyone in the world who are working so hard to protect our loved ones. You are our heroes! wrote Pink, whose real name is Alecia Beth Moore. Idina Menzel, Ilana Glazer, Ben Platt and many more celebs to lead a Saturday Night Seder to raise money for CDC fund By Gabe Friedman (JTA)An all-star team of Jewish celebrities (and some non-Jewish ones) are putting on a virtual Passover Sederwhich is sure to include plenty of music and comedyon Saturday night to raise money for a Center for Disease Control fund for first responders working during the coronavirus outbreak. The full list, seen here, includes names such as Idina Menzel, Mayim Bialik, Ben Platt, Ilana Glazer, Josh Groban, Debra Messing, Henry Winkler, Billy Eichner, Andy Cohen, Harvey Fierstein and Michael Solomonov. The non-Jewish Rachel Brosnahan, who plays the lead in the popular and very Jewish series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, will also participate. The show will be free for viewers and streaming here through StoryCourse and on Buzzfeeds Tasty brand YouTube channel. Those watching will be encouraged to donate throughout. It was produced in association with Reboot. In a time of confinement and uncertainty, a rag-tag team of Jews and non-Jewish Passover enthusiasts felt it was more important than ever to channel creative energies and gather community, head writer Alex Edelman said in a news release. Were thrilled to be reinterpreting the timeless story of liberation and renewal while raising money for those on the front lines enduringand fightingan actual plague. Grandson of Yitzhak Rabin wishes coronavirus on Benjamin Netanyahu, then apologizes By Marcy Oster JERUSALEM (JTA)The grandson of assassinated prime minister Yitzhak Rabin wished in a tweet that Benjamin Netanyahu would contract the coronavirus before apologizing. I dont wish for anyone to get sick with coronavirus, including Netanyahu. Apologies for that, Yonatan Ben Artzi tweeted Tuesday night. He deleted his original tweet, posted close to 5 p.m. Tuesday, though it was saved by his critics in screenshots. If Netanyahu lied to the Israeli nation and in fact only pulled a trick by saying we need an emergency unity coronavirus government and actually meaning elections, then he deserves [to catch] coronavirus and live out the rest of his days sick in prison, the tweet said. He also called it karma. Ben Artzi frequently tweets criticism of Netanyahu, whose trial on corruption charges has been delayed due to the pandemic. He was referring to the stalled talks between Netanyahu and Benny Gantz to form an emergency unity government to deal with the coronavirus crisis. The Likud party in a tweet slammed Ben Artzi. Even when the prime minister is saving the lives of Israeli citizens, the hate knows no limit, Likud wrote. Do you think anyone will open an investigation against him? The family of Yitzhak Rabin, and Israels left, have blamed Netanyahu for incitement that led to Rabins 1995 murder during a peace rally in Tel Aviv by a right-wing assassin. Nazi-looted Picasso up for sale by heirs of German-Jewish banker By Marcy Oster (JTA)A Pablo Picasso drawing that will be returned by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., to the heirs of a German-Jewish banker is up for sale. The asking price for the Head of a Woman is at least $10 million, The Wall Street Journal reported. Last year, the heirs of Paul von Mendelssohn-Bartholdy asked New York art dealer Larry Gagosian if he would help them sell the drawing if they ever recovered it, according to the report. They said it is difficult for the several dozen descendants to share one artwork. Von Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, a descendant of composer Felix Mendelssohn, sold the pastel work for less than its real value in 1934 along with at least 15 other significant artworks because he feared the Nazis would confiscate his estate. He died the following year. In 1938, von Mendelssohn-Bartholdys family bank, Bank Mendelssohn & Co., was seized by the Nazis and transferred to non-Jewish ownership. Head of a Woman was sold to art dealer Justin Thannhauser in 1934. The National Gallery of Art acquired the work through a donation in 2001, according to The New York Times. The museum announced last month that it would return the Picasso to avoid the heavy toll of litigation, not because it agreed that the heirs claims were valid. Israeli citizen arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran By Marcy Oster JERUSALEM (JTA)An Israeli citizen was arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran, the Israel Security Agency announced. The man was indicted on charges of security offenses in Lod District Court. There is a gag order on publishing his name. The security agency, known as the Shin Bet, announced Tuesday that the man was arrested March 16 after being secretly in contact abroad with Iranian intelligence officials several times as well an operative of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in Lebanon, according to the Kan public broadcaster. He was in possession of encryption devices and a disk drive that he tried to destroy during his arrest. He reportedly received funds and training. The suspect reportedly was asked to carry out terror attacks against Israelis in the name of liberating Palestine, and to recruit Arab Israelis in the mission. He also was to provide information on security and strategic sites in Israel, according to the Shin Bet. An artist's concept shows what exoplanet Kepler-1649c could look like on its surface. Astronomers found a new potentially habitable Earth-sized exoplanet 300 light years away. (Photo : Wikimedia Commons) Astronomers "found" a new potentially habitable Earth-sized exo-planet 300 light-years away. Between 2009 to 2018, the Kepler space telescope owned by NASA found 2,681 exoplanets. Out of all of them, this exo-planet has the nearest comparable size with Earth, along with a possibly similar temperature, according to a recent study published in Astrophysical Journal Letters last Wednesday. Exoplanets are the term used for planets that orbit stars outside our solar system. The study team uncovered this planet from Kepler's archival data. It used to be classified as a false positive. Even is Kepler has been retired since 2018, its data can still be useful in future "discoveries." NASA is currently using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite or TESS as its planet-hunting satellite. The exoplanet is designated as Kepler-1649c. It is 1.06 times bigger than the Earth, and it receives around 75% light that Earth receives from our sun. It is, therefore, possible that its surface temperature may be comparable to ours. The exoplanet is located within the so-called 'habitable zone' of the star it is orbiting. It is situated in the distance where water can exist as a liquid on its surface, another indicator that it supports or may be able to support life. Kepler-1649c, however, is orbiting a red dwarf star, which is cooler and smaller than our sun. Exoplanets that orbit such stars are commonly found in the galaxy. One complete orbit of the planet takes 19.5 days. It may thus experience radiation flares, which may threaten potential life. No flares have so far been observed. Researchers know of another planet that has a similar size, which is orbiting the star at a closer distance, much like our own Venus. NASA Science Mission Directorate associate administrator Thomas Zurbuchen said that the distant world gives hope of another Earth out there. He added that Kepler and TESS would yield more amazing discoveries. This exoplanet is the latest Earth-like find among many others, such as the TRAPPIST-1f located 39 light-years away. Exoplanets such as TOI 700d and TRAPPIST-1D are found to have similar temperature as Kepler-1649c. But Kepler-1649c is the most interesting candidate exoplanet yet. It was initially overlooked as a potential second Earth candidate because an algorithm put it under the false-positive category. The Kepler False Positive Working Group researchers who analyze false positives reconsidered it. The University of Texas, Austin researcher, and study author Andrew Vanderburg said that among the planets that they have mislabeled and recovered, Kepler-1649c is especially exciting also because of the way it could interact with its neighboring planet. They believe that there may be a third exoplanet that they have not yet detected. Their suspicion is based on the orbital resonance of the first two planets, which means that their orbits are lining up in a neat stable ratio. They found that for every nine orbits of Kepler-1649c, the closest and first planet has four orbits. Another planet may thus exist in between them. Vandenburg says that their data suggests that Earth-like exoplanets are commonly found around red dwarfs, With such stars being present almost everywhere in the galaxy, there is a larger chance that one may be similar enough to our Earth. Will there be a second round of coronavirus stimulus checks? If you got your coronavirus relief payment from the government and are thinking, That's not going to be enough well, you're not the only one. Some Americans are receiving direct deposits into their bank accounts of up to $1,200 to help make ends meet during the current health and financial crisis. Others will be receiving similar payments via paper stimulus checks sent by mail. And already, the question is coming up: Will there be more? One high-profile financial expert says the government should give Americans another $7,800, and a major Wall Street firm indicates more relief is likely. Find out what officials are saying and what history says about whether you're likely to get more crisis cash from Uncle Sam. Trump open to another coronavirus bill, with more checks karen roach / Shutterstock The president says officials are considering another round of checks. The first round of payments to Americans came from the Cares Act, a whopping $2 trillion measure President Donald Trump signed in late March. The aim was to stimulate the U.S. economy as it slumps toward a recession amid massive unemployment and business closures caused by the coronavirus. This month, Trump indicated he was open to providing more cash. We could very well do a second round of direct (payments)," he told a news conference. "It is absolutely under serious consideration." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she supports getting more money into the hands of Americans, though she hasn't said how much. Other lawmakers have amounts in mind, to help Americans struggling with mortgage payments and other bills. Democratic Congressmen Ro Khanna of California and Tim Ryan of Ohio are proposing that the government pay $2,000 a month for up to 12 months to Americans over age 16. "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," says Khanna, in a news release. 'Cares Act II' called a necessity W. Scott McGill / Shutterstock Congress could pass another stimulus bill relatively soon. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who recently bowed out of the Democratic presidential race, also is calling for direct payments of $2,000 a month. Story continues But Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri has a different suggestion: He wants the government to cover as much as 80% of wages for U.S. businesses up to the national median wage until the crisis ends. "The goal must be to get unemployment down now to secure American workers and their families, and to help businesses get ready to restart as soon as possible," Hawley writes, in The Washington Post. Forecasters at the giant Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs predict the government will have to do something more, and that a new coronavirus relief bill could include more cash for individuals, according to Forbes. Personal finance guru Suze Orman says lawmakers must distribute more money. "How can they not? $1,200 isnt going to get anyone anywhere. It shouldve been $9,000," she tells Deadline. "They shouldve just done it. They shouldve just given every single person $9,000." The government did send out two rounds of stimulus checks after the last big financial crisis, in 2008, though the second payments went only to retirees on Social Security and other government beneficiaries. Millions still wait for the first stimulus checks fizkes / Shutterstock Eight million have received their money, but others are still waiting. The U.S. Treasury says more than 80 million Americans received their Cares Act relief payments by direct deposit during the first phase of distribution. They're using the money to pay bills and buy essentials or, if they're still working, invest in themselves. A person could, for example, take advantage of an appealing offer to open a new bank account and build up emergency savings. Or, stimulus money could be used to buy an affordable life insurance policy to provide a family with financial protection in case a health crisis takes the life of a breadwinner. Meanwhile, millions are still waiting for their government cash, because of a few issues. Payments have been delayed for Americans who file their taxes using popular tax software, because the IRS doesn't have their direct deposit information on file, according to multiple media reports. If you're among the yet-to-be-paid and were expecting a direct deposit, you can go to the IRS Get My Payment page to make sure the tax agency has your bank account information. Americans who prefer to receive a paper check will be waiting for their money for a few more weeks. The checks are scheduled to start going out the week of May 4. Treasury officials say that was the schedule all along. They deny that a process to add Trump's signature to the checks (in the "memo" line) is delaying their delivery. Scores of people thronged a farmhouse on Friday to get a glimpse of the wedding of former Prime Minister and Janata Dal-Secular supremo, H D Deve Gowda's grandson Nikhil Kumaraswamy, ignoring appeals not to visit the venue in view of the ongoing lockdown to check the COVID-19 outbreak. IMAGE: Nikhil Kumaraswamy ties the knot with Revathi in front of their family members. Photograph: ANI Photo Nikhil, son of former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, tied the nuptial knot with Revathi, the grand-niece of former Karnataka housing minister M Krishnappa. The marriage was solemnised at Kumaraswamy's Kethaganahalli farmhouse at Bidadi in the neighbouring Ramanagara district, a JD-S stronghold. After the marriage was over H D Kumaraswamy took to Twitter to thank his party MLAs, leaders and workers for staying away from the event and blessing his son from their houses. In a series of tweets, he said social distancing was maintained and all precautionary measures were taken throughout the event. IMAGE: According to sources, more than 100 people participated in the marriage ceremony. Photograph: PTI Photo 'At a time when the whole world is rattled with the coronavirus pandemic, the marriage was performed in accordance with the government's guidelines of social distancing and proper precautionary measures were taken,' Kumaraswamy tweeted. The JD-S leader promised that once things normalise, he would throw a grand reception where 'we all will sit together and have food'. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party trained its guns at Kumaraswamy alleging that the JD-S first family flouted the norms ignoring the central government's guidelines. IMAGE: HD Kumaraswamy carries out rituals before son Nikhil's wedding. Photograph: ANI/Twitter 'The information we have is that at least 150 to 200 vehicles were given permission to attend the event. This happened when the social workers who want to serve the badly affected poor people are not getting permission to run their vehicles,' Ramanagar BJP district president M Rudresh alleged. 'Till now Ramanagara is safe from coronavirus and is in the green zone. If at all the disease spreads in Ramanagara, the entire blame will be on Deve Gowda's family,' Rudresh alleged. He also said that he would meet the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police of Ramanagara district and ask them how permission was granted for such a 'large gathering'. SEE: Nikhil, son of former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, weds Revathi, the grandniece of former state housing minister M Krishnappa JD-S MLC T A Sharavana denied allegations that the lockdown norms were flouted. "There were only eight people on the stage to perform rituals as against the claim that people crowded the venue. Social distancing was maintained throughout the marriage," Sharavana told PTI. JD-S leader N H Konaraddi also denied the accusations saying that all the norms were followed. IMAGE: Revathi, the grandniece of former state housing minister M Krishnappa, at her haldi ceremony. Photograph: ANI/Twitter "Whatever central guidelines are there, we have them followed in toto. The social distancing norm has also been adhered to," he said. Sources said the family was forced to shelve grand plans in view of the COVID-19 lockdown with only close family members in attendance. With congregation of any type not allowed during the lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus, Kumaraswamy explained in a video message earlier this week that the event will be a low-key family affair with minimum number of people. IMAGE: The location of the wedding was moved to the farmhouse in Bidadi town. Photograph: ANI/Twitter He had 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 in 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. A Dublin care home for the elderly has had 11 Covid-19 related deaths within the last two weeks. The HSE has confirmed that 10 of those who passed away at St Marys Hospital in the Phoenix Park had tested positive for the virus. While another resident was a suspected case but had not received their test results. Nursing Homes Ireland is to meet with the Health Minister this afternoon. It follows criticism that the speed at which Covid-19 has spread in nursing homes was not anticipated. The majority of 425 clusters nationwide are in those settings. Minister for Health Simon Harris has said that 18 Covid-19 response teams, including doctors and nurses, are to be deployed to nursing homes around the country. Already 61 HSE staff have commenced working in nursing homes, he told RTE radios Morning Ireland. This is happening in real time. Staff must be deployed where they are most needed, he said. Mr Harris said every union has worked with the HSE to agree that their members will be redeployed and this will include doctors and crisis management teams. "We are making good progress as a country but we need to redouble our efforts with regards to nursing homes and residential care centres." The Minister said a number of measures will be taken today, including an increase in extra testing, which will include asymptomatic people. The day you believe you have done enough is the day you lose the battle against this deadly virus. We cannot save everyone, but we will make sure nobody is left behind. The frontline in the battle against this disgusting virus is in residential care centres. He said. When asked about the lifting of restrictions, Mr Harris said he will be guided by the health experts. We are not going to erase the progress people have made or put lives in danger. The Minister said he would like to put a plan in place to lift the restrictions gradually, but he warned that will not mean going back to life as it was before and measures such as social distancing will remain in place for some time. It is a very delicate balance. The lifting of restrictions is going to be complex and delicate and will involve trial and error. There will not be a dramatic change, he said. It's going to be gradual, slow and we have to monitor it carefully. I'm determined we're not going to go the way of Italy or Spain. The head of Nursing Homes Ireland, Tadhg Daly has warned there is not consistency of support to nursing homes throughout the country. That needs to change, he told Newstalk Breakfast. The Covid-19 situation in nursing homes is a very challenging situation. There was a lack of priority for the sector, he said. The two issues that have been highlighted consistently for the sector have been testing and the lack of PPE, he added. We saw what was happening in other countries. We made contact with our members on January 30 and we were in constant contact with the HSE and the Department of Health throughout February. Mr Daly said that nursing homes and community care were behind the curve. Ireland was not an outlier here, he said. The numbers of deaths in nursing homes were not higher than other countries. Some of the measures taken have been having an impact and figures for transmission have slowed down in recent days, concluded Mr Daly. Professor Ruairi Brugha of the Department of Public Health and Epidemiology at the Royal College of Surgeons has said nursing homes should be cocoons but instead they have become nests of infections. A dark and tragic picture had emerged in recent times, he told RTE radios Morning Ireland, with elderly people dying and a huge workload and stress on staff in nursing homes and residential centres. The number of deaths in nursing homes and care centres has crept up on us, he said and has led to questions on how the reporting of deaths and cases was being done. Prof. Brugha said that while the country had been very well led in fighting Covid-19 and adjustments had been made, he believed it was now time to adjust the way data was reported. Testing has been fundamental since the start, he said. As the country moves into a phase of relaxing measures, testing could be replaced with monitoring, he suggested. Prof. Brugha said this would require a quick turnaround on test results and the ability to respond immediately when people become infectious. Additional reporting by Digital Desk [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] LOS ANGELES, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The global aseptic packaging market size is expected to worth around US$ 119 Bn by 2027 with registered CAGR of 10%. Acumen Research and Consulting, a global provider of market research studies, in a latest published report titled "Food Service Packaging Market (By Product: Flexible Packaging, Rigid Packaging, Paper and Pouches, Bags, Others; By Material: Plastic, Metal, Others; By Packaging Type: Flexible, Rigid; By Application: Beverages, Prepared Meals, Fruits and Vegetables, Bakery and Confectionery, Dairy Products, Others) - Global Industry Analysis, Market Size, Opportunities and Forecast, 2020 - 2027". Food service packaging can be characterized as packaging of processed or half processed products, including fast meals, restaurants and more. The packaging promotes food hygiene prevents bacterial growth and helps to increase the shelf-life of the foodstuffs. Get Free Report Sample Pages for Better [email protected] https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/request-sample/1803 Asia-Pacific Accounts for the Largest Market Demand Asia-Pacific is projected to witness growth at the highest CAGR owing to the emergence of densely populated and developing economies such as China , Southeast Asia , and India . is projected to witness growth at the highest CAGR owing to the emergence of densely populated and developing economies such as , , and . In Australia , almost 32 % of their domestic expenses are spent on food and fast food, while the average fast food meal consists of around half of the required daily consumption of energy for an person. The subway, Pizza Hut, Hungry Jack, KFC are f the world's biggest corporate QRSs. , almost 32 % of their domestic expenses are spent on food and fast food, while the average fast food meal consists of around half of the required daily consumption of energy for an person. The subway, Pizza Hut, Hungry Jack, KFC are f the world's biggest corporate QRSs. The cohesion of the food service industry has been rapidly altered in major Indian towns and cities, where urbanisation has changed in the lifestyle, fast pace work life and reliance on online food platforms. Food service outlets to increasingly use advanced packaging formats Providers of food delivery provide a wide range of options, such as "fly home" and "take out" customers. It drives demand for food supplies around the globe. The growing population and urbanization of such types of foods is projected to gain popularity among millennial consumers. In addition, demand for foodservice products over during forecast period is expected to increase tremendously. Due to various lifestyle changes, increased disposable revenue and rapid urbanization particularly in developing countries, customer security and food preferences are on the increase. However, the corporate work climate that leads to household eating patterns through increases demand for readily available meals. Foodservice suppliers concentrate on offering quality functionality such as hot and cold control and fogging. View Detail Information with Complete [email protected] https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/food-service-packaging-market Market dynamics The growth of market is driven by the increased demand from end-use industries such as food, beverages and grocery stores, as well as the increasing demand for durable and recyclable products. Moreover, the increasing production of ready-to-eat products, the increasing use of compact packaging combined with growing trends of customer demand for food packaging are driving market growth. However, the extension of the offline food service shop and an online marketplace for a large number of people all over the world will further increase market growth. The global food service packaging market has key players include are Chemical Company, Huhtamaki OYJ, Berry Global Inc., Amcor Limited, Bemis Company, Inc., Westrock Company, International Paper Company, Reynolds Group Holding, Ball Corporation, DS Smith PLC, Sealed Air Corporation, and others Browse More Related Reports, Click [email protected] https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/industry-categories/packaging Key Developments In May 2019 , Sealed Air Corporation has established a definite contract to buy for US$ 510 Mn in cash and debt-free automatic bagging systems from Automated Packaging System Inc., the leading manufacturer of highly efficient automated bagging systems. , Sealed Air Corporation has established a definite contract to buy for in cash and debt-free automatic bagging systems from Automated Packaging System Inc., the leading manufacturer of highly efficient automated bagging systems. In April 2019 , Amcor released its first packaging product Amite Ultra Recyclable made from the company's innovative and more sustainable polyolefin high-barrier material. The carbon footprint of a kit can be decreased by around 64%. , Amcor released its first packaging product Amite Ultra Recyclable made from the company's innovative and more sustainable polyolefin high-barrier material. The carbon footprint of a kit can be decreased by around 64%. In July 2019 , Berry Land , Inc. Inc. Complete RPC Group Plc acquisition. Combining RPC and Berry, one of the world's largest plastic packaging firms, is a leading global provider of value-added safety solutions. Key Target Audience: Foodservice Packaging manufacturer OEM's Traders, Distributors, and Suppliers Industry associations Research Institutes Raw material providers End Users Industry associations and experts Research organizations and consulting companies Market Segmentation Food Service Packaging Market By Product Flexible Packaging Rigid Packaging Paper and Pouches Bags Others Food Service Packaging Market By Material Plastic Metal Others Food Service Packaging Market By Packaging Type Flexible Rigid Food Service Packaging Market By Application Beverages Prepared Meals Fruits and Vegetables Bakery and Confectionery Dairy Products Others Food Service Packaging Market By Geography North America Europe Asia-Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa Request for [email protected] https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/request-customization/1803 The report is readily available and can be dispatched immediately after payment confirmation. Buy this premium research [email protected] https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/buy-now/0/1803 If you would like to place an order or have any questions, please feel free to contact at [email protected] | +1-407-915-4157 OR +1-408-900-9135 For Latest Update Follow Us: https://twitter.com/AcumenRC https://www.facebook.com/acumenresearchandconsulting https://www.linkedin.com/company/acumen-research-and-consulting/ Contact Us: Mr. Frank Wilson Acumen Research and Consulting 17890, Castleton St #218, Rowland Heights, CA 91748 United States Tel: +1-407-915-4157 OR +1-408-900-9135 Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com SOURCE Acumen Research and Consulting London Mayor Sadiq Khan today called for compulsory masks to be worn on tubes and buses after 26 Transport for London (TfL) staff members died of coronavirus. Khan also said that once the lockdown is lifted 'all of us' may need to wear face masks in order to stop the spread of Covid-19. Speaking on BBC Breakfast this morning Khan said he is lobbying the Government to change its advice on wearing face coverings to add 'another layer of protection'. Khan said that wearing a non-medical facial covering makes it less likely you may inadvertently give somebody else Covid-19. He also confirmed bus travel would be free from Monday as passengers are forced to board using only side doors to protect drivers Responding this morning Grant Shapps said on LBC it was 'not the right moment' to ask people to wear masks and said the government would continue to be guided by scientific advice when it came to implementing any recommendations on the use of masks for the general public. Commuters in London this morning were seen using the tube network with many covering their faces with masks Commuters Travel on London's underground network this morning. One is seen using a mask and another has his scarf around his face Commuters were seen boarding this morning at Canning Town station in London as many covered their mouths Khan (pictured above) said it should be compulsory for people to wear masks in public, He appeared on a host of breakfast shows this morning to talk about the changes, including BBC Breakfast and Sky A bus driver wears a face mask as he sits in the driver's seat on a bus at Victoria Station, central London, on Friday As many as 16 London bus drivers have died after contracting the coronavirus and the families of the drivers have previously complained about the conditions. In total 26 TfL workers have died after testing positive for Covid-19 and one 63-year-old bus driver recently said the network was 'putting her life at risk' due to the conditions. Almost half of Britons want compulsory facemasks after lockdown A poll for MailOnline by Redfield & Wilton strategies this week found 48 per cent of Britons wanted the government to make wearing a facemask compulsory when lockdown is eased. Some 54 per cent thought the policy had not been put in place because ministers did not believe it was effective. However, 37 per cent suggested the government was not implementing the move because there are not enough masks in the UK. Advertisement Khan said today that commuters using the underground will 'not be required to touch in' with their payment card or device. This is to avoid passengers approaching the drivers cab, where all buses have a card reader. The new measures introduced by the London network come as Khan continues to face increased pressure from Londoners. He added: 'It's heartbreaking, I've had 16 bus drivers who have lost their lives, it's personal to me. It's really heartbreaking and my condolences to those families. 'We've gone above and beyond advice we've been given by the experts.' He continued: 'The evidence I've seen is if you wear a non-medical facial covering it doesn't necessarily limit your changes of catching the virus. What it does do, if you yourself are pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic, it reduces the chances of you giving the virus to somebody else. 'And so wherever you can't keep your social distance you should be wearing a facial covering.' Medical guidance around wearing masks has been unclear and many have been left wondering whether or not they are an effective tool. Scientists are split on masks. Some believe they may help stop asymptotic patients spreading the disease before they know they're ill. Others say surgical masks - the most popular - are too thin, loose-fitting and porous, which make it easy for the tiny viral particles to pass through. In terms of other ways TfL was trying to protect workers on the network, aside from wearing masks the London Mayor said authorities had introduced protective glass, anti-viral cleaning and passengers sitting away from the driver to keep staff safe, as well as middle-door boarding which will be rolled out from Monday. He added: 'I'm confident working with the excellent trade unions, we've made sure our public transport is as safe as it can be for both passengers and also our staff as well, who deserve a huge credit for keeping public transport running in these difficult times.' THE TRUTH ABOUT FACE MASKS: WHAT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN Research on how well various types of masks and face coverings varies but, recently, and in light of the pandemic of COVID-19, experts are increasingly leaning toward the notion that something is better than nothing. A University of Oxford study published on March 30 concluded that surgical masks are just as effective at preventing respiratory infections as N95 masks for doctors, nurses and other health care workers. It's too early for there to be reliable data on how well they prevent infection with COVID-19, but the study found the thinner, cheaper masks do work in flu outbreaks. The difference between surgical or face masks and N95 masks lies in the size of particles that can - and more importantly, can't - get though the materials. N95 respirators are made of thick, tightly woven and molded material that fits tightly over the face and can stop 95 percent of all airborne particles, while surgical masks are thinner, fit more loosely, and more porous. This makes surgical masks much more comfortable to breathe and work in, but less effective at stopping small particles from entering your mouth and nose. Droplets of saliva and mucous from coughs and sneezes are very small, and viral particles themselves are particularly tiny - in fact, they're about 20-times smaller than bacteria. For this reason, a JAMA study published this month still contended that people without symptoms should not wear surgical masks, because there is not proof the gear will protect them from infection - although they may keep people who are coughing and sneezing from infecting others. But the Oxford analysis of past studies- which has not yet been peer reviewed - found that surgical masks were worth wearing and didn't provide statistically less protection than N95 for health care workers around flu patients. However, any face mask is only as good as other health and hygiene practices. Experts universally agree that there's simply no replacement for thorough, frequent hand-washing for preventing disease transmission. Some think the masks may also help to 'train' people not to touch their faces, while others argue that the unfamiliar garment will just make people do it more, actually raising infection risks. If the CDC does instruct Americans to wear masks, it could create a second issue: Hospitals already face shortages of masks and other PPE. Advertisement This morning Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it was important to follow the scientific advise when it came to issuing the pubic with guidance for things such as wearing face masks in public. Speaking on Good Morning Britain today he said: 'The Sage committee has a subcommittee working hard on this to weigh up evidence. 'Some say it can do more harm than good. But this needs to be on medical advice, not what a politician has woke up and thought that day.' Speaking to the BBC he later said: 'I think that we need to be completely guided by the evidence on this as the Mayor acknowledged in the letter he wrote to me.' He added 'it looks like the advantages might be marginal and there can even be times when it's disadvantageous if they're not used properly'. Khan had previously penned a letter to Shapps proposing that the public should wear face masks on public transport. He claimed Khan admitted that such a measure could be 'counterproductive' at the moment . Shapps said he had been 'confused' by Khan's admission today, and said he would be writing back to the London Mayor and highlighting the work Sage is currently doing in its sub committee on this. 'Let them tell us which is the best scientific approach because there are pluses and minuses to wearing masks.' A poll for MailOnline by Redfield & Wilton strategies this week found 48 per cent of Britons wanted the government to make wearing a facemask compulsory when lockdown is eased. Some 54 per cent thought the policy had not been put in place because ministers did not believe it was effective. However, 37 per cent suggested the government was not implementing the move because there are not enough masks in the UK. This is while Dr Rachel Clarke yesterday claimed that the use of masks could be dangerous as people may becoming infecting if they touch their masks all of the time. Khan today also highlighted that masks may have to be used by everyone once lock down restrictions were lifted, but Shapps said that any lockdown review would have the science in mind. 'We've said now that this three-week period will contain a review by the scientists at the end of this month, so that's actually only two weeks away, whilst they'll be reviewing this. 'And I hope we'll be in a position to provide, well I know we'll be in a position to provide, greater clarity.' When it comes to new restrictions in place across the TfL network, the organisation said the drivers were 'pivitol' in ensuring that critical workers were able to perform vital roles. Despite their 'pivitol role' the mother of one bus driver who died from Covid-19 said her son had complained about the conditions he was forced to work under. Emeka Nyack Ihenacho was a bus driver in Holloway and his mother Anne Nyack said TfL told him his pay would be cut if he missed work. The 36-year-old, who drove the number four bus from Blackfriars to Archway succumbed to the disease at the end of March after fighting it for two weeks. Speaking on Good Morning Britain today, Shapps said that all guidance involving the use of face masks for the general public would come from scientific evidence TfL's director of bus operations Claire Mann said: 'Their efforts are nothing short of heroic, and it is essential that we leave no stone unturned when looking to protect them.' TfL trialled the boarding change on 140 buses across nine routes, with the operator saying it was 'confident' that the low number of people travelling meant people could keep a safe distance between each other. Khan had been slammed for the trial period, with many claiming he was 'wasting time' by introducing the measure. The Mayor of London has faced a barrage of criticism in recent weeks from transport workers who say they are working in dirty conditions while 90 per cent of the capital's buses and more than half of Tube services continue to run. 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. Royal Society scientists launch probe into how UK can end lockdown Royal Society scientists are launching an urgent investigation into how to end the UK's draconian lockdown and get the country up and running again. World-leading experts from the prestigious scientific academy will review how other nations have dealt with the pandemic to help come up with its strategy for Britain. They will review the benefit of face masks, the dangers of letting children go back to school and whether the virus will wane in the warm summer months. Analysis like this would normally take months, if not years. But the scientists will offer advice to the Government in a matter of weeks. Advertisement 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.' Earlier this month Khan also insisted bus drivers did not need to wear personal protective equipment. The Mayor's decision infuriated the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, who said transport staff should stop working if they are not provided with adequate safety equipment. Limited use of London's buses by essential workers had led the number of people travelling to 'plummet' by about 85 per cent, TfL added. Passengers will not need to touch in after boarding and are asked not to approach the driver. Existing measures to protect drivers and passengers include signage directing people away from seats near drivers, improved protective screens around the cab and regular announcements reminding those on board of the need to maintain social distancing. TfL said it was also considering creating a 'completely sealed partition' between drivers and passengers. Earlier, a trade union official called for drivers to be issued with personal protective equipment. And a South London bus driver identified only as Lorraine, 62, said last week in an online video she was 'proud to do her job' but 'frightened to die' as she begged the Government to do more to help protect transport staff. Emeka Nyack Ihenacho, left, was a bus driver in Holloway, but died with Covid-19, his mother said he had complained about the conditions he had to work under. Bus driver and church deacon Kenneth Yeboah, right, died from coronavirus on April 1 It comes as Royal Society scientists are launching an urgent investigation into how to end the UK's draconian lockdown and get the country up and running again. World-leading experts from the prestigious scientific academy will review how other nations have dealt with the pandemic to help come up with its strategy for Britain. They will review the benefit of face masks, the dangers of letting children go back to school and whether the virus will wane in the warm summer months. Analysis like this would normally take months or years but the scientists will offer advice to the Government in a matter of weeks. Plateauing infection rates and growing alarm about the economic consequences of lockdown has put pressure on ministers to start phasing out social restrictions. But Dominic Raab, stepping in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, last night declared the draconian curbs will stay for at least another three weeks. The Royal Society has set up the Data Evaluation and Learning for Viral Epidemics (DELVE) multi-disciplinary group to come up with the exit strategy. On its website, it said the investigation had 'been discussed with and welcomed by Government'. DELVE, made up of 14 leading experts from the country's top universities, will give input to the Government through SAGE, its scientific advisory group for emergencies. A day after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an advisory saying video-conferencing application Zoom "is not a secure platform" for private individuals and advised against use, Zoom is rolling out a number of measures in view of the security breaching. Zoom has faced flak worldwide for data hacking amid coronavirus pandemic. On Friday, the chief executive of the platform Eric Yuan laid out steps 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." 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, said Yuan. The Silicon Valley startup also said that it is working with cyber-security firm Luta Security to overhaul processes and its "bug bounty" program that pays rewards to researchers who find security flaws in its operations. Zoom also addressed a recent report that users' log-in information was being sold by criminals on the "dark web." Zoom's advisor Alex Stamos, former chief of security at Facebook said that the credentials were likely stolen elsewhere on the internet, or by malicious code slipped into people's computers. He added that it is not uncommon for hackers to take passwords and account names pilfered in data breaches and then check whether people use them for other online services. READ | MHA says Zoom 'not a secure platform'; issues advisory on usage "As a reminder, meeting servers in China have always been geofenced with the goal of ensuring that meeting data of users outside of China stays outside of China," Zoom said in an online post. Zoom said it is building systems to "detect whether people are trying out username and password pairings and block them from trying again." Improvements to Zoom security also include a toolbar to easily access features such as locking chats from strangers and making meeting password requirements a default setting. "To successfully scale a video-heavy platform to such a size with no appreciable downtime and in the space of weeks is literally unprecedented in the history of the internet," Mr Stamos said in a post. "The related security challenges are fascinating." Apart from India, Singapore suspended the use Zoom by teachers, and the New York school system banned the videoconferencing platform based on security concerns. MHA Says Zoom 'not A Secure Platform' Amid concerns over security flaws and privacy breach of users, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an advisory saying video-conferencing application Zoom "is not a secure platform" for private individuals and advised against use by government offices/staff for official purposes. The popularity of the video conferencing platform skyrocketed after the lockdowns and stay-at-home orders owing to the COVID-19 pandemic which laid bare the security flaws of the application. READ | Video Calling App Zoom Sued By Its Shareholder For Hiding Security Flaws MHA gave the following guidelines to be followed in the app's settings: Create a new user ID and password for each meeting Create a waiting room in the app so that a user will be able to enter the meeting only when the host gives him permission Disable Join feature before hosting Allowing Screen sharing by Host only Disabling "Allow removed participants to re-join" It is recommended to restrict or disable file transfer When all participants have joined, it has been advised to lock the meeting Restrict the recording feature To end meeting (not just leave, if you are an administrator) Hacked data for sale A recent report on the Zoom app has revealed that the hackers of the social platform are selling user data online on the Dark web for 23 lakhs. The exploits that are being sold include webcam data, microphone and all the incorporated data in between. such as passwords, emails and device information. The vulnerabilities of the video app have led to this major privacy issue for its users. The San Jose, California based company has come under intense scrutiny from authorities in the United States, Germany and Singapore over security concerns. READ | German Foreign Ministry Restricts Use Of Zoom App Amid Reports Of Security Flaws Zoombombing Zoom is also charged for 'Zoombombing' its users where random people joined a video conference. The social platform is also being blamed for selling its user data to Facebook without the users consent. The users have also reported that the video app has an unpatched bug that lets hackers steal Windows user data and passwords. Reports of Zoombombing flooded the internet where the users complained about interruptions by uninvited guests and posting hateful messages during online sessions. On April 1, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan apologised to its users saying the company fell short of clearly conveying the encryption practices and incorrectly suggesting that Zoom meetings were capable of using end-to-end encryption. READ | Singapore Stops Zoom For Online Education As Hackers Strike (inputs from agencies) 57954056.yxhbgc.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 This CoolSocial report was updated on 16 Jan 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The total number of people who shared the 57954056.yxhbgc homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the 57954056.yxhbgc homepage on Delicious. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the 57954056.yxhbgc homepage on Twitter + the total number of 57954056.yxhbgc followers (if 57954056.yxhbgc has a Twitter account). 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Domain and Server DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE GB2312 DETECTED LANGUAGE SERVER Microsoft-IIS/6.0 (PHP/5.2.17) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2003 Character set and language of the site. Type of server and offered services. Operative System running on the server. The language of 57954056.yxhbgc.com as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for 57954056.yxhbgc.com by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND The URL of the found Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The type of Facebook page. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND More than 2.9 million homeowners have taken advantage of a program designed to provide relief to holders of government-backed mortgages, part of the coronavirus CARES Act relief package. This represents 5.5% of all active mortgages, according to Black Knight, a mortgage data and analytics company that is now tracking the growing numbers daily. The program allows borrowers to delay their monthly payments for a year. Those payments are then tacked on to the end of the loan, or paid back over time in a mortgage modification. Borrowers must tell their mortgage servicers that they have had financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic, but they do not have to provide any proof. The 2.9 million loans in forbearance as of Thursday account for $651 billion in unpaid principal and include 4.9% of all government-sponsored enterprise loans (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) and 7.6% of all FHA/VA loans. "In these times, it is essential to both our industry and for the benefit of the entire U.S. economy to have a clear understanding of the magnitude of the mortgage forbearance situation," said Black Knight CEO Anthony Jabbour. Even if borrowers don't make their monthly payments, those who collect the payments still have to advance the principal and interest amounts each month to bondholders. At the current level of forbearance, mortgage servicers would need to advance $2.3 billion per month to holders of government-backed mortgage securities on Covid-19-related forbearances. Another $1.1 billion in funds will be lost each month by those with portfolio-held or privately securitized mortgages (nearly 5% of these loans are in forbearance, as well). While Ginnie Mae, which backs FHA/VA loans, has set up a relief fund to help its servicers, there is nothing currently available for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. FHFA Director Mark Calabria, the regulator of the two, has held steadfast against setting a relief fund up, claiming it is not necessary. The entire mortgage industry has been fighting that hard, sending letters to the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve, which would have to set up such a facility. "It's frankly frustrating and ridiculous that we do not have a solution in place," said Jay Bray, CEO of Mr. Cooper, one of the nation's larger mortgage servicers, who consulted with the Trump administration to set up the bailout. "When we were working on the Act, we had liquidity in it, and it did not make it into the Act. We were told it would be handled through the administration, and it's a real problem." Last week, a bipartisan group of lawmakers sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin asking for a bailout fund. Late this week, Democrats Sherrod Brown, the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, and Maxine Waters, chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, sent another plea to Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, saying: "The government must be prepared to respond quickly to prevent a liquidity shortfall in the single-family and multifamily mortgage markets, and to ensure that consumers are equitably served by that response. Any liquidity provided must be used to stabilize the market at a time when many families may fall behind on payments and facilitate relief to individual homeowners and renters throughout the market through forbearance, loss mitigation, and protection from displacement, rather than immediate defaults and evictions." Calabria and Mnuchin did not respond to requests from CNBC for comment. Free mental health support service extended to all healthcare workers in Wales This article is old - Published: Friday, Apr 17th, 2020 A free mental health support service for doctors is to be expanded to provide support and advice for all front-line NHS Wales staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. An additional 1m will be invested into supporting the Health for Health Professionals Wales service to employ more psychiatrists and medical advisers, run more counselling sessions and conduct further PTSD interventions. The service, run by Cardiff University, will offer an unprecedented level of support and advice to all healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, healthcare professional students, paramedics, therapists, dentists and medical volunteers working in Wales during and post the COVID-19 pandemic. NHS Wales staff will be able to call a confidential helpline staffed by healthcare professionals, get access to face-to-face counselling sessions and be provided with guided self-help tools and online resources. This expanded service will be provided through retired doctors and other healthcare staff who would like to support the NHS during the pandemic but who cannot, or do not want to return to the frontline. It will also include senior academics who at present are working full time in an academic role but would like to provide additional support. The service will also support returning retired staff and healthcare professional students who are volunteering to assist in response to COVID-19 through the COVID Hub Wales. So far, more than 2,000 former health and social care professionals have re-joined the frontline to help the Welsh HS treat the large number of people who will need care over the coming weeks and months. These include: 1,376 doctors 417 nurses; 257 allied health care professionals and scientists have registered their interest by completing the NHSE survey; 358 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians have been included on the temporary register with the option to opt-out Health and Social Services Minister, Vaughan Gething said: COVID-19 is an unprecedented event. Our NHS staff are at the frontline of the response, caring for and saving the lives of patients in NHS settings across Wales. The health and wellbeing of our all our dedicated NHS Wales staff is paramount at all times but especially so during this acutely challenging time so its vital we do all we can to care for them. The 1m I am announcing today will help the Health for Health Professionals service in Wales expand, so that they can deal with the additional demand from NHS staff. Im also delighted to confirm more than 2,000 health and social care professionals have made the decision to re-join their colleagues on the frontline to help the NHS treat the large number of people who will need care over the coming weeks and months. This is truly remarkable and for which we are very grateful. Professor Debbie Cohen, director of Health for Health Professionals, said: This is an extremely difficult time for healthcare workers who are on the frontline of the fight against Covid-19 so we are expanding our doctors support scheme so everyone is able to access the same psychological support, regardless of what role they have in the Welsh NHS and where they are in Wales. They may be feeling guilt for not being able to go into work while others are able to, or trauma from what they are seeing each day on the front line. It is absolutely vital that these workers have a confidential space where they feel they can talk to peers and can access help and support in a way that suits them. This virus has no boundaries so the way we provide support must have no boundaries. This is at the very heart of what we want to do. The announcement has been welcomed by Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister, Angela Burns AM. She said: I understand that this expanded service will be provided through retired doctors and other healthcare staff who would like to support the NHS during the pandemic but who cannot, or do not want to, return to the frontline. It will also include senior academics who are working full time in an academic role, but would like to provide additional support. This coupled with the latest figures showing that more than 2,000 former doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers have re-joined NHS Wales is very welcome news during some pretty dark times. It proves just how well people in Wales will pull together when required, using whatever skills and experience they have to support one another. Society, and our way of living, have changed drastically and very quickly since the lockdown started. While we all pray for the pandemic to be over and life to get back to normal, I hope the kindness, mutual support, and generosity we see daily will continue. The service is available by calling 0800 058 2738, online or by emailing HHPCOVID19@cf.ac.uk Staff can also access free online stress control tools at www.stresscontrol.org An encounter broke out in Dairoo of the Shopian district around 6.30 am on Friday leading to the killing of one terrorist, the operation is still underway. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) along with 44 Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operation Group is conducting a search & cordon operation in the region. #UPDATE Jammu & Kashmir: One terrorist killed during encounter between troops & terrorists in Dairoo of Shopian District. The operation is in progress. https://t.co/JGKDaFetcf ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 READ | India Issues Demarche To Pakistan On Ceasefire Violation: MEA Sources READ | Gaurav Arya Slams Pak's Ceasefire Violation, Says 'Pak Using Coronavirus As A Weapon' While the world grapples with Coronavirus pandemic, Pakistan has resorted to increasing ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts. Pakistan's provocative posture along the LoC has remained unabated despite the novel Coronavirus pandemic that has infected thousands of people in both countries and forced respective governments to impose lockdowns to contain the outbreak. Infiltration bid in the garb of ceasefire violation Last week, Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire in the Kupwara sector of Jammu and Kashmir. It was reported that heavy artillery firing took place and the Indian side retaliated strongly. That was the fifth consecutive day of unprovoked shelling and firing along the LoC. Sources said the Pakistan Army is trying to push terrorists into J&K to foment trouble in a region already facing the COVID-19 challenge. READ | Imran Khan's Official Makes Bizarre Claim On Pakistan's Population; Netizens React READ | Pakistan Runs To China To Help Push Imran Khan's 'waive Our Debts' S.O.S Amid Covid Battle India retaliates The Indian Army responded to the ceasefire violation of the Pakistan Army by destroying the terror launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Besides the terror launch pads, an ammunition dump of the Pakistan Army was also destroyed. According to reports, the terror launch pads were used by the five terrorists who were killed in the Keran sector. The Indian Army on April 5, gunned down the five terrorists in an encounter in Keran area of Kashmirs Kupwara district. The encounter occurred in the Shalbatoo Jumgund area after the terrorists from Pakistan crossed over to this side of the line of control. As per reports, five soldiers of the elite 4 Parachute unit engaged the infiltrators at point-blank range amidst heavy snow, neutralizing the entire batch before succumbing to injuries in the fierce combat. [April 17, 2020] U.S. Consumer Healthcare Advocacy Group (USCHAG) Announces Partnership with IBM Solutions BOSTON, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Consumer Healthcare Advocacy Group (USCHAG) is pleased to announce a formal partnership with IBM Solutions. While the details of the relationship are confidential, the partnership includes elements of data acquisition, utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) and IBM's Watson capabilities to effect positive and empowering change for consumers when working with the American healthcare system. In development for over a decade and Founded in 2018, USCHAG is a family of life enhancing brands united in the pursuit of these game changing advancements. The company is operated by an experienced team of professionals from all areas of the healthcare industry, each sharing one goal - to help its members take full control of their healthcare. USCHAG champions the idea that Artificial Intelligence is the answer to the changes required to improve the American healthcare system. "It's not just about technology, but the combination of technology and people that will redirect, supercharge, and improvehow things are done," shared Heather Logrippo, CEO of USCHAG. IBM, the leader in deep learning artificial intelligence, chose USCHAG as a partner because both companies are aligned in their desire to enhance people's lives. While both companies have been working together for some time, this announcement coincides with the launch of USCHAG's flagship Advocacy Concepts, Reducemed, Medserve, WePharm, Benimax, InsureSWOT and LegalMed, scheduled for February of 2020. One of the biggest goals of USCHAG is to put healthcare decision-making back into the hands of the American consumer, the very people who are paying for the healthcare. "Today, the American people aren't getting what they pay for, when it comes to healthcare," continued Logrippo. "the lack of knowledge and available information about healthcare benefits and processes within the system, which IBM is helping us address, is at the root of the issues that we are able to solve." For more information about USCHAG, please visit http://www.uschag.com/ Media Contact: Heather Logrippo 617.957.3868 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-consumer-healthcare-advocacy-group-uschag-announces-partnership-with-ibm-solutions-301042484.html SOURCE USCHAG [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] We were all thinking of ways we could help, as it is just in our hearts, Advani said. Many of us were hospital nurses not long ago, so we know how critical it is for hospitals to have enough PPE, and what it means if they do not. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said he was "deeply disturbed" by reports that people in Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu had opposed funerals of doctors who died of COVID-19 fearing it could further spread the disease. Such incidents are a blot on the society's consciousness, he said. Citing a newspaper report, he said there was a delay of 36 hours in the funeral of the Meghalaya doctor. "Such incidents are a blot on the society's consciousness and of great concern for all of us, irrespective of party, religion and region," he said in a Facebook post. The "unfortunate behaviour" from the locals forced Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to finally intervene in the matter and help resolve it, Naidu said. The vice president said the physician's body lay for several hours in the hospital he had founded after attempts to bury or cremate him were unsuccessful due to local resistance. "Further distressed to know about a similar incident in Chennai, where locals resisted cremation of a doctor hailing from Nellore following his death in a city hospital. "Saddened to learn that the body had to be shifted to an alternative place for cremation with the help of police and other authorities," Naidu later said on Twitter. He felt that there is an urgent need to educate the people and remove misconceptions on COVID-19 to prevent such inhuman incidents in the future. The vice president has shared his concerns on the issue with the home secretary and the director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). He said it is a matter of deep anguish that such incidents occurred in spite of an advisory being issued by the central government in March for the management of dead bodies infected with novel coronavirus. "I urge all citizens to be empathic and respond compassionately, not react irrationally, especially during these testing times," Naidu said. People must act responsibly and not believe in rumours, the vice president said. The need of the hour is to create greater social awareness among the general public by various stakeholders, he opined. "Doctors and the medical fraternity are risking their lives to save us during the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to respect them and lend our support in these testing times," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MADRIDSpain says there are now 19,478 deaths of patients who tested positive for the CCP virus, nearly 350 more than the number reported one day earlier, and 188,068 confirmed infections with over 5,000 new ones. Health authorities are reshuffling the way to track the pandemics impact in the country with new guidelines to count the dead, while an effort to make more tests is counting hundreds of patients cured or without symptoms that werent recorded before. The government says that its following World Health Organization guidance and insists on counting only those who die having tested positive for the virus, whether they show symptoms or not and no matter where the death takes place. The director of the health emergency coordination center, Fernando Simon, says that an effort to rein in a diversity of data from 17 Spanish regions is leading to corrections in past statistics. If the data is distorted it becomes difficult to take scientific decisions, Simon has said in a televised press conference. Spain is mulling how to safely implement an incremental way out of one of Europes strictest lockdowns imposed in mid-March to spread the impact of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus. Help Poorest Spain is planning to pay a basic monthly income to about a million of the countrys poorest households to help them weather the impact of the CCP virus outbreak, Social Security Minister Jose Luis Escriva said Friday. Those receiving the basic income, which will be approved by the cabinet in May, will have incentives to find work, such as being allowed to combine the monthly stipend with wages from a new job for a period of time, Escriva told COPE radio station. Without incentives to find a job, there is a temptation to exhaust the stipend and not look on the job market, he said. It has yet to be decided how much will be paid per month and Escriva declined to say what it would cost the government, though he said it would be funded with new public debt. He said up to a fifth of Spanish households have an income of less than 246 euros ($266) a month. The Socialist Party and its far-left coalition partner Unidas Podemos agreed in January to create such a basic income as part of their four-year program, though the CCP virus crisis has changed priorities. Escriva said it would take weeks for the government bureaucracy to start paying the new benefit. The Spanish economy shed 900,000 jobs during the first two weeks of a lockdown imposed on March 14 to limit the spread of COVID-19, pushing the number of officially unemployed back up to where it had been three years ago. Reuters and NTD staff contributed to this report. Anti-malaria drugs untested in Canada as a remedy for COVID-19 are being smuggled into the country as health authorities urge people not to take pills, a border official told the Star. A senior Canada Border Services Agency employee, who commented anonymously, said chloroquine is being found in packages for which the sender has not declared the medicine on customs forms. It was first detected last month after U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed the drugs as a game changer in the fight against coroanvirus, a view largely disputed by medical experts. Its now being detected on a daily basis, particularly in parcels landing at a Toronto area mail-sorting plant, the source said. Theyre misdescribing the goods, so that they can circumvent (customs), the source said. Health Canada confirmed the trend in a statement to the Star saying it had seen an increase in referrals of commercial shipments from CBSA over the past few weeks and has refused those that dont meet legislative or regulatory requirements. Chloroquine, an older anti-malaria drug, is not available in Canada and has been on back order for years. Hydroxychloroquine, a newer drug that is widely considered safer when used properly, is typically prescribed to patients with conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and malaria. Both are regulated by Health Canada and require a prescription. Ontarios medical and pharmacy associations have jointly warned its members against prescribing the drugs as a treatment for COVID-19 until ongoing clinical trials prove them to be effective. Inquiries to CBSA were forwarded to Health Canada, which did not provide a response by press time. Linda Dresser, a pharmacotherapy specialist at the University Health Network, says people who act against medical advice may be endangering their health. Trials in Brazil were recently stopped after it caused irregular heartbeat due to the high dosages given to patients. These drugs are not benign, theyre not without associated risk or harm, said Dresser, who is also an assistant professor at University of Toronto. Im quite flabbergasted that its being smuggled in. Youre putting yourself at unnecessary risk, by self-medicating with an unproven therapy, she added. We have no idea what dose to give, how long to give, or when during the course of the infection it might be most useful. A group of health professionals in Toronto, including Dresser, have started assembling data and making recommendations via a website designed to share accurate information about drugs linked to COVID-19. Dresser is particularly concerned about people who are already taking other medications, like anti-diabetic drugs, and those who have underlying chronic conditions, like heart complications. A few weeks ago, many of my colleagues were unable to obtain the drug from their wholesale supplier, because there was a short supply, Dresser said. There has also been a spike in prescription requests from people who do not have an approved (condition) for it, looking for it, just in case. The situation was so widespread it prompted some organizations, including the Ontario Pharmacists Association, Ontario Medical Association and Ontario Nurses Association, to send letters to their members advising of risk. Hydroxychloroquine has sort of become the bane of our existence, as pharmacists working in the infectious disease world right now, because there is so much misinformation and incomplete information available, Dresser said. After Trumps statements last month, the industry started experiencing significant shortages of hydroxychloroquine, she noted. There has been a patchwork of hydroxychloroquine regimens proposed by different countries, leading to the confusion. Clinical trials, which Dresser said could take months to complete, have started in Alberta. Much whats been found undeclared in packages coming into Ontario, seems to be coming from China, the CBSA souce said. Its creating a logistic nightmare for CBSA and Health Canada, at a time when personnel resources are stretched. Jason Miller is a breaking news reporter based in Toronto. Reach him on email: jasonmiller@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @millermotionpic Read more about: Nearly half of the 2,300 sailors who were aboard France's aircraft carrier and support craft when a coronavirus outbreak occurred at sea have tested positive for the virus, the defence minister said Friday. With 2,010 tests conducted so far, 1,081 have come back positive, Florence Parly told parliament. Of the total, 545 sailors had coronavirus symptoms and 24 were being treated in hospital, including one receiving intensive care, she said. Those who tested negative were in quarantine. Last week, it was decided to bring the Charles-de-Gaulle home 10 days early from a deployment in the Atlantic after some crew members showed coronavirus symptoms. The carrier with some 1,700 crew had helicopters and fighter jets on board and was accompanied by two frigates -- one for aerial defence and the other an anti-submarine vessel. The origins of the outbreak remain a mystery. The crew of the carrier, on a three-month deployment, had not been in contact with any outsiders since a stopover in Brest in northwest France from March 13 to 16. The virus is thought to have a two-week incubation period -- from infection to a positive test. The virus was first detected on the aircraft carrier on April 7. "We don't know if the virus was already present on board before the March 13 stopover," said Parly. The Navy on Thursday denied allegations by a sailor that the commander of the Charles-de-Gaulle had asked for the mission to be cut short already during the Brest stop. The vessel had been deployed in the Atlantic as part of a NATO exercise after taking part in Operation Chammal that seeks to contain the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi, April 17 : The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) on Friday requested the Reserve Bank of India to protect the exporters from penalty on forward covers due to exchange rate fluctuations. In a letter to the RBI, AEPC Chairman, A. Sakthivel said the exporters are concerned about the sharp fluctuations in the currency in the last few weeks and the resultant penalty that banks are charging on account of cancellations and exchange rate differential charges for the period for which the forward cover was booked. "It is requested that the charges for exchange rate fluctuations and cancellations are waived for the period for which export orders have been cancelled due to Covid-19," he requested the RBI. "The charges presently accruable on account of such forward-cover cancellations by exporters is significant and can be a big loss to the sector which is already facing a cash crunch," he said. Sakthivel noted that the apparel exporters are facing large number of export order cancellations even as recurring expenditure including payment of wages continue. Informing that the industry body has requested Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal for extending the Interest Subvention Scheme, he urged the RBI Governor to take up the matter with the government for the announcement of 5 per cent interest subvention, across the board, for the entire apparel export industry. He further appealed for extension of packing credit period for existing loans by six months and an increase in working capital limits by minimum 25 per cent without any additional collateral for the apparel export Industry. Sakthivel thanked the RBI Governor for the host of measures the central bank took on Friday to revive the economy. "These would definitely help the industry in mitigating the present huge crisis," he said. The W.H.O. official and the Kurdish administration, which oversees about one-third of Syrias territory along the Turkish and Iraqi borders, said a 53-year-old man was admitted to a hospital on March 27. Doctors ran a test for the coronavirus and sent it to the Syrian capital, Damascus, for analysis. The man died on April 2, the same day that his test came back positive. The authorities in Damascus, which has a hostile relationship with the Kurds, did not pass along that information. The W.H.O. official, Rick Brennan, the regional emergency director for the eastern Mediterranean, said in an interview that the Syrian authorities informed the organization of the case on April 5, but because of internal procedural problems and miscommunication, it did not get word to the Kurds about it until Thursday 11 days later. The case illustrates how the political divisions left by Syrias long civil war could hinder a response if a major outbreak occurs. The government of President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus controls most of the country, but has hostile relations with both the Kurdish-led administration that governs the northeast and the leaders of a rebel-held enclave in Idlib Province in the northwest. Syria has reported only 38 cases of coronavirus and two deaths, but aid groups have warned that the virus could do great damage. Millions of Syrians have been displaced and impoverished through nine years of war, and much of the countrys health infrastructure has been badly damaged. ABC News 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. Another oncologist of Max Hospital, Vaishali, has tested positive for the coronavirus (Covid-19) disease, after his colleague from the same department had tested positive on April 14, said officials of the health department. The tally of Covid-19 cases in Ghaziabad is now 29. After the first oncologist had tested positive on April 14, we had ordered comprehensive sanitisation of the hospital. We had also asked the hospital authorities to provide us with a list of patients which had been attended by the first doctor during the past 14 days in the department. The help of electronic surveillance will also be taken to trace the contacts, said Dr NK Gupta, chief medical officer of Ghaziabad district. The test report of the second resident doctor was received Friday. He probably came in contact with the first oncologist. We are trying to trace his contacts as well. The 90 samples of the probable contacts of the first doctor were also received and they were all negative. The tests were conducted by the hospital and reports were sent to us. The test reports of seven of his primary contacts are awaited. The source of infection of the first doctor is yet to be ascertained, the CMO added. District magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey did not take calls despite repeated attempts. Till Thursday, at least 15 areas in Ghaziabad were listed as hot spots which included one of the residential pockets of Gyan Khand in Indirapuram where the first doctor lives. Since the second doctor has tested positive and he lives in Vaishali Sector 1, the area will now be sealed. We are waiting for written formalities from the health department. The hospital will not be sealed. We are issuing directions to hospital authorities to take up extensive sanitisation and also conduct tests of their staff members. The area where doctors used to sit for duty will also be asked to shut down for three days and extensive sanitisation of the department where the doctors were working will be taken up. The renewed directions will be sent soon, said Aditya Prajapati, sub divisional magistrate. Meanwhile, a company spokesperson said that Max Healthcare has recently commenced testing all of its 24,000 healthcare workers, in-patients and new admissions for Covid-19 in all network hospitals. A second resident doctor working at Max Hospital, Vaishali has tested Covid-19 positive today (April 17). He was in close contact with the resident doctor who had tested positive on April 14, working at the hospital. Both our doctors have been shifted to Max Hospital, Saket, east-wing, and are stable and asymptomatic. Local authorities have been informed as per protocols to conduct contact tracing, the spokesperson added. Meanwhile, the 90 samples collected from patients this week at the hospital have so far tested negative. Health care workers who were contact traced have been asked to home quarantine, the spokesperson added. They added that all routine precautions such as disinfection, as per internal statements of purposes, are being taken up in all the areas of the hospital. The primary area of movement of the resident doctor (who tested positive on April 14th) was the operation theatre (OT). The OT complex has been disinfected and closed for 72 hours. All close contacts have been asked to do home quarantine and their samples have been collected today (April 17). They have been asked to report to the flu clinic of the hospital in case of any symptoms to them or their family members, the spokesperson added. Out of the total of 29 in Ghaziabad till Friday evening, seven patients have already been discharged from different hospitals. However, 672 reports are yet to arrive, according to the health department officials. The state health department officials said that the total number of positive cases in the state stood at 846, reported from 46 districts. Out of these, 74 patients were discharged from different hospitals. They added that the number of hot spots in Uttar Pradesh have also risen to 279 till Friday evening, which have a total population of about 24 lakh. At least 58 samples from different districts like Lucknow, Gonda, Bareilly, Hardoi, Shahjahanpur, Agra and Pilibhit were taken for pool testing on Thursday. Three pool samples came out positive while 55 other pool samples were found negative. We will soon be introducing the pool sampling in other districts as well, said Amit Mohan Prasad, UPs principal secretary (health). In connection with the violation of lockdown norms, officials said that Uttar Pradesh police have so far registered 20,453 first information reports in which 1,62,811 persons were booked. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A worker pushes a resident in a wheelchair out of the Beachwood Post-Acute & Rehab center in Santa Monica on Monday. Beachwood has been cited for poor infection control the last three years. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) More than 3,500 people who live or work in one of California's nursing homes have tested positive for coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Friday. Newsom said that figure, gleaned from tests conducted in the 400 facilities across the state, should serve as a reminder of the need for maintaining the statewide rules on physical distancing and staying at home. "Our seniors, the people that literally raised us, built this middle class," Newsom said. "These are folks that are still most at risk." The governor pointed in particular to the results from a nursing facility in Tulare County, where he said 157 of the 167 people either residents or employees tested positive. "I just cannot impress upon folks more: This knows no geography, it knows certainly no party, it knows no region," Newsom said of the coronavirus. "This is impacting all of us across the state." Institutional settings such as nursing homes have been major hot spots for the virus in Los Angeles County. Roughly 30% of the deaths in the County have occurred in nursing homes . In Long Beach, that number is more than 70%. All of Pasadenas 16 fatalities have been associated with long-term care facilities. Nursing homes have been a crisis point elsewhere. San Francisco Bay Area prosecutors have opened an investigation into the Gateway Care and Rehabilitation Center in Hayward, where 13 people have died. Forty-one residents and 26 staff members there have tested positive. California reached a grim new milestone Friday in the fight against the coronavirus, as the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 reached 1,000. L.A. County reported 40 more deaths Friday and 567 new cases, for a total of 495 deaths and 11,391 cases. [April 17, 2020] Preclinical Study Showing Beneficial Effects of Cymerus MSCs in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Accepted for Publication in Leading Peer-Reviewed Journal MELBOURNE, Australia, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cynata Therapeutics Limited (ASX: CYP), a clinical-stage biotechnology company specialising in cell therapeutics, is pleased to announce that a scientific paper describing the use of Cymerus mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in a model of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) has been accepted for publication in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (AJRCCM).1 The AJRCCM, commonly known as The Blue Journal, is widely regarded as the foremost peer-reviewed journal in the field of respiratory and critical care medicine. Background The study was conducted in 14 sheep with severe ARDS supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which were given an endobronchial infusion of either Cymerus MSCs (n=7) or placebo (n=7). Animals were monitored and supported for 24 hours, at which time the study concluded. ARDS is an inflammatory process leading to build-up of fluid in the lungs and respiratory failure. It can occur due to a range of insults, including infection, trauma and inhalation of noxious substances. It has received significant global attention in recent times, as it is one of the most serious complications experienced by patients suffering from COVID-19. ARDS accounts for approximately 10% of all ICU admissions and almost 25% of patients requiring mechanical ventilation, and results in hospital mortality of up to 46%.2 In addition, survivors of ARDS are often left with severe long-term illness and disability.3 ECMO is a last-line intervention used in patients whose lungs are unable to provide an adequate amount of oxygen to the blood, despite the use of ventilators and other interventions. ECMO circulates blood through an artificial lung, oxygenating the blood before returning it to the patients circulation. ECMO can help support the vital organs in patients with severe ARDS, but it is not in itself a treatment for ARDS and the mortality among patients supported by it remains high. This study was conducted independently of Cynata by a group of leading academics known as the Combining Extracorporeal Life Support and Cell Therapy in Critical Illness (CELTIC) Investigators, led by Professor John Fraser of the Critical Care Research Group, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane. The study was funded by the Queensland Government, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Intensive Care Society UK, and the Prince Charles Hospital Foundation. Key Results Cymerus MSC treatment was shown to exert a number of important beneficial effects in this study: The severity of lung injury was significantly reduced, as shown by histological lung injury score (p=.04) Inflammation was significantly reduced, as shown by levels of the inflammatory cytokine IL-8 in the lungs at 3, 13 and 23 hours after treatment (p=0.013, 0.016, and 0.028 respectively) There was a reduction in the depth and severity of circulatory shock, as shown by a highly significant increase in arterial blood pressure after 4 hours (p=0.001), and a significant reduction in the requirement for noradrenaline (a drug used to maintain blood pressure) over the entire study period (p=0.01). Circulatory shock is a life-threatening condition that often occurs in patients with ARDS, which can result in low blood pressure, increased heart rate, and impaired function of multiple organs. The authors also observed that a different dose regimen and/or route of administration could lead to further improved outcomes. The study also found that MSCs adhere to the membranes in the ECMO device, resulting in a significant increase in pressure, and there was a higher incidence of thrombosis in the lungs observed post-mortem. While this did not lead to failure of the ECMO device or other observed adverse events, the study team considered that it could potentially do so, and therefore concluded that they cannot currently recommend the use of MSCs in combination with ECMO. It is important to note that this finding is relevant to MSCs in general (regardless of source), as it is related to the propensity of MSCs to adhere to plastic, but it does not have implications for the treatment of patients with ARDS who are NOT receiving ECMO. Dr Kilian Kelly, Cynatas Chief Operating Officer, commented: We are very encouraged by the beneficial effects of Cymerus MSCs on a number of important, clinically-relevant endpoints in this model of ARDS. These results provide valuable guidance on the potential clinical utility of Cymerus MSCs in the treatment of ARDS. It is also very useful to learn more about the practical mechanical challenges associated with administering MSCs at the same time as ECMO, but it is important to note that most patients with ARDS do not receive ECMO. Furthermore, in humans with ARDS who are not receiving ECMO, we expect to be able to administer repeated intravenous infusions of MSCs, which may have advantages compared to the approach that was taken in this preclinical study. We are currently in discussions with leading key opinion leaders about a possible clinical trial in human patients with ARDS, including those who have developed ARDS as a result of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. Authorised for release by Dr Ross Macdonald, Managing Director & CEO CONTACTS: Dr Ross Macdonald, CEO, Cynata Therapeutics, +61 (0)412 119343, [email protected] Claire LaCagnina, U.S. Media Contact, +1 315.765.1462, [email protected] About Cynata Therapeutics (ASX: CYP) Cynata Therapeutics Limited (ASX: CYP) is an Australian clinical-stage stem cell and regenerative medicine company focused on the development of therapies based on Cymerus, a proprietary therapeutic stem cell platform technology. Cymerus overcomes the challenges of other production methods by using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and a precursor cell known as mesenchymoangioblast (MCA) to achieve economic manufacture of cell therapy products, including mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), at commercial scale without the limitation of multiple donors. Cynatas lead product candidate CYP-001 met all clinical endpoints and demonstrated positive safety and efficacy data for the treatment of steroid-resistant acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) in a Phase 1 trial. Cynata plans to advance its Cymerus MSCs into Phase 2 trials for GvHD, critical limb ischemia and osteoarthritis. In addition, Cynata has demonstrated utility of its Cymerus MSC technology in preclinical models of asthma, diabetic wounds, sepsis, heart attack and cytokine release syndrome, a life-threatening condition stemming from cancer immunotherapy. ______________________ 1 Millar JE, Bartnikowski N, Passmore MR, et al. Combined Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Therapy and ECMO in ARDS: A Controlled Experimental Study in Sheep. Am J Crit Care Med, 2020. 2 Bellani G, Laffey JG, Pham T, et al. Epidemiology, Patterns of Care, and Mortality for Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Intensive Care Units in 50 Countries. Jama. 2016;315(8):788. 3 Herridge MS, Tansey CM, Matte A, et al. Functional disability 5 years after acute respiratory distress syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2011;364(14):1293-304. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Copenhagen, Denmark Fri, April 17, 2020 15:17 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd287a55 2 World denmark,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,COVID-19-quarantine,pandemic Free Denmark will begin to open up more businesses next week as it further eases virus restrictions, officials announced on Friday. Following late-night negotiations between the main political parties, the government announced a deal for extending the first phase in the country's return to normality. "No one wants to keep Denmark closed for a day more than strictly necessary. But we must not move faster than what allows us to still keep the epidemic under control," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a Facebook post. Denmark began reopening schools for younger children on Wednesday after a month-long closure to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming the first country in Europe to do so. Hairdressers and tattoo parlors will start to reopen from Monday, and driving schools will start giving lessons again. Danish courts will also start to hear more cases after being limited to handling only critical ones. The World Health Organization's European office urged countries to make sure sufficient safeguards were in place before starting to ease restrictions. If countries could not ensure certain criteria, WHO regional director for Europe Hans Kluge urged them to "please rethink". Earlier this week Finland lifted a travel blockade on the Helsinki region. Austria, Italy and Spain have also allowed some businesses to reopen. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Fri, April 17, 2020 11:02 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd274181 2 World US,coronavirus,COVID-19,pandemic,US-China Free President Donald Trump's administration is investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, saying it doesn't rule out that it came from a laboratory researching bats in Wuhan, China. Chinese scientists have said 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 slaughtered 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 center 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. 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. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian -- the official who had suggested that the US army may have brought the virus into China -- rejected the Fox News report, saying the World Health Organization has said there was no evidence the virus was produced in 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 at a regular press briefing. Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. Start your free trial. Seven weeks after its first recorded coronavirus case, New York has become the global center of the pandemic. In New York City, a staggering 1 in 800 residents has died from the disease, which continues to kill hundreds of New Yorkers a day. New York City is sick, and journalists, pundits, and politicians have made a diagnosis: The citys exceptional density is the problem. That is certainly the self-serving conclusion of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Its a convenient bit of fatalism for a man presiding over a catastrophe. Advertisement At the core of this theory is the idea that New York City is just different. New Yorkers live their lives in close proximity. They share laundromats, lobbies, elevators, subway trains, and crowded sidewalks. No U.S. city has more inhabitants per square mile or higher rates of public transit use. The coronavirus was destiny. It seems highly unlikely that any response by the state or city could have fully stopped the pandemic, the New York Times wrote earlier this month. Joel Kotkin, an urban affairs commentator whose crocodile tears for New York would fill a backyard swimming pool, could barely contain his glee at the prospect that New Yorkers might finally pack up for the Dallas suburbs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like any misdiagnosis, this one will make it harder to find the cure. Advertisement Advertisement A cursory look at a map shows that New York Citys coronavirus cases arent correlated with neighborhood density at all. Staten Island, the citys least crowded borough, has the highest positive test rate of the five boroughs. Manhattan, the citys densest borough, has its lowest. Nor are deaths correlated with public transit use. The epidemic began in the citys northern suburbs. The citys per capita fatalities are identical to those in neighboring Nassau County, home of Levittown, a typical suburban county with a household income twice that of New York City. True, New York City apartments are crowded. The share of housing units with more than one occupant per room is almost 10 percent. But that number is 13 percent in the city of Los Angeles. As a metro area, New York isnt even in the top 15 U.S. cities for overcrowding. Its not even the American city with the most apartments per capita (Miami) or immigrants (also Miami), to take two other characteristics that critics say might be associated with coronavirus infections. Advertisement New York City has a lot of restaurants per capita, places where people gather with strangers every night. But not as many as San Francisco, which, though it ranks second in the U.S. for both residential density and transit use, had just 20 COVID-19 deaths as of Friday. Advertisement If you expand your comparison internationally, New York City looks less exceptional still. It is not as dense or transit-dependent as, say, Paris (which has less than half of New Yorks fatality rate) or Seoul, South Korea, where the pandemic has been all but controlled. So what is it about New York City that made it a hot spot? Right now, it looks like the most exceptional thing about New York is its leaders belief that the city is unique. This presumption served first as a reassurance that New York would not follow Lombardys example, and later as the reason why it had. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cuomo used the former logic on March 2, arguing, When youre saying, what happened in other countries versus what happened here, we dont even think its going to be as bad as it was in other countries. Its a familiar idea: New York is what it is, whether its budgeting for subways or picking up garbage, and will take no lessons. Once New York had followedand surpassedLombardys infection rate, well, that was New York Exceptionalism too. Given the density that were dealing with, it spreads very quickly, Cuomo said three weeks later. Advertisement Advertisement Exceptional things about New York: the Yankees, the Met, Brian Lehrer, Coney Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, Jackson Heights. Unexceptional things about New York: international flights, immigrants, the fact that its residents live in apartment buildings, suffer from overcrowding as a result of high housing costs, and use public transit. Advertisement Those factors will surely prove to have hastened the spread. But they dont explain New Yorks divergence from other world cities. Tragically, what seems to have put New York on such a different trajectory from San Francisco was that its leaders were so late to shut down public life. What seems to have put New York on such a different trajectory from San Francisco was that its leaders were so late to shut down public life. Research by the epidemiologists Britta and Nicholas Jewell suggests that 90 percent of COVID-19 deaths in the United States could have been prevented by enacting social distancing policies two weeks earlier than we did. Former CDC director Tom Frieden told City & State that if New York had shut things down earlier, it could have cut the death toll by as much as 80 percent. New Yorks stay-at-home order began five days after Californias, and its schools were closed four days after Seattles. History will be pretty critical of Cuomo and de Blasio for not taking the same decisive decisions that Mayor [London] Breed took in San Francisco, said Dr. Michael Reid, an infectious disease specialist in San Francisco who is running that citys contact tracing program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Furthermore, serious outbreaks have occurred in small towns too. Rural hot spots like St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana and Dougherty County, Georgia, have had similar death rates to New York City. South Dakota now has one of the largest coronavirus hot spots in the country, despite Gov. Kristi Noems assurances that South Dakota is not New York City. This recognition is not about doling out blame to New York pols for what happened in March. Washington was worse than useless, from the president to the CDC. Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio had to make difficult decisions that inflicted their own type of sufferingparticularly closing the citys public schools. Its about what happens next. The sooner New York can be honest about why its outbreak was so severe, the sooner leaders can figure out how to move forward. In fact, its a precursor to moving forward. Who will want to reopen a restaurant when political leaders still believe contagion is in the citys DNA? And why should Washington help prop up a subway system thats perceived to be an outsize disease vector? Advertisement Its a tough balance: Reopening New York will be harder than reopening Vermont. The average New Yorker makes contact with 75 people a day. Proposals in California and New Jersey that restaurants operate at half-capacity will be hard to adapt to Momofuku and the Corner Bistro. And then theres all the shared public space, from libraries to parks to the subways, that must be kept clean enough to keep the virus in checkand just as importantly, to inspire the confidence that it is. The system keeping New York City safe will need to be better than it is elsewhere. Washington will have to recognize that a New York safe from disease (like, two decades ago, a New York safe from terrorism) requires special resources. The level of everyday civic awareness will be higher for a long time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others have doubts about the citys long-term future. How will tourism rebound? Will white-collar workers, accustomed to typing from their couches, still pay to cluster in Manhattan? Will Manhattan families come out of this deciding they want backyards? Will the feds provide enough aid that hard-hit cities and states dont have to cut services to the bone? Those are good questionsbut we cant start to answer them before we reassure ourselves, and others, that New York City is not unsafe by design. For more on the impact of COVID-19, listen to Fridays What Next: TBD. Zoom, a videoconferencing service created for corporate webinars and meetings, has grown into something more amid the coronavirus outbreak. With the number of daily users exploding from 10 million to 200 million from December to March, it has become a forum for nearly every kind of social function, including happy hours, yoga sessions, school classes, funeral services as well as Passover, Easter and (soon) Ramadan rituals. But no sooner had many tried Zoom for the first time than they began to hear reasons they might want to stay away. Trolls have crashed meetings, flashing porn or racist slurs on screens. Security researchers released report after report on newly discovered vulnerabilities including leaked emails and bugs that might have allowed hackers to access webcams. Earlier this month, Google warned employees not to use Zoom's desktop application on their work computers "due to privacy and security vulnerabilities." SpaceX, the U.S. Senate and New York City's school district have enacted similar restrictions. If you're among the tens of millions of people who have become regular Zoom users in recent weeks, you may be wondering what all this means for you. Here's a primer on some of the notable privacy and security lapses and how to keep your calls and data safe. Is Zoom sending my data to Facebook? A Vice investigation showed that Zoom's app for iPhones sent data about users' devices to Facebook, including about users who did not have Facebook accounts. The company was hit with at least two lawsuits in federal court, one by a California resident who alleges Zoom violated the state's new Consumer Privacy Act by disclosing information to Facebook without providing consumers with adequate notice or the ability to opt out. Zoom Chief Executive Eric Yuan said in a blog post March 27 that the company removed code that sent user data to Facebook in an updated version of the iOS app. The company updated its privacy policy March 29 after a swell of concern from users. "I think Zoom wasn't completely honest," Electronic Frontier Foundation senior technologist Bill Budington said. "I think they are going through a lot of growing pains." How else might my information have been compromised? Reports of Zoom's vulnerabilities predate the coronavirus crisis. Last July, security researcher Jonathan Leitschuh exposed a flaw that allowed hackers to take over Mac webcams through the app. The company fixed the problem after a public interest research center filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Thousands of personal Zoom videos were left viewable on the open web, including one-on-one therapy sessions, telehealth calls, and elementary school classes, the Washington Post reported. People's names, phone numbers and intimate conversations were revealed and children's faces and voices were exposed. Experts say the company now seems to be making more serious efforts to identify and quickly patch vulnerabilities. It formed an advisory council of chief security officers from other companies and hired Alex Stamos, Facebooks former chief security officer, as an adviser. Thats a lot of money being thrown at the problem to improve security. That is not insubstantial, said Leitschuh, who discovered the Mac camera vulnerability last year. Are Zoom calls encrypted, and does that matter? Zoom marketed its communications as protected by end-to-end encryption, which makes it, in effect, impossible for anyone, including the company itself, to spy on them. Recently, however, the Intercept revealed Zoom has been using a different type of encryption, called transport encryption, which enables the company to decode the content of calls. That means the company could hypothetically be susceptible to pressure from government authorities to disclose communications, said Bill Marczak, a fellow at the Citizen Lab and a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley. That doesn't make those calls uniquely vulnerable, however. Cellphone calls and Skype calls on default settings, for example, aren't encrypted end to end either, and it's unlikely the average person would need this type of security. But reporters or dissidents under oppressive regimes, government officials discussing classified information or big companies that want to keep their business strategies confidential might want to use a more secure platform, Budington said. What information does Zoom give my boss or co-workers? If you've been part of a long, boring webinar, you perhaps thought there would be no harm in checking your email or your Facebook feed to pass the time. So many were alarmed at the revelation of an "attention tracking" feature that allowed the meeting host to see when participants clicked away from the active Zoom window for more than 30 seconds. The company announced it had removed the feature in an April 2 blog post. Thats not the only way hosts can gather information on attendees. They can also record audio and video from meetings and save a record of group chats. Some Zoom users were surprised to learn that if they use a tool that allows them to save the chat log from a call on their local devices which many use as a way to document meeting minutes that record will include private chats theyve sent in addition to messages the group has sent. What is Zoombombing? Because Zoom is so easy to use, it has also been easy for people to exploit the app to sow mischief or chaos. "Zoombombing" is when uninvited participants interrupt or derail a meeting. Sometimes it's harmless trolling, but often it rises to the level of harassment. As USC and local school districts transitioned to online meetings, they reported getting Zoombombed with racist taunts and pornographic images. On Tuesday, Berkeley High School students were in the middle of a video conference when a man joined the Zoom meeting, exposed himself and shouted obscenities, the Mercury News reported. The New York Times found scores of accounts on Instagram and on Reddit and 4Chan message boards where users coordinated to share meeting passwords and derail Zoom meetings. Zooms default setting allowed anyone to join video calls if they had the meeting ID, which is a number 9 to 11 digits long. These meeting IDs are easy to guess with an automated tool (called war-dialing), one could access thousands of meetings within a day by simply making a lot of guesses. What are some steps I can take to make Zoom safer to use? Be careful about how you share meeting IDs. Don't post them publicly. Generate a new ID for every meeting you launch using the options panel, instead of using your personal meeting ID. That way, if someone gets ahold of your personal ID, future meetings won't be disrupted by Zoombombers. You can toggle settings to ensure meeting participants need a password to access the meeting, which will further protect from disruption. Enable Zoom's "Waiting Room" feature, which lets meeting hosts keep would-be participants in a digital queue until they approve them to join the session. Beginning April 4, Zoom enabled the Waiting Room feature by default, requiring additional password settings for free users. Zoom has a guide to the feature on its website. You can switch off a host of features that could be abused, if needed, including private chats, file transfers and custom backgrounds. The annotation feature, for example, could allow trolls to draw offensive shapes. You can also toggle the "allow removed participants to rejoin" option. Zoom has a guide to host controls on its website. Keep your desktop app up to date, so that any patches Zoom makes to security vulnerabilities are added to your device. If you want to be extra careful, use Zoom only on a mobile device, such as an iPad or an Android phone, because these versions go through review in the app stores. What are some alternative platforms? Signal and WhatsApp communications are encrypted end to end. WhatsApp allows encrypted calls with as many as four people. This is a suitable option for highly sensitive conversations. There are also other video chatting services, such as Skype, Google Hangouts, Webex from Cisco, and FaceTime on Apple devices. Microsoft also offers powerful web, audio and video conferencing tools through its Microsoft Teams platform. The bottom line The reality is you can't see your friends, your classmates and maybe your co-workers right now. You can't eat at restaurants and you definitely can't go to bars. Zoom is one of the platforms people have ubiquitously adopted to replace these in-person interactions amid the coronavirus outbreak. And it works relatively well. It's OK to use Zoom, experts say. Just be thoughtful about what you're using it for and observe a few precautions. -- By Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times MORE CORONAVIRUS ADVICE Headbands for healthcare workers: CNY boutique owner helps make wearing masks more comfortable 1820: The first packet boat arrives in Syracuse on the Erie Canal Syracuse restaurant finds its niche helps it stay open, offer aid to medical workers Coors Light answers 93-year-old womans plea for more beer amid coronavirus with 10 cases Coronavirus car insurance refunds: Which companies are refunding money due to COVID-19? Ralph S. Northam is the governor of Virginia. Eileen R. Filler-Corn represents Fairfax in the House of Delegates, where she is speaker of the House of Delegates. Richard L. Saslaw represents Fairfax in the Virginia Senate, where he is majority leader. Luke E. Torian represents Prince William in the House, where he is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Janet D. Howell represents Fairfax in the Senate, where she is chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. Emmett W. Hanger Jr. represents Augusta in the Senate. Northam, Filler-Corn, Saslaw, Torian and Howell are Democrats. Hanger is a Republican. A 35-year-old COVID-19 patient on Friday died at AIIMS, Patna, where he was undergoing treatment for multiple ailments, the hospitals director said. Prabhat Kumar Singh, Director of AIIMS, Patna, said the deceased hailed from Vaishali district and he had tested positive on April 15. "He was suffering from many serious complications, including those related to the brain. Upon being tested, he also turned out to be COVID-19 positive," Singh told PTI- Bhasha. According to sources in the health department, the man hailed from Raghopur panchayat under Vaishali district, and suffered from tuberculosis, typhoid and several other illnesses. Before being referred to AIIMS, Patna, he was admitted to a private hospital here, which was sealed after he tested positive. With his death, the number of coronavirus fatalities in the state has risen to two. On March 21, a 38-year-old person from Munger died and test reports that came out a day later confirmed that he was COVID-19 positive. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A lot of what we do is focus on keeping the patients off the ventilator if at all possible, Paul explained. We look at different types of therapy, but we know we are somewhat limited with what we can offer because the virus is so contagious. We have to be careful with what we provide our patients so as not to inadvertently infect ourselves or other patients. Afghan Peace Process Inches Forward Amid Fresh Violence By Ayaz Gul April 16, 2020 The Taliban freed a second batch of Afghan forces Thursday as part of a prisoner swap with the government in Kabul aimed at opening much-awaited peace talks between Afghan warring sides. The extremely slow pace of progress in a U.S.-initiated peace process comes as the defense ministry said an overnight Taliban assault on an Afghan National Army (ANA) post in the eastern Logar province had killed at least nine security personnel. "This attack was repelled by the brave forces of the ANA, and the Taliban attackers were defeated," the ministry said, adding that Afghan forces also inflicted heavy casualties on the insurgents, "and a number of their bodies remained on the battlefield." There was no immediate comment from the insurgent group on the Logar fighting. Prisoner swap and peace talks Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said in a statement Thursday that the group of 20 Afghan "soldiers and police personnel" were released near the capital of the eastern province of Laghman. Over the past week, the insurgent group has released a total of 40 government detainees, and Kabul has freed 361 insurgent inmates. The Taliban are required to free 1,000 detainees, mostly security forces, in exchange for 5,000 Taliban prisoners held by the government. The prisoner exchange is part of the landmark February 29 deal the United States sealed with the Taliban in Qatar to seek a negotiated settlement to the war, now in its 19th year. The peace-building agreement requires U.S.-led foreign forces to gradually withdraw from Afghanistan by July 2021, which would end Washington's longest overseas military intervention. In return, the Taliban would not attack foreign troops and would prevent the use of Afghan soil for international terrorist attacks. It is also obliged to open direct talks with other Afghan groups to negotiate a permanent cease-fire and a power-sharing arrangement. However, the Taliban maintain under the pact with Washington that the intra-Afghan dialogue would begin only after the prisoner swap was completed. Both sides were supposed to complete the swap before March 10, when the intra-Afghan negotiations were supposed to begin. But the peace process suffered setbacks because of differences over how to move forward with the prisoner swap and a political crisis stemming from the disputed September 28 Afghan presidential election. Incumbent President Ashraf Ghani was officially declared the winner of the polls last month, but runner-up Abdullah Abdullah rejected the outcome as fraudulent. Both rival Afghan leaders held competing inaugurations last month, paralyzing governance in the war-shattered country. Political dispute frustrates partners The political bickering has frustrated Washington, and U.S. officials have been calling on both Afghan rivals to end the crisis by forming an inclusive government. The Trump administration last month cut $1 billion in assistance for Afghanistan and vowed to cut another $1 billion next year unless the political dispute ends and an inclusive Afghan team opens talks with Taliban delegates. The European Union mission in the country called on Afghan political leaders Thursday to reach an agreement and demonstrate unity for the well-being of Afghans "with the highest sense of urgency" in the wake of continued insecurity and dramatic new health risks. The mission was referring to the looming threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Each day that passes without a consolidated governmental team exposes the Afghan population to greater dangers, undermines the credibility of the democratic institutions and discourages European partners," the statement lamented. The national tally of COVID-19 cases in Afghanistan stood at around 850 as of Thursday, with at least 30 deaths amid concerns the war-torn nation's public health system is ill-equipped to deal with a major outbreak. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Executive Board on April 16 approved $1.39 billion in emergency financing to Pakistan to help it address the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The funds will help Pakistan meet the urgent balance of payment needs stemming from the outbreak, the IMF said in a news release. Geoffrey Okamoto, first deputy managing director, said the outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, is having a significant impact on the Pakistani economy. The urgent balance of payments needs have been created by domestic containment measures coupled with the global economic downturn, Okamoto said. These are severely affecting growth and straining external financing, he said. The funds will help Pakistan deal with a decline in international reserves and allow it to fund temporary spending aimed at containing the pandemic and mitigating its economic impact, the IMF said. With the near-term outlook deteriorating sharply, the authorities have swiftly put in place measures to contain the impact of the shock and support economic activity, the IMF said. Crucially, health spending has been increased and social support strengthened. Pakistan's government on April 14 announced an extension of the nationwide shutdown and restrictions on public gatherings for another two weeks. Educational institutions will also remain shut during that period. The government has said, however, that a number of industries would be allowed to operate if they adhere to safety guidelines. Among them is the construction industry. Pakistan has already been in lockdown for three weeks, prompting warnings that a prolonged economic halt could push half of the countrys population into poverty. Pakistan has reported about 7,000 coronavirus cases and 128 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. 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. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe 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. Mental health services in California community colleges are severely underfunded compared to the University of California and Cal State systems. As the coronavirus crisis lingers and emotional pressures rise, some administrators worry that they won't be able to meet all of their students' needs. Many students are stressed out by the shift to online learning and the accompanying lack of face-to-face support. Soaring job losses are also taking a toll in particular on the state's community college students, who tend to have lower incomes and need full-time work to pay for their education. Messages sent to Crisis Text Line, a third-party service that partners with the community college system to support and advise students in crisis, increased 12% from February to March. The top issues reported were anxiety and stress, followed by relationship issues, then depression and sadness. "More people are reaching out to Crisis Text Line, and that's true across the nation and for California community colleges," said Jana French, the organization's business development manager. (California community college students can text the word COURAGE to 741-741 to reach one of the company's trained volunteers, who respond with coping techniques or contacts for mental health resources.) icon DON'T MISS ANY L.A. CORONAVIRUS NEWS Get our daily newsletters for the latest on COVID-19 and other top local headlines. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Larry Resendez, dean of student services at Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar, said he's concerned about students in crisis who are trying to cope on their own. "There are hundreds, if not more, that clearly are dealing with a lot of high levels of stress, and anxiety, and maybe depression," he said. NINE COMMUNITY COLLEGES WANT TO SHARE SERVICES Resendez is a member of a task force formed by the Los Angeles Community College District to deal with an expected surge in calls for help from students in the nine-campus system. He said L.A. Mission College is working to partner with Luminarias Institute in nearby San Fernando to bring mental health therapist interns to back up campus staff. "If there is this surge that we're expecting, it will give students access to folks who can kind of assess, triage, and determine what they need," he said. His campus took action early after it closed last month and moved classes and services online. Administrators set up a phone bank to check in on its 12,000 students. So far, they've reached about half of them. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FALLING SHORT AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES Still, mental health resources are scarce compared with local four-year universities. Resendez said L.A. Mission employs about one mental health therapist for every 5,000 students. A few years ago, faculty at nearby Cal State Northridge organized protests because it had just one therapist for every 2,800 students, far above the 1,500-to-1 ratio recommended for colleges. L.A. Mission College pays for much of student health through an $11-per-semester student health fee. CSU Northridge charges students $75 per semester. UCLA charges students $376 per quarter for student services that include mental health counseling. "That's just not a whole lot of money to provide physical health and mental health services," Resendez said. By A. Ananthalakshmi and Rozanna Latiff KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A Chinese government survey ship is tagging an exploration vessel operated by Malaysia's state oil company Petronas in disputed waters in the South China Sea, three regional security sources said on Friday. China's Haiyang Dizhi 8 entered waters near Malaysia on Thursday, according to ship tracking website Marine Traffic. On Friday, it was close to the Petronas-operated West Capella, according to the security sources, who did not want to be identified because they were not authorised to talk to the media. One of the sources said a Vietnamese vessel was also tagging the West Capella. The area is close to waters claimed by both Vietnam and Malaysia as well by China, through its sweeping claim to most of the South China Sea within its U-shaped 'nine-dash line' that is not recognised by its neighbours or most of the world. The United States has accused China of taking advantage of the distraction of the coronavirus pandemic to advance its presence in the South China Sea. On Wednesday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said the Haiyang Dizhi 8 was conducting normal activities and accused U.S. officials of smearing Beijing. A Malaysian security source said the Haiyang Dizhi 8 was flanked at one point on Friday by more than 10 Chinese vessels, including those belonging to maritime militia and the coast guard. That source also mentioned the Vietnamese vessel. The Malaysian prime minister's office, the defense ministry and Petronas did not respond to requests for comment. Zubil Mat Som, the head of Malaysia's maritime enforcement agency, confirmed that the Haiyang Dizhi 8 was in Malaysian waters, Malay-language daily Harian Metro reported. "We do not know its purpose but it is not carrying out any activities against the law," he said, according to the report. The foreign ministries of China and Vietnam did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Story continues The Haiyang Dizhi 8 was 324 km (200 miles) off the Malaysian coast, within Malaysia's exclusive economic zone, Marine Traffic data showed. It was flanked by a Chinese coastguard vessel as it moved in a hash-shaped pattern consistent with carrying out a survey, as it did during a tense standoff in Vietnamese waters last year. The West Capella was not visible on the tracking data, but the security sources said the vessel was in the area. The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), a Washington DC-based think tank, has signalled its presence there since October. Greg Poling, director of the AMTI, said China was using intimidation tactics as it had in resource-rich Vietnamese waters, where Spanish energy firm Repsol has pulled at least two projects in recent years following pressure from China. "Beijing doesn't want to pick a fight here but it wants to intimidate," he said. "China hasn't slowed down at all despite the coronavirus pandemic." Vietnam lodged an official protest with China this month following the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat it said had been rammed by a Chinese maritime surveillance vessel in the disputed waters. The Chinese survey vessel's moves this week come at a time China has been sending medical help to Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia, which has reported more than 5,000 coronavirus infections. China claims almost all of the energy-rich South China Sea, also a major trade route each year. The Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan have overlapping claims. (Reporting by A. Ananthalakshmi and Rozanna Latiff; Additional reporting by Joseph Sipalan in Kuala Lumpur, James Pearson in Hanoi and Judy Hua in Beijing; Editing by Matthew Tostevin and Philippa Fletcher) Ukraine, Russia-Backed Separatists Begin New Round In Prisoner Swap By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 16, 2020 KYIV -- Ukraine and Russia-backed separatists in the east of the country have begun another prisoner swap. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office said in a Facebook post on April 16 that 19 Ukrainians who were in the custody of the Russia-backed separatists are being returned to Kyiv. According to Russian news agencies, the swap is taking place near the town of Horlivka in the region of Donetsk. At this point, it is not clear how many individuals held by the Ukrainian side will be handed over to the separatist-controlled territories. The Ukrainian and Russian sides in the so-called Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) said on April 8 that they had agreed to hold the swap before Orthodox Easter on April 19. Ukraine's relationship with Russia has been tense ever since protests in Kyiv led to the overthrow of the nation's pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula shortly thereafter and backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, sparking a war in the eastern region known as the Donbas that has resulted in some 13,200 deaths. That war continues to this day. The prisoner swap comes as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in March called on warring parties in conflicts around the world to halt fighting due to the coronavirus pandemic. With reporting by Ukrayinska Pravda and TASS Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia- backed-separatists-begin-new-round-in- prisoner-swap/30558758.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The tourist tax doesn't affect competitiveness. This is what Iago Negueruela said earlier this week in the context of the suggestion that the tax should be suspended as a measure to assist in the reactivation of tourism, whenever this may be. As no great supporter of the tax, I would like to take issue with the minister for the economic model, tourism and employment. But I cannot, as the extent to which the tax has been responsible for a decline in tourist numbers (pre-virus crisis, obviously) cannot be proven. A contributory factor, yes, but there have been others - the renewed competition from other destinations, prices in the Balearics, shaky economies; all those things that we were so used to hearing about before the virus intervened. Moreover, when he speaks about competitiveness, Negueruela is as interested in the number of jobs and the level of tourist spending as he is with the number of tourists. There were increases in employment and spending, while a general downward trend in tourist numbers represented something of a readjustment to what they had been prior to the "boom" created by the security fears in Turkey and north Africa. With the employment, there were still huge numbers of workers on temporary contracts, but there was also an increase in permanent employment and in salaries, courtesy of collective bargaining agreements. All in all, therefore, Negueruela was probably right in saying what he did about competitiveness. However, he was referring to a situation when normal rules applied. They no longer do, as he knows perfectly well. Which was why, when he wasn't addressing competitiveness in terms of the tourist tax, he was issuing a demand to the Spanish government to "remove elements of distortions to competitiveness". The tourism quest this summer will be for the national tourist. Negueruela was therefore pointing out, as if we were unaware of this fact, that the cost of flying is a factor which works in the favour of other regions - those on the mainland to which it isn't necessary to fly. There are motorways and there is the AVE high-speed train, paid for at "enormous cost by the state", as the minister stressed. The Spanish government should therefore be addressing the competitiveness distortions through, for example, Aena's air taxes. There should also be, he argued, "exhaustive price controls". The minister was echoing calls from business associations such as the Pimem small to medium-sized businesses federation, which wants a suspension of air taxes and also wants flights for a standard 30 euros fare. There has also been the proposal that the 75% residents' discount is extended to people from the mainland. Specifically on air taxes, Negueruela was seeking their suspension while in virtually the same breath he averred that the tourist tax doesn't affect competitiveness. The manner in which these taxes are applied obviously differs, but they have the same end-result - charges to travellers. Because of the virus, apart from anxieties about travel, there is going to be heightened price sensitivity as a result of loss of earnings. Hence, the minister argues the case for price controls. But it seems as if he wants his competitiveness cake and eat it. On the one hand, aware of the cost of travel, he wants an abandonment of air taxes. On the other, he doesn't appear to be minded to suspend the tourist tax. Contradictory? I would suggest that it is. The Balearic government will clearly be seeking to derive every possible ounce of revenue that it can. But how much does it seriously believe can be generated through the tourist tax, certainly this year and quite probably next year as well? There have to be incentives to travel, so that businesses and ultimately the government can generate revenues through other means. These incentives surely have to include the tourist tax. There are distortions to competitiveness, and the virus represents the biggest distortion of the lot. As many distortions as possible need eliminating or reducing. The tourist tax is one of them. Coming to the proposal for extending the 75% discount, Negueruela observed that the legality of this would need to be studied. With the discount for residents of the Balearics (also the Canaries, Ceuta and Melilla), there is legality under European Union rules. It is a government subsidy for flights (and ferries), which is otherwise not permitted, and when the EU sniffs the existence of any illicit subsidies, it acts. The residents' discount falls outside the competition regulations. Applying it to people resident on the mainland probably would not. The possibility of extending the discount does, I would argue, raise a potentially important issue for the EU. In pursuing economic recovery - travel and tourism being key elements in this - should it be looking at a modification of rules regarding subsidies? The Balearics and Spain, as with other traditional holiday destinations within the EU, suffer a competitive disadvantage from those countries outside the EU, notably Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia, whose governments provide various subsidies. It may only be a short-term modification, but it could well be something worthy of consideration. Princess Sofia of Sweden has decided to join the frontline staff in treating patients suffering from the novel coronavirus disease. Volunteering as a health worker, she will be aiding the efforts of medical staff in her country. Before volunteering, she took up a three-day medical training emergency course. She will be working at the Sophiahemmet Hospital. She is also the Honorary Chair of that hospital. However, her work shall not include any direct contact with Covid-19 patients. The online course she took, was provided by the Sophiahemmet University. The course teaches how to aid health care workers during emergency cases. The program, which initially started with just 30 interns, is now teaching up to 80 people in a week. The Royal Court has stated that the princess is well aware of the current situation. 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, Royal Central stated the court as saying. Sofia's duties will involve relieving health care professionals so that they can dedicate more time to the patients. She will be disinfecting equipment, working shifts in the kitchen and cleaning departments. A few days back, Irelands Prime Minister Leo Varadkar had also resumed his medical duties to help his nation to fight against the deadly pandemic. . , The Hill, , ... President Donald Trump and his allies are increasingly seizing on China's role in the spread of the novel coronavirus as a vehicle to launch a full-throated attack on presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden - and to deflect criticism of his own role in the domestic health crisis. A super PAC supporting Trump on Thursday announced a weeks-long $10 million ad campaign in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania - three states key to the November election - that attempts to brand Biden as soft on China. The effort, run by America First Action PAC and promoted by Donald Trump Jr., among others, includes a hashtag and a new website tagging the former vice president as #BeijingBiden. The ad follows a Trump campaign ad on the same theme. The effort to weaponize anger at the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout echoes Trump's past demonization of Muslims and of Mexico and those with Mexican ancestry. It also attempts to portray Biden and his son as financially beholden to China for decades, accusing them of the same sort of personal profiteering of which Democrats have accused Trump and his family. Biden's campaign and other Democratic allies are laying the groundwork for a counterattack on Trump. On Friday, Biden's team intends to hit back with a new digital campaign contrasting Trump's response to the pandemic and China with Biden's, according to a person with knowledge of the plans, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. And as Trump's campaign focuses on Hunter Biden and his business dealings in China, some Democrats suggest they will soon begin targeting Trump's children and their business activities. "Despite repeated warnings from our intelligence agencies and medical experts, Trump spent vital weeks praising China's [coronavirus] response as successful and transparent while deceiving the American people about the extreme threat we faced and failing to prepare our country," Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said Thursday. "China played Donald Trump for a sucker, and now all of us are paying an atrocious price for his malpractice - with over 28,000 American lives taken by this outbreak, infections climbing, and our economy in a nose-dive." Dan Eberhart, an oil industry executive and prominent Trump donor, said he sees the issue of China playing a similar role in the 2020 election to that Mexico and immigration played in 2016. He said he believes Biden has "a lot of vulnerability" under that dynamic, but he also suggested the Trump team needed a new antagonist to blame. "The wall is a fading issue, and its lack of effectiveness in the 2018 midterms relegated it to a simmer on the back burner for the 2020 campaign," said Eberhart. "The China issue plays to Trump's strength, and Trump has a long record on being assertive and aggressive toward China." He added, "Trump is masterful at figuring out ways to create an enemy and highlighting an enemy and showing his strength by brushing back the enemy. And China is another example of that." But Trump has his own political weaknesses, Eberhart said, most notably a "very exposed flank in people saying we weren't prepared enough" for the pandemic. Trump's political career has been marked by targeting a foe and converting weakness into political strength. Early in the crisis, the Trump administration and others labeled the outbreak the "Chinese virus" or, in reference to the city where the outbreak was first identified, the "Wuhan virus." But he also repeatedly praised China, with which he has been trying to strike a trade deal. The anti-Chinese approach has been widely copied on the right. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has filed legislation that would set up a U.S.-led international commission to examine the origins of the virus. He said he would also enable any American affected by the coronavirus to sue the Chinese government. "We know the truth isn't that this was just some happenstance occurrence that China didn't know anything about," he said on Fox News on Wednesday night. "We know they knew all about this, we know that they suppressed the evidence . . . So let's get the truth, and let's hold them accountable." Ben Rhodes, who served as deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama, said the strategy by Trump and his allies to elevate China is a political maneuver that is completely in keeping with his style. "Trump always needs a foreign enemy to animate his support. In 2016, it was radical Islam. In 2018, it was caravans. In 2020, it will be China," said Rhodes. "The common thread is there's some foreign enemy and only Trump is willing to stand up to them." That pitch belies the true picture of Trump's own dynamic with China and is unlikely to sway people who are not already staunch Trump supporters, Rhodes argued. "Substantively, I think he's tapping into frustration and fears about China that have been present for a long time. But he's had four years and it's hard to see what he's done about that. And one of the biggest challenges he has is there's a lot of tape of him praising China," Rhodes said. Rhodes encouraged Biden, whom he supports, to aggressively rebut the attacks. "I do think it's essential that they hit back," he said. Squabbling over China and the coronavirus is only the latest chapter in the Biden-Trump debate over the Asian economic powerhouse. Throughout last summer, the two fought over trade policies with China. Trump had seized on a comment Biden made early in his campaign in which he seemed to downplay China as a geopolitical rival, saying that the country was "not competition for us." Trump called Biden "a dummy" who wasn't taking seriously a country that has stolen trade secrets from U.S. companies and manipulated its currency. Biden, meanwhile, said Trump's unsettled policy was rattling allies and taking the country toward the brink of a trade war. "You bet I'm worried about China - if we keep following Trump's path," Biden said at the time. Biden has often talked of how well, as vice president, he got to know Chinese President Xi Jinping. He was a chief point of contact for Xi in the two years before Xi became president in 2013, and worked on a range of policies on which the Obama administration sought Chinese cooperation, including the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal. Trump has pulled the United States out of both of those international agreements. As much as on policy, however, Trump's campaign views China as terrain where it can launch a personal attack on Biden by amplifying criticism of his son Hunter. Hunter Biden flew to China on Air Force Two with his father in 2013, when the then-vice president was meeting with the country's leaders. Less than two weeks later, Hunter Biden joined the board of a new investment advisory firm whose partners included Chinese entities. Affiliates of the advisory firm said they planned to raise $1.5 billion. Hunter Biden's attorney has said that it wasn't until October 2017 that he acquired a financial stake in the firm, BHR, and that his interest was worth $430,000 last year. "Joe Biden has a big China problem," Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign's communications director, said as he wrapped together the criticisms. "He doesn't view China as an economic competitor, he was critical of the President's lifesaving China travel restrictions, he has resisted holding China accountable for the virus outbreak, and his son Hunter remains on the board of a Chinese investment firm despite promising months ago to resign," he added. "Joe Biden will be held accountable for failing to stand up against China when workers needed it most." George Mesires, an attorney for Hunter Biden, said his client resigned from the investment firm's board in October 2019, and that a database that lists Hunter Biden as a board member would be updated when a successor is named. Biden's campaign has pointed out frequently that Biden warned of the coronavirus outbreak in late January, at a time when Trump had kind words for Chinese leaders and their handling of the virus. Biden has also said that he supported Trump's restrictions on travel from China but that the president should have acted more urgently. "China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus," Trump tweeted on Jan. 24. "The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!" "I think China is very, you know, professionally run in the sense that they have everything under control," Trump said a few weeks later on Fox Business. The new ads from America First show Biden offering praise in the past for China. "I believed in 1979 and said so and believe now a rising China is a positive development," Biden is seen saying in a 2011 address. One of the pieces of evidence in the ad for Biden's support for China is a vote to normalize trade relations in 2000. But that legislation was also supported by every member of the current Senate GOP leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. An ad last week from Trump's campaign also portrayed Biden as too reluctant to criticize China. The ad, however, included an image of Gary Locke, a former governor of Washington state, and appeared to suggest he is a Chinese official. The footage of Biden with Locke - who is Chinese American and was serving as U.S. ambassador to China at the time - is interspersed with Biden with Chinese officials. - - - The Washington Post's Paul Kane contributed to this report. The COVID-19 crisis seems to be jettisoning real-world uses of autonomous technology. Wheeled robotic cargo devices will begin delivering food from restaurants in Virginia.Starship Technologies is deploying a fleet of 20 autonomous on-demand robots Friday in Fairfax, Va. The devices will deliver food and groceries from a handful of restaurants and markets in and around the small city's downtown area.The robots travel via city sidewalks and move about 4 mph, and typically make deliveries in a three to four mile radius, said Henry Harris-Burland, vice president of marketing at San Francisco-based Starship Technologies. The devices are controlled remotely, can travel in rain or snow, and have human operators ready to take over their operation.We like to frame ourselves as being very innovative and forward thinking when it comes to trying new things to help grow our local economy. And so, this had been on my radar, but it really bubbled to the top, and this is an opportunity to try something right now, Fairfax Economic Development Director Christopher Bruno said.The autonomous devices have separate insulated areas for hot and cold items, and are equipped with cameras, sensors and other technology to help them glean traffic patterns, curb-cuts and other information about the built urban environment.Theyre able to really take food from restaurants and deliver it to the front door of residents that are ordering food through their app, said Bruno.Theres no better time to be trying something like this, in a time when were discouraging human contact, which is sad to say, but this is the type of program that actually reinforces that, he added.Users must download the Starship app, where they can select and order items, and then set where the order should be delivered. Shoppers can also follow the vehicle ferrying their goods via an icon making its way across a map of the area.The robots travel on sidewalks and are battery operated, which helps relieve traffic congestion and also avoids the pollution from vehicles, said Harris-Burland.When the robot arrives, shoppers receive an alert, and then unlock the device via the app. The delivery usually takes just a matter of minutes, depending on the menu items ordered and the distance the robot must travel, read a company press release.Starship operates in five countries, and has mostly traveled across college campuses in the United States. Its devices have logged 100,000 commercial deliveries, traveled 500,000 miles and crossed 5 million streets around the world, according to company officials.Autonomous technology was also recently put to work in Florida where small autonomous shuttles are used to transport COVID-19 tests at the Mayo Clinic. And Refraction AI, began testing its small autonomous delivery vehicles in Ann Arbor, Mich., more than a year ago.Were going to monitor it very heavily. But I want the businesses to know that were there supporting them, and I think theyre feeling that through this trial, said Bruno in Fairfax.Businesses are charged a small delivery fee for using the service. However, the city is giving Starship a $10,000 incentive support grant. The funds are to be used to eliminate or reduce the commission charged to the restaurants.While it [the grant] goes to a business, the purpose is to reduce the cost to the [Fairfax] business community in general, Bruno explained.Starship has recently a launched similar service in Mountain View and Irvine, Calif.; Tempe, Ariz.; and Washington, D.C.The coronavirus crisis has rattled the lives of residents and businesses worldwide, as local governments have scrambled to assemble rescue and other aid measures for local businesses. A project to launch a fleet of robot delivery vehicles would normally take months to plan and deploy, said Bruno.Were essentially pulling this together in a little under two weeks, he remarked. About 24 Chinese doctors will go to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso. So far, the continent has had fewer deaths than more developed regions of the world; however, the healthcare systems in many African countries are woefully inadequate and could facilitate an outbreak. The continent has less than one hospital bed per thousand people. The European Union and the United States are providing aid. The economy is a source of concern. Hong Kong (AsiaNews) China has sent 24 doctors to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso to help local health authorities fight the novel coronavirus outbreak. Beijing is following the European Union and the United States are already helping African countries, where the pandemic has been hitherto less virulent than in economically more developed regions of the world. According to African Arguments, a pan-African news and information platform, some 18,500 confirmed cases have been reported in Africa with 968 deaths, based on data from the World Health Organisation and John Hopkins University. Egypt leads with 2,605 cases, followed by South Africa, Morocco and Algeria. African countries were among the first to close borders and ban gatherings of people. Tunisia, Rwanda and Mauritius were the first to impose a full lockdown. South Africa too has confined all its citizens. Cameroon is conducting nationwide testing to contain the outbreak. So far, it has reported 996 cases, 22 deaths, and 164 people hospitalised. About a thousand Chinese doctors and healthcare staff are already involved in Africa as a whole. Last week, a Chinese medical team arrived in to Algeria. Beijing has also provided US$ 1.5 million in aid to Nigeria. The European Union and the United States have their own aid plans to support the fight against COVID-19 in Africa. The EU is devoting some of its 20 billion (US$ 22 billion) pandemic fund to Africa. Washington instead is sending medical supplies and equipment worth US$ 27 million. Burkina Faso and Ethiopia have a weak healthcare system, which could favour the spread of the virus. Other African nations are in the same situation. In Zimbabwe the health system has collapsed. There is a shortage of medical drugs and supplies. The lack of running water in many parts of the country could speed up an outbreak. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the threat of COVID-19 comes on top of cholera, Ebola and measles outbreaks, as well as internal strife. The World Bank reports that on the continent has less than one hospital bed per thousand inhabitants. The European Union estimates that there is one doctor per 10,000 inhabitants, compared to 37 in the Union. Africas economy is also a source of concern. The International Monetary Fund estimates that the combined GDP of sub-Saharan Africa will drop by 1.6 per cent in 2020, down from a plus 3.1 per cent in 2019. South Africa and Nigeria, the continents main economies, are expected to contract by 5.8 and 3.4 per cent respectively. One of the most heated arguments in Mexico in this time of the pandemic, probably, following disagreements about COVID-19 testing and personal protective equipment, is the boiling issue of whether beer should be considered as an "essential" product while the country is experiencing lockdown. In a press statement made on Tuesday, the National Alliance of Small Business said that supplies of beers need to be guaranteed since these beverages help people who are "getting through quarantine on beer terms." Following Mexico's order for closure of the majority of the non-essential businesses late last month, including the major breweries of the country, the outlook of a looming scarcity of brew became a heated debate within the Mexican government. First, in the first week of April, the Agriculture Department sent the major breweries a letter as their invitation to restart their production. This particular communication depicted an instant rebuke from the COVID-19 point man of the government, Hugo Lopez-Gatell, the assistant health secretary. Lopez-Gatell on the Breweries Restarting Production The health official's reaction to the said letter was that "this was a mistake," and according to him, it will be corrected. He added that general orders are coming from the health authorities, telling to suspend "all work activities except the essential ones," which are all indicated in the "decree of March 31" of the Health Council. More so, the essential ones, Lopez-Gatell said, do not include beer production or distribution. Just a day after the order came out, the Department of Agriculture issued a separate statement indicating it had never meant authorizing the breweries' re-opening. Instead, the department added, it tried to encourage the said businesses to continue buying the barley crops of Mexican farmers. It is the role of the Agriculture Department, in this case, to encourage the beer industry to buy the crop as the formers are not capable of storing the grain, the department explained. The Beer Industry's Stance While it opted not to comment on the argument, the beer industry has pushed "the idea of home delivery of their existing suds' stocks. More so, several breweries have already taken advantage of their plants currently not being used for the production of ethyl alcohol and hand sanitizer. Some have already contributed to the hospitals in the country. However, the business chamber that represents the smaller craft brewers of Mexico claimed that a survey suggests 45 percent of smaller brewers believe "they could go under" if this lockdown lasts three months. Meanwhile, the strict stance of the government is not convincing the small business chamber, as well, which indicated that 40 percent of the total sales volume of small stores is beer. During this time of social distancing and isolation, not to mention the unbearable heat, the association claimed that "the demand for beer" is more than evident, and it makes the government's 'stay-at-home' order quite more bearable, too. Check these out! Most of the time I was under, I dont remember anything, but for some reason, those moments when I was closest to death, my brain retained not only the memory of the stimuli occurring around me, but it retained my hallucinations or dreams while I was under, as well, he said. Thats been one of the strangest things for me to try to work through. Why do I remember this? Is any of it real? Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is being heavily criticized after firing Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta on Thursday, just a week after he initially contemplated dismissing him. The far-right leader clashed often with the health expert's assessment over how the silent yet ravaging coronavirus pandemic should be dealt with. Bolsonaro offered a dismissive tone toward Mandetta's full backing of social distancing measures and sneered at the orthopedist's refusal to support the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients. The treatment method, using its sister drug chloroquine, was totally scrapped this week following the deaths of 11 infected patients that were part of a trial study. 'You should have absolute certainty that we fought a good fight until here,' Mandetta told fellow ministry workers in a televised press conference Thursday after announcing his departure. 'But we're at the start of the battle.' SEE VIDEO BELOW President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro speaks during a press conference to announce Nelson Luiz Sperle Teich as the new Health Minister after he fired Minister of Health Luiz Henrique Mandetta over differences in strategy to combat COVID-19 Luiz Henrique Mandetta (pictured at an April 7 press conference) was dismissed Thursday as Brazil's Minister of Health. Mandetta fully supported social distancing as a measure to stop the spread of the coronavirus in Brazil with 1,952 deaths Senate and Congress president Davi Alcolumbre slammed Bolsonaro's firing of Mandetta, whose 'responsible and dedicated work ... was irreparable.' 'His departure, for the country as a whole, at this serious moment, is certainly not positive and will be felt by most of us,' Alcolumbre said. As of Friday, Brazil ranked atop Latin America countries with 1,952 deaths and 30,891 sickened people due to the coronavirus. 'Life is priceless, but the economy and employment need to return to normality,' Bolsonaro said at a press conference on Thursday. He also said he would neither condemn nor criticize Mandetta. 'It was a consensual divorce because more important than me and more important than him as a minister is the health of the Brazilian people.' 'Most Brazilians hope that President Jair Bolsonaro did not fire Mandetta in order to insist on a stance that undermines the need for social distance and encourages a false conflict between health and the economy', Alcolumbre said. Bolsonaro appeared to do just that last Thursday when he visited a local bakery in Brazil's capital Brasilia and hugged the staff and customers while posing for selfies. Brazil's former Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta pours hand sanitizer on President Jair Bolsonaro's hand during a March 18 press conference Porto Alegre city hall's drone sprays disinfectant in the streets to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease Bolsonaro last month labeled the epidemic as just 'a little flu' and criticized stay-at-home and quarantine orders from state governors. A close ally of United States President Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has attacked the media's coronavirus coverage. The Brazilian leader named Nelson Luiz Sperle Teich, an oncologist, as Mandetta's successor. 'Science has been fired. But it will be replaced by science and so on,' said Felipe Santa Cruz, president of the Brazilian Bar Association. 'There will not be a single serious doctor willing to buy, at the cost of his own biography and career, denialist discourse that downplays the seriousness of the pandemic or points to the path of chaos.' Bolsonaro feud with Mandetta perhaps intensified when an April 3 poll showed that Mandetta's approval rating soared to 76 percent over his handling of the coronavirus crisis, while Bolsonaro's popularity dipped to 33 percent. The survey was released a day after Bolsonaro dismissed the severity of the coronavirus and said it is 'not all it's being made out to be.' Bolsonaro alleged Mandetta has at times 'gone overboard' and lacked 'humility.' 'Since the beginning of this crisis, Bolsonaro chose the path of denial and guided his decisions by guesswork, politicizing what should be technical actions with scientific criteria,' said Alessandro Molon, a Brazilian Socialist Party opposition leader in the Chamber. 'Mandetta's dismissal is just a reckoning by a boss who, at the height of his mediocrity, does not tolerate an assistant standing out more than he. An irresponsible behavior of those who are more concerned with their re-election than with saving the lives of Brazilians.' Bolsonaro tested negative for the coronavirus in March a couple of days after a close aide developed symptoms and tested positive after he and a contingent traveled to the United States to meet with Trump. A Government minister has revealed his father has died in a care home from pneumonia brought on by coronavirus. Greg Hands, Conservative MP for Chelsea and Fulham, said clapping for the NHS on Thursday night was especially poignant following the death of his dad on Monday. The trade minister paid tribute to the "brilliant grammar school scientist" and "determined man", adding that he will be "sorely missed". He wrote on Twitter: "Great to be out there, clapping for our carers, including those in our care homes. "Especially poignant for me this week after the death of my father in his care home, on Monday, of pneumonia brought on by COVID-19." "...My father is another care home COVID death, but I remember him as a brilliant grammar school scientist, a single-minded & determined man, worked his way out of poverty, fought hard and gave his best. He will be sorely missed. 1934-2020, RIP. About half of all deaths from coronavirus are happening in care homes, according to data from five European countries collated in a new study. Dublin, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Online Education Market - Forecasts From 2020 To 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global online education market is projected to witness a CAGR of 9.23% during the forecast period to reach a total market size of US$319.167 billion in 2025, increasing from US$187.877 billion in 2019. Increasing penetration of internet in many regions across the globe is a major factor driving the market growth. Growing adoption of cloud-based solutions coupled with huge investments by major market players towards enhancing the security and reliability of cloud based education platforms, is further increasing its adoption among the end-users. Presence of a large number of service and content providers in the market is bringing huge volumes of educational content online. Declining hosting cost and growing need for accessing educational content is further fueling the adoption of this technology, thus augmenting the market growth. Advancements in the field of artificial intelligence and rapid growth of Internet of Things (IoT) will continue to enhance the user experience on these online education platforms, which is anticipated to spur the market growth throughout the forecast period. Academic institutions hold a significant market share. Increased effectiveness of animated learning along with flexibility in learning are some other factors contributing to the growth of online education by academic institutions. Lack of competent staff in various schools and colleges across the developing nations is also resulting in the adoption of online education by the students. Support and funds from the governments is another major driver for the growth of the industry. By type, the global online education market is segmented as online education by academic institutions and by corporate sector. With the increasing number of students in academic institutions and regular need to up skill and provide industry relevant training to the staff, the academic institutions as well as corporate need to come up with the options that allow individuals to learn anytime from anywhere. With the increasing number of the students and the cost effectiveness of online education many educational institutes are integrating face-to-face learning with online learning at all levels of education. For instance, Berkeley University of California recently partnered with edX to offer Data 8 course online for no cost which was earlier limited to the few who got admissions in the institute. Colleges and universities across the globe are frequently providing new MOOCs as well as distance learning courses. An upsurge in tuition fees and high interest on education loans in both developed and developing countries has raised the cost of getting campus education which is continuously shifting the trend towards online learning solutions, thus, positively impacting the demand for LMS across this universities and colleges. In July 2017, the George Washington University launched Talent@GW--Learning, a new LMS that allows users to register for in-person training, access to online training, and professional development materials such as videos and guides in one place. North America is estimated to provide highest revenue generation opportunities. Geographically, global online education market is segmented as North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Asia-Pacific (APAC). North America held the largest market share of global online education market in 2017. However, APAC is projected to witness the fastest regional market growth during the forecast period owing to rising internet penetration coupled with growing use of mobile devices in emerging economies such as China, India, Malaysia and South Korea. In addition to the domestic universities providing online distance learning courses, many American universities are also entering this region by way of providing online education courses to students as well as working population. According to the Malaysia's Ministry of Higher Education, 20 universities in the country launched 60 free Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), topics ranging from finance, healthcare, languages, and technologies, through the OpenLearning platform. Supportive government policies are also fueling the investment in online education platform development in the region, thereby positively impacting the market growth. The presence of major market players such as Cisco, Oracle, and Microsoft coupled with early adoption of such technologies contributes to the dominance of North American region in global online education market. High usage of smartphones and focus of academic sector to digitize learning process in developed countries such as the U.S. and Canada is supporting the growth of North America Online Education market. High tuition fee is also encouraging students to opt for online courses which are cheaper than offline regular college courses. Key Topics Covered 1. Introduction 1.1. Market Definition 1.2. Market Segmentation 2. Research Methodology 2.1. Research Data 2.2. Assumptions 3. Executive Summary 3.1. Research Highlights 4. Market Dynamics 4.1. Market Drivers 4.2. Market Restraints 4.3. Porters Five Forces Analysis 4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis 5. Global Online Education Market Analysis, by Type 5.1. Introduction 5.2. Academic 5.3. Corporate 6. Global Online Education Market Analysis, by Technology 6.1. Introduction 6.2. Mobile E-learning 6.3. Learning Management System 6.4. Application Simulation Tool 6.5. Rapid E-learning 6.6. Podcasts 6.7. Virtual Classroom 7. Global Online Education Market Analysis, by Vendor 7.1. Introduction 7.2. Service Providers 7.3. Content Providers 8. Global Online Education Market Analysis, by End-User 8.1. Introduction 8.2. Higher Education Institutions 8.3. K-12 Schools 8.4. Others 9. Global Online Education Market Analysis, by Geography 9.1. Introduction 9.2. North America 9.3. South America 9.4. Europe 9.5. Middle East & Africa 9.6. Asia-Pacific 10. Competitive Environment and Analysis 10.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis 10.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrativeness 10.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations 10.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix 11. Company Profiles 11.1. Adobe 11.2. Apollog Education Group Inc. 11.3. Blackboard Inc. 11.4. Cisco 11.5. Citrix Systems Inc. 11.6. McGraw-Hill Education 11.7. Microsoft Corporation 11.8. Oracle 11.9. Pearson 11.10. SAP 11.11. MPS Limited 11.12. OES For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/gb29lr 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 OAKLAND (BCN) A federal judge in Oakland turned down a bid by state prisoners' lawyers Friday that would have required a plan from prison officials to prevent further spread of the coronavirus and improve physical distancing in prison dormitories. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar wrote in a ruling that no one doubts that the pandemic poses a risk of serious harm to inmates, but said the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is already taking "numerous and significant measures" in response. He said prisoners' lawyers had not exhibited the state had shown "deliberate indifference," the standard set by the U.S. Supreme Court for finding that prisoners are subjected to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment. The hearing was conducted over the phone on Thursday. The measures taken thus far include early release of about 3,500 prisoners, transfers of about 1,300 inmates from dormitories to other facilities, and a hold on accepting transfers of prisoners from county jails to the state system, Tigar noted. The corrections department is also working on a plan proposed by court-appointed receiver J. Clark Kelso to group prisoners in dormitories in cohorts of eight. Each group would be six feet distant from other groups. The state's 35 adult prisons house more than 110,000 inmates, including more than 40,000 in dormitories. As of Friday morning, the corrections department has reported that 75 inmates in seven prisons and 83 staff members in 21 institutions have been confirmed to have the COVID-19 coronavirus. The motion for a court order was made by lawyers for prisoners in a long-running case filed in 2001. In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an order by a three-judge panel requiring a reduction in the prison population because overcrowding led to constitutionally inadequate medical care. Tigar said in his ruling that he will continue to monitor the case and hold a case management hearing on April 20. 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. WASHINGTON - The U.S. Small Business Administration said it has stopped accepting applications for two programs meant to help small companies survive the coronavirus outbreak after funding ran out, leaving many worried about getting desperately needed aid. Funds for the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, to keep workers on payrolls have been exhausted, the SBA said Thursday. And money also has lapsed for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, or EIDL, offering government loans and emergency grants of as much as $10,000. "These two loan programs are essential, and neither one is operational now," said Holly Wade, director of research and policy analysis for the National Federation of Independent Business, the largest group representing small businesses in the country. "It's absolutely terrible for the small-business sector." Congress is debating adding an additional $250 billion to PPP, and small-business advocates are calling on lawmakers to add more money for the disaster loan program as well. About 100 members of Congress signed a letter Thursday to SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza with concerns about the EIDL program, saying they would strongly back a request for more funding. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters he supports adding money to the program, and a Senate Democratic bill floated last week included money for it. Without more money for the PPP program, many small firms that have flooded banks with applications won't get help because the government-backed loans were available on a first-come, first-served basis, and after just two weeks there's no money left for the SBA to guarantee additional loans, officials said. ADVERTISEMENT Brad Close, president of the National Federation of Independent Business, the largest group representing small businesses in the country, said its members' worst fears just came true. "America's small businesses are on the brink, trying desperately to keep their doors open and support their employees," Close said in a statement. "They have been let down by lawmakers and the bureaucracy, with the smallest businesses most disadvantaged in attempting to participate in the Paycheck Protection Program." Small businesses are continuing to seek loans and existing applications are still pending SBA approval, and Congress needs to act, Consumer Bankers Association President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Hunt said. "The millions of men and women who work at America's small businesses and their families are battling a health crisis while also facing an economic crisis unless Congress authorizes additional funds for this program," Hunt said in a statement. Wells Fargo & Co., which was the No. 3 SBA-approved lender by volume last year, said it will continue accepting new applications so it will be ready to proceed if and when Congress adds funds to the program. The firm said Tuesday that it hadn't funded loans anywhere close to the $9.3 billion in loans that JPMorgan Chase & Co. said Tuesday it had. Because banks make the PPP loans, not the SBA, the fund isn't technically "out of money" but rather the agency has guaranteed $339 billion to be disbursed, Celtic Bank spokeswoman Linda Howell said. The bank is concerned about "authorization hoarding" by lenders that potentially can't fund the loans, Howell said. Celtic Bank had disbursed $50 million as of Thursday morning with an additional $93 million in loans that have been authorized and are being processed, she said. The SBA said on its website that while it unable to accept new applications for the EIDL loans and emergency grants without more funding, firms that had already submitted their applications will continue to be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. But small-business owners have complained about waiting weeks for answers and funding, and some are getting less than they expected because of the demand. The NFIB said a survey of its members released April 9 found only 4% had been approved and no business owner had received a loan or grant. The SBA has not disclosed how many applications have been approved and funded. ADVERTISEMENT As of Thursday morning, the SBA reported there had been more than 1.6 million applications for PPP loans approved for about $339 billion. That amount is the value of loans approved for lenders to disburse, not money that has reached borrowers. Comprehensive data on how much money has actually been handed out isn't available, but lenders report that disbursements are being made. The program launched April 3. Loan approvals had to stop short of the $349 billion total funded by Congress because about $10 billion is needed to cover fees and processing, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said in a tweet. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza called on Congress to approve more money for the program Wednesday in a joint statement saying it's "saving millions of jobs" and helping small firms survive the pandemic. Republicans sought to approve an additional $250 billion for the program last week, but the effort stalled with Democrats also wanting changes to the program and more aid for other groups. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Mnuchin talked Wednesday as negotiations continue. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and McCarthy accused Democrats in a joint statement Wednesday of blocking emergency aid and treating a bipartisan program "like a Republican priority which they need to be goaded" into backing. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Democrats are pushing for changes that will allow help for small businesses that have been shut out of the program because they don't have access to a lender, as well as provide more funding for "desperate" state and local governments and hospitals. Ryan Metcalf, head of U.S. regulatory affairs at Funding Circle, an online small business lender that was approved to lend under the program Wednesday, said the company has thousands of people in line for funding. Given how quickly the initial $349 million was exhausted, the next round should be far larger than $250 million, he said. The PPP, which was enacted last month as part of a $2.2 trillion relief package in response to the outbreak, offers loans of as much as $10 million. The loans convert to grants if proceeds are used to keep workers on the payroll and cover rent and other approved expenses for about two months, a short-term stopgap designed to help businesses get by until the economy reopens. ADVERTISEMENT The initiative got off to a rocky start after Trump administration officials said that small businesses would get funding quickly, even the same day they applied. But some borrowers couldn't find banks to take their applications if they didn't already have a lending relationship, and lenders couldn't process loans because of vague guidance and an overwhelmed SBA computer system. Of the more than 1 million applications that SBA had processed as of Monday, construction firms had a larger share of loans approved than other industries so far, followed by professional, scientific and technical service companies, manufacturers and health care and social assistance firms. The average loan amount for all applications approved was $239,152, an SBA report shows. "Oh my god," said Alex Steed, co-owner of Knack Factory, a video production firm in Portland, Maine, that's awaiting funding for a loan. "This is playing out just about exactly how I expected it to. It never felt like this was for small business owners anyway, or manufactured with our needs in mind." --- (Emma Kinery, Hannah Levitt, Edward Ludlow, Olivia Rockeman, and Erik Wasson contributed to this story.) --- (c)2020 Bloomberg News Visit Bloomberg News at www.bloomberg.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Millions of Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia are preparing to celebrate Easter amid a ban on religious congregations aimed to stopping the spread of coronavirus. Many Orthodox churches in the capital Addis Ababa have closed their doors - something unprecedented in Holy Week. The country is in a state of emergency which prohibits gatherings of more than four people. This has been particularly difficult to enforce - especially in market places ahead of the main holiday on Sunday. Open markets in Addis Ababa were crowded, many of the shoppers were not wearing masks and there was little opportunity to practice social distancing. Authorities have moved one of the biggest farmers markets to a more spacious area hoping to encourage people to keep distance amongst them but that doesnt always happen. Traditionally Easter is celebrated by slaughtering sheep or goats at home and there is a custom of eating raw meat which health officials are advising against. There have been 96 cases of coronavirus in Ethiopia. That is relatively low when you compare it to South Africa's 2,605 cases. Source: BBC 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 - Arthouses are closed. Film festivals are cancelled. But double features, matinees and film series continue to run unabated in one vital, virtual corner of moviedom. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. This image released by the Criterion Channel shows promotional art for films, scored by Quincy Jones, and available for streaming on Criterion Channel. The streaming service, which is celebrating its one-year anniversary, is more than ever a vital hub for movie buffs, rife with double features, matinees and creative collections. (Criterion Channel via AP) NEW YORK - Arthouses are closed. Film festivals are cancelled. But double features, matinees and film series continue to run unabated in one vital, virtual corner of moviedom. The Criterion Channel, the year-old streaming service, is a hotbed of cinephilia in the best of times. Right now, its about as close as you can get to actually going to the movies. Whereas other streamers supply expansive oceans of content, the Criterion Channel pools its movies into collections, double-bills and night-by-night selections. Algorithms aren't welcome. Instead of isolating each other in our own preferences, were coming together around different themes and programs, says Peter Becker, the energetic president of the Criterion Collection. I think people can feel that theres people behind this programming. This is a service thats programmed by people, for people." The Criterion Channel, which launched last year in the wake of the shuttering of the Turner Classic Movies-Criterion Collection collaboration Filmstruck, is the streaming arm of the Criterion Collection, the highly regarded maker of robust Blu-rays of classic and international movies. In its first year, the Criterion Channel has quickly accrued the kind of devoted fanbase that belonged to Filmstruck, the death of which spawned an outcry from Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and dozens of other filmmakers. Wes Anderson, in a recent piece of fan mail, called the Criterion Channel a Louvre of movies. Its many avid viewers include Barry Jenkins, Rian Johnson, Sofia Coppola, Josh and Benny Safdie and most movie buffs that can afford $10.99 a month. For quarantined moviegoers, the Criterion Channel is like a warm hearth to gather around while huddled inside. Becker says that in the weeks since lockdown orders began, watching has doubled on the service. Like a cinema, Criterion Channel has its own weekly listings. Friday nights are for double features. Wednesday belongs to female filmmakers. Matinees of family-friendly movies debut on Saturday. Shorts get showcased Tuesday. And of course, you can sift through and select at will. But part of the pleasure of the Criterion Channel is not having to meander through a digital sea of choices. The bedrock of the Criterion Channel, like any repertory cinema, are its series. There have been collections of 70 sci-fi, films with the scores by Quincy Jones, a centennial celebration of the great Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune, heist movies and pre-code Barbara Stanwyck films. Most series come with a mix of familiar titles and deep cuts, offering both primers for beginners and discovery for more die-hards. For Criterions anniversary, it brought back its inaugural series, Columbia Noir, which pulls together some of the studios most heralded film noirs (In a Lonely Place, Gilda) along with gems ripe for rediscovery (My Name Is Julia Ross, Murder by Contract). Most collections include video introductions and other supplemental material. With the curated collections and the double features and all those ways of presenting the films, the movies feel accessible and theyre contextualized, says Penelope Bartlett, the channels programmer. There are some good films on other platforms but theyre just there, floating, without much context. Bartlett oversees programming but ideas can come from anywhere other Criterion staffers and sometimes the critics and writers who regularly contribute essays and interviews to the service, like Farran Nehme and Imogen Sara Smith. At a film festival, Becker recalls, Imogen said the words Western Noir and I thought, Oh, Imogen, that sounds fun. Tell me about that. Sometimes the series are inspired by simple curiosity wanting to know Jean Arthurs filmography better or a desire to expand the interest of others. A series in May is planned on trailblazing screenwriter Francis Marion (Dinner at Eight, The Big House). The digital format and the extensive Janus Films library also offer the chance of spontaneity. When the celebrated Swedish actor Max von Sydow died in March, Criterion gathered together 15 of his films. My shtick is I send Penelope emails, usually very late at night when Ive gone down a rabbit hole, and they have one word with an exclamation point, says Becker. I started with, like, Caught on Tape! (a series of surveillance paranoia, like Francis Ford Coppolas The Conversation) or Heist movies! Becker declined to share subscriber numbers for the Criterion Channel, which is available in the U.S. and Canada. But he said he couldnt be more pleased with its growth, and hes happy for it to occupy a humble space amid much larger streaming-service battles. When WarnerMedia, which is preparing the launch of HBO Max, cancelled Filmstruck, the company deemed it a niche service. 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. We are still very niche. Being niche is not something that huge corporations necessarily want to be, says Becker. But we wear it as a badge of honour in certain way. Were sticking with what we believe in. For Becker, the Criterion Channel also works in tandem with movie theatres. Movies are meant to be seen on the big screen, he insists an unusual perspective for a DVD and streaming company. But its that passionate affection for cinema that makes Criterion what it is. Like Filmstruck did, the Channel features documentary portraits of arthouse theatres nationwide. Support of them is essential during the pandemic, Becker says, which is why the Criterion Collection helped launch a crowd-sourced relief fund for arthouse theatres. In two weeks, its raised nearly $400,000. Bartlett says the Channel is weighing other measures, possibly hosting films that had their festival premieres cancelled or the planned series of shuttered arthouses. It's one more way that Criterion is fulfilling its role as a lifeblood for the movie lover. The whole point of being a good curator is to suggest some stuff that may light up some of your audience and infuriate other parts of your audience, says Becker. You have to risk failure to qualify for discovery. So were trying to encourage people to be bold and exploratory. The ideas keep coming. The other night, Becker, contemplating the trials of the housebound, sent Bartlett another one-word email. Its headline: Roommates! Coronavirus India Lockdown Live News updates: The Maharashtra government has instructed all the landlords/house owners in the state defer rent collection by at least 3 months. The Maharashtra State Housing Department which issued the directions said that during the period, no tenant should be evicted from rented house due to non-payment of rent amount. Meanwhile, the state tops the list with 3,205 cases and 194 deaths, which also the highest in the country. Delhi has 1,640 coronavirus cases with death toll at 38. India recorded over 1,000 COVID-19 cases and 23 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the latest date by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country climbed to 13,387 on Friday, according to latest data by Health Ministry. This includes 11,201 active cases, 1,748 cured and discharged, 437 deaths and 1 migrated. Among other badly hit states are, Delhi (1640 cases and 38 deaths), Tamil Nadu (1267 and 15 deaths), Rajasthan (1131 cases and 3 deaths), Madhya Pradesh (1120 and 53 deaths), Gujarat (930 and 36 deaths) and Uttar Pradesh (805 and 13 deaths). The countrywide lockdown has been extended till May 3, a day after which the central government announced a set of guidelines to be followed during the extended lockdown. Looking at global situation, in the United States, around 4,500 people died in 24 hours. Nearly 6 lakh people have contracted the infection in the US. Globally, the number of novel coronavirus cases has crossed 2 million, while the total count of COVID-19 cases has surpassed 20 lakh across 180 countries. 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: 8.30 PM: PM Modi talks to South African President Had a good discussion with President Cyril Ramaphosa about COVID-19 challenge and assured India's support to South Africa for maintaining essential medical supplies, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 8.13 PM: India sends medical aide to Afghanistan In a series of offerings of critical drugs, India sent 100,000 paracetamol&500,000 hydroxychloroquine tablets to Afghanistan through Ariana Airlines today. This is in addition to 1st consignment of wheat India shipped earlier to bolster food security, says Afghan Envoy Tahir Qadiry 8.03 PM: Coronavirus cases in MP Number of COVID-19 cases surge to 1,310 in Madhya Pradesh including 69 deaths & 68 recovered/cured. 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: MP Health Department. - ANI 7.44 PM: Samples tested today are 28,542; total samples tested so far are 3,32,583: Indian Council of Medical Research. 7.30 pm: Arunachal Pradesh state police have started using drones in several districts for surveillance to keep a check on movement of people amid the nationwide lockdown. (PTI) 7.20 pm: Congress urges CM Kejriwal govt to help migrants, daily wagers in distress due to COVID-19 lockdown Congress said that migrants and daily wagers should be giving ration and cash as incentives to instil confidence in them to stay in cities during the nationwide lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The party also urged the Delhi government to waive school fees and fixed power charges for shopkeepers, and pay 75 per cent salaries of teachers in aided schools, as it put forth a 10-point demand charter before the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation to help those in distress. 7.00 pm: Madras High Court TN govt's rejects plea to open liquor shops during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. 6.45 pm: Six new containment zones created in National Capital The 6 new containment zones in New Delhi are: The entire effected area around H.No 859/20, L-II, SangamVihar, New Delhi Gali No. 26 & 26B, H.NO. 2056 to 2092 and Gali No, 27 & 27B, H.No 2063 to 2083, Tughlakabad Extension, Delhi. In and around area of C-105, Hari Nagar, New Delhi. In and around area of B-333, Hari Nagar, New Delhi. In and around area of C-785, Third Floor, Camp No. 2, Nangloi, Delhi. In and around area of RZ-168, K2 Block, Nihal Vihar, Delhi 6.30 PM: More trouble for Markaz chief Maulana Sa'ad Kandhalvi Income Tax, in its initial probe, has found suspected tax evasion, income evasion and un-declaration of wealth. The crime branch has given documents to Income Tax Department, which is now scrutinising it. Sa'ad's income and tax returns of last five years are under scanner. The agency is also looking into who provided money to markaz members to travel across the country. The Income Tax Department will also look into who provided money to finance boarding and lodging of thousands who attended the markaz since January. Crime branch and ED have already initiated probe against Saad and Markaz. 6.20 PM: Coronavirus cases in Kerala Only 1 COVID-19 positive case reported in Kerala today; 10 more people have recovered. As of now, there are 138 active cases and 255 have cured, says the Kerala Health Minister's Office. 6.17 PM: Sitharaman attends World Bank-IMF Meet Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attends the Development Committee Meeting of the World Bank-IMF through video conference in New Delhi today. She has shared measures taken to combat COVID-19, including social support measures for poor and vulnerable and relief measures for firms in statutory and regulatory compliance matters. She commended the speedy response and efficiency of President David Malpass and his team at World Bank Group in rolling out the Fast Track COVID-19 Response Facility. 6.04 PM: HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on private schools charging fees The HRD Minister has urged private schools to reconsider decisions on annual fee hike, collecting fee quarterly during lockdown. "I hope state education departments will address the fee issue keeping in mind the concerns of parents, schools. A few states have taken positive steps to address school fee-related issues during lockdown, hope others will consider too," he added. 6.00 PM: Lockdown best possible decision in initial days taken by PM Narendra Modi to tackle COVID-19, says Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala. 5.57 PM: Coronavirus cases in Uttarakhand: 40 Three COVID19 positive cases have been reported in the state today. The total number of positive cases in the state is now 40. Three COVID19 positive cases reported in the state today; the total number of positive cases in the state is now 40: Uttarakhand Health Department pic.twitter.com/OOHEbbe7XO ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 5.40 PM: Coronavirus cases in Himachal: 35 The total number of COVID19 positive cases in the state stands at 35 including 12 discharged patients & 1 death: Himachal Pradesh Health Departmen. The total number of COVID19 positive cases in the state stands at 35 including 12 discharged patients & 1 death: Himachal Pradesh Health Department pic.twitter.com/vnOS73MZFb ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 5.30 PM: India reported 1,076 new cases and 32 deaths in the last 24 hours. The country's total number of coronavirus positive cases have risen to 13,835, including 11,616 active cases, 1,766 cured/discharged/migrated and 452 deaths 5.20 PM: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan holds meeting with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Health Minister Satyendar Jain and senior health officials via video conference. Delhi: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan holds meeting with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Health Minister Satyendar Jain and senior health officials via video conference. pic.twitter.com/ejRnpwwoXW ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 5.16 pm: Dehradun coronavirus updates 2 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported from Dehradun in Uttar Pradesh. Out of these two people, one case has been reported from a sealed colony who is the son of Jamaat attendee, the other case has been reported in Military Hospital, who is a lady doctor. 5.08 pm: Coronavirus in India Live Updates: Postpone rent collection by 3 months, Maharashtra govt to landlords The Maharashtra government has instructed all the landlords/house owners in the state defer rent collection by at least 3 months. The Maharashtra State Housing Department which issued the directions said that during the period, no tenant should be evicted from rented house due to non-payment of rent amount. Update 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.#WarAgainstViruspic.twitter.com/cOFsh0NDGD - CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 17, 2020 5.00 pm: Uttar Pradesh coronavirus news 3 UP districts are COVID-19 free now. The districts are Maharajganj, Hathras and Pilibhit. 4.54 pm: Rajasthan coronavirus news A mob attacked a police patrol party with bricks and lathis in Tonk, Rajasthan on Friday. 3 cops were injured in the attack. This happened when the cops were patrolling the areas where the curfew has been imposed. Rajasthan: Three police personnel injured after they were attacked while patrolling in Tonk today. Vipin Sharma, Additional SP says, "police party was attacked in 'Kasaai mohalla'. We have brought some people for interrogation, investigation underway". #CoronaLockdownpic.twitter.com/qdGULRzr3N - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 4.49 pm: Uttar Pradesh coronavirus news Uttar Pradesh government said on Friday that 20,453 FIRs were registered so far for the violation of lockdown guidelines across the state. 4.44 pm: India lockdown news: My son got married in a simple ceremony, we followed guidelines, says HK Kumaraswamy After receiving a lot of flak over his son's wedding in the wake of countrywide lockdown, former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that his son got married in a simple way and wanted to thank lakhs of his supporters. He added that the family followed the lockdown guidelines. 4.38 pm: Health Ministry on Coronavirus Ration between COVID-19 patients who recovered, those who died stands at 80:20, says Health Ministry. 4.35 pm: Coronavirus latest updates 1,919 dedicated coronavirus hospitals with 1.73 lakh isolation beds, and 21, 800 ICU beds set up in India, says Health Ministry 4.32 pm: India COVID-19 cases: 3.19 lakh tests conducted so far, says ICMR The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Friday that 3,19,400 samples have been tested so far in India and 28,340 tests were conducted on Thursday. 4.28 pm: Coronavirus news: 19 states/UTs have les doubling rate than India's average Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry said on Friday that 19 states and union territories have a lesser doubling rate of coronavirus cases that the national average. These states/UTs include Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Telangana, Odisha and Tripura. 4.21: Health Ministry briefing on coronavirus The Health Ministry said in its daily briefing on Friday that the growth of COVID-19 cases has shown a 40% decline and recovery rate is over 13%. The ministry added that the douboing rate of the cases now stands at 6.2 days. 4.15 PM: According to the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs, the total number of COVID-19 cases has surged to 13,387 in India, and as many as 1,749 patients have cured. 4.10 PM: Union health ministry daily briefing has started. 3.55 PM: PPE kits in short supply Placed orders for 14,000 kits with central govt's HLL, got 3,000 till now, says Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo. 3.45 PM: Special train carries 950 Army personnel A special train with around 950 Army personnel, who have completed professional courses at Army training establishments at Bangalore, Belgaum &Secundrabad, left Bengaluru today & will reach Jammu on 20 April. The personnel are due to rejoin their units in North India, says the Indian Army. A special train with around 950 Army personnel, who have completed professional courses at Army training establishments at Bangalore, Belgaum &Secundrabad, left Bengaluru today & will reach Jammu on 20 April. The personnel are due to rejoin their units in North India: Indian Army pic.twitter.com/0JDjQS84GX ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 3.41 PM: Two booked for denying to carry COVID-19 victim's body The police have booked two people for denying to take the body of a COVID-19 victim to crematorium. An ambulance driver and a sweeper have been booked for denying to take the body of a -COVID-19 victim, a native of Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi, to crematorium in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh. 3.39 PM: Coronavirus deaths in J&K: 5 A 75-year-old COVID-19 patient from Armpora Sopore in Baramulla has died at JVC Hospital in Srinagar, taking the death toll due to the disease to five in Jammu and Kashmir, Medical Superintendent of JVC Hospital said. - ANI 3.25 PM: Coronavirus update from AIIMS Patna A 35-year-old male, who had tested positive for COVID-19, lost his life at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, today. He had a history of tuberculosis and had a fever at the time he was admitted to hospital. 3.15 pm: Tamil Nadu coronavirus updates Watch: Dr. R. Narayanababu, Dean of Omandurar Medical College, Chennai says, "As patients are coming out of quarantine after 15 days, they will have mild depression. When they return to their homes, they can isolate themselves, the public should not isolate them". #WATCH Dr. R. Narayanababu, Dean of Omandurar Medical College, Chennai says, "As patients are coming out of quarantine after 15 days, they will have mild depression. When they return to their homes they can isolate themselves, the public should not isolate them". #TamilNadupic.twitter.com/ftRiA6fxt8 - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 3.09 pm: Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu news Tamil Nadu is the third worst-affected state after Maharashtra and Delhi with COVID-19 cases. The state has a total of 1,267 coronavirus cases along with 15 deaths and 180 cured and discharged, according the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Maharashtra tops the list with 3,205 cases and 194 deaths, which also the highest in the country. Delhi has 1,640 coronavirus cases with death toll at 38. 2.58 pm: Lockdown in Delhi news Delhi Police said on Friday that 26 cops, including a Station House Officer (SHO) have been put in quarantine as they had come in contact with 2 police constables, who had tested positive for novel coronavirus infection. (ANI) 2.52 pm: Coronavirus in Bihar Patna AIIMS officials said on Friday that a 35-year-old male COVID-19 patient from Vaishali has died at the hospital, ANI reports. 2.47 pm: India lockdown news: Modi govt leaving no stone unturned in fight against COVID-19, says Amit Shah Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that the Modi government is leaving no stone unturned in its fight against novel coronavirus trying to ensure minimum disruption in people's lives while planning for a strong and stable India in future. He added that the measures taken by the RBI to boost Indian economy will further reinforce PM Modi's vision. Modi govt is leaving no stone unturned in fight against #COVID19, ensuring minimum disruption in people's lives while planning for a strong & stable India in days ahead. Steps taken by RBI today to boost Indian economy further reinforce PM Modi's vision: Home Minister Amit Shah pic.twitter.com/MigEggFlaN - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 2.41 pm: Chennai coronavirus news 30 people were discharged from Omandurar Medical College on Friday, after recovering from COVID-19. A recovered patient said, "Healthcare staff addressed all our problems. Whatever has been preached in Islam, same was advised by doctors, like regularly washing hands and being optimistic". Chennai: 30 ppl discharged today from Omandurar Medical College, after recovering from #COVID19. A recovered person says,"Healthcare staff addressed all our problems. Whatever has been preached in Islam, same was advised by doctors, like regularly washing hands&being optimistic". pic.twitter.com/PJQPmFsL9d - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 2.29 pm: Coronavirus outbreak: Britain's Prince William and wife Kate urge people to look after their mental health Britain's Prince Willian and his wife Kate appealed to people to look after their mental health during the COVID-19 crisis. "There are things we can all do to look after our mental wellbeing at this time," Prince William said. Lauding the frontline warriors fighting the coronavirus pandemic he added that a lot of them are putting their lives and health on the line for all of us. 2.19 pm: Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh With 361 new COVID-19 cases, Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest single-day number for any state so far. Indore alone reported 244 new infections emerging as the biggest hotspot in the state. With Maharashtra and Gujarat continuing to report a spike in cases, the country recorded over 1,000 fresh coronavirus cases in 24 hours. 2.13 pm: Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir news The J&K education department has decided to deliver textbooks to school students of the government schools of 66 zones. The department is also running the online classes for the students. 2.06 pm: Pakistan coronavirus latest news Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the country's lead agency to take steps to tackle COVID-19 during the upcoming holy month of Ramzan. The total number of novel coronavirus cases in the country past 7,000-mark. 1.58 pm: Coronavirus cases India: Over 1,000 new cases, 23 deaths in one day India recorded over 1,000 COVID-19 cases and 23 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the latest date by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country climbed to 13,387 on Friday, according to latest data by Health Ministry. This includes 11,201 active cases, 1,748 cured and discharged, 437 deaths and 1 migrated. Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state with total number of confirmed cases at 3,205 as of date with 194 deaths which is also the highest in the country. Among other badly hit states are, Delhi (1640 cases and 38 deaths), Tamil Nadu (1267 and 15 deaths), Rajasthan (1131 cases and 3 deaths), Madhya Pradesh (1120 and 53 deaths), Gujarat (930 and 36 deaths) and Uttar Pradesh (805 and 13 deaths). 1.48 pm: COVID-19 in India: Security guard in Delhi booked for infecting family with coronavirus tests negative A security guard who was booked for allegedly infecting 2 members of a family with COVID-19 in South Delhi has been tested negative. The family had earlier registered an FIR at the Defence Colony police station. However, the test report of the guard that came out on April 11, showed negative result. 1.43 pm: Coronavirus in Delhi Muslim clerics and community leaders appeal to people to pray at home during the holy month of Ramzan. "We should stay at home & practice social distancing to keep ourselves & others safe. If we fast & pray at home, there is no problem with it," Cleric Mufti Mukarram said. 1.36 pm: Coronavirus latest updates: UNSC President backs WHO, says cannot blame the organisation Backing the World Health Organisation (WHO), the President of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Dominican Republic Ambassador Jose Singer said, "The world is not prepared. No country imagined this. We cannot solely blame WHO. We have to, at this moment, have one body and follow them." Hailing India as a key player in the world, he said, "In our point of view, India currently is a key player in present global order and we are confident it will continue to do so during these hard and unprecedented times." 1.26 pm: Coronavirus India news: PM Modi lauds RBI's relief measures to tackle economic crisis Taking to Twitter PM 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 limits." 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 limits. - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 17, 2020 1.17 pm: Delhi coronavirus updates Schools can't hike fee during lockdown, says Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. "We have got several complaints about schools hiking fees and also levying charges like transport fee, which is not even being utilised during the lockdown. No private school will be allowed to hike fees without seeking permission from the government. Schools also cannot charge beyond the tuition fee," Sisodia said at a press conference on Friday. 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: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia pic.twitter.com/Bm80wyYlUG - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 1.08 pm: Gujarat coronavirus news 59 news cases reported in Gujarat as of 8 am on April 17, according to Health Ministry. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the state stand at 930 now along with 73 recoveries and 36 deaths. 12.59 pm: Lockdown in Maharashtra news Maharashtra's health department that 288 more novel coronavirus cases and 7 more deaths were reported in Maharashtra on Friday. This has taken the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state to 3,204 while the death toll is at 194, reports ANI. 12.54 pm: Karnataka coronavirus news 38 more COVID-19 cases reported in Karnataka from 5 pm on Thursday till 12 pm on Friday. According to the state government, the total number of cases in Karnataka now stand at 353, comprising 82 discharged and 13 deaths. 38 more #COVID19 cases reported in Karnataka from 5 pm yesterday till 12 pm today. Total cases in the state stand at 353, including 82 discharged & 13 deaths: Karnataka Government pic.twitter.com/P4e9WfKHyN - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 12.46 pm: Rajasthan lockdown news 3 cops were injured on Friday after they were attacked while patrolling in Tonk. "Police party was attacked in 'Kasaai mohalla'. We have brought some people for interrogation, investigation underway," Vipin Sharma, Additional SP said. Rajasthan: Three police personnel injured after they were attacked while patrolling in Tonk today. Vipin Sharma, Additional SP says, "police party was attacked in 'Kasaai mohalla'. We have brought some people for interrogation, investigation underway". #CoronaLockdownpic.twitter.com/qdGULRzr3N - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 12.36 pm: Lockdown in Uttar Pradesh UP government has sent 300 buses to Kota, Rajasthan to bring back stranded students there. 12.30 pm: Andhra Pradesh coronavirus news 38 fresh COVID-19 cases reported in Andhra Pradesh in last 24 hours, taking the total tally in the state to 572. These cases include 35 patients who have been discharged and 14 deaths. 12.25 pm: Coronavirus in India: Got removes restrictions on exports of formulation of paracetamol India has removed curbs on the exports of formulations of the paracetamol, which is a common pain reliever, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a statement on Friday. It added that the exports of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) of paracetamol will remain restricted. 12.19 pm: Delhi lockdown updates Private and government schools in Delhi cannot hike fees at this time, says Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia. 12.10 pm: Delhi coronavirus news The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Delhi jumped to 1,640 on Friday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The death toll in the national capital also climbed to 38 while, 51 people have been cured, discharged, migrated so far. Delhi is the second worst-affected state in India following Maharashtra whose cases have crossed the 3,000-mark at 3,205 as of date with 194 deaths which is also the highest in the country. 12.00 pm: India lockdown: Former Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy's son ties knot Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy married Revathi, the grand-niece of former Congress Minister for Housing M Krishnappa, in Ramnagar on Friday. The wedding celebration took place amid the countrywide lockdown. #WATCH Karnataka: Nikhil Kumarswamy, son of former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, tied the knot with Revathi, the grand-niece of former Congress Minister for Housing M Krishnappa, today in Ramnagar. (Video source: anonymous wedding guest) pic.twitter.com/5DH9fjNshQ - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 11.54 am: Coronavirus outbreak: Schools, colleges postpone fee payment, offer instalment options Educational institutions are postponing the fee payment for students suffering severe income losses due to COVID-19 lockdown. The schools and colleges are offering students installment options for fee payment. Read more here:Coronavirus: Schools, colleges defer fee payment, offer installment options 11.47 am: Delhi coronavirus news Union Group of Ministers (GOM) meeting over COVID-19 is underway at Nirman Bhawan. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and other ministers also present at the meeting. Delhi: Union Group of Ministers (GOM) meeting over #COVID19, underway at Nirman Bhawan. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and other ministers also present. pic.twitter.com/PKnxvJP3Yv - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 11.37 am: Maharashtra coronavirus updates The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will mandatorily put asymptomatic patients in 14-day quarantine, but their swab test will not be collected immediately. It added that samples of such patients in quarantine will be taken after the fifth day of isolation, if they develop symptoms for COVID-19. 11.28 am: Coronavirus updates: Denmark will allow small businesses to reopen on April 20 Denmark will permit some small businesses, such as driving schools, beauty salons and hairdressers to reopen on April 20, the government said on Friday, following a lockdown ordered in March to contain COVID-19. (Reuters) 11.20 pm: Gujarat coronavirus cases 92 cases emerged in Gujarat on Friday.This has taken the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state now to 1,021, comprising 74 discharged and 38 deaths, according the the State Health Department. 11.10 am: Maharashtra coronavirus news 86 cases, 9 deaths reported in Dharavi area of Mumbai Maharashtra: Dharavi area of Mumbai, where 86 #COVID19 cases & 9 deaths related to the virus, have been reported. pic.twitter.com/FpoQ2y2g6t - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 11.02 am: Punjab coronavirus news: 3 contacts of infected Sub-Inspector test positive in Ludhiana 3 contacts of COVID-19 infected Sub-Inspector who had earlier tested positive for the virus were also tested positive on Friday. These contacts include, his wife, a sub-inspector/SHO and a constable belonging to Ferozpore District, who is a driver. ACP case - three contacts test positive in Ludhiana; Wife, a Sub-Inspector/ SHO and a constable belonging to Ferozpore District, who is his driver. SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) being followed: KBS Sidhu, Special Chief Secretary, Punjab pic.twitter.com/erW8QlImbE - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 10.53 am: BusinessToday.In coronavirus tracker: Check latest state-wise COVID-19 tally 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. 10.47 am: Karnataka coronavirus news Nikhil Kumarswamy, son of former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, tied the knot with Revathi, the grand-niece of former Congress Minister for Housing M Krishnappa, on Friday in Bengaluru. Karnataka: Nikhil Kumarswamy, son of former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, tied the knot with Revathi, the grand-niece of former Congress Minister for Housing M Krishnappa, today in Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/HrLpGD5s9p - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 10.39 am: Nearly 4,500 Americans died of COVID-19 in one day Up to 4,591 Americans have died in the past 24 hours due to novel coronavirus in the United States. According to Johns Hopkins University, 4,591 US nationals died in 24 hours by 8 pm on Thursday. The previous highest was 2,569 on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 infection has killed over 1,44,000 people and infected more than 2.1 million people worldwide. 10.27 am: China coronavirus news Wuhan, the epicentre of COVID-19 outbreak, abruptly raised its death toll by 50% on Friday to a total count of 3,869, conceding that several cases were "mistakenly reported" or missed entirely. 10.16 am: Coronavirus latest news: US provides around $5.9 million in health assistance to India The United States has given around $5.9 million in health assistance to India to stem the further spread of novel coronavirus pandemic. The amount will be used by India to contain the spread of disease by providing relief and care to the affected people, circulate essential public health messages to communities and boost case-finding and surveillance, the state department said on Thursday. 10.06 am: RBI Governor Shakikanta Das begins his second media briefing since the COVID-19 outbreak 9.56 am: Coronavirus updates: Home Affairs Ministry revises guidelines Home Affairs Ministry has issued an order to include the following in the revised guidelines on lockdown 2.0 for implementation by ministries and state governments. Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an order to include the following in the consolidated revised guidelines on lockdown measures for strict implementation by Ministries/Depts of GoI, State/Union Territory Govts &various authorities. pic.twitter.com/svAUgGQV2x - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 9.48 am: Madhya Pradesh coronavirus news Tomato produce in Chhatarpur rotting in fields due to lack of labour and transportation. Farmers say, "All crops are completely destroyed. We are not able to take tomatoes to the market; it has caused us a loss of Rs. 50-60,000 in the last two weeks." Madhya Pradesh: Tomato produce rotting in fields due to lack of labour and transportation, in Chhatarpur. Farmers say, "All crops are completely destroyed. We are not able to take tomatoes to the market, it has caused us a loss of Rs. 50-60,000 in the last two weeks." pic.twitter.com/RmuC7Y7b1A - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 9.36 am: Ghaziabad coronavirus news Police using drones to monitor COVID-19 hotspots in Ghaziabad. "We are using drones to monitor the hotspots regularly. Lockdown measures are being implemented and rules are being enforced," said Manish Mishra, Superintendent of Police (City). Ghaziabad: Police are using drones to monitor #COVID19 hotspots in the district. Manish Mishra, Superintendent of Police (City) says, "We are using drones to monitor the hotspots regularly. Lockdown measures are being implemented and rules are being enforced". (16.04.20) pic.twitter.com/cfPWWBjTEl - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 17, 2020 9.23 am: Rajasthan coronavirus news: 38 more people infected Rajasthan recorded 38 fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday, taking the state's tally to 1,169. These new cases include 18 from Jodhpur, 6 from Tonk, 5 from Jaipur, 4 from Kota, 2 from Nagaur, and 1 each from Jhunjhunu, Ajmer and Jhalawar. 9.15 am: RBI Governor press conference: Shaktikanta Das to address media at 10 am on Friday RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das will address media at 10 am on Friday. This will be his second briefing amid COVID-19 outbreak in the country. Das is likely to announce measures in the form of financial relief to the sectors hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to discuss ways to cushion the economy and sectors worst-affected by COVID-19. 9.07 am: RBI Governor address: Centre working on a financial relief package The central government is working on a financial relief package in form of staggered boosters. According to sources, the government may focus on relief to benefit MSMES, workers and services sector which are hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis. The relief measures will be announced by central government and RBI. Meanwhile, RBI governor Shaktikanta Das is likely to announce the measures in his press conference on Friday. 8.59 am: Canada-US border won't reopen for several weeks, says Canadian PM Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday that his country's border with the United States would fully reopen for many weeks, rejecting US President Donald Trump's overtures to open the same sooner. 8.50 am: Coronavirus latest news: Donald Trump orders probe to check if the virus leaked from a China's lab US President Donald Trump has ordered an investigation to check if the coronavirus was leaked from a lab in China's Wuhan. An article by Scientific American, an American popular science magazine throws interesting details about what was going on the lab and the version of scientists working there. 8.40 am: Coronavirus India cases: Confirmed cases cross 13,000-mark The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases climbed to 13,387 on Friday, according to latest data by Health Ministry. This includes 11,201 active cases, 1,748 cured and discharged, 437 deaths and 1 migrated. 8.30 am: Coronavirus US news: Donald Trump announces 3-phases guidelines for reopening economy United States President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled a 3-phased approach to reopen the economy by restoring normal commerce and services. However, only for places with strong testing and seeing a dip in novel coronavirus cases. 8.15 am: BusinessToday.In coronavirus tracker-Check state-wise COVID-19 tally 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 Re: Kellogg versus Yale ($$) for Tech [ #permalink 1 Kudos Retired Officers and Men of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) serving with the United Nations (UN), have donated assorted medical items worth USD 15,000 (about GHS 80,000) to the 37 Military Hospital. The items donated in Accra on Wednesday 15 April 2020, included 2,571 pieces of head covers, 2,000 pieces of aprons, 1,000 pieces of N95 face masks, 12,350 pieces of shoe covers and 30 pieces of Infra-red thermometers. Presenting the items, the leader of the group, Colonel (Col) Franklin Vowotor (Rtd) disclosed that the donation was to support the facility in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, in the country. The Commander of the hospital Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Nii Adjah Obodai, received the items and thanked the group for the kind gesture, and further appealed to individuals and corporate bodies, to emulate the retired officers and men of GAF. Source: Squadron Leader R Omane-Agyei/ Directorate of Public Relations, GHQ 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 ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Long linked by proximity and the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who live and work in their jurisdictions, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia are now connected by the growing numbers of coronavirus cases they are battling. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser spoke in a conference call Friday to discuss co-ordinating virus response efforts. Hogan said the three officials have frequently spoken over the past month. Hogan also noted that their staffs are in daily contact. While we may have individual differences about how were going after different things, the sharing of information, the willingness to try to co-operate on things that are of importance to the region has been terrific, and it has been throughout the crisis, and I think its going to continue, Hogan said Friday after the call. Hogan noted that this was the deadliest week yet in the region in and around the nations capital. He said the area has had more than 21,000 cases of coronavirus and 818 deaths. As states review guidelines from the White House aimed at easing restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, cases in areas near the capital are going up rather than down, said Hogan, who is the chairman of the National Governors Association. Were all in some part of a phase of talking about the gradual reopening but not able to start that quite yet, and we all are in agreement that we want to do that in a way thats co-operative, said Hogan, a Republican. We understand that while each area is unique that there are certainly things that we have to do together as a region. Northam, a Democrat, said at a news conference Friday that Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and the District would do everything that we can to be in co-ordination and be consistent when it comes to reopening the economy. We share some of the same challenges, and we will do everything that we can to be in co-ordination and be consistent so well be as straightforward as possible for everybody in this region, Northam said. Northam said he, Hogan and Bowser had discussed co-ordinating regionally on when to lift restrictions on elective surgeries. We want to be consistent because what we dont want to happen is, if we do it sooner in one state than the other, then individuals will go to other states to have their surgery done, Northam said. Northam said Virginia does not meet the criteria to start even the first phase of the White House plan. To do so, the state would need its number of positive tests to be on a downward trend for 14 days. We have not met that criteria. Were still seeing more cases each day, not fewer. So we are not there yet, he said. Governors in the Northeast and along the West Coast this week announced separate state compacts to co-ordinate how to begin reopening society amid the coronavirus pandemic. They did not announce specific plans on how to scale back stay-at-home orders or reopen businesses. Instead, both groups said they would co-ordinate those decisions while first considering the health of residents. Although Hogan, Northam and Bowser have not been as formal in announcing a compact, they have been working together for weeks. For example, the three signed a letter to President Donald Trump dated March 15, requesting that the president add the region as a priority location for a federally supported testing site. The National Capital Region is home to over six million residents and the seat of the federal government, with hundreds of thousands of employees and contractors serving the Department of Defence and other mission essential agencies, the three wrote. The health of the National Capital Region is a top priority for the continuity of our democratic government and critical to continuing federal government functions. For most people, the 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 AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak ___ Associated Press writer Sarah Rankin contributed to this report in Richmond, Virginia. Temperature checks for students and all school staff to be tested for COVID-19 should be considered before West Australian schools return for term 2, according to the state's peak public school teachers' union. The State School Teachers' Union of WA is calling for those measures to be considered and their members issues addressed urgently by the government ahead of its soft opening of schools from April 29. WA teachers and students are set to head back to school from term 2. Credit:Jamieson Murphy The unions calls come after it was announced parents could choose to either send their children to school or keep them home for remote learning next term, with schools and teachers left with the responsibility of detailing how the various modes of education would be delivered. NEW HAVEN A New Haven native and Orange resident has died from the coronavirus, according to her obituary. Carol Konowitz, 77, most recently of Rockleigh, N.J., died April 14. She was born to Harold and Mae Perlin in 1943, graduated from Hillhouse High School, and attended the University of Connecticut, before raising daughters in Orange, where she lived for many years, her obituary said. She is survived by her daughter, Susan, and son-in-law Rolf Klein, of Wanaque, N.J., daughter Amy Konowitz, of Milford, Conn., their father, Edward Konowitz, of Cheshire, her grandchildren Jacob and Danny Klein, her twin sister, Nancy Lerner, and her husband, Joel, of Bluffton, S.C.; and nephews Jamie and David Lerner, the obituary said. 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. 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. Jimmy Webb, the kindly, spindly-legged, leather-vested East Village fixture who was the longtime manager of Trash and Vaudeville, the rock n roll clothiers that once ruled St. Marks Place, died on Tuesday at his apartment in Manhattan. He was 62. The cause was cancer, said Heart Montalbano, a friend. With a rockers bleached-out shag, ropy arms vined with tattoos and jangly silver bracelets, and skintight jeans slashed by rips and rivets, Mr. Webb was a proudly resolute bearer of the punk-glam torch, even as the decades moved inexorably along. Stomping through the East Village like a visitor from another time and place, he barely missed a day as the manager of Trash and Vaudeville, where he worked from 2000 until a few years ago, when the store, which opened in 1975, moved around the corner. A kind of Proust in streetwear is how his idol, Iggy Pop, described Mr. Webb in a statement. He was, he added, a relentlessly enthusiastic fan who enjoyed your fame and oddity so much he wants to be you, and why not? A man has been handed a four-week prison sentence after breaching Covid-19 travel restrictions by driving more than 450km from Derry to Co Kerry just to buy two puppies. The 36-year-old is now appealing the prison sentence imposed by Judge David Waters at Tralee District Court. The Derry resident had pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health Act 1947 - Covid-19 Emergency Measures Section 10, 2020. The charge followed an incident in which gardai on a routine Operation Fanacht checkpoint stopped a vehicle at Dooneen outside Castleisland on Thursday. Only essential workers are allowed to travel, while everyone else is asked to comply with a 2km travel zone around their homes. The only trips permitted outside the 2km limit are for medical reasons, food shopping or essential care for a vulnerable or elderly person. The defendant said he was in Co Kerry on work for a security firm but was unable to produce photographic identification. His visit was not deemed an essential journey and he was instructed by officers to immediately return to Derry. However, he was then stopped for a second time outside Killarney and now informed officers he was in Co Kerry to purchase two puppies. The defendant pleaded guilty and the judge imposed a four-week prison sentence. However, an appeal was immediately lodged via a recognisance of 900. The defendant was released pending the hearing of his appeal before Kerry Circuit Appeals Court. A word about Passover... Our shared Jewish heritage and traditions bind our global family together, especially during difficult times. And with Passover just ended, we recognize that this year's commemorations were unlike any in recent memory as we found ourselves unable to gather with loved ones, friends and neighbors. 75 Years After A Nightmare... Of course I refer to Auschwitz, which was liberated 75 years ago. I read this in the World Jewish Congress digest and pass it along to you: Ambassador RONALD S. LAUDER, president of WJC and chairman of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Foundation, joined some 200 Holocaust survivors and heads of state from more than 22 countries recently for the official memorial event marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau on the site of the former German Nazi concentration camp. Delivering a keynote address at the commemoration on behalf of the Pillars of Remembrance, private donors who support the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation and its mission to preserve the authenticity of the memorial site, Amb. Lauder emphasized that it was the scourge of anti-Semitism combined with world indifference that led to the Holocaust. He urged citizens and government leaders everywhere to speak out against intolerance and hatred. "Today is about you, the survivors, and I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am that you are here and, in some cases, here with your children and grandchildren. Seventy-five years ago, when Soviet troops entered these gates, they had no idea what lay behind them. And since then, the entire world has struggled with what they found inside. When we hear something that is anti-Semitic, when we hear someone talk about Israel unjustly, when Jews are attacked on your streets, do not be silent. Do not be indifferent. And do not just do this for the Jewish people around the world. Do this for your children, do this for your grandchildren." When Ronald Lauder first visited Auschwitz with his family in 1987 while serving as U.S. Ambassador to Austria, he found a state of disrepair that threatened the disappearance of the historic site. Committed to its preservation for future generations, he brought in curators from the Egyptian Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to assess the needs and create a plan. With the help of Auschwitz survivors, KALMAN SULTANIK and ERNEST MICHEL, Lauder raised $40 million from 19 countries to ensure the site's preservation. In 2003, with the financial support of the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum opened its Conservation Laboratories. The laboratory's mission is to preserve material traces of the camp, including every shoe, every document and every building that remains at the site. Today, Lauder remains deeply involved in the preservation of the memorial site through his role as Chairman of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Foundation, a New York based nonprofit organization that was established in 2012. 'Nothing was more important for the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz than having the survivors of this horrible place present to help the world bear witness,' said Amb. Lauder. ' The survivors are the direct link. Let the world see them; let the world hear them; make the world remember.' The WJC is committed to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and of the millions of Jews and countless Jewish communities destroyed during the Holocaust, to advocating on behalf of the survivors and their families, and to raising public consciousness of the dangers of religious, racial and ethnic oppression and persecution. (Still today, I meet people who are Holocaust deniers. Also, many of the younger generation never heard of the Holocaust, the greatest crime in human history. It is up to us to keep the memory alive!) Speaking of the younger generation... Anti-Semitic acts that individual students, groups, and even professors have done to our pro-Israel children and grandchildren on campuses are: (To name but a few. If I named all, I would need at least a two-page column.) Disruptions of Israel or Jewish events and speakers. Swastikas & fake eviction notices placed on student dormitory doors. The labeling of Zionist students as "white supremacists" by professors or other student groups, because they support Israel. Grade reprisals for students who are supporters of Israel and challenge their professor's biased positions. Denial of recommendation letter for a student to study in Israel Jewish students questioned about their identity or if they have visited Israel when they apply for a student committee. BDS debates and votes taking place on Jewish holidays or on the Sabbath. Some good news for a change... A note from another Jewish member of the Red Hatter's, JANNY YAPO: I spoke with one of our member's husbands. ANNETTE EDELSTEIN is doing well after neck and back surgery. She is eating solid food and sleeping a lot. She has a drainage tube in her neck and is receiving physical therapy. They Do Not have a discharge day yet. (Annette is one of the sweetest people I know. Glad she is recovering nicely!) Another uplifting bit of news... I recently watched the story of SID LUFT on a television special. It mostly covered the years he was married to movie star, Judy Garland. (Memories... memories. WAIT! I'm not THAT old!) JCC and JCC39ers Dine Around Town... (If it is NOT cancelled) On Thursday, April 30th at 1 p.m., meeting is set for Chili's Restaurant, 397 E. Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs. RSVP to FLO GOLDMAN, 407- 359-5982. Shout-Out... On the Greek Isle of Zakynthos in September 1943, when Nazi officials demanded a list of the island's 275 Jewish residents, Mayor Loukas Karrer turned to local Greek Orthodox Bishop Chrysostomos for help. As the Bishop negotiated for their lives, most of the island's Jews fled to remote villages where non-Jewish locals hid them. Sid Luft and Judy Garland. When the Germans again demanded the names for deportation, Bishop Chrysostomos presented a list bearing only two names... his and the mayor's. "Here', he said, "are your Jews." (At the end of the war, all 275 Jews were still alive!) One for the road... It's Henry and Diane's second wedding anniversary and for a surprise, Henry decides to send some flowers to her office. He even instructs the florist to write on the card: - "From Henry. Happy Anniversary. Year Number 2" Diane is thrilled with the flowers, but not so pleased with the card. It reads: - "From Henry. Happy Anniversary. You're Number 2" (Oy vay. It either means she is his other love or she is feces!) Last Sunday, after weeks of living in pajamas while confined to our homes in coronavirus quarantine, my family attended the Palm Sunday services at the Amman Baptist Church in Jordan. We woke up early, showered, shaved, fixed our hair, put on our Sunday best, and then traveled the long distance from the bedroom to the living room to watch the livestreamed songs and sermon celebrating the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The timetable above is not an error. While evangelicals around the world joined Catholics in commemorating Easter on April 12, in Jordan our Passion week was only just beginning. The reason for this anomaly stems from a decision made 45 years earlier by the Middle Eastern nations officially recognized Christian denominations. Christmas, they agreed, would be celebrated jointly on December 25 according to the Western Gregorian calendar. And in exchange, all Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants would mark Palm Sunday and Easter according to the Eastern Julian calendar. In the West, many Orthodox communities already observe Christmas in line with the local culture. In the Middle East, the bigger problem is Easter. The vast majority of Egypts 10 million Christians celebrate both Christmas and Easter according to the Coptic Orthodox calendar. The majority of Lebanons Christiansone-third of the populationare Maronite Catholic, who determine the religion of the president and the cultural celebration of Christmas and Easter. The government also observes the religious calendar of its sizable Orthodox community. But in Jordan and Palestine, where the percentage of Christians in the popluation is dwindling to single digits, the duplication of holidays became a social problemfor Muslims. The 95 percent-plus majority would often congratulate friends and neighbors, only to be rebuffed by remarks that the day was not the correct denominational holiday. The unity agreement reached in Jordan would incorporate Palestine also, except for the thorny issues of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Because of the intense and often violent conflicts over the centuries contesting usage rights in Bethlehems Church of the Nativity and Jerusalems Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in 1757 the heads of denominations agreed to follow what is now called the Status Quo. The Status Quo regulates the usage of chapels and other spaces in the two churches to preserve the peace between Christian sects. The agreement is very specific about times and datesincluding years when Easter falls on the same dayto ensure all are able to carry out their prayers at their most holy sites. So even as public pressure mounted to unify the holidays, it was impossible to adjust the Status Quo and apply it in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Nevertheless, in 1975, church leaders in Jordan agreed to the unification. In Palestine (with the exception of Jerusalem and Bethlehem), a similar unity agreement was adopted 10 years ago. The governments of Jordan and Palestine rewarded this step by declaring December 25 as a national holiday. Easter was more complicated, especially in Jordan, where the king is a direct descendent of the Prophet Muhammad. While Islam recognizes the virgin birth of Jesus, Muslims deny the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. As a compromise, the government granted public- and private-sector Christian employees three days off for Palm Sunday, Easter, and the following Monday. (Jordans official weekend is Friday and Saturday.) But in Palestine, two years ago President Mahmoud Abbas took a major decision and agreed to recognize Orthodox Easter as a national holiday. (Christmas was declared an official holiday in 1996.) Culturally, Christians in the region light up their Christmas tree, and celebrate Easter with an assortment of sweets that reference Christs passion. Kaak is a date-filled cookie that resembles the crown of thorns, while the pistachio-stuffed mamoul is shaped like the sponge given to Jesus on the cross. Even so, while the vast majority of Christians in Jordan and Palestine celebrate Christmas, Palm Sunday, and Easter as one community, the churches are not yet fully united. Rifat Bader, a Roman Catholic priest, said that in Jordan, his denomination has merged the religious and cultural ceremonies, while Ibrahim Dabour, a priest in the Orthodox Church, told me that they hold two services for each holidayone on the unified celebration for the general public, and another in accordance with the Orthodox calendar, as stipulated by their Jerusalem Patriarchate. In 2015, Pope Francis expressed his wish and the great readiness of the Catholic Church to endorse any calendar change decided in unity by the Christian churches. The original agreement on Easter dates all the way back to the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. But regardless of when we celebrate Easter, it is reassuring to know that 2,000 years ago, the world witnessed the victorious resurrection, giving hope for humanity. And in the lands where Jesus died and rose again, Arab Christians greet each other with the eternally powerful greeting: Al-Maseeh Qam! (Christ is risen!) We then reply: Haqan Qam! (He is risen indeed!) Happy Easter to all, both this Sunday and last. Daoud Kuttab is an award-winning Palestinian journalist living in Amman and is the secretary of the Jordan Evangelical Council. Ahead of the much-anticipated arrival of the new Mercedes GLB, the company this week announced the arrival here in Ireland of the new GLA compact SUV. Mercedes says the new car boasts added character, added spaciousness and added safety amongst its key features and claim the new GLA to be the latest in a line of models first introduced six years ago, and later updated in a face-lifted variant launched in 2017. Described as a sporty, lifestyle-oriented partner to the GLB, and a companion to the GLC and GLE within their wider family of SUV models, the GLA will be available here in a choice of two design lines Progressive and a high-performance AMG version. Against a sales backdrop of more than 6.5 million units worldwide, the luxury SUV segment is increasingly valuable to Mercedes-Benz a fact underlined by the steps that have been taken to improve the GLAs sporty appeal and interior spaciousness in a manner likely to make it a more compelling proposition. Taller by more than 100mm (despite being 15mm shorter) designers have given it added interior headroom for driver and front passenger and considerably greater rear legroom for back seat passengers. Track width has been increased by four centimetres while ground clearance has been raised, albeit marginally. Boot volume has been increased, helped by rear seats that can slide by up to 140mm. Other design features include details carried over from the larger 7-seat GLB and the GLC. Engines available at launch, all turbocharged, consist of four petrol and three diesel versions. Petrol models are a 1.3-litre, 163 bhp GLA 200, a 2-litre, 224 bhp GLA 250 and GLA 250 4MATIC. The AMG GLA 35 and AMG GLA 45 will also be available to order at the launch date. Diesel versions, all 1.9-litres, are a 150 bhp GLA 200d, GLA 200d 4-MATIC and a 190 bhp GLA 220d and GLA 220d 4MATIC. In the pipeline is a 180d 1.5-litre diesel and a plug-in petrol/electric variant. Ciaran Allen, sales manager for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars in Ireland said the arrival of the new GLA is being supported with attractive price and purchase finance arrangements pitched competitively against those of its main rivals and broadly in harmony with those of its predecessor. Audacious Audi Audi has announced a stonking updated RS 5 Sportback and Coupe models. Fitted with the companys V6 twin-turbo with 450 bhp engine and quattro permanent all-wheel drive, these two beasts will satisfy most hotshoe drivers. No Irish pricing has been announced yet. The main characteristic of these monsters is immense pulling power and high output combined with efficiency. Even after revision, the output of the 2.9 TFSI remains unchanged at 450 bhp but the V6 twin-turbo delivers all its got between 1,900 and 5,000 rpm. Both RS models catapult themselves from zero to 100 kph in just 3.9 seconds. On request and if youre good Audi Sport GmbH can raise the top speed from 250 to 280 kph. We will have more in due course. VW doing their parts Even during the coronavirus crisis, the Volkswagen Group continues to ensure supplies of genuine parts. In Germany, more than 95 percent of the about 3,500 service stations remain open so that customers can stay mobile. Throughout the world, about 60 percent of the 25,000 service stations remain active. The Original Parts Centre in Kassel ensures that genuine parts for repair work reach the workshop rapidly despite coronavirus. VW says the order level is around one third of the normal volume. In these activities, the top priority is to protect the health of employees and suppliers at Kassel. Roman Havlasek, Head of Group After Sales, said: In the coronavirus crisis, many people need their car to travel to work, to provide goods for themselves and other people and to make necessary visits to doctors. Our customers, who include many people working in the health system and food retailing, have to rely on their vehicle more than ever before as a result of the coronavirus crisis. This is why it is so important for our team to maintain genuine parts supplies. Throughout the world, about 60 percent of the 25,000 VW service stations are still active. They allow customers to have repair and servicing work carried out in accordance with the applicable local regulations. It will be the first and only COVID-19 testing facility in the Faridabad region The bioassay laboratory of Department of Biotechnologys Faridabad-based Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) will now function as an extension of diagnostic facility of ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Faridabad for COVID-19 testing. It will be the first and only COVID-19 testing facility in the Faridabad region. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two institutes also provides for the team at the bioassay laboratory to train manpower and build capacity at the ESI hospital for COVID-19 testing. While THSTI is funded by Department of Biotechnology in the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Faridabad is a premier medical institution under the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment. DBT- THSTIs bioassay laboratory was established under the DBT-funded Translational Research Program of THSTI. It was set up for clinical development of vaccines and biologicals. It is intended to meet the global standards in Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP) and will be applying for accreditation by National Accreditation Board for testing and calibration Laboratories (NABL) for vaccine development and testing. This MoU was signed following the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) decision to undertake an expansion process wherein it engaged government laboratories, which were not under ICMR, to also initiate testing facilities. This includes laboratories of DBT, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Defence Research and Development Organisation, and government funded medical colleges, among others. Equity benchmark Sensex rallied over 1,100 points in opening trade on Friday tracking strong gains in index heavyweights HDFC twins, Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank and TCS amid positive cues from global markets. Investor sentiment is also buoyed in anticipation of more measures from the Reserve Bank of India to revive the economy. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das is scheduled to address the media at 10 am amidst the steep fall in the rupee and the continuing volatility in other segments of the financial market. After hitting a high of 31,711.70, the 30-share index was trading 1,036.74 points or 3.39 per cent higher at 31,639.35. Similarly, the NSE Nifty was quoting 291 points, or 3.24 per cent, up at 9,283.80. TCS was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, surging up to 7 per cent. The countrys largest software exporter reported a marginal dip in March quarter net at Rs 8,049 crore on Thursday. The company reported a 5.1 per cent increase in revenue to Rs 39,946 crore for the reporting quarter, while the same for the full year FY20 was up 7.1 per cent to Rs 1.57 lakh crore. Other gainers included Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC, PowerGrid and IndusInd Bank. In the previous session, the BSE barometer ended 222.80 points or 0.73 per cent higher at 30,602.61 and the Nifty climbed 67.50 points, or 0.76 per cent, to finish at 8,992.80. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) were net sellers in the capital market on Thursday, as they offloaded equity shares worth Rs 2,920.36 crore, according to provisional exchange data. According to traders, market sentiment turned positive led by rally in global equities. Bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo were trading with significant gains in early deals. Stock exchanges on Wall Street ended significantly on a strong note overnight trade. On the domestic front, hopes of more measures to boost the domestic economy by the central bank chief also lifted benchmark indices. Meanwhile, Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, rose 1.94 per cent to USD 28.36 per barrel. The death toll due to Covid-19 rose to 437, while the number of cases in the country climbed to 13,387. Global tally of the infections has crossed 21 lakh, with over 1.44 lakh deaths This week, President Donald Trump told reporters,"When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total." That claim, as many pointed out, contradicts the U.S. Constitution. While he later modified his claim, this was only the latest foray in the pandemic-prompted national discussion about federalism. This conversation has touched on three myths about how the U.S.'s federal system operates. Let's examine each one in turn. 1.Federalism is not a code word for states' rights andability to get things done Last week, many observers were applauding governors and chastising the federal government for inaction. In response, Nikki Haley, a Republican and the former governor of South Carolina, suggested that citizens should pay less attention to the federal government and "look no further than the governors" to "save people's lives" and "keep the economy afloat." But Haley is wrong when she suggests that governors can handle the pandemic and that "[o]ur Constitution has it right: Keep control and decision-making close to the people." In doing so, she promotes the outdated concept of dual federalism, which equated federalism with states' rights and states' ability to make effective policy on their own. The founders designed a system with a strong central government capable of coordinating state action. They did not intend states to meet national emergencies on their own. As John Jay wrote,"a good national government," with its capacity to unite and coordinate the states, is "necessary" to deter foreign invasion. 2.Nor does it just mean that states are insignificant Trump was touting a highly centralized conception of federalism to justify his claim that he had the authority to order states to reopen the economy, saying that the governors "can't do anything without the approval of the president of the United States." While the president's comments startled observers, they do have precedent. The expansion of civil and political rights in the 1960s and 1970s created significant federal oversight over state policymaking, a period when the Supreme Court struck down many state regulations. Some were ready to pronounce federalism dead. But in the past two decades, states have again become consequential domestic policymakers in such efforts as opening marriage to same-sex couples. 3.The constitution is vague about wherestates' authority begins and the federal government's ends The president's statements sent people scrambling to dust off their Constitutions. But the Constitution only loosely defines the divisions of authority. While the Tenth Amendment says that any powers not assigned to the federal government or "prohibited" to the states "are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people," that is not an "insurance policy," as one law professor put it. In practice, the federal and state governments share a great deal of policymaking. This relationship has evolved - and continues to evolve. We have federalism because states find it hard to coordinate State governments aren't built to handle national crises. They have difficulty coordinating their efforts because of what social scientists call collective action problems. If each state takes the actions that best protect it and its citizens, those actions may harm citizens in other states - as when they compete for ventilators. Governors naturally put their own residents' welfare first, even if they know that every state would be better off if all coordinated. No one was ever reelected governor of Rhode Island for helping the people of New York. Interstate rivalry led the U.S. founders to replace the loose Articles of Confederation with a plan for a national government that had more "vigor," as Alexander Hamilton emphasized - one that could make decisions and act on issues affecting the entire nation. In the past few weeks, the states' collective action problem played out vividly. After Trump recommended that governors get supplies themselves rather than expecting coordination from the federal government, bidding wars began. New York's Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said it was "like being on eBay with 50 other states." Gov. Gavin Newsom described California as a "nation state" and contracted directly with Chinese manufacturers for face masks. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker worked with New England Patriots' owner Robert Kraft to have the Patriots' team plane fly to China to bring back supplies. Illinois's assistant comptroller handed over a $3.4 million check in a McDonald's parking lot to close a deal on 1.5 million N95 masks before another state made a higher bid. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) worked the phones nonstop, finally reaching a business owner who knew a guy who knew a guy who knew someone in line for supplies in China. Early this week, states have worked to forestall future competitive breakdowns, forming regional pacts to coordinate how and when to reopen their economies. The federal government is getting a pass because institutions designed to restrain it are failing Instead of coordinating a national pandemic response, the federal government has compounded the collective action problem, as shown by Jared Kushner's striking assertion that the national stockpile is "ours" and not a resource for the states. The founders pointedly included safeguards to prevent national government overreach or shirking; those include the judiciary, separation of powers, state representation in federal decisions, intergovernmental councils, the people themselves and states' ability to push back. Another safeguard emerged later: the party system. In a robust federal system, these reinforce one another, a kind of fail-safe system intentionally full of redundancies. The founders worked to design an institutional immune system so that no single person or faction could disrupt the government. They hoped that federalism might sustain democracy. What might threaten this robustness would be what the Federalist Papers called a "lack of diverse interests": If the judiciary, the branches of federal government, and the internal workings of political parties were all aligned in their thinking or had a culture of obedience, and if the public were apathetic or ill-informed, then the safeguards may simultaneously fail. Where Trump has faced limits to his attempts to expand powers, he has attempted to skirt them: purging internal oversight by firing inspectors general and on Wednesday, making the extraordinary threat to adjourn Congress so he can make recess appointments. Will the pandemic serve as a catalyst, making it even easier for the president to accumulate power, or awaken the slumbering safeguards? The governors' decisive responses to the pandemic may suggest that the safeguards can again constrain the federal government. - - - Bednar (@profjennabednar) is professor of political science at the University of Michigan, a member of the external faculty at the Santa Fe Institute, and author of The Robust Federation: Principles of Design (Cambridge University Press, 2009). For other commentary from The Monkey Cage, an independent blog anchored by political scientists from universities around the country, see www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage. A 58-year-old man who tested positive for coronavirus and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Ludhiana died while 14 more persons tested positive for the infection in Punjab on Friday, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases to 211 in the state, as per medical bulletin. In Ludhiana,Gurmail Singh, who had tested positive for the infection on Thursday night, succumbed to the virus on Friday. Ludhiana Civil Surgeon Rajesh Bagga said Singh, who was a revenue official, was admitted to the hospital after he complained of fever and breathlessness on April 14. With one more death, COVID 19 related death toll rose to 15 in the state. However, the medical bulletin put the total number of deaths at 14 as it did not include the death reported in Ludhiana on Friday. Meanwhile, among fresh cases of coronavirus, five were reported from Patiala, four each from Ludhiana and Jalandhar and one in Ferozpur, as per medical bulletin. Out of 211 fresh cases, Mohali district continued to top the COVID 19-tally in Punjab with a total 56 coronavirus cases, as per medical bulletin. Jalandhar reported 35 cases, followed by Pathankot with 24 cases, 19 in Nawanshahr, 15 in Ludhiana, 11 each in Mansa, Patiala and Amritsar, seven in Hoshiarpur, six in Patiala, four in Moga, three each in Rupnagar, Sangrur and Faridkot, two each in Fatehgarh Sahib, Kapurthala and Barnala, and one each in Muktsar, Ferozpur and Gurdaspur, the medical bulletin said. One patient is critical and is on ventilator support, as per medical bulletin.Of the total cases, 15 have died while 30 patients have been discharged from hospital. A total of 5,988 samples have been taken so far in the state of which, 5,113 samples have tested negative and reports of 664 samples are stillawaited. There are 167 active cases in the state, as per medical bulletin. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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." advertisement 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. advertisement "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. It was not immediately clear why Land OLakes, which is based in Arden Hills, Minn., decided this year to remove an image that has adorned its products for nearly 100 years, nor did the company make any reference in a February statement announcing the change to the implications of such depictions of Native Americans. A company spokeswoman did not reply to emailed questions on Friday. Beth Ford, the Land OLakes chief executive, said in the statement that as the company looked ahead to its centennial, it recognized the need for packaging that reflects the foundation and heart of our company culture. Nothing does that better than our farmer-owners whose milk is used to produce Land OLakes dairy products, she said. The American Psychological Association has recommended the immediate retirement of Native American mascots and symbols, in part because they appear to have a negative impact on the self-esteem of American Indian children. Some said it was demeaning cultural appropriation to use the image of the woman, who has been depicted as kneeling in the original design and has been used as the butt of vulgar social media jokes. The imagery of the Land OLakes woman has been reflected in Native American art. David Bradley, a sculptor and a Minnesota Chippewa, named a piece Land OFakes in a 2005 show that confronted fraud in the market and the commodification of Indian culture the packaging of it in an attractive way to make money, as the artist put it. The original logo of the companys butter maiden first appeared on Land OLakes packaging in 1928, created by Arthur C. Hanson, an artist who worked for a local advertising firm. Sixty is the new 45, 80 is the new 60, and 100 is well, really dang old. But even centenarians know that once you stop learning, you star... Washington: Russia has carried out a test of an anti-satellite missile, in what the US military says is an example of the threats in space. Murky plans in space: a Russian satellite launch in 2018. Credit:AP Officials say space will increasingly become an important domain for warfare, with the US and other countries such as Russia and China stepping up their military postures in low-Earth orbit and near the moon. Experts say that anti-satellite weapons that shatter their targets pose a space hazard by creating a cloud of fragments that can collide with other objects, potentially setting off a chain reaction of projectiles through Earth orbit. "The United States is ready and committed to deterring aggression and defending the nation, our allies, and US interests from hostile acts in space," General John Raymond, the commander of US Space Command, said in a statement. MiG-31 interceptor-fighter of Kazakhstans Air Force crashed near the Karaganda airport, with the crew ejecting to safety, the republican Defense Ministry reported on Thursday, TASS reports. The military plane crashed "in the course of performing a planned combat duty training flight," the ministry said. The incident occurred south of the Karaganda aerodrome. "After the take-off, a fire started in one of the engines. After receiving the command to eject, the pilots directed the plane into the field away from a populated area and after making sure that nothing threatened the civilians, the crew ejected. The pilots are alive," the ministry said. The Kazakhstani defense minister has set up a commission to investigate the incident. A search and rescue team of the republics Air Force has arrived at the scene. (Photo : Victor He on Unsplash) Remdesivir Shows Positive Results With Coronavirus Patients: Is This The Cure We Are Looking For? (Photo : Dimitri Houtteman on Unsplash) Remdesivir Shows Positive Results With Coronavirus Patients: Is This The Cure We Are Looking For? The answer to finding a cure to COVID-19 may be near. According to STAT REPORTS, a Chicago hospital using antiviral medicine from Gilead Science called Remdesivir has seen rapid recoveries in patients during their clinical trials. In the report, nearly all patients being treated were released in less than a week. Gilead Sciences' Remdesivir was one of the first drugs identified in lab tests to have the potential to cure SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease. Remdesivir is a general antiviral drug that researchers have been studying in conjunction with an array of viruses to see how it would react. Gilead Science's labs discovered that the drug has the potential to cure other coronaviruses such as MERS and SARS. Therefore the prospects for it addressing COVID-19 are positive. Gilead's researchers and scientists focused on Remdesivir through five COVID-19 clinical trials. It was also tested in the first COVID-19 case recorded in the United States. Bruce Aylward of the World Health Organization (WHO) said that Remdesivir is currently the only drug which has the efficacy to cure the coronavirus. "Drug discovery and development is usually a very long and tedious process and you could have many failures on the path to an approved product," said Tomas Cihlar, the vice president of virology of Gilead Science, in an interview with STAT. "It would be wonderful if it works. But it needs to be proven," he added. Remdesivir shows positive results with coronavirus patients: Is this the cure we are looking for? According to STAT REPORTS, the University of Chicago Medicine gathered 125 people infected by coronavirus to be treated in Gilead's two Phase-3 clinical tests. One hundred thirteen patients showed severe symptoms of the disease and all of them underwent treatment using Remdesivir. Kathleen Mullane, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Chicago, said that most of the patients were already cured and discharged, but with two individuals succumbing to the disease. According to Mullane, this was the best news they received about the trials of Remdesivir. However, she clarified that these results only provide a snapshot of the drug's efficacy. It is still impossible to determine the full results of the study with any certainty, although the same trials are being done by other medical institutions. Currently, there is still no other available clinical data provided by Gilead Science to show that Remdesivir can effectively cure coronavirus infections. Further research needs to be done to be completely certain. "What we can say at this stage is that we look forward to data from ongoing studies becoming available," she said in an interview with STAT on Thursday, April 16. Gilead's trials include 2,400 patients gathered from 152 different clinical trials across the globe while its moderate COVID-19 tests are treating 1,600 infected individuals from 169 different medical centers. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Samuel Pepys was absolutely terrible at social distancing. Not that anyone was ordering him to do it, but it seemed to be a commonsense plan for anyone enduring the Great Plague of London in 1665. Samuel Pepys, painted in 1666 by John Hayls, carried on with his usual routine during the plague in London. Credit: Bubonic plague is a bacterial infection very much more lethal than coronavirus, and its thought that during that year about 100,000 Londoners died of it, a quarter of the citys population. Most expired within a week of going down with the illness. But Pepys carried on with his usual routine. He went daily to his office and out and about visiting and making merry, and found time to wonder whether periwigs would go out of fashion because they were made from the hair of dead people. Like everyone else, however, he was prey to growing fear and sadness. The first ominous signs were red crosses on the doors of houses in Drury Lane, meaning plague was within. Then Londons commerce began to close down. Soon Pepys was hearing every day of the deaths of people he knew, or their families. Corpses were carried past him in the street, on their way to burial pits. A private hospital in Nairobi has carried out a coronavirus simulation, preparing for a mass influx of patients as Kenya anticipates what officials describe as an "inevitable surge" of cases in the coming weeks. Aga Khan University Hospital has also set up a 44-bed adjoining field hospital to increase capacity. "The infection is still going through the community but we expect an inevitable surge and that should be happening in the next 2 to 4 weeks," said Dr. Ahmed Kalebi, chief executive officer and consultant pathologist at Pathologists Lancet Kenya. Kalebi's forecast has been echoed by the country's health minister. Kenya has recorded 234 COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths. The government recently made it illegal to not wear face masks in public, and has imposed a nationwide curfew from 7pm to 5am (1600-0200 GMT). Nairobi, the port of Mombasa, as well as Kilifi and Kwale counties on Kenya's Indian Ocean coast, have been sealed off from the rest of the country in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus. 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 for some people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17 By Tamilla Mammadova - Trend: Starting April 17, all private vehicle traffic is banned throughout Georgia until the end of the state of emergency, Trend reports referring to Georgian media. As reported, Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharias spokesperson Irakli Chikovani announced at a news briefing on April 16 that despite the strict recommendations from healthcare officials to stay home, there is still intense movement on the streets. As of now, Georgia has confirmed a total of 370 cases of COVID-19 since February 28, including 77 recoveries and three deaths. Starting April 17, it is mandatory to wear face masks at all closed public spaces. Otherwise, the relevant legal entities will be fined for violation of the state of emergency regulations. During ten days from April 17, restrictions also are imposed on visiting cemeteries in all cities throughout the country. Georgian health officials again call on everyone to stay home and keep social distancing to avoid further spread of COVID-19, the report said. On March 21, Georgia declared a state of emergency until May 10 to prevent the spread of coronavirus. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356 The exterior of CADES in Swarthmore. Swarthmore Borough is asking a county judge to keep a group home from housing COVID-19 positive patients in a former school building on its property. Read more A Delaware County group home will continue to use a former school in Swarthmore to isolate residents who have tested positive for the coronavirus after settling with the borough, which last week sued the organization over the use of the building. Children and Adult Disability and Educational Services (CADES), which is based in the borough and operates 33 residential group homes in Delaware, Bucks, and Chester Counties, resolved the dispute over the weekend, according to a joint statement. The parties agree that CADES has implemented responsible safety protocols which will remain in place to minimize any risks to CADES residents and employees, as well as Borough first responders and residents, the statement read. On Tuesday, Swarthmore filed a complaint against CADES, two days after it notified Swarthmore Borough officials that it had moved a handful of COVID-19-positive patients into a former school on its property. CADES says it started using the former elementary school at 401 Rutgers Ave. days earlier to isolate residents who tested positive for COVID-19 but would not be admitted to a hospital or were already discharged. The goal, CEO Julie Alleman said in a statement, is to return the people to their group home at the conclusion of a quarantine period. As of Friday, there were six COVID-19 positive clients in the building, a spokesperson said. At the time, 13 CADES residents and 10 staff members have tested positive. The borough said it believes CADES could house as few as 20 and as many as 50 COVID-19 positive residents in the space, typically used by the organization for educational activities and adult day care, which are both suspended during the pandemic. In its complaint, the borough argued that the former school is being used as a medical and residential facility, for which it is not zoned. Mayor Marty Spiegel declined to comment. Alleman said the temporary housing didnt violate the boroughs zoning ordinance or endanger the community. This was done in order to continue to provide the care, staffing levels, and services these individuals need and deserve, Alleman said, all while minimizing the risks of exposing others. ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters. Group homes and long-term care centers in Pennsylvania are having to manage the spread of the virus in their facilities, which often house the elderly or people with underlying conditions populations at a high risk of contracting and becoming ill from the virus in tight quarters. Many are facing severe staffing challenges. Last week, a Montgomery County nursing home evacuated more than 30 residents to the Lehigh Valley after dozens of staffers called out sick. The coronavirus has spread rapidly through such facilities nationwide. About half of the coronavirus-related deaths in Pennsylvania have been residents of them. According to the Department of Health, there have been more than 3,500 positive cases of COVID-19 and 365 deaths across more than 300 nursing and personal-care homes. About 300 of those cases are in Delaware County, in 34 locations. Delaware County Council member Christine A. Reuther said the situation with CADES has prompted a discussion among county officials about how to more proactively support long-term care facilities facing challenges with staffing levels and vulnerable residents. She said the county was concerned that the litigation could distract CADES, a 60-year-old nonprofit, from caring for its medically fragile population, and worries that its spreading fear that housing COVID-19 patients in Swarthmore increased the risk in that community. She said that was not the case. We dont need to be afraid. We need to be prepared, Reuther said. I applaud CADES for being proactive in both isolating their COVID-positive patients and maximizing their ability to staff their population. 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. CADES and long-term care facilities in Delaware County, which does not have a health department, are regulated by the state. State Department of Health spokesperson Nate Wardle said facilities are encouraged to cohort patients, if needed, to assist in treatment. The coronavirus was detected among CADES staff as early as March 23, when Alleman wrote in a letter to families that a member of the organizations senior leadership team had tested positive and was self-quarantining. Alleman also wrote in that letter that the organization was working to implement stronger safeguards for residents and staff, including temperature screenings and disinfection plans. NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which is getting ready to scoop a sample of asteroid Bennu, has successfully completed a partial dress rehearsal for its historic trip to the asteroid's surface. OSIRIS-REx, which has been orbiting Bennu since 2018, is scheduled to attempt to swoop down to the surface to retrieve a sample of the asteroid four months from now and bring that sample back to Earth in 2023. On Tuesday (April 14), during what NASA calls a "checkpoint rehearsal," OSIRIS-REx got closer to Bennu's surface than ever before while practicing the sample collection process. "This rehearsal let us verify flight system performance during the descent, particularly the autonomous update and execution of the Checkpoint burn," Rich Burns, OSIRIS-REx project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, said in a statement. Video: OSIRIS-REx gets really close to asteroid Bennu in rehearsal Related: How NASA's asteroid sample return mission will work (infographic) This artist's concept shows the trajectory and configuration of NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft during the checkpoint rehearsal on April 14, 2020. (Image credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona) In its first practice run, OSIRIS-REx went through two of the four maneuvers it would perform during a real asteroid-sampling attempt: the orbit departure burn and the "checkpoint" burn. First, the spacecraft fired its engines to leave its 0.6-mile (1 kilometer) orbit around Bennu and descend closer to the space rock's surface. About four hours later, when OSIRIS-REx was at an approximate altitude of 410 feet (125 meters), it performed the checkpoint burn, which sent the spacecraft in a trajectory toward the location of its third maneuver, called the "matchpoint" burn. But instead of proceeding to that third step, the spacecraft backed away after a nine-minute descent. It reached an altitude of just 246 feet (75 m) its closest approach yet before heading back to orbit. Not only did OSIRIS-REx successfully execute these two test maneuvers, but it also practiced deploying its sampling arm, known as the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism, or TAGSAM. The spacecraft's cameras and sensors also took advantage of the close approach to collect data on the sampling site, which NASA recently dubbed Nightingale. NASA plans to conduct its first sampling attempt at the Nightingale site on Aug. 25, and the spacecraft is scheduled to begin its 2.5-year journey back to Earth in March 2021. NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured this series of images of asteroid Bennu on April 14, 2020, during the first rehearsal of the mission's sample collection event. This animation shows the SamCam instrument's field of view as the spacecraft approached and moved away from the asteroid's surface over a 10-minute time period between the "checkpoint" burn and the "back-away" burn. The spacecraft's sampling arm called the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) is visible in the central part of the frame. (Image credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona) It's worth noting that mission controllers were able to execute Tuesday's rehearsal without any hiccups despite the fact that most NASA employees along with much of the rest of the world have been ordered to work from home due to the coronavirus pandemic. "The mission team has maximized remote work over the last month of preparations for the Checkpoint rehearsal, as part of the COVID-19 response," NASA officials said in the statement. "On the day of rehearsal, a limited number of personnel monitored the spacecrafts telemetry from Lockheed Martin Spaces facility, NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Arizona, taking appropriate safety precautions, while the rest of the team performed their roles remotely." "Executing this monumental milestone during this time of national crisis is a testament to the professionalism and focus of our team," Burns added. "It speaks volumes about their 'can-do' attitude and hopefully will serve as a bit of good news in these challenging times." Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. 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The national tally stands at 268, with 177 patients have recovered. -- Vietnam donated US$100,000 worth of face masks and medical supplies to Japan and 200,000 cloth face masks to the U.S. to fight the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday. -- Lightning struck ten dairy cows to death in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on Thursday. -- Police said on Thursday that they had arrested Nguyen Dinh Duyet, deputy director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Lang Son Province, located in northern Vietnam, for abusing powers while on duty, leading to economic losses to the state budget. Business -- A total of 1,523 companies were dissolved in Ho Chi Minh City in the first quarter of this year due to COVID-19, Le Thanh Liem, deputy chairman of the municipal People's Committee, said at a meeting on Thursday. Education -- Many localities proposed reopening schools next month during a teleconference with the Ministry of Education and Training on Thursday. World News -- Over 2.1 million people have caught COVID-19 while more than 145,000 have been killed by the disease as of Friday morning, according to statistics. About 546,000 have recovered. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! South Africa bans wine exports during lockdown South Africa is no longer allowing the export of wine while in Covid-19 lockdown, a move which is reported to be due to the fear of alcohol piracy. At a press conference the countrys traditional affairs minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said: The only alcohol that is allowed to be transported is the one that is used for commercial purposes, for our sanitiser and related issues but liquor that we drink is not allowed to be exported in the same way - it is not allowed to be sold. The changes contradict the rules set nine days ago by transport minister Fikile Mbuala, who said wine could be exported around the world during the coronavirus crisis. A statement from Wines of South Africa said: As an industry task team, we are deeply disappointed and shocked at this sudden change of direction, following extensive lobbying with various government agencies to relax lockdown measures pertaining to the export and sale of alcohol. The livelihood and long-term future of our industry is in grave danger and therefore we will explore all avenues in this regard, We endeavour to keep all our members informed as further information becomes available and implore each and every one of you to adhere to the newly-imposed measures. Related articles: Jerusalem, April 17 : Physical fitness and social connection can be difficult to maintain in old age but researchers have found that Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) may promote exercise, improve quality of life and deepen familial ties between grandparents and grandchildren. For the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, sixteen dance movement therapists met with their grandmothers for three free-form dance sessions. According to the researchers at Kibbutzim College and the University of Haifa in Israel, The goal was to determine how these sessions would affect each group, and whether intergenerational bonds might strengthen as a result. The study also wanted to examine a potential low-cost method to treat issues commonly faced by an ageing population, such as depressed mood and limited mobility. "The increase of the proportion of elderly in the population, along with the increase in the age group of adult grandchildren necessitates creativity and innovation in providing diverse resources and support," said study author Dr Einat Shuper Engelhard from the University of Haifa. For results, the researchers analysed taped videos of the sessions, personal diaries, and semi-structured interviews between granddaughters and grandmothers to analyze the effect of DMT. The dance was chosen as a unique and versatile intervention since it can improve muscle strength, balance, and endurance, prevent anxiety and depression, and aid with dementia -- all issues commonly faced among the elderly population. It also offers a model for low-cost and accessible community support. Each of the three sessions was conducted one week apart and took place in the grandmother's home for just 10 to 15 minutes. Granddaughters were nervous at first over their ability to provide a meaningful experience but were instructed to mirror their grandmother's movements, encourage their abilities, and give them space to rest when needed. The researchers found that for grandmothers, dancing promoted positive feelings and improved mood. For granddaughters, dancing shifted their perspective of ageing and allowed them to process their grandparent's eventual death. Both groups expressed gratitude and felt their bond was stronger after the sessions, according to the study. "The sessions promoted physical activity even when the body was fatigued and weak. This emphasises the significance of the close and familiar relationship as a means to promote new experiences (which can occasionally seem impossible) for the older person," Engelhard noted. A man who returned from Dubai on March 18 tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, 29 days after what health officials say was his likely exposure to an infection source, raising concerns that the disease could take longer to manifest and quarantine periods as short as 14 days may not be enough. The brother of this person both are currently in Kozhikode tested positive on March 28, prompting authorities to put him under special observation. Chances of him being infected during observation period are nil. Since his brother was positive, he was under special observation. We have noticed a couple of such instances from other districts also. It could be that the onset was delayed because of his immunity. We cant say virus works in a uniform pattern in all bodies, said Kozhikode district medical officer Dr V Jayashree. Kerala has a 28-day mandatory isolation period for those with close contact with a confirmed patient or with a history of travel to hot spot countries. This period is double the 14-day isolation that people in other states are mandated to follow. Self-isolation is advised to keep someone who may have been infected from infecting others. This is particularly complicated in the case of Covid-19, which has an average incubation period (the time it takes for the disease to manifest itself) of around 5 days but has been established to last longer (up to 14 days). An incubation period of 29 days, as was in the case of the Kozhikode man, is rare. The virus also spreads when people are asymptomatic, making containment tougher. True, Kozhikkode mans case is a peculiar one. We have asked medical experts and scientists to study his case separately. Experts say since it is a new virus its behaviour is unknown and quite erratic, said state health minister K K Shailaja, adding there was no need to worry. A student in Pathanamthitta, who shared a train compartment with some Tabligi Jamaat members who later were confirmed as patients, tested positive 22 days after her trip. She was asymptomatic throughout but tested positive when her observation period was about to end and remained asymptomatic even after the test result, said district medical officer Dr N Sheeja. A scientist at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said such a behaviour by the disease cannot be ruled out. It is possible as there are studies to suggest that. We are also conducting studies to check the incubation period, said a microbiologist at one of the viral research and diagnostic labs of ICMR, requesting anonymity. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Fresh from their victory in the Federal Court a Tamil mother has asked the government to give her family a normal life at home in Australia after two "depressing" years in detention. Despite Friday's court win, Priya, her partner Nadesalingam and their Australian-born daughters Kopika, 4, and two-year-old Tharunicaa, remain on Christmas Island and could yet be deported to Sri Lanka. Priya and Nadesalingam and their Australian-born daughters Kopika and Tharunicaa. Speaking to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald on Friday, Priya said she was "very happy" with the decision but said the mental health of her two young daughters was deteriorating. "It's very difficult for us to live here. It's very, very depressing. My children are not having a good time at the centre, I can notice they are having mental health issues because of the long-term detention," Priya said through a translator, Tamil Refugee Council spokesman Aran Mylvaganam. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has sent several truckloads of food grains and other essential items for the people of Amethi to help them tide over their hardships during the lockdown, the the Congress' district unit said here on Friday. Amethi's former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has sent five trucks each of rice and wheat besides one truck of pulses, cooking oil, spices and other material for distribution among people, said party's district unit president Anil Singh. It is Rahul Gandhi's endeavour to ensure that Amethi people face no difficulty in meeting their daily needs during these difficult times, said Singh, adding a total of 16,400 ration kits have been distributed among people of 877 gram panchayats and seven nagar panchayats here so far. For protecting people against coronavirus infection, 50,000 masks, 20,000 sanitizers, 20,000 soaps and other similar material have been distributed among corona warriors on behalf of Rahul Gandhi, said Singh. Besides 'Congress fights Corona' group, being run under the guidance of Rahul Gandhi, is extending help to the Amethi natives living in other states, Singh said, adding that 91 people in Madhya Pradesh, 212 in Gujarat, 308 in Maharashtra, 52 in West Bengal and 308 in Punjab and Haryana have been helped by the group. Earlier too Rahul Gandhi had sent food grains for Amethi people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SACRAMENTO Gov. Gavin Newsom will consult with four ex-governors, recent Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer, and dozens of other politicians and business leaders to guide California out of the pandemic-induced recession that has gripped the state. Newsom said Friday that Ann OLeary, his chief of staff, and Steyer, the billionaire environmentalist who ended his presidential campaign in February, would lead a task force on business and job recovery from the coronavirus crash. The 80-member council includes Californias four living former governors: Republicans Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrats Gray Davis and Jerry Brown. Also on the panel are Disney chairman Bob Iger, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, and Mary Kay Henry, international president of the Service Employees International Union. They will be divided into committees focused on different industries and regions of the state. Newsom said the task forces job would be to recommend ways to safely and equitably restart an economy that has nearly ground to a halt during the stay-at-home order he issued last month. We want to make this meaningful, Newsom said during a news conference. This is not something where, in six months, Im looking forward to giving you a draft or putting out a long, thick report. We want, in real time, to demonstrate meaningful reports, meaningful changes. The coronavirus pandemic has snapped a record 120 consecutive months of net job growth in California and plunged the state into a potential fiscal crisis. Newsom said Friday that more than 3.1 million Californians have applied for unemployment insurance in the past month. That loss nearly matches the 3.4 million jobs that the state added over the decade since the end of the last recession. The legislative analyst warned this week that the state could be facing a $35 billion budget shortfall in the next fiscal year alone. While restarting the economy as fast as possible is a goal of the task force, Newsom said it would be guided first by health and safety considerations. He said the state is still not ready to begin emerging from his stay-at-home order hospitalizations of coronavirus patients continue to increase, albeit at a slower rate, and 95 people infected with the virus died Thursday, the most so far in a single day. The recommendations of the task force also will aim to advance Californias environmental and racial equity goals. Its mission, in part, is to shape a fair, green and prosperous future. We will try to come up with a recovery that is worthy of Californias past, Steyer said, and pushes us to the better future that remedies some of the injustices which this COVID-19 pandemic has revealed in our society. Angela Glover Blackwell, founder and president of the social justice nonprofit PolicyLink, said the recovery must address the underlying economic inequities that have contributed to the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on communities of color. African Americans account for about 12% of the COVID-19 deaths in California, though they make up only 6% of the state population. In San Francisco and Santa Clara counties, Latinos are vastly overrepresented among the victims. It has been so painful to watch what has happened. Its been like tons or gallons of alcohol being thrown on the open wounds of inequality and racism in this country, Glover Blackwell said. Were going to have to figure out how to make sure that we dont go back to what we were before. It was unacceptable then and it will be unacceptable going forward. Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @akoseff Woe is we, the webs we weave and yet we still run into the web and it is right in front of our face Much like the ABC report, the Channel 12 story alleges the US government was provided the information, yet did not deem it of interest, also stating Israeli health officials were made aware, but still nothing was done to prepare for the impending pandemic. US alerted Israel, NATO to disease outbreak in China in November. https://t.co/mLOj0oz7PS How reassuring to know that both Trump and Netanyahu were warned about the Covid19 epidemic in *NOVEMBER* and neither did anything about it! Tikun Olam (@richards1052) April 16, 2020 Source: Israeli TV says US intel warned IDF & NATO of coronavirus threat in NOVEMBER 2019, doubling down on claims dismissed by US intel RT World News And after following links? It is true US intelligence agencies alerted Israel to the coronavirus outbreak in China already in November, Israeli television reported Thursday.According to Channel 12 news, the US intelligence community became aware of the emerging disease in Wuhan in the second week of that month and drew up a classified document. US intelligence informed the Trump administration, which did not deem it of interest, but the report said the Americans also decided to update two allies with the classified document: NATO and Israel, specifically the IDF. Source: US alerted Israel, NATO to disease outbreak in China ingirl November report | The Times of Israel So we definitely knew about it in November and sat around acting like the party was all that mattered All the people in the Western Empire blaming China is why China will win. Men must accept responsibilities and try to do things to help their people. Be it a home, village, town, city, region and or country. Most people in the Western Empire are now just little children in the sandbox, who blame everyone for everything. But themselves, when no one wants to play with them and or they lie to mommy and daddy The truth will come out, even though the US (Western Empire) is trying real hard to cover that truth up Web of lies WtR https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/intelligence-report-warned-coronavirus-crisis-early-november-sources/story?id=70031273 Good video on this info At least 300,000 people in Africa are likely to die from coronavirus, even in a best-case scenario, and 29 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has warned. Although Africa has reported fewer than 20,000 coronavirus cases so far, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned the continent could see as many as 10 million cases in three to six months a number which would severely overwhelm health services. To protect and build towards our shared prosperity at least $100bn (80bn) is needed to immediately resource a health and social safety net response, a report by UNECA said. The agency found that in the total absence of interventions to slow the spread of the virus more than 1.2 billion Africans would be infected and 3.3 million people would die this year. Most African governments have already introduced some social distancing measures, ranging from curfews and travel guidelines in some countries to full lockdowns in others. However, even in a best-case scenario, in which governments introduce strict social distancing once a threshold of 0.2 deaths per 100,000 people per week is reached, Africa would still see about 123 million infections, 2.3 million hospitalisations and 300,000 deaths from Covid-19. Efforts to control the coronavirus, which has already put major strain on well-funded healthcare systems in Europe, will be complicated because 36 per cent of Africans have no access to household washing facilities. The continent also has just 1.8 hospital beds per 1,000 people, compared to 5.98 beds per 1,000 people in France. Although Africas young demographic could provide some relief, as Covid-19 has been found to be less severe for young people in general, many people in the continent are also vulnerable to the disease due to HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malnutrition. In addition, 56 per cent of the urban population is concentrated in overcrowded slums, where the virus could spread easily. The report added that Africa imports 94 per cent of its pharmaceuticals and at least 71 countries have banned or limited exports of certain supplies deemed essential during the pandemic. In a best-case scenario ... $44bn (35bn) would be required for testing, personal protective equipment, and to treat all those requiring hospitalisation, the report said. However, Africa is unlikely to be able to produce that level of funding as the continents economy could shrink by up to 2.6 per cent due to the pandemic. We estimate that between 5 million and 29 million people will be pushed below the extreme poverty line of $1.90 (1.50) per day owing to the impact of Covid-19, UNECA said. Nigeria alone could lose between $14bn (11.2bn) and $19.2bn (15.4bn) in revenues from oil exports this year, while the prices of other African commodities exports have plummeted as well. Lockdowns in Europe and the US will also affect Africa by threatening $15bn (12bn) in annual textile and apparel exports as well as damaging its tourism sector, which accounts for 8.5 per cent of Africas GDP. Additional reporting by AP A federal judge refused Friday to order California prison officials to release large numbers of inmates or impose social-distancing requirements as protections against the coronavirus, saying the state has acted reasonably so far by freeing several thousand prisoners ahead of schedule and taking steps to expand housing and improve sanitation. Lawyers for the inmates, who first sued over prison health care in 2001, say more than one-third of the states 110,000 prisoners live in crowded dormitories, and more than 45,000 have been classified by a court-appointed overseer as at risk of diseases like COVID-19 because of their age or medical frailty. As of Friday, 79 inmates and 83 staff members in the 35 prisons have tested positive for the virus, according to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. But advocates say far too few inmates have been tested, and the department has not done nearly enough to protect them. To win a court order for more releases or protective measures, however, prisoners must prove that the state has been deliberately indifferent to their safety. They have not met that standard, U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar of Oakland said Friday. Tigar said he might adopt additional distancing measures if (he) were solely responsible for prison health care. But given the numerous and significant measures the state of California has taken and continues to take in response to COVID-19, the court cannot conclude that state officials have been deliberately indifferent, he said. He cited the states release of about 3,500 prisoners who had 60 days or less remaining on their sentences, and Gov. Gavin Newsoms March 24 freeze on transferring inmates from county jails to state prisons to begin their sentences, an order affecting about 3,000 inmates per month. The state has halted in-person visits at the prisons, taken the temperatures of all arriving inmates, provided hand sanitizer to inmates and staff, and started producing 22,000 masks per day for prison use, Tigar said. And while advocates for the inmates said the state has not offered a plan to keep them at safe distances from one another, the judge said the absence of a 6-foot social-distancing standard in prisons does not show deliberate indifference to inmates rights. Such distancing would require changes in dormitory housing and the common practice of housing two inmates in a cell, and might prove impossible to implement, given the need for inmate-staff interactions, Tigar said. He said the prisons are transferring about 1,300 inmates from dormitories to other housing and plan to convert 12 gymnasiums and two visiting rooms into housing quarters. In the dorms, Tigar said, housing groups of eight inmates, bunked within a few feet of one another, will be treated like a family unit in the free world and separated by 6 feet from other housing groups, as recommended by a court-appointed overseer of prison health care. 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 the states response has been reasonable so far, Tigar said, the viruss presence within the prisons requires continuous, evolving efforts by (prison officials), as well as ongoing monitoring by the court. Attorneys from the Prison Law Office, the nonprofit representing the inmates, were not immediately available for comment. But Michael Bien, a lawyer for mentally ill prisoners in a related suit against the state, said the ruling might be only a temporary setback. To comply with the recommendations to separate dormitory housing groups and ease overcrowding, Bien said, the prisons eventually will have to either release or transfer substantial numbers of inmates. He said prison officials had learned about potential virus-related problems since January and had not responded until March. In a statement, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said, We appreciate the courts recognition of the unprecedented changes CDCR has made to address the COVID-19 emergency and to protect all those who live and work in our institutions. ... We will continue to expand on our efforts to safely and securely increase physical distancing within our institutions. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Philippines is among the countries that have the most number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Southeast Asia. PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed KAMI learned that 6 politicians gave meaningful messages as the country bravely fights against the COVID-19. Here are the 6 politicians and their meaningful messages: Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto Wag na po natin pag-usapan yung economic consequences, wag na po natin pag-usapan yung social consequences, pag-usapan na lang po natin yung threat, yung imminent danger to lives. Di nga magkaka-virus yung tao pero mamamatay naman dahil di makakuha ng tamang dialysis, hindi nakapunta sa ospital. During the enhanced community quarantine, all mass transportation was suspended. Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto allowed tricycle drivers to operate to help the health care workers, other frontliners, and patients in terms of transportation. However, the national government said that tricycles will still not be allowed during the quarantine period. Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla As governor, I am respectfully asking that you consider them to be part of the social amelioration program. They may not get as much as the poorest of the poor but please consider their welfare. They are often over looked. They pay the most taxes. They keep our economy alive. They are mostly law abiding citizens. They need a break. Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla wrote a letter addressed to President Rodrigo Duterte. In the letter, he appealed to the President to include the middle-class families in the social amelioration program for them to receive financial assistance as well. Senator Imee Marcos Kung may pera man, ilabas na, ilabas na, itodo na ang tulong sa tao. Ngayon na, please lang Nows the time. Magbago na tayo at talagang magtapatan na once and for all. In a vlog, Senator Imee Marcos asked the national government to use all resources to produce funds for people to use during the COVID-19 crisis. She also called out the national governments response and urge other departments as well as agencies to release the supplies in their possession and just donate it to those in need. Senator Manny Pacquiao Kaya pagtapos ng lockdown na ito, we should learn to humble ourselves na it is not the material things that we should crave for. It is about our relationship to God and the memories and the legacy that we will leave to our children. Senator Manny Pacquiao is one of the billionaires in the Senate. During the COVID-19 crisis, he has been praised for his donations like financial assistance and testing kits recently. However, he reminded the people that material possession and lots of money are not that useful during the crisis. Instead, people should create more memories they will bring with them forever. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Vice President Leni Robredo Sa mga panahong ganito, tayo mismo ang magtatawid sa sarili natin. Tayo mismo ang pinakamatibay nating maasahan. Tayo mismo ang pinuno ng ating bawat pagkilos. At palagi, itong bukal ng liwanag sa ating mga puso, ito ang susi ng pagtagumpay natin sa anumang panahon. Pilipino tayong kayang magka-isa. Pilipino tayong kayang maki-ambag. Pilipino tayong kakayaning lagpasan ang pagsubok na ito. Vice President Leni Robredo has been praised for her COVID-19 efforts as well. She raised funds to donate personal protective equipment (PPEs) and dormitories for the frontliners. In a video, she called for Filipinos to unite as one as the country fights the COVID-19. President Rodrigo Duterte I give my sincerest gratitude to all those who are fighting in the frontlinesour doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, police, soldiers, civil servants, and everyone performing essential services in the private sector. I assure you that your efforts will be rewarded. Your heroism will not be forgotten. Saludo kami sa inyo. President Rodrigo Duterte is the countrys leader in the fight against the COVID-19. He placed the entire Luzon under enhanced community quarantine since March 17, 2020. He also assured the public that Filipinos will be assisted during the crisis. In a statement, he gave honor to the healthcare workers and frontliners risking their lives to save others. As previously reported by KAMI, the Department of Health (DOH) recorded a total of 5,878 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines as of April 17, 2020. 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! Our host Paula Coling gave some amazing tips on how to wisely spend your time amid the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon! Check out all of the exciting videos and celebrity interviews on our KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: KAMI.com.gh MARLBOROUGH, Mass., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Federal Credit Union, better known as DCU, announced its platinum-level sponsorship of the EVERFI National Financial Bee, from April 20-24, 2020. The National Financial Bee is a first-of-its-kind, nationwide financial literacy challenge open to students in grades seven through ten. This opportunity provides an outlet for students to learn critical financial concepts at home in a fun and engaging manner, while practicing social distancing. The five-day challenge, created by social impact education innovator, EVERFI, and supported by DCU and other leading financial institutions nationwide, features a short, daily digital lesson and a capstone essay contest where students are asked to share their financial dream and how they plan to get there. Winners of the National Financial Bee essay contest will receive a total of $20,000 in college scholarships. "DCU is wholeheartedly committed to engaging our communities, promoting financial literacy, and driving meaningful change during these uncertain times," said Sean McNair, Vice President of Marketing at DCU. "We are proud to align with EVERFI during Financial Literacy Month to provide students with the opportunity to participate in the National Financial Bee. We hope that this virtual event helps spur dinner-table conversations among families about essential financial topics." Throughout the week, students will develop new skills to form a personalized financial decision-making framework that they can apply to their lives, now and into adulthood. Topics include: spending and saving, credit and debt, employment and income, investing, and insurance. "Across the country, families are facing unprecedented uncertainties and challenges. Parents are dealing with the loss of income or are adjusting to working from home, while students are trying to continue their studies outside of the classroom," said Ray Martinez, founder, and president, EVERFI. "We've always been committed to helping students increase their financial literacy, and during this historic time we are also working to help parents feel secure -- and help students stay engaged. The National Financial Bee is a fun way for students to compete with their peers while social distancing." Over the course of the year, DCU also provides free financial education curriculum to 44 high schools across Massachusetts and New Hampshire through its partnership with EVERFI. The curriculum teaches, assesses, and certifies students in critical life skills. To date, more than 2,800 students have completed EVERFI modules, logging over 8,520 hours of learning. In addition to supporting high school students, DCU offers members of all ages a free online version of the program, using interactive learning modules on several topics ranging from basic savings education to retirement planning and home ownership. Since launching its EVERFI program in 2018, DCU has helped over 39,000 members make more informed financial decisions while managing their money. To learn more about the National Financial Bee, visit https://dfcu.everfi-next.net/welcome/national-financial-bee About DCU: Digital Federal Credit Union, better known as DCU, is a not-for-profit financial cooperative serving over 850,000 members across all 50 states by offering a full range of financial services to consumers and businesses. With headquarters in Marlborough, Massachusetts, DCU is the largest credit union headquartered in New England as measured by assets and is among the top 20 nationwide. For additional information, please visit www.dcu.org. About EVERFI, Inc. EVERFI is an international technology company driving social change through education to address the most challenging issues affecting society ranging from financial wellness to prescription drug safety to workplace conduct and other critical topics. Founded in 2008, EVERFI is fueled by its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) community engagement platform and has reached more than 41 million learners globally. Recognized as one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company in 2020, EVERFI powers community engagement in a sustained manner to empower individuals and organizations to make an impact within their communities. The Company also convenes Networks to bring together financial institutions, colleges, and universities, and some of the largest corporations to leverage insights and connections to drive impact. Some of America's leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EVERFI investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, Twitter founder Evan Williams, as well as Advance, Rethink Education and Rethink Impact. To learn more about EVERFI, please visit everfi.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter @EVERFI. Contact: Ed Niser, Asst. Public Relations Manager DCU Digital Federal Credit Union 508.263.6881 [email protected] SOURCE Digital Federal Credit Union Related Links http://www.dcu.org The racial disparities that have plagued the cruel and uneven toll of the coronavirus across parts of the nation appear to be emerging in California. The states black residents are dying from COVID-19 at nearly twice the rate of white residents, according to initial figures released this week by the California Department of Public Health. As of Tuesday, almost 100 of Californias more than 800 COVID-19 deaths were African Americans, amounting to about 12% of the total. That far outpaces the groups representation, which is about 6% of the state population. While the death count in California is much lower than in the countrys hardest-hit spots, such as New York, New Jersey and Michigan and trends could change as more data is collected the disproportionate number of casualties so far in the African American community is worrying medical experts. Its likely reflective of longstanding socioeconomic differences that are surfacing as difficulties in getting personal protection, testing and treatment, they say. The pandemic happens on top of big inequities in health that already exist, said Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, vice dean for Population Health and Health Equity at UCSF. We also have to think about the things that have led to ways weve disproportionately managed this epidemic. The initial death rate among the states black population from COVID-19, computed from state figures, stands at 4.2 people per 100,000. Among white people, its 2.2 people per 100,000. The death rate for Asian Americans is 2.1 per 100,000. The rate for Latinos is 1.6 per 100,000. Many parts of the country, including New York City, have seen death rates among Latinos soar, much as they have for African Americans. But Californias count has not yielded such a trend. The Latino communitys low death rate, however, comes as the groups caseload is much higher and more representative of its share of the population. Latinos made up about 37% of the states total COVID-19 caseload, as of Tuesday, while they constitute 39% of Californias population. In San Francisco, early data suggests that Latinos may be even more susceptible to the virus. The city reported Thursday that Latinos represented 25% of its caseload while making up 15% of the population. The number of cases among black residents, meanwhile, was about 6% of cases, on par with their population representation. San Francisco had 1,019 cases of coronavirus and 17 deaths as of Thursday afternoon. The death count is too low to tease out trends. In Santa Clara County, Latinos were similarly over-represented. Of the countys 69 COVID-19 fatalities, 33% were in the Latino community while the group made up 24% of the population. The low number of black residents in the county and the low number of cases make the count statistically irrelevant. Deaths are widely believed to be a better indicator of the spread of the coronavirus than caseload because of the lack of testing. Many more people are believed to be infected than tests would indicate. Denise Herd, associate director of the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, which has been monitoring the epidemic in the Bay Area, said its likely only a matter of time before widespread testing reveals greater disparities across minority groups in California, including the Latino population. 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. Theyre going to be facing some of the same environmental conditions that African Americans face, she said. I think the jury is still out. We still need more data. The states breakdown of coronavirus data by race is based on 65% of the COVID-19 cases that have been reported and 87 percent of the deaths, as of Tuesday. On Thursday, California had 27,316 cases of COVID-19, resulting in 886 deaths. Across the nation, black people appear to be suffering far more from the coronavirus than other racial groups. In Chicago, more than two thirds of the citys deaths have been African Americans. In Louisiana, its closer to 70%. In Michigan, its 40%. Its part of a larger pattern of gaps in health status and inequities in health status, Herd said. For starters, she said, the underlying medical issues that appear to make people more susceptible to the virus diabetes, heart disease, asthma are more prevalent in low-income communities. Wealth, jobs, education and access to parks directly shape a persons health. With the coronavirus outbreak, the disparities get compounded as people have unequal opportunity to stay home from work to avoid the virus or to get tested and seek medical care. If you are diagnosed, what is your access to treatment going to be like? Herd said. What decisions are going to be made about resources? Who is going to receive the highest quality of care? Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander A remote camera captured the mountain lion known as P-41. (Johanna Turner) The state Fish and Game Commission on Thursday set the stage for a fierce environmental battle by granting temporary endangered species status to the several hundred cougars still roaming Southern California and the Central Coast. The protection came with the 5-member panels unanimous decision to consider a petition filed by environmentalists to list as threatened or endangered six, isolated clans of cougars hemmed in by sprawl and freeways. The move is considered preliminary under terms of the state Endangered Species Act. Next, the commission will hold public hearings. A permanent decision could go into force in 2022. If the big cats are permanently listed, the law requires state wildlife managers to devise a recovery plan for them, raising the prospect of constraints on development and highway construction from Santa Cruz to the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the petition submitted by the Center for Biological Diversity and the nonprofit Mountain Lion Foundation. Before the panel voted, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton Bonham urged them to overlook objections from critics including the California Farm Bureau Federation and the California Cattlemen's Assn. and accept the petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and the nonprofit Mountain Lion Foundation. "We can do this," Bonham said. "The department knows how to collaborate. Ecological objectives and housing development are both doable objectives." Brendan Cummings, the center's conservation director, agrees. "This is an important step that commits the state to ensure that these magnificent animals can continue to exist at edges of our cities as well as deep in our wildlands," he said. "We know what the threats are and what to do to address them. " Critics unsuccessfully lobbied to persuade the commission to postpone the hearing on the petition until the coronavirus lockdown was lifted, to ensure as much participation as possible, and to avoid a decision that might compound economic woes currently afflicting the state due to the pandemic. Story continues Beyond that, critics feared that offering the estimated 500 mountain lions protection under the California Endangered Species Act would make it more difficult to obtain a depredation permit to remove a lion that threatened the safety of humans and livestock. "The big question raised by ranchers right now," said Damien Schiff, senior attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation, a nonprofit established to protect individual rights and private property, "is this: `If mountain lions are listed, will they still have a right to remove a lion, if necessary? "The chances of litigation will be substantially increased," he added, "if the commission says the endangered species act supersedes existing law when it comes to depredation." Other opponents warned a listing could put a drag on the economy by limiting commercial and residential development in areas deemed critical to the lions survival. In addition, the California Department of Transportation would not be able to build highways in core mountain lion habitat without implementing adequate measures to ensure linkages and safe passage under and over them. Another concern is that protections offered mountain lions under the state endangered species act may supersede existing regulations governing the circumstances under which one or more big cats can be legally killed for threatening humans or livestock. "My chief concern with a candidate listing is how the commission would reconcile the protections afforded candidate species under the California Endangered Species Act with the rules already applicable to the mountain lion under Proposition 117," said Schiff. "Under Prop 117, a farmer or rancher whose livestock has been attacked by a mountain lion has the right to obtain from the Department of Fish and Wildlife a permit to 'take' the depredating mountain lion," he said. "In contrast, there is no parallel authorization under the state endangered species act to take depredating animals that have been designated as endangered species. "My own view is that Prop 117 should control," he added. " As codified, Prop 117 provides: 'Neither the commission nor the department shall adopt any regulation that conflicts with or supersedes a provision of this chapter. ' Others, however, believe the government is acting too timidly in the face of a mountain lion crisis that virtually no one denies. "If mountain lions are listed," said Fred Hull, a staff attorney with the nonprofit Mountain Lion Foundation. "It wont be harder to get a depredation permit to deal with a troublesome lion with nonlethal methods. But it will be much more difficult to get a permit to kill a lion. Mountain lions are not listed as threatened statewide. But the petition cites recent scientific studies showing that the lions roaming the Santa Ana, San Gabriel, Santa Monica, Santa Cruz and Tehachapi ranges make up a genetically distinct subspecies that is approaching what some experts call an extinction vortex. Theres an almost 1 in 4 chance, scientists say, that mountain lions could become extinct in the Santa Monica and Santa Ana mountains within 50 years. Thats because they continue to be poisoned by rodenticides, hit by cars, legally shot with depredation permits and illegally slain by poachers as human and cougar lives become more entangled. An even greater concern, scientists say, is loss of landscape connectivity between ranges and large blocks of open space on private land. But the commissions action comes amid a severe housing crunch that has caused rents to rise dramatically in cities such as Los Angeles and made the undeveloped foothills and desert scrublands of Northern L.A. County among the fastest growing and affordable parts of Southern California. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recently approved a proposal to develop 1,330 acres along the 5 Freeway corridor near the community of Castaic. That came over the objections of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy that it would degrade a wildlife linkage between Angeles National Forest and Los Padres National Forest. Similarly, the board has approved the proposed 12,000-acre Centennial development on the unincorporated northern fringe of the county, despite concerns that it would sever a habitat linkage between Highway 14 and Interstate 5. The massive Newhall Ranch project in Santa Clarita Valley is expected to accelerate commercial and residential growth in remnant mountain lion habitat even more. There is no reliable estimate of the total number of mountain lions in California today. But a rough estimate of between 1,500 and 5,000 big cats statewide are currently classified as a specially protected species by state wildlife officials. An ongoing multi-agency survey led by state wildlife biologists is expected to provide better regional and statewide lion population estimates in 2022. Recent genetic analysis of tissue and blood samples from nearly 1,000 pumas captured alive, found dead or legally killed by authorized agencies for livestock depredation or public safety identified nine distinct puma populations in California. Lions in northern California and the western and eastern Sierra Nevada ranges, the study found, are among the healthiest in the state. Some populations in Southern California, however, had levels of genetic diversity nearly as low as the federally endangered Florida panther. But until their fate is known for certain, the petition is asking state wildlife authorities to devise a plan to save it. California voters banned mountain lion hunting in 1990. But sport hunting of pumas is used as a management tool in several western states where the rationale is that it provides recreational opportunities and reduces the risk of attacks on humans and livestock. The Washington state Fish and Wildlife Commission a week ago voted in favor of expanding cougar hunting season and the number that can be killed. Now, researchers from Western Oregon University and California State University, Sacramento are reporting that their analysis of records from wildlife agencies in 10 Western states found no evidence that sport hunting of pumas has produced desired outcomes aside from providing a recreational opportunity. The findings were formally presented in February in the online scientific journal PLOS ONE. In California, listing cougars as threatened would likely constrain the issuance of depredation permits to kill mountain lions in protected populations, said J.P. Rose, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. The ecological effects of such a designation could be far reaching. The presence of mountain lions helps support the overall health of California ecosystems. The carcasses of their kills provide an important food source for a host of wild animals including California condors, gray foxes, myriad species of insects and songbirds that eat them. One of Portlands most popular food carts will cautiously reopen this week for contact-less pickup ordered online. After being closed for a month, Texas-style barbecue cart Matts BBQ will begin offering its barbecue for pre-order through its website today for pickup next week. Matts BBQ Tacos, the sister restaurant to Matts BBQ, plans to reopen in a similar fashion next week. Last month was the world of infinite variables, Matts BBQ owner Matt Vicedomini said. We didnt know if it was going to get worse every day, and every day the rules would change. I had talked to the health department, and they told me just to tell my employees to wash their hands, and now everyone is wearing masks. Theyre not the only restaurant to relaunch after hitting pause when the coronavirus crisis led to social distancing recommendations, dining room closures and other restrictions. Eem, the Thai spice meets Texas barbecue mashup restaurant from Vicedomini, Earl Ninsom and Eric Nelson that was The Oregonians 2019 Restaurant of the Year, saw their website crash after more than 1,000 people attempted to order from their new curbside pickup program this week. Por Que No, the two-location taqueria chain usually known for its long lines, sold out 150 orders of chips, guac and mason jars of margarita mix through its website today. Another batch of pre-ordered will open up on Friday at 10 a.m. The trial run is getting us closer to being fully operational for takeout, according to the website. Additionally, Jojo, one of Portlands best new food carts of 2019, has relaunched its full menu seven days a week after spending the past month feeding the service industry on a sliding scale. At the Matts BBQ website, customers must buy at least $40 worth of smoked meat and sides and order 48 hours in advance for pickup between 4pm and 6:30pm, Thursday to Saturday. Depending on how the relaunch goes, pickup options could expand over time, with delivery in the cards for the future, Vicedomini said. -- Michael Russell, mrussell@oregonian.com, @tdmrussell Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. People gather in their cars in a parking lot in Santa Ana to worship at a drive-in Easter service. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) Faith leaders in Ventura County are arguing that a stay-at-home order violates their 1st Amendment rights, and have asked county officials to revise portions of the rule to allow them to keep holding religious gatherings while following safety guidelines. The clergymen Rob McCoy, a pastor at Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Newbury Park, and Michael Barclay, a rabbi at Temple Ner Simcha in Westlake Village on Thursday expressed the "wish to exercise their religious freedom in a manner that respects the current social distancing restrictions and the health and safety of the community," according to the demand letter sent to the county. Should the county fail to accommodate the request, attorneys for the clergymen said, they are prepared to file a lawsuit and seek an injunction against the county order, which took effect in March. Ventura County's "Stay Well at Home" order bans "all gatherings, no matter the size, outside of places of residences" with limited exceptions. Church services are included in the ban. The order allows gatherings of two or more people as needed for essential business or governmental functions, as well as those of up to 10 people at graveside funeral services. Faith-based organizations also are permitted to livestream services with their members as long as there are no more than seven people participating in the gathering. Ventura County supervisors did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The demand comes as three Southern California churches hoping to keep their doors open during the coronavirus outbreak sued Gov. Gavin Newsom and other officials, arguing that social distancing orders violate the constitutional right to freedom of religion and assembly. The U.S. Constitution is being tested in unprecedented ways, with religious leaders from Mississippi to Kentucky to San Diego County suing their governments, asserting that they are being treated differently from businesses that can remain open, such as supermarkets and liquor stores. Story continues County health officials in Ventura had struck a hopeful tone this week, saying that efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus were working even as the number of people testing positive continued to climb. The county has reported a total of 396 coronavirus infections. The number includes 198 people who recovered, 77 who were hospitalized and 188 cases still under quarantine. The demand letter acknowledged the efforts county officials have made to "protect the public health, safety and welfare during this pandemic." The religious leaders, the demand said, support "reasonable measures" to help flatten the curve and take seriously their responsibility to do so. "Ultimately, we believe religious practices to be as essential [as] any grocery store," the letter said. Attorneys said that the order in effect bars McCoy from holding any in-person religious service with more than one person. McCoys church has a "sincerely held religious belief that involves the sacrament of taking Communion on the first Sunday of every month," the demand letter said. Robert Tyler, an attorney representing McCoy and Barclay, said the pastor held a modified Palm Sunday Communion service at his church earlier this month. The church, which Tyler said seats about 400 people, requested that parishioners line up six feet apart. Only 10 people were allowed in at a time, he said, and congregants left the church through a separate door. Each chair used for Communion was sprayed with Lysol after the worshiper left, he said. "That was a violation of the order," Tyler said. "Yet the order allows individuals to drive through Starbucks as an essential business. Individuals can go to grocery stores, liquor stores and marijuana dispensaries, and go and touch things and pick up things and put them back on the shelf. This is far more sanitary than anything you'd see at any grocery store." The pastor intends to open his church for Communion on the first Sunday of May. McCoy plans to allow 10 congregants at a time, attorneys said, and the church will comply with all CDC guidelines as well as social distancing rules that essential businesses are required to follow. McCoy also plans to start holding drive-in style services, beginning Sunday at Godspeak Calvary Chapel a practice that has popped up in recent weeks in Orange County and across the country. Likewise, Tyler said, Rabbi Barclay has been barred from holding any kind of Saturday morning Torah service, including a streaming service, because "under Jewish religious obligations, a Torah service requires a quorum of 10 Jewish adults [a minyan] physically present in the synagogue to carry out the service." Many other religious gatherings also require 10 Jewish adults, he said, including Bar Mitzvahs and Shiva minyans. The rabbi wants to be able to hold such gatherings while still following CDC and social distancing guidelines, Tyler said. The pastor and rabbi discussed the ban and the importance of safely gathering to practice their faith in a "fireside chat" posted on YouTube last week. "We still need to stay in our stream," Barclay said. "I would rather be in a sanctuary that holds 250 people with family units 20 feet apart, having 40 or 50 people in that room. I would much rather be that, a room that's been sanitized according to CDC standards, and Purell and latex and everything else, than Costco." Thailand's leader says he will appeal directly to the country's 20 wealthiest people for assistance in overcoming the coronavirus crisis. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said in a televised address Friday that the government alone cannot solve the health and economic challenges posed by the pandemic, so other sectors should join what he called Team Thailand. A business council advising his government warned this week that as many as 10 million Thais could lose their jobs in the next few months if the crisis doesn't ease. The first thing I will do next week is to send an open letter to the 20 richest people in Thailand to ask them to tell me, as they are respected elders of our society, how they will help us and how they will help Thailand more, Prayuth said. He said the country's billionaires have a tremendous influence on its economy and are wealthy even by international standards, so they could play important roles in Team Thailand. The list of Thailand's 50 richest individuals and families compiled by Forbes magazine puts 27 in the billion dollar bracket. Topping the list is the Chearavanont family, which owns the CP Group, one of the world's biggest conglomerates. Thailand's royal family controls the country's biggest fortune, but Prayuth was clearly calling on the business community. He also said he will reach out to small and medium-size enterprises to get a better picture of their situation than by having information filtered through various agencies. Thai health authorities on Friday announced 28 new confirmed coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 2,700 including 47 deaths. They said 1,689 patients have been discharged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The winner of the competition is the pseudonym Lakes Roses. The jury praised its excellent overall approach to the urban and landscape architecture, and the clarity of the cityscape. The revealed author of the entry is Architecturestudio NOAN from Tampere, Finland. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005004/en/ City of Tampere: The Viinikanlahti International Urban Ideas Competition in Tampere Has Ended. Photo by: Architecturestudio NOAN The winning entry provides excellent preconditions for expanding the city centre of Tampere, located between two waterbodies, to the south. The entry enables developing city centre -like housing blocks and a continuous urban park zone by Lake Pyhajarvi for all residents", says the chair of the jury Deputy Mayor Jaakko Stenhall. The international member of the jury, Architect Helle Juul from Copenhagen, was satisfied with the number and high quality of the entries submitted to the competition. Lakes Roses represents distinctive expertise in designing the urban layout, with convincing architectural and urban solutions. The layout of the site has the ability to adapt itself to a variety of societal changes", Helle Juul praises. The competition was organised by the City of Tampere in cooperation with the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA) and the Finnish Association of Landscape Architects (MARK). Dozens of urban and landscape designers throughout the world participated, under a pseudonym, in the international two-phase ideas competition. The advanced digitality of the competition enabled finishing the competition in the original schedule despite the coronavirus pandemic. Please visit the City of Tampere website and the competition website to view the competition entries and competition materials. www.tampere.fi/viinikanlahti https://awards.viinikanlahti.weup.city/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005004/en/ Contacts: Jaakko Stenhall Deputy Mayor City of Tampere +358 45 137 8505 jaakko.stenhall@tampere.fi Minna Seppanen Project Development Manager City of Tampere +358 401 509857 minna.seppanen@tampere.fi Amy Sherman | Mlive.com Saddleback BBQ in Okemos and Lansing was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from charcoal company Kingsford. Don't Edit BY AMY SHERMAN | asherma2@mlive.com Saddleback BBQ, one of our top picks for Michigan's Best BBQ in 2018, has been awarded a $10,000 grant from Kingsford, as part of their #togetherwithBBQ program. "Kingsford wants to step in and lend a hand to ensure BBQ-loving Americans can keep the flames ablaze," according to an announcement from the charcoal manufacturer. "It could not have come at a better time," Saddleback co-owner Travis Stoliker said. "It was a total surprise." Kingsford decided to donate up to $250,000 to local barbecue restaurants to help keep them open during these difficult times, and continuing to serve up great BBQ to their communities. So far, nine pitmasters have been chosen across the country to receive the award, including Saddelback BBQ here in Michigan. The money comes with no strings attached, and the winners can choose to do what they like with it. Stoliker originally got an email from Kingsford's PR company, and was very skeptical at first. After giving them a call, he realized it was the real deal. "They reached out to us, and were looking for BBQ spots that were making donations to the community, and we have been doing a few things," Stoliker said. Saddleback fits that description. When the closure order came down back in March, Saddleback immediately swung into action. "We've had on-line ordering and delivery in place for a long time, so we thought we could help other restaurants figure it out," Stoliker said. They've been consulting with other restaurants and helping them set up their own systems to comply with the current take-out regulations. "When this all happened, we had to put our heads together and think. 'Who would be hurt by this?' Our friends are all local restauranteurs, so we knew we had to help them somehow," Stoliker said. Saddleback has also been affected by the crisis, and had to lay off about 12 people. "Laying people off is absolutely the hardest thing you have to do in business," Stoliker said. And while they had to let some people go at this time, Saddleback kept one person on the payroll, with just one job to do every week. Saddleback decided to compile a complete listing of every restaurant in the Lansing region that would remain open for take-out or delivery, and host that list on their own website. They pay an employee every week to call each spot and make sure the list is current and accurate. Yes, you read that correctly. Saddleback essentially promotes their competition on their own website. This alone might make Saddleback one of Michigan's Best, but they also are still serving up their award winning BBQ from both locations, both for the public and donating meals to both hungry kids and first responders. The $10,000 from Kingsford is pretty exciting for the locally-owned business for several reasons. While they are not entirely sure what they'll do with the money yet, they do know that they'll be hiring back all of the employees they had to lay off right away. Stoliker is thrilled that the money is coming from Kingsford, a company that not only has Michigan ties, but to him signals the start of summer here. "Kingsford was at every grill out we attended as kids. It meant summer, and hot dogs, and burgers on the grill, it always brings up good memories to both of us," referring to his Saddleback co-owner, Matt Gillett. Kingsford's Michigan roots added another dimension to the gift. "To have a company with Michigan roots to say that we want to support you and what you do, it really meant something to us," Stoliker said. Kingsford goes back to 1919, when Henry Ford needed to source some wood for his automobiles. He purchased a track of timberland with the help of Edward G. Kingsford, and then figured out a process for pressing wood waste from his sawmill into charcoal briquets. Originally, they were marketed under the Ford brand, but then renamed Kingsford charcoal in Edward's honor. While this gift to Saddleback will help them navigate the next few months, Stoliker is incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of the community. "We cant thank everyone enough for the support," Stoliker said. "And all the support for our local restaurants. Every dollar spent at a local restaurant stays in right here in the community. The outpouring of love has really been inspiring. We really are all in this together." Don't Edit https://www.saddlebackbbq.com/lansing-restaurants-open-during-coronavirus-covid-19?fbclid=IwAR2bwCLsKkNpBWWe8WhQf7fRAkRJoVFPDUBi-fen0amQN57D7xvJGErWFzw Don't Edit Amy Sherman | MLive.com Ribs from Saddleback BBQ. They are currently offering take-out from Don't Edit Saddleback BBQ Here's some of what we had to say about Saddleback on our search for Michigan's Best BBQ in 2018: Owner Matt Gillett has always worked in the hospitality industry, but the idea of owning a barbecue joint just kept popping up. He partnered with Travis Stoliker and opened their first shop in the REO town neighborhood in Lansing in 2015. Last year, they opened their second location in Okemos. "It seemed like a good opportunity," Gillett explained. "Our food and techniques have grown. We just didn't know how big the potential was. It just keeps building." The brisket here develops a great bark from the rub it gets of black pepper, brown sugar and cayenne pepper. The pulled pork also has a delicious crust on it with a gentle, smokey flavor. Some of the best wings we had can be found at Saddleback. Their "Wu Tang Wings" are smoked, flash fried crispy, super tender and come jazzed with their spiced-up yellow sauce. Our guest eater that day said, "I don't even know how to describe these, but they are really good." If they have the beef ribs on the menu, get one of these 1 1/2 pound beauties for the selfie potential alone. They are also pretty delicious. We enjoyed the devil eggs and the sizzling, crunchy pork rinds laced with hot sauce as starters. House-made pickles have everything you want: a punch of vinegar, a bit of spice, fresh dill. The best pop of all time, Vernor's Ginger Ale, shows up in both the sweet potatoes and the spicy vinegar barbecue sauce. Mac and cheese is extra creamy here. The collards still taste like the greens that they are, retain a nice bite, and get a boost of flavor from a bit of onion and bacon. "Barbecue has kind of become a wow factor for some places," Gillett said. "We are trying to keep it traditional and consistent." Classic offerings done well can be found at Saddleback. Don't Edit Don't Edit Amy Sherman | Mlive.com Sauces range from sweet to savory at Saddleback BBQ. Don't Edit Amy Sherman | Mlive.com A grilled half chicken at Saddleback BBQ in Okemos. They were a top pick on our search for Michigan's Best BBQ. Don't Edit Saddleback BBQ Okemos 1754 Central Park Drive Suite G2 Okemos, Michigan 48864 (517) 306-9002 REO Town 1147 S Washington Ave, Lansing, MI, United States (56.04 mi) Lansing, Michigan 48910 (517) 306-9002 Get the complete list of restaurants that are still open in the Lansing area here. Don't Edit Amy Sherman | Mlive.com The brisket at the original location of Saddleback BBQ in REO Town in Lansing. Both locations are currently open for take out. Don't Edit Amy Sherman | Mlive.com A pulled pork sandwich and some pork rinds at Saddleback's REO Town location. Don't Edit Don't Edit John Gonzalez | MLive.com In previous times, customers would gather outside on the patio at Saddleback's REO Town location. Don't Edit Amy Sherman | MLive.com A platter of all the things from the Okemos location of Saddleback BBQ. We named them some of Michigan's Best BBQ in 2018. Don't Edit MLive.com Amy and Gonzo enjoy the BBQ at the REO Town location of Saddleback BBQ. Don't Edit Follow our Michigans Best adventures on social media: @mlivemibest on Twitter @mlivemibest on Instagram Facebook at MLiveMIBest. Join in by using the hashtags #mibest , #itriedMibest In addition: Amy Sherman is on Twitter @amyonthetrail, as well as Facebook and Instagram @amyonthetrail. John Gonzalez is on Twitter @michigangonzo, as well as Facebook and Instagram @MichiganGonzo. A reserve asset created by the IMF could provide the Fund a workaround to US objections to an aid package for Iran. Iran entered the coronavirus crisis with a crippled economy that has left it ill-equipped to battle the disease and poorly positioned to eventually rebound from the pandemics myriad ravages. Deprived of financial resources due to relentless rounds of US economic sanctions, Tehran did something in March it had not done in over a half a century: go cap in hand to the International Monetary Fund to request a $5bn emergency loan to fight COVID-19. But asking is not getting. And even if the IMF is inclined to step up with an aid package, there is a massive obstacle to overcome. The US is the Funds biggest shareholder and can use its heft to obstruct financial assistance to Iran. Iran has called US sanctions economic terrorism, while Washington says Tehrans support of armed groups in the Middle East is evidence that Iran has sufficient funds to fight the virus. But analysts say the IMF could find a way around this impasse by harnessing an asset created by the Fund to get Iran more money to fight the pandemic. Maximum pressure unabated There is no doubt Iran is struggling with COVID-19. The number of confirmed cases in the country has surpassed 79,000, and at least 4,958 people have lost their lives to the disease, according to Johns Hopkins University. Among the dead are dozens of front-line health workers, says Irans health ministry. Healthcare professionals have shared harrowing accounts of inadequate personal protective equipment, and shortages of medicines and medical devices, including respirators. Irans President Hassan Rouhani who has been criticised for not reacting quickly enough to contain the virus has defended his actions, saying he had to weigh a lockdown against the blow such measures would deliver to the countrys already beleaguered economy. Since 2018, after US President Donald Trumps administration unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, Washington has relentlessly squeezed Irans oil and banking sectors through successive rounds of sanctions. The punishment has continued unabated even as Iran emerged as a regional epicentre of the pandemic. While humanitarian goods like medicines are technically exempt, sanctions have drastically constrained the ability of Iranian entities to finance humanitarian imports, a Human Rights Watch report found. United Nations officials have called on the US to ease sanctions on countries fighting coronavirus. Russia and China signatories to the Iran nuclear deal have also stepped up calls for Washington to ease sanctions on Iran. Opposition is even building within the US. Last week, Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden joined members of Congress in urging the Trump administration to suspend sanctions on Iran. But the Trump administration has not altered course, which bodes poorly for an IMF loan to Tehran. Secretary of State [Mike] Pompeo argues that Iran will divert IMF funds away from coronavirus relief and towards weapons of mass destruction programmes and terrorist organisations, William W Burke-White, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, told Al Jazeera. The US administration also claims that Iran has adequate financial resources to deal with the virus if it used its existing funds more responsibly. A volunteer and his son disinfect a car in Qom, Iran [File: WANA via Reuters] Obstacles The US Department of State considers Iran a state sponsor of terrorism a designation that obliges the US to vote against extending IMF aid to Iran. Labels notwithstanding, the US holds nearly 17 percent of the Funds voting shares. The next-largest shareholders, Japan and China, only have about 6 percent each. While a group of countries could technically gather enough votes to overcome US opposition to greenlight an aid package for Iran, analysts say that scenario is unlikely. The IMF usually seeks to avoid contentious votes, and may decide not to call one if there is a lack of clarity as to whether the vote will pass, Burke-White said. The US will likely put significant pressure on allies to try and create at least the appearance of broader opposition to the loan, and thereby hope to avoid a vote. There is powerful support within the IMF for an emergency loan for Iran. The European Union announced on March 23 that it would support Irans IMF bid, in addition to giving Tehran 20 million euros ($21.8m) to help it fight the coronavirus. These countries have also privately and in public pressed the US to ease sanctions to allow Iran better access to humanitarian goods needed to fight coronavirus, Ellie Geranmayeh, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations told Al Jazeera. The EU doesnt have an ocean between it and Iran; the problems of the Middle East seep into Europe. Potential workaround Analysts say there are ways in which the IMF could work around US opposition and throw a financial lifeline to Iran. The Trump administration is obviously concerned with appearing politically isolated over the vote, said Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, publisher of Bourse & Bazaar, a media company that supports business diplomacy between Europe and Iran. It is possible that the IMF granting Iran a loan could create tensions with the administration that would derail larger negotiations, such as the discussions now taking place about increasing the Funds crisis powers, a move which the Trump administration opposes, he told Al Jazeera. One way to bypass a Washington roadblock, says Batmanghelidj, involves the use of Special Drawing Rights, or SDRs. SDRs are created by the IMF from a basket of so-called freely usable currencies, including the US dollar, Japanese yen, the renminbi, the euro and British pound sterling. Crucially, SDRs can be exchanged by IMF member states into freely usable currencies. Iran has $2.1bn worth of SDRs within the Fund. Batmanghelidj believes the IMF could facilitate the sale of part of those holdings to a buyer that would exchange them for freely usable currency like euros. The money could then be transferred to an account outside Iran but maintained by the countrys central bank. This kind of swap can happen directly between IMF member states and essentially gives the Fund an avenue for getting funds to Iran to help it fight coronavirus, without holding a vote among member states. This wouldnt require a vote at the board of governors and might give the IMF a way to help Iran without earning the ire of the United States, said Batmanghelidj. He adds that the money could then be moved through a secure payment channel similar to one Swiss authorities set up to allow Swiss companies to sell humanitarian goods to Iran without landing in the crosshairs of US sanctions. You are basically taking two things that have been done before an SDR sale and the use of a humanitarian trade payments channel and combining them, said Batmanghelidj. Of course, in such a scenario Iran would have still been denied recourse to the Rapid Financing Instrument [the IMF programme that disperses emergency loans] the Fund is between a rock and a hard place. A teenage boy fell from the balcony of an East York apartment overnight Friday, police say. Police responded to a fight at a building at Dawes Road and Park Vista around 1:20 a.m. Callers said a group of people were seen fighting with each other before someone either fell or was pushed from their balcony, they said. The group of three or four people involved in the fight then fled. The boy sustained serious injuries, but was conscious and breathing before being rushed to hospital on an emergency run assisted by police. The Department of Education and Skills today (Friday 17 April 2020) met with a range of stakeholders as part of planning for the State Examinations in response to the Covid-19 public health measures. The meeting involved representatives of students, parents, teachers, school leadership and management bodies, the State Examinations Commission, the National Educational Psychological Service and the Department. A series of further meetings will be held over the coming weeks as part of consideration and planning for the revised arrangements for the examinations, taking account of public health advice. The Higher Education Authority is also observing at the meetings with the intention of feeding back to consultations it is involved with across the third level sector. Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD said: I want to thank all those who are taking part in these stakeholder meetings and in particular for their acknowledgement of the extraordinary circumstances students are facing in the Covid-19 crisis. The welfare and wellbeing of students is of paramount consideration and we are also doing our utmost to ensure students get clarity and certainty in relation to the examinations at the earliest possible opportunity. All decisions are being taken in line with the public health advice. The advisory group was also notified that a range of supports for students to support their wellbeing and to support their continued learning is being developed. Further information for students about the decisions taken to date with regard to the State Examinations can be found at the State Examinations Commissions frequently asked questions document. https:// examinations.ie/?l=en&mc=ex& sc=cov More than 3,000 individual complaints have been filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration by workers who claim their employers are putting them at risk amid the coronavirus pandemic. The complaints, obtained by The Washington Post under a Freedom of Information request, have been made by essential workers on the front lines of the outbreak. Employees from dozens of different sectors have all filed complaints in the three months since January, with their stories 'depicting desperation and a frustration with employers' who often appear 'callously unconcerned with worker safety.' Many complaints come from workers at smaller businesses, with one employee at a Florida beauty parlor alleging that she was still performing facials and full-body waxes without any protective equipment. Meanwhile, a worker at a call center filed a complaint saying they were required to use communal phones and computers that were 'unsanitary'. The employee further claimed that social distancing protocols were dismissed, and that workers were forced to sit just two-feet apart. It comes amid widespread outrage at working conditions at larger corporations that are also continuing to operate amid the COVID-19 outbreak. On Friday, Amazon tech workers called for a one-day 'virtual walkout' to show solidarity with workers in their company's warehouses. More than half of Amazon's 110 warehouses have reported COVID-19 cases and faced a fierce pushback from employees, who claim safety protocols are not adequate enough to protect them from contracting the virus. Amazon told DailyMail.com Friday that they have 'implemented more than 150 significant process changes to support their teams including increasing rates of pay, adjusting time off and providing temperature checks, masks, gloves and other safety measures at their sites'. More than 3,000 individual complaints have been filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration by workers who claim their employers are putting them at risk amid the coronavirus pandemic. An Amazon employee is seen at a protest and walkout at New York City on March 30 Former OSHA chief David Michaels told The Washington Post Friday that the 'large number of complaints;' filed to with the Administration is 'powerful evidence that workers across the country are terrified and frustrated that their employers are not providing them with safe workplaces,' The Washington Post asserts that the 3,000 complaints are just a small reflection of wider dissatisfaction, given that many employees do not end up contacting OSHA. 'People don't even waste their time calling OSHA anymore. We've called OSHA and they're useless,' one union president told the publication. He represents workers at a Georgia poultry factory where they are required to stand 'shoulder to shoulder' while on the job. Three employees have already died from COVID-19. The Washington Post asserts that the 3,000 complaints are just a small reflection of wider worker dissatisfaction, given that many do not contact OSHA. An Amazon worker is seen protesting in New York City on March 30 The Department of Labor has not implemented any legally-binding rules that employers must follow Amazon tech workers call for one-day virtual walkout over warehouse worker safety Amazon tech workers have called for a one-day 'virtual walkout' to pressure the online retail giant over warehouse safety conditions during the coronavirus pandemic. Overwhelmed employees also demanded workers fired for speaking out against Amazon and its lapses in management be reinstated. The virtual walkout, organized by Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, is scheduled for April 24 and asked participating colleagues to take a personal day off at the same time. More than half of Amazon's 110 warehouses have reported COVID-19 cases and faced a fierce pushback from employees. Employees, including fired staffer Christian Smalls, said the company had not provided protective gear, did not alert staffers when their co-workers contracted COVID-19 and didn't actively sanitize work places. Consequentially, warehouse workers from New York City to Chicago have staged walkouts and strikes as they plead with Amazon to prioritize their lives over product distribution. Advertisement While the OSHA complaints came from a variety of different industries - from The National Parks Service to funeral homes - a majority were filed by healthcare workers. Those employees, who are servicing sick people in hospitals, doctors' offices and pharmacies, largely complained about a lack of PPE. Some have accused management of restricting access to N95 masks, while another said they were required to fashion a face mask out of a paper towel. While OSHA has issued companies with a 35-page booklet with suggestions on how to protect employees, the Trump Administration has not implemented any legally-binding rules that employers must follow. The result, The Washington Post claims, is a 'patchwork of precautions' that leave some workers far more vulnerable than others. For instance, some grocery stores require their workers to wear masks, while others do not. Some delivery companies equip their employees with cleaning products, while others do not. The anxiety of essential workers is set to continue as the coronavirus outbreak continues to worsen across the United States. As of Friday night, more than 690,000 Americans have tested positive to the virus, and 36,185 have died. A majority of OSHA complaints were filed by healthcare workers and regarded their lack of access to PPE A dozen Ford Motor Co. workers are experimenting with wearable social-distancing devices that could be deployed more widely once the carmaker reopens idled manufacturing plants. The small group of volunteers at a Ford factory in Plymouth, Michigan, are trying out watch-like wearables that vibrate when employees come within six feet of each other, said Kelli Felker, a company spokeswoman. The aim is to keep workers from breaching the distance that health experts recommend to avoid spreading the coronavirus. The social-distancing device could be part of a broader array of new safety protocols Ford deploys as it resumes production as early as next month after at least a roughly six-week shutdown. The automaker is also expected to subject all workers entering a facility to a thermal-imaging scan to detect a fever. And it will provide staff with masks and, in some cases, plastic face shields, Felker said. The company is devising the measures along with the United Auto Workers union. Ford and the UAW are working closely to identify different ways to keep our people safe while they are at work, Felker said. The Samsung Electronics Co. smartwatches Ford is piloting use software from closely held technology firm Radiant RFID, according to a spokesman for the Austin, Texas-based company. The devices utilize Bluetooth short-wave and low-power technology to detect proximity and clustering of workers. In near real-time, workers receive a vibration and a color-coded warning on the watch to let them know when they are closer than six feet to another person. Supervisors also receive alerts and reports that can be used to monitor social distancing and clustering in the workplace, according to Radiant. Ford has been piloting the new safety procedures at factories where its now producing ventilators and respirators to supply hospitals fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. Those practices which include requiring workers to complete a daily online survey on their health and those theyre in contact with are expected to be rolled out to the companys traditional auto factories as they reopen. The automaker hasnt set a date for when it plans to resume production. Photo: A Ford Motor Co. Mustang vehicle stands on the production line at the companys assembly plant in Flat Rock, Michigan. Photographer: Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across Europe surged to more than one million yesterday, rising 40,612 to 1,011,369, as governments across the continent intensified pressure on workers to end confinement measures and return to work. While shelter-at-home orders and school and plant closures in Europe have limited COVID-19s spread, the pandemic is raging. After the number of new cases in Spain fell several days running to 3,961 on April 14, it suddenly nearly doubled to 6,599 the following daySpains ongoing return to work will accelerate the contagion. France announced 753 deaths yesterday and a record number of new cases, rising 17,164 to 165,027. It was Britain, however, that recorded the most deaths, 861, as 4,617 new cases brought the UK total to 103,093, the sixth country to pass the 100,000 case mark. Police officers and soldiers check passengers leaving from Milan main train station, Italy, Monday, March 9, 2020. (Claudio Furlan/LaPresse via AP) This underscores the politically criminal character of repeated calls from European governments for a return to work in coming days and weeks. With Spain having already ended shelter-at home orders for industrial workers on Monday, Italian workers are gradually returning to work with a final target date of May 4, and Germany and France have announced a return to work on May 4 and May 11, respectively. Testifying before the French Senate, the president of Frances Scientific Council, Jean-Francois Delfraissy, predicted that a return to normalcy would rapidly lead to an explosion of new daily cases, which typically ranged from 2,000 to 4,000 during the lockdown, to 10,000 to 15,000. This week, a report from Frances National Institutes of Health and Research (INSERM) warned of the dangers posed by return to work orders. Ending shelter-at-home orders without an exit strategy would lead to a second wave of the pandemic that would completely swamp the hospital sector, they wrote, adding: The maximum number of intensive care beds is estimated at over 40 times capacity if there is not a clear strategy after the end of the lockdown. While French President Emmanuel Macron called for reopening schools next month, experts urge waiting until September. We do not yet have a clear vision of how the epidemic will develop in coming weeks, commented Professor Renaud Piarroux of the Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris, who said Macrons call for a return to work on May 11 was a sort of bet. Britain announced a three-week extension of its lockdown put in place on March 23 as public health workers continue to contract and die from COVID-19. Last Sunday, a pregnant 28-year-old nurse, Mary Agyeiwaa Anyapong, died after giving birth by caesarean section. The Nursing Notes organization also refuted government claims that 27 UK medical staff have died, whereas the true figure is 56: We believe the difference stems from an omission of unregistered staff, locums/agency workers, allied health professionals, and social care. In Germany, after a video conference on Wednesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the prime ministers of the different German states agreed on a package of measures to gradually reduce the restrictions that have been in place until now to contain the spread of the pandemic. According to the German governments decision paper, the decrees issued so far such as social distancing regulations and contact restrictions will be extended until May 3, but schools are to be gradually reopened from May 4 at the latest. Initially, everyday school life is to begin in the highest elementary school classes, graduating classes and classes that will take exams next year. Also, at universities, examinations are to be held and libraries and archives opened. In the German retail sector, shops with sales areas of up to 800 square meters will be able to reopen as early as next week, as well as car dealers, bicycle dealers, bookstores, regardless of the sales area. Among service providers where physical proximity is essential, hairdressers should first prepare themselves to resume operations from May 4. The Germany governments central goal, however, is to boost the economy and resume production, especially in the auto industry. The paper complains that in many cases production problems and production stoppages have occurred in recent weeks independently of ordered closures because essential components were no longer supplied. Germanys federal and state governments are now primarily tasked with supporting the economy by restoring disrupted international supply chains. In order to lull the population into a false sense of security, the paper emphasizes that the restoration of public life and disrupted value chains must be well prepared and accompanied in each individual case by protective measures in such a way that the emergence of new infection chains is avoided as far as possible. The aim is to ensure that health care facilities and nursing staff are fully supplied with medical masks that protect the wearers from infection. In other words, federal and state governments are preparing to ramp up the economy and public life and produce an explosion of new cases, even though there is not even a sufficient supply of medically adequate protective masks in the health care system! In fact, more and more hospitals are becoming hotspots of the COVID-19 epidemic. Due to the dramatic lack of protective equipment, more than 2,300 doctors and nurses have already become infected in German hospitals alone, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). We must secure the successes we have achieved, Merkel demanded at a joint press conference with Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (Social Democratic PartySPD), Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Soder (Christian Social UnionCSU) and Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD). One wonders what the Chancellor is talking about? Germany recorded over 300 deaths on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday another 248 deaths were reported bringing the death toll to 4,052, far more than the 3,342 recorded in China, the original epicenter of the pandemic. The policies of European banks and governments are setting them on a collision course with the working class. It was a wave of wildcat strikes and spontaneous walkouts by workers in Italy that forced the initial adoption of quarantine and shelter-at-home orders in Italy that then expanded across Europe. The European Unions (EU) decades-long record of austerity and health care cuts stands utterly discredited. Nevertheless, banks and major corporations are working closely with the trade unions to plot a return to work to boost profits at the expense of workers lives. While polls in France, Spain and Germany have all shown 80 percent of the population supporting shelter-at-home orders, there is little doubt that the bourgeoisie across Europe would prefer to order masses of workers back to work, and for many to their deaths, as soon as possible. Merkel is calling for reopening international supply chains, however, under conditions where restarting production depends on reopening plants across southern Europe that were shut down by mass walkouts or strikes. Last month, the French financial consultancy Rexecode warned of the international impact of COVID-19 confinement of parts of northern Italy accounting for 55 percent of the countrys industrial production. It noted, The weight of Italy in European industrial supply chains far surpasses that of China, and certain countries are especially dependent. In France, textiles and machine tools are the most affected. European automakers are among the most exposed to disruptions in European and international supply chains. Volkswagen, Europes largest automaker, cited falling sales and supply chain uncertainty as the reasons for interrupting production at its plants, while PSA and Renault cited supply disruptions in Spain in their statements reporting their decision to mothball plants. Workers cannot afford to leave the decision on a return to work in the hands of governments and union bureaucracies whose utter contempt for the lives of the population is an open secret. The resources in the trillion-euro bank bailouts must be impounded and used to finance scientific research, a vast emergency expansion of health care, and full and direct financial support for workers and small businesses impacted by the catastrophe, regardless of nationality or ethnic origins. This requires the unification of the struggles of the working class across Europe on a socialist program. The Jharkhand High Court granted bail to former BJP MP Som Marandi and five others in a case of relating to blocking railway tracks during an agitation in 2012, but asked them to deposit Rs 35,000 each to the PM-CARES fund and download the Aarogya Setu app as a condition. Allowing the bail through video-conference on Thursday, the bench of Justice Anubha Rawat Choudhary asked the six accused to provide evidence of the deposit and the download after being released, assistant public prosecuter Rakesh Kumar Sinha said. The court said all the accused are also instructed to abide by the guidelines issued by the Centre and the state government regarding the COVID-19. The five other accused are Vivekanand Tiwari, Amit Agrawal, Hisabi Rai, Sanchay Bardhan and Anugrha Narayan. On March 28, the Centre set up the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund with the primary objective to deal with any kind of emergency situation like the one currently posed by the COVID-19 outbreak and provide relief to those affected. The government's Aarogya Setu app alerts people if any known or person in their vicinity has tested positive for coronavirus infection. The accused persons, booked in connection with a "rail roko" agitation staged in March 2012, were arrested in February this year. A GRP court had held them guilty and sentenced them to a year in prison. Later, the sentence was confirmed by a court in Pakur district. They then moved the High Court against the verdict. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Navy Says 94% of Crew on Aircraft Carrier Roosevelt Tested, 655 Have COVID-19 Sputnik News 18:41 GMT 16.04.2020 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Nine-four percent of the crew on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt have been tested for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) revealing that 655 have contracted the virus, the US Navy said in a press release on Thursday. "As of today, 94 percent of USS Theodore Roosevelt crew members have been tested for COVID-19, with 655 positive and 3,919 negative results", the release said. "4,059 sailors have moved ashore". The Navy said six sailors are currently hospitalised in the Naval Hospital Guam and one has been placed in an Intensive Care Unit. In a separate press release, the US Navy said 80 percent of the ship has been cleaned and disinfected. On Monday, the US Navy said a sailor assigned to the ship had died due to complications from COVID-19. The outbreak was first made public when an email written by the ship's captain Brett Crozier was leaked to the media. The email warned of an outbreak among the crew and said there was an urgent need to quarantine affected sailors. Last Thursday, former Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly announced that he removed Crozier from his post, saying the captain improperly sent the email about his concerns, using channels that were not secure to convey confidential information. Modly later resigned after coming under fire for removing the captain and calling him "stupid" for sounding the alarm about the COVID-19 outbreak aboard the aircraft carrier. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address They've been lockdown in their New York City apartment for weeks now as the coronavirus pandemic continues to worsen in the US. But Hugh Jackman, 51, enjoyed a much-needed breath of fresh air on Thursday, going for his daily stroll with his teenager Ava, 14, and their pet pooches Dali and Allegra. The father and daughter duo both wore face masks as they walked around the block close to their home. Groundhog day: Hugh Jackman wore a face mask as he went on another stroll with his daughter Ava, 14, amid the terrifying coronavirus crisis in New York City The Moulin Rouge actor dressed comfortable in a black tracksuit with matching sneakers and a baseball cap. Hugh and his wife Deborra Lee-Furness recently urged their fans to stay at home to protect others amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Aussie star and his 64-year-old wife shared a video to Instagram last week, filmed at their New York apartment. 'Hi there! We stay home for all of our family, and for all the people working in essential services. All the doctors and healthcare workers,' Deborra-Lee said to camera. Safety first! The father and daughter duo both wore face masks as they walked around the block close to their home 'Nurses, garbage collectors, bus drivers. All of those who cannot stay home, we stay home for you,' Hugh added. The pair nominated Trudy Styler and Sting to make a similar video, under the viral #istayhomefor hashtag. Hugh wrote in their caption: 'We stay home for our family and all the people working in essential services. Who are you staying home? Earlier this month, Hugh took a moment to ask his Instagram followers to 'stay home and do the right thing'. He also reminded people to limit outside exposure and practice proper social-distancing. Hugh looked into the camera and said: 'Listen to our country's doctors and officials. If you have to be outside, limit exposure to others.' Message: Hugh and his wife Deborra Lee-Furness recently urged their fans to stay at home to protect others amid the coronavirus pandemic This is time for us to all come together. Follow the guidelines that all of our doctors and officials all over the world have said would help. Thanks for listening.' Last week, Hugh revealed how he is maintaining his fitness while in lockdown. Hugh shared a video of himself running up the stairs in the 15-storey apartment building that he lives in, as gyms are closed. '15 floors baby!' The Great Showman star said in the clip, with a big grin on his face. The coronavirus tracing technology being developed to reduce the spread of the disease in the community will be useless if not enough people take it up. Based on an app being used in Singapore called TraceTogether, it could hold one of the keys to Australia's escape from the ongoing social lockdowns. Australia is aiming to use the mobile phone technology to allow health officials to check if users have been in contact with people infected with COVID-19. The government estimates it would need 40 per cent of Australians to use the app, which would only be voluntary, for it to be effective. Only 20 per cent of Singapore's population has so far adopted TraceTogether. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said on Friday '40 per cent has been our target for the time being, but let's see how we go.' The coronavirus tracing technology being developed to reduce the spread of the disease in Australia is based on an app being used in Singapore called TraceTogether. It could hold one of the keys to Australia's escape from the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown 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 'If we could all do this and everyone had the app on their phones then this would certainly make this experience much easier for the process of finding cases and contacts. 'It would allow us to really consider releasing those social distancing measures that we have had in place, which I'm sure we would all welcome.' There are concerns that the gathering of such comprehensive data could breach citizens' civil liberties - and some have called it 'worthless' as it's not mandatory. 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. That information would become useful if one of those people was known to have contracted COVID-19. If officials need to call upon the 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. 'If you had close contact with a COVID-19 case, whether or not you know the person, TraceTogether helps contact tracers call you more quickly,' the Singaporean app's developer states. 'Being contacted earlier allows us to better protect those around us, reducing the spread of COVID-19. 'TraceTogether makes it faster to complete contact tracing on a national level. When more people use it, we will be safer together.' 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) 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. 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 Prime Minister Scott Morrison insisted the government's version of TraceTogether was being developed with 'robust' privacy settings. 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. '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'. 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) '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. 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 'More anxiety and discrimination will come from wondering who is being honest and who even has the app on their phones.' Singapore is not relying just on TraceTogether to control coronavirus. It has recently introduced a stricter national lockdown as infection rates climb again. 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 acoronavirus 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. 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.' Google has paid tribute to teachers and childcare workers guiding students under tough conditions amid coronavirus outbreak with a doodle on Friday (April 17, 2020). The doodle is a part of the Thank You Coronavirus Helpers series introduced to celebrate professionals involved in providing essential services to people in these difficult times. Thanking teachers and childcare workers the Google doodle blog said, ''As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people are coming together to help one another now more than ever. Were launching a Doodle series to recognize and honor many of those on the front lines. Today, wed like to say: To all teachers and childcare workers, thank you.'' As school, colleges, universities remain closed in several countries due to the deadly virus outbreak, teachers are still putting in efforts to continue the academic process via several means like giving online classes and teaching students through mails and other such platforms. Prior to this Google has also honored food service providers, grocery workers, packaging, shipping, delivery workers, public transport workers, farmers, doctors, nurses, etc who are working hard and giving selfless service even in this tough time just to ensure that people get their essential needs during the pandemic. According to reports, Google will continue to honour the coronavirus fighters with a series of news doodles over the next two weeks. The coronavirus outbreak has brought the entire world into a standstill. In India, the number of COVID-19 cases jumped to 13,387 out of which 11,201 are active cases and as many as 1,748 people have been cured and discharged and one has migrated, said Ministry of Health data on Friday morning. The cases saw a jump by 1007 and 23 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. 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. Six people have died from the coronavirus after attending a funeral in South Carolina. Officials announced the tragic news Thursday, but did not release the names of the victims, who were all African Americans over the age of 60. The group attended the funeral, which was held in Kershaw County, in the first week of March - before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called for restrictions on mass gatherings. A county coroner told The State that it was likely all of the victims contracted COVID-19 from a 'super-spreader' at the event, who did not realize they were infected. Six people have died from the coronavirus after attending a funeral in South Carolina last month. Their names have not been released 'We don't want anyone to think that they are just numbers because they are not. They are people that lost their lives tragically,' the coroner, Robbie Baker, told FOX 57. He said others who attended the funeral are now in self-quarantine. It is unclear whether any other attendees became infected but have now recovered. There have been a number of high-profile incidents where doctors believe a super-spreader has infected dozens of people at a single event. Last month, 45 out of 60 people contracted COVID-19 while at a choir practice in Washington state. And in Sydney, Australia, 39 people became infected with the virus after attending a wedding held in early March. South Carolina has reported 3,931 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 109 deaths - with the case numbers doubling in the past two weeks alone. African Americans have been disproportionately the victims of the virus in both South Carolina and the United States as a whole. African-Americans make up 27 percent of South Carolina's population, but have accounted for 56 percent of all coronavirus deaths across the state. A drill sergeant is pictured taking temperatures at Fort Jackson in South Carolina The statistics reflect those from other states, which also show that African Americans are twice as likely to die from the virus. Black residents have been particularity hard-hit in cities including New York, Detroit, New Orleans, Chicago and Milwaukee. In states like Louisiana up to 70 percent of the victims were people of color. Last week, published data showed that African Americans account for about 42 per cent of coronavirus deaths in areas where demographic information has been obtained, despite only accounting for 21 per cent of the population in those areas. African-Americans make up 27 percent of South Carolina's population, but have accounted for 56 percent of all coronavirus deaths across the state. A testing center in the state is pictured A history of systemic racism and inequity in access to health care and economic opportunity has made many African Americans far more vulnerable to the virus. Black adults suffer from higher rates of obesity, diabetes and asthma, which make them more susceptible, and also are more likely to be uninsured. African Americans are also over represented among workers like nurse aides, grocery store clerks, emergency dispatchers and public transportation employees who cannot work from hone. That forces them out into the general public at a time when others are under strict stay-at-home orders. According to Foxnews, Three Southern California churches that want to keep their doors open during the coronavirus outbreak sued Governor Gavin Newsom and other officials Monday, arguing that social distancing orders violate the 1st Amendment right to freedom of religion and assembly. Newsom's stay at home order to slow the spread of COVID-19, has closed businesses except for essential ones. It has also barred group gatherings, and this has been an issue with many churches in California. "The state does not get to dictate the method of worship to the faithful." "If a Californian is able to go to Costco or the local marijuana shop or liquor store and buy goods in a responsible, socially distanced manner, then he or she must be allowed to practice their faith using the same precautions." States and local governments have differed on whether houses of worship must meet social distancing rules. Some states have provided a degree of exemption for religious activity. "The Middle for American Liberty, a conservative non-financial gain, submitted the lawsuit in the federal court docket for the Central District of California on behalf of 3 pastors and a person parishioner in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, East of Los Angeles. Attorney Standard Xavier Becerra and officials of San Bernardino and Riverside counties are also named as defendants." Although church gatherings are not known to be essential in California, churches are defending themselves that they are practicing social distancing by having service in a drive-in theater on Easter. However, Newsom issued a statewide keep-at-residence order closing all non-vital firms, banning gatherings and urging inhabitants to only go away home for essential visits. Many churches started questioning the idea of essential and non-essential. "On Easter Sunday, numerous churches held drive-in solutions for congregants who listened on their car radios from parking heaps. The suit claims smaller residences of worship may possibly not have the know-how to stream solutions online." Kenya has today entered the second month in the battle against COVID-19. Looking back, there is no denying that the last 30 days have radically altered life as we know or have ever imagined it. Schools have closed indefinitely while all religious gatherings remain suspended, with common rituals such as weddings and burials greatly restricted. We have learnt to walk around with masks covering our mouths and noses and many of us have not shaken a single hand in three or four weeks. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Scare as 32 people disappear from Mandera quarantine facility Health CS Mutahi Kagwe giving status update on coronavirus in Kenya. Photo: TUKO.co.ke. Source: Original READ ALSO: Coronavirus yatua KPA Mombasa, yawakamata baadhi ya wafanyakazi The ongoing dusk to dawn curfew means millions of Kenyans cannot step outside their homes after 7 pm, while many individuals have been "locked" inside or outside Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale counties. With international flights banned and borders closed to stop the importation of new coronavirus cases from other affected countries, not even our leaders can travel outside the country. READ ALSO: MPs return to parliament armed with face masks to debate COVID-19 mitigation measures Government officials visiting Export Processing Zone in Athi River to check on progress of personal protective equipment being made at the facility. Photo: Ministry of Health. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Coronavirus update: Kenya confirms 8 new cases bringing national tally to 216 It has been a whole package of disruptions and in a season of peace globally, it has been unsettling that we have to live with conditions that are historically synonymous with major wars. And as stated by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Monday, April 13, the disease is likely to be around for some time, meaning Kenyans should be prepared for a long and spirited battle ahead. READ ALSO: Left in the cold: Tuju disagrees with Ruto, confirms president privy to change of Jubilee Party officials Yet, while the restrictions and sacrifices are extremely necessary, there is a silver lining in that they have not been in vain. The Monday briefing on the state of COVID-19 was one filled with hope as Kagwe alluded to low rate of infections in Kenya, a situation attributable to the strict measures put in place by the government to combat the spread of the pandemic. Hope is paramount in times like this and many Kenyans must have breathed a sigh of relief after the CS retracted a projection of over 10,000 cases in the country by April. READ ALSO: Kilifi: William Ruto says AP officer caught on camera fighting over bribe to be punished It was wonderful to hear that the public health measures are bearing fruit as more and more Kenyans embrace them. But the glad tidings came with a critical rider that we are not out of the woods yet. The war against the virus will not be over until it is over, and there is simply no room to relax in observing the stipulated measures. Lowering guard by whatever margin could prove critical and undo the current little success with devastating effect. It must not be lost on Kenyans that the country continues to record new infection cases, most of which are a result of community transmission. This unseen enemy continues to spread among us. Here, we are talking about a pandemic that has claimed over 120,000 lives and infected almost two million people around the world. We are facing a disease that has claimed over 24,000 lives in the US, the most powerful country in the world which recorded its very first case just the other day. You may call it flu, but diseases, and not least flus, cannot get more unforgiving than this. The onus is thus on all Kenyans to ensure they continue to keenly follow the governments directives to stop spread of the virus. Let us observe social distancing and stay at home if possible. Let us frequently wash our hands with soap and water for about 20 seconds, let us wear masks while outdoors, let us abstain from hugs and handshakes and generally observe the highest possible levels of hygiene to conquer this pandemic. As we start the critical second month, let all Kenyans remember that we all have huge individual roles to play in the battle to tame coronavirus and if each and every one of us, in their own small way, leads in the fight like a general in war, it will be a matter of time before we thrust the disease to the annals of Kenyas history. How I long for that day when the country will be declared coronavirus-free as we all resume our normal lives and embark on the next critical assignment - that of rebuilding the shattered economy. The writer is Sammy Kwinga, 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. We welcome writers, bloggers, photographers and all sorts of noise makers to become a part of our Blog network Send your opinion, story or both to news@tuko.co.ke. 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 Eventually, we shall cure, and we shall endure, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das said, announcing the second set of monetary and credit measures to help India cope with the coronavirus pandemic, and the ongoing lockdown to combat it that has curtailed economic activity. The first set of measures were announced on March 27. RBIs Friday announcements will benefit states, banks and finance companies, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and the agricultural sector. The markets reacted positively, with bank stocks leading the march. Thats because banks now have 180 days (up from 90) to declare an account a non-performing asset for borrowers that avail the three-month repayment moratorium announced on March 27. They have also been given 90 more days (from the current 210) for the resolution of so-called stressed assets. Both will ensure that lenders arent weighed down by bad loans. RBIs move to announce targeted operations that will direct credit to finance companies, agriculture and MSMEs is an acknowledgement of the fact that similar operations announced on March 27 have largely benefited State-owned companies and large corporations. And its decision to cut the reverse repo rate (the interest it pays on money banks keep with it) is a signal to banks to go out and lend more. That this wasnt happening is evident according to data shared by Mr Das. On April 15, the amount under the reverse repo window of RBI was 6.91 lakh crore. Finally, the central banks enhancement of the ways and means advances (WMA) provision to states by 60% over the limit on March 31 means that states will be able to borrow more short-term funds to tide over their expenses, especially those related to combating the coronavirus disease, at a time when their revenue has seen a precipitous drop. This facility is open to them till September 30. Mr Das pointed out that RBI has, between February 6 and March 27 (including the measures announced that day), infused liquidity equal to 3.2% of GDP. Todays announcements will take that number further up. He suggested that there could be more measures. RBI is clearly doing its bit. The onus is now on the government to unveil a larger relief and stimulus package that can help both individuals and businesses, cope with the crisis. Industry has demanded a package of between 14 lakh crore and 16 lakh crore. It is time to deliver. COLUMBIA, S.C. Weeks after a crowd gathered for a funeral in southern Kershaw County, six people who were at the funeral have died from the coronavirus, including an elderly husband and wife, officials said. All six of the dead were elderly over the age of 60 and all were African American, officials said. The elderly and African Americans have the highest fatality rate from coronavirus, according to national and South Carolina statistics. Many who attended that funeral, held in the first week of March, were from Sumter County and have been in self-quarantine, said Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker. And four of the dead three women and one man were from the northern portion of Sumter County bordering Kershaw County, Baker said. They attended that same funeral and unfortunately passed away from COVID, Baker said of COVID-19, the sometimes serious respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. They came back to Sumter, got sick, and I was notified they had passed. Unfortunately, a large amount of people congregated at that funeral, somebody there was infected with it, spread it, and just didnt know it, Baker said. Two of the dead were a husband and wife from Kershaw County. They both died days apart at a Prisma Health hospital in Richland County, where they were taken after becoming sick, Kershaw County Coroner David West said. The couple had been married for more than five decades, were active church members and the heads of a multi-generational family, according to their obituaries. The State is not naming the couple for the time being out of an effort, driven in this story by a request for privacy from a family member, to balance peoples requests for non-identification with the publics right to know about the spread of a highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease. The six deaths, which the coroners said almost certainly resulted from that funeral, underscore the highly contagious nature of the deadly coronavirus disease, which spreads by touch and physical contact as well as by tiny virus-laden droplets in peoples breaths, sneezes or coughs, scientists say. It primarily attacks the lungs and respiratory system but also is capable of striking the heart and kidneys, according to medical reports. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control was asked about the six deaths but as of midday Thursday had not commented on the matter. Officials of two of South Carolinas major funeral home associations said that in recent weeks, funeral homes across the state are strongly encouraging services to be held in a manner that conforms to coronavirus distancing protocols, which call for small gatherings and keeping distance between people. Gloria Walker Vessels, president of the South Carolina Morticians Association, said some funeral homes are video live-streaming funeral services while only a small core of family members and clergy are actually present at graveside. As death rates climbs, along with the number of persons who are taken ill, people are beginning to increasingly pay attention, said Vessels, of Anderson. Brad Evans, president of the South Carolina Funeral Directors Association, said his members are trying to discourage large gatherings while encouraging small graveside services. In our profession, whats the most difficult thing to do? It is to not shake someones hand, or not give someone a hug, Evans said. The most important thing you can do is to show somebody you care, and to not express that in that way as we have done forever we are trying to do the best we can under the circumstances and trying to keep people safe. Melissa Nolan, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health, said that the COVID-19 virus can hang suspended in the air and also survive on nonporous surfaces, such as a coffins exterior, for about five to seven hours. Hypothetically, if you have someone who is very sick, and they are shedding [the virus], and they walk up to the casket, and they cough, those virus particles will stay in the air around that environment for about an hour, she said. If someone came into that environment, within six feet, they could become infected. However, studies indicate that someone who has the coronavirus, but is not showing any COVID-19 symptoms, doesnt give off nearly as many virus particles and consequently, poses less risk to a bystander, she said. But still, she said, Its something to be cautious of. The first two South Carolinians to test positive for the disease were in early March, DHEC said in a March 6 press release. On March 16, DHEC announced that two South Carolinians had died from COVID-19. As of Wednesday afternoon, DHEC announced that more than 3,600 South Carolinians had tested positive for the disease and 107 had died. DHEC projects that by early August, 680 people in the state will die from COVID-19. And by May 2, more than 8,600 people will test positive, DHEC estimated Wednesday afternoon. However, DHEC officials say the actual number of people who are infected could be as much as nine times greater than what the tests show. Elderly people are among the most vulnerable who die from the disease. Thirty-four percent of those who have tested positive in South Carolina are ages 61 and above, while that age group makes up approximately 90% of those who die from the disease. African Americans in South Carolina are also among the most severely impacted by the disease. Although African Americans make up 27% of the state population, they are 41% of those who test positive. They are 56% of those who die. John Monk of The State (Columbia, S.C.) wrote this story. 2020 The State (Columbia, S.C.) Visit The State (Columbia, S.C.) at www.thestate.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Mitch Janssens figures hes lucky to be able to conduct business from the cab of his combine while working on his farm in southwest Manitoba even if he does have to find high ground and hold his phone up to the window to ensure service. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Mitch Janssens figures hes lucky to be able to conduct business from the cab of his combine while working on his farm in southwest Manitoba even if he does have to find high ground and hold his phone up to the window to ensure service. Hes among a large majority of rural Manitobans who are dissatisfied with internet and cell phone service according to a survey of more than 1,500 people just conducted by Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP). The survey underlines the fact that a growing number of rural residents are frustrated with continuing to pay either the same rates or more than urban residents for substandard service. Almost two-thirds of respondents said they were either somewhat or very dissatisfied with both their internet and mobile service. "Were fortunate because we can typically get cell service even though we will lose connections and its hard to continue conversations while youre working," Janssens said. "Lots of people have zero service when they go on the field and have to rely completely on two-way radios." Its no secret that reliable high speed internet and wireless service cant be taken for granted in rural Manitoba. The current social distancing protocols forcing many in rural Manitoba to work from home just underlines the frustration many have with the substandard service. Jill Verwey, KAP vice president and chair of the rural policy committee, said the decision to survey members was made long before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. But she said the pandemic is making the problem that much more obvious. "We have been experiencing poor service for a number of years," she said. "Now with the number people at home streaming and the number of individuals with smart phones our so-called high speed internet is down to a dribble." Although there have been various declarations from different federal government departments to the effect that high speed internet is an essential service, there are many internet and wireless deserts in Manitoba and across the country. Plenty of programs and funding has been announced over the years that have not changed the fact that many communities in the country do not have the kind of service that people in the city take for granted. (A $63-million federal/provincial program to build fibre networks to many remote northern Manitoba communities was announced two years ago but not a dime of that funding has yet been dispersed.) One respondent in the KAP survey said, "this is the biggest issue holding rural Manitobans back." Verwey said people in rural Manitoba are trying to do business on-line, just like people in the city. "If we dont have adequate service were not keeping up, were falling behind," she said. "We use it for everything," said Janssens who operates a 4,800-acre farming operation spread out across close to 50 kilometres. "Were like everyone else. We are completely dependent on it." Verwey said poor service has been an issue for many years despite the fact that Bell MTS and others have spent money building out their networks connecting many towns to the fibre networks. But many continue to be left out. A recent decision to alter the way the major companies are compelled to provide wholesale rates to re-sellers created another setback. Smaller rural Internet service providers like Virden-based RFNow are trying to encourage partnerships with municipalities that would be able to fund more robust fibre optic connections as opposed to reliance on wireless or microwave broadband networks. Chris Kennedy, the CEO of RFNow, said those kind of long term decisions, which may cost more money up front, will save money in the long term. 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. "We know there are municipalities out there who have already lost business to bigger communities and they are tired of it," he said. Bell MTS is committed to spending $1 billion on building up its provincial broadband infrastructure and has made strides. It recently announced expansion of its fibre network in Flin Flon. Andrew Parkinson, a spokesman for the company said, "Well have more announcements about expanded coverage later this year, and we are always open to discussing funding partnerships with communities and the government in areas that cant be supported by private investment alone from companies like Bell MTS." Verwey said KAP will continue to lobby federal and provincial governments and the big telcos to get more creative. "Rural communities are definitely at a disadvantage," she said. "We are going to put pressure on governments and the (internet and wireless) service providers so they can make service equitable to all individuals and all business owners... not just ones in the city." martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca Simon Chukwudi A Nigerian man, 46 identified as Simon Okafor Chukwudi has been declared wanted by the Police in Ghana on Friday, April 17. Chukwudi fled the country after he was found to have tested positive for coronavirus. He was said to have entered the country from Germany before Ghana declared a lockdown and was subsequently tested with the result showing he was positive for coronavirus. According to report by Daily Graphic, an online news medium in Ghana, the man was said to have disappeared from his residence in Wa area of the Upper West Region of the country since April 14 after he was asked to self-isolate and his sample taken for testing. It was gathered that 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 and the health officials who came to take him to the isolation centre could not find him. So, policemen in the Upper West Region have launched a manhunt for him 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 centre since Tuesday but could not trace him. The Upper West Region in Ghana 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 countrys president announced the closure of the borders, while the sixth person travelled into the region from Western Region. National Assembly deputies say if the government gives financial support to real estate firms and private schools, it will only be saving rich people. Enterprises in different business fields have been complaining about difficulties and shouting for help to overcome problems faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The government has taken the first steps to support businesses by adjusting macro policies, launching z VND250 trillion bailout, extending the tax payment deadline, and exempting fines for tax payment delays. Ho Thanh Binh, a National Assembly deputy from An Giang Province, said the government needs to be sure that the money from the bailout can reach enterprises that most need the support. The government should have an overview of the health of the economy and consider growth scenarios. The hardest hit business fields should receive support. The consumer goods and service sectors have suffered the most. Industry and production are also vulnerable sectors and need support. Enterprises in different business fields have been complaining about difficulties and shouting for help to overcome problems faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Binh said that ministries were focusing too much on enterprises under their management and are only designing solutions to protect these enterprises. As the economy is affected by the pandemic, ministries and branches must not only think of local interests, but also the overall development of the economy, he commented. The deputy emphasized that support policies need to be specific, and that support must not be given to everyone or every enterprise. It is wrong to give priority to allocating support to enterprises that have good relations with ministries. Our resources are not big enough to spend arbitrarily, he said. Addressing the opinion that it is necessary to save the real estate market, Le Cong Nhuong, a National Assembly deputy from Binh Dinh province, said: There is no need to save the rich." The Ministry of Construction has proposed a series of solutions to support real estate firms, including VAT and social insurance premium payment extension, and additional disbursement of capital for social housing projects. Meanwhile, some organizations and associations have asked for consumer credit packages to support tens of thousands of real estate brokers who have become redundant. Many Vietnamese billionaires have become rich thanks to investments in real estate. Therefore, giving support to the real estate sector is just like saving the rich, he said. Regarding the education sector, the deputy said it is necessary to support teachers who have been affected by school closures. However, he emphasized that the support should be addressed to teachers, not private education establishments as proposed by the Ministry of Education and Training. Kim Chi Rice ATM machines support deprived people nationwide An array of rice ATM machines have been put into operation in Hanoi, HCM City, and Hue as a means of helping underprivileged individuals and their families overcome the negative economic impact caused by the novel coronavirus. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Singapore Fri, April 17, 2020 15:30 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd287a1f 2 Science & Tech Singapore,robot,disinfectant,coronavirus,coronavirus-prevention,COVID-19,technology,pandemic Free Singapore researchers have invented a disinfecting robot with an arm that mimics human movement, to help take the load off overworked cleaners during the coronavirus pandemic. The "XDBOT" is a box-shaped creation on wheels mounted with a dexterous robotic limb, which can reach awkward locations such as under tables and beds. The robot, built by researchers at the city-state's Nanyang Technological University (NTU), has a high-powered nozzle for spraying disinfectant and can tackle large surfaces rapidly. It can be controlled remotely with a laptop or tablet, reducing the risk to cleaners of becoming infected with the virus, which has killed over 140,000 people worldwide. "Using our new robot from a distance, a human operator can precisely control the disinfection process... with zero contact with surfaces," said Chen I-Ming, an NTU scientist who led the project. The cleaning robot differs from others on the market, which are mainly intended to clean floor surfaces and cannot disinfect odd-shaped objects. The robot could help meet growing calls in Singapore for more deep-cleaning and disinfection services, with reports suggesting cleaners are having to work long hours as demand explodes during the pandemic. The XDBOT has been trialed on the NTU campus, and its creators hope to test it in more public areas and hospitals. Singapore is battling a fast-moving second wave of infections, with case numbers jumping by 728 Thursday to bring the total to 4,427, including 10 deaths. The outbreak's epicenter are crowded foreign worker dormitories. From Thailand to Israel, robots are increasingly being used in the fight against the coronavirus, as they are seen as fast, efficient, and contagion-proof. An artist's depiction of a quasar and its surrounding galaxy as seen with optical light. Scientists took a second look at a strange object and spotted the most powerful winds ever detected gusting off of a special flavor of black hole called a quasar. A quasar forms when a supermassive black hole accelerates certain particles it cannot absorb so dramatically that they reach nearly the speed of light as they shoot away from the black hole in bright, jetlike structures. Quasars often also produce winds that can gust through the surrounding galaxy, reducing star formation . But, until now, scientists haven't ever seen such powerful quasar winds. "While high-velocity winds have previously been observed in quasars, these have been thin and wispy, carrying only a relatively small amount of mass," Sarah Gallagher, an astronomer at Western University in Canada and lead author on the new research, said in a university statement . "The outflow from this quasar, in comparison, sweeps along a tremendous amount of mass at incredible speeds. This wind is crazy powerful, and we don't know how the quasar can launch something so substantial." Related: 1 year ago, the world saw a black hole for the first time The newly studied quasar, which scientists refer to as SDSS J135246.37+423923.5, is produced by a supermassive black hole containing more than 8 billion times the mass of our sun, or perhaps 2,000 times the mass of the black hole at the center of our own galaxy , according to the team's calculations. This quasar was first discovered by a project called the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which produces massive maps of the universe, and was revisited by the Gemini North telescope located atop Maunakea in Hawaii . The team behind the new research also needed to apply a recently developed technique for analyzing this sort of quasar, which scientists call a broad absorption line quasar after a characteristic in the data such objects produce. "We were shocked this isn't a new quasar, but no one knew how amazing it was until the team got the Gemini spectra," Karen Leighly, a co-author on the new research and an astronomer at the University of Oklahoma, said in the same statement. "These objects were too hard to study before our team developed our methodology and had the data we needed, and now it looks like they might be the most interesting kind of windy quasars to study." An artist's depiction of the same system as seen in infrared light. (Image credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Marenfeld) The calculations based on this analysis suggest that this particular object is producing the most powerful quasar winds scientists have ever detected. The phenomenon is particularly intriguing because scientists believe such winds play a key role in sculpting the galaxies that surround the structure. The researchers hope that this quasar isn't the only one of its kind. "We don't know how many more of these extraordinary objects are in our quasar catalogs that we just don't know about yet," Hyunseop Choi, first author on the new research and a graduate student at the University of Oklahoma, said in the same statement. "There could be more of these quasars with tremendously powerful outflows hidden away in our surveys." The research is described in a paper published March 1 in the Astrophysical Journal. Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her @meghanbartels . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corp., holds up the company's new Ocean Medallion, a small wearable for their cruise ship passengers, during his keynote address at CES in Las Vegas By Helen Coster (Reuters) - Carnival Corp Chief Executive Officer Arnold Donald defended the companys safety record on Thursday, telling reporters in a media call that Carnival followed protocols from international authorities while handling high-profile coronavirus outbreaks aboard two of its ships. On Feb. 3 the companys Diamond Princess cruise ship was quarantined in the port of Yokohama, Japan, where 712 passengers were ultimately infected in what was then the biggest concentration of confirmed cases outside China. Nine passengers died, according to the CDC. Another outbreak occurred aboard the companys Grand Princess cruise ship, which in March was barred from returning to port in San Francisco after authorities learned some passengers and crew had developed flu-like symptoms. The ship was subsequently quarantined: 21 passengers tested positive for the coronavirus and one passenger died. "With (the Diamond Princess) we did exactly what we were told to do, because we cooperated with the Japanese Ministry of Health," Arnold said. "We followed their protocol; they decided to hold the ship, they decided to put the quarantine in place. Our job was to respect it and execute it, which is exactly what we did." On the Grand Princess, Arnold said, "we worked with the CDC, we worked with all the local authorities there -- the governor, the ports, and as everybody figured out what they wanted to do. And we were in compliance with each of them." On April 9 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended its no sail order for all cruise ships for up to 100 days. The cruise industry is currently working on a proposal to submit to the CDC, which will include enhanced sanitization and health safety protocols, according to the industry trade group CLIA. Carnivals shares are down 77% since Jan. 1. At least 138,482 people globally have died from COVID-19 and 2,078,071 have been infected by the novel coronavirus that causes it, following an outbreak that started in Wuhan, China, in early December. Carnival and other cruise companies are not eligible to receive funding from the CARES Act because they are incorporated outside of the United States. Story continues On Thursday Arnold said Carnival, which is incorporated in Panama, has no plans to re-incorporate elsewhere. He said that he hopes to have some existing debt in Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy extended and to defer the maturities on that debt at this time, as a result of stimulus packages in those countries. Speaking on CNBC on April 14, Arnold said Carnivals bookings for 2021 are strong. (Reporting by Helen Coster; Editing by Daniel Wallis) KYODO NEWS - Apr 17, 2020 - 16:35 | All, Japan The Japanese parliament enacted legislation Friday to boost protection of the genetic materials of wagyu beef cattle, such as fertilized eggs and semen, amid concern over illegal breeding efforts overseas on the back of the growing popularity of the premium beef. The new legislation will crack down on the smuggling and improper trading of the cattle's genetic materials, protected as "intellectual property," that have been carefully developed through years of selective breeding, It will allow local animal husbandry laboratories and other entities in Japan to seek injunctions against the unauthorized trading or improper procurement of semen. Flouting contracts that restrict wagyu genetic material to domestic use could lead to prison terms of up to 10 years or maximum fines of up to 10 million yen ($92,000) for individuals and up to 300 million yen for businesses. Related coverage: Japan looks to protect intellectual property in wagyu beef cattle New wagyu brand aims to attract health-conscious meat lovers Tokyo hotel to serve giant $900 wagyu burgers in honor of new emperor The Japanese parliament will soon revise another law on the improvement of livestock production to enable the tracing of illegal transactions and the tightening of controls on the distribution of wagyu genetic materials. The revised law will oblige people to write down on containers of wagyu semen the name of the cattle and when it was collected. Buyers' names will also have to be recorded by sellers. The new law was enacted after an attempt to smuggle wagyu fertilized eggs and sperm to China in 2018. Exports of the Japanese premium beef to China are expected to officially begin later this year. Japan previously had no laws banning people from taking wagyu genetic materials overseas. The country's farm ministry had been concerned that illegal breeding overseas using smuggled genetic materials would undermine the premium beef's brand. The country's beef exports including wagyu soared more than sevenfold to 24.7 billion yen in 2018 from 3.4 billion yen in 2010. While many Americans are filled with fear, Melissa Ackison says the coronavirus pandemic has filled her with anger. The stay-at-home orders are government overreach, the conservative Ohio state Senate candidate says, and the labeling of some workers as essential arbitrary. It enrages something inside of you, said Ackison, who was among those who protested Republican Gov. Mike DeWines orders at the statehouse in Columbus with her 10-year-old son. She has no fear whatsoever of contracting the virus, she said Thursday, dismissing it as hype. The Ohio protest was among a growing number staged outside governors mansions and state Capitols across the country. In places like Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia, small-government groups, supporters of President Donald Trump, anti-vaccine advocates, gun rights backers and supporters of right-wing causes have united behind a deep suspicion of efforts to shut down daily life to slow the spread of the coronavirus. As their frustration with life under lockdown grows, theyve defied social distancing rules in an effort to put pressure on governors to ease them. Some protests have been small, promoted via Facebook groups that popped up in recent days and whose organizers are sometimes difficult to identify. Others are backed by groups funded by Republican donors, some with ties to Trump. The largest so far, a rally of thousands that jammed streets in Lansing, Michigan, on Wednesday, looked much like one of the presidents rallies complete with MAGA hats and Trump flags or one of the tea party rallies from a decade ago. The signs of frustration come as Trump has pushed for easing stay-at-home orders and tried to look ahead to restarting the economy. He unveiled a framework for governors to follow on Thursday, but acknowledged the governors will have final say on when their state is ready. Health experts warn that lifting restrictions too quickly could result in a surge of new cases of the virus. But the president and some supporters are impatient. Thousands of people in their cars packed the streets of Lansing to protest Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home restrictions. Outside the Capitol, some chanted Lock her up, a throwback to Trumps calls during the 2016 election about his rival Hillary Clinton. One woman held a sign reading Heil Witmer. Asked about the protesters, Trump expressed sympathy with their frustration Theyre suffering they want to get back and dismissed concerns about health risks of ignoring state orders and potentially exposing themselves to the virus. I think theyre listening. I think they listen to me, he said. Nobody wants to stay shut. On Friday, he egged the protesters on, tweeting for supporters to LIBERATE three states with Democratic governors: Michigan, Virginia and Minnesota. Polls show the protesters views are not widely held. An AP-NORC survey this month found large majorities support government restrictions, including closing schools, limiting gatherings and shuttering bars and restaurants. Three-quarters of Americans backed requiring people to stay home. And majorities of Democrats and Republicans gave high marks to state and city governments. But the protests expose resilient partisan divisions, particularly in battleground Michigan. The protest there was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition, a group founded by a GOP state representative and his wife, Meshawn Maddock, who is on the advisory board for an official Trump campaign group called Women for Trump and is also the co-founder of Michigan Trump Republicans. Another group promoting the event, the Michigan Freedom Fund, is run by Greg McNeilly, a longtime political adviser to the DeVos family, who are prolific Republican donors and have funded conservative causes for decades. McNeilly was campaign manager for Dick DeVos, the husband of current U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, during his failed 2006 bid for governor. Whitmer was among the governors who expressed concern about the gatherings, saying it put people at risk and could prolong the shutdown. Michigan recorded over 2,000 deaths from COVID-19 as of Thursday, and close to 30,000 confirmed infections. Roughly one-quarter of the states workforce has filed for unemployment. But its not just Democratic governors feeling the heat. A procession of cars swarmed the Republican-dominated statehouse in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, with signs that said stop killing our economy and time 2 work. Carol Hefner, an Oklahoma co-chair of Trumps 2016 campaign, helped organize the event. She characterized it as a rally not a protest. Were not New York. Their problems are not our problems, Hefner said. We are rallying around our governor and our state to encourage the opening up of our businesses. Other gatherings are linked to fringe groups. Protesters outside the Texas capitol in Austin on Thursday chanted Free Texas and Make America Free Again during and event broadcast live by InfoWars TV, part of a company owned by conspiracy theorist and radio host Alex Jones. The Ohio event earlier this week brought together a collection of anti-vaccine advocates, Second Amendment supporters, tea party activists. A Columbus Dispatch photo of Ackison and others yelling through glass doors of the statehouse rocketed around the internet. Ackison said that while she views DeWines efforts as constitutional overreach, she would be fine if Trump were to act with similar authority to force governors to bring states back online. We put President Trump in office for a reason, she said. If hes not able to give a convincing enough argument to these governors that they need to open up, then he needs to do something to take action. The protests were advertised on Facebook by groups like Reopen Virginia and End the Lockdown PA. A protest in Richmond, Virginia, on Thursday grew out of a conversation in the Facebook group Virginians for Medical Freedom, which often turns out at the capitol to oppose vaccine-related measures. Kelly Mullin brought her sons to teach them a lesson about liberty. Mullin said she believes the risk posed by coronavirus depends on your health and that people can take basic steps to protect themselves, including getting enough sleep, eating organic produce and getting outside. I mean, thats where our tax dollars should be going. Eat broccoli, she said. Infectious-disease specialists say there is no evidence that eating specific foods can prevent or kill the virus. Most people with coronavirus experience mild or moderate symptoms, and people with health issues such as asthma and older people are at greater risk of death from COVID-19. ___ Associated Press writers Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Va., Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City, Okla., David Eggert in Lansing, Mich., and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wis., contributed to this report. In this article WMT 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 Asia-Pacific team. Global cases: More than 2,214,800 Global deaths: At least 150,948 US cases: More than 683,700 US deaths: At least 34,575 The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 9:19 pm: Walmart requires staff to wear masks Starting Monday, Walmart is requiring employees to wear masks in stores, clubs, distribution and fulfillment centers, as well as in our corporate offices. The company said it will also ask customers to wear face coverings when shopping. It's also announcing that it is extending its emergency leave policy through the end of May. "We have evolved our policy on face coverings from optional to mandatory as public health guidance has shifted," the company said in a statement. "The CDC now recommends wearing face coverings in public settings, including grocery stores, to help curb the spread of the virus." Jennifer Elias tweet 8:30 pm: Nearly 90% of the US Navy hospital ship in New York is empty The USNS Comfort is seen as it enters the New York Harbor during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City, U.S., March 30, 2020. Andrew Kelly | Reuters The USNS Comfort hospital ship holds fewer than 80 patients in New York City, leaving nearly 90% of its available space unused after its emergency dispatch to the U.S. epicenter of the coronavirus crisis. Shortly after arriving from its home port in Norfolk, Virginia, the military's floating lifesaver was adjusted to receive coronavirus patients, halving its 1,000-bed capacity. As of Friday, 71 of the USNS Comfort's 500 beds were occupied. During a White House briefing Friday, President Donald Trump said the lack of patients on the ship showed that New York City was healing. "They didn't need it, that's a good thing. That's such a good thing. I think that shows that New York's making progress," Trump said. On Friday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that his state is still struggling to contain the coronavirus outbreak citing nearly 2,000 hospitalizations daily. Amanda Macias 7:45 pm: Visitors crowd Jacksonville beaches after they reopen for exercise and activity People crowded the beaches in its first open hour on April 17, 2020 in Jacksonville Beach, Fl. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry opened the beaches to residents for limited activities for the first time in weeks since closing them to the public due to the Coronavirus Jacksonville Beach became the first beach in the country to reopen. David Rosenblum | Icon Sportswire | Getty Images Crowds flocked to the beaches in Jacksonville, Florida after they reopened specifically for exercise and activity purposes, including walking, swimming and biking. The reopening comes with restrictions and hours. Visitors are asked to remain six feet from people and certain items are banned, including sunbathing, towels and chairs as well as any group activities, according to local news reports. Florida's governor on Friday gave the green light for some beaches and parks to reopen if it can be done safely, and north Florida beaches became among the first to allow people to return since closures because of the coronavirus. Mayor Lenny Curry said Duval County beaches were reopening Friday afternoon with restricted hours, and they can only be used for walking, biking, hiking, fishing, running, swimming, taking care of pets and surfing. The beaches will be open from 6 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 8 p.m., Curry said in a video posted to social media. Gatherings of 50 or more people are prohibited and people must still practice social distancing. Jennifer Elias, Associated Press tweet 7:20 pm: Trump says US farmers will receive $19 billion for coronavirus mitigation President Donald Trump on Friday announced a $19 billion relief program to help farmers cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic through a package that will include direct payment and mass purchases of produce, meat and other products. "These are great people, great Americans, never complain, never complain - they just do what they have to do," Trump said while announcing the farm aid program, which he said will have $16 billion in direct payments. U.S. Department of Agriculture in a statement said it will partner with regional and local distributors to purchase $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy and meat. Reuters 6:55 pm: California Gov. Gavin Newsom says tech companies are key to lifting coronavirus restrictions Tech companies will be key to supporting California's growing "army" of coronavirus contact tracers and ultimately reopening the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom told CNBC. Newsom's plan for reopening the state is highly dependent on the capacity to test widely for the virus and to conduct contact tracing, whereby personnel identify and track people who came into contact with an infected individual. He said California-based tech companies are key to the effort. "We're so pleased with the work Mark Zuckerberg has been doing to support the open access of appropriate data in an anonymized way, in a non-individual or personalized way, including Apple and Google and others," he said on CNBC's "Fast Money." "That is really going to help us with the technology platforms to help us supplement or support the efforts of the individual tracers, an army that we're all starting to build and train..." Will Feuer, Hannah Miller 6:47 pm: WHO says China revised coronavirus infection data to 'leave no case undocumented' Commuters wear protective masks as they exit a train at a subway station during Monday rush hour on April 13, 2020 in Beijing, China. Lintao Zhang | Getty Images The World Health Organization said that China revised its Covid-19 infection counts "to leave no case undocumented" and that other countries will also likely need to amend their own data as systems around the world are overwhelmed. Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China, added 325 confirmed cases and 1,290 deaths to the city's Covid-19 count after "a city-wide investigation," state media reported earlier Friday. "This was done in an attempt to leave no case undocumented," Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's lead scientist on Covid-19, said at a news briefing from the agency's Geneva headquarters. "They looked at the funeral service systems. They looked at hospital systems. They looked at laboratories to see if there were any duplications or if there were any cases missing." Will Feuer, Noah Higgins-Dunn 6:34 pm: McConnell, McCarthy pick reps for committee to oversee bailout fund 6:25 pm: Macy's reportedly looking to use real estate to come up with cash during coronavirus pandemic A few people pass by Macy's Herald Square location on March 17, before it shut to the public because of COVID-19. Source: Lauren Thomas, CNBC Macy's is looking for ways to use its real estate during the coronavirus pandemic to come up with cash, according to a Bloomberg report. The department store chain is looking to issue new bonds backed by some of its real estate, excluding its flagship Herald Square location, along with other assets, the report said, citing people familiar with the discussions. The interest rate and maturity of the debt is still under discussion, and plans remain fluid and could shift course, it said. Macy's stock recently was down less than 1% in after-hours trading. Shares had closed Friday up nearly 3%, having tumbled 65% this year. Macy's has a market cap of about $1.8 billion. Lauren Thomas 6:14 pm: JPMorgan says it has $26 billion in small business relief applications that need funding JPMorgan Chase says it has closed more small business relief loans than any other bank, but it still has a huge mountain of applications from business owners who are now in limbo. The bank has disbursed $14 billion in loans for the government's $350 billion coronavirus relief effort, according to the company. But it has about $26 billion worth of applications from hundreds of thousands of business owners that could go forward if Congress secures more funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, it said. "Chase has secured more funding for small businesses than anyone else in the industry," spokeswoman Trish Wexler said in a statement. "We're fully prepared to help many, many more once additional funding is approved. We're proud to support businesses that collectively employ more than a million hard-working Americans." Hugh Son 6:05 pm: Demand for rural homes shows 'profound, psychological change' due to coronavirus, Redfin CEO says The CEO of real estate brokerage Redfin said that demand for homes has shifted to rural areas as people react to the coronavirus pandemic and look to move out of dense urban areas. "We have seen that people are more interested in that house at the foot of the mountains by the lake," Glenn Kelman said on CNBC's "Closing Bell." "Rural demand is much stronger right now than urban demand, and that's a flip from where it's been for the longest time, where everybody wanted to live in the city. We'll see how it comes back, but there seems to be a profound, psychological change among consumers who are looking for houses." The coronavirus pandemic has led to ballooning unemployment in the United States, and construction has paused in many cities across the country. Governors in many states, including in the northeastern part of the country, have extended their orders for staying at home into mid-May. There has not been a big drop in home prices, Kelman said, because new listings have declined more than demand from buyers. Kelman said buying demand is down about 20%, but listing demand is down about 60%, which has kept prices from falling. Jesse Pound 5:30 pm: After earlier confusion, filing requirements are waived and veterans will get stimulus checks automatically Veterans and their family members will automatically receive coronavirus stimulus checks from the federal government without further action required from those individuals, the Treasury Department and the IRS announced Friday. There had been earlier confusion as to whether as many as 2 million veterans would miss out on the one-time federal payments. It was among the latest snafus for the $290 billion program, which was created as part of the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package enacted last month. Greg Iacurci 5:15 pm: NBA reaches agreement on reducing player compensation NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Stacy Revere | Getty Images The National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Players Association announced that they have reached an agreement regarding reductions in player compensation during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a joint statement. The agreement stipulates that in order to give players a more gradual salary reduction schedule, reductions of 25% will begin with the players' twice-a-month payment due May 15. The organizations also agreed on how to reduce player compensation in the event of the permanent cancellation of the current regular season or playoff games because of the pandemic.The collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and NBPA stipulates that the compensation of all NBA roster players shall be reduced in the event of a "force majeure" event, such as an epidemic or government order, using a formula based on the number of games missed. Hannah Miller 4:30 pm: San Francisco residents required to wear face coverings at essential businesses San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced a new health order Friday requiring city residents and workers to wear face coverings at essential businesses and on public transportation. The order goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, but will not be enforced until April 22. Transportation workers and other essential employees who interact with the public must also wear face coverings. Businesses are also required to take "reasonable steps" to bar entry and refuse service to those not wearing face coverings. The new rule is supposed to help the city prepare for a future lifting of its current shelter-in-place policy and reduce transmission of the virus, according to the order. Hannah Miller 4:06 pm: Boeing to resume production in Philadelphia Boeing is planning to resume production at its Philadelphia facility in Ridley Township on Monday after suspending operations for two weeks. The company said it would stagger shifts and require employees to abide by new physical distancing measures in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Boeing said Thursday that commercial aircraft production would resume at its Seattle-area factories as early as Monday. Amanda Macias 4:03 pm: Dow jumps 700 points, closes at highest level since March Stocks surged after a report said a Gilead Sciences drug showed some effectiveness in treating the coronavirus, giving investors some hope there could be a treatment solution that helps the country reopen faster from the widespread shutdowns that have plunged the economy into a recession. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 704 points, or 3%. The S&P 500 traded 2.7% higher, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.4%. Fred Imbert 3:51 pm: Trump demands states 'LIBERATE' after he issues new coronavirus guidelines and protests pop up President Donald Trump takes questions as he addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington, April 13, 2020. Leah Millis | Reuters President Donald Trump urged Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia to "LIBERATE," compounding the pressure on state leaders to start loosening their strict social distancing measures amid the coronavirus pandemic. The president's exhortations on Twitter came a day after the White House issued new federal guidelines on "reopening" the economy, providing states and regions with a broad pathway toward easing their restrictions on businesses and individual residents. The tweets which marked Trump's most aggressive calls yet for state economies to reopen also echoed an increasing number of protests around the country, led mainly by his supporters, demanding governors change their social distancing rules. The three states Trump targeted have Democratic governors. Kevin Breuninger 3:46 pm: California governor names Steyer, Yellen and tech CEOs to business recovery task force Billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer, who launched an expensive unsuccessful presidential campaign, will co-chair a task force in California that will focus on getting the economy up and running again. The panel, announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom, will be composed of more than 70 members including former Chair of the Federal Reserve Janet Yellen, Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger and Apple CEO Tim Cook. The task force's goal is to help Californian's recover as fast as possible from the economic calamity resulting from the coronavirus. The economic task force will meet twice a month through 2020. Yasmin Khorram 3:30 pm: Global deaths cross 150,000 The global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic crossed 150,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, just one week after hitting the 100,000 benchmark. The U.S. leads the world in deaths, with at least 34,575. Italy continues to see high mortality rates, with more than 22,000 deaths. The death tolls in Spain and France are each approaching 20,000. The virus has infected more than 2.2 million globally in the roughly four months since it originated in China. Sara Salinas 3:22 pm: Retailers, restaurants, hotels get 18% of small business bailout cash Retailers, restaurants and hotels on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic got a combined 18% of the $342 billion allocated as of Thursday under the a new federal government program to help small firms keep paying their employees during widespread shutdown, data from the agency running the program showed. Construction firms the single industry with the largest take, got about 13% of the total. In all the SBA had funded 1.66 million loans. Firms in Texas, California and New York together accounted for about 23% of all loans so far. The data doesn't include the final $7 billion of money that has been allocated under the program. The Trump administration is negotiating with Congress over adding an additional $250 billion to the pot. Reuters 2:49 pm: Nissan extends US plant closures Nissan Motor is extending the shutdown of its four U.S. manufacturing facilities until mid-May. The Japanese automaker has moved the reopening of its plants several times as Covid-19 continues to spread across the U.S. The most recent plan kept the facilities closed through April. The plants have been down since March 20. Nissan, in a release, said it "will continue to monitor the situation closely and make adjustments as needed." The company employs more than 14,000 employees in the U.S., including 10,000 hourly manufacturing workers. Michael Wayland 2:31 pm: Walmart reaches hiring goal of 150,000, will bring on 50,000 more Cashiers ring up shoppers at a Walmart store in Burbank, California. Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images Walmart said it's reached its goal of hiring 150,000 people to keep up with demand for groceries, sewing machines, beard trimmers and other items during the pandemic. Now, it said it plans to hire 50,000 additional employees. The retailer received over 1 million applications and has averaged 5,000 hires per day, Walmart's chief people officer Donna Morris said on the company's website. She said about 85% have been hired for temporary or part-time roles, but some will become permanent. Walmart announced plans to grow its workforce in mid-March. To accelerate hiring, it shortened its hiring process from two weeks to 24 hours, allowed candidates to apply with a text message. The company worked with more than 70 companies to find workers displaced by furloughs in hard-hit industries, such as restaurants and hotels. Melissa Repko 2:15 pm: Biotech stocks surge as people are 'hungry' for good news on the coronavirus Biotech stocks surged after new details on a closely watched clinical trial lifted hopes that scientists may be close to a treatment for the coronavirus. The IBB, an ETF that tracks biotech's biggest players, was up more than 3% after health-care publication STAT News revealed early impressions from one of Gilead Sciences' clinical trials for antiviral drug remdesivir. The University of Chicago found that patients with Covid-19 had "rapid recoveries in fever and respiratory symptoms" and were discharged in less than a week, according to STAT. News that biotech firm Moderna received $483 million in federal funds for its vaccine development also boosted the sector higher. While infectious disease experts caution against jumping to conclusions, saying the new details of the Gilead trial are purely anecdotal, retail investors are "hungry" for good news on the virus, analysts say. Those investors could be taking their hunger and channeling it into buying shares, they said. Berkeley Lovelace Jr. 2:02 pm: San Diego Comic-Con canceled For the first time in 50 years, San Diego Comic-Con has been canceled. Organizers behind the annual event announced the pop culture celebration would no longer occur in July due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The show will return in 2021. Although not the largest comic convention in the U.S., San Diego Comic-Con, often called SDCC, is one of the most prestigious in the entertainment world. Here Hollywood unveils new projects, teases upcoming films and announces new cast members to hit shows and movie franchises. Sarah Whitten 1:56 pm: WHO issues warning on coronavirus testing: There's no evidence antibody tests show immunity The World Health Organization's Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove talks during a daily press briefing on Covid-19. on March 11, 2020. Fabrice Coffrini | AFP via Getty Images The World Health Organization issued a warning about coronavirus testing, saying there's no evidence serological tests can show whether a person has immunity or no longer at risk of becoming reinfected. "These antibody tests will be able to measure that level of serology presence, that level of antibodies, but that does not mean that somebody with antibodies" are immune, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO's emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, told reporters during a press conference at the agency's headquarters in Geneva. So-called serological, or antibody, tests indicate whether a person has had Covid-19 in the past and was either asymptomatic or recovered. Kerkhove said that WHO officials discovered many countries suggesting these tests would be able to "capture what they think will be a measure of immunity." "Right now, we have no evidence that the use of a serological test can show that an individual is immune or protected from reinfection," she said. Berkeley Lovelace Jr., Will Feuer 1:49 pm: Antibody study suggests Covid-19 could be far more prevalent in the Bay Area than official numbers suggest How prevalent is Covid-19? It's a difficult question to answer, given the lack of available tests and the fact that some people who have been exposed to the virus exhibit mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. Two research groups, assisted by a team of volunteers, sought to get a better sense of the true prevalence in Santa Clara County in Northern California, which was one of the first places in the U.S. where community spread was detected. They tested 3,300 people by asking the volunteers to show up to one of three testing sites locally. In a study published on Friday, the researchers, many of whom hailed from Stanford University, noted that the results suggest that Covid-19 could be far more widespread than the official counts suggest. Christina Farr 1:40 pm: Pro golf plans to be the first major sport to return during the coronavirus pandemic View of the 17th green empty during the second round of the canceled PLAYERS Championship on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 13, 2020, in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Ben Jared | PGA TOUR via Getty Images The PGA Tour is looking to be the first major sport to return to action following the coronavirus outbreak, but there will be one key change when players return to the links for the June 8 Charles Schwab Challenge. There will be no spectators in the stands. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan appeared on CNBC's "Squawk Alley" to talk about golf's return and how the decision was made at a time when coronavirus has infected more than 2 million people around the globe. Monahan said the Tour didn't take the decision lightly and he and his team spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about the logistics of the return and getting feedback from their players. "We've had over 10 conference calls, some lasting two hours, as we've thought about our resumption," Monahan said. The discussions have included Jordan Spieth, Kevin Kisner, Charley Hoffman and about a dozen other players who sit on the Tour's policy boards. "Our players are eager to return, excited to inspire this country, but also know that in announcing the schedule, we are going to do so in a safe and responsible way," Monahan said. Jessica Golden 1:25 pm: Entrepreneurs left in the cold after Paycheck Protection Program runs out of money Chris Myers applied for a forgivable loan from the federal government. He's running his business as if the additional lifeline may not be on its way.. "I'm just cobbling enough work together to try covering my studio rent and a little bit of incidentals," said the Baltimore-based photographer. Hospitals and colleges are his usual clients, and he's expanded into taking more freelance photojournalism work with local magazines. "Hopefully, I don't beat up my bank account too much 90% to 95% of business is gone right now, so I'm just keeping the lights on," Myers said. Myers is among the millions of entrepreneurs who applied for a slice of the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program or PPP. It's been five days since he's applied, and he's still not sure whether he'll receive funding. Darla Mercado 1:04 pm: Britain launches vaccine task force Britain launched a task force to support efforts to make a coronavirus vaccine available to the public as quickly as possible. The government said 21 new research projects would get funding from a 14 million pound investment pool "to rapidly progress treatments and vaccines." The task force will include AstraZeneca and research charity the Wellcome Trust. A million doses of a potential Covid-19 vaccine being developed by British scientists at Oxford University are already being manufactured, even before trials prove whether it is effective, the team said. "UK scientists are working as fast as they can to find a vaccine that fights coronavirus, saving and protecting people's lives. We stand firmly behind them in their efforts," Business Minister Alok Sharma said. Reuters 12:49 pm: Labor secretary: Most states distributing $600 per week in federal aid on top of state jobless benefits Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia told CNBC the federal government is helping states deal with the crush of Americans filing for unemployment insurance and the guidelines for paying out an additional federal coronavirus stipend. On top of the jobless benefits provided by the states, last month's $2.2 trillion coronavirus rescue package passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump allocated $600 per week from the federal government for up to four months. "About two-thirds of the states are now making those payments," Scalia said. "We want to help them succeed in getting these payments out to workers." Matthew J. Belvedere 12:32 pm: Italy's daily coronavirus death toll rises, though new cases broadly stable Doctor Enrico Ramoni, wearing protective gear, checks on the medical equipment of a patient at the new COVID-3 level intensive care unit, treating COVID-19 patients, at the Casal Palocco hospital near Rome, on April 8, 2020, during the country's lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus. Alberto Pizzoli | AFP | Getty Images Deaths from the Covid-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 575, up from 525 the day before, while the number of new cases declined slightly to 3,493 from a previous 3,786. The daily tallies extend the broadly stable situation in place over the last 12 days. This plateau is down considerably from peaks reached around the end of March, but the downtrend has not proceeded as was widely hoped in a country that has been in lockdown for almost six weeks. The total death toll since the outbreak in Italy came to light on Feb. 21 rose to 22,745, 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 172,434 the third-highest global tally, behind those of the United States and Spain. Reuters 12:26 pm: France disputes claim that Covid-19 is linked to research lab in China France said Friday there is no evidence of a link between the coronavirus and the work of the P4 research laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the pandemic started. "We would like to make it clear that there is to this day no factual evidence corroborating the information recently circulating in the United States press that establishes a link between the origins of Covid-19 and the work of the P4 laboratory of Wuhan, China," an official at President Emmanuel Macron's office said. Reuters 12:17 pm: New York still struggles with 2,000 new coronavirus hospitalizations a day, Gov. Cuomo says New York is still struggling to contain the coronavirus outbreak across the state with 2,000 new hospitalizations a day, even as public officials make plans to gradually reopen parts of the economy for business, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Governors across the nation are desperate to loosen restrictions and reopen businesses that were shuttered to help curb the outbreak that has killed more than 33,300 people in the U.S. since emerging from Wuhan, China less than four months ago. "The situation we have now is unsustainable. People can't stay in their homes for this length of time, they can't stay out of work. You can't keep the economy closed forever. You just can't," Cuomo said. "Society can't handle it personally or economically. So now we're moving into another phase, which is this reopening phase." Noah Higgins-Dunn, Will Feuer 12:07 pm: Disney's celebrity-filled singalong is ratings gold for ABC More than 10 million people tuned in to watch celebrities sing along to iconic Disney songs Thursday night. The "Disney Family Singalong," which was hosted by Ryan Seacrest and aired on ABC, featured videos of Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Darren Criss, Josh Groban, Josh Gad and more singing hit Disney tunes like "Gaston," "Be Our Guest" and "You've Got a Friend in Me." Disney's singalong special is just one way that entertainment companies are altering their programming during the coronavirus outbreak. With more people unable to leave their homes due to social distancing measures, traditional television and film studios have had to be creative in order to deliver content. Late-night shows have moved their shows into their own homes and utilized video messaging services to interview guests. Sarah Whitten 11:53 am: NBA boss Adam Silver faces the league's biggest challenge ever to restart the season, but insiders say he's prepared NBA Commissioer Adam Silver speaks during a press conference. Kazuhiro Nogi | AFP | Getty Images To those who know him, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is built for this moment. It was a little more than a month ago that Silver struck first, suspending games due to the coronavirus pandemic and triggering a wave of shutdowns from other leagues just as U.S. cities began implementing stay-at-home orders. Silver received praise for being the first commissioner to step up, showing responsibility and leadership when he shut down the National Basketball Association after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for Covid-19. The thing is, being first also carries expectations. And for Silver, who turns 58 this month, expectations are high as he oversees a league in the middle of a global crisis with no clear sign of recovery. Across the nation, small businesses are suffering, millions have applied for unemployment benefits and the stock market has seen wild swings almost daily. Usually, the sports industry is relatively immune to economic turmoil, but the coronavirus changed that. And there might not be a league in the world that will take a financial hit as big as the NBA, considering the events that served as a prelude. Before the pandemic forced Silver to suspend play as of March 11, the NBA lost two icons Kobe Bryant and former commissioner David Stern and the Houston Rockets general manager made a flub on Twitter that threatened the league's lucrative prospects in China. Few can doubt the NBA has endured a difficult 2019-2020 campaign. "This is the ultimate case study for a sport," said Marty Conway, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. Jabari Young 11:43 am: Sallie Krawcheck: Give yourself an hour a day just to 'freak' amid coronavirus pandemic While following stay-at-home orders due to the Covid-19 pandemic, everyone has reacted differently some recommend increasing productivity, others say to focus on mental health or take time to organize your space. And then there's the uncertainty of the job and financial markets. But according to Sallie Krawcheck, co-founder and CEO of digital investment platform Ellevest, giving yourself an hour to "freak" each day is important. "You've got to compartmentalize," Krawcheck said during a LinkedIn "Business Unusual" Q&A on Thursday. "What I would suggest you try to do is give yourself the time and the space to be nervous, uncertain and scared, and look at the news obsessively that you know you're not supposed to." "You know, do all that stuff. Give yourself an hour a day, I'm just going to like, freak. Maybe if you had a psychologist on here, maybe they would say that isn't healthy, but I'm a business person," she said. According to Lynn Bufka, clinical psychologist and senior director at the American Psychological Association, "you have to find your own way through this," even if that means taking time to "freak." Taylor Locke 11:31 am: Nearly 3 million borrowers have been granted mortgage relief, and the industry is crying for help More than 2.9 million homeowners have taken advantage of a program designed to provide relief to holders of government-backed mortgages, part of the coronavirus CARES Act relief package. This represents 5.5% of all active mortgages, according to Black Knight, a mortgage data and analytics company that is now tracking the growing numbers daily. The program allows borrowers to delay their monthly payments for a year. Those payments are then tacked on to the end of the loan, or paid back over time in a mortgage modification. Borrowers must tell their mortgage servicers that they have had financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic, but they do not have to provide any proof. The 2.9 million loans in forbearance as of Thursday account for $651 billion in unpaid principal and include 4.9% of all government-sponsored enterprise loans (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) and 7.6% of all FHA/VA loans. "In these times, it is essential to both our industry and for the benefit of the entire U.S. economy to have a clear understanding of the magnitude of the mortgage forbearance situation," said Black Knight CEO Anthony Jabbour. Diana Olick 11:00 am: The coronavirus is changing how frequently consumers wash clothes and shave, Procter & Gamble says Containers of Tide detergent on grocery store shelves. Richard Levine | Corbis | Getty Images Procter & Gamble said Friday that the pandemic is spurring U.S. consumers to wash more loads of laundry every week, with more items of clothing being washed after being worn once. The Tide owner also said sales of its Swiffer and Mr. Clean products got a boost from consumers who are cleaning up more spills from home-cooked meals. But not all of P&G's products are getting a boost from habits resulting from the crisis. P&G CFO and COO Jon Moeller said people are shaving less frequently compared to before the coronavirus crisis, which will hurt demand for its Gillette and Venus razors. P&G reported Friday that U.S. sales surged 10% in the fiscal third quarter. Amelia Lucas 10:53 am: 7 telemedicine services offering free health care during the coronavirus pandemic As many as 9.2 million workers are at risk of losing their employer-provided health insurance, according to the latest estimates from the Economic Policy Institute. To help fill that gap, telemedicine companies are offering check-ups and other services for free or at discounted rates. Honeybee Health found several telehealth companies offering discounted services, ranging from $15 to $89. CNBC Make It confirmed that seven telemedicine companies are offering completely free virtual doctor's visits for those affected by the coronavirus, although some restrictions do apply. We will continue to update if more providers offer free options. Megan Leonhardt 10:44 am: Vox Media will furlough 9% of workforce, or about 100 employees, for three months until July 31 Vox Media will furlough 9% of its roughly 1,200 employees and reduce hours for another 1% until July 31 in an effort to curb costs, according to an internal e-mail. The actions are in response to a plunge in advertising revenue during coronavirus quarantines. Vox Media, which owns digital media sites such as Vox.com, SBNation, Eater and New York Magazine, will also temporarily cut annual salaries above $130,000 from May 1 to July 31, Chief Executive Officer Jim Bankoff wrote in the e-mail, which CNBC has reviewed. Alex Sherman 10:39 am: Fed's Bullard proposes way to 'end the crisis': Pay all costs for companies developing tests James Bullard David A. Grogan | CNBC St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard proposed what he sees as the best economic solution to the coronavirus crisis: Pay full costs for any firm that comes up with a test for the virus that can assure the public that it's safe to resume activity. Doing so, he said Friday, would create a "gold rush" of testing that would help offset the steep damage already done by the economic shutdown. "That would end the crisis," he said during a webinar presented by the Reinventing Bretton Woods Committee. Jeff Cox 10:33 am: New York City cancels early summer concerts and festivals to curb coronavirus outbreak New York City is canceling concerts, festivals and other all nonessential events through May and considering the same for June as the city seeks to drive down coronavirus infection rates throughout the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday. De Blasio said this means the Brooklyn Half Marathon and SummerStage in Central Park will be canceled. Such events, he said, go "against everything that we need to do to fight back the coronavirus." William Feuer, Noah Higgins-Dunn 10:25 am: US coronavirus cases, per capita 9:54 am: Coronavirus bill talks will go through the weekend after small business funds dry up, Schumer says Congressional Democrats and the Trump administration will talk through the weekend to try to strike a deal on an emergency bill to replenish a program to buoy small businesses pummeled by the coronavirus, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Friday. The New York Democrat sounded optimistic about reaching an agreement a day after the Small Business Administration said the $349 billion loan program approved last month had reached its cap of commitments. Senate Republicans tried to pass a plan last week to inject $250 billion more into it, but Democrats blocked it as they pushed for tweaks to the program along with funding for hospitals and state and local governments. Staff from Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's offices have held discussions with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin this week on an interim rescue bill which Senate Republicans may or may not choose to support. Jacob Pramuk 9:49 am: How 3-D printing is helping the US fight medical equipment shortages and the coronavirus pandemic 3-D printing company Carbon has created midsoles for Adidas shoes, football helmet liners for Riddell. Now it will produce and ship up to 50,000 face shields to help in the COVID-19 fight. Carbon To combat the medical equipment shortages caused by the coronavirus pandemic, GE Healthcare is using 3-D printing to make tools that accelerate ventilator production. Jeff Bezos' space venture Blue Origin is leveraging 3-D printers to make plastic components for face shields. And with support from Adidas, digital-manufacturing firm Carbon, in Silicon Valley, is using its highly elastic polymer featured in $200 Adidas running shoes to produce more than 15,000 face shields weekly for health-care workers caring for COVID-19 patients. Ford, Boeing, HP, Medtronic and the U.S. military are among the manufacturing powers funding, designing and producing a battery of protective gear and medical equipment to fill in supply shortages around the world. But it is 3-D printing firms, as well as a cottage industry of home-based 3-D design tinkerers, that are making a broader call to action possible. The 3-D printing industry's designs, materials and networks of machines which allow a digital design of a face mask part, ventilator component or even a nasal swab to be pushed out to thousands of computers instantly is having a moment. Maggie Overfelt 9:34 am: Dow rallies more than 600 points on hope for an effective coronavirus treatment Stocks surged after a report said a Gilead Sciences drug showed some effectiveness in treating the coronavirus, giving investors some hope there could be a treatment solution that helps the country reopen faster from the widespread shutdowns that have plunged the economy into a recession. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 600 points at the open, or more than 2%. The S&P 500 traded 2% while the Nasdaq Composite advanced. 1.4%. Gilead shares jumped more than 10% after STAT news reported that a Chicago hospital treating coronavirus patients with remdesivir in a trial were recovering rapidly from severe symptoms. The publication cited a video it obtained where the trial results were discussed. Fred Imbert 9:20 am: Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen to be freed from prison into home confinement due to coronavirus fear Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, leaves his apartment to report to prison in Manhattan, New York, May 6, 2019. Jeenah Moon | Reuters Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer and fixer for President Donald Trump, will be released from prison in two weeks and be allowed to serve the remainder of a three-year federal criminal sentence in home confinement due to concerns about the coronavirus, CNBC has learned. Cohen, 53, currently is incarcerated at the federal camp in Otisville, New York, where 14 inmates and seven staff members have tested positive for Covid-19, according to the Bureau of Prisons. The fallen lawyer, who arranged hush money payments to women who said they had sexual encounters with Trump, originally was due to be released there on Nov. 22, 2021. Dan Mangan 9:15 am: Moderna getting $483 million in federal funding for coronavirus vaccine development The biotech Moderna announced that it received as much as $483 million in federal funding to accelerate development of its potential coronavirus vaccine. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said Friday on CNBC's "Squawk Box" that the funding is particularly critical in aiding manufacturing efforts. "Instead of waiting for the data and then scaling up with manufacturing process ... we can make as many doses as we can. We are doing both in parallel," he said. The company plans to hire up to 150 people to support the scale-up efforts. Bancel said the company "couldn't have done this" without the funding commitment from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kevin Stankiewicz 9:05 am: New York Fed President Williams says the economy won't be back to 'full strength' by end of 2020 John C. Williams, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York speaks to the Economic Club of New York, March 6, 2019. Lucas Jackson | Reuters New York Federal Reserve President John Williams said that he sees some aspects of the economy coming back online but doubts growth will get back to normal through 2020. Williams spoke Friday with Steve Liesman on CNBC's "Squawk Box." Areas such as construction should be the first to come back, he said, echoing comments from Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker, who spoke to CNBC on Thursday. "I expect that to be able to bounce back a little bit more quickly than maybe some of the other sectors," Williams said. "But I don't see the economy getting back to full strength by the end of the year." Jeff Cox 8:56 am: Influential Covid-19 model uses flawed methods and shouldn't guide U.S. policies, critics say A widely followed model for projecting Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. is producing results that have been bouncing up and down like an unpredictable fever, and now epidemiologists are criticizing it as flawed and misleading for both the public and policy makers. In particular, they warn against relying on it as the basis for government decision-making, including on "re-opening America." "It's not a model that most of us in the infectious disease epidemiology field think is well suited" to projecting Covid-19 deaths, epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health told reporters this week, referring to projections by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. The IHME projections were used by the Trump administration in developing national guidelines to mitigate the outbreak. Now, they are reportedly influencing White House thinking on how and when to "re-open" the country, as President Trump announced a blueprint for on Thursday. STAT 8:49 am: If Sanofi's coronavirus vaccine works, CEO says it can produce up to 600 million doses next year Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson, November 19, 2019. Gonzalo Fuentes | Reuters French drugmaker Sanofi expects to produce up to 600 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine next year if its clinical trials with GSK go as planned, CEO Paul Hudson said Friday. "We believe we're one of the few companies who will be able to make a vaccine at a huge scale," he said during an interview with CNBC's "Squawk Box." Sanofi and GSK announced Tuesday that they entered an agreement to jointly create a Covid-19 vaccine by the end of next year. The companies plan to start clinical trials in the second half of 2020 and, if successful, make it available to the public by the second half of 2021. Sanofi and GSK are one of several companies working on a potential vaccine to prevent Covid-19. There are currently no therapies to treat Covid-19 and drugmakers are racing to produce a vaccine, which is expected to take 12 to 18 months. Berkeley Lovelace Jr. 8:30 am: CVS, Rite Aid expand drive-thru testing CVS Health is launching Covid-19 drive-thru testing in New Haven, Connecticut, in the parking lot of the former Gateway Community College campus at Long Wharf. The new site will offer Abbott Labs' rapid coronavirus tests, to patients who preregister and meet criteria set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is CVS's fourth drive-thru testing site, after opening operations in Georgia, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The company has conducted 25,000 tests since March. Rite Aid is launching two new Covid-19 drive-thru testing sites in store parking lots, one in Waldwick, New Jersey and the other in Valley Cottage, New York. The company expects to conduct 200 self-swabbing tests per day between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., for preregistered patients who meet CDC criteria for testing. Bertha Coombs 7:25 am: Procter & Gamble US sales jumped as consumers rushed to stock up amid the outbreak Procter & Gamble reported that its fiscal third-quarter U.S. sales surged 10% as consumers stocked up on staples like toilet paper ahead of the coronavirus outbreak. P&G reported fiscal third-quarter net income of $2.92 billion, or $1.12 per share, up from $2.75 million, or $1.04 per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, the owner of such products of Charmin, Bounty and Pampers earned $1.17 per share. Net sales rose 5% to $17.21 billion. Wall Street anticipated earnings per share of $1.13 on revenue of $17.46 billion, based on a survey of analysts by Refinitiv. Amelia Lucas 7:13 am: Switzerland's death toll reaches 1,059, confirmed infections surpass 27,000 Switzerland's public health agency recorded 42 more fatalities as a result of the coronavirus in the previous 24 hours, Reuters reported, taking the country's death to 1,059. The number of people who have tested positive nationwide increased to 27,078, up from 26,732. Sam Meredith 7:05 am: Google told to respect Europe's privacy rules as it works on contact tracing app European officials are pressuring Google to closely follow the EU's data privacy rules with the coronavirus tracing apps that it's developing with Apple. The tech giants announced their partnership last week to develop tools that will help track the spread of the coronavirus via Bluetooth technology. The idea is to mitigate the number of new infections when lockdown measures are lifted over the coming months. However, the announcement has raised concerns that such technology could breach an individual's privacy. "Contact tracing apps can be useful to limit the spread of the coronavirus. But their development and interoperability need to fully respect our values and privacy," Thierry Breton, the EU's internal market commissioner, said after a video meeting with Google and YouTube CEOs on Wednesday. Silvia Amaro 7:01 am: UK expands testing criteria A drive through farm shop has been opened at Tulley's Farm where contactless payment is taken on the end of a pole to observe social distancing on April 03, 2020 in Turners Hill, England. Mike Hewitt Britain has expanded the number of people who are eligible to be tested for Covid-19 to include the police, fire service and judiciary, Health Minister Matt Hancock said. The government has been criticized for all but abandoning testing in mid-March, but Hancock said it was part of the government's strategy to have mass testing, something that gets closer as Britain builds screening capacity. "The challenge is that as the epidemic increased exponentially at that point in the middle of March. It meant that the incidence of the outbreak was broad and it meant that we weren't able to test everybody with symptoms," Hancock told a parliamentary committee. "I can today expand eligibility for testing to the police, the fire service, prison staff, critical local authority staff, the judiciary, and DWP (Department of Work and Pensions) staff who need it." Reuters 6 am: Spain's total number of infections crosses 188,000 Spain's health ministry said the total number of cases in the country had jumped to 188,068, up from 182,816 on Thursday. Spain is second only to the U.S. worldwide in the number of Covid-19 infections. Earlier Friday, Spain's social security minister said the government would try to support roughly 1 million of the poorest households with a monthly basic wage. Speaking to COPE radio station, the minister said the policy was designed to help people weather the crisis. Sam Meredith 4:55 am: Indonesia reports over 400 new cases, death toll climbs to 520 People wearing face masks attend Friday prayers at a mosque in Surabaya, Indonesia on March 20, 2020. Juni Kriswanto | AFP | Getty Images Indonesia's health ministry confirmed 407 new coronavirus cases, taking the country's total number of infections to 5,923. The Southeast Asian nation has recorded 520 deaths as a result of Covid-19. Sam Meredith 4:25 am: Russia reports record daily jump in cases A police officer with flu masks on the faces seen at a chekpoint on the road from Riga at the entrance to Moscow, Russia, April,15,2020. Mikhail Svetlov Russia reported 4,069 new cases in the last 24 hours a record rise in new infections, Reuters said, citing the Interfax news agency. That brings total cases in Russia to 32,007, according to the report. Yen Nee Lee 4:20 am: China updates national tally for cases and deaths after Wuhan revision China's National Health Commission said it has updated the death toll and total confirmed cases in the mainland after Wuhan city revised its tally upward. China's national death toll now stands at 4,632, up from the 3,342 that the NHC provided on Friday morning. Meanwhile, total confirmed cases have been revised from 82,367 to 82,692, the NHC said. Yen Nee Lee A brand new Apache multi-role combat helicopter made an emergency landing in a field in Punjab's Hoshiarpur on Friday following a "critical" technical glitch, in first such incident involving any of the US-made fleet procured by the Indian Air Force. The two pilots onboard the chopper were safe and there was no damage to it, a spokesperson of the IAF said. The helicopter made the emergency landing nearly one hour after taking off from the Pathankot airbase following indications of a "critical failure", he said. The IAF inducted eight AH-64E Apache stealth helicopters, capable of firing missiles and rockets, in September last year. The AH-64E Apache is one of the world's most advanced multi-role combat helicopters, and is flown by the US Army. India had signed a multi-billion dollar contract with the US government and Boeing Ltd in September 2015 to procure 22 Apache helicopters. "The helicopter, after approx one hour's of flying had indications of a critical failure and carried out a safe landing west of Indora, Punjab. The captain of the aircraft took correct and prompt actions to recover the helicopter safely," the IAF said in a statement. The chopper has been flown back to Pathankot airbase. The IAF is expected to order a thorough inquiry into the incident. Two pilots on board -- Flight Lieutenant Anoop and Flight Lieutenant Rajat --are safe, officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Taliban says it has released a second group of Afghan security forces it has been holding captive as part of a delayed swap considered key to paving the way for peace talks between the two sides. Suhail Shaheen, the spokesman for the Talibans political office in Qatar, said on Twitter late on April 16 that 20 Afghan soldiers and police officers were set free in the eastern province of Laghman earlier in the day. Another Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a tweet on April 16 that the prisoners were handed over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Neither the ICRC nor the Afghan government have confirmed the release. If confirmed, it would bring the total number of prisoners released by the militants to 40. The Taliban released 20 Afghan troops in the southern province of Kandahar on April 12. The Kabul government has released a total of 300 Taliban inmates since April 8. A pact signed by the United States and the Taliban on February 29 calls for the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban fighters as a confidence-building measure ahead of formal peace talks aimed at ending the 18-year conflict in Afghanistan. The Taliban has vowed to release some 1,000 Afghan government troops and civilian workers it is holding. The prisoner swap was scheduled to be completed by March 10, before the start of intra-Afghan peace talks. But it has been delayed by disputes between the sides. As air service from the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport is cut back due to the ongoing impacts from the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the airport continues to find ways to make the best use of the situation. The airport has had a 71 percent decrease in passengers on commercial flights in the past three weeks, with a 92 percent reduction in passengers compared to the same period last year. Devon Brubaker, director of the airport, said the airport is performing slightly better than the national average, which is seeing a 96 percent drop in commercial passengers compared to last year. Howe... A man has been charged with murder after a woman was killed in a car crash in north London. Robert Barrow of Chigwell, Essex, was charged with the murder of Tahereh Pirali-Dashti, 40, and the assault of a 56-year-old man. Both charges relate to an incident which took place on Henleys Corner, Barnet, just before midnight on January 20. Police were called to the scene following reports of an altercation between people in two separate vehicles. Ms Pirali-Dashti was treated at the scene before being rushed to hospital in central London. She remained there in a critical condition until her death almost three months later on April 10. Barrow was arrested on January 20 and subsequently released on bail before being charged. Amid criticism from the main opposition of Andhra Pradesh that the state is testing less number of COVID -10 suspects, the Govt has taken a big leap in the testing capacity in the state. Amid criticism from the main opposition of Andhra Pradesh that the state is testing less number of COVID -10 suspects, the Govt has taken a big leap in the testing capacity in the state. Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy tests negative for coronavirus, tested by kit imported from South Korea. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched one lakh rapid test kits for testing COVID-19 cases, which arrived from South Korea for the first time in the country. With this doctors would be able to test over 10 lakh cases at a time. The kits were handed over to the Chief Minister by Random Medicaids Private Limited managing director Rajiv Sindhi and director Muralidhar. The Chief Minister said that the fight against the pandemic can be speeded up with the arrival of the new rapid test kits. The officials told CM that results will come in just 10 minutes using the kits. They said that the kits were transported in a special flight from South Korea. Special chief secretary for medical and health Jawahar Reddy said the kits would be despatched to all the districts in three days and that doctors were being given special training to handle the kits There will be two strips called IGG and IGM in the kits on which blood samples would be taken to which control solution is added and the result will be out in 10 minutes to know whether the case is positive or negative. The kits were manufactured by the SD Biosensors company of South Korea which are also being exported to the US and other European countries. These kits have already been approved by the ICMR. The company officials said that standard kits were being supplied and that technical knowhow would also be provided to the government when in need. There was only one lab to test Coronavirus cases In the state initially. But the government took rapid strides on a war footing in establishing labs in Vijayawada, Kakinada, Anantapur, Guntur, Kadapa and Visakhapatnam in just two weeks for conducting tests for Kovid-19. At present, 2100 tests are being conducted in these labs per day. In addition to that the state has over 240 treunot kits for conducting the tests extensively, the officials said. The officials said that 16,555 tests were conducted in the state till April 16. While 331 tests were conducted for every 10 lakh people in Andhra Pradesh, it was conducted for 549 people in Rajasthan, 485 in Kerala and 446 in Maharashtra. The tests would gain momentum in the state with the deployment of rapid test kits, the officials said. Deputy Chief Minister Alla Nani, Chief Secretary Neelam Sahney, medical and health special chief secretary Jawahar Reddy and DGP Gautam Sawang were among those present on the occasion. CM keen on patient care The Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is keen on patient care management and has sought details on the same being implemented in hospitals. In a review meeting held here on Friday, the health department officials said that they are strictly implementing the suggestions given by the Chief Minister. Priority is being given to the people above forty years who are suffering from any disease. COVID-19 symptomatic patients are being directly sent to COVID-19 special hospitals. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App China has hit back at the US telling it to mind its own business after the chief of Pentagon accused Beijing of misleading Washington and being opaque about the coronavirus pandemic. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper has said he does not trust that the Chinese leaders are being truthful about the global crisis even now. Beijing today condemned the US over Esper's comments, urging America to stop its political spin and spend more energy on the disease outbreak and its economy. The news comes as Wuhan today revised up its death toll by 50 per cent, revealing that nearly 4,000 people, instead of 2,579, have died from the illness in the area. Zhao Lijian (pictured on April 8), a spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, grilled US politicians and told them to focus on their own problems at a daily briefing on Friday Zhao's criticism comes after US Defense Secretary Mark Esper (pictured in an NBC show) accused Beijing of misleading Washington and being opaque about the coronavirus outbreak China has revised the death toll in coronavirus ground-zero Wuhan, revealing that nearly 4,000 people have died from the illness in the area. The file picture from January 24 shows people wearing face masks queuing to see doctors at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan Continuing the Trump administration's criticism of China's handling of the virus outbreak, Esper told NBC's 'Today' show on Thursday that he finds it difficult to believe information from 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 being truthful with us now,' he said. Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, grilled US politicians at a daily briefing in Beijing on Friday. He accused American leaders of covering up the truth of the pandemic and shifting its responsibilities by stigmatising China. The official highlighted the 'open, transparent and responsible' attitude from China and praised the country's 'most comprehensive, strictest and most rigorous' prevention measures. Wuhan officials today said many fatal cases were 'mistakenly reported' or missed entirely in an admission that comes amid growing global doubts about Chinese transparency. Medical workers are pictured ready to swab samples from people for COVID-19 in Wuhan on April 16 Coronaviruses are so named because their structure has jagged edges which look like a royal crown corona is crown in Latin (Pictured, an illustration of the COVID-19 virus released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Zhao slammed Washington for linking the coronavirus to a virus lab in Wuhan. 'Anybody with any sense would know that [America's] aim is to muddy the waters, divert people's attention and evade its responsibilities.' He stressed that the origin of a virus is a scientific problem and needs professional opinions. Esper's scepticism about the Chinese came in the wake of reports that the coronavirus originated in a Wuhan 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. Donald Trump (pictured on Wednesday) said the US was trying to determine whether or not the coronavirus first crossed to humans accidentally during experiments with bats in Wuhan US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday his government was 'doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation.' US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Chinese 'need to come clean' on what they know. But Zhao told a daily briefing yesterday that WHO officials 'have said multiple times there is no evidence the new coronavirus was created in a laboratory.' 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. China's President Xi Jinping (R) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin, pictured November 2019, spoke after the US criticised China for not sharing information on the virus more quickly Political tensions between China and the US have escalated after the two countries accused each other of being the origin of the coronavirus pandemic. Zhao last month claimed on Twitter that the virus might have been brought to Wuhan by the US military. He defended his accusation as 'a reaction to some US politicians stigmatising China'. COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, has killed more than 145,000 people and infected over two million worldwide since the crisis began in Wuhan last December. From a handsome fiance to a lesbian prison engagement, Cocaine Cassie's time behind bars has been a romantic rollercoaster. The convicted drug smuggler, whose real name is Cassie Sainsbury, walked from a Colombian prison on Friday. Sainsbury was locked up at El Buen Pastor women's prison in Bogota in 2017 after being found guilty of trying to smuggle 6kg of cocaine out of the country. At the time she was engaged to Scott Broadbridge who diligently attended her court appearances and vowed to marry her in a prison wedding reception. He even delivered the convicted drug trafficker a single red rose to the Bogota prison as a symbol of his devotion. 'Cocaine' Cassie Sainsbury became engaged in November after her Venezuelan girlfriend Joslianinyer Pico (pictured together) proposed to her behind bars Sainsbury was engaged to Scott Broadbridge (pictured together) at the time of her conviction, but no longer speaks to her former fiance after they split in February 2018 Happy development: 'Cocaine' Cassie's ex Scott Broadbridge told friends that he and Adelaide brunette Claudia Costalonga, 25, are 'official' (pictured together) However with Sainsbury in jail, the relationship deteriorated and the pair quietly split in February 2018. But Sainsbury was not single for long and in December last year she revealed she was engaged to Venezuelan inmate Joslianinyer Pico. Broadbridge immediately took to social media and told mates he 'couldn't care less' and had moved on with fellow gym-enthusiast Claudia Costalonga, 25. Ms Pico, who was serving a jail sentence for theft until her release in Jnuary, proposed with a ring and banner reading 'Cassie, will you marry me?' in a corridor of the prison. They are now set for an emotional reunion in the real world outside jail. 'She stole my heart,' Sainsbury told New Idea. 'We are very happy together and if time allows us, we will be with each other for many years.' Following Sainsbury's engagement, Broadbridge shared a cryptic message on Facebook saying 'no situation is permanent'. 'Every situation can change without notice. If you're stuck in a hard place, keep pushing through and I promise if you stay positive, things will get better,' he wrote. Sainsbury 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. Life in prison: Cassie Sainsbury's girlfriend, Joslianinyer Pico, shared photos from the inside of Bogota jail in Colombia New directions: Broadbridge and his new partner prior to a music festival in Adelaide recently... while Sainsbury and her fiancee pose for a photo behind bars Sainsbury 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 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. 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 60 Minutes 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.' she said. Ms Pico, who is serving time for theft, proposed to the 24-year-old and shared photos of their engagement rings on social media Cassie Sainsbury's lawyer says she missed her mother Lisa Evans (pictured left with Cassie) Cassie Sainsbury has undergone an incredible transformation in prison, she said she has learned a lot '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.' 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. 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 Sainsbury (pictured in 2017) says she has grown a lot during her time behind bars 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. Over the past three years, Sainsbury has learned to speak Spanish fluently and now teaches English to inmates in the prison, she said. Sainsbury plans 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 Ms Pico 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.' Jihadi Terrorists killing Christians in Mozambique seek to establish government rule from 'Allah' Violent actions were taken places under Mozambique, as Christians were killed from the Jihadi terrorists. The U.S. news outlet reports that the militants released a video after a recent attack that killed innocent people. Jihadi demands to the fearful residents, "we want everyone here to apply Islamic law." According to the churches and rural development in Mozambique, churches have been active in since the late 19th century, and Islam was established in Mozambique long before then. From the start of the 1940s to the beginning of 1974, the south of the country was large, and the center held traditional beliefs and the North was essentially Muslim. In a recent video, fearless Jihadist stated, "we don't want a government from unbelievers, we want a government from Allah," "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." "No Mozambique insurgency has yet made it onto the agenda of SADC's Organ on Politics, Defense and Security which is mandated to address such regional threats," Fabricius stressed. "Armed groups have been randomly targeting local villages and terrorizing the local population and affiliated Islamic State groups that 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." "Authorities must take immediate and effective action to protect everyone in the region, including by ramping up lawful security measures, and carrying out investigations into all the recent attacks with the aim of bringing suspected perpetrators to justice." It is stated that killings of ordinary people by armed groups have been ongoing in Cabo Delgado since 2017. Members of a local group, known as Al-Shabab have been carrying out coordinated and simultaneous attacks against civilians and government institutions including police headquarters. Warhol By Blake Gopnik Ecco. 976 pp. $45 --- "It's looking more and more like Warhol has overtaken Picasso as the most important and influential artist of the twentieth century." That's the assessment of Blake Gopnik, a journalist and former art critic for The Washington Post, in "Warhol," his impressive, sweeping biography of the artist. Andy Warhol may have ended Abstract Expressionism when he launched Pop Art in the early 1960s, but, like Picasso, he also became a cultural figure. In his career, Warhol had a lasting effect on advertising, fashion, music, film, television and photography, all while achieving a level of renown far surpassing the 15 minutes of fame he predicted everyone would have. In "Warhol," Gopnik chronicles the full scope of this career. He was born Andrew Warhola in Pittsburgh in 1928, one of three sons of Slavic immigrants Andrej, a laborer, and Julia, a housekeeper. He was a frail boy after a bout of St. Vitus' Dance, a neurological disorder, so he became a creature of his imagination, devouring novels and magazines and dreaming of Hollywood. A gift for art landed him at Carnegie Institute of Technology. He nearly flunked out after his first year but won a reprieve: "I created a big scene and cried." After college, ambition drove him to New York. Tina Fredericks at Glamour magazine gave him his break, an opportunity he did not squander. Gigs at companies like Noonday Press, Bonwit Teller and I. Miller (for which he produced shoe drawings celebrated in the advertising industry) made him "piles of money," Gopnik notes. He got his own place, eventually purchasing a Lexington Avenue townhouse. As his commercial art business flourished, Warhol took up fine art, experimenting with the concrete image and the silk-screening process. Among his initial attempts was a series of paintings of Campbell's Soup cans, which Henry Geldzahler, the art curator, called "the Nude Descending a Staircase of the Pop movement." When Dennis Hopper, the actor and photographer, first saw one, he immediately understood the potential: "I started jumping up and down, saying, 'That's it! that's it!'" he said. "That's a return to reality." Pop Art was born. A Stable Gallery show featuring silk-screens of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and Troy Donohue "established Warhol," Gopnik argues, "as a true rival of all the greats who had come before." "Death and Disaster," a masterwork, was followed by "Flowers" (paintings) and "Brillo Boxes" (sculpture), all produced in a new studio space, known as the Factory, the walls of which were covered in aluminum foil by Billy Name, the first of many Warhol acolytes. Then, in 1965, Warhol announced his "retirement" from art to focus on movies. He had shot experimental films already, including "Sleep," "Kiss" and "Empire," an eight-hour black-and-white shot of the Empire State Building. Now he made "Poor Little Rich Girl" with Edie Sedgwick, his first "superstar." Others followed: Brigid Berlin, Paul America and Viva, among others, appearing in films like "My Hustler," "The Nude Restaurant" and the cult classic "The Chelsea Girls." Warhol managed the Velvet Underground, pairing the group with Nico to make a landmark rock album. He pioneered performance art with the Exploding Plastic Inevitable multimedia event. Then, on June 3, 1968, he was shot by Valerie Solanas, a radical feminist and Factory hanger-on, in the throes of a psychotic breakdown. Gopnik's account of the attempted murder is gripping: "The slug pierced Andy Warhol's right side just under his arm and he began to bleed out." Warhol flatlined at Columbus Hospital before doctors revived him. He was never the same. "Andy died when Valerie Solanas shot him," Gopnik quotes Taylor Mead, a Warhol superstar, as saying. "He's just somebody to have at your dinner table now. Charming, but he's the ghost of a genius." Maybe, but during the 1970s - under the guidance of Fred Hughes, who ended up managing Warhol's business life for more than 25 years - he built an empire. Warhol made movies including "Flesh," "Blue Movie" and "Lonesome Cowboys." He returned to art, producing a series of paintings of the Chinese Communist Party chairman, Mao Zedong, and the masterwork "Shadows." He also turned portraiture into a lucrative enterprise, starting with Happy Rockefeller and proceeding to an array of figures like Halston and Liza Minnelli. He founded Interview Magazine and bought a Montauk, N.Y., estate and a Rolls-Royce. He also enjoyed his most successful personal relationship. Just before the shooting, he had hired Jed Johnson as an assistant; after the shooting, the two moved in together. "Over the next dozen years," Gopnik writes, Johnson "came to fill the traditional role of devoted young spouse." He decorated Warhol's new townhouse on East 66th Street. Their eventual breakup left Warhol devastated, though few knew it. He was loath to express emotion. After his mother died in 1972, he neither attended her funeral nor announced her death. Anyone inquiring about her was told that she was shopping at Bloomingdale's. The 1980s were also productive - more art, collaborations with Jean-Michel Basquiat, ventures into television, a new Factory - until he went to the hospital for gallbladder surgery and died of complications Feb. 22, 1987. "The critical skepticism that Warhol lived with has evaporated in the years since his death," Gopnik concludes. That clarity has afforded observers the chance to appraise Warhol objectively. He was America's Picasso. --- Alexander has published eight books, including "Death and Disaster: The Rise of the Warhol Empire and the Race for Andy's Millions." He teaches at Fordham University and Hunter College. The UKs coronavirus death rate cannot be effectively compared with other countries because of different testing strategies, an expert has said. On several occasions, the British Government has been asked why some nations in Europe appear to be doing better than Britain on the face of the data. But there are a number of reasons why the figures cannot be treated as like for like. (PA Graphics) While this figure does not include deaths outside hospitals in England, it may include a small number outside hospitals in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. At the same date, Belgium had reported 42 deaths per 100,000 of its 11.5 million population. Spain had seen 41 deaths per 100,000 of its population of 46.9 million, Italy 37 per 100,000 of its 60.4 million population, and France 27 per 100,000 of its 67.0 million population. Elsewhere, as of April 16 Germany had reported five deaths per 100,000 of its population of 83.0 million. The number of deaths are based on information from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and the population figures come from Eurostats 2019 estimates. But Professor Norman Fenton, director of the Risk and Information Management Research Group at Queen Mary University of London, cautioned about making a direct comparison of the figures. He told the PA news agency: The major reason why UK death rates may not be comparable is because of the different testing strategies. The death rate is normally defined as the proportion of deaths among people confirmed with Covid-19. However, the number confirmed with Covid-19 is totally dependent on both the number and type of people tested and the kind of testing. Prof. Fenton added that to the best of his knowledge, there had been no systematic attempt in the UK at random testing testing which could determine the underlying rate of infection at given points in time. He highlighted that there is no data for how many people with no coronavirus symptoms, or mild symptoms, have Covid-19. Prof. Fenton added: The situation in other countries is different. Although Germany has not done systematic random testing, they have done far more tests, including many on non-symptomatic people. Hence the very different death rates between the UK and Germany are almost certainly explained more by the different testing strategy than by difference in the quality of medical care or difference in lockdown or social distancing strategies. It is also interesting to note that in Italy there were some towns in which either full or random testing was conducted. Prof. Fenton said another important reason to be sceptical of comparing other countries death rates with the UK is that as far as he knows, the UK is currently one of the only countries classifying every patient dying with Covid-19 as a coronavirus death, even if the cause of death was not necessarily caused by the virus. He concluded: So, in summary, the relatively high death rates in the UK are likely caused by a) massively undercounting the number of people who actually have Covid-19, and b) overcounting the number of deaths caused by Covid-19. Emirates in coordination with Dubai Health Authority (DHA) will be introducing additional precautions. Passengers on today's flight to Tunisia were all tested for COVID-19 before departing from Dubai. Emirates is the first airline to conduct on-site rapid COVID-19 tests for passengers. The quick blood test was conducted by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and results were available within 10 minutes. This test was conveniently done at the Group Check-in area of Dubai International Airport Terminal 3. Adel Al Redha, Emirates Chief Operating Officer said: "The testing process has gone smoothly and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the Dubai Health Authority for their initiatives and innovative solutions. This would have not been possible without the support of Dubai Airport and other government authorities. 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. The health and safety of staff and passengers at the airport remain of paramount importance." HE Humaid Al Qutami, Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), said: "We are glad to work with Emirates on the successful implementation of rapid COVID-19 testing at the airport for departing travellers. To tackle COVID-19, we have been proactively working with various governmental organisations and the private health sector and we have implemented all necessary measures from public health protection to provision of high-quality health services in line with the latest international guidelines. We believe strongly that the most effective solutions require close partnerships with other public and private sector organisations." The airline's check-in and boarding formalities have also been adapted with social distancing in mind. Protective barriers have been installed at each check-in desk to provide additional safety measures to our passengers and employees during any interaction. Gloves, masks and hand sanitisers have been made mandatory for all employees at the airport. Passengers are also required to wear their own masks when at the airport and on board the aircraft, and follow social distancing guidelines.Emirates has modified its inflight services for health and safety reasons. Magazines and other print reading material will not be available, and while food and beverages will continue to be offered on board, packaging and presentation will be modified to reduce contact during meal service and minimize risk of interaction. Cabin baggage are currently not accepted on flights. Carry-on items allowed in the cabin are limited to laptop, handbag, briefcase or baby items. All other items have to be checked in, and Emirates will add the cabin baggage allowance to customers' check-in baggage allowance. All Emirates aircraft will go through enhanced cleaning and disinfection processes in Dubai, after each journey. Source: Peacefmonline.com 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 - 43 of the new cases were reported in Tanzanian mainland while 10 others were tested in Zanzibar island - Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu said all the new patients were Tanzanian nationals bringing the national tally to 147 - President Magufuli declared a three-day national prayer as the country turned to God's interventions in taming the deadly virus Tanzania's coronavirus cases have significantly climbed up by 53 making it the highest number reported on a single day in the entire East Africa region. In a statement on Friday, April 17, Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu confirmed all the new patients were Tanzanian nationals who tested either in the mainland or Zanzibar island. READ ALSO: Eastleigh shuts down businesses, malls as precaution against COVID-19 spread Tanzania president Magufuli declared a three-day national prayer as the country turned to God in taming coronavirus. Photo: John Pombe Magufuli. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Mwanaharakati Okiya Omtata aomboleza kifo cha bintiye In total, the country's cases moved from 94 to 147 in the last 24 hours meaning it was now second to Kenya which recorded 246 as on April 17. Similarly, number of deaths increased by one to five after one patient took last breath while four others who had underying health conditions remained admitted. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Kenya to embark on mass testing after receiving sampling tubes from China READ ALSO: Raila blames Ruto for fresh wrangles in Jubilee Party The number of recoveries remained at 11. Earlier on the day, President John Pombe Magufuli declared a three-day national prayer as the country turned to God in one of the most difficult times. In a statement released on Thursday, April 17, Magufuli asked Tanzanians to converge in their respective denominations and pray for God's intervention following the deadly virus. "Fellow Tanzanians, following the coronavirus pandemic, I would like to request you to use three days starting April 17-19 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) to pray to God who has power over all things to save us from this disease. Let us all pray in our respective denominations and regions, he will listen,"he said. Whereas most nations imposed travel bans, social gatherings and closure of churches and schools, Magufuli has always proclaimed "God above everything" mantra. At one point after a Sunday church service, the 60-year-old president claimed coronavirus was satanic and that God would do a miracle in regards to eliminating the deadly virus. "That is why I did not fear to take the body of Christ since coronavirus, which is satanic, will burn. God will do a miracle in our country. Let's continue to pray. Even to the Muslim brothers, do not be afraid to go the mosques to pray," he said. 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 Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Journal Staff Writer A federal judge has sided with the state on its ban on mass gatherings in places of worship during the COVID-19 pandemic. The order by U.S. District Judge James Browning is in response to a complaint filed late last week by Legacy Church seeking a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction to prevent the secretary (of health) from now enforcing mass gathering restrictions on places of worship, including Legacys four New Mexico campuses, according to court documents. While Legacy continues to encourage its members to worship with them through their online services, the Secretary cannot require them to lock out parishioners if Legacy can provide the same socially distant measures used by essential businesses, the church wrote. In the alternative, Legacy requests that restrictions on gathering be no-less than those imposed on retail spaces in the state. Further in the alternative, Legacy requests the Court enjoin the Secretary and the State from enforcing the (April 11 orders) mass gathering restriction of five people or more in a connected space, as it specifically targets people freely exercising their religious beliefs. However, Browning determined Friday that the public health order does not violate Legacy Churchs right to religious freedom because it is neutral and generally applicable. He also wrote that the order provides a reasonable time, place and manner restriction, so it doesnt violate the churchs right to assemble. The issue arose after state Health Secretary Kathy Kunkel issued a public health order last Saturday that included houses of worship in the ban on mass gatherings to stem the spread of coronavirus. Previous orders had made exemptions for churches, synagogues and mosques. Pastor Steve Smothermon told the Journal earlier in the week that although Legacy Church had not planned to hold in-person services for Easter, its online production requires about 30 people in the building. Executive Pastor Daniel McCabe said Friday that the judges order will allow the church to have more than five people in the room to produce the livestream services. Well continue to fight for churches to have the right to fill 20% of their auditoriums if they so choose, he said. After nearly 100 pages spelling out the arguments made by the Department of Health and the church and analysis of those arguments, Browning denied the churchs motion. The publics interest in limiting the COVID-19 outbreak in the state, a compelling interest, outweighs the right to gather, he wrote. The Governors Office responded Friday by pointing out that the state is still allowing churches to conduct services through audiovisual means and other creative ways, such as drive-up services. For a limited time, during the pendency of this health emergency, the court saw the state was within its constitutional authority to restrict those gatherings, said Nora Meyers Sackett, the governors spokeswoman. As is clear in the order, nothing in the order precludes churches from conducting audiovisual presentations of their services. We have now entered a critical stage of the coronavirus outbreak, following the first COVID-19 death announced by the Health Minister, Lizzie Nkosi, yesterday. This is a sad development in the countrys efforts to curb the pandemic. Perhaps, if anybody had doubts about the deadly potential of COVID-19, now is the time to reflect on whether or not we are each playing our part and heeding to the calls to flatten the curve of infection. Of serious concern is that our behaviour on the streets thus far, portrays a nation that has not fully come to grips with the magnitude of the crisis we face, in a world where over two million COVID-19 infections have been recorded with 130 000 deaths. Millions of people are now jobless as economies are on lockdown and each passing day edging us closer to starvation. Comment Many of us remain stubborn to adhering to social distancing guidelines or stay at home directives. Some refuse to sanitise at every given opportunity. Our government, on the other hand, had better be warned that it cannot afford to throw the people to the slaughter with a lack of coordination and timely and effective communication in the roll-out of the prevention strategy. Now that we have entered the death phase of the coronavirus pandemic, there can be no room for confusion, ill-preparedness or disjointed implementation of the directives. Each pronouncement has to be a culmination of extensive consultation and careful planning that links all the implementing agencies who must act on clearly spelt out roles and responsibilities and within the confines of the law. The confusion witnessed yesterday where some people were fined for not wearing masks yet government had not ensured there was available and affordable stock for the populace, will only breed a rebellious attitude to the call and put us all at risk. The inconsistent application of the directives by law enforcers should also stop because from now onwards, any carelessness or mistake by any of us will most certainly cost an innocent life. Italy has seen its number of daily coronavirus deaths rise by 50 to 575 as its descent from the outbreak's peak continues to stall despite a six-week lockdown. The country had recorded 525 deaths from COVID-19 yesterday. The number of infections dropped by 293 to 3,493 today, while the number of patients in intensive care beds also fell for the fourteenth consecutive day by 124 to 2,812, from 2,936. This plateau is down considerably from peaks reached around the end of March, but the downtrend has not proceeded as was widely hoped. Italy's death toll has risen to 22,745, the Civil Protection Agency said, the second highest in the world after the US. The number of officially confirmed cases also climbed to 172,434, the third highest in the world behind the US and Spain. As many as 42,727 people have been declared clear of the disease after catching it. Deaths from coronavirus rose to 575, up by 50 from yesterday. The country's deaths have plateaued as the population endures a sixth week in quarantine The number of new coronavirus cases reported fell by 293 to 3,493 Italian Red Cross workers move a sealed stretcher into an ambulance at the infectious diseases ward of the Cannizzaro hospital in Catania yesterday Italy has been under lockdown longer than any other European country, after a nationwide quarantine was imposed on March 9. Officials have spoken of a 'phase two' in which Italy learns to 'live with the virus' until a vaccine is developed, which is likely to be months away at least. Lockdown measures been extended into May, but Italy is now hoping to use a smartphone app to held identify new outbreaks once the quarantine is lifted. Coronavirus commissioner Domenico Arcuri signed a decree late on Thursday awarding the app contract to a Milan-based startup called Bending Spoons. Arcuri's decree states that free app must preserve users' anonymity and not track location. Instead, it will use bluetooth to log the phone's movements. The EU has recommended tracking apps as part of a plan unveiled on Wednesday to help countries ease restrictions. Countries such as South Korea and Israel have used apps to help people determine whether they came close to someone infected with the virus. However, technology experts warn that such apps are not foolproof because bluetooth signals work best in open spaces. A handful of shops have been allowed to re-open already in Italy, including bookshops and stationery shops. The region of Lombardy also plans to start conducting immunity tests next week in the hope of issuing 'licences' to people found to be resistant. Doctors treat a patient in the intensive care department of the dell'Angelo hospital in Venice yesterday Medical staff wearing full protective suits including masks and gloves work at the intensive care unit of Rome's San Filippo Neri hospital on Wednesday Lombardy has been by far the worst-affected region in Italy, piling up more cases and deaths than many countries have done. Health care workers will be first in line for Lombardy's antibody tests but the regional government hopes to expand the tests to the general public. The provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona and Lodi will have particular priority after their health systems were overwhelmed by the crisis. Nearly 17,000 health care workers have been infected with coronavirus in Italy, more than two-thirds of them women, the country's public health institute said today. The figure accounts for around 10 per cent of Italy's officially registered infections. The ISS public health institute did not report fatality figures, but a study released Thursday by a medical federation said that Covid-19 has killed 125 doctors in Italy. Reports say that at least 34 nurses have also died of the disease. Several Italian doctors have expressed fears that infected medics may have been unwittingly spreading the disease to their patients in the early weeks of the outbreak. Immunity tests are seen as crucial to ending the global lockdown, but ministers in Britain and Germany have said they are not yet reliable enough. UK health secretary Matt Hancock says that none of the 17.5million tests which Britain wanted to order have been shown to work. 'We're getting the test results through every day, I was looking at some last night. But we still don't have any that are good enough,' he said earlier this month. Bloomsbury Publishing's's (LON:BMY) stock is up by a considerable 20% over the past month. However, we decided to pay close attention to its weak financials as we are doubtful that the current momentum will keep up, given the scenario. In this article, we decided to focus on Bloomsbury Publishing's ROE. Return on equity or ROE is a key measure used to assess how efficiently a company's management is utilizing the company's capital. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits. See our latest analysis for Bloomsbury Publishing How Do You Calculate Return On Equity? The formula for return on equity is: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Bloomsbury Publishing is: 6.3% = UK9.0m UK143m (Based on the trailing twelve months to August 2019). The 'return' refers to a company's earnings over the last year. That means that for every 1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated 0.06 in profit. What Is The Relationship Between ROE And Earnings Growth? We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. Depending on how much of these profits the company reinvests or "retains", and how effectively it does so, we are then able to assess a companys earnings growth potential. Generally speaking, other things being equal, firms with a high return on equity and profit retention, have a higher growth rate than firms that dont share these attributes. Bloomsbury Publishing's Earnings Growth And 6.3% ROE On the face of it, Bloomsbury Publishing's ROE is not much to talk about. We then compared the company's ROE to the broader industry and were disappointed to see that the ROE is lower than the industry average of 9.4%. As a result, Bloomsbury Publishing's flat net income growth over the past five years doesn't come as a surprise given its lower ROE. Story continues As a next step, we compared Bloomsbury Publishing's net income growth with the industry and were disappointed to see that the company's growth is lower than the industry average growth of 14% in the same period. LSE:BMY Past Earnings Growth April 17th 2020 Earnings growth is a huge factor in stock valuation. The investor should try to establish if the expected growth or decline in earnings, whichever the case may be, is priced in. Doing so will help them establish if the stock's future looks promising or ominous. Is Bloomsbury Publishing fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide. Is Bloomsbury Publishing Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively? The high three-year median payout ratio of 58% (meaning, the company retains only 42% of profits) for Bloomsbury Publishing suggests that the company's earnings growth was miniscule as a result of paying out a majority of its earnings. Additionally, Bloomsbury Publishing has paid dividends over a period of at least ten years, which means that the company's management is determined to pay dividends even if it means little to no earnings growth. Upon studying the latest analysts' consensus data, we found that the company is expected to keep paying out approximately 50% of its profits over the next three years. Still, forecasts suggest that Bloomsbury Publishing's future ROE will rise to 9.8% even though the the company's payout ratio is not expected to change by much. Summary Overall, we would be extremely cautious before making any decision on Bloomsbury Publishing. As a result of its low ROE and lack of mich reinvestment into the business, the company has seen a disappointing earnings growth rate. Having said that, looking at the current analyst estimates, we found that the company's earnings are expected to gain momentum. To know more about the company's future earnings growth forecasts take a look at this free report on analyst forecasts for the company to find out more. 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. Lou Klein, 31, of South Philadelphia, had planned to participate in the annual Run for Clean Air race on Saturday with his running club before Gov. Tom Wolf issued statewide stay-at-home orders in March. But Klein still plans to run the race virtually because he supports the mission of the Clean Air Council, which has held the race since 1981. It has converted the event into a virtual run that started Saturday. Thats one of the many ways environmental organizations and government agencies are trying to keep the spirit of Earth Day, which falls on Wednesday, alive in the region. Amid social distancing measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, most Earth Day celebrations and cleanups have been postponed or canceled. Now, environmentally focused groups are hosting free webinars, online learning for children, teaching aids for educators, environmental justice programs, and more. Heres a rundown of some ways to celebrate Earth Day this year. Go for a run Katie Edwards of the Clean Air Council said the Run for Clean Air is Philadelphias biggest Earth Day celebration, and this years race would have been the 39th annual. The run, sponsored by Toyota Hybrids, usually draws about 2,000 participants. We decided that instead of canceling and postponing, that we would shift to a virtual run, Edwards said. It already had a virtual component. So with a few easy steps, we were able to convert it all into a virtual run. READ MORE: Quarantine activity: Plant a garden that helps support bees Edwards said participants can do their own 5K, 10K, or 3k walk route any time between Saturday and April 26. Registration proceeds go to the nonprofit Clean Air Councils mission of advocacy in the mid-Atlantic region. The virtual race operates on the honor system, but participants can share their routes and submit their times. They can share their run using the hashtag #runforcleanair. Runners will receive a medal in the form of a stainless steel collapsible straw and race shirt celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Were using social media to create a community around this, Edwards said. Its our hope everyone will take a sweaty selfie and post it on our Facebook page or our Instagram page." 2020 Virtual Run for Clean Air, $35, register until April 25 at cleanair.org/run Listen to talks about environmental justice On Earth Day, WURD Radios ecoWURD initiative, in partnership with From the Source, a collaboration of 10 news organizations reporting on the Delaware River Watershed, will host a daylong summit of on-air and online conversations exploring environmental justice at the intersection of race, health, the arts, education, and politics. The conversations will run from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., shining a light on the disparities facing black Philadelphians during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Through elemental themes of earth, air, water, and fire, the conversations will be framed to make environmental issues urgent, culturally relevant, and accessible while focusing on solutions. WURD, which broadcasts on 96.1 FM, is the only African American-owned and -operated talk-radio station in Pennsylvania, and one of few in the country. Learn about renewable energy The Clean Air Council has joined with the Energy Co-op and Weavers Way Food Co-op and the Philadelphia Energy Authority to hold three educational webinars about renewable energy. The events are free but registration is required. They are: Wednesday, April 22: The Power of Cooperatives in Renewable Energy Webinar, presented by the Energy Co-op with Weavers Way, 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 24: Commercial Property-Assessed Clean Energy Webinar, presented by the Philadelphia Energy Authority. The webinar revolves around a financing structure that allows commercial property owners to borrow money for energy and water efficiency improvements and renewable energy installations through a special assessment, 11 a.m. Monday, April 27: Renewable Natural Gas Webinar, presented by the Energy Co-op and the Clean Air Council, 5:30 p.m. Make art Weavers Way s holding a virtual Earth Day Art Make-In on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. The event, livestreamed on Zoom, allows children and adults to share and make images inspired by Earth Day using whatever materials are at home. The event is free but registration is required. National Geographic National Geographic HAS launched Earth Day Neighborhood Safari - encouraging families across the globe to bring the wonders of the wild world to their neighborhood, as a way of staying connected with both nature and each other. Families can design their own safari stop with the resources available on NatGeo@Home and can encourage their friends and neighbors to do the same while sharing safari shots on social media with #NatGeoEarthDayAtHome. Watch nature videos Member groups of the Delaware River Watershed Initiative offer a series of short, family-oriented videos on nature, produced by environmental educators. The videos include tours, adventures, and workshops. A few include: More activities for kids Educators at the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center have gathered resources for parents looking to share the experience of Earth Day with their children. Understanding the Urban Watershed Curriculum Guide with Activity Ideas (Grades K-8) is a compilation of lessons and activities with chapters that explore water, water systems, and watersheds with vocabulary, activity ideas, discussion questions, and suggested reading. A webinar for teachers helps them instruct on urban watersheds, and is packed with resources that easily adapt to distance learning. The webinars are one-hour workshops and the curriculum is designed for middle school, but all grade teachers are welcome. Dates are Tuesday and Thursday at 4 p.m., and Wednesday at 7 p.m. The webinars are free but registration is required. Bird watch in Philly Philadelphia Parks and Recreation has created a virtual Parks & Rec @ Home program that includes a variety of activities. Next week, the program will have an Earth Week theme to inspire a love of nature and passion for the environment and public spaces. ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters. Staff members will host bird-watching tutorials, a Grow Up Green nature session for young children, a chat about which local trees are in bloom, and a guided virtual tour in the Wissahickon. The virtual programs are livestreamed on Parks and Recs Facebook page Monday through Friday at 3 p.m. Protect the environment The Rutgers Cooperative Extension will offer an Earth Day at Home webinar series. The webinars will air Mondays from April 20 to June 29, and focus on steps to protect the environment, including how to make homes sustainable, environmentally friendly lawn care, and composting to reduce plastic waste. The live one-hour interactive sessions begin at 6:30 p.m. Student climate panel The Michener Art Museum in Doylestown is hosting a Virtual Earth Day that includes free activities such as a student climate channel and a presentation on plant science and climate change. https://www.delval.edu/events/calendar#events/event-details/5e9a102dedbf0600157344a5/ https://www.michenerartmuseum.org/event/virtual-earth-day/ 50 activities you can do at home PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center has released a list of Fifty environmental activities kids can do at home as a resource for families across the state. With Pennsylvania schools physically closed for the remainder of the school year in order to promote social distancing during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the set of activities provided by PennEnvironment offers a broad array of easy-to-do endeavors for Earth Day and beyond. For teachers looking for curriculum ideas, the organization is also providing specific Earth Day materials as well. The list, which links to further information on subjects throughout is broken down into six different areas: Learn about solutions to climate change; learn about ways to reduce waste; learn about plants; learn about waterways, parks and conservation; learn about and protect birds, bees and other wildlife; and create a healthier home and community. 17.04.2020 LISTEN The Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party in the Savannah Region has said some members of the National Democratic Congress together with the management of Nkilgi FM have threatened him after he exposed them on a morning show on Yagbon FM in Bole. "These threats have come from the caretaker of Candidate Mahama radio station-Nkilgi FM in Bole. Haruna Mahama sent these empty threats with some toothless NDC serial callers in Bole this morning. They have threatened to attack me the next time I come to Bole for a similar exposure," he said in a press release. According to the Savannah Regional Communications Director Issah Mohammed, all party communicators in the area should boycott any single discussion on Nkilgi FM as the party was not well represented on the radio station. Issah Mohammed alleged that Nkilgi FM belonged to Former President John Dramani Mahama and that the leaders of the station treated the NPP communicators unduly. The General Manager Mahama Haruna denied allegations saying: "Former President John Dramani Mahama is not the owner of Nkilgi FM even though the Radio station is situated at his father's residence in Bole." He continued, "There is nothing wrong with Management of Nkilgi FM coming into an agreement with the family of former President John Dramani Mahama to use a part of their father's residence as studio and office for Nkilgi FM." Mahama said the Communications Director had an outstanding issue with the radio station citing an alleged physical assault on its reporter in June 2016 at Damongo. He added "they know Issah Mohammed has a personal problem with Nkilgi FM and has always sought to discredit the Radio station." But Issah Mohammed has also debunked such accusations saying:"The leaders of the station at various points tried to gag us from communicating on the platform and I think at this modern age it is not advisable. Any issues I have had with the radio station is a result of that." On the contrary, the drumbeat of arguments between the NPP communications director and the radio station became louder when Nkilgi FM disrupted a serial caller of the NPP over some comments. Both sides have differing opinions on the matter. Haruna Mahama went on to post on his Facebook Wall: "NPP will always protest when their Serial Callers are taken off air for comments that are not in good taste or are inflammatory." Issah Mohammed did not also mince his words in an exclusive interview saying: "That serial caller did not insult former President Mahama. That radio station belongs to former President. Who born dog to call on that radio station to insult him. The boy asked the member of Parliament to quarantine himself after arriving from Accra." Meanwhile, the communications director has hinted that he was seeking the counsel of his lawyers to determine the right step over the threats. "Let the sound minds with Bole NDC advise those vagabonds that the NPP is capable of doing everything to protect itself." 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 Chanel Chin and Oluwo of Iwo, Oba AbdulRasheed Akanbi The Ex-wife of Oluwo of Iwo has made a damning allegation against the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba AbdulRasheed Akanbi. According to a recent interview she granted GIO TV, Chanel Chin, who has lived in Canada all her life but is from Jamaica, said she met Oluwo when she came to Nigeria as a tourist with friends. She arrived the country in December 2015 and in January 2016, she said she was informed by one of the Nigerians in the group that theres a coronation coming and she wanted to go to experience the African culture. Her friends tried to discourage her, warning that the area is a bush. However, she said she didnt want to see just Lagos and Lekki but wanted to experience other parts of Nigeria. She went on to narrate how she went for the coronation then returned to Lagos. While in Lagos, she met the Oluwo again at an event held by a Lagos monarch. She said she was introduced to the Oluwo of Iwo then. She added that when she was in a party in Ikeja for an event attended by the Oluwo, she retired early to her room because she had drank too much. This was on February 2, a month after his January 2016 coronation. She said that she woke up at 3 am to find the Oluwo on top of her in her room, with her clothes discarded. She said she told him no no no. Get off me. But, she claims he told her that he is a King and that once he extends his leg to her, she cant refuse him. She adds that after raping her, he decided to compensate her with marriage. She said during the interview with GIO TV: Tell the people that you raped me the first night you met me. She added: One month later, I missed my menses and I was pregnant. She asked Nigerians to do the math, stating that Oluwos coronation was Jan 2016, she met him in Feb 2016 and her baby was born in Nov 2016. She explained: November from February is 9 months. She then narrated how she was taken to Iwo the day after the alleged rape and her shock when she arrived. She said: Thats when I met Oluwo, February second. He raped me and because he raped me, the next day, he said to me, were going to the palace. were going to Iwo and Ill make you queen. So I went with him. The very next day, when we got to Iwo, there was no palace. The palace didnt even have a roof. There was no palace. We were staying in one Barrister Atandas home. Hes also based in the UK. He can attest to this. There was no palace, there was no royal there was nothing. She said that her marriage to the Iwo made her an enemy to many women who, till date still send her DMs, calling her a bad woman. She claimed this hatred from women stems from the fact that the King had promised most of them marriage. Chanel Chin said: There was even a family that came, they were so upset because Oluwo disvirgined one girl from that town and promised that family marriage. So, when that family got to find out one Canadian was with this King, that is when he went to the news. Because he promised a lot of women He started sleeping around with a lot of women, from Lagos to Iwo to Osogbo, to Ibadan. He was sleeping with a lot of women and promising them Olori. So, when people started to find out, oh theres one Jamaican woman living with him, that is when he went to the press and put this fake news about his wife from Canada, that he married me in Canada and that I came to Nigeria to claim my rightful spot, which was a lie. So, even before I stepped foot in that palace, I already had a gang of enemies. The ex-Olori of Iwo added that shes the Oluwos 5th baby mama and her child is the 9th child. She said this as she accused the monarch of sleeping around with women and getting them pregnant. Chanel Chin was also asked to react to allegations from the Oluwo that shes a runs girl who had sex with him on the first night they met and she replied: Go and ask your king that if Im a runs girl, why did he put the crown of your ancestors on my head. I was wearing the crown of your ancestors. So, go and ask your king that. Why did he put the crown of your ancestors on the head of a runs girl. The Facebook Live interview with Chanel Chin is a lengthy one that lasted for 5 hours and 44 minutes. In it, she made a lot more allegations about her ex-husband, some of them so damning that people commented to say they fear for her safety. On April 12, the Washington Post and New York Times broke and really carefully soft-pedaled -- a story that a woman named Tara Reade had accused Joe Biden of a sexual assault dating from 1993. Some other mainstream news outlets covered the story as well (e.g., NBC News Online but evidently not broadcast) in a similarly dismissive manner. The Post put the small headline below the fold in its April 13 print edition. Conservative media immediately noted the obvious double standard between this skeptical reportage, and the hysterical She must be believed! coverage by the same outlets of much less credible accusations against Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. Thats a story in and of itself. But it is also worth asking why these outlets bothered to report Reades claim at all, given that some major outlets (such as CNN) ignored the story entirely. Their readership would not care, and the mainstream media routinely effectively controls what many Americans know simply by what it chooses report, and what it doesnt. The coronavirus crisis being exhibit number one. Vanity Fair breathlessly announced on April 14 that the media floodgates had opened on the story, but thats certainly an exaggeration. For example, on the NBC Nightly News April 15, the coverage was entirely about the coronavirus outbreak, including a long and frankly embarrassing interview with a weeping middle-aged male nurse insisting the country remain on lockdown. There was no mention of the Biden allegations. The decision by the Times, Post, and a few other mainstream outlets to report the story at all is worth examining given their power to drive national events and public attention. Lets consider three possibilities. First, as responsible news organizations run by highly ethical journalists they had a duty to report the allegations, given their seriousness, so that the American people could remain informed. Okay -- Ill give you a minute to stop laughing before we move on to possibility number two. Second, they wanted to air the accusation, undermine it and then dismiss it, in order to inoculate Biden from Reade in the general election campaign. This presumption is entirely true to a degree. We know this because the Times executive editor, Dean Baquet, admitted as much in an extraordinary and humiliating interview with the Times own media reporter, who questioned Baquet about the evident double-standard in reporting. At the request of the Biden campaign, the Times edited the story to omit prior accusations that Bidens touchy-feely habits and hair-sniffing violated the women subjected to it. Baquets coordination with the Biden campaign leaves little doubt that the Times story served the political purpose described above. We can also assume that the Post and NBC Online ran their own stories for similar reasons. Indeed, all the stories read almost exactly the same, as if written by drones programed in similar left-wing journalism schools. They all begin with excuses as to why it took three weeks to come out with the story after Reades most serious allegations went public. Then skeptical reporting of the allegation, followed by digressions into similar accusations against President Trump, followed by trumpeting of alleged inconsistencies and denials from the Biden camp. Quite a difference from the frenzied and credulous reportage by all these outlets of Christine Blasey Fords thin and completely unsubstantiated accusations against Kavanaugh, not to mention the uncritical parroting of even more outlandish claims, such as those promoted by convicted fraudster Michael Avenatti. And it might be coincidental that the news about Reade came out at roughly the same time Bidens former rivals (Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren), and former boss (Barack Obama) finally deigned to deliver endorsements, but it might not. The endorsements helped to tamp down further any damage the Reade accusations might do, and seemed to indicate that these Democrat worthies were unbothered by them. However, while its fun to mock pseudo-journalists like Baquet, it is also unwise to underestimate them. Baquet is clearly well-connected to the Biden campaign. But it is also safe to assume he and his fellow travelers at the Post are similarly well-connected to the Democrat power brokers that ultimately will decide whether or not Joe Biden will be the nominee. This finally brings us to possibility number three, which is that airing and pooh-poohing Reades accusations now, doesnt mean that they cant be amplified and used against Biden later on, should that become necessary. Reporting the accusations now, however much these outlets soft-pedal it, will enhance their credibility later, should the Times and the Post want to take Biden down. Its hard to think of a recent Democrat presidential candidate less enthusiastically supported by the mainstream press and his party than Biden. Sanders, Warren, and especially Obama took a good long time to deliver their endorsements, which were lukewarm at best. And the partys hard left, as represented by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has yet to fall in line. Bidens many failings, but especially his utter lack of dynamism and mental lapses, still leave many wondering whether he will ultimately be the Democrat standard bearer. So speculation continues to run that the Democrats remain hungry for an alternative, be that Andrew Cuomo or someone else. The Reade accusations could, properly hyped up by the same press thats protecting Biden now, help usher him out of the way, should the Democrat powers-that-be determine its necessary. There are 180,000 Realtors just in Florida. They are all fighting for the same listings and home buyers, which are limited. What makes the difference is how are you going to get in front of potential new clients? How are you going to organize them? How are you going to follow up with them? Founders of Miami Real Estate Agency Sean Greco, Nick Hiersche and Kyle Hiersche have worked together on numerous real estate deals and investments in the past. Over their 10 year relationship, the real estate industry changed in many ways and they frequently brainstormed where its going. In 2020 it is no secret, real estate is going online. Agents who join their brokerage get the benefits of no monthly fees, no transaction fees and a free cutting edge CRM and IDX website. Times are changing due to recent events with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic. Real estate has been shifting online in recent years but the need to be online based is more important than ever now. By launching Miami Real Estate Agency, they look to succeed with the first truly cloud based brokerage in Florida. Our entire team compliments each other by bringing over 16 years of broker experience with 15 years of digital marketing experience. We have an in house programmer creating our own software and an attorney as one of the owners and in house counsel. We feel that we have everything we need under one roof to provide agents with what they need to succeed - Kyle Hiersche (Founding Partner and Head of Marketing for Miami Real Estate Agency) With many Realtors in South Florida and nationwide looking to get a leg up on competition through technology, Miami Real Estate Agency plans to step in to help. Many agents have seen their business decline due to market conditions and saturation of other agents in the business. On top of that, experts warn the coronavirus is creating an uncertainty in the market place and a challenge for Realtors to do showings, etc. There are 180,000 Realtors just in Florida said CEO Nicholas Hiersche, They are all fighting for the same listings and home buyers, which are limited. What makes the difference is how are you going to get in front of potential new clients? How are you going to organize them? How are you going to follow up with them? That is what we are experts at. Miami Real Estate Agency is officially in business and out to take the South Florida real estate market by storm. They are now accepting Florida Realtors looking to join the future of real estate. Florida Real Estate Agents can apply to join here: https://miamirealestate.agency/Home/Page/AgentJoin You can view a video with more information here: https://youtu.be/zGcP3accs60 About Miami Real Estate Agency Miami Real Estate Agency was founded in April 2020. Managing Broker Sean Greco has been a real estate agent and broker in Miami for over 16 years. Sean specializes in Miami Beach and south beach in particular but has a wide variety of knowledge and experience in the entire south Florida area. CEO Nick Hiersche owns a multi million dollar marketing company that has spent over $2 Million on digital advertising. He has online advertising certifications from Google and Facebook. In-house counsel Tyler Stiglich was brought in for legal guidance and event expert Kyle Hiersche was added to the team to expand the brokerage at the ground floor level. Together the team forms Miamis first true cloud based real estate brokerage, Miami Real Estate Agency. For more information, visit https://miamirealestate.agency/ How Mobilization Became the Trigger for War [For other articles in this World War I historical series, see World War I: The Question of Blame and From Waterloo to the Marne.] Build no more defensive forts, build railways instead. Alfred Graf on Schlieffen, Chief of the German General Staff, 1905 Schlieffen and His Plan The French-Russian alliance had raised the prospect that Germany might face a war on two fronts. In response, Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered Alfred Graf von Schlieffen, Chief of the German General Staff, to develop a plan to successfully fight both France and Russia. The strategy Schlieffen developed would have a profound effect on both the scope and the conduct of the war. What came to be called the Schlieffen Plan was not the first attempt to craft a German strategy to fight a two-front war. Such a strategy had already existed prior to Schlieffen. Simply put, that strategy had been "hold in the west and attack in the east." The traditional invasion route into eastern France was through the Belfort Gap or "Burgundian Gate," a relatively flat, high plateau between the northern rim of the Jura Mountains and the southernmost part of the Vosges Mountains. This was the historic invasion route from central Europe into France. It was the invasion route that German armies had taken during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. Subsequently, the French had heavily fortified the area. An extensive network of new forts was built centered on the four "front line" cities of Belfort, Epinal, Toul and Verdun. The German General Staff reasoned that a breakthrough through the heavily defended Belfort Gap would be difficulta point driven home by the subsequent slaughter at the Battle of Verdun in 1916. Its strategy was to pin down or "hold" French forces on the western front while it first dealt with Russian forces in the east. Russian mobilization was expected to be slow. Germany's forces were better trained and more mobile. The combined Austrian and German armies would deliver a knockout blow to Russian forces and force Russia out of the war. Bereft of its Russian ally, France could not hope to take on the combined might of Germany and Austria, and would have little choice but to sue for peace. In December 1905, Schlieffen began circulating his proposed plan to the General Staff. The first version of the Schlieffen Plan, there would be many modifications, reversed the prevailing strategy. It envisioned a rapid thrust westward with the bulk of the German army to envelop the French army and annihilate it in less than 45 days. With France knocked out of the war, Germany would then use its modern railroad network to quickly transfer troops to the east and deal with its Russian opponents. Russia, Schlieffen believed would need at least six weeks to mobilize. That would give the Germany army a window in which to defeat France. Even if the Russians advanced into eastern Germany, he reasoned, these gains would be short lived and would easily be reversed. By using its more rapid mobilization to its advantage, Schlieffen reasoned that he could bring the whole weight of the German army on each of its opponents in turn. The key to Schlieffen's plan was to engage and destroy the French army and quickly knock France out of the war. To do this he envisaged a broad enveloping movement into northern France that would bypass Paris and trap the French army between the German right wing and its central and left wing, and then surround it and annihilate it. A rapid thrust through the Belfort Gap, however, was unlikely given its extensive fortifications. There was one other alternative route, a thrust through the Meuse valley across Belgium to the English Channel and then a pivot into northern France. The Meuse Valley, or Meuse Gap, was straddled by the Belgian city of Liege, which was in turn protected by a chain of twelve forts. The original Schlieffen Plan had called for an invasion of Belgium, and also of a tiny sliver of the Netherlands, in order to better outflank the Belgian forts defending Liege. Subsequent revisions dropped the incursion into the Netherlands. The Dutch were thus able to retain their neutrality during the war. The proposed invasion of Belgium added a political element to the Schlieffen Plan whose consequences were not fully appreciated at the time. By invading Belgium, Germany made it a virtual certainty that Great Britain would intervene on behalf of France in the defense of Belgium. The Anglo-French accords of 1905 did not specifically obligate Great Britain to come to the defense of France in the event she had been invaded. Both the British General Staff and the British government had given private assurances to the French government, and its military, of their willingness to come to their aid, but it is unlikely that a formal treaty of alliance would have had sufficient parliamentary support or public approval to be ratified. There are too many possible "what ifs" to speculate how both the war and its outcome might have been altered had the Schlieffen Plan never been adopted by the German General Staff. Had Germany pursued a policy of "holding" in the west, what would France and England have done? Would France have invaded Germany? At the very least, given its preoccupation with the restoration of the "lost provinces" of Alsace and Lorraine, it is likely that France would have seen German preoccupation with a war in Russia as an opportunity to take back its historic territory. In this case, the "Western Front" might well have been limited to a relatively narrow engagement in the 25-mile Belfort Gap and not the 200 miles of trench warfare that would ultimately result. In such a narrow theater, the participation of the British army would have been superfluous. Unburdened by its 1839 treaty commitment to uphold Belgian neutrality, British involvement might have been limited to bottling up the German High Seas fleet in the Baltic and to defending the French coasts from naval attack by the German fleet. British involvement might have stopped well short of committing ground troops, much less mobilizing the manpower of the Empire. The Trigger of Mobilization Schlieffen's plan to quickly knock France out of the war meant that the rapid mobilization of troops was not just an important tactical advantage but a critical element for achieving victory. On August 1, in response to the German declaration of war against Russia, the French government ordered a full mobilization. The Germans followed suit. On August 3, after Paris had refused to answer Berlin's demand to remain neutral, Germany declared war on France. Simultaneously, Germany informed King Albert's neutral Belgian government that, "it would treat it as an enemy" if it did not permit the free transit of German troops across its land. Belgium immediately ordered a full mobilization. Less than twenty-four hours later, in accordance with the strategy laid out in the latest version of the Schlieffen Plan, Germany invaded Belgium. In London on the stroke of midnight, August 4, Prime Minister Herbert Asquith's government, having received no German guarantees to respect Belgium's neutrality, began a full mobilization of the army and fleet, and declared war on Germany. By the first week of August, even as Europe was still in the midst of an all-out mobilization, hostilities had already commenced. The term mobilization is used freely to describe the process of calling up reservists in each of the belligerent countries. The process, however, was fundamentally different in each country. German military units were geographically based. Their muster stations and arms depots were local. Once a mobilization order was issued a unit could be assembled, armed and dispatched within 24 hours. Given Germany's extensive and efficient rail network, a military unit could be on the front within 48 hours of being called up. French mobilization was slower because the composition of French military units was geographically diverse. A tactic designed to ensure the loyalty of French troops in the event of a regional disturbance or revolt. Muster stations for French recruits were typically further away, requiring a train journey to the muster station and then, once assembled and armed, a second journey to their designated deployment. That difference meant that French mobilization was, at best, two to three days slower than that of Germany. Most of the time France lagged about a week behind Germany in mobilizing and deploying its troops. In both the French and German cases, reservists would have undergone some prior military training. Russian mobilization was an altogether different process. Russia's western front was organized into six military districts. Each district had multiple muster stations. Typically, these were located well back from the front linesin some cases, as much as 200 miles back. Three of these military districts fronted on German territory and three fronted on Austrian territory. In August 1914, there were approximately 5,000 miles of paved roads in Russia, less than one percent of all roads. Russian track mileage was slightly greater than that of Germany, but it had to service an area many times larger. Reservists had to travel long distances to their muster stations, often by foot. It was only after they had arrived at the military depots that they were assigned to their military units. Only then would Russian recruits meet their fellow soldiers and more importantly their officers. Few of those recruits had received prior military training. Over 60 percent of them were illiterate. Following their activation, military units would then proceed to their front lines, again, typically on foot. The result was that Russian mobilization was inherently far slower than either the French or German process. It took Russia between four and eight weeks to fully mobilize its military. Until it soldiers were ready, Russia relied on standing cavalry units to provide a screen for its forces and to defend its frontiers. Austrian mobilization was also regionally based. Unlike Germany, however, their regions were broader, often corresponding to provinces. Additionally, as one might expect in a polyglot empire, military units were further broken down by native language. Troops drawn from the Friuli region, for example, were organized into Italian speaking and German speaking regiments. This organizational scheme also meant that Serb units from Hungary, for example, were organized into separate formations from Serb units from Bosnia. The "ethnic, geographic and language" classification of military units ensured that they were not deployed in areas that might create personal conflicts, or divided loyalties, and raise questions about their reliability. Italian speaking troops, for example, were usually deployed on the eastern front, far away from their brethren on the Italian front. Great Britain did not have a large standing army nor did it rely, at least not initially, on a large cadre of reservists that needed to be called up. British mobilization consisted primarily of activating the Royal Navy to its war stations and deploying its standing troops to the front lines. The process of mobilization was extremely disruptive to civilian life. German mobilization required between five thousand and ten thousand trains. Each train was scheduled at a precise twenty-minute interval, each carrying the maximum number of cars that would fit on the station platform to allow all troops to disembark at the same time. French mobilization required between five thousand and eight thousand trains, comparably organized and scheduled. When a mobilization order was given, the entire civilian railroad schedule was suspended and the rail network was turned over to military use. Some historians have argued that it was the generals and their rush to mobilize that precipitated the war. Had mobilization been delayed, had diplomacy been given a little more time to find a peaceful solution, a general war might well have been averted. This statement is not entirely correct, although there is some element of truth in it. The decision to mobilize was not made by the generals but by the civilian authorities. Whether it was a hereditary monarch or a democratic elected prime minister, it was ultimately a decision made by each nation's government not its military leaders. It was a political as much as it was a military decision. In every country, the announcement of a general mobilization was met with spontaneous public celebrations and manifestations of patriotic support for the government. No doubt there were generals who argued that prudence and an abundance of caution dictated that the decision to mobilize was better made sooner than later. In that sense, they were right. The very process of mobilization, and most importantly, the varying speed at which each nation could mobilize, created a significant element of instability. First, the decisions to mobilize were by necessity interlocking. If one party mobilized, all its potential opponents would be hard pressed not to follow suit. The first mobilization made it virtually inevitable that it would trigger a cascading effect. Secondly, the varying speed at which each country mobilized also magnified the instability of the system. A faster mobilization meant a faster deployment and represented a significant tactical opportunity. For Germany, delaying its mobilization meant it was squandering a major battlefield advantage and undermining its war plan. For France, whose mobilization was three to seven days behind Germany's, delay meant it fell even further behind and its peril was magnified proportionally. Finally, the process of mobilization, once started, was impossible to stop until it had run its course. To stop a mobilization in mid-stride would have produced chaos, with reservists and their units stranded, and would have left that country's forces in disarray. In fact, no military staff had a way of stopping a mobilization in mid-stride. They couldn't have done it even if they had wanted to. By the first week of August, millions of men were arriving on the front lines. War had been declared. The fuse ignited at Sarajevo, just 33 days ago, had reached its powder keg. Joseph V. Micallef is a military historian, bestselling author, keynote speaker, syndicated columnist and commentator on international politics and the future. Farm labor contractor concerned about field workers: He says many precautions against COVID-19 need to be taken Accountants across the country have poured cold water on the Governments economic stimulus package for businesses, with just 15% saying it is adequate. Research from ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) saw the body survey close to 500 accountancy practitioners in Ireland, as well as 10,000 globally. More than half of firms have re-forecast their anticipated financial performance since the Covid-19 outbreak, while nine out of 10 expect negative growth for the year. Almost 60% of firms said employee productivity has been negatively affected. More than a quarter of firms said they were deferring new product launches, as well as reporting cash flow problems. Concerns were also raised over the effectiveness of the governments economic stimulus 45% were unsure of its impact, and only 15% believe it has been effective, the survey said. Head of ACCA Ireland, Caitriona Allis said the surveys aim was to explore difficulties faced by organisations of all sizes across the country. This research aims to understand the business and financial blows to organisations across the country. It is seen through the lens of ACCA Irelands members finance professionals supporting a wide range of businesses and organisations at this hugely difficult time. The findings gauge the short to medium term implications, while also looking at the measures being undertaken and considered by organisations to mitigate the damage. It also looks at what lessons we can all learn from the pandemic, said Ms Allis. Author of the report, Jamie Lyon, said Irish findings replicate the global picture and highlighted the importance of business continuity planning. Some 60% of Irish firms had business continuity plans in place to help mitigate the risks of the pandemic. Mr Lyon said: Everyone is hurting, but particularly the smaller organisations. Financing and cash flow are concerns to everyone. Commonwealth Games gold medallist wrestler Babita Phogat has been on the receiving end ever since she called "jamaati" a bigger problem than coronavirus in India in a tweet. On Wednesday, the star wrestler took to Twitter and wrote, " #jahiljamati (Coronavirus is the second biggest problem in India, uncivilised Jamaati, however, are India's number one)." The communally charged tweet was heavily panned across but soon brushed under the rug after Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut's sister and manager Rangoli Chandel managed to grab Twitterati's attention - for all the wrong reasons. Chandel, 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". Twitter took note of the deeply communal and Islamophobic tweet and suspended her controversial account indefinitely. Phogat, unhinged by the netizens calling her out on her tweet, put out another tweet on Thursday and this was when all hell broke loose. Seemingly taking a stand for Rangoli, Phogat wrote that Twitter didn't like those who spoke "truth" on its platform. #RangoliChandel Babita Phogat (@BabitaPhogat) April 16, 2020 Cut to Friday, #SuspendBabitaPhogat became the top trending hashtag on Twitter in India and fuming Twitterati has had "enough" of Phogat and want her account to be suspended. #SuspendBabitaPhogat Suspend Babita Phogat. She is a communal hate generating machine. She is injurious to Indias peace. RKHuria (@rkhuria) April 16, 2020 #SuspendBabitaPhogat trend karo. Time to shut down this hate machine. https://t.co/AdG0MmDhhs Hasiba Amin (@HasibaAmin) April 16, 2020 Someone who got fame through wrestling & also a movie gave a message to people but such hate mongers have no place on Twitter . Suspend her Account .#SuspendBabitaPhogat Dr Jwala Gurunath (@DrJwalaG) April 17, 2020 #SuspendBabitaPhogat#SuspendPayalRohatgi Time to shut down these hate machines. Pass it on please. Terence (@terence_fdes) April 16, 2020 Nizamuddin was first reported as a COVID-19 "hotbed" after a congregation of the Tablighi Jamaat that took place in Bangalewaali Masjid, days before India went into a 21-day lockdown. Jamaatis came from across India as well as abroad, the latter possibly bringing the virus with them and spreading it around the Markhaz during the event. The rising cases of coronavirus in India, however, have brought with it an increase in fake news and Islamophobic propaganda as well. Since news of the Jamaat congregation being a COVID-19 cluster broke, a variety of fake news and rumours related to coronavirus have been spread against Muslims of India under hashtags such as #CORONAJIHAD and #NizamuddinIdiot Notably, this isn't the first instance of social media outrage surrounding Phogat's tweet. Earlier this month, Phogat posted a cryptic tweet, referring to the incident that took place in Indore when a mob of angry locals attacked Healthcare workers and civic officials after the latter tried to screen residents of a locality for COVID-19. "At your place it might have spread through bats, in India it spread through illiterate pigs," Phogat tweeted alongside a hashtag #NizamuddinIdiots to her post. A section of Twitterati felt Phogat's tweet was an attempt to "target a community and to communalise" the Markaz Nizamuddin incident, where over 2,000 people had gathered for the religious event. Interestingly, following #SuspendBabitaPhogat on Friday, a subsequent hashtag #ISupportBabitaPhogat trended far and wide in India and netizens praised the wrestler for having the "guts" to speak the "truth". The regulatory measures announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday will help keep a check on a possible surge in non-performing assets (NPAs) in the books of lenders and assist companies in borrowing more from the banking system at a time when economic activities are about to restart in a phased manner. It has been decided that in respect of all accounts for which lending institutions decide to grant moratorium or deferment, and which were standard as on March 1, 2020, the 90-day NPA norm shall exclude the moratorium period, i.e. there would be an asset ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra has urged the central government to allow companies to contribute from their CSR kitty towards the emergency fund created by the state to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Mitra's letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday echoed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's recent stand on the issue. "West Bengal has set up a state emergency fund under the umbrella of the CM's Relief Fund, exclusively for the purpose of combating the coronavirus pandemic," he said. Referring to a circular of the ministry of corporate affairs, Mitra stated that corporate social responsibility funds for COVID-19 are eligible to be treated as "CSR activity". Mitra, however, added that there is confusion with regard to another ministry circular that said contribution to the CM's Relief Fund or a fund created specifically by the state for the pandemic does not qualify as CSR activity. The Bengal minister said this will "seriously jeopardise" the state's effort to raise funds for fighting the "catastrophic crisis" of gigantic scale and magnitude. 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. New Delhi: Despite its passenger services suspended till 3 May amid the country-wide lockdown, the Indian Railways 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. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak 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 3 May. 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. Mumbai, April 17 : "Hum Paanch" is back on the small screen, and actress Shoma Anand is enjoying seeing the younger version of herself in the sitcom. "It felt really good to know that after nearly 15 years, the 'Hum Paanch' family is back to make people laugh, that too during such a testing phase of life. A lot of people who are at home were starting to feel depressed, but now they can forget everything and can have at least 30 minutes of fun and laughter with the 'Hum Paanch' family," she said. Now, she sits with her family and watches the show on Zee TV. "Just a few days back, while watching the show, me and my family were observing how much I have changed since the show went on floors. I really enjoy seeing the younger version of myself and all my other co-actors because when we used to shoot, we couldn't see the episodes. So while watching the show, we are reminded of all the good old memories," said Shoma, who played Veena in the show. A story of an ordinary yet amusing middle-class family, "Hum Paanch" revolved around Anand Mathur, his second wife - Bina Mathur and his five daughters, who are constantly plotting plans to turn his world upside down. Adding more chaos and confusion to his life is the photo frame of his late wife, who occasionally talks to him and nags him on certain decisions. Will she do comedy shows again? "Yes, of course! If I find something that I think will be liked by the audience, then I will definitely do it. In fact, we as artistes always keep learning and for us to come back, the writer needs to write a script that is strong and we fit into the script too," she said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Things are heading "in the right direction" in terms of hosting Formula 1's first race of 2020. That is the view of Dr Helmut Marko, who is behind Red Bull's plans to proceed with the Austrian GP on 5 July. Even amid the global pandemic, the plan has the support for now of the Austrian government. "Nothing has been decided yet, but at least there are positive signs and in principle we are ready," Marko told f1-insider.com. "However, there must be no relapse in the coronavirus numbers and all security measures must be observed." Marko says the event would take place behind closed doors, with limited personnel on-site, and potentially with more than one race during the weekend. "What is already certain is that if there is a race, then it will definitely be without spectators," he said. "And whether and how many media representatives are admitted is still open. The race is planned for July 5, but we have not yet considered whether there will be another race at the Red Bull Ring or not." Experienced F1 doctor Riccardo Ceccarelli, of the Formula Medicine organisation, told Sky Italia that a race in Austria might actually be feasible. "With the right approach, yes," he said. "In Australia everyone was unprepared for all the scenarios that could happen, but now there will be a different awareness of reality and the risks. We are working on that now." Marko also told Osterreich newspaper that Red Bull only needs three weeks notice in order to push the green button on the 2020 Austria GP plan. "And whether one or two races will take place is up to Liberty," he said. Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner thinks the Austrian model could then precede a "gradual path bath to full grands prix". (GMM) Gardai are investigating an incident of criminal damage that occurred at a Chinese restaurant in Galway yesterday. It took place on Quay Street at around 5.45pm. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Benjamin Tak-Yuen Chan (The Jakarta Post) Hong Kong Fri, April 17, 2020 16:19 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd28e85c 3 Opinion COVID-19,cities,pandemic,health,infectious-diseases,government Free In early April, two major Asian cities faced grave challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. On April 5, Tokyo recorded its highest single-day surge of coronavirus cases on record, passing the psychological barrier of 1,000, while Singapore breached this number on April 1. Unlike Singapore whose unitary city-state government can enact measures to promptly abate further escalation of the situation, Tokyo and other major Japanese cities have relied mainly on advice given to their citizens to stay at home during the period of upsurge in coronavirus cases. The constraint faced by governors in Tokyo and Osaka to act before the prime minister has declared a state of emergency may appear perplexing for outside observers, save the earlier case of Hokkaido, which went ahead on its own. However, it constitutes a classic example of what public health researchers regard as insufficient authority by local governments to institute response measures promptly. In some countries, we see just the exact opposite where cities had trail-blazed paths where their national governments failed or were slow to act. Take the controversial facemask-wearing policy in public places or on public transportation to stop the spread of the coronavirus we see at least three kinds of scenarios, as described below. Prague was the first Western city to practice mask wearing in public announced as early as March 17 and the Czech Republic followed suit two days later. This is an example of a capital city setting influential public health policy embraced subsequently by the whole country in a short period of time. Jena in the eastern part of Germany currently is the lone city that requires facemasks when going out to the supermarket or traveling. It followed the example of neighboring Austria where wearing masks is required and is the first local authority to take heed of scientific advice from Germanys Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases despite inaction at the national level. The US cities of New York, Los Angeles and Laredo, Texas constitute another category of examples where, at the national level, the scientific agency Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has revised its policy in support of wearing masks but national consensus to implement it is lacking. These city authorities exercised their will to put in place contextually appropriate solutions in a timely manner. Learning from the coronavirus and past pandemics, the significance of cities at the forefront of pandemic preparedness cannot be emphasized enough. In a recent paper published in Lancet Infectious Diseases, a group of international public health policy researchers quoted an investment gap in urban pandemic preparedness of US$4.5 billion per year, which is tiny in comparison to expected pandemic costs of US$570 billion per year. Given that more than half of the worlds population live in cities and that 600 cities altogether contribute to two-thirds of the worlds GDP, it comes as no surprise for the World Economic Forum (WEF) to advocate setting up a pandemic preparedness index to assist in planning and response to pandemic outbreaks. It cannot be assumed that advanced cities in the developed world are more prepared in this respect because a recent news survey of the 15 largest US cities revealed many deficiencies including lack of transparencies in making such pandemic response plans known to the public, lapses in updating and underfunding. In the Southeast Asia region, getting our urban centers to prepare for pandemics cannot be understated. The region is home to two of the worlds largest urban agglomerations that also serve as national capitals Jakarta and Manila. In the COVID-19 crisis, these two megacities were the first to declare a state of emergency and lockdown in their respective countries, in addition to sustaining the highest number of confirmed cases and fatalities from the outbreak in proportion to their population sizes, densities and connectivity to other parts of the country and the world. The challenges and lessons learned include realizing that sealing off the commercially important but epicenter of disease outbreak is insufficient as its ramifications extend deeply into other parts of the country. Such was the case of the lockdown in Manila, which evolved quickly into the Enhanced Community Quarantine for the entire island of Luzon. Another aspect is policy coordination on common measures to combat the pandemic among regions contiguous to the capital, as experienced by Greater Jakarta constituent cities for imposing large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) across each others borders. While all eyes are fixed now on when the coronavirus pandemic will peak, something for sure is that the difficulty will pass and cities in different parts of the world will rebound. It is important for them to emerge from the current hardship to be well-prepared for future pandemics. *** Dr. Benjamin Chan is Dean of LiPACE, Open University of Hong Kong. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. CINCINNATI, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Dynegy today announced it is committing $150,000 to support Ohio communities as they begin the process of economic recovery from COVID-19. "As the painful effects of this pandemic continue, Dynegy and its employees are honored to assist in this immediate and impactful way to help meet critical needs in the communities we serve," said Brad Watson, Dynegy's director of community affairs. "Our company is inspired by the first responders, food bank workers, the community foundations assisting small businesses, and the health care workers fighting on behalf of us all. We stand with you now, more than ever before." The $150,000 donation will directly support communities and individuals to meet their most pressing needs, including funding for food banks, community assistance funds, hospital employees, and more. $55,000 will go to Cincinnati organizations, including the Freestore Food Bank, United Way of Greater Cincinnati , hospital employee assistance funds at Cincinnati Children's Medical Center and The Christ Hospital, and childcare and food assistance programs through the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati will go to organizations, including the Freestore Food Bank, United Way of , hospital employee assistance funds at Cincinnati Children's Medical Center and The Christ Hospital, and childcare and food assistance programs through the YMCA of $20,000 will go to Cleveland organizations, including the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and United Way of Greater Cleveland will go to organizations, including the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and United Way of $40,000 will go to Columbus organizations, including the Mid-Ohio Food Bank, The United Way of Central Ohio , and the Columbus Foundation will go to organizations, including the Mid-Ohio Food Bank, The United Way of , and the Columbus Foundation Food banks, United Way chapters, and hospital employee assistance funds in Dayton , Toldeo, and Mansfield/Ontario will also receive donations "We can't thank the Dynegy team enough. Your generous donation will help us feed even more families who need our help now more than ever," said Matt Habash, President & CEO of Mid-Ohio Collective. "In fact, the households we're now serving at our Kroger Community Pantry have increased by nearly 170 percent compared to this time last year. Your contribution will help us continue to provide healthy and nutritious food to our neighbors across our network." Dynegy's donation to communities in Ohio is part of a $2 million commitment to non-profits and social service agencies across the country from Dynegy's parent company, Vistra. Serving nearly 5 million residential, commercial, and industrial retail customers with electricity and natural gas, Vistra is the largest competitive residential electricity provider and the largest competitive power generator in the U.S. About Dynegy For over 30 years, Dynegy has helped millions of Americans throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest power their homes and businesses. Dynegy delivers simple, price-protected electricity plans for residential, municipal aggregation, commercial and industrial customers alike. Dynegy is committed to the communities it serves and gives back through local partnerships. Visit dynegy.com for more. Dynegy is a subsidiary of Vistra Energy (NYSE: VST). Media Jenny Lyon 214-875-8004 [email protected] SOURCE Dynegy Reach key decision makers with sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Move the needle by delivering funnel qualified leads to your sales team. Learn more People dont trust their governments for a good reason. Governments lie to them regularly. In the ongoing COVID-19 event, we in the U.S. initially were told that there was little risk. The first 15 people who came to the U.S. with the virus soon would get well, and the event then would be over. We were advised to go about our day and many people did. They got on planes, departed for cruises, and went about their lives. We were told not to wear masks. Moreover, we were told that wearing them might make us more likely to get sick and that advice didnt come only from Republicans either. Now were being advised that everyone should cover their faces in public. Now thousands of U.S. citizens are dead. The level of distrust in government appears to be at an all-time high when we need to follow government shelter and social distancing rules actively. We are still seeing pictures of parks and beaches crowded with people. Too many people still dont understand that 25 percent of those who have the virus and are spreading it have no symptoms. Once testing ramps up, how are those people going to deal with the fact that the relative they visited may have died as a consequence? Ill share my perspective on that and then close with my product of the week: Ciscos Country Digital Acceleration Program, which has been a massive success in Turin, Italy, helping the city become a beacon of hope during the past hideous few weeks. Breaching Trust This problem is hardly just a U.S. problem, as it seems that almost every government initially downplayed the virus only to reverse itself when the impact of the illness overcame the various coverups. This practice began in China where the virus might have been, but wasnt, contained. Bill Gates not only predicted this pandemic, but also identified the area where it would originate. We could have saved trillions of taxpayer dollars just by making sure there were strong early warning monitors in that area in case he was right which turned out to be the case. Given that two pandemics COVID-19 and SARS likely originated from the same region, the world should demand ongoing monitoring to prevent the next pandemic from arising there. If China refuses, it should force China to pay for the resulting economic impact. The real danger is that if people dont trust the government, they wont follow social distancing guidelines. There is also a good chance that once a vaccine is developed, many wont take it. The amount of distrust surrounding this pandemic seems unprecedented and anti-vaxxers effectively brought back the measles. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Lying to us about the need for masks was incredibly stupid (here is an explanation of how a sneeze from someone without a mask spreads). Saying there wasnt a problem was crazy. Arguing that older people would be OK with dying to protect the economy was insane. If government(s) cant be trusted, then dont be surprised if citizens dont listen. We need citizens to listen. Politicizing the Pandemic There is a general trend to agree with everything a politician you like says and disagree with everything a politician you dont like says. We tend to be critical of politicians we dont like and full of praise for those we like. This behavior makes everything seem partisan. This results in two sets of truths and ironically, neither is true because both are massively biased. This tendency drives behavior in politicians, because they know their backers will support anything they do, and their detractors wont support anything they do. CEOs who surround themselves with yes men and women tend to fail. The CEO who gets only negative feedback almost certainly will fail in spite of doing a good job. I would argue that if advisors are either continuously positive or consistently negative regardless of what a CEO does, the chief will avoid the always-negative advisors and fail, having not been able to learn from mistakes. If we fixed this feedback problem, we could improve the effectiveness of any administration regardless of party. Recently Ive been impressed by Californias Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. He went on CNN (picked up by Fox News), and praised the president for what he was doing right. As a result, Newsom is getting far better support for his state. Better support will save lives, and that is the goal not making political points. Right now the goal is to save lives not get elected. Dead people dont vote. Reelection comes more naturally for leaders who execute. This year is an election year, and I have no doubt that once the national campaigns take off again, the blame will get vetted fully, but we still have months to go and a lot of lives to save before that. Lets focus on what is essential now, and being universally critical is counterproductive to the effort of saving lives. Being universally positive likely doesnt help either, but I dont think it has as significant a negative short term impact. We should use Bill Gates as an example. He isnt focused on blame he is focused on fixing the problems we have today. Blame doesnt fix anything. We can play politics when we arent in as much risk of dying. Acting Like This Event Is Transitional We are working like the COVID-19 event is a one-time thing, and we pretty much did the same job with SARS. Its likely there will be more pandemics and theres nothing to indicate that COVID-19 is going anyplace. It may be seasonal, it probably will mutate, and that means we will have a new regular flu event and the new flu is 10 times more fatal than the old flu. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Im still struggling with the fact that we were OK with 12K to 61K deaths a year due to the old flu (thats in the U.S. worldwide, its 291K to 646K), but were not OK with 2 million deaths potentially resulting from COVID-19. If I were one of those 12K to 61K victims of the old flu or one of their relatives Im not sure Id see the difference. (For perspective, the U.S. lost around 58K troops during the entire Vietnam War.) Our behavior needs to change so that viruses like COVID-19 cant spread as quickly, to make sure those who are the most vulnerable dont die due to our unwillingness to break social conventions permanently. We dont need to kiss as a greeting. We dont need to shake hands. Also, we should stay home when were sick. I also think that if we are going to ask people to work during times like this, we shouldnt just give them protective clothing and better paid sick leave. We should also provide death benefits so that firms dont think it is cheaper to replace a dead employee than it is to keep them from dying. Were death benefits expensive enough, they automatically would fix the lack of employee protection, because it would make an employees death more costly than protection, and companies are financially driven.We need to adjust the employment laws so that companies and people are motivated to do the right thing including getting vaccinated. If we dont, this wont be the last time we have to shut the country down, and there is a reasonably good chance that many of us wont survive the next time (assuming we survive this time). Wrapping Up If people dont trust their governments, then they wont follow government guidelines, and the results from events like this one will be far more dire. If people, particularly politicians, praise and criticize based more on their political beliefs than on the truth, politicians wont do what we want and need them to do, which is to make the right reliable decisions. Trading lives to protect the economy not only should not be done there should be every effort to make sure that kind of choice is never necessary (and Im speaking as a boomer who effectively just landed on the OK to die list). We need to start thinking strategically. How do we prevent the next pandemic? There likely will be a next one. We need better early warnings, better long-term behavior changes, and changes to both governmental and company policies, so that everyone rewards good behavior and universally penalizes bad behavior. Trusted data during events like this is critical. As I was finishing this column, I became aware of a new resource, GNU Health, which uses the open source model and aggressive collaboration to get ahead of the next virus. Its worth checking out. Last week, I had a chance to talk with the mayor and vice mayor of Turino Chiara Appendino and Marco Pironti. Cisco aggressively worked with the Turino government back in 2016 and was part of a collaborative effort initially called the Turin Lab, which recently underwent a name change to Turin Love, because its focus has become connecting isolated people with loved ones. The Cisco CDA Program exists for this kind of opportunity. Im pointing this out because in Turin, they appear more focused on fixing problems than on blaming each other for mistakes, and the result is real progress. Theyve set up WebEx systems in prisons (this is broader than just Turin) as well as in retirement homes, so that people dont have to visit these locations physically to talk to loved ones. Ciscos Networking Academy already has been implemented both in prisons and in charitable facilities focused on homeless people, to help people in both groups get well-paying jobs. As a result, systems already were in place that could be re-missioned easily to address the current pandemic. Ciscos CDA Program in Action in Italy Because of the deep integration between the city and Cisco, they were able to move City Council meetings to virtual meetings in four days, over a weekend, minimizing disruption. Turin now is a shining example of how technology companies like Cisco and cities like Turin can collaborate to address national catastrophes. I was impressed with Guy Diedrich, Ph.D., who runs the Cisco CDA program, and Agostino Santoni, who helped drive the effort in Italy (though he was kind of slow getting a WebEx system for his mother). Also, I was impressed with both the mayor and vice mayor of Turino, who created the technology foundation that allowed the city to pivot quickly to enable effective social distancing and protect some of the most vulnerable citizens there. Because the Cisco CDA Program is an excellent example of how companies and politicians should behave, it is my product of the week and a program that other OEMs should consider emulating for the good of all of us. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ECT News Network. Hyderabad, April 17 : A woman in Telangana delivered a child by the roadside as she could not be shifted to a hospital in Suryapet town on time by her husband on his motorbike due to barricades put up on the way due to the ongoing lockdown. D. Venkanna, a daily-wage worker, and his wife Reshma live in Annadurainagar, near Suryapet town. When his pregnant wife complained of pain late in the night, he called 108 Ambulance service but was told that the vehicle had gone to some other place to pick up a patient. With no option available, he made her sit on his scooty and left for Suryapet Government General Hospital. Venkanna said when they reached the old bus stand, the road was closed with barricades. As there were no policemen posted there, he asked his wife to sit on the footpath and rushed to a nearby police station and pleaded with a constable to remove the barricade. The cop allegedly told him that he can't move from the assigned place of duty and advised Venkanna to himself remove the barricade. An anxious Venkanna rushed back to the place to find his wife crying with pain. Even as the man ran around to get some help to remove them, the woman delivered the baby girl by the roadside. The incident occurred barely a km away from a government hospital in the early hours of Thursday. Hearing the cries of the woman and her husband's call for help, some area women rushed out of their houses to assist her. After repeated attempts by the locals, an ambulance reached the spot. The medical assistants cut the umbilical cord and shifted the mother and the newborn to the hospital. Doctors said both were doing well. Prayut orders review of 5k cash scheme THAILAND: The governments B5,000 cash handout scheme has been placed under review due to a surge in complaints lodged by people claiming they were wrongly disqualified from the financial relief programme, according to the Finance Ministry. CoronavirusCOVID-19 By Bangkok Post Friday 17 April 2020, 10:28AM The growing number of complaints about the scheme had led to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordering the Finance Ministry to review the programme. Photo: AFP However, the ministry has given its assurance that students working part-time to support themselves and their families would now also be included in the scheme. Initially, they had not been listed among the recipients when the scheme was announced, said Lavaron Sangsnit, director of the Fiscal Policy Office in his capacity as a Finance Ministry spokesman. Starting next week, working students will be allowed to appeal their disqualification from the cash handout scheme via the website of the governments Rao Mai Thing Kan (We wont leave anyone behind) scheme. Meanwhile, other groups who failed the automated screening process will also be allowed to submit their appeals via the website next week, Mr Lavaron said. The growing number of complaints about the scheme had led to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordering the Finance Ministry to review the programme. However, Mr Lavaron dismissed critics remarks that the review amounted to interference in the ministry, saying that Gen Prayut was working to ensure people had access to the assistance they needed. Gen Prayut yesterday (Apr 16) clarified on comments made on Wednesday saying that the government had enough money to pay everyone one months worth of the handout before a government loan comes into effect. (See story here). I was just trying to explain how we plan to spend the [stimulus] funds. I dont mean [people] will not receive the aid in full or [the government] wont pay, the premier said. Mr Lavaron said that those hit hardest by the pandemic are getting aid through various channels. It is not known whether the review is likely to delay payments under the scheme. Among those receiving the cash handout includes undocumented workers. Employees in the private sector are also getting compensation under the social security system while farmers are also getting similar government aid, Mr Lavaron said. Other groups, including the disabled, the elderly, and the destitute, are also set to receive help from the Social Development and Human Security Ministry and the Labour Ministry. Meanwhile, Gen Viddhavat Rajatanun, the chief of the ombudsman said his office is inviting various state agencies - including the Finance Ministry, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, the Education Ministry and Government Savings Bank - to discuss a petition filed against the handout scheme. It is also expected that a review of other complaints raised about the B5,000 cash handout programme will also be discussed at the meeting. Apollo Tyres Ltd is quoting at Rs 97.7, up 3.94% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The stock is down 55.41% in last one year as compared to a 22% fall in NIFTY and a 37.93% fall in the Nifty Auto index. Apollo Tyres Ltd rose for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 97.7, up 3.94% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 1.93% on the day, quoting at 9166.65. The Sensex is at 31217.55, up 2.01%. Apollo Tyres Ltd has added around 9.28% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Auto index of which Apollo Tyres Ltd is a constituent, has added around 0.96% in last one month and is currently quoting at 5394.15, up 3.25% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 56.54 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 51.61 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark April futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 97.45, up 3.67% on the day. Apollo Tyres Ltd is down 55.41% in last one year as compared to a 22% fall in NIFTY and a 37.93% fall in the Nifty Auto index. The PE of the stock is 9.55 based on TTM earnings ending December 19. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Likely to Soon Decide Not to Extend New START Treaty - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sputnik News 10:06 GMT 16.04.2020(updated 10:33 GMT 16.04.2020) The New START is the last remaining arms control treaty in force between Russia and the United States after the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The US likely will soon decide not to extend the New START Treaty, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister stated. "We have recently released a statement by the Foreign Ministry on the tenth anniversary of the New START treaty. The US has completely ignored this date, which is not surprising. All the signs that the US is on the threshold of making a decision not to extend this document are there", Sergei Ryabkov said. "It is more and more doubtful" that the US will agree to continue participating in the Open Skies Treaty, enabling unarmed aerial surveillance flights over signatories' territories, the diplomat noted. The statement comes after the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow is expecting Washington to soon provide a "positive answer" to Russia's proposal to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also commented on the matter, saying that one should discuss the possible extension of the New START with Washington, since Moscow is not the party trying to break it. The New START stipulates a reduction of the number of strategic nuclear missiles launchers by one-half and limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550. The agreement is set to expire in February 2021, and the US has so far not announced plans to extend it. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address By Katharine Houreld NAIROBI (Reuters) - Safari operator Pankaj Shah would normally be showing tourists around the beauty spots of his native Kenya. Instead, he is spearheading a volunteer effort to feed thousands of families left penniless when the new coronavirus devastated the economy. 'One old woman told us she hadn't eaten for days - her sons had stopped supplying her because they have no work,' he said, walking down a line of young men packing rice, flour, beans and long-life milk into boxes. By Katharine Houreld NAIROBI (Reuters) - Safari operator Pankaj Shah would normally be showing tourists around the beauty spots of his native Kenya. Instead, he is spearheading a volunteer effort to feed thousands of families left penniless when the new coronavirus devastated the economy. "One old woman told us she hadn't eaten for days - her sons had stopped supplying her because they have no work," he said, walking down a line of young men packing rice, flour, beans and long-life milk into boxes. Kenya reported its first case of the coronavirus on March 12. Schools closed the following week. Businesses shut, families left the capital and the casual work sustaining the vast majority of urban Kenyans dried up. The government offered tax breaks - little help to those too poor to pay taxes. Newspapers called for "total lockdown" and forgotten families in the slums began to starve and to seethe. "People were getting hungry and angry," Shah said. Someone had to act, he decided, and he asked a couple of friends to pitch in. A local school, shuttered by the virus, offered their premises as headquarters. Kenya's Asian community - officially recognised three years ago as the nation's 44th tribe - rallied round. They brought cheques or truckloads of food or vegetables planted for export and now marooned by the lack of flights. The operation has been going daily for three weeks. Shah's volunteers, who call themselves Team Pankaj, 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. He is asking wealthy Kenyans to donate 4,000 Kenya shillings each ($40) to fund the hampers - about the cost of two pizzas and a bottle of wine, he points out. "I just need half the rich people here to care enough to fund a hamper," he says impatiently. His phone buzzes with community leaders, imams, church leaders and chiefs asking for help. Shah tests potential partners with a small distribution - say 100 boxes - and scales up if they handle it well. Last week he sent two lorryloads of food to a distribution in the Deep Sea slum, where residents presented orange tokens and had their fingers inked before carting away the boxes and bags of vegetables. Volunteers helped pregnant women and those with babies. Mary Wangui, 29, said she had been desperate. "You can't hug a child to sleep when they are hungry," she said. Although Shah has never run any kind of aid operation before, he has a guiding spirit: Mother Teresa, whom he said he met more than three decades ago in Nairobi. A wheel spun off the Roman Catholic nun's ancient pickup truck and hit his new Mercedes, he said. The accident brought an unlikely friendship between a "young, wild" businessman and the world famous missionary who cared for the poor, he said. He volunteered with her for three months, he said, and adopted a baby girl from one of her orphanages. "I think about what she would do," he says, after the coronavirus hit. "That's the inspiration for the rest of my life." (Editing by Janet Lawrence) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. Start your free trial. On Monday, in Columbus, Ohio, a group of about 100 protesters of the states conservative stay-at-home policies showed up outside the statehouse during Gov. Mike DeWines daily COVID-19 briefing. Reporters Anna Staver and Cole Behrens covered the protests for the Columbus Dispatch, and their story was topped by a striking photo of the protesters, pressed up against glass doors, mouths open in snarling anger. A red Trump hat on a man at the right of the frame completes the picture. Youve probably seen it around, juxtaposed with stills from Shaun of the Dead or captioned with jokes like The final season of The Walking Dead sucks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Joshua A. Bickel, a photojournalist for the Columbus Dispatch, took the picture. We spoke on Thursday about this weeks memeification of his work, which has surprised and unsettled him. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Rebecca Onion: How did you end up taking this photo? What was the assignment? Joshua A. Bickel: Since the governor started his daily coronavirus briefings, weve sent somebody there to livestream the press conference on our Facebook page. The person who usually does it was on furlough last week [the Dispatch, a Gannett-owned paper, has required weeklong unpaid furloughs of most employees in April, May, and June]. On Monday, I went there to fill in for him. The public affairs editor said, Maybe get a few pictures of the protesters, we might write something up. I had taken a few pictures of their previous protest, the week before. Advertisement Advertisement "They are people. They have a right to protest and have their voice heard." Joshua A. Bickel The week before, they had been right by the window where the briefing was being held, and you could actually hear them chanting outside, during it. On Monday, the briefing got moved into an interior room in the statehouse, away from the windows. For these briefings, state officials are in one room and the press is in another, so we can be spread out safely. We were all facing one direction and the windows were sort of behind us. The protesters were banging on the windows; I think maybe they realized that you could hear the banging on the microphone that was in there for the press to ask questions, and it was reaching the room where the governor and everyone else was speaking. Advertisement Advertisement The livestream was set up and everyone was asking questions. I knew it would take about 20 minutes, so I just stood up and was walking up and down, looking at the windows. I remember, seeing them up against the door, I wasnt like Oh, my God! I didnt stop in my tracks. I thought, Thats interesting, look, windowsbecause as a photographer youre always thinking of ways you can compose an image. Advertisement Advertisement So I took about seven frames in the span of six seconds, then I went back to check on the livestream and make sure it was still recording. I really didnt think that much of it, to be honest with you. Did you pick which of the seven the paper used? Advertisement Advertisement As photographers, weve been asked to suggest what the best frames might bewe number them by order, because the picture editor has to work really quickly on tight deadlines, people are on furlough, and we dont have as many editors working right now. I suggested one that wasnt usedthe one that did get used wasnt at all my first pick! I think I had it No. 3. No. 1 was another picture of them at the window that was not as intense. Advertisement Advertisement I didnt even put [the photo thats gone viral] on my personal Instagram account, because I was like, Im not going to post another photo from a protest, since I just put one up a few days ago. It seemed a little repetitive. But then I heard from another reporter in the statehouse press corps who had seen the photo go around Twitter, and then I thought, Well, if he thinks its interesting, maybe I will go back and put it on my Instagram. Advertisement Why do you think people have responded so strongly to this one? Its funny because, as a photojournalist, you want to do work that makes people feel something. I think that people responded the way they did because of the emotion, because of the intensity of the picture. A lot of people said it gave them this visceral feeling. Which is when it gets a little weird, because, you know, the protesters were not up there for like three hours banging on the windows. I think its important that people remember when you see pictures thats a fraction of a second out of 10 seconds that I stood there. Advertisement Advertisement I think people felt like there was that distance between me and them, because of the windows and doors, and it was like they were trying to get in. Theres been a ton of hype, about the zombie comparison. Advertisement I wanted to ask you whether youd seen those zombie memes and what you think. The last 24 hours actually have been really weird and reallywhats the right word?not uncomfortable but just kind of like a little disconcerting. The picture got put out there, it got picked up, people had this really strong reaction to it. And then it just kind of like basically went out of my hands. It happened so fast that I have just been worrying. I thought, Did I caption this accurately, did I represent what was going on correctly, did I do everything right? And I did, but I just I dont want to put words in your mouth. But I wonder if youre uncomfortable because of the way its been used. Ive seen a lot of people use it in a negative and demeaning way, attaching jokes about the protesters and talking about their odds of getting sick Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yes! Thats it. Its been a little uncomfortable, and I mean the internets going to do what its going to do, and people on both sides do this to each other. But Im a journalist. I try to come to things with an open mind. I try to be objective and listen to people no matter what or who they are, or what the situation is. Me typically, I dont cover a lot of breaking news. I dont typically like making images where Im just kind of there, making a picture, then walking away. I really like to talk to the people that Im photographing, gain their trust, make honest images of them when Im telling stories about them. A big thing I learned in school is people are letting you come into their life and letting the camera document them, which is pretty invasive in general, and theyre trusting you to be well, not nice, but honest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This situation [taking a photo from the other side of glass] was the opposite of that. The zombie comparisons make me uncomfortable, because these people arent zombies. Theyre people, and we dont know what theyre dealing with. Advertisement I dont know, because I couldnt go out there and talk to them, and I got to be honest with you, I wasnt going to go out there because I am taking [the pandemic] seriously and am taking precautions because I dont want to get myself sick or my family sick. Ah. I wonder if some of your discomfort around the popularity of the picture might have to do with second-guessing whether you maybe should have gone out there and talked to them. Advertisement Right. Well, the reporter for the piece did go and talk to some of them. But yes This comparison, between them and zombies, is not the way I thought it would go. They are people. They have a right to protest and have their voice heard. Could they have been a little bit more responsible, given the current circumstance? Maybe, but thats up to them to decide. They know the risks. But now theyre going to go to a grocery store and spread it to everyone else! Well, yes. But right now were really divided. There are a lot of people who dont want to have a rational discussion, talk about what we can do for each other. We want to yell. I dont want to feel like I contributed to the divide. I did my job, I needed a picture, I turned it in, and its been a little overwhelming to see it go the way it did. Ill be honest with you, I didnt sleep very well last night. The really nice thing Ive seen has been people crediting me and the Dispatch, where I work, with the picture, when its shared. My biggest hope is that people see this kind of work, share it, and decide to support local journalism, wherever they are. A quack doctor has been arrested in Osun state for dumping the body of a 30- year-old single mother of one allegedly impregnated by an Islamic school student on the street of Ikirun, in the state. The deceased identified as Yetunde, and popularly called Iya Farida of Are-Ago compound in Ikirun, allegedly visited a private hospital in the town run by the fake doctor, Najeem Adejumo. According to the report, the woman died during the procedure but her body was dumped late in the night on the street. It was gathered that the lifeless body was discovered at Idi-Isin area of Ikirun around 6:30 am on Tuesday, as no one saw the body being dumped on the street because of the lockdown in the state. Read Also: Osun Drops Case Against PDP Member Arrested Over Facebook Post The state Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the incident, saying the quack doctor has been arrested and cooperating with the police. She added that that, The Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, has asked men of the Criminal Investigation Bureau CIB to commence an investigation into activities of other quack doctors that may be operating in the town to bring them to justice before such person wreak havoc on the society. Sadiq Khan today accused the government of putting 'dogma ahead of the national interest' as he urged ministers to agree a Brexit transition period extension with the EU. Downing Street remains adamant it will not be asking to push back the deadline for trade talks, insisting a deal can be done despite ongoing coronavirus disruption. But Mr Khan, the Mayor of London, said it would be in both Britain's and Brussels' interests to extend transition beyond the end of the year. He said it 'beggars belief' the government is pursuing a strategy which could result in the two sides going their separate ways on December 31 without a comprehensive deal in place at a time when the spread of the deadly disease is wreaking havoc with the economy. Sadiq Khan, pictured in Downing Street on March 19, today urged the government to seek a Brexit transition period extension David Frost, the UK's chief Brexit negotiator, tweeted yesterday to reiterate that transition 'ends on 31 December this year' and 'we will not ask to extend it'. He added that if the EU asked for an extension 'we will say no'. The terms of the transition period were set out in the Brexit divorce deal which took Britain out of the bloc on January 31. The 'standstill' transition sees the UK continuing to abide by EU rules and was designed to give the two sides time to hammer out the terms of their future relationship. The transition deadline can only be delayed if a request to do so is made by June and if both sides agree. Mr Khan told LBC: 'I think the government is putting dogma ahead of the national interest. 'No one anticipated when they voted for Brexit that the key negotiations would fall at a time when all governments are rightly focused on fighting a global pandemic. 'The last thing we need as we are trying to get a way back from the devastation that has been wreaked by coronavirus is more chaos and uncertainty. 'I would urge David Frost and I would urge the government to for goodness sake put political ideology aside and pursue the pragmatic route and that means getting an extension.' Mr Khan said delaying the transition deadline would allow both the EU and UK to focus on rebuilding once the coronavirus outbreak subsides. The Labour heavyweight said: 'The idea that when we are all trying to deal with Covid-19... the entire bandwidth of government is focused on this as it should be. 'All of us are focused on this as we should be. The idea you have got some slack in the system for civil servants to work on a deal with the EU is not realistic and neither has the EU by the way.' Mr Frost said yesterday: 'As we prepare for the next rounds of negotiations, I want to reiterate the Government's position on the transition period created following our withdrawal from the EU. 'Transition ends on 31 December this year. We will not ask to extend it. If the EU asks we will say no. David Frost, the UK's chief Brexit negotiator, yesterday categorically ruled out seeking an extension 'Extending would simply prolong negotiations, create even more uncertainty, leave us liable to pay more to the EU in future, and keep us bound by evolving EU laws at a time when we need to control our own affairs. In short, it is not in the UK's interest to extend.' The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said the same thing, telling reporters yesterday: '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.' Although major parts of the state wore a deserted look, people in some parts of the city were seen jostling with each other in markets to buy essential commodities, disregarding social distancing norms Kolkata: Several incidents of lockdown violation were reported from various parts of the city on Thursday and more than 900 people were arrested in the state capital alone for not obeying the shutdown restrictions. Although major parts of the state wore a deserted look, people in some parts of the city were seen jostling with each other in markets to buy essential commodities, disregarding social distancing norms. In various parts of the city such as Sovabazar and Maniktala people were seen standing outside shops in close proximity in violation of the social distancing norms, ignoring repeated pleas by official not to do so. Many people were either arrested or detained by the police for not obeying the lockdown restrictions. At some places, the wrongdoers were given punishments such as to do squats and frog jumps, before they were let to go. A total of 912 people have been arrested in the city alone in 24 hours since Wednesday evening for defying the lockdown imposed by the government to contain the spread of COVID-19, a senior police officer said. More than 83 vehicles were also seized. The arrests were made by the Kolkata Police during checking at barricades at roads and patrolling across the metropolis, the police officer said. Requesting people to strictly adhere to the lockdown order, Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma had earlier directed officers to take strong legal action against those found violating the norms. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak The Kolkata police in several parts of the city used drones for surveillance against lockdown violations. Police personnel were seen using the public address system to urge people to remain indoors and to not panic as the government would ensure egular supply of grocery, LPG cylinders, and food grains. West Bengal has so far reported 188 coronavirus positive cases, including ten deaths. The regional director urged the field staff to support the state and district governments Tapping into the best practices and key resources that helped India win its war against polio, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and World Health Organization has initiated a systematic engagement of WHOs national polio surveillance network, and other field staff, for COVID19 response. Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India said, Time and again the Government of India and WHO together have shown our ability, competence and prowess to the whole world. With our combined meticulous work, done with full sincerity and dedication, we were able to get rid of polio. Today I would like to remind you of your potential and ability, and the big things we can do together. All of you in the field IDSP, state rapid response teams and WHO - are our surveillance corona warriors. With your joint efforts we can defeat the coronavirus and save lives. The Minister, along with Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, was addressing WHO and other field staff, simultaneously connected from over 1 000 sites all over the country from capital cities to the remotest corners. The National Polio Surveillance Project (WHO-NPSP) played a critical role in strengthening surveillance for polio that generated useful, timely and accurate data to guide policies, strategies and interventions until transmission of the poliovirus was interrupted in the country, Dr Khetrapal Singh said, adding that the other WHO field staff involved with elimination of TB and neglected tropical diseases and hypertension control initiative were also significant resources. The Regional Director said, it is now time to use all your experience, knowledge and skills, with the same rigor and discipline that you showed while monitoring polio activities, to support districts with surveillance, contact tracing and containment activities. She urged the field staff to support the state and district governments. In the fight against the COVID-19, we have entered a stage where surveillance is going to play a vital role in making future strategies for containment, she said. The strengths of the NPSP team surveillance, data management, monitoring and supervision, and responding to local situations and challenges will be utilized to supplement efforts of NCDC, IDSP and ICMR to strengthen Covid-19 surveillance. The NPSP team will also support in sharing information and best practices and help states and districts calibrate their response based on transmission scenarios and local capacities. Most importantly, the WHO field staff will continue to support immunization and surveillance and elimination of TB and Neglected Tropical Diseases, the Regional Director said, adding, disease outbreaks can negatively impact progress in a range of areas, from maternal and child mortality to vaccine-preventable diseases and other treatable conditions. India had been making stupendous progress in these areas and we cannot afford for Indias remarkable progress to be set back or reversed. Dr Khetrapal Singh said that India has its unique challenges and also the capacity to overcome them, an example being elimination of polio in 2014. She complimented Dr Harsh Vardhan for introducing several of the key polio elimination initiatives as health minister of Delhi in 1994. Many of his initiatives were scaled up across the country and also adopted by other countries. Indias WHO National Surveillance Project, renamed as National Public Health Surveillance Project post-polio elimination, has supported a number of public health emergency responses, including Ebola, with 50 of its surveillance medical officers deployed to Africa. Jim Cracas posed for a portrait outside of his home in Chester Springs, Pa. Cracas, 51, is recovering from the coronavirus. He spent 4 1/2 days on a ventilator, or breathing machine, at Paoli Hospital. Read more Mike DeWan, 43, of Worcester; Jim Cracas, 51, of Chester Springs; and Raveena Brown, 62, of Bear, Del., each had the bad luck to get a horrible case of the coronavirus, so bad that they needed to spend days in DeWans case, weeks on a ventilator, a machine that forced oxygen-rich air into their fluid-filled lungs. All strong and healthy before their illnesses, they also had the good luck to survive. About half of coronavirus patients who need ventilators die. They now have one more thing in common: None remembers anything about being on the machine that has been the focus of so many desperate searches as the virus has revealed its ugly power, a machine that saved their lives. Cracas, who owns a feed and farm store in Exton, actually described the experience of being on a ventilator at Paoli Hospital for 4 days as somewhat pleasant. Thats a byproduct of heavy sedation, and Richard Strobel, a pulmonologist at Lehigh Valley Health Network, said such amnesia is a blessing. For those who are sickest with respiratory viruses, the ventilator is the linchpin of intensive-care-unit treatment, but there is nothing pleasant about being on drugs that paralyze you while a machine sends air through a tube that runs down your throat to your lungs. Without sedation, that experience, Strobel said, would be horribly frightening. Ventilators have made headlines lately because hospitals needed more of them. While about 80% of people who contract the virus have relatively mild disease, the rest may need hospital care. Up to a quarter of those may need intensive care, which often includes time on a ventilator. People with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, are not only more likely to need ventilators than those with other respiratory germs, but they also need more time on the machines often two weeks or more, area pulmonologists said. That increases demand for ventilators. READ MORE: MacGyvering the coronavirus: Designers rig makeshift ventilators, valves, and more As COVID-19 patients have swarmed into area hospitals, doctors are learning on the fly how to use ventilators for a new disease that can behave differently than anything theyve seen before. Some hope that new treatment approaches may help some patients avoid ventilators completely. When patients do use ventilators, doctors find that some respond well to gentler ventilation than would typically be used for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), an extreme form of lung infection that often drives the need for ventilator support. Doctors are also making much greater use of proning, or facedown positioning, with COVID-19 patients, including both those who do and do not need ventilators. ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters. Ryan Reber, medical director of the intensive-care unit at Paoli Hospital where Cracas was treated, said procedures are changing week to week as doctors adapt to new information from more experienced peers in Asia, Europe, and harder-hit areas of the United States. This pandemic, Reber said, epitomizes the ever-evolving nature of medicine. READ MORE: When coronavirus kills, ARDS can be the culprit Ventilators are a support, not a treatment While the mad rush to acquire ventilators might suggest they are a cure-all, they are not. Even with all-out care, 30% to 40% of ARDS patients die. Doctors said they think the death rate is higher for COVID-19 patients who need ventilators. Still, the machines unquestionably save lives. We celebrate our success stories, said Bharat Awsare, a critical-care pulmonologist at Jefferson Health. There is hope. The ventilator, said Gerard Criner, chair of thoracic medicine and surgery and director of the Temple Lung Center, is not a treatment. Its a support. The machines job is to let your lungs rest while your body fights the underlying illness. That may mean eradicating the virus, but ARDS can also develop in coronavirus patients when an overactive immune system causes whats known as a cytokine storm. Resulting inflammation can flood the lungs with fluid, impairing their ability to transfer oxygen to the blood. During the reprieve the ventilator provides, doctors at Temple, like other hospitals, are trying several drugs that Criner hopes may speed recovery. Among them: remdesivir, monoclonal antibodies now used for rheumatoid arthritis and steroids. There is no proven treatment. READ MORE: Why the coronavirus and most other viruses have no cure Unlike the iron lungs made famous during the polio era, which used negative pressure to expand lungs, ventilators push gases into the lungs. They are designed to improve oxygenation, but also help rid the lungs of carbon dioxide. Hernan Alvarado, director of respiratory therapy for Temple Health, said the first step in intubating a patient is sedation. No one thats awake is going to want a rubber tube to go down their throat, he said. After the patient is ventilated manually with a resuscitation bag, his or her tongue is moved to one side with a laryngoscope, a device with a light in it. Then an 8- to 10-inch tube is inserted down the trachea into the airways. If carbon dioxide is coming out, that usually means the tube is in the right place, Alvarado said, and it is connected to the ventilator. Patients are also X-rayed to make sure the tube is placed correctly. Cameron Baston, a pulmonary and critical-care physician at Penn Medicine, said only the sickest patients nowadays are sedated enough to be in medically induced comas while on the ventilator, and most are no longer given drugs that cause temporary paralysis. While many are sedated enough that they dont remember being on the ventilator, some are awake enough to text friends and family. Talk to your family about your wishes The choice to go on a ventilator should not be taken lightly. Even when things go well, patients face a long recovery and some suffer from post-traumatic stress. The machines can damage lung tissue, and patients on them a long time are at heightened risk for infection. Some patients cant wean off the machine, leaving families with a painful decision. READ MORE: A new frontier in ICU research: Postintensive care syndrome The risks of bad outcomes are especially high for elderly patients with coronavirus or chronic problems like lung and heart disease or diabetes. While doctors say that some quite old patients Temple had one who was 93 have survived after being on a ventilator, the sicker you were before you got the virus, the worse your odds of surviving. Like other doctors, John Zurlo, chief of the division of infectious diseases at Jefferson Health, wouldnt put a number on it, but said that people age 80 and up face worse odds than younger patients. Its not a good prognosis for you, he said. Lisa Walke, chair of geriatrics at Penn Medicine, said now is a good time for families to discuss what older loved ones want. With coronavirus spreading in many senior facilities, this is no longer a hypothetical discussion. This is a time to think about it while you still have that opportunity, she said. Awsare agrees that, for patients who already have serious medical or functional problems, a conversation needs to occur of whether they would want to spend the last days of their life on mechanical ventilation. Some patients need different ventilator treatment Spurred by a paper by Italian doctors, American lung experts are debating whether the sickest COVID-19 patients fall into two categories -- some that look like typical ARDS patients and others who have very low blood oxygen levels, but are not having trouble breathing or thinking. This latter group, the Italian experts suggested, might be able to forgo ventilators and instead receive high-flow oxygen from other devices. If on ventilators, they need lower pressures because their lungs are less stiff than patients doctors are used to seeing. They need high oxygen. Area doctors said they always try to use the lowest amount of pressure possible to minimize lung damage. They are finding that some COVID-19 patients with low blood oxygen can avoid ventilators. We tend to wait and see, Awsare said. Penns Baston said there have always been patients with low oxygen levels who were not in distress. When you feel short of breath, it is almost never because of oxygen levels in your blood, he said. It is almost always because of carbon dioxide levels in your blood. He said there do seem to be more COVID-19 patients who have these symptoms than he has seen in the past. Proning is suddenly more popular Doctors are also making much greater use of proning, the technique that caught Bastons eye in 2013 when a New England Journal of Medicine paper found it helped ARDS patients. For every seven patients you did this to, you save a life, which in our world is a big deal, he said. It is typically used for moderate and severe ARDS, which are more common among coronavirus patients. Why proning works is not well understood, but one theory is that, when patients lie on their backs, the tiny air sacs in the back of their lungs collapse. Placing patients facedown also seems to reduce inflammation and improve the coordination between air flow and blood flow. That coordination may be particularly impaired in COVID-19, Baston said. At Penn, teams of operating-room technicians use sheets with handles on them to turn patients, who spend 16 hours prone followed by eight on their backs. Jefferson is among other hospitals that are proning much more often. Coronavirus patients, Awsare said, respond very well to being flipped on their belly. Patients face a long recovery not that theyre complaining Patients lucky enough to make it off the ventilator still face a long recovery. Mike DeWan, who works at home as a software developer, woke up Monday, March 9, with chills and sweats. He was in the first wave of local cases. He felt fine the night before and had dinner with his in-laws and his mother and her husband. Eventually, his whole family tested positive for COVID-19, but only he needed hospitalization. By Saturday, he was having trouble breathing, and his wife took him to Einstein Medical Center Montgomery. He was intubated there and then transferred to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. All he remembers is that his medical team looked vaguely familiar when he got off the machine on March 31, after 17 days. Its just crazy. When I got sick, it was still business as usual. Everyone was out," he said. "You wake up, and its like the whole world stopped. The experience left him almost 40 pounds lighter and much weaker. His muscles had atrophied while he was immobile. In the hospital, he could barely push himself up in the bed and needed help to get in a chair. When he first got home, he had to crawl up the stairs. He graduated to using a walker. Hoarse from the throat tube, he couldnt talk at first. He still has to be careful about swallowing and is doing breathing exercises. His doctors told him it would take six to eight weeks to get back to normal. Jim Cracas had employees who were being tested for COVID-19, but the results werent back when he developed flulike symptoms on March 25. Its the flu, he thought. Its really not a big deal. On the morning of April 3, his wife, a nurse, called an ambulance. His breathing was extremely shallow and he had a fever of 103. He felt like garbage. It still felt like just a bad case of flu, he said. It was just a really, really bad case. That night, he agreed to go on a ventilator, not realizing how dire his odds were. He went home on Easter, April 12. Cracas, who used to throw 50-pound bags of feed into trucks, now easily tires. I go up the stairs, down the hall and its like Wow, this is more than I thought it was, he said. He is elated that he lived, but feels bad about what his illness put his family through. There is a little bit of survival guilt, he said. Raveena Brown and her daughter Andrianna Williams, 31, of Newark, Del., managed to get COVID-19 independently. Williams got it first and had to go to ChristianaCares Wilmington Hospital, where she got high-dose oxygen delivered through a huge nasal cannula in the ICU. Without any previous symptoms, her mother then started having trouble breathing. Williams was horrified to learn that Brown would soon be joining her in the ICU. Then she got the call that her mom would need a ventilator. The Air Force vet was on it for three days. She came off on Easter and is still in the hospital. Brown, too, is weak but was pleased last week that she could take three or four steps to a chair. Her lungs were strong enough for her to sing America the Beautiful into the phone with gusto. All that mattered was that she had survived. As soon as she awoke, she said, I felt relieved. I felt excited. I felt hopeful. I felt: Hey, were Americans. Were winning at this. Asked how she felt physically, she said, I felt, dont laugh at me, I felt vivacious. Shes not thinking about how long it will take her to get her strength back. Im taking 12 hours at time, one day at a time, and Im enjoying this ride. Im enjoying opening my eyes and seeing the beautiful sunrise. Businesses across America are reeling due to the coronavirus, and media companies are suffering financially as well. Many businesses have shut down to comply with measures to curb the spread of the virus and have subsequently cut spending on advertising. So even though media companies are seeing extraordinarily high levels of readership during the crisis, the loss of advertising revenue poses enormous challenges. This week, PA Media Groups parent company, Advance Local Communications, followed other media companies, announcing measures to cut costs. Those measures, which apply to PennLive and The Patriot-News staff, include one- or two-week furloughs, temporary pay reductions and suspending matching contributions to 401(k) programs. The pay cuts range from 2 percent to 20 percent and vary based upon earnings. Cate Barron, president of PA Media Group, said the difficult steps are necessary. We had to confront unprecedented challenges every business is facing during what was already an extremely difficult time for media companies," Barron said. But we also wanted to preserve staff levels and our high quality of reporting on this crisis. We need to be there with accurate, timely and reliable news and information throughout this emergency," she added. "Thats our essential mission. Its our commitment to subscribers and readers, clients and advertisers, and the community. News organizations across Pennsylvania are struggling due to the loss of advertising revenue, said Brad Simpson, president of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. The readership both in print and digital has never been stronger but the revenue shortfalls due to the advertising pull back are quite severe, Simpson said. News companies around the state - and around the country - are cutting pay, laying off workers or requiring staff to take time off without pay, industry analysts said. Theres been a lot of furloughs, layoffs, and pay cuts, Simpson said. Everyone is just trying to figure out expenses and maintain the product. MediaNews Group, which owns newspapers around the country, has laid off workers at the Reading Eagle. The company has also cut newsroom staff at the Denver Post and the Boston Herald. LNP in Lancaster has also laid off staff. Trib Total Media in the Pittsburgh suburbs combined its two print editions and reduced staff, saying its confronting serious losses during the coronavirus pandemic, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. The company also laid off staffers last month. Gannett, which owns more than 100 newspapers nationwide, is requiring workers to take one week of unpaid leave in April, May and June. Gannett owns the York Daily Record, Lebanon Daily News, Hanover Evening Sun and Chambersburg Public Opinion. Lee Enterprises, which owns papers in 26 states, including the Carlisle Sentinel, announced pay reductions and furloughs last month. Lee also owns the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Buffalo News and The Press of Atlantic City. Local television stations are also losing advertising revenue. Broadcasting + Cable, a trade publication, reported a survey of local television managers found advertising revenues have dropped 27 percent because of the coronavirus crisis. The crisis has also dealt a blow to weekly newspapers, which are often the lifeblood of their communities. Joseph G. Sukle Jr., publisher of The Press and Journal of Middletown, said the paper has seen an 80-percent drop in advertising revenue. Publishing newspapers when almost all our advertisers are also suffering economic instability became a challenge unlike any weve ever faced," Sukle said. Were very grateful to the advertisers who stuck with us." Last month, the Press and Journal published a front-page appeal asking readers for financial support, a first in the papers 166-year history. Sukle and his wife and business partner, Louise, wrote the letter, which stated: If you value what we do, even if you dont always agree with us, this is the time to show your support with a contribution. And we need you now.'" The appeal led to $10,680 in donations and 82 subscriptions. We were truly inspired by the number of donations and kind words of encouragement we received as the result of our appeal," Sukle said. Pennsylvanias economy has taken a beating due to the pandemic. Gov. Tom Wolf has ordered the closure of all businesses that arent deemed life sustaining. More than 1 million Pennsylvania residents have filed unemployment claims over the past month. In recent years, news organizations have worked to build more digital subscriptions to generate more revenue. Even so, the vast majority of news organizations have provided essential coronavirus coverage for free. Simpson said those who rely on local media organizations should consider subscribing to ensure those news sites and papers can continue to serve the public interest. Newspapers need to survive, Simpson said. "The more that community members and individuals can support the newspaper financially, in any, way, shape or form, the better. More from PennLive Pa.s unemployment rate hit 6% as coronavirus pandemic moved in Gov. Tom Wolf outlines plan for reopening and recovery but specifies no dates A window of hope during the coronavirus pandemic: More portraits of how central Pennsylvania is coping Cork University Hospital has refused to give details of a review, sparked by a sexual assault incident at the hospital, blaming "impending court proceedings". A 17-year-old girl was attacked by a male patient who was convicted of sexual assault earlier this year. After the February court hearing, hospital management announced it reviewed admission protocols. But it has not published the reviews findings or explained what changes it has brought in since the attack. And as a result, there have been calls for CUH to explain what changes it brought in. The Irish Examiner asked for details of the review via a Freedom of Information request. But the request has been refused because of impending court proceedings. The hospital has explained the FOI request concerns records covered by legal professional privilege. CUH services manager Marie McCarthy said: The records withheld under this exemption relate to communication between the HSE, legal counsel and impending court proceedings. Consequently it is my informed decision that they cannot be released at this time. Abuse campaigners last month called on CUH to end its shocking silence over the sexual assault of the 17-year-old girl in an all-male room on May 14, 2018. Because of her physical injuries at the time she could not reach the call-button over her head to call for help. Nurses were only alerted because the alarm on her 62-year-old attacker Andrew ODonovans heart monitor went off because his heart rate shot up during the assault. When he gave him an 18-month suspended jail term for assaulting her, Judge Sean O Donnabhain criticised CUH. He questioned how a vulnerable young girl was placed in a ward with the 62-year-old schizophrenic from Butlersgift, Drimoleague, County Cork. "You have to question in circumstances like this what management was doing, he said at his sentencing hearing on February 11. There appears to be no system of management or supervision. Management of these hospitals would want to be bucked up a small bit. The victim said in her impact statement: I thought I would be safe in hospital. One of the details CUH wont release on FOI is the exact date it began its review of admission protocols. GRAND RAPIDS, MI At first, Ana Penniman was told it was just strep throat. But it soon became clear that her persistent sore throat and unrelenting fever was a sign of something worse. From their downtown Grand Rapids apartment, her 7-year-old daughter, Lola, tried to take care of her mom. It was just the two of them. But Penniman only got worse and worse. Family members encouraged her to request a test for the coronavirus. But at 28, with no underlying health conditions, she didnt meet the criteria for one. Finally, Penniman received an appointment to get tested for COVID-19 on Monday, March 30, according to her aunt, Darlene Neidlinger. But by Friday, March 27, she could no longer walk. On Saturday, she called 911. When Lola turned 8-years-old on Thursday, April 16, family and friends arranged a big, special day an attempt to gather and celebrate while her mother fights for her life in the intensive care unit. We want to make it as normal for her, in this most abnormal of times, said Neidlinger. On Thursday afternoon, Lola stood in the front yard of her grandparents home and watched as dozens of cars drove down Paris Avenue for a small parade in her honor. She excitedly waved as her friends, family and teachers passed by. Neighbors lined the street, holding up homemade signs. A police escort set up by Pennimans brother, Zack a law enforcement officer at Grand Rapids Community College led the way, lights flashing and sirens blaring. Although it has been less than three weeks, the journey to this birthday party was long. Penniman was admitted to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital, where she was almost immediately hooked up to a ventilator. Now she lies in a medically induced coma, in what her family says is critical but stable condition. After her mom left, Lola herself had to be isolated, in case she was carrying the virus within her little body, too. For two weeks, she stayed inside at her dads house, according to Neidlinger. That meant no trips to the store, no play dates with cousins. No school, of course, closed because of coronavirus pandemic. Finally, Lola was given the all-clear to go stay with her maternal grandparents, Don Penniman and Dawn Sieplinga, in the Garfield Park neighborhood of southeast Grand Rapids. Don and Dawn now balance their work, Lolas schooling, and worry for their daughter. Its hard to tell how much Lola understands about her mothers condition, Neidlinger added, or if she can connect whats happening to her mom with everything else going on in the world the reason she cant be in school, the reason she had to spend two weeks away from her grandparents after her mother was diagnosed with the highly contagious respiratory disease. (Were) keeping her aware that her mom is sick, and that were hoping for the best, but right now shes at the hospital, and because of the (coronavirus), we cant visit her, said Lolas uncle, Zack Penniman. As of 3 p.m. Thursday, April 16, Michigan had 29,263 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 2,093 people have died from the virus. At 28, Ana Penniman is young compared to the majority of those that have contracted the disease. Older adults and those with pre-existing health conditions, such as diabetes, are most at risk. Neidlinger said that the family has been told, by ICU doctors and the state health department, that her age is a benefit, as is the fact that her condition has not worsened in the weeks that shes been on a ventilator. So, while Penniman remains in the hospital, her family visits her through video conferences. Every day, Don and Dawn, or Zack or Darlene, or other cousins and aunts and uncles appear on a screen to read and sing with Ana. They show family photos and describe them. They pray. Were hoping that one day she will recall that, that that will mean something, said Neidlinger. Its a cruel disease, isnt it? Not being able to be with your daughter or mother or father. And the family keeps in touch with one another, and checks on Lola, through regular video chats. The night before her big birthday party, Lola was watching a movie, remotely, with her Uncle Zack and his family. Its not the same as being with her family in person, of course. But on Thursday, the day Lola Penniman turned 8-years-old, there was finally something to celebrate. MLive photojournalist Anntaninna Biondo contributed to reporting to this story. Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here 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: Thursday, April 16: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Gov. Whitmer extends emergency child care services in Michigan during coronavirus crisis Big wedding plans dashed, healthcare co-workers say vows at, where else, the hospital When and how will it end? Considering the end-game for Michigans coronavirus crisis All but one county in Michigans Lower Peninsula have a reported coronavirus case; 153 more deaths A government employee has tested positive for Covid-19 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Friday, officials said. IMAGE: Lucknow municipal corporation workers demonstrate the new sanitisation machine provided in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Photograph: Naeem Ansari / Reuters. The 49-year-old man is the first positive case after the administration started pool testing of samples, they said. The man, a resident of the South Andaman district, has been admitted to the designated hospital, said Avijit Roy, the nodal officer for the disease in the Union territory. His nine family members have been sent to a quarantine facility, the officials said. The officials said they are trying to find out how this man got infected. The fresh case has taken the total number of people infected with the deadly virus to 12 in the Union territory. Ten of them tested positive after attending the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin last month, while the eleventh patient was a woman who returned from Kolkata on the same flight with them on March 24. The 10 patients were declared cured a few days back and the woman's second test report came in as negative earlier in the day, officials said. The administration has adopted the "pool testing" method using less kits for more tests in the fight against the deadly virus. The new method has been effective for efficiently utilising the resources available to combat the coronavirus outbreak in these remote islands, according to the officials. The new method involves testing multiple samples in a single test. If a batch tests positive, then everyone whose samples were a part of that batch would have to be tested separately. "Five samples per testing kit are used. So, 25 kits are required for testing 100 samples," a health department official had earlier said. A canceled date, another detention, an ill-timed zit: When youre in high school, any number of problems can make it feel like the end of the world has arrived. Luckily, for those of us whove already graduated, a global pandemic never made the list. But for students in the class of 2020, the Covid-19 crisis arrived just as they were receiving college acceptance letters, dreaming about new jobs, gearing up to leave high school behind and making plans for prom, which, for most students, has been canceled. We photographed 10 students from Omaha in the outfits they had planned to wear to the dance. They talked to us about their prom dreams, hopes and disappointments. The cultural rite of passage, which theyve largely experienced through movies and television shows, books and Moms old photos, was their chance to feel like adults or at least on the brink of adulthood, anyway for the first time. Now, it feels like high school is ending on a whimper. Theres been so many tears, but I guess the best thing thats helped me get through it is that Im not alone, said Olivia Mathews, 17. Every senior in high school in the world right now knows how I feel, so that makes the pain a little easier to deal with. [April 17, 2020] Pre & Post COVID-19 Market Estimates-Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market 2019-2023 | Increased Use of Credit Card to Boost Growth | Technavio Technavio has been monitoring the direct carrier billing platform market and it is poised to grow by USD 20.14 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of almost 13% 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/20200417005252/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Direct Carrier Billing Platform 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. Bango Plc, Boku (News - Alert) Inc., DIMOCO Europe GmbH, DOCOMO Digital Ltd., and Fortumo OU are some of the major market participants. The increased use of credit card 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. Increased use of credit card has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Direct carrier billing platform market is segmented as below: End-user Apps and games Online media Others Geography 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=IRTNTR31334 Direct Carrier Billing Platform 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 direct carrier billing platform market report covers the following areas: Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market Size Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market Trends Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market Industry Analysis This study identifies rising demand for OTT content as one of the prime reasons driving the direct carrier billing platform market growth during the next few years. Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the direct carrier billing platform market, including some of the vendors such as Bango (News - Alert) Plc, Boku Inc., DIMOCO Europe GmbH, DOCOMO Digital Ltd., and Fortumo OU. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the direct carrier billing platform 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 Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist direct carrier billing platform market growth during the next five years Estimation of the direct carrier billing platform market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the direct carrier billing platform market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of direct carrier billing platform 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 Apps and games - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Online media - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Others - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by end-user 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 South America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 North 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 Rising demand for OTT content Blockchain-based transaction strengthening direct carrier billing Purchase of physical goods through direct carrier billing PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Bango Plc Boku Inc. DIMOCO Europe GmbH DOCOMO Digital Ltd. Fortumo OU PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors 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/20200417005252/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) A healthcare worker on Friday appealed for mass testing for all staff at Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila over the facility's alleged poor handling of patients suspected of having COVID-19, which may have exposed all hospital personnel to the deadly virus. In an interview with CNN Philippines Pinky Webb, health worker Andrew also claimed that persons under investigation (PUIs) admitted in the hospital do not have a separate ward. He said PUIs are mixed with patients who do not have symptoms of the virus. The Fabella Hospital employee disclosed that their isolation room can only accommodate up to four patients. Once that room is full, the PUIs are brought to the operating and delivery rooms where they are confined. Yung iba naming PUI na pasyente, nahahalo sa mga wards," 'Andrew' revealed. "Walang social distancing doon. Labag po ito sa protocol dahil hindi quarantine area doon." [Translation: Our PUI patients are mixed with other ward patients. Social distancing is not observed there. This is against the protocol because it is not a quarantine area.] Andrew also divulged to CNN Philippines that some of the hospital personnel themselves may now be carriers of COVID-19 due to the poor handling of the PUIs there. He also lamented the absence of isolation area for staff suspected of contracting the virus. He also accused the hospital management of not disclosing the results of employees' COVID-19 tests. May mga naging positive na empleyado sa aming hospital," he claimed. "Itinatago po ng management kung sino-sino ang mga naging positive na empleyado. May mga PUI na empleyado na naka-duty pa rin sa amin." [Translation: There are employees in our hospital who are COVID-19 positive. The management did not reveal who are the employees who tested positive. There are employees in duty who are also PUI.] Andrew alleged that there are at least 14 personnel in Fabella who are COVID-19 positive or PUIs. He, together with other employees, wrote a letter informing the management of the hospital's hazardous condition which compromises the safety of both the patients and the staff. Meanwhile, the Fabella Hospital management issued a statement saying they have already designated a building to separate patients infected or suspected of having COVID-19. Further expansions were implemented due to the surge of patients, with putting up of tents and renovations in the main hospital building to accommodate patients who will not tell the truth of their status, said the statement signed by the hospitals head, Dr. Esmeraldo Ilem. The management also stressed they placed a census of isolation room patients in the hospital lobbys bulletin board. Hospital employees who are positive of COVID-19 are also disclosed by the management, it said. Results of personnel who became positive came out last April 12 and had been disclosed to respective units, the statement read. The hospital management clarified that all suspected personnel have been isolated but some preferred home quarantine. We hope this complaint letter is in no way being used to prevent some personnel to be assigned and be in direct combat against the unseen enemy, the management added. The Department of Health has been eyeing the new building of Fabella Hospital to be a COVID-19 facility to help control the spread of the virus in the country. READ: DOH eyes Fabella hospital to help in COVID-19 fight Authorities in Siberia have arrested a teenager on suspicion of plotting a deadly attack in school amid a rise in school-shooting cases across Russia. The Zheleznodorozhny district court in the city of Krasnoyarsk ordered on April 17 the 14-year-old suspect to be remanded in a pretrial detention center until June 17. The boy was detained a day earlier after police searched his home and found a sawed-off shotgun, items resembling handmade explosive devices, and diaries with written plans to attack a local school. The suspect was charged with terrorism and planning a criminal act. The arrest comes less than two months after the Federal Security Service (FSB) detained two teenagers in the city of Saratov in the Volga area on suspicion of plotting a deadly gun-and-bomb attack in a local school. In the same month, the FSB said that its officers had prevented a school attack in the city of Kerch in Russia-controlled Crimea, while a court in the far eastern city of Khabarovsk sentenced a teenager to eight years in prison after convicting him of planning a school shooting. Historically, attacks at schools in Russia and other former Soviet republics are uncommon. However, in recent years they have been on the rise. The latest occurred at a college in the far eastern city of Blagoveshchensk in November. One student was killed before the shooter took his own life. In April 2019, a court in the Urals city of Perm sentenced a 17-year-old to seven years in prison after finding him guilty of a knife attack in January 2018 at his school that left 12 people hospitalized with stab wounds. With reporting by Interfax and TASS The phrase "colossal challenge" was just one of the things that stuck out to the County Judges in Hardin and Jefferson County during Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's news conference announcing his approach to re-open Texas businesses. Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick after the conference said he plans to read the executive orders and have a phone call with Abbott before making comments on the conference. However, he said he agrees with the reopening of state parks because of the exercise and health benefits they can provide, as well as curbside pickup at The Home Depot and other big box stores. Footage of Pope Francis holding up a bottle of Scotch whisky and jokingly describing it as the real holy water was cut by the Vatican from a documentary on Scots College seminarians in Rome. The 83-year-old pontiff was given a bottle of Oban malt from the group during a reception at the Apostolic Palace last year. But Vatican media insisted Pope Francis joke be cut from the film before it airs Sunday. Director Tony Kearney, who helmed the hour-long Priest School for BBC Scotland, followed the seminarians over 18 months in 2018 and 2019. We filmed the students meeting with the Pope in the Apostolic Palace. One of them was tasked with giving the Pope a bottle of malt, because they know he likes whisky," Kearney told Britains The Daily Record. He was really down to earth with them all and when they handed him the bottle, instead of just handing it to his assistant as he normally would with a gift, he held it up and said Questa e la vera acqua santa, which means This is the real holy water. The director said the pontiff guffawed with laughter and it was a real ice-breaker with the students and put everyone at ease. But wed agreed that the Vaticans media office would be allowed to approve all of our footage before we broadcast it.... We were really annoyed at first, but they insisted they didnt want the pope to be seen to be endorsing whisky," Kearney said. I think its quite funny how guarded his image is. Related content: 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: 230,597 in New York state, including 17,134 deaths. 573,223 total tested. 701,131 in the U.S., including 36,822 deaths. 58,587 recovered. 3,557,493 total tested. 2,242,868 worldwide, including 153,871 deaths. 569,270 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. Friday's coronavirus updates: 4:17 p.m.: Rensselaer County reports additional positive cases The number of positive cases increased by 12 for the day to reach 174, officials said. This was up by five from the original increase of seven. There are 14 county residents hospitalized with three in the intensive care unit. The county has seen 2,071 residents tested. Six county residents were released bringing the total to 64. ___ 3:34 p.m.: Warren County reports 2 deaths in long-term care facilities Warren County officials reported a fourth death Friday afternoon, and provided their first public confirmation that two of those deaths were residents of long-term care facilities. The Warren County Board of Supervisors and Warren County Health Services said the most recent death was a resident of a nursing home in the southern part of the county, but did not specify which facility. The Pines home in Glens Falls is currently battling a large outbreak. Of the four county residents known to have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, two were at a hospital, one was at a nursing home and one was at an adult-care facility, officials said. The county also confirmed nine additional cases of COVID-19, bringing its total confirmed case count to date to 84. Fifty-four of those residents have recovered. Four are currently hospitalized. ___ 3:15 p.m.: Rensselaer County reports seven new coronavirus cases The new cases bring the total of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county to 169. ___ 3:02 p.m.: Schenectady County reports 14th COVID-19 death Officials provided no details about the death. The number of confirmed cases to date in the county rose by 16 overnight to 295 as of Friday. Eighty-nine residents have recovered from the illness. Twenty-eight people are currently hospitalized in the county, including non-residents. ___ 12:57 p.m.: Albany and veterans group cancel Memorial Day parade Mayor Kathy Sheehan and Mark Rosenzweig, the chairman of the Joint Veterans Committee, announced the decision Friday, blaming the cancelation on fear of the coronavirus pandemic. The Joint Veterans Committee coordinate with local veterans groups and schools to pull of the parade each year. With the event canceled, the committee will hold wreath-laying events on Memorial Day at the Gold Star Families and Vietnam monuments in Lafayette Park. ___ 11:13 p.m.: Saratoga County reports its 7th death due to COVID-19 The county Department of Public Health Services said the victim was a 91-year-old female, but provided no other details. As of Friday, 253 county residents have tested positive for COVID-19, up from 246 reported Thursday. Fourteen residents are hospitalized. On Tuesday, county officials said during a Facebook Live event that 122 individuals had recovered, but they have not been releasing that data on a daily basis. ___ 10:30 p.m.: Albany County says 13 residents of the county-run nursing home have tested positive for COVID-19 County Executive Daniel McCoy said four staff members at the facility in Colonie have also tested positive. Officials said three other long-term care facilities in the county have known cases, and said there have been at least two nursing home deaths in the county, though they did not specify where. Responding to questions about why the county hasn't been more forthcoming with news of nursing home cases, McCoy cited privacy concerns and said he's sorry if the press "gets a little hurt because we didn't tell them" about cases, but that the county's obligation is to notify families. At nursing homes across the country, family are learning of outbreaks and deaths at their loved ones' long-term care facilities after the fact. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order late Thursday night requiring facilities to notify next of kin within 24 hours after a positive case or death. As of Friday, 574 residents of the county have tested positive for COVID-19 and 282 of them have recovered. Thirty-four residents are hospitalized with the illness, including six adults in the ICU. ___ 10 a.m.: Schenectady County says it won't release case, fatality data from private nursing homes County Manager Rory Fluman, in the county's first Facebook Live address since the pandemic began, said no residents of the county-run Glendale home have tested positive so far. He did not respond to a question about whether staff there have. He said he would leave it to private nursing homes to decide whether they want to publicly release case and fatality data. "If I have a family member in a nursing home and Ive just heard on the news that there is somebody thats positive there, I immediately as a family member am very, very scared," he said. "So we take the release of information from other nursing homes very seriously." At nursing homes across the country, family are learning of outbreaks and deaths at their loved ones' long-term care facilities after the fact. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order late Thursday night requiring facilities to notify next of kin within 24 hours after a positive case or death. ___ 6:15 a.m.: RPI plans remote learning for required summer semester Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is moving ahead with its mandatory Arch session this summer by holding it remotely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic instead of on-campus, which was one of the original selling points of the program for rising juniors. The students will pay the semester tuition rate of $27,000 with some secondary fees reduced, according to RPIs website. The total amount a student pays is impacted by the financial aid awarded. Some students writing anonymously on the Reddit site about RPI have questioned Arch being required as the pandemic continues. RPI makes it clear on its website for Arch Summer 2020 that students have to attend in order to maintain their status at the university. Read more ___ 6:06 a.m.: Capital Region's initial jobless claims 25 times last year's level There was little comfort to be taken in Thursday's report from the U.S. Labor Department that initial claims for unemployment insurance fell 20 percent from the previous week's figure. After all, the 5,245,000 claims for the week ending April 11, down from 6,615,000 initial claims a week earlier, nevertheless pushed the total claims for the past four weeks over the 22 million mark. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. That essentially erased all the jobs created since the Great Recession, according to Business Insider. Initial claims for unemployment benefits continued to rise in the five-county Albany-Schenectady-Troy metropolitan area, up 5.2 percent to 12,174, from 11,569 a week earlier. For some perspective, the latest figure was 25 times greater than the 483 claims filed during the same week one year ago. Read more ___ Thursday: 13th person dies 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. ___ Thursday: Hearst Foundation donates to hospital foundation The Hearst Foundations announced they would donate $50 million to nonprofits across America, including $1 million for the St. Peter's Hospital Foundation in Albany. ___ Thursday: 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. ___ Thursday: Cuomo says N.Y. stay-at-home will be go 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 ___ Thursday: 563 cases 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. ___ Read more updates from Thursday [April 17, 2020] NetZoom Stencils Adds More Devices to the Largest Microsoft Visio Stencils Library CHICAGO, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NetZoom, Inc., the maker of largest NetZoomTM Visio Stencils Device Library for documenting and diagramming network and data center assets and audio-video devices, recently released new Visio Stencils for the following product lines: Manufacturer / Device Model Aruba Networks CX 8400 Switch Series Bryant Broadcast eyePower Cisco Systems-Set 11 UCS 6400 Series Dell Computer-Set 4 Z Series Draytek Vigor EMC-Set 2 Celerra NS Series Fujitsu Computer Systems PRIMERGY Hewlett-Packard-Set 9 StoreOnce IBM-Set 7 Power 9 Series NetApp E-Series Nokia IP-Set 2 7210 SAS "We're adding new hardware devices to the library each month to stay ahead of the technological advancement in the data center and audio-video domains," says Wayne Baker, Sales Manager of NetZoom, Inc. NetZoom Visio Stencils is the world's largest library of device stencils used by over 250,000 professionals worldwide. The Device Library includes device stencils for racks, servers, network, telecom, audio, video, security, and infrastructure devices. NetZoom subscribers can request new device shapes and stencils for free and download shapes and stencils from www.VisioStencils.com. The Device Library is updated weekly with customer shape requests. Availability - NetZoom Visio Stencils is immediately available on a subscription basis and allows customers to request development of new shapes at no additional cost. For more information visit VisioStencils.com About NetZoom Founded in 1995, NetZoom, Inc. is an Illinois corporation with headquarters in the Chicago area. The company's NetZoom software enables data center professionals around the world to effectively model, manage, monitor and maximize IT and Facility infrastructure. For more information, please visit NetZoom.com. Press Contact Marketing Department 2300 Cabot Drive, Suite 535 Lisle, IL 60532 USA Phone: 630.281.6464 Email: [email protected] NetZoom is a trademark of NetZoom, Inc. All others are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/netzoom-stencils-adds-more-devices-to-the-largest-microsoft-visio-stencils-library-301042515.html SOURCE NetZoom, Inc. The real estate industry on Friday hailed RBI's decision to boost liquidity into the system and provide relief to loans taken from NBFCs for commercial projects, but sought one-time restructuring of their loans and a stimulus package to help the sector in battling the crisis caused by the lockdown to control COVID-19. The RBI on Friday reduced the reverse repo rate - the rate at which banks park their fund with the central bank - by 25 basis points to encourage banks to lend to the productive sectors of the economy. It also announced an additional Rs 50,000 crore through targeted long-term repo operation (TLTRO) and another re-financing window of Rs 50,000 crore for institutions like Nabard, National Housing Bank and Sidbi. CREDAI Chairman Jaxay Shah said: " We welcome the RBI's decision of providing the liquidity boost to the realty sector. We are hopeful that the government will soon aid the sector with the announcement of the much needed economic package." The RBI has allowed NBFCs to extend the date for commencement for commercial operations (DCCO) in respect of loans to commercial real estate projects by an additional one year if the projects got delayed for reasons beyond the control of promoters. CREDAI President Satish Magar said, measures such as extension of DCCO, fresh LTRO and reverse repo rate cut will help uplift the economic slowdown. "Loans given by NBFCs to real estate companies will get similar benefits as given by scheduled commercial banks, thus easing the financial burden on developers," he said. Naredco President Niranjan Hiranandani said: From the perspective of regulatory norms to spur an economic revival, the measures announced aim to maintain adequate liquidity in the system, facilitate bank credit flow and ease financial stress. These are absolutely welcome, given that economic activity has come to a standstill during the lockdown." He said the announcement that loans given by NBFCs to real estate companies would get similar benefits as given by the scheduled commercial banks was positive. Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO - India, South East Asia, Middle East & Africa said NHB has been provided with a refinance facility of Rs 10,000 crore for HFCs as additional liquidity for individual housing loans, which is a much needed boost at this time. Anarock Chairman Anuj Puri said: "Among the various measures announced, commendably its allotment of Rs 10,000 crore to NHB is a big move for the real estate sector reeling under the liquidity crisis. It will help provide capital to HFCs and eventually provide major relief to developers battling liquidity issues in COVID-19 times." Tata Realty and Infrastructure MD & CEO Sanjay Dutt said the RBI's measures will provide some relief to the sector, which had already been dealing with its own set of issues prior to the pandemic. "These measures...are bound to encourage banks to lend more, thereby improving the credit flow and giving more purchasing power to homebuyers and investors," Dutt said. JLL India CEO and Country Head Ramesh Nair said, "Today's announcement will give an initial fillip to the real estate sector. The central bank's focus to provide credit flow to NBFCs is a key step. This will provide a boost to various real estate activities." As per the RBI data, NBFCs outstanding credit to the commercial real estate stood at Rs 1,29,359 crore as of September-end 2019, he said. "The relaxation of NPA classification norms and extension of one year for commencement of projects to real estate developers by NBFCs will provide the much needed relief to the sector," Nair said. Dhruv Agarwala, Group CEO, Housing.com, and PropTiger, said the RBI move will help ease some financial stress in the system. This move will hopefully nudge banks to increase lending to various sectors of the economy, which is the need of the hour. "We are extremely delighted and find a great sense of reassurance with the central bank taking cognizance of specific problems faced by the real estate sector and proactively taking targeted measures to address those issues," Knight Frank India CMD Shishir Baijal said. Savills India CEO Anurag Mathur said:" The central bank's decision to pump in Rs 10,000 crore to NHB for refinancing companies is expected to address some of the liquidity concerns in the residential segment." Ashish Jain, Partner at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, said lack of liquidity has been one of the most critical issues facing the real estate sector, even before the pandemic. Any measure to boost liquidity is, therefore, a welcome move. Reliance Home Finance CEO Ravindra Sudhalkar said, "RBI has provided a welcome relief to NBFcs and HFCs in the form of liquidity boosters, which will benefit both housing and commercial real estate." "With relaxation offered to NBFCs to extend the realty loans by a year, the real estate sector will have greater support in these difficult times," said Ankush Kaul, President (Sales & Marketing) - Ambience Group. Pradeep Aggarwal, Founder & Chairman, Signature Global said the infusion of liquidity in the market is of utmost importance and the latest announcement will definitely help the economy. Gaurs group MD Manoj Gaur said the banks and the NBFCs should pass on the benefits announced by the RBI. Supertech Chairman R K Arora said one time restructuring of loans was not allowed which is a primary requirement of the real estate sector." Sushma group ED Prateek Mittal said the RBI's move will boost liquidity but sought a stimulus package to revive the property market and the economy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Washington A federal judge Thursday rejected Roger Stone's demand for a new trial, ruling 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 have a prejudicial view of Stone or lie in answering a pretrial questionnaire probing potential jurors for bias. 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." She also took Stone's lawyers to task for not doing basic research on the juror before she was allowed to join the panel. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. A jury convicted Stone in November of lying during testimony to the House Intelligence Committee in September 2017 to conceal his 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 general election opponent, Hillary Clinton. Stone was sentenced to three years and four months in prison, suspended pending his motion for a new trial. Jackson ordered Stone to report to prison when he is notified to do so by the U.S. Probation Office. Gardai are investigating two burglaries that took place in the early hours of this morning on the southside of Cork city. Homes in the Tower Street area were targeted in the incidents. The Nkawkaw Divisional Police command has arrested a 30-year-old pepper seller, Amoako Christiana, a nursing mother for carrying an undisclosed amount of fake new hundred and two hundred notes. Christiana Amoako, according to the police was arrested when buying goods from the Nkawkaw Central and Agogroshie markets upon a tip-off. Speaking to Agoo FMs Stephen Abuoku, the Nkawkaw Central Station Officer Chief Inspector, Seth Awure said it is early to ascertain the facts, but an investigation has begun and hopefully to arrest all those behind the circulation of such fake monies. Christiana has however declined having any knowledge about the alleged fake currency. 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 China on Friday revised upwards by nearly 1,300 deaths Covid-19 fatalities in the first pandemic epicentre, the city of Wuhan, where the virus first emerged in late last year. The addition, reported by state news agency Xinhua on Friday, brings the nationwide death toll up by nearly 40% to 4,636, the majority coming from the central Chinese Hubei province where Wuhan is located. The revision of Covid-19 numbers comes amid global doubts of the numbers that Chinas national health commission (NHC) had been releasing daily since the end of January. It is set to bring into question the official numbers released by China. Wuhan authorities also increased the number of confirmed cases by 325. The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Wuhan as of the end of April 16 was revised up by 325 to 50,333, and the number of fatalities up by 1290 to 3869, state media reported Friday. China had until Friday staunchly defended the official numbers of Covid-19, dismissing all suspicion as fuelled by western governments and antagonistic media reporting. In a notification released on Friday, the Wuhan municipal headquarters for the Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control said the revisions were made in accordance with related laws and regulations as well as the principle of being responsible for history, the people and the deceased. The notification listed four reasons for the discrepancy. Four reasons for the data discrepancies were listed in the notification. It said that a surging number of patients at the early stage of the epidemic overwhelmed medical resources and the admission capacity of medical institutions. Some patients died at home without having been treated in hospitals. It added that overworked doctors were preoccupied with saving lives and treating patients, which resulted in late reporting of Covid-19 toll. The notice said that due to a rapid increase of designated hospitals for treating Covid-19 patients, including those administered by ministries, Hubei province, Wuhan city and its districts, those affiliated to companies, as well as private hospitals and makeshift hospitals, a few medical institutions were not linked to the epidemic information network and failed to report their data in time. The registered information of some of the deceased patients was incomplete, and there were repetitions and mistakes in the reporting, the health authorities added. What lie behind epidemic data are the lives and health of the general public, as well as the credibility of the government, an official in Wuhan told state media, adding that the timely revision of the figures, among other things, shows respect for every single life. Ireland is to conduct 100,000 coronavirus tests a week for at least six months to help experts track infection rates as lockdown measures are relaxed. Staff and residents in all long-term residential care settings in the Republic are to be prioritised for testing in the coming 10 days amid ongoing concern about infection clusters. A survey of mortality rates among residents in the facilities, which include nursing homes and mental health and disability services, is to be conducted this weekend to give health authorities a fuller picture of Covid-19s impact. The moves were agreed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (HPHET) on Friday as notification of a further 44 deaths was announced, bring the total in Ireland since the outbreak began to 530. Another 709 positive cases were confirmed by lab tests, taking the total to 13,980. Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said it was important that the ramped-up testing regime delivered results quickly, as that was key to monitoring the spread of the disease. Dr Holohan told NPHETs daily media briefing: If we move into a situation where were lifting restrictions because were satisfied that the disease in terms of its spread in the community is at a very low level we have to be in a position to catch that if there is to be an increase in cases occurring in the community as quickly as possible. We cannot have anything other than real time turnaround in terms of those test results. Expand Close Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan (Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan (Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland) The current lockdown in Ireland, which prevents people from leaving home in all but limited circumstances, is due to expire on May 5. The Government has made clear that if the measures are relaxed after that date, any changes will be very gradual. Earlier on Friday, the HSE said there had been 335 outbreaks of Covid-19 in long term residential care homes 186 outbreaks were in private centres, and 112 were at HSE providers. A total of 196 (or 59%) of outbreaks of Covid-19 are in nursing homes. An outbreak is recorded in instances of one or more cases of coronavirus. A cluster is where there are two or more cases. There have been 261 clusters in residential care settings, 166 of which are in nursing homes. St Marys Hospital in Dublins Phoenix Park, a HSE facility for older people, has registered 11 coronavirus-linked deaths in two weeks. 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 In Co Laois, Maryborough Centre for Psychiatry of Old Age in Portlaoise recorded eight Covid-19 related deaths last weekend. Officials insist tackling the disease in residential setting is now the main priority. Dr Colm Henry, the HSEs chief clinical officer, said concerned relatives should not be thinking about removing residents from care settings. The best place for them is to stay there, its the safest place, he said. Once people are brought out of there not only will they not receive the same care for which they entered the nursing home in the first place, secondly theyre exposed to a risk of transmission in the community which is a very real risk. On Friday, the HSE said a Covid-19 contact tracing app is still being tested but may become available next month, when the current restrictions may start to be eased. The latest modelling suggests Covid-19 has reached a plateau in Ireland, with social distancing restrictions having significantly limited the impact of the disease on the country. Expand Close Minister for health Simon Harris (Brian Lawless/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Minister for health Simon Harris (Brian Lawless/PA) Health Minister Simon Harris said there was a need to focus on residential settings. We are making very good progress as a country but we need to redouble our efforts in relation to residential settings and sadly we know this vicious, dangerous virus is having a particularly devastating impact on older people with underlying health conditions, he told RTE radio. Mr Harris said while the Irish people have done great work to flatten the infection curve, any lifting of restrictions after May 5 would only be done slowly. For every person infected in Ireland, they are now infecting less than one new person, he said. That is incredible progress. When we started this journey, that figure was at 4.7 and every infected person was infecting five more people and then another five people. He added: The lifting of restrictions is going to be complex, delicate and there is going to be a degree of trial and error. We will be grounded in everything we do by public health advice. It is clear from the model that if you just lift the restrictions, this curve will shoot right back up and we are not going to do that and erase the progress that people have made. We would like to put in place a gradual easing of some of the restrictions but I have to be blunt and honest with people, that does not mean going back to life as we knew it in the short term. It will involve social distancing and keeping some of the public health measures in place for a period of time. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das has thanked the team of officials, which he said is engaged in work 24X7 to ensure the country survives Covid-19 crisis. In the RBI, I would like to specially commend and thank our team of 150 officers, staff and service providers who are in quarantine, away from their families and are at work 24X7 to keep essential services such as currency in circulation, settlement systems, reserve management, financial markets, liquidity management and a host of other services available so that the nation can survive Covid-19, Das said while addressing a press briefing through video conferencing. Watch | RBI cuts reverse repo rate by 25 bps, expects 7.4% GDP growth in 2021-22 Banks and financial institutions have risen to the occasion and have ensured normal functioning. Their efforts are praiseworthy, he said further in his unscheduled address. He also thanked the policemen, doctors and other who are on the frontline of Indias fight against the coronavirus infection. During his address, Das said that India is expected to grow at 1.9 per cent during the Covid-19 crisis, only a handful of countries to do so. He also said that there are slivers of brightness among the encircling gloom at the domestic front. Das assured that banking operations have been normal during the lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19. The RBI, Das said, has taken a number of steps to ensure normal business functioning across the banking sector. Humanity is facing the trial of its time as Covid-19 has gripped the world. RBI has been very proactive and has been monitoring evolving situation very closely, said Das. He aso said that the RBI will announce new measures to maintain adequate liquidity, facilitate bank credit flow, ease financial stress. The Indian industry has called for a doubling of credit growth and relief in wages and taxes to help revive manufacturing as it awaits an economic stimulus to cushion the blow from the Covid-19 pandemic. Our thinking is that the economy requires credit to grow at 14-15% as compared to about 7-8% last year, said Vikram Kirloskar, president of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). To do this, banks will require extra capital support which can be leveraged 5-6 times to provide funds to industry. It is essential that firms be not allowed to go under due to this crisis situation and special measures are required for payment of wages and reconstruction of MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) and stressed sectors. Two government officials said that upcoming measures could focus on MSMEs facing debt and wage burden at a time of weak demand. A CII note also cautioned that the government should not spend all its firepower at once as the crisis will not end soon. The current crisis has posed huge uncertainties, with no clear sign of an end time as of now. Given this, we would suggest that the government readies itself with packages that may be announced from time to time, said Chandrajit Banerjee, director general, CII, adding that especially the MSME sector is likely to face a massive cash flow crunch. There is also need to ensure that larger companies, PSUs and government departments release the funds owed to MSME without delay. A monitoring portal can ensure this. He also suggested a special Factoring Fund to enable MSMEs discount their bills to approved retailers with faster realisation. It is also important to ensure that credit ratings of firms are not impacted due to delays in repayment of bank loans, interest, instalments, etc. All due instalments should be postponed by three months without being considered as NPA (non-performing asset), he added. Business leaders have suggested a phased re-start of factories based on infection curves, which is in line with governments proposal for a relaxation. It has proposed easing curbs on manufacturing, e-commerce and construction sectors, alongside logistics and transport in the first phase. Industry officials said the initial measures by the government and the Reserve Bank of India were inadequate. Sangita Reddy, president of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci), said that a stimulus of 9-10 lakh crore, which is equal to 4-5% of gross domestic product should be injected for relief and rehabilitation across all levels of the economy. If we dont help industries (large and small), we will have large scale job losses, which will contract demand significantly, and will lead to further pressure on utilisation of businesses and their liquidity, hence more job losses in future, and exacerbating the situation, she added. Such job losses would impact economic development even in the medium term, added Reddy. Industry executives also pressed for lower taxes. Rajan Wadhera, president of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, said that a cut in goods and services tax (GST) rates should be accompanied by an incentive-based vehicle scrappage programme as well as low-cost finance. GST cut as a temporary measure could be the biggest relief. There has to be a stimulus for the smaller businesses in the supply chain, said Gurpratap Boparai, managing director at Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd. The government should look at reducing taxes across multiple levels for a temporary period. He added that it will stoke demand. (Nandita Mathur, Prasid Banerji, Rhik Kundu, Amit Panday and Jayshree P. Upadhyay contributed to the report) As Texas continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, parts of the state that had been closed will reopen and some restrictions will be eased, according to a new order issued Friday by Gov. Greg Abbott. A team of nationally recognized experts, business and community leaders called Strike Force will lead the efforts to reopen the state. Some of the high-profile Houstonians on the team include Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, billionaire restaurateur Tilman Fertitta and philanthropist Nancy Kinder. Here are the crucial dates for the reopening of Texas: April 20, 2020: Texas state parks reopen. Abbott added that visitors will not be allowed to gather in groups larger than five people and must maintain social distancing. Park visitors will be required to wear protective masks. "Your physical and mental health are important especially in times like these. Going to parks is an effective way to address those needs, so state parks will be reopened beginning this coming Monday," Abbott said. >>> View all the significant dates for the reopening of Texas in the above gallery... STRIKE FORCE: See who's who on Texas Governor Greg Abbott's Strike Force April 22, 2020 Current restrictions on medical procedures will be loosened. "Adequate supplies of hospital beds and PPE must be maintained to ensure that all COVID-19 needs are met," Abbott said. Currently, hospitals and other medical specialists are not allowed to perform non-essential procedures such as diagnostics testing for cancer. This new change will allow doctors to treat patients without having to request state approval, Abbott said. April 24, 2020 Retailers will now be allowed to offer "to-go" options for customers. "Retailers create so many jobs," Abbott said. "This temporary plan allows customers to access more retailers while minimizing contact with others." April 27, 2020 Additional openings and restrictions are slated to be loosened. "We will introduce a phased-in strategy to open Texas in a safe way. It will require comprehensive testing and assurances of hospital readiness for COVID-19 patients," Abbott said. "It will focus on containing the risk of the surge of COVID-19 and protecting our most vulnerable residents." DISASTER EXPERT: Dealing with Houston's fear of COVID-19 and a possible rebellion Abbott added that revised plans will be announced on April 27. "We will consider the possibility of opening more businesses, like restaurants, movie theaters. We will also consider expanding elective surgeries." April 30, 2020 The state's stay-at-home order is scheduled to expire. Closure order for remainder of 2019-2020 school year Abbott has extended the closure order for all Texas schools and colleges for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. "It would be unsafe for students to gather in schools for the foreseeable future," he said. alison.medley@chron.com The pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of our daily lives, and basic necessities that were once widely available are becoming more scarce. It has greatly impacted and expanded the population of people who struggle with food insecurity. I had an opportunity to speak with Melissa Spiesman, vice president and national site director at Food Rescue US, about how her nationwide organization is trying to address food insecurity in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. The Epoch Times: Have you found that youve had an increase in the number of volunteers? Ms. Spiesman: One hundred percent. People are really reaching out to see how they can help and what they can do to be a part of this now. The Epoch Times: How have those in need reacted to your efforts, especially during this time? Ms. Spiesman: Theyre always so grateful, and the one thing that I can say that weve witnessed through all of this is the spirit of the American people coming together to do whatever they can do to help. Volunteers who might not have been able to volunteer because theyre too busy with their work or their schedules conflict are really stepping up to help, and because of that were able to get more food. People in need are recognizing this and are so grateful because we really focus on fresh and high-quality food. So not only are they receiving food, theyre receiving really good, high-end, quality food and they really appreciate that their communities are stepping up for them. The Epoch Times: What is your organizations mission right now in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic? Melissa Spiesman: Our mission will continue to be to help end food insecurity and food waste by directly transferring food from where it would be wasted to agencies that serve people in need. The need is growing as more people are impacted by business closures. So people who rely on gratuities, restaurant workers, hotel workers, convention servers, and general businesses where paychecks are going to be slashed, those people are out of work. Then what the immediate increase has been around is food businesses that are closing that have freezers and fridges full of food that need to get this food out of their businesses. The need has been great right now to pick up this food, some of the agencies that were serving have had to close and change their hours because of social distancinga lot of them are community centers where groups congregate. So just being able to remain nimble and flexible in our communities to be able to address the need both from the food donor and the receiving agency. Fresh high-quality food that would otherwise go to waste. (Courtesy of Food Rescue US) The Epoch Times: How has the pandemic affected who is most in need of this food? Ms. Spiesman: I think that the people who were always in need are impacted in the sense that their need in some cases might only be increasing, because now, for a lot of those families, those children are home. These are children that might normally get at least two if not three meals a day at their schools. These are families that are now being challenged with childcare opportunities. Some of them are having to stay home to take care of their children because theyre not in school every day. The people who are out of work because their businesses are closing or because they have been relying on gratuities whether through conventions, conferences, restaurants, and hotels. Volunteers rescuing food for those in need. (Courtesy of Food Rescue US) The Epoch Times: How has the pandemic complicated your efforts, and how are you overcoming those obstacles? Ms. Spiesman: Its been complicated because businesses are closing, so some of our regular food donors will no longer be donating food. We have a big push as they close their business and we have to pick up all of that food, and then they wont be a continuing source for food. Then, the closures and shifts in the need at the receiving agencies, and what were going to do about it. Were trying to be very proactive in our communities and continue to stay in touch with the food communities in our locations to be able to see where is the food available, how do we get that food to where the need is, and now were thinking longer-termhow to ensure a steadier flow of food moving forward. A volunteer carries bananas that would otherwise go to waste. (Courtesy of Food Rescue US) Los Angeles, April 17 : Pop star Rihanna's father Ronald Fenty tested positive for COVID-19, but he has survived the illness with the help of his superstar daughter. Fenty tested positive for coronavirus at home in Barbados. He feared he would die after testing positive for the novel coronavirus and suffering high fevers, reports thesun.co.uk. He said his daughter, whose real name is Robyn Fenty, sent a ventilator to his home, and checked on him every day. "My daughter Robyn was checking in on me every day. I thought I was going to die to be honest. I have to say, I love you so much, Robyn'. She did so much for me. I appreciate everything she has done," the 66-year-old said. He revealed his superstar daughter, 32, sent in a ventilator "that he hadn't used yet", and shipped it to his home in the Caribbean. He said that she gave him "more than" he needed to make it through the illness. Recalling his time with the illness, he said: "I got a fever up inside of my nose. I had a fever across my lips. It was just a lot of fever. I feared the worst. I thought I was going to die, honestly." He had a message for everyone. "I want everybody to stay home. This is a serious situation. More serious than people realise. Please stay home," he said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text A task force has been set up in the UK to accelerate the development of a coronavirus vaccine. Business Secretary Alok Sharma told the daily Covid-19 press conference that top scientists and manufacturers will work together to speed up the development of a vaccine. He said that the Vaccine Taskforce is being led by chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and Professor Jonathan Van Tam. Mr Sharma told the Downing Street briefing: This taskforce is up and running and aims to ensure that a vaccine is made available to the public as quickly as possible." He said the taskforce will help position the UK as a leader in clinical vaccine testing and manufacturing. Producing a vaccine, which some have predicted could take up to 18 months, is a "colossal undertaking", Mr Sharma said. Business Secretary Alok Sharma / 10 Downing Street/AFP via Getty He said it involves a "complex process which will take many months," before adding: "There are no guarantees. "But the Government is backing our scientists, betting big to maximise the chance of success." Asked about a potential timeframe for when it would be developed by, Mr Sharma said that the Government "cannot put a date on when we will get a vaccine". But, we live in a country with a rich history of pioneering science," he added. The Business Secretary said that the Government has green-lighted a further 21 research projects to help fight coronavirus. He said: In total these projects will receive 14 million from the 25 million Government research investment, and include backing the development of a vaccine at Imperial College London." Sir Patrick said that safety is incredibly important in the development of vaccines. Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance / PA He said: Just to put some realism on vaccine development, each single project does not have a high probability of success. So although everyone goes out with great enthusiasm and we hope they work, its never the case that you know youve got a vaccine thats going to work. So thats the first thing that we need to be sure of. "The second thing is then the safety and its incredibly important that these vaccines are tested properly, thats why it takes some time to get to the clinical trials and understand the potential unwanted effects of a vaccine. And then only when that has been done can this be used widely across the population and so those are the stages we need to go through. The finance boss of online estate agent Purplebricks, James Davies, has resigned and is being replaced by Andrew Botha, who will take over on 11 May, the company said today. Botha, who joins from luxury travel group Secret Escapes, was also finance boss of Zoopla prior to its acquisition in 2018 by US private equity firm Silver Lake. Over the past 25 years, he has also worked for a number of other companies, including online travel company Lastminute.com, bookmaker Betfair and online retailer Notonthehighstreet. Finance boss change: James Davies has resigned and is being replaced by Andrew Botha It comes as the company last month announced radical cost savings and moved to online-only adverts with 'virtual viewings' to keep itself afloat during the coronavirus crisis. Purplebricks chairman Paul Pindar said Botha has a 'remarkable track record in growing digital businesses'. He added: 'I look forward to working with him and the executive management team to execute Purplebricks's strategy.' Departing finance boss Davies said that despite the coronavirus pandemic, Purplebricks was in a strong financial position. He said: 'I joined when it was a nascent challenger brand and today it ranks as the UK's largest estate agency by volume. I am proud to have been on that journey.' 'Notwithstanding the current COVID-19 circumstances, the Company is in a strong financial position and ready for its exciting next stage of development and success.' Last month, Purplebricks suspended all television and radio advertising and cut supplier overheads to radically reduce costs. The AIM-listed company said it expected revenues to be below expectations in the twelve months to April 2020 and dropped its forward guidance for the upcoming financial year due to the impacts of the coronavirus. Purplebricks shares rose 4.6 per cent to 35.95p in morning trading on Friday. Finance ministers from the G20 group of major economies agreed temporary debt relief on Wednesday (April 15) to help indebted nations, mostly in sub Saharan Africa, tackle the coronavirus crisis. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SAUDI ARABIA FINANCE MINISTER MOHAMMED AL-JADAAN, SAYING: "Our actions today include a G20 initiative to suspend debt service payments for the poorest countries. All bilateral official creditors will participate in this initiative." Announced by this year's G20 host Saudi Arabia, the measures are expected to free up more than $20 billion to be spent on improving health systems and fighting the pandemic. The debt standstill offer, to freeze principal repayments and interest payments from May 1 to the end of the year, is open to the world's poorest and least developed countries, as defined by the World Bank and the United Nations. More than half of them are in sub-Saharan Africa - which is expected to take a disproportionate battering from the financial turmoil unleashed by the new coronavirus, hit by the double punch of the pandemic and plummeting oil and commodities prices. The International Monetary Fund says the region's GDP is expected to contract by 1.6% this year - its worst performance on record - though may rebound in 2021. However, for now the IMF is not endorsing the kind of broader relief and debt cancellation that African finance ministers, and organisations like Oxfam International, are calling for. Exactly 148,000 gallons of potable water storage capacity would be added to homes across Canouan, Mayreau and Union Island, free of costs to residents, just as soon as the dust settles after this vexing COVID-19 pandemic. This undertaking comes through the initiative of the Union Island Environment Attackers (UIEA) a nonprofit organization committed, among other things, to easing the water woes of Southern Grenadines residents. Karina Collins-Coy, founder and president of the volunteer group of environmental enthusiasts, told THE VINCENTIAN Newspaper, "Were planning to give Canouan 58 thousand-gallon black tanks, Mayreau about 15 because its a smaller community, and Union Island about 75 thousand-gallon. Were just waiting on the final answer. This leg of the UIEA water resiliency thrust is being backed by the CARICOM Climate Change Center with funds provided through USAID. "The project is already approved; were just waiting on the donors to release the funds. Because of the COVID situation and how it is overseas, we know that some of the places are closed at this time, boats are not coming and so on. But it should not be too long from now; we hope we could have them (tanks) before the rainy season. "We would also be refurbishing wells the wells are not covered, they need to be cleaned; people normally access the wells for water, especially in the dry season, for washing and bathing and flushing toilets, Katrina said, adding that the well repairs may be limited to Union Island for the time being. Last year, the UIEA accomplished their 4th milestone when together with local partner Sustainable Grenadines Inc., they enhanced the water storage capacity on Canouan by a further 50,000 gallons. That phase of the project sharply illustrated the partners limited resources. "When we saw the conditions, we decided that something must be done, and thats why we came up with the project to help Canouan last year. So 50 homes benefited; but when we realized that all of the affected homes would not be able to get a tank, we decided to write to the managers of the Mandarin Oriental Resort, Glossy Bay and to the CCA. We were trying to get additional tanks from each of the companies. "But none of them could assist with any tank. However, we told the people, since everybody would not be able to get one, we would make it our business to do another project of this kind. That opportunity has come again, but unfortunately due to the COVID-19 situation right now, there is a delay in that project. (From right): Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Head of the Venezuelan Mission Francisco M. Perez Santana, and Minister of Health Luke Browne were on hand to receive the kits on their arrival at the AIA. This country received 3000 quantity of PCR (Rapid Diagnostic Test) kits and 50 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) kits, on April 10, from the Peoples Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The kits are to be used in this countrys ongoing battle against the coronavirus (COVID-19). The same number of kits were also gifted to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Grenada. The testing kits arrived in the face of confirmed reports that the United States Customs and Border Protection was working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to prevent distributors from diverting personal protective gear and other equipment overseas, even when legally purchased. This action followed on the signing of the Defense Production Act by President Trump on April 3, which gave the US government more control over the procurement of Covid-19 related supplies and allowed for the ban of certain exports. The Bahamas, Barbados and the Cayman Islands have all had shipments of personal protective equipment (PPE) blocked. And Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, on receipt of the kits, alluded to "Many pieces of equipment have been held up in the US, including the PCR Testing Machine. This country had no direct control over the supply chain and any intermediating forces impacting the supply chain, Gonsalves lamented. The Prime Minister explained that the rapid test kits were particularly helpful and were accurate towards the latter stages of an individuals quarantine period. Head of Mission of the Venezuelan Embassy Francisco M. Perez Santana said that the US was still imposing a war against them. However, they were still spreading love and solidarity. "The test kits are part of the 12,000 that the President has sent to friends in the region. Receive this gift, this solidarity with the love of President Maduro (Nicolas) and the People of Venezuela, he said on handing over the kits. Minister of Health, Luke Browne noted, "It is a significant development for us to have these kits. They will be able to be used in an advanced state when a patient is at an advanced stage, Browne said. The Health Minister disclosed that they had already received the supporting supplies to facilitate the PCR testing. The only thing preventing the tests from being conducted locally was not having the instrument itself. He assured that his Ministry was staying on top of the situation regarding shipment. Howrah: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addresses during a meeting over COVID-19 pandemic at Nabanna in Howrah during the extended nationwide lockdown imposed to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, on Apr 17, 2020. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Kolkata, April 17 : Accusing some BSF officers of letting in people into her state through the international borders, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday warned her administration to ensure no coronavirus positive patients could enter from outside and spread the infection. "Our police personnel should see to it that no coronavirus positive patient could enter Bengal and spread the infection," Banerjee said at an administrative meeting at the state secretariat Nabanna. The Chief Minister said high vigil has to be maintained in international borders spread over various districts. Coming down heavily on the BSF, she said its personnel were seen moving with BJP MPs. Banerjee also asked the administration and police officers not to allow any inter-state and inter-district movement into the state. She directed officials not to lobby for the return of family members or friends stranded in other states. The Chief Minister cautioned that migrant workers from other states would come to Bengal once the lockdown was over on May 3. "We have to take some precautions. The Chief Secretary (Rajiva Sinha) will finalise a protocol," she said. The Chief Minister said migrant workers stranded in districts of the state away from home were being allowed to return starting from Friday, and the entire process would be completed in two-three days. Those travelling from one district to another would have to be put in quarantine for a few days if they had not been kept in isolation till now. If you didnt live under a rock for the last couple of days, you probably know that OnePlus announced its new flagship smartphones. The company announced the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, and this time around, the Pro model stands out way more than it did last year, its a true flagship offering. The OnePlus 8 Pro matches all other flagship smartphones, and it even beats them in some ways. In my personal opinion, OnePlus hit the home run this time around, even though theres a huge asterisk above the OnePlus 8 Pros price tag. Many people have an issue with its price tag, but Considering that many people complained about its price tag, lets talk about that first. The OnePlus 8 Pro is considerably more expensive than its predecessor, the OnePlus 7 Pro. It costs $230 more than its predecessors, the OnePlus 7 Pro was priced at $699 at launch, while the OnePlus 8 Pros pricing starts at $899. Why such a huge price bump? Well, there are several reasons for that. This time around, OnePlus has decided not to compromise, as much as that was possible. The company finally introduced official water and dust resistance rating, and it also introduced fast wireless charging that people have been asking for. On top of that, theres the Qualcomm factor. Qualcomm sells its Snapdragon 865 flagship processor only bundled with the Snapdragon X55 modem. In other words, every single Snapdragon 865 chip that ships out includes 5G connectivity, and that package does not come cheap. If Qualcomm made a 4G variant of the Snapdragon 865 available, perhaps OnePlus would choose to release 4G models. That would, for sure, decrease the price tag of both devices. Those three factors are the main reasons for this price bump, but there are other components that are not cheap. OnePlus really decided to go all-in this year. The OnePlus 8 Pro includes some flagship tech from OZO Audio, Goodixs latest, ultra-thin in-display fingerprint scanner, Samsungs premium 120Hz QHD+ display, and more. Advertisement Based on the specs alone, the OnePlus 8 Pro is one of the most powerful smartphone flagships Looking at the specs alone, this may be the most powerful smartphone in the market at the moment, or at least one of them. It definitely stands side-by-side with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra in terms of specs alone, and some would say it even beats the best Samsung has to offer. Do note that the entry-level OnePlus 8 Pro is considerably more affordable than the entry-level Galaxy S20 Ultra. In fact, the OnePlus 8 Pro costs about the same as the Galaxy S20. Many people would say that is not comparable because one is Samsung, and the other is OnePlus. Well, if youre going to compare phone just based on their brand strength, then I give up, because that makes no sense. Ive been choosing OnePlus devices for years now, since the OnePlus 3T, as my personal daily drivers (when Im not reviewing other devices), and Ive never regretted my decision. Thats not something I can say for many other brands. Thats just my personal preference, though. Advertisement So, now that we got the pricing out of the way, what is there to complain about? Well, not much, to be quite honest. Youre getting one of the best displays in the market, plenty of LPDDR5 RAM, one of Sonys best camera sensors on the back (backed by several others), latest Android and extremely well-optimized OxygenOS, and more. Those are just facts, though, but does the OnePlus 8 Pro deliver in real-life usage? Yes, yes it does.Ill go as far as saying this is the fastest Android smartphone in the market, if not the fastest / smoothest smartphone in general. The combination of powerful hardware, OnePlus optimizations, and that gorgeous 120Hz QHD+ display delivers great performance. Camera quality is not an issue any longer, quite the contrary The OnePlus 7 Pro had its fair share of camera issues when it launched. Most of those issues were fixed quickly via updates, but the damage was done. Well, youll be glad to know that the OnePlus 8 Pro delivers in the camera department from the get-go. The device finally has that flagship camera experience that users have been requesting for years. Its a reliable camera smartphone for pretty much every occasion. Advertisement The Pixel 4, Huawei P40 and iPhone 11 Pro (Max) may still have an edge in some aspects, but the OnePlus 8 Pro is capable of going head-to-head with all of them. The phone has great dynamic range, can shoot really detailed and well-lit photos in dark environments (and is backed by Nightscape), while the macro shots look gorgeous. Just take a look at several macro camera samples. Do note that those samples have been compressed by Twitter, and they still look great. The OnePlus 7T did a great job with macro shots, and the OnePlus 8 Pro brings the experience to a whole new level. OnePlus has also improved video recording, a lot. The stabilization is great, and you can get 4K at 60fps without a problem. Its one small step behind the iPhone 11 series in that regard, and thats saying a lot. OxygenOS is better than ever, and it was pretty great to begin with OxygenOS has some new tricks up its sleeve, its more refined than ever. Alexa now comes built-in, and the dark mode is much improved as well. OnePlus added almost 300 optimizations to its UI, in order to make it even more fluid than before. OxygenOS was one of the best iterations of Android for years, and that is even more apparent now. It goes head-to-head with stock Android and One UI, and many would say it even wins in a number of ways. Thats a personal preference, though. The thing is, it brings a ton of features, while it does not sacrifice on performance. Advertisement You want fast wired charging? Check. You want fast wireless charging? Check. The OnePlus 8 Pro offers both 30W wired and wireless charging, and its extremely fast. The only caveat is that youll need OnePlus proprietary chargers in order to take advantage of that. A brick for wired charging is included in the box, while youll need to purchase the wireless charger. Wired charging can get you from 0 to 60% in half an hour, while wireless will get you to 50% in that same amount of time. If you say that is too slow or something, well I dont know what to say. This may not be the fastest charging out there, but it is one of the fastest charging technologies currently available. The design is also up to par with top smartphones from other companies Some people may even complain about the design of the OnePlus 8 Pro. Why? Well, it has a small display camera hole, so its predecessor did look more appealing. The OnePlus 7 Pro, as you may recall, includes a pop-up camera, so it doesnt have a display hole or notch. Well, this time around, OnePlus opted to not include moving parts inside a phone, and instead backtrack on the overall design appeal a bit. Advertisement Many people would agree that this is a better decision, as there are no moving parts inside a phone. That is a personal preference, though, as no major issues appeared when it comes to pop-up cameras. I, personally, would prefer the pop-up camera more, as Im not a fan of display holes. On the flip side, that would probably affect water and dust resistance. The company had to make a decision, and for better or worse, here we are. The point is, The OnePlus 8 Pro is an appealing-looking phone regardless. The OnePlus 8 Pro easily matches the best flagship smartphones in the market, and then some We still didnt finish our full review of the OnePlus 8 Pro, but its quite apparent that this will be one of the best smartphones of the year. You can complain about the price tag considering how much of an increase it is, but comparing that to the OnePlus 8 Pros competition will bring things into perspective. Considering what it offers, the OnePlus 8 Pro is not too expensive, at least considering todays market. What is there left to say? Well, do note that this is an opinion article. Theres a lot of my personal opinion included here, and you may disagree, of course. Its hard to deny that OnePlus 8 Pro offers a lot, even if youre not a fan of the company, or its phones. After launching a website to reach out to people from the state stranded in other parts of the country since the nationwide lockdown to tackle the outbreak of Covid-19 came into force, the government of Manipur is now offering assistance. Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh tweeted, We are helping our people who are stranded and stuck outside the state due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Upto now, 3,771 stranded people outside the state have been provided Rs 2000 each. We will provide the same to the remaining 10,000-12,000 persons within 2-3 days. During a video conference on April 11, the chief minister had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take action against racial slurs and harassment that people of the Northeastern region are facing in different parts of the country, amid the coronavirus crisis. He also appealed to other chief ministers to take care of the 30,000 Manipuri people who are stranded outside the state because of the lockdown. Meanwhile, Principal Secretary and current resident commissioner in New Delhi, PK Singh, distributed dry ration to students and other Manipuris stranded in the national capital. A total of about 700 students and other stranded Manipuris in Delhi-NCR have received packets containing pulses, potatoes, cooking oil, masks and sanitisers. Singh said that all items were being sourced through voluntary contributions. The IAS officer said that information, including contact details of those in need, has been collected and that the intention is to distribute the packets to at least 4,000-5,000 people in the capital. Technavio has been monitoring the crab market and it is poised to grow by USD 4.7 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of almost 5% 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/20200417005101/en/ Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Global Crab 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. Bonamar, Bumble Bee Foods, LLC, J.M. Clayton Seafood Company, Maine Lobster Now, and Thai Union Group PCL are some of the major market participants. The demand for crabs from foodservice 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. Demand for crabs from foodservice has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Crab Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Crab Market is segmented as below: End-user Foodservice Retail 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=IRTNTR31122 Crab 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 crab market report covers the following areas: Crab Market Size Crab Market Trends Crab Market Industry Analysis This study identifies rise of online sector as one of the prime reasons driving the crab market growth during the next few years. Crab Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the crab market, including some of the vendors such as Bonamar, Bumble Bee Foods, LLC, J.M. Clayton Seafood Company, Maine Lobster Now, and Thai Union Group PCL. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the crab 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 Crab Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist crab market growth during the next five years Estimation of the crab market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the crab market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of crab 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 Foodservice Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Retail Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by end-user 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 New product launches Growth in online market Clean labeling PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Bonamar Bumble Bee Foods, LLC J.M. Clayton Seafood Company Maine Lobster Now Thai Union Group PCL 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/20200417005101/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/ A dispute over ocean views in Del Mar that has simmered since the 1990s heated up again this week when a condo owner demanded that the trees and shrubbery at the edge of a nearby 5.8-acre lot be trimmed every four months instead of twice a year. I just want to protect my little piece of heaven here, Shirli Weiss said told the Del Mar City Council on Monday. Weiss, who bought her condominium in 2014, is making another foray in a battle that other owners in the Del Mar Woods condominium complex have fought for more than 25 years. The complex is just west of Camino Del Mar and south of Del Mar Heights Road, on land that hugs a beachfront parcel owned by Torrey Pacific Development Co., whose principals are members of the Staver family. Advertisement The property has several eucalyptus trees along its northern boundary and along Stratford Court to the east. Weiss filed a complaint under the citys trees, scenic views and sunlight ordinance on Aug. 30, 2016, saying her view should be restored to what it was when she bought her $1 million condo a year earlier. At the time, she said, she could see waves breaking on the beach, a white water view. But when the trees grow back between bi-annual trimmings she loses the best part of her view for several months out of the year. The scenic view has been repeatedly obstructed, Weiss said. Properties are bought and sold in Del Mar based on only even a sliver of an ocean view. The Del Mar Planning Commission denied her request in April, and Weiss appealed to the City Council. On Monday, the council denied the appeal on a 2-2 vote, with Mayor Terry Sinnott absent. Councilwoman Ellie Haviland, who supported the denial, said the property owners have made a reasonable effort to satisfy Weiss complaint, and that to require additional trimming would be excessive. The Staver family has owned the seaside parcel since 1950. The late Ralph Staver served on the Del Mar City Council, and his wife, Marian, was a granddaughter of the Chandler family that owned the Los Angeles Times. The property is still used by more than 40 of the couples descendants. The land originally had just a few eucalyptus trees on it, and the Stavers planted more as a screen along the northern boundary when the nearby condominiums were built in the 1970s. On Monday, Tom Staver Ralph and Marians son said the fast-growing trees were once 40 feet tall at the edge of the property, but are now trimmed to 20 feet or less every six months. He said the trees are gradually being replaced by slower-growing trees that will mature at about 20 feet tall. Christopher Garrett, an attorney for the Stavers, said a total of 37 complaints have been filed over the trees since 2003, and all have been resolved through negotiations and the familys voluntary agreement to trim the trees twice a year. If you grant the appeal you will be setting a new level of restrictions, Garrett said. All of the complaints were filed by individual condominium owners not the Del Mar Woods homeowners association, said Joe Valenti, who managed the complex until earlier this year. Seven residents first filed a complaint in 2003, saying they had worked unsuccessfully with the property owner for more than 10 years, seeking to have the trees removed. A group of 28 Del Mar Woods residents filed complaints again in 2012, but many of those were resolved through negotiations. By 2015, that number had been whittled to seven, Garrett said, and all have since been resolved. philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @phildiehl Mumbai, April 17 : Indian stock markets witnessed a rally during the last two hours of trade on Friday with healthy buying in the banking and finance stocks. Both the BSE Sensex and the NSE Nifty50 closed above the psychological levels of 31,000 and 9,000 respectively. The surge in the banking and finance stocks was on the back of the liquidity and regulatory measures announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The S&P BSE Banking index rose by 6.83 per cent BSE Finance index was up 5.44 per cent. Gains on the global indices also supported the Indian market. Major Asian markets closed on a positive note and the European indices like the FTSE, CAC and DAX also ended higher. The BSE Sensex closed at 31,588.72, higher by 986.11 or 3.22 per cent from the previous close of 30,602.61. It had opened at 31,656.68 and touched an intra-day high of 31,718.73 and a low of 30,960.94 points. The Nifty50 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also ended at 9,266.75, higher by 273.95, or AA3.05 per cent from its previous close. To mitigate the impact of economic fallout on financial liquidity due to Covid-19 pandemic, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Friday announced a set of new measures including a 25 basis point reduction in reverse repo rate to 3.75 per cent of Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF). He also announced other measures including TLTRO 2.0 and re-financing facilities for critical institutions. Rahul Sharma, Research Head, Equity99 said: "COVID-19 continues to be the focus of the market. Following strong global clues and expectations of a fresh set of a fiscal stimulus package, which would be bigger than the earlier one, the markets traded high but gave up some of the gains towards the end." Deepak Jasani, Head Research at HDFC Securities, said that broad market indices like the BSE Midcap and Small Cap indices gained less, thereby underperforming the Sensex or Nifty. On the technical front, Jasani said: "Traders will need to watch if the Nifty can now convincingly cross these trend line resistances around the 9,420-9,460 levels for further upsides in the coming week. Else, selling pressure could resume once again and push the Nifty lower." Among the Sensex stocks, the top gainers were Axis Bank (up 13.45 per cent), ICICI Bank (9.89 per cent) and IndusInd Bank (9.13 per cent) and the major losers were Nestle India (down 3.15 per cent), Hindustan Unilever (2.14 per cent) and Tech Mahindra (1.60 per cent) He and other hospital leaders could not say how many covid-19 patients have already come through Laurels emergency room and been sent to other facilities for treatment, though they are sure some have. Testing will not be done at Laurel, a spokesman said it is designed for treatment of people who have already tested positive or exhibited severe symptoms without testing. Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' urged private schools not to go for annual hike this year and consider the pandemic. He urged schools to pay staff on time. Coronavirus lockdown: Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank urged private schools not to go for an annual hike this year and consider the pandemic. He urged schools not to ask parents for the advance fees for three months and consider quarterly amounts for this session to be enough. He asked them to pay staff on time amidst lockdown. On Friday Union Minister Tweeted and urged private schools to take part in the fight against global disaster coronavirus and take off the school liabilities. He urged them not to pressurize parents and also asked them to take care of the staff. Union Minister on Thursday also talked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhis remark over lockdown extension. Pokhriyal said this is not the right time to play politics and no one should even think about this in such a situation. Ramesh Pokhiyal told ANI that this is not the time to question the Government of India or to make doubts over the lockdown extension. The main aim is to control the pandemic and to save lived of the citizens of our country. I request all schools to join hands in the #FightAgainstCoronavirus, empathize with the parents amid this global disaster and re-consider their decision. #IndiaFightsCoronavirus pic.twitter.com/2NAMz88iVi Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) April 17, 2020 Union HRD Minister Pokhriyal also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his determination to fight against coronavirus. He said that PM has taken several steps and appealed to the citizens, in return the citizens of the country have also supported them. Ministry of Human Resource Development has taken several steps earlier for maintaining stability among government schools to deal with coronavirus lockdown. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App The move is part of Sompo Internationals ongoing transformation. Our decision to focus our activities in London on a single company platform reflects the unique strength of Sompos global reach, brand, ratings, and financial stability, asserted John Charman, executive chairman of the Sompo International board and chief executive of overseas insurance and reinsurance business at Sompo Holdings. Having one single platform will allow us to continue to profitably grow our business and deliver superior value and solutions to our clients and distribution partners. Charman added that Sompo Internationals rating is equivalent to Lloyds and that they can utilize that rating and their existing operation to be an even more streamlined and efficient risk solutions provider. Meanwhile international insurance chief executive Julian James noted: Our ambition is to grow our London Market and European business significantly in the near term. Sompo International is now recognised by our brokers and clients as a global leader with significant capability and excellent talent. With one platform, we will be able to provide them with efficient access to the very best products and services, underpinned by highly rated security. Mr. Diaz attended contemporary and inter-disciplinary theater, screened films at International House, and was interested in innovative programs for playwrights. Read more People Weve Lost John Charles Diaz 82 years old Lived in Germantown Played in many local theater productions More Memorials John Charles Diaz loved the arts. Blessed with a resonating stage voice and a dashing physical presence, he relished the roles he played in community theater productions at Stagecrafters Theater and Allens Lane Art Center. He performed in Don Juan in Hell, Curse of the Starving Class, Sticks and Bones, A Runner Stumbles, A Dolls House, Catch-22, Little Murders, and Little Alice. We used to practice the lines with him, said daughter Christina. It was fun. He also loved jazz, so much that hed tune to it each night on the radio and let it carry him off to sleep at his Germantown home. Mr. Diaz, 82, died at Lankenau Medical Center on Friday, April 3, of complications from the coronavirus. He had battled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Mr. Diaz developed his love of jazz in New York City, where he was born and raised. He regaled his family with stories of seeing the trumpeter Miles Davis live on a weekly basis as he was growing up. In 1958 and 1959, he earned two engineering degrees from Columbia University. After jobs in Tennessee and California, he moved to Philadelphia in 1966, and four years later took over his fathers import/export business in Central America. In 1978, he became general manager of Day & Frick, a Philadelphia manufacturer of vitamins and supplements. He landed his dream job in 1986 when he became physical plant director at Haverford College, supervising construction and renovations on campus until retiring in 2009. But it was the visual and performing arts that moved Mr. Diaz. He in turn passed along that passion to his children and grandchildren. He attended contemporary and interdisciplinary theater, screened films at International House, and was interested in innovative programs for playwrights. In addition to his daughter, he is survived by his wife, Pamela Kerr; daughters Lisa Riegel and Cymantha Liakos; son Austin; and nine grandchildren. His first wife, Catherine Ericson, from whom he was divorced, died in 2006. A memorial service is delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic will be held later. Bonnie L. Cook An Australian government minister on Friday called for "more transparency" from China on the origins of the coronavirus, adding the pandemic might cause the world to rethink relations with the Asian superpower. The statement came after Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton recovered from COVID-19, which he is thought to have contracted during a trip to Washington DC. "I do think there will be a reset about the way in which the world interacts with China. We do want more transparency," Dutton told the Nine Network on Friday. "When you've got a communist party that doesn't have the transparency that other comparable economies have, then that is a problem," he added. More than 3,000 people had been infected before Chinas government told the public what it had concluded six days earlier - that a pandemic was probably coming. Beijing muffled early warnings, such that the Chinese were assured the risk of sustained human-to-human transmission was low even as infected people entered hospitals across the country and the first case outside China was found, in Thailand. Recently, US President Donald Trump and some of his officials have flirted with an outlier theory that the new coronavirus was set loose on the world by a Chinese lab that let it escape. A scientific consensus is still evolving. But experts overwhelmingly say analysis of the new coronavirus genome rules out the possibility that it was engineered by humans, as some conspiracy theories have suggested. Australia has officially recorded 6,521 COVID-19 cases and 66 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. But the virus is highly contagious and can be spread by those with mild or no visible symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death. LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's biggest utility EDP said on Thursday it will maintain the same capex expenditure of 9 billion euros over the next three years despite the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Speaking at an online news conference, EDP Chief Executive Antonio Mexia said the company expected not to cut its dividend, keeping the payout ratio at 75%-85% of net income, with a floor of 0.19 euros per share. (Reporting by Sergio Goncalves, Writing by Catarina Demony; editing by David Evans) Forty-nine migrant workers, all residents of Maharajganj district in Uttar Pradesh, travelled around 1,700 km in a truck from Pune to their native place Kolhui in the district, blatantly flouting the nationwide lockdown norms that is in force since March 25. Superintendent of police, Maharajganj, Rohit Singh Sajwan said over phone that during checking on the highway on Friday morning, policemen saw a moving truck covered with tarpaulin. The truck had a Maharashtra number and a slip pasted on the windscreen wherein it was written Essential Services. On suspicion, the policemen stopped it at barrier and asked the driver to remove the tarpaulin and, to their surprise, found 49 migrant workers seated inside, Sajwan said. The policemen then informed senior officers about the truck and the migrants. The police seized the truck and arrested the driver while the migrants were quarantined in the nearby Bhagirathpur Inter College. The police have also lodged an FIR against the owner of the truck and informed the Maharashtra police about the incident. A probe has been ordered as to how the truck moved from distant Pune to Maharajganj during the lockdown, Sajwan said. Forty-eight migrant labourers are natives of Badhara Shivnath, Jamhurakala Belwa, Gujarwaliya, Baikniha, Chapwa and Mainyahwa villages in Maharajganj district while one labourer is a resident of a village bordering Nepal. The migrants wanted to be sent to their respective villages but the police team took them to the quarantine facility. They were served food and given medicines, said station house officer Ram Sahay Chauhan. The migrants had left Pune for Maharajganj on April 14 night crossing Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and several districts of UP before they reached Maharajganj on Friday morning. A migrant labour named Shiv said they worked in a factory in Pune. During the lockdown period they managed to live on their meagre savings and food till April 14. When the lockdown was extended till May 3, they decided to leave for home. They contacted their factory owner, who provided the truck to transport them to their villages, he said. The migrants said around Rs 3 lakh was spent on the truck fare, fuel, food and other items that they have to pay back to the owner once they return to Pune after the lockdown, he said. Unsure about the future of the school, the owner of a nursery school in Cau Giay district in Hanoi has decided to sell the school and liquidate teaching aids. It has is a 4-storey building with total usable area of 2,000 square meters and a 400 square meter school yard. The school is located in a populous residential area with high intellectual standards, high income, many children, good transport conditions, and high security level. However, the school has only 30 students, and the students are staying off school because of the epidemic. While the revenue is zero, the school still has to pay more than VND100 million a month in rent. The owner of another preschool with 70 students in Dong Da district also has to sell the school after failing to maintain its operation. He cannot arrange enough money to pay the rent of VND33 million for the 4-story building (total usable area of 450 square meters) and cover other expenses. Unsure about the future of the school, the owner of a nursery school in Cau Giay district in Hanoi has decided to sell the school and liquidate teaching aids. Pham Mai Chi, headmaster of a preschool in Tay Ho district, said her school can exist because she doesnt have to pay rent. However, the school has had no revenue for the last two months. The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) reported that there are 15,700 private preschools and household-run classes. These are small scale facilities with fewer than 70 students. The owners of the schools are small investors with limited financial capability. They are vulnerable to any upheaval in society. According to MOETs Deputy Minister Pham Ngoc Thuong, Covid-19 has had a strong impact on the education sector and especially private schools. The schools have to pay at least a total amount of VND400 billion a month to 103,863 managerial officers and teachers, if referring to the regional minimum wage. The rent for 3,702 privately owned education establishments, from preschool to university, is total VND450-500 billion. They also have to pay for detoxification, disinfection and epidemic prevention activities and other expenses Nguyen Ba Minh, director of the Preschool Education Department, warned that if private schools dont have the capability to retain their staff, Vietnam will lack teachers for the post-epidemic period and face a human resources crisis. He said MOET has asked the government to apply measures to help private preschools stabilize their staff. One of the proposed solutions is the zero percent credit package to be disbursed for private education establishments. The government has approved the aid package for subjects affected by the epidemic. Private school teachers are also beneficiaries. Mai Chi 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. Ector County Health Department Director Brandy Garcia said during a Zoom conference on Thursday that Ector County confirmed seven more cases of coronavirus, including a 72-year-old man who is a resident at Madison Medical Resort. The Ector County total is at 55, she said. The county has tested a total of 631 people, with 516 negative and 16 pending tests. Garcia said 23 people have recovered from coronavirus in Ector County. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The COVID-19 pandemic has already exacted a heavy toll on Telstra boss Andy Penn as a father, son and chief executive. One of his daughters is out of a job, his sister-in-law is recovering in the US and now his elderly mother, based in the UK, has caught the virus. "The unique thing about this crisis is we're all living it at the same time as having to manage within it," Penn says. "My daughter lost her job, I've got very sick elderly parents in the UK and I can't visit - my mother's got COVID-19." Telstra chief executive Andy Penn. Credit:Eddie Jim The pandemic is a unique type of challenge for Penn, who is no stranger to challenges and isn't the sort to back down from them. Having taken the reins at Telstra in 2015, Penn's tenure to date has been anything but smooth. From widespread network outages in 2016 to mass job cuts and last summers national bushfire crisis, Penn has managed to see off every test. Telstra's core business has undergone a significant makeover in the last four years. Its wholesale telecommunications monopoly has almost entirely vanished, thanks to the National Broadband Network, taking with it billions of dollars in revenue. It has also been forced to cut the dividend it pays to investors, many of them mum and dad shareholders and self-funded retirees, who have seen the value of their Telstra shares halve under Penn's watch. Meanwhile, Telstra's margins continue to wither in the face of the fierce competition in the mobile market and the high wholesale prices charged by the NBN. Advertisement Penn says while that while he and his senior team are well prepared to handle the challenge of COVID-19, it's also a wake-up call. As executives, sometimes you go through life thinking you are superhuman but nothing really impacts you at a personal level and you build up this great degree of resilience, Penn tells The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age from his home and workplace of five weeks on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. Actually being cognisant of [the fact] that it must be having a bit of impact on you personally...giving yourself the latitude to feel sad about that or feel concerned about family and friends, have a sense of loss - that is only natural. Loading Telstras reaction to the pandemic was fast. The telco had barely finished crisis management and resiliency work to help bushfire-affected communities when it made the decision to send its 20,000 staff home to work. The crisis management team was well-trained, but Penn knew the pandemic was uncharted waters and a second daily meeting for Penn and his senior executives was quickly organised. When we're in the crisis management discussions, we are dealing very much with the technical issues of today and tomorrow. We've had several sessions now, which we run in parallel, where we are not making those immediate in the moment decisions, Penn says. While you can't predict exactly how the world's going to look in the future, there are certain things that you can probably safely conclude. The world is probably going to stay working virtually more than it has done previously so that says something about the...configuration of our networks. Advertisement An example, he explains, is the way the company reacted to the impact of the pandemic on its call centre workforce offshore. Telstras business continuity planning had been focused on diversification - employing thousands of staff in multiple locations and different countries, but stringent restrictions in places like Philippines meant staff could not get to work. That diversification hasn't really helped anybody in the current environment, he says. Loading In addition to call centre roles, Telstra has also announced a discount on services for those on the JobSeeker benefit, a $30 a month offer for anyone with a valid healthcare card and a freeze on job cuts and plans to speed up spending on its 5G mobile network. This week the company said it would extend its customer support measures, including unlimited data at no additional charge for consumer and small business broadband customers, an extra 25GB of data for post-paid customers and a waiver of late payment fees, until June 30. The telco's T22 transformation plan, launched in 2018 included mass job cuts. Of the 8000 roles expected to be removed in the four-year plan, 6000 were shed last financial year. These job cuts are temporarily on hold, which Penn says is to provide staff with job security during the crisis. Telstra was one of the first companies to send its Australian staff home. Credit:Carla Gottgens, Bloomberg The measures will inevitably have a financial impact, but Penn sees COVID-19 as a time to demonstrate Telstras corporate responsibility and hopes some of that will translate into brand loyalty from the public. Advertisement The importance of connection and keeping people connected is absolutely highlighted [in this pandemic]. Having said that, we're a commercial business so we can't do that for nothing, he says. But I think that by trying to be very thoughtful about the packages that we've put in place to help customers that are particularly challenged through this period by giving them unlimited data as a broadband customer or more data if they are a mobile customer or hardship plans if theyve got difficulty paying. We think that's both the right thing to do from a corporate social responsibility point of view, but also the right thing to do ultimately in terms of brand value and customer loyalty in the long term. Loading If we can find ways to keep people connected while recognising we're still a commercial business and have a responsibility to shareholders and a responsibility to stay strong...then I do think it builds that long term brand and customer loyalty. Penn does not believe the COVID-19 pandemic will change the way his company plans to operate in a few years' time. If anything he says the pandemic has led the telco giant to double down on its T22 transformation strategy. We set out these five key priorities for the next sort of three to six months, he says. They're basically protecting the health and the well-being of our people, keeping our customers connected, building flexibility and capacity into our networks, and ensuring we're financially sustainable. The last one is ensuring that we come out of this current situation with strong growth potential in our core business and growth potential in our current adjacencies. One of the divisions Penn is focused on is Telstra Health, home to the countrys electronic prescription digital platform and the national cervical and bowel cancer digital registries. The whole essence of what we're trying to do in Telstra health was to digitally enable the health system, he says. Advertisement Personal Data Of 115m Pakistanis For Sale Leading Pakistani cyber security company Rewterz has discovered a massive data dump containing information of 115 million Pakistani mobile phone users that is now for sale on the dark web.The cyber-criminal, who is a VIP member of the dark web forum where the advertisement has been placed, has set the asking price for this data dump at 300 Bitcoins equivalent to around $2.1 million. Rewterzs Threat Intelligence team has analysed some of the samples from the telecom database up for sale and the data includes personal information of the users such as names, contact numbers, residential addresses, National Identity Card numbers and Tax Code Identity Numbers. With a total popultaion of 220 million, the stolen data equates to the contact information for every adult in the nation. The firm added that the cyber-criminal offering the data dump for sale is a VIP member of the dark web forum where the ad has been posted. Database is freshly hacked this week. That data was still being updated as I took the data down. Beautifully organised in a CSV with headers for your pleasure." the dark wed advertisement states. Rewertz think that this data could be an outcome of multiple breaches or of a single breach of one or more mobile operators, although the given the sheer number of users suggests it is likely to be from more than one of the major service providers. None of the telecom operators immediately notified their customers that their data has been compromised. This could be because the companies are unaware of the breach, the data is actually old or that they have deliberately chosen to keep their customers in the dark. Rewertz researchers suggest that Pakistani organisations with outdated cyber security infrastructure have become an easy target of these actors and that some of the data may date from 2014. Financially motivated threat actors are active in Pakistan and organisations with outdated cyber security infrastructure have become an easy target and if the data leak is new, it will raise serious questions on the protocols telecom companies are following regarding data security and privacy. Rewterz: ProPakistani: Global Village: TechJuice: BusinessRecorder: You Might Also Read: 35 Million 2018 US Voter Records For Sale: An oil company is an entity engaged in at least one of the following three activities: The oil industry is rapidly changing in the current economic climate. Find the latest information in the newsfeed at the end of this article. Additionally, investors must consider the implications of climate change for the long-term prospects of oil and gas. The energy sector is changing a lot, and renewable energy companies are taking more market share. Even so, that doesn't mean there are few opportunities in the oil patch. Here's a closer look at some of the top oil stocks and factors to consider before buying oil stocks. However, the oil industry is highly competitive and volatile, and profits and losses can swing wildly based on small shifts in demand or moves by petrostates such as Saudi Arabia and Russia whose interests can run counter to the public companies in the industry. Oil companies are crucial to the global economy, providing fuels for transportation and power, as well as the core ingredients of petrochemicals used to make products, including plastics, rubber, and fertilizers, that we rely on every day. Read on to learn more about each of these. With the oil industrys headwinds in mind, three top oil companies worthy of investors' consideration include ConocoPhillips ( NYSE:COP ), a global exploration and production company; Exxon Mobil ( NYSE:XOM ), a large-scale, integrated supermajor; and Phillips 66 ( NYSE:PSX ), a leading refining company with midstream, chemical, and distribution operations. ConocoPhillips For investors looking to capitalize on rising oil prices and steady demand, ConocoPhillips is worth considering. One of the largest E&P-focused companies in the world, it specializes in finding and producing oil and natural gas and has operations in more than a dozen countries. ConocoPhillips benefits from scale and access to some of the lowest-cost oil on earth, which includes significant exposure to the Permian Basin via its 2020 acquisition of Concho Resources (NYSE:CXO). With average costs of about $40 per barrel and many of its resources even cheaper, it can make money in almost any oil market environment. The company plans to return its entire market cap in dividends and share repurchases over the next decade as long as Brent Crude prices average only $50 per barrel. Finally, the company complements its low-cost portfolio with a top-tier balance sheet. ConocoPhillips routinely boasts one of the highest credit ratings among E&P companies, backed by a low leverage ratio for the sector and lots of cash. Add it all up, and ConocoPhillips has consistently been able to generate positive cash flows while paying out a dividend it's raised six times since 2015. ExxonMobil Corp. One of the largest oil companies on the planet, ExxonMobil is a fully-integrated supermajor. It operates in every segment of the oil and gas industry, including E&P, midstream, petrochemical manufacturing, refining, and, even farther downstream, marketing refined and petroleum products to customers. The past decade hasn't been great for the company. Profits have steadily declined during that time, it was removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average after more than a century in the index, and the climate-focused hedge fund Engine No. 1 successfully captured three seats on its board in May 2021. But more recent efforts to reduce its business costs and boost efficiency are beginning to pay off. It has lowered its oil production costs significantly over the past couple of years by focusing on its highest-return assets while also taking steps to better leverage its massive scale. As a result of those improvements and a recovery in oil prices and global demand, its cash flows are surging. That should continue to protect ExxonMobil's dividend and its status as a Dividend Aristocrat. With the concerns about the growth of renewables, and many investors choosing to avoid oil stocks entirely, ExxonMobil's stock price could remain undervalued for an extended period of time, offering one of the better dividend yield opportunities on the market. Phillips 66 Phillips 66 is one of the leading oil refining companies, with operations in the U.S. and Europe. It also has investments in midstream operations -- including sizable stakes in two master limited partnerships, Phillips 66 Partners and DCP Midstream (NYSE:DCP) -- and in petrochemicals via its CPChem joint venture with Chevron (NYSE:CVX). Finally, its marketing and specialties business distributes refined products and manufactures specialty products such as lubricants. Thanks to its large-scale, vertically integrated operations, Phillips 66 is among the lowest-cost refiners in its industry. This is the result of both leveraging its integrated midstream network to source lowest-cost crude for refining and petrochemical feedstocks and investing in projects that give it higher margins on the products it makes. Phillips 66 also boasts a strong financial profile, which includes an investment-grade balance sheet with very manageable debt, plus it has lots of cash on hand. These factors mean it has ample capital to invest in expansion projects -- including a surprising focus on renewable fuels. It's also been a dividend growth superstar and a share buyback dynamo over the past decade. Investors looking to profit from oil stocks and gain exposure to renewables should give Phillips 66 a close look. If you want to travel once upon a December with this Russian princess, you may be out of luck. Is the Fox Animation Studios movie, Anastasia, available on Disney+? thanks to the companys acquisition of 21st Century Fox? Heres what we know about this animated movie and Disneys streaming platform. Christy Altomare and cast during Broadway Opening Night Performance Curtain Call bows for Anastasia | Walter McBride/Getty Images Anastasia is not currently available on Disney+ If youve wanted to journey to the past, youre not alone. This animated movie tells the story of the lost Russian princess, named Anastasia. When the evil wizard Rasputin separates Anastasia from her family and a reward is given to bring the daughter back, two Russians plan to bring an orphan girl to the queen, not knowing shes the real princess Anastasia. There are musical numbers, theres a bad guy, and of course, theres a beautiful princess for fans to meet. This animated movie originally premiered during 1997, however, its since made its Broadway debut. Now, some are wondering if Anastasia is available on Disney+. Unfortunately for Disney+ subscribers, it may be a little bit longer before this princess and her movie joins the streaming platforms library. Currently, Anastasia is not listed on this subscription service. That could be subject to change, being that Disney technically owns this animated movie. Christy Altomare as Anastasia performs during a special Broadway performance of Journey To The Past | Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic Anastasia is owned by the Walt Disney Company Thanks to the Disney-Fox merge, the Walt Disney Company owns the rights to original movies previously created by 20th and 21st Century Fox. Anatasia falls under that umbrella. Although it was originally a Fox Animation Studios production, this princess has a home alongside beloved princess movies like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast. She may be a Russian princess, but Anastasia is not considered technically a Disney princess. Shes not alone in this separation, though. Because of their popularity, Anna and Elsa are often separated from the Disney Princess lineup. According to Polygon, Princesses from films released subsequent to the original lineup, who made the Princess mythology cut, all had coronations at Walt Disney World, an in-park celebration that introduced their living counterparts, or face character, to the attractions and officially inducted them into the franchise Only three princesses have [since] joined the original lineup: Tiana, Rapunzel, and Merida. Are 21st Century Fox movies on Disney+? Some movies and television shows released by 20th Century Fox, 21st Century Fox, and Fox Animation Studios are available for streaming on this platform. That includes the popular animated series, The Simpsons and the movie based on these characters. The record-breaking film, Avatar, became available on this streaming platform at its launch date. (The movie which surpassed Avatars gross box-office sales, Avengers: Endgame, is also on the Disney+ library.) Even The Sound of Music is available for binge-watching with some of Disneys original movies. Hopefully, more information regarding Anastasias appearance on Disney+ will be announced in the coming months, as more titles become available on this platform. To learn more about Disney+ and to subscribe, visit their website. An attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund said Leeds City Schools officials agreed to restart meal services for students, beginning Tuesday, after the group asked a federal court to order them to do so. School officials announced they would restart meals during a video hearing conducted under U.S. District Judge Madeline Haikalas jurisdiction Friday afternoon. The NAACP LDF filed an emergency motion Wednesday claiming the districts decision to stop serving meals has a disproportionate impact on black students in the district and is a violation of the decades-old federal school desegregation order. NAACP LDF attorney Deuel Ross said this is the first legal action the group has taken in Alabama, but it may not be the last. Around 45 Alabama school districts still operate under federal school desegregation orders, some more than 50 years old. Those orders ensure school districts dont take actions that disproportionately negatively impact black students, which Ross argued was the case in Leeds. While calling todays agreement to restart student meals a win, Ross said he regretted that it took court action to make it happen. From our perspective, (school officials) were not intending to do anything until we and the court stepped in to force them to explain themselves, Ross said. Leeds City Schools stopped serving meals April 2, according to the motion, announcing on April 3 Lunch is cancelled. Until further notice lunch is cancelled due to Gov. Iveys stay at home order. Other school districts in Jefferson County are still serving meals to students in the wake of closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ross said, making Leeds an outlier. Ross said at a Thursday federal court hearing between the parties, Leeds school officials said they would contact families to see if they needed to restart food distribution. Half of the districts 1,900 students are considered economically disadvantaged according to state education records, a number Ross said could grow. Obviously, given the increasing financial crisis, even more parents and students are going to come to rely on this program, Ross said. More than 350 parents expressed an interest in restarting the program after school officials surveyed families, Ross said. The district agreed to provide grab and go meals beginning Tuesday at the districts middle and primary schools. No further details were available. Related: As Alabama schools end meal programs, burden shifts to food banks According to data on the Alabama State Department of Education's 2018-19 report card, nearly 80% of the district's black students are economically disadvantaged compared to 41% of white students being designated economically disadvantaged. In the motion, NAACP attorneys quoted instructions from state education officials and Gov. Kay Ivey specifically exempting education-related and food distribution activities from the stay at home order issued March 26. The motion included emails between NAACP LDF attorneys and attorneys for the Leeds, Midfield, Trussville and Homewood city school districts specifying plans for distance learning, internet access and continuation of meal service. School board attorney Anne Yuengert wrote in an email that Leeds City schools stopped serving meals due to Iveys public health order, but that order specifically exempts food distribution programs. Yuengert confirmed that meal service will resume on April 21. We will be posting details on social media and families will receive a School Messenger message." In an April 3 memo to superintendents statewide, Alabama State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey emphasized that food distribution programs are also exempt from the state health order. Related: One Alabama county relies on army of volunteers to keep feeding children Updated 5:15 p.m. to state that school officials agreed to restart student meals. Updated 9:05 p.m. to include Leeds school board attorney Anne Yuengerts comment. Among very conservative voters, the situation was flipped: Sixty-five percent said they were more worried about reopening too slowly. But is that because of a concern over the economy, or is it because of a simple frustration with the shutdown itself? In a Fox News poll released last week, strongly conservative voters were in fact less likely than others to say they worried that the response to the virus could cause a recession. Most did not say they were very worried about this, whereas among the rest of the electorate, more than three in five said they were very concerned about the prospect of a recession. So the backlash may be less about fears that the response will cause economic harm, and more about a sense of outrage at an infringement on liberties. If theres a statement that I think Im hearing the most, its: Tell us what to do and trust us to do it, dont try to make us do it by law, Robert Cahaly, a Republican pollster and senior strategist for the Trafalgar Group, said of the protesters. Its that whole axiom of, If you would trade liberty for security, you deserve neither. With President Trump publicly lamenting the need to keep the economy shuttered, the responsibility to lay out restrictions and articulate the justification for them has fallen largely to governors. Most people express general appreciation: Governors approval ratings are up virtually across the board. But in states with an already intense partisan divide like Michigan, Ohio and North Carolina a small, vociferous protest movement is arising. On Fox News, Tucker Carlson has called Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan authoritarian for placing strict limits on public activity in response to the virus, which has hit the state hard. When Garrett Soldano, a right-wing activist, spoke recently via live stream to his Facebook group, Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine, he focused more on principles of liberty than on economics. Keeping healthy people at home is tyranny, he said. The following is the view of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a non-governmental watchdog organization that, "Protects human dignity and the rule of law through legal and public advocacy methods". The High Court of Budapest (Fovarosi Torvenyszek) rejected the appeal of an Iranian pharmacist student in her fourth academic year. We are referring to her under the fictitious name Zara. She asked the Court to prevent her deportation to Iran, one of the most infected countries by the Covid-19 pandemic. The client of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee did not commit any violation of law, and the authorities did not present any evidence on her alleged unlawful behavior. Yet even before the criminal procedure could be concluded, considerable efforts have been made to expel her as soon as possible. Facts, the lack of evidence, the defenses rebuttal of the absurd accusations, the presumption of innocence and even our clients apparent innocence do not matter at all. The raw will of power carried the day. We have no doubt that our client is the victim of a politically motivated show trial. Chronicle of a show trial 7 March Late at night, Zara, a 33-year-old Iranian pharmacist student, living in Hungary for 9 years, and paying millions of HUF as tuition fee, was transported to the St. Laszlo Hospital of Budapest. She has never committed any violation of law. She was hospitalized, because she came in contact with a person suspected of being infected with the coronavirus and had to be quarantined to be tested. 7 12 March After her registration in hospital and the first examination, she was transferred to another building along with the other students. Here she was quarantined until 12 March. During her stay in the hospital, she did not have any conflict with the doctors. 12 March they were released from the hospital. Upon leaving, they were surrounded by 20 police officers in the hospitals waiting room. The Police read the names of the Iranian students one by one, who were escorted individually to another room. Here they had to sign a document in Hungarian, which stated that they should show up with their passport at the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (NDGAP) on the following day. Students from South Korea, Spain, and a Swedish-Iranian national who were in quarantine together with the Iranians, were allowed to leave freely. Only the Iranian students were served with summons to the immigration authority. 13 March Zara went to the NDGAP where she was heard and a few hours later, served with an expulsion decision. In the evening, the Police interrogated her. She was finally informed that she was accused of breaking the quarantine rules between 9 and 10 pm on 7 March by leaving her hospital room, behaving aggressively and refusing to return to her room despite repeated requests by the hospital staff. A lawyer was appointed to her, but he was not present at the interrogation. Our client insisted that she did not commit any crime and would like to testify in the presence of a lawyer. 23 March Zara, with the legal assistance of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, made a written statement on the details of the events, confirming that she did not violate any rule and left her room only to use a hand sanitizer, since they had neither liquid disinfectant nor soap in their room. In his submission to the Police, her lawyer pointed to an obvious contradiction in the accusation: she could not commit any crime she was accused of since she was not even admitted to the hospital then. According to official hospital records, she was not present in the hospital at 9 pm, not even at 10 pm, but according to the final report -, was admitted only after 11 pm on 7 March. He also pointed out that according to the hospital documentation, our client was not even placed in the room which she was accused of leaving aggressively (at a time when she was not in the building either). In addition, he asked to see the documents in the case, as it is a right guaranteed to defense attorneys. 2 April Zara was interrogated again, this time in the presence of her lawyer. She was informed that her accusation has been amended. According to the new accusation, she left her room without permission sometime after 11:04 on 7 March. She was no longer accused of behaving aggressively and not returning to her room despite repeated calls. The new accusation did not specify the exact date when her alleged actions took place and which room she was suspected of leaving. At this point, it became evident that the police had no idea even about when their suspects were admitted to the hospital. Our client upheld her written testimony and also submitted a complaint about this amended accusation. She insisted that she did not violate any rules. Her lawyer observed that the amended accusation did not contain any factual details nor did it specify what rules applied to our client and whether they were communicated to anyone at all, if so, when and how. For all these reasons, he proposed to hear the doctors and nurses who were working in during our clients stay in the hospital and to ask them who communicated the rules to our client and when and how exactly she violated them. 6 April The head of the Prosecution Office of Budapest District IX. rejected both complaints against the accusations, and held that further investigation is needed to fully clarify the facts. The rejection decision holds that both accusations were correct and lawful, since there is adequate reason to believe that our client left her room. However, based on the second accusation, it is logically impossible that the first accusation could be factually and legally correct. 9 April The Budapest Metropolitan Police issued a decision restricting the right of access to the files in the criminal case. The Police held that it would be suspects who should not have access to each others testimony, and testimonies of other witnesses heard in the case. This is, again, misleading and incorrect, since our client is the sole suspect in her case, she is not charged as part of a group. We are aware that none of the accused accept the charges brought against them. Furthermore, the two nurses who had been heard as witnesses stated that all were free to leave their room to the corridor, since that is where the disinfectant was available to them. Our lawyer obtained written testimonies from several of our clients classmates present at the hospital who are not accused of committing a criminal offense. They all claim, in full knowledge of their criminal liability, that even though the rules of quarantine have not been properly explained to them, our client did not violate any of the them. Others admit that there was indeed a conflict on 7 March when infected and uninfected students were being locked up in one room, but at the time of that conflict, Zara was still at her home. She was brought to the hospital by the police for epidemiological isolation, so this can easily be confirmed not only by the hospital documentation but also by a police report. Based on clear lies and a completely false narrative, our client, Zara and her twelve classmates are to be expelled from Hungary and the European Union. Her appeal against the expulsion decision was rejected by the Court, which held that no matter whether our client is innocent or not, and the Court has no right to override the statement of the police in this matter. A final judgment had already been delivered before the criminal procedure could be concluded. 14 April The expulsion to Iran, one of the countries most affected by the corovavirus pandemic can now be carried out at any time, as there is no further opportunity of appeal against the Courts judgment. More: helsinki.hu NORTHWEST ANGLE 33 FIRST NATION, ONT.Jonathan Mallet lies on the frozen surface in the Lake of the Woods. Moments before, his quad vehicle had flipped him and his sled carrying water jugs onto a thin sheet of ice. With each movement, the water rises from the cracks beneath him. As he had done most days for years, often with his fiancee and four-year-old daughter, Mallet had been carting dozens of blue jugs filled with clean water from Kenora, Ont., to Angle Inlet in Northwest Angle 33, his isolated reserve in the Lake of the Woods a community that has relied on bottled water since 2011 because of a long list of water contamination, from E. coli to radionuclides. It is eight hours there and back often through hostile terrain where there are no roads, only the lake. In the winter, the path takes him over ice, bringing its own risks. Together, Mallet, his wife and child make an average of up to five trips a week, working through holidays, blizzards and storms. Four-year-old Alessa has been helping haul water as long as she has been alive. The water haul follows a maze of summer and winter routes. In winter, the quad and a sled are driven across the frozen lake. In summer, the family typically boats across the lake to reach a delivery van parked in Minnesota. A series of dirt roads criss-crosses the international border twice before leading to the company in Ontario that sells them clean water. In the last few years, they have done this more than a thousand times. We (will) drink clean water because I wont let us drink anything else, Mallet says. We are a dying breed. In February 2019, Northwest Angle 33 received $9.7 million for a water treatment plant as part of the federal governments commitment to end long-term drinking water advisories in Indigenous communities by 2021. But the promise of sustainable clean, drinkable water remains theoretical. A lack of infrastructure from roads to equipment has undermined construction projects as it has in many remote communities where First Nations have the longest-standing drinking water advisories. Lack of roads, in particular, means many infrastructure projects, including water treatment plants are delayed, incomplete or go unrepaired for great lengths of time. Im angry with the government for ignoring our requests for a road, says Northwest Angle 33 Chief Darlene Comegan. Every construction project we have is incomplete due to delivery delays of materials. Even once built infrastructure means the maintenance of water systems will be challenging if not, sometimes, impossible. Many First Nations have infrastructure needs and requests for funding across the region greatly outweigh the total allocated budget, currently by over $2 billion, says Rola Tfaili, a media relations officer for Indigenous Services Canada. The 2019 federal budget acknowledged that where drinking water advisories have been lifted without sufficient resources to operate and maintain water and wastewater systems, it is possible that new drinking water advisories may be issued in the future. In Northwest Angle, a once thriving community of hundreds has gradually dwindled to a few dozen people amid three long-term drinking water advisories. In the remote Indigenous communities of Lake of the Woods, this is what access to clean drinking water looks like. On that October day in 2017, Mallet, travelling alone, had been delivering clean water to his community near the Manitoba-Minnesota border all day. By the time his quad had flipped him, the sun had set. He sat on the ice clinging to his sled. Beside him, 1,000 pounds of bottled water lay scattered. His 500-pound quad was tipped on its side. His foot was pinned under the quad and he was sinking into the lake, the same lake that had claimed the lives of his grandfather, several cousins, and his uncle Rick, whose house he now lives in with Alessa and his fiancee Victoria. During the winter freeze-up, he usually only hauls small shipments across the lake to avoid sinking. But the stock in the community hall was running low and he had decided to take more than normal. Mallet eventually unpinned his foot and flipped the quad upright with a thud that caused more water to swamp the ice. Then he piled the water jugs back onto the sled, feeling the ice see-saw beneath him. He made it to land as the ice crackled and caved in behind him. He arrived home safely at midnight. Funding for the construction of the treatment plant was approved Jan. 27. The community then awarded work to a contractor, who lugged equipment across the lake last month. A plan for roughly eight people Mallets father among them to cut down trees and clear a safe path to an old logging road five kilometres away was abandoned, because the muskeg was too soft and the window of opportunity had closed, said Norma Girard, a band councillor for the First Nation. Project manager Sean Petrus, of Colliers Project Leaders, which is part of the consulting team, says construction is also challenged because of the limited materials available in the community for construction and road maintenance. And the community lacks a reliable power source and experiences intermittent power interruptions. Whether or not the water treatment plant, once built, can stay functional is another question. Servicing the water treatment facility will be dependent on an all-season access road, says Girard. To protect the water treatment plants ability to run optimally we will need a road. Climate change has effects on timing. Without an all-access road, everything costs more. I cannot reiterate more why a road is most important. North of the Northwest Angle reserve, Shoal Lake 40, which is also in the construction phase for a water treatment plant, recently opened a road after receiving funding. Freedom Road, as it is known, represents what Shoal Lake chief Chief Erwin Redsky called the first step toward reconciliation between First Nations and Canada. Shoal Lake 40 has had seven long-term boil-water advisories, dating back to 1997. In 2016, after the federal government and the City of Winnipeg committed to building the road, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went to Shoal Lake 40 and hauled water himself. Shoal Lake 40 is also in the construction phase for a new water treatment system. Northwest Angle 33 has seen no such progress with the Ontario government. There have been no talks about a permanent road and the only commitment has been $18,700 this year for a seasonal road, according to a ministry statement. By contrast, in August, the Indigenous Affairs minister for the Ontario government, Greg Rickford, who is also the minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, announced a $200,000 investment for a speedway for his Kenora district in the Lake of the Woods to increase tourism. Northwest Angle 33 First Nation says they submitted a proposal for a road costing $4.3 million to Indigenous Services Canada in June 2019. And they say they submitted another application to the provincial government. Road access is only one part of an infrastructure crisis affecting the vulnerable Indigenous communities of the North that do not have clean water. The Assembly of First Nations draft policy made recommendations on how to eliminate the disparities between reserves and municipalities and to ensure that engineering industry standards are met on reserves. In the proposal obtained by the Star, the AFN asks Indigenous Services Canada to support First Nations on their path to self-determination by adopting a modern approach to their investments, the same approach used by municipalities across the country, known as asset management. The AFN wants the federal government to address some of the root causes of the water crisis. This includes adopting an asset-management approach to water systems and infrastructure investments to ensure the water crisis does not repeat itself. This approach would help to ensure that facilities do not break down and that there is sustainable infrastructure to support the longevity of water treatment facilities. The current investment models at Indigenous Services Canada are long outdated. Priorities set in the AFN proposal include sustainable and cost-effective approaches to supporting infrastructure such as power supply and the maintenance and building of bridges and roads. The AFN is asking for a five-year plan to revamp the Indigenous Services Canada system. As public servants we cannot speak to the decisions of political actors, or speculate about future political decisions, says Tfaili, the Indigenous Services spokesperson. The root causes of the water crisis on northern reserves are several, including insufficient infrastructure funding and an ineffective allocation process, according to a 2017 report by the Council of Canadians and David Suzuki Foundation, titled Glass half empty? Year I progress toward resolving drinking water advisories in nine First Nations in Ontario. The investment from the Liberal government is not enough to address all of these infrastructure gaps that exist within First Nations, says Vi Bui, water campaigner for the Council of Canadians. We want to credit (the Liberal government) for paying attention to this issue in a way no previous government has done, but it is still not enough of a solution to actually end the drinking water crisis. Two First Nations Neskantaga First Nation and Eabametoong First Nation have called states of emergency in 2019. Neskantagas water treatment plant, slated for 2018, has been plagued by delays and equipment failures. They fired their contractor and secured a new contractor last fall. Eabametoong called a state of emergency in July due to ongoing equipment failures, and after elevated levels of trihalomethanes (THMs) were discovered in its water system. They remain under a boil-water advisory and the plant is under construction. Fort Severn First Nation declared a state of emergency in March due to water system failures and having no reliable road access to mobilize equipment. In an audio recording obtained by CBC, Minister of Indigenous Services Canada Marc Miller acknowledged that the lack of reliable road access is an obstacle to meeting the March 2021 deadline to lift all drinking water advisories. The people who work with First Nations in the North see their perspective forever changed. Wesley Bova, a professional engineer who works for Matawa First Nations Management, the regional tribal council, has worked up north for the last 15 years. Daily chores as simple as bathing his children and seeing them take a drink of water remind him that water is taken for granted in Canada. Being Indigenous himself, building friendships with First Nations in the North and seeing how their children live with boil-water advisories strengthened his resolve to find a solution. When you come here and you see the vast discrepancy in the quality of life it really makes you think and wonder why has this has been allowed to happen, says Bova. Matawa communities such as Neskantaga, Eabametoong, Marten Falls, Nibinamik and Webequie have no road access, are separated from each other, and are located hundreds of kilometres from cities. Like Northwest Angle, the stability of the ice roads will decide how construction and repair occur. For me, in terms of the money the government committed, the biggest issue yet to be resolved is the operation and maintenance associated with it, says Bova. If we could follow the provincial model, we would be in a good place, says Bova, referring to an investment approach that focuses on some of the root causes of the water crisis. RELATED STORIES Read the Stars Tainted Water series But having said that, you need money to be able to do that. Matawa First Nations have looked elsewhere for help. On March 2, Matawa chiefs announced that they are looking for companies to help them build better community infrastructure. Indigenous Services Canada says it recognizes that each First Nation has unique infrastructure concerns. However, critics say the current approach is one size fits all. Craig Baker, an engineer with First Nations Engineering Services, has worked with reserves in remote areas with decaying infrastructure and no road access. In 2013, Bakers company completed a capital planning study for Northwest Angle 33. Its all about insufficient funding to sustain the infrastructure, says Baker. We have this insanity thats going on where First Nations may get a 100 per cent grant to build a new water treatment plant, and then they are severely underfunded for O&M (operations and maintenance) so you cant sustain them. Northwest Angles water system is one of several systems under the umbrella of the Anishinaabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council that is deemed high risk as of 2019, from the most recent annual inspection reports by Indigenous Services Canada acquired through the Access to Information Act. A lack of reliable roads is a key issue, says Baker. When you dont have road access, the cost to deal with repairs, depending on the type of water treatment plant, for skilled trades to come and do repairs, its incredibly expensive. All it takes is one breakdown, where it puts a huge hole in your budget for the year. The Northwest Angle is a booming tourist destination supported by the provincial government, but as the years pass, fewer people return to this isolated reserve in the Lake of the Woods. While the District of Kenora has seen more population growth than any other district in northern Ontario, the population of Angle Inlet reserve in Northwest Angle 33 has dwindled to the brink of extinction. Where hundreds of people once lived, now a little more than 20 people live year-round. In 2015, a year before Northwest Angle 33 called a state of emergency due to radioactivity in the water, the few remaining residents met to develop a plan to rebuild their community. Building the road was top of their list. Jonathan Mallet was hired to haul water for his reserve, a year before his daughter was born. Even if a new water treatment plant does eventually come to the reserve, it will not reach Mallets house. His is one of six homes that were deemed too remote to be connected to a treatment plant, according to the engineering report that recommended they use raw intake water from the lake. And so, Mallets family will continue to haul clean water for themselves long after any new water treatment plant is built. It will never be perfect, says Mallet. Whats being done is just a Band-Aid. Amaravati, April 17 : The surging fears and stigma over coronavirus infection forced a woman in Andhra Pradesh refused entry to her husband in the house, till he underwent Covid-19 test. The incident occurred in Venkatagiri in Nellore district when the man stuck in Nellore since the lockdown began finally returned to his home town. The man, working in a gold shop in Nellore, was stranded there since lockdown was enforced last month. He finally succeeded in reaching Venkatagiri on Wednesday. However, his wife asked him to first undergo the screening for coronavirus before entering the house. She said this was necessary for the safety of the children and the community. She suggested he stay in a local Anganwadi centre and requested volunteers to get a test done on him. The health personnel later took the man to Nellore, where his samples were collected. The test result was negative, much to the relief of the man and his family. "I would not have risked the lives of children and those living in the neighbourhood. That's why I insisted that he enter the house after undergoing the test," the woman said, defending her move. In a similar incident early this week, a village sarpanch in Telangana did not allow her mother to return home from another village due to strict enforcement of lockdown after a man tested positive. The IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Plant Protection Department to support efforts to expand export markets for Vietnam's high quality fruits. Dragon fruits for exports Over the next four years, the IFC will collaborate with the department to expand shipments of international-standard produce such as dragon fruit and passion fruit, which have the fastest growth in high value markets. Although Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports tripled from 2013 to 2018, most products are still exported through informal channels at less competitive prices due to incomplete quality standards. To address this restriction, the two sides will work together to improve the legal framework and public services to open new export markets. They will also endeavour to improve the quality of dragon fruit and passion fruit by updating and implementing plant quarantine and traceability regulations in accordance with international practices and the requirements of importing countries. When tariffs are no longer a trade barrier thanks to free trade agreements, the implementation of sanitary and phytosanitary requirements is extremely important for Vietnamese agricultural products to penetrate overseas markets, according to Director of the Plant Protection Department Hoang Trung. Based on cooperation with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Japanese Government and the Korea Green Growth Trust Fund - part of the World Bank Group, the IFC will support Vietnam to implement an online system of requirements, involving exports of dragon fruit and passion fruit by 2022, he added. Vietnam exported 836 million USD worth of fruit and vegetables in the first quarter of 2020, a year-on-year decline of 10.9 percent, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. China continued to take the lead with over 300 million USD, down 29.4 percent compared to the same period last year. The sharp decline was attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, other markets recorded slight year-on-year growth from January-March, such as Indonesia with 2.1 million USD compared to only 164,800 USD in the same period in 2019, Thailand 35.2 million USD against 7.6 million USD one year ago, Laos 9.6 million USD compared to 2.6 million USD last year, Russia 8.2 million USD against 2.4 million USD in the same period last year, and Cambodia 885,300 USD from 340,000 USD from one year ago./.VNA More than a quarter of Myanmars prison population is being released, the presidents office announced Friday, after calls grew to ease pressure on overcrowded jails with coronavirus fears gripping the country. The Southeast Asian nation grants an annual amnesty to thousands of prisoners to mark its April New Year holiday, but this is the largest recorded in recent years. It comes as governments around the world including the US, parts of Europe, and Colombia grapple with overcrowded prisons as fears spiral of virus outbreaks behind bars. To mark Myanmar New Year, by respecting humanitarian ground and peace in mind of the people, the president pardons altogether 24,896 prisoners from various prisons, a statement Friday from the presidents office said. As news of the amnesty spread, crowds defied a new ban on gatherings of five or more people to assemble outside Yangons notorious Insein prison, hoping to see their family members freed. As buses brought the newly-released through the prison gates, cheers erupted with people waving flowers and reaching to grasp the hands of relatives leaning out of the bus windows. Wearing a mask, Ei Nge told AFP she came to the prison as soon as she heard about the amnesty. Im not even thinking about coronavirus. I just really want to see my son. So far Myanmar has officially confirmed 85 cases of COVID-19, including four deaths, but experts fear the real number is many times higher because of the low numbers being tested. The country is under a nationwide lockdown and there had been growing pressure to release inmates from what Human Rights Watch (HRW) branded horribly overcrowded and unsanitary jails. The presidents office said 87 foreigners included in the amnesty would be deported. By Friday afternoon the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said it only had confirmation of the release of 12 of 76 prisoners of conscience, but the group was holding out hope for the others. Before the amnesty, there were nearly 100,000 inmates across the countrys prisons which had space for just 62,000, according to HRW. Last years amnesty included the high-profile cases of two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who spent more than 500 days behind bars over their reporting on the 2017 Rohingya crisis. SOURCE: AFP A new report published in Science Advances on the emergence of agriculture in highland Papua New Guinea shows advancements often associated with a later Neolithic period occurred about 1000 years' earlier than previously thought. University of Otago Archaeology Programme Professor and report co-author Glenn Summerhayes says findings in Emergence of a Neolithic in highland New Guinea by 5000 to 4000 years ago, provide insights into when and how the highlands were first occupied; the role of economic plants in this process; the development of trade routes which led to the translocation of plants and technologies; and an associated record of landscape, environment and climate change through time. The report details the earliest figurative stone carving and formally manufactured pestles in Oceania, dating to 5050 to 4200 years ago, which were found at a dig site in Waim. Also found were the earliest planilateral axe-adzes uncovered in New Guinea to date, and the first evidence for fibrecraft and interisland obsidian transfer from neighbouring islands over distances of at least 800km. "The new evidence from Waim fills a critical gap in our understanding of the social changes and technological innovations that have contributed to the developing cultural diversity in New Guinea," Professor Summerhayes says. The combination of symbolic social systems, complex technologies, and highland agricultural intensification supports an independent emergence of a Neolithic around 1000 years before the arrival of Neolithic migrants, the Lapita, from Southeast Asia. When considered together with a growing corpus of studies indicating expansion and intensification of agricultural practices, these combined cultural elements represent the development of a regionally distinct Neolithic. The research establishes dating for other finds at the site, including a fire lighting tool, postholes, and a fibrecraft tool with ochre, possibly used for colouring string fibre. advertisement The report suggests increased population pressure on the uneven distribution of natural resources likely drove this process, which is further inferred by language and genetic divergence. The project arose out of an Australian Research Council Grant awarded to Dr Judith Field (University of New South Wales) and Professor Summerhayes. "Former Otago postgraduate student Dr Ben Shaw was employed as postdoctoral fellow to do the "leg work in the field" and Dr Anne Ford (Otago Archaeology Programme) contributed to understandings of the stone tool technologies. As it worked out many of these rich discoveries were made by Dr Shaw. It was one of the best appointments Dr Field and I have ever made. I am proud of our Otago graduates who are some of the best in the world." Professor Summerhayes and his team had previously completed a Marsden funded project in the Ivane Valley of Papua, establishing the beginning of human occupation at 50,000 years ago. The results of this work were published in Science in 2010. "This project is a follow-on where we wanted to construct a chronology of human presence in the Simbai/Kaironk Valley of Papua New Guinea by systematic archaeological survey with subsequent excavation and analysis of a select number of sites. "This work tracks long-term patterns of settlement history, resource use and trade, and establishes an environmental context for these developments by compiling vegetation histories, with particular attention paid to fire histories, indicators of landscape disturbance and markers of climate variability. This will add to understandings of peoples' impact on the environment." Professor Summerhayes received a Marsden grant in late 2019 for his project "Crossing the divide from Asia to the Pacific: Understanding Austronesian colonisation gateways into the Pacific." This will involve work in the Ramu Valley, which was once part of an inland sea, and will tie in the developments of Highland New Guinea, with the movements of Austronesian speakers into the Pacific. The Spring Fire Department still must be on call while the pandemic continues, but with the help of a donation from Exxon Mobil, they will have more personal protective equipment to stay safe. Truman Bell, Exxon Mobile Corporations manager of community relations, said they gave the department a $5,000 check on Friday to buy protective equipment, just one donation theyve made as part of a larger program during the crisis. Houston coronavirus updates: What you need to know for April 17 We want to do our part to help our first responders and others in the community in whats an unprecedented time, Bell said. The program is called Meals and Masks, which started with a $250,000 grant to the Houston Food Bank and Montgomery County Food Bank to provide meals to those in need. Another $100,000 went to Texas Medical Center, the Houston Firefighters Foundation and the Houston Police Foundation for protective equipment; and another $100,000 to the Texas Restaurant Association to help prop up Houston restaurants struggling during the pandemic. Meals for Houston students: Houston ISD continues to hand out free meals during coronavirus pandemic This is where we live, work, raise our kids, so what happens in the community is really important, Bell said. We feel its important as good citizens to do that. Spring Fire Department Assistant Chief Robert Logan said the department was blessed to have a partner in Exxon Mobil Corporation. We have a fire station just outside their campus, Logan said. To have a great community partner that weve been working with since before they built their campus, were just excited they contacted us. Logan said they would use the donation to purchase more protective equipment to be able to replenish their stockpile as they continue responding to emergency calls. Every fire truck has to have a stockpile of it on there just in case we dont know how many incidents will come in, Logan said. All of Springs firefighters wear protective masks in public, Logan said, so they must have a large cache of them for whenever they get called. It goes fast, so this grant is very helpful to us, Logan said. paul.wedding@hcnonline.com Dr Anthony Fauci hinted that China is lying about its true coronavirus infection rate, just hours before Wuhan increased its death toll by 50 percent because of 'mistakes' in reporting. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, cast doubt on the data coming out of Beijing and said he doesn't 'feel confident at all' that China's 'low number' of cases and deaths are accurate. He also raised questions over when the virus was discovered, fueling growing suspicions that China covered up the scale of its early outbreak. 'I mean I think any of us who have been dealing with this now for the last few months don't feel confident at all that we have all of the data of the originally infected individuals, how long there were people in the circulation or even now, how many deaths there really are in China,' Fauci told Fox News Thursday. Dr Anthony Fauci hinted that China is lying about its true coronavirus infection rate, in an interview with Fox News Thursday 'That number's really rather a low number, that number surprises me that that number is so low. 'But then again you know it is what it is, it's behind us, lets's move ahead and address our own problem.' Fauci's comments came just hours before China revised its death toll in coronavirus ground-zero Wuhan, upping its fatalities by almost 50 percent. In a social media post, the city government added 1,290 deaths to the tally, bringing its total to 3,869. Wuhan's epidemic prevention and control headquarters claimed many deaths had been 'mistakenly reported' or missed entirely. Officials blamed insufficient testing and treatment facilities, some patients dying at home meaning they were not counted in the toll, and medical staff being overwhelmed by cases for the 'late reporting, omissions or mis-reporting'. Chinese President Xi Jinping in March. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he doesn't 'feel confident at all' that China's 'low number' of cases and deaths are accurate The change also pushes the nationwide death toll up by nearly 39 percent to 4,632, based on official national data released earlier on Friday. Total confirmed cases in the city of 11 million also rose by 325 to 50,333, accounting for about two-thirds of China's total 82,367 announced cases. The rare admission of mistakes from Chinese officials comes as the nation faces increased scrutiny over its handling of the pandemic. US officials have repeatedly raised doubts over the numbers of fatalities and infections coming out of China, after more than 36,000 Americans have died and 690,000 have been infected with the deadly virus. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday he does not trust Chinese leaders are being truthful about the global crisis even now. A hospital in Wuhan grapples with the pandemic in March. Fauci's comments came just hours before China increased the death toll in the city by almost 50 percent The Pentagon chief accused Beijing of misleading Washington, in an NBC interview Thursday. '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 being truthful with us now,' he said. Reports have also surfaced that the Chinese government waited six days before warning the public about the outbreak of the deadly virus. Suspicions are also mounting over the origin of the virus. The global pandemic originally emerged in Wuhan, with Chinese officials maintaining that it came from a 'wet market' where exotic wild animals are sold for human consumption. But President Donald Trump announced Wednesday the US is investigating claims the virus could have originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology Lab. A growing theory has emerged that 'patient zero', who worked at the Wuhan lab where experiments were being carried out on bats, contracted the infection in a lab accident and then spread the virus into the local population after leaving work. The Wuhan Institute of Virology. The US government is investigating claims the virus could have originated from the lab US intelligence officials have launched a probe into the matter and are updating lawmakers on their findings, according to a CBS report this week. Senator for Arizona Martha McSally told Fox News this week there is 'zero doubt' China has 'American blood on its hands'. 'There is zero doubt that the Chinese communist government has American blood on its hands. 'They put American lives at risk by covering up the origin and scope of the coronavirus crisis,' she said. China has repeatedly refuted claims the virus originated in the lab and hit back at the US Friday telling it to mind its own business and to stop putting a political spin on the global pandemic. Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said China had an 'open, transparent and responsible' attitude to the pandemic and praised the country's 'most comprehensive, strictest and most rigorous' prevention measures, during a daily briefing in Beijing on Friday. He slammed the theory that the virus originated in the Wuhan lab: 'Anybody with any sense would know that [America's] aim is to muddy the waters, divert people's attention and evade its responsibilities.' Political tensions between China and the US have escalated after the two countries both accused each other of being the origin of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump initially showered praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping for the country's response to the crisis, before he began placing blame on the nation. Chinese officials responded by shifting blame back to the US, with foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian tweeting in March: 'It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan.' Senator Tom Cotton claims that China 'deliberately' allowed coronavirus to wreak havoc on the rest of the world as he calls for the Chinese Communist Party to be 'held responsible' Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton has claimed that China 'deliberately' allowed the rest of the world to become infected with the novel coronavirus. He made the comments during an interview on Fox's Outnumbered Overtime after it emerged that US intelligence officials are investigating whether the virus could have leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan. Cotton said that even if there was a lack of 'conclusive evidence' on where the virus originated, the cover up in the weeks following the outbreak allowed the disease to spread beyond China to wreak havoc on the rest of the world. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton has claimed that China 'deliberately' allowed the rest of the world to become infected with the novel coronavirus China has strongly refuted claims that coronavirus could have first crossed to humans accidentally during experiments with bats at the Wuhan Institute of Virology Lab. 'Even if we can't establish it conclusively, we still know that they covered up this virus for weeks in December and January when they could have been forthright, when they could have tried to arrest its spread in Wuhan,' Cotton said. 'But instead they made this decision deliberately to allow this virus to spread around the world. 'In my opinion, Xi Jinping had decided if China is going to suffer then the rest of the world, especially the United States, is going to suffer, and there has to be consequences to those actions.' Cotton also commented: 'There is a lot of circumstantial evidence to point to those labs as the sources of this pandemic. 'There's virtually no evidence, circumstantial or direct, to point to a food market in Wuhan. 'It just takes a little bit of common sense to say that the Chinese Communist Party needs to be held responsible.' It comes after a report by Fox News in which multiple sources claimed investigations are underway to determine if coronavirus could have first crossed to humans during experiments with bats at the Wuhan Institute of Virology laboratory. Advertisement 'These are acts of WAR!' Economist claims China covered up its early coronavirus outbreak and preempted global crisis by inserting a 'pandemic clause' in trade deal with United States China committed an 'act of war' by covering up the scale of its early coronavirus outbreak for six weeks, a leading economist has claimed. Danielle DiMartino Booth, an author and the founder of consulting firm MoneyStrong, said Beijing officials were aware of the deadly disease spreading in Wuhan last November and allowed it to snowball into a global pandemic. She said Chinese officials had countless lives on their hands and should be hauled before an international court as their 'under-reporting' did not afford the rest of the world time to enforce border restrictions. The economist points to a 'pandemic clause' in the January trade deal between Washington and Beijing, which she believes is evidence the Communist regime knew the extent of their crisis while publicly downplaying it. DiMartino Booth said: 'The World Health Organisation should be held accountable for not holding China accountable to providing good valid data so the rest of the world could prepare for fewer people to die. 'And that's what you're talking about. To me these are equivalent to acts of war.' Danielle DiMartino Booth, an author and chief executive, said Beijing officials were aware of the deadly disease spreading in Wuhan last November and allowed it to snowball into a global pandemic She also said reports of a virus in Wuhan emerged in November, and that six weeks later on January 15, Washington and Beijing signed a trade deal in which she claims China preempted the pandemic. In an agreement which ended the bitter trade war between the world's two economic powerhouses, Xi Jinping would buy $200million of Americal goods and Donald Trump would ease tariffs on Chinese exports. But DiMartino Booth said that buried in this deal was 'an out-clause, a very clever out-clause that the Chinese made sure was in there.' She continued: 'That said if there was any act of God, a pandemic, then they didn't have to make good on what they'd committed to buy from the United States. 'Within days they'd announced the first coronavirus (case). 'So, did the Chinese know damn well that this thing was running around the world for six weeks before they shut down Wuhan? Yes they did. Is that criminal? Yes it is. Does it deserve to go in front of a world tribunal? Yes it does.' The clause DiMartino is understood to have referred to is Article 7.6, which stipulates that the parties shall 'consult with each other' in the event of a 'natural disaster or other unforeseeable event' outside of their control. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 17:43:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) expects the costs of repairing campus facilities damaged by rioters during the half-month-long occupation in November could reach as much as 700 million Hong Kong dollars (about 90 million U.S. dollars). People close to the matter told Xinhua that the figure is the preliminary estimate by university management and it is still unclear how the repairing costs will be covered, citing an existing university fund as a possible option. PolyU was the hardest-hit Hong Kong university during the prolonged social unrest last year. Rioters took over the campus in mid-November and built it into a fortress against police, with school facilities vandalized, laboratories ransacked and garbage scattered all around. Adjacent to the university, a major cross-sea tunnel linking Hong Kong Island and Kowloon was also blocked. The repair work has been ongoing since the standoff was over at the end of November and is expected to mostly complete by September, the people familiar with the matter said. At present, the vestige of rampant destruction can still be spotted on campus as some severely-damaged buildings remain closed and many facilities in the library need to be replaced. PolyU restarted classes in January before suspension again due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Of all the repairing costs, 200 million Hong Kong dollars come from temporary fixing of damaged facilities, including smashed glass and gates of buildings, and the other 500 million dollars will be used for long-term restoration and strengthened security measures, according to local media reports. While broken school facilities may be easy to restore as long as funds are ensured, many other things may not. "I was heartbroken to see libraries, labs and so many other places I'm familiar with were destroyed by rioters and a number of my colleagues share the same feeling with me," a PolyU staff member who declined to be named said. "It (the violent incident) is unforgettable for faculty members and students." While cleaning up the debris left by rioters after the event, the Hong Kong police seized thousands of petrol bombs on campus, which were produced by the rioters as weapons to attack police officers and passersby, as well as a massive amount of other dangerous chemicals. The staff member was also worried that PolyU's reputation may be tarnished and students from the Chinese mainland and overseas will opt not to apply for the university. Quacquarelli Symonds, a Britain-based education information firm, published its World University Rankings by Subject 2020 in March, showing that six of 24 subjects of PolyU registered a lower ranking. Other top Hong Kong universities, including the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) also saw a number of subjects dropping in the rankings. Apart from PolyU, several other universities were also gripped by violent incidents and suffered huge losses. The CUHK said the repairing expenditures could be as much as 70 million Hong Kong dollars, and the City University of Hong Kong said its losses were over 100 million dollars, according to local media. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.75 HK dollars) Enditem Reach key decision makers with sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Move the needle by delivering funnel qualified leads to your sales team. Learn more In this uncertain and increasingly homebound era, customers are turning online for everything from groceries to cat food. Its more important than ever to make sure that websites are optimized for the highest-possible customer engagement and conversion. E-commerce optimization is one game that companies struggling for market share in the midst of a pandemic must play. Optimization is analysis and correction of e-commerce marketing, workflow and systems to enhance the efficiency and value of an e-commerce brand, said Travis Romine, an e-commerce growth consultant at Sharp Commerce. Optimization ultimately comes down to design and good design, it turns out, is good business. The key elements of e-commerce optimization are ease of use, customer journey mapping, speed of the site, and relevant content, observed Jim Barnes, CEO of enVista. The key to e-commerce optimization is understanding the complete customer journey. The journey doesnt stop when customers place their order and provide payment, he told the E-Commerce Times. Optimizing e-commerce entails the entire end-to-end process, said Barnes, as the customer journey starts with product look-up and research and continues, through product delivery and in some cases returns. Simply put, e-commerce optimization is getting the most value from each visitor to your digital properties, said Brian Massey, founder of Conversion Sciences. Optimal Functioning E-commerce optimization is not one thing, but rather a series of steps that can be taken to facilitate, improve and streamline customer experience. The definition of e-commerce optimization depends upon what you are focused on optimizing, said enVistas Barnes. From a customer perspective, optimization means a seamless, frictionless and enjoyable journey from order placement to delivery and through returns, he continued. Optimizing the customer experience depends on the retailer effectively managing pre-cart and post-cart expectations by providing the customer with expected delivery dates, and tracking the parcel to provide near real-time mobile-friendly updates. The other end of the purchasing journey returns also needs to be considered when optimizing the e-commerce experience. A D V E R T I S E M E N T The returns process needs to be flexible and self-service, said Barnes. Customers should have the ability to easily return items from the original order, adding reason codes, swapping items that did not fit, adding new items, and using a carrier-compliant label to ship the returns. Finally, a site needs to be fast and easy to navigate, so that customers dont think twice before hitting the purchase button. Its about speed and convenience, said Barnes. It is imperative for retailers to maintain a fast and responsive e-commerce site with a wealth of information to enhance the customer experience. E-commerce optimization is about making the customer a promise and keeping that promise end to end. How to Optimize Optimizing a website involves looking at what you have, what you want to do, and who you want to reach. The more a company can use data to shape its optimization strategy, the better. Its not a quick process, but its worth it in the long run. The first step in optimizing a step involves looking closely at the current data about a sites visitors and conversions. Analyze the data you have to come up with hypotheses for improving e-commerce, Conversion Sciences Massey told the E-Commerce Times. Research these ideas using behavioral data, analytics and user testing. This will help determine which ideas to turn into hypotheses for testing. The next step is to test the hypotheses to see if they improve revenue. Design tests that prove or disprove that your ideas will improve revenue, said Massey. You will be surprised at how non-rational your e-commerce buyers are. The final stage in the optimization process is applying whats learned. Use what you learned from the test to create new ideas, or move on to the next idea on your list, said Massey. A D V E R T I S E M E N T This kind of careful, data-based approach is the way to move forward into a fully optimized future, and away from older strategies for website design and implementation. The way we design websites is antiquated, Massey observed. A small team of designers, developers and executives decide what they think their visitors want. These small teams are often very wrong. Working optimization processes into the website design process will fundamentally change the way websites are developed. Optimizing a Brand Ultimately, optimization needs to have a broad reach. Optimizing a website is only one element of optimizing an e-commerce brand, Sharp Commerces Romine told the E-Commerce Times. Typically the goal is to increase engagement and conversion, narrowing down the moving parts as you go, using A/B testing methods and keeping careful notes, he added. Google Analytics has a great annotation feature thats helpful for this. Knowing which elements of the site to optimize first is super-important, so time is focused for meaningful wins. As technology evolves, it will alter optimization processes. New technology is coming fast with recommendation engines like 4-tell.com, noted Romine. Using AI technology to improve search, recommendation, and the customer experience can have a huge impact on engagement, sales and retention. Optimizing each slice of the customer journey is paramount to be competitive in todays e-commerce marketplace. Whatever form it takes, e-commerce optimization is about increasing sales. It means finding customers, engaging them, and guiding them to a purchase. Each business has unique challenges, said Massey. An e-commerce site with a low conversion rate on smartphones may choose to focus on getting email addresses. This allows them to market to visitors when they are on a desktop, he pointed out. We had a client whose website didnt support smartphones. By collecting emails, we were able to target visitors when they were on their laptop or work computer, Massey recalled. Some of our e-commerce clients will take incoming phone calls. There is a phone app in all smartphones. So, we may optimize for calls on mobile devices, he said. Ultimately, optimization means engaging visitors in any way we can, and beginning a conversation with those who arent ready to buy. Shaking hands, hugging, and even standing too close together are now potentially lethal. The world has suddenly become very impersonal, writes Clodagh Finn What I wouldnt give for a firm handshake, a bone-crushing double-hander that goes on a little bit longer than is comfortable. Come to think of it, Id even settle for a limp, cold-fish offering, because the lack of the human touch, in this new, contactless version of life, is really starting to bite. All that is important in the outside world now comes through in flattened images on a range of electronic devices. This week, for instance, a funeral popped into my WhapsApp feed. Even writing that odd-beyond-words sentence shows that we are truly living in exceptional times. It is not unusual to be moved by funerals, but it is difficult to relate the poignancy of this one. The 55-second video, which captured a neighbourhoods final farewell to one of its own, was among the most heart-rending pieces of footage I have ever seen. Two violin players pierced an eerie silence with a rendition of Nearer My God to Thee. The hand-held smartphone camera then swept up and down the road to reveal little groups of two and three, standing outside their gates to say their goodbyes. It didnt even last a minute, but it was a funeral in miniature: Respectful, dignified, and infused with love for the person who is no longer with us. Distancing (lets not call it social, please. It is anything but social) has not robbed us of our humanity, which bursts through in inventive ways, despite Covid-19 restrictions. We have been forced to curtail the funeral, that comforting and most Irish of rituals, yet the bereaved continue to pay beautiful tributes. But how can we truly mourn without physical contact? A funeral, in particular, underlines the need to reach out to our fellow human beings and touch them, hug them, shake their hands, and look into their eyes to say that we are truly sorry for their loss. Not only that, we have been denied the hundreds of intimate funeral conversations between friends, family, and relatives. Watch and youll see the way their heads move closer together as they get deeper into the story, sometimes reaching out and touching a forearm to make a point. Then there are the backslappers and the hair-touslers and the arm-strokers; all of them stripped of their ways to celebrate and memorialise, because, right now, keeping people apart is the best way we have of keeping them alive. But its only a half-life. As time drags on, the lack of daily human contact is really starting to hit home. I hadnt quite realised how impersonal life had become until I found myself crossing the road because the path ahead didnt allow a 2m gap between me and the walkers coming against me. We live cheek by jowl in the modern world and now its become surprisingly clear how often we brush up against strangers, not to mention friends and relatives. You dont quite realise how important the handshake, the hug, and the peck on the cheek are until they are gone, or realise quite how often we make those gestures. In an Irish context, that has a particular resonance, because the willingness to embrace our physicality was hard-won. It doesnt seem so long ago that some of us (guilty, your honour) crossed the road because we were too embarrassed or socially awkward to greet the approaching person. Then, morto, we graduated to a slight nod of the head, perhaps a little grunted greeting and, deep breath now, eye contact. As a teenager, it wasnt going to Mass that bothered me, but the fear the priest would ask us to offer each other the sign of peace. And not just offer it to the person either side of you: hands might come at you from several pews away, bless them. The real terror struck when, in my early 20s, I went to France, where almost-strangers kissed each other on the cheek, not just once, but twice. Oh, the deep dread of it. Which side first? How many times? Where to look afterwards? Sometimes, and with no way of possibly knowing, youd be presented with a three-times or even four-times kisser. It was enough to leave a self-respecting Irish person dizzy, mortified, and turning a very unappealing shade of purple. Things have changed, though. We have become a much more huggy, touchy-feely nation; not in an air-kissing, empty way, but in an earthy and sincere way that shows we are now, perhaps, just a little bit more comfortable in our collective skins. Lets hope the coronavirus will not undo that. Its unlikely, as the handshake has a long history. It goes back to ancient times, when it was thought to be a way of showing you were not holding a weapon. How apt that image now, when a simple handshake could infect someone with a potentially fatal illness. All around the world, handshakes, hugs, and kisses are, if not banned, actively discouraged. In China, people are encouraged to put the fist of one hand into the palm of the other to say hello, in a traditional gesture known as gong shou. Elsewhere, new greetings are being imagined, such as elbow bumps or simply looking into the other persons eyes. In Iran, a video of three men footshaking instead of handshaking has gone viral. As writer Arundhati Roy has said, isnt it odd that we continue to use the term viral when a virus has turned the world on its head? Who knows how that virus will affect personal greetings in the long term. Its too early to say if it will signal the end of the handshake or, worse, prompt the reintroduction of the air-kiss. Im holding out for the return of the hug, though. On the phone the other day, I sent a virtual one to a beloved neighbour. She sent me back a hundred. As soon as its safe, Ill be calling to collect them. The campaign also encourages community members who want to help, to start their own fundraising efforts through social platforms such as GoFundMe. McKenna said the need will likely be there for some time, even as things get back to normal and people start to feel the pain of having to catch up on their mortgage, rent, utility and car payments. 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. Like what you're reading? Sign up for our free newsletter. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Twenty-one years old, the youngest sommelier in the country and the most foolish. Today my career will end, I thought. It was early 2012 during a Monday lunch, one of the shifts given to the newbie (in this case, me), as it is the slowest service of the week and typically safe from any real challenges. Only occasionally would I sell a bottle and get to make the magnificent journey through Aureoles extensive wine cellar. This collection climbed upwards and ran the length of the New York, Michelin-starred restaurant, holding more than 15,000 bottles. Usually, the bottles I sold during this shift werent particularly fascinating, as its not a typical American custom to drink well during a Monday lunch. But this Monday was different. A guest had ordered the 2009 Chevalier-Montrachet from Domaine Ramonet. Some sommeliers might nitpick that Domaine Ramonet is not their favourite producer in Burgundy (a bit overrated, theyll sneer), or perhaps a wine collector will argue that this wine was too young to drink (infanticide! at only three years old), but snobbery aside, it was a $US650 bottle of chardonnay! Who does that at a Monday lunch, no less? A sommelier must taste every single bottle before serving. One bottle in every two or three cases of wine is corked, and even more can be affected by a variety of other flaws. Credit:Louie Douvis I thought of how proud my wine director would be when he saw the sales from lunch and imagined all the wonders the guests would experience when they drank the grand cru white burgundy. I had never tasted the wine, only read about its notoriety and rarity. The guest who ordered the Ramonet was at table 100 (in restaurants, tables are numbered for practical purposes). It was one of the best tables in our dining room, surrounded by a plush banquette and pillows. Sometimes, this comfort led to loose wallets. The captain scurried to find me after receiving the order. With the wine list still carefully propped open to the correct page, he pointed to the $650 one. His eyes screamed Ka-ching! Advertisement I held my breath as his fingers scrolled from the price over to the left 2009 Domaine Ramonet Chevalier-Montrachet. At first, I was sure this was a practical joke. As the new girl, I had grown accustomed to all sorts of ruses. Let me just double-check, I added, hesitant. The captains face dropped as I took the wine list from his hands and walked over to the table, where four men lounged. They all had slicked-back grey hair and wore dark suits with thin stripes. I presented the list to the gentleman who had ordered. Pardon me, sir, I wanted to confirm your order of 2009 Domaine Ramonet Chevalier-Montrachet ... My finger ran along the name and to the price. He just stared at me with his beady eyes. Tiny droplets of sweat began to form under my cheap polyester suit. He closed the wine list abruptly with a clap. Yes, he said with an overt tinge of annoyance, and hurry, we are thirsty. I managed a nervous nod, rushing out of the dining room and upstairs. In the wine cellar, there was a corner I had yet to explore. This nook was where all of the high-end wine was hidden, away from light and dangerous swings in temperature. After a few moments of scanning, I found the Ramonets and thumbed my way through until I landed upon the right vintage and vineyard. I gently picked up the bottle and noticed that there were, in total, only two of them. I cradled the wine in my arms as if it were a small child, terrified of what a single misstep might bring. Back near the table of men in suits, their conversation quieted to whispers as I returned. Sir, 2009. I pointed to the vintage on the bottle. Domaine Ramonet. I pointed to the producer. Chevalier-Montrachet. I pointed to the vineyard. He gave a sharp nod. The eerie silence from the group crept onto my skin and sent a small shiver throughout my body. Advertisement Loading Outside the dining room, I placed the bottle steadily down on the gueridon, the sommelier station where wine is opened, prepped and tasted. To open the bottle, I whipped out my corkscrew and rendered two precise cuts to the foil capsule, removing the top portion that covered the cork. Just in case there was any unwanted residue, I wiped the top of the cork off with a serviette. Once it was cleaned, I dug the tip of my corkscrew in and, with a few twists plus one steady pull, extracted the cork quietly. To be sure, I followed the last step of the sommelier protocol here and wiped the lip again with a serviette. Then, the best part: I poured myself a one-ounce taste. Believe it or not, a sommelier must taste every single bottle before serving. One bottle in every two or three cases of wine is corked, and even more can be affected by a variety of other flaws. Just as a chef would never send out a rotten piece of fish, a sommelier should never serve a lousy bottle of wine. The chemical compound known as TCA (trichloroanisole) is what is responsible for this cork taint. It wont harm you, unlike a piece of rotten fish, but its a horrible taste. The tradition remains that even after the sommelier arguably the expert in this scenario approves the wine, she allows the guest to taste it as well. Here, the guest is merely rechecking to see if it is flawed; it is not a tasting to see if they like it. Preferences should be established with the sommelier well before the selection. So why even go through this rechecking process? I like to do it because I believe hospitality is about love, not logic. Of course, it would make more sense to skip this step. However, at this moment, the sommelier puts expertise on the back burner and humbly gives the guest the power. The sommelier respectfully bows down first, followed by the guests reciprocating in appreciation (ideally). Advertisement Loading Despite my lack of experience in the industry, I had already tasted thousands of wines and trained myself to commit all flawed flavours to memory. Still, I especially honoured the tradition of letting the guest approve the wine. Many of my guests were two to three times my age; it would have been disrespectful for me not to bow to them first. When I tasted the Ramonet Chevalier-Montrachet, there was nothing off about it. The wine was like slipping into a bed made up with silk sheets. In the glass, aromas and memories kept popping out: sour cream spread on toast with honey, butterscotch candies, clotted cream, movie-theatre popcorn, sour frozen yoghurt, a zing of lemon zest, freshly cracked creme brulee, warm butter with salt, and mouth-puckering acidity. I could see why people would spend so much money on this wine. The glasses are down, the captain remarked, pulling me out of my amorous reverie and back to Monday lunch service. He had placed white burgundy glasses, specifically made for this type of wine, on the table. The uneasiness I had felt before crept back. Although my restaurant training had taught me how to suppress nervousness, sometimes my body had a hard time listening. I approached the leader from the right again, pouring a taste quickly but with a calculated precision: label facing him, two ounces, a quick dip of the neck, twist, wipe with a serviette, cradle in both hands within view. He brought his lips to the glass, stuck out his tongue a tiny bit, letting the burgundy inch in. Moments passed; he looked up at me, scoffed, and turned back to his guests. I think she has too much perfume in her nose, this girl ... Advertisement His glare turned upwards and at me. The bottle is corked, take it back. Bring us another. With this swift blow, the colour drained from my face. Corked? It couldnt be! The wine was delicious, perfect. Corked? Is he testing me? What kind of sommelier would be caught dead wearing perfume? Corked!? I managed to stutter, Sir, respectfully, the wine has been tested, and it is sound. Perhaps youd like to try it again? His face turned the dark red colour of bordeaux. Listen, wine girl, I have bottles in my cellar older than you. I know when a wine is corked. Flecks of spit sprinkled from his lips. Our food is just about to arrive, and we still have nothing to drink. GET. US. ANOTHER. BOTTLE! Advertisement He is also getting a part of his remuneration from his upcoming films and donating it to the needy. A few days ago, he donated 3 crore rupees to various relief measures organized by the Government, film bodies, and NGOs. He also donated 25 lakhs to corporation sanitary workers. Lawrence has been continuously helping various sectors of the film fraternity. The latest is that the multi-faceted actor donated 15 lakhs to the struggling members of the Chennai-Chengalpattu-Kanchipuram-Tiruvallur distributors association. This news has been confirmed by the association's President T Rajendar. In the last one week, Lawrence has donated 3.4 crores and stands above all the leading stars in Tamil cinema when it comes to philanthropy. Actor Colin Hanks (son of Tom Hanks) has been in the business for many years. And his ex-girlfriend, Busy Philipps, is also well known in Hollywood. Read on to learn how the two have remained friends, and the sweet tweet he sent her in April 2020. Busy Philipps and Colin Hanks dated in college Busy Philipps and Colin Hanks and The Green Mile Benefit Premiere in 1999 | Barry King/WireImage Hanks and Philipps met while attending Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California in the late 1990s. Both were simultaneously pursuing careers as actors at the time. They were photographed together while attending the premieres of his fathers 1999 films Toy Story 2 and Green Mile. The younger Hanks career then took off. He landed his first starring TV role as Alex in Roswell in 1999, which was followed by comedy films Get Over It and Orange County. Hanks has had guest and recurring spots on numerous hit TV series, such as Mad Men and Dexter. His most recent series, Life in Pieces, was canceled in 2019. She starred in Freaks and Geeks Also while in school, Philipps career took off. She landed her first major TV role with the dramedy series Freaks and Geeks in 1999, in which she portrayed Kim Kelly. Though it only ran for one season, the show has achieved cult-hit status over the years. In addition to Philipps, it launched the careers of her co-stars James Franco, Linda Cardellini, and many more. From there, Philipps went on to star in Dawsons Creek and popular teen films of the time, such as White Chicks. Though shes primarily stuck to comedy with series like Cougar Town and films such as Made of Honor, the actor has also done some more serious roles, like her recurring gig on ER. The two have spoken about their friendship over the years From the timeline, its apparent that Philipps and Hanks got their big breaks at the same time. Given how busy this made them, they dropped out of college. And though they broke up at some point along the way, theyve remained close friends. Philipps even had Hanks on her talk show Busy Tonight in 2019 to revisit their own campus and reminisce. When Philipps guest-hosted Live with Kelly in January 2017, Hanks came on the show. They shared photos from their past, and Philipps revealed that they still hang out, now with their spouses and kids. We were able to go through all these really special moments in young actors lives together. And now we also get to do morning school drop off together, said Hanks, calling their friendship very rare. Philipps shares a throwback from Freaks and Geeks cult status and the hearts of millions Colin Hanks (@ColinHanks) April 16, 2020 Hanks and Philipps consistently comment on and like one anothers social media posts. But he took it to another level with an April 2020 comment. Philipps participated in the Me at 20 meme, sharing a photo of herself from Freaks and Geeks. Do I win something? she wrote in the tweet. Hanks replied, cult status and the hearts of millions. Philipps commented back with the cry/laughing emoji and a heart. Its clear these two are still as tight as ever, and supportive of one another both personally and professionally. Reed Morano is in talks to direct Jennifer Lopez in STXfilms The Godmother, a drama about Griselda La Madrina Blanco, who rose from an impoverished childhood in Colombia to become one of the worlds biggest drug lords before she was killed in 2012, TheWrap has confirmed. Screenwriter William Monahan, who won an Oscar for writing The Departed, is also in talks rewrite the script. Terry Winter and Regina Corrado initially wrote the first draft. The Godmother would be the third project between Lopez and STXfilms following 2018s Second Act and Hustlers. Ive been forever fascinated by the story of Griselda Blanco and jumped at the chance to play her on screen, Lopez said in a statement. She is all things we look for in storytelling and dynamic characters notorious, ambitious, conniving, chilling. In a genre dominated by legendary kingpins, Im eager to shine a spotlight on this antihero. Also Read: How Will Jennifer Lopez Capitalize on Her 'Hustlers' and Super Bowl Bounce? Lopez has always divided her career between music and film projects and Hustlers has put her back in Hollywoods attention. Her performance as the ringleader of a group of former strippers who steal millions from rich men put her in the awards conversation for the first time since she broke out in 1997s Selena. Though she was snubbed by Oscar voters, she earned best supporting actress nominations from the Golden Globes, the Independent Spirit Awards, the Screen Actors Guild and numerous film critics groups, to name a few. More importantly to Hollywood execs, the film grossed $105 million (and nearly $158 million worldwide) on a modest $20 million budget. Lopez will produce The Godmother with long-time manager Benny Medina, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Julie Yorn. Winter, Alex Pettyfer, Alex Brown and Rick Yorn are the executive producers. Morano recently directed Blake Lively in the spy thriller The Rhythm Section for Paramount and Eon. The film is currently available on digital and will be available on DVD and Blu-ray on April 28. Morano won an Emmy for directing episodes of Hulus dystopian feminist drama The Handmaids Tale. Story continues Morano and Monahan are both repped by CAA and LBI Management. Deadline first reported the news. Read original story Reed Morano in Talks to Direct Jennifer Lopez in The Godmother At TheWrap A sailor who tested positive for coronavirus while aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt died in Guam on Monday as his wife flew 6,200 miles from her San Diego military base to be by his bedside at his final moments. In a statement, the Navy said Aviation Ordnanceman Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr., 41, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, died on April 13 at the US Naval Hospital in Guam of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. Symantha Thacker, an active-duty service member stationed in San Diego, flew to Guam to be by her husband's side, the Navy said. He died 11 days after his captain, Brett Crozier, was fired for pressing the Navy to take greater action to safeguard his crew from the virus. A photo provided by the US Navy shows Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr., 41, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt, who died from the coronavirus on Monday at US Naval Hospital Guam Symantha Thacker, an active-duty service member stationed in San Diego, flew to Guam to be by her husband's side, the Navy said The couple (pictured in the above undated file photo) have two children Thacker was the first active-duty military member to die of COVID-19. 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. Thacker had tested positive for the coronavirus on March 30 and was taken off the ship and placed in 'isolation housing' along with four other sailors at the Guam Navy hospital. He tested positive the same day that a letter written by the ship's captain begging the Navy high command to evacuate the virus-stricken vessel leaked to the press. On April 9, Thacker was found unresponsive during a medical check and was moved to the Navy Hospital's intensive care unit. Thacker enlisted in the Navy in December 1997, according to Stars and Stripes. In the first half of 2016, he served on the Roosevelt. Thacker went on to complete deployments on the USS George Washington, the USS Ronald Reagan, and the USS Constellation. Thacker (seen right with his wife and two children) enlisted in the Navy in 1997 Thacker was an aviation ordnanceman, whose job it was to maintain weapons on board including guns, torpedoes, missiles, and bombs The Navy released a statement saying Symantha flew 6,100 miles from San Diego to be at her husband's bedside when he passed away Thackers service awards include the Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist badge, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time,' Captain Carlos Sardiello, the Roosevelt's commanding officer, said in a statement released by the Navy. '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.' Thacker's representatives in Congress paid tribute to the sailor on Thursday. 'Today, Fort Smith and the State of Arkansas mourn the passing of a brave patriot and sailor,' said US House Rep. Steve Womack, who represents Arkansas' third congressional district. 'Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker, Jr. defended our nation and upheld his duty to serve and protect freedom. 'This is a great loss against an unprecedented enemy, and we must continue to amplify resources on all levels to defeat this virus and safeguard personnel. 'My deepest condolences go out to the Thacker family, his loved ones, and fellow service members. 'Though no words can heal the pain, our community sends prayers of comfort and strength during this time.' 'Chief Petty Officer Charles Thacker, Jr. honorably served our country in uniform,' Senator John Boozman said. 'His dedication to our nation was perhaps only surpassed by the tremendous love he had for his dear family. Thacker's representatives in Congress paid tribute to the Arkansas native on Thursday Thacker is the first active-duty service member to die of COVID-19, according to the military 'Petty Officer Thackers appreciation for the special things in life particularly his loved ones and passions reminds us how precious time really is and how this virus poses a threat to all of us, even the warriors dedicated to defending America. 'My thoughts and prayers are with the Thacker family and all who counted Petty Officer Thacker as a friend or loved one. 'We honor his life and service in uniform, and pledge to keep this proud son of Arkansass legacy alive in the years to come.' 'Im saddened to hear of the passing of Chief Petty Officer Charles Thacker, Jr,' Senator Tom Cotton said. 'His service to the country has earned my utmost gratitude, and my deepest condolences go to his family, friends, and crewmates.' The death was the first, and so far the only, among the crew of about 4,860, of which 585 had tested positive for coronavirus as of Monday. The Roosevelt had been in a coronavirus crisis that prompted the Navy's civilian leader, Thomas Modly, to fire the ship's captain on April 2. Five days later - after having flown to the ship and delivering a speech in which he insulted the skipper, Capt. Brett E. Crozier, and criticizing the crew for supporting Crozier - Modly resigned. Modly said he felt compelled to remove Crozier from command because he had distributed too widely via email a letter in which he called for more urgent Navy action to prevent a deeper coronavirus crisis aboard his ship. Crozier's words angered Modly but were seen by others as necessary. Crozier received cheers and chants of 'Captain Crozier' from the crew as he left the ship. He later tested positive for COVID-19. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and the Chief of Naval Operations say the fired USS Roosevelt captain could be reinstated 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. 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 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. 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. 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 '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. '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 Modley 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. 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 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. 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. Arsonists responsible for a blaze that raged across acres of countryside in Co Tyrone, leaving homes at risk, have been branded reckless. Firefighters battled for several hours to bring the large blaze at Loughmacrory near Omagh under control. Crews were alerted to the inferno spread across seven miles just before 10pm on Wednesday evening. At one stage the flames came within metres of homes. Around 25 locals used shovels, beaters and water carriers to prevent the properties from catching fire. Dramatic images showed the flames reaching into the night sky. Expand Close Firefighters battle a two-day gorse fire on Reenaderry Road outside Dungannon Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Firefighters battle a two-day gorse fire on Reenaderry Road outside Dungannon The fire was eventually brought under control in the early hours of yesterday and the remnants allowed to burn out. However, Fire Service western area commander Mark Smyth said it could have been much worse. It is the latest in a series of gorse fires in Tyrone and Fermanagh. Blazes were also reported this week in Belleek, Plumbridge and Coalisland. Expand Close A view of the gorse fire Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A view of the gorse fire Mr Smyth said: "We have recently responded to a number of significant gorse fires across Northern Ireland, including some in Tyrone. "This one at Loughmacrory was a large fire that threatened people's homes. "I want to thank all of the firefighters for their quick action to prevent this becoming more serious and for the support of the local community during the incident." Mr Smyth appealed for communities to be wary amid the coronavirus emergency. He added: "The Covid-19 pandemic will lead to significant pressures on NIFRS, including a reduction in the number of front line firefighters available for emergency response. "We would therefore appeal to landowners to support us by not carrying out controlled burning at this time and remind everyone that we are now outside the permitted dates for burning. "I would also appeal to the wider public to be fire-safe, especially in the countryside." Expand Close A view of the gorse fire Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A view of the gorse fire Loughmacrory is an area of outstanding natural beauty that is covered extensively with gorse. Local independent councillor Josephine Deehan said those responsible for lighting the fire need to seriously consider their actions. She said: "That this fire was started deliberately is totally reprehensible. "Anyone who would countenance doing something like that really needs to consider very carefully what their motives are." Ulster Unionist councillor Chris Smyth said: "At a time when 99.9% of the population is pulling together and doing what they can to stay safe and protect lives, it beggars belief that there are still people who act so irresponsibly." David Rogers spent his life in service to others. The 56-year-old was a Navy veteran who went on to a long career with the Albuquerque Police Department, retiring as a lieutenant a couple of years ago. He died too soon following a battle with leukemia, and he got a heros send-off on that April 2 morning, with dozens of APD officers showing up at his house to escort the hearse carrying him to the funeral home. The touching tribute was captured on video, set to the song Over the Rainbow. Officers greet one another and even pose for group photos. Police Chief Michael Geier shows up to provide solace. Officers stand shoulder-to-shoulder outside the house and salute as Rogers flag-draped body is carried from his home for the final time. No one appears to be wearing a mask. Throngs of motorcycle officers then begin the procession through tree-lined streets as the white hearse from Daniels funeral home joins in. The scene played out in the midst of a pandemic and at a time when mass gatherings have been banned and citizens have been told to stay at least 6 feet apart due to the threat of the novel coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19. The virus has infected 1,597 New Mexicans and killed 44. Worldwide, it has infected more than 2 million people and killed more than 143,000, including doctors, nurses and, yes, police officers. Shaun Willoughby, the president of the Albuquerque Police Officers Association, told a Journal reporter he recognizes that the officers are not distancing themselves but says it was the bare minimum that could be done to honor Rogers, whom he described as a great man. I think that its really important to understand that, as police officers, were just human beings, were struggling, just like everybody else is, to not shake hands, to not give a friend a hug, and to not be there for family members when they are in need or they are sad, Willoughby said. I would have been disrespected as a police officer if the department had done nothing. I think it is a show of strong leadership and essence of our police family to make sure that we recognize his service to this community and this police department. To be clear, Rogers deserved the procession he got and so much more. But the gathering came a week and a half after the state secretary of health issued a public order banning mass gatherings, defined as among other things public or private gatherings that bring together five or more individuals in an open outdoor space where individuals are within 6 feet of one another. Its a message that state and local officials have been driving home over and over again a message that, they insist, is aimed at saving lives. And its an order that authorities say is being enforced. In Albuquerque, open space managers are teaming up with volunteers and police to ensure people are following social distancing rules on public trails. Its extremely important that everyone is following the public health orders to keep us all safe, Mayor Tim Keller said in a news release earlier this month, this one about how APD, Albuquerque Fire Rescue and the citys Code Enforcement Division would be working together to ensure that nonessential businesses were complying with the governors public health order. We all have to remember the goal is literally to save lives. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, meanwhile, has acknowledged that the orders her administration has issued are causing hardships, but just this week, she thanked New Mexicans for stepping up during the Easter weekend and following them. People made sacrifices all over the state to do incredible social distancing which, as we all know, is critical to protecting our first responders, our health care system and saving lives, so were going to keep doing that, she said during a news conference Wednesday. But when Journal reporter Elise Kaplan asked about the video showing APD officers standing close to one another outside Rogers home, neither the mayor nor the Governors Office expressed concern. The Mayors Office did not answer questions posed by the Journal, including whether Keller knew about the gathering for the procession or thought such a gathering was advisable. Instead, a spokeswoman sent a statement about measures the department has taken to keep officers safe while fighting crime. Tripp Stelnicki, the governors spokesman, did address the video. It would seem in my view that efforts were made to adhere to social distancing as best it could be while still providing Lt. Rogers a respectful escort worthy of his service to the city, he wrote. Chief Geier would not do an interview with the Journal about his own decision to attend the gathering, but APD spokesman Gilbert Gallegos confirmed that the officers had organized the escort procession from Rogers residence to the funeral home to honor his service the morning he died. Chief Geier reminded officers at the residence to practice social distancing, Gallegos wrote in an email. Willoughby said the police escort was the only way they could honor a friend and former colleague because it wasnt possible for anyone to attend a funeral or memorial service. He said Rogers served in the Navy before his long career with APD and he retired in the past couple of years. He said that shortly after Rogers retired he was diagnosed with leukemia. This is a man that gave his entire life to service, Willoughby said. With social distancing and the inability to have an actual funeral, I was proud to see the Albuquerque Police Department do what they did, which was they basically did an escort from his home to the funeral home on the morning that he was deceased. Theres no question Rogers deserved the send-off his former colleagues gave him. He was a public servant in the truest sense, and that service deserves to be recognized. But its worth noting that there are countless families throughout our community and throughout the country who are grieving by themselves because large gatherings arent allowed and because ignoring those orders puts lives at risk. And its worth noting that this is a moment of shared sacrifice thats affecting everyone, from workers who have lost their livelihoods to those dying alone in hospitals. And even brushing all that aside, Albuquerque can ill afford to lose any more heroes. UpFront is a front-page news and opinion column. Reach city editor Martin Salazar at 823-3841, msalazar@abqjournal.com. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump urged supporters to LIBERATE three states led by Democratic governors Friday, apparently encouraging protests against stay-at-home mandates aimed at stopping the coronavirus. At least two states under Republican leadership took their first steps toward easing restrictions. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/4/2020 (634 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A mother and daughter wearing face masks wait to cross a street in the Harlem section of New York, Thursday, April 16, 2020. Gov. Andrew Cuomo extended stay-at-home restrictions Thursday through mid-May due to the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump urged supporters to LIBERATE three states led by Democratic governors Friday, apparently encouraging protests against stay-at-home mandates aimed at stopping the coronavirus. At least two states under Republican leadership took their first steps toward easing restrictions. A day after laying out a road map to gradually reopen the crippled economy, Trump tweeted the kind of rhetoric some of his supporters have used to demand the lifting of the orders that have thrown millions of Americans out of work. LIBERATE MINNESOTA! LIBERATE MICHIGAN! LIBERATE VIRGINIA, he said in a tweet-storm in which he also lashed out at New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for criticizing the federal response. Cuomo should spend more time doing and less time 'complaining,' the president said. Responding to pleas from governors for help from Washington in ramping up testing for the virus, Trump put the burden back on them: The States have to step up their TESTING!" Trump claimed Friday that very partisan voices had spread false and misleading information about the nation's testing capacity. But he said "well help New York and all of the other states get even better on their testing. Ethiopian Christian women pray outside the Deir El Sultan, outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed by many to be the site of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, after the traditional mass procession was called off amid coronavirus fears in Jerusalem's old city, Friday, April 17, 2020. Christians are commemorating Jesus' crucifixion without the solemn church services or emotional processions of past years, marking Good Friday in a world locked down by the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) At the same time, at least two states took their first steps toward easing the restrictions. In Florida, GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis said municipalities could reopen beaches and parks if they could do so safely. In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said stores could begin selling curbside, nonessential surgery could resume and state parks could reopen. Sensitive about persistent questions about the capacity for testing, Trump had his health team lead an extensive briefing Friday outlining that adequate capacity exists to get states through the first phase of the White House guidelines for how they should reopen. In this Thursday, April 16, 2020 photo face masks, that people can wear during the new coronavirus outbreak, are offered in a tailor shop in Berlin, Germany. The masks for mouth and nose are offerd for a price of 8 Euros each and made of 100% Cotton that can be washed by 60 degree celcius. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to see businesses reopen quickly and claimed earlier this week that he had total authority over the matter, even though the lockdowns and other social-distancing measures have been imposed by state and local leaders, not Washington. We may be opening but we're putting safety first, Trump said. On Thursday, he outlined a three-step set of guidelines for easing restrictions over a span of several weeks in places that have robust testing and are seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases, assuring the nation's governors: Youre going to call your own shots." Utah Transit Authority personnel clean and disinfect a train station to prevent the spread of the coronavirus virus Friday, April 17, 2020, in Salt Lake City. Crews are sent out daily to clean and disinfect all rail stations, including all surfaces that are frequently touched. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) But governors of both parties suggested Friday that they would be cautious in returning to normal, with some warning that they cant do it without help from Washington to expand testing. The federal government cannot wipe its hands of this and say, 'Oh, the states are responsible for testing,'" said Cuomo, a Democrat. We cannot do it without federal help. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican ally of Trumps, said he would listen to medical experts in deciding how to move forward. People wait in line to receive food as part of a new initiative called Step Up to the Plate, outside City Hall in Philadelphia, Friday, April 17, 2020. The program aims to help those with food insecurity and is a partnership of Broad Street Ministry, Prevention Point Philadelphia, and Project HOME, with the City of Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) I am not going to do something that I feel in my heart is the wrong thing thats going to endanger our people, he said. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, said Trumps tweets about liberating states put millions of Americans at risk of contracting COVID-19. "The president is fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies even while his own administration says the virus is real and is deadly, Inslee said. A funeral home worker wearing a face mask watches as the body of an unidentified person who died of unknown causes is placed into a niche at the Girona Cemetery in Girona, Spain, Friday, April 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said he and his staff are focused on fighting a biological war. I do not have time to involve myself in Twitter wars, said Northam, a medical doctor. Even in largely rural states with small populations, such as Wyoming, Maine and South Dakota, governors said they were not anxious to quickly resume business as usual. President Donald Trump listens as Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Friday, April 17, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Until weve got the testing up to speed which has got to be part of the federal government stepping in and helping were just not going to be there, said Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican. The University of Washington, whose computer models have frequently been cited by health officials at White House briefings, released projections on Friday that Vermont, West Virginia, Montana and Hawaii could open as early as May 4 if they restrict large gatherings, test widely and quarantine the contacts of people who test positive. Iowa, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Utah, Arkansas and Oklahoma, however, are among states that would need to wait until mid-June or early July. About half the states should wait until at least early June to reopen, and all should gauge the capacity of their public health systems to handle outbreaks, the institute said. Tax advisor and Catholic Gertrud Schop, right, lights candles forming a giant cross in memory of coronavirus victims in Germany in Zella-Mehlis, central Germany, Friday, April 17, 2020. Schop and volunteers lit close to 4000 candles which took seven hours to complete. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer) Worldwide, the outbreak has infected more than 2.2 million people and killed over 150,000, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally based on figures supplied by government health authorities around the globe, though it has becoming increasingly clear that the true numbers are much higher. The official death toll in the U.S. neared 35,000, with about 685,000 confirmed infections. The shutdowns have inflicted heavy damage on economies around the world. In the U.S., the crisis has cost at least 22 millions Americans their jobs, pushing the unemployment rate toward levels not seen since the Great Depression. A protester demonstrates against stay-at-home orders that were put in place due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Friday, April 17, 2020, in Huntington Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) California lost nearly 100,000 jobs in March, state officials announced Friday, signalling a sudden end to a record 10-year streak of job growth. We are now in a pandemic-induced recession here in the state of California, Gov. Gavin Newsom said. Protesters fed up with the economy-strangling restrictions have taken to the streets in Ohio, Texas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, and Michigan. Demonstrations continued Friday, including one outside the home of Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and the Capitol in Oregon. In Idaho, where the governor is a Republican, scores of protesters not wearing face masks stood shoulder-to-shoulder. Some carried signs claiming the coronavirus is a hoax. Public health experts have warned that easing the shutdowns must be accompanied by wider testing and tracing of infected people to keep the virus from coming back with a vengeance. Questions regarding the accuracy of reported infection and death rates were raising alarms as many countries, including China, sharply raised their death tolls. Authorities said that almost everywhere, thousands have died with COVID-19 symptoms many in nursing homes without being tested for the virus, and have thus gone uncounted. Though the federal government has not been releasing a count of its own, an Associated Press tally from news media reports and state health departments indicates 6,912 deaths have been linked to coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term care facilities nationwide. In Italy, where the official death toll has climbed past 22,700, a government survey released Friday of about one-third of the country's nursing homes found more than 6,000 residents have died since Feb. 1. It was unclear how many were a result of COVID-19. 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. In Britain, with an official count of about 14,600 dead, the countrys statistics agency said the actual number could be around 15% higher. Others think it will be far more. The official death toll in New York City soared by more than half earlier this week when health authorities began including people who probably had COVID-19 but died without being tested. Nearly 3,800 deaths were added to the citys count, which stood at more than 12,000 Friday. ___ Sedensky reported from Philadelphia. Associated Press journalists from around the world contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak Uncertainty may be the new normal. But no matter how often we hear this mantra, investors would still like to know whether share prices are close to their lows, or if there is worse to come. The answer is: it's complicated. Traditionally, the stock market has been a leading indicator, moving ahead of events and trying to anticipate them. It scales the heights before a slump and plumbs the depths before a recovery arrives. But the difficulty of forecasting Covid-19's next step on its path of destruction means that the financial giants who manage our savings are at odds about the timing of a market rebound. Goldman Sachs argues that state support for the economy and the decreasing infection rate should restore confidence. Morgan Stanley, though, warns 'only a vaccine will provide a solution to this pandemic'. This solution may not arrive until next year. Although the market should stabilise before an upturn in the economy, this outcome will still be influenced by the type of recession we face. Views differ as to whether it will be shaped like a V a sharp descent, followed by a rapid revival; a U a longer downturn, or a W a bounce back before another dip. Some such as John Burford of Tramline Trading, fear the recession could cause 'social unrest', inflicting more damage on shares. But Lee Wild of Interactive Investor does not fear angry citizens may take to the streets, but contends they will feel less affluent. This cacophony adds to the confusion for investors, already bewildered by the market's relief rally. The FTSE 100 rose from 4993 on March 23 to 5688 on March 25, but it is still 25 per cent down over the year to date. These events are normal in market downturns. During the financial crisis there were six relief rallies in the later months of 2008. The index bottomed out in March 2009, down 49 per cent. The attrition was over, but the mood remained grim. Then, as now, investors had to remind themselves that waiting for the perfect moment could mean they were left behind. In fact, rather than obsessing about the Footsie's ups and downs, it may be more important to keep an eye on signals of market sentiment. These include the copper/gold ratio, which slides when fear is great and rises when hope is dawning. Demand for copper, used in cars and domestic appliances, bounces when the economy is strengthening. If apprehension is the ruling emotion, gold is a more sought-after-metal. This ratio is on a downward trend, with gold at a seven-year high. Until lately, junk bond funds were another handy guide. But the US Fed is supporting the sector, making it a less reliable gauge of the health of companies that issue such bonds. Analysts are also watching out for a slowdown in the number of Covid-19 cases, because this will be an opportunity to assess the pandemic's impact on companies and whether this is properly reflected in their share prices. This may not turn out to be the bottom of the market, but it could be a reasonable moment to buy, for investors who can afford to be patient. Attention is already turning to the shares and funds that may have been unfairly beaten-up. Take, for example, SSP which operates airports and station cafes. Its share price which was 662p in January tumbled to 150p in March. It has crept back to 285p, spurred by the hope that the British will go on holiday again once the crisis has passed. Other casualties include housebuilders Berkeley and Barratt which would gain if Help to Buy is extended, as rumoured. Shares in shipping company Clarksons, down 20 per cent since January, may benefit from demand for tankers to store the oil which is not being released onto the markets to prop up prices. James Carthew of Quoted Data highlights investment trusts such as CQS Natural Resources Growth & Income, whose prices have tumbled by almost a third since January, despite its stakes in gold mining companies. Other bargain-priced investment trusts for those prepared to take a risk are BlackRock Latin American Income and Jupiter Emerging and Frontier Income. Ben Yearsley of Shore Financial Planning points out that the price of Finsbury Growth & Income has fallen by 13 per cent, although one of its holdings is Unilever, maker of Dove soap and Domestos. One thing is certain. We will continue to need such stuff, whatever happens to the stock market. No casualties were reported among Ukrainian troops over the past day. Russia's hybrid military forces on April 16 mounted an attack on Ukrainian positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. "Armed formations of the Russian Federation violated the ceasefire once on April 16," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in a Facebook update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on April 17, 2020. The enemy opened fire, employing automatic grenade launchers. Under attack came Ukrainian positions near the village of Pisky. Read alsoDonbas prisoner swap: 20 Ukrainians handed over to Ukraine gov't (List) Joint Forces returned fire to enemy shelling. According to intelligence data, one member of Russia-led forces was wounded on April 16. The enemy did not attack Ukrainian positions from 00:00 to 07:00 Kyiv time on April 17. No casualties were reported among Ukrainian troops over the past day. The hospital also relaxed its rules on who could receive a test, giving it to anyone regardless of whether they have a doctors order, COVID-19 symptoms or an underlying condition that would make the patient vulnerable to the virus deadly grasp. By the time Gov. J.B. Pritzker declared testing available to anyone who is symptomatic on Thursday, Roseland already had been doing it for two weeks without knowing how much it will be reimbursed for it. U.S. military officials are almost certain that Vietnam is not the source of a deadly Covid-19 outbreak on aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt. They believe that the outbreak, which has seen almost 600 sailors on board get infected, was caused by a series of flights conducted by the carriers air wing, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. The aircraft recorded its first infections of the novel coronavirus in three sailors on March 23. From then on, the virus was transmitted rapidly, forcing the carrier to suspend a deployment in Asia and switch to a port in Guam, a U.S. island territory in Micronesia, in the Western Pacific. More than 4,000 crew members were moved ashore and enough people kept on board to attend to the ships nuclear reactors and other systems. Last Tuesday, a sailor was admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) in Guam, a day after another sailor from the carrier died after contracting the virus. The sailor who died had become infected while he was on the carrier. In a statement Tuesday, the U.S. Navy said the sailor had been moved to the ICU for "increased observation due to shortness of breath." Three other sailors from the carrier are being treated at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Guam for coronavirus symptoms. There was some speculation that the carriers trip to Da Nang in early March might have triggered the outbreak with one of the sailors contracting the virus. Speaking on April 4 about a decision to relieve the ships captain Brett Crozier off his command, President Donald Trump said: "I guess the captain stopped in Vietnam and people got off in Vietnam. Perhaps you dont do that in the middle of a pandemic, or something that looked like it was going to be, you know, history would say you dont necessarily stop and let your sailors get off." Crozier was relieved of command after writing a letter regarding Covid-19 cases aboard ship on March 30. A Reuters report said the U.S. Navy relieved the captain of his command as a way of "punishing him for the leak of a scathing letter he sent to superiors that sought stronger measures for curbing a coronavirus outbreak aboard the ship." An April 5 Asia Times commentary said a close reading of Captain Croziers March 30 letter makes it clear that the Navy did not equip the carrier with proper testing capabilities or provide instructions on what to do if anyone got sick. Five-day Vietnam visit The USS Theodore Roosevelt docked at the Tien Sa Port in Da Nang in central Vietnam on March 5, beginning a five-day visit. It had docked at the port along with cruiser USS Bunker Hill. The carrier alone has 5,000 crew members and along with the cruiser, a total of 6,500 military personnel visited Vietnam, their visit an event marking the 25th anniversary of U.S.-Vietnam diplomatic relations. Military officials are now saying that they do not think the coronavirus outbreak aboard the aircraft carrier was a result of the ships visit to Vietnam, because no crew member appeared to contract the virus until March 24 or March 25, which means more than two weeks after the Da Nang visit. Given the incubation periods observed for the Covid-19 virus, the two-week time frame eliminates the port visit as a source of what has become the U.S. militarys largest outbreak among service members, they said. The five-day period when the aircraft carrier was in Vietnam was a period when the nation enjoyed 22 straight days of no new infections, starting from mid-February and lasting until March 6, when some cases were reported in Hanoi. When the carrier and cruiser visited the country, Vietnam had confirmed just 16 infections and all of them had been discharged from hospitals. During their stay in Da Nang, the officers and crew members attended various meetings and events, played games with their Vietnamese naval counterparts and took part in community activities. City officials and reporters had been invited for a tour of the aircraft carrier. Everyone going on the tour had been checked for Covid-19 and anyone who had traveled through or from China or had direct contact with infected patients were not allowed on board. Only after the aircraft carrier had left Vietnamese shores did a new wave of infections break out in the country, with all the confirmations comprising Vietnamese citizens returning from abroad, and foreign tourists visting the country. It was not until early this month that health authorities confirmed Vietnam has entered the third stage of the epidemic with several cases of community transmission cases. U.S. military officials, as the Wall Street Journal report said, now assume that outbreak on board the aircraft carrier originated from trips made by the carriers flight crew. U.S. aircraft carriers normally have dozens of aircraft on board, along with flight crew and pilots. The first cases of coronavirus on board the Roosevelt were among members of the carriers air wing, they noted. The USS Theodore Roosevelts arrival in Da Nang marked the second U.S. aircraft carrier to visit Vietnam in two years. The USS Carl Vinson visited Da Nang for five days in 2018. That visit marked a milestone in diplomatic ties between the two former enemies. It was the first time a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier docked in Vietnam, four decades after the end of the Vietnam War. The coronavirus pandemic has produced plenty of new social distancing and hygiene rules for people to follow - but it seems some people aren't quite getting the message. People from around the world have shared a series of photos showing strangers who are confused by the new restrictions, while others seem to be deliberately flouting the rules. Among the snaps, which have been collated by Bored Panda, is one of a man who is eating a bag of crisps while still wearing his protective gloves. Another shows a woman queuing in the supermarket while wearing a snorkel and mask. Here are some of the most bizarre examples... This Walmart shopper, from the US, has four cases of beer in his trolley and has the glove he's been wearing to protect himself from coronavirus in his mouth This supermarket, in an unknown location, really tried its best with social distancing. Unfortunately, whoever taped down the markers forgot it included sideways contact These sunbathers, in Victoria, Australia, seem to be completely oblivious to the giant sign behind them warning people to 'practice social distancing' This user, from an unknown location, posted this photograph online after seeing another shopper eating crisps while still wearing the gloves he was using to protect himself This supermarket cashier, in an unknown location, contaminated his gloves by leaning his head on his hands This woman, who is shopping in Florida, thinks wearing snorkle gear is going to protect her from the virus Shoppers at a US supermarkert were so worried about these Corona Beans actually containing coronavirus that they bought every other type, and left them This role of shrivelled up notes is actually worth $5,000 Canadian dollars. Someone clearly thought it was a smart idea to try to sanitise them in the microwave These friends, from an unknown location, all gathered together earlier this month for a houseparty. They all wore masks thinking it would be enough to protect them Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 23:50:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, April 17 (Xinhua) -- "After just over a month, the repatriation programs of various European governments and numerous tourism providers due to the coronavirus crisis have almost been fully completed, the German Lufthansa Group announced on Friday. According to Lufthansa, the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting travel restrictions have triggered an return of an "unprecedented" number of holidaymakers and travelers since mid-March. Lufthansa Group airlines have repatriated around 90,000 people. A total of 437 special flights had taken off from 106 airports worldwide with a destination in Europe, according to Germany's largest airline. Eleven more such special flights are set to follow in the coming days. Lufthansa's last repatriation flight is expected to arrive in Frankfurt next Monday, the company said. To help supply agricultural businesses in Germany with seasonal workers, Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings has also carried out 27 so-called "harvest helper flights" with around 2,500 passengers, the company said. The Lufthansa Group also operated 94 special cargo flights carrying relief supplies, such as protective equipment and face masks, the release said. Enditem KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysian authorities said they have turned back a boat carrying about 200 Muslim Rohingya refugees, including children, that was attempting to enter the country illegally. The air force said in a statement late Thursday that one of its surveillance aircraft had spotted the boat about 70 nautical miles (130 kilometres) off the northern resort island of Langkawi earlier in the day. It said two navy vessels intercepted the boat amid concerns that the refugees might bring the coronavirus into the country. The air force said the navy distributed food to the Rohingya on humanitarian grounds before escorting the boat out of the countrys waters. It didnt say where the boat was heading or describe the condition of the refugees. The air force said aerial maritime surveillance will be intensified as part of the countrys partial lockdown until April 28 to curb the virus. Malaysia has recorded 5,182 coronavirus infections with 84 deaths. New cases have begun to decline this week. Authorities have said they will tighten border patrols to prevent undocumented immigrants from possibly spreading the disease. Nearly two weeks ago, 202 Rohingya refugees were arrested after their boat drifted close to shore in Langkawi. There were no details about where they came from, but many Rohingya living in refugee camps in Bangladesh have been lured by traffickers to leave to seek a better life elsewhere. Bangladesh hosts over a million Rohingya refugees who fled ethnic and religious violence in Myanmar. There are no reported coronavirus infections in the crowded camps, which have been locked down. Bangladeshi officials in recent months have picked up about 1,000 Rohingya in boats or at locations where they planned to board boats. On Wednesday, Bangladeshs coast guard rescued 382 starving Rohingya refugees, mostly women and children, who had been drifting at sea for weeks after failing to reach Malaysia. Officials said the boat attempted to land on Malaysias coast several times but failed. As Gov. Greg Abbott prepared to make one of his most consequential announcements of the pandemic on Friday when and how to reopen the state as cases of COVID-19 continue to surge he told news outlets they wouldn't be allowed in to ask questions. The governor, who has come under intense pressure from both Democrats and fellow Republicans on the contours of the plan, selected three outlets to attend his Friday briefing: the Texas Tribune, Spectrum News and the Austin Business Journal. The announcement was made in the public reception room of the governor's mansion, which Abbott spokesman John Wittman said is small and can't fit more reporters at safe distances apart. The governor opted not to hold the briefing at noon today in a larger auditorium where he has held several past briefings, Wittman said. "The governor felt it was a more appropriate place to make the announcement," Wittman said. He added, "I think it's absolutely ridiculous that the Houston Chronicle is writing this story and I think you should be ashamed." When the governor restricts access for the press, he designates those who attend as pool reporters who ask questions and then provide a detailed write-up to other Texas media. But its another level of distance from the governor for a press corps that is often limited to one question apiece even when Abbott allows them in the room. The governor has consistently barred a majority of outlets from attending for major announcements: when he closed schools, restaurants and bars on March 19; when he issued a statewide stay-at-home order on March 31; and now as he details steps to restart the state's flagging economy. More reporters have been allowed in for other briefings, on updates about the outbreak and new private partnerships to get more tests and personal protective gear to the state. In major cities including San Antonio and Houston, press briefings have regularly been open to reporters. President Donald Trump has also opened his daily briefings, even as he criticizes much of the coverage of his response to the crisis. The governors decision to restrict access comes as the rate of positive COVID-19 tests has grown since March. About 10.3 percent of Texans tested were coming up positive for the new coronavirus as of Friday, according to state data, and Democrats have called for increased access to testing and medical supplies, as well as a focus on the virus's disproportionate impact on black and Hispanic people in the state. "We have not even been able to scratch the surface of testing," Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, said Thursday in a call with reporters. "We're all ready to get out of our houses and go back to work. but we don't even know what's out there." Some conservatives, meanwhile, have lambasted Abbott for not allowing businesses to reopen sooner. Abbott was especially vague about Friday's announcement. He teased at it last Friday, saying he would be issuing a series of executive orders. Earlier this week he said he would unveil a team of experts to consult with on how best to begin reopening the economy. This is not going to be a rush-to-the-gates, everybody-will-be open-all-at-once (situation), he said. We have to reopen in a way in which we are able to stimulate the economy while ensuring we can contain the spread of COVID-19. At the briefing last Friday, which was open to the media, Abbott announced that a number of companies were pitching in to respond to the crisis, including Walgreens, which he said would be opening drive-thru testing sites, some with capacity to administer up to 3,000 tests per day. Walgreens has since opened two sites, both in Houston, each with capacity for up to 200 tests per day. jeremy.blackman@chron.com The share prices of Canadian banks plunged in recent weeks, hitting multi-year lows and driving dividend yields to levels not witnessed since the financial crisis. A strong rebound after the March low sent shares soaring again, but the sector gave up some of those gains in the past week. Investors are now wondering if this is the right time to add the Canadian banks to Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSA) or RRSP dividend portfolios. Recovery timeline Efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus are working in Canada. Talk is now turning to plans for reopening the economy. Front line medical workers say it is too early to remove social distancing restrictions. Businesses and their employees, however, hope to get the economy back on track quickly. While Canadians are doing their duty in a very difficult time, theres a limit to how long people are willing to live this way. Federal and provincial governments need to balance a desire to mitigate the impact of the recession with the need to ensure against a new wave of infections. Health professionals fear the hard work that helped keep the outbreak from overwhelming hospitals in Canada could be undone; that would be a disaster. Letting people return to normal living only to send them back into lockdown would result in uncomfortable situations. News of promising treatments and targets for vaccine developments emerge daily. The sooner the drug companies come up with effective medicine to help people who fall very ill, the faster the government will move on opening up the economy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently said the global economy will contract 3% in 2020. Next year, however, the IMF predicts robust growth. Based on that timeline, investors might want to start nibbling on top-quality dividend stocks. The Canadian banks certainly fit that description. Lets take a look at Bank of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS) (NYSE:BNS) and Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSX:TD) (NYSE:TD). Bank of Nova Scotia Story continues Bank of Nova Scotia traded at $74 per share in February, hitting a March closing low around $47. It bounced as high as $58 and recently slipped back toward the $52 mark. At the time of writing, the stock trades for close to $53.50 and offers a 6.7% dividend yield. Bank of Nova Scotia gets about 30% of its net income from the international group. The operations are primarily located in Mexico, Peru, Chile, and Colombia. These countries are heavily reliant on revenue from oil and base metals production to drive economic growth. The near-term outlook isnt great, however. Oil trades near lows not seen in two decades and commodity prices are down significantly. A strong global economic rebound, however, would likely lift fortunes quickly in the next few years. TD TD is best known for its Canadian retail banking business, but the company also has a large presence in the United States. In fact, TD operates more branches south of the border. The U.S. is reporting the highest number of coronavirus cases and several cities are dealing with major outbreaks. Massive unemployment in the country has forced the Federal Reserve and the government to implement unprecedented stimulus measures and aid packages to help businesses and consumers get through the crisis. Canada is doing the same and the impact could be robust growth in the two countries in 2021 and beyond. TD traded at $76 per share before the market crash. The stock price hit a March bottom around $49 and then rallied as high as $60. The recent pullback went as low as $54.50. The shares currently trade at $56 and provide a 5.6% dividend yield. Is one a better bet? Bank of Nova Scotia and TD both appear oversold right now and should be solid picks for a buy-and-hold portfolio. The distributions should be safe and investors get paid well to wait for the rebound. Income investors might want to make Bank of Nova Scotia the first pick due to the higher yield. Those who prefer to avoid the potential risks associated with the Latin American markets should probably go with TD as the first choice. The post Should You Buy Bank of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS) or TD (TSX:TD) Stock Now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading The Motley Fool recommends BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA. 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 Mattos experience is typical in Peru, where many of the 31 million citizens buy much of their food in informal street markets that remain severely overcrowded and where the concept of personal space is among the most limited in the world. Those challenges help explain why the number of coronavirus cases reported in the Andean nation is soaring, despite an early and decisive response against the pandemic. A fire chief is "furious" as fire crews battle extensive gorse fires which have destroyed hundreds of acres of land and put lives at risk along the Blackstairs Mountain in the south-east. Forty fire fighters from four units based in Kilkenny, Carlow and Wexford Bagenalstown spent Thursday and today attending extensive gorse fires close to the RTE transmitter on Mount Leinster. Heavy smoke and fires were visible up to 25 kilometres away as hundreds of acres of land and forest burned . The first fires started on the night of Easter Saturday along the Knockroe area of the scenic mountain range which is a hill-walker friendly region. They were brought quickly under control. However, the fires, which were started maliciously on Thursday, first began around 11am and proved difficult to bring under control. The four units based in Bunclody, Bagenalstown, Carlow and Graiguenamanagh spent more than 24 hours battling them. Fires burning on Mount Leinster this evening sending a thick plume of smoke for miles across the Barrow valley.......#BlackstairsBurning pic.twitter.com/8oTggZ0ihs Tom Moore (@Wexcoastbirds) April 16, 2020 Members of the Civil Defence and the National Parks and Wildfire Service, local farmers and residents were also on scene helping fire-fighters. Several home owners live close to where the fires broke out. Carlow Fire Service is appealing to members of the public to heed the warnings relating to the illegal lighting of outdoor fires. Acting Chief Fire Officer Liam Carroll of the Carlow Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: The most recent fires are just taking the biscuit and we are furious that they were started maliciously. More images of Mount Leinster with locals reporting 3 fires burning since morning. pic.twitter.com/X3om6oPSqA Carlow Weather (@CarlowWeather) April 16, 2020 These fires were started maliciously. From 11am to 8pm we had to deal with the first fire, then as soon as we had that extinguished, another was started close to the Nine Stones area of the mountain range which went into forestry and then another fire broke out in the area of Rathgeran. This fire was brought under control around 1.30am but fire fighters are still on scene ensuring the last of it is fully dampened down. These fires are very difficult to control due to the weather at present. These fires are taking us away from main population areas and putting people living there at risk. Mr Carroll again appealed to the public not to intentionally light any outdoor fires. He said: These types of fires are a serious drain on Fire Service resources. Fire crews may be delayed in attending life threatening house fires or road traffic collisions when fighting wildfires. These fires are placing an additional strain on emergency services at a time when those services are already involved in supporting the national response to the Covid-19 outbreak. We wish to again remind members of the public that all notices informing Carlow County Council of controlled burning will not be accepted for the duration of the Covid-19 emergency. The public should refrain from all forms of controlled burning at this time. The heather blazing on Mount Leinster. pic.twitter.com/0WS8ny34Of Model County GAA (@GaaModel) April 16, 2020 Along the Wicklow Mountains, hundreds of acres of land have also been destroyed in illegally lit gorse fires. Wicklow Fire Service has said there is little doubt that the fires were started illegally. Wicklow Fire Chief Aidan Dempsey said the fires are "being caused maliciously" rather than accidentally by people who are tourists or using the mountains for recreational purposes despite Covid-19 restrictions. One of the recent fires. Over the past several weeks, a number of fires have been burning despite a Department of Agriculture Condition Orange Fire warning in place. While farmers are allowed to burn lands at certain times of the year, they are currently not permitted to do so. Members of the public found to be setting fires can be prosecuted under the Wildlife Act, and both the Department of Agriculture and the National Parks and Wildlife Service have both appealed to people not to set fires. A study to be presented at European Congress on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID)* shows that rates of Escherichia coli related sepsis in different regions of the UK could be directly linked to the levels of pathogenic (disease causing) E. coli in the community, as determined by its presence in sewage in that area. The study is by Dr Mark Toleman, Cardiff University, UK and colleagues. UK E. coli sepsis rates have been rising for the last 20 years. Good information on the rates of increase are available from the agencies Public Health England, Wales and Scotland. E. coli bacteraemia (blood infection) rates have been closely monitored since mandatory surveillance was initiated for acute NHS trusts in 2011. For example, rates have risen by 49% in Wales (60.3-89.8 per 100,000 population from 2010-2017), 71% in England (45-77.7 per 100,000, 2009-2018) and 31% in Scotland (66.6-87.3 per 100,000 2009-2018). However, the reason behind this consistent year on year increase is to date unknown. The sepsis rate also varies greatly between NHS geographic regions** and considerably between London (64 cases 100,000 population) and South Wales (85 per 100,000). In this study, the authors tested the theory that the different rates could be due to differing prevalence of pathogenic E. coli types (type B2) in the different UK NHS regions. Sewage was collected from multiple sites: Longreach (about 20km East of London on the River Thames near Dartford), Marlow (Buckinghamshire), Reading (Berkshire), Bristol (Avon), Ponthir (South Wales) and Cardiff (South Wales) sewage works from the period 19 to 26 September 2019. The authors chose these particular locations to focus the study along the M4 motorway corridor knowing that the sepsis rates were lowest in London and highest in South Wales. The authors explain: "We were constrained a little by availability to access certain sewage works but essentially we managed to get sewage from the majority of plants targeted. We then randomly chose 100 E. coli isolates from each location and performed genetic analysis on them." The average prevalence of pathogenic B2 phylotype E. coli was considerably higher in South Wales than across the English locations, 32.5% versus 17.8%. E. coli B2 phylogenetic prevalence at each location was: Ponthir (33%), Cardiff (32%), Bristol (24%), Reading (16%), Marlow (13%), Longreach (18%) with prevalence lowest in the London region (15.6% overall - an average of the sites that were all within 40 miles of central London: Reading, Marlow and Longreach). A method called multiplex PCR was then used to detect known sepsis-causing pathogenic E. coli ST95, ST131, ST73 and ST69 (all part of the B2 group routinely found to cause sepsis in hospital). Most sepsis-causing E. coli sequence types belong to the E. coli B2 group, and the prevalence of these specific ST was also considerably higher in South Wales than in England, 11% versus 7.8%. The highest rate of specific sepsis E. coli ST was found in Bristol mostly due to a very high prevalence of ST95 (9%) in the Bristol community. However overall, Bristol had less of a diversity of sepsis causing ST compared to the Welsh sites, with several additional sepsis-causing types commonly found in Wales. The authors say "Our study showed that firstly, the carriage rate of B2 types is very high in the UK especially in Wales in this study and secondly, that the specific sequence types within the B2 group known to cause sepsis in our hospitals are commonly carried in the community." They further explain: "Most sepsis events start from common community acquired infections such as urinary tract infections (UTIs) that cause bladder and then kidney infections before entering the blood stream (sepsis). The origin of the E. coli organisms causing these infections is typically the patients' own gut. Therefore, if more people in the community are carrying pathogenic B2 types of E. coli such as ST73, ST131 etc we would expect the UTI rate to increase and also subsequently the sepsis rate. This is exactly what appears to be happening." The authors have also done other work in this area, including a study of the UK, Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan that indicates that the UK sepsis rates are directly related to carriage of pathogenic E. coli types. They have also published data on rates of B2 carriage in Pakistan and Northern India (which are very low in comparison to the UK), and have an on-going study comparing the situation between the UK and South America (Brazil). In addition, they are currently seeking funding to do a UK wide study. On the root causes of the different rates of E. coli carriage in different places, they say: "Our previous research has shown very low rates of human carriage of pathogenic E. coli strains in other geographic locations such as Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh Pakistan and India (<2%). This may be related to the prevalence of natural E. coli predators such as bacteriophages in different human communities and locations. Similarly, diverse mixes of cultures and ethnicities in global hubs such as London would allow mixing of bacterial and bacteriophage populations altering prevalence of individual E. coli strains." They add: "Rates are also very high in the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We are currently planning the logistics of doing an in-depth UK wide study incorporating the majority of sewage works in the UK and additionally measuring resistance rates at different places." ### 04/17/2020 Photo credit: Mtaylor848 - Wikimedia Commons On Thursday, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted unanimously to approve the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint. The decision was the final step in a long road toward receiving merger approval for the two companies. The $23 billion deal closed on April 1 without CPUC approval, following a long period of opposition from state attorneys general. Lawmakers argued that the deal would be anticompetitive and raise costs for consumers. However, in February, a federal judge allowed the deal to move forward, saying it would allow the merged company to continue T-Mobiles undeniably successful business strategy for the foreseeable future. Now, the CPUC has voted unanimously to approve the merger. The new entity will operate under the T-Mobile name. Conditions of the deal Under the deal, the wireless carriers have agreed to uphold conditions laid out by the CPUC in March. The new company is required to offer 5G speeds of at least 300Mbps to 93 percent of Californias population by the end of 2024 and add 1,000 jobs in California in five years. An independent monitor will be tasked with ensuring T-Mobile complies with the conditions of approval, the CPUC said. A critical part of this deal is the benefits it provides for our neediest consumers, by ensuring that T-Mobile continues LifeLine service and enrolls at least 300,000 new LifeLine customers, said CPUC Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen. Our enforcement provisions are particularly strong and both the CPUC and the California Attorney General may enforce the CPUCs conditions of approval. T-Mobile previously agreed to establish satellite TV company Dish Network as a fourth major wireless company for the sake of preserving competition. T-Mobile also promised to offer "the same or better rate plans" for three years. T-Mobile has argued that joining forces with Sprint will pave the way for a faster rollout of nationwide 5G. The mega-merger will enable the combined company to join their high-band and low-band spectrum with the goal of expediting the deployment of national 5G. PARADISE, Calif. - The coronavirus continues to take a heavy toll, not just with our health and lives but also with our livelihood. One of those places hit hard - the Paradise Performing Arts Center. Action News Now visited the center and talked to one of its board members, Steve "Woody" Culleton. Culleton says the building survived the Camp Fire and now they hope they can get through the pandemic as well. "We're closed to the public we can't hold any events here because of the order," Culleton said. Culleton - says the coronavirus forced more than half a dozen to cancel. "Northern California Ballet was scheduled to be in here, Butte College graduations, the Gold Nugget Days queen contest was going to be here," Culleton said. Those events would have generated at least $10,000. Culleton says the center paid off its mortgage before the Camp Fire - but the board still has ongoing costs. "When I have events in here, my PG&E bill runs about 12 to 15 hundred dollars a month. When I don't have events it runs a thousand dollars," Culleton said. Culleton says he hasn't had to file for a loan because they set aside money from past fundraisers. "We need to be mindful of doing the right thing for the safety of the entire community," Culleton said. Culleton believes their savings can carry them through the end of this year. Culleton tells Action News Now - the screening for Ron Howard's film documenting the Camp Fire has also been canceled - they're not sure when that might reschedule. The Ukrainian town of Truskavets has received 40,000 medical face masks from its Chinese sister town of Lianzhou. Mayor of Truskavets Andriy Kulchynsky wrote about this on his Facebook page on April 17. A humanitarian aid arrived in Truskavets from our Chinese sister town of Lianzhou. We received 40,000 medical face masks. We are grateful to our Chinese friends and the Ukrainian-Chinese organization LanHua (chairman Yuriy Kotyk). We are the first city in Ukraine to receive such assistance, the mayor wrote. He also noted that over the past two days disinfection works had been carried out in the town. According to the Public Health Center of the Ukrainian Health Ministry, 4,662 COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Ukraine as of 09:00 on April 17. A total of 125 people died from complications related to the disease, and 246 recovered. Some 501 new cases were recorded in Ukraine over the past 24 hours. In Lviv region, 203 coronavirus cases were confirmed. ish Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday a return to work for some Texans, moving to reinvigorate the states flagging economy even as COVID-19 cases in the state continue to increase. The governor, who has come under pressure from fellow Republicans to prioritize the economic fallout from the pandemic, said retailers will be able to open drive-up operations late next week, and doctors in non-frontline specialties can resume some procedures beginning Wednesday. State parks will also reopen, with restrictions in place to ensure social distancing. In opening Texas, we must be guided by data and doctors, Abbott said. We must put health and safety first. We must prioritize protecting our most vulnerable populations. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Abbott said school closures will be extended through the end of the school year. Public school districts will continue to provide online instruction through the remainder of the school year to avoid losing state funding and extending their calendars. The order drew widespread praise from superintendents and leaders of unions representing school employees, who agreed that returning to classes was untenable. The decision also ensures the states 350,000-plus high school seniors will not return to class before graduation. Many districts have pushed back graduation ceremonies into the summer, though it remains to be seen whether public health officials will advise against holding those gatherings. Abbotts orders override some of Harris Countys restrictions. RETAIL-TO-GO: What 'retail to-go' means for customers, businesses and employees The countys stay-at-home order required most businesses closed, but made exceptions for certain retailers such as supermarkets, pharmacies and stories selling sporting goods, liquor and furniture. Abbotts order, which supersedes any rules set by cities or counties, allows any retail business to reopen, albeit with restrictions. Also Friday, the governor formed a new advisory team to guide his decisions on future reopenings, led by Austin banker James Huffines and conservative lobbyist Mike Toomey. Now Playing: 'COVID-19 in 60': Houston coronavirus news in a minute Video: Houston Chronicle Abbott says testing will ramp up Democrats have called for increased access to testing and medical supplies, as well as a focus on the virus's disproportionate impact on black and Hispanic communities in the state. Texas ranks among the lowest states for testing per capita, which means health officials have little insight into the true size of the outbreak. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, said the governor has failed to fully deliver on earlier promises for more testing, and called his approach see no evil, hear no evil. We still don't have a sense of how big the pandemic is in Texas, Castro said in a call with reporters. More Information Gov. Abbott's orders on Friday: Close Texas schools for the remainder of the school year Create a Strike Force to Open Texas Authorize 'retail to-go' operations at closed Texas businesses, which allows them to reopen starting April 24, provided they deliver the items to a customer's vehicle, home or other location Loosen restrictions on nonessential surgeries, effective April 22 Reopen state parks, effective April 20, provided visitors wear face masks and abide by social distancing guidelines See More Collapse The governor gave no specifics Friday for how testing will expand in the coming weeks, saying only that it will continue to grow. "In the short term, you will see daily increases," Abbott said. "It will be going up quite a bit." Abbott also declined to say whether his order loosening restrictions on non-essential medical procedures includes abortions, which he has largely banned during the pandemic. Conservatives argue that the procedures drain needed medical supplies, while abortion rights advocates accuse them of exploiting the crisis for political reasons. Testing has been limited in many parts of the state, however, and the state health agency is not collecting consistent demographic information about who is getting tested. Texas ranks among the lowest states for testing per capita. That means health officials have little insight into whether testing is being concentrated on wealthier Texans, who are more likely to have health insurance, primary care physicians and access to transportation to testing sites. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, whose city has been the hardest hit in Texas, said he wants more specifics on how testing will ramp up in the coming weeks. "The testing has always been and continues to be the most important thing, he said. We need to hear a lot more on the plan for robust, ubiquitous testing." Some Houston restrictions overridden The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, a research group at the University of Washington, is currently predicting a statewide peak of COVID-19 infections on April 29. Hospital executives have said reopening restaurants, playgrounds and theaters then could be disastrous. In the Houston area, medical and public health leaders have seen a slight flattening of the COVID-19 curve as new research shows that the time it takes the outbreak to double has slowed to 20 days. The statewide average is nine days. Still, given the projected peak later this month, Houston medical leaders have warned against reopening businesses too soon. Dr. Paul Klotman, president of Baylor College of Medicine, says it makes no sense to pick a date based on what we wish to happen and adds that the virus will and should dictate when to lift restrictions. But Abbotts order about resuming services at hospitals was met positively by the heads of Houston Methodist and Memorial Hermann health systems Friday. It is critical to our community that we safely and thoughtfully begin a return to diagnosing and treating medical issues, Dr. Marc Boom, president of Houston Methodist, emailed employees. Regardless of the virus, our friends, family and neighbors are still suffering from heart disease, cancer, neurological problems, etc. We must balance the need to be prepared for COVID-19 patients and the need to care for others without the virus. Both Methodist and Memorial Hermann said they will phase back services, starting with diagnostic and imaging procedures before cautiously returning to non-elective surgeries. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said her office had yet to determine the effects of Abbotts orders, but she shares the governors urgency to re-open the economy. Now is the most critical time to keep our shoulder to the wheel, Hidalgo said. There are signs of progress, but we need evidence that weve made it past the worst before we can safely move wholeheartedly into opening back up without falling right back to where we started. Hidalgo said she would consider slowly loosening restrictions on movement and commerce only when the peak has passed and widespread testing becomes available. Staff writers Jacob Carpenter, Zach Despart, Dylan McGuinness and Todd Ackerman contributed reporting from Houston. Every crisis produces its own must-have products. Today, people are scrambling for facemasks and shields. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, it was Geiger counters, as Japanese residents worried about the safety of their environments. So that year, a group called Safecast partnered with a hackerspace in Tokyo and others to develop an affordable portable radiation sensor called the bGeigie. They funded it through Kickstarter. The coronavirus pandemic, too, has proved a rich source of inspiration for campaigns on crowdsourcing platforms. Some are small in scope, such as those developed through Kickstarter's just-launched Inside Voices, a program aimed at encouraging the creation of projects--a digital album of bedroom demos, DIY cocktail recipe videos--that can be produced with resources in the home. Many others, though, are a direct response to the crisis: Kickstarter has received around 200 Covid-19-related submissions in the past few weeks. Some of those projects didn't work for Kickstarter because they were underdeveloped or were essentially fundraisers, says senior director of communications David Gallagher. The platform also rejected others that claimed to diagnose, treat, or prevent Covid-19. "We are not the FDA," Gallagher says. "We can't review people's product plans to make sure they are going to do what they say they are going to do." What crowdsourcing can do, he says, is showcase artists, inventors, and other entrepreneurs who are finding creative and constructive ways to use the pandemic as an outlet for their work. Below are three new projects trying to make a difference during the crisis. Recognizing small achievements One exemplar of the Kickstarter ethos applied to Covid-19 is Faye Simms, a freelance illustrator and designer with a specialty in comics and video games. Simms, who lives in Exeter, England, has for years created stickers to support people with anxiety and depression. With the cancellation of trade shows and conventions she normally attends, Simms worked up sets of social distancing and self-care achievement stickers. She quickly racked up nearly 800 percent of her roughly $250 goal. The stickers, printed on vinyl sheets in packs of two, reward achievements like "Family Dinner Over Skype," "Cleaned All High-Contact Points," and "Sang While Washing." Recently she added a hand-washing poster and a game called Store Cupboard Bingo ("Drank the Cooking Wine," "Cut the Mold Off.") "There have been a ton of interesting studies about how gamifying simple things in everyday life can have positive impact on mental health, helping us cope with difficult circumstances," Simms says. "It's important to take a moment to figure out what we need, to do what we can do. I hope these stickers will be a visual reminder of that." She plans to make sticker sets left over after supporters' orders are fulfilled available on Etsy, with discounts for health care workers and others hurt by the pandemic. Enforcing social distancing Inventor Blair Wyatt?'s Social Distancing Badge is like a pandemic-themed version of those signs that display the speed of approaching cars. The badge, pinned to clothing or worn on a lanyard, employs a sensor that bounces light off an object to determine how far it is from the wearer. Its display--roughly 2.5 inches by 1.5 inches--gives a digital readout of distance, so someone coming toward you knows the second they've breached the six-foot barrier. Wyatt, who lives in Melbourne, Australia, based it on another product he created called MappyDot, which helps prevent collisions by drones and robots. The idea for the Social Distancing Badge "started as a bit of a joke" during a Skype hangout a few weeks ago, Wyatt says. His friends were complaining about grocery shopping while other customers breathed down their necks at the checkout or scooted close to count the rolls of toilet paper in their carts. The main challenge was making the device light enough to distribute worldwide and manage concerns over shipping batteries. The solution: Use a small button cell battery and a high-contrast, low-power LCD screen to minimize the need for charging. Wyatt plans to produce the badges at his company, SensorDots, which makes tiny sensors and also does contract electronics work. He is looking to raise $4,300 and at the time of this article's publication was more than halfway there. Automatic reminders Last month, Brig Ricks was sitting in the office of his not-yet-locked-down startup, Burly, a Traverse City, Michigan, company that lets construction professionals rent equipment from other construction professionals. "I was trying to be extra conscious about not touching my face, but I realized I was scratching my nose," Ricks says. "And I said, 'Man, I wish I had something that would remind me not to do that.'" Ricks began sketching plans for a bracelet embedded with sensors and activated by a transmitter in a small pin. Clip the pin to your lapel; when your hand wanders toward your face, the pin detects that motion and sends an electrical signal to the bracelet, which starts to vibrate. Ricks has no engineering background, but he had spent time in Croatia while working as a corporate lawyer and knew an engineer there with expertise integrating hardware and software. He contracted with the engineer to create a prototype and incorporated the new business, calling it Good Vibes. But Ricks learned that not everyone with a Covid-19-themed idea is welcomed by Kickstarter. He had hoped to raise $65,000 with a preorder price of $25. But the platform turned him down, characterizing Good Vibes as a product claiming to help prevent the spread of the disease. "We're claiming to help break the face-touching habit," Ricks says. "A benefit of not touching your face, as all experts agree, is reduced transmissions of Covid-19, as well as other pathogens." India's sex workers had played a key role in bringing down HIV infections and their services can now be utilised to contain the spread of COVID-19, says a noted physician. Dr Sundar Sundararaman, who has worked in HIV field for more than 30 years, urged the government to co-opt sex workers and deploy them on the ground to undertake tasks like the ones done by ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) and Anganwadi workers. "Had sex workers not cooperated in the last 15 years, we wouldn't have brought down HIV at all, the independent consultant told PTI. "In fact, today we are talking about COVID warriors heroes.Why are we forgetting HIV warriors, and HIV heroes. Sex workers were in the frontline who made sure new (HIV) infections were mitigated." During the ongoing lockdown period, Sundararaman said loss for sex workers, who are in every single geography, is going to be very huge because of social distancing. Like ASHA and Anganwadi workers, they have the capacity and skill to gather and disseminate information and their services can be also be utilised for similar initiatives to curb the spread of COVID-19 and positioned as social champions. This is a very good opportunity for sex workers to become socially relevant, he said. Secretary of Ashodaya Samithi, a Mysuru-based sex workers collective, Bhagyalakshmi said sex workers, out of business during the lockdown period, are struggling to make ends meet. Some have bank passbook, some don't as they live on the roads and have no houses, she said, appealing to the government to give them at least Rs 1000-Rs 1500 to buy essentials. Sources said some sex workers are using innovative ways to offer their service, like sex talk, long-distance sex and mobile videos and get paid through digital payment platforms. But it's a very small amount of money and small number of people is involved. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WOODBRIDGE, N.J., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the unprecedented number of illnesses and deaths unfolding in federal, state and county jails across the country as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Greenbaum, Rowe Smith & Davis LLP has announced the formation of a "COVID-19 Compassionate Release Task Force," to be coordinated by Christopher D. Adams, Chair of the firm's Criminal Defense & Regulatory Compliance Practice Group. The task force will assist non-violent offenders who are currently incarcerated and have an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 with requests for bail, compassionate release, medical furloughs, and early parole. "The U.S. Attorney General, various governors and courts have identified prisoners as one of the most susceptible populations to be impacted," notes Mr. Adams, who is already handling release applications in New Jersey. "We stand ready to advocate on behalf of these individuals, because a prison sentence should not be a death sentence," Adams adds. The density of prison environments, lack of access to adequate healthcare, and other considerations place prisoners at particularly high risk for contracting and spreading the COVID-19 virus. On March 22, New Jersey became the first state to temporarily suspend and commute county jail sentences in response to the pandemic under an order issued by the New Jersey Supreme Court with the support of the New Jersey Attorney General, the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey and the ACLU. In a follow-up measure, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order 124 on April 10, creating a process for the New Jersey Department of Corrections to grant temporary reprieve to certain at-risk inmates during the COVID-19 crisis. With that action, New Jersey joined the federal government and other states in releasing certain state prison inmates in order to curtail the spread of the virus. Individuals seeking assistance with securing bail, compassionate release, medical furloughs, or early parole for any inmate serving a sentence who may qualify for release should contact the following members of the COVID-19 Compassionate Release Task Force for assistance. Christopher D. Adams [email protected] | 732.476.2692 Robert J. Flanagan III [email protected] | 732.476.3204 Abdus-Sami M. Jameel [email protected] | 732.476.2494 Media Contacts: Diana Parker [email protected] | 732.476.2464 Erin Faltin [email protected] | 732.476.3278 Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP is one of New Jersey's leading business law firms. Learn more about our practice at www.greenbaumlaw.com. SOURCE Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP Related Links http://www.greenbaumlaw.com Health care workers, retail employees and possibly teachers could soon qualify for coronavirus testing without significant symptoms. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday that Australia's testing regime will be massively beefed up over the next four weeks to prepare for the end of lockdown. Part of that plan will involve testing people who work in certain 'at risk' occupations even if they have only 'basic symptoms', Mr Morrison said today. Health care workers, retail employees and possibly teachers could soon qualify for coronavirus testing even if they have no symptoms. Pictured: A testing centre in Bondi Asked who would be the target of the broader testing regime, the Prime Minister told Triple M Hobart: 'There are particular occupations which are more at risk. 'Health care workers, retail workers, those sorts of jobs where they are more at risk and have basic symptoms that wouldn't normally qualify.' The Prime Minister said teachers were not at risk because children are less affected by the virus. But he said: 'I think broader testing among teachers would be a good thing' to help put staff at ease. Mr Morrison said tests will be made available in more suburbs and localities so that any local outbreaks can easily be identified. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia's testing regime will be massively beefed up over the next four weeks to prepare for the end of lockdown. Pictured: A testing centre in Bondi He also said he wants a new tracing app that can show a patient's recent contacts to be optional - but did not rule out forcing people to download it if less than 40 per cent of the nation sign up. 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, Mr Morrison said on Thursday. But Australia's most populous 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 30 new cases of coronavirus in Australia on Thursday, taking the national total to 6,479. The crisis peaked at 460 daily cases on 28 March. 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 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. 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. A police officer refrains a woman from swimming on Bondi Beach in Sydney 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. It comes as schools in New South Wales plan to use a roster system to bring some children back to class. Schools in New South Wales will use a rota system to bring some children back to class, Premier Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) said today On Thursday Premier Gladys Berejiklian 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. 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 pandemic. The UK's finest milliners have come together to create PPE visors for frontline NHS staff. Awon Golding, of Lock & Co, the world's oldest hat shop, and royal favourite Philip Treacy are among those lending their talents to create essential equipment for healthcare workers as part of the #VisorArmy. The talented milliners are taking part in the Make A Visor, Save A Hero campaign in conjunction with the Rosetrees Trust. Awon Golding, of Lock & Co, pictured, the world's oldest hat shop, and royal favourite Philip Treacy are among those lending their talents to create essential equipment for NHS workers Pictured: a stack of visors waiting to be shipped, with words of encouragement written on the headband to hold them steady The milliners have written kind words of thanks on the visors's front and back in order to lift the spirits of frontline NHS worker (pictured) The campaign encourages members of the public to donate money via GoFundMe so milliners can buy the materials needed to create single-use visors. In the three days since the campaign was launched more than 32,000 has been raised, or enough money to make 50,000 visors for frontline staff. Awon Golding said: 'Theyre putting their lives on the line for us and making visors is our small way of supporting and thanking them. 'As Milliners were uniquely positioned to use our skills for good in this instance, and I cant think of a better way to be using my hands and my time right now.' Rachel Trevor Morgan, a London-based milliner who holds a royal warrant, also took part in the project (pictured wearing a visor) Each milliner can make up to 100 visors a day, and the campaign as already produced more than 5,000 so far (pictured, Rachel making a visor) Royal Ascot favourite Harvy Santos is one of the milliner taking part. He is pictured wearing one of the visors he made Other high fashion milliners involved in the project count Stephen Jones, who's worked with Dior, Alex Gold Heese, Noel Stewart, Yuan Li, Yuki Honjo-Archer, Victoria Grant and Georgina Abbott. Rachel Trevor Morgan, a London-based milliner who holds a royal warrant, as well as Harvy Santos, a Royal Ascot favourite, are also taking part. According to the campaign, each milliner can produce 100 visors a day. The visors are made to specifications provided by an NHS medic and form an essential part of the PPE being used by staff across the country. The visors cost 50p, and 10 could cover the cost for 25 visors. So far, the campaign has collected 31,067 Pictured Awon shows one of the visors she's made for herself, decorated with hearts. The single use visors comply with the NHS specifications, and were designed by a NHS doctor Many of the milliners are adding messages of support like 'thank you' and 'heroes' to the bands of the visors to bring added joy. The campaign is working hand in hand with the Rosetrees Trust, a private charity which uses entrepreneurial skills to find and fund the best medical research. Together, they'll insure that all donations go towards making enough visors to make demands. They also vowed to redirect all donations to other urgent NHS needs in the eventuality that demands for visors should be met. This article is published through a partnership with New York Medias Strategist . The partnership is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Every editorial product is independently selected by New York Media. If you buy something through our links, Slate and New York Media may earn an affiliate commission. For all the debate over whether the best coffee comes from a Chemex or a French press or an AeroPress, sometimes you just want to turn on a machine and let it do all the work. We asked 14 coffee experts baristas, roasters, food-industry professionals, and just plain coffee snobs what coffee makers out there will give you a good, simple at-home brew without all the fuss. Below, are their eight favorite machines for people who think the best part of waking up is having a gadget make their cup. Best overall coffee maker According to our research, the Bonavita Connoisseur is respected industry-wide, with four experts recommending the model specifically by name, and two others naming Bonavita as generally the best brand of coffee maker. A key feature of the Connoisseur, cited by everyone who recommended it, is the machines ability to brew at the proper water temperature. According to Ken Nye, the owner and founder of Ninth Street Espresso, one of the parameters that most machines dont achieve is temperature. Very few consistently bring water to that 198-202 degree range, which he calls the broadly agreed upon standard. As Nye puts it, the Connoisseur is made to heat the water to the correct temperature and maintains that temp throughout the brewing process. Furthermore, Nye adds, it brews directly into an insulated thermal carafe so you can keep your coffee warm without heating it from below (where you risk burning the coffee). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another important factor, mentioned by multiple sources, is that it evenly distributes the water over the coffee grounds while brewing. It does this with the help of a showerhead-like spout above the filter basket that showers all of the coffee evenly so it all brews at the same time, according to Joanna Larue, general manager at Blue Bottle Park Slope. The machine also has a flat-bottomed brew basket that Nye and George Howell, the owner and founder of George Howell Coffee, both cite as essential to ensuring an even brew. The flat bottom spreads the grounds out evenly on the bed, explains Howell, so its easier to distribute the water and ensure an even extraction. This model might not be as full-featured as some of the other options on this list or on the market in general but the experts recommend it over all the others due to its more approachable price point, ease of use, and most of all, its reliability. Its consistent from start to finish, says Howell. Best high-end coffee maker Cited by three experts, the Technivorm Moccamaster was the second most-recommended coffee maker. Its pricey, but the experts who use it said that its worth the premium if youre interested in investing in the best equipment out there. Like the Bonavita Connoisseur, the Moccamaster received high marks on its temperature-control ability and even brewing. One of the areas where it really stands out from the crowd, however, is its quality construction. You want something thats well-made and has good temperature control, says Jim Munson, the founder and president of Brooklyn Roasting Company, who highlights the fact that the Moccamaster is handmade in the Netherlands. Suyog Mody, the founder of Driftaway Coffee, is another fan. He says that while the brewing mechanics are similar to those used in less-expensive drip coffee makers, the Moccamaster is is made with better parts and with solid construction. Ive been using it daily for the past three-plus years with zero issues. Its just no fuss. He adds, And honestly, it looks good on the kitchen counter. While the design is certainly appealing and the construction quality means it should last for a long time, the experts wouldnt recommend this coffee maker if it didnt also make great coffee. I taste coffee from all types of brewers, and this one gives a consistently better cup, says Munson. Best dupe for a Moccamaster coffee maker Mud Coffee co-owner Yasmina Palumbo says this coffee maker from Motif makes a nice alternative to the better known and much more expensive Moccamaster. It heats up water very fast, and its dispersion system soaks the grinds evenly, making a fuller-flavored brew, she says. Best programmable coffee maker Many home brewers like having a programmable coffee machine that can be set to turn on automatically at a certain time. If youre looking for one of those, two of the experts recommend this model, which has the same brewing mechanics as the top pick but comes with a digital clock and timer with the ability to schedule automatic brewing. Its a great option for coffee lovers who want to brew at the touch of a button without sacrificing quality, says Connie Blumhardt of Roast Magazine. Michael Bonavita (no relation to the company), the owner and founder of Goodlife Coffee Company, says this is the machine he uses at home because he loves how simple it is to program. Best coffee maker with built-in grinder If you want to take the convenience factor beyond programmable timing, you can get a coffee maker with a built-in grinder so you truly have everything you need in one machine. On mornings when I dont make a pour-over (weigh out the water, the beans, all that fun stuff), the Capresso drip machine yields the cleanest-tasting cup, says Kat Odell, the author of Day Drinking. The built-in burr grinder saves you from having to buy a separate gadget, too, she adds. (Burr grinders, it should be noted, are also the style favored by every expert we consulted for our roundup on the best coffee grinders.) Best coffee maker for a quick brew time Anyone who cant start their day without a sip of coffee knows that another important quality to consider is brewtime. Thats where this coffee maker excels, according to Bonavita, who describes it as very fast, consistent, and user-friendly. He adds that Bunn has a great reputation in the commercial space, and that this model is a great at-home version of those higher-volume machines the company is known for. Best simple coffee maker Jamie McCormick, the co-owner of East Village coffee shop Abraco, told us that he prefers to keep things as simple as possible when it comes to coffee machines. People make a big to do over a lot of nothing when it comes to brewing equipment, he says, and although he admits that he doesnt quite know why, he thinks a plain old Mr. Coffee is a great choice for any amateur coffee roaster who wants to flatter their grounds. Since this doesnt have a high-tech mechanism for distributing the water evenly like some of the other models on this list, he offers one key tip: Open the machine up while its brewing and stir the grounds. Make sure all the grounds get hydrated. Best cold brew coffee maker If youre looking for a cold-brew coffee maker, this one comes recommended by Dennis Ngo, the chef and co-owner of restaurant Di an Di in Greenpoint. I got hooked on the smoothness and low acidity of cold-brewed coffee, says Ngo, who before making his own cold brew would go out and buy it from the coffee shop Gimme! near his apartment. It lets me tinker with different beans and concentrations, and produces enough cold brew to last me two weeks at a time. It also stacks compactly for storage, which is an absolute requirement for my tiny New York apartment. On her official Facebook page, First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva has expressed gratitude to Georgia for projecting the national flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan at Tbilisi TV Broadcasting Tower. I express sincere gratitude to Georgia, with which we are united by historical good-neighbor relations! Supporting each other in difficult moments of challenge is the best manifestation of friendship and brotherhood. I am sure that thanks to the strong will and solidarity of our peoples, we will soon leave behind all the challenges our world faces today! I wish you all good health! Mehriban Aliyeva said in her Facebook post. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The American wine industry could face losses of almost $6 billion in the wake of COVID-19, new research has shown. The full scale of potential loss$5.94 billion is the result of a new analysis performed by industry expert John Moramarco, according to a press release from the California Wine Institute. Surges in buying patterns at grocery stores and other retailers has not proved enough to reduce the impact of tasting room closures and important alternative outlets like restaurants, according to Moramarco, managing partner at bw166, a highly acclaimed beverage alcohol research and marketing firm. Smaller wineries will be hit by larger losses, according to the report; boutique wineries tend to rely heavily on tasting rooms not only for sales, but for wine club membership and broader customer acquisition. With that stream of new business cut off, smaller wineries could find themselves more tenuously positioned than larger wineries. Larger wineries say, those producing upward of 70,000 cases a yearoften have the kind of bandwidth needed to contract with distributors, landing their labels on grocery store shelves. On-premise sales are expected to be down more than $2.5 billion through 2020, according to the release, representing a loss of 80%; tasting room sales are also predicted to decline 80% with sustained losses of $3 billion. The spiral is expected to severely skew market supply and demand, leaking damage onto grape growers, too: wine grape sales could be down as much as 25%, Moramarcos analysis shows. Ninety-seven percent of the nations wineries produce less than 50,000 cases, according to the Wine Institutes release. Wineries of that size are expected to experience losses of 36 to 66 percent, the report says, with smaller wineries more heavily impacted. Wineries producing between 1,000 and 5,00 cases are expected to see a loss in revenue of almost 48%. Seventy percent of Napa Valleys wineries make less than 5,000 cases, the Napa Valley Vintners have said, which could place them directly in the crosshairs of pandemic-prompted losses. Off-premise sales in grocers and other outlets are expected to increase 10%, the report states. Moramarcos models assume a 50% recovery of restaurant, tasting room and other on-premise sales within three months of shutdowns being lifted; the analysis assumes that will begin in late May of this year. Public health experts have repeatedly said that the timeline for recovery may differ state to state as local officials examine regional conditions and risk. Wineries, like all other hospitality businesses, are feeling the impact across the board, Robert Koch, president and CEO of the Wine Institute, said in the release. While we are confident in the long-term consumer demand for California and U.S. wines, we anticipate a long recovery period. Editors note: Because of the health implications of the COVID-19 virus, this article is being made available free to all online readers. If youd like to join us in supporting the mission of local journalism, please visit napavalleyregister.com/members/join/. You can reach Sarah Klearman at (707) 256-2213 or sklearman@napanews.com. Pop the cork on Napa Valley wine! Discover the hidden stories of Napa Valley wine and the people behind it -- plus expert analysis from our columnists and more with our weekly email newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Chennai: The nearly 40-day lockdown (March 25-May 3) in India as a part of preventive measures against coronavirus COVID-19 means that all domestic and international aircraft operations will remain suspended. But special flights have been evacuating and repatriating foreign nationals, while cargo aircraft have been hauling essential equipment and cargo that help in the countrys fight against the deadly pandemic. To aid Indias effort against the virus, various types of essential cargo are being brought in by international cargo flights. During the 21-day lockdown period, 42 international flights arrived at the Chennai airport, ferrying critical consignments such as components of ventilators, defibrillators, face masks, thermometers and other personal protection equipment (PPEs). The bulk of the medical goods are imported from China, South Korea, Hong Kong, USA, Taiwan, Malaysia and Germany. On their return journey, the fights ferry goods from India, including perishables and export items among others. We are working round-the-clock with adequate staff to facilitate the expeditious export and import of consignments under the prevailing lockdown. Our staff at the seaport, airport, air cargo, courier terminal and foreign post office are functioning with appropriate precautions against COVID-19. We especially ensure rapid clearance of parcels bound for India that contain life-saving drugs, non-contact thermometers, N-95 masks and medical equipment," said Rajan Chaudhary, Commissioner of Customs, Chennai International Airport. The Chennai customs has facilitated the smooth clearance of passengers who were to travel on 14 such special international flights ferrying expatriates to their respective countries. Over the 21-day lockdown period (Phase 1), 2,173 foreign nationals have travelled to their respective home countries. The relief aircraft was operated by Air India and other foreign carriers to major destinations such as Paris, Frankfurt, Muscat, Bhutan, Singapore and Tokyo. Sanmina SCI, a firm that provides design, manufacturing and logistics support to Original Equipment Manufacturers had pointed out that health care and medical customers are focussed on increasing production capacity to meet the massive demand for COVID-19 Essential medical devices. They include ventilators, patient monitors, ultrasounds, CT scanners, X-rays among others. They highlighted and commended the expeditious clearing of consignments at Chennai, which enabled them to continue their effort in making the necessary medical equipment available during this unprecedented crisis. Int'l community regrets Trump administration's decision to halt funding to WHO People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 14:46, April 16, 2020 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. "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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India, which had pledged $10 million to help other South Asian countries tackle the Covid-19 pandemic last month, has already delivered medicines and other relief material worth $1.7 million, people familiar with the development told Hindustan Times. India has used its Saarc Covid-19 Emergency Fund to send drugs, medical supplies and machines to Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka. This amount of $1.7 million does not include the transportation of the relief commodities, which has, in some sectors, translated into 2-3 times the value of the relief material as New Delhi chartered flights to quickly reach the material to their destination. Bangladeshs Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the other regional leader to have started delivering on her $1.5 million promise, dispatched a shipload of relief material to Maldives this week. Also watch | COVID-19 | Doubling rate reduced since lockdown, growth factor down 40%: Govt There has, however, been no word from , pledged $ 3 million after holding off for 25 days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had during a video conference of heads of government of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation member countries on March 15 proposed voluntary contributions to help others in the region. PM Modi, when he proposed the fund, had committed to spend $ 10 million, followed by Sri Lanka ($5 million) and then Bangladesh ($1.5 million). In all, except Pakistan, the fund has firm commitments of $18.8 million. Imran Khan had absented himself from the video conference. Islamabad was, instead, represented by its de facto health minister Zafar Mirza. Zafar Mirza, whose performance as Pakistans key man to tackle the coronavirus pandemic had recently come in for sharp criticism from its Supreme Court, had also created a flutter at the March 15 Saarc conference when he raised Kashmir at this discussion. The idea of setting up the fund, as the external affairs ministry later explained, was that each country sets aside a certain amount of money that it would spend to help each other. It is for each SAARC Member State to decide on the timing, manner and implementation of their Saarc Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund commitments, foreign ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava, had said. Pakistans commitment to spend $3 million on other countries was followed by a rider that their fund should be channelled via the SAARC secretariat based in Kathmandu. Diplomats based in the SAARC secretariat in Kathmandu and other officials told Hindustan Times that they had not received information from Islamabad about a single dollar being spent towards coronavirus mitigation efforts by Pakistan. Maybe, Islamabad is still waiting for the distribution modalities to be worked out by the SAARC secretariat, said a senior official based in Kathmandu, a trifle derisively. The official also confirmed that no such modalities, as sought by Pakistan for the fund had been worked out, and no such formal fund had to be created. It is not clear why Pakistan hasnt delivered on its pledge. But Pakistan is in a precarious financial situation due to the pandemic. Khan had put out a video appeal this week that asked the international community to give developing countries debt relief. On its part, New Delhi has supplied hydroxychloroquine tablets, paracetamol, active pharmaceutical ingredients, personal protection equipment, ventilators and masks to Saarc countries. Officials recall how PM Modi had insisted that the first countries to receive medical supplies would be Saarc countries, then Indo-Pacific countries apart from other countries that urgently needed the medicines Bangladesh, so far, is the only other Saarc country to have come to the rescue of a neighbour. On April 15, Bangladesh sent a ship carrying 100 metric tons of food and medical material to Maldives. According to available data, Bangladesh supplied 20,000 personal protection equipment, 900 goggles, 5,000 hand sanitizers and 80 tons of food items and essential medicines to Maldives. Bangladesh has also supplied 12,000 hand sanitizers to the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Dublin, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Global Report 2020-30" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global nucleic acid based gene therapy market was worth $557.47 million in 2019. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.00% and reach $816.18 million by 2023. The nucleic acid-based gene therapy market covered in this report is segmented by technology into anti-sence and anti-gene, short inhibitory sequences, gene transfer therapy, nucleoside analogs, ribozymes, aptamers, others. It is also segmented by application into oncology, muscular dystrophy/ muscular disorders, rare diseases. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Global Report 2020-30 from the author provides the strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the global nucleic acid based gene therapy market market. Reasons to Purchase Gain a truly global perspective with the most comprehensive report available on this market covering 12+ geographies. Create regional and country strategies on the basis of local data and analysis. Identify growth segments for investment. Outperform competitors using forecast data and the drivers and trends shaping the market. Understand customers based on the latest market research findings. Benchmark performance against key competitors. Utilize the relationships between key data sets for superior strategizing. Suitable for supporting your internal and external presentations with reliable high quality data and analysis Report will be updated with the latest data and delivered to you within 3 working days of order. Where is the largest and fastest growing market for the nucleic acid based gene therapy market? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward? The Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market market global report from the author answers all these questions and many more. The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography. It places the market within the context of the wider nucleic acid based gene therapy market market, and compares it with other markets. Story continues The market characteristics section of the report defines and explains the market. The market size section gives the market size ($b) covering both the historic growth of the market and forecasting the future. Drivers and restraints looks at the external factors supporting and controlling the growth of the market. Market segmentations break down market into sub markets. The regional and country breakdowns section gives an analysis of the market in each geography and the size of the market by geography and compares their historic and forecast growth. It covers all the regions, key developed countries and major emerging markets. It draws comparisons with country populations and economies to understand the importance of the market by country and how this is changing. Competitive landscape gives a description of the competitive nature of the market, market shares, and a description of the leading companies. Key financial deals which have shaped the market in recent years are identified. The trends and strategies section highlights the likely future developments in the market and suggests approaches companies can take to exploit this. The nucleic acid based gene therapy market market section of the report gives context. It compares the nucleic acid based gene therapy market market with other segments of the nucleic acid based gene therapy market market by size and growth, historic and forecast. It analyses GDP proportion, expenditure per capita, nucleic acid based gene therapy market indicators comparison. The nucleic acid-based gene therapy market consists of sales of nucleic acid-based gene therapy products and services. Gene therapy is used for correcting defective genes that are responsible for disease development. Moreover, nucleic acid-based therapeutics are used to treat genetic disorders and diseases for which there exists no permanent cure such as anaemia, sickle cell, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and thalassemia. Rising financial support by the government and the companies is projected to drive the demand for nucleic acid based gene therapy. Nucleic acid therapeutics are analogs of naturally occurring acids or proteins responsible for genetic expression. The traditional therapies do not have any cure for the treatment of diseases such as cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, sickle cell anaemia, thalassemia, and diabetes. Genetic profiling and molecular target identification form the backbone of these classes of drugs. Nucleic acid medication has greater potential for the treatment of these diseases, as they target the genetic basis of diseases and have a permanent cure. Rising financial support by the government and the companies dealing in the market for gene therapy is expected to contribute to increasing the demand for nucleic acid-based gene therapies. For instance in October 2019, the USA National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced plans to invest $100 million for the next four years to cure HIV and sickle cell disease with gene therapies. The government support for gene therapies will contribute to the growth of the market. Stringent regulations imposed on gene therapies raises the price of gene therapies, which in turn hinders the demand for nucleic acid-based gene therapies. The excessive regulatory oversights create an expensive and elongated route for approval increasing the expenses. According to Foundation for Economic Education (FEE), unlike other drugs approved or regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), gene therapies are not only subject to the regulatory structure of FDA, but also the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee and Office of Biotechnology Activities. Also, as estimated by FEE, an approved gene therapy drug cost nearly $5.0 billion, which is five times higher than that of the average cost of FDA approval. The high cost of gene therapeutics drugs places them beyond the financial reach of the populace. This scenario is anticipated to restrain the market growth of the nucleic acid-based gene therapy market. In May 2018, Vectalys, a leading biotechnology company specializing in the manufacturing of high-quality solutions for gene delivery and FlashCell, a company engaged in developing non-integrated lentiviral delivered RNA Therapeutics announced the merger to create Flash Therapeutics, a privately held gene therapy company developing cell and gene therapeutics. The new company Flash Therapeutics is expected to focus on the development of RNA therapeutics based on LentiFlash, a non-integrative lentiviral delivery technology for incurable diseases. Major players in the market are Wave Life Sciences, Imugene, Caperna, Phylogica, Protagonist Therapeutics, Benitec Biopharma, EGEN, BioMedica, Transgene and Copernicus Therapeutics. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Characteristics 3. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Size And Growth 3.1. Global Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Historic Market, 2015 - 2019, $ Billion 3.1.1. Drivers Of The Market 3.1.2. Restraints On The Market 3.2. Global Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Forecast Market, 2019 - 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 3.2.1. Drivers Of The Market 3.2.2. Restraints On the Market 4. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Segmentation 4.1. Global Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market, Segmentation By Technology, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 4.2. Global Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market, Segmentation By Application, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 5. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Regional And Country Analysis 5.1. Global Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market, Split By Region, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 5.2. Global Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market, Split By Country, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 6. Asia-Pacific Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 7. China Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 8. India Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 9. Japan Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 10. Australia Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 11. Indonesia Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 12. South Korea Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 13. Western Europe Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 14. UK Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 15. Germany Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 16. France Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 17. Eastern Europe Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 18. Russia Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 19. North America Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 20. USA Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 21. South America Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 22. Brazil Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 23. Middle East Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 24. Africa Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 25. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Competitive Landscape And Company Profiles 25.1. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Competitive Landscape 25.2. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Company Profiles 26. Key Mergers And Acquisitions In The Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market 27. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Trends And Strategies 28. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Future Outlook and Potential Analysis 29. Appendix Companies Mentioned Celsion Corporation Wave Life Sciences Imugene Caperna Phylogica Protagonist Therapeutics Benitec Biopharma EGEN BioMedica Transgene Copernicus Therapeutics For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/k4398p 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 18:54:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close QINGDAO, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese oceanographic research ship Xiangyanghong 06 is sailing to the Pacific Ocean from a port in east China's Shandong Province for a 75-day expedition. The expedition team, led by the Ministry of Natural Resources, will focus on the research about global change and sea-air interaction. Some 50 scientists on board will carry out surveys of marine geology and organisms living on sea bottoms in the West Pacific. Before setting out, expedition members have made emergency plans and conducted rehearsals on the ship to prevent the novel coronavirus infection. All of them have tested negative for the virus, said a source of the ministry. The ship returned to China in mid-March after completing a research expedition in the Indian Ocean. In less than a month, the preparation of supplies and examination of facilities were completed to ensure the success of the Pacific mission, the ministry source said. Enditem The first wave of 17,000 computers to help students access online learning during the coronavirus shutdown should hit school districts by mid-May. Ansonia, Bridgeport, Danbury, Derby, Hamden, Naugatuck, New Haven, Norwalk, Stamford and West Haven are among districts that will see some or all of their high school computer needs met. There will be a second and third wave scheduled, one in June and one in July, state officials confirmed on Friday. The first round of computers is devoted to shipping sites where fewer than 60 percent of high school students have 1:1 devices. Schools where more than 60 percent of students are reported to have home computers will get their tech in later rounds. The computers come from the Partnership for Connecticut which promised to provide the states 33 most needy school districts with up to 60,000 laptops when instruction was moved from the classroom to remote home learning in mid-March due to the coronavirus. The Governors Learn from Home Task Force determined a week ago that the delivery of the Dell computers, together valued at $24 million, would be staggered based on the ability to secure 60,000 laptops in the middle of a pandemic. Nearly half of all laptops delivered in Round 1 will get delivered to four major cities: Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven and Waterbury roughly 2,000 each. Sites with fewer than 200 total students will receive their full shipment in Round 1. That includes schools like Bridgeport Learning Center, the Alternative Learning Center for Excellence in Danbury and Hamden Collaborative Learning Center. Sites requesting more than 200 laptops will receive nearly 40 percent of their original request in Round 1 with completion of their requests in Rounds 2 and 3. In Ansonia, for example, 557 computers were requested in total. In Bridgeport, 5,100 computers were requested in all. In Danbury, 3,388; in Derby, 324; in Hamden, 1,632; in Naugatuck, 1,268; in New Haven, 5,729; in Norwalk, 1575; in Stamford, 4,795; and West Haven, 1,593. In Bridgeport, Acting Schools Superintendent Michael Testani said he is grateful for what he called a generation donation to the district. These devices will provide our students with so many learning opportunities, Testani said. On Thursday, Testani assured members of his school board that there will be mechanisms in place to track the devices, which will be district property, when they are handed over to families. In addition, Alliance Districts are getting Scholastic book packs starting around April 23 for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. lclambeck@ctpost.com; twitter/lclambeck Here are the latest developments in Asia related to the novel coronavirus pandemic: - Ruling party wins South Korea election - South Korea's left-leaning ruling party won a landslide election victory, results showed, after the coronavirus pandemic turned the political tide in President Moon Jae-in's favour. His Democratic Party secured the largest absolute majority in the National Assembly since the advent of democracy in 1987 on a turnout of 66.2 percent -- the highest at a parliamentary election for 28 years. - Singapore sees more cases in worker dorms - Singapore's latest report recorded 447 new infections, a record daily increase, with the majority linked to crowded dormitories housing low-paid foreign workers. The city-state, which has registered 3,699 infections and 10 deaths, initially managed to keep its outbreak in check, but is now battling a fast-rising second wave. Authorities are moving thousands of workers -- many South Asian -- to alternative accommodation to reduce the risk of infection. - Japan PM to expand virus emergency nationwide - Japan's government will convene a key panel of medics to advise on its state of emergency over the coronavirus, as local media reported the prime minister would expand the measures to cover the entire country. Shinzo Abe has already declared a month-long state of emergency in seven regions, including Tokyo. - New Zealand considers easing lockdown - New Zealand is expected to start easing a nationwide lockdown to combat the coronavirus next week, but Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warned it would be far from a return to normal. The Pacific country of five million people has been one of the most successful in containing the outbreak, with just over 1,000 known cases and nine deaths. - US, China call for cooperation as tensions rise - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a top Chinese official called for mutual coronavirus cooperation, signalling a bid to keep a lid on tensions between the two countries. President Donald Trump's administration has berated China for not sharing data more quickly, and said it was freezing funds to the World Health Organization for not challenging Beijing. - Markets follow Wall Street lead lower - Asian markets fell following overnight woes on Wall Street as more negative US economic data fuelled worries about the full impact of the coronavirus pandemic. - All Blacks get 50 percent pay freeze - New Zealand's national rugby team accepted a 50 percent pay freeze and the players' association said it was preparing for the nightmare scenario of no more professional matches this year. After the coronavirus pandemic shut down global sport, New Zealand Rugby and the players' association agreed to put on hold US$15 million, or 50 percent of the year's remaining forecast player spending. - China reports mostly imported cases - Following the same pattern of recent days, China reported mostly imported infections -- 34 brought in from overseas, as well as 12 domestic cases. China has successfully contained its domestic outbreak since the virus emerged there late last year but is now struggling with a new wave of cases brought in mostly by returning nationals. - Indonesia probes claims of bribes for jail release - Indonesian authorities are investigating claims that inmates or their families paid bribes to secure their freedom when thousands of prisoners were released this month to reduce overcrowding and the risk of virus outbreaks. The justice minister has threatened to fire officials who are found to have accepted kickbacks in exchange for releasing prisoners, but stressed that no cases of bribery had been proven so far. - Vietnam embraces kitchen nightmares in lockdown - Burnt bread, collapsed cakes and inedible potatoes: the kitchen failures of Vietnamese families in self-isolation are being shared online, with hundreds of thousands joining a Facebook group to commiserate over their culinary catastrophes. burs-sr/fox 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 City says 1,290 more people died of COVID-19 than previously thought after cases were missed in early days of outbreak. Wuhan, the central Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged late last year, revised sharply upwards its death toll from the disease, admitting people died at home and cases were missed as hospitals struggled to cope in the early days of the outbreak. The adjustment, detailed in a social media post by the city government on Friday, increased the death toll by 1,290 about 50 percent bringing the total to 3,869. The revision brought the number of dead across China to 4,632. The revisions came as a number of world leaders suggested China had not been entirely open about the full domestic impact of a virus that has now killed more than 140,000 people around the world, and confined half of humanity to their homes. China on Friday denied Western suggestions it had covered up the extent of its coronavirus outbreak and rejected US allegations it has an overly cozy relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO). Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian acknowledged the viruss rapid spread contributed to undercounting that resulted in China raising its death toll, but added there has never been any concealment, and well never allow any concealment. The allegations China is too close to the WHO were an attempt at smearing Beijing, Zhao said. US President Donald Trump suspended funding to the WHO this week citing the accusation. Overwhelmed medical resources Chinese authorities said there had been delayed reports from medical institutions, while some patients died at home as hospitals struggled to cope. A surging number of patients at the early stage of the pandemic overwhelmed medical resources and the admission capacity of medical institutions, the Wuhan Municipal Headquarters for COVID-19 Epidemic Prevention and Control said in a statement posted to state news agency Xinhua. Some patients died at home without having been treated in hospitals. During the height of their treating efforts, hospitals were operating beyond their capacities, and medical staff were preoccupied with saving and treating patients, resulting in belated, missed and mistaken reporting. The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Wuhan was also revised upwards by 325 to 50,333, the government said. In an editorial, the Global Times, a tabloid owned by the Communist Party, rejected the lack-of-transparency accusations and said the revisions were made based on facts, adding China had not been affected by Western noise. The strict review and correction of the death toll means there is no room for deliberate concealment, the paper said. Speculation that China falsified the death toll from the coronavirus is far from the truth. China is not a country where one can fabricate data in complete disregard of the law. Nevertheless, the revisions are likely to play into the Trump administrations growing narrative of Chinese untrustworthiness, which now appears to have some support from Britain and France. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, currently standing in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is still recovering from the virus, said there would be hard questions for Beijing. In an interview with the Financial Times, French President Emmanuel Macron said it would be naive to think China had handled the pandemic well, adding: There are clearly things that have happened that we dont know about. Beijing and Moscow have rejected the accusations, with Russian President Vladimir Putin denouncing attempts by some people to smear China. We are disappointed in the Supreme Courts decision, and wish that the Court gave more serious consideration to Margarets position, Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin said in a statement. That said, this isnt the last stop for our members and their families. IEA will advocate for language that confirms what we believe was always in the school code: an affirmative right to take paid leave for the birth of a child regardless of when the child is born. Up to 20 million jobs in the formal and informal sectors in Africa could be lost because of COVID-19, according to a new study by the African Union. Released in early April, the study found that foreign direct investment (FDI), tourism receipts and remittance flows will also suffer significant declines as the continent tackles the pandemic. Titled The Impact of Coronavirus on the African Economy, the study modelled two scenarios, each with equal chance of being realized. Under scenario one (realistic), the pandemic will be contained within five months, inflicting minimal damage; under scenario two, the pandemic will last for eight months and countries will be severely affected. The more optimistic scenario one projects a 2020 GDP growth of -08% while the pessimistic scenario two will result in -1.1% growth. Given that the continents 2020 GDP growth had been projected at 3.4%, even the optimistic scenario is a significant decline of 4.18% while the pessimistic scenario projects a decline of 4.51%. The negative growth would be due to a disruption of the world economy through global value chains, the abrupt fall in commodity prices and fiscal revenues and the enforcement of travel and social restrictions. Furthermore, a 35% dip in exports and imports would be worth $270 billion. Yet, Africa will require $130 billion to fight against the spread of the virus and medical treatment, stated the African Union. Drop in oil prices Africa will lose between 20% and 30% of its fiscal revenue, which was 500 billion in 2019, forcing governments to resort to borrowing to meet the shortfall. Commodity-dependent countries such as Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, and the Republic of the Congo will be most affected. The slump in oil price to below $30 a barrel, and a nosedive of the tourism and air transport sectors, will upend countries development agendas. The tourism and oil sectors represent 25% of the GDPs of Africas top five economiesNigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco. The study emphasized that, The level of the impact of COVID-19 on these five economies will be representative for the whole of the African economy. Oil constitutes 90% of Nigerias exports and 70% of its national budget, meaning that any dip in price will have an impact on earnings. Both Nigeria and Angola, Africas top two oil producers, could lose up to $65 billion in income. Effects on tourism In South Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens the countries main sources of incomemining and tourism. With 10.47 million arrivals in 2018, the country was second only to Egypt in tourism receipts, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. Overall, tourism contributed $194.2 billion or 8.5% to Africas GDP in 2018. Tourism in Morocco will take a hit too, along with its automotive industry, which represented 6% of the countrys GDP in 2019. The study mentioned that, Tourism employs more than a million people in each of the following countries: Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania. and more than 20 per cent of total employment in Seychelles, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, and Mauritius. Already, Africas tourism and aviation sectors are reeling from the impact of COVID-19 with hotels laying off workers and travel agencies shutting down. Under the average [realistic] scenario, the tourism and travel sectors in Africa could lose at least $50 billion and at least two million direct and indirect jobs. Top African airlines, including Ethiopian Airlines, EgyptAir, Kenya Airways and South African Airways, will be affected by travel restrictions across the world. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Africas air transport industry contributes up to $55.8 billion (2.6%) to Africas GDP and supports 6.2 million jobs. By 11 March, African airlines had lost $4.4 billion in revenue due to fallout from the pandemic. Drop in FDI The study estimated a drop of between -5% and -15% in FDI in Africa. Data published in 2019 by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) lists Africas top five FDI countries: South Africa ($5.3 billion), Egypt ($6.8 billion), Republic of the Congo (4.3 billion), Morocco ($3.6 billion) and Ethiopia ($ 3.3 billion). In total Africa received $46 billion. Remittance flows are also expected to decrease, crunching cash in many economies. Remittances range as high as 23% in Lesotho and more than 12% in Comoros, The Gambia, and Liberia, the study stated. With advanced economies in recession, official development assistance (ODA), which many African countries rely on to finance development, will come in trickles, if at all. COVID-19 will likely affect the launch of a free trade that was set to begin in July 2020 under the African Continental Free Trade Area. Total Africa trade for 2019 was $760 billion or 29% of the continents GDP. Of that amount, intra-Africa trade was just 17%. For more information on COVID-19, visit www.un.org/coronavirus Africa Renewal The lockdown is having a major impact on artistic life in Northern Ireland, according to a new report. The sector has taken a hit of almost 4m during the crisis so far, the report by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland estimated. The income of individual artists has reduced by an average of just over 3,700. Theatres, cinemas, museums, galleries and arts venues have had to close because of the virus crisis. For individual artists, some of whom work with the elderly or with children in care homes, hospitals, school and youth clubs, the lockdown means they cannot reach their usual audiences. The report said the financial impact of the lockdown will be significant for many of Northern Ireland's artists because it restricts their ability to trade and earn income from their performances. It added: "The closure of arts venues, theatres, community art facilities, galleries, schools and community hubs has severely restricted the ability of organisations to deliver community outreach and public-facing services, vital for the wellbeing of vulnerable groups in society and for artists (working as facilitators) to earn an income and develop their practice. "This has compromised the ability of some artists working in inter and intra-community contexts to build relationships with participants through their creativity, potentially compromising important peace-building work. "A significant proportion of visual artists have been unable to work since the shutdown because access to their studios has been cut off. "This has had a creative impact and further compounds the economic consequences of their work not reaching markets due to the closure of galleries and retail outlets." The Arts Council report surveyed more than 300 artists and arts organisations across Northern Ireland between March 26 and April 10. Based on data from 108 organisations, it said the anticipated income loss was expected to total 3.97m - an average of 36,714 per organisation. This varied significantly depending on the scale of the organisation responding. The report also found that organisations that depend on earned sources such as the box-office income were particularly vulnerable to financial losses during the crisis. The report follows the establishment by Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey at the end of March of a special 1m Covid-19 support fund. The package is aimed at artists, performers and others across the arts and cultural sector in Northern Ireland. VANCOUVERAmid social isolation, separated from friends and family, Canadians have been asked to continue accepting the curbing of civil liberties as the COVID-19 pandemic continues and some advocates say not enough transparency has taken place in return. As the public is asked to sacrifice in the name of health, governments across the country have refused to divulge key information in what some experts tell the Star amounts to a public relations exercise at the expense of peoples right to information during a crisis. Weve always had a father-knows-best government in Canada, said Sean Holman, a journalism professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary and right-to-information advocate. Advocates for public information, government ethics and communications say the refusal to release information shows an overbearing, in some cases paternalistic, approach at time when Canadians should be told everything they need to be safe and trust the government. That paternalism is accelerated at a time of emergency, Holman said. The public needs this kind of information so that they can feel more certain and more in control at a time of profound uncertainty and lack of control. In some cities bylaw officers are now able to ticket people for violating social distancing policies and provinces have ordered non-essential businesses to close to help prevent the spread of the virus. Whispers that the federal government should institute the Emergencies Act, which would suspend some civil liberties at the order of the federal government, have also whipped throughout the political landscape. But, Holman said, as the government asks people to accept such measures, in return it has not done enough to improve its transparency practices. Some questions governments have declined to answer publicly include: - How many ventilators are needed to make it through the pandemic? - Initially, how many Canadians might die during the pandemic? - When would the government send repatriation flights for thousands of Canadians stuck abroad after borders closed? - Why are specific locations of cases not being revealed? Ventilators On March 19, Toronto Star asked the federal government how many ventilators and critical care beds Canada needs to weather the COVID-19 storm and save lives. Ottawa would not divulge the numbers. Instead, Health Minister Patty Hajdu said it would be misleading to cite such figures and insisted the federal government was working hard to ensure Canada has all it needs. Ventilators are considered essential equipment to treat seriously ill patients and a shortage of them in Italy has resulted in doctors being forced to pick which patients should receive them, leaving others to die, according to media reports in the country. Modelling The number of people who could die has also been withheld by some governments. While some provinces, such as Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan, had earlier released modelling on how many people they expect could succumb to the deadly virus, the federal government refused until late last week. The numbers showed anywhere from 4,400 to 44,000 people in Canada could die, depending on how well the country responds to the crisis. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said they show that life will not get back to normal until a vaccine is produced. Prior to Ontario actually releasing its figures, Torontos chief medical officer Dr. Eileen de Villa called them deeply concerning, while Premier Doug Ford worried that releasing them would create panic. The inability of the government to tell Canadians the measure of the threat posed concerns Kerry Bowman, a bioethicist at the University of Toronto. We dont want to instill panic, but people have the right to understand the situation as deeply as they possibly can to protect the health and well-being of themselves, their families, their communities, Bowman said. People have a right to know what level of danger theyre facing. Masks Last week saw an announcement from health authorities in Toronto that 62,000 medical masks from China in the city were defective. Similar problems have happened in countries in Europe, including the Netherlands, which have recalled 600,000 faulty masks from China, Agence France-Presse reported. Trudeau had earlier announced millions of medical masks were coming to Canada from China. When reporters asked what make and model the masks were to check whether they were the same as faulty ones received by other countries, the Public Health Agency of Canada would only say there were various makes and models, adding that is all we can say at this time. Bowman said the rational for withholding information about medical supplies and health threats echoes similar approaches during wartime, when information on government stockpiles could be vital knowledge for an enemy to exploit, but at the time, the rationale for not sharing that information was one of national security. Such a threat doesnt exist now, he said. Privacy act In the middle of March after Justin Trudeau told Canadians abroad it was time to come home Canadians around the world headed his words and rushed to buy plane tickets as borders closed and flights were cancelled. Soon, three million Canadians outside of the country were scrambling to find a way back to Canada. Close to 5,400 of them were in Peru. The countrys borders were closed and a lockdown was in effect as Canadians in the South American country pleaded for repatriation flights. But when the Star asked Global Affairs Canada if it would help Canadians specifically in Peru, the federal department invoked the privacy act. We are aware of Canadian citizens in Peru and are providing consular assistance, said GACs Angela Savard in an email to the Star on March 20. Minister Champagne is in touch with his counterpart. Due to the provisions under the Privacy Act, Global Affairs does not disclose information pertaining to specific consular cases. Three days later, Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne tweeted that the flights were on their way. Executive director of the B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association Jason Woywada said while the government does need to balance the publics right to know with individual privacy concerns, the privacy act shouldnt be used in such a situation. This isnt a zero-sum game where its privacy at the expense of something else, Woywada said. It shouldnt be the default answer to why we cant say something. Locations of cases a mystery In B.C., the province has refused to divulge the location of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Last week, Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry issued a statement explaining why the province wont reveal outbreak areas. It would be irresponsible to mention only a few communities and give people outside those areas a false sense that they are not susceptible or at lower risk, Henry wrote in the statement widely published in the province. Every health region in British Columbia has people with COVID-19. She said all communities are at risk in the province and stressed the actions people take is what will help keep them healthy, not knowing where cases have occurred. But Holman said its possible for people to know where cases are while at the same time remaining cautious. It can only fail to coexist together if you make an assumption that the public isnt mature enough to behave responsibly in this particular emergency, he said. The more you infantalize people, they more they act like infants. He said knowing where cases are can help people make decisions about how they will live their lives as the crisis continues. The approach really amounts to a growing problem of government simply deciding Canadians shouldnt be told the facts, Holman said. What we have seen in Canada over time is a massive expansion of the public relations state and PR techniques have permeated almost every single element of the bureaucracy and the political system within this country, he said. The result has been a government seeking to control the flow of information regardless of the affect such an approach has on public health or democracy, he said, with the aim to create control and certainty for the government. If the public only has access to information the government chooses to voluntarily provide, it makes governing easier by limiting the publics ability to hold those in power to account, Holman added. Bill Tieleman, a former government communications director for B.C. Premier Glen Clark and communications consultant said there are times government should withhold information. Any information a government has that is incomplete or early stage that might have a negative impact as opposed to a positive impact if people acted on it shouldnt be released prematurely, Tieleman said. One recent example of a bad public reaction to poor information was the hoarding of toilet paper and disinfectant items, he said. The public somehow believed there was a threat to toilet paper stockpiles and acted accordingly by buying it up. What the public didnt realize, he said, is that there is plenty of toilet paper, but grocery stores only have a limited amount on hand at a given time because its a bulky item that takes up space. There could unforeseen and unintended consequences in the effort to be transparent, Tieleman said. Holman said governments across Canada should take this opportunity to re-examine their approach to information dissemination, but lamented that they likely wont. Read more about: If there is one major influence the coronavirus pandemic has brought people, that is to remain online for 24/7. Since there is nothing left to do, people are glued on their social media accounts scrolling on the latest news, friends' quarantine food, TikTok videos, and of course, coronavirus-related memes. Despite the health crisis that the world is facing, people still find humor in the most depressing times of their lives. Speaking of memes, if you have been on social media since the quarantine began, you've probably come across some hilarious memes that could somehow ease your anxiety during this challenging period. One of the latest memes going rounds on Twitter right now is inspired by the iconic teen drama series "Gossip Girl." The Gossip Girl meme features the two OG teen queens Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) and Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) as if talking to one another. The twist is basically rearranging the letters in the show's name to spell out as something else, responding to a question. Check out the samples below: Yeah, we know it's pretty dumb, but admit it, it's funny! Surprisingly, the meme reached Serene van der Woodsen herself, and it looks like she found it funny as well. The 32-year-old actress was cool enough to join the fun and made her version of the meme as well. But instead of doing something hilarious, Blake Lively took it as an opportunity to turn the meme into an informative coronavirus public service announcement. On Wednesday, Blake took to Instagram to post her own version of the meme. The mother-of-two put a caption under Serena's picture, which said: "What should I wear to the supermarket?" "Gloves girl," Blake wrote below Blair's photo. *slow clap* Brilliant and funny at the same time! Nice one, Blake! COVID-19 Relief Efforts Apart from creating an informative meme, Blake and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, are also very much involved in helping the world battle the coronavirus pandemic. Last month, the power couple announced that they would be donating a whopping $1 million to two separate food bank charities in the U.S. and Canada to help those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. "I think we can all agree, Covid-19 is an asshole," Reynolds wrote on Instagram alongside a text photo expressing their own intent to help. The 43-year-old actor acknowledged the fact that coronavirus "brutally impacted" elderly and low-income families, which was why he and Blake decided to share their fortune to those in need. "Blake and I are donating $1 million to be split between FEEDING AMERICA and FOOD BANKS CANADA. If you can give, these orgs need our help," the statement read. The "6 Underground" actor also took the opportunity to send encouraging words to his Instagram followers. "Take care of your bodies and hearts. Leave room for joy," he added. But in true Ryan Reynolds fashion, he could not help but add his own humor to the announcement and poked fun at his fellow celebrity. "Call someone who's isolated and might need connection. (Hugh Jackman's number is 1-555-(sad emoji)-HUGH) Reynolds said. (Photo : REUTERS/Christian Hartmann) Laboratory staff work on blood samples collected from residents and employees of retirement homes (EHPAD) at the Barrand medical laboratory in Colmar, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in France, April 16, 2020. A senior FBI cybersecurity official says foreign-state hackers have broken into institutions conducting studies into treatments for COVID-19. Deputy Assistant Director Tonya Ugoretz told Aspen Institute's online panel discussion in Washington that the FBI saw these hackers poking around the United States healthcare region. "We certainly have seen reconnaissance activity, and some intrusions, into some of those institutions, especially those that have publicly identified themselves as working on COVID-related research," she said. ALSO READ: Putin's FSB Hacked Once Again: Russia's New Cyber Weapon Aimed To Spy on Every Device Exposed! Would hack amid the current crisis makes sense? According to Reuters, Ugoretz said the situation made sense for scientists operating on promising treatments or a possible vaccine to tout their paintings publicly. The sad flip side, Ugoretz said, leaves the researchers a mark for other nation-states that are interested in gleaning details about what exactly they're doing. She added hackers could even stealing proprietary information that those institutions have. Fox News said Ugoretz did not specify which country states are probably in the back of the assaults or what they have been able to glean if anything. Several U.S. Drug manufacturers have started efforts to develop treatments or vaccines for the COVID-19 illness, including Gilead Sciences Inc. And Johnson & Johnson, MarketWatch reported. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a branch of the National Institutes of Health, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), have been supporting COVID-19 vaccine research as well. Even the HHS itself has seen an increase in network scanning because it has been operating to control the pandemic in the country. However, the origins of this target remain unclear. Not new for the medical sector Biomedical and health-care-related research has long been a target of nationwide espionage efforts. According to the cybersecurity group FireEye, Chinese hackers have been trying cyber-espionage campaigns against cancer-related research entities, agencies with medical intellectual property, and medical device manufacturers. Suspected Chinese hackers are also believed to have targeted the German drug agency, Bayer, in 2018 with Winnti malware. A Chinese hacker was also indicted for hacking health insurer Anthem in 2015. Ugoretz said that state-subsidized hackers had regularly targeted the biopharmaceutical industry but stated the activity is really heightened at some point in this crisis. The ability for hackers to target studies and healthcare establishments associated with coronavirus remedies and vaccines has been on U.S. cyber protection officials' radar since the start of the outbreak. Last month, two attempts were made by state-backed hacking institutions to penetrate the World Health Organisation, which is supporting to organize the worldwide reaction to the epidemic. The Department of Justice has made it a priority in the last few months to track down scammers who are taking advantage of the pandemic. A flurry of records protection experts banded together to help the health care sector better shield against cybercriminals alike throughout the worldwide health crisis. Overall, the number of internet crimes being mentioned to the FBI is currently skyrocketing, Ugoretz said. Typically, the IC3 receives 1,000 complaints a day submitted by its online portal, some that have jumped to 3,000 to 4,000 mentioned online crimes per day, Ugoretz said. "For hackers, there was this brief shining moment when we hoped that gosh cybercriminals are people too," Ugoretz said. She added maybe cybercriminals would think that targeting or taking advantage of this pandemic for personal profit, that might be beyond the pale. However, Ugoretz said that had not been the case. ALSO READ: Coronavirus Has THREE Distinct Strains, According to Study; U.S. Suffering From Original Variation 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Anambra State House of Assembly has passed a bill to enforce measures initiated to prevent the spread and eradicate Coronavirus (COVID-19) and other dangerous infectious diseases in the state. The Assembly passed the bill during an emergency plenary on Friday, with strict observation of social distancing in their sitting arrangement. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on March 25, the Assembly adjourned plenary indefinitely to avoid the spread of Coronavirus in the state. The lawmakers took turns to perfect some corrections in the clauses of the bill before it was finally passed by the House. The Speaker, Uche Okafor, conducted a voice vote on each of the sections of the bill before the passage. Mr Okafor said, Having considered the clauses of The COVID-19 and Other Dangerous Infectious Diseases, Prevention and Eradication Bill 2020, the bill is hereby passed. The Speaker, after the passage of the bill, directed the Clerk of the House, Pius Udo, to forward a clean copy of the bill to Governor Willie Obiano for his assent. Earlier, the Majority Leader of the House, Nnamdi Okafor, said the bill sustained all the directives already provided by the state government to combat the spread of the disease. Mr Okafor said directives such as closure of state boundaries, restriction of movements, temporary lockdown, restriction on public gathering, social distancing as well as personal hygiene and safety health measures among others, were contained in the bill. He said the Chief Judge is empowered to designate Magistrates Courts or High Courts in the three Senatorial Districts of the state, as he may think appropriate, for the hearing and determination of all matters in violation of relevant provisions of the law. Any person who violates any of the provisions of the bill as it relates to the state government directives on Covid-19 prevention, commits an offence and shall be liable upon conviction, to a fine of N100, 000 or one month imprisonment, the bill said. The House also constituted a 10-man committee, tagged House of Assembly Covid-19 Observation Team, headed by the Deputy Speaker, Pascal Agbodike. Also at plenary, the House screened and confirmed 21 persons nominated by Mr Obiano for appointment as chairmen of the Local Government Transition Committee. The tenure of the transitional committee, as approved by the Assembly, is three months after which it could be renewed or fresh appointments made. (NAN) The death toll from the coronavirus has topped 90,000 in Europe, which remains the world's worst-hit zone with two-thirds of the global total of 137,000 fatalities and more than half of the 2,100,000 cases confirmed worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. "We remain in the eye of the storm," Hans Kluge, WHO director for Europe, told reporters on Thursday, while noting a downward trend in numbers in Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland. Italy is the worst affected by the coronavirus, with 21,645 deaths, closely followed by Spain, according to a latest AFP tally. In France, 17,167 people have died because of the virus. Over a million infections on the continent have been recorded but it's impossible to know the actual number of infections as many countries only test people requiring hospital care. However, there were some positive signs, with Spain recording 551 new deaths on Thursday, down to half of the daily toll at its peak. 'We must not let down our guard' Hope that the Covid-19 spread has peaked in Europe has led some countries to take tentative steps towards easing restrictions. Spain and Italy have begun to ease restrictions, allowing some businesses to reopen. Denmark has re-opened some schools for younger children and Germany is to gradually reopen some shops from Monday. But World Health Organisation officials note that the number of cases and deaths around the world is still increasing and there are fears that there could be a second wave of infections. It's imperative that we do not let down our guard," warned Kluge. WHO officials warn that life will not return to normal until a vaccine becomes available. By Trend Since the launch of the lottery campaign by Mastercard in Azerbaijan, card transactions have increased by 40 percent, and contactless payments - by 70 percent, a source in the company told Trend. The source noted that people began to avoid cash and use safer and more reliable payment methods with the apparent presence of the advantages of cashless payments. These growth rates will increase as the first luxury car draw nears the end of June, the company said. The lottery campaign itself also aims at encouraging cashiers who is responsible for informing customers, stimulating an increase in the volume of payments on cards and contactless cards. We all know that contactless payments are fast, simple, and secure. We, as Mastercard, are pleased to support the efforts of the government in the project Cashless Azerbaijan to increase the share of digital payments to build a transparent economy in Azerbaijan, said Erdem Chakar, Mastercard Country Manager for Azerbaijan. He noted that payment with this system in Bravo supermarkets is now safe and profitable. In early 2020, Mastercard launched an annual lottery campaign, in which any Bravo buyer who pays for purchases with Mastercard or Maestro cards, which are issued in Azerbaijan, gets a chance to participate in the lottery, which is held every month, and with a contactless method, the chances increase 10 times. The campaign is presently active in all Bravo supermarkets in Azerbaijan. The campaign prizes are two luxury Lexus cars and the latest 20 iPhone models. Winners and dates of the draw will be announced on the site (https://www.bravomastercardlottery.com/) every month. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The Holiday Guru is always on call to answer your questions. This week a reader asks if, in light of the coronavirus pandemic, she should cancel her holiday to Spain in June, and another asks what a holiday 'refund credit note' is. Q. I booked a package in Spain for June, but Im worried about coronavirus. Can I cancel and get a refund? Jennifer Browning, via email One reader asks if she can cancel her package trip to Spain for June and still get a refund A. If you cancel you will lose what you paid as your tour operator will regard your decision a disinclination to travel. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against non-essential travel abroad indefinitely so your instinct is not unfounded. However, operators say this advice could change, so they are only cancelling trips two to three weeks before departures. Q. Our package trip to Cyprus in a fortnight has been cancelled. We are being offered a Refund Credit Note. What is this? Peter Williams, Cardiff. A. Refund Credit Notes can be exchanged for future bookings for a period set by each tour operator, at the end of which if you have not re-booked you can claim cash. By law, operators should provide refunds within 14 days, but due to the pandemic, new rules have been introduced with the blessing of the Association of British Travel Agents. Q. I heard easyJet could start flying again soon is this true? Sam Peters, London SW15 No exact date has been given on when easyJet will start flying again after being grounded because of the coronavirus crisis A. No exact date has been given, but this week the airlines chief executive said he is considering this and that it is possible that flights will be loaded so that middle seats are empty when services resume. WERE HERE TO HELP If YOU need advice, the Holiday Guru is here to answer your questions. Please send questions to holidayplanner@dailymail.co.uk and include your contact details. Gandhinagar, April 17 : After Kerala, now Gujarat has sought permission from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to start Convalescent Plasma therapy clinical trials for Covid-19 patients in the state. "The BJ medical college team and a team in SVP hospital Ahmedabad have applied to the ICMR for starting the clinical trials to study the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma in Covid-19 patients. Right now Kerala has been given the nod for plasma trials and is using that treatment to cure the Covid patients," said Jayanti Ravi, the principal secretary, the Health and family welfare Department, Gujarat. The Convalescent Plasma therapy involves transfusion of plasma taken from a positive Covid-19 patient who has recovered from the disease and which is transfused into another CCovid-19 patient who is critical or likely to get critical. The plasma from recovered Covid-19 patient contains source of highly potent antibodies which can help the deteriorating patient to fight back against the dreaded virus. The treatment is showing significant results globally and right now is considered to be the most effective way of treatment against the the global threat. For this therapy, the plasma is to be collected from the recovered and cured patients of covid-19. A donor has to be a patient who has fully recovered from the disease, have confirmed negative results and has no symptoms after 14 days of isolation after discharge. "There are many such cured patients in Gujarat who after being discharged and undergoing isolation period, are ready to help the other patients in this way, if we get the permission," added Ravi. "But for this therapy, the best person to decide about the donor will be the doctors who are treating the patients who are critical," added Ravi. Apart from Gujarat, many other states like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have also applied to the ICMR for starting the plasma therapy to treat critical virus patients in their states. Apart from the PCR testing for covid-19 in the citizens, the Gujarat health authorities have also placed an order of 2 lakh Rapid Antibody Testing RAT to a kit manufacturer in Palghar, Mumbai. "Today we will be receiving around 10,000 kits from Palghar, Mumbai through our health staff in South Gujarat and right from today we are planning to start using them to carry out testing in the state. We are planning to conduct 500 test in Ahmedabad through RAT kits," added Ravi. "Today will also be receiving kids from the central government which will be arriving from Delhi," added Ravi. On Friday, Covid-19 case count in Gujarat shot past 1,000-mark, whereas the number of fatalities due to the disease reached 38. Ahmedabad has the maximum number of positive cases 590, followed by Vadodara 137, Surat 102, Rajkot 28, Bhavnagar and Anand with 26 each. The health authorities intensified the surveillance and testing in certain areas of the state where more and more Covid-19 positive cases started emerging from the hotspots or cluster areas, in the walled city area of Ahmedabad, five containment zones in Surat, Vadodara's Nagarwada areas . But the virus is showing its presence in the other areas also, with increasing number of positive cases in Anand, Bharuch, Narmada, Patan and other districts as well, for which the health authorities are worried about. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal For fiscal year 2020, New Mexico is not allowed to decrease school districts program cost payments based on how much Impact Aid they get, the U.S. Department of Education decided. The federal funding stream Impact Aid was designed for school districts that have a low property tax base because of tax-exempt federal lands in their boundaries, according to the Department of Education. Impact Aid aims to help with any loss in mill levy and bond revenue that would help pay for capital costs at schools. In New Mexico, the state takes credit for some of this federal money in its school funding formula. Once a total program cost is calculated for a school district, the state subtracts 75% of Impact Aid payments from that total and gives the district the difference. For instance, Gallup-McKinley County Schools 2019-20 program cost is calculated at roughly $108 million, but the district was scheduled to actually get about $86 million from the funding formula when its Impact Aid funding was taken into account. Gallup-McKinley is one of the local districts that asked the U.S. Department of Education to look into this as its state funding is affected. In a letter dated April 15, the federal Education Department said the state cannot take credit for Impact Aid this fiscal year, a conclusion made after an analysis was conducted on the multiple ways New Mexico funds schools. For a state to be able to take credit for Impact Aid payments, it has to pass whats called a disparity test, a measure to determine whether expenditures are equalized across districts. When the U.S. Department of Education looked at multiple funding streams in the state, it determined New Mexico didnt pass the test. In a statement, the state Public Education Department said its still looking into the effects of the decision. NMPED received the decision from the USDE yesterday evening and we have just begun the process of reviewing the finding and how it may affect New Mexico School districts, the department wrote in an email to the Journal. The new federal decision would result in Gallup McKinley keeping its Impact Aid and getting its full program cost. Superintendent Mike Hyatt called the federal decision a win, but noted the state has been taking credit for Impact Aid for decades. For us, although we are excited about the decision, were also saddened that so many years of funding has been lost by communities, he said. This change to the funding system is expected to have a financial domino effect. Legislative Finance Committee Deputy Director Charles Sallee said past analyses have found that if the funding formula isnt supplemented with money to fill the hole left by removing Impact Aid credits, then districts statewide would likely lose money. The state and any districts harmed by the federal decision have 60 days to appeal. Call center employees are accusing international corporations with locations in New Jersey of not doing enough to secure their health and safety in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Individuals employed at call centers for both Wells Fargo, which has 275 branches in New Jersey, as well as Conduent, which has 12 state locations including a headquarters in Florham Park, have issued critical statements against their companies in a press release shared with NJ Advance Media by the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The CWA represents 700,000 workers in public and private sector employment fields, including telecommunications and information technology throughout 1,200 chartered CWA local unions. Carl Sandstrom, an executive specialist at a Wells Fargo branch located in Hillsboro, Oregon, demanded that Wells Fargo treat its employees with some respect in light of various workers testing positive for the virus. It is crystal clear that the bank has been too slow in taking adequate steps to ensure our safety. That is unacceptable," Sandstrom said. We need immediate action from Wells Fargo to safeguard the health and safety of all call center workers. Wells Fargo spokesperson Crystal Dundas said that since the onset of the outbreak, Wells Fargo has taken significant action to protect employee safety." We are enabling as many employees as possible to work from home, enhancing social distancing measures, staggering staff and shifts, performing enhanced cleaning, and implementing the CDCs guidelines of six feet of space between individuals, Dundas said. "Specific to contact centers, though not all jobs can be done remotely, we are equipping an increasing number of our contact center employees with the technology needed to perform their jobs from home, while still meeting customer and regulatory commitments." She added that thousands of contact center employees are now or soon will be working from home," with those who remain in the office working in staggered shifts and maintaining appropriate social distances from one another. Acknowledging that a number of Wells Fargo employees have tested positive for COVID-19, Dundas said in those instances the company has asked colleagues who have been in close contact with those individuals to remain at home for a period of 14 calendar days, complete a comprehensive disinfection protocol, and communicate transparently with other employees. Beyond Wells Fargo, Conduent employees based in both its Cherry Hill and Staten Island locations have similarly expressed their disapproval with the companys response to COVID-19. A Conduent agent from Cherry Hill who chose to maintain anonymity in the press release said not enough health and sanitary precautions have been taken within the local branch. We are in tiny cubicles. Every three to three-and-a-half feet, theres another person next to you, the agent said. They do not supply us with cleaning supplies to clean our desks. There are no signs reminding people how to wash your hands or how to cover your cough. Sanitation stations are empty. Sometimes when you go to the bathroom, the soap dispensers are empty or the batteries have died. They never prop open a window, they dont change the air filters; they never vacuum the floors or mop the bathrooms. We take that back to our cars; to our kids; to our homes. During this pandemic, they should be on top of this," the worker added. "It is their responsibility to keep us healthy to help us serve our customers. Sean Collins, senior director of external communications for Conduent, said the company has taken extensive measures at all of our sites to keep employees safe, including allowing more than 60 percent of its employees to work from home. In offices where onsite presence is required, Collins said Conduent has increased cleaning and sanitation procedures and implemented workspace adjustments and social distancing protocols. Our Cherry Hill facility has 513 employees delivering mission-critical human resource services for global organizations, serving 54 clients and 5.6 million of their employees, who depend on us for healthcare coverage processing and retirement calculations. Our clients and their employees rely on us, especially during this unprecedented time, Collins said. Beyond New Jersey, Steve Sheil, an employee at a Conduent call center in Staten Island which services the Port Authority, the New York State Thruway and the Metropolitan Transit Authority said most of his colleagues have been required to continue working in the office and received salary cuts in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. At the start of the coronavirus, I was a full-time employee. I am now a part-time employee. They slashed my salary. They did that to everybody," he said. "A lot of people are scared to speak up. Theyre afraid to lose their jobs. When we ask about working from home, its just story after story. Its like beating a dead horse, like theyre just hoping we give up. Collins said Conduent has taken actions in collaboration with the Communications Workers of America to protect its employees at the Staten Island facility and "meet the requirements of our contracts while optimizing social distancing. At our Staten Island facility, 298 employees deliver critical services to support millions of motorists with tolling accounts, Collins said. We have implemented work from home where feasible and taken a number of steps ... such as modified operating hours, split and staggered shifts, assigned and spaced seating all of which minimize the number of personnel at the facility at any given time. While stating that Conduent respectfully disagrees with its characterization by the CWA, Collins added the company will continue to closely monitor and evaluate the situation" alongside government and health officials to safeguard our employees and clients and keep them informed. The CWA release also includes employees of other major call center operators who dually expressed concerns regarding their companies response to the coronavirus. These businesses include Alorica and The Results Companies, which do not have any locations in New Jersey, and CyraCom International, which has large-scale contact centers spread across Texas, Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, and New York and a smaller American Sign Language contact center in Cherry Hill. The CWA is also supporting call center workers that have spoken out against Maximus, an international outsourcing company headquartered in Virginia with a consultant office in Eatontown. According to the release, union-represented international companies including Verizon, AT&T, CenturyLink and American Airlines have all negotiated quickly with the CWA to implement temporary telework arrangements and emergency paid leave that covers school closures, high risk individuals and caregiving responsibilities. 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. Have a tip? Tell us.nj.com/tips. Caroline Fassett may be reached at cfassett@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook. An Oxford University classics professors has been arrested on suspicion of stealing ancient biblical papyrus. Dr Dirk Obbink, 63, was arrested by police last month on suspicion of theft and fraud after 13 ancient biblical papyrus fragments were sold to the Museum of the Bible, Washington DC. The associate professor in papyrology and Greek literature at Oxford University has been released while police continue their investigation. On November 12 Thames Valley police received a report that 13 priceless ancient papyrus biblical fragments had been stolen from from the Oxyrhynchus collection at Oxford University. Dr Dirk Obbink, 63, (pictured) was arrested by police last month on suspicion of theft and fraud after 13 ancient biblical papyrus fragments were sold to the Museum of the Bible, Washington DC. He denied allegations of wrongdoing 13 papyrus bible fragments were stolen from Oxford University's Sackler Library where the Oxyrhynchus collection was kept (stock image) Dr Obbink has denied any wrongdoing and said the allegations are a 'malicious attempt' to harm his reputation and damage his career. The ancient papyrus was originally found during the early 20th Century in the Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus. The Egypt Exploration Society (EES), who own the fragments, claim the ancient papyrus was stolen from the Sackler Library at Oxford University and ended up at the Museum of the Bible. EES director Dr Carl Graves said: 'These are early fragments of the gospels or biblical fragments. They are testament to Egypt's early Christian heritage and are early evidence of biblical scripture. We don't value them monetarily but they are priceless and irreplaceable.' The ancient papyrus fragments were sold to the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC (pictured). They have cooperated and returned all 13 pieces to the Egypt Exploration Society In a statement on its website in 2019 the EES said: 'The MOTB [Museum of the Bible] has informed the EES that 11 of these pieces came into its care after being sold to Hobby Lobby stores by Prof Obbink, most of them in two batches in 2010.' He also said that the Museum of the Bible had been cooperative and that all 13 biblical fragments had been returned. The museum was established by the billionaire Green family who own the Hobby Lobby chain of crafting stores. What is papyrus? Papyrus is a plant, rather like a reed, which used to grow in Egypt. In ancient times, the Egyptians used it to make small, light-weight boats, sandals, mats and baskets, as well as a paper-like material for writing on. This writing material is also known as papyrus. Sheets of papyrus were often stuck together to form long rolls (scrolls) for lengthy documents like Books of the Dead. Documents written on papyrus are known as papyri. The oldest example of a roll of papyrus (without writing) dates to about 2985 BC, and the oldest written papyrus document comes from about 2495 BC. Source: The Fitzwilliam Museum Advertisement Dr Obbink was suspended from Oxford in October, a month before the theft was reported, after an investigation was held into the disappearance of the papyrus fragments. The fragments, which come from Genesis, Exodus and Deuteronomy, are different sizes, contain different numbers of words and took decades to put together. Dr Obbink had previously told the Guardian: 'The allegations made against me that I have stolen, removed or sold items owned by the Egypt Exploration Society collection at the University of Oxford are entirely false. 'I would never betray the trust of my colleagues and the values which I have sought to protect and uphold throughout my academic career in the way that has been alleged. 'I am aware that there are documents being used against me which I believe have been fabricated in a malicious attempt to harm my reputation and career.' The Supreme Court Friday set aside the Manipur High Court order quashing a Union health ministry advertisement of August 2016 for filling up the post of Director of Imphal's Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS). The apex court said the high court order in March 2017 had committed an "error" by going into the validity of rules governing appointment to the post of director in the absence of any challenge raised on the issue in the batch of petitions filed there. A bench of Justices R Banumathi and R Subhash Reddy noted that the high court had directed the competent authority to consider providing relaxation clause regarding upper age limit for candidates applying for the vacant post. "We fail to understand as to how such direction can be given by the high court for providing a relaxation which is not notified in the advertisement," the bench said in its verdict. "While it is open for the employer to notify such criteria for relaxation when sufficient candidates are not available, at the same time nobody can claim such relaxation as a matter of right. The eligibility criteria will be within the domain of the employer and no candidate can seek as a matter of right, to provide relaxation clause," the top court said. "For the aforesaid reasons, we allow these appeals and set aside the impugned common judgment and order dated March 27, 2017 passed in...by the High Court of Manipur at Imphal," the bench said. The bench noted that in terms of the interim orders passed earlier by the apex court in the matter, appointment to the post of director RIMS has been made in October 2018 in terms of the August 16, 2016 advertisement issued by the health ministry. The apex court also noted that the appointment to the post of director has already been challenged in the high court and the same is pending consideration. In June 2015, an advertisement was issued by the health ministry for filling up the post of director of RIMS, Imphal by direct recruitment and the upper age limit was notified at 50 years, which was relaxable for government servants, RIMS officers and specially qualified candidates. The retirement age was notified at 62 years. Later, a petition was filed in the high court for quashing the advertisement with a direction to fill up the post of director in accordance with the rules and regulations of RIMS by fixing the upper age limit for eligibility at 60 years. In April 2016 an office memorandum, notifying the age of superannuation at 65 years, was issued by RIMS with the approval of the health ministry after which the plea pending before the high court was withdrawn. Then, another advertisement was issued on August 16, 2016 by the health ministry prescribing the upper age limit of 62 years in the eligibility criteria without any relaxation for government servants or RIMS officers. After fresh advertisement was issued, some petitions were filed in the high court seeking its quashing on certain grounds including that the experience for eligibility was contrary to the criteria prescribed by the Medical Council of India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's mediplomacy, or sending medicines, including hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and paracetamol to different countries in the wake of coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is being lauded globally with Russia being the latest nation to heap praises on the government. Notably, Russia is one of the 55 countries where India has sent HCQ, which is dubbed as a game-changer drug by US President Donald Trump in the treatment of coronavirus patients. Spokesperson of Russian President Vladimir Putin Dmitry Peskov said,The decision of the Indian leadership to send medicines to Russia to help fight the coronavirus is in line with the spirit of partnership between the two countries and was received with a sense of gratitude." "Moscow is pleased and grateful for the decision of the Indian government to deliver a batch of medicines to Russia to fight the Coronavirus, We regard this decision of India as an effective step towards implementing the agreements on cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic," he added. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken on March 25 to discuss the COVID-19 crisis. Putin's spokesperson also said, "Moscow is well aware that India, which itself is going through difficult times in terms of fighting the epidemic threat, made this decision guided by the common spirit of partnership between the two countries. The conversatiuons between PM Modi and President Putin were followed by talks between Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla & Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov during which both sides talked about the close bilateral cooperation in ensuring the welfare of each others stranded citizens in their respective countries due to COVID crisis. Meanwhile, in the Gulf region, India has given Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to Bahrain, Paracetamol to Kuwait. HCQ delivery to UAE and Oman are also in the pipeline. New Delhi has also sent its rapid response teams to Kuwait, as part of helping out its extended neighbour. Meanwhile, PM Modi had also held talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa over coronavirus crisis. PM Modi has spoken to over 20 world leaders over the crisis and in many conversations request for HCQ has been common. Washington Post photo Here's some good news, at least: The 2019 roses I've tasted recently have been top notch. The bad news: Prices are a little higher this year because of the 25 percent tariff imposed by the Trump administration in October. And the current situation has made it difficult for distributors to get the latest arriving wines into stores, so availability may be uneven for a while. This week we have three roses: Two hail from the foothills of the Alps, one in Italy from a top Barolo producer, the other from Savoie in France. Oh, what a fun afternoon it would be to sit on the patio and compare these two. The third rose, a consistent favorite of mine, is from Washington state. The Chief Imam Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu on Thursday hosted the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana at his Fadama residence when the diplomat went there to make donations to the cleric. The items were made up of 2000 pieces of 1 kilo bags of rice, 1000 pieces of 2 litre cooking oil, 1000 pieces of 4 litre cooking oil and 6000 pieces of face masks. The Envoy said the gesture was intended to strengthen the friendly ties between the two countries. The Chief Imam on his part expressed gratitude to the Envoy and said the items could not have come at a better time. The Chief Imams residence feeds many mouths everyday. --- Advertisement Hundreds of families lined up in their cars at 4am outside a food bank in Atlanta in a desperate bid to get supplies as residents grapple with the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus outbreak. By the time the Real Life Center food bank opened at 10am at Grace Church, Fayetville, Georgia there were already 200 families in need of food help. Cathy Berggen, Real Life Center Executive Director, said the food bank usually provides for 200 families each month. It was expecting to help up to 300 families in just one single day because of the financial fallout caused by coronavirus. State Labor Secretary Mark Butler told local news outlets WSB-TV: 'We are reaching unprecedented claim levels of almost one million Georgians filing for unemployment. That is one in every ten people who are turning to the GDOL for unemployment assistance.' Stretches of cars can be seen queuing as families wait their turn at the food pantry in Grace Church, Fayetville, Georgia The pantry is open to the public and there are no eligibility requirements. Its website says that food is distributed on a first-come first-served basis Volunteers packed bags full of fresh fruit ready to be handed out to those in need The Center's director said the coronavirus pandemic was playing 'havoc' with families and that people were feeling the economic downturn Around 50 volunteers were on hand to help direct traffic and load fresh fruit into bags ready to give to families in need. The Real Life Center website said the pantry is open to the public and there are no eligibility requirements, with food distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Volunteers were pictured wearing protective masks as they directed traffic and provided pantry users with essential food supplies Rows upon rows of cars started forming at 4am. By the time the Real Life Center food bank opened at 10am, more than 200 families had arrived in need of help Both cupboard staples and fresh fruit and vegetables were provided to users at the food bank Berggen said: 'We are in the middle of a crisis and people are starting to feel the pinch. This pandemic crisis has played a lot of havoc for our families. When asked how the coronavirus pandemic has affected Berggen personally, she said, 'I miss seeing my grandkids.' One food bank user waits in line ready to receive a food parcel from the pantry Elsewhere in Georgia, The Justice for All Coalition and several other churches spent last weekend handing out meals and blankets to the homeless in Atlanta's Hunt Park, serving hundreds of people. Pastor John Robinson told DailyMail.com that personal donations helped feed more than 400 people but that they ran out of food. He added: 'I have seen homeless people in Atlanta before but because of this coronavirus, lots of people have lost their jobs, they don't have places to go and are out of work and you have a lot of homeless people in Atlanta. They don't have anywhere to go. Some have no means to get food.' Volunteers wore protective masks and gloves to ensure their safety while they handed out food at the pantry The Atlanta Community Food Bank has also launched a free text initiative to help families and seniors find the food pantries closest to them. Users can text 'findfood' in English or 'comida' in Spanish to 888-976-2232 and type in a zip code or address. They will then be sent the three closet pantries within a 10-mile radius. In the first week of launching more than 2,600 users texted for help. The Real Life Center usually helps around 200 families a month but was expected to provide supplies to 300 people in a single day The surge in food bank users is not unique to Georgia. Pantries across America have been inundated with people seeking emergency supplies as organizations struggle to keep up. Nationwide there are record numbers of food bank first-timers flocking to distribution centres, analysis from The Guardian showed. Earlier this week hundreds of people were pictured amid rainy weather waiting get a free meal at the Bowery Mission homeless charity in Manhattan, with meal distribution traffic doubling in just seven days. The Mission served an estimated 60,000 meals on Easter Sunday alone, and organizers have said they expect the demand will continue to surge. The surge in food bank users is not unique to Georgia. Pantries across America have been inundated with people seeking emergency supplies as organizations struggle to keep up with the demand And Eric Cooper, president and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank told the TODAY show that his food pantry was facing the highest level of demand he'd seen in 25 years, with more than 10,000 people lining in cars in a single day as they waited for supplies. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank's served as many as 5,000 families in a single day last Friday and Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County hosted a drive-thru food distribution event on Saturday where enough food for up to 7,000 families was handed out in just three hours. In Miramar, Florida, the line of cars outside a giveaway by Feeding South Florida and Farm Share Food Distribution extended for five miles. Volunteers unloaded two tractor-trailers with a total of 48 pallets of produce that included eggs, fruits, vegetables, rice and other basics, placing them into bags with enough food to feed a family for a week. Across the US, the mounting toll of job losses has resulted in 5.2million new applications for unemployment benefits nationwide, the Labor department said on Thursday. The country's jobless rate is at its highest point since 1940, at 14.7 per cent. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ever wonder what Northeast Ohio looks like from outer space? A recent photograph taken from the International Space Station provides quite the view. NASA Astronaut Andrew Morgan snapped a photo of Northeast Ohio while he served as a flight engineer on Expedition 62. According to a NASA press release, Morgan was stationed at the International Space Station for 272 days, and landed back on earth on Friday, April 17. While in space, Morgan, astronaut Jessica Meir and commander Oleg Skripochka completed various studies and experiments, along with a few space walks, the press release states. While he was stationed in space, Morgan took quite a few photos of our planet, and also shared videos of what it was like to live inside the International Space Station. Check it all out on his Twitter account, and find more information about Expedition 62 on NASAs website. After almost 4 weeks of bullish trading, investors are growing used to the idea that were in a true rally. Yes, markets are still down from their February peak; yes, the coronavirus epidemic is still going strong; and yes, the lockdowns in place to combat the virus spread are still wreaking havoc on the economy but for now, at least, the stock markets are trending up. On Wall Street, Chris Harvey, Wells Fargos head of equity strategy, sees opportunities in current market conditions. Destruction in stock prices has really uncovered a significant amount of value, Harvey says, although he does add a warning that investors should avoid companies with fundamental issues resolvable under current conditions. He specifically points out the travel and leisure sectors as particularly hard hit right now. But within what he describes as the best risk/rewards, the Wells Fargo team believes investors can find strong returns. That in mind, what exactly is Wells Fargo recommending? Weve used the TipRanks database to sort through the investment firms stock picks, and found some commonalities: at least 20% upside potential, combined with 13% dividend yields and also one that may be too risky to try. Simon Property Group (SPG) Well start with a real estate investment trust, a segment well-known for high and reliable dividends. The Simon Property Group focuses on retail properties, and is known as the largest operator of shopping malls in the US. SPG has over 325 properties across 37 states, and boasts over 240 million leasable square feet of high-end retail property. The company finished 2019 on a strong note, with $1.5 billion in final quarter revenue and $7.1 billion in liquid assets. Even with the difficult quarter now, SPG has maintained its generous dividend. The quarterly payment is a $2.10, making the annualized payout an impressive $8.40 and the yield an equally impressive 13.72%. SPG has been raising the dividend steadily over recent years, and the payout ratio is now 70%, showing that the company can afford the payment and has room to increase it again. Story continues Tamara Fique covers this stock for Wells Fargo, and sees fit to give a Buy rating. Her review includes a bullish $130 price target, implying a healthy upside potential of 112% for the coming year. (To watch Fiques track record, click here) Backing her stance, Fique points out all of the current weaknesses in the shopping mall industry: declining customer traffic, closed shops, a halt in tourist traffic, and reduces her 2020 and 2020 FFO estimates. At the bottom line, however, she states, The regional mall industry has consolidated into the hands of a few public REITs that benefit from their scale, access to capital, and strong tenant relationships. Those REITs with national platforms and high-quality portfolios are likely to attract the best tenants and the best personnel. Simon is the largest of these consolidators. Overall, Simon Property boasts a Moderate Buy consensus rating with 6 recent Buy ratings vs. 7 Holds. Meanwhile the average price target of $130 indicates upside potential of 128%, with the stock down 64% year-to-date. (See Simon Property stock analysis at TipRanks) Goldman Sachs BDC (GSBD) Investment management is a core function of Wall Streets major banks, and Goldman Sachs BDC lives squarely in that niche. The company is the specialty finance subsidiary of the eponymous investment banking firm that figured prominently in the 2008 financial crisis. GSBD focuses on closed-end management investment for middle-market companies in the US. Through 2018, and into 1H19, GSBD strongly exceeded its earnings expectation. In the last few reported quarters, however, the bank has just managed to meet those forecasts, with Q3 and Q4 earnings coming in at 47 and 48 cents respectively. Looking ahead, the Street expects to see 49 cents EPS, for another small sequential gain. Along with modest gains in earnings, GSBD offers investors a steady and rock-solid reliable dividend, with uninterrupted payments going back five years. The quarterly payment, 45 cents, annualizes $1.80 and gives a yield of 13.84%. This is almost 7x higher that the average dividend yield found in the broader markets, and while GSBD has kept the payment steady, rather than increasing it gradually, the reliable payout and high yield combine to make it a steady income stream for shareholders and an attractive point for income-minded investors. Well Fargo analyst Finian OShea saw fit to upgrade this stock from Neutral to Buy, setting a $15.75 price target that indicates a potential upside of 21%. (To watch OShea's track record, click here) In supporting comments, OShea wrote, We are upgrading GSBD given attractive leverage profiles in this environment We are increasing our target yields to account for wider market spreads, and believe the space is attractive given implied loss rates and overall funding stability. The average price target on GSBD is $16.25, which suggests room for 24% growth from the current trading price of $13.51. The Moderate Buy analyst consensus is based on 1 Buy rating and 3 Holds set in recent weeks. But the main attraction here is the steady dividend return. (See Goldman Sachs stock analysis on TipRanks) Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) With the third stock on our list, we get to Wells Fargos Sell recommendation. Bed Bath & Beyond is a staple of the suburban retail market, with branches in shopping malls and stand-alone locations. The company specializes in homewares, sheets and towels, cooking and baking accessories, soaps, shampoos, and other hygiene products a niche that you think might do well in todays hygiene-conscious coronavirus epidemic, but the lockdowns have brought shopping to a near-standstill and that is the deciding factor in this case. Oddly, initial numbers might suggest otherwise. BBBYs fiscal Q4, which ended in February of this year, showed an 80% positive surprise as EPS came in at 38 cents against a forecast of 21 cents. At the same time, quarterly earnings were down from $1.20 year-over-year, a 68% drop. However, the companys fiscal Q1, which will cover a time frame directly impacted by the anti-coronavirus measures, is looking decidedly glum. March sales are tracking down 32%, and quarter-to-date is down 42%. The company is looking to retrench, and has suspended $600 million in share buybacks and debt reduction while pushing $150 million capital expenditures into 2021. Its not a pretty picture, especially when all of the companys stores are closed and it is shifting all sales to an ecommerce platform, and adjusting to changes in upper management. Even BBBYs dividend, once considered solidly reliable, is not safe. The company paid out the 17-cent regular quarterly payment last month, but future dividends are uncertain. At current share price levels, the dividend gives a whopping 15.3% yield, impressive by any standard but affordability is the question. All of this prompted Well Fargos 5-star analyst Zachary Fadem to rate BBBY a Sell, with a $4 price target that suggests a 9% downside from current levels this year. (To watch Fadem's track record, click here) Fadem opined, Considering BBBYs pre-COVID challenges were already steep, weve long viewed a turnaround requiring considerable efforts. But with management now juggling actions to reduce costs, shore up liquidity and quickly shift sales to ecommerce, we view the path ahead increasingly onerous for BBBYs newly minted leadership team. Overall, Wall Street appears to agree with Fadem that caution is required here. The analyst consensus on this stock is a Hold, based on 13 ratings that include 3 Buy, 8 Holds, and 2 Sells. However, the average price target of $10.11 reflects the potentially high rewards sometimes seen with high risk shares, implying a 46% upside should the economy see a V-shaped recovery. (See BBBY stock analysis on TipRanks) To find good ideas for dividend stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. More than two-fifths of people suspect they have been targeted by bogus phishing emails during the coronavirus outbreak (PA) More than two-fifths of people suspect they have been targeted by bogus phishing emails during the coronavirus outbreak, a survey has suggested. TSB, whose survey took place in April, found 42% of people suspect they have been targeted by phishing attacks during the Covid-19 outbreak. Criminals use phishing emails, which appear to be from legitimate organisations, to trick people into clicking on links and handing over personal information, which can be used to steal money. Such emails could promise fake refunds for cancelled trips, bogus safety information or dodgy donation requests. Unsure whether someone on the phone claiming to be your bank or police is genuine? Hang up, wait a minute, then call your bank/police on a known number to verify their identity. pic.twitter.com/EV2ynJoFDT Action Fraud (@actionfrauduk) April 14, 2020 Just under three in 10 (29%) also suspect they have been contacted by fraudsters by phone and 28% by text. Many people surveyed said they had also been receiving more contact generally from organisations such as banks, local authorities and internet providers. Two in five (43%) people say they have become more concerned that an elderly family member or friend may be targeted since the outbreak of coronavirus, the survey of 2,000 people found. TSBs customers are covered by its own fraud refund guarantee, which means that innocent Covid-19 fraud victims are protected by its reimbursement pledge, with 99% reimbursed since April last year, according to the bank. With more people working from home due to #COVID19, fraudsters may try to get you to change a direct debit, standing order or bank transfer mandate, to divert funds to their bank account, by claiming to be an organisation you make regular payments to.https://t.co/8WbqRlB5PX pic.twitter.com/qJq9keb8sZ Action Fraud (@actionfrauduk) April 16, 2020 Ashley Hart, head of fraud at TSB, said: Fraudsters are exploiting the coronavirus outbreak with increasingly complex scams designed to prey on the nations fears and changing circumstances, as they tailor their methods and ramp up attacks to trick people out of their hard-earned money. While TSB has its own fraud reimbursement code, many other banks have signed up to a separate voluntary industry code, which reimburses innocent victims of bank transfer scams. However, concerns have recently been raised about the levels of reimbursement taking place under the voluntary industry code. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) recently said available data suggests that there are problems with how authorised push payment (APP) fraud where people are tricked into making a bank transfer to a fraudster is currently being handled. Scams should be reported to Action Fraud. Here are TSBs tips to protect yourself: Smishing (scam text messages) Fraudsters can spoof text messages to look like they have originated from someone else, such as the Government, the World Health Organisation or your local doctors surgery. Do not click on any links provided in text messages, and verify any telephone numbers given before calling. Phishing emails Offers of Covid-19 tax refunds, refunds from your travel bookings, safety advice via email and donation requests are all ways in which fraudsters could try and encourage you to click on dodgy links, or make you part with sensitive personal and financial information. Always stop and think about what you are being asked to do, and if you have any doubts, ask family or friends. And do not open attachments. Vishing ( bogus phone calls) Always suspect unsolicited phone calls. Do not be afraid to put the phone down if you cannot verify the caller and guard your details. If you have concerns, call the organisation back on the number listed on their website, or if it is your bank, use the number on the back of your card. - 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. 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. LONDON: Britain's Prince William on Friday revealed his concern for his father Prince Charles after he contracted coronavirus -- and his worries for his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. Charles, 71, the monarch's eldest son and heir, tested positive for COVID-19 last month but recovered after a week in isolation at his home in Scotland. "I have to admit, at first I was quite concerned, he fits the profile of somebody, at the age he is at, which is fairly risky," his oldest son Prince William told the BBC. "But my father has had many chest infections, colds and things like that over the years and so I thought to myself if anybody is going to be able to beat this, it is going to be him." In the end Charles had only mild symptoms, the 37-year-old said. The queen, 93, and her husband Prince Philip, 98, have been staying at Windsor Castle near London since the outbreak began. "Obviously I think very carefully about my grandparents," William added. "We are doing everything we can to make sure they are isolated away and protected from this but it does worry me." William and his wife Kate, the duke and duchess of Cambridge, spoke to the BBC as part of their work supporting mental health charities. They urged people to look after their mental as well as their physical well-being during the lockdown. "There is going to be an ever-increasing need for people to look after their mental health and take it seriously," William said. The couple also spoke about their own life at their home in Norfolk, eastern England -- including the "challenging" task of homeschooling small children. Prince George is six, Princess Charlotte four and Prince Louis will be two next week. The duchess said they had faced "ups and downs" like many families -- and also admitted that getting her children to cooperate on video calls with relatives could be tricky. "It's quite hectic for them all to say the right thing at the right time without pressing the wrong buttons," she said. "But it's great and it's nice to keep in touch with everybody." A mother-of-two who gave birth to her second child while she was in a medically-induced coma after contracting coronavirus finally got the chance to hold her baby girl for the first time. Respiratory therapist Angela Primachenko, 27, was 33 weeks pregnant when she received a coronavirus diagnosis on March 24, and a week later she was in a coma and on a ventilator at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center in Vancouver, Washington. When she woke up on April 6, Angela discovered that she had been induced while unconscious and had given birth to a baby girl Ava. However, the mother-of-two was not able to visit or hold her daughter until she tested negative for COVID-19 twice, which finally happened on April 15. Meet your mom! Coronavirus patient Angela Primachenko, from Washington, has held her baby girl for the first time after giving birth while in a medically-induced coma 'Crying right now': The 27-year-old had an emotional first meeting with her two-week-old daughter Ava, having had to wait to visit her until she tested negative for COVID-19 twice In a series of heart-warming Instagram images, Angela is seen cradling two-week-old Ava in the NICU, an unforgettable moment that brought her to tears. 'Crying right now!!! IM COVA FREE!!! And holding my baby girl in my hands!' she wrote on April 15, while sharing the first photo of her daughter cradled in her arms. 'Such a testimony to be able to hold my little Ava,' she continued, while posting a selfie that showed her wearing a medical mask, with her baby girl snuggled against her chest. 'The reason Im wearing a mask is because everybody has to wear a mask now when visiting the NICU,' she explained of her protective gear, while adding: 'Ava is doing amazing and gaining weight everyday like a champ! 'Another week or so and we will be able to take her HOME!!' But her first cuddle with her mother seemed to have such a positive effect on Ava's condition that Angela later revealed they are now aiming to bring their daughter home from the hospital as early as this weekend. 'Our little sunshine is doing amazing!' she revealed on Thursday afternoon. 'Planning to come home this weekend!' On her Instagram Stories, the mom-of-two also paid tribute to the hardworking hospital staff, her coworkers, who worked so hard to save her life and the life of her baby girl. Heartwarming: Ava was born premature on April 1, five days before her mother woke up, after doctors decided to induce in order to give both mom and baby the best chance of survival Premature: The baby girl weighed just 4.5 lbs. when she was born, but she tested negative for the virus, and is now doing incredibly well; Angela hopes to take her home this weekend 'So thankful to God and all the amazing staff who made this day possible!' she wrote. 'But do your co-workers help save your life?!' Angela and Ava's joyful news comes just ten days after the mother-of-two was brought out of her medically-induced coma, having spent ten days on a ventilator while doctors fought to save her life, and that of her little girl. Tribute: Angela, a respiratory therapist, praised her hospital colleagues for helping to save her life Although Angela pulled through, her condition became so severe at one point that doctors decided inducing labor on April 1, several weeks ahead of schedule, was the best option for both her and her daughter. 'We were actually scared we were going to lose our sister that day,' Angela's twin sister Oksana Luiten revealed to CNN. 'All of us were just like, "God, if you dont come through, we might lose our sister,"' she added to WILX. While still in a coma, Angela delivered a 4.5 lb. baby girl. Then, on April 6, the new mother-of-two woke up and was taken off the ventilator and noticed right away that she wasn't pregnant anymore. 'Obviously nobody expected that I was going to get that sick, so no, absolutely not, I did not expect to deliver my child,'' she said. '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.' She and her husband David named the baby Ava, which means 'breath of life', with Angela revealing that she has always loved the moniker, but that it felt all the more appropriate after what she and her baby have been through. Dramatic times: Angela was 33 weeks pregnant when she tested positive for COVID-19 on March 24 Scary: A week later she was in a medically-induced coma and on a ventilator at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center in Vancouver, Washington 'I just really like it,' she told WILX. 'I think Ava is just such a beautiful name. 'We did not expect to go down this road, but sure enough, she ended up being our little breath of life.' Born premature, Ava is still in the NICU, but she does not have coronavirus. Because David and the couple's 11-month-old daughter Emily did not test positive for the virus, they were able to visit the newest member of the family, and father-of-two David was able to hold their newborn daughter while giving Angela a chance to meet her over FaceTime. But Angela who was released from the hospital on Saturday after 17 days there did not get the chance to meet baby Ava in person until she finally tested negative for COVID-19 twice. Despite the difficult circumstances surrounding the brith of her child however, Angela is incredibly grateful to have pulled through and to have welcomed to a healthy baby girl. Surprise: Angela was on a ventilator and unconscious in the hospital for ten days Getting better: Although her condition became incredibly severe at one point, Angela has made a full recovery - and was applauded by hospital staff when she woke up Waiting to hold her: Until Wednesday, Angela had only been able to see her baby via FaceTime 'I feel like I'm a miracle walking,' she told Today, adding on Instagram that she is 'so thankful for amazing nurses who send me update photos.' Angela says she does not know how she contracted the virus, insisting that she took every precaution to guard against it, and had even stopped working in order to protect herself while pregnant. Once she fell ill however, the respiratory therapist knew that she was likely going to end up on a ventilator, because of her experience in the field. 'Im like, "Im probably going to end up on a ventilator because I cant breathe. I just cant catch my breath,"' she told WILX of her condition. Angela, whose state has been one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 10,400 cases and 508 deaths, said that she hopes her story brings joy to others who have been affected by the illness. 'There's hope,' she told Today. '...Even in the hardest days and the hardest times that there's hope and you can rely on God and people and community. 'The amount of community and people that were praying for me is just unbelievable. I was blown away, and I'm so incredibly thankful.' An Ethiopian Airlines cargo flight filled with medical supplies donated to Africa from the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation arrives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 22, 2020. Photo: Xinhua Recent allegations that grassroot authorities in Guangzhou enforced discriminative quarantine measures against Africans residing in Guangzhou are absurd and nothing more than a malicious attempt to sow discord between China and African countries. China has implemented comprehensive epidemic prevention and control measures, which are applied to all groups, races and nationalities. China has entered into a new stage of epidemic prevention and control. It has brought the COVID-19 situation under control through arduous work. The economy, livelihoods, and production have gradually returned to normal. At the same time, it still faces daunting challenges to contain imported infections and prevent a second outbreak. Under no circumstances will China take it lightly. It's imperative that Guangzhou, an economic hub that faces a higher risk of imported cases, implement strict quarantine measures. One reason why China has succeeded in stemming the epidemic can be found in how the Chinese general public is willing to comply with prevention and control measures. China has implemented comprehensive measures across the country that everyone must follow. What made it successful was society's cooperation and support. Those who breach prevention and control measures will be subject to punishment regardless of race or nationality. Guangzhou has a large population of foreign nationals, and it is home to one of China's largest African communities. Africans living and working in Guangzhou indicate that the city is an ideal location to accommodate them. Some Africans in Guangzhou need to readjust their way of thinking. They are not onlookers in the face of COVID-19. Guangzhou is their second home. As a part of the city, they need to respect and comply with prevention and control measures just like everyone else. Controlling pandemic is not only for the benefit of the locals but also for the expat communities, including Africans. Recently, friction emerged between local grass-roots prevention and control personnel and some African nationals. There are multiple reasons, including cultural differences, different understanding of the pandemic, lack of knowledge about China's policies, language barriers, and misleading hype by some Western media outlets. At this moment, mutual respect is particularly important. Chinese in African countries, including diplomats and businessmen, must respect and comply with local laws and customs, so should Africans in China. Relevant Chinese authorities need to learn lessons from such experiences. They have to be more meticulous and considerate, take cultural differences into consideration, and enhance communication to avoid misunderstandings during virus prevention and control work. In an attempt to incite hostility between China and Africa, Western media outlets made a big deal out of the alleged discrimination against Africans in Guangzhou. They fabricated "mistreatment of Africans in China," which triggered a diplomatic issue, marring China-Africa relations, and claimed that "China's racism is wrecking its success in Africa." Their attempt to drive a wedge between China and Africa is doomed to fail. Misled by Western media's malicious hype, some Africans now have a misperception of what happened in Guangzhou. This is a temporary phenomenon. Those on the African continent don't know the exact actual situation, and misunderstandings will eventually be cleared up. In fact, China and Africa have recently engaged in active and effective communication efforts. The recent events won't disrupt the overall picture of China-Africa relations, nor would it cause harm to China-Africa cooperation. When China was hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, African countries and people offered their sympathy and support. As the pandemic continues to spread across the African continent, China is offering what it can to help its African partners. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian announced Wednesday that China is sending teams of medical experts to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso to help the two African countries fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Africa is particularly vulnerable to the pandemic given its weak public health systems, and inadequate sanitation conditions. Enhancing China-Africa public health cooperation should be an important part of bilateral cooperation in the future. China should increase input to help strengthen the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, train African public health experts, and share experiences on epidemic prevention and control. The article was compiled by Global Times reporter Yu Jincui based on an interview with Kuang Weilin, former Chinese ambassador to the African Union. Bay Areas most vulnerable Residents of homeless shelters and nursing homes remain at risk as the spread of the coronavirus slows. Bay Areas most vulnerable Residents of homeless shelters and nursing homes remain at risk as the spread of the coronavirus slows. A month into sheltering in place, its clear that early and aggressive social distancing efforts have had remarkable success in the Bay Area, where the coronavirus outbreak appears to be ebbing and the health care system has so far not been overrun with seriously ill patents. But the public health response that has won accolades from across the state and nation has struggled to protect the regions most vulnerable residents, in particular people in nursing homes and who are homeless, say infectious disease and public health experts. Case counts show that the Bay Area has turned a corner in its outbreak: There were fewer new cases reported last week than the week before, the first time thats happened since February. But even as the total counts stabilize somewhat, reports have spiked among homeless residents and people in long-term care facilities, who now make up more than 10% of all cases. Deaths in nursing homes and similar facilities alone account for nearly a quarter of all Bay Area coronavirus fatalities. Public health officials knew even before the first cases arrived in the Bay Area that these residents along with people in jails and prisons, and those who live in residential hotels and other crowded spaces would be most at risk of infection. They also are more likely to be older or have preexisting health problems that increase their chances of having severe illness and dying. The relative success of sheltering in place underscores the challenge of preventing and containing outbreaks in communities that are vulnerable even when the world isnt in the middle of a public health disaster, infectious-disease experts said. Its interesting how a crisis uncovers so many problems, said John Swartzberg, an infectious-disease expert at UC Berkeley. The Bay Area reported about 5,800 cases of the coronavirus and 185 deaths as of Thursday. The case counts continue to climb every day in almost all Bay Area counties, but the daily jumps are getting smaller now that the region has been sheltering in place for a month. Week-over-week reports show this most clearly, and suggest that the outbreak may have peaked in the region in the first week of April. The numbers vary somewhat by county, though San Mateo and Santa Clara counties have seen significant slowdowns in their local outbreaks, while San Francisco continues to see spikes. Public health officials warn that because the case counts are still increasing, albeit at a slower pace, the Bay Area remains at risk of seeing a surge in patients that could overwhelm hospitals, or at least push them close to capacity. And they expect that stay-home orders will remain in place for at least two more weeks and probably well into May. As case counts stabilize, the relative impact on certain communities has become more striking. For example, San Francisco reported about 300 new coronavirus cases in the past seven days, but almost a third of those were at one homeless shelter. None of the people who tested positive at the shelter reported serious symptoms. Two outbreaks at nursing homes in Hayward and Castro Valley infected 112 residents and staff; 14 residents have died. They make up 11% of all coronavirus cases in Alameda County and 36% of deaths. In Santa Clara County, 309 cases have been reported in two dozen long-term care facilities for about 17% of the countys 1,800 total cases. Deaths in long-term care facilities account for 25% of all Santa Clara County coronavirus fatalities. A Chronicle analysis found about 400 coronavirus cases in Bay Area long-term care facilities as of April 10; another 230 cases have since been reported or made public. At least 45 cases have been reported in people living in residential hotels or who are homeless and not in a shelter. More than two dozen cases have been identified in jails. Altogether, outbreaks among especially vulnerable communities account for at least 14% of all cases in the Bay Area, public health experts say. And the numbers are probably much higher, since many counties dont separate cases in at-risk communities from the total reports. Many of the problems that have come to light in the pandemic are tied to deeply rooted, systemic challenges, such as homelessness. Long-term care facilities are frequent sources of public health crises, most often due to outbreaks from diseases like the flu or norovirus. Nursing homes are sort of the poster child of a situation we dont want to have. Its just an environment that is fraught with danger, said Swartzberg. The homeless, the jail population, nursing homes weve sort of put them all aside. We dont have an overnight solution. He added that cases in nursing homes and among homeless people probably were circulating from the start of the regional outbreak. But due to testing shortages and, for homeless people, a lack of consistent access to health care, they may have gone unnoticed for weeks. Critics of the public health response said county officials were slow to anticipate the needs of these communities and to protect them, despite ample warning that they would be potential hot spots. The first large coronavirus outbreak in the United States was in a nursing home near Seattle in February weeks before the Bay Area began to see a large uptick in cases. And homeless people were identified early on as needing extra support, said health care and community advocates. Dr. Rupa Marya, a UCSF physician and member of the national Do No Harm Coalition of health care workers, said that despite some admirable steps in the crisis, San Francisco has been too slow to safeguard the street and shelter populations. The mayors quick action to declare a state of emergency before we had our first COVID-19 death is commendable, Marya said. However, the citys sluggish response to addressing how to take care of our unhoused people threatens to undo our gains. This virus is exposing the limits of care in our society. Public health officials said they have responded quickly to hot spots. They have leased hundreds of hotel rooms and other spaces for homeless people to shelter safely, for example, and issued alerts to long-term care facilities. They have released some people from jails to ease overcrowding. Were not going to be able to prevent every outbreak, said Dr. Susan Philip, director of disease prevention and control at the San Francisco Department of Public Health. What we can do is try to minimize the extent to which outbreaks occur, and anticipate the resources that are needed to make them as small as possible. Philip added that sheltering in place may not have directly prevented infections among certain vulnerable populations, but by slowing down the outbreak, it has given public health officials more time and resources to help them. Instead of struggling to care for a surge of patients in San Francisco hospitals and contain massive community outbreaks, she said, city officials can aggressively respond to isolated clusters. She also noted that San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area needs to stop the spread of disease among vulnerable populations not just for their protection, but to control the entire regional outbreak. As long as the coronavirus is able to get a foothold in one community, everyone is at risk, she said. We are all a human chain. We are all connected to each other, Philip said. I know that sounds like a platitude, but in this situation, when its a respiratory infection thats easily transmitted, the health of our city is dependent on having as healthy an environment for everyone as possible. San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Kevin Fagan and Trisha Thadani contributed to this report. Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @erinallday Articles Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles. The UWI is putting its expertise at the disposal of Barbados and other Caribbean countries in their fight to combat COVID-19. Clinical care specialists and medical researchers at The University of the West, Cave Hill Campus, are actively engaged in the fight to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Barbados and across the region. Some have joined clinicians and other health care responders on the front line offering critical care to the stricken, while others are providing analytical psychosocial and scientific research to aid policy development, some of which have informed the policy directives of authorities in Barbados and elsewhere. For example, health leaders have been able to utilise the data from public health modeling to predict infection and mortality rates of the global virus. With Cave Hill staff comprising around half of the medical personnel on island trained in the use of ventilators, which are used worldwide in the most acute medical conditions, the experts are also providing critical hands-on and bed-side assistance. Among those giving support, five are from the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre (GA-CDRC) and nine are from the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS). They include Professor of Biostatistics Ian Hambleton; Senior Lecturer in Qualitative Research Methods, Dr. Madhuvanti Murphy; Senior Lecturer in Immunology, Dr, Kim Quimby; Lecturer in Data Science Dr. Christina Howitt; and Lecturer in Epidemiology Dr. Natasha Sobers, all of the GA-CDRC, as well as Lecturers in Public Health at the FMS, Dr. Heather Harewood and Dr. Natalie Greaves, have partnered on the public health modeling, surveillance, process planning and accompanying public health intervention recommendations. Drs. Mike Campbell and Maisha Emmanuel are assisting with survey research on behaviour of health care workers. Lecturer in Family Medicine, Dr. Euclid Morris (FMS) is a member of the Ministry of Health and Wellness COVID-19 Health Advocate Team (CHAT) along with Drs. Natasha Sobers, Heather Harewood, Natalie Greaves and Madhuvanti Murphy. On the front line as part of the Covid-19 Response Clinical Team are: Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology, Dr. Kenneth Connell, who is also part of the COVID-19 CHAT; Lecturer in Internal Medicine, Dr. Arianne Harvey; Lecturer in Internal Medicine, Dr. Colette George; and Lecturer in Anesthesiology, Dr. Keisha Thomas-Gibson. Also providing front line assistance in the fight to save lives is a UWI military reservist, who was among those called out by authorities to undertake national duties. The Cave Hill employee is in charge of the field medical facility that supports 95 percent of the swabs utilised for testing of COVID-19. The member has also been asked to assist with manning the old navy base at Harrison Point, which is being used as an isolation facility. Whatever mother decides to do is really the right decision, said Dr. Anne Eglash, M.D., a family doctor and lactation consultant in Madison, Wis., and a cofounder of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, an organization of doctors dedicated to promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding. Decide on your approach. When it comes to weaning, there are two main approaches: parent-led weaning and child-led weaning. As their names suggest, the approaches differ mainly by who is taking charge. Many parents dont adopt one strategy over another, but one that falls somewhere in the middle. Some might let the child lead, but set limits around how often and where the child can nurse. Others might begin the weaning process themselves, but adjust the timeline to accommodate a child who is having difficulty adapting. Weaning doesnt have to be all or nothing. As long as your milk supply is well established, you can reduce the frequency of nursing without totally stopping. Your body will adjust. Even parents who decide to nurse just once or twice a day can typically maintain their milk supply. All experts agree that, however you decide to wean, it should happen gradually. Try not to quit cold turkey unless its necessary (see below). Abrupt weaning, especially for women who are breastfeeding many times a day, can lead to breast discomfort, engorgement, plugged ducts or even mastitis. Also keep in mind that it is not uncommon for babies who are nursing to refuse the breast temporarily, especially when theyre between 4 and 7 months. But a nursing strike isnt a sign that your child is ready to wean. Most children dont self-wean until they are well over 1 year old. And weaning typically happens gradually, whereas a nursing strike is sudden. If you choose to initiate weaning, start by eliminating nursing sessions slowly. By slowly eliminating breastfeeding sessions over the course of several days or even weeks, youll reduce the risk of painful engorgement, which can lead to plugged ducts or mastitis. First, choose one nursing session to eliminate per day. Babies tend to be most attached to the first morning feeding and the feeding right before bed, so Dr. Eglash typically advises her clients to drop an afternoon feeding. Thats when parents tend to produce less milk. PARIS FRANCE:--- The European Union and Expertise France on Monday, 6th April approved a special, fast-tracked 10 million COVID-19 mechanism to support the Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) in their efforts at managing and responding to the impact of the Novel Coronavirus. The RESEMBID COVID-19 Resilience Response Facility has thus been established against the backdrop of overwhelmed public health systems across the OCTs, and jarringly deepening social and economic crises in most Territories. The Facility is funded by the European Union under the 11th European Development Fund, and is a component of its regional RESEMBID Programme (Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine Biodiversity). RESEMBID is being implemented by Expertise France, the development cooperation agency of France. According to Fabian McKinnon, RESEMBIDs Programme Director, the genesis of the new facility was his teams recognition of the crushing pressure that the increasing number of cases and mortality are placing on the public health systems of the OCTs, on vulnerable groups and on the capacity of Governments to manage and respond. In these exceptional circumstances, and as the outbreak began to gather pace and rapidly internationalize, our team at RESEMBID quickly set out to explore ways and means of leveraging our Programme in order to come to the support of the OCTs at this terribly trying time, said McKinnon. He further pointed out that while the Facility is an integral part of the ongoing RESEMBID Programme, it does not displace any strategic or functional aspect of the existing Programme, that the allocated funds are geared specifically towards financing COVID-19 Resilience response actions across the twelve OCTs. Highlighting the simplified approval procedures, McKinnon further noted, We crafted it [the Facility] as a purpose-designed, fast-track, flexible response tool for the OCTs to confront the multiple challenges of responding to the pandemic. "Its aim is to be very quick and flexible, whilst affording each Territory maximum control and latitude in determining their needs and requests. We will do our utmost to support the OCTs. Speaking on the European Unions decision to support the new fast-track Facility, Karel Lizerot, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union in Guyana with additional responsibility for Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, and Suriname cited the convenience and good fortune of having a pre-existing resilience-based programme already operational within the OCTs. Referring to the recently concluded RESEMBID formulation missions to all twelve OCTs, Lizerot said, To have Expertise France and RESEMBID already up and running, and comprehensively covering all the Caribbean OCTs in a way that is very much based on listening, and taking care of their needs, has been very encouraging. So all that trust that we have towards Expertise France, enabled us to give our green lights to this Facility. The decision came just days before Eurozone Finance Ministers successfully negotiated a 540 billion stimulus package in response to the devastating impact of the Novel Coronavirus on European economies. While the OCTs are linked to their respective European mother countries, politically, they are not a part of the European Union and therefore are not eligible for EU external funding. While most Governments have already implemented stern measures to prevent the community the spread of the Novel Coronavirus thus avoiding a complete collapse of local public health systems the socio-economic fabrics of the OCTs, are today being tested in ways previously unimaginable. Lizerot in acknowledging the challenge of predicting the ultimate impact of the coronavirus on the OCTs, and determining immediate responses, said, I can only praise the fact that we have a running programme that has always been even before COVID-19 resilience-based. It was more based on climate change resilience, but it was also contractually and procedurally relatively easy for the European Union to reorient it towards health resilience. Highlighting the unsung value of solidarity in crisis situations, Lizerot said, Prior COVID-19, I had my questions about how we were we going to set up a truly regional approach among twelve OCTs, that are very diverse different languages, different systems, different geography. However, I think now is really a good time to actually come together, and be one front against COVID-19 all of the OCTs. Because COVID does not discriminate. The RESEMBID COVID-19 Resilience Response Facility is now deployed across the twelve OCTs, under a fast-track expedited procedure, with priority actions to be determined by each country or territory, consistent with local needs. The twelve participating OCTs are Anguilla, Aruba, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Montserrat, Saba, Saint Barthelemy, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, and Turks and Caicos Islands. 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. 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. WASHINGTON, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Statement attributable to: Carmen L. Wiley, PhD President, American Association for Clinical Chemistry "The federal guidelines for the reopening of the United States released yesterday by the Trump Administration are heavily reliant on additional testing for COVID-19. Although many of the original barriers to testing for this disease have been overcome, AACC's membersthe laboratory experts on the frontlinesare still facing significant obstacles to performing these tests. There is a shortage of necessary supplies, including sample collection and test components. We also need appropriate nasal swabs to collect the specimens intended for the molecular tests. Unless and until these supply chain issues are resolved, the nation's laboratories will remain stymied in their attempts to maximize their testing capacity. At this point, the biggest barrier to testing is not capacity, but access to vital supplies. "Another critical issue facing the laboratory community, as well as other healthcare professionals, is the shortage of personal protective equipment, or PPE. Laboratory professionals are collecting and processing the specimens needed to determine whether a person is infected by the virus. As frontline workers, they continue to need PPE, including gowns, masks, gloves, and face shields so that they can safely do their jobs. Increased production and disbursement of these items to the entire healthcare enterprise is vital to ensuring the safety of those individuals charged with clinical testing. "The only entity in this crisis with the power to source the necessary supplies on a large scale and route them to those areas they are most neededwhether an N95 mask, testing reagents, or a testing swabis the federal government. Laboratories and diagnostics manufacturers are rapidly scaling up testing even in the face of these dire problems with the supply chain. Meanwhile, the White House must continue to do the work only they can do: Find and coordinate resources so that physicians, nurses, laboratory professionals, and others can do their jobs." To speak to Dr. Wiley about this issue, please contact Molly Polen, AACC Senior Director of Communications & PR, at [email protected] or 202-420-7612. About AACC Dedicated to achieving better health through laboratory medicine, AACC brings together more than 50,000 clinical laboratory professionals, physicians, research scientists, and business leaders from around the world focused on clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, translational medicine, lab management, and other areas of progressing laboratory science. Since 1948, AACC has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing programs that advance scientific collaboration, knowledge, expertise, and innovation. For more information, visit www.aacc.org. Media contacts: Christine DeLong AACC Senior Manager, Communications & PR (p) 202.835.8722 [email protected] Molly Polen AACC Senior Director, Communications & PR (p) 202.420.7612 (c) 703.598.0472 [email protected] SOURCE AACC Related Links http://www.aacc.org Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 17, 2020 14:20 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd282aeb 1 Business Indonesia,Agriculture-Ministry,COVID-19,relief-efforts,food-supply,distribution,Poultry,farmers Free In addition to a number of social safety nets provided by the Social Affairs Ministry and other government institutions, the Agriculture Ministry has allocated Rp 1.85 trillion (US$117.6 million) to secure food supplies and help farm workers affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo said that, of the total funds, the ministry would spend about Rp 199 billion to provide affordable food at markets, stabilize food prices, procure rice and cover the logistical cost of food distribution. To secure food stocks in order to survive the COVID-19 outbreak and to meet the needs during Ramadan and Idul Fitri, the Agriculture Ministry is taking precautionary measures in line with the [the governments regulations related to the pandemic handling], Syahrul said in an online hearing with House of Representatives Commission IV, which oversees food and agriculture, on Thursday. We are taking the measures by adjusting our budget. The social restrictions imposed by the government to halt the spread of the COVID-19 have disrupted food supplies. The distribution disruption, coupled with surging demand, has led to an increase in prices. Syahrul said the ministry would partner with major poultry companies including PT Charoen Pokphan Indonesia, PT Japfa Comfeed Indonesia, PT Tri Putra Panganindo, PT Cimory, PT Indoguna Utama dan PT Agro Boga Utama to procure chickens from smallholders. The ministry had also cooperated with ride-haling companies to deliver food to consumers, the minister said, adding that the ministry provides cold storage facilities to companies engaged in the sale of processed meat, such as chicken nuggets. The price of eggs has declined significantly in recent days. In Bogor in West Java, for example, a chicken was sold on average between Rp 9,000 and Rp 10,000 per kilogram, well below the production cost of around Rp 18,000 per kg, according to data released on Wednesday by the Poultry Farmers Association and Information Center (Pinsar Indonesia). The ministry has also designed similar support for rice farmers hit by the declining price of unhusked rice. With the peak harvest season approaching this month, the average price of unhusked rice continued to fall to Rp 4,936 per kg in March from Rp 5,273 per kg in January, according to data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS). The ministry, therefore, has encouraged rice millers to use the governments subsidized micro loan program (KUR to enable them to increase unhusked rice procurement from farmers The ministry also issued an edict to protect rice distributors from logistical disruption caused by the governments social restrictions. The ministry has also established buffer stocks for eleven staple foods in every province through the Toko Tani [a grocery store tasked with providing affordable food] in partnership with regional governments, state-owned and city-owned enterprises, said Syahrul, a NasDem Party politician. Those are the emergency plans we expect to implement until August. The ministry is also allocating Rp 1.6 trillion for social safety nets for agricultural workers hit by the outbreak. With that money, the ministry would carry out labor-intensive programs for, among other things, by improving irrigation systems to help provide jobs for farm workers affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The remaining Rp 45 billion of the adjusted allocation will be used for COVID-19 handling, including for the procurement of medical equipment and vitamins for its staff. Not all parties were happy with the ministrys plan. House Commission IV member, Suhardi Duka, said the ministrys allocation of Rp 45 billion for medical supplies for its staffs was too much. He also opposed the ministrys plan to control prices. [S]ince I don't have any inferiority complex when I am personally affected or attacked by racial slurs, I don't care because I am a very proud black person or Negro. I don't care being called even Negro. I am. That's what came from some quarters and if you want me to be specific, three months ago this attack came from Taiwan. We need to be honest. I will be straight today, from Taiwan and Taiwan the foreign Ministry they know the campaign they didn't dissociate themselves. They even started criticizing me in the middle of all that insult and slur but I didn't care. Can you provide any specific examples of the "attacks" to which the director-general was referring? Can you point to evidence suggesting the attacks came from Taiwan, and clarify whether the director-general was saying that private citizens from Taiwan were engaging in such attacks, or rather that its government was doing so? Can you point to evidence regarding the assertion that Taiwan's foreign ministry was aware of this "campaign," and "didn't dissociate" itself? The remarks came amid a public appearance in which Tedros was responding to criticism from President Donald Trump about WHO's "China-centric" nature and threats by the Trump administration to cut the United States' disproportionate WHO funding. Beijing certainly would have approved of Tedros' decision to lash out at Taiwan. After all, while democratic Taiwan has handled the coronavirus crisis with as much success as any other place in the world, further strengthening its symbol of what a free and democratic China could look like, the CCP has successfully pressured the WHO not to recognize it. World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus claimed last week that the people of Taiwan were making racist attacks against him, and that the government was supporting their racism.During an April 8 briefing, Tedros, as he is known, said seemingly out of the blue:Tedros is an Ethiopian microbiologist.During this same press conference, Tedros also called for "global solidarity" and for people to "quarantine politicizing COVID." He also demanded "honest leadership from the United States and China," as if the Chinese Communist Party's lies about the origin and spread of the virus were somehow equal to whatever "lies" he believes the U.S. has told.Ben Weingarten wrote at The Federalist that this is not the first time Tedros has played the race card in order "to deflect criticism of his organization's response to the Chinese coronavirus." Weingarten sent a list of questions to the WHO asking for evidence of these alleged racist attacks Tedros keeps claiming to get:So far, Weingarten has not heard back.More from Weingarten:The WHO, as Weingarten explained, excluded Taiwan from its World Health Assembly for the past three years and barred it from the organization's emergency coronavirus conference in January.Radio Free Asia reported that investigators in Taiwan "found a number of fake Twitter accounts linked to China posting fake apologies to World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has accused the democratic island of involvement in a series of personal and racist attacks against him." The fake accounts were made to look like RFA's account. (Alliance News) - Genel Energy PLC on Friday said it has secured payment from the Kurdistan regional government for oil sales during March. The oil company said the Taq Taq and Tawke partners - international oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq - have received a gross payment of USD4.6 million and USD34.6 million, respectively. Genel's net share of those payment was USD2.5 million and USD8.5 million, respectively. Genel said it has requested clarification regarding the payment mechanism. Under the Kurdistan regional government's proposals, it commits to settling monthly sales invoices by the fifteenth day of the following month. In addition, the government said Tawke production override payments will be suspended for at least nine months, but should the oil price recover to USD50 per barrel, a payment programme to recover the deferred invoices will be put in place. Finally, the government said payment of invoices relating to oil sales from November 2019 to February 2020 will be deferred, interest free, for at least nine months. Genel said it has responded to the Kurdistan regional government with a proposal that balances the government's near-term liquidity challenges with longer-term developments benefiting both the government and Genel. The stock was trading 4.9% higher in London on Friday at 108.00 pence a share. By Evelina Grecenko; evelinagrecenko@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Priyanka Chopra Jonas has been staying safe in quarantine with husband Nick Jonas and the actress recently shared a sunkissed selfie on social media which is being liked by many of her fans. Although Priyanka is very active on social media, letting people in on some of the precious moments from her life, recently, she has been focusing more on discussing her charity work with people amid the coronavirus crisis. Now, Priyanka shares a sunkissed selfie which is too stunning to describe in words. In the pic, Priyanka can be seen wearing a grey coloured, sleeveless dress as she looks mesmerising in her minimal make up and lip shade. She lets her eyes do the talking in this one, which we like the most. Captioning her pic on social media, Priyanka shared an optimistic message for her fans, saying, "There is always a light at the end of the tunnel... Hang in there world (sic)." Meanwhile, Priyanka along with names like Billie Eilish, David Beckham, Idris and Sabrina Elba, Kerry Washington, Shah Rukh Khan and Paul McCartney have united for pop star Lady Gaga's One World: Together At Home, a mega live-streamed and televised benefit concert in support of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Covid-19 solidarity response fund and in celebration of health workers around the world. Popular US talk show hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert will host the event, which broadcasts live across the US television networks ABC, CBS and NBC, as well as being streamed online on April 18. BBC One will show an adapted version of the concert on April 19, including exclusive performances from UK artists and interviews with frontline health workers. (With inputs from IANS) Follow @News18Movies for more Research News Asian universities close the gap on U.S. schools By MARCENE ROBINSON China has already surpassed Japan in world rankings and is closing the gap with the U.S. fast. China has already surpassed Japan in world rankings and is closing the gap with the U.S. fast, says Lee. Yet the Asian catch-up model of building world-class universities relies heavily on government funding and central planning without creating an environment for intellectual autonomy and sustainable innovation. Chinese and Korean schools are hardly seen among the top 100 universities. The model may work better for the early stages of development, but not for the advanced stages that require innovation and leadership. However, U.S. universities continue to dominate the top 100 rankings, suggesting limitations to the approach taken by China and South Korea, says Jaekyung Lee, lead researcher and professor of counseling, school and educational psychology in the Graduate School of Education. The research, which analyzed the effects of government policy on universities across the globe, found that China and Korea raised the number of their universities among the top 500 schools in the world through increased government funding and a focus on developing research programs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. China and South Korea are surging in the international brain race for world-class universities, as schools in the East Asian nations are replacing institutions in the United States in international college rankings, according to new UB-led research. Closing the gap on Western universities For policymakers in many East Asian nations, research universities are viewed as a key driving force for economic development, says Lee. Using U.S. or other Western top-tier research universities as benchmarks, schools in East Asian countries made strategic investments in higher education with a priority toward STEM programs to create their own world-class universities. To examine the effectiveness of the Asian catch-up model, the researchers reviewed the QS World University Rankings from 2008-14 and the Academic Ranking of World Universities from 2003-13. The study, published in March in Educational Research for Policy and Practice, also observed the amount of academic citations a critical factor in ranking methodology and funding spent on university research for the U.S., China, South Korea and Japan. China experienced the largest rise in the number of entries in world rankings. The increase was supported by several government initiatives that poured more than $20 billion in funding into more than 100 institutions. The funds were concentrated in STEM disciplines and fueled a 94% increase in research publications. These universities produced 8.6% of the worlds research citations in 2012, a dramatic rise from 0.8% in 1996. South Korea universities also improved in international rankings, as the nation added three schools to the top 500 lists. To increase the competitiveness of its institutions, South Korea invested $1.2 billion in handpicked university programs, funding graduate student stipends and scholarships, and improving research infrastructure. The country produced 2.2% of the worlds research citations in 2012, quadruple the amount created in 1996. The rise of Chinese and South Korean universities coincided with a drop in the number of Japanese schools in the top 500 rankings. An early employer of the catch-up method, Japans success made it an initial leader in higher education among East Asian countries. During the previous two decades, Japan shifted from university-wide support to the funding of select research programs. Despite a slight increase in government support, Japanese institutions experienced a decrease in citations. The U.S. maintained the highest number of universities in the top 100 and 500 rankings, even with several schools dropping from the lists. Unlike East Asian nations that focused on rankings, research and graduate education, U.S. policy initiatives prioritized undergraduate education with an emphasis on graduation and retention rates, and job placement. In fact, the U.S. did not actively compete in the international brain race and few U.S. universities benchmarked themselves against peer institutions in other nations, says Lee. U.S. federal and state governments continue to invest billions of dollars in university research, but the U.S.s percentage of the worlds academic citations were nearly halved between 1996-2012, falling from 41% to 24%. Stronger growth in China may be attributed to its strategy of lifting whole universities, whereas Japan and South Korea concentrated funding on select research programs, says Lee. Japans progress may also have been limited by the maturation of its higher education system and weaker financial incentives. In spite of the rapid growth in university rankings by Chinese and Korean universities, progress was limited to the second and third tiers, says Lee. This finding might be related to the diminishing returns between citations and rankings. South Korea and China may fall into the trap of benchmarking, following Japans suit if they fail to evolve from the catch-up model to first mover strategies for leading innovations. Kabul, April 17 : The Afghan government has extended the ongoing coronavirus lockdown in capital Kabul for three more weeks until May 9, vowing more restrictions on movement in the city, which has an estimated population of six million. The lockdown also applies to provincial districts, TOLO News reported citing the governmnt as saying on Thursday. Meanwhile, roads that connect Kabul with other provinces will also remain closed. The announcement was made by the Ministry of Interior Affairs, calling on the citizens to take the lockdown measures seriously. Presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi announced that government employees, except essential service employees, will be off for three more weeks. The outbreak comes as Afghan health facilities werefaced with a lack of testing kits, personal protection equipment, trained personnel and funds to conduct an adequate number of tests to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The main COVID-19 testing centre in Kabul, the Afghan-Japan Hospital, has stopped taking new samples for the past two days due to an overload. So far, 840 cases have been reported in total, 30 people have died of the virus, and 54 have recovered. The Afghan government's response to the outbreak has created concern among the country's international partners, said the TOLO News report. The European Union has extended technical and financial support to the fight against the coronavirus in the country. Roland Kobia, the EU special envoy for Afghanistan, said that COVID-19 in Afghanistan will not be magically contained and solved through an "invisible hand", referring to the efforts made by the government to slow the spread of the virus. "It requires full cooperation between humans, even enemies. Together, not against each other. The enemy has changed, it is now called coronavirus. Need to adapt to this new reality." Representative Image Rajesh Radhakrishnan Tapping rural India has been the biggest challenge for follower brands when it comes to the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) space. The companies in the top three positions in a particular category always had an advantage in terms of rural distribution compared to other players in that category. The early-mover advantage helped leader brands to create entry barriers for others. Why does the age-old distribution model (Distributor-wholesaler-retailer), created donkey's years back, still prevail in the FMCG space? Its not surprising that this is an entry barrier created by market leaders! We know that next-door Kiranas or retailers still play a vital role in influencing the consumer on their brand choice when it comes to rural India. Effective servicing has helped brands win the confidence of these retailers/Kirana shops, and follower brands who want to make entry find it difficult. 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 emerging smaller FMCG players despite having good products fail to sustain, sometimes even lose track and get into positioning themselves as low-cost lookalikes of bigger brands. The million-dollar question is why the emerging brands in the FMCG space are unable to make inroads into rural India. The real problem is these companies still take the traditional route of trying to market their products through a distributor who is already associated with big brands. What is needed is for these brands to have a different approach to their marketing. They must do away with the traditional Distributor-wholesaler-retailer model and create an alternate channel model. They need to tap the full potential of the ongoing digital revolution across the rural markets by providing localized digital marketing and communication for their products across these markets. They can invest in retail POP software solutions and service the retailers/Kirana shops directly instead of going through a distributor. With internet penetrating most of rural India, there is a tremendous potential for localised digital communication for brands via new-age social media such as Youtube, Facebook or via google SEO. Even if some digital content is used for rural, it is borrowed from the content for the urban audience, often resulting in a poor outcome. There are several regional and sub-regional brands of FMCG companies, the stories about which if properly communicated via localised Youtube videos would result in sure-shot marketing success. With a good understanding of a regions tastes, culture, language and aspirations, proper digital communication strategies could be crafted for regional and sub-regional brands. The communication could be customized to a district or tehsil level. Certain products could be targeted to the specific geography, say Kolhapur or a Ballia. Understanding how certain products are aspired purely by a particular set of people, how they buy and react online, a complete promotion programme could be crafted around Choose local & Act local strategy. The new generation startups that are coming with single brands have realized the importance of digital marketing at a localised level. These companies are expected to give a tough time to the leading FMCG brands. Some of the national FMCG brands are already struggling to enter certain parts of the country dominated by local players in certain segments such as teas, masalas etc. Most of the regional FMCG brands too, spend a lot of money on BTL (below the line ) activities, without an inkling about digital. Companies are still thinking that rural is not yet ready for localised digital marketing and communication. However, the fact is that rural is ready for solid adoption of digital marketing strategies. However, brands are not convinced yet. Increased bandwidth availability, cheap data plans and increased awareness through government plans have resulted in a strong rural internet penetration primarily driven by smartphones in rural parts of the country. According to recent research by Kantar IMRB, Indias Internet users have reached about 627 million. Of this, 293 million active users reside in urban India and 200 million active users in rural India. The rural internet users are growing by a whopping 35 percent annually in comparison to an urban user growth of 7 percent. The Internet penetration in semi-urban and rural areas is creating demand for more convenience shopping in the form of retail and e-commerce, resulting in increasing presence of retailers and e-commerce players in tier-2 and 3 regions. There is an increasing awareness about the urban brands in rural markets. However, proper marketing of these products could be achieved only with localised digital marketing on platforms such as Youtube. The brands are effectively using platforms such as Amazon for marketing premium products targeted at an urban audience. However, Amazon services are yet to be digitally tapped for rural. Channels such as Tiktok and WhatsApp are available for rural marketing, where advertising is used in bits and pieces. However, these apps have not been effectively leveraged for rural digital marketing. Once again, the post-COVID-19 scenario in rural digital marketing story is in for major growth explosion and I am not sure how many companies are ready for it as most company websites are still in English and do not have regional languages. Retailer/Kirana shops will take online orders and deliver at home providing convenience. Digital payments will increase in leaps and bounds and many interesting insights could emerge which will change the digital landscape. The time has come where the existing brands, follower brands and the emerging brands all need to embrace digital technology and digital marketing aggressively, given the changing mindset of rural India. John E. Logsdon, 59, of Ubly pleaded guilty March 2 to operating while under the influence of liquor third offense and habitual offender third offense. A charge of operating with a suspended license was dismissed. He is scheduled for sentencing May 11 at 9 a.m. Jerry Lee Kinney, 44, of Bad Axe was sentenced March 16 on three counts of retail fraud and one count of habitual offender third offense. He was sentenced to a minimum of 10 years, maximum of 10 years in prison, credit for nine days. He must also pay $2,842.58 resitution. Fear of Catching COVID-19 Does Not Meet Vote-by-Mail Eligibility, Texas AG Says The fear of contracting COVID-19 is not a qualifying reason for state voters to apply to receive a ballot by mail, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said on Wednesday. His statement comes after a state district judge signaled that he would grant Democrats a temporary injunction to expand on who would qualify for absentee voting for upcoming elections. State officials, who are defending the case, are expected to appeal. Paxton said he was disappointed that the court had ignored the plain language of the Texas Election Code by allowing perfectly healthy voters to special protections made available to Texans with actual illness or disabilities. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during a hearing in Austin, Texas, July 29, 2015. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Under the Texas Election Code, absentee voting is limited to voters who are aged 65 and over, disabled, absent from the country, or confined in jail, but are eligible to vote. In the case, The Democrats argued that the pandemic and the need for social distancing meets the disability requirement under the law. The Texas Legislature provided for these circumstances by statute allowing voters to vote by mail when they have a physical condition that makes it dangerous for them to do so. Thats why we fought in court on behalf of voters, Gilberto Hinojosa, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, said in a statement. The Texas Democratic Party brought the lawsuit against the state officials. Disability is defined under the code as a sickness or physical condition that prevents the voter from appearing at the polling place on election day without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or of injuring the voters health. Paxton said absentee ballots are specifically reserved for voters who are legitimately ill and cannot vote in-person without needing assistance or jeopardizing their health. Fear of contracting COVID-19 does not amount to a sickness or physical condition as required by state law, he said. He added that the courts expansion of the definition would only serve to undermine the security and integrity of our elections and to facilitate fraud, while adding that his office would continue to defend Texas election laws. The Texas Democratic Party and several voters have also filed a similar lawsuit in a federal court (pdf), asking it to extend mail-in eligibility amid the virus and to clarify what elections would look like during the pandemic in the state. The lawsuit names Texas Governor Greg Abbott and other state officials as defendants. The Democrats said they filed the lawsuit at the earliest moment possible in order to avoid repeating the same events that occurred during the Wisconsin election. In that case, the Supreme Court threw out a district court decision to allow voters to complete absentee ballots after the election deadline on the eve of the states primary election. Recent events pertaining to elections scheduled this week in Wisconsin demonstrate the disarray and voter confusion that results from inadequately planned elections held during a pandemic, the Texas Democrats argued. This comes as Democrats and Republicans in Texas and across the country lock horns over the issue of expanding mail-in voting amid the CCP virus pandemic. President Donald Trump and Republicans have rebuked the idea of the blanket expansion of mail-in voting, citing concerns of voter fraud. Meanwhile, Democrats argue that mail-in voting options are necessary in order to comply with public health recommendations to reduce gatherings due to the pandemic. On April 8, President Donald Trump called on Republican lawmakers to fight very hard against the push for mail-in voting in states. Tremendous potential for voter fraud, and for whatever reason, doesnt work out well for Republicans, he wrote on Twitter. Voter fraud, which has gained more media attention in recent years, and is a contentious issue that often falls within political ideological lines. Proponents of mail-in voting and some researchers are arguing that the phenomenon is so rare that it is not an issue. While there can be some accusation of voter fraud in any election, the number of cases are typically countable on one or two hands, Benjamin Clark, an associate professor and the co-director of research for The Institute for Policy Research and Engagement at the University of Oregon, told The Epoch Times. Claims to the contrary are purely for politics, and are not based in the real world, he said. The Brennan Center for Justice, a think tank that advocates for liberal causes, documented a number of studies and research in 2017 that purports that voter fraud is vanishingly rare, and does not happen on a scale even close to that necessary to rig an election. The think tank has been arguing that absentee voting is necessary in order to protect voters and poll workers from the pandemic. At many polling places, votersparticularly of color and from poorer communitiesalready wait in long, crowded lines to vote. During a pandemic, such lines would force citizens to choose between their health and their right to vote, the organization argued in a recent article. A voter fills out his ballot during the primary election in Ottawa, Illinois, on March 17, 2020. (Reuters/Daniel Acker) Meanwhile, The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, argues that voter fraud isnt just real, but bipartisan. Heritage Foundation experts have long pointed out that voter fraud is not particular to one party or ideology. At its core, people cheat in elections to further their preferred causes or to advance their own careers, and theres nothing inherently conservative or liberal about the desire to win, Jason Snead, a former policy analyst at the foundation, wrote in August 2019. Snead cited a case where a Mexican citizen was convicted of identity theft and voter fraud after he took on the identity of a deceased U.S. citizen and voted in a number of U.S. elections. The surprising twist in the case is that the man is a Republican and voted for President Donald Trump in 2016. Hans von Spakovsky, a former member of the Federal Election Commission and manager of the foundations Election Law Reform Initiative, previously told The Epoch Times that he believes absentee ballots are a particular fraud risk because they are the only kind of ballots voted outside the supervision of election officials. Theres no way to properly supervise and make sure that voters arent being intimidated, their votes arent being stolen, ballots arent being forgedsignatures forgedor otherwise altered, so you have to handle them very carefully, he said. The foundation maintains a database that provides a sampling of election fraud cases from across the United States. The database, which contains 1,277 proven instances of fraud, is not comprehensive, the foundation said. Currently, five statesUtah, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and Coloradoconduct elections primarily by mail. Meanwhile, about two-thirds of the states allow voters to request an absentee ballot without needing an excuse. Petr Svab and Tom Ozimek contributed to this report. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Ottawa, Canada Fri, April 17, 2020 12:02 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd277c2b 2 World US,Canada,border-areas,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,COVID-19-quarantine,COVID-19-travel-ban Free 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. T en nurses have been suspended in the US after refusing to treat patients without protective face masks, a union has claimed. The staff at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, California are said to have staged a protest after bosses at the hospital told them N95 masks were not necessary. The masks have been recommended by US health agency the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a defence against coronavirus. Mike Gulick, one of the nurses, said he had been showering at a hotel on the way home from work and washing his clothes in disinfectant in a desperate bid to not infect his wife and two-year-old daughter. Nurses on both sides of the Atlantic say they lack adequate protection / Getty Images But he said he was compelled to act after a nurse on his ward tested positive for Covid-19 and doctors questioned why colleagues were not wearing protective equipment. He and nine other nurses then told senior managers they would not enter patient treatment rooms without N95 masks prompting their suspension, according to National Nurses United. Loading.... The trade union said they are still being paid but have been told to stay at home while human resources investigate. Thousands of nurses in the US have raised concern over the lack of protection, as the countrys deaths continue to rise above 33,000 and infections soar beyond 600,000. The country hit a critically low supply of N95 masks in March, prompting the CDC to recommend people use cloths as a temporary measure. Coronavirus infections and deaths have soared across the US / Getty Images In a statement, the hospital said it is providing N95 masks to all nurses charged with caring for Covid-19 patients and has increased its supply. Switzerland based UBS Group on Friday committed over Rs 227 crore for battling COVID-19 globally, of which about Rs 8 crore is earmarked for India. Additionally, the Group's executive board as a whole will donate an equivalent of 50 per cent of their salary of next six months to COVID-19 aid projects, the company said in a statement. The fund will be utilised to support heavily impacted communities around the world, it said. Of the sum allocated for Asia Pacific region's community affairs, the largest donation is being made to India. "UBS Group, along with UBS Optimus Foundation, has earmarked over Rs 8 crore for the Give India Foundation," the Group said. The donation will help provide over 65,000 people, including daily wage earners and waste pickers, with dry rations, and healthcare staff and the sick with personal protective and medical equipment, it said. Optimus Foundation is also partnering with clients in the region to identify causes it can support and help manage their funds, it added. Speaking on the initiative, UBS India Head Harald Egger said, "The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown an unforeseen challenge globally, and we're taking collective action to make a transformative difference. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "In just a few days, we were able to make video conference notarization closings possible for our brokers and buyers using Prosperity Home Mortgage and Fort Dearborn Title, said Joe Stacy, Senior Vice President and General Sales Manager. Chicago residential real estate brokerage, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago is pleased to announce that their buyers can have Zero Touch real estate closings through the firms affiliated title company, Fort Dearborn Title. This new service is available for Prosperity Home Mortgage purchase and refinance clients as well as other participating lenders. Prosperity Home Mortgage is Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices affiliated mortgage company. Mike Montalvo, Vice President of Fort Dearborn Title, said, To now be able to offer Zero Touch closings using video signing is such a benefit for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago agents and their clients. During the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, we have conducted closings with the utmost care, strictly limiting personnel, observing social distancing, cleaning before and after closings, and allowing clients to sign documents from their cars, where possible. Now, with Zero Touch, closings can be done without any physical contact. Illinois Executive Order 2020-14 allows for video notarization of closing documents. The borrower and Fort Dearborn Title closer meet only on a video conference and the notary witnesses the borrower sign the documents. The borrower then sends the signed originals to the title company overnight using an express delivery service and the notary signs them upon receipt. The firms first refinance closing occurred on April 6th. Joe Stacy, Senior Vice President and General Sales Manager of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago, said, Because we work closely with our affiliated lending and title partners, and our information security and business standards are aligned, we are able to quickly work together to respond to new industry rules as they are announced. In just a few days, we were able to make video conference notarization closings possible for our brokers and buyers using Prosperity Home Mortgage and Fort Dearborn Title. For additional information about Zero Touch closings with Fort Dearborn Title, please visit VideoClosings.BHHSChicago.com. ABOUT BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES CHICAGO Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago is a full-service real estate firm with nearly 1,300 real estate professionals and staff in 25 offices serving customers throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, the North Shore, West Suburban communities, Southern Wisconsin, Northwest Indiana and Harbor Country, Michigan. Deep local roots are complemented by the extensive global reach of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, the top real estate brand in the nation. Affiliated and ancillary services in the form of Prosperity Home Mortgage, Fort Dearborn Title, and HomeServices Insurance complete the comprehensive services offered to clients. Visit BHHSChicago.com. The Delhi government has started drafting safety norms for delivery firms and stand-alone restaurants to prevent further spread of coronavirus in the Capital. The move has been necessitated due to a delivery person, working for a restaurant in Malviya Nagar, testing positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), following which at least 72 households have been placed in home-quarantine. The guidelines are expected to be released early next week. Delhi chief secretary, Vijay Dev, on Friday directed the state health department to prepare a mandatory standard operating procedure (SoP), after taking cognisance of a report in HT that highlighted the absence of safety norms for eateries and their delivery persons. The HT news report has been brought to my notice. I am ordering the principal secretary (health) to lay down the rules immediately, Dev said. District magistrates (DMs), who are currently at the helm of all containment activities, had also demanded mandatory thermal screening of delivery persons at all eateries and issuance of fitness certificates by the employers on a weekly basis. The Malviya Nagar incident has become a reference point for the DMs, as the Covid-19 positive delivery person continued to work despite exhibiting flu-like symptoms for almost a month. While the infected man is now being treated at the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality hospital in Tahirpur, at least 16 employees and the owner of Box 8 restaurant have been placed in institutional quarantine at a Chhatarpur facility. Most of the delivery persons are young boys, which means they could be asymptomatic for a long time. Theres also a fear of retrenchment due to which some, despite being ill, like in this particular case, continue to work, said Nidhi Srivastava, DM (Central). The rules must make it mandatory for the employer to grant leaves with job security in case a worker linked with the eatery is showing symptoms of illness, even if it is not Covid related, she said. While larger food delivery chains and essential supplies providers have strict processes to ensure safety standards, smaller firms may go below the radar, senior civic officials said, highlighting the need for standardised norms. To keep a check on compliance by the smaller firms, DM (South), BM Mishra, suggested that ASHA or anganwadi workers, who are part of the 13,742-strong Corona FootWarriors Containment and Surveillance Team across the city, be made nodal officers for health checks of workers in such eateries. These outlets need to declare to us that they are open and mention the number of workers engaged. We can even prepare a format for the fitness certificates. But, all this needs a set of rules, Mishra said. Officials in the health department said all the suggestions given by the DMs will be considered while drafting the rules. If need be, we will also hold a meeting with the DMs to further fine-tune the policy, a senior official, who did not wish to be named, said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Shirley Mae Dorsey, 65, of Mechanicsville, MD departed this life on Sunday, April 12, 2020, at MedStar St. Mary's Hospital, Leonardtown, MD. She was born May 24, 1954 in Mechanicsville, MD. She was the loving daughter of the late William Braxton and Clara (Woodland) Braxton. Shirley married the love her life and best friend, Joseph Raymond Dorsey, Sr. on September 30, 1972. Together they have celebrated over 47 years of marriage and raised three (3) kind, and caring children. A woman of God, Shirley believed in the love and grace of our Lord. A beautiful soul, with a heart of an angel, she cherished her family above all. A devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother she counted her blessings daily. Shirley worked as an Executive Assistant for FINRA until her retirement in 2012. Upon her retirement, she began working as an administrative assistant at Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory before she officially retired from working outside her home in 2019. Never one to completely sit back and enjoy retirement, Shirley still ran her MyEcon.Inc. business from home with her husband. Although she was a busy woman, Shirley always took time to enjoy life. She loved to read and cherished her books. She could be found working on a puzzle, just to unwind. She was also a talented designer for businesses and she used her artistic talents to make crafts. She will leave behind many beautiful works of art for her family and friends. Shirley may be gone, but she will never be forgotten. Her beautiful soul may have left her earthly body, but now she is in the heavenly skies soaring above and smiling down upon her family and friends. Shirley's presence will be felt for years, her memories a lifetime, her impact for eternity. She is survived by her husband, Joseph Raymond Dorsey, Sr.; three (3) loving children, Stephanie Ann Dorsey of Lexington Park, MD, Stacey Rochelle Dorsey of West Roxbury, MA, and Joseph Raymond Dorsey, Jr. of Mechanicsville, MD; three (3) grandchildren, Javone Young, Malcolm Queen, Sr., and Tevin Dorsey; and one (1) great-grandchild, Malcolm Queen Jr. She is also survived her six (6) siblings, Milton Braxton, William Braxton, Francis Braxton, Edith Braxton, Mary Holton and Barbara Holton. She was preceded in death by her parents, and siblings, Bernard Braxton, Faye Braxton and James Braxton. At this time all services will be private. The family will plan a Life Celebration for Shirley later in the year. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the ICU and Emergency Departments at MedStar St. Mary's Hospital, 25500 Point Lookout Road, Leonardtown, Maryland 20650 or a donation directly to the family. Delhi police intercepted a truck carrying 37 migrant labourers to Haryana's Palwal town during lockdown early Friday and sent them to a shelter home, officials said. Around 1.30 am, police stopped a truck bearing a Haryana registration near Okhla T-point and found 37 labourers inside. The contractor told the police he was ferrying the labourers to Palwal Mandi from Okhla Mandi in Delhi for work. The contractor is a resident of Lakhi Sarai district in Bihar and had been staying in Palwal, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) RP Meena. The labourers were staying in Chhatarpur, he added. All of them have been booked under IPC sections 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by a public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and section 3 of the Epidemic Act. Another seven migrant labourers trying to travel to their home district Vaishali in Bihar were intercepted by a police team in South Extension. They had hired an SUV of a Trilokpuri resident for Rs 37,000, said Atul Kumar Thakur, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South). The vehicle was seized and the seven labourers were sent to a shelter home. A case has been registered against the driver and he has been arrested, Thakur said. The advance payment made to the driver has been returned, the DCP said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) KAGERA Regional Commissioner (RC) Brig Gen Marco Gaguti has commended the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCT) in Tanzania for supporting the government in controlling the spread of coronavirus. The RC expressed his gratitude to the ELCT on Wednesday during the funeral of Bishop, Dr Samson Mushemba (85), who was laid to rest at Kengele Tatu Church in Bukoba Municipal Council. "As we mourn the Bishop today the government commends the ELCT for supporting efforts in controlling the spread of coronavirus. The government is also aware of the great contribution made by the ELCT to various sectors of the economy, including education, health and other social services," he said. He described Dr Mushemba as a person who dedicated most of his life to serve people and the nation. The RC also appealed to people to take precautionary measures against coronavirus, including washing their hands with soap and avoiding unnecessary gatherings. Dr Frederick Shoo who took over the leadership of the ELCT from Dr Mushemba in 2007 described Dr Mushemba as a humble leader with many talents. The ELCT is mourning the passing of a talented leader. We will greatly miss him. May his soul rest in peace," he said. Dr Desiderius Rwoma of the Bukoba Catholic Diocese said Bishop Mushemba worked tirelessly to unite Christians and other denominations. Dr Mushemba was born on June 6, 1935 at Kamachumu Village in Muleba District. He was the third bishop of the North Western Diocese (NWD) between 1984 and 2000. He took over the reins from Bishop Dr Josiah Kibira (1963-1984). Bishop Mushemba was the third bishop of the ELCT between 1992 and 2007. He took over from Bishop Dr Sebastian Kolowa (1976-1992). Bishop Mushemba died last Thursday at 85 while admitted to Ndolage Hospital in Muleba District. He is survived by a widow and seven children and 22 grandchildren. Coco Ma knows its risky to leave her house amid the coronavirus pandemic, as the number of Houston area confirmed cases increases and the peak is yet to come. The Rice University MBA student, however, doesnt even do the occasional run to the supermarket because, for her, the risk comes not only with battling against the virus but also against the vitriol aimed at Asian Americans like her, stereotyped as culprits of the pandemic. I have that fearI ask my husband, who is white, to pick up the food we order. Im afraid to go inside myself, said Ma, aware of the scapegoating impacting Chinese Americans and Asians in general who are mistaken as people from China, where the COVID-19 pandemic was first detected. Almost 1,500 hate incidents against Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. have been reported to the STOP AAPI HATE initiative since it began tracking incidents March 19. We know that (that) number is only a drop in the bucket. We know that this is really ubiquitous now, said lawyer Manjusha Kulkarni, executive director of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council and founder of the tracking hate initiative, headquartered in California. Although the tracking isnt well known around the country, it has already received reports of incidents in 46 states, including Texas, said Kulkarni. The majority of the attacks are verbal, but some are also physical. To report incidents Hate and racist incidents against Asian Americans related to the COVID-19 pandemic can be reported to: Hate is Contagious: racismiscontagious.com Stop AAPI Hate: asianpacificpolicyandplanningcouncil.org/stop-aapi-hate HPD Crime Hotline: (713) 308-8737. See More Collapse In West Texas, a man stabbed and cut members of a family from Burma, at a supermarket in Midland on March 14. The father and one of his two small children were severely wounded before a store employee subdued the attacker. The man allegedly said he did it because he thought the family was from China and infecting people with the virus. Local media outlets reported that the FBI is investigating the case as a hate crime. In Houston, a city known for its diversity and tolerance, a woman verbally attacked the owner of the Vietnamese restaurant Vietopia earlier this month in a parking lot in front of the business, screaming expletives and, You, get out of our country. I felt unwanted here. We were very offended, said Sammi Tran, co-owner and wife of the victim, who videotaped the incident. My husband was born here in America. We dont harm anybody, but this is happening now. Ive never felt like this before. We go to the supermarket and they look at us as if we were ugly people, Tran said. Racism Is Contagious At over half a million people, Asians make up 8 percent of the population in the Houston metro area. Residents with Chinese heritage represent the third largest subgroup after Indian and Vietnamese. Roughly 70 percent of Asians in the city are U.S. born or naturalized citizens, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Statewide, about 1.5 million residents identify as Asians, or 5.2 percent of the population. In Houstons Chinatown, the novel coronavirus hit businesses hard in January, well before residents were ordered to stay at home. Rumors spread on social media falsely claiming that an Asian supermarket in the area was shut down by the government due to coronavirus infections. Although there wasnt a single COVID-19 case in the state at the time, the rumors quickly propelled a fear of contagion and customers avoided the area, driving losses that reached 70 percent overnight for many Asian American businesses. Not long afterward, President Donald Trump called the agent of the pandemic the Chinese virus, stirring outrage and concern among Asian Americans. The community feels under siege. There is a genuine, palpable sense of fear in the Asian American community, they feel that theyre being targeted, said Texas Representative Gene Wu, a Democrat from Houston. And this is not a Democratic or Republican issue. Ive heard this from Democratic and Republican Asians. Trump recently said he was not going to use Chinese virus anymore, but some of his supporters do. China poisoned our people. President Trump has the courage to call it as it is: The Chinese Virus, the narrators voice says over a sinister music clip in a campaign ad currently running on local television stations for Kathaleen Wall, who is in the GOP runoff for the 22nd District of Texas, representing the Sugar Land area. Asked if she didnt consider that her ad could negatively impact Asian Americans, she answered in an email: Leave it to Texas Democrats like Sri Preston Kulkarni to defend the Chinese Communist Party while ten thousand Americans have died because of the Coronavirus. Kulkarni is the Democratic candidate running in the November general election for District 22. Wea H. Lee, chairman of the Asian Southern News Group and the business organization International Trade Center in Houston, said attempts to diminish Asian people and their cultures overlook their success and integration in the country, such as having higher levels of income and education than the U.S. population overall. These politicians, the people making this kind of statement, its so stupid, they are so naive that they dont see really what our community looks like, said Lee. The Anti Defamation League warns that online forums and posts, some from white supremacist groups, are ridiculing Chinese people in relation to COVID-19 and portraying them as a dirty culture. A national campaign called Racism Is Contagious is using data to raise awareness about the issue and collect reports of abuses. It shows photos of Asians wearing a mask with the message I am not a Virus, which has become a viral hashtag. Invisible stories For many Chinese Americans, the real story buried under the vitriolic noise is that their network of connections with China, Asian doctors and business people is precisely what has helped them help others during the coronavirus crisis. The North Houston Chinese American community, for example, acquired part of its donation of masks and medical supplies to local healthcare providers via their connections in China, said Yanbo Wang, one of the organizers. They raised over $14,000 in donations from 98 families and have helped seven nonprofit health providers and organizations. We paid for shipments to bring masks that people in China donated to us, said Wang. The shipment arrived right when those supplies were difficult to find. Similarly, The Pearland Chinese Association collected and donated masks and other products from many Asian Americans who bought them earlier in the year. Hearing from their families in China about the epidemic gave them an edge to prepare and acquire products before the pandemic was well known in America. Jie Wu, a board member of the association, said many Asian Americans who work in the Texas Medical Center also let them know early about concerns with medical supplies. She said they mobilized and raised thousands of dollars plus masks, gloves and protective gowns, in what the organization calls The Love for the Community Initiative. Masks were collected among school parents, many of whom worry that the stigma can hurt Asian American children born in the U.S. Some reports nationwide have already pointed to hateful incidents against minors. Coco Ma, the co-founder of #SnacksForMedStaff initiative, is also concerned about the stereotyping. But I also want people to understand that I wanted to start the campaign not to prove who I am (and that) people should not get mad at me as an Asian person, said Ma. We Asians are doing this because we care. The idea of sending food to medical teams working in hospitals with COVID-19 cases came to Ma while talking on the phone with her mother, who is an administrator at a hospital in China dealing with the pandemic. Initially, she sent snacks to a few healthcare providers, but the initiative grew with people sending her money for a GoFundMe campaign. Now Playing: 'COVID-19 in 60': Houston coronavirus news in a minute Video: Houston Chronicle Ma, a Houston resident, and her classmate and program partner Kathleen Harcourt, who is Asian American, have now created a website to make all the #SnacksForMedStaff activities transparent to donors. They have raised around $12,000 of a $20,000 goal and have sent food packages to hospital teams in Texas and other four states among the hardest hit by the pandemic. We are getting very good feedback from doctors, Ma said. They feel appreciated. As the coronavirus is soon expected to peak locally, adding pressure to medical teams, Ma said her initiative will raise the funding goal and provide more packages. People are so polarized, said Ma. Forget about politics, especially during this pandemic. Forget about race. Focus on what is the problem and coming up with a solution. This is about humanity first. olivia.tallet@chron.com Twitter.com/oliviaptallet Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 23:13:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on April 15, 2020 shows medical supplies donated by China arrive at an airport in Vienna, Austria. China donated medical supplies to Austria to help contain the novel coronavirus. The handover ceremony of the medical supplies was held in Vienna on Thursday. (The Chinese Embassy in Austria/Handout via Xinhua) VIENNA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese ambassador to Austria handed over a batch of medical supplies donated by the Chinese government to the Austrian government on Thursday. The supplies included masks, goggles, protective clothing, surgical gloves and other urgently needed medical materials. "Only together we can overcome this crisis," said Ambassador Li Xiaosi on twitter Thursday. "Tested by #COVID19, the friendship between Chinese & Austrian people will surely grow deeper!" "Thank you very much!" Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said when retweeting Li's message. Alexis von Hoensbroech, CEO of Austrian Airlines, in a tweet, also thanked China and the Chinese community in Austria for this "great gesture." Austrian Airlines has launched daily flights between Austria and China to ship medical protective clothing. Enditem Dad started at KPMG at age 15 and worked his way up. He audited some big clients: the World Bank and the Australian stock exchange. When we were young he wasnt allowed to talk about that at home. He just zipped up. So on the trip we talked a lot about his career, and I got to fill in the little pieces of the puzzle about his life that I never knew. He also loves a debate and hes very contrary. Whatever position you have hell take the opposite one, and he doesnt understand why people dont agree with him. But on the trip we spent three weeks together, and we shared a cabin. Ive never spent that much time with him one-on-one. SARAH: Id never thought of going to Antarctica, but Dad invited me in place of Mum, who went downhill with dementia after he booked the trip three years ago. My father wouldnt be the first person Id go travelling with! Our belief systems are completely different, on politics and religion, all that. Hes always been a planner, and he likes to be in control. When he retired, the first thing he did was hire an actuary to find out when he would die. Apparently its 86. So on the trip it was good to see him doing things that were more risky. We went down in the Scenic Neptune submarine basically a glass bubble you cant stand up in and took helicopter flights over the glaciers. But it was the simple things, too. I got him to eat sushi and drink espresso martinis outrageous for him to deviate from his G & Ts. Hes always had terrible teeth, and when we were young he never really smiled, because he didnt want to show them. When he was 80 he got dentures, and on this trip he took his first selfie, putting on a funny face and this huge smile. Id never seen that before. Loading My mum [Alison] is 79. Shes always the first priority in his life. They would go on an extravagant trip every two years. And then Mum got dementia and that thwarted everything. His attitude was: why cant we fix this? He was determined to look after her until the end, but then a year ago she had to be put in aged care. I think hes ashamed about that and has never really recovered. On the boat, he called me Alison all the time, and introduced me as his wife, and then would smack his head and go, No, I mean my daughter! He might think hes reserved but actually hes very confident and he loves to put himself out there. He brought his own name tag from home and wore it for the first three days on the boat. People thought he was a VIP or something. Assuming the actuarys prediction is right, this trip really was the trip of a lifetime. I feel lucky to have lived those heights with him. Then again, with his current good health, hell probably be around for another decade. Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - The Senegalese minister of health and social action, Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, Friday called for more vigilance from the people by taking individual and collective measures to halt the community transmission of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic Only essential workers are allowed to travel, while everyone else is asked to comply with a 2km travel zone around their homes. Credit: Collins A man has been handed a four-week prison sentence after breaching Covid-19 travel restrictions by driving more than 450km (280 miles) from Londonderry to Co Kerry just to buy two puppies. The 36-year-old is now appealing the prison sentence imposed by Judge David Waters at Tralee District Court. The Derry resident had pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health Act 1947 - Covid-19 Emergency Measures Section 10, 2020. The charge followed an incident in which gardai on a routine Operation Fanacht checkpoint stopped a vehicle at Dooneen outside Castleisland on Thursday. Only essential workers are allowed to travel, while everyone else is asked to comply with a 2km (1.2 miles) travel zone around their homes. The only trips permitted outside the 2km limit are for medical reasons, food shopping or essential care for a vulnerable or elderly person. The defendant said he was in Co Kerry on work for a security firm but was unable to produce photographic identification. His visit was not deemed an essential journey and he was instructed by officers to immediately return to Derry. However, he was then stopped for a second time outside Killarney and now informed officers he was in Co Kerry to purchase two puppies. The defendant pleaded guilty and the judge imposed a four-week prison sentence. However, an appeal was immediately lodged via a recognisance of 900. The defendant was released pending the hearing of his appeal before Kerry Circuit Appeals Court. Like other poultry farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Gurmeet Singh is grappling with the losses and disruption of business caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. But all he can think about is the pain of losing thousands of chickens he had reared. Singh, whose farm has a capacity of 4,000 broiler chickens, had never imagined his entire flock, which he bought for 100,000 ( 25 a chick) would end up in a pit. I had to bury them all as a majority of them died of hunger, since I had no money to feed them anymore. The things I suffered, as a poultry farmer, cant be expressed in words, said Singh, the lone earning member in a family of five. BANKRUPTCY, A SMALL WORD In January, Singh decided to try his hand at poultry farming. The poultry business was at its peak. I used my fathers and my own savings to invest in poultry farming, for which the Uttar Pradesh government offered many subsidies and other lucrative terms. With my parents consent, I opened a farm at Samda village near Amausi railway station. I thought the income would help me give my family a good life and a good education to my daughter, he said. Singhs friends, who were already into poultry farming, played a key role in encouraging and advising him in setting up his farm. He invested 100,000 and bought the initial stock of 4,000 birds. Once the stock reached my farm, I arranged the feed. Its a special feed that costs 35 a kg. I arranged for medicines and vaccines and it was all going as per the plan, he said. And then the Covid-19 crisis struck India, upending Singhs life. I still remember, it was the last week of January when I saw a flash on a news channel stating Chicken ya anda khaane se bhi ho sakta hai Covid-19 (eating chicken or eggs can give you Covid-19). I rushed to the farm and contacted a few retailers to take stock of the situation, he said. But I was assured that everything was normal. Generally, it takes around 40 days for the birds to mature to be sold to retailers. I was advised to wait eight more days and then sell the stock of 4,000 birds, he added. In the initial days of the crisis, there were several reports of an unproven link between Covid-19 and eating chicken. These reports were dismissed by experts. Singhs father Sardar Surinder Singh, who retired from the Railway Protection Force (RPF), said: I wish he had sold his stock in January end itself. One bird costs 25 and matures in 40 days. The total investment on each bird, weighing 2 kg, is around 165. Hence, the cost of our stock of 4,000 birds was 660,000. But after the crisis, retail chicken prices crashed to 25 to 30 a bird, following which we suffered a capital loss of 130 a bird in just 40 days. We could hardly sell some birds for 1 lakh and rest of the stock died of hunger. THE LAST NAIL IN THE COFFIN Singh is not the only one who suffered massive losses during the crisis. Its the same story with many poultry farmers in the state. According to the Poultry Farmers Broilers Welfare Federation, a national group for poultry farmers, there are more than 12 lakh families engaged in poultry farming in Uttar Pradesh and their annual turnover is 250,000 million. Our industry is perhaps the most affected industry during the Covid-19 outbreak. In February, there was a rumour that consumption of chicken or eggs may cause Coronavirus infections and the industry witnessed a 70% dip in consumption of chicken, said the federations convener, Arun Gulati alias Annu, who owns a breeding farm in Banthra area of Lucknow. Gulati said the situation worsened after infections were recorded in India, and consumption of chicken fell by 80% and the price was reduced to 20 per kilogram. The lockdown proved to be the last nail in the coffin as all the birds were blocked on farms. Since farmers didnt have much to feed the birds and they began dying of starvation. Farmers didnt have any option but to bury the hungry birds alive, said Gulati. GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION NEEDED Gulati said the federation approached the chief minister to draw his attention to the grim prospects of poultry farmers. The government allowed grocery, fruit and vegetable shops to operate but no one gave a thought to the meat trade, which remained closed. Meat trade is not in the Uttar Pradesh governments priority list. Other states are selling meat during the lockdown. Here in Uttar Pradesh, those who try to open shops have to face the police baton or harassment. We have written to the chief minister to let meat shops open in order to bring the poultry industry on track, he said. In early March, the Central government issued a statement debunking the rumours that created a scare. On March 5, a communique from the ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairys joint secretary OP Chaudhary stated, The consumption of Indian poultry and poultry products, including eggs, is safe. General hygiene, however, should be followed. SO WHY IS CHICKEN, MEAT, FISH BEING SOLD? In early March, the district administration issued an advisory barring the sale of meat and fish at illegal shops that sell meat in the open. In addition, the administration ordered the fogging of cowsheds. Later, district magistrate Abhishek Prakash clarified it was a general order and the administration had not banned the sale of meat. But he maintained that sales at unlicensed shops and in the open were restricted. On Thursday, divisional commissioner Mukesh Meshram said meat shops were closed as none of them had a licence from the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON On a small triangular plot of land, in a suburb just south of downtown Los Angeles, stands one of the greatest pieces of outsider arta set of tall towers made of steel, wire mesh and concrete, inlaid with broken pieces of tiles, glass, and pottery, and other found items. Its creator was a semi-literate Italian immigrant named Simon Rodia, who spent 33 years from 1921 to 1954 building this architectural marvel known as the Watts Towers. Not much is known about Rodias early life except that he was born Sabato Rodia in 1879 in Ribottoli, Italy. He immigrated to the United States as a teenager and began working as a construction worker. Throughout his life, Rodia worked in rock quarries, logging and railroad camps, which allowed him to gain the necessary skills, as well as material, required to build Watts Towers. Photo: Yevgenia Watts/Flickr Rodia started building Watts Towers, or Nuestro Pueblo (Our Town), as he called it, in 1921. He began by digging a foundation, then made the rest up as he went along. He used steel rebars, wire meshes, and concrete as the main support. He decorated the towers with pieces of porcelain, ceramic tiles, broken bottles, seashells, mirrors, and much more. Sometimes the neighborhood children brought him junk. Other times, Rodia walked as far as 20 miles searching for material. When asked about Nuestro Pueblo, Rodia once said, I had it in mind to do something big and I did it. Indeed, the tallest of his towers stands just a few inches shy of one hundred feet and contains the longest slender reinforced concrete column in the world. The monument also features a gazebo with a circular bench, three bird baths, a center column and a spire reaching a height of 38 feet. Rodia's ship of Marco Polo has a spire of 28 feet, and the 140-foot long south wall is decorated extensively with tiles, sea shells, pottery, glass and hand-drawn designs. Photo: Scott Hess/Flickr In the summer of 1954, Rodia suffered a mild stroke. Shortly after the stroke, he fell off a tower while working. Although the fall was short, Rodia sensed the end. He was at that time 75. Rodia deeded the property to his neighbor and left to live the last ten years of his life with his sister in northern California. When the towers came to the notice of the City of Los Angeles, the authorities promptly ordered their demolition on safety grounds. A group of concerned citizens, intent on saving the towers, organized a strength test. The Watts Tower passed the test and the city agreed not to demolish it. So far the towers had withstood earthquakes and inclement weather with only minor damages. Today, the Watts Towers is a National Historic Landmark, that is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, California State Historic Monument, California State Historic Park, and a Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Monument. Related: The Rock Garden of Chandigarh Simon Rodia on a tower. Photo: Kent MacElwee/Flickr Photo: TravelingMan/Flickr Photo: hollywoodsmile310/Flickr Photo: Steve Silverman/Flickr Photo: Steve Silverman/Flickr Photo: Steve Silverman/Flickr Photo: eatswords/Flickr Leonard Brown was among the few people wandering around Powell Street BART Station on Wednesday morning with no protective garments. While others wore masks, gripped grocery bags with surgical gloves or carried large bottles of Purell in their pockets, Brown stood out in his white T-shirt and jeans. His car had broken down, and he needed to take BART to run errands in downtown San Francisco. The coronavirus pandemic couldnt stop him. Im not about to sit at home and go crazy, Brown said, shrugging as he sauntered over to the Richmond-bound platform. Hes among the approximately 30,000 people who still take the rail system on weekdays a drop of more than 90% from BARTs daily haul of 400,000 riders in February. Many of the passengers who remain are frontline workers who wear delivery uniforms or scrubs. Some rely on transit to go shopping or get to doctor appointments. A few who boarded trains and buses on Wednesday said they felt uneasy jostling among strangers, though others, like Brown, seemed resigned. I was really trying to avoid BART until after the pandemic, said Felipe Lopez, who was dabbing on hand sanitizer as he waited for an East Bay-bound train from Powell. Lopez is unemployed and mostly stays home in Oakland, but he had to catch BART on Wednesday to pick up a package in San Francisco. Although the Bay Area has shut down, some of its transit keeps running. Agencies have scrambled to redesign their systems on a dime, grappling with losses climbing into the hundreds of millions of dollars, but striving to serve passengers who have to get to work. Day-to-day problems with grime, transients and equipment have become magnified as transit takes on a more critical role for a small population. And then there are the crowds. Oh yes, we have seen crowds oh my goodness, San Francisco transportation chief Jeffrey Tumlin said in an interview Wednesday. He noted that most surges occur when a bunch of shift workers leave a hospital at the same time and pile onto the same bus. Tumlins staff monitors these swells from a command center on Market Street, where they constantly retool the system to keep riders 6 feet apart, while delivering reliable service. Its a painstaking calculus, made more difficult by train operators calling in sick. Nick Otto / Special to The Chronicle All of these complications came to a head two weeks ago. Working from home late on a Friday evening, Tumlin got a call from transit Director Julie Kirschbaum. Muni didnt have enough operators to drive all the buses, she said. The number of riders had tanked overall, but a few essential workers still depended on public transit. So in one weekend, Tumlins staff cut service down to 17 lines and effectively rebuilt a century-old transit system from scratch. They now keep track of how many people board each bus, using door sensors and assigning teams of fare inspectors to count passengers by hand. As the buses fill, drivers stop picking up riders. Muni has also shifted to headways instead of schedules, meaning drivers try to space the buses evenly apart, rather than arriving at each stop at a certain time. Tumlin is testing another solution: sending yellow-vested ambassadors to bus stops to dissuade people from taking frivolous trips. Crowds appear to be less of an issue for BART, owing to its sprawling size and the steep drop in riders. Facing losses of $37 million a month in fares and parking revenue, General Manager Bob Powers slashed service to two trains an hour this month. The move coincided with a shift in rush hour, which now lasts from 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m., he said, instead of the normal 6:30 a.m.-to-9:30 a.m. peak. Thats the result of who takes BART during shelter in place, Powers said: grocery store clerks, hospital employees, people who work in medical clinics. Even during the morning peak, passengers have enough space to spread out, 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. I have a team meeting every morning with my operations staff, and we look at heat maps to show where people are boarding, Powers said. Were keeping an eye on social distancing. Most BART cars are eerily sparse. Some have enough passengers to cause discomfort. A train leaving MacArthur Station at 9:25 a.m. Wednesday morning had 19 passengers in one of its center cars, filling a seat in each row. A man boarded the train car at Montgomery Station and paced the aisle, approaching individual riders and asking for change. Chase Bronson, a fire systems inspector who rides BART daily, is fed up. Sitting on a Richmond-bound train Thursday morning, he wore an N95 mask, blue surgical gloves and a gray uniform. Bronson lives in the Fillmore neighborhood and normally catches an early train at about 5:30 a.m. to start his 13-hour work day. Like many riders, he constantly worries about the coronavirus. I feel like there are a lot of germs on BART, period, Bronson said. And now its filthy, he added, gesturing to a black smear on the train wall. Powers is optimistic that hell eventually restore BART to full service. Tumlin has a more sober view. The San Francisco transportation czar predicts that Muni may emerge from this pandemic a completely different system. Like many government leaders, he sees the future through the prism of a global pandemic and subsequent economic collapse. We will likely lose $200 million this quarter, Tumlin said. The (federal) stimulus will cover some of that, but its anyones guess how long it takes the economy to recover. He added: I dont know that we will ever bring service back to the way it was six months ago a now-distant era when 720,000 people jammed cheek-by-shoulder into Munis subway and buses each weekday. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan The industry and businesses in Chandigarh have started resorting to sharp salary cuts amid government instructions not to fire employees. Salary cuts by at least 30% to 50% will be enforced by the industry as it looks to reduce its expenditures to sustain during the nationwide lockdown. There are around 3,000 medium and small scale manufacturing and service sector units in the citys twin industrial areas employing around 30,000 workers. More than 90% industrial units have paid salary for the month of March to their workers as was directed by the advisory of the central government. But from April, most the factory owners are not in a position to pay more than 50% of the salaries to all levels of workers, said Naveen Manglani, president, Chamber of Chandigarh Industries. Industrialists say while factories were operating till March 22, in April, these will remain closed for the entire month. With Chandigarh identified as a hotspot and categorised in red zones, it is unlikely that factories will start working even in May. This is an unsustainable situation for the industry where no income is being generated for such long period. Unless the government intervenes, most of the factory owners will not be able to pay its workers, said Pankaj Khanna, president, Chandigarh Industries Association. At least 50% of wage cut, say industrialists, is allowed in case of layoffs. Labour laws allow the industry to pay 50% in case of layoffs for 90 days, when the factory is closed for at least 15 days. So, at least this much salary cuts will be banked upon by the industry. The 50% that we can pay should be allowed to be compensated in the form of working overtime on Sunday and holidays in the coming year, said Manglani. Industry insiders say April is very crucial for the industrys sustainability. These are tough times for all sectors including IT. If there is no financial package from the government, then major layoffs and pay cuts will be a natural option for the industry, said, Sarvjeet Singh Virk, managing director, Finvasia. GOVT INTERVENTIONS ON INDUSTRY WISHLIST In a letter to the director industries, Chandigarh, the industry bodies have demanded, The principle of compensatory off should be applied to all the employees across the board for all the non-working days due to Covid-19 in the financial year 2020-21. Alternatively, lay-offs as provisioned in existing labour laws should be allowed. Also, industry representatives have requested employers contribution for EPF and ESI during 2020-21 should be compensated by the government. MSMEs should be appropriately incentivised for paying wages without work during the lockdown period. These concessions have to be made for the industry so as to not only sustain it but also its workforce, said Khanna. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Five people gathered Thursday outside the Capitol in Springfield to demand the governor and other officials reopen the state and get people back to work. Gov. J.B. Pritzker implemented an emergency stay-at-home order March 21. The order forced all nonessential businesses to close and requires people to stay at home unless going out for essential supplies or going outside for exercise while maintaining distance. The order was put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that emerged from China in late 2019. Kenneth Arnold, 28, of Springfield spent about 1 hours Thursday protesting outside near the Capitol with four other people. He said his frustration with the states stay-at-home order had been growing for weeks. He said local rules implemented by Springfields mayor prompted him to take action. Arnold, who lives with his wife and two children, said he was tired of being cooped up. I think our government is pushing too far, he said. Arnold said he expected more people would join protests in the future if the governors stay-at-home order is extended past April 30. Its not just about peoples jobs, it is children being banned from parks and playgrounds, he said. People not being able to go to parks and recreational facilities. Being told what is and isnt essential for purchase at stores. Its about Pritzker and other governors overreacting. The Constitution being wadded up and tossed out. Going back to work for people is only half of the battle. Arnold said he left a job shortly before the pandemic and that his family was relying on savings and income from his wifes job to get by. Many other families dont have savings or income, he said. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday extended that states Safer at Home order to keep people at home and keep nonessential businesses closed until May 26. Earlier on Thursday, Pritzker and Evers had said they planned to work with a group of five other Midwest governors to evaluate how and when to reopen the regional economy. The Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) has welcomed confirmation from government that commercial rates will be suspended while pubs are closed during the Covid-19 crisis. VFI Chief Executive Padraig Cribben states: This commitment from government to suspend commercial rates for pubs for the duration of the crisis is welcome news for our sector, which has already been closed for almost five weeks. Commercial rates are a significant annual expense so this decision will help ease the pressure on publicans. This is a good start but publicans will need government to introduce a suite of business supports if the sector is to remain viable. Our members understand that public health is the number one priority but charting a path out of the crisis is now required. Serious consideration will have to be given to outstanding VAT and PRSI commitments as there will need to be a level of debt forgiveness if we are to have any hope of rebooting the hospitality sector. A grant system for small businesses to aid liquidity is also essential. Once pubs reopen our members will need working capital, which traditionally they might have borrowed from banks at a commercial rate. In the new normal were calling on government to establish a mechanism to allow ECB funds, which are borrowed at zero percent interest, be passed on to SME customers at the same low rate. We will continue talking with government over the coming weeks, but at this stage its clear that new thinking will be required if the hospitality sector is to survive a prolonged shutdown. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 16:09:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The lander and rover of the Chang'e-4 probe have resumed work for the 17th lunar day on the far side of the moon after "sleeping" during the extremely cold night. The lander woke up at 1:24 p.m. Friday (Beijing time), and the rover awoke at 8:57 p.m. Thursday. Both are in normal working order, according to the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration. The Chang'e-4 probe, launched on Dec. 8, 2018, made the first-ever soft landing on the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon on Jan. 3, 2019. A lunar day equals 14 days on Earth, and a lunar night is the same length. The Chang'e-4 probe, switching to dormant mode during the lunar night due to the lack of solar power, has survived about 470 Earth days on the moon. The rover Yutu-2, or Jade Rabbit-2, has worked much longer than its three-month design life, becoming the longest-working lunar rover on the moon. Carrying scientific instruments such as panoramic camera, lunar penetrating radar, infrared imaging spectrometer and neutral atom detector, the rover will continue to move northwest to conduct scientific detection. The scientific tasks of the Chang'e-4 mission include conducting low-frequency radio astronomical observation, surveying the terrain and landforms, detecting the mineral composition and shallow lunar surface structure and measuring neutron radiation and neutral atoms. The Chang'e-4 mission embodies China's hope to combine wisdom in space exploration with four payloads developed by the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Saudi Arabia. India Post has changed its priorities in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Boasting the largest postal network in the world with more than 1.56 lakh post offices, of which 1.41 lakh are in rural areas, the robust India Post has become a lifesaver, working round the clock, delivering COVID-19 testing kits, ventilators, masks and medicines to far-flung places. The red mail vans, which are used for delivering parcels within the city limits, have now become the mode of transport to faraway locations during the nationwide lockdown, with no trains and flights in operation. Last weekend, a COVID-19 kit consignment packed in dry ice arrived from Delhi for delivery to hospitals in Ranchi. "The next day was Sunday and we could not afford to have waited till Monday. Our challenge was to rush, so we made arrangements with postal circle of Jharkhand and it was delivered to the hospitals by midnight," Chief Post Master General of West Bengal Circle, Gautam Bhattacharya, told PTI. "The other day, 650 kg of medicines and PPEs came from the national capital to the Kolkata sorting hub by a cargo flight. There were 25 cartons and we ensured delivery by midnight," he said. There are more than 50 red mail vans in operation from the Kolkata hub that transports PPEs to districts and other areas of the West Bengal circle. Mobilising the staff, who mostly come from suburbs and subsequent coordination, means that Bhattacharya, whose circle also includes Sikkim and Andaman & Nicobar islands, is having sleepless nights. "This is an all new challenge for us. A lot of movements are taking place of COVID-19 related items. The big challenge is about making the logistic arrangements." It also means extra responsibility for those engaged in the delivery process, such as the drivers, who venture out to faraway places, and that too, at odd hours. "We are operating with reduced staff of about 60 per cent as the small post offices are closed. We bring the parcels to head post offices... We have now become a transport system with no railway and airway service. This is an emergency situation and we are up for it," Bhattacharya added. He cited the example of a post master from Debagram sub-post office in Nadia district, Sanjit Halder, who cycled more than 150 km, all the way from Garia here, to reach his work place. It was any other weekend and Halder had retruned to his home in Garia, knowing little about the imminent Janata Curfew and the nationwide lockdown that followed in the subsequent weeks. He kept his work commitment and took his daughter's 'Kanya Shree' (state government-gifted) bicycle and started off at the break of dawn. Halder was in office by 9 pm, ready to serve more than 300 pensioners and monthly-income-scheme holders. "Most of our clients are illiterate and poor, and we work like a close-knit family. I cannot afford to sit at home. I had contacted a taxi, but the driver demanded a hefty Rs 6,000. So, I decided to take my daughter's bicycle," Halder said in an interaction with PTI. The 48-year-old took small breaks thrice on the way to keep himself hydrated amid scorching heat. "First, I had some biscuits, then I stopped for sugarcane juice and finally at a sweet stall, I had curd." By the time he reached Krishnanagar, it was pitch-dark and there was a jungle ahead. Luckily, the local police came to his rescue and took him in their van. "For me, it was like a small service to Mother India," said Halder, who has been at the Debagram sub-post office ever since the lockdown came into force. The Kolkata circle of India Post has also made door- to-door distribution of pensions to the super senior citizens during the ongoing lockdown. There are about 60,000 pensioners in the circle of which nearly 30 per cent are in their 80s. "We prepared a list and the respective branch post offices contacted them to facilitate the pensions," Bhattacharya said. India Post is also open to regular mail service, although the priority now has changed, he said. "We were never closed and most of the post offices are open. One can come and book general items. But, we receive them with a disclaimer -- 'the service could be delayed', as we are dependent on cargo flights now. The traffic is less for mail and e-commerce articles, and people are not turning up in large numbers," Bhattacharya said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cenpower Generation Company Limited, an Independent Power Producer, today donated an amount of GHS200,000.00 to the National COVID-19 Trust Fund established by the President of Ghana as part of efforts to raise resources for combating the effects of the virus in the country. A Director of Cenpower, Dr Jimmy Heymann, on behalf of the Cenpower Board of Directors, Management and Staff, presented the cheque at the Jubilee House to the National COVID-19 Trust Fund Board of Trustees. He said Cenpower remains committed to contributing to the development of Ghana and stands firmly with the government and the people of Ghana at this difficult time in the efforts to address the effects of COVID-19 on the country. He added that through this contribution, we hope to touch as many lives as possible just as the electricity we produce reaches different homes in Ghana. He further encouraged that there are brighter days ahead for us all. Through standing together, Ghana is sure to overcome the problems arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important though to observe all recommendations on social distancing, regular use of sanitizers and handwashing. The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees for the National COVID-19 Trust Fund, Madam Sophia Akuffo, received the cheque on behalf of the Board. The Chief Executive Officer of Cenpower, Mr. Theophilus Sackey, reiterated Cenpowers commitment to continue generating electricity in a least-cost, reliable and environmentally sustainable manner to meet national requirements. We recognize that availability of power is critical, especially for the economy and the health sector at this time and we will continue to deliver on this mandate, Mr. Sackey assured. 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 KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 (REUTERS) - Malaysian palm oil futures edged up on Friday, but they are on track for a 5% weekly fall on persisting worries about rising stockpiles and lower exports due to coronavirus-led lockdowns. The benchmark palm oil contract for July delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange gained 6 ringgit, or 0.27%, to 2,210 ringgit ($508.05) per tonne by 0250 GMT. Palm fell 1.6% in the previous session to close at a more than six-month low after Malaysia delayed its nationwide adoption of the B20 biodiesel mandate. FUNDAMENTALS * Oil prices rose, with Brent gaining nearly 3%, after U.S. President Donald Trump laid out guidelines on reviving a U.S. economy ravaged by the pandemic. A stronger crude make palm a more attractive option for biodiesel feedstock. * China's economy shrank for the first time since at least 1992 in the first quarter, as the pandemic paralysed production and spending in the world's second-largest palm buyer. * Dalian's most-active soyoil contract fell 1.8%, while its palm oil contract tumbled 2.2%. Soyoil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade were up 0.07%. * Palm oil is affected by price movements in related oils as they compete for a share in the global vegetable oils market. * Palm oil may break a support at 2,198 ringgit per tonne, and fall to 2,165 ringgit, as suggested by a projection analysis, Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao said. MARKET NEWS * Asian stocks look set to bounce towards a one-month high as investors, following Wall Street's lead overnight, sought silver linings in a run of data that showed the world is in its worst recession in decades. DATA/EVENTS 0200 China Urban Investment (YTD) YY March 0200 China Industrial Output YY March 0200 China Retail Sales YY March 0200 China GDP YY Q1 0900 EU HICP Final MM, YY March The International Monetary Fund hosts its annual spring meeting with the World Bank virtually ($1 = 4.3500 ringgit) (Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; editing by Uttaresh.V) As part of the epidemic prevention and control, imported pneumonia patients in Beijing have been admitted to the Xiaotangshan Hospital in the city, where they will be treated with both traditional Chinese and Western medicine. For Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it is important to tailor prescriptions for the patients based on their conditions, the place and time, said Yuan Qing, chief physician of the respiratory department at the Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Yuan has led a team to provide assistance at the Xiaotangshan Hospital, with the priority to see how the patients feel about receiving TCM treatment. Over half of the patients had no idea of traditional Chinese medicine before they were treated, according to Yuan. After they learned about Traditional Chinese Medicine, they became more than willing to receive TCM treatment, said Yuan, adding that many patients were amazed at the effect of the traditional medicine. Yuan would examine the patients first, recommend them to look up TCM and the novel coronavirus on the Internet, and then give prescriptions. Yuan and other team members also explain to the patients how TCM works with data, which suits westerners way of thinking. In the future, Yuans team will mainly stick with traditional medicine, supplemented with other TCM recovering methods, such as cupping therapy and Baduanjin, a form of medical qigong meant to improve health. Meanwhile, the team members will also conduct psychological intervention to infuse more confidence into the patients in combating the epidemic. (Natural News) Efforts are underway to make Sweden, the last remaining holdout in the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown spree, agree to shut down its economy like every other country in the world and force people to stay at home for the foreseeable future. A new report put out by Bjorn Olsen, a professor of infectious medicine at the University of Uppsala, suggests that if lockdowns arent instituted soon, then tragedy is coming to Sweden. While Sweden has actually fared quite well throughout this crisis, despite leaving open bars, restaurants and other activities, Olsen is convinced that the number of new cases and deaths is likely to jump in the next few weeks due to this light-touch approach to the crisis. The pandemic comes as a flood on us, hes quoted as saying. Its like a wall of infection. We will have very high death rates in Sweden, especially in the Stockholm region, and we will see a huge increase in the coming weeks. Though Olsen isnt sure exactly how many people will succumb to dying from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), he believes that the number will be very high. I would not estimate how many I fear could die, he added. It can be 5,000 or 10,000. What is happening now is that Sweden is heading towards a tragedy. Critical of the Swedish governments response thus far, Olsen believes that Sweden should have been completely locked down about a month ago in order to stop the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). Olsen is particularly critical of Swedens Public Health Authority, which is led by epidemiologist Anders Tegnell. Tegnell has stated that he and other public health officials were asked not to create public panic, and thus left things as they were for the most part. We were asked not to scare people and not panic, Olsen says. Such a situation was then the case with drastic measures. If we had created some fear, then it would have been good because when people get scared, things get done. Be sure to listen below to The Health Ranger Report as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, discusses how we need to end the lockdowns if we have any chance of avoiding mass food riots: So fear IS what social engineers use to ensure that things get done This is an interesting choice of words by Olsen, who basically admitted that fear is a tool or better yet, a weapon that those in charge often use to force a particular agenda on the public. In this case, Olsen is calling for the use of fear to rally public support in Sweden for mass lockdowns. Now, if youve been paying attention to how these lockdowns are going here in the United States, then you can see that theres likely far worse economic fallout soon to come from these restrictions, which could end up killing more people than the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) ever would have. This is probably why Sweden decided to just leave things alone, with pretty impressive results. The current infection and death rate there really isnt any higher than surrounding nations and could, in some cases, be lower suggesting that mandatory lockdowns may not have made much of a difference there regardless. Meanwhile, news reports are indicating that the worst-hit areas of Sweden are, you guessed it: the high-density refugee areas. In the no-go suburb of Rinkeby-Kista, for instance, the number of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases if off the charts, suggesting that refugees and migrants are the ones spreading it around, and the only ones who should probably be on lockdown. To keep up with the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), be sure to check out Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: Breitbart.com NaturalNews.com HAVE A NOTE? Or a Sez You? E-mail them to notesternotes@gmail.com. Salt Lake City, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Utahns are leading a worldwide effort to ensure that caregivers who are treating COVID-19 patients have the protection they need to be as safe as possible. Intermountain Healthcare, University of Utah Health, Latter-day Saint Charities, and several Utah nonprofits, are leading an effort known as ProjectProtect to enlist thousands of sewing volunteers across the state to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline caregivers, including more than five million medical-grade masks. The project is shaping up to be the largest Utah-based volunteer effort since the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. The goal of ProjectProtect is to engage 10,000 volunteer sewers each week to produce more than five million medical-grade face masks that will be distributed to frontline health workers at the two Salt Lake City-based health systems. ProjectProtect is also helping to produce reusable isolation gowns and more than 50,000 face shields, which are already being deployed to frontline caregivers for use while caring for patients. Latter-day Saint Charities has worked with healthcare experts to create educational content and instructions for sewing the masks, while the Relief Society organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has tapped into its network of thousands of volunteers from around the world. Four weeks ago, I got a call from a University of Utah doctor asking if we might consider sewing medical masks to address a looming shortage in the hospitals, said Sharon Eubank, president of Latter-day Saint Charities and first counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. From that initial call, an important partnership was born. This team, from multiple organizations and a variety of professions, has moved mountains to make ProjectProtect possible. If such a feat is possible anywhere in the world, its here in Utah. Were so happy to be a part of this community effort! ProjectProtect will enlist an estimated total of more than 50,000 volunteers to sew clinical face masks in their homes and more volunteers are invited to take part. Details about what volunteers will be asked to do: They need the ability to follow detailed instructions and use a sewing machine. They need a sewing machine, thread, scissors, and pins. Material and instructions will be provided. Each volunteer will be asked to make 100 masks. Depending on the sewers level of experience, each mask will take five to 10 minutes to sew. Volunteers should expect to spend 10 to 15 hours sewing, plus theyll need to pick up the materials and drop off the finished masks. Since the idea for the ProjectProtect collaboration surfaced last month, experts from the three organizations who work in services including supply chains, infectious diseases, operations, instructional design, and communications have had daily meetings to work through the details. When the polypropylene fabric, which is required to make the medical-grade masks, and had to be ordered from China, cleared customs in Los Angeles, the project kicked into high gear. Weve seen heart-wrenching stories of healthcare workers all over the world who are caring for COVID-19 patients without the protection they need and deserve, said Tad Morley, vice president of outreach and network development at University of Utah Health. We realized our regular supply chain couldnt handle the demand and we didnt want our frontline staff to face that same situation. So, we tapped into the resources that are based in the community to make sure they were protected. Dan Liljenquist, senior vice president and chief strategy officer at Intermountain Healthcare, worked closely with Morley at U Health and Eubank at Latter-day Saint Charities, to help put the pieces together to get the grass-roots initiative off the ground. ProjectProtect is an unprecedented community collaboration in response to a once-in-a-generation pandemic, and it represents the dedicated work of dozens of professionals and hundreds, soon to be thousands, of volunteers, said Liljenquist. The principles of industry, volunteerism, and self-reliance run deep in Utah, and this initiative to locally manufacture personal protective equipment for frontline caregivers is a great example of that desire to help. One of the many Utahns who is supporting this important initiative is Utah native and PGA Tour winner Tony Finau is joining forces with ProjectProtect to raise awareness about the vital community effort to help protect frontline caregivers. We are proud to be a part of this, but more so, to help those on the front lines of the crisis who are the true heroes, said Finau. I invite all Utahns to help support this important community initiative. To learn more about the ProjectProtect initiative and to volunteer to sew masks, visit projectprotect.health. Select the project location nearest you and register. Youll receive an email confirmation with instructions. A printed copy of the confirmation email is necessary to pick up your materials kit. We invite all who are able and willing to sew medical grade masks to join us as we work together to ensure that caregivers battling COVID-19 have the equipment they need to stay safe, says Liljenquist. Your personal contributions to this effort will help save lives. ### Other community partners of ProjectProtect include the following: Beehive Clothing Deseret Industries Deseret Transportation Intermountain Foundation, including Festival of Trees Volunteers and Volunteer Quilters Just Serve Stitching Hearts Worldwide The Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Utah Area Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints University Hospital Foundation University of Utah Health provides leading-edge and compassionate medicine for a referral area that encompasses 10% of the U.S., including Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and much of Nevada. A hub for health sciences research and education, U of U Health includes Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and Colleges of Nursing, Pharmacy, and Health. With more than 20,000 employees, the system includes 12 community clinics and four hospitals. For 10 straight years, U of U Health has ranked among the top 10 U.S. academic medical centers in the rigorous Vizient Quality and Accountability Study. Intermountain Healthcare is a not-for-profit system of 24 hospitals, 215 clinics, a Medical Group with 2,600 employed physicians and advanced-practice clinicians, a health insurance company called SelectHealth, and other health services in Idaho, Utah, and Nevada. Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes and sustainable costs. For more information, see intermountainhealthcare.org. Latter-day Saint Charities is the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Latter-day Saint Charities follows the admonition of Jesus Christ to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and afflicted. Aid is based on the core principles of personal responsibility, community support, self-reliance, and sustainability. We sponsor relief and development projects in 195 countries and territories and give assistance without regard to race, religious affiliation, or nationality. Contact: Latter-day Saint Charities: Doug Andersen: douglas.andersen@ChurchofJesusChrist.org / 801- 240-4385 University of Utah Health: Kathy Wilets: Kathy.wilets@hsc.utah.edu / 801-581-5717 Intermountain Healthcare: Jess Gomez: jess.gomez@imail.org / 801-718-8495 Attachment 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. Treasury yields turned higher on Friday after the Federal Reserve dialed back the pace at which it plans to buy government bonds. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to price, rose 4 basis points to 0.64%, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was also higher at 1.24%. The central bank said Friday that it would buy securities at a pace of about $15 billion a day, slower than around $30 billion a day this week. The Fed launched an unlimited quantitative easing program, aggressively purchasing Treasuries to cushion the economic blow from the coronavirus pandemic. Investors also grew more hopeful about an economic recovery after the Trump administration released tentative steps toward restarting the country. President Donald Trump said on Thursday issued guidelines to open up parts of the U.S. Thursday night, which identifies the circumstances necessary for areas of the country to allow employees to start returning to work. Investors also cheered reports about a Gilead Sciences drug that showed some effectiveness in treating the coronavirus. STAT news reported that a Chicago hospital treating coronavirus patients with remdesivir in a trial were recovering rapidly from severe symptoms. On Thursday, long-dated Treasury yields dropped on the back of new unemployment data. Another 5.25 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week showing how the coronavirus shutdowns are hitting the economy. Traders were also digesting data news out of China, which showed the economy contracted by 6.8% in the first quarter. Friday's data calendar is relatively thin with only March's Leading Economic Index due at 10 a.m. ET. St. Louis Fed President James Bullard is due to speak via a webcast at 9 a.m. ET. There are no scheduled auctions. Even in our grimmest moments, said the wonderful Jess Hill when accepting the Stella Prize this week, we can hold despair in one hand, and hope in the other. Jess has documented many grim moments in her superb, rightfully lauded book, See What You Made Me Do, examining the disturbing prevalence of domestic abuse in this country. Illustration: Simon Letch Credit: I was struck by this simple truth when she said it. We know we can see beauty in times of ugliness, dream of motion in times of stasis and hope in times of despair. Even though, to be honest, I have wrestled with the fact that many of us raced so quickly, almost instantly, to find silver linings during a time of global turmoil, brutal suffering and intolerable pain. I get it, we need it, but #blessed talk sticks in my craw. Much of the look on the bright side talk, while well meaning, can smack of privilege; perhaps I saw one too many trays of hot cross buns, scored sourdough rounds (and, again, its not the fact of this but the volume), or videos of celebrities telling us of the pain of being confined in well stocked palaces. When so many are losing people they love, jobs, businesses, apparent futures, it has seemed a little premature. Click here to read the full story. From Ahmed Mohammed, Bauchi A reknown Islamic Scholar Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi has advised Muslims all over the World to intensify in Special prayers to almighty Allah to have mercy on his creatures in the whole world and end this Pandemic. Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi gave the advice in Bauchi while speaking with newsmen, He said its worrisome the way the outbreak of the COVID 19 continue to be the major challenges that affected countries all over the world, and its people who invited the pandemic because of their sins by trying to legalize immoral acts prohibited by Allah like, Gay Marriage, lesbianism, gambling and many other verses even in Mecca and Medina today they established gambling houses it looks like inviting the wrath of Allah upon his creatures He said Muslims all over the world must rise to defeat the pandemic through supplications by seeking forgiveness of their sins, glorifying the name of Allah and offering salutations to the holy prophet Mohammed Peace be upon him. The Scholar asks Muslims to recite Surat Fatiha one time, Astagfirullah 4444, Salutation to the Prophet Salatul Fatih or any of the salutations 4444 and Lailaha Illallah 4444 and verse in Surat ddukhani Rabbanakshif aanal azaba ,innamuminuwn 4444. Sheikh Dahiru advised Muslims not to close mosques for Jummaat[A1] prayer or Tarawih Prayers during Ramadan, since they said they prohibited large congregations let 12 people stand for Jummaat Prayer in every Mosque, let at least seven people attended the Tarawih prayers at least by doing so the mosques were not close He said this Year Ramadan Tafsir will be conducted in Bauchi in his House, not Kaduna due to the circumstances we have found ourselves and assured that the annual Ramadan Tafsir will be recorded and disseminated to people across the country via mass medium and advised People to follow strictly advise giving to us by the Medical experts by observing social distance, hand washing and other advice. The Scholar who is the leader of Tijjaniyya adherents said with regards to countering the phenomenon Muslims must pray to Allah by the virtue of the Prophet Mohammed and his Miracles, by the virtue of the Holy Quran and its verses and his exalted servants we ask Allah to have mercy upon the whole world to reach an end to this pandemic soon and to give us stability to continue to perform our ibadah and spiritual activities in the coming Ramadan such as Tafsir, Umrah and Hajj. The government on Friday removed restrictions on exports of medicines made from Paracetamol amid the outbreak of Covid-19. However, restrictions on exports of Paracetamol active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs or raw materials) will continue, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification. To export a product, which is under restricted category, an exporter requires no-objection certificate or permission of a licence from the DGFT. "...The formulations made from Paracetamol (including fixed-dose combinations)...are made free for export with immediate effect. However, Paracetamol APIs will remain restricted for export," it said. The government on March 3 had put export restrictions on 26 pharma ingredients and medicines, including paracetamol. However on April 6, it removed the export restrictions on 24 APIs and formulations excluding Paracetamol. India exported formulations made from Paracetamol worth USD 5.41 billion during April-January 2019-20. It was USD 5.8 billion in 2018-19. According to Mumbai-based doctor Sachin Ramteke, Paracetamol is used commonly to treat body pain and fever. "It is used as symptomatic treatment to control body temperature," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Test your knowledge of shows filmed in Charleston, RiverDogs' stunts in this week's quiz Land OLakes has redesigned its packaging, getting rid of its controversial emblem of a Native American woman during the process. The figure has appeared on the front of the butters packaging since 1928, but as the company looks toward [to its] 100th anniversary it has removed her in the new design. The packaging will now feature images of real Land OLakes farmers and co-op members, along with the phrase Proud to be Farmer-Owned", a company press release from February said. 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, said Beth Ford, president and CEO, Land OLakes in the release. Our farmer-to-fork structure gives us a unique ability to bridge this divide As Land OLakes looks toward our 100th anniversary (in 2021), weve recognised we need packaging that reflects the foundation and heart of our company culture and nothing does that better than our farmer-owners whose milk is used to produce Land OLakes dairy products, Ms Ford said. Some critics have previously put pressure on the company to remove the woman from its design calling the native American character racist culturally insensitive. North Dakota state Rep Ruth Buffalo, a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, said it goes hand-in-hand with human and sex trafficking of our women and girls, by depicting Native women as sex objects, according to The Grand Forks Herald. Land OLakes have not given any indication that cultural sensitivity influenced the reason for the design change. The image was previously changed from a wide pan view of the figure kneeling to a close-up portrait of the woman. Rep Buffalo has reportedly said that her complete removal is a good gesture and a step forward However she is said to have emphasised that more still needs to be done: We as a whole need to keep pushing forward to address the underlying issues that directly impact an entire population that survived genocide, Rep Buffalo said, according to reports. It is unclear if the maiden image will disappear completely from the companies packaging, but no mention was made of it in the press release announcing the new design. Australians desperate to holiday will be encouraged to travel at home once coronavirus restrictions are loosened. The Federal Government has banned Australians from flying abroad in all but essential circumstances under strict laws designed to stop the spread of COVID-19. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday said the government had no intention to loosen the baseline restrictions over the next four weeks. States and territories have also enforced their own coronavirus restrictions to control the outbreak, with some ordering two-week isolation for Australians who cross the border. But as coronavirus infections continue to plummet across the country, some states and territories governments could look to roll back their measures. The health crisis could lead to the return of the great Australian road trip. Australians desperate to holiday will be encouraged to travel at home once coronavirus restrictions are loosened. Pictured: Woman drives towards Uluru in the Northern Territory It's 'highly likely' domestic travel restrictions would lift before international, Tourism Australia managing director Pip Harrison said, ABC reported. 'So our focus will most likely start with domestic travel; we'll be strongly encouraging Australians to holiday at home,' she said. The majority of coronavirus cases across Australia have come from return travellers. Anyone returning to Australia during the pandemic is required to enter a mandatory 14-day isolation in a hotel, supervised by the police and Australian Defence Force. Australian Tourism Industry Council executive director Simon Westaway believes the health crisis could 'kick off' of drive tourism. 'The caravanning industry, I know, are planning for some pretty big take-ups of vans,' he said. It's 'highly likely' domestic travel restrictions would lift before international, Tourism Australia managing director Pip Harrison said. Pictured: Qantaslink planes 'I think we're going to see a bit of a change like back in the '80s we'll see a return to that type of travel.' Speaking to ABC's News Breakfast on Tuesday, Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham warned holidaymakers should avoid booking international travel. 'I wouldn't put any guarantees that you could undertake that overseas trip in December,' he said. '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.' 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 said. '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.' Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 17:00:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Armed police conduct a night drill in a woodland to improve combat skills in Yichun, east China's Jiangxi. Watch how they perform in a simulated hostage taking scenario. Despite a string of improvements over the past several years, enterprises can no longer rely on perimeter defenses alone to keep out network attackers. Microsegmentation directly addresses the challenge of unauthorized lateral movements by dividing IT environments into controllable compartments, enabling adopters to securely isolate workloads from each other while making network protection more granular. As cyber-attackers continue to try new ways to dodge security measures and roam across IT environments, microsegmentation is moving into the mainstream. How microsegmentation works Don't let the name mislead you. Microsegmentation represents more than an incremental step forward from performance- and management-focused network segmentation. Microsegmentation is specifically designed to address critical network protection issues, thereby reducing risk and adapting security to the demands of increasingly dynamic IT environments. Information security experts have discussed implementing various types of zero-trust technologies for the better part of two decades. "Microsegmentation is the 'easy button' implementation," complete with automation and orchestration tools, as well as sophisticated user interfaces offering detailed reports and graphs, says Trevor Pott, technical security lead at Juniper Networks. "There's no longer any excuse to not do what we all should have been doing 20 years ago," he adds. Microsegmentation distributes security enforcement to each individual system with a single, central policy. "This advancement allows for granular policy enforcement throughout an organization's network, not just at the perimeter," explains Tom Cross, CTO of network security provider OPAQ. "This [approach] is necessary both because perimeter security sometimes fails, and because cloud adoption is causing network perimeters to become more porous." Microsegmentation still relies on traditional cybersecurity techniques, such as access control networks. "What sets microsegmentation apart is that these security approaches are applied to individual workloads within the network," says Brad Willman, IT director and network security expert at IT services provider Entrust Solutions. Many organizations are attracted to microsegmentation by its compartmentalized structure. (See related story: Why 3 enterprises chose microsegmentation) "Microsegmentation is a strategy that can not only prevent data breaches, but also significantly reduce the damage if a breach occurs by limiting it to a very small segment of the network," says Andrew Tyler, a senior consulting engineer at IT consulting firm Kelser. Different microsegmentation approaches Sophisticated attackers follow a multi-step process when attempting to compromise an organization's resources, so infrastructure defenders should think about instituting controls at each step, Cross advises. "Internal lateralization between systems has played a key role in recent incidents, with tools like Mimikatz and Bloodhound providing rich capabilities for attackers," he says. "Microsegmentation can enable defenders to disrupt these techniques by blocking off unnecessary paths for attacks to spread within internal networks." It's important to remember that microsegmentation is not just a data center-oriented technology. "Many security incidents start on end-user workstations, because employees click on phishing links or their systems become compromised by other means," Cross says. From that initial point of infection, attackers can spread throughout an organization's network. "A microsegmentation platform should be able to enforce policies in the data center, on cloud workloads, and on end-user workstations from a single console," he explains. "It should also be able to stop attacks from spreading in any of these environments." As with many emerging technologies, vendors are approaching microsegmentation from various directions. Three traditional microsegmentation types are host-agent segmentation, hypervisor segmentation and network segmentation. Host-agent segmentation. This microsegmentation type relies on agents positioned in the endpoints. All data flows are visible and relayed to a central manager, an approach that can help reduce the pain of discovering challenging protocols or encrypted traffic. Host-agent technology is generally viewed as a highly effective microsegmentation approach. "As infected devices are hosts, a good host strategy can stop problems from even entering the network," says David Johnson, CTO at Mulytic Labs, a software development and IT services startup. However, it requires all hosts to install the software, "opening up concerns of legacy OS and older systems." This microsegmentation type relies on agents positioned in the endpoints. All data flows are visible and relayed to a central manager, an approach that can help reduce the pain of discovering challenging protocols or encrypted traffic. Host-agent technology is generally viewed as a highly effective microsegmentation approach. "As infected devices are hosts, a good host strategy can stop problems from even entering the network," says David Johnson, CTO at Mulytic Labs, a software development and IT services startup. However, it requires all hosts to install the software, "opening up concerns of legacy OS and older systems." Hypervisor segmentation . With this type of microsegmentation, all traffic flows through a hypervisor. "The ability to monitor the traffic at the hypervisor means that one can use preexisting firewalls, and also move policies to new hypervisors as the instances move during daily operations," Johnson explains. A drawback is that hypervisor segmentation doesn't generally work in cloud environments, or with containers or bare metal. "It's useful in a few cases, and in those cases where it can work, it's highly advantageous," he advises. . With this type of microsegmentation, all traffic flows through a hypervisor. "The ability to monitor the traffic at the hypervisor means that one can use preexisting firewalls, and also move policies to new hypervisors as the instances move during daily operations," Johnson explains. A drawback is that hypervisor segmentation doesn't generally work in cloud environments, or with containers or bare metal. "It's useful in a few cases, and in those cases where it can work, it's highly advantageous," he advises. Network segmentation. This approach is basically an extension of the status quo, with segmentation based on access control lists (ACLs) and other time-tested methods. "This is by far the easiest [route], as most network professionals are familiar with this approach," Johnson says. "However, large network segments can defeat the purpose of microsegmentation, and can be complex and expensive to administer in large data centers." When shopping for a microsegmentation tool, it's important to remember that not all offerings fit neatly into any of the three basic categories. Many vendors are exploring new and modified methods of providing resilient network microsegmentation, such as machine learning and AI monitoring. Before committing to any particular microsegmentation offering, be sure to closely question the vendor on its particular approach to the technology and whether there are any unique compatibility or operational requirements that should be considered. There's a downside, too For all of its benefits, microsegmentation also presents several adoption and operational challenges. Initial deployments can be particularly troublesome. "Implementing microsegmentation can break things," Tyler warns. "Depending on the applications in use, you may run into key business functions that don't or can't support microsegmentation." Another potential stumbling block is defining polices that address the needs of each internal system. This can be a complicated and time-consuming process for some adopters, since internal battles may arise as policies and their implications are weighed and defined. "There's constant pushback in most organizations for exceptions to any internal control," Cross observes. When both high and low sensitivity assets exist within the same security boundary, it's important to understand which ports and protocols will be required for proper network communication to occur, and in which direction. Improper implementation can lead to inadvertent network outages. "Also, keep in mind that implementing the changes needed may require downtime, so careful planning is important," suggests Damon Small, a technical director at NCC Group North America, where he consults on critical infrastructure defense issues. Environments that run popular operating systems such as Linux, Windows and MacOS are broadly supported by microsegmentation technology. The same isn't true, however, for organizations that use mainframes or other legacy technologies. "[They] may find that microsegmentation software is not available for these platforms," Cross warns. Getting started with microsegmentation To successfully deploy microsegmentation, it's necessary to have a detailed understanding of network architecture and supported systems and applications. "Specifically, the organization should know how the systems communicate with one another in order to function properly," Small explains. "This level of detail may require working closely with vendors or performing detailed analysis to determine where the microsegments should be placed and how to do so in a manner that will not cause production outages." The best way to start a microsegmentation initiative is with a detailed asset management plan. "You can't make rational decisions about how you would segment your network until you know what's on it and have devised some means to classify and categorize those systems," Pott says. Once asset discovery, classification and management automation issues have been addressed and resolved, the IT environment will be ready to accommodate microsegmentation. "At this point, it's time to go vendor shopping and [to] ask a lot of pointed questions about total cost of ownership, integration capabilities, extensibility and scaling," Pott advises. A microsegmentation platform is only as good as the policies it enforces, Cross observes. "It's important for users to think about the process that attackers are likely to follow in compromising their environment, and to make sure their policies close off the most valuable avenues," he says. "A few simple rules that narrow the availability of Windows Networking, RDP services and SSH on an internal network to the specific users who need them can protect against popular attack techniques without interfering with business processes." New Delhi, April 17 : No private school in the national capital can hike the fees or can charge anything from the parents other than one month tution fee, Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia announced on Friday. Speaking to the media, Sisodia said the government has taken this decision after it came to light that private schools were increasing their fee, even when the country is facing such a difficult time. "Education and economy were worst affected by the COVID-19 crisis. We are taking online class and taking various steps to ensure education to the students of government school." Sisodia said a lot of private schools are increasing fee, taking transportation fee or other such charges. "I also got to know they are not letting students take online classes if they failed to submit fee." Sisodia said that the Delhi government has passed an order barring schools to take any other change apart from one month tution fee. "Any private school will not be allowed to increase the fee without government's permission and no school can take fee for three months. They can only take tuition fee per month. If any parent is unable to pay the fee, students should not be barred from attending online classes," he said. He also said that no school can charge any other fee barring one month tuition fee and they have to charge it on a monthly basis. "Schools cannot demand fee for a quarter or three months." "No transportation fee or annual charge should be charged." He also said that all school will have to pay salary to all the staff -- teaching and non teaching -- on time. "If there is any fund crisis, they can take money from the parent organisation." He also said that no student should be barred from online classes if they fail to pay fee. "If any Private school was found violating the order, the Delhi government will take stern action under Epidemic Act and Education Act against violators," he added. Country is under a lockdown till May 3 due to coronavirus crisis. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text A pregnant nurse died of COVID-19, but her baby survives and is doing very well after being delivered via emergency cesarean section, according to a spokeswoman for the UK's National Health Service or NHS. Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong was a nurse who worked at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital, northwest of London. She was admitted to the hospital on April 7 after she tested positive for the coronavirus on April 5. Agyapong, 28, died on April 12, this was confirmed in a statement released by Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on April 15. She had worked for the NHS for five years. Pregnant nurse dies of COVID-19 but baby survives The CEO of Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, David Carter, expressed his sadness over the unfortunate event. He said that Mary worked for the NHS for five years and that she was a highly valued and loved member of the team, a fantastic nurse and a great example of what the NHS stands for. Carter also extended his condolences to Mary's family and friends and he asked the public to give Mary's family privacy during this difficult time. Also Read: Use of Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 May Result in Heart Concerns A GoFundMe page was set up for Mary, and just days after the announcement of her page, more than 117,000 or about $146,000 has been donated. The money will be given to her husband and baby to help them start a new life after the tragedy. Agyapong, also known as Mary Mo to her friends, was a "blessing to everyone that she came across with and her love, care, and her sincerity will be irreplaceable." a statement on the fundraising website reads. The current state of NHS According to UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock, there are 27 NHS workers who have died from coronavirus. There are now more than 13,700 people who have died of coronavirus in the UK and more than 100,000 have tested positive, according to the UK government. Matt Hancock stated that the updated figure of 27 verified deaths in the NHS is an increase from April 12 when he stated that there had been 19 deaths during the pandemic. NHS choir's tribute to those who have risked their lives to save others were posted online. However, announcements from NHS trusts and tributes from loved ones state the true number is higher still, with more than 40 NHS staff who have now said to have died due to the coronavirus. Hancock stated that every death amongst the healthcare workers was being investigated in order to find out what the system and the government can do better to protect those who are on the front line. Hancock told BBC Breakfast that some NHS workers have caught the virus from patients in the line of duty, while others may have caught it even while they were not working at the time. What the government wants to know is what they can do to better protect the frontliners both in the NHS and in social care, this is the reason why they are investigating each case. Related Article: Fact Check: Did A Funeral Home Employee Get Cremated By Mistake? @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Thousands of struggling families have flocked to Katy Christian Ministries since the COVID-19 crisis began, so a knock at the door wasnt surprising to executive director Deysi Crespo. What was surprising was the nature of the visit- a representative from the office of Congressman Pete Olson was standing at the door holding a Congressional proclamation. KCM, a 501(c)(3) charity, is a cornerstone of community outreach in Katy. Olson presented KCM a Certificate of Congressional Recognition for the organizations unflagging efforts to provide aid to individuals and families in need during the COVID-19 crisis. (Olsons) staff person said that Pete Olson has been watching all the wonderful work from Katy Christian Ministries and how we are helping the community, said Crespo. This recognition from Congressman Olson really put things into perspective that here we are doing the work and fulfilling our mission. Olson is currently is in Washington, D.C., but he said that he has been deeply moved by the way KCM has risen to the challenge of serving the community during the pandemic. The people at Katy Christian Ministries are icons for what a faith-based organization should be- not just this area but Texas and all of the world. KCM serves the community through their food pantry, Social Services program and Crisis Center. As a result of the pandemic, the organization is rising to meet an unprecedented spike in need. According to a recent statement from KCM, the organization is feeding an average of 127 families each day. In a three week time frame, KCM Social Services has responded to 1,800 phone calls for assistance. The KCM Crisis Center 24/7 Emergency Hotline had 102 domestic and sexual abuse calls in March. By comparison, the center had 74 calls in January and 50 calls in February. While Crespo is elated by KCMs ability to help families in need, she expressed concern over the ministrys ability to continue to serve the community without more funding and food donations. There is so much need in the community right now. All the nonprofits are struggling to keep up. Were doing everything we can to stay open and continue to bless families, she said. KCMs food pantry is critically low, and its main source of funding is shuttered. The KCM resale stores are temporarily closed. Without them, KCMs main source of operational revenue is gone. The increased need from the community has KCM struggling to provide food and other essential services to families in need during the COVID-19 crisis. Right now, there's an urgent need for food every single day. Our food pantry is working hard so that we can bless these families so that no one goes hungry, she said. Thats my mission right now. Compounding the problem is the fact that needs for social and crisis services are up, while the ability to address those needs is down. Social Services, which aids families in need of financial, health or food assistance, is now operating remotely. The Crisis Center, too, is providing aid for victims of domestic or sexual violence remotely. Crespo worries that without funding, some community members in need wont be able to receive assistance. Weve had 1,800 phone calls asking for food assistance and financial assistance, said Crespo. Its heavy in our hearts, because there's not enough funding to be able to take care of everybody. Olson hopes that the community will continue to donate food or money to KCM, especially now that these donations are needed more than ever. Anytime theres a crisis, Katy Christian Ministries is there, said Olson. If youre able, I strongly encourage you to do what you can to support them. He added, COVID-19 has given them the biggest challenge theyve ever faced, but they havent slowed down. God bless them, theyve figured out ways to continue doing what they do even with everything thats going on. To learn more about Katy Christian Ministries or to donate to the organization, visit www.ktcm.org. claire.goodman@chron.com Video above: Cars line up at food bank at California school As the coronavirus continues to impact just about every industry around the world, folks are stepping up to provide support where they can. That's why one Idaho farm decided that instead of throwing away crops that they were unable to sell, they would give them away for free. I didnt really have a market for those potatoes, its something I would have had to dump or go to like cattle feed, Ryan Cranney, CEO of Cranney Farms, told KTVB. Cranney Farms based in Oakley, just above the Idaho-Utah border, took to Facebook to let people know that thousands of their potatoes were available for pick up, KTVB reports. I just felt like it could be something to maybe give back to the community," Ryan Cranney, CEO of Cranney Farms told the outlet. I know people are struggling financially with the shutdown of the economy." Cranney said at times, there were as many as 20 to 30 cars lining up to pick up the free potatoes. Cranney Farms donation comes as families around the country are turning to food banks to help them get by as the coronavirus wreaks havoc on the economy. Millions of people newly unemployed mean food banks, food pantries and soup kitchens are seeing a flood of new clients appearing at their doors, just as supplies are dwindling because of growing demand from consumers stuck at home. Food banks are reporting a 40% increase in demand, on average, Katie Fitzgerald, chief operating office at Feeding America said last month, a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs nationwide. Some say they are seeing double to quadruple the number of people asking for help. "It's the speed that this is hitting us that is making it so difficult to contend with," Fitzgerald said. "The current inventories that we have in place were not designed to serve the numbers of people who need help now." WASHINGTON Every day over the past week, hundreds of people in Massachusetts received phone calls alerting them they may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for coronavirus. They were advised to isolate themselves and referred to testing. That process is known as contact tracing, and it's a standard public health tool to limit the spread of infectious diseases. But it's costly, and time and labor intensive. Massachusetts is now the only state conducting contact tracing on a statewide basis for COVID-19. Now, other states, including New York, are making plans to follow suit as they prepare new strategies to tamp down the virus and slowly reopen their economies. The New York Department of Health is "actively working" on a plan to greatly expand capacity at local and state levels to perform contact tracing, said Erin Silk, a spokeswoman for the agency. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Thursday the state needs an "army" of people working as contact tracers, along with dramatically increased testing for the virus, in order to open up. Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage "Now that we have some stability in our health care system after a weeks-long overdrive, we continue to strengthen that system and ramp up testing and contact tracing to identify those who are sick and isolate them so they don't transmit the virus to others," Cuomo said. "Then we can focus on phasing an economic return to the new normal but we need all those activities going on at the same time for our plan to un-pause New York to work." China and South Korea have used cell-phone apps that track people's movements and notify them instantly if someone tests positive for coronavirus who they have been in close proximity with. The apps have come under public scrutiny for data protection and privacy issues. Singapore has also launched an app. Although slower, the U.S. is opting for the manual, human approach. Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus coordinator, said Thursday, when the new White House guidelines on reopening were announced, that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be sending staff to "every single state" to partner with state and local officials to ensure that all of coronavirus cases are "immediately identified and contact traced." "We do have enough testing capacity to do both that surveillance piece, as well as the diagnostic piece and contact tracing," Birx said. New York was doing contact tracing at the start of the state's outbreak. When the state's first coronavirus case was confirmed a 39-year-old woman who traveled from Iran to Manhattan New York City health officials had pledged to contact the people the woman was in proximity to in the week before her test result came back. According to the New York Times, however, those individuals were never contacted. The city and state has performed contact tracing in other cases, though, officials said. But as the state's coronavirus cases skyrocketed into the thousands and now hundreds of thousands, state and local health officials were overwhelmed and too understaffed to keep up. Contact tracing apparently has continued in pockets in New York, where local resources and cases numbers permit. Contact tracing by the Albany County Department of Health is ongoing, for example. But now that the number of new COVID-19 cases each day has reached a plateau, the state has decided it's time to reconsider contact tracing on a statewide basis. "When the curve is on the down slope, it is just as important or even more important sometimes to do the contact tracing," said Sten Vermund, dean of the Yale University School of Public Health, whose students are conducting contact tracing in New Haven, Conn. "You tend to get overwhelmed with contact tracing when the epidemic hits its peak, but as the numbers are going up and as the numbers are going down, contact tracing can be especially helpful to avoid the expansion of the epidemic when the curve is going up and then to help snuff it out when the curve is going down." Massachusetts launched its statewide contact tracing operation on April 3 by engaging Partners In Health, a Boston-based international health nonprofit that works on health systems and disease control in poor countries. The state contracted Partners in Health for $44 million to lead Massachusetts' contact tracing effort, with Accenture and Salesforce providing support center capabilities. Partners in Health is hiring 1,000 people to do contact tracing in Massachusetts, a few hundred of which are already working. Contact tracers are paid $27 per hour to work on personal computers from home. Contact tracing teams interview COVID-19 patients to make a list of people with whom the patients interfaced for more than five minutes within six feet in the past few days. The interview process can be difficult, particularly if the patient is too ill to communicate. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The contact tracers obtain contact information for the listed people and call them to warn them they may have been exposed to the virus. The exposed individuals are counseled on testing and quarantine and referred for testing. It is essential that testing capacity allows for quick identification of positive cases. The exposed individuals are also connected to state and local resources as needed throughout their quarantine. The Massachusetts teams started the work on April 11. Currently, only 2,200 disease investigation specialists are employed throughout the U.S. in local and state health agencies, according to the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has staff to assist with disease investigation efforts, but the work is generally led by employees at the state and local level. "We need substantially more contact tracing staff at the local, county, state and national level," said David Holtgrave, dean of the School of Public Health at the University at Albany. "As the economy is re-opened, this need will increase rather than decrease because there will be a pressure to identify new cases of COVID-19 very rapidly and to fully get in touch with all persons who may have been exposed to the persons just diagnosed and substantially more staffing will be needed to do so. This will be a major public health challenge to address at all levels as we move forward." Based on preliminary research generated by Johns Hopkins University, its believed an additional 100,000 contact tracing employees are needed to address COVID-19 in the immediate future, ASTHO advised members of Congress in an April 10 letter. Moreover, a minimum of 1,200 more epidemiologists are needed across the country, ASTHO said. States are unlikely to be able to afford on their own to build contact tracing operations of the size needed for coronavirus. They already face other inflated health care, emergency response and unemployment costs, at a time the epidemic is driving tax revenues down. Due to state revenue shortfalls, some state health departments have been forced to furlough staff, ASTHO said. ASTHO asked Congress to supply $3.6 billion in emergency funding for contact tracing, along with amping up CDC funding by $4.5 billion a year to improve disease surveillance, laboratory capacity and preparedness. The association also requested that the federal government wave student loans for people working for or hired at state and local health department to help expand the workforce. Congress is still negotiating and drafting its next coronavirus legislation and it's unclear whether those measures will be included. Some public health experts have also advocated for states to set up temporary facilities where individuals whose housing situations do not permit them to isolate can quarantine, or where people can receive moderate health care as a step down from hospitals. People who are contacted by contact tracers could be referred to those facilities on a voluntary basis. Hotels and college dormitories that are empty, or temporary facilities in convention centers and gymnasiums, could also be deployed in the effort. It's not yet known if New York will use the strategy as a complement to contact tracing. Developing contact tracing operations, expanding testing and creating patient quarantine and monitoring options will be important not just for reopening, but to guard against a possible resurgence of the virus in the fall or winter, prior to the development of a vaccine, public health officials agree. "Will we better prepared?" Vermund said. "Will we able to surge in our ICU potential? Will we be able to do widespread testing and contact tracing? Will we have drugs that are available that can mitigate the severity of disease? ... If we don't have these measures prepared for the next wave, we may find ourselves in an analogous situation." The Islamic State have launched two attacks in Deir ez-Zor, raiding shops and destroying a school with explosives reports Deir Ezzor 24. On Wednesday morning, an Islamic State (ISIS) cell raided shops in Gharibah Sharqiya village in the northern Deir ez-Zor countryside, according to Deir Ezzor 24s correspondent. The correspondent confirmed that the cell set up a flying or temporary checkpoint in the village, while a group raided shops, confiscated cigarettes and burned them in the center of the village, before withdrawing towards the badiyah after carrying out the mission. In the same context, on Tuesday, ISIS gunmen blew up a school in al-Hawayej village in the eastern Deir ez-Zor countryside. ISIS cells are active in Deir ez-Zor and carry out occasional killing, robbery and bombing operations. 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. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The information age is full of both plusses and minuses, especially during a time of national crisis. Among the blessings we should count is the ability of many of us to work from home, and the ability to stay in touch with people we cannot visit. Another, at least in my line of work, is that so many more of the teachers contributing to our virtual Truth, Love, Together event now know how to use Zoom. The main minus, though certainly not the only one, is the constant flow of news, headlines, and social media posts, some true and some false, some helpful and some very unhelpful and even misleading. Information comes at us in waves, with conjecture in the place of facts and assertions in the place of arguments. Even before the coronavirus was given the name pandemic, misinformation was passed on by both major media outlets and personal social media accounts. In most of these cases, political ideology masqueraded as certainty about things that were, at the time, unknown, such as how deadly Covid-19 would be, whether or not it was like the flu, and whether scientists and experts were misleading us. Misleading voices on both the left and the right confidently asserted the virus really wasnt that bad. More than one conservative talk show host, motivated to keep the Presidents wins front and center, compared Covid-19 to the common cold or seasonal flu. And more than a few liberal voices also downplayed the seriousness of Covid-19, apparently hoping to seize an opportunity to portray Trumps travel restrictions to China as racist or otherwise misguided. Having now mostly pivoted on the seriousness of the virus across the board, many of the same voices continue with speculations, assertions, and analysis that are proclaimed with all the undeserved confidence as before. After Samaritans Purse set up a temporary hospital in Central Park to treat coronavirus patients, The Daily Beast ran a hit-piece warning of sub-standard care and discrimination, chiding the Christian ministry and its president, Franklin Graham, for their allegedly spotty record. Given the actual record of Samaritans Purse, the article was pure fear-mongering. Still, it paled in comparison to a horrendous op-ed by Katherine Stewart in the New York Times which blamed evangelicals for paving the way to coronavirus hell by denying science. She also accused us of looking to faith-healers and miracle cures instead of medical experts. It was vicious, historically ignorant slander, and published in Americas newspaper-of-record. The Times decision to publish such a ridiculous article was not only poor, its ironic, given the papers commitment to expose fake news and conspiracy theories about the virus. They keep a full list: Covid-19 is caused by 5G cell phone towers. Its a foreign attack. Its a plot by Microsoft founder Bill Gates. All ridiculous claims, of course, but no more ridiculous than the Nero-like claim that evangelicals are to blame for this pandemic. Brad Littlejohn made a key point over at Mere Orthodoxy, This virus has surely come as a judgment on our divided, post-truth society. Judgment does not merely punish, he points out, it revealswhat Covid-19 has revealed in America is a society that has reached a point of crippling mutual incomprehension and distrustthat runs so deep that it leaves few if any shared handholds for common knowledge informing common action. At all times, but especially during a pandemic, some degree of common knowledge and common action are essential for a society. How can Christians, people who are to be committed to truth, navigate this (mis)information age? Who is right, who is not, and how do we know? And, how can we be catalysts toward the renewal of a critical national resource: trust? An essential part of the answer, and an essential part of a Christian worldview, is discernment. According to Pauls prayer for the church at Philippi, love abounds best when accompanied by truth and discernment. And in an information age, discernment is the only true antidote to deception. Eighteenth century British author Samuel Johnson called discernment the supreme end of education, before offering the best definition I know of discernment: the power to tell the good from the bad, the genuine from the counterfeit, and to prefer the good and the genuine to the bad and the counterfeit. In other words, discernment involves both wisdom and will. The wisdom to evaluate truth claims, and the will to understand the reality of our fallen world, which includes evaluating truth claims beyond whether or not it will make our side look good and their side look bad. Bearing false witness is a sin, and truth must take precedent over wanting something to be so or not wanting it to be so. And finally, a necessary ingredient of Christian discernment is confidence in Gods sovereignty. Fear, on the other hand, often spoils discernment. Discernment wont end put an end to misinformation overnight, but it can slow its infection rate. And as with the actual pandemic, that could make a world of difference. Originally posted at breakpoint.org SpendEdge, a global procurement market intelligence firm, has announced the availability of its Global Biodiesel Procurement Market Intelligence Reportfor preorder. This report will serve as a one-stop reference guide for buyers to make informed and cost-optimized procurement decisions in the biodiesel market. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005348/en/ SpendEdge's Global Biodiesel Procurement Market Intelligence Report for preorder (Graphic: Business Wire) As the COVID 19 pandemic is firming its grip on the global economy, the rapid commodity price shifts are creating rippling impacts on a string of markets that are interrelated. This is triggering major procurement roadblocks for buyers who account for heavy reliance in terms of supply on the affected markets. The steep fall in oil price is casting a visibly negative impact on the demand curve in the fuel market which, in turn, is affecting prospects of demand growth in the biodiesel market. This is rendering biodiesel procurement a risky proposition with growing uncertainties. However, it must be understood, that oil price is typically characterized by such fluctuations. Upon the recovery of the same, the biodiesel market will bounce back with exhibitions of a sudden demand surge. Biodiesel procurement strategies must be aligned with the expectation of such dynamic demand and supply trends. On this note, this market intelligence report has enlisted the top biodiesel procurement strategies, the leading suppliers, sourcing, and negotiation strategies that will aid buyers to achieve a cost-optimized and risk-free procurement despite the projections of uncertainties in the biodiesel market. Be the first to get the free sample of this report to get all the industry-best biodiesel procurement best practices at your finger-tips and take that leap ahead of your competitors. What will you gain from this report? Detailed analysis of the supply market that will influence biodiesel procurement decisions The pressing urgency to shift to cleaner sources of fuel will supplement the demand growth in the biodiesel market, once it makes its way through the current phases of volatilities caused by the impact of COVID 19. Both buyers and suppliers are putting more emphasis on the adoption of technology to enhance operational performances and improve value chains. Insights into best biodiesel procurement practices imperative for effective purchasing and supply management decisions The current crisis caused by the impact of COVID 19 has exposed the lack of responsiveness of the traditional procurement practices with the dynamic market conditions. This report combines our experience of other categories with biodiesel procurement insights and handpicks best practices that can work for category managers delving into this market. For instance, findings in this report stress the adoption of competitive bidding as a cost optimization tool. It is known to be extremely potent but should be carefully deployed only when there is no significant differentiation among biodiesel suppliers. Potential risks during procurement in the biodiesel market Suppliers tend to build in "cost buffers" for unforeseen risks due to a lack of complete understanding of buyer's requirements. This increases the risk of overspending of buyers in the biodiesel market. Get an exclusive sneak-peek into this report and see how expert-advised strategies redefine your biodiesel procurement outlook. COVID-19 Impact Assessment and Market Insights SpendEdge's reports now include an in-depth complimentary analysis of the COVID-19 impact on procurement and latest market data to help your company overcome sourcing challenges. Our Biodiesel Procurement Intelligence Report offers actionable procurement intelligence insights, sourcing strategies, and action plans to mitigate risks arising out of the current pandemic situation. The insights offered by our reports will help procurement professionals streamline supply chain operations and gain insights in the best procurement practices to mitigate losses. Answer to some of the critical questions that are critical to explore procurement opportunities in this market What is the expected spend growth rate in the biodiesel market? How much should buyers pay to procure in the biodiesel market and what are the factors that will influence procurement price in this market? Who are the biodiesel suppliers and what are their cost structures? Your biodiesel procurement strategy is about to get a new direction. Find out how. Related topics: Energy Consulting Market Procurement Intelligence Report Fuel Gas Market Procurement Intelligence Report About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. To know more, https://www.spendedge.com/request-free-proposal View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005348/en/ Contacts: SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager US: +1 630 984 7340 UK: +44 148 459 9299 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us US records highest coronavirus death toll for second straight day Iran Press TV Thursday, 16 April 2020 6:16 AM US coronavirus deaths increased by a record number for the second straight day, rising by at least 2,371 on Wednesday to 30,885, the heaviest daily toll of any country. The figures, based on a Reuters tally, came as President Donald Trump suggested the US has passed the peak on the coronavirus cases and that he will announce Thursday the first plans for lifting virus lockdowns. The country recorded its first COVID-19 fatality on February 29, and it took 38 days to reach 10,000 deaths and just nine more days to go from 10,000 fatalities to 30,000. The previous high single-day death toll was 2,364 on Tuesday, Reuters said. Officials cautioned that virus-related death figures are undercount as many people who died at home or in nursing homes had never been tested for the virus The number of confirmed virus cases in the US reached 636,350, according to Johns Hopkins University. 'Virus test kits do not exist anywhere in US' The Governor of Washington state, once the original virus hot spot in the US, said the continuing shortage of test kits remains the biggest obstacle to reopening the economy. "We simply haven't had enough test kits they simply do not exist anywhere in the United States right now," Jay Inslee said, adding the state had purchased about a million swabs, vials and test medium but they were just starting to arrive. "And this is a huge frustration for all of us," said the governor. Right now, the state has the ability to analyze as many as 13,000 tests per day. But health officials are only able to conduct about 4,500 tests daily, due to the shortages, he said. Biggest US economic downturn in 70 years American industry collapsed in March as manufacturing and overall industrial production posted the biggest declines since the US demobilized after World War II. The Federal Reserve warned that the devastation caused to the US economy by the coronavirus pandemic would continue. The Fed said on Wednesday that "economic activity contracted sharply and abruptly across all regions in the United States as a result of COVID-19." Its report showed manufacturing production plummeted 6.3% last month, the biggest decrease since February 1946. "The economy is almost in free fall," said Sung Won Sohn, a business economics professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. The Commerce Department also said on Wednesday that retail sales plunged 8.7% last month, the biggest decline since the government started tracking the series in 1992. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity. "Economists have long imagined over the years what a new Great Depression would look like, but today they can stop thinking about it," said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at MUFG in New York. "Things will plainly never be the same again for consumers and factories where everyone in the country will have to make do with less." Nearly 17 million Americans have lost their jobs in the last three weeks as coronavirus-induced layoffs persist, with the the Fed saying "the near-term outlook was for more job cuts in coming months." The median consensus estimate from economists is that US weekly jobless claims will be 5.46 million for the week ending April 11, according to Bloomberg data. The consensus estimate would bring total filings for unemployment insurance to more than 22 million over the course of four weeks. That means in about one month, the US economy will have erased all of the jobs created since the 2008-2009 recession. Face masks 'new normal' in US post-virus life As some US governors believe they may be ready to start the process of reopening their economies at the end of the month, others are preparing Americans for a post-virus life that would likely include public face coverings as the new normal. Trump, who is facing re-election vote in November, has set May 1 the target date for restarting the economy. The governors of New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania issued orders that residents wear face masks as they emerge from isolation in the coming weeks. "We are going to be getting back to normal; it will be a new normal," Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said. California Governor Gavin Newsom said residents would likely be wearing masks in public for some time to come. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gov. Phil Murphy will hold his daily briefing Friday in Trenton to provide updates on the coronavirus pandemic that has killed at least 3,518 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. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage At Thursdays briefing, Gov. Phil Murphy said he was outraged that bodies of residents who died at a Sussex County nursing home during the coronavirus outbreak were allowed to pile up at a makeshift morgue" and called for the states top law enforcement officer to investigate. New Jerseyans living in our longterm care facilities deserve to be cared for with respect, compassion and dignity, Murphy said during the briefing Thursday in Trenton. We can and must do better. 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. NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report. 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. Brianna Kudisch may be reached at bkudisch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @briannakudisch. 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. By Laman Ismayilova Every year on 18 April, the world community celebrates International Day for Monuments and Sites. This significant date was established by UNESCO in 1983 on the proposal of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). The main goal of the day is to draw people's attention to the protection of monuments and historical sites. Various events and exhibitions are annually organized across the world as part of the celebration. This year, mass events have been postponed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Accordingly, the State Service for Protection, Development and Restoration of Cultural Heritage under the Azerbaijan Ministry of Culture as well as subordinate reserves regulate their activities by videoconference. Taking into account the current situation, all the reserves are currently operating only online. Video conferences are also organized on the occasion of the International Day of Monuments and Historic Sites. Along with Azerbaijan, well-known experts in the field of culture from Turkey, Georgia, Belgium and a number of other countries make presentations and exchange views at these conferences. Next video conference will be held with the participation of the Azerbaijan Minister of Culture Abulfas Garayev and with country`s well-known specialists on April 17. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Help India! Mahesh Trivedi, TwoCircles.net Novel Coronavirus is on the prowl here, there and everywhere but with the dread of this potentially fatal disease is an added threat of social stigma and ostracism. Incidents of sporadic attacks on health workers and other potential carriers of the virus have already surfaced social media and it can be now said with precision that protests by locals during burial or cremation of Corona victims might soon become the order of the day. Support TwoCircles Only last week, when the body of a 45-year-old COVID victim was brought to a cemetery near her home in Ahmedabad, residents of the locality threw tantrums and raised hell, saying the corpse could spread the viral infection in their area. The police and municipal health officials spent as many as four hours allaying their fears by explaining the World Health Organization (WHO) approved scientific process but the residents refused to budge.The body was then taken to a distant graveyard where again angry crowds gathered and created noisy scenes but the Ganj Shohda Kabristan chairman Zahid Kadri prevailed upon them and the woman was finally laid to rest with police cordoning off the burial ground. I asked them what they would do if they were faced similar opposition when one of their own virus-stricken family members was brought here for burial, said Kadri describing how he managed to silence the protesting crowds. Soon after, a similar incident took place in Kolkata where scores of people residing near a crematorium closed its gates in order to block entry of the hearse carrying the body of a 57-year-old man, West Bengals first COVID-19 fatality. A ruckus was created among the locals till a huge police force descended on the ground and dispersed them after collaring 16 men and women. In Gujarats Surendranagar, corona phobics forced relatives of a 46-year-old woman to perform her last rites only on the outskirts of the town instead of a riverside crematorium in the vicinity of her home. Love is only a word for them, says Dr Ronak Gandhi, CEO of Ahmedabad-based Loving Center for Transformation, a meditation and Zen counselling centre. Dr Ronak opines that these fears are unfounded and indeed COVID has revealed the fragility of the Indian society. For anyone sensible, it is heartbreaking that a time like this when humanity should come together through empathy and understanding, grief-stricken families are not being able to give even a decent farewell to their departed ones. What adds insult to injury is that some authorities decided to name and shame those affected, through name plates outside quarantined houses. In many cities, including Ahmedabad, the decision of the municipal corporation to paste red, stay-away notices outside quarantined homes, and also making their names and addresses public through media has left residents fretting and fuming. Many housing societies, fearing spread of the deadly virus, have even put up barricades at the entrance of their complexes, fueling clashes with vegetable sellers, newspaper delivery boys, dog owners and morning walkers as well as other hawkers and daily wage earners. Displaying names of coronavirus suspects publicly is an arbitrary and reactionary measure that does not serve the purpose and will instead cause fear, isolation and stigmatization, opines social worker Salim Shaikh. Doctors, nurses and other paramedical personnel have been risking their lives by working round the clock with COVID patients but, unfortunately, are no better off. Reports of doctors being stigmatized and assaulted by those refusing to undergo medical tests are everyday. While a nurse was suddenly evicted by her corona phobic landlord in Surat, neighbors ransacked an Ahmedabad landlords home and even attacked him for not throwing out his tenants put in quarantine. Police commissioner Ashish Bhatia says, the fact that a record 40,000 desperate people called the dedicated helpline within three days in Ahmedabad has proven that coronavirus has struck terror among the weak-hearted, gullible citizens. While this highly-contagious pathogen has made the last journey of the departed tortuous in these trying times, the plight of quarantined suspects is no less painful. Isolated in their homes for possible symptoms after one of their family members tested coronavirus-positive, many people cannot have even a glimpse of their deceased kin when the body is taken away for final rites packed as it is in an opaque zip bag as per health guidelines. Amid painful incidents like the above, however, Muslim neighbors in Mumbai and Malda (West Bengal) came to the rescue of lonely Hindu men for carrying the body of their elderly relative to a crematorium and completing all the formalities. Following a meeting with chief ministers of states it has been decided by the Centre that most states will opt for an extension of lockdown. In painful times like these, it is little relieving to see local police swing into action and give the stick to those boycotting people who have been cured of COVID or have tested negative. Also being taken to task are social media group administrators for spreading frightening rumors about the viral infection. As Gujarat reaches 493 coronavirus cases and 23 deaths on April 12, general secretary of Gujarat chapter of the All-India Milli Council, Abdul Hafiz Lakhani, feels that It is the governments responsibility to make people aware about the pandemic and its consequences, and panic and fear must be removed by taking some innovative efforts. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Credit: Luca VenterMagic Giant will be holding a virtual "Disaster Party" this weekend, and a whole bunch of musicians are invited. The trio's third episode of their Live from Quarantine series will premiere this Sunday, April 19 at 2 p.m. PT via the Magic Giant Instagram. Among the artists remotely stopping by include The Lumineers' Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, SHAED, and Meg Myers, as well as Jason Mraz and Woody Harrelson. The show will raise money for the Frontline Responders Fund, which provides personal protective equipment to hospital workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "It's really beautiful seeing all these immensely talented and generous artists come together to raise money [for Frontline Responders Fund] to help protect the heroic hospital workers who are out there risking their lives for humanity right now," says Magic Giant's Austin Bisnow. Magic Giant recently released their now very aptly named single "Disaster Party," which currently sits in the top 30 on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Washington Governor Jay Inslee on Friday accused Donald Trump of fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies after the United States president urged supporters to LIBERATE three states led by Democratic governors. The presidents statements this morning encourage illegal and dangerous acts. He is putting millions of people in danger of contracting COVID-19, Inslee said in a series of tweets on Friday afternoon. His unhinged rantings and calls for people to liberate states could also lead to violence. Weve seen it before, Inslee added. The president is fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies even while his own administration says the virus is real, it is deadly and we have a long way to go before restrictions can be lifted. Inslees tweets came after Trump apparently encouraged the growing protests against the stay-at-home restrictions aimed at stopping the coronavirus. The president is fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies even while his own administration says the virus is real, it is deadly and we have a long way to go before restrictions can be lifted. 2/7 Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 17, 2020 LIBERATE MINNESOTA! LIBERATE MICHIGAN! LIBERATE VIRGINIA, Trump said in a tweet-storm in which he also lashed out at New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for criticising the federal response. Cuomo should spend more time doing and less time complaining,' the president said. LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020 The presidents tweets marked a different tone from the day before, when Trump said it was up to state governors to decide when and how to reopen their economies. The Trump administration on Thursday unveiled a phased approach to the reopening of the economy, saying governors would be calling their own shots while the federal government stood alongside them. On Friday, responding to pleas from governors for help from the federal government in ramping up testing for the virus, Trump put the burden back on them: The States have to step up their TESTING! Trump defended his tweets later on Friday, saying he was very comfortable with the posts. He accused the three states of doing too much and said he was not worried about those protesting against stay-at-home orders, despite the fact demonstrators have defied the administrations social distancing guidelines. Governors remain cautious Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to see businesses reopen quickly and claimed earlier this week that he possesses total authority over the matter, even though the lockdowns and other social-distancing measures have been imposed by state and local leaders, not Washington, DC. Some states did take some of the nations first, small steps towards loosening restrictions. In Florida, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis gave the green light for municipalities to reopen beaches and parks if they could do so safely. In Texas, Republican Governor Greg Abbott said stores could begin selling items curbside, non-essential surgery could resume, and state parks could reopen. A man speaks with a library worker after receiving an unemployment form, as the outbreak of COVID-19 continues, in Hialeah, Florida [File: Marco Bello/Reuters] But governors of both parties Friday suggested they would be cautious in returning to normal, with some of them warning that they cannot do it without help from Washington to expand testing. The federal government cannot wipe its hands of this and say, Oh, the states are responsible for testing,' New York Governor Cuomo said. We cannot do it without federal help. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, a Republican ally of Trump, said he would listen to medical experts in deciding how to move forward. I am not going to do something that I feel in my heart is the wrong thing thats going to endanger our people, he said. Democratic Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said he and his staff are focused, not on the presidents tweets, but on fighting a biological war. I do not have time to involve myself in Twitter wars, said Northam, who is a medical doctor. I will continue to make sure that I do everything that I can to keep Virginians safe and to save lives. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaking during a news conference in New York City, New York, the United States [Mike Segar/Reuters] The clash between Trump and Cuomo was personal, with the president complaining the governor has not expressed his thanks for the help received from the federal government. Cuomo countered by saying: I dont know what Im supposed to do, send a bouquet of flowers? Thank you to the federal government for participating in a federal emergency.' Even in largely rural states with small populations, such as Wyoming, Maine and South Dakota, governors said they were not anxious to quickly resume business as usual. Until weve got the testing up to speed which has got to be part of the federal government stepping in and helping were just not going to be there, said Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, a Republican. Fresh protests The University of Washington, whose computer models have frequently been cited by health officials at White House briefings, predicted Friday that Vermont, West Virginia, Montana and Hawaii could open as early as May 4 if they restrict large gatherings, test widely and quarantine the contacts of people who test positive. Iowa, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Utah, Arkansas and Oklahoma, however, are among states that would need to wait until mid-June or early July. About half the states should wait until at least early June to reopen, and all should gauge the capacity of their public health systems to handle outbreaks, university researchers said. Worldwide, the outbreak has infected more than 2.2 million people and killed more than 153,000, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally based on figures supplied by government health authorities around the globe, though it has become increasingly clear that the true numbers are much higher. The official death toll in the US surpassed 36,000, with more than 692,000 confirmed infections. Protesters carry rifles near the steps of the Michigan State Capitol building in Lansing, Michigan [Paul Sancya/AP Photo] The shutdowns have inflicted heavy damage on economies around the world. In the US, the crisis has cost at least 22 million Americans their jobs, pushing the unemployment rate towards levels not seen since the Great Depression in the early 1930s. Many Americans, especially in rural areas and other parts of the country that have not seen major outbreaks, have urged governors to reopen their economies. Defying social distancing guidelines, protesters have taken to the streets in Ohio, Texas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia and Michigan, where more than 3,000 turned out on Wednesday in what looked like one of the presidents rallies, with MAGA hats and Trump flags. Protests continued Friday, including one outside the home of Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota and another in Idaho, where the governor is a Republican. Public health experts have warned that an easing of the shutdowns must be accompanied by wider testing and tracing of infected people to keep the virus from coming back with a vengeance. 17.04.2020 LISTEN National Secretariat of the National Health Students Association of Ghana (NAHSAG) has petitioned the Ministry of Health to provide them with their permanent job as they are key to combating the COVID-19 pandemic. In a petition, the President of the association, Mr Moses N. Bondong believes that in the midst of this pandemic, the role of the Allied health professionals is important therefore they must be given the opportunity to contribute their quota to the fight of the pandemic. "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," he stated. He continued, "This came as a surprise to 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. Mr Moses N. Bondong mentioned that about One Thousand, One Hundred and Eighty-Two (1,182) professionally trained health workers whose knowledge, skills and expertise are being wasted away in their homes during this critical time should be provided with jobs to serve dutifully in this time of COVID-19. According to him, in these times of COVID-19, statistics and records about the number of persons who visit the health facilities, cases, suspected cases, death and death rate, recovery rate, and any other relevant records is very important as it informs the policymakers to make prudent decisions to help combat the pandemic in this difficult time. CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Snapped poles and tangled power lines over a battered landscape of downed trees are the usual challenges lineworkers face after severe weather strikes but the COVID-19 pandemic and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's recommended safety guidelines have added new complexities to lineworkers' already complicated work. Spring storms that barreled across the Midwest and Southeast this month tested even the most seasoned lineworkers, who adjusted to new social distancing and face mask requirements while working to restore power to nearly 1 million Duke Energy customers including essential services like hospitals, grocery stores and schools that provide meals. Electricity plays an essential role during a time when many people because of stay-at-home orders now live, work, eat, teach, learn and play exclusively at home, every day. Sharing the spotlight: 'Front Lights for Front-Line Workers" April 18 is National Lineworker Appreciation Day a day set aside each year to honor the men and women who dedicate themselves to the often hazardous work of keeping the lights on. But this year, Duke Energy lineworkers are sharing the spotlight with all essential workers who are keeping the nation safe and functioning during the pandemic. "I've been awestruck by the selfless acts of everyday heroes from the health care workers fighting the virus on the front lines, to store clerks stocking the shelves with food, to concerned citizens delivering groceries to elderly neighbors," said Harry Sideris, senior vice president of Duke Energy customer experience and services. "We are all united in the midst of this uncertainty, and we find ourselves as we often do in crises on the front lines doing the necessary work to keep things running. We're especially proud of our lineworkers for keeping the lights on for the essential facilities, homes and businesses that depend on us during such an important time in our nation." As part of the shared recognition, the company is encouraging its customers and communities to turn on front lights on April 18 at 9 p.m. for its "Front lights for Front-Line Workers" initiative to recognize all front-line heroes. Those who wish to participate are encouraged to use the hashtags #FrontLights4FrontLineWorkers and #ThankALineman on social media. More than 7,800 Duke Energy and contract lineworkers are part of the Duke Energy team. They are responsible for constructing, operating and maintaining equipment and more than 300,000 miles of power lines in Duke Energy's service territories that's enough to wrap around the Earth 12 times. For more information about Duke Energy's lineworkers, follow @DukeEnergy and visit facebook.com/DukeEnergy. B-roll of lineworkers in the field is available here: https://news.duke-energy.com/file?fid=560ef6e95e8eef0635e13d15. Duke Energy 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. Contact: Meghan Miles 24-Hour: 800.559.3853 [email protected] Twitter - @DE_MeghanM SOURCE Duke Energy Samples are tested at the disease control centre of Da Nang city (Photo: VNA) 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. The La Son - Tuy Loan Expressway, which connects the central province of Thua Thien-Hue Province with Da Nang City, will be linked with the North South Expressway. Photo by VnExpress/Vo Thanh. The PM wants land clearance for eight sections of the North-South Expressway completed this quarter so construction can begin in August. Land clearance is at 70 percent and if local authorities are not determined, the goal to complete this process by the end of this quarter will be missed, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Thursday. Construction of all 114 resettlement areas for the projects should begin this quarter and municipal leaders must consider land clearance an urgent task, the PM said. A Transport Ministry report shows most localities have not given their final approval on the relocation plan for affected households. The northern provinces of Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh, Khanh Hoa Province in the central region, and the southern provinces of Ninh Thuan and Dong Nai are among localities that have not begun work on resettlement areas. So far, work has begun on just 35 out of 114 resettlement areas. Total land clearance costs for the North-South Expressway are estimated at VND12.4 trillion ($526.3 million). It is also estimated that 3,690 households have to be relocated as the government takes away 4,835 hectares of land. The government had said last month it would propose to the Politburo, the main decision-making body of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and to the National Assembly, that the state budget be used to build the eight sections. These sections were earlier planned under the private-public-partnership (PPP) model, but the transport ministry proposed that state budget be used after prospective investors said they faced difficulties in acquiring funding from banks. The eight sections are part of the 11 that will comprise the North-South Expressway. Work on the three state-funded sections is already underway. French President Emmanuel Macron rejected the idea that China had handled the coronavirus outbreak better than Western democracies in an interview published in Fridays Financial Times. The FT quoted him as saying that there was no comparison between countries where information flowed freely and citizens could criticise their governments and those where the truth was suppressed. Given these differences, the choices made and what China is today, which I respect, lets not be so naive as to say its been much better at handling this, Macron told the FT. We dont know. There are clearly things that have happened that we dont know about. Frictions between China and France came to light earlier this week when the Chinese ambassador was summoned by the foreign minister after his embassy posted on its website what French lawmakers called fake news. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17 By Tamilla Mammadova - Trend: The European Investment Bank (EIB) supports Georgia in the fight against coronavirus, the bank said in a statement on Twitter, Trend reports. "As a part of Team Europe, the European Investment Bank is fully committed to support Georgia's need regarding the short and mid-term response to the COVID-19 crisis: support to Georgian business, help to the health sector and acceleration of implementation of existing projects," said Lilyana Pavlova, Vice-President of EIB. The bank intends to allocate 200 million euros for the development of healthcare infrastructure in Georgia, along with addressing fiscal and other needs experienced as a result of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic in the country. Pavlova added that EIB closely follows the current efforts taken by the authorities in the fight against the global pandemic in the country and deems Government of Georgia in tackling the COVID-19 are impressive. As of now, Georgia has confirmed a total of 370 cases of COVID-19 since February 28, including 77 recoveries and three deaths. Starting from April 17, it is mandatory to wear face masks at all closed public spaces. Otherwise, the relevant legal entities will be fined for violation of the state of emergency regulations. During ten days from April 17, restrictions also are imposed on visiting cemeteries in all cities throughout the country. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356 Malaysia has denied entry to a boat carrying about 200 Rohingya due to coronavirus fears, the air force said, after news emerged this week that scores died on another crowded vessel. Activists are now fearful that large numbers of Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority from mostly Buddhist Myanmar, may be trapped on boats at sea and unable to reach other countries. The latest developments have sparked concerns of a repeat of a 2015 crisis when many Rohingya died at sea after Southeast Asian nations turned their boats back following the collapse of long-established people smuggling routes. In the latest incident, the Rohingya boat was spotted Thursday by a Malaysian air force jet off the northwestern island of Langkawi and then intercepted by two navy vessels backed by a helicopter. Malaysian sailors gave the Rohingya food before escorting them out of the country's waters, the air force said. "With their poor settlements and living conditions... it is strongly feared that undocumented migrants who try to enter Malaysia either by land or sea will bring (COVID-19) into the country," said an air force statement late Thursday. It added that "maritime surveillance operations will be intensified". The development signalled that Malaysia, which is under a nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of the virus after recording more than 5,000 cases and 80 deaths, is toughening its stance to deny Rohingya entry. While relatively few boats carrying the minority have arrived in Malaysia since the 2015 crisis, some have been allowed into the country. Earlier this month, 202 Rohingya landed in Langkawi and were detained. - 'Death sentence' - Malaysia is a favoured destination for the migrants from Myanmar as it is a Muslim-majority nation with a sizeable Rohingya diaspora. Many travel on crowded, rickety boats from squalid camps near Bangladesh's border, home to nearly a million Rohingya who fled Myanmar after a military offensive in 2017. In the earlier incident, 60 Rohingya died on a boat crammed with hundreds of people stranded in the Bay of Bengal for more than two months, according to survivors. That vessel was denied entry by Malaysia and Thailand and then headed back to Bangladesh where the migrants were picked up by the coast guard late Wednesday. About 400 people were rescued. Activist group Fortify Rights said Rohingya had told them other ships were adrift at sea between Bangladesh and Malaysia, and urged regional governments to allow boats ashore. "Sending an ill-equipped ship of refugees out to sea is unlawful and a death sentence," said the group's CEO Matthew Smith. Search Keywords: Short link: London, April 17 : A large, mysterious flaming object was spotted over the UK skies, leaving behind a trail of smoke that stayed for 20 minutes, a media report said on Friday. The large flaming object was spotted spiralling in the sky at around 8 p.m. on Thursday by a man in Cambridgeshire, said the Metro newspaper report. "It looked like a very thick chemtrail to start with. It looked like a short, skinny cloud. It wasn't moving quickly at all. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a meteorite, because they are gone in seconds," the newspaper quoted the man as saying. "We have seen hundreds of shooting stars, but this definitely wasn't that either. This was coming down very slowly and spiralling. It started to glow orange," he said, adding that "there were flames coming out of the back of it as well". The man took several pictures of the burning entity dropping through the sky, in which a huge trail can be seen behind it as it descends into the distance. He said he was watching the unidentified object fall through the sky for "between 10 and 20 minutes", as it was coming down slowly. Eventually, the burning mass disappeared. Buying a luxury watch online can often strike fear into the hearts of the most avid watch collectors. You dont get to try it on first and form the important, emotional attachment that is prevalent in the majority of buying decisions. However, given recent world events, getting yourself into a physical store can prove to be problematic. Its situations such as these that make e-commerce an absolute saviour, and nowhere is that better exemplified than in the luxury watch industry. Fortunately, leading luxury watch retailer Watches of Switzerland Australia has a huge collection of watches to buy directly online, from some of the worlds most reputable brands. While the purveyor of ultra-fine timepieces has had a physical presence in Australia for some 24 years with stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Perth the retailers online offering only launched in April 2020. However, despite being in its infancy, Watches of Switzerland Australia has been working tirelessly to recruit more and more luxury watchmakers, cementing themselves as being the only online watch store you need to visit when you want to make your next purchase. With IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Panerai being the brands made available at the online stores inauguration, the good-looking trio are now joined by heavyweights including, A. Lange & Sohne, Cartier, Breitling, TAG Heuer, Tudor, Blancpain and Breguet, to name but a few . Youll be hard-pushed to find a more substantial selection of brand new watches available to buy anywhere online. Any models that are currently unavailable, or if you want to order a certain configuration, you can chat with a Watches of Switzerland representative directly through the website. And, not only do you invest in a luxury timepiece when you buy from Watches of Switzerland, but you also invest in their exemplary aftercare service, which includes maintenance of your watch via the companys own in-house service centre. Head to the Watches of Switzerland Australia website now to secure your next grail watch. The Smart Sock uses light to measure a babys pulse rate and blood oxygen levels. It sends data via Bluetooth to the products base station, a small device that must be within 100 feet of the sock. If the babys vitals are normal and the device is working properly, the base glows green. If something goes wrong if the sock is poorly positioned, for example, or if a babys blood oxygen dips to an abnormal level the base station will emit sounds and colored lights that signify what the problem is. At the same time, these live vital sign readings and alerts are sent via Wi-Fi to parents phones through the Owlet smartphone app. Owlet said that the disruption, which began last Thursday, stemmed from a bug in a new release of its app that caused its servers to crash. When the servers went down, parents were no longer able to see their childs heart rate or oxygen levels on the companys app, Kurt Workman, Owlets chief executive officer, said in a video statement that was uploaded to Facebook on Saturday. I just want to take a moment to apologize to each and every one of you for this tremendous inconvenience that weve caused, said Mr. Workman, a father of three who said he uses the Smart Sock to monitor his 9-month-old. On Sunday, Owlet said it had fixed the problem, but by then hundreds of parents had shared their frustrations on social media. Nearly 900 comments flooded the companys Facebook page. (On Wednesday, the comments appeared to have been removed and were no longer visible.) Hi, we have loved your product for about 5 months. However the last month has been extremely tough, one father wrote, adding that the product has triggered alarms multiple times for no reason and has caused more anxiety than relief. The Punjab government has decided to promote the policeman whose hand was severed and re-implanted in a clash with Nihang Sikhs in Patiala while imposing curfew restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus in the state. According to a report by The Times of India, Assistant Sub Inspector Harjeet Singh, who lost his hand while valiantly fighting off an attack in Patiala on April 12, has been promoted to the rank of Sub Inspector in recognition of his exemplary courage. Acordiong to an official statement, three other police personnel involved in the incident have been awarded the Director General's Commendation Disc. Twitter The decision was taken by Director General of Police, Dinkar Gupta, after consulting Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on April 16. Inspector Bikkar Singh, ASI Raghbir Singh and ASI Raj Singh are the other three police officers awarded for display of exemplary courage and devotion to duty. Making an exception from the laid down norms, Gupta also conferred the DGP's Commendation Disc on Yadwinder Singh, a non-uniformed official of the Mandi Board, who was on duty at the time of the incident. Singh's hand was reattached after a 7.5-hour long surgery at Chandigarh's Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). PGIMER said their Director Dr Jagat Ram had received a call regarding it from Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta at 7.45 am after which the emergency team at the trauma centre there was alerted. After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex officially exited the royal family, the remaining senior royals were expected to step up to fill in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's role. Experts believe that royal watchers will see more public engagements from Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleon, as well as Princess Anne and the Earl and Countess of Wessex. Prince William Preparing To Be The King? Furthermore, with the growing number of COVID-19 cases across the U.K. which resulted in the whole nation in strict lockdown, royals have found a way to continue fulfilling their duties even while on stay-at-home orders. Prince Willam is stepping up his A-game and has been eminently visible amid the coronavirus crisis. The royal couple used their social media platform to show their "considerable responsibility" to boost morale among their fellow Brits during this devastating situation. Following this, the 37-year-old future king recently launched an emergency NHS Nightingale Hospital in Birmingham which was built in just eight days at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC). Prince William virtually opened the facility which will cater to COVID-19 patients in the U.K. In the video, the royal paid tribute to frontline workers for their "selfless commitment" in public service that "has touched the hearts of the entire nation." "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," Prince William added. He also acknowledged the hard work of NHS staff, armed forces, local government and private sectors for achieving this success in just a short span of time. It was reported that the construction was collectively built by over 400 civilian contractors, 500 clinical staff and military personnel. The newly opened health facility has the current capacity of 500 beds and can be increased to 1,500. First Royal To Virtually Open A Facility Earlier this month, the Prince of Wales also unveiled London's first field hospital for coronavirus patients. In less than two weeks, a convention hall was converted to a health facility with a capacity of 4,000 beds. Prince Charles was said to be the first royal to remotely open a facility. "I was enormously touched to have been asked to open the Nightingale Hospital as part of mass mobilization to withstand the coronavirus crisis. It is, without doubt, a spectacular and almost unbelievable feat of work in every sense-from its speed of construction in just nine days as we've heard to its size and the skills of those who have created it," he mentioned in his virtual address while he was at his Balmoral Castle in Scotland. This came weeks after the heir to the throne was tested positive for coronavirus after showing mild symptoms of the dreaded virus. Fortunately, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall was tested negative from COVID-19. READ MORE: Coronavirus What?! Kim Kardashian Makes FILTHY Revelation Amid Crisis! When VITAS Healthcare Chaplain Nicolle Grasse met Adele Laznowski Zaveduk in early January in the home she shared with her husband, the 82-year-old woman was visibly weak from a long fight against advanced heart failure. Zaveduk had been receiving care from VITAS for only a few days. Her doctors expected she had only a few weeks to live. Yet her eyes shone brightly as she thumbed through a box brimming with envelopes, each bearing her name and address scrawled by a child's hand. For 25 years, she had educated children about her experiences as one of the Holocaust's "hidden children" in hope that shining light on modern history's darkest period might prevent it from reoccurring. What her family did not know, however, is that Zaveduk's own Holocaust experiences had prevented her from completing her own education. She had never finished high school, never earned a college degree-a fact that surprised even her husband of 63 years, Ben, when Zaveduk revealed it just weeks before she died. Zaveduk's VITAS care team, however, ensured she received the recognition and closure she desperately wanted and richly deserved. Grasse, in particular, reached out to her contacts at Elmhurst College in Chicago and its Holocaust organization for assistance. Zaveduk's secret "Adele was deeply sad about having never received a diploma, as she had done so much to educate children and advocate for education," said Grasse. Born in France in 1937, Adele Laznowski was five when her parents were sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Her mother arranged for Zaveduk and her sister to be raised by a Catholic family. Her parents survived, but she and her sister did not recognize them-or their Jewish heritage-when they were reunited in 1945. Zaveduk's father soon died, her mother remarried and Zaveduk was put to work as a child in a family store. Years later, she moved to Chicago, married Ben and found her passion for teaching children about the Holocaust. Thank to Grasse's intervention, Elmhurst College President Troy VanAken and Chaplain H. Scott Matheney presented Zaveduk with a special award in an early January ceremony at the couple's home. "She committed her life's purpose to this endeavor so that others might remember and never allow it to happen again. We honor her life of service, her role as an educator and her witness to life and human rights," said Matheney. An Illinois Holocaust Museum representative praised Zaveduk's service and the value of survivors' stories. "Adele and her husband were speechless and tearful," recalled Grasse. "It was one of the most moving experiences I've ever been a part of." Zaveduk died peacefully at home on Jan. 23, 2020. Less than two weeks later, the Illinois State Senate adopted SR 0971 honoring her posthumously as "a strong life force packaged in a tiny body." The resolution read: "Although she did not define herself by her wartime experiences, she felt sharing her story could help in the fight." Read more hospice wish fulfillment stories like Zaveduk's and learn more about end-of-life care at VITAS.com. MT. PLEASANT, Mich., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Isabella Bank Corporation (OTCQX: ISBA), today announced a change in the location of its 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the "Annual Meeting"). After careful consideration and in light of on-going developments related to the coronavirus (COVID-19), Isabella Bank Corporation's Annual Meeting will be held solely by remote communication, in a "virtual only" format to support the health and well-being of our directors, officers, employees and shareholders. The previously announced date and time of the meeting (Tuesday, May 5, 2020 at 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time) will not change. This change is solely related to the COVID-19 impact and we expect to resume our in-person shareholder meeting next year. In order to attend the virtual Annual Meeting, shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 13, 2020 must register by April 30, 2020 at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, at http://viewproxy.com/IsabellaBankCorp/2020. Once registered, shareholders can attend, vote and submit questions at the virtual Annual Meeting via the internet at http://viewproxy.com/IsabellaBankCorp/2020/VM. You may vote during the virtual Annual Meeting by following the instructions available on the meeting website. If you encounter any difficulties accessing the virtual meeting, please call 866-612-8937 or submit any questions to [email protected] for assistance. Further information regarding the change of location of the Annual Meeting can be found in the Notice of Change of Location of Annual Meeting of Shareholders filed by Isabella Bank Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 17, 2020. Shareholders who may not have access to the online meeting, may call into the meeting by dialing 231.929.4212 using code 819-499-066. This conference call option will not allow shareholders to vote or submit questions. Shareholders wishing to use the phone option may must register by April 30, 2020 at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time by calling the meeting technical service team at 866.612.8937. The online format of the Annual Meeting, to the extent practicable, ensures shareholders are afforded the same rights and opportunities to participate as they would at an in-person meeting, using online tools designed to facilitate shareholder access and participation. Whether or not shareholders are attending the virtual meeting, ISBA urges shareholders to vote and submit proxies in advance of the Annual Meeting by one of the methods described in the Proxy Materials. About the Corporation Isabella Bank Corporation (OTCQX: ISBA) is the parent holding company of Isabella Bank, a state chartered bank headquartered in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Isabella Bank was established in 1903 and has been committed to serving the local banking needs of its customers and communities for 117 years. The Bank offers personal and commercial lending and deposit products, as well as investment, trust and estate planning services through Isabella Wealth. The Bank has 30 banking locations throughout seven Mid-Michigan counties: Clare, Gratiot, Isabella, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, and Saginaw. The Corporation has been recognized on the Detroit Free Press list of "Top Workplaces". For more information about Isabella Bank Corporation, visit the Investors link at www.isabellabank.com. Isabella Bank Corporation common stock is quoted on the OTCQX tier of the OTC Markets Group, Inc.'s electronic quotation system (www.otcmarkets.com) under the symbol "ISBA." The Corporation's market maker is Boenning & Scattergood, Inc. (www.boenninginc.com) and its investor relations firm is Renmark Financial Communications, Inc.(www.renmarkfinancial.com). SOURCE Isabella Bank Corporation Related Links https://www.isabellabank.com O n Sunday, the Prime Minister described the NHS as powered by love. If that is the case it is love that spreads across the four corners of the globe. More than 100 nationalities are working in our healthcare system, making up over 13 per cent of the workforce. They are all heroes, risking their lives for all of us. Thats why I want to see Boris Johnsons Government now offer unconditional British citizenship to all non-British workers in the NHS, from porters to paediatricians, from care assistants to trust chief executives. You can support this by signing my petition. The very least the Government can do for those who have not just chosen Britain as their home, but chosen to put their lives on the line, is to give them citizenship. They are not just British, they are the best of British. Ibrahim Dogus, Labour Mayor of Lambeth Editor's reply Dear Ibrahim Nurses Jenny from New Zealand and Luis from Portugal are now national heroes. Its only a matter of time before Richard Curtis makes a film about how they treated Boris Johnson. What a welcome change this is to the anti-migrant rhetoric of Brexit. Yesterday 147 Romanians flew into Britain to save our harvest 99 per cent of seasonal farm labourers are foreign. I hope they are kept safe. Last night we clapped the NHS; lets now show appreciation for the people from all over the world who keep this country working. They deserve our respect and when this is over lets not forget their contribution. Susannah Butter, Comment Editor Dont write off the elderly Captain Tom Moore / AFP via Getty Images Delhi is getting ready for a rush of testing once it receives the Rapid Testing Kits (RTKs) being distributed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as many as 20,000 tests within five days and 60,000 before the end of the month provided it gets enough kits. The numbers will significantly improve Delhis record on testing ; the city-state currently tests 930 per million population compared to a national average of 220. In terms of tests per million, it is ranked at the top in the country, with the only regions doing better are those with roughly a tenth of the capitals population. The Delhi government has said it will focus its testing efforts on the containment zones, of which there are 68 in the city. Delhi officials said the government is awaiting a response from ICMR on the number of RTKs it will get. The centre has committed to providing 50,000 RTKs for Delhi, said an official in the chief ministers office (CMO), asking not to be named. On Thursday, India received a batch of 550,000 RTKs from China, after two missed deadlines. We are working on the details pertaining to allotment and logistics. The kits will be sent to our regional depots first and then it will be distributed to states taking into consideration several factors such as the scale of the outbreak, demand for kits stated by the states and current availability of RT-PCR kits in their inventory among others, a senior ICMR official said on condition of anonymity. RT-PCR is short for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, a laboratory testing technique. Even though health ministry experts have reiterated that RTKs are not meant for diagnosis but should ideally be used for surveillance purposes to establish trends, and suggested they be used in areas where there are less or no cases, many states, including Delhi, are looking at using rapid kits for conducting aggressive testing along with RT-PCR around hot spots. States can take a call on how and where they want to deploy these kits since health is a state subject, as long as the ICMR testing guidelines are followed, said a senior health ministry official. As of Friday, Delhi accounted for 12% of the 14,350 cases in India. Delhi, meanwhile, has also placed an order for 50,000 more RTKs through ICMR-approved vendors, but those are yet to arrive (they too are being imported from China). Several other state governments have also placed orders with Chinese suppliers even as Beijing has tightened export norms to ensure quality. Unlike the RT-PCR test that detects the viruss genetic material (RNA) in throat swabs to diagnose a current Covid-19 infection, rapid tests detect antibodies in the blood and indicate if a person has been infected in the past and has developed immunity to the virus. It can show results within 30 minutes, experts said. Experts recommend their use to assess the extent to which a population has been exposed to the virus. According to a senior official in the state health department, on March 28, a five-member committee of doctors formed by the Delhi government conveyed to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal the importance of scaling up tests and adopting random testing models in hot spots. Delhi was yet to notify any containment zones at the time. The chief minister asked the committee to come back with numbers, taking into consideration the shortage of kits. After a few review meetings, the committee suggested that around 60,000 tests should be done by the end of April. It was a flexible estimation based on the projected rate of the outbreak and other inter-related factors. The chief minister agreed, added the senior official who asked not to be named. But to scale up the testing drive, the government will need rapid antibody test kits. As per the plan, 20,000 tests are supposed to be done within five days of receiving the kits, the official said. Testing will be scaled up and the focus will be on containment areas as per guidelines of the Union health ministry, Delhis chief secretary Vijay Dev said. Delhis containment zones range from single buildings to entire neighbourhoods. Once the testing is scaled up, the government can go beyond contacts of Covid-19 patients to cover within the containment areas all individuals with serious acute respiratory illnesses and cold, cough and flu-like symptoms for a proper assessment of the burden of the disease, said Jugal Kishore, the head of community medicine department in Safdarjung Hospital one of the medical institutes that has been asked by the Delhi government to lead the testing exercise. Until now, the tests have largely been restricted to healthcare workers exposed to patients and contacts of those infected. The government is yet to take a call on whether it will experiment with random tests, which will also take into account asymptomatic individuals. On Thursday, Kejriwal clarified that all individuals residing inside a containment zone will not be tested. For now, the tests are required only for the contacts of the patients and symptomatic individuals who reside in the containment zones. The city of San Francisco will begin requiring face masks for everyone over the age of 12 out in public beginning at 11:59 p.m. tonight, Mayor London Breed announced Friday afternoon. The new requirement means any person inside or in an enclosed space such as when utilizing public transit, waiting in a grocery store line or at a store or pharmacy will be required to wear a mask. These should not be N95 masks, Breed clarified, but rather cloth masks, scarves or handkerchiefs covering a persons nose and mouth. The masks are not explicitly required, Breed added, when an individual is exercising outside. If someone is out and walking and theyre with other people in your household, or youre running and exercising or something out in the open and youre social distancing, that is not as problematic as when youre standing in line and youre in another location where there are a lot of people, Breed said. Dr. Grant Colfax, Director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, stated Friday that several other counties would be making similar announcements Friday, following suit with Sonoma and Marin Counties and the city of Fremont. MORE: San Francisco forced people to wear masks during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. Did it help? By wearing masks or face coverings when we are interacting with other people in public, San Franciscans will be less likely to transmit the coronavirus to one another, Colfax said. It is important to understand that todays order is part of a broader strategy to establish new ways of interacting and behaving. This will help us now and in the future as we hope to be able to relax the stay at home order. Colfax also noted there would be a strong likelihood that locals would need to wear masks for some time as the nation continues to battle the coronavirus. SFMTA Executive Director Jeffrey Tumlin underscored the necessity of bus passengers wearing masks, explaining that a bus operator may pass up a person at a bus stop if they are not wearing a protective mask. Earlier on Friday, Marin County announced an order for members of the public to also wear masks. As Marin County Public Health Officer Matt Willis said earlier on Friday, its going to be an important part of the new normal. Covering our faces is something we do to protect all of us, he said. The decision to cover your face is a decision to support our wellbeing as a community. If we can really do this, if we can get this down, it will help eventually give us more freedom to travel and interact more within our community. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Alyssa Pereira is an SFGate digital editor. Email: alyssa.pereira@sfgate.com | Twitter: @alyspereira Around 650 armed forces medical officers, pursuing post graduation, are being deployed at military healthcare facilities handling coronavirus patients across the country, officials said on Friday. At present, the medical officers are undergoing training at Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) in Pune. The decision to deploy the officers for treatment of coronavirus patients was taken at a meeting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held to review contribution of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) in assisting civilian authorities in various parts of the country to deal with rising COVID-19 cases. In addition, 100 medical officers are also being deployed to work in hospitals offering treatment to infected people. The defence ministry, in a statement, said orders notifying 50 AFMS healthcare facilities as 'COVID-19 hospitals' and 'mixed COVID-19' hospitals have been issued. "These hospitals have a combined bed capacity of 9,038 patients. Civilian COVID-19 cases would also be admitted in these hospitals as a surge capacity to augment the state healthcare facilities," it said, detailing decisions taken at the meeting chaired by Singh. Those who attended the meeting include Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, Director General of AFMS Lt Gen Anup Banerji, Director General, Director General Medical Services (Navy) Vice Admiral M V Singh and Director General Medical Services (Air) Air Marshal M S Butola. The officials briefed Singh about various actions taken in terms of issuing advisories to Armed Forces personnel, providing assistance to civilian authorities and provisioning of hospitals and healthcare facilities to fight the pandemic. A list of retired medical officers and paramedical staff of the armed forces hospitals is being readied for deployment in hospitals treating the virus infected people, officials said. The AFMS is also extending support to the government in helping several countries to deal with the pandemic. A 15-member medical team is currently in Kuwait to help the country in handling COVID-19 cases. "While appreciating various measures initiated by the Armed Forces Medical Services, Rajnath Singh directed them to extend all possible assistance to civil authorities to overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19," the ministry said. The AFMS has set up multiple quarantine facilities across the country to keep suspected cases besides taking care of hundreds of people evacuated from corona-virus hit countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) E.T., Bugsy Cinematographer Allen Daviau Dies at 77 Cinematographer Allen Daviau, who shot three of Steven Spielbergs films including E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, has died. A representative from the American Society of Cinematographers said on April 15 that Daviau died Tuesday of complications from COVID-19. He was 77. A five-time Oscar nominee, Daviau was also behind the camera on Empire of the Sun, Bugsy, The Color Purple, Avalon and Defending Your Life. Spielberg said in a statement that, Allen was a wonderful artist but his warmth and humanity were as powerful as his lens. He was a singular talent and a beautiful human being. The director had sent a letter to his old friend upon hearing of his struggle with the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus that was read to him several times at his bedside. ASC president Kees van Oostrum wrote in an email to members Wednesday that Daviau Will be remembered fondly for his sense of humor, his taste for the best of foods and his laugh that unmistakably marked his presence from far away. Born in New Orleans in 1942 and raised in the Los Angeles area, Daviau said seeing color television at the age of 12 began his fascination with the technology of light and photography, working at camera stores and film labs to hone his skills. He gate-crashed the set of Marlon Brandos One-Eyed Jacks, shot early music videos for The Who and Jimi Hendrix and also shot still photography for The Monkees. He met Spielberg in 1967 and discovered a shared love of movies. Spielberg later said that his 8mm and 16mm films werent doing the trick to help him break into the business and he started collaborating with Daviau. Together they shot Amblin in 1968. (L-R) Actor Annette Bening and cinematographer Allen Daviau attend the American Cinematophers 22nd Annual Outstanding Achievement Awards at Hollywood & Highland in Hollywood, Calif., on Jan. 26, 2008. (Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images) I dont know how crazy we are today about our individual work in that film, but I always think of Allen as a terrifically versatile cinematographer, Spielberg later told American Cinematographer magazine. They wouldnt officially work together until years later, with E.T. from 1982. Daviau said, It was the greatest opportunity anyone could ever wish for. Not only was the film an enormous commercial success, but it earned Daviau his first Academy Award nomination. He would go on to work with Spielberg many times, including serving as the director of photography on the films The Color Purple and Empire of the Sun, as well as an episode of the series Amazing Stories. He also shot second unit footage on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Daviau also had a fruitful relationship with Barry Levinson on Bugsy and Avalon, both of which scored him additional Oscar nominations. His feature output slowed in the later 90s, when he was doing more commercial work, although he did shoot Congo and The Astronauts Wife. A surgical procedure in 2012 left Daviau confined to a wheelchair, and he moved in to the a facility run by Motion Picture and Television Fund in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. He was receiving treatment at a nearby hospital for COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus, but was returned to the MPTF home to spend his final days, the facilitys President & CEO Bob Beitcher wrote in a remembrance. Although he never won the Oscar, Daviau did win a BAFTA for his work on Empire of the Sun, which he said was his favorite film to work on, and in 2007 was awarded a lifetime achievement award from the American Society of Cinematographers. He summed up his work in a humorous comment in 1987. The cinematographers unique perversity is that in this absolutely chaotic, screwed up, very imperfect work, within the frame everythings perfect for an instant, Daviau said. By Lindsey Bahr Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. Last Updated on April 17, 2020 Interest in gold and gold stocks has skyrocketed in the last 2 weeks. And for good reason. Lets recap what weve just seen in short order Explosive price gains check. Massive changes in investor sentiment check. Retail calling stockbrokers (and vice versa) about highly speculative junior gold stocks check. Gold surged from $1,470 during the peak of the March Meltdown to over $1,750 this week. Gold is getting hot again. Stockbrokers that were all cannabis and blockchain oriented the last few years are now calling their clients about the next hot junior gold stock. Get in now before the exploration this spring and summer. Oh please. And bankers are lining up the next big financings to fill their institutional clients with. Searches for gold stocks are up sharply and the newsletter crowd will follow shortly. My red flags are going up. In the long run, Im very bullish on gold. But like all commodities, it is very cyclical. But Marin, gold is money! Yes, true but most junior exploration companies have no gold. And I have a very different take on whats going to happen (which I alerted subscribers to last week). So far, its unfolding like I thought it would. But from here on out there are 2 scenarios that could happen over the coming weeks and months. In either unfolding scenario, we are prepared to act . For those new to the program (and those catching up), lets take a look at how gold does during bad market conditions. Gold as Crisis Insurance This is a chart of the S&P 500s largest declines in the past forty years. And it shows golds performance in the same time frame. First, youll see that glaring decline in the price of gold in the early 80s. Gold had just come off its best decade ever, with a 2,300% increase. The cool-off period had to come. But youll also notice that the length of the decline doesnt matter. Gold nearly inevitably risesat least a littlewhether the recession lasts a few months or a few years. Think of gold like earthquake insurance. Your city is destroyed. Suddenly, everyone you know wants earthquake insurance too. After such devastation, banks may require multi-dwelling buildings to have earthquake insurance as part of the mortgage. Right now, its too late. Gold prices are too high, and dropping stock prices are closing in fast. Gold is insurance that can give you insane protection on your portfolio once everything is broken. Thus far, its working. COT Report What are Gold Traders Saying? Every week the Commitment of Traders report comes out. It details what positions the large speculators and the commercial side are taking. Its another tool you can use to make your own bets in the sector. In the chart below youll see the non-commercial long positions in gold. Youll notice that these traders are reducing their net longs in gold (which was at a 10-year high recently). On the way down from the 10-year high in long contracts, however, it found some support around the 5-year trend line. This indicates that traders arent quite ready to let go of their safe haven long gold positions just yet. This is an important point for gold, and we are watching this closely. Maybe well get another chance to add to our gold stock holdings in the portfolio yet. In the next chart, lets look at the short positions of the large speculators Large speculators short positions in gold are at 5-year lows. Meanwhile, the gold price is at 5-year highs. Is there a rapid reversal coming? Technical Analysis (TA) Corner From a technical standpoint, a longer-term pattern is forming where gold may test the major resistance band around $1,750-$1,800. A classic Cup & Handle formation could occur where gold pulls back to test the recent support level. I am not a TA guru, but I do know the best in the business. I dont base any of my decisions on any one fact, which is why I also pay attention to what the TA charts are saying. The key is this : Can gold consolidate above the $1,750 range for a couple of weeks? If so, well have created a new base. If not, the short crowd will be slamming gold hard. But if gold continues to rally, there could be a higher support level formed similarly to what developed back in 2011-2013. How high gold will go is anyones guess, but a pullback is expected at some point. Were closely watching this as well as theres been a recent support line forming. The line has been tested twice already and is shaping up to get tested a 3rd time. If this forming trend continues the gold price will rise even further. If not, it may fall into the cup and handle formation shown earlier. The next 90 days will be incredibly exciting and important to the price of gold. The Importance of the Gold Forward Offered Rate (GOFO) and Lease Rates What is the GOFO rate? In simple terms, its the rate brokers in the London Bullion Market are willing to swap physical gold for U.S. Dollars at a future date. The future date is anywhere from one month to a year later. The GOFO rate is used as a benchmark to determine whether the cost of carrying gold is negative (backwardation) or positive (contango). This is an alternative measure to the spread between gold futures contracts and the spot price. In contango, theres a lack of liquidity in the gold bullion markets. This often leads to a huge rally in physical gold prices due to arbitrage. And weve been at extreme contango levels the past 2 weeks. Unfortunately, the LBMA stopped publishing this data back in 2015. So instead, we look at the Implied Gold Lease Rates which is the cost of storing gold in a bonded and secured vault. These vaults are same ones which are approved by the CME or the London Metals Exchange for storage and settlement of futures contracts. As you can see in the chart below, gold lease rates are nearly all negative for maturities under 12 months. Heres what that means These gold owners must pay out of pocket for the privilege of letting banks use their gold as collateral in order to lend money to other firms. This is comparable to an incident at a Danish bank where, for the first time in history, they issued covered bonds with a negative coupon. That means bond holders had to pay interest to debtors for the privilege of lending them money. In fact, the short-term gold lease rate went below -5% at one point. The Coronavirus made it impossible to deliver gold bullion between London and New York. There were 2 main factors: Commercial flights were cancelled, and this is how gold is typically transported. The closing down of Swiss refineries, which is where the 400 oz. gold bars traded on the London markets are recast into 100 oz. bars in order to meet the specifications of COMEX gold contracts. Mine Shutdowns and Offline Gold Production Our current count indicates that 338 mining operations have been shut down worldwide due to COVID-19. Ramping up production cannot happen overnight and it can take mines as long as 21 days to resume full production. To date, 115 gold mines are still offline down from 122 last week. The chart below shows that 7 gold producing mines will be back online this week. At least 23 gold producers have suspended their 2020 guidance due to anticipated or actual disruptions to their mining projects. To date, 115 gold mines are still offline. Last year, those mines produced 12.6 million oz. of gold. For companies that issued guidance for 2020: thats 6.8 million oz. of annual production offline. Bear in mind that while these numbers understate the true amount of gold production thats currently offline, only a fraction of those 6.8 million ounces is likely to remain a production deficit for 2020. We expect many of these mines to be back online before the second half of 2020, but not without hiccups (remember the Yugoslavian mines I mentioned last week?) Its difficult to forecast how high the gold production deficit will be for each mine that comes back online it could be anywhere from 50% to as low as 1%. The implications will be different for each gold miner, but unlikely to move the price of gold either way. Gold isnt rising because of the mine shutdowns. Gold is rising because its a proven safe haven in uncertain times. But dont get caught paying through the nose for gold stocks Many gold royalty companies and gold producers are trading at over 200% above their Net Asset Value. Gold will do well, but dont overpay. Regards, Russian President Vladimir Putin has supported the idea of launching a preferential mortgage program, TASS reports. "As it has already been said here, I propose launching a special preferential mortgage program, supporting both our citizens and the construction industry," Putin said at a meeting on supporting the construction industry. He stressed that such a program should be launched in the near future. "Under that program, it will be possible to take a mortgage at a rate of 6.5% per annum for the purchase of new comfort class housing at a price of up to 3 mln rubles ($40,407) in the regions and up to 8 mln rubles ($107,752) in Moscow and St. Petersburg," the head of state said. He stressed that "everything above this level will be subsidized by the state." The president drew attention to the fact that the reduced preferential rate will be valid for the entire loan term. "They will be able to apply for such a mortgage by November 1 of this year," he said. The Russian leader instructed the government to ensure the launch of this program as soon as possible. "According to preliminary estimates, about 6 billion rubles ($80.8 mln) will be needed to implement this program in 2020," Putin said. He added that the exact amount is still being discussed. Open source The investigating judge of Pechersk district court of Kyiv made a decision to take into custody a former first deputy chair of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). He is suspected in the organization of serious crimes against protesters in February 2014 as the Prosecutor Generals Office reported. The investigating judge of Pechersk district court of Kyiv chose for former first deputy chair of the SBU, had of the Anti-terrorist center of the SBU, the restrictive measure in the form of the arrest. Ex-law enforcer is suspected in the involvement in the organization of serious crimes and particularly serious crimes against protesters in February 2014, the message said. Such a decision of the court will allow the prosecutors to begin the procedure of the extradition of the suspect and begin a special pretrial investigation and procedure of the conviction in absentia. The suspect is hiding from the investigation, the court and put on the wanted list. As we reported, the Prosecutor Generals Office served one more law enforcer with charges in the persecution of protesters during mass protests in Maidan, Kyiv, in 2013. Earlier, UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine recommended to abolish the law on amnesty of activists for the investigation of crimes in Maidan in 2013-2014. Reconstructing how many individuals first settled the many small islands in the Pacific and when they arrived remain important scientific questions, as well as an intriguing ones for understanding human history. Human migrations into the islands of Remote Oceania -- from circa 3,000 to 1,200 years ago -- mark the last major movement into locations previously uninhabited by humans. These questions are also crucial as part of scientific efforts to understand the role of early history of Pacific islanders on contemporary public health problems including obesity and associated non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and Type 2 diabetes. A new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences analyzed the genomes of 1,197 individuals in Samoa and found that the effective population size of the first Samoans was small -- ranging from 700 to 3,400 people during the time period from approximately 3,000 to about 1,000 years ago. Starting about 1,000 years ago, population size rapidly increase to about 10,000 individuals, coinciding with increasing agricultural and socio-political complexity, but also with previously hypothesized contacts with other Oceanic peoples. This population history scenario for Samoa is consistent with the existing archaeological evidence of few, widely scattered and small-sized settlements in the first 2,000 years after Samoa's initial settlement. But it contrasts with archaeological population reconstructions of much larger population sizes for adjacent Pacific peoples in Tonga and Fiji during that first 1,500 to 2,000 years after initial discoveries around 3,000 years ago. The research team's conclusions could help in understanding health conditions of particular importance to people in Samoa, home to some of the highest rates of obesity, heart disease and diabetes in the world. "These findings are relevant for our ongoing public health research in Samoan populations because they highlight the importance of population history and size in influencing our ability to identify the effect of novel genetic variations, and their interactions with 21st century environments on population health," said Stephen McGarvey, study co-author and a professor of epidemiology and of anthropology at Brown University. McGarvey has studied extensively obesity and diseases that stem from obesity -- including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and cancer -- in Samoa, which are not only a threat to individual health, but to the nations' economic and social development. "Smaller populations and the evolutionary mechanisms resulting from them, including genetic drift from bottlenecks and natural selection from novel challenging environments such as experienced by the first settlers of Samoa, make it easier to detect new gene variants and different frequencies of known variants that affect cardiometabolic disease risk factors now in the 21th century," he said. The new study also found that modern Samoans derive largely from the Austronesian lineage, including the aboriginal peoples of Taiwan, Island Southeast Asia, coastal New Guinea and other island groups of Oceania -- but share 24% of their ancestry with Papuans, the descendants of the people who settled Papua/New Guinea, an estimate markedly lower than found in neighboring Polynesian groups. The researchers also found strong evidence of population reduction coincident with outside contact from European-derived groups, presumably from infectious diseases new to Samoan immune systems and societal shocks from such epidemics. The whole genome sequence data from participants' DNA also enabled findings about some genetic diversification within Samoa that may be reflective of regional and local social processes. The genomic data also showed an increase in population size about 150 years ago. "These findings indicate that the modern Samoan population is a result of these demographic dynamics from the earliest times 3,000 years ago to the very recent colonial period in the 19th century," McGarvey said. "Any questions about putative genetic influences and their interactions with modern ways of life must be asked in the context of population history." Rebecca Wzorek cries as husband Barry comforts her as she talks about losing their 7-year-old son Matthew. The Marple Township family have mourned in solitude through the coronavirus shutdown. Read more For Rebecca Wzorek, its the banana bread. She cant bake it anymore because the Darth Vader apron that her 7-year-old son used to wear no longer has an owner. For husband Barry, the thought of firing up the grill out back is crushing. How can he ever make hot dogs again without remembering how Matthew used to insist on ketchup first, then mustard, then relish on top before giving the dog a final twist in the bun? Ten-year-old Jacob is another worry altogether. Hes the big brother who used to have a little brother until, in February, the younger boy was sent home from the hospital with what seemed like influenza. Two days later, Matthew was dead. Eight weeks later, amid our pandemic lockdown, it is now just Jacob, Mom, and Dad. Its, like, really hard to think of a scenario where well ever be as happy as we were, said Barry. There are memories and tears in every room. Were stuck inside, Rebecca said, honoring the same coronavirus stay-home orders that have idled the globe. She feels guilty that her older son has no one to lean on but two very sad parents. "Hes got a grieving mom and I can barely take care of myself. Matthew Wzorek loved Disney World, the Eagles, Harry Potter, and fumbling as catcher in Little League. The cause of his Feb. 16 death remains under investigation as his familys grief has found little outlet in the isolation forced by our nations response to COVID-19. They are trapped within the walls of the Marple Township home in which Matthew went limp in his mothers arms. This is death during a pandemic. Crying while confined. Scavenging for scarce smiles in closed quarters. Hoping that when you turn a corner, a picture in a room doesnt make you fall apart after you already fell apart, as you always do the minute you wake up that morning. This has been particularly hard because he was my little buddy in the house, Rebecca said. Usually, Id be OK because I could bake right now and hed have on his little Darth Vader apron and mixing and measuring with me. We talked recently in their backyard. I was in a mask. We were sitting a good 20 feet away. Rebecca cried. Barry cried. Matthews memory was strong. Or hed be the one sitting and doing a puzzle with me or cuddling on the couch, she said. Everything I want to do reminds me of him. Between the three of you, are you getting enough hugs? I asked. We are. Yeah, said Barry, 42, though his whisper was not convincing. Theres just a big one," said Rebecca, 37, thats missing. Something scary stole Matthews life just before COVID-19 forced a March shutdown of schools, businesses, and commerce across much of the country. The second grader was said to have had Influenza B something that rarely kills children despite its prevalence. Matthews condition deteriorated so quickly that the coroners office initiated an autopsy investigation. Two months later, results remain incomplete, but Matthew appears, preliminarily, to have had two different kinds of pneumonia. It seems like there was more to the story," Montgomery County first deputy coroner Alexander Balacki said when I called this week. "And if theres more to the story, its our job to tell that story. Matthew was not tested for COVID-19 because, at the time of his February death, the region had not yet identified a case locally, Balacki said. (Testing was not being done in any meaningful way until weeks later, even though local physicians were complaining in February about having no federal guidance about how to identify the virus in patients.) Matthew, an active and cheerful second grader at Worrall Elementary School, was a beautiful soul, his mother said. He hardly complained when he fell ill quite suddenly. It was the night of Valentines Day. A Friday. Matthew was in bed with Mom and Dad. He was burning up, his breathing raspy. After midnight, Rebecca rushed him to Bryn Mawr Hospital. Matthew was swabbed for the flu. Mom was told he had Influenza B. They were sent home with steroids for croup. Before Matthews discharge, a photo popped up on Barrys phone back home in Delaware County. Him on the bed with the ice pop, you know?" Barry recalled. "And with a smile on his face. All day Saturday, Rebecca doted on the child. Sunday morning he seemed better. His fever had broke, she said. But he kept on saying that his belly hurt. I just kept on telling him it was all part of the flu. I would just hold him and kiss his forehead. He would just turn and say, I love you too, Mommy. He kept on saying that all day. Then it happened. Matthew was in bed. He told me that he couldnt feel his legs. He turned to me, he said, Mommy, I think we should go back to the hospital. Rebecca scooped him up. The little guy collapsed in her arms. Barry did CPR until an ambulance arrived. Matthew was pronounced dead at Bryn Mawr Hospital after frantic efforts to save him. The next night, with a funeral planned the next morning at Temple Sholom in Broomall, the familys rabbi was told to consider canceling the memorial. The Delaware County medical examiner had expressed fear of contagion, especially with so many children expected to pay their respects. But there was no county health department with whom to consult more fully. The Wzoreks were overwhelmed. We didnt have a place to turn to understand what was happening, Rabbi Peter Rigler explained. This was an incredible level of added fear. (I left a message but did not hear back from the Delaware County Medical Examiners Office.) The family held a small graveside service at the cemetery where Matthews grandmother works Mount Jacob in Glenolden. They squeezed in a modest funeral only four days later, after Mom and Dad had no signs of flu themselves. Within a week or so, the gates of social distancing crashed down as schools and businesses went idle. Rebecca now spends endless hours haunted by whether she could have done anything different to save Matthew. Her mother, in Havertown, has been unable to walk through the front door with hugs because she, along with all other relatives, is quarantined at home. Support from friends has been huge, between Zoom video calls and greeting cards sent from 14 states for Jacobs 10th birthday on April 13. Even first responders from multiple counties rolled through the neighborhood with a surprise birthday parade. But still. Theres moments when you wake up and you forget for a brief moment, Rebecca said. Then you open your eyes and the pain is just this sharp pain in your chest and you realize its all happening. And theres no way to get him back. The family is sending critically ill children to Disney World and Universal Studios through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Visit their GoFundMe page for details. Disney has released a new trailer and poster for Artemis Fowl, which confirms the film will head straight to the Disney Plus streaming service on June 12. The film, directed by Kenneth Branagh, was originally scheduled to have a theatrical release on August 9, 2019, before it was pushed to May 29, 2020. The studio revealed earlier in April that the film will forgo a theatrical release and head straight to Disney Plus, but the new trailer (via Walt Disney Studios YouTube) and poster revealed that it will arrive June 12. New debut: Disney has released a new trailer and poster for Artemis Fowl, which confirms the film will head straight to the Disney Plus streaming service on June 12 The trailer begins outside a gated manor where photographers swarm as a vehicle drives in and a news anchor says a 'worldwide manhunt' was launched for Artemis Fowl (Colin Farrell). Fowl has been said to have pulled off, 'some of the biggest robberies ever,' as Fowl tells his son, Artemis Fowl II (Ferdia Shaw) that they've, 'garnered quite a bit of interest,' and asks if he's ready, welcoming him to the 'family business.' His cane unlocks a secret room, which contains a number of priceless artifacts, as 'Artie' is told there is, 'an artifact from another world that threatens mankind.' Manhunt: The trailer begins outside a gated manor where photographers swarm as a vehicle drives in and a news anchor says a 'worldwide manhunt' was launched for Artemis Fowl (Colin Farrell) Family business: Fowl has been said to have pulled off, 'some of the biggest robberies ever,' as Fowl tells his son, Artemis Fowl II (Ferdia Shaw) that they've, 'garnered quite a bit of interest,' and asks if he's ready, welcoming him to the 'family business' Threatens: His cane unlocks a secret room, which contains a number of priceless artifacts, as 'Artie' is told there is, 'an artifact from another world that threatens mankind' 'Your mission, is to steal it,' the butler (Nonso Anozie) tells young Artemis, adding, 'You were trained for this.' We get small glimpses of his combat training in the woods, as Artie says, 'I have a plan,' adding, 'We need a thief... and we need a fairy.' The thief is Josh Gad's Mulch Diggums, who tells Artie in a helicopter, 'I thought you'd never ask,' and the fairy is Lara McDonnell's Captain Holly Short. Butler: 'Your mission, is to steal it,' the butler (Nonso Anozie) tells young Artemis, adding, 'You were trained for this' Training: We get small glimpses of his combat training in the woods, as Artie says, 'I have a plan,' adding, 'We need a thief... and we need a fairy' Thief and a fairy: The thief is Josh Gad's Mulch Diggums, who tells Artie in a helicopter, 'I thought you'd never ask,' and the fairy is Lara McDonnell's Captain Holly Short The fairy says knocks down Artie and says he can trust her now, and he replies, 'Fair enough,' while warning that an army is coming. Artie boasts that he is the next 'criminal mastermind, as the final shot showcases a massive troll that eats people, with Artemis responding, 'Good to know.' While the film was originally scheduled for a theatrical release, director Kenneth Branagh issued a statement about the new Disney Plus release. Army: The fairy says knocks down Artie and says he can trust her now, and he replies, 'Fair enough,' while warning that an army is coming Mastermind: Artie boasts that he is the next 'criminal mastermind, as the final shot showcases a massive troll that eats people, with Artemis responding, 'Good to know' 'Artemis Fowl is a true original. In challenging times, a twelve year old criminal mastermind is one heck of a travelling companion,' Branagh began. 'Smart, funny, and cool as mustard, hell take you to new worlds, meet unforgettable characters, and mix magic with mayhem,' he added. 'His own family is everything to him, and (although hed never admit it), hed be as proud as I am that families around the world will now be able to enjoy his first amazing screen adventures together, on Disney +,' the director concluded. South Africa: Vandalism of 397 schools condemned Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has condemned the 397 incidents of vandalism, burglary and destruction of schools across several provinces since the start of the COVID-19 nationwide lockdown. The damage of school property includes torching of schools, the theft of learning as well as teaching equipment, including Information Communication Technology (ICT) equipment. The breakdown of the vandalism in schools is as follows: Mpumalanga 73; Gauteng 67; Western Cape 57; North West 55; Northern Cape 39; KwaZulu-Natal 34; Limpopo 30; Eastern Cape 26; and Free State 16. It is really unfortunate that criminals in our communities could destroy the infrastructure of their own children. We applaud the work done by the Police and we hope that more arrests will be made. We want to see the arrest and prosecution of every single criminal responsible for this kind of behaviour, the Minister said in a statement on Friday. Police in Gauteng have thus far arrested 44 suspects, including those found in possession of stolen property linked to school break-ins in the province. Two arrests were made in the last 24 hours in KwaZulu-Natal in connection with the break-ins. These criminals must be reported to the police immediately. Let us work together to safeguard the future of our children by exposing these criminal elements, she said. The Minister said communities are meant to be caretakers of the infrastructure that government had put in place for the education of children. The damage caused due to the torching and theft in the schools will have a negative impact on the implementation of the recovery plan once the lockdown is lifted. Provincial Education Departments have reported an alarming number of schools that have been vandalized. In all the burglaries learning and teaching equipment has been stolen together with other expensive items. The most common target areas in the schools are the administration blocks for ICT equipment and the nutrition centres for the food items," the Department of Basic Education said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray spent $8,382 in taxes last year on their two homes in Park Slope, Brooklyn, worth more than $3.2 million, according to the couples joint tax return, released by City Hall this week. The couple saw an 8% increase in the amount in taxes they paid on their two homes from the previous year. In 2018, they paid $7,768 in property taxes. The couple received $104,300 in rental income last year on their two Brooklyn properties, but also reported a loss of $3,896 on their homes. The couple paid $42,265 in federal income taxes in 2019, a 4.5% dip in federal income taxes compared to 2018. They also earned $252,172 in combined wages, a $968 increase in wages from the previous year. The mayor and first lady expect to receive a $1,555 refund from the federal government, and a $4,339 refund from New York state, City Hall said. They also donated $1,260 to nine charities in 2019, in addition to about $1,375 worth of clothing to Housing Works. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. The worlds health focus has shifted to battling COVID-19. But what is the fate of patients with terminal diseases, many of whom experts have said have immune systems that may be vulnerable to the novel virus? In this interview, Olanrewaju Amusat, the Executive Director of SmileBuilders Initiative, which he uses to combat non-communicable diseases, explains what patients with terminal diseases need to do to stay healthy during this pandemic. He also speaks on what the government has to do to improve the health system. Excerpt: PT: So have you experienced, first hand, the admission of a COVID-19 patient? Amusat: No. A patient with confirmed COVID-19 infection would not be made to come in contact with health workers working in an open ward or emergency unit as the case may be as the patient would have to be nursed in an isolation center or specially designated treatment unit. The possibility will be to come in contact with a suspected case. Either suspected or confirmed COVID-19, I have never experienced the admission of either. PT: So I should ask, what is your job role in the course of this? Amusat: As a health worker, even with the #StayAtHome order from the government, I still have to go to work to attend to sick people especially emergencies. Ive had to do emergency surgeries despite the pandemic which puts me at risk like other health workers. As a healthcare advocate, I have been educating people about the pandemic through social media platforms. Some have been done on a personal basis and some under the auspices of my NGO, SmileBuilders Initiative. PT: Does this also mean you deal with other emergency cases different from COVID-19 patients? Amusat: Yes. Those with COVID-19 are managed by doctors, nurses and other health workers working in the infectious diseases unit or in relevant units as the disease progresses. Other emergency cases are handled by the different specialties. For example, those who work at the adult and children emergencies of government hospitals still attend to emergencies if there are. However, the pandemic has significantly reduced the turnout of emergencies. PT: What has this been like? Amusat: Its been quite challenging especially during this pandemic. Parents who bring their sick children and are financially constrained find it difficult to source for funds or get social support since people are not working actively during this period. This causes a delay in surgical intervention. For the surgeons in some government hospitals, sophisticated personal protective equipment (PPEs) are not yet routinely available for surgeries. It is still the regular surgical gowns and facemasks (which are also PPEs) used during the pre-COVID-19 period that are used now. This may not be a major challenge except in high risk operations until a suspected case or infected patient arrives in such hospitals. We hope that the government sees this as a call to action to provide all thats needed by health workers during this pandemic. PT: So how have you been handling the situation? Amusat: From interaction with colleagues, some hospitals dont take patients with suspicion of COVID-19 until they are tested so as to prevent exposure. The issue of inadequate testing is being handled by NCDC as efforts are being made to expand testing centres across the nation. Poor tracing is also being addressed but I think we need to be more aggressive about it. The management of some government hospitals are also making efforts to source for more equipment and facilities to combat this pandemic. Some hospitals were fumigated recently as well. We as health workers are doing the best we can within the confines of resources available to work with. PT: By aggressiveness what do you mean? Amusat: The government needs to adopt strategies that are effective viz-a-viz proper orientation of the citizens as to what contact tracing means, appropriate contact listing, updating database of citizens, provision of basic amenities and relief items for those who will go into self isolation who may be detected through contact tracing, amongst others. The government is making efforts but a lot still needs to be done. PT: The focus has been largely on COVID-19 patients, whats the fate of other terminal diseases patients? Amusat: From the governments perspective, COVID-19 is the major focus for now because of its spread and consequences on our economy. Advertisements From the perspective of the health workers, other life-threatening diseases are being taken care of even amidst the pandemic. That is why it is important for the government to ensure health workers are adequately catered for. PT: But are you really being catered for? Amusat: Not as it is expected. The fact that one does not have all that is needed to work with is demoralising enough. The remuneration of health workers is also not encouraging compared to what is obtainable in other climes. PT: Are you owed? Amusat: Sometimes, it happens. A number of health workers are being owed salary arrears. Salaries are not paid promptly in some states. We hope this pandemic makes the government see the need to set things right in the health sector. PT: I learnt that the Lagos State government is rolling out a health insurance package for health workers, is this same for federal health workers? Amusat: Health insurance exists for federal health workers but the system needs an overhaul to make it more effective. PT: Whats the level of enthusiasm among health workers as of now? Is there apathy or eagerness to work based on available welfare packages for them? Amusat: Welfare packages are non-existent. What health workers get is their salaries which is even not encouraging. However, majority still offer the best of care within their purview for patients. With an improved health system through deliberate efforts from the government, the level of enthusiasm will increase. PT: How would you rate the preparedness of Oyo State, for instance, in case of a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases? Amusat: Oyo State government is making efforts. However, more still needs to be done in terms of residents obeying stay-at-home order, the state government providing relief packages for needy families, improved testing and contact tracing, provision of adequate PPEs for health workers, amongst others. PT: This is certainly a period of emotional and mental strain for health workers. How do you maintain a balance? Amusat: I must confess that its not easy. However, health workers have been trying to stay strong and dedicated despite the odds as we hope this time shall pass. The fact that people are also recovering from the disease is another motivation. We hope we get over this pandemic. PT: What should patients who have other terminal diseases do during this pandemic to maintain their health status? Amusat: They should endeavour to take their medications as prescribed and in fact, have a stock for at least one month. They can come to the hospital in case of any emergency. They should endeavour to stay mentally healthy as well. PT: How about the aged, how can they also keep safe? Amusat: The aged should ensure they imbibe all precautionary measures recommended as they are at a higher risk of having the disease. They should eat healthily and also maintain their mental health by reaching out to family and friends. They should practice social distancing but not social isolation. PT: How would you rate Nigerias preparedness for a surge in COVID-19 cases, judging by the personnel and facilities available? Amusat: The bitter truth is that our preparation is inadequate for this pandemic. We need more testing centres, more ventilators and other ICU facilities, adequate PPEs for health workers, provision of relief packages for needy families, to mention but a few. This pandemic should leave an indelible mark on our health system as we can come out of it stronger if we make all efforts to upgrade current facilities. This will reduce medical tourism and reduce premature deaths from myriads of medical conditions ravaging our dear nation. EDITORS NOTE: This interview was edited after Mr Amusat got back to say he spoke with our reporter in his capacity as Executive Director of the non-proft, SmileBuilders Initiative, and not as a staff of the University College Hospital. Residents look at a worker wearing a protective suit preparing for a disinfection operation, during the movement control order due to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Kuala Lumpur By Rozanna Latiff and Joseph Sipalan KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia has approved the use of antigen rapid test kits from South Korea, as it looks to increase its coronavirus testing among high-risk groups and in places where clusters are detected, a health official said on Thursday. Southeast Asia's third-largest economy said last month it was considering buying 1 million rapid antigen test kits from South Korea in an effort to screen more people for the virus. The health ministry has placed orders for the test kits and expects to get the first batch by next week, after tests showed a sensitivity level of 84.4% for the coronavirus, the director-general of health Noor Hisham Abdullah told reporters. "Now that we have a test kit that is fast, portable and is cheap ... that will make the difference," Noor Hisham told a daily news conference. Malaysia, which until Monday had the highest number of confirmed cases in the region, has relied solely on polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, laboratory tests to confirm the presence of the novel coronavirus as serology, or antibody, rapid test kits proved unreliable. However, a rising number of suspected cases and the need for more testing put a strain on the 43 laboratories set up to process samples, with more than 8,000 results pending reported this month, before the health ministry stopped publishing backlog data. Health authorities have also resumed using the serology test kits as a final check at the end of a 14-day mandatory quarantine period for suspected coronavirus cases, in a bid to reduce the backlog of tests at laboratories. Malaysia reported 110 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Thursday, raising its tally to 5,182. The health ministry also reported one new death, taking the total number of fatalities from the outbreak to 84. (Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and Joseph Sipalan; Editing by Toby Chopra, Robert Birsel) - Ethel Booba made a 30-minute video to address the issue about her fake Twitter account - She revealed that she used another account before but she deactivated it because she did not like the platform - The comedienne then noticed that an account under her name was meddling with the issues in politics - She got really emotional while expressing her side of the story about the said controversy PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Ethel Booba has finally decided to reveal the truth about the controversial Twitter account under her name. KAMI learned that the gorgeous comedienne addressed the issue through her latest 30-minute video on YouTube. She initially stated that her real Twitter account was @IAmRealGabisonEthyl but she deactivated it upon knowing about the nature of the said social media platform. Ethel revealed that the user of the @IAmRealEthelGabison, which she said is fake, befriended her family and said that she was a fan of the actress. She then visited the account and learned that all the posts were just copied from her official Facebook account. She stated that the posts during that time was apolitical, not toxic, and were just for fun so she just let the fake user handle the account. "Kuhang-kuha niya ang pagsasalita ko. Natuwa naman ako kasi maganda naman, di naman nakaka-harm sa ibang tao. Puro mga quotes, nakakatawa she stressed. Walang politika, walang siraan, nakipag-collab pa nga ako with friends," she 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! However, in 2019, the comedienne noticed that the fake handler was already meddling with issues in politics using her name. She even reported the account upon learning that there were below-the-belt statements against politicians like President Rodrigo Duterte. Ethel quipped that she even voted for the President even when he was still in Davao so she does not know why people would think that she is against him. Medyo below the belt ang mga tweets niya. Yung twineet niya na 'nagbabayad naman tayo ng tax, bat ba tayo mag-aambag?' Nanggigil ako," she exclaimed. Bat ba ako magmumuhkang muramot na tao Sinuportahan ko yang Pangulo natin Binoto ko nga yung tao eh. Binoto ko as President tapos kokontrahin ko? Ano ba naman yan? Bakit hinaluan mo nag pagpopolitiko yung Twitter? Dati okay lang eh, katuwaan lang she added. Watch the full video: In a previous article by, a netizen claimed that Ethel can be sued for fraud over fake Twitter controversy. Ethel Booba is one of the most famous actresses in the Philippines. She won the celebrity edition of the popular singing competition entitled Tawag ng Tanghalan. POPULAR: Read more news about Ethel Booba! 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 Subscriber content preview AUBURN The Park-View Apartments at 502 Eighth St. N.E., in Auburn sold for a little over $5.3 million, according to King County records. The seller was the Hendrickson family, which had owned the property for decades. . . . One day Parvin was toiling to meet the fast-fashion demands of European capitals, the next she was among hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi clothes workers made instantly jobless as the coronavirus pandemic struck. Big-name international brands have cancelled billions of dollars in orders because of the pandemic, decimating Bangladesh's most important export industry and hurting in particular rural woman who dominate the workforce. Parvin, a 28-year-old seamstress, joined thousands of workers queueing to collect final wages from tables of banknotes set up at the Al Muslim factory, one of the biggest in the country that supplies some of the world's most famous labels. The workers waited in long lines, each one metre apart in a bid to keep up social distancing, and the anxiety built as the towers of bank notes went down. "We don't know when it will reopen," said Parvin, who collected her salary for March just before the giant complex closed its doors. She has no other means to support her family going forward, and described her situation as a "catastrophe". "Many factories have already closed. My husband is jobless." Making the shirts, pullovers, bras and socks for stores in wealther nations is the foundation of Bangladesh's impoverished economy. It accounts for 80 percent of the South Asian nation's $40 billion of annual exports and has played a vital role in its growth of the past two decades. More than four million people, mainly women from poor rural villages, are employed in the sector. But the industry has a reputation for running sweatshops, with workers toiling in unsafe factories without labour protections or a social safety net. The 2013 Rana Plaza diaster, when the collapse of the garment complex claimed the lives of 1,130 lives, exposed appalling safety conditions in Bangladeshi factories. Now, with international brands walking away and a government lockdown stopped people in Bangladesh travelling, laid-off workers are complaining of being dumped without any help. Thousands of workers -- some of whom had earnt just $100 a month -- have staged multiple demonstrations over the past week complaining that factories have not paid them. - What do we do? - "Many of us don?t have food at home now. We can?t even ask for handouts on the streets because those poorer than us would mock us as we have jobs," said sewing machine operator Didarul Islam. "What do we do? Die of hunger?? added the 38-year-old father of two. International brands have cancelled or held up orders worth $3.11 billion, affecting more than two million workers, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. "The situation is apocalyptic," said Asif Ibrahim, a factory owner and a BGMEA director. The Bangladesh group and counterparts in China, Vietnam, Pakistan, Cambodia and Myanmar, have pleaded with the high street majors not to cancel orders. "It is time for global businesses to uphold and honour their commitment to labour rights, social responsibility and sustainable supply chains," said a joint statement. Sone of the big firms, including H&M and Inditex, which runs the Zara chain, responded by vowing not to cancel existing orders. Others have sought discounts, according to the BGMEA. There were no promises for the future though. H&M chief executive Helena Helmersson said that purchasing was a key area where "forceful measures" have been taken because of the pandemic. But the situation is already dire at Ashulia, home to 600 factories where workers live in rows of concrete slums near the plants. Rubel Ahmed, the owner of a factory employing 250 people making apparel for Spanish retailers such as SDV, Ritchi and Vamutex, said he had lost more than 50 percent of his business. - 'People will remember' - Ahmed, chain smoking as he watched the empty machines in his factory, said the pandemic was "one hundred times" worse than the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster. "Those who have smaller factories like me will be destroyed," he said. Activist groups say action must be taken to make sure wages hold up when work starts again. "People will remember when this crisis is over which brands stepped up to protect their workers and employees and which did not," said Dominique Muller of Labour Behind the Label, a British group on workers' rights in the clothing industry. Thousands of laid-off Bangladeshi garment workers have taken streets to demanding payment from factories and support from big name brands who have cancelled orders Garment workers in Bangladesh have few safety nets or labour safeguards, so losing their jobs plunges them back into financial abysss Making clothes provides more than four million jobs in Bangladesh, mainly for women from poor rural villages A once-bustling garment factory is silent after closing due to the coronavirus STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Surviving family members of Staten Islands express bus drivers and local MTA bus operators who are part of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU 726) who die from the coronavirus will receive a $500,000 line-of-duty death benefit from the MTA, Councilman Joseph Borelli told the Advance. The MTA announced it had reached an agreement on the $500,000 benefit with Transport Workers Union Local 100 (TWU), the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 808 (IBT) unions earlier this week. And Borelli (R-South Shore) said he received a commitment from MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye in recent days that express bus drivers and local MTA bus operators part of ATU 726 would be extended the same benefit as other MTA employees. It takes away a burden off people if youre forced to go to work that at least your family will be better taken care of, Borelli said. As part of the benefit, surviving spouses and dependents of up to 26 years in age will be given health insurance for three years. The MTA said the benefits agreement will also be extended to all non-represented employees and still subject to board ratification on April 22. With the MTAs latest commitment to helping the families of deceased MTA employees during the coronavirus outbreak, Borelli said he hopes the NYPD and FDNY will also agree to provide its employees with similar benefits. MTA set the precedent so now the next ones are the police pensions, fire pensions, and [New York City Employees Retirement System], he said. ATU 726 members operate 23 local bus routes on Staten Island, according to the local unions website. Two of those routes provide service to Brooklyn and one provides service to Bayonne New Jersey. The local union also represents operators of 22 express bus routes between Staten Island and Manhattan. Earlier this month, New York City Transit Interim President Sarah Feinberg said 33 MTA employees had died due to complications related to the coronavirus, with over 1,100 confirmed cases throughout the agency and 5,600 additional employees in quarantine at the time. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** As a large number of people are working from home during the lockdown period which will continue till May 3, the Odisha government on Friday issued a health advisory on the dos and donts for them. Asking people to maintain an active lifestyle while staying indoors, the Department of Health and Family Welfare advised them not to sit on a bed or sofa while working on a computer. "Make sure that your back gets enough support," the advisory said. It also asked people to take a break in every 40 minutes and walk at least for 30 minutes every day. "Avoid looking down on the screen of laptop/computer," the advisory said. The health department also appealed to the people to stay connected with each other through social media but stay away from fake in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. On the psychological point of view, the health department suggested that people should accept the prevailing situation and not to be in denial mode. "Be brave, be hopeful, rely and respect the system," it said. Asking people not to go for intoxicants to get false consolation, the health department forbade them to hate or suspect the family of a COVID-19 patient or to treat health workers with suspicion. "Read, do yoga, work and give yourself some me-time, take rest and do physical work," the advisory said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is quoting at Rs 216.8, up 1.38% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The stock is down 18.68% in last one year as compared to a 22% slide in NIFTY and a 24.99% slide in the Nifty Energy index. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is up for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 216.8, up 1.38% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 1.93% on the day, quoting at 9166.65. The Sensex is at 31217.55, up 2.01%. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd has gained around 5.6% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Energy index of which Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is a constituent, has gained around 17.07% in last one month and is currently quoting at 11978.75, up 2.3% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 21.49 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 72.46 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark April futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 218.4, up 1.77% on the day. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is down 18.68% in last one year as compared to a 22% slide in NIFTY and a 24.99% slide in the Nifty Energy index. The PE of the stock is 5.84 based on TTM earnings ending December 19. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man in Aurangabad in Maharashtra has filed a complaint claiming tweets by wrestler-turned-politician Babita Phogat and actor Kangana Ranaut's sister Rangoli Chandel in connection with the novel coronavirus outbreak intended to create disharmony among communities, police said on Friday. The man, associated with the Tablighi Jamaat, filed the complaint in City Chowk police station on Thursday, an official said, and added it would be forwarded through the Aurangabad commissioner to the police in the areas where the two reside. "The complainant has cited tweets by Phogat on April 2 and April 15. He also alleged that Chandel's tweet on April 15 was intended to target a specific community and spread hate. He has demanded registration of a case against Phogat and Chandel under section 153A of IPC and the Information Technology Act," the official informed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the decision of the Himachal Pradesh high court order thus paving the way for regularisation of around 15,000 parent-teacher association (PTA), primary assistant teacher (PAT), and para teachers. The orders were passed on civil appeals filed by Chander Mohan Negi and others against the order of the high court. The case pertains to the appointment of teachers made by the state government under Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/PAT Scheme; the HP para teachers (lecturer school cadre), para teachers (TGTs) and para teachers (C&V) policy of 2003 and the Himachal Pradesh Gram Vidya Upasak Yojna, 2001. In its orders, the division bench comprising Justice Mohan M Shantanagoudar and Justice R Subhash Reddy observed that it is true that in the initial schemes notified by the government there was a condition that such appointees should not seek regularisation/absorption but at the same time for no fault of them, they cannot be denied regularisation/absorption. It is in view of the requirement of the state, their services were extended from time to time and now all the appointees have completed more than 15 years of service. Further, it is also to be noted that though appointment schemes were notified as early as in 2003, nobody questioned such policies and appointments up to 2012 and 2013. A writ petition was filed in 2012 without even impleading the appointees as party respondents. In the writ petition, there was no rejoinder filed by the writ petitioners disputing the averments of the state as stated in the reply affidavit. Having regard to nature of such appointments, appointments made as per policies cannot be termed as illegal, said the SC Bench. Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur hailed the SC order said that the state government was already giving these teachers a pay scale equivalent to the regular teachers. However, regularisation could not be done as the matter was pending in the SC. The government will study the verdict and tread on the issue accordingly, said Thakur. Meanwhile, education minister Suresh Bhardwaj said that the process for the regularisation of teachers will be started after the lockdown is over. We all know being stuck at home 24/7 means pretty much anything goes in terms of clothes - trackpants, no pants, a pillow...? The new Insta challenge doing the rounds is the #pillowchallenge, where people are using bedding to create a lockdown outfit. The challenge basically involves cinching a pillow in at the waist with a chunky belt, and accessorising to the nines. It's business in the front and a nude party in the back. The hashtag #pillowchallenge has almost 200,000 posts on social media, with results varying from super sexy to absolutely hilarious. Here are some of our favourite looks: Photo: (Photo : GOFUNDME.com) As the saying goes, a mother is a daughter's best friend. The same is true to mother Carolina Tovar and daughter Letty Ramirez of Southern California. The two were inseparable, and as their relative would put it, fate made them connected until the end. Both Tovar and Ramirez died due to complications brought by the coronavirus. What is even shocking is that they died hours away from each other. READ ALSO: After Parents Die of Coronavirus, 20-Year-Old Takes Care of 2 Teenage Sisters The inseparable duo. Ramirez and Tovar belong to a very close-knit family. And it has become a tradition for the two to spend time together while cooking and sharing recipes that they like sharing and serving to their relatives. They also love enjoying their favorite classic Mexican movies. One of their favorite bondings as well is having their nails done together. When Tovar got sick due to kidney failure, it was Ramirez whom she trusted to take care of her. Ramirez was her mother's chaperone to the hospital on her weekly dialysis. They were always there for each other. But their relative closeness was later on challenged as the two obtained the coronavirus at almost the same time. Coronavirus got the best of the mother and daughter bond. According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, in the middle of March, Tovar, and Ramirez experienced breathing difficulties. That is why they were, later on, rushed to the hospital. Ramirez was the first one who was admitted. They spent their time trying to recover from different hospitals. Both of them were diagnosed with COVID-19. But what made it more difficult for Ramirez was the new diagnoses: diabetes and kidney failure. During the critical situation of Tovar in the hospital, her family had the painful decision to put her on a ventilator. Tovar requested this to her family, so her relatives had no choice but to let her go. The Tovar family was able to witness her last breathing moments via Facetime last April 3. And a few hours after that, they heard the news that Ramirez also passed away. Grieving relatives The relatives of the mother and daughter duo are having a difficult time in what they consider as a quick turn of events. Something they were not prepared to experience, especially during this crisis. Tovar's warmth to all family members, her unwavering love for her children and grandchildren, and her inspiring trust and empathy will surely be missed, according to her relatives. What makes this tragedy more difficult to bear is the fact that despite being a big family, they cannot come together to console each other. That is because they need to stay socially distanced from each other. Facetime was their only means to grieve together, just like how they were able to bid their goodbyes to Tovar and Ramirez. Although moving forward is difficult for the entire family now that the two dear ladies of their lives are gone, they find calm in the thought that the inseparable Letty and Carolina are going to stay that way because fate did not let them be. Hall-Woods breaks out the costumes and festive backgrounds once a week for all three of her courses, Introduction to Animal Science and General Biology 1 and 2. Students can expect Star Wars and Harry Potter-themed costumes in the weeks ahead, Hall-Woods hinted. About 24 students in each class log into the videoconference lectures. The whole purpose was to give students a little bit of comic relief during all of this, Hall-Woods said. I was just trying to figure out a way to keep everybody engaged and I thought that would be kind of funny. When the school shut down, Hall-Woods students lost the chance to study the bacteria they had grown in soil in the classroom lab. Its difficult to really get that hands-on experience when youre not in the lab, Hall-Woods said. They all have lost that. For a lot of students, thats the exciting part, to feel like a scientist and learn those techniques. Sarah Latham, 20, of St. Peters, agreed that shifting to online classes has been challenging. The best book on Jeffersons constitutional theory is by David Mayer, 1994. Theodore Roosevelts friends Henry Cabot Lodge and John Coit Spooner of Wisconsin attempt to constrain him within the confines of the US Constitution. Titled, "WITHIN THE CONSTITUTION," the cartoon was published in Harper's Weekly February 1905. The Historical Background The Paradox in 2020 The global COVID-19 pandemic has raised the question of American federalism to new levels. It has touched off a fascinating national debate about whos in charge in a global crisis, who must accept responsibility, where the buck stops and what the best governmental authority is to deal with the unprecedented challenges that the coronavirus outbreak represents.Suddenly the nearly forgotten Tenth Amendment is relevant again! But in a delicious reversal of roles, it is the progressive state governors who are invoking the Tenth Amendment in desperation to protect themselves from a national government that is mostly getting in their way as they try to cope with the crisis.As the Chinese proverb puts it, may you live in interesting times.Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip ONeill famously said, all politics is local. The paradox of the coronavirus is that all disease is in many ways local, too. A patient enters a local hospital to be treated by local medical professionals. Absent a national health-care system, medical treatment in the United States is delivered by a dizzying range of systems, with widely different results depending on the availability of insurance, affordability and coverage options, but also social class and regional political philosophies.The coronavirus has affected some states (New York, Washington, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey) much more severely than others (North Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska). The social lockdown in a place like New York City or Detroit has to be more draconian than in Nebraska or Utah, if only because of the remarkable differences in population density. Gov. Andrew Cuomo faces challenges that the governor of Montana can scarcely comprehend. Those who wonder why rural states have been more reluctant to adopt strict social distancing protocols than urban states find it hard to conceive of a place like Wyoming, where the largest city, Cheyenne, has a population of only 59,466 people and the next largest population center, Casper, is 178 miles away.Given how vast, varied, and unevenly populated the United States is, it makes sense that state sovereignty would prevail in many coronavirus policy decisions. As the Trump administration rightly understands, a one-size-fits-all national policy is on some questions an imprecise tool with which to combat the pandemic. This makes sense. California, with a sixth of the worlds economy and a population of 40 million, is a commonwealth unto itself in Jeffersonian terms. New York is still known as the Empire State. With a population of almost 20 million, and one of the five most important cities on the planet, New York has a significance and a set of challenges that sets it apart from most other states.On the other hand, everyone understands that the coronavirus crisis is an unprecedented chapter in American history. Never before, not even during the Great Depression of the 1930s, has any event brought community life of America to a near-standstill. Never before in the aeronautic era have so few planes flown over American skies (except for one week following the 9/11 attacks). Never in the history of the L.A. freeway system has that vast network of multi-lane highways been essentially empty. Never before have the professional sport leagues been suspended. Never before have all of the nations schools and colleges and universities canceled onsite classes for the remainder of the school year.The national economy appears to teeter on the brink of collapse. Unemployment may rise as high as 30 percent, perhaps even higher. Not even the best economists can predict how soon the national economy will rebound and it is universally understood that hundreds of thousands of businesses will never reopen their doors. We are living through a colossal national and indeed international crisis. Clearly, states do not have the capacity to get us through the crisis without unprecedented national governmental support.There is no playbook for sorting out what parts of the coronavirus belong properly to the states and which parts are truly national in scope and urgency. In many respects, America is making it up as it goes along. The Constitution does not provide clear guidelines for elected officials or government functionaries.Without descending into the blame game, it is perhaps just to acknowledge that the national government of the United States has not handled the pandemic very efficiently or with a steady, clear and centralized voice; and that a crisis of this complexity does not bring out President Trumps strengths as a national leader.The history of the United States has been a roller coaster on the question of state versus national sovereignty. Thomas Jefferson occupied one extreme end of the spectrum, Theodore Roosevelt the other. They served as president exactly 100 years apart. Jefferson, who served between 1801-09, believed that the national government had very few legitimate functions: foreign policy, a common currency, post roads, defense, a judiciary that could serve as the umpire between states at odds with one another. He actually called the national government the foreign department. Theodore Roosevelt, who served between 1901-09, believed the national government could do anything not specifically prohibited by the Constitution.Thomas Jefferson was the Founding Father most committed to states rights. To his old mentor George Wythe, Jefferson wrote in 1787, the year of the constitutional convention, My own general idea is that the States should severally preserve their sovereignty in whatever concerns themselves alone, and that whatever may concern another State, or any foreign nation, should be made a part of the Federal sovereignty. To Edward Carrington he wrote, My general plan would be to make the States one as to everything connected with foreign nations, and several as to everything purely domestic.Theodore Roosevelt was a Hamiltonian who advocated a very strong and proactive national government. Although he was careful not to say it, Roosevelt would have been happy if the concept of state sovereignty was discarded once and for all. Exactly opposite to Jefferson, Roosevelt saw the Constitution as an enabling, not a restraining, document. He famously said, The Constitution exists for the people, not the people for the Constitution. When Roosevelt tried to set standards for workplace safety, child labor laws, the 40-hour workweek and environmental protection, he bristled and scoffed at the notion that the national government could only regulate commerce with interstate activities, but not the commerce that occurred entirely within a single state.You can imagine how differently these two great presidents would have responded to the coronavirus pandemic. Jefferson would have tried to avoid intruding on state sovereignty wherever possible; Roosevelt would have thrust himself into the center of the arena on the principle that it is better to apologize later than to seek permission. But heres what these two statesmen would have shared: clear, rational, consistent, scientifically based national messaging; candor and transparency; a belief that reason is our only oracle and science must be given primacy in its own arena. They would both have told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth to the American people.The inefficiency and in some cases abdication of the national government in the face of COVID-19 has put the onus on state and local authorities. Some state governors have done such an outstanding and steady job of managing the pandemic within their borders that they have emerged as national leaders, almost shadow presidents, in the last two months. Californias Gavin Newsom, Washingtons Jay Inslee, and New Yorks Andrew Cuomo have received high marks not only for their management of the crisis, but also for their compassion and empathy, for their calm yet strong demeanor, for their professional deportment, and for the selflessness with which they have performed their roles.A large number of Americans, hungry for national leadership that seems presidential, have posited that each of these governors, and a few others, would make good candidates for president. Each of these governors has, in different ways, concluded publicly that in the absence of national leadership, they have no choice but to chart their own destiny. A few of them on both coasts have formed loose regional coalitions with other states to formulate a common approach to the challenge of loosening shelter-in-place restrictions as soon as it is regarded as safe to do so, but not so soon as to jeopardize public health.One example of government inefficiency has been procurement of masks, swabs, ventilators and other medical equipment needed by hospitals and medical professionals throughout the U.S. Insisting that the national government is not a shipping clerk, President Trump urged each state to buy the equipment it needed on the open market. This brought about enormous confusion and inefficiency to the procurement process and forced desperate states to engage in bidding wars for life-saving equipment. In anguish, Cuomo of New York said, We are all trying to buy the same commodity, literally the same item, so you have 50 states all trying to buy the same item, competing with each other. Its like being on eBay with 50 other states bidding on a ventilator.This is one of the areas where Jefferson would have wanted federal coordination to keep the price down and to prevent rivalry between states. Jeffersons government would serve not as a shipping agent but a national referee or umpire to bring order to the process and insist upon distributive justice. In other words, he would wish to make sure a limited supply of ventilators (for example) would be distributed to limit suffering and death to the extent possible. Perhaps each governor would wind up being frustrated in not being able to get all the ventilators she or he needed, but the national government would accept responsibility (and rebuke) to avoid squabbling between the states.Even when the national government has tried to play a serious role in handling the pandemic, its response has been hampered by confusion, agency infighting, mixed messaging and what appear to be unkept promises and actual lies. By all accounts, the setting up of a parallel task force led by the presidents son-in-law Jared Kushner has decreased the efficiency and messaging of the national government. The daily briefings have mostly lost sight of their original purpose to provide information to the American people and a sense that the national government is taking appropriate steps to combat the disease and become an opportunity for President Trump to air his theories and grievances, to spar with reporters, denounce his real or perceived enemies and to defend himself against the charge that he ignored a range of warnings from top government entities and played down the seriousness of the virus precisely at the time when he should have been marshalling the national governments response.State sovereignty has two historic foundations. One is the concept of federalism, which means that the national government is sovereign in some ways, and state governments in others. This unique dual-sovereignty principle was insisted upon at the constitutional convention of May-September 1787 and though it has been the source of jurisdictional tension and confusion, it is a central fact of American political life. The second principle one that has emerged mostly in the last hundred years is the idea of a laboratory of democracy, in which each of the 50 states addresses public issues in its own way, within some significant limits, so that regional and demographic differences can be factored into public law, and so individuals states can undergo policy experiments without committing the entire nation to a one-size-fits-all set of policies. Thus, Montana chooses its judges in one way, Wisconsin in another.A good example of this in our time is the variety of recreational and medical marijuana laws. Many states decided to observe the logistics, the challenges and opportunities of legalization in Colorado before deciding whether to legalize within their own borders and, if so, under what conditions. Colorado was thus a laboratory in which to work out the kinks of legalization in one jurisdiction, from which other states could learn important lessons of what to do and not to do if they chose to follow suit.The original U.S. constitution, the Articles of Confederation (1781-1788), created a loose confederation of sovereign nation-states: New Hampshire, New York, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia. These sovereign states agreed to do a few things in common, but most of the destiny of a citizen living in Pennsylvania would be managed by the state legislature or local authorities (counties, townships, towns). The national government could coin money, provide for the common defense, and manage foreign policy, but almost everything else would be handled at the state level. Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government could not directly tax the people of Virginia or Maryland or any other state. It had to requisition tax funds and hope that the states would voluntarily comply. (They seldom did.) Each state had one vote in the confederation congress. The Articles could only be amended by the unanimous vote of all 13 states.By 1786, every serious American understood that the Articles of Confederation were a failure. They realized that more authority was needed in a government truly national, including the power to tax. The 55 men who met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 tore up the Articles and created a wholly new constitution designed to create enough national authority to permit the United States to do the things that a nation must do, but at the same time to preserve to the states whatever sovereignty it could. The result was the Constitution of the United States we still use 232 years later, with just 27 amendments in all of that time.Those who feared so much central authority demanded, and got, the Bill of Rights, drafted by James Madison in the First Congress of the United States and adopted on Dec. 15, 1791. From the standpoint of this discussion, the most important of those amendments was the Tenth, which states: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. The Constitution makers had also tried to protect state sovereignty by guaranteeing each state two U.S. senators irrespective of population or geographic size, and by permitting state legislators to choose their own senators (until the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913).For a very long time, certainly since the Depression and World War II, Americans have counted on the national government to step up in times of monumental crisis. Nobody (except perhaps Thomas Jefferson) would have expected Louisiana to handle the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe by itself, or Oklahoma the Oklahoma City Bombing (April 19, 1995), or New York the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Floods, prolonged droughts, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, the banking collapse of 2008, and other disasters have seemed automatically to call upon the full strength and resources of the national government.Only the handful of true states rights conservatives, sometimes including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, have argued that these are local concerns. It would seem automatic and inevitable, therefore, that the global pandemic of 2020 would instantly bring the national government of the United States to unprecedented prominence. But that is not what has happened so far. The government of Donald Trump has been oddly detached from the pandemic. Nobody is quite sure why.The paradox is even more pointed when one considers President Trumps fascination with authoritarianism. He has at various times, perhaps merely in jest, declared his preference for authoritarian powers. His admiration for dictators and strongmen is unmistakable: Vladimir Putin in Russia, Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte, Xi Jinping of China, Kim Jong Un of North Korea, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, and Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, all of whom he says are his good friends.One might have expected Trump to use the global pandemic to assume unprecedented powers as president, to luxuriate in dictating every response on every level in all 50 states. It is even surprising that President Trump has made his vice president the coronavirus czar and his son-in-law the shadow coronavirus coordinator. Instead, Trump has mostly served as a kind of informal national commentator on the actions of others. When he reads from his script at the daily briefings, he often stumbles on names and pharmaceutical terms (admittedly difficult) and sometimes he appears to be reading his own remarks for the first time. He comes to life mostly during the extended question and answer sessions with reporters in which he often behaves like a cynical tavern know-it-all rather than the presiding officer of a nation of 340 million. Even his supporters find his disruptive approach to the briefings troubling.Given President Trumps detached approach to leadership in a time of pandemic, it is all the more surprising when he suddenly asserts his mastery and unchallengeable authority. A large number of the nations governors and all of its constitutional scholars, for example, have rejected Trumps declaration on Monday, April 13, 2020, that he has absolute power to determine when to reopen the country for business. Even normally pro-Trump conservatives pushed back hard on this wild claim, including Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and former G.W. Bush Justice Department official John Yoo.Most sober commentators who have observed the pandemic crisis from late January until today have concluded, thank God for federalism. Most of the states have stepped up in ways that could not have been anticipated in 2019. Some of the state governors have emerged as national heroes and, to a certain extent, alternative national leaders. Dylan Peat just needed a water bottle. It was the first day of spring in Portland that the sun felt overly warm by noon, but public water fountains were turned off to avoid becoming vectors of COVID-19. Libraries, Starbucks, homeless day centers pretty much any place where he might have gone to get out of the sun and find free water were closed because of restrictions on mass gatherings. So after his meal, Peat milled about outside Blanchet House in Portlands Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, a nonprofit that provides free food and social services, to ask where he might get a sturdy water bottle to bring back to his sleeping site. The staff at the free clothes window said they didnt have any, so Peat settled for a new pair of socks. Dylan Peat stands in line for lunch service at the Blanchet House of Hospitality in Old Town Portland on Wednesday, April 8, 2020. The nonprofit organization has seen an increase in numbers during the coronavirus pandemic. Sean Meagher/Staff Blanchet House, which has long served three hot meals a day, is one of the few Portland-area dining halls that has successfully adapted its operations amid the coronavirus pandemic to keep serving people with little to no income. Lines during mealtimes sometimes stretch blocks, for social distancing but also because of an influx of new faces. In these unprecedented times, people who have recently been laid off or lost housing are standing next to people who have relied on free food for years. There are almost no free daily meals available on the east side of the Willamette River, so Blanchet, as well as Union Gospel and the Portland Rescue Mission, are working in overdrive to meet the demand. Like Peat, Scott Kerman, executive director of Blanchet House, also noticed the temperature change. Time to think how to quench thousands of peoples thirst as summer approaches, he realized. This is a humanitarian crisis, Kerman said. I dont know what else to call it. Before the pandemic, Blanchet served 300 people a day, six days a week in a large dining room where patrons sat at tables of four. They were served by waiters. They used real utensils. They were treated like they matter, Kerman said. Now, they are nearing a staggering 10,000 meals a week and plan to double that soon under a contract from the city-county Joint Office of Homeless Services to serve meals on the east side. And the demographics they feed are nothing like who they served before now more women, young people and people who dont bear the marks of years living in the elements are common. We are seeing people that you wouldnt normally see in Old Town get food, Kerman said. And, were seeing a level of desperation we dont normally see. Kerman was committed to staying open as orders came out of the governors office that made Blanchets work harder and harder. At first, he thought maybe they could socially distance inside the dining room. That quickly became infeasible. So now volunteers and paid workers man a food station, drink station and clothes station that serve out of separate doors. As Peat paced on the sidewalk, he nursed a lemonade held in a small plastic cup, a big expense for places like Blanchet that have traditionally kept overhead low because they didnt need to-go containers. Kerman had to hire two temporary staffers to work the clothes station because his usual roster of volunteers has dwindled due to health worries. A core group who come every day now, but if they cant make it, Kerman must scramble to find replacements. At the same time, things like the modest free closet they maintained has become a large part of their work. There are fewer places to get sturdy, clean clothes, and anyone without a home is spending all their time outdoors now, so their outfits wear out quickly. The need for clothing and other toiletries is rivaling the need for food right now, Kerman said. Weve just had to reinvent, and reinvent, and reinvent. He expects this is just the beginning of a new phase and has already planned how to meet a growing need as more people tip in to food insecurity in the summer and fall. COVID-19 has taken a special toll on Portland areas food system. Many area residents have watched their favorite restaurants and bars close, and tens of thousands in the service industry are out of work. Free food was never much of a problem for Portlands homeless people or those on the edge of it before. Restaurants donated uneaten prepared food or produce and meat near its use-by date. Outreach workers and advocates brought bagged bread and granola bars to campsites. Blanchet was joined by dozen other places like it that served at least one meal a day or always had snacks or food boxes on hand. But now it has risen to a crisis level for many outfits used to feeding the hungry. The Oregon Food Bank received $8 million from the state of Oregon this week a much needed infusion that will likely last eight weeks tops. Sisters of the Road, long a mainstay for food and socializing in the homeless community, temporarily closed its meal service at the start of April to regroup and strategize how to meet the increased demand. It has reopened and is now serving more meals each day than during normal times. All of the meals are to-go. The increased need has placed enormous pressure on the budgets of people with little room for extra expenses. Gary Barker lives in an affordable apartment in the Pearl District. But he doesnt have much left from his Social Security payment after paying his portion of rent and essentials. He said he could used to make about $1,000 a week selling Street Roots newspapers but has lost that income as the paper has moved digital. So he is having to spend what little money he has on food or stand in lines for food on a foot plagued by an old military injury. Its a struggle, but it is what it is and I cant change whats going on, Barker said. He is joined by newcomers like Calvin Jones who hasnt had to worry much about his next meal before. But he lost his construction job in mid-March and, shortly after that, ran out of money to stay in the motel room hed rented. So now Im on the street until things pick back up, said Jones as he worked through a paper plate of food outside Blanchet House. He sometimes goes to a food pantry but now doesnt have anywhere to store perishables. Most food pantries are hard hit as well. Across the state, the Oregon Food Bank has seen 20% to 60% increases in people served. Of the 1,300 partner agencies still open, almost all are distributing twice a day a dramatic shift for most. Between March 13 and April 3, the food banks free food market in Portland saw an increase of 57%. Ecumenical Ministries Northeast Emergency Food Pantry in Portland went from serving 400 to 4,000 people a week, said program manager AJay Scipio. On Thursday, they set the record of most people served in a day at 660. It has been unprecedented the number of people we are seeing and I dont know where the end is going to be, Scipio said. Most new food pantry patrons are people who still have housing but are on the edge of not being able to afford necessities. Thats been true for a long time, said Johnnie Shaver, client engagement developer for the Oregon Food Bank, but the pandemic has exacerbated the need. Something thats true is that a lot of the communities are in need now have been in need for quite some time and these current situations are just exacerbating that, Shaver said. The sharp increase has put incredible strain on the food bank, which is also suffering from restricted supply. They no longer pick up from grocery stores and have paused food drives. As more people cook at home, grocery stores are also trying to keep up with consumer demand. That reduced a lot of the meals and food we have access to, Shaver said. Were trying to make up that gap. One million dollars buys 2 million pounds of food for the food bank about one weeks worth in normal times. So even with the states $8 million grant to the food bank, Shaver sees food running out fast. Even when well-stocked, food pantries must be creative in ways to get the food to people who need it. Schools have stepped in for families with children who would usually be fed there during the day. The Clark County Fire District has utilized its work force to distribute and store food boxes. At the border of Portland and Milwaukie, the Clackamas Service Centers food pantry worked like a free grocery but now people cant come inside to shop. So volunteers now use bike trailers to canvass the Springwater Corridor to distribute food to people who cant be reached by cars. Jenny Phillips attached a small trailer to her black bike and tucked some Narcan and hand sanitizer in with the food supplies. Then, Troy Howard of Free Hot Soup unloaded three giant blue canvas bags full groceries split into one-week stocks. He showed Phillips the haul bananas, cans of chili and salmon, peanut butter, applesauce, shelf-stable milk, and more. The food is meant to be a bridge until the people living along the trail can make it downtown for another prepared meal. Howard split the bags between two trailers, then made room for a new addition. Today, we have a lot of drinking water, said Phillips, noting the 2 p.m. sun. Im not sure how were going to carry that yet. If you want to help: Volunteer or donate to Blanchet House under the give help section of the website: https://blanchethouse.org Volunteer or donate with Northeast Emergency Food Program under the get involved section of the website: https://emoregon.org/nefp/ Donate to Clackamas Service Center through their website: https://cscoregon.org/donate This story has been updated to clarify the temporary nature of Sisters of the Roads closure. Molly Harbarger mharbarger@oregonian.com | 503-294-5923 | @MollyHarbarger Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. 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. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe 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. Mia Marano wants to explore some changes to her son's special education plan. At his Los Angeles Unified school, Marano's son currently spends part of his day in a class for students with autism. Marano wonders whether her third grader might be a fit for an "inclusive" general education classroom. So on Feb. 24, Marano emailed the school, eager to meet with her son's teachers to discuss the idea. Marano was told, maybe, to plan for a meeting in April. Then the coronavirus pandemic struck, forcing school districts everywhere to shut down campuses -- and creating new challenges for educators trying to teach the state's most vulnerable students. icon DON'T MISS ANY L.A. CORONAVIRUS NEWS Get our daily newsletters for the latest on COVID-19 and other top local headlines. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy The meeting Marano is trying to schedule isn't special. It happens every year -- not only for Marano's son, but for all 795,000 "students with disabilities" in California. And it's exactly the venue for parents and teachers to talk over the questions Marano's asking: Is my son making progress? Is he in the right classes? But on April 1, the school's principal told Marano she'll have to wait. L.A. Unified is still figuring out an equitable way to hold perhaps as many as 70,000 of these meetings remotely -- and on-schedule. (Marano's son's special education plan expires at the end of May.) "It leaves us," Marano said, "in a very uncertain territory." For students with disabilities, these are uncertain times. Their parents, teachers and school districts now face daunting questions about how to handle the crisis. Even after one month without in-person classes, some of these questions still don't have definitive answers. Question #1: Do The Normal Rules Still Apply? Roughly one out of seven children in California schools has an identified disability, with diagnoses ranging from dyslexia to hearing loss to autism to developmental delays. Since 1975, a crucial federal law has guaranteed these children access to a "free and appropriate public education." Under that law, now called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA: Every student with an identified disability receives an individualized education plan , or IEP. This is a hugely important document. Schools and parents -- and sometimes advocates or attorneys on their behalf -- negotiate these plans, which spell out unique needs and goals for each child. This is a hugely important document. Schools and parents -- and sometimes advocates or attorneys on their behalf -- negotiate these plans, which spell out unique needs and goals for each child. The IEP opens the door to services or accommodations for the student. For example: speech or physical therapy, dedicated "special day" classes, one-on-one aides, special devices to help the student communicate -- and so on. for the student. For example: speech or physical therapy, dedicated "special day" classes, one-on-one aides, special devices to help the student communicate -- and so on. Schools must regularly track students' progress. Every three years, schools reassess whether a child continues to be a "student with a disability." And every year, schools and parents must meet at least once to review, and sometimes revise, each student's IEP. (This was the meeting Marano was trying to schedule.) State and federal officials have said it again and again: even with campuses closed and in-person services unavailable, the IDEA remains the special education law of the land. "But we are also going to have to be incredibly flexible," Kristen Wright, the top special education official in the California Department of Education, said in a recent webinar. Wright said many services "cannot be delivered in an identical way to how they were ... when [school] sites were open." Still, the pandemic has disrupted schools' ability to fully deliver on many of the law's fundamental guarantees -- leading to the biggest question parents and teachers are asking: which of the old rules still apply? Many parents report basic, critical services still aren't happening. Services that have resumed look very different from what anyone originally planned. Unequal access to laptops and internet connections adds to the challenge. And tracking progress toward some IEP goals will be practically impossible as long as campuses remain closed. Question #2: Should School Districts Fear Lawsuits? School districts are in a tough spot, too. In a typical year, California handles roughly 10,000 formal disputes (not lawsuits) over special education services -- a rate that's higher than most states. Now, school officials worry whether a pandemic-related disruption in services could turn into a legal liability down the road. "They don't want to get sued," said Steve Milliken, board president of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. He says administrators are thinking: "'We're spending enough time trying to figure out how to educate them, but if I don't get the IEP done, please don't sue me.'" Milliken does not want to abandon the IDEA. But his organization has called on the federal government to extend some of the deadlines spelled out in the law to give districts more breathing room -- and to guarantee that state or federal regulators don't penalize schools for coronavirus-related delays. 10-year-olds Sawyer Whitely (left) and Michael Mendoza, both of whom receive special education services for autism, pose for a photograph at their school in Virginia. (Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images) Advocates for special education parents say this isn't necessary because parents individually allow for deadline extensions all the time. They have advised parents to be flexible and cooperative with school districts -- so long as schools are doing their best. Organizations like the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates have also demanded that federal policymakers leave the IDEA alone. (Within the next two weeks, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is supposed to submit a report to Congress recommending what, if any, changes should be made to the law.) LAUSD parent Mia Marano says she understands that the circumstances are extraordinary. But, she said, "when parents are made to feel like the district has put their own liability ahead of doing the best that they can in exceptional times, they are actually making themselves more vulnerable in some ways." MORE COVID-19 EDUCATION COVERAGE Question #3: What Happens To Individualized Education Plans? At the time the iLEAD California network of charter schools decided to cancel all in-person classes, there was no time to follow the normal playbook. If they had, Amber Rogers would've scheduled emergency IEP meetings to inform their parents that special education services had moved entirely online. The IEP is a master plan for all the services a student receives -- and for many students, virtual instruction isn't in their plan. But that would've meant scheduling as many as 800 meetings in the middle of a crisis. It wasn't realistic, Rogers said. "When you have 800 kids," explained Rogers, iLEAD's director of student support, "you've got to move them to virtual like that. You don't have time to do meetings for those." In the weeks since, California Department of Education officials have vindicated iLEAD's decision: they've advised that schools don't need to worry about holding meetings to re-write IEPs to include plans for distance learning. State official Kristen Wright said parents and teachers should discuss "alternate" arrangements that will get their students through the crisis -- but these interim plans "are not meant to replace the current IEP for when children go back to school sites." Farrah Easton, a parent and former high school administrator in New Rochelle, N.Y., assists her two daughters with distance learning lessons during the coronavirus pandemic. (John Moore/Getty Images) Selene Almazan, legal director for the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, said many parents are probably better off leaving their child's IEP as it stands. Once the crisis is over, Alamazan said, parents and schools "can go back and try to calculate how much instruction time a school could not deliver and try to figure out whether a child is eligible for compensatory services to make up for that lost time." Leaving the current plans in place will create challenges, though. An IEP isn't just a list of classes and therapies. The individualized education plan also spells out goals for each student. Some goals for students are more behavioral than academic: Play nicely with your peers. During a conversation, let others have a turn to talk. When you get frustrated, don't leave the classroom. Nasser Cortez, an assistant professor of clinical education at USC, says goals like these "may not translate over to an online goal format." "Even if you worked with a parent to track it," Cortez said, "it could be difficult -- particularly with the social distancing or if a child doesn't have access to a [videoconferencing] platform." And what about students like Marano's son, whose IEP expires at the end of May and needs to be renewed before next year? Marano has told her school she's happy to meet over Zoom. Legally, there's no problem with that: parents have been able to hold IEP meetings over the phone since 2004, Alamazan says. Cortez says even the videoconferencing solution is not likely to be straightforward. IEP meetings often involve sharing student work samples and data -- how will that work in a video chat? And what if parents don't feel comfortable with the format? What if a lack of internet connection makes virtual meetings impossible? "A lot of families," Cortez said, "might not have that luxury." MORE COVID-19 EDUCATION COVERAGE Question #4: 'Can You Even Do Physical Therapy Over Zoom?' More than one-third of California's students with disabilities receive speech and language therapy. Thousands more receive adaptive physical education, behavioral therapy, counseling or audiology services. Ensuring students can still receive these specialized therapies -- collectively known as "related services" -- through distance learning is a challenge that goes beyond getting every student a laptop and an internet connection. But if you're wondering whether it's even possible to offer hands-on services -- like physical therapy or occupational therapy -- over the internet, Dawn Evenson said the answer is yes. Evenson is the founder and CEO of the iLEAD network of charter schools. Around 3,500 iLEAD students are enrolled in the charter's home-study program -- including about 400 students with disabilities. And even in normal times, most of these home-study students receive their related services virtually. "There's always a way," said Amber Rogers, whose job at iLEAD includes overseeing special education. An example: Evenson "comes from a family of occupational therapists" -- OT's help students learn physical coordination, cope with sensory overload, moderate their emotions and master basic tasks in daily life. Evenson said recently, an OT wanted to work on a child's fine motor skills in a virtual session. So the therapist asked whether the child's parent had a colander and pipe cleaners in her kitchen. Evenson said these are the kinds of common tools OT's use all the time. "For years, my mom was dragging things out of the house or into the kitchen to work with her patients in person," Evenson said, "Now that they're doing this virtually, the parents are finding out. To me ... that's better." A 9-year-old in New Rochelle, N.Y., a hotspot in the U.S. for the coronavirus, works on distance learning assignments on a laptop at his home. (John Moore/Getty Images) But schools like iLEAD have the benefit of an existing virtual special education program to scale up. Other school districts -- like L.A. Unified -- must mount a much steeper curve to offer these related services from a distance. "The technologies and teaching practices are not as well-established" in special education, LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner said in a video update on April 6. LAUSD's official plan was to offer "phase-in" sessions of physical, speech or occupational therapies in the first week of April. The district planned to resume "full services" this week, according to an LAUSD memo to teachers provided to KPCC/LAist. Several district parents say they're not sure LAUSD is following this plan. At the time of Beutner's speech, LAUSD parent Kelley Coleman reported only limited contact with her son's related service providers. This week, Coleman said her son's providers have posted a few video lessons and resources -- but "no word on any services actually starting." Other parents have reported similar situations to KPCC/LAist this week. Coleman's son -- who has "moderate-to-severe" special education needs -- has so much trouble sitting still in front of a computer that she doubts he'll gain much benefit from his services anyway. "There are no easy solutions here," said one LAUSD speech therapy teacher, who asked not to be identified by name. "I don't know how I am going to overcome the structural challenges of providing virtual support to that student. I don't think LAUSD does either. I don't think anybody truly does." But this teacher said there is good reason to delay a hasty resumption of services online: "equity." This teacher works at a more-affluent school in Los Feliz and a less-affluent school in the MacArthur Park neighborhood: "I bet you can guess which school had more families that expressed any concern about accessing their speech time." This speech teacher said it's not clear "how to provide these services in a way that doesn't advantage only privileged students and families and further disadvantages everyone else." Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled the last name of Steve Milliken. LAist regrets the error. A number of VPN and ad-blocking apps owned by Sensor Tower, a popular analytics platform, have been collecting data from millions of people using the programs on their Android and iOS devices, BuzzFeed reported Monday. The software involved includes Free and Unlimited VPN, Luna VPN, Mobile Data, Adblock Focus for Android devices, and Adblock Focus and Luna VPN for iOS hardware, BuzzFeed found. The apps have been collecting data and feeding it to Sensor Towers products without disclosure to users. After it contacted Apple and Google about the apps, BuzzFeed said, Adblock Focus was removed from Apples online store and Mobile Data was scotched from the Google Play store. After a Sensor Tower app is installed on a phone, it instructs a user to install a root certificate, which is software that can access all data passing through a phone, BuzzFeed explained. Accessing root certificate privileges is restricted by Google and Apple because it poses a security risk to users, BuzzFeed noted. However, Sensor Towers apps bypass those restrictions by having users install the root certificate from an external website after an app is downloaded. Sensor Tower said it only collected anonymized usage and analytics data for integration into its products, according to Buzzfeed. Those products are used by developers, venture capitalists, publishers and others to track the popularity, usage trends and revenue of apps. Sensor Tower did not respond to our request to comment for this story. Reasonable Expectations Sensor Towers business practices arent that unusual, especially in the free software field. I think that consumers in general dont have much of a sense of what happens with their data, observed Greg Sterling, vice president of market insights atUberall, a maker of location marketing solutions based in Berlin. Theyre increasingly concerned about privacy but they feel generally powerless to do much about it, he told TechNewsWorld. Any company that uses the language of privacy as in virtual private cetwork in its product description or marketing does create an expectation of privacy about the consumers identity and transmission of data to third parties, Sterling continued. A D V E R T I S E M E N T This is why the consumer is using a VPN in the first place, to maintain secrecy or privacy, he added. While the expectation of privacy when using a VPN may seem obvious to users, its less so to app developers, noted Drew Schmitt, an incident response consultant for The Crypsis Group, a security advisory firm with offices in Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Austin and Los Angeles. From my view, the expectation of privacy is reasonable. However, I think that most businesses that offer a free product wouldnt necessarily agree, Schmitt told TechNewsWorld. I think the tendency for these types of businesses is to justify the actions of selling data by focusing on data that is not sensitive by definition, he continued. At the end of the day, though, all of these small, seemingly insignificant data points add up to being able to target individuals in some way, which ultimately ends up being fairly sensitive. Ethical Debate People need to remember what a VPN is, said Matias Katz, CEO of Byos, an endpoint security solutions provider in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. When using any VPN service you are sending all of your data to another data center before it reaches the Internet, he told TechNewsWorld. If I am managing my own VPN server, thats fine because I own the server and the data, Katz continued. If Im sending my data to a third-party like Sensor Tower, whether or not they tell me my data is or isnt being collected, I have no way of knowing what goes on inside of those data centers, he said. There is no way to verify whats true or not, and the hard truth is commercial VPNs are unregulated, and its extremely difficult to verify what happens to our data. Although trading app access for data is a common practice, experts are divided about the ethics of Sensor Towers methods. If you are receiving a service in return for information being captured about you then it could be called ethical, said Brian Chappell, director of product management at Carlsbad, California-based BeyondTrust, a maker of pivileged account management and vulnerability management solutions. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Theres nothing really unethical about trading data for services as long as all parties are fully aware of the arrangement, he told TechNewsWorld. Sensor Towers data collection is not ethical by any means, maintained Harold Li,vice president of ExpressVPN, a high speed VPN provider in Trtola, British Virgin Islands. Sensor Tower is using VPNs and ad blockers, which are tools meant to protect user privacy, to get users to install root certificates that bypass standard security measures by Android and iOS to access and mine data and traffic, he told TechNewsWorld. These shady methods are against app store policies and likely many privacy regulations, Li said. Sensor Towers data collection methods were not ethical, said Paul Bischoff, privacy advocate at Comparitech, a reviews, advice and information website for consumer security products. Most users assume ad-blocking and VPNs will improve their privacy, not worsen it, he told TechNewsWorld. These apps prey on people who want something for nothing and dont take the time to read privacy policies or review permissions, Bischoff said. Consumer, Protect Thyself One way consumers can protect themselves from data greedy apps is by reading their privacy policies, Bischoff noted. If they dont explicitly state that they dont collect and share data, assume that they do, he said. Consumers should be particularly wary of free apps, which often have no other means of generating revenue. Consumers can protect themselves by limiting the number of applications they install from unknown developers, and by using only trusted app stores, suggested Jack Mannino, CEO of nVisium, a Herndon, Virginia-based application security provider. Its not wise to put too much stock in download and review information, he cautioned. While the number of installs and positive reviews can be an indicator of legitimate software, in this case millions of users unknowingly opted into this, Mannino told TechNewsWorld. One note of encouragement is that consumers are not as powerless to control their data as they used to be, said Ameet Naik, a security evangelist with PerimeterX, a Web security service provider in San Mateo, California. As of January 2020, consumers now have the option of opting out of data collection, he told TechNewsWorld. Look for the Do Not Sell link on the vendors website and exercise your opt-out right under the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) if you suspect your data has been misused. Consumers have a right to be informed about any of their data that is being harvested by any software they install, said Ben Williams, director of advocacy at Eyeo, maker of AdBlock Plus, in Cologne, Germany. With the developments around privacy weve witnessed recently the death of third-party cookies, GDPR, CCPA this would seem an old lesson by now. Guess not, he told TechNewsWorld. What we forget when we talk about the browser actions and legislation that ostensibly caused these developments is that it was the consumer who demanded more control, Williams said. Just listen to them. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das on Friday quoted Mahatma Gandhi as he made a statement for the second time during the lockdown to break the chain of coronavirus infections. The RBI governor quoted from Mahatma Gandhis speech in October 1931 in Londons Kingsley Hall to focus on what the central bank is doing in its fight against the coronavirus disease. in the midst of death life persists, in the midst of untruth truth persists, in the midst of darkness light persists, he said. He also thanked the RBI staff and others who have been on the frontline of Indias fight against the coronavirus infection. Today, humanity faces perhaps the trial of its time as Covid-19 grips the world with its deadly embrace. Everywhere as also in India, the mission is to do whatever to takes to prevent the epidemiological curve from steeping any further, Das said. In this kind of environment Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been very proactive and has been monitoring the situation very closely, he said. Human spirit is ignited by the resolve to curb the pandemic. It is during our darkest moments that we must focus on the light, he said. Das had announced a rate cut of 75 basis points in his previous address on March 27. The RBI governor had also announced a three-month moratorium on term loans whose instalments are due between March 1 and May 31. The Chinese government is always people-centric and puts peoples lives and health as its top priority. Such value practiced by China in the COVID-19 pandemic well explained to the international society the importance laid by China on peoples right to life and right to health, as they are universally recognized basic human rights. Chinese medical experts discuss treatment plans of COVID-19 with their Mexican counterparts during a video conference held at the international teleconsultation center of Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital, east Chinas Zhejiang province, April 3, 2020. Long Wei/Peoples Daily Online China puts people's lives and health in the first place, which is both the foundation and goal of the countrys epidemic prevention and control. It is doing its best to protect people's right to life and right to health. From stressing that Life is of paramount importance. Go where there is epidemic, fight it till it perishes, to mobilizing the nation to help Hubei, and to pledging to take patient treatment as a priority and calling for maximum efforts to cure more patients and reduce mortality, China has always practiced the people-centered human rights value. The temporary lockdown of cities and travel restrictions implemented by China all aimed at safeguarding people's lives and health. It is unquestionably considered the most precious human rights practice in the midst of the special period. China spares no effort to save every life. More than 3,600 COVID-19 patients aged over 80 have been cured in Hubei province. Against the backdrop of an escalating pandemic overseas, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated in phone calls with foreign leaders that the Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting the lives and health of Chinese citizens overseas. China is very concerned about the health of overseas Chinese, especially students. It has distributed "health packages" to overseas Chinese students, and sent charter flights to take Chinese citizens back to the motherland when necessary. A medical worker dispatched to assist Hubei hugs her colleague after returning to the Second Peoples Hospital in Qinzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, April 14, 2020. Zeng Kaihong/Peoples Daily Online Meanwhile, the country always attaches great importance to the safety and health of foreign citizens in China, treats all foreigners in China equally, and protects their legitimate rights and interests according to law. What China has demonstrated is, you have to do this. If you do it, you can save lives and prevent thousands of cases of what is a very difficult disease, said Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), after a trip to China. He added that China's method has proved to be successful. The pandemic poses a huge threat to peoples lives and health, as well as great challenges to protecting people's rights to life and health. China, making every effort to cure patients and save lives, is using various platforms to raise a common appeal to the international community. The Belt and Road News Network (BRNN)'s Secretariat recently issued an open letter to all of its members across the world titled Together We fight the War of Pandemic. Together We build the Silk Road of Health. News coverage could also play a role in disease prevention and control and in this fight for life. We should highlight the selflessness and sacrifice and make our reports people oriented and life oriented, read the letter. All states should put people's life and health first, make effective and collective response for control, treatment and collaboration at the international level, stem resolutely the spread of the pandemic for the real protection of people's right to life and right to health, said Chen Xu, China's permanent representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, at a recent virtual informal conversation with the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the outbreak of COVID-19 and its implications on human rights. China's actions reflect benevolence and justice in the midst of the pandemic. With the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, the country has provided support and assistance to the international community within its capacity while continuing to do a good job in epidemic control at home, so as to support the protection of the right to life and the right to health of people in more countries. A 90-year-old novel coronavirus patient surnamed Liu is discharged from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, east China's Jiangxi province on Feb. 20. Yu Yunliang/Peoples Daily Online So far, the Chinese government has provided or is providing supplies to 127 countries and four international organizations. China donated $20 million to the WHO, sent 13 medical teams to 11 countries and held over 70 video conferences with experts from more than 150 countries and international organizations. Local governments, enterprises and civil groups in China also donated medical supplies to more than 100 countries, regions and international organizations. China's actions demonstrate the paramount importance of lives, and have won the respect from the world. This disease can be controlled only if there is an inclusive approach which protects every individuals rights to life and health, according to a joint press release by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Refugee Agency, and the WHO. Putting lives and health of the people in the first place is an important internal logic of Chinas epidemic prevention and control, which has achieved major phased results. The world is a community with a shared future, where to protect peoples right to life and right to health is a common responsibility that need to be shouldered by all. NORTH HAVEN One person suffered serious injuries during a stabbing Thursday after an alleged drug transaction turned violent, according to police. The stabbing happened around 5:35 p.m, police said in a statement around 6:50 p.m. Less than an hour after sharing initial details of what police believed took place, the department shared what they said was the real story. The victim who was taken to a clinic on Universal Drive before being transported to a nearby hospital with serious injuries had showed up for a drug transaction, according to police. What police initially were told about what happened was different. Police said a passerby saw a man walking in the road near Rite Aid on Quinnipiac Avenue that seemed like he needed help. The driver told police he stopped to see if he could help. Then, the man told police, the man who was walking stabbed a front seat passenger several times in his chest and then fled on foot. The suspect was initially reported to be a thin white man in his 30s, wearing red pants and a black hooded sweatshirt. The witness who fabricated the good Samaritan story, who described the suspect as in his 30s, was part of the drug transaction, police said. We have identified the suspect, who is a 15-year-old juvenile, and secured the knife as evidence. Police said there is no threat to the public. It was unclear if the teen was immediately charged, or would face charges at a later time. Anyone with information or who might have witnessed the incident is asked to call police at 203-239-5321. 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 [] 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] 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 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has held a meeting through videoconference with the participation of Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Sahil Babayev and Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov. The head of state made a speech at the meeting. Speech of President Ilham Aliyev - When discussing the results of the first quarter on 14 April, I issued a number of instructions. Of course, all of them must be fulfilled and you should regularly inform me about their implementation. Additional instructions will be given today, as the pandemic continues. Despite the fact that the situation in Azerbaijan is under control, we need to take measures in accordance with the situation. The priority issue for us - I have already said this but I want to say it again is the health of our people, their life and social protection. At the same time, under these conditions, we should pay more attention to the economy, of course, because everyone should know that if we do not have strong economic opportunities, we will not be able to successfully pursue social policies, especially during the pandemic, as this disease and its consequences require major financial resources. Therefore, I want to say again that the main priorities for us during the pandemic are people's health, their social protection and the growth of economic activity in accordance with the situation. Everyone needs to know that this great disaster has put the whole world to a serious test. To date, more than 140,000 people have died in the world. This disease defies all boundaries. Whereas at the initial stage it was imported into Azerbaijan from outside, then the process of internal infection began. However, I must note that as a result of tough preventive measures, we are keeping the situation under control. In a sense, the statistics of the last three to four days provides the basis for some optimism. I should note that in recent days the dynamics between the number of infected and those who have recovered is already positive. In other words, more people recover than get infected. This is mainly due to the measures taken. I want to say again: if we had not taken preventive measures in a timely manner, then there wouldnt be a thousand patients in Azerbaijan, but perhaps 10,000, 20,000, maybe even more. We are currently studying the experience of developed countries. The healthcare system in these countries has always been an example for many states. However, it is possible to say that the health system of countries with great potential is now in crisis. And this is natural, because the spread of the disease is so high, the disease spreads so quickly that the health system of no country, including Azerbaijan, can cope with it. Therefore, our main goal was to prevent the increase in infections that was observed, to break the chain of infections. All measures taken were aimed at overcoming this situation with small losses, helping our people, protecting them from this disaster and ensuring their social protection. I believe that the restrictive measures we have taken so far, their gradual tightening, as well as the provision of social protection for people working in areas affected by the pandemic, are a good reflection of our correct policy. I want to say again that in the last three to four days there has been a positive trend. We will continue to keep the situation under control in order to see how long this dynamics will continue, whether it is stable and what additional measures should be taken, because the world has faced a great challenge and we see that countries often struggle against this evil alone. Of course, Azerbaijan as a responsible and reliable member of the world community has taken very important steps to strengthen solidarity in this area both domestically and internationally. I can say that national accord in the country has grown to an unprecedented level. This once again shows the greatness of our people, demonstrates that we as a people and as a state show maximum solidarity on difficult days, help each other, in particular, provide assistance to low-income families. Naturally, first of all, the state, entrepreneurs, public organizations, individuals we once again demonstrate the best qualities inherent in our people. As you know, the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States, in which Azerbaijan is currently the chairing country, has become the first organization in the world to conduct a summit in a video conference format. This summit once again demonstrated our solidarity and unity. It showed that we stand by each other on difficult days. The thousands of letters I have received in recent days indicate that the Azerbaijani people appreciate the work being done by the state. Of course, this inspires us even more. This suggests that although people's lives were complicated by the quarantine regime that affected peoples normal life and created problems for many, the vast majority of our people, while aware of this situation, support the state. We must continue to be active in the fight against this disaster, take preventive measures and try to overcome this difficult situation with small losses. As for the quarantine regime, as you know, it was envisaged until 20 April. However, in the unanimous opinion of experts, the quarantine regime needs to be extended. I believe that this will be the right step because there are only the first manifestations of positive dynamics so far. We must make it sustainable. Therefore, I believe that the Task Force will announce this in the near future. I believe that the extension of the quarantine regime is the only right decision. Given this, we, of course, must further enhance the social protection of our people. The Azerbaijani people are well aware that we immediately began to seriously deal with this issue. A significant part of the salaries of those working in areas hard hit by the pandemic is being paid by the state. There are more than 300,000 people in this category. At the same time, the state has allocated large financial resources to facilitate the financial situation of about 300,000 representatives of micro-business. Thus, about 600,000 people belonging only to this category are receiving financial support from the state. Public sector wages are paid in full. Currently, the vast majority of about one million people do not work, but the state pays them their wages. So this once again demonstrates the humane essence of the Azerbaijani state. This shows I repeatedly said this long before the coronavirus that our policy is centered on the people of Azerbaijan. The difficult situation of these days once again shows that our words are complemented with our deeds and we always practice what we preach. However, taking into account the fact that the quarantine regime will be extended, we need to play on an exit in advance. I am giving you instructions on this issue: we tightened the quarantine regime in a phased manner and we should relax it in the same phased manner. How will this happen? The government, including ministries, should work on this issue and submit proposals. We must already plan on where this relaxation should begin with because I hope that during the extended quarantine regime a certain relaxation is not excluded. Nevertheless, we need to take action in accordance with the situation. Of course, in connection with the current situation, I am most concerned about people's health. Our doctors are doing everything possible to help people. As you know, our healthcare system is facing a great test. The fact that our healthcare system has not collapsed is primarily due to the fact that we were able to control the spread of the disease. If it had got out of hand, then our healthcare system would not be able to cope with it. Some developed countries their situation is shown on TV and Internet resources these days do not have the opportunity to treat people at all. Some patients are placed in the corridors, on the floor, lie on the floor and simply remain in the hospital building. Hundreds and in some cases more than a thousand people die in the most developed countries. Why? Simply because the healthcare system cannot cope with that, there is no room in hospitals, sometimes there is a lack of necessary equipment. If the healthcare system of these countries had functioned normally, then the lives of most of these people could have been saved. In recent years, our healthcare system has come a long way. Today, coronavirus-infected people are being treated in more than 20 public hospitals. The vast majority of these hospitals have been built in the last 16 years, including the Yeni klinika with 575 beds, the most modern healthcare institution in our country where more than 100 patients are currently being treated. In addition, many patients are undergoing treatment in the educational-therapeutic and surgical clinics of the Azerbaijan Medical University, which were built at my initiative. Many patients are treated in central district hospitals built in the districts in recent years. In particular, patients receive treatment in three new hospitals opened in the cities of Goranboy, Gazakh and Shamkir in March this year. There are facilities for 500 beds. So more than a thousand beds were commissioned in March. According to my instructions, 10 modular hospitals are currently under construction in our country. I believe that after these hospitals begin to operate, an additional 2,000 beds will be available there in the next one to two months. So we are doing all the preparatory work. Today we clearly see the professionalism of our doctors. It is no secret that sometimes there were critical attitudes to the activities of health workers. The healthcare system of Azerbaijan was allegedly in a terrible state, patients in Azerbaijan allegedly do not receive proper treatment and wealthy people prefer to go abroad. True, there are such facts, and not only in Azerbaijan, as wealthy people from much richer countries than us receive treatment in leading clinics of Europe and America. This is a global practice. But we rely only on our own capabilities these days. Our healthcare system is being developed by Azerbaijani doctors with state support. The fact that complex operations are conducted in Azerbaijan today, there are various examinations in connection with the coronavirus, there are 18 laboratories all this multiplies our strength. So we can be completely sure today that the capabilities of our healthcare system and the professionalism of doctors are up to standard. I want to express my gratitude to the doctors for their dedication and heroism once again. Therefore, I am absolutely sure that as a result of the extension of the quarantine regime, we can further reinforce the positive dynamics. In this connection, of course, we need to address the problems of low-income families more broadly. To date, we envisaged that the quarantine regime would last until 20 April. But it will be extended. The number of people seeking help has increased significantly. These appeals and applications are widely analyzed and maximum transparency should be ensured. At the initial stage, the plan was that 200,000 people would receive assistance from the state in the amount of 190 manats. I believe that, given the general situation and in order to strengthen social protection of people, we must bring the number of people of this category to 600,000. So for two months, the state should pay 190 manats a month not to 200,000, but 600,000 people. People in this category are representatives of the poor. At the same time, they are people who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus and those who are employed unofficially. The state also takes care of their problems, although I have repeatedly addressed them, saying that unofficial employment must end because it will create problems for you. You will not be able to get the unemployment insurance, unemployment benefits, pensions, medical insurance. Recently, as a result of the activities of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, the Ministry of Economy and other relevant agencies, tens of thousands of new employment agreements have been concluded. I do hope that after this difficult situation is over, people still working in the shadow economy will take this into account and understand that the only way forward is to get out of the shadow. I am urging entrepreneurs: put an end to unofficial employment. I urge employees once again: do not work without an employment contract, demand one for yourself. If an entrepreneur does not want to conclude an employment contract with you, immediately inform the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, the Ministry of Economy and the Presidential Administration. We will punish these entrepreneurs. In the current circumstances when the state has mobilized all its resources, to deceive it, to evade taxes and to think only of ones own material interests is nothing short of a betrayal. There can be no other name for this. Therefore, I am instructing you that in April-May, for two months, 600,000 people should receive 190 manats per month from the state. I am asking citizens who will receive these funds to open a bank account to receive the second payment. The first payment will be made this month, so some people may not have the opportunity to open a bank account. But the second payment will be made in May. Until that time, each of 600,000 people must open a bank account and receive a second payment by a bank transfer. This is our request. This is our demand. Therefore, your ministry is now facing very serious tasks in connection with this issue. You have to provide these payments in a short time. I want to ask the Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population: there are 13 days left for the end of the month, how quickly can these payments be made to 600,000 people and how many people can receive these payments daily? Please report on that. Minister Sahil Babayev said: - Dear Mr. President, within the framework of the Action Plan you have approved, a relevant Cabinet of Ministers resolution of 17 April established a mechanism to support the unemployed, those employed unofficially who have lost their jobs due to the special quarantine regime, and also, as you noted, people from low-income families. We started payments on 9 April. Whereas 10,000 people were paid daily at the initial stage, we have recently increased this figure to 20,000-25,000. As of yesterday evening, payments were made to 140,000 people. Based on today's payment plan, an additional 25,000 people will be paid. According to your instruction, we will try to bring the daily figure to 25,000-30,000 by the end of the month in order to fulfill it as quickly as possible, and so that in late April and early May each of the 600,000 people can receive these funds. The main issue is also related to how people receive these funds because due to a large number of daily payments in any form, there may be large concentrations of people in the banks and post offices. Therefore, we tried to resolve this together with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies. The main burden falls on our post offices. Until now, they have coped with the task very successfully indeed. But we believe that all payments will be made no later than the first week of May. If, in accordance with your order, a significant part of second payments is made by a bank transfer, then, of course, things will go faster. President Ilham Aliyev: Good! Therefore, citizens receiving the first payment should once again be advised to open bank accounts. Addressing our banks now, I want to ask them this will require a lot of work to show maximum efficiency here. If all of the 600,000 people open bank accounts, as we want and recommend, then, of course, this can create certain problems. Therefore, the banking sector should also be prepared for this. Thus, from now on, these people will receive their salaries by transfer, transparently, and fulfill their civic duty. This is the surest way. Do you have anything else to say on this issue, i.e. in connection with the upcoming additional work? Minister Sahil Babayev: Dear Mr. President, there are a number of other programs related to unemployed and those unofficially employed who have lost their jobs during the special quarantine regime the program of paid jobs announced at your initiative. You instructed us to significantly expand this program, so there are plans to create an additional 50,000 public jobs. The implementation of this program has already begun. Let me report that to date, 5,000 unemployed are already involved in this work and the signing of employment contracts with them is at the final stage. We will try to fully complete this within 10 days. Mr. President, another program is a self-employment program. On your instruction, the World Bank has been involved in the self-employment program. In addition, Azerbaijani banks have already joined it as well. This year we plan to create micro-farms for 12,000 families. This is all in connection with the unemployed, Mr. President. President Ilham Aliyev: In connection with the opening of paid public jobs, based on the experience of previous years, we planned to open 37,000 jobs at the beginning of the year. I must also note that this program has been implemented for three to four years. Some people involved in these jobs at the initial stage subsequently switched to other jobs with higher salaries. Therefore, we planned this program in the range of about 30,000-40,000. However, due to the pandemic and given the inevitable increase in unemployment, I gave an order to bring this figure to 50,000 at the initial stage. But now I believe we should increase it to a higher figure 90,000 paid public jobs should be created this year. This area also requires very serious control. We have already discussed this issue. The mechanism is more transparent today. Unfortunately, control here was at a zero level at the initial stage and local executive authorities often abused it and appropriated the funds intended for the poor. This is utmost dishonesty. It is because of this and other crimes that three heads of the executive authority have already been arrested and their dirty deeds have been documented and disclosed to the public. They have disgraced themselves and their ancestors, they have caused great damage to their loved ones, to the state. We allocated these funds so that people who cant find work or have low working capacity get paid at least the minimum wage, bring home a little money. We raised the minimum wage to 250 manats, but they appropriated it, kept peoples cards, withdrew money from them and enriched themselves. This is a crime and moral ugliness. You cannot call this otherwise. Therefore, all relevant authorities should henceforth pay very serious attention to this issue. I am asking citizens too well: if someones name is recorded but they dont receive a salary, let them inform us. Thus, we will provide 90,000 unemployed people with public jobs. As for the self-employment program, we talked about this issue last time, and I think that attracting 12,000 people to this program this year is a very good indicator. On our initiative, the World Bank also joined this program. At the same time, Azerbaijani banks joined it for the first time. I do hope that Azerbaijani banks will help more people from this category next year. I also asked you to increase the number of people receiving targeted social assistance. What is the situation and growth dynamics in this area recently? Minister Sahil Babayev said: - Dear Mr. President, 80,000 families, or more than 330,000 people, are already covered by the targeted social assistance program. Compared to 1 April, growth accounts for 10,000 families, or 36,000 people. On your instruction, this trend will also be regularly increased. Targeted assistance as an important mechanism to support our low-income families will continue to be provided on your initiative. President Ilham Aliyev: Very good! At the same time, at a meeting held on 14 April, I asked you to provide martyr families with the envisaged homes. You informed me about this. Of course, due to the quarantine regime, public events cannot be held these days. But we should know that we must reach the target figure by the end of the year. This help will benefit 1,500 martyr families. How many families will still be registered then? Please report on that. Minister Sahil Babayev: Dear Mr. President. When the implementation of the program began in 2014, i.e. of those registered as of 1 January 2014, there will only be 1,500 people left by the end of this year. President Ilham Aliyev: So after 1,500 families are provided with homes this year, there will be 1,500 families left. We will be able to resolve this issue perhaps in a year or two. This will complete the program on the provision of housing to all people of this category. I would also like to ask about the construction of DOST centers. True, these centers do not operate in the current conditions. But our program provided for the construction of several centers this year. As soon as the quarantine regime ends, these centers must certainly begin to operate. What has been done in this area? I have participated in the opening of two centers. How many more centers are to be built this year and are they ready? Minister Sahil Babayev: Dear Mr. President, work is under way on the construction of seven more centers this year. There are plans to open four of them this year. One is ready now. This is the DOST center No 3 and it covers Nizami, Surakhani and Sabunchu districts. We have fully prepared it for opening, so as soon as the special quarantine regime ends, it will begin to operate. This center can receive approximately 700 people daily and provide support to our vulnerable citizens. Other centers are to be established in Sumgayit, Absheron, Barda, Guba and Sheki districts. Work on each of them is underway. Inshallah, you will be updated as the construction of these centers is quickly completed. President Ilham Aliyev: Good! In connection with the economic sphere, we now need to take steps that, in the current difficult conditions, could maintain economic activity, of course. Everyone knows that today, in connection with the pandemic, practically all countries have shut their borders. Work continues only in the field of trade and cargo transportation. However, since shopping centers are closed, there is a decline here. The situation with cargo transportation is relatively normal. Of course, the policies we pursue in the economic sphere, the economic stability create additional opportunities for us in the fight against the pandemic. Three days ago, we talked about the results of the first three months of the year and I do not want to repeat that. So far there is a positive trend. But it is possible that in April, May and June there will be a recession, because if we compare the results of the first two months with the results of three months, we can see that there is a decrease in the gross domestic product. At the same time, there is a decline in the non-oil sector. Although we see growth, the way things will develop in the coming months, of course, will depend on how long the quarantine regime lasts. At the same time, keep in mind that the quarantine regime will be maintained for some time. What additional actions do we need to take under the quarantine regime in order to maintain economic activity at least to some extent and, as soon as the quarantine regime ends, increase it without wasting time? Therefore, when I say that we must come out of the quarantine regime step by step, this also applies to our economic sphere. You should already have priorities in this area. I want to say again: it is not even ruled out that under the quarantine regime, which will be extended beyond 20 April, we can reopen certain areas. We see from the experience of other countries, including developed ones, that such initiatives are being put forward. The quarantine regime has a very negative impact on the economy of every country and we cannot say how long this impact will last. Therefore, we need to take such steps in order to be more prepared for the post-quarantine regime during this period. I believe that if the issues I noted are resolved positively, then unofficial employment after the quarantine regime will be eliminated because tens of thousands of employment contracts were concluded during this period and people working informally will be convinced that the only correct course of action is to come out of the shadow economy. Of course, as I have already noted, the current conditions will put a huge moral burden on those who wish to violate economic laws. Let me say again that in the current conditions attempts to deceive the state will be tantamount to betrayal. Therefore, keep in touch with entrepreneurs, continue the contacts in order to educate them and encourage them to work honestly. They need to be shown how much the state has taken upon itself. I dont want to compare Azerbaijan to any other country, but notice that the salaries of workers in the areas affected by the pandemic are being paid by the state. There are 300,000 people, and this is a lot. There are also about 300,000 representatives of micro-businesses, and the state also pays them as well. I gave you instructions in connection with tax benefits, tax breaks, and I want you to report on this issue. What measures have been prepared and when will this package be submitted to the Milli Majlis? Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov said: - Thank you, dear Mr. President. First of all, I would like to emphasize that we planned on and are carrying out all our work in accordance with your two instructions. The first is to preserve the existing economic structure and employment. The second is to provide for activities in the new environment. As operational information, I would like to bring to your attention that the process of providing financial support to enterprises and private entrepreneurs, including representatives of micro-businesses affected by the pandemic, is successfully ongoing. The process is carried out online. Explanatory videos are shown and there is a hotline. The figures for today are: financial assistance has already been provided through the Ministry of Finance and agent banks to 11,567 taxpayers businesses with a total of 123,343 employees and 22,949 entrepreneurs. In accordance with your second order, a package of amendments to the Tax Code has been prepared. It has been agreed with all state bodies and consists of the following parts. First, a number of tax benefits and tax breaks are offered to taxpayers working in areas that were directly affected by the pandemic until 1 January 2021. These include the provision of full tax benefits on property and land taxes, a tax benefit of 75 percent of the profit, a 50 percent reduction in tax rates withheld from individuals at the source of payment for rental of immovable property, i.e. a reduction from 14 to 7 percent, provision of a 50 percent discount on the amount of simplified tax for activities in the field of public catering and passenger transportation within the country. The second direction is the provision from 1 January 2020 to 1 January 2021 of a 50 percent tax exemption for micro-businesses working simplified tax, i.e. a reduction from 2 percent to 1 percent turnover, as well as a tax break for the calculation and payment of current tax payouts. Finally, the third direction which applies to all business entities provides for the following tax benefits for the period up to 1 January 2021: deduction from income without taking into account the expenses incurred in connection with the necessary preventive measures, including disinfection, taken by taxpayers to prevent the epidemic, protect the life and health of the population, as well as urgent import tax exemption for the food and medical supplies in accordance with the list you, Mr. President, have approved. In other words, this is a fairly broad package whereby, as you noted, enterprises will operate in a new regime. President Ilham Aliyev: Have discussions been held with entrepreneurs on this issue? Minister Mikayil Jabbarov: Dear Mr. President, within the framework of the working groups established in accordance with your order, discussions have been held with the participation of business entities, the Confederation of Entrepreneurs, the Association of Banks of Azerbaijan and all relevant state bodies, and the opinion of entrepreneurs has been taken into account. President Ilham Aliyev: What is the attitude of entrepreneurs to this package of proposals? Does it suit them or do they want more benefits? Please report on that. Minister Mikayil Jabbarov: Dear Mr. President, with regard to tax benefits, this is a wide and comprehensive package. As you know, this is not the only support mechanism. As an example, the issue expected to be discussed at the Financial Stability Council today is to take into account the impact of the pandemic on all other businesses and, for example, soften regulatory measures for bank loans. What does this mean for an entrepreneur? This allows banks the opportunity to soften their current loan payments, restructure them and provide a delay. This work is carried out in the Ministry of Economy on the initiative of the Central Bank, the Association of Banks within the framework of the working group and other relevant working groups with the participation of entrepreneurs. This decision is also to be brought to your attention soon. President Ilham Aliyev: Good! It is necessary to promptly and transparently carry out all my instructions. I am sure that as a result of the adoption of these measures, we will strengthen the social protection of the population, provide additional support to entrepreneurs and, most importantly, protect the lives and health of our people. I am sure that the Azerbaijani people will understand the extension of quarantine correctly. I want to say again that this creates great difficulties for all of us. However, the life and health of people are above everything else. We have to endure this for as long as it is necessary. I must also note that a very large social and economic package has been put in place to improve the situation of our people. Whereas earlier it was estimated at 1 billion manats, it was then valued at 2.5 billion manats. As a result of my latest instructions, this economic package will now exceed 3 billion manats, perhaps even 3.5 billion manats. We will do as much as necessary. Azerbaijan has mobilized all its resources to get out of this situation with small losses, to protect the lives of our people and to be ready for the post-pandemic period. I am sure that we will ensure that. Thank you! San Franciscans who have been hunkered down in their homes for the last month may be getting a little stir-crazy. But when it comes to sheltering in place, theyre mere amateurs. The citys social-distancing champion of all time may have been a World War II veteran named Kit Hing Hui. From 1949 to 1955, Hui lived alone in two caves at Lands End. He is known to have spoken to another person only once during that time, and he lived on food he stole in the middle of the night from nearby restaurants. There have been many hermits in the history of San Francisco, but the story of the Phantom of Playland stands out for its strangeness and for its happy ending. Hui left his home in China as a teenager in 1936 and emigrated with his father to California. After attending school in Stockton, he enlisted in the Army in 1942, serving in the China-Burma-India theater as a technical sergeant with the 987th Signal Company, one of two all-Chinese American units in World War II. Hui returned to San Francisco after he was mustered out in 1945, only to learn that his father had died and his mother, who had remained in China, was apparently a prisoner of communist forces. His brother, who had also stayed behind in China, had disappeared. Hui tried to carry on, working as a waiter and a cook. But in 1949, finally I felt so lonely I decided to end it all, he told reporters later. He walked out on the Golden Gate Bridge, planning to jump. But I looked down and it was too high, he said. I was scared and lonesome. So I kept walking and finally got out by the Cliff House and Seal Rocks. I waded into the ocean, but the waves scared me again and I went up the cliff. Hui found a cave below Sutro Baths and decided to stay there. He camouflaged the entrance with branches, found a mattress and stole some blankets. He slept during the day and prowled around at night. He broke into restaurants, always taking turkey, hamburger, canned food, milk, wine (he was particularly fond of sherry), beer and cigarettes. He never took money. Employees of Louis Restaurant at 902 Point Lobos Ave. told police that before they installed a burglar alarm, someone, presumably Hui, had broken in 17 times in 18 months. Hui lived in the cave for two years, until some boys discovered it while he was out and tossed his mattress into the sea. Then he found another cave (vaguely described by police as approximately a quarter of a mile east of Lands End), where he lived for three more years. From the beginning of Huis long stay in the caves, people in the Lands End area were aware that something strange was going on out there. According to James R. Smith in San Franciscos Playland at the Beach: The Golden Years, Reports to the Richmond Station of the San Francisco Police Department began to accumulate in late 1949. Someone skulked around Playland, the Cliff House and Sutro Baths. ... Restaurants reported break-ins in more than 50 complaints. Trivia time The previous trivia question: What year did Los Angeles pass San Francisco in population? Answer: 1920. This week's trivia question: How many San Franciscans died in the 1918 flu pandemic? Dig deep into Chronicle Vault Like what you're reading? Subscribe to the Chronicle Vault newsletter and get classic archive stories in your inbox twice a week. Read hundreds of historical stories, see thousands of archive photos and sort through 153 years of classic Chronicle front pages at SFChronicle.com/vault. Editor's note Every corner in San Francisco has an astonishing story to tell. Gary Kamiya's Portals of the Past tells those lost stories, using a specific location to illuminate San Francisco's extraordinary history - from the days when giant mammoths wandered through what is now North Beach to the Gold Rush delirium, the dot-com madness and beyond. His column appears every other Saturday. See More Collapse Hui passed the time by playing solitaire with a deck he found that was a few cards short. When it was not too cold, he bathed in the ocean. He remained in good health, except for one four-day stretch when he had a toothache. According to Smith, people occasionally reported hearing eerie renditions of Home on the Range and Skylark ... in a foreign-sounding off-key tongue. Hui later told his young lawyer, future congressman Phillip Burton, that one of the ways he stayed sane during his five-plus years was by singing those songs over and over when he was sure no one was around. The lyrics of Skylark, which he learned in the Army, seemed as if they had been written for Hui: Skylark, have you anything to say to me? Wont you tell me where my love can be? ... Skylark, I dont know if you can find these things/ But my heart is riding on your wings/ So if you find them anywhere/ Wont you lead me there? At 3 a.m. on Feb. 19, 1955, the 33-year-old Hui was trying to break into the Golden Gate View coffee shop at 1004 Point Lobos Ave. when a night watchman, who had been tipped off by owner Dan Hountalas to be on the alert, spotted him and called police. The Chronicle reported that when he was arrested, he was carrying a a modest set of burglar tools: three knives, a screw driver, a jimmy and a hammer. Hui told police he was glad my strange existence is finally over. The next day, a front-page story about the cave hermit of Lands End appeared in The Chronicle. What followed was like a fairy tale. More from the Archive The Vault Home of the San Francisco Chronicle's archive and more than 150 years of journalism covering the Bay Area and beyond. His brother Sui, it turned out, had found his way to the U.S., had served in the Korean War and was now attending Marina Adult School. He had been looking for Hui for years. He read the story and soon the brothers were reunited, 18 years after they had last seen each other. Hui was in good spirits when he showed up for his March 5 court hearing, with a haircut and a new suit. He told reporters he hadnt realized people could be so kind. He was staying with old friends while free on bail and had gotten a job ironing and folding dresses in a Washington Street garment factory. It feels good to be back in civilization, he said. There were many times when I lived in the cave when I wanted to come back to the world but Id look at my clothes and I just couldnt face people. The longer it went on, the harder it was. I hope when my case is decided, Ill get a chance to rehabilitate myself. I really want to live as a useful citizen. He said he and his brother hoped to open a restaurant. Hui pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary. According to Smith, none of the owners of the other restaurants Hui had stolen from wanted to press charges. Hountalas, the Golden Gate View coffee shop owner who later took over the Cliff House with his wife, Mary, told reporters that Hui was a nice guy. Very honest. Admits everything. Dont hide nothing. In May 1955, a judge sentenced Hui to probation. The skylark he had been singing to for more than five years had finally found him. Gary Kamiya is the author of the best-selling book Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco, awarded the Northern California Book Award in creative nonfiction. All the material in Portals of the Past is original for The San Francisco Chronicle. To read earlier Portals of the Past, go to sfchronicle.com/portals. For more features from 150 years of The Chronicles archives, go to sfchronicle.com/vault. Email: metro@sfchronicle.com [The stream is slated to start at 6 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] Members of the coronavirus task force are expected to hold a press briefing Friday as tensions between President Donald Trump and governors of several states continues to grow. Trump has said he believes some states will be able to "reopen" their economies before the end of April. But New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday announced an extension nonessential business shutdowns until at least May 15. The two men resumed their war of words on Friday as Trump took aim in a twitter post. "Governor Cuomo should spend more time 'doing' and less time complaining.' Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking!" Trump wrote on Twitter. Meanwhile, Cuomo complained during his daily briefing that the federal government had provided "zero, zilch, nada in unrestricted aid" in its first three Covid-19 rescue bills even as it asks states to up their efforts. In a move likely intended to pressure state officials to reopen businesses, Trump on Friday urged residents in several states to protest and defy shelter in place orders issued by their governors. The economic shutdown has roiled the nation and the emergency relief package passed by Congress to alleviate the burden on workers and industry is already falling short. The Small Business Administration's rescue loan program has hit its $349 billion limit and the nation's lawmakers are sparring over a deal to replenish its funds. Congressional Democrats and the Trump administration will talk through the weekend to try to strike a deal on an emergency bill, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Friday. 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; Dr. Deborah Birx, White House Coronavirus response coordinator; and Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among others. The outbreak has spread to dozens of countries globally, with more than 2.1 million confirmed cases worldwide and over 146,071 deaths so far, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. There are at least 671,400 cases in the United States and at least 33,286 deaths, according to the latest tallies. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. WASHINGTON A Texas state district judge on Friday issued an order allowing voters to use the coronavirus as a reason to vote by mail for as long as the pandemic lasts an early victory for the Texas Democratic Party and civil rights groups seeking to expand mail-in voting, though the ruling is almost certain to be quickly appealed by the state. Judge Tim Sulaks temporary injunction says the state cant stop voters from voting by mail based on disability as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it stops the state from taking actions preventing county elections officials from accepting and counting mail-in ballots from those voters. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox State law allows voters to claim disability and apply for an absentee ballot if showing up at a polling place risks injuring the voters health. Democrats and voting rights groups, who have sued in both state and federal court, argued the disability clause should cover voters who are worried about showing up to a polling place during a pandemic. But Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton has said fear of the coronavirus is not an acceptable excuse to claim disability to vote by mail. The order was expected after Sulak said during a court hearing earlier this week he was inclined to issue it. Texas is one of the few states that still require voters younger than 65 to have an excuse to cast a ballot by mail. Fewer than 7 percent of Texas voters mailed in ballots in 2018. ITS A DEMOCRATIC TRAGEDY: Coronavirus threatens Texas voter registration efforts The issue has emerged as a major political fight amid the coronavirus outbreak. Democrats and voting rights advocates have pushed for states to expand voting by mail, arguing that forcing people to show up to polling places during the largest public health crisis in a century is tantamount to vote suppression. Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have pushed back, however, arguing mail-in ballots are less secure than those cast in person. Republicans should fight very hard when it comes to state wide mail-in voting, the president tweeted last week. Democrats are clamoring for it. Tremendous potential for voter fraud, and for whatever reason, doesnt work out well for Republicans. ben.wermund@chron.com Bornean treeshrews can take the heat 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. This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Saudi Arabias oil giant Aramco will be sending 4 million barrels per day (bpd) of its crude to Asia in May, down from the full contractual volumes of 6 million bpd, a Saudi source with knowledge of Aramcos plans told Reuters on Friday. The full contractual volumes to Asia are about 6 million bpd. What Aramco has allocated is what was nominated, which is around 4 million bpd, the Saudi source told Reuters. Earlier on Friday, other sources in Saudi Arabia had told Reuters that Saudi Aramco would be sending the full 6 million bpd contractual volumes to its customers in Asia. The lower allocations, due to the nominations of around 4 million bpd, as per the Saudi source, suggest, on the one hand, that Saudi Arabia is lowering its oil supply to the market in line with its commitment to the new OPEC+ deal. On the other hand, the lower nominations from Asian customers suggest that despite the deep discounts of Saudi crude to Asia, demand for crude is still lower than the usual volumes. At the beginning of this week, Aramco announced the pricing for its oil for May, offering deeper discounts for customers in Asia for the second month in a row, despite Sundays historic global production cut deala sign that the Kingdom continues to fight for market share in Asia even after the formal end to the price war. Premium: Missiles Fired In Iraq As Proxy War Heats Up Under the new OPEC+ agreement, Saudi Arabia has pledged to reduce its oil supply to the market to 8.5 million bpd in May and June from a baseline of 11 million bpd. The market and analysts, however, see the new deal as too little too late to make a meaningful impact on growing global inventories amid crashing demand. On Thursday, the energy ministers of Saudi Arabia and Russia, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Alexander Novak, respectively, held a phone conversation and issued a statement, via the Saudi Press Agency, that Both our nations are strongly committed to implement the agreed target cuts over the next two years and will continue to closely monitor the oil market and are prepared to take further measures jointly with OPEC+ and other producers if these are deemed necessary. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: JUBA South Sudan has suspended all passenger internal flights from Juba to the states, from states to Juba and from states to states following the latest development involving the COVID-19 outbreak. The decision was announced by the countrys First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar. Dr. Machar, who is also the deputy chairperson of the COVID-19 taskforce, old local media that passenger public transport systems, both public and private, to and from Juba and from one state to another have been suspended effective. The presidency reaffirms the exemptions decided previously by the High-Level Taskforce. The High-Level Taskforce shall decide any new exemptions on case by case basis, he said. Dr. Machar said South Sudan administration resolved to grant permission to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) aircraft DASH-8-402 for cargo transportation flight from Nairobi to Juba on Friday, April 17. There shall be four security personnel in addition to five crew members on board, he explained. Machar stated that the High-Level Taskforce on Coronavirus (COVID-19) remains seized of the situation in the country. South Sudan has recorded four cases of COVID-19 so far with zero recoveries and death. Meanwhile, Ezo County in Western Equatoria State is at risk of a health crisis due to lack of medical equipment to test for the novel coronavirus pandemic at its borders, a local official said. Ezo borders the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Central African Republic. Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, Thomas Frederick Dumo, the county Executive Director said it is difficult to know who suffers from the new coronavirus in the absence of testing kits on the ground. He urged the national government to supply COVID-19 testing kits. Related Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Snow this evening will taper off and give way to cloudy skies late. Low 3F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 80%. About one inch of snow expected.. Tonight Snow this evening will taper off and give way to cloudy skies late. Low 3F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 80%. About one inch of snow expected. Cong accuses BJP of using Tek Fog app to propagate agenda on SM, seeks intervention by SC Why are Congress ruled states implementing lockdown if it is not effective: BJP India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 17: 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 the 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. Coronavirus outbreak: Ten points Rahul Gandhi stressed upon during video conferencing Punjab, where the Congress is in power, had also extended the lockdown before PM Modi's announcement. NEWS AT 3 PM, APRIL 17th, 2020 PM 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 fallout. 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. Coronavirus outbreak: Shiv Sena threatens BJP of exposing its 'conspiracy' on migrant crisis 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. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th April, 2020) The continued fighting in Libya should serve as a wake-up call for the international community to step in, enforce the arms embargo and end hostilities, the African Union's commissioner on peace and security has told Sputnik. "I think the Libyan situation is really a wake-up call for the international community to act quickly and act conveniently, decisively to stop these things and all those who are violating the embargo or continuing to interfere in internal affairs of Libya," Smail Chergui said. He said the warring parties had unfortunately ignored the calls to cease fire and the recent development on the ground have been "very difficult and dangerous." It is up to the United Nations and stakeholders who took part in the Berlin conference on Libyan peace to force the warring parties to end hostilities in order to tackle the health crisis that the coronavirus pandemic may lead to in Libya, the commissioner said. "First we have to have the ceasefire. And I think it's the responsibility of the UN and all those who participated in the Berlin conference. So we must make another call all together to these warring parties to stop and have in mind first the interest of their own people facing this COVID-19," he said. "They should understand that time has come to have in mind first the Libyan people who became IDPs [internally displaced], refugees - and you can imagine in such situation you can't even think about social distancing," Chergui said. Turning to the European Union's new naval operation to stop weapons smuggling to Libya, the commissioner said that any monitoring should be comprehensive and transparent. He added that the arms embargo has been violated openly. "If there is any monitoring, or any contribution to allow the UN to monitor the cease-fire and to respect the embargo, it should be comprehensive, it should incorporate all the borders of Libya and it should be done in transparent way," Chergui said. COLONIE National Grid is giving $35,000 to Precision Valve & Automation in Colonie to make emergency resuscitators known as "ambu bags" for emergency medical workers to use for COVID-19 patients. The idea would be costly for the company, known as PVA, requiring it to make a $58,000 investment to re-tool its factory so that it can make the manual resuscitators. The company is hoping to make 100 of the devices a day once it gets approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration. PVA is getting help from the Albany-based Center for Economic Growth to get fast-track FDA approval and its manufacturing certifications as well for the new product that the company is calling the PREVENT device. Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage The support from National Grid helped make this possible, Tony Hynes, PVA's founder and CEO said. Partnerships like this between PVA and National Grid show how we come together in challenging times. The PVA device would function as an emergency ventilator. Last month, the company first suggested producing such a device to ease a looming shortage as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. National Grid is providing the grant through its Manufacturing Productivity Program in partnership with the New York State Manufacturing Extension Partnership to get new COVID-19 supplies to market swiftly. Our goal is to partner with manufacturers statewide to retool their core businesses, said John Bruckner, president of National Grids New York operations. Our fast-track funding is one of the many ways we are helping win the war against COVID-19 by increasing productivity and implementing programs that will sustain businesses during the recovery. Andrew Kennedy, CEG's CEO, said that the COVID-19 pandemic is creating a higher bar for manufacturers to keep both workers and products safe. "In the post-COVID-19 environment, quality control processes will be paramount for all operations, Kennedy said. Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it Donate to PM Cares fund, download Aarogya Setu app: HC's conditions for ex-BJP MP bail India oi-PTI Ranchi, Apr 18: The Jharkhand High Court granted bail to former BJP MP Som Marandi and five others in a case relating to blocking railway tracks during an agitation in 2012, but asked them to deposit Rs 35,000 each to the PM-CARES fund and download the Aarogya Setu app as a condition. Allowing the bail through video-conference on Thursday, the bench of Justice Anubha Rawat Choudhary asked the six accused to provide evidence of the deposit and the download after being released, assistant public prosecuter Rakesh Kumar Sinha said. The court said all the accused are also instructed to abide by the guidelines issued by the Centre and the state government regarding COVID-19. The five other accused are Vivekanand Tiwari, Amit Agrawal, Hisabi Rai, Sanchay Bardhan and Anugrha Narayan. On March 28, the Centre set up the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund with the primary objective to deal with any kind of emergency situation like the one currently posed by the COVID-19 outbreak and provide relief to those affected. The government's Aarogya Setu app alerts people if any known or person in their vicinity has tested positive for coronavirus infection. The accused, booked in connection with a "rail roko" agitation in March 2012, were arrested in February this year. A GRP court had held them guilty and sentenced them to a year in prison. Later, the sentence was confirmed by a court in Pakur district. They then moved the High Court against the verdict. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, April 18, 2020, 0:46 [IST] The rainbow flag was designed in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, a San Francisco artist and gay-rights activist. Baker created the flag at the urging of his friend, Harvey Milk, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and one of the first openly gay elected officials in this country. The grand premise of Milks advocacy for the gay community was that individuals had to overcome their well-founded fears fears of rejection, job loss, bullying and even physical attack and come out of the closet. In doing so, they would shatter stereotypes and make gay rights a visceral, rather than an abstract, issue for straight Americans. Baker had that thought in mind when he created the gay-pride flag. Our job as gay people was to come out, to be visible, to live in the truth, as I say, to get out of the lie, Baker said. Bakers rainbow flag reinforced a simple but powerful affirmation: Dont be afraid to be who you are. Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez has first-hand knowledge of this inner struggle. She is a baby boomer who grew up in Brownsville as a lesbian at a time when Milks message only had begun to register. On ExpressNews.com: Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez presides over a special domestic violence court When Gonzalez took over the County Court at Law No. 13 bench in January 2019, as the first openly gay judge elected in Bexar County, she decided to honor that cause. Alongside the U.S. and Texas flags displayed behind her bench, she placed a rainbow flag given to her by Orgullo de San Antonio, the local LGBTQ council of the League of United Latin American Citizens. That flag, which stands for equality, self-acceptance and pride for a group of people who have been relentlessly oppressed in this society, quickly drew the ire of Flavio Hernandez, a San Antonio criminal defense attorney. Last April, Hernandez filed a motion to recuse Gonzalez from presiding over any case he handled. He also filed a complaint with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct over the rainbow flag. On ExpressNews.com: State authorities admonish Bexar County judge for social media posts In response, the commission issued a private warning last month to Gonzalez, stating the flag created the appearance of a partisan bias on her part. Any hint of rainbows including her rainbow pen, rainbow mouse pad and glasses with rainbow colors on the sides had to go. Gonzalez plans to appeal that decision. If nothing else, the commissions warning reminds us of how skewed our society continues to be on the issue of sexual orientation; how some people interpret equality as bias and self-acceptance as dogma. I may not be able to turn the dark tide of immorality sweeping through our nation like a virus, Hernandez told me in a statement. But in my small way, I voiced my support of traditional American family values. Thats what this really is all about. Its not about a judge displaying a flag in her courtroom. Its about her voicing solidarity with a community that Hernandez regards as a virus infecting our hearts and souls. Knocking Gonzalez down, invalidating her position as a judge, therefore, just is Hernandezs way of standing up for traditional American family values. Its not necessarily stunning that a solitary member of the legal community would launch a take-down-that-flag crusade. It is stunning, however, that the commission which oversees judges in this state actually agreed with him. Judges all over the state of Texas have a right to express their First Amendment rights. They dont lose that right when they become elected, said Deanna Whitley, Gonzalezs attorney. On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: Not much to like about judges Facebook posts Judges might have a Mothers Against Drunk Driving emblem or they might have a cross or they might have a bible or a flag with a thin blue line. There was no showing that Rosie was, in any ruling, biased in favor of or against anyone. Hernandezs complaint also prompted the commission to scrutinize Gonzalezs social-media history, which spurred it to issue a public admonition against her last month for Facebook posts in which she commended eight lawyers after they won jury verdicts in her court. Its important to understand the context behind the commissions flag warning. Last November, the commission sanctioned Dianne Hensley, a Waco justice of the peace who had defied federal law by refusing to conduct same-sex weddings, even though she performs weddings for opposite-sex couples. In response to that sanction, two voting members of the commission who were awaiting Senate confirmation found themselves summoned to meetings with Gov. Greg Abbotts staff. Abbott subsequently withdrew their nominations. On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: Commission on Judicial Conduct hurt by politics Attorney General Ken Paxton, like Abbott an opponent of LGBTQ rights, refused to defend the commission in the lawsuit that Hensley filed against it. So it looks like the commission bowed to anti-LGBTQ forces with a private warning to Gonzalez that it hoped would get no media coverage and would make the whole flag issue go away. It messed with the wrong judge. Gilbert Garcia is a columnist covering the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Gilbert, become a subscriber. ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 17, 2020 08:14 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd268024 1 Editorial transparency,wuhan,China,Jokowi,COVID-19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,data,#Editorial,democracy,populism Free The lifting of the lockdown in Hubei province, China, late last month and in the city of Wuhan in early April is a testament to the laudable job that the Chinese government has done in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. And considering that the country has a population of more than 1 billion people, the fact that China reported a little over 82,000 cases and 3,342 deaths is a good indication the effectiveness of the measures Beijing has taken to address the health crisis. But that success story comes with its own cautionary tale. Had transparency principles been upheld, first the Chinese government itself could have rolled out a faster response and COVID-19 would not have exploded into a pandemic. It is now widely reported that the initial slow response to clusters of patients stricken with a mysterious pneumonia had delayed a response from the Chinese government to what soon would be a global pandemic. The New York Times has reported that in the wake of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2002, China put in place an infectious disease reporting system that could have been automatic. Yet local health officials in Wuhan, who did not want to share bad news, withheld information about the case from the reporting system. Beijing was kept in the dark and its response was postponed. On Thursday, the Associated Press reported based on leaked internal documents that there was a week of public silence before the government finally decided to alert the public about a new pandemic. The initial attempt to walk a fine line between alerting the public and avoiding panic has now made COVID-19 a global pandemic that has infected 2 million people. In his early response to deal with COVID-19, President Joko Jokowi Widodo appeared to have also walked that fine line between protecting the public and preventing mass hysteria. With President Jokowi, theres also another complication: He needs to have the countrys economy running at normal speed. On March 14, Jokowi said he deliberately held back some information on COVID-19 cases to prevent the public from panicking. The lack of transparency has compromised the governments own effort to cope with the pandemic. To fight a fast-spreading pandemic like COVID-19, science matters and without sufficient information regarding the disease, it will be difficult to mount an effective response. The most practical use of data on COVID-19 cases is that we can have a mathematical model to predict when the pandemic will peak or if we can flatten the curve. The government came to its senses on Wednesday, with President Jokowi announcing that all information regarding COVID-19 must be available to the public. Upholding transparency, especially in a democracy, may look like a no-brainer, but the decision was significant on many fronts. Now, science can lead the way in the fight against COVID-19 and that should be a big deal for an administration that has been accused of being populist anti-scientism. But in the grand scheme of things, this is also a win for democracy. Who says democracy is not suitable to deal with a pandemic? The police in neighbouring Navi Mumbai have identified around 1,600 senior citizens who live alone and need help during the COVID-19 lockdown, an official said on Friday. The police have set up a help desk to check in on at least 24 elderly persons every day and provide any possible help to them during the lockdown, senior inspector Meera Bansode said. The desk with around six officials was set up on March 30 and has identified 1,600 senior citizens in the area, who need help getting essentials and medicines, she said. Police personnel have also helped the elderly, most of whom are over 80, with bank work and doctor visits. In a related development, general secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee Summan Agrawal donated two hot-water dispensers to the Thane Civil Hospital, where COVID-19 patients are being treated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) VANCOUVER - A coalition of rights groups in British Columbia is calling for the immediate release of as many inmates as possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19 after the death of an inmate this week at the Mission Institution. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/4/2020 (634 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Mission Correctional Institution in Mission, B.C. is pictured Tuesday, April 14, 2020. COVID-19 has infected several of the inmates and correctional officers at the facility. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward VANCOUVER - A coalition of rights groups in British Columbia is calling for the immediate release of as many inmates as possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19 after the death of an inmate this week at the Mission Institution. An outbreak at the medium-security facility is the largest among federal prisoners in Canada, with 55 inmates testing positive so far. The B.C. Civil Liberties Association and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs are also calling for an immediate coroner's inquest into what the groups say was the inmate's preventable death. The Correctional Service of Canada said in a statement Thursday that it was the first death of a federal inmate from apparent complications related to the novel coronavirus. Joint Effort, a prison abolitionist group that works with incarcerated women at federal and provincial prisons in Abbotsford and Maple Ridge, B.C., says flattening the curve of the disease must include correctional facilities. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. In a statement, the groups say inmates need full access to health care, harm reduction supplies and hygiene necessities, and governments must ensure every prisoner who is released can access income assistance and other supports. "The passivity of the government of Canada as COVID-19 spreads through federal prison populations has been an alarming display of inhumanity, and one with lethal consequences," said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, noting that a third of inmates in federal custody are Indigenous. In Quebec, 87 federal inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 in outbreaks in three prisons, while nine inmates have been diagnosed at the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Ontario. The Union of Canadian Correctional Officers said Friday that 65 of its members have tested positive for the virus at Canadian prisons. Fifty-five of the cases were reported at four Quebec Institutions, while 10 officers tested positive at two B.C. prisons. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2020. Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz presented Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with an ultimatum the afternoon of April 16: If Netanyahu does not sign an agreement for a unity government by April 20, Gantz will advance legislation preventing an indicted politician from composing a government. If the legislation became law, this would end the current premier's prospects for remaining in the post, since he was indicted on charges involving corruption, breach of trust and fraud earlier this year. Gantz decided to take matter into his own hands early April 16 and not wait for Netanyahu to change his mind after coalition talks hit another dead end. According to reports, Gantz was under the impression that Netanyahu actually seeks a fourth election, after three previous rounds have yet to lead to the formation of a government. Thus, Gantz convened his Knesset faction for a special meeting, updating his colleagues on details of the talks held between himself and Netanyahu over the past three weeks. According to a Blue and White source speaking on condition of anonymity, Gantz made it clear that he wont sit idly and wait for the premier. "I will turn the Knesset operational on Monday," the source quoted Gantz as saying; the source said the Blue and White chair would enable votes on legislative proposals targeting Netanyahu. This move by Gantz reflects his assessment that with Netanyahu heaping obstacles on the way to an agreement, the probability is high for fourth elections. A source who participated in the coalition talks told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Netanyahu made considerable progress in the negotiations, but the prevailing feeling is that "he stalls on purpose. Each time progress is made, he finds another clause to disagree on." The current source of disagreement is a demand by Netanyahu to include a clause enabling a high court ruling to be bypassed if and when the court disqualifies Netanyahu from serving as vice premier in the second period of the rotation agreement when Gantz takes over as prime minister. Gantz refuses to include such a clause, explaining that chances of such a disqualification happening are slim and that any such legislation would hurt the authority of the court. On the backdrop of these developments, Netanyahu invited Gantz for a meeting the night of April 16; this invitation was declined by Gantz. "Meetings between Netanyahu and Gantz are really good on the personal level, but after three weeks of talks, this is not enough. We made many concessions, but we also have red lines," said the Blue and White source. Given all that, Blue and White has started preparing for a potential fourth election campaign. Netanyahu will have to make up his mind by April 20, because the unity-government agreement being shaped requires amending some of Israels Basic Laws; this is a three-week process for the Knesset plenum. If the Knesset does not present a majority-supported candidate within 21 days, it will be dispersed automatically and new elections will be announced. Kate Middleton and Prince William are 'making sure they're visible' and 'sharing personal insights' to ensure the monarchy stays relevant amid the coronavirus crisis, a royal expert has claimed. Royal expert Roya Nikkhah appeared on BBC Breakfast to discuss the Duke, 37, and Duchess of Cambridge's, 38, interview this morning in which the couple opened up about the challenges of lockdown. Kate and Prince William spoke about home schooling Prince George, 6, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1, during the Easter holidays without telling them and told of their fears for Prince Charles over his coronavirus diagnosis. Roya revealed: 'The very clever thing the Cambridges have always done is they've always given us just enough of a little insight into their personal life, what it's like at home with George, Charlotte and Louis, so people understand that they are going through similar things to what everyone else is going through.' Kate Middleton, 38, and Prince William, 37, are 'making sure they're visible' and 'sharing personal insights' into their life to ensure the monarchy stays relevant amid the coronavirus crisis, according to royal expert Roya Nikkhah The royal expert explained: 'Kate and William are making sure they're visible, and that's been the case for the royal family since the start of the outbreak. 'It's a really interesting point I think, a lot of people often ask, "What is the point of the royal family?" 'I think their public response at the moment, being visible, whether it's via video link or phone calls, is very important.' Roya also paid tribute to the amount of work the Duke and Duchess have been doing with the Royal Foundation during the pandemic. The royal expert revealed how the couple were offering the public insights into their personal life, including during an interview with the BBC this morning (pictured) She continued: 'I know, as well as being very visible, William and Kate have been doing an awful lot behind the scenes with their foundation about how to support key workers both in coronavirus and beyond.' 'I think they feel it's important to keep supporting key workers, getting the message across about mental health, opening hospitals. 'The bread and butter of what a lot of the public want to see from the royal family.' She went on to discuss how both Kate and Prince William had opened up about their own emotions and mental health during the pandemic, sharing personal insights into their life with the public. Last month the couple posted a video clip of their children Prince George, 6, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1, applauding for the NHS She said: 'I think when William started campaigning for mental health a long time ago with Kate and Harry, a lot of people looked to him and thought, "Well if you want us to break down the stigma around talking about mental health, people want to hear it from you". 'He's been very good over the years, he's talked about the loss of his mother and now he has spoken about his worries about his father.' She also revealed how Kate and Prince William had become 'very good' at revealing tidbits of information about their family life, allowing the public to feel a kinship with the royals. She said: 'William's father was diagnosed with COVID-19 and he is worried about his grandparents who are self-isolating. Yes they might be doing it with a lot of space in Norfolk, but they are going through similar things to what a lot of people are with coronavirus.' The royal expert appeared on BBC Breakfast this morning to discuss the Cambridge's work throughout the coronavirus crisis Earlier today the couple opened up to BBC Breakfast about the challenges of life in lockdown from their home of Anmer Hall Earlier today Prince William and Kate told BBC Breakfast in an interview broadcast that it had been 'challenging' to teach their three children - which they indicated had been hardcore by saying they had 'got such stamina' - but also said they have been staying in touch with other Royal Family members using online video calls. The Duchess talked about how the couple had kept a strict regime while home schooling their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis in the past month. The couple said it was also important to avoid scaring their children and making it 'too overwhelming', but added that home schooling was 'fun' and the children had been pitching tents, cooking and baking. And speaking about continuing the home schooling throughout the Easter holidays this month, the Duchess said: 'We don't tell the children we've actually kept going through the holidays. I feel very mean.' During the interview, Prince William opened up about his concerns for his grandparents the Queen, 93, and Prince Philip, 98, amid the coronavirus crisis Kate also said the family had been through 'ups and downs' during the lockdown 'like lots of families' since it was imposed on March 23, but they had stayed in touch with other family members using video conferencing apps. William admitted he was 'quite concerned' for Charles after his 71-year-old father tested positive for coronavirus after having mild symptoms last month - but the Duke had been optimistic he would make a full recovery. He also revealed he is worried about the health of his elderly grandparents, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, although they have both been doing all they can to ensure they are protected and isolated at Windsor Castle. Prince William and Kate have been at the forefront of the royal's family response to the crisis, with the Duke opening a Nightingale Hospital in Birmingham earlier this week Experts previously revealed how Prince William and Kate would lead the royal family's efforts to support the nation amid the coronavirus crisis. Speaking to Australian website 9Honey, Katie Nicholl said the move was 'significant', adding that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were the 'best placed' members of the royal family to be 'pillars of support' for the nation at the moment. Alongside the lengthy interview today, the couple have shared clips online as they spoke with charities and organisations across the country via video link. The Duke and Duchess also shared a video of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis applauding the NHS workers to support healthcare workers amid the crisis. Hit by a shortage of labourers and machines due to the coronavirus lockdown, many Uttar Pradesh farmers are forced to summon relatives to help then harvest the wheat crop standing in the fields. Since the labourers are not available, we have to involve the entire family in harvesting, said Ram Ishwar of Telma-Jamalidinpur village in Ballia district. The lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus has crippled the movement of farm workers and equipment like combine harvesters, which the bigger farmers take on rent during harvest time. Now, farmers like Shankar in Bahraich district's Dhawaria village are looking at solutions closer to home. "Villagers have come together at the local level to help each other with the harvesting, he said. Shankar said farmers in his areas have formed groups whose members help each other out. I helped my villagers to harvest their crop and they did the same for me, he said. Similarly, Ram Kumar said farmers in his Badhauli village in Gonda district are working together so that the harvesting is not delayed any further. Police and administration officials are aware that there is are risks involved when farmers call in their relatives from nearby places. Amid fears over the spread of coronavirus, local residents sometimes resist the arrival of outsiders. This carries the risk of turning into a law and order problem, an official said. Small farmers who often sow the crop, go to the city to find work and then return during harvest time are in bigger trouble. They are stranded a long way from home and their fields because of the lockdown enforced nationwide to combat the spread of coronavirus. My crop is ready and needs harvesting but I cannot go because of the lockdown. If it rains I will suffer a huge loss, said Raju, who owns some land Bahraich's Hasna village. Bigger farmers in eastern UP who rely on rented mechanical harvesters said the machines are hard to find. The harvesters and combine machines used to come from Punjab in large numbers. This has not been the case this time because of the lockdown, said Manoj Yadav of Deoria's Chainpur Gulaura village. We have to depend on the local ones, and they are not easily available. This has come as a boon for those who have these machines and they are trying to dictate terms to us, he said. The state government recently relaxed lockdown restrictions on the movement of people involved in harvesting. At a meeting last Sunday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also said private agencies should be encouraged to directly buy foodgrain from farmers, as long as they match the minimum support price offered by the government. This has helped farmers in some areas. There is no problem here. Harvesting is being done both manually and with the help of machines. Police and the administration are not stopping the movement of machines here, Om Prakash, a farmer from Sahewa gram sabha in Banda district, told PTI on phone. But he admitted that harvesting is yet to gain momentum, and the dependence on local labourers has increased, like in other districts, as those from outside cannot travel. While allowing some relaxations, he said, the administration has warned that anti-coronavirus precautions should be taken and there should not be any complaint from anywhere. Wheat procurement in the state began on April 15. The UP government will buy 5.5 million tonnes of wheat, for which it has set up 5,500 purchase centres. An online token system has been introduced to prevent crowding at the wholesale markets. But farmers say they are running behind time in harvesting the crop. We will be in a position to avail any facilities to sell our produce only when we are able to cut the entire crop, Deoria's Manoj Yadav said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The human race is currently on the battlefield against an invisible enemy known as COVID-19 (coronavirus), a health crisis that has put the global economy to a standstill as governments introduce stringent emergency measures to curb its spread among large populations of people. In response to the recent outbreak of the disease in Ghana, with a number of infections soaring each day, the government has imposed a partial lockdown on major cities while equipping frontline workers to control the situation across the nation. The Ghana Institute of Safety and Environmental Professionals (GhISEP), as the sole Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Professional Body has observed the growing spread of COVID-19 in Ghana, and the World as a whole. In order to limit the spread to prevent severe situations as seen in other badly affected countries, following the earlier press release dated March 20, 2020, our Occupational Health & Safety and Environment experts recommendations in the role play in support of the fight against COVID-19. As the scars of the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread around the world, of which Ghana is no exception, occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals seem to have been left behind who plays a key role in helping organizations protect workers, communicate accurately and effectively about the risks, and ensure business continuity when a pandemic event threatens to disrupt normal operations. First, rely on trusted resources and information and planning for community person-to-person spread of the virus (sustained local transmission or contact tracing) with government agencies. The key right now for most OSH professionals across the world are helping in the fight and contributing to planning for community person-to-person spread of the virus (otherwise known as sustained local transmission) in areas where the country has its reported cases. The following are some of the ways that the OSH professionals in Ghana could also contribute their quota and professional skills to the countrys fight against the COVID-19 which will go a long way in the minimization of the risk and hazard of recorded cases as of today. Misinformation and rumors are a concern during any pandemic because they can heighten fear and create greater uncertainty. That's why it is important to take time to identify, share and rely on trusted sources for the latest information as the situation evolves. The best sources of information are WHO, CDC MoI, MOH and OSHA, and scientific medical sources such as GMA, etc. Safety professionals can also support their countrys efforts to communicate effectively and accurately by sharing information that discourages rumors and refutes erroneous information from the Internet. WHO offers a set of myth-busting infographics that OSH professionals, government and employers can readily share to help government and citizenry, employers and employees and their families understand the facts and make good decisions. Secondly, Taking Action to Prepare for a Pandemic Risk Assessment is a potent tool in everything we do be it individual, organization or country. It helps one to mirror on the possible risk and hazard of an activity that ought to be undertaking. From a risk assessment/management perspective, many countries should already have a pandemic plan as part of the governance mechanism but organizations do not have such plans as part of their business continuity plans and strategy. As a checklist for those organizations that have a plan and as a starting point for those that do not, I do recommend the following set of actions organizations through the government: Develop a plan for the communities, country, and worker absences, Develop flexible attendance and sick-leave policies. For example, depending on the makeup of your workforce, safety professionals can encourage employers to consider pandemic pay policies that allow sick workers to stay home, regardless of the amount of paid leave they have accumulated, Identify critical job functions and positions, and plan for alternative coverage by cross-training staff as well as conducting a formal hazard assessment for those parties involved. In addition, as countries identify critical services within unordinary days as we have it today, the need for risk assessments in the activities is key especially with the frontline workers, that would need to continue should business be disrupted by an outbreak, that OSH professionals can help determine the risks of alternate processes and identify training needed such as in the contact tracing if frontline workers are cross-trained to roles that they havent performed before. It is also important to consider work hours and fatigue if staffing is reduced by illness. Thirdly, the establishment of communication protocols with government agencies, frontline worker and employers. Another area that the government should address as part of their plan is how they will reach the citizenry and employees to provide information about workplace conditions even after the COVID-19, closures or instructions. For instance, many companies have systems that deliver text messages or e-mails about weather closures and other emergencies that can be used for pandemic communications as well, provided the company has collected necessary contact information in advance. In cases where some workplace doesnt have such as system, then social media, traditional TV, radio or newspapers may be the only ways to let employees know what is happening, let's also keep in mind that if employees are working from home on their own computers and phones, their coworkers may not know how to reach them without having personal e-mail or phone numbers. Fourthly, Create an Effective Telework Policy as concern around the spread of coronavirus grows, it is a good time to review our telework policy or to develop one if an organization does not have one. Promoting teleworking across your organization will help the country and business to keep operating and keep employees and citizens safe. If there is an outbreak in your community, the public health authorities may advise people to avoid public transport and crowded places. You can find many examples of telework policies online by searching terms like "sample telework policy," "telework policy template" and "telecommuting policy template." As part of a telework program, your companys IT team will need to determine what equipment is available, assess system capacity, such as how many people can connect at one time and for what tasks (e.g., just e-mail or video conferencing), and make sure the connections are secure. For worker safety issues specifically, I recommend that both the communities and organization develop a checklist for employees to use and properly set up their home workspace and to identify safety risks. Fifthly, effective prevention measures (the use of a hierarchy of controls) to determine the best way to protect the country, citizenry, employees, and employers. As with any risks, OSH professionals would use the hierarchy of controls to determine the best way to protect families, societies, and employees from hazards. For instance, cleaning high-touch areas such as door handles and rails, washing hands frequently and thoroughly, not touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, practicing good respiratory hygiene and staying home when they are sick are good practices for people to follow during cold and flu season, and they apply in this COVID-19 outbreak as well. Employers will want to ensure they have adequate supplies of tissues, trash receptacles and 60% alcohol hand sanitizer. Masks should be made available only to those who become sick at work until they leave the workplace. N95 masks should be reserved for existing work settings with particulate exposure from work functions, emergency responders or healthcare facilities. Despite the fact that the public in some cultures uses masks in many public spaces, masks are not effective against the spread of COVID-19 unless they are properly fitted and worn correctly along with other appropriate PPE. However, in Ghana, it's being used and applied wrongly. According to WHO protocols, masks are only to be worn by affect people or people suspected to have symptoms of the COVID-19 but what do we see around, even people in the vehicles all alone around found with the mask. The OSH professional is best trained on PPE acquisition, usage, maintenance, etc. Sixthly, advice and address global responsibilities and travel precautions with government and agencies as well as employers. Thus, OSH professionals with responsibilities in global operations may already be dealing with government-required closures, reductions of operations or travel restrictions due to local person-to-person spread of the virus. In these cases, the pandemic plan will already be activated, Thus, following local requirements, travel bans and use the WHO guidance that is updated daily in order to determine the next steps. Most global companies have been requiring those returning to Ghana from a country with COVID-19 to work at home and monitor for fever for 14 days. Other measures to consider for employees who travel: Share the latest CDC information on areas where there is sustained local transmission of coronavirus, Avoid sending employees who may be at higher risk of serious illness (e.g., older employees and those with medical conditions such as diabetes, heart and lung disease) to areas where COVID-19 is spreading, Make sure all persons traveling to locations reporting virus cases are briefed by a qualified health professional such as the on-site occupational health provider, make sure the employee knows who to contact at work if they are diagnosed with COVID-19. Also, ensure that the confidentiality of health information is maintained. Notwithstanding that, OSH professionals and other frontline workers can take many steps to help protect and educate citizens. But they must also take care not to inadvertently cause more concern or panic through certain actions. For example, avoid telling people that they will be fine and the risk to them is zero, adding to that the number of cases of COVID-19 in Ghana will grow as testing capacity by the government and local level increases in the next few weeks. Acknowledging fear and allowing communities and employees to process that fear is an important step in risk communication. Keep providing facts and explaining what steps individuals can take to prepare. This is what they can control. In addition, communities and employers should not single out or discriminate against any group or individuals due to race, country of origin or health status. The outbreak will impact a wide range of people and no one group is responsible for spreading it. COVID-19 is a droplet disease, Although it can be spread by fresh droplets on a surface that is touched by someone who then touches their eyes, nose or mouth, the virus is fragile and will not live on surfaces very long. In conclusion, I urge the government, OSH professionals, agencies and employers to strictly adhere to the above steps while exploring newly approved guidelines to safeguard the lives of Ghanaians. In doing so, it will take the collective effort of frontline workers including Health, Safety, Security and Environmentalists (HSSE) to collaborate effectively to end the spread of the virus in Ghana. Facebook (Photo : Image by Thomas Ulrich from Pixabay ) Image by Thomas Ulrich from Pixabay Advertisement KEY POINTS Facebook will begin alerting users who react to or like coronavirus stories fact-checkers have marked as false Previously, Facebook alerted users to fake coronavirus stories only if they tried sharing posts containing false information Facebook has offered financial support to various fact-checking companies To fight the spread of misinformation, Facebook said Thursday it would begin notifying users if any coronavirus stories with which they interacted contained fake claims and stories. Vice President of Integrity Guy Rosen shared the decision in a post on Facebook's newspage. "We're going to start showing messages in News Feed to people who have liked, reacted or commented on harmful misinformation about COVID-19 that we have since removed," Rosen said in the post. "These messages will connect people to COVID-19 myths debunked by the WHO including ones we've removed from our platform for leading to imminent physical harm." It's the latest step taken by Facebook to battle misinformation on its platforms amid the coronavirus pandemic. Until Thursday, it was only telling users about fake COVID-19 stories when they shared a post fact-checkers marked as false. Rosen said Facebook has been working with more than 60 fact-checking companies from around the world to review coronavirus stories in around 50 languages. Eight more companies have joined this group since the pandemic exploded in March and began covering information in 12 more countries. Facebook also offered financial support to the various fact-checking companies working with a $1 million grant through a partnership with the International Fact-Checking Network. Rosen said these grants have been able to support companies in countries like Italy, Colombia, the Republic of Congo, and others with more on the way. Rosen also introduced a coronavirus facts page called "Get The Facts." The page will contain stories already proofread by fact-checking partners selected by Facebook's news curation team and updated weekly. "As this pandemic evolves, we'll continue focusing on the most effective ways to keep misinformation and dangerous hoaxes about COVID-19 off our apps and ensure people have credible information from health experts to stay safe and informed," Rosen said. 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. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has held a meeting through videoconference with the participation of Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Sahil Babayev and Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov. The head of state made a speech at the meeting. Speech of President Ilham Aliyev - When discussing the results of the first quarter on 14 April, I issued a number of instructions. Of course, all of them must be fulfilled and you should regularly inform me about their implementation. Additional instructions will be given today, as the pandemic continues. Despite the fact that the situation in Azerbaijan is under control, we need to take measures in accordance with the situation. The priority issue for us - I have already said this but I want to say it again is the health of our people, their life and social protection. At the same time, under these conditions, we should pay more attention to the economy, of course, because everyone should know that if we do not have strong economic opportunities, we will not be able to successfully pursue social policies, especially during the pandemic, as this disease and its consequences require major financial resources. Therefore, I want to say again that the main priorities for us during the pandemic are people's health, their social protection and the growth of economic activity in accordance with the situation. Everyone needs to know that this great disaster has put the whole world to a serious test. To date, more than 140,000 people have died in the world. This disease defies all boundaries. Whereas at the initial stage it was imported into Azerbaijan from outside, then the process of internal infection began. However, I must note that as a result of tough preventive measures, we are keeping the situation under control. In a sense, the statistics of the last three to four days provides the basis for some optimism. I should note that in recent days the dynamics between the number of infected and those who have recovered is already positive. In other words, more people recover than get infected. This is mainly due to the measures taken. I want to say again: if we had not taken preventive measures in a timely manner, then there wouldnt be a thousand patients in Azerbaijan, but perhaps 10,000, 20,000, maybe even more. We are currently studying the experience of developed countries. The healthcare system in these countries has always been an example for many states. However, it is possible to say that the health system of countries with great potential is now in crisis. And this is natural, because the spread of the disease is so high, the disease spreads so quickly that the health system of no country, including Azerbaijan, can cope with it. Therefore, our main goal was to prevent the increase in infections that was observed, to break the chain of infections. All measures taken were aimed at overcoming this situation with small losses, helping our people, protecting them from this disaster and ensuring their social protection. I believe that the restrictive measures we have taken so far, their gradual tightening, as well as the provision of social protection for people working in areas affected by the pandemic, are a good reflection of our correct policy. I want to say again that in the last three to four days there has been a positive trend. We will continue to keep the situation under control in order to see how long this dynamics will continue, whether it is stable and what additional measures should be taken, because the world has faced a great challenge and we see that countries often struggle against this evil alone. Of course, Azerbaijan as a responsible and reliable member of the world community has taken very important steps to strengthen solidarity in this area both domestically and internationally. I can say that national accord in the country has grown to an unprecedented level. This once again shows the greatness of our people, demonstrates that we as a people and as a state show maximum solidarity on difficult days, help each other, in particular, provide assistance to low-income families. Naturally, first of all, the state, entrepreneurs, public organizations, individuals we once again demonstrate the best qualities inherent in our people. As you know, the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States, in which Azerbaijan is currently the chairing country, has become the first organization in the world to conduct a summit in a video conference format. This summit once again demonstrated our solidarity and unity. It showed that we stand by each other on difficult days. The thousands of letters I have received in recent days indicate that the Azerbaijani people appreciate the work being done by the state. Of course, this inspires us even more. This suggests that although people's lives were complicated by the quarantine regime that affected peoples normal life and created problems for many, the vast majority of our people, while aware of this situation, support the state. We must continue to be active in the fight against this disaster, take preventive measures and try to overcome this difficult situation with small losses. As for the quarantine regime, as you know, it was envisaged until 20 April. However, in the unanimous opinion of experts, the quarantine regime needs to be extended. I believe that this will be the right step because there are only the first manifestations of positive dynamics so far. We must make it sustainable. Therefore, I believe that the Task Force will announce this in the near future. I believe that the extension of the quarantine regime is the only right decision. Given this, we, of course, must further enhance the social protection of our people. The Azerbaijani people are well aware that we immediately began to seriously deal with this issue. A significant part of the salaries of those working in areas hard hit by the pandemic is being paid by the state. There are more than 300,000 people in this category. At the same time, the state has allocated large financial resources to facilitate the financial situation of about 300,000 representatives of micro-business. Thus, about 600,000 people belonging only to this category are receiving financial support from the state. Public sector wages are paid in full. Currently, the vast majority of about one million people do not work, but the state pays them their wages. So this once again demonstrates the humane essence of the Azerbaijani state. This shows I repeatedly said this long before the coronavirus that our policy is centered on the people of Azerbaijan. The difficult situation of these days once again shows that our words are complemented with our deeds and we always practice what we preach. However, taking into account the fact that the quarantine regime will be extended, we need to play on an exit in advance. I am giving you instructions on this issue: we tightened the quarantine regime in a phased manner and we should relax it in the same phased manner. How will this happen? The government, including ministries, should work on this issue and submit proposals. We must already plan on where this relaxation should begin with because I hope that during the extended quarantine regime a certain relaxation is not excluded. Nevertheless, we need to take action in accordance with the situation. Of course, in connection with the current situation, I am most concerned about people's health. Our doctors are doing everything possible to help people. As you know, our healthcare system is facing a great test. The fact that our healthcare system has not collapsed is primarily due to the fact that we were able to control the spread of the disease. If it had got out of hand, then our healthcare system would not be able to cope with it. Some developed countries their situation is shown on TV and Internet resources these days do not have the opportunity to treat people at all. Some patients are placed in the corridors, on the floor, lie on the floor and simply remain in the hospital building. Hundreds and in some cases more than a thousand people die in the most developed countries. Why? Simply because the healthcare system cannot cope with that, there is no room in hospitals, sometimes there is a lack of necessary equipment. If the healthcare system of these countries had functioned normally, then the lives of most of these people could have been saved. In recent years, our healthcare system has come a long way. Today, coronavirus-infected people are being treated in more than 20 public hospitals. The vast majority of these hospitals have been built in the last 16 years, including the Yeni klinika with 575 beds, the most modern healthcare institution in our country where more than 100 patients are currently being treated. In addition, many patients are undergoing treatment in the educational-therapeutic and surgical clinics of the Azerbaijan Medical University, which were built at my initiative. Many patients are treated in central district hospitals built in the districts in recent years. In particular, patients receive treatment in three new hospitals opened in the cities of Goranboy, Gazakh and Shamkir in March this year. There are facilities for 500 beds. So more than a thousand beds were commissioned in March. According to my instructions, 10 modular hospitals are currently under construction in our country. I believe that after these hospitals begin to operate, an additional 2,000 beds will be available there in the next one to two months. So we are doing all the preparatory work. Today we clearly see the professionalism of our doctors. It is no secret that sometimes there were critical attitudes to the activities of health workers. The healthcare system of Azerbaijan was allegedly in a terrible state, patients in Azerbaijan allegedly do not receive proper treatment and wealthy people prefer to go abroad. True, there are such facts, and not only in Azerbaijan, as wealthy people from much richer countries than us receive treatment in leading clinics of Europe and America. This is a global practice. But we rely only on our own capabilities these days. Our healthcare system is being developed by Azerbaijani doctors with state support. The fact that complex operations are conducted in Azerbaijan today, there are various examinations in connection with the coronavirus, there are 18 laboratories all this multiplies our strength. So we can be completely sure today that the capabilities of our healthcare system and the professionalism of doctors are up to standard. I want to express my gratitude to the doctors for their dedication and heroism once again. Therefore, I am absolutely sure that as a result of the extension of the quarantine regime, we can further reinforce the positive dynamics. In this connection, of course, we need to address the problems of low-income families more broadly. To date, we envisaged that the quarantine regime would last until 20 April. But it will be extended. The number of people seeking help has increased significantly. These appeals and applications are widely analyzed and maximum transparency should be ensured. At the initial stage, the plan was that 200,000 people would receive assistance from the state in the amount of 190 manats. I believe that, given the general situation and in order to strengthen social protection of people, we must bring the number of people of this category to 600,000. So for two months, the state should pay 190 manats a month not to 200,000, but 600,000 people. People in this category are representatives of the poor. At the same time, they are people who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus and those who are employed unofficially. The state also takes care of their problems, although I have repeatedly addressed them, saying that unofficial employment must end because it will create problems for you. You will not be able to get the unemployment insurance, unemployment benefits, pensions, medical insurance. Recently, as a result of the activities of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, the Ministry of Economy and other relevant agencies, tens of thousands of new employment agreements have been concluded. I do hope that after this difficult situation is over, people still working in the shadow economy will take this into account and understand that the only way forward is to get out of the shadow. I am urging entrepreneurs: put an end to unofficial employment. I urge employees once again: do not work without an employment contract, demand one for yourself. If an entrepreneur does not want to conclude an employment contract with you, immediately inform the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, the Ministry of Economy and the Presidential Administration. We will punish these entrepreneurs. In the current circumstances when the state has mobilized all its resources, to deceive it, to evade taxes and to think only of ones own material interests is nothing short of a betrayal. There can be no other name for this. Therefore, I am instructing you that in April-May, for two months, 600,000 people should receive 190 manats per month from the state. I am asking citizens who will receive these funds to open a bank account to receive the second payment. The first payment will be made this month, so some people may not have the opportunity to open a bank account. But the second payment will be made in May. Until that time, each of 600,000 people must open a bank account and receive a second payment by a bank transfer. This is our request. This is our demand. Therefore, your ministry is now facing very serious tasks in connection with this issue. You have to provide these payments in a short time. I want to ask the Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population: there are 13 days left for the end of the month, how quickly can these payments be made to 600,000 people and how many people can receive these payments daily? Please report on that. Minister Sahil Babayev said: - Dear Mr. President, within the framework of the Action Plan you have approved, a relevant Cabinet of Ministers resolution of 17 April established a mechanism to support the unemployed, those employed unofficially who have lost their jobs due to the special quarantine regime, and also, as you noted, people from low-income families. We started payments on 9 April. Whereas 10,000 people were paid daily at the initial stage, we have recently increased this figure to 20,000-25,000. As of yesterday evening, payments were made to 140,000 people. Based on today's payment plan, an additional 25,000 people will be paid. According to your instruction, we will try to bring the daily figure to 25,000-30,000 by the end of the month in order to fulfill it as quickly as possible, and so that in late April and early May each of the 600,000 people can receive these funds. The main issue is also related to how people receive these funds because due to a large number of daily payments in any form, there may be large concentrations of people in the banks and post offices. Therefore, we tried to resolve this together with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies. The main burden falls on our post offices. Until now, they have coped with the task very successfully indeed. But we believe that all payments will be made no later than the first week of May. If, in accordance with your order, a significant part of second payments is made by a bank transfer, then, of course, things will go faster. President Ilham Aliyev: Good! Therefore, citizens receiving the first payment should once again be advised to open bank accounts. Addressing our banks now, I want to ask them this will require a lot of work to show maximum efficiency here. If all of the 600,000 people open bank accounts, as we want and recommend, then, of course, this can create certain problems. Therefore, the banking sector should also be prepared for this. Thus, from now on, these people will receive their salaries by transfer, transparently, and fulfill their civic duty. This is the surest way. Do you have anything else to say on this issue, i.e. in connection with the upcoming additional work? Minister Sahil Babayev: Dear Mr. President, there are a number of other programs related to unemployed and those unofficially employed who have lost their jobs during the special quarantine regime the program of paid jobs announced at your initiative. You instructed us to significantly expand this program, so there are plans to create an additional 50,000 public jobs. The implementation of this program has already begun. Let me report that to date, 5,000 unemployed are already involved in this work and the signing of employment contracts with them is at the final stage. We will try to fully complete this within 10 days. Mr. President, another program is a self-employment program. On your instruction, the World Bank has been involved in the self-employment program. In addition, Azerbaijani banks have already joined it as well. This year we plan to create micro-farms for 12,000 families. This is all in connection with the unemployed, Mr. President. President Ilham Aliyev: In connection with the opening of paid public jobs, based on the experience of previous years, we planned to open 37,000 jobs at the beginning of the year. I must also note that this program has been implemented for three to four years. Some people involved in these jobs at the initial stage subsequently switched to other jobs with higher salaries. Therefore, we planned this program in the range of about 30,000-40,000. However, due to the pandemic and given the inevitable increase in unemployment, I gave an order to bring this figure to 50,000 at the initial stage. But now I believe we should increase it to a higher figure 90,000 paid public jobs should be created this year. This area also requires very serious control. We have already discussed this issue. The mechanism is more transparent today. Unfortunately, control here was at a zero level at the initial stage and local executive authorities often abused it and appropriated the funds intended for the poor. This is utmost dishonesty. It is because of this and other crimes that three heads of the executive authority have already been arrested and their dirty deeds have been documented and disclosed to the public. They have disgraced themselves and their ancestors, they have caused great damage to their loved ones, to the state. We allocated these funds so that people who cant find work or have low working capacity get paid at least the minimum wage, bring home a little money. We raised the minimum wage to 250 manats, but they appropriated it, kept peoples cards, withdrew money from them and enriched themselves. This is a crime and moral ugliness. You cannot call this otherwise. Therefore, all relevant authorities should henceforth pay very serious attention to this issue. I am asking citizens too well: if someones name is recorded but they dont receive a salary, let them inform us. Thus, we will provide 90,000 unemployed people with public jobs. As for the self-employment program, we talked about this issue last time, and I think that attracting 12,000 people to this program this year is a very good indicator. On our initiative, the World Bank also joined this program. At the same time, Azerbaijani banks joined it for the first time. I do hope that Azerbaijani banks will help more people from this category next year. I also asked you to increase the number of people receiving targeted social assistance. What is the situation and growth dynamics in this area recently? Minister Sahil Babayev said: - Dear Mr. President, 80,000 families, or more than 330,000 people, are already covered by the targeted social assistance program. Compared to 1 April, growth accounts for 10,000 families, or 36,000 people. On your instruction, this trend will also be regularly increased. Targeted assistance as an important mechanism to support our low-income families will continue to be provided on your initiative. President Ilham Aliyev: Very good! At the same time, at a meeting held on 14 April, I asked you to provide martyr families with the envisaged homes. You informed me about this. Of course, due to the quarantine regime, public events cannot be held these days. But we should know that we must reach the target figure by the end of the year. This help will benefit 1,500 martyr families. How many families will still be registered then? Please report on that. Minister Sahil Babayev: Dear Mr. President. When the implementation of the program began in 2014, i.e. of those registered as of 1 January 2014, there will only be 1,500 people left by the end of this year. President Ilham Aliyev: So after 1,500 families are provided with homes this year, there will be 1,500 families left. We will be able to resolve this issue perhaps in a year or two. This will complete the program on the provision of housing to all people of this category. I would also like to ask about the construction of DOST centers. True, these centers do not operate in the current conditions. But our program provided for the construction of several centers this year. As soon as the quarantine regime ends, these centers must certainly begin to operate. What has been done in this area? I have participated in the opening of two centers. How many more centers are to be built this year and are they ready? Minister Sahil Babayev: Dear Mr. President, work is under way on the construction of seven more centers this year. There are plans to open four of them this year. One is ready now. This is the DOST center No 3 and it covers Nizami, Surakhani and Sabunchu districts. We have fully prepared it for opening, so as soon as the special quarantine regime ends, it will begin to operate. This center can receive approximately 700 people daily and provide support to our vulnerable citizens. Other centers are to be established in Sumgayit, Absheron, Barda, Guba and Sheki districts. Work on each of them is underway. Inshallah, you will be updated as the construction of these centers is quickly completed. President Ilham Aliyev: Good! In connection with the economic sphere, we now need to take steps that, in the current difficult conditions, could maintain economic activity, of course. Everyone knows that today, in connection with the pandemic, practically all countries have shut their borders. Work continues only in the field of trade and cargo transportation. However, since shopping centers are closed, there is a decline here. The situation with cargo transportation is relatively normal. Of course, the policies we pursue in the economic sphere, the economic stability create additional opportunities for us in the fight against the pandemic. Three days ago, we talked about the results of the first three months of the year and I do not want to repeat that. So far there is a positive trend. But it is possible that in April, May and June there will be a recession, because if we compare the results of the first two months with the results of three months, we can see that there is a decrease in the gross domestic product. At the same time, there is a decline in the non-oil sector. Although we see growth, the way things will develop in the coming months, of course, will depend on how long the quarantine regime lasts. At the same time, keep in mind that the quarantine regime will be maintained for some time. What additional actions do we need to take under the quarantine regime in order to maintain economic activity at least to some extent and, as soon as the quarantine regime ends, increase it without wasting time? Therefore, when I say that we must come out of the quarantine regime step by step, this also applies to our economic sphere. You should already have priorities in this area. I want to say again: it is not even ruled out that under the quarantine regime, which will be extended beyond 20 April, we can reopen certain areas. We see from the experience of other countries, including developed ones, that such initiatives are being put forward. The quarantine regime has a very negative impact on the economy of every country and we cannot say how long this impact will last. Therefore, we need to take such steps in order to be more prepared for the post-quarantine regime during this period. I believe that if the issues I noted are resolved positively, then unofficial employment after the quarantine regime will be eliminated because tens of thousands of employment contracts were concluded during this period and people working informally will be convinced that the only correct course of action is to come out of the shadow economy. Of course, as I have already noted, the current conditions will put a huge moral burden on those who wish to violate economic laws. Let me say again that in the current conditions attempts to deceive the state will be tantamount to betrayal. Therefore, keep in touch with entrepreneurs, continue the contacts in order to educate them and encourage them to work honestly. They need to be shown how much the state has taken upon itself. I dont want to compare Azerbaijan to any other country, but notice that the salaries of workers in the areas affected by the pandemic are being paid by the state. There are 300,000 people, and this is a lot. There are also about 300,000 representatives of micro-businesses, and the state also pays them as well. I gave you instructions in connection with tax benefits, tax breaks, and I want you to report on this issue. What measures have been prepared and when will this package be submitted to the Milli Majlis? Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov said: - Thank you, dear Mr. President. First of all, I would like to emphasize that we planned on and are carrying out all our work in accordance with your two instructions. The first is to preserve the existing economic structure and employment. The second is to provide for activities in the new environment. As operational information, I would like to bring to your attention that the process of providing financial support to enterprises and private entrepreneurs, including representatives of micro-businesses affected by the pandemic, is successfully ongoing. The process is carried out online. Explanatory videos are shown and there is a hotline. The figures for today are: financial assistance has already been provided through the Ministry of Finance and agent banks to 11,567 taxpayers businesses with a total of 123,343 employees and 22,949 entrepreneurs. In accordance with your second order, a package of amendments to the Tax Code has been prepared. It has been agreed with all state bodies and consists of the following parts. First, a number of tax benefits and tax breaks are offered to taxpayers working in areas that were directly affected by the pandemic until 1 January 2021. These include the provision of full tax benefits on property and land taxes, a tax benefit of 75 percent of the profit, a 50 percent reduction in tax rates withheld from individuals at the source of payment for rental of immovable property, i.e. a reduction from 14 to 7 percent, provision of a 50 percent discount on the amount of simplified tax for activities in the field of public catering and passenger transportation within the country. The second direction is the provision from 1 January 2020 to 1 January 2021 of a 50 percent tax exemption for micro-businesses working simplified tax, i.e. a reduction from 2 percent to 1 percent turnover, as well as a tax break for the calculation and payment of current tax payouts. Finally, the third direction which applies to all business entities provides for the following tax benefits for the period up to 1 January 2021: deduction from income without taking into account the expenses incurred in connection with the necessary preventive measures, including disinfection, taken by taxpayers to prevent the epidemic, protect the life and health of the population, as well as urgent import tax exemption for the food and medical supplies in accordance with the list you, Mr. President, have approved. In other words, this is a fairly broad package whereby, as you noted, enterprises will operate in a new regime. President Ilham Aliyev: Have discussions been held with entrepreneurs on this issue? Minister Mikayil Jabbarov: Dear Mr. President, within the framework of the working groups established in accordance with your order, discussions have been held with the participation of business entities, the Confederation of Entrepreneurs, the Association of Banks of Azerbaijan and all relevant state bodies, and the opinion of entrepreneurs has been taken into account. President Ilham Aliyev: What is the attitude of entrepreneurs to this package of proposals? Does it suit them or do they want more benefits? Please report on that. Minister Mikayil Jabbarov: Dear Mr. President, with regard to tax benefits, this is a wide and comprehensive package. As you know, this is not the only support mechanism. As an example, the issue expected to be discussed at the Financial Stability Council today is to take into account the impact of the pandemic on all other businesses and, for example, soften regulatory measures for bank loans. What does this mean for an entrepreneur? This allows banks the opportunity to soften their current loan payments, restructure them and provide a delay. This work is carried out in the Ministry of Economy on the initiative of the Central Bank, the Association of Banks within the framework of the working group and other relevant working groups with the participation of entrepreneurs. This decision is also to be brought to your attention soon. President Ilham Aliyev: Good! It is necessary to promptly and transparently carry out all my instructions. I am sure that as a result of the adoption of these measures, we will strengthen the social protection of the population, provide additional support to entrepreneurs and, most importantly, protect the lives and health of our people. I am sure that the Azerbaijani people will understand the extension of quarantine correctly. I want to say again that this creates great difficulties for all of us. However, the life and health of people are above everything else. We have to endure this for as long as it is necessary. I must also note that a very large social and economic package has been put in place to improve the situation of our people. Whereas earlier it was estimated at 1 billion manats, it was then valued at 2.5 billion manats. As a result of my latest instructions, this economic package will now exceed 3 billion manats, perhaps even 3.5 billion manats. We will do as much as necessary. Azerbaijan has mobilized all its resources to get out of this situation with small losses, to protect the lives of our people and to be ready for the post-pandemic period. I am sure that we will ensure that. Thank you! --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The Covid-19 pandemic has not just impacted the health of millions, but also turned out to be a wealth destroyer. Equity markets, globally, have fallen significantly over the past month owing to the choking of supply chains and fears that things may not improve soon. The Indian markets, too, have been hit. Since January, the S&P BSE Sensex has gone from a high of 42,274 to 25,638, and the Nifty50 from 12,431 to 7,511. The large-, mid- and small-cap indices have fallen in the range of 24-26 per cent over the past three months. Investors, sitting on significant wealth erosion, would like to ... Changes in the world show that Azerbaijan, like all countries, needs to deepen the digitalization of the economy, Director General of AzerTelecom LLC Fuad Allahverdiyev told local media. Allahverdiyev said that currently, reforms on building digital economy are underway in Azerbaijan, and large-scale public and private programs are being implemented. A partnership is being created between the state and private owners to promote the country as a digital hub at the global level and apply digital technologies, he added. The Azerbaijan Digital Hub program and various projects within this program are aimed at deepening the digitalization of the Azerbaijani economy and creating a stable technological infrastructure for building such an economy. Major content providers such as Facebook, Google, Netflix, Amazon, Alibaba, and Tencent attract Azerbaijan to meet the traffic needs of Asian countries, and, as a result, this creates an opportunity for Azerbaijan to become a digital center, said the director general. Successful implementation of the program will ultimately create conditions for the formation of a digital ecosystem in Azerbaijan, the creation of a digital economy, and an increase in the share of the digital sector in the economy. Looking at the economic indicators of different countries, we see that the share of the digital sector of the economy is multidirectional. For example, in South Korea these indicators are 12 percent, in Sweden - 8.6 percent, in Finland - 8.3 percent, in the US - 7.4 percent, in the UK - 7.1 percent," said Allahverdiyev. According to the World Economic Forum, in the next decade, 70 percent of the new values in the economy will be created on the basis of digital platforms. Google predicts that by 2025 the volume of the digital economy in Southeast Asia will triple and reach $240 billion, he added. Given the importance of building a digital economy, countries around the world are taking various initiatives. Countries such as the US, the UK, France, Norway, Qatar, China and Russia have created specialized agencies and adopted national programs in this field for more efficient progress in building a digital economy and making digital transformation processes more efficient, he stressed. In the current conditions, Azerbaijan, using its potential, has the opportunity to accelerate the processes of digital transformation, build a digital economy and achieve sustainable development thanks to a unified state policy and coordination, Allahverdiyev added. I dont know where you are taking us, hissed Shas Chairman and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a harsh conversation they recently conducted. Al-Monitor received this information, on condition of anonymity, from a high-placed Likud minister in whom Deri confided. Deri, the key mediator between Netanyahu and Blue and White Chairman Benny Gantz, encouraged the sides to form a "unity coronavirus government" as soon as possible. The second go-between was No. 2 in Blue and White, former Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, who in fact conducted the initial contacts with Deri. Ashkenazi was in favor of a unity government, even at the cost of dismantling Blue and White. He invested much effort and put out innumerable feelers to lower the levels of suspicion and anger that Gantz had accumulated toward Netanyahu in the wild, unruly March election campaign. In Ashkenazis talks with Deri, the Shas chairman promised Ashkenazi that he be personally and directly responsible for ensuring that Netanyahu would carry out his campaign promises. Deri mollified Ashkenazi and told him that he believed Netanyahu was serious this time, and wanted to avert a fourth election campaign. As we recall, the beginning was promising. When Blue and White fell apart on March 26, Gantz was free to open a coalition negotiations process with Netanyahu. In these personal talks, Netanyahu exhibited willingness to compromise and turned on his personal charm. But as time went on, it emerged that every time it seemed that the negotiations were about to end with a signature on the dotted coalition agreement, Netanyahu would come up with yet another sticking point. Gantz negotiations staff, who spent long hours in the official Balfour residence and had direct access to Netanyahu and his staff, were exhausted and depleted. Netanyahu demanded guarantees so that the High Court would not disqualify him from serving as prime minister or later as deputy prime minister in a rotation agreement. Blue and Whites people proposed more and more creative judicial solutions that they placed on Netanyahus desk, out of their desire to arm him with the legal security net he requested. However, Gantz repeatedly saw how the prime minister could not be placated. Ashkenazi, the one who had used all his strength to prod Gantz into a unity deal, asked Deri to intervene and present Netanyahu with a red line. To stop this endless cycle of requests. Deri is perhaps Netanyahus most important ally in forming the right-wing bloc; this platform had fiercely protected Netanyahu in the course of the elections and after them. But this time, to his surprise, Deri found Netanyahu insisting over and over about tightening the coalition agreement even more adding more and more conditions so that the High Court would be unable to disqualify him from serving as deputy prime minister (in the second period, when Gantz should serve as premier). Even Deri learned that despite his personal closeness to the prime minister, he was unable to bring down Netanyahus walls of paranoia. This development is a bad sign for the unity of the right-wing bloc. Should a fourth election be held in the summer, on Aug. 4, Netanyahu may find himself open to new alliances against him. True, Deri will continue to support Netanyahu until the elections and during them because the ultra-Orthodox electorate wants him as prime minister. But afterward, Deri will feel far less committed to his alliance with him. He might even be open to a new alliance with Blue and White now that its anti-clerical component, Yair Lapid, quit the party and went his own way. But Netanyahus problems in the right-wing bloc are not limited to Deri alone. The heads of the pro-settler Yamina party are speaking against him and argue that the prime minister had given in to Gantz and was too ready to give up his grip on the Justice Ministry, for the sake of the unity government under formation. In actual fact, they revealed that they are still the prime ministers spare tire, with regard to receiving positions of influence. Like Deri, they also will continue to support Netanyahu, but once the fourth elections will be behind them (if needed), the Yamina people will feel much less committed to the prime minister. In fact, they might even want to take revenge. For Yamina, like Shas and the other ultra-Orthodox party, Gantz without certain left-wing elements might become a more convenient partner than before. Both Gantz and Ashkenazi are accepted figures among the right wing and the ultra-Orthodox. Even [Finance Minister Moshe] Kahlon is fed up with Netanyahu, a source close to the finance minister told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. According to the source, Kahlon sent a clear message to the prime minister: If a unity government is not founded, he intends to resign immediately within the three weeks that the law allots to establishing a government. He will not wait any longer for his replacement. True, Kahlon is already on his way out and has announced his exit from political life, but he intended to do so only after a new government would be founded. Kahlon also believed that Netanyahu was serious this time, since he has no other options. Thus, Kahlon now feels both exhausted and revolted. When we examine Netanyahus prestige among the opinion leaders of the right-wing public (mainly in social networks), we also find cracks forming and criticism of the prime ministers treatment of Gantz. Even prestigious journalists who are fans of Netanyahu call on him to carry out the commitment he gave to the Blue and White chairman. My father, a Lehi [pre-state militant group] person, was a real ideologue. But at home we were taught that when an ideological rival makes a gesture of concession to you, then you must respond to him in the same tone. Like a real man. This is a time of great distress in Israel, with the [coronavirus] plague and the economy. It is incumbent on us to express unity and gravity, Shimon Riklin, an influential media figure on the right who is viewed as a close associate of Netanyahu, tweeted April 13. And he was not the only one. Even journalist Yinon Magal, a right-wing media leader, turned to Netanyahu via Twitter and begged the prime minister not to be led astray by surveys that predict more than 40 mandates for him. He wrote, Benny Gantz will emerge as the real man here, not you. Netanyahu, this is now your turn to prove that you did not lie when you called for national responsibility. Dont play with fire! Take the one bird in your hand and close the unity deal, for Israel, for sovereignty. Netanyahu is still very popular within the Likud, all shades of the right-wing public and the ultra-Orthodox. But his refusal to sign the unity agreement during Israels coronavirus crisis, out of personal motives, may very well turn out to be a double-edged sword. The descriptions given here demonstrate the beginnings of a negative mindset that is gaining momentum against Netanyahu, with his own supporters. This may turn into a veritable groundswell that can bring him down in the coming elections, if he ignores the warnings and voices. [April 17, 2020] Mobetize to Effect Dividend of Subsidiary's Stock to Its Stockholders BURNABY, British Columbia, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mobetize Corp. (OTC:MPAY) today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a dividend of one hundred percent (100%) of the outstanding shares of its wholly owned subsidiary Mobetize Canada, Inc. to Mobetize Corp. stockholders (Dividend). The Dividend will be payable at the open of business on May 1, 2020, to Mobetize Corp. stockholders at the close of business on March 31, 2020 (Dividend Date). The Dividend is part of a restructuring plan to consolidate the focus of its business on Mobetize Canada, Inc. in an effort to build stockholder value by improving the allocation of available capital. Stockholders of Mobetize Corp. are entitled to receive the Dividend pro rata that provides for one (1) share of Mobetize Canada, Inc.s common stock for every one (1) share of Mobetize Corp. common stock owned on the Dividend Date. Registered stockholders are not required to do anything to receive the Dividend. Stockholders in street name will need to instruct their respective banks, brokers or nominees to contact Mobetize Canada, Inc. in order to receive the Dividend. n completion of the Dividend, Mobetize Corp. will be without an operating business. Stockholders with a majority of Mobetize Corp.s common stock have authorized management to file a Certificate of Dissolution with the Nevada Secretary of State (Dissolution). Thereafter, FINRA will be advised of the Dissolution and a request made to remove MPAY from quotation on the OTC Pink platform. Mobetize USA, Inc. will also be dissolved in a like manner. An Information Statement concerning the Dividend and the Dissolution is being furnished to Mobetize Corp.s registered holders as of the Dividend Date. Holders of Mobetize Corp. common stock in street name should contact their nominee to obtain a copy of the Information Statement. About Mobetize Corp. http://mobetize.com Mobetize Corp. challenges the conventional model of how financial services are delivered and consumed, by offering next-generation banking through conventional financial institutions or other digital participants as a financial technology company (Fintech). FinTech is an umbrella term for describing disruptive technologies involved in the provision of financial services that are transforming the way money is managed in almost every financial activity. Mobetize Canada, Inc. provides modern frictionless white-label digital banking applications focused on payment and lending solutions for financial institutions, money service businesses, and telecommunications organizations. While Mobetize Canada, Inc. continues to see success in Fintech with financial institutions starting to adopt its products, efforts to expand into global markets has proven a difficult challenge given the financial limitations that constrain our development model. The challenge has become even more difficult recently with the economic malaise that continues to grip world markets as the result of the Covid-19 virus. Contact: Shareholder Relations 202-4555 Kingsway Burnaby, British Columbia V5H4T8 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Doctors from Israel are urging younger family members to shake what their grandparents gave them and have a dance with their nan. A scientific study found a 15 minute boogie once a week lifted the spirits of the elder family members and helped strengthen the familial bond. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) across the generations, complete with eye contact, was found to promote positive feelings and boost mood for the elderly. The grandparents reported an improved state of mind, happy memories and uplifted spirits. Dancing has also previously been linked to improved muscle strength, balance and endurance. For the granddaughters in the study, the weekly jig altered how they view ageing and allowed them to come to terms with the eventual death of their elderly relative. Scroll down for video Doctors from Israel are urging younger family members to shake what their grandparents gave them and have a dance with their nan. A scientific study found a 15 minute boogie once a week lifted the spirits of the elder family members and helped strengthen the familial bond (stock) The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, assessed how dance impacted the well-being of 16 dance movement therapists and their grandmothers. Dance movement therapy was investigated due to the fact it is easily accessible and cheap to practice. The researchers were keen to examine a low-cost method to treat issues commonly faced by an ageing population - such as limited mobility and depression. Granddaughters were instructed to make eye contact and encourage playfulness and touch. They were also told to mirror their grandmothers' movements and give them time and space to rest when needed. The sessions were recorded and then analysed while diaries and interviews captured the opinions and feelings of the participants. As well as the benefits to the health of the matriarch, the experiment also changed the perception of the younger family members. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) across the generations, complete with eye contact, was found to promote positive feelings and boost mood for the elderly. The grandparents reported an improved state of mind, happy memories and uplifted spirits (stock photo) The scientists say that the experiment and partnered dancing shifted the granddaughters' attitude towards ageing and allowed them to process the concept of the eventual death of their relative. Both generations expressed gratitude and felt their bond was stronger after the sessions. Study author Dr Einat Shuper Engelhard, of the University of Haifa in Israel, said: 'The increase of the proportion of elderly in the population, along with the increase in the age group of adult grandchildren, necessitates creativity and innovation in providing diverse resources and support. 'With an activity as simple and accessible as free-form dancing, ageing populations can improve their physical and mental health and also connect with their loved ones.' The familial bond was key in the success of the project, indicating the dancing with a nan only works if it is your own grandmother. The sessions 'promoted physical activity even when the body was fatigued and weak,' Dr Engelhard says. 'This emphasises the significance of the close and familiar relationship as a means to promote new experiences (which can occasionally seem impossible) for the older person.' Bishops comments were inappropriate To the editor: I find the publication of Bishops Barry Knestouts letter noting a number of issues regarding the pastor St. Joseph Catholic Church, Father Mark White, to be very inappropriate (My case against Father Mark Whites blog, March 22). As a shepherd, the bishop knows he should be a point of care and compassion. He has forever eliminated that concept from his charge, where he swore to uphold. His comments should have been kept private and only in a setting of love. The fact that none were correct seems to be a minor matter in this series of events. As a lifelong Catholic and as a member of St. Joseph, I ask for forgiveness from my many Protestant friends that they had to listen to our pastor being so belligerently described. Teresa Biggs Martinsville This first responder does bee-autiful job To the editor: It is always good to recognize first responders in a time of crisis. While I was working in my front yard, a dark cloud came over, and the buzzing gave them away. It was a swarm of honey bees. It was interesting to observe nature until the honey bee swarm went into a bush in my front yard. It was time to find a beekeeper. The first call to a beekeeper in the area resulted in a no go, because he was removing a beehive from one property and had another to complete. He said that April is the time that honey bees start looking for new homes. He sent out a text message to his colleagues in the areas honey bee association, and within an hour I received a call from a beekeeper in the Danville area who was a retired police officer. He said that he was on his way, and within an hour he was at my home with his equipment to go into action. He said the hive was a young one, with about 20,000 bees. He found the queen and put her in a box, and the others followed. That was good governance. The area honey bee association is comprised of about 40 people, and in this time of crisis, its good to know that people are still going to work for the public. Thank you, first responder, and I looked forward to buying your honey after the bees do their public duty. Lawrence Mitchell Martinsville Berkshire Delegation Tells Nonprofits: State Budget in Limbo State Sen. Adam Hinds also held a budget discussion on his Facebook page later on Friday. PITTSFIELD, Mass. What is most striking about the fiscal 2021 budget discussions in Boston is how little is known by those in the know. But what they can say does not sound good. "We had essentially nine experts on Tuesday giving us their forecasting," Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, said on Friday morning. "I'd say the consensus there was our budget for fiscal '21 will be down between $4 [billion] to $5 billion. And, of course, that's based on current forecasting, so it's, honestly, still unpredictable." Hinds joined Berkshire County's four members of the state House of Representatives for an hourlong webinar hosted by the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires. Moderator Stephanie Bosley, a member of the center's board, said the budget was one of the top questions raised by the local non-profit community, much of which depends on various grants and financial support from Boston. Hinds, who chairs the Legislature's Joint Committee on Revenue, said it will be months, at least, before the commonwealth has a clear picture of projected FY21 revenues. In a normal year, the House would be finishing up its version of the budget this week, and the Senate would be deciding its spending plan in May. "What I found useful [Tuesday] was they were starting to put a horizon that we could start to judge ourselves against," Hinds said of the virtual roundtable hosted by the state Senate and House Ways & Means chairmen. "Might it be the case that by July we're starting to see some return to normalcy? That's where a lot of their predictions were based. And, of course, that depends on restrictions being lifted in the social and economic sphere. "That being the case, I think we would start to say how much of that support are we going to receive from the federal budget, the federal stimulus?" Massachusetts already is on track to receive $2.6 billion in unrestricted aid from the federal government, Hinds said. U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, is talking about a second stimulus package in the neighborhood of $1 trillion, nationwide, Hinds said. State Rep. John Barrett III, D-North Adams, who serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, echoed Hinds' point about the importance of the federal government's actions in clearing up the state's fiscal picture. "We really have to wait to see what kind of federal money we're going to be able to get from Congress, from the Trump administration as to what they're going to put into the state to help us make up the spending," Barrett said. "We're fortunate we have a $3.6 billion [rainy day fund], but it's not looking like much of a surplus when we get done with that. "I wish I could tell everybody today that I know what's going on. This is actually one time when Ways and Means has been kept relatively informed of the process. And there's nothing for them to tell us. They're working on a budget on both sides of the Senate and the House, and we're getting no clear direction right now because I don't think they have any clear direction. "It all depends on the federal money and how much we're going to be reimbursed." And there are priorities for some of that federal aid directly related to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Barrett said. "A lot of that federal money is going to go to the community hospital here in Berkshire County as well as Baystate [Medical Center] and other hospitals around the state because they're taking it on the chin," he said. "Some are saying they're taking up to $20 million a month in losses. "We've got problems." One problem foreseen by state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lee, is the inability to have an effective budget discussion on Beacon Hill when legislators are not able to meet. Pignatelli said he has recommended to the leadership in the Legislature that state government institute a 1/12th budget mechanism to allow the state budget to operate on a month-to-month basis when the fiscal year begins on July 1. He would rather hold off on addressing the full budget until the fall. "I think it's almost impossible to have the Zoom call, voting by proxy with 160 state reps," Pignatelli said. "I think it will be a challenge for 40 senators to do the same thing. The ability to debate and lobby and negotiate what's important to our respective districts is very difficult from 150 miles away. "And I would say the same for my colleagues down on the Cape. I really believe that in fairness for all of us in the Legislature and in the spirit of transparency, I really think it's critically important that we put a pause on the state budget, put us on a 1/12th it's going to be pared down. I think it's going to be a difficult budget under normal circumstances, but I think in fairness to all of us, the need to be there and participate let's wait until after the November election to do that." State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield, amplified Pignatelli's point about any short-term spending plan being "pared down." "Along with the 1/12th issue, it would be multiple 1/12th budgets that we'd have to do," she said. "And it's not 1/12th the FY20 budget. People are using the words 'bare bones' budgets. "For people, particularly on this call, it's really distressing because we don't know what we'll be able to fund. To put what's essential on that list is going to be really difficult. I think it's important for all of us on this call and through the delegation to be able to get the message that arts and culture are our economy here." That's why the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires put together Friday's webinar, one it hopes to try to duplicate next month. "The nonprofit sector in the Berkshires employs a quarter of the Berkshire workforce and has a huge impact on our local economy," Bosley said. "Given the COVID-19 outbreak, the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires felt like it was important to host a town hall with our [legislative] delegation." The latest county breakdown of figures, up to midnight on Wednesday, April 15, showed an increase of two cases on the previous day, bringing Longford's tally so far to 79 cases. Cavan currently has experienced another large jump in cases and now has 345 cases; Westmeath is currently at 318; Leitrim now has 46 cases, while Roscommon has 61 cases for the virus. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been informed that 44 people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Ireland have died: 33 deaths located in the east, 3 in the north west, 3 in the south and 5 in the west of the country the deaths included 19 females and 25 males the median age of todays reported deaths is 84 25 people were reported as having underlying health conditions There have now been 530 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland. A summary of all 530 deaths provided by the HPSC shows that: 308 (58%) of those who died were male, 222 (42%) were female the age range is 23 - 105 years the median age of those who died is 83 316 of these cases were admitted to hospital with 45 admitted to ICU As of 11.15am Friday 17 April, the HPSC has been notified of the following cases: an additional 597 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported by Irish laboratories an additional 112 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported by a laboratory in Germany With the latest figures from Germany included, there are now a total of 13,980 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. The HSE is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread. The National Public Health Emergency Team met today (Friday 17 April) to continue its ongoing review of Irelands response to COVID-19. Decisions from this meeting include: to expand testing capacity to 100,000 tests per week operating on a seven-day week basis for a minimum of six months over the course of the next 7 to 10 days, testing of staff and residents in all Long-Term Residential Care (LTRC) facilities to be prioritised a census of mortality across all LTRC facilities to be carried out this weekend to cover all deaths, COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 since 1 January 2020, regardless of where the death occurred Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said: "At todays meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team, we endorsed a proposal to increase testing of staff and residents across all long-term residential care settings including nursing homes. The behaviour of the virus among vulnerable groups who live in these care settings continues to be a concern and this remains a priority for NPHET. While we are suppressing the disease among the general public, we cannot afford to become complacent. To remain safe from COVID-19 we need to continue to wash our hands thoroughly and regularly, cough into our elbows and practice social distancing. These simple measures can slow down the spread of this virus and save lives. Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer, HSE, said: "Each COVID-19 death reported is a tragedy. This is an incurable illness and while 80% of the population will experience a mild form of the disease, our older and more vulnerable people are at a much greater risk due to the behaviour of this disease within this group. Cases as of Wednesday 15 April 2020 The data from the HPSC, as of midnight, Wednesday, 15 April (13,012 cases) reveals: The Arunachal Pradesh government on Thursday announced financial assistance to people from the state stranded in other parts of the country due to the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown. The state cabinet took the decision at a meeting done through video-conferencing to ensure safety protocol through social distancing. It was decided that an amount of Rs 3,500 will be disbursed to all persons of Arunachal Pradesh stranded outside the state for sustenance during the lockdown period, said a release issued by Chief Minister Pema Khandus office. The financial assistance, to be provided from the chief ministers relief fund, will be disbursed by deputy commissioners of districts in consultation with local MLAs and other stakeholders. The amount will be transferred through direct bank transfer to the accounts of those eligible to receive assistance or through UPI after due diligence and verification. Those stranded outside the state and in need of assistance have been asked to contact their authorities of their home districts or their local MLAs. Meanwhile, Khandu on Thursday said that first positive Covid-19 case in the state has tested negative twice. He took to Twitter and wrote, The first positive COVID-19 case of Arunachal Pradesh has tested negative (twice) after conducting 3rd and 4th test consecutive. The number of positive case in the state is now 0. The man from Medo village in Lohit district had tested positive on April 1 and 7 last after two tests conducted with decrease in viral load. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Already reeling from decades of cutbacks and austerity, rural community hospitals in the US are teetering on the brink of collapse in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many facing the possibility of closure, despite the increased need for their services. According to the fast facts provided by the American Hospital Association (AHA), there are 6,146 hospitals in the United States. Of these, 5,198 are community hospitals, nonfederal medical facilities that are open to the public, providing short-term care or specialty services. There are 1,821 rural community hospitals in the country, providing health care to 15 percent of the population, or 46 million people. However, the population within these regions has become older, poorer and sicker, with a significantly higher prevalence of chronic disease and numbers of uninsured than in urban areas. Miller County Hospital in Georgia (Wikipedia Commons) According to the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program, a part of the Sheps Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 170 rural hospitals have closed since 2005, with 128 closing since 2010. The number of rural hospital closures consistently reached double digits starting in 2013, with a high of 19 closures in 2019. There have already been eight closures so far this year, despite the global pandemic. For example, earlier this month the Decatur County Hospital in Tennessee announced that it would close down on April 15. Established in 1963, the hospital had employed 100 and served a community of 12,000. It is the 14th rural hospital to close its doors in that state in the last 10 years. With this hospital closure, the state, which has only one hospital bed per 73,000 state residents, now has 21 counties with no hospital. In West Virginia, which does not have a city over 50,000 and where 20 percent of the residents are senior citizens, two hospitals have recently closed. According to a study released earlier this year by the Chartis Center for Rural Health, 453 rural hospitals are vulnerable to closure. None of the metrics we track to measure the stability of the rural health safety net are improving, Michael Topchik, national leader of the organization, said in a statement, and this research allows us to quantify just how severe the implications could be if the current situation worsens. Rural hospitals across the country have been overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. In Blaine County, Idaho, a popular ski tourist destination, there were 351 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with many patients seeking care at the local 25-bed hospital. A hospital in Eagle County, Colorado, with a 56-bed capacity faced 314 confirmed COVID-19 cases virtually overnight. Most hospitals, including rural facilities, maintain their solvency by selling access to imaging, emergency care, lab tests, physical therapy and outpatient procedures such as colonoscopy and upper gastrointestinal exams. However, these traditional sources of income have dried up as a result of the pandemic. If were not able to address the short-term cash needs in rural hospitals, were going to see hundreds of them close before this crisis ends, Alan Morgan, chief of the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), told WGBH News in Boston on March 21. This is not hyperbole. In an April 6 letter to the US Congress, the NRHA warned: The loss of revenue of the last few weeks due to the inability to provide non-emergency care is destabilizing core health services in rural America. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, nearly half of all rural hospitals were operating at a financial loss, and now these hospitals are facing catastrophic cash shortages. The rate of rural hospital closures was at crisis levels prior to the pandemic; it will soon become cataclysmic. Included in the recently passed CARES act is $100 billion in funds vaguely committed to reimbursing hospitals and providers for care of COVID-19 patients, to be reimbursed at Medicare rates, but few details have been provided as to how these funds will be dispersed. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that between 2 and 7 percent of the uninsured will require hospitalization due to COVID-19, which translates to 670,000 to 2 million admissions. The average cost for non-ICU admission is $13,297, not including an additional 10 percent or more in physician fees, while an ICU bed and ventilator support for 96 hours could run as high as $40,218. This virus, and what it is causing for these hospitals, is the perfect storm that will close these hospitals at a time when this country really needs them, Robin Rau, CEO of Miller County Hospital in southwestern Georgia, told WGBH. This is going to be the death blow to them, she said. We can talk all we want about the cost of health care in this country with this ridiculous health care system we have. But at a time like this, who for a minute would think about getting rid of rural hospitals. Randy Tobler, chief administrator at Scotland County Hospital in northeastern Missouri, said that his facility will not make payroll to the end of May without immediate cash assistance. Another hospital administrator in northwest Missouri noted that its facility is being price-gouged, with critical items like N95 respirators costing $5 a piece, 16 times the usual price of 30 cents. Michael Purvis, CEO of Candler County Hospital in Metter, Georgia, about 65 miles outside Savannah, reported a negative cash flow, with the loss of at least half of its customary care revenue. If my billers and coders stay healthy, I can make it through April, maybe end of June, Purvis told Kaiser Health News. About 60 percent of the rural hospitals lost so far in the United States are in the South. Governors Tate Reeves (Mississippi), Mike Parson (Missouri) and Kay Ivey (Alabama), however, have rejected self-quarantine recommendations for their states. Reeves issued an order to keep most businesses open, a marked hazard for Mississippi residents and neighboring Louisiana where COVID-19 infectivity is soaring. When a permanent change-of-station move (PCS) forces yet another career change, sometimes it's time to make it a bold one. That's exactly what military spouse CC Gallagher did. More than once. After a forced resignation due to a move from Washington, D.C., to Fort Carson, Colorado, Gallagher started a consulting business. Then, she was hired as a defense contractor and worked with spouse employment through programs like the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) and Military Spouse Transition Program (MySTEP). Working both her consulting business and a full-time job, she found herself on the edge of burnout when it was time for yet another PCS. After her family's latest move to the Fort Bliss, Texas area, Gallagher decided to focus full time on her consulting business -- and more specifically on the Stressless PCS Kit, which she developed. (Photo Courtesy of C.C. Gallagher) "I was so frustrated with previous moves," she said. "As a working spouse with young kids, I couldn't read what was on the boxes, didn't understand the process for marking things as damaged." So she created her own labeling system. The goal was to create a better overall experience by increasing the organization and efficiency moves. The Stressless PCS Kit, which is now in production, comes with labels, door hangers, instruction sheets and a room chart. It allows a family to have more control over a process that can feel uncontrollable. And it gives the moving crews a little more accountability. Gallagher created the system and used it during a move. Then friends asked whether they could have one too. "We found a problem-solving product that others could use -- all out of frustration," she said. The Stressless PCS Kit has the entire process laid out and ready for you. It's printed, curated, organized and shrink wrapped, giving you everything you need to move. With 240 labels and 12 door hangers, the process is pretty easy but makes things much more efficient. (Photo Courtesy of C.C. Gallagher) Here's how it works: Start with the color-coded room sheet and pick a color for each room. Then, add the labels to the boxes in those rooms. When you get to your new house, put the door hanger with the matching color on the door of the room those boxes will go in. The kit can benefit anyone doing a move. One spouse used it for a DITY from Washington, D.C., to Fort Bliss, Gallagher said. This spouse's parents helped with the move, and the system set them up for success. Another military spouse moved from California to South Korea and used the kit for multiple shipments and storage. The family found that the icons and colors on the stickers were a huge help in overcoming the language barrier. Gallagher herself used the kit on her last move from Fort Irwin, California, to Bliss, saying it changed everything. "I love operations and procedures," she said. When the truck arrived at her new home, she had put out the door hangers and walked the crew through the house. "The colors added another layer to identify where everything was going. Now they are not having to move things multiple times -- less frustration overall," she said. Since January, 70 kits have been sold, filling a need Gallagher knew was there. "The goal is to get it to military families for free," she said. Keep Up with the Ins and Outs of Military Life For the latest military news and tips on military family benefits and more, subscribe to Military.com and have the information you need delivered directly to your inbox. --Rebecca Alwine can be reached at rebecca.alwine@monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebecca_alwine. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/17/2020 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star Ed Brown says his relationship with his 29-year-old daughter Tiffany has been restored after their falling out over his romance with Rosemarie Vega and unexpected trip the Philippines."I got my daughter back," Ed, 54, told Us Weekly. "That would've been horrible [if I lost her]. But absolutely, 100 percent no regrets."In the premiere of : Before the 90 Days' fourth season, Ed gushed about his love for his only daughter and how she was the center of his universe.But Tiffany grew angry at Ed for dating 23-year-old Rose, who's even younger than she, and his desire to appear on the franchise and travel to a foreign country that could potentially present dangers and hardships for her dad."I found Rose on social media. We fell in love. We were FaceTiming about three to four times a day for about three months," Ed recalled."I bought a ticket [to see her] and I posted that online, and everybody [was] like, 'Oh, my God, you're doing .' I never heard of the show .""Well, my daughter and my ex-wife were huge fans, so they... could see into the future what was gonna happen to me because when you expose your life and everything that's personal about you, you basically open yourself up for ridicule."Prior to Ed leaving San Diego, CA, on a flight overseas, he said he "kept calling" Tiffany on the phone with no response.Ed therefore decided to send Tiffany a last-minute video message just to speak what was on his heart and mind."I basically said, 'Look, if I never see you again, I love you,'" Ed shared with the magazine while on the verge of tears."That was tough. It hurts when you're happy and people in your life that love you are hurting. It's not the same. I wasn't going to be able to be happy unless we were complete."Ed admitted his strained relationship with his daughter was "the worst thing" he's "ever gone through," and matters were made worse when she allegedly "hung up on" him later on.Ed said even just watching the scene back on : Before the 90 Days' fourth season got him all choked up again.However, Ed was shown finally touching base with Tiffany before he took off on his flight to the Philippines, and the fact Tiffany was willing to talk to him left him feeling relieved and overjoyed."I love my daughter. She is -- and I say this with love and respect -- a pain in the ass, just like her dad," Ed told Us."Her mom tells her every day, 'You're just like your father,' and we are. We're very passionate about who we are. We're very honest people. She's a real estate agent in Las Vegas. She's doing really, really well. She never gives up. She's a fighter."And Tiffany apparently never gave up on her dad, with Ed confirming their relationship is back on track and doing well.Ed and Rose's romance continues to blossom and thrive on : Before the 90 Days' currently-airing season on Sunday nights at 8PM ET/PT on TLC.However, Ed has been shown struggling with Rose's living conditions in her village , and he worried she was just viewing him as a meal ticket to escape her situation and move to the United States.To read spoilers on what happened between Ed and Rose and whether they are still together, click here Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! South Africa: Parliament to resume with immediate effect Parliament will resume its business with immediate effect, after the Presiding Officers announced on Thursday that the leave period for Members of Parliament has been cancelled. This follows the suspension of the programme of Parliaments two Houses last month, as a precautionary measure to curb COVID-19 by drastically limiting the numbers of people at the precincts in Cape Town and at off-site parliamentary activities. Briefing the media on the resumption of the business of Parliament on Thursday, Parliament Presiding Officers -- National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise and National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Chairperson, Amos Masondo -- noted that despite the earlier suspension of the programme until further notice, Members of Parliament continued to work in the communities they represent, from 23 March to 13 April, as they fall under the category of essential services (in terms of South Africas COVID-19 nationwide lockdown regulations). The Presiding Officers said they used this time to assess how Parliament could best resume its business after the constituency period and to benchmark best practices by other legislatures around the world in the fight against COVID-19. Consequently, we have taken a decision that the business of Parliament must resume with immediate effect, following conclusion of the constituency programme on 13 April. The leave period for MPs, which was scheduled from 28 April to 4 May, has been cancelled, the Presiding Officers said. The Presiding Officers emphasised that during the national lockdown and the extended period, social distancing is expected to continue for months. To ensure that the execution of constitutional responsibilities continues uninterrupted, Parliament has been putting in place the necessary information and communications technology infrastructure to ensure its readiness for virtual meetings. In the past few days, the officers said a number of virtual meetings have taken place. These include meetings of the Presiding Officers; forums of party chief whips of the National Assembly, the NCOP chief whip and provincial whips, and the Speakers Forum. These meetings have considered an amended framework for administering the business of oversight committees and plenary sittings, as well as an adjusted programme for the period ahead. Parliament will prioritise a schedule of virtual committee meetings, whose scope of oversight relates to government departments driving COVID-19 response measures. These committees will be required to intensify their oversight engagements, particularly on COVID-19 matters, and will conduct joint meetings, the Presiding Officers said. The officers added that Chief Whips represented in Parliament have agreed to draft guidelines and rules on how the virtual committee meetings and voting must be conducted. These are based on procedures, precedents, practices and conventions, which Parliament has developed over time. Sittings of two Houses will also have to take place during this period, and the Presiding Officers have framed rules to make provision for virtual House sittings. Virtual sittings of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces will deal with legislation and other matters needing approval or consideration from the Houses. Questions for written reply and oral question and answer sessions with members of the Executive will be explored. Division of Revenue Bill expected to be passed in June Meanwhile, in processing the Division of Revenue Bill, which the National Assembly passed on 18 March, the officers said the NCOP and provincial legislatures will facilitate public involvement by calling for public submissions and holding virtual meetings. It is envisaged that the Bill will be passed on 2 June 2020, the Presiding Officers said. The possible revision of the Budget, in the wake of COVID-19, is also expected to be addressed through the established process of Parliament. The Presiding Officers have welcomed the decision of the political parties in Parliament to support the COVID-19 Solidarity Fund, and they have also decided to donate one third of their monthly salaries for the next three months. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A ship with 500 refugees tried to dock in Malaysia and Thailand. The survivors are malnourished and dehydrated. Cox's Bazar (AsiaNews/Agencies) At least 60 Rohingya starved to death on a ship with some 500 people on baord. The vessel sailed from Bangladesh, across the Gulf of Bengal, for more than two months, seeking a port of call, but when it reached Thai and Malaysian waters it was turned away. Two days ago, it finally returned to Bangladesh where it was intercepted by the local coast guard. About a million Rohingya live in refugee camps near the border with Myanmar, from where they fled after a wave of violence in 2017. Since then, thousands of them try to reach other countries each year on rickety boats. After listening to survivors' account, the coast guard note that refugees, mostly women and children, tried many times to dock in Malaysia and Thailand, but were turned away because of the coronavirus outbreak. The ship sailed the sea for more than two months without much food, freshwater, and medicines. At least 60 died and were buried at sea. The ship's captain also died, killed in a fight with the Rohingya. According to some of them he had tried to rape a woman. The UN refugee agency, which took charge of the refugees in Coxs Bazar, said the survivors were extremely malnourished and dehydrated. * World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge on Thursday described the continent as being in the "eye of the storm" as some European countries start to reopen over signs of a slowing in the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. * The policy-setting body of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday pledged collective action to mitigate the health and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. * The city of Wuhan, the former epicenter of the outbreak in central China, on Friday (April 17) revised its numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city as of the end of April 16 was revised up by 325 to 50,333, and the number of fatalities up by 1,290 to 3,869. * Cambodia on Thursday extended a ban on foreign travelers from the United States, Iran, Italy, Germany, Spain, and France in a bid to stem the spread of the COVID-19, according to a foreign ministry's letter. Cambodia has banned entry of foreign visitors from the six countries since mid-March and has imposed entry restrictions for all foreigners since March 30. * The Cuban foreign ministry on Thursday urged the international community to bolster cooperation and solidarity in face of the COVID-19 pandemic. * Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday postponed the Victory Day parade celebrating the 75th anniversary of the World War II victory amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The May 9 parade in Moscow was considered as one of the most important events in Russia this year, to which leaders of many countries had been invited. * 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. * 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. * Denmark will allow certain small businesses, such as hairdressers, beauty salons and driving schools, to reopen on April 20, the government said on Friday, following a lockdown ordered last month to rein in the coronavirus. * Germany's 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 acclerating. The reported death toll has risen by 299 to 3,868, the tally showed. * 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 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. * The Polish government on Thursday unveiled a multi-stage roadmap for lifting economic and social restrictions put in place to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Since March 13, Poland has been in an economic and social lockdown. The government also banned entry to the country for foreigners. * Australian public life could be constrained for another year because of the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned on Friday, as the country's most populous state mulled sending children to school in shifts. * The Myanmar government granted amnesty to a total of 24,983 prisoners unconditionally on Friday, first day of Myanmar calendar New Year. The government also scaled back penalties for other prisoners on humanitarian ground. * 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. * Myanmar President U Win Myint Friday urged people in the country to cooperate and participate in combating the COVID-19 pandemic in unity as a national duty. The Myanmar president made the remarks in his message delivered on the first day of the Myanmar calendar New Year. Myanmar has reported 85 COVID-19 confirmed cases with four deaths so far. * India's federal health ministry Friday morning said the death toll due to COVID-19 in India rose to 437 and the total number of confirmed cases in the country reached 13,387. This is a jump of 17 deaths and an increase of 628 cases since last evening. * US President Donald Trump declared on Thursday that a major disaster exists in Mississippi, a state hit by deadly tornadoes several days ago. The declaration makes federal funding available to affected individuals in several Mississippi counties, including Covington, Jefferson Davis, and Jones, according to the White House. * Two more people died of COVID-19 in New Zealand over the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health said on Friday. Eleven New Zealanders have now died from COVID-19. Also, on Friday, New Zealand reported two new confirmed and six new probable cases of COVID-19, all linked to old cases, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable infections to 1,409 in the country. * Mongolia has launched a national campaign to promote the use of face masks by everyone to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported on Friday. As of Friday, Mongolia has confirmed 31 coronavirus patients, including four foreigners. Of the 31 cases, five have recovered so far, according to the country's National Center for Communicable Disease. * The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) said it is doubling available funds under its COVID-19 crisis recovery facility to US$10 billion due to high client demand. * The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Thursday evening slashed the country's policy rate for the third time in a month by 200 basis points to 9 percent to counter the growing financial uncertainty and ease businesses amid the spreading COVID-19, said a statement. According to data shared by the country's health ministry, as on Thursday, the country has 6,919 confirmed COVID-19 cases including 128 deaths and 1,645 recoveries. * The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Brazil rose from 28,320 to 30,425, the Health Ministry said on Thursday. The death toll from the disease increased from 1,736 to 1,924, for a mortality rate of 6.3 percent, the ministry said. * London Mayor Sadiq Khan called on the British government on Friday to make face masks compulsory for people travelling around the capital or shopping. The mayor said that evidence from around the world was that face coverings help stop the spread of the virus. * Argentina's capital Buenos Aires on Thursday installed its first network of infrared cameras to help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Argentina has reported 2,571 cases of COVID-19 infection, 648 of them in Buenos Aires. * Portugal has extended for the second time its state of emergency by two weeks to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet the country expected a transition from the restrictions to normal economic and social activities in May. To date, Portugal has reported 18,841 cases and 629 deaths from COVID-19, according to the latest bulletin from the health authorities. * Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Thursday confirmed 4,801 new COVID-19 cases and 125 more deaths from the virus in Turkey. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 74,193, while the death toll surged to 1,643, Koca tweeted. * 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. * Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Thursday that the relaxing of the COVID-19 restrictions in the country will be a gradual process and could take months. Ireland reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case in late February. To date, a total of 13,271 confirmed cases have been reported in the country with 486 deaths, according to the Irish Department of Health. * Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday a "cautious and gradual" plan to resume business activity and ease closure restrictions amid COVID-19. * The Egyptian Health Ministry confirmed on Thursday 168 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 2,673. Also, 13 new deaths from the novel coronavirus were announced on Thursday, raising the death toll in Egypt to 196, said the ministry's spokesman Khaled Megahed in a statement. * Mexico's government on Thursday announced it will extend a nationwide lockdown until May 30 to continue to slow the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak. Since the outbreak was detected in Mexico on Feb. 28, the country has registered 5,847 cases of infection and 449 deaths from the virus. * Omani ministers expected Thursday the peak period of COVID-19 infections in the sultanate will appear between April 23 and April 30. Oman has so far reported a total of 1,019 COVID-19 cases, including 176 recoveries and four deaths. * Iran's health ministry said on Thursday that 1,606 more people tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number to 77,995. The death toll of the pandemic in the country has hit 4,869, up by 92, while 52,229 have so far recovered and left hospitals. * South Africa's COVID-19 deaths jumped by 14 in 24 hours as the novel coronavirus sickened 99 more people, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Thursday. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country has reached 2,605, the minister said. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is deploying a temporary remote work environment based on Microsoft Teams to connect millions of workers around the world amidst the COVID-19 crisis. The DoD has seen a surge of use on its network as staffers are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic. The increased demand led to the creation of a temporary DoD-only deployment of Teams and other Office 365 tools, dubbed the Commercial Virtual Remote (CVR) environment; its part of a wider effort to ramp up telework capabilities across various U.S. government agencies and military forces. As part of this initiative, DoD employees will be able to access the CVR Teams environment via Microsoft Office 365 in the Government Commercial Cloud for chat, video and document collaboration. Unlike existing deployments of Teams in the DoD, the CVR Teams environment will be available on personal and mobile devices and on commercial networks, though the department has restricted what information can be shared. This is an unusual move by the DoD, where all software is subject to strict security standards, said Larry Cannell, a research director at Gartner. Typically, the introduction of new features to the DoDs version of Office 365 would be delayed months or disabled entirely because of these concerns, he said. To mitigate the use of personal devices, all CVR content is cloud-based. U.S. Defense Dept. Rapid deployment in less than a month Although the DoD had remote work capabilities in place already, as with many large organizations, it has faced an unprecedented surge in demand for remote access to applications in recent weeks. Companies around the world have had to scramble in recent weeks as the pandemic worsened. In a bid to keep employees safe, while still being able to work, many enterprises have turned to a variety of collaboration tools to keep everyone connected from home. The rollout of the CVR environment began on March 27, with staff onboarding beginning earlier this month. The deployment has been rapidly scaled up, with 900,000 user accounts activated as of this past Monday, including 78,000 active users on the same day. More than 250,000 accounts were added in a single day last week, DoD CIO Dana Deasy said in a briefing on Monday. This is the largest rollout ever implemented in this short amount of time, said Deasy. The effort is designed to provide access for up to 4 million staff in total, including military and civilian workers. It is unlikely that the actual use will come close to such a figure, however. Four million appears to be a projected number and certainly will not reflect DAUs [daily active users]. Nevertheless, this is a massive environment, said Cannell. Many IT organizations are challenged to manage software deployments in the tens of thousands, at most. Four million is almost unimaginable to IT professionals. CVR Teams rollout details The CVR Teams will be distinct from other implementations of Office 365 within the DoD. The General Services Administration and DoD announced in August 2019 that a 10-year $7.6 billion contract to deploy Office 365 including Teams across the Department was awarded to General Dynamics as part of the Defense Enterprise Solutions (DEOS) program. According to a document on the U.S. Air Force website, the Teams deployment will provide access to a wider range of capabilities than the Air Force Cloud Hosted Enterprise Services (CHES) Teams environment. U.S. Air Force Both environments offer access to Teams features such as integrations with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). A separate document on the Navy website highlights similar Office 365 online document-creation capabilities, though it specifies that Outlook will not be available in the CVR environment while also noting access to OneDrive for Business. There are a number of differences between the two Teams environments, according to the Air Force document, which says that the CVR Teams environment can be used, for example, without requiring a VPN login and on mobile devices and personal computers. CVR Teams is used for information classed between IL2-4 (which means it is data that is cleared for public release), whereas CHES is for data classified at IL5 (the highest level being IL6). CVR Teams also offers group chat (rather than just 1-to-1 chat), OneNote and Stream access, and email notifications. The CVR Teams deployment is only expected to be available for six months, after which data created within it will be permanently deleted; the CHES Teams is permanent. In addition, CVR Teams users will not be able to access other instances of Teams across the DoD network. This could create some challenges for workers that want to access both. Users working in both CVR and DoD Office teams will have some difficulties working simultaneously in both because the Teams desktop client can only be logged in to one tenant at a time, said Cannell. Working with multiple tenants is a challenge that even the most technically savvy users find difficult to deal with. One common workaround is to login to one of the tenants using the Teams client and the other using a web browser, he said, either in incognito mode or using a browser profile. In effect, CVR appears to be configured to treat every users device as an unmanaged device," he said. "One drawback from this is that although CVR is a good introduction to Teams, its limits on the use of the full Office 365 desktop apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) to edit and co-edit documents is less than ideal. The web versions are far less robust than their desktop versions." Deployment challenges Though the use of Teams could raise security concerns, the DoD has measures to protect data, said Cannell. The limitations theyve place on file sharing (web-only) and the constraints around DoD Office 365 tenants will go a long way to mitigate these concerns, he said. However, as with all information systems, users will be critical to maintaining security. The DoD has also offered up advice to users on how to protect data and what information is suitable to share. While the scale of the rollout may differ from what most IT teams will experience, the biggest challenge with the CVR Teams move - as with any large organization rapidly deploying Teams - is not technical. Rather, it is getting workers to use team channels, said Cannell. It is crucial to ensure that DoD staffers are prepared to adapt to a new way of working that relies on channels for communication rather than email. "Channels are a huge change to how people work," he said. If DoD workgroups continue using Teams like they do email or instant messaging, then they will see limited benefit or may give up altogether. In a report released late on April 16, the Nigerian 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. The violations happened during the enforcement of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. At least 18 people in Nigeria have been killed by security forces, according to the report. The commission noted the tally of killings was higher than the recorded toll from COVID-19. According to official figures, the country has registered more than 400 confirmed cases, including 12 deaths. The commission 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. Nigeria has imposed a total lockdown in Abuja, the commercial capital Lagos, and neighboring Ogun state. It has also set restrictions in other regions in a bid to contain the virus. Many other countries on the Continent, including Togo, are also witnessing similar violence due to curfew and lockdown enforcement. Accusing the administration and local Congress of uneven distribution of ration among migrant workers, former cabinet minister and BJP leader Satpal Gosain and local Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) councillor Gurmail Singh Jajji held separate protests in their respective areas on Friday. While Gosain initiated a three-day, relay hunger strike at his house in Kidwai Nagar, Jajji sat on a protest near the Bhagat Singh statue installed on Bahadurke Road. Jajji said he will continue the protest for three days, and if the administration failed to solve the matter, he will proceed on hunger strike outside the deputy commissioners office on Monday. BJP leader Satpal Gosain sitting on a relay hunger strike at his house in Ludhiana on Friday. (HT Photo) Gosain said a large number of migrant labourers and underprivileged people had gathered outside his house 10 days back, following which he contacted deputy commissioner (DC) Pradeep Agrawal and municipal corporation (MC) commissioner Kanwalpreet Kaur Brar to distribute ration among the needy. MC secretary Surinderpal showed up a few days later and demanded a list of beneficiaries. Gosain said though they handed over two lists of over 450 families three days ago, ration has not been distributed among the needy. Jaggi accused the district administration and Congress party of adopting pick-and-choose policy in distributing ration. He alleged that while the state government was supplying ration for the poor, the administration, in connivance with local Congress leadership, was giving it to a leader of the party. This Congress leader, he alleged, was providing the supplies only to the families supporting him, while a considerable fraction of migrant workers and their families were left fighting hunger. The workers had been gathering outside his house for food, which forced him to hold a protest in their support, he said. Jajji further alleged that the MC had provided supplies only once, and they were also sanitising the ward on their own with little to no support from the civic body. BJP LEADERS MEET DC Five BJP leaders, including former deputy mayor RD Sharma, former councillors Inder Aggarwal and Amrik Bhola, Deepak Sharma and Rohit Sikka, also met the DC over improper distribution of ration among the underprivileged. Sharma alleged that the administration was distributing ration through Congress leaders, including MLAs and ward-level leaders, only to the party supporters. However, workers, whose list was provided by BJP leaders, had been left out. Aggarwal urged the DC to ensure the administration supplied ration to all people on the lists provided by respective councillors. On his part, DC Pradeep Agrawal said sector officers deputed by the administration were distributing the ration. The concerns raised by BJP leaders will be addressed and the administration will ensure that the supply reaches every needy person in the district, he added. Mayor Balkar Sandhu said the civic body had distributed ration once, and now the DCs office was handling the distribution. He said anyone in need of food can contact the administration via its helpline numbers. Trina McGee identified Will Friedle as the Boy Meets World castmate who hurled a racial insult at her on-set Thursday in an Instagram post. The 50-year-old actress, who played Angela Moore, in a Twitter post in January wrote that she was called 'aunt Jemima on set during hair and make up and a 'bitter b****' while rehearsing. McGee posted a throwback photo Thursday with Friedle, 43, for her roughly 14,500 Instagram followers along with the caption: 'FOR THE RECORD: WILL FRIEDLE the man responsible for AuntJemmagate, apologized to me 22 years ago and again days ago in a three-page letter.' Racial insult: Trina McGee, shown in August in West Hollywood, California, took to Instagram on Thursday to identifyWill Friedle as the Boy Meets World castmate who hurled a racial insult 'We talked more on it and he acknowledged that he really wasn't educated enough in his early twenties to know he was truly offending me. THIS SHOULD AND COULD BE A TEACHING MOMENT FOR ALL,' she added. 'For all people of all races or different backgrounds. He has conveyed to me how much this has changed his perception of comedy. And humanity. We all fall short of sensitivity at times, but let's be real on what EXTREME RACISM IS,' McGee further posted. She then shared a personal story of her grandfather Scuddie McGee who was threatened with lynching after getting the wrong change from a clerk and pointing out the error to a white store owner. 'Scuddie McGee left South Carolina that night for fear of his life. Bringing his small family along with him to New Jersey.? I'm not backing down on the truth. It's stands. Will apologized to me and I forgave him, I then apologized to him for making the statements public because his joke came out of just not knowing, not viciousness and he forgave me. That's what friends do,' Trina posted. Teaching moment: The 50-year-old actress said that Friedle, 43, apologized to her 22 years again and again days ago in a three-page letter Set memories: Trina in January tweeted about being called 'Aunt Jemima' on set Apologies offered: Friedle, shown in October 2019 in New York City, apologized twice to McGee and she posted that she has forgiven him She concluded: 'Now get back to washing your hands and surviving this pandemic and let the love and hope be the next pandemic. #loseonefriendloseallfriendsloseyourself #trinamcgee'. McGee played the best friend of Topanga Matthews [Danielle Fishel] and the love interest of Shawn Hunter [Rider Strong] on Boy Meets World from 1997 to 2000. She started with a recurring role in season five and joined the main cast for seasons six and seven. Television sitcom: Danielle Fishel, McGee, Ben Savage and Rider Strong are shown in a 1998 still from Boy Meets World Friedle played Eric Matthews, the wacky older brother of the show's main protagonist Cory Matthews, portrayed by Ben Savage, 39. McGee reprised her role in 2015 for one episode of the spin-off Girl Meets World. Boy Meets World ran for seven seasons from September 1993 to May 2000 on ABC. The spin-off Girl Meets World aired on the Disney Channel from June 2014 to January 2017. Main protagonist: Ben Savage, shown in June 2018 in Austin, Texas, played main protagonist Cory Matthews Oil closed the week at the lowest since 2002 as an historic OPEC+ production cut failed to counter a wave of gloomy demand forecasts and concerns that traders are quickly running out of room to store crude. Futures in New York ended the week down 20% after Sundays agreement by OPEC+ to cut output by almost 10 million barrels a day. The agreement wasnt enough to overcome signs that energy demand was cratering as people sheltered from the coronavirus pandemic. China reported that its economy suffered a historic slump in the first quarter, OPEC predicted demand for its oil will fall to a three-decade low and U.S. and Europe inventories swelled. Meanwhile, prices in the physical oil market have disconnected from futures, with landlocked crudes such as Bakken and Western Canadian Select worth about $11 to $12 a barrel. In the U.S., a key exchange-traded fund plans to move some of its giant futures position to a later month. The move comes as near-term prices for U.S. crude are trading at huge discounts to later-dated contracts on concern the storage hub of Cushing, Oklahoma, will fill to capacity. That has seen prices disconnect from Brent futures in London. There is a squeeze going on at Cushing, Sandy Fielden, director of research for Morningstar Inc., said by phone. People who have futures contracts, if they cant close them now, they have to deliver. West Texas Intermediate futures for May, which expires next week, are at an almost $7 a barrel discount to June futures, close to the biggest spread between the front and second month contracts in 11 years. Dated Brent was assessed at $18.86 on Thursday, according to S&P Global Platts, far below futures prices, and real cargoes are trading at even steeper discounts. You are delivering oil into the worst delivery situation in recent memory, Phil Flynn, senior market analyst at Price Futures Group Inc., said by phone. Oil investors searching for a bottom of the price rout in West Texas Intermediate crude have rushed into exchange-traded funds. Net-long positions surpassed 400,000 lots on Friday, the highest since at least 2016. Investors have poured more than $1 billion into the United States Oil Fund ETF so far this week. At Thursdays close, the fund held more than a quarter of all the June WTI contracts. As of Friday, the fund will now hold 20% of its contracts in the second WTI futures month. The amount of buying in Oil ETF has been staggering, hedge-fund manager Pierre Andurand wrote in a tweet. The collapse in oil prices is prompting a rapid decrease in production. Drilling rigs targeting crude in the U.S. fell by 66 to 438, the lowest since Oct. 2016, Baker Hughes said Friday. With the recent output-cut deal by OPEC and its partners failing to revive prices, Saudi Arabia and Russia have said theyll continue to closely monitor the oil market and are prepared to take further measures jointly with OPEC+ and other producers if these are deemed necessary. Saudi Aramco said Friday that it will reduce supply to 8.5 million barrels a day from May 1. Were seeing record cuts, but still not enough to bring the market even close to balance, said Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy at ING Bank NV. Even OPECs own numbers showed that. Its a continuation of the story. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Several private schools in the city on Friday said they have asked their teachers and students to avoid using the Zoom software for online classes or meetings, a fortnight after the ICSE schools' forum in the state urged them to conduct sessions on the platform. The Centre had on Thursday issued an advisory, flagging the video-conferencing software as unsafe and vulnerable to cyber crimes. "We have come to know that inappropriate messages pop up during demonstrations, following which we cautioned the schools against the use of the Zoom application," Nabarun Dey, the general secretary of the Association of Head of ICSE Schools (Bengal Chapter), said. He also noted that most schools have complied with the directive and shifted their session to another platform. Dey, who is also the principal of Central Modern School in north Kolkata, said, "Our academic tutorials are being held on the school's portal, where students are submitting their work online for the teachers to evaluate." A spokesman of Ashok Hall Group of Schools said the institute has moved to Google Hangout from Zoom, much before the advisory was issued. At Vivekananda Mission School, on the southern fringes of the city, an official said, "We have all along been conducting online classes on Skype without any major hiccups." IIT-Kharagpur Registrar B N Singh said faculty members and students were largely using DEEKSHAK (an IITKGP web- conferencing platform), G-Suite, among other platforms. "We will certainly take note of the Centre's advisory. Everything will be done to ensure that privacy of our students and faculty members are not compromised with," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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. Six Out Of Ten COVID-19 Rumours In South Sudan Not True We all have a role to play in ensuring misconceptions are debunked and replaced with credible information, and in this respect, the media has a special responsibility as a trusted source of information for many people, Press Release. JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN, 17 APRIL 2020 58 per cent of the rumours about the current Coronavirus disease circulating in South Sudan are not true, said UNICEF today. Since the UN organisation started tracking rumours together with partners, 99 rumours have been collected. Only 11 per cent of the rumours were true and 31 per cent are still being assessed. Most of the rumors were on transmission of the virus, signs and symptoms, suggested treatments, the origin of the virus and some conspiracy theories. Most of the false information is shared through social media and word of mouth. We all have a role to play in ensuring misconceptions are debunked and replaced with credible information, and in this respect, the media has a special responsibility as a trusted source of information for many people, said Mohamed Ag Ayoya, the UNICEF South Sudan representative. When we are passing on information, we need to ask ourselves, where is this information coming from and is it verified by credible sources? If the answer to the latter question is no, one should refrain from passing it on. Together with the Ministry of Health (MoH), UNICEF is co-leading the risk communication efforts in South Sudan, disseminating correct information about the Coronavirus disease to people across the country. MoH and UNICEF have distributed 176,149 posters in 10 different languages and public announcements are made through 42 radio stations in the most appropriate local language in each area. Social mobilisers are using megaphones to educate people on the disease and how to stay safe, while respecting the physical distancing measure as advised by MoH and WHO. While there is a lot of information about the Coronavirus in general, the most important thing everyone needs to know is how to stay safe and protect others. One should practice frequent handwashing with soap and water, stop shaking hands, keep distance from others, cough and sneeze in a handkerchief or in a bent elbow and stay at home when having flu-like symptoms. Wrong information such as rumours are creating noise, preventing the right information to reach people at risk. Worst case, rumours can take lives, said Ayoya. As UNICEF, we are doing what we can, together with our partners and community allies to ensure everyone has lifesaving information, but we are also counting on you to help spread the correct messages. WASHINGTON (JTA)Its the ninth question on the census, and for many Jewish respondents, its a surprisingand sometimes unwelcomeinvitation to consider who exactly they are. For the first time, the U.S. Census question on race is asking white and African-American respondents to dig deeper and fill in more detailed origins. Mark one or more boxes AND print origins, the printed form says. For white, it adds, Print, for example, German, Irish, English, Italian, Lebanese, Egyptian, etc. The request for origins has existed for decades for Native American, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander respondents. But whites and blacks were previously asked to simply check a box. The question has launched countless Jewish conversations: What did you list? What should I? The answers reveal a community grappling with what it means to announce ones Jewishness in the 21st century, and to consider the myriad paths that have brought American Jews to the present day. I didnt see a box for stateless people being abused and kicked out of one Eastern European region after another, so this seemingly straight-forward question turned out to be quite a head-scratcher, said Jonathan Kopp, a communications strategist who lives in Brooklyn. Kopp, 53, abandoned the form for a while before returning and checking white. He entered Eastern European Ashkenazi Jew in the origins box. Jeff Weintraub, 72, an academic who lives in the Philadelphia area, said he thought the race/ethnicity/national-origin questions on the census form were a little bizarre. I checked White and then, for elaboration, wrote something along the following lines in the box: Jewishgrandparents from the former Russian Empire & the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, he said. One complicating factor: The online census form makes it appear as if the origins question is not optionalbut it is. Leave the space empty, click continue and the page wont change. The blank field will be highlighted, urging the user to fill it. Click one more time, however, and youre able to move to the 10th question without filling it in. Thats not explained on the census form. That hurdle led some to believe that the origins question required typing in an answer. Ashkenazi, just because, said Debra Rubin, an editor in the Washington, D.C., area. It didnt allow me to skip, and I dont understand why the question is there. I guess I could have put American. Whats in a question about race Race has been a factor in the U.S. census since the first one, in 1790, but for the nations first century and a half, the answers were used as a means to codify rather than crush discrimination. The first census counted free white males, free white females, all other free persons and slaves. Now it is a means of redressing discriminatory practices. This data helps federal agencies monitor compliance with anti-discrimination provisions, such as those in the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act, it says on the census website. For decades, the race category has had four broad categories: white, black, Native American and Asian, with some other race as the fifth option. Whether one is of Hispanic origin is a separate question. This years extension of the origins option to whites and blacks was a result in part of lobbying by groups of Middle Eastern and North African origin who said their constituents were uncomfortable checking white and thought the some other race option was overly broad. For a period leading into the 2020 census, U.S. Census bureaucrats considered making MENA a separate category. Austro-Hungarian what? Many of those replying to a query from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency said they were not sure how to respond because their ancestors countries of origin no longer exist or have shifted borders, or because their ancestors were not precisely from a single placeborn in one country to parents from another. For many, Askenazi or Sephardic became a default because it expressed an ethnicity in a simple way. The vast majority of my familys ancestral origins are Russian/Ukrainian Jews, but putting either of those didnt seem quite accurate, said Alex Dropkin, 29, a Chicago-area brewer who answered Ashkenazi. The whole national origin for Eastern European Jews is complicated and not at all translatable to [one] modern country. Considering that history was also difficult emotionally, Dropkin said. Family records for Russian Jews rarely exist and its hard to know very much more about our ancestors because of all the pogroms, he said. Felicia Grossman checked white and entered American for origins after discussing it with her husband. We all came early enough that we were never considered full citizens of any other country, and half the places dont exist anymore as it is (i.e. Bavaria, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empirenot to mention places that didnt exist and now do i.e., Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine), so theres an argument that its the most accurate answer, said Grossman, 37, an author of historical romances who lives in the Cleveland suburbs. Lloyd Wolf, an Arlington, Virginia, photographer, packed as much as he knew into his answer. I put in something like Jewish of German, Austrian and Polish origin because thats what my background is, at least the past several generations, he said on Facebook. Same country, different peoples Morris Lewis, a health care consultant in Caldwell, New Jersey, said his neighbors growing up in Mississippi and Georgia were likelier to identify his family as Jewish than with the non-Jewish neighbors whose ancestors had arrived from the same countries. We may have shared space with Poles, Germans, etc., but we have a completely separate ethnicity and culture, said Lewis, 59, who entered Ashkenazi Jewish. Susan Turnbull, who lives in Washingtons Maryland suburbs and has held leadership positions in national Jewish organizations and the Democratic Party, took her cue from the categories made popular by the recent proliferation of DNA testing. Ashkenazi Jewish100 percent of my DNA description, she said. Suellen Shapiro Kadis, a lawyer who lives in the Cleveland area and is a board member of JTAs parent organization, 70 Faces Media, said she entered Russian but was not happy with it. My dad was born in England on the way over. His immigration papers say Hebrew, which I always thought was a way to discriminate, but maybe its more accurate than my answer, she said. Rafaella Gunz, a 26-year-old writer from New York, checked off white and entered Jewish. I did this to document that though I am white in certain contexts, especially in the U.S., Im actually ethnically distinct and come from a group of people with our own unique history, Gunz said. (Jewish) Pride and (anti-Jewish) prejudice Some respondents welcomed the opportunity to celebrate their origins. I simply dont identify as anything else other than Jewish, said a Hasidic respondent who asked not to be named. Judith Marks said she was proud to answer Askenazi Jewish. Being Jewish is a huge part of my identity, its my primary identity, the program manager at a nonprofit in Boston said. Marks, 31, said she thought the question could help shatter the sense of privilege among other whites. Its important for me to identify as white because I benefit from white privilege and am perceived as white, Marks said. When you are forced to dig deeper, to go beyond the just Im white, youre put in the same boat as other people. Others welcomed the opportunity to express in the census the otherness that they feel separates them from being simply white in America. Rebecca Einstein Schorr, a rabbi at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, checked some other race and entered Ashkenazic (Jewish). My experience moving through society differs from those who are white, she said. The constant sense of being othered. The sense of anti-Semitism. Some respondents were wary of the question. I cant think of anything good the census bureau would be using the ethnicity origin data for, said Frederick Winter, 72, a retired federal employee living in Arlington. I understand that by law census data is not shared with other agencies, but I have my doubts. He checked white and entered USA for origins. For one couple, sensitivities about being Jewish in a non-Jewish society broke in opposite directions. Gabriel Botnick, a Los Angeles-area rabbi, was set to enter the fifth option, some other race, and add Jewish because he does not identify as whitehe said I have been made to feel not white in the past. His wife, also a rabbi and originally from Britain, asked him to check white and skip the origins. She said this current climate makes her uneasy with being listed as Jewish somewhere, Botnick said. Medical aid to Africa has become a signature of Chinas diplomacy as batches of Chinese medical teams overcome extremely complicated and harsh conditions, as well as unbelievable difficulties to contribute their energy to the continent, winning wide reputation from the recipient countries and the international society. A Chinese doctor aiding Burkina Faso poses for a picture with his African counterpart from the respiratory department of a local hospital in Burkina Faso, Jan. 30. Photo courtesy of the Chinese medical team to Burkina Faso When Peoples Daily interviewed a medical team at a China-aided hospital in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, during the Spring Festival this year, there were still five team members working, despite the largest traditional Chinese festival. Since 1963, China has sent a total of 26,000 medical staff to 71 countries, including the ones in Africa, treating 280 million patients and training 80,000 local personnel. Chinese medical teams is an important complement to Africas local medical resources, as they bring advanced technologies and methods and relieve the suffering for hundreds of millions of Africans. Ghanaian doctor Joyce Kanol told Peoples Daily that he and his colleagues learnt a lot from their Chinese counterparts, not only medical skills, but also diligence and dedication. At present, the COVID-19 pandemic is sweeping the world, including 53 African countries that reported a total of over 10,000 infections. Chinese medical teams in African countries formed with nearly 1,000 medical workers are sticking to their posts and actively assisting their countries of residence to enhance epidemic prevention and control, serving as a bridge for African countries to acquire Chinese techniques and experiences. Head of the Chinese medical team to the Central African Republic has an eye examination for a local resident, April 7. Photo courtesy of the Chinese medical team to the Central African Republic As of April 2, Chinese medical teams in Africa have conducted 250 training and health activities regarding epidemic prevention and control, benefiting over 10,000 people. Chinese medical team to Sao Tome and Principe recently had a presentation on COVID-19 control. Prime Minister Jorge Bom Jesus of the African island nation noted that Chinese experiences are valuable, and will shed a light for Sao Tome and Principe to well control the pandemic at home. Chinese medical teams have perfectly practiced the spirit of bravery, dedication, benevolence and boundless love in their work in Africa. Medical staff from Wuhan, Hubei have always worked on the frontline in Lesotho during the pandemic, and Chinese doctors are also offering timely assistance to cope with the severe pandemic in Burkina Faso. Besides, Chinese doctors offered training courses for local doctors in Zimbabwe. What they introduced was not only pandemic control information, but also the confidence to defeat the virus. China and Africa enjoy a long and profound friendship, and they are always a community with a shared future. Garth Shelton, professor of international relations at Wits University, South Africa said that he had never felt the importance of the community with a shared future for mankind like he does since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the face of the global public health crisis, only with solidarity and cooperation can the world secure victory. Chinese medical teams in Africa are exactly the ones that put China-Africa cooperation spirit into concrete actions. 150 Italians want to return from Morocco Diplomatic offices working for repatriation (ANSAmed) - RABAT, APRIL 17 - Six repatriation operations via sea and air since March 19 have already brought home over a thousand Italians from Morocco but many in the country still want to go home. Such as Micaela Sassetti, 47, a manager who is in the Saharan oasis town of Erfoud. Sassetti noted that ''I am in contact with the Italian embassy and Consulate General. I am setting up Facebook and Whatsapp groups. I am not alone. There are about 150 of us.'' Some of the Italians have dual nationality ad preferred to wait until the last minute in the hope of being able to return to Italy with their spouses, others who had work and work sites open when the flights from Casablanca and Marrakech and the ship from Tangiers that had been organised in collaboration with the foreign ministry left. Sassetti, at the home of her in-laws, had a ticket to return to Italy on April 9 and she had thought it was possible to wait until that date. Her husband, Amar, 41, is a geologist from Erfoud who had been doing occasional jobs in Italy but had hoped to find a second chance at his career in his home country. In Marrakech, Jesi native and teacher Giovanna Bellucci gathered those together wanting to go back and wrote a letter in which ''on behalf of everyone, I let the embassy know that we are here and we were caught by surprise by the epidemic when we were in Morocco for tourism or family reasons but that our lives are in Italy, where we have residency, family and work and that we want to go back.'' Among the 150 signatories of the letter are ''women in their eighth month of pregnancy, fathers with five-year-old children and adults in need of treatment'', she noted. Morocco shut down air and sea connection with Italy on March 10. The embassy in Rabat is working on the matter and is in ''constant contact with the Morocco authorities to be able to make other repatriation operations possible''. It meanwhile has urged Italians to follow updates on www.ambarabat.esteri.it and www.conscasablanca.esteri.it.(ANSAmed). According to the minister, agricultural trade between Vietnam and China decreased by 7% in the first months of this year compared to the same period last year due to the impact of the pandemic. The two sides have strengthened measures to control the pandemic, leading to slow clearance of goods at border gates. Besides the trade of agricultural products, the working of high-level delegations between the ministries of the two countries has also been disrupted. The Chinese side has granted export licences for nine Vietnamese fruits and vegetables and the two sides are working to complete the procedures to grant licences to an additional eight Vietnamese agricultural products. Minister Cuong expressed his wish that the Ambassador will actively support Vietnam in dealing with the requirements from China as soon as possible so that more Vietnamese agricultural products will be allowed to enter the Chinese market. The Chinese Ambassador said that Vietnam is the largest and most important trade partner of China in ASEAN, accounting for 25% of Chinas trade with ASEAN countries. Regarding the congestion of goods at border gates, the Ambassador said that China has also paid much attention to this issue and believed that it is only a temporary problem and the two sides will make all efforts necessary to overcome these tough times. He noted that the Chinese customs have taken many measures to shorten clearance times and he also proposed a number of measures for Vietnam to improve its clearance capacity. The two sides agreed that once the pandemic is under control, they will focus on speeding up bilateral trade to gain higher import-export revenues compared to those in 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday that Africa could become the next epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic as there was a sharp rise in the numver of COVID-19 cases in the past week. There have been almost 1,000 deaths and more than 18,000 infections across Africa so far, although these rates were far lower than those seen in parts of Europe and the US. The WHO's Africa director, Matshidiso Moeti, told the BBC that the organisation had witnessed the virus spreading from capital cities to "the hinterland" in South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Ghana. She said they were focusing on prevention rather than treating the virus because African countries don't have the capacity to treat many coronavirus patients. "We want to minimise the proportion of people who get to the point of needing critical care in an ICU, because we know that these types of facilities are not adequate by any means in the majority of African countries," she told the BBC. "I have to say the issue of ventilators is one of the biggest challenges that the countries are facing." For patients critically ill with coronavirus, access to a ventilator could be a matter of life or death. One of the first recorded deaths from coronavirus in Africa was Zimbabwean journalist Zororo Makamba in March. The local authorities in the capital, Harare, said that they did not have a ventilator to treat him. There were also fears that the disease could spread rapidly in overcrowded areas where it is impossible to practise social distancing and where many do not have access to clean water and soap. As we adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, Valparaiso University continues to take a thoughtful, measured approach in each step of our response to national and global health and financial threats, the statement said. At each turn, we have sought to uphold our academic mission and preserve as much of the Valpo experience as possible for our students while seeking to recruit and retain students for the 2020-2021 academic year. Italian police are investigating the country's largest nursing home where as many as 190 people have died since the start of the coronavirus outbreak. The Pio Albergo Trivulzio nursing home in Milan is under investigation after what Italian media has called a 'massacre' of elderly residents. Prosecutors launched an investigation following allegations from staff that management prohibited doctors and nurses from wearing protective masks, for fear of alarming residents. A doctor and union leader have claimed that management downplayed the risk of infection and wrongly attributed the causes of death. The Trivulzio home denies wrongdoing, saying there were simply not enough testing kits for its 1,000 residents. The Pio Albergo Trivulzio nursing home in Milan, pictured last week, is under investigation over as many as 190 deaths since the start of the coronavirus outbreak Attilio Fontana, the governor of Lombardy, said he had opened a commission of inquiry into the deaths at the Milan home. Investigators have seized documents as they probe a death toll which Italian media says is as high as 190 during March and April. The home's medical records were seized on Monday to determine whether staff negligence caused the virus to spread and kill the residents. Relatives are demanding answers after reports that medical staff were prohibited from wearing protective gear. One report in La Repubblica said that a supply of masks had been taken out of the home by unknown operatives who said they were being given to 'those who really needed them' A group called the Committee for Justice and Truth for Victims of Trivulzio is gathering testimony from relatives who are considering legal action. The Trivulzio home has said it followed all security protocols and is cooperating with investigators. The home's management also claimed that the number of deaths in recent weeks was in line with the 2019 figures. Fontana said authorities would also investigate the 'real situation' across the region's nursing homes, amid fears that large numbers of cases and deaths are being missed. People wearing protective gear walk by the side of a building at the Pio Albergo Trivulzio nursing home where investigators are probing up to 190 deaths A car leaves the care home earlier this week, after claims that staff were prevented from wearing masks to protect themselves against coronavirus Care home deaths are thought to represent a significant hidden death toll across Europe because many elderly residents have died without being tested for the virus. 'There is an underestimate of deaths in nursing homes, it's futile to deny it,' said Dr Giovanni Rezza, head of infectious disease at Italy's National Institutes of Health. Rezza did not answer why residents were not being tested en masse, as Austria has promised to do for its 130,000 care home residents and workers. But he acknowledged that entire clusters of infection had been traced to nursing homes, including in the Lazio region around Rome. Italian deputy health minister Pierpaolo Sileri told Radio Capitale that inspectors backed by the Carabinieri's health care squad would be gathering evidence. 'One thing is certain, where there are fragile people and critical situations in nursing homes, there are more risks and it's correct to go and check,' Sileri said. 'Milan isn't the only case in Italy; there have been similar situations near Catanzaro, in Sicily and in Lazio. I'm not identifying only one place, we're checking across the board.' The toll has been so high that Italy's National Institutes of Health launched a specific study for nursing homes nationwide to try to get a handle on what went wrong. These graphs show the number of daily cases and deaths which have been added to the tally in Italy. The latest figures are 168,941 infections and 22,170 deaths The survey found that 87 per cent of facilities reported a lack of protective equipment for medical personnel. Another 36 per cent were suffering from staffing problems because so many staff were infected, while 23 per cent said they had no information about how to contain the virus in the facility. An association of doctors in Lombardy estimated that 600 of the 6,000 elderly people in in residential facilities in Bergamo province alone had died. The same problem has surfaced across Europe, including in Spain where more than 3,300 elderly people have died at nursing homes. Spanish troops have been sent to disinfect buildings, and on one occasion found relatives living in squalor among the bodies of suspected coronavirus victims. In a normal month about 1,000 deaths are reported at Madrid regional nursing homes but now the rate is around 3,000, said regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso. However, she noted it is 'very difficult' to know whether they died of the virus or something else. Catalonia has also been hit hard, with 909 deaths reported at nursing homes by Monday. Additional funding brings foundation commitment to more than $250 million to support the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines; help strengthen African and South Asian health systems; and help mitigate the social and economic impacts of the virus The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced an expansion of its funding for the global response to COVID-19. The increase includes an additional $150 million of grant funding plus a commitment to leverage the resources of the foundations Strategic Investment Fund , which could be deployed to catalyze the rapid procurement of essential medical supplies and help life sciences companies secure financing to produce COVID-19 products. 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. It is increasingly clear that the worlds response to this pandemic will not be effective unless it is also equitable, said Gates Foundation co-chair Melinda Gates. 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 foundations 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. 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 incentivize 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 programs. The funding announced today builds on the $100 million the foundation has committed to date to support the global response, as well as $5 million in resources to support public health agencies and frontline response organizations in the greater Seattle region. Initial foundation funding has helped to kick-start the search for COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines; enhanced virus detection capacity in Africa; and contributed to the response in China. The foundation has also directed its programmatic technical expertise to support multilateral, national, and sub-national responses to the pandemic. COVID-19 doesnt 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, said foundation co-chair Bill Gates. 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. While there is not yet global consensus on the total resources required to turn back COVID-19, the figure is more than any one contributor will bear. A coordinated, international effort bringing together all sectors will be required to mobilize the billions in funding needed in the months ahead. Institutions such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance are in place to coordinate the development and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, but they require an influx of new resources to do so. Other organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), national governments, and private companies will need to be involved in funding the at-risk manufacturing of vaccine candidates and deciding how to ensure equitable access to essential products for populations worldwide. This pandemic has unleashed an extraordinary philanthropic response. While significant, it is still only one small part of what must be a coordinated effort to beat this global crisis, said foundation CEO Mark Suzman. Philanthropy cannotand should notsupplant the public and private sectors. What philanthropy is good at is testing out ideas that might not otherwise get tried, so governments and businesses can then take on the successful ones. With all sectors working together, we can avoid the worst-case scenarios of human, economic, and social costs. In announcing its new $150 million commitment, the foundation identified four priority areas for investment: Accelerating Virus Detection The foundation will provide partners in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia with funding to scale their COVID-19 detection, treatment, and isolation efforts. In some countries, this will include leveraging emergency operations centers normally deployed to support polio eradication and malaria elimination efforts toward COVID-19 detection. Protecting the Most Vulnerable Foundation funding will help partners in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia pilot different approaches to physical distancing and infection suppression in settings where stay-at-home policies and other physical distancing strategies may not be practical. The goal will be to identify infection suppression strategies that can be effectively sustained over time with minimal social and economic disruption. A key focus will be building on lessons learned from two decades of experience in implementing infectious disease prevention programs, specifically the importance of community-designed and community-led engagement efforts. The foundation is also considering gender equality issues in its response, and it will support research into the differential health, economic, and social impacts of the pandemic on women and girls in LMICs. This will help to inform the foundations short-, medium-, and long-term policy response to the pandemic and global policy responses. This effort will build on the foundations existing work to improve gender data by designing and implementing gender-specific metrics and surveys to capture data that reflects the experiences of women and girls. Minimizing Social and Economic Impact The foundation will provide non-medical funding to help LMICs strengthen social and economic support for people who are living in extreme poverty or who are at risk of falling back into extreme poverty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia together account for 85 percent of the 629 million people around the world who live on less than $1.90 per day, and past pandemics have had a disproportionate impact on people who cannot afford adequate nutrition, safe sanitation, and quality housing. People living in extreme poverty are also less likely to be able to practice physical distancing because they cannot afford to stop working. The foundation will work with partners to help expand access to social payment systems to communities that are most at risk of serious social and economic disruption due to public health measures undertaken to suppress COVID-19 transmission. Develop Products for a Sustained Response The foundation will continue to invest in efforts to accelerate the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines for the COVID-19 response while working with governments, the private sector, and multilateral institutions to ensure scaled manufacturing and the equitable procurement and distribution of these products as they become available. This work will include efforts to develop affordable and accessible point-of-care diagnostics, as well as support for the development of treatments and vaccines whose production can be quickly scaled once clinical trials have demonstrated their safety and efficacy. The foundation has committed to working with governments, CEPI, and the private sector to help provide financing for the at-risk enhancement of vaccine manufacturing capacity. This will allow the production of vaccine candidates so that global vaccine supply can be quickly scaled once clinical trial results are available. The foundation will work with national governments and international organizations such as the WHO; UNICEF; Gavi; and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to ensure that LMICs have equitable access to essential commodities and to ensure that supply and distribution chains are well prepared to facilitate their rapid and widespread delivery to Gavi- and Global Fund-eligible countries. Detailed summaries of previous commitments can be found at https://www.gatesfoundation.org/media-center/press-releases . For more on the foundations response to COVID-19, please see this post by Mark Suzman on The Optimist. About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving peoples health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all peopleespecially those with the fewest resourceshave access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Strategic Investment Fund The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) aims to stimulate private sector-driven innovation, encourage market-driven efficiencies, and attract external capital to priority global health and development initiatives that improve the health and wellbeing of underserved people around the world. These investments can take the form of equity investments, loans, and volume guarantees to both for-profit and not-for-profit partners. Since 2009, the SIF team has made more than 80 investments through its mandate to leverage the foundations technical and investment expertise to make markets work for the poor. Any financial returns generated by the Strategic Investment Fund are re-invested in Gates Foundation philanthropic programs. Authorities are scrambling to test hundreds of elderly nursing home residents after a healthcare worker infected with coronavirus visited three separate home before being diagnosed with the deadly virus. The healthcare worker has already been connected to 10 separate cases that have required hospitalisation after visiting the Respect Aged Care's Coroneagh Park facility, Melaleuca Nursing Home and Eliza Purton Care Home in northern Tasmania in early April. All residents at the homes will now be isolated while tests are carried out on all residents. So far, only one resident at the Coroneagh Park facility is showing any signs of having contracted the virus. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday told Triple M the healthcare worker didn't tell authorities he had worked at the care homes and even down-played how long he had been showing symptoms of coronavirus. A male healthcare worker that tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday has admitted to working in three nursing homes resulting in mass testing of all residents (stock image) 'Someone down there was not telling the truth to contact tracers about who they have been in contact with,' Mr Morrison said. 'That puts people at risk.' Extra aged care staff have been put on standby to fly in and assist if necessary. Tasmania had eleven cases overnight, with ten connected to the hospital where the healthcare worker was working. The healthcare worker visited Respect Aged Care's Coroneagh Park facility (pictured), along with Melaleuca Nursing Home and Eliza Purton care home, all in northern Tasmania, in early April All residents will be isolated while the federal government conducts testing - with only one resident at a Coroneagh Park facility showing signs of the virus The male healthcare worker, who tested positive on Thursday, was previously found to have worked at the North West Regional and Private hospitals (pictured) 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 state's Premier Peter Gutwein told The Mercury if the health care worker had left out crucial details, there would be a further investigation. 'The person involved needs a chance to provide their view. At the end of it we will have a conclusion and make it public.' After the rise of 11 extra cases overnight Tasmania's total now sites at 180. Tasmania's Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said they were now investigating who else came into contact with the healthcare worker while they were working. Mr Veitch said it was very important that workers stay home is they think they could be unwell. 'I am not going to five a judgment on the information provided to us but we do require people when they sign on to work to declare they do not have respiratory symptoms,' he said. It comes as Australia's death toll rose to seven on Friday morning after a 72-year-old man died at Mersey Community Hospital at Latrobe. US First Lady Melania Trump called Carrie Symonds, the pregnant fiancee of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to wish the couple a speedy recovery from the coronavirus, a White House statement said on Thursday. Johnson is recovering from Covid-19 after a spending several days in intensive care with the disease. Symonds said on April 4 she had suffered the main symptoms of the coronavirus but was on the mend. Mrs. 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. With country under second lockdown and international flights under suspension till May 3, the ministry of home affairs has decided to extend the suspension of all existing visas granted to foreigners, except to those belonging to diplomatic, official, UN/international organizations, employment and project categories as well as extend the visa services on Gratis basis to all foreigners stranded in India. The union ministry has further directed that all incoming passenger traffic into India through any of the 107 Immigration Check Posts shall remain suspended till May 3. However, no such restriction would apply to vehicles, planes, ships, conveyance, trains etc. carrying any goods and supplies whether essential or non-essential. Their crew, sailor, driver, helper, cleaner etc. shall be subjected to thorough medical screening for COVID-19, it stated. On consular access to foreigners stranded in India, MHA had earlier granted consular services on gratis basis to foreign nationals, presently residing in India due to travel restrictions in the context of COVID-19 outbreak till 30th April. Coronavirus outbreak: Full coverage After considering the matter, on Friday, it has been decided to extend the period of providing the following consular services by the Office of Foreigners Regional Registration Officers/ Foreigners Registration Officers to foreign nationals, presently stranded in India. Regular visa, e-visa or stay stipulation, of such foreign nationals who have been stranded in India because of spread of COVID-19 in many parts of the world and also due to travel restrictions imposed by the Indian authorities and whose visas have expired or would be expiring during the period from February 1, 2020 to May 3, 2020, would be extended till midnight of May 3, 2020 on GRATIS basis, after making online application by the foreigner, said a statement by MHA. Exit to such foreign nationals, if so requested by them during this period, will also be granted to them upto 14 days beyond May 3 without levy of overstay penalty, it added. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adrian Wail Akhlas (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, April 18 2020 Indonesias trade surplus and relatively resilient export figures in March may not be sustained in the near future and reflect a raw material supply disruption that threatens the growth of local manufacturing businesses, economists have said. 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. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login In an unprecedented turn of events revealing the instability of Saudi royal family, a prominent princess of the kingdom, Princess Basmah bint Saud, who was detained without any charges, made a public appeal to be released from jail in a letter on April 16. The Saudi Princess took to Twitter to post, which is now deleted, about how her health is deteriorating and cited medical complications for her freedom from the high-security prison. The 56-year-old was arrested in March 2019 just before she was travelling to Switzerland, reportedly for medical treatment. The public plea by the Saudi Princess came a month after Saudi King Salmans nephew Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, and the king's brother, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, were detained reportedly in an attempt to stamp out internal dissent. In the post, Princess Basmah said that she was being held in prison without criminal, or otherwise any charges and confessed that her medical condition might lead to her death. She also explained how the letters sent by her to the Royal Court have been left unanswered and she has not received any medical care while in the prison. The Saudi Princess claimed that she was thrown into prison after being abducted without an explanation along with one of her daughters. Read - Saudi Arabia Executes Man Who Attacked Spanish Performers Read - Newcastle United To Target Allegri If 350m Saudi Takeover Goes Through: Report 150 members of the Saudi royal family infected The public appeal by Saudi Prince came when at least 150 people from Saudi Arabia royal family are believed to have contracted the fatal COVID-19. After nearly six weeks since the Kingdom confirmed its first case of coronavirus infection, an internal message of The Elite Medical and Surgical Center in Riyadh seen by an international media outlet revealed that the hospital is currently preparing 500 beds to treat a foreseeable influx of COVID-19 patients from the royal family and cited extreme alert First reported by an international media outlet on April 8, the directives have been given to hospital authorities that treats the members from Al-Saud clan for VIPs around the country. Meanwhile, a senior Saudi prince, governor of Riyadh is currently in the intensive care unit with coronavirus infection along with several dozens of others of the royal family who have also contracted COVID-19. The directive reportedly even said that sick members from the hospitals staff would now be treated at an apparently less elite hospital to make space for the ones from the royal family. Read - Saudi Takeover Promises New Dawn For Newcastle At A Cost Read - Newcastle Takeover Link Puts Spotlight On Saudi Human Rights At school Joe Cole learned lessons he's put to good use in a scorching new television action thriller. The 31-year-old is the star of Sky's ten-part Gangs Of London, in which he plays Sean Wallace, a public school-educated, cold-eyed scion of a crime family who takes over the business when his father (Colm Meaney) is assassinated. Sean takes revenge on his rivals in order to find out who killed his ruthless dad. Joe Cole (centre) and Michelle Fairley (right) star in the new ten-part drama Gangs Of London But Sean's at his deadliest not when firing a gun or dangling a man from a high-rise before setting him ablaze. No, he's at his most lethal when silently scanning a room. I mentioned that Anthony Hopkins once told me that standing still is one of the most difficult things for a screen actor to do. Cole waited a beat, then told me about his time at Hollyfield School in Surbiton, when he was 12. 'It was an ordinary state school,' he said. 'It was a real melting pot, with kids coming in from Clapham and Vauxhall. I feel like a fair bit of what I learned was just picking up on how to get through, day to day. 'I think you learn so much as a kid about how to be. So as not to get into trouble with the wrong people or to get in with the right people. You just observe. The new show, which also stars Sope Dirisu (second from right), Lucian Msamati (left) and Michelle Fairley (right), will see the 31-year-old actor play Sean Wallace, a public school-educated, cold-eyed scion of a crime family The young actor was initially wary of taking on the part because he didn't want to wade back into the world of family crime It was a gift in a way,' he told me from Brixton, where he is shacked up with two of his four brothers Rory and Finn who appeared with him in Peaky Blinders. Cole clearly studied well in the playground because he's terrific in Gangs Of London, which broadcasts from April 23. It also stars Sope Dirisu as an outsider who becomes Sean's lieutenant; Lucian Msamati and Paapa Essiedu, who oversee the global property empire that washes the Wallaces' dirty money; Michelle Fairley as his Lady Macbeth of a mother, and Brian Vernel as his dope-addicted younger sibling. Cole said Sean is 'a boy in a man's world. He's emotional, reactive and impulsive'. Not to mention unhinged. 'This is a guy who probably needs therapy sessions,' Cole agreed. But Sean's at his deadliest not when firing a gun or dangling a man from a high-rise before setting him ablaze. No, he's at his most lethal when silently scanning a room Actor Colm Meaney (pictured) in Sky's brand new series which launches this April Sean's damaged psychology is brilliantly drawn by Gang's creator Gareth Evans. In a flashback, we see Sean's father pushing him to shoot a man who is buried up to his neck. 'He's probably got a certain degree of PTSD because of that,' the actor commented. Cole's own upbringing was the complete antithesis of Sean's. His dad, a one-time management consultant turned sailing instructor, was supportive. 'He wanted his kids to do well. It was never about him,' he told me. The young actor was initially wary of taking on the part because he didn't want to wade back into the world of family crime. Cole clearly studied well in the playground because he's terrific in Gangs Of London which broadcasts from April 23 'I'm a softie!' he protested. But then he saw the calibre of the talent being assembled, and read the script. 'It was a page-turner,' he said. So far, he and his brothers have coped pretty well with lockdown. They watch movies his American agent forwards him and do a weekly quiz, and there are cook-athons. Risotto was on the menu the day we spoke. Living with two siblings was fine, he said. 'Five of us would be a little bit much.' I wondered if there would be a second series of Gangs Of London. But Cole went back into playground mode, and remained silent. Australia's biggest trading partner China has suffered the worst economic slump since the 1970s Cultural Revolution. Coronavirus is already sparking the worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression more than 80 years ago. In an ominous sign for Australia, a major minerals exporter, China's economy plummeted by an annual pace of 6.8 per cent in the March quarter of 2020 - the worst result in National Bureau of Statistics records going back to 1992. It is also the steepest plunge in economic activity since Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution ended in 1976 as a COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan sparked the closure of factories and shops. The Australian government is spending $320billion to avert a depression - an amount equivalent to three years' worth of exports to China. Australia's biggest trading partner China has suffered the worst economic slump since the 1970s Cultural Revolution. Coronavirus is already sparking the worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression. Pictured is Chinese President Xi Jingping Despite the bad news, University of New South Wales trade economist Tim Harcourt said China would continue to buy Australian iron ore, used to make steel, and agricultural produce. 'That demand for rocks and crops is still there,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Friday. Professor Harcourt said China was likely to remain as Australia's No.1 trading partner, as its smaller cities continued to build new airports and railway stations. 'These things don't happen overnight, they take a generation to change,' he said. 'They'll still be ahead but mainly because of resources. 'Tourism and travel will drop off.' In an ominous sign for Australia, a major minerals exporter, China's economy plummeted by an annual pace of 6.8 per cent in the March quarter of 2020 - the worst result in National Bureau of Statistics records going back to 1992. Pictured is a Rio Tinto iron ore truck in Western Australia's Pilbara region The Australian government is spending $320billion on emergency stimulus measures. 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 This includes a doubling of unemployment benefits, $1,500 fortnightly wage subsidies for six million workers and Reserve Bank of Australia funding for cheap small business loans. The cost, so far, of the stimulus measures is worth 16.4 per cent of gross domestic product. By comparison, Australia's merchandise exports to China - mainly consisting of iron ore, coal and other goods - added up to $324billion between February 2020 and July 2017. China is by far Australia's biggest trading partner having a one third share of exports, official balance of goods and services trade data shows. Before the COVID-19 border closures, China was also Australia's No.1 customer for university education and tourism. Goods and services exports to China were worth $123.3billion in the 2017-18 financial year, a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed. Professor Harcourt, a supporter of free trade, said it made sense for Australia to stop Chinese state-owned firms from buying up distressed Australian assets, and diversify its export base. 'We don't want to be so dependent on one trading partner,' he said. Australia's Treasury is expecting unemployment to surge from 5.2 per cent in March to 10 per cent by the end of June, a level unseen since early 1994. It feared the jobless rate would hit 15 per cent, the highest since the 1930s Great Depression, without the $130billion JobKeeper package, which is providing $1,500 fortnightly wage subsidies to six million stood down workers. Read more: K&R insurance specialist Clements Worldwide sees rise in express kidnappings Previous health emergencies indicate how kidnap for ransom and other criminal activity can spike during this type of outbreak. Damora pointed to Ebola-afflicted areas, such as Liberia and Sierra Leone, where many companies put a hold on their operations and in turn, there was an average of a 50% increase in unemployment rates as well as a marked increase in criminal activity. In general, health crises put a strain on political stability and often result in a prolonged economic recession, which are both key factors driving the threat from kidnap for ransom, she continued, adding that regions around the world that will be hit the hardest by kidnap for ransom are those that already lie at the cross-section of an unstable security environment, high levels of criminality, and systemic corruption. These include South America and sub-Saharan Africa, though Damora also expects to see an increase of kidnap for ransom in areas where militant groups will use the pandemic as a smokescreen for their political agenda, such as Yemen, Syria, and in the wider Sahel. Its notable too that while experts have warned that these incidents frequently occur outside of North America, they can also occur in Canada and the United States. With many governments implementing total societal shutdowns and strict international travel restrictions right now, abductions might not initially appear in the headlines. However, the victims of 90% of all global kidnap for ransom activity are local nationals and this percentage will certainly increase over the short term, explained Damora. Some insurers offer kidnap and ransom insurance, which is a specialty crime coverage that protects against financial losses that arise when an insured is threatened with kidnap, extortion or illegal detention domestically or abroad. According to insurance brokerage HUB International, when a businesss executives and employees travel internationally or within their home countrys borders, they may be at risk of this criminal activity. If a kidnapping event does occur, the costs to an organization could be significant, even if no ransom is paid. Read more: What is kidnap and ransom insurance? There are other challenges that an organization could face if one of their employees becomes a victim of kidnap for ransom, such as the speed at which these events unfold, media attention, restriction of the management teams freedom of activity, and the involvement of authorities, police, government, clients and other stakeholders, as well as dealing with potentially irrational agents. All these factors can hinder an organizations operations and potentially damage their reputation if not handled well, which can seriously impact the bottom line, said Damora. According to the Schillings expert, an effective crisis response plan and well-constructed crisis management team (CMT) is critical in limiting an organizations exposure to kidnap for ransom. A CMT can even improve your businesss reputation during this uncertain time through clear, concise actions that show your organization not as a victim, but as an advocate for its clients and employees, Damora said. Moreover, relying on the advice of experts in this field is an important step that organizations should take if theyre exposed to this threat. As the coronavirus outbreak continues, remember that you are never alone in the run up to and during a crisis, Damora told Insurance Business. An experienced crisis response expert can provide training and can be utilized almost immediately in the event of an incident to guide your CMT and limit potential reputational fallout. The crisis responder can steer the team, maintain momentum in negotiations, reduce extortionists expectations, prioritize the firms interests, and implement a disciplined financial and communication strategy. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an order allowing non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) - including housing finance companies (HFCs), microfinance institutions (NBFC-MFIs) and cooperative credit societies from the financial sector - to function during the lockdown period with bare minimum staff. This will be applicable for these financial institutions in all states and union territories (UTs). The move comes after NBFCs and MFIs repeatedly approached the government to be allowed to function like banks were. During Phase 1 of the lockdown, from the financial sector, only banks were allowed to function. Follow our LIVE Updates on the coronavirus pandemic here RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das is scheduled to address the media at 10 am today. It is expected that he will further expand on this then. 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 This was issued as per the revised guidelines for lockdown 2.0 announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14. The lockdown has now been extended to May 3, with relaxations from April 20 in areas that report no new COVID-19 cases. Also Read: Additional stimulus? RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das to address the media at 10 AM Besides NBFCs, the order also states that all agricultural and horticultural activities such as collecting, harvesting and processing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and Non Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) by scheduled tribes and other forest dwellers in forest areas is allowed. This also includes plantation and harvesting, packaging, sale and marketing of plantations such as bamboo, coconut, cocoa and spices. The new order also specifies that construction activity in rural areas related to water supply and sanitation, laying or erection of power transmission lines and laying of telecom optical fibre and cable along with related activities are permitted. Representative Image The COVID-19 pandemic will likely kill at least 300,000 Africans and risks pushing 29 million into extreme poverty, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) said on Friday, calling for a $100 billion safety net for the continent. Africa's 54 countries have so far reported fewer than 20,000 confirmed cases of the disease, just a fraction of the more than two million cases reported globally. But the World Health Organisation warned on Thursday that Africa could see as many as 10 million cases in three to six months. "To protect and build towards our shared prosperity at least $100 billion is needed to immediately resource a health and social safety net response," the UNECA report stated. UNECA is also backing a call by African finance ministers for an additional $100 billion in stimulus, which would include a halt to all external debt service. The agency modelled four scenarios based on the level of preventive measures introduced by African governments. 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 the total absence of such interventions, the study calculated over 1.2 billion Africans would be infected and 3.3 million would die this year. Africa has a total population of around 1.3 billion. Most of Africa, however, has already mandated social distancing measures, ranging from curfews and travel guidelines in some countries to full lockdowns in others. Yet even its best-case scenario, where governments introduce intense social distancing once a threshold of 0.2 deaths per 100,000 people per week is reached, Africa would see 122.8 million infections, 2.3 million hospitalisations and 300,000 deaths. Combating the disease will be complicated by the fact that 36 percent of Africans have no access to household washing facilities, and the continent counts just 1.8 hospital beds per 1,000 people. France, in comparison, has 5.98 beds per 1,000 people. Africa's young demographic - nearly 60 percent of the population is below the age of 25 - should help stave off the disease. On the other hand, 56 percent of the urban population is concentrated in overcrowded slums and many people are also vulnerable due to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malnutrition. Africa imports 94 percent of its pharmaceuticals, the report said, noting that at least 71 countries have banned or limited exports of certain supplies deemed essential to fight the disease. "In a best-case scenario ... $44 billion would be required for testing, personal protective equipment, and to treat all those requiring hospitalisation," it stated. However, that is money Africa does not have as the crisis could also shrink the continent's economy by up to 2.6 percent. "We estimate that between 5 million and 29 million people will be pushed below the extreme poverty line of $1.90 per day owing to the impact of COVID-19," the report said. Nigeria alone will lose between $14 billion and $19.2 billion in revenues from oil exports this year. And the prices of other African commodities exports have plummeted as well. Lockdowns in Europe and the United States also imperil Africa's $15 billion in annual textile and apparel exports as well as tourism, which accounts for 8.5 percent of Africa's GDP. Jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali was among the celebrities who called out Rangoli Chandel before her account was suspended by Twitter on Thursday. Farah has tweeted against Kangana Ranauts sister for making hateful comments about a particular community. Speaking about why she reported Rangolis account, she told The Times Of India that she is entitled to her views but attacking people is not right. After I reported it, she got blocked. She is entitled to her views but she keeps attacking people saying horrible things. But that doesnt make everything she says true, Farah said. I only reported her (Rangolis) tweet, and I know she spreads venom all the time against Muslims, I dont know why, she added. Rangoli was suspended by the social media platform following an incendiary post targeting a community. The screenshot of the tweet has gone viral. Farah responded to the suspension by tweeting: 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. There are equal number of both good & bad ppl from ALL religions. To condemn all ovr the actions of some or wish them ALL dead is EVIL & VILE. No one should be killed in the name of religion. And those that call out for that killing should be taken to task whoever it may be, Farah wrote in a tweet. Also read: Alia Bhatt-Ranbir Kapoor also hosting her sister Shaheen at his home? Mom Soni Razdan says the sisters are living apart Farah said she met Rangoli a couple of times. I dont know her personally at all, I have only met her a couple of times with Kangana, many years ago. She was very sweet and nice at that time, I dont know what happened to her, she said. Even filmmaker Hansal Mehta said the same. I will be honest here. Rangoli has been a good friend in the past and I was frankly a bit surprised by the tone of some of her tweets. And I am not rejoicing with her suspension. I am in fact disappointed and sad that she had espoused such violence and divisive hate on her TL, he wrote in a tweet. Meanwhile, Rangoli says she is not bothered by her account getting suspended. 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, she said. Follow @htshowbiz for more Samsun Footwear on the 1500 block of Chestnut Street in Center City Philadelphia, is closed due to the coronavirus. Read more TL;DR: The push to reopen Pennsylvanias economy mirrors the national debate happening over when to ease the social distancing restrictions and shut down orders and return to some semblance of normalcy, playing out along party lines. In Pennsylvania, one in five workers has now filed for unemployment benefits, and this surge in joblessness is overwhelming the Pennsylvanias Office of Unemployment Compensation. Ellie Silverman (@esilverman11, health@inquirer.com) What you need to know President Donald Trump is unveiling a phased approach to reopening economy for places with strong testing and a decrease in COVID-19 cases, but leaving decisions up to governors. In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf said there are no immediate plans for extending Pennsylvanias stay-at-home order, which lasts through the end of April. Police found at least 17 bodies in a New Jersey nursing home morgue meant to hold the remains of four people. Gov. Phil Murphy said he was outraged. New Jersey schools are closed through May 15. Bucks County parks are reopening Monday with enforced social distancing. A new coronavirus testing site opened Thursday at the Central Campus of the Montgomery County Community College. Heres a list of sites in the region. Local coronavirus cases As of Thursday evening, there are more than 18,400 reported cases in the Philadelphia area. Track the spread here. PHILADELPHIA: 8,045 confirmed cases SUBURBAN PA: 6,728 confirmed cases SOUTH JERSEY: 3,684 confirmed cases There is a national debate happening over when to ease the social distancing restrictions and shut down orders and return to some semblance of normalcy. It has played out in the Pennsylvania legislature this week and in protests across the country. My colleagues Jonathan Tamari and Julia Terruso explain this national partisan argument that weighs loss of life and loss of livelihood. In Pennsylvania, one in five workers has now filed for unemployment benefits, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor, showing the widespread, unprecedented job loss from coronavirus-related shutdown orders. We are getting desperate and I dont know what to do, said Joe Andino, 37, a sous chef at City Tap House in University City. Read more about workers affected here and how this surge in joblessness is overwhelming the Pennsylvanias Office of Unemployment Compensation. Helpful resources You got this: Cook like a chef With restaurants closed, Green Meadow Farm has pivoted to find new customers. Instead of selling its Lancaster County produce to restaurants, it has put together a $39 vegetable box and a $50 meat box with chicken, thick-cut bacon, ground beef, and eggs. Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan talked to Philly chefs about what to cook with these ingredients. Read on for some recipes. Missing touch in your life? So are we. Heres what to do about it. Should you stop smoking pot during the pandemic? What about vaping? We talked to experts to find out. Didnt get your coronavirus stimulus check? Heres what you should do. Have a social distancing tip or question to share? Let us know at health@inquirer.com and your input might be featured in a future edition of this newsletter. What were paying attention to Trump announced he is halting payments to the World Health Organization. MIT Technology Review writes about why WHO needs more money and power, not less. The Washington Post writes how an outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt became a defining moment for the U.S. military. COVID-19 could lead to a surge in foreclosures. WHYY writes about how Philadelphias housing assistance hotline is able to help anyone worrying about losing their home. Enjoy getting our journalism through email? You can also sign up for The Inquirer Morning Newsletter to get the latest news, features, investigations and more sent straight to your inbox each morning Sunday-Friday. Sign up here. T he Duchess of Sussex today backed the Evening Standards moving appeal to raise funds for the delivery of food to poor, elderly and vulnerable Londoners during the coronavirus epidemic. Meghans support for our Food for London Now appeal came as the community kitchen close to Grenfell Tower that she supports unveiled a new meals delivery service for families struggling to feed themselves during the lockdown. The initiative will be launched on Monday when the Hubb Community Kitchen plan to start cooking between 250 and 300 meals a day, three days a week. It follows a Zoom conference call last week, when the duchess talked to women involved in running the kitchen about how they could adapt their service to feed people at a time when social-distancing rules prevent it from opening as normal. Much of the produce will be supplied by the Standards charity partner The Felix Project which sources surplus food from cafes, restaurants and supermarkets. Meghan said: The spirit of the Hubb Community Kitchen has always been one of caring, giving back and helping those in need, initially in Grenfell and now throughout the UK. A home-cooked meal from one neighbour to another, when they need it most, is what community is all about. Im so proud of the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen, and the continued support The Felix Project gives them to carry out these acts of goodwill, which at this moment are urgently needed Im so proud of the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen, and the continued support The Felix Project gives them to carry out these acts of goodwill, which at this moment are urgently needed. Im equally moved by the many people who are contributing to the Evening Standards campaign to raise money for these vital organisations in the wake of Covid-19. The meals will be prepared in the cooks homes and delivered by another charity, StreetGames, which runs the Fit And Fed campaign that aims to provide nutritious meals for children at risk of going hungry during the school holidays. The Duke of Sussex, who saw the charitys work during a visit to one of its centres in Streatham last year, put it in touch with the kitchen. Harry and Meghan yesterday completed two days of volunteering with Project Angel Food in California, helping to deliver food parcels to people in need. The Hubb Community Kitchen was set up in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster in June 2017, when a group of local women gathered in a communal kitchen at the Al-Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre. Support: the Duchess of Sussex during a Zoom conference call in which she spoke to women involved in running the community kitchen close to Grenfell Tower that she helped found The duchess first visited it in January 2018 and has continued to make regular private visits. She wrote the foreword for Together, a collection of the womens own personal recipes from across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. Those on the Zoom call were kitchen manager Leila Hedjem, as well as cooks Cherine Mallah, Halima Al-Hudafi, Oxana Sinitsyna and Jennifer Odonkor. Other cooks involved with the kitchen include Intalak Alsaiegh, Faiza Bellini, Jaipreet Bharj, Munira Mahmud, Ahlam Saeid, Lillian Olwa and Dayo Gilmore. Last year, Felix made 48 deliveries to the kitchen, enough for more than 43,000 meals, and this year it has delivered eight times, equivalent to 5,000 meals. Mark Curtin, Felixs chief executive, said: The women of Hubb Community Kitchen have stepped up yet again in the face of a global pandemic. We stand together with all of our partners to get food to people most at risk of experiencing hunger and malnutrition in this time of need. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast: Evening Standard proprietor Evgeny Lebedev said: It is a pleasure to have the backing of the Duchess of Sussex for our campaign. Her support for the survivors of the Grenfell fire is truly admirable. Our campaign will continue to support the Hubb Community Kitchen, along with so many other essential community organisations at this time. This is a crisis, and I am grateful for Meghans endorsement. Donate at virginmoneygiving.com/fund/FoodforLondonNOW - Keroche Breweries was asked to pay KSh 500 million in a KSh 9.1 billion tax case with KRA - The local brewer challenged the KRA demand in court arguing the ruling was issued without all relevant facts being presented and that TAT did not provide written judgment - KRA was asked to file its response to Keroche's application asking the court to waive the KSh 500 million payment by Friday, April 17 - The matter would be heard on Monday, April 20, at 9:30am via skype The High Court has deferred a review of the ruling directing Keroche Breweries Ltd to pay Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) KSh 500 million within 30 days. The taxman was asked to file its response to Keroche's application asking the court to waive the KSh 500 payment by Friday, April 17. READ ALSO: Mutahi Kagwe is blindly leading us to nowhere, lacks strategy - Lawyer Ahmednasir Keroche employees outside its headquarters in Naivasha. Photo: Keroche. Source: UGC READ ALSO: KRA admits it changed Keroche's tariff in 2006 effectively increasing tax obligation The matter was in response to an application by KRA demanding the local brewer to deposit a security guarantee of KSh 500 million before an appeal process in which Keroche was challenging KRA's demand of KSh 9.1 billion in tax arrears. The taxman instituted an agency notice on Wednesday, March 11, of KSh 9.1 billion to Keroche's bankers on Monday, March 9, citing a ruling by the Tax Appeals Tribunal (TAT) ruling. Keroche CEO Tabitha Karanja fears thousands of jobs would be lost in the brewer's tax dispute with KRA. Photo: Tabitha Karanja. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: 22 years of torture: Tabitha Karanja speaks candidly on Keroche's endless war with KRA On Monday, March 16, the High Court through Justice David Majanja dismissed a prayer by KRA to have the firm provide security for the alleged KSh 9.1 billion unpaid tax, directing it to pay the taxman KSh 500 million instead within 30 days. Keroche challenged the KRA demand at the High Court. A file photo of KRA headquarters, Nairobi. Photo: Daily Nation. Source: UGC In its application, the company stated the ruling was issued without all relevant facts being presented and that the TAT did not provide a written judgment to both Keroche and the court before the judge assessed the matter. Keroche further stated TAT judgement did not say it was liable to pay the KSh 9.1 billion as taxes nor did it endorse any reclassification for its products or backdated taxes, which were never collected. In its application supported, the manufacturer further stated it would be disastrous to the company and its financial stakeholders if KRA attempted to act on the order once the 30 days lapsed. Keroche argued it would not be able to operate its bank accounts and would therefore collapse due to lack of funds leading to loss of 290 direct jobs. The genesis of the dispute began when KRA classified the brewer's fortified wine products under harmonised system (H.S) code tariff heading 22.04 instead of under code tariff heading 22.06. This led the tax collector to make an assessment of KSh 1.2 billion in tax arrears which had since accumulated to KSh 9.1 billion. Keroche CEO Tabitha Karanja, however, wondered why KRA and Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) first approved the product before the taxman reversed its decision. The matter would be heard on Monday, April 20, at 9:30am via skype. 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 FILE PHOTO: An IKEA kitchen showroom and planning studio is seen from a street in the centre of Stockholm By Anna Ringstrom STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - IKEA store owner Ingka Group, the world's biggest furniture retailer, aims to start reopening shops in Europe in May after closures and sliding demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic slashed group sales by 60%, its chief executive said. Most of Ingka's stores in main market Europe and all in North America are closed since March while in Asia almost all are open. Ingka CEO Jesper Brodin estimates that the closure period for each store will be up to eight weeks. "This is the period we need to persevere and, so to speak, survive," he said. "The sales drop in the period we're in is about 60%." He said online sales during the COVID-19 crisis were twice as high as a year ago, cushioning the overall revenue dive and accounting currently for roughly half the group total. "Some countries are close to ten times the e-commerce they had before the outbreak. The most extreme is Denmark where sales have now recovered to levels seen before stores closed." BABY BOOM The lockdowns and other measures that have resulted in many people staying at home have boosted overall sales of office furniture, laundry baskets, and kitchen and cooking equipment such as pots, pans and jars, he said. In home market Sweden, sales of entire kitchens are up. Ingka plans to increase stocks of its baby-related products, expecting a boom in demand in seven to eight months. "Crises back in time have resulted in baby booms," Brodin said. He said demand was up for items in the lower end of IKEA's price range. Expecting that trend to continue given the pandemic's blow to the global economy, the group will cut prices on several products in the coming year, and also work on growing that range. "Tendencies are similar to what we saw after (the financial crisis in) 2008 - that people have less money," he said. Given the acceleration in the online business, Brodin also wants to speed up Ingka's expansion in inner cities with showrooms and stores that are smaller than the iconic giant out-of-town IKEA stores, he said. Story continues At the start of Ingka's next fiscal year in September, Brodin reckons group sales will have recovered to around 90% of year-earlier levels, adding: "We expect next year to be tougher for us, without any doubt." In China, where Ingka reopened all but one store in March, sales are back to year-ago levels already, Brodin said. The store in Wuhan, where the new coronavirus first appeared, will reopen in a couple of weeks. Ingka, the main IKEA franchisee to brand owner Inter IKEA, operates 420 stores and showrooms globally. It has not yet set a timetable for the reopening of stores in North America. Its sales in the year through August 2019 totalled 36.7 billion euros ($39.7 bln). Online accounted for 11%. (Reporting by Anna Ringstrom; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday assured India's support to South Africa in maintaining essential medical supplies to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic. "Had a good discussion with President @CyrilRamaphosa about the COVID-19 challenge, and assured India's support to South Africa for maintaining essential medical supplies," the prime minister tweeted. The prime minister also discussed the global health crisis with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. "Discussed on phone with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi @AlsisiOfficial about the COVID-19 situation in India and Egypt. India will extend all possible support to Egypt's efforts to control the spread of the virus and its impact," Modi said in another tweet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A fter more than 200 days in orbit, an International Space Station (ISS) crew has returned to a planet thrown into disarray by the coronavirus pandemic. The Soyuz capsule carrying Nasa astronauts Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Oleg Skripochka, from the Russian space agency Roscosmos, touched down on Friday near the town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, at 11.16am local time (0516 GMT). Mr Skripochka and Ms Meir spent 205 days in space and Mr Morgan 272 days. US space agency Nasa shared a live video on Twitter of the astronauts being met by a rescue team wearing face masks. The crew returned to Earth exactly 50 years after the Apollo 13 astronauts splashed down in the Pacific after an oxygen tank explosion aborted their moon-landing mission. During their time in space, Mr Morgan conducted seven space walks, four of which were to improve and extend the life of the stations Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer which looks for evidence of dark matter in the universe. Ms Meir carried out the first three all-women spacewalks with her crewmate Christina Koch, who returned from space in February. US astronaut Andrew Morgan smiles as the Nasa team help him out of the capsule / AP Under normal circumstances Nasa's search team would collect the crew and bring them to the nearest airport so they could fly home. However, Kazakhstan has declared a state of emergency and most of the airports are closed. A week before their safe return Mr Morgan told reporters that he and the crew had tried to keep on top of the pandemic news. Oleg Skripochka sits in a chair shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-15 space capsule / AP As an emergency physician in the army, Mr Morgan said he felt a little guilty coming back midway through the medical crisis. Its very hard to fathom, he told reporters. Ms Meir added: It is quite surreal for us to see this whole situation unfolding on the planet below. The International Space Station - In pictures 1 /66 The International Space Station - In pictures US space shuttle Endeavour crew member Jim Newman on the outside of the Unity module of the International Space Station AFP/Getty Images 1998 Astronaut James H. Newman, waves at camera as he holds onto one of the hand rails on the Unity connecting module Getty Images 2017 The International Space Station continues its orbit around the Earth as Expedition 50 astronauts captured this night image of sparkling cities and a sliver of daylight framing the northern hemisphere NASA 2013 Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield performing aboard the International Space Station EPA 1986 The Space Shuttle Challenger explodes just 73 seconds after lifting off from Kennedy Space Center, Jan. 28, 1986. All seven crew members lost their lives. AP 1998 Jerry Ross and Jim Newman train for one of the three spacewalks they will perform Getty Images 1998 Shuttle Astronaut Jerry L. Ross takes a picture during a 7-hour, 21 minute spacewalk Getty Images 1998 Technicians attach lifting gear to the Unity module of the International Space Station 23 October 1998 AFP/Getty Images 1998 The Unity module of the International Space Station is lifted for installation into a payload canister at Kennedy Space Center in Florida AFP/Getty Images 1998 The crew of Space Shuttle Mission STS-88 beginning construction of the International Space Station Getty Images 1998 Clouds over Asia form the backdrop for this scene of Unity module of the International Space Station Getty Images 2000 US astronaut Bill Shepherd (L), Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalyov (R) pose for a snapshot inside the Soyuz TM31 rocket at Baikonur cosmodrome 27 October 2000 AFP/Getty Images 2000 Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria hangs onto a handrail Getty Images 2001 The worlds first space tourist Dennis Tito poses with the International Space Station crew shortly after his arrival to the station April 30, 2001 Getty Images 2001 CSA astronaut Chris A. Hadfield stands on a Canadian-built robot arm to work with another robot arm Getty Images 2001 The space shuttle Discovery lifts-off launch pad 39-B at sunrise 08 March 2001, at the Kennedy Space Center AFP/Getty Images 2001 US space shuttle Atlantis crewmembers from Baltimore, Maryland (L-R) Mission Specialist Robert Curbeam and Mission Specialist Tom Jones, board the Astro Van at Kennedy Space Center, Florida 07 February 2001 AFP/Getty Images 2004 This artist's concept shows the International Space Station when its assembly sequence is completed in 2004 Getty Images 2005 Astronaut Stephen K. Robinson anchored to a foot restraint on the International Space Station Reuters 2006 European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter gives the thumbs-up from aboard the Destiny module of the International Space Station Reuters 2007 Two astronauts floated out of the International Space Station on November 3 on a risky spacewalk for what could be a make-or-break repair for completion of the $100 billion space outpost Reuters 2008 Astronaut Rex Walheim translates along the outside of the Columbus laboratory AP US space shuttle Endeavour crewmembers (L-R) US Mission Specialist Nancy Currie, US Commander Bob Cabana and US Pilot Rick Sturckow AFP/Getty Images US space shuttle Endeavour crewmembers Jim Newman (L) and Jerry Ross (R) work on a section between the US Unity connecting module (foreground) and the Russian Zarya control module (background) AFP/Getty Images The US space shuttle Endeavor's robot arm (R) holds the Russian Zarya control module (top) a few feet from the US Unity connecting module (bottom) prior to bringing the two together for the initial stage of the International Space Station AFP/Getty Images The US space shuttle Endeavour lights up the surrounding area as it streaks into space from launch pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center AFP/Getty Images Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev, a Russian cosmonaut, is assisted with his ascent and re-entry flight suit Getty Images US space shuttle Endeavour crewmember Jim Newman grabs a hold of the US Unity connecting module as he works removing covers and connecting cables AFP/Getty Images The Space Shuttle Endeavour lights up the night sky as it embarks on the first U.S. mission dedicated to the assembly of the International Space Station Getty Images The crew of the space shuttle Endeavour walk out of the Operations and Checkout Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida AFP/Getty Images The space shuttle Endeavour sits on launch pad 39-A after the lift-off was scrubbed with nineteen seconds left in the count AFP/Getty Images The Space Shuttle Endeavour lights up the night sky as it embarks on the first U.S. mission dedicated to the assembly of the International Space Station Getty Images Backdropped by Earth, the International Space Station is seen in an image taken by a crew member onboard the space shuttle Endeavour Reuters 2010 The space shuttle Endeavour is seen in this view from the International Space Station Reuters 2010 The International Space Station photographed soon after the space shuttle Atlantis and the station began their post-undocking separation EPA 2011 The International Space Station and the Docked Space Shuttle Endeavour NASA 2011 The Space Shuttle Endeavour is seen with the International Space Station in the foreground Reuters 2012 Nighttime view from the International Space Station shows the Atlantic coast of the United States Reuters 2017 Nasa's stunning images of eclipse from International Space Station by astronaut Paolo Nespoli 2018 The crew of Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft took these images of the International Space Station in October 2018 Roscosmos/NASA 2018 The crew of Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft took these images of the International Space Station in October 2018 Roscosmos/NASA 2018 The crew of Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft took these images of the International Space Station in October 2018 Roscosmos/NASA 2018 "Captured Cygnus today with @Astro_AlexProud to have The SS John Young on-board!" tweeted astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor AFP/Getty Images 2018 Hurricane Florence gains strength in the Atlantic Ocean as it moves west, seen from the International Space Station Getty Images 2018 Russian Soyuz MS-09 crew craft, left, and the Northrop Grumman (formerly Orbital ATK) Cygnus space freighter are attached to the International Space Station AP British astronaut Major Tim Peake was the first official British astronaut at the International Space Station in 2015 NASA 2019 Hurricane Dorian passing near the Dominican Republic from the International Space Station AFP/Getty Images 2019 Smoke from the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County, northern California NASA/AFP via Getty Images 2019 Astronaut Christina Koch during her spacewalk outside the International Space Station NASA TV/AFP via Getty Images 2019 A large volcanic ash and gas plume is seen from the International Space Station rising above the Kuril Islands in the North Pacific Ocean after an unexpected series of blasts from the Raikoke Volcano erupts Reuters We can tell you that the Earth still looks just as stunning as always from up here, so its difficult to believe all the changes that have taken place since both of us have been up here. Ms Meir, who has become the 15th woman to venture out of the ISS and into space, said it will be difficult not being able to hug family and friends, after seven months off the planet. She anticipated feeling even more isolated on Earth than in space. Were so busy with so many other amazing pursuits and we have this incredible vantage point of the Earth below, that we dont really feel as much of that isolation, she said. The "European IoT Energy Market 2019-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. European IoT Energy Market Size, Share Trends Analysis by Solution Type (Asset Maintenance, Connected Logistics, Monitoring and Management, IoT Analytics, and Others), By End-User (Oil Gas, Mining, Wind, Solar, and Others), and Forecast 2019-2025 European IoT energy market is expected to witness a significant during the forecast period. IoT has enabled the concept of smartness in every from the grid to the city. The insight derived from data collected from connected devices can enhance productivity and efficiency as well as they can improve real-time decision making. It can also be used to develop new services, solve critical problems and create innovative experiences. Various numbers of advances in M2M/ IoT technology has been a part of energy sector such as initiated energy-efficient innovations driven by Big Data analytics as well as M2M/ IoT Application Platforms. Smart meters based on the energy-saving IoT played are widely used globally. Additionally, IoT based M2M solutions enable interaction, resource sharing and interoperability between different domains. IoT technology addresses focuses on energy grids and smart Grids and its key issues such as failure in distribution network, grid security, line losses, and overloading. Depletion of energy resources day by day, global focus has been shifting in order to conserve energy and green energy usage with the deployment of IoT solutions. These applications enable power utilities to control assets from a random geographical location at any time. Additionally, IoT technology offers sophisticated solutions for renewable energy sector and its key issues such as renewable energy installations, fault management, plant monitoring, and performance monitoring. European IoT energy market is segmented on the basis of solution type and end-user. Based on the solution type, the market is segmented into asset maintenance, connected logistics, monitoring and management, iot analytics, and others. Based on the end-user, the market is segmented into oil gas, mining, wind, solar, and others. Some of the major players operating in the European IoT energy market include IBM Corp., Intel Corp., Gemalto NV, HCL Technologies and others. These players adopt various organic and inorganic growth strategies such as merger and acquisition and product launch to strengthen their presence in European market. The report covers: A comprehensive research methodology of European IoT Energy market. 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 European IoT Energy market. Insights about market determinants which are stimulating European IoT Energy 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 Tools 1.2. Market Breakdown 1.2.1. By Segments 1.2.2. By Geography 2. Market Overview and Insights 2.1. Scope of the Report 2.2. Analyst Insights 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 4. Market Determinants 4.1. Motivators 4.2. Restraints 4.3. Opportunities 5. Market Segmentation 5.1. European IoT Energy Market by Solution Type 5.1.1. Asset Maintenance 5.1.2. Connected Logistics 5.1.3. Monitoring Management 5.1.4. IoT Analytics 5.1.5. Others 5.2. European IoT Energy Market by End-User 5.2.1. Oil Gas 5.2.2. Mining 5.2.3. Wind 5.2.4. Solar 5.2.5. Others 6. Regional Analysis 6.1. Europe 6.1.1. UK 6.1.2. Germany 6.1.3. Italy 6.1.4. Spain 6.1.5. France 6.1.6. Rest of Europe 7. Company Profiles 7.1. AGT International 7.2. IBM Corp. 7.3. Cisco Systems, Inc. 7.4. Intel Corp. 7.5. Actility S.A. 7.6. Altair Engineering, Inc. 7.7. Capgemini Services SAS 7.8. Gemalto N.V. 7.9. Gemino s.r.l. 7.10. HCL Technologies, Ltd. 7.11. Meazon For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xlejn6 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005407/en/ Contacts: 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 Some countries seem to be weathering the coronavirus pandemic better than others. One country that moved rapidly to deal with the emerging threat was Cuba. Cuba has several advantages over many states, including free universal healthcare, the worlds highest ratio of doctors to population, and positive health indicators, such as high life expectancy and low infant mortality. Many of its doctors have volunteered around the world, building up and supporting other countries health systems while gaining experience in emergencies. A highly educated population and advanced medical research industry, including three laboratories equipped and staffed to run virus tests, are further strengths. Also, with a centrally planned, state-controlled economy, Cubas government can mobilise resources quickly. Its national emergency planning structure is connected with local organisations in every corner of the country. The disaster-preparedness system, with mandatory evacuations for vulnerable people such as the disabled and pregnant women, has previously resulted in a remarkably low loss of life from hurricanes. However, COVID-19 presents differences. Cubas lack of resources, which hampers recovery from disasters, also contributes to a housing shortage that makes physical distancing difficult. And the islands poor infrastructure creates logistical challenges. Also, the pandemic comes at a particularly difficult time, as tightened US sanctions have sharply cut earnings from tourism and other services, deterred foreign investment, hampered trade (including medical equipment imports) and obstructed access to international finance including emergency funds. Given these strengths and weaknesses, Cuba provides an interesting case study in responding to the current pandemic. Cubas reaction to the coronavirus threat was swift. A prevention and control plan, prepared in January 2020, included training medical staff, preparing medical and quarantine facilities, and informing the public (including tourism workers) about symptoms and precautions. So, when the first three reported cases were confirmed on March 11, arrangements were in place to trace and isolate contacts, mobilise medical students for nationwide door-to-door surveys to identify vulnerable people and check for symptoms, and roll out a testing programme. On March 20, with 21 confirmed cases reported, the government announced a ban on tourist arrivals, lockdown for vulnerable people, provision for home working, reassignment of workers to priority tasks, employment protection and social assistance. As issues arose, the Cuban government adjusted its response. For example, when face-masks and physical distancing proved insufficient to keep public transport safe, services were suspended and state and private vehicles and drivers were hired to transport patients and essential workers. And to reduce crowding in shops, the distribution system was reorganised and online shopping introduced. Physical distancing enforcement has also been stepped up in response to instances of non-compliance. With 766 reported cases by April 15 (68 cases per million of population), Cuba is around the middle of the range for Latin America and the Caribbean. World Health Organization The quality of data varies hugely between countries, with some governments substantially under-reporting cases. Cubas reported cases are based on tests using WHO protocols. Two Caribbean neighbours, using similar methods, provide useful comparisons. The Dominican Republic, the most closely comparable in terms of population, income and tourism dependence, shows how the disease might have spread if measures had been less effective. In contrast, Jamaica seems to have succeeded in halting the spread of the disease. World Health Organization Jamaicas initial response was similar to Cubas, but fewer cases had slipped into the country undetected before tourism was halted. Having identified 16 outbreak clusters now, Cuban authorities are still struggling to prevent a take-off. What happens next in Cuba will depend largely on the amount of testing. An indicator of commitment to this task is the ratio of tests to reported cases. According to available data, Cuba (with 18,825 tests done) leads the region with a ratio of 25:1, compared with 16:1 in Jamaica and 3:1 in the Dominican Republic. (Vietnam and Taiwan have over 100:1, Germany 10:1, US 5:1 and UK 4:1.) Around 40% of Cubas recent positive results are from asymptomatic cases. If Cubas contact-tracing and testing regime gets the disease under control, its experience might offer lessons for controlling the pandemic, and more of its doctors will be available to help with the effort to combat the pandemic abroad. But tests are expensive, at around US$50 each, so if its hard-fought battle against COVID-19 is prolonged, Cubas lack of access to finance could prove fatal. Emily Morris, Research Associate, Institute of the Americas, UCL and Ilan Kelman, Professor of Disasters and Health, UCL 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. The conversation DECATUR Macon County Board members will meet again next week to determine how to address a revenue deficit brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. One solution being considered is furloughs of staff members. Without a question we are going to experience a shortfall like we have never seen before, said Chairman Kevin Greenfield, R-Decatur. We are already $800,000 in the red. On Thursday evening, board members considered furloughs during a Finance Committee meeting and full County Board meeting, with officials calling in to participate. After two hours of debate, they decided to meet Monday to continue the discussion and answer questions about benefits, specific county departments and several others. The two- to six-month periods without pay are meant to help offset a loss in revenue for the county, which officials have credited to a decrease in sales tax due to the coronavirus pandemic, Greenfield said. Counties typically rely on sales and property taxes for revenue, both of which are likely to experience steep declines as non-essential businesses shut down during the pandemic and consumers spent far less than before. Additionally, government entities have waived fees and had delays in payments, as well as unanticipated costs. Greenfield said the $800,000 deficit carried over from the prior fiscal year. At that point we thought we would be able to achieve a balanced budget, he said, speaking after the meeting. We could not predict this pandemic. Board member Laura Zimmerman, D-Decatur, after the meeting she does not believe furloughs are the first answer to the countys budgetary issues. Sales tax makes up about 10-15% of our total revenue, said Zimmerman, who is also party chair of the Macon County Democrats. I think the major question is do we need to do these furloughs right now at all or is this something we can look at later. Greenfield earlier Thursday declared a disaster proclamation for Macon County. Assistant States Attorney Mike Baggett said the proclamation is limited to seven days and the board has to extend the declaration of emergency. Board members will meet next week to discuss an extension of the proclamation. Under the plan being considered, employees of departments that operate using the countys General Fund will be asked to take the furlough. Among those employees are some sheriffs deputies, but Greenfield said that public safety has and will continue to be the main priority. Additional departments affected by the decision include those who work in the county building and at the courthouse, Greenfield said. Zimmerman said board members did not receive a list of departments or other information regarding furloughs. They did receive a spreadsheet with information about current year tax revenues. Board Member Patricia Dawson, a Democrat from Decatur, said she wanted more information before making a decision. Counties across the U.S. are experiencing similar issues. Some employees of Hamilton County in Cincinnati will be notified of furloughs that will also begin next week. The county is facing a $40-$60 million deficit due to revenue loss during the pandemic. In Florida, where several counties depend on travel expenses for income, Monroe County commissioners voted to furlough 61 employees for 16 weeks, which would save the county over $700,000. The National Association of Counties is calling on the federal government to provide more assistance to counties through the Interim Emergency COVID-19 Relief Act, as the formula for funding would have allocated more money to major cities and the state government. Greenfield said he recently spoke with state Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, and U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, who advised that they were not aware of any federal funds coming to the county anytime soon. "This will be a terrible hardship on the county and not just Macon County," Greenfield said. "... Every county in Illinois and every county in the United States." The county has a total of 46 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, 33 of which are associated with Fair Havens Living Center in Decatur. Six patients have died, all residents of the facility, 1790 S. Fairview Ave. Officials confirmed the sixth death Thursday morning, a woman in her 90s. An earlier version of this story said a list of the departments that would receive furloughs has been released. The list has not yet been released. Who do you recognize in these 22 Decatur-area photos from the Herald & Review archives Contact Analisa Trofimuk at (217) 421-7985. Follow her on Twitter: @AnalisaTro Facebook Inc. added warnings to 40 million pieces of misinformation about the coronavirus on its main social network in March, part of an effort to stem the spread of bad advice and misleading articles. Hundreds of thousands of posts Facebook deemed harmful were removed entirely, according to a blog post by Guy Rosen, the companys vice president for integrity. In the next few weeks, users who liked, commented or reacted to misleading posts that were later taken down will be shown messages in their news feeds linking to factual information about Covid-19, the company said. In March, Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said stopping the spread of dangerous claims, like one saying that drinking bleach could cure coronavirus, would be a top priority, even as thousands of the companys content moderators have been unable to do their jobs from home. Full-time employees have been assisting in the effort in the meantime. Facebook appended the warning labels on posts after 4,000 news stories were fact-checked by third-party reviewers. The company added eight new fact reviewers as partners since March, including Reuters in the U.K. and MyGoPen in Taiwan, Bloomberg reported. Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. Start your free trial. What to do about China? For some years now, presidents and other leaders in Europe and Asia have grappled with the dilemmas of adapting to Chinas role as a major economic power while also containing or thwarting its maneuvers for domination. The COVID-19 pandemic has sharpened this tension. Finding a way to deal with China is now an urgent puzzle, a matter of literally life and death. Advertisement On the one hand, China bears some responsibility for the current crisis. The outbreak began in China; it might have remained localized had President Xi Jinpings government not covered it up for several days; in the three months since, he has further falsified data and turned the crisis into a propaganda tool, pinning a U.S. soldier as the source of the virus. These are all cause for condemnation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the other hand, China is the worlds leading source of medical supplies needed to control the virus, including surgical masks. If a vaccine is ever developed, China will be a vital player in its production, distribution, and perhaps its invention. So it would be imprudent to condemn Chinas mendacity too loudly. Advertisement In the past two decades, much of the world, very much including the United States, has become deeply dependent on China for a vast swath of products and technologies. One positive side effect of the pandemic is that a growing number of business executives and political leaders are focused on the consequences of this dependence. In a recent industrial survey, more than half of U.S. manufacturers have said they are at least planning to make changes to their supply chains as a result of the coronavirus. But our dependence is too deep and complex to be quickly or cheaply unknotted. David Livingston, an analyst at the Eurasia Group, notes in an email that while China is not a rich source of raw materials or finished products, it is a behemoth in the middle of supply chains. It is in fact the worlds largest exporter of intermediary goods, providing one-third of the intermediate goods that help turn raw materials into finished products. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a recent report by the McKinsey Global Institute, China supplies the critical components in 70 to 85 percent of the worlds solar panels, 75 to 90 percent of high-speed rail systems, 60 to 80 percent of agricultural machinery, and 40 to 50 percent of cargo ships. COVID-19 has drawn attention to this grip on the middle of supply chains for health and medical productsa grip thats tighter than commonly realized. As Bradley Thayer and Lianchao Han note in the National Interest, China produces key ingredients to medicines in almost every area, including drugs for Alzheimers, epilepsy, antidepressants, HIV/AIDS, and cancer treatments, as well as statins, birth-control pills, antacids, and vitamins. If China stopped exporting these ingredients, they write, Americasand the worldshospitals would be in free fall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fear of a total cutoff is a bit alarmist: China needs foreign markets almost as much as the foreign markets need China. But Xi could brandish his dominance as leverage or intimidation in some future power clash. Or the supply chain could falter due to no ones design. This may already be happening. The pandemic has forced the shutdown of some of the Chinese factories that make the pharmaceutical ingredients. As a result, the Food and Drug Administration fears, the U.S. may soon face shortages of 150 prescription drugs, some of which have no generic substitutes. Advertisement Advertisement In the past few years, even before COVID-19, higher Chinese labor costs, and then President Donald Trumps tariffs, have compelled some companies to seek alternative sources of supplies in Vietnam, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico, and elsewhere. But the shift has been modest; in some markets, including health and medical supplies, its been all but nonexistent. The pandemic will shift things furtherbut not by much, certainly not for as long as the virus is still spreading. In other words, we are stuck in this relationship with China for some time to come. Advertisement So, to return to the question at the top of this piece, what to do about China? Its easier to list some things not to do. Topping that list would be needling China in a way that has no purpose whatsoever. Unfortunately, the Trump administration has done precisely that. At a summit of the G-7 nations in late March, the delegates failed to agree on a common statement about the pandemic because Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, at Trumps behest, insisted on calling it the Wuhan virus, named after the Chinese city where it originated. This was stupid along so many dimensions. (Even Trump has since dropped the schoolyard taunts and reverted to calling the virus by its proper namethough perhaps not for long.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps approach to China is wrong because he completely misreads the nature of Xis regime. In a paper published this week, Elizabeth Economy, director for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, describes the relationship between Trump and Xi as The Hydra vs. the Headless Horseman. She writes: Chinas Communist Party is like the mythological hydra of ancient Greecea multi-headed, serpentine beast that can approach its prey from multiple directions, feinting and distracting before eventually attacking. President Trump, whose nightly briefings are destined to become late night horror-comedy classics, is like the headless horsemana malevolent ghost riding without his head, carrying a jack-o-lantern in its stead. Only when the American people get their horseman a new head, and the Chinese people find their inner Hercules and kill off all the hydras heads, will either country have an opportunity to lead. So, yes, we need to diversify our supply chains, we need a more clever, alliance-driven style of diplomacy, and we need a new president. Meanwhile, were all trapped together in the throes of a pandemic. Its worth noting that, in 1966, during a particularly frosty phase of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union still managed to work together to eradicate smallpox. Similarly, for all the tensions today between the United States and China, we have common interests as well, and the snuffing out of COVID-19 is chief among them. In a 2015 speech, Bill Gates warned that the greatest risk to humanity was not nuclear war but an infectious virus that could threaten the lives of millions of people. That speech has resurfaced in recent weeks with 25 million new views on YouTube but not in the way that Mr. Gates probably intended. Anti-vaccinators, members of the conspiracy group QAnon and right-wing pundits have instead seized on the video as evidence that one of the worlds richest men planned to use a pandemic to wrest control of the global health system. Mr. Gates, 64, the Microsoft co-founder turned philanthropist, has now become the star of an explosion of conspiracy theories about the coronavirus outbreak. In posts on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, he is being falsely portrayed as the creator of Covid-19, as a profiteer from a virus vaccine, and as part of a dastardly plot to use the illness to cull or surveil the global population. Poco X2 | 64 MP, f/1.9 + 8 MP, f/2.2 (Ultrawide) + 2 MP, f/2.4 (Macro) + 2 MP, f/2.4 (Depth) | 20 MP, f/2.2 + 2 MP, f/2.4 (Depth) | The Poco X2 is our pick for the smartphone with the best set of cameras, both on the front and back. The Poco X2's 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 sensor is one of the main reasons for its triumph. The dynamic range is fairly good with shadows, retaining a lot of details. The natural-looking colour processing is a big plus and output is excellent in bright light. The ultrawide lens on this camera does a superb job at distortion correction and is one of the best of any smartphone on our list. Portrait mode and selfies come out good due to the dedicated depth sensors on the front and back of the phone. The Poco X2 also captures crisp-looking footage with decent electronic video stabilisation. Realme 6 Pro | 64 MP, f/1.8 + 8 MP, f/2.3 (Ultrawide) + 12 MP, f/2.5 (Telephoto) + 2 MP, f/2.4 (Macro) | 16 MP, f/2.1 + 8 MP, f/2.2 (Ultrawide) | While the Realme 6 Pro has the same number of cameras as the Poco X2, Realme has a telephoto (On the back) and an ultrawide (On the front) sensor as opposed to two depth sensors on the Poco X2. The Realme 6 Pro has a more complete camera setup than any smartphone on our list. The main camera is tuned to boost sharpness with decent amounts of detail. Dynamic range is not too shabby, while HDR works quite well. However, white balance is off when switching between ultrawide and telephoto camera modes. In terms of selfies, this is the only phone to offer a second ultrawide selfie shooter, which lacks details as compared to the primary selfie camera, but results are great in bright outdoor light. The Realme 6 Pro offers the most versatile front camera setup on our list. Samsung Galaxy M31| 64 MP, f/1.8 + 8 MP, f/2.2 (Ultrawide) + 5 MP, f/2.4 (Macro) + 5 MP, f/2.2 (Depth) | 32 MP, f/2.0 | Samsung does a fairly good job of keeping up with mid-rangers from Realme and Xiaomi with the Galaxy M series. The Galaxy M31 has the best camera setup of any Samsung phone at this price range and can easily go head-to-head with any smartphone on our list. The 64-megapixel primary sensor delivers excellent image quality in daylight with good colour accuracy, dynamic range, and detail. The ultrawide camera is capable of delivering decent results in the right light. Low light photos are good on the main sensor but start to deteriorate when you switch to the ultrawide camera. The Galaxy M31 is the only smartphone on our list that can capture 4K video on the front camera as well. Selfie performance on the front camera is pretty decent but do tend to suffer in low-light. Realme X2 | 64 MP, f/1.8 + 8 MP, f/2.3 (Ultrawide) + 2 MP, f/2.4 (Macro) + 2 MP, f/2.4 (Depth) | 32 MP, f/2.0 | Realme continue their domination on this list of best cameras on smartphones with the Realme X2. The phone offers very reliable camera performance and delivers excellent social media-ready photos. With the right light, pictures on the primary camera have vibrant colours, high dynamic range and punchy contrast. There is a fair bit of colour parity between the primary and ultrawide shooter. However, contrast and colour temperature can take a beating in certain lighting conditions. Still, this is one of the better ultrawide cameras on our list. The selfie shooter on the Realme X2 also delivers decent results. Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max | 64 MP, f/1.9 + 8 MP, f/2.2 (Ultrawide) + 5 MP, f/2.4 (Macro) + 2 MP, f/2.4 (Depth) | 32 MP | The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max has a pretty versatile camera setup for its price. You get the same 64-megapixel Samsung sensor that is prevalent on most phones on our list. In bright light, this camera should be capable of delivering rather good results. But we are not too confident about consistency between the main and ultrawide shooters. The 32-megapixel camera on the front will also be able to hold its own against other devices on our list. However, we are not too confident in the phone's low light capability. Xiaomi Redmi K20 | 48 MP, f/1.8 + 8 MP, f/2.4 (Telephoto) + 13 MP, f/2.4 (Ultrawide) | 20 MP, f/2.2 | Xiaomi's Redmi K20 has arguably the best camera setups on a smartphone under 20,000 rupees. The Redmi K20 has the same camera setup (With a different primary sensor) as its Pro counterpart and is one of the few phones under 20,000 to offer a telephoto shooter. Image quality on the Redmi K20 is quite impressive with decent dynamic range and noise reduction. The phone also does a great job with portrait shots. The wide-angle and telephoto cameras deliver good results, but there is a lack of consistency across all three sensors. However, low-light photos and selfies leave a lot to be desired. Nokia 7.2 | 48 MP, f/1.8 + 8 MP, f/2.2 (Ultrawide) + 5 MP, f/2.4 (Depth) | 20 MP, f/2.0 | The Nokia 7.2 might not be capable of ditching out comparable performance as the other phones on this list but in terms of camera capability, isn't far behind the competition. Colours look nice and natural, while vibrant subjects tend to stand out on that 48-megapixel sensor. The dedicated night mode helps with low light, delivering decent results. Portrait mode is not the best but still pretty good with Nokia offering a few Zeiss branded effects. However, colours and details suffer on the ultrawide, while results in low light are also sub-par. Details in videos are nice and sharp, but there is a complete lack of stabilization. The selfie camera on the Nokia 7.2 is also quite capable. 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. New Delhi, April 17 : Even 24 hours after Delhi BJP issued a helpline number for the poor and the needy of the city under the 'Feed the Needy' programme, people on Friday complained that the number provided is continuously 'switched off since Thursday. However, BJP later clarified that there was an error in the initial statement, which was later corrected that the people don't need to make call on the helpline number but only need to send their address, name and mobile number to receive the help from the party. After IANS highlighted the matter, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari in a tweet clarified that the party has issued an SMS helpline number. In the tweet, Tiwari said, "An SMS helpline number has been issued for the needy. People need to send their name, address and mobile number for receiving help from the BJP. Few people are making calls on this number, thus we request all to send SMS only." Neelkant Bakshi, head of media relations of Delhi BJP, told IANS that people need to send their requests on the SMS helpline number between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and ration will be delivered to them on the same day or the next day. According to party sources, the Delhi BJP started the helpline on pilot trial basis a few days ago. "It was noticed that people from Gujarat, Bihar and other states were making calls for help. But it was not possible for the Delhi BJP team to deliver ration in other states, so it was decided that instead of a call helpline number, it should be converted into an SMS helpline number dedicated to the national capital," the source added. The Delhi BJP in a statement on Thursday said that with the aim that no needy or poor families should be deprived of food during the lockdown, food and ration will be provided to millions of people daily by BJP workers under the 'Feed the Needy' programme under the leadership of Tiwari. It said that a helpline number -- 9625799844 -- has been issued by Delhi BJP, where needy people can inform about the problems of food through call or message. However, hours later the party sent a corrected statement asking people to only send messages on the number. 'Feed the Needy' programme convenor and Delhi BJP General Secretary Kuljeet Singh Chahal said that in this hour of crisis, every party worker is providing necessary assistance to the last person of the society while discharging his duties. However, when IANS tried to contact the helpline, it was found to be switched off. Even the SMS dropped on the helpline number remained unanswered. Meanwhile, Delhi BJP workers in several parts of the city have been providing food and ration to the needy and the poor. Besides Tiwari, BJP leaders Tajinder Bagga, Virender Sachdeva, Praveen Shankar Kapoor and several others have been providing food to people in different parts of the city. On Friday the total number of Covid-19 patients in India rose to 13,387 with 437 people losing their lives to the dreaded virus across the country. In Delhi, 1,640 people have been affected while 38 people have succumbed to the virus. Paris, Friday 17 April 2020, 8.00 am CET BNP Paribas REIM France, on behalf of its managed fund Accimmo Pierre, has acquired the Influence 2.0 office building delivered by Nexity in late 2019 and developing 25,000 sq.m. This iconic building is located within Les Docks de Saint-Ouen, at the foot of line 13 and very soon line 14 of the Paris subway, and hosts the headquarters of the Conseil Regional dIle-de-France (the regional authority for the Greater Paris area), already renting the adjacent building Influence 1.0 since 2018. Sigrid Duhamel, CEO of BNP Paribas REIM France, said: Gateway for the eco district Les Docks de Saint-Ouen, Influence 2.0 is an emblematic and high-quality building offering large floor space of more than 2,900 sq.m each. We are proud of this acquisition, particularly secured in the current context, with a prestigious and sustainable tenant and its location in a neighbourhood undergoing considerable change benefitting from a double subway service with lines 13 and 14. Veronique Bedague, Chairwoman and CEO of Nexity Immobilier dentreprise added: We are very proud to have been able to carry out this project in the current context of global economic slowdown. It shows the recognition of the quality of the building designed by Jacques Ferrier Architectures and occupied by the Conseil Regional dIle-de-France in Saint-Ouen, and validating the attractiveness of this territory at the eastern edge of Paris. Its also showing the trust of BNP Paribas REIM in our know-how, by acquiring a sustainable building entailing stringent environmental performance (HQE Excellent, BREEAM Very Good, RT 2012 -40%) . Nexity was advised by Nexity Conseil et Transaction and lEtude Chevreux. BNP Paribas REIM was advised by lEtude Thiberge, Allen et Overy and Etyo About BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management BNP Paribas REIM, a business line of BNP Paribas Real Estate, provides a wide range of real estate funds and investment solutions for international investors across all assets classes and all countries in Europe. With a local presence in eight countries (France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg), BNP Paribas REIM employs more than 350 professionals who provide solutions to over 100,000 clients, both institutional and private investors. At the end of 2019, BNP Paribas REIM managed 30.1bn of assets in Europe. Story continues BNP Paribas REIM is the business line dedicated to Investment Management within BNP Paribas Real Estate consisting of various legal entities: France: BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management (SA); Italy: BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management Italy (SGR); Germany: BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management Germany (GmbH); UK: BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management UK (Limited); Luxembourg: BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management Luxembourg S.A. The respective legal entities responsible for offering clients products or services are named in the respective product documentation, contracts and information material. Press contacts: Nicolas OBRIST Tel: +33 (0)1 55 65 21 15 Mobile: +33 (0)6 77 21 27 55 nicolas.obrist@realestate.bnpparibas Amira TAHIROVIC Tel: +33 (0)1 55 65 22 08 Mobile: +33 (0)6 37 78 12 17 - amira.tahirovic@realestate.bnpparibas Charlotte REMOND charlotte.remond@realestate.bnpparibas AT NEXITY, WE AIM TO SERVE ALL OUR CLIENTS AS THEIR REAL ESTATE NEEDS EVOLVE Nexity offers the widest range of advice and expertise, products, services and solutions for individuals, companies and local authorities, so as to best meet the needs of our clients and respond to their concerns. Our business lines real estate brokerage, management, design, development, planning, advisory and related services are now optimally organised to serve and support our clients. As the benchmark operator in our sector, we are resolutely committed to all our clients, as well as to the environment and society as a whole. Nexity is listed on the SRD and on Euronexts Compartment A Nexity is included in the following indices: SBF 80, SBF 120, CAC Mid 60, CAC Mid & Small and CAC All Tradable Ticker symbol: NXI Reuters: NXI.PA Bloomberg: NXI:FP ISIN code: FR0010112524 ______ CONTACT Domitille Vielle Head of Investor Relations / +33 (0)1 85 55 19 34 investorrelations@nexity.fr Geraldine Bop Deputy Head of Investor Relations / +33 (0)1 85 55 18 43 investorrelations@nexity.fr Attachment I saw Apple co-founder Steve Jobs work his keynote-address magic in person only twice, but they were milestone presentations: the launches of the MacBook Air and the original iPad. Yep, I was in the audience when Jobs famously pulled the first Air out of an interoffice manila envelope, and when he talked about the iPad creating a new category of middle device between a laptop and the iPhone. Back then, it was pretty clear that the iPad and the MacBook Air were very different machines, each claiming its own niche in the computing universe. No longer. Last month, Apple released new versions of the MacBook Air and the iPad Pro, the professional iteration of its consumer tablet. With an update to the ipadOS operating system, the iPad now works with trackpads. With the speed and muscle in the new iPad Pro - along with the right accessories - the tablet now becomes a laptop. HERE COMES THE FUTURE: How our use of tech is changing us in the pandemic And for someone who now needs to replace their portable Mac, or is thinking of switching to an Apple notebook, the choice is no longer simple. Heres a dual review of both, with an eye toward picking one as your next portable computer. 2020 MacBook Air When the MacBook Air launched in 2008, it was impressively slim and light, but its svelte design came with significant compromises. It was underpowered and lacked many of the ports and features found in other portables of the day no CD or DVD drive and was overpriced, clocking in at close to $2,000. Apple refined the Air over time, lowered its price and computing trends caught up with it - many ultrathin PCs copied its design. But one of the refinements Apple made was not a positive one. The Air, along with all of Apples notebooks, was given in 2018 a new keyboard design that had reliability issues when even small specks of grit got under the keys. Rather than using a mechanism that looks like a pair of scissors, which is how earlier Apple keyboards worked, each keys internals resembled a butterfly. This design also meant the key didnt travel as far when you tapped it, a feel that many longtime Mac users abhored. So the biggest news for the 2020 iteration of the MacBook Air is something that walks it backwards. Apple has reverted the keyboard to a scissors-style mechanism, calling it the Magic Keyboard, and for those who have avoided the Air because of the butterfly variation, its a godsend. (The Air is the second Mac notebook to get the Magic Keyboard, the first being the 16-inch, 2019 MacBook Pro.) REVIEW: At $250, are Apple's AirPods Pro worth it? Typing on it is not quite as satisfying as the original scissors keyboard I have on my 2014 MacBook Pro, but its noticeably more comfortable than the unyielding butterfly. And it should, in theory, have fewer problems with grit in its works. With the demise of the simply named MacBook, the Air once again becomes Apples thinnest and lightest laptop, weighing in at 2.8 pounds and only 0.63 inches at its thickest. It comes in space gray, silver or gold. It remains one of the slimmest and most backpack-friendly notebooks you can buy. And this is not an underpowered Air at all. It uses Intels latest Icy Lake processors. The Core i3 chip is available in the lowest-priced version, which sells for $999. If your primary use of a laptop is email, social media, a web browser, light photo editing and streaming video, its more than adequate. But if you need to do anything more challenging, look at the Core i5 version ($1,299) or upgrade either to the Core i7, which adds between $150 and $250 to the price. Battery life is excellent - using the Air as my primary notebook, I never had to charge it during the day, even with multiple Zoom video conferences and lots of time accessing the web. Be design, the Air is stingy on ports, with only two USB-C Thunderbolt connections on the right side and an old-school headphone jack on the left. One surprising feature: For a notebook this thin, it has remarkably good sound. Yeah, it wont be mistaken for my Klipsch desktop computer speakers, but music is very clear with respectable bass. Ill probably need to replace my 2014 Pro in about two years, when Apple will likely quit supporting this model for updates to the operating system. If the evolution of the Air continues on this path, its the machine Ill buy, rather than springing for the more-expensive MacBook Pro. 2020 iPad Pro Apple has touted the pro version of its iPad as a laptop alternative since its initial release in 2015, but for me, its a hard sell. Sure, there are great keyboard cases that make typing on an iPad a breeze, but to manipulate text and other objects on the display, you still have to reach up and touch the screen. Thats uncomfortable. Release Notes: Get Dwight Silvermans weekly tech newsletter in your inbox Apple has resisted making its laptops displays touch-enabled, with its executives saying that touching an upright screen is ergonomically incorrect. Strangely enough, that argument falls away when those same honchos talk about using the iPad for laptop-like tasks. Apple released an update to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro at the same time it launched the new MacBook Air. When I requested an Air to review, Apple threw in the iPro Pro as well. At first I was all, "Yeah, OK, sure, why not?" That was before I paired the company's Magic Trackpad 2 to it. The latest version of the tablets operating system, ipadOS 13.4, builds in support for trackpads and mice. Forgive my use of a cliche, but this is a game-changer. As with any cursor on a computer, it morphs depending on the context. But Apple's shape-shifting version, manipulated by a trackpad, contorts more usefully. Just an example: Move it to the area on the upper right of the screen where you'd swipe down to show the Control Center, and the cursor changes shape to highlight the "hot" area. It's much more intuitive than using your finger. Suddenly, using productivity apps on an iPad is a joy. Id love to see this approach to cursors come to the macOS. Its that good. The 2020 iPad Pro has an updated A12Z processor that promises to improve graphics performance. This new iPad Pro also has a new feature called a lidar camera, which sends out a grid of laser light that bounces back to determine distance. Its a feature used in augmented reality apps, and on an iPad Pro, it would be useful to architects, interior designers or anyone who has imagine what might go into a space. Its also expected to show up in this years pro-level iPhones. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $999, which is the starting price for the MacBook Air. Add a Magic Trackpad 2, which starts at $129, and Apples Smart Keyboard Folio for $199, and then the price for a laptop equivalent jumps to more than $1,300. Or, wait until later for the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, a keyboard case with a built-in trackpad, for $349. You can buy third-party alternatives for the keyboard and trackpad that will hold the price down. But its still a pricey proposition, even if you are getting both a tablet and a laptop equivalent in one. While I still think a traditional laptop like the MacBook Air is a better choice for most people who need a full-fledged portable computer, the iPad Pro with the latest ipadOS update, a decent keyboard case and a trackpad, is a versatile contender, albeit an expensive one. dwight.silverman@chron.com twitter.com/dsilverman houstonchronicle.com/techburger Bay of Plenty We are looking for a storeman with an OSH forklift license. You will need to be physically for as the job is about 70% forklift... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz For more than a decade, Boko Haram fighters have terrorised civilians and exchanged fire with soldiers around Lake Chad, where the borders of Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad meet. They have killed an estimated 30,000 people and displaced two and a half million. This week marks six years since the infamous kidnap of nearly three hundred schoolgirls from the town of Chibok that propelled the group to international notoriety. And now, a mere month after the conclusion of a multinational operation against the militants, and as west African governments mobilise their military forces in response to Covid-19, Boko Haram has launched unprecedentedly ambitious and effective offensives on military targets. In separate attacks across two countries on the same day in March, using looted rocket-propelled weaponry, trucks and speedboats, Boko Haram inflicted military casualties on a scale never before conceded by Nigeria and Chad. With the death of nearly 100 soldiers, Chad suffered the worst defeat in the nations history, as Niger did during an attack by an ISIS-allied faction of Boko Haram in December. Though it has been under territorial pressure and has suffered splits since the peak of its violence in 2015, this latest flurry of combat proves the threat Boko Haram poses to security and stability in a region already afflicted by poverty and climate change is still very real. Large-scale retaliatory operations followed, including one personally coordinated on the ground by President Idriss Deby of Chad. More than 1,000 Boko Haram fighters are said to have been killed, and five of their bases destroyed. But though these nations would ordinarily be consolidating the gains made, they now face the dilemma of fighting jihadists and simultaneously responding to Covid-19 whose numbers are rising steadily in West Africa. The men of the Nigerian army has recorded more victory in its fight against insurgency as four suspected Boko Haram members were killed during a recent operation. According to Abdulsalam Sanni, a top military commander who made the disclosure in an interview with BBC Hausa, he revealed that the four slained terrorists were members of a sect of the dreaded Boko Haram. He said: Their modus oprenandi is just that of Boko Haram. Yes, the sect is an offshoot of Boko Haram. Weve been monitoring them. We raided and killed 4 of them. We will get the others, said Commander Abdulsalam. Read Also: I Will Remain In North East Until Boko Haram Is Defeated Buratai We recovered some weapons from them during the encounter. We know they are Boko Haram from our intelligence. We monitored them for a long time, he said. It was a successful operation. Though we couldnt make an arrest, we were able to kill 4. Its not over, we will be on their trail. I wont disclose their location. In the beginning, they were operating at Edu. Because of their strange activities, they were dispersed. Later, they regrouped at Toto. We got the last Intel and burst their cell. They are really members of Boko Haram, he said. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has called for the release of its 21 members on essential duty who were arrested by security agents in Rivers State. PENGASSAN made the call in a statement jointly signed by the President, Ndukaku Ohaeri, and the General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, on Friday in Lagos. The union expressed displeasure over the continuous harassment of its members on essential duty in the oil and gas industry despite their exemption from lockdown. On April 16, about 21 of our members from Exxon Mobil on essential duty going into Port Harcourt for quarantine before going offshore, were arrested by men of Nigeria security agencies under the Rivers Police Command. The members were arrested on the pretext of enforcing the Executive Orders assumedly proclaimed by the State Government in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. READ ALSO: We are therefore miffed that operatives of government security agencies who are vested with the responsibilities to enforce laws should turn around to intimidate and harass our members who are on legitimate and patriotic duty as essential workers. Our association condemns this new form of intimidation and therefore demands an unconditional release of all the 21 staff of ExxonMobil still under detention with apologies, it said. The union said it would not hesitate to order its members out of the various oil platforms, rigs and other facilities without further notices if the harassment persisted. It called on the federal government and stakeholders to, as a matter of national economic urgency, prevail on security agencies in Rivers and other states to stop harassment of workers on essential duties. The association also demands the establishment of COVID-19 testing centre in Port Harcourt where all oil and gas workers going to rigs and offshore platforms will be tested before sending them to such work locations. This is as against quarantining them for two weeks before going to work with the attendant psychological and cost implications on workers and organisations respectively, it said. (NAN) Bobby Yip/Reuters A meat processing plant in South Dakota has become the biggest single-source hotspot of coronavirus cases in the United States, with at least 518 employees testing positive for the virus and at least 126 non-employees contracting the virus through exposure to workers. Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in Sioux Falls has overtaken the Navy ship USS Theodore Roosevelt, which has docked in Guam with at least 615 cases, and a jail in Chicago, with 524 cases, as the worst cluster in the country, according to data collated by The New York Times. It comes as South Dakotas governor has resisted a statewide lockdown. A team of Centers of Disease Control and Prevention health experts arrived at the Sioux Falls facility this week after the company announced on Sunday that it would shut down the plant indefinitely, weeks after confirming its first case. The plant, one of the worlds biggest pork production sites, has 3,700 employees, most of whom are immigrants, according to NPR. The CDC team will work with state officials to understand the scope of the outbreak and figure out a plan for safely reopening the plant, said Health Secretary Kim Malsam-Rysdon. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, said that Smithfield employees were being aggressively tested, as well as those who may have been exposed to them. However, Noem has been harshly criticized for resisting calls to implement a shelter-in-place order as the states coronavirus numbers surge, doubling roughly every four days. Confirmed cases in the state reached at least 1,168 on Wednesday. I dont believe its appropriate considering the data, the facts and the science that we have, Noem said on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken has been pushing for a lockdown order in his city to mitigate the fast spread of the virus. He wanted an order to be issued county-wide, covering Minnehaha County and Lincoln County, which together account for over 1,000 cases in the statebut the governor rejected it. Story continues TenHakens push for a citywide order has been met with resistance from city councilors, who have been overwhelmed by calls and emails from residents who vehemently reject the proposal, the Argus Leader reported. I dont think it goes far enough. I dont think it does anything, Councilor Pat Starr told the Argus Leader. If youre going to do a shelter-in-place order, youve got to make people shelter in place, and this doesnt do that. TenHaken, however, said the order would prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed and give authorities the ability to control gross negligence and gross disrespect of the ordinance by residents by fining them for leaving their houses unnecessarily, according to the Leader. If we take it to the next level, which is what were proposing to our council tonight, we have a chance to cut our ICU bed needs in half at our peak, he said. Smithfield confirmed its first positive case of the virus at the Sioux Falls plant as early as March 26. While it reportedly added safety precautions at the facility to protect workers, such as hand sanitizer and frequent cleaning, it also offered staff a $500 responsibility bonus in April, which workers said encouraged them to keep coming into work, potentially putting their health and lives at risk. Because management drug its feet and didnt act quickly, thats why its a hot spot, Kooper Caraway, the president of a labor federation in Sioux Falls, told the Argus Leader. And were seeing the cases go up every day. No matter what the latest numbers are, I promise you theres more than that. Im not a fool, an unnamed employee told the Leader, referencing the $500 bonus. Five hundred dollars isnt worth our lives. Smithfield, however, claimed on its website that the bonus was in recognition of an immense gratefulness for its employees dedication and performance during this time. The daughter of a plant worker who tested positive for the viruswho requested anonymity to avoid backlash from Smithfieldtold The Daily Beast on Thursday that the company notified employees of the first confirmed case in March and told them that the plant would be shut down for a three-day period from Friday to Sunday to deep clean the facility. Her father, however, continued working at the plant and packaging meat during the supposed shutdown. There are so many families affected by this, she said. I wish they wouldve shut down when they said they would shut down. I saw that one man had passed away. Now Im all worried and scared thinking what if thats going to be my dad? Im trying to be positive but I can't with this company. She feared that the company had dishonestly announced a three-day shutdown while still asking workers to show up. After a push from TenHaken last week, Smithfield announced on Thursday that it would close the plant for just three days for sanitation after reports of a possible outbreak. Two days later, the number of infected workers shot past 100, prompting the mayor to write a letter to the company, demanding a two-week closure. He also shared the letter with Noem, who approved the proposal. On Sunday, the decision was made to indefinitely shut down the plant, which subsequently forced the closures of another pork plant in Columbus Junction, Iowa and a top beef packing facility in Greeley, Colorado. Smithfields meat processing plant in Cudahy, Wisconsin was also shut down for two weeks after several employees tested positive, as well as the Martin City, Missouri raw meat plant, which was closed indefinitely. Smithfields CEO Kenneth Sullivan released a statement on Monday that alluded to possible dissent within the company. We have a stark choice as a nation: we are either going to produce food or not, even in the face of COVID-19, he wrote, adding that the closure is pushing our country perilously close to the edge in terms of our meat supply. His statement, however, was rebuked by Christine McCracken, an industry analyst and senior director for animal protein at RaboResearch, who told NPR that there is still a lot of meat on the market. Quite a bit of meat actually; pork, chicken and beef, she added. Augustin Rodriguez, a 64-year-old Smithfield worker who was presumed to be the first confirmed coronavirus case at the plant, died on Tuesday after a 10-day battle against the virus. His wife, Angelita, told the Leader that he continued going to work even though he was experiencing symptoms consistent with the coronavirus. I lost him because of that horrible place, she told the Leader. Those horrible people and their supervisors, theyre sitting in their homes, and theyre happy with their families. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. The Maharashtra government has started to allow relaxation of rules in several areas of the state. The new rules will come into effect from April 20. The state has decided to allow construction work in cities, including Mumbai and Pune, with a rider that prior permission from civic authorities will be mandatory. According to the order issued by chief secretary Ajoy Mehta on Friday, the state has given permission for all urgent pre-monsoon works. It has also decided to allow industries to operate in all rural areas of the state; manufacturing and other industrial establishments in special economic zones; industrial townships in non-containment areas, except Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and Pune Municipal Corporation limits. It has further allowed construction activities of roads, buildings and irrigation projects outside the municipal corporation limits. The state government is opening up major areas from the lockdown. This is the beginning of economic recycle, said a senior government official. Meanwhile, after 25 days of lockdown, the case count of coronavirus in Maharashtra stood at 3,321. On Friday, 119 new cases were recorded. The death toll of the state rose to 201, with seven more deaths. Among the patients who died, five are from Mumbai and two Pune. The cases in Mumbai rose by 12 to 2,085. The mortality rate of the state was 6.05%, higher than the national mortality rate of 3.26%, till Thursday, when Maharashtras toll was 194 against 437 in the country, according to data of the state medical education department. Of the total cases, over one-third cases are in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region with 2,507 cases. Mumbais count rose to 2,085 as 12 new cases were recorded in the city. The death toll of the city was 122. The state health department has conducted 61,740 tests at various public and private facilities till date, in which 56,964 people have tested negative. The state currently has 330 active containment zones. Around 5,850 survey teams comprising doctors and assisting staff have screened more than 20.50 lakh people. Around 331 patients have been discharged from the hospitals after their recovery from the infection. It has also kept 6,376 suspected patients at government quarantine facilities, while 74,587 are home quarantined. The continuation of works in construction projects within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities will be allowed where workers are available on site and no workers are required to be brought in from outside (in-situ construction). However, in Mumbai and Pune, with the permission of municipal commissioner. Industries operating in rural areas are also allowed to operate, but outside the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities, states the order. Manufacturing and other industrial establishments with access control in special economic zone, export oriented units, industrial estates and industrial townships are allowed, but only in containment zones. These provisions shall not apply to MMR and Pune Municipal Corporations limits. These establishments shall make arrangements for stay of workers within their premises as far as possible or in adjacent building for implementation of standard operating procedures (SOP). The transportation of workers to work place shall be arranged by the employers in dedicated transport by ensuring social distancing, it further says. However, no worker from hotspots or containment zones will be permitted to come to work place, it added. The order also said that construction of roads, buildings, irrigation projects and all kinds of industrial projects including MSMEs in rural areas are allowed outside the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities. The government has also allowed operation of ecommerce companies and ecommerce of all goods and commodities including food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, electrical and electronic appliances. Meanwhile, the state government on Friday issued an advisory to all landlords across the state not to collect rent from those leaving on rent in their houses. It has also instructed them that no tenant should be evicted from the rented houses for non-payment of rent during the lockdown period. The cabinet sub-committee comprising seven senior ministers, in a slew of decisions, has decided resume online registration of the properties and permit the use of 25% district planning fund for health services among others. It has also allowed to release the remaining part of the March salary of doctors, police with immediate effect. The sub-committee headed by deputy chief minister and finance minister Ajit Pawar in its meeting held on Monday has given nod to more than a dozen proposals. The state government had deferred the payment of elected representatives and government employees for March due to dwindling revenue collection in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak. Doctors, police, homeguards who are the frontline warriors in the war against the pandemic too were due to the decision owing to the deferment of 25-50% of cut the salary. The sub-committee has decided to release the remaining part immediately. To avoid the loss of the revenue coming through stamp duty and registration due to the lockdown, the decision of resuming the registration online was also taken. To make funds for health services easily available, the government also decided to allow the district administration to spend 25% of the district planning committees funds on Covid-19 related infrastructure. This would facilitate district administrations to spend around 245 crore at their level. The sub-committee also decided to give an insurance cover of 20 lakh to the employees from rural development department involved in Covid-19 related services. It also decided to ease restrictions on agricultural activities and facilitate grain supply to community kitchens and selling the grapes to the wineries directly. It will also allow e-commerce delivery of all goods and commodities, including food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, electrical and electronic appliances. The state has also asked parents to complain to the district education officer if schools insist on paying fees during the lockdown period. State school education minister Varsha Gaikwad made the announcement. We have issued a circular asking schools not to ask for fees considering the current situation. However, Im getting several messages from parents across the state alleging that schools still asking for fees to be paid. We urge the parents to register their complaints with the concerned district education officer so that the circular can be implemented in letter and spirit, Gaikwad said, in a video message on Friday. The circular of the school education department was issued on March 30. With the support of the state government, a telemedicine helpline was also started from Friday. The helpline will let people to know if they are infected or not, guide them about the epidemic and will also clear their doubts, if any. All this will be done with the help of expert doctors. A person will only have to call on 9513615550. The interactive voice screening system will ask 3-4 questions to the person based on the replies, it will be routed to the relevant doctor who will call back the person and guide him after taking more details, said Kartik Sahoo from Maharashtra State Innovation Society. The project is started in association with National Health Mission, Maharashtra State Innovation Society, a group of start-ups named Telemeds Versus Covid and Pune Platform For Covid Response. The state government has also allowed cane cutters who have migrated from one district to another for work within the state to return to their villages. There are over 1.31 lakh cane cutters who are stuck in other districts due to lockdown and are currently staying at 38 sugar factories. The order that was issued by chief secretary Ajoy Mehta states, The sugar factory owners will have to make all the travel arrangements to drop them at their respective villages. Prior to this, the cane cutters have to go through medical check-up for symptoms of pneumonia, cough, cold and fever. The governors of Michigan, Florida, Texas and other states outlined tentative steps on Friday to reopen their economies, a day after United States President Donald Trump unveiled guidelines for a phased lifting of restrictions for stopping the coronavirus pandemic. With more than 20 million Americans seeking unemployment benefits, states are under pressure to let non-essential businesses reopen despite a shortage of testing needed to prevent the outbreak from regaining traction. The weeks of shutdown have affected about 97 percent of the US population. States meeting federal criteria can move into the first phase of reopening on Friday. In heavily industrial Michigan, Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer said on Friday that she hoped to begin re-engaging parts of the economy on May 1, but she offered no specifics. Michigan, a state that Trump narrowly won in 2016, has faced one of the fastest-growing infection rates, but residents have pressed to reopen the states economy, some even defying social distancing guidelines and taking to the streets in protest. I am hopeful that come May 1 we will make some steps forward, and as we proceed, if that goes well and we continue to see progress, that we then go into a second phase, Whitmer said, referring to a decrease in hospitalisations. Protesters carry rifles near the steps of the Michigan State Capitol building in Lansing, Michigan [Paul Sancya/AP Photo] Trump, a Republican seeking a second term in a November 3 election against presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, on Thursday laid out new staggered, three-stage guidelines for US states meant to revive the economy even as the country goes on fighting the pandemic. You have very different states. If you look at Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, thats a lot different than New York, a lot different than New Jersey, he said. The US has reported more coronavirus infections than any other country, with nearly 670,000 cases and at least 33,300 deaths. The infections and casualties are spread unevenly across the country, with more densely populated places such as New York and New Jersey suffering the most. Trumps plan is a set of recommendations for state governors, some of whom Trump has clashed with during the coronavirus crisis. It marks a retreat by the president, who on Monday insisted he had total authority to direct states to reopen or remain closed. Passing the buck, but not the bucks In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo said he needed federal help to ramp up testing and reopen his economy, and accused the Trump administration of failing to provide funding to states. Is there any funding so I can do these things that you want us to do? No, Cuomo told a daily briefing on the coronavirus. That is passing the buck without passing the bucks. He emphasised that testing was vital to put in place before any discussion of reopening the economy could occur. The testing which is informing us as to who can go back to work, helping us isolate people, its about testing, he said. Trump hit back at Cuomo on Twitter, accusing the New York governor of complaining too much. Less talk and more action! Trump tweeted. A closed notice is seen on the door of a store in the Little Havana neighbourhood, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Miami, Florida [Marco Bello/Reuters] The US president also went to urge his supporters to LIBERATE three states Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia led by Democratic governors Friday, in effect encouraging protests against the stay-at-home restrictions aimed at containing the coronavirus. In Florida, one of the last of the major states to shut down, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis talked about reopening but did not give a timeline on lifting stay-home orders. Youre not going to have large gatherings out there. You just got to do it in a way that is going to have low risk, he said at a briefing. DeSantis said that it was up to local officials to open parks and beaches. The city of Jacksonville, Florida, will allow beaches and parks to reopen with some restrictions, the citys mayor said on Twitter. Mississippis Republican Governor Tate Reeves said he would extend by a week a stay-at-home order that was set to expire on Monday while easing some restrictions early next week. Beaches and lakes can reopen on Monday for fishing and relaxing, while non-essential businesses can sell products for drive-through pickup or delivery, he said. I wanted to announce that we can all ease up and reopen today, but we cant. We are still in the eye of the storm, Reeves said. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, meanwhile, issued an executive order outlining guidelines for the eventual reopening of private businesses. He set a target date for early May, but said schools would remain closed. Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it Notorious drug lord El Chapos daughter, Mexican cartels step in against war on coronavirus India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 17: Even the most dangerous of them appear to be doing their bit to fight the worst pandemic the world has seen in several years now. The daughter of the notorious drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and other Mexican cartels are distributing aid packages as the nation witnessed a sharp rise in the number of coronavirus related cases. El Chapo 701, is the company that is being used by Alejandrina Guzman to pack and deliver the care boxes which have food, masks, hand soaps and other supplies. India needs to urgently step up coronavirus testing say experts Dubbed Chapo's provisions, the parcels also have an image of El Chapo. The company is used by Guzman to legally sell clothing and liquor. The inspiration for the brand name El Chapo 701 comes from a 2009 Forbes listing that ranked him 701st richest person in the world. The company has been posting several updates on its Facebook page. We are working and contributing. A great pleasure to visit your homes and give you these Chapo handouts read a post. El Chapo is a Mexican drug lord and former leader of the Sinaloa cartel. He is considered to have been one of the most powerful drug traffickers in the world. At the time of his arrest, the Sinaloa cartel was one of the most powerful and wealthiest. Guzman was born in Sinaloa and raised in a poor farming family. He began working with Hector Luis Palma Salazar in the late 1970s. He helped move drugs through Sinaloa and into the United States. He later supervised logistics for Migguel Angel, one of the lading kingpins in the 1980s. Following Angel's arrest, he formed his own cartel in 1988. He overtook operations whereby mass cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana and heroin were produced, smuggled into and distributed throughout the United States of America and Europe. He used long range tunnels near borders, which enabled him to export more drugs into the United States. He has been a master of escapes. After being arrested in 2001, he had managed to escape from jail. However, his second escape is the one that is often spoken about. In 2015, He had managed to escape through a tunnel leading from the shower area of his cell to a house construction site. The shower area was the only part of his cell that was not visible through the security cameras. Chapo was arrested on January 8, 2016, after his second prison escape. Mexico then launched a renewed process of extradition to the US. On January 19, 2017, he was extradited to the US. On February 19, he was found guilty of all counts and sentenced to life in prison, plus 30 years and ordered to forfeit more than USD 12.6 billion. He is currently serving his sentence at the ADX Florence, the country's most secure superman prison under the Federal Register Number, 89914-053. There is no evidence that people can be reinfected by the coronavirus after recovering from it the first time, according to a virologist who studies the bodys response to the disease. This week a number of media outlets picked up on stories about people in South Korea and China who fully recovered from the virus testing positive for a second time. South Koreas Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said on Thursday that 141 people had tested positive again. A small number of similar cases have been reported in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak is thought to have begun. If people were indeed being reinfected, governments around the world would be forced to rethink their strategies for beating the virus. Many countries are seeking what is known as herd immunity where a community is protected by a large percentage of the population contracting and then becoming immune to the virus. But Dr Angela Rasmussen, a virologist and an associate research scientist at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, told The Independent that people were misinterpreting the reports about reinfections. The test that is used only detects viral RNA (Ribonucleic acid) the genetic material of the virus. It doesnt necessarily correlate to the amount of infectious virus that could be transmitted to anyone. We know that often many viral infections can continue to produce detectable RNA long after a patient has recovered without actually being contagious, she said. In other words, a person might carry remnants of the virus after recovery, but without it being infectious or of danger to the host or others. Dr Rasmusseun studies the body's response to emerging viral infections like Ebola and Covid-19, and how that contributes to disease severity. We havent seen any data to suggest these people have a truly reactivated infection or a repeat infection, that they are contagious, or that they are even sick. These reports were not accompanied by any hard data to support them, she added. South Korean health officials have said it remains unclear what is behind the trend, with epidemiological investigations still under way. Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the KCDC, said the virus may have been reactivated rather than the patients being re-infected. Some experts have also speculated that false test results could also be behind the apparent reactivations. Research teams around the world are studying the novel coronavirus in order to help public officials make decisions about how best to fight it. But despite their best efforts, there is still much we dont know about the deadly virus. Scientists still do not know the strength of immunity to the coronavirus in a recovered patient, or how long it lasts. A major study launched last week is looking into the effectiveness of using blood plasma from Covid-19 convalescents to trigger immunity to the virus. Rather than test whether the subject currently has the virus, these tests will determine if a person has had it and subsequently recovered even if they havent displayed symptoms. They do that by testing the blood for antibodies associated with the disease. A person with the antibodies in their blood would theoretically be immune to the virus. Recommended Inside the hunt for a coronavirus test that could end lockdown The level and the duration of protective immunity is not something that these tests tell us. They tell us that youve been infected, and there are antibodies, but whether theyre neutralising and entirely protective, we frankly just dont know yet, said Dr Elitza Theel, director of the Mayo Clinic laboratory performing antibody testing for Covid-19. But I think what we can say is that these individuals are likely at lower risk of getting infected compared to antibody-negative individuals, she added. Dr Theel went on to say that this research could be used as a tool to help more strategically redeploy individuals back to work. I dont know that its going to be the magic bullet or the only thing that decides that, but it will probably play a role. Newly leaked documents show that the White House has blessed Haftars attack on Tripoli, which has so far paved the way for a greater Russian leverage over the renegade general. Washingtons inconsistent position on Libya officially supporting the peace process even as the White House has signaled that President Trump favors Mr. Hafter has played a major role in prolonging the chaos, wrote the New York Times, adding that the absence of a strong American policy has opened the door to interference from competing American partners, including Turkey, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. The reports cited by the New York Times show that Trumps former senior security advisor John Bolton blessed Haftars attack on Tripoli leading to aggravating a protracted conflict while emboldening Russians. Last year, after the attack was launched Trump held a phone conversation with Haftar and discussed a shared vision for Libyas transition to a stable, democratic political system, according to a statement of the US department of state. The New York Times pointed at facets of Russian influence in Libya including the control of pro-Haftar social media. It has acquired an ownership stake in a pro-Qaddafi Libyan satellite network and advised a pro-Hafter network as well, the daily said. Members of the Congress have begun asking how the White House appears to have ended up backing the same side as Moscow, the paper said. Representative Image The Congress expressed disappointment over the announcements made by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday to support the economy, saying the government should take more measures to mitigate the problems of the poor people suffering due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken claimed the measures announced by the RBI would not help all those who are suffering due to the crisis caused by the virus and said the country's central bank should introduce more measures. "The announcements made by the RBI have no meaning. The Congress and people are disappointed with the announcements. The government should take more measures to mitigate the problems of the poor and the vulnerable," he said at a press conference held via video link. The RBI has further eased bad-loan rules, froze dividend payment by lenders and pushed banks to lend more by cutting the reverse repo rate by 25 basis points, as it unveiled a second set of measures to support the economy hit hard by a coronavirus-led slowdown. In his second televised address since the nationwide lockdown began from March 25, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das also pledged to boost liquidity and expand bank credit. By extension, security is not restricted to protection of lives and property, but protection of information.Unfortunately in the Nigerian context, security agents who are deployed to perform these emergency periods, discharged these functions to the contrary. A typical example is the current Coronavirus pandemic where the number of Nigerians who are felled by happy- trigger agents between 30th March to date have surpassed deaths recorded as a result of the pandemic itself as it has comfortably crossed 20 and the list is continuing. The current trend has reinforced how unprofessional our security agents conduct themselves in and outside emergency periods. Unarguably, law enforcement agents have turned this period where humanity have come together to proffer a way forward to extort innocent and helpless Nigerians. This, in most cases, according to investigations, have accounted for the increasing number of deaths. The position advanced by the Civil Liberties Organisations (CLOs) 2004 Year Book chronicling the state of human rights and governance in the year under review entitled Clear and Present Danger aptly captures the condition Nigerians are facing in the hands of security agencies in this pandemic era. It is a classical expose on the excesses of our security agencies. If the government failed in 2004 to advance the democratisation process in the political sector, it also failed in the civil and social sectors. The government failed to curb the excesses of the public and other security agencies. The Police remained the usual self and continued to maim and kill citizens in extra-judicial circumstances. This was quite apart from extorting money from motorists and arresting innocent citizens for ransom. There is little doubt that the police and other security agencies are the source of the most egregious violations of civil rights, both in their political role as protectors of state security and their civil role as protectors of peace, law and order. These violations include not only those that occur in the streets, such as extortion, illegal arrest, and the use of undue force against citizens, but also detention without trial, torture and inhuman treatment, and extrajudicial killings. Unfortunately, 2004 is a decade plus, and nothing has changed; rather, the situation has degenerated abysmally. Deaths of innocent Nigerians in the hands of security agencies have continued unabated in geometric progression. Few years back, seven passengers and the driver were sent to their untimely graves by the excesses of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Enugu. Although the story slightly changed in form and narrative, all the facts point to the unethical conduct of the security agents. The common thread in the incident is that seven persons were reportedly burnt to death after operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps opened fire on a commercial bus on Milikin Hill Road, Enugu. The story continued: It was learnt that the bus had barely left Enugu New Market, located a few kilometres from Milikin Hill, when armed civil defence officials asked the driver to stop. The Enugu headquarters of the NSCDC is near the New Market. The driver reportedly refused to stop and sped away, as the NSCDC men chased the bus in a Hilux van. It was gathered that some other agents of the security agency boarded a tricycle to join in the chase along Milikin Hill Road, which is bordered on both sides by a deep valley. It was alleged that the commercial bus was getting to the end of the road, when the NSCDC operatives opened fire on the vehicle, causing it to veer off and crashed into the valley and reportedly burst into flames, instantly. It was also alleged that what provoked the hot chase was the drivers refusal to part with N50 bribe. What a shame! Even the defence from the Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC, Enugu State Command, Mr Denny-Manuel Iwuchukwu, that the bus driver abducted a civil defence officer who entered the vehicle to force the driver to stop for violating traffic regulations, and the bus fell into the valley and burst into flames while running away from the NSCDC men, who were chasing the vehicle to rescue their colleague, could not hold water; it rather added salt to the injury. The Enugu Eight has added to the list of Nigerians who have lost their lives in extrajudicial circumstances by security agents. They include Chinwendu Micah, a final year student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, from Ugwunagbo, Abia State, who was felled by the bullets of one ASP Ben Alifi in Ebonyi State sometimes in 2004; seventeen-year-olds, Izuchukwu Ayogu and Nnaemeka Ugwuoke whose mutilated bodies with eyes, brains, and reproductive organs removed and dumped in a forest, after the Police in Nsukka arrested them on Sunday March 2001.What of the Ughelli Six in 1983, Apo Six in 2005; over 20 persons killed at Afiesere-Ughelli in 2006, Waliyu Abudu in 2008, Ramoni Balogun in 2013, Suzanna Alamagani in 2013, Ogbe Onokpite in November 2011, Aisagbonbuan Osagie, a truck driver, on February 4, 2014 in Benin City, and Femi Awoyale in February, 2014. It is common knowledge that security agencies response to threats should be proportionate to the threat. The operatives threw professional caution and rules of engagement to the wind, and used live ammunitions on defenceless citizens in a densely populated market. It was reported that the casualty rate escalated when soldiers who were drafted to put the situation under control arrived the scene. One would have expected the operatives of NDLEA to study the situation and design the best approach for handling it. The lives of innocent civilians were worth more than whatever operations they went for in the market, and no amount of provocation could justify their use of live ammunition in a densely populated environment. The argument of why our security agencies are still using live ammunition in the 21st century to demobilise mobs, while pepper spray and synthetic ammunition can serve the same purpose, still begs for urgent response. If the argument is stretched further, the reason why government does not deem it fit to expose security agents to trainings to meet emergency situations, such as the current situation, demands urgent resolution.The reason why security agents do not comply with rules of engagement, equally demands explanation from their hierarchy. An article entitled Weapon Handling and Phantom Discharge vested the security agents with the responsibility of keeping the weapon pointed in a safe direction (where there would be no injuries to persons or damage to property in the event of a discharge); keeping the finger off the trigger until the gun is on a target and the decision to shoot is made; be sure of the target and the target backstop. Recently, there have been calls to redesign the training of our security agencies to expose them to academic work on human psychology, human rights, and the Constitution. The proponents of this arrangement also advocate a review of academic entry requirements of the security agencies. They are of the view that the proposal, if implemented, would go a long way in enhancing the security agencies performance and respect for the civil population. There is a dispassionate appeal to our security agents not to stretch, any bit further, the fragile security situation in the country occasioned by the Coronavirus pandemic. Individuals may use the dealerships website to peruse the inventory, schedule a test-drive (which can then be performed from home) and set up payments/financing. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans are being urged to stay home as much as possible for the foreseeable future. Still, many individuals require vehicles for making essential trips, or just getting out of the house for a long and solitary drive. Its because of this necessity that car dealership sales and service centers have been allowed to stay open throughout the quarantine orders here in Florida. But while dealerships remain open, some big changes are being made to their operations to come as close as possible to ensuring the safety of employee and customer alike. Carl Black Orlando, a dealership serving Orlando and the surrounding area, is currently offering customers the ability to complete the entire car shopping process online. Individuals may use the dealerships website to peruse the inventory, schedule a test-drive (which can then be performed from home) and set up payments/financing. The ordeal will culminate in the delivery of the newly-purchased vehicle to the customers door. Carl Black Orlando is also hosting specials offers from GM that are intended to help citizens deal with the financial impact of the coronavirus while still getting the vehicle that they need. The automaker is offering 0% APR for 84 months along with no payment for 120 days on select models. To qualify, prospective customers must have their credit approved. Those intrigued by the online shopping process and special offers noted above are encouraged to head to the Carl Black Orlando website at http://www.carlblackorlando.com. Alternatively, a phone call can be made to 888-502-0763. The dealership is still open and being heavily sanitized, so individuals can head to its location (while practicing social distancing) at 11500 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando if they desire. April 16, 2020 News By C. Todd Lopez Defense.gov Truth, Accuracy Part of Democratic Value System, Eucom Commander Says Two harmful things are spreading across the globe now: the coronavirus and disinformation. The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Europe says they're working to conquer both. "As military forces, we have an obligation to be truthful, timely and accurate in what we say and what we do," Air Force Gen. Tod D. Wolters, commander of U.S. European Command and NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe, said during a telephone news conference today. "That's exactly what we continue to do here from a U.S. perspective, and certainly from a European perspective," he added. "It's part of our democratic value system. Transparency is vital right now. Neutralizing misinformation and delivering accurate and truthful facts is paramount. Our partnership and trust with one another is steadfast." As medical goods have been moved among NATO nations, Wolters said, Russia has inserted itself into the conversation, downplaying the value of those transactions. "That in itself is a form of disinformation," the general said. At the same time, he said, the news media have also reported that goods Russia has delivered to European nations have been "flawed." "What we owe our citizens is to ensure that we tell the truth," Wolters said. "We want to make sure that we continue to stick with our democratic values and stay very, very laser-focused on the facts so that our forces understand exactly what we're doing, and anybody that attempts to provide malign influence to our forces must understand that we're in the business of passing on the facts, not falsehoods." Wolters said part of countering disinformation is recognizing when it's happening to have a "sensing system" in place that recognizes those falsehoods and is prepared to counter them. Another part, he said, is deterring that disinformation. And that, he said, starts with leadership and military personnel. "That has to do with your field commanders and your operators and your maintainers and your mission supporters and your medical specialists understanding what it is their forces are effectively doing to improve health and to improve our ability to deter and defend," he said. Wolters said he's asked uniformed military members to be knowledgeable and equipped to speak honestly about their accomplishments. "That in itself is telling the truth, and it's part of more effective deterrence and defense," he said. When it comes to helping to defeat COVID-19 in Europe, Wolters said, Eucom has provided for more than $500,000 in essential equipment and medical supplies from Defense Department stocks in Italy alone. "We've leveraged long-standing bilateral relationships to coordinate access to supplies in Luxembourg," he said. "Under NATO's lead, we've joined with allies to lift much-needed medical supplies from the Pacific to Romania." Last week, he said, President Donald J. Trump authorized contributions of $4.7 million to fund locally procured personal protective equipment. The general also said Eucom is executing 10 "quick reaction" projects that are delivering $150,000 in personnel protective equipment to eight different locations on the continent, with eight more projects in the works. "None of these events would have been possible without the trust and confidence and coordination between allies and partners," he said. "This is proof that the alliance remains ready and capable to support one another in these tough, tough times of need." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Wampsville, N.Y. - Madison County Public Health Director Eric Faisst says he is urging businesses in Madison County to deny entry if their customers are not wearing a face covering. Faisst made the announcement Friday morning during the county's weekly COVID-19 press briefing. That briefing was about 10 hours ahead of the beginning of Governor Cuomo's Executive Order mandating people in New York State wear a face covering in public which goes into effect at 8:00 Friday evening. Faisst said, "I am recommending that essential businesses, such as grocery stores, that if someone comes to your establishment without a face covering that you deny them entry, not them in." Faisst says the statistics show that wearing a mask will protect not only you, but others, "We're finding more and more evidence that people without symptoms could be spreading the disease. From the data that I've seen, it could be one out of every four people, it could be as high as that, so wearing a mask not only protects you but it could also protect others from you if you happen to be asymptomatic." Faisst says a face covering doesn't have to be a mask, it can be a bandana or a piece of cloth, such as part of a tee-shirt for example. But will stores deny access to anyone not covering their nose and mouth? We checked in with three of the biggest retailers in Madison County's largest municipality, the city of Oneida. Price Chopper's media relations department said someone would get back us to let us know their position on whether they will deny customers without a face covering at their Oneida store, but no one has. Someone at the Big Lots store right across the road from Price Chopper on Route 5 in Oneida says they will not deny entry to people without a face covering and a spokesperson for Walmart out of their corporate office in Arkansas wouldn't say whether the store will deny people, but Charles Crowson, Senior Manager in Corporate Communications, released the following statement to News Channel 2 : "Maintaining customer and associate safety remains our top priority. We encourage customers to be especially mindful of one another during this unprecedented time and adhere to Gov. Cuomo's executive order, requiring the use of face coverings." County leaders in Oneida, Herkimer and Otsego counties say they are not urging businesses to deny entry, but they are urging people to wear a face covering in public in the name of safety. New Delhi, April 17 : Congress leader Ajay Maken on Friday slammed the Delhi government for giving the go-ahead to private schools to charge one-month tuition fee and demanded that the state should bear major part of the expenses on salaries of their teachers. The former Union Minister said: "It is wrong to ask private schools to take a month's fee. How will the parents pay the fee when there is a lockdown? The Delhi government should pay 75 per cent of expenses borne on teachers' salaries so that these schools get relief and waive three-month fees." In Delhi, 66 per cent children are enrolled in private schools. No private school in the national capital can hike fees or can charge anything from the parents other than one-month tution fee, Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia announced on Friday. Maken also demanded that the government waive fixed electricity charges and water bills for all establishments facing closure due to the lockdown extended till May 3. "The government should issue SOP and notification for people who are exempted during lockdown to insulate these people from infections," said Maken and gave the example of a pizza delivery boy who tested positive for coronavirus. He said that those who came in contact with the delivery boy should also be tested, pointing out that the delivery boy was sent back by various hospitals. The Congress leader demanded that the number of coronavirus tests should be increased to remain ahead of the virus. Maken also demanded two-month ration to migrants which includes 70 kg rice and cover labourers, daily-wagers and the self-employed. The Congress leader also demanded that the government should also bear 75 per cent salaries of the MSME sector workers. The government should also give Rs 7,500 each to the poor and daily-wagers as well as provide PPE kits to frontline workers like sanitation workers. He slammed the government on the ground that 55 health workers have so far tested positive in Delhi for cornavirus. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Evangelical leaders call for release of some detained immigrants to stop spread of COVID-19 Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment 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. Once again, Donald Trump falls below even the low standards the world has come to expect of him. His decision to cut the World Health Organization off at the knees as a deadly pandemic sweeps the globe borders on the criminal. Trump accuses the WHO of mismanaging the coronavirus outbreak, failing to warn the world, and channelling misinformation from the Chinese government. For this he has suspended U.S. funding to the organization, a transparent attempt to dodge responsibility for his own administrations record of failure on COVID-19. As bad as the pandemic is in Europe, the United States and Canada, it has yet to strike parts of the world least equipped to deal with it. When that happens, as it surely will, they will turn to the WHO for vital information and such basic equipment as masks and gowns. From a public health point of view, its hard to imagine a worse time to cripple the organization. But this is clearly not about health; its of a piece with Trumps well-established tendency to lash out at others (Democrats, the media, foreigners) rather than take responsibility for his own shortcomings. He accuses the WHO of being too chummy with Beijing, but conveniently overlooks the fact that he himself was tweeting praise of China in January for its handling of the pandemic and boasting that we have it under control. Theres now plenty of evidence that China covered up vital information about the spread of the disease, but blaming the WHO for that is pretty much beside the point. Still, just because Trump goes after an organization shouldnt mean all sensible people should rush to its defence and place it above criticism. The WHO has indeed made its share of mistakes, largely because of its very nature. As a United Nations agency it depends on its member states for information and cooperation. It has no power to compel its members to produce information they dont want to provide, nor can it order them to do anything. It can only give advice and make recommendations. But like the UN itself, with all its flaws, if the WHO didnt exist, the world would have to invent something very much like it. Its important, then, to recognize both the key role the WHO can play and the limitations it works under. It gathers what information it can, but relies on governments that may not want or be able to produce accurate data. In that regard, any country weighing how best to handle a health crisis like COVID-19 should factor all that into the information and advice it gets from the WHO. It shouldnt treat it like gospel. Thats true in Canada as much as anywhere else. And in recent days our politicians and public health officials have come under fire for following guidance from the WHO that turned out not to be the best. Most notably, the Trudeau government resisted bringing in travel restrictions, even from China, until mid-March. As recently as March 13, Health Minister Patty Hajdu argued against closing borders, citing WHO guidance that border measures are highly ineffective. Dr. Theresa Tam, the chief public health officer, argued the same position for weeks. Three days later, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reversed course and closed Canadas borders to almost everyone. It was the right decision, but who knows how much more effective it would have been if taken earlier? Conditions change, and wise officials will adapt to the new circumstances. But citing WHO guidance as if it was unquestionable dogma, and then suddenly throwing it overboard, makes thoughtful people wonder what else isnt quite adding up. The feeling is all the more pressing when were being asked to turn our lives inside-out on the basis of expert advice. Politicians can easily aggravate such a situation. Some like Trump are shameless about scapegoating the WHO or even their own medical advisers to cover up their own mistakes. Others take a more subtle approach. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, for one, this week called out Tam for advising against border restrictions early on in the crisis, a legitimate criticism. But he went a big step too far by accusing her of parroting talking points from the Chinese government. That comes close to questioning her patriotism, not just her professional judgment. On the other side, some politicians in effect try to use public health officials as a way to immunize themselves against criticism. From Justin Trudeau to Doug Ford, they argue theyre just following expert medical advice when they close non-essential businesses or order people to stay at home. But public health officials arent the ones making those decisions. Their job, by definition, is to focus on public health and all theyre expected to do is offer their best advice in that area. Its up to the politicians to weigh up the whole picture public health, the economy, and what they think the public will accept at a given moment. Then they, not their officials, must decide on the best course of action, and take responsibility for it. In a democratic society we shouldnt be asked to suspend our critical faculties, even during an emergency. Legitimate questions and criticism are as important as ever. But its also important to pick the right targets and go after them in the right way. And right now, that means the politicians whose job it is to get us through the crisis. Read more about: The government is considering providing payroll support and overheads for the MSME sector for 110 mn workers and staff which could cost up to around Rs 1-1.5 lakh crore. "What we want the government to do is to pay salaries to employees of MSMEs", said Rajeev Saini, who owns a manufacturing unit of engineering goods in TTC Industrial Area, MIDC. "The government says do not retrench employees, do not cut salaries. All of us who own units are more than ready to do it, but where are the revenues? Factories are shut, materials are lying unused and suppliers have to be paid, bank loans for machinery, electricity bills--all these have to be paid even if the government is giving us relief with regard to late payments," Saini said. The government is considering providing payroll support and overheads for the MSME sector for 110 mn workers and staff which could cost up to around Rs 1-1.5 lakh crore. There are an estimated 6.33 crore unincorporated MSMEs employing 11 crore persons across the country. The sector contributes nearly 30 percent of Indias GDP and close to half of the countrys total exports. On 15 April, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari held talks with the representatives of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) industry and assured them all possible help from the government to tide over the challenges created by the coronavirus-enforced lockdown. Cash flows hit Several MSME units in the country have not been in a position to conduct normal business activities since the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent Janata Curfew. This has adversely impacted their cash flows, eroded atleast six months of their potential profits and led to a tightening of their liquidity positions, said Mahesh Singhi, Founder and MD, Singhi Advisors, a deal advisory firm. "The government will have to place an onus on rolling out long-term fiscal interventions to revive the MSME sector which plays a key role in generating large-scale employment and contributes to the growth and development of the economy. Priority focus should be given to providing a dedicated funding pipeline to MSMEs in the form of a financial package to raise affordable working capital for business sustenance and expansion," he said. The losses suffered by various sectors will be huge and some may time a longer time to recoup. Arjit Rawal, Director, Logistech India Private Ltd, said, asset heavy companies can take longer time to recover if they are dependent on clients belonging to sectors like construction, etc. "Whereas asset light companies will also face several difficulties but can be more flexible and agile to adapt to the situation. The difficulties will be faced in manpower shortages in the unskilled sector, manufacturing shutdowns and cash flows due to debtor recoveries," he said. No revenues March is the year-end month and many MSMEs claim they would have closed it with higher revenues. But everything got scuttled by the virus outbreak and subsequent lockdown. "Our warehouses are shut and sales are on a standstill. Based on the current situation of extended lockdown, we are expecting a further hit of 15 percent on our top line and around 25-30 percent hit on our bottom line," said Rohini Walia, Director Sales and Marketing, Thomson Audio India. Workers afraid to resume work Most of the workers employed in the MSME sector are living in the cities while a small fraction has left for their home towns-to be near their family members in the time of coronavirus outbreak. Though the government has now said certain sectors will be allowed to resume operations, the MSME sector is worried if their workers will resume work. "We have two factoriesin Vapi and Daman. Most of our workers have left-a large majority is migrant workers," said Siddharth Desai, Partner and Director, Hindustan Electric Motors. "My worry is that if we were allowed to open our units; where do I go looking for my workers? The migrant labour has left. Our highly skilled labour who operate presses, some are dye makers--these are people from other states. They have all left the Vapi and Daman units. How will we get them back soon," he asked. Another worry, or rather the major worry of the sector, is payment of salaries. Desai said that though he has paid his over 100 employees salaries for the month of March (factories functioned till lockdown was announced on 25 March), he wonders how he will be able to pay them for the month of April. "The government has asked us to make 100 percent salary payments. But there is no revenue. How do I retain my employees. It will take some time for the sector to recoup," he said. PF dues The finance minister had announced easing of tax deadlines and business regulations, but these do not percolate down to the government departments who continue to 'harass' MSME units even in the time of a lockdown. Some association members have complained to the the Chamber of Small Industries Association, Wagle Industrial Estate, Thane, of the Provident Fund (PF) department who called up a few units asking them to pay the dues. "There is a lockdown and the units are struggling to make payments for salaries," said Eknath Sonawane, Executive Secretary, Chamber of Small Industries Association, Thane. "In these times, the PF department has been asking us to make the dues. How are we supposed to do it when the sector is shut with no manufacturing taking place? We struggle to make cash payments to workers as there is no permission to go to the factories," he said. City transport services are limited to emergency staff and those with special travel passes. All trains and flights have been suspended. The lockdown makes it impossible for teams to travel and work on projects. This has brought about an unexpected challenge. For any consultant company, clients and employees are two stakeholders and both are working remotely. Amit Aggarwal, Co-Founder and Director of Effectual Services-Advisory firm that offers IP support solutions to Fortune 500 companies, said, given how quickly the slowdown swooped globally, the speed at which the company normally receive work orders has suffered this might be due to the slow decision-making process which is a result of people working remotely. What the sector expects from govt An MSME-focussed B2B player-Tradeindia.com, said the Centre should prepare a composite MSME policy framework to soften the economic blow rendered to the sector during this difficult time. To revive this sector, sustenance is the key, said Prakash Padikkal, vice president, TTC MIDC Industries Association, Navi Mumbai. "Employees have to be paid salaries. For the sector to sustain till the end of the lockdown extension, the government should lend a supporting hand by taking care of one-third of the salaries of employees. This issue can be resolved if one-third amount of the total salaries to be paid are taken care of: 33.3 percent government can pay, 33.3 percent by the employer, and the employee should be ready to give up 33.3 percent if the lockdown extends further. The government should also consider opening up of the non-priority sector with limited labour just like it has announced for the essential sector. The government should ensure that the supply chain network is established for raw materials," Padikkal said. Many MSME units have taken over draft (OD) facilities from banks, incurring an interest, so as to be able to pay staff salaries. A owner of a micro workshop measuring 500 sq feet in Thane industrial area told Sonawane that he paid the salary for March to his five employees by taking OD facility from a bank. However, he is worried about making payments for April. "It is a serious crisis-like situation and may lead to some units being shut down and a rise in unemployment," Sonawane said. Siddharth Shenoy, President, Bombay Industries Association said, if the government was considering payroll support, it should do so on 'war footing'. "Roll out the terms of this directive at the earliest. We only hope that there is no added pressure on the MSME space in the future because of this move," he said. Not just revenues of the units in the sector but also GST collections will take a hit, said Ram Iyer, Founder & CEO, Vayana Network, one of the largest 3rd party supply chain finance platform. He suggested government create adequate trade finance support to deal with massive increment in demand. "A trade finance support by the government would involve creating business continuity plans that involve more automation with suppliers and customers", he said. In what appears to be a setback in Pakistans efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus, people have flocked to mosques for Friday Prayers across the country despite fears such congregations could spread the highly contagious virus. Congregations were held days after associations of Islamic clerics and individual prayer leaders asked authorities to relax restrictions on mosque prayers. The demand on April 14 came after Islamabad relaxed restrictions on the construction industry and some other businesses following a three-week lockdown. But the relaxation of restrictions came amid a rising infection rate and the mounting death toll from COVID-19, the disease caused by a coronavirus infection. Pakistan, a country of more than 210 million people, has recorded some 7,300 confirmed coronavirus cases while COVID-19 has killed 137 people. The Friday crowds have spiked fears about the spread of the coronavirus and revived calls for the authorities and clerics do more to stop people assembling at mosques. Many Muslim-majority countries have already enforced bans on such congregations for many weeks. In Pakistan, however, the response has been mixed. On April 17, one of the largest Friday Prayers congregations was held at the Red Mosque in Islamabad. We believe the people should not be made to fear things right now. They should have faith in God at this time, Maulana Abdul Aziz, a radical cleric in charge of the mosque, told Al-Jazeera. "[Lockdowns are] not the answer to these problems. Pakistani media reports paint a mixed picture across the country, where some mosques have followed the official guidelines of enforcing strict physical distancing among worshipers and limiting congregations to five people. In the northwestern city of Peshawar, for example, some 400 people assembled at the Darwish Mosque, where more than 1,000 worshippers usually gather. According to Dawn, Pakistans leading English-language daily, the congregation did not observe strict physical distancing. In other parts of the city, however, some clerics encouraged children and elderly to stay at home and told worshippers to remain at least 1 meter away from each other. Noorul Haq Qadri, Pakistans religious affairs minister, said that in an April 18 meeting the country's top leaders would try to convince Islamic clerics to prevent crowds from congregating at mosques. We will be talking to them about prayers during Ramadan, when the faithful would like to flock to the mosques during [the nightly] Tarweeh and Friday Prayers, he told Pakistans Geo TV earlier this week. The Islamic holy month of Ramadan is set to begin next week. All adult Muslims are supposed to pray and refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk for the month, when mosques attract large numbers of congregates. A large number of Pakistani coronavirus cases have been linked to Muslim preachers and pilgrims. Some of the initial outbreaks and deaths were linked to Tablighi Jamaat, a Sunni proselytizing group, and Shiite pilgrims returning from Iran. But a majority of infections now are contracted locally. Islamic clerics have been reluctant to observe the government lockdown and particularly resisted restrictions on Friday Prayers, when larger mosques attract big crowds. On April 3, a mob attacked police officers and pelted their vehicles with stones when the police attempted to enforce a curfew on Friday afternoon in the southern seaport city of Karachi. The authorities, however, seem keen to project an image of control over the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed some 150,000 people globally. Asad Umar, Pakistans planning and development minister, attributed a recent spike in reported cases to an increase in testing. [During the] last two days, an average of 5892 tests [were conducted] versus an average of 2,918 tests from April 10 to 15, he tweeted on April 17. [But] positive results from the last two days were 8.6 percent versus 9.6 percent from April 10 to 15. Umar added that Pakistan registered an average of 281 cases from April 10 to 15 but this number spiked to 509 on April 16 and 17. HAMMOND A federal inmate being held at the Porter County Jail after allegedly being picked up last summer with nearly nine pounds of methamphetamine has joined the list of detainees seeking release as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak at the Valparaiso-based facility. Denzel Davis filed an emergency motion Thursday in federal court seeking release on bond, arguing he is at particular risk for the coronavirus because of his diagnosis of having asthma and high blood pressure. "Denzel Davis is among the vulnerable population at heightened risk of getting very sick and possibly dying from this deadly pandemic virus," according to the motion filed on his behalf by attorney Russell Brown Jr. "A deadly virus has already penetrated the Porter County Jail and infected other inmates." Porter County Sheriff Dave Reynolds said Thursday morning there were 13 known infections of coronavirus among inmates at the county jail and one among staff. Davis, who is being held without bond, pleaded guilty last month to three charges in his case. Two employees have died following a coronavirus outbreak that has sickened scores of Tyson Foods workers at a large pork plant in southeastern Iowa, the company said. The deaths of the workers at Tyson plant in Columbus Junction are the first known to be linked to an outbreak at a meatpacking plant in Iowa. The company said that it was deeply saddened by the loss of two team members and that their families were in its thoughts and prayers. The plant has been idled since April 6, when Tyson announced that more than two dozen workers were infected. The company said Monday that it would continue the plants suspension this week after more workers tested positive. Louisa County, a rural area of 11,000 residents, announced Wednesday that Tyson workers account for 148 of 166 coronavirus cases in the county. An Iowa Department of Public Health spokesperson had earlier put the number of Tyson workers infected at 166. Gov. Kim Reynolds said testing of the plants 1,400 workers was continuing this week. The state sent a rapid-testing machine to the county and enough materials to test 900 more employees and others with whom they had contact, she said. The goal is to understand the scope of the outbreak as Tyson works to reopen the plant as early as next week, Reynolds said. The governor said she was working with federal officials and business leaders to prevent additional outbreaks at Iowa food processing plants. The Iowa Premium beef plant in Tama has also suspended production this week after several of its 850 workers tested positive. Reynolds said she was calling the leaders of 18 major food plants to assess how the pandemic is affecting their workplaces and how the state can help. She also had a call scheduled with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and was inquiring with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to see if they can provide some assistance. Reynolds said she wanted to help the plants identify infected employees before it starts to become significant and really problematic for the facility to keep up and running. She noted that the plants represent a critical part of the nations food supply. Were 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, Reynolds said. Reynolds said state agencies were in constant contact with the plants and helping to ensure they are implementing worker safety protections. Iowa State University economists predicted Wednesday that the pandemic will have a massive impact on Iowas agriculture industry, causing billions of dollars in losses. Hardest hit could be ethanol and hog farming as fuel demand drops, packing plants close and restaurants lose business, they warned. Iowa reported an additional 96 residents testing positive for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, for a total of 1,995 since the first case was reported. The state confirmed a seventh outbreak at a long-term care facility, a retirement home in Wilton. An additional four reported deaths increased Iowas death toll to 53, and current hospitalizations ticked up to 171. The states largest hospital, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, implemented new rules barring visitors for adult patients with very limited exceptions. Children, including two being treated for COVID-19, can have one visitor per day. Hospital Chief Medical Officer Theresa Brennan said imposing the restrictions was a difficult but necessary call to protect workers and patients. She said the hospital was already hearing from smaller regional hospitals that were almost full and may soon need help treating patients. Infections at food manufacturing plants have contributed to the racial and ethnic disparities among Iowa residents testing positive for COVID-19, said Department of Public Health deputy director Sarah Reisetter. The plants employ a large number of Latinos and immigrants. Hispanics and Latinos account for 17.4% of Iowas confirmed cases compared with about 6.2% of the state population. Blacks are more than 9% of those infected compared with 4% of the population. Reisetter cited underlying health conditions and housing density as contributing to those rates. We also know we have larger numbers of these populations that work in businesses that have not been ordered to close, she said. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics COVID-19 Agribusiness Iowa The much-awaited Rapid Testing Kits, which use antibody-based blood tests for Covid-19, arrived in New Delhi on Thursday morning after missing their third deadline by a day, and will likely be used to test for the coronavirus disease in areas with no or few cases, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research. Meanwhile, expectations for a relief and stimulus package for individuals and businesses rose after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a meeting with finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, reviewed the Covid-19 impact on the Indian economy and the ongoing national lockdown aimed at limiting its spread. Rapid kits finally arrive to test Covid-19 immunity 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. Read More PM Modi, FM Nirmala Sitharaman meet with stimulus in pipeline The meeting between the PM and the finance minister comes against the backdrop of demands by industry bodies of a package anywhere between ~14 lakh crore and ~16 lakh crore to revive the economy. Theres been little economic activity since the lockdown was declared on March 25. There has been some easing of restrictions since, and more will be eased on April 20, especially for manufacturing facilities in economic enclaves and businesses focused on rural India, but the lockdown is to continue till May 3. Read More Covid-19: What you need to know today 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. Read More Firms rush to meet new PPE norms The Bureau of Indian Standards newly-released list of national specifications for coveralls or body-suits worn by Covid-19 healthcare workers has left some government approved manufacturers scrambling for material that would pass the new tests, even as government-approved laboratories rejected thousands of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits that were donated by China. Read More One-third of India lives in red zones, Tamil Nadu leads the list The 170 districts identified as coronavirus disease (Covid-19) hot spots across the country are home to about 37% of Indias population, with Tamil Nadu accounting for the most red zones 22 of its 37 districts among the states, according to the governments data. Read More India begins controlled trials of plasma therapy Trials using the antibody-rich blood of patients cured of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) have begun, with doctors turning to a pool of 1,600 people in India who have recovered from the infection to test their antibodies as a potential cure for those fighting the disease. Read More Airlines told to give full refund for tickets 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 . Read More Typing error makes man Covid-19 positive in UPs Amroha Authorities on Tuesday rushed six ambulances to Nauganva in Uttar Pradeshs Amroha to quarantine eight members of a 68-year-old mans family and to track down those, who may have in contact with him, after he was wrongly declared Covid-19 positive because of a typographical error, officials said. Read More Virus spread will decelerate due to lockdown: Niti Aayog member The rate of spread of Sars-Cov-2, the virus responsible for the coronavirus disease, has slowed sharply in the past month and will decelerate further as a result of the nationwide lockdown, according to Dr Vinod Paul, a member of the government policy think tank NITI Aayog, who heads the empowered group overseeing the Covid-19 medical emergency management plan. Read More Hydroxychloroquine to be supplied to 55 nations 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 Covid-19 pandemic, people familiar with the development said on Thursday. Read More Covid crisis temporary brake, it will improve: Prakash Javadekar 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. Read More After WHO row, US is probing China lab link US President Donald Trumps administration is urging an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, saying that the US doesnt rule out that it came from a laboratory researching bats in Wuhan. Chinas foreign ministry hit back saying the World Health Organization (WHO) has said there is no evidence that the coronavirus was made in a lab. Read More Your voice may be able to tell if you have Covid 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. Read More Patients start infection spread before symptoms set in: Study People with the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) start infecting others two to three days before they develop symptoms of fever and cough, according to a study from China which suggests effective outbreak containment must include contact tracing of people who have been exposed to positive cases two to three days before their symptoms first appeared. Read More SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Baghdad: Turkish air strikes targeting members of a Kurdish rebel group outlawed by Turkey struck a refugee camp in northern Iraq and killed two refugee women, Iraqi authorities said. The strikes, which took place on Wednesday, were a violation of Iraq's sovereignty, Iraq's Foreign Affairs Ministry said. The strikes on the Makhmour refugee camp were carried out by a Turkish military drone that was detected by Iraq's 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." A Turkish Air Force warplane. Credit:AP The Turkish government claims the refugee camp is a hotbed of the Kurdistan Worker's Party, or PKK, an outlawed group fighting an insurgency. tech2 News Staff Netflix has added a bunch of smartphones to its HD/HDR support list, which includes the unreleased Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite, the Oppo Reno 3 and a few models of the Sony Xperia phones. As first spotted by Android Police, Netflix has added a few new smartphones to its white list for HD and HDR 10 support on the platform. New smartphones added to HD-compatible list: Xiaomi Mi 10 Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro Xiaomi Mi Note 10 LiteOPPO Reno3 OPPO Reno3 Pro Sony Xperia 1 II Sony Xperia 5 Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact New smartphones added to HDR10-compatible list: Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite Notably, the Mi Note 10 Lite is an unreleased smartphone, and Netflix has already white-listed the device. But this isn't the first time that an unreleased phone has been added to the list, Netflix also rolled out HDR10 support for Google Pixel 4 before it was launched. Workshops of HoDo Group, one of Chinas largest apparel manufacturers based in eastern Jiangsu province, have been lighted every single night since Feb.1 when the company started engine on the production of protective suits to meet the urgent demand during the COVID-19 epidemic, with over 200 employees racing against the time to cut, stitch and pack the products. Employees work at a textile workshop in Yushan county, east Chinas Jiangxi province, April 12, 2020. Photo by Zhuo Zhongwei, Peoples Daily Online Now, the company is able to produce 300,000 protective suits on a monthly basis. That is just an epitome of Chinese enterprises stepping up efforts to cope with the disease. Chinese pharmaceutical companies such as Jointown Pharmaceutical Group, Yiling Pharmaceutical and Humanwell Healthcare promptly resumed production to guarantee medical supplies while making money and material donations. Wuhan Guide Infrared Co., Ltd. mobilized its staff to work overtime, in an attempt to send its thermal imagers to transportation hubs and the citys hospitals as early as possible. Makeshift hospitals Huoshenshan and Leishenshan in Wuhan became rendezvous of donations as they received IT equipment from Lenovo, home appliances from Midea, TCL and Skyworth, as well as pipe products from Kingbull. Besides, Spring Airlines offered free service of air transportation for emergency materials, and Transfar Group Co., Ltd., SF Express and JD Logistics opened green logistics channels. As of March 30, a total of 110,314 private enterprises across the country had contributed efforts to epidemic prevention and control through donation, fundraising, insurance, rent exemption and subsidies, according to statistics from the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. They donated 17.21 billion yuan in cash and 11.88 billion yuan in materials, raising a fund of 6.18 million yuan and reducing cost of 15.21 billion yuan through insurance reimbursement, rent exemption, and subsidies. Employment is essential to people's well-being. While vowing no salary cuts or layoffs, some private firms created more job opportunities. Employees inspect production at a new material company based in Shuyang county, east Chinas Jiangsu province, April 12, 2020. Photo by Zhong Chongliang, Peoples Daily Online On March 27, Chinese beverage producer Wahaha Group held an online job fair, planning to recruit over 1,000 people. Private firms are a major absorber of workforce, and we have the obligation to stabilize employment, said Zong Qinghou, chairman of the group, adding that entrepreneurs must make sure their company follows epidemic prevention and control measures, properly manage their employees and do their own things well at the critical moment of epidemic control. Chinese private companies, sticking to production frontline, are also offering mutual assistance through synergetic efforts and coordination, so as to connect every link on the industrial chain. At the international distribution center of Cainiao, the logistics arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba in Yiwu, east Chinas Zhejiang province, parcels collected by couriers are being scanned and sorted by automated devices. The parcels are transported to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport at 10:00 pm each day before heading for global destinations. COVID-19 grounded international passenger flights, leading to shrinking resources of cargo transportation, said Xiong Wei, assistant to the CEO of Cainiao and general manager of AliExpress's export logistics division. He told Peoples Daily that it is urgent to straighten international logistics as it plays an important part in stabilizing foreign trade. At present, Cainiao has fully recovered its air cargo transportation, and is expanding its charter business to make up the insufficiency of international transportation capacity. A number of international charter flights have been opened by the company. Workers manufacture air conditioners at a production base of AUX Group in Anhui Dangtu Economic Development Zone, east Chinas Anhui province, April 10, 2020. Photo by Wang Wensheng, Peoples Daily Online Hengtong Group Co Ltd, a Jiangsu-based company engaged in optical fiber manufacturing and electric power and network construction, recently shipped its ultra-high pressure submarine cables to its overseas clients. We will strive to exploit our advantages for the construction of new infrastructure, and the COVID-19 epidemic cannot stop our steps of work resumption. Our company feeds on the reform and opening up, and also grows because of national development, so at the critical moment we must take our responsibilities, said Cui Genliang, chairman and president of Hengtong Group. By Ramesh Bhushal Even before the sun rises, while birds are still in their nests, a stone spout in southern part of Kathmandu valley in Bhaisepati is providing water to the citys inhabitants. Of a pair of stone spouts, one is almost dry, though some water leaks through and collects within an area of about one square metre. This is scooped up and ladled into jars. There is always a queue of jars at the stone spouts. Image by: Ramesh Bhushal. Known as dhunge dhara in Nepali or Hiti in the local Newari language, the stone spouts are an ancient system of water distribution. Linking wells, canals, and conduits, the spouts use gravity to channel rainwater to residents all over the Kathmandu valley. In Kathmandu, fetching water tends to be a womans responsibility. Image by: Ramesh Bhushal. Over time the spouts have suffered from neglect, from encroachment in the groundwater catchment areas, and due to haphazard urbanisation which has affected the wells, canals and conduit system. In 2013 the NGO Forum estimated that of the original 389 stone spouts, only 233 are working normally, while 45 no longer exist and 68 have gone dry. Late at night, or very early in the morning, the stone spouts are always in demand. Image by: Ramesh Bhushal. After the introduction of piped water in the 1890s, the stone spouts became the water source of choice for the urban poor. Nevertheless that still means most of the city. According to Kathmandu Upatyeka Khanepani Limited, a public private entity managing Kathmandus water supply, water demand reached 377 million litres per day in 2017 while the supply was 120 million litres in the wet season and only 73 million litres per day in the dry season which is ongoing. That means one in every five people in Kathmandu get water from the official system. A child pours water over his sister as they bathe by the spout. Image by: Ramesh Bhushal. Thus there is a huge demand for the stone spouts. The one located 100 metres from my house is always busy. More than 500 jars are filled every day and more than 90 percent of those who come to collect water are women. A few people wear masks and observe physical distancing. Image by: Ramesh Bhushal. I can hear declarations of how the virus is a form of biological warfare. Others prophesy that the US President, Donald Trump, will lose his bid for re-election because of his handling of the challenge. Then there are suggestions that India may place an embargo on goods coming into Nepal as part of its response as the number of those infected rise in India. Much of the discussion, though, centres around Nepals Prime Minister KP Oli. He and his ministers are accused of corruption in buying medical equipment from China, for gross incompetence, and everything else. A woman washes clothes as her daughter looks on. Image by: Ramesh Bhushal. The stone spouts could be almost forgotten, as they have often been, but their value rises in emergencies like the current lockdown. In the aftermath of the devastating 2015 earthquake in Nepal it was the spouts that had provided much needed drinking water. They were one of the very few forms of supply relatively unscathed by the disaster. Now, during the pandemic, they still provide sustenance. Unfortunately the neglect of the system has made them more and more vulnerable, and who knows whether the people of Kathmandu will have this resource to fall back on when the next emergency comes, and whether the street theatre will continue. Banner image: Stone spout in Bhaisepati in Kathmandu valley dripping water into a jerry can. Photo credit: Ramesh Bhushal. *** The Third Pole is a multilingual platform dedicated to promoting information and discussion about the Himalayan watershed and the rivers that originate there. This report was originally published on thethirdpole.net and has been reproduced here with permission. Punjab Police has deployed mobile clinics for health examination of its personnel who are managing the COVID-19 crisis on ground, a statement on Friday said. Around 30,00 of the total 43,000 police personnel have been given one round of thorough medical check-up, it said. Besides, the police personnel who are suffering from blood pressure related problems, diabetes and other health issues are being given multi-vitamins at the place of duty, Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta said in the statement. The Mobile Police Clinics are working in all the seven police ranges and commissionerates of the state, he said. In some of the districts, help is being taken from the civil hospital doctors to get the police personnel checked for symptoms of flu or other illnesses, the director general of police said. All personnel will be checked repeatedly, every second day, to ensure that there is no health issue among them as a result of possible exposure to the coronavirus, Gupta said. He said detailed instructions have been issued by the district SSPs to ensure that all police personnel, performing duties at the forefront in enforcing the ongoing lockdown, remain healthy and safe. So far 2.5 lakh masks, 788 PPE kits and nearly 2.5 lakh hand sanitisers have been distributed to all the ranges and CPs to protect the police personnel, the DGP said. Tents and outdoor umbrellas have been installed along barricades to protect the police personnel from extreme hot temperatures, he added. To ensure sanitization of barricades, chairs, and other items which are used by the police force on front line duty, a special Japanese machine is being used in Ludhiana and Patiala, Gupta said in the statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 37 children living in a shelter in Chicago for unaccompanied and undocumented youth have been infected by the COVID-19 coronavirus. The shelter is in the Bronzeville neighborhood, with 69 kids infants to teens living in a dormitory-like setting. It is run by the nonprofit Heartland Alliance, which also oversees two other shelters in Chicago. Heartland Alliance told ABC News all of the children in its custody have been tested, and the cases are confined to the Bronzeville shelter, where 76 percent of the 37 kids to test positive were "completely asymptomatic at the time of testing." The nonprofit said the children are "doing well," but would not say if any of its staff members have the virus. There are roughly 2,400 unaccompanied minors living in shelters across the United States. Most were detained at the southern border and are in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Immigration advocates have called on officials to quickly release the sick children in Chicago and reunite them with their relatives living in the United States. The Office of Refugee Resettlement has not said if it is doing anything to try to release kids to the custody of their families, but officials did tell ABC News "out of an abundance of caution," it is no longer sending unaccompanied minors to places with a high number of coronavirus cases, including New York, Washington, and California. More stories from theweek.com A parade that killed thousands? 5 scathing cartoons about Trump's rush to reopen the economy USDA to provide $16 billion in direct aid to farmers, spend $3 billion on agricultural products A 56-year-old man suffering from coronavirus died in Rajasthan, where 62 fresh cases were reported on Friday, taking the total number of COVID-19 positive cases to 1,193 in the state, officials said. A government official said the man was found coronavirus positive on Wednesday and died at the MDM Hospital in Jodhpur late on Thursday night. "He also had cardiac complications," the official said. A government report said the number of deaths in the state due to COVID-19 has gone up to 17. Meanwhile, the number of positive cases increased to 1,193. Of the fresh cases, maximum 28 are from Jodhpur, 13 from Tonk, six each from Jaipur and Kota, two from Nagaur, and one each from Ajmer, Jhalawar and Jhunjhunu. The remaining four are evacuees from Iran. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven speaks during a news conference following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at the governement headquarters in Stockholm STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden will extend restrictions on international travel until May 15, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said on Thursday, while warning that measures to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus could be in place for months. "It is still much too early to ease the restrictions, to ease the recommendations," Lofven told reporters. He said he could not give an exact date for when restrictions would be lifted, but that people should think in terms of months rather than days. Sweden, where over 1,300 COVID-19 patients have died, has taken a more low-key approach toward fighting the virus than most other European countries, relying primarily on voluntary measures and common sense than outright bans. (Reporting by Johan Ahlander; editing by Niklas Pollard) Car drivers are set to be slugged with higher private parking fees in Sydney and Melbourne once the coronavirus lockdown lifts, as losses from empty multi-storey car parks drive big commercial operators to the wall. The use of city car parks across the country has plummeted from near-full before the COVID-19 pandemic struck to just 10 per cent occupancy as socially isolated workers abandon central city offices and government-imposed travel restrictions bite. The likely outcome after restrictions are lifted will be an increase in car parking fees. Credit: The almost complete shutdown of the parking industry is adding mounting financial pressure on national operators like Wilson Parking, Secure P and Care Park. They are paying rent on empty spaces as well as state government congestion and parking levies, while receiving significantly reduced revenue, the industry's peak body says. "If you take out aviation I wouldn't think you would find too many industries in Australia that are harder hit by the coronavirus crisis," Parking Australia chief executive Stuart Norman said. While everyone knows that the royal family members are notorious for putting forth a specific image, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has always managed to do so while bending the rules just a bit. She is very secure in who she is, and one of the things that fans admire most about her is the fact that her confidence is pretty much unmatched. It is safe to say that it wasnt exactly easy for Meghan after she married Prince Harry. She took an excessive amount of backlash in the British tabloids, which, as we are all well aware, was one of the main reasons that Meghan and Prince Harry decided to step down from their positions as senior royals. Unlike her husband, Meghan certainly wasnt born into royalty. She was not famous growing up and had to work hard to establish herself as a successful actress. Ever since she landed her big break on the legal drama Suits, it seems that Meghan has had so many amazing accomplishments that she is extremely proud of. Now, a royal biographer is saying that Meghan is protective of Brand Meghan. Lets take a look. From a California girl to the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Getty Images Meghan was born and raised in Los Angeles, and she is truly a California girl at heart. It wasnt until she took on the role as Rachel Zane on Suits that she moved to Toronto, where the show was being filmed. From there, Meghan went on to enter into a serious relationship with Prince Harry, and Harpers Bazaar reports that she officially moved to England in 2017. The United Kingdom and California are different in so many ways, and we can only imagine that Meghans new surroundings took some getting used to. However, after marrying Prince Harry in May of 2018 and becoming the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan was pretty adamant about moving forward in the most positive way that she could. Meghan has always projected a sophisticated vibe Meghan Markle | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images It seems that Meghan is pretty much known for being as classy as they come. She always looks great, and she certainly knows how to handle herself with grace and dignity in any situation. According to Express, it was evident from the very beginning that Meghan was a wonderful actress, and as her fame continued to grow, she knew that she had to be as sophisticated as she could. Meghan wanted to be seen in a certain light and made it a priority to ensure that she was always giving off a very specific vibe. Chances are, the duchess knew, even years ago, that as an actress and humanitarian, she was always being very closely watched and that she needed to do what was necessary to establish an excellent reputation as someone who was poised and refined, which is exactly what she did. A royal biographer says Meghan is protective of her brand It is no secret that neither Hollywood life nor royal life is easy, and Meghan is one of the few people who can say that she has experienced both. So, what does royal biographer have to say? Well, he feels that she is very protective of Brand Meghan, according to Images. This could easily be seen when Meghan was married to her first husband, Trevor Engelson, who was extremely different than she was. Meghan was more conservative, while Engelson was laid back, and spoke his mind. Andrew Morton, a royal biographer, wrote that Engelson was very different to his [then] bride-to-be who, as her former colleagues on Deal or No Deal observed, was always very self-contained and considered. Morton added: Trevor loose-lipped, unconcerned, carefree, a striking counterpart to Meghan, who was archly protective of brand Meghan, always keen to project an air of sophistication and style. Looks like Meghan is well aware of the fact that a lot of hard work went into having people see her the way she wants to be seen, and we cant blame her for being protective of her image. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during a news conference in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 13, 2020. (Martin Hunter/Reuters) New Zealands Ardern Says Many Restrictions to Be Kept in Place When Lockdown Ends WELLINGTONNew Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday that significant restrictions would be kept in place even if the country eases the nationwide one-month lockdown enforced to beat the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. New Zealand introduced its highest, level 4 lockdown measures in March, under which offices, schools and all non-essential services like bars, restaurants, cafes and playgrounds were shut down. A decision on whether to lift the lockdown would be made on April 20. The measures were tougher than most other countries, including neighboring Australia, where some businesses were allowed to operate. Ardern said if New Zealand moves to the lower level 3 of restriction, it would permit aspects of the economy to reopen in a safe way but there will be no rush to normality. We have an opportunity to do something no other country has achieved, eliminating the virus, Ardern said at a news conference. New Zealand reported 15 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, taking the total to 1,401 in a nation of about 5 million people. There have been nine deaths. Ardern said under level 3, some people could return to work and businesses reopen if they are able to provide contactless engagement with customers. Shops, malls, hardware stores and restaurants will remain shut but can permit online or phone purchases. Nina Goodall (8) works on her lessons online for the first day of term with help from her dad Seamus Goodall before he leaves for work while in lockdown at their home in Kaipara Flats in Auckland, New Zealand on April 15, 2020. (Fiona Goodall/Getty Images) Schools can open partially up to year 10 but attendance is voluntary, Ardern said, adding that for children who are able, distance learning is still the best option. Funerals and weddings will be able to go ahead, but limited to 10 people. But they can only be services and no meals, food or receptions can take place. 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, Ardern said. By Praveen Menon Epoch Times staff contributed to this report 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 army on Friday launched search and rescue operations for a jawan who slipped and fell into the Satluj while negotiating a crossing near the Line of Actual Control(LAC) in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pardesh. Havildar Prakash Ralla of Tripeak Brigade was part of a patrolling party. The party immediately launched search operations and was later joined by around 200 persons of the unit. The operations are being carried out despite challenges of increasing water levels, high silt content, water current and presence of large boulders in the river. Quadcopters, reconnaissance, observation helicopters as also specially-trained divers from special forces and engineer task forces are undertaking the operations, an official spokesperson said. The efforts are being coordinated with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and Karcham Dam authorities. It isnt like Joe Biden was former President Barack Obamas first choice for president. Obamas video endorsement of Biden on Tuesday came after every other candidate had pulled out. He even waited for Bernie Sanders to suspend his campaign to endorse Biden. The moderate Obama and the formerly moderate Biden now appear to be in bed with the hard-left, Saul Alinsky, socialist wing of their party. In all of this, Sanders is the real winner because he has managed to pull the party so far left that it might qualify to open a headquarters in Havana, or even Moscow, where Sanders and his wife honeymooned. Obama tried, but failed, to convince Biden not to run this year. According to The New York Times, Obama told Biden, You dont have to do this, Joe, you really dont. Biden wrote in his book that Obama talked him out of running in 2016 in order to clear a path for Hillary Clinton. Biden wrote that Obama played up the appeal of leaving politics and gave little encouragement about a possible bid. Again, according to The New York Times, Obama offered every (2020 Democrat) candidate his counsel and in December it leaked that the former president was secretly promoting then-candidate Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to possible donors. Last December, Obama told a gathering in Singapore there would be significant improvement across the board if more countries had female leaders and that old men should get out of the way. It was a comment many took to be a slap at his much older (and male) vice president. In March 2019, a report in The New York Times said Obama called together some of Bidens top campaign advisers and told them, they needed to make sure Biden didnt embarrass himself, a clear reference to the growing number of gaffes Biden was committing and continues to commit. Last September, CNN reported it was told by a senior Obama-Biden administration official that it appeared Bidens capacity was in obvious decline, a statement that is easily confirmed by anyone who observes his rambling comments. Robert Gates, who served as secretary of Defense in the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said of Biden in his 2014 book Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War: I think he has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades. A review of Gates book in The New York Times, reprinted in the January 2014 issue of Atlantic magazine, notes Gates scathing indictment of the former vice president: Biden is accused of poisoning the well against the military leadership. Thomas Donilon, initially Obamas deputy national security adviser, and then-Lt. Gen. Douglas E. Lute, the White House coordinator for the wars, are described as regularly engaged in aggressive, suspicious, and sometimes condescending and insulting questioning of our military leaders.' At a 2011 meeting of his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, Obama sheepishly confessed that the economic stimulus program he and Biden had previously said would create shovel-ready jobs, was not as uh shovel-ready as we expected. Theres plenty more criticism of Biden and his record, which Republicans are certainly storing up for a slew of campaign ads and the upcoming presidential debates, including Bidens flip-flopping on issues he once claimed to hold as convictions. Most of the former Democratic presidential candidates would have been better and stronger than Biden, but once again the Establishment has had its way and should Biden be defeated and Democrats lose congressional seats, they will have only themselves to blame. Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Saudi fighter jets strike Yemeni cities again despite ceasefire claim Iran Press TV Thursday, 16 April 2020 6:19 AM Saudi jets have targeted a number of areas across Yemen overnight despite a so-called ceasefire that the Riyadh-led coalition of aggressors has announced itself. Yemen's al-Masirah television network said the warplanes bombarded Wadi Dhahr area of the Hamdan district in the capital, Sana'a, as well as an area close to its hospital three times in the early hours of Thursday. It added that Saudi fighter jets carried out strikes against Aroush and Watda areas of Khawlan district, Sana'a Province. The strikes also targeted Madghal city in the central province of Ma'rib as well as Harf Sufian city in Amran Province two times, the report said. The airstrikes come despite claims by the invaders that 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. Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement has dismissed the ceasefire claim as "false and misleading", saying the Saudi Arabia-led coalition had even escalated their offensives against Yemen. Tweeting on Monday, the popular Yemeni defense group's spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam, denounced any claim on the part of the coalition alleging that it had begun observing "self-restraint" and accusing the Houthis of violating the ceasefire as "ridiculous." Riyadh and its allies have been widely criticized for the high civilian death toll resulted from their bombing campaign in Yemen since early 2015. At least 80 percent of the 28 million-strong population of Yemen is reliant on aid to survive in what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Credit: CC0 Public Domain A research team led by Prof. Li Guohui from the Institute of Earth Environment (IEE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences quantitatively assessed how much PM2.5 could be attributed to the combination of ARI and API during a persistent heavy haze episode in the North China Plain in winter. Aerosol-radiation interaction (ARI) includes direct scattering and/or absorption of incoming solar radiation by atmospheric aerosols and induced adjustments to the surface energy budget, thermodynamic profile and cloudiness. ARI has been confirmed to cool the surface but heat the air aloft. It also enhances the atmospheric stability, accumulation and formation of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) in the planetary boundary layer (PBL), and eventually deteriorates air quality during haze events. However, modification of photolysis in the atmosphere caused by aerosols absorbing or scattering solar radiation (i.e., the aerosol-photolysis interaction, or API) ultimately changes ozone (O 3 ) formation and atmospheric oxidizing capability (AOC), further influencing secondary aerosol formation and offsetting ARI effects on PM 2.5 pollution. Recently, a research team led by Prof. Li Guohui from the Institute of Earth Environment (IEE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences quantitatively assessed how much PM 2.5 could be attributed to the combination of ARI and API during a persistent heavy haze episode in the North China Plain in winter. The study was conducted from a modeling perspective with a combination of measurements. It was published in PNAS on Apr. 14. Based on observations, the researchers found that secondary aerosols constituted a major fraction of PM 2.5 in Beijing, and were determined to a large extent by atmospheric oxidants affected by API. The results of the study indicated that API caused the daytime NO 2 photolysis rate constant and O 3 concentrations to decrease by 22.6% and 18.6%, respectively. "Such a pronounced decrease of AOC will inevitably impede secondary aerosol formation. Actually, the API effect on secondary aerosol formation could be observed indirectly from analyses of measurements through its impact on O 3 ," said Prof. Li. The researchers found that ARI contributed to a 7.8% increase in near-surface PM 2.5 . However, API suppressed secondary aerosol formation. As a result, the combination of ARI and API resulted in only a 4.8% net increase in PM 2.5 , with almost 60% of the PM 2.5 enhancement due to ARI only. "The total aerosol effect on radiationthat is, the synergetic effect of both ARI and APIdoes not constitute an important factor in driving heavy haze formation, except for extremely severe haze," said Prof. LI. Explore further Synergy of anthropogenic emissions and atmospheric processes may cause severe haze in northern China More information: Jiarui Wu et al, Aerosolphotolysis interaction reduces particulate matter during wintertime haze events, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2020). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Jiarui Wu et al, Aerosolphotolysis interaction reduces particulate matter during wintertime haze events,(2020). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1916775117 Baku is empty these days. Of course, this is temporary, but its hard to see a deserted city, full of life once. Perhaps all for good, as people began to realize things they had not valued before. Gunel Anargyzy, director of the Baku Book Center, writer and publicist, presented the My City project in Russian. She wrote this story on April 5, the first day of tightening the quarantine regime and social isolation of residents of Baku. The text is read by director and screenwriter Efim Abramov. My city, the only one, native and unique. Suddenly, I decided to write to you. My name doesnt matter - who cares what my name is. The most important thing is that I am your resident, the most ordinary one, without whom you have been left alone for the first time. Perhaps, without me, you are not particularly sad, because you are so diverse, many-sided and beautiful, wise and deep. And you do not need me at all. h, what beautiful streets, wide avenues, arranged parks and managed boulevards, luxurious new buildings and unique monuments you have. And the sea ... Oh, what a deep and immense Caspian you have! What a magical old and dazzling new city! All this creates your unique, incomparable appearance. My city. How many great people have glorified you. And how modestly, probably, my words sound in comparison with those praises. No matter how hard I try to praise you, I cant convey all your strength and defenselessness. I cant, but you dont need this. But today you are left without me. Perhaps, for the first time in many years. For the first time in many years, you can calmly breathe, breathe deeply, because your pavements have been freed from the stench of buzzing traffic jams, sidewalks - from the traces of countless heels and soles, the railings of the metro - from a string of tired hands, cafe chairs from indifferent backs, elegant windows - from insatiable devouring glances, schoolyards - from carefree children's laughter, and dark nooks - from secret kisses of young lovers. And how many more things you lost in one day, being left alone. This must be fate. I miss you. The pictures of my distant childhood come alive. I am running to the street, slapping my bare feet on wet rough pavement, leaning against the cool walls of old houses, closing my eyes, listening to the whisper of summer foliage, inhaling hitherto unfamiliar aromas of street cafes washed by a shower. And then, getting wet to the skin, I understand that it is not raining at all. These are my tears, my city. My city, forgive me for poisoning, littering and mutilating you, for being always in a hurry somewhere, not noticing the pain and suffering inflicted on you, accusing you of things, you, my city, were not to blame. Often I dreamed of running away, running away from you. Where? There, where it seems I could breathe easier and live better. But when I escaped, I suddenly began to absurdly miss you and feel the heaviness of guilt befallen on me. Forgive me for not appreciating, for not loving you. And now I am alone, and somehow I need to live with it. My city, take a break from me, I exhausted you. And I will live, and every day, more and more clearly understand that it is impossible to be without you. Worked on the project: musical accompaniment - Etibar Asadli and Shahriyar Imanov, sound producer - Teymur Abdullaev, editor - Fuad Tahmazli, video production - Baku Media Center. AS the Minister for State in the Vice-Presidents Office (Union and Environment), Mr Mussa Azzan Zungu, requested parliament to approve 28bn/- for recurrent and development expenditure, the ministry outlined key challenges, including shortage of employees. Tabling his budget for the 2020/2021 Financial Year, Mr Zungu said that there were few employees to supervise issues related to Union and environmental issues, and that there was poor coordination within government entities on supervision and conservation of the environment. The minister further told the National Assembly that there was also poor knowledge on laws and regulations, as well as how best community members could be enlightened on environmental conservation. In his speech, the minister further remarked: In dealing with these challenges, the ministry made communications with the office of the President, Public Service and Good Governance, on how best they could increase the number of staff to handle all activities within the ministry. The ministry also continues to provide massive education on preservation and environmental protection by ensuring that all laws and regulations are enforced; we have also been conducting the same in the media which reaches a wider population, said Mr Zungu. On the 2020/2021 priorities, Mr Zungu said that his ministry was coordinating the joint meetings with Mainland Tanzania and in the Isles over Union issues. Plus, he said, there was a special committee which was coordinating and doing routine follow ups on the implementation of several programmes and development projects. The minister said his ministry was intending to coordinate social and economic issues on the implementation of projects that have two sides of the Union. He also explained that his ministry was coordinating non-union matters through meetings conducted within the ministry and all departments. On the environment, Mr Zungu said that his ministry was continuing with its task of educating community members on the importance of preserving the environment and how best it can remain strong in the best interests of the economy. A child who died in a fall from the 16th floor window of his familys vacation condominium in Florida last weekend has been identified as the four-year-old twin son of a couple from New York. Hollywood police and paramedics were called to Quadomain Tower Condominium on 2201 South Ocean Drive at 12.30pm on Saturday, where Jesse DelDuca was pronounced dead. The Broward County Medical Examiner's Office released a report on Thursday, ruling the toddler's death accidental. Tragic: Jesse DelDuca, 4, was killed in an accidental fall from the 16th floor window of his family's vacation condominium in Hollywood, Florida, on Saturday The Quadomain Tower Condominium in Hollywood, Florida, where Jesse died last weekend According to the document obtained by Sun-Sentinel, Jesse was at his family's condo on the 16th floor with his parents, twin brother and aunt. Jesse's parents, Philip DelDuca and his wife, Eliza, are pictured in a photo posted on Facebook before their son's death The boys' father, Phil DelDuca, 51, from Staten Island, opened a screened window in Jesse's bedroom to let a cross-breeze in at around 11.20am. The father exited the room, and when he returned some time later, he noticed that the screen on the window was 'partially bent out,' so he removed it, placed it on the bed and closed the window. Later, Jesse's aunt saw the screen laying on the bed and opened the window, only to discover her nephew laying on the ground 16 floors below. DelDuca, his wife and the sister-in-law all rushed downstairs and asked the lobby attendant to call 911. According to the medical examiners report, Jesses mother told police her son had always wanted to fly. Photos posted on the parents social media pages indicate that the family have been staying in Florida for the last few months. Police found the deceased child when they arrived to the call at Quadomain Tower Condominium Crime scene investigators arrived to the building on Saturday afternoon On the morning of Jesses death, his mother shared photos on Facebook showing their twins happily coloring eggs for Easter. Two days later, the grieving mom composed a heart-breaking status update acknowledging her son's tragic passing. 'Goodbye ours Jesse boy!!!!' she wrote. 'Oh my God it hurts so much !!! please pray for us.' The Hollywood Police Department said the investigation into Jesse DelDucas accidental fall is still ongoing. Pleading with people to continue to stay home, Premier Doug Ford will soon release some encouraging COVID-19 modelling projections proving Ontarios efforts are working. With the arrival of a spring weekend, Ford said Friday that Ontarians should resist the urge to head to their cottages because by no means are we out of the woods right now. Weve come such a long way and its been a real, real fight and everyone has contributed. And please just, again, continue practicing social distancing. Dont be travelling up to the cottage, the premier told reporters at his daily Queens Park teleconference. Its still a heavy burden on the people up in the northern areas and in cottage country, so lets continue practice socially distancing and selfless isolating. I know its tough. I know its hard to do. But weve come such a long, long way, said. Ford. We saw some positive results last night and its encouraging, he said. Ive always, always told the public wed be fully transparent on modelling. I was briefed last night on the modelling and weve asked our COVID-19 command table to put the modelling out to the public. They said that theyd be able to do it on Monday. Ford emphasized that he did not want to overstate any good news in the updated modelling on the impact of the virus. We have a real fight on our hands still, as much as the modelling looked a little positive, it can go the other way. We could see a second stream of this coming, he said. Two weeks ago, his government unveiled modelling projections that warned Ontario could see 1,600 deaths from COVID-19 this month alone and hospital intensive care units could be overwhelmed if stricter physical distancing measures werent followed. That modelling suggested that the measures so far in place have averted 300,000 cases and 6,000 deaths by the end of April. As of 5 p.m. Friday, the provinces regional public health units were reporting 10,753 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 and at least 535 deaths. Health Minister Christine Elliott said of course we had to prepare for the worst-case scenario. We needed to build up hospital capacity, which weve done. We have about 200 people in intensive care right now on ventilators, but we are able to deal with many more. We hope that we dont need to, said Elliott. But as the premier indicated, its really because of the efforts of the people of Ontario, all 14.5 million people practicing physical distancing, staying at home, self-isolating as required for 14 days when coming from another jurisdiction, she said. All of that has made a difference. All of that has saved thousands of lives. And Im very, very grateful to the people of Ontario for doing that. Robert Benzie is the Stars Queens Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie Read more about: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday registered a money laundering case against the chief of Delhi-based Tablighi Jamaat Markaz, Maulana Saad, and others, days after the Delhi Police booked the Maulana under sections of the Epidemic Disease Act. The ED registered the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Saad under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on the FIR registered by Delhi Police on March 31. Sources said that Maulana Saad is among a group of around nine people named in the ECIR filed by the ED, which has initiated a probe to investigate the transactions in the Tablighi trust created by Saad. The Central probe agency will investigate the funds being received by Saad to organise Tablighi congregations and other activities. His bank account details and other transactions in the country as well as foreign funding 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 the novel coronavirus pandemic last month, the Delhi Police had registered an FIR against him and others from the Tablighi Jamaat under different sections of the Epidemic Disease Act. The Delhi Police case was filed under the Epidemic Act 1897 read with Sections 269, 270, 271 and 120-B of the 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 the prevention and treatment of Covid-19, the Delhi Police said. Delhi Police on Wednesday charged Saad under stringent sections for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, which is equivalent to second degree murder. Saad is under self-quarantine after being blamed for grossly violating the norms of the Epidemic Diseases Act. The Amir (chief) of Tablighi Jamaat, Saad, as per the investigating agencies, is in constant touch with Jamaatis through audio messages. SPRINGFIELD Police are investigating the deaths of a township woman and her daughter who were found inside their home on the 100 block of School Lane Wednesday morning. Officers were dispatched to the residence about 8:09 a.m. Wednesday for a welfare check, according to a release from the police department, and met with a relative of the resident at the address. Upon entering the home, two bodies were discovered lying on the living room floor, the release states. One, the 37-year-old homeowner, and the second her 10-year-old daughter. The cause of death was not apparent to the officers at the scene. The Delaware County Medical Examiners office has removed the bodies to determine cause of death, according to the release. Springfield Detective Bridget McCarthy is handling the investigation. The Springfield School District also issued a release Wednesday expressing sorrow at the news. The 10-year-old was a fifth-grade student at Scenic Hill Elementary School. As a caring community, our thoughts and support are with their extended family and friends during this tragic time, the district release stated. Due to the unique situation of the governors shelter-in-place orders, the Springfield School District is working collaboratively with vari Police Investigations ous agencies in an effort to provide support to our Scenic staff and students. More detailed information will be provided to our staff and students as it becomes available. At this juncture, we are not permitted to share any other details due to the ongoing investigation. But rest assured, the district will continue to be supportive of our community. Ukraine's new PM to meet with Merkel via video link source from Berlin Newly appointed Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal will hold a video conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel next week, spokesman for the German government Steffen Seibert told reporters. "At 3 p.m. on Monday - it sounds a little strange there will be a visit on the occasion of the taking the office of Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, a visit which, of course, will be held in the form of a video conference these days," Seibert told reporters in Berlin on Friday. According to him, the chancellor and the prime minister "will definitely discuss measures to suppress the coronavirus pandemic in both countries." "They will also talk about bilateral relations, the reform process in Ukraine and the implementation of the Minsk agreements, which should lead to the end of the conflict in eastern Ukraine," Seibert said. Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany Andriy Melnyk, in turn, described the upcoming video conference scheduled for April 20 as a virtual foreign visit by the head of the Ukrainian government. "It is symbolic that Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal will make his first virtual foreign visit on April 20 exactly to Berlin: he will hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel in the format of a video conference. Germany is our strategic partner!" he said on Twitter. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Donald Trump. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Both Canada and the US are attempting to alleviate the devastating economic crisis caused by the coronavirus with a series of relief packages designed to help keep individuals and businesses afloat. But when it comes to relief for individual citizens, the two countries have taken different policy routes. While the US is sending stimulus checks to all tax-paying Americans who make under a certain amount annually, Canada is providing more generous direct payments to those who've been impacted by COVID-19 or who make up to $1,000 per month. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Both Canada and the US are attempting to alleviate the devastating economic crisis caused by the coronavirus epidemic with a series of relief packages designed to help keep individuals and businesses afloat. But when it comes to direct financial support for individual citizens, the two countries have taken different policy routes. In the US, President Donald Trump signed a $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill on March 27 that includes one-time payments of up to $1,200 to all Americans making up to $99,000. The payments are worth up to $2,400 per married couple, with an additional $500 going to parents for each child they claim as a dependent who is 16 or younger. The money is not taxed and doesn't need to be paid back to the government. Many Democrats are pushing for more generous direct payments to be included in the next phase of the relief effort. The Internal Revenue Service has begun delivering those payments by mail and through direct deposit, but about half of the checks have yet to be delivered, in part due to failures with the system. More generous stimulus checks could be part of a fourth stimulus package, which the White House is currently discussing with Congress. Both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the president have said they're interested in a "second round" of stimulus checks. Story continues Meanwhile, more than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment the highest rate since the Great Depression in the four weeks since Trump declared a national emergency. Some experts say the unemployment rate has already risen to a staggering 20%. As a result, unemployment offices in states across the country have been unable to meet the spike in demand. In Canada, the government is having residents 15 years of age and older apply for up to $2,000 in direct monthly payments for the next four months. Initially, the program was open only to those who've lost employment or can't work because of the COVID-19 crisis. Earlier this week, the government expanded eligibility to anyone who earns up to $1,000 per month. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also announced earlier this week that the government will boost salaries for essential workers who make less than $2,500 per month. Canada's existing social safety net is significantly more robust than the US's. Perhaps most notably, the country has a universal single-payer healthcare system which ensures all Canadians have access to coronavirus testing and treatment free of charge. Meanwhile, nearly 30 million Americans are currently living without any form of health insurance. While testing for the virus is free in the US, the cost of related treatment and hospitalization has the potential to bankrupt many Americans, even those who have insurance. Tanza Loudenback contributed to this report. Read the original article on Business Insider Accordingly, the Vietnamese government donated made-in-Vietnam face masks and medical supplies worth US$ 100,000 in total to Japan. 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 that, amid the complicated developments of COVID-19, Vietnam and Japan have rapidly 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, stating that 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. Minister and Chairman of the Office of the Government Mai Tien Dung, on behalf of Prime Minister Phuc, hands over the medical supplies to Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Konstantin Vnukov. (Photo: VNA) Presenting the gifts to the Russian Presidential Office, Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung said that 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 believes that under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin and with 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 Konstantin Vnukov thanked Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc as well as leaders of the Government Office, ministries, and sectors of Vietnam for their support. Minister and Chairman of the Office of the Government Mai Tien Dung hands over the gift of Vietnamese Government and people to US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink. (Photo: NDO/Thanh Giang) The Vietnamese Government also presented 200,000 antibacterial cloth face masks to the US government and people to support them in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. 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 that Vietnam and the US have taken effective cooperation steps in preventing and combating COVID-19 both bilaterally and multilaterally, he said, 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 quickly push back the pandemic 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 Kritenbrink said that 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. 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. Rohan Mehta, CEO, Kinnect, humanitarian and firm strategy is the need of the hour as organisations are beginning to feel the real impact of the lockdown, the tremendous pressure on the economy, as well as the strains on the workforce confined to their homes and insecurities coming to the fore. What steps are you and your organisation taking to help out the society at large or those engaged in the war against COVID-19? During a crisis like this, we understand that the health and safety of people be it #Kinnectors or the country at large is paramount. Hence, we implemented work from home starting on March 16, and have since adhered to the lockdown. At this point, as individuals, the best one could do to help out the society and the frontrunners at war against COVID-19 is by staying at home and only stepping out when extremely necessary. We adhered to social distancing well in advance and optimised our use of technology to communicate remotely. On the community front, to mitigate the effects of the lockdown on daily-wage workers, we pledged to roll out a response with a focus on immediate humanitarian aid through our #KinnectorsGiveBack initiative. Having identified that daily-wage workers have lost their livelihood and are struggling to make ends meet, we encouraged each #Kinnector to extend immediate help to people around them. All they had to do was donate a certain amount, which will be reimbursed to them once we resume normal operations. How are you keeping your employees motivated and are encouraging them to give their best, even as they are working from home? Luckily at Kinnect, it didnt take a crisis for us to understand the importance of our employees well being. As part of our #GetALife program that encourages work-life balance, we facilitate one-on-one sessions with a mental health professional on a bi-weekly basis. An external professional conducts these sessions, and we ensure confidentiality. Keeping in mind the situation, in the last month and this month the sessions will be conducted on call/ video calls. We also understand that during a crisis like this, it is common for everyone to experience increased levels of distress and anxiety, particularly as a result of social isolation. All leadership is mandated to do team catch-up calls every day, preferably starting the day with a video call. Thus, enabling them to stay connected and build better team relationships. We also have a designated team that reaches out to Kinnectors, and discusses at length about their health and work from home scenarios. I make sure to interact with the leadership on a weekly basis, and keep myself updated about each of their team members health. We also do virtual engagement activities and trainings. We encourage our employees to take up activities or learn a new skill, to grow personally as well as professionally in a time where they might feel stagnant, to cultivate inclusive, connected digital teams that thrive through effective operations. #KinnectFridays are a mainstay as part of the #KinnectCulture. Keeping with our tradition of a monthly #KinnectFriday, we recently did a virtual #KinnectFriday BYOB version, where we had our team members across Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore offices play musical instruments and sing along to uplift spirits. What is most needed in challenging times such as these: (a) From the general public: As the situation continues to aggravate, the foremost and the most personal need is to perform hygiene frequently, understand the implications of COVID-19 and the importance of social distancing. The Government is keeping a close watch on this situation, and our determination and patience will play a crucial role in containing its impact. People should also be careful about the information they are accessing and sharing. The Internet is simply a platform for sharing data and doesnt have any mechanisms for vetting the accuracy or value of the information, hence it is absolutely crucial to think before reacting to or sharing information around the pandemic. The idea is to diffuse panic. Amid a crisis, helping others can provide a sense of control and empowerment. Engaging in acts of service, and extending help and support to those who may be struggling. One needs to practice empathy to open their mind to what others are experiencing and extend social connectedness that can help combat feelings of isolation. It is also imperative to follow guidelines suggested by WHO and the Government to minimise the reach of the virus. The current situation also requires an elevated level of humanitarian assistance to the frontline fighters of this war against the pandemic. (b) From the authorities: The authorities are currently doing their best to deal with the pandemic, and I can only imagine how difficult it can get to be in their shoes. The fast-changing situation requires integrated quick response from officials, which means that it should focus on tracking developments on a 24x7 basis for analysing impacts, evaluating options, devising strategies, and review implementations. We also need to exponentially ramp up the number of tests conducted in the country. While I agree that the lockdown has helped slow down the spread of the virus, we have not yet managed to flatten the curve. This also means that there is an urgent need to upgrade healthcare facilities in order to deal with this crisis better. I also feel that the actions, precautions, and measures taken by the authorities should be in line with the risks stemming from the economic situation. (c) From business leaders: At a time like this, business leaders are more important than ever. Amidst growing health and economic concerns, a business leaders prime responsibility is to assimilate information from multiple sources and decode it in a way that is relevant to his/ her organisation. While most information that is widely available is generic in nature, it is important to apply the filter of the organisations current state and dynamics before building an action plan. Multiple outcome scenarios need to be projected with measures that need to be taken at each eventuality. Looking out for customer confidence signals and drivers is of prime importance, along with trusting gut instinct. The importance of empathy and clear communication cannot be overstated. Employees mental states are more fragile than ever and a reassuring voice might be the best provider of comfort. It also goes a long way in bringing the team to work together in a single cohesive phalanx to battle through the adversity and ensure the best possible outcome within the constraints of the situation. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page 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 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) 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 Johnson (@carrielbjohnson) 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. In addition to helping students with financial need because of the pandemic, it will help families still recovering from last years flooding, he said. The students can graduate without debt, Clare said. And once COVID-19 is behind the state, it will still face workforce shortages that the university will play a role in solving, he said. Clare said tuition shouldnt be a barrier keeping young people out of the university. If we can provide this opportunity for young families, its transformational, he said. He said that he is comfortable with the 2.5 GPA requirement and that some students GPA may be lower because theyre working jobs that cut into study time. Regent Robert Schafer said he supports the program and called it awesome. Ultimately what youre trying to do is give someone the opportunity to live the American dream, he said. Regent Elizabeth OConnor said some students have lost jobs because of the social gathering restrictions triggered by the pandemic. The program will prevent their education from being interrupted because they cant pay tuition, she said. Michael Goonan isn't the first millionaire to appear on Married At First Sight, but he's certainly the richest. Thanks to his family's successful ice business, the 29-year-old has amassed his own personal fortune with a million dollar mansion, designer clothes, and much more - all before the age of 30. The young entrepreneur is known to party on yachts, travel in private jets and wear flashy designer gear. Luxury: Thanks to his family's successful business, Married At First Sight's Michael Goonan has amassed his own personal fortune with a million dollar mansion, designer clothes, and more His hard-partying lifestyle was partially documented on Married At First Sight this year, which caused friction in his marriage to Stacey Hampton. Back in 2014, he purchased a $1.1million beach-side mansion in Adelaide's north west. Michael's huge home boasts four bedrooms, three bathrooms and two garages, and is now estimated to be worth around $1.5million. The modern architectural wonder screams luxury and opulence from the exterior, with glass balconies and spot lighting. The good life! The young entrepreneur purchased a $1.1million beach-side mansion in Adelaide's north west back in 2014 There's an open plan living area upstairs, with the kitchen, lounge and dining room all flowing together with magnificent marble flooring throughout. Adding even more grandeur to the residence is the spacious home theatre. Eight reclining leather chairs are situated below a state of the art projector, creating an intimate cinema for Michael and his lucky guests to enjoy. Netflix and glam! Adding even more grandeur to the residence is the spacious home theatre Wet and wild: Outside, a water feature flows into an elegant infinity pool which lines the yard, positioned next to both a spa and seating area Outside, a water feature flows into an elegant infinity pool which lines the yard, positioned next to both a spa and seating area. The jaw-dropping property is available to rent on AirBnB for $1000 a night. As expected, Michael likes to travel in style for business trips. Wild thing! Michael is known for his love of partying even partied while filming Married At First Sight He recently rented a private jet with girlfriend KC Osborne just to fly from Melbourne to Sydney for work. The Cessna Citation Ultra jet is worth approximately $1,250,000. The aircraft's top-of-the-range interior features seven passenger seats, sleek wall panels, ambient lighting, a working bathroom, and strategically-placed mirrors to make the space seem larger. High flyer! He recently rented a private jet with girlfriend KC Osborne just to fly from Melbourne to Sydney for work Adding to the luxury of the trip, Michael and KC both carried their belongings in luggage from Louis Vuitton. In addition to his family's ice business, Michael also co-owns a wine label called Australian Sapphire Enterprises with his friend Calvin Daniels. The pair launched the beverage business in May 2019, three months before Michael started filming Married At First Sight. Cha ching! The Cessna Citation Ultra jet is worth approximately $1,250,000 A company with a conscience, Australian Sapphire Enterprises donates 50% of all profits from sales to 'charities and causes of need'. Michael has never made any secret of his wealth, famously bragging about his enormous fortune on MAFS this year. 'I'd be lying if I didn't say I have a taste for watches, nice cars and shiny toys,' he said while flashing his gold Rolex watch on one episode of the series. Bottoms up! In addition to his family's ice business, Michael also co-owns a wine label called Australian Sapphire Enterprises 'I've worked hard my whole life and I pride myself on that. To be able to reap the rewards is fantastic. I'd rather cry in a Ferrari,' he added. Michael became a millionaire at 24 when he became a shareholder in his family's ice-cube business, Adelaide Ice. Adelaide Ice is now South Australia's largest ice manufacturing and packaging business, and has offices in Victoria, Northern Territory and Queensland. Robert T. Garrett, The Dallas Morning News (TNS) Austin, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday lifted some earlier restrictions he put on Texans, while urging them to continue to take precautions to minimize spread of the novel coronavirus. A day after President Donald Trump outlined procedures he said states should follow, Abbott said public schools should remain closed for the rest of the academic year. But he said retailers may begin providing to go service to consumers starting April 24. Bowing to pressures from doctors and hospitals, Abbott also eased a ban on elective medical procedures. Starting Wednesday, current restrictions on surgery will be loosened, he said. He cited biopsies for cancer as one example. He also said state parks would reopen on Monday. Visitors, though, will have to wear masks or face coverings and keep at least six feet away from other visitors who arent members of their families. Abbott also named a statewide strike force to advise him on how to conduct a phased reopening of the state economy. We have demonstrated we can corral the coronavirus, Abbott said. But he cautioned, In opening Texas, we must be guided by data and by doctors. On Thursday, Trump issued recommendations for governors to follow that include three phases of reopening, but also gates that should precede each including a downward trend over 14 days of either documented cases of COVID-19 or positive tests as a percentage of total tests administered. As of Friday, 414 Texans had died because of the virus. Deaths, while far too high, will not come close to the early dire predictions, Abbott noted. The number of newly reported cases in Texas continue to spike and dip each day, but have yet not shown a continued downward trend. Over 960 new positive tests were reported on Thursday, up from the 800 reported a day earlier, according to state data. Not quite 160,000 Texans have been tested just more than half of 1% of the states population of 28.9 million people. Texas has the lowest rate of coronavirus testing per capita in the country, research shows. Asked if reopening as he proposes will be safely handled, with such as low rate of testing, Abbott replied, It will be going up quite a bit. Public health officials have warned that pulling back on restrictions too soon could prompt another wave of infections. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom outlined plans earlier this week to reopen the economy that could involve temperature checks at restaurants and staggered start times at school. But the Democratic governor said a number of conditions would have to be met before a loosening of the states stay-at-home order, including at least two weeks of declining hospitalizations, expanded testing and more personal protective equipment for health care workers. On April 27, Abbott will announce additional ways to open Texas up, he said. He did not elaborate. He did say they will include phased-in strategies that maintain safety by requiring comprehensive testing and assurances that hospitals have beds, staff and equipment to handle any surge in infections. Trumps move in effect put on the governors the burden of balancing public health against desires to return to work and a sense of normalcy. Abbotts strike force includes Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Speaker Dennis Bonnen, Comptroller Glenn Hegar, former federal Medicare and Medicaid commissioner Mark McClellan and at least two physicians who have been guiding the governor in recent weeks state health commissioner John Hellerstedt and former Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond. It will be headed by retired Austin banker James R. Huffines. Staff work for the strike force will be led by Austin superlobbyist Mike Toomey, a former state representative from Houston who served former Gov. Rick Perry as chief of staff. Among business leaders Abbott picked to serve on the strike force were designer Kendra Scott, computer magnate Michael Dell of Austin, Dallas billionaire Robert Rowling, beloved Houston retailer James Mattress Mack McIngvale, and former Dallas Federal Reserve president Richard Fisher. Others include AllianceTexas developer H. Ross Perot Jr. and Sanjiv Yajnik of Dallas, who is president of Capital Ones financial services division. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Coronavirus: 8,000 people in CNY likely had the virus and never knew it Onondaga Co. coronavirus: 5 fatalities in deadliest day yet; 579 total cases Updated: See our newest list of CNY restaurants offering takeout and/or delivery Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Web Toolbar by Wibiya Gatineau's mayor many months ago had travelled to Quebec City to complain about the Outaouais being neglected as far as the allocation of the Quebec's healthcare dollars. But, this hasn't stopped this apparently corrupt Gatineau politician seeking to waste millions of dollars on the Gatineau Police 's state terrorism activities against Ottawa-bound motorists. This corrupt mayor has essentially diverted money that could have been spent in supporting Gatineau's healthcare workers activities on COVID-19 instead into as-hole cops engaged in harassment. On Thursday April 16th the above photos document the illegal activities of six Gatineau Police vehicles seeking to illegally obstruct Ottawa-bound motorists. Instead of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau showing leadership in the rights of him and other Canadians to cross into Gatineau and back into Ottawa free of harassment, he has sought to exclusively defend his right to travel up to his family cottage to see his wife and kids while leaving behind other Canadians. Is this showing leadership? Prime Minister Trudeau in his own defence said that "that's where his wife and kids live." How so? They are not separated. Isn't the primary residence of Justin Trudeau and his family supposed to be in Ottawa at the Prime Minister's Official residence? I doubt that his father Pierre Elliot Trudeau's who was against the idea of Quebec being a "distinct society" and who was also a very strong defender of federalism would have allowed the apparent illegal fascist and separatist activities of the Gatineau's Police to continue in the National Capital Region. The pandemic forced Canadians across the country to abandon hopes of travel to see loved ones and also came amid warnings from public officials for people not to travel to cottages unless that is already their primary residence and really, just not to leave their homes at all. New Brunswick in 'very significant deficit territory' just two weeks into fiscal year Two weeks into the new fiscal year New Brunswick's planned budget surplus has been transformed into a hefty deficit by the COVID-19 crisis and although Premier Blaine Higgs is not ready yet to reveal how big the financial troubles will be, all signs point to something large perhaps historic. "We are certainly now in very significant deficit territory and I don't see that changing anytime soon," said Higgs on Thursday during his regular afternoon news conference. "A surplus and debt payment are now no longer even an option of any kind." Higgs said both the cabinet and special all-party cabinet committee overseeing the province's response to the pandemic have been briefed on New Brunswick's deteriorating finances and said the public will be updated soon. Edwin Hunter/CBC News Still, a growing consensus of private-sector forecasts suggest the impact of the pandemic on New Brunswick's economy will be historically severe, even if mercifully short. Provinces to slip into 'severe recession' Earlier this week, the Royal Bank forecast New Brunswick's economy will shrink by 4.5 per cent this year and temporarily shed 43,000 jobs before recovery begins toward the end of summer. "We now project all provinces will slip into a severe recession," wrote bank economists Robert Hogue and Ramya Muthukumaran in a report looking at the prospects of each province coping with the virus. "Business closures, massive layoffs and drastically reduced working hours for those still employed generate additional knock-on effects for other sectors leading to further job losses and deepening the economic contraction. The end result will be for 2020 to mark the steepest one-year decline in GDP for all provinces." It's a gloomy view shared by others. The Conference Board of Canada, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Toronto-Dominion and National banks have each recently projected a severe economic contraction in New Brunswick this year of between 3.2 and 4.1 per cent. Story continues That's significantly worse than the banking crisis and recession of 2008 when New Brunswick's economy declined by a combined 0.6 per cent over two years. That downturn had been unforseen in the province's 2009 budget and the deficit that year ballooned $170 million higher than expected, mostly due to increased spending to deal with the recession. $100M in unbudgeted spending The New Brunswick Department of Finance has said little so far but does hint the 2008 experience will be at the low end what the province's finances are likely to encounter this time. "There is an increasing consensus that this crisis will be as bad as the 2008 financial crisis or worse," said finance department spokesperson Vicky Deschenes in a statement to CBC News. The Higgs government has already authorized unbudgeted spending of more than $100 million to help individuals and businesses survive the pandemic financially. But it's the potential effect on provincial revenues that is likely to pose the larger threat to New Brunswick's budget. Robert Jones/CBC Last week, the federal government's independent Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux published an updated "scenario analysis" of the potential effect of the pandemic on Canada's finances. That modelled a 23 per cent decline in projected revenue from GST and 10 per cent reductions in projected revenue from personal and corporate income taxes flowing from job losses and business closures across the country. "We stress that this scenario is not a forecast of the most likely outcome. It is an illustrative scenario of one possible outcome," said Giroux's office about the analysis. CBC Although speculative and not directly applicable to provinces, superimposing similar effects on New Brunswick's projected $3.8 billion in HST and personal and corporate income taxes this year would trigger revenue reductions of $580 million. That's unlikely since Giroux's analysis is based on a national economic contraction of 5.1 per cent, which is larger than the contraction expected in New Brunswick, but it is illustrative of how much government tax revenue is under threat by the economic upheaval being caused by the virus. Higgs has said for weeks he will worry about the province's finances after the threat from COVID-19 passess but Thursday did acknowledge restarting the economy and solving the fiscal problem the virus leaves behind will be daunting. "That's why I'm pleased and excited to be working with the other three leaders because you know this is a situation where fighting the virus is one thing, but managing our path forward collectively so that we all recognize the challenges we're facing is extremely important." The yo-yo of spring 2020 weather continues this weekend as Massachusetts prepares to get accumulating snow and colder temperatures Friday into Saturday followed by a sunny Sunday reaching near 60 degrees. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the Worcester hills and Berkshires Friday evening. Snowfall, which is expected to move across the state Friday night, could bring about 2 to 4 inches to much of the state, the National Weather Service said, with lesser amounts on the coast. Higher elevations across Central and Western Massachusetts could see as much as 5 to 8 inches. A winter weather advisory has been issued for the Taunton to Plymouth area. The biggest concern with this storm is the potential for scattered power outages, especially in areas of the state with higher snow amounts. The snow is expected to be wet and heavy. The storm will start out as rain for much of the state, changing to periods of accumulating wet snow later Friday night, the National Weather Service said. Snow is expected to last into early Saturday for much of the state. That heavy snow is anticipated to move out by Saturday morning with light snow changing back over to rain. Expect clouds and chance of rain for much of Saturday with temperatures only reaching 40 to 45 degrees for much of the state. Sunday will be a different story with the return of sunny weather and temperatures nearing 60 before another period of rain moves in late Sunday and early Monday. For weather updates, news and warnings, download MassLives app and subscribe to push alerts Press Release April 17, 2020 Gatchalian eyes increased role of TV, radio in learning continuity amid extended ECQ As the Department of Education (DepEd) plans for the continuity of learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Senator Win Gatchalian has proposed an increased use of traditional broadcast media platforms such as television and radio to reach more of the country's 27.2 million learners. According to Gatchalian, using television and radio would complement on-going efforts of digital platforms to deliver continued learning. The challenge in online-based education, however, is reaching learners without connectivity, especially those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. DepEd has launched its online platform DepEd Commons last month at the time the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) started, to support online-based education in the country. It has since gained almost 4 million users. According to Dataxis, a global firm specializing in telecom and media business, 18.7 million households in the Philippines still watch television, a number that is expected to hit 20.7 million in 2024. The same study also said that around 93 percent of Filipinos prefer television over other mediums. Gatchalian cited section 9 of Republic Act 8370 known as the Children's Television Act of 1997 requiring each broadcasting network to allot a minimum of fifteen percent (15 %) of its daily total air time for child-friendly programs as part of the network's responsibility of serving the public. This serves as a condition in the network's bid to apply or renew its Broadcast Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN), Provisional Authority (PA), franchise or license with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). Meanwhile in its 2019 Media Trends Study, global media intelligence firm Kantar Media revealed that 52 percent of Filipinos still listen to the radio. Gatchalian said DepEd can extend its reach into far-flung, rural areas by leveraging access to television and radio. "Bagama't patuloy ang paglaki ng papel ng internet sa pag-aaral ng mga kabataan, nananatiling malaking impluwensya ang telebisyon sa ating pang-araw-araw na pamumuhay, pati na ang radyo lalo na sa mga malalayong lugar na dumedepende pa rin dito para sa kanilang impormasyon," said Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture. Gatchalian also urged DepEd to learn from the examples of other countries in using television and radio education while struggling with the effects of COVID-19. In Argentina, for example, the Ministry of Education and the Secretariat of Media and Public Communication launched the program "Seguimos Educando," which airs 14 hours of television content and seven hours of radio content. Gatchalian then urged DepEd to collaborate with government agencies such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), state colleges and universities, and other private firms to tap their existing materials or record lessons, which can be aired on state-run People's Television Network (PTV-4). He also urged DepEd to enter into public-private partnerships to gather more materials and expand viewership. The senator said these can complement existing educational shows on TV and radio. By Ryan Moser and Cailtin Sherman Our current crisis has made it clear that Gov. Phil Murphy has the best interests of New Jerseyans at heart. His decision to conduct local elections on May 12 entirely by mail shows that. Every registered voter will automatically receive their ballot and can return it without paying for postage. His more recent decision to delay our primary elections until July 7 does as well. Unfortunately, his plans to continue that election with in-person voting, rather than opting for universal vote by mail, puts our health and our democracy at risk. As we saw in Wisconsin, attempting to hold an in-person election in these times not only risks a public health disaster, but may also damage the legitimacy of the results. The majority of our poll workers are in high-risk groups, and reducing the number of polling locations to lower their risks means more crowding and longer lines. On the other hand, we know that the risk of contracting COVID-19 from mail is minimal, and that universal vote by mail, though not perfect, increases voter participation. With New Jerseys additional window of time, and with federal election security funding from the CARES Act, Gov. Murphy must make every effort to ensure voters have safe options to cast their ballots securely and with confidence. To achieve this, the Hudson County Progressive Alliance calls on New Jersey to invest in a universal Vote By Mail system, ease barriers to requesting absentee ballots, and increase local election workforces. Gov. Murphy originally supported moving to vote by mail but seems to have changed his mind recently. This change of heart comes after public comments from some prominent political leaders. Recently, David Wildstein of the New Jersey Globe reported that Hudson County Democratic Organization Chair Amy DeGise is against a universal vote-by-mail primary in Hudson County. She claims that it is not in the culture in Hudson, because our strongest voting blocs are not going to vote by mail. At a time when the culture of all our institutions -- from our schools and churches to our very streets -- is being forced to change, we cant let appeals to the way weve always done things get in the way of maintaining health and safety. She went on to claim that those voters who are likely to vote by mail are those who dont typically vote. The participation of such voters must seem like a bad thing to DeGise. We beg to differ. DeGises resistance to vote by mail seems little more than another attempt by the Democratic Party establishment of Hudson County to assure that their chosen candidates win primary elections, this time by limiting safe, secure options for voters. Such voter suppression tactics are expected from Republicans, such as those who caused the disaster in Wisconsin. They are surprising from a self-branded progressive like DeGise. Vote by mail gives access to many voters who are not normally able to get to the polls: those with mobility issues, those who work multiple jobs, and those who simply struggle to balance the demands of family and work. In our current world, this includes those who worry about contracting a potentially fatal virus from a crowded polling place. None of us should have to choose between our health and our democracy. Responding to similar critiques on Twitter, DeGise claims that she advocated to postpone the election, but keep in-person voting, because vote by mail does not ensure safety and that the cognitively and visually impaired, seniors, (and) non-English speakers ... all have issues with vote by mail. However, both the CDC and the WHO have explained that the risk of transmission of COVID-19 through the mail is low. In addition, many states that have universal vote by mail set aside times, including Election Day, for voters who need assistance to cast their ballots in person. Further, vote by mail allows seniors, non-native English speakers, and other groups to take the time to review their ballots at home, or alongside a friend or loved one who can offer assistance. DeGise is right that universal vote by mail will not magically solve accessibility issues for all voters. However, if we act now, we can create a vote-by-mail system that will work for New Jersey. This starts with changes to our current mechanism for requesting mail-in ballots. Right now, the application to receive a ballot in the mail must be printed and mailed to the clerks office. However, many people do not have access to a printer at home. We need an online application system so that people displaced by COVID-19 can easily update their information and receive their ballots where they are now, even if that is not where they are registered to vote. In order to handle the increased pressure that this will put on our local governments, the state must invest in local Boards of Elections so they can significantly increase their workforces. Raising public awareness, tracking requests, and mailing and tabulating final votes, in addition to offering in-person assistance to those who may still need help, will be a monumental task. To have all this ready by July 7, we urge Gov Murphy to make needed investments now in these reforms to vote by mail, and for our local leaders like Amy DeGise to embrace them. The final word from DeGise on this issue is that she wants to ensure (the) entire enfranchisement of (her) entire community. We think thats a great idea. And we think that vote by mail is a safe and powerful first step toward making that happen. Ryan Moser of Jersey City and Caitlin Sherman of Weehawken are members of the Hudson County Progressive Alliance. Send letters to the editor and guest columns for The Jersey Journal to jjletters@jjournal.com. A Mallow-based print firm are among the Irish-owned businesses applauding frontline workers across the country this week with a special initiative. Munster Labels, based in Mallow, Co Cork, have designed a label which will be sent to food producers nationwide to thank workers for their efforts. - George Kinoti noted rise in suspicious online links where thieves use coronavirus situation in Kenya to sell non-existent items - He said certain criminals asked for crucial details from unsuspecting individuals while promising to offer them free goodies - The DCI boss also warned there existed certain online business enterprises claiming to be selling sanitisers and face masks The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss George Kinoti has warned members of the public to wary of online shops offering home delivery services. Kinoti cautioned certain criminal elements may take advantage of the situation and the vulnerability of customers to lace products with sleep-inducing chemicals before delivery. READ ALSO: Rest well: Pregnant nurse succumbs to coronavirus as doctors save baby through CS DCI boss Kinoti (in pink tie) asked members of the public to be wary of online shops. Photo: DCI Kenya. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Teso South couple donates 2 acres of sweet potatoes to villagers as coronavirus bites "For door step deliveries, we warn that some may be done by criminals, who deliver products that are treated with sleep inducers or drugs meant to stupefy, after which victims may lose their valuables," he said. He also noted online business enterprises claiming to be selling sanitisers, personal protective equipment and face masks had been on the rise following demand on such items thanks to coronavirus. DCI boss Kinoti receiving a donation of rubber gloves, face masks, liquid soap and dispensers from German embassy. Photo: DCI Kenya. Source: Facebook "In other instances, online shops purporting to sell sanitisers, PPE including face masks and shields are on the rise. As payments for such items are being made, we urge more vigilance hence discourage use of free Wi-Fi, purchase of substandard items, fraud, particularly sharing financial and personal information," he stated. In other cases, the criminals also asked for crucial details from unsuspecting individuals while promising to offer them free goodies such as data bundles, items and money. "Messages accompanying such links are enticingly packaged with captivating words meant to prompt potential but unsuspecting victims to click onto them with a promise of getting something declared therein," he added. The government chief investigator further raised a red flag on a mushrooming of suspicious online links where often used coronavirus situation to sell non-existent items. "Such links have largely been found to be infected with malware that triggers mining of personal information, passwords, photos, contacts among other valuables that are subsequently used to extort, for cyber bullying, stealing of finances among other ills," Kinoti said. On Wednesday, April 15, Germany through its Kenyan embassy donated to DCI office rubber gloves, face masks, liquid soap, hands disinfectant gel and dispensers for its officers. Other items were infra red thermometers, protective eye wear, back pack sprayers, serviette dispensers and bins to protect detectives from contracting COVID-19 at their duty stations. 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 The Reserve Bank of India has announced a set of measures to provide liquidity support to crucial sectors like real estate, small businesses and agriculture by infusing an additional Rs 1 lakh crore. It has also prodded banks to increase their lending operations. This is the second tranche of liquidity measures announced by the central bank since the national lockdown began on March 23. With this, the RBI has infused over Rs 5.36 lakh crores in the economy. The new measures announced by RBI governor Shaktikanta Das on Friday in an unscheduled intervention were necessitated to support small non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), microfinance institutions (MFIs) and small businesses as previous liquidity boosting steps have helped only public sector companies and large corporates. The central bank has, therefore, mandated that half of Rs 50,000 crores made available to banks as part of Fridays stimulus package ought to be lent to small and mid-sized NBFCs and MFIs. Another half of the current Rs 1 lakh-crore package would go to sector-focused lenders like National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard), Small Industrial Development Bank of India (Sidbi) and National Housing Bank (NHB). Nabard would get Rs 25,000 crores for refinancing regional rural banks and MFIs to boost lending for farming and other general purposes in rural areas. Sidbi would get Rs 15,000 crores for lending money to small businesses or refinancing their debt. The money Rs 10,000 crores made available to NHB would help it in supporting smaller housing finance companies, which are facing cash shortage because of loan moratorium. The decision to increase the money available to states through ways and means would help their governments in sailing through a difficult financial crisis. The central banks decision to reduce reverse repo rate by 25 basis points from four per cent to 3.75 per cent is aimed at discouraging banks from parking their money in the safe vaults of the RBI, instead of increasing lending to people. The very fact that the banks have deposits worth Rs 6.9 lakh crores with the RBI shows that lenders have become risk-averse. With lockdown-hit companies reducing salaries and sacking employees, there is great uncertainty concerning a persons future repayment capacity, which is crucial for taking any lending decision. Unless the bank is confident about the borrowers financial health, no amount of liquidity infusion would prod financial institutions to lend to borrowers and all decisions taken by RBI would remain a mere lip-service. The only workable solution for the current financial crisis is a sovereign guarantee to all loans. Since the income of most companies, especially MSMEs, has dried up, the government should guarantee all working capital loans taken for paying salaries and running basic operations granted by the banks. This would encourage the lenders to grant loans without any fear and ensure unhindered economic activity in the country. In the absence of such comprehensive measures and direct action, all decisions taken by the government and RBI would remain ineffective on the ground and show how far removed top officials are from ground realities. Korea suffers first job loss since 2009 financial crisis By Park Jae-hyuk The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the domestic job market has come to the fore. Data from Statistics Korea showed Friday that the number of employed people stood at 26.6 million in March, down 195,000 from the same month a year earlier This was the first year-on-year decline since January 2010 and the sharpest decrease since May 2009, when the world was suffering difficulties from the Global Financial Crisis. The number of temporary layoffs categorized as employed in the statistics hit a record-high of 1.6 million in March, up 1.26 million from a year earlier, as domestic air carriers, travel agencies and duty free shops have imposed out massive unpaid leave during the pandemic. Although temporarily laid-off workers tend to return to their workplaces, they could become unemployed or economically inactive if the situation worsens. The statistics agency said the number of economically inactive people reached 16.9 million in March, a 516,000 year-on-year increase. Among them, the number of people who gave up on getting jobs was 582,000, up 44,000. The number of those who had no plan to look for jobs regarded as de facto jobless also reached a record-high of 2.36 million, a 366,000 increase from the previous year. According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the decline in the number of employed people was especially significant in the services industry which lost 294,000 jobs the steepest since September 1998, when Korea was hit by the Asian Financial Crisis. New virus infections fall below 30 for 5th straight day 6.8% contraction: China's economy in worst downturn since '70s as virus hits hard S. Korea on alert over possible rise in virus cases after election "Affected by the falling number of foreign tourists and social distancing, the number of people employed in lodgings, restaurants, and wholesale and retail businesses dropped sharply," the finance ministry said in a press release. "The delayed school opening and cram school shutdowns sharpened the decrease in the number of employees in the educational services sector." The number of those employed in the manufacturing industry also dropped after a temporary increase in January and February. The construction sector has continued a downward trend because of falling housing demand. By status, the numbers of temporary and daily workers diminished by 420,000 and 173,000, respectively. The number of the self-employed who hired staff declined by 195,000, while the number of those who did not hire staff jumped by 124,000. Although the number of the unemployed dropped 17,000 year-on-year to 1.18 million in March, the finance ministry attributed this to the slow labor supply caused by postponement of recruitment amid growing concerns over the pandemic. Statistics Korea director-general Eun Sun-hyun announces the monthly job market trend in March at the Government Complex Sejong, Friday. / Yonhap Considering the increasing corporate bankruptcies here and the global labor market collapse, the job crisis is expected to worsen. Supreme Court data submitted to Rep. Chae Yi-bai of the minor opposition Party for People's Livelihoods showed 101 corporations nationwide applied for bankruptcy in March, up 53 percent from a year earlier. Meanwhile, in the United States, 22 million people have filed jobless claims over the past four weeks, according to the country's Department of Labor. Against this backdrop, economic experts called for additional government measures to cushion the coronavirus impact on the job market. "If the government refuses to give enough financial support to liquidity-crunched businesses, temporarily laid-off workers will eventually lose their jobs permanently, having a negative impact on the entire economy," Yonsei University economics professor Sung Tae-yoon said. Nonso Anozie is Butler, Lara McDonnell is Holly Short, Josh Gad is Mulch Diggums and Ferdia Shaw is Artemis Fowl in Disne's ARTEMIS FOWL, directed by Kenneth Branagh. ( 2020 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.) Artemis Fowl will launch on Disney+ on 12 June, the streaming service has announced. Sir Kenneth Branaghs teen fantasy adaptation was scheduled for a theatrical release on 29 May, but that was cancelled in response to the coronavirus pandemic closing cinemas across the globe. At the start of April it was revealed the blockbuster would go straight to Disney+ and now we know when. To celebrate its impended launch, theres a new trailer for the film, adapted from Eoin Colfers 2001 novel. Artemis Fowl stars newcomer Ferdia Shaw in the title role alongside Lara McDonnell, Josh Gad, Tamara Smart, Nonso Anozie, Josh McGuire, Nikesh Patel and Adrian Scarborough, with Colin Farrell and Judi Dench. Shot in 2018 at Londons Longcross Studios with location work in Northern Ireland and Vietnam, the film was initially slated for release in August 2019. In May 2019 it was pushed back to May 2020, and then shifted to a VOD release on 3 April, 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic began to shut cinemas. Read more: Colin Farrell joins Artemis Fowl in reshoots Branagh said, Artemis Fowl is a true original. In challenging times, a twelve year old criminal mastermind is one heck of a travelling companion. Smart, funny, and cool as mustard, hell take you to new worlds, meet unforgettable characters, and mix magic with mayhem. Ferdia Shaw is Artemis Fowl in ARTEMIS FOWL, directed by Kenneth Branagh. ( 2020 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.) His own family is everything to him, and (although hed never admit it), hed be as proud as I am that families around the world will now be able to enjoy his first amazing screen adventures together, on Disney+. Artemis Fowl will stream exclusively on Disney+ from 12 June. The first nine days were bearable. Mild cough, scratchy throat, lower back pain. Jill Baren, a triathlete, ascribed the last symptom to overdoing exercise. The next eight days? Horrific. Severe fevers, chest pain, cramps, fatigue, diarrhea and dehydration that sent her to the hospital. "The way people looked at me in the ER, the look in people's eyes, I've never seen that," says Baren, 59, of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. "They looked at me like I could die." These people knew her well. Baren, president of the American Board of Emergency Medicine, was lying in the Philadelphia emergency room where she works as a physician. Last week, fully recovered, Baren returned to caring for patients. "It feels empowering to have been through this," she says. "I'm in a position to help in a way that other people are not. I don't have to live in dire fear if a droplet goes through my protective clothing," she says. "I can reassure people, tell my story." Baren is among the recovereds, the almost 44,000 in the United States who have survived covid-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. Because of faulty results and a lack of testing, their true number is believed to be substantially greater and will continue to mount for months to come. As of Tuesday, more than 600,000 Americans had contracted the virus. How does it feel to be among them? To be alive on the other side of the pandemic, the crush of anxiety? Lucky. Lucky and weepy and invincible and relieved and tired and motivated and perplexed and altered. There is so much information and, then again, not enough as to how to proceed. People who have recovered, even those who are still weak, share an urgency to help, inform and donate, especially plasma, anything for research. Some people report feeling like superheroes, virus Avengers. Others sense being stigmatized, that the healthy will avoid them for fear of risking infection. - - - March was a fevered blur for Carrie Smith, 44, a nurse in St. Louis assigned to a hospital's cardiac floor. On her worst days recovering at home, she slept 20 hours a day. Half of the respiratory therapists at her hospital went out sick, and a fifth of the nursing staff. "I was so scared," she says. "I had written out my living will. I had prepared as if I was going to die." This is what solace sounds like on the other side of the tunnel. "It's been a relief. Everyone in my house got it, and nobody died from it." Madeline Long, 56, of Bowie, Maryland, is a breast cancer survivor and CEO of a company that produces devices for digital mammography. "I was terrified. For three days, I didn't think I would wake up. I couldn't breathe. I thought it was the new normal," she says. "It was worse than anything I went through with breast cancer." Long spent five days in the hospital. How does she feel now? Silence, then sobbing. "I guess I've answered your question." The pandemic, which arrived so fast and with such force, left confusion for those who now view the virus in their rearview mirror. Guidelines for recovery vary. It can be a challenge to obtain clearance status from local government, to even get through to an overtaxed health department. How cleared is cleared? Do you tell everyone or keep it to yourself? What is the protocol for health-care workers who have had the virus, especially with patients who haven't? "Now, I can go help people. I can work on the front line," Smith says. "Do they want me to tell people, to reassure them? If I was a patient, and my nurse had it, I would want to know that she was really sick and now she is OK." - - - Diana Berrent, 45, a photographer in Port Washington, New York, has become a public face of the recovered, after fighting to get tested. Last month, she launched the Facebook group Survivor Corps, which has attracted more than 31,000 members. "I would be able to use that superpower at the end of this to go help others," she says. Berrent took to television and created a video diary chronicled in the New York Post. "If I'm going to be the canary in the coal mine, I'm going to be the loudest canary in the coal mine," she says. "I feel like I have a sense of purpose." "We can hold the hands of the dying. We can donate plasma," says Berrent, who has participated in two studies and volunteered to participate in four more. "There's no better therapy for survivors than using the superpowers your bodies created to save lives." Berrent acknowledges "I wouldn't say I am definitely immune. We shouldn't be assuming anything. I still haven't gone to the supermarket. I'm still cautious. I'm taking my time. People can't be careful enough." Experts say there is no scientific assurance that someone recovered from the coronavirus is completely immune - or certainty as to how long any immunity might last. Cases vary radically. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump met with people who have recovered; their cases ranged from life-threatening to slight, the duration from a few days to a month. People have relapsed with symptoms, and South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports citizens testing positive after being cured. The U.S. CDC and many state health departments suggest that covid-19 recoverees wait 72 hours after fever and respiratory issues end before returning to work. That may be too short and too vague, given relapses and the infected who never exhibit major symptoms, Berrent argues: "It's going to be the death of us." - - - But gratitude is a constant. People living alone are grateful they didn't infect family, didn't have to care for toddlers, and were free to sleep and sweat in bed for hours. Parents of young children assume their children were infected yet are grateful that they appear asymptomatic. Young adults are grateful their cases are milder. Those with severe cases are especially grateful that they have joined the recovered. Will Stanley, 30, is an Episcopal priest who started serving a large church in Richmond, Virginia, as vicar on Ash Wednesday. Three weeks later, he had to inform the entire congregation of 4,700 that he had contracted the coronavirus after participating in a Louisville leadership conference, a "super-spreader event" where many attendees later became ill. Stanley's case was mild. His worries were far from it. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "I have a lot of contact with people over the age of 60. The notion that I was getting anyone of them sick was really weighty," he says. Still, "I do feel fortunate. It gives me a way of solidarity for people who aren't doing well." "I'm a bit of a wreck. For most of my life, I've been head over heart, more intellectual. Now, the slightest thing will make me cry. Every emotion is amplified," says David Lat, 44, who lives in Manhattan but is convalescing with his husband and toddler at his parents' home in Saddle River, New Jersey. Lat, the founder of the legal news website Above the Law who wrote about his experience for The Washington Post opinion section, spent 17 days in a hospital, six of them on a ventilator. He's raw. His voice scarred, his lungs weakened. Exhaustion is constant. "I feel like I was given a pass," Lat says. Cliches, he realizes, even apologizes, tumble yet resonate. "This is my second life. This is not the end of the story. It's really the beginning." He has donated plasma for research, been interviewed by documentarians. While at NYU Langone Health, he shared his medical condition on social media, his Twitter followers nearly tripling, surpassing 95,000. Atlanta pediatric emergency physician Stephanie Cohen, 45, feels "this sense of immunity," not only from the virus but from anxiety. "I don't have to worry." Cohen, a mother of five, wants to donate plasma, participate in studies and deliver food to the elderly in Albany, Georgia, where 30 people have died from the coronavirus. "I can put it to best use in the hospital. If somebody with the virus needs to be intubated, I can do this." One of Cohen's colleagues told her, "You've taken fear and anxiety, and turned it into truth and reality." Yet anxiety persists. "I feel lucky. I'm young and had a mild case. But I feel like a pariah. Our neighbors run away from me," says Rebecca, 21, a college junior from Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, who spoke on the condition that her last name not be used. She fears reprisals for her mother, who has yet to get sick and works in health care. Philip Kruse, 64, of Seattle, a former employee for a residential tree service who's now on disability, had a mild case - half his family got the virus - but kept it "totally undercover that I was sick because I live in public housing, and you know what a rumor mill that can be." - - - Still, there is a gift in being among the first people to get it - and to get over it. Julia Marsh Rabin, 51, an architect in Beverly, Massachusetts, says, "I'm so glad it's behind me. If I was other people, I'd be scared," she says. "I got it so early, I didn't know to be scared. I didn't have time to be scared." Samantha Brownell, also 51, of South Orange, New Jersey, tested negative, but two physicians are confident she had covid-19.She was sick for 12 days. "I've never experienced such body pains. I could barely walk from the bed to the toilet," she says. "I'm so frustrated. I'm in a state of shock," Brownell says of the negative test. "It doesn't make any sense of whatsoever. Kind of makes you feel like you're going crazy. She plans to get retested, and proceed as though she had the virus. Richard Phillips, 49, is confounded by the lack of information of what happens after having the coronavirus. How is he supposed to proceed? How can he help? "It's kind of maddening. Some people could still be shedding the virus. I'm trying in vain to find a study, people doing plasma treatments," says Phillips, a business and nonprofit consultant in Philadelphia. "We have this moment. I can't believe I didn't get a call from someone at the University of Pennsylvania saying, 'Come down here. We're going to take as much blood out of your body as possible.' " Roles and responsibilities, post-virus, are still being defined. Kruse worries about his economic situation. He's donated plasma five times, gettingpaid $200 a visit. Long is concerned that black Americans have been infected and are dying at much higher rates than the general population. "There's such large numbers in our communities," says Long, who offered to care for the 4-year-old son of a friend of a friend in Washington, D.C., who appears to have the virus. "Where else is that child going to go? Everyone is fearful that the child has been exposed to his mom," she says. "What happens to the single mom who gets sick? What happens to her children?" Lat sees himself as "a witness, a communicator, a connector. Everyone needs to find their own special niche, their talent and apply that to this." On March 30, Berrent became the first volunteer to donate plasma at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. "I am free of the virus, positive for the antibodies, AND I am a universal donor!!!" she shared with Survivors Corps a few days ago. "Someone, sew me a cape!" While some investors are already well versed in financial metrics (hat tip), this article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE) and why it is important. To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'll use ROE to better understand Extra Space Storage Inc. (NYSE:EXR). Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors money. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits. See our latest analysis for Extra Space Storage How Do You Calculate Return On Equity? Return on equity can be calculated by using the formula: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Extra Space Storage is: 15% = US$451m US$2.9b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2019). The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. That means that for every $1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated $0.15 in profit. Does Extra Space Storage Have A Good Return On Equity? One simple way to determine if a company has a good return on equity is to compare it to the average for its industry. Importantly, this is far from a perfect measure, because companies differ significantly within the same industry classification. Pleasingly, Extra Space Storage has a superior ROE than the average (5.8%) in the REITs industry. NYSE:EXR Past Revenue and Net Income April 17th 2020 That's what we like to see. However, bear in mind that a high ROE doesnt necessarily indicate efficient profit generation. A higher proportion of debt in a company's capital structure may also result in a high ROE, where the high debt levels could be a huge risk . To know the 2 risks we have identified for Extra Space Storage visit our risks dashboard for free. The Importance Of Debt To Return On Equity Companies usually need to invest money to grow their profits. The cash for investment can come from prior year profits (retained earnings), issuing new shares, or borrowing. In the first two cases, the ROE will capture this use of capital to grow. In the latter case, the debt used for growth will improve returns, but won't affect the total equity. Thus the use of debt can improve ROE, albeit along with extra risk in the case of stormy weather, metaphorically speaking. Story continues Combining Extra Space Storage's Debt And Its 15% Return On Equity Extra Space Storage clearly uses a high amount of debt to boost returns, as it has a debt to equity ratio of 1.74. While its ROE is respectable, it is worth keeping in mind that there is usually a limit as to how much debt a company can use. Investors should think carefully about how a company might perform if it was unable to borrow so easily, because credit markets do change over time. Conclusion Return on equity is useful for comparing the quality of different businesses. In our books, the highest quality companies have high return on equity, despite low debt. All else being equal, a higher ROE is better. Having said that, while ROE is a useful indicator of business quality, you'll have to look at a whole range of factors to determine the right price to buy a stock. The rate at which profits are likely to grow, relative to the expectations of profit growth reflected in the current price, must be considered, too. So you might want to take a peek at this data-rich interactive graph of forecasts for the company. But note: Extra Space Storage may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free 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. Cindy Friedman, the epidemiologist who is leading the CDC's coronavirus cruise ship task force, told Bloomberg Businessweek in an explosive interview that the actions of Carnival Cruises amid the pandemic has put a 'huge strain' on the United States Carnival Cruises helped fuel the coronavirus pandemic by still sailing its fleet of ships even when the company's executive knew it was risky, according to a CDC epidemiologist. Cindy Friedman, the epidemiologist who is leading the CDC's coronavirus cruise ship task force, told Bloomberg Businessweek in an explosive interview that the actions of Carnival Cruises amid the pandemic has put a 'huge strain' on the United States. 'If these ships had stopped sailing, our large team could all be working on helping states and local public health authorities with their community outbreaks,' she said. 'Nobody should be going on cruise ships during this pandemic, full stop.' Friedman said several Carnival cruises still set off on their trips even after the company's executives knew it would be risky due to the deadly coronavirus outbreaks. Carnival CEO Arnold Donald defended the company's response to the unfolding crisis, saying it was reasonable given it is an unprecedented global pandemic. He compared Carnival's response to COVID-19 to that of local governments across the United States, saying: 'Each ship is a mini-city.' Donald said Carnival's response should be judged alongside how New York, the White House coronavirus task force and other countries like Italy and Chinese reacted to the pandemic. President and CEO of Carnival Corporation, Arnold W. Donald (center) defended the company's response to the unfolding crisis, saying it was reasonable given it is an unprecedented global pandemic Carnival Cruises helped fuel the coronavirus pandemic by still sailing its fleet of ships even when the company's executive knew it was risky, according to a CDC epidemiologist 'We're a small part of the real story. We're being pulled along by it,' he said. 'This is a generational global event - it's unprecedented. Nothing's perfect, OK? They will say, 'Wow, these things Carnival did great. These things, 20/20 hindsight, they could've done better.' ' Friedman, however, said maybe that 'excuse' would have been acceptable after Diamond Princess or Grand Princess voyages, but she has a hard time believing Carnival is 'just a victim of happenstance'. She acknowledged that it would have been difficult getting people from their ships to their home ports without infecting anyone else, but pointed out several Carnival ships didn't start voyages until after the risks became apparent. Arnold also argued that cruise ships don't spread coronavirus more easily than other places, but the CDC epidemiologist said that was misleading. She said coronavirus infection rates were nearly 20 percent on two Carnival ships. Carnival's executives became aware of the health crisis as early as January after Carnival's innovation chief John Padgett had made contact with a manufacturer in Wuhan, which was the origin of the global outbreak. 'The biggest thing about that - it's a learning I don't think I'll ever forget, and we shared it with Arnold when we were talking - is that we actually had insight into the global situation much earlier than most,' Padgett told Bloomberg. While Grand Princess passengers eventually disembarked at the Port of Oakland and were taken to US bases for quarantine or repatriated to their home countries, hundreds of crew members remained on board under quarantine The company's Grand Princess ship was was barred from returning to port in San Francisco in March after authorities learned dozens of passengers and crew had tested positive for the coronavirus. Passengers are pictured disembarking on March 9 CARNIVALS CRUISES AND COVID-19: Diamond Princess: 712 cases Ruby Princess: 612 cases Grand Princess: 78 Costa Luminosa: 36 Carnival Freedom 14 Zaandam: 9 Costa Favolosa: 6 Costa Magica: 2 Sun Princess: 1 Carnival Valor: 1 Costa Victoria: 1 Advertisement In total, the Diamond Princess and Grand Princess have had at least 850 confirmed infections and 14 deaths linked to them so far. About eight of Carnival's ships across the world have become COVID-19 hotspots with a total of 1,500 infections and 39 deaths. Princess Cruises' Ruby Princess ocean liner is currently part of a homicide investigation in Australia as the country's deadliest virus infection source. Two of the company's 100 ships are still at sea having not been able to dock anywhere. The Diamond Princess, which is owned by the Carnival Corporation, was quarantined in the port of Yokohama, Japan, on February 3 where 712 passengers were ultimately infected in what was then the biggest concentration of confirmed cases outside China. Nine passengers died, according to the CDC. Another outbreak occurred aboard the company's Grand Princess ship, which in March was barred from returning to port in San Francisco after authorities learned dozens of passengers and crew had tested positive for the coronavirus. The ship was subsequently quarantined: 103 passengers have since tested positive for the coronavirus, while two passengers and a crew member have died. While Grand Princess passengers eventually disembarked at the Port of Oakland and were taken to Us bases for quarantine or repatriated to their home countries, hundreds of crew members remained on board under quarantine. The nearly 650 crew members completed their 14-day quarantine last Saturday, ending a nearly month-long period of self-isolation. The CDC issued an advisory on March 8 urging Americans not to travel on cruise ships worldwide. On April 9, the CDC extended its 'no sail order' for all cruise ships for up to 100 days. In a call with reporters on Thursday, CEO Donald defended the company's safety record, saying Carnival followed protocols from international authorities while handling high-profile coronavirus outbreaks aboard the two ships. 'With (the Diamond Princess) we did exactly what we were told to do, because we cooperated with the Japanese Ministry of Health,' Arnold said. 'We followed their protocol; they decided to hold the ship, they decided to put the quarantine in place. Our job was to respect it and execute it, which is exactly what we did.' On the Grand Princess, Arnold said: 'We worked with the CDC, we worked with all the local authorities there - the governor, the ports, and as everybody figured out what they wanted to do. And we were in compliance with each of them.' Carnival and other cruise companies are not eligible to receive funding from the CARES Act because they are incorporated outside of the United States. Carnivals shares are down 77 percent since January 1. On Thursday, Arnold said Carnival, which is incorporated in Panama, has no plans to re-incorporate elsewhere. He said that he hopes to have some existing debt in Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy extended and to defer the maturities on that debt at this time, as a result of stimulus packages in those countries. Speaking on CNBC on April 14, Arnold said Carnivals bookings for 2021 are strong. Jan Swartz, the president of Carnival's Princess Cruises, told Bloomberg that she believes the ordeal and how they handled it will make passengers more likely to travel with them in the future. 'There are many loyal Princess guests who have told us that this has actually cemented Princess as their No. 1 vacation choice,' Swartz said. Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) - The Chinese government Wednesday donated to Congo 2,000 medical masks, 2,000 uniforms, 2,000 protection glasses and 500 electric thermo-flashes to fight the Coronavirus (COVID-19), an official source told PANA here Thursday The modern Roe Valley is a tranquil place, where peaceful pursuits like fishing, canoeing and rock climbing can be practised freely. Almost 400 years ago, however, it was the scene for one of the most crucial battles in the Irish rebellion that began in 1641. A farm owned by the Flemming family became a battlefield as the Irish OCahan army took on the Laggan forces, an army formed mainly by the Landowners of Donegal. The native Irish had been enjoying some success during the rebellion and had successfully laid siege to Ballycastle (Aghanloo), Limavady Castle and Coleraine. Having lived unhindered on the land for centuries, the OCahan clan had their land taken from them during the 1609 Plantation of Ulster and were itching for the opportunity to reclaim it. The OCahans would have been the main body of people in the area, says local historian Stephen McCracken, who runs the Limavady Area Ancestry Facebook page with Fiona Fegrum. From 1585 to 1613, the county was officially County Coleraine, but was known as OCahans country into the mid-1600s, before it becomes officially known as County Londonderry. Before that it was OCahan country and it was ruled by Donal OCahan, who died in the Tower of London following imprisonment after the Nine Years War. Since then, the OCahans had been trying to kill the Phillips family who took over Limavady and built the castle. The landowners looked to the east for protection, but none was available as the authorities in Carrickfergus claimed they were too far away to come to their aid. In response, a call went out to south Donegal, where a collection of Planters and landowners were recruited under the guidance of Colonel Aubrey Mervyn. Stephen says the army, known as the Laggan army after the area of Donegal in which they were formed, were often misunderstood. The big landowners, under Aubrey Mervyn, mustered an army, he said. Its often cited as an Ulster-Scots, Protestant army, but the muster list shows a mixture of names, and half of them are Irish names. It was a Plantation army of those who were on the lands, and there were Irish on the lands. The Laggan forces set about lifting the sieges that had been laid to several areas across the north coast by the Irish armies. They came firstly to Limavady and liberated Phillips castle, before travelling to Aghanloo and on to Magilligan, where Colonel Aubrey claims they killed 300 in lifting the siege there. The Laganeers had then set a course for Coleraine before they received news that altered their plans. They heard that the OCahans and McDonnells of Dunluce and Glenarm had joined up and were at the top of the Glenshane heading to Dungiven, says Stephen. The Laggan army changed course. Not only had they greater firepower, they also had the advantage of reaching the battlefield first. Stephen says: The Laggan army took their cannons up to a place that was like an old hill fort. It was a farm owned by Flemmings that was built on a piece of raised ground with a ditch called Gelvin Burn. It acted a bit like a moat. They waited for the OCahans to arrive, and when they did, they were totally and utterly routed. The advice given to the OCahan army by the McDonnells would ultimately lay the foundations for their crushing defeat. Their plan was to do a Highland charge towards cannons and muskets, but it just didnt go anywhere, says Stephen. Because of the way Flemmings farm was, the ditch acted like a moat to defend the Laggan army. They had chosen their position perfectly the previous night. The cannons fired into their lines and by the time the OCahan forces got within range of the Laggan forces, they were decimated. Once you see a few boys start to run, they all run. They were chased for two miles back to Dungiven. Sometimes the Highland charge is the best way, but not against an army that is dug in, has cannons and a moat in front of them. The OCahans had the numbers and they could have outflanked them. It could have been a lot different. Colonel Aubrey Mervyn had with him professional soldiers in Sir Robert and Sir William Stewart, who would no doubt have helped with their preparation for battle. Stewart recorded his thoughts on the OCahan army, who had prepared for battle by celebrating mass. He wrote: That morning the Irish forces had heard a stirring sermon from a friar and mass had been celebrated. The insurgent forces were drawn up in very good order, and having the advantage of the sun and wind charged with great fury." After the Laggan army launched a counter attack, the OCahans were chased 2 miles back in the direction of their stronghold in Dungiven, and the pivotal clash was over. Stephen is of the opinion that, had the OCahan clan been victorious, things would have been very different. If they hadnt won at Flemmings Farm, they would have been pushed back and routed like they did to the OCahans and it would have set up an East-West frontier. There would probably have had to be another plantation, because many of the Planters would have been attacked if they had not been able to escape back to Scotland. Going back, thats the way war was then. Everybody talks about Cromwell, but that was war at the time, all sides did it. It wasnt strange. If he didnt do it, it would have been someone else. Hearing of the people being spiked on the bridge in Portadown during that rebellion would have put the fear of God in the Laggan army that it might happen to them. Maybe the OCahan forces wouldnt have been as vicious as over in Portadown, but they couldnt take that chance. The battle, also known as the Brack of Gelvin, is often noted as one of the last stands made by North West Gaelic Ulster since the Plantation and the end of the Nine Years War. Flemmings Farm changed the outcome of that war, says Stephen. It was to be the last big battle of the OCahan clan. A composite image of the Western hemisphere of the Earth. Credit: NASA A compilation of about 200 images collected by the joint European-Japanese mission BepiColombo during its firstand onlyflyby of Earth on 10 April 2020, a manoeuvre needed to adjust its trajectory en route to its destination, Mercury. The spacecraft, equipped with three 'selfie' cameras, captured a series of stunning images of our home planet as it closed in, approached, and finally departed. In this video, Earth first appears as a rotating marble from behind the spacecraft structure and high-gain antenna in the sequence captured on 9 April. Later, in the images shot just before closest approach, less than 13 000 km from Earth's surface, the planet appears in greater detail, with the outline of East Africa, the Arabian peninsula and India well in sight, between the spacecraft's instrument boom on the left and its medium-gain antenna on the right. Finally, the sequence of images taken by BepiColombo as it moved away on 10 and 11 April show a crescent Earth shining against the cosmic darkness; towards the end of the video, the Moon also makes an appearance, visible as a tiny speck of light near the end of the spacecraft solar array. Credit: ESA/BepiColombo/MTM, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO; Music: TV3 - CC BY-NC-ND 4.0; Lyrics author & melody composer: Stefano Orsini; Music score: Angelo Coccia & Silvano Buogo, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO Jianqiang Wang has been the CEO of Q Technology (Group) Company Limited (HKG:1478) since 2016. 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. 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. View our latest analysis for Q Technology (Group) How Does Jianqiang Wang's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? According to our data, Q Technology (Group) Company Limited has a market capitalization of HK$11b, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth CN816k over the year to December 2018. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth noting the salary is lower, valued at CN340k. As part of our analysis we looked at companies in the same jurisdiction, with market capitalizations of CN7.1b to CN23b. The median total CEO compensation was CN3.8m. Next, let's break down remuneration compositions to understand how the industry and company compare with each other. Speaking on an industry level, we can see that nearly 71% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 29% is other remuneration. Q Technology (Group) sets aside a smaller share of compensation for salary, in comparison to the overall industry. This would give shareholders a good impression of the company, since most similar size companies have to pay more, leaving less for shareholders. While this is a good thing, you'll need to understand the business better before you can form an opinion. You can see, below, how CEO compensation at Q Technology (Group) has changed over time. SEHK:1478 CEO Compensation April 16th 2020 Is Q Technology (Group) Company Limited Growing? Q Technology (Group) Company Limited has seen earnings per share (EPS) move positively by an average of 3.2% a year, over the last three years (using a line of best fit). In the last year, its revenue is up 62%. Story continues It's great to see that revenue growth is strong. Combined with modest EPS growth, we get a good impression of the company. I'd stop short of saying the business performance is amazing, but there are enough positives to justify further research, or even adding the stock to your watch-list. You might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for future earnings. Has Q Technology (Group) Company Limited Been A Good Investment? I think that the total shareholder return of 54%, over three years, would leave most Q Technology (Group) Company Limited shareholders smiling. This strong performance might mean some shareholders don't mind if the CEO were to be paid more than is normal for a company of its size. In Summary... It appears that Q Technology (Group) Company Limited remunerates its CEO below most similar sized companies. Jianqiang Wang receives relatively low remuneration compared to similar sized companies. And the returns to shareholders were great, over the last few years. We would like to see EPS growth, but in our view it seems the CEO is modestly remunerated. Shifting gears from CEO pay for a second, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Q Technology (Group) that investors should be aware of in a dynamic business environment. If you want to buy a stock that is better than Q Technology (Group), this free list of high return, low debt companies is a great place to look. 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. There have been no confirmed coronavirus cases in Alderney, the third biggest Channel Island, so far. (Getty Creative) Alderney is the tiny Channel Island with no confirmed coronavirus cases and it needs to stay that way. A COVID-19 outbreak would likely devastate the island because about 50% of its 2,000 inhabitants are over-65s who would be most vulnerable to the virus. Lisa Millan, a mental health worker from the island, told Yahoo News UK: If it was to come here, it would be absolutely awful. We dont want it to get here and we have done a good job, so far. So, how has it managed to avoid any infections? 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 Dr Sally Simmons, clinical director at Alderneys sole medical centre, the answer is simple: low population density and a quick response from the island authorities. She said: We are a little bit more remote than some of the other Channel Islands but more importantly, our population density is a big factor. We have got three square miles of land so our population density is around 600 people per square mile. Guernseys is probably around 2,500 per square mile. And if you look at any of the big cities like London with really huge problems with COVID-19, they are really big, dense populations. Alderney, which is not part of the UK but whose inhabitants are British citizens, is governed by the States of Guernsey, which imposed a similar lockdown to that of the UK on 24 March. However, Dr Simmons said its anti-coronavirus measures started before that: We introduced restrictions on travelling by port and airport quite early on and restricted visiting in our hospital about six weeks ago. It wasnt terribly difficult to introduce that because we have a good community and its very supportive of what we are doing. We have managed to maintain that through the lockdown. These factors are hugely important as even a couple of COVID-19 cases would be devastating for the island, Dr Simmons said. Story continues It absolutely would. Between 750 and 900 people are over 65. We have 25 in a care home, 15 in a residential home and 10 long-stay patients in our hospital. Those people are really vulnerable, plus we have got a lot of older people living alone with home care and meals on wheels etc. Those are the situations we are keeping a really careful eye on. If we did get COVID-19 here, unfortunately we would see some very sick people. Meanwhile, Millan, co-ordinator for the Mind mental health charity in Alderney, said islanders community spirit has been just as important during the lockdown. Lisa Millan, co-ordinator for the Mind mental health charity in Alderney, said the island's community spirit has been key to fighting a coronavirus outbreak. (Lisa Millan) Everyone is really following the restrictions, and the local services have been so good at what they are doing that we havent had to break any rules. Everyone is supporting each other. Its a good atmosphere. We are really learning how to look after each other again. If people need something, someone else will be happy to go and get it. The shops are opening at specific hours for the key workers. Those shops are also doing deliveries so you dont necessarily have to leave the house. Another island native, Alex Flewitt, said Alderneys two-hour exercise allowance, in which beach visits are allowed, has helped normalise the lockdown. Lockdown here doesnt feel like it does in the UK, she said. Flewitt, who has been volunteering at a farm shop helping to make food deliveries, explained: You can go for a swim in the sea, sit on the beach, walk your dog. Everything feels normal apart from not being able to see your friends. Thats not to say it has been easy. After nearly four weeks of lockdown, Millan said Mind has seen an increase in referrals in the past week. I do think people have started to struggle, she said. On the mental health side of things, weve had quite a few referrals. We have got a therapist on the island but she is only seeing people via video-link or phone. Some people cant do that or access that, so I think thats been a bit of a struggle. Its got a bit real. People are finding it difficult as we are a very social island: meeting friends, going to the pub, being out on the beaches. Its anxiety about whats going to happen. We have lonely people who feel really isolated and are sitting on their own. There are financial worries: people with their own businesses are having to stop. There are a lot of big families here and people are unable to spend time together. Its a general feeling of the unknown that is the big problem. Coronavirus: what happened today Is the coronavirus lockdown linked to the bizarre dreams you have been having recently? Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 22:12:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese national political advisors convened a biweekly seminar on Friday to discuss training more legal professionals for foreign-related legal affairs. Noting that the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, strengthening talent cultivation for foreign-related legal affairs is of great significance, said Wang Yang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), who presided over the meeting and made a speech. Given China's conditions, Wang urged efforts to train high-caliber personnel for foreign-related legal services that can better help safeguard national sovereignty, security and the interests of the people. At the meeting, 12 political advisors and representatives from academia put forward their suggestions on the issue. Meanwhile, more than 120 political advisors voiced their opinion through a mobile platform of the CPPCC National Committee. Political advisors proposed strengthening the top-level design and overall planning for nurturing foreign-related legal service personnel, and improving the system for bringing in skilled workers, training, selection and management. They also called for accelerating the establishment of a disciplinary system of international law with Chinese characteristics, and with a practice-oriented personnel fostering mechanism, breaking professional barriers between foreign-related legal services and government agencies, academic institutions and enterprises. Enditem A group of parents who were challenged by police over a trip to the beach during the coronavirus lockdown claimed their children needed a change of air. Alford and Mablethorpe Police said four adults were stopped at Theddlethorpe after travelling more than 70 miles from Nottingham. Police said the adults claimed the four children needed a change of air and view for the day in a Facebook post on Wednesday. Last month, police officers were handed powers to make sure people stay at home and avoid non-essential travel to curb the spread of Covid-19. Anyone who ignores the lockdown rules will be breaking the law and could be arrested or fined. A Lincolnshire Police spokeswoman said the group were not issued with fixed penalty notices, but were given a warning. The spokeswoman added that the parents were told if they were caught not following the guidance again, they would be issued with a fine. In the Facebook post, Alford and Mablethorpe Police said: We have no words. Four adults on the beach at Theddlethorpe after travelling from Nottingham. When challenged they claimed their four children needed a change of air and view for the day. Last month, a driver was found with his wife in the boot of his car when he was stopped by police after ignoring the lockdown rules. Motorist caught speeding at 151mph on M1 in London over Easter The driver had made a 220-mile round trip from Coventry to Salford on Sunday to pick up 15 windows he had bought on eBay. It comes as drivers have been taking advantage of the empty roads during the lockdown and driving at "extreme speeds". Four in 10 cars were caught exceeding the speed limit in Greater Manchester, mayor Andy Burnham said last week. 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 One driver was caught during the Easter coronavirus lockdown going at 151mph on the M1. Metropolitan Police also caught a driver travelling at 97mph in a 40 zone and four drivers going over 100mph on the A13. Referring to concerns over the novel coronavirus outbreak in the Islamic Republic prisons, a lawyer defending political prisoners says fear is dominating Qarchak detention center and calls for urgent action. Qarchak Prison, located in a remote desert, 39 kilometers (about 24 miles) east of Tehran, is known as the most dangerous and worst prison in Iran for its inhumane medical and psychological conditions. Swamps and marshes surround the prison, so the prison is filled with insects and rats. The New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) says common complaints in Qarchak Prison include urine-stained floors, lack of ventilation, insufficient and filthy bathroom facilities, the prevalence of contagious diseases, poor quality food containing small pieces of stone and salty water. In recent days, women prisoners have complained that fumes have escaped from the drainage system, filling their rooms with foul odors. Exclusively for female inmates, Qarchak Prison includes seven sections holding approximately 2,000 women and some children, while the number varies in different periods. According to Iran Human Rights (IHR), In each building of Qarchak, 200 to 300 female prisoners are held together, disregarding the rules of segregation of prisoners by age and crime. Derafshan, who is defending an Iranian Instagram celebrity, Ms. Fatemeh Khishvand, publicly nicknamed as Sahar Tabar, says his client's condition is severe. Sahar Tabar is presently hospitalized and connected to a ventilator. Derafshan insists that the fearsome outbreak is not limited to Qarchak and a single inmate. "A large number of women prisoners in Qarchak called my colleague and me raising alarm that fear reigns over the prison and the situation is horrible." The judiciary and prison authorities will be accountable and responsible for whatever happens to Sahar Tabar and other inmates, Derafshan cautions. Since the novel coronavirus outbreak, the attorney disclosed, most of the judges do not show up in courts, because either themselves or their relatives are ill. "Therefore, a few judges who show up at work do not feel like working. The lawyers have asked the 'Prison Classification Council' (PCC) to grant leave to the prisoners. Nonetheless, the PCC is not in a position to decide on such cases", Derafshan laments. Cinematographer Allen Daviau who shot three of Steven Spielberg's classic movies from the 1980s including E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial has died. The American Society of Cinematographers announced the news on Thursday, saying Daviau had passed away from complications of COVID-19. He was 77. Cinematographer Allen Daviau, who worked with Steven Spielberg on E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, has died from complications of COVID-19. He was 77 In a statement, Spielberg paid tribute to Daviau as 'a wonderful artist.' 'His warmth and humanity were as powerful as his lens,' Spielberg said. 'He was a singular talent and a beautiful human being.' Dee Wallace, who played the mom in E.T., shared on Twitter: 'My heart is heavy. My beloved cinematographer from ET, Allen Daviau has passed from complications of COVID-19. A gentle, beautiful, talented soul. I was elated to walk onto the set & find out he was shooting ET. You will be missed my friend!' As well as serving as director of photography on E.T. Daviau also collaborated with Spielberg on Empire Of The Sun and The Color Purple. He received a Best Cinematography Academy Award nomination for all three. Spielberg paid tribute to Daviau, saying in a statement: 'His warmth and humanity were as powerful as his lens. He was a singular talent and a beautiful human being' Dee Wallace, who played the mom in E.T., shared on Twitter: 'My heart is heavy.....A gentle, beautiful, talented soul... You will be missed my friend!' Daviau also shot Spielberg's Empire Of The Sun, pictured, and The Color Purple and shot the dramatic Gobi desert sequence in Close Encounters Of The Third Kind He was responsible as well for the dramatic Gobi desert sequence in Spielberg's Close Encounters of The Third Kind. Daviau was nominated for Oscars, too, for his work on Barry Levinson's films Bugsy and Avalon. Actress Elizabeth Perkins, who starred in Avalon, described the cinematographer as 'a gentleman, supremely gifted and one of the kindest people I've ever known.' Albert Brooks, for whom Daviau worked on the 1991 movie Defending Your Life, also shared his sorrow at the news of the cinematographer's passing and called him 'a legend'. 'He was truly one of the greats in his profession,' Brooks tweeted. Elizabeth Perkins, who starred in Barry Levinson's Avalon, described the cinematographer as 'a gentleman, supremely gifted and one of the kindest people I've ever known' Albert Brooks, for whom Daviau worked on the 1991 movie Defending Your Life, also shared his sorrow at the news of the cinematographer's passing Other films on Daviau's resume include 1995's Congo, 1999's The Astronaut's Wife and 2004's Van Helsing. He also shot music videos for major artists including Meatloaf and Faith Hill Born in New Orleans in 1942, Daviau was raised in Los Angeles where he started out working in camera stores and film labs. He shot early music videos for The Who and Jimi Hendrix and took official photos for The Monkees. In 1968, he teamed up with Spielberg, whom he had met the previous year, to make Amblin, a 35mm 26-minute film with music and sound effects. Other films on his resume included 1995's Congo, 1999's The Astronaut's Wife and 2004's Van Helsing. He also shot music videos for several major artists including Meatloaf and Faith Hill. In 2007, he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Society of Cinematographers. A surgical procedure in 2012 left Daviau confined to a wheelchair and he moved to a facility run by the Motion Picture and Television Fund in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. That was where he spent his final days after receiving treatment in hospital for COVID-19, the facility's President & CEO Bob Beitcher said. At least 41 people with Covid-19 have died in care homes and hospices in Northern Ireland. The figure represents around a quarter of the overall tally and involves 23 separate establishments, official statistics up to earlier this month showed. Pauline Shepherd represents care homes and said hospitals should routinely carry out tests before discharging patients to them. She said: We have 490 care homes in Northern Ireland, there are lots of people who may have no symptoms and they want to protect their residents. The chief executive of the Independent Health and Care Providers organisation said the latest figures should not be a shock to anyone since many residents had underlying conditions and were frail. Ms Shepherd said: We have seen this around the whole world, we have seen that nursing homes are probably among the most prone to coronavirus. She said more analysis of the data was needed to establish whether the virus was the primary cause of death or a contributory factor. Ms Shepherd added: The symptoms of end of life often are pneumonia and lung problems and Covid-19 could be suspected, but unless you test you do not actually know. I would be pressing strongly that there needs to be increased testing in homes and pre-admission. Some care homes are saying we wont take anyone from hospital unless they have been tested and are negative. First Minister Arlene Foster said patients being transferred from hospitals were now being tested but there was an issue around people coming from their own homes having to undergo self-isolation. Dr Tom Black, chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA) in Northern Ireland, said residents often have other underlying illnesses which leave them at greater risk. It is distressing for anyone to lose a family member due to Covid-19, whether that is in a hospital, care home, hospice or family home, but we need to get a clear picture of how our population is being affected as this will help us plan our services in the most effective way, he said. Story continues Unfortunately, most people in care homes will be at greater risk of coronavirus as they will generally have co-morbidities, which means they have more than one illness, and this increases their risk from the virus as their overall health is poorer. Care home residents will also frequently have in place an advance care plan where they and their family have had the chance to discuss with their GP and others involved in their care what sort of treatment they would like at the end of their life. "This is the greatest challenge of our careers, but understand that The BMA is there, in your corner fighting for you." @TomblackBlack thanks members for their relentless dedication in tackling the #COVID19 pandemic on behalf of patients pic.twitter.com/yHTGsvQy21 BMA Northern Ireland (@BMA_NI) April 17, 2020 Concerns have been expressed by staff and relatives of residents about the situation in care homes. Dr Black strongly encouraged families with a loved one in a home to agree with them what to do during end-of-life care. It is much easier to do this in advance than when under pressure to take a decision about what interventions you want undertaken. In general, it wouldnt be appropriate to transfer someone who is at the end of their life to hospital to allow them to die in hospital if that isnt medically necessary. He said measures are being put in place for geriatricians to go out to care homes to advise on and supervise care. Residential home staff are linking in with hospital teams to ensure residents are receiving the best palliative care. Stormont Health Minister Robin Swann has said he wants to reassure people that relatives are receiving the support and care they need. Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill said: We know that older people are particularly susceptible to the devastating effects of Covid-19, and our care homes are very vulnerable at this time. Notable is that amid the debate over the Affordable Care Act in 2009, conservatives led by former Alaska governor Sarah Palin seized on a proposal to allow Medicare to pay for voluntary counseling on end-of-life treatment options as death panels for elderly Americans. That entirely speculative risk helped drive GOP opposition to the Democratic health-care law; now Republicans are brushing aside much more credible risks in their zeal to restart the economy with an eye toward the November elections. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 16:33:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The decision of U.S. President Donald Trump to halt funding to the World Health Organization has triggered a wave of criticism from European nations. Xinhua correspondent Zhao Yuchao brings you the latest. This is our fourth and biggest consecutive year celebrating young Latinas. We were so blessed and overwhelmed with the positive responses from those who followed us for seven hours hearing wonderful advice and tips to empower the next generation of Latina leaders. In 2017, the nonprofit Fig Factor Foundation presented its first Young Latina Day in Aurora as a way to celebrate the positive achievements of Hispanic girls and women. Several other Illinois cities joined in the following years making proclamations. This years event grew to include Springfield, Cicero and 13 countries to present a successful global virtual outreach. On April 11, Facebook visitors celebrated Young Latina Day around the world as they watched 50 speakers known as inspiration agents as well as the foundations board members and graduates from the United States, Mexico, Italy, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom, Belgium, Colombia, Spain, Portugal and Canada. The event is one of many activities the foundation presents as it strengthens its mission to provide educational leadership platforms, mentorship and meaningful empowering activities to Latinas ages 12 to 25. So far, the foundation has 157 graduates. The event attracted 24,491 people and garnered 12,500 FB views, 978 comments and 217 shares. Hosting the event was Luz-Marie Caro, the foundations vice president and Jacqueline S. Ruiz, the foundations creator. This is our fourth and biggest consecutive year celebrating young Latinas, said Ruiz. We were so blessed and overwhelmed with the positive responses from those who followed us for seven hours hearing wonderful advice and tips to empower the next generation of Latina leaders. Foundation Board Member Leonor Gil appreciated the enthusiasm and wisdom the inspiration agents shared with their audience. History was made on April 11, 2020! Gil said. We set a precedence and left our footprint in 13 counties for Latinas around the world. I take pride in being a board member of an organization that is impacting Latinas globally! The event also encouraged visitors to donate to the foundation. People can still donate through this link. The celebration would not be possible without the generous support of the following marketing partners: Hispana Emprendedoras, Todays Inspired Latina, Mexican Cultural Center-DuPage and Ollin Technology. The foundation also thanks the following sponsors: Northern Trust, Medhat Sbeih-State Farm Insurance, Ramos Tax & ServicesIllinois, Marsal-Avila Law Group, Ponce-Reyna Agency/Farmers Insurance and ABConsultants, Inc. I want to thank everyone who took part in our magical celebration, Ruiz said. It was a day full of inspiration, magic, and the positive elevation of young Latinas all over the world. For more information about the Fig Factor Foundation, visit http://www.thefigfactor.org. About Fig Factor Foundation: The Fig Factor Foundation's mission is to become a powerful catalyst for Latinas aged 12 to 25 to pursue their dreams by providing educational leadership platforms, mentorship and powerful experiences through a context of sisterhood. It was founded in September 2014, after six months of hard work to assemble the team, the program, build infrastructure and raise initial funding. Their positive impact was immediately felt at smaller local events and provided the impetus to grow. The foundation's goal is to implement the program nationwide before expanding globally. Learn more about the foundation at http://www.thefigfactor.org. GLENVILLE TrustCo Bank Corp NY, the parent company of Trustco Bank, has decided to suspend its stock buyback program, following in the footsteps of larger banks that have done so to preserve liquidity during the COVID-19 pandemic and financial crisis. TrustCo had already spent $3.5 million during the first quarter of the year to buy back 489,000 of its shares as part of a program that allowed it to repurchase up to one million shares of its stock. Public companies routinely repurchase shares as a sign of confidence to shareholders and to bolster the company's stock price. Last month, the Financial Services Forum, which represents the eight largest banks in the United States, agreed to stop their own stock repurchase programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. TrustCo's chief risk officer, Robert Leonard, said Friday that the bank took the step so that it can better serve its customers during a time when the economy is in flux as a result of the health crisis. The money will be freed up for loans and other services that customers will need. "It's the prudent thing to do," Leonard told the Times Union. "There's a lot of uncertainty out there." The Financial Services Forum said in a March 15 statement that its member banks were seeking to show their "unquestioned ability" to serve customers and the federal government during the crisis. Many of the Financial Services Forum members, such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America, have been helping the U.S. with its COVID-19 bailout program by backing loans to small businesses. Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage "The decision on buybacks is consistent with our collective objective to use our significant capital and liquidity to provide maximum support to individuals, small businesses, and the broader economy through lending and other important services," the banking group said in its March 15 statement. "The decision is consistent with actions by the Federal Reserve, the administration, and the Congress." TrustCo has 148 branches in New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Florida and $5.2 billion in assets. Its shares have fallen from $7.36 on March 4 to $5.01 as of the closing of trading Thursday. Other local community banks have also seen their stock drop in similar ways during that same period. Arrow Financial of Glens Falls, which operates Glens Falls National Bank and Saratoga National Bank, has seen its stock drop from $33.18 per share to $24.77 since March 4. Trustco has kept its branches open during the COVID-19 pandemic, while some other banks and credit unions have closed lobbies and conducted business through drive-up windows. "First and foremost, our plan ensures the health and safety of our employees, especially those on the frontlines of service," TrustCo CEO Robert J. McCormick said in a letter to customers posted on the bank's web site."We have armed team members with training on best practices from the (Centers for Disease Control) and are minimizing contact between employees and with our customers by limiting the number of people in a branch at a time, without disrupting our ability to deliver what you need." TrustCo's Leonard said he was disappointed that other banks in the Capital Region have closed branches. He said now was not the time to do that, especially since the state had deemed banks essential businesses that need to stay open just like grocery and hardware stores. The bank has put in Plexiglass barriers at teller counters and distributed masks to frontline employees for their and customers' protection, he said. "We feel we have to be there for our customers," Leonard said. SEFCU, the region's largest credit union, has closed most branch lobbies. "We are currently operating two full-service branches, SEFCU Square in downtown Schenectady and State Street in downtown Albany," SEFCU spokesman Ken Jubie said. "The lobbies are open and operating as normal, practicing social distancing and taking safety precautions of course. Clear Plexiglass partitions have been installed at all the teller stations in these branches and others across our network." Arrow Financial is limiting branch visits to those who call ahead and pass certain health screenings. "If you need to visit one of our offices, please call ahead to answer a few health and safety questions and schedule an appointment at our discretion. Before you access our facilities, we will again ask a few questions," Arrow says on its web site. "Per the latest state guidance, our team will be wearing face coverings during any scheduled visits, and we encourage you to do the same." Missy Sweetwillow In true Roaring 20s fashion, cannabis users are ready to put use to their meticulously stockpiled stash of smokables and edibles to celebrate 4/20 in the face of the government trying to control everything else around us. The best part? Because its the good year of our lord 2020, 420 lasts for the entire month of April! While most dispensaries are completely swamped right now, a couple of them have already listed some specials for Snoop Doggs favorite holiday (besides any day when he can make mashed potatoes with Martha Stewart). Urban Wellness is going out the gate hot with plenty of different options. Today and Saturday (until its gone) you can get half an ounce of Pre Pack City Slicker for $90 and Midnight Snack for $8 a gram. Then on Sunday, April 19, all online orders will be 15 percent off. On Monday, April 20, select strains of flower will be $30 all day along, select wax will be $46 for 1.5 grams and all PURE products will be on sale. Organtica is doing giveaways all month long. Any orders placed through their online platform will enter customers in their ongoing raffles throughout the month of April. Minerva is paying it forward by giving 15 percent of their total sales on the big day to a local food bank in Santa Fe. Once you have your supplies, the socially distanced festivities can commence! The Highstream 420 Festival will be jamming from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. EST and features performances by Melissa Etheridge, Disco Biscuits, Ape Drums and The Pharcyde. You can participate in online workshops, panels, and demos all while benefitting COVID-19 relief efforts. On Netflix, Keliss new miniseries, Cooked with Cannabis, will premier as the midnight bell tolls for 420 to begin. Enjoy a different cast of dinner guests self-medicating while they eat food prepared by Chef Leather Storrs every episode. A smattering of other artists will be streaming concert footage until we can escape our domestic shackles, including Radiohead, Billie Joe Armstrong, Metallica, Dr. Dre and more. For those of us with medical cards, its our civic duty to not let this pandemic get in the way of honoring a sacred tradition that dates back to 1971. Those high school kids meeting up to smoke cannabis at 4:20 p.m. every day in California did so while the war on marijuana raged everywhere around them. Back in the 1970s, we did what we needed to do to adapt to the environmentall the drug suppression, Waldo Steve Capperone of the original members of the 420 grouptold Leafly. We figured out a code to be able to talk amongst ourselves in that environment. In honor of the Waldoswho first bestowed up on us the term 420lets continue the tradition, but utterly isolated in the confines of our homes, watching one of the many streaming options available all day long. We can worry about the rest of our problems on April 21. A complaint was filed Friday against Babita Phogat in Maharashtra over her recent tweets against Tablighi Jamaat members even as the wrestler-politician claimed that she is receiving threats. The complaint lodged at City Chowk police station in Aurangabad against the BJP politician and Kangana Ranaut's sister Rangoli Chandel said their tweets were intended to create disharmony among communities. The complaint was filed by a man associated with the Jamaat and will be forwarded to places where Phogat and Chandel live, an official said. The 30-year-old international wrestler, who joined the BJP last year, said she stood by her tweets against the Tablighi Jamaat. The Jamaat had come under flak when thousands of its members dispersed from a religious gathering in New Delhi's Nizamuddin, many of them carrying the coronavirus infection. "In the recent past, I posted some tweets after which many people sent me objectionable messages over Facebook messenger, WhatsApp and Twitter and abused me, while some people threatened me over the phone," the Haryana politician claimed in a video message. Phogat said she is not scared and compared her behaviour to that of actor Zaira Wasim. "I want to tell all these people I am not Zaira Wasim, that I will feel scared by your threats and sit at home, she said in Hindi. Your threats will not scare me. I am Babita Phogat and have always fought for my country. I will continue to do so and speak for my nation," she added. Zaira Wasim had made her Bollywood debut with the 2016 film Dangal, playing the character of Babita Phogat's sister Geeta. The 20-year-old quit acting last year, saying it interfered with her religion. This followed objections to her acting by hardliners. Phogat said there was nothing wrong with her tweet. I stand by the tweet and will also do so in the future, as I wrote about people who spread coronavirus." "I want to ask, don't the Tablighi Jamaat members account for maximum cases? Had they not spread the virus, the lockdown would have been lifted by now and coronavirus would have been eradicated, she said. Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and Haryana's Health Minister Anil Vij also blamed Tablighi Jamaat members for the spike in the number cases in the state. Of the total 221 positive cases in Haryana, Vij has said that 122 are those linked to the Tablighi Jamaat. "Had there not been a spike in the number of cases due to the Tablighi Jamaat members, the state would have been in a much better position today as far as the fight against COVID-19 is concerned," Vij had said earlier. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An iconic character gets a new look with the first trailer for HBO's reboot of Perry Mason, starring Matthew Rhys (The Americans). The original Perry Mason TV series starred Raymond Burr as the title character, which ran for nine seasons between 1957 and 1966, with Burr returning for several TV movies throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. This new series is set in 1931, charting the origins of this iconic defense attorney in Los Angeles during the Great Depression. New look: An iconic character gets a new look with the first trailer for HBO's reboot of Perry Mason, starring Matthew Rhys (The Americans) The trailer begins with Mason telling a young woman that he doesn't like it here because, 'everybody is up to something.' He adds that 'everybody's hiding something... everybody's got an angle' as a cop is seen looking over the ledge of a rooftop, while a glamorous woman in white, Sister Alice (Tatiana Maslany) enters a church and presides over a funeral. '... And everybody is guilty,' Mason adds, as he watches the funeral unfold, while we get a closer look at Sister Alice and John Lithgow's Elias Birchard 'E.B.' Jonathan. Guilty: '... And everybody is guilty,' Mason adds, as he watches the funeral unfold, while we get a closer look at Sister Alice and John Lithgow's Elias Birchard 'E.B.' Jonathan Mason is then gathered in front of two men and a woman, as he's handed a Los Angeles Examiner newspaper that reads 'Horror at Angels Flight.' One of the men says that an 'unspeakable act has visited upon us,' though Mason wonders why they don't just go to the police as Sister Alice is hauled away. Herman Baggerly (Robert Patrick) plainly tells him, 'I don't trust the Los Angeles Police Department to do the job' as numerous shots cycle through. Horror: Mason is then gathered in front of two men and a woman, as he's handed a Los Angeles Examiner newspaper that reads 'Horror at Angels Flight' Hauled away: One of the men says that an 'unspeakable act has visited upon us,' though Mason wonders why they don't just go to the police as Sister Alice is hauled away The trailer winds down with a number of random shots, including Sister Alice lying in the middle of a small sailboat in the sea. 'The way I see it, there's what's legal... and there's what's right,' Mason says before the trailer comes to an end. The final shot after the title card shows Mason walking into a dark and empty office, when a gun is pushed to his head. Sea: The trailer winds down with a number of random shots, including Sister Alice lying in the middle of a small sailboat in the sea Right: 'The way I see it, there's what's legal... and there's what's right,' Mason says before the trailer comes to an end Perry Mason also stars Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk, Shea Whigham, Stephen Root, Gayle Rankin, Nate Corddry, Veronica Falcon, Jefferson Mays, Lili Taylor, Andrew Howard and Eric Lange. Robert Downey Jr. serves as an executive producer on the series, alongside his wife Susan Downey through their Team Downey production company. The series, created by created by Rolin Jones & Ron Fitzgerald and based on the characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner, premieres June 21 at 9 PM ET on HBO. Camp Mather, the San Francisco-owned family camp west of Yosemite National Park, will not open this year because of the ongoing threat of the coronavirus pandemic, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department announced Friday. We've been continuously in touch with health officials in San Francisco and Tuolumne County, and given the health concerns, there is just no way we could operate this summer, said Tamara Aparton, the departments spokesperson. Located in the forested mountains near the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, the frog-filled lake and rustic cabins of the 96-year-old camp have served as a getaway from the gloomy summer fog for generations of San Franciscans. Admission for Mather in the summer is so coveted that a yearly lottery is held for the 99 available units each week, which cost San Francisco residents $557 to $1,223 for a sparsely furnished cabin and $279 per person for meals. It's really disappointing for us, Aparton said. And its disappointing for the people who come back to us every year. Aparton said the ongoing shelter-in-place orders would make it impossible to get the 337-acre site, which originally was used to house workers during the construction of nearby OShaughnessy Dam in the 1920s, up and running in time for the summer. The Parks Department typically hires 70 staff members for each season. 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 camp was forced to end its season early in 2018 due to the Ferguson Fire. It also shuttered temporarily due to virus outbreaks in 2018 and 2011, but had not canceled an entire season in its history, according to Aparton. The department will refund all fees due to the closure. Those who received camp placement through this years lottery will not receive preference or priority for the 2021 camp season. Aparton said the department will start fresh in December with a new lottery application process. Aidin Vaziri is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com PrivatBank loses US$250 mln lawsuit to Surkis' companies: Details 09:20, 17.04.20 9067 If the bank refuses to return the money, the offshore companies may file a lawsuit to recover it. A total of 14,576 people have now died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK. The latest Department of Health and Social Care figures show 847 more people had died as of 5pm on Thursday compared to the previous day. So far, 341,551 people have been tested for Covid-19, including 108,692 people who have tested positive. The figures do not include the number of infections in care homes, which Number 10 said stood at 2,987 as of Tuesday. A leading physician has warned Britain will face further waves of Covid-19 and will probably have the highest death rate in Europe because the government was too slow to act. Professor Anthony Costello, of University College Londons Institute for Global Health, told a committee of MPs on Friday that the harsh reality is the UK has been too slow with a number of things and deaths could reach to 40,000. He said: If were going to suppress the chain of transmission of this virus in the next stage we all hope that the national lockdown and social distancing will bring about a large suppression of the epidemic so far but were going to face further waves. We need to make sure that we have a system in place that cannot just do a certain number of tests in the laboratory, but has a system at district and community level. Prof Costello, giving evidence to the Commons Health and Social Care Committee, said we should not have any blame at this stage but that we can make sure in the second wave were not too slow. Health secretary Matt Hancock announced testing will be expanded to those in the police, fire service and prisons, as well as critical local authority workers, the judiciary and Department for Work and Pensions staff where required. It follows criticism of a gulf between those being tested and the testing capacity, with just 18,665 tests being conducted in the 24 hours up to 9am on Thursday, despite 38,000 tests being available. Mr Hancock confirmed to the committee that more than 50,000 NHS workers have now been tested for coronavirus, and admitted he would "love to be able to wave a magic wand" to increase supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). Additional reporting by Press Association The U.S. Army is again reorganizing its combat units. The last major reorganization was after 2003 when the independent combined arms brigade became the basic combat unit, replacing the combined arms division that had become the standard before and during World War II. The latest effort seeks to create combined arms battalions. China recently announced that it was making such combined arms battalions the standard combat organization for ground forces. Russia has already moved in this direction and the United States is experimenting with it. There is a certain irony to all this because during World War II when tanks and other armored vehicles were first widely used, it was common for allied and German units to informally organize combined arms companies and battalions on the battlefield. Once out of combat these units reverted to their normal organization of separate tank, infantry, artillery, engineer and other specialized battalions or companies. By the 1950s, when the German armies (NATO West German and Russian controlled East German) reappeared they followed the World War II organizational concepts, despite many of their senior commanders having had plenty of combat experience with combined brigades and battalions during World War II. The Germans developed the combined arms battle group concept during World War II. The U.S. adopted this approach, for its armored division, later in the war. Instead of having several tank regiments and one infantry regiment in an armored division the new American organization had three Combat Commands that contained a mix of tank and infantry battalions. Without the reality check an actual war provides, Western armies would never have taken this combined arms concept to its logical conclusion; combined arms battalions, companies and platoons. This was the battlefield reality and still is. The combined arms battalion recognizes this. Unit organization is important because units train together most of the time. Experience shows that you train as you fight and fight as you train. When you get into combat it quickly becomes apparent that the combined arms concept is the battlefield reality all the way down to the company and platoon level. Adapting to that while under fire, instead of during peacetime training, means you take more casualties during your initial battles. It doesnt have to be that way. In 1991, when the reformed (since the 1970s as volunteers replaced conscripts) U.S. Army saw its first combined arms combat since 1970, it learned that better training, equipment and leadership was an enormous battlefield advantage. That 1991 ground war lasted a hundred hours and that was because American army units destroyed Russian style Iraqi units quickly and with few American casualties. This was accomplished without the World War II and Vietnam style combined arms battalions and companies because that was not needed. For example, one of the most famous battles in 1991 was 73 Easting and it was won by an American armored cavalry regiment. These units are the closest to low-level combined arms combat units in the American military. The armored cav units specialize in reconnaissance and getting out in front to get a close look at what the main force behind it will encounter. At 73 Easting the armored cav regiment ran into and defeated the best tank divisions the Iraqis had before the American tank units could get there. The armored cav units have some tanks but they are mainly mechanized infantry using IFVs. These are lightly armored and armed Infantry Fighting Vehicles armed with 25mm autocannon and ATGMs (Anti-Tank Guided Missiles). The armored cav at 73 Easting was the combat organization now being proposed as standard because, then and now and as far back as World War II, that organization was what worked best in combat. While the organizational implications were not recognized in 1991, a lot of junior army officers understood and remembered. After 2003 the 73 Eastern vets were part of the senior army leadership and that made it easier to carry out the post-2003 reorganization. These reforms and reorganization made the brigades, not the divisions, the primary combat unit. The new brigades had more support units permanently attached and can be more easily sent off to fight by themselves. The post-2003 reorganization increased support even more. In the past, providing more support involved quickly adding (temporarily) a lot of support units to the brigade. But the new organization made small support units part of the brigades and, more importantly, the brigades train using these support units and learn to work quickly and effectively with them. The divisions still exist but operate more like the corps has for the last two centuries; coordinating the actions of a few divisions and only having a few support units under its command. Initially, the new post-2003 divisions had four of the new brigades but could control more (or less) in action. Later division went back to the old three brigades each. Initially, each of the new brigade combat teams (or BCTs) had 3,500-4,000 troops (depending on type). There are three types of BCTs: light (infantry, including paratroopers), heavy (mechanized, including tanks), and Stryker (mechanized using wheeled armored vehicles). This larger number of combat brigades is achieved by reorganizing the combat units of each division into four brigades, instead of the current three. There are several independent brigades as well. New weapons and equipment (especially satellite-based communications and battlefield Internet software) enabled the army to get the same amount of combat power per brigade while using fewer combat troops. The actual number of infantrymen and tanks didnt change, but the number of communications, maintenance, and intelligence support personnel did. For example, increased use of robots, sensors, and computerized vidcam surveillance systems made it possible to do the same amount of work in combat with fewer troops. A lot of these new ideas, and equipment, were tested in Iraq and Afghanistan, and most of these items have worked well in combat. China was the first to realize that these trends led to combined arms battalions and companies. These units train as mixed (tank, infantry, artillery, engineer) battalions and companies. When these units go into combat they will already be trained to fight using the organization that works best. In this case, the U.S. is playing catchup in adopting a form of battlefield organization they pioneered 80 years ago. The SBU's major general was hired by Russia's FSB to arrange the assassination of a leader of Chechen volunteers. Ukrainian Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko says that Major General of the SBU Security Service of Ukraine Valeriy Shaitanov, who has recently been detained on suspicion of high treason, was involved in preparations for an assassination attempt on Interior Minister Arsen Avakov. "This morning, I spoke with the interior minister. He confirmed that the Security Service and its channels had informed that Major General Shaitanov, along with [arranging] a contract killing of Adam Osmayev, was also working on an attempted assassination of the interior minister," Gerashchenko said on television on April 16, according to nv.ua. Gerashchenko also said that he was aware of Shaitanov's contacts with Russia's FSB. "He [Shaitanov] would go on work-related trips abroad, but our European and American counterparts keep the situation with Russian agents under control they informed the SBU that the SBU's general had strange ties and contacts with Russian intelligence," he said, adding that after this, the Ukrainian agency started "digging into Shaitanov and exposed him." Read alsoRussia's FSB reports about detention of Ukrainian 'terrorist' in occupied Crimea (Video) As UNIAN reported earlier, SBU counterintelligence agents detained Shaitanov on April 14. According to the materials of the case, Shaitanov, who is one of the former chiefs of the SBU's "A" Special Operations Center, was secretly working for Russian FSB Colonel Igor Yegorov. Investigators have evidence that, acting as Russian special services instructed, Shaitanov planned to commit terrorist acts in Ukraine. He was promised a reward of US$200,000 and Russian citizenship. Shaitanov hired a former special forces member for the acts. It was established that Shaitanov had collected information on secret operations in the Anti-Terrorist Operation/Joint Forces Operation zone in Donbas and about personnel involved in them for further sharing it with the FSB. He also informed the Russian side about Ukrainian special services' international security and defense cooperation; SBU and intelligence officers. He was also involved in recruiting officers from Ukrainian special and intelligence agencies to work for the FSB. Shaitanov is suspected of high treason and terrorist attacks. In particular, he was engaged in preparations for the assassination of Adam Osmayev, the leader of Chechen volunteers fighting on the Ukrainian side against Russia-led forces in Ukraine's east. On April 15, Kyiv's Shevchenkivsky district court ruled to remand Shaitanov in custody until June 14. Brasilia: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has fired his popular health minister after clashing with him over how to fight the new coronavirus, and again called for states to end stay-at-home orders he said were hurting the economy. Few global leaders have done more than Bolsonaro to play down the pandemic, which has killed nearly 2000 Brazilians. He has called the virus "a little flu", flaunted stay-at-home rules, and criticised state governors for imposing restrictions supported by health experts and the popular outgoing minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta. Brazil's Marine Corps soldiers from the Nuclear, Biological, Chemical and Radiological Defence division perform disinfection operations at tram stations under guard in downtown Rio de Janeiro on Thursday. Credit:Bloomberg Mandetta, an orthopedist, had garnered support for his handling of the pandemic that included promotion of broad isolation measures enacted by state governors, even drawing comparisons to Dr Anthony Fauci, US President Donald Trump's top virus expert. His dismissal comes as experts say the peak of the outbreak in Brazil is expected in May. Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and discussed ways to boost bilateral relations, especially in the medical field to counter the coronavirus pandemic, the Egyptian presidency said. According to the presidential statement, Sisi and Modi discussed the efforts of the two countries to fight COVID-19. The two leaders agreed to carry out joint coordination in the medical field through mutual exchange of expertise by the medical establishments fighting the pandemic. Modi and Sisi also discussed other issues, including the bilateral economic relationship and how to boost trade between the two countries. Search Keywords: Short link: This fall, Colorado voters will have a chance to do something they haven't done for nearly a century decide whether a law passed by the legislature and signed by the governor will go into effect. It's the rarely invoked power of referendum by voters, the flip side of the more frequently exercised power of Coloradans to initiate laws and constitutional amendments. This year, voters will decide whether to keep or reject a law passed last year to award Colorado's Electoral College votes to the winner of the national popular vote, instead of to the candidate who carries the state. In 1932, the last time voters faced a similar question, Coloradans weighed in on a law to impose an excise tax on margarine, known at the time as "oleomargarine," to level the playing field between the two. It was the latest skirmish between producers of butter and their competitors, who could churn out a butter-like substance at a significantly cheaper price. In the early part of the last century, fake butter was made from animal fat it's mostly made from vegetable oil these days and various laws required that it look different enough from butter so consumers wouldn't be fooled. Only real butter, for instance, could be tinted yellow, according to a requirement in effect in some states until the 1960s. But in the depths of what would come to be known as the Great Depression, it appears families were happy to serve oleomargarine instead of butter if it would save them some money. That's where the new law came in. When opponents of last year's National Popular Vote law learned they had gathered enough petition signatures to place that question on the ballot, the Colorado Secretary of State's Office pointed to the online archives maintained by the Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection, which included coverage of the 1932 referendum. The Oct. 6, 1932, edition of the Colorado Transcript "Colorado's Oldest Weekly Newspaper," published in Golden, the former territorial capital surveyed the upcoming election in detail. You can be your own legislator Nov. 8 and you should be thoroughly advised of the propositions at issue, the Transcripts unsigned editorial instructed, pointing readers to a the multitude of state ballot questions. Among them was the referendum on House Bill 10, "An Act Defining Oleomargarine and Relating to the Sale Thereof and Providing for an Excise Tax Thereon," which had been approved May 18, 1931, but had been prevented from taking effect by opponents and their referendum. Oleomargarine Newspaper Ad This 1919 newspaper ad for Swift's Premium Oleomargarine appeared in the Great Falls Daily Tribune in Montana. There has always been more or less trouble over the sale of oleomargarine ever since it came onto the market," a news story said. "This bill was sponsored by the dairy interests of the state and passed the last legislator and was signed by the governor. The manufacturers of oleomargarine have been instrumental in having it referred to the voters in hopes that it might be defeated. Those interested in building up the dairy business in the state feel that it should be approved and become a law. In keeping with what turned out to be an anti-tax mood, voters sent the oleomargarine tax packing, with 62% of voters giving it the thumbs down, according to the 1932 voter abstract maintained by the Colorado Secretary of State. In all, state voters were preparing to decide seven proposed measures, among them a constitutional amendment increasing the terms of county officers from two years to four years. Those favoring the amendment claim if a man is qualified for the office, two years is too short a terming in the interest of good government, he should serve four years," the newspaper said. "Those opposed contend that if the official is qualified, he has no trouble to be re-elected, whereas even two years is too long for an incumbent who proves to be unsatisfactory. As it had two years prior, the amendment failed. It was a historic election by any measure. Voters replaced Republican President Herbert Hoover in the White House with Democrat Franklin Roosevelt and his "new deal," while also electing Democrats up and down the ballot in Colorado, giving the party a grip on state government it wouldn't see again until the aftermath of the 2018 election. State voters also repealed Prohibition in its entirety. The Wray Gazettes Nov. 17, 1932, edition took stock of the election that had just occurred. When the Colorado voter went to the polls last Tuesday he stayed there long enough to vote on every thing," wrote Alva A. Swain in his Under the Capitol Dome column. "Never in the history of the state has every candidate and every proposition been given the consideration that was accorded them last Tuesday, he said, noting that there were nearly as many votes cast for the proposed amendment at the foot of the ballot as had been cast for president. Voters defeated several tax proposals, also including an income tax to pay for schools and a gasoline tax increase. While Swain concluded Coloradans were well satisfied with the gasoline situation and had made clear their opposition to a state income tax, he suggested the lesson of the oleomargarine question was murkier. [T]hat was a fight between the dairy interests and the beef cattle interests so there is not much of an opportunity to tell just what was in the mind of the average voter on that subject, he assessed. Judging by the vote in different counties, it appears Colorado voters in more urban areas Denver and Pueblo rejected the oleomargarine tax by enormous margins, while counties with more farmland, like Weld and Mesa, sided with the dairy industry and approved the tax. Elsewhere in the Wray newspaper, the editors surveyed the fallout from the election. In an unsigned editorial, the newspaper asked why the results of the election and Roosevelt's landslide win would take so long to be felt. And then, just why, when the people have expressed themselves for a new deal, as they did in this last election, should the country have to wait for five months and through a session of Congress for the change to become effective? If this is a really democratic country and the people declare decisively that they want a complete change, we think they should have it, and have it at once. There was also a lighter side. In the aftermath of the election and out of the dust of battle come a few good laughs, the only saving grace of any election. For instance there is that Republican candidate in Missouri who made a speech in every county in the state, excepting one, and when the election returns were in, he had carried just one county the one in which he did not talk," the editorial board said. As was the custom of the day, an amusing item from another newspaper appeared at the bottom of a column, attributed to the Holyoke Enterprise: "Following the election one man was heard to say: 'The country has sure gone to hell.' The other replied with equal emphasis: 'No, the worst you can say is that its staying there.'" In a bit of light verse titled "Post Mortem," attributed to the pseudonymous Penny Ante, the Wray newspaper glanced at the political season just past. The Democrats can rest a bit Enjoying all the zest of it; Republicans for just a bit Will have to make the best of it. BioMed SA, a nonprofit that promotes San Antonios health care and bioscience industry, has a new president. Heather Hanson, a medical device expert, started the job this week, taking the reins from founding president Ann Stevens, who retired early in November. The organization was founded in 2005 by former Mayor Henry Cisneros and the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce to accelerate the industrys growth and foster partnerships. Despite the economic challenges that come with the coronavirus pandemic, Hanson said the city is positioned to recover and keep growing. Most of the work thats done as far as developing products and commercializing them is still going on, she said. Contracts are in place and those companies are moving forward. As they meet their milestones, theyll be hiring. San Antonio has a foundation of research institutions, military and academic entities and companies such as 3M and Medtronic as well as a patient population needed for clinical research studies. As the country emerges from COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, Hanson said companies may be looking for somewhere to relocate with a lower cost of living and a better quality of life for workers. I think these are what people really think about when they come out of a crisis and get back into their regular routine, she said. Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox Before joining BioMed SA, Hanson spent more than 20 years in the medical device technology industry at her consulting company Corvax Solutions, Seno Medical Instruments Inc. and Southwest Research Institute. She held leadership roles in management, research and development, engineering, manufacturing, quality and regulatory, marketing, and operations. But her first job after earning academic degrees in mechanical engineering was on the commercial side, managing product launches at a Motorola factory in Seguin. Hanson then spent more than a decade at Southwest Research Institute, where she focused on medical technology and holds two dozen U.S. patents. She left in 2010 to start Corvax, which assists clients with medical device development from planning to meeting regulatory requirements and entry into the marketplace. Hanson, 49, lives in the South Texas Medical Center area with her husband and two children. Laura Garcia covers the healthcare industry in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Laura, become a subscriber. laura.garcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @Reporter_Laura PHILIPSBURG:--- In connection with an ongoing investigation into drugs smuggling the Police force of Sint Maarten (Alpha Team) arrested two male suspects with the initials K.M and S.W on Tuesday, April 14th, 2020 in the area of Cole-Bay/Simpson-bay. The two suspects were observed acting very suspicious after picking up a package in the vicinity of the airport. Their questionable actions were noted by the police patrol and customs personnel who decided to stop the vehicle in which they were and control it. During control by the customs officers, two packages containing marijuana was found and immediately confiscated. Both suspects were brought over to the police station in Philipsburg after being arrested and are being held for questioning. The Alpha team is busy with this investigation. KPSM Press Release. "Every jurisdiction is looking at what they can do but I don't want to give people false hope. The virus is here and we need to understand that." Responding to questions about what else she could do on top of the current measures in place, the Premier said there was still room to tighten restrictions further if there was an increase in transmission of the virus in other states. Were not looking at that at this stage, but Im not ruling that out in the future. It can get a lot tougher, she said. The state has had some scares in the past week, with a flight bringing potential new cases in, and a case at a Cairns pathology laboratory. A Cairns Hospital employee who works at an internal lab tested positive to the virus, causing dozens of co-workers to go into self-isolation. 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 State Health Minister Steven Miles said the pathology worker had contact with another known case and it was "very unlikely" they became infected when testing coronavirus samples. Mr Miles said the worker was in isolation, colleagues were in quarantine and the laboratory was closed until a deep clean was completed. The testing undertaken at the laboratory will be covered by state-owned laboratories in Townsville and Brisbane as well as two private laboratories in Cairns. Meanwhile, state Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said it was not unusual for passengers aboard the packed Qantas flight on which one person was infected to be sent home rather than be held in mandatory quarantine. The flight, which arrived on Monday from Sydney, has now been revealed to have had an active case of COVID-19 on board, and Queensland Health on Thursday contacted all passengers to urge them to go into isolation. When asked why they werent placed into mandatory quarantine on arrival, Dr Young said most of the passengers were likely exempt or had already completed quarantine in NSW. It depends - if theyre Queenslanders returning home and they havent come from a hot spot, there is no need for them to quarantine, she said. If they have come from a hot spot then they can quarantine in their own home, and theyre given orders to do that. Dr Young earlier in the week warned that Queenslands low numbers of new virus cases were likely to spike in the near future, with hundreds of overseas flights due to arrive over the next week carrying another wave of Queenslanders home. Meanwhile, the state governments billion-dollar gas project announcement on Friday turned out to be reheated rather than piping-hot. The government proudly spruiked the $10 billion Surat Gas Project being given the green light, boasting of the 200 ongoing jobs it would support and the overall boost it would give to the regional economy. However, the project was actually unveiled in February last year and is now a year behind schedule. Loading In a statement on February 28, 2019, the Premier and Energy Minister Anthony Lynham said construction would start later in 2019 and the first gas was forecast in 2020. On Friday, more than a year on from the initial announcement, it was announced that construction will now start by September 2020 and the first gas is not expected until 2021. Arrow Energy chief executive Cecile Wake did announce on Friday that the company's shareholders had given the final approval for investment in phase one of the gas project and given it the green light - a decision made only this week. And the state government has made some concessions to landlords as it tries to thread the needle on its rental legislation. Three hunger-relief charities will benefit from a $500,000 donation by the Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. and Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance Foundation in response to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The Kentucky Agriculture Department says the donation is the largest single private donation made as part of Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles Kentucky Hunger Initiative launched in 2016. Farm Bureau President Mark Haney says the coronavirus pandemic is causing additional problems for people who were already having trouble getting enough to eat. The funds will go to Feeding Kentucky, Glean Kentucky and Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry. Byron Bay residents have been urged to get tested for coronavirus no matter how mild their symptoms are to prevent the tourist mecca from becoming a new growth point for COVID-19. The tourist hot-spot located in upper northern NSW was flagged by NSW Health as a red zone on Thursday despite only recording 16 cases of coronavirus infection. While the case numbers may be low in comparison to major cities, the coastal town holds more infected people than any other northern NSW council. The other areas of concern include Blacktown, Cumberland, Greater Taree, the Inner West, Lake Macquarie, Liverpool, Penrith, Randwick, Ryde, Waverley, and Woollahra. Byron Bay is known for having a strong anti-vaccination stance within it's community Last month the town came under fire after hundreds of backpackers ignored social distancing rules by gathering on the beach 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 Health urges anyone in those areas who are feeling unwell with a sore throat, cough or fever to present for testing,' it said in a statement. 'In other areas, NSW Health recommends COVID-19 testing be focused on people with one or more of the key symptoms and risk factors such as contact with cases or medical history.' On Friday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian pleaded for residents showing symptoms to get tested. 'If you live in a suburb we've identified and you think you have symptoms or were in direct contact with someone please come forward and get tested,' she said. 'You can have confidence now with the new systems we have in place it will take just a few hours, if through a public system, if you get tested to get the results. NSW Health has identified Byron Bay as a potential area for community transmission. Pictured are cases of infection across NSW 'We have work to do in clamping down on that community to community transmission which is what our health experts are keeping a close eye on.' Byron Bay is known for holding a strong anti-vaccination stance within its community but the town opened a free testing clinic at Byron Central Hospital earlier this month. Other testing facilities have also been opened up in Tweed, Lismore and Grafton hospitals. Byron Bay deputy mayor Sarah Ndiaye told Daily Mail Australia the community had been working hard to fight the virus. 'We have been incredibly impressed and grateful that our community has been working together to stop the spread of the virus and that visitors have stayed away,' she said. Health authorities urged anyone showing symptoms to get tested for coronavirus immediately 'As a popular regional destination that usually attracts over two million visitors a year, we were concerned that over Easter and the school holidays some might not heed the Government health warnings but they have.' Cr Ndiaye said Byron Bay was a 'resilient community' that would work together to make it through the crisis. Byron Bay came under fire last month after hundreds of backpackers ignored social distancing rules by gathering on the beach. Residents called on local hostels, the council and police to enforce live-saving social distancing rules. Mumbai, April 17 : Actor Rajkummar Rao seems to be discovering his latent talent as a hairstylist thanks to the lockdown! On Friday, his ladylove, actress Patralekhaa, shared a funny video on Instagram where he can be seen trimming her hair. Tagging her boyfriend, the actress captioned: "Jahan chah wahan raah (when there is a will there is a way)." With salons shut due to lockdown, it seems Patralekhaa chose her boyfriend to give her a haircut. The video is receiving love from B-Towners as well as fans. Fatima Sana Shaikh commented: "Awwwlee" Aditi Rao Hydari reacted: "OMG" Hinting at their relationship, a fan used the name of Rajkummar Rao's film "Trapped" and wrote: "Rajkummar sir is finally trapped at the right place." Reminding him of his character Vicky in the film "Stree", another fan commented: "Our Bickey Bhaiya is an all-rounder!" Another curious fan wanted to know whether the lovebirds are locked down with each other amid the lockdown and asked: "You guys in live in?" Well, not just with scissors or trimmers, Rajkummar Rao is alo good with the camera! Yesterday, Patralekhaa shared a throwback photo of her sizzling in a white bikini in the sea and informed fans that the photo has been clicked by Rajkummar Rao. On the work front, the National Award-winning actor has his kitty full with movies like Dinesh Vijan's "Roohi Afzana", Anurag Basu's "Ludo" and Hansal Mehta's "Chhalaang" among others. Latest updates on Lockdown diaries -- Syndicated from IANS North Korea is working 'day and night' to build a new hospital 'faster and better' than planned, even as it continues to deny that coronavirus has entered its borders. Work on the new Pyongyang General Hospital began suddenly just under a month ago, with Kim Jong-un setting an ambitious 200-day deadline for completion. However, he appeared to downplay any link to the ongoing pandemic at the time, making no reference to it at a groundbreaking ceremony and instead linking completion to a national holiday. Work on the new Pyongyang General Hospital began suddenly just under a month ago Satellite imagery from April 14 shows clear outlines of the two towers that will dominate the rear of the hospital, as is seen in the above artist's impression In this photo construction can be seen to continue into the night as they work to build a new hospital 'faster and better' than planned But now it looks like the project might be rushed to completion even sooner. Kim Jong-un failed to attend North Korea's annual Day of the Sun ceremony on April 15 for the first time this year. According to government propaganda, builders are intent on completing construction 'faster and better', and are working 'day and night' to get the hospital up and running. The report added that the 'vicious' sanctions imposed by 'hostile forces' to punish North Korea for its nuclear weapons programme were having no impact on progress. North Korea's two closest neighbours have had tens of thousands of coronavirus cases, but the Kim regime says there hasn't been a single one within its borders An artist's impression shows what the new Pyongyang General Hospital will look like after it is completed New images show that foundations had already been dug, concrete poured and metal structural supports installed. In one photo construction could be seen continuing at night. The reason for the renewed urgency is not stated in the report, but experts agree that the building is coming together quickly. Martyn Williams and Peter Makoswky from North Korea watchdog, 38 North, analysed the project in satellite photos. 'Construction has continued at such pace that for the first time after just under one month the overall outline of the building is visible,' they wrote. 'Commercial satellite imagery from April 14 shows clear outlines of the two towers that will dominate the rear of the hospital. 'The rest of the building is also taking shape, including a distinctive lip that juts out from the front of the hospital.' New images show that foundations have already been dug and concrete has been poured The metal structural supports have been installed as satellite imagery on April 14 showed the overall outline of the hospital is visible North Korea aim to finish the new Pyongyang General Hospital in 200 days. The picture above shows the concept art for the finished hospital North Korea's two closest neighbours have had tens of thousands of coronavirus cases, but the Kim regime says there hasn't been a single one within its borders. The claim cannot be independently verified in the closed-off country and has been met with scepticism. Most recent coverage about the disease in state media has focused on the number of cases in neighbouring South Korea. Photos of the groundbreaking ceremony show that the new hospital will be built close to the Workers' Party Foundation Monument, near Pyongyang's Taedong River. Workers wear face masks and orange hard hats as they work to complete the hospital North Korea is working 'day and night' to build the hospital as Kim Jong-un set an ambitious 200-day deadline for completion Kim Jong-un appeared to downplay any link to the ongoing pandemic at the time, making no reference to it at a groundbreaking ceremony State media has recently focused on the number of cases in South Korea while North Korea denies having any cases At the groundbreaking ceremony they moved dirt with shovels while wearing white hard hats Kim Jong-un has been active in recent weeks and does not wear a face mask, even though sometimes he is with military officers who do. Many senior officials attended the wreath laying on the Day of the Sun holiday but Kim Jong-un and his sister Kim Yo Jong, who is believed to be his second-in-command, weren't present. The Day of the Sun is a holiday which marks the birth of his grandfather Kim II Sung. Kim Jong-un has not missed it since taking power in 2011. Ahn Chan-il, a North Korean defector and researcher in Seoul, said Kim Jong-un wants to break away from the past and come across and brand himself as a modern and competent leader. Photos of the groundbreaking ceremony show that the new hospital will be built close to the Workers' Party Foundation Monument, near Pyongyang's Taedong River It looks like the project might be rushed to completion sooner than originally planned The Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI) move to cut repo rate has evoked a mixed response from developers and factory owners in Noida and Greater Noida. The RBI has taken the step to address liquidity issues of banks and housing finance companies, which may impact the real estate sector and industry at large. The move may not address all prevailing financial crisis that the real estate sector is facing currently, said experts. The RBI on Friday announced a series of measures to infuse liquidity in the system and provide relief to borrowers amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak. The RBI has cut the reverse repo rate by 25 basis points from 4% to 3.75% encouraging banks to deploy surplus funds and lend more, a move that will, in turn, result in cash in the hands of the borrower. One basis point is a hundredth of a percentage point. Repo rate is the rate at which the RBI lends money to commercial banks in the event of a shortfall of funds. The reverse repo rate is a mechanism, wherein the RBI borrows money from banks, in case of excess liquidity in the market. The RBI has made available an additional 50,000 crore liquidity for National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard), Small Industrial Development Bank of India (Sidbi) and National Housing Bank (NHB). 10,000 crore additional funds will be available for real estate projects with the banks after the RBIs decision. But it will have limited impact because the RBI is yet to allow restructuring of existing loans taken by builders. Via video conferencing with minister of state (independent charge) of the ministry of housing and urban affairs, on Friday, we demanded that existing loans should be rescheduled and, developers should get additional time to repay the remainder and fresh loans should be provided to fuel growth, said RK Arora, president of the Uttar Pradesh chapter for National Real Estate Development Council (Naredco), a builders group. The RBI has made available 25,000 crore, of the 50,000 crore, to rural areas and 15,000 crore for industry, besides the 10,000 crore for real estate sector. The benefit of rate cut must be passed on to retail customer by banks. The rate cut will provide some liquidity to banks, but the RBI must issue strict instructions that the actual benefit must be passed on to retail customers, said Getambar Anand, ex-national president of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (Credai) and the chairman and managing director of ATS Group. Noida Entrepreneurs Association, which has least 10,000 factory owners as members, said that the new announcements will not help them deal with the crisis caused by the pandemic. When every big or small business is shut and funds liquidation is stopped completely, the recent announcement has no meaning as we are failing to repay existing loans. The recent announcement only allows banks to give more loans, whereas we require interest-free loans and permission to start our businesses, said Vipin Malhan, president of NEA. However, CREDAI president for West UP, Prashant Kumar Tiwari, said, The RBIs move will address the liquidity crisis being witnessed by the real estate sector. We hope that the government will take more decisions to boost growth in this sector. CREDAI members had also interacted with Puri via videoconferencing. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vinod Rajput Vinod Rajput writes on environment, infrastructure, real estate and government policies in Noida and Greater Noida. He has reported on environment and infrastructure in Delhi, Gurgaon and Panchkula in the past. ...view detail (Newser) You'll likely be hearing a lot about a drug named remdesivir in the coming days. A report from STAT suggests the drug made by Gilead Sciences is showing big promise in treating "severe" coronavirus patients in Chicago. A big caveat: This is not based on the results of a published study, so "cautious optimism" is a theme of coverage. STAT obtained a video of an infectious disease specialist at the University of Chicago, Kathleen Mullane, discussing early results with peers. "The best news is that most of our patients have already been discharged, which is great," Mullane says in the video. "We've only had two patients perish." The university hospital is participating in lab tests of the drug. Of 125 people recruited for the tests, 113 had severe symptoms, and all received daily doses of the drug. story continues below It's not clear when official results will be out, but it could be soon. In the meantime, the report is generating plenty of buzz. For one thing, the Dow is expected to jump about 800 points on the news, reports CNBC. The WHO identified remdesivir in February as a drug with potential, and other trials are underway elsewhere, notes CNN. "The totality of the data need to be analyzed in order to draw any conclusions," the company says in a statement, adding that "anecdotal reports, while encouraging," are not enough. Reuters notes that a study last week in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 36 of 53 severe coronavirus patients treated with remdesivir showed clinical improvement. The author was "hopeful" but said the lack of a control group and small sample size tempered things. The Chicago study also lacks a control group, notes CNN. (Read more coronavirus stories.) In Chicago, COVID-19 coronavirus patients participating in a clinical study of the antiviral medicine remdesivir are experiencing quick recoveries from their respiratory and fever symptoms, Stat News reported Thursday. Remdesivir was developed by Gilead Sciences to treat Ebola. The company is conducting two global studies the severe COVID-19 study includes 2,400 patients at 152 trial sites, and the moderate COVID-19 study has 1,600 patients at 169 sites. The trials are investigating five- and 10-day treatment courses of remdesivir, and aim to have a statistical comparison of improvement between them. University of Chicago Medicine is one of the hospitals participating, with 125 COVID-19 patients 113 of them with severe symptoms taking part in two Phase 3 clinical trials, receiving daily infusions of remdesivir. Stat has obtained video of Kathleen Mullane, the University of Chicago's infectious disease specialist who is overseeing the studies, sharing with her colleagues updates on the trials, including how nearly all of the patients have been discharged in less than a week. Only two patients have died, she said, and when the drug is started, "we see fever curves falling." Mullane also shared that people have "come off ventilators a day after starting therapy. So, in that realm, overall our patients have done very well." Most patients leave the hospital after six days, she added, "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." The hospital's trials do not include a placebo group, and Stat notes that it is "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." Read more at Stat News. More stories from theweek.com A parade that killed thousands? 5 scathing cartoons about Trump's rush to reopen the economy USDA to provide $16 billion in direct aid to farmers, spend $3 billion on agricultural products Top religious authority says prayers could be performed at home if not possible at mosques due to coronavirus measures. Saudi Arabias grand mufti, the highest religious authority in the kingdom, has said prayers during Ramadan and the subsequent Eid al-Fitr festival should be performed at home if the coronavirus outbreak continues, according to a Saudi newspaper. Ramadans Taraweeh [evening] prayer can be performed at home if it cannot be performed at mosques due to the preventive measures taken to fight the spread of coronavirus, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh said in response to a question, adding that the same applies for Eid prayers, Okaz newspaper reported on Friday. The holy fasting month of Ramadan begins next week. Saudi Arabia in mid-March stopped people performing their five daily prayers and the weekly Friday prayer inside mosques as part of efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus. On Thursday, Prophet Muhammads mosque in Medina said it was banning events which dispense evening meals to those in need during Ramadan to break their daily fast. The kingdom has reported 6,380 cases of COVID-19, the highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, and 83 deaths so far. On Sunday, Saudi Arabia indefinitely extended a curfew in force due to the coronavirus amid a surge of new infections. The measure covers the capital, Riyadh, and other big cities for 24 hours of the day. A curfew, initially set for three weeks, runs from 3pm to 6am local time everywhere else. For both this and the 24-hour curfew, residents may go out only for essential needs. The interior ministry grants permits for vital personnel to move around. Violators face fines and jail time. Photo: The Canadian Press A health-care worker is silhouetted as she walks past a mobile medical unit set up outside Abbotsford Regional Hospital. British Columbia is preparing to release its latest estimates of how the new coronavirus may spread through the province over the coming months. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, Health Minister Adrian Dix and health ministry officials release the epidemiological modelling later today. The data comes as the health ministry reports 14 new, confirmed cases of COVID-19 for a total of 1,575. The province says cases have been identified at four more long-term care facilities, including one in Cranbrook, meaning 26 care or assisted-living facilities in B.C., are dealing with outbreaks. An acute care unit at Ridge Meadows Hospital east of Vancouver has also reported one patient diagnosed with COVID-19. The province says there have been 78 deaths, most of them in Metro Vancouver. Photo credit: The Royal Danish House From Town & Country Queen Margrethe of Denmark turns 80 years old today. Originally, the Danes had planned for a multi-day celebration, which would've seen royals from across the continent gather together for a glitzy banquet. Amid the ongoing pandemic, sadly, that all had to be canceledbut the Queen's royal peers have still found a meaningful way to mark her big day. Kings and Queens, Grand Dukes and Duchesses, and Crown Princes and Princesses from all over Europe recorded celebratory videos for Margrethe. The Danish Royal House stated that she was "surprised," by the gesture, adding, "Though the Majesties and Their Royal Highnesses could not be present to celebrate The Queen in Denmark as otherwise planned, all nevertheless wanted to delight Her Majesty with personal congratulations." An edited compilation of the videos was released, allowing the public to see all the sweet messages for themselveswatch it in full above. Photo credit: Per Morten Abrahamsen While some speak in other languages, a few monarchs used English, making it easier for us on this side of the pond to understand. "Queen Maxima and I would've loved to have joined you for a celebration of your 80th birthday. Unfortunately, circumstances have dictated otherwise," the Netherlands' King Willem-Alexander says. "We are joining in for this surprise, I understand, since we can't be there with all of you to celebrate your 80th," notes Spain's King Felipe. The European royals weren't the only ones who have managed to mark Queen Margrethe's birthday while in isolation. According to the Washington Post, Danes sang birthday songs for the Queen from their balconies and public parks. "Thanks for the song," Margrethe said in response. "It went straight to the heart." You Might Also Like This article is part of Privacy in the Pandemic, a Future Tense series. As Americans enter the second month of coronavirus isolation, experts are thinking through what systems well need to have in place before loosening restrictions. The general consensus is well need widespread testing in place, as well as methods to manage inevitable subsequent outbreaks. Some countries, like Singapore and Korea, have rolled out apps that track users locations and ping them if theyve recently crossed paths with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Apple and Google recently announced plans for tools that could allow developers to build similar apps in the U.S. and elsewhere. This is the digital incarnation of contact tracing, a long-standing strategy in public health. Advertisement Long before COVID, contact tracers tracked the spread of other illnesses like gonorrhea, cryptosporidiosis, HIV, Zika, tuberculosis, and measles. So once COVID-19 was on the rise, local and regional public health officials enlisted nearby universities to help through old-school contact tracing. Shannan Rich, an epidemiology Ph.D. student at the University of Florida, began volunteering as a tracer after the Florida Department of Health reached out to her about a month ago. Her job: to reach people who have tested positive for COVID and any of their close contacts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sometimes the person shes calling is aware theyve tested positive, but other times she has to be the one to break the news. The next step is to ask questions to help them remember whom theyve been around recently in hopes of identifying a potential source. The goal is to figure out if we can link them to anyone else thats a confirmed positivemaybe through an event they attended, she says. That also helps identify anyone they may have exposed to the virus. While the scientific community is still investigating how long a COVID-positive person might be infectious, Floridas contact tracing program currently defines that infectious period as two days before people first show symptoms up until the date of their interview with a contact tracer. Any close contactanyone who has been within 6 feet of you for longer than 30 minutes during that determined infectious periodis notified that theyve had interaction with a COVID-positive person. (In health care settings, where risk of transmission may be higher, the standard for close contact is sometimes adjusted downward to as little as 5 minutes of exposure.) The tracer will ask those exposed if theyve experienced any symptoms and, if theyve developed illness, encourage them to get tested. If they test positive, their contacts will be notified, hopefully breaking the chain of transmission. Its not a perfect system, but according to statistics from the World Health Organization, contact tracing helped Chinese health officials identify hundreds of newly infected close contacts in a single day. Advertisement Advertisement That crucial human element will be difficult to implement with any app, no matter how well designed. This type of old-school detective work may sound straightforward: call people up and figure out whom else they may have seen. But with the science quickly evolving and standards shifting to accommodate new knowledge, contact tracers must navigate tricky situations, working to maintain individuals privacy while also making sure the right people are notified. As a general policy, tracers are not allowed to reveal the identities of people who are COVID-positive, even if people have guesses, and can only reveal the date they believe the exposure occurred. But Rich says notifying the people who live with a COVID-positive person has become easier with so many people self-isolating. Normally, shed take down peoples info and call them individually, but since many people are at home, the infected person might instead waive their right to privacy and just put their housemates, spouses, and kids on speakerphone. But it gets more complicated when, say, a COVID-positive patient went to a health clinic and interacted with multiple nurses and patients during their visit, whose names they may not be able to recall. In that case, its the tracers job to figure out how to notify the right people without exposing the COVID-positive persons identity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The job also requires empathy, patience, and the ability to calmly explain next steps. Some of the people Rich has called up are panicked and anxious about being COVID-positive or having been exposed to someone who is. Its easy to interview them and ask them the main questions like a robot, but theres an important educational piece, she says. She explains to them what actions they should take, like quarantining, and can answer peoples questions about their personal circumstances, like how they can isolate themselves from the people they live with or how to access groceries. Theres a lot of sensitivity involved in contact tracing, and the diversity of situations that people are in, how they respond to knowing about their status or exposure, is the human part of this work, says Stacey King, a public health expert at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who is the co-lead of the Academic Public Health Volunteer Corps working with the state of Massachusetts to perform contact tracing. Honestly, I think the human contact right now with a contact tracer is about much more than the health surveillance and the data. Its also about helping them navigate all of it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That crucial human element will be difficult to implement with any app, no matter how well designed. For one, an app is no replacement for the educational aspect of contact tracers calls. An app might have an FAQ section, but its unlikely it could respond to the very specific questions or concerns people may have about their personal circumstances, and it definitely cannot provide reassurance in the same way a human voice might. Its also less likely to have the flexibility of human experts thinking through difficult questions. Every case is different. A lot of this cannot be just a decision a computer can make, says Rich. Its all so new, and were making decisions by consulting with administrators at the state and national level. Like, we havent encountered this scenariowhat should we do? There are lots of questions where we have to assess on a case-by-case basis. For instance, Rich mentions theyve considered scenarios in which a health professional may have been exposed. Their recommendations might differ depending on what kind of protective mask that professional was wearing at the time. (With widespread shortages, many health care workers are left with inadequate personal protective equipment.) Finding out that information requires talking with hospital infection control units, and a tracer might then consult with higher-ups, like epidemiologists from local health departments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rich also worries that contact tracing via app could result in an unnecessarily high number of exposure alerts. If you were in a grocery store, and someone there was positive and they walked by you, would that indicate an exposure? According to the current models for digital contact tracing, including existing apps like Singapores TraceTogether, yes, it would. Casting a wide net might encourage people to err on the side of caution and self-isolate, but may also result in a lot of alertsand a drop in compliance as people become inured to them. Plus, there are real psychological implications for informing someone that theyve been exposed, and I think its important that people designing these apps think about that from the beginning, says Rich. Some people are really freaked out, and getting an alert out of nowhere could be legitimately upsetting; Rich suggests that even just including a link to counseling resources in such alerts could be helpful. Advertisement Like coronavirus testing, the plans to roll out contact tracing have been driven primarily by states, counties, and academic institutions rather than the federal government. During a 2014 Ebola outbreak in Dallas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worked with county and state officials to perform contact tracing. Currently, it appears the agency recognizes the need to expand contact tracing but has not yet announced any plans for a national effort. Meanwhile, contact tracers and staff organizing these programs have their hands full building capacity and running operations, but are still trying to make time to advise colleagues on starting their own programs. Harvards King tells me that some students at the University of Pennsylvania expressed interest in starting a contact tracing program, and shes also heard from a graduate of her department who wanted to support a Native American community in California. Were organically hearing from different people. I dont know how they hear about us, she says. I know other states have reached out to Massachusetts, and the state is planning to put together a toolkit and some other resources. When I asked both King and Rich if they knew of national efforts to do contact tracing or records of which counties or states had programs, both said no. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, our neighbors in Canada launched a nationwide contact tracing program in early April and as of a week ago already had 27,000 volunteers. Were nowhere close to that in the U.S.Floridas program currently includes about 100 tracers, Massachusetts has just hired about 1,000and experts estimate well need many, many more. Currently, epidemiology and public health experts estimate well need between 100,000 and 300,000 contact tracers working to identify outbreak patterns if self-isolation policies are lifted. The city of Wuhan alone enlisted 9,000 tracers working in groups of five; each group was led by an epidemiologist. Adding digital tracing apps to the mix will introduce even more variability to this already decentralized effort; its unclear which health departments might have access to this data and how it might fit in with existing tracking and contact tracing efforts. But if digital tools are deployed smartly, they could save investigators some precious time and effort. Rich mentions a new app called NextTrace, which asks COVID-positive individuals to fill out a form that asks many of the same questions a contact tracer might ask in an initial interview. That could be powerful, potentially, in helping health departments focus on high-priority investigations, she says, like spread in hospitals or nursing homes. In the push to develop apps, some companies have focused specifically on these high-priority locationsCarePredict, for instance, provides senior care facilities with bracelets that track peoples movement. If a resident falls ill, the facility receives a notification and can use the bracelet location data to determine which staff and residents should be tested and isolated, and which areas of the facility should get an extra-deep clean. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement King agrees that digital tools could be helpful to inform public health officials response to COVID. Theres no doubt that having that kind of data is the goal of contact tracing, she says. But that data can only show us so much; people wont necessarily download these tracking apps, nor will they necessarily bring their phones with them wherever they go. Stopping COVID will ultimately still require real people using their expertise, and King says the response from that community has been remarkable. After a call for volunteer contact tracers went out, 1,500 students responded within 72 hours, says King. Ive never seen anything move so fastto have so many people say, Yes, we will help, and to have these massive institutions say, Yes, we will deploy resources. Lets hope that continues. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. For more on coronavirus contact tracing, listen to Fridays What Next: TBD. The Psalmist wrote, Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world (Psalm 46:10) The context of this verse makes its message all the more fascinating and appropriate for our times. What a perfect time to heed its meaning. Before we dive into the context of this verse, let's explore more Scripture that talks about being still. Exodus 14:14: "The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. As Christians, we do not have to fight our battles alone. In fact, we need to depend on God to sustain us in the midst of the most difficult of trials. Mark 4:39: "And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Peace! Be still! And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." Even the wind and the waves obey his voice. In the midst of the storm, we may wonder, "Where is God." But we do not need to fear if he will abandon us. He never has and he never will. Isaiah 32:17: "And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever." Have you ever heard of the concept of Shalom? The way things are meant to be? When we trust in the Lord, we experience a taste of Shalom. Shalom means stillness, means righteousness, and everlasting trust. Now that we've explored some verses on being still, let's talk about what the Psalmist meant above. Photo credit: Unsplash/aaker His face contorted with worry, a young casualty doctor sends a desperate message to the world. He has watched over the beds of hundreds of coronavirus patients, and now believes they are dying because of the very treatment that is meant to save them. After being rushed into hospital, they are knocked out by sedatives as a ventilator mechanically pumps their lungs to send oxygen into their bodies. It is a standard treatment for the deadly lung infection pneumonia, and one that was first used for Covid-19 patients in China, then in Europe and now here in Britain. Yet, in a frank YouTube video, the New York casualty doctor Cameron Kyle-Sidell has broken ranks with the medical establishment and warns it is wrong to use ventilators in this way. medical personnel tends to a suspected COVID-19 patient attached to a ventilator inside a triage area at Santa Ana Hospital on April 14, 2020 in Manila, Philippines He states emphatically: 'I fear this misguided treatment will lead to a tremendous amount of harm in a very short time. Covid-19 is not a pneumonia and should not be treated as one.' His video, which has been viewed around the world, is heralding a re-think concerning the treatment of severe cases of Covid-19. In particular, experts are now asking whether the best way of saving patients might be to saturate their blood with oxygen delivered through a mask without using a ventilator. This is the approach reportedly used during Boris Johnson's fight for life against the virus at London's St Thomas' Hospital intensive care unit. Before the pandemic took hold, Kyle-Sidell's theory might have been dismissed as maverick. Many of the most eminent medical specialists, governments and politicians were insisting in the early days that ventilators were a crucial life-saver. Britain scrambled to get them. Health Secretary Matt Hancock promised we would have 1,500 new ventilators by the end of last week, although the NHS received just a few hundred. A worldwide shortage as every nation rushed to buy them has forced the Government to scale back on its long-term target of 30,000 of the invasive breathing machines being available during the crisis. But as hospital virus deaths climb, a Daily Mail investigation has found that the New York casualty doctor's unorthodox views, far from being crazy, might be the very opposite and the key to preventing deaths. New York casualty doctor Cameron Kyle-Sidell has broken ranks with the medical establishment to warn ventilators are not being used in the right way The death rate for those treated on ventilators is devastating. In one British study of 98 Covid-19 patients who were put on them or on similarly invasive breathing-support equipment, two-thirds died, according to a new report by our Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre. In New York, which has been hit particularly hard by the virus, 80 per cent of ventilated patients failed to recover. The loss of life in other countries for those on the machines is equally terrifying. Dr David Farcy, the president of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine, warns against using them indiscriminately. His patients have been treated successfully with fastflow oxygen delivered through a simple nasal tube or mask. He also places patients on their left or right side, a process called proning that is simpler to perform on patients in masks than those on ventilators, which instantly raises oxygen levels in their blood. 'This has challenged everything we thought', he said. 'Six weeks ago everybody (in a hospital) would be running around getting ready to intubate you, put you on a machine'. But not any more. So why the change of tune? The answer is that some doctors have a remarkable new thesis: that the virus's symptoms are more akin to highaltitude breathing difficulties (caused by a lack of oxygen at extreme heights) or even carbon monoxide poisoning (which snuffs out oxygen in the body's red blood cells). In both instances, victims struggle for oxygen. But they do not have the ravaged lungs of pneumonia sufferers who are routinely put on ventilators. Dr Kyle-Sidell says of Covid-19 in his video: 'It appears to be some kind of viral-induced disease most resembling high-altitude sickness. 'It is as if tens of thousands of my fellow New Yorkers are flying on a plane at 30,000 ft and the cabin pressure is slowly being let out. These patients are slowly being starved of oxygen. 'The patients I am seeing are most like a person dropped off at the top of mount Everest without time to acclimatise. They look like patients on the brink of death (through lack of oxygen). They do not look like patients dying of pneumonia.' A woman with an unknown condition is helped from an ambulance at the St Thomas' Hospital on March 30, 2020 in London, England For pneumonia cases, he explains, the ventilator 'does the work that patient's muscles can no longer do because they are too tired to do it'. But the muscles of Covid-19 patients are fine. 'They are suffering from oxygen failure, not respiratory failure.' His supporters include distinguished medics such as Dr Luciano Gattinoni of Germany's Medical University of Gottingen. In a letter to the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Dr Gattinoni warns that the conventional use of ventilators may injure the lungs of Covid-19 victims. At one European hospital where virus patients were ventilated in this way, 60 per cent of them died. Into the fray, too, has stepped Professor Sherif Sultan, the Ireland-based President of the International Society of Vascular Surgery. He believes that invasive ventilation is not a solution for Covid-19 as it does not resemble pneumonia or a similar respiratory ailment. We need to stop treating patients for the wrong disease, he surmises in an analysis of medical research into the virus. Professor Sultan believes the vital clue that the coronavirus is different from pneumonia is in how it attacks the human body. It affects both lungs at the same time, which pneumonia rarely ever does. One has to remember this is a very new disease, first seen in Western Europe just eight weeks ago, which doctors are desperately trying to understand. What baffles them is that many patients suffering from Covid-19 have extraordinarily low oxygen levels when they arrive at hospital. Mysteriously, they don't feel uncomfortable, they behave normally, and are in a state of what doctors have nicknamed 'happy' hypoxia (oxygen deprivation), then they suddenly deteriorate and collapse. Medical researchers in India report they can be laughing one minute and at death's door the next. And now, it seems, that rushing them to a ventilator may only make things worse. The machine takes over the breathing process of the patients who are heavily sedated so they cannot fight the sensation of not being able to breathe on their own. It pumps the lungs, but also sends oxygen to the vital organs, including the heart, brain and liver which need it to function. Ambulance workers transport patients outside St Thomas Hospital in Westminster Unlike pneumonia patients, kept on ventilators for a few days, Covid 19 sufferers are often left on them for weeks, even a month. One of the distinctive symptoms of Covid-19 is the way a yellowy mucous gunk clogs the millions of tiny air sacs lining the lungs. This means however hard the ventilator pushes oxygen into the lungs, that oxygen cannot get through the mucous barrier and into the body. This, in turn, causes the patient to become calamitously starved of oxygen. But if the medics try to fix the problem by turning up the pump volume, it leads to lung damage. Older patients who survive also risk permanent brain disorders from being heavily sedated for such a long period. This all helps explain why the death figures for ventilated virus cases remain so alarmingly high. Researchers in China's Wuhan (where Covid-19 first emerged) report that of 37 critically ill patients put on mechanical ventilators, 30 died within a month. In a U.S. study of patients in Seattle, only one of the seven patients older than 70 put on a ventilator survived. Of those under 70, just over a third made it. These are very poor odds. One person to analyse the tragically high fatality rates is Muriel Gillick, a geriatric and palliative care physician at Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts. She said last week: 'Contrary to the impression that if extremely ill Covid-19 patients are treated with ventilators they will live, and if they are not they will die, it is not the reality.' She explains that the gummy yellow liquid in Covid-19 casualties 'limits oxygen transfer from the lungs to the blood' even when the machine is pumping. She added: 'Are we using ventilators in a way that makes sense for other diseases, but not for this one?' Scott Weingart, a critical care doctor in New York, agrees that ventilators are a 'knee jerk response'. He says: 'A high level of force, in a quest to restoring [the patient's] oxygen levels to normal, can damage the lungs. I would do everything in my power to avoid intubating [ventilating] patients'. More and more doctors now believe Covid-19 patients should get breathing masks which deliver oxygen in non-invasive way. A simple machine called CPAP, standing for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, which is often used by people in their own homes to conquer sleep apnoea (snoring and interrupted breathing), can be an alternative to ventilators. Dr Tom Lawton, an intensive care consultant at Bradford Royal Infirmary, has ordered 100 of the masks from a local Yorkshire manufacturer. His hospital was worried about getting enough ventilators in time to cope with the Covid-19 crisis. The masks keep the user's airways open. According to BBC Radio 4's The NHS Front Line, which has put out a diary from the hospital, they are a game changer. One doctor told the programme, albeit cautiously: 'If we use these early enough during a patient's stay, we prevent people deteriorating and needing to go on more complex ventilators. We have been testing them . . . and there's evidence from China and the U.S. that they seem effective. They just help inflate the lungs and it seems to be beneficial.' This week, at its plant in Northamptonshire, car giant Mercedes has completed production of 10,000 CPAP breathing aids to fight Covid-19. Early results on 40 patients, who would otherwise have gone on to a ventilator, found half were able to go home within 14 days of admission to hospital. Today, around 40 to 50 per cent of patients with pneumonia or similar respiratory ailments die on ventilators. The reason for the dramatically higher rate among Covid-19 victims is not clear. The machines' supporters say it could be related to how sick they are when they're put on the machines. Others believe the outcome depends on the patients' physical shape before catching the virus. The truth may be simpler that ventilators should not be used as they are currently being on Covid19 sufferers. Kyle-Sidell, the New York casualty doctor who recorded the YouTube video, says the machines are a tool in the medical armoury but must be tuned to pump less aggressively and get more oxygen into patients. However, he remarks ruefully that the medical world will not easily change direction in this emergency: 'It is hard to switch tracks when the train is going a million miles an hour.' With thousands of lives at stake on this perilous journey, let us hope the shortcomings of ventilators are taken on board. When Amer Awan's father died of coronavirus, mourners congregated with little thought of social distancing. But cultural practices alone do not explain why Britain's ethnic minorities have been hardest hit by the outbreak. "Visitors to the house... were not wearing any masks or not wearing gloves. They wanted to hug me," the 44-year-old property developer from Birmingham, in central England, told AFP. "And I said, no, I'm sorry, I'm not gonna hug you. You know, you need to understand I've just lost my dad because of coronavirus and you are not taking this seriously." His experience of the death of his father, Nazir, who moved here from Pakistan 56 years ago, makes him fear his community remains at risk of the deadly outbreak of COVID-19. Britain's black and minority ethnic communities appear to have been hardest hit by the virus sweeping the country -- an issue that public health authorities are now looking into. 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 (ICNARC). 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. 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 recently. - 'Viewed as outsiders' - Non-British staff make up 12 percent of the UK healthcare workforce, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In London, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in Britain, this rises to 23 percent. Two nurses hailed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson following his admission to a London hospital with coronavirus were from overseas -- one from New Zealand, the other from Portugal. But the letter from the Labour MPs suggested that "ethnic minority doctors have too often struggled for equal treatment" -- and says the fact they were among the first NHS deaths is "not a coincidence". "There have been suggestions that such barriers mean that BAME doctors feel less able to complain about inadequate personal protection equipment, thereby putting themselves at risk." - Key workers - 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. Back in Birmingham, a week after turning off his father's ventilator and letting the 68-year-old die, Awan fears other families will suffer like his. "Our community needs to take action. They need to take action because if they do not take actions, we will see the numbers rise," he said. Gov. Greg Abbott announced his plan to begin opening back up the Texas economy Friday, a multi-tiered approach spearheaded by the governor's handpicked Strike Force to Reopen Texas. Among the headlines in Abbott's noon announcement is an order closing all schools for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year. Abbott said plans for how schools will move forward with the 2019-2020 school year, including for graduation, will be announced "soon" by the Texas Education Agency. TRACKING TP: UT student's app helps you locate Clorox wipes, toilet paper amid shortages A handful of executive orders will dictate the first go at reopening the economy, which include loosening restrictions on medical personnel and their ability to perform certain tests and surgeries. Those restrictions will be loosened starting April 22, Abbott said. Retailers throughout the state will also be able to open their proverbial "doors" starting next Friday, April 24, although Abbott said retailers must offer a "retail to-go" option for customers to order and pick up outside the store or have their purchases delivered. He also announced that state parks, which have since been shuttered to promote social distancing, will reopen Monday. There are restrictions along with the reopening, however: Groups must be confined to five people, everyone must wear a mask or face cover of some sort, and no one (except for those from the same household) can be within six feet of one another. Leading the strikeforce will be Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Comptroller Glenn Hegar. They will be advised by several health and business experts, including Houston's Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale and Tilman Feritta. That strikeforce will be working over the next 10 days to develop more plans to slowly open the economy while keeping the integrity of social distancing and slowing the spread of COVID-19. "Texans are battling a colossal challenge, an invisible enemy who has tested our lives and livelihoods," Abbott said. "But part of out Texas brand is our ability to overcome challenges." In recent days, President Donald Trumps allies have seized upon an alternate origin story for the novel coronavirus: that the disease emerged from inside a Chinese laboratory, not an outdoor market. The basic narrative reads like a dystopian movie plot, and goes something like this: Somehow, the virus escaped from a lab in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the disease first appeared in late 2019. Researchers there were studying dangerous bat coronaviruses, and safety procedures at the facility were not as rigorous as they should have been. The Chinese government then covered up the incident, blaming a seafood market near the lab for launching the pandemic and refusing to allow any independent investigation. Variations on this theory, once promoted by only a handful of anti-China hardliners, are now being flogged relentlessly every night on Fox News, the presidents preferred primetime viewing. Trump himself has made vague allusions to the lab-jailbreak concept. More and more were hearing the story, he told reporters when asked about it during a coronavirus task force briefing last week. But other officials, notably Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have lent it further credence and are now pressing Beijing for answers. If ever there were a controversy that seemed engineered in a lab to go viral online, its this one. Scientists are largely skeptical of the idea, as are top defense officials, but it has given the presidents supporters an alluring new talking point as they seek to deflect blame for the pandemics brutal toll on the United States. And it has created a new leverage point for unlocking scientific data that Beijing has kept to itself thus far. Americas intelligence agencies arent dismissing the idea outright; theyve been examining the theory for months, said people briefed on the intelligence, and the congressional intelligence committees have been asking various agencies if hard evidence exists to support it. So far, there is none, multiple sources familiar with the matter told POLITICO. Theres no consensus, an administration official said. A former senior intelligence official said his understanding is that the intelligence on the Wuhan lab being the origin of the virus is not at all conclusive. Story continues The search for the virus origin has been made even more difficult by the fact that even Beijing doesnt know the truth, one of the people briefed said, and doesnt seem to be looking for it. Without an ironclad, high-confidence finding as to the virus origin, the intelligence community is unlikely to completely discount the possibility that it spread after a lab experiment gone wrong. The China hawks have pointed to the Wuhan labs as a source of the pandemic from the beginning, said former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who described the pandemic as the Chinese Communist Partys biological Chernobyl. Bannon is one of a coterie of strident China critics who have urged the president to use this moment to fundamentally reorder U.S. relations with Beijing. But Trump has temporized, a reflection of the U.S. need for Chinese help in supplying crucial medical supplies. You no longer see Trump calling it the China virus or the Wuhan virus because I think he realizes that its kind of dumb to do that because we need Chinas help, a person close to the White House noted. The White House has a delicate dance to do here because obviously the president has diplomatic sensitivities and a very multifaceted relationship with China that he has to be sensitive to, another administration official said. But I think you have and will continue to see other parts of the federal government go a bit further on this, adding that DOD and State have been a lot more forward-leaning and thats by design. Pompeo has been the most vocal, publicly pressing the Chinese government to let the world in, to let the worlds scientists know exactly how this came to be, exactly how this virus began to spread. China has yet to share detailed clinical and epidemiological data on Covid-19 -- information that would help other countries determine how best to treat patients and slow the spread of the disease. Beijings withholding of information was especially crucial early on, officials say, as it kept American scientists from fully appreciating just how dangerous the virus is and how it spread from person to person. What we do know is we know that this virus originated in Wuhan, China, the secretary said on Fox News this week. We know that there is the Wuhan Institute of Virology just a handful of miles away from where the wet market was. Theres still lots to learn. You should know that the United States government is working diligently to figure this out. Military leaders have been more circumspect. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark A. Milley seemed less convinced this week of the more extreme variation of the lab theory -- that the virus was engineered by humans, perhaps as a bioweapon. The weight of the evidence seems to indicate natural, he said; Defense Secretary Mark Esper said much the same, adding that the intelligence communitys investigation of the matter had been inconclusive. Their remarks represent a shift from previous comments by Joint Staff Surgeon Brig. Gen. Paul Friedrichs, who earlier this month said flatly that there is nothing to the idea that the virus originated in a lab. That is not something that Im worried about. China has denied both versions of the theory: that it was engineered in a lab, or that it was a natural bat coronavirus that leaked out. Id like to remind you that the [World Health Organization] has repeatedly stated that there is no evidence showing the virus was made in a lab, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Many renowned medical specialists in the world have also debunked the lab leakage theory as not science-based at all. So far, studies of the virus genome have not found any signs that it was engineered. An analysis published last month in Nature Medicine compared the new coronavirus to the six others in the same family that are known to infect people. One strong indicator that the new coronavirus evolved naturally, the studys authors said, are flaws in the protein it uses to bind to human cells deficiencies that someone trying to engineer a killer virus would have almost certainly avoided. Our analyses clearly show that SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus, wrote the studys authors, led by computational biologist Kristian Andersen of the Scripps Research Institute in California. Their research suggests that the coronavirus hopped from an animal perhaps a bat to a human in late November or early December. Its harder to rule out the notion that the new coronavirus escaped from a lab, but many virologists and infectious disease scientists say this scenario, too, is unlikely. SARS and MERS, two other coronaviruses that cause severe illness in people, made the jump from animals to humans in the last 20 years. And while scientists cant say definitively that the new coronavirus came from a bat, thats not unusual. The animals also are suspected to be the source of the Ebola virus, which first emerged in 1976, but the link still hasnt been proven beyond a doubt. Western media reports on the origins of the virus notably an account in the Wall Street Journal that identified a shrimp vendor at the Wuhan seafood market, rather than a lab worker, as the likely Patient Zero have found no hard evidence of the alternate origin theory, either. Nor did James Le Duc, the head of the American research lab that helped the Wuhan Virology Lab train its personnel in security best practices, betray any suspicions that his Chinese colleagues may have let loose the virus in a January opinion article that lauded China for its transparent management of the outbreak. Le Duc declined to comment for this article, but the Galveston National Lab sent along a statement noting its work with scientists around the world, including in Wuhan. Academic research is a global pursuit, and collaboration, cooperation and support has always been the process for quickly developing countermeasures against the worlds most dangerous public health threats, he said. The Wuhan lab theory has been kicking around for months, fueled by sporadic reports and persistent questions from China hawks, as well as by the Chinese governments lack of transparency about the virus. One Chinese researcher, Botao Xiao, published a paper floating the theory of a lab accident only to withdraw it, telling the Wall Street Journal in February that his work was not supported by direct proofs. China has since cracked down on academic research about the origins of the virus. But the lab theory gained new life after the New York Times alluded to an internal government debate over the issue (though its reporting suggested deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger had damaged his credibility by promoting it with other officials). Then a pair of Washington Post opinion columns by two frequent administration critics David Ignatius and Josh Rogin lent it broader credibility and added new details about the internal government debate. Its rapid transmission across conservative media was hastened earlier this week with the publication of an exclusive report co-authored by Fox News Bret Baier billing the alleged Wuhan lab fiasco as maybe the costliest government cover-up of all time, per one of the storys sources. The networks popular, opinion-oriented personalities have amplified that coverage as their commentary on Chinas handling of the initial outbreak has morphed from hawkishly skeptical to downright condemnatory. Tucker Carlson led his weeknight broadcast Thursday by promoting Baiers reporting and blasting Sen. Tom Cottons treatment at the hands of the little robots in the news media. The Arkansas Republican has been among the most forceful advocates of the lab storyline and suggested publicly as early as February that the coronavirus was conceived there. Why didnt we know this sooner? Well, there is a specific reason for that. The people who bring you the news were lying about it. And they were covering for China, Carlson charged, arguing that the virus lab escape represents the most plausible explanation for the epidemic now wrecking our country. Sean Hannity, too, opened his program Thursday night with mention of Baiers story and an indictment that if Brets report is on-target, then the Chinese government has blood on their hands. They protected themselves and put the rest of the world at risk. Hannity also discussed the allegations with Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham, who dubbed China the largest state sponsor of pandemics, and Ted Cruz, who asserted that the Asian powers responsibility and culpability for this pandemic is enormous. On Friday morning, a triumphant Cotton took to Fox & Friends, the presidents favorite morning show, to declare that the circumstantial evidence supporting his claims is stacking up pretty quickly. You can see how the Chinese Communist Party has continued to lie about this from the very beginning, as if they have something to cover up, the senator said. If thats the case, it really is the biggest, the costliest, the most deadly cover-up in the history of mankind. Nahal Toosi and Lara Seligman contributed to this report. 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. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said India will soon announce fresh relief measures and economic stimulus to help the poor and industry fight the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participating in the 101st meeting of the Development Committee Plenary of the World Bank through video conference, Sitharaman also assured the global community that India would continue to supply critical medicines to needy countries for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Sharing details of welfare measures announced by the government last month, the finance minister said support measures worth USD 23 billion (Rs 1.70 lakh crore) were provided, comprising free health insurance to health workers; cash transfers, free food and gas distribution; and social security measures for affected workers. To help companies, especially SME firms, cope with sudden loss of economic opportunity, the government has provided relief in statutory and regulatory compliance matters related to income tax, GST, customs, financial services and corporate affairs, she said. The central bank has also been accommodative, she said, adding regulators are taking steps to reduce market volatility. "Government is working extensively with stakeholders for providing additional relief in the form of humanitarian aid and to provide economic stimulus in the coming days," she said. In her intervention at the session, Sitharaman stated that given the size of population, India could have become a major COVID hotspot. Taking no chances, the government launched massive efforts to assist the health system respond effectively to the outbreak, she said. Important measures included social distancing, travel restrictions, work from and stay at home in public and private sectors, and direct health interventions centred on scaled up testing, screening and treatment have helped contain impact of the pandemic, she added. As responsible citizens of the global community, she said "we are supplying critical medicines to the needy countries and will continue to do so if the situation demands." India started shipment of critical drug hydroxychloroquine for treatment of coronavirus to various countries, including the US after a bit of diplomatic tussle between the two nations. She also commended the speedy response and efficiency of the World Bank Group in rolling out the Fast Track COVID-19 Response Facility. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Ilkin Seyfaddini Trend: BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17 The total number of coronavirus infected people in Uzbekistan rose to 1,380, Trend reports on April 17 citing the Ministry of Health. To date, 129 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 146,800. Over two million people have been confirmed as infected, over 547,600 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 Another day, another TV doctor with a lack of bedside manner while discussing the coronavirus on Fox News. Dr. Phil McGraw appeared Thursday with Laura Ingraham and proceeded to rant against the countrys shutdown because of COVID-19. 250 people die a year from poverty. And the poverty line is getting such that more and more people are going to fall below that because the economy is crashing around us. And theyre doing that because people are dying from the coronavirus. I get that, but, look, the fact of the matter is we have people dying, 45,000 people a year die from automobile accidents, 480,000 from cigarettes, 360,000 a year from swimming pools, but we dont shut the country down for that. But yet, were doing it for this? And the fallout is going to last for years because peoples lives are being destroyed. Dr. Phil appears on Laura Ingraham and says we dont shut the country down for automobile deaths, cigarette related deaths, and swimming pool deaths pic.twitter.com/q8KCgLLClY Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) April 17, 2020 Of course, its worth noting Dr. Phil isnt a medical doctor. According to his website, McGraw earned a Doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the University of North Texas, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship in forensic psychology from the Wilmington Institute. On Tuesday, Cliffside Park, N.J. resident Dr. Mehmet Oz (who IS a medical doctor) talked to Sean Hannity and said children should return to school despite the ongoing risks posed by the coronavirus. I tell you, schools are a very appetizing opportunity. I just saw a nice piece in The Lancet arguing that the opening of schools may only cost us 2 to 3% in terms of total mortality, Dr. Oz said. 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 the theoretical risk in the backside, it might be a trade-off some folks would consider. DR OZ: "Schools are a very appetizing opportunity. I just saw a nice piece in The Lancet arguing the opening of schools may only cost us 2 to 3%, in terms of total mortality. Any, you know, any life is a life lost, but ... that might be a tradeoff some folks would consider." pic.twitter.com/aifMeKTsIv Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 16, 2020 Social media crushed Dr. Oz for his lack of empathy, forcing him to apologize on Thursday. Ive realized my comments on risks around opening schools have confused and upset people, which was never my intention. I misspoke. As a heart surgeon, I spent my career fighting to save lives in the operating room by minimizing risks. At the same time, Im being asked constantly, How will we be able to get people back to their normal lives? To do that, one of the important steps is figuring out how do we get our children safely back to school. We know for many kids, school is a place of security, nutrition and learning that is missing right now. These are issues we are all wrestling with. And Ill continue looking for solutions to beat this virus. Ive realized my comments on risks around opening schools have confused and upset people, which was never my intention. I misspoke. pic.twitter.com/Kq1utwiCjR Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) April 16, 2020 According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 2.1 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, with almost 150,000 patients dying from COVID-19. In the U.S., more than 670,000 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed, with over 33,000 deaths. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Coronavirus: 8,000 people in CNY likely had the virus and never knew it Onondaga Co. coronavirus: 5 fatalities in deadliest day yet; 579 total cases Updated: See our newest list of CNY restaurants offering takeout and/or delivery Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com A powerful group of Senators Thursday urged President Donald Trump to work with American allies such as Japan, South Korea, and European nations to pursue an open and transparent probe into the origins of the novel coronavirus, as well as the WHO's decision-making on the crisis. Led by Republican Senator Marco Rubio from Florida, the Senators also urged the President to appoint a high-level Envoy to lead international coordination efforts both for COVID-19 response and for related investigations. Other signatories to the letter are Senators Marsha Blackburn, Thom Tillis, John Cornyn, Roger Wicker, Ted Cruz, Dan Sullivan and Mike Lee. From the beginning of the outbreak of COVID-19, a disease caused by a novel coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have gone great lengths to cover up, deflect, and even directly blame the United States for the outbreak, the Senators alleged. Once this pandemic is under control, there will need to be a thorough international investigation into the origins of the virus and the People's Republic of China's (PRC) alleged abuse of international organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), they said. "Therefore, we urge you to direct your administration, including Secretary Pompeo and Ambassador Craft to work with our allies and partners such as Japan, South Korea, and European nations to pursue an open and transparent investigation into the origins of COVID-19, as well as the WHO's decision-making related to the crisis," the Senators said. We also urge you to appoint a high-level Presidential Envoy to lead international coordination efforts both for COVID-19 response and for related investigations, said the letter dated April 17. The investigation, the Senators said, should lead to a detailed understanding of the WHO's decision-making during the early days of the outbreak. This includes any pressure it received from Beijing to downplay the apparent spread of the virus and its treatment of Taiwan, a strong democratic partner of the United States, that appears to deserve global recognition for its management of COVID-19, despite the constant roadblocks and harassment from the CCP, the lawmakers wrote. China's alleged obstruction and distortion demonstrate reckless disregard for global public health. Their subsequent effort to blame the United States, including the US Army, and open talk of conditioning medical assistance on political compliance was absurd and outrageous, the lawmakers wrote. Such action should be no surprise from a regime that detains more than one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities, a nation that walked away from its commitments to Hong Kong's autonomy, and imprisons or expels independent journalists at an increasing pace, they said. Should China refuse to cooperate on a forensic review, both of the origins of COVID-19 and WHO decision-making, then it would further prove that the CCP has no intention of acting as a responsible international actor even on areas where there is clearly a shared, human interest in cooperation, the Senators said. Meanwhile, Senator Ted Cruz, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has announced to introduce a legislation to sanction Chinese officials responsible for censoring whistleblowers and suppressing the sort of medical information that could have prevented the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan from becoming a global pandemic. "When it comes to this Wuhan outbreak, the Chinese Communist government has direct responsibility, direct culpability for silencing, for covering it up. When you had brave physician whistle-blowers blowing the whistle, the Chinese government came down on them, they silenced them," he told Fox in an interview. "They did everything they could to keep it quiet. Had they acted promptly, there may well have been a possibility this could have been contained as a regional outbreak. Instead, it became a global pandemic. And the lives lost, many of those are directly at China's doorstep, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) You dont have to be an infectious disease doctor to figure out that the testing is going to be the gateway to making people feel safe and comfortable going out and reopening the economy, said Klobuchar, who was among several senators who raised the issue on a conference call Thursday with Trump. It is really hard for people to know if they can go back to work or customers can go into stores unless we have that testing. Expecting a major global recession due to the coronavirus pandemic, the World Bank on Friday said that its estimates suggest a much deeper economic downturn than the 2007-09 Great Recession. World Bank President David Malpass said while the tragic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are being felt globally, this crisis will likely hit the poorest and most vulnerable countries and people the hardest. IDA countries, which are home to two-thirds of the world's extreme poor, will be severely affected, Malpass said in his address to the Development Committee during the annual Spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World bank. The International Development Association (IDA) is the part of the World Bank that helps the world's poorest countries. Beyond the health impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are expecting a major global recession. Our estimates suggest a much deeper global downturn than the Great Recession, given the declines in production, investment, employment and trade, Malpass said. Since emerging in China late last year, the coronavirus pandemic has turned the world upside down, forcing half of humanity indoors and crippling the global economy. Taking fast and broad-based action to address the challenge, he said that the World Bank has so far financed COVID-19 programmes in 64 developing countries and will have 100 countries underway by the end of April. The bank is able to provide USD 160 billion of financing over the next 15 months and the IDA will provide USD 50 billion of that total on grant and highly concessional credit terms, he said. Malpass said that the programme is based on three pillars: protect the poorest and most vulnerable households; support businesses and save jobs, which International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) are working with private sector clients to do by supporting trade and working capital lines; and help developing countries implement emergency health operations and strengthen economic resilience. Noting that debt relief is a powerful, fast-acting measure that can bring real benefits to the people in poor countries, Malpass said that it is important that beneficiary countries use the additional resources to respond to COVID-19 and fully disclose their public sector financial commitments. The World Bank and IMF are being asked to monitor their disclosures and the use of the fiscal space created by the debt relief, he said. Malpass warned that if the international community does not move quickly to strengthen systems and resilience, the development gains of recent years can easily be lost. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More TVS Motor Company, India's fourth-largest two-wheeler manufacturer, on April 17 announced the acquisition of Britain's iconic sporting motorcycle brand Norton in an all-cash deal. The Chennai-based company will pay GBP 16 million (Rs 153.2 crore) by acquiring certain assets of Norton Motorcycles (United Kingdom) (in administration) through one of its overseas subsidiaries. This is the first-ever overseas acquisition by TVS Motor Company. Founded by James Lansdowne Norton, in Birmingham, in 1898, Norton Motorcycles is among the most popular British motorcycle brands of all time and is one of the most emotive marques today, TVS said in a release. Norton Motorcycles is known for their classic models and eclectic range of luxury motorcycles ranging from retro classic reboots of the famous Commando to their contemporary 200 bhp, 1200cc V4 super-bikes. "This is a momentous time for us at TVS Motor Company. Norton is an iconic British brand celebrated across the world, and presents us with an immense opportunity to scale globally. We will extend our full support for Norton to regain its full glory in the international motorcycle landscape. Norton will continue to retain its distinctive identity with dedicated and specific business plans. TVS Motor will work closely with customers and employees in building the success and pre-eminence of the Norton Motorcycles brand and we look forward to growing together globally in the years to come," said Sudarshan Venu, Joint Managing Director, TVS Motor Company. TVS said it is excited about the existing and upcoming products at Norton Motorcycles including Commando, Dominator and V4 RR. Confident of the strong synergy between both the brands, we believe that Norton Motorcycles can leverage TVS Motor Companys global reach and supply chain capabilities to expand to new markets, the company added. The acquisition was undertaken under the guidance of financial advisors, Rothschild and Co, and legal advice for the transaction was provided by Khaitan & Co, and Slaughter and May. Coronavirus kills far more US health workers than official data suggests Iran Press TV Thursday, 16 April 2020 7:59 AM US health officials say the true number of healthcare workers contracted COVID-19 or lost their lives is certainly far higher than the latest data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that nearly 9,300 health professionals tested positive for the new coronavirus and 27 died of the respiratory disease. CDC Officials said the count was drawn from just 16 percent of the nation's total coronavirus cases, so the true numbers of healthcare infections and deaths are certainly far higher. The CDC said data provided by states most closely tracking the occupations of people with the virus suggest that healthcare workers account for about 11% of all coronavirus infections in the US. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC said that the true number of healthcare workers' fatalities is unknown, as challenges remain in collecting data, such as a patchwork of state tracking systems and tallying cases of patients who die at home. "We wanted to spotlight healthcare providers because they are the national heroes now caring for others with this disease at a time of great uncertainty," said Schuchat. "We know their institutions are trying to provide material to help them work safely, but already thousands have been infected," she said. A majority of those tested positive for COVID-19, the CDC said, believed they were exposed to the virus while at work. US media reports and Twitter posts have shown case after case of healthcare workers saying they do not have adequate protective gear to keep from getting sick while they are in direct contact with people tested positive for the highly contagious virus. Some states, including Ohio, have reported rates of healthcare worker illness as high as 20% but have not revealed data at the county, city or hospital levels. A vigil for deceased colleagues New York City nurses held a vigil to honor their colleagues who lost their lives in the virus fight since the city became the biggest coronavirus hotspots in the global pandemic. The nurses, who gathered outside a New York hospital, warned that they are still working without vital protective equipment. They carried placards that read "We work sick, you get sick" and "Patients before profits". More than 10,000 people have died New York City from the coronavirus, among them an untold number of doctors and nurses. "They're seeing people die around them," said Henry Rose, field director for the public hospitals represented by the New York State Nurses Association, which organized the vigil and represents 37,000 members across the state. The health workers said they are facing many difficulties, including handling several patients at a time amid continuing shortage of personal protective equipment. The number of known COVID-19 cases in New York state alone is over 214,000 higher than in any single country outside of the US, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. Public hospitals have been swamped by the crisis, as the 11 hospitals operated by the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation disproportionately serve people hardest-hit by the pandemic low-income, immigrants and minority New Yorkers, the Guardian said. The US reported at least 638,000 coronavirus cases, including more than 30,800 deaths as of early Thursday morning. COVID-19 has infected more than 2.06 million people and killed at least 137,000 worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address California hasn't deployed any volunteer nurses to short-staffed hospitals, a state spokesperson told Business Insider. PAUL RATJE/AFP via Getty Images At least two hospitals in California have suspended nurses for calling out inadequate access to protective gear such as airborne-resistant masks. Nurses at these hospitals Providence Saint John's in Santa Monica and West Hills Hospital in Los Angeles said there aren't enough caregivers to treat coronavirus patients. Nearly 90,000 volunteer nurses and healthcare workers have signed up to help short-staffed California hospitals, but the state hasn't deployed any of them yet. If you are a nurse in a short-staffed hospital, email aakhtar@businessinsider.com. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Jacob Childs used to work alongside his brother as registered nurses in the designated coronavirus floor at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California until his brother and 10 other nurses were suspended after they complained they didn't have access to airborne-resistant masks. As a result, Childs said he and other nurses on his floor have been short-staffed and that he now has to care for five coronavirus patients at a time, two more than before the suspensions. He called his floor "wildly understaffed" due to the 11 suspended nurses and another 21 workers taking personal time off. "It's really stressful and scary," Childs told Business Insider. "You have to be slow taking [protective gear] on or off because you have to be careful about contaminating yourself or your coworkers, and it's very difficult to manage the time and pressure for all of us." Business Insider previously reported on a similar nurse suspension, at HCA Healthcare's West Hills Hospital in Los Angeles, as well as hospitals having staffing issues amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 600,o00 Americans and pushed US hospitals and healthcare workers to their limits. Hospital nurses worry they will contract the virus due to inadequate access to protective gear (like masks and gowns) stemming from a nationwide shortage. Story continues And yet, despite hospitals suspending nurses and dealing with short-staffing as a result, California hasn't deployed any of the volunteers from the program announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom in late March. When he announced the "California Health Corps," Newsom asked healthcare volunteers to come to the state to help hospitals that were overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. But two weeks later, as of April 13, the program hadn't placed any of its 89,437 registrants in hospitals, according to a spokesperson for the California Health and Human Services Agency. While it's unclear whether Saint Johns and West Hills, neither of which have responded to requests for comment, have sought volunteer nurses, the spokesperson told Business Insider it was onboarding about 350 to be on standby to support Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento. That will be an alternate care site to support the region's health care delivery system should hospitals reach capacity, the spokesperson added. "We were pushing back and fighting for our safety, and stirring things up with the community and the media, and it felt like [the hospital] was retaliating by increasing our patient load," said Chelsea Halmy, a nurse suspended by Saint Johns and a member of the National Nurses United union. "It's just unsafe they're increasing the [nurse-to-patient] ratio when we have the nurses to work." California nurses say hospitals are short-staffed but the hospital has not provided additional support. HCA Healthcare the country's largest healthcare system suspended registered nurse Jhonna Porter earlier this month for posting about her floor's coronavirus protocol in a private Facebook group. HCA Healthcare said she had violated its social media policy as well as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as HIPAA, which mandates that healthcare workers keep patient information private. The hospital has since reinstated Porter and another suspended nurse. But Porter told Business Insider that the hospital has since furloughed contract nurses working on a per diem basis. As a result, Porter said, nurses have been working without breaks while each of them cares for about three COVID-19 patients every day. Porter said she asked her boss for permission to work extra hours and was denied. The floor has not received help from volunteer staff or private staffing agencies, she added. "Our floor is short-staffed and everyone is missing their breaks," Porter said. The California Health Corps was launched to support hospitals overwhelmed with the coronavirus with the goal of having volunteer medical staff focusing on low-acuity patients, or those with mild symptoms. Hospital staff was meant to focus on severe cases, a spokesperson said. Halmy said the hospital suspended her after she asked for airborne particle-resistant N95 masks. St. John's had previously told nurses that it couldn't provide them with this gear, after the CDC had stopped mandating their use. Though Halmy's suspension is paid, the nurse said she would rather be spending her time treating critical COVID-19 patients. "I'm a nurse, all we want to do is go to work, keep our heads down, and take care of our patients," she said. "I don't want to quit my job or anything, I want to be there and work." Read the original article on Business Insider The Gujarat government has decided to impose a curfew in Jugleshwar area of Rajkot city from Friday midnight to contain the spread of coronavirus, officials said. Of the total 28 coronavirus positive cases reported in Rajkot so far, majority of them are from this area, they said. Though the lockdown is in place, authorities realised that it is not proving effective to stop people's movement in that area, the officials said. "Since people are still roaming outside in that area despite the lockdown, we have decided to impose a curfew from midnight in Jungleshwar area of Rajkot," Secretary of the Gujarat Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Ashwani Kumar, said. As of now, no specific date for the termination of curfew has been announced. Jungleshwar is spread over an area of 2.5 square kms and it is home to 50,000 people, Gujarat DGP Shivanand Jha said. A week-long curfew in five areas of Surat was imposed from Thursday midnight for the same reasons. On April 15, a curfew till April 21 was imposed in the entire walled city as well as Danilimda area of Ahmedabad city to contain the virus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. DecisionDatabases recommend a most recent report on the Motorcycle Engine Control Unit Market based on industry analysis and forecast until 2025 with the estimated the year 2020. This report delivering key insights and offering an economical advantage to the client thought a comprehensive report. The report also covering the latest outbreak of COVID-19 impact analysis on the market. This pandemic has pretentious every phase of life worldwide. This has fetched several changes in the market scenario. The swiftly changing market scenario and impact on future assessments are covered in the report. The report also comprises future opportunities, growth rates, trends on global, regional as well as on country level. The global motorcycle engine control unit market report presents a complete research-based study of the industry including details such as company shares, forecast data, in-depth analysis and an outlook of the market on a worldwide platform. The report further highlights the market drivers, restraints and the top manufacturers at the global and regional levels. For a thorough understanding, the report also offers market segmentation and regional analysis for the forecast period from 2020 to 2025. Get FREE Sample Report Copy @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-43224 According to this study, over the next five years, the Motorcycle Engine Control Unit (ECU) market will register a -1.6% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach $ 1762.5 million by 2025, from $ 1876.6 million in 2019. In particular, this report presents the global market share (sales and revenue) of key companies in the Motorcycle Engine Control Unit (ECU) business, shared in Chapter 3. This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of the Motorcycle Engine Control Unit (ECU) market by type, application, key manufacturers and key regions and countries. The key manufacturers covered in this report: Breakdown data in Chapter 3. Mikuni Keihin Group Mitsubishi Electric DENSO CORP Robert Bosch Magneti Marelli YESON Delphi Continental Automotive Visteon SHINDENGEN Others View More about this Market @ Global Motorcycle Engine Control Unit Industry Report This study considers the Motorcycle Engine Control Unit value and volume generated from the sales of the following segments: Segmentation by type: breakdown data from 2015 to 2020, in Section 2.3; and forecast to 2025 in section 11.7. Gasline ECU Diesel ECU Segmentation by application: breakdown data from 2015 to 2020, in Section 2.4; and forecast to 2024 in section 11.8. OEM Aftermarket Others This report also splits the market by region: Breakdown data in Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Americas United States Canada Mexico Brazil APAC China Japan Korea ......... 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We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed. For more details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91 90 28 057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ "Chiefs and other opinion leaders in various communities have key roles to play in the enforcement of restrictions on free movements in lockdown areas," Mrs. Theodosia Jackson, Principal of Jackson College of Education, has stated. She said the involvement of chiefs and other opinion leaders such as pastors, imams, assembly members and members of parliament could go a long way to ensure compliance, particularly people's refusal people to stay home. Such personalities, she noted, occupy positions of influence hence adding their voices to the Presidents call for people to stay home could make a significant impact. Our chiefs and other community leaders, especially religious leaders must join the fight against COVID-19 in their localities, she suggested. According to her, this is the time for those in leadership positions to bring their influence to bear to complement the governments efforts to contain the disease. I know some chiefs have started supporting their people with food and other items which I commend but they can do more by asking them to stay home to prevent community spread of the virus, she observed Mrs. Jackson said the directive for people to stay home is in the interest of the very people who are flouting it. Accordingly, she says that it is worth enduring the inconvenience of the lockdown than exposing ourselves to the risk of being infected. She bemoaned the recalcitrant attitudes of some Ghanaians towards the fight against the disease and stressed the need for people to be health-conscious in the midst of such global pandemic. She said it was disheartening how some compatriots in the health and security sectors are in the frontline risking their lives to protect the rest of the population from the virus only for people to flout simple directive to stay indoors. We must appreciate the sacrifices being made by the frontline workers at the peril of their lives by obeying the directives aimed at containing the disease, she pleaded. Lets come together as a people to confront the virus which is the common enemy to hasten the process of regaining our freedom for free movement, she admonished. She commended the government, health workers, security agencies and all auxiliary frontline workers for their relentless efforts towards the fight COVID-19 despite all the challenges. RICHMOND (BCN) Police shot and killed a suspect Thursday night following a vehicle pursuit into Richmond from Oakland. On Thursday at 6:45 p.m., officers with the Oakland Police Department responded to a report of a woman abandoned on the side of the road in the area of Pinehurst Road and Skyline Boulevard, according to the Richmond Police Department. A witness was able to provide a description of a suspect vehicle involved in the incident, police said. Responding officers located the vehicle and attempted to pull it over, but the vehicle did not stop, and a pursuit ensued. Police said the suspect vehicle traveled to Richmond to the area of South 37th Street and Stege Avenue, where the vehicle rammed an Oakland police car as two officers were exiting their vehicle. The suspect then pointed a firearm in the direction of officers, and police shot at the suspect, according to the Richmond Police Department. The suspect suffered a fatal gunshot wound, police said. The victim suffered serious injuries and was transported to the hospital in critical condition, police said. Two officers were injured when the suspect vehicle rammed their police vehicle. The officers were transported to the hospital and were listed in stable condition Thursday night, police said. Multiple agencies are investigating the incident including the Oakland Police Department, the Richmond Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, the Moraga Police Department, the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office and the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office. 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. Cap America donated 500 face masks to Madison Medical Center, April 8. "Our community is fortunate to have companies like Cap America who can adapt and change quickly in a crisis to fill a necessary role," Madison Medical Center Board Member Ruth Ann Skaggs said. "The donation of 500 face masks could mean the difference in preventing a local outbreak of the invisible threat of COVID-19." Skaggs said Cap America Knitwear Director Jon Page started looking for ways the company could contribute to the nations efforts to combat coronavirus and keep some people working. "After some research into medical needs, it was decided sewing face masks was the best fit for the company," Skaggs said. "After contacting local entities, they discovered the actual needs and determined the type of masks needed could be made at Cap America." Skaggs said the company made many contacts along the way and developed the best outlets for the masks. "Along with (Cap America Sales Director) Corey Cissell, the company was producing more than 2,000 face masks each day," Skaggs said. "As well as contracting with healthcare and essential service companies all over Missouri and as far away as Texas and Chicago." Skaggs said Cap America has always had a spirit of community first and they chose to take care of the needs right here at home. "Madison Medical Center has about 275 employees staffing the rural health clinics, emergency services, hospital and Stockhoff Nursing Home," Skaggs said. "When I contacted Jon, the immediate answer was a resounding 'Yes. We will donate to our community hospital.'" Jon Page said Cap America and its employees are proud to do something to help the community. Skaggs said the donated masks will help protect the medical staff as well as food service workers, housekeeping, maintenance workers and 75 residents in long term care. Madison Medical Center would like to give a special thank you to Jon Page, Corey Cissell and Cap America CEO Phil Page, along with Community Champion for Madison Medical Center Brandon Tull. Victoria Kemper is a reporter for the Democrat News. She can be reached at 573-783-3366 or at vkemper@democratnewsonline.com Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Kumawood actor, Yaw Dabo has expressed how sad he is about some developments in relations to the country during this Coronavirus season especially the conduct of market women. According to the actor, government has done an amazing job by ensuring that subsidies are provided for people in the country by absorbing water and a fraction of the electricity bills. He noted that government is also feeding the vulnerable in society; something he saw as worthy of commendation. But Yaw Dabo is worried about the fact that some women who sell food, vegetables and other foodstuff have decided to cash in on the plight of Ghanaians to make unimaginable profits. Dabo who said the amount he used in shopping has skyrocketed revealing that now even cassava which used to be five cedis is currently being sold for twenty cedis, while three fingers of plantain is being sold for fifteen cedis. Yaw Dabo could not fathom why a fellow human will want to capitalize on a crisis to enrich him/herself when they are supposed to be humanitarian during this period. The movies actor pleaded with the president and other stakeholders to handle the issues with regards to prices of products on the market or else that will rather kill people before covid-19 strikes. VIDEO 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 To help with the impact of COVID-19 on businesses in North America, Fleet Complete is offering free service until July 31, 2020, on telematics to customers with OnStar-equipped General Motors (GM) vehicles. The special offer on telematics service aims to help fleet owners establish remote fleet management operations and comply with the new safety guidelines in times of social isolation. TORONTO, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Fleet Complete, the fastest-growing global provider of connected vehicle solutions, today announced its fleet assistance program with free service until July 31, 2020, for those with OnStar-enabled GM vehicles (most Model Year 2015 or newer vehicles, equipped with compatible OnStar hardware). The new program is launched in an effort to help fleet-owning businesses in North America gain safety and operational efficiency. "The latest events have been devastating to many businesses across various industries," comments Tony Lourakis, founder and CEO of Fleet Complete. "Today, businesses work in a new reality with new challenges, and we at Fleet Complete want to help in some way. This is why we are collaborating with GM to provide an operational platform to assist fleets in a time of need with temporary free service. Companies can take advantage of this technology without relying on personnel for installation because it is enabled remotely. The setup is quick, and you can start using it for free, without delay." Fleet Complete's telematics service provides fleet owners and their staff a comprehensive remote management platform to help tackle common business challenges, such as: Over-the-air software activation on GM vehicles newer than 2015 with OnStar for contactless implementation; Remote visibility of staff to stay updated on activities and jobs completed throughout the day, with no office depot open; Allocating jobs to the closest available mobile workers and promptly communicating updates to customers; Higher efficiency of operations through automation, allowing to complete more jobs with the same resources; Mobile tracking of vehicles and other high-value assets for theft protection and fast recovery; Creating customized vehicle inspection reports for drivers to comply with the new recommended health and safety recommendations; Having accurate data for billing and payroll with GPS location and time stamps. Telematics service benefits both types of businesses those who already have fleet-operating services set up but are looking for optimization, and those who are looking to create a new arm of their business that employs vehicles for home deliveries in order to continue their line of work. About Fleet Complete Fleet Complete is a leading global provider of connected vehicle technology, delivering mission-critical fleet, asset and mobile workforce management solutions. The company is servicing approximately 600,000 subscribers and over 40,000 businesses and government organizations in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Australia, and across Europe. It maintains key distribution partnerships with AT&T in the U.S. and Mexico, TELUS in Canada, Telstra in Australia, Telia in Denmark and Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile) in multiple European countries. Fleet Complete cultivates strong OEM partnerships with global market leaders, such as Cummins, Ford, General Motors, Mitsubishi Australia, and Toyota, among others. It remains one of the fastest-growing companies globally, having won numerous awards for innovation and growth. For more information, please visit fleetcomplete.com SOURCE Fleet Complete Reuters Nearly one million Hindu worshippers are expected to gather on the banks of the Ganges river this Friday and Saturday for a holy bathe despite galloping COVID-19 infections across the country, an official told Reuters on Tuesday. India reported 168,063 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, a 20-fold rise in a month. Most infected people have recovered at home and the level of hospitalisations has been less than half of that seen during the last major wave of infections in April and May. While Ellen DeGeneres continues to tape a modified version of her show remotely, the regular production's core crew members are reportedly upset by top producers' behavior during the coronavirus pandemic. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP / Getty Images) The core stage crew of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" is reportedly making noise over how top producers have behaved during the coronavirus pandemic. Communication appears to be the biggest complaint, though most of the crew members aren't working and have seen their pay dramatically reduced, according to Variety. The more than 30 crew members didn't see a word in writing for more than a month regarding their hours or pay, or even asking about their health, two insiders told the trade outlet. Phone calls have been returned occasionally by a production coordinator, but little information was provided, they said. Because of that, crew members who were worried about being furloughed reportedly didn't know whether they should prepare to apply for unemployment. The show usually shoots four days a week. A Warner Bros. Television spokesman did not respond immediately to The Times' request for comment Friday. Last week, "Ellen" producers told the union crew to expect a 60% cut in pay, according to Variety's insiders, while the nonunion, outside tech company Key Code was hired to assist with production as DeGeneres tapes shows on a remote set constructed at her home. Four regular crew members are working on the remote show, which started at the beginning of April, the insiders said. News of production on the remote show reportedly came as a surprise to most crew members. The studio told Variety that the representatives from the union that represents the crew members, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, had signed off on hiring the nonunion shop. A spokesman for Warner Bros. Television, which distributes "Ellen," told Variety that union crew members on the show have been paid consistently since the pandemic hit, albeit at a reduced rate. The crew last worked the week of March 9, Variety said, then the Warner Bros. lot shut down the week of March 16 which was the last week for which the crew was paid in full. The next week was a planned spring hiatus. Story continues Pay cuts for the union crew came the week of March 30, when hours were reduced from 10 a day to eight, for a total of 32 hours per week, Then, on April 10, employees were told to prep for a pay reduction to only 16 hours per week. Rumors about a return to full pay swirled midweek after Variety began asking about the situation, the outlet said. Some of the stage crew have been with the syndicated show since the pilot `17 years ago, Variety said, and DeGeneres is one of TV's highest-paid stars, with a Telepictures deal worth nearly $50 million a year. DeGeneres, whose tag line is "Be kind to one another," has been taking it on the chin in recent weeks. Similar shows none of them syndicated have continued to pay crew members in full, and Jimmy Kimmel reportedly paid people out of his own pocket during the first part of the shutdown, Variety said. Comedian Kevin T. Porter solicited negative stories about DeGeneres in a March 20 Twitter thread to raise money for the L.A. Food Bank. Porter tweeted that he wound up making a $600 donation instead of the pledged $2 per story, as he didn't want to count up all the responses he received, mostly from service-industry workers and former staffers. And a Dutch makeup artist who appeared on the show in January to talk about coming out as transgender has been vocal about what a bad experience she had. DeGeneres also ticked people off in early April with a self-quarantine joke that many called tone deaf. "One thing that I've learned from being in quarantine is that people this is like being in jail, is what it is," she said. "It's mostly because I've been wearing the same clothes for 10 days and everyone in here is gay." SHELTON All Shelton public school kindergarten registrations and orientations have been postponed. With schools closed until at least May 20, interim school Superintendent Beth Smith said that parents will be updated about rescheduling when it is determined to be safe to hold such events. Smith said many kindergarten registrations were done before the school closure. When we can get back in the buildings and it is safe to move forward, we will hold any outstanding registrations, said Smith. Principals will also hold their orientation sessions when it is safe to do so. brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com Police have arrested a 45-year-old man suspected of dousing a homeless victim with fuel and setting him on fire in an unprovoked attack caught on video. Surveillance footage from Santa Ana, California showed the moment when a man was engulfed in flames and left for dead in early April. He can be seen sitting on a sidewalk near the intersection of First Street and Broadway when a man rides into the frame on a bike, pours an accelerant over the man and sets him alight. The suspect had covered his face and was dressed in black when he approached the man, who was alone in front of a closed business. The victim, who tried to get away from the attacker, suffered first-, second- and third-degree burns to his upper body. Physicians at a local trauma/burn centre performed surgery on his wounds and he remained in a critical condition. The Santa Ana Police Department said in a news release on Tuesday that Adrian Alberto Rodriguez Herrera, a 45-year-old transient, was arrested near the scene of the attack. Officers who specialise in interacting with the homeless detained Mr Herrera and his bicycle after allegedly matching him with the description of the crime and surveillance footage. Homicide detectives are seeking witnesses to the arson/attempted murder case. Editors Note: Welcome to Inside Out, our weekly roundup of stories about Staten Islanders of all ages who are making waves, being seen, supporting our community and just making our borough a special place to live. Have a story for Inside Out? Email Carol Ann Benanti at benanti@siadvance.com. With her 92nd birthday just days away and with a little extra time on her hands these days Anna Schaefer began to think about the unique and remarkable life she has lived. And though the sweet nonagenarian has always been somewhat modest and has had reservation about sharing her innermost thoughts, during these difficult times when spending her birthday with family members wasnt an option, she decided to share a few of those thoughts about her rich and illustrious life and how she met the man of her dreams." Anna was born to Anna and John Rodko on April 18, 1928 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where the family resided until Anna was in the fourth grade when Anna, her parents and brother Paul relocated to Brooklyn. Anna would then transfer to Holy Family, an elementary school in the Park Slope neighborhood that has since merged with St. Thomas Aquinas, and later to Bishop McDonnell Memorial High School, a diocesan school that was forced to close several decades ago because of financial woes. Anna Schaefer, sitting center, is surrounded by her grandchildren, from left, Megan Schaefer, Ronald Wilton, Kaitlyn Conroy and Logan Schaefer, on the occasion of her 90th birthday. (Courtesy/Carolyn Wilton)Staten Island Advance After I graduated high school I was hired by the New York and Puerto Rico Steamship Company situated at the foot of Canal Street in New York City where I worked for five years," said Anna, before adding, "I loved my job as a secretary and best of all, I fell in love with the man of my dreams, Walter Schaefer, a fellow co-worker. Walter and Anna dated and eventually said their I dos, in August 1950 in Holy Family R.C. Church. A reception followed in Prospect Hall. We were blessed with three beautiful daughters, MaryAnn, Joan and Carolyn, and three handsome sons, Thomas, Richard, and Lawrence, the birthday celebrant went on to say. So when it came time for the couple to purchase their own home to accommodate their family of eight, they decided to make a life on rural Staten Island where sky-high trees, rolling hills and panoramic views of the harbor would serve as the perfect backdrop. The Schaefers settled in Grasmere, or what Anna referred to as the Old Town section of Staten Island. Anna Schaefer, second from left, and her family gather in Blue restaurant, Livingston, on the occasion of her 90th birthday. (Courtesy/Carolyn Wilton)Staten Island Advance The Schaefer children attended the nearby Academy of St. Dorothy elementary school, where Anna became active with the PTA. A long-standing parishioner of St. Anns R.C. Church and a member of the Dongan Hills churchs Rosary Society, Anna is also a current member of the Rosary Makers. I am proud to say I have nearly 10,000 rosaries using crystal and plastic beads just in the last two years, she said, and stresses she plans on creating many more as long as she is able. Anna Schaefer holds up Rosary Beads that she handcrafted. (Courtesy/Carolyn Wilton)Staten Island Advance I am blessed with five grandchildren, Tara, Kaitlyn, Megan, Logan, and Ronald. Unfortunately, two sons, a daughter and my husband are no longer with us," she said sadly. To this day Anna is delighted to be living in that same Grasmere home now also occupied by her daughter, Carolyn Wilton, her husband, Ronald, a retired firefighter, and their son, Ronald. Tara Duffy and Anna Schaefer. Tara is Anna's eldest granddaughter. (Courtesy/Carolyn Wilton)Staten Island Advance This year for my moms birthday, well order dinner in from Blue, her favorite restaurant, and then contact family members and FaceTime everyone," said daughter Carolyn. "And well have a dessert birthday candle that all the siblings will be able to see on FaceTime. My moms so quiet and so soft spoken and never interferes with anyone," Carolyn said. I always say she is our angel on earth. And I admire her for her strength, her faith and her patience, which I learned so much from. She is truly amazing. Says Anna: "They take excellent care of our home and me. And Im happy to be celebrating my 92nd birthday on April 18. Happy 92nd birthday, Anna! DENVER, CO, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- True Nature Holding, Inc., DBA Mitesco, Inc. (TNTY) (the Company or True Nature) announced today that it has engaged CIM Securities, LLC (CIM) as its advisor for investment banking related transactions. "We believe this relationship is well-timed, and a good fit for our business strategy. The need for healthcare technology that can be made available directly to the consumer worldwide is now clearly immediate. There are excellent, early-stage, yet proven, teams with products and services that can take advantage of market needs, and with modest amounts of capital, which could present scalable opportunities for our Company," stated Larry Diamond, CEO. We believe with the experience of CIM we will be able to construct the best capital structure needed to expand our current and near-term scope, strengthen our balance sheet, execute upon the Company's M&A strategy, and fund our growth initiatives. The Company has agreed to an exclusive arrangement with CIM for sixty (60) days, and month to month thereafter. CIM will be working with other interested broker-dealers and accredited investors interested in the Company to fulfill its banking needs. Any parties interested in the Companys investment activities should contact Mr. Jack Myers at CIM Securities via email at JMyers@cimsecurities.com or by phone at 619-749-2460. Our Operations and Subsidiaries: MyCare LLC and Acelerar Healthcare Holdings, LTD. My Care, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitesco N.A. LLC, the holding company for North American operations. It is building out a network of clinics using the latest telehealth technology with the nurse practitioner as its primary healthcare provider and as allowed by state licensure. It will begin in Minneapolis and expand nationwide. There are 23 states today that allow the nurse practitioner to perform most of the tasks normally allocated to the physician. The executive team at My Care includes four key executives who brought Minute Clinic (previously known as Quickmedix) to scale, which was acquired by CVS for $170 million in 2006. Story continues Acelerar Healthcare Holdings, LTD. Is the Companys wholly-owned, Dublin, Ireland based holding company for its European operations. There are several targets in Europe under evaluation and management believes cross border expansion for these new, proven healthcare technology solutions may prove a profitable opportunity. About CIM Securities, LLC CIM Securities (www.cimsecurities.com) is an independent investment bank that serves micro-cap and small-cap companies by providing capital raising solutions and also merger and acquisition services for companies seeking growth capital or services. CIM Securities also caters to individual investors providing comprehensive brokerage and money management solutions. CIM Securities provides institutional investors and individual investors periodic opportunities to participate in public offerings and private placements of public or private companies. The Mission of True Nature Holding, Inc., DBA Mitesco, Inc. (formal name change pending) We have in development a suite of offerings aimed at enhancing healthcare throughout the supply chain and to end-users. We intend to acquire and implement technologies and services to improve the quality of care, reduce cost, and enhance consumer convenience. We are focused on developing a portfolio of companies that provide healthcare technology solutions and the team is adept at deal structures supportive of long-term organizational value. The holding company structure facilitates profitable growth and enables the acquired business to focus on scale. The TNTY portfolio of companies will apply leading-edge solutions that emphasize stakeholder value and leverages distinct sector trends. Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act As contemplated by the provisions of the Safe Harbor section of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to future, anticipated, or projected plans, performances, and developments, as well as other statements relating to future operations. All such forward-looking statements are necessarily only estimating or predictions of future results or events and there can be no assurance that actual results or events will not materially differ from expectations. Further information on potential factors that could affect True Nature Holding, Inc. is included in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We expressly disclaim any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements. Contact by email at: www.truenatureholding.com, or by phone at: 1-844-383-8689. Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Apple CEO Tim Cook and Disney Chairman Bob Iger to a task force on job recovery in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Billionaire failed presidential candidate Tom Steyer will co-chair the state's new Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery, which will meet twice a month for the rest of 2020. Newsom, who announced the task force on Friday, also said that four former California governors would join, including Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The panel's more than 70 members will also include former Chair of the Federal Reserve Janet Yellen. Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday announced a new Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery, which will meet twice a month for the rest of 2020 Apple CEO Tim Cook (left) and Disney Chairman Bob Iger (right) will join the task force on job recovery in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic Steyer's co-chair will be Newsom's chief of staff Ann O'Leary, a former senior advisor to Hilary Clinton. The panel will be tasked with developing recommendations for the government and companies to improve the economy, create jobs and help Californians get back on their feet. Among the group's tasks would be to develop plans for state bonds and grants to juice the economy, as well as what Newsom called meaningful reforms aimed at reducing income inequality. 'We are now in a pandemic-induced recession in the state of California,' Newsom said at a press conference. 'These are sobering and challenging times.' In the past four weeks, at least 3.1 million people have filed unemployment claims in the state of California, Newsom said. California was the first to issue a statewide stay-at-home order in response to the pandemic, shuttering many non-essential businesses. Booths are set up in a parking lot in Orange County on Friday to safely issue licenses and marry couples after marriage services resumed for couples whose nuptials were postponed New federal unemployment data on Friday showed that California's unemployment rate jumped to 5.3 percent in March, up from 3.9 percent one month earlier. That data only goes through March 12, however, and does not capture the many jobs lost in the second half of the month. The Newsom administration projects the unemployment rate could top records set during the 2009 Great Recession when close to 13 percent of Californians were unemployed. California on Friday announced 1,059 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and 84 additional deaths. The state now has a total of more than 28,000 confirmed cases and 900 deaths. That pales in comparison to hotspots such as New York, which has more than 222,000 cases and 12,000 deaths. California, along with Washington and Oregon, has formed a Western States Pact to plan the lifting of stay-at-home orders, but so far no end date for the orders has been announced. California, along with Washington and Oregon, has formed a Western States Pact to plan the lifting of stay-at-home orders. Seven Northeastern states have formed a similar compact California's stay-at-home order currently extends through May 3 statewide and longer in places like Los Angeles, which has an order in effect until May 15. Newsom appears to be disregarding the three-phase plan President Donald Trump has proposed for easing restrictions in states. On Tuesday, the governor laid out a roadmap for the future in which re-opened restaurants will have fewer tables and wait staff will wear masks and gloves, both to protect patrons from contagion and make them feel safe. Earlier this week, Newsom said the Western States Pact will follow their own six requirements for determining when stay-at-home orders can relax. The six requirements to reopen the state include: monitoring and tracking cases, increasing capacity at hospitals, preventing infection for high-risk people, ensuring distancing and therapeutics at businesses, schools and child care facilities, and developing guidelines for another stay-at-home order if virus cases increase again. BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 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/585464/SERV-INVESTOR-ALERT-Class-Action-Lawsuit-Filed-Lead-Plaintiff-Deadline-Approaching While people are already vulnerable and afraid as the COVID-19 pandemic demands attention from all sides, the Federal Trade Commission said scammers are taking full advantage, to the tune of more than $13 million. According to a report posted by Paul Witt, a lead data analyst with the Division of Consumer Response and Operations, 18,235 COVID-19 related scams have been reported to the FTC. Among these scams are sales of bogus cures and treatments, communications from fake government agencies promising relief money, websites promising needed resources and materials and scams involving getting money back from cancelled travel plans, Witt said. As of April 15, more than $13.44 million were reported lost to fraud, according to the FTC COVID Complaints report. More than $4 million of that is from travel and vacations scams, with another $1.4 million lost to online shopping scams, according to the report. Pennsylvania residents have reported 547 scams, which makes the state numbers middle of the road next to states like California and New York where there have been thousands of scams reported. Pennsylvania does rank higher than smaller and more rural states, like the Dakotas, Montana and Vermont which are reporting 50 complaints or less. The FTC reminds people that the government will never call randomly to ask for money or personal information, including social security, bank account or credit card numbers. Another sign of a scam is someone asking a person to pay by Western Union, Money Gram or adding money to a gift card. The government and legitimate businesses would never accept those forms of payment, Witt writes. Anyone who wants to receive alerts about the latest scams can sign up for Consumer Alerts. Anyone that encounters scams can report them at the federal level to ftc.gov/complaint, or at the state level to the Attorney Generals fraud and scam line, scam@attorneygeneral.gov. Read more on PennLive: 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. Adopt-a-blank programs are a popular way of supporting neglected and mistreated entities, such as highway shoulders and endangered sea sponges, so its hardly surprising the formats now being applied to local independent restaurants. Thomas Heath, a branding strategist based on James Island, came up with the Adopt a Local Restaurant campaign after learning that his favorite neighborhood Mexican joint was struggling to sell takeout meals. Ive been going to Grumpy Goat since they opened, and when this virus thing went down, I said, Ive got to support them, Heath said. When he pulled into the parking lot to pick up his food, one of the owners told him she was excited because the restaurant had received seven orders. Heath remembers being flabbergasted by her definition of success. Seven orders? he thought to himself. What can I do to create some awareness? Why dont we try to create some kind of buzz? Heath partnered with a publicist and graphic designer to come up with a logo for the initiative, which is being backed by Lowcountry Local First. The adoption process sketched out by Heath involves community members pledging to patronize a chosen Charleston area restaurant, brewery, distillery or wine distributor at least once a week, or contribute to its employee fund if the business is not currently in operation. Hes also encouraging participants to download and customize an I adopted a local restaurant graphic to share on social media; the movements official hashtag is #adoptarestaurantchs. Adopters dont need to register, and theyre not restricted to adopting Lowcountry Local First members. Additionally, since adopters of all kinds often gravitate to the same charmers, Heaths team has created a logo that businesses can use to announce their availability for adoption. According to a study conducted this month by the James Beard Foundation, only 20 percent of independent restaurant owners in cities under shutdown orders are very certain or somewhat certain that they will be able to sustain their businesses until normal operations resume. Although the foundation didnt specify in its SurveyMonkey survey what it meant by normal operations, owners are bracing for a drawn-out recovery: California Gov. Gavin Newsom this week said his state could require restaurants to do away with half of their tables; issue masks and gloves to servers and take customers temperature at the door after social distancing regulations are relaxed. The survey also found three-quarters of independent restaurants have experienced at least a 50 percent drop in sales, and more than half of independent restaurants have taken on at least $51,000 in new debt since the onset of the pandemic. A spokeswoman for the Independent Restaurant Coalition termed results of the survey, which was completed by 1,400 restaurateurs, grim. James Beard Foundation CEO Clare Reichenbach pinned blame on insufficient government relief. The data is clear: The Paycheck Protection Program isnt working as designed for restaurants and Congress needs to fix it, she was quoted as saying in a release put out by the IRC, which is calling for the loan program to be reworked around the anticipated timeline for reopening restaurants fully. Other data released Thursday revealed the toll that the precipitous position of restaurants statewide has taken on workers. In the period from March 15 to April 11, more than 40,000 South Carolinians laid off from full- or limited-service restaurants filed for unemployment, representing more claims than were produced by the states next six most affected industries combined. France is in the midst of its worst recession since the Second World War. The countrys finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, has warned that the economic crisis resulting from the coronavirus lockdown could eventually be of a similar magnitude to that of the 1929 Great Depression. Yet amid the chaos he remains defiant, promising that the country will recover, whatever the cost. This week, Mr Le Maire hiked up his economic support plan for the country from 45bn (39bn) to 110bn after President Emmanuel Macron announced that strict lockdown measures would continue for another four weeks. Mr Le Maire outlined how the rescue package would be spent, promising that it would prevent businesses from going bankrupt and avoid mass unemployment and further economic collapse. The 110bn economic emergency plan is an investment in the future, he told BFM TV on Thursday evening. By spending this money, we protect our businesses, our employees, our skills. The package ranges from a 20bn (17.2bn) fund to support major corporations, to bonuses for front line healthcare workers and carers. The way to finance the spending, Mr Le Maire said, is not through taxes but through economic growth. That means ending the lockdown and getting back to business. With the country under full lockdown until 11 May, the historic recession is going to get worse before it gets better. The economy is currently operating at around one third below normal and the Banque de France has predicted that for every two weeks the country remains in lockdown, the economy will shrink by a further 1.5 per cent. Mr Macrons lockdown extension announcement also prompted revised predictions that the economy would shrink by 8 per cent this year, instead of the 6 per cent stated last week. 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 Even after 11 May, it will be a slow and staggered return to normal. On that date, schools and some businesses will reopen but all leisure activities and social gatherings will remain banned until at least mid-July. As for international travel, the timeline for its return remains indefinite. This will be particularly significant for one of the most important sectors of Frances economy: tourism. France is the most-visited country in the world, welcoming close to 90 million international tourists each year. While transport, retail and construction industries have been hit hard, it is the tourism sector that will probably be the most severely impacted accounting for around 10 per cent of the countrys GDP. The beginning of the lockdown saw French ski resorts forced to close, but as containment measures stretch into the summer, the lack of tourists could threaten the livelihoods of everyone from hoteliers and restaurateurs, to tour guides and sommeliers. Any lingering fear of foreign travel that remains post-lockdown could also effect the sector for years to come. Before the economy can recover, the country must first recover. Frances national health agency has recorded more than 160,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, which have resulted in 17,920 deaths. This makes it the fourth worst affected country in the world by the coronavirus pandemic, but there are signs that the worst may be over. Thursday marked the eighth straight day that intensive care unit patients fell, and the second day that the number of people in hospitals also dropped. Whether these numbers continue to fall may well depend on how determined the government is to risk sending people back to work for the economy to recover, at any cost. The Union home ministry has told all states to track down Rohingya reportedly over concerns that many of them attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz or had come in contact with them. In a message to all state police chiefs, the Home Ministry on Thursday said there were multiple reports about contacts between the Rohingya and the Tablighi Jamaat workers from parts of the country. The Tablighi Jamaat congregation at its central Delhi headquarters has been the countrys biggest Covid-19 hotspot. In Delhi, over a 1,000 people - either evacuated or their contacts -- have tested positive to the Sars-CoV-2 pathogen that causes the coronavirus disease. Across the country, nearly 26,000 Tablighi Jamaat members and their contacts were placed under quarantine at state-run facilities when the Islamic religious sect finally allowed authorities last month to evacuate its followers. Also read: ED slaps money laundering case against Tablighi Jamaat chief In a letter sent to all state chief secretaries, Director Generals of Police and Delhi Police Commissioner, reviewed by HT, the MHA told the states that Rohingya Muslims and their contacts need to be screened for Covid-19. Accordingly, necessary measures may be taken in this regard on priority. It has been reported that Rohingya Muslims have attended ijltemas (largest annual Islamic congregation organized by Tablighi Jamaat March 13 to 15) and other religious congregations of Tablighi Jamaat and there is a possibility of their contradicting Covid-19. The ministry wants the states to trace Rohingya who attended the Tablighi Jamaat activities as well as their contacts on priority. Rohingyas residing in camps in Hyderabad, Telangana had attended Tablighi Jamaat ijtema at Mewat, Haryana and had visited Nizamuddin Markaz at New Delhi. Also read: Bangladesh coast guard rescues 396 Rohingya from drifting boat; 32 dead Similarly, Rohingyas living in Shram Vihar, Shaheen Bagh, Delhi who had gone for TJ activities, have not returned to their camps, the home ministry communication said. It added that the presence of Rohingya Muslims after attending Tablighi Jamaat work has also been reported from Derabassi, Punjab and Jammu area. According to an estimate by the government, there are around 40,000 Rohingyas in camps alone across several states in India. Only about 17,500 of them are registered as refugees with the office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The government has repeatedly insisted that the Rohingya are illegal immigrants, even those registered with the UN refugee agency, and would be deported. India is not a signatory to the international accord on refugees. India has deported a couple of groups of Rohingya. But the Supreme Court is still hearing a petition that challenged this approach. Before the Covid-19 pandemic forced the Supreme Court to stop hearings, a UN Special Rapporteur had, in January, asked the court to let her assist the court. 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. Read More "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. Expand Close Education Minister Peter Weir / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Education Minister Peter Weir 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 Would you be able to look yourself in the mirror if you unintentionally infected a nurse or doctor? I sure wouldnt. But thats the risk we run when we dont follow the guidance to stay at home. Let me start with a disclaimerIm not a physician, scientist, or epidemiologist. But, I know enough as a lay person to stay at home for all but life-sustaining reasons. I am doing so even though, under the governors stay-at-home order, Id be exempt since my team and I at The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania provide essential and direct support to all of Pennsylvanias hospitals and the emergency management infrastructure now being deployed. Every day we work from home, helping our hospitals address the strain on their supply and personal protective equipment needs, create extra bed space for a surge in COVID-19 patients, and address the new challenges that this disease brings. Every hospital is unique, but we all agree that staying home slows the spread of COVID-19. Yet, I still see lots of people out and about on non-essential errands. I read about parties still happening, kids playing with the neighbors kids, friends hugging each other when they cross paths on a walk. Behind this failure to practice aggressive social distancing, I fear, is that people think COVID-19 isnt such a big deal, that its no worse than the flu. This isliterallydead wrong. I poked around the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website to see what it says about the flu. I found that during a recent (and typical) flu season, about 2 in 1,000 people are hospitalized and about half of them die. Were new to COVID-19, but the experts watching it unfold are seeing a scary trend. Here in Pennsylvania, data paints an emerging picture of a virus far more dangerous than the flu. According to the Pennsylvanias Department of Health, we have had 102 influenza-associated deaths this season (with 133 deaths last season and a record-breaking 256 deaths in the previous one). According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, during the last six weeks alone, Pennsylvania already has logged more than 400 COVID-19 deaths. And not one of the COVID-19 models out there suggests Pennsylvania has yet reached its peak. The health care community is scrambling to be ready for a surge of patients during the coming weeks, and all Pennsylvanians are rightly grateful for the work of our health care heroesthe nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and other professionals working around the clock to save lives. Many hospital staff have told us that, as welcome as our gratitude is, what they really need is for you to stay home. Dont go to the hospital unless your doctor advises you to, or if you have an emergency. Go to the grocery store less often, and dont stockpile food and supplies. When you take a walk in order to stay active, keep well clear of other people. Lets work together to reduce the risk of spreading the disease. The experts are warning that the virus can be spread by people who are infected but dont know it. And President Trump and Governor Wolf are encouraging us all to wear cloth face coverings to help reduce transmission. These are difficult, often scary times, but staying home saves lives. It truly is an act of love for our family, neighbors and health care community. By staying home, youre giving our hospitals a fighting chance: a chance to have enough beds and ventilators to care for the sickest among us, a chance to have enough gear to protect our staff. Lets all do our part. Stay home. Be a hero. Andy Carter is president and CEO of The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP). Claudia Schiffer was one of the great supermodels of the nineties and remains a major presence in pop culture to this day. Along with models like Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford, Schiffer appeared on literally hundreds of magazine covers. Her stunning beauty made her impossible to forget, and for models of today, Schiffer remains one of the pinnacles of industry perfection. Schiffer has always been decisive about what she wants to accomplish in her career and the specifics of her brand and doesnt hesitate to say no to a project or opportunity, even when others might jump at the chance. How did Claudia Schiffer become famous? Claudia Schiffer | Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Schiffer was born in Germany in 1970. Raised in a large family, with two brothers and a sister, Schiffer is very intelligent and had aspirations of becoming a lawyer when she was a child. However, her extraordinary looks meant that Schiffer started receiving a lot of attention during her teenage years and when she was seventeen, Schiffer was spotted by a model talent scout. Schiffer left high school and flew to France to begin shooting magazine covers. It didnt take long before the German beauty was noticed by top fashion brands and media moguls from all over the world. A few of Schiffers early campaigns included work for brands like Guess? Versace, Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Dior, Fendi, and Balmain. Schiffer has appeared on the covers of magazines such as Elle, Cosmopolitan, People, Rolling Stone, and Vanity Fair. Schiffer belonged to the nineties famous model squad, which included such famous faces as Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, and Kate Moss. Schiffer was more than just a stunning face: She experimented with acting and has appeared in several movies and documentaries over the years. What is Claudia Schiffer doing these days? In the early 2000s, Schiffer began to slowly step back from the modeling industry. She walked fewer runways but stayed connected to the industry that she loved so much by becoming a judge on Fashion Fringe in the year 2011. Schiffer also launched her own line of cashmere products, utilizing the fashion acumen that she had built up over a period of many years. Schiffer also found love in 2002, with film director Matthew Vaughn. The two got married and have since welcomed three children. These days, Schiffer prefers to keep a low profile and lives with her husband and three children well away from the prying eyes of the media. Still, she steps out from time to time, reminding all her fans that she hasnt lost any of her extraordinary beauty or ability to rock a red carpet. Why did Claudia Schiffer not want a Hermes handbag named after her? Its no surprise that all of the top fashion brands wanted to work with Schiffer as soon as she rose to prominence. While Schiffer worked with many of them, and accepted many lucrative offers, she certainly didnt jump at every opportunity that arose. Recently, Schiffer gave an interview where she revealed that the fashion house Hermes wanted to name a handbag after her. Schiffer admitted that she turned them down, although she said that she didnt even remember the exact reason why. Hermes has named handbags after celebrities before, with bags released in honor of iconic celebs like Grace Kelly and Jane Birkin. Still, its clear that Schiffer didnt feel any pressure to join that prestigious circle. Part of it could have to do with the fact that Schiffer never had that urge to be in the limelight. She has remained consistent throughout her entire career, which could be one reason why she has remained so successful. U P TO 10,000 UK companies which fell through the cracks of the governments emergency coronavirus loan schems will benefit from last nights shake-up by Chancellor Rishi Sunak, bank sources estimate. The Treasury last night expanded the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) to bigger companies than before by removing caps on who is eligible and doubling loan sizes to up to 50 million. Market sources say 3,000 to 10,000 more companies will now become eligible for support. The Governments comprehensive aid package for business had been criticised for missing a large middle ground of firms. These were too big to apply for the CBILS fund but too small to apply for the CCFF scheme for the biggest companies with investment grade ratings. The changes, which come into force on Monday, will now allow companies with more than 250 million of revenue to access loans of up to 50 million. Firms with between 45 million and 250 million can get a 25 million loan. Under previous rules companies earning more than 500 million could not apply and the maximum loan on offer was 25 million. The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans Schemes (CBILS) different from CLBILS aims to help five million SMEs across the country who have turnover under the 45 million threshold. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo continued asking the federal government for assistance with money, testing, and foreign relations, stating New York state will not able to reopen without it. He also acknowledged that whats happening in the state and across the country isnt sustainable. You cant keep the economy closed forever; people just cant handle it, Cuomo said. The state will not be able to un-pause until there is widespread testing, he said, adding that the state still does not have a testing system that can do the volume necessary. Private labs simply do not have the capacity for the tests. Further complicating the matter is certain chemical reagents that are needed to do the tests. Those chemicals come out of China and the demand for them is coming from all over the world. China is now in a position where theyre being asked globally for the chemicals. Thats a piece of the puzzle that I cant figure out. Thats why the federal government needs to work with us. The federal government cannot wipe their hands and say the states are responsible, Cuomo said. I dont do China relations and international supply chains. Cuomo said the state does have representative in China who help with supply, however, the supply chain issues are beyond their capacity. During Cuomos press conference on Friday, President Donald Trump tweeted that Cuomo should do less less complaining, while stating that the federal government has given New York plenty of resources with no thanks. Governor Cuomo should spend more time doing and less time complaining. Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking! We built you thousands of hospital beds that you didnt need or use, gave large numbers of Ventilators that you should have had, and helped you with.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020 ....testing that you should be doing. We have given New York far more money, help and equipment than any other state, by far, & these great men & women who did the job never hear you say thanks. Your numbers are not good. Less talk and more action! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020 Cuomo responded when asked about the tweet, saying: First of all, if hes sitting home watching TV, maybe he should get up and go to work. This was your role as president. How many times do you want me to say thank you, adding that emotions should stay out the situation. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** REOPENING TOO QUICKLY COULD PUT US BACK WHERE WE STARTED Cuomo warned that if New York reopens too quickly it could cause a second wave. The current infection rate is .9%, he said, but un-pausing prematurely could raise the infection rate to 1.2% in as little as three days. Then well be right back to where we started, Cuomo said. The governor said there needs to be a very delicate balance between reopening and public health; one cannot be done without the other. Cuomo said he also believes the answer is a vaccine, which at best will not be available for a year to 18 months. In the meantime, there will hopefully be medication available that works, he said. There were 630 COVID-19 fatalities in the state in the last 24 hours, he said, which is down just a tick. Well take it, he said, adding that its better than going up. Hospitalizations were undeniably on decline across the state and the three-day average, which is more accurate than the 24 hour number, also shows the decline. ICU admissions are also down across the state, he said, however its not that telling because the entire hospital is basically an ICU ward. There are still approximately 2,000 people walking into state hospitals daily. 70 Coronavirus in NYC: Photos show the fight against the pandemic FOLLOW KRISTIN F. DALTON ON TWITTER. Williams, 36, has been doing online workshops to keep up her skills, and honing her business plan. She applied for a $10,000 COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration in early April, but hasnt heard back. She has been living off her savings, and needs to keep some of her wedding business alive, even during the stay-at-home order. First Minister details hospital admissions and number of people requiring critical care for coronavirus in Wales This article is old - Published: Friday, Apr 17th, 2020 The next three weeks will be crucial in allowing us to plan together for recovery, the First Minister has said at todays daily briefing. Yesterday it was announced that the current lockdown restrictions would remain in place for at least another three weeks at least. Speaking at todays press conference First Minister Mark Drakeford, said: I know that the last three weeks have been very difficult and that many families have had to make real sacrifices. Now we are asking for a further three weeks of those sacrifices to continue. What I do want to say the people here in Wales is that all that effort, the effort made by our staff in the NHS and in social care, and the things that everyone in our different ways have been able to do, those things have made a real difference. I want to say to everybody in Wales, who has helped to make that difference diolch yn fawr, thank you so much for playing your part. And as ever on these occasions I just want for a moment to remember those people who are no longer with us at the end of this three week period, to think for a moment of their families, and to thank them, for the patience and for the strength that they have shown. We dont forget the suffering that that has meant for people in so many parts of Wales. Details of the current ICU capacity and bed capacity across the country was also provided, with Mr Drakeford explaining that the number of critical care beds has doubled from 150 since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. 10,000 beds were available in the NHS three weeks ago. This has now increased by a further 7,000, which includes the new field hospitals that are being set up. April 7th saw the highest number of daily new hospital admissions for coronavirus in the outbreak so far, with 196 patients admitted across Wales. This number has been described as going up and down since then, however it has not risen above the figures on the 7th. Mr Drakeford noted that yesterday the admissions were as low as 105. The number of people requiring critical care for coronavirus in Wales rose rapidly at the end of March and into April, with that figure at its highest so far on the 9th of April at 161. This has been described as having stabilised and has been below that number everyday since. Looking ahead to how the current measures could be eased, Mr Drakeford said the figures are one of the reasons why they are to look forward cautiously and carefully to the future to what Wales and the wider world will look like when the pandemic is over. Six different measures will be used over the next three weeks, including taking advice off the chief medical and scientific officer, to see what figures are falling and how long they need to continue going down to allow the lifting of certain measures as a loosing of the lockdown is evaluated. The First Minister said the coming weeks will see continue strengthening the available resources at the NHS and to learn from European countries who are preparing to gradually lift the lockdown. However it was noted that when measures are lifted there will likely be coronavirus outbreaks in different parts of the UK. Mr Drakeford said tackling this would have to involve putting public health surveillance measures in place. He said: I want to say to people in Wales today that the next three weeks are weeks that we are determined to use to plan ahead, to work with governments across the United Kingdom to prepare for any easing of lockdown in a coordinated way. Whenever we begin to lift the lockdown, we are likely to see coronavirus outbreaks in different parts of the United Kingdom and thats why we need to use this three weeks to put public health surveillance measures in place. So if there are local outbreaks of the virus we can identify them quickly and respond to them effectively. In Wales, we have retained a National Public Health Service with a strong local presence. Its a great source of strength, and will be even more so as we come out of lockdown, and put those surveillance measures in place. As we come to lift the restrictions, we need to know what actions to take first. Thats why here in Wales, weve started to develop a series of tests which will help us to make those decisions. Any easing of restrictions will need to pass a series of tests such as does that action continue to protect public health, can it be policed, is it capable of being rapidly reversed if that were to be necessary. I wanted to discuss those tests with other governments in the United Kingdom, as I hope we move together to plan for our future. We are establishing a group of people from inside Wales and beyond, to challenge our thinking, to contribute new ideas and to help us to plan for recovery for the future of our health and well being and the future of our economy. Over the last three weeks we have continued to ask a great deal of people here in Wales, but by acting together we are making that difference. As we look beyond the next three weeks we look to the moment where the lockdown will begin to ease and eventually to end. Once again, the way we want to do that in Wales is by working together towards that day. Asked whether restrictions could remain in place across different parts of Wales depending on when their peak is, Mr Drakeford said if there is a course of action that is the right one for Wales and theres different elsewhere then it will be taken. However he stressed that he felt the best way forward would be to continue to work with other governments across the United Kingdom to plan for a UK way of coming out of the coronavirus. Previously Wrexham.com reported that the First Minister had that the virus is moving east to west, and it is moving south to north. Speaking today about the possibility of certain parts of Wales or the UK remaining in lockdown while restrictions eased elsewhere, Mr Drakeford said: We are planning for the day when things can change. If the data and the science tells us in three weeks time that we have suppressed the circulation of the virus in the community, to an extent where it is possible to begin to lift restrictions, thats what we will look to do, but we will only do it when it is safe to do so. We introduced the lockdown measures on a uniform basis across the United Kingdom. I want to continue to work with other governments across the United Kingdom to plan for a UK way of coming out of the coronavirus. But as we have here in Wales, fine tune the regulations in ways that meet our own circumstances, there may still be some things at the margins that we will do differently in different parts of the UK. But a UK way of doing things remains, I think a strength, I hope well be able to continue to do that. You can view the full brief from today, along with the Q&A below: Forty-two thousand Ukrainian children were sent back home from child-care institutions without prior verification of the family conditions. UNICEF and partners are deeply concerned that 42,000 children, including children with disabilities, were sent back home from the boarding schools, and other child-care institutions as a result of COVID-19 measures taken by the Government of Ukraine, reads the statement of UNICEF Ukraine. As noted, UNICEF concerned that high stress home environments put children at risk of abuse and neglect. This may also add further risks of child institutionalization in the post-quarantine period of COVID-19. Moreover, due to limited access and lack of protective equipment, social workers and child protection professionals are not able to conduct follow up assessments and monitoring of those families. UNICEF urges the Government of Ukraine to apply comprehensive measures to support families and children families financially and through services at local level. In particular, it is necessary to provide necessary support and supervision to families at risk and financial and material support to socially vulnerable families who care for children returning from special boarding schools and other childcare institutions; provide clear guidance, instructions and support to local authorities and management of residential care institutions with children to prevent any further spread of COVID-19 in those institutions and to enable them with necessary protective measures to prevent possible outbreaks; provide clear guidance, instructions and support to protect social workers and child protection community workers and ensure their access to families where children were returned. It is critical to use the current crisis and its consequences to review the state approach towards child institutionalization, by starting to redirect the substantial financial resources being used for the continued provision of institutional care into prevention of family separation, family reunification, and the provision of suitable family -based alternative care placements, when necessary, the statement reads. Earlier, the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine elaborated a recommended action plan for the protection of the rights of children and social support for families with children in quarantine conditions and sent it to the regional and Kyiv city state administrations. ol Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Stefanny O. Simorangkir, I Ketut Dharma Putra Yoga and Zefanya Prabowo (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 17, 2020 09:31 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd26c53d 3 Opinion pandemic,COVID-19,business,law,emergency,Trade,shipping-industry Free A significant number of people become infected and even die from the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) every day. To minimize the spread of the disease, everyone has been urged to stay home. The economy of China, where the virus was first detected, has suffered the most from the disruption of export and import activities due to COVID-19. Other impacts include the unofficial ban on imported products from China by Indian traders, the postponement of production and exports from directly affected companies such as automotive manufacturers in Wuhan city in Chinas Hubei province and the temporary ban on imports of living animals from China by Indonesia since early February. In response to the outbreak, Chinas government offered support to Chinese companies facing these impacts to international trade. As Chinese exporters risked delaying or canceling the export and import of ordered goods, the government issued a force majeure certificate for impacted companies. The objective of issuing the certificate is to avoid potential claims filed by foreign counterparts of breaching contractual obligations. We aim to review these measures from the perspective of Indonesian law. Indonesian law under the Civil Code defines a force majeure as an event beyond an individuals control. In short, force majeure includes any damages arising from nonfulfillment or late fulfillment of contractual obligations due to unforeseeable circumstances outside the control of one of the parties, without any bad faith. If the party who experienced force majeure (defaulting party) proves that its default was due to a unforeseen event, the defaulting party may be exempted from responsibilities arising from the nonfulfillment of contractual obligations. In principle, force majeure events comprise objective and subjective types. Objective force majeure emphasizes absolute impossibility to perform the obligation. An example includes an event in which the object of the agreement is destroyed, lost or delayed due to a natural disaster and/or the governments sudden restrictions. If the defaulting party cannot perform its obligation to import or export goods due to an event beyond its control, it can be deemed as a force majeure event. Thus the defaulting party is not obliged to pay the claims or provide compensation to the non-defaulting party. On the flip side, subjective force majeure focuses on logical impossibility to fulfill the obligation, such as the defaulting partys best effort to perform obligations according to the agreement. Here the defaulting party shall take all reasonable steps to find a solution to perform its obligation even under an unexpected extraordinary event. Therefore, an event can be deemed as a force majeure if the defaulting party has taken all efforts and reasonable steps, but the force majeure conditions remain. Based on the parties freedom of contract principle, the contracting parties may stipulate a specific definition of force majeure under the contract, such as epidemics, natural disasters and government regulations prohibiting trading activities under an agreements. On that note, if a pandemic is not included as force majeure under the contract, it may raise a risk dispute in interpreting the circumstances categorized as a force majeure event. For instance, a non-defaulting party may claim that the epidemic is not a force majeure event as it is not clearly stated in the agreement, while a defaulting party may claim the epidemic causes an impossibility in performing its obligations under the contract. However, a settlement of the dispute will depend on the ability of the parties to prove whether an epidemic is truly the cause of the nonperformance of obligations and whether the parties have performed in good faith. Nevertheless, if a dispute arises in the Indonesian court, it will be relatively straightforward to prove the force majeure event because the World Health Organization has declared the COVID-19 a pandemic and the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (PNPB) has declared a pandemic emergency status for the period of Feb. 29 to May 29. Given that, the defaulting party would likely be exempted from providing compensation to the non-defaulting party due to the nonperformance of obligations. Furthermore, if such disputes reach the courts, Indonesian judges may take a broad approach to defining the force majeure event, not only from the agreement of the involved parties but also based on Indonesian law. As a result, if the judges deem that force majeure characteristics are not being met, then a defaulting party will be deemed as breaching the agreement. Even under a pandemic, the judges could examine whether the defaulting party has done all it could to meet its obligations in good faith. If the judges rules the defaulting partys efforts were inadequate or lacked good faith, the court could grant the non-defaulting partys demand to terminate the agreement, pay the damages and/or force the defaulting party to perform the obligations regardless of the occurrence of a pandemic. However, it would be advisable for the parties to settle possible disputes by promptly negotiating the agreement to find the best solution against a force majeure event, including extending the period for the fulfillment of the obligation under the contract. In Indonesia, it is likely that a force majeure certificate issued by the Chinese government on the grounds of the WHOs declaration of a pandemic and supported by the emergency status declared by the BNPB may likewise be valid as sufficient evidence to establish a force majeure event under Indonesian law. However, even if a business contract has stipulated certain force majeure characteristics, Indonesian judges may still, under their discretion, examine closely all the evidence that shows whether the defaulting party has done its utmost to fulfill its obligations in good faith. Additionally, as a preventive measure, the involved parties of such contracts should regulate the negotiation mechanisms in the contract clearly to immediately find a solution upon a possible dispute arising from a force majeure event. ______ Lawyers in shipping and international trade (customs and excise), aviation, insurance and reinsurance at Budidjaja International Lawyers. The views expressed are their own. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. T1 Payments is proud to support the Las Vegas Project150 community. Were always happy to help the Las Vegas community during times of distress, said Don Kasdon, T1 Payments Las Vegas team member. By joining together we hope to make a difference in helping high school students and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time of uncertainty, T1 Payments Las Vegas, a leader in high-risk merchant processing, is donating to Project150 to support disadvantaged high school students. Since 2011, Project150 has helped high school students and their families in the Southern Nevada area. Project150 offers support and services to homeless, displaced, and disadvantaged high school students so they can focus on graduating and building successful futures. Project150 offers Food Distribution, Scholarship, Student Education and Empowerment Center, and other supporting programs for high school students in the Las Vegas community. T1 Payments contribution will help support disadvantaged high school students and their families by providing them with fresh and non-perishable food and hygiene products. Were always happy to help the Las Vegas community during times of distress, said Don Kasdon, T1 Payments Las Vegas team member. By joining together we hope to make a difference in helping high school students and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since April 1st, Project150 has served over 743 high school students, distributed 1,478 family meal bags, and provided 5,912 meals. T1 Payments is proud to support the Las Vegas Project150 community. For more information about how to donate to help serve the Project150 community, visit the Las Vegas Project150 website. More about T1 Payments: T1 Payments is a high-risk merchant processing company that is flexible, transparent, and scalable. T1 Payments secure gateway and integrated shopping cart solutions are compliant with all Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). In addition to high-risk merchant processing services, T1 Payments stays involved in the community through its ongoing donations and sponsorships. To learn more about the nonprofits T1 Payments supports, visit T1 Payments Community Involvement page on their website. For more information, please visit the T1 Payments website or call 1-866-518-2216. Coronavirus antibody tests which reveal exactly who has had the infection and is likely to be immune are said to be crucial for phasing countries out of lockdown. Germany, Italy, Finland and the US have all launched large-scale antibody testing programmes in recent weeks as they look to get society up and running again. South Korea - one of the few countries to flatten its curve without social restrictions -today became the latest country to scale up production of its antibody tests. Boditech Med, based in Chuncheon, South Korea, is now manufacturing thousands of its iChroma COVID-19 antibody kits, which it claims are 96 per cent reliable. But the British Goverment has refused to approve any antibody test, claiming they give a 'false positive' too often (when they incorrectly tell people they are immune). This is 'dangerous' because it might give people the false confidence to resume normal life and risk catching the bug, according to Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty. The UK last months made a provisional order for 17.5million antibody tests from nine different companies, on the condition that they passed validation by Oxford University scientists. But researchers at the prestigious university found none of them were reliable enough to be rolled out to the masses. Included in the 17.5million order were 2million tests from China that cost Britain a huge 16million. Officials are now scrambling to try to get that money back. It comes as Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche announced it would be launching a 'highly specific' antibody test by early May. Roche - one of the 'big four' diagnostics companies in the world - said it will be able to manufacture 'double-digit millions' of the devices by the end of June. While Roche did not specify how the tests will work, it is thought samples will need to be processed in a lab and will not be suitable for use at home. South Korea, one of the few countries to flatten its curve and not impose social restrictions, today became the latest country to scale up its production of antibody tests (shown) Boditech Med, based in Chuncheon, South Korea, has started manufacturing thousands of its iChroma COVID-19 Ab kits, which it claims are 96 per cent reliable The proactive move comes as South Korea looks to eradicate the virus completely after reporting around just 20 new cases for the fourth day in a row An at-home coronavirus antibody testing kit being sold in pharmacies in Germany. They are not regulated in the EU country yet but are being trialled on a large scale The Canea Schnelltest comes with a finger pricker, sterilising wipes and a small screening device Essex-based firm BioSure has developed a DIY antibody test, with the company now racing to make it reliable enough to pass validation HOW DO ANTIBODY TESTS WORK, AND HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT TO SWABS? An antibody test detects if someone has previously had coronavirus and has since recovered, even if they are unaware they were infected. There are two different types of antibody tests - one which is done at home and takes a few minutes, and another which is posted to a lab to be analysed. Both versions of the test are carried out using a finger pricker to extract a blood sample. People using the DIY home tests place their sample in a screening device which takes a few minutes to scour the blood for antibodies. These are substances created and stored by the immune system when someone gets ill. If a person has COVID-19-specific antibodies, it means they have already defeated the virus and are likely to have gained some immunity to it. The antibody tests - also known as 'serological tests' - were described as a 'game changer' by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last month. As well as painting a clear picture of who is safe to return to work, they are convenient and cheap. WHAT IS AN ANTIBODY TEST, AND HOW IS IT DIFFERENT TO A PCR TEST? ANTIBODY TEST An antibody test is one which tests whether someone's immune system is equipped to fight a specific disease or infection. When someone gets infected with a virus their immune system must work out how to fight it off and produce substances called antibodies. These are extremely specific and are usually only able to tackle one strain of one virus. They are produced in a way which makes them able to latch onto that specific virus and destroy it. For example, if someone catches COVID-19, they will develop COVID-19 antibodies for their body to use to fight it off. The body then stores versions of these antibodies in the immune system so that if it comes into contact with that same virus again it will be able to fight it off straight away and probably avoid someone feeling any symptoms at all. To test for these antibodies, medics or scientists can take a fluid sample from someone - usually blood - and mix it with part of the virus to see if there is a reaction between the two. If there is a reaction, it means someone has the antibodies and their body knows how to fight off the infection - they are immune. If there is no reaction it means they have not had it yet. PCR TEST Antibody tests differ to a swab test, known as a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, which aims to pick up on active viruses currently in the bloodstream. A PCR test works by a sample of someone's genetic material - their RNA - being taken to lab and worked up in a full map of their DNA at the time of the test. This DNA can then be scanned to find evidence of the virus's DNA, which will be embroiled with the patient's own if they are infected at the time. The PCR test is more reliable but takes longer, while the antibody test is faster but more likely to produce an inaccurate result. It does not look for evidence of past infection. Advertisement The devices cost between 6 and 20 and can be posted to people to be conducted from their own home. They work like a home pregnancy test, giving a 'positive' or 'negative' result within 10 to 15 minutes. Antibody tests differ to a swab test, known as a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, which the Government currently uses. A PCR test can only tell whether a person currently has COVID-19 because it picks up on active viruses currently in the bloodstream. Saliva samples have to be sent to a lab where scientists scan the DNA for evidence of the virus. The PCR test is more reliable but takes longer - up to two days - while the antibody test is faster but more likely to produce an inaccurate result. WHY IS BRITAIN NOT MASS TRIALLING ANTIBODY TESTS? The Government promised weeks ago that they would be rolled out en-masse. Britons were told they would be able to buy them from Amazon or Boots. But none have so far proved to be reliable enough for the public. The tests have only been trialled on 3,000 patients at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down, near Salisbury. By comparison, Germany is trialling the tests on tens of thousands of its population. Last month, the UK Government ordered 3.5 million finger prick tests, mainly from Chinese manufacturers. Later it announced it had placed provisional orders for 17.5 million tests from nine firms including some based in the UK. Among them were two tests made by Chinese companies. Britain paid an estimated 16 million for them. But the deals were on the condition that they could pass reliability tests by scientists at Oxford University. Researchers at the prestigious university did not approve any of them, meaning it could now be months before they are used in the UK, if at all. The tests were said to give 'false positive' results too often, meaning they incorrectly tells people they are immune. This might give people false confidence that they can't catch the bug and put them at risk of infection. After being stung by the faulty Chinese antibody tests, the UK Government is said tonow be looking for 'home grown' devices made by British firms. Britain 'paid 16m' for two million coronavirus antibody tests from China that DON'T WORK Britain paid two Chinese companies an estimated 16 million for two million coronavirus antibody tests which officials then found were not accurate enough to be rolled out. The UK, along with every other country in the world, is still trying to find a test which can be mass produced which shows if someone has had the disease and now has immunity to it. The government pounced on an early offer of potential tests produced in China with the New York Times reporting officials agreed to pay approximately $20 million to secure the home testing kits. However, when the antibody tests were put through their paces they were found not to be sufficiently accurate and as a result could not be used. Officials are now scrambling to try to get the money back. Downing Street today did not deny the claims but the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said he was not aware of the specific $20 million figure. The spokesman said: 'Where tests are shown not to have any prospect of working then we will seek to recover as much of the costs as we can.' Officials have previously insisted that they had only purchased the minimum number of antibody test needed to conduct initial trials with full orders contingent on the kits actually working. Advertisement But UK-based manufacturers are struggling to access blood samples of infected patients to trial their devices on. Essex-based Biosure said there was 'a national shortage' of samples. It is now calling for blood donations from members of the public who were either diagnosed with, or were suspected of having, the virus. A spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We have discovered there is no current UK based bio-bank for confirmed positive COVID-19 blood samples. 'We recognise the Government is under immense pressure with this global crisis, so for swift action we need to call to the nation for urgent support. 'We are asking people to fill in an on-line questionnaire so we can build a database of people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and who would, if needed, be prepared to provide a small sample of their blood. 'People who fit the criteria will be contacted and sent a collection kit though the post, so that a blood sample could be self-collected at home and posted back for inclusion in our validations.' WHICH COUNTRIES ARE USING ANTIBODY TESTS ALREADY? No country has successfully implemented a nationwide antibody testing programme. But the kits are being used alongside swab tests in South Korea, Germany, the US, Italy, Finland and China. Germany became the first in Europe to carry out large-scale coronavirus antibody testing last week. The country launched three studies - one analysing blood donations, one involving the country's worst-hit areas and a representative study of the broader population. In the first, 15,000 samples will be taken every fortnight from blood donations. The second will look at blood samples taken from about 2,000 people. Preliminary results from these two projects are expected to be published in May. In the third study, 15,000 people in 150 regions across Germany will be tested for antibodies. The research will begin next month. Pharmaceutical heavyweight Roche will launch antibody test next month Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche announced it would be launching a 'highly specific' antibody test by early May. Roche - one of the 'big four' diagnostics companies in the world - said it will be able to manufacture 'double-digit millions' of the devices by the end of June. The test will launch in countries that accept the CE mark, a global standard. Severin Schwan, the company's chief executive, told the Financial Times the company 'could easily get into the hundreds of millions' in the following months. Mr Schwan said the test was 'highly specific' but refused to elabroate as trials continue on patients. Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor in Cellular Microbiology, University of Reading, said: 'This is a very interesting and potentially important advance in being able to diagnose who has been previously exposed to the coronavirus causing COVID-19, but I think the authorities in the UK would be wise to conduct independent evaluation, given how they've had their fingers burnt with other tests that they've purchased. 'Moreover, this test will require space and manpower in testing laboratories in addition to equipment already made by the manufacturer. It remains unclear how quickly laboratories that do not already have that particular instrument would be able to obtain them and at what cost.' Advertisement Finland has also announced a similar - but much smaller - antibody testing programme. Finnish broadcaster Yle said the country will start testing 750 random blood samples every week. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is also carrying out antibody testing. It is analsying blood donations of Washington and New York City residents - two of the worst-hit regions in the States. A separate survey is looking at random samples of people across the country, and a third is studying health workers. In Italy, Giancarlo Maria Liumbruno, the director-general of the Italian National Blood Center, is said to be trying to roll out antibody tests within weeks. Mr Liumbruno said the country has more than 1.7 million blood donors the country could screen to see if they've had COVID-19. Mr Liumbruno said he plans to use the antibodies to treat coronavirus sufferers. Trials of this process have already started in some hospitals in Lombardy, Northern Italy - at the heart of the nation's outbreak. Plasma from patients who recovered and tested negative for at least two weeks is used on those still battling COVID-19. HOW ACCURATE DO THEY NEED TO BE TO WORK? There is not enough information on antibody tests to know for certain how accurate they need to be. Early studies appear to show they give very few false negatives (meaning they rarely are wrong are determining if someone has never had the infection). But UK officials are worried by how often the devices give false positive results. Startling models from Imperial College London saw the Government change tack after scientists warned that up to 500,000 people could die without any action Home testing kits could have 'disastrous results', experts warn Experts have warned that dishing out coronavirus tests to be conducted unsupervised at home could lead to 'disastrous results'. An NHS testing manager told the Health Service Journal (HSJ) people may take the tests at home when they develop symptoms and get misleading results. Antibodies are not produced until between three and seven days after contracting the infection. This could result in a person thinking they are safe to go out in the community when they are not. The manager said: 'However simple the test is, people will find ways of doing it wrong. The main issue is it's an antibody test that's going to confuse people and cause problems. 'There's going to be a period of time, at least a couple of weeks, before people will [produce] an antibody response. 'A member of the public will be showing symptoms and want to do a test [straight away], get a negative result and think they have not got the virus and there's a risk they will go out and infect other people. 'It's going to cause a lot of confusion, but it's going to make some companies a huge amount of money.' Advertisement This could give people false confidence that they are immune. For this reason, England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty has described them as 'dangerous', saying a bad antibody test was worse than none at all. But some scientists say that, even if the tests are just 50 per cent accurate, they at least give officials a clearer picture of who is infected. One top scientist, who wished to remain anonymous, told MailOnline: 'Even if the sensitivity is not good enough to pick up every single instance, if youre testing asymptomatic subjects (who otherwise you wouldnt test at all) then anyone identified positive... is one more person identified and isolated. 'The safe method of testing - just a finger through a screen, or car window - and the level of protection that affords those carrying out the testing is also key. 'Way better than having to get up-close-and-personal to throat/mouth swab every person you want to test.' WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO MAKE A RELIABLE ONE? 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. 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 Major blow for home antibody tests as UK firm leading the race to develop them admits it doesn't have enough blood samples Hopes for at-home coronavirus antibody tests were dashed today as a firm leading the race to develop them admitted there are not enough blood samples of infected patients to draw from. Manufacturers need the blood of coronavirus sufferers to test their device against. Essex-based firm Biosure said there was 'a national shortage' of samples and is now calling for blood donations from members of the public who were either diagnosed with, or were suspected of having, the virus. A spokesperson said: 'We have discovered there is no current UK based bio-bank for confirmed positive COVID-19 blood samples. 'We recognise the Government is under immense pressure with this global crisis, so for swift action we need to call to the nation for urgent support. 'We are asking people to fill in an on-line questionnaire so we can build a database of people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and who would, if needed, be prepared to provide a small sample of their blood. 'If you would be interested in helping, please click here. 'People who fit the criteria will be contacted and sent a collection kit though the post, so that a blood sample could be self-collected at home and posted back for inclusion in our validations.' Biosure claims to have developed an at-home finger prick test that takes a quarter of an hour. It works exactly like the firm's HIV self test, which requires the user to take a drop of blood using a safety lancet. Suspected patients then use BioSure's pen device which absorbs the blood and is entered into a cartridge which scans the sample for COVID-19 antibodies. Sure's HIV Self Test has been shown to be at least 99.7 per cent accurate. But the coronavirus test is currently under review at PHE labs to trial its effectiveness. It is believed to be in the running to secure a contract from the Government to make hundreds of thousands of them. Advertisement 'But their development takes time,' she explained in The Lancet. 'Expressing the protein in the right structure is often the most difficult step. '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.' ANTIBODIES PROVIDE IMMUNITY - BUT HOW MUCH PROTECTION AND HOW LONG IT LASTS VARIES 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 When we contract an infection, the immune system goes to work creating specialized weapons against whatever invader we came into contact with, called antibodies. Once we've encountered a pathogen and develop antibodies to it, these proteins sound the alarm when the invader returns and neutralize it. But not all antibodies are created equal, and not everyone develops the same number of antibodies. For example, it's well known that once you get chicken pox, you're almost certainly immune to it and will never be infected again. That's not true for antibodies against other pathogens. Immunity for other infections wears off relatively quickly. Flu is fairly well understood, but the virus has many strains which mutate readily. Antibodies produced against each variation of flu we encounter are quite specific to that unique infection. So when we come into contact with an evolved or different strain of flu the next season, the antibodies we developed the prior year don't do us much good. That's why flu vaccines are 'recombinant' - they're made based on a combinations of several strains of flu, triggering the production of a variety of antibodies to block the strains scientists think we might making their way around the globe that year. The most common coronaviruses - those that cause seasonal colds - trigger fairly weak antibody responses, lasting only a couple of weeks, which is part of the reason you might get multiple colds in a single year. However, research on the new coronavirus's closest relative - SARS - is somewhat more encouraging. By the second week after someone is infected, they've generated antibodies that seems to last an average of two years. But we simply don't know how similarly antibodies for the virus that causes COVID-19 will behave because we've only known it existed for four months. WHAT DOES A POSITIVE CORONAVIRUS ANTIBODY TEST REALLY MEAN? EVEN THE EXPERTS DON'T KNOW... YET Time and volume of people infected are two key crucial ingredients for an antibody test. They tell scientists how many antibodies are enough to make someone immune to reinfection, and how long that immunity lasts. And labs developing antibody tests have neither on their side. 'We can't tell you that, because we don't have a gold standard to compare it to,' Dr Whittier said. The FDA gave emergency use authorization to the first antibody test for coronavirus in the US on April 2 - less than two weeks ago. That's about as long as scientists think that it takes for a patient to mount an antibody response to SARS-CoV-2. Dr Whittier said: 'Twelve to 14 days is when most individuals are having an antibody response, but we don't know if it's protective, and we don't know how long it lasts.' Having the antibody test is the first step to answering those questions. But some people will develop antibodies more quickly than other, and some will develop greater quantities of antibodies than others. It will take following these people and testing them repeatedly to learn what the 'gold standard' for immunity is. What's more, the first antibody tests only returned results about whether antibodies were present. They did not reveal what volume someone's body had produced them. Now, labs are starting to produce 'semi-quantitative' tests, that can tell if someone has 'a little antibody or a lot of antibody,' Dr Whittier said. As more people are tested for levels of antibodies, not just their existence, epidemiologists can study what levels provide protection and for how long. But for now, 'we don't know what we don't know,' Dr Whittier says. Beer lovers in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth will be able to buy tap beer from their favourite pubs - in bottles. An arrangement struck between brewing giant CUB and the federal government will see thousands of litres of tap beer sitting in kegs at closed hotels now able to be bought, taken home and consumed by drinkers. CUB chief executive Peter Filipovic (left) with publican Bob OKane from the All Nations Hotel, Richmond. Credit:Eugene Hyland "The pub industry is reeling from the recent shutdowns," said CUB chief executive Peter Filipovic. But to help keep pubs afloat, and to avoid the beer being poured down the drain, the brewer is donating 20,000 resealable bottles to pubs in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. Italy to use tracking app for coronavirus patients It will be first tested in some pilot regions including two Ferrari plants -- and then extended to the rest of Italy. Italy said Friday it will use a mobile application to track the contacts of people who have tested positive for coronavirus. The app is expected to help the government as it enters phase-2 of the coronavirus emergency once the lockdown is lifted. IT WILL SEND ALERT IN CONTACT WITH INFECTED PERSON It will also alert with a message whoever has come in contact with an infected person, reducing the risk of further spread of the virus. The app named Immuni has been developed by Milan-based software house Bending Spoons in partnership with Lombardys Medical Center Santagostino and marketing company Jakala. Announcing the move, Special Commissioner for Emergency Domenico Arcuri said the app was given free of cost to the government by the software house. A man has life-threatening injuries after being shot in Etobicoke overnight Friday. Police responded to the shooting near Dixon Road and Dixington Crescent around 1 a.m. Callers reported hearing three to five shots fired, and seeing a man lying on the ground, police said. Suspects had left by time first responders arrived and the man was rushed to hospital. Police are hoping to find video surveillance or dash cam footage of the incident. Anyone with information is invited to 416 808 2300. MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kar's Nuts, a manufacturer of premium and better-for-you snacking products under the Kar's, Second Nature and Sanders Fine Chocolatiers brands, today announced that Jennifer Bauer has joined the company as Chief Marketing Officer. Ms. Bauer brings to Kar's Nuts more than 17 years of marketing experience with consumer-packaged goods companies, including the last seven years in the snacking category. She has joined Kar's from Campbell Soup Company, where she most recently served as Vice President of Marketing on the premium snack brands Snyder's of Hanover Pretzels, Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps and Lance Crackers. Ms. Bauer previously held marketing leadership roles at Snyder's-Lance and Diamond Foods, where she worked on the Pop Secret, Emerald Nuts and Diamond of California brands. Her CPG career began at The Clorox Company, working on Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressings. Vic Mehren, CEO of Kar's Nuts, said: "Jen Bauer has a sharp understanding of consumer behavior and her ability to turn insights into executable ideas makes her an ideal fit for our growth agenda at Kar's. We're especially pleased that she has joined Kar's at this extraordinary and challenging time to lead our marketing efforts. Jen will focus especially on accelerating our innovation agenda while also playing a key role on our leadership team in helping to set our strategic direction." "Having spent more than seven years in the snacking category and more than a decade before that in the CPG space, I have been very aware of the strong brands the Kar's Nuts team has been building," said Jen Bauer. "I look forward to partnering closely with my colleagues as we invest in growth, innovation and adjacent product categories to ensure that Kar's continues to bring new ideas that will help our customers grow their categories." About Kar's Nuts Kar's Nuts is a leading U.S. manufacturer of premium and better-for-you snacking and treat products under the Kar's, Second Nature and Sanders Fine Chocolatiers brands. Kar's and Second Nature are two of the best-selling trail mix brands in the nation, including the #1 selling Kar's Sweet 'n Salty Mix. In 2018, the company acquired Sanders Fine Chocolatiers, which produces premium confections, including its renowned Sea Salt Caramels, artisanal chocolates, baked goods, dessert toppings and ice cream, in addition to having retail locations in Michigan. Kar's has been changing the way people snack for nearly a century, growing from humble beginnings in 1933 roasting and selling nuts outside Detroit's Tiger Stadium. For more information on Kar's Nuts and Sanders, please visit www.karsnuts.com and www.sanderscandy.com. Contact for Kar's Nuts: Jennifer Bauer Chief Marketing Officer [email protected] SOURCE Kars Nuts Related Links http://www.karsnuts.com As part of a new strategy for quick detection of coronavirus cases, the Odisha government will be conducting tests of 5,000 samples collected from COVID-19 hotspots in the state capital in the next seven days. The tests will be done on the basis of priority parameters set by the Health and Family Welfare department, Chief Secretary A K Tripathy said at a media briefing here. The samples will be collected from three categories of people who are at risk because of the deadly virus, he said. Category-1 includes people having travel history to foreign countries or to any corona hotspot within the country, persons having flu symptoms, people who have come in contact with identified COVID-19 patients, and persons having severe acute respiratory illness (SARI). Police personnel, those engaged in the health sector, and sanitation workers are included in the second category. The third priority category will have senior citizens and people having other diseases, the chief secretary said. The testing will be done in camps and mobile vans, he said. Mentioning that Bhubaneswar has a population of over 10 lakh people, the chief secretary said, the state capital has so far reported 46 of the states total 60 COVID-19 positive cases. "Therefore, testing on a massive scale needs to be done in the city," he said. Seeking cooperation of the people in this drive, Tripathy said, if a vulnerable person falling in the priority list resists, the government may be forced to involve the police. He said the government has already requested resident welfare associations and senior members of puja committees to cooperate with the government in conducting the tests. At the same time, he assured people that the government will provide the best treatment possible if anyone is found to be COVID-19 positive. The chief secretary pointed out that so far, the government has conducted tests of 1,958 samples in Bhubaneswar of which 2.4 per cent tested positive for coronavirus infection. He said the government has meanwhile expanded test facilities for COVID-19 across the state and also in Bhubaneswar. The chief secretary also said, "Since it has been decided to relax economic activities from April 20, we want the process also to begin in Bhubaneswar as it is one of the main commercial centres in the state." On the ban of spitting in public places, Tripathy said spitting in public places is now an offence in Odisha according to COVID-19 regulations. Penalty of Rs 200 will be slapped for the first three offences and the fine amount will be Rs 500 for subsequent violations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Press Release 16 April 2020 Airbnb will provide housing at no cost to 1199 members who are serving on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis in New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Maryland and Florida Airbnb will also work with the State of New York to house first responders in New York City New York State and 1199SEIU stays supported through personal commitment of $2 million by Co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky Advertisements Airbnb and 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers Eastthe largest healthcare union in the nationannounced a new partnership to provide housing to 1199SEIU members, many of whom are fighting on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis across the East Coast. Through this partnership, 1199SEIU members in New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Maryland and Florida will receive direct access to book free stays via the Airbnb Frontline stays program. Airbnb also announced today that it will work with the State of New York to support frontline workers who have requested housing from the State, offering at least 2,000 hotel rooms through May 31 to these workers via the Airbnb platform and HotelTonight (part of the Airbnb family). "These heroes are battling an unprecedented crisis and we want to support the incredible leadership of both the State and 1199SEIU who, as critical links in the chain of saving lives, are working around the clock to safeguard their wellbeing." - Brian Chesky, Airbnb Co-Founder, CEO and Head of Community. To help fund these frontline stays, Airbnb Co-Founder, CEO and Head of Community Brian Chesky will commit $2 million of his personal funds toward this effort, to ensure that the hotel rooms and short-term rental stays will be provided at no cost to medical first responders. "1199ers are working hard on the frontlines, fighting to protect their patients from the ravages of COVID-19. Through this partnership with Airbnb, they will have a safe place to rest between their shifts, so they are able to continue to provide quality care to the patents who so desperately need it," said George Gresham, President of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. "Thank you to Airbnb for recognizing our members' service and helping to make life a little easier for them off the clock." 1199 members and other first responders and frontline workers will be able to begin booking these stays starting today. "New York is my home statemy parents were social workers upstate, and along with my sister, they still live in New York. The courage and resilience of first responders who are risking their lives to help their communities, and to protect people like my family, is inspiring," said Brian Chesky. "These heroes are battling an unprecedented crisis and we want to support the incredible leadership of both the State and 1199SEIU who, as critical links in the chain of saving lives, are working around the clock to safeguard their wellbeing." Last month, Airbnb announced Frontline stays, a new program to allow hosts to open their homes to those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, Airbnb is proud to share that its incredible global community of generous hosts have offered over 100,000 places to stay for people responding to the pandemic. Through this program, healthcare staff and other first responders can book both free and paid stays in 160 countries and regions, with hosts in Paris, New York City and London each offering over 2,000 places to stay in their cities for those doing lifesaving work. New York State and 1199 join a number of partners and collaborators with which Airbnb is currently working to make a meaningful impact in the fight against the pandemic. At launch, Airbnb announced its work with partners including the French government, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Medical Corps and the International Rescue Committee. Since then, Airbnb has begun work with NHS hospitals in the United Kingdom, Barcelona Official Doctors Association in Spain and Sutter Health. Hosts interested in providing housing for first responders can sign up here. First responder organizations who have a need can visit here to learn more and sign up for support. If you yourself are a COVID-19 responder, get started here. And anyone who may not be able to open their home, but still would like to help, you can donate to help fund even more stays. The coronavirus outbreak in Germany has become manageable again as the number of patients who have recovered has been higher than the number of new infections every day this week, the health minister said on Friday. Germany has the fifth-highest COVID-19 caseload behind the United States, Spain, Italy and France at nearly 134,000 but has kept the death rate down to a relatively low 3,868, thanks to early and extensive testing. The outbreak has as of today become controllable and manageable again, Health Minister Jens Spahn told a news conference, adding that the healthcare system had at no time been overwhelmed so far. Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute, the federal agency responsible for disease control, said the virus reproduction or transmission rate in Germany had dropped below one meaning one person with the virus infects fewer than one other on average. We see now that for the first time we are below one. We will see whether that remains stable There can be new infections any time, Wieler said, stressing that too much emphasis should not be put on the transmission rate numbers. We have withstood a first wave very well, achieved through a joint effort by society, but that can change any time, he told the news conference. Underlining the authorities caution about the virus outbreak, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said: We must develop a new normality that will accompany us for many months, and probably into next year. Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday Germany would take small steps out of lockdown with the partial reopening of shops next week and schools from May 4. The eastern state of Saxony said it was combining the relaxation of the lockdown rules with an obligation for people to wear masks on public transport and in shops the first German state to introduce such a requirement. Highlighting the effect of the pandemic on the German economy, Europes largest, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said it was a situation that is more serious than anything we have experienced in the post-war period. The president of the Paul Ehrlich Institute, a research and medical regulatory body, told the news conference with Spahn that clinical testing of a vaccine would start soon in Germany. Four trials were already under way elsewhere, he added. Tracing app A coronavirus contact tracing app would be ready for Germans to download and use on their smartphones in three to four weeks, Spahn said. German federal and state government leaders said on Wednesday they would support voluntary use of such an app, when available, so people can quickly learn when they have been exposed to an infected person. Developers are working hard on the app, which will use Bluetooth technology, to make sure data protection standards are as perfect as possible, Spahn said. For it to be really good, it needs more like three to four weeks rather than two weeks, he added. Sources familiar with the matter say that the Robert Koch Institutes contact tracing app was already ready and being tested, but its launch would be coordinated with Germanys moves to ease restrictions on movement. The app would run on top of a technology platform, called Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing (PEPP), that is supporting similar app initiatives in other European countries, including Italy. The German authorities have been more cautious than some Asian countries in using digital technology to fight the coronavirus, restrained by Europes strict data privacy laws and mindful of public scepticism towards any surveillance reminiscent of Nazi- or communist-era rule. India has sent 1,00,000 paracetamol and 5,00,000 anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine tablets to Afghanistan, a senior Afghan diplomat said on Friday. The Afghan charge d'affaires to India, Tahir Qadiry, said the medical supplies have been ferried through the air in addition to the first consignment of wheat that India shipped earlier to bolster Afghanistan's food security. He thanked India for sending such essential supplies amid the Coronavirus pandemic. In a series of offerings of critical drugs, India sent 100,000 paracetamol and 500,000 hydroxychloroquine tablets to #Afghanistan through Ariana Airlines today. This is in addition to the 1st consignment of wheat India shipped earlier to bolster food security. Heartfelt thanks! pic.twitter.com/BWlFdx5G7m Tahir Qadiry (@tahirqadiry) April 17, 2020 On Wednesday, the United Kingdom thanked India for its approval for sending Paracetamol units which will be reaching them in the next two weeks. Soon after India approved the shipment of nearly three million paracetamol units for the UK, the British government praised the Indian government for helping them at a crucial time. READ | India Ships 'first-of-many' 5000-tonne Wheat Consignment To Covid-shackled Afghanistan India send wheat to Afghanistan Earlier, India shipped the first consignment of 5,022 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat approximately 251 containers to Afghanistan and plans to ship more in the days to follow. The move comes to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries and ensure food security during the pandemic. The shipment reached Chabahar Port on 15 April carrying a portion of the total 75,000 MT supplement of wheat and is now on the way to Afghanistan. The first tranche of 251 containers of wheat weighing 5,022 metric tonnes reached Chabahar Port on 15 April and is now on the way to Afghanistan. (Video part 1) pic.twitter.com/wsUa6FyB5h India in Afghanistan (@IndianEmbKabul) April 17, 2020 READ | Centre Lifts Restrictions On Exports Of Formulations Made From Paracetamol Amid COVID-19 Export restrictions eased Last week, the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said that India will licence paracetamol and Hydroxychloroquine in appropriate quantities to all neighbouring countries who are dependent on India's capabilities. The statement added that India will also be supplying these essential drugs to some nations who have been particularly badly affected by the pandemic. HCQ is being touted by some as a potential drug to cure COVID-19. READ | India To Allow Hydroxychloroquine & Paracetamol Export To Neighbours In Need Amid Covid READ | UK Trade Secretary Thanks India For Sending Paracetamol Units Mumbai, April 17 : Amitabh Bachchan took to social media to celebrate the completion of 12 years of his blog. At the same time, he has left a question for his readers, asking them how did they "tolerate" his blog for so many years! Big B tweeted on Friday morning: "12 YEARS of my Blog today .. began first DAY on 17th April 2008 .. today 4424 DAYs , thats four thousand four hundred and twenty four days of writing my Blog .. EVERYDAY , without missing out a single day .. ! Thank you my Ef .. love and because of you." T 3504 - 12 YEARS of my Blog today .. began first DAY on 17th April 2008 .. today 4424 DAYs , thats four thousand four hundred and twenty four days of writing my Blog .. EVERYDAY , without missing out a single day .. ! Thank you my Ef .. love and because of you .. pic.twitter.com/S7IHHLb9tr Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 17, 2020 At the same time, the actor exressed how he "can't believe" how people "tolerate" his blog. He wrote: "12 years! that is simply unbelievable .. I mean not for me , but you ... how could you tolerate this Blog for 12 years! But truly without all of you .. it would never have been possible..17th April 2020 .. 17th April 2008!" The veteran actor shared an emoji of himself which has a piercing in the tongue. He joked about it on his blog, saying: "Do not miss the tongue pierce in the memoji ; and the beard growth .. Rochelle feels its not a lawn mower I need .. I need to let it out to the goats!" Big B recently took to social media to applaud the unity shown by human beings at a time when the world is battling the deadly COVID 19 pandemic. "Of this there is no doubt at all, that during this pandemic.. irrespective of caste colour creed or belief.. friend, acquaintance or unknown.. never before and perhaps never after has one human shown so much concern and sympathy for another.. there is but one common refrain on every lip.. be safe, be protected," he wrote. -- Syndicated from IANS 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. Ex-president of Globex Bank faces trial on 12 mln embezzlement charges RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 10:42 17/04/2020 MOSCOW, April 17 (RAPSI) Indictment has been approved against ex-president of Globex Bank Vitaly Vavilin charged with embezzling 12 million euros from the financial organization, the press service of Russian Prosecutor Generals Office reports. His case has been forwarded to Moscows Tagansky District Court for hearing. Investigators believe that Vavilin has used his job position to give an unrecoverable 12-million euros loan to a company controlled by businessmen, brothers Alexey and Dmitry Ananyev. The credit deal terms have been allegedly changed and debt obligations to Globex have been transferred to a foreign organization, which is yet to return the money. Vavilin pleads not guilty and denies his involvement in granting the loan. In February, the Moscow City Court ordered the defendant to be released from detention and put under house arrest. The Moscow business ombudsman Tatiana Mineyeva has noted that the businessmans rights were violated in the framework of the case: firstly, he was detained, and, secondly, his actions could not be qualified as embezzlement, because a commercial court found that the bank suffered no damages. Established in 1992, Globex Bank is one of major Russian banks with most of its shares (99.9 percent) owned by the state-run Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs. The Logo of the World Health Organization (WHO) at their headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 24, 2020. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images) G7 Leaders Call for WHO Review, Reform: White House Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries on Thursday called for a thorough review and reform of the World Health Organization (WHO) amid a lack of transparency and chronic mismanagement over the CCP virus, according to the White House. The leaders recognized that the G7 nations annually contribute more than a billion dollars to the [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. President Donald Trump chaired a videoconference with the G7 leaders on Thursday, where they reviewed their countries efforts to jointly address the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the novel coronavirus. In their first meeting since March 16, they discussed plans toward recovery in areas of health, safety, and prosperity. 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, 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 worlds most powerful supercomputing resources, the statement continued. G7 leaders agreed that their ministers will now work together to prepare all their economies to re-open safely and on a foundation that will allow their nations to reestablish economic growth with more resilient health systems and trusted supply chains, according to the statement. The G7 group consists of some of the most advanced economies in the world, and include the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Trump on Tuesday announced that the United States would temporarily suspend its funding to the WHO over its handling of the CCP virus pandemic. At the same time, the administration will review its response to the crisis. The United States is the largest single donor to the Geneva-based WHO, contributing more than $400 million in 2019roughly 15 percent of its budget. China contributes only about $40 million, according to Trump. The review is likely to take 60-90 days, Trump said. The president said that the WHO had failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable and that the group had promoted Chinas disinformation about the CCP virus that likely led to a broader outbreak of the virus than otherwise would have occurred. Had the WHO done its job to get medical experts into China to objectively assess the situation on the ground and to call out Chinas lack of transparency, the outbreak could have been contained with very little death, Trump said. Read More Chinese Communist Subversion of WHO Undermined Global Pandemic Response The WHO repeatedly parroted the Chinese governments claims that the coronavirus was not spreading between humans, despite warnings by doctors and health officials that it was, Trump said. He noted that it was Taiwan that contacted the WHO on Dec. 31, 2019, to alert the agency of reports of human-to-human transmission of the virus. But the WHO kept it from the public, the president said. Part of the WHOs mandate is to coordinate timely responses for any potential risks to international health. Its current head, Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has consistently praised the Chinese regime for its response to the CCP virus despite its censoring of whistleblowers, medical researchers, and non-state-sanctioned information. Ghebreyesus had said during a Jan. 28 meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that the WHO appreciated the seriousness with which China is taking this outbreak, especially the commitment from top leadership, and the transparency they have demonstrated, including sharing data and genetic sequence of the virus. He also praised Chinas speed in identifying the virus. Instead of declaring a global emergency, the organization recommended that countries not ban travel to China or place any trade restrictions on the country. This was at a time when the WHO acknowledged that at least 12,167 cases of CCP virus had been confirmed and 170 deaths had been attributed to the COVID-19 disease. Read More He is the Person Responsible for Not Alerting the WHO to How Fast the CCP Virus Was Spreading Ghebreyesus on March 20 wrote on Twitter that for the first time, #China has reported no new cases of #covid19 yesterday, repeating the CCPs official line, which has been challenged by Chinese netizens. Statistical modeling, eyewitness accounts, and documents provided to The Epoch Times have shown that Chinese authorities concealed the true scale of the outbreak in Wuhan and other parts of China. Read More 21 Million Fewer Cellphone Users in China May Suggest a High CCP Virus Death Toll American lawmakers have called on Ghebreyesus to resign amid accusations of helping the CCP cover up the outbreak and probing whether the WHO is complicit in the manipulation. Katabella Roberts contributed to this report. The home ministry has asked all states and UTs to screen Rohingya Muslims living under their jurisdiction for COVID-19 as many of them had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin, officials said on Friday. In a communication to Chief Secretaries and DGPs, the ministry said there have been reports that several Rohingya Muslims have attended 'Ijtemas' and other religious congregations of Tablighi Jamaat and there is a possibility of their contracting COVID-19. The ministry said the Rohingyas residing in camps in Hyderabad had attended Tablighi Jamaat 'Ijtema' at Haryana's Mewat, and had also attended the meet at the national capital's Nizamuddin. Similarly, Rohingyas living in Delhi's Shram Vihar and Shaheen Bagh localities who had gone for Tablighi Jamaat activities, have not returned to their camps, it said. There are also reports from Derabassi, Punjab, and Jammu area of Jammu and Kashmir about the presence of Rohingya Muslims, who have come there after working for Tablighi Jamaat, the ministry said. 'Therefore, Rohingya Muslims and their contacts may need to be screened for COVID-19. Accordingly, necessary measures may be taken in this regard on priority,' the communication said. According to the home ministry, there are around 40,000 Rohingya refugees living in different parts of the country, including in Delhi, Jammu and Hyderabad. Last month, eight Rohingya Muslims, who have been living in Jammu, were put in quarantine after they attended the Nizamuddin meet. So far, more than 500 COVID-19 positive cases and about 20 deaths in the country were found to have links with the Tabligihi Jamaat meet at Nizamuddin. Over 2,300 activists, including 250 foreigners of the Islamic organisation, were found to be living at its headquarters located at Delhi's Nizamuddin last month despite the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. At least 9,000 people took part in the congregation at the Nizamuddin Markaz last month after which many travelled to various parts of the country for missionary works. The participants included citizens of 41 nationalities --379 Indonesians, 110 Bangladeshi, 77 from Kyrgyzstan, 75 Malaysian, 65 Thai, 63 Myanmarese and 33 Sri Lankans. The home ministry had also asked the Delhi Police and police chiefs of other states, where these foreigners are currently living, to take legal action under the Foreigners Act and the Disaster Management Act. The Home Ministry had said about 2,100 foreigners have come to India since January 1 and indulged in Tablighi activities in different parts of the country. Switch the Market flag Open the menu and switch the Market flag for targeted data from your country of choice. for targeted data from your country of choice. 2019 was likely the final year of what we will look back on as a "golden age" of travel. Airplanes were filled to capacity. Profitable airlines were adding routes as quickly as they could get their hands on state-of-the-art jets brimming with big, business-class seats. There were so many flights jammed into booming San Francisco International Airport that a "gate wait" problem emerged, forcing planeloads into holding patterns on the ramp. Airports everywhere were designing new terminals, expanding TSA check-in lines, building new lounges, and moving Uber and Lyft pickups to remote locations to ease crowding. At SFO, a total of 53 airlines operated flights during the year. All that ground to a halt when the coronavirus arrived in January 2020. By late March, SFO was a ghost town as fliers everywhere folded their wings to obey shelter-in-place orders. So it's with a bit of nostalgia for those frenetic times that I present this list of SFO's largest airlines in 2019, ranked in descending order by the number of seats they flew. (Please note that this ranking is not based the number of individual flights. although we've included that information in the charts you'll see below.) It's no surprise that United firmly held on to its position as SFO's largest airline in 2019, controlling 45 percent of the market. Alaska Air, now fully combined with Virgin America is #2 with 12 percent. This year, Delta pushed American (#4) and Southwest (#5) out of the way to claim the #3 spot at SFO in 2019 - it was at #5 in 2018. With multiple daily flights using big jets, Air Canada, Taiwan's EVA Air, Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa led among international carriers operating at SFO. Notably, Aeromexico took a tumble to #17 last year from a high of #8 in 2018. SFO lost a few international carriers last year or early this year, too - saying buh-bye to Hong Kong Air, Icelandair, WOW Air, Air Italy, Thomas Cook and XL Airways. It also welcomed in TAP Air Portugal and Norwegian Air, which moved its operations from Oakland. The loss of a handful of airlines, and the start of a global recession that predated the COVID-19 crisis, reduced the number of seats overall flying from SFO in 2019 to 68,509,664; that's down about 440,000 from the high of 68,950,008 in 2018. Take a scroll down the page for a look at how the top 25 airlines at SFO fared in 2019. You can bet that 2020's ranking is going to look a lot different that what you see here. (Bloomberg) -- Earlier this week, a French court, responding to union complaints that Amazon.com Inc. wasnt doing enough to protect warehouse workers during the pandemic, ordered the company to stop selling nonessential items there. Saying it had invested in additional safety measures to keep our hard-working, dedicated colleagues safe and calling the ruling too vague, Amazon responded by closing its operations in the country pending an appeal. Meanwhile in the U.S., where worker protests have popped up regularly, Amazon has so far largely avoided such restrictions. Its true the company has taken some stepsrecently pared backto prioritize essential products such as food and medical supplies. But while it takes Amazon more than a week to deliver a box of Cheerios and more than a month to get a package of toilet paper to customers, a 9-foot patio umbrella can be had in just a few days. With thousands of small retailers closed, perhaps forever, and rivals such as Walmart Inc. forced to rope off nonessential sections in some of their stores, the worlds largest online retailer could emerge from the pandemic even stronger than before. Investors have driven Amazon shares to record highs this month, a bet that U.S. authorities will mostly leave the company alone, despite dozens of cases of Covid-19 among warehouse employee ranks. The government is deciding who the winners and losers are right now, says Forrester analyst Sucharita Kodali. Online demand is surging, and the big question is how much of this shift stays with Amazon when this is all over. Of course, running a complicated retail business during a pandemic is challenging. Surging online demand from spooked consumers has forced Amazon to staff up; the hiring of 175,000 people along with temporary pay raises is pushing up costs. The profitable advertising business is also taking a hit because those selling must-have products dont need to promote them while those who carry slower sellers have curtailed their ad spending. Story continues How much damage these headwinds will inflict on the bottom line will become clearer when Amazon reports results on April 30. But analysts seem willing to overlook a short-term blow to profitability since they expect the company to benefit from permanent changes in shopping behavior over the long haul. In a matter of months, the coronavirus has accelerated a consumer shift from physical to online stores that was expected to take years, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak. That helps explain why some analysts have increased revenue estimates for this year and 2021 even though overall consumer spending is dropping. Meanwhile, with so many people video conferencing and streaming videos at home, demand is strong for Amazon Web Services, the hugely profitable cloud division. Walmart and Amazon both have benefited from consumer spending during the pandemic, but Amazon has outpaced its rival throughout, says Randy Koch, who runs Facteus, which analyzes credit card and debit card transactions from millions of customers. Amazon is growing at an incredible clipwell above Walmart, Koch says. Amazons edge over the big-box stores could widen since most of its sales are online. Department of Homeland Security guidelines defining which businesses are essential are further refined by governors in each state. Vermont and Michigan, for example, are among states that have asked Walmart and Target Corp. to close sections of their stores. The aim is to prevent crowding while letting big-box retailers stay open to sell groceries. Amazon has temporarily closed a handful of bookstores and other physical retail operations that have never generated much revenue. Physical stores have to figure out complex rules that vary state to state and minute to minute, says Christy Campbell, a partner at the law firm Duane Morris who is helping retailers navigate the new environment. Amazon doesnt have to think about these different rules from state to state that are constantly changing, she says. Thats where online retailers are at a real advantage. Even shoppers who have been venturing out to Walmart and Costco Wholesale Corp. could become more skittish and flock to Amazon now that populous states like New York and California are advising people to wear masks when they leave their homes, a vivid reminder of the risks of even a quick run the store, says Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities Inc. Overall demand is down, but Amazon is picking up share for sure in every category of retail that is closed because theyre one of the only options, he says. Their designation as an essential business is giving them a huge advantage in nonessential categories. Amazon has said its voluntarily prioritizing the sale of must-have products like groceries, diapers and pet food and temporarily stopped accepting shipments of nonessentials like televisions to its U.S. warehouses. Still, employees say they have been busy through the outbreak selling puzzles, clothes and bedding. Some Amazon warehouse workers posted videos of themselves packing up sex toys to make their point. Last month, Bloomberg reported that a warehouse in Kentucky was continuing to handle returns of such items as sneakers and apparel, despite several workers there testing positive for the virus. The governor ordered the facility closed while it could be cleaned, but its open again and still processing returns on nonessential items. Amazon said it is using consumer demand to determine what is prioritized, which explains why some products that seem trivial during the outbreak are still available for quick delivery. Critics say the government should take a page from the French and do more to protect workers, but so far the pushback has been limited to sporadic worker protests and a handful of letters from U.S. senators. Amazon is one of the largest private-sector employers functioning at the moment, so theres no reason for government to be so hands-off, says Jim Brudney, a law professor at Fordham University. The federal government has not had an aggressive coordinated response and it hasnt put essential workers at the forefront of its agenda for protection. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration could set temporary emergency standards to protect warehouse workers through the outbreak until more permanent solutions are established. Brudney says. Its a seldom used power, but one the agency has deployed in the past to protect workers from asbestos exposure and other risks. OSHA officials are investigating Amazon worker complaints related to Covid-19 in Pennsylvania. Pachter, the Wedbush analyst, doesnt see a government crackdown in the U.S. unless theres evidence that Covid-19 is infecting Amazons warehouse workers at a greater rate than the public at large. They have 900,000 employees, he says, so it makes sense that some of them test positive for coronavirus. 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. (Natural News) As much as the coronavirus is a very dangerous (and very real) bioweapon that was engineered to exterminate human life, theres another danger in our world that has mass murdered over a quarter of a billion people in the 20th century alone. That force of destruction and death is government tyranny. In just the 20th century alone, socialist and communist regimes mass murdered 262 million people, according to a detailed analysis conducted at the University of Hawaii. Spanning the 20th century, governments of China, Germany, Japan, Turkey, Vietnam and the Soviet Union, among others, carried out mass murder on a scale never before witnessed in human history. China alone mass murdered over 76 million of their own people to consolidate power in the hands of communists. Largely under Stalin, the former Soviet Union mass murdered nearly 62 million people. Heres the summary from the analysis: Democide has killed far more people than covid-19, even if you follow the worse-case estimates over time How do such democide government murders compare to covid-19 deaths? According to the nations of the world, the Wuhan coronavirus has so far killed 150,000 people (and growing). Based on the snapshot from April 17th, 2020, heres how that looks compared to government democide of the 20th century. (We understand government-run genocide isnt an infectious disease, see below for further notes.) Even if you take the worst-case projections of covid-19 deaths that might occur over the next two years, the fatalities might reach tens of millions in the extreme, which is still tiny compared to the 262 million human beings who have been slaughtered by socialist and communist governments in the 20th century alone. The reason this comparison is valid is because America is rapidly sliding into socialism as the tyranny-minded overlords exploit the coronavirus to transform this nation into a quarantine slave camp. If protecting ourselves from millions of covid-19 deaths means unleashing radical left-wing tyranny that ends up killing tens of millions of American due to democide, its hardly a bargain. While we must take the Wuhan coronavirus seriously, we must not abandon our principles of self-governance and liberty in the process. The coronavirus must not be allowed to nullify the Constitution and obliterate our civil liberties. Speaking of enemies of humanity, guess whos the new communists who are quarantining human conversations, ideas and speech? Isnt it interesting that weve been under a speech lockdown for four years, but almost nobody protested that. Big Tech has already demonstrated the kind of prison camp the globalist controllers have in mind for humanity, and it isnt pretty. If you thought the communists slaughtered too many humans in the 20th century, just wait until Bill Gates teams up with the evil tech tyrants to mass-inoculate billions of people with a kill switch depopulation vaccine. By the time the techno-fascists are done with their genocide mission, even the 262 million who were mass slaughtered by socialists and communists will look like a walk in the park. Stay informed, stay alive. Read Pandemic.news. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 17:00:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Members of a Chinese medical team wave goodbye before boarding a plane to leave for Uzbekistan at Nanchang Changbei International Airport in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, April 17, 2020. The team of 15 medical experts left for Uzbekistan on Friday to assist its ongoing efforts in the fight against COVID-19. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang) NANCHANG, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Invited by the Uzbekistan government, a Chinese medical working group Friday left Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province, for Uzbekistan to help with the fight against COVID-19. The 15-member team includes 10 medical experts and staff from the health and foreign affairs departments of Jiangxi Province. The experts specializing in various areas including traditional Chinese medicine, intensive care, hospital infection control and emergency treatment are from several hospitals in Jiangxi and the provincial center for disease prevention and control. The Chinese experts will share China's experience in fighting COVID-19 and offer training on disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment with their counterparts in Uzbekistan. They will also provide necessary medical supplies, training and consultation service for overseas Chinese there. The team took with them medical supplies donated by Jiangxi, including surgical masks, N95 respirators, medical protective suits, nucleic acid testing kits, goggles and non-invasive ventilators. A lineup of grounded Swiss and Edelweiss Airbus A320/321 at Militarflugplatz Dubendorf. (PHOTO: Getty Creative) (Bloomberg) -- The skies are eerily empty these days, presenting a new challenge for the worlds embattled airlines as they work to safeguard thousands of grounded planes parked wingtip to wingtip on runways and in storage facilities. More than 16,000 passenger jets are grounded worldwide, according to industry researcher Cirium, as the coronavirus obliterates travel and puts unprecedented strain on airline finances. Finding the right space and conditions for 62% of the worlds planes and keeping them airworthy have suddenly become priorities for 2020. Aircraft cant simply be dusted back into action. They need plenty of work and attention while in storage, from maintenance of hydraulics and flight-control systems to protection against insects and wildlife nesting birds can be a problem. Then theres humidity, which can corrode parts and damage interiors. Even when parked on runways, planes are often loaded with fuel to keep them from rocking in the wind and to ensure tanks stay lubricated. Nobody thought this magnitude of preservation would need to be done, said Anand Bhaskar, chief executive officer of New Delhi-based Air Works, a plane repair and maintenance company. Parking space is a problem. These are logistics nightmares which were trying to work around. Mass Grounding The number of passenger jets in service is the lowest in 26 years, according to Cirium. Managing such large-scale storage is a challenge for an industry already in crisis, with airlines worldwide slashing capacity to close to zero or not flying at all. The International Air Transport Association has warned that revenue from flying passengers could drop by nearly a third of a trillion dollars this year and that 25 million jobs are at risk. Airlines are hunting for space on the ground at airports or in longer-term storage facilities in arid places such as Australias outback and the Mojave Desert in the U.S. At Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, KLM Group has more than 200 aircraft at gates and on a runway, arranged according to size and type, and ensuring enough space for them to be towed if maintenance is required, according to a post on the companys website. Story continues Schiphol is packed, KLM Community Manager Annemiek Cornielje wrote. Not with passengers, unfortunately, but with the many aircraft parked on the ramp and even on a runway. Choreographing this sad and unique sight is quite a parking-puzzle, she said, adding that Schiphol isnt charging parking fees. Charges differ from airport to airport. In India, parking alone can cost US$1,000 a day for a large aircraft, according to Mark Martin, founder of Dubai-based Martin Consulting LLC. For an airline with a fleet of more than 250 jets, even heavily discounted rates may mean expenses of US$12.5 million for a six-month grounding, without taking into account maintenance costs, he said. In its online magazine, IATA said it asked governments to cut parking fees, which usually account for less than 2% of airport revenue in a normal year. Under current circumstances, those charges could make-or-break some airlines, it said. Shampoo and Clean Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways PJSC said its engineers are working around the clock maintaining its grounded fleet, a process that includes running engines and powering up aircraft, checking flight controls, and covering sensors and engines to protect inner workings from sand and dust. About 200 staff per shift clean plane cabins in hangars, from replacing seat covers to shampooing carpets, according to a video on the airlines official Twitter account. From enhanced maintenance to a complete refresh of our cabin interiors, discover what we're doing to get our aircraft ready to soar again. pic.twitter.com/P0YdO2q9yO Etihad Airways (@etihad) April 10, 2020 Ive never seen anything like this before in my aviation career, Etihads Head of Technical Operations Gary Byrne said. The aircraft are very intricate, complex pieces of machinery its not like parking a car. Tires also need attention. Qantas Airways Ltd. said all planes from Boeing Co. 737s to Airbus SE A380s need to have their wheels rotated by being towed on the tarmac or jacked into the air to be spun every one to two weeks, while hydraulic fluid is put on landing gear to protect against rust. Giant silica moisture absorption sachets are also put inside engines to keep them dry, while all external holes on the fuselage are covered to block insects and nesting birds. Qantas said it has more than 200 aircraft, including Jetstars Boeing 787 Dreamliners, parked at airports around Australia. The countrys climate makes it more suited for storage, especially compared with much of Asia, which has high levels of humidity as well as the threat of typhoons. Near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage Pty is holding aircraft for the likes of Singapore Airlines Ltd. and Fiji Airways. An Air India aircraft parked in bay no 89, in Mumbai airport, near Terminal 2 had an uninvited guest this week. The fellow found the space between two aircraft tyres to be a cosy place to chill out. #Coronavirus #StayHomeStaySafe #Lockdown pic.twitter.com/3lxppIeQe3 TOI Mumbai (@TOIMumbai) April 17, 2020 The storage firm is expanding capacity to about 70 aircraft and considering raising that to more than 100, according to Managing Director Tom Vincent. There is a scramble for proper storage facilities, he said. We have a large number of deliveries over the next coming weeks and months. Asia Pacific has been a rapidly growing aviation market, with a slew of budget carriers from Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, India and elsewhere ordering thousands of planes, buoyed by an emerging middle class embracing flying. That expansion came to a screeching halt because of the coronavirus, which has also hit orders for manufacturing giants Boeing and Airbus. Finnair Oyj has parked aircraft at its Helsinki hub and has capacity if needed to use airports in Tampere and Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland province. Work includes reconnecting aircraft batteries every 14 days, the airline said on its website. One a month, a more extensive check is carried out that involves removing protective covers, starting engines and inspecting air-conditioning and anti-ice systems. One big challenge with parked planes is brakes, which can fade within 24 hours, according to Finnair Vice President of Ground Operations Jukka Glader. Each of its jets requires 10 to 12 chocks behind the wheels to keep them in position. With so many aircraft grounded, Finnair ordered 500 wooden corona chocks from a local carpentry shop. Parking Spots British Airways has parked half of its fleet of 12 Airbus A380 superjumbos in Chateauroux, France, for longer storage. Tarmac Aerosave SAS, which has storage sites in France and Spain, is working to handle higher volumes of requests, while ComAv LLC is also experiencing increased demand for its facility at the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, to the northeast of Los Angeles. At crowded airports like in New Delhi, which doesnt have spare parking spots, a runway has been converted into a temporary storage area, like at Schiphol. Whether its the multiple control surfaces or avionics or hydraulic systems, prolonged storage effectively means an impact to airworthiness, said Satyendra Pandey, an independent consultant and former head of strategy at Go Airlines India Ltd. Long-term storage is a specialized skill and ideal in dry and hot environments. This aspect will have to be revisited as currently airplanes are parked at airports and runways across the globe. Among other carriers, United Airlines Holdings Inc. expects to park about 400 aircraft, mostly at its hubs like Newark and Chicago, a spokeswoman said, while Delta Air Lines Inc. has sent planes to Pinal Airpark near Tucson, Arizona. American Airlines Group Inc. is using a maintenance base in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and facilities elsewhere. It might seem a simple task, but theres some nuance to it, APASs Vincent said. It doesnt just stop, there are the continuous, periodic checks. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Out on a global tour, little had Pollarez Patrice and his family from Toulouse city of France realised that they would be caught in difficult times of lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic and will have to take refuge in a tiny village of Maharajganj, a district in far eastern UP. The family of five, comprising Pollarez, 40, a motor mechanic by profession, accompanied by wife Virginie Pollarez, daughters Ophelie and Lola Janniefer along with son Tom, had left their country embarking upon a world tour in their swanky four-wheeler at the end of 2019. They entered India from Pakistan through Wagah Border on a tourist visa in February this year. Having visited many cities in India, as they were about to cross over to Nepal, they got stuck up at Lakshmipur village of Maharajganj adjoining Gorakhpur in eastern UP. Staying in their vehicle parked next to a small temple near a forest area in the village, the family is holed up here since March 25 as Maharajganj border with Nepal was sealed due to the announcement of 21-day nationwide lockdown. Initially, curiosity drew the villagers to this family of foreigners and gradually the instinct of hospitality ingrained in Indians transcended all the barriers of language and nationality making the residents of Lakshmipur village put their best foot forward in treating the guests with affection and humanness providing them all the best they could offer including food, tea, snacks, and other essentials. Of course, the norms of social distancing are intact and there for everyone to see. India is great and so are its people. Once strangers to us, now these innocent villagers have laid out the best they have to help us, feels Pollarez Patrice, the head of the family. While locals try to communicate through gestures, some literate ones use broken languages. He said once the lockdown is lifted, he wished to return to his country in his car, equipped with machines and tools used in repair work. However, one of the villagers claimed that the French nationals had completely mingled with the local populace. They are no more strangers to us. They are our guests and they have learned a lot of Hindi language words like namste and dhanyawaad, he said. The family gets up early in the morning and share the morning tea and snacks with villagers. Sometimes they click selfies with the villagers or even dance to the tunes on mobile phones. Meanwhile, Maharajganj district administration is also alert over their presence. Team of health care workers including doctors was sent to examine the French family and all five of them were found to be healthy, said DM Ujjawal Kumar. Even the police are ensuring their security in the village. According to SDM Nautanwa Jasveer Singh, the family was being provided with all necessary items, including groceries, fruits and other eatables. French embassy in Delhi was contacted and the tourist visa duration of the family was extended. They claimed that after serving the lockdown period, they had plans to visit Nepal, Myanmar, Indonesia and Thailand before returning to their country. The reduction in operational hours and the number of staff manning banks has led to queues at some banks helping to receive the payment of duties and taxes at the Tema Port. Thursday morning some freight forwarders, who said they preferred onsite banking to whatever electronic platform alternatives banks had provided, thronged the banks, especially Ecobank and GCB Bank, to wait in turn to make payments at the Long Room of the Tema Port. The behaviour of the customers was a direct affront to the social distancing protocols announced by the government and health authorities as an effective means to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country. The queue got so long that many of them became fed up and edgy, with some of them seen exchanging words with the security details at the two banks over who has the right to enter the bank when it opened at 9am. Previously, the banks opened their doors at 8:30 a.m. The situation prompted officials of the Tema Command of Customs to allocate a numbering system to allow five people at a time into the banking halls. The agents, the Daily Graphic understand have also been asked to make payment for shipping charges for shipping lines at the banks. Agents The agents want the banks to open other branches and further increase the numbers of their personnel, as according to them, the situation was slowing down clearance processes. According to a freight forwarder, Mr Samuel Okine, the present situation could bring about an increase in rent and demurrage charges. "Since the lockdown some banks have closed. Some too have given limited staff who are working. Currently, there are staff who are sitting home and you have locked your branches and there is only one person in the bank who is doing the printing. There is a pandemic and we are supposed to observe social distancing but as it stands now, we are not being able to do that, Mr Okine said. We are recommending that they bring more staff and if they cannot do that then they should open more branches as well so that we can do payment and ease the pressure", he added. The GCB for instance has shut down its Golden Jubilee branch where import duties are also received, leaving only the Long Room branch which had two tellers receiving and two other officers undertaking payment validation. The Ecobank branch on the other hand have four tellers receiving payments. The Manager of the facility declined media interview except to say that, the branch was under stress given the number of the agents who insisted on the onsite banking. The Tema Sector Commander of Customs, Assistant Commissioner of Customs, Joseph Adu-Kyei told the Daily Graphic that whereas the online payment was the best approach, most of the freight forwarders, he said claimed the process was usually time consuming since they often have to go and withdraw payments from their clients before undertaking the process. The banks, he said, had been situated in the port enclave to collect import revenue, and wondered why some special dispensation was not applied to them by the Bank of Ghana. "I have however communicated the challenge to the Commissioner of Customs who has promised to engage the Managing Directors of the receiving banks on the challenge", Mr Adu-Kyei said. Asked why the GRA would not accept mobile money service as a form of import duty payment, Mr Adu-Kyei, said that such a decision will be for the Commissioner and the Board of Directors to approve to facilitate speedy payment. Mr Adu-Kyei, however, regretted that the Shipping Lines were refusing to accept cash payments in their office thereby compounding the challenges of the banks. The President of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, Mr Edward Akrong however expressed regret at the turn of events. "I undertake all my revenue payment transactions online using the Ecobank App and I know a lot of our members who do same too. I don't know why some agents would just not want to do anything with technology for their own efficiency", he lamented and challenged the freight forwarders to endeavour to be abreast of technology so as to reduce the incidence of the COVID-19. Source: graphic.com.gh 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 The Israel 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 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 year-long political impasse. Neither Netanyahu nor 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 7 May 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. Netanyahu, Israels longest-serving prime minister and leader of the conservative Likud party, has beseeched 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. Citing the common good, Gantz entered into talks last month, upending his repeated election promises not to sit in a government with a prime minister under indictment. Netanyahu is facing trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. He has denied any wrongdoing. Netanyahu proposed sharing the job of prime minister, with him holding it for the first 18 months and Gantz taking over for the next 18. But the unity talks got stuck, according to Blue and White officials, because Netanyahu sought guarantees to ensure that he could remain in office despite his legal troubles. His teams proposals include circumventing or overriding any future Supreme Court rulings that bar him from forming a government or, later on, from serving as a deputy to Gantz, while under indictment. Despite saying that he is relatively flexible on other issues, Gantz has pledged to uphold Israels democratic institutions and the rule of law. Netanyahus advisers say that they are trying to find a deal that will work and dont want to risk being shot down by what they view as an overly activist court. But critics have questioned Netanyahus intentions all along. Now it is going to come down to a matter of trust, Ben Caspit, a political columnist, wrote in the newspaper Maariv on Thursday. Are the problems that were found by Netanyahus consultants real, and is their only goal to save the deal before it falls apart? Or is this for the umpteenth time yet another typical Netanyahu gambit that is designed to reshuffle the deck at the very last moment? There are signs pointing in both directions. Gantz was given first crack at forming a government after he and the other anti-Netanyahu forces emerged from the 2 March election in a slightly better position than Netanyahus right-wing and religious alliance. Now that the mandate has passed to Parliament, Netanyahu may try to lure a couple of defectors from across the lines to make up his own narrow government. Analysts also suggested that a couple of recent flattering opinion polls may have encouraged him to take his chances in a fourth election. Gantz has fewer options. His decision to enter into talks with Netanyahu led to a bitter breakup of his party and dealt a blow to his credibility. There is still talk among the Opposition of advancing legislation blocking Netanyahu from serving another term. But time is short, and as long as unity talks are in play, Gantz, who is currently the Parliament Speaker, may stall that initiative. Moshe Yaalon who was a Likud defence minister under Netanyahu, later joined the Blue and White alliance and has now also split from that exhorted Gantz late on Wednesday to step back from the abyss and not give in to Netanyahus demands to bypass the Supreme Court. On Twitter on Thursday, Yaalon accused Netanyahu of having taken Likud and the country hostage, leading to three elections, and now maybe a fourth. Isabel Kershner c.2020 The New York Times Company Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, are back in California and have their COVID-19 symptoms behind them. However, as some of the first celebrities to come forward with their diagnosis and subsequent self-isolation, fans have been following their recovery closely. Today, Hanks offered some insight into what he and Wilson experienced while they were dealing with symptoms and under the watchful eye of a doctor in Australia, where they were quarantining. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hanks appeared on The National Defense Radio Show and explained everything, including an incident where he felt like the "dumbest human being." VALERIE MACON/Getty Images RELATED: Tom Hanks Shares an Update on His Coronavirus Recovery After Returning to the U.S. During his time on the show, which is dedicated to active military, veterans, and their families, Hanks said that his symptoms seemed mild compared to what Wilson had to endure. He didn't experience losing his sense of smell or anything like that, he simply felt fatigued. "Rita had a much tougher time than I did," Hanks said. "She had a much higher fever. She had lost her sense of taste and sense of smell. I had some bad body aches and fatigue." He added that they were quarantined in an Australian hospital for three days after they tested positive and were later in a private residence. While they were being treated, he said that he tried to stay active, even though his body couldn't handle the strain. Looking back, he realizes how foolish he was. "She looked at me through her glasses like she was talking to the dumbest human being," Hanks said of one experience with a doctor. "And she said, [sternly] 'You have COVID-19.'" RELATED: Rita Wilson Shared Her COVID-19 Experience With Gayle King Hanks also said that he and Wilson donated blood, which is being developed into antibodies. Wilson also shared her experience with the disease during an interview with Gayle King. "I felt extremely achy, uncomfortable, didn't want to be touched, and then the fever started," she said while on CBS This Morning. Wilson's symptoms included a fever that reached 102 degrees in addition to losing her senses of smell and taste, as Hanks explained, and "chills like I never had before." The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors have affirmed that overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic is "an urgent collective priority", and they will spare no effort, both individually and collectively, to protect lives, bring the pandemic under control, safeguard peoples jobs and incomes. "Our urgent collective priority is to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic and its intertwined health, social and economic impacts," they stated in a final communique issued at the end of their second virtual meeting held yesterday. "We are determined to spare no effort, both individually and collectively, to protect lives, bring the pandemic under control, safeguard peoples jobs and incomes, support the global economy during and after this phase and ensure the resilience of the financial system," stated the communique which was carried by the Saudi Press Agency, SPA. "We have taken immediate and exceptional measures, domestically and internationally, to address the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact, including by implementing unprecedented fiscal, monetary and financial stability actions and ensuring that the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) can provide critical support to developing and low-income countries," it added. The countries welcomed steps taken by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank Group (WBG) and other IFIs to help countries in need. "We support the further adoption and swift implementation of a strong financial response to help countries in need and to uphold global financial stability and resilience," said the G20 ministers. "As outlined in our Action Plan, this financial response includes: delivering a comprehensive IMF support package; implementing urgently the support proposed by the WBG and multilateral development banks amounting to more than $200 billion; addressing debt vulnerabilities in low-income countries due to the pandemic; and enhancing coordination among international organisations to maximize their impact and optimize the use of resources," they said. "We support a time-bound suspension of debt service payments for the poorest countries that request forbearance. We agreed on a coordinated approach with a common term sheet providing the key features for this debt service suspension initiative, which is also agreed by the Paris Club. All bilateral official creditors will participate in this initiative, consistent with their national laws and internal procedures," they stated. The G20 ministers called upon private creditors, working through the Institute of International Finance, to participate in the initiative on comparable terms. "We ask multilateral development banks to further explore the options for the suspension of debt service payments over the suspension period, while maintaining their current rating and low cost of funding. We call on creditors to continue to closely coordinate in the implementation phase of this initiative," they said in their statement. "We have taken immediate and exceptional measures to support global financial stability and resilience, including the deployment and expansion of bilateral swap lines and the introduction of repo facilities by central banks in line with their mandates. We also have taken regulatory and supervisory measures to ensure that the financial system continues to support the economy. We remain vigilant and ready to take additional measures as needed, they added. According to them, the Action Plan endorsed by the G20 ministers will be reviewed regularly as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic unfolds. "We will track the implementation and report on this plan, and any further updates to it, at the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in July and for the G20 Leaders Summit in November," they noted. "We stand ready to act promptly and take any further action that may be required. We reiterate our commitment to use all available policy tools to safeguard against downside risks, ensure a swift recovery and achieve strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth, while continuing to tackle the global challenges, notably those related to addressing the tax challenges arising from the digitalization of the economy and enhancing access to opportunities," they added.-TradeArabia News Service Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Automotive Intelligence Park Assist System Market is used to provide physical containment for various power components of a vehicle which assists in safe parking of a car. Also known as Advance Parking Guidance System (APGS) in some countries, these systems consist of onboard computer used camera fixed into the front and rear sides of the car and sensors, which help in measuring the proximity of nearby vehicles. Electromagnetic or ultrasonic sensors present in these systems help to alert the driver in case of obstruction in parking. Market Research Future (MRFR's) latest in-depth report on the global automotive intelligence park assist system provides meaningful insights on the market, which has been compiled after a thorough analysis of the pertinent factors impacting the market. MRFR's analysis predicts the market to capture a moderate CAGR in the coming years. The use of intelligence park assist systems has increased considerably in recent years, owing to the high level of awareness about the benefits associated with them. They offer the advantages of enhanced performance, safety, and driving. The most protruding feature of these systems is that they allow parallel or reverse parking. More intelligence park assist systems hinder the vehicle from exceeding the set speed during parking. Surging demand for autonomous and electric vehicles along with growing concern over driver and vehicle safety has increased the adoption of these systems among end users. The safety of pedestrians has also assumed significance in recent years. The government in various countries encourage the use of automotive intelligence park assist systems to reduce the incidents of road accidents which has driven the market majorly. Growing sales of high-end cars, where intelligence park assist systems are standard features, has helped the market garner higher revenue. additionally, automotive OEMs are increasingly providing these systems in mid-range and low-range cars to ensure safety. Furthermore, advancement in technology has also fostered the growth of the market. Other factors driving the market growth include an increase in traffic flow, the rising trend of vehicle electrification, and increasing uses of wide-angle camera technology in vehicles. https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/7431 Segmentation The automotive intelligence park assist system market has been segmented based on technology, vehicle type, and component. By technology, the automotive intelligence park assist market has been segmented into autonomous and semi-autonomous parking assist. By vehicle type, the automotive intelligence park assist market has been segmented into passenger car and commercial vehicle. By component, the automotive intelligence park assist market has been segmented into ultrasonic sensor, camera, and Ultrasonic Sensor & Camera. Regional Analysis By region, the automotive intelligence park assist system market has been segmented into North America, Rest-of-the-World (RoW), Europe, and Asia Pacific (APAC). APAC is leading the automotive intelligence park assist market. lack of parking space in the densely populated areas of the region is a common phenomenon which necessitates vehicles to be equipped with park assist systems. Moreover, augmenting demand for safety features in vehicles, combined with the heightened sale of electric vehicles, where park assists systems are generally standard has driven the market considerably. Furthermore, the automotive sector in the region has attracted significant investments from both the public and private sector for the development of automotive technology, which acts as a plus for the growth of the market. The existence of major automotive manufacturers such as Siemens AG (Germany), Valeo (France), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), and ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Germany) in Europe generates substantial demand for automotive intelligence park assist systems. Regulations governing pedestrian safety have also influenced the growth of the market. North America market is spurred by the sales of luxury cars in the region. High-end cars are pre-installed with automotive intelligence park assist systems as standard features. Competitive Landscape Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), NXP Semiconductors (Netherlands), Toshiba Corporation (Japan), Magna International (Canada), Continental AG (Germany), Delphi Automotive (Germany), Siemens AG (Germany), Valeo (France), ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Germany), and HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA (Germany) is the eminent players in the automotive intelligence park assist system market. Industry Updates April 2019 - Tesla announced rollout of a more robust version of its eventual automated parking feature known as Enhanced Summon. Enhanced Summon is a parking assist feature which would assist vehicles in navigating a parking lot autonomously and finding its driver under certain specified conditions. General Meeting and Investor Call Sydney, April 17, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The Board of BetMakers Technology Group Ltd ( ASX:BET ) ( FRA:T07 ) is pleased to advise that it will hold a General Meeting scheduled for 9am (AEST) on 22 May 2020, with the purpose of:i) approving the issue of performance rights convertible into options ("Performance Rights") to Waterhouse VC Pty Ltd ("Waterhouse VC") under the terms of the commercial agreements signed with the Waterhouse Group1 ("Commercial Agreements") as announced to the market on 28 January 2020 and 2 April 2020; andii) ratifying the issue of ordinary shares in the Company ("Placement Shares") issued to certain sophisticated and institutional investors under the placement announced to the market on 7 November 2019 ("Placement").The Notice of General Meeting has been released to the market today.In addition, the Company would also like to provide an update on the commercial deals between BetMakers and the Waterhouse Group.Update on BetMakers and Waterhouse Group commercial arrangementsOn 28 January 2020, the Company announced that it had signed conditional Commercial Agreements with the Waterhouse Group to build and operate new wagering products.1. Acquisition and retention tool for online wagering operatorsUtilising BetMakers' existing technologies, the Company has developed a betting platform inside the Tomwaterhouse.com application (the "App"). With more than 80,000 members who have subscribed and receive racing tips via the App, there is a built-in audience of punters that bookmakers are looking to connect with.Customers of the App will be able to access their nominated bookmaker accounts within the App. They can then receive tips and place bets all within the App.Commercialisation of the App comes from acquiring customers on behalf of bookmakers. BetMakers has started securing deals with bookmakers ahead of the product launch expected to occur in June 2020.2. Managed Trading ServicesThe Company and the Waterhouse Group have jointly developed a service called Managed Trading Services ("MTS") which allows wagering operators to outsource part or all of their race day trading.MTS customers will come from online wagering operators that are looking to minimise their fixed resource costs in running a race book offering. The Company expects to announce a number of MTS deals over the coming months.Approval of the issue of Performance Rights (and such Options to be issued on conversion of the Performance Rights) to Waterhouse VCAs part of the Commercial Agreements, the Company agreed to issue the Performance Rights to Waterhouse VC, subject to obtaining Shareholder and any other regulatory approvals. Commencement of the Commercial Agreements are also subject to the Company obtaining Shareholder and any other regulatory approvals in respect of the issue of the Performance Rights.As part of the deal, BetMakers will receive revenues generated from arrangements with the Waterhouse Group. Waterhouse VC will receive Performance Rights which will convert into options over ordinary shares in BetMakers ("Options"). The number of Options which may be issued on conversion of the Performance Rights will be calculated with reference to the amount of audited gross revenue generated under the shared arrangements between commencement of the Commercial Agreements and 31 December 2022 ("Term"). Each Option issued will have an exercise price of $0.18, and a two (2) year exercise period. For every dollar of revenue the shared arrangements generate, Waterhouse VC shall receive 5.56 Options ($1.00 / $0.18 = 5.56) (Note: the conversion of the Performance Rights into Options are subject to minimum revenue thresholds).As part of the Commercial Agreements, the number of Options Waterhouse VC can receive on conversion of the Performance Rights is capped at a maximum of 94,741,686 Options. Therefore, in order for Waterhouse VC to be issued the maximum number of Options, the shared arrangements would need to generate at least $17,053,504 in audited gross revenue during the Term.Waterhouse VC is also required to pay the exercise price to BET upon exercising its Options. For example, should Waterhouse VC be issued and exercise 94,741,686 Options into ordinary shares, it would be required to pay BetMakers $17,053,504 in cash to do so.The Board of BetMakers recommends voting in favour of the resolution at the general meeting approving the above transaction.Ratification of prior issue of Placement Shares to reinstate BetMakers' 15% Placement Capacity On 7 November 2019, the Company announced that it had completed the Placement of 18,904,110 Placement Shares to sophisticated and institutional investors. The Placement raised a total of $2.76 million (before costs) at $0.146 per Placement Share. The proceeds of the Placement were used to contribute to the Company's growth initiatives and working capital, and to strengthen the Company's balance sheet.Approval is now sought pursuant to ASX Listing Rule 7.4 to ratify the issue of the Placement Shares. Such approval will refresh the Company's ability to issue that number of securities in the future without seeking Shareholder approval.If this resolution is passed, the Placement Shares will be excluded in calculating the Company's 15% placement capacity under ASX Listing Rule 7.1, effectively increasing the number of securities it can issue without obtaining Shareholder approval over the 12-month period following the issue date.The Board of BetMakers recommends voting in favour of the resolution at the general meeting ratifying the above transaction.Please refer to the Company's Notice of General Meeting released today for further information in relation to the above items.The CEO of BetMakers, Mr Todd Buckingham, along with Tom Waterhouse, will be holding an online webinar to discuss the items noted in the Notice of General Meeting. To register your interest please email:investors@thebetmakers.com.Date: Tuesday, 28 April 2020Time: 11:00am (AEST)After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.Should you require further assistance please contact our Investor and Media Relations Manager, Jane Morgan, on the details below.About Betmakers Technology Group Ltd Betmakers Technology Group Ltd (ASX:BET) (OTCMKTS:TPBTF) is an ASX-listed holding company and a global provider of online wagering products and services to both wholesale and retail markets through its various wholly owned subsidiaries. The Company operates a retail wagering business, offering consumers wagering, fantasy tournament and content products and services. President Donald Trump on Friday said China's real death toll from coronavirus was "far higher," even after officials issued a new count sharply raising the number of dead in Wuhan, where the pandemic began. "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 U.S., not even close!" Trump tweeted. He appeared to be referring to Wuhan's abrupt increase in the death toll by 50 percent, though not "doubling," as Trump claimed. The new toll followed growing world doubts about Chinese transparency. Officials said they had added 1,290 deaths to the tally in the city, which has suffered the vast majority of China's officially recognized fatalities from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Trump's latest accusation is in line with an increasingly hostile atmosphere between Washington and Beijing over blame for the coronavirus and ensuing economic chaos. The US president has threatened to withdraw funding for the World Health Organization, a UN agency that he accuses of having colluded with China to play down the seriousness of the virus. The US contribution of about $400 million a year is the biggest portion of the WHO's funding. Trump has met widespread criticism abroad for ramping up the conflict while much of the world continues to struggle with the effects of the virus and the economic fallout. The Trump administration is also investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, saying it doesn't rule out that it was spread -- accidentally -- from a laboratory researching bats in Wuhan, China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian -- the official who previously suggested that the US army may have brought the virus into China -- rejected US media reports on the subject and said there is "no scientific basis. NEW YORK (AP) Bank of America is slashing the amount it charges customers when they spend more than they have in their accounts and plans to eliminate entirely its fees for bounced checks. WASHINGTON After an unexpected departure from the Trump administration in 2019, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner and Westport resident Scott Gottlieb has made a new name for himself as a coronavirus counselor for governors, Congress and the White House. Gov. Ned Lamont counts Gottlieb as a friend and speaks to him frequently, said Max Reiss, spokesman for Lamont. A former Stamford Hospital doctor and venture capitalist, Gottlieb is a member of an advisory panel helping direct the reopening of Connecticut. Hes also advised the governors of Maryland, Massachusetts and New Jersey on coronavirus response. Its not going to be an on-off switch, Gottlieb said Thursday in a podcast episode released by the American Enterprise Institute, where he is a resident fellow. This is going to be a gradual transition. Thats the thing that I think some policy makers havent fully built into some of the policy assumptions. In early January, Gottlieb began raising the alarm about the coronavirus outbreak in China. Since then, he has published several reports, written numerous op-eds and made countless television appearances to discuss the virus. He briefed some members of Congress about the virus on Monday, as well as March 10. Hes been really enormously helpful, said Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, who participated on a call with Gottlieb, earlier this week. Hes also counseled senior administration officials on COVID-19, including a meeting with President Donald Trump on March 11, the Washington Post reported. Rep. John Larson, D-2, highlighted Gottliebs work on a call between members of Congress and Trump Thursday, he said. The input that I provided was that we also have a great Connecticut resident in Scott Gottlieb who has really taken the lead in both putting out a plan and essentially, what theyre calling the three Ts of testing, tracking and treatment, Larson said. Gottlieb, a Republican, has written two reports outlining the path to reopening for the state and the nation. Containing the coronavirus requires widespread testing of people with COVID-19 symptoms and people in proximity to COVID-19 patients, along with widespread blood testing to identify community exposure and immunity, including among people who have been asymptomatic, Gottlieb wrote in a report published by Duke University last week. Other keys factors will be using contact tracing to alert people who have been near coronavirus patients and having facilities available where individuals can self-quarantine if the live in close quarters where isolation is not possible, the report states. The economy will reopen in phases with businesses, schools and gatherings slowly coming back online over time. This process can start 14 days after a state or region sees a substantial decline in new cases, Gottlieb said. These ideas are commonly held among public health experts and generally reflect tried-and-true infectious disease strategies. I think contact tracing could help us, said Sten Vermund, dean of the Yale School of Public Health. Another thing that could help us immensely is access to tens of thousands of test kits because were severely constrained... when we dont have the testing, we can only rely on the self-quarantine. Gottlieb served as commissioner of the FDA from 2017 to March 2019, when he left the administration to spend more time with his family, after his wife Allyson was hit by a car in Connecticut, he told CNBC. Gottlieb, 47, has three young daughters. He declined an interview for this story and did not answer questions emailed to him. As commissioner, he pushed to eliminate teenage vaping and ban menthol cigarettes a move that some conservative and tobacco groups opposed. Critics faulted Gottlieb for approving allowing a new potent opioid drug to go to market during the opioid crisis and rubberstamping medical devices approvals too quickly. Others praised his work to grow the medical device industry and track outbreaks of food-borne illnesses. Former FDA Commissioner Gottlieb is an accomplished public health expert, and it is heartening to know that he will be assisting the State of Connecticut and other northeastern states as we deal with the biggest health and economic crisis our country has ever seen, said Rep. Rosa Delauro, D-3, who chairs the congressional subcommittee that funds the FDA. We did not see eye-to-eye on every issue, but his leadership on FDAs efforts on food recall transparency, implementing menu labeling, and addressing the youth vaping epidemic is commendable. He made a positive impact on peoples lives through his work. Before becoming commissioner, he served in several other roles at the FDA, hopping back and forth between the private sector and the agency over many years. He now serves on the boards of the drug company Pfizer and health technology companies Illumina, Aetion and Tempus Inc. He worked as an internal medicine doctor at Stamford Hospital from 2007 to 2011. He graduated from Wesleyan University, where he studied economics, before attending Mount Sinai School of Medicine. emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson Updates related to COVID-19 and its effects on Albuquerque and the rest of NM. PICTURES UPDATES 8:40 p.m. Downtown Growers Market postponed, but pick-up option available Coronavirus concerns may have squashed normal operation of the Downtown Growers Market its on hold at Robinson Park until further notice but consumers can still get food from the farmers and other food producers who take part. Representatives on Friday said the market has launched a pre-order pick-up system. We are listing participating vendors on our website for customers to contact and place orders with directly, says a market news release. The market is then organizing a drop and pick-up time and location, currently Saturdays 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Fusion Theatre, Downtown (708 First NW). We ask that customers sign up for a pick-up time slot once they place orders to help keep things organized. The market says its still accepting EBT/SNAP. Those customers will pay at the pick-up. For more information on the changes, go to www.downtowngrowers.org. 7:52 p.m. Navajo COVID-19 cases reach 1,127 The Navajo Nation Health Command Center announced 85 new COVID-19 cases Friday, which brings the total COVID-19 cases on the Navajo Nation to 1,127. The Navajo Department of Health, Navajo Area Indian Health Service and Navajo Epidemiology Center also confirmed three additional COVID-19 deaths, and 3,673 total negative tests. There are now 44 COVID-19 deaths on the Navajo Nation. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, in a video roundtable discussion Friday with U.S. Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and tribal leaders, expressed frustration with the slow pace of federal dollars getting to Indian Country to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. It is upsetting to see how the voice of tribal governments has been ignored through this process, Nez said. Nez also said that 57% of all COVID-19 cases in the Indian Health Service network are on the Navajo Nation, but that has not been factored into the percentage of emergency funds allocated to tribal communities. On Friday, the New Mexico Community Foundation announced the Native American Relief Fund, which will collect donations to purchase protective equipment, food and water for Navajo, Apache and Pueblo communities of New Mexico. The fund was created in coordination with the Navajo and Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund and the Santa Fe Community Foundation. The Navajo Nation will be under a weekend curfew from 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. Restaurants and food vendors are closed. Grocery stores and gas stations may operate, but with limited hours and occupancy. According to a release, the Navajo Police Department issued more than 100 citations last weekend for residents who violated the curfew. Heres how to help. Theresa Davis 4:21 p.m. NM announces 7 new virus deaths, 115 more cases SANTA FE Seven more adults four in Bernalillo County died amid New Mexicos coronavirus outbreak, pushing the total to 51 deaths so far, state health officials Friday. Two of the Bernalillo County deaths were older adults who had been residents of La Vida Llena, a retirement community in Albuquerque. Attorney General Hector Balderas has accused La Vida Llena of failing to follow public health orders, an allegation the company disputes. Altogether Friday, state health officials said testing had confirmed 115 new cases of COVID-19 throughout New Mexico, pushing the statewide total to 1,711. More than half of the new cases announced Friday are in McKinley and San Juan counties, where an outbreak has hit the Navajo Nation. State officials say COVID-19 has been a factor in 51 deaths throughout the state so far. Among the seven deaths announced Friday, the victims ages ranged from their 40s to their 90s. All but two had underlying medical conditions. Ninety-six people are hospitalized with coronavirus symptoms in New Mexico, and 382 people are classified as having recovered. Dan McKay 3:58 p.m. Supreme Court extends suspension of jury trials through May The state Supreme Court has extended its suspension of jury trials in civil and criminals cases due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The suspension, initially until April 30, will now last until May 29, according to a press release. The Court believes it is prudent to continue the suspension of jury trials to help protect public health and control the spread of COVID-19, Chief Justice Judith K. Nakamura said in the release. The release states that other precautionary measures will be extended as well, including limiting the number of people visiting court houses, providing public health safeguards for those required at the court hours and requiring judges to conduct audio and video telconferencing for non-jury civil and criminal cases. Matt Reisen 3:00 p.m. Hot spots, internet available for families who need it Families who need internet for at-home schooling have new resources to make that happen. Albuquerque Public Schools is encouraging families to take advantage of Comcasts Internet Essentials that connects low-income families to internet access. According to Comcasts website, new Internet Essentials customers can get two free months if they apply by May 13. In a news release, the school district said that APS is using operational funds to pay for six months of Comcast Internet Essentials services for families that cant afford it. APS is also making hot spots available for families in rural or remote locations that arent in Comcasts network. -Shelby Perea 1:46 p.m. U.S. District Courthouse in Albuquerque closed The U.S. District Courthouse in Downtown Albuquerque was closed Thursday and Friday for cleaning after it was discovered that a court patron recently tested positive for COVID-19. There is no indication that the court staff came in contact with the person but several who were in the same area have been asked to self-quarantine for 14 days as a precautionary measure. The courthouse is being cleaned and disinfected following CDC guidance and General Services Administration protocols. The courthouse has been operating with minimal staff on site since March 16, 2020, when staff were authorized to telework from home. The courthouse was closed to the public on April 1, 2020. Mike Gallagher 7:55 a.m. Amid uncertainty, NM health officials turn to statistics The numbers are baffling. Thousands of people could die, one statistical model suggests, as the coronavirus tears through New Mexico in the next year. Another model, by contrast, estimates 155 deaths by this summer. Each projection, meanwhile, produces new figures almost daily. But even amid the uncertainty, scientists and state health officials say, the modeling is valuable. Like a hurricane forecast, it can help guide policymakers who have to decide now, not later, how to prepare. Read more >> Dan McKay 6:05 a.m. Navajo Nation creates official donation fund; restaurants to close over weekend 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 STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Borough President James Oddo and nine other Staten Island elected officials recently sent a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio asking to create a Nursing Home Task Force. Nursing homes are facing a bevy of critical problems for which they could never have been prepared, the letter reads. There are 10 such facilities on Staten Island, and, to one degree or another, all are suffering from an inability to cope effectively with this crisis. The letter was co-signed by State Sen. Andrew Lanza J. (R-Staten Island), State Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn), Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-East Shore/Brooklyn), Assemblyman Mike Reilly (R-South Shore), Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D-Mid-Island), Assemblyman Charles Fall (D-North Shore), Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore), Councilman Steven Matteo (R-Mid-Island) and Councilman Joseph Borelli (R-South Shore). We are suggesting that the creation of such a task force could be the difference between life and death for many of the residents of these facilities, the letter continues. Oddo is asking the Gov. Cuomo to create "a statewide task force that can have local affiliates in places like Staten Island. As of Thursday night, there have been 97 deaths at nursing homes and 20 at adult care facilities on Staten Island, for a total of 117 fatalities, according to data from the New York State Department of Health. Those fatalities represent 31.7% of the 369 confirmed coronavirus deaths in the borough -- the highest percentage in New York City overall. 70 Coronavirus in NYC: Photos show the fight against the pandemic It is more than a concern,'' Oddo said in a phone interview with the Advance/SILive.com. "Its frustration and anger, really, on the part of these facilities and the elected officials, that we are still chasing supplies, still chasing PPE. And weve known for a while now that these staffs have been devastated and theyre working around the clock. Overall, Staten Island has 10 nursing homes for a total of 3,206 beds, but not all of them are currently in use, according to Dr. Ginny Mantello, the boroughs health and wellness director. Additionally, 16.2% of the boroughs population is 65 and older -- the population considered most at risk for the coronavirus, the according to the U.S. 2018 census projection. These are the most vulnerable among us,'' Oddo said. "They deserve better. The fellow Staten Islanders and New Yorkers whose calling it is to work in these facilities deserve better and we are paying and they are paying a heavy price for us not being better prepared. A COORDINATED EFFORT FOR A BIGGER ISSUE Mantello explained that the spread of the coronavirus in nursing homes in not isolated to Staten Island. This is a global, citywide, statewide issue, and they dont have the equipment, they dont have the staffing, they dont have the ability to be able to take care of this very high risk, very vulnerable population, even though we knew that they could get very hard hit and that they are going to get very hard hit, Mantello said. Nursing homes need more testing so that their staffs can know exactly who is positive and who is not in order to isolate the patients who tested positive for COVID-19, both Mantello and Oddo agreed. Having a better understanding of who is positive and who is not in a nursing home would also help hospitals, as the patients could then stay isolated in the homes instead of being transported to local hospitals, they said. This has to be an effort where everybody is working closely together and in harmony in order for anybody to function well, Mantello said. The borough presidents office is working closely with the city health department in order to have the right tests come to Staten Island as, after a long back and forth, some of the emergency tests Oddo was almost able to get were stopped because they might not have been 100% reliable. We put everything on pause until we make sure we do it the right way because we never want to do it the wrong way, Mantello said. However, both Mantello and Oddo agreed that the city should have been working toward getting those tests at the very early stages of the spread of COVID-19. We should have been proactive and created some sort of a task force or somebody who could have focused on these issues," Mantello said. Dowling recovering at home after long hospital stay State Rep. Matthew Dowling has returned home after suffering a one-vehicle crash in October. Dowling represents parts of Somerset County. Ideally located at 4100 University Parkway, Watercrest Sarasota will be a signature Watercrest product, offering 72 independent living, 94 assisted living and 32 memory care apartments with resort-style service and world-class care. The architecture and design will boast a stunning promenade, fireplace, signature water wall, multiple dining options, pool, salon and spa, grand balconies, and Florida-style outdoor living spaces. Watercrest's uniquely designed Market Street Plaza will showcase an 'outdoor' streetscape with numerous LifeBUILT programming touches; a highlight and crucial element of their multi-sensory memory care programming. "Watercrest Sarasota invites seniors to enjoy an exceptional senior living experience in one of our nation's most beautiful settings," says Marc Vorkapich, Principal and CEO of Watercrest Senior Living Group. "We are blessed to collaborate with United Properties and Walker and Company in the culmination of this project as we prepare to welcome founding residents to their new home at Watercrest Sarasota." Watercrest Senior Living Group was founded in 2012 by Marc Vorkapich, CEO, and Joan Williams, CFO, to honor our mothers and fathers, aspiring to become a beacon for quality in senior living by surpassing standards of care, service and associate training. Watercrest senior living communities are recognized for their luxury aesthetic, exceptional amenities and world-class care, and their innovative memory care programming offers unparalleled service to seniors living with Alzheimer's and dementia. Watercrest Sarasota is the second senior living development project partnered between Watercrest and United Properties. Their first project, Watercrest Naples Assisted Living and Memory Care welcomed its founding residents earlier this year in Naples, FL. Founded in 1916 and based in Minneapolis, United Properties has developed nearly 200 projects totaling more than 20 million square feet and nearly $1 billion over the last 30 years, including 17 senior housing communities in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Denver and Naples markets, with five more under development. United Properties provides market expertise for ground-up development, redevelopment and acquisitions of value-add and stable investments. The company invests in and develops office, industrial, retail, mixed-use and senior housing properties. For information, visit www.uproperties.com. For community information, virtual tours or to place your reservation at Watercrest Sarasota, please contact Collin Baranick, Executive Director at 941-979-1396 or [email protected]. A certified Great Place to Work, Watercrest Senior Living Group specializes in the development and operations of assisted living and memory care communities and the growth of servant leaders. Visit www.watercrestseniorliving.com. SOURCE Watercrest Senior Living Group Related Links http://www.watercrestseniorliving.com The Tennessee Department of Human Services is announcing new child care assistance to support families that are serving the state in essential workforce positions. Through payment assistance and a network of temporary care locations, parents who work as essential employees can access child care at no cost during the COVID-19 pandemic state of emergency until June 15. The COVID-19 Essential Employee Child Care Payment Assistance program is designed to help support essential workers so they can stay on the job during the COVID-19 emergency. Applications for payment assistance will be accepted online throughout the state of emergency here. After an essential employee is approved for the program, TDHS will make arrangements to pay for child care at the TDHS licensed program where the child is currently served. For those parents whose children are not already receiving care at a licensed program, you can find a list of licensed child care agencies that are open and able to accept children of essential workers online on the TDHS website here. Once the child is enrolled at a TDHS licensed program and the essential employee is approved for payment assistance, TDHS will make arrangements to pay for that child care as well. TDHS is also partnering with the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Clubs in Tennessee to establish free child care for school aged children of essential workers. Through this partnership, the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs will establish a network of temporary/emergency child care locations across the state. Essential employees with school aged children who need care will be able to register at these locations and access care at no charge during the COVID-19 state of emergency. Parents seeking care at these temporary locations, do not need to apply with TDHS first. As they are established, a listing of YMCA and Boys & Girls Club temporary/emergency care locations will be available for the YMCA here and the Boys & Girls Clubs here. To be eligible for either program, parents must be employees of a healthcare entity, law enforcement, first responders (EMS, Fire Departments, etc.), corrections officers, military, activated national guard, human and social services workers, postal workers, transportation employees, restaurant workers or grocery workers. TDHS hopes to lessen the financial burden for these essential employees, whether they are using licensed child care or accessing a temporary child care location. Our first responders, medical professionals, and other essential workers who are continuing to serve citizens each day are the heartbeat of Tennessee right now, said TDHS Commissioner Danielle W. Barnes. We want to support these families the best we can and make sure that child care is accessible to them, so they can focus on their critical role is serving our communities. We know that essential workers are putting themselves on the frontlines every day to provide services that our community desperately needs during this time, said Jerry Martin, chair of the Tennessee State Alliance of YMCAs and President and CEO of the YMCA of Memphis and the MidSouth. This is just one way the YMCA is able to support families, making sure that essential workers can have peace of mind that their children are being cared for in a safe place. We are glad to be able to join with DHS in subsidizing this care to make it available at no charge. The Boys & Girls Clubs in Tennessee is proud to answer our states call to provide childcare for essential service employees in all three of Tennessee grand divisions, said Ryan Hughes executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs in Tennessee. Knowing firsthand what it means to have a spouse on the front lines I am proud that we can provide a safe place for youth to go during this time and receive innovative, high quality programs designed to empower youth to excel in school and lead healthy, productive lives. The COVID-19 Essential Employee Child Care Payment Assistance program and partnership with the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Clubs in Tennessee follows other moves TDHS has made to support child care needs during the pandemic emergency. Last month, TDHS began offering $10 million in grant assistance to licensed child care agencies to support financial losses and expenses created by the pandemic. The department also relaxed certain guidelines to allow organizations flexibility in delivering care under these unique circumstances while continuing to provide technical support to ensure the health and safety of the children. Funding for the COVID-19 Essential Employee Child Care Payment Assistance and other child care programs is provided through the federal Child Care Development Fund that provides funding to state programs that offer assistance to low-income families through subsidized child care, activities and services to improve the quality and availability of child care, and the regulation of child care agencies throughout the state. Learn more about the Tennessee Department of Human Services at www.tn.gov/humanservices. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California in front of the hospital ship Mercy, which arrived into the Port of Los Angeles on March 27. Carolyn Cole-Pool/Getty Gov. Gavin Newsom of California has announced an initiative to provide coronavirus relief funds to workers living in the US illegally. Roughly 150,000 such workers could get $500 each in support. Applications open next month, with the process meant to be handled by local nonprofits and not the government directly. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Unauthorized immigrants living in California are set to receive coronavirus-related financial aid, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday. The state's new $75 million Disaster Relief Fund will allow about 150,000 eligible adults in the state to receive $500 each, according to a statement from the governor. There will be a $1,000 cap per household, and people can begin applying for the aid next month, the statement said. This makes California the first state to offer financial support to unauthorized workers. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, an estimated 2.35 million to 2.6 million immigrants were living in California illegally in 2014. The Associated Press on Thursday quoted Newsom as saying that California received more than $2.5 billion in local and states taxes last year from the state's unauthorized workers. Immigrants living in the US illegally do not qualify for the $1,200 coronavirus relief checks that are part of the $2 trillion federal relief law known as the CARES Act. "California is the most diverse state in the nation," Newsom said in the statement. "Our diversity makes us stronger and more resilient. Every Californian, including our undocumented neighbors and friends, should know that California is here to support them during this crisis. We are all in this together." The money will be given to "regional nonprofits with expertise and experience serving undocumented communities," according to the statement. Advocates told the AP that workers without legal residency were unlikely to seek assistance from the government over fears they could be deported. Story continues The statement said organizations in the Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees network had pledged to raise an additional $50 million to financially support the families of unauthorized immigrants. "You need to use organizations that have trusted relationships with these families," Jacqueline Martinez, the CEO of the Latino Community Foundation, told the AP. The additional funds could help as many as 100,000 people assuming the same $500-a-person amount, though the AP said those funds were likely to be less restrictive, meaning the amounts could vary. "We want this to be as equitable as possible and benefit as many people as possible," Daranee Petsod, the president of Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, told the AP. Read the original article on Business Insider The yacht that anchored in Jackson Bay flew no flag of Registration or Country of Berth. In an otherwise wide-ranging interview on Saturday 10th April involving Dr. Jerrol Thompson, Special Projects Consultant for the SVG Government and Carlyle Douglas, host during the CTVIEW Saturday Show, Dr. Thompson expressed a view on the contents of a story carried in THE VINCENTIAN of Friday 3rd April. A recording of the Interview is available on Douglass Youtube and Facebook Platforms. The story reported on the mooring of a yacht in Jackson Bay, Layou, the presence of a Coast Guard Unit, the disembarkation of a couple (male and female) two persons, their traverse in Layou, their questioning by a uniformed police officer, the subsequent departure of the yacht. At the heart of the issue was the openness of our borders and whether certain places in Layou had been compromised, like the ATM at the BOSVG outlet, as was purportedly used by the couple from the yacht, and whether the police officer who spoke with the couple had been tested for the coronavirus. Dr. Thompson, using all his guile and skill, stopped short of admitting that the State might have erred by not commandeering the yacht, enforcing the 14-day quarantine for all occupants and even testing them. Notwithstanding Dr. Thompsons response, there was still an air of doubt among listeners. Were we compromised? If the yachties were of Chinese or African American descent, would the actions taken by our Police and Coast Guard be different? Are we desperately protecting our Tourism Industry even to our own demise? Another round of attempts was made to contact the Police Public Relations Department, but all efforts were futile as at press time. By John Revill and Silke Koltrowitz ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland said on Thursday it would let hairdressers, beauty salons and some other businesses reopen from April 27 to kick off a gradual relaxation of restrictions following a slowdown in new coronavirus infections. The announcement came the same day that the World Health Organization's regional director said European countries should move with extreme caution when considering easing lockdowns. But neighbouring Austria and Germany have begun their own tentative steps out of their shutdowns. Business groups have also been pressing the Swiss government to east restrictions to lessen the blow on the economy. Hospitals will be allowed to perform all procedures, even elective surgeries from April 27, and hairdressers, massage parlours and beauty salons will allowed to reopen, the government said in a statement. Most shops, schools and food markets will follow suit from May 11, it added. Currently, only grocery stores, chemists and other "essential" businesses are open. In a third stage, it said it would reopen vocational schools and universities from June 8. One stage would only move onto the next if there was no significant increase in COVID-19 cases, the government said. "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. That's why we ask people to stick to our social distancing and hygiene measures." Switzerland, which imposed its restrictions last month, has reported 26,732 infections and 1,017 deaths as of Thursday. But the rate of infections has slowed in recent days, after peaking at the end of March with nearly 1,500 new cases per day. The figure has slowed to around 200 daily. Swiss business groups welcomed the easing, although some said they would have liked the government to have gone further. Story continues "With today's decision, many companies and employees finally have a renewed vision of what's ahead," said Monika Ruehl, the CEO of business lobby economiesuisse. "However, we regret that the way out of the crisis outlined today will take such a long time." The country's export-reliant economy faces major challenges, despite a 62 billion Swiss franc ($64 billion) aid package, the largest in Swiss history. One scenario set out by government economists has shown the economy shrinking by 10% this year, which would be the deepest recession on record. Emergency loans have been extended to companies and the scheme which covers most of the wages of furloughed workers has been extended. "We have proven during the last weeks and days that together we are strong, despite these very difficult times," said Economic Affairs Minister Guy Parmelin said. "From today, we're planning a new future. Let's help each other, let's stay innovative, because together, we'll find solutions." (Reporting by John Revill, Silke Koltrowitz and John Miller, Editing by Michael Shields and Andrew Heavens) The state police from Koblenz issued a statement announcing that only goods and cross-border commuters were allowed to use the passage. Both crossings in Remich and Bollendorf are set to open again on Friday evening at 7pm. This news has been confirmed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean Asselborn. Tobias Hans, PM of the Saarland state, has shown great dedication in negotiating the reopening of further border crossings with the Grand Duchy and with France. Especially cross-border workers that commute on a a daily basis should be accommodated. Diplomatic communication has become increasingly difficult since the beginning of the outbreak however. The controls at borders are considered useful, since a high number of people are still being denied entry. Many of those attempting to cross the border are from France. This morning we reported that the border bridge in Remich is to reopen. While Texas State Parks will reopen on Monday as part of Gov. Gregg Abbott's plan to jump start the state's economy, visitors will only be allowed in during the day. Those hoping to utilize one of the state parks will have to make advance reservations and pay online, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Thats led to unusual situations, such as in DuPage County. County officials break out details on a Willowbrook home, the Chateau Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, which acknowledged its cases, but not of other homes. As of Thursday, besides the 10 deaths at the Willowbrook home, there were 31 additional deaths amid 188 additional cases at 25 other homes in the county. The 41 combined deaths at the Willowbrook and other nursing homes make up more than half of the 70 fatalities in the county. US President Donald Trump has started a debate over the impartiality of the World Health Organisation (WHO) accusing them of being too China-centric and hence, failing to stop novel coronavirus pandemic. Trump went on to stop the US funding to the WHO. AFP The US has been the biggest contributor to the World Health Organisation wallet, which has a budget of $ 6.2 billion. The WHO is funded by its members and other organisations. AFP According to the website of WHO, the US with 14.67 per cent of total contribution is the largest funding source for the United Nations health agency. The next contributors would be the big Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with 9.76 per cent and GAVI Alliance at 8.39 per cent. This Gavi Alliance is Geneva based public private partnership organisation to which Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gives a good contribution. Next up, The UK with 7.78 per cent and Germany with 5. 68 per cent are the only other country after the United States to make over 5 per cent of the total contribution to the WHO. The UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is the other one which makes over 5 per cent of the total contribution. Next is the World Bank with 3.42 per cent, the Rotary International with 3.3 per cent and the European Commission with 3.3 per cent and Japan stands at 2.7 per cent are among the others who make the major contribution to WHO finances. China, which is right now the center of the current epidemic contributes only 0.21 per cent of the total money flowing into global healthcare. Whereas, India contributes twice as much to WHO with 0.48 per cent and much closer with France which stands at 0.5 per cent. However, it is interesting to see that even Pakistan contributes 0.36 per cent to the World Health Organisation which is more than China. There are different ways in which the WHO gets its fund. Voluntary contributions are the biggest category of funding that the WHO receives, from almost 80 per cent of all contributions. The voluntary contributions which are made by the member states currently WHO has 194 and NGOs. These funds come in two different categories- core voluntary contributions and specified voluntary contributions. Core contributions give the WHO flexibility to use the money according to its need and necessities. Specified contributions are subjected only to a specified purpose or cause. Another category of funding is assessed contributions. These can be considered as membership fees. Being a member of the World Health Organisation doesnt come free. The WHO assesses fees from each member country depending on its financial health and population. For the bigger part The United States here contributes almost 15 per cent of the total contribution and the second largest comes from the UK. 17 per cent of the total contribution is of the assessed contribution or WHO memberships fee accounts. The pandemic Influenza preparedness - PIP contributions make up about 3 per cent of total WHO funds. The stated goal made in 2011 was "to improve and strengthen the sharing of influenza viruses with human pandemic potential". CHEOPS space telescope ready for scientific operation 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. 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. 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 Jupiter - the biggest planet in our solar system - is 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. ### This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. [April 17, 2020] Arlo Announces Initiative To Help Provide Meals For Communities Sheltering At Home Through Second Harvest Food Bank Donations SAN JOSE, Calif., April 17, 2020 /CNW/ -- Arlo Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ARLO) today announced a campaign to help provide meals for vulnerable communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through financial contributions to two Second Harvest Food Banks. Over the course of the 90-day campaign, Arlo hopes to help provide thousands of meals to those in need. With each purchase of an Arlo Video Doorbell, or any Ultra or Pro 3 Security System, Arlo will help to provide 25 meals through Second Harvest of Silicon Valley and Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. This program is in addition to Arlo's donations of urgently-needed N95 medical masks to local hospitals in the San Jose, Calif. and Cork, Ireland areas where Arlo is headquartered: Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (San Jose, Calif.), Marymount University Hospital and Hospice (Cork, Ireland) and Ballally Primary Care Center (Dublin, Ireland). "Our first area of focus with regards to COVID-19 has been to help protect first responders by donating urgently-needed N95 masks to local hospitals," said Matt McRae, CEO of Arlo Technologies. "But it quickly became clear to us that the unfolding tragedy also has a severe second-order impact on the ability for people to satisfy their most basic needs including food. The campaign benefitting Second Harvest Food Banks, together with the Arlo community, will support the critical safety net of meals for those who can't get food for their families." Founded in 1974, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is one of the largest food banks in the nation, providing food to more than a quarter of a million people in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties every month. Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County has distributed more than 446 million pounds, or the equivalent of 379 million meals, to a network of community and program partners like church and school pantries, senior centers, Boys and Girls Clubs, Kids Cafes, and shelters for abused women and children since its inception in 1983. "Second Harvet Food Bank of Orange County is so grateful to Arlo Technologies for their support of our mission to end hunger, especially now as we work to meet the increased needs of our community due to the negative economic impacts of COVID-19," said Barbara Wartman, Director of Marketing and Public Relations. Arlo Video Doorbells and Security Systems are being utilized as people shelter-in-place for checking in on loved ones, small business security, safety notifications, and to facilitate contact-free deliveries of supplies and meals. This effort is another expression of the company's primary mission, to provide security and protection in our communities. If you're interested in learning more about Arlo and its efforts to shelter and protect communities, please visit www.arlo.com. To learn more about how Second Harvest Food Banks in Silicon Valley and Orange County are building a hunger-free community, visit www.shfb.org or www.feedoc.com. About Arlo Technologies, Inc. Arlo is the award-winning, industry leader that is transforming the way people experience the connected lifestyle. Arlo's deep expertise in product design, wireless connectivity, cloud infrastructure and cutting-edge AI capabilities focuses on delivering a seamless, smart home experience for Arlo users that is easy to setup and interact with every day. The company's cloud-based platform provides users with visibility, insight and a powerful means to help protect and connect in real-time with the people and things that matter most, from any location with a Wi-Fi or a cellular connection. To date, Arlo has launched several categories of award-winning smart connected devices, including wire-free smart Wi-Fi and LTE-enabled cameras, audio and video doorbells, advanced baby monitors and smart security lights. About Second Harvest of Silicon Valley Founded in 1974, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is a trusted leader in ending local hunger and is one of the largest food banks in the nation. The organization distributes healthy groceries through a network of 310 partners at 1,000 sites in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Due to the prohibitively expensive cost of living in Silicon Valley, hunger is at an all-time high as more and more families are forced to sacrifice nutritious food for housing. Second Harvest is helping to keep people healthy by providing enough nutritious food for more than 58 million meals a year half of which is fresh produce. Second Harvest also connects people to federal nutrition programs and other food resources, and advocates for anti-hunger policies on the local, state 3 and national levels. To learn more about how Second Harvest is building a hunger-free community, visit shfb.org. About Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County is leading the fight to end hunger for more than 290,000 men, women and children at risk of hunger in our community. Second Harvest distributes donated, purchased and prepared foods through a network community and program partners in all 34 cities in Orange County. Last year, Second Harvest provided enough food for a record 26.5 million meals, feeding more than 250,000 people each month. Every dollar donated to Second Harvest helps provide food for three meals. Second Harvest is a member of Feeding America, a national hunger relief organization. For more information about our work and how you can help, visit FeedOC.org View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/arlo-announces-initiative-to-help-provide-meals-for-communities-sheltering-at-home-through-second-harvest-food-bank-donations-301042565.html SOURCE Arlo Technologies, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Johnny Depp has finally joined Instagram, and immediately posted a lengthy video addressed to his fans. The 56-year-old actor made the 8 minute and 16 second long post on Thursday morning, and used it to address the coronavirus pandemic, as well as to seemingly hint at his long-running conflict with ex Amber Heard. 'On a more personal note, thank you all for your kindness, your unwavering support and your strength over these years,' said the Pirates of the Caribbean actor towards the end of the video. Dipping his toe: Johnny Depp has finally joined Instagram, and immediately posted a lengthy video addressed to his fans The message began with Depp acknowledging it was his first foray into social media. 'I don't think I've really ever felt any particular reason to [join social media] until now,' said the Black Mass star. But, he said, 'now is the time to open up a dialogue, as the threat of this invisible enemy has already caused immeasurable tragedies and damage to people's lives.' He then implored his followers to 'care for one another' throughout the pandemic. Covering a lot of ground: The 56-year-old actor made the 8 minute and 16 second long post on Thursday morning, and used it to address the coronavirus pandemic, as well as to seemingly hint at his long-running conflict with ex Amber Heard Subtle dig? 'On a more personal note, thank you all for your kindness, your unwavering support and your strength over these years,' said the Pirates of the Caribbean actor towards the end of the video Later, the Edward Scissorhands actor plugged his new song, recorded with the Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck. The Hollywood star and the English rocker put out a cover of John Lennon's Isolation - coincidentally recorded months before the coronavirus ever hit. 'Lennon's prophetic words are pure poetry,' said the Hollywood Vampires musician. Lennon recorded the original track -which appeared on his first solo album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band- in 1970. Heated: Depp seemed to refer to his long running conflict with ex wife Heard in the video. The couple seen here in 2016 Meanwhile, Pirates Of The Caribbean actor Lee Arenberg says a sixth movie is 'definitely' being discussed. The 57-year-old star - who played bumbling pirate Pintel in the original trilogy - has not been involved in the franchise since 2007's At World's End, but he suggested a new film is on the horizon. 'They're definitely talking about it, as far as I know,' he told Kendall Talks TV about a sixth Pirates. Back for more! Pirates Of The Caribbean actor Lee Arenberg says a sixth movie is 'definitely' being discussed after talk Johnny Depp will reprise his role as Jack Sparrow (seen in 2003) It's unclear whether the new installment will be another sequel or a reboot of the original franchise - which starred Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow - but last year, Disney brought Ted Elliot and Craig Mazin on board. Elliot co-wrote the first three films in the seafaring saga, while Mazin created Chernobyl. While details are being kept under wraps, Arenberg - whose character formed a double act with Mackenzie Crook's alter ego Ragetti - would be up for a comeback, if the opportunity arose. He added: 'I mean yeah, of course, obviously. But they've already done two without us [laughs]. He said there is interest: While details are being kept under wraps, Arenberg - whose character formed a double act with Mackenzie Crook's alter ego Ragetti - would be up for a comeback, if the opportunity arose. Seen in At World's End in 2007 The originals: Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Depp on Pirates Of The Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest in 2006 'I love it, though, I love that part. But it's not up to me.' The highly anticipated sixth film in the swashbuckling saga follows 2015's Dead Men Tell No Tales, and Stuart Beattie - who served as a screenwriter on the first film Curse of the Black Pearl - previously suggested the studio was looking to the future. He said: 'I think [Depp's] had a great run. Obviously he's made that character his own and it's become the thing that he's most famous for now. 'It's been great for him and it's been great for us... There's that saying, 'Don't frown because it's over, smile because it happened'. 'The fact that they're rebooting something that you did means that you did something that was worth rebooting. It's an honour.' The cast: Depp with Keira Knightley, Jonathan Pryce, Jack Davenport on Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl The sixth part of Pirates of the Caribbean 6 will be directed by Joachim Ronning, who had also helmed the previous part of the franchise. Disney has hired Ted Elliot and Craig Mazin to write a treatment for the 6th Pirates of the Caribbean movie. The release date of Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is still not announced but there are reports that the next sequel could come out in late 2021. His pal: One of the Pirates films starred Johnny's longtime friend Penelope Cruz and now producers are looking for a new female lead, it has been claimed; seen in 2011 In early March, it was claimed Depp may be reprising his role as the beloved Captain Jack Sparrow. Due to recent 'revelations' made in the court case between Depp and ex wife Amber Heard, Disney executive have allegedly been 'lobbying' for the 56-year-old actor's return, We Got This Covered reported. Back in 2016, it was rumored that Disney purposely attempted to 'distance' themselves from Depp when abuse allegations made by Heard were made public. Pictures of Heard's face adorned with bruises, which she claimed were caused by Depp throwing his phone at her, were later published. Depp denied the claims, but Heard received a $5 million payout from the actor upon signing a non-disclosure agreement, as part of the couple's divorce settlement. 'The recent turn of events in Depps legal battle and the overwhelming support from the public in his favor has some of the Mouse House executives now lobbying for his return behind the scenes,' wrote We Got This Covered. The couple met in 2011 when they co-starred in the movie The Rum Diary and were married in 2015. Depp first portrayed the iconic role back in 2003 in Disney's Pirates Of The Carribean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl. He would go on to reprise the role in four Pirates films that followed. There are no present details regarding the script's plot, but the report claimed that Disney is currently looking to make the film female led. Which means Depp's character will play 'more of a supporting role' in the highly anticipated film. 'The situation is so bad that they are now sleeping on bridges or footpaths.' 'Therefore, they want to go and die before their parents or wife in case they get infected with COVID-19.' 'Workers don't want to die a dog's death in cities.' IMAGE: Migrant workers gather outside the Bandra railway station in north west Mumbai on April 14 to demand that they be allowed to leave for their villages after Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi announced the extension of the national lockdown till May 3. Photograph: PTI Photo Shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi extended the lockdown to May 3 in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus, television channels across the country beamed visuals of a sea of migrant workers congregating at Mumbai's Bandra railway station, demanding that they be sent home. Elsewhere in the country, too, migrant labourers have been undertaking arduous and dangerous treks back to their villages, hoping to be with their families. While some have applauded the prime minister for taking tough decisions despite the economic and social consequences, others believe Modi and his government have failed India's poor. One of them is All India Trade Union Congress General Secretary Amarjeet Kaur who has been scathing in her criticism of Modi. "The migrants are all alone and the anxiety is building. They had hoped that PM Modi would give them some relief on April 14, but that did not happen," Kaur tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com. Why are migrant labourers coming out on to the streets in large numbers and so eager to return home? Why don't they understand that social distancing is the need of the hour for every Indian? Out of the 54 crore (540 million) labour force in India, 40 crore (400 million) of them are unprotected as they do not have any safety net or social security. Only 14 crore (140 million) work force of India is under the cover of social security. These 14 crore workers are in established public sector units, private sector units or established factories where social security is covered. Now out of the the other 40 crore, we have 10 crore (100 million) of them who are inter-state migrant work force. Another 10 crore of them migrate inter-district within the same state. In this category, some of them come to cities for casual work -- for example, driving an autorickshaw. They go back to their villages for agricultural activities (at the time of the harvest or sowing). Many of them have families behind in villages. They are youngsters or middle-aged. They come to the cities to earn and go back. Now as soon as the lockdown happened, they lost their work. Those living within factory premises were told to go home by their owners. So many of them left for villages and those who got stuck want to leave now. The middle class point of view seems to be that the labourers are ill-informed about COVID-19, social distancing and covering their faces or they don't consider these means as necessary. They know it. We underestimate (the knowledge of) poor people. In a room which measures six feet, how do five people who reside there practise social distancing? If there are two toilets for 200 people in the slums, where is the hygiene? Now they cannot afford sanitisation in these circumstances. For 21 days they had no work and now they are running out of food too. What about the Pradhan Manti Jan Dhan accounts? Didn't these workers get money in their bank accounts? Their wives got money (Rs 500 per month) in the account and here the workers are sitting in cities. They are all alone and anxiety is building up. They had hoped that PM Modi would give some relief to them on April 14, but that did not happen. Even ration goes to the family back at home on the APL (Above Poverty Line) card and BPL (Below Poverty Line) card. Moreover, six lakh (600,000) Indians came from abroad between December 19 and March 2020. Till February 2020 the government did not do any screening or did any quarantine. Rich Indians imported COVID-19 and the blame is now on the Tablighis and workers. First the godi (a pejorative used for pro-government media) media blamed the Tablighi Jamat. Now they are blaming the workers for spreading COVID-19. What is the one major concern of migrant workers now? They want to go back to their families. Workers know social distancing is not possible in slums. See those slums in Bandra and you will find there is no place for workers to sleep in those small rooms. The situation is so bad that they are now sleeping on bridges or footpaths. Therefore, they want to go and die before their parents or wife in case they get infected with COVID-19. Workers don't want to die a dog's death in cities. They know nobody will touch their dead bodies in the cities if they die due to COVID-19. Workers are seeing that even rich and middle-class families are unable to bury their loved ones and they are wondering what will happen to them if they die on the pavements. What about laws like the Unorganised Social Security Act 2008? Does it not help workers in such times? We have the construction workers board separately, but only those workers, who are registered, receive their benefits. The same thing happens with beedi workers as only registered workers get benefit out of the welfare fund which is with welfare boards. As far as hawkers and vendors are concerned, a law was made for them, but that law has not been put into practice. All these people do not have any social security to depend on. ESIC (Employees State Insurance Corporation) hospitals are meant for workers who work in factories, but those factories have to be registered and must have 20 employees. Now most factory owners work with only 18 employees as they do not want to pass on the benefits of ESIC to their workers. Factory owners find ways to manipulate the law by hiring two less people than 20 and don't give the benefit to workers. What about the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act 1979. which talks about home journey allowance from owners? Is this Act not being followed? Nothing is happening. At the grass root level, the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act practically is zero. We have been told that there has to be an MoU between states like they have between Odisha and Andhra. In practicality, what happens? A worker from Andhra Pradesh dies in Odisha, but gets no protection from the Odisha government and vice versa. On paper, there are many good things for workers, but in the real world nothing happens. What did workers expect from Modi's speech? Did you feel anything was missing in his speech? There was no healing touch for workers in Modi's speech. He should have said that for those who are hungry, the Food Corporation of India would open its gates. Modi should have said that no state government will have a shortage of ration items. But the chief ministers of different states are assuring workers of food and ration. Then, why should the PM say it? Here, state governments are asking for more food and the central government is not giving them more food grain. The central government supplies food grains as per only BPL and APL cards (registered numbers) to respective states. Are we sitting on a migrant tinder box? We are going to face a very bad situation. The working class will be used as an excuse if the pandemic spreads. Secondly, if hunger grows like this, a fear psychosis will grip workers as they will be scared to come back to the cities to work again. Thirdly, the rural economy was in a bad shape because of which workers were running to cities for livelihood. Now the government must concentrate on the rural level so that the well-being of workers in rural areas can be taken care of. You are critical of the central government and not blaming state governments at all. Don't you think they too need to be blamed for creating the migrant worker crisis as they did not provide them with relief and shelter? Yes, of course. What I am saying is that the central government did not give enough time to the state governments. The state governments are rather saying that they do not want their workers back in their respective states. Like Nitish Kumar did not rescue Bihari workers who wanted to come back to Bihar. There is a policy flaw by state governments too. But there are good examples like Kerala which has managed this crisis very well. Are labourers hoping that the factories will reopen soon? It will be not be so easy. In Punjab, during harvesting time now, the lockdown is going on. It will be very difficult to get workers in cities of India for some time now. This will be bad for the Indian economy. Modi did not give enough time to workers before the lockdown. He took them for granted. When Modi could send planes for NRIs, why not trains for workers? A Massachusetts judge did not reverse an order by Gov. Charlie Baker that halts recreational marijuana sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the judge did say he sees a clear path to how those pot stores could open with safety in mind. Baker could limit sales of recreational marijuana to just Massachusetts residents, Justice Kenneth W. Salinger wrote in a ruling. Even with the judges suggestion, it does not seem likely those stores will be able to follow that path. A group of recreational pot shops and an advocate launched a lawsuit against the governor last week in an effort to be considered essential business during the pandemic, arguing that Baker allowing medical marijuana centers and liquor stores to operate, but not adult-use businesses, was unconstitutional. In a ruling issued Thursday, Salinger wrote that Baker was acting constitutionally. But, Salinger offered a glimmer of hope for recreational businesses, writing that there did seem to be an avenue for the shops to open. 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 safety for 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. As of Friday morning, it seems unlikely that path will open. Asked if Baker may consider ways for recreational shops to open with safety in mind, the governors office offered a statement on the judges ruling as a whole. The Administration issued a list of essential services based on federal guidance and tailored to Massachusetts unique economy, and agrees with the courts ruling, the statement said. The governors office did not respond specifically to the judges suggestion that stores could open without harming public health. In responding to critics over the halt of recreational marijuana sales, Baker has argued that pot shops draw in customers from bordering states where marijuana is not legal, which could potentially spread COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Salingers ruilng indicates Baker could restrict recreational marijuana sales to Massachusetts residents only. And the Court assumes, without deciding, that to help abate the coronavirus emergency the Governor could lawfully restrict sales of non-medical marijuana to Massachusetts residents, without violating the so-called dormant Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, the ruling reads. Adam Fine of Vicente Sederberg LLP, co-counsel for the plaintiffs, said in a statement that he hopes the governor will consider a temporary ban on sales to customers who do not live in Massachusetts. The court rejected Gov. Bakers stated rationale for closing these establishments by declaring he could lawfully limit adult-use cannabis sales to Massachusetts residents. As the plaintiffs in this case review their legal options, we hope the governor will follow his legal option to re-open adult-use cannabis stores with a temporary ban on sales to non-residents," the statement read. That sentiment was echoed by other members of the states marijuana community. While the ruling, which confirmed Gov. Bakers executive authority, was expected, we are encouraged by the judges acknowledgment that the cannabis industry has several tools at its disposal which would allow adult-use cannabis shops to reopen without harming public health or safety including limiting sales to Mass. residents, reserve ahead ordering and curbside pickup," read a statement from the Commonwealth Dispensary Association. The CDA maintains that our industry is well suited to operate in this environment due to the regulations we are held to and we should be allowed to resume," the statement continued. "We look forward to continuing the conversation with the Administration around reopening adult-use shops. The lawsuit 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. A major contention of the lawsuit was that people who use marijuana as medicine have relied on the recreational market. A spike in patient registrations as recreational stores closed supports that argument. Though the court saw an avenue for recreational stores to open, Salingers ruling notes that the governor is not obligated to take such measures. Nonetheless, the Governor was not legally required to implement a different alternative or ensure that his emergency closure orders impose the smallest possible economic burden on adult-use marijuana establishments, the ruling read. The Governor had to craft and issue these orders in rush in order to help protect the people of Massachusetts from a virulent pandemic. Since the choice made by the Governor was constitutional, the Court may not second-guess it. Earlier this month, the chairman of the state Cannabis Control Commission while speaking virtually with reporters following a commission meeting, said he did think the industry would be able to operate safely if the governor were to allow adult-use stores to open. I hope that the way we have worked with the medical marijuana industry over the last few weeks is proof of that. That we are willing and able to work collaboratively with the industry, issue administrative orders when necessary, be creative as we were with curbside delivery to ensure that the industry, if the governor were to choose to allow it to open, would be able to operate safely, said CCC Chairman Steven Hoffman. Bakers order leaves non-essential businesses closed through at least May 4. Related Content: Voters are again called to the polls this Sunday, April 19, for the second round of legislative elections. The authorities have decided to maintain the date of this electoral deadline despite strong protests and the coronavirus pandemic. On Sunday 19 April, Malians will be called to the polls again. A second round will be organized under the same conditions as the first one when the country is hit by the Covid-19 and the security situation has not improved. The first round turnout was very low as only 37 per cent of voters made it to the ballot stations. The lowest turnout was recorded in the capital, around 10%, which contrasts with the very high rates of over 80% in some regions of northern Mali. The elections will therefore be held this Sunday despite the kidnapping of Soumaila Cisse, the opposition leader who began his 21st day in captivity on Tuesday and an upsurge in violence in the north and center of the country. In a statement, the SDF (Front pour la Sauvegarde de la Democratie), close to the opposition, said that no election of deputies is possible when it cannot be held throughout the national territory. Also the debate around the holding of this Sundays legislative elections is taking place at a time when Mali has recorded Thursday 23 new cases bringing the total of infected people to 171 since the outbreak of the epidemic in Mali on March 25. For the first round, held on March 29, the government had given health instructions to voters that were not always respected. Egypt's medical syndicate has called on Health Minister Hala Zayed to include doctors in the categories covered in the latest coronavirus preventative measures, especially those measures related to paid time off. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly issued a decision granting some public workers exceptional paid leave, to reduce the number of public servants at workplaces as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the pandemic. The decision includes employees who suffer from chronic diseases, those who are pregnant, and those who are caring for a child under the age of 12. Those who work in vital facilities including hospitals are excluded. The syndicate emphasised the importance of granting days off to high-risk groups such as those with chronic diseases and pregnant women, and mothers who care for children under 12 years old, according to a letter sent to the minister on Thursday. The syndicate complained that many workplaces have refused to grant exceptional leaves to doctors with chronic diseases, which could increase the probability of illness transmission among medical staff and their families. Health care workers make up around 13 percent of the confirmed coronavirus cases in the country, according to the WHO's representative in Egypt, John Jabbour. The syndicate also criticised the "intransigence" of some of the health ministry's institutions in approving the requests for normal, "obligatory" vacations like parental leave. Kareem Mosbah, a member of the syndicate board, told Ahram Online that the decision should be amended to cover doctors. "Doctors, like all other groups, need days off to handle their recent circumstances, especially after suspending schools nationwide, he said. Their families need them female doctors at least should be given the exceptional vacation," he added. Mosbah pointed to the increased work pressure at health ministry hospitals, especially referral and isolation hospitals, amid the pandemic, adding that the situation requires the stress on medical staff be eased. Egypt has recorded 2,673 coronavirus cases and 196 deaths so far. Search Keywords: Short link: Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) agreed on a way forward in the Communitys battle against the COVID-19 Pandemic at a Special Emergency Meeting on Wednesday, via video conference. The Leaders received presentations from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the University of the West Indies (UWI), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and Archbishop Jason Gordon. Dr Joy St John, Executive Director of CARPHA, indicated that the Region had done fairly well in its response to the pandemic which was a direct result of the early implementation of measures which helped to contain the virus. She recommended a co-ordinated approach as the Region prepares for the next phase of the virus. The CDB presented the economic implications for the Community of the pandemic and ideas for stimulating economic activity in going forward. The UWI researchers included projections for the future of the virus in the Region in their presentation, while Archbishop Gordon spoke to the social impact of the COVID-19 as well as ideas to alleviate those challenges. Heads of Government agreed on a collective approach to the International Financial Institutions in accessing assistance to meet the financial fiscal challenges arising from the crisis. They urged that the criterion of GDP per capita not be the sole consideration in assessing the needs of the Community and that an understanding of each countrys vulnerability is a far better measurement to determine need especially as we face multiple challenges. They agreed that additional technical work would be undertaken in specific areas to be presented for their consideration at another meeting within two weeks. This would be presented after the relevant ministerial councils would have reviewed the proposals. Proposals on a Common Public Health policy would first be presented to the Ministers of Health. This would include proposals for joint procurement, including of pharmaceuticals and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sourcing of additional medical personnel. The joint procurement would assist in addressing supply constraints being experienced. There would also be consideration of a proposal for a protocol on re-opening borders which all Member States would adhere to at the same time when such a decision is taken. Issues related to Food Security would be considered in the context of the CARICOM COVID-19 Agri-Food Risk Management Framework which has been circulated to Member States following a meeting of Ministers of Agriculture last month. This would address in particular the production and supply of food products. The transportation of people and goods by air and sea inter-regionally would also come under scrutiny with particular reference to the operations of the regional air carriers which have been adversely affected by the measures adopted to contain the virus. Proposals would also be formulated for building a robust digital architecture, including governance, to facilitate digital commerce and to assist in the fight against the virus. The Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE), which met last Wednesday 8 April, has been considering the threats to security during the course of the pandemic. Their recommendations would also come before the Heads of Government. Heads of Government called for the lifting of sanctions on Cuba and Venezuela on humanitarian grounds as all countries must be part of the global effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Heads of Government were of the view that it was regrettable that resources for the World Health Organisation were being threatened at a time when all must join in leading the fight against the pandemic. All fifteen (15) Member States and the five (5) Associate Members were represented at the Meeting. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr.16 By Azer Ahmadbayli - Trend: After the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011, many countries, especially in Europe, decided to reconsider their attitude to nuclear energy. In Germany, for example, it was decided to close all nuclear power plants by 2022, Belgium planned to shut down its reactors by 2025, and Spain intended to do this by 2028. Along with that, the opposite is observed in the Middle East. More and more countries, including those with large reserves of fossil fuels, show interest in the use of nuclear energy. Each country has its own reasons and motives either for using nuclear power or abandoning it. However, disruptions created by the COVID-19 pandemic have made some adjustments to the issue and prompt to re-evaluate the use of nuclear energy. Today, mainly as a result of the halt of activities at factories and industrial enterprises, the demand for electricity in many countries has significantly decreased from 10 to 20 percent on average. The consequences of the falling demand can be well seen in the oil sector: prices have collapsed, storage terminals are almost overflowed, some American companies, extracting shale oil, have begun to close down, and the war for markets is ongoing. The similar applies to gas. According to the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih Birol, Today, most gas power plants lose money if theyare used only from time to time to help the system adjust to shifts in demand. The lower levels of electricity demand during the current crisis are adding to these pressures. In addition to the vulnerability of fossil fuels to low demand, the situation may also be exacerbated by an oversupply of renewable energy sources. If electricity demand falls quickly while weather conditions remain the same, the share of variable renewables like wind and solar can become higher than normal. A very high share of wind and solar in a given moment also makes the maintenance of grid stability more challenging, Mr. Birol believes. Today, when supply-demand balancing is being carried out in real time with the aim of providing secure electricity supplies, nuclear power demonstrates that it has certain advantages in times of significant abundance of power generation capacity. As noted by World Nuclear Association in its release titled COVID-19 Coronavirus and Nuclear Energy, nuclear generation has two characteristics that will assist in maintaining supplies. Firstly, in most reactors, fuel assemblies are used for around three years. There is therefore greater security of supply than for fossil fuel plants, which require a constant feed of coal or gas. Reloads of fuel take place every 12-18 months, and operating companies are developing strategies to focus on refueling during outages to reduce the number of staff required. Secondly, nuclear reactors operate with high capacity factors, providing a more reliable, constant supply than some intermittent renewables, such as wind and solar. To quote Mr. Birol again: Firm capacity, including nuclear power in countries that have chosen to retain it as an option, is a crucial element in ensuring a secure electricity supply. Along with that, nuclear power demonstrates its effectiveness in saving resources and finances during a major disaster, thanks to which attitude towards it may change again after a decade of suspiciousness. A woman IAS officer was transferred after a former Congress MLA accused her of resorting to highhandedness in dealing with public in Rajasthans Chittorgarh district. In his complaint lodged with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, former Congress MLA Surendra Singh Jadavat also alleged that Chittorgarh SDM Tejasvi Rana also snatched currency notes from vendors in the mandi and tore them. A sitting ruling party MLA, going to Circuit House in a vehicle, too was stopped by her and his driver was fined by police on her directions for not carrying licence. Rana, a 2017-batch IAS officer, was transferred after some videos, purportedly showing her snatching registers from traders in a mandi and throwing them besides pushing a table while enforcing lockdown on Tuesday, surfaced on social media. The officer reached mandi and misbehaved with vendors there on Tuesday. It was the time when the district administration had already announced a relaxation for four hours. There was no crowd on shops and the traders were sitting idele but the officer aggressively accosted them, threw their registers after snatching them from the shopkeepers, Jadavat alleged. The IAS officer's acts were got captured in CCTV cameras installed in shops and the videos got viral. At one shop, the vendor was counting currency notes. She snatched the notes and tore them up. This is a crime, he alleged. Her behaviour was insensitive and objectionable. Her highhandedness created resentment among traders and I complained to the chief minister about it the same day, Jadavat said. Jadavat also alleged that the officer also tore lockdown passes of two persons during checking on road. She conducted checking on roads and tore lockdown passes of two persons who were returning after distributing ration to the needy. This was the peak of highhandedness, he said. On the same day, the SDM stopped the vehicle carrying Congress MLA Rajendra Singh Bidhuri near Apsara cinema in the city and directed police to fine the driver for not carrying his licence. The MLA was going to the Circuit House, and when his vehicle was stopped and sent to the police station, he went to the Circuit House in another vehicle. As per the SDM's direction, the driver and the vehicle were sent to the police station where the driver was fined, a police official said. Bidhuri said he has no issue with the police action as the officers were doing their jobs. My vehicle was stopped by the SDM and police. They were doing their job and I have no problem with that. It was just a petty matter, he said, adding, he has no role in her transfer. The incidents occurred on Tuesday and her transfer order was issued on Wednesday night. However, no reason for the transfer was mentioned in the order. When contacted, Rana, who was transferred to Jaipur on the post of joint CEO- state health assurance agency, refused to comment on the matters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Professor Charles Swanton, who heads the Francis Crick Institute, argued healthcare workers are spreading the disease 'right in front of our eyes' Healthcare workers should be screened for coronavirus every week to protect patients from asymptomatic infection, a leading expert has said. Professor Charles Swanton, who works at the Francis Crick Institute, argued one of the main routes of transmission - in hospitals - is 'right in front of our eyes'. Hospitals are believed to be a hotbed of virus transmission, which may be driving new cases across the UK. It could also be putting people visiting hospital for non-coronavirus reasons, such as for a heart attack, stroke, or cancer treatment, at risk of becoming infected. But medics may have no idea they are spreading the virus because they don't show the tell-tale symptoms of a persistent cough or fever. Evidence is starting to show transmission from asymptomatic patients accounts for between 40 to 80 per cent of COVID-19 cases. And yesterday, a study from China showed those carrying the killer infection were most contagious to others two days before symptoms appeared. It comes as it was revealed last night that a pilot is starting this week of home swab test kits that will be delivered by Amazon, starting with key workers. Pictured: Medical staff wear PPE as they prepare to store samples after testing a NHS worker at a drive through at Hopwood Hall College in Rochdale, Greater Manchester 'For all our fuss about social distancing we're ignoring one of the main routes of infection in front of our eyes,' Professor Swanton told The Guardian. 'It's almost untenable to argue you shouldn't be screening and isolating healthcare workers.' Currently NHS workers can get a swab test if they have symptoms and are referred. Some 23,740 key workers and their family members have been tested so far. A third (7,900) have come back positive - and that's only those who are presenting with symptoms. The Francis Crick Institute is set to trial a screening programme for health workers to see how many are positive but without symptoms. The pilot study using staff at University College London Hospital will start next week, but the approach has not been explicitly endorsed by the government. AMAZON TO DELIVER TESTS TO NHS WORKERS A pilot is starting this week of home test kits that will be delivered by Amazon, as reported by The Times. The online retail behemoth will send swabs to people's homes and tell them to take a sample from their throats an hour before they are picked up again. The results of the test will then be sent by text message. It is understood the pilot scheme will begin with key workers. This would be a different test to unsuccessful attempt to get a home antibody test, which would show people who have recovered from the virus. Healthcare and union sources expressed concerns that self-isolating NHS workers are not receiving the invites they need to visit drive-through testing sites. They told MailOnline 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. Advertisement The institute's testing lab is already helping Public Health England with analysing swabs. But it claims to have the capacity to run a screening operation for UCLH on top, with the ability to run 3,000 tests a day. Professor Swanton, a group leader who heads up the COVID-19 testing facility at the Crick, suggested doing routine swab checks on NHS workers weekly in order to filter out anyone who is carrying the virus. The government has no data to show how many COVID-19 cases were acquired in hospitals, but experts say this should be made available. Professor Carl Heneghan, director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at the University of Oxford, suspects the figure is 20 per cent. 'There is a message that hospitals are full with COVID-19 patients,' Professor Robert Dingwall, of Nottingham Trent University, told MailOnline. The impact is reaching further than expected, as experts say patients with unrelated conditions or emergencies are resisting going into hospital. Concerns about deaths caused indirectly by the coronavirus were sparked this week, when official figures on deaths in England and Wales were released. An extra 2,600 people were reported as dying of non-coronavirus causes in the week up to April 3, Office for National Statistics figures show. Pictured: Testing being carried out at Leeds Temple Green Park and Ride, part of the drive to increase testing for thousands more NHS workers PEOPLE'S FEAR OF CATCHING VIRUS AT HOSPITALS COULD BE CAUSING DEATHS The fear of catching the coronavirus at hospital may be leading to more deaths. England and Wales suffered a total of 16,387 deaths in the week up until April 3, the most since 2005 and more than 6,000 above average. Of the excess deaths, COVID-19 was not reported on at least 2,600 certificates, meaning they were from other causes. Experts said they were 'disturbed' by the figures, which they say indicate Britons are struggling to access treatment due to the strain of the pandemic on the NHS. Tom Dening, professor of dementia research at the University of Nottingham, said people with chronic conditions might be avoiding hospitals because of the virus. Professor Dening added: 'Reasons [for the increase in deaths] may include people not feeling able to attend their GP surgeries, call an ambulance or attend A&E. 'Therefore, some serious conditions may present too late for effective treatment. 'Another possibility is that some people with serious conditions, like cancer or chronic kidney disease, are either unable or unwilling to attend hospital on the usual regular basis, so their treatment regimes may lapse. 'Some people confined to their homes are likely to be drinking and smoking more, or eating less healthily, and this may also contribute to health problems, including accidents, around the home.' People with diabetes or high blood pressure may struggle to manage their condition if GP surgeries are closed, he added. Appointments have moved to over the phone or video call, but managing unstable conditions is much harder remotely than with face to face attention. Robert Dingwall, a professor of social sciences at Nottingham Trent University, said the strain of the outbreak on the NHS may be resulting in heart attacks or stroke patients not being treated quickly enough. He said some deaths may reflect an increase in suicides or stress-related physical disorders as a result of lockdown and unemployment. But he said it was too early to say this was the case for sure due to how those deaths are investigated. Advertisement Professor Dingwall said: People experiencing strokes or heart attacks may be delaying to the point where effective interventions are not possible.' Other academics said people with chronic or serious conditions, like kidney disease, cancer, or diabetes, might be avoiding hospitals because of the virus. Graham Cooke, professor of infectious diseases at Imperial College London, agreed that screening should be seriously considered for NHS workers in order to minimise the risks of the virus spreading. He said: 'I do think we need to raise the conversation about large-scale testing in healthcare settings. 'Now we've got good evidence that there's significant transmission in people who are pre-symptomatic.' Scientists say that it's asymptomatic people who are the cause of the virus spreading because they don't realise they have it. It's not clear how many people don't carry symptoms because widespread screening has not been conducted. However there some clues. For example, among passengers and crew on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship, 46.5 per cent of positive cases were asymptomatic at the time of testing. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by asymptomatic individuals has been clearly documented, a review of literature in the British Medical Journal says. Mathematical models suggest that 40-80 per cent of transmission events occur from people who are either haven't shown symptoms yet, or don't show symptoms at all. Research published on April 15 estimates around 44 per cent of COVID-19 cases may spread before symptoms appear. Scientists analysed 77 pairs of people in China to calculate at which point one person had infected the other. Contagiousness starts 2.3 days before symptoms begin and peaks 0.7 days before symptoms start, according to estimates published in the journal Nature Medicine. Professor Babak Javid, an infectious disease expert at Cambridge University Hospitals, said the study confirms that 'for the vast majority of patients, most virus shedding of SARS-CoV2 occurs at, or before symptoms arise'. He said: '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.' One concern with screening healthcare workers is that it could cause staff absence rates to shoot up. The NHS is facing one if its most challenging periods in history, which would be exacerbated by the number of staff who need to self isolate. 'There are reasons to be cautious, but one of them is not to be afraid of what we might find,' Professor Cooke said. The federal government had provided "zero, zilch, nada in unrestricted aid" in its first three Covid-19 rescue bills even as it asks states to up their efforts, Cuomo said. Cuomo, a Democrat, complained that the guidelines Trump announced the day before, which shifted the onus of reopening parts of the economy to the states, amounted to passing the buck "without passing the bucks." The back-and-forth kicked off after the president responded on Twitter to comments Cuomo made during a press briefing on the public health crisis. President Donald Trump and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo resumed their war of words on Friday over the federal government's efforts to provide assistance to the state as it struggles to contain the coronavirus. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo gives his a press briefing about the coronavirus crisis on April 17, 2020 in Albany, New York. "The state should this, the state should this, the state should this. Yes, well, what support have you given the states?" Cuomo said. "None. How can that even be?" The governor also complained that the federal government was competing with states to buy coronavirus testing kits. "This is mayhem," Cuomo said. "We need a coordinated approach between the federal government and the states." The president took to Twitter even as Cuomo was speaking, writing: "Governor Cuomo should spend more time 'doing' and less time complaining'. Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking!" Trump tweet "We built you thousands of hospital beds that you didn't need or use, gave large numbers of Ventilators that you should have had, and helped you with testing that you should be doing," Trump continued. "We have given New York far more money, help and equipment than any other state, by far, & these great men & women who did the job never hear you say thanks," he wrote. "Your numbers are not good. Less talk and more action!" The two New Yorkers have feuded throughout the crisis even as the state became the hardest hit in the nation. More than 12,000 in New York have died from Covid-19, according to state health officials. The number dying per day has remained largely flat, Cuomo said Friday, noting that 630 had died from coronavirus the day before. Pressed by reporters to respond to Trump's commentary, Cuomo said it was true that the state did not end up needing all of the hospital beds that it had asked for, but noted that the projections were from the White House, not New York. "The number came from a projection from him. So he should read the reports he issues, Cuomo said. "Were we foolish for relying on your projections, Mr. President?" Cuomo said that if Trump wanted to punish someone over those projections, he could start by firing members of his coronavirus task force, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and White House trade advisor Peter Navarro, who wrote memos in January and February warning of a devastating toll from the virus. The governor also thanked the White House for the assistance it had already provided, citing its role in establishing a temporary hospital at the Javits Center, sending the Navy hospital ship, Comfort, and for helping source protective medical gear and ventilators. But he said that providing such assistance came with the job. "I've said a number of times: What am I supposed to do, send a bouquet of flowers?" Cuomo said. And, he added, the crisis was not yet over, and New York needed more help. At the moment, he said, what the state needs most from the federal government is help with testing. "I don't care about his politics, but if we don't have federal help on testing, that is a real problem," Cuomo said. Trump, in another tweet Friday, put that responsibility on the states. TWEET A clinical trial of a potential antiviral treatment for the coronavirus is showing early signs of success: nearly all the coronavirus patients in the trial were discharged in less than a week after beginning treatment, according to data reviewed by Stat. The drug, remdesivir, touted by President Trump last month as having a real chance of working against the virus, is in two Phase-3 clinical trials conducted by the University of Chicago. The studies treated 125 people who had tested positive 113 of whom were severely ill with daily infusions of remdesivir. The best news is that most of our patients have already been discharged, which is great. Weve only had two patients perish, Kathleen Mullane, the University of Chicago infectious disease specialist in charge of the trials for the hospital, explained in a video recording this week. She added that the treatment is seeing patients with high fevers come down quite quickly, as well as people coming off ventilators a day after starting therapy. Most of our patients are severe and most of them are leaving at six days, so that tells us duration of therapy doesnt have to be 10 days. We have very few that went out to 10 days, maybe three, she said. In public statements, both the University of Chicago and Gilead, the U.S. maker of remdesivir, urged caution. Chicago said drawing any conclusions at this point is premature and scientifically unsound, with the studies lacking a control group. The totality of the data need to be analyzed in order to draw any conclusions from the trial, Gilead stated. . . . What we can say at this stage is that we look forward to data from ongoing studies becoming available. Following news of the trial, the companys stock surged over 16 percent ahead of Fridays opening bell. More from National Review By Trend Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed gratitude to Georgia for the message of solidarity, Trend reports citing the ministrys Twitter page. "By illuminating the television tower in its capital, Tbilisi, with the colors of the Azerbaijani flag, Georgia showed solidarity with Azerbaijan. Thank you, friendly Georgia!" said the message. The television tower was lit with the colors of the Azerbaijani flag. In the evening, the tower began to glow in blue, red and green colors. KAMPALA The government has halted geothermal drilling at the three major locations including Kibiro in Hoima, Panyimur in Pakwach and Buranga in Bundibugyo district after spills created panic in Hoima. This was after local leaders of Kibiro in Hoima raised concerns over what they suspected to be oil spill in their region after a geothermal exploration hole exploded, letting off spillage into the village and Lake Albert. But, Energy and Mineral Development Ministry Permanent Secretary, Robert Kasande has ruled out an oil spill scare because the ecology was not even affected since the aquatic species did not die. Whereas what happened in Kibiro is almost similar to what happens during an oil spill incident, it may be erroneous to dub the incident an oil spill, he adding that, this is because of the composition of the observed materials that were released into the environment predominantly sand/water/clay from the subsurface while oil is in trace levels mainly recognizable by the characteristics of hydrocarbon smell. Government lasts year awarded M/s Royal Techno Industries Limited a contract to drill 16 temperature gradient wells in Kibiro and Panyimur areas located in Hoima and Pakwach respectively but late last month, the exploration exercise suffered a major blow when substances gushed out of a well. Unfortunately, as a project challenge, during the drilling of the eighth and last well on the night of March 29th,2020 a blow-out happened which resulted in an uncontrolled discharge of gas, drilling fluids, geothermal fluids and sediments,Mr. Kasende. The place had an unpleasant smell characteristic of hydrocarbon spillage, the findings show, he wrote. Additionally, Mr. Kasande wrote that a house belonging to a one Kiiza Julius Rubanjwa located approximately 60m downstream from the well towards the lake was surrounded by a mixture of clay, drilling mud and sand (effluent) and his pit latrine was filled by mud fluids that flowed from the well. When the incident happened, he explained that the ministry dispatched officials from the Directorate of Geological Surveys and Mines, Ministry of Water and Environment, National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to assess the situation. Others were picked from the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), Environment Protection Police Unit, Health Safety and Environment Unit, MEMD, Hoima District Local Government and the Senior Presidential Advisor on Oil and Gas and Mining. Kasande said officials have also halted temperature gradient holes drilling activities in both Kibiro, Hoima district, and Panyimur in Pakwach district until a comprehensive environment and social impact assessment is done. He noted that the Ministry of Energy regrets the incidence and is addressing the environmental cleanup and remedial mitigation efforts to restore the environment based on relevant expert recommendations and the technical advisory committee. Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development is committed to supporting a culture of effective stakeholder and community engagement to enhance decision-making processes and to embed the practice as an integral part of its operations, he added. Related Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday fired his health minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, after they butted heads on how to tackle the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Bolsonaro has downplayed the epidemic, saying that "life is priceless, but the economy and jobs must return to normal." Mandetta in turn was adamant about how important social distancing guidelines are in curbing the spread of the virus. During his final briefing on Thursday, Mandetta told Brazilians not to "think that we are going to escape a sharp rise in cases of this illness. The health system still isn't ready [for] a rapid increase [in cases]." He also offered encouragement, saying, "Don't be afraid. Science is light ... and it is through science that we will find a way out of this." Bolsonaro picked Nelson Teich, an oncologist and partner in a medical service consulting firm, to replace Mandetta. When news of Mandetta's firing was made public, protests popped up across the country, The Guardian reports, with demonstrators in Rio de Janeiro shouting, "Bolsonaro murderer!" As of Thursday night, Brazil has had more than 30,425 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 1,924 deaths. More stories from theweek.com Some Florida beaches in reopened. A few were reportedly quite crowded. Dr. Phil begrudgingly apologizes for comparing coronavirus to swimming pool deaths 5 scathing cartoons about Trump's rush to reopen the economy UK volunteers could receive their first dose of a potential coronavirus vaccine within a week, researchers have said. Scientists at the University of Oxford think they may have created a vaccine which prevents people from getting Covid-19. If the clinical trials are a success, the team aims to have more than a million doses ready by September. Sarah Gilbert, a professor of vaccinology at Oxford University who is leading the research, said she was optimistic about the likelihood that the vaccine will work. She has previously said that she was 80 per cent confident of its success. Although she acknowledged that scientists can never be sure before trials have been conducted, Ms Gilbert said: "Personally, I have a high degree of confidence. "This is my view, because I've worked with this technology a lot, and I've worked on the Mers vaccine trials, and I've seen what that can do. And, I think, it has a very strong chance of working." Professor Andrew Pollard, chief investigator on the study, said the initial trial could begin within a week, but that the exact timing would depend on when the last part of manufacturing testing was complete. As well as creating a vaccine that can be mass produced, the researchers stress that it needs to be manufactured at the required pace. Professor Adrian Hill, director of the universitys Jenner Institute, said that the team had possibly the most ambitious scale up programme of any group working on a vaccine. He added that the aim is to have at least a million doses available by September if it proves successful. Prof Hill added:"And then move even faster from there because it's pretty clear the world is going to need hundreds of millions of doses, ideally by the end of this year to end this pandemic, to let us out of lockdown. "A vaccine is the exit strategy for this pandemic and then we're very likely to need a vaccine in future years because it's unlikely we'll be able to eradicate this virus." The Oxford team join three other groups of researchers two in the United States and one in China in beginning trials on humans. Additional reporting from PA A healthcare worker prepares to collect a sample to test for COVID-19 at a drive-through testing site at a community health center in Miami on March 20, 2020. (Wilfredo Lee/AP Photo) Florida Expanding Walk-Up COVID-19 Testing Sites One of the largest states in the nation is expanding walk-up COVID-19 testing sites after an initial site was successful. One in 96 Floridians have been tested for the disease, which is caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from mainland China last year. But officials are working on expanding testing, in part by rolling out sites in denser areas that people can approach on foot. The process is simple: any individual experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 can walk up to the site to receive a test or you can call ahead to set up an appointment to be tested, Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a press conference on Friday. Travel history isnt relevant. Appointments can be made by phone. The initial site in Jacksonville was successful. The model lets people in communities that may not have otherwise been able to get tested receive results. Two new sites were opening in Broward County, at Mitchell Moore Park in Pompano Beach and Urban League of Broward County in Fort Lauderdale. Theyll be manned by National Guard troops, Florida Department of Health workers, and personnel from the Broward County Sheriffs Department. People who get tested will be called by the county Department of Health regarding the test results; if a person tests positive, the federally-qualified health centers will contact the person for follow-up telehealth. Security guards look on from the City of Miami Beachs municipal parking lot which houses a MedRite COVID-19 testing site in Miami Beach, Florida, on April 5, 2020. (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) If the two sites are also successful, officials will open more in other areas, including Miami-Dade County. The vast majority of Florida residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 have not required hospital care, DeSantis noted. The state had just 774 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units as of late Thursday, the lowest number since April 9. Approximately 23,340 people tested positive for the virus, about 10 percent of those tested. The state has 668 deaths from the new illness. Florida has one of the highest testing numbers per capita in the nation. Officials expected to complete 235,000 tests with results by the end of Thursday. A number of drive-in sites across the state have served potential patients. Workers at the sites have done over 56,000 tests. Other people are being tested at hospitals or at their doctors office. The reason walk-in sites are being pushed is because some people dont have access to the drive-in sites. Not everyone will have access to be able to go to a drive-in site. Maybe its just too far away from where you live. Maybe you dont have reliable ground transportation and so we wanted to see, where were gaps in testing access and see if we as the state of Florida could help to try to fill those, DeSantis said. Loading Soon, coronavirus was running rampant on the second voyage around New Zealand, and when Princess Cruises became aware, it added insult to injury by failing to quarantine passengers. They didnt even bother to notify the passengers that there was an actual outbreak, allowing the sailing to continue as if it were a normal cruise, up until the time it returned to Australia three days early, the complaint says. Princess Cruises, which is owned by Carnival Corporation, has vehemently denied all of the allegations. As this is the subject of active litigation in another country, we do not wish to add further comment at this time, a spokesman said. It has been reported that the ship was deemed medium risk by NSW Health because of 158 sick passengers on board when it docked on March 8. Loading However, according to a statement issued by Princess Cruises, there was no reason for the second voyage to be cancelled, because swabs taken by NSW Health from people on board had tested negative for COVID-19. In response to questions about what cleaning was carried out on March 8, a Princess Cruises spokesman said the ship was disinfected over and above already high standards based on the best international public health advice using a disinfectant that is known to kill coronaviruses in 30 seconds. Revelations of the US lawsuit came on the same day NSW Police sharpened their focus on the earlier of the two voyages as part of a criminal investigation into the embattled ship. State Crime Commander and Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said passengers who travelled on an earlier voyage were being called on for the first time to assist with inquiries. Loading It means more than 5000 passengers, as well as crew members on both voyages, have now been asked to complete an online survey that includes questions related to health practices and any other information gleaned while on board. The ship is now marooned off the NSW coast with over 1000 crew members on board, but will soon be forced to depart for the Philippines. Two of the crew members told the Herald their biggest fear was falling ill and needing a ventilator during their 14-day journey to Manila. The crew members, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they feared being further isolated on the ship if their names were published. "Essentially they are sending people to their deaths if they are sick when we are out at sea," one said. "We have a very small number of medical staff, roughly about seven, and no ventilators that I am aware of. "If we get sick, we can't get a helicopter to medically evacuate anyone because we will be in the middle of the sea and too far away." The crew members said the majority of the crew from the Philippines and Indonesia were happy to be sailing to Manila, but those from Europe and Britain were worried the Manila port authorities would refuse them entry, leaving them to linger on the ship. The two crew members, who were among the hundreds from Europe and the UK, said they had not received fresh bed linen or towels for more than 10 days and could only hand wash smaller items in their hand basins. "You are living in your own filth," one said. "The food has been disgusting for eight or nine days. It's slightly better now. "I'm concerned that people who have tested positive are going to be serving our food while we are out at sea." Both crew members said their families were worried about their safety. "I've been speaking to my family as much as I can. My mother is beside herself and the rest of my family want me home and are very disappointed about the way the Australian government is handling this," one said. The crew members said they had been cooped up in their cabins since late March and that there had been little public attention given to their plight. One said that while they were feeling frustrated with their lengthy isolation, they feared that others were not coping as well psychologically. "People are going to be very traumatised after this," the crew member said. "It just seems the government here wants us out from the port. They want us gone. "I don't understand how we can send a ship out when there are infections on board. I have friends testing positive after being in quarantine for three weeks. "If we get sick out at sea and there is no help and you are all alone in your room, that's a huge concern." Do you know more? Email carrie.fellner@smh.com.au Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Bogota, April 17, 2020 Colombian authorities must swiftly and thoroughly investigate the death threats against journalist Eder Narvaez Sierra and ensure he has adequate protection, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On April 13, an unidentified person who claimed to command a drug trafficking group sent WhatsApp messages to Narvaez taking credit for two killings in the northern Colombian town of Caucasia on April 12, which Narvaez had covered; the messages warned Narvaez not to talk so much, and said the journalist would be killed if he did not heed that warning, Narvaez told CPJ in a phone interview. Narvaez is the Caucasia regional correspondent for Teleantioquia TV, a Medellin-based broadcaster, and is the founder and editor of NP Noticias, a local news website, he said. The text messages said the recent killings were just the beginning, accused Narvaez of spreading fake news, and said that the only news that will be heard in the coming days is that they killed the NP guy. A police officer in Caucasia, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to give public statements, told CPJ that the police are investigating the threats. Narvaez, who has received death threats in the past for his reporting, said he had filed a criminal complaint with the attorney generals office and applied for help from the governments National Protection Unit, which provides security to threatened journalists and social leaders. Colombian officials, especially the National Protection Unit, must take immediate action to respond to the threats against Eder Narvaez Sierra and ensure his safety, said CPJ Central and South America Program Coordinator Natalie Southwick, in New York. As journalists and human rights defenders across Colombia face increasing deadly violence from armed groups, the state must uphold its obligation to protect them. The texts were sent from someone who described themselves as Manuel, alias El Negro, the commander of Los Caparrapos, an armed group involved in cocaine trafficking, extortion, and illegal gold mining, according to Narvaez and the Medellin-based think tank InsightCrime. Narvaez told CPJ that other media outlets reported on the April 12 killings of two people in Caucasia, but speculated that his report may have angered Los Caparrapos because it included the names and photos of the murder victims. Asked about possible motives for the threats against Narvaez, the police officer told CPJ, We dont know. There could be a thousand different reasons. Navaez told CPJ that the police have promised to patrol the area around his house in Caucasia with greater frequency, and that the protection unit is studying his case. Meanwhile, Navaez said he has stopped reporting and is staying in his home. Caucasia, located in the northern Antioquia state, has long been a dangerous area for journalists, as rival armed groups fight for control over drug trafficking routes and plantations of coca, the raw material for cocaine, according to CPJ research. When Chris Cuomo announced he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the high fever, chills, shortness of breath and hallucinations of his late father weren't what immediately worried the CNN anchor. What did concern him, he said, was passing the virus to his family. "I just hope I didn't give it to the kids and Cristina," Cuomo, 49, wrote in his March 31 tweet announcing his diagnosis. "That would make me feel worse than this illness!" On Wednesday night, Cuomo, broadcasting again from his home's basement, where he remains quarantined, said that his worst fear had become a reality: His wife, Cristina, had tested positive for the coronavirus. "Cristina now has covid. She is now positive. And it just breaks my heart," he said during a segment with his brother, New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "It is the one thing I was hoping wouldn't happen, and now it has." In a follow-up tweet Wednesday night, Chris Cuomo said the couple's three children are "still healthy," but the news of the family's latest positive case of the coronavirus "shook us at our literal core." "Families all over know the reality our family faces," he tweeted. "Few are one case and done." He added, "Can't wait to shake this fever so I can help her as she helped me. Sucks." With more than 2 million confirmed cases worldwide, and nearly a third of those instances in the United States, the coronavirus pandemic has decimated members of the same family. It's no different in the United States, the epicenter of the pandemic, where stories of members of the same family getting infected have become commonplace. Recent cases in New Jersey and Louisiana in which multiple family members were killed because of the virus have served as devastating examples of what covid-19 can do to families. While it's unclear how Cristina, 50, contracted the virus, the New York governor said it was "inevitable" that someone else in his younger brother's home would come down with the coronavirus. "It's very hard for a person to quarantine in a home and other people not to get infected," he said. "To do it in a home where a person is bringing you dishes, bringing you food, even if they're wearing a mask and gloves, that virus can live on some surfaces up to two days." Cristina, editor in chief of the Purist, a wellness magazine, recently told "Extra" that she drops off her husband's food tray at the top of the stairs and hangs out with him while she's wearing a mask and gloves. But she also expressed a fear of contracting the virus, especially because she previously had an aggressive form of Lyme disease. "It's sort of like day-to-day. You just wake up and pray you don't have it that day," she said. The elder Cuomo brother commended the CNN anchor for staying on-air to talk about his battle with the virus, an experience that the host equated to someone "beating me with a pinata" and that had him seeing his late father, former New York governor Mario Cuomo, in fever-induced hallucinations. "This is what it's like: One person gets the virus, other people in the home get the virus," said the current New York governor. "You now have a mother and father with the virus, and you have three kids to take care of. This gets very complicated very fast. There is a reality to this." As they have done in recent interviews during the crisis, the brothers were still able to inject some brief levity to a heavy discussion. While saying he did not believe President Donald Trump would pressure governors nationwide to reopen their states, Andrew Cuomo likened the president's possible prodding to getting poked in a corner with a sharp stick. This got the attention of Chris Cuomo, who couldn't help but wonder what that would look like. "I would like to see [Trump] poke you with a sharp stick," the CNN anchor jokingly said. "I would pay to see that, actually - raise revenue for the state." The well-being of his family was still on the anchor's mind throughout the course of Wednesday's show. The governor again praised his brother for sharing his story to millions of Americans and speculated how this latest coronavirus development is being processed by his sister-in-law. "To the extent that Cristina is going to blame you for this," said the governor, "there's a lot of other things she can blame you for, so this is going to be No. 17 on the list. So I wouldn't worry about that." After a long day, the quip got a rare laugh from his quarantined brother. The eyes of the world have been riveted to Northern Italy, where heart-wrenching images of overwhelmed doctors capture an intense confrontation with COVID-19. In early March, a friend suggested the U.S. was only about three weeks behind Italy's fate, trending toward the same COVID-19 mortality rate. A sobering analysis if true: To determine if we were on the same tragic path, we compared 37 days of data, beginning at baseline with the first COVID-19 death (Feb. 21, 2020, in Italy, eight days later (Feb. 29) for the US). Italy's population of just over 60 million (just under 1/6 the size of the US) had 92,472 cases, 10,023 deaths, and an alarming 10.086% mortality rate by their 37th day (March 28). The US, on its 37th day (April 5), had triple Italy's caseload with 312,249 cases, 8,503 deaths, but a mortality rate of 2.72%. These data gave us cause for optimism. If you extrapolated the data to compare apples to apples to the point where the Italian population was equal to that of the United States, Italy on the 37th day would have 510,132 cases, 55,294 deaths and the same mortality rate of 10.086%. We knew a robust comparison must also account for the demographic differences between the two countries. Perhaps other factors rendered Italy more susceptible to COVID-19: the country's average age is 47, among Europe's highest, while the US clocks in a decade younger at 38. Per capita, Italians consume about 500 more cigarettes annually than Americans. Italy is far more densely populated, with 518 people per square mile compared to the sprawling States with 87 people per square mile. No doubt, other factors, such as access to care and healthcare capacity, will be clarified as experts dig into data on the pandemic in the days, months and years to come. We believe much of the gap between the US and Italy could be due to differences in political-economic systems. The US is known the world-over as an entrepreneurial economic powerhouse, while Italy has long experienced an economic divergence with the urban northern industrial centers outpacing the poorer south. In GDP terms, the US dwarfs Italy $21.4 trillion to $2 trillion. Even so, across both countries, the regions hit hardest by COVID-19 are also the economic engine-rooms: Lombardy and Veneto are to Italy what California and New York or Michigan and New Jersey are to the US. But, unlike Italy, the US is less reliant on particular regional powerhouses given its widespread economic strength and, in these days of uncertainty, the rest of the country is stepping into the breach. Our private sector, from pharmaceuticals, to private research universities, to hospitals large and small, is making a huge difference. Hundreds of companies in the US and around the world are working relentlessly to speed a vaccine and other therapies to market. Working in concert with local, state and federal government, the best of Americans and America is on display at all levels public and private; their combined efforts allowing the US to have a much lower mortality rate. Trucking companies and their drivers operate 24/7 to ensure we have daily access to necessary items with minimal interruption. Farmers are working tirelessly so that we are supplied with the necessary food. Weeks before the federal stimulus package, companies were donating many goods and services to help. Airlines provide free tickets to doctors, nurses and other medical personnel to support geographic areas in greatest need. States are learning best practices from one another and supporting each other with crucial equipment, just as the whole country is benchmarking with best practices from around the world to minimize mistakes made and excel in the battle with COVID-19. Meanwhile, the courage and selflessness of our doctors, nurses and hospital staffs have reminded us all that these often-taken-for-granted workers are real-life superheroes. The inventive and innovative nature of Americans thriving within our competitive free enterprise system allows us to solve seemingly insurmountable problems. The US is not alone, but the world does look to its example and its economy as a harbinger of days to come. None of this is to say there won't be hard days ahead. Such momentous times call to mind World War II, when Americans stood shoulder-to-shoulder and risked much along with our allies to defeat another evil. After the war ended late in 1945, the US national debt, due to these heroic endeavors, stood at 119% of GDP. Even so, in the coming decades, this investment paid off as the US became the transformative global leader. We face a similar challenge today. Necessary stimulus packages will create a national debt greater than 125% of US GDP sometime in 2021 or 2022 (106% today). As we do so, we will need to remember the economic lessons from World War II to make necessary investments in stability for the future while resisting the temptation of prolonged intervention. In fact, the strength and growth of our private sector fueled by regulatory and tax cuts resulted in national debt declining to just 31% of US GDP by 1980. We must always remember that it is our free enterprise system and vibrant republic (that generates most of our income and all of our tax revenue), which were the cornerstones of our recovery 75 years ago. Given the chance, they will do the same today. Only this time, we must do so with a fiscally-responsible public policy that fuels economic growth and leaves our children and grandchildren a federal budget deficit no more than 31 percent of GDP by 2054. Dr. Timothy G. Nash is director of the McNair Center at Northwood University. Dr. John Gustincic is director of the Alden B. Dow Center at Northwood University, and Ashley Wright is a recent masters degree recipient, Oxford University and a McNair Scholar. DAR ES SALAAM Tanzania has on Thursday April 16 registered 11 coronavirus infections, raising the countrys tally to 94, the health ministry announced. Health minister Ummy Mwalimu in statement said the 11 were confirmed positive during tests that were conducted in the last 24 hours. She said the total number of people who have died from COVID-19 in the country stands at four while 11 have recovered from the viral disease. 1191 contacts are under follow-up while 709 have graduated from 14 day mandatory quarantine. The minister further urged Tanzanians to observe the directives by the health ministry such as social distancing and to avoid unnecessary congregation. Meanwhile, Zanzibar has also announced that cases of novel coronavirus infection has reached 24 after six more patients tested positive. All cases are Tanzanians who are residents of Kibweni, Magogoni, Kwarara, Kilinahewa Juu Amani and Kidoti Zanzibar. Just like on Wednesday, April 15, the cases that tested positive today include five men and one woman with the youngest being a 23-year-old. The announcement was made by the minister of health Hamad Rashid Mohamed in a daily briefing regarding the COVID-19 development. The pandemic has forced President John Pombe Magufuli administration to impose strict regulations that have put human activities at a standstill including air travel. Related Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-06 18:09:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENTIANE, April 6 (Xinhua) -- One more COVID-19 infected case has been confirmed in Laos, bringing the total number of the confirmed cases in the country to 12. Lao Deputy Minister of Health Phouthone Meaungpak told a press conference here on Monday that the new case involves a 20-year-old woman living in the capital who returned to Laos from Britain. The patient flew from Britain on March 22, and arrived in Laos on March 23. After 14-day of quarantine in her house, she went to Mittaphab Hospital for COVID-19 test. She tested positive. The patient is treated in Mittaphab Hospital and she is not in serious case. As of Monday, Laos has detected 12 COVID-19 infected cases. Nine of them are treated in designated hospital -- Mittaphab Hospital (150 Hospital), and another three cases are treated in provincial hospital in Luang Prabang province. All of them are not in serious condition, and the treatment is going well, said Lao health officials. Laos detected the first two confirmed COVID-19 cases on March 24. Around 950 Army personnel on Friday left for Jammu from Bengaluru on a special train for their deployment in various field formations along the border with Pakistan, military officials said. Another train is set to operate from Bengaluru on Saturday to take another group of Army personnel to the North Eastern region for their deployment in forward posts along the border with China, they said. The trains were arranged following approval from the Union Home Ministry and the Railways to facilitate deployment of the personnel at various frontline field formations along the borders with the two countries, official sources said. The Railways has suspended all its passenger trains till May 3 in sync with the nationwide lockdown to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The Army personnel are returning to field formations after completing professional courses at Army training establishments at Bengaluru, Belgaum and Secundrabad, the sources said. The sources said all personnel have undergone mandatory quarantine period and are medically fit, adding the train is scheduled to reach Jammu on April 20. All laid down measures recommended by competent authorities to insulate the personnel were taken including sanitising the bogies of the train, the sources said. The second train to ferry army personnel to units deployed in the Northeastern region will go to Guwahati via New Jalpaiguri. The Indian Army has taken a series of measures to insulate its 13 lakh personnel from the coronavirus pandemic. 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. The Indian Army on Thursday 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. The order also mentioned that offices in Army headquarters, command headquarters and formation headquarters would start functioning with 50 per cent manpower from April 19 to May 3. It said all training activities and temporary duties will remain suspended till May 3, adding directions on actions to be taken post the lockdown period will be issued on receipt of fresh orders from the government. Last month, Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane issued instructions to insulate the 13 lakh strong Army from the coronavirus pandemic. Gen Naravane also conveyed to the families of the soldiers guarding India's borders with Pakistan and China that the Army is taking care of its personnel serving the country in this difficult time. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Economic stimulus checks are prepared for printing at the Philadelphia Financial Center May 8, 2008 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jeff Fusco/Stringer Americans have said on social media that they're receiving stimulus money for deceased relatives. Stimulus money was sent to anyone who filed a 2019 or 2018 tax return, and if one was filed before a person died, there's a possibility that he or she were still sent the stimulus check. The IRS's website does not appear to have guidelines regarding money given to someone who has died, but this isn't the first time it has happened 70,000 deceased people received stimulus checks in 2010. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. As Americans started receiving their stimulus checks this week some people realized that their deceased relatives were also getting funds. Numerous Americans, including Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, spoke about friends and relatives receiving money that was accidentally sent to them as part of the federal government's $2.2 trillion bailout package, which was launched amid of the economic fallout of the novel coronavirus pandemic. "Ok this is insane, but just the tip of the iceberg," Massie tweeted, while sharing a photo of a text with a friend who said: "Dad got his stimulus check of $1,200. He died in 2018. Does he have time to spend it online?" The money was likely handed out to people who died because the payments are based on a person's 2018 and 2019 tax returns. If the person filed a tax return before they died, there's a possibility that he or she would receive their stimulus money, likely through a check in the mail or a direct deposit like most other Americans. While the majority of money given to deceased people will simply be returned, there are cases where someone could benefit from a dead relative's stimulus deposit. If a person has died, but their account is still in probate, the eventual beneficiary of the account could access the funds. Or, if a deceased person jointly filed with a partner, that surviving partner could also still cash the check. Story continues The IRS's website does not appear to have guidelines regarding how to handle money given to someone who has died, but the concept isn't new. When former President Barack Obama issued a stimulus package in 2008, about 71,688 dead people were sent $250 checks, according to a 2010 report from The Wall Street Journal. About 41,000 checks were returned, the Journal reported. Malcolm Sparrow, a professor of public management at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government who worked on a panel to oversee the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act under Obama, told USA Today that payments to deceased people continue to happen because federal records are not kept up to date. "So that's one potential explanation: that it's just out of date or inaccurate death records being transferred from one agency to another," he told USA Today. "The other potential explanation is a lot more worrying: that other people are exploiting the identities of the dead to file false claims." Read the original article on Business Insider As India sent Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to Russia to help fight coronavirus, Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the country is grateful to India for its decision to supply to medicines in such unprecedented times. The statement read that Moscow is pleased and grateful for the decision of the Indian government to deliver a batch of medicines to Russia. Furthermore, Peskov also said that the decision is an effective step towards implementing the agreements on cooperation. The statement read, The decision of the Indian leadership to send medicines to Russia to help fight the coronavirus is in line with the spirit of partnership between the two countries and was received with a sense of gratitude. READ: Vladimir Putin Believes COVID-19 Outbreak Is Opportunity For Russia, US To Work Together It further read, Moscow is well aware that India, which itself is going through difficult times in terms of fighting the epidemic threat, made this decision by the common spirit of partnership between the two countries. READ: China Strengthens Medical Facilities At Russian Border To Prevent COVID-19 Flare-up India lifts restriction on export of HCQ Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro had also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his decision to approve the supply of Hydroxychloroquine. Netanyahu, in a tweet, said Thank you, my dear friend, @narendramodi, Prime Minister of India, for sending Chloroquine to Israel. All the citizens of Israel thank you!. The Union government had lifted restrictions on the export of 26 pharmaceutical ingredients, anti-malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) being one of them. India then dispatched its first consignment of export to at least 13 countries including the United States of America, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Nepal, Bhutan, Spain, Bahrain, Seychelles, Afghanistan, Germany, Bangladesh, and Mauritius. (Image source: IndEmbMoscow/Twitter) READ: Russia FM Rejects Making Virus Battle Political READ: China, Russia To Work Over Illegal Border Crossing During the COVID-19 pandemic, KK Fund will help match local start-ups and investors online in the event Meet your Match Vietnam. Investors and start-ups are often matched offline but due to the pandemic they are going online. Photo cafef.vn During the COVID-19 pandemic, KK Fund will help match local start-ups and investors online in the event Meet your Match Vietnam. Headquartered in Singapore, KK Fund, which invests in seed stage internet and mobile start-ups across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, will launch the event with the support of TFI, a start-up accelerator in Viet Nam and Thailand. In order to support the start-up ecosystem, KK Fund and TFI have signed up more than 50 investors to participate in this initiative to connect Vietnamese start-ups with potential investors. The organiser said: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, governments in various SEA countries have enacted measures that severely limit travel. While these measures are enacted to prevent the COVID-19 spreading, it nevertheless resulted in fewer face-to-face meetings between start-ups and investors. They also said the online matching is not to let the current situation stand in the way of promising start-ups meeting potential investors. KK Funds Founder and General Partner Koichi Saito emphasised that start-ups should be ready for fundraising when the market momentum changes again. To join the event, local start-ups have to submit their application before April 17. So far, a number of venture capital funds confirmed attendance at the event. Funds such as 500 Startups Vietnam; Cyber Agent Capital; ESP Capital; GGV Capital; Golden Gate Ventures are included. VNS Humans have a strange knack of finding a solution to every problem. Sometimes they don't hit upon the right solution very quickly, but mostly they do. Creating a vaccine for COVID-19 is no easy feat, but people have been successfully addressing several other problems that suddenly appeared in the wake of the pandemic. As lockdowns were imposed by different countries to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, education became one of the worst hit social sectors. Millions of students have been left unable to attend their schools, colleges and universities after restrictions on movement were put in place. Many institutions chose to wait and see, but once it became clear that the impact of the coronavirus may be much longer than expected, teachers and education managers scrambled to address the problem. Within a short period of time, many found the best way to reach their students was by using information technology. Reports have shown that most educational institutions are currently running online classes by using various platforms provided by social media, mobile phones and the internet. Initially, WhatsApp became the easiest way for educators to connect with and teach their students. Teachers started sending assignments to students who were asked to complete them and consult with the teacher if they had any trouble. Some teachers were using Skype alongside WhatsApp, creating classes and bringing all their students together online for virtual lectures. Meanwhile, others took to Facebook and Twitter to reach their pupils and gave them homework with deadlines for returning the work, which would then be checked and sent back with instructions. But more helpful has been Google Classroom, as it not only helps to create an online class, but teachers can also use it to teach and assign homework. The students can submit their completed works through the online tool and get feedback in real time from their teachers. The most remarkable thing about all these platforms is that they are free both to institutions as well as students. This is a great help for schools which can save on electricity and utility bills, and other daily expenses which are often huge. Meanwhile, students and their parents save the cost of transportation and daily pocket money for the students. However, some institutions chose to purchase special software from Microsoft, called MS Teams, which is more user friendly and can be customized to cater for particular environments. Its free version is also available, but offers limited options. Others have built their own software and created classes in order to impart education and keep students busy during the lockdown. However, the usual free platforms such as email, Skype and WhatsApp are enough in the majority of cases for educational purposes. Renowned universities like Cambridge asked their affiliated schools around the world to test their students online if necessary to help assess their candidature for predicted grades at different levels as annual examinations scheduled to be held in April/May were canceled due to the pandemic. Various government have also been working on virtual education. Pakistan, for example, is launching a special education TV channel which will be dedicated to providing education up to higher secondary level. The radio is also being used across the country. Other nations like South Korea have provided the latest gadgets such as tablets to students in order to help them navigate online education. In this way, online virtual education has been on the rise due to restrictions on the movement of people and the closure of schools. COVID-19 may turn out to be a game-changer for the education sector, and especially for poorer nations with limited resources and an inability to construct traditional infrastructure for education. They can now embark on mass-level education programs by using free online resources. However, there are also certain challenges to this rise in virtual education, the most important of which is affordability. Other key questions include addressing how many people can buy gadgets and access online resources. The issue of poverty is therefore a big hurdle for millions of people across the globe in accessing online education. Another challenge is a lack of well-trained personnel. In less developed countries, teachers may not be tech-savvy enough to exploit the latest online materials and so they should be first trained in order to leverage this opportunity. Governments and education authorities may also face problems as they are accustomed to the traditional system and convincing them to move to online platforms will be a daunting task. The current trend of online teaching is a good start in addressing some of the most pressing problems for students in the short term, but fully utilizing it in the long term will require more coordinated and focused efforts. Sajjad Malik is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SajjadMalik.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. On April 16, the European-American Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that the two countries had completed procedures for the trade deal to take effect on April 1. The Vietnam-Cuba Trade Agreement was signed in Hanoi on November 9, 2018, and features 14 chapters which include regulations on trade in goods, rules of origin, customs management and trade facilitation, technical standards, food safety, and animal and plant quarantine. Under the pact, the two sides have pledged to eliminate or reduce tariffs on nearly all commodities currently traded between them over the next five years. The Vietnamese Government recently issued Decree No.39/2020/N-CP on a list of Vietnams special preferential import tariffs to implement the trade agreement from now until 2023. Accordingly, import tariffs on 514 items from Cuba, including some types of shrimp, fish, honey and fruit, cement, chromium ore, disinfectants, protective suits and wireless internet devices have been slashed to 0%. For the 49 remaining tariff lines, tax rates will be cut gradually. Commodities such as sugar and unprocessed tobacco will have their tariff rates reduced to 15% in four years, cigarettes and cigars to 70%, and liquor and alcohol to 20%. This decree will take effect on May 20. On March 31, the San Francisco Chronicle published a letter written by Captain Brett Crozier, commanding the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (TR), titled Request for Assistance in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic. At that time, 33 sailors aboard the ship had been diagnosed with Covid-19. In his letter, Crozier pointed out that TR is unable to comply with CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) protocols due to the warships inherent limitations of space and recommended that to "prevent unnecessary deaths," a majority of the crew be removed from the aircraft carrier and isolated for two weeks. It is not exactly known as to what forced the US Navy Captain to take this unprecedented step of breaking military protocol by sending the letter to numerous addressees, some of whom were not in his chain of command. However, the net result was that Crozier was relieved of his command for what Navy Secretary Thomas Modly called the demonstration of extremely poor judgement in the midst of a crisis." Crozier was given a rousing farewell by his crew, one of whom was heard saying, That's how you send off one of the greatest captains you've ever had. A few days later, an audiotape of Modlys address to the TRs crew was leaked. In his speech, Modly remarked that Crozier was either too naive or too stupid to be in command. He went on to say that Croziers actions were a betrayal of trust and had compromised critical information about the mission readiness of the ship. The political storm kicked up by Modlys remarks forced him to put in his resignation. The Crozier case has been extensively discussed in the media and among military forums. As usual, there are differing viewpoints on whether Crozier was right or wrong. The military has to remain a highly disciplined force where the chain of command is rigidly followed. In matters of professional judgement, greater knowledge of the superior officer must be assumed. If doubts arise about this, instant obedience will not be forthcoming, battles will be hesitantly fought, and lost. It could appear that there are no ambiguities in how soldiers operate because standards of behaviour seem almost cast in stone. However, the reality is that the military ethos, which guides professional conduct, is not a part of formal documents but is more of an internal realisation of what must or must not be done. This, more than an official diktat, gives value to the ethos. In a 1994 study on effective unit performance, the US Army Research Institute for Behavioral and Social Sciences wrote, "When the chips are down, there is no rational calculation in the world capable of causing an individual to lay down his life. On both the individual and collective levels, war is, therefore, primarily an affair of the heart. It is dominated by such irrational factors as resolution and courage, honor and duty and loyalty and sacrifice of self." If military ethos and values are an affair of the heart, moral dilemmas are bound to arise. Croziers actions must be seen in this backdrop. Mission first. Soldiers always is a mantra among all militaries. The mission always has primacy, but the welfare of soldiers is also a fundamental consideration for leaders. The Chetwode motto has been the guiding principle of all officers of the Indian Army, and it states: The safety, honour and welfare of your country come first, always and every time.The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next.Your own ease, comfort and safety come last, always and every time. Military ethos is centered on building a culture that promotes a bonding in which soldiers have immense faith that their comrades and leaders will come to their aid, irrespective of the risks. This also puts enormous pressure on leaders because in the accomplishment of the mission, they have to expend their most valuable resource human lives of soldiers with whom there is a very close attachment. The dilemma of mission vs. lives is perhaps easier to overcome during a war, but even in those times, victory must be achieved with minimum loss. As Noel Gayler, a US Navy admiral put it, if you cant figure out something better to do with a military force than to kill a lot of people and lose a lot of people in the hope that the other guy will get tired of the bloodletting before you do, you are not only not much of a leader, but youre not an ethical one either. In peacetime, the mission vs. lives dilemma poses a more significant challenge. This is perhaps what forced Crozier to pen down these lines, We are not at war. Soldiers do not need to die. If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset our Sailors. Modly accused Crozier of betraying his trust and that of his chain of command. Loyalty is a vital component of the military ethic, but this loyalty is more to the values of an organization rather than only to the superiors. In 1999, the Indian Army Training Command published a Code of Conduct for Officers, in which it was written, Loyalty has to do with faithfulness, firmness in allegiance, and personal devotion, but in an ambience of legitimacy and lawfulness conforming to an accepted standard This framework of loyalty legitimacy must be clearly understood. Loyalty must be given to senior officers and political leaders, but a line drawn at the bounds of ethical conduct. Richard A Gabriel has expressed the imperative succinctly, "Loyalty to one's superior is never anything, but a conditional relationship predicated on the continuing perceptions of one's subordinates that their superior is acting honorably in his position of command." Some of you reading this may say that, in reality, it is much harder to practice what is preached in books and articles. It is true that it is not easy to make career-threatening decisions and that the line between loyalty and disloyalty is seldom clear-cut. However, the nature of the military profession also demands a display of exceptionally high standards of leadership. Military leaders are at the top of one of the great power structures of society. Their behaviour has enormous implications, not only for the organization they serve but also for the society at large. It is for this reason that they are held to higher moral standards. One indicator of a good leader is the respect that is earned from the followers. At least by that yardstick, Captain Crozier should be lauded. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 17:09:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Iran's defense minister said here on Friday that the United States is the cause of insecurity in the Gulf, official IRNA news agency reported. The "illegal and aggressive" presence of the U.S. forces in the Gulf has been the source of problems for the regional people, Brigadier General Amir Hatami said on the occasion of Iran's Army Day on Friday. "We are at our home, and they (Americans) have come from the other end of the world and cause problems by threats and sanctions," Hatami was quoted as saying. In a tweet on Thursday, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also slammed the U.S. presence in the waters to the south of Iran, saying that the U.S. forces have come to the Gulf "7,000 miles away from its borders." On Thursday, the U.S. Navy said that eleven military vessels of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) conducted "dangerous and provocative actions" near U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships in international waters in the Gulf on Wednesday. Enditem IT company Kainos Group plc has said its three top bosses will go without salary and bonuses for six months as it seeks to cut costs in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis. The company has also put staff on furlough and delayed a capital investment in new offices at the former Movie House Cinema in Belfast. In a trading update the listed company said it had introduced home-working for 1,700 staff on March 5. It has also made changes to some services for customers, including making adjustments to the NHS app. Kainos, led by Brendan Mooney, said it expected its customer base of government and healthcare bodies to be more robust than others during the crisis. But it said that it was still "prudent" to manage its cost base with measures including furloughing staff, "pausing recruitment and reducing all non-essential expenditure, including deferment of the capital investment relating to the proposed new office in Belfast". In November the company said the move to a new building on the site of the Movie House Cinema would be delayed until next year. In February 2019 the company sealed a 7m deal to buy the site for its new flagship headquarters. Kainos said delaying that process and the other measures would result in "significant cost savings". Pay increases have also been delayed until next year while bonus schemes have been scaled back. And its chief executive, chief financial officer and senior-vice president of business development will take no salary or bonus for the next six months. Other members of the executive team are seeing a cut in their pay of 50%. The trading update said the company expected results for the full year to be in line with market expectations as there had been "positive momentum" during the year. Looking ahead, the company said its services were critical to over 500 customers around the globe. "Whilst this provides confidence, and despite there being only limited impact to date, the board believes that it is too early to predict the duration or the severity of the economic disruption and any impact it will have on our customers." David Williams described his wife of 19 years, Vitalina, as "the most wonderful lady on the face of the planet." "Me being in love with her, I was just following the crowd," he said. "Because everybody loved her." Vitalina Williams worked two jobs to make ends meet, at a Walmart and their local grocer, Market Basket in Salem, Massachusetts. As a newly-deemed "essential worker" during the novel coronavirus pandemic, she continued going to work even as COVID-19 made its insidious spread through the U.S. On April 4, she died from the coronavirus at the age of 59. After falling ill just a week-and-a-half earlier, her condition quickly deteriorated. She was in the hospital by March 28 and on a ventilator shortly thereafter, her husband said. Like many other essential workers, she paid the ultimate price for continuing to provide a crucial service during the pandemic. But unlike many of those traditionally deemed essential workers, this new group of workers deemed essential in the COVID-19 crisis generally makes lower wages, doesn't have benefits like paid sick leave, proper training or ready access to potentially life-saving personal protective equipment. PHOTO: David Williams is pictured here with his wife of 19 years, Vitalina Williams. (Courtesy David Williams) Vitalina Williams' husband said despite coming face-to-face with dozens of people every day, she was given almost no protective gear while working during the pandemic. Frontline medical workers and first responders have been struggling, massively in some cases, with access to PPE as well and many have died. "Hindsight is 20/20. Yeah, I wish more was done," David Williams said. "I havent been wanting to preach at people that they should do the common sense things that they should be doing in the first place, but I guess Im forced to." "You start getting into the politics of things and so on, and I start shying away from it, thats for wiser men than me to figure out," he said. Still, he said, "I think workers should get P.P.E. [personal protective equipment] when they need it." Story continues David Williams said he is speaking out about his wife's story now because he realized she is "one of many" and he hopes it will help put some protections in place for others. Market Basket spokesperson Justine Griffin told ABC News in a statement that "the loss of Vitalina is a tragedy for our entire Market Basket family." MORE: Walmart hit with wrongful death lawsuit after employee dies of COVID-19 complications She said the supermarket chain has taken steps to protect workers and customers, including limiting the number of shoppers allowed in a store at one time, making gloves and protective masks available to associates who do not have their own, and installing plexiglass shields at checkout. The company said it has also implemented a heightened disinfection program for high-touch surfaces such as cash registers, countertops, register belts, baskets, carriages and more. Walmart did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment Thursday, but on March 31 announced a series of new safety measures at all of its stores, including closing stores overnight for cleaning, installing sneeze guards at checkout lanes and pharmacy windows, wiping and spraying carts, and putting up signage reminding workers and customers to maintain social distance. New class of 'essential workers' are 'risking their lives' for minimum wage with almost no protections Vitalina Williams is one of the millions of newly-classified "essential workers" in the COVID-19 pandemic, who still have to come into work to support their families and keep the economy going while the country is being told to stay at home. As a slew of typically low-wage workers are now risking their lives to feed the country, experts say more needs to be done to recognize the risks they are taking through benefits, pay and protections. PHOTO: Vitalina Williams died of complications from COVID-19 on April 4. (Courtesy David Williams) "Typically, when we think of a crisis and we think of personnel that are essential, we think of first responders, ambulances, police officers," Molly Kinder, a David Rubenstein Fellow at the Brookings Institute, told ABC News. "They are trained for this," she added. "We have systems set up to make sure they are taken care of first, [and have ] access to personal protective equipment." Moreover, these traditional essential workers often have paid sick leave, union representation and other protections in place. In this "unprecedented" coronavirus crisis, the definition of an essential worker has become much more expansive, according to Kinder. 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. "It includes those first responders, but as you notice, it includes mail carriers and grocery cashiers, food preparers, package handlers, the workers that are showing up to deliver our meals at our home," she said. "It is just such a wide range of workers, and many of them are low-wage workers," she added, "potentially up to half of them make under a living wage or close to that." "Millions of them, a month ago when this pandemic hit, had no paid sick leave, uneven access to health insurance, and wages that did not even sustain a family," she said. "They're now going to jobs and risking their lives for $9, $10 dollars an hour." The coronavirus pandemic has "put a harsh spotlight on how poor these conditions have been for workers that have a low wage," Kinder added. "And suddenly they are keeping the rest of us alive." MORE: In NYC, 'stark contrast' in COVID-19 infection rates based on education and race Celine McNicholas, the director of government affairs at the Economic Policy Institute, told ABC News that the pandemic hasn't "changed who's essential," but rather, "it's revealed it." "These have long been the engines that drive our economy, the workers who stock our shelves, who pick up our garbage," she said. "Everyone is sort of recognizing that in this moment these workers are providing services that we desperately need to keep our families fed, to keep our families healthy," McNicholas added. "These jobs have long been low-wage jobs, very difficult for these folks to access to a union to have representation." As a result, many of these workers are still heading to public-facing jobs absent many protections -- from paid sick leave to basic protective equipment. PHOTO: Cashiers stands behind a partial protective plastic screen and wear a mask and gloves as they work at the Presidente Supermarket on April 13, 2020, in Miami. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) "We shouldnt have workers on the frontline pay the price of that by having to go to work absent that gear," McNicholas said. McNicholas said it's imperative that employers provide employees with "necessary protective equipment so that they can do their job safely and effectively" and that it's incumbent on the government to enforce this. Nationally, there have been more than two dozen grocery workers who have died of the novel coronavirus. Kinder said there has been a lot of frustration "that the Trump Administration has been very slow to put out federal guidelines for workplace safety standards" and that many states and in some cases employers have been left to set them up for themselves. MORE: 6.6 million more Americans file for unemployment amid COVID-19 financial crisis On Tuesday, the grocery chain Kroger and the UFCW, America's largest food and retail union, called for lawmakers to designate grocery workers as "extended first responders" amid the pandemic. The groups said the new status would allow these frontline workers to gain priority access to personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves. In the case of Vitalina Williams, Market Basket spokesperson Justine Griffin says the company has "implemented the same steps that we take with all reported cases." She added, "We also have now confirmed that two other associates from the Salem store have tested positive for COVID-19 and have quarantined themselves and their close contacts. We have reported this information to public health officials and followed their guidance and have brought in a specialized cleaning crew to clean and disinfect the store, as an added precaution." PHOTO: A person picks up his order from the new Call Your Mother deli during its opening in Capitol Hill iN Washington, D.C., on April 15, 2020. (Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call via Newscom) On the death of Vitalina Williams the statement said, "A Guatemalan immigrant, her journey here embodied so much of what the culture of our own company personifies -- a hardworking, selfless and kind individual, who was always warm and helpful to others. Our more than 25,000 associates each share in a mutual respect for one another and during this time, equally share in the grief of the Williams family," Griffin added. "We offer our support to her family and coworkers during this difficult time. We have made counseling services available to any colleagues or family members in need." Walmart said it would begin taking temperatures of all store associates when they report to work and is installing infrared thermometers at all locations. An associate with a temperature of 100 degrees "will be paid for reporting to work and asked to return home and seek medical treatment if necessary. The associate will not be able to return to work until they are fever-free for at least three days," the company said. Masks and gloves will also be available "as supplies permit" for associates who wish to wear them. 'I'm not ready to die' Maria Chavez, 62, from San Jose, California, said she has underlying health conditions including asthma but that she has still been going to her job at McDonald's amid the pandemic because she needs to be able to support herself. Chavez said she fears going to work every day, telling ABC News, "We don't know what kind of people come to the store and we can get sick." "Im really afraid because I am 62 years old, I have problem with asthma and if I get the virus I don't think my body will receive it because I am old," she said. "I really dont want to die. Im not ready to die." MORE: Critical inhaler medication shortage looms as coronavirus cases soar She said they didn't get any personal protective equipment -- from hand sanitizer to masks -- until after they organized strikes during the pandemic, and before that they were using dish soap to wash their hands. Chavez is now advocating for hazard pay of $3 an hour on top of base pay "because of the risks we are taking when we go to work," and for paid sick leave if they are forced to quarantine or self-isolate. David Tovar, the vice president of U.S. communications and government relations at McDonald's, told ABC News they were working "tirelessly" to change procedures and provide equipment to employees "to keep them safe in this unprecedented situation that we are in." He said they have made at least 50 changes to procedures to keep employees safe, and that these were all decided and implemented as fast as possible. "One of the challenges that we are having like a lot of companies when it comes to personal protective equipment is supply issues," he added, particularly for masks, but said that the restaurant Chavez works in is "supplied with all elements of PPE at this time." "Were spending a lot of time listening to our employees, we know they have concerns," Tovar said. "We know that we cant do it without our employees, thats why we are working as hard as we are to take care of them." He outlined more of McDonald's efforts to help workers and the community in a blogpost here. PHOTO: A United States Postal Service (USPS) worker works in the rain in Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York, April 13, 2020. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters) David Levine, a professor and the chair of economics of the University of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business, said that paid sick leave for essential workers at a time like this should not come as an act of goodwill for these companies, but is in "everybody's interest." "If they are left without paid sick leave, without access to health care, it makes everyone in this country unsafe," Levine told ABC News. Kinder said hazard pay for essential workers in situations like this is also especially important because most of these newly classified essential workers were already barely earning a livable wage. "This crisis has really revealed this gap in the value that these workers have brought to society and the wages that they get in return," she said. "I hope this is a moment of reckoning of how poorly these workers have been treated." MORE: What to know about hazard pay if you're working during coronavirus crisis "The burden that we're asking so many millions of essential workers to carry for the rest of us falls often on those with the least," Kinder added. "The least respect, the least pay, the least everything, and now they are holding up the country for us." When this pandemic is over, she said, "There is going to be a big question of are companies going to do right by their workers." "If in the end, what we see is workers perishing in numbers that should never be happening and companies are not passing on the value of the business onto the workers risking their life," she said, "I think you are going to see a reckoning of basically capitalism getting this crisis wrong." 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 Levine added that taking care of workers is also good for business in the long run, especially during a pandemic. "In the next few months and maybe the next few years, the majority of businesses that serve customers will have to address the challenge of convincing those customers that they are being served in a way that doesn't put the customers' lives at risk," he said. "That doesn't mean every business will act responsibly," Levine said. "But especially businesses that face customers and have a valuable brand, have a very strong incentive to avoid scandal. 'I'm not ready to die': New 'essential workers' call for protections, hazard pay in coronavirus crisis originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The Arunachal Pradesh government on Friday released an amount of Rs 53.26 crore as stipend and scholarship for a total of 38,594 students, amid the financial woes being faced by them in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that the state government has decided to release the first installment of Post Matric Scholarship (PMS) and the entire assistance under the state stipend scheme to the students. To mitigate the hardships and financial woes being faced by the students due to lockdown, the Arunachal Pradesh government is releasing scholarship and stipend amounting to Rs 53.26 crores for 38,594 students of the state, Khandu said. The first installment of PMS, amounting to Rs 23.50 crore, has been released for 20,500 students who would get an amount of Rs 11,500 each, official sources said. An amount of Rs 29.76 crore was also released as state stipend for 18,094 students who would get Rs 16,400 each, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17 Trend: Representatives of Turkmenistan's Turkmendemiryollary and Russias Transmashholding Closed Joint Stock Company have discussed the production and supply of locomotives and spare parts, Trend reports with reference to Turkmenistan Today state news agency. Representatives of the Turkmendemiryollary Agency, Demiryollary Open Joint Stock Company and Russias Transmashholding Closed Joint Stock Company held meeting in the videoconference format. Mutual interest in cooperation was noted during the meeting. The necessary steps to realize the potential of the partnership were also discussed. The parties highlighted the possibility of training repairmen and locomotive crews. Transmashholding Closed Joint Stock Company has a leading position in Russias transport engineering market; therefore, Turkmenistan wants to establish a mutually beneficial partnership with it. This company produces mainline and industrial electric locomotives, mainline and shunting diesel locomotives, marine diesel and diesel locomotives engines, freight and passenger cars, electric train and metro cars, rail buses, car casting and other products. A lead virologist and her team at a Wuhan lab warned of the possibility of SARS-like coronavirus outbreaks in China 11 months before the novel coronavirus epidemic ravaged the city. The ominous prediction came from a study carried out by Shi Zhengli and her colleagues at the Wuhan Institute of Virology when they stressed the importance of conducting investigations of viruses from bats. Shi, nicknamed the 'Bat Woman', allegedly sequenced the genes of the new coronavirus in three days after the epidemic emerged, but was silenced by her boss. Shi Zhengli, the deputy director at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, warned of the possibility of SARS-like coronavirus outbreaks in China in a research paper penned together with her colleagues in January, 2019. Shi is pictured explaining her work to state media in 2017 The 34million institute in Wuhan has a four-storey lab, the only such lab in China with the highest biosafety level of P4. Shi is seen working inside the P4 lab on February 23, 2017 The Wuhan Institute of Virology (pictured) is affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, has killed more than 145,000 people and infected over two million worldwide since the pandemic began in Wuhan last December. The Wuhan Institute of Virology, a 34million institute affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has become the centre of controversy amid the global crisis. Startling theories claim that the virus, officially known as SARS-CoV-2, came from the institute, which has a four-storey lab with the highest biosafety level of P4. US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Washington was trying to determine whether or not the coronavirus first crossed to humans accidentally during experiments with bats at the Wuhan lab. But China insisted that the WHO has found no evidence the novel coronavirus was man-made. Donald Trump (pictured on Wednesday) said the US was trying to determine whether or not the coronavirus first crossed to humans accidentally during experiments with bats in Wuhan Zhao Lijian (pictured on Thursday), China 's foreign ministry spokesman said WHO officials 'have said multiple times there is no evidence the new coronavirus was created in a laboratory' The stark warning was part of a research paper submitted by Shi, the deputy director at the institute, and three co-authors in January, 2019. It was published in March by MDPI, a publisher of peer-reviewed, open access journals. In the article, the team highlighted the likelihood of another coronavirus epidemic in China by analysing three large-scale outbreaks caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and Swine Acute Diarrhea Syndrome (SADS) respectively. It said that all three pathogens were coronaviruses and could be traced back to bats, and two of them had originated in China. The researchers urged: 'Thus, it is highly likely that future SARS- or MERS-like coronavirus outbreaks will originate from bats, and there is an increased probability that this will occur in China. 'Therefore, the investigation of bat coronaviruses becomes an urgent issue for the detection of early warning signs, which in turn minimizes the impact of such future outbreaks in China.' Shi and her team urged in the 2019 paper: 'Thus, it is highly likely that future SARS- or MERS-like coronavirus outbreaks will originate from bats, and there is an increased probability that this will occur in China.' She is pictured inspecting a researcher at the Wuhan P4 lab in 2017 Chinese officials decided to build the institute after the country was ravaged by an outbreak of SARS in 2002 and 2003. The picture shows researchers working in the lab in February, 2017 The team pointed out that China's size, population and biodiversity could propel the spread of the potential bug. It also underlined the Chinese tradition of favouring fresh meat. 'Chinese food culture maintains that live slaughtered animals are more nutritious, and this belief may enhance viral transmission,' the paper read. A team led by Shi already discovered in 2018 that humans might be able to catch the coronavirus directly from bats after conducting studies, according to Beijing News. The Wuhan Institute of Virology, which keeps more than 1,500 strains of deadly viruses, specialises in the research of 'the most dangerous pathogens', in particular the viruses carried by bats. Although scientists believe that the virus jumped to humans from wild animals sold as food in a market about 10 miles from the lab, conspiracy theorists promote different assumptions. Scientists believe that the virus jumped to humans from wild animals sold as food in a market about 10 miles from the lab, but conspiracy theorists are promoting different assumptions The market, called Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, was shut on January 1 in the wake of the epidemic. A woman wearing a mask is pictured walking past the closed market on January 20 Some people claim that the virus, formally known as SARS-CoV-2, could be a biological warfare weapon engineered there. Others suspect that it escaped from the lab. Shi told the press in February that she 'guaranteed with her own life' that the outbreak was not related to the lab. China also refuted reports which named Huang Yanling, a researcher at the Institute of Virology, as 'patient zero' the first person to be infected. Coronaviruses are so named because their structure has jagged edges which look like a royal crown corona is crown in Latin (Pictured, an illustration of the COVID-19 virus released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Many international experts have dismissed claims that SARS-CoV-2 originated in a lab. 'Bat coronaviruses resembling SARS and the new SARS-CoV-2 have been isolated by many groups of legitimate scientists, including the Wuhan lab and plenty of US investigators. This is a far cry from making and releasing the new virus,' Dr Gerald Keusch, a Boston-based professor previously told MailOnline. Dr Keusch, Professor of Medicine and International Health at Boston University's Schools of Medicine and Public Health, stressed that no release of viruses from a high-level lab, such as the one in Wuhan, 'has ever happened'. However, The MailOnline Sunday previously revealed that the speculation of a virus leak was being considered by the UK government. Senior government sources said earlier this month that while 'the balance of scientific advice' was still that the deadly virus was first transmitted to humans from a live animal market in Wuhan, a leak from a laboratory in the Chinese city was 'no longer being discounted'. How else would one interpret his presumptuous proclamation at his latest press conference? What in hell (no pun intended) would prompt NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo to exclaim, in a most haughty manner, that in regard to "flattening the curve" (man, do I despise that term) "We brought the numbers down. God did not do that, faith did not do that..."? I mean, I realize that he ranks very high (top three by my calculations) on the list of America's most narcissistic public figures, but this is the next level arrogance. If you think that this is even too much for even uber tyrant Emperor Andy, and need more proof, take a listen for yourself at the 42:25 mark of his presser posted on Facebook. Now, I do realize that Cuomo is not the only government authority to downplay/marginalize/outright dismiss the role that religious faith, i.e. Christianity, plays in our society, and seems to almost revel in his ability to temporarily (?) lock down houses of worship. However, to the best of my knowledge, Governor "il Duce" is the only one to (in)directly blame a religious group for his state's COVID-19 outbreak: Its hard. But on the flip side, I say look what happened in New Rochelle. Those were religious gatherings, the governor said, referring to the number of Wuhan coronavirus infections that occurred as a result of a gathering at a synagogue. You worship the way you can, but the gatherings are just not a good idea." As so aptly observed by Jonathon Van Maren at Lifesite News: "Perhaps Cuomo is simply warning people not to abandon the measures that have assisted in 'flattening the curve,' or emphasizing the responsibility citizens have to public health. But it also means that no matter how loudly God speaks, some of our leaders are refusing to acknowledge the total lack of control they have and the puniness of their power." Indeed. Of all things, one can never accuse Fredo's big brother of underestimating his own importance and power. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- There are four major bridges that connect Staten Island to the rest of the country. The first bridges, built by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, were opened on the exact same day. Both the Outerbridge Crossing and the Goethals Bridge opened on June 29, 1928. A huge change to the Goethals Bridge was about take place. In 2013, a plan was set to replace the old bridge with two new cable-stayed crossings, running parallel to the old cantilever bridge. The new eastbound span of the Goethals Bridge opened on June 10, 2017, at which time the original span was closed and demolished. The Bayonne Bridge opened November 15, 1931. It is an arch bridge connecting Bayonne, New Jersey, with Staten Island. The original 155-foot roadway carried two lanes of motor traffic in each direction, as well as a walkway. A project was started in 2013 to lift the bridge to provide increased clearance to accommodate new very large ships. The aspired navigational clearance was achieved on June 8, 2017. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere. It connects Staten Island and Brooklyn and opened November 21, 1964. The lower level opened on June 28, 1969. According to Wikipedia, in 2015, an average of 202,523 vehicles used the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge daily in both directions. View the short video above, and you'll see vintage images of Staten Island bridges as they were built. Some have changed completely today; some remain in full use. If you have any visuals to share, please send them to my email at jsomma@siadvance.com. Vintage photos and video clips are welcome! Also, please let me know if there are any places you'd like to see highlighted in an upcoming installment of "Flashback Staten Island." A playlist of past Staten Island flashbacks is available on YouTube. On April 21, 1960, Brazil inaugurated to great fanfare its new capital Brasilia, a futuristic city created out of nothing and boasting many architectural masterpieces. Here is an account of its foundation, based on AFP copy from the time. A landmark in the history of town planning, it had sprung up in less than four years on an empty plateau that is often mistaken for desert in Brazil's central west region. It is a thousand kilometres (miles) from Rio de Janeiro, (Brazil's capital since 1763), AFP explained in the run up to several days of festivities. An artificial lake, Paranoa, measuring more than 40 square kilometres (15 square miles) was created. It is the product of the national modernization project of then Brazilian president Juscelino Kubitschek for whom "it is a geopolitical revolution. After having camped for nearly two hundred years by the water's edge, Brazil will take possession of its territory." Ranked in 1987 on UNESCO's world heritage list, the city of white modern architecture was masterminded by urban planner Lucio Costa, landscaper Roberto Burle Marx and architect Oscar Niemeyer, who in 1988 would go on to win the Pritzker Prize, widely seen as architectures Nobel. - Big circumference - The inauguration date coincided with the anniversary of the death of the first martyr of Brazil's independence nicknamed "Tiradentes" (toothpuller) who had called for the capital to be relocated to central Brazil. As the day approached, around the clock, "100,000 workmen, engineers and technicians put the finishing touches to the biggest building site in the world", AFP wrote. "To accommodate the builders of Brasilia a makeshift town is born...in "the middle of the savanna". It has "150,000 inhabitants, 60 hotels, 40 bars and seven banks," all doomed to be razed once construction of Brasilia is finished. Brasilia "has the shape of a circumference -- so big that from the top of the 28-storey skyscraper where the parliament's administrative services will be housed the (city) boundaries will not be visible," AFP wrote. "Within this circumference", two diameters of which designate a sign of the cross, "the avenues ...are in the form of concentric circles" or "are laid out to follow the radius of the circle but do not lead to each other, as bridges and tunnels have been placed at all the junctions." - Architectural gems - The congress with its twin semi-spherical buildings, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court are located in Three Powers Square, which lies at the centre of the circumference and the heart of the city. Brasilia cathedral, one of the most famous landmarks by Oscar Niemeyer in the Brazilian capital inaugurated on April 21, 1960 / AFP/File Among Brasilia's most beautiful monuments are its cathedral with its enormous sheaf linking 16 concrete columns, symbolizing the friendship between Brazil and former colonial master Portugal and the Itamaraty Palace, which houses the foreign ministry. At the start, however, the transfer of power from Rio to Brasilia is more than anything else symbolic. "The internal construction of numerous public buildings is not finished, the offices have not been completely installed, and more than anything the lifts are often working precariously," AFP wrote on the eve of the inauguration. The internal telephone network is not up to speed and last minute hitches arise in radio links with other cities. With long distances to cover, it is also difficult to get around in an urban area which has practically no transport. - Thousands celebrate - However, celebrations are the order of the day. Brasilia, inaugurated as Brazil's new capital on April 21, 1960 / AFP/File On April 20, "Brazilians, who for the past 24 hours have been converging on the new capital, give vent to their enthusiasm before the architectural masterpieces." The president receives the keys to the city in front of "a crowd of around 3,000," where workmen in blue jeans mix with peasants from the high plateaus with sunburned faces, tourists from Rio or Sao Paulo clad in white and top officials and parliamentarians in dark suits. Papal legate Cardinal Manuel Cerejeira blesses the city using a cross at the foot of which the first mass was celebrated in Brazil in 1500. As well as religious ceremonies, the festivities include a fair, a military parade, and a procession by the construction workers which take place over several days. On the 21, the authorities are installed in Brasilia. "The fronts of the public buildings...are all made up of bay windows. Thus the people will be able to constantly 'check' on the work of the servants of the state," AFP wrote on April 23. Four years after the inauguration of its new capital, which made a dent in public finances for several years, Brazil experiences a coup, which establishes a military dictatorship that will last to 1985. 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 Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (Source: VNA) The first measure, Minh suggested, is to strengthen international solidarity and multilateral cooperation with the United Nations and the World Health Organisation (WHO) playing the central role, and improve the WHOs operation efficiency to support developing countries. Vietnam, within its capacity, will contribute to the joint efforts and is willing to provide Made-in-Vietnam medical equipment for others, he affirmed. Secondly, it is important to share information, experience and research achievements, to ensure everyone have access to vaccines and medicine. Thirdly, Minh called for stopping activities that affect disease response efforts, especially power politics and unilateral actions contrary to international law. Vietnam supports the UN Secretary-Generals call for a global ceasefire and his appeal to waive sanctions that can undermine countries capacity to respond to the pandemic, he added. The fourth measure the Vietnamese official proposed is to build post-COVID-19 development plans which include coordinated policies and measures to stimulate the economy, trade and investment, stabilise the financial market, and restore the confidence of businesses and people. He also shared Vietnams active and prompt response efforts with peoples life and health given the top priority. With high political determination and social unity, Vietnam has synchronously implemented such measures as compulsory quarantine, tracing people in contact with infected patients, and applying extensive testing and effective treatment methods. Therefore, Vietnam has to date basically controlled the disease with below 300 infections and no fatalities, Minh added. The Ministerial Video-Conference attracted the participation of Foreign Ministers from 26 European, Asian-Pacific, Latin American and African countries, seeking ways to promote international solidarity to overcome the pandemic and discussing measures to strengthen multilateral mechanisms, espcially the WHO, to help them well fulfil their missions. The Alliance for Multilateralism was created by Germany and France in April 2019. Vietnam has yet to enter the organisation. People on the beach in Jacksonville, Fla., on Friday. Florida's governor told local officials they could open up beaches so people could exercise. (Getty Images) Pressured by President Trump to reopen the economy amid the coronavirus outbreak, governors across the nation on Friday laid out varying paths as they tried to balance public health with the crushing financial pressures facing the nations workers. Texas is opening its parks and Florida's governor told local officials they could let beachgoers return. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that his state would reopen state parks, allow retailers to offer to-go sales and let physicians and nurses perform diagnostic tests and surgeries that had been put on hold to ensure hospital capacity for COVID-19 patients. Additional openings possibly including restaurants and movie theaters and an easing of the state's stay-at-home order will be announced April 27, he said. "We have demonstrated that we can corral the coronavirus," Abbott said as he announced the creation of a "strike force" to guide the effort to reopen his state's economy. More than 36,000 people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University. Public health officials have repeatedly emphasized that effective testing is needed before state and local restrictions can be safely lifted, but problems have limited the number of tests that can be done. Officials at a White House briefing Friday said there were enough tests to complete the first phase of the Trump administration's reopening plan. Abbott, when asked for specifics on what he said would be an increase in testing, said that in late April and early May, "it'll be going up quite a bit." He said the restriction changes, which start next week, include safeguards such as social distancing requirements to minimize the risk of transmission. Abbott also announced that K-12 schools and colleges would be closed for the remainder of the academic year and set new measures to protect residents of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities. Story continues Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was harshly criticized for allowing spring breakers to crowd his states shores as the coronavirus spread across the nation, said Friday that local officials could reopen beaches if they could do so safely. Do it in a good way. Do it in a safe way, DeSantis said at a news conference in Fort Lauderdale. Beaches in Jacksonville opened for limited hours at 5 p.m. Friday, the city's mayor announced. Activities such as swimming, fishing and surfing are allowed, but beachgoers are not permitted to sunbathe or barbecue. Social distancing requirements were in effect but images showed people walking relatively close to one another without face masks. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday also committed to a phased reopening of businesses while simultaneously announcing that schools would not reopen for the remainder of the academic year. "I know that the possibility of getting life back to normal sooner rather than later is what hard-working Iowans want, and its absolutely what I want too," she said. Abbott, DeSantis and Reynolds made the remarks a day after the president presented a three-phase plan for the nation to get back to work. Although Trump on Thursday emphasized that the decision to reopen state economies was ultimately up to governors, on Friday he took to Twitter to prod them. LIBERATE MINNESOTA! and "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" the president tweeted. He followed with LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege! All three states are led by Democratic governors. Trump tweeted the messages shortly before a group called "Liberate Minnesota" protested outside Gov. Tim Walz's house over his decision to extend his state's stay-at-home order into May. Similar protests took place this week in California, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina and Utah. "I, along with my staff, are fighting a biological war, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said, when asked to respond to Trumps tweet. "I do not have time to involve myself in Twitter wars." The presidents statements this morning encourage illegal and dangerous acts. He is putting millions of people in danger of contracting COVID-19. His unhinged rantings and calls for people to liberate states could also lead to violence. Weve seen it before. 1/7 Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 17, 2020 Washington Gov. Jay Inslee called the tweets "unhinged rantings" that are putting people at danger of contracting the coronavirus and potentially inciting violence. Trump, Inslee said, is undermining his own administration's "sensible" plan to gradually restart the economy. Trump, speaking to reporters during his evening White House briefing, defended his tweets, claiming the three states had overreached with their restrictions. He also defended the protesters, many of whom violated social distancing mandates. "These are people expressing their views ... they seem to be very responsible people to me," he said when asked whether he's worried about the gatherings spreading the coronavirus. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has sparred with the president and is on Democrat Joe Biden's short list for a running mate, pushed back at the protesters who chanted "Lock her up!" outside the state Capitol in Lansing this week. She said she hoped to ease some restrictions in her state on May 1 but it would depend on the science. "It's better to be six feet apart right now than six feet under," she said on ABC's "Good Morning America." She was among the governors, particularly those in the hardest-hit states, who warned Friday that reopening their economies too quickly could result in a spike in new infections and deaths. Operate too fast in three days and well be right back where we started, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during his daily briefing. In New York City, all parades, rallies and other large nonessential public events scheduled to take place in May are canceled, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said residents of his state should expect restrictions to remain in place until the crisis eases. He acknowledged bubbling frustration in the state, which has seen an increase in deaths but a decrease in the number of new infections. "I know social distancing is hard," Murphy said. "I know its not fun. I know its going to be a few more weeks, at least. If you want to be mad at me, go ahead. But my No. 1 goal my entire focus is on defeating this virus and getting our state back to where we can reopen." In California, which has avoided the death rates seen elsewhere because of early shut-downs, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the creation of a task force of business and elected leaders to guide the state's economic recovery as unemployment climbs and the state endures a "pandemic-induced recession." There was wide agreement among governors about the need for greater testing capacity. A major obstacle is a of lack of testing kits, including the reagents necessary to do the tests. Once again, states and the federal government are competing to purchase the supplies, often from China. Trump insisted that there were plenty of testing materials available for states to use, but he said that was not the federal government's responsibility. "The governors are responsible for testing," Trump said during his evening White House briefing. Administration officials later clarified that there were enough tests for the first phase of Trump's guidelines to reopen the economy, which would continue existing restrictions on travel and gatherings but would allow restaurants, churches and sports arenas to open if they could enforce strict social distancing. More than one-third of the deaths in the U.S. have occurred in New York state. The daily count of deaths and new infections remained roughly stable in the state, but Cuomo noted that the number of hospitalizations and intubations had declined. New York's governor has often avoided fighting with Trump as he sought federal aid from the president. But the pair repeatedly clashed on Friday, with the president tweeting during Cuomo's news briefing that the governor ought to "spend more time 'doing' and less time 'complaining.' Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking!" In extended fiery remarks, Gov. Andrew Cuomo responds to attack from Donald Trump: "First of all, If he's sitting home watching TV, maybe he should get up and go to work, right?" Watch his full remarks: https://t.co/imu5k1sE1D pic.twitter.com/wG0OBN3ikb ABC News (@ABC) April 17, 2020 Cuomo countered that the president should stop watching television and do his job, and sarcastically responded to the president's listing of all that the federal government had done for the state, including helping turn the Javits Convention Center into a field hospital. "I dont know what Im supposed to do send a bouquet of flowers? he said. Thank you again, Mr. President, for the Javits. Thank you for the U.S. Navy ship Comfort, which is just doing your job as president. Its not really thank you like you wrote a check yourself, but thank you. Times staff writer Chris Megerian in Washington and the Associated Press contributed to this report. A leading member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has lambasted former President John Mahama for asking government to make funds available to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). He said Mahamas suggestion was misplaced looking at his track record. On Thursday, April 16, in a speech to deliver food items to 20,000 households in the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi areas as relief packages over the Coronavirus lockdown, asked the President, Nana Akufo-Addo-led NPP government to ensure it funds ECG. That, he urged, was to enable the electricity company provide uninterrupted power during the period of the fight against COVID-19. According to Mr Mahama, Considering the new cases being discovered, it is clear that we are entering a new phase where there is the beginning of a horizontal spread of the disease. This requires us to redouble our efforts in the battle against the pandemic, he added. The former President urged In other for us the people of Ghana to realize the needed benefit from the subsidies on electricity tariffs and water announced, I ask the President to assure and fund ECG and the power producers to enable them to discharge their duties without interruption. But in response, Mr Otchere-Darko, wrote on his official Facebook page, reminding Mr Mahama about how his NDC government caused unprecedented electricity crisis in Ghana leading to the collapse of several businesses even when there was no coronavirus emergency. He told Mr Mahama that In 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, you had no Covid-19 to significantly disturb economic activity. What you had was the longest dumsor in Ghanas history, which significantly disturbed economic activity, he told the former President who is seeking a comeback to power. Mr Otchere-Darko further told Mr Mahama and, why did we have dumsor? Mainly because ECG, Gridco, VRA, were woefully underfunded and highly indebted. He added that so yes, the former President knows exactly what hes talking about when he offers suggestions that this government should make sure it funds ECG adequately to avoid dumsor. According to him, Mr Mahama knows the consequences of his own inadequacies, adding that good advice from one who has been there, done it and all. 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 Dynamo has revealed he performed magic tricks for 'ruffians' as a child who would have beaten him up if he got it wrong. The Bradford native, 37, said his tough upbringing prepared him well for his new Sky One series Beyond Belief where he crossed the border wall between the US and Mexico. The magician, whose real name is Steven Frayne, told The Sun he has to be 'fearless' when performing. Early days: Dynamo, 37, has revealed he performed magic tricks for 'ruffians' as a child who would have beaten him up if he got it wrong He said: 'Growing up in the Delph Hill Estate, I performed magic to ruffians who would have battered me if I got it wrong. Its put me in good stead. 'When Im creating magic the agenda is to create the most amazing thing. Its not political. I have to be fearless in order to attempt these things. Its not exactly like I asked for anyones permission.' Dynamo described crossing the border wall as one of the riskiest things he has ever attempted as he ended up in an area of Mexico with significant drug activity. He said: 'It was very risky. The area I crossed into is just on the outskirts of Juarez which has high cartel activity. It was very daunting. I had to try and get to a certain meeting point.' Show: The Bradford native said his tough upbringing prepared him well for his new Sky One series Beyond Belief where he crossed the border wall between the US and Mexico The magician added that all the camera crew was left in America and it was adrenaline that kept him going on the risky trip. Dynamo has big plans for his magic career as he's revealed he wants to perform in every country in the world. Explaining his plans for a global tour, he told The Sun: 'I want to do a world tour with my magic where I actually go to every country. It would be amazing to go to places like North Korea and Syria and do magic. 'I often find that we get the best moments of magic in the least likeliest of places, maybe at the end of a long day's shoot when we're en route back to base. He said: 'Growing up in the Delph Hill Estate, I performed magic to ruffians who would have battered me if I got it wrong. Its put me in good stead' (pictured in February 2020) 'We'll pull over and film with a group of people, they could be homeless people, and we'll film magic with them.' Dynmano recently confirmed he's on the mend after being diagnosed with coronavirus, but is continuing to sleep in a separate room to his wife Kelly Frayne. Speaking on Thursday's This Morning he said: 'Coronavirus puts me at really high risk. We're sleeping in separate rooms and keeping each other as far away from each other as possible. 'It's been difficult, you have to keep your distance from everyone. I'm feeling a lot better, still croaky. My thoughts go out to everyone who is going through it.' Dynamo added he is working his way back to full health after self-isolating for two weeks, a recommendation given to all suspected carriers by the World Health Organisation. On the mend: Earlier this week Dynamo said he's getting better after testing positive for coronavirus, after being advised to get tested due to his ongoing battle with Crohn's disease Last week, Dynamo shared a lengthy video explaining to fans he was advised to get tested privately after suffering from a 'persistent cough and lots of aches and pains,' due to his ongoing battle with Crohn's disease. Despite the diagnosis, Dynamo reassured fans he's feeling 'better and better every day' and urged his followers to stay at home, as he praised 'incredible' key workers for the commitment during the pandemic. Dynamo explained he was well aware most people could not afford a private coronavirus test, by he'd been advised to do so as he is on immuno-suppressant therapy after being diagnosed with Crohn's disease at the age of 14. The star also put his career on hold for several years due to a crippling battle with arthritis, but is now back on screens with Beyond Belief. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) A new partnership between Purdue University, the Indiana State Department of Health and Indiana hospitals could expand the state's capacity in serving COVID-19 patients. The Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, inside Purdues College of Veterinary Medicine, is working with Fort Wayne-based Parkview Health to start conducting COVID-19 tests for human patients. Angie Chan is the supervisor of the Molecular Diagnostic Section of the Animal Diagnostic and Disease Laboratory, which performs the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests on samples received in the lab. (John Underwood/Purdue University photo) Angie Chan is the supervisor of the Molecular Diagnostic Section of the Animal Diagnostic and Disease Laboratory, which performs the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests on samples received in the lab. (John Underwood/Purdue University photo) According to a news release, the goal is to turn around results the same day that samples are received in the lab. All samples will be sent directly from hospitals back to Purdue's ADDL. The lab was certified in a matter of days after Purdue leaders suggested using the ADDL to conduct tests and address the states limited testing capacity and need for resources. State Health Commissioner Kris Box said in a recent daily briefing with Gov. Eric Holcomb that resources are still limited for COVID-19 testing in Indiana as the number of cases continues to rise. The College of Veterinary Medicine has a long history of providing services to protect animal and human health, said Willie Reed, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. Providing COVID-19 testing is yet another way to support the citizens of Indiana during this unprecedented public health crisis. The project was shepherded by David Broecker of the Purdue Research Foundation and involves several partners including the foundation, the Indiana State Department of Health, Parkview Hospital, the Purdue community. Broecker is the chief innovation and collaboration officer for the Purdue Research Foundation. The Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory is suited to assist Indiana in the COVID-19 fight because of the lab's expertise in providing infectious disease testing and immunity surveillance for animals across the state, according to Purdue. The ADDL is uniquely positioned to contribute skills and expertise in the detection of pathogens to the fight against COVID-19, while maintaining our diagnostic support of animal health and the safety of the food supply, said Dr. Kenitra Hendrix, dirctor of the ADDL. Hendrix says the samples are being tested using a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) testing method that the ADDL uses regularly for animal specimens. The ADDL team, working with state health authorities, adjusted its intake and sample processing procedures to gain the necessary certification to use the PCR testing capability on human specimens. Our team has worked diligently to prepare to perform this testing, Hendrix said. It is rewarding to be able to take on this role in support of the citizens of our state. The project is a cross-disciplinary, collaborative effort with the Indiana State Department of Health, the Purdue Research Foundation and the Purdue community. Indiana continues to increase our capabilities and preparedness for rapidly testing patients to support our front-line health care workers, Box said. We are grateful to Purdue and the ADDL for helping to make testing more available for Hoosiers who are helping others during this pandemic. Parkview Health provided clinical expertise on obtaining a CLIA license and setting up the lab for human testing. It still takes several days to get results that are sent out to central labs across the country, said Dr. Michael J. Mirro, chief academic research officer at Parkview Health. Even the new tests are limited by supply constraints. What Purdue has done is fantastic and shows the ingenuity associated with creative problem solving. Paired with the significant amount of time invested by the Parkview lab team, we believe this will have a positive impact on the states testing capacity. The ADDL is a Biosafety Level 2 facility accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. BSL-2 laboratories are used to study moderate-risk infectious agents or toxins. Hendrix says that additional partnerships with other hospitals across the state are possible. More information and a form for potential partners are available at https://purdue.vet/covid19testing. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 12:54:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A medical worker gestures to say goodbye to local residents at Wuhan Railway Station in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 7, 2020. The last batch of 186 medical workers from Hunan Province returned home on Tuesday after aiding the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in central China's Hubei Province. (Photo by Zhao Jun/Xinhua) WUHAN, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Wuhan municipal headquarters for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic prevention and control on Friday issued a notification on revising the numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases and fatalities in the city. The following is the full text of the notification. In accordance with the fourth paragraph, Article 38 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, which stipulates that "information on epidemic situation of infectious diseases shall be released in a timely and accurate manner"; the third paragraph, Article 25 of the Regulations on Preparedness for and Response to Emergent Public Health Hazards, which stipulates that "information shall be released in a timely, accurate and comprehensive way"; Article 19 of the Regulations for the Implementation of the Statistics Law of the People's Republic of China, which stipulates that "if statistical data are incomplete or have obvious mistakes, the target under statistical investigation shall provide supplementation or correction according to law"; Article 14 and Article 15 of the Rules for the Population Death Information Registration (for trial implementation), which stipulate that "medical institutions shall establish data revision systems," "medical institutions shall establish data comparison, verification and supplementation systems," and other regulations; following the principle of being responsible for history, the people and the deceased and to ensure that the information on the city's COVID-19 epidemic is open, transparent and the data are accurate, the Wuhan municipal headquarters for COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control established a group for epidemic-related big data and epidemiological investigations. Municipal authorities for health, disease control, public security, civil affairs, judicial affairs and statistics have pooled their efforts to compare the COVID-19 case information in the Wuhan municipal COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control big data system, the municipal funeral service system, the municipal hospital authority's COVID-19 information system, and the municipal novel coronavirus nucleic acid test system to remove double-counted cases and fill in missed cases. Aiming to leave no COVID-19 case undocumented, the authorities have worked to collect full information from all epidemic-related locations, including fever clinics, hospitals, makeshift hospitals, quarantine sites, communities with COVID-19 cases, and special sites administrated by public security, judicial and civil affairs authorities such as prisons, detention centers and elderly care centers, collect full personal information on all COVID-19 cases, and screen and verify every case with health institutions, communities and neighborhoods, primary-level police stations, employers and families of COVID-19 patients. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Wuhan as of the end of April 16 was revised up by 325 to 50,333, and the number of fatalities up by 1,290 to 3,869. A nurse seals off a gate of Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, April 15, 2020. Wuhan Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital ceased operation in Wuhan on Wednesday as the coronavirus epidemic wanes. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) The data discrepancies are due to the following reasons: First, a surging number of patients at the early stage of the epidemic overwhelmed medical resources and the admission capacity of medical institutions. Some patients died at home without having been treated in hospitals. Second, during the height of their treating efforts, hospitals were operating beyond their capacities and medical staff were preoccupied with saving and treating patients, resulting in belated, missed and mistaken reporting. Third, due to a rapid increase of designated hospitals for treating COVID-19 patients, including those administered by ministries, Hubei Province, Wuhan city and its districts, those affiliated to companies, as well as private hospitals and makeshift hospitals, a few medical institutions were not linked to the epidemic information network and failed to report their data in time. Fourth, the registered information of some of the deceased patients was incomplete, and there were repetitions and mistakes in the reporting. Aerial photo taken on April 14, 2020 shows the sunrise scenery in Wuchang of Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (Xinhua/Du Huaju) Life and people are what matter most. Every life lost in the epidemic is not only a loss to their family but also a grief for the city. Our sincere condolences go to the families of those who deceased in the COVID-19 epidemic, and we express deep sorrow to the compatriots and medical workers who lost their lives in the epidemic. The Wuhan Municipal Headquarters for COVID-19 Epidemic Prevention and Control April 17, 2020 T he widow of a former Evening Standard production editor who died of coronavirus today paid tribute to a wonderful man. Brian Hood passed away on Wednesday, aged 67, in hospital in Ashford, Kent. He was admitted for cancer treatment after a long-running battle but caught Covid-19 and was gone in a matter of hours, his wife Alison said. Brian, who has two sons Tom and George, retired in 2018 to live in Herne Bay after 25 years with the Standard as a sub-editor and then as production editor on the business pages. The horse-racing fanatic began his career in journalism on the Clitheroe Advertiser and Blackpool Gazette. He would go on to work in Hong Kong for the South China Morning Post and the Wall Street Journal before freelancing for most of the Fleet Street papers. Brian had been due to start work at the Standard on October 22, 1993, but had to take his first day off due to the birth of his second son. Alison today said: How can you feel two such intense emotions at the same time: all-consuming sadness at losing him and intense happiness that I was lucky enough to have had this man in my life. Brian was loved and respected by everyone who met him. I cant think of a single person who would disagree with that statement. Amazing husband, wonderful father and loyal friend... I love you, honey, and long may you look out to sea. City editor Jim Armitage said: He would be embarrassed at having his name in lights but quietly rather proud, I hope. A wonderful, clever man who put up with a lot of mayhem from a chaotic City editor with calm, good grace. A celebration of Brians life is planned. A widely-respected hospital porter in north London fondly known as the general has become one of the latest NHS workers to die with suspected Covid-19. Nick Joseph, who was given the nickname by colleagues at the Whittington Hospital where he had worked for 17 years, died at home earlier this week. He had developed coronavirus symptoms two weeks earlier. More than 40 NHS workers are known to have died so far amid continuing concern that some medical staff are being put at risk by a shortage of protective equipment. A spokesman for Whittington Health NHS Trust said: All of our staff including our porters are provided with PPE when dealing with positive or suspected Covid-19 patients. Meanwhile, friends of a minicab driver who died with suspected coronavirus have raised 15,000 in less than 24 hours to help his young family in India. Rajesh Jayaseelan, 45, developed a fever several days after picking up a passenger at Heathrow on March 25 and went to hospital where he tested positive for Covid-19, a friend said. Government relief checks began arriving in Americans bank accounts as the economic damage to the U.S. from the coronavirus piled up Wednesday on what would normally be Tax Day, the income tax filing deadline that was moved this year from April 15 to July 15. But sluggish sales at reopened stores in Europe and China made it clear that business wont necessarily bounce right back when the crisis eases. The first tentative steps in lifting economically crippling coronavirus restrictions ran into resistance, with shoppers and other customers staying away from reopened businesses and workers afraid the newly restored freedoms could put their health at risk. President Donald Trump could unveil as soon as this week new federal guidelines meant to begin the process of reopening the country, officials said, as subsets of the White House coronavirus task force weigh options on how to best advise Americans on returning to workplaces or schools. But Harvard researchers say the U.S. may have to endure social distancing measures such as stay-at-home orders and school closures until 2022. That is, unless a vaccine or better therapeutics becomes available, or we increase our critical care capacity. In other words, 2022 is one scenario of many. Though NCLT has extended window to find a buyer, bankers dont see much hope of a deal. 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 16,000 crore. Now, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis has dashed any prospects of revival. Before the nationwide lockdown, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) granted an additional three months to the airlines resolution professional to find a suitor on the grounds that lenders would get better value for their assets if these were sold via a formal resolution plan, instead of the liquidation route. Till last month, the Russian Development Fund and Prudent ARC were in the fray to revive the airline, but neither submitted a concrete plan. In view of the order passed by the NCLT in a suo moto appeal, the period during which there is a lockdown will be excluded while calculating the period of resolution process, said Ashish Pyasi, associate partner at Dhir and Dhir Associates. By giving extension, the NCLT gave additional life to the process so that viable resolution plan can be explored. "It is pertinent to note that the nature of assets is such that in liquidation these assets may not fetch the same value and may become obsolete. "Therefore, for maximisation of asset value it is important that some viable resolution plan is explored, Pyasi added. However, bankers believe that given the situation, a revival looks difficult. Overall, aviation industry is in crisis and airlines have cash flow problems. "Expecting a company to submit a revival plan for Jet Airways looks out of question. "Even realising good value from liquidation would be difficult as globally airlines are grounding planes, said a bank executive. Jet Airways has twelve aircraft, including three fully-owned Boeing 737s, six Boeing 777s, and three Airbus A330s, one of which is leased to Air Serbia. In January, it decided to sell one of its Boeing 777 aircraft to KLM to settle pending aircraft loan and meet insolvency process costs in the Netherlands, but the deal is yet to fructify. While several pilots, engineers and cabin crew have found jobs at other airlines in India and abroad, about 4,000 employees are still on the rolls of Jet Airways. It has been difficult for employees to sustain without regular income. "Many have sold their ornaments or broken their fixed deposits to run households. Some have even gone to the native places, said Nidhi Chaphekar, Jets cabin manager-turned-motivational speaker. Chaphekar and a few of her colleagues are still optimistic about Jets revival. The Jet brand is still alive. The aircraft have been preserved. All we are hoping is that the government supports revival and pays us at least one months salary, she added. Another staffer, Geetanjalee Parelkar, said she had exhausted her savings and her sister was helping her pay loan instalments. In the absence of regular income, I have been forced to put up my house in Mumbai for sale and move to Odisha with my children, said Parelkar, a Boeing 777 pilot. As of March, over 20,000 claims had been made totaling around Rs 37,000 crore. Workmen and employees have claimed more than Rs 1,400 crore and financial creditors have claimed over Rs 11,000 crore from the defunct airline. Photograph; Vivek Prakash/Reuters A day after a food delivery person working for a Malviya Nagar restaurant tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) -- leading to residents of at least 72 households being put under home quarantine -- the city administration is scrambling to put in place rules and standard operating procedures to ensure proper safety norms for local delivery firms and stand-alone restaurants in the Capital. While larger food delivery chains and essential supplies providers have strict processes to ensure the safety of their deliveries, smaller firms may fall below the radar, senior civic officials said, highlighting the need for standardised norms. This incident shows that modalities should be chalked out under which the employer must issue fitness certificates to all its delivery persons and other staff at least once a week after proper health checks, said BM Mishra, district magistrate of the south Delhi district, from where the case emerged. All our Covid containment efforts will go in vain if there is no safety mechanism for the thousands of delivery persons operating in the city, he added. Other district magistrates also called for protocols to be put in place. One district magistrate said that if rules are laid down, people will have clear directions on what to do; while Central Delhi district magistrate Nidhi Srivastava said the daily temperature screening of all workers should be mandatory in these outlets. Police on Thursday said that the man was an employee of Box 8, and the pizza was from the kitchen of the adjoining restaurant MOJO Pizza, also located in the same building. Police said that apart from serving its own menu, Box 8 has a tie-up with multiple food chains. In a statement on its official Twitter account on Thursday, Box 8 said: After all precautions and vigilance, in an unfortunate turn of events, a delivery partner of our Malviya Nagar kitchen in south Delhi has tested Covid positive yesterday.The delivery partner has been keeping well and getting the required medical attention. All his co-workers have been quarantined and we have shut down the Malviya Nagar kitchen in South Delhi for the next 14 days. Mishra, the South Delhi DM, said the delivery person had not been feeling well for nearly a month and had visited several hospitals. He had a cough but some hospitals had dismissed it as common flu. But when he didnt recover, he went to Safdarjung Hospital for a check-up from where he was referred to RML. He tested positive for Covid-19 on April 14, said Mishra. Government officials said at least 16 employees and the owner of Box 8 have been put under institutional quarantine in Chhatarpur. The delivery person, who tested positive on April 14, is at the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality hospital in Tahirpur for treatment. Larger firms involved in aggregated food delivery and chain restaurants said they were already following strict guidelines and the norms for their staff were assiduously enforced. Dominos Pizza, a food chain, said it was the first company to start the zero contact delivery to contain the spread of the virus and that it was taking several other precautionary measures. We would like to reassure all our customers that in these uncertain times, we are taking all possible precautions to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees and customers. As a rule, all our Safe Delivery Experts are 100% company employees and are following heightened sanitisation and hygiene protocols in all our restaurants. All employees in the stores are being temperature screened every day and they follow a mandatory hourly hand wash protocol for a minimum of 20 seconds. We are deep sanitising our restaurants as well as delivery bikes, boxes and pizza hot bags every 4 hours. Besides, we have moved all our deliveries to Zero Contact Delivery thereby avoiding any physical contact with the customer. Additionally, all our Safe Delivery Experts are wearing gloves and masks to ensure the safety of our customers, it said in a statement. Food delivery aggregator Zomato said orders delivered by the restaurants directly were sometimes placed on the Zomato platform and it was not sure if this delivery person had delivered any such orders while he was infected. At Zomatos end, we are leaving no stone unturned to make sure that our customers, our delivery partners, and our restaurant partners are safe. Covid-19 could happen to anyone - and it is near impossible for all of us to completely isolate ourselves, especially when we need outside support for essentials such as food... We believe that none of our riders should and would knowingly keep working if they knew they were infected with Covid-19, the company said in a statement. Another food delivery platform, Swiggy, said it regularly shared guidelines on best practices with its delivery partners. We regularly send reminders to our delivery partners on best practices of respiratory hygiene, proper method and frequency of washing hands, as well as identification of associated symptoms. A series of videos capturing pertinent details shot in multiple languages are being circulated as a ready reckoner. We have also started the distribution of N95 masks to all our delivery partners in the affected cities, free of cost, the company said in a statement. There are least 25,000 food delivery persons in the national Capital, estimates the RedSeer consulting firm. The number of active riders, however, has gone down after the Covid outbreak and the nationwide lockdown, it said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The city of Napa wants its residents to know there are ways they can help keep their favorite local businesses stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. City officials also want business owners to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of help available, and have launched some tools to do both. Its the citys response to the pain and confusion that officials have been hearing from the business community, said Neal Harrison of Napas Economic Development Division. That includes developers, business owners, chambers of commerce and other associations. What do we do? Cash is key, and their cash flow got completely squeezed, said Harrison. They are being crippled; cant pay their lease, so the building owner cant pay their mortgage, thats why the federal government is trying to keep small businesses afloat. This is our way to help the local Napa community keep the Napa Valley economy alive. We want to go forward with the same vitality weve seen in the past few years. We dont want to lose the momentum in our business community. To help achieve this goal, officials developed two flyers and launched a business resource page on the city website, designed to do just that, Harrison said. We are prioritizing supporting our local business community during the COVID-19 crisis, he said. We are updating the website daily and looking into other ways to help. The flyers suggest people can still patronize many of their favorite local restaurants, grocery stores, and other shops, which are open and delivering directly, and the city provides a list that is regularly updated to include new resources and opportunities that are being created every day, Harrison said. The site and the flyers include links to local wineries, breweries and restaurants open for take-out or delivery, as well as tips from Visit Napa Valley on virtual tastings and wine shipping. Now is the perfect time to hunker down and get some of your holiday or birthday shopping out of the way, he said. Buy gift cards or donate to local charities that provide crucial relief for workers and businesses. Napa Valley Community Foundation launched a COVID-19 fund providing grants for both community health and unemployed workers, according to one of the flyers. Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) has resources, and there are a host of nonprofits with relief programs, it says. Local businesses are adapting to changing circumstances with online marketing, delivery services, and re-forecasted revenues, the flyer said. Do you have skills and expertise that you could donate to a local business in this transition? Reach out to the Sonoma-Napa SBDC and start helping! Harrison said officials are working closely with the Economic Divisions key partners, including the Workforce Alliance, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Napa Chamber of Commerce, the Sonoma Napa Small Business Development Center and the Downtown Napa Association, which are all key crucial points for information and economic development for our business community. At the city level, we were working with these groups to have a cohesive message and information to share with business community, with employees being laid off and such, he said. The citys webpage is kept current as a source of information. One of the new flyers focuses on five actions the business community can take to stay afloat and that local community members can take to support local business, Harrison said. Its function is to offer a place to find information from us and our different partners, he said. For instance the regional level of the Small Business Administration helps small businesses apply for all the grants and loans coming out from the government. Also, there are a bunch of amazing webinars around showing how to help with cash flow during times of crisis, that type of thing. City officials efforts also focus on the community side, which, Harrison said, is very much about supporting local about the types of things people can do in the short term to help keep local businesses going. Federal and state government is working on providing financial assistance that most individual cities cant, he said. The city is also hit hard with a financial shortfall, he said. Editors note: Because of the health implications of the COVID-19 virus, this article is being made available free to subscribers and non-subscribers alike. If youd like to join us in supporting the mission of local journalism, please visit napavalleyregister.com/members/join/. You can reach reporter Jennifer Huffman at 256-2218 or jhuffman@napanews.com A leaked letter from Canadas largest oil and gas lobby to the countrys government has revealed more than 30 requests to suspend environmental regulations, laws and policies due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) made the requests over 13 pages to members of prime minister Justin Trudeaus cabinet, in a letter reported by Global News. The letter, from 27 March, lays out proposals for a wide-range of delays, suspensions and changes in the industry relating to pollution monitoring, impact of sites on migratory birds, climate change and indigenous rights, among other topics. On Friday, Mr Trudeau said more than $2bn (1.6bn) in financial support would be made available for oil and gas companies in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan to help clean up contaminated sites and meet new federal standards that require a reduction in methane emissions, Global News reported. But he said there would be no pause on action to fight climate change. Mr Trudeau said: Just because were in one crisis right now doesnt mean we can forget about the other one the climate crisis that we are also facing as a world and as a country. CAPPs letter was sent last month by Tim McMillan, president and CEO of the lobbying group. Global News reported that the letter was sent after two meetings with Minister of Natural Resources, Seamus ORegan, and other government officials, on 19 and 26 March. Mr McMillan wrote that the depth of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are profound and thanked the minister for meeting with members of the lobbying group. The openness to dialogue you and colleagues in cabinet have shown since the beginning of this crisis has been greatly appreciated, he continued. The letter was sent to seven other ministers in the Canadian government. Mr McMillan asked the government to adopt a flexible approach to compliance for certain low risk regulatory requirements. CAPP also recommended to the government that it adopt a do no harm principle when it came to regulations and associated costs for the industry during the pandemic. The letter was leaked to Environmental Defence, a conservation group based in Toronto, on Wednesday. The coronavirus pandemic has rocked the oil and gas industry in Canada and around the world as prices sharply declined due to less demand. A price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia added to the industrys woes and threatened thousands of jobs. Mr McMillan wrote: Canadas energy sector is currently facing unprecedented fiscal challenges resulting from a collapse in energy demand stemming from the pandemic and a surplus of supply driven by OPEC country actions. As a result, companies have been forced to cut capital expenditures by close to $6 billion in the last few weeks alone. The lobbyists asked for a delay on plans to fight climate change. Canada is set to increase the Carbon Price to $40 in 2021 and $50 in 2022 but CAPP asked that the Carbon Price be held at $30/tonne CO2e until economic recovery is underway. Recommended Unprecedented deal agreed to cut oil production in bid to boost prices The lobbyists requested that a strategic assessment of climate change be postponed until proper consultation is possible. CAPP also asked to postpone the development and consideration of any additional measures related to the climate, in respect to Canadas goal of reducing greenhouse gas gases and reaching net-zero by 2050. Covid-19 will have significant implications on emissions and the economy. Exciting measures should be evaluated before additional measures are considered, the letter stated. Among the other recommendations was a request to postpone and potentially modify changes to regulations protecting migratory birds which may introduce new field monitoring requirements and/or introduce project delays. Reductions in reporting activity under the Fisheries Act during the pandemic was also recommended. The letter asked that legislation on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) be deferred, saying effective consultation was not possible at this time. To ensure alignment with the do no harm principle there will need to be fulsome understanding of how some key components of UNDRIP will work with economic recovery of Canada, the letter reads. Under the Lobbying Act, CAPP asked that due to the strain on resources caused by Covid-19, that the filling requirements when it comes to reporting of lobbying be suspended until the end of July. Canadians can view how many times a group has lobbied the government on a federal registry. CAPP listed 33 lobbying activities last month. Toronto-based environmental group, Environmental Defence, questioned how some of the recommendations relate to the Covid-19 pandemic. In a statement to The Independent, Dale Marshall, National Climate Program Manager for Environmental Defence, said: This is a crass attempt by the Canadian oil industry to exploit a global health crisis to ram through every demand theyve ever made, and put at risk the health and safety of Canadian citizens, Indigenous rights, and environmental protection. CAPP did not immediately respond to an email from The Independent seeking comment. The Office of the Prime Minister of Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Independent. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. DecisionDatabases recommend a most recent report on the Non-Woven Adhesive Tape Market based on industry analysis and forecast until 2025 with the estimated the year 2020. This report delivering key insights and offering an economical advantage to the client thought a comprehensive report. The report also covering the latest outbreak of COVID-19 impact analysis on the market. This pandemic has pretentious every phase of life worldwide. This has fetched several changes in the market scenario. The swiftly changing market scenario and impact on future assessments are covered in the report. The report also comprises future opportunities, growth rates, trends on global, regional as well as on country level. The global non-woven adhesive tape market report presents a complete research-based study of the industry including details such as company shares, forecast data, in-depth analysis and an outlook of the market on a worldwide platform. The report further highlights the market drivers, restraints and the top manufacturers at the global and regional levels. For a thorough understanding, the report also offers market segmentation and regional analysis for the forecast period from 2020 to 2025. Get FREE Sample Report Copy @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-43218 According to this study, over the next five years, the Non-Woven Adhesive Tape market will register a 3.8% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach $ 1690.5 million by 2025, from $ 1454 million in 2019. In particular, this report presents the global market share (sales and revenue) of key companies in the Non-Woven Adhesive Tape business, shared in Chapter 3. This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of the Non-Woven Adhesive Tape market by type, application, key manufacturers and key regions and countries. The key manufacturers covered in this report: Breakdown data in Chapter 3. TESA Teraoka Seisakusho Intertape Polymer Nitto Denko 3M Lintec Scapa Group Avery Dennison Symbio Shurtape Technologies Coroplast Fritz Muller Poli-Tape Group Koan Hao Technology Gergonne Industrie Frimpeks Berry BSN Medical Supertape Mercator Medical View More about this Market @ Global Non-Woven Adhesive Tape Industry Report This study considers the Non-Woven Adhesive Tape value and volume generated from the sales of the following segments: Segmentation by type: breakdown data from 2015 to 2020, in Section 2.3; and forecast to 2025 in section 11.7. Acrylic Rubber Silicone Segmentation by application: breakdown data from 2015 to 2020, in Section 2.4; and forecast to 2024 in section 11.8. Automotive & Transportation Medical & Hygiene Electrical & Electronics Others (Building and Construction, Home Appliances, etc.) This report also splits the market by region: Breakdown data in Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Americas United States Canada Mexico Brazil APAC China Japan Korea ......... 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We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed. For more details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91 90 28 057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ Undocumented migrants are dying from Covid-19 because they are too afraid to seek help, charities and MPs have warned amid renewed calls for the Home Office to suspend NHS immigration checks. In one case, a Filipino man died from suspected coronavirus last week after not accessing healthcare for fears of being reported to the Home Office, according to campaigners. Sixty cross-party MPs have written to the health secretary, Matt Hancock, calling for the immediate suspension of charging for migrants and all associated data-sharing and immigration checks, which they say are undermining the governments efforts to respond to the pandemic. The man, known only as Elvis, is said to have died in his home on 8 April after suffering from a fever and a cough for two weeks. His wife, also an undocumented Filipino national, is currently suffering with similar symptoms but is also too afraid to access healthcare. Before he fell ill, Elvis, who had been in the UK for about 10 years, was working as a cleaner and sending money back to his family in the Philippines. His wife, a domestic worker, was reportedly in their home with her husbands body for 24 hours before an undertaker arrived to take the corpse away. She did not want to speak with the media. Susan Cueva, of the Kanlangun Filipino Consortium, a charity that is now supporting Elviss wife with food deliveries, told The Independent that although Elvis was seriously ill, he was too afraid to go to the hospital for fear that he would be charged for his treatment, which he could not afford, and that he would be reported to immigration authorities. Ms Cueva said the mans wife was devastated by his death and terrified about how she will sustain herself without him: Having lived with her partner for 10 years, she really doesnt know what to do with her life here, especially as shes undocumented. She is so terrified and really traumatised. She cant even talk to people, she just starts crying. Because of her grief she doesnt even know if shes feeling better or not. They lived normally in this country. They couldnt declare their work or access public services, but they managed to live very self-sufficiently. People employed them, and they were able to support their family back in the Philippines and rent a place and be part of the community. She added: We are aware that there are many undocumented workers in the UK who are in this situation. They have lost their jobs due to the lockdown and are ineligible for government support. They often live in crowded conditions with other undocumented workers and they are too scared to go to a doctor or hospital. The letter from MPs to the health secretary raises Elviss case and states migrant communities who are disproportionately at risk of exclusion, stigma and discrimination are not currently receiving the necessary safeguards. The current NHS charging policy, introduced in 2018 as part of the hostile environment, charges non-EU patients 50 per cent more than it costs the NHS to treat them and requires hospital staff to demand proof of entitlement to free healthcare. Recommended Medics call for suspension of NHS charging rules during pandemic In response to the coronavirus outbreak, ministers introduced regulations on 29 January that meant no charge could be made to an overseas visitor for diagnosis or treatment of the virus, saying it was very important, for public health protection, that overseas visitors are not deterred from seeking treatment for Covid-19. However, the MPs warned that while this was a welcome step it did not go far enough, adding: It does not undo years of hostile environment policies, in which migrants have been told that they will be charged for healthcare or faced with immigration enforcement when accessing public services. In the present moment, this undermines the governments efforts to respond to the pandemic. The letter, coordinated by Labour MPs Apsana Begum, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Zarah Sultana, points out that other countries, including Ireland, Portugal and South Korea, have already taken steps to improve access for their migrant communities, in recognition of its importance in combating the spread of Covid-19. The NHS was founded on the principle of universal healthcare, and we now have the opportunity to lead the world in ensuring that everyone who needs care can access it safely and without fear during this crisis, it states. It is vital that a clear message is sent to our migrant communities that they can seek care when they need it, that they are included in our society and have a part to play in response to this crisis. The letter calls on ministers to immediately suspend all NHS charging for migrants, suspend all data sharing between health services and the Home Office, and implement a firewall to ensure patient data is not shared with the Home Office or other bodies for the purposes of immigration enforcement. It follows a similar demand to the government earlier this week from medical groups, including the British Medical Association and Doctors of the World UK, warning that the measures risk undermining national efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19. Zarah Sultana, Labour MP for Coventry South, said: Migrants are at the front line of this pandemic. They disproportionately make up NHS staff and other key-worker roles, but the hostile environment has led to migrants like Elvis dying from Covid-19 without seeking healthcare. Christine Jardine, home affairs spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, said it was vital that no one who needs medical help is prevented from accessing healthcare, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, adding: Sadly, after the awful experience of the Windrush scandal, far too many migrants are put off seeking treatment. Brian Dikoff, a legal caseworker at Migrants Organise, said: This hostile environment in the NHS is a real disaster for many of our members, and is hindering the collective response to the pandemic. Everybody has to know, with confidence, that they can access healthcare safely. For this, the government must suspend charging and data sharing immediately, and restore the inclusive principles of the NHS. A government spokesperson said: The government has added coronavirus to the list of infectious diseases for which everyone from overseas can receive treatment or testing free of charge. Given that charges do not apply for coronavirus treatment, NHS trusts have been reminded that immigration checks to establish entitlement to free care are therefore not required. We have clearly communicated this and will soon be publishing information about the free treatment of coronavirus in around 40 different languages, to ensure the messaging is clear. AP The Hearst Foundations announced today that they are granting over $50 million in emergency funding to more than 100 U.S. medical, humanitarian and cultural organizations severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was made by William Randolph Hearst III and Virginia Hearst Randt, presidents of the William Randolph Hearst Foundation of California and the Hearst Foundation Inc. of New York, along with Frank A. Bennack Jr., chair of the gift committees of the two foundations. TORONTO - Michael Hartley was overseeing the health, safety and environmental risks for a 6,200-person offshore oil project in the Caspian Sea when the Transocean Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, killing 11 workers on board and releasing million litres of oil in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Our installation manager came to me and said, could this eventually happen to us? Hartley recalled. With the data that we were capturing, I couldnt definitively say no and thats when I realized that we needed to change the way we measure and engage with risk and performance data. That experience has been in the back of Hartleys mind as COVID-19 has spread around the globe and as his company, Minetell Technologies, has pivoted to help companies monitor their risk of exposure to the virus. The shift places the Toronto-based company in a growing group of Canadian tech companies that are thinking fast and pushing out new products and services in response to demand for help in the COVID-19 fight. Some are tackling the immediate need for health-care communication systems, life-saving devices like ventilators and speedy virus testing equipment. Others have zeroed in on bringing efficiencies to the world of e-commerce, deliveries and the supply chain. Minetells cloud-based platform assesses the effectiveness of COVID-19 prevention measures such as hand washing, physical distancing, and personal protective equipment in real-time to identify areas where improvement is required. Decision-makers are alerted of problems immediately, allowing them to quickly enact changes in order to reduce the likelihood of the viruss spread. For workers, the platform offers peace of mind. For employers, its helpful with emergency detection. While the platform was designed mainly for the resource sector, it can be used by a wide variety of corporations outside the industry. Hartley said he already has clients in several sectors lined up in Canada and the U.S. and some are eyeing it in Mexico. Similarly, 1QBit is seeing excitement around its technology, which brings artificial intelligence to radiology, said president Landon Downs and Deepak Kaura, its chief medical officer. The Vancouver-based quantum and advanced computing software company has recently created 1QBit xrAI, a chest radiography tool that uses AI to improve the accuracy and timeliness of diagnosing lung abnormalities. A chest X-ray is often actioned by the doctor...and they dont have time to wait for a radiologist to read it, so giving that physician at the frontline a tool that improves the confidence level in making an accurate and correct diagnosis of an abnormality on the chest X-ray means that they can better manage that patient, said Kaura, who also works at Alberta Childrens Hospital. And thats a huge deal, because most of the people who died from COVID, die from pneumonias, which are infections of the lungs. Following clinical trials, the tool received expedited Health Canada approval to allow its use and the Saskatchewan Health Authority has plans to launch it to help combat COVID-19. In Ontario, Spartan Bioscience Inc. is also seeing health care authorities leap for help from the Ottawa-based company that has developed a DNA testing cube. The hand-held analyzer is the size of a coffee cup and can process COVID-19 test results in under an hour, said Paul Lem, Spartans chief executive. This is going to be really good for you, if you cant wait for a hospital lab to process your sample, he said. You can imagine it at pharmacies, doctors offices, community centres in small towns and remote and northern communities because right now, all those places have to collect (tests) and ship them off to a central lab in a big city like Toronto. Public Health Ontario and the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg have already got their hands on the device and the federal government has a procurement contact for 14,000 per month in the upcoming months. The government is trying to move extremely quickly to help fast track getting our device approved, and then also giving us the purchase orders, so we can wrap up our supply chain, said Lem. Thats important because every day that goes by where we cant ramp up our supply chain. More people are getting sick when theyre being tested. This story by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2020. In what is turning out to be a fascinating development regarding the investigations into the arrest of Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) chief Mawlawi Abdullah aka Aslam Farooqui, the chief recruiter of Islamic State Jammu & Kashmir Ejaz Ahmad Ahangar aka Abu Usaman Al Kasmiri has also been nabbed in the operation carried out by Afghanistans National Directorate of Security (NDS). Republic TV had earlier reported that one Ali Muhammad from Islamabad was arrested along with Farooqui. It now turns out that Ali Muhammad is actually Ahangar who has been wanted by Indian investigative agencies for almost two decades. Ahangar is indeed a prized catch given the fact that he has deep connections in Kashmir. READ | Islamic State Terrorist Arrested Over Kabul Gurdwara Attack Gives Sensational Details READ | EXCLUSIVE: Massive Blow To Pak Backed ISKP; Republic Accesses Exclusive Images True identity revealed Ahangar was in fact arrested by security forces in the mid-90s. He later escaped to Pakistan after he was released. When he was arrested by NDS, he maintained that he was Ali Muhammad. It was much later during his interrogation, that Afghan authorities found out his real identity of the chief recruiter of IS Jammu & Kashmir. His son-in-law Huzaifa Bakistani was the chief online recruiter of ISKP who was killed in a drone attack last year in Nanganhar. Top sources say Afghan authorities will soon share the confessions made by ISKP chief Farooqui who has admitted that Pakistans ISI was funding ISKP. Along with this, Afghan authorities are also likely to share the interrogation details of Ahangar. READ | Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Attack On CRPF In South Kashmir History Ahangar was born on the outskirts of Srinagar. His father-in-law Abdullah Ghazali, who launched Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen, was recently killed in Srinagar. He is considered to be the mastermind of several attacks carried out on security forces in the '90s. Ahangar, in fact, met Ghazali in jail. After both of them were released, Ahangar married Ghazalis daughter Rukhsana. Thereafter, Ahangar and Rukhsana traveled to Pakistan through Nepal using false passports. They crossed over to Pakistan around 1995. According to police sources, Ahangar then moved to Afghanistan and was taken into the Al-Qaeda fold. He has later appointed the head of the J&K chapter of IS. Ahangars son Abu Umair had also joined ISJK and was killed in a drone attack. It is believed that Ahangars daughter and wife have already surrendered before Afghan authorities. READ | Taliban Set To Release 20 Afghan Prisoners As Part Of A Peace Deal READ | Pakistan Seeks Extradition Of IS Leader From Afghanistan Drug overcomes chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer 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. ### This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. [April 17, 2020] RxMx Announces Covid Clear, a Testing and Monitoring Platform Designed to Empower Employers with Data to Facilitate a Safe Return to Work NEW YORK, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- RxMx , a global healthcare technology company that provides digital patient management, safety and adherence solutions to pharmaceutical manufacturers, is pleased to announce Covid Clear . Developed in partnership with physicians, public health experts and leading clinical laboratories, Covid Clear provides access to diagnostic testing for COVID-19 and then provides employers with a secure digital platform to track and manage this clinical data to help inform their return to work strategy and navigate the complicated process of verifying which employees are safe to return to work and when. To start, we enroll a company's employees into our user-friendly platform; ship COVID-19 test kits from our clinical laboratory partners; schedule either video calls to supervise at home self-testing or establish onsite testing carried out by licensed professonals; provide prepaid shipping packs to send back test samples to our lab partners; and maintain real-time results on the company's bespoke digital dashboard. When an employee moves into the "clear" category, based on criteria pre-determined by their employer in alignment with CDC and other public health agencies, they are eligible to receive a Covid Clear certificate. The digital certificate indicates they have met their employer's criteria to return to the workplace. All test results are confidential and employees must consent to participate. Employers can choose different tests to best meet their decision-making needs, while minimizing disruption. Specifically, employers can choose to test for the presence of COVID-19 antibodies with serology tests and/or test for the active virus with RT-PCR tests. Employers can extend the testing cycle and retest their employees at regular intervals if they believe the process is necessary to keep everyone safe and healthy. The platform can be adjusted in real time should the employer identify additional needs, public health guidelines change, or newer testing options become available. Further, the configurable platform allows for additional integrations should employers want to track other data such as temperatures or sick members of an employee's household. "We understand that companies are grappling with how to bring people back to work in a safe, organized manner. Covid Clear gives employers a framework from which to structure a safe return to work for all their employees," said RxMx CEO George Hunnewell. "We're all ready to return to a degree of normalcy, but it's not apparent how we do that. Covid Clear gives business leaders meaningful data to inform crucial decisions about how to re-engage in daily work life, so we remain healthy and productive." About RxMx We've built our business on the idea that by automating certain tasks, we empower healthcare professionals to safely administer treatments without increasing their burden, so they can focus on patient care. Our technology solutions deliver cost savings and better outcomes to our partners and benefit patients by ensuring they can access the best treatments science offers while simplifying their care journey. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rxmx-announces-covid-clear-a-testing-and-monitoring-platform-designed-to-empower-employers-with-data-to-facilitate-a-safe-return-to-work-301042004.html SOURCE RxMx [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Nollywood actress, Toyin Abraham has distanced herself from a claim that she has been signed an ambassador for the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). It was rumoured yesterday that she was signed as a replacement for fellow actress Funke Akindele who was dropped following the illegal birthday party she had hosted during the COVID-19 lockdown. Social media users had berated Abraham, accusing her of profiting off Akindeles misfortune. Clearing the air, Abraham wrote: It has just been brought to my attention that blogs are reporting that I am now NCDC ambassador. Implying that I have been used to replace a senior colleague. That line of thought necessitates I put this out there. I am not an ambassador to NCDC. I do not like the narrative that I am trying to take advantage of a bad situation. Please, I support the campaign against Covid-19. I appeared on a video campaign against the pandemic but please lets not drag anyone down. Thank you. Share this post with your Friends on (Natural News) New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy ordered an investigation into nursing homes in the state after a makeshift morgue was found at a facility that had been devastated by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The governor said that he was outraged that the bodies of patients who had succumbed to the virus were allowed to pile up at a long-term care facility in Andover and asked his attorney general to launch the probe. New Jerseyans living in our long-term care facilities deserve to be cared for with respect, compassion and dignity, stated Gov. Murphy. Overwhelmed by the number of bodies The New Jersey probe comes as health officials all over America deal with mounting deaths at long-term care facilities where the virus has taken a heavy toll. The age of the residents of these facilities, combined with the fact that most of them live close together and get cared for by the same staff, has made them particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus. You have people who by definition are medically fragile and at-risk and you add to that this terrible virus, explained Laurie Facciarossa Brewer, the New Jersey state ombudsman for long-term care facilities. Its hitting crisis proportions now. The probe was sparked by an incident at the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II, where authorities found several bodies inside a makeshift morgue at the facility. According to a spokeswoman for New Jerseys health department, a total of 66 residents of the nursing home have died, half of which had tested positive for the coronavirus. In a statement provided by the Andover police department, facility co-owner Chaim Sheinbaum explained that the backup and after-hours holiday weekend issues, plus more than average deaths, contributed to the presence of more deceased than normal in the facility holding room. The staff was overwhelmed by the number of bodies, stated Andover Police Chief Eric Danielson to reporters. Danielson added that his officers helped move 13 bodies to a refrigerated trailer at another medical site. On Thursday, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal confirmed that his office was now investigating the high number of deaths at certain nursing homes and long-term care facilities in the state. Lack of communication cited Rep. Josh Gottenheimer, whose district covers Andover Township, said that he received calls and emails from concerned relatives of the nursing homes residents about the facilitys lack of communication with them. One of my concerns is that these facilities are not communicating in real-time, he said. Thats what Ive been hearing from families. Thats outrageous, its completely unacceptable that they have to call me for updates. New Jersey isnt the only state dealing with rising numbers of deaths in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Nursing homes all over the country are dealing with an increased number of coronavirus patients and deaths. This issue is compounded by the lack of communication on the actual number of patients and deaths in these facilities. Recently, it came to light that a number of states themselves were no longer tracking the number of deaths from the coronavirus in their nursing homes due to privacy concerns. According to experts, the lack of reporting is hurting efforts to fight the spread of the coronavirus in these nursing homes. Without this data, itll be hard to determine which facilities need more help in fighting the disease. Its critical to have accurate information about which nursing homes have residents with confirmed cases of COVID-19, and which facilities need more staff and personal protective equipment, so that states can target additional resources where the need is greatest, said Toby Edelman, senior policy attorney at the Center for Medicare Advocacy. Sources include: Reuters.com NYTimes.com NBCNews.com 3M Co. , the maker of the coveted N95 mask (pictured), has filed four lawsuits in the past week against alleged price-gougers in New York, California, Texas and Florida. Read more With the coronavirus pandemic driving up demand for protective gear, profiteers and unscrupulous middlemen have taken advantage. Now, one of the biggest manufacturers of the products is fighting back. 3M Co. , the maker of the coveted N95 mask that drew criticism from President Donald Trump over their availability, has filed four lawsuits in the past week against alleged price-gougers in New York, California, Texas and Florida. The firms were seeking to sell 3M respirator masks to the Strategic National Stockpile, New York City government and a California medical center at prices as much as six times the normal cost while 3M said it has not increased its prices. "Despite 3M's extensive efforts during COVID-19, unsavory characters continue their quests to take advantage of health care workers, first responders, and others in a time of need and trade off the fame of the 3M brand and marks," the company said in its complaints. In taking action, the company joins a number of states in going after firms trying to sell consumer goods at inflated prices. They have threatened fines and even jail time for anyone who jacks up prices beyond what the state has deemed appropriate. Several state attorneys general are working with online sales platforms like EBay Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Craigslist to shut down resellers who are charging obscenely high amounts. That 3M has had to rely on trademark law to police the matter has also fueled calls for lawmakers to do something. "There is no federal price gouging statute," though Congress is considering legislation to address prices charged to consumers, businesses and governments during the pandemic, said Gretchen Jankowski, a lawyer with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney in Pittsburgh. Many state laws "typically do not apply to state and hospital purchases, but rather focus on the sale of essential goods and services to consumers." The Maryland Attorney General's Office has received more than 200 complaints from consumers and sent more than 100 letters to retailers suspected of price-gouging, said Raquel Coombs, director of communications for the agency. Among the complaints are gas stations selling toilet paper for $20 for a four-pack, face masks for $70 and bottles of hand sanitizer for $11 a bottle, she said. Elizabeth, New Jersey, officials have been going through the county's consumer affairs office and a state procurement program to make sure offers to sell masks and other protective gear are legitimate, said Mayor Christian Bollwage. While the city and local hospital have been able to fulfill their needs for now, "in a week or two, they're going to be in dire straits," Bollwage said. He joined with more than 100 mayors and county executives in a letter to the Trump administration calling for a more uniform federal supply plan. "The system that is in place in this country is an abomination for a pandemic or an emergency," Bollwage said. He's calling for a "a pricing mechanism through the federal government that would alleviate all this price-gouging." The state actions are designed to protect consumers, but many states don't have laws to protect themselves when they are the buyers paying the inflated prices. The Federal Emergency Management Agency last week announced a "supply chain stabilization task force" that won't eliminate the situation where states and health care providers bid against each other for supplies."As we process orders through the supply chain, we are maintaining close coordination with governors to identify potential bidding conflicts," the agency said in a statement. "If a bidding conflict does arise, we will work closely with the state to resolve it in a way that best serves their needs." The bidding wars have strained state and local government budgets. A ProPublica investigation found that New York state had paid almost $250,000 for a portable X-ray machine that normally cost as little as $30,000. Even FEMA is overpaying for the masks. The agency awarded a $55 million contract several multiples of the 3M prices to a company thats filed for bankruptcy and has no employees, the Washington Post reported. "All 50 states are competing against each other, the hospitals are competing against each other and they're all competing with the federal government," said Matt Wellington, public health campaign director at the Public Interest Research Group. "The federal government needs to do something to remedy the conditions that have made this ripe for price-gouging and profiteering." 3M accuses the companies in its lawsuits of improper use of its trademarks, false advertising and undermining the value of the 3M brand.Use of trademark law is "an interesting approach" because the law is more designed to ensure consumers know the origin of goods, said Eric Moran, a trademark lawyer with McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff in Chicago. While 3M may not be able to stop all price-gouging, the firms putting themselves out as being affiliated with 3M gives the company the legal basis for its suits, he said."If there is consumer confusion in the sales of these price-gouged mask, that's a legitimate trademark suit," Moran said. "It's clear they feel that such price gouging has the potential to undermine the value of the 3M name." 3M is trying to ramp up production of the protective respirator masks amid a drastic shortage of gear needed to safeguard health-care workers against the coronavirus, and a global effort to get as many of the masks as possible. The lawsuits are as much about brand protection as they are an effort to fend off criticisms. Billionaire Mark Cuban is among the critics who accused the company of not doing enough to limit price-gouging among distributors. The company reached an agreement recently with the Trump administration to import 166.5 million masks from China after Trump had criticized it and tried to stop it from exporting products to neighboring countries. In its suits and in public statements, 3M has said it may pursue criminal cases against some firms and is supporting legal efforts to go after counterfeits. 3M is working with national and international law enforcement, state Attorneys General, and the largest online retail and tech companies in the world to identify illegal activity and help punish criminals, the company said. The goal is to prevent fraud before it starts and stop it where it is happening. Flash China highly commends Saudi Arabia on proposing to convene a special meeting of the G20 agriculture ministers and hopes the meeting will send a positive signal in safeguarding global food security amid COVID-19 fight, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the G20 Extraordinary Virtual Leaders' Summit on COVID-19 on March 26 reached an important consensus on fighting the pandemic through solidarity and stabilizing the world economy. As the pandemic develops, Saudi Arabia has proposed to convene a special meeting of the G20 agriculture ministers on April 21 to cope with the food and agricultural security issues under the current situation, said Zhao, adding that China highly commends this proposal. Chinese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Changfu will attend the G20 meeting, Zhao said. China has always attached great importance to the issue of food security and hopes the meeting will send a positive signal in fighting the pandemic with solidarity and maintaining the security and stability of the global food supply, he added. Former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone departs after he was sentenced to three years and four months in prison for charges that include lying to Congress, obstruction of justice and witness tampering, at U.S. District Court in Washington, U.S., Feb. 20, 2020. (Leah Millis/Reuters) Federal Judge Rejects Roger Stones Retrial Request A federal judge on April 16 ruled that President Donald Trumps longtime friend and former adviser, Roger Stone, will not be granted a new trial, saying that his legal teams claim that the jury forewoman is tainted by political bias is not supported by any facts or data and it is contrary to controlling legal precedent. Stone, 67, was sentenced on Feb. 20 to three years and four months in prison at a federal court in Washington on charges including lying to a congressional committee that was investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. His lawyers filed a motion for a retrial after raising concerns about a jurors political leanings, alleging that she lied on a questionnaire during panel selection. In an 81-page decision, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the District of Columbia rejected Stones claim that the forewoman was biased against the president and therefore could not be impartial in deciding Stones guilt or innocence during the trial. Jackson was appointed by former President Barack Obama. Jackson said Stones legal team failed to fully question and research the jury forewoman, Tomeka Hart. Stones request for a new trial is a tower of indignation, but at the end of the day, there is little of substance holding it up, Jackson said in her opinion. His charges stemmed from then-special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Ultimately, Mueller found no evidence of collusion between Trumps campaign and the Kremlin. Also, during a later trial, prosecutors said Stone collaborated with WikiLeaks to release Democratic Party emails during the 2016 campaign. Related Coverage Roger Stone Pleads Not Guilty to Mueller Charges Stone is now expected to ask an appeals court to throw out his conviction. Jacksons order says Stone has 14 days from Thursdays ruling to file an appeal or report to serve his sentence at the institution designated by the Bureau of Prisons. Requests for a new trial followed the emergence of anti-Trump social media posts made by Hart shortly before Stones filing. Some of the posts clashed with her assertions to the court that she didnt pay that close attention to the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. On the day of Stones arrest, the juror linked to an article about Muellers investigation along with the words Brought to you by the lock her up peanut gallery, referring to lock her up chants by Trump supporters in 2016 about Clinton. There has rarely been a juror so tainted as the forewoman in the Roger Stone case. Look at her background. She never revealed her hatred of Trump and Stone. She was totally biased, as is the judge. Roger wasnt even working on my campaign. Miscarriage of justice. Sad to watch! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2020 Hart told the judge that there was nothing about what shes heard or read about Stone that would affect her ability to judge him fairly. She said she couldnt recall anything specifically shed heard or read. So I recall just hearing about him being part of the campaign and some belief or reporting around interaction with the Russian probe and interaction with him and people in the country, but I dont have a whole lot of details. I dont pay that close attention or watch C-SPAN, she said, according to a court transcript. Harts Twitter account was full of posts about the special counsels investigation, including a retweet of a January 2019 post from a CNN contributor that attempted to downplay allegations that the FBIs raid on Stones house wasnt warranted. However, Jackson ruled that Harts opinions about the president did not mean she was biased against Stone. At bottom, the defense merely posits that if you do not like Donald Trump, you must not like Roger Stone, or if you are concerned about racism on the part of some of the Presidents supporters, then you must be applying that label to Roger Stone because he was a supporter, too, Jackson wrote in the opinion. 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 assumption underlying the motionthat one can infer from the jurors opinions about the president that she could not fairly consider the evidence against the defendantis not supported by any facts or data, she wrote. Zachary Stieber and Reuters contributed to this report. Photo credit: Courtesy of Winslow's Table From Esquire For a few months before the pandemic trapped us in our homes, I spent a fair amount of time driving around the Midwest. Scouting out new developments in the realm of food and drinks is central to what I do here at Esquire, and I was excited to see that there were plenty of new developments to check out in states like Indiana and Ohio and Missouri. I took a tour of Ryan Morgans bakery, Sixteen Bricks, in Cincinnati, and I slid into a booth at Martha Hoovers candlelit chapel of cocktails and vintage albums, Bar One Fourteen, in Indianapolis. I knew that I would be a dolt to visit Cleveland without dropping into Larder, a deli and bakery that has become recently famous for its pickles and pastrami. I drove straight there from Columbus and parked a block away at lunchtime. St. Louis impressed me most of all. Within 24 hours I had three meals in St. Louis that rivaled anything I could find in New York or Los Angeles: lunch at Winslows Table, dinner at Indo, and a solo brunch (I was the first person in line when the doors opened at 11 a.m.) at Balkan Treat Box, which serves Eastern European flatbreads good enough to make you stray from pizza. Related Video: It's Safe to Order Food Delivery During the Coronavirus As I binged my way through these states, it was not lost on me that all three of themIndiana, Ohio, and Missourihad gone for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Indiana and Missouri are core red states. Ohio (which pledged its electoral votes to Barack Obama in 2012) is a swing state so swingy that political observers have watched it for decades as if it were a weathervane. But I remember thinking that these Midwestern clusters of new bars and bakeries and restaurantsvigorously independent businesses, deeply personal businesses, places that tell us stories about culture and immigration and resiliency and naturemight represent a rising counterpoint, a kind of insurgency of delight, in regions of the United States that are still dominated by a monoculture of corporate chains. Story continues Photo credit: Jeff Gordinier These are bars and bakeries and restaurants that have, for lack of a better word, a funk to them. That regional funk is the secret ingredient that makes all that bread at Sixteen Bricks and Larder and Balkan Treat Box so delicious. I couldnt help but think that the food clusters in these cities echoed, in spirit, the regional music clusters that flooded college radio stations with new voices and ideas during the Reagan/Bush years of the 1980s and early 1990s. Minneapolis. Seattle. The South Bronx. Athens, Georgia. Dayton, Ohio. For a Gen Xer like me, acts like R.E.M., the Breeders, Husker Du, and Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five didnt just generate excellent music; they amplified and distributed ways of thinking that ran counter to the prevailing orthodoxy of political and economic power. I believe that fiercely independent restaurants do something similar, particularly in parts of the country where they act as an antidote to everything generic, mass-produced, and shorn of funk. By their very presence, restaurants such as Winslows Table in St. Louis and Bluebeard in Indianapolis and Bouquet in Covington, Kentuckyright over the bridge from Cincinnatitell us about the importance of supporting local farms, protecting the environment, and consuming more fruits and vegetables and sustainably raised meat and fish instead of the usual drive-thru burgers and factory-farmed dreck. These restaurants offer the green-state-ish idea that theres a different way to use the land, and they serve as a reminder that there is an infinitude of American stories to be told about community and fellowship. But these are the restaurants that are most at risk of vanishing altogether as casualties of the coronavirus shutdown, and it probably shouldnt surprise anyone that the Trump administration so far doesnt seem to care. (If regional food scenes, like regional music scenes, hint that alternative ways of thinking have gotten a foothold somewhere, why would an anti-environment, pro-pollution, anti-pluralism, pro-monoculture White House see any advantage in incentivizing that?) This week the James Beard Foundation and the Independent Restaurant Coalition released the results of a survey. The survey said that a vast majority of owners of independent restaurantsalmost 80 percent of themdont think the CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) stand a chance of saving them. Were talking about 500,000 or so restaurants that employ 11 million people, according to the foundation. Not coming back, or viewing a comeback as a long shot. Think about that. Photo credit: Richard Spahr Meanwhile chefs from around the countryindie chefs fighting for the idea that their creations deserve to stay aliveexpressed outrage that Ruths Chris Steak House, a corporate chain, had secured $20 million in government aid. This is absolute crap thanks for screwing the small business owner, chef Chris Cosentino said on Instagram. Indianapolis empire builder Martha Hoover posted a picture of an aristocrat (played by Roger Moore) smoking a cigar and chilling champagne in a bucket. "Thank you to my restaurant colleagues for sharing your outrage, she wrote. Ruth's Chris is sitting on 86 million dollars in the bank, yet they had the gall to request and now have received $20 million of the PPP funda fund intended to help small businesses. Since when do publicly traded companies count as small business? And, how many truly small, truly independent restaurants got blocked from receiving any of the SBA bailout? ... I hate using my social media space contributing to negative anything right now, but I am motivated to take my outrage and turn it into a pitchfork for change." And San Francisco chef Mourad Lahlou posted this: The real gems that make our neighborhoods so unique and special will all get fucked one way or another, sooner or later, if nothing changes RIGHT NOW most neighborhoods will have the same shitty chain restaurants. He added: oh wait that sounds like Trumpville. Its an intriguing point. This same week the White House put out a list of people handpicked to rescue American restaurants from the brink of doom. The list included executives from Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Kraft, McDonalds, Subway, Chick-fil-A, Papa Johns, Jimmy Johns, and Wendys, and then it cleared a little extra space for four old white guys from the world of white tablecloths: Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Wolfgang Puck, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who recently (without irony) compared himself to Christopher Columbus. (Thats right: no David Chang, no Missy Robbins, no Martha Hoover, no Renee Erickson, no Kwame Onwuachi, no Edward Lee, no Michael Solomonov, no Nancy Silverton) The implication is obvious, and it spells out Republican ideology with an uncanny degree of clarity: Youve got your fancy foie gras restaurants for the 1%, and then youve got an endless highway gridlocked with cheap garbage for the diabetic masses. Trumpville. Nothing in between. And what would be in between? As Food & Wines Kat Kinsman tweeted about the president, Do you think that he has ever even once in his life eaten at a restaurant that is not either fancy white tablecloth or fast food? Anywhere at all in the middle? I am trying to picture it and cannot. Barack Obama mayve dined at Estela and Cosme, two spots that we at Esquire recently celebrated on a list of the most significant restaurants of the decade, but restaurants like Estela and Cosme, restaurants that (it could be argued) contribute to the cultural hum of a city as much as museums and concert halls do, appear to be invisible and indecipherable to the man whom Spy magazine once famously described as a short-fingered vulgarian. There has been a restaurant revolution afoot in the United States for decades now, a revolution that stretches all the way from Chez Panisse in Berkeley to The Grey in Savannah, Georgia, and which has hinged on breakthrough moments such as the publication of Anthony Bourdains Kitchen Confidential in 2000 and the arrival of pioneers like Momofuku Noodle Bar in 2004, and which has gradually spread outward to cities like Cleveland and St. Louis and Indianapolis and Cincinnati. It is a revolution that has transformed lives and neighborhoods. On two Esquire trips to Seattle, I have made a beeline for the Ravenna neighborhood to see what chef Edouardo Jordan has been up to: dinner at his JuneBaby on one trip, drinks at his Lucinda Grain Bar on another. On both visits, I wandered around the corner to check out the vintage vinyl on sale at M&L Records & Models, and inevitably I spent some money there. It's the wine shop on the corner, Jordan recently told me in an interview. It's the little breakfast place. It's the coffee shop. It's the old-school record store. It's all these little shops. It's the antique shop just one block away that all these people are finding out about because JuneBaby is in that neighborhood. Great restaurants turn sleepy corners into hubs of activity. From city to city, the restaurant revolution has been a revolution in consciousness at the same time that it has been a revolution in foot traffic. And that revolution is officially over. It came to a stark and nauseating halt on Friday the 13 in March 2020. A virus put countless independent restaurants into a coma. Its agonizing to think that thousands of those restaurants, many of them on the brink of fostering new transformations in new places, might finally be killed off by the culture wars. But to quote Kurt Vonnegut, a son of Indianapolis: So it goes. You Might Also Like "The King: Eternal Monarch" costarring actress Kim Go-eun is Lee's first project since his discharge from mandatory military service in April last year. The series is scripted by Kim Eun-sook, who is famous for many mega-hit TV series including "Descendants of the Sun," "Guardian" and "Mr. Sunshine," and tells the story of two people from parallel universes. "It's been a while. I feel awkward but also excited at the same time," Lee said at the event. "I think now it's time for me to show something different with more mature and grown-up roles," he said. "I seriously contemplated my career as an actor to figure out how I can build up my acting skills while reflecting on my previous work and researching many other things to broaden my spectrum," he added. The fantasy drama begins airing on Friday night. Senior students are preparing for the coming national exam online as the global pandemic keeps schools shut. Every evening, Nguyen Minh Quang, 18, finishes his dinner before 8 p.m. and sits at his desks until midnight. On Monday and Thursday, he has an online English lesson at 7 p.m. In the last two months, studying online is no longer unusual to Quang and his friends in Hanoi as all schools have resorted to online classes amid the Covid-19 pandemic. "This is often exhausting, but I have to hold on for the next few months until the national high school exam," Quang said, adding he is not good at English and Literature, making him spend more time on self-study. Hanoi students confer during the 2019 exam. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy. For around 900,000 high school seniors in Vietnam, the nation exams not only fetche them a high school diploma but also decide admissions to universities and colleges. In Vietnam, national high school exams are a seminal event deciding whether or not one will make it in life. The majority of people think the exam will create a better future for their children if they score good results. For those from the countryside, taking the exam is a ticket to changing their lives. Recently, university gates have opened to more students as the number of education institutions grow. However, the race is intense for top-tier schools such as Hanoi Medical University, University of Pharmacy or Foreign Trade University, etc. Students graduating from these schools often access better jobs with good incomes. Last year, some engineering and economic courses admitted one candidate in five, while medicine equivalents took one in 22. Originally scheduled for July, the exam now faces postponement due to the outbreak. Last week, the Ministry of Education and Training maintained if students returned to school before June 15, the national high school exam would be delayed until August. Since the Lunar New Year break in January, Nguyen Huong Quynh from Saigon's Binh Tan District has been under pressure to catch up with her classmates since all of them have to learn online. "We were warned we would fall behind if we didnt try hard, but staying at home all day and having no mockup test leave us confused," Quynh lamented. She stays up late, sometimes until 1 a.m. to study and discuss work with her classmates. Possible deferral of the exam has given students mixed feelings. Some think the late exam will allow them more time to prepare, while others are afraid of increased stress and anxiety. "If they delay it until August, I will have more reason to worry - another month of studying for hours per day," said Nguyen Minh Anh, a 12th-grade student at Hanoi-Amsterdam High School. Hoping to become a doctor, she watches online lessons in maths, chemistry and biology online each day. Before 2015, students had to take a six-subject exam for graduation, and around a month later, a SAT-like placement exam for college. However, these back-to-back exams were criticized for being costly exercises that exerted too much pressure on students and their parents. From 2015, the education ministry has combined both into one national high school graduation exam. As many universities organize their own entrance exams, and students can apply after learning their test results, the national high school exam has posted less pressure on high schoolers. "Students have more choices and time to study this year, but if they want to go for top schools, competing with other excellent students is never easy," said Nguyen Tra My, a chemistry teacher in Hanoi's Long Bien District. She organizes online lessons for senior high schoolers and teaches only three students at a time "to make sure they all get the chance to prepare for the coming exam." Wifi dream Parents share the tension and expectations of their children before the exam, especially when remote studying during Covid-19 poses questions about effectiveness. Minh Ngoc, Anh's mother, worries her daughter would fall behind in "the battle to become a doctor" as there will be a lot of excellent candidates. "I want her to know she has to try 200 percent while studying online because it is less effective. We had tutors for maths, chemistry and biology but now they cannot come because the pandemic keeps dragging on, so we depend entirely on the internet," Ngoc said. Hanoi-Amsterdam High School, one of the top institutions in Hanoi, has been closed due to Covid-19. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh. According to Phan The Hoai, teacher at Binh Hung Hoa Highschool in Ho Chi Minh City, online teaching reduces the efficiency of students due to the lack of interaction and testing systems. "Some students do not have good conditions and devices, interrupting their lessons. When the schools open, teachers will have to re-teach lessons from the beginning of this term," Hoai maintained. Other parents are concerned about their children's' mental and physical health after sitting in front of a screen for long periods of time. Le Thanh Loan in Saigon's District 3 tells her son to stand up and walk around the room every one hour whenever he starts his online lessons, "but he never remembers and keeps sitting at his table for up to five hours." "It has been two months, I do not know how kids in this generation will become after this exam if they stay at home every day and just look to the computer for their education." A teacher like My understands the pressure put on her students, after each online lesson, she spends 15 minutes talking with learners to comfort and encourage them. Around 900,000 students remain uncertain about the future since local authorities have yet to decide when it would be safe for them to return to school. In the meantime, Quang knows he has no choice but to stick to his online lessons and spend more time to review, "no matter how tiring it is." "I started worrying about my future - I feel like I am not a kid anymore... The exam will open or close several doors, and a good Wifi connection is now one of the keys." The World Health Organization issued a warning Friday about coronavirus testing, saying there's no evidence serological tests can show whether a person has immunity or is no longer at risk of becoming reinfected. "These antibody tests will be able to measure that level of serology presence, that level of antibodies, but that does not mean that somebody with antibodies" is immune, said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO's emerging diseases and zoonosis unit. So-called serological, or antibody, tests can indicate whether a person has had Covid-19 in the past and was either asymptomatic or recovered. More than 560,000 of the 2.1 million coronavirus cases across the world are marked as recovered, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. However, infectious disease experts say the case total is likely much higher as people go undetected and countries struggle with testing. In the U.S., antibody tests have just begun to roll out. President Donald Trump has recommended states use the tests as they start relaxing some of the strict social distancing measures imposed to combat the pandemic, which has infected more than 671,000 people in the United States. Kerkhove said WHO officials discovered many countries suggesting these tests would be able to "capture what they think will be a measure of immunity." "What the use of these tests will do will measure the level of antibodies. It's a response that the body has a week or two later after they've been infected with this virus," she said at a news conference at WHO's Geneva headquarters. "Right now, we have no evidence that the use of a serological test can show that an individual is immune or protected from reinfection." Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO's emergencies program, said scientists are also still determining the length of protection antibodies might give a person who has been infected with the coronavirus. "Nobody is sure whether someone with antibodies is fully protected against having the disease or being exposed again," he said. "Plus some of the tests have issues with sensitivity," he added. "They may give a false negative result." Earlier this week, WHO officials said not all people who recover from the coronavirus have the antibodies to fight a second infection, raising concern that patients may not develop immunity after surviving Covid-19. "With regards to recovery and then reinfection, I believe we do not have the answers to that. That is an unknown," Ryan said Monday. A preliminary study of patients in Shanghai found that some patients had "no detectable antibody response" while others had a very high response, Kerkhove said Monday. Whether the patients who had a strong antibody response were immune to a second infection is "a separate question," she added. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to comment within five days on the petition to temporarily release prisoners who have high risk of contracting COVID-19. The court's Public Information Office said the justices decided to seek inputs from the BJMP as they tackled the plea of 22 prisoners during their Friday en banc session. Jail authorities must submit their formal response by April 24 the latest, with magistrates saying the deadline is "non-extendible." The inmates, who all have underlying medical conditions, filed a petition before the SC last month seeking temporary freedom amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. READ: Inmates are safer in our jails amid pandemic BJMP The Judicial Reform Initiative, composed of business groups and reform advocates, also sent a letter to Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Monday, asking for special consideration to inmates deemed "highly vulnerable" to contract the deadly disease while inside the highly-congested jails. The group asked the court to consider recommending these individuals to President Rodrigo Duterte for early release. These include senior citizens, those with previous health issues, and first-time offenders charged or serving sentences for petty crimes. Human rights groups have also made similar calls, deeming prison facilities a "ticking time bomb" for infections. In the meantime, the court ordered the BJMP to "take the necessary interim preventive measures" to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in detention cells and submit a verified report outlining these strategies alongside their comment on the request. The BJMP confirmed that nine detainees and nine prison employees at the male dormitory of the Quezon City Jail have tested positive for COVID-19, raising concerns about the safety of prison cells brimming with inmates who are unlikely to have the space to practice social distancing. Human rights lawyer Edre Olalia said prisoners would have wanted a "speedier and accelerated process," especially now that the COVID-19 contagion has hit a local jail. "The time bomb is ticking faster and louder. The expediency of the circumstances and imminence of the health threat call for a more decisive, less ponderous approach even as we understand prudent and practical considerations," Olalia said in a statement. "The claim that it is safer inside jails is detached from reality and humanity. We just have to wait and pray it is not too late." The Bureau of Corrections, which handles the New Bilibid Prison and other large jail facilities nationwide, said there are no COVID-19 cases in these penitentiaries so far. However, there are 23 inmates inside Bilibid and the Correctional Institution for Women who are being monitored for the disease. There are 5,878 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, which has led to 387 deaths and 487 recoveries as of Friday afternoon. CNN Philippines Senior Correspondent Anjo Alimario contributed to this report. For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here. It has long been assumed by medical experts that the United States is drastically underreporting the actual number of COVID-19 infections across the country due to limited testing and a high number of asymptomatic cases. Large-scale antibody tests are expected to give researchers an idea of just how widespread the outbreak is, and preliminary results from the first such test in Santa Clara County suggest we are underreporting cases by at least a factor of 50. In early April, Stanford University researchers conducted an antibody test of 3,300 residents in the county that were recruited through targeted Facebook ads. Researchers hoped to put together a sample that was representative of the county's population by selecting individuals based on their age, race, gender and zip code to extrapolate study results to the larger community. The results of the study are preliminary and not peer-reviewed, but the general takeaways would seem to strongly contribute to the notion that there have been a large number of COVID-19 cases that went undetected. Due to questions over the antibody tests' efficacy, researchers adjusted for test performance characteristics by using the test manufacturer's data and a sample of controls tested at Stanford University. Again, the results are preliminary and the study has not been peer-reviewed, but researchers found a raw, unadjusted antibody prevalence of 1.5 percent, which was scaled up to 2.5-4.2 percent when adjusting for population and test performance characteristics. Researchers estimate that if 2.5 to 4.2 percent of the county has already been infected, the true number of total cases in early April both active and recovered ranges between 48,000 and 81,000. The county had reported just under 1,000 cases at the time the study was conducted, which would mean cases are being underreported by a factor of 50 to 85. Our findings suggest that there is somewhere between 50- and 80-fold more infections in our county than whats known by the number of cases than are reported by our department of public health," Dr. Eran Bendavid, the Stanford professor who led the study, told ABC News. If the study's numbers are accurate, the true mortality and hospitalization rates of COVID-19 are both substantially lower than current estimates, and due to lag between infection and death, researchers project a true mortality rate between .12 and .20. Results also suggest the county is nowhere near "herd immunity," as scientists estimate that 50-60% of the population would need to be infected for the virus to have nowhere to spread. However, the study's authors caution against extrapolating Santa Clara County results to the rest of the country. The county reported its first case on January 31, and was one of the early national "hot spots" where the virus had gained a foothold. Researchers also acknowledge other limitations of the study, including an overrepresentation of white women between ages 19-64, and "other biases, such as bias favoring individuals in good health capable of attending our testing sites, or bias favoring those with prior COVID-like illnesses seeking antibody confirmation." In San Mateo County, health officer Scott Morrow made a similar estimation on Monday night. "I hesitate to give you the following numbers, because first of all they are a guess, and secondly because some will think they are too low to take action," he wrote in a message to the community. "My best guess is that approximately 2-3% of the SMC population are currently infected or have recovered from the infection. Thats around 15-25,000 people and they are all over the county and in every community. I dont believe this number is off by a factor of 10, but it could be off by a factor of 2 to 3." At the time of his announcement, the county had 699 confirmed cases of the virus, meaning if Morrow's numbers are correct, the county has identified just 2.7-4.5 percent of its total cases. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Eric Ting is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting The all-cargo flight comes as part of the airline expanding its cargo capability during the Covid-19 shutdown of commercial passenger operations. Its entire fleet of 14 A320 aircraft are available for cargo-only flights with a capacity of 15 tons per aircraft, within a range of six hours flying time from Kuwait. The airline has also secured approval from Kuwaits Directorate General of Civil Aviation to carry cargo in the main cabin. Destination airports are subject to regulatory approvals from the host country. Jazeera Airways chief executive officer, Rohit Ramachandran, said: In this challenging business environment, we have adapted quickly to focus on cargo opportunities. We are pleased to be able to serve companies and institutions with our cargo services, ensuring vital food and other supplies are brought into Kuwait. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17 Trend: The plenary and committee meetings of Azerbaijans Parliament will be held via videoconferencing, Trend reports. In this regard, the issue has been reflected on the proposed amendment to the internal charter of the Parliament. It is proposed to make a new amendment to the charter. Based on the appeal of 42 MPs of the Parliament in connection with the introduction of a quarantine regime, the implementation of sanitary-epidemiological and other similar events, the parliaments speaker decides to hold meetings of the Parliament, as well as meetings of committees and commissions in real time through videoconferencing. Registration and voting at meetings held in the format of a videoconferencing is carried out through the MPs enhanced electronic signatures. This law will be valid until December 30, 2020. The proposal was accepted in the third reading of the meeting. Shareholders might have noticed that The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) filed its quarterly result this time last week. The early response was not positive, with shares down 5.3% to US$34.60 in the past week. Revenues of US$2.6b were in line with forecasts, although statutory earnings per share (EPS) came in below expectations at US$0.58, missing estimates by 7.2%. Following the result, the analysts have updated their earnings model, and it would be good to know whether they think there's been a strong change in the company's prospects, or if it's business as usual. With this in mind, we've gathered the latest statutory forecasts to see what the analysts are expecting for next year. See our latest analysis for Charles Schwab NYSE:SCHW Past and Future Earnings April 17th 2020 Following the recent earnings report, the consensus from 15 analysts covering Charles Schwab is for revenues of US$9.77b in 2020, implying a discernible 7.9% decline in sales compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are expected to plunge 21% to US$2.04 in the same period. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$9.83b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$2.10 in 2020. The analysts seem to have become a little more negative on the business after the latest results, given the minor downgrade to their earnings per share numbers for next year. The consensus price target held steady at US$39.50, with the analysts seemingly voting that their lower forecast earnings are not expected to lead to a lower stock price in the foreseeable future. That's not the only conclusion we can draw from this data however, as some investors also like to consider the spread in estimates when evaluating analyst price targets. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Charles Schwab at US$47.00 per share, while the most bearish prices it at US$34.00. This shows there is still a bit of diversity in estimates, but analysts don't appear to be totally split on the stock as though it might be a success or failure situation. Story continues Another way we can view these estimates is in the context of the bigger picture, such as how the forecasts stack up against past performance, and whether forecasts are more or less bullish relative to other companies in the industry. These estimates imply that sales are expected to slow, with a forecast revenue decline of 7.9%, a significant reduction from annual growth of 13% over the last five years. Compare this with our data, which suggests that other companies in the same industry are, in aggregate, expected to see their revenue grow 2.8% next year. So although its revenues are forecast to shrink, this cloud does not come with a silver lining - Charles Schwab is expected to lag the wider industry. The Bottom Line The biggest concern is that the analysts reduced their earnings per share estimates, suggesting business headwinds could lay ahead for Charles Schwab. Fortunately, the analysts also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, suggesting sales are tracking in line with expectations - although our data does suggest that Charles Schwab's revenues are expected to perform worse than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$39.50, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets. Following on from that line of thought, we think that the long-term prospects of the business are much more relevant than next year's earnings. We have forecasts for Charles Schwab going out to 2024, and you can see them free on our platform here. Before you take the next step you should know about the 1 warning sign for Charles Schwab that we have uncovered. 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. Marsha Santini, an RN at UCLA Medical Center, and fellow nurses protest the lack of personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare workers at the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center in Los Angeles. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) The coronavirus has infected California medical workers with much greater intensity than has been publicly revealed, including more than 175 cases at UCLA, according to records reviewed by The Times and a source with knowledge of the situation. The virus has spread in UCLAs outpatient clinics, geriatric and labor and delivery units, and in the pediatric intensive care unit, the source said. The infections at healthcare facilities include at least eight cases involving medical workers at Providence St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica; 30 at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in San Pedro who are positive or awaiting results; six at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in Silicon Valley, including one death; 10 at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento; five at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; and hundreds scattered among numerous elder care and assisted living sites throughout the state. "Because hospitals are not being forthcoming with the information on their employees, I am sure there are clusters that nobody even knows about," said Steve Trossman, public affairs director of Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW), which represents nearly 100,000 healthcare workers. "That is just wrong for people not to know that their local hospital has an outbreak." In multiple instances, the cluster of cases could not be confirmed beyond interviews with administrators, staff and those infected. Hospitals and other medical facilities are not required to disclose known clusters; no law mandates it, and state and county authorities have largely left it to facilities to self-report. Medical professionals interviewed by The Times suspect staff members may be passing the virus among themselves. In some cases, they said, shortages of personal protective equipment may be an apparent cause. All of the hospitals with outbreaks said their staff has access to appropriate protective gear. Story continues Heidi Choi a UCLA Human Biology & Society undergraduate, along with nurses and supporters gather to protest the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) at the UCLA Ronald Regan Medical Center. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times) Dr. Mark Ghaly, Gov. Gavin Newsom's top public health advisor, said Thursday that the well-being of medical workers was "of the highest concern." But he acknowledged that California does not comprehensively track possible outbreaks at hospitals and other medical facilities and that the state needs to do so. Ghaly, head of the California Health and Human Services Agency, said the state is in direct communication with only some hospitals when it comes to clusters of cases and doesn't get reports from every one. When presented with The Times' general findings, he said the state "absolutely" should receive reports about outbreaks from all facilities. In the absence of state or local oversight, many facilities including publicly owned ones such as UCLA have chosen to remain silent until the toll becomes so great that information can't be withheld, or whistleblowers come forward. When healthcare employers provide information about sick staff, they often offer a caveat: There is no way to prove the employee testing positive contracted the illness at work. Asked how many employees have tested positive for the virus, a spokesman for UCLA Health replied in an email, I dont have information for you about specific groups of COVID-positive cases. The spokesman noted that UCLA reports data to the county Department of Public Health. Providence Southern California, which owns St. John's and Little Company of Mary, said Thursday that it had 49 work-related COVID-19 exposures across its 35,000 employees in 11 hospitals, but it declined to name specific facilities. Cedars-Sinai spokesman Duke Helfand disputed that the hospital had a cluster of cases but acknowledged that some staff may be affected. He added that all staff were being screened before their shifts. UC Davis declined to say how many workers were infected, citing privacy reasons. One blind spot involving the health of medical professionals is the death toll. Though state officials said that, as of April 8, 10 healthcare workers in California had died of causes related to COVID-19, they were unable to say exactly where those deaths occurred. One of the dead is Valeria Viveros, a 20-year-old medical assistant who worked in a Riverside County nursing home with an outbreak and died last week after contracting COVID-19, according to her uncle, Gustavo Urrea. Urrea believes that healthcare workers should have better access to testing, training and information. When Viveros became ill, her employer sent her home for two weeks but did not offer further help, he said. "You have to protect these kind of people who are risking their lives, and they are not, they are not doing it," said Urrea, who described his niece as compassionate and driven to become a nurse. "She was young and didnt deserve this," he said. A Los Angeles Times data analysis found wide variation in rates of healthcare worker infections across the state, suggesting some regions are having a more difficult time keeping medical staff safe than others. Officials from California Health and Human Services released the county-by-county data on infections among healthcare workers April 10 at the request of The Times. At that time, the workers accounted for at least 7.8% of the confirmed cases across the state, though that figure could be misleading because some may have easier access to testing than other residents. As of Wednesday, 2,974 healthcare workers in California were positive for COVID-19, out of more than 26,000 confirmed cases about 11% of all cases in the state. The rates of COVID-19 cases involving medical staff examined by The Times varied widely by county, with healthcare workers accounting for about 20% of all cases in Placer and Humboldt counties, for example, but only a fraction of those in Kern and Riverside counties. Los Angeles County, at 6.4%, had among the lowest rates in the state. County-by-county statistics on the numbers of healthcare workers arent readily available, making it hard to understand what the numbers mean to the overall population of healthcare workers in each area. Among the more than 700 healthcare workers infected in Los Angeles County, about 42% worked in a hospital, according to county health director Barbara Ferrer. About 19% worked in a skilled nursing facility. An additional 11% worked in primary care offices, and about 5% were first responders. Positive COVID-19 diagnoses are almost evenly split among patients and staff in institutional settings, such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities, according to L.A. County data. Ferrer said Thursday that 1,050 patients in institutional settings have tested positive, as well as 913 staff members. She was unable to give more detail on where those workers were employed. "I don't have that information," she said. "At this point in time, we're capturing the information more by the type of job that the healthcare worker is doing and their exposures than we have been capturing it by facility." Dr. Christina Ghaly, the head of L.A. County's Department of Health Services, said people should not worry that a visit to a hospital will result in them being infected with COVID-19. "Hospitals have very strict infection control guidelines," Ghaly said in a news conference Wednesday. "I think people should have a high degree of confidence in the ability of healthcare and hospital settings to maintain those infection prevention and control guidelines and keep people safe." But those working inside the facilities aren't as sanguine, and they are increasingly losing trust in the public health officials and administrators charged with protecting their safety and that of patients, especially in light of the shortage of protective gear that many have been forced to work under. At Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, a large public hospital in Silicon Valley, administrators stayed silent as an outbreak of the virus ripped through nursing staff on a second-floor medical unit. An anonymous whistleblower complained to county officials last week. By then, six women had become sick; four of them had tested positive and one was dead. Since then, employees have learned from one another of an outbreak among workers in the boiler room. Management has been very hush-hush about it, said one employee who recently talked to a boiler room operator who had tested positive. I understand them not wanting to cause hysteria in the hospital. I get that. But I think people who have been exposed have the right to be notified and quarantined. The rumor mill about who on the staff is sick runs all day and night, the employee said. Its something we are all talking about, and the frustration is that management isnt putting anything out to keep us informed, so we have to figure it out, the employee said. Maury Kendall, spokesman for the Santa Clara County public health system, said that boiler room employees had been offered testing and that officials were considering changes in how administrators communicate with staff. "We are currently reviewing our policies and practices in light of the concerns that have been raised," he said. Angela Gatdula, a registered nurse at Providence St. Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, tested positive for COVID-19 last week. As the outbreak has grown in Los Angeles County, her ward has become filled with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients, excluding those that need to be in the ICU, she said, but nurses have not had access to N95 masks. Gatdula believes she fell ill while treating COVID-19 patients and wearing a surgical mask. Earlier in the outbreak, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had been recommending that all healthcare providers wear N95 masks, but it loosened the guidelines recently, in part to stretch limited supplies nationally. Gatdula said there has been no transparency from the hospital around staff members falling sick. She said there is another nurse on her unit who is also sick, but that nurse informed Gatdula herself the hospital did not share that information. There is a lack of transparency in terms of who are the caregivers who are sick," she said. No one knows whats true, whats fact. OTTAWA, April 16, 2020 /CNW/ - Today, we join all Canadians to express our deepest condolences to the family, friends, colleagues and loved ones of Dr. Huy-Hao Dao, who we understand passed away from COVID-19 related illness in Quebec. The medical community is mourning the loss of one of our own, while also acknowledging all those who have passed away across the country and around the world. It reminds us that the virus is a serious one and that we cannot underestimate the importance of public health measures. We continue to extend our appreciation to all the health care workers providing care on the front lines, your heroic efforts do not go unnoticed and are tremendously appreciated by all Canadians. Dr. Sandy Buchman President, Canadian Medical Association Since 1867, the Canadian Medical Association has been the national voice of Canada's medical profession. We work with physicians, residents and medical students on issues that matter to the profession and the health of Canadians. We advocate for policy and programs that drive meaningful change for physicians and their patients. SOURCE Canadian Medical Association For further information: To schedule an interview or for further information, please contact: CMA Media Relations, [email protected], 613-277-1088 There is no more Coronavirus case in Enugu as the last patient has been discharged barely 24 hours after the first patient was released. The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ikechukwu Obi made the disclosure in a statement on Thursday. The commissioner said that the patient had recovered and tested negative to the Coronavirus. The state Ministry of Health on Wednesday announced that one patient had been discharged. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had announced two cases of COVID-19 in the state that were in isolation and receiving care. According to Obi, two of them are now negative for the Coronavirus and have been discharged. We encourage our people to continue to stay home, try not to touch your face without having washed your hands, maintain strict hand and respiratory hygiene, wear a face mask in line with the NCDCs advisory and maintain physical distancing, he said. The commissioner appealed to the people to call the designated help lines to report any suspected cases of COVID-19. A patient is transferred into an ambulance at the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Washington, on March 7, 2020. (Karen Ducey/Getty Images) Doctors Express Concern Over CDC Guidelines That Inflate CCP Virus Deaths: State Senator A Minnesota doctor is voicing his concern that the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) guideline on how to complete COVID-19 death certificates may influence medical certifiers to inflate the number of deaths from the disease. The seven-page guideline received by Dr. Scott Jensen, a family physician and Republican state senator from Minnesota, explains how he may state a death to be a presumed COVID-19 death, even if testing was not done to confirm it. COVID-19 is a disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. Physicians dont like it when political types try to impact what we do when it comes to patient care, Jensen said on the Don Giordano Program, And really, the last thing we do for our patient in many situations is appropriately and accurately complete the death certificate. According to Jensen, a death certificate should be based on facts and not presumptions or biases. The CDCs guideline states: In cases, where a definite diagnosis of COVID-19 cannot be made, but it is suspected or likely (e.g., the circumstances are compelling within a reasonable degree of certainty), it is acceptable to report COVID-19 on a death certificate as probable or presumed. A hypothetical example given in the guideline is an 86-year-old woman who died after displaying symptoms of a high fever, severe cough, and difficulty breathing for five days. The woman, who suffered a stroke three years ago that left her nonambulatory, had the symptoms after being exposed to an ill family member who was subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19. Although testing was not conducted to verify the disease, the CDC says probable COVID-19 may be listed as the underlying cause of death, given the patients symptoms and exposure to an infected individual. White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said in an April 7 task force briefing that if someone dies with COVID-19, we are counting that as a COVID-19 death. Whereas in other countries, Birx said, if you had a pre-existing condition, and lets say the virus caused you to go to the ICU [intensive care unit] and then have a heart or kidney problem. Some countries are recording that as a heart issue or a kidney issue and not a COVID-19 death. Those concerned with COVID-19 deaths being unduly inflated argue that differentiation between a person dying of the disease or with the disease should be a factor in determining the actual death rate of the CCP virus. When asked on April 8 if CCP virus deaths were being inflated in cases where someone had the virus and may have died of other factors, Birx said, Those individuals will have an underlying condition, but that underlying condition did not cause their acute death when its related to a COVID infection. In fact, its the opposite. Having an underlying condition and getting this virus we know is particularly damaging to those individuals. Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City chief medical examiner, and Fox News contributor, told Fox News that it is acceptable to include someone who had the CCP virus and other health issues in the death count of COVID-19. In the normal course, autopsies would then determine whether the person died of the effects of the COVID virus, whether the person had a brain tumor or brain hemorrhage for example that might be unrelated to it and what the relative significance of both the infection and the pre-existing disease is, Baden said. Baden says that there may be a low number of autopsies being conducted due to the risk of getting infected. Then you will include in those numbers some people who did have a pre-existing condition that would have caused death anyway, but thats probably a small number, Baden said. Craig Barton, co-owner of Barton Family Funeral Service in Washington state, said in an email to The Epoch Times, My feeling is that in WA, there is a bias toward under-reporting because testing has not been widely used, and for cases that do not display classical symptoms but have the virus, the cause of death may simply be primary pneumonia based on a single chest x-ray. Washington state had the first confirmed COVID-19 death in the United States back in February and an early community spread of the virus at the senior living center in King County. The state has 11,152 cases of the CCP virus and 583 deaths attributed to the disease as of April 16. The Epoch Times reached out to the CDC for comment and was directed to contact the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), a federal government agency that is part of the CDC. The NCHS provides data that guides policies and actions to improve American peoples health. NCHS did not reply to an email at the time of publication. Probable Deaths Now Included in Death Toll New York City public health officials revised its COVID-19 death toll (pdf) on April 14 by including more than 3,700 probable cases that have not been tested, raising the death toll from 6,589 to 10,367. The city said the deaths were backdated to March 11, when the first confirmed COVID-19 death was reported. We wanted to make sure that every New Yorker is counted that has been taken from this vicious virus, said New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. New York Citys decision to include unconfirmed virus patients in the death toll is a step away from how U.S. health officials had generally attributed COVID-19 deaths, which was only when patients tested positive for the disease. Healthcare workers wheel the body of a deceased person from the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center during the outbreak of the CCP virus in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, on April 2, 2020. (Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters) With its CCP virus death toll revision, New York City has paved the way for other states, as Wyoming and Ohio began including probable COVID-19 deaths and cases in its update on April 16. Wyoming reported two confirmed COVID-19 deaths, 287 cases that have been laboratory-confirmed, and 105 probable cases. Ohio said it had 16 probable deaths and 175 probable cases. According to the CDCs Physicians Handbook on Medical Certification of Death 2003, death certificates are used to determine which medical conditions receive research and development funding, to set public health goals, and to measure health status at local, state, national, and international levels. Hospital Incentives Jensen says besides pushing back on the CDC guideline, he has also been vocal about the financial motives of hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients. If I admit a patient, a medicare patient, to the hospital and just diagnose pneumonia, the diagnosis-related group payment, the lump sum payment the hospital will receive for that patient, will be about $4,500, Jensen said. But if I put pneumonia COVID-19, it triples, it goes to $13,000. With regard to patients being put on a ventilator, then the hospital gets $39,000. Jensen says when money is involved, I dont think theres any question that human nature will try to massage the numbers, statistics, to say what you want them to say. Jensen, who is also an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, said that someone had called on Twitter for his removal from the school for his speaking out. But the overall support he has received from other doctors has, been pretty heartwarming. Ive had physicians call from out of state, all over the country, reaching out and saying thank you for bringing the light of day to this process. I mean, I take care of a lot of patients for decades and decades, and sometimes the last time I see their chart is when Im completing their death certificate, Jensen said. And to think that Im potentially being influenced by someone who has an underlying agenda, but I never meet that person, they just send me a link for a seven-page document, thats concerning. Now Im not saying thats intentional, but its concerning. Americans need to know that kind of stuff goes on. Conferred an OBE for his work alongside wife Janak in developing the Barli Development Institute for Rural Women in Indore, Liam Tunney tells the remarkable and tragic story of the Garvagh-born drainage contractor who found his purpose in rural India. There are 5,750 miles between Garvagh and the city of Chandigarh in the Indore district of Madhya Pradesh in India, but for Jimmy McGilligan, distance was trivial. Jimmys acceptance of the Bahai faith in 1984 marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey that would culminate in a visit to Windsor Castle to receive an OBE in 2008. A former boy scout, who helped his father on the farm, Jimmy received 500 compensation after losing a toe in an agricultural accident aged just 16. He used the money wisely, buying a digger and beginning to build up his business from scratch, while also maintaining an amateur radio station from his home between 1975 and 1986. Gradually, he become frustrated with the wastage he encountered through his profession, often expressing disappointment at seeing milk dumped into the sea and the beef farming surplus. He was very passionate about the environment, says wife Janak, who still lives in the couples home, a self-sustaining farm in a mountainous region of central India. He used to lead walks as part of the Ulster Rambling Club and he also was very proud to have a radio license and built his own radio station. He was in the Orange Order - they used to call him the first Orange man who accepted Bahai faith! Jimmy embraced Baha'i Faith in 1984. Not long afterwards, during one of his travels to Haifa, he was asked by the Baha'i World Centre, to come to India and help reclaim 72 acres of saline marshland at Rabbani School near Gwalior. It was there that a chance encounter brought him into contact with his future wife. Jimmy was asked to reclaim 72 acres of land for a residential school for rural boys near Gwalior. It had marshy lands and it needed his skills, says Janak. I was on my way from Delhi to Indore and I had no vehicle of my own. I had been working for three years, starting an institute for rural girls from a piece of barren land. The Australian High Commission donated a jeep and I had a driver who wanted to see this school that was on our way to Indore. We stopped there for a while and I told the principal of the school that I only had a short while, but he said he had a volunteer that wanted to see my institute. I looked at my watch and told him I only had 25 minutes, but if your volunteer wants to come, we can take him with us. That volunteer was Jimmy. Twenty-five minutes later, he was in our jeep and we brought him home. SPACE AT A PREMIUM If Jimmy was expecting the comforts of his County Derry home, he was in for a rude awakening as, with the institute in its infancy, accommodation was at a premium. I had no space at that time, says Janak. I couldnt give him an apartment or a room, but there was a small room where we used to keep the girls mattresses during the day. When the 30 or so mattresses were taken out, Jimmy could sleep and it was not a soft bed! I didnt know anything about the people in Northern Ireland. There was no toilet, he had to walk to the outhouse. There was no flushing system and you had to pour a can of water in. Jimmys work ethic was insatiable. He set about preparing six acres of land, armed with little more than a Swiss Army knife from his keen interest in mountaineering. The Garvagh man was more used to working with heavy machinery, but after navigating the more primitive pick and spade and settling into his work, he had a suggestion for Janak. We had three visitors arrive to see the institute one day, she smiles. Jimmy was talking to them and said it was such important work that he could spend all his life there. This was his proposal. I said he was welcome, but his visa was ending soon. An elderly Bahai man, who was sitting close by and who was very fatherly to us, then spoke. He looked at me and he told Jimmy: 'This is your visa.' The three girls started talking to me and they were encouraging me to talk to him about this. The couple agreed if Jimmy was granted a visa to remain in India, they would discuss getting married and they travelled together to Delhi to meet the authorities. LUCK With the countrys laws permitting only foreign women to remain in India after marrying Indian men, and not the other way around, Jimmy and Janak needed a stroke of luck. When they found out I was the only person in central India working in a programme with funding from the Ministry of Science and Technology, he said they couldnt afford to let me go. They made an exception he said to go and get married and they would sort out the visa. Now engaged, the couple headed straight for Janaks family home in Chandigarh. With no phones or internet, the news had to be delivered in person. We had no other way of communicating, laughs Janak. We just arrived home on an ordinary bus at midnight. My mother opened the door to us and was shocked, but very happy with the news. She was always complaining I was not going to get married. My four brothers and sisters were married with children and I always said I would never get married - Jimmy used to say that too. It was the middle of the night, so she ran to where my father was sleeping, pulled back the blanket and said: Get up, your daughter is here with this boy and she wants to get married!. My father just asked Jimmy one question. He asked if Jimmy was a Bahai and when Jimmy said he was, my father said: God bless you, only a Bahai could keep my daughter happy.' The pair exchanged rings the next evening and on November 27, 1988, less than a month after first meeting, Jimmy and Janak were married. After a brief honeymoon in the mountains, they returned to work at the institute, and a few months later, with Jimmy now installed as manager, the couple visited his home country. Everyone was constantly talking about the weather, recalls Janak. They kept telling me I had brought Indian weather, no one was asking about my mother or father. In India, we ask about everything. I got into that rhythm eventually. The next morning my father in law asked me how I was doing, so I said it was a lovely day. Janak fell in love with Northern Ireland, but as Bahai pioneers, both her and Jimmy returned to their responsibilities at the Barli Institute, where the Garvagh man was adored by the students. Jimmy picked up all the Hindi in female speech because he learned it from the girls, says Janak. These girls came from an area where they were treated as untouchables, almost equal to slaves in the past. Jimmy would work with them - not like a boss, but as a father or elderly brother. He was very kind to the girls. Janak suffered a health scare in 2007 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and Jimmy, who had seen his mother die from the same disease, was deeply worried. After surgery, Janak thankfully made a full recovery and the couple added celebration to relief when Jimmy received acclaim for his years of sterling work in India. In 2008, the lady from British Deputy High Commission appointed him as a warden of British citizens in Indore and she nominated his name for OBE, beams Janak. He was conferred OBE in 2008 after I had recovered from cancer. We both travelled and I had the privilege of going with him to Windsor Castle to receive the award. It brought a lot of joy to all of our families and friends and was a huge recognition for him. After my recovery and this award, we made the decision to hand the institute over to our successors. Janak and Jimmy set about making plans to retire and began training up another couple to take on the institute, but they were far from idle. The couple built a beautiful house on a piece of farmland in Sanawadiya. The people of the village were living in darkness, so Jimmy built a solar and wind power station on site for them. Retirement was planned for April 16, 2011, but tragedy struck just days before they were due to hand the institute over. Janak and Jimmy were travelling in a taxi when it was involved in a car accident on April 4 and Jimmy succumbed to fatal internal injuries on April 21. While admitting to feeling completely lost without Jimmy, Janak is determined to honour his memory at their home. I still run the solar and wind power station and call it the Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development. We train people here free of charge in sustainable technology. It was a small, rocky place but now there are maybe 200 trees and we grow everything that we eat here. There is a Bahai saying that suits Jimmy and I well humanity is a bird with two wings. The bird can only fly when both wings support each other. Jimmy and I were a really good bird. Jimmy McGilligan would have celebrated his 77th birthday last week, a man from humble beginnings whose dedication and integrity ensured he soared to a great height. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 23:04:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KATHMANDU, April 17 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Nepal on Friday, the largest number in a single day, raising the total count of COVID-19 cases to 30, the health ministry confirmed. "Twelve persons have been tested positive of the virus in Udayapur district and two persons tested positive in Chitwan district," Ministry of Health and Population said on its official Facebook page. The ministry informed that all the 12 infected in eastern district Udayapur are males, while two infected persons of Chitwan district are also males of 27 and 63 years old. With the new cases, the Himalayan country has recorded 30 positive cases in total, among which one has been recovered while others are in different hospitals across the country. According to the health ministry, over 24,000 tests have been done so far. It had conducted nearly 5,000 tests alone in the last 24 hours, the ministry said in its daily live press briefing on Friday evening. Enditem Chevron CVX sold its Azerbaijan oil assets to energy company MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas Plc in a $1.57-billion deal. The deal involves the sale of a 9.57% interest in the Azeri-Chirag-Deepwater Gunashli (ACG) oil fields (including interests in the Western Export Route Pipeline) and 8.9% interest in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline located in Azerbaijan. The deal provides Chevron with the much-needed cash at a time when oil is facing a historic slump. ACG churned out 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day last year. The sale is an integral part of Chevrons disinvestment target of generating $5 billion to $10 billion (before tax proceeds) between 2018 and 2020. The original ACG project deal was struck in 1994 to develop Azerbaijans oil industry soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was backed by five major U.S. companies, namely ExxonMobil XOM, Amoco, Unocal, Pennzoil and McDermott and was considered the contract of the century by Azerbaijan and partners. The venture also drew considerable support from the U.S. government. The fields large reserves and hopes of major discoveries were expected to aid Europe diversify from Russian oil and gas. However, such beliefs faded after no large discoveries were made. Eventually, most U.S. companies either abandoned the project or were taken over by rivals, while support from the United States receded as they started redirecting their focus on the development of domestic shale fields. Earlier, MOL was supposed to acquire both Chevron and ExxonMobils stakes in the ACG project but later opted to proceed only with the former. Meanwhile, ExxonMobil is still seeking a suitable buyer for its 6.8% interest in ACG. The purchase is expected to transform MOLs upstream segment into an international business and strengthen its position in the core CIS region as half of the companys upstream production would now come from outside Central and Eastern Europe. Story continues 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). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Some better-ranked players in the energy sector are Murphy USA Inc. MUSA and BP Midstream Partners LP BPMP. Both stocks sport a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside? Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. See the pot trades we're targeting>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Chevron Corporation (CVX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Murphy USA Inc. (MUSA) : Free Stock Analysis Report BP Midstream Partners LP (BPMP) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Dublin, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Travel Intermediaries: Analysis of the impact of COVID-19 for travel intermediaries using the SWOT framework - Company Impact Report - Issue 1" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. COVID-19, commonly referred to as the Coronavirus, is dominating headlines the world over. The travel & tourism sector is suffering significant disruption and travel intermediaries are feeling the effects. Key Highlights The impact on travel intermediaries has been widely overlooked in comparison to both airlines and lodging but the effects are and will be just as negative. Lack of consumer spending is one of the major threats facing companies across the board post-COVID19 as many are on the verge of collapse. Travel intermediaries often act as a direct link in the chain of distribution between a company and their consumer base and thus are a vital consideration in the global impact of COVID-19. Scope This report provides insight into what constitute strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for players in the travel intermediaries industry. It also provides examples of relevant companies for each SWOT element. Reasons to Buy Assess the impact COVID is having on industry players Look at the impact coronavirus is having on share prices Understand what constitute strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in this industry in the current climate Look at real-world examples of company strategies Key Topics Covered: Overview Share Price Impact SWOT Analysis Company Focus - Strengths Company Focus - Weaknesses Company Focus - Opportunities Company Focus - Threats References Companies Mentioned Booking Holdings Expedia TUI Hays Travel Ctrip Lastminute.com For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/v459yr About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. NEW YORK, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Get an in-depth analysis of COVID-19 impact on refrigerated trucking market in the US and Canada. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05881116/?utm_source=PRN The refrigerated trucking market in the US and Canada is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 4% during the period 20192025. The challenge of perishability and the need to preserve food and non-food categories at optimal temperatures to prevent spoilage are the major growth enablers for the refrigerated trucking market in the US and Canada. The growth in refrigerated warehouse capacities in the US and Canada has a positive impact on the refrigerated logistics market. Being geographically vast countries, the US and Canada need to have refrigerated truck transport and trailers for long haul transportation to avoid food spoilage, thereby influencing the market. The demand for temperature-controlled logistics continues to grow upward trajectory as perishable food items and medicines need to be maintained at optimal temperatures throughout the cold chain until they reach end-consumers. This demand pushes more opportunities for vendors to increase their investments that could benefit both refrigerated trucking companies and perishable food manufacturers as well. Pharmaceutical products need to be maintained at a precise temperature to maintain their efficiency. Time and temperature are two vital factors to be taken into consideration when transporting medicines. Transporting biological materials such as blood, tissue samples, reproductive material, etc. must be carriage at a cryogenic temperature less than -150C. Therefore, it is critical to transport clinical products under temperature-controlled trailers over a long distance. The pharmaceutical market in the US and Canada continues to grow at a steady rate of YOY. Hence, refrigerated trucking companies are exploring to deliver advanced solutions for biological researches, needing transportation of specimens, or even entire research labs at times. Therefore, pharmaceutical products are mandatory to be transported in temperature-controlled trucks becomes a driving force for the refrigerated trucking market. The following factors are likely to contribute to the growth of the refrigerated trucking market in the US and Canada during the forecast period: Growing Organic Food Market Increasing Multi-Temperature Trucking Usage of Freight Optimization Software Increasing Multi-Temperature Trucking The study considers the present scenario of the refrigerated trucking market in the US and Canada and its market dynamics for the period 2019?2025. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The study offers both the demand and supply aspects of the market. It profiles and examines leading companies and other prominent companies operating in the market. Refrigerated Trucking Market in US and Canada: Segmentation This research report includes a detailed segmentation by service, temperature compartment, end-users, vehicle, and geography. The refrigerated trucking market by less than truckload (LTL) is growing at a steady pace driven by end-users such as F&B and pharmaceuticals. The (LTL) industry in North America is composed of numerous vendors. The industry has high entry barriers across the region on account of the complexity of operating thousands of depots, driver shortage, and intricacy with respect to the spoke hub system used for pickup and deliveries. The growth of e-commerce has a high positive impact on the overall LTL industry. However, dry freight has a higher share compared to refrigerated freight. LTL carriers commonly employ covered or enclosed van trailers. The usage of LTL refrigerated trailers is less compared to dry freight LTL carriers. The majority of temperature-controlled transporting through LTL is limited to regional levels compared to inter-regional or national levels. Online retail is a major driver for the LTL segment. Also, several start-up companies are trying to disrupt the LTL, consolidate the market with new technology-based solutions to address the complexity associated with the LTL segment. The single temperature and multi-temperature logistics segments supplement each other's growth. Currently, single temperature refrigerated trucking services dominate the industry. However, the growth of multi-temperature refrigerated trucking services has been higher. Reduced weight and improved fuel economy are the characteristics of single-temperature refrigerated truck trailers. Local manufacturers meet a large part of the demand for transportation refrigeration units in the US. However, low-cost imports from China and Mexico are also available in the market. The food & beverage industry dominates the reefer truck market. The logistics cost in the food industry accounts for 7?10% of the total product cost. The increasing number of quick-service restaurants and retail outlets has fueled food consumption, which has increased the demand for chilled and frozen food and beverages. Foods that are expected to see high demand for packaging include organic foods, dairy, and meat. Scaling up of tier 2 brands in the US food industry is expected to bring high volumes, while larger food corporations will drive the steady need for refrigerated transportation. Canada is one of the most potential markets for launching new and innovative products due to its multi-ethnic society. Food consumption differs significantly across the country. Also, a vast majority of people are health-conscious, and hence, the market has observed an increased demand for organic food products that require refrigeration in their supply chain. While refrigerated trailers reduce operating expenses by reducing fuel and/or power consumption, they are complex to manage. Vendors boost the trailer revenue by charging for loading and unloading, detention of tractors and trailers, fuel surcharges, and other services. The market for trailers is also dependent on inventory levels, customer needs, trucking capacity, and availability of the driver. The availability of long-haul drivers is a major concern both in the US and Canada. The FTL and LTL segment use trailers for delivering cargo. However, the utilization of vans is limited to the LTL segment. Since the FTL demand is currently high, and also the regional LTL demand is growing, the usage of the trailer is growing. Market Segmentation by Service FTL LTL Market Segmentation by Temperature Compartment Single Multiple Market Segmentation by End-users Food o Poultry, Meat, and Seafood o Dairy and Beverages o Bakery, Confectionery, and Others Pharmaceutical Others Insights by Geography Chilled or perishable food items have multiple challenges in transportation; therefore, cold chain management is increasing its complexity significantly. Due to technical advancements, refrigerated trucks that can hold goods with multiple segments at different temperatures are gaining popularity in recent years in North America. Multi segmented refrigerated trucks can maintain different optimum temperature levels. Multiple temperature trucks are more particularly used for the retail application, where temperature-controlled models are required to replenish store stock with relatively small quantities from regional distribution centers. Canada stands out to be on top as the largest country both in the production and consumption of food and beverages. Canadian organic food products are at the highest demand being exported across all major countries of the world. The agriculture and food and beverage processing industries in Canada contributes around 6.8% toward GDP annually. Quebec and Ontario hold leading two positions in agriculture and food and beverage processing industries. Key Profiled Countries US Canada Insights by Vendors The US and Canada refrigerated trucking industry is large, fragmented, and highly competitive with thousands of FTL and LTL carriers. No single vendor dominates the market. The three major factors on which the competition is dependent include tariff, capacity, and customer service. The competitive factors change as and when the market conditions change. For instance, in the low demand market scenario, the tariff for hire refrigerated trucking company becomes significant, while in the times of high customer demand, the capacity and service quality make become more vital. The pricing of a truckload refrigerated carrier is in North America depends mainly on supply and demand factors. Vendors H. Robinson Worldwide Americold Logistics B Hunt Knight-Swift Transportation FedEx DB Schenker U.S Xpress DHL Lineage Logistics ABF Freight Marten KLLM Logistics Prime Inc Covenant Transportation Services Stevens Transport Burris Logistics Total Quality Logistics Henningsen Cold Storage Expeditors XPO Logistics Trenton Cold Storage RLS Logistics Matson Logistics Conestoga Cold Storage Agro Merchants Group Congebec Logistics Hanson Logistics Confederation Freezers Ruan Transport Penske Atlanta Bonded Warehouse Corporation Alliance Shippers Midwest Refrigerated Services Estes Key Market Insights The analysis of the refrigerated trucking market in the US and Canada provides sizing and growth opportunities for the forecast period 20202025. Provides comprehensive insights on the latest industry trends, forecast, and growth drivers in the market. Includes a detailed analysis of growth drivers, challenges, and investment opportunities. Delivers a complete overview of segments and the regional outlook of the market. Offers an exhaustive summary of the vendor landscape, competitive analysis, and key strategies to gain competitive advantage. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05881116/?utm_source=PRN 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: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links www.reportlinker.com The Northampton County Coroners Office says 30 people have died from the coronavirus illness, representing 17% -- nearly one in five -- of all county deaths in April, county Executive Lamont McClure said. The death toll is five higher than the Pennsylvania Department of Health is reporting for the county. COVID-19 as a cause of death accounted for 2% of the county's death in March, according to McClure. The county executive shared the grim figures Thursday night during a live-streamed meeting of Northampton County Council. "They're not just statistics to us," McClure said. "They're our fellow residents and we mourn their passing." McClure praised residents for taking seriously the need to socially distance themselves from others and to practice preventative measures like regular hand-washing and wearing masks when out in public. He also thanked area residents and businesses for their donations of personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer that county Emergency Management Services has been distributing to first responders and county employees. "If, in fact, we get out of this in the near future and we get back to work, it is because of our citizenry," McClure said. Northampton County this week launched an information dashboard at northampton.maps.arcgis.com for the public to track the impact of the COVID-19 illness. Total cases to date number 1,296, representing a 3.6% increase over the prior 24 hours. The average age of county residents who have died is 79.3 years old; 73% are white, 13% are black, 10% are Hispanic and 3% are Asian, McClure said. He also said the Pennsylvania Department of Health has been a major help in addressing cases of the coronavirus illness at Gracedale, the county-owned nursing home in Upper Nazareth Township. Of 26 residents there who have contracted COVID-19, four have died, McClure said. Six residents who were being treated in isolation improved enough to leave the isolation setting, he noted. Of 22 staff members who have tested positive, two have been able to return to work. McClure said the county has sufficient personal protective equipment for every worker at Gracedale. "We have heroes at Gracedale ... who will not leave their residents behind," he said, allowing that the facility has also seen 400 staff call-offs since April 1. In Northampton County Prison, five inmates have tested positive and are in quarantine. Two employees of PrimeCare Medical, the county's health care vendor at the prison, have also tested positive, along with three corrections officers, according to McClure's report. Of those three, one has been able to return to work. McClure thanked the county Court of Common Pleas, President Judge Michael Koury Jr., District Attorney Terence Houck and Chief Public Defender Nuria DiLuzio for working to select non-violent offenders for release on bail or furlough. That has reduced the inmate population from 661 on March 23 to 531 on Wednesday, reducing the risk of transmission of the illness, he said. All members of council took part in the meeting, including President Ronald Heckman and Vice President Lori Vargo Heffner joining the solicitor, Christopher Spadoni, along with McClure and a few others from the administration in council chambers, with the others participating remotely. Council meetings are streamed live on YouTube. The public can participate by calling 610-829-6605 and entering Conference ID 2055694. 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. UNITED NATIONS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy said here Thursday that China supports the United Nations (UN) in playing a greater role in the Afghan issue. "The Afghan peace process is facing a historic opportunity, and China firmly supports an inclusive peace process that is 'Afghan-led and Afghan-owned,'" Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told the "6+2" Format Video Conference on Afghanistan, chaired by UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo. Recently, the Afghan government and the Taliban have made efforts in creating conditions for the start of intra-Afghan negotiations by releasing prisoners to each other, Zhang said, adding that China appreciates this and calls for the early launch of the negotiations. China respects the choice of the Afghan people for the country's future and supports Afghanistan in safeguarding national unity and political stability, said Zhang. "China calls on all parties in Afghanistan to put the national interests first and form an inclusive government," the envoy said. Zhang pointed out that China is concerned about the recent resurgence of violence in Afghanistan, and urges the international community and all parties in Afghanistan to strengthen the country's security capability. "China welcomes the agreement signed by the United States and the Taliban. We call on the parties concerned to ensure, in implementing the agreement, that the withdrawal of foreign troops in Afghanistan is conducted in an orderly and responsible manner to avoid the rise of terrorist activities," said the ambassador. He added that achieving lasting and sustainable peace and prosperity in Afghanistan requires a solid economic and social foundation, and all efforts should be made to help Afghanistan reintegrate into regional cooperation based on its own advantages to meet the expectation of its people. Noting that Afghanistan and Pakistan recently started transporting goods through Gwadar Port in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Zhang said China welcomes this new progress in Afghanistan's integration into the regional economy. "We call for efforts to strengthen regional cooperation and connectivity, and to increase investment in Afghanistan's infrastructure construction," he said. China recently held a video conference to share its experience on the prevention and control of COVID-19 with Afghanistan, and handed over the first batch of anti-epidemic supplies to Afghanistan. "China calls on all parties in Afghanistan to respond to the UN secretary-general's call for a global ceasefire and calls on the international community to do its best to support Afghanistan's fight against the outbreak," said the ambassador. "China hopes the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan will strengthen its own anti-pandemic effort while helping the Afghans and is ready to maintain communications with the UN and provide necessary assistance," he added. Primary care health workers now have a guide for conducting remote consultation of suspected COVID-19 patients, developed by a team of researchers from Singapore and the UK. During the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face examination of patients has been restricted in many countries as people self-isolate at home, leading to an increasing demand for telemedicine. To help doctors adapt to the need for more remote assessments, a team comprising Associate Professor Josip Car at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), Professor Trisha Greenhalgh from the University of Oxford and Professor Gerald Koh at the National University of Singapore collaborated to develop a guide. The work was published in peer-reviewed medical journal The BMJ in March, and has since been incorporated in the UK-based National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) rapid guideline on COVID-19, on managing suspected or confirmed pneumonia in adults in the community. NICE provides authoritative guidance for appropriate treatment and care of patients within the National Health Service in England and Wales. Its resources are widely referred to by clinicians around the world, including Singapore. The guide is expected to be a helpful tool for primary care health workers, as doctors, clinics and hospitals embrace telemedicine during the pandemic. In Singapore, the usage of telemedicine has picked up, with the government encouraging the use of video consultations for several chronic conditions, to promote safe distancing and to reduce the risk of transmission of the coronavirus. We can expect to see an increasing shift from in-person consultation to telemedicine in the future. It is therefore important for clinicians to have clarity on good practice and our guideline addresses the urgent need by providing a broad orientation to a COVID-19 consultation, including safety net advice for patients." Josip Car, Associate Professor, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Car is with NTU's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine. Trisha Greenhalgh, who is Professor of Primary Care Health Sciences at Oxford University, said, "We've long known that telemedicine can help doctors save money and time. Yet face-to-face consultations have remained standard operating procedure and the 'go-to' option. Now, COVID-19 has dramatically altered the risk-benefit balance in video versus face-to-face consultations. Suddenly, doctors need to become confident at consulting patients via video. Our work offers evidence-based advice from an international team which we hope can provide some clarity for those in the primary care service." The guide advises on how to conduct a 'query COVID-19' consultation remotely, how to choose between telephone and video appointments, questions to ask, considerations when arranging follow-up, and next steps. A visual summary is also included (see Notes to Editor). For instance, the guide spells out how doctors should ask a patient to try to talk in full sentences in order to check on their respiratory function, since the inability to speak in complete sentences is common in severe illness. It also highlights the need for doctors to look out for the general demeanour of a patient over video. Decisions and actions are also detailed, which includes instructions to arrange for immediate medical help when red flags for COVID-19 like severe shortness of breath at rest, or pain or pressure in the chest is reported by patients. The guide was written based on a mix of COVID-19 published and unpublished research findings - the majority of which are from China and from the World Health Organization (WHO) guidance. The team also conducted a poll of 50 medical professionals from countries including United Kingdom and Singapore, and leveraged findings from earlier related literature. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- President Donald Trumps approach to the issue of coronavirus lockdowns has been characterized by a series of unsettling overreaches and reversals. In late March, Trump declared that he wanted to end U.S. lockdowns by Easter. A few days later the president reversed his statement and extended federal guidelines for shutdowns through the end of April. This week, Trump briefly attempted to assert presidential authority to order states to end their lockdowns, but after it became clear that this probably was unconstitutional, he backed down and declared that he wouldnt interfere with state and regional reopening plans. At a press briefing today Trump gave his blessing to governors to go ahead with their own plans, issuing guidelines for recommending when each state or region should reopen. Its a step in the right direction. Some voices continue to call for the economy to reopen quickly in spite of the mortal danger of the pandemic. Indiana Representative Trey Hollingsworth recently asserted that the many American deaths that would result would be the lesser oftwo evils compared with the economic cost of continued lockdowns. Investor Michael Burry, famed for shorting the housing bubble of the early 2000s, has claimed there is no justification for current policies. And protesters in Michigan, Ohio and elsewhere have demanded immediate reopening. These voices are dangerously wrong. Even with most of the nation under lockdown as of the end of March, U.S. deaths have climbed to more than 34,000 and are forecast to surpass 60,000 -- more Americans than died in the Vietnam War and many times the number who died in the War on Terror. Without lockdowns, epidemiologists predict that deaths could reach into the hundreds of thousands and possibly claim more lives than any war in the countrys history. And that doesnt even include the long-term damage to the lungs and other organs of many who survive the disease. Story continues But weighing these staggering human costs against the supposed economic benefits of a quick reopening relies on a crucial and flawed assumption -- that economic conditions would rapidly go back to normal if only governments allowed people out of their houses. The truth is much grimmer. If the economy were reopened without sufficient suppression measures in place, many people would rightly be wary of shopping in stores and eating in restaurants before the danger of coronavirus had passed. As some left their homes and infections began to rise rapidly once again, people would be afraid once more to go out. Retail businesses, which were generally not operating on huge profit cushions before coronavirus, would still suffer, except that without government support most would fail and lay off workers instead of being paid to keep them on payroll, as they now are doing. Eventually, fear of the virus would increase public pressure for renewed lockdowns, costing the economy more crucial weeks or months even as the disease destroyed more lives. Furthermore, regions that shut down early and decisively will probably be primed for more rapid growth after the crisis passes. This was the experience of American cities during the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918; as my Bloomberg View colleague Scott Kominers explained, cities that enforced more social-distancing measures early in the epidemic grew faster afterward. Thus, its not a choice between the economy and peoples lives; its a choice between short-term economic losses or extended economic losses combined with mass death. Small wonder, then, that even business-oriented nations such Singapore have been quick to shut businesses and schools when coronavirus seemed to be getting out of control. The question of when the economy can be reopened is a matter of if, not when. It must wait until a public-health regime capable of suppressing the virus is in place. As National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease Director Dr. Anthony Fauci has explained, the core of that system must be a so-called test-and-trace program. This means that when someone tests positive for Covid-19, public-health workers need to track down everyone theyve had contact with in the two days before their symptoms manifested (when most patients start becoming contagious), and test all of those people as well. All who test positive must be ordered to isolate themselves at home for at least two weeks. Fortunately, many of the governors now organizing regional reopening plans seem to understand the importance of test-and-trace. Technology companies such as Apple and Google, meanwhile, are working on software that allows phones to do contact tracing anonymously, preserving individual privacy. Trumps also needs to emphasize test-and-trace. Bloomberg News reported that the administration is focused on expanded testing capacity as one of the key criteria for reopening. But only a few days ago, Trumps Department of Health and Human Services almost ended support for community-based coronavirus testing sites around the country, reversing course only after a major outcry. And some laboratories report that more federal funding is urgently needed if testing is merely to be sustained at current levels, much less expanded. If Trump really is serious about testing, he needs to do more to prove it. Meanwhile, Trumps guidelines should be modified to add the need for contact tracing and isolation of the sick. Right now, investments in testing, contact tracing and patient isolation systems offer a higher return on investment -- both economically and in terms of human lives -- than any stimulus plan, and certainly a lot more than a premature reopening. The sooner these systems are in place, the sooner Americans can feel safe and confident enough to come out of their homes and start shopping and going to work once again. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Noah Smith is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He was an assistant professor of finance at Stony Brook University, and he blogs at Noahpinion. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) may ease the 20 percent borrowing limit for debt mutual funds (MFf) if liquidity issues continue, Business Standard reported. An MF scheme can borrow as much as 20 percent of its net assets as borrowings, the report said. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the story. "It (SEBI) is cognisant of the fact that MFs are in a Catch-22 situation, as on the one hand they have to meet redemptions, and on the other hand, they are unable to easily liquidate their bond holdings as the market is under virtual freeze," a source told Business Standard. In March, gross redemptions of Rs 14 trillion, and net outflows were the highest-ever at Rs 1.94 trillion. At the end of March, nearly 12 MF schemes neared the borrowing limit and some even crossed it, due to selling by foreign investors and redemption pressure from corporate treasuries. SEBI is examining the MF schemes that exceeded the borrowing caps, the report added. Dhirendra Kumar, chief executive officer of MF tracker Value Research, told the publication that fund houses should use the borrowings wisely. "Whatever is the new cap, it is the trustees responsibility to decide at what point to close the gate. Every offer document has a force-majeure kind of clause to stop redemptions. However, it is better to use the borrowing provision wisely," Kumar said. About 48 people have died from Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) disease in four regions of the north. This is out of about 449 cases recorded in the Upper West, Upper East, the Northern Region and the Savannah Region. The cases recorded in the past 14 weeks has seen the Upper West Region recording the highest number of 37 deaths out of 394 cases, followed by the Upper East Region with five deaths with 18 confirmed cases, the Northern has two deaths out of 27 cases, while the Savannah Region recorded seven deaths out of 40 cases. The Upper West Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, who has been addressing the issue in a public broadcast in Wa, said the fatalities had been increasing, especially in the last three weeks, progressing from 18 in week 10 to 33 in week 12 to the present figure. He described the CSM outbreak, which is an annual occurrence, as a disease that attacked a person's central nervous system and caused inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, leading to stiff neck, fever, headache and nausea, among other symptoms. He said the regions of the north laid in the meningitis belt and stretched across Nadowli, Jirapa, Lawra, Nandom up to Burkina Faso, adding that because of the climatic condition in the area which was dry, very hot and dusty at this time of the year, the epidemic had always remained an annual occurrence. He regretted to note that the huge number of cases could be attributed to late reporting of cases to the health facilities. Stigma That, he said, could be attributed to stigmatisation since the disease carried similar symptoms as the COVID-19. Because of this, patients use their own methods to fight the perennial disease until when their conditions become very critical that they are rushed to the health facilities. The regional minister also noted that most of the facilities were ill-equipped to handle the cases in those conditions leading to the high number of fatalities. Public health interventions Dr Bin Salih said medical authorities in the region had put in place necessary mechanisms to detect and combat the disease. He commended the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Greek government for donating 5,000 vials of Ceftriaxone and 1,100 bags of infusion to the region to support case management. He also advised the people to avoid overcrowding environment since the germs can easily spread from person to person, and to drink a lot of water frequently to hydrate their bodies to avoid "micro -tears at the back of the nose and mouths to prevent germ invasion to cause CSM". Upper East In the Upper East Region, out of 69 suspected cases, 18 had been confirmed. According to the Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Winfred Ofosu, the region had always put in place the necessary mechanisms for diagnosis and treatment of the cases since it was an annual occurrence. Dr Ofosu said, all the various health facilities across the region had also been stocked with logistics and test kits to diagnose the disease for treatment. He explained that in order to prevent the disease from spreading, the health directorate had directed all the various district health management teams to intensify education about the outbreak of the disease as well as to give periodical media briefing. Northern Region, Savannah A total of 78 suspected cases of CSM were recorded in the Northern Region this year, the number of people who have died are two from the disease. This was contained in a document from the Regional Health Directorate which stated that out of the total number of 78 cases, 27 were found to be positive by the Public Health Reference Laboratory at Tamale (PHRL), including the two deaths. He said the remaining 25 victims were undergoing treatment. In the Savannah Region, seven people died out of 40 suspected cases of CSM. The cases were recorded in Bole, Sawla-Tuna-Kalba districts and the West Gonja municipality from January to March, this year, the Savannah Regional Health Directorate confirmed. The Bole District Director of Health Service, Mr David Bakuri, told the Daily Graphic the directorate had intensified public education in the area to sensitise residents to the disease. Source: Daily Graphic 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 Everybody might think that Meghan Markle is now extremely happy after quitting the royal family and living the lifestyle she has always wanted. The new chapter of their lives will give them a chance to do whatever they want now that nobody will stop them. However, it might have been a wrong move because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It complicated things not just for Prince Harry and Meghan, but for everyone. Right now, the couple is in lockdown in Los Angeles, and it's not one of the happiest moments in their lives, especially Meghan, as it was reported that the former actress is having a "lonely time" right now. Before Los Angeles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex first touch-based in Canada, which also imposed strict self-isolating and social distancing guidelines during the global pandemic. While a lot of people may find the situation isolating and sad, since Meghan Markle just ended her senior royal duties in Britain, she likely expected that things would be far more different than the reality. Her mother, Doria Ragland, is based in Los Angeles, and by moving there, she thought they would be able to spend time with her. But since Meghan and Prince Harry just jetted to Los Angeles amid the panic over the borders being closed, upon arriving, the couple were instructed to quickly isolate themselves without Doria as to make sure that they didn't carry any virus with them. That led to Meghan being separated from her mother since stepping foot in the US. According to New! Magazine, an insider told them that despite being back in her home city, this wasn't the dream of returning home that Meghan had imagined. "It's been a very isolating and lonely time for Meghan, who was desperate to get to her mom and have her be with her grandson, who she's missing desperately." Meghan Markle was also reportedly disappointed that she can't help her 63-year-old mom more because of her celebrity status, and it worries Meghan so much. "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." The New's other source said that Meghan has been checking in with her mother three to four times a day and also hired a staff to deliver anything Doria may need at her home. Meghan's additional disappointment is that Doria won't be able to celebrate Archie's birthday with them. "It's not been the return home she'd planned," said the source. While Meghan Markle is having a difficult time, her husband, Prince Harry, is also struggling with his new life in Los Angeles. Meghan can always go back to being an actress and resume her career, but Prince Harry left his family and the life he had always known and moved across the Atlantic to a place where he's not even familiar. Royal expert Duncan Larcombe said, "I can't imagine that someone as active and as passionate as Harry is just going to sit back and do nothing over the long term." He added, "I think he might feel like a prisoner within his own home." Only time can tell. READ MORE: Royal Connivance Exposed: Did Camilla Parker-Bowles Help Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Exit from Royal Family? The University of Nebraska on Friday announced it will guarantee free tuition to Nebraska students from families at or below the median household income in the state beginning later this year. The Nebraska Promise, introduced by President Ted Carter during Friday's meeting of the NU Board of Regents, is expected to pay tuition costs for an estimated 1,000 students whose family adjusted gross incomes are at or below $60,000. "This program is about taking care of the people of Nebraska," Carter said during the meeting, which was conducted virtually through Zoom. "We know families are struggling right now. We are rethinking every dollar. They are, perhaps, rethinking higher education," he added. "We want you to know the University of Nebraska is here for you." The idea for the free tuition program emerged during a strategic planning process Carter convened in January after taking over as president of the university system. Carter said he initially envisioned enacting new programs designed to boost enrollment of nonresident and international students, but the onset of the coronavirus pandemic changed his thinking. About a dozen people watched from a safe distance as three 500 notes lay right outside a house. For several minutes, no one dared to touch the currencies. Then someone dialled the police. The fear among many people that currency notes could be carriers of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) resulted in a peculiar situation in North Delhis Lawrence Road on Wednesday afternoon. It all began around 1.15pm when someone noticed three soiled notes lying outside a house. Soon, there were a host of curious onlookers and no one to claim the unattended cash. A call was made to the Keshavpuram police station at 1.27pm. A police team arrived at the spot, but they too didnt want to take chances. We cordoned off the street and sent the onlookers into their homes. One of us wore hand gloves to pick up the notes. We then sprayed them with sanitizer and packed them in an envelope, said a senior police officer. The police asked around, but didnt find anyone who would claim the cash. The residents of the house outside which the currencies were found too did not claim them. No one had picked the money off the street. No one would claim it either. It felt like Ram Rajya, said the officer. But the suspense over the notes ended soon after the policemen returned to the police station. A woman, Charanjeet Kaur, visited the police station to claim that the notes belonged to her, said Vijayanta Arya, deputy commissioner of police (north-west). Kaur, a 49-year-old teacher at a government school in nearby Shakurpur, told the police that the notes were a part of a sum of 10,000 she had withdrawn from an ATM in RG City Centre, a mall in Keshavpuram. Afraid that the notes could be carrying the virus, she had washed them with sanitizer and put them on a table in the balcony of her second floor house to dry. The wind may have blown away three of them, said DCP Arya. Kaur had remained unaware of the drama when the police had landed outside her house. It was only when she walked out to her balcony, that she got to know of the missing notes and the drama that had unfolded. The police asked her to produce the other notes she had withdrawn. The notes found on the street were of the same series as the other notes with her. We gave back the currencies to her, said the DCP. Though studies indicated that the virus, transmitted through droplets, could be passed on even from dried surfaces to humans, there is not enough scientific evidence on how long it survives on currency notes. Earlier, some residents of Saharsa in Bihar had found currency notes scattered outside their homes. The currencies were accompanied by notes which said, I have come with Corona. Accept this note, otherwise Ill harass everyone. Biotech manufacturer recommended for continued certification to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016 Promega Corporation announced today it successfully completed its first ever fully remote quality surveillance assessment and is recommended for continued certification to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the British Standards Institution (BSI) completed its six-day review of Promega manufacturing facilities in Madison, Wisconsin using video and voice calls from assessors' home locations in Ohio and Georgia. Many on the Promega assessment facilitation team in Madison worked from home as well. Standard assessments usually entail on-site meetings and tours of multiple buildings. Promega manufactures reagents used for COVID-19 testing. The company's components currently support approximately 15 COVID-19 test kits around the world, and Promega provides RNA extraction reagents for more than 500 clinical labs globally. "Being so customer focused, we have routinely needed to be nimble in our approaches while maintaining our quality standard, and manufacturing our COVID-19 related products is a real-time example of that," says Ron Wheeler, Senior Director of Quality Assurance Regulatory Affairs at Promega. "While a virtual assessment is a first for us, the team adjusted quickly because we were able to leverage our flexible quality system processes. This innovative approach enabled us to successfully complete this necessary assessment while also protecting both our business continuity and the health and safety of Promega and BSI staff." The Promega IT Department enabled the team to house large files for assessors to securely access and view, enabling full control of proprietary information. Discussions were conducted via video and audio conferencing. The team used www.promega.com, including the interactive Madison campus map on the website, to provide information about Promega products, facilities and operations. Assessors concluded with a recommendation of continued ISO certification and stated they were impressed with Promega capabilities, operations and knowledgeable staff. ISO certification assures global customers that Promega is committed to quality and has established reliable and effective processes. Promega first certified to international standards for quality management systems in 1998, and the company's commitment continues with 19 current global ISO certifications. The ISO series of quality management system standards are developed and maintained by the International Organization for Standardization. An organization achieving ISO certification has demonstrated to a third party that the organization meets all requirements of the standard and has implemented a quality system capable of developing, manufacturing, testing and delivering high quality products around the world. To learn more about Promega ISO certification visit www.promega.com/quality About Promega Promega Corporation is a leader in providing innovative solutions and technical support to the life sciences industry. The company's 4,000 products enable scientists worldwide to advance their knowledge in genomics, proteomics, cellular analysis, drug discovery and human identification. Founded in 1978, the company is headquartered in Madison, WI, USA with branches in 16 countries and over 50 global distributors. For more information about Promega, visit www.promega.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005053/en/ Contacts: Penny Patterson VP, Communications Promega Corporation Phone: (608) 274-4330 E-mail: penny.patterson@promega.com Farai Matiashe Farai Matiashe is an award winning journalist based in Mutare, Zimbabwe. His articles are published on Aljazeera, Thomson Reuters Foundation, The Worl... more d and Quartz Africa. Unusually warm summer weather may sound like a blessing for central Pennsylvanians who enjoy time in the sun, but it comes at a cost: specifically, the chance of more rain and thunderstorms than usual. Long-term weather projections issued by the National Weather Service are calling for warmer-than-normal temperatures to hit Pennsylvania in May and continue through the summer, according to NWS meteorologist Aaron Tyburski. Southwest winds moving in from the Gulf Coast could create a warmer and wetter climate than typical summers in the commonwealth, the NWS said. Humidity carried up from the south will likely cause more thunderstorms and make the days feel hotter, according to Tyburski. Climate forecasts show states up and down the East Coast are predicted to experience seasonal weather similar to Pennsylvanias. The NWS meteorologist said weather systems tend to move slower in the summer months, making it unlikely that the pattern will change much. However, tropical storms and hurricanes moving up the East Coast can be responsible for sudden and unexpected changes in the outloook for eastern and central Pennsylvania. Thats always the wild card, especially as we move into the later summer, Tyburski said. NWS data isnt available yet on what to expect during the upcoming hurricane season. Los Angeles, April 17 : "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman left his fans worried and anxious about his health when he made an appearance in a slimmer frame on social media. Boseman's appearance shocked fans during his Instagram Live on Wednesday, reports dailymail.co.uk. It all started when he shared a video in support of the Operation 42 donation project, a campaign to donate $4.2million in personal protective equipment to hospitals serving African-American communities -- which have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. The star looked gaunt, causing followers to wonder if he was doing okay "I hope your okay, your appearance has changed," one person commented "Dude, I'm all in for this, but please reassure your fan base about your health 'cause even I am starting to be kinda worried," another user posted. "I didn't recognise him at first. I'm not liking this weight loss bro," shared one fan. It's not clear when Boseman began to slim down. He looked healthy when he was last spotted in Chicago back in February. It is being speculated that Boseman's weight loss could be for a role. His next project is sci-fi TV series "The Black Child". He will likely have to bulk up again for "Black Panther 2". PC weaponizes language One would think that politically correct is such an innocent term. How can anyone be against something so friendly, something that is supposed to encourage harmony and peace between all people? Think again. This movement called political correctness has ignited controversy across the land. And although the movement arises from the desire to sweep away the debris of racism, sexism and hatred, it only has intensified it by replacing old prejudices with new ones. Racism is a fire that the political class cant put out. Intentionally or not, politicians, the media and academics are all stoking the fire of racism. When all else fails, bring out the race card. Liberal progressives know that certain words can hurt you when you talk about your rights and liberties. The latest weapon in their arsenal is the word xenophobia, defined as the fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners. The liberal American media would have you believe that referring to the coronavirus or the Wuhan virus as originating in China would be xenophobic or racist. Pakistani police have arrested an ethnic Pashtun rights activist and charged him with hate speech after he spoke during a visit to neighboring Afghanistan. Police official Usman Wazir said Sardar Arif Wazir, a member of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), was arrested on April 17 in South Waziristan, a tribal region located along the border with Afghanistan. The police official said Wazir was accused of delivering an "anti-Pakistan" speech during his visit to Afghanistan. He did not provide any further details. Jamal Malyar, a local leader of the PTM, said the charge against Wazir was "baseless." The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has said the authorities have made allegations of anti-state activities "an expedient label for human rights defenders, particularly those associated with the PTM." The PTM has campaigned for civil rights for Pashtuns, the country's largest ethnic minority, since 2018. The group has attracted tens of thousands of people to public rallies to denounce the powerful Pakistani Army's heavy-handed operations in the militancy-hit tribal regions and the military's alleged connection with Islamist militants. The PTM has been calling for the removal of military checkpoints in tribal areas and an end to "enforced disappearances," in which suspects are detained by security forces without due process. Pakistan's government rejects allegations that its security forces and intelligence agents are responsible for forced disappearances. Since the movement was formed in January 2018, international rights groups say authorities have banned peaceful rallies organized by the PTM and some of its leading members have been arbitrarily detained and prevented from traveling within the country. Some members have also faced charges of sedition and cybercrimes. Authorities in January arrested PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen on charges including sedition, hate speech, incitement against the state, and criminal conspiracy. Pashteen was later released on bail. The Japanese drug Avigan may be the worlds best hope for ending the global Covid-19 pandemic On 7 April, Japanese top diplomat Toshimitsu Motegi declared that his country would allow 20 other countries to test Avigan, a drug for influenza that has helped patients in China to recover from the Covid-19 coronavirus. Its usefulness has yet to be confirmed in clinical tests, but Japan seeks to work with interested countries to expand clinical research on Avigan internationally, Motegi said, in order to find out whether it could be effective as a therapy against the coronavirus. Among the countries involved in the Avigan tests are Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Indonesia, Iran, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Thirty more countries, according to Motegi, are also interested in trying it. The Japanese Fujifilm Corporation, Avigans producer, issued a statement saying that about 50 coronavirus patients in the United States would be given the drug as part of a joint project between the company and Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Egypt has also expressed interest in the drug. We are on our way to the manufacturing stage... after we contact the Chinese side responsible for producing the pharmaceutical ingredients ... and the approval of the Japanese company to get enough of the ingredients in order to manufacture the drug, Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar said last week. Avigan earned approval for manufacture in Japan in 2014 as an antiviral influenza drug. Fujifilm said that it is to be considered for use only when there is an outbreak of novel or re-emerging influenza virus infections in which other influenza antiviral drugs are either not effective or insufficiently effective. The Japanese government has decided to use the drug as a countermeasure against such influenza viruses. The company said that Avigan was a promising therapy for the novel coronavirus because it has a mechanism of action for selectively inhibiting RNA polymerase involved in influenza viral replication. Covid-19 is classified in the same type of single-stranded RNA virus as influenza, and its [Avigans] clinical application to treat Covid-19 is now under study, Fujifilm said in a press statement on 31 March. In March, the Chinese medical authorities praised Avigan for having a high degree of safety and [being] clearly effective in the treatment of coronavirus. It had been used on 340 patients in Wuhan and Shenzan, and patients who had tested positive for coronavirus recovered almost four days after taking the drug, they said. Those who did not, according to Japans NHK national broadcaster, felt better after roughly 11 days. A source at the Japanese Health Ministry told the Mainichi Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, that Avigan doesnt seem to work that well when the virus has already multiplied, suggesting that the drug should be used early in the infection. Medical researchers, pharmaceutical companies and world leaders have repeatedly emphasised that a vaccine for coronavirus will not be ready before a year from now. A reliable therapy is thus greatly needed. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) figures, more than two million people around the world tested positive for coronavirus. *A version of this article appears in print in the 16 April, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Amid the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, nearly 40-50 farm labourers living on the Yamuna floodplains have been cut off from the rest of the world and left waiting for the boat with food packets to arrive. They are facing hardships due to lack of connectivity through roads and dependent on outsiders for basic amenities. Around 40-50 farm labourers are totally cut off and can be reached only through boats, Sonu Pandit, a resident of Chilla village, said. "There are 15-20 families, including mine, who receive food that is brought to us through boats. Life was already tough for us and the lockdown made things worse," said Shiv Kumar, 25, who works as a farm labourer along with his four brothers. A community kitchen ,'Sewa Rasoi', run by Virendra Sachdeva and his friends Rajiv Kohli and Vijemdra Dhama in Mayur Vihar, is providing food parcels to the farm labourers amid the lockdown. "We learnt about the plight of people living on the Yamuna floodplains. Around 200 food packets are being sent to them daily through a boat," said Sachdeva, former president of the Mayur Vihar unit of the BJP. Abdul, a 23-year-old farm labourer and a construction worker, said he was worried when the lockdown was announced as he relied on his daily wages for food. "But luckily, we get food packets and sometimes dry ration from Sewa Bharti. Earlier, we used to buy items from nearby localities but it has stopped now due to the lockdown. We take water from a tanker near the Hanuman temple," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. Following are developments Thursday related to the global economy, the work place and the spread of the virus. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In this April 9, 2020, photo, Greg Perry talks to a driver arriving at GraceWorks Ministries food pantry in Franklin, Tenn. In addition to finding ways to meet the spike in demand, food banks have had to devise creative new ways to distribute ever greater amounts of food while keeping both recipients and their staff safe from exposure to the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. Following are developments Thursday related to the global economy, the work place and the spread of the virus. ________________________ SEATBELTS FASTENED: The U.S. is offering airlines a $25 billion aid package, but damage to the sector will be extensive and long-lasting. Industry analysts say it could be five years before the industry fully recovers. United Airlines' flight schedule will be cut to 10% in May and it expects more of the same in June. In a letter to employees, CEO Oscar Munoz wrote that travel demand is essentially zero and shows no sign of improving in the near-term." We expect to fly fewer people during the entire month of May than we did on a single day in May 2019, Munoz wrote. Job cuts at the airline, though prohibited through September under strings tied to the aid package, are likely in the fall. At American Airlines 32,000 workers have volunteered for early retirement or leave at reduced pay. American started the year with about 133,000 employees. Boeing, meanwhile, said it will resume production of passenger jets in Washington state next week after suspending work in late March after workers tested positive for the new coronavirus. The company said 27,000 people will return most of them by April 21 to build several jet models and to prepare to resume production on the grounded 737 Max. Boeing said it will take precautions including staggered shift times, face coverings and floor markings to separate workers. CEO David Calhoun said in a message to workers that the virus will change our business for years to come. Calhoun did not indicate whether Boeing intends to apply for government financial help from last months $2.2 trillion virus-recovery package. A Boeing spokesman declined to comment on whether the company will seek federal aid. ECONOMIC PARALYSIS: Figures released by the U.S. Thursday revealed a collapse in housing construction, and millions of lost jobs. A quarter of British businesses have closed their doors. The Office for National Statistics surveyed 5,316 companies to find out how many had shut down operations between March 23 and April 5. Those that have remained open have furloughed an average 21% of their staff. A national aid package pays 80% of the wages of for retained workers. The International Monetary Fund warns Pakistans budget deficit could hit a record 4 trillion Pakistani rupees (approximately $23.7 billion) this year because of the virus outbreak, accounting for nearly 9.2% of gross domestic product. SERVICE POSTPONED: The service sector gyms, hotels and retail stores relies on human contact, and it may have been changed forever by the outbreak. J.C. Penney is postponing $12 million in interest payment. The company has a 30-day grace period before it is considered in default on the 2036 senior notes. Hilton has suspended operations at almost 1,000 hotels globally, or 16% of them. That includes 12% of hotels in the Americas, 60% in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 15% in Asia. The company has seen some recovery in China, where all but 20 of the 150 hotels that closed there have reopened. Hilton expects revenue per available room to fall nearly 25% in the first quarter. Ride-hailing giant Uber to withdraw its financial guidance for 2020 and predict a larger than expected first-quarter net loss. The company says it expects its to reduce the value of some minority equity investments, that that will increase its net loss by $1.9 billion to $2.2 billion. Uber will report quarterly results on May 7. 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. SALES SLIDE: Figures release by the U.S. this week revealed a retail sector staring down a crisis. See-and-be-seen is from another era, one without face masks and home confinement. Even if you can afford luxury goods, your not likely to be buying it now. Sales fell 4.8% at the cosmetics giant LOreal in the first quarter, though online sales increased 52%. The company said Thursday there were sharp sales drops in luxury cosmetics and professional hair products as department stores, hair salons shuttered across continents. Global sales tumbled 15% for luxury group LVMH in the first quarter. More people are drinking at home, but they're not opening bottles of LVMH Moet & Chandon Champagne, or its Vuitton handbags or Dior perfumes. It has begun to produce hand sanitizer and has financed millions of masks for French medical personnel. The market for used cars, trucks and SUVs in the U.S. has evaporated. Cox Automotive estimates that retail used vehicle sales fell 59% last week compared with a year ago. Sales at Coxs Manheim used vehicle auction houses, where dealers get their supplies, tumbled 75%. New vehicle sales slumped 38% in March. MARKETS: Gains by Amazon and health care stocks helped lift U.S. stocks Thursday despite another round of disconcerting economic indicators arrived. LATTE AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL: For the first time since going drive-thru only on March 20, Starbucks is looking at a very gradual expansion of service. CEO Kevin Johnson said in a letter to employees Thursday that decisions to expand service using contactless pickup and delivery or to-go ordering would be made on a store-by-store basis. It's official: Murray State becomes member of Missouri Valley Conference Turkeys Interior Ministry has launched twin criminal probes against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas. In an interview with the pro-secular opposition Sozcu newspaper, Imamoglu revealed that the investigations stemming from the mayors respective fundraising campaigns to help contain the novel coronavirus pandemic in their cities had started a week ago. Most probably inspectors will be dispatched to other mayors who are running campaigns as well. I am not alone, Imamoglu said. The government said last month that money-raising initiatives started by municipal authorities in Turkeys two largest cities Istanbul and Ankara, both controlled by the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) were illegal. In a March 31 decree, the interior minister asserted that municipalities and other bodies were allowed to collect donations only if authorized by the local governors office. The day before, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched his own campaign to collect money from the public. The state-run Vakif bank meanwhile froze the Istanbul municipalitys account, where some 900 thousand Turkish lira, about $130 million, in contributions had accumulated, Imamoglu said. Donations being made to the municipality via privately owned banks are continuing, however, likely prompting the government to strike. Imamoglu called the move pathetic and said Vakifbank had acted out of fear. Its a dark stain on the banking system, Imamoglu said. Yavas confirmed in a separate interview with Deutsche Welle Turkiye that he was the object of a similar probe. At least 1,769 people have died from COVID-19, according to the latest figures published by Turkeys Ministry of Health. A further 78,546 have been infected. Eleven CHP mayors issued a joint statement yesterday calling for a long-term curfew or full isolation to shield the countrys urban population from the exponential growth of new infections. The government has been harshly criticized for its recent handling of the disaster. A weekend curfew announced just hours before it went into effect last week unleashed a wave of panic-buying that likely caused further contagion. Imamoglu said he had not been consulted by the government on the decision. Istanbul, which is home to over 15 million people, is the epicenter of the crisis in Turkey. The government has raised at least $245 million through Erdogans National Solidarity Campaign. A list of donors published by the pro-government Hurriyet yesterday included several Turkish conglomerates. Kalyon Holding and Limak Holding, which have won multi-billion-dollar construction deals from the Erdogan government, coughed up $1.8 million and $1.5 million, respectively. Erdogan, who is widely believed to be a millionaire, chipped in with seven months of his pay, amounting to roughly $721,657. Legal experts say the governments claim that mayors cannot engage in fundraising without prior authorization flies in the face of articles of Turkey's constitution concerning municipalities jurisdiction. The moves are widely seen as yet another maneuver to deny opposition-run municipalities any chance to increase their popularity, in this instance by showing efficiency during the COVID-19 pandemic. The investigations are a further manifestation of existing pressure on local government, said Sinem Adar, an associate at the Center for Applied Turkey Studies, pointing to the mass dismissal of opposition mayors in the mainly Kurdish southeast region who have been replaced with government appointees. As Al-Monitor contributor Mahmut Bozarslan recently reported, only 19 of the 59 mayoral offices won by the Kurds in the March 2019 municipal elections remain in Kurdish hands. Adar told Al-Monitor, The methods used to disempower local government are being deployed with even greater ferocity during the COVID-19 crisis. The government has still not recovered from the shock of losing the big cities to the opposition last year, said Utku Cakirozer, a CHP member of parliament. He told Al-Monitor in a telephone interview, At a time when the entire world is looking for ways to protect their citizens against this calamity, in Turkey alone there is a government that is setting such concerns aside to focus on how it can best prevent opposition municipalities from performing their duties. On April 10, the Interior Ministry blocked the bank accounts of soup kitchens run by the municipality of Eskisehir, a long-running CHP stronghold and Cakirozers home constituency. Cakirozer recalled that an omnibus bill centered on a controversial prisoner amnesty approved by the parliament on April 13 contained provisions waiving utility bills for citizens to help them weather the financial impact of the coronavirus crisis. But it made no separate relief provisions for municipalities who rely on such income to provide services to the people. Trams run on electricity, for example. Municipalities could have been held exempt for the duration of the crisis as well, he said. The government could have, at the very least, frozen debt owed by municipalities to state banks. Its clearly leveraging this pandemic curse to score points against the opposition. At the same time, the pressure being brought to bear on opposition-run municipal governments further exposes the legitimacy crisis the government has been experiencing for some time, noted Adar. Correction, April 18, 2020: An earlier version of this article incorrectly said that Vakif bank froze 900 million Turkish lira in contributions to the Istanbul municipality. Unlike most star kids, Abhimanyu Dassani picked up an unconventional film for his debut with Vasan Bala's Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota. The action-comedy won him accolades at various international film festivals. The young lad even picked up the Filmfare Best Debut (Male) award this year for his performance. His actress-mom Bhagyashree, is quite proud of him. In a recent interview with Mumbai Mirror, the Maine Pyaar Kiya star revealed, "He stood in lines and gave auditions without ever revealing who he is. We only came to know about Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota after he'd signed the film." Justifying the reason, Abhimanyu revealed in the same interview, "A star kid has a title and nepotism refers to entitlement. I got my first movie at 30 and received none of the attention that many of the other debutants got." He further added, "I see the respect she still gets for a film she did 30 years ago. And she gave it up all to bring up her son. I may have stood in lines to get a break, but I'll never let my family go through anything like that ever." Bhagyashree also revealed that Abhimanyu is the most serious person in their family and was quoted as saying, "Even when he wins an award and we want to celebrate, he's not interested." To this, the Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota actor said that he celebrates by "working more". Meanwhile, Abhimanyu's Instagram game is quite on point! Amid the COVID-19 lockdown, the actor has been revisiting his culinary skills and posting a lot of cooking videos on his social media page. Talking about it, Bhagyashree let out a secret and said, "He started cooking as a teenager so he could impress girls." Speaking about films, Abhimanyu will next be seen in Sabbir Khan's action-entertainer Nikamma, alongside Shirley Setia and Shilpa Shetty and Umesh Shukla's comedy Aankh Micholi, which has an ensemble cast. Abhimanyu Dassani On Working With Shilpa Shetty In Nikamma: She Is An Absolute Hustler EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Abhimanyu Dassani: I Don't Want To Be The Next Hot Thing!" title=" EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Abhimanyu Dassani: I Don't Want To Be The Next Hot Thing!" /> EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Abhimanyu Dassani: I Don't Want To Be The Next Hot Thing! WATERBURY A COVID-19 Response Fund, established by the Connecticut Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Waterbury less than a month ago, is responding to peoples needs. Each non-profit organization added $50,000 to start the fund, so that local organizations could submit and receive grants in a timeframe that is condensed to days instead of weeks or even months. The need is immediate and urgent so a corresponding response was critical. Both organizations have since committed additional resources. Residents and businesses have answered the call and contributed generously to the COVID-19 Response Fund. Thanks to this true community effort, as of Monday, April 13, a committee has approved $216,723 in grants from the fund, directed to organizations that are feeding those who would otherwise go hungry, providing safe housing for those in need of shelter, and meeting the needs of those who have become sick as a result of COVID-19. Some of us are lucky enough to be in warm homes with homemade meals but others fear for their very survival. The COVID-19 Response Fund has helped: Kristen Jacoby, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Waterbury, said, For weeks now, United Way has mobilized its ability to study the community need and coordinated actions with local officials to develop solutions that are not only working but continue to help people as the situation changes. What we could do last week simply wont work now. We need to be adaptable and communicate clearly. United Way of Greater Waterbury's mission is to mobilize our 10-town region, amplify its resources, and invest in approaches that advance equity and measurable community outcomes. The Greater Waterbury area includes Bethlehem, Cheshire, Middlebury, Prospect, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott and Woodbury. Established in 1923, Connecticut Community Foundation was created by and for the people of Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills. While serving the 21-town region, the foundation provides leadership in addressing the community's critical issues, strengthens local nonprofit organizations through grants and technical assistance programs, and works with individuals, families and corporations to steward charitable and scholarship funds. An updated list of grants that have been awarded is available at conncf.org/covid-19-rapid-response-grants/ Historical society wants to keep in touch Litchfield Historical Society director Katherine Fields reached out this week to supporters about the response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. First, thank you for your generous support and loyalty to the LHS, which means so much in difficult times like these. As we continue to navigate this evolving situation, the health and well-being of our community remains our overriding concern. All of us here hope that you and your loved ones remain safe and secure, Fields wrote. The museums and library will remain closed until further notice. The staff is working from home. Fields encouraged residents/members to visit www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org for information. Please keep an eye on our website and social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, interesting items from our collections, and activities for you and your family, Fields wrote. For those looking to get out of the house, we will be leaving activity booklets and a scavenger hunt in a container at the Tapping Reeve Meadow. Please be mindful of social distancing, but enjoy our outdoor space during this time. Fields also thanked everyone for participating in events and for their support. Those interested in research can contact the society about available online resources, or visit the websites Research Page for access to its online database as well as links to other resources. To reach the historical society, call 860-567-4501. EdAdvance offers Skills 21 projects LITCHFIELD Across the country, state and local leaders have identified personally meaningful student projects as a best practice that can be used during this period of remote and distance learning, according to a statement from EdAdvance. To help students, teachers and families take advantage of this strategy, Skills21 at EdAdvance is sharing pip.skills21.org, a free curriculum and online platform that guides students through a process to explore an area of interest and create something of their own choosing. Students can learn to code, build something, create a series of paintings, sew, shoot a film, do an experiment. More than 200 students have already signed up and have started building their projects. In early June, Skills21 will also host a PIP Online Expo in concert with the teams nationally recognized Expo Fest which will also take place online this year. Because its so important that students remain connected to adults and peers during this time, each task provides an opportunity for students to collaborate digitally with family members, peers, teachers and the Skills21 team. Students will get feedback from existing Skills21 Expo Fest judges and there will be student awards in a range of categories. Of special note to parents, while students can sign-up through their school, they are also able to work on a project independently from home with support from the Skills21 team. Anyone can get started immediately at pip.skills21.org. The Skills21 Personal Interest Project curriculum, platform, and online support are free to all schools, students, and families. Skills21 PIP has been adapted from the organizations Capstone program which has been supported by the National Science Foundation. For more information visit skills21.org/pip or email info@skills21.org EdAdvance is the Regional Educational Service Center in western Connecticut, providing diverse education, health, and human service programs to promote the success and well-being of schools and communities. To learn more about EdAdvances programs and services, visit www.edadvance.org . For 18 years, Skills21 has worked with schools and organizations to promote inspired learning, creative designs, and student solutions to real world challenges in STEM and new media. For more information, visit skills21.org. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe in Government Buildings, Dublin, as the media is briefed on the latest measures Government Departments have introduced in response to Covid-19. Irelands finance minister has ruled out income tax increases despite pledging to increase public spending to deal with Covid-19. Paschal Donohoe has denied accusations a framework document drawn up by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail to encourage smaller parties to join them in a coalition government is a blank cheque. The document contains commitments that there will be no increases in income tax over the lifetime of the next government and promises to speed up the delivery of social and affordable housing. Speaking to RTE radio, Mr Donohoe said: I dont accept the accusations of blank cheques within this particular document. It is not a programme for government. We are going to be in a position when we exit Covid-19 where a very large majority of people in our country will either be facing lower incomes. We have 800,000 people on the live register or receiving some form of pandemic unemployment supports. The idea that increasing income tax or USC flies in the face of our success between 2011 and 2016 when we managed to fix the unemployment crisis. We are going to be entering a phase where we borrow more money this year and next year. Our ability to sustain that is due to the fact that my party and I got the country to a point where we were in surplus. If you look at the kind of things that can create cost and you look at what we say in the document in relation to capital expenditure. We want to prioritise capital expenditure which we do. The document says we are committed to Slaintecare and building more houses. In our last budget before an election we had a budget that had no tax reductions and no social welfare increases, a budget that was without political precedent in our country. If you look to the issues in this document compared to our general election manifesto, we were making commitments to increase social welfare and tax deductions. Those are absent in the document we are discussing today because we accept the reality has changed. If we have a government that can last five years, it will be dominated by how we are going to deal with the holes in the economy as a consequence of Covid-19 and the economic consequences of it. L.A. District Attorney Cracks Down on Scammers and Price Gauging in the midst of COVID-19 Pandemic Thursday, April 16. The L.A. Board of Supervisors welcomed District attorney, Jackie Lacey to disclose information from the district attorney office surrounding the spread of COVID-19. The Director of public health provided updated statistics behind the pandemic that has affected every part of the L.A. City structure. Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health shared the latest updates on the COVID-19 Virus. Ferrer shared Thursday, April 16. there were 55 additional deaths, 43 of these individuals were between the ages of 65 and over, 39 of them with underlining health conditions. This brings the total COVID-19 related deaths in the L.A. County to 455. Barbara disclosed as of April 16. There are 399 new COVID-19 reports. In summary, there is a total amount of 10,854 coronavirus cases in the Los Angeles region. In the last 48 hours, there have been 871 new positive coronavirus reports. These numbers reflect 379 positive cases in Long Beach and 184 COVID-19 reports coming from Pasadena. Of these new cases, 33 individuals tested positive are unsheltered. Approximately 26% of those infected with COVID-19 are hospitalized at some point. 88% of positive cases that died, had underlining health conditions. Data is reflecting 4.2% of carriers of the coronavirus have died, which is higher than the general mortality rate for influenza related deaths in the United States. ADVERTISEMENT The ethnicity relationship with coronavirus death rates was also identified; 16% were African American, 17% were Asian, 33% were Latin, 31% were white, and 3% identified who passed away, were from a different ethnicity. The disproportionate death rate within the African American community has been recognized. The Public Health Services are working with community partners to address issues related to access to testing and providing accurate information around COVID-19. L.A. District Attorney Jackie Lacey disclosed that her office has been working closely with local criminal justice partners to make sure victim rights are protected, and justice is well served. Jackie Lacey has directed her deputy district attorneys to consider both the public safety and health risk in every decision made. This department is looking to assist with low risk, non-violent people who are in jail. 3,500 assessments have transpired to determine who can be safely released from correctional facilities considering COVID-19. Defendants facing severe charges such as murder, will not be considered for release. The Los Angeles District Attorney Office are looking for ways to reduce their presence in court houses; one solution has been to hold virtual court hearings. This department continue to provide services to crime victims such as restitution, food, and shelter. Child and Domestic abuse cases are still being processed. There has been a decrease in these types of crimes being reported. The Los Angeles District Attorney Office is also handling crimes such as scams or price gauging. Price gauging is when merchants take essential equipment that would be in high demand during a pandemic and set the price point way beyond the original cost of goods, for instance a 12-pack of toilet paper for $16.00. Scammers are using the fear behind COVID-19 to manipulate and steal personal information from those who are vulnerable. Every department of L.A. County has their own unique milestone coronavirus delivered. Los Angeles public officials and essential partners work extensively to create a sense of normalcy within this time of confusion and havoc. Earlier this month, the Committee for Public Education (CFPE) in Australia held a successful online meeting entitled The COVID-19 pandemic: The political issues confronting educators. More than 70 teachers and other workers attended from states across Australia and several other countries including South Korea, New Zealand and the United States. The Socialist Equality Partys (US) candidate for vice president, Norissa Santa Cruz, brought greetings to event. Sue Phillips, the National Convenor of the CFPE, delivered the opening report, reviewing the unsafe conditions that teachers have been subjected to as governments have insisted that schools remain open despite the pandemic. She placed this in the context of the criminally-negligent response of governments around the world, which have sought to shore up the fortunes of the corporate and financial elite at all costs. Phillips outlined the CFPEs call for teachers to take action independently of the corporatised trade unions to ensure their safety. She linked this to the need for a socialist program aimed at meeting social need, not private profit. The report prompted a lively discussion. Below are comments from some of those who participated. Teachers can face disciplinary action for speaking out so their remarks are anonymous. A primary school teacher: The CFPE is leading the way in organising teachers and giving us a voice. The meeting explained the issues affecting Australian teachers, as well as highlighting the shared experience educators are having across the world. The government is giving us information that supports their plan to keep the economy going and the union is in agreement. This just supports the profit system. Government information has been misleading and confusing. The CFPEs honest and thorough account reminds us that we need to continue to question what we are told. They highlighted that we do have rights and we need to organise ourselves and expect more for our profession. The meeting provided the knowledge and solutions to support teachers to be healthy and to keep our students safe as well. The meeting raised the issue that teachers are being silenced. We are not provided with a space for discussion. It is disheartening to hear of teachers being threatened with disciplinary action for speaking out. There has been a significant rise in teacher discontent. The union and the government are working together to keep us in unsafe conditions. The CFPE has provided an alternative that puts our rights and the rights of our students first. Thank you for your leadership. A secondary teacher: The meeting reinforced my thoughts around the paralysis of capitalism to deal with any issue that doesnt derive profit. The current social crisis we are facing has laid bare the corruption of government, industry and the open complicity of the unions, as well as highlighting the reaction of the media. Every action by capitalism now subjugates the well-being of workers to profit. This is clearly viewed through the drive to get people back to work at all costs. The other issue of significance for me is the now open questioning by workers of the current crisis. They are disillusioned with and are moving outside the union bureaucracies. A personal experienceunion members were openly angry that they have had very little input into their conditions and felt betrayed that they have little say over their own safety and health in this crisis. Finally, the meeting confirmed suspicions that behind the crisis, the union movement is actively dismantling conditions without worker engagement. That workers will end up paying for this crisis made critical sense. Huge sums are being handed over to business and that money will have to come from workers labour and the gutting of social infrastructure. The most important takeaway from the meeting was that workers all over the world are now seeing capitalism in a light never previously observed. It is openly disregarding life and the safety of the working class. We are seeing that the allocation of resources is not to support social safety but to enrich a few super-wealthy oligarchs. A retired teacher: The crisis has revealed the callous disregard for teachers by their employers and governments. From the government there is no concern in state schools about the education workforce. On one hand, schools are essential child minding services so closing them would impact terribly on the economy and the education of children, but on the other hand, the people who provide these services are expendable. This attitude is more intense, if possible, when directed at early childhood education and childcare. The education unions are involved in the conspiracy against their members, engaged in secret conversations with government. The complacent belief held by many teachers that the union will be a reliable way of organising is breaking down. Now teachers are discussing organising outside the union, although there is a fear of the consequences given the intimidatory language from the government. Facing possible death and likely horrific illness, complacency and compliance are not realistic options. The staff of Footscray High School has shown the power of organising outside the union. Teachers are becoming more audacious and organising themselves. The situation is global: This was an amazing meeting. I hope there will be more meetings like this soon. A primary teacher: I heard so many things that really resonated with what is going on at the moment. I think that we need to become more vocal in schools just like staff at Footscray High School has done. The way the situation is going, I dread going back after the break as I think we will be back to square one with the blind leading the blind. The report painted a picture so well. From South Korea, New Zealand and the US it is a repeating pattern of flawed political leadership choices impacting education and society. This is a unique moment in time that needs strong decisions made about firstly preserving health. A secondary teacher: It was great to hear from people around the globe in terms of how the pandemic has affected them. I felt like the direction around action moving forward was very good. My only criticism was that it lacked information about what we do in schools moving forward in term two. I do feel that the role of the unions is very important but theyve lost their way and become the mediators of the status quo. I am on the school Consultative Committee and the union sub branch secretary, and have been trying for a long time to change the system from within and hold decision makers to account. But now there is no doubt in my mind that we need revolutionary change in this system for education to move forward. Fruit company Keelings has defended its recruitment of 189 migrant workers from Bulgaria In a newly-released statement, the Co Dublin-based firm said the workers, who arrived in Ireland having taken a chartered flight from Bulgaria, were health screened by a doctor before they travelled to Sofia Airport where they were temperature checked before entry. The company said Ryanair had confirmed that all regulations were adhered to and that on arrival in Ireland the workers were taken straight to their housing. "In accordance with HSE guidelines, they cannot work for 14 days after their arrival and their movements are restricted," the company said. Earlier, trade union Unite had expressed "alarm" at aspects of the migrant workers' entry into Ireland, including the flight conditions: "It is vital that these workers are protected by the State. This does not appear to be the case." The roles are essential service providers under the guidelines issued by the Government on March 28. As of yesterday afternoon, Bulgaria had 846 confirmed cases of Covid-19, Ireland has Read More: The Government said seasonal workers are critical to the agricultural sector in terms of harvesting, planting and tending functions, especially in the current season and anyone arriving from outside Ireland must comply with the Department of Health guidelines with regard to Covid-19 requirements and restrict movements for 14 days. "A national recruitment campaign will start shortly with the aim of recruiting a large number of temporary workers for the horticulture sector from the live register within Ireland," it said. "This campaign will be timed for the fruit harvest peaking in mid-May to mid-June and the vegetable harvest from mid-June." Keelings said 70% of seasonal workers return to the company and typically stay for six months. It said it advertised locally a fortnight ago and up until Thursday evening had received 27 applications "which falls significantly short of our labour needs". A further 13 applications landed yesterday and Keelings said: "We hope to employ as many of these people as possible." OKLAHOMA CITY - Search-and-rescue workers came straight from the blast site, hard hats atop their heads and mud and grime on their boots. Relatives of the missing joined loved ones of those already confirmed dead in holding teddy bears and wiping tears as this grieving heartland city indeed, the entire shaken nation came together to pray. On a sombre Sunday 25 years ago, the late Rev. Billy Graham shook off the flu to try and explain how a loving God could have allowed the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building to occur. But Graham Americas pastor-in-chief had no answer. I appreciated him saying, I dont know why, that this was something we were not going to understand, said Lynne Gist, whose sister, Karen Gist Carr, 32, was among the 168 dead in what remains the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. Despite the lack of answers, the April 23, 1995, prayer service four days after the bombing began the healing process for this Bible Belt state and millions of TV viewers around the world. It was a time when it didnt matter if you were red or blue, Republican or Democrat, said Kari Watkins, executive director of the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. We were just Americans, and we came together and leaned on our faith as one of the first steps to get over this, and I dont think we have ever looked back. Rod Masteller, a Southern Baptist pastor who gave the invocation at the service, said: Even as were seeing today with the coronavirus, pain and suffering have a way of bringing people with different points of view together. And I believe thats probably exactly what happened then. We were all just coming together to pray. ___ A wall near the bombing memorials Survivor Tree an American elm that survived the blast displays these words that Graham spoke that day: The spirit of this city and nation will not be defeated. Our deeply rooted faith sustains us. But that spirit was sorely tested in those April days. Four days before Graham stood before a grieving audience, Gulf War veteran Timothy McVeigh parked a yellow Ryder rental truck filled with 5,000 pounds of explosives outside the nine-story building downtown and got into a getaway car. The timed fuse ignited at 9:02 a.m. McVeigh and co-conspirator Terry Nichols would be convicted in the bombing. McVeigh was executed in 2001. Nichols remains behind bars, serving a life sentence at the federal supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. The prayer service came together quickly in the wake of the bombing. It started with Cathy Keating, wife of then-Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating, a Republican inaugurated just a few months earlier. In a talk with a friend the night of the bombing, the first lady expressed how helpless she felt. She wondered what, if anything, she could do. The friend asked Keating what she would have done in the past, if something tragic had happened in her personal life. Well, wed have a prayer vigil, replied Keating, who like her husband is Roman Catholic. When the weary governor returned home that night after a long day of chaos, he heard womens voices. Their chatter on such a devastating day frustrated him. So I went upstairs, and I said, Whats going on here? recalled Frank Keating, Oklahomas top elected official from 1995 to 2003. Its like, Dont you realize were in a huge, tragic, horrifying, shattering experience? And Cathy looked up at me this is no lie and she said, We are planning a memorial service, a prayer service, at the fairgrounds. And you can leave. Weeks earlier, Cathy Keating had connected with Laura Bush, wife of the new Texas governor, George W. Bush, at a meeting of first ladies in Puerto Rico. The two wives had attended an island crusade where the Rev. Graham, then 76, preached. Keating knew that she wanted Graham to speak at the Oklahoma vigil. However, when she called the famous evangelists office in North Carolina, she learned he had been ill. Still, when she got him on the phone, Graham agreed without hesitation to come. He could hardly walk. He was still so weak, Cathy Keating said. Frank and George (Bush) took his arms to help him. But when the time came for Graham to step on stage, Gods spirit seemed to rejuvenate him, she said, It was unbelievable, and it was visual. He was strong, and his message was powerful. Not one person could tell he was sick. ___ Roughly 20,000 people including relatives carrying photos of family members still missing in the rubble filled Oklahoma Citys State Fair Arena and nearby overflow spaces. Florists donated thousands of red and yellow single-stem roses for the attendees. Brenda Edgar, wife of then-Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, sent hundreds of teddy bears and then hundreds more at Cathy Keatings last-minute request. President Bill Clinton and many others wore multicolored ribbons: white for the dead, yellow for the missing, purple for the children and blue for the state of Oklahoma. Clinton, a Democrat who drew only 34 per cent of the 1992 popular vote in the conservative Sooner State, flew from Washington to offer his condolences and praise the strength and resiliency of Oklahomans. He got a standing ovation. The youthful-looking president promised that America would do all it could to heal the injured, rebuild the city and bring justice to those responsible for this terrible sin. If anybody thinks that Americans are mostly mean and selfish, they ought to come to Oklahoma, said Clinton, who was joined by first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. If anybody thinks Americans have lost the capacity for love and care and courage, they ought to come to Oklahoma. Graham, who died Feb. 21, 2018, at the age of 99, told the crowd the bombing was like a violent explosion ripping at the bare heart of America, and long after the rubble is cleared and the rebuilding begins, the scars of this senseless and evil outrage will remain. Ive been asked why God allows it, he said during his sermon. I dont know. I cant give a direct answer. I have to confess that I never fully understand, even for my own satisfaction. I have to accept that God is a God of love and mercy and compassion even in the midst of suffering. Cathy Keatings voice cracked as she stood on the fairgrounds arena stage, awash in carnations, lilies and tulips, and reflected on the innocence and lives lost by the states children. Some are dead, some are missing, and all of them no matter where they may have been on Wednesday are tragically wounded, the governors wife told the crowd. It is a terrible crime to steal a childs trust in the goodness of humanity. We have to hold our children close through the nightmares to come. We have to teach them that evil is not the norm. And we begin that process today. Although the final count was unknown at the time, 19 children died in the bombing, many of them inside the second-floor Americas Kids day-care centre. ___ As mourners sang Amazing Grace and God Bless America and heard from a Catholic archbishop, a nondenominational Christian pastor and a rabbi, rescue workers had already cleared more than 100 tons of concrete and steel from the bombing site. The official death toll stood at 78. Scores of victims remained missing and wouldnt be recovered for days. Relatives pleaded with God for a miracle, that their loved ones might somehow be found alive in the rubble. You just hold out hope until you absolutely cant, said Lynne Gist, whose sister worked as an advertising assistant with the Armys recruiting battalion on the fourth floor. The body of Karen Gist Carr remembered as a people person who embraced life would be one of the last discovered in the two-week rescue effort. Her parents and four older sisters including Lynne Gist all attended the prayer service. The family welcomed the opportunity to be with fellow mourners. They appreciated the organizers effort to offer comfort and solace. It helped from the standpoint that there was support from people trying to help in the best way they could, said Lynne Gist, a Christian whose faith has helped her cope with her sisters death. We knew we werent alone in it. ___ For Carrs family, a sacred connection was forged with other bombing victims families at the 1995 prayer service a holy link that Lynne Gist said has persisted through the years. For a quarter-century, annual ceremonies on the bombings April 19 anniversary have emphasized faith and prayers. In fact, three historic churches frame the memorial grounds: St. Pauls Episcopal Cathedral, First United Methodist Church and St. Josephs Old Cathedral, a Catholic church. All were built at the time of the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889. Lynne Gist and her family return to the bombing site year after year for simple reasons. We want her to be represented, she said of her sister. We dont want this to be forgotten. The coronavirus pandemic has forced the temporary closing of the museum and will require a prerecorded video observance of the 25th anniversary, said Watkins, the memorials director. Still, she said its fitting that the milestone date falls on a Sunday. The taped rite will feature a spiritual message from Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. We have used our faith in this 25-year journey to recover and to heal and to move forward, Watkins said. And that prayer service was the catalyst and set a standard for how we would remember and how we would lean into our faith in the darkest times. ____ Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for this content. A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts: ___ CLAIM: Relief checks being sent to U.S. taxpayers by the government under the coronavirus economic recovery bill will have to be paid back. THE FACTS: Videos 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 coronavirus 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. In recent days, social media posts have falsely claimed theres one catch to this money that 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 was 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 returns whichever was filed most recently to determine eligibility for the payouts. 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. ___ CLAIM: You can call a 1-800 number and enter your social security number to check on the status of the relief check the federal government is sending as part of the economic recovery bill. THE FACTS: Social media users are posting hoax 1-800 numbers, urging people to call and check the status of their checks. The Internal Revenue Service isnt currently accepting phone calls because of the coronavirus. False posts containing 800 numbers vary slightly; one text post, for example, says all you need to do is call the number and check using the last 4 of your SS. Another says to enter the last four digits of a social security number along with a zip code. In reality, people who typically do not file a tax return, such as Social Security recipients, can visit a new tool on the IRS site to fill out a form that will allow the government to directly deposit the checks into your bank account. And on Wednesday, the IRS announced it was launching a Get My Payment site, where people can check the status of their relief check by entering basic, personal information including their social security number. The IRS has warned Americans of scam artists who might try to swindle you out of your relief check through fraudulent emails, text messages, websites or social media posts that request your banking or personal information. Such scams might describe the checks as stimulus check or stimulus payment; the official term the government is using to describe the money is economic impact payment. ___ CLAIM: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer banned hydroxychloroquine for use against COVID-19. THE FACTS: Michigans Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs released a memo in March asking for physicians and pharmacists not to stockpile hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine. A false post circulating on Facebook claims that Gov. Whitmer banned the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine after President Donald Trump began pushing for its use against the coronavirus. She banned a drug because President Trump said it was helping treat the Wuhan virus. Now, shes begging the federal government to send her as much of that same drug as they can spare, a post being shared on Facebook post falsely claimed. David Harns, communications interim director at the Michigan licensing department known as LARA told the AP that the drug is not banned in Michigan. LARA recognizes the ability of prescribers to make proper clinical decisions regarding these drugs, including the need to follow responsible prescribing practices to combat drug hoarding and to prevent unnecessary shortages. President Donald Trump has been pushing for chloroquine and a newer similar drug called hydroxychloroquine to be used against the coronavirus after some small tests suggested the drugs might prevent the virus or help patients recover sooner. The drugs have long been known to have potentially serious side effects, like altering the heartbeat, which could lead to sudden death, according to AP reporting. Hydroxychloroquine is officially approved for treating malaria, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, but not COVID-19. On March 24, Michigans Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs released a memo saying hydroxychloroquine was being prescribed without a legitimate medical purpose. The memo stated that Michigan physicians should not be filling the prescription if there is no medical purpose. A few days later, the office released another memo clarifying their statement, warning against stockpiling the drug. The purpose of the communication was to remind both prescribers and dispensers of their continued obligation to adhere to the standards of practice and exercise the professional judgment applicable to their professions, the statement read. The statement goes on to warn against stockpiling the drugs for use in treating COVID-19 because it could create a shortage for patients with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and other ailments for which the drugs are proven treatments. Henry Ford Health System in Michigan treated 800 COVID-19 patients with hydroxychloroquine in March. ___ CLAIM: Smithfield Foods was sold recently to China. The hogs will still be raised in the U.S., but slaughtered and packaged for sale in China before being sent back here. THE FACTS: Smithfield Foods does not import any products from China to the U.S. Social media users began resharing the false claim following the closure of a Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in South Dakota on Sunday due to hundreds of employees testing positive for the coronavirus. The false claim has been circulating online since 2014. Smithfield Foods was sold to Chinese pork giant WH Group in 2013. Jenna Wollin, a spokeswoman for Smithfield Foods, told The Associated Press in an email that the claims circulating online were false. No Smithfield products come from animals raised, processed, or packaged in China, she said. All our U.S. products are made in one of our nearly 50 facilities across America. These products are produced in compliance with the strict standards and regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other federal and state authorities. Posts with the false claim, which were shared hundreds of times, told social media users to read this before buying meat. ___ CLAIM: Video shows an incoming call to a 5G iPhone setting steel wool on fire. THE FACTS: The flames captured in the video were added through a digital effect. In addition, Apple has not yet launched 5G capable phones yet. A video surfaced on social media with claims that electromagnetic waves from a 5G iPhone can set steel wool on fire. In the video, an iPhone is surrounded by steel wool. When the phone receives an incoming call, the wool appears to catch fire. The video has been manipulated. When viewed frame by frame, a quick transition can be seen just before the steel wool begins to sparkle with what appears to be flames. The video showed up in January on social media, and it reemerged recently as conspiracy theories began circulating around 5G wireless service and the coronavirus pandemic. While Apple has not launched 5G capable phones, experts say a ringing cellphone would not set steel wool which is highly flammable on fire.The phone itself doesnt emanate some massive power, Muriel Medard, professor of electrical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told the AP in a telephone interview. It couldnt even if it wanted to. She also emphasized that 5G wireless is relying on fairly conventional systems. People have been using these wireless frequencies already. In recent weeks, there has been a surge in conspiracy theories linking COVID-19 to the expansion of 5G wireless. Theres no evidence to support any link between the two, as the AP has reported. ___ CLAIM: Video shows New York City police blasting an Orthodox Jewish funeral with a water cannon. THE FACTS: The video was filmed in Jerusalem in November 2017, when a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews were protesting compulsory military service. A Twitter user shared a video of a group of people in a street being blasted with a powerful water cannon, claiming the incident occurred in New York City during the coronavirus pandemic. In Brooklyn, NY there was a Jewish funeral and the police went to stop them so they started to protest. NYPD brought in a Firetruck, the user falsely claimed. The video, captured on November 26, 2017, during protests in Jerusalem, can be found in Associated Press archives. According to AP reporting, Israeli police doused a crowd of protesters with skunk spray water mixed with a foul-smelling chemical to clear a road they were blocking. Due to the pandemic, limits have been placed on social gatherings, including religious observances. Several weeks ago, fire department officials in New York gained public attention when they broke up a large Hasidic wedding. Orthodox Jewish leaders, however, said at the time that their communities are discouraging group gatherings. ___ This is part of The Associated Press ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform. ___ Find all AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck ___ Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck Rootmetrics studies carriers and wireless technology performance, and a new study gives Los Angeles the 5G support crown over 55 cities. The analyst company tested 55 cities throughout the US. It discovered that not all cities have 5G support. For those that do, not all cities offer 5G on all four major national carriers (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile). Of the 55 cities tested, Los Angeles was one of the only cities to offer support for next-generation wireless across all four major carriers. That gives it a leg up on most other cities where 5G is present. In addition to LA, Rootmetrics also found that Philadelphia offered 5G from all four major carriers during its testing. Advertisement So, how does 5G among the four major carriers stack up in Los Angeles? Rootmetrics shows that 5G support is not all the same It goes without saying, but it still needs to be said: not all 5G is created equal. Even in Los Angeles, where all four carriers offer it, not all carriers perform equally. In LA, Verizons median download speed at 254.7Mbps was far ahead of T-Mobile (24.3 Mbps), AT&T (37.5 Mbps), and Sprint (61.8 Mbps). Verizon has won 6 out of 7 RootScore Awards in the first half of 2020 for overall performance, network reliability, accessibility, speed, data performance, and call performance. Advertisement 5G speeds show Verizon well ahead of the pack, but 4G speeds with Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint show a much tighter race. Perhaps the same will occur with 5G once the technology matures. 4G is still quite strong While 5G is the new wireless standard, 4G still exists and is still excellent. Among the four major carriers in LA, Verizon won the 4G download speed race with an average of 36.9 Mbps, but AT&T (35.5 Mbps) and Sprint (33.0 Mbps) werent too far behind. T-Mobiles 16.4 Mbps average 4G download speed leaves much to be desired when compared to its three wireless rivals. Even with T-Mobiles low scores, users will still find reliability in LA. Speed is one thing, availability another 5G speeds, as impressive as they may be, dont seem as impressive if theyre not accessible. When it comes to availability in LA, Verizon sits at the bottom of the list with 0.3%. Meanwhile, all Verizons rivals, AT&T (18.3%), Sprint (25.1%), and T-Mobile (32.1%) top Big Red when it comes to accessibility. The reason in large part pertains to Verizons 5G spectrum. The company holds a ton of mmWave 5G, which works best across short distances and must be rolled out in small amounts. Advertisement In contrast, Sprint holds a large amount of mid-band spectrum and surpassed the number of Verizons 5G markets last Spring. Mid-band spectrum allows Sprint to combine 4G and 5G and roll out a strong 5G network faster. Verizons mmWave technology cost billions to deploy and takes a longer time to roll out. And yet, Verizon has won a RootScore Award for network reliability and data and call performance. Verizon may not have a large network, but its network, when users are on it, proves its muster. 5G is whats next for the wireless industry, but Verizon seems to be leading the way in nearly everything at this point. And yet, 5G is new. Verizon is ahead, but for how long? It pays to not count the proverbial wireless wins before 5G really hatches. 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. Story continues 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. 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. 17.04.2020 LISTEN Online exams, is it that bad? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Having read through the documents sent round about the Online Exams in GIJ, UPSA and UCC and despite being privy to a lot of arguments against it, I have come to the understanding that students stand to gain more than lose, for which reasons (that I will espouse in this write up) students should accept this. I know this may not sit well with many who'll read this write up bit I beg you to read carefully and look for the merits in my arguments. Plus, feel free to also share your counter-arguments with me. Let's start with exibility of the exams. For the rst time, students have 12, 24 and 48 hours to complete an exam with no invigilators. Normal face-to-face exams are written in 2 or 3 hours tops with hungry and angry invigilators watching with prying eyes all through, just so the can show where power lies if they get a student who seemingly outs any rule. And students have complained so many times about how inconsiderate some invigilators have been to them, or how if they had just one minute more, they'd have been able to write the right answer to get an A in then paper. That's why I don't see why students cannot see the bright side of more than enough time to write a paper without supervision in this online exams situation. Again on exibility, from universities such as the UCC, UPSA and GIJ, who's documents I am privy to, students would have to answer less number of questions than they would have in a face-to-face situation. In GIJ for instance, normally students answer 3 questions in a sit-down exam. But now, per the ofcial document from management, students would be answering 2 questions in the online exams. There is even the possibility of multiple-choice (objectives) questions. To top it off, students are allowed to treat exams questions like assignments; access the questions, have enough to time attempt them and then submit them within 24 hours. What else do we (students) want? Now, let's talk about the opportunities that students have to excel in an online exams that are absent in sit-down one. First, students can refer to their notes, slides or even the internet not only to understand questions but also to get appropriate answers to questions. Lets face it, no student is too honest or has so much integrity that when they have 24 hours to answer questions under no supervision and they nd difculty, they won't refer. Students will refer, even if they know the answer, just to be sure that they are right. There is also the advantage of writing exams at our own pace in a more relaxed environment. Look at this way, in a sit-down exam, there is always tension due to the time limit and preying eyes of supervisors. Some schools even have CCTV cameras in their halls. So students who don't even have the intention to cheat are still unwilling to so much as blink because no one knows what might be mistaken for a attempt to cheat. Again, research has shown that quite a lot of students fail exams because they are just not fast enough. Such researches have proposed that time for completing exams be allotted based on learning abilities of the students, such that some many write within two hours but others may use more time. The educational system in Ghana has obviously not paid heed to this admonition. But, in this online exams, the barrier of tension and whole sale pace have been removed. Students can write their exams in the comfort of their homes at their own pace. Fellow students, (in the voice of Sarkodie) what else? And I foresee lecturers marking scripts with more compassion, because, let's face it, our lecturers are not so inhumane as to be blind to the emotional and psychological reality of the COVID19 and the havoc it raining on all of us. So the probability of more students doing well through this online exams is higher than writing face-to-face exams. Aside these, there are other factors that the opposers to this online exams are not considering. One of such is the fact the internet is now a part of our world in such a profound way that we cannot but adapt and adopt. We, the young people of today, are known in the tech language as digital natives; born, bred and living in the age of digitization. It is we who should be embracing moves such as online teaching and learning, which of course includes exams. It surprises me that people who, research has shown, spend 70% of their day online are the ones who are opposing online exams. The irony of it all is that all the complains are being made online. Students re rejecting online exams online. Another factor in this equation that most of the opposition to this motion lose track of is that not writing exams now (online) has repercussions. If University students don't write exams now, it means that the semester will be considered as incomplete. Note that no student can graduate without completing their required duration (number of years and semesters) in school. Typically, what'll happen is that the semester will be postponed. So for a level 300 student like myself who should graduate in 2021, because I couldn't complete a (this) semester, I would have to graduate in 2022. And again, there's enough evidence for all to know that this COVID19 pandemic will not end in 2021. Even if the viral infections reduce, health experts have advised that social gathering like schools and religious gathering should be put on hold for the rest of 2020. It means that rst semester of 2020/2021 academic year might start online. If the educational system does not migrate now, the whole academic year might have to be carried forward. Now imagine the plans you have for your life, which are certainly based on when you should br graduating. Are you willing to hold on with exams now so that you graduate a year later than you should? Have opposers to online exams considered the ripple effects? If we don't write exams and graduate, there will not be enough space to admit more students. Which means that nal year students in the Senior High School who should have entered the university this year or next year cannot do so. If they are delayed a year at home just because a certain year group in the university would not write online exams, social psychology will tell you that many who could have continued their education and become efcient and effective members of society would be unable to. Besides, the next batch of rst years in the university are the rst graduates from the Free SHS. That's where politics enters the equation. The government which initiated the Free SHS policy will not watch its rst babies sit home because nal year university students refuse to write online exams. The government wants to score political points in this case so it'll do everything to see to it that space is created in the tertiary institutions for their Free SHS babies. I remember fondly what happened on 2013 when two batches of high school students wrote their exams in the same year. Many bright minds had to cut their education short because the tertiary schools were overwhelmed. Many people from that group are now in the university when they should have completed years ago. We have an opportunity to change that narrative. Let's not allow the history we all hate to repeat it self. It is true that some (a few) students have genuine challenges accessing devices, internet and data connectivity which are basic necessities for digital participation. And for such students, managements of universities together with the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education must, as a matter of urgency, provide for them. All students must be captured. For those who argue that the pandemic is causing psychological problems to students, I ask you, how many students are frontline personnel. And are they so hard to nd that exceptions cannot be made for them with respect to writing this exams? How many students have relatives who have been diagnosed of COVID19 and can't they come forward to be helped? All documents from the universities have made allocations for students with such genuine problems. I have spoken with lecturers who say that they record between 80% to 96% participation in their online lectures withing 24 hours. I spoke with three lectures who use WhatsApp and Google Classroom. The number of students who are disadvantaged in this online exams is very small. So they can easily be identied and a better option made available for them too. To those who always mention the inadequacies of the E-Learning system, so far, I have yet to see, hear or read any statistics on how many students have been disenfranchised from the E-Learning. I, on the other hand, have just told you that majority of student s who are expected to take a course are ake to do so within 24 hours of the class schedule, despite the issues of data and connectivity. Therein lies the theory of greater good. If majority of student are able to access the online lessons (despite the data issues), why can't these students write the exams online, the same way they studied online? And on the issue of understanding lessons, there is not any evidence to prove that online studies reduce ability of students to absorb lessons. Even in regular face-to-face classes, some students still don't get lessons. But there is more than enough evidence that E-Learning facilitates teaching and learning. And I have seen students who never as much as smiled in face-to-face classes offer some amazing submissions in online classes. In order for us to develop an online system that works better, we need to use what we have rst. Then we can nd the major challenges and xed them going forward. The systems we see working in other institutions and other countries are designed for those institutions in those countries and what we see today took years of correcting, redening and re-engineering. If we want to be better, we have to take the plunge and we have to take it now. The fundamental truth remains, however, that Ghana is at the bottom of the digital participation conversation. A lot more infrastructure has to be put in place by government and other regualtory bodies. But the question I ask those who say that the current system is not strong enough is this, if we don't start now and brace through the challenges, how and when shall we improve? If the current generation is not willing to suffer to make the system better for the next generation, are we not being selsh and inward looking? While we're here debating online exams, students in other dispensations are discussing 5G and AI and Internet of Things. They are thinking about inventing the next mobile app that will storm the world. If we want to change Ghana and Africa and prove to the rest of the world that (in the voice of Kwame Nkrumah) "The African is capable of managing his own affairs", then we must stop bickering and seeing too many problems but more solutions. And remember, not every solution is good enough. A solution must be sustainable and be for the greater good of society. Solutions must be generational. Efo Korku Mawutor Student (GIJ) Last modied: 3:09 pm USM Alumna, Graduate Student Accepted into American Chemistry Society Program Fri, 04/17/2020 - 09:17am | By: David Tisdale A University of Southern Mississippi (USM) alumna - along with a current graduate student in its School of Polymer Science and Engineering - are just two of 30 individuals accepted into the prestigious and competitive Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Future Leaders Program. The CAS is a division of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Dr. Cassandra Reese, who earned her Ph.D. from the USM School of Polymer Science and Engineering in 2019 and Joshua Tropp, who is set to earn his Ph.D. in May 2020 from the school, are among the early-career scientists who will benefit from the programs leadership training as well as a trip to the ACS National Meeting and Exposition. This year's participants were selected among hundreds of applicants, representing 18 countries and a wide array of scientific disciplines. Dr. Derek Patton, interim director of the School of Polymer Science and Engineering, described Reese and Tropp as two of the schools shining stars and model servant-leaders whose leadership talents hes witnessed, noting Reeses service as president of USMs Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) organization, and Tropp as president of the USM Graduate Student Senate. The fact that a USM polymer science and engineering graduate and a current doctoral candidate in the school were both selected for the same cohort of the CAS Future Leaders program is not only a testament to their individual strengths, but also a reflection of the time and attention our faculty give to the development of students professional and leadership skills, Dr. Patton said. Cassandra and Joshua will join an elite group of early scientists where USM will be well-represented. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, CAS is composed of a team of scientists who identify, aggregate, and organize all publicly disclosed chemistry information, creating the world's most valuable collection of content that is vital to innovation worldwide. Scientific researchers, patent professionals and business leaders around the world rely on a suite of research solutions from CAS to enable discovery and fuel innovation. A native of San Diego, Dr. Reese is currently a postdoctoral research associate in the Engineered Materials Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where her research focuses on 3D printing to design hierarchical, porous, multifunctional materials. She sees her selection for the program as a once in a lifetime opportunity to engage in network opportunities with young professionals and renowned leaders from all over the world, and learn versatile tools to become an impactful leader in science. Since graduate school, I have constantly pushed myself to achieve goals to further my leadership skills, and this is another great opportunity to help achieve those goals, she said. At USM, Reese also served as president of the ACS Polymer Chemistry (POLY) and Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering (PMSE) Student Chapter. Among her other honors and recognition include the Younger Chemist Committee (YCC) of the American Chemical Society Leadership Development Award; the National Science Foundational Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF-GRFP); the National Science Foundation National Research Traineeship (NRT); and the 2018 AustraliaAmericas Ph.D. Research Internship Program at a government lab, CSIRO, in Australia. Dr. Reese says she plans to pursue a career in academia after completing her postdoctoral work, and serve as a mentor to younger scientists, especially those in underrepresented groups, to help empower and encourage students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields. Both of my research advisors from my undergraduate and graduate universities, Peter Iovine and Derek Patton, have been amazing mentors and helped me achieve goals I never thought were attainable, she said. Tropp, who hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, says hes unbelievably honored to earn this distinction of being included in the CAS 2020 class, with students from some of the top schools in the U.S. and world for the sciences that include Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley, Princeton University and Harvard University, among others. To be selected in the company of other exceptional students, and identified to have the potential for scientific leadership, is empowering. Tropp dissertation work revolves around developing portable environmental monitoring technologies for the trace detection of pollutants in seawater. He designed, organized, and led several different efforts that were part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded initiative, Emergent Polymer Sensing Technologies for Gulf Coast Water Quality Monitoring." In collaboration with universities across the region, we developed sensors for common aquatic contaminants that enter our ecosystems through agricultural runoff, the burning of fossil fuels, and other common pollution sources, Tropp said. Outside of his thesis work, Tropp was also involved in the synthesis and characterization of polymers with unique magnetic, electronic, and adhesive behaviors. An inductee in the USM Graduate School of Fame Class of 2020, Tropp was the 3-Minute Thesis Grand Champion in 2019; and served on the screening committee for the selection of the dean of the USM College of Arts and Sciences (2018), while also serving as Graduate Student Senate President during the same year. Tropp was recently hired by his thesis advisor at USM, Dr. Jason D. Azoulay, as a postdoctoral research associate for chemical sensing research until the end of the year. He is currently applying for other postdoctoral research positions and other related opportunities, with the ultimate goal of entering academe as a research professor. After spending the last few years having the privilege to explore my academic interests and mentor young scientists, I cannot imagine doing anything else, Tropp said. For information about the USM School of Polymer Science and Engineering, visit https://www.usm.edu/polymer-science-engineering/index.php. GLENVILLE TrustCo Bank Corp NY, the parent company of Trustco Bank, has decided to suspend its stock buyback program, following in the footsteps of larger banks that have done so to preserve liquidity during the COVID-19 pandemic and financial crisis. TrustCo had already spent $3.5 million during the first quarter of the year to buy back 489,000 of its shares as part of a program that allowed it to repurchase up to one million shares of its stock. Public companies routinely repurchase shares as a sign of confidence to shareholders and to bolster the company's stock price. Last month, the Financial Services Forum, which represents the eight largest banks in the United States, agreed to stop their own stock repurchase programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. TrustCo's chief risk officer, Robert Leonard, said Friday that the bank took the step so that it can better serve its customers during a time when the economy is in flux as a result of the health crisis. The money will be freed up for loans and other services that customers will need. "It's the prudent thing to do," Leonard told the Times Union. "There's a lot of uncertainty out there." The Financial Services Forum said in a March 15 statement that its member banks were seeking to show their "unquestioned ability" to serve customers and the federal government during the crisis. Many of the Financial Services Forum members, such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America, have been helping the U.S. with its COVID-19 bailout program by backing loans to small businesses. Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage "The decision on buybacks is consistent with our collective objective to use our significant capital and liquidity to provide maximum support to individuals, small businesses, and the broader economy through lending and other important services," the banking group said in its March 15 statement. "The decision is consistent with actions by the Federal Reserve, the administration, and the Congress." TrustCo has 148 branches in New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Florida and $5.2 billion in assets. Its shares have fallen from $7.36 on March 4 to $5.01 as of the closing of trading Thursday. Other local community banks have also seen their stock drop in similar ways during that same period. Arrow Financial of Glens Falls, which operates Glens Falls National Bank and Saratoga National Bank, has seen its stock drop from $33.18 per share to $24.77 since March 4. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Trustco has kept its branches open during the COVID-19 pandemic, while some other banks and credit unions have closed lobbies and conducted business through drive-up windows. "First and foremost, our plan ensures the health and safety of our employees, especially those on the frontlines of service," TrustCo CEO Robert J. McCormick said in a letter to customers posted on the bank's web site."We have armed team members with training on best practices from the (Centers for Disease Control) and are minimizing contact between employees and with our customers by limiting the number of people in a branch at a time, without disrupting our ability to deliver what you need." TrustCo's Leonard said he was disappointed that other banks in the Capital Region have closed branches. He said now was not the time to do that, especially since the state had deemed banks essential businesses that need to stay open just like grocery and hardware stores. The bank has put in Plexiglass barriers at teller counters and distributed masks to frontline employees for their and customers' protection, he said. "We feel we have to be there for our customers," Leonard said. SEFCU, the region's largest credit union, has closed most branch lobbies. "We are currently operating two full-service branches, SEFCU Square in downtown Schenectady and State Street in downtown Albany," SEFCU spokesman Ken Jubie said. "The lobbies are open and operating as normal, practicing social distancing and taking safety precautions of course. Clear Plexiglass partitions have been installed at all the teller stations in these branches and others across our network." Arrow Financial is limiting branch visits to those who call ahead and pass certain health screenings. "If you need to visit one of our offices, please call ahead to answer a few health and safety questions and schedule an appointment at our discretion. Before you access our facilities, we will again ask a few questions," Arrow says on its web site. "Per the latest state guidance, our team will be wearing face coverings during any scheduled visits, and we encourage you to do the same." Filmmaker Robert Eggers has revealed that unlike his previous films, his new movie "The Northman" is being made on a massive scale. The film is Eggers' follow-up project to his 2019 indie thriller "The Lighthouse", starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe in the lead. The project is being described as a Viking revenge saga set in Iceland at the turn of the 10th century. The story is about a Nordic prince on the quest to avenge his father's murder. In an interview with Film Independent Coffee Talk, Eggers said due to the big scale of the movie, he had to alter his production process. "There's many locations in the film, so we were constantly going on scouts to find places or reassess places that we have found and we're building sets there. We're designing all these worlds, building these villages, we're making thousands of costumes and props, training the horses the things they'll need to do, designing the shots of the films," the director said. "There's a lot more storyboarding. Generally I only storyboard the scenes that have visual effects or animals and stunts, things where all the departments need to be on the same page for it to work out. But this movie there is rarely a scene that isn't on a boat or doesn't have a lot of extras. We're storyboarding most of the film, which is taking a lot of time and we're continuing to do that now on this hiatus," he added. "The Northman" will feature Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgard, Anya Taylor-Joy, Bill Skarsgard, Willem Dafoe and Claes Bang. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Woolwich Ferry in London was spotted sounding its horn and spinning in the River Thames in support of healthcare staff battling coronavirus. The Thames ferry - which for years has connected south and north London - took place during the latest Clap for Carers event on Thursday evening. Video footage showed the car-passenger ferry - which has operated in south-east London since 1889 - diverting from its usual route to support NHS frontline workers. The commuter ferry spun in a circle and honked its horn in the middle of the River Thames while the applause took place. Handout video grab issued by Becky Stout of the Woolwich Ferry in London sounding its horn and spinning during the Clap for Carers event last night. Junior doctor Becky Stout, who filmed the tribute, posted on Twitter: Big thumbs up from the Woolwich Ferry for NHS workers tonight! Members of the public have applauded the health service from their doorsteps and balconies for NHS staff for the last four weeks. 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 Carrie Symonds, who is expecting her first child with the Prime Minister in early summer, said she was clapping harder than ever to thank healthcare workers on Thursday. Clapping harder than ever tonight for our carers. You are the best of Britain, she told her Twitter followers. Meanwhile, the Met Police force admitted social distancing was not observed by some of the police officers and gatherers at the Westminster Bridge clap for carers demonstration. Emergency vehicles assembled and flashed blue lights while emergency service workers clapped at 8pm. London Ambulance staff, police officers and firefighters take part in the weekly Clap for Carers event on London's Westminster Bridge. (AP) Footage from the event yesterday shows a large crowd of people on the bridge mingling near police officers and firefighters, despite Britons being told to observe social distancing with people outside their household and to only leave their houses if necessary. On Friday, 847 new coronavirus hospital deaths were recorded in 24 hours, bringing the UK toll to 14,576 people. Story continues Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have now reached 108,692 - up by 5,599 from the amount published by the Department of Health on Thursday. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news, advice and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter Citing deteriorating health, Princess Basmah says she was abducted without explanation and imprisoned in March 2019. A prominent Saudi princess jailed for more than a year without charge has made a rare public appeal to the king and crown prince for her release from a high-security prison, citing deteriorating health. Princess Basmah bint Saud, a 56-year-old businesswoman and outspoken member of the royal family whose father was the kingdoms second ruler, was detained in March last year just before she was due to travel to Switzerland for medical treatment, according to a source close to her family. The public plea for her release is the latest sign of turmoil in the kingdoms secretive royal family following the detention last month of King Salmans brother and nephew in an apparent attempt to stamp out internal dissent. As you may be aware [?] I am currently being arbitrarily held at Al-Hair prison without criminal, or otherwise any charges, the princess wrote in a letter published on her verified Twitter account. My health is deteriorating to an extent that is [severe], and that could lead to my death. https://twitter.com/PrincessBasmah/status/1250875402664521730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw I have not received medical care or even [a] response to the letters I dispatched from jail to the Royal Court. Saudi authorities have not disclosed the reasons for her detention. The princess said she was thrown into prison after being abducted without an explanation along with one of her daughters. Very critical She appealed to her uncle King Salman and her cousin de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for her release as she had done no wrong and added her health status was very critical. The princess did not specify her ailment, but her letter comes as the kingdom grapples with the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic. The government has imposed a round-the-clock curfew across much of the country to limit the spread of the virus. Saudi Arabia has reported 6,380 infections and 83 deaths from the disease so far. It was unclear how the princess was able to tweet from inside al-Hair, a high-security prison close to Riyadh known to be used for holding political prisoners. Her public plea represents an unusually bold move by someone from the kingdoms extensive royal family, comprising thousands of members, who typically refrain from publicly raising internal grievances. 200311143707752 It comes after the detention last month of Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, the kings brother, and the monarchs nephew Prince Mohammed bin Nayef who was previously crown prince. The government has yet to officially comment on the crackdown, which raised fears of government instability. But one source close to the royal court dismissed such concerns and said the detentions were meant to send a stern warning within the royal family not to oppose the crown prince. Prince Mohammed, heir to the Arab worlds most powerful throne, has pursued a broad crackdown on dissent since his rise to the position of crown prince in 2017. Multiple womens rights activists, Islamic scholars, bloggers and journalists have been jailed in what observers call increasing repression and authoritarianism as he consolidates his grip on power. Over the past few weeks, most of us have spent far, far more time within our own four walls than we ever intended. There's nothing like a period of confinement for clarifying your mind about what you like about your home and what you need to change. In any case, a well-designed home is good for your mental health. But I'm also reminded of the often misquoted Serenity Prayer, written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr in the 1930s. From the original: "Father, give us courage to change what must be altered, serenity to accept what cannot be helped, and the insight to know one from the other." That's the interiors conundrum in a nutshell. First consider what needs to be done and then what is actually possible. Some things can be done, but not just yet. Our old sofa, for example, is driving us mental. Its replacement arrived just before the shutdown and the old one is still waiting to be rehomed. Currently, it is taking up space in a relatively small living room. We squeeze past it, snarling and threatening it with the dump. But that would be a non-essential journey. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by tasks that can't actually be tackled until everything settles down. For problems like these - annoying but not an emergency - list-making can help. It doesn't actually solve anything, but if a problem is worrying you, writing it down on a piece of paper can get it out of your head. The kitchen tap, along with the sofa, have been put on the 'Serenity List'. I boil the kettle to do the washing up with a better grace for knowing that the tap will, one day, be replaced by someone who knows what they're doing. Expand Close Sol cabinet by Dutchbone from Woo Design / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sol cabinet by Dutchbone from Woo Design "There are some things best left to professionals," says Roisin Lafferty, interior designer. "Anything that requires expert trades or fitters - tiling, electrics, plumbing" The trick is to get started on the things you can get on with and not to get frustrated about the things that have to wait. "You can still get a skip bag, so there is no excuse not to use it," says Lafferty. "Strip back what you don't like or need. This can be therapeutic in itself. It is probably something you have been thinking about for a long time but never got around to. "Use this time to throw away the niggling little things that annoy you, or give them a new home out of sight." Once you have a clearer perspective, you can reposition the things you like. "Give them pride of place so they are in your eye-line and can be appreciated day to day. Look at moving furniture or decorative elements such as ornaments, artwork, even books, to a new place. Simply by grouping or styling elements together, your space can feel new. It allows you to appreciate the things you already have." A lick of paint can work wonders. "I have said it many times before, but I will say it again - paint is the most transformative tool we have in interiors. In terms of creating a feeling, a mood, an emotion, paint and colour connects with us all so personally and can massively improve how we feel," says Lafferty. If you have some paint in the attic, taking on the project yourself can be satisfying. Buying paint in the current climate can be problematic. Many paint retailers are still taking orders, but with significant delivery delays. Wallpaper, being relatively light and easy to deliver, is far more suitable for online ordering. Once you have decluttered, rearranged your possessions and (if possible) decorated, then take the time to learn from the experience of confinement. Expand Close Roisin Lafferty / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Roisin Lafferty "With so much time spent in the confines of home, you will have learnt a lot about the pressure points of the house itself, what functionally and emotionally works for you and your family, and what really doesn't," says Lafferty (above). "Keep a record of these so you can plan to make more serious and effective improvements." During the month of April, Lafferty's interior design company KLD is offering "1 hour x 1 room" consultations for 180. This includes the consultation itself, a follow-up mood board and sketch, and specifications for that room. For more info or to arrange a booking, contact info@kingstonlaffertydesign.com. Must haves BITTER LEMON Expand Close Klevering plates / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Klevering plates This set of four fruity plates from Dutch brand Klevering has the feel of summer holidays that's as close as most of us will get to foreign travel this year. The plates have a mix-and-match aesthetic and the set costs 48 from theoldmillstores.ie. HEART WOOD Expand Close Lucas Woodturning bowl / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lucas Woodturning bowl If you're perusing the online stores for something special, many Irish makers are still making beautiful objects around the country. This spalted and lathe-turned wooden bowl comes from glennlucaswoodturning.com where prices start at 50. GO GHANA Expand Close Bolga Storage basket / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bolga Storage basket Each basket in the Bolga Storage basket range is subtly different from all the others. They come from Ghana and you can use them for storage, or as planters, or just to jolly the place up. They cost between 36 and 50 from lolaandmawu.com. INSTA-GRANNY Expand Close Liseleje rattan chair / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Liseleje rattan chair Natural rattan chairs aren't as tough as artificial ones, but they score high on sustainability and slot into the current trend for granny chic. This one's the Liseleje and it costs 85 (134.99 including delivery) from jysk.ie. HANG IN THERE Expand Close Fjord Ocean Blue Matt vanity unit / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fjord Ocean Blue Matt vanity unit Wall-hung units create the illusion of space in small bathrooms and make for more hygienic floors. The Fjord Ocean Blue Matt 80cm wall-hung vanity unit with a matt black handle costs 649 from sonasbathrooms.com. PHOENIX, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- West USA Realty, Inc., the 7th largest production brokerage in the nation, announced their blood drive challenge following the U.S. Surgeon General's request urging all healthy Americans, especially millennials and other young adults, to consider donating blood to help fight a potential nationwide shortage amid the coronavirus outbreak. West USA Realty Cares, the brokerage's community service mobilization program, challenged the 1.4 Million National Association of REALTOR members to give blood. The American Red Cross and Vitalant (formerly United Blood Services) reports widespread cancellations of scheduled blood drives and appointments across the country, leading West USA Realty Cares members to reach out to their constituents across the nation. "Our family of Real Estate Agents does many powerful things in their communities, but when they hear of a need, they are even more determined to step up to help. There is not much that can be done during this time, but giving blood is one at the top of the list to save lives. We encourage every Real Estate Agent, if you can, sign up to save lives by donating today," urged CarrieLynn Mason, the Director of the West USA Cares Committee. The American Red Cross and Vitalant both have taken extreme measures to ensure the safety of the donor. At a time when blood supply is critical, action must be taken to promote awareness and, more importantly, to take action and get out in force to give blood. "It is safe to give blood," said Admiral Brett P. Giroir, M.D. Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as reported by America's Blood Centers March 12, 2020. "We challenge all REALTOR members to get out and give blood during this critical shortage, then extend the invitation to their friends, families, and clients to do the same. There is no better servant leadership than to lead by example," said Todd C. Menard, the company's COO. West USA Realty has created an online barometer to tally and represent the success of the endeavor. West USA Realty has partnered with Ifound Agent, a website development company, to create www.igaveblood.com. We request that once you have donated, add your donation by logging into the site at www.igaveblood.com to show others that it is ok to give blood. West USA Realty, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is the nation's 7th largest production brokerage according to Real Trends, a leading industry reporting instrument, achieving 2019 totals of over 26,000 properties sold and over $4.1B in sales volume. In addition, West USA Realty, Inc is the nation's 5th largest privately-held brokerage and #1 in Arizona. For more information about West USA Realty, please visit www.westusa.com, and for more information about career opportunities, visit www.joinwestusa.com or call 602.942.4200. CONTACT: Todd C. Menard, COO 602.942.4200 [email protected] SOURCE West USA Realty, Inc. ANN ARBOR, MI Ann Arbor must confront a housing affordability crisis thats only made worse with the coronavirus pandemic, City Council candidates say. The citys lack of affordable housing and renters rights were top issues during a virtual candidate forum hosted by University of Michigan public policy students Thursday, April 16. Candidates weighed in on the uncertainty UM students are facing, not knowing when in-person classes will resume or if theyll be back in town next fall, while many already have apartment leases signed through next school year. Four candidates Lisa Disch in the 1st Ward, Linh Song in the 2nd Ward and Travis Radina and Evan Redmond in the 3rd Ward participated in the forum. All four voiced support for reestablishing an Ann Arbor tenants union to provide legal guidance for city renters on landlord-tenant matters. Song said there was a tenants union when she was a UM student over 20 years ago and it was a great service. Some people forget renters make up a large portion of the community, she said. In Ward 2, we have family student housing and I hear the worries from folks who are trying to figure out what will life look in the next calendar year, in the next school year, she said. Radina said the pandemic has exposed problems that already existed. He mentioned how renters in Ann Arbor are often forced to sign leases several months in advance to secure housing for the next year. I remember as a student being thrown off my freshman year when, partway through my first semester, I am already on the hunt for housing and realizing that Im behind, he said. For the 2020 election in Michigan, the primary is Aug. 4 and the general election is Nov. 3.Milt Klingensmith | MLive.com Radina and Disch both said they support creating a city renters commission. Radina said it could advise council on matters such as eviction practices, increasing rent costs and access to transit. I think we also need to look more broadly at our housing market in general, he said, voicing support for taking more action on affordable housing. With the pandemic, he said, the citys affordability crisis is only worsened with increased unemployment, shrinking household incomes and the real possibility that people have signed leases theyre not going to be able to fulfill. Disch, a UM political science professor, responded directly to the students question about lease commitments. As far as I know, there is nothing currently that the city can do to legally get you out of your lease, she said. I wish there were. It points to a big hole in our municipal democracy, she said, calling renters one of the most underrepresented groups. Redmond, a democratic socialist, argues housing is a human right and hes concerned many people who work in the city are priced out. Hes a UM grad who works in marketing analytics. Students shouldnt have to search high and low all over the city for affordable housing, Redmond said, arguing it should be provided by UM and the city. He supports a massive expansion of publicly owned housing in Ann Arbor. We should definitely switch more of our city-owned land into housing developments, he said, arguing there are lots that can be turned into high-rises or quadplexes. By creating new city-owned housing and making it non-means tested and open to the general public, he argues the city could charge rents significantly lower than the market, still turn a profit and help drive down private rents. Ann Arbor ward boundaries.City of Ann Arbor Redmond is still collecting signatures to get on the Aug. 4 Democratic primary ballot by an April 21 deadline, but the other three already filed. Other potential Democratic primary candidates in the three races still trying to get on the ballot include 1st Ward incumbent Anne Bannister, 2nd Ward incumbent Jane Lumm, Tony Brown in the 3rd Ward and Ron Ginyard in the 1st Ward. During Thursdays forum, candidates were asked how theyd deal with NIMBY groups who say not in my backyard to new housing developments. Its a great and timely question, Song said. You know, our city really struggles with an affordable housing crisis. Its a question that comes up in my neighborhood, too. Song recalled the city committed in 2015 to adding about 140 new affordable housing units per year, a goal it has fallen far short of meeting. She noted more than 4,300 people applied for 600 available spots on the Ann Arbor Housing Commissions wait list for housing vouchers last year. We are far, far behind in our commitment to build, she said. Weve only built 50 units since 2015 and what that means is that impacts real lives." The barriers are our own selves, Song said, pushing back against arguments like this is too much change for the character of my neighborhood. Song said her neighborhood is her family and we would all benefit from a bigger family, from a bigger neighborhood." How many more high-rises do we need? Ann Arbor officials debate growth She said the city needs to think creatively and look at models across the country. The library itself has looked at models where we would build affordable housing above the downtown library, and thats something that happens in Chicago with six public libraries, said Song, Ann Arbor District Library board president. Durham in North Carolina has collaborated with Duke University and foundations to build affordable housing, she said. Radina said hes in favor of smart development policy and thinks theres been years of gridlock on the issue. He said political leaders need to be careful about using the term NIMBY." He said he thinks theres public support for growth and density, and that anti-growth mentality is harmful, but not all who voice concerns are motivated by NIMBYism. We need to listen to our neighbors and to address some of the real concerns that they have about the impacts that new projects may have on our neighborhoods, he said. Ultimately, he said, we do need to find a way to move forward on developments that make sense for our community. Radina said he was disappointed recently when council tabled discussion about transit-oriented development. Mixed-use, increased density along transit corridors just makes sense for our community, he said. Transit-oriented development proposal stalls with divided Ann Arbor council Disch said she strongly supports more affordable housing. Over the last 10 years, the average price for a single-family home increased from the mid-$200,000s to almost half a million dollars, she said. Now, we dont know what those numbers are going to look like after the current crisis, but unless supply increases, the numbers are going to stay high." A condo that cost $132,000 in 2010 is now close to $300,000, she said. Many who live in single-family homes in Ann Arbor are benefiting from a building boom that occurred in the 1960s and 1970s, Disch said, adding it was surely disruptive to people back then to see fields and orchards filled with new housing. Timeline: Ann Arbors downtown housing boom and whats to come It will be disruptive today to go through another boom, Disch said, but those who enjoy the benefits of homeownership owe it to future generations to give back and to accept disruption and change as part of what makes a city thrive. Disch said she loves Ann Arbors quirkiness and this isnt a suburb that came out of a box. But shes concerned its illegal to build anything but single-family homes in much of the city. Single-family housing is not only the most expensive housing, its also the most energy-intensive, she said. And so we need to change our zoning codes to allow for more diverse forms of housing throughout the city." Many people want to live near where they work and shop where they live, she said, voicing support for also allowing more businesses like Argus Farm Stop in neighborhood areas by having more mixed-use zoning. Candidates also voiced support for improving transit services and making Ann Arbor more walkable and bikeable, with Redmond going as far to suggest eliminating bus fares. Due to technical difficulties, many of Redmonds remarks during the forum could not be heard clearly on the video, but he has laid out his campaign platform in detail on his website. He lists his top priority as standing up to the corporate interests of DTE and transitioning Ann Arbor to 100% renewable energy as rapidly as possible. He supports both a state-level push for community choice aggregation, as well as creating a publicly owned energy utility in the city. He also vows to fight to empower the citys police oversight commission and reallocate some of the nearly $30 million in annual funding for the police department to other efforts such as increased funding for social workers. Watch the full forum: MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Ward 5 Ann Arbor council candidates talk housing, impacts of coronavirus Ward 4 Ann Arbor council candidates discuss coronavirus outbreak, sustainability Graydon Krapohl, former Ann Arbor council member, dies at 59 after fight with cancer State law a hurdle for Ann Arbors 100% renewable energy plan Read more 2020 Ann Arbor election stories This article is written for those who want to get better at using price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll apply a basic P/E ratio analysis to Yee Hop Holdings Limited's (HKG:1662), to help you decide if the stock is worth further research. Yee Hop Holdings has a P/E ratio of 23.03, based on the last twelve months. That means that at current prices, buyers pay HK$23.03 for every HK$1 in trailing yearly profits. View our latest analysis for Yee Hop Holdings How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio? The formula for price to earnings is: Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for Yee Hop Holdings: P/E of 23.03 = HK$1.750 HK$0.076 (Based on the year to September 2019.) (Note: the above calculation results may not be precise due to rounding.) Is A High P/E Ratio Good? A higher P/E ratio means that buyers have to pay a higher price for each HK$1 the company has earned over the last year. All else being equal, it's better to pay a low price -- but as Warren Buffett said, 'It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price'. How Does Yee Hop Holdings's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers? We can get an indication of market expectations by looking at the P/E ratio. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (7.9) for companies in the construction industry is lower than Yee Hop Holdings's P/E. SEHK:1662 Price Estimation Relative to Market April 16th 2020 Its relatively high P/E ratio indicates that Yee Hop Holdings shareholders think it will perform better than other companies in its industry classification. The market is optimistic about the future, but that doesn't guarantee future growth. 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 Companies that shrink earnings per share quickly will rapidly decrease the 'E' in the equation. Therefore, even if you pay a low multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become higher in the future. Then, a higher P/E might scare off shareholders, pushing the share price down. Story continues Yee Hop Holdings saw earnings per share decrease by 15% last year. And over the longer term (5 years) earnings per share have decreased 21% annually. This could justify a pessimistic P/E. Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet Don't forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future) by investing in growth. That means taking on debt (or spending its cash). 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. Is Debt Impacting Yee Hop Holdings's P/E? The extra options and safety that comes with Yee Hop Holdings's HK$21m net cash position means that it deserves a higher P/E than it would if it had a lot of net debt. The Verdict On Yee Hop Holdings's P/E Ratio Yee Hop Holdings's P/E is 23.0 which is above average (9.5) in its market. Falling earnings per share is probably keeping traditional value investors away, but the relatively strong balance sheet will allow the company time to invest in growth. Clearly, the high P/E indicates shareholders think it will! Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. If the reality for a company is better than it expects, you can make money by buying and holding for the long term. Although we don't have analyst forecasts shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow. You might be able to find a better buy than Yee Hop Holdings. If you want a selection of possible winners, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a P/E below 20 (but have proven they can grow earnings). 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. Oregon officials say they expect the state to receive around $2.45 billion in coronavirus aid money from the federal coronavirus relief package. Most of that money will go to the state, the city of Portland and Multnomah and Washington counties. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the maximum amount Oregon can get to pass to local jurisdictions is $1.6 billion. The federal CARES Act requires the Treasury Department to make all of that money available to states by next Friday, said Oregon Legislative Fiscal Officer Ken Rocco. The rest of the $2.45 billion will be spread across nearly four dozen other recovery programs covered by the federal CARES Act, said Charles Boyle, Oregon Gov. Kate Browns press secretary. They include child care and development block grants, which will receive around $38 million, and airports around the state, which are set to receive more than $140 million. Schools and colleges, hospitals, transit systems, and large and small businesses are also among areas designated to receive support. The $2.2 trillion CARES Act, short for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, was signed into law at the end of March. Oregons $1.6 billion local government allocation is a cut of $150 billion being made available to state, local and tribal governments through the CARES Acts Coronavirus Relief Fund. The money cant be used to make up lost revenue, according to the U.S. Department of Treasury. It can only be used to cover unbudgeted expenses due to COVID-19 that occur between March 1 and Dec. 30. Brown told reporters Tuesday that being unable to replace lost revenue was a frustration shared by governors around the country. The challenge for a state like Oregon, because we are an income tax-based state, that goes to fund our public services, we cannot use that to backfill the revenue we have lost because I shuttered the economy to stop the spread of the disease and flatten the curve, Brown said. Counties and cities that had populations of more than 500,000 in 2019 were eligible for direct funding. All the other jurisdictions can only receive a share of funds through the state. There was initial concern Multnomah County wouldnt receive any direct federal aid because Portland is home to more than 650,000 of the countys more than 810,000 residents. But in the end, both jurisdictions were allowed to apply for aid, with the countys funding based on its population outside Portland city limits. According to city and county officials, Portland expects to receive around $114 million and Multnomah County around $28 million. Those funds are expected to arrive next week. Philip Bransford, a Washington County spokesperson, said officials in his jurisdiction have more questions than answers at this point. We are not even sure of what that payment amount would be, he said. Weve noted that the U.S. Treasury is likely to hand down additional requirements on what eligible uses of these dollars will be, beyond the restrictions outlined in the federal law. Projections from The Tax Foundation, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit, estimate Washington County could receive nearly $105 million. Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury said county officials are in talks with city and state authorities about the federal funding to make sure were all in agreement on how the money can best be spent. During a county board meeting last week, budget director Christian Elkin said the county has already received some federal funds from the CARES Act, including a $2.6 million grant for shelters. Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter -- Everton Bailey Jr. ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 |@EvertonBailey Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. The Faisalabad chief of Tablighi Jamaat has died of coronavirus even as the number of its infected members crossed the 1,100 mark in Pakistan's Punjab province on Friday. Maulana Suhaib Rumi, 69, Faisalabad chapter head of Tablighi Jamaat died of COVID-19 on Thursday. The elderly preacher had attended the Tablighi gathering in Lahore's Raiwaind last month. Five members of his family, including two grandchildren, are also infected with coronavirus, Deputy Commissioner of Faisalabad Muhammad Ali said. His family members have been kept in an isolation centre in Faislabad, some 150 kms from here. According to the Punjab health department, over 1,100 Tablighi Jamaat members have been tested positive for coronavirus in the province. A large number of preachers who had attended a major congregation in early March in its headquarters in Lahore were later tracked down across the country and placed in quarantine centres. According to the government, in March the Tablighi Jamaat went ahead with its annual congregation in Raiwind, Lahore against its advice' that the gathering might spread the virus. Pakistani authorities had urged the cancellation of the five-day Tablighi congregation, which was attended by thousands of people from several countries. Tablighi Jamaat members have emerged as the prime suspects among potential coronavirus carriers, not just in Pakistan but in India, Malaysia and Brunei. Meanwhile, the number of infected inmates in Punjab's jails has risen to 100, a health department spokesperson said. He said the tally of total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country climbed on Friday to 7,260 with 137 deaths. In Punjab the number of such cases is 3,300. As many as 12 more doctors, nurses and paramedics have been found COVID-19 positive in Lahore's cardiac hospital. According to a Punjab government official, over 110 doctors, nurses and paramedics have been infected so far across the country mostly in Punjab. Of them 53 are doctors. The Young Doctors Association on Friday held a demonstration against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government for not providing them the required protective gear. The samples of 250 people, including doctors and paramedics working at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) have been sent for lab tests and their reports are awaited. PIC Chief Executive Officer Dr Saqib Shafi is also among those declared suspected cases for being in close contact with some COVID-19 patients. A PIC official said three doctors, five nurses and paramedics were among the 12 people found positive for the virus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Remdesivir, an experimental antiviral drug made by the Bay Area's Gilead Sciences, reportedly had a successful clinical trial in Chicago. The Boston Globe's STAT News reported Thursday that Dr. Kathleen Mullane, an infectious disease specialist at University of Chicago Medicine overseeing the hospital's remdesivir studies, informed other faculty members that the results of the trials were encouraging. BREAKDOWN OF CASES: Zip code data help Harris County residents determine coronavirus cases in neighborhood Gilead's two Phase 3 clinical trials involved 125 people with the coronavirus, with 113 of those cases classified as "severe." All the patients were treated with daily infusions of remdesivir. The best news is that most of our patients have already been discharged, which is great," Mullane reportedly said on a video call. "Weve only had two patients perish." Mullane stated that most of the patients were discharged after six days, something STAT News deemed a "rapid" recovery when compared to the typical length of hospitalization required for severe COVID-19 cases. 'LONELY DISEASE': Coronavirus ravages a Houston family However, the Chicago trial did not include a placebo group for comparison, and Mullane warned not to jump to conclusions yet. Still, Mullane believes that the results are quite encouraging. "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. Similar clinical trials are under way at other hospitals across the country, but no other results have been released to this point. Justice cannot be served if those before the courts dont understand proceedings. Gwengoat/Getty Images/iStock By Russell H. Kaschula, Professor of African Language Studies, Rhodes University; Zakeera Docrat, Postdoctoral research fellow (Forensic Linguistics/ Language and Law), Rhodes University; and Annelise de Vries, Researcher & PhD Candidate, University of Johannesburg Language is a crucial element of any criminal justice system. Forensic linguist David Wright has written that people find themselves in the judicial systems linguistic webs at every step of the legal process. There is a substantial amount of South African legislation that confirms an individuals right to speak and be spoken to in the language they fully understand, particularly during court proceedings. This right is even enshrined in Section 35(3)(k) of the Constitution, which confers the right to a fair trial. Courts are also obliged, during criminal proceedings, to provide a competent interpreter if the accused does not understand the language in which court proceedings are conducted. Despite all this, South Africas Chief Justice has decreed English to be the only language of record in the countrys courts. The directive is an attempt to redress the practices of the past and transform the justice system. According to the Chief Justice, making English the only language of record will ensure that all judges are able to follow proceedings and produce judgments that are accessible for all parties on appeal and review. Different languages may still be spoken in courts. But a study we conducted found that lawyers are inclined to speak and write to their clients in English. This, coupled with the fact that the Chief Justices directive means written court records must be kept in English, means that most South Africans cannot access justice in their own languages. After all, only 8.1% of South Africans speak English at home. It is only the countrys sixth most common home language. Statistically, then, theres a 91.9% chance that a South African will be at a disadvantage during a court case because they cannot properly follow the proceedings, documents and records. What the research says A language survey conducted by Legal Aid South Africa in 2016 showed that only 27% of state aid applicants in criminal cases speak, read and write English at a satisfactory level. An average of 54.2% of applicants in criminal cases were found to have little or no knowledge of English as a medium of communication. Legal Aid South Africa provides legal aid to those who cannot afford their own legal representation. Their clients are already vulnerable, economically; their inability to communicate fluently in English disadvantages them further. Our new research suggests another linguistic problem in the system: legal practitioners dont consider how their clients might be struggling with the language of legal proceedings regulated by the language of record policy. This is a further layer of discrimination in the justice system. And it means that these clients may not get the best possible access to justice. We conducted our study among 100 legal practitioners registered with the respective law societies in South Africa. Some work in private practice; others are government employees. All nine of South Africas provinces and thus different language communities were represented. We found that most of these lawyers believed most of their clients spoke English or Afrikaans as home languages. This is surprising, given the fact that only 20.3% of South African citizens speak both Afrikaans and English at home and 26.3% speak Afrikaans and English outside their home. Legal Aid South Africas study indicated that most Legal Aid clients spoke isiZulu, isiXhosa or Afrikaans as their home languages. The data from our study also showed that even when lawyers knew their clients didnt speak English as a home language they continued to communicate, in writing and orally, with those clients in English. This happened even when the lawyers themselves spoke their clients home language and would be able to communicate properly with them in this language. The primary reason the lawyers gave for this was that court proceedings and the record were conducted in English only. Interpreters may have been present, but only their English statements were placed on record. English was the status quo, lawyers said, and sticking to it was easier. Authors supplied The nonchalant way in which legal practitioners deal with language is alarming. Its also troubling that they recognise language as being critical to accessing justice but they mostly blame the countrys court interpreters for language difficulties during court proceedings. The blame is often placed on poor quality interpretation underpinned by a shortage of interpreters and a lack of specialist legal and linguistic training for interpreters. They say interpreters are not sufficiently qualified. The data showed that the lawyers have no faith in the court interpretation system and because of that, they conduct court proceedings in English. Theyre only really concerned with the judge understanding proceedings in English, and the interpreter interpreting back into English what the witness has said. Potential solutions We can suggest a few ways to change the South African legal system so that peoples rights are served better. Awareness campaigns must be launched to highlight the important role of language in access to justice. A variety of government departments, the judiciary, universities and the Pan South African Language Board should all be involved in this. Section 6 of the Constitution states that the nine official African languages must be promoted and elevated to ensure parity of esteem alongside English and Afrikaans. For this to happen in courts, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Developments language policy should be amended to give clear directives for how African languages can be implemented incrementally in courts and be used as languages of record. Human resources matter, too. Judges should be placed in courts where they understand the language of the community. This would reduce the reliance on interpreting services and improve access to justice through language. Source: The Conversation 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 Your forehead, please, said the woman in a mask. She was a medical technician sitting in a tent outside the northwest gate of the White House in the otherwise deserted section of Pennsylvania Avenue that is usually crammed with tourists in April. Donald Trumps daily 5 p.m. show officially described on the White House schedule as a press briefing by Members of the Coronavirus Task Force was scheduled to start. It is at this surreal moment in American politics the only news event that really matters. The entire country is sitting at home looking for expert guidance. On some days, we get it. Early on when Dr. Anthony Fauci first explained the idea behind social distancing or when Dr. Deborah Birx introduced us all to the concept of bending the curve, the briefings were crucial perhaps the closest thing in modern times to one of FDR's fireside chats during the Depression and World War II, a news briefing from government officials who your life actually depended on. But they quickly descended into Trumpian theater. Useful information from the doctors became mixed in with long rants from Trump on peripheral issues. The relationship between Trump and the task force members themselves, especially Fauci, who became a media hero, gradually started to dominate the sessions, as if Trump couldnt help but turn the crisis into a reality show about himself and his staff and his peculiar obsessions of the moment. This week, especially Mondays event, the briefings reached the zenith of showcasing unusual behavior, peripheral issues and petty intrigue. On Monday, Trump played a propaganda video, angrily attacked reporters sitting a few feet away, declared himself to have total authority, and pressed officials some more reluctantly (Fauci) than others (Mike Pence) to stand before the cameras and deliver obsequious praise while he hovered nearby. The briefings have sent Trumps political opponents, particularly Joe Biden, who continues to be quarantined at home in Delaware, scrambling for ways to gain attention. And they have created a crisis in the news media, as networks and online publications struggle with how to cover them and whether its appropriate to play the briefings, which are larded with erroneous information and campaign-like speechifying, live. Story continues Watching these events on television doesnt capture how surreal they really are, so on Monday and Wednesday, I ventured to the White House to see them up close. It sometimes takes 20-30 minutes to drive the two miles from where I live in Washington to the White House in the late afternoon, but on Monday it took about five. It was the first time Id been outside my home for a reporting assignment since covering Super Tuesday in California in early March, and it was jarring to stand so close to another human being who wasnt a member of my quarantine family or the clerk at the local deli, liquor store, and 7-Eleven, three of the only places Ive been for the past few weeks. I leaned forward as if I were receiving Communion and she reached out and swiped the soft pad of an electronic thermometer across my forehead. It made a satisfying beep. Youre clear. Whats my temperature? I asked. Im sorry, were not allowed to say. There was no line of reporters to enter the White House grounds, as there often is on a day when Trump holds a news conference. Pebble Beach, the row of TV standup locations along the driveway to the West Wing, was eerily quiet. A White House staffer wielding another thermometer greeted me and other reporters as we arrived outside the door to the briefing room. How have you been feeling? she asked. It took me a moment to realize she was asking whether I had any symptoms and not offering a quick therapy session. I passed the second test and another staffer gave me a sticker with the date on it to wear as verification. The briefing room and the warren of office spaces behind and below it are famously cramped, and reporters who show up there every day to cover this story are clearly at a higher risk for exposure than their colleagues who work safely from home. Recently a photojournalist for one of the networks had shown potential Covid-19 symptoms, so one day last week every reporter who came to the White House received a Coronavirus test. Since tests are still hard to come by in the Washington area, several White House reporters not on the beat that day told me they were disappointed they werent among the test-takers. If youve been cooped up at home for weeks, going into a semi-normal working environment is disorienting. Most reporters are still not wearing masks, and it was surprising how casually and closely people mingled. As it almost always is, the briefing was delayed and I retreated outside to wait. When an old friend joined me, I awkwardly told him he was standing too close. Theres an important journalistic debate raging about whether these briefings should be shown live by cable networks and online platforms and whether reporters should attend them at all. As the sessions have become more propagandistic and an outlet for misinformation, the argument, at least for TV networks, for abstaining from live coverage has become stronger. But it would be absurd to boycott the briefings. Before these daily events, the White House briefing room was essentially shuttered. Now theres daily access to the president and his top aides thats enormously revealing. Thats not to say that Trump doesnt exploit his ability to command the nations attention. Of course he does, as Mondays event made clear. There are only 14 reporters allowed in the briefing room. They sit in a scattered pattern among the seven rows not 6 feet apart as recommended, but also not on top of each other as they normally would be seated. On most days, members of the task force, like Fauci and Birx, are forced to wait silently before the cameras until Trump and Pence appear. When Trump emerged from behind a sliding blue door, he stood in front of the lectern, scanned the room, which was silent, and said, Thank you very much, everyone. It was unclear whom he was thanking or what he was thanking them for, unless he wanted viewers at home to believe he had been greeted with applause. Figuring out what to ask Trump is complicated. There are a few general categories. There are the news-of-the-day questions that tend to dominate briefings and daily White House coverage. There are broader, more philosophical questions that might elicit more interesting responses but also risk being a waste of time. My highly unprofessional instinct in those situations is to ask a question from left field that will get him talking, with the purpose of getting access to another part of his mind, one nonreporter advised me. Not a policy question, but something like: Can you talk a bit about what it's like to be president during this horror? Do you share the fear that many Americans feel about their vulnerability? What haunts you the most? Do you think there are emergencies in the history of our country when politics has to take a back seat, and is this one of them? Then there are questions that present Trump with something he said previously that contradicts something he is currently saying. But Trump does this so often and he is so casual about simply dismissing his previous remarks, that as journalistically important as it is to point out these reversals, they rarely elicit a noteworthy response from him. Finally, there are the questions that respond in the moment to what the president is talking about. These are often the most important ones. Reporters cant really prepare for them but, instead, need to pay close attention and be nimble enough to realize that whatever preplanned questions they might have had need to be abandoned. Mondays briefing was dominated by this last category. The previous day, Trump had retweeted someone who used a #firefauci hashtag and so he ushered the doctor to the podium to express his regret about making some comments that suggested the president was at fault for not taking some mitigation steps earlier. Trump, who looks about a foot taller than Fauci, stood close by and scowled as the doctor recanted. In previous White Houses, this kind of palace intrigue only played out in leaked and reconstructed accounts to the press. In the Trump White House, the president brings the inter-personnel drama to Twitter and to his briefings for all to witness. Trump, who had clearly been stewing all weekend about investigative reports that said he botched the early response to the epidemic, then started the briefing by playing a crude video that mocked reporters and political opponents for not taking the coronavirus seriously enough. He then attacked two reporters and launched into a riff about how he had total authority to command governors to act according to his wishes, a position he reversed at Thursdays briefing. Trump is a creature of habit and he tends to return to reporters with whom hes familiar again and again. He has a few obvious moves as he calls on people. If he wants a fiery exchange that will create drama, hell pick on someone from CNN or CBS. If he wants to turn the temperature down or if hes grown weary of difficult questions, hell return to one of the wire reporters who prefer less confrontational process questions. If youre new to the room, it can take a while to get his attention. A wise colleague recommended that the best way to get called on is to keep your focus on the president when other members of the task force are speaking. Because Trump craves attention, he can find it uncomfortable when the entire room is watching one of his aides instead of him. I kept putting my hand up but was struggling to get called on. Finally, there was a break when one of the doctors spoke. I trained my eyes on Trump instead of the person at the lectern. He scanned the room and noticed, just as I had been advised he would. I made a motion and mouthed something to indicate he should call on me next. He nodded and we seemed to have a deal. Sure enough, he held to it. At Wednesdays briefing, I watched an Australian journalist do an even more exaggerated version of the same tactic. He gave Trump a big thumbs up. It easily secured him the next question. The pandemic will cost Toronto at least $1.5 billion in 2020, city officials estimate. That is the best-case scenario, Mayor John Tory said Friday during a city hall press conference. The worst-case scenario a prolonged lockdown would create an unprecedented financial hole of $2.7 billion. This is one of the greatest financial challenges this city has ever faced, Tory said. He said the federal and provincial governments will need to step in to help. We know that when Toronto does well Ontario does well and Canada does well. The entire country is counting on a strong recovery here and we want to lead that charge for us, but also for all Canadians. I am determined that we will deliver that. He did not rule out that the city would need to reconsider projects like the $1-billion Gardiner Expressway rebuild. The $1.5-billion financial hit assumes a three-month lockdown of services and strict social distancing; a six-month recovery period where revenues like TTC fares wont be at budgeted levels right away as the city increasingly comes back to life; and the added costs during the pandemic, like additional shelters for those experiencing homelessness. Of that estimate, $938 million is the result of the lockdown and $590 million during recovery. That amount could fluctuate if the lockdown is extended or reinstated or if the recovery phase ends quicker or lasts longer than anticipated. The $2.7-billion estimate, which assumes a nine-month lockdown and a 12-month recovery period after that, is only for costs in 2020. If that scenario became a reality, it would continue to cost the city into 2021. Earlier, city officials calculated Toronto would lose $65 million a week during the pandemic from a combination of estimated costs and revenue losses. The new number takes a recovery into account and extrapolates to the end of the year. The single largest driver of the citys financial troubles is a major dip in TTC revenues an estimated $23.5 million a week, largely caused by a major decline in fares. There is a forecasted 85 per cent dip in ridership in April compared to what was budgeted for the month. City manager Chris Murray previously said that surplus funds the city has from 2019 and other strategies were sufficient to cover the financial gap until June 1. Murray said Friday that beyond June 1, the city would be able to manage in the short-term, noting the upcoming end to a 60-day property tax deferral earlier implemented to help struggling residents and businesses. But the city will need the provincial and federal governments to intervene to cover much of that billion-dollar gap, Tory said. Municipalities, under provincial laws, cant go into debt to pay for operating expenses. On Friday, Premier Doug Ford did not answer directly about whether he would allow municipalities to run deficits to deal with the COVID-19 financial fallout. Well, I know the Minister of Finance, hes been working on a plan. Ive had this discussion with Mayor Tory, and Minister Clark as well is working with all municipalities all 444 of them, he said. I know theyre struggling, but all levels of government right now are struggling financially based on this COVID-19 and were going to do whatever it takes. Tory said later that he didnt think those permissions would be a meaningful solution because the city would still need a way to come up with the money. Tory was asked Friday about whether the city should reconsider pricey capital builds like the Gardiner Expressway a controversial decision to rebuild a hybrid version of the eastern curve connecting to the DVP pushed by Tory in his first term. Tory, who has staunchly defended that council decision over the boulevard alternative that in 2016 was estimated to cost half the amount, or about $500 million less, said staff continue to review capital projects in light of the pandemic. We havent begun yet to review the future capital budget, that will come as we have to address the length of time its going to take for us to experience a complete recovery, he said. Its not clear how much switching to the boulevard option would cost today. With a file from Robert Benzie Read more about: COVID-19, the pandemic that started in a small market in Wuhan, Hubei Province in China has now spread across the world, halting everything in its way. The disease that broke in China late last year has now gone on to claim more lives across the world, and we're still counting the toll. AP However, recent reports have revealed that China forgot to add 1,290 deaths caused by COVID-19 to its official death count (with 325 infected cases). The new tally brings the total death count in the country to 4,632, with the total infected cases standing at 82,695 as of now. The new death numbers are from Wuhan, which is a 50 percent increase from its previous death toll. Before the inclusion of updated death number from Wuhan, China reported 3,342 deaths nationally. This was first reported by CNN, and while it might seem shocking, it isnt surprising, considering China isnt always open about its information to the world. The aftermath of COVID-19 in the US, Italy and other nations compared to what happened in the place the disease broke, the numbers didnt seem to add up. After a ton of criticism from the rest of the world, towards the transparency of the data for COVID, 19, China revised its numbers. AP According to the Chinese officials, the death was unaccounted for, as many people died at their homes in early stages of the pandemic -- a time when authorities were trying to deal with the load of treating new patients than report figures. They also blame delay in receiving data from government and private organizations. Last week, we saw several cases popping again in China -- this time from its citizens returning from border areas like Russia. Around 10 cases from these were imported, while seven of the local cases were from the Heilongjiang province in the northern region of China, which is very close to the Russian border. Authorities have already ramped up restrictions and set up a Wuhan-like lockdown in the capital Harbin, as well as the border city Suifenhe. A lot of lessons to be learned from this partial lockdown. People who have been hit are entrepreneurs who are not into the sale or production of comestibles, private school teachers, etc. This season of partial lockdown presents a nice opportunity for all of us to reflect, rethink and properly prepare ourselves for the unforeseen. Relying on a single stream of income in this country is economically unhealthy. Refusing to make provisions for the future is equally suicidal. This is not the time to complain. No matter how small your income is, you can still put some aside for a rainy day. Cut down on needless expenses; alcohol, women, clothing (when you don't need them), expensive gadget (when you are a low-income earner), unnecessary hangout etc. Tell me, are you comfortable asking your family and friends for money every day? It's time to walk that dream. Put your ideas on paper and aggressively work towards achieving it. It's doable, charle. Start something! The "big man" you so admire started small. My dear sister, you don't need a physical store/container before you can start that business. Go digital! Yes, make use of the internet. Money? You don't need 100 million dollars to start that business. Use the little you have and watch it germinate. Don't eat, sleep and watch TV throughout this season. Take some time off and plan. Put your ideas on paper. And if you have internet access, don't waste all your time on Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Go to YouTube --- there is a lot to learn. Always remember to Build Your Ark Before It Rains. Exhausted nurses who were forced to work overtime to care for patients battling coronavirus have had their cars towed and given parking fines. Sam Cameron was just one of many nurses forced to pay $425 after finding their cars had been taken away by the Melbourne City Council after finishing a shift. Ms Cameron said the street she had parked on was virtually empty and she had planned to be back before 4pm when the clearway started. But after staying back late to work, she returned to see her car was gone and the fee of getting it back would cost her more than her day of work. Exhausted nurses had to fork out $400 after finding their cars had been towed after staying late at work (pictured: Nurses at drive through coronavirus testing facility at Bondi) Ms Cameron said when she arrived to collect her car, a string of other health care workers were waiting as well, still in their scrubs. 'I didn't realise that the City of Melbourne was still towing cars to create lanes for peak hour traffic as there is currently no peak hour traffic,' she told the Herald Sun. 'It does not make sense to me how there is a need for towing cars during this time -there is no congestion because most have lost their jobs or are working from home.' The nurse was in disbelief that she was punished after staying late to help those in need. 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 am trying to do the right thing by going to work and helping during this time of need and I made a mistake by making an assumption about clearway zones,' Ms Cameron said. After lodging a review on Thursday, Ms Cameron was fully refunded by the council. The nurse is now hoping other health care workers in the same position will also be refunded. A spokesperson for the City of Melbourne Council told Daily Mail Australia they had waived parking fines for health workers in specific areas. 'The City of Melbourne is working proactively to ensure there is free parking for health care workers,' they said. 'We're conscious of the challenges faced by many essential medical staff in securing parking near their workplace. 'We are currently not issuing fines to vehicles parked in areas designated with green signs for their hours of operation. 'Stopping or parking in tow-away clearways continues to be prohibited because it obstructs traffic.' The spokesperson said the car had posed a safety risk and Ms Cameron had since been refunded. 'We advised eight hospitals of the temporary changes in writing on Friday 27 March but explained that tow-away clearways restrictions are still being enforced to protect public safety,' the spokesperson said. Three Twins ice cream, the Petaluma company that carved out a market for mass-market organic ice cream, is ceasing operations because of financial problems related to the coronavirus. In posts on Facebook and the company website Friday, Three Twins CEO Neal Gottlieb announced that the company would cease operations immediately. The reason, he stated, was that the business had required an infusion of capital even before the pandemic and that option was no longer available. An expansion of sales into grocery stores, where profit margins are often low for suppliers, was a particular challenge. We were always working towards a scale where we could have sustained profitability, but in more recent years we saw the business contract and margins get squeezed further, he wrote. In an interview, Gottlieb said that he and other members of the company had known for about five weeks that he would need to close the business and had already laid off workers at its two Bay Area scoop shops in Larkspur and Napa. I feel terrible letting people go, he said. But, he added, Its bittersweet. Its been 15 years and a very difficult 15 years. A lot of people from outside would assume it was making a huge amount of money and I was wealthy. Its never been the case. Three Twins, which Gottlieb co-founded in 2005 in San Rafael and claimed to be the first organic ice cream chain, was sold at individual Three Twins scoop shops, farmers markets and corner stores alongside big-name brands like Haagen-Dazs, differentiated by its organic ingredients and whimsical flavors like Dads Cardamom and Lemon Cookie. The product generally costs about $1 more per pint than the competition in stores, with the goal of making it affordable, Gottlieb said, but that kept the margins too low. It couldnt be an $8 pint like so many of the artisan pints are these days, he said. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Besides its Petaluma factory and headquarters, the company had an additional manufacturing plant in Sheboygan, Wis., with about 42 employees total, not counting those in its retail shops. The company had licenses with additional scoop shops at San Francisco International Airport and Berkeley as well as in Korea and Japan, and its ice cream was sold at major grocery stores in the Bay Area. It was unclear what would happen to its international locations. They have product for a few months. Its possible someone will buy it out of bankruptcy, Gottlieb said. Tara Duggan is The Chronicles assistant food editor. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan Numerous other vaccine developers have indicated plans to initiate human testing in 2020 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. "Get+involved" MONTREAL, April 17, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - April 17, 2020 celebrates 30+ years of World Hemophilia Day. The longevity of this event is proof of the dedication and tight-knit nature of our community. The theme of World Hemophilia Day in 2020 is "Get+involved". It's a call to action for everyone to help drive the WFH vision of "Treatment for All" at the community and global level. Given the current COVID-19 crisis, the WFH is encouraging everyone to get involved virtually on social media and on our own World Hemophilia Day microsite: worldhemophiliaday.org. Everyone can play a part-from patients, family members, and caregivers, to corporate partners, Hemophilia Treatment Centre (HTC) personnel and those who support their national member organization (NMO). We want to encourage everyone to "Get+involved" virtually and help increase the awareness of inherited bleeding disorders and the need to make access to adequate care possible everywhere in the world. If you're showing support, you're playing a part in the goal of Treatment for All. "Getting involved virtually in the bleeding disorders community is so important. World Hemophilia Day is an opportunity to show the world how essential taking action is. It's also a wonderful way for us all to feel proud of what we're doing in the name of Treatment for All." -Alain Weill, President of the WFH While our community can't take part in the "Light it up Red" campaign this year by visiting landmarks because of the COVID-19 crisis, there are other ways we can play a part. For example, submit a picture of yourself wearing something red to show your support of the community. Post selfies and engage with the bleeding disorders community on our social media pages. Also, you can share your story on worldhemophiliaday.org about your experience living or caring for someone with a bleeding disorder, or by sharing how you are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a lot you can do virtually to share what World Hemophilia Day means to you! WFH support for the bleeding disorders community is provided by many endeavours which are making a difference in the community today, including: WFH programs which are carried out in collaboration with national member organizations (NMOs) and a dedicated group of medical and lay volunteers, and are based on a comprehensive development model that aims to achieve sustainable comprehensive care and "Treatment for All". The WFH Humanitarian Aid Program which provides a range of integrated healthcare development training programs to ensure local infrastructure and medical expertise in developing countries maximizes the use of donated products. The Global Alliance for Progress (GAP) Program is the WFH flagship development program aimed at closing the gap in treatment between developed and developing countries in three key areas: the number of people born with hemophilia and those who reach adulthood; the estimated and actual number of people known with bleeding disorders; and the need versus the availability of treatment products. WFH World Bleeding Disorders Registry (WBDR), which uses data collection to advance the understanding and care of people with hemophilia worldwide. An accessible patient registry strengthens our capacity to identify, diagnose, treat, and care for people living with hemophilia and other rare inherited bleeding disorders. The WFH Annual Global Survey which collects basic demographic information and data on access to care and treatment products in order to provide hemophilia organizations, hemophilia treatment centres and health officials with useful information to support efforts to improve or sustain the care of people with bleeding disorders. The WFH eLearning Platform which features hundreds of important educational resources for users with both medical and non-medical backgrounds-in multiple languages-including guides, fact sheets, videos, articles, games, and interactive modules that are downloadable for free, and are well-suited for any learning style or area of interest. The WFH would like to thank our 2020 World Hemophilia Day sponsors for their continued support: Bayer Grifols Sanofi Genzyme BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. Kedrion Sobi Biotest Novo Nordisk Spark Therapeutics CSL Behring Octapharma Takeda F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd. Pfizer uniQure GC Pharma Precision Biologic About hemophilia and other bleeding disorders Hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, inherited platelet disorders, and other factor deficiencies are lifelong bleeding disorders that prevent blood from clotting properly. People with bleeding disorders do not have enough of a particular clotting factor, a protein in blood that controls bleeding, or else it does not work properly. The severity of a person's bleeding disorder usually depends on the amount of clotting factor that is missing or not functioning. People with hemophilia can experience uncontrolled bleeding that can result from a seemingly minor injury. Bleeding into joints and muscles causes severe pain and disability while bleeding into major organs, such as the brain, can cause death. About the World Federation of Hemophilia For over 50 years, the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH)-an international not-for-profit organization- has worked to improve the lives of people with hemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders. Established in 1963, it is a global network of patient organizations in 140 countries and has official recognition from the World Health Organization. To find out more about the WFH, please visit www.wfh.org. Media contact: Neha Suchak Director, Marketing & Communications nsuchak@wfh.org Tel.: +1 514-875-7944, #2857 BANGKOK - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said coronavirus social distancing efforts are still insufficient a day after he expanded a state of emergency to the entire country. Abe asked Japanese in a speech Friday evening to stay home to save lives as infections surge in the nations capital. He said the situation in Tokyo is severe with a record 201 new coronavirus infections in one day, bringing the capitals total to almost 3,000. Abe expanded the emergency in a bid to reduce the movement of people during Japans golden week holidays in early May. He said social interactions had declined 60% in downtown Tokyo and 70% in Osaka, but that fell short of what experts deem necessary to slow the viruss spread to a manageable level. The movement of people from cities to countryside will surely trigger a nationwide rampant spread of the virus, which we fear the most, he said. I ask you all again, please refrain from going out. Nationwide, Japan has about 9,900 cases, including about 700 from a cruise ship quarantined near Tokyo, with 160 deaths. In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region: WUHAN DEATHS RE-COUNTED: The city where the pandemic began in late December added 1,290 deaths to its toll. Wuhan officials were quoted in state media as saying the deaths were initially missed because the citys health system was overwhelmed at the outbreaks peak. The revised Wuhan figures raised Chinas death toll to 4,632, up from 3,342. CHINA ACCUSES U.S. OF SHIFTING BLAME: China is accusing the U.S. of attempting to shift the focus from its own shortcomings with the coronavirus by spreading a theory that the pandemic was started by a pathogen that escaped from a Chinese laboratory. Anyone discerning can tell at a glance that the purpose of the U.S. is simply to confuse the public, divert attention and shirk responsibility, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Friday. U.S. officials including President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have suggested the lab theory may be valid, without presenting evidence. Zhao earlier speculated on Twitter that the virus was brought to Wuhan by the U.S. military, CHINAS ECONOMY TUMBLES: China suffered its worst economic contraction since at least the 1970s, and weak consumer spending and factory activity suggest it faces a longer, harder recovery than expected. The worlds second-largest economy shrank 6.8% last quarter after factories, shops and travel were closed to contain the virus. HUNGER, NOT COVID: Indias poorest are suffering under the worlds largest lockdown. The virus could ravage the country, given low testing rates, a barely functional health system and its densely packed population of 1.3 billion, leaving a vast lockdown the least bad option. But the weeks without daily wages are an eternity for people at risk of losing their homes and going hungry. CHINA URGED TO BE TRANSPARENT: An Australian Cabinet minister is urging China to be transparent about the origins of the coronavirus and predicted the world will rethink relations with it because of the pandemic. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton recently recovered from the virus, which he apparently contracted during a trip to Washington, D.C. Dutton told Nine Network on Friday: I do think there will be a reset about the way in which the world interacts with China. We do want more transparency. PRAYUTH TO ASK BILLIONAIRES FOR HELP: Thailands leader will appeal directly to the countrys 20 wealthiest people for assistance in overcoming the coronavirus crisis. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said the government alone cannot solve the health and economic challenges posed by the pandemic, so other sectors should join what he called Team Thailand. A business council warned this week that as many as 10 million Thais could lose their jobs in the next few months if the crisis doesnt ease. Prayuth said the countrys billionaires are wealthy even by international standards, so they could play important roles in Team Thailand. SINGAPORE CASES SPIKE: Singapore reported 623 new virus cases on Friday, pushing its total infections to 5,050. The increase was broadly expected after testing was increased among foreign workers, who accounted for most of the new cases. Clusters were reported in dormitories crowded with workers who use shared toilets, kitchens and other facilities. The government has quarantined workers in their dorms and moved others to reduce crowding. INDONESIAN RECOVERIES EXCEED DEATHS: Indonesia says more people have now recovered than have died from the coronavirus. The Health Ministry announced Friday that 607 people have recovered while 520 have died. Indonesia has the highest number of fatalities in Asia after China. The countrys case count rose 407, its biggest daily jump, bringing its total to 5,923. SOUTH KOREAN JOB LOSSES: South Korea lost nearly 200,000 jobs in March as the coronavirus shocks its economy and labour markets. Statistics Korea said the 195,000 jobs lost was the largest monthly decline since May 2009 during a global financial crisis. The country has confirmed 10,635 virus cases and 230 deaths. No new cases were reported Friday in the hardest-hit city of Daegu, where infections have waned. The impact of Wednesdays national parliamentary elections, which had the highest turnout in nearly 30 years despite the coronavirus, will take a week or two to assess. MORE PATIENTS TEST POSITIVE AGAIN: South Korea says its continuing to see a rise in patients who test positive for the coronavirus for a second time after being diagnosed as recovered. But it says the risk of transmissions from such cases so far appears to be low. The countrys Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at least 163 people have tested positive again after their initial release from hospitals, or more than 2% of the countrys 7,829 recoveries. It said that none of the patients was in serious condition although 61 were exhibiting mild symptoms. Health authorities are investigating the causes of such cases. They say its likely that infections were re-activated after remaining dormant in patients whose bodies hadnt fully developed immunity after experiencing mild symptoms. ___ Follow AP coverage at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak (Newser) NASA has great experience sending astronauts into space, but not much lately. SpaceX has fresh experience with space flights, but not with astronauts on board. On May 27, the two will team up to send a crew of two from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the International Space Station, reports NBC News. Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will be in SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, which went to the space station last year on a cargo run. NASA last sent astronauts to space in 2011, then shut down the Space Shuttle program. The plan for next month's flight is to use Pad 39A, where many Apollo missions began. Hurley was on that last shuttle flight, per the Washington Post, which blasted off from 39A. Behnken also is a veteran of space missions. story continues below NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said the partnership with SpaceX makes sense. "We need access to the International Space Station from the United States of America," he said. "Commercial Crew is the program thats going to make that happen." NASA has contributed $3.1 billion to SpaceX for the capsule's development. Since it grounded the shuttles, NASA has had to pay Russia to ferry astronauts, at a cost as high as $83 million per seat. Two NASA astronauts, Jessica Meir and Drew Morgan, returned from the space station Friday. That leaves one American, Chris Cassidy, there with two Russian cosmonauts. (Read more NASA stories.) An Idaho mother jailed in connection to the disappearance of her two children is being investigated for murder, attempted murder and conspiracy in the death of her husband's former wife, according to court documents. Lori Vallow is under investigation along with her husband, Chad Daybell, in the death of his late wife, Tammy Daybell, NBC affiliate KTVB in Boise reported. Tammy Daybell's body was found in her home in October, a death initially ruled as natural but since classified as suspicious. In December, the 49-year-old's remains were exhumed so an autopsy could be conducted, the results of which are still pending, according to KTVB. Chad Daybell walks into court for his wife's hearing on child abandonment and other charges in Lihue, Hawaii on Feb. 21, 2020. (Dennis Fujimoto / AP) Chad Daybell and Vallow married weeks after Tammy Daybell's death. They have not been charged in the case. The state Attorney General's Office said in a letter that it is taking over the investigation and that "all decisions regarding the case shall be the responsibility of the AG," KTVB reported. The letter says that the Fremont County Prosecutor's Office, which was initially handling the case, will still pay all necessary expenses. Vallow is currently in jail in Idaho in connection to the disappearance of her children, Joshua Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 17. The siblings were last seen in September, but an investigation into their disappearance didn't begin until November, after police in Rexburg, Idaho, tried to conduct a welfare check on Joshua. Joshua Vallow and Tylee Ryan. (Freemont County Sheriff's Office) In a December statement, police said Vallow and Daybell were refusing to cooperate with the investigation into the missing children and had left the state. Police have said Vallow either knows the location of her children or knows what happened to them. After Vallow and her husband were found in Hawaii, she was arrested in February and extradited to Idaho on charges of desertion and nonsupport of dependent children. She is being held on a $1 million bond. According to The Associated Press, Vallow has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Chad Daybell, a self-published author who has written more than two dozen books about near-death and doomsday events, has not been charged in connection Joshua and Tylee's disappearance. Premium online access is only available tosubscribers. If you have an active subscription and need to set up or change your password, please click here New to PW? To set up immediate access, click here. NOTE: If you had a previous PW subscription, click here to reactivate your immediate access. PW site license members have access to PWs subscriber-only website content. If working at an office location and you are not "logged in", simply close and relaunch your preferred browser. For off-site access, click here. To find out more about PWs site license subscription options, please email Mike Popalardo at: mike@nextstepsmarketing.com. The Pennsylvania Department of Health has confirmed 1,706 new coronavirus cases, raising the statewide total to 29,441. The state health department reported 49 new fatalities, raising the states total of fatalities to 756. The department announced new numbers today. All of those who died are adults. At least 54 people in central Pennsylvania have died of the virus, including two newly reported deaths today in Lancaster County. Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said Thursday the state has bent that curve" in terms of new cases. Todays report marks the highest number of new cases in a week, although its still short of the one-day high of nearly 2,000 cases on April 9. The new state figures reflect cases reported as of midnight. Gov. Tom Wolf hasnt decided if Pennsylvanias stay-at-home order will be extended beyond April 30. New York and other states have extended their shutdowns into May. A closer look Cases have been reported in all of Pennsylvanias 67 counties. Across the state, 117932 have tested negative for the virus, the department said. Levine has said cases are concentrated most heavily in the Philadelphia region, the Lehigh Valley and northeastern Pennsylvania. Philadelphia leads the state with 8,138 cases and 136 deaths. Neighboring Montgomery County has had 2,684 cases and 97 deaths. Lehigh County now has 2,092 cases and 29 deaths. In northeastern Pennsylvania, Luzerne County has 1,668 cases and 31 deaths. Lancaster County leads the midstate counties with 1,030 cases and 35 deaths. Heres a look at the cases in the other counties in the midstate: York (443 cases and 4 deaths); Lebanon (424 cases and 2 deaths); Dauphin (311 cases and 7 deaths); Cumberland (154 cases and 4 deaths); Franklin (89 cases); Adams (70 cases and 1 death); and Perry (18 cases and 1 death). Nursing homes and hospitalizations More than half of the states deaths have occurred in long-term care facilities, including nursing homes and personal care homes. There have now been 398 deaths in long-term care facilities, according to the health department. More than 4,100 have contracted the virus in long-term care facilities, according to the health department. The department said 3,716 residents of those facilities have been infected, while 420 staffers have contracted the virus. There are 2,587 patients with the virus being treated in hospitals. Levine has said hospitals have been able to handle the number of infected patients, a grave concern a few weeks ago. About 70 percent of the states ventilators are available, Levine said Thursday. The state health department does not release figures on how many have recovered from the virus. Most people recover without requiring hospital care and hospitals that are treating patients dont inform the state when patients are discharged, the health department has said. Some systems, including Penn State Health, have begun releasing data on those who have recovered. Cases by gender The state has just started breaking down cases by gender. A slight majority of those who have been infected are women. Women account for 53 percent of the cases, while men account for 46 percent. Hundreds of cases have been reported to the state that dont include gender information. While more women have been infected, more men have died of the virus. The state data show 420 men have died, compared to 331 women. Theres no gender information for five deaths. Uncertainty remains Wolf said Thursday he understands the public is craving an understanding of when some degree of normalcy will return. He said state officials are still developing metrics that would determine when restrictions can be eased. 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 allow counties to decide on their own if businesses can reopen. Beginning Sunday night, Pennsylvanians will be required to wear face masks when shopping in stores. Workers will also be required to wear masks and retailers will also have to comply with new regulations, including limiting the number of shoppers in stores. More from PennLive Calls to Pa. child abuse hotline plummet in pandemic Dont want to wear a mask? Some grocery stores say customers will be asked to leave HIA remains open but largely empty because of the coronavirus: April will be the slowest month weve ever had Its Pennsylvania politics as usual, even in the pandemic | John Baer Heroic innovation by doctors saves Pa. coronavirus patient who was as close to death as he could have been An arranged sale between two men in Hunterdon County ended with the buyer stealing a puppy he had agreed to purchase, police said. The two agreed to meet Wednesday shortly before 5:30 p.m. at the Annandale Train Station in Clinton Township where the victim, a Hunterdon County resident, was set to sell a Yorkshire Terrier puppy to the buyer for $650, according to a statement from the Clinton Township Police Department. When the two met, the buyer, who may be from Trenton, took the dog and ran from the scene without paying, authorities said. The seller called the police who searched for the buyer but were unable to locate him, however, the seller was able to provide a description of the man and a telephone number he used to contact him, according to the statement. Investigators were also able to obtain video from a surveillance system in the area and released a photograph of the suspect holding the dog. Anyone with information is asked contact Clinton Township Police Detective Sgt. Lawrence Anthes at 908-735-6000, ext. 402 or submit an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-321-0010 or visiting www.crimestoppershunterdon.com. The town has an Internet Purchase Exchange location in a marked space in the parking lot of Clinton Township Police Headquarters that is a safe place for people to meet as it is under video surveillance, police said. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. This article was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. WASHINGTON Next year is the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackings that killed 2,976 people in New York, at the Pentagon and in a Pennsylvania field. For much of those two decades, the United States has been holding five men accused of helping plot the attacks. But they have yet to come to trial. The militarys legal proceedings at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have lurched from setback to setback, disappointing the families of the victims who have watched in frustration and dismay. Then over the summer, a military judge finally set a timetable toward a trial that envisioned a start date early next year. Now, that schedule has suffered a one-two punch that promises more delay. First, the coronavirus crisis has cut off most access to Guantanamo Bay, complicating the work of the prosecutors, defense teams, judiciary and support staff who shuttle between the base and the mainland. Then the judge abruptly announced last month that he was retiring from the Air Force and would leave the case next week. Most pretrial work, including legal meetings, is on hold. The prison at Guantanamo does not allow the five defendants to meet with their lawyers by telephone or video link. They've been splashing their romance all over social media for weeks. And now fans are urging Married At First Sight's Michael Goonan and KC Osborne to tie the knot for real. Countless fans commented on Michael's latest post to praise the pair's relationship and beg them to legally wed. 'Real wedding please!' Fans are urging Married At First Sight's Michael Goonan and KC Osborne to tie the knot for real 'Real wedding KC and MG, please!' begged one loyal admirer. 'You guys look good together,' wrote another. 'Stacey [Hampton] was just with you for your money.' 'Couldn't be more perfect for each other,' added another fan. However, it wasn't all positivity from fans, with the couple receiving a slew of negative comments slamming them for flaunting their wealth and catching a private jet during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'You guys look good together,' wrote one fan. 'Stacey [Hampton] was just with you for your money' Michael, 29, and KC, 31, caught a private jet from Melbourne to Sydney for a business trip on Wednesday - with three Louis Vuitton bags in tow. Although the flight was completely legal, the pair were criticised for travelling when many people are in complete lockdown at home. 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.' 'Couldn't be more perfect for each other,' gushed another fan of the happy couple 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'. '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. Flaunting? Michael, 29, and KC, 31, received backlash for catching a private jet from Melbourne to Sydney for a business trip on Wednesday - with three Louis Vuitton bags in tow '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. 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. BERLIN - Catholic Church officials in Germany say they are transferring a black priest to another post over concern for his safety, after his house and car were attacked and he received a death threat. The diocese of Speyer in southwest Germany said Friday that the priest, Patrick Asomugha, will leave his post in the parish of Queidersbach next week. In a statement, it said that the concerns for the protection and health of Father Asomugha made this step unavoidable. The diocese said that Asomugha, who is from Nigeria, has faced hostility in the parish since last year and his rectory was twice broken into. Last fall, his car tires were slashed and in March a death threat was left on his garage door. Two days later somebody smashed bottles against the door of his home. A police investigation is ongoing. Asomugha said that, under the circumstances, he was unable to do his job in Queidersbach, which is located close to the U.S. Armys Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl. The attack against me have made it almost impossible to lead a normal parish life in Queidersbach, he said. The diocese said Asomugha would be given a new role during the course of the summer. Four years ago, a Congolese-born priest stepped down from his post in Bavaria after receiving anonymous death threats and hate mail for standing up for refugees. In the left photo, President Moon Jae-in, second from left, and first lady Kim Jung-sook, center, take a group photo at the provisional government's headquarters in Chongqing, China, during a state visit to the country in December 2017. It was the first time for a sitting president to visit the site. In the right, Kim Koo, center in the front row, and other members of the provisional government take a group photo at the Chongqing complex on Nov. 3, 1945 before heading back to Korea on Nov. 23. / Korea Times file By Do Je-hae This is a landmark year for the government-in-exile founded during the 1910-1945 Japanese colonial rule, which was mostly based in China. To mark the 101st anniversary of the provisional government, President Moon Jae-in took part in a groundbreaking ceremony April 11 for a memorial hall to remember its role in leading the independence movement. President Moon has shown more enthusiasm than any other Korean leader in recent decades toward honoring the provisional government, which undertook administrative, diplomatic and military activities to gain independence. He was the first President to visit the provisional government complex in Chongqing, China, during a state visit to the country in December 2017. The provisional government moved around various cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou and Guangzhou among others before settling in Chongqing in 1940. The last three years of the provisional government from 1945 through 1948 were based in Seoul. "During the visit to the Chongqing complex for the first time as sitting President, I made a promise to build a memorial hall for the provisional government," Moon said during the groundbreaking ceremony at Seodaemun Independence Park in central Seoul where many Korean prisoners died in their fight against Japanese colonial rule. Lee Jong-chan, left, head of a committee in charge of building the memorial hall, gives a briefing to President Moon Jae-in during a groundbreaking ceremony for the provisional government on April 11 in Seodaemun, Seoul. Yonhap "For 27 years, the provisional government was behind the movement and achieved independence and freedom, leading to today's Republic of Korea. "The reason we are building the memorial is to keep the spirit of the provisional government at our side. Through perseverance, dedication, solidarity and cooperation, the provisional government provided a solid foundation for our nation to be reborn as a democratic republic." The government is planning to open the memorial near Seodaemun Park in 2021. When completed, it is expected to serve as a venue to introduce the achievements of the independence movement within and outside Korea. It will enable the general public, scholars and visitors from around the world to learn more about the nation's independence fighters and pioneering politicians such as Kim Koo, a revered independence activist and one of the presidents of the provisional government. Controversies surrounding provisional government Building a memorial hall for the provisional government was one of Moon's election pledges. But his passion for honoring the government has not been viewed in a positive light among some historians and politicians because of lingering controversies surrounding its role and some of its key figures. First, the provisional government has been at the center of a debate about nation founding. Moon has said that he views the interim government as the root of the current Korea. "We see the establishment of the provisional government as the start of nation founding," Moon said during the visit to the Chongqing provisional government building. "The provisional government is the root of the Republic of Korea. The Constitution of the Republic of Korea states that the nation inherits the legal traditions of the provisional government." Moon's remarks support the view held by some historians that April 13, 1919, the founding date of the provisional government, is the start of "nation founding." But this has drawn a backlash from the conservative political bloc which has maintained that Aug. 15, 1948, the date of the establishment of the Korean government under Korea's first president, Syngman Rhee, is when the Republic of Korea was officially founded. Former conservative President Park Geun-hye said that the nation was founded on Aug. 15, 1948 during her Liberation Day speech in 2016. Second, the actual contributions of the provisional government in achieving independence is still questioned by some historians who believe its role was limited as independence came as a consequence of the end of World War II, and not as result of the independence movement itself. As the provisional government was not recognized internationally, some also question its legitimacy. The music sheet of the official song of the Korean Liberation Army/Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae Third, some figures have ignited controversy over political ideologies. Kim Won-bong, who served in the Korean Liberation Army and the provisional government, later defected to North Korea and became a prominent politician there. Conservatives have branded him a communist; and Moon ignited controversy when he publicly praised Kim in a Memorial Day speech in June 2019. Balanced understanding of history Despite these controversies, some activists like Lee Jong-chan, a former National Intelligence Service (NIS) chief, have continued to stress the need to properly educate the Korean public about the legacies of the provisional government as the nation's first modern administrative body. The groundbreaking for the memorial hall is the result of many years of commitment particularly from Lee, who serves as the head of a committee for the establishment of the hall. The former NIS chief during the Kim Dae-jung administration comes from a family of independence fighters and has been leading a civic movement promoting commemorative activities for the provisional government. He also ran a memorial hall for his late grandfather Lee Hoe-young, who is considered to be one of the leading independence fighters. The Korean Liberation Army was founded by the provisional government in Chongqing, China, in 1940. This photo shows the national flag with signatures from the members of the KLA from the Independence Hall of Korea. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae Lee said he will pay attention to informing the public about various figures in the provisional government, not just the leaders such as former President Rhee, who was also the first president of the provisional government. "About 2,000 people participated in the provisional government. We will aim to create a space that treats all of them as heroes," Lee said during the groundbreaking ceremony. Above all, the memorial hall will be built as a place to promote national unity as well as a more balanced understanding of history, he said. "We are building a place for everyone, regardless of their political ideology or regional background," Lee said. Dokrip Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the provisional government, was founded on Aug. 21, 1919. The provisional government in Shanghai printed it in Chinese as well to spread the Korean independence movement to local readers. A photo from the National Institute of Korean History shows the front page of the first Chinese edition of the Dokrip Sinmun published on July 20, 1922. Korea Times file Cardi B and Offset have experienced infidelity in their marriage and after a brief breakup, they reconciled and have been touting their love since. Cardi has been open about why she was able to move past the hurt and theyve managed to blend their families together seamlessly as Offset has three other children from previous relationships. But according to Offsets ex-girlfriend and the mother of his eldest daughter, Offset tried to keep their relationship going even after he and Cardi tied the knot. Offset and Cardi B | Group LA via Getty Images OFFSET, CARDI B Offsets ex-girlfriend Shya Lamour says Offset tried to get with her even after he married Cardi B Cardi and Offset married in Sept. 2017 and it has not been smooth sailing but the couple has managed to stay together throughout the havoc. After welcoming their daughter Kulture, things between the two appear to be solid. But according to his ex, Offsets wandering eye did not stop after he jumped the broom. Lamour is the mother to Offsets five-year-old daughter Kalea. After becoming frustrated with what she says is a lack of financial support from Offset for their daughter, Lamour shared text messages from 2018 that she alleges are from Offset, requesting that she continue their intimate relationship. I was going to refrain from posting but him and his h*e too disrespectful after Ive been trying to be cordial and empathetic, she captioned a screenshot of the alleged texts on her Instagram story. I found out same time the world did that they was married and he been cut off since then! The alleged text messages reveal that Offset asked Lamour if he could sleep with her nine months into his marriage with Cardi. The screenshots she posts show that she denied his requests. Lamour previously revealed in an interview with TMZ that Offset stepped up as a father by spending quality time with their daughter. She also said that she felt Cardi was a good influence on his parenting and that Cardi did her best to treat Kalea as her own. Offset and Shya Lamour are headed to court for child support over their daughter Lamour is also alleging that Offset is not doing as much as he can financially for their daughter. She took him to court in 2019 asking the judge to lay out a court-ordered child support monthly payment after alleging that he was only contributing in a limited capacity. She also requested a regular visitation schedule between Offset and Kalea. In a more recent case, Lamour is asking a judge to enforce additional support from Offset for Kalea amid the coronavirus pandemic as she says her financial situation has been drastically altered. Her lawyer told Bossip that as an hourly employee, shes lost income. Offset and Lamour are scheduled to appear in court regarding the increase in support in May 2020. He has not publicly responded to the child support hearing nor has he spoken out about the leaked texts. The Nefud Desert is a desolate area of orange and yellow sand dunes. It covers approximately 25,000 square miles of the Arabian Peninsula. But tens of thousands of years ago, this area was a lush land of lakes, with a climate that may have been kinder to human life. On a January afternoon in 2016, an international team of archaeologists and paleontologists was studying the surface of one ancient lakebed at a site called Al Wusta in the Nefuds landscape of sand and gravel. Their eyes were peeled for fossils, bits of stone tools, and any other signs that might remain from the regions once-verdant past. Suddenly, Iyad Zalmout, a paleontologist working for the Saudi Geological Survey, spotted what looked like a bone. With small picks and brushes, he and his colleagues removed the find from the ground. We knew it [was] important, Zalmout recalled in an email. It was the first direct evidence of any large primate or hominid life in the area. In 2018, lab tests revealed that this specimen was a finger bone from an anatomically modern human who would have lived at least 86,000 years ago. Prior to this Al Wusta discovery, evidence in the form of stone tools had suggested some human presence in the Nefud between 55,000 and 125,000 years ago. To anthropologists, human and hominin can mean any of a number of species closely related to our own. The finger bone was the oldest Homo sapiens find in the region. The bones dating contradicts a well-established narrative in the scientific community. Findings, particularly from the area of modern-day Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon, known as the Levant region, have led to the understanding that H. sapiens first made their way out of Africa no earlier than 120,000 years ago, likely migrating north along the Mediterranean coast. These people settled in the Levant and their descendantsor those from a subsequent early human migration out of Africatraveled into Europe tens of thousands of years later. Only later, that story goes, did they journey into parts of Asia, such as Saudi Arabia. By some estimates, then, anatomically modern humans would not have been in what is now Al Wusta until about 50,000 years ago. The fingerbone, then, adds a twist to the tale of how and when our species left the African continent and, with many starts and stops, populated much of the rest of the earth. A new crop of discoveries, particularly from Asia, suggest that modern humans first left Africa some 200,000 years ago, taking multiple different routes. A new story is unfolding, says anthropologist Michael Petraglia. No longer is the Levant necessarily centraland points east could have had unforeseen importance to early human migrations. As anthropologist Michael Petraglia, of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, puts it, A new story is unfolding. These findings could shed light on big unanswered questions, such as why humans made these migrations, what past environmental conditions were like, and how H. sapiens interacted with other hominins. But the changing narrative also underscores how much of our knowledge comes fromand is limited bywhere archaeologists and other researchers have worked. The geographic emphasis has long been influenced not by science but by access, funding, and tradition. The first hint that the long-held story of human journeys out of Africa had missed something critical came from within the well-studied Levant region, in the Misliya Cave in Israel. In 2018, archaeologists revealed that they had found a human jawbone in this cave. The bonedated with three different methods in the course of a decadelong investigationis between 177,000 and 194,000 years old, pushing back the timeline of when humans first lived here by at least 50,000 years. And older stone tools found in layers beneath the jaw suggest that humans could have been present in this area even longer. Its possible, then, that humans left Africa and journeyed into the Levantand elsewhereeven earlier than the date of this jawbone. This line of thinking gained still more traction in July 2019, when a group of scholars published novel findings on a skull discovered in Greece in the 1970s. That fossil, the new work suggests, is human and more than 210,000 years old. But in addition to this changing timeline, researchers are rethinking where humans traveled when they left Africa. The Al Wusta find is just one example. In 2015, researchers in China published their finding of 47 human teeth, dating between 85,000 and 120,000 years old, in a cave in Hunan province. Until this discovery, the oldest modern human fossils found in southern Asia were only about 45,000 years old. These new findings oblige [us] to rethink when and the way we dispersed, says forensic anthropologist Maria Martinon-Torres, director of the National Research Center on Human Evolution in Burgos, Spain, and a member of the team that discovered and studied the teeth. She adds: There may be more than one out of Africa dispersal humans, like any other animal, may have expanded as far as there was not any barrier, ecological or geographic, that prevented them from doing so. In 2018, researchers in India published on the discovery of a collection of advanced stone tools. They say this find indicates a hominin presence stretching back at least 170,000 yearsmillennia earlier than previous research suggested. And some evidence suggests early humans may have headed directly toward Asia by crossing from Africa over the Arabian Peninsula, altogether bypassing the Levant, where so much of the earliest evidence of humans outside Africa has come from. A combination of new discoveries, then, has shifted understandings of the timing, routes, and geographic range associated with H. sapiens dispersal out of Africa. But for archaeologists, the finds also flag a blind spot of sorts. As Martinon-Torres says, These findings are also a big warning note regarding Asia. Indeed, there is growing awareness of the need to expand the geographic scope of paleontology and archaeology related to early human migrations and evolution. For a long time, Martinon-Torres adds, Asia was considered like a dead end with a secondary role in the mainstream of human evolution. There is a huge bias in archaeological fieldwork and where its occurring, and our theories on human evolution are built on these geographic biases, says Petraglia, who with Zalmout and colleagues at the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage found the Al Wusta fingerbone. For a long time, Asia was considered like a dead end, says anthropologist Maria Martinon-Torres. Several factors have contributed to this bias, explains archaeologist and writer Nadia Durrani, who co-authored Archaeology: A Brief Introduction with anthropologist Brian Fagan. Archaeology began more than a century ago as a Western scientific discipline, she says. The first archaeologists, who were European and American, focused mainly on Mediterranean Europe and lands mentioned in the Bible, including modern-day Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Israel, and the West Bank. People were interested in the Bible and classical issues, including ancient Greece and Rome, Durrani says. As archaeologists made discoveries in those areas, the interest in those regions grew, and institutions sprouted up in those same places, which in turn fueled further research there. Countries where paleoanthropological research has been conducted for many decades are more likely to have important finds that are also well-known and valued by the people themselves, says Katerina Harvati, director of paleoanthropology at the University of Tubingen. And therefore, [they] are likely to have more funding opportunities. The opposite is also true. It can be difficult to convince colleagues or prospective funders of a places potential when it has been little explored and lacks certain forms of infrastructure. Environmental and natural barriers can come into play. Petraglia points out that working in areas that havent been well-explored can require starting from the beginning with tasks like surveys and mapping, and there is often no previous work to draw on. For that matter, political issues may help or hinder archaeologists. Durrani participated in fieldwork in Yemen in the 1990s, for example, and later led tours at archaeological sites there. This work came to a halt in 2008 due to political instability in the area. Violence and conflicts pose serious barriers for access, she says. The new findings indicate that attitudes toward Asia are changing, with more and more attention turning to this region. The shift coincides with economic and political changes. In the past two decades, China has been inviting scholarship into previously unstudied regions. More recently, Saudi Arabia has been opening up certain sites for archaeology and tourism. Over time, access and conditions will, scientists hope, further improve. In the interim, this research reveals that anatomically modern humans left Africa earlier than expected and traveled south, along the Arabian Peninsula, in addition to north. However, some of these finds have drawn skepticism. Jeffrey Schwartz, professor emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh, cautions against drawing dramatic conclusions from the findings. I think we are calling too many things H. sapiens, he says. By contrast, Mina Weinstein-Evron, an archaeologist at Haifa University who co-discovered the Misliya Cave jawbone suspects that the recent findings are H. sapiens but agrees that the story of anatomically modern human dispersal is still far from clear. We know nothing. We have a dot of evidence here and a dot of evidence there, she says. And then we use these big words like migration and dispersal. We talk as if they bought a ticket. But they didnt know where they were going. For them it was probably not even a movement, maybe it was 10 kilometers per generation. Whats more, some genetic findings hint that even if humans traveled out of Africa and into Asia earlier than previously thought, its possible these early human migrations were ultimately unsuccessful from an evolutionary perspective. According to conclusions from three different groups of scientists who published in Nature in 2016, the DNA of Eurasians diverged from that of Africans 60,000 to 80,000 years ago. In other words, all humans alive today are descendants of H. sapiens who migrated out of Africa within that windowas well as other hominins, such as Neanderthals. Nonetheless, the earlier migrations are intriguing, says Luca Pagani, a biological anthropologist who authored one of the Nature articles. Although its not going to change our idea of which migrations were a success, it does show a richer variety of attempts at dispersal, he says, and that is an essential part of the story of early modern humans. Indeed, the reasons certain early human migrations failed could illuminate major questions in archaeology. Martinon-Torres and her colleagues working in China, for example, have posited that early modern humans may have been in competition with Neanderthals or other hominins, which could have influenced their movements. Petraglia, meanwhile, suspects early modern humans may have thrived in the Arabian site until water disappeared as the desert expanded. If you want to know how climate change may affect us one day, well, weve got a whole story here about the effects of climate change on human populations, he says. In short, the descendants of these intrepid humans may not have survived, but their stories could still guide us into the future. Zarif: Iran, China condemn illegal US sanctions that bar fight against virus Iran Press TV Thursday, 16 April 2020 2:05 PM Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has announced Iran and China's condemnation of the illegal and unilateral US sanctions against the Islamic Republic as the country is doing its best to bring under control a deadly outbreak of new coronavirus, known as COVID-19. "I am very delighted to have spoken to my old friend Wang Yi, China's foreign minister and State Councilor," Zarif tweeted in Chinese on Thursday, referring to the phone conversation that took place between the top diplomats a day earlier. "I thanked China for sending over aid and a medical team to help Iran's confrontation with the coronavirus, and [we] condemned the illegal US sanctions that act as a big obstacle in the way of Iran's efforts to battle the virus," he added. According to the Iranian foreign minister, the conversation also featured issues of common interest such as deepening of the comprehensive strategic collaboration between the countries and the subject of peace and stability in Afghanistan. The US reinstated its sanctions against Iran in May 2018 after leaving a United Nations-endorsed nuclear agreement with the Islamic Republic and five other major powers -- the UK, France, Russia, and China plus Germany. Tehran sued Washington at the International Court of Justice afterwards. The tribunal ruled that the US should lift its sanctions on humanitarian supplies. Washington, meanwhile, claims that it has exempted foodstuffs and medicine from the bans. Tehran roundly rejects the claim as a "brazen" lie. Zarif has written to the UN and all international organizations, urging removal of the draconian measures and underlining their counterproductive effect on Iran's fight against the viral outbreak. Since emerging in central China late last year, the novel virus that can lead to a potentially fatal respiratory infection called Covid-19 that has killed nearly 136,000 and infected close to 2,100,000 people worldwide. Iran has lost 4,869 to the infection. Also on Wednesday, Zarif posted another tweet, hitting out at the US for deciding earlier to halt funding to the World Health Organization amid the pandemic, saying the world might now better realize Tehran's long experience of bearing the brunt of Washington's deadly bullying. "The world is learning what Iran has known & experienced all along: US regime's bullying, threatening & vainglorious blathering isn't just an addiction: it kills people," he wrote. "Like "maximum pressure" against Iran, the shameful defunding WHO amid a pandemic will live in infamy," he added. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he was halting funding to the WHO while a review is conducted to assess the agency's "role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus." The declaration drew harsh criticism, even from the US' allies, including the Europeans. By announcing a halt to the WHO's funding, critics argue, the White House is undermining the international response to COVID-19 and other serious diseases, in an attempt to distract attention from questions over its own handling of the health emergency. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address (Newser) 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 AP reports. 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. story continues below 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 people's mistrust of authoritative sources for information, such as the WHO. Facebook 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 claimsthe labels were based on 4,000 fact checks. Facebook says those warning labels have stopped 95% of users from clicking on the false information. "It's a big indicator that people are trusting the fact checkers," said Baybars Orsek, director of the International Fact-Checking Network. "The label has an impact on peoples information consumption." (Read more Facebook stories.) - World Health Organization (WHO) noted the novel coronavirus was already spreading from capital cities to 'the hinterlands' of African countries - The organisation indicated it was focusing on prevention rather than treatment because African countries did not have enough capacity to treat COVID-19 patients - As of April 17, Africa as a whole had recorded over 18,700 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 972 deaths in total The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the African continent could become the next epicentre of the global coronavirus pandemic. The organisation observed there was a significant rise in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across Africa in the past week. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Kenyans in quarantine added 14 more days for violating social distance rule World Health Organization (WHO) noted there was a spike in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the past few weeks. Photo: WHO. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Rais Magufuli atangaza siku 3 za maombi huku janga la coronavirus likizidi kutokota The continent, WHO indicated, did not have enough ventilators yet to deal with a pandemic as grave and complicated as the novel coronavirus. According to the regional director of WHO Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, the virus was already spreading from the capital cities to the hinterlands in South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Ghana. READ ALSO: COVID- 19: Idadi ya wagonjwa Tanzania yafika 147 baada ya wagonjwa 53 zaidi kukutwa na virusi Moeti noted WHO was now focusing on prevention rather than treating the disease because African countries did not have the capacity to treat many COVID-19 patients. We want to minimise the proportion of people who get to the point of needing critical care in an ICU, because we know that these types of facilities are not adequate by any means in the majority of African countries, she said. Regional director of WHO Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, indicated WHO was focusing on prevention measures African countries did not have capacity to treat many COVID-19 patients. Photo: Science Africa. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Gov't freezes Raila, former VPs' retirement benefits over COVID-19 Moeti added she was most worried about the issue of ventilators since they were the biggest challenge that most African countries were grappling with. As of April 17, the continent of Africa as a whole had recorded over 18,700 COVID-19 cases and 972 deaths in total. READ ALSO: Eastleigh shuts down businesses, malls as precaution against COVID-19 spread In other news, the World Bank advised African countries to reopen their borders even as the coronavirus pandemic continued to affect people globally. It argued there was an urgent need for the transport of medical supplies, food and other necessities. The lender revealed as at the end of March 2020, 31 some African countries had closed their borders. A Business and Financial Times report showed cross-border trade on a small scale helped to provide for about 43% of Africa's population. 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| Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke SIOUX FALLS, S.D. Federal health officials hope to take the first steps toward getting a South Dakota pork processing plant and coronavirus hot spot back up and running. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had staff in Sioux Falls on Thursday touring the Smithfield Foods, Inc. plant. That step comes three weeks after the first COVID-19 case involving a Smithfield employee was determined on March 24. The CDC team is assessing conditions and developing an action plan needed to safely reopen the hog harvesting facility that's been shut down for nearly a week, according to Gov. Kristi Noem's office. "Next steps of the plan are contingent on feedback from the CDCs efforts today," Noem's spokesman Ian Fury told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, part of the USA TODAY Network. Noem said Thursday that the state expects to have a report from the CDC in the coming days, and that it will be released to the public. The governor also said she's been in close contact with the plant's CEO as well as U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Meat shortage 2020: Coronavirus has led Smithfield, other plants to close, farmers to dump milk Designated time for grocery pickup: Walmart adds curbside pickup hour for seniors, most vulnerable to coronavirus, first responders "Were working closely with the plant to make sure its an environment thats safe for the employees and also, we're doing it in a time frame to help our ag producers who are looking to market their hogs," Noem said. Smithfield Foods is seen on Thursday, April 16, 2020 in Sioux Falls, S.D. The meatpacking plant is the nation's largest hot spot for COVID-19. Late Wednesday, Smithfield sent a statement to Argus Leader thanking the CDC for its support and reiterating the enhanced cleaning taking place at the plant and an education program for its employees to educate them on how to be safe in at home and in the community during a pandemic. Smithfield plans to re-open as soon as possible. "We recognize the critical and essential nature of our work at this facility for the local community, for farmers and for the entire food system," the statement read. "Smithfield will resume operations in Sioux Falls once further direction is received from local, state and federal officials." Story continues Nearly 600 employees at Smithfield plant in South Dakota have COVID-19 Nearly 600 Smithfield employees in Sioux Falls have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic started, with an additional 135 confirmed cases tied directly to the plant. The state isn't releasing how many of those 135 cases are in Smithfield employees' households. Fact check: Smithfield Foods is not selling meat that was slaughtered, processed in China The increasing case numbers at the Smithfield plant prompted the company last week to announce a three-day closure to clean the plant. However, after cases continued to surge there, Noem and Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken Saturday called for the plant to be shut down for 14 days. The following day, Smithfield said it was closing the plant indefinitely. That's caused worry among public officials as well as farmers and food consumers as the closure will choke the nation's meat supply. Smithfield Foods is seen on Thursday, April 16, 2020 in Sioux Falls, S.D. The meatpacking plant is the nation's largest hot spot for COVID-19. Perdue on Wednesday took to social media to say he is in contact with the governor and assisting in getting the Smithfield plant operational as quickly as possible. In a statement Thursday, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the secretary understands the critical nature of maintaining the country's food supply chain while also ensuring the safety of employees and food inspectors during the COVID-19 pandemic. "He also applauds the true commitment and patriotism our food supply chain workers have shown during this time and the work they continue to do day in and day out," the statement read. "USDA recognizes and supports the efforts of private industry and companies to maintain operational status of their facilities while also maintaining the safety and health of their work force. USDA, together with the FDA and CDC, will continue to support a whole of America approach to ensure the food supply chain remains safe and secure. The health & safety of our food supply chain workers is top priority. Im working w/ @GovKristiNoem & @SmithfieldFoods to get the Sioux Falls pork plant reopened ASAP to help minimize disruptions to our critical food supply chain,while making sure employees working there are safe Sec. Sonny Perdue (@SecretarySonny) April 15, 2020 South Dakota's Congressional delegation and 28 other U.S. senators and representatives from agricultural states called on Perdue on Thursday to "take immediate action" to provide financial and technical assistance to American pork producers in the event Smithfield and other meat plants around the country remain closed beyond In the the letter, which Sen. John Thune and Rep. Dusty Johnson led efforts to craft, the members of Congress said they're hopeful the nation's food supply chain can be restored quickly, but farmers need assurance that if it isn't, they will be supported. However, in the event that producers are unable to schedule harvest of their hogs, we request that you consider how to use your existing authorities and available funds to compensate producers for losses," read the letter. Share your thoughts with USA TODAY Fill out the form below or through this link for possible inclusion in USA TODAY's continuing COVID-19 coverage. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Coronavirus: Smithfield Foods reopening plan in CDC's hands for review China on Thursday came under mounting pressure over the coronavirus pandemic from Western powers led by the United States, which said it was probing whether the virus that has infected more than 2.1 million people actually originated in a Wuhan laboratory. The new focus on Chinas role came as the world wrestles with a crisis that has killed more than 140,000 people and created historic jobless numbers, with Britain, Japan and New York extending lockdown measures. President Donald Trump, who initially downplayed the illness whose US death toll has shot past 30,000, has been attacking China for weeks and appeared to gain support after a videoconference 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. Well have to ask the hard questions about how it came about and how it couldnt 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 dont know about, he said in an interview with the Financial Times. COVID-19 first emerged late last year in Wuhan, with China saying it was suspected to have been transmitted to humans at a meat market 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. Were 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 Chinas 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 was produced in 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 Europes largest economy, voiced full support for the WHO in the Group of Seven talks. Merkel emphasized that the pandemic can only be defeated with a strong and coordinated international response, said her spokesman, Steffen Seibert. Europe still in eye of storm The WHO has been in the forefront of international efforts to fight the virus and is seen as especially vital for developing nations with creaky health systems. In an assessment Thursday for Europe, the WHO said positive signs in Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland were overshadowed by sustained or increased levels of infections in other countries such as Britain, Turkey, Ukraine and Russia. We remain in the eye of the storm, said Hans Kluge, the WHOs regional director for Europe. It is imperative that we do not let down our guard. Britain, whose daily death toll spiked to 861 on Thursday, will extend its lockdown for at least the next few weeks, Raab said. Trump has voiced growing impatience to reopen the United States. He faces re-election in November and had hoped to campaign on a booming economy. New data showed the United States shedding an incredible 22 million jobs in the last month, with 5.2 million workers seeking unemployment benefits last week. But Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, the US epicenter of the virus, said he was extending the shutdown 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. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expanded his state of emergency until May 6, allowing local leaders to urge people to stay at home but with no legal force. Japan has seen a relatively small outbreak, with 136 deaths, and Abe is also worried about the impact on the worlds third-largest economy which was already on the brink of recession. 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 citys 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 after a month-long closure 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 said only a safe and effective vaccine can return the world to normal and hoped it would be available by year-end. He also issued an appeal to protect the worlds 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. SOURCE: AFP By Triste A. Brooks We are living in frightening and uncertain times, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread and threatens our state, our nation, and the world. While our lives seem to be turned upside down, the coronavirus is not the only health concern New Jerseyans are facing. Imagine what its like if you think you might have a sexually transmitted infection, or youre running low on birth control, or you just discovered youre facing an unplanned pregnancy. As the number of coronavirus cases in New Jersey continues to climb, residents will be forced to adapt in a number of ways. But losing access to essential sexual and reproductive health care services during this challenging time must not be one of the sacrifices we make. Thats why Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central, and Southern New Jersey (PPNCSNJ) is working hard to keep our health centers open. We always put our patients health first and continue to do so, even in these unprecedented times. We know that sexually transmitted infections, urinary tract infections, birth control, abortion, and other essential health issues cant wait. Patients need access to reproductive health care and as a trusted health care provider, were doing our best to provide the essential care New Jerseyans need. Were taking precautions, based on guidance from the CDC and New Jersey Department of Health, to protect staff and patients and reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus just as all health care providers are doing. While conditions are changing rapidly, were working to adapt and doing our best to accommodate our patients. For many of our patients, Planned Parenthood is their only source of care, making our health centers an irreplaceable part of our states health care system especially now. While the future remains uncertain, were going to do our best to continue to be here in every way we can to provide the health care New Jerseyans need. We also encourage New Jerseyans to do your part by practicing preventative measures so you can stay healthy. In addition to social distancing, safe sex practices are important especially during a pandemic when health care can be harder to access. As always, the health and safety of our patients, staff and communities are our top priorities. We are here for New Jerseyans and continue to work with state and public health officials to provide high-quality, affordable, essential sexual and reproductive health care. Triste A. Brooks is president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central, and Southern New Jersey. 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. We have long known that federal Indian law "trust doctrine" is not trustworthy. The US Supreme Court admitted this fact in 2011, when Justice Samuel Alito said, "Throughout the history of the Indian trust relationship, we have recognized that the organization and management of the trust is a sovereign function subject to the plenary authority of Congress. the Government has often structured the trust relationship to pursue its own policy goals." [ United States v. Jicarilla Apache Nation , 564 U.S. 162, 175-176]. The untrustworthy federal Indian law trust doctrine was fully on view in the March 28, 2020, termination of Mashpee Wampanoag trust land status. The US Interior Department, following a February decision by the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Littlefield v. Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribe [951 F.3d 30, 33], revoked the "trust" status approved in 2015. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) statement: "I stand with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe in their fight to restore lands that belong to them & oppose the disgraceful decision by the Trump Administration to disestablish their lands held in trust by the Department of Interior." @SenSanders pic.twitter.com/WIXHlM0yuM indianz.com (@indianz) March 29, 2020 Supposedly, under the federal Indian law "plenary power doctrine," only the US Congress has power to terminate trust land status. That point was also made by Justice Alito in the Jicarilla case. The Mashpee termination decision by Interior shows that no part of federal Indian law is trustworthy, even the parts that declare Congress has full authority over "Indian affairs." "Trust doctrine" and "plenary power doctrine" go way back to the beginning of federal Indian law and its roots in "Christian discovery doctrine." The earliest case, Johnson v. McIntosh (1823), declared the US owned all Native lands on the basis of "Christian discovery doctrine." The second case, Cherokee Nation v. United States (1831), said the US was the "trustee" for Native nations. The third case, Worcester v. Georgia (1832), said US power over Native peoples was "supreme." Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is promising to fight for a #Carcieri fix in order to prevent the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and other Indian nations from losing their homelands. @JoeBiden #StandWithMashpee https://t.co/bRBM69y5Vo indianz.com (@indianz) March 31, 2020 The courts have affirmed these basic federal Indian law doctrines of domination over and over again. Even the liberal wing of the Supreme Court goes along with them. In 2005, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, "Under the 'doctrine of discovery' title to the lands occupied by Indians when the colonists arrived became vested in the United States." [ City of Sherrill, N.Y. v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York , 544 U.S. 197, 204 n.1]. Justice Ginsburg wrote those words to justify a decision that the Oneida Nation had no jurisdiction over its own ancestral lands because they were not in "trust" by the US. The Mashpee are now in the same position. They have no jurisdiction over their own lands, where they have lived since time immemorial, because the US refuses "trust" status. The Mashpee and Oneida cases were decided under the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act, which said the US can "acquire lands for Indians." But after you see the untrustworthiness of federal Indian law doctrines, you might ask, "Why do Native nations need a US 'trust' to exercise jurisdiction over their own lands? Can Native nations only exist under US domination?" Native nations pre-exist the US; they are not really part of the US structure. The US Supreme Court admitted this fact too. In 1991, Justice Antonin Scalia said, "it would be absurd to suggest that the tribes surrendered immunity [under] a [constitution] to which they were not even parties." [ Blatchford v. Native Village of Noatak & Circle Village , 501 U.S. 775, 782]. It's high time that we understood federal Indian law and quit using superficial language that Native nations are "partners" with the US. A real partnership is based on treaties, not federal agency decisions and bogus court doctrines. Peter dErrico graduated from Yale Law School in 1968. He was Staff attorney in Dinebeiina Nahiina be Aghadiitahii Navajo Legal Services, 1968-1970, in Shiprock. He taught Legal Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 1970-2002. He is a consulting attorney on Indigenous issues. Join the Conversation Continuing a long-standing tradition, the scholarship committee of the Hale County Stock Show announced its recipients for 2020. Each year the committee meets to review applications from graduating seniors who have been accepted to college for the coming summer or fall term. Applicants must have participated in the Hale County Livestock Show and submit applications which include a review of activities and awards, grades and an essay. The years scholarship recipients include Wrye Akers of Abernathy, Seth Berry of Cotton Center, Darcie Burnett of Hale Center, and Audrey Gicante of Petersburg. Each will receive a $500 Scholarship for the upcoming summer or fall term. Akers, daughter of Steven and Cindy, has been an active seven-year member of 4-H and four-year member of FFA. She plans to study agricultural leadership to enter the field of government affairs/lobbyist. Berrys parents are Shane and Shelley. He is an active member of five years in FFA and 10 years in 4-H and plans to study sustainable agriculture and agroecology to become a farmer. Burnett, whose parents are Troy and Saralyn, plans to study speech, language, and hearing science to become a speech pathologist. She has been an active five-year member of FFA and thirteen-year member of 4-H. Gicantes parents are John and Katherine. She is an active eight-year member of FFA and plans to study animal science to become a doctor of large animal veterinary medicine. Each of these individuals has proven work ethic, leadership skills, strong academics and a desire to be active in their respective schools, communities or churches. They are fine examples for their peers and the stock show committee has all confidence that they will do well in college. The Hale County Stock Show is led by a board of directors from across the county. The show and related events are held in January. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) Officers, health and day care workers in the barangay can now avail of the governments cash assistance amid the coronavirus disease pandemic, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said Friday. The agency said it has coordinated with the Interior Department to add the barangay workers to the Social Amelioration Program since they earn below minimum wage. The so-called heavy-lifting job for the immediate response to the pandemic has been delegated to [barangay health workers] and Tanods as the frontliners in all community, a memo signed by DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista stated. It is but just to give them reasonable leeway to be [entitled] in the programs of the government. The factors considered in including beneficiaries to the program are: if the person belongs to the poor or informal sector, if the person is at risk of not earning a living during the quarantine period and if the person is among the vulnerable sector, such as sub-minimum wage earners. Beneficiaries of the cash aid program receive up to 8,000 from April to May for their daily needs. The department earlier said it will only validate recipients only after the aid has been dispensed, to fast-track distribution. As for those who are not included in the list of beneficiaries, the agency appealed to mayors to pull from their own funds to provide for them. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17 Trend: Giant companies of the world want to work with Azerbaijan, said Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev while making an opening speech at the meeting on the socio-economic results of the first quarter of 2020 through videoconference, Trend reports. I believe that our activities on the international plane have also been successful since the beginning of this year. My participation in the Davos Forum and the Munich Conference, I believe, has led to very positive results. The Davos World Economic Forum is the main international economic event of the world, which brings together the worlds political and economic elite. Once again, I saw a great interest in Azerbaijan. I witnessed this. Giant companies of the world want to work with Azerbaijan. Good conditions were created for further steps and the signing of new agreements. Many of the meetings I held at the Davos Forum lead to specific results. Investments are being made in Azerbaijan, large companies actively cooperate with Azerbaijan, etc., said President Ilham Aliyev. As for the Munich Security Conference, the head of state noted that this is the main global security conference. This time, there was an opportunity to communicate both historical and the overall truth about the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to a wide audience in a live format. This audience includes millions of people. Given that the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia conducted live debates for the first time in history, there was a great interest in them. The debates once again showed that Armenian propaganda is built on falsification, lies and mythology. Our words are based on history, historical documents, historical realities and international law. Therefore, the results of the Munich Security Conference blew the Armenian propaganda to the smithereens and put an end to the false information they had been circulating for years. Of course, it is possible that such attempts will continue to be made, but no-one will believe this. Therefore, I consider that the event related to the conflict and the history of the South Caucasus was a great success for us. In tens of thousands of messages addressed to me, the Azerbaijani people once again expressed their support, said President Ilham Aliyev. As Egypt's cultural scene shifted online with measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19, independent filmmakers released three short films to raise awareness on hygiene, social distancing and the possible consequences of ignoring quarantine measures. In March, the Egyptian government shut down cinemas and theaters. The Ministry of Culture created a program called "Culture in Your Hand," offering a number of plays and music concerts online to entertain people during lockdown. Many independent artists have started putting their performances, concerts and other artwork on the social media. The three young independent directors have taken this route to ensure that their work about the pandemic reach an audience. Mohaned el-Desoky released a short movie with English subtitles called "COVID-19." He told Al-Monitor, Even when the government announced its decisions to close schools and coffee shops, people still appeared to be unaware of the graveness of the situation and the risks of contamination. Some people continued to get together to play PlayStation and women continued to exchange their lipsticks and make-up. So I decided to make a fictional movie to tell people that if they continue to do all that, they will push us into a very bad scenario where people die in the streets, as we saw in footage from China. The seven-minute film begins with news clips announcing the outbreak and the death rates in China and Italy. Then it portrays the outbreak in Egypt using news footage and short videos to show people continuing to congregate despite the warnings about social distancing. We want to tell people that sooner or later the virus will end, but we want it to end with fewer deaths," el-Desoky explained. "Lockdown is not a vacation, its a quarantine to save our lives." El-Desoky shot the film in three days, working over 12 hours a day, to produce the movie as quickly as possible. The film, originally 30 minutes, was edited down to seven to make it easier to run on social platforms. I Have Coronavirus" is another five-minute film written by Marwa Naguib and directed by Fady Nour, a Jordanian director based in Egypt. It features a young woman, portrayed by actress Ola Samir, who gets the virus and documents her case every day. I shot the movie in a single day at my office. I wanted to release the movie as fast as I could to help people understand the dangers of the virus, Nour told Al-Monitor. However, Nour admitted, the film scared viewers rather than made them more careful. Our mood was gloomy we were influenced by what we hear and see in the news. So the movie didnt give hope in the final scene, but now Im preparing a new movie that will give hope to people, he said. Im deeply optimistic that the crisis will end in Egypt soon." In a third film, A Brief History of the Quarantine," Khaled Saeed Abdulhamid addresses the demoralization that can afflict people under quarantine and how they can overcome it by doing things they love, like reading. The name is taken from Stephen Hawkings book A Brief History of Time, which inspired the director to do the project. Abdulhamid writes articles and short stories for various websites and has a YouTube channel called ADABGY, where he reviews books. Written, acted, narrated and directed by Abdulhamid, the four-minute film shows a person sitting alone making coffee and reading a book, with a voiceover explaining how important it is for people to stay at home even if they are bored. I didnt plan much," Abdulhamid told Al-Monitor. "I wanted to give people hope that no matter how bored we are, we are alive and it is important that we overcome this tough period. Other young artists turned to graffiti and photography to raise awareness about the virus and the efforts of Egypt's doctors and health care workers. In al-Mahalla el-Kobra, the largest city of Gharbia governorate, artist friends Ahmed Hassan and Ashraf Mansour painted a mural depicting a female doctor wearing a golden crown. Its text reads, full support to Egypts white army," a reference to doctors in lab coats. In the Upper Egyptian city of Qena, a group of university students organized a photo shoot April 6 depicting the military, academics and health care workers literally battling the outbreak. The novel coronavirus was represented by a man with a spiky green head. Reactions were mixed, as some viewers liked it but others found it naive. Some artists like to get in on the trend and thats a good thing as long as you do it right. Im a director and can have an influence on people so I should take part in times like this and create something artistic for people to watch, understand and enjoy, Nour told Al-Monitor. The captain said that barring "absolutely critical" circumstances, no one is permitted to leave or come aboard the Queen Victoria for two weeks. Jon Nazca/Reuters The captain of Cunard Line's MS Queen Victoria cruise ship said in a shipwide announcement this week that some crew members had COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, according to leaked audio. The captain, Tomas Connery, told crew members that the ship, which is off the coast of Southhampton, England, had "some COVID-19 cases on board." Crew members not assigned to "essential work" were told to quarantine in their cabins for at least two weeks. Are you a cruise-ship crew member or a cruise-line employee? Email acain@businessinsider. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. A Cunard Line cruise ship moored in Southhampton, England, is dealing with an outbreak of COVID-19, and all nonessential crew members have been asked to remain in their cabins for at least two weeks. Leaked audio of a shipwide announcement this week by Capt. Tomas Connery provided to Business Insider by a crew member of the MS Queen Victoria provides a clear view of the uncertainty and inertia surrounding the lives of crew members stuck aboard cruise ships around the world. "Unfortunately, we have had some news today that confirms that we do indeed have some COVID-19 cases on board," Connery said. "Working in conjunction with our shoreside medical team, we need to protect you, ourselves, our crew, as much as possible during this time." Cunard Line and its parent company, Carnival Corporation, did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment. It is unclear how many crew members on board have tested positive for COVID-19. A Carnival crew member not aboard the Queen Victoria told Business Insider that there could be up to seven people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the ship's medical center. The ship-tracking websites VesselFinder and Cruisin showed the Queen Victoria moored in Southhampton on Friday. Vessel Finder logged the ship as having made an eight-hour stop in Port Everglades, Florida, on March 17. Story continues The BBC reported in March that Cunard had canceled its three international cruises on the Queen Mary 2, the Queen Victoria, and the Queen Elizabeth. The line's "pause of operations" is set to last until May 15, according to Cunard's website. In the leaked audio, the captain said that barring "absolutely critical" circumstances, no one was permitted to leave or come aboard the Queen Victoria for 14 days. Crew members who had been prepared to disembark were told they would be "advised and updated of your new plans for your departure." Connery proceeded to explain several new shipwide rules put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on board. "The following measures I'm about to outline may not be easy and will have a significant impact on your day-to-day life on board, certainly for the next couple of weeks, but, I must be absolutely clear, also for as long as necessary," Connery told the crew. The captain repeatedly said the ship would have to begin "working on the fundamental principle that you should be only out of your cabin to work on essential activities from now on, or in an emergency." Crew members were told that managers would be in contact with those tasked with essential work. "Otherwise, you should assume you are to remain in your cabin," Connery said. He said that crew members in isolation would be provided three meals a day, left outside their cabins. After eating, they would deposit their trays in the hall outside, while other crew members would be tasked with collecting them and sanitizing the halls. Connery encouraged crew members especially those assigned to essential tasks to keep washing their hands throughout the day. "You must also wear a surgical mask every time you leave your cabin," he said. "Avoid touching the mask with your hands, and if you do, wash your hands thoroughly." In the announcement, Connery told crew members to be aware of symptoms of COVID-19 such as a fever, a persistent cough, and breathlessness. He said crew members experiencing such symptoms should call the ship's medical center. "If you are at work and notice these symptoms, leave your work immediately, return to your cabin, do not look for your supervisor, and you must not report to the medical center but you must call the medical center once you are in your cabin," he said. The captain said crew members would be allowed to take "fresh-air breaks," with those confined to their cabins being given priority. He said details about those breaks would be announced "in due course." The ship's leadership was also said to be "exploring what can be done to improve the internet and television content, to make sure that you are always as comfortable as possible whilst you are in your assigned cabin." "My absolute priority at this time, but never more so than at the moment, is to keep you all safe and well," Connery said. "We are doing all of this to protect ourselves, and I thank you for all of your patience as we collectively work through this difficult time." Connery signed off by thanking the ship's medical center's staff for "working to keep us all in good health during these very challenging times." Are you a cruise-ship crew member or a cruise-line employee? Email acain@businessinsider. Read the original article on Business Insider The High Court has appointed an interim examiner to the Dublin-based regional airline CityJet, giving it protection from its creditors in a bid for survival. The airline and its subsidiaries, which flies routes on behalf of other airlines including SAS and Aer Lingus, employs 1,175 people, over 410 of whom are based in Dublin. The airline, which is best known for flying routes out of London City Airport, sought the protection of the courts from its creditors due to financial difficulties which were exacerbated after its fleet was grounded by the Covid-19 outbreak. The decision to seek examinership comes just two weeks after CityJet founder and CEO Pat Byrne said he thought the company could avoid doing so. CityJet's auditor, Deloitte, had been providing business advice to the carrier as the pandemic cripples air traffic, but Mr Byrne told the Irish Independent earlier this month that Deloitte was not preparing any business review as a precursor to an examiner being appointed. "They're just making sure that we have all of the information that we need, giving us a lot of advice and guiding us on negotiations," he said at the time. "We've been looking at all options," Mr Byrne added. "We've been working with stakeholders, our customers and our shareholder. Speaking today, Mr Byrne said that examinership is designed to assist a company that can demonstrate long-term viability. "I firmly believe that it is both prudent and responsible for the board of directors to have applied for examinership in order to preserve the business in the light of the compounding effect of the global shutdown of airline operations due to the impact of Covid-19," he said. "We firmly believe that the airline can sustain itself through this standstill period and will emerge as a stronger company at the end of this process and importantly will be well-positioned to grow its operations and sustain our capacity to continue to employ significant numbers of people." He added: We have built a great business and a great team at CityJet and I am totally confident that we will see our way through this stage with the support of our key stakeholders. The impact of the virus, the company's counsel Rossa Fanning SC told the court today, interrupted and adversely affected a planned merger with another airline and a proposed private restructure of the company. However, despite the uncertainty in the aviation caused by the pandemic, CityJet says that the business can saved following a successful examinership process. At the High Court on Friday, Mr Justice Garrett Simons said he was satisfied to appoint experienced insolvency practitioner Kieran Wallace of KPMG as interim examiner to CityJet. The judge said while the company was insolvent and unable to pay its debts as they fall due, he accepted evidence from an independent expert that the airline has a reasonable prospect of survival if certain steps are taken. Those steps include a successful restructuring of the airline and the examiner putting together a scheme of arrangement with the company's creditors, which if approved by the High Court will allow the firm to continue to trade as a going concern. Cost cutting measures have also been introduced, which the company says will result in the saving of millions of euro. Mr Fanning, appearing with Stephen Byrne BL, said the company founded by respected entrepreneur Pat Byrne, who is one of the company's current directors and its executive chairman, had been in business since the early 1990s. Counsel said the company, which no longer flies scheduled routes itself, and has moved to a model known in the aviation industry known as wet leasing, where it provides serviced aircraft and crews to operate routes for other carriers. In each of the last three years the firm had revenues of over 220m. The company had made a profit in 2017, but suffered significant losses in 2018 and 2019 due to various factors. The company has debts of 500m, and current has a net deficit of liabilities over assets on a going concern basis of 186m, counsel said. Its creditors include the Triangle Group, firms involved in the leasing of aircraft, Investec, the Revenue Commissioners, as well as debts owed to related companies. CityJet operates a fleet of 34 aircraft, including 28 CRJ900 jets and eight Avro RJ85s. "We've had to absolutely cut our costs to the bone," said Mr Byrne earlier this month. "With huge sacrifice by staff, we've absolutely managed to minimise our costs in all areas." In order to counter its difficulties, plans had been put in place with its creditors to restructure the business and merge with Spanish airline Air Nostrum. The airlines fleet, which mainly flies routes around the Nordic countries and Scandinavia, have been grounded as a result of the outbreak. Counsel said that there were positive aspects including that the company's main customer, SAS, has agreed to support it during the current hiatus, and that there had been positive engagements with its creditors. Counsel said while a return to commercial flying was uncertain the company expected that its services will return gradually over the coming months, and that the company could make a profit if the examinership process is successful. Counsel said that the appointment of an examiner would be beneficial for all parties concerned. The Judge said that he was satisfied from the evidence put before the court that an interim examiner should be appointed to the firm. The examinership the judge said would be a complex one, when all matters including the amount of debt involved were taken into account, and he said not time should be lost in a process that must be completed within 100 days. After approving Mr Wallace's appointment as interim examiner Mr Justice Simons adjourned the matter to a date later this month. The Niger state government has lifted the suspension of congregational Friday Prayer (Jumaat) for today Friday, 17th April 2020. In a statement released this morning, the state government said the Jumaat Prayer is expected to hold between 11 am to 3 pm under strict observance of all the precautionary measures, using hand sanitizers, face masks, hand washing facilities (soap, and water), maintaining social distancing and avoiding contact base greetings. The sermon and prayers are to be conducted within thirty minutes; Muslims are advised to adhere strictly to the precautionary measures taken by Government on the containment of coronavirus pandemic in the State. the statement read in part The lockdown, however, continues immediately after the Jumaat Prayers. Niger state has two confirmed case of COVID19. SPECIAL GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT 17th April, 2020 This is to inform the Muslim Ummah that the Niger State Government has lifted the suspension of congregational Friday Prayer (Jumaat) for today Friday, 17th April, 2020. pic.twitter.com/yJ6wKfdtM7 Governor Niger (@GovNiger) April 17, 2020 Post Views: 18 Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Thursday allowing the California State University system to adjust admissions criteria for applicants affected by the coronavirus crisis. The order waives certain requirements for changing the CSU admissions criteria through June 2021 and would impact students applying later this year to enroll as freshmen in fall 2021. It notes that the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent school closures has disrupted the lives and educational progress of K-12 students, impacting their ability to meet existing admissions prerequisites for the CSU system. Newsom said April 1 that California schools closed due to the coronavirus outbreak would not reopen this academic year. Students signed up to take the SAT and ACT this spring, meanwhile, have seen the admissions tests canceled due to the pandemic. In addition to the CSU admission requirements, Newsoms order aims to expedite background checks for workers in health and safety areas by temporarily allowing the states Department of Justice to perform name-based checks instead of requiring fingerprint identification. 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. Amid a shortage of fingerprinting services, the 60-day waiver will help avoid delays in hiring for such areas as health care, elderly and child care and in-home service, the governors office said in a statement. Also included in the order are items allowing for federal stimulus checks to be paid directly to parents who are owed past-due child support and for commercially licensed food trucks to operate in road-side rest areas for 60 days to serve workers in the trucking industry. Matt Kawahara is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mkawahara@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @matthewkawahara More than a month later, Christian Hoffmann is still in Munich, working at home for a pharmaceutical company. His wife is living temporarily in an apartment in Frederick, Md., doing administrative tasks on her laptop for her job as an air traffic controller. She has spent countless hours watching the news and the first five seasons of Game of Thrones, and bonding with their surrogate, who has brought her three daughters to the parking lot of Andreas building so she can watch them dance from a second-floor balcony. A coronavirus patient being treated in Vannes, France, March 20, 2020. Stephane Mahe/Reuters Novel coronavirus patients who experience severe respiratory problems may need to be put on a ventilator to breathe. Patients are sedated and can't eat or speak. Many don't remember the experience later. "The ventilator is not fixing your lungs," ICU doctor Brian Boer told Insider. "You're buying time." Because it's so invasive, Boer says the ventilator is a last resort. A UK study indicated that only a third of COVID-19 patients on ventilators survived. In New York, the fatality rate for patients on the device has been closer to 80%. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Most people infected with the coronavirus recover on their own after a few weeks. But some develop a severe respiratory infection that could land them in the intensive care unit on an invasive ventilator. Brian Boer, a pulmonologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, treated some of the first Americans infected with the coronavirus after they were evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in February. He told Insider doctors are trained to have frank conversations with ICU patients and their families about their options. The ventilator is always a last resort. "What we say ahead of time is, 'We're going to try to get you through this without a ventilator. But if it looks like you are going to potentially die without one, would you want to go on a breathing machine? We don't know whether you'll be a person who makes it through with the machine or one who doesn't,'" Boer said. 'It's almost like you're drowning' The novel coronavirus can start with a dry cough and trickle down to the lower respiratory tract, where it can damage the lung's air sacs, or alveoli, and constrict the flow of oxygen into the bloodstream. That damage causes the alveoli to fill with fluid, stiffening the lungs and leading to shortness of breath. "You don't have nice air in contact with your capillary network and blood vessels, you can't get oxygen in and carbon dioxide out as effectively as normal," Boer said. "It's almost like you're drowning. You have a lung half full of fluid." Story continues In that situation, doctors will try a number of other treatments first. The least invasive is a nasal cannula, essentially a tube with prongs placed on the nostrils. It provides a steady, heated flow of oxygen at 70 liters per minute. Other options include a BiPap machine, which pumps pressurized oxygen through a mask that just covers the nose and mouth. Brian Boer has been treating coronavirus patients at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's ICU ward. Brian Boer "If we can't maintain stable vital signs with you breathing on your own power, or if we see a trend where you go from being able to breathe on your own to requiring escalating amounts of oxygen, that's when we make the decision to let the machine do the work," Boer said. Other symptoms, including clots in the kidneys and injuries to blood vessels, can worsen the patient's overall condition. "It's not just acute respiratory distress syndrome," he said. "There's a whole body [full of] inflammatory stuff going on." The condition of someone with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, can worsen five to 10 days after symptoms appear. But the time between ICU admittance and intubation, Boer said, often depends on the patient's baseline health and how long they waited before going to the hospital. There are reports of patients crashing in a matter of hours but, Boer said, usually symptoms escalate over a day or two. "The bottom line is they are getting such a bad inflammatory response in their lungs [that] their lungs are too filled with fluid and they need help." Some people have the wrong impression of what ventilators do, he added. "The ventilator is not fixing your lungs. You're buying time. Your body needs time to recover and heal." How the intubation process works At the Nebraska Medical Center, there are typically three people in the room with the patient an anesthesiologist or intensivist who performs the intubation, a respiratory therapist, and a bedside nurse to manage medications. Patients can gag during intubation and spray the coronavirus, so staff wear the maximum amount of personal protective equipment including face masks, shields, gloves, and gowns to limit exposure. To prevent spread of the coronavirus, doctors must wear face shields and other personal protective equipment. Benoit Tessier/Reuters A member of the team will first administer a combination of sedatives and paralytic agents. Next, a doctor will pry the airway open wider with a speculum and slide a breathing tube down the windpipe to the lungs. Before the ventilator is started, a small cuff around the tube is inflated to prevent particles from escaping. Once it's on, the machine gently pumps highly oxygenated air at a steady rate, simulating the lungs' natural flow. Since patients can't eat while intubated, doctors place a temporary feeding tube through the nose or mouth and insert an IV containing electrolytes and sedatives into the neck. Technicians X-ray the area to check that both lines are in the right position, and perform a bedside ultrasound to make sure heart and lung function are good. Normal intubation can be completed in as little as 15 minutes, Boer said. But with the added effort to prevent coronavirus exposure, it can take as long as two hours. "Doing it all safely, getting all equipment, and getting fully gowned and gloved up takes time," he said. "Intubation itself only takes a couple minutes, once you push the medications and place the tube." What it's like as a patient to be on a ventilator Patients are sedated for as long as they're on a ventilator, drifting in and out of consciousness and unable to speak. Boer said few of his patients can even remember the experience. Attorney David Lat spent six days on a ventilator in March after being diagnosed with COVID-19. David Lat with a nasal cannula providing oxygen. David Lat "I actually felt nothing," Lat, founder of the legal blog Above the Law, told Insider's Michelle Mark. "They sedate you quite heavily, so you're essentially asleep the whole time which is a good thing, because it wouldn't be comfortable to have a tube down your throat." "That whole time is a bit hazy in my memory," he added, "partly because they give you a lot of drugs." A person in respiratory distress from a stroke or influenza typically will use a ventilator for four to six days. Some patients with COVID-19 have been on one for nearly two weeks. A move to use ventilators less frequently is growing The machine has been the go-to solution for respiratory failure for decades, but some doctors are trying to use them less often because the required pressure can damage lung tissue. Some experts say ventilators aren't as effective against COVID-19 because the damage the disease inflicts is different from typical respiratory distress. "We know that mechanical ventilation is not benign," Dr. Eddy Fan, a critical care physician at Toronto General Hospital, told the Associated Press. "One of the most important findings in the last few decades is that medical ventilation can worsen lung injury so we have to be careful how we use it." Boer said the balance "is between achieving acceptable vital signs and the potential injury to the lung in the process." Even under normal circumstances, the survival rates are discouraging: Up to half of patients with severe respiratory distress die on ventilators, according to the AP. A March study from the Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre in London found that only a third of COVID-19 patients on ventilators survived. In New York City, officials have put the fatality rate for COVID-19 patients on ventilators at 80%. Having the end-of-life conversation: 'I don't sugarcoat stuff' Brian Boer says talking to families via iPad has been the toughest part of working in the ICU under coronavirus lockdown. Brian Boer/UNMC Because their patients are so ill, intensive care units already have some of the highest mortality rates in medicine. Boer says ICU doctors always should try to be honest about the prognosis. If a patient needs an increasing amount of support from a ventilator, it's time to begin end-of-life discussions. "I do not sugarcoat stuff," he said. "If it's bad I'm going to tell you what your general chances are, if you're getting better or getting worse, and if you're at the point whether there isn't a meaningful chance of recovery." If the machine is just prolonging the dying process, "that's when we start talking with family members about taking the breathing tube out," Boer said. "To let patients breathe on their own with medications, so they're not suffering, and allow them to die peacefully." "That's a tough one for people to wrap their heads around but sometimes it is the only choice," he added. Boer is used to having those tough conversations with family members, but they've always been in person. Because of the pandemic, visitor access is severely restricted and he's been forced to communicate with families via phone or iPad. "To me, the hardest part has been the lack of face-to-face conversations," Boer said. "This has been very unique. It's unprecedented." Read the original article on Insider A San Francisco attorney is suing Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state in an effort to overturn Californias anti-coronavirus rules that have essentially barred religious services from taking place. Newsoms March 19 stay-at-home order and various local bans on gatherings of all sizes are unconstitutional restrictions on religion, said Harmeet Dhillon, who filed the suit on behalf of three Southern California pastors. Newsom, the state and various local officials have engaged in a gross abuse of their power, have seized the coronavirus pandemic to expand their authority by unprecedented lengths, depriving ... residents of California of fundamental rights, according to the suit, which was filed this week in federal court in Pasadena. Were not asking that there be no restrictions, but that those restrictions be no greater than the least restrictive possible, said Dhillon, who is especially incensed that businesses such as marijuana dispensaries, liquor stores and fast-food restaurants are allowed to stay open as essential activities, while churches are closed. The churches she represents are willing to keep the social distancing standards during their services and require people to wear masks, Dhillon said. The chance to practice their faith is more important to many people than other things the government thinks are important, said Dhillon, former vice chair of the state Republican Party and a current national GOP committeewoman. The Bay Areas March 16 shelter-in-place order, which was then the strictest in the United States, essentially forced all churches, temples, mosques and synagogues to suspend public services. Some groups, such as the Catholic diocese of San Jose and the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California, had already made that move. But as time passed, pastors across the country began challenging the ban. The pastor of a megachurch in Tampa, Fla., was arrested for holding Sunday services with hundreds of participants. A Louisiana pastor vowed to continue holding services even after being cited for ignoring the state ban on large gatherings. In Richmond, Pastor Wyndford Williams of All Nations Church of God was cited for breaking the ban on gatherings after holding an Easter Sunday service for 40 people. The citation came after Williams refused to cooperate and put the lives of dozens of parishioners at risk, said Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston. The concerns about religious restrictions are growing, Dhillon said. My phone is ringing off the hook, she said. I could literally file a hundred other suits like this. Government attorneys argued in a response to the suit Friday that churches cant be exempt from the ban on gatherings because the coronavirus doesnt discriminate between religious and secular events. The current pandemic unfortunately provides copious examples of individuals, including asymptomatic ones, spreading COVID-19 throughout communities through attendance at public gatherings, including in places of worship where physical distancing and cleanliness precautions were implemented, the response states. In South Korea, hundreds of coronavirus cases have been linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which held gatherings of tightly packed worshipers. Closer to home, Sacramento County health officials have said that 71 people associated with the Russian-language Bethany Slavic Missionary Church have tested positive for the virus, a figure that church leaders disputed. Theres little argument that the government has the right to set some restrictions of religious practices in the light of a national emergency, said Michael Moreland, director of Villanova Universitys McCullen Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy. The more neutral and broadly applied the restrictions are, the stronger the governments position, he said. Where states get into trouble is if they start to create exceptions as to whats essential. Thats the argument made in the suit, said Dhillon, who filed it in collaboration with the Center for American Liberty, a group she founded. The list of essential services prohibits all religious leaders from conducting in-person and out-of-home religious services, regardless of the measures taken to reduce or eliminate the risk of the virus spreading, the suit states. Meanwhile, the list deems the continuity of services provided by coffee baristas, burger flippers and laundromat technicians to be so necessary for society that these activities are permitted to continue. John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions Scott Morrison has cheekily suggested trade unions instead of taxpayers could financially rescue Virgin Australia. The Prime Minister has repeatedly ruled out giving the embattled airline a $1.4billion emergency loan as high debt levels threaten to push it into administration. Instead, the former head of Tourism Australia said union-backed industry superannuation funds could bail out Virgin as COVID-19 threatened 16,000 jobs. Scroll down for video Scott Morrison has cheekily suggested trade unions instead of taxpayers could financially rescue Virgin Australia. He is pictured on the ABC's 7.30 program on Thursday night 'I mean, the industry super funds in this country have got $3trillion worth of assets here we've got a company that needs capital,' he told the ABC's 7.30 program on Thursday night. 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 'Its own workers have been paying in to industry funds and there are funds out there, in these super funds that could be investing in a number of companies. 'Now, I appreciate that comes in a different risk premium, but this is their own contributors that are involved here.' He suggested the Labor Party-affiliated Transport Workers Union could invest in Virgin through its TWUSuper industry fund. 'What's very important is that we don't get in the way of a commercial solution, like the TWU super fund,' he said. TWU national secretary Michael Kaine described the Prime Minister's call as a bizarre suggestion that would 'trash prudential standards'. 'This makes a mockery of basic superannuation principles like diversifying risk,' he said. 'There is certainly a role for superannuation in recapitalising Australian industry after this crisis, but asking one super fund to bail out an entire airline during a black swan event is reckless.' The Prime Minister has repeatedly ruled out giving the embattled airline a $1.4billion emergency loan as high debt levels threaten to push it into administration. Pictured are grounded Virgin Australia planes at Brisbane airport on April 7, 2020 Virgin Australia chief executive Paul Scurrah has warned Australians would be forced to pay significantly more for airline tickets if Qantas had a monopoly. He told a trade union aviation roundtable on Friday COVID-19 was an unprecedented crisis for the sector. Virgin Australia Holdings annual losses 2009: $160million 2011: $67.8million 2013: $98.1million 2014: $353.8million 2015: $93.8million 2016: $224.7million 2017: $185.8million 2018: $653.3million 2019: $315.4million Source: Virgin Australia Holdings annual reports showing the statutory net loss after tax for the full year Advertisement 'This is a national crisis, it's a global crisis, it's a crisis that this industry has never seen before,' he said. His airline has $5billion worth of debt and has made losses every year since 2013 as it engaged in a price war with its flying kangaroo rival. Virgin Australia stood down 8,000 staff on March 25, five days after Australia's borders were closed to non-citizens in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus. It was placed into a trading halt on Tuesday. Mr Morrison exaggerated the value of industry super fund holdings. The savings in all superannuation products, from industry to retail and self-managed funds, were worth $3.037trillion in the December quarter, Australian Bureau of Statistics managed funds data showed. Across the Tasman, his Kiwi counterpart Jacinda Ardern has lent Air New Zealand $NZ900million ($A849million). Instead of offering loans, the Australian government is instead giving Virgin and its rival Qantas $165million worth of subsidies to fly domestic routes between the capital cities and major regional centres. By Manfred Gerstenfeld (JNS)The coronavirus pandemic has led to huge societal problems all over the world. In such an unprecedented reality, it is important for governments to start planning as soon as possible for the period immediately after the worst danger to public health has passed. Such an agenda should be constructed ahead of time, even if it is full of holes. New plans can be added as developments arise. Among the multitude of issues governments will face post-coronavirus, the hit to national economies will have to take priority. Lockdowns and other government decisions have destroyed significant portions of GDP for many countries for this year, and unemployment has increased dramatically. Huge financial intervention by states will be necessary to cope with these shocks, and several countries have already taken initial steps. The best means of intervening is far from clear, and different governments will take different approaches. As extremely large amounts of money are at stake, critical efficiency assessments will have to be undertaken on an ongoing basis. Large-scale waste and abuse in such a fluid situation could make a catastrophic situation even worse. The top priority has to be determining what kinds of interventions can help return a country to a normal, albeit different, economy. Democracies ruled by politically centrist or center-right governments will want to return to a non-socialist type of reality as soon as possible. Mass injections of money into society will be required, but so will ongoing evaluations throughout. Countries that do not do this will risk falling into the trap of becoming de facto socialist. There are other risks as well. In view of the massive interventions that will be required and the need to get results as fast as possible, there will be a temptation in some quarters toward authoritarianism. This contains two dangers. One is that those in power may want to circumvent civic opposition, which can be expensive and can delay decision-making, by employing emergency measures that they then refuse to roll back. The other is a possible trend in which some citizens view others civil rights as obstacles to their own economic advancement. That could lead them to vote for more populist and authoritarian parties. The latter development could also result from the dashing of expectations among parts of the population about the extent of the help they will be receiving from the government. Checks and balances will have an important role to play in government policies, and not only as far as economics are concerned. It remains to be seen how the interventions will affect pre-coronavirus commitments to act against human-caused climate change, for example. There will be a temptation to nationalize essential industries and financial institutions that have sunk into deep trouble as a result of the crisis. Doing so only makes long-term sense with respect to state-owned industries where re-nationalization would have been inevitable anyway. The failed British railway privatization and break-up come to mind. For other corporations in such need of state help that governments have to acquire shares, nationalization should be only temporary. Israelis may remember that their government became a shareholder of some of its large banking institutions when the banking sector collapsed in 1983. When the banks became healthy again and the markets permitted it, the government sold off its shares. In the meantime, another issue is coming to the fore. How does one trade off the huge economic cost in terms of lost GDP and greatly increased national unemployment against the need to take extreme measures to fight the health impact of the virus? That discussion will grow much louder in the coming weeks as pressure rises for a return to normal, come what may. The value of a human life is not a new subject in economics, though it is often kept out of the public eye. There are many risk evaluations in which a specific dollar figure is assigned to a human life. Health care funds, to give one example, must determine the cost of expensive medication to be reimbursed against the number of lives it can save. The sudden huge increase in unemployment levels needs to be addressed through major government measures. The temptation will be great to make state payouts to all citizens, or to large groups of them. This can only be done on a large scale for a short time. The exceptions are countries with small populations and significant income from oil or other natural resources. For this to work, a government service will have to be set up to assist those who fall outside the safety net. Some businesses will have no choice but to close down or enter bankruptcy, and their employees will become jobless. Many self-employed will be unable to restart their jobs. Countries that had grown accustomed to low unemployment levels will have to find ways to help the suddenly much greater numbers of jobless citizens. This necessitates immediate planning for extensive retraining programs. Governments should assess vacancies and determine what jobs can be filled by the newly unemployed. This is even more relevant in European countries where the birth rate is below, sometimes far below, replacement level. The debate on the need to reduce the impact of globalization has already started. Governments will have to rethink which products imported at a low cost from abroad should be made in their own countries instead. India, for example, struggled to provide the drugs it needed at the height of the crisis because the raw materials could not be delivered from locked-down China. The pandemic has had a huge impact on the European Unionso huge it calls European solidarity into question. European governments have made decisions in the face of the crisis that served their own interests at the expense of their neighbors. Germany, for instance, kept some medical equipment for itself and did not export it to other European countries. It also closed its borders to citizens from several neighboring E.U. countries. The 1985 Schengen Agreement was a great step forward in terms of easing travel within the European Union. A European could move from one participating country to another without having to go through passport control, which created a sense of unity and meaning on the continent. The recent closure of borders by some E.U. countries has had the opposite effect. All this pales, however, against the enormous financial problem created by the pandemic. Initially, attention was focused on Italy, which was hit harder than any other European country. Its suffering will likely continue even after the peak of the health threat, as the virus could have an even greater impact on Italys economy than on that of other E.U. members. In the years before the 1999 introduction of the euro, it would have been helpful to devalue the Italian currency. This is no longer possible. The coronavirus crisis shows once again what a huge mistake it was to introduce a joint currency while individual member countries continue to employ divergent fiscal and economic policies. (As an aside, Brexit looks far more sensible nowadays. The British government can make plans for the United Kingdoms economic recovery without having to navigate through Brussels.) Ianis Varoufakis was Greek finance minister during part of that countrys economic crisis. He recently published an article in which he relates the economic dictat that was imposed on Greece by the European Union. He explains that in practice, the economic restrictions were dictated by Germany. None of the proposals he made on behalf of his country were even considered. Varoufakis warns that such a policy cannot be repeated in the case of Italy, which is far bigger and more powerful. Even before the coronavirus crisis, it would have been extremely difficult for many European governments to pass legislation through their national parliaments granting loans to Italy like those made to Greece. This is not only because of the larger sums required; Euroscepticism has greatly increased in recent years in several E.U. countries. Only a few weeks ago, it was believed that even if funding for Italy were forthcoming, the harsh accompanying conditions demanded by the European Union would probably lead to the collapse of the Italian government. A new Eurosceptic government headed by Matteo Salvini, leader of the Northern League, might introduce an alternative currency to be used in Italy in addition to the euro. This could be a way of gradually taking Italy out of the joint currency. Yet another problem for the European Union is that Italy has been an important annual net contributor. That may now end. In the meantime, the European Union has been overtaken by a far bigger problem. Ten E.U. members, including Italy, Spain, France and Belgium, want the European Union to issue Eurobonds amounting to hundreds of billions of euros to assist them with their financial problems. These bonds can only be sold if there are proportional national guarantees. Germany, the Netherlands and Austria have announced their total opposition to this. This may turn into the largest conflict about mutual solidarity the European Union has ever faced. Tensions on this issue are rising fast. These are only a few of the many issues affecting the economic sector that will have to be addressed quickly as the world emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld is a senior research associate at the BESA Center and a former chairman of the Steering Committee of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. He specializes in IsraeliWestern European relations, anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, and is the author of The War of a Million Cuts. This article was first published by the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. The Navy has awarded a new contract for the long-awaited replacement connector that will ferry Marines, weapons and other equipment ashore. Textron Systems was awarded $386 million to build 15 new ship-to-shore connectors, Naval Sea Systems Command announced on Thursday. The connectors will replace the aging fleet of Landing Craft, Air Cushion vehicles, known as LCACs, which have been in operation since the 1980s and are nearing the end of their service lives. The new 92-footlong connectors will have further range and lift capabilities than the legacy LCACs. They can carry 74 tons and will be compatible with amphibious ships that have well decks, along with expeditionary transfer dock and sea bases. "As the program continues to move forward with delivering these important capabilities to the fleet, the procurement of these additional craft is critical," Tom Rivers, program manager of the Amphibious Warfare Program Office for the Program Executive Office Ships, said in a statement. Related: China's Antics Are a 'Game-Changer' for the Navy and Marine Corps, 4-Star Says The contract award is an important milestone for a program that plays a big part in the Marine Corps' future missions. That service is focusing its sights on the Asia-Pacific region, where Commandant Gen. David Berger said Marines and sailors will likely be called on to respond to China's growing influence. China has militarized tiny man-made islands in the South China Sea. The islands have airstrips, hangars, barracks and lookout points. As the country's military invests in new weapons systems that can target ships further away from the shore, the Navy and Marine Corps will need next-generation landing craft to get people and equipment from amphibious ships onto nearby beaches. The new connectors can be loaded with an enclosed personnel transport module that can carry up to 145 Marines in full combat gear, according to Textron. The craft can also carry vehicles and other heavy equipment. Textron will do most of its work on the 15 new vessels in New Orleans. The Navy already accepted delivery of the first next-gen landing craft, called the Ship to Shore Connector Craft 100, in February. The sea services will continue testing it and training on that platform in Panama City, Florida. The Navy plans to buy 73 of the new ship-to-shore connectors, according to its program summary. -- 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 President Donald Trump, in the midst of the ongoing battle to deal with the negative impact of the Coronavirus, on Wednesday said that if the Senate does not meet to approve more of his nominees to government he would use a power in the Constitution never before exercised by a president to go around the Senate and make recess appointments to his administration by adjourning both houses of Congress. Trump denounced the delays in the Senate for some of his nominations saying, It is a scam what they do. The Senate should either fulfill its duty and vote on my nominees, or it should formally adjourn, so I can make recess appointments. Trumps ire is over the fact that lawmakers left Washington without formally declaring a proper recess -- the Senate adjourned indefinitely as a result of the coronavirus. This is a political strategy, i.e., a filibuster lawmakers have employed in the past in order to obstruct the Chief Executives nominees, as it had done under the Obama administration. Trump is citing Article 2, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution which states: He [the Chief Executive] shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he 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; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States. The Declaration of Independence was quite clear in its accusation of King George III that the president cannot convene or dissolve Congress at will: He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. The Framers of the Constitution, understanding that abuse of this power would lead to tyranny, limited the Presidents authority over Congress. To this effect, Alexander Hamilton, in Federalist 69 wrote: The President can only adjourn the national legislature in the single case of disagreement about the time of adjournment. There is a history of the president conveying Congress at will during times of war or economic emergency, but just as President Trump indicated, the Chief Executive has never adjourned Congress as he himself has threatened to do. Thomas Jefferson, in his Constitutionality of Residence Bill of 1790 wrote: [emphases added] Official portrait of President Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale Each house of Congress possesses this natural right of governing itself, and consequently of fixing its own times and places of meeting, so far as it has not been abridged by the law of those who employ them, that is to say, by the Constitution. [However], Neither house, during the session of Congress, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be sitting [bolded for emphasis]. Jefferson went on to say: But as it might happen that obstinacy, or a difference of object might prevent this concurrence, it goes on to take from them, in that instance, the right of adjournment altogether, and to transfer it to another, by declaring Art. 2. sect. 3. that in case of disagreement between the two houses with respect to the time of adjournment the President may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper. In order for the Trump to carry this out, he would have to appeal to Article 2, Section 1, which invests the President with executive power to the best of [his] ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Naturally, if Trump does pursue the adjournment of Congress -- the appointment of his nominees to federal positions is distinct issue -- he will be challenged up to the Supreme Court. If it does get that far, who knows how they will decipher the issue? Again, while it is quite clear in written law that the President is quite limited in his dealing with the Legislative branch, in his Letter to John Bolvin (September 20, 1810), Thomas Jefferson seems to have intuitively settled the matter: The question you propose, whether circumstances do not sometimes occur, which make it a duty in officers of high trust, to assume authorities beyond the law, is easy of solution in principle, but sometimes embarrassing in practice. A strict observance of the written laws is doubtless one of the high duties of a good citizen, but it is not the highest. The laws of necessity, of self-preservation, of saving our country when in danger, are of higher obligation. To lose our country by a scrupulous adherence to written law, would be to lose the law itself, with life, liberty, property and all those who are enjoying them with us; thus absurdly sacrificing the end to the means. In all these cases, the unwritten laws of necessity, of self-preservation, and of the public safety, control the written laws of meum and tuum. In June, following President Trumps call to end surprise billing, the Senate health committee approved a package of bills aiming to lower the cost of medical care, including a plan to end unexpected air ambulance bills in part by requiring air ambulance companies to accept in-network rates from insurance companies. The Association of Air Medical Services, an industry trade group, says that air ambulance companies have high fixed costs including nurses, mechanics and pilots, and that this legislation would cause bases to close. There are about 550,000 air ambulance transports each year in the United States, according to the associations estimates. We definitely want to find a solution that removes patients from the billing process, and does not result in balance billing, but also that preserves air ambulance services and ensures our ability to keep transporting those patients in need, said Christopher Eastlee, the vice president of government relations at the association. A 2017 report from the association found that the median cost of an air ambulance transport in 2015 was about $10,200, but providers dont always receive that amount. For example, Medicare, a federal insurance program for those over 65, paid a median of $5,998 per transport, the report said. Medicaid, a public health insurance program largely for low-income people, paid a median of $3,463. The uninsured paid about $354 out of pocket. To make up the deficit, the group says, those who are commercially insured must shoulder a greater burden. And that can lead to large bills that catch consumers by surprise. The cost of uncompensated care can be tremendous and it is by far the largest component of any bill, Mr. Eastlee said. For every single patient that doesnt pay the cost, those costs have to be shifted to the next patient. That is true of any health care endeavor. State legislators are also debating how to reduce air ambulance bills. Wyoming is seeking approval to use Medicaid to cover the states medical air transportation, and Minnesota is considering a bill that would require providers to publish prices for their services. Florida, Maryland, New Mexico and North Dakota have also taken steps to educate the public about air ambulance balance billing. Some families, especially those who live in rural areas, pay for a yearly membership offered by some air ambulance providers, which covers costs that insurance doesnt pay. But patients dont typically get to choose which provider they use, so if a different company arrived at the scene during an emergency, the membership would offer no cost advantage. Frontier Airlines planes stand at gates on the A Concourse at Denver International Airport in Denver. David Zalubowski | AP More government aid and health checks for travelers will be needed to get the airline industry through the coronavirus crisis, according to longtime discount-airline investor Bill Franke. Air travel in the U.S. has plummeted by more than 95% from a year ago, federal data shows, whiplash for airlines that early this year boasted record passenger numbers and their highest employment levels in 17 years. The virus and measures aimed at slowing the disease's spread have driven down demand for flights at the fastest clip ever. "I have never seen anything like this in the industry or industry in general," Franke said in an interview. A quick turnaround is unlikely, said Franke, co-founder and managing partner of private equity firm Indigo Partners, which owns Frontier Airlines and is a major investor in three other budget carriers in Europe and Latin America. Revenue is depressed across those regions, he said. Federal aid Record job losses and economic weakness could further hurt travel demand in addition to lingering health concerns. U.S. airlines, including Frontier, this week said that they plan to receive a portion of $25 billion in government aid a mix of grants and loans that require carriers not to furlough or cut the pay of their roughly 750,000 workers through Sept. 30. Frontier intends to also apply for a loan from a separate $25 billion pool of aid that Congress approved last month in the $2 trillion coronavirus relief package, the CARES Act. Additional aid might be necessary, Franke said. "We're going to face as much as a year or two of recovery," Franke said, adding that it's "pretty clear that there's going to have to be additional aid to the sector" without signs of a rebound this fall. Airlines like Frontier have raced to cut costs, slashing service by more than 60% and parking hundreds of planes. They've also drawn down on credit facilities to shore up cash after flight cancellations outpaced new bookings. Franke said he's preparing for the worst. He's not canceling the hundreds of single-aisle Airbus planes he's ordered for the discount airlines in his portfolio but he's in discussions with Airbus about the timing of deliveries, which are slated to start next year. Revenue plunge Franke's nearly three-decade career in airlines started when he was tapped to bring America West out of bankruptcy in the early 1990s. Franke told CNBC last year that he had become a "Mr. Fix It." Known for aggressive cost-cutting, Franke was an early proponent of rock-bottom fares with few frills and fees for add-ons. Two executives whom Franke hired at America West are navigating the same coronavirus crisis as top leaders at large network carriers American and United. American Airlines CEO Doug Parker, who took the reins from Franke at America West in September 2001, told CNBC that the airline's revenue for the past few weeks was down 90% year over year but it appears demand is hitting a bottom. United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby, who takes over for Munoz next month and worked under Franke at America West, painted a bleak picture despite the government aid. They warned of job cuts this fall. The $5 billion United expects to receive in government payroll aid is not enough to cover its full payroll expense, but the carrier will not furlough or cut the hourly pay rates of U.S. employees through Sept. 30, a condition of the aid, they said. "But 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 in a staff note. The Chicago-based airline is planning to cut its capacity next month to just 10% of what it was planning for at the start of the year. In the first two weeks of April, United flew 200,000 people, a 97% drop compared with the same period in 2019. "And we expect to fly fewer people during the entire month of May than we did on a single day in May 2019," the executives wrote. Passenger health screenings Amnesty Slams 'Offensive' Against Human Rights In Eastern Europe, Central Asia By RFE/RL April 16, 2020 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 capital's 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, Amnesty's 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 Amnesty's 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. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/amnesty-international -central-asia-eastern-europe -human-rights/30558246.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Google Play suspends evangelical church's app over COVID-19 'sensitive events' policy Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Google has suspended a mobile app launched by an evangelical church in Idaho, claiming that the app violates the tech giants sensitive events policy related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last Friday, Christ Church of Moscow, Idaho, alerted its followers that Google Play had suspended its ChristKirk app from the Play Store. Google Play suspended our ChristKirk app today, a Facebook post reads. The post includes a screenshot of the notification Google sent to administrators of the app stating that Google Play prohibits apps that lack reasonable sensitivity towards or try to capitalize on a natural disaster, atrocity, conflict, death, or other tragic event. We presume they're talking about Pastor Douglas Wilson's short lessons on responding faithfully to the COVID-19 crisis, the church added in its post. Or maybe Pastor Toby J. Sumpter's sermon calling God's people to humble repentance. Regardless What gives, Google? According to Google Plays sensitive events policy, examples of violations include apps that are appearing to profit from a tragic event with no discernible benefit to the victims, apps that deny a major tragic event or apps that lack sensitivity to deaths of people or groups. On Tuesday, the church provided an update on Facebook explaining that it had appealed the suspension. We do not believe we were in violation of their rules, the update reads. Google Play suspended essentially *all* apps that referred to COVID-19. Over the last few weeks, Facebook, Google and other tech giants began using algorithms and new rules to scrub their platforms of coronavirus-related misinformation, The Associated Press reports. In early April, Google Play updated the Play Store listing guidelines. In an explainer piece, Google Play Business Development Manager Sam Tolomei said that the company is only approving apps that reference COVID-19 in their store listing if the app is published, commissioned, or authorized by an official government entity or public health organization. Additionally, apps will only be published if they do not contain any monetization mechanisms. Such mechanisms include in-app products or in-app donations. This includes references in places such as the app title, description, release notes, or screenshots, Tolomei added. Other apps that have been removed by Google Play during the COVID-19 pandemic include the website Info Wars. The app was removed in late March after its founder Alex Jones disputed the need for social distancing amid the outbreak, according to WIRED. According to The Washington Examiner, Christ Church received a response to its appeal on Thursday. However, Google restated its belief that the app is in violation of the sensitive events policy. The church was told that the app would not be reinstated until all references to COVID-19 were removed. A screenshot of correspondence with a Google employee published by The Washington Examiner suggests Google asked the church to remove references to COVID-19 in its listing and the in-app experience. Pastor Doug Wilson, an outspoken Calvinist, wrote in a blog post that he believes Google is censoring things on such a massive scale now that no one individual can claim he is being picked on. If they were singling us out, and removed our content because I had said, for example, that this whole thing was a summoning of Americans to repentance, that would have been obnoxious enough, Wilson wrote. But if they say that no American using their platform can talk about COVID-19 at all, and they are going to axe your content simply because COVID appears in the title of your video clip, then how is that a much bigger offense? How is this not like T-Mobile saying they are happy to have you as a customer, but they would like you to be aware of the fact that according to their terms of service, if you start talking about the upcoming 2020 election with your friend across the country, your call will be dropped? he added. A lot of misinformation is flying around during the course of elections, you know. And if they did this by means of an algorithm, affecting tens of thousands of people, it would not be an even-handed lack of censorship, but rather censorship at a staggering level. Christ Church Executive Pastor Ben Zornes told The Washington Examiner that the church is evaluating the best way forward. He said the purpose of the app was to provide the congregation with "sermons and a couple podcasts helping our people think biblically about the coronavirus," [W]e believe this is censorship and wrong-headed, Zornes was quoted as saying. We are not purporting to present any medical advice or information on the virus, we are simply presenting what we believe Scripture teaches in regards to how to face such crises in faith and love to our neighbor." Googles suspension of the Christ Church app drew the ire of conservative evangelical commentator Rod Dreher. Dreher argued in an op-ed that what probably got the app in trouble was a sermon from late March in which Wilson condemned abortion and gay marriage as sins that require repentance. My point is this: whatever my conflicts, theological and otherwise, with Doug Wilson and his circle, I profited from hearing these sermons. I was challenged by them, in a good way, Dreher wrote. Did I agree 100 percent with them? No I did not. Do I believe that these sermons ought to be freely available on Googles platform for people to hear? Absolutely. We dont know precisely why Google booted Wilsons churchs app, but listening to Wilsons sermon, its not hard to guess why, Dreher continued. Christ Church, which held a drive-in service on Easter, is part of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. The CREC is an association of over 100 churches worldwide. The networks leader stated in an April 14 letter that the association may no longer comply with government social distancing orders. CREC Presiding Minister of Council, Virgil Hurt, wrote in the letter to governing authorities that it is now apparent that our initial information was incomplete. The pandemic is not what we all thought it was going to be, Hurt wrote. It is now clear that the stated rationale for these temporary, emergency actions, to flatten the curve, has been achieved, and that these temporary measures are no longer necessary. Hurt warned that if society continues with the course of action things may get much worse. The citizens of the United States and our congregants are already beginning to strongly feel the need to get back to regular living, Hurt stressed. While we do not currently have a date at which we will no longer comply with the extreme restrictions, we believe the time is now at hand for our leaders to stand down from the extreme isolation efforts, and the date at which we will no longer comply is soon approaching, in days or weeks, not months. While we despise death, we do not fear death, because for us, to live is Christ and to die is gain, Hurt added. May God grant us repentance, and as we confess and repent of our many sins, we trust that He will be gracious to us and heal our land. The Georgia State Patrol denied that two troopers who were at a meeting in Dade County on Thursday night were escorting Senator Jeff Mullis as charged by Rep. Colton Moore. A spokesperson said, "The troopers, who also attended the meeting were there as a request from the Dade County Sheriff. The law enforcement in that area are working on a traffic plan to assist with extra traffic from citizens visiting the park. "The troopers, like other law enforcement present at the meeting, were there as attendees and did not provide an escort for the senator. There were several attendees who arrived at the meeting at the same time. It was mere coincidence and not an escort." Rep. Moore is trying to unseat Senator Mullis in the upcoming election. With rooms sitting empty, smaller hotel operators are weighing options to defer debt payments and in some cases close properties. While the pain caused by disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic is being felt across the travel industry, it is particularly acute for the Indian diaspora in the U.S. Nearly 50% of U.S. hotels are owned by Americans with origins in South Asia, according to the Asian American Hotel Owners Association. Now many in the community have been scrambling to apply for the government's Paycheck Protection Program loans, with some finding success. Hotel owner Azim Saju and his team at HDG Hotels applied for 19 separate loans after seeing occupancy levels plunge. All were approved. Saju received $80,000 in his bank account Tuesday and expects to get the funds for five loans on Friday. He expects to get the full $2.4 million over the course of the next week. "Our first move is going to be to bring back our people, increase their hours, back to where they were a couple months ago," Saju said on CNBC's "The Exchange" on Tuesday. Saju, who has nearly 500 employees, warns that the PPP funds will last only two to three months. He's hoping by then a gradual reopening of the economy will result in fewer vacant rooms. So far, occupancy across 18 of his hotels stands at 25%. Saju, along with his brother Navroz, own and operate 18 hotels in Florida, including a Marriott TownePlace Suites in St. Petersburg, Florida, and a Hilton Holiday Inn in Crystal River, Florida. Their 19th hotel is under construction. The brothers are second-generation hoteliers. Their parents, Nurejehan and Fidali Navroz, emigrated from India in 1972 and started to venture into the U.S. lodging industry by building one hotel, and so on. The brothers then helped their parents grow HDG Hotels' portfolio. The Ghana Education Service (GES) will be piloting an E-learning concept to provide students teaching lessons at home. The closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country has affected the academic calendar while school children from primary level to the tertiary level remain at home and awaiting President Nana Akufo-Addo to lift the restrictions for academic work to continue. The West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) have also been suspended in 5 of the countries that the examination is held, that's Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Gambia and Liberia. However, in order to keep academic activities ongoing and ensure students are actively learning in their various homes, the GES has adopted measures to bridge the gap. Speaking in an interview on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Dr Kwabena Bempah Tandoh disclosed that the Education Service is embarking on an online learning where students in both public and private schools can be engaged. He told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that the Service has opened a website www.icampusgh.com where students can log in with their particulars and find learning materials as well as get interactive with teachers across the nation. Noting that about 90,000 people have already logged into the website, Dr. Bempah Tandoh expounded that the website will enable the students to achieve the same goal they would have if they were physically present in their classrooms. He also revealed that apart from using electronic means of teaching and learning, the GES is also using traditional means and that beginning on Tuesday, 5th May, 2020, lessons will also be held on both Television and radio for school children in the comfort of their homes. He said parents and their children can now watch Ghana Learning TV on GTV, GO TV, DSTV while the GES engages more TV networks in the country to assist their initiative. Dr. Bempah Tandoh added that all avenues are being exploited to ensure that students become active in their studies during this closure of schools and lockdown period in the nation.He further applauded teachers for taking steps to get academically interactive with students at home and was hopeful academic work will soon return to normal."Whether school will be opened or not, we will make content available for the children to use radio or TV and internet to study at home on May 5th . . . It is true that we are not in normal times, so it's difficult to have interactive teaching but what the teachers [head teachers, head masters] are doing now is to utilize WhatsApp. So, most of our teachers have set up WhatsApp groups with the parents for them to interact with the teachers on WhatsApp if they don't understand what they watch on TV. I am also informed that some parents give their phones to the children to interact with the teachers on WhatsApp."We are setting up parallel classrooms and when it's ready and goes live, it makes online interaction possible. Some of the teachers are also using Zoom to contact the school children. We applaud the teachers for not slacking during this Covid-19 pandemic but rather ensuring they adopt measures for interactive lessons to be held irrespective," 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. Featured Video Saying "I do" on Zoom is not so unusual during the coronavirus crisis. Credit:Illustration: Dionne Gain On a Zoom video call with friends and family, Lauren Kopua and Darran Dowling were lamenting what could have been. It was March 29, the day they were supposed to be getting married on the Gold Coast surrounded by loved ones from across Australia and New Zealand. As the wines flowed, a seed was planted: whats stopping them from still exchanging vows? With a little encouragement, the couple sprang to action. Their celebrant said she could be over within four hours, so long as there was only a maximum of five people to meet government rules. The wedding was back on virtually. The COVID-19 crisis is complicating many life events, weddings included. But as our social lives are forced online, a growing number of iron-willed brides and grooms are harnessing digital tools to push on with their wedding instead of postponing. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says a rostering system may be used to stagger the return to classroom schooling in term two, rather than encouraging all students to return at once. Ms Berejiklian sought to further clarify the confusion around school returns on Friday, after announcing on Thursdays that face-to-face teaching would resume on May 11, the third week of term two. "I want to stress this does not mean all students are going back. This does not mean all classrooms will be full," Ms Berejiklian said. Instead, the Premier said the government was considering implementing a roster system "to provide at least some aspect of face-to-face [teaching] for each student". Hao Hao Wang Each year 40 million family caregivers in the U.S. provide critical support to adults with a chronic, disabling or otherwise serious health condition. AARP and the Asian American Journalists Association partnered to bring to light personal journeys of AAJA members or accounts of other Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have been looking after a loved one. "Journalists telling and sharing their personal family caregiving stories with the public has been an integral part of our AARP Asian American & Pacific Islander caregiving strategy to help people care and prepare to care for their loved ones, said Daphne Kwok, vice president of multicultural leadership for the Asian American and Pacific Islander audience strategy. Our partnership with the Asian American Journalists Association seeks to help the journalists through their personal journeys as well as help raise awareness and discourse for caregivers and their families. We want to let people know they are not alone in their caregiving and that AARP is a resource for them. Caregivers were asked to share their stories on this topic: Caregiving is often the ultimate expression of love. What was your special caregiving moment? Winners in each of three categories received a monetary prize and a trip to the Asian American Journalists Association convention in Washington, D.C. Winning Entries First-Place Winner: Sarah Wallace's essay, A Strength Supreme: When Stubborn Elders Resist Safety Concerns, details how she is trying to listen, not lecture, her independent mother. Read the full essay here. Second-Place Winner: Frances Kai-Hwa Wang's essay, Taking Care of Our Tough Immigrant Moms Across Four Generations, Well, Trying To, describes the shifting roles of parent and adult child. Read the full essay here. Third-Place Winner: Caroline Cao's essay, My Resume Never Mentions I Was Daddy's Caregiver, unveils a poignant story about being a teenage caregiver for a father dying from cancer. Read the full essay here. NFU President Minette Batters has said there are 'optimistic' signs that British people will help pick fruit and vegetables during the Covid-19 crisis. Amid the restrictions on day-to-day lives, farming groups have warned that a lack of labour could affect the supply of fruit and veg. Last year's figures show that 98 percent of harvest staff were from outside the United Kingdom. Because of this, there could be a shortage of 80,000 farm workers due to the coronavirus's impact on travel and work, according to recent estimates. But Minette Batters said farmers and growers are now seeing 'really positive news' and 'a lot of signs are optimistic'. We are hearing people are very keen [to work on farms]. There does seem to be a real swell of support from people to do this, she told The Guardian. Those who had been furloughed were allowed to increase their income through agricultural work, Mrs Batters said, and workers who had lost their jobs would see it as a lifeline and a way to help the UK through Covid-19. This comes as farm workers from Eastern Europe were flown to the UK this week to plug the labour shortfall on British farms. The first flight landed on Thursday 16 April in London Stansted, carrying 150 Romanian crop pickers. Germany has also been using charter flights to bring in farm labour from eastern Europe. But the NFU President said there is still time for British people to sign up to help the upcoming harvest: "We will know much more when we get to May," she said. How do I apply to work on a farm? Farm labour groups Concordia, HOPS and Fruitfall are calling for workers to apply for paid positions on local farms across the UK. They work as part of the UKs Alliance of Ethical Labour Providers, and operate to ensure the best in participant experience and ethics. They have partnered together to help find motivated individuals to help farmers as part of their 'Feed the Nation' campaign. At present, roles will be starting on UK farms from early May onwards harvesting crops on placements from 6 weeks to 6 months, all over the UK. Workers will be at least paid minimum wage and many farms pay National Living Wage or more, depending on how much fruit and/or vegetables they harvest, and the role they do on the farm. All roles offered through Concordia, HOPS and Fruitful come with training, which can last up to three weeks to give them the best chance of maximising their income whilst on a farm placement. Ministers are torn over whether to lift the lockdown at the start of May or wait until the summer. Frustration is growing in the Cabinet over a lack of debate on the issue as the damage to the economy mounts. It emerged on Friday night that ministers are considering two possible strategies, which are being discussed by their scientific advisers. The first involves extending the full lockdown well into early summer to push the numbers right down although this would risk further damaging the economy. The second could see restrictions lifted much earlier, potentially after the current three-week extension expires on May 8 even though it could risk a second virus peak. Ministers are now looking into the possibilities of a lockdown end-date, after Dominic Raab announced a three-week extension for the UK on Thursday It came as a minister warned businesses they would have to adapt to a new normal after the crisis has passed. This led to concerns restrictions could continue until a vaccine is ready or even afterwards with more working from home and possible staggered work starts to try to cut the impact of the rush hour. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced on Thursday that the lockdown would continue for another three weeks, as he unveiled five tests ministers would use before deciding if it is safe to lift the restrictions. It is believed some ministers are unhappy that there has not been a proper debate in Cabinet about when the lockdown could end. On Friday Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said departments had been asked to come up with exit proposals in two weeks. The Government was forced to deny claims by Labour that it was in limbo while Boris Johnson was recovering from the virus. Although the Prime Minister spoke to Mr Raab on Thursday, he has not been working on his government boxes. Scientists say extending the lockdown into the summer would drastically reduce transmission rates and the extremely low level of cases would make it easier for health officials to manage the pandemic. On Friday Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said departments had been asked to come up with exit proposals in two weeks A man wears a face mask whilst waiting for a train at Victoria underground train station on April 17, as London continues a prolonged period of lockdown Business Secretary Alok Sharma told the Confederation of British Industry: We have to accept that there will be a new normal' This is because they would have the capacity to isolate anyone who tests positive, as well as tracing and testing their contacts. However, such an approach would mean that the economy would continue to stall. The second option could see the lockdown lifted in as little as three weeks. But the rate of community transmission would still probably be relatively high at this point, and it would not be possible to individually track all cases. This could risk a dangerous resurgence of the disease. A source close to the Government confirmed that, whichever option is followed, the plan is to lift the lockdown in stages with outdoor spaces likely to be first and pubs last. Under plans being drawn up, certain social distancing measures, including working from home where possible, will stay in place until there is a vaccine. Some experts believe this to be at least a year away. Experts advising the Government have warned they are sceptical about the role a highly publicised NHS app could play in helping to end the coronavirus lockdown. It would allow mobile phones to trace users who have come into contact with infected people, alerting them to get tested. Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty (left), Foreign Secretary Mr Raab and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance (right) relayed the latest updates during a Downing Street briefing But scientists say at least 80 per cent of the population would need to download the app for it to be effective, which is extremely unlikely. Mr Shapps said the pandemic could bring an end to the rush hour as businesses and governments move towards staggered shifts and remote working. He told the BBCs Today programme: The world probably will not go back to how it was before in a whole manner of different ways. It may well be in the future that companies say, its actually worked very well having some of our staff work from remote locations, why dont we carry on doing that? Business Secretary Alok Sharma told the Confederation of British Industry: We have to accept that there will be a new normal. 'The level at which social distancing will continue, you can have a discussion around that, but clearly we are not going to go back to the way we were before this pandemic. SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. Traffic lights signal to empty streets. Parks are deserted, except for the squirrels. And no one knows for sure whether this citys famed racecourse will open this year. But on Monday morning, as a hard rain pelted the windows, the main room of the Salvation Army building downtown was bustling with volunteers and staff who filled boxes with canned food and fresh produce. Before the coronavirus, the room was a dining hall where hungry people came for hot meals. But since March and the statewide order to stay home, the Salvation Army has been delivering food door to door instead. That first week, honestly, we were just running, said Bree Barker, 32, a lieutenant with the Saratoga Springs chapter. Her Australian accent has been softened by more than a decade in the United States. We popped out as much food as we could. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu on Friday said almost all Tablighi Jamaat members from the Union territory, who had attended a congregation at Nizamuddin in New Delhi, have been traced while 500 of them have undergone testing so far. Following a sudden spike in the average number of cases with Tablighi Jamaat members and their contacts, signs of a downward trend are showing as average positive cases have decreased to nearly half during the past few days, the L-G said. "Over the last one week, there was a sudden increase in the number of COVID patients (because of Tablighi Jamaat)," Murmu told PTI in an interview at Raj Bhawan here in the evening. He said that the administration had got a list of 2,007 people who had attended the congregation in Delhi. "Out of them, 1,996 have been traced. Out of them, 500 such people were subjected to testing," Murmu added. The L-G pointed out that the increase in the positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir was linked to Tablighi Jamaat members and their contacts. "It was because of Tablighi (Jamaat) and their contacts that there was a sudden increase in the number of positive cases during the past 8 to 9 days. The average number had increased suddenly because of them," the former IAS officer said. Expressing optimism over positive cases dropping in the past few days, he said that the government has high hopes that there would be a further continuous dip. "During the past two days, it has started decreasing as average cases are half as compared to previous days. During the last week, average cases had shot up to 30 to 32 cases but during the past few days it is 14 to 15 cases. It is under control and showing signs of a downward trend," he added. Most of the 271 positive patients in the UT are likely to recover as authorities are watching their response, the L-G said. "Out of 20 districts, 13 are only involved. However, the most affected districts are hardly four to five districts. We have 77 red zones. None of the patients are on ventilator," he added. Murmu said that the residents of Jammu and Kashmir, who had gone to attend the Tablighi Jamaat meeting in Delhi, had come forward voluntarily after initial hiccups. "All those who have gone to the (Nizamuddin) Markaz had come out voluntarily. No one resisted. In the beginning, they had some problems. They did not know what to do. Nearly 78 per cent cases were asymptomatic. Because of this behaviour of being asymptomatic, it was a bit late," he explained. He said that the administration has kept a close watch on the hotspots in the UT. A 75-year-old man died of COVID-19 in J&K on Friday raising the death toll due to the virus to five in the Union territory. The UT has reported 314 positive cases till now. Nearly 22,000 Tablighi Jamaat members and their contacts have been quarantined across the country so far, a home ministry official had earlier said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) LITTLE ROCK, Ark., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Arkansas Health & Wellness and Arkansas Total Care are providing assistance to network providers in Arkansas who are seeking relief amid the COVID-19 pandemic through the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the CARES Act. Arkansas Health & Wellness and Arkansas Total Care are sharing access to a dedicated online portal of Provider Financial Support & Resources, where network providers can research benefits they may be eligible for and work directly with experts to apply for them. The portal was developed by Centene Corporation, a leading multi-national healthcare company. As part of the Centene family, Arkansas Health & Wellness and Arkansas Total Care are providing access to these resources to aid Arkansas providers in grant writing and business loan applications, among other key activities. "At Arkansas Health & Wellness and Arkansas Total Care, we have more than 15,000 providers, hospitals, clinics and specialists in our network, and we know they are on the front lines every day taking care of the most vulnerable populations across Arkansas," said John Ryan, President and CEO of Arkansas Health and Wellness and Arkansas Total Care. "In support of our provider partners and their fight against COVID-19, we are proud to provide access to these key benefits and resources to help our network providers who have been economically impacted during this time." The program will help providers apply for various benefits, including small business loans, a paycheck protection plan and various grants for which they may be eligible. This includes Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), behavioral health providers and community-based behavioral health organizations, Centers for Independent Living (CILs), and long-term services and supports organizations operating on the front lines. This resource also helps providers explore additional funds through state-offered loans and grants by working with nationally recognized healthcare consultants, organizations, state government agencies and former SBA executives. In addition to the online portal, provider partners will have access to webinars and one-on-one consulting with key experts. Arkansas Health & Wellness and Arkansas Total Care have made it a priority to support providers, especially small providers, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Centene previously announced that its plans would reduce the administrative burden to providers by eliminating the need for them to collect co-pays and removing authorization requirements for COVID-19 related treatment for most members. If you are an Arkansas Health & Wellness and Arkansas Total Care provider looking for more information about benefits you may be eligible for, please visit the Centene COVID-19 Resources Center. About Arkansas Health & Wellness and Arkansas Total Care Founded in 2014, Arkansas Health & Wellness and Arkansas Total Care are managed care companies that deliver quality health care throughout Arkansas. Committed Helping Arkansas Live Better, Arkansas Health & Wellness and Arkansas Total Care support active local community involvement in all 75 Arkansas counties, with more than 600 employees statewide. Arkansas Health & Wellness and Arkansas Total Care are wholly and partially owned subsidiaries (respectively) of Centene Corporation, a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise offering both core Medicaid, Medicare and specialty services. More information on Arkansas Health & Wellness and Arkansas Total Care can be found at https://www.arhealthwellness.com/ and https://www.arkansastotalcare.com/ About Centene Corporation Centene Corporation, a Fortune 100 company, is a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. The Company takes a local approach with local brands and local teams - to provide fully integrated, high-quality, and cost-effective services to government-sponsored and commercial healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Centene offers affordable and high-quality products to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation, including Medicaid and Medicare members (including Medicare Prescription Drug Plans) as well as individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace, the TRICARE program, and individuals in correctional facilities. The Company also serves several international markets, and contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide a variety of specialty services focused on treating the whole person. Centene focuses on long-term growth and the development of its people, systems and capabilities so that it can better serve its members, providers, local communities, and government partners. Centene uses its investor relations website to publish important information about the company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Centene is routinely posted and is accessible on Centene's investor relations website, http://www.centene.com/investors. Note on SBA Announcement The information provided does not represent all of the information available or that you may need for making your financial decisions or completing your application. The Federal and State government(s) are best able to provide resources and assistance. We recommended that you contact your financial institution or advisor before making any financial decisions. SOURCE Arkansas Health & Wellness; Arkansas Total Care Related Links https://www.arkansastotalcare.com/ Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd is quoting at Rs 361.15, up 1.62% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The stock is down 0.48% in last one year as compared to a 22.1% slide in NIFTY and a 24.97% slide in the Nifty Energy. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd gained for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 361.15, up 1.62% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 1.81% on the day, quoting at 9155.3. The Sensex is at 31176.21, up 1.87%. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd has gained around 8.6% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Energy index of which Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd is a constituent, has gained around 17.1% in last one month and is currently quoting at 11978.75, up 2.32% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 28.59 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 93.48 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark April futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 363.7, up 1.71% on the day. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd is down 0.48% in last one year as compared to a 22.1% slide in NIFTY and a 24.97% slide in the Nifty Energy index. The PE of the stock is 10.76 based on TTM earnings ending December 19. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Photo from Getty Images SINGAPORE Two men accused of scamming buyers into believing they had surgical masks for sale returned to court on Thursday (16 April), with one likely to face 20 additional charges. Singaporeans Jason Chian, 42, and Marc Tay Yi Jie, 24, are separately accused of cheating buyers in February and March. Tay is said to have cheated a woman into believing that he had 10 boxes of surgical masks available for sale at $150 through online marketplace Carousell on 13 March. Due to his deception, the victim allegedly transferred a $75 deposit through a bank application. The court heard that investigations into Tays case are still underway and that he might face 20 more charges of a similar nature. Chian faces 16 charges of cheating - the bulk of which relate to him deceiving five women into paying deposits for surgical masks between 11 February and 5 March. He is accused of cheating the women - some of them repeat buyers - into believing he could deliver of up to 380 boxes of facemasks to them. He charged the facemasks - purportedly from brands such as EVO and Diapro - at between $16.50 and $25 per box. According to his charge sheets, Chian cheated more than $30,000 in fake mask sales from these victims. Two of Chians charges state that he also deceived two of the women into believing that they could encash two dud UOB cheques of $15,000 and $4,000 as refunds for their orders of facemasks. Both Chian and Tay will return to court 14 May pending investigations. If convicted of cheating, the men may each face up to 10 years jail and a fine. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a spate of such cases, with a teenage mother admitting to her offence on Tuesday and others being charged earlier. On Tuesday, Nur Atiena Mohamed Asidi, 19, pleaded guilty to cheating Carousell buyers over the sale of masks that were never delivered. Atiena said that she had used the illicit money to buy milk and diapers for her baby. She is currently awaiting a probation suitability report and will return to court on 27 May. Story continues Another man, Daryl Cheong Zhi Yong, 28, was charged in court on 15 February for cheating a man into paying $175,000 as a deposit for 500 cartons of surgical face masks. The amount he allegedly cheated is the highest to date for such offences. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Related stories Teen mother admits to cheating Carousell buyers over surgical masks in February SPH to engage lawyer for man who allegedly breached Stay-Home Notice to deliver newspapers COVID-19: 1-year work ban for food delivery personnel who flout safe distancing measures COVID-19: Mandai Lodge is 9th foreign worker dorm gazetted as isolated area 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. 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 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. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news, advice and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter Watch the latest videos from Yahoo News UK With the coronavirus economic crisis deepening, experts at University of Portsmouth are warning it will lead to the highest levels of fraud and cybercrime ever recorded. There are also concerns that existing preventative measures need to be reviewed urgently because they are unlikely to be sufficient to deal with the heightened threat that comes from a deep recession. Professor Mark Button, Director of the Centre for Counter Fraud Studies at the University of Portsmouth, said: "Previous recessions show a direct correlation between a fall in economic output and a rise in fraud." Professor Button has compared the UK's past three recessions and mapped the growth in fraud offences as GDP falls: 1980 recession: 3 per cent fall in GDP, 5.6 per cent increase in fraud offences 1990 recession: 1.7 per cent fall in GDP, 9.9 per cent increase in fraud offences 2008 recession: 2.1 per cent fall in GDP, 7.3 per cent increase in fraud offences Professor Button said: "Recessions lead to increased financial pressures on more people and a small minority use fraudulent means to address such pressures. Respected economists* have predicted the current crisis could lead to a substantial reduction in GDP with lowest estimates of a 7.4 per cent fall and highest estimates of a 35 per cent fall by the OBR. These predictions could mean fraud levels increasing from at least 30.3 per cent and possibly even doubling if the 35 per cent fall was to occur. These are rough estimates, but illustrate that a substantial increase in fraud is likely as a consequence of the economic downturn." Professor Button has teamed up with practitioners at Crowe UK . The company is at the forefront of fighting fraud and cybercrime for businesses and has produced guidance for businesses and organisations of all shapes and sizes. A copy of this guidance can be found here https://drive.google.com/file/d/130jWy1BW2Wee82lgWHQiJB5oDWaNELFw/view?usp=sharing Professor Button added: "The deep recession we face, if typical of past economic downturns, looks set to lead to a substantial increase in fraud. Possible economic pressures may also lead people to radically re-evaluate loyalties and to rationalise behaviour which, in normal times, they would not consider appropriate. It is unlikely that any organisation will be immune to these changes. Organisations need to be prepared for this and I hope this guidance, that has been produced with leading practitioners from Crowe, will help them. " The latest figures from ActionFraud show a 400 per cent increase in coronavirus-related cybercrime and fraud since mid-February. Examples include numerous frauds, phishing emails and bogus websites that offer to track the virus sell protective equipment or diagnose symptoms. In less than a month, UK business activity has plunged to the lowest level since records began. Although it is normal for fraud and cybercrime to increase faster during a recession, the experts say this sudden downturn means the UK now faces an accelerated threat from fraud and cybercrime. The researchers urge businesses to review any current controls they have in place to prevent fraud and cybercrime, and be ready to ramp them up when necessary. They warn the nature of this type of crime rapidly evolves and often outpaces preset plans, quickly making them redundant. The new guidelines outline advice and practical steps for businesses to deal with the threat. Jim Gee, Head of Forensic Services for Crowe UK and Chair of the Centre for Counter Fraud Studies, said: "Over the coming period we will see a surge in fraud taking it to higher levels than ever before. Existing preventative arrangements are unlikely to be sufficient to meet the heightened threat and need to be reviewed. Our crisis must not become the fraudster's opportunity." ### Notes to editors: *The current crisis has led to speculation from respected economists of a substantial reduction in GDP. The Bank of America has predicted a 7.4 per cent contraction in the UK economy in Quarter 2 of 2020 (see Financial Times https://www.ft.com/content/33c03dc6-ceab-40e5-b61f-66829c5b9b2c), but some forecasters have predicted as much as a 15 per cent reduction (https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/uk-economy-coronavirus-impact-covid-19-business-gdp-2020-unemployment-120159367.html?guccounter=1). OBR has predicted 35% fall in GDP could occur. See https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/14/uk-economy-could-shrink-by-35-with-2m-job-losses-warns-obr JACKSON COUNTY, MO (KCTV) -- A tow truck driver is facing multiple charges after shooting a man who took the vehicle that was being towed. According to the Jackson County prosecutor, 42-year-old Prentiss D. Burks has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon, second-degree assault, and two counts of armed criminal action. Chinese Ambassador to Tunisia Wang Wenbin (R) and Tunisian Defense Minister Imed Hazgui sign and exchange handover certificates in Tunis, Tunisia, April 16, 2020. China donated a batch of medical aid to Tunisia's Ministry of National Defense on Thursday. The medical aid includes N95 masks, test kits and medical protective glasses. Hazgui appreciated China for its timely and strong support in the fight against the COVID-19, saying China has set an example for the world to cooperate in fighting the pandemic. He added that Tunisia hopes to learn from China's experience and work with China to overcome the pandemic as soon as possible. (Xinhua) TUNIS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China donated a batch of medical aid to Tunisia's Ministry of National Defense on Thursday. Chinese Ambassador to Tunisia Wang Wenbin and Tunisian Defense Minister Imed Hazgui signed a handover certificate for both sides. The medical aid includes N95 masks, test kits and medical protective glasses. Hazgui appreciated China for its timely and strong support in the fight against the COVID-19, saying China has set an example for the world to cooperate in fighting the pandemic. He added that Tunisia hopes to learn from China's experience and work with China to overcome the pandemic as soon as possible. The ambassador said that China is willing to make positive contributions to the cooperation of the international community in defeating COVID-19. Social media has become a part and parcel of the lives of millennials. We spend hours browsing through the news feed on Instagram or Facebook. But how often do you expect to fall in love with someone over these online websites? The love story of TikTok star Mrunal Panchal and boyfriend Anirudh Sharma is what makes us believe in technology. Mrunal recently shared their story with the Humans of Bombay. They met on Instagram and clicked instantly after the girl messaged him. They had no idea that the next few days and months would be spent chatting with each other for hours. While they never met in person, the couple felt a strong connection. But there were a few difficulties, just like any other love story. Mrunal lived in India while Anirudh was studying in Canada. However, the duo found a way to cope up with this problem as well. Were both content creators, so when he asked me to do a TikTok Duet with him, I was game. We had so much fun! But, we also realized how much we felt for each other, she said. Soon, they went on a virtual date and confessed their love to each other. But we hadnt met so there was that fear of things going flat when we met in person. So, three months after our virtual romance, he came to Pune to see me & give this a real shot, she added. The lovebirds were meant to be and ended up being head over heels for each other. Anirudh completed his studies and came back to India, living in the same complex as Mrunal. Finally, from being a thousand miles away, were now just a floor apart. Virtual dates have turned into breakfast in bed & Skype sessions are now fairy lit Netflix nights at home, said Mrunal. Labourers work at SMB coltan mine near the town of Rubaya By Helen Reid and Hereward Holland JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo's mining minister warned mine shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic would trigger a "catastrophic" economic and social crisis in the country, as he reported a 15% slump in cobalt exports in the first quarter. Congo, the world's biggest producer of cobalt, is highly reliant on mining, with the industry contributing 32% of its GDP and 95% of export revenue in 2018, according to the central bank. "The DRC would not be able to withstand an abrupt halt in the mining production of the flagship projects operating there if they invoked force majeure," Mines Minister Willy Kitobo Samsoni wrote in a ministry analysis seen by Reuters. Exports of cobalt, a metal used in batteries, fell by 15.2% in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, he said in the memo, while copper exports increased by 12.8%. "As a result (of mine shutdowns), we risk moving from a health crisis to an economic crisis, which would in turn lead to a social crisis," Samsoni wrote. The clause of force majeure allows certain terms of an otherwise legally binding agreement to be ignored because of unavoidable circumstances. Companies mining in Congo's southern copper belt include Glencore subsidiary Katanga Mining , China Molybdenum's <603993.SS> Tenke Fungurume, MMG <1208.HK>, and Chemaf, while Ivanhoe is developing two copper mines there. Disruption caused by the pandemic has so far driven Chemaf to shut its Usoke copper-cobalt processing plant, while Ivanhoe has suspended operations at its Kipushi copper mine project. Restrictions on movement in countries through which Congo's metals are transported could also trigger declarations of force majeure, Samsoni said. Zambia, a key transit country for copper and cobalt, has mandated all returning residents and foreigners to be quarantined for 14 days in a government facility at their own cost, according to a foreign ministry document seen by Reuters. Story continues A logistics official said this would affect the transport of metals from DRC, as truck drivers would have to go into quarantine on arrival in Zambia. "This situation cannot be sustained," he said. Depressed copper prices could also slow the development of new mines in Congo, Samsoni said, with facilities expected to enter production in 2020 or 2021, like Ivanhoe's Kamoa-Kakula project, likely to be postponed. Ivanhoe Mines Executive Co-Chairman Robert Friedland said the recent copper price decline has not affected the development schedule for Kamoa-Kakula, and that the mine's high expected grade of copper makes it better able to withstand low prices. "The Kakula mine is making excellent progress on its development," he said in a written statement to Reuters, reiterating the company's previous guidance for first production in the third quarter of 2021. On April 2 the company said it had locked down the Kamoa-Kakula project with all key personnel on site in order to ensure operational continuity and minimise the impact of the pandemic on the development schedule. (Reporting by Hereward Holland and Helen Reid; Editing by Jane Merriman, Elaine Hardcastle and Jan Harvey) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Irene Poetranto and Sinta Dewi Rosadi (The Jakarta Post) Toronto/Bandung Fri, April 17, 2020 14:08 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd280955 3 Opinion #COVID19,#coronavirus,COVID-19,coronavirus,personal-data-protection,COVID-19-in-Indonesia Free Imagine that after a night out with friends, you became ill and required hospitalization. Your head of state announced that you and a family member were the first two confirmed COVID-19 cases, but you did not know about your positive diagnosis until you heard the public announcement. Your personal details were then leaked in WhatsApp groups and social media platforms, including your initials, age, photos, jobs, medical record, social media accounts and home address. Hoaxes were circulated about you, and reporters swarmed your housing complex. How would you feel? This is what happened to a 31-year-old woman and her 64-year-old mother from Depok, West Java, who became known as Case 1 and Case 2. It could happen to any of us. President Joko Jokowi Widodo has since urged government officials to protect the identity and privacy of all COVID-19 patients, while the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has called on the media to be more considerate in their reporting. But the damage was done. Cases 1 and 2 said the breaching of their privacy had left them mentally drained and stigmatized in their community. These missteps in communicating COVID-19 spread demonstrate why robust personal data protection is urgently needed. Violating the right to privacy and dignity of cases 1 and 2 negatively affects their wellbeing, which is crucial for their recovery, and potentially undermines the governments public health efforts. Such incidents may prevent others who are experiencing symptoms from coming forward and getting tested for fear of being publicly harassed if their personal data is breached. Peoples reluctance to get tested would only make it harder for the government to contain the virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) agrees that mass testing, as South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan have done, enables positive cases to be isolated and allows for those who came in contact with them to be identified. Other experts even advocate for the testing and retesting of every single person, regardless of whether they showed any symptoms, to stop the outbreak. At present, Indonesia has the fourth-worst testing rate among countries with a 50 million population or above, after Ethiopia, Nigeria and Bangladesh. Indonesia has only tested 36 in every million people for COVID-19, compared to Singapore's 6,666, and Malaysia 1,605. The government must do more to increase testing capacity, encourage its population to get tested and provide robust personal data protection that minimizes the risk of breaches. Disclosing excessive amounts of patients personal information, especially without prioritizing public health measures like widespread testing, would cause harm that far outweighs the public health benefits. This is why ensuring patients' confidentiality is a key public health strategy against infectious diseases, particularly when the illness is stigmatized, as is the case with COVID-19. And even if personal information is critical for public health officials, that does not mean the information is significant for the general public. The balance between protecting individual privacy and disclosing personal data that is important for the public good must therefore be ethically considered. Governments around the world are collecting and retaining increasing amounts of our personal information. For example, the Indonesian government launched the PeduliLindungi app. Similar to Singapores TraceTogether app, PeduliLindungi aims to bolster contact-tracing efforts to track down cases and suspected patients. It claims that user data is encrypted, will not be shared with third parties and will only be accessed if the user is deemed to be at risk of infection, but the app has not been independently analyzed to ensure an acceptable level of data protection. Focusing on solutions like apps may trivialize other, much-needed answers, including mass testing and the processing of test swabs. For contact tracing efforts to succeed, as in Singapore and South Korea, they must be supported by a well-equipped healthcare infrastructure that is able to test large numbers of people who may have been exposed to the coronavirus. The governments use of apps is also concerning because, although according to Government Regulation No. 71/2019 on the Implementation of Electronic Systems and Transactions, the government is obliged to destroy user data collected by the app after the pandemic is over, this provision is purely administrative in nature and fails to provide the maximum legal protection of user data. Additionally, the government is not legally obliged to inform users what else their data will be used for. Personal data protection promotes trust in public health, but Indonesia still lacks a general data protection regulation. Data protection in Indonesia is scattered across at least 32 different laws, six of which pertain to the health sector, including access to health data, like the Health Law, the Hospital Law, the Medical Practice Law, the Medical Practitioner Law, the Mental Health Law and the Narcotics Law. Meanwhile, neighboring Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, and more than 120 other countries in the world already have comprehensive data privacy laws. Cases 1 and 2 have shown that misuse and leaks of personal data are no longer just hypothetical and that Indonesias disparate laws are insufficient to protect the privacy and security of patient data. To address this gap, the government submitted a general personal data protection bill to the House of Representatives in January, and Communications and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate hopes for it to be passed by October. In light of recent data breaches, the government must hold itself to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and implement a strong general data protection regulation as soon as possible. *** Irene Poetranto is senior researcher at the Citizen Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto. Sinta Dewi Rosadi is associate professor at the School of Law, Padjadjaran University in Bandung, with research on cyberlaw. The views expressed are their own. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Sweden's foreign minister said it was "positive" that Chinese authorities are assisting other countries with protective equipment and are "trying to show transparency", while cautioning that it would be "naive" to think "that there is no political reason behind" those actions. Ann Linde said on Friday that ''countries are using the pandemic to move forward with their own political agendas and that happens in China, it's happening in many other countries.'' China was criticized by some western government for the mishandling of the crisis due to politically motivated foot-dragging, while the virus raced through a province and its capital, Wuhan. Now it is seeking to change perceptions through a "mask diplomacy" - a mix of soft power policy, political messaging and aid shipments - to portray Beijing as a generous and efficient ally. China has shipped medical supplies in Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovakia and the Czech Republic and while the gesture drew praises, some test kits didn't meet the local medical standards. Linde added that "all governments, including my own" will have to be held accountable for their response to the pandemic in the aftermath of the crisis. The Swedish government has imposed relatively liberal policies to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Swedish authorities have advised the public to practice social distancing, but schools, bars and restaurants are still open, and only gatherings of more than 50 people have been banned. Swedish has confirmed more than 12,500 coronavirus cases and more than 1,300 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 Credits: AP A city-based non-governmental organisation moved the Bombay high court on Friday seeking speedy decongestion of prisons across Maharashtra, as ordered by the Supreme Court. Taking due note of the threat created by coronavirus pandemic, on March 23, the apex court directed all states and union territories to decongest prisons to the possible extent. SC ordered setting up of high-powered committees at state level to determine the class or classes of prisoners who could be temporarily released from prisons in the wake of coronavirus outbreak. The apex court said the states and union territories could release certain categories of prisoners, like undertrials facing charge of offences punishable with imprisonment for up to seven years or prisoners convicted for similar offences. The petition filed by Global Care Foundation, through advocate Tanveer Nizam, states that the Maharashtra government, accordingly, set up a high power committee and according to a release issued by home minister Anil Deshmukh, it has been decided to released two categories of prisoners - under-trial prisoners and convicts sentenced to imprisonment for upto seven years. The petition adds that approximately 11,000 prisoners were, this, expected to be released on emergency parole for 45 days. This order should be implemented at the earliest as grave and irreparable loss will be caused, especially in view of the fact that State of Maharashtra leads number of infections in India and is the worst hit with the pandemic and each day there is a great surge in the number of cases, states the petition. That, despite the eminent danger to lives of inmates and the only option of quarantine as a sole suggested measure, should the authorities fail to consider releasing the categorised inmates it would lead to loss of lives of inmates, it adds. It has urged the high court to order the state government to forthwith release about 11,000 prisoners falling in categories identified by the high power committee either on emergency parole or furlough leave for a period of 45 days. The NGO has also sought list of the categorised prisoners and permission to allow the petitioner body to deposit bail amount ranging between Rs. 3,000 to 5,000 per prisoner. The petitioner body has offered to deposit the bail amount on behalf of the categories prisoners in order to ensure the process is not delayed any further. Cole McCafferty, 15, in Old City. McCafferty was 12 when he was featured in local, national, and international media as one of Donald Trump's biggest kid fans. Read more Cole McCafferty was 12 when he first saw Donald Trump on television and decided to read The Art of the Deal. He seemed really smart and I just liked the way he came across in the book, McCafferty, now 15, said. That led the middle schooler from Old City to post a video endorsing Trump. It was a cute little thing, McCafferty said. I wrote the thing out and I got my dad to help me with the grammar and I posted it. The media attention that followed was, well, huge. Russian television stations, far-right radio show host Alex Jones, and Philadelphia Magazine all interviewed him. So did Newsweek, in an article about Trumps young supporters, which his family thought crossed the line by linking him to the far right. They sued the magazine for defamation. A federal District Court judge rejected their claim, but they appealed. This week an appellate panel sided with Newsweek. Now McCafferty is talking about how people got the wrong impression of him. Hes still an outspoken supporter of the president, eager to help him win reelection in November, but hes also taken the last two years to raise thousands of dollars for homeless veterans in the city. Look, Im an American. I believe everyone should have their own right to choose their opinions freely, McCafferty said. But some of the negative blowback I got when the article came out I was overwhelmed by it. The article quoted a Columbia University professor who said the far right was using children like McCafferty to " camouflage positions of the hard right as feel-good sweetness and light, when, in fact, they are defending raw racism and sexual abuse. McCaffertys parents, Brian and Melissa McCafferty, filed the lawsuit against Newsweek on his behalf, alleging it defamed him. Brian McCafferty said they will appeal this weeks Third Circuit Court ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. Circuit Judge Stephanos Bibas wrote in the opinion for a three-judge panel that the magazine was protected by the First Amendment and the statements were not defamatory. The professors comments were directed at adults on the far right, not McCafferty, Bibas found. He noted that the boy had made a name for himself as a politically vocal boy. Political discourse can be bruising, Bibas wrote. People often express opinions that offend others. But the First Amendment protects virtually all of those opinions, even offensive and hurtful ones, to promote a greater good: robust political discourse. The price of free speech is putting up with all sorts of name-calling and hurtful rhetoric. Bibas was appointed to the court by Trump in 2017, filling a seat previously held by Marjorie Rendell. An attorney for Newsweek declined to comment. McCafferty wanted to, though. He said the last two years have been tough. Hes lost friends and the backlash on social media was intense. He took down all his accounts and videos. His dad went to the FBI after he said the family received a death threat from a man in Florida. It was crazy," Brian McCafferty said. "Its a polarizing country, were so divided. While Cole admits he sought out the spotlight some of his videos got upwards of 16 million views he wasnt ready for the barrage that came at him after the national magazine article. Hes a somewhat introverted teenager. When asked about his favorite movies, he said he typically just watches the news. He was disappointed when final exams at St. Joes Prep were canceled for the year. In his downtime, hes reading a collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald short stories and novels and doing work for his charity. In 2017 he started raising money for homeless veterans through an initiative called Coles Challenge. To date, hes raised $50,000 for the Veterans Multi-Services Center at the former Edison High School, which provides employment and other services for veterans. The kitchen, under construction, will be Coles Kitchen. I just want people to know: Im a good kid. Im a good student," he said. I dont blame people for getting the wrong impression. The countrys very divided, but first impressions can be misleading. As Bibas ruling lays out, McCafferty didnt shy away from echoing some of Trumps vitriolic language. In interviews, he called Madonna trash and Hillary Clinton deplorable. He said he doesnt regret those comments. This countrys always been divided between Democrats and Republicans," he said. "It was in the Obama years. It is under Trump. Its always been divided 50-50. I dont think the president trolling people on Twitter will lead to a civil war. Thats just the way he is. McCafferty said his political views are entirely his own, unshaped by his father, who voted for Trump but considers himself an independent, or his mom, whos a Democrat. McCafferty is Catholic and supports candidates who oppose abortion rights. He also lost a cousin to drug addiction and likes the promises Trump has made to curb illegal drug activity at the border. He doesnt see himself running for office but may want to get involved in campaigns. Hes had some pretty politically savvy ideas, like going to Luzerne County in 2016 to give a pro-Trump speech about coal miners at the base of a statue paying tribute to them. (Both of his great-grandfathers were miners and his grandmother still lives in Nanticoke.) The county wound up being key to Trumps victory in Pennsylvania, flipping from Democratic to Republican. While his father is wary of it, McCafferty says he wants to start posting videos again to promote Trump. Ive been silent for the past two years, he said. Im going to get back out there with a couple of videos, so expect a lot more content from me. One of four Pakistani brothers who pack raped at least six girls in their suburban Sydney home during a six-month rampage in 2002 will soon be released from jail. The man, known as MAK to protect the identity of his two rapist siblings who were minors at the time of the offences, will remain anonymous when he is let out into the community on parole. While MAK's release will reignite anger about the series of sexual assaults he and his brothers committed on up to 18 girls as young as 13, authorities cannot keep him in prison much longer. MAK, who has 15 months left to serve of a maximum 19-year sentence, immigrated from Pakistan with his brothers in 2000, just two years before their rape spree began. From January to July 2002 the siblings lured teenage girls to be raped in the family home they shared with their doctor father at Ashfield, in Sydneys inner-west. At the time of the rapes MAK was 22, MSK was 23, MRK was 17 and MMK just 16. They were joined in the crimes by a Nepalese student known as RS. One of four Pakistani brothers who pack raped at least six girls in their suburban Sydney home during a six-month rampage will likely be released after serving 19 years. Tegan Wagner (pictured) was raped by the brothers in 2002 when she was just 14 At the time of the rapes MAK was 22, MSK was 23, MRK was 17 and MMK just 16. They were joined in the crimes by Nepalese student known as RS. The four brothers are pictured in court The K brothers threatened some of their rape victims with a knife while they were held in their Ashfield home. This knife and bullets were exhibits during their trials In January 2002 two sisters aged 18 and 16 were taken to the Ashfield house where MAK indecently assaulted the younger one and MRK robbed her. In February that year MAK and another brother took three girls to the house where he and MSK repeatedly raped one. In July, MSK raped a 13-year-old girl and the same month two girls aged 16 and 17 were threatened at knifepoint and sexually assaulted by all the K brothers and RS. The extent of the crimes committed by the brothers did not become publicly known until July 2005 when a series of suppression orders was lifted. Australians were horrified when those details were published, drawing comparisons with the notorious Skaf gang rapists who terrorised Sydney in 2000. At the time the brothers were described in the media as 'probably the most violent, prolific gang rapists Sydney has known.' Their modus operandi was simple. MMK would befriend a girl then invite her to the family home, which was decorated with posters of semi-naked girls, for a 'party'. Sometimes he would ask the girl to bring along a friend but there would be no other guests when they arrived at the Ashfield house. Before raping the girls, who were often picked up from train stations by MAK and MMK, the brothers would ply them with alcohol. The NSW parole board intends to release rapist MAK who has served 18 years for his heinous crimes. His brother MMK is pictured being released in June 2018 Tegan Wagner (pictured) was one of K brothers' targets and in 2017 told 60 Minutes of her ordeal at the hands of the rapists, including the victim-blaming she was forced to endure The brothers usually targeted Anglo-Saxon Australian victims, who they would call 'sluts' as they were being raped. The girls would be assaulted repeatedly, often at knifepoint, and told they would be killed if they reported the brothers to police. MSK falsely told one 13-year-old girl before he raped her that he had strangled a girlfriend and hung her from a balcony in Iraq. MRK violently defiled one rape victim while she was comatose and gave another two black eyes while stealing her purse. He threw one girl against a wall and told her: 'If a Leb wants to f*** you, you f*** them.' That comment appears to have been a reference to the earlier crimes of the Skaf gang rapists in which a victim was told 'I'm going to f*** you Leb-style'. Police would later discover the brothers had been filming their depraved acts against the teenagers. Video tapes showed perhaps a dozen victims who were never found or did not want to make statements. Bilal Skaf (left) and his brother Mohammed (right) were the most prominent members of a gang of Lebanese youths who committed a series of pack rapes in Sydney's south-west in 2000 The officer in charge of the investigation into the rapes crimes, Detective Leading Senior Constable Tony Adams, described the brothers as 'like a pack of animals'. 'Their pastime was to go out and pick up as many girls as they could and if they didn't consent they would basically force it on them,' he said. 'The videos reminded me of a pack of hyenas around a carcass. Why pack rapist MAK is being granted parole The offender has participated in relevant programs/counselling to address his offending behaviour The offender is subject to ongoing psychiatric supervision and is stable on medication The offender has suitable post-release plans in the community There are appropriate interventions for the offender to participate in upon release and the offender is willing to engage in them There is a need for the offender to have a period of parole supervision prior to expiry of sentence to minimise the effects of institutionalisation and facilitate contact with appropriate community support services The State Parole Authority considered the risk to community safety is increased if he offender is to be released at the end of the sentence without a period of supervised parole The offender's risk of re-offending can be addressed through parole supervision The offender has demonstrated satisfactory prison performance It is the offender's first period of incarceration Source: State Parole Authority Advertisement 'They targeted girls who were vulnerable, they were young, they were naive, and they were susceptible to being told they were beautiful. 'They got their trust and moved in for the kill.' The K brothers behaved outrageously during their trials, claiming in the face of strong DNA evidence to be the victims of a police set-up and an anti-Muslim conspiracy. They said all barristers believed Muslims were rapists and they wanted six million Islamic jurors to judge them. Before the brothers' first trial in 2003 a law was rushed through parliament to stop MAK and MSK from personally cross-examining their victims. They sacked lawyers, caused trials to be aborted and MSK called the jurors who had to endure their histrionics 'f***ing racist dogs'. MSK aborted one trial by shouting details of his previous rape convictions to a jury. He threw broken glass at a victim's mother after jumping from the dock. The brothers were assisted by their father, a doctor who was given the pseudonym HMK and who provided alibi evidence for his sons which juries found to be false. HMK treated his court appearances as a joke, giving ridiculous answers to questions under cross-examination and causing his sons to laugh in the dock. While giving evidence in relation to two rapes MAK and MSK committed the Crown prosecutor asked HMK: 'Everything you have said about the night, from start to finish, is a pack of lies, isn't it?' HMK: 'It's the truth but we don't always remember. Can you put machine in my brain to recollect it?' After MAK and MSK had been convicted or rape their father said of two victims: 'What do they expect to happen to them? Girls from Pakistan don't go out at night.' MSK had argued his behaviour was influenced by alcohol and 'cultural conditioning'. His father also claimed in court his sons 'did not know the culture of this country.' HMK was charged with perjury but died in November 2006 aged 67 after being admitted to Bankstown Hospital for heart surgery. Tegan Wagner was one of K brothers' targets and in 2017 told 60 Minutes of her ordeal, including the victim-blaming she was forced to endure in court. Raped at 14, she was 'made to feel dirty' as she was forced to withstand days of intense cross-examination in a hearing that was delayed nine times. Ms Wagner, who was subjected to almost 2,000 questions while giving evidence described the process as being raped again. 'You're being told that you lied about it, that it didn't happen, that you as a person must be some sort of jezebel because you put yourself in that situation,' she said. Before the the night she was raped Ms Wagner had never been kissed or touched alcohol. 'I was being taken into a bedroom by one of the boys,' she told 60 Minutes. 'I was saying stop, I was saying no, but I couldn't do anything.' Another of the brothers entered the room and pushed her down onto the bed when she sat up and despite her protests he raped her. 'Then he left the room and I, tried to get up and I found my underwear and I tried to put my underwear back on and leave the room,' she said. But another brother entered and threatened to stab her before raping her on the couch. Bilal and Mohammed Skaf (pictured) were part of a gang of more than a dozen young Lebanese Australians who committed four pack rapes on six teenagers in Sydney's south-west in 2000 MSK was given a non-parole period of 22 years, MAK got a minimum 14 years, MMK got 13 and MRK got five. MRK was granted parole in April 2010 and MMK was released from prison in June 2018. Their fellow rapist and friend RS hanged himself in jail while awaiting sentencing in April 2004. Only MAK and MSK are still inside. MAK, now 40, has been eligible for parole since July 2016 and his maximum 19-year sentence expires on July 31 next year. On Thursday the State Parole Authority announced it intended to grant him parole so that his reintegration into the community could be managed. The Serious Offenders Review Council had told the SPA it was 'imperative' MAK be on parole for as long as possible rather than releasing him without supervision at all. WHY THE K BROTHERS' CRIMES ARE COMPARED TO SKAF GANG Bilal Skaf led a gang of more than a dozen young Lebanese Australians who committed four pack rapes on six teenagers in Sydney's south-west in 2000. One of the victims, an 18-year-old woman, was raped 40 times by 14 gang members over four hours in an attack coordinated by mobile phone. She was then dumped at a train station after being hosed down. During her ordeal the woman was called an 'Aussie pig', told she was going to get it 'Leb-style' and asked if 'Leb c*** tasted better than Aussie c***'. The rapists received sentences totalling more than 240 years with Bilal Skaf being jailed for 55 years, later reduced to a minimum 28. Judge Michael Finnane compared the Skaf gang's depravity to outrages committed by invading armies in times of war and said their crimes were worse than murder. 'These were not random attacks and, in my view, they were aimed at creating terror in the community, Judge Finnane said. 'It seemed clear to me that these men were sending out a message to the community in Sydney. Skaf and the members of this gang clearly wanted public recognition for what they had done.' None of the rapists ever expressed any remorse for their crimes. Only Bilal Skaf and his brother Mohammed are still in jail for the rapes. Many of the rapists have never been identified and police fear there were more victims who did not come forward. Advertisement '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 spokeswoman said. A prison source told Daily Mail Australia authorities had no option but to release MAK and his capacity to re- offend would be reduced by a serious brain injury. He and MSK were bashed by other inmates while in Goulburn jail in 2007 and MAK had barely survived. The SPA said parole had also been recommended by Community Corrections and MAK had participated in programs and counselling to address his offending. If released, he would be subject to an ongoing forensic treatment plan, all conditions required of being on the child protection register, and electronic monitoring. MAK would be banned from contacting his victims or entering the Junee Shire and Canterbury-Bankstown local government areas. Before he is granted parole there will be a public hearing to allow victims and the state to make submissions on MAK's release. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his German counterpart, Heiko Maas, have discussed preparations for the video conference of the Normandy four (Russia, Germany, France, Ukraine), the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday, Sputnik reports. "The ministers agreed to take into account the developments in the situation when preparing a video conference of the foreign ministers of the Normandy Four, the date of which will be agreed at another time," the ministry said. In addition, Lavrov and Maas discussed the situation with the coronavirus in Russia, Germany and across the world. An upstate New York mother showed no symptoms after contracting the coronavirus and unknowingly infected 17 of her 18 children, including some who were adopted. Brittany Jencik of Penfield, N.Y., near Rochester, said she infected her kids while asymptomatic about five weeks ago. She eventually became gravely ill from the virus and the children also began showing symptoms. Jencik says the deadly flu-like virus, also known as COVID-19, hit the family 'like a freight train.' 'It was terrifying. I was a little ahead of them in the timing of it all,' the mother said. Brittany Jencik (third row from the bottom, far right) a mother of 18 children, including some who were adopted, poses with her family. Jencik says she showed no symptoms after contracting the coronavirus about five weeks ago and unknowingly infected 17 of the children 'I was as afraid of my life as I had ever been, and not much scares me,' she tells WHAM. It was not clear how Jencik herself was infected. So far, New York State, the nation's epicenter of the outbreak, has had more than 223,699 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for more than 12,800 deaths. Across the country, there have been 691,567 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for 36,185 deaths. How the number of new coronavirus infections in the US has escalated over time Jencik says that for a couple of days while she was her sickest, 'I was extremely concerned that I was never going to be the same.' Now, after weeks of isolation, the family is slowly recovering. Jencik said a friend's cleaning service came to sanitize the surfaces of her home. Matt Moreno, CEO of Purify Global, brought in a team of 12 in rubber hazmat suits. 'We put on commercial grade gas masks with a cartridge that's meant to withstand a nuclear attack,' he tells Wham. Jencik's family waited outside the home during the two-hour cleaning job. 'I needed to know from my mama heart that I was protecting the people I love to the best extent I possibly could,' she said. Thala Ajith, who will next be seen in H Vinoth's directorial venture Valimai, was supposed to shoot in Spain and Morocco for the action-thriller. However, the European schedule has now been cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. In fact, the makers were even eyeing to release the film on Diwali this year. But now, we hear Valimai will arrive in theatres next year around Pongal. Anyway, currently, the superstar is in the news for another reason. Reportedly, Ajith has been approached for a Bollywood movie by his Arrambam director, Vishnuvardhan. The latter is making his Bollywood debut with a biopic based on the Kargil war hero, Vikram Batra. The movie stars Siddharth Malhotra in the lead and will be bankrolled by Karan Johar's banner Dharma Productions. According to a report in Tollywood.net, Vishnuvardhan has offered a crucial role to the Tamil superstar. If the talented actor agrees to come on board, then he will be seen essaying the role of an Army Major in the untitled project. However, it's still unclear whether Ajith is considering the Bollywood offer or not. Well, even if Thala Ajith says yes to Vishnuvardhan's movie, it won't be his Bollywood debut. For those unaware, the Vedalam hero's first Bollywood outing was way back in 2003. Yes, Ajith was a part of Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor's historical drama, Asoka, which was directed by Santosh Sivan. Coming back to Ajith's upcoming film Valimai, it also features Bollywood actresses Yami Gautam and Huma Qureshi in the lead roles. Pavel Navageethan will make his presence felt in the movie as well, which is Ajith and H Vinoth's second collaboration. RUMOUR HAS IT! Thala Ajith To Team Up With This Popular Malayalam Banner For His Next? I have recently been furloughed along with many of my colleagues at work. However, there is the potential of some of us being allowed back to work soon as they still need some staff, and if only some of us go in, we can maintain social distancing. I wanted to know if it would be possible for companies to rotate the staff they have on furlough so we can all have a chance of earning our full salary at least for a while? Firms can rotate staff on furlough, provided each period of rotation is no less than three weeks Grace Gausden, This is Money, replies: A huge slice of the UK workforce have been furloughed in the past few weeks as companies up and down the country were forced to shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak. Being furloughed means if you're being sent home by your employer, usually because they are shutting or need to cut costs, but will still receive 80 per cent of your salary by the Government, up to a maximum of 2,500 a month. For some, being furloughed is simply boring, as they no longer have any work to do, but for other people 80 per cent of their salary - up to 2,500 - is still not enough to cover all their bills and they are hoping to return to full pay as soon as possible. It makes sense that companies who need some, but not all staff, could rotate their employees so that some are in work for a while, before being furloughed again, with other employees taking their place. This would ensure that staff are given equal opportunities to earn their full pay at alternating times. As it turns out, this is something that firms are legitimately able to do however, there have been rules and restrictions put in place. British Airways is one such company which has been forced to furlough many of its staff Ruby Dinsmore, a Slater and Gordon employment lawyer, replies: Companies can rotate staff on furlough, provided each period of rotation is no less than three weeks. The Government has provided further guidance, including allowing staff to go on and off furlough as many times as required under the scheme which began on 1 March 2020 and is due to expire on 31 May 2020 unless extended. Those making the decisions around which staff to furlough must do this based on business reasons and not potentially discriminatory reasons, such as those with childcare or dependants who need care. Any staff selected for furlough need to agree to do so, as this involves a change to the terms and conditions of their employment. In practice it is unlikely they will disagree. Businesses should also keep a record of the agreement for five years for audit purposes. Businesses which plan to furlough more than 20 staff, even if they do not end up doing so, need to follow a specific consultation process. This doesn't need to be complex, but needs to set out the plans and reasons for these plans, along with the impact on staff and potential outcomes. Furlough agreements with staff should state that they may be recalled back on to full time work and agree the notice periods for the recall. These should be 'reasonable' timeframes. Grace Gausden, This is Money, adds: There are understandably many questions surrounding furlough, with many people not having heard of the practice until the coronavirus outbreak. To help you understand what it is and how it could affect you, This is Money has answered the most common questions surrounding furloughing here. View, a 13-year-old, Milpitas, Calif.-based company that makes dynamic glass designed to reduce heat and glare as well as lessen eyestrain, has cut an unknown number of employees, including at a plant in Olive Branch, Mississippi. One employee of several years, an IT manager, wrote on LinkedIn that he was laid off owing to the pandemic. Another employee of the company -- an engineer and project manager -- wrote on LinkedIn that he has also been laid off and that the company "really cleaned house." This individual added that several other "long timers" had also lost their jobs. One of the former View employees confirmed the layoff but offered that he was not authorized to speak on behalf of the company. A request for help from the company's head of communications went unreturned today. View -- which touts its glass as a way for real estate owners to attract commercial tenants as well to improve energy consumption by up to 20 percent -- is among a large stable of companies that raised enormous amounts of capital from SoftBank's Vision Fund over the last two years. The funding that was provided by the outfit -- $1.1 billion in early November 2018 -- was notable at the time in part because it included no other investors. The round was also announced at a trying time for the Vision Fund -- roughly one month after the journalist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, drawing increased scrutiny of both Saudi Arabia and to the Vision Fund. As many industry watchers will know, the Japanese conglomerate had raised nearly half the capital for its massive Vision Fund from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. Though no one in Silicon Valley was willing to speak up at the time about the episode, SoftBank's checks were presumably seen as radioactive in that moment to at least some founders. Indeed, as the round was being announced, CEO Rao Mulpuri told Bloomberg that the deal predated Khashoggis murder, explaining that, Obviously, what happened in the region there is quite concerning. But, at the same time, weve now built a relationship of getting to know SoftBank over a long period of time, and we are quite comfortable moving forward with this investment. Story continues View has been selling its glass to building owners and commercial real estate developers. On its site, it features a testimonial from a 14-person development firm in Utah named Cottonwood Partners, for example. Real estate, as with transportation and fintech, has been a major area of interest for SoftBank. Other related portfolio companies include Katerra, a tech-driven construction company that had run into troubles well before this year, according to several reports by The Information, and Opendoor, the home-buying company that earlier today announced that it was laying off 35 percent of its employees. Though the construction industry has been hard hit since the coronavirus first gripped the U.S. market and largely shut the nation down, it is still operating in some pockets, saved by the belief in some states and cities that certain projects constitute essential business. Earlier this month, for example, crews were at work on apartment buildings just south of West Hollywood. Asked by the New York Times to explain, officials agreed the work was essential, while a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department called what was happening "uncharted territory for all of us." Before SoftBank came onto the scene, View had raised about $800 million over the years, including from Corning, Madrone Capital Partners, TIAA Investments and a New Zealand sovereign wealth fund. Heading into its current layoff, which was announced to employees yesterday, View had roughly 600 employees, according to LinkedIn. (Newser) Scotch whisky is "the real holy water," Pope Francis joked when a group of student priests from Scotland presented him with a bottlebut Vatican censors didn't laugh when they saw the footage. The moment when the seminarians presented Francis with a bottle of Oban 14 malt was cut from a BBC documentary about their time at the Scots College in Rome, the Times of London reports. Priest School director Tony Kearney says one of the students "was tasked with giving the Pope a bottle of malt, because they know he likes whisky." "He was really down to earth with them all and when they handed him the bottle, instead of just handing it to his assistant as he normally would with a gift, he held it up and said 'Questa e la vera acqua santa,' which means 'This is the real holy water,'" Kearney says. story continues below "He guffawed with laughter and it was a real ice-breaker with the students and put everyone at ease," Kearney tells the Daily Record. "But wed agreed that the Vaticans media office would be allowed to approve all of our footage before we broadcast it. So we sent them the files and when they sent it back, that bit of him saying that was cut out." He adds: "We were really annoyed at first, but they insisted they didnt want the Pope to be seen to be endorsing whisky. I think its quite funny how guarded his image is." Kearney, whose documentary followed the Scottish students for 18 months, says Francis is "ahead of the curve, and the flunkies around about him need to catch up." (Read more Pope Francis stories.) The Department of Health released data on its website Friday detailing positive and negative COVID-19 tests by county, which shows more tests have been conducted in the Sioux Falls area than in all counties west of the Missouri River. In fact, more testing has been conducted among workers at the Smithfield Foods plant than all West River counties combined. In Western South Dakota, 688 tests have been conducted and 26 were positive. Of the positives, 22 have recovered. There are four active positive cases in Pennington County, according to the data. In Minnehaha County, 4,979 tests have been conducted, 1,157 have come back positive, and 293 of those have recovered. Lincoln County, home to the southern edge of Sioux Falls, has seen 981 tests, 77 positives and 36 recoveries. Health officials said Friday there are 634 Smithfield Foods employees with COVID-19, and 143 of their close contacts also have the coronavirus. This means 777 positive tests have been conducted related to Smithfield Foods cases. The health department also reported Friday 101 new positive tests for the coronavirus, bringing the state's total to 1,411 cases, with 457 recovered and 63 hospitalized. Seven people have died from the virus. Overall, 9,561 tests have been negative. Dr. Joshua Clayton, epidemiologist for the Department of Health, said the department didnt have negative testing information for specific businesses like Smithfield Foods. We do not have that information by negative tests for any specific business or location other than what we have provided as part of todays update to the website with negative cases by county, he said. The health department also didnt release racial or ethnic data for COVID-19 cases as of Friday. New cases Friday included two in Brown County, six in Lincoln and 93 in Minnehaha. Clayton said Friday that minimal to moderate community spread has been found in Bon Homme, Charles Mix, Corson, Jerauld and Sanborn counties, as well as substantial spread in Brown, Codington and Pennington counties. Disparity When asked if the disparity between the Sioux Falls area and West River was due to a lack of testing or a lack of spread of the virus out west, Kim Malsam-Rysdon, state health secretary, said theres not as much spread West River. We think that based on testing levels and based on hospital utilization that there is just not as much activity happening West River, Malsam-Rysdon said. The Department of Health reported Friday that only five counties have community spread of COVID-19 out west: Lyman, Corson, Todd have minimal to moderate community spread, whereas Lawrence and Pennington have substantial community spread. However, we do want to make sure that testing availability is not hindering people from being identified if they are symptomatic and are positive, she added, noting that the new Abbott rapid ID testing machines the department deployed to Martin, Hot Springs and Spearfish on Wednesday will help ensure theres good testing availability. Even where were seeing no positive cases reported in counties, we are seeing testing happen, she said, with the exception of Perkins County. New projections Gov. Noem said the state has flattened the curve by 75 percent, but Malsam-Rysdon said this relates to the number of people who get sick with COVID-19 and will need hospitalization. If we had done nothing in our state, we would have needed 10,000 hospital beds by mid-April, Malsam-Rysdon said. In our next projection, we pushed that peak out later to mid-June, and at that point, we would need 5,000 beds. This week, the latest projection is that we will need 2,500 hospital beds at our peak which she still estimates for mid-June. Were still planning as if the worst-case scenario of needing 5,000 beds is what we will experience, she said. We would rather over-prepare and not need that many beds, but what were doing is working. Malsam-Rysdon said her department is planning for a need of 1,300 ICU beds as well, but noted with the latest projections, its more realistic we need about half of those. The latest count is in the range of 250, she said, adding that only 24 people in the state have required ICU so far. Aberdeen case State health officials confirmed Friday that there is one case of COVID-19 in an employee at DemKota Ranch Beef in Aberdeen. Clayton said the Department of Health is assessing the case and conducting contact tracing as well as making recommendations to the ranch to reduce potential transmission. Learning from the Smithfield Foods response, Malsam-Rysdon said its important for these types of workplaces to find good opportunities for social distancing and keep people physically separate. Staggered break schedules and employee screening are useful tactics, she said. We also need to make sure that workers have the appropriate equipment to protect themselves and to protect other people from respiratory droplets, she said. We need to make sure policies in place are supporting the workplace practices that can help people stay safe. Noem said a team from the Department of Health is traveling to Aberdeen to make sure proper practices are being followed. Noem said Friday that a team from the CDC went through the Smithfield Foods meatpacking plant in Sioux Falls on Thursday. The team is now creating an assessment report over the weekend, which Noem said she would look at early next week. Noem said the plant is looking to the future to reopen, but officials arent sure on the date yet. She said the FDA, CDC, Smithfield executives, the city of Sioux Falls, the state Department of Health and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will all be part of that decision. Noem also encouraged South Dakotans to download and use the Care 19 app, which helps the Department of Health conduct its contact tracing if someone contracts COVID-19. Malsam-Rysdon expanded on how the app works, saying it records situations when a person has been at a specific location for approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Its not going to follow you if you take your dog for a walk around the neighborhood, and you dont stop anywhere for that 8 to 10 minute mark, she said. Its not designed to do that tracing of every path that you take. Its designed to show where youve been, and where you may have come into contact long enough to be exposed to COVID-19. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Delhi government has asked officials to use the new 'Assess Koro Na' app for door-to-door survey in COVID-19 containment zones to speed up decision-making by analysing real-time data, removing a major obstacle in the efforts to contain the virus. Officials say the delay in collecting and analysing the data of a person in a physical form is a major challenge. With this app, the data collected can be uploaded on the servers in real-time and immediately analyse. This will help the control centres in making a quick decision on requirement of ambulances and other medical equipment and personnel in the area. A swift decision can save many lives. Sources said as soon as hotspots are identified and a containment order is passed, the major challenge they face is to compile the data in the physical form during the door-to-door survey. Till Thursday, 60 containment zones had been notified in the national capital. Chief Secretary Vijay Dev has asked all district magistrates to use this app for assessment in containment zones, a source said. The first phase of the app-based assessment will be launched in South Delhi. During the process, surveyors ask questions like travel history, contact history, flu-like symptoms and shortness of breath. "The data is then updated on real-time basis on server which is analysed by desktop tools to take decision for mobilization of ambulance to shift severe cases to hospital or Covidcare centres and conduct test on suspected persons," the source said. Coronavirus cases in the national capital climbed to 1,640 on Thursday eveningafter62 fresh cases and six deaths, the highest number of COVID-19fatalities in a day, were reported. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Slovak Spectator spoke to three foreign business owners and a nonprofit director in Bratislava about the effects of COVID-19 on their work. Kerim Hudson, co-owner of PAKTA, is trying to help others by offering face masks and the patterns for those who want to make them at home. (Source: PAKTA Studio) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled While many foreigners feel safer in Slovakia, where the spread of COVID-19 is more controlled than their respective home countries, the future remains uncertain, especially for foreign business owners. The Slovak government is providing economic relief for those who have been hit the hardest, but some small businesses and nonprofits worry whether they will still be in business after the COVID-19 pandemic. Others are prepared to start from scratch. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The Slovak Spectator spoke to Ben Pascoe, owner of cafe Next Apache; Kerim Hudson, co-owner of backpack maker PAKTA; Jose Vintimilla, co-owner of Preco Bistro; and Nicolas Giroux, co-founder of nonprofit KC Bystro. TSS: COVID-19 measures have led to the closure of most businesses in Slovakia. Have you completely halted all of your business activities or are you still carrying out some (ex: take-away, volunteering, online sales)? Read also: Read also: Canadian native turns phonetic trick into a popular Bratislava cafe Read more Ben Pascoe (BP): My cafe has been closed, as with all restaurants and cafes, since March 13. We dont offer takeaway or delivery because we are not that kind of cafe. Luckily, the cafe is close to my home, so we use it as a place for my kids to go to school. It gets them out of the house and gives my wife quiet time at home for her work. Kerim Hudson (KH): We are quite fortunate that a lot of our business was already based online, so it hasnt really forced us to halt or drastically change anything. However, we have been trying to take some time and use the resources we have to help others, by offering face masks and the patterns for those who want to make them at home. Were also trying to share some of the things we are doing at home that others could potentially do as well during the quarantine, such as replanting vegetable scraps. Jose Vintimilla (JV): We are trying to make our concept work on a delivery menu with little success because people are looking for a proper menu, which we do not offer. Nicolas Giroux (NG): Bystro has been completely closed since March 10. We have stopped our activities in the physical place, but some of our most active members are hanging out informally online on a regular basis. The core team is also working on things we have not had the time to do so far like translations of articles for our website. We are now planning to come up with a new manifesto and update our official statuses. TSS: Do you think the Slovak government is providing adequate aid for businesses/ the self-employed struggling due to COVID-19? Dr Mehmet Oz has admitted he misspoke after his remarks that reopening schools might not greatly effect overall deaths drew social media backlash. The famous TV doctor posted a video statement on Twitter Thursday, after his remarks in an interview with Fox News earlier in the week were misinterpreted by pundits. In the interview, Oz cited a promising medical study saying that closing schools in the coronavirus pandemic reduces the overall population mortality by just 2 to 4 percent, and urged the risks and rewards of school closures to be weighed. Furious critics tore into him on social media, mistakenly claiming that he had suggested that 2 to 4 percent of schoolchildren dying would be acceptable. Dr Oz posted a video statement on Twitter Thursday, after his remarks in an interview with Fox News earlier in the week were misinterpreted by pundits Ive realized my comments on risks around opening schools have confused and upset people, which was never my intention. I misspoke. pic.twitter.com/Kq1utwiCjR Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) April 16, 2020 Asked by Fox News host Sean Hannity how the economy might be jump started, Oz offered a clumsily worded reply that led to the confusion. 'Schools are a very appetizing opportunity. I just saw a nice piece in The Lancet arguing the opening of schools may only cost us 23 percent in terms of total mortality,' he said. 'Any life is a life lost but to get every child back into a school where they are safely being educated, being fed, and making the most of their lives, with the theoretical risk on the back side, might be tradeoff some folks would consider,' he continued. The study Oz referred to made it clear that children face statistically tiny risks from coronavirus itself, which overwhelmingly threatens older people, and those with underlying condidtions. The study argued that the health risks to children of closing schools were significant, and possibly outweigh the benefits. 'Many children will suffer from a lack of access to school-provided social assistance, such as free lunches or clean water and washing facilities. Those engaged with school-facilitated health care, such as vaccinations and mental health services, may miss out on vital health provisions,' the authors wrote. The number of US deaths has risen to 34,846. Those do not include probable deaths reported by New York City, which takes into account people who have died in their home without receiving a test since March 11 However, children can spread the virus to people who are at higher risk, which is why the authors found that the overall mortality rate rose slightly when schools are open. In his statement, Oz clarified that he was advocating for weighing the risks and benefits of closing schools. 'I've realized my comments on risks around opening schools have confused and upset people, which was never my intention. I misspoke,' he said. 'As a heart surgeon, I spent my career fighting to save lives in the operating room by minimizing risks. At the same time, I'm being asked constantly, how will be be able to get people back to their normal lives?' Oz continued. 'To do that, one of the important steps will be figuring out, how do we get our kids safely back to school? We know that for many kids, school is a place of security, nutrition and learning that is missing right now.' In the days after formally ending his campaign and endorsing Joe Biden, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has intensified his efforts to dragoon his supporters into backing the right-wing standard bearer of the Democratic Party establishment. In an interview with the Associated Press published on Tuesday, Sanders slandered as irresponsible any of his supporters who do not campaign for Biden. Do we be as active as we can in electing Joe Biden and doing everything we can to move Joe and his campaign in a more progressive direction? he asked. Or do we choose to sit out and allow the most dangerous president in modern American history to get reelected? There is widespread anger and opposition among workers and youth to Sanders craven capitulation to Biden in a livestreamed eventon Monday. Sanders response is to declare: I believe that its irresponsible for anybody to say, Well, I disagree with Joe BidenI disagree with Joe Biden!and therefore Im not going to be involved. Bernie Sanders (Flick.com, Gage Skidmore) As he did in 2016, but now under much more explosive social and political conditions, Sanders is exchanging his political revolution against the establishment for the thin gruel of lesser evil politics. A few points in reply to Senator Sanders. First, support for Biden means support for the social interests that he represents and the program that he is advancing. Biden, who was first elected to the US Senate from the state of Delaware in 1972, has spent nearly four decades as a faithful servant of the ruling class. He has an extensive record of support for war, austerity, capital punishment, and mass incarceration. The present catastrophe caused by the coronavirus pandemic is the consequence of policies pursued by the ruling class and its representatives, Democratic and Republican alike, for decades, with Biden playing a critical role. Endless resources have been funneled into the stock markets and the military, while social infrastructure has been dismantled and inequality driven to record highs. As a member and then chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden was one of the principal proponents of the US bombing of Yugoslavia (1999) under Clinton, and the US invasions of Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003) under Bush. He voted for the Patriot Act and the expansion of illegal domestic spying after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, boasting that the legislation was modeled off a bill he had drafted in 1995. Biden also voted for the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act in 1999, a milestone in the deregulation of the banks, vastly increasing the ability of giant financial institutions to engage in speculation and plunder. In 2005, Biden aggressively campaigned for the overhaul of consumer bankruptcy laws, making it much harder for working class families to escape debt burdens. As vice president under Obama, Biden oversaw the bailout of the banks in 2008-09 as well as the wars in Libya, Syria and Yemen. This was in addition to the continued occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and the vast expansion of drone assassinations as an instrument of US foreign policy. Amidst all of this, nothing was done to prepare for a pandemic, despite repeated warnings from scientists and epidemiologists. The Democrats, no less than the Republicans, are responsible for the destruction of health care infrastructure and the criminal lack of stockpiles of ventilators, face masks and other critical equipment. Second, Sanders would like everyone to forget what happened in 2016 and after. The channeling of all opposition behind Clinton, the widely despised candidate of Wall Street, provided Trump with the opportunity to posture as the only candidate opposed to the status quo. Sanders played a critical role in this by enthusiastically campaigning for Clinton, as he will now do for Biden. Following Trumps election, the Democrats initial response was to pledge to collaborate with Trump on key elements of ruling class policy. Obama declared that the contest was an intramural scrimmage between two sides on the same team. Sanders himself said that he was prepared to work with Trump on economic policy. And for the past three and a half years, the Democrats have sought to channel all opposition to Trump behind the anti-Russia campaign, declaring that the main threat to the American people was Vladimir Putin. As for Sanders claim that he is going to move the Democratic Party and the Biden campaign in a more progressive direction, this is simply an exercise in cover-upputting lipstick on a pig. Sanders is urging his followers to continue to vote for him in primaries in order to help him amass delegates for the Democratic Party convention to create leverage to shape the party platform. Even within the framework of electoral politics, this argument is absurd. What leverage would Sanders have given that he has already pledged his unconditional allegiance to Biden and his determination to support him in whatever way possible? More importantly, there are no significant differences between Sanders program and Bidens. As Sanders was at pains to stress in his endorsement video, the two disagree only a little. Sanders subservience to the interests of the ruling class was demonstrated in his vote for the grossly misnamed CARES Act, the massive handout to the rich rammed through Congress in late March with a unanimous vote in the Senate. The act provides hundreds of billions of dollars in bailouts to corporations and finances the trillions of dollars that have been handed over to Wall Street. Having engaged in plunder and thievery on an unprecedented scale, the ruling class is now campaigning for a rapid return to work, a campaign to which Biden recently added his support. Sandersalong with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and othersis playing an auxiliary role as powerful factions of the ruling class coalesce behind a Biden campaign. The Washington Post published an editorial yesterday, The anti-Trump coalition is forming. The left and right must join, arguing that now that Biden has obtained the support of Sanders, he should work on winning over those further right to join as well. The newspaper counseled Biden not to make too many empty gestures to Sanders supporters in order to leave space on his right for patriotic Republicans, including those who care about a strong national defense. Right-wing neo-conservative Trump critic Max Boot published an opinion piece in the Post earlier this week titled Republicans who dont like Trump have no excuses: Endorse Biden. Boot said that he would have voted for Sanders, but a lot of my fellow former Republicans wouldnt have. Now that Joe Biden is going to be the Democratic nominee, the choice is easy. Boot went on to urge top Republicans who have been critical of Trumps foreign policy to join in the coalition, including: former president George W. Bush; former vice president Dick Cheney; former Trump defense secretary Jim Mattis; and former Trump homeland security secretary H.R. McMaster. The Democratic Party, which did everything it could to undermine the Sanders campaign as the Vermont senator was winning early caucuses and primaries, is now embracing him. The New York Times notes in an article published yesterday, The Democratic Establishment Suddenly Loves Bernie Sanders. It states, When he was winning primaries, many in the Democratic Party were wary of the Vermont senator. Now, hes a friend, chess-playing companion and [in the words of Obama] American original. The Democratic Party was in fact never concerned about Sanders. He is a known quantity. After channeling opposition behind Clinton in 2016, he was rewarded with a position in the Democratic Party leadership caucus in the US Senate. Now, he is no doubt angling for a position in an administration led by Biden, or whatever right-wing candidate the Democrats end up choosing. What has concerned the ruling class, rather, is the social anger of workers and youth that found a temporary and distorted expression in support for the Sanders campaign, under the mistaken belief that he represented opposition to inequality and capitalism. This social anger has not gone away, whatever Sanders and the Democrats might hope. Amidst the expanding health care, economic and social crisis brought on by the ruling class response to the coronavirus pandemic, it must and will find a genuinely socialist and revolutionary form. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17 Trend: We must confidently go for economic liberalization, all areas in our country should be open to investment, said Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev at the meeting on the socio-economic results of the first quarter of 2020 through videoconference, Trend reports. I said in my opening remarks that the government and, of course, the Ministry of Economy should find new sources of revenue. I want to say this again: there are resources, and I know that work in this direction is going on. We cant delay this. I believe that new proposals should be prepared and submitted to me in a short time. We should also be aware that the agreement of OPEC and non-OPEC countries puts certain obligations on us too. I want to note that Azerbaijan has always played a very active role within OPEC+. I also want to remind you that the idea of the OPEC+ format was first put forward by me at the panel discussion of the Davos World Economic Forum. Today, even the OPEC Secretary General acknowledges this. Today, not only OPEC+ but also all oil-producing countries have come to an agreement, said President Ilham Aliyev. The head of state said he considers this a unique format of cooperation, which puts additional obligations on each country, including Azerbaijan. In accordance with this agreement, our oil production will be reduced this year. Quotas are already defined. If the price of oil does not rise to the desired level, then we will incur additional losses. We should be aware that these losses could amount to approximately 700 million, perhaps even 1 billion dollars. Therefore, it is now necessary to take steps because on the basis of decisions made last year, a large social package was already implemented. This social package will, of course, be provided to people this year and in subsequent years. At least 2.5 billion manats is envisaged in connection with the coronavirus. As I have already mentioned, about 100 million manats was allocated from the Presidents Contingency Fund for the acquisition of the necessary supplies. If the oil price does not recover, we will incur additional losses and our foreign exchange reserves will naturally decline. In the first quarter, foreign exchange reserves already decreased compared to 1 January. This is natural, and under such circumstances, I want to repeat, we must carefully examine the costs, said President Ilham Aliyev. He noted that public spending should pursue two main objectives. Employment we cannot drastically reduce our investments. First, because important projects must be implemented. Most importantly, if public investments reduce sharply, then people working in this area will lose their jobs. Therefore, when considering our investment program, consider two main factors: employment and the impact of these projects on the real sector of the economy. Azerbaijan has implemented major infrastructure projects. A significant part of them is completely over. Therefore, two main factors should be considered. I believe that in April-May it is necessary to analyze and draw up investment programs for the second half of the year. Take this issue seriously. In parallel I have already set this task and know that the Ministry of Economy is working on this issue additional steps should be taken to encourage private investment, said President Ilham Aliyev. The head of state pointed out that we must confidently go for economic liberalization, all areas in our country should be open to investment. We need to convince both local and foreign investors that their investments will yield effect and bring them income, especially if we consider that we have made great progress in the Doing Business program, the index of economic freedom. As I have already noted, Azerbaijan is highly rated there as well. Our credit rating is positive and the external debt is low. Azerbaijani citizens know this. Even before the coronavirus, I often drew attention to the fact that our state external debt amounted to 17 percent of the domestic product and should be reduced. In the current crisis, this factor is of great importance. A low level of public debt allows us the opportunity to keep our credit rating stable. And this is one of the main factors for investors, said President Ilham Aliyev. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 18:06:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close By Julia Pierrepont III LOS ANGELES, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Small businesses are struggling hard as the fatal COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, Californian Assemblyman Kansen Chu told Xinhua on Wednesday. "Small businesses are the backbone of California's economy and are in urgent need of assistance," he asserted. California's over 4 million small businesses represent over 99 percent of all businesses in the Golden State, boasting the highest number of small businesses of any state in the country. That's nearly twice the number that Texas, Florida, and New York each have. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, California small businesses employ 7.1 million people, about half of the state's entire workforce. Los Angeles County said on its official website that the economy would be the 19th largest in the world if the county were a nation and that it is America's top international trade and manufacturing center, with more minority and women-owned businesses than other states. Public officials and private business owners are becoming increasingly alarmed as more of greater Los Angeles' over 244,000 small businesses being shuttered due to the state's shelter-at-home orders, with many teetering on the edge of insolvency. "Experience shows that the small business owner will likely sustain the highest level of economic injury during this health crisis and will be the least likely to recover from sustained economic loss," said LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. "This represents a significant threat to the county's economic well-being." On the federal level, 2 trillion U.S. dollars in bipartisan funding was passed in March for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The 349 billion U.S. dollars in non-repayable loans to keep small businesses afloat has been gobbled up already, and unlucky latecomers must wait for more to be granted by Congress -- perhaps next week. The SBA's 10-billion-dollar Economic Injury Disaster Loan program has also been providing lifesaving financial support to small businesses. But with the whole country in chaos, the fund has run dry as well. With many California small businesses relying on local resources for immediate financial relief, Ridley-Thomas isn't counting on federal aid. "The county must come to the aid of these businesses and entrepreneurs, or risk economic collapse in the communities they live in and serve," he said in a motion to create a 28-million-dollar public-private relief fund for LA County to assist local small businesses devastated by the novel coronavirus. Some 12 million dollars of the initial outlay will come from LA County, with additional private sector commitments for up to 15 million dollars via Paycheck Protection Program loans that target micro-enterprises and nonprofits accessed through the Community Reinvestment Fund, Goldman Sachs' national community development partner. This funding is slated for grants to micro-entrepreneurs with fewer than nine employees, working capital loans to companies unlikely to qualify for federal dollars and other vulnerable businesses, as well as dying enterprises which won't receive federal assistance in time. A host of other public and private relief funds are cropping up in California which come in many forms, functions and sizes. Struggling entrepreneurs can combine county dollars with other loans and grants from other organizations to garner more assistance. For instance, the Los Angeles County Development Authority is also offering low-interest loans of up to 20,000 dollars to small businesses that have up to 25 staff. Chu has recently proposed a bill in the California Assembly to set a moratorium on business evictions so lockdown-striken small businesses won't be evicted for at least 90 days. Meanwhile, non-corona small business loans are still available, such as the County Float Loan Program for loans of 1 to 3 million dollars for land acquisition, construction, equipment, and working capital. The County Economic Development Loan Program for loans of 50,000 to 1.5 million dollars for small and medium-sized businesses for property acquisition, equipment or machinery purchases, working capital, and job creation and retention is another option. Enditem So will the Green Party join a coalition with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael? The answer turns on a second question: Are the two big parties ready to be seen to concede enough tough Green Party policy demands which are bound to hurt their own traditional grassroots' support? Soon after the election count ended on Tuesday, February 11, speculation promptly switched to the prospects of a Fianna Fail-Fine Gael-Green coalition. It was based on pure Dail arithmetic; the realpolitik that the two big parties did not want to deal with Sinn Fein; and the Greens' record of staying the course through a very fraught first period in coalition from 2007 until 2011. But back in mid-February, as that three-way coalition speculation was rife, this writer spoke with somebody who knows much about the current realities of Irish politics. "For the Green Party to do a deal with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, the two big ones will have to make serious concessions to the Greens - and be seen publicly to do that," the observer noted. That comment holds good today as the Green Party's 12 TDs, two senators and two MEPs now contemplate their next move. For now they have very reasonably sought more information - and it is likely they will open dialogue on government formation. But that is very far from saying the Green Party will join this coalition. Back in 2007, when an experienced and united Green Party joined government with Fianna Fail, they were "wanted but not necessarily needed". This time around the 12 Green TDs are "both wanted and needed". Along with Fianna Fail's and Fine Gael's combined 74 TDs, the Greens would take the number to 86 Dail seats, comfortably above the required majority of 80 TDs. Add a few usually reliable Independents and there is even a margin for some "walkouts" from government over this or that flashpoint. So, for sheer numbers, Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar view the Greens as "the big prize". But unlike 2007 the Green Party - 10 of whom are relative newcomers to elected politics - are deeply divided on the issue of this coalition. It is clear party leader Eamon Ryan is open to returning to government but faces an uphill battle to convince his colleagues. Let's recall that some kind of membership vote will have to be organised, possibly via the post, and needs a two-thirds majority. There is little mystery around the things Fianna Fail and Fine Gael must concede. The Green Party's key issue is tackling climate change and it wants to know how a government can deliver a more than tripling in yearly reductions of carbon emissions to 7pc. It also wants to know that houses will be built in big numbers. In a similar vein it wants a 2:1 ratio in transport investment in favour of public transport. The Green Party will come under huge pressure to act in the "national interest". But it will try to turn the questions on Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. Captain Sandy Yawn from Below Deck Mediterranean received a considerable amount of backlash to a few videos she recently shared on Instagram. Captain Sandy Yawn | Karolina Wojtasik/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images She and girlfriend Leah Shafer were shopping and shared that they forgot to use the directionals that are now lining many store floors. The directional tape is designed to have shoppers avoid crowding in aisles. Plus it is supposed to help shoppers maintain the six-foot distancing rules meant to reduce the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Shafer and Yawn were not wearing masks. Yawn lives in Colorado and the governor recently urged people the state to wear a mask when shopping or walking outside. Yawn joked about using the puppy dog filter on Instagram to provide her with protection. Later, Yawn posted another Instagram video but deleted it. Fans shared a screengrab of Yawn expressing her disappointment that concerts and sporting events were canceled until 2021. Some fans were angry Fans lashed out at Yawn on Twitter. Whatever her intention, people with high profiles need to step back and be more careful at expressing an opinion on whats best during this unprecedented situation, one person wrote. Another added, So disappointed in @CaptSandyYawn youve been so vocal about staying safe. Frustration and restlessness arent excuses for potentially endangering more lives. Youre an incredible human being but this statement is horrid. Several fans came to the captains defense. Maybe she tired and frustrated like the rest of us and just had a moment of anger..it happens..Captain Sandy is so nice and positive, everyone is entitled to an off day.. one viewer wrote. Another fan added, You had a bad day, understandable. We are all stressing about Covid19. Ppl are allowed to vent, and sometimes it doesnt always come out the way you want. No one is perfect, and thats what makes us humans. We know where your heart is. Yawn apologized a few times on the thread too. Appreciate this so much. It hurts me if anyone is hurt by my words. Never my intention. She also clarified why she was frustrated. Its was about the lack of funds for the people out of work and not making rent or buying food, Including family. But she issued a formal video apology too Although she clarified her position and apologized, she shot an apology video but also shared that she was struggling. I learned a lesson, she captioned her video. Thank you for understanding that sometimes even people who lead can make a mistake. I will own what I did and will allow myself to be human. I hope you do as well. Thank you for your message and the kindness it takes to share your thoughts about someones mistake. I need a #belowdeckmed mask! Yawn said in her video she and Shafer dont currently have masks because Shafer donated them to medical facilities. She shared in her video that as someone in recovery, she cant sit by the pool with a glass of wine or take an edible to reduce stress. So I think my actions were that of an unconscious person thats just feeling the strain and the pressure, she said. So Im really, really sorry and I learned a lesson. Yawn told Showbiz Cheat Sheet that people in recovery were likely going to have a hard time with quarantine too. Obviously, its in you, she said. What do people do when its stressful? A lot of people take a drink. So many people relax by drinking a glass of wine or here in Denver smoking pot or having some edibles, right? I dont have that luxury, she added. Because I have it in my genes. Im an addict, an alcoholic. I have to exercise, go to meetings. And know that this will pass. This too shall pass. Thats what I keep saying to myself. I call my sponsor, I stay engaged with people in recovery. And its hard, its a struggle. The greater problems with Craig Bortens slushy screenplay, though, are its extreme earnestness Sergios lengthy conversation with a female Timorese weaver is a sinkhole of sap and an overemphasis on the love affair between the married Sergio and Carolina Larriera (Ana de Armas), an alluring United Nations economist. They meet in East Timor, lock lips in a downpour, and their ensuing, soft-focus romance has the effect of smoothing away any narrative grit or sense of the cerebral knife-edge that Sergio walked with such skill. Even his meeting with the infamous Khmer Rouge leader Ieng Sary looks like just a friendly chat. Moreover, the choppiness of the storytelling gives short shrift to the bombing and Sergios tense interaction with L. Paul Bremer III (Bradley Whitford), President George W. Bushs representative in Iraq. Tasked with restoring order and enabling legal elections, Sergio and his team are appalled by what they view as the United States excessive use of force and human-rights violations. The two men symbolize the eternal push and pull between diplomacy and violence, and their relationship could have given the movie the intellectual heft it so badly needs. Were mopping up resistance, Bremer tells Sergio at one point, curtly explaining the rising number of detainees. He forgot he was talking to a man who had made a career out of doing just that, and without detaining anyone. Sergio Rated R for nudity and violence. In English, Portuguese, Spanish and French, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 58 minutes. Watch on Netflix. Southern Management Corporation, the largest privately owned residential property-management company in the Mid-Atlantic region, deployed Realyncs virtual tour solution to its four hotels, including The Hotel at the University of Maryland - a AAA 4-Diamond property with more than 43,000 sq. ft. of conference and event space adjacent to the University campus. The hotel sales teams use Realync to engage face-to-face with clients and allow them to seamlessly interact with the propertys features amidst COVID-19 travel restrictions. Realync, traditionally a multifamily enterprise video leasing and engagement solution, is enabling niches within the real estate space to benefit from its technology. The company has grown to 72 enterprise clients and its video leasing technology is being used in over 226,000 apartment units. Realyncs solution enables live, interactive video tours and open houses as well as do-it-yourself pre-recorded videos. Jeff Brainard, VP of Sales & Marketing at Southern Management, commented: Our goal is to leverage interactive video technology to bring guests into our spaces virtually and begin the planning process with confidence. We must be ready to respond to the needs of the market as soon as it recovers, and interactive video technology can help us overcome some of the challenges that have surfaced as a result of the pandemic. The Realync system allows our teams to personally engage with guests in a way traditional videos do not, and that is key in helping our teams drive toward building a strong future. We are taking actions today to provide for our team members, and help our industry. During this challenging time, we at Realync have been amazed to watch properties from multifamily communities to hotels to corporate and student housing companies respond to this crisis with incredible innovation and poise, said Matt Weirich, Co-founder and CEO of Realync. We are proud to partner with Southern Management Corporation and The Hotel at the University of Maryland and help them move from relying on in-person client visits to powering live virtual tours. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has caused companies to pivot their strategies, the future of virtual touring is here to stay. About The Hotel at the University of Maryland The Hotel at the University of Maryland offers business and leisure visitors elegant accommodations, an array of dining choices and world-class service and amenities. Located directly across the street from the main entrance to the University of Maryland, College Park campus, the AAA Four Diamond luxury hotel and conference center is convenient to Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia. LEED Gold certified, The Hotel is committed to sustainability and wellness for guests and the planet and its thoughtful design and fine interior finishes make guests feel like theyve stepped into a high-luxury residence. For more information about The Hotel at the University of Maryland, visit http://www.thehotelumd.com. About Realync Realync is the multifamily industrys only cloud-based, Fair Housing compliant video leasing and engagement solution. Their real-time video technology enables live, interactive video tours and open houses as well as DIY pre-recorded videos, all using nothing more than a smartphone or tablet. Partnered with industry leaders like Greystar, Bozzuto, Equity, Pinnacle, CA Ventures, Fairfield, and more, Realyncs web and mobile platform helps onsite teams streamline leasing, marketing, resident engagement, maintenance, and more, and has proven increased conversion rates, decreased sales cycles, and increased sight-unseen leasing. Learn more at http://www.realync.com. A team behind the HiRise camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shared a unique image of Mars in which they discovered a spectacular dragon aurora on the planets canyon. Taking to its official handle on Twitter, the team wrote that the image of light-toned blocky material in southwestern Melas Chasma resembled a fabled Chinese dragon when seen from a different perspective. According to NASA, the natural phenomenon of creation auroras is caused by particles emanating from the Sun that collide with Earth's atmosphere that results in a unique light formation, the space agency wrote on its website. The HiRise camera team highlighted a series of miniature dents for valleys at the bottom the aurora and explained on its website named lunar and planetary Laboratory saying, Several of the light-toned deposits are seen only in the valleys, suggesting they were either deposited or are exposed by erosion. It further added, Small valleys can be seen along the wallrock to the south. The wallrock is a mixture of two geologic units that differ mainly in their reflectance. HiPOD 11 Apr 2020: Year of the Dragon We rotated this image of light-toned blocky material in southwestern Melas Chasma because from this perspective, it resembles a fabled Chinese dragon. NASA/JPL/UArizonahttps://t.co/6wGlHKmrN5 #Mars #science pic.twitter.com/bPF9Kk1Uxb HiRISE: Beautiful Mars (NASA) (@HiRISE) April 11, 2020 MRO's camera had captured a similar dragon-like aurora in Iceland in 2019. "Have you ever seen a dragon in the sky? Although real flying dragons dont exist, a huge dragon-shaped aurora developed in the sky over Iceland earlier this month," the space agency NASA had written in a social media post. Read: Coronavirus Claims Another 753 Lives In France In 24 Hours: Official Read: Oklahoma Coronavirus Cases Up To 2,357 With 131 Now Dead Saturn's aurora Earlier, NASA discovered a unique brand of the aurora that lights up the polar cap of the planet Saturn, unlike any other known in the solar system. The odd aurora was captured on one of the infrared instruments on NASA's Cassini spacecraft. "We've never seen an aurora-like this elsewhere," said Tom Stallard, a scientist working with Cassini data at the University of Leicester, England, said in a statement released on NASA official website. "It's not just a ring of auroras like those we've seen at Jupiter or Earth. This aurora covers an enormous area across the pole. Our current ideas on what forms Saturn's aurora predict that this region should be empty, so finding such a bright aurora here is a fantastic surprise," he was quoted as saying in the statement. Read: Brazil's Bolsonaro Fires Health Minister Mandetta After Dispute Over Coronavirus Response Read: Count Of Coronavirus Cases In MP Reaches 1,299 Russia's Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov ruled out the probability of a default in Russia similar to the one the authorities announced in 1998. "No," the minister said, answering the question of the the Pozner talk show's presenter, if there at least a minimal probability of default now as it was as in 1998. He stressed that in the current situation, the government should help entrepreneurs, "so that they still have a desire to do business and develop their business in Russia." "It seems to me that in the long run and we will understand what this crisis has shown us: we have built a very developed, very diversified economy. Indeed, unlike 2008, when we primarily saved large enterprises, we are now talking about small and medium business," TASS cited Reshetnikov as saying. The Town of Oakville is bringing in an extra penalty of $300 to combat the littering of masks, disposable gloves and other personal protective equipment. A new bylaw, which was enacted on April 9, add this penalty on top of the minimum fine of $100 for anyone caught littering in parks or public places. We can all agree that face masks and gloves belong in garbage cans, not littered in our town, and now anyone caught not properly disposing of (personal protective equipment) can be issued a penalty under the by-law, said Oakville mayor Rob Burton in a news release from Thursday afternoon. Penalties for discarding personal protective equipment vary across municipalities in Ontario. Some municipalities have taken steps to remind residents of the fines that litterbugs could face. The City of Vaughan put out a public service announcement at the end of March, reminding residents that littering and illegal dumping carries a $205 fine. In Mississauga, fines start at $365. Mississauga mayor Bonnie Crombie tweeted last Friday urging residents to put used gloves and masks in the trash and that bylaw officers will be keeping their eyes peeled. During his daily media briefing on April 7, Toronto mayor John Tory reminded residents that the fine for littering personal protective equipment is $500, calling it bone-headed conduct. This kind of behaviour is not only frustrating; it is risky behaviour to the health of others, said Tory. TY Tom Yun is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @thetomyun Read more about: CONWAY, Ark. (April 17, 2020) Dr. Tyrone Jaeger, associate professor of English at Hendrix College, will soon celebrate the release of his debut novel, Radio Eldorado, now available for pre-order from Braddock Avenue Books. Jaeger arrived in Arkansas in 2008 to serve as Hendrix-Murphy Writer-in-Residence. Following that residency, he stayed on in the English Department to teach creative writing and literature. He is the author of the 2016 story collection So Many True Believers and the 2012 cross-genre novella The Runaway Note. His writing has appeared in the Oxford American, Southern Humanities Review, High Desert Journal, The Literary Review, and elsewhere. Born and raised in the Catskill Mountains, Jaeger lives on Beaverfork Lake with his wife and daughter. His short fiction has earned numerous accolades, including the 2018 Porter Fund Literary Prize. Radio Eldorado was recently recognized by the Arkansas Arts Council with a $4,000 Individual Artist Grant in Novel Writing. He spoke recently with Amy Forbus 96 of the Hendrix Office of Marketing Communications. An edited version of their conversation appears below. Congratulations on the publication of your first novel! How did the process unfold, from concept to publication? The book sprung from a novel that was my dissertation at the University of Nebraska. That novel was a bit of a mess, so when we first arrived at Hendrix, I wanted a project I could finish in two years, which was the time on my original contract. Within that messy novel was a chapter set in 1969, and it functioned as the origin story of one of the characters (Darla) in my collection So Many True Believers. I thought that expanding that chapter into a novel would be an easy process, but it took six years to finish. That was 2014. During that time, I also wrote The Runaway Note and some of the stories in So Many True Believers, which was published in 2016. Of course, when I finished Radio Eldorado in 2014, it wasnt really finished. I worked on the book with my agent, Hendrix alum, Tim Wojcik [11], and the process of finding a good home for a book can move at a glacial pace. Im really pleased that the book is with Braddock Avenue Books. Braddock also re-published So Many True Believers after its original publisher closed. In addition to your Hendrix alumnus agent, theres another Hendrix connection with the books cover design, isnt there? Oh, yes. The cover was designed by Emily Mente, a Hendrix alum. She graduated in 14. Emily was in Fiction Writing with me a few years ago. Were friends on social media, and I admired these amazing murals that she was painting in Austin, some of which had a kind of 60s psychedelic concert poster feel. A number of them had the aesthetic I wanted for the cover of Radio Eldorado. I reached out to Emily, and we collaborated on a cover. Im excited to soon have the painting hanging somewhere in my home. The setting of Colorado in 1969 is a captivating one the scenery and cultural references provide a vivid backdrop. What led you to that time and place? I lived in Colorado for about ten years. As I began thinking about Colorado in 1969 and doing a little research, I found out about the Mothers Day Fire. This was at the Rocky Flats weapons assembly plant, where they made plutonium triggers for hydrogen bombs. It was a disaster and a big cover-up followed. Had the fire not been contained, Denver would have experienced something like Chernobyl. The Carnegie Library for Local History at the Boulder Public Library has this extensive oral history collection from workers, politicians, activists, you name it, who were connected to Rocky Flats. That set up a lot of the research that I did. As well, the Denver Pop Festival occurred that summer, so I leaned onto that history. Ive been reluctant to refer to the book as an historical novel, but it did involve a lot of research. I went deep down the rabbit hole of the Weather Underground and the story of Diana Oughton, the onetime girlfriend of Bill Ayers, who died in a Greenwich Village townhouse where they were making explosives. Diana was the initial inspiration for Cynthia, the debutante turned dissident in Radio Eldorado. Do you have a character in Radio Eldorado that you would call your favorite? Or any elements or aspects of characters that you particularly enjoy? I love them all in different ways. When I began work on the book, I thought Cynthia was likely to be the only point of view character, but my interest in the other characters quickly took hold. I enjoyed writing Alvin Wund a lot. His limited worldview doesnt align with my own, but his shortcomings and failures are so tangible that its hard not to love him. I also often find myself developing affection for secondary characters that surprise me. Pearl Hart is the perfect example in this novel. Shes so lost but so sure of herself. Shes my underdog favorite in Radio. And also Esther, who only appears as a ghost. She was fun to write because she never really takes the stage. We just see the other characters, Vivi and Alvin in particular, responding to her or projecting her out of their grief and guilt. I think one could make a case for Esther being the central character. Its her absence which drives most everything in the Wund household. While this is your first novel, youve been an award-winning author for a while now. What have you seen as the advantages to writing both long-form and short-form? The hard thing about writing novels is the amount of time they take. Depending on how you count, Ive written three or four novels, and only one of them will be published. Ive been working on this longish fiction projectanother novelfor maybe four years, on and off. Speaking strictly for myself, the starts and stops caused by teaching and parenting would suggest that I should focus more on short-form. But your question is about the advantages. I think a short story has to be sharper and cut right to the core of the subject matter. The novel allows one to linger, to explore, to get lost. Denis Johnson said something to the effect that he loved writing novels because it was like swimming out into the ocean until you dont know where the shore is anymore, but still, you need to find your way back. How does what and how you teach interact with how you develop as a writer? I try not to simply teach my favorites or the writers who have influenced me, but I inevitably include some. Im a big believer in the importance of place, so I find myself encouraging that kind of exploration, that kind of foundation work, in my fiction and nonfiction classes. I think, too, that I applaud students when they write broken and damaged characters, those that you have to work a bit to find what might make them lovable. Do you have any other projects in the works that youd like to mention? I was recently awarded the Margaret Berry Hutton Odyssey Professorship with [Hendrix Professor of Art] Maxine Payne to work on a project called Audiovisual Arkansas: Citizen Storytellers. Well be making multimedia stories about Arkansans with a focus on work, play, and place. Ive also been working on a story, a novel, set in Arkansas. Its about a failed UFO cult, a disgraced astronaut and his brood, who run a campground and RV park. It has similarities to Radio Eldorado in that its a group of people who design their own community, develop their own rules, regardless of how foolish or misguided. Its the challenge we all face now as we practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. We get to make a new world should we choose to. BERLIN A Berlin resident who died at the hospital earlier this week after contracting COVID-19 was remembered by friends and family as an avid fisherman and loving family man, according to his obituary. Alan A. Potanka, 68, died at Hartford Hospital on Sunday, April 12. Potanka was born in New Britain on April 28, 1951, to Ida (Button) and Andrew Potanka. He married his wife, Charlotte, on May 17, 1969. The couple settled in Berlin, where they raised their two daughters, according to the obituary. After working at Stanley Works in New Britain for many years, he retired and made time for some hobbies he loved. An avid fisherman, Alan began the hobby of making his own fishing poles, his obituary said. He was a collector of stamps and coins. One of his favorite past times was looking for wheat pennies. Potanka is survived by his wife, his two daughters, his sister and sister-in-law, five grandchildren, several nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, godchildren and cousins. The obituary said his friends and family will always cherish their memories of him. Condolences can be sent to the family at www.FarrellFuneralHome.com. An Indian Air Force (IAF) AH-64 Apache attack helicopter made a precautionary landing in a field in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district on Friday (April 17). According to IAF, the chopper made a precautionary landing after warning alert in its control panels and the pilots were safe. It is to be noted that AH-64 Apache attack helicopters are based out of the Pathankot airbase and the chopper which made an emergency lenading had also taken off from there. IAF official said that the chopper will be checked thoroughly and then it will be taken back to its base. On Thursday (April 16), an IAF helicopter made an emergency landing in the Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh while it was on its way to supply COVID 19 test samples from Leh. The IAF had said in a statement that its Cheetah helicopter made an emergency landing on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway in Baghpat district. 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. "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. The number of cases of Covid-19 is rising rapidly in Madhya Pradesh, and leading the tally is Indore, which is one of the worst-affected districts in the country. The total number of Covid-19 cases in Indore alone reached 842, with 298 cases being reported between Wednesday and Thursday, according to news agency ANI which quoted state health officials. With this, the deadly Sars-CoV-2 virus has expanded its fotprint to 26 out of 52 districts in Madhya Pradesh. For Indore, there was more scare as currency notes worth Rs 6,480 were found scattered on the street in the citys Hira Nagar area, reported ANI. Soon after receiving the information on Wednesday, Station House Officer (SHO), Hira Nagar, Rajeev Singh Bhadoria seized the currency notes after getting them sanitised. There is a fear that this was done deliberately to spread the deadly virus. Someones currency notes might have fallen or maybe someone has intentionally thrown them. The investigation is underway, said Bhadoria. With 361 persons testing positive on Thursday, the number of coronavirus cases in Madhya Pradesh climbed to 1,299, news agency PTI reported quoting state health officials. The disease has claimed the lives of 63 people in the state, according to state health officials. Of these, 47 are in Indore alone. In state capital Bhopal, 29 more cases were reported, which took the tally of Covid-19 positive patients in the city 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. 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. Forty-four Guatemalans deported on one flight from the United States this week have tested positive for COVID-19, a Guatemalan government official with knowledge of the situation said, amid rising rejection of deportees due to virus fears. Later Thursday, Guatemala Foreign Affairs Minister Pedro Brolo told The Associated Press the government had again suspended deportation flights. He did not explain why, but said the move was temporary. "We're working on the details," Brolo said, adding that he did not know when the flights would resume. Presidential spokesman Carlos Sandoval said that Guatemala is working with United States authorities to revalidate the health of Guatemalans returned in recent days." He said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Guatemala's national laboratory would retest all those who were found positive and negative. Asked for a response, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the CDC had representatives in Guatemala reviewing the COVID-19 tests and attempting to confirm the results. Once results are available, the immigration agency said it would determine whether it needed to work with the CDC to re-evaluate its medical procedures. The health and welfare of detainees in ICE custody is of the highest priority to the agency, ICE said in a statement to the AP. The flight with the infected deportees arrived in Guatemala's capital Monday carrying 76 Guatemalans. Three deportees displaying coronavirus symptoms were immediately taken for testing. When one of those tests came back positive others who had been quarantined at the airport were tested and 43 more resulted positive, said the official with knowledge of the situation who had not been authorized to share the information publicly and requested anonymity. There was confusion over where the flight originated. On Monday, Alejandra Mena, a spokeswoman for Guatemala's National Immigration Institute, told reporters two flights of deportees had arrived. Initially, she said they came from Alexandria, Louisiana and El Paso, Texas, then immediately corrected herself to say they came from Brownsville, Texas and El Paso. She reconfirmed that information Thursday, saying that is what the agency has officially recorded. But according to the flight tracking site FlightAware, two flights from a U.S. government contractor that operates deportation flights arrived in Guatemala City Monday. One came from Alexandria, Louisiana and the other came from El Paso, Texas, which departed shortly after another flight by the contractor arrived in El Paso from Brownsville. It's not unusual for the deportation flights to stop in multiple U.S. cities. The unreconciled number of infected deportees was the latest sign that the president's office and health authorities might not be on the same page. On Tuesday, the government's accounting of deportees with COVID-19 was drawn into question when Health Minister Hugo Monroy said that on a March deportation flight from the U.S., more than 50% of the deportees had later tested positive for the new coronavirus. The president's office later confirmed that Monroy was talking about a March 26 flight from Mesa, Arizona with 41 passengers, but said the official number of infected deportees had still not been adjusted. Ursula Roldn, an immigration expert at Rafael Landvar University, said Guatemala was under great pressure to continue receiving deportees at the same time deportees were becoming a flashpoint in the country. It's very clear there is pressure from Washington, she said. If before there was an immigrant problem, now it's a triple problem. They don't want them. She said Guatemala needed to start quarantining all deportees in government facilities with proper medical attention rather then telling them to self-isolate in their homes with their families. If we want containment, this is the point of containment, Roldn said. Monday's flight arrived after Guatemala lifted a one-week suspension on deportation flights from the U.S., imposed because three other deportees had earlier tested positive. Monroy has said the deportees are a worrisome factor driving up the country's COVID-19 caseload. The government said Wednesday that this week it had started testing all deportees, regardless of whether they showed symptoms, when anyone on a flight tested positive. ICE has said that 100 detainees in its custody have tested positive for the virus, including 17 at a detention facility in San Diego and 12 at one in Batavia, New York. It said 25 employees at detention centers have tested positive for the virus, including 13 at a removal staging facility at the airport in Alexandria, Louisiana. Deportees and their potential to carry the virus into Guatemala are a sensitive topic. The U.S. government has continued deportations through the pandemic. But some Guatemalan communities are beginning to reject deportees returning home out of fear that they could carry the virus. On Wednesday evening, President Alejandro Giammattei referenced an incident in which townspeople fearing the virus had allegedly organized to burn deportees. Videos circulated on social media showed hundreds of angry residents gathered in a community in Quetzaltenango west of the capital. They accused deportees who were staying in quarantine in a government facility of leaving it in a threat to the community. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With people losing jobs and businesses bearing the brunt due to the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus COVID-19 in India, Maharashtra State Housing Department on Friday (April 17) issued instructions to landlords to postpone rent collection by at least three months. The Chief Minister's Office said that during this period, the landlords should not evict any tenant from the rented house due to non-payment of rent. The advisory was issued by Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar. "The 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," said the government in a tweet from the official handle of the chief minister. 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.#WarAgainstVirus pic.twitter.com/cOFsh0NDGD CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 17, 2020 Maharashtra is the worst hit state due to coronavirus in the country with over 3,200 cases so far. Of this, over 2,000 cases have been reported from Mumbai alone. The COVID-19 death toll in Maharashtra is touching the 200-mark. Notably, the nationwide lockdown has been extended till May 3 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in view of the rising coronavirus cases in the country. Actress and Social Media Influencer, Andrea Owusu, also known as Efia Odo, wants government to reconsider the distribution of food to the needy and vulnerable in society during the lockdown period. Efia, in a video posted on her Instagram page said, the way and manner food was being shared, places people at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. She thus suggests, authorities in-charge should consider the option of giving out monies through the mobile money platform. Following the imposition of restrictions on movement in certain parts of the country announced by President Akufo-Addo some two and a half weeks ago, in the wake of the novel Coronavirus, government; as well as some private organisations and individuals, initiated moves to distribute food to the vulnerable and less privileged. But the noble exercise has been fraught with several challenges, with less or sometimes no protocols to guide the distribution. Videos on social media depicting overcrowding scenes at the designated food distribution centres went viral over the weekend leading to concerns of a likely community spread. It is in this light that the dainty actress made her call, saying the current method of distributing food totally defeats the purpose of governments social distance directive. I think the Ghanaian people are going to need more than what they are getting. The food is great and it is great that they are going to distribute food, but how can we observe social distance when the food distribution is leading to overcrowding? she asked. Efia believes sending money to the vulnerable is safer and faster as compared to the distribution of food; with its attendant risks. I feel like government or whoever is in charge of food distribution should start providing financing support to people because people need money and money moves fast. I think that would probably bring a lot of relief to the needy, she proferred. The Heels and Sneakers actress said she is tired of seeing people endangering their lives struggling for food and others begging her on social media to send them money, adding that she can "support few people" but she "cant really do much" because she "doesnt earn much". Watch the full video below: Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/Peacefmonline.com 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 Sophie Wessex has helped prepare food and care packages for NHS staff at her local hospital, just days after volunteering to cook meals for frontline workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic. The Countess, 55, worked alongside volunteers from the UK Army Cadets, NHS foundation and Army Medical services to provide the goods to Frimley Park hospital, located near the royal's Surrey home. Pictures of the mother-of-two bagging up products and handing them out to staff, while wearing a mask and gloves at one point, were posted to the Royal Family's social media accounts today. The royal has been eager to help NHS services over the past few days, having volunteered with London-based hospitality group Rhubarb on Wednesday to cook and prepare meals for doctors and nurses. Sophie Wessex (pictured left) has helped prepare food and care packages for NHS staff at her local hospital in Surrey The Countess (pictured), 55, worked alongside volunteers from the UK Army Cadets, NHS foundation and Army Medical services to provide the goods to Frimley Park hospital, located near the royal's Surrey home Pictures of the mother-of-two bagging up products (pictured) and handing them out to staff were posted to the Royal Family's social media accounts today Several pictures of the Queen's daughter-in-law working alongside others in the kitchens were posted to the organisation's Instagram on Wednesday. The post was captioned: 'Thank you to Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex for joining us today and working so hard in the kitchen at Rhubarb to prepare food for our heroic NHS Hospital Teams.' Pictures of Sophie's efforts today were shared along with the caption: 'Thank you to every single volunteer who is continuing to support their communities and the NHS, whether that be through the #NHSVolunteerResponders, preparing and donating items for care and food packages, or supporting vulnerable members of the community. 'Today @ctcfrimleypark and @frimleyhealth, The Countess of Wessex helped to prepare food & care parcels for NHS staff at her local hospital Frimley Park. 'The Countess worked alongside other volunteers from @armycadetsuk QARANC @ArmyMedicalservices & @FrimleyHealth to package bags for collection. The images (pictured) were posted with the caption: 'Today @ctcfrimleypark and @frimleyhealth, The Countess of Wessex helped to prepare food & care parcels for NHS staff at her local hospital Frimley Park Sophie appears with volunteers as they work to prepare food and care packages for NHS staff 'The Countess has joined millions of people, up and down the country, who are volunteering their time to support the NHS, charitable initiatives and support vulnerable people in their communities.' 'Thank you all. Follow @royalvolservice to see how you can involved,' the post encouraged. Meanwhile, in pictures posted from her volunteering experience on Wednesday, Sophie could be seen wearing a mask and gloves as well as a royal blue apron as she prepared large servings of spaghetti. It comes after Sophie helped cook and prepare meals for NHS frontline doctors and nurses fighting the coronavirus pandemic (pictured) The Countess volunteered with London-based hospitality group Rhubarb on Wednesday to prepare and package the meals for medical staff (pictured) The organisation is currently delivering thousands of meals a week to five NHS hospitals and said they were 'delighted to welcome' Sophie. According to BAZAAR.com, a statement from Rhubarb's CEO, PB Jacobse, read: 'Her Royal Highness, The Countess of Wessex offered her time to help prepare these NHS meals. 'We were delighted to welcome her on Wednesday 15th April to our humble kitchens, where she joined our team and worked diligently with our chef brigade to prepare food for our heroic NHS Hospital Teams.' A series of pictures of the Queen's daughter-in-law working alongside others in the kitchens were posted to the organisation's Instagram on Wednesday (pictured) The post was captioned (above): 'Thank you to Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex for joining us today and working so hard in the kitchen at Rhubarb to prepare food for our heroic NHS Hospital Teams.' It is also understood that Prince Edward's wife recently volunteered at The Hope Hub, a British charity dedicated to prevent and end homelessness based in Surrey, near Sophie's Bagshot Park home. She spoke with workers and helped prepare emergency food packages this week, the publication reported. Last week, Sophie penned an 'inspiring' and personal note for first responders as she said her thoughts and prayers were with them amid the coronavirus crisis. The Countess wrote to her patronage Thames Valley Air Ambulance, urging workers to 'look after yourselves and each other' during the pandemic. Sophie (pictured left) could be seen wearing a mask and gloves as well as a royal blue apron as she prepared large servings of spaghetti Social media users were quick to praise the royal mother-of-two for her 'amazing work' volunterring in the kitchens Sharing the note on Twitter, the first responders called the note 'motivating', adding: 'Thank you to our Royal Patron, Her Royal Highness Countess of Wessex, for the inspiring letter and her kind words of support for crew and staff at @TVAirAmb.' It comes after royal expert and journalist Victoria Murphy called the Countess the Firm's 'secret weapon' and the Queen's 'favourite'. The letter read: 'I write to you to let you know that I am thinking of you during this time of uncertainty. Sophie went on: 'You, your colleagues and the people that you serve are in my thoughts and prayers. Last week, Sophie (pictured in February) penned a personal note to one of her patronages, Thames Valley Air Ambulance, as she offered her 'thoughts and prayers' to the first responders amid the coronavirus crisis The Countess urged workers to look after themselves and each other during the coronavirus pandemic Sharing the note online, Thames Vallery Air Ambulance called it 'motivating' and 'inspiring', thanking Sophie for her 'kind words' 'I know you will continue to operate as best you can and help those in need, in what are difficult circumstances. 'Please look after yourselves and each other as we make our way through this period.' In a personal touch, the Countess had addressed the note in a blue pen, while she had also signed her signature in the bold ink. It comes after royal journalist Victoria wrote in Town&Country how Sophie, wife of Prince Edward, the Queen's youngest son, has become a stalwart member of the royal family thanks to her down to earth nature and quietly assured approach to her royal duties. 'Her work does not regularly receive the kind of media attention that the younger royals command, but Sophie has become a stalwart member of the "firm",' Murphy wrote, adding: 'The spotlight on Sophie has intensified in the vacuum left as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle step back.' Sophie lives at Bagshot Park in Surrey, with Edward and their two children James, Viscount Severn, 12, and Lady Louise Windsor, 16. Under lockdown, I have derived a great deal of comfort and optimism from my reacquaintance with a now-forgotten author, James Harpole. I have the 1947 30th edition of The Surgeon's Log (1911), a hot seller for decades. It is a marvellous account of his short time as a young ship's doctor on a cargo boat bound for Egypt, Malaya and Japan. Harpole, in the course of his life, was a civilian and Army surgeon, novelist, broadcaster and essayist, who acquired along the way a DSO, CBE and Serbian knighthood. Harpole was the most celebrated medical populariser of his day. Harpole, he explained in his engrossing autobiography, Surgeon's Journey (1957), was a pen name, made necessary because medical etiquette back then forbade doctors engaging under their own names in anything that could be regarded as self-advertising. His practice was between Harley and Wimpole streets, hence Harpole. Expand Close Spanish flu victims in Kansas in 1918 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Spanish flu victims in Kansas in 1918 He was, in fact, J Johnston Abraham (1876-1963), whose family came from Aughnacloy and Newtownbutler. His earliest memories were of watching the burning of Lundy's effigy from the window of his Coleraine home. His father was a tea merchant, his grandfather a linen merchant. His people were Methodists despite the Jewish-sounding name and he grew up fluent in braid Scots. But his pride of ancestry was without rancour, as such pride usually is in those who travel the world. Besides, his medical reading of history lent him an even-handed humanity we in Ireland still need to learn. He knows the besieged in Derry died in their thousands of typhus fever, diphtheria and dysentery, but knows, too, that King James' army was likewise decimated by disease and melted away. At Trinity College, Dublin, he studied both literature and science, as one could once do, but opted for the security of a profession. That choice did not prevent him from writing a novel that became what they called a succes de scandale. All in all, Abraham may have been the best-selling Ulster author of the 20th century. The Night Nurse (1913), about the private lives of nurses and young doctors, was banned by hospital matrons in every English hospital save Guy's in London and sold promiscuously. He was an elected member of the prestigious Athenaeum Club and became a friend of Rudyard Kipling. Abraham chose to be a surgeon over a physician and he proved to be a skilled and venturesome one. He recalls for us some hairy moments, such as retrieving a service knife out of sight in the bag-like membrane that encloses the heart, plunged there by a suicidal Great War soldier in Egypt who had convicted himself of cowardice. The soldier survived the operation, but died days later (of typhus) - not an unfamiliar story in medical annals, it seems. Though a surgeon, Abraham's posts in hospitals in Dublin, London and overseas involved him in epidemics of bacterial and viral diseases of the kind we all now face. He admitted his fear of tetanus and, when he served with the British Red Cross Serbian Mission in the Great War, he saw it kill soldier after soldier horribly. He was equally afraid of typhoid fever, which he watched ravage the Royal Irish Constabulary when he was with Dr Steevens' Hospital in Dublin. In Serbia during the Great War, Austrian prisoners died in thousands before the epidemic spread to the civilian population. He was in the midst of the London smallpox epidemic of 1902, having been familiar with the disease in Dublin where it was not uncommon. Expand Close An NHS Nightingale hospital in Birmingham POOL/AFP via Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An NHS Nightingale hospital in Birmingham Engaged with the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) in Egypt towards the end of the Great War, Abraham fought malaria as well as diphtheria and typhus. But even those menaces paled beside the great influenza pandemic of 1918-19, when the base hospitals in Palestine were overwhelmed and casualty clearing stations had to hoard their patients. Surgeon's Journey reminds us of our human vulnerability to the ills that flesh is heir to. All adults are now being taught this fearsome lesson. Yet it is a story, too, of inspiring drama that we are now witnessing: the drama of testing, diagnosis, containment, treatment and intervention - and, fingers crossed, cure. But as time goes on, fingers need to be crossed less frequently. We are now aware of who the utterly necessary professionals are in our midst. We should become aware of how this expertise - the diagnostic and healing powers - came into being. Abraham, in the course of his autobiography, tells us what extraordinary medical introductions, procedures and breakthroughs he witnessed during his career. Appendectomies; X-rays; surgical masks; customised operating tables; inoculation for diphtheria; serum for tetanus; penicillin; vaccination for typhoid; the discovery of hormones; the cure for rickets, and so on. Above all, or so it seems to us, though less obviously to Mr Abraham, was the creation of the National Health Service in 1948. He writes of doctors being in "the throes of negotiating" with a socialist government over the terms of the National Health Act of 1947 and of "the shadow" of the coming NHS falling over the hospitals. But the private system that had lasted for centuries was ending. We in the UK know what a triumph the creation of the NHS was and how, in our own throes of the coronavirus, it must be cherished and guaranteed. It was the nationalisation in the air after the war that made temperamentally conservative doctors in private practices apprehensive, but Abraham admits his own fears were exaggerated. Surgeon's Journey, like Abraham's other fascinating books made from his extensive medical casebook, is a story of painstaking detective work, but also of resolve, action and energy. How timely to read of the scarcity of hospital beds under canvas on the eve of the third Battle of Gaza in the Great War in 1917. Between sunset and dawn, within earshot of the opening salvoes, the RAMC readied 3,000 beds up and under cover for the expected casualties. No wonder Harpole-Abraham called one of his volumes of memoirs The White-Coated Army (1938). He saw doctors (and we can now add nurses) as "officers in a health army fighting the long fight against disease". Under lockdown, I appreciate that thought infinitely more than when I first read it. John Wilson Foster is Professor Emeritus, University of British Columbia. His most recent book is published this month: The Space-Blue Chalcedony: Earth's Crises and the Tyler Bounty. The cuts certainly arent going to be near enough to balance the market, said Bart Melek, head of commodity strategy at TD Securities. There is a good chance, that over the short run, we might even be lower here. 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 stock builds 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. This OPEC deal is great and good but it doesnt 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. 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 North American output by more than one-fourth and halt all fracking in the continent. 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 ASs head of analysis Bjornar Tonhaugen. What a year 2020 has been. On top of all that has happened, 'Covidiots' has become a word everyone's generously using. And that's probably there are plenty of people making the word seem worth its invention. In case you live under a rock, a 'Covidiot' is anyone who's being an idiot during the outbreak. Covidiots can be usually spotted breaking social distancing rules and instead heading out to parties, to beaches or just anywhere else where they not only put their lives at risk but those of other people. Covidiots are also generously spread around the world. Like India, America too has its share of them. Here's a story to throw that into perspective. AP According to recent reports, 'anti-lockdown protesters' headed to the streets of New York and Virginia to vent their anger over the lockdown. These protesters demanded that the governors reopen respective areas. In the middle of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. When the number of coronavirus related deaths in New York alone are over a reported 11,000. AP According to local reports, protesters are demanding that authorities #ReOpenAmerica, and they've stepped onto the streets and are holding rallies in places like Ohio, North Carolina, Michigan, and Kentucky. What is outrageous is that some of these protesters are fully armed. A report claims that one of these protests saw about a 100 people block traffic and even prevent an ambulance from getting through. AFP Apart from guns these protests have also included the iconic Guy Fawkes masks and chants of 'facts over fear!' Here's hoping better sense prevails. The Beastie Boys in 1986 in New York City. (L-R) Michael Diamond (aka Mike D), Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock), and Adam Yauch (aka MCA). (Michel Delsol/Getty Images) This is nice, just hanging out with you guys. Spike Jonze is in Hawaii. Adam Horovitz is in his garage, and Michael Diamond is in his bedroom, both in Greater Los Angeles. It's late March, not long after the coronavirus prompted shelter-at-home orders, and the three of them are on a video conference call ostensibly for an interview about their collaboration on the new film Beastie Boys Story. Originally scheduled to have its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival canceled because of the global pandemic the movie hits Apple TV + on April 24. Though they are promoting the film directed by Jonze as an adaptation of a stage show performed by Horovitz and Diamond, better known by their respective Beastie Boys monikers Ad-Rock and Mike D the trio would rather just catch up, share in-jokes, playfully razz one another and think about anything besides the thing everyone cant stop thinking about. This is crazy, Horovitz says at one point. I got no plans to do nothing except try not to die. Straight up. There is the running gag that Diamond cannot get the camera on his computer to work Hold on, Im going to crack the firewall, Jonze says or their complex relationship to leather bad boys, the type of couches ubiquitous to recording studios, or a digression about learning three-dimensional breathing techniques. More than anything they seem to want to make one another laugh, each disappointed when a joke doesnt land. You're a tough crowd, Diamond says to his longtime cohorts. The Beastie Boys from left, Adam Yauch, Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz pose in Japan during filming of their "Intergalactic" video, shot in June 1998. This photograph is from "Beastie Boys Book" by Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz. (From the Beastie Boys ) Beastie Boys Story rose out of 2018s Beastie Boys Book, a 571-page telling of the history of the band from their days as teenagers on the New York City punk scene in the early 1980s to their rise as a multi-platinum, Grammy-winning rap group. They had startling longevity and a knack for creative renewal, seeing them through albums such as License to Ill, Pauls Boutique, Check Your Head and Ill Communication all the way to their last, 2011s Hot Sauce Committee Part Two. Member Adam Yauch, known as MCA, died from cancer in 2012 at age 47. Story continues Diamond and Horovitz didnt really see themselves doing conventional book signings or Q&As to promote the book. The audiobook featured dozens of guest readers, including Chuck D, Elvis Costello, Rosie Perez, Bette Midler, Wanda Sykes, Ben Stiller, Amy Poehler, Jon Stewart, Kelly Reichardt, LL Cool J and Rachel Maddow. They decided to put on a stage adaptation of the book, a multimedia presentation directed by Jonze. They performed in several cities and filmed three nights in April 2019 at Brooklyns Kings Theater for the movie. "We're like, Oh, let's do a show, Horovitz says. And so Mike and I wrote the show around the stories in the book. And then we asked Spike because, I don't know if you know this, but Spike makes movies. And I haven't seen any of them, but allegedly they're good. And so we asked his advice and so then, as usual, Spike just sort of took over. And so Mike and I had this thing that we were going to do and then because Spike got involved it sort of evolved into something different, which is good. Filming of Spike Jonze's "Beastie Boys Story" in April 2019 at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, N.Y. The late Adam Yauch is seen on the big screen; Adam Horovitz and Michael Diamond are on stage. (Atiba Jefferson / background photo, Spike Jonze) I think it's definitely our intent to have each thing sort of be its own thing, Diamond says of the evolution from book to audiobook to stage show to movie. But then I also really liked that it was kind of this continuous arc. Like I remember how we finished the book and I was going for a beach walk with Spike one day. And that's before we even did our very first show, and I was like, 'Adam and I are trying to figure out what to do. Pretend like we're actual authors, wear Harris tweed blazers with suede patches and act professorial at bookstores?' And we talked about, well what if we picked the stories we like and made it a little more theatrical? Diamond continues. And it was kind of like that, this nice thing where we literally had no idea what we're doing, but it seemed to kind of work and it felt good to us. And then originally I think we all thought that the film was going to be more of this document of what we'd done on stage, but then actually we realized once we started that it kind of took a life of its own and realized, no, it had to be its own thing. For a band that seemed dedicated to always moving forward to its next creative endeavor, its evolving cultural curiosities often making a road map to the styles of the zeitgeist, the idea of looking back might seem anathema. The Beastie Boys in 1993, from left, Mike Diamond (Mike D), Adam Yauch (MCA) and Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock). (Rick Powell) Oh, my God. Can we just do something different already? This band. Right? Horovitz says with a laugh of their recent retrospective phase. Look, Adam Yauch's not here. So any time we can think about him and write about him or tell stories about him or whatever, it's sad but it makes me feel good to have him with me. And sometimes Michael Diamond also. Asked whether his perspective on the band has changed at all over the course of putting together the book and show and now movie, Diamond says dryly, Bunch of jerks. He adds, I think the thing that doing the show and movie and everything made me appreciate is just how completely frigging unlikely the whole thing is. Because while you're in it and you're making stuff, you don't know. The fact that all these things happened in the first place and keep happening, in a good way that we were really fortunate to be able to continue for this ridiculously long time and doing what we love with people that we love and still somehow managed to enjoy doing it. So I guess we appreciated that more. Throughout the book and on into the stage show and movie, Horovitz and Diamond are remarkably candid and reflective about mistakes they made along the way, such as the undiplomatic way they dropped their first drummer, Kate Schellenbach, from the band, or the bratty, regressive attitudes they displayed during the early License to Ill era and how they made a conscious effort to adopt more progressive views as they developed over the years. They are also very open about their relationship and eventual falling out with their first manager, Russell Simmons, and producer Rick Rubin. The interesting thing is that if you write a book about yourself, it's a good opportunity to be able to rewrite history, right? Horovitz says. You can write whatever you want; you can write how amazing you were and you can blame other people for this, that and the other, whatever. And so I feel like we tried to just sort of tell it like it was. "Good example, Russell Simmons, Horovitz continues. We had great times with Russell Simmons. He was really important to our band. Same with Rick Rubin, right? I'm not friends with either of them, but it was an amazing time that we had together. So that will remain. What does it do to yourself to pretend or to just block that out of your life? Seen in the Spike Jonze-directed "Beastie Boys Story," from right, Adam Horovitz, Adam Yauch, Michael Diamond and producer Rick Rubin in June 1985 before New York's Radio City Music Hall. The Beastie Boys were opening for Madonna on The Virgin Tour. (Josh Cheuse) I think that's part of being fortunate, Diamond says. We actually got to be around long enough to comment on the dumb [stuff] that we did. I feel like a lot of times people just don't get that moment of actually still having a voice or still having some relevance to be like, Hold on, let's rewind here for a minute and let's look at what we did and sort of be able to live through that again. Before Jonze can answer about his part in the process of making the stage show and the film, Horovitz interrupts Can we go back to the walk that you and Mike had on the beach? Jonze is now an Oscar-winning filmmaker. In the early 1990s he was transitioning from making skateboard videos to being one of the eras most influential music video directors. He directed the video for the Beastie Boys Sabotage, an uproarious parody of '70s cop shows shot around Los Angeles that became a defining artifact of the mid-'90s. He drove a car in a demolition derby at a California county fair for the Beastie Boys short-lived magazine Grand Royal. Their mutual sensibilities of mischievous creativity seemed perfectly aligned. The Beastie Boys in their "Sabotage" music video in 1994. The hip-hop trio is the subject of Spike Jonze's documentary "Beastie Boys Story." (Universal Music Enterprises / Capitol Records) Well, I loved everything they did before I met them, so I kind of already had a relationship with them, in my head, Jonze says. And I think in meeting them, they were even cooler than in my imagination. They were more fun than I could have possibly hoped. And it felt very easy to make stuff with them. And I was maybe only a couple of years of younger, but certainly wasn't successful or known in any way, but they treated me like an equal creative collaborator. It kind of fell right into place pretty easily. In directing Beastie Boys Story, Jonze wanted to convey his favorite things about the band, its members and their bond. Director Spike Jonze(left) with Adam Horovitz and Mike Diamond of the Beastie Boys mug for the camera in front of the Tower Theater in Philadelphia where part of "Beastie Boys Story" was filmed. (Lori Guidroz) What was cool about this and knowing them for over 25 years, almost 30 years, I got to I love the band musically and I love them as people, Jonze says. Just the way they work, the way they operate and why they do what they do and why they don't do what they do. They're very to themselves and what is right and wrong for them. And I loved getting to make this movie about the things I love about the band, about their friendship and how incredible that relationship is that the three of them had and getting to see it up close. They just really let themselves make whatever they wanted to make, whatever excited them or made them laugh. Trying out looks for the "Sabotage" music video shoot in 1994: from left, Michael Diamond, Adam Yauch (in the background) and director Spike Jonze. (Spike Jonze / Apple) Many reviews of Beastie Boys Book note a passage in which Horovitz says that the death of Yauch was too sad to write about. Yet in the Beastie Boys Story stage show and film, while recounting what would turn out to be the bands last gig, Horovitz becomes visibly moved, the tone shifting to an vividly earnest and tender moment. I mean, think about if you had to read something about one of your best friends, not even in front of anybody, out loud. It's just way different when you say something out loud, Horovitz says of the moment. And it happened every night. It was really surprising to me, Diamond says of what became the shows emotional high point. I think it surprised Adam, it surprised all of us. This is a thing that happened and we didn't certainly didn't plan on, certainly didn't expect. Also, honestly, as a band, there's plenty of moments where it felt like the three of us would keep doing this all together forever, and so here this person who was such an integral part of what we did and who was like our best friend, who led us in a lot of ways, through so many things, that here we are doing something without him. That was a new era for us. The Beastie Boys in 1980: from left, Adam Horovitz, Adam Yauch and Mike Diamond. (Freeberg/Mediapunch/Shutterstock) Having completed the book, the audiobook, the stage show and now the movie, this could conceivably be the end of the line for the collaboration between Horovitz and Diamond, wrapping up the business of being Beastie Boys. So will they work together again on something new? I mean, I don't want to, Horovitz says, his joke landing with a bit of a thud as Diamonds video-conference camera remained dark. I wish I could see your face, Mike. I'm sure we're going to. I mean what else are we going to do? Horovitz continues. We don't know how to do anything else. We don't have any other life skills, Diamond says, although now we have some downtime to work on that. The coronavirus pandemic continues to be a health threat around the world. So, governments, businesses, communities and individuals are looking for ways to teach children how to protect themselves. Children, however, often do not want to listen to grownups. But they might want to listen to imaginative creatures that are adorable, colorful and furry! Muppets are puppets from the childrens show Sesame Street. They are helping to keep children healthy and safe during a difficult time. Elmo, Grover and other Sesame Street Muppets star in new public service advertisements, or PSAs, from the Sesame Workshop. These PSAs teach children about the importance of handwashing and safe ways to sneeze, limiting the spread of germs. The PSAs also spread the message to children that all of these actions show care and concern for others. The short videos are part of a campaign called Caring for Each Other. Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that created the television show Sesame Street. In a statement to the press, Sesame Workshop said that its campaign is aimed at helping families stay physically and mentally healthy during the coronavirus pandemic. The project includes messages for children and caregivers. It offers reading, math and science activities along with songs and fun, educational videos. Elmo is probably one of the most famous Muppets. He is known for a song about brushing teeth called Brushy Brush. That song has been updated to Washy Wash and teaches good handwashing. Wash, washy wash, washy, wash, wash your hands, Scrub 'em while you sing this song Elmo reminds children to wash between the fingers and the tops of the hands. The video also reminds children to wash their hands for a full 20 seconds. Another video in the Caring For Each Other campaign features Grover. This silly blue Muppet teaches children how to safely cough and sneeze. Learn to cough and sneeze with your pal Grover! Step 1: Realize youre about to sneeze. Step 2: Move your elbow toward your nose and mouth. Step 3: Ah choo! Gesundheit! Health experts recommend having a routine while quarantined. A set of things you normally do can help you to stay mentally healthy. So, Elmo explains his daily morning routine. The loveable, red Muppet even uses a checklist that includes breakfast, brushing his teeth and exercise. Oh, good morning, everybody! Elmo's in the middle of his morning routine. Yeah. Even though things may be a little different right now, Elmos mommy and daddy say keeping a daily routine is very important. Heres Elmos morning routine. Dr. Rosemarie Truglio is Senior Vice President for Curriculum and Content at Sesame Workshop. In the statement, Dr. Truglio said, Around the world, young childrens lives are being turned upside down, and parents and caregivers are looking for ways to give their childrenand themselvesa sense of stability in this new normal. The Associated Press reports that the new Sesame Street PSAs will be released around the world in 19 languages. Partners include HBO, PBS Kids, YouTube and the Ad Council. Im Anna Matteo. Anna Matteo adapted this story from an Associated Press report. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story pandemic n. medical : an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world adorable adj. very appealing or attractive : very lovable furry adj. covered with fur a hairy coat like an animal especially when it is soft and thick germ n. a microorganism (as a bacterium) that causes disease silly adj. not serious Gesundheit : German Expression : used to wish good health especially to one who has just sneezed quarantined v. to isolate from normal relations or communication checklist n. a list of things to be checked or done turned upside down idiomatic expression informal : to make (something) very untidy often used figuratively : His whole world was turned upside down when his mother died. stability n. the quality or state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change W ere all doing our bit to help the NHS by staying at home to slow the spread of coronavirus, which means that going to the shops should be limited to getting the essentials. While gin doesnt exactly count as an essential, the occasional G&T in the evening can be a nice luxury to lift your spirits during this strange and uncertain time. Get gin to your door You may not be able to go out and get your hands on your favourite bottles, but many distillers are working hard to make sure you can bring the bar home thanks to newly established delivery services. Dropped off directly to your door, companies new and old have rearranged their offering to keep your glass topped up. Shop local, support smaller businesses While big supermarket chains and online giants like Amazon are still offering booze as part of their home delivery services, trying to get a slot can be like trying to eat a croissant without becoming completely covered in flaky pastry - pretty much impossible and just as exasperating. Thats where buying directly from smaller companies and online gin specialists can really pay off. With less pressure on their delivery services, youre more likely to receive your order faster. Weve sniffed out the best gin companies currently offering delivery, in London and beyond, for your imbibing pleasure. Whether youre savouring a classic G&T on your own, or fancy getting something new in for your next virtual hangout, see our favourites below. Master of Malt Theres a world of gin to be found under Master of Malts online roof, and with free standard delivery across the UK for orders over 99 its the perfect place to stock up on your favourite gin brands, try some new ones and add some mixers to your order too. If youre into craft and small batch gins, try That Boutique-y Gin Company which offers gins from brands around the world alongside its original own-brand spirits. Fans of classic London Dry can choose from big names like Bombay Sapphire, Isle of Wight Distillery and Silent Pool. Dont miss the special offers section to scoop last minute discounts of a variety of labels. 31dover Offering alcohol and mixers of all kinds, theres little you wont find in the way of booze at 31dover. With spring well and truly here you may want to update your drinks trolley with more botanical gin infusions such as Herno Botany Bay Dry Gin, an Australian gin filled with citrusy and herby notes. If floral is more your thing, Bloom Lemon and Elderflower Gin is a great buy inspired by the flavours in Prince Harry and Meghan Markles wedding cake. Try a little in prosecco to give your weekend drinks a royal makeover. Meanwhile the strong and spicy Belfast-made Jawbox Gin will make a worthy addition to your order, working well in cocktails as well as neat over ice with a sprig of rosemary. Craft Gin Club A gin club that comes knocking to your door every month through its subscription service, Craft Gin Club celebrates small-batch gin from all over the world. Each box comes with a full sized bottle of the craft gin of the month, plus a selection of other gin-related treats, from a magazine to mixers and snacks. The value of the boxes are always more than what youd pay so if youre happy to have someone take the reins, this is a fantastic way to discover a new tipple and enjoy a monthly package of goodies too. A subscription makes an ideal gift for gin fans too - simply buy as a present with their address and let Craft Gin Club handle the rest. Free delivery. The Whiskey Exchange Dont be fooled by the name, this drinks retailer offers so much more than whiskey. Shop dozens of gins from the known-names to newer labels like Foxhole Gin, made in West Sussex, or Ginato Pompelmo Gin which will transport you straight to the Italian riviera. Take advantage of web only prices on single bottles or buy in bulk and stock up your home bar. Sipsmith Gin Best buy: Mixed Case of six Sipsmith Flavoured Gins has all moods covered. One of Londons better known gin brands, Sipsmith is widely available at supermarkets as well as online retailers like Amazon. However shop through its website and you'll uncover a selection of gorgeous gifts, partnering the gin with brands like chocolatier Charbonnel et Walker as well as cocktail ideas, sipping notes and mixed gin cases containing their bestselling flavoured gins. Cotswolds Distillery You only need to spend 25 or more to qualify for free delivery at Cotswolds, making it a great supplier to buy from if you dont want to shell out loads on a booze delivery. Alongside gin, theres whisky and other spirits to shop, as well as accessories and gift sets - perfect if you have a birthday coming up. We like the sounds of Baharat Gin, inspired by Middle Eastern and Asian spices if offers a delectably moreish twist. Gin Kiosk Describing itself as a one-stop shop for all things gin, Gin Kiosk is helping distillers through this difficult time by offering selected bottles at 20 per cent off so you can nab a bargain and support a small business in the process. There are beautiful UK and world gins to get your hands on; our wishlist includes the tiny-batch Forest Gin (only 75 are made at a time), Theodore Pictish Gin infused with 16 botanicals and the light and fruity Manchester Raspberry Gin. Foxhole Gin Sustainably-sourced and made using the rare and valuable by-products from the English wine grape harvest, Foxhole Gin is a real labour of love - it takes an astonishing 8,760 hours to make. The result? A smooth, balanced gin with flavours that will dance upon your tongue like sunlight across a forest floor. Whats more, buy directly from the brand and youll get free deliveries on orders over 30 with 10 per cent of online sales donated to The Felix Project's 'Coronavirus Response. Warners Gin Here at ES Best, were all about helping you get the most bang for your buck - or in this case, goodies with your gin. Not only is drinks brand Warners offering free delivery and a mixer with orders over 30, but theyre offering free wildflower and lemon balm seeds with all their home deliveries. Help the bees and help the planet - all while helping yourself to a delicious G&T. Our recommendation? Warners newest arrival is Spring Blossom Gin - bursting with floral notes, it's the perfect way to toast the new season. Kopparberg You may know Kopparberg as the purveyors of sweet Swedish cider, but did you know the brand offers a selection of gin too? Flavours echo that of their popular cider combos; think Strawberry & Lime, Mixed Fruit and now, Passionfruit & Orange - as sumptuously delicious as it sounds. What's more, Kopparberg is helping the Licensed Trade Charity raise funds for their COVID-19 GoFundMe appeal. For every 20+ donation made to their GoFundMe, youll be sent a case of Kopparberg cider or gin as a thank you. Ondina Gin You may not be able to leave the house let alone the country, but one gin is making a play to spirit you away - without breaking lockdown rules. Made by the sparkling Italian coast, Ondina offers refreshing sips of zingy citrus, fragrant basil and other delicious botanicals. Do it justice with plenty of ice over tonic and a wedge of grapefruit ideally - but lemon will work just as well. Given that the small batch gin is also made by Campari, it would make a decent Negroni too. Cocktails to mark the end of your WFH day just stepped up a notch. Best of all, Amazon has it on sale right now - 29 down from 34. Bulldog Gin This British-made gin means business, from the high-gloss black bottle to the juniper spiked spirit with 12-carefully picked botanicals inside. It offers a smooth, prominently citrus flavour when enjoyed solo, but we like the idea of it drenching blueberries with ice for a refreshing take on a classic G&T. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: The work on the settlement of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is underway despite the coronavirus pandemic, Spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said at the briefing on April 17. During the recent telephone conversations of the Russian foreign minister with his Azerbaijani and Armenian counterparts, the issues related to the conflict settlement were also considered, the spokesperson said. "Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as the personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office are in regular contact with the parties of the conflict, Zakharova said. The special attention is paid to the coronavirus pandemic, its impact on the negotiation process, as well as some aspects of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement within the ongoing consultations, the spokesperson said. The situation on the border and the line of contact is discussed." 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 the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pointed a finger at the vaping industry last month as he discussed a 22-year-old New Yorker who'd been hospitalized with Covid-19. "We do think the fact that he is a vaper is affecting this situation," de Blasio said. The suggestion that vaping and cigarettes can worsen the risks from the new coronavirus has put nicotine purveyors in the spotlight. Groups indirectly funded by Philip Morris International, maker of Marlboros and electronic nicotine devices, and vape firm Juul Labs Inc. are pushing back. Their messages contradict public-health experts' warnings that smoking puts people at higher risk for severe cases of Covid-19 and that vaping's effect is unknown but potentially harmful too. Two days after de Blasio's statement, The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction, a group that maps e-cigarette use around the world, dismissed "unfounded rumors" about connections between vaping and coronavirus -- and the "limited available evidence" linking it to smoking. A website called Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association said the "pandemic provides fertile ground for spreading misinformation on vaping." The posts were among nine instances reviewed by Bloomberg. Such spin can take a dangerous toll, not just on public health but now on the global economy as well, said Michel Legendre, a campaign director at the nonprofit Corporate Accountability, a frequent critic of Philip Morris and other large companies. "We're in the middle of a pandemic where information and time is at a premium," Legendre said. "Having doctors and public officials have to sort through this mess of misinformation is time that most people around the world cannot afford." The coronavirus debate comes as companies approach a regulatory deadline to show the Food and Drug Administration that their e-cigarette products have a public-health benefit, a step that will allow the firms to keep selling them in the U.S. A judge has said he intends to extend the May deadline because of the virus. Public-health officials and research scientists acknowledge that study of the coronavirus is still in its infancy. So is vaping, at least compared to smoking. But many say that existing evidence from diseases like tuberculosis, bronchitis and pneumonia is strong enough for them to make recommendations to the public. Anything that makes the lungs less healthy, they say, will weaken your chances against a deadly respiratory disease like Covid-19.The FDA says smoking can result in "worse outcomes" for people with Covid-19 because it increases the risk of respiratory infections, for instance, and e-cigarette use can expose the lungs to toxic chemicals, with unknown effects for people who get the virus. The Cleveland Clinic has said "aldehydes and other components in vaping liquids can impair the immune function of cells found in the airway and lungs." And the Canadian Pediatric Association says vaping or smoking, including cannabis, may put young people at increased risk of severe coronavirus infection. Many messages dismissing links between the virus and vaping or smoking came from authors, scientists or publications that have received indirect funding from companies that sell cigarettes or vape devices. Often the funding behind these messages is indirect and traces back to Philip Morris International's non-profit Foundation for a Smoke Free World, or FSFW. While Philip Morris is best known for Marlboro cigarettes, it has said for years that it wants to move smokers to "reduced risk" products, such as its IQOS, a heat-not-burn device that already has FDA authorization, or Mesh, a vape device. Philip Morris's sister company, Altria Group Inc., sells IQOS in the U.S. and has a stake in Juul. Asked about any links between its products and susceptibility to the virus, Philip Morris deferred to public-health bodies. "People should continue to be guided by the advice and recommendations of their governmental health authorities and medical professionals on these complex health questions," Philip Morris spokesman Corey Henry said in an email. The company isn't aware of any scientific studies about smoke-free alternatives and Covid-19, he said. Altria said it's making no claims about the relative risks of IQOS. Juul declined to comment on whether vaping carries less of a risk factor for coronavirus than smoking. When asked about messages from groups funded by its foundation, Philip Morris said the FSFW makes its own decisions and that the $160 million the company gave to the non-profit in 2018 and 2019 had no strings attached. Derek Yach, founder of FSFW, said the groups his organization funds have their own views and that the foundation is "agnostic to the results of the research" it supports. He said he thinks it's too soon to determine how vaping might affect coronavirus infections but he expects data will eventually show smoking does affect the severity of the disease. Groups funded by FSFW also acknowledge that data is sparse, but reiterate a common message: Vaping is a better choice than cigarettes when it comes to concerns about the health effects of the coronavirus. Both Global State, which slammed the "unfounded rumors" tying vaping and Covid-19, and Consumer Advocates, which decried "misinformation" on the topic, received money from the foundation in 2018. The two authors of the Consumer Advocates article, Roberto Sussman and Carmen Escrig, work at separate institutions indirectly supported by the FSFW. Sussman is a director at ProVapeo Mexico, and Escrig is the international coordinator for Medical Organizations Supporting Vaping and E-cigarettes. Both those organizations are members of INNCO, a group funded by the FSFW with the mandate to help nicotine consumer organizations. INNCO's members are all "independent and autonomous," said president Julie Woessner. The messages cited the work of one scientist, Konstantinos Farsalinos. The day after de Blasio's comments in New York were reported, Farsalinos's blog in Greece slammed the mayor, contending there's "zero evidence on how e-cigarette use affects coronavirus infectivity and disease progression." Farsalinos, a researcher at two universities in Greece and one in Saudi Arabia, belittled the original data out of China that led to the theory smoking helps the disease progress, calling it "too weak" because of the low number of smokers studied. He suggested that vaping might be beneficial for coronavirus because a common ingredient in vape liquid, propylene glycol, has antiviral properties. This idea was also quickly picked up by other blogs and tweets. Farsalinos said he takes no money from companies affiliated with the e-cigarette or tobacco industries: "I have no links with any foundation [including the FSFW] and I do not work for, cooperate with or have any financial or other interest in any industry or commercial entity." When asked about past disclosures that a group called E-Cigarette Research Advocates Group has funded some of his work, he said in an email exchange that the group is a "non-official (not listed or registered anywhere) group of vapers (not businessmen) who created the website." Concerns about vaping's health effects have increased in just the last year. A spate of vape-related lung illnesses in 2019 that killed 68 people in the U.S. changed the view of how e-cigarettes can affect the respiratory system, said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. "If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said combustible tobacco was worse than vaping for this kind of virus," she said in an interview. Now, in the wake of last year's lung illnesses, "I don't think we know." Some scientists say that smoking and vaping could also make people more susceptible to infection in the first place. Dr. Stanton Glantz, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco's Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, said the cells that line the nose and upper airways are edged with microscopic hair-like tendrils called cilia that can push tiny viruses out. "Smoking destroys cilia," he said. "So the ability to push this stuff out before it gets to the lungs' alveoli is ruined if you smoke." The messages published by groups funded by Philip Morris or the vape industry portray such ideas as engendering mass panic - all while subtly positioning next-generation products as a better alternative to smoking for coronavirus risk. 'Exploiting' Tragedy On March 10, an online magazine called Filter published an article saying smoking hasn't definitively been linked to exacerbating Covid-19, but that there could be a benefit to switching to "risk-reduced nicotine products" like vapes. It cited Marewa Glover, a behavioral health scientist in New Zealand, saying that public-health warnings about vaping and the virus are "typical tobacco control exploiting what is a tragic unexpected outbreak." Filter disclosed that the article's author, Michael McGrady, is supported by the Knowledge-Action-Change Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship program, which it called an independently administered scholarship funded by a grant from Philip Morris's FSFW. McGrady, a 23-year-old journalist based in Colorado, said in an interview that his scholarship is for $10,000 and that he chooses the topics of his articles himself.Glover has her own ties to industry funding. She works for the Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty and Smoking, an organization focused on reducing tobacco related harm among indigenous peoples. It was granted $978,449 from FSFW in 2018. Glover cited the FSFW's "complete autonomy" from Philip Morris and the tobacco industry, and said she has never received funding from any vaping or tobacco product company.Filter Magazine itself is funded by The Influence Foundation, a New York-based nonprofit whose donors have included Philip Morris, Altria Client Services, Reynolds America and Juul Labs Inc.The Influence Foundation's Editorial Independence Policy grants the editorial team at Filter "full authority over editorial decisions." Juul said it has "no involvement in the editorial of Filter."Some of the messages dismissing vaping or smoking's connections to the virus also criticize regulators or those who have advocated for tobacco control, including Michael R. Bloomberg. Bloomberg has campaigned and given money in support of a ban on flavored e-cigarettes and tobacco. He is the majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News. His charity, Bloomberg Philanthropies, has funded Legendre's group, Corporate Accountability, most recently in 2018. At stake in all this are the lives of the estimated 1.1 billion people around the world who smoke, and the 41 million who vape. So is the financial health of tobacco and vape companies, which could see sales suffer if their products are linked to yet another deadly disease. In early April, a lawsuit from individuals and school districts against Juul Labs and Altria that seeks medical monitoring and damages related to youth vaping was updated to include claims about the coronavirus. If companies are held liable for some costs of the pandemic, it could also give rise to something akin to the 1998 settlement that forced tobacco companies to pay more than $100 billion to U.S. states for costs from diseases like lung cancer. Whether the warring messages even reach nicotine's most vulnerable audiences -- like the estimated 1 in 5 high school students who vape -- remains to be seen. Laura Heaney, the 18-year-old president of Southampton High School's chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions, said few of the 30 people she knows who vape even think about what it might mean for the coronavirus. "The ones that do blow it off casually," she said. "They think, worst case scenario, they will just get the common cold." Meanwhile, the messages made with the aid of tobacco and vape money continue to ping their way around the world. Some even ask for donations."This is an urgent appeal to help people coping with the trail of disease, death and devastation that the coronavirus pandemic is bringing to the world," says a message on the website of the Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction in Catania, Italy.The center received money from Philip Morris's foundation in 2018. Its director, Riccardo Polosa, has a long history of work for the tobacco industry. Polosa said in an email that the center is independent "no matter the funding source." In a separate Filter magazine article, he said he ensured vape shops weren't closed in Italy during the virus lockdown. My Shadow Is My Skin: Voices From the Iranian Diaspora Edited by Katherine Whitney and Leila Emery Texas. 276 pp. $35 --- Despite America's fabled history as a melting pot, many immigrants have not been welcomed with open arms into this land. Iranian immigrants, who began emigrating to the United States in the 1920s but did not arrive en masse until after the Iranian revolution of 1979, have been among the most demonized. A new collection of essays, "My Shadow Is My Skin: Voices From the Iranian Diaspora," edited by Katherine Whitney and Leila Emery, offers a deeply personal glimpse into the lives of these immigrants and their descendants. As Farnaz Fatemi says in her essay, "The Color of Bricks": "Foreigners write Wikipedia entries shrinking the place [Iran]. They list current despots and convince themselves there is little left to know. I - we - Iranians - know better." During more than 40 years of hostilities between the United States and Iran, acceptance for Iranians has not come easily. For many of the authors in this collection, telling their stories means opening themselves to judgment from within and outside their communities. In the stunning essay that begins the collection, "The Summer I Disappeared," author Jasmin Darznik expresses her fear that writing about her mother's violent reaction to her losing her virginity will be scrutinized by outsiders as evidence of unbridgeable cultural otherness. "For years I worried that to tell this story would be to have Americans say, 'Of course that happened. That's how those people are.' " As they attempt to come to terms with both the Iranian and the American sides of their identities, other writers describe the cultural messages they receive to suppress signs of their Iranian-ness. For Said Sayrafiezadeh, it was the "misspellings . . . in harsh black ink" of a difficult name on a Starbucks cup that led him to consider changing his name to Anthony March Harris, while Persis Karim has refused the "contagion of nose-reduction operations" intended to reduce the "bountifulness of [a] proboscis" in her extended family in favor of American beauty standards. In high school, Shokoofeh Rajabzadeh and her sister, "distinguished by our unibrows, mustaches, and hijabs," endured, on good days, pizza thrown at them in the quad, and on bad ones (post-9/11), their classmates accusing them of being terrorists. Rajabzadeh, in the humorous and moving "My Mom Killed Michael Jackson," tells us that Jackson's music, which she first heard one summer in Tehran, provided the perfect shield to help her get through an often-painful California adolescence and to remind herself, "You are not alone." Second-generation Iranian Americans, or those who came at an early age, struggle to make sense of their memories to better understand their parents' sense of dislocation. Roia Ferrazares remembers the "dark-green lacquered wood" steamer trunk delivered to her parents in 1975, which conjured up recollections of "paper schoolbooks and pots of steaming rice; the bright orange of a glass of fresh carrot juice." A bite of her mother's halvah, a mix of "toasted flour and the pungent, sweet smell of rose water," sends Nazanine Attaran back to her childhood, where she tried to piece together the upheaval of social relations in her grandparents' household after the 1979 revolution. For other authors, trying to create new cultural stories in the absence of actual ones, particularly for children, remains an abiding challenge. In the beautifully narrated "Mothering Across the Cultural Divide," Katherine Whitney, living in California and married to an assimilated husband with scant interest in tradition, describes her clumsy but well-intentioned attempts to re-create Nowruz, the Persian new year. Although at the time she despaired, over the years she realizes that the work of "interpreting and creating family traditions - some that were not mine to start with" - is much more complex and nuanced than she initially thought. Despite having little interest in celebrating holidays, her husband's "warm hospitality and lavish Persian cooking" were very real aspects of Persian culture that he was passing on to his children. Many of the essays explore universal themes: loss, family estrangement and the battle to escape the weight of family expectations. Dena Rod writes of the challenges of coming out in a traditional community, "despite our families' wishes for a glass-closeted existence." In Babak Elahi's splendid "Errand," Elahi juxtaposes a diary of returning to Iran after 40 years, while his mother is dying, with meditations on the films of Abbas Kiarostami, whom he met during the same period. Other essays are more political. In "Shadow Nation," the essay that lends the book its title, Cyrus M. Copeland muses that shadows are "that part of our personality we reject out of fear, or ignorance or shame," but he also suggests that Iran and America share many of the same traits, namely ethnocentrism, "overriding egoism" and a "preoccupation with self." "My Shadow Is My Skin" offers a fine balance between the stories of first- and second-generation Iranian Americans, who, as Amy Malek writes, often feel "alternately included and excluded in the only home one has known, while also feeling attachments to a place one may never have experienced and may or may not be welcome even to visit." The best essays in this collection subtly weave the impact of politics into the personal experiences of growing up between two worlds. Iran is now experiencing one of the world's most severe coronavirus epidemics, but because of the continued refusal to see that country beyond our mutual political hostilities, the human stories arising from the pandemic remain largely unheard. The narratives in this collection go a long way toward making Iranian American immigrants visible. Offering familiar stories with a distinctive flavor, "My Shadow Is My Skin" deftly explores their mixed feelings of pride and love, and of dislocation and criticism, for both the lost ancestral homeland and the new world, providing an important addition to our ever-unfolding understanding of American immigrant experiences. --- Newcomb is a cultural anthropologist and professor at Rollins College. - Rapper Kanye West compared the presidency of Barack Obama to Donald Trump's and noted real estate was better with the latter than with the former - West also revealed he would be voting for Trump at the forthcoming elections - In September 2019, West bought two ranches in Wyoming and in 2018, he also bought a condo in Miami American rapper Kanye West has revealed he will be voting for President Donald Trump at United State's forthcoming presidential election slated to take place in November 2020. In an interview with GQ Magazine, the rapper made his decision known publicly. READ ALSO: Singer Eddy Kenzo shuts down rumours he's broke hours after putting his multi-million ride on sale READ ALSO: Kenyan Reverend Evans Kariuki holds parking lot Easter Service in US amid coronavirus scare TUKO.co.ke understands the 42-year-old covered the May issue of the popular magazine. According to him, he made the decision to follow Trump because real estate in his time was better for him than when Barack Obama was in power. I buy real estate. Its better now than when Obama was in office. They dont teach you in school about buying property. They teach you how to become somebodys property. he said. Kanye West says real estate is better during Obama's time Photo: SplashNews.com Karl Larsen/ Universal Images Jeff Greenberg Source: UGC READ ALSO: Gloves off! Willy Paul, Ringtone exchange unprintable insults online West noted he would not let other people around him make the decision for him. He said during the last election, people told him his career would be over if he did not support Hillary Clinton. The rapper said he proved them wrong as he was still here and his album, Jesus Is King, was number one even though he supported Trump. Kanye West reveals his plans to vote for President Trump Photo: Hayden Outdoors Real Estate/ JPKing.com Source: UGC READ ALSO: Afisa wa polisi amiminiwa risasi na genge la wahalifu lililokuwa linasafirisha bangi West and his wife, Kim Kardashian, own properties around the United States. Their main residence is located in Hidden Hills, Calabasas. In September 2019, West bought two ranches in Wyoming and in 2018, he also bought a condo in Miami. 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. Couple names new born twins Corona and Covid | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke A mental health service station on Meiji Reef is inaugurated. (Photo by the author) By Hong Xue, Li Youtao and Guo Meng NANSHA ISLANDS, April 17 -- On April 7, Jiang Chunlei, a psychology professor of the PLA Naval Medical University, set foot on the Yongshu Reef to provide mental health counseling for soldiers. Since then, the first batch of metal health service stations established by the PLA troops stationed on the Nansha Islands was put into operation, in a bid to provide professional and systematic mental health services for service members stationed on the islands and reefs. The Nansha Islands is far away from the Chinese mainland. Despite improved living conditions in recent years, the garrisons always faced challenges and trials both physically and mentally due to arduous tasks and long-term combat readiness. Thus, such mental service stations are set up to help the officers and soldiers disperse loneliness and boost morale. It is learnt that these stations are mainly built by the military hospitals on various Nansha Islands and reefs, each equipped with a counseling room, an anger-venting room, and a psychological evaluation and training room, etc. The staff includes professional psychologists and part-time counselors from the troops. These stations have also established online liaison mechanisms with experts from the PLA Naval Medical University, the PLA Dalian Naval Academy, etc., to provide psychological evaluation, counseling, training, and other services through hotline and regular expert site visits. It is said that during the current pandemic prevention and control period, a round of psychological evaluation and counseling has been fully carried out for all the military members stationed on the Nansha Islands. The number of COVID-19 patients in Gujarat went up to 1,099 on Friday with the addition of 170 cases in the last 24 hours, a health official said. Of the 170 new patients, the highest number of 77 were from Ahmedabad, followed by 52 in Surat, 14 in Vadodara, eight in Bharuch, five in Narmada and three in Banaskantha district, Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi. Other districts, where cases have emerged include Botad (3), Panchmahal (2) and one each in Anand, Chhotaudepur, Dahod, Kheda and Mahisagar, she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) OKLAHOMA CITY - In the 25 years since a truck bomb ripped through a federal building in downtown Oklahoma City and killed 168 people, the United States has suffered through foreign wars, a rise in mass shootings and a much deadlier act of terror, the Sept. 11 attacks. But the April 19, 1995, assault on a sleepy city in the nations heartland shocked many Americans out of their sense of security and awakened them to their own vulnerability. Terror wasnt just a foreign problem, it was here. Events since have only contributed to a shared anxiety. Ordinarily, survivors and victims families would gather Sunday at the memorial where the Alfred P. Murrah Building once stood to pay tribute to the lives that were lost and tragically altered, as they have every year since the bombing. But the 25th anniversary ceremony was cancelled due to the coronavirus restrictions, denying the public the chance to collectively grieve a past tragedy because a current one is unfolding. Instead, the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum will offer a pre-recorded video that will air online and on TV and will include the reading of the names of everyone killed followed by 168 seconds of silence. There are a lot of things to grieve this spring, and the loss of the commemoration in person is one of them, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt recently told The Associated Press. But I think weve accepted thats clearly the right thing to do. During last years ceremony, Holt stressed the importance of educating new generations about the attack and the dangers of the violence and hatred that inspired it. Among those killed by the massive truck bomb that sheared off the buildings front half were 19 children, most of whom were in a day care centre in the basement. It was just so jarring that somebody would do this to innocent victims, especially children, said former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating, an ex-FBI agent who was just four months into his job as governor when the attack happened. Law enforcement initially suspected foreign terrorists: The attack happened about two years after Islamic terrorists detonated a truck bomb inside a parking garage at the World Trade Center in New York. But prosecutors would soon learn the Oklahoma City attackers were U.S. citizens and that their bombing was inspired by a different 1993 event. Hatred of the federal government motivated former Army soldier Timothy McVeigh and his co-conspirator, Terry Nichols, to commit what many experts still refer to as the deadliest act of domestic terrorism on U.S. soil. McVeigh was ultimately convicted, sentenced to death and executed by lethal injection in 2001. Nichols was sentenced to life in prison. The day McVeigh selected April 19 was exactly two years after federal agents raided the compound of the Branch Davidian religious sect near Waco, Texas. At least 76 people, including about two dozen teens and children, died on the day of the raid, mostly from a fire that swept through the compound. McVeigh had visited the compound during the 51-day standoff that preceded the raid, and prosecutors say that fueled his anger toward the federal government, culminating in the Oklahoma City attack. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which conducted the initial raid of the Waco compound, had offices inside the Murrah building. Many acts of U.S. domestic terrorism in recent years have had a racial component that the Oklahoma City attack didnt, including the 2015 fatal shooting of nine black worshippers by a white supremacist in a South Carolina church and last years anti-Mexican mass shooting at a Walmart in Texas that left 22 people dead. In the domestic terrorism space, weve seen some of the ongoing anti-government sort of stuff, but also the rise in the radical right, racially motivated ideologies that have actually led the FBI to raise the domestic-terrorist threat up to the same level as posed by foreign terrorist organizations, said Brian Jackson, an anti-terrorism researcher for the RAND Corporation. Thats actually a pretty big shift. Politicians and law enforcement frequently use the phrase domestic terrorism, but U.S. law defines terrorists as having ties to foreign entities. Homegrown extremist groups arent labeled that way, even if they use violence and intimidation to try to achieve some ideological goal. Within the U.S., we have a problem with classifying a lot of terrorism by white people as hate crimes instead of terrorism, said Wesley McCann, a professor of criminology at the College of New Jersey who has studied and written extensively on terrorism in the U.S. Acknowledging that the Oklahoma City bombing frequently is referred to as the worst act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history, McCann pointed to another atrocity in Oklahoma. White mobs attacking a section of Tulsa known as Black Wall Street in 1921 left as many as 300 people dead. That, McCann said, could be considered an act of domestic terrorism. But newspapers at the time didnt say much about the Tulsa race massacre. And that was before cable news, much less social media. The original terrorists in this country have always been the white nationalists, the white supremacists, McCann said. ___ Follow Sean Murphy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apseanmurphy With daytime temperatures breaching over 40 degrees Celsius in around a dozen places in the state since last week, Odisha has topped the list of states in the country concerning forest fires in the last one week. According to the Forest Survey of Indias (FSI), fire alerts issued based on the SNPP (Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership)-VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) sensor, at least 3531 fires were recorded in Odisha, the highest in the country between April 9 and 16. Maharashtra with 3203 fires in that period was at the second spot followed by Madhya Pradesh with 2472 fires. Though fire incidents in Odisha are quite less this year compared to the same period last year, the numbers are slowly rising. Between 9 and 16 April 2019, Odisha recorded 4429 fire spots while the same for the previous year was 682. As per the FSI portal, Odisha recorded 14388 forest fires in 2019-20 while in 2018-19 there were 4490 fire spots. Since the second week of March, the number of forest fires in Odisha has been steadily going up from 144 in the second week to over 500 in the week of April 9-16. On Tuesday, one of the biggest forest fires was seen at Panhala hill near Dhenkanal town of Odisha as forest department personnel struggled to douse the fire. The fire spread to other areas of the forest atop the hill adding to the miseries of the wildlife there as well as people living around. Panhala hill is regarded as a wall of protection for Dhenkanal town. This years forest fires have not been as bad when compared with that of last year, the sudden rise in fire spots indicates the threats that we are about to face. Had ground-level forest officials been on the field, the fire squads on the ground would have been more alert to contain fires. But as top officials of the state forest department are now in Bhubaneswar due to the coronavirus lockdown, there is not much action on the ground, said Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of the Wildlife Society of Odisha, a leading environmental NGO. The first one hour is critical to control it before it develops into an inferno, he said. As per the FSI, Odisha had a forest cover of 51,619 sq km, of which 6,970 sq km is very dense forest and 21,552 sq km is moderately dense. Around 23,097 sq km is open forest. According to the FSI, 2.82% of Odishas total forest cover has been categorised as extremely fire-prone; 7.73% as very highly fire-prone; 13.32% as highly fire-prone; 19.96% as moderately fire-prone; and 56.17% as less fire-prone. Odisha forest department officials, however, said the ground level staff are busy extinguishing fires on the ground. This year, the situation is not as bad as last year except for forest divisions like Rayagada, Baliguda and Boudh. Podu cultivation in these areas has been the main reason for the rise in the forest fires. Our officials are there on the ground trying to contain the fire. They are uploading the details on a mobile app after putting out the fires. We have a satellite monitoring system and the alerts issued by the FSI are shared with people deployed at the beat level, said Sandeep Tripathi, Odishas Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. SEATTLE, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Holland America Line is commemorating its 147th anniversary Saturday, April 18, 2020, by honoring its rich legacy, taking care of each other in the present and looking forward to its next chapter. With travel paused globally, the premium cruise line is reflecting on the resilience that has been exhibited throughout the company's history, enduring challenging times many times before and emerging even stronger thanks to loyal guests, dedicated crew and employees, and the support of travel advisors. Founded April 18, 1873, as the Netherlands-American Steamship Company, the brand has welcomed more than 150 ships throughout the years. A third Pinnacle-class ship, Ryndam, is under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy and scheduled for delivery in late spring 2021. While the cruise line has paused its global operations through June 30, only one other time in company history did operations cease. During World War II, all passenger voyages stopped, and ships were called to serve in the Allied war effort. "It's important during these challenging times to still celebrate important milestones, and our 147th anniversary reminds us that Holland America Line has one of the deepest histories and richest legacies in the cruise industry," said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. "We stand on a solid foundation built by those that came before us over nearly a century and a half, and just as they weathered uncertain times, we will as well. Holland America Line will be back taking guests around the world as soon as we can, and we can't wait to welcome everyone back on board." Since 1873, Holland America Line has traveled to all seven continents, offered decades of world cruises and explored Alaska for more than 70 years. Each time a new ship joins the fleet it's a celebration of this legacy and marks the next chapter in the company's history. Learn more about the company's history at https://youtu.be/BCdm7usWixI. To help our loyal guests look forward their next cruise, new short-term Book with Confidence cancellation policies are available for cruise bookings with departure dates through Oct. 15, 2020, and a generous Cancellation Protection Plan (CPP) is always available for purchase right up until the cancellation policy for a booking is in effect. CPP permits cancelling for any reason and provides cash refunds. Additional offers that feature perks and savings will have cruisers dreaming of travel in 2021 and beyond. A special 147th Anniversary Edition Gift Card is available for a limited time at hollandamerica.com. When purchased by May 31, 2020, a bonus $100 will be added with purchase of a $500 gift card or a $200 bonus with the purchase of a gift card for $1,000 or more. To see the commemorative tributes to Holland America Line's 147th Anniversary, visit all of Holland America Line's social media channels: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and the Holland America Blog. About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK)] Holland America Line has been exploring all corners of the globe since 1873 and was the first cruise line to offer adventures to Alaska and the Yukon more than 70 years ago. Its fleet of premium ships visits more than 470 ports in 98 countries, territories or dependencies around the world. A third Pinnacle-class ship, Ryndam, is under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy. The company's brand evolution in recent years secured its position as the leader in premium cruising. Fleetwide, the ships feature innovative initiatives and a diverse range of enriching experiences focused on destination exploration and personalized travel. The best live music at sea fills each evening at venues including Lincoln Center Stage, B.B. King's Blues Club, Rolling Stone Rock Room and Billboard Onboard. The dining experience can be savored at a variety of restaurants with menus that feature selections from Holland America Line's esteemed Culinary Council, comprising world-famous chefs who design dishes exclusively for guests. SOURCE Holland America Line Related Links http://www.hollandamerica.com Photo: (Photo : YouTube/Today) Earlier this month, pregnant Yanira Soriano was hospitalized at Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, New York, because she tested positive for coronavirus and pneumonia, according to the hospital's parent company, Northwell Health. Immediately, she was put on a ventilator and had an emergency caesarian delivery at 34 weeks of pregnancy. Soriano Saw Her Son Days After Delivery for the First Time During an interview, the chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Southside Hospital, Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, said that the 36-year-old pregnant mom had to undergo general anesthesia and be put to a medically-induced coma and ventilator because of the critical nature of her pneumonia. He added that the patient was not awake when the baby was born and had not heard him cry nor had the opportunity to meet him right after his birth. For nearly two weeks, Soriano remained in the intensive care unit of the hospital. Dr. Schwatz added that the patient's newborn son was moved to a children's hospital in New York City. After being discharged from the hospital, Soriano finally met her baby, Walter, on April 15. Soriano was brought outside of the hospital in a wheelchair while wearing a face mask. Dozens of healthcare workers cheered on her as she held her son for the first time. Dr. Schwartz said that it is not just an incredibly proud moment for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology but even for the Southside Hospital and the entire medical team. He added that it took so many people and shifts to provide the necessary care for Soriano. Since most patients who contracted the coronavirus and COVID pneumonia did not survive, having one who indeed survives the same condition gives incredible hope for patients with the virus, Dr. Schwartz said. Other Hospitals Also in Preparation Other hospitals from the same city are preparing for a similar situation. Dr. Dena Goffman, from the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, said that they are advocating for assessment on a case-by-case basis. In a study where Dr. Goffman co-authored, more than 200 pregnant women were admitted in two New York City hospitals for coronavirus with or without symptoms. Out of the 33 women that tested positive with COVID-19, 29 were asymptomatic, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. Nikki Battiste, a correspondent of CBS News, is 37 weeks pregnant and was told that she had to wear a mask when she is giving birth. Upon arriving at the hospital, she will be tested and isolated if she gets a positive result from the virus. When Battiste asked Goffman if she will be separated from her baby if she is infected, the doctor said that if she is asymptomatic and healthy, then maybe they can "potentially" allow the parent and baby some bonding moments. Even if it has not yet been proven whether the virus can be transmitted through breast milk or not, Goffman suggests that mothers should wear masks when they are near their babies. Medical staffs will check temperatures of partners and spouses of the pregnant women giving birth upon their arrival and would not be allowed to enter if they have a fever. "We know that there is the Wuhan Institute of Virology just a handful of miles away from where the wet market was," Pompeo said Wednesday on Fox News. The institute has an address 13 kilometres, from the market. US officials say the American embassy in Beijing did flag concerns about potential safety issues at the lab in Wuhan in 2018, but stressed there was no evidence that the virus originated there nearly two years later. The guidelines unveiled by the US President leaves execution in the hands of state leaders. Credit:AP The episode shows that both world powers - the country where the virus originally spread and the country with the most sickness and deaths from it - are not above floating shaky theories and using propaganda to divert attention from problems in their pandemic response. China previously spread the falsehood that the virus started with Americans. China and the US both wasted crucial time responding to the outbreak. More than 3000 people had been infected before the Chinese government told the public what it had concluded six days earlier - that a pandemic was probably coming. Loading Beijing muffled early warnings, such that the Chinese were assured the risk of sustained human-to-human transmission was low even as infected people entered hospitals across the country and the first case outside China was found, in Thailand. Chinese leaders tried blaming the US, sharing Trump's habit of dressing up tweets with exclamation marks. "It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, tweeted on March 12. "Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation!" China subsequently stopped promoting that fabrication internationally. The United States, also late to take the threat seriously, has lagged a number of other countries in the thick of the pandemic when it comes to its response. Trump failed to live up to his early promises to have ample testing, a key factor in containing disease. The US still struggles to supply hospitals, frontline workers and patients with necessities in a climate of confusion spilling into chaos. More than 640,000 people in the US have been sickened with COVID-19, not counting large numbers whose illnesses are not being registered. More than 31,000 Americans have died. Against that backdrop, the pressure for scapegoats is strong. After weeks of elaborate praise of Chinese President Xi Jinping's performance in the pandemic, Trump has turned to blaming China and halting US contributions to the World Health Organisation, accusing it of parroting misinformation from Beijing. Loading In the US, claims that the virus was created in or released from a Chinese lab emerged just weeks after the outbreak began and quickly spread from fringe internet sites to the wider public, abetted by conspiracy theorists of every stripe. The reality is more mundane, said Dr Gregory Poland, head of vaccine research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "This virus is a typical bat coronavirus that has developed the capacity to infect other mammals and bats are mammals, too," he said. "What's becoming evident is that the natural origin of this fits with the transmission dynamics and biology of it all." Whatever they think about the idea of a laboratory leak, Trump officials have not taken up the far-out theory that China might have created or released the virus through nefarious genetic engineering or ill intent. "I don't have much faith that they're even being truthful with us now," US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said on NBC's Today show. Yet, "a majority of the views right now is that it is natural, it was organic," he said. And it's something of a diversion in a country wrestling with present danger, he seemed to suggest. "Once we get beyond the pandemic we'll have a chance to look back and really find out what happened." Late on Thursday, China denied allegations the pandemic may have originated in a laboratory where contagious samples were being stored. Zhao cited the head of the World Health Organisation and other unidentified medical experts as saying there was no evidence that transmission began in the lab. As many as 72 families have been asked to quarantine themselves, this after a Pizza Delivery boy was tested positive for Corona infection. NewsXs Legally Speaking requested for the opinion of lawyers and legal experts on what legal remedy you have in case you are infected by corona virus due to food delivery and also legal ramifications on companies selling Pizza or delivery chains who deliver good in case a recipient gets infected due to a pizza or a food box. Adv. Kritika Krishnamurthy, founding partner, A & K Partners Stress Eating Pizza, COVID and Compensation The trending topic on social media presently is expanding appetites and waistlines due to incessant stress and boredom eating during lockdown. While most people are banana breading their hearts out, some others recently decided to take a shortcut and order pizza. On paper, everything was picture perfect- all deliveries whether food or groceries in India arebeing done using a no-contact approach. But the pizza delivery boy has been tested positive for novel coronavirus. The pizza shop has been shut, all its employees and 72 families who were delivered pizza by the delivery boy have been ordered to take precautionary measures and self-quarantined. With changing contours of what is normal, the bounds of what should be reasonable measures to run a food business operation and the extent of liability is also going to change. The business seems to have taken measures to do any future damage but that is not going to be enough. If any of the families also contact the disease, they will have a right to sue the food delivery business for compensation. Such cases attract two routes generally. The pizza company can be sued before the consumer forum or a tort case of strict liability is also possible. While the consumer forum is a more cost-effective mode with limited damages, if all the affected persons come together and sue the company for strict liability under torts, the company will have to shell out damages in millions. Not to mention the prosecution and penalty under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and even the worst-case possibility of key managerial personnel being booked for culpable homicide as was recently done with the leader of a religious congregation. Another set of affected persons which seem to have been missed out are all those other families who were delivered pizza from the same shop by other delivery persons of the shop. The positive tested delivery person was in contact with other staff of the pizza shop whose chance of being infected by him is very high. This incident is a red flag as to how home deliveries can turn into one of the key channels of community transmission and make all the lockdown efforts of billions of population and government redundant. Amit Singh Chauhan, Esq. Founding Partner and Litigation Chair Talwar Khurshid Chauhan (TKC) LLP In todays digital age these delivery drivers (delivery drivers) are not associated or employed by the restaurants/food joints. They are usually individuals who register themselves with an online platform or enter into a business arrangement with the online aggregators or facilitator. These platforms usually act as an intermediary or facilitator between the restaurant/food joint and the end user for which they take a commission and also collect the delivery charges. Such digital platforms aim to minimise liability and cost by entering into arrangements/agreements with their delivery partners on a principal to principal basis rather than an employer-employee relationship. Further, these platforms often stand indemnified by the driver partners and clearly state that the platform does not maintain operational supervision. The reason being that the platforms intend to overcome the test of effective control or to avoid duty of care which might make them liable for the acts of the driver partners or restaurants. However, the courts in India, especially in these testing times, could arrive at a conclusion that certain level duty of care is owed to the delivery drivers and end user (as we saw with the incident mandating listing of restaurants holding FSSAI license only). The courts while taking into account the move towards digital platforms, the changing business environment and the present situation on account of Covid-19 might be inclined to pierce the veil while revisiting the definition of control and might be inclined to expand the spectrum of duty of care owed to the delivery drivers and end users which would leave such platforms open to civil litigation/damages. In countries like China, the delivery partners are obligated to take a health test every day and sanitize their bikes and themselves so as avoid spreading germs. No such guidelines or recommendations or facilities have been made available by such platforms. Any repeat of incident similar to the one in South Delhi could be construed as gross negligence or intentional omission at least prima facie. Even though a bleak possibility, it could lead to increase in criminal cases being filed against the official ranging from those filed under section 269 and Section 270 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 for intentionally spreading the infection to those being filed under section 304A in case of death of end user/delivery partner and section 338 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 as well in case of grievous hurt. Adv. Aman Sareen, Advocate, Delhi High Court Tort is a civil wrong or wrongful act whether intentional or accidental from which injury/harm occurs to another. Vicarious liability/No Fault Liability imposes strict liability on the employers for the wrongdoings of their employees while the employees are conducting their duty during the course of employment. Employers are vicariously liable under the doctrine of Respondent Superior/Let the master answer for the negligent acts or omissions by their employees in the course of employment. Employers are vicariously liable on the basis of latin maxim Qui facet per alium facit per se/ He who acts through another, acts himself. The underlying concept is that employer had the right, ability and duty to control acts of his employees performed during the course of employment. In the present case, pizza delivery boy who has been tested positive for COVID-19 was employed by Box 8 Company and has been working under direct supervision and control of the Company. After the lock down period was announced by PM Modi, the restaurants were allowed to continue their operations through home delivery/take away with strict instruction to practice social distancing, proper hygiene and sanitisation as in food industry there is great possibility of indirect transfer of virus through contaminated surfaces that contain the virus. In case of COVID-19, the main risk involved in human to human transmission during food handling is from close contact with infected food handler or customer. Thus, the best practice for food business operators and consumers is to maintain high standards of personal hygiene, standard protocol of social distancing and limiting social contact, detecting/isolating the infected persons from food handling operations and appropriate cleaning/sanitisation of food business premises/food contact materials. The FSSAI (FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS AUTHORITY OF INDIA) has also released guidance note dated 15th April, 2020 related to Food Hygiene and safety Guidelines for food business during COVID 19. Therein, FSSAI developed detailed guideline on specific measures to be taken by food related businesses in addition to those specified in Schedule IV of Food Safety and Standards ( Licensing and Registration of Food business (Including Food Service, Transport and Retail Operations)) Regulations, 2011. These include that the food business owner shall made food handlers aware about COVID 19 symptoms so that they are able to recognise symptoms, declare them and seek appropriate medical care. Also, the food business owner shall adopt screening protocol to screen all employees regularly while entering the premises. It is also mandated that employees with temperature and symptoms of COVID-19 should not be allowed to enter the premises. Also, the food business owner shall provide masks and protective gears to food handlers to ensure regular monitoring of its employees. Thus, the employers are under strict liability to follow standard operating procedures to ensure proper safety norms for its premises and employees to ensure working at low risk transmission. In the present case, it has been stated that pizza delivery boy has been showing symptoms including fever, fatigue and cough for around 20 days. During the said period, he has visited around 72 families to deliver food and has been in contact with around 17 delivery boys. All of them are placed under institutional quarantine. The disturbing part is that other delivery boys must have visited various places for food delivery who are yet to be identified. The present scenario clearly shows reckless/negligence on part of employer as well as employee. The employer has failed to regularly monitor the symptoms shown by the employee and has ignored it as common flu. The period of 20 days is a considerable long time which could have avoided has the employer been more vigilant and careful to the health of the employee. This also indicate that proper screening protocol was not followed by the employer. There is certainly lack of implementation of Standard Safety Procedures and Protocol. As per statement issued by Zomato, it is also uncertain whether delivery boy had delivered orders placed through Zomato while he as infected. The statement issued by either Box 8 or Zomato is nothing but a cover up to rule out negligence committed by them. Hundreds of persons has suffered damage for the reckless act of the food business owner who are constantly living under fear of mental agony of contracting COVID-19 virus infection. Further, the contact tracing cannot be absolutely determined particularly when there are so many stages involved in food delivery process. The same could have been stopped has the employer has been more vigilant, careful in implanting proper safety norms. Be that as it may be, the food business owner (Box 8 Company) cannot be absolved from strict liability enforced against them for the negligent behaviour of its employee. Infact, in the present case, the food business owner (Box 8 Company) is contributory to the negligence committed by its employee. The present case is an example of class action suit for damages and compensation which has endangered lives of hundred of people due to negligence of Box 8 Company as the company has been instrumental in spreading contagious disease. CRIMINAL LIABILITY:- Section 268 of IPC defines Public Nuisance which states that a person is guilty of public nuisance who does any act or is guilty of illegal omission which causes common injury, danger or annoyance to the public or people in general. Section 269 of IPC defines negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life. As per which, whoever unlawfully or negligently does any act which is or which he knows or has reason to believe to be likely to spread infection of any disease dangerous to life shall be punished with imprisonment for term which may extend to 6 months or fine or both. The said offence is non-compoundable in nature. Section 270 of IPC defines malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life. The said offence is punishable for imprisonment of 2 years or fine or both and is non-compoundable in nature. Clearly, in the present case, the food business owner (Box 8 Company) was negligent is ensuring proper safety norms in its premises and regularly monitoring of health of its employee despite the fact it has reason to believe that failing which there is great likelihood of spread of COVID-19 disease as it is contagious in nature and dangerous to life. The negligent and recklessness of the Food business Owner ( Box 8 Company) has caused public nuisance to people residing in neighbourhood area and has exposed them to COVID-19 virus which is dangerous to life particularly in light of fact when there is no concrete vaccine of the same and strict restrictions are being released by Central and State Government to ensure regulation of proper safety norms. Mr. Sudhir Mishra, Managing Partner, Trust Legal Advocates & Consultants The recent case of a 19-year old pizza delivery partner in New Delhi being tested positive for COVID-19 and 72 families being quarantined as a consequence has raised concerns throughout the hospitality and food delivery sector about the safety of their employees and customers alike. In these trying times, when millions of people who stay away from their homes and are dependent on restaurants still delivering food for their sustenance, it has become paramount for such hotels and restaurants to take stringent precautionary measures in order to prevent the further spread of the virus and infecting, albeit unknowingly, their valued customers. The recent case reinforces the need and strict applicability of the measures already in place. They need to ensure that none of their employees and delivery partners are suffering from COVID-19. This can be ensured by getting the temperature of every employee periodically checked on an hourly or daily basis. Secondly, the premises and all equipments including the delivery boxes need to be washed and sanitized regularly. Lastly, the delivery person should properly cover and sanitize himself before and after each delivery. All these precautions coupled with the recent case bring to the forefront another question: who can be legally held liable in such a scenario? And who can a person who has come in contact with such a delivery person and tested positive file a claim against? It is a little difficult to give a straightforward answer to both these questions because of the prevalent legal system of this country. Even if we assume, for argument sake, that the infected person filed a claim for compensation against the restaurant owner, the burden of proof of proving the owner guilty would fall on the infected person. Unlike the USA where torts is strictly applicable and no person can get away easily. Hence, given the present scenario and the situation the world over, Indian lawmakers should take steps to make torts more applicable in India. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued certain guidelines on 15.04.2020 that have to be strictly followed by people who will be going back to work from 20.04.2020. Hence, the food delivery system will be much sought after bythese people more than it was previously. Therefore, it becomes a restaurateurs duty and responsibility to ensure that the food delivery partners are safe from and not infected by the virus. Further, as per the principal-agent and master-servant relationship principle followed in India, the companies delivering foods can be held accountable, if any of their customers get infected because of their delivery executives. The companies engaged in food delivery must come up with an undertaking on every packed food that the said packed food along with the package is virus free and sanitised keeping in view the safety of their customers. However, by opting for delivery in the present situation, the said responsibility is already implied on them and they are themselves acknowledging the fact that it would be an infection free delivery. Also, holding the owner liable would force them to take strict precautions and safety measures. But now the question arises: what if the delivery executive gets infected outside of his workplace or by coming in contact with an already infected customer? Who can be held liable in this case? All these aspects need to be looked upon and considered by the Government before lifting the lockdown completely. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App By Trend It is important to adopt a separate bill on municipal elections in Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Regional Affairs Siyavush Novruzov said at the meeting of the Parliament held on April 17, Trend reports. The issue related to municipal elections should be removed from the Electoral Code titled 'Municipalities operate taking into account the views and proposals of voters', said Novruzov. Municipal elections were held in Azerbaijan in 2019. There are 125 constituencies in Azerbaijan, but the municipal elections are held in 118 of them. Municipal elections have not been held in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan for more than 20 years, Novruzov noted. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz New Delhi, April 17 : The Centre has allowed the NHAI to start toll collection on national highways from April 20. The tolling operations were earlier planned to resume from April 15, a day after the end of the first phase of the lockdown. However, the lockdown was extended till May 3. Nevertheless, the Home Ministry has given relaxations to many essential industries to commence operations from April 20. "It has been further highlighted that user fee collection contributes to the government exchequer and also provides financial strength to NHAI in terms of budgetary support," the ministry said in a letter to the NHAI. "In view of the relaxations provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the inter-state and intra-state movement of all trucks and other goods or carrier vehicles and further the relaxations... NHAI should take actions necessary for compliance of the orders.. and 'tolling operations be resumed w.e.f. 20 of April 2020'." Meanwhile, the All India Motor Transport Congress has asked the Centre to reconsider the decision to start toll collection. "The government must reconsider its decision before putting any financial burden on this sector, which has already crumbled due to the 'Economy under lockdown'" AIMTC President Kultaran Singh Atwal said in a sta tement. Carson City, Nevada--(Newsfile Corp. - April 17, 2020) - Cell MedX Corp. (OTCQB: CMXC) ("Cell MedX" or the "Company"), a biotech company focusing on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapeutic and non-therapeutic products that promote general wellness, announced today that the Company has arranged a non-brokered private placement offering (the "Offering") set at a price of $0.25 per Unit for up to 1,000,000 Units for total gross proceeds of $250,000. Each Unit sold under the Offering will consist of one common share of the Company and one share purchase warrant (the "Warrant") expiring on the second year anniversary of the date of issuance of the Warrant. Each Warrant will be exercisable into one share of the Company's common stock at $0.35 per share during the first six month from the date of closing of the Offering, and at $0.50 per share during the remaining life of the Warrant. The Units to Non-U.S. Persons will be issued pursuant to the provisions of Regulation S of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act") to the persons who are not residents of the United States and are otherwise not "U.S. Persons" as that term is defined in Rule 902(k) of Regulation S of the Act. The Units to U.S. Persons will be issued pursuant to the provisions of Rule 506(b) of Regulation D of the Act who qualify as "accredited investors" as that term is defined under Regulation D of the Act. The Company will use the proceeds from the Offering for overhead expenses, ongoing costs associated with the eBalance device certification process with Health Canada and FDA and towards manufacturing costs associated with its eBalance devices. The above does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of Cell MedX's securities in the United States. The securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. persons unless an exemption from such registration is available. About Cell MedX Corp. (OTCQB: CMXC) Cell MedX Corp. is an early development stage bio-tech company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapeutic and non-therapeutic products that promote general wellness and alleviate complications associated with medical conditions including, but not limited to, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and high blood pressure. For more information about the Company and its technology please visit our website at: www.cellmedx.com, for the Company's newsletter, please go to www.cellmedx.com/media/newsletters/ On behalf of the Board of Directors of Cell MedX Corp. Frank McEnulty CEO, Director Forward Looking Statements The information included in this press release has not been reviewed by the FDA, nor has it been peer reviewed. This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions and are identified by words such as "expects", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "anticipates", "believes", "could", and other similar words. All statements addressing product performance, events, or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Because the statements are forward-looking, they should be evaluated in light of important risk factors and uncertainties, some of which are described in the Company's Quarterly, Annual and Current Reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the Company's underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those currently anticipated. In addition, undue reliance should not be placed on Company's forward-looking statements. In particular, the Company's eBalance technology is still in development. Except as required by law, Cell MedX Corp. disclaims any obligation to update or publicly announce any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory body has reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Investors are advised to carefully review the reports and documents that Cell MedX Corp. files from time to time with the SEC, including its Annual, Quarterly and Current Reports. SOURCE: Cell MedX Corp. For further information visit: www.cellmedx.com. Investor Relations: 1-310-409-6614 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54552 From Western Wyoming Community College Western Wyoming Community College welcomes prospective students to their virtual Future Mustangs Day on April 22, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Future Mustangs Day is an opportunity for high school seniors who have been accepted to Western, or have filled out an application for admission, and their families to visit Western virtually. During this event, participants will be given the opportunity to attend a welcome session, learn about academic advising, compete for academic scholarships in different academic areas, take a virtual campus tour, attend informatio... This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here. Fernando Miteff liked his art so much, he gave it away. Using the graffiti tag Nic 707, he was known for giving scraps of paper adorned with his graceful letter designs and outlines to up-and-coming artists to guide them, and to fans to thank them. And for the last decade he did something most straphangers thought had vanished in the late 1980s: He brought graffiti back to the New York City subway. But this time, he did it by boarding a train, replacing ads with pieces by some of the countrys best-known and most influential graffiti artists, like Taki 183, and switching them back at the end of his ride. I wanted to bring a new ideology to graffiti, he said in a 2015 interview about his guerrilla subway car exhibits, which he called InstaFame Phantom Art. I didnt want to leave a mark that stays. I wanted to leave an impression. As long as you saw and remembered it, Im happy with that. CAYMAN ISLANDS (October 6, 2017) A 33-year-old Caymanian man is breathing again with a sigh of relief after the Health City Cayman Islands medical team brought him back from the brink of death. Bjorn Ebanks heart stopped twice, and he underwent CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) for almost 90 minutes before being placed on advanced life support and undergoing emergency surgery to remove life-threatening blood clots in his lungs. The surgical experience and skills of Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil, Health Citys Chief Cardiac Surgeon and Senior Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon, saved Ebanks life with a procedure so difficult that fewer than 20 hospitals in the world are likely to have attempted it. Ebanks arrived at the tertiary care facility in East End, Grand Cayman via ambulance. During the journey, he went into cardiac arrest. Resuscitation efforts were ongoing in the ambulance and while he was being brought into the Health City triage area. As hospital emergency staff refused to give up on resuscitation attempts, Dr. Binoy as colleagues and patients call him swiftly intervened, having just completed his morning rounds in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Dr. Dhruva Kumar Krishnan, a Senior Consultant in Cardiac Anesthesiology and Intensive Care at Health City, is also a certified American Heart Association Basic Life Support/Advanced Cardiac Life Support provider as well as an instructor. Dr. Krishnan, whose team conducts the BLS/ACLS classes at Health City, recalled the extensive resuscitation efforts: We went on for close to 90 minutes. He did come back two times and then we sort of lost [him] so we continued the cardiopulmonary resuscitation and Dr. Binoy walked in and he decided that we should try the ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation). Bjorn Ebanks (center) with his mother, Ingrid Ebanks, speaking with Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil at Health City Cayman Islands following his recovery. Following a rapid transfer of the patient to the operating theater, he was placed on ECMO life support, which involves channeling the patients blood into a roller pump that serves as the patients heart. In response to his colleagues concern that it might be too late for ECMO in Ebanks case, Dr. Binoy was confident: I told them, if you are not doing it, its 100 percent death, if you are doing it then maybe 1 percent for that patient, its the only chance. With all hands on deck and team members performing heart massage to keep the patient alive during the procedure, Dr. Binoy recalled that it was an adrenaline-charged and intense scene: You should have seen the whole team everyone is up in there doing the massage on one side while we instituted the ECMO to the groin, which took me about 20 minutes. The emergency team waited with intense anticipation as the ECMO machine did its work. Within five minutes, Dr. Binoy was vindicated as the patients heart slowly resumed beating: With the ECMO he was getting better, he stabilized and I shifted him to the ICU. Next, Dr. Binoy sought to determine what had caused the young mans heart to stop, and to find a solution. He enlisted the help of the patients loved ones in his investigation. His parents and girlfriend told us that for the last two weeks he had been very unwell, with shortness of breath, which deteriorated to the point where he asked his girlfriend to call for an ambulance. Dr. Binoy quickly recognized the problem when the patients mother recalled that her son has been diagnosed with clots in his leg veins on two occasions the first time in 2005 and again in 2008. After each diagnosis he was advised to take blood thinners for six months and then discontinue the medication. With this new information in hand, Dr. Binoy immediately ordered a CT scan, which revealed that blood clots were completely blocking both lung arteries. There was absolutely no blood going to the lungs. So there was only one option: surgery again. From the CT scan room we took him immediately to the operating room this surgery took almost 10 hours, the surgeon explained. The emergency surgery to remove the blood clots is a complicated procedure called a pulmonary endarterectomy, and involves putting the patient on a heart and lung machine. We had to cool the body to 20 degrees centigrade. I had to drain all the blood from the body, open both lung arteries and remove the clots from both sides, Dr. Binoy recalled. To allow the patient more time to recover, he was kept on ECMO for an additional 48 hours, which was needed because his brain did not initially respond well to the treatment. But after five to six days he was perfect, there was no neurological deficit and he started walking after six days lung pressure returned to normal, his heart became normal. And after two weeks we sent him home, recounted Dr. Binoy. Im very happy about the outcome, Dr. Binoy said, its kind of bringing him from the grave back to life he is such a young man. It would have been very easy to say he had cardiac arrest and that after 45 minutes nothing more could be done. But we took that 1 percent chance when we decided to put him on ECMO and decided to do the surgery. Dr. Binoy expressed his joy at this slim chance of success being realized: It might have been a 1 percent chance then, but now the patient is 100 percent. For the family theyve got their son, their boyfriend back, so its very, very satisfying. Dr. Binoy explained that the delicate and rare pulmonary endarterectomy procedure involves the use of very fine instruments for incisions and the removal of tiny clots from the lungs. The learning curve for this procedure is very long. Thats why there are only 10 to 20 hospitals where it has been done in the entire world. But the surgery is so gratifying, he said. As one of the few surgeons worldwide with extensive experience in the intricate procedure, Dr. Binoy noted: I have been involved in at least 300 cases of this in India at the hospital where Dr. Devi Shetty, one of the experts in this surgery (and Health Citys founder), was involved. I have seen a lot. I have seen young people, who are unconscious or who are bedridden or on home oxygen, and watched them going back home to their lives. Relieved at having a second chance at life, Bjorn Ebanks has only praise for his surgeon and for Health City: Dr. Binoy is a good doctor. He is one of the best I would say. Most doctors would probably have given up and said alright Im gone. This is a good facility, real good facility people in here are good too and they treat you well Im just grateful that I am here and I can have another chance to see my family. The medical team was also emotional and overjoyed at Ebanks near miraculous recovery. Bjorn is extra special for us because we sort of pulled him out of nowhere and he is a fighter, he came out of it. And I think it makes us very happy, to see people like him walk out of ICU and walk out of the hospital, Dr. Krishnan said. As for Ebanks, he is looking to the future with a renewed sense of purpose: God got some plan for me. I dont know what is, but he got some plan for me. Source:Marketplace Excellence by Sumon Corraya Many who continue to work are not paid. The country is the second largest textile manufacturer in the world; the sector employs 4 million people. Without orders from abroad, the factory owners fire or do not pay the staff. Unions and Catholic Church: protect workers. Dhaka (AsiaNews) - In Bangladesh, 15,000 workers in the textile industry have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus. Of those who have kept their jobs, many are not being paid. The pandemic crisis is hitting the populous country's economy hard. At the moment there are 1572 cases of contagion and 60 deaths. Dhaka authorities have imposed quarantine, and restrictions on movement, but some textile companies continue production. After China, Bangladesh is the world's leading manufacturer and export of clothing items. The industry in the sector - the flagship of national production - employs more than 4 million people, mostly women. The problem is the drop in demand. Without orders from abroad, especially from Europe, producers cut staff or do not pay workers. After the economic lockdown decided by the government, I isolated in my house for a few days. On April 5, I went back to the factory, discovering that I had been fired", Amana Akter tells AsiaNews. The woman lives in Savar, a district of the capital. For her, as for many Bangladeshi, it will be difficult to survive without a job: I don't know if I will be able to find another job. I can't even move and reach my village in the north of the country. " Thousands of stories in Bangladesh are similar to that of Amana. Another textile worker, Rashidul Islam, says he hasn't received a salary for two months. The factory where he works cannot sell enough and its owner has blocked payments to staff. Rashidul lives in Ashulia, near Dhaka, and is the father of two children. Without money he will not be able to feed the family and pay the rent. In order to survive, he is forced to borrow money. Babul Akhtar, secretary general of the national union of textile workers, asked industry owners to pay wages and stop layoffs. The owners of the companies - he says - should help the workers. It's a question of justice, but it's also in their interest. " Akhtar then invites foreign buyers not to cancel orders. Liton Hubert Gomes, secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace, is of the same idea. He concludes the government must carefully monitor the situation in textile factories and ensure that workers are treated fairly. Show your appreciation for postmen and women working during Covid-19 crisis Royal Mail is today (Friday) asking its customers to show their appreciation for their postie by giving them a thumbs up from a safe two metres distance as they go about their rounds during the coronavirus pandemic. The initiative is a simple way for the public to say thanks and stay connected with their local postmen and women, while respecting the Governments social distancing rules. This safe distance is just over the height of a Royal Mail postbox away. Giving a thumbs up is also a handy reminder not to reach out to try and take parcels direct from postmen and women to ensure contact-free delivery. Royal Mails postmen and postwomen are at the heart of the communities in which they work. With the country observing Government advice to stay home, for many people their local postman or woman may be one of the few friendly faces they see each day. The delivery of letters and parcels is an important way to keep connected for those who may be unable to leave their home. The move comes as postmen and women across the UK have been inundated with thank you messages and pictures from children and customers. How to get involved As well as giving their posties a friendly thumbs up when they see them, Royal Mail is asking customers to share selfies with their thumbs up using the hashtag #ThumbsUpForYourPostie. Royal Mail is also encouraging children to put thumbs up pictures in their front window. Templates are available to download from royalmail.com. Ricky McAulay, National Service Delivery Director, Royal Mail Group, said: We know how much people like to say hi or have a chat with their postie on the doorstep. "During this time, we need to find new ways of staying connected whilst also protecting our communities. "We hope that giving a thumbs up is a handy way of reminding people to keep a safe distance when we are out and about delivering the post. I would also like to thank our people for doing such a great job at this challenging time. While public officials continue to be browbeaten by public cries to shut everything down, driven by a relentless media in hyperdrive to cover every step of this COVID-19 crisis, more and more Americans are waking up to the notion that the current crisis might not quite fit current facts. Part of the skepticism derives from the fact that national policy and practice seems to have taken the Tesla Roadster approach of 0-60 in 1.9 seconds. February 29th: President Trump called his first press conference regarding COVID-19. Here, Anthony Fauci said, the country as a whole still remains at a low risk but this remains an evolving situation while saying that fewer than 20% of those infected would need hospitalization and that most severe cases would be seen in older individuals and those with underlying conditions. March 15th: as the CDC was issuing their guidelines including social distancing and avoiding gatherings of 50 or more, President Trump introduced his fifteen days to flatten the curve initiative, mirroring CDC guidelines. March 29th: Fauci predicts that COVID-19 could kill 100-200,000 Americans and President Trump announces that CDCs social distancing guidelines will be kept in place until April 30th. March 31st: Faucis death projections had increased to 240,000 and President Trump wanted every American to be prepared for the tough days ahead. What happened to instigate such rapid and unprecedented government recommendations? Apparently, two disease models -- one created by the Imperial College London and another created by the University of Washingtons Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Though both models moved the media from simmering crisis to full rolling-boil calamity, both have since found major detractors (IHME, Imperial College) as the public continues to wait for their hypothesized several hundred thousand death tolls to materialize in real time. Yet, without the media fanfare surrounding the previous models, Sunetra Gupta, a professor of Theoretical Epidemiology at Oxford, created a model which suggests that the virus was circulating in the UK by mid-January. This is important because it could mean that half of UK residents have already been exposed to the virus, increasing immunity and thereby decreasing cases. Data provided by the CDC could suggest a similar situation here in the U.S. According to this graph, the CDC began receiving COVID-19 testing January 18th. Public health labs began to test for the disease February 27th, but were required to send all tests to the CDC for confirmative testing until March 14th. Note the spike in testing once the CDC stamp of approval was no longer needed for a confirmative test and more tests were made available to public and private health care facilities. The page on which this graph is located does not indicate whether the numbers of COVID-19 tests submitted are positive or negative, just that they were specimens presented to the CDC for confirmation. Another page on the CDC website, provides the number of cases in the U.S. by report date with the first positive COVID case recorded by the CDC, January 22, 2020. According to reports, COVID-19 was first identified in China November 17th and travel between China and the U.S. wasnt restricted until January 31st. If COVID-19 is as infectious as the public has been warned, how in the world could it not have made its way to U.S. shores between November and the end of January? Is it not possible to assume that the ILI seen in American hospitals since January -- illnesses that weren't positive for flu but acted like the flu -- could have been untested SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and thus remained unknown? This has been recorded as one of the largest flu seasons in the U.S. since 2009 with hundreds of thousands of cases of ILI collected by CDC surveillance. When CDC COVID-19 testing data are overlaid on a graph with reported influenza-like-illness data (because ILI numbers were at least two orders of magnitude higher, CDC COVID-19 testing numbers were multiplied by 100 to make a graphic comparison easier to see.), the data curves are strikingly similar. This could indicate that as people exhibiting flulike illnesses (110,554 in week 6) were seen by U.S. physicians unable to diagnose them with a known influenza, physicians with the ability, had ILI patients tested for COVID-19, sending those tests to the CDC for verification. SARS Ig immunity appears (from non-peer reviewed research) to last for 12 years and continued comparison studies with SARS and SARS-CoV-2 indicates that CoV-2 response will mirror SARS. So, though an increase in testing will inevitably capture more cases, if SARS-CoV-2 has been circulating in the population since November and has conferred immunity on surviving patients similar to SARS, the number of cases and COVID-19 deaths should stay relatively low -- and isnt that whats being reported in real time? Its important to analyze and remember this scenario as the U.S. emerges from its quarantine cocoon to the inevitable cries from politicians of But we had to act to keep people safe, and If we hadnt shut everything down the death rate would have been so much worse. Its understandable when situations involving human life elicit emotional responses over the rational. Christian hearts especially are geared to Jesus new and most important of all commandments. But it appears that many more lives will be affected by hardships invoked through the current economic freefall than the virus itself. Now is the time to practice appropriate risk assessment for our nation and allow its citizens to get back to work. One day, a pandemic of real consequence will sweep across the globe. People will need to be able to listen to adept and accurate warnings without wondering if theyre hearing the Boy Who Cried Wolf. By Colin Packham SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will retain curbs on public movement for at least four more weeks, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday, dashing speculation the sustained low growth in new cases could spur a quicker return to normal. Australia has avoided the high numbers of coronavirus casualties reported in other countries around the world after closing its borders and imposing strict "social distancing" measures for the past month. Restaurants, bars and other "non-essential" businesses have closed and public gatherings of more than two people have been banned under the threat of fines and even prison - measures that are expected to double the unemployment rate by mid-year. In response, the daily growth rate of reported new infections has steadied in the low percentage single digits, from about 25% several weeks ago, for a total of about 6,500 infections, including 63 deaths. Still, Morrison said the rules would not be relaxed until national testing capacity has been increased, contact tracing of known COVID-19 cases expanded and a response to any future outbreak fully prepared. "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," Morrison told reporters. Morrison later told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that coronavirus testing may be expanded to include random sampling. An eventual staggered relaxation on restrictions was likely, he said, with curbs on manufacturing and retail industries being eased first. Morrison has in recent days pushed state and territory leaders to re-open schools. Morrison has cited medical advice that children carry a low risk of transmitting the virus as he advocated for the re-opening schools to help boost the economy, which is headed for its first recession in three decades.. However, some leaders of the eight states and territories - which administer schools - have departed from that policy and ordered schools to remain shut to all but the children of "essential" workers, including those in the health and grocery sectors. Story continues In Victoria, the second most populous state where officials have told parents to keep children at home if possible, just 3% of children attended school on Tuesday, the first day after the Easter break. Students in other states and territories remain on mid-term vacation. An agreement on the issue was not reached at a meeting on Thursday of the national cabinet, made up of state and federal leaders, formed to tackle the crisis. Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said Australia's choice of a "suppression" strategy, as opposed to a full shutdown of public life as adopted by neighbour New Zealand, could free the country of the virus without hefty economic penalties. "We don't feel the need to hold the country very seriously in lockdown until we have no cases," Murphy said. "If that happens with the measures we are doing now, that would be fantastic." In Sydney, police entered the Villawood immigration detention centre to end rooftop and hunger strike protests begun by some refugee inmates on Saturday. Three detainees who refused to come down from the roof were arrested and taken into custody. Detainees were angry the government has refused pleas to release them from the centre amid the health crisis and denied them testing. While some countries have released some non-violent detainees from prisons and detention centres, Australia has so far refused to do so. (This story fixes "contract" to "contact" in paragraph 5) (Reporting by Colin Packham in Sydney, additional reporting by Byron Kaye; editing by Jane Wardell and Nick Macfie) MBABANE No operation without permits! While government has relaxed the partial lockdown regulations on businesses as more sectors were allowed to operate from yesterday, some businesses had to be closed by the police. This is so because when announcing the operation of low-risk, non-essential businesses, the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Manqoba Khumalo, stated clearly that the businesses had to operate after having obtained a permit from the ministry. This, he said, was so that the ministry would ensure that the businesses were those in the sectors listed as non-essential low-risk business categories. Permit Businesses owners stated that they were of the view that they could operate while waiting for the permit application as it was not yet clear what was expected of them in order to get the permits. They stated that they were shocked yesterday morning when members of the different security forces in the country showed up and ordered them to close their businesses. One of the business owners, who is of Asian origin and runs a furniture shop, said they were having a lot of pressure from their customers who wanted their lay-bys. When asked how he thought he would make up for the time he had not been operating, he said he was also confused. Its mid-month already and our landlords will be expecting payment come month-end, he said. He said they also had to pay their employees. In Mbabane, most of the low risk non-essential businesses were not operating throughout the day. Some of the shop operators were seen closing their businesses. Also, driving school vehicles were seen in the city waiting for clients to honour appointments. Martha Mathabela, who is a vendor, on the other hand, stated that nothing much had, changed for them as they were still selling as scheduled. She said this was because they operated in small spaces and social distancing would only be observed if they worked in shifts. It is better than before, the more shops opened, the more customers we will get, she said. Busy Mathabela stated that yesterday was not very busy but was better than the other days. She said they were hopeful that the situation would almost normalise when civil servants returned to work. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said police were acting on the ministers directive that only businesses with permits were allowed to operate. She said police were only requesting for permits in the businesses and later advising them to close if they did not have one. Such chaos and confusion was also witnessed in Manzini yesterday. One would have been forgiven to think that the partial lockdown had been lifted yesterday as many people were seen walking up and down the streets of the city. Many were of the notion that all was back to normal in the city. However, this resulted in confusion as they found that most of the shops were not operating. As they approached the shops, they found doors locked with chains and padlocks while others had their roller doors covering their window panes. One of the shop owners, Abdus Bhuiyan, said he was of the view that they would be operating today. However, upon arrival in town, Bhuiyan claimed that he was informed by another businessman that they had to go to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade to get a permit that would allow them to operate between 10am and 3pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. This will be during the period of the 21-day extension of the partial lockdown. He is in the business of selling clothes. Im worried Ill be evicted from my premises as Ive not been working for the past 20 days and now Ill open for a few hours, three days a week. The disappointed businessman said he would head to the ministrys offices to seek the said permit to operate his clothing shop. Aggrieved Another businessman, who runs a clothing shop and is aggrieved by the current status quo, is Monir Hossain. Hossain last operated his shop on March 27. Hastily, he had to close the shop due to pressure from the police. Yesterday, Hossain did not bother opening his shop but instead, went to the ministry to secure a permit that would allow him to operate. However, despite pursuing this route, the businessman had reservations about the whole operation. Who will we be selling the clothes to if people are home? This, he said, was a frustration to him as come month-end, the landlord would expect rentals yet he had not been working the whole month due to the rigmarole between the ministry and the police. By John J. Metzler Throughout the life of the aid package, Cleveland State will receive just under two million dollars to help relieve financial burdens to the college and its students. Students enrolled at Cleveland State Community College this semester will soon receive aid courtesy of the federal CARES Act. CARES, Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security, has been established to help students continue their education during these difficult times. The aid is to help offset estimated cost of living expenses due to COVID-19 moving work and study away from campus and into remote settings.Throughout the life of the aid package, Cleveland State will receive just under two million dollars to help relieve financial burdens to the college and its students. Dual-Enrollment students and employees enrolled in special industry training programs will not be eligible for this relief. The first round of deposits will apply to spring semester students and will be deposited into student accounts or mailed by check. The same method in which students received their aid earlier in the semester is the same method in which this award will be disbursed. Dual-Enrollment students and employees enrolled in special industry training programs will not be eligible for this relief. The first round of deposits will apply to spring semester students and will be deposited into student accounts or mailed by check. The same method in which students received their aid earlier in the semester is the same method in which this award will be disbursed. We are pleased this is targeted at our students first, said Cleveland State Community College President Dr. Bill Seymour. We know that many are facing financial challenges now and in the future. These funds will help them stay on track to complete their college education. The CARES Aid package will call for another student disbursement to take place later this year for Fall 2020 CSCC students. No announcement on the time frame for that allocation. Additional funding will also be coming to Cleveland State, as well as all colleges across the country, in the next few weeks to offer further help to the institutions. These funds will help cover expenses we have already incurred due to COVID-19 and provide support to the college as we negotiate an unknown coming school year, said Dr. Seymour. The CARES Aid package asks for relief to go to those in greatest need first. Pell-eligible students at Cleveland State will get first priority when it comes to this additional funding. Students will not need to do anything additionally in order to receive this funding. Aid to students will be automatically applied to their accounts. Five South Jersey Catholic schools three elementaries and two high schools will close for good at the end of the school year, the Diocese of Camden announced Friday. Good Shepherd Regional Elementary in Collingswood; Wildwood Catholic High School; Cape Trinity Catholic School in Wildwood; and St. Joseph Elementary and St. Joseph High, both in Hammonton, have had dwindling enrollment and community support, the diocese said in a news release. Officials said the decision was sobering and painful but necessary, given the schools financial realities and the hit the economy is taking from the COVID-19 pandemic. The administrations, faculties, families, and donors who have supported these schools should be commended for their efforts to keep these schools open and accessible, spokesperson Michael Walsh said in the news release. However, the decreasing priority given to Catholic education by many parents, including Catholic parents, ultimately weakened the viability of these schools. Each school enrolls fewer students than it did five years ago. Good Shepherds enrollment is 108, down from 154 in 2015, a 30% drop. St. Joseph Elementary enrolls 94, down from 191, a 50% drop, and St. Joseph High has 206 pupils, down from 331, a 38% decline. And the combined enrollment of Wildwood Catholic and Cape Trinity is 337, down from 382, a 12% drop. The schools finances have also suffered. The three elementary schools have received $3.8 million in total over five years from the diocese and their local parishes; Wildwood Catholic has received $750,000, and St. Joseph High has received loans totaling $1.1 million but has an outstanding debt of $6.6 million. Diocese officials said they expected the economic downturn to compound the schools problems. Closing a Catholic school is gut-wrenching for everyone involved, from the principal and pastor to the superintendent and bishop, said Bill Watson, superintendent of schools. However, as stewards of the financial resources entrusted to us, we came to the difficult conclusion that low enrollment at these schools caused the strain on the funds available to become too great. Watson said students from the schools will be welcomed at nearby Catholic schools. News of the schools closures rippled through affected communities. In a letter to St. Joseph Elementary families, school leaders noted that the timing was especially painful as our school community continues to navigate the impact of the coronavirus. Wildwood Catholic and Cape Trinity had been planning to combine into Wildwood Catholic Academy. These plans and hopes, unfortunately, have been scuttled due to the devastating realities of the coronavirus pandemic, school administrators wrote in a note to students families. Our already tenuous enrollment estimations have diminished, our abundantly hopeful fund-raising expectations look rather bleak, and our growing debt unsurmountable. New Jersey school buildings are closed and students are learning remotely at least through May 15. Should Gov. Phil Murphy order schools closed through the remainder of the year, Walsh said, the schools would seek to have some kind of event to mark the closures. Like all other schools, we are in holding patterns as to when and how these activities may commence, if they can commence, Walsh said. We are hopeful that the pandemic may lessen to the point that health professionals and elected officials will be able to offer options for these kind of events. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 14:27:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KABUL, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Unknown motorcyclist shot dead six local employees of the U.S. military base in Bagram airfield of Afghanistan's Parwan province on Thursday, provincial government spokesperson Wahida Shahkar said Friday. According to the official, an unknown "terrorist riding a motorbike" opened fire on the vehicle of local employees of Bagram airfield at 09:40 p.m. local time outside the base when they were going home on Thursday, killing six on the spot and wounding three others. Investigation has been initiated into the incident, said the spokesperson, without providing more details. However, the Taliban outfit, which inked a peace deal with the United States on Feb. 29 in Doha, has rejected its involvement in the deadly attack. Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for the Taliban group in contact with media said the attack on the employees of Bagram base has no link with the Taliban fighters. Enditem Following criticisms of the style of distribution of palliatives to cushion the COVID-19 lockdown effect, the Federal Government announced new criteria to be examined before cash would be transferred to Nigerians. On Tuesday, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar, announced that the Buhari administration considered Nigerians who buy N100 call credit as poor and would ensure they get money. She disclosed that urban poor dwellers with an account balance of N5,000 or less will be among the beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme. Farouq explained that aside from the National Social Register, Bank Verification Numbers (BVN), record of purchase of airtime by mobile phone owners was part of the yardsticks. We are also using the mobile network, people that top up their phones with maybe N100, N200. These are the people we consider to be poor and vulnerable, the minister added. Interestingly, it was the first time the government was mentioning BVNs in nearly one month since the lockdown went into effect in several sectors of the economy. The government, at different press briefings and statements, focused on distribution of physical cash and food items, ignoring the easier and safer route of direct payments. This led to condemnations by Nigerians and groups who said the CCT policy was enmeshed in fraud and demanding the list of beneficiaries. On Wednesday, Bola Tinubu, national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, added his voice to the BVN option. Payments can be made quickly by using the BVNs of prospective recipients to make direct deposits into individual bank accounts. This will encourage those without bank accounts to establish such accounts. This process will bring millions of people into formal banking. It will also be safer and not lead to the types of violence and crime that might follow physical cash transfers, Tinubu noted. Farouqs comments triggered heavy backlash as Nigerians are wondering the basis for the criteria. The guidelines generated hundreds of comments; more than 95 percent of the respondents declared their opposition to the conditions. Some reactions below: Alumuku Terfa: This billions of naira donations you are receiving from all nooks and cranniesIf one may ask, what is the exact population of Nigeria that if a fraction of the amount is to be shared, a minimum range of #200,000 that wont accommodate? You only consider yourselves and your generations yet unborn on issues of looting. Edwin Oloche Stephen: Nobody should complain ooo. Were you people not the ones shouting sai BABA and NEXT LEVEL recently, continue to enjoy ur NEXT LEVEL. Some of you are complaining about the present without even thinking of how some private sectors will sack their staff a few months after coronavirus because recession will surely hit this country soon. Toyib Adeleke: Infact, Ive been with zero account since a few days now and find all ways to borrow money with outstanding debt to get food and sustain life with family. Its now difficult for me to sleep. This one is worse than covid-19 believe me. Terina Francis: Thunder fire una. When you asked us to stay at home did you tell us that only those with less than 5k should only be the ones to stay at home? You wont escape Gods judgement. Rita Sunny Okonkwo: Do the right thing NO, consider the masses NO, give us light NO, social amenities nkoh NO, give us jobs as graduates NO, Restructure NO, Biafra NO + killing and arrest, Revolution No + arrest. We may mean nothing to you and our voice may not be heard but a day is coming when divine intervention will come and the rich will one day run to the poor masses for help. God is not a man. Itz DE Potential: Have said it times without number that nothing good will ever come out of this government: You guys can see by yourself. As bad as Lie Mohammed, this woman is the worst of all the ministers in the Buhari govt. Next level. Lets manage it, you guys voted for APC. Sai baba! Jasper Anietimfon Louis: I wish on election days, well give these devils the same condition they gave to usif you are contesting for governor you wont have less than 5k..and you will have to swear in so many places. After that we will now decide. God will punish you people. Zenith Alex Povilichenko: A shameful government will always parade a shameful set of personnel. Some of them are not qualify to be a classroom teacher because they lack critical thinking. Injoor Solomon: Covid-19 has exposed this government to the last level, most especially in the office of the minister for humanitarian affairs. This government has frustrated many Nigerians apart from me. Johnbull Okuku: This shows us exactly what our government takes us for. Other countries have palliatives for all their citizens, but in Nigeria, they will only look for short corners. Its only revolution that will end this mess. Kenneth Godson Shaja: When we have a primary school certificate holder as president what do you expect. A disaster in a country where thugs and the illiterate choose the president. Kc Iheanyi: What a clueless and incompetent. So you really want people to have only N5,000 bank balance? LeninPark1: What nonsense criteria is this. I hope you APC fans are happy and smiling because if i hear pim na thunder go fire fire una. alvanityiam: I suggest we look for EU Twitter handle and submit our account numbers to them directly. PV: 0 A UK team of academic and industrial engineers, manufacturers and clinicians have developed a potentially life-saving ventilator to treat coronavirus patients in poor and remote parts of the world. The low-cost Field Ventilator uses a windscreen wiper motor, cam and lever system and a standard Ambu (Ambulance) Bag to ventilate the patient. The unit is designed to run in remote parts of the world on battery, solar panels, wind turbines or mains power. Staffordshire University Professor of Clinical Biomechanics Nachi Chockalingam, a liveryman with the Worshipful Company of Engineers, has played a pivotal role in taking the product from idea to testing in just three weeks. He said: "This is a rapidly escalating situation and there is an urgent need for ventilators in low and middle income countries (LMIC). We know from our work with technical and clinical partners from various regions that there will be a much greater need over the coming weeks and months due to the rapid spread of COVID-19. "The Field Ventilator system is designed to be modular, with power management, alarms and monitoring available as an add-on module, should resources not be available locally. Further, as the name implies, it is designed to function and withstand the much harsher environment found outside the average hospital, such as that found in a field hospital or rural community health service." The Field Ventilator is unique in that it permits the patient to be started off with manual Ambu bag ventilation which can be placed in the machine once the patient is stable and able to receive ventilation automatically. Whilst the project is supported by several commercial entities, the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington has offered full support in testing the prototype and help in design optimisation. Head of Engineering Professor Paul Shore said: "As the UK's National Metrology Institute, NPL has been very happy to support the Field Ventilator partners. NPL contributions focus on performance testing, providing verification data in support of the Field Ventilator product development. Creating a low cost, robust and yet easy to build medical ventilator is something we envisage can help save lives across the world." Chartered Engineer Brian Back, the Founder and CEO of Radio Data Networks and the not-for-profit Zero Pollution Network, led the project. He said: "We are keen to address the needs of the developing world. During the design phase, it has been important to take into consideration factors like the climate, expertise, infrastructure and lack of power. "Beyond Covid-19 we believe the system should still have a place for use in a village environment to supplement the manual manipulation of Ambu type bags during more regular procedures such as childbirth and minor surgery." Commodore Barry Brooks, Master of the Worshipful Company of Engineers, is helping coordinate the project. He added: "This project is a fantastic example of how our engineer liverymen can rise to the challenge at this hour of need. We are grateful for all the support from the London Livery Company and our members." The project is also backed by UCL University College London who have worked on a separate project with car giants Mercedes to develop new breathing devices to treat UK patients who have coronavirus. Dr Tim Adlam, Associate Professor with UCL, said, "I am particularly concerned about the poorer parts of the world and fully support the Field Ventilator project to rapidly design, manufacture and deliver an ultra-low-cost ventilator for use in regions like East Africa where healthcare technology suitable for this environment is in very short supply." ### Walmart Inc said on Friday it would hire 50,000 more workers at its stores, clubs and distribution centers to meet a surge in demand for groceries and household essentials from consumers stockpiling during the coronavirus outbreak. The announcement comes as at least 22million Americans - 13.5 per cent of the US workforce - have been left jobless in the four weeks since states started enacting strong lockdown rules in efforts to control the coronavirus outbreak in the US. Walmart said it had reached its earlier target of hiring 150,000 workers six weeks ahead of schedule, taking in 5,000 people per day on average while millions of Americans have been losing their jobs amid unprecedented 'stay-at-home' orders from state and local governments. Walmart said that it will hire 50,000 more workers to help with increased consumer demand during the coronavirus pandemic. Shoppers are seen Friday at the Uniondale, New York, store A Walmart shopped is stopped by security guards trying to control the number of people inside the Walmart Supercenter in Miami, Florida, for social distancing purposes on March 5 Walmart said that it had surpassed its initial goal of hiring 150,000 new workers six weeks ahead of schedule. Walmart shoppers in Decatur, Georgia, are seen waiting to get in on April 4 Stores selling essentials, like Walmart, have been flooded with customers as stay-at-home orders continue across the country. Shoppers seen here at the Uniondale Walmart on April 3 The measures, while necessary to control the spread of the disease, have also brought economic activity to a virtual standstill, forcing companies to take drastic steps to save cash. The S&P 500 index has fallen 15 per cent from its February record high, while Walmart's stock has surged over 10 per cent in the same period. Walmart said it had worked with more than 70 companies that furloughed workers due to the pandemic to hire its 150,000 new employees, many of whom came from the restaurant and hospitality industries. The company said 85 per cent of the workers being hired are going into temporary or part-time roles. Skyrocketing demand for food, hand sanitizer, toilet paper and other household products has also prompted retailers Kroger, Target and Amazon.com Inc to hire by the thousands. In the four weeks since states started issuing stay-at-home orders to combat the spread of coronavirus, more than 22million people have filed for unemployment in the US The latest Department of Labor figures show the skyrocketing number of unemployment claims per week as the coronavirus pandemic sweeps across the US About 13.5 per cent of the US workforce is now unemployed, according to the latest figures. People filing for unemployment benefits are shown lining up in Hialeah, Florida, on April 7 People in Hialeah were left waiting on line to pick up paper copies of their unemployment benefits due to issues with the state's website and overload of new applications Amazon recently revealed that it was hiring 75,000 new workers to help with increased demand, on top of the 100,000 new positions it had created in March, at the beginning of the stay-at-home orders. Despite increases in hiring at companies that sell and deliver essential goods, it's not enough to counteract the skyrocketing unemployment claims which have been filed in recent weeks. The Labor Department said Thursday that 5.2million new claims for unemployment benefits were filed over the last week. The staggering number of first-time claims was on top of the 16.8million applications filed since the virus took hold in mid-March, all contributing to the most recent 13.5 per cent unemployment rate. In comparison, unemployment never topped 10 percent during the Great Recession between 2007 to 2009. The latest jobless claim figures show the coronavirus has now wiped out nearly 10 years of job growth since the Great Recession. The real unemployment number is likely to be even higher because many states are still clearing out backlogs of unemployment claims after lengthy delays due to the influx of people filing online and via the phone. Economists say the unemployment rate could reach as high as 20 per cent in April, which would be the highest rate since the Great Depression of the 1930s. While accurate records didn't begin until 1948, economists say the unemployment rate rose to 25 per cent in 1933. Unemployment from the coronavirus collectively constitute the largest and fastest string of job losses in records dating to 1948. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Homa Razzaghmanesh Gharib died last week in her Chardon home, after decades of serving as a mentor and friend to Clevelands Iranian community. She was 94. Gharib, who worked to help immigrant women and families through the Cleveland Council for World Affairs, was also a strong supporter of education. A scholarship fund to recognize women with high academic achievement is being organized in her name at Case Western Reserve University. Gharib sought a life of adventure, moving to America in the 1940s as her husband, Dr. Ali Gharib, furthered his medical training in New York. She didnt speak English and lacked a college education, but endeavored to conquer American life while preserving Persian culture for her young daughters. The family initially intended to return to Iran, but decided to stay in the United States when the Iranian government was overthrown in 1953. Ali was offered a faculty position in the Department of Anesthesia at Western Reserve University in 1954. The Gharibs moved to Cleveland that year, buying a home in Cleveland Heights in 1962. The familys home became, as daughter Moti Gharib Shojania put it, an informal Iranian embassy. They would say 'Salom and my mother would let them in, Shojania, former dean of academic studies at St. Pauls College at the University of Manitoba said. She believed our family should have the best of both cultures I think it inspired a lot of people. The Gharibs welcome residents from the hospital to stay on the homes third floor to get settled. Their daughters grew up watching their mother teach immigrant families how to navigate American life, as she had done years before through personal friendships and her work with the Cleveland Council for World Affairs. After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, a new wave of Iranian immigrants arrived in the United States. There was a subcommittee engaged in getting women up on their feet, immigrant women, and my mother was very involved in this," said daughter Dr. Soheyla Gharib, now chief medical officer at Harvard University Health Services at Harvard Medical School. "She was teaching people everything from English lessons to school systems to how to buy a house and all kinds of things, and it was a really rewarding experience for her. Homa guided four daughters -- Moti, Simin, Soheyla and Susie -- through an American education, with all four, and Homa herself, attending Case Western Reserve University. When we were growing up, it was well before the whole feminist movement, and my mother was a feminist and a believer in us succeeding even in a mans world long before people were talking about that, said Susie, an award-winning business journalist who began her career at the Plain Dealer. Ali died in 1997, and Homa Gharib established Dr. Ali Gharib Distinguished Lectureship, dedicated to the education and mentorship of residents and fellows in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at University Hospitals. The fund at CWRU will recognize Homas lifelong advocacy for womens education. Criteria and amounts will be determined at a future date. "Homa possessed an extraordinary combination of intelligence, strength and warmth, Case Western Reserve University President Barbara R. Snyder said. She brought all of those qualities and more to assisting newly arrived immigrant families and to instilling a love of learning among her daughters. We will miss her deeply. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Aram Roston and Mark Hosenball (Reuters) Fri, April 17, 2020 19:45 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd29f932 2 World Michael-Cohen,Donald-Trump,coronavirus,prison Free Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney to US President Donald Trump, will be released early from prison because of the coronavirus pandemic, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters late on Thursday. Cohen, who has served less than one year of a three-year sentence, will serve the rest of his time in home confinement, one of the sources said. Before his release, he will have to undergo a two-week quarantine to ensure he does not have symptoms of COVID-19, according to the source, who asked not to be identified. Roger Adler, Cohen's lawyer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons said that as of Thursday night Cohen was still incarcerated in the Otisville Federal Correctional Institution. A spokesman for the Manhattan US Attorney's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cohen, who once said he would "take a bullet" for Trump, was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 for directing hush payments to pornographic film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed they had affairs with Trump. The US president has denied having the encounters. Cohen, 53, was sent to a minimum-security camp at Otisville in upstate New York, about 70 miles (110 km) northwest of New York City. He had pressed to be released early due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has hammered New York state and surfaced in prisons around the country. Last month, a federal judge denied the request, saying Cohen should accept the consequences of his crimes rather than invoke the pandemic to justify his freedom. "Ten months into his prison term, it's time that Cohen accept the consequences of his criminal convictions for serious crimes that had far reaching institutional harms," US District Judge William Pauley in Manhattan wrote. The judge said that Cohen's attempt to "single himself out for release to home confinement appears to be just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle." Holly Grinnell became a licensed Realtor in January 2005, and her passion for the business is fundamental. She credits the dynamic Greenwich real estate market with keeping her fully engaged and appreciative of the profession. Prior to become a real estate agent, Grinnell earned a degree in art history from Purchase College and embarked on an impressive career that spanned banking and music. She was employed by Swiss Bank and worked at the World Trade Center in Manhattan. She worked in music production at Young & Rubicam on Madison Avenue before relocating her professional life to Stamford, where she worked in banking and commercial real estate. All of these career experiences have helped to prepare her for the dynamic world of Fairfield County residential real estate. Today, Grinnell is an agent with the Greenwich office of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Grinnell describes her personality, communication and negotiation skills as strategic and client focused. She astutely listens to her clients objectives and seeks to find options and solutions for them. A smart marketer, Grinnell uses everything and anything I can to promote listings. By this, she means she leverages mobile apps, email, texting, websites and social media to make sure that they stand out and get noticed by potential buyers. Berkshire Hathaway understands how personal the buying and selling of real estate is, Grinnell said. Purchasing a home is still the American Dream. Berkshire Hathaway as evidenced in its infrastructure and the traditions of its founder, Warren Buffet is supremely suited to represent the fulfillment of the dream here in Greenwich. Grinnell raised two sons in Greenwich, and they represent yet another generation of her family who laid down roots here. Business: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, New England Properties Works: Greenwich Lives: Greenwich Expertise: Finance, communication and digital marketing Contact: 203-869-0500, ext. 371 office; 203-219-1887 cell; hollygrinnell@bhhsne.com Hitachi Automotive Systems Acquires German Automotive Device Software Developer seneos GmbH TOKYO, Apr 16, 2020; Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. , 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 Semiconductors Hitachi 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/. About Hitachi, Ltd. Hitachi, Ltd. , headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is focusing on Social Innovation Business combining its operational technology, information technology and products. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2018 (ended March 31, 2019) totaled 9,480.6 billion yen ($85.4 billion), and the company has approximately 296,000 employees worldwide. Hitachi delivers digital solutions utilizing Lumada in five sectors including Mobility, Smart Life, Industry, Energy and IT, to increase our customer's social, environmental and economic value. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com. HOUSTON, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Casey Foundation announced today that it has made a donation of 100,000 meals to families across the country who are financially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, through the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization, Feeding America. "Feeding America has a long history of providing meal assistance to individuals and families in need and The Casey Foundation is happy to join their cause by donating 100,000 meals during this Covid-19 pandemic," said Kevan Casey. "I encourage everyone to support their communities and this great nation during this unprecedented time." As the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization, Feeding America is uniquely positioned to help the people who need it most during this difficult time. Its COVID-19 Response Fund is specifically designed to enable its nationwide network of 200 food banks to secure the resources needed to serve the influx of people facing hunger and food shortages amid the pandemic. Feeding America serves about 40 million people facing hunger in all 50 states and Puerto Rico per year, including 11 million children and 7 million seniors. The 40-year-old organization works with food banks and pantries across the country to address food insecurity. Feeding America recently announced that an estimated $1.4 billion in additional resources will be needed over the next six months to provide enough food for families struggling with hunger - a 30% increase to the baseline six-month operating costs of 200-member food banks nationwide. 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. www.feedingamerica.org | (800) 771-2303 About The Casey Foundation The Casey Foundation was founded to bring awareness to many charities who need the community support, not only financial, but also with volunteer work, organizing events and carrying out some of the wishes for the children and veterans who the charities actually benefit. For more than 10 years, Kevan Casey has been helping organizations whose objective is to help veterans and children, as well as other faith-based organizations. www.thecaseyfoundation.co 713-300-5070 SOURCE The Casey Foundation Related Links https://thecaseyfoundation.co - National Ordinary People's Empowerment Union said most masks being hawked on the streets were substandard and Kenyan risked getting infected after using them correctly - The party asked the government to inject part of fiscal donations it had in providing quality mask to citizens for free - It further asked authorities to investigate cases of landlords harassing their tenants by disconnecting water and electricity supply and take disciplinary action against them The government has been urged to establish mechanisms and guidelines that will ensure Kenyans have access to quality masks with capacity to prevent them from contracting coronavirus. National Ordinary People's Empowerment Union (NOPEU) cautioned on Thursday, April 16, that most of the masks being hawked on the streets and bought in thousands by citizens were substandard and exposed Kenyans to danger instead of protecting them. READ ALSO: Netizens descend on Ruto for repeating Uhuru's message: "President doesn't need amplifier" National Ordinary People's Empowerment Union said most masks being hawked on the streets were substandard. Photo: NOPEU. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Netizens descend on Ruto for repeating Uhuru's message: "President doesn't need amplifier" Led by National Chairman Gervasio Mithika, the party lamented that anyone with skills in tailoring had ventured in making of facemasks with the aim of minting profits and not protecting scared and economically disadvantaged Kenyans. It is emerging that anybody with a sewing machine has become an expert in making face masks. This is a very disturbing development because, if not checked, it could escalate the spread of coronavirus instead of helping to control it, said Mithika. READ ALSO: Coronavirus yatua KPA Mombasa, yawakamata baadhi ya wafanyakazi The outfit's Secretary-General, Rogers Mwiti, urged that authorities needed to consider pumping part of about KSh 5.2 billion donated by World Bank in stepping up capacity to acquire or produce quality mask to be distributed to Kenyans at no cost. On Thursday, April 2, World Bank Group Board of Directors announced that they had approved at least KSh 5 billion as immediate funding to support Kenyas response to the global COVID-19 pandemic under the Kenya COVID-19 Emergency Response Project. READ ALSO: Meet CS Kagwe's wife who is President Uhuru Kenyatta's advisor The party wants the government to inject part of fiscal donations it has in providing quality mask to citizens for free. Photo: MoH. Source: UGC The Kenya COVID-19 Emergency Response Project was also to assist Kenya in its efforts to prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 and strengthen national systems for public health preparedness. At the same time, the NOPEU official said the government should investigate cases of landlords who are harassing their tenants by disconnecting water and electricity supply and take disciplinary action against them. We have received reports of landlords harassing their tenants over delayed payment of rent by disconnecting water and electricity and we want action taken against the culprits, said Kevin Malinga, the national treasurer The WHO said masks have capacity to prevent spread of coronavirus. Photo: MoH. Source: UGC Malinga said landlords should handle their tenants in a humane manner during these difficult times of COVID-19 pandemic and work out modalities with those with rent arrears on how to pay the outstanding money. We are asking landlords who may be repaying loans, to take advantage of the moratorium issued by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and negotiate with their banks to be granted a grace period, Malinga adviced. The national treasurer said the government should ensure directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta that Kenyans who will fail to pay their dues to banks by April 1 will not be listed by Credit Reference Bureaus (CRB) was enforced. Uhuru, as earlier reported, issued a temporary suspension of the listing with CRBs of any person, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and corporate entities whose loan account falls overdue or is in arrears, effective April 1 2020. However, Malinga said the directive did not cover at least three million Kenyans already listed in CRB thus the need for more measures to ensure such cases are also considered. 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 As Prince Charles contracted deadly coronavirus last month, the Duke of Cambridge revealed his concern for his father and his worries for his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. While speaking to an international media outlet on April 17, Prince Williams said that he has to admit that he was quite concerned after his father tested positive for COVID-19 as it is fairly risky at his age. Though the Prince of Wales recovered, Prince Williams said that his father has had many chest infection, colds and things like that over the years. Prince Williams reportedly said that he thought to himself that if anybody is going to be able to beat this, it is going to be him. He also added that he is very carful about his grandparents as well and he and the other family members are doing everything they can to make sure that they are isolated and protected from this. However, he added that it still worries him. READ: COVID-19: Prince William Says 'Britain Is At Its Best When Faced With Crisis' Furthermore, while talking to the media outlet, he urged people to look after their mental health as well as their physical well-being during the lockdown. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spoke to the media outlet as part of their work supporting the mental health charities. The royal couple also spoke about their own life at their home in Norfolk and the challenges they are facing, including the task of homeschooling their kids. Patron of NET In a bid to help the vulnerable people, Prince William also became the patron of the National Emergencies Trust (NET) for 2020. The NET seeks to coordinate with not-for-profit organisations to direct public donations to specific appeals and to distribute funds fairly and efficiently. As Prince William launched the NET Coronavirus Appeal in March, the organisation was able to raise millions of pounds. The charitable sector responds to national emergencies and works collaboratively with charities and other bodies to direct public donations to NET appeals. READ: COVID-19: Prince William Wants To Return As Air Ambulance Pilot Amid Crisis With an increasing number of coronavirus cases in the United Kingdom, the Royal Family is doing their bit to help the government overcome the crisis. Currently, the UK has more than 103,000 confirmed cases and the deadly virus has claimed nearly 13,729 lives in the country. While Prince William is working with NET, Prince Charles, on the other hand, recently opened a new 4,000-bed temporary hospital in a conference centre in east London. According to the official NHS website, the hospital is built in Bristol and Harrogate to provide beds if local services need them during the peak of coronavirus. (Image source: AP) READ: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Hand Out Meals To Needy In LA Amid Coronavirus Lockdown READ: Prince Charles Praises Selfless Service By British-Sikhs In Vaisakhi Message BOSTON, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. The outbreak of COVID-19 started in December 2019 with the first case reported in China. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized the outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic on 11 March 2020. By April 2020, there are over 2 million confirmed cases, and it has brought the economies of many countries to a halt. Diagnostic testing is possibly the only efficient way to monitor the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 in time and space, enabling policymakers and healthcare workers to track and mitigate the outbreak of COVID-19. The WHO has appealed for global mass testing. The demand for COVID-19 testing is estimated to be over 600 million tests, including 120 million genetic tests and over 500 million rapid tests. The need for universal and massive testing across the population has led to a race for technology innovations for COVID-19 diagnostics. The new IDTechEx report, "COVID-19 Diagnostics", surveys the technology landscape, with an in-depth analysis of the technology innovations that are enabling quick access to COVID-19 diagnosis in response to the global pandemic. Molecules derived from the virus-nucleic acids like RNA or DNA, or proteins-form the basis of diagnostics, as well as being essential for developing new therapies and vaccines. Depending on the target biomarkers, the diagnostic methods can be separated into two categories: genetic testing (detecting the viral genome) and serological & antigenic testing (detecting antibodies and viral antigens, respectively). From the technological perspective, molecular diagnostics (MDx) and lateral flow assays (LAFs) dominate COVID-19 diagnostics. The gold standard used across clinical laboratories is quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPT-PCR, MDx), which requires a central lab setting. Such qRT-PCR testing lasts for more than 2 hours and the sample shipment cost up to several days. With the demand for quicker tests at community settings, the market is moving into point-of-care (POC) devices, including POC MDx and POC LFAs. All molecular diagnostics tests detecting viral genomes share three common steps: sample collection from Nasopharyngeal swab and extraction of viral RNA, amplification of the analyte and read-out. The amplification step is performed reliably by RT-PCR. However, alternatives that do not require expensive and bulky equipment exist, i.e. isothermal amplification. This approach, although less sensitive than PCR, allows for a quicker amplification step at a constant temperature. The read-out of the amplified signal is normally achieved through fluorescence probes in the sample and detectors in qRT-PCR devices. Many companies have resorted to lateral flow assays and alternative read-out methods that require proprietary detection equipment. These "hybrid systems" benefit from the high specificity and sensitivity of MDx and the speed and low cost of LFAs. The new IDTechEx report, "COVID-19 Diagnostics", identifies key innovations and technology trends currently being developed in the diagnostics ecosystem that will enable quick and sensitive diagnosis of COVID-19 at point-of-care settings. Apart from genetic testing, antigenic tests and serological tests, so-called rapid tests, are also becoming central tools in the fight against the pandemic. Both types of immunoassays rely on antibody-antigen recognition. Antigen tests are able to detect the presence of viral proteins in the blood sample. On the other hand, antibody tests detect the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, which are normally present in the blood sample after 7 days of infection and may remain for months or years. Antibody tests are an important tool to assess the extent of the pandemic and to identify the real number of cases and level of immunization in a population. Rapid tests have been developed using lateral flow assay technology. LFAs tests are usually much faster and cheaper than qRT-PCR tests. It does not need expensive and large equipment. Therefore, it can be suitable for home testing and is the preferred choice for many governments to guide their response to the pandemic. However, their sensitivity and specificity can be far from ideal, as these tests lack a step of signal amplification, as opposed to qRT-PCR. Therefore, they measure directly the viral load or the antibody concentration. Such tests require extensive validation before widespread deployment. Apart from the effort from biotech, multiple software companies have developed algorithms to identify signs of COVID-19-related pneumonia in patient scans. CT imaging is an effective way of detecting abnormalities indicative of COVID-19, and image recognition AI algorithms have the potential to detect these abnormalities faster and more efficiently than radiologists. The new IDTechEx report, "COVID-19 Diagnostics", benchmarked more than 100 commercial devices across various technologies, providing a deep insight into the technology trends and biotech innovations surrounding the COVID-19 global response. For more information on this report, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/COVID. IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Consultancy and Event products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information on IDTechEx Research and Consultancy, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com. Media Contact: Jessica Abineri Marketing Coordinator press@IDTechEx.com +44-(0)-1223-812300 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/478371/IDTechEx_Logo.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1156825/IDTechEx_Diagnostics.jpg BEIJING, April 17 (Reuters) - Tianqi Lithium Corp , one of the world's top lithium producers, said on Friday it was exploring selling equity and assets, as well as bringing in a strategic investor to address liquidity problems but that no agreement had yet been signed. The Chinese company, which is set to post a heavy loss in both 2019 and the first quarter of 2020 amid low lithium prices, made the comments in a filing to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange after reports it was looking to sell a stake in its Australian joint venture Talison Lithium to ease its debt burden. (Reporting by Tom Daly and Meg Shen. Editing by Jane Merriman) The Punjab government has issued a notice to a private university in Phagwara for violating the coronavirus lockdown, alleging that it remained open and also failed to cooperate with the administration after a hosteller tested positive the infection. A day after the show-cause notice was served to Lovely Professional University (LPU), Congress activists on Friday held a protest by Congress, demanding that the varsity authorities should be booked for the breach of lockdown regulations just like the Tablighi Jamaat meet participants. The state government issued the notice to the Phagwara-based LPU attitude as 'extremely callous and irresponsible' in handling the case of a 21-year-old, corona-positive woman hosteller and keeping itself open, and sought its explanation over the breach of lockdown orders. The LPU violated the government of India's lockdown orders under the Epidemic Act and Section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure for closure of the educational institutes across the country, the state government said, asking the varsity to explain why the no objection certificate given to it should not be revoked. The alleged violation of the lockdown orders by the varsity, meanwhile, triggered a massive protest by Congress workers, who demanded that the varsity authorities should be booked for the breach just like the Tablighi Jamaat meet participants. The notice, issued on Thursday, sought to remind the LPU that Punjab's Higher Education Ministry had on March 13 ordered suspension of all kinds of teaching work in all institutions, including the private ones. Confirming that LPU was issued a show cause notice on Thursday, Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner Deepti Uppal said a copy of the same was received by her on Friday. In the notice, the state's Higher Education and Language Department asked LPU, which also has several foreign students on its rolls, to explain within seven days why the NOC issued to it should not be revoked for violating the government orders and endangering the lives of 3,200 people, and many more. The notice said the Punjab higher education minister had also ordered the suspension of teaching in all institutions, including the private ones, on March 13. 'It has now come to light that in spite of the instructions, ignoring the gravity of the situation and jeopardising the lives of about 3,200 people and thousands of others to which infection can spread, you did not shut down completely,' it said. 'Considering the highly infectious nature of the disease and despite the fact that there was sufficient time for you to send all students to their respective homes from March 13 to March 22, you continued with the functioning of the university and its hostels and made no efforts to send them to their homes,' the notice said. The notice said, 'It might be argued by you that the movement of students was not possible in the light of the complete lockdown.' 'But, there is no denying the fact that norms about maintaining social distancing were flouted and the administration was informed that the university was shut and vacated, while that was not the case. 'It is amply clear that you did not pay any heed to instructions of the district administration on March 23 and kept it in dark,' the government told the LPU authorities. 'When the world is battling this deadly virus and the only remedy is the complete isolation, your administration threw all instructions to the winds and put hundreds of lives at risk,' it added. Referring to the case of 21-year-old Maharashtra student testing positive on April 12, the notice said, 'There was a corona positive case in your institution and that too was not handled in right earnest.' 'The university authorities did not cooperate with the district administration and the Health Department in sending the patient to hospital. 'It is clear from above that your conduct and response of the university have been extremely callous and irresponsible,' said the strongly-worded notice. At present, the student is undergoing treatment at Kapurthala civil hospital. The notice also mentioned that the issue of the university functioning despite the lockdown had been raised by 'some dignitaries'. Former Union minister and ex-Hoshiarpur Bharatiya Janata Party MP Vijay Sampla and Kapurthala ruling party MLA Rana Gurjeett Singh had taken up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Amarinder Singh respectively earlier this week. LPU Additional Director Aman Mittal, however, could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. The Congress activists held the demonstration at the varsity gate on the national Higway 1 near Chaheru, 7 km from Phagwara. Led by Phagwara Block Congress Committee (Urban) president and former councillor Sanjeev Bugga, protesters demanded registration of an FIR against the university management, akin to the cases lodged against FIRs Tablighi Jamaat members. Sporting placards and shouting slogans against the university management, the protesters, however, maintained social distancing by standing at 'respectable' gaps among them. Addressing them, Bugga alleged that varsity management had put the lives of hundreds of students to grave risk by keeping them in hostels when government had ordered closure of all educational institutions due to Covid-19. "The management has also imperilled lives of thousands of villagers residing in its vicinity," he alleged. New Delhi: Two terrorists were killed on Friday (April 17) in a gunbattle with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district. According to reports, the encounter started at Diaroo Keller village in Shopian in south Kashmir today after a cordon and search operation was launched by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) along with 44 Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operation Group (SOG) on Thursday night. Inspector-General of Police, Jammu told ANI that two weapons have been recovered from the killed terrorists. A police official said they had received specific inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area. He said the search operation turned into an encounter after terrorists fired upon security forces, who retaliated. Meanwhile, identity and group affiliation of the slain terrorists are being ascertained. Popular Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele finally shared her first post via Instagram after she got arrested and arraigned in court. The actress finally returned to social media on Thursday and she was warmly received by fellow Nigerian celebrities and her fans. Information Nigeria recalls Akindele and her husband, JJC Skillz were fined and sentenced to 14 days of community service for violating the lockdown and social distance order. Taking to the photo-sharing app, the CEO of Scene One Tv, shared a photo with the caption; Breathe. Read Also: Lockdown: Omoni Oboli Sends Message To Victims Of Domestic Abuse (Video) See the full post below: This article is part of the On Tech newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it weekdays. Charlie Warzel, an Opinion writer for The New York Times, had been incensed about the smartphone apps that track our paths through the world. Then, he said, the urgency of the pandemic made him question his beliefs. In a conference call this week with readers, Charlie talked about his conflicting views on technology right now, and why he thinks health experts should be more upfront about what they dont know. (Charlies dogs also butted into the call.) These are edited excerpts from the conversation. You can also listen to the recording here. Shira: What do you think about using technology to track people infected with the coronavirus? Charlie: In working on the Privacy Project, it became clear to me that being surveilled all the time by private companies was an absolute violation of our rights. But when I first heard about location tracking for this pandemic, I thought, We need to understand where everyone is at a given time so we can contain this. The governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, said on Thursday that although the state has recorded cases of the COVID-19 pandemic, it would not enforce a total lockdown as part of measures to curb the spread of the disease. Mr Mohammed who was the first index case of the COVID-19 in Bauchi before five other persons who came in contact with him were later confirmed to have tested positive, came out of isolation last week. PREMIUM TIMES has reported how the state governor had violated the social distancing order by attending a Friday mosque service last week hours after he was discharged. Speaking at the burnt Muda Lawan market that was gutted by fire Friday, Governor Mohammed said the people should take the issue of COVI-19 seriously. He said being a forme carrier of the virus, he stands amongst the best persons the people should listen to. While assuring the people that his government would do all that it could to see that COVID-19 no longer exists or spreads in Bauchi, Mr Mohammed said the state cannot afford a total lockdown and restriction of movement. We are urging you to continue to know that COVID-19 is a reality, he said. I have just come out of it, it is not a joke. We should continue to exercise social distancing. I am an index case number one of COVID-19. Allah in His infinite wisdom tested me with this disease, but I am free now. And I understand my friend has also tested negative and he has been discharged. I want to place on record that Bauchi has closed all its borders, we have just come from a meeting with all the security agencies; we are going to enforce some minimal lockdown because we cannot afford total lockdown because people must eat. But all our borders should remain closed because what is happening in Kano should be something that should worry us because whatever touches Kano, touches Bauchi. We are inexorably connected; if you have 20 cases in Kano, be sure we have to really man our borders to make sure that no goods, no vehicle and nobody comes from Kano, and nobody from your markets goes to Kano. This is a reality, and of course we too are not going to Gombe, Yobe, Jos and we are not going to Taraba. We should try to exist alone by ourselves within the state, he said. Mr Mohammed said with the contact-tracing of 350 persons that had contact with him and two other index cases, the state can boast of not having any case of COVID-19 that is currently being managed. We have made contact tracing of all the people that came in contact with me and the other two people, and now we have done 350 tests and we are still counting, he said. There is no positivity to COVID-19 in Bauchi State. So we are getting free. I want our Imams, clergymen, and pastors to continue to pray for us so that Ebola, Coronavirus should not come to Bauchi. I want to seize the opportunity to say thank you for all the support and prayers you have done for me, he said. Compensation for victims of Bauchi market fire Governor Mohammed who had earlier gone round parts of the burnt market had earlier declared that all the victims of the fire incident would be given some cash support to help them bounce back to business. We have come to commiserate with people at the Muda Lawan market over the monumental loss; we understand that 17 shops were burnt and one life was lost as a result of the fire that came from a vehicle that carried some mattresses, he said. Describing the fire incident as an act of God that no one could have averted, Mr Mohammed said the people should be grateful to God who had reduced the enormity of the waste and the losses that we have seen here. He said the state government will take steps to make sure we cushion the effect of the losses, by bringing some palliative immediately through the state emergency management agency, SEMA so that we pay some compensation to the traders for them to go back to business. And we will give the market association some contributions to make sure that the shops that have been burnt are rebuilt immediately. Physical fitness and social connection can be difficult to maintain in old age. But new research published in Frontiers in Psychology shows that Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) may promote exercise, improve quality of life and deepen familial ties between grandparents and grandchildren. In a study at the Kibbutzim College and University of Haifa in Israel, sixteen dance movement therapists met with their grandmothers for three free-form dance sessions. The goal was to determine how these sessions would affect each group, and whether intergenerational bonds might strengthen as a result. The study also wanted to examine a potential low-cost method to treat issues commonly faced by an aging population, such as depressed mood and limited mobility. "The increase of the proportion of elderly in the population, along with the increase in the age group of adult grandchildren necessitates creativity and innovation in providing diverse resources and support," says author Dr. Einat Shuper Engelhard. Shuper Engelhard analyzed taped videos of the sessions, personal diaries, and semi-structured interviews between granddaughters and grandmothers to analyze the effect of DMT. She found that for grandmothers, dancing promoted positive feelings and improved mood. For granddaughters, dancing shifted their perspective of aging and allowed them to process their grandparent's eventual death. Both groups expressed gratitude and felt their bond was stronger after the sessions. Dance was chosen as a unique and versatile intervention since it can improve muscle strength, balance, and endurance, prevent anxiety and depression, and aid with dementia -- all issues commonly faced among the elderly population. It also offers a model for low-cost and accessible community support. Each of the three sessions was conducted one week apart and took place in the grandmother's home for just 10 to 15 minutes. Granddaughters were nervous at first over their ability to provide a meaningful experience, but were instructed to mirror their grandmother's movements, encourage their abilities, and give them space to rest when needed. Shuper Engelhard says that familiarity was key to the intervention's success. The sessions "promoted physical activity even when the body was fatigued and weak," Shuper Engelhard says. "This emphasizes the significance of the close and familiar relationship as a means to promote new experiences (which can occasionally seem impossible) for the older person." The study was limited in its scope as only 32 individuals participated (16 grandmother-granddaughter pairs) and, while the study was open to grandchildren of all genders, all participants were female. Moreover, all granddaughters in this study were dance/movement therapists by design, but Shuper Engelhard would like to see the research replicated in other populations. With an activity as simple and accessible as free-form dancing, aging populations can improve their physical and mental health and also connect with their loved ones. ### Notes to Editors Please link to the original research article in your reporting: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00542/full Corresponding author: Dr. Einat Shuper Engelhard Email: Einat.Shuper@gmail.com Corresponding Author's Institution: University of Haifa, Israel 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. Its beer time! Every Friday we dig through our beer fridges or scope out the local bottle shops to come up with a beer we recommend for Beer of the Week! These are beers that are widely distributed throughout Michigan or should be, in our opinion. Even though the two of us are working remotely from our respective homes during the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic, we somehow find a way to share a beer together - virtually, of course This week we caught up with our good friend John Burtka of Grand River Brewery in Jackson, who just last year celebrated the opening of an additional location in Marshall. (Grand River was a Top 10 pick for Michigans Best New Brewery in 2016.) Both restaurants and taprooms are closed, he said, and there is not need for distribution of keg beer because most restaurants are closed or doing limited takeout. Brewing has pretty much stopped. However, they they are still brewing at Brew Detroit, where they can their flagship beers, Monkey Mouth IPA and 313 Polish Lager for distribution. His insight into what is happening in the beer industry is so compelling that we want you to listen below: After the Podcast we decided to select one of his beers for Beer of the Week. Beer of the Week - April 17, 2020 Grand River Brewing Company, Jackson, Michigan Monkey Mouth IPA (6.5% ABV, 65 IBU) We initially visited Grand River Brewery in 2013 not too long after it opened, and we were so-so on the beer. But by the time we revisited in 2016 while on the search for Michigans Best New Brewery, everything changed. The beers were overall better; they were experimenting with a variety of styles; and they were dialing it in, as we like to say in the industry. It was about this time its Monkey Mouth IPA was starting to gain some national attention. The beer won the Gold medal for Best American IPA at the New York International Beer Competition in 2015. Everything just seemed to click from there as the brewery also upped its food game, adding house-smoked BBQ and wood-fired pizzas to go along with burgers, salads and our guilty pleasure, poutine. The emphasis was on fresh and local. They also added spirits and cocktails. As for Monkey Mouth, the beer became its flagship, capitalizing on the hop trend, but not falling into the overly bitter category that turns some people off. Burtka said he named the beer after prisoner that talks too much. The can says the beer is so good its criminal and let your mouth set you free. TASTING NOTES Head brewer Wyatt Andrews: He said Monkey Mouth is made with a blend of Michigan hops - Cascade, Centennial, Nugget and Chinook. It is a smooth and balanced IPA, overall. The big malt body keeps the hops in check. Hops lend red grapefruit and resinous piney flavors, but are not overwhelming. It drinks thick, but not with any overpowering mouthfeel, and finishes with that hoppy bite. Amy Sherman: Its infinitely drinkable, with nice bright notes, and just the right amount of hops. John Gonzalez: I get a bit of citrus on the aroma, but tons of hops on taste. The finish is a tad bitter for me, but its still a very well balanced beer. If you have a suggestion for Beer of the Week or just want to connect, email us at: Amy Sherman is asherma2@mlive.com. John Gonzalez is gonzo@mlive.com. OTHER PICKS FOR BEER OF THE WEEK Jai Alai - A great springtime/summer beer from our friends at Cigar City in Florida. Its our nod to Spring Break, which we didnt get to enjoy this year. (April 10) Rainmaker - A pale ale from Stormcloud, our pick for Michigans Best New Brewery in 2016. (April 3) Oberon - Michigans summer beer from Bells. (March 27) John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman stop by Grand River Brewery in Jackson while on the search for Michigan's Best New Brewery. Grand River made the Top 10. (July 28, 2016.)John Gonzalez MORE BEER PODCAST: Interview with Dave Ringler at Cedar Springs Brewery Grand Rapids area breweries that are still offering beer and food to-go What breweries are open in Michigans Northern Lower Peninsula? Check out our list At Odd Side Ales in Grand Haven, closing of its taproom has been profound PODCAST: Interview with Brian Confer of Stormcloud Brewing Company Look for more Michigans Best beer and food/restaurant coverage at MLive.com/michigansbest. As always, we would love to stay in touch with you on Social Media. @mlivemibest on Twitter @mlivemibest on Instagram Facebook at MLiveMIBest. Join in by using the hashtags #mibest, #mibeer and #BOTW In addition: Amy Sherman is on Twitter @amyonthetrail, as well as Facebook and Instagram @amyonthetrail. John Gonzalez is on Twitter @michigangonzo, as well as Facebook and Instagram @MichiganGonzo. Parallel Architecture Studio owner Carolina Pena. She applied for an SBA loan and has still not heard back from her bank. Read more Lansdale accountant Christine Walsh helped many of her small-business clients apply for emergency coronavirus relief loans. But shes still waiting for her own. And while she waits for a lifeline from the Small Business Administration program, shes already had to lay off some of her 12 employees. Theres no reason why my bank [PNC] hasnt put through my loan. I want to help all my small businesses survive, Walsh said. "But it seems like the SBA program is being applied unevenly. Carolina Pena, a Philadelphia architecture and design business owner, has turned to the local Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for help while she waits on her $46,000 loan application through the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which officials said Thursday had already burned through the $350 billion appropriated by Congress last month as part of a larger coronavirus economic rescue package. Ive gotten a lot of help through the Hispanic Chamber, sending information and things we can apply for, Pena said. "But mostly Ive been navigating this on my own. she said. Pena applied for a loan for her staff payroll and hasnt heard back. Many women- and minority-owned businesses like those run by Walsh and Pena remain in the back of the line for emergency loan relief, according to trade groups, bankers, and business owners. Financial literacy is a huge issue, and a lot of business owners are not digitally savvy, said Donovan West, head of the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Many dont have the ability to download their payroll or other documentation for loan applications. PPP was intended to help small businesses keep employees on the payroll with forgivable, federally backed loans. But it had a rocky start, quickly ran out of money, and the almost 22 million workers who filed for unemployment benefits over the last four weeks have only underscored its shortcomings. READ MORE: Philly-area workers on losing their jobs in the coronavirus crisis: 'I feel trapped The Trump administration and congressional Republicans are pushing to add $250 billion in PPP funding. Democrats are calling for changes to the program to ensure more loans go to women- and minority-owned businesses, as well as new funding for hospitals and local governments. West appears regularly on local radio stations to update the black community on SBA and other loan programs, fearing business owners might not know about the emergency funding. Some people wont know until we drive down the street with a bullhorn, he said. ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters. In a majority-minority city such as Philadelphia, where about 25% of the population falls below the poverty line, we do not have the luxury of getting the coronavirus recovery wrong," said Jennifer Rodriguez, head of the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "We need our corporate leaders and elected officials to get it right the first time. Getting it right the first time means prioritizing, immediately, the deployment of relief funds and resources, including PPP loans, to minority-owned businesses and businesses located in low-income communities," Rodriguez said. Largely family-owned, they are the backbone of our neighborhood micro-economies, providing essential goods, services, and employment to those who need it most. Most Latino-owned businesses, for example, do not have the kind of relationships with banks that many financial institutions are prioritizing in processing PPP loan applications. While this may be a reasonable requirement during normal conditions, we are operating in a crisis and this is not the time to conduct business as usual," Rodriguez said. Our grocers, hair salons, and construction companies are in jeopardy and it is critical that they obtain access to this capital today. Lending consultant Jelani Polite said hes referred many of his African American business clients to non-bank lenders such as Fountainhead. Fountainhead is one of only 14 nonbank lenders licensed to make these types of SBA loans, and since Friday it has had more than 400 loan inquiries. The company is known for its speed of funding, which is especially important right now. Some traditional banks are asking for additional paperwork and longer SBA applications because theyre worried about finding more collateral, Polite said. Indeed, Walsh, the Lansdale accountant, said that "larger banks were inundated, and their website crashed constantly. The larger loan applicants she helped actually got money first, she noted. Wash Cycle Laundry owner Gabriel Mandujano said his business account lender was moving too slowly, so we submitted to Customers Bank. Its a smaller bank. Ive heard smaller is better. I spent the entire week, March 30 to April 3, contacting banks. I talked to five different loan officers, at Fulton Bank, WSFS, where we hold deposits, Cambridge Savings, and Eastern Bank in Boston. He feels lucky that his $500,000 SBA loan went through Customers Bank. The whole loan process was always going to be a mess, he said. "And Im lucky and grateful for Wash Cycle. But I dont know if its an equitable process. FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered The local African-American Chamber recently partnered with DiverseForce and Lendistry to provide SBA guidance. Lendistry is the second largest SBA lender in the country and was authorized to provide $10 million in SBA loans to minority-owned businesses in the Philadelphia region. West particularly credited WSFS and United Bank for making loans to minority business owners. We are prepared in the event Congress approves additional funding," WSFS spokeswoman Rebecca Acevedo said. "WSFS has approved more than 2,400 PPP loans across our footprint for a total of $775 million. Osman Amadu, a 22- year old scrap dealer, who allegedly sprayed some liquid substance into the eyes of a duty police woman enforcing the restrictions on movement order, has been remanded by an Accra Circuit Court. Amadu, charged with causing harm and failing to comply with the restrictions imposed by the President, has, however, pleaded not guilty. The Presiding judge, Mrs Afia Owusu Appiah, declined to grant bail to Amadu, saying the defence counsel had been unable to convince her that Amadu would not jump bail. Additionally, the Court explained that the charge of failing to comply with the restrictions imposed by the President, carried severe punishment or sentence. Amadu is, consequently, expected to reappear on April 29. The Court, therefore, directed the prosecution to file the disclosures on the accused and his counsel. It also directed the Registrar of the Court to take possession of the substance and involve the defence counsel and prosecution in presenting it to the forensic laboratory until the results were released. Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Gulliver Tenkorang told the Court that Lance Corporal Bernice Osei Wusu, stationed at Kaneshie Divisional Headquarters, was the complainant. Amadu was also a resident of Russia, Accra. The Prosecution said on April 10, this year, at about 0900 hours, the complainant was on a COVID SAFETY duty snap check at the Zongo Junction, near the Great Lamptey Mills School. He said, Amadu, who arrived at the point as a passenger of a taxi cab, became offended when Lance Corporal Osei Wusu asked where he was headed for. He, consequently, sprayed a liquid substance from a small bottle into the eyes of the cop. The prosecution said the complainant shouted for help so her colleague and other witnesses went to her aid. Amadu was immediately arrested and brought together with the substance to the Kaneshie Police Station for investigations. According to the medical report, the Prosecution said, she sustained severe eye injuries to both of her eyes. The Prosecution said Amadu admitted the offence and investigations revealed that was galavanting in breach of the the directives of the President. 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 Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. Bangkok, Thailand When Chayanan Ann Meesomboonpoonsuk, 23, left Thailand to study in the Netherlands in June, she never imagined that in a time of global crisis, her own country would block her from being able to return home. Ann was in the Czech Republic when the pandemic started to spread across Europe. Expecting that borders could start tightening up and on the receiving end of racial slurs from passersby in Prague, she quickly scrambled to return to her campus in Rotterdam so she could figure out how to go home to Thailand. At the time I got back to my dorm, most Asian students (had) already booked a flight back to their countries within that week, Ann told Al Jazeera. However, I decided to quarantine myself first as I spent around ten hours on a bus. During my quarantine time, the Thai government released new requirements for Thais flying home. As cases started spiking all over the globe in mid-March, Thailand imposed a fit-to-fly health certificate policy for all nationalities, including its own citizens, in a move that came as a shock to many of the more than one millionThais, including students and working professionals, living overseas. A fit-to-fly certification is essentially a letter issued by the Thai embassy, a health insurance policy that covers COVID-19 and a doctors note, signed no later than 72 hours before the passenger boards their flight. For Ann and her friends, it proved almost impossible to get one. My friend called four clinics to ask if they can provide the health certificate, but only one could provide it! she said. Many flights were also being cancelled, raising the risk that the hard-to-get health certificate would end up being worthless, and Ann was also hearing stories about forced quarantine in state-run facilities for those who had made it home. She decided to wait out the crisis in Rotterdam. Stay overseas Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has advised citizens overseas to shelter-in-place in their countries of residence rather than returning, in order to limit the spread of the virus. But some land borders are due to open on Saturday, and officials estimate about 8,000 Thai citizens in Malaysia are ready to cross the border there once it reopens. Only 300 people will be allowed to cross each day, however, because of limited capacity in the state-operated quarantine centres where people will need to spend the 14 days following their return. We are trying to protect over 60 million people at home currently, so please, if it is possible, continue to stay overseas, government spokesman, Dr Thaweesin Visanuyothin said, urging patience. Temperature checks have been introduced at Thai airports but all inbound passenger flights have been suspended until the end of the month leaving many Thai citizens stranded overseas [Diego Azubel/EPA] It remains unclear if the government will arrange flights for Thais abroad, or if they will need to organise flights themselves. Other countries in the region such as Malaysia, have already arranged a number of evacuation flights for citizens stranded overseas. Last week, Dr Thaweesin said more than 5,000 Thais were ready to return to the kingdom by air once the flight ban was lifted on April 30. Officials suggested on Tuesday that Thai nationals would be able to fly into Hat Yai International Airport in the countrys south after Saturday, But for many of those now stranded, the governments response brings with it a sense of neglect and even rejection from their own country. The most important reason why we are so upset is that we should have the right to go back to our own country, said Ratmanee, a 32-year-old student living in London, who preferred not to use her full name out of fear of repercussions from the government. We are OK to be quarantined by the state, she said. A band-aid on a broken leg Ratmanee explained that many other students in her position who would like to return home feel that government agencies are simply not doing enough. She says they were confused by unclear regulations that seemed to be constantly changing. We feel like the government lacks empathy, she said, highlighting that the regulations are far from concrete and there are many questions over how they will be implemented. The fit-to-fly rules are not only extreme, but also suggest a policy that was not thought through, said prominent political and social commentator, Voranai Vanijaka who does not think what has come to seem like a ban was intentional. Thailand is currently under a state of emergency because of the coronavirus and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha told Thais overseas to stay away [Thailand Government House/Handout via Reuters] They simply cant stick to a plan of how to remedy the situation and everything is done on the fly, he said. Theres no thought out plan on how to handle COVID-19. The public mood is this: we want the government to do something, the government wants to appear to do something, and this is their way of doing that. Its like putting a band-aid on a broken leg, pretending its just a flesh wound, not broken. Meanwhile, the bone is sticking out. Ann and Ratanee say they are lucky because they are financially stable and have education visas, which are not about to expire, but they said they have heard that other Thais are facing much more difficult circumstances. Some cannot afford the cost of a lockdown overseas, while some students are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Others have been left in limbo in airports. For Jenny Suwanmanee, another Thai student stuck in the Netherlands, the whole situation has simply added to the stress of an already challenging time. In a crisis like this, it should be the responsibility of the government to care for the safety and wellbeing of citizens, not providing more difficulty and uncertainty for others, she told Al Jazeera. We are all in this together and must take care of each other instead of leaving one another stranded with nowhere to go. WASHINGTON With coronavirus relief money already running out and more expected to be needed, House Speaker Nancy Pelosis negotiating prowess is being tested as she represents Democrats in a largely shut-down nations capital. The San Francisco Democrat has built a reputation as a master political tactician, leading her party in the House under three presidents. With a key coronavirus stimulus fund now out of money, Americans facing a pandemic and economic collapse and Congress on hold until its safe to meet again, Pelosi is more on the spot than ever. Republicans have been pressuring Democrats to act swiftly to replenish a loan program created to help small businesses through the nations stay-at-home orders. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tried to add $250 billion to the program in the Senate last week, hoping to jam Democrats into moving it forward without adding spending on any other programs. The Small Business Administration said the program ran out of money Thursday, and Republicans including McConnell, President Trump and House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield have been using every medium available to portray Democrats as holding up needed funds. Pelosi said such a bill would not pass the House, which her party controls, and Democrats in the Senate objected. She and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York say any bill must include money for hospitals, state and local governments, and set-asides for businesses owned by women and people of color. Negotiations have been ongoing between Mnuchin and Pelosis and Schumers staffs. Meanwhile, Congress is not slated to reopen for full votes until at least May 4, requiring any legislation to pass by unanimous agreement. Obviously, negotiate, negotiate, negotiate thats what we do as legislators, Pelosi said at a news conference Thursday. We hope that the administration will recognize those needs and not deprive state and local (governments), as well as hospitals, as well as small businesses, of every opportunity to meet the needs of the people we serve. ... Were hopeful that theyll come back with something that strikes a balance. The stalemate over the business lending program foreshadows what is likely to be a continued challenge for Pelosi as the sole Democratic power-holder in government negotiating Democratic priorities into pandemic bills that are urgently needed without appearing to be holding up relief for Americans. While Schumer is also deeply involved, Pelosi is the face of the effort and the one drawing the heaviest fire from Republicans. Pelosi points to Congress recent success at finding bipartisan agreement. She is fond of saying her party transformed a $2 trillion rescue package from a corporate giveaway into a worker-friendly bill, including by adding the small business lending program. We planted the flag for small business a long time ago this is a priority for us, we see it, Pelosi said. But in order for them to have success, people need to be well, people need to be safe, and we need to do state and local government aid. Even the partys progressive flank expresses confidence in her abilities to get the most out of the bills. Fremont Rep. Ro Khanna, an ally of Pelosis who also works with the progressive caucus to move the party leftward, said the speaker has done a very good job so far. The speaker is really pushing as hard as she can, knowing that shes one of three, Khanna said, referring to the Republican White House and GOP Senate leadership. Im confident that in this next package shes going to have workers protections at the heart of it, shes going to have cash assistance at the heart of this, and more assistance for the states and cities who are going to need it. There are limitations, however, with lawmakers spread around the country, said Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael. While he says Pelosi is really the person you want on point in this moment, he wishes leadership would come up with a way for Congress to reopen, perhaps with a combination of in-person and virtual work. I just want to see the rest of the institution get on the field and give her (Pelosi) more backup, Huffman said. Our ability to command at least some part of the national stage you cant do that with 230 Democrats in their pajamas trying to make sure they hit the mute button at the right time. Pelosi has been trying to fill the airtime, appearing on TV frequently, from late-night talk shows to daytime cable news. In early April, she returned home to San Francisco, doing the television appearances from her kitchen. As his Treasury secretary continues to negotiate with Pelosi, Trump has been lashing out. Crazy Nancy Pelosi, you are a weak person. You are a poor leader. You are the reason America hates career politicians, like yourself. @seanhannity She is totally incompetent & controlled by the Radical Left, a weak and pathetic puppet. Come back to Washington and do your job! Trump tweeted Thursday. In his weekly call with reporters, House GOP leader McCarthy portrayed Democrats as refusing to help keep workers employed. I cannot understand after watching another 5 million people be unemployed, how Speaker Pelosi can continue to say no, McCarthy said. All they have to do is say yes today and lets move this forward. She turned the query back on him. The question is not, why are we not just doing that? Pelosi said. The question is of the Republicans, why are you ignoring your state? Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan A memorandum of agreement between Wavve and NBCUniversal took effect on Sunday, April 12. Wavve is one of South Korea's newest popular streaming video platforms. They will be responsible for preparing Korean content for the said network. The deal holds 3 years working relationship, which will handle films and televisions series. The agreement took a global reach and Korea was an exemption. Thanks to NBCUniversal Japan, it will cover South Korea to release content across countries. NBCUniversal made bigger plans for its viewers and nationwide reach. They are a branch company of Comcast, wherein they plan to start Peacock, an OTT subscription service for 2020. The partnership will cover between SK Telecom and the 3 Korean TV broadcasters KBS, MBC, and SBS. The agreement will cover licensing content. Thus, it will allow NBCUniversal to put money in productions of Korean content. Their aim is to broadcast Korean series worldwide, the same as how Netflix made success in the past four years. Both companies carried an agreement for funding Korean content in development and production. Content Wavve aims to invest $50 million (KRW 60 billion) within a year. The goal is to make original Korean content and production. Last year, Korean financial investors supported Wavve with an amount of $167 million (KRW 200 billion). The company produces various Korean TV drama series, patronized by Korean consumers. Wavve is a local company in South Korea that aims to penetrate Southeast Asian countries. Their goal is to counter the influence of Netflix in regards to video streaming. Although the strategy is not in their favor yet, they tried to focus on creating Korean content and offer them other networks. The company opened in business in August of last year, as the Korean government allowed them to launch in their production. Pooq and Oksusu, other local streaming video platforms with altogether 14 million subscribers, both collaborated and launched Wavve. In previous years, US consumers would watch Korean productions through Rakuten, Viki, DramaFever. In 2016, DramaFever gained 400,000 subscribers, and Warner Bros. took it as a subsidiary company. But in 2018, DramaFever stopped in Korean streaming for offshore countries. The streaming videos boomed in 2016 as Netflix entered the market. The company broadcast Korean productions in other international countries. They even invested in making their original Korean series. Their first-ever Korean zombie drama "Kingdom" made hits around the globe. Though at first, Netflix was not supported by other local networks, their marketing and content strategy change their ratings. Their subscriptions went high and attracted more than a million consumers let alone on Android mobile devices in Korea. Currently, Netflix reached more than 2.4 million users in South Korea. 17.04.2020 LISTEN GAWU as a Union of change has always advocated for the rights of workers, especially those within the agricultural value chain since its establishment as a trade union in the year 1959. Some of these include advocating for the involvement of rural farmers participation in the world trade, advocating on issues related to the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), advocating for the empowerment of players within the local poultry industry, advocating for the reduction of rice imports into the country and rather support the local rice industry and advocate for the ratification of ILO convention 184 on health and safety in agriculture. All these advocacy actions the Union has achieved favorable results. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) poor occupational health and reduced working capacity of workers may cause economic loss up to 10-20% of the Gross National Product of a country. In countries like Ghana with fast growing workforce coupled with a growing informal sector, workers have tended to fight for job security neglecting the need for quality work life. It is argued that poor countries and companies cannot afford safety and health measures. However, there is no evidence that any country or company in the long run would have benefited from poor safety and health. Also, the right to life is the most fundamental right. Yet every year 2.2 million men and women are deprived of that right through occupational accidents and work-related diseases (ILO, 2005). By conservative estimates workers suffer 270 million occupational accidents and 160 million occupational diseases each year (ILO, 2005). This is perhaps just the tip of the iceberg, as data for estimating non-fatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries (DCPP, 2007). Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost, or healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death, and 8% of unintentional injuries worldwide (DCPP, 2007). The situation in Ghana is not any different. Ghana has no national policy on OSHE and has not ratified the core ILO convention on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) (155), though a draft policy was developed in year 2000 which is yet to be adopted. Lack of a comprehensive OHS policy, poor infrastructure and the general lack of adequate information is a major drawback to improved working conditions, higher productivity and better quality of goods and services. The World Health Organization (WHO) Health for All principles and ILO Conventions on Occupational Safety and Health (No. 155) however, stipulates every worker has the right of access to occupational health and safety services, irrespective of the sector of the economy, size of the company, or type of assignment and occupation. The Rio Declaration on environment and development (1992) also states that human beings are at the center of concerns for sustainable development. Surprisingly the core conventions on occupational safety and health (i.e., Conventions 155) have not been ratified in Ghana. Though the promulgated labour Act 2003, Act 651 has a section which covers Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) (i.e., Section 15), it is amazing that the very tenets on which the section is built (i.e., International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions 155) have not been ratified by the government as yet. Also, it is worth noting that Ghana has ratified ILO Convention 184 on health and safety in agriculture and has a number of laws such as the Factories, Shops and Offices Act of 1970, Act 328 and the 1992 constitution of Ghana, section 24(1) which states that every person has the right to work under safe and healthy conditions. These provisions are in bit and pieces and do not address the gravitas of the OSH&E problem in Ghana, hence exposing the worker to numerous hazards and risk. The Health, Safety and Environment of employees are crucial for the development of every country, since productivity greatly thrives on the wellbeing of the working population. It is therefore imperative that issues relating to health and safety are taking very seriously by the government and employers all over the world. Providing a safer working environment and the appropriate equipment increases not only productivity but also improves the morale of workers. The COVID-19 outbreak therefore serves as a wake-up call to all governments to do more to protect the lives of the global working force. Particularly, the government of Ghana needs to draw lessons from this pandemic and quicken the process of ratifying the ILO convention 155 on Occupational Health and Safety and adopt a National OSH policy. The global pandemic has left the world in much trepidation and taken countries by surprise with total recorded cases reaching 1,954,024 million and 125, 070 deaths as at April 14, 2020. By this date, Ghana had recorded 636 confirmed cases and 8 deaths. Notwithstanding the social interventions of Government, such as the free hot meals and water supply, as well as partly free electricity supply with an insurance package worth GH350, 000 per each front line staff coupled with the three months none taxed salary increase which is commendable, harnessing the potential to create decent and productive jobs and shared prosperity such as the enforcement of key ILO conventions is imperative to achieving sustainable development and equitable economic growth. As such investment in occupational safety and health yields improved working conditions, higher productivity and better quality of goods and services. However, in spite of the numerous investments that the country attracts with its accompanying Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) related issues, Ghana as a nation is dragging its feet to have a national policy on OSH and ratify ILO convention 155. This is a major drawback to improved working conditions and higher productivity. There is therefore the need to have a comprehensive national policy on OSH and the necessary process activated towards the ratification of ILO convention 155 on Occupational Safety and Health. Also, appropriate Laws should be developed to enforce Occupational Safety and Health. It is for this reason, to ensure safety and health standards are upheld in the country and the need to review and adopt the draft national OSH policy for implementation, while initiating the necessary steps and processes to have ILO convention 155 ratified by Ghana, the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), with the support of the BUSACFund and its partners DANIDA and USAID, is carrying out an advocacy program on convention 155 in which it commissioned a study to assess the critical factors affecting the adoption of the National OSH Policy in Ghana and also assess the barriers to the adoption of a National OSH Policy. To this end, GAWU is calling on Government to; Review the draft Occupational Safety and Health policy development by the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations for adoption and activate the process for the ratification of ILO convention 155 on Occupational Safety and Health now Be proactive on occupational safety and health-related matters so that working people of Ghana work in safe environments Specify the rights and duties of employers and workers with respect to occupational safety and health Ensure that an adequate and appropriate system of inspection for the workplaces is in place and is provided with adequate means. Strengthen the agencies responsible for ensuring safe working environments in the country. In conclusion, Trade Unions and other Civil Society Organisations (CSO), who have over the period fought for the rights of workers, have been vindicated as the world struggles to curtail the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic. This outbreak serves as a clarion call to the government and other stakeholders for immediate steps to protect the working people of Ghana across all sectors of the economy. Government must thus put in place measures to ensure compliance of existing OSHE policies in the lacuna of ratifying ILO convention 155, while it resources and empower key institutions like the Labour Department to conduct a consistent, extensive and comprehensive labour inspection across all sectors in Ghana. By Edward Kareweh 0244529484, [email protected] (General Secretary GAWU) Susan Landau, a cybersecurity professor at Tufts University, said she has doubts about the effectiveness of relying on smartphone-based approaches, even if the apps are carefully designed to protect individual privacy. My real concern about the whole thing is I think its being oversold, she said. Does it reduce spread? I dont doubt that. Does it enable us to eliminate social distancing? No, not as long as theres a high portion of people who are asymptomatic. Collecting data should complement, but not substitute for, well-managed public health interventions, said Deborah Seligsohn, a political scientist at Villanova University. Its one thing to merely send a phone alert that someone exposed to a COVID-19 case should self-isolate for 14 days. Its another to have government workers bring them groceries or other essentials to make that quarantine period possible if someone would otherwise have trouble complying, she said. After the various lockdowns lift, its not clear how readily Americans will submit to tracking efforts. Cameron Karosis had his mind changed by contracting the virus, but many others are still wrestling with the prospect of how far theyd be willing to go. Personally, I would not be thrilled to be forced into downloading an app, mostly because I dont love the idea of Silicon Valley knowing even more about me than they already do, said Maura Cunningham, a writer in Ann Arbor, Michigan. But Id probably give in on that pretty quickly if it were made a widespread prerequisite for getting back to normal activity at some point in the future. Id definitely resist a blood test that just feels too intrusive. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Mr Frederick Kweku Drah, a survivor of COVID-19, has cautioned citizens to take the respiratory disease seriously and strictly comply with the preventive and restrictive measures against spreading it. They should also stop stigmatising those who test positive and their relatives, saying it traumatised them and placed them under socio-economic hardships. Mr Drah gave the advice at the Ministry of Informations media briefing to provide an update on the COVID-19 situation and related matters. Covid-19 is real, Mr Drah repeated for emphasis, in English and three local languages, while sharing his story of when he first felt feverish at night, going to the hospital the following day, receiving his Covid-19 test results at home, being transported by ambulance for admission, his recovery process and the stigmatisation he faced thereafter. Mr Drah said he initially felt like he was under a death a sentence, an experience everybody should endeavour to avoid. Hence the importance of staying home when there was no justifiable cause to go out, observing social distancing, washing the hands regularly with soap under running water, using alcohol-based hand sanitisers and coughing and sneezing into disposable tissues. When I was admitted I thought that was the end, but on the third day, I saw great improvement in my condition, and by the grace of God I have fully recovered so I know that others who have tested positive will also recover, he said. He explained that he contracted the virus when he came into contact with some foreign nationals, but started showing the symptoms of bodily aches, an abnormally high temperature and dry cough on the night of March 17. However, his test result was communicated to him on March 19, and he became the first covid-19 patient to be admitted to the Ga East Municipal Hospital. The supportive treatment I received throughout my recovery process was encouraging, but the stigma my family and I went through was serious; but I thank God for the assistance of a psychologist, he added. He commended health workers, especially the doctors and nurses at the Ga East Hospital, for the excellent service they were rendering to persons with the disease. He, therefore, urged Ghanaians to rather encourage people who showed the signs and symptoms of the disease to call the emergency lines for them to be attended to early. Mr Drahs wife and children, however, tested negative. Ghana has so far confirmed a total of 641 cases of COVID-19, with 83 recovered patients and eight deaths. 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 Who doesnt love dessert? Who doesnt have time for dessert, or sometimes barely time for a meal? Hospital workers on the frontline helping patients fighting the coronavirus. Frontline fighters at six New Jersey-New York hospitals got a lift from another group of first responders, Port Authority police officers, who in turn gave a needed boost to a family bakery in Clark. Like many small businesses, Vaccaros Bakery in Clark hit tough economic times because of the coronavirus. It also hit home with the bi-state police department because rookie Port Authority police Officer Jessica Vaccaro often brought the stores tasty baked goods to work on holidays and other occasions, Port Authority officials said. Vaccaros has stepped up for first responders in the past, donating baked goods to local police and fire departments, officials said. While he was on duty at the Port Authority Police command at LaGuardia Airport, Sgt. Brian Vitale learned from Vaccaro that the bakery was on the verge of closing because of the effects the coronavirus lockdown had on business. To help, he came up with a sweet idea. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage Vitale worked with Sgt. John Garrone and Officers Anthony Espinal, Rony Moran and Thomas Guarnieri to collect donations from co-workers at the airport and other Port Authority police commands. In a few days, they had raised over $6,500 to keep the bakery going, officials said. The Port Authority Police Benevolent Association raised another $2,500 to buy baked goods they brought to six hospitals in New Jersey and New York, including Hackensack University Medical Center, Holy Name Medical Center, in Teaneck and four hospitals in New York City on Easter Sunday. Vaccaro and her family responded with thanks, appreciation, and emotion. When my niece told me about this, my husband and I were shocked, said Eileen Vaccaro, Jessicas aunt said. We are all hurting right now and for these officers who put their lives on the line every day and for them to do this for us, we couldnt be more grateful. Theyre incredible. She said the donations help pay the bills for the bakery this month. Officer Vaccaro also was touched and grateful for her colleagues help. Ive grown up around the bakery and have watched them give to other local police departments, fire departments, schools, and town functions, Jessica Vaccaro said. When I got hired by the PAPD, they didnt hesitate to give to us, too. To see my co-workers come together and support the bakery really shows how family supports family. Subscribe to the #TogetherNJ newsletter to get a weekly dose of these uplifting stories right to your inbox. Submit your ideas for #TogetherNJ stories below, and read some inspiring #TogetherNJ stories here. 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. 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.Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Sensex rallied over 1,100 points in opening trade on Friday tracking strong gains in index heavyweights HDFC twins, Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank and TCS amid positive cues from global markets. The benchmark indices rose in early trade on Friday as heavyweight financial stocks rallied, tracking broader gains in Asia after US President Donald Trump laid out guidelines for the United States to emerge from the coronavirus shutdown. Sensex rallied over 1,100 points in opening trade on Friday tracking strong gains in index heavyweights HDFC twins, Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank and TCS amid positive cues from global markets. The NSE Nifty 50 index rose 3.15 percent to 9,276.05 , while the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex was up 3.24 percent at 31,597.25. Investor sentiment was also buoyed in anticipation of more measures from the Reserve Bank of India to revive the economy. It was announced that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das was scheduled to address the media at 10 am amidst the steep fall in the rupee and the continuing volatility in other segments of the financial market. After hitting a high of 31,711.70, the 30-share index was trading 1,036.74 points or 3.39 per cent higher at 31,639.35. Similarly, the NSE Nifty was quoting 291 points, or 3.24 per cent, up at 9,283.80. TCS was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, surging up to 7 percent. The country's largest software exporter reported a marginal dip in March quarter net at Rs 8,049 crore on Thursday. The company reported a 5.1 percent increase in revenue to Rs 39,946 crore for the reporting quarter, while the same for the full year FY20 was up 7.1 percent to Rs 1.57 lakh crore. Other gainers included Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC, PowerGrid and IndusInd Bank. In the previous session, the BSE barometer ended 222.80 points or 0.73 percent higher at 30,602.61 and the Nifty climbed 67.50 points, or 0.76 per cent, to finish at 8,992.80. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) were net sellers in the capital market on Thursday, as they offloaded equity shares worth Rs 2,920.36 crore, according to provisional exchange data. According to traders, market sentiment turned positive led by rally in global equities. Bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo were trading with significant gains in early deals. Stock exchanges on Wall Street ended significantly on a strong note overnight trade. Meanwhile, Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, rose 1.94 per cent to USD 28.36 per barrel. The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 437, while the number of cases in the country climbed to 13,387. Global tally of the infections has crossed 21 lakh, with over 1.44 lakh deaths. Asian stocks gained and E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 index traded 3.38 percent higher on Friday after the United States joined a handful of other governments to restart their economies post mass shutdowns to contain the pandemic. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that US state governors can re-open businesses in a staggered, three-stage process. In domestic trade, both the Nifty banking index and the financials index jumped over 5% and contributed to the sessions gains. The Nifty IT index rose over 2.5 percent with shares of software services firm Tata Consultancy Services jumping nearly 5 percent. Mumbai, April 17 : The Producers Guild of India has decided to donate fully-equipped tents and vanity vans of Bollywood stars to the police force, particularly female cops, across 22 key locations in the city, as the uniformed personnel battle it out to protect Mumbai from the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative is called Mission Suraksha. "We are delighted to launch 'Mission Suraksha' to protect our caretakers, especially women cops on bandobast duty. Fully equipped tents and vanity vans used by cinestars have been provided across 22 key locations as restrooms for breaktime," a statement issued by the guild reads. The gesture comes just a few days after Bollywood stars took to social media to express their gratitude to Mumbai Police for their tireless efforts during the ongoing lockdown. Even before the nationwide lockdown was announced, the Producers Guild of India had set up a relief fund for daily wage earners associated with the film industry, to ensure these workers and their families get sustenance during the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Producers Guild of India, along with Indian Film and Television Producers Council and Federation of Western India Cine Employees, recently came together to support the most impacted daily wage workers through direct bank transfers. Schools in Southeast Texas extended closures through the end of the school year in response to an extended order by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, which was announced Friday as part of his plan to reopen Texas. It is with great dissapointment that we make the following announcement, a statement from Nederland Independent School District said. Due to the most recent amended order from Governor Abbott, Nederland ISD facilities will remain closed through May 28, 2020. Nederland and other districts had hoped to reopen their doors as soon as May 1st, after the previous order from Abbott required them to stay closed for the remainder of the month. The district is still working out details as to when students will be able to retrieve personal items, and said information regarding year-end events will be posted in the coming days. While campuses will remain closed, distance learning is expected to continue in Southeast Texas, and across the state. School districts across Texas have worked diligently to make the transition to virtual learning, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in response to Abbotts order. Students must continue to receive daily academic support from their teachers and schools for the remainder of the 2018-19 school year. Port Neches-Groves ISD Superintendent Mike Gonzales said in a statement that the district would continue to make a good faith effort to provide educational continutity for all students. The district is prepared to maintain the same distance learning instruction that has been in place since March 23rd, he said - adding that food service will also continue. Beaumont ISD Superintendent Shannon Allen asked in a letter that parents continue to engage students via the online learning or the paper packet option. It is critical that we continue student learning to prepare for the following school year. Jenny Angelo, the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the district said they had prepared materials for the rest of the school year. Some districts, including Orangefield and Nederland ISD chose to end physical learning material options, instead moving to an internet only model, citing the need to reduce in-person contact and offering other options to parents for distance learning. The cause of the closures hit home in Beaumont ISD this week, when an employee involved in preparing paper packets at Lucas Pre-K tested positive for COVID-19, along with an individual in the districts administration building. Both individuals are quarantined, and the facilities have been closed for a deep cleaning. In announcing their extended closures, West Orange Cove CISD noted that while they are still maintaining our original graduation date as is, but that is subject to change based on further direction from the Texas Education Agency. State Senator Brandon Creighton lauded the move by the state, saying that he would provide any support neccesary. Whether you have a kindergartener, a high school senior, or are finishing up graduate work for your masters, this decision will be a defining part of your education, Creighton said. As a parent and a legislator, I know this is difficult. Port Arthur ISD, which initially held off closing their district last month before low attendance and further orders from the state, said a video would be released Monday with details on the remainder of the year. We received this announcement at the same time as you, therefore, we ask for patience as we work through all scenarios to assist our students and staff with closing out this school year, Kristyn Cathey, a spokesperson for the district said. Vidor Independent School District also supported the decision, and said information on graduation and end-of-year activities was still being put together. Vidor ISD greatly appreciates Governor Abbott's decision today to require schools to remain closed the remainder of the school year, Superintendent Jay Killgo said. We agree that this is the best decision for our students and faculty members that would be at risk with a return to large gatherings. The executive order relates to both K-12 and higher education institutions, meaning colleges like the Lamar Institute of Technology, which originally planned on returning some students as soon as this month, will no longer be able to do so. Under this Executive Order, schools including public, private, and higher education institutions will remain closed for the 2019-2020 school year, a summary on the Governors website said. Teachers may go into the classroom for video instruction, to perform administrative duties, and to clean out their classrooms. Lamar University was one of the first institutions in the region to cancel in-person classes and restrict access to campus in response to coronavirus, so the order does not impact their ongoing operations. isaac.windes@hearstnp.com twitter.com/isaacdwindes Your browser does not support the audio element. Editor's note: Mark Barnes is a freelance journalist currently based in Hanoi, Vietnam. He sent this piece to Tuoi Tre News as it has been reported that over one-third of the world's population is under some form of movement restrictions owing to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, with many global citizens advised against leaving their homes to limit the disease's spread. Some have chosen to spend this time picking up a new language, with Vietnamese being one of the emerging options. Humans around the world have turned the COVID-19 lockdown into an opportunity to study Vietnamese, with the popular language app, Duolingo, reporting a 28 percent increase in learners actively studying the language in the period from March 1 to April 1 of this year. But is this really a worthwhile pursuit? Is learning Vietnamese really time well spent? Paula Applehans, an international aid worker, lawyer, and childrens book author, worked in Vietnam for eight months. She says that by the end of her assignment she realized that her lack of Vietnamese language comprehension was limiting her efficacy at work. I would not be able to actively provide input into meetings in a timely manner, she says. Not only that, but the act of simply choosing to try and learn the language also provided intangible benefits. For example, it was a useful tool for building relationships with colleagues and associates. It was genuinely appreciated that I was trying and learning. I earned respect for that, she says. But not everyone shares Applehans opinion. In May 2015, Word Magazine columnist Niko Savvas argued learning Vietnamese is not worth your time. Savvas suggested that Vietnamese was too hard to learn over the short term and is more or less useless outside of Vietnam. There are an estimated 76 million Vietnamese speakers in the world. This makes up about 1.14 percent of the population and makes Vietnamese the 16th most common language. Of those that speak Vietnamese, about four million live outside of Vietnam. International development worker Sophie Purdue agrees with Savvas to an extent. She studied Vietnamese while on assignment in Vietnam before giving up when COVID-19 forced her repatriation to Australia. Im not sure if Ill be getting back to Hanoi to live any time soon or at all, and because its both a hard and not a very widely used language outside of Vietnam I havent felt particularly motivated to keep it up. The United States Department of State Foreign Service Institute (FSI) categorizes Vietnamese as a category four (out of five) hard language to learn with significant linguistic and/or cultural differences from English. Purdue also says that learning Vietnamese has had to take a backseat to other priorities. Ive also been channeling my efforts into immediate needs like finding a new job. Khoi Tran, a Vietnamese teacher at Lets Speak Vietnamese in Hanoi, says this is common among his students. He says many of his students have lost their jobs and many have had to return to their country of origin due to developments in the battle to stymie the spread of COVID-19. They cannot make a living in Vietnam so they have to go back to their home country, or they don't have enough money to continue and they have to prioritize other things over learning Vietnamese. Notably, Duolingo says, of the 600,00 people actively learning Vietnamese on its app the majority are now spread across the USA (42.1 percent), Vietnam (25.7 percent), Canada (4.5 percent), Australia (4.4 percent), and the UK (3.5 percent). Khoi goes on to say taking a break can cause bumps in the learning process. Learning a language is a long process. If you pause for a while, I think you really lose some of the ability of your language and your proficiency. You don't want that to happen, he says. When national social distancing came into effect and Lets Speak Vietnamese moved their operations online, Khoi says he lost about half of his clientele. He says that learning online is not particularly attractive and notes that it does make learning more difficult. E-learning cannot be as effective and as energetic as the classes in person. But it is still a tool that we make use of with our students who know that learning a language is a long process. Khoi says that few expats have this level of commitment noting that the benefits of knowing Vietnamese are limited. You will not get a promotion in your study or your career if you can speak Vietnamese fluently, he says. Vietnamese, Savvas agrees, is not like learning English. The tangible benefits of learning English [higher wages, easier travel, and broader access to global culture] justify this sacrifice of resources [time, energy, and money], he says. He goes on to say that the opportunity cost is far too high. Youre giving up too many of your available non-working/sleeping/eating hours for a skill that loses nearly all its value the moment you leave the country. A one-and-a-half-hour Vietnamese lesson, on average, costs about VND250,000 (US$10.63). The FSI says it takes, on average, 1,100 hours of in-class training to become proficient. Many people, however, are still willing to take on the challenge. However, whether or not this is a worthwhile pursuit is open to debate. That said, if Applehans is right, and learning Vietnamese is effective at building intercultural relationships, Duolingo's statistics suggest, in the event of an extended period of social distancing, local-expat relations may bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than before. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Amid the rising cases of coronavirus COVID-19 in Delhi, 26 police personnel, including a Station House Officer, of Chandni Mahal police station were put in quarantine on Friday (April 17). Delhi Police said that these personnel had come in contact with 2 police constables, who had earlier tested positive for the deadly virus. It is to be noted that 52 people belonging to Tablighi Jamaat had tested positive from Chandni Mahal area and it is likely that the two cops who had tested positive for coronavirus had come in contact with these jamaatis. Chandni Mahal, which is located in central Delhi, had reported three deaths due to the coronavirus last week. The 52 Jamaatis who had tested positive were from the group of 102 people who who were evacuated from different mosques in the area. Chandni Mahal was declared a containment zone by Delhi government on April 10 and the whole area was sanitized to curb the spread of coronavirus in the area. Meanwhile, the Delhi government on Friday (April 17) prohibited all private schools in the national capital from hiking their fees and charging transportation fees from the students amid the coronavirus lockdown period. The government also directed schools to charge fees only on a monthly basis and not quarterly. Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia made the announcements at a press conference today, stating that the government has received multiple complaints from parents about schools revising fee structure and also levying changes like transport fee without taking prior approval from the government. He clarified that schools cannot levy charges like transport fee, annual fee or another miscellaneous fee during the lockdown period, which will continue till May 3. Home Search ICH Clap for Me Now: Coronavirus, racism and immigration in Britain Watch A video featuring UK residents and people of foreign heritage has highlighted the crucial role immigrant workers are playing in the Covid-19 outbreak. Posted April 16, 2020 You Clap for Me Now, penned by Darren James Smith, features Britons with black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds who are key workers during the global pandemic including doctors, nurses, teachers, shopkeepers and delivery drivers, many of whom have previously experienced discrimination The video, which was produced by Sachini Imbuldeniya begins with the message: 'What the UK is most afraid of has come from overseas, taking our jobs and making it unsafe to walk the streets' Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here === Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter ==See Also== The Heartbreaking Last Texts of a Hospital Worker on the Front Lines By Michael Rothfeld, Jesse Drucker and William K. Rashbaum April 16, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - 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. 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. 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 6 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. 2020 The New York Times Company Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ===== U.S. Debt Clock A currency trader watches monitors at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, April 17, 2020. Shares have advanced in Asia after China's economic growth data, while bleak, was better than expected. (AP Photo) BANGKOK: Shares surged Friday in Asia after China reported economic data that, while dismal, was better than expected. The gains followed an overnight rally on Wall Street powered by buying of Amazon, health care stocks and other market niches that are thriving in the coronavirus crunch. China reported its economy contracted 6.8% in January-March as the country battled the coronavirus. That is the worst performance since at least the late 1970s. Its also not as bad as the double-digit declines some analysts had forecast, though the latest numbers suggest the recovery will be a slow one. The March data add to broader signs that Chinas economy is past the worst. But the recovery will probably continue to underwhelm. Indeed, the high frequency indicators we track suggest that, after an initial bounce as containment measures were eased, the recovery in activity has since slowed to a crawl, Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics said in a commentary. Japans Nikkei 225 index jumped 3.2% to 19,897.26 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong advanced 1.4% to 24,340.90. The Shanghai Composite index gained 0.6% to 2,837.07, while Australias S&P ASX 200 rose 1.3% to 5,487.50. South Koreas Kospi surged 3.1% to 1,914.53 despite the release of data showing the country lost 195,000 jobs in March from a year earlier, ending a decade-long run in payroll gains. Other markets in Asia also advanced. U.S. futures were higher, with the contract for the S&P 500 up 2.9% while that for the Dow industrials gained 3.4%. Overnight, the S&P 500 rose 0.6% after flipping between small gains and losses following a government report that 5.2 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week. That brought the total for the last month to roughly 22 million. More than 5,000 coronavirus patients in the UK have volunteered to take part in a drug trial run by the University of Oxford to find a treatment for COVID-19. The programme is called the RECOVERY Trial (The Randomised Evaluation of COV-id19 thERapY) and is the world's biggest single trial of drugs to treat the coronavirus. The university got the support of Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and put out a plea to doctors around the country to enrol patients in the voluntary trial. Volunteers have since joined the trial from more than 160 NHS trusts around the country and scientists are hopeful more people will continue to sign up. Medics have not put a number on the amount of people the trial needs in order to be successful but has said the more participants the trial has, the more likely it will be the team will find answers. Participants will receive one of four drugs currently on the market including the anti-malaria drug touted by Donald Trump, known as hydroxychloroquine. The other drugs being looked at as a treatment for COVID-19 include a combination of Lopinavir and Ritonavir (known by the brand name Kaletra), which is used to treat HIV; low-dose Dexamethasone,a steroid used to reduce inflammation; and azithromycin, a commonly used antibiotic. Similar trials are being set up around the world, which run independently to the Recovery Trial, but none have garnered as many participants as the UK programme. For example, similar drug trials in the US and Europe having only a few hundred volunteers. Scroll down for video It is the world's biggest trial of drugs to treat the coronavirus, which has killed more than 13,000 people in Britain and almost 150,000 globally. it will be run by Oxford University and includes four potential treatments, of which one is hydroxychloroquine Currently, experts are divided on which drugs could offer the best protection against the disease. Hydroxychloroquinem was recently voted as the best coronavirus drug currently available in an international poll of thousands of doctors. Early studies on a small number of patients, such as in Italy, China and France, show some promise. Controversial evidence claims a combination of hydroxychloroquinem and azithromycin is effective against coronavirus. Donald Trump gave this theory life when he tweeted saying it is 'one of the biggest game-changers in the history of medicine'. The combination has also received tentative support from French President Emmanuel Macron, who called for further trials into the treatment's efficacy. He visited the lab of polarising French doctor Didier Raoult who claimed the combination is a cure for the killer virus after a small study on only 36 people. Professor Raoult and his team reportedly found that hydroxychloroquine drastically reduced the viral load in a group which received the drug. Professor Raoult claimed a further study on 80 patients confirmed the antimalarial's 'efficiency' at combating the virus. But his claims raised eyebrows, and several critics said the testing was not carried out in a controlled study and that the results were purely 'observational'. Professor Francois Balloux of University College, London, rebutted that hydroxychloroquine could be the COVID-19 cure, writing on Twitter: 'No, (this is) not "huge" I'm afraid.' REVEALED: THE RECOVERY TRIAL DRUGS Hydroxychloroquine What are the brand versions of the drug? Plaquenil. What does it treat? Malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It is a less powerful and, by some experts' accounts, less toxic, version of chloroquine phosphate. Hydroxychloroquine, sold under the brand name Plaquenil, may treat COVID-19 Who makes it and where has it already been tested? Drug giant Sanofi carried out a study on 24 patients, which the French government described as 'promising'. French health officials are now planning on a larger trial of the drug, which is used on the NHS. What have studies shown? Results from the French study showed three quarters of patients treated with the drug were cleared of the virus within six days. None of the placebo group were treated. How does it work? It interferes with viral molecules replicating in red blood cells. Is it being tested in the UK? Hydroxychloroquine is one of the first drugs to be trialled in the Principle study. It involves high-risk patients in primary care, aged between 50 to 64, who have COVID-19 symptoms and a chronic health condition such as heart disease, asthma or cancer. It is unclear how many patients are taking part, and the study will run until March next year. So it will be a while before results are clear. The study is being at the University of Oxfords Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. Hydroxychloroquine is also thought to be among 1,000 drugs being tested at Queens University Belfast. What are its side effects? Skin rashes, nausea, diarrhoea and headaches. What do the experts think? Chinese scientists investigating the other form of chloroquine penned a letter to a prestigious journal saying its 'less toxic' derivative may also help. In the comment to Cell Discovery owned by publisher Nature, they said it shares similar chemical structures and mechanisms. The team of experts added: 'It is easy to conjure up the idea that hydroxychloroquine may be a potent candidate to treat infection by SARS-CoV-2.' Lopinavir/ritonavir What are the brand versions of the drug? Kaletra and Aluvia. What does it treat? Lopinavir/ritonavir, marketed under the brand names Kaletra and Aluvia, is an anti-HIV medicine It is an anti-HIV medicine given to people living with the virus to prevent it developing into AIDS. HIV patients were prescribed either Kaltra or ritonavir alone around 1,400 times in 2018. Who makes it? Illinois-based manufacturer AbbVie donated free supplies of the drug to authorities in China, the US and Europe for tests. What have studies shown? Chinese media reported that the drug was successfully used to cure patients with the coronavirus, but the reports have not been scientifically proven. A separate Chinese study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the lopinavir-ritonavir combination did not improve survival or speed recovery of COVID-19 patients. However, the authors noted they had enrolled a 'severely ill population' of patients. In a clinical trial submission, scientists in South Korea said lab studies have: 'In vitro [laboratory] studies revealed that lopinavir/ritonavir [has] antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).' How does it work? It is a class of drug called a protease inhibitor, which essentially stick to an enzyme on a virus which is vital to the virus reproducing. By doing this it blocks the process the virus would normally use to clone itself and spread the infection further. Is it being tested in the UK? It is not prescribed on the NHS for coronavirus because it hasn't been approved - but will be used in the Recovery trial, a massive study run by the University of Oxford for COVID-19 patients already in hospital. The trial started enrolling patients on March 23, with the aim of reaching COVID-19 patients in more than 150 UK hospitals within two weeks. The drug is also being trialled on coronavirus patients in China and at the University of Nebraska. What are its side effects? Known side effects include diarrhea, headaches, upset stomachs, drowsiness, dizziness, a bad taste in the mouth, and trouble sleeping. What do the experts think? The drugs have been described as 'promising' by experts. But there has been some hesitancy about the drug combination due to the NEJM study. Dexamethasone is a steroid drug is used to treat allergies and asthma, as well as some types of cancer Dexamethasone What are the brand versions of the drug? Ozurdex and Baycadron. What does it treat? The steroid drug is used to treat allergies and asthma, as well as some types of cancer. Who makes it? Baycadron is made by Wockhardt Usa, Llc, while Ozurdex is made by Allergan, the manufacturer of a commonly used textured breast implant. What have studies shown? No studies have yet to prove dexamethasone can treat SARS-CoV-2 - but it has been tested on patients with MERS and SARS, two different coronaviruses. One retrospective study of critically-ill patients with MERS found that almost half of the people that received steroids needed additional treatments such as assistance in breathing, drugs to increase blood pressure, and a form of dialysis. Those given steroids were found to take longer to clear the virus from their bodies. Other studies found that the virus was still present in SARS patients who took the drugs up to three weeks after infection. How does it work? Steroids are often used by doctors to reduce inflammation, which is present in the lungs of patients with the coronavirus. However, steroids also impair the immune system's ability to fight viruses and other infections that often develop in patients with life-threatening illness. Is it being tested in the UK? Dexamethasone is one of the drugs being used in the RECOVERY trial launched by the University of Oxford. It will include patients at more than 130 NHS hospitals across the UK. What are its side effects? The drug is known to cause an increase in appetite and heartburn, as well as muscle weakness and insomnia. What do the experts think? In a piece in prestigious medical journal The Lancet, three experts warned: 'No unique reason exists to expect that patients with 2019-nCoV infection will benefit from corticosteroids. 'And they might be more likely to be harmed with such treatment. 'We conclude that corticosteroid treatment should not be used for the treatment of 2019-nCoV-induced lung injury or shock outside of a clinical trial.' Azithromycin is an antibiotic which has shown signs of promise when used in conjunction with hydroxychloroquine Azithromycin What are the brand versions of the drug? Z-Pack and Zithromax What does it treat? It's widely used to treat chest infections such as pneumonia, infections of the nose and throat such as sinus infection (sinusitis), skin infections, Lyme disease, and some sexually transmitted infections. Azithromycin is used in children, often to treat ear infections or chest infections. Who makes it? Pfizer What have studies shown? Some clinicians have seen limited success in COVID-19 patients when adding it to chloroquine and/or hydroxycholoroquine. There is little concrete evidence for this however and it remains a controversial topic. Last month, big pharma firm Pfizer announced positive data for the use of its azithromycin (Zithromax) drug as a coronavirus treatment. Hydroxychloroquine was given to 20 COVID-19 patients, and six also received azithromycin. The rate of cure was highest in people who received hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, the study reported. How does it work? The drug itself is an antibiotic and therefore ineffective against viral infections. However, some experts think combining it with the old anti-malaria drugs can improve the prognosis for the sickest patients. It is unknown how or if the drug itself can be effective against a virus directly. Is it being tested in the UK? Azithromycin is one of the four drugs featured in the University of Oxford's Recovery Trial. This programme currently ha more than 5,000 participants who are all coronavirus patients currently in British hospitals. What are its side effects? Common side effects include nausea, diarrhoea or vomiting, losing your appetite, headaches, dizziness or changes to taste. More serious side effects which are far rarer include chest pains, yellowing skin/eye whites, tinnitus or vertigo. What do the experts think? Controversial scientists, such as French doctor Didier Raoult, claim the drug, iwhen used in partnership with hydroxychloroquine can help fight coronavirus. However, experts are almost universally of the opinion that the antibiotic on its own will offer no protection from the viral infection. Advertisement Drugs lopinavir and ritonavir make up a treatment sold commercially as Kaletra and Aluvia. It is an anti-HIV medicine given to people living with the virus to prevent it developing into AIDS and has been investigated for its use as a coronavirus treatment. Chinese media reported that the drug was successfully used to cure patients whereas conflicting evidence published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the lopinavir-ritonavir combination did not improve survival or speed recovery of COVID-19 patients. Dexamethasone is commonly used as an anti-inflammatory and is sold under the guise of Ozurdex and Baycadron. Early indications in the scientific literature are not promising for the drug as a coronavirus treatment, with it failing to improve the health of patients diagnosed with MERS and SARS. Azithromycin tablets better known by its brand name Z-Pack is currently soaring in popularity in the US due to unqualified claims made by Donald Trump. It has been spoke about predominantly in tandem with hydroxychloroquine but the antibiotic has been approved for trials in its own right. Last month, big pharma firm Pfizer announced positive data for the use of its azithromycin (Zithromax) drug as a coronavirus treatment. Hydroxychloroquine was given to 20 COVID-19 patients, and six also received azithromycin. The rate of cure was highest in people who received hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, the study reported. Peter Horby, professor of emerging infectious diseases and global health at Oxford University, is leading the Recovery Trial and said: 'This is by far the largest trial in the world. 'We're guessing some time in June we may get the results. If it is really clear that there are benefits, an answer will be available quicker.' However, Professor Horby cautioned against thinking the trial will provide an instant cure. He told The Guardian: 'We haven't got anything like a magic bullet. 'I think we have to temper people's expectations about these drugs. 'It's possible some might have an effect, but it's likely to be modest. 'I think what we'll be looking at in terms of making a significant impact will be moving on to combinations once we know of things that work. 'If we combine antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs, they might have a bigger impact.' The huge number of volunteers comes after leading medical scientists called for Britons to take part in the trials at the start of the month. NHS England medical director Professor Stephen Powis and the UK's chief medical officers penned an open letter to doctors urging them to enrol more volunteers. This call to arms included the Recovery (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy) trial, as well as the Principle trial, for high-risk patients in primary care and REMAP-CAP, for critically ill patients. WHAT ARE THE THREE MAIN CORONAVIRUS TRIALS IN THE UK? Principle The Principle trial is studying people aged 50 to 64 who have COVID-19 symptoms and a chronic health condition such as heart disease, asthma or cancer. It is unclear how many patients are taking part. It is also open to those aged 65 or over, with or without other illnesses. The first drug that will be trialled is hydroxychloroquine, sold as Plaquenil. Other potential treatments will be used if they show promise in pre-clinical studies. The study is being run at the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Research and Surveillance Centre (RSC) in Surrey. It will last until March next year. Recovery The Randomised Evaluation of COV-id19 thERapY (RECOVERY) trial is being run by the University of Oxford. It will test the HIV drug lopinavir/ritonavir, marketed as Kaletra and Aluvia, hydroxychloroquine, a malaria medication sold as Plaquenil, and dexamethasone, a type of steroid use in a range of conditions to reduce inflammation. Almost 1,000 patients from 132 different hospitals have been already recruited in just 15 days. Thousands more are expected to join the trial in the coming weeks, making it the largest randomised controlled trial of potential COVID-19 treatments in the world. Definitive results on whether the treatments are safe and effective are expected within months and, if positive, they could potentially benefit hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. REMAP-CAP The REMAP-CAP trial is an international effort, with more than 50 research teams around the world taking part. It is looking specifically at patients who develop community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) as a result of viral infections. The study will test 16 drugs, including hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir and interferon beta, which have all shown promise in pre-clinical trials. Between 2,000 and 4,000 patients will be enrolled. Advertisement 'The faster that patients are recruited, the sooner we will get reliable results,' the letter stated. Recovery will look at the drugs separately and gauge how effective they are as independent treatments. If they show promise it is possible a combined trial will be set up further down the line, the scientists claim. According to the Guardian, a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis is also set to be included in the RECOVERY trial. Called tocilizumab, it is an interleukin 6 antagonist and combats the fall-out when the immune system goes into overdrive, as can happen in severe COVID-19 cases. Other ongoing trials in the UK, independent of the Recovery Trial, include REMAP-CAP, which is an international effort. It includes more than 50 research teams around the world and is looking specifically at patients who develop community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) as a result of viral infections. The study will test 16 drugs, including hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir and interferon beta, which have all shown promise in pre-clinical trials. New potential treatments specific to COVID-19 will also be tested at these sites. The Principle trial is another onging project and is studying people aged 50 to 64 who have COVID-19 symptoms and a chronic health condition such as heart disease, asthma or cancer. It is also open to those aged 65 or over, with or without other illnesses. The study is being run at the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Research and Surveillance Centre (RSC) in Surrey. It will last until March next year. The University of Oxford is also leading the charge in the search for a vaccination, and is looking for more than 500 people aged between 18 and 55 to test the effectiveness of the vaccine, dubbed ChAdOx1 nCoV-19. The potentially life-saving injection is already in production but will not be ready 'for some weeks', the institution said in a statement. Those selected for the study will be split into two groups, and given either the vaccine itself or a dummy jab. The patient will not know which one they are given. Manufacture of the vaccine is occurring at the university itself. Work on the vaccine started in January when the first details of the SARS-Cov-2 virus were reported to the World Health Organization. It has been fast-tracked through development and flown through clinical trials and preliminary animal tests. Professor Adrian Hill, Director of the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, said: 'The Oxford team had exceptional experience of a rapid vaccine response, such as to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014. 'This is an even greater challenge. Vaccines are being designed from scratch and progressed at an unprecedented rate. 'The upcoming trial will be critical for assessing the feasibility of vaccination against COVID-19 and could lead to early deployment.' The trial has full scientific and ethical approval but scientists acknowledge the accelerated pace does pose risks. However, these are likely to be outweighed by the benefits of creating an effective vaccine to the novel coronavirus which has infected more than half a million people. When Fox News host Sean Hannity wondered what it would take to reopen the country, he turned to his trusted source on all things medicine and science: Mehmet Oz, the surgeon and TV personality better known as Dr. Oz. "First, we need our mojo back," Oz said Tuesday night, in a soundbite that has since gone viral. He suggested that some things could be opened "without getting into a lot of trouble," such as schools. "I tell you, schools are a very appetizing opportunity," he said, adding that resuming classes, according to his reading of a new medical journal analysis, "may only cost us 2 to 3% in terms of total mortality." That death rate, he concluded, "might be a trade-off some folks would consider." His suggestion sparked an enormous response on social media - prompting his somewhat apologetic statement late Thursday: "I misspoke," he said in a video released on Twitter, acknowledging that his words had "confused and upset people." The goal, he said, was to discuss "how do we get our children safely back to school" because he is "being asked constantly how we'll be able to get people back to their normal lives." It was one of dozens of pronouncements that Oz has offered on Fox since the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, during which the network has turned to him on a range of topics outside his background as a cardiothoracic surgeon. When should schools reopen? What drugs are effective against covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus? When will there be enough ventilators? Oz isn't a virologist or a pharmacologist or a logistics expert, but he doesn't hesitate in answering with the confidence of an expert, name-dropping corporations, elected officials and medical journals along the way. Oz, 59, who also hosts a syndicated daytime show, has long been a popular and controversial figure, and has faced criticism for comments he's made about topics such as vaccines and the Ebola virus. He fielded questions from a congressional panel in 2014 for pushing questionable weight-loss schemes. Physicians in 2015 called for his firing from Columbia University's medical school because, they said, Oz has "repeatedly shown disdain for science and for evidence-based medicine." In the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, he's become a fixture on Fox News, where he has offered some guidance within the scientific mainstream - such as advocating for uniform testing and warning people with underlying medical conditions to remain careful after social distancing ends - and has hyped the potential of hydroxychloroquine, a drug whose benefits for covid-19 are unproved and little tested. In addition to being a charismatic speaker and a familiar face to TV audiences, Oz's appeal to Fox may lie in the fact that many of his positions tend to be in sync with those of the networks' popular primetime hosts and with President Donald Trump. Oz has echoed Hannity's - and Trump's - promotion of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug. He praised South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican whose state is doing widespread testing of hydroxychloroquine and is home to a significant coronavirus cluster after she held off on a stay-home order. He's mentioned research on the drug by doctors in China, directly quoting them on air. During an appearance on "Fox and Friends" last week, Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious-disease expert, urged caution in response to Oz's claims. "Although there is some suggestion [of effectiveness] in a study that was just mentioned by Dr. Oz . . . I think we've got to be careful that we don't make that majestic leap to assume that this is a knockout drug," Fauci said. "We still need to do the kinds of studies to definitively prove whether any intervention, not just this one . . . is truly safe and effective." Oz pushed back during a later "Fox and Friends" spot, suggesting that Fauci should "respect" the studies conducted to date, even if they were small. For weeks, Oz has been trying to find reasons for Fox viewers to be hopeful; in late March, he went on air and listed a litany of potential covid-19 treatments, including several drugs. "If you're a patient and you get covid-19, it is worth asking your doctor about any of the products on this list." On Thursday, Oz told "Fox and Friends" that he was "really bothered" by Boston University's announcement that it was canceling its fall semester. Efforts to reach Oz through his TV production company and through Columbia University, where he is affiliated, were unsuccessful Thursday. A Fox News spokeswoman said that Oz was a guest, not a paid contributor for the network, and that Fox had recently added several doctors to serve as contributors. She declined to comment further. Launched to television fame as a regular guest on Oprah Winfrey's talk show, Oz has hosted his own program since 2009. In 2016, candidate Trump appeared on "The Dr. Oz Show" to discuss his personal health, in lieu of releasing his medical records. He later appointed Oz to serve on the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. Oz's pronouncements on a wide range of health and medical issues have stirred up trouble before, most memorably in 2015, when a group of 10 physicians urged Columbia University to disassociate itself from him, accusing him of "promoting quack treatments and cures in the interest of personal financial gain." Oz is vice chair of the medical school's surgery department. The physicians, led by Henry Miller, a senior fellow at the Pacific Research Institute in San Francisco, said Oz had "either outrageous conflicts of interest or flawed judgments about what constitutes appropriate medical treatments, or both." They cited a "Dr. Oz Show" episode in 2011 in which investigators claimed apple juice contained unsafe levels of arsenic. The Food and Drug Administration disputed the findings and said the report was misleading. (Asked about Oz's latest coronavirus comments, Miller replied, "Sorry, but I have better things to do - like cleaning my fingernails - than watching Oz or discussing him.") Oz was also called out during a hearing on Capitol Hill in 2014 for touting "miracle" weight-loss products on his show that, in fact, offer no special benefit. Then-Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, said during the hearing that his claims were deceptive: "When you call a product a miracle, and it's something you can buy and it's something that gives people false hope, I just don't understand why you need to go there," she said. He replied that the products gave people hope to keep trying to lose weight. Oz responded to the criticism from Miller in a written statement. "I bring the public information that will help them on their path to be their best selves," he wrote. "We provide multiple points of view, including mine which is offered without conflict of interest. That doesn't sit well with certain agendas which distort the facts." Columbia rejected the effort to oust him, saying his commentaries were protected by academic freedom. Oz's enormous popularity and celebrity may protect him from the kind of professional discipline that might deter a lesser-known doctor. Writing in the American Medical Association's Journal of Ethics in 2017, three Mayo Clinic scholars questioned whether Oz has essentially become too big to be brought to heel. "Should a physician be allowed to say anything - however inaccurate and potentially harmful - so long as that individual commands market share?" wrote Jon Tilburt, Megan Allyse and Frederic Hafferty. "Dr. Oz certainly appears to be someone peddling unproven and ineffective remedies for personal gain. It would seem like his is a paradigmatic test case for professional self-regulation in medicine. Yet, he remains immensely popular, prompting us to wonder, if we can't effectively sanction Dr. Oz, whom can we sanction?" TDT | Manama The King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Co-existence has mourned the death of Board of Trustees member Bishop Camillo Ballin, the Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, who passed away at the age of 75. It described the death as a big loss to the Kingdom and the centre, recalling the qualities of Bishop Camillo and his contribution to boosting religious tolerance and coexistence. It also pointed out Bishop Camillos continuous praise of Bahrains openness and good treatment of Catholics. The centre paid homage to Bishop Camillo, underlining his prominent contribution to boosting relations between the Vatican and the Arabian Gulf countries. It also noted his remarkable activities in the Gulf Churches Fellowship (GCF) and his supervision of the Catholic Churchs presence. It pointed out his love for Bahrain, which made him move his permanent residence to the Kingdom in 2011. The centre pointed out that Bishop Camillo oversaw the construction of the biggest cathedral in the region on a land plot of 8,788sqm which was granted by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to the community. It extended condolences to the family of Bishop Camillo as well as followers of Christianity and the Catholic Church, praying to Allah Almighty to bless the deceased with mercy and provide his family with patience and consolation. Two cyclists wearing face masks pedal along Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Wearing face coverings or masks when conducting essential business like shopping and keeping medical appointments is now the law in many parts of California. But some jurisdictions are going further, requiring face coverings in most public settings. Beverly Hills, Glendale and Riverside County require people to wear masks whenever they go outside , including for walks in their neighborhoods . Some health experts say it doesn't hurt to take the extra precautions. Dr. Loren Miller, a physician and researcher at the Lundquist Institute in Torrance, said masks aren't intended to protect the person wearing them but to shield the transfer of saliva onto another person, potentially infecting them. Wearing masks while walking around your neighborhood is sound advice, Miller said. In a place like Los Angeles, with trails, beaches and parks closed , its common to see people using sidewalks as their new exercise venue. In some cases, it might not always be feasible to stay at least six feet away from one another. Chunhuei Chi, director of the Center for Global Health at Oregon State University, says as long as you can maintain that six-foot perimeter, mask wearing isn't imperative. If the running path isnt wide enough to pass, Chi said, people can hold their breath until theyre in the clear. Its one option he and his wife have used during their daily walks, he said. Miller said another option is to do the vampire move or dab, where you turn your head and put your elbow over your mouth. If a person coughs or sneezes, contaminated droplets will go into their elbow. Health experts have also suggested that you wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before and after touching your face or face coverings. The California Department of Public Health says wearing masks 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. Story continues 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. Heres some advice from California health officials: Wash your cloth face covering frequently, ideally after each use, or at least daily. Have a separate bag or bin to keep used cloth face coverings in until they can be laundered with detergent and hot water and dried on a hot cycle. If you must re-wear your cloth face covering before washing, wash your hands immediately after putting it back on and avoid touching your face. Discard cloth face coverings that no longer cover the nose and mouth, have stretched-out or damaged ties or straps, cannot stay on the face, or have holes or tears in the fabric Los Angeles Countys new requirement on wearing face coverings went into effect Wednesday night. Customers of essential businesses are required to wear a face covering while inside. Also, employers of essential businesses must provide all employees whose duties require contact with other people with a cloth face covering to wear. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, recommended wearing a face covering anytime youre in public places with other people, such as on a bus or a train while making an essential trip. If youre all by yourself ... you can put it on if you want to, but youre not required to, Ferrer said. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das made an address on Friday at a time when the country battles the coronavirus pandemic. Das began his address by expressing his gratitude towards those in the frontline of helping the country battle the coronavirus pandemic. Das said he thought it was necessary for the RBI to convey its approach to the wider audience. The RBI has been monitoring the situation very closely and we have been coming up with certain announcements every second or third day, Das said. He said that banks and financial institutions have risen to the occasion. Das quoted father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi and said that light and hope persists amid death and darkness. Since March 27, 2020, when I spoke to you last, the macroeconomic and financial landscape has deteriorated in some areas but light shines through in some areas, Das stated. Slivers of brightness encircle the gloom, Das said. Here are the top announcements made by Das in his address: 1. It has been decided to reduce the fixed reverse repo rate under liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points from 4% to 3.75%, with immediate effect. 2. Banks not to make any further dividend payout in view of financial difficulties arising from Covid-19. 3. 90-day NPA norm not to apply on moratorium granted on existing loans by banks. 4. RBI will announce new measures to maintain adequate liquidity, facilitate bank credit flow, ease financial stress. Watch | RBI cuts reverse repo rate by 25 bps, expects 7.4% GDP growth in 2021-22 5. On April 14, International Monetary Fund (IMF) released its global growth projections revealing that in 2020, the global economy is expected to plunge into the worst recession since The Great Depression. 6. The IMFs economic councillor has estimated the cumulative loss to global GDP over 2020-21 at around $9 trillion which is greater than the economies of Japan and Germany combined. 7. India is among the handful of countries that is projected to cling on to somewhat tenuously to positive growth at 1.9%. This is the highest growth rate among the G20e economies as estimated by the IMF. 8. International Monetary Fund projects sizable reshaped recoveries, close to 9 percentage points for the global GDP. India is expected to post a sharp turnaround & resume its pre-covid, pre-slowdown trajectory by growing at 7.4% in 2020-21. 9. Contraction in exports in March 2020 at 34.6%, turned out to be much more severe than during the Global Financial Crisis. However, amidst all this, the level of Forex Exchange Reserves which we have continues to be robust. 10. It has been decided to provide special refinance facilities for an amount of Rs 50,000 crores to National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development, Small Industries Development Bank of India, and National Housing Bank to enable them to meet sectoral credit needs. A boyfriend is facing jail after he attacked his girlfriend with picture of them together during an 'unhappy' Valentine's dinner at the Shard, a court heard. Daryl Hicks, 27, from Southampton, beat Natalie Jensen with a plastic bag containing a gift photo they had commissioned at the skyscraper in central London on February 15. Robert Katz, defending, said: 'The incident concerned an unhappy Valentine's Day dinner. 'They were having dinner at the Shard and they were arguing after they left. 'He hit her with a plastic bag containing the gift photo from the Shard. He was seen by passers-by to hit her with the plastic bag. 'She's isolated at home. She doesn't have support where she is. She doesn't have friends and she doesn't have family nearby. Daryl Hicks, 27, from Southampton, used a gift photo of him and his girlfriend, Natalie Jensen, wrapped in a plastic bag to beat her after they had a Valentine's dinner at the Shard 'She needs somebody to pick up medication for her. She wants to engage with Mr Hicks. 'There are issues with binge drinking and most of the issues of violence were as a result of binge drinking. 'She was never supportive of the prosecution. 'If she had concerns surely she would have voiced those to the police. 'I have no reason to believe Ms Jenson is behind the request.' Other people in London saw Daryl hit his girlfriend with the picture frame in London on February, 15. Daryl plead guilty to assault by beating and was convicted on February, 17 District Judge Michael Snow interrupted: 'I thought the instruction had come from Mr Hicks' mother who had been contacted by the complainant. 'The problem is that it is domestic violence. 'He's a man of violence. He has two recent convictions for offences involving violence.' Aaron McCalister, prosecuting, said: 'Even though Ms Jensen wasn't supportive of the prosecution, perhaps she would have made clear to the police that she wanted him to return to the area. 'But officers in the case made attempts to contact her and haven't been able to get in touch, so she hasn't been able to verify the fact the defence say it is her who wants contact. 'He pushed a girlfriend to the floor in 2013. In 2016 he punched a partner in the face, giving her a black eye.' Hicks admitted two counts of assault by beating and one of obstructing a constable. He was remanded in custody until May 14. Known for the honey bears he paints in San Francisco, the street artist known as fnnch has a new series in the Castro. Nine masked bears one holding a wine glass, another designed like a pump-bottle of sanitizer cover the boarded-up doors and windows of neighborhood institutions like Nizarios Pizza, the Sausage Factory and Moby Dick. Even before COVID-19 sent California into near-lockdown, the neighborhood was afflicted with numerous commercial vacancies. Now, the Castro, along with its unique institutions and patterns of everyday life, is staring down an existential crisis. And its hardly alone. From the Missions 24th Street corridor to Japantown, the pandemic and prolonged shutdown threaten some of San Franciscos most cherished, and iconic, neighborhoods. The neighborhoods hadnt exactly prepared for a pandemic, but over the past few years, nine of them formed city-sanctioned cultural districts. The concept was designed to prevent residential displacement and protect historically important businesses that serve a specialized customer base. Earlier this year, the Castro launched one as well, electing the first members to its advisory board. City funding for the districts came after a 2018 ballot measure (Proposition E) reallocated hotel-tax revenue to the arts. With occupancy rates currently in the single digits and a projected municipal budget deficit as high as $1.7 billion there has been some uncertainty over the level of continued funding. But Prop. E accounted for crisis, according to Julia Sabory, cultural districts manager with the Mayors Office of Housing and Community Development. It caps the total annual increase or decrease of the hotel-tax allocations at 10 percent. So that is huge for us to continue our work. This year, the districts shared a $3 million pot. Even if only a handful of tourists visited San Francisco during the next two years, that would still mean $2.43 million in 2022. Although the districts are in very different places in their development, Sabory says, she expects most of the money will be used to support small businesses, arts programming and people facing displacement. Still, the task of promoting neighborhood culture just got a lot more herculean now that the coronavirus has been added to the already-immense forces of gentrification. Dividing $3 million to help keep the Castro gay, the Bayview black, Japantown Japanese and Central SoMa Filipino looks like an impossible task. In the Tenderloin, for instance, the work of the Comptons Transgender Cultural District has essentially gone online a sensible move but perhaps a vexing one. The district, after all, made itself known most visibly by repainting the Tenderloins lampposts and streetlights with the pink-white-and-blue colors of the Transgender Pride flag. Were working on doing some content and hangouts and really creating a social space even in the midst of social distancing for trans people to stay connected and to minimize isolation, says executive director Aria Said. We still do mini-activations. Were trying. The district is trying to power on even with uncertainty. In western SoMa, the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District is no stranger to loss. Formed in 2018 to protect a traditionally working-class neighborhood with decades of queer history, it encompasses a nightlife zone where bars and clubs like the Eagle, the Stud, and Oasis were thriving right up until the pandemic hit. At the same time, it has a melancholy mission of promoting awareness of the dozens of bars and LGBTQ spaces that were lost to displacement and the HIV/AIDS crisis plus entire generations of gay men. We were just at the point of beginning to launch our public-facing programs, says Bob Goldfarb, the leather districts board president. Were probably going to be fairly constrained in our ability to do that. Were going to be looking for outside grants and private foundations. Right now, the districts priority is assessing whether any businesses within its footprint may be in jeopardy. So far, Goldfarb says, they dont fully know. Still, it has executed one highly visible project: A short block of 12th Street between Harrison and Bernice streets will soon become the pedestrian-only Eagle Plaza, with a giant Leather Pride flag already flying above. Jessica Christian / The Chronicle 2019 Even districts like Japantown, which has been woven into the general publics consciousness for decades, havent been spared. This weekends Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival is online-only a major blow to neighborhood merchants that serve an ethnic population that dispersed long ago. Japantown will continue to exist, says Nina Bakan-Sakamoto, cultural district project manager with the Japantown Task Force, but its drastically scaling back plans, like a Grand Launch party scheduled for October. 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. One ray of hope may be SOMA Pilipinas, which covers a vast swath of central SoMa. It has fairly diversified income streams and past donations from private entities, according to Desi Danganan, the executive director of Kultivate Labs and Undiscovered SF, major players within the Filipino heritage district. Civic groups have already rallied to organize food banks and check-ins on seniors and low-income individuals. Filipino culture is all about adaptation, he says. Were a group of islands that always get hit by hurricanes and crazy storms, and because of that our community and our people have learned to adapt in times of crisis, making do with what we got and helping one another. Still, Mestiza Taqueria, a fusion restaurant within the district that was on the San Francisco Chronicles Top 100 Restaurants of 2019, announced its closure this week. Our big fear is theres going to be more, says Danganan. A survey of entrepreneurs within the heritage district revealed that 60% had only two months worth of cash and that was like two weeks ago. Were on this path of seeing more than half our Filipino businesses closing. This, then, is the grim reality: SOMA Pilipinas and the Castro LGBTQ district are still in their infancy. Their governing organizations may have to pull back just as the businesses they were designed to protect need them most. After years of hard work, displacement may only accelerate. The virus may prove less lethal than its aftermath. Peter Lawrence Kane is the communications manager of San Francisco Pride and a former editor of SF Weekly. Email: culture@sfchronicle.com LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) Lafayette police are warning people about a scam that's targeting healthcare workers, therapists and psychologists. LPD said the national scam has shown up in Tippecanoe County. It involves the scammer calling the professional saying they missed a court date. Police say the scammer will often use the name of a legitimate officer with LPD. The scammer then threatens the victim, saying a warrant has been issued for their arrest unless they immediately pay a bond. In some calls, the victim has also been directed to purchase a pre-paid card, then given the scammer those numbers. Police said you should not call back any number provided by the scammer. Many residents, including a citizen committee, are urging Butte-Silver Bow Commissioners to endorse a long-negotiated plan for cleaning up mine pollution in Butte. Of 27 people who submitted written comments or spoke Wednesday evening about the Butte Hill consent decree, all but four favored the plan. We are not saying the consent decree is perfect, said John Ray, a Montana Tech professor who spoke on behalf of the Citizens Technical Environmental Committee, or CTEC. We recognize that the consent decree is a negotiated compromise and in any compromise you dont get everything you want, he said. We do believe the remedy as laid out in the ROD (Record of Decision) amendment and consent decree will protect human health and the environment. Ray spoke by telephone as commissioners met via videoconference because of coronavirus concerns. The council is deciding whether to allow county Chief Executive Dave Palmer to sign the consent decree so it can be sent to the U.S. Department of Justice and a federal judge for final consideration. Commissioners plan to take more written and verbal comments on May 6 before making a decision. The legal document spells out work needed to address mine pollution in Uptown, Walkerville, parts of Blacktail and Silver Bow creeks and other areas. It includes some work that needs to be done forever. The plan took years of negotiation between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the state of Montana, Atlantic Richfield Co. and Butte-Silver Bow. It must be approved by all parties, but Palmer needs the councils OK to sign it. Ray told commissioners that a signed consent was not the end of the public's ability to affect the outcome of the cleanup plan, but rather the beginning of a path forward. He said CTEC will continue to work with the negotiating parties as the cleanup work proceeds. Butte resident Dan Villa, a former state budget director who helped negotiate the plan, said in a letter before the council that it should move forward without delay. Its work plans have been known to the public for nearly two years and have not substantially or substantively changed, he wrote. You have before you a work product that has been thoroughly vetted, meticulously constructed, and whose substantive components have been before the citizenry you represent for the better part of two years, he said. The contaminated wastes and all their human health and environmental risks will remain so long as you do not act. In a letter to the council, state Rep. Jim Keane, D-Butte, said it had taken 30 years to get to this point and the plan has measures beyond what was thought of in the past. We need to now support the efforts made in the past with the consent decree which will allow efforts moving into the future, Keane wrote. On behalf of George Grant Trout Unlimited, chapter president Mark Thompson said in a letter that approval of the consent decree was urgent. If the Commission votes against approval, the negotiated consent decree is invalid and will be discarded, he wrote. Years of hard work and heated yet fruitful discussions to reach the current agreement will become null and void. If that happens, he said, Atlantic Richfield and the EPA would be forced into a unilateral order at an enormous cost to the community. Joe Griffin, a retired project manager for the Department of Environmental Qualitys Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit, said the plan should move forward now. Trust your professional Butte-Silver Bow staff, Griffin said. They have proven their ability to proficiently operate critical components of the remedyThey have worked tirelessly and selflessly to bring the very best to Butte. Griffin said if the document is not signed, Gov. Steve Bullocks commitment to set aside state money for removing the Parrot Tailings will be in large part wasted and the Silver Bow Creek Conservation Area, that beautiful headwaters park with all of its public amenities, would be off the table. Bob Brock was among the four who said the council should insist on changes to the plan. It currently allows waivers of certain environmental standards that no other community in the country has for stormwater, he said. I'm not convinced that you all have before you just an up or down vote, Brock said. I understand you cannot modify and amend the consent decree, but the parties, I believe, can return to the table and make some minor modifications by clearing up that ambiguity. Butte resident Don Foley said in a letter that there was no need to hurry the process. I feel we need to take our time and let people meet in person, he said. I also feel outside council with subject matter expertise should be hired to ensure our rights are protected. Butte resident Linda Trevanna said in a letter that the issue of Silver Bow Creek had not been addressed and was merely left at the mercy of Atlantic Richfield. Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 7 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A financial services firm in Mumbai is holding a virtual townhall on April 20 to check the feasibility of allowing 50 percent of the staff to work from home for the next three months (after May 3) amidst the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The companys idea is to facilitate workplace safety even after the second lockdown ends on May 3. Remote working or work-from-home was seen as an excuse for not working by India Inc. But the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the perception of the companies to an extent that these firms are willing to experiment with the idea for a few more months. Live updates on Coronavirus pandemic in India There is a definite cost saving that can be done in terms of water usage, fuel expense allowances and power consumption at the work-stations if some individuals are allowed to work from home. If the business is not hampered why shouldnt we allow it, said the human resource head of the company quoted above. To minimise the spread of COVID-19 in India, the government enforced a 21-day lockdown which was to end on April 14 midnight. However, with the rise in the number of positive cases, the lockdown has been extended till May 3. 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 lockdown had forced companies to allow remote working to the staff, except for those employed in the essential services. Earlier there was a skepticism that working from home is not effective. However, companies have now realised that this is a myth and hence would allow more people to work-from-home this year, said Aditya Narayan Mishra, CEO, CIEL HR Services. Among companies, it is likely that only individuals in field jobs like sales or client/customer-facing roles in banks, retail, advertising, media, FMCG and technology firms would be required to report to work for the most part of 2020. Staff in manufacturing facilities would not get any exemptions. Apart from the fact that remote working helps save costs and time, safety is also being cited as a reason to promote this idea. The India head of a global staffing firm said that in the absence of a vaccine companies are worried about making all employees report to work. There could be an asymptomatic employee who could potentially infect the entire office. In India, offices are crowded workspaces and hence it is better to err on the side of caution. Among our corporate clients, remote working extension will be given to employees with children below five years of age and those who live with ailing parents, he added. Also Read: Are Indian companies ready for remote working? Due to the Coronavirus situation, almost 4-5 million Indian employees have been working from home since mid-March. Companies have also not reported any losses that have been specifically linked to remote working. There was a stigma attached to remote working across companies. It was a belief that employees working from home would not be serious about the daily operations and would be less attentive. Unless the employee faces customers or has to attend a strategy meeting, there is actually no need to turn up to work. We are in fact slower than the peers to allow remote working because we were not sure how effective it would be, said the chief executive officer of an electrical goods firm. Unlike its peers that had announced remote working from March 14 onwards for corporate office staff, this company only allowed it from March 26. A part of this company is categorised as essential services since it provides wires, cables meant to keep power generation services up and running. In a recent interaction with Moneycontrol, Bajaj Allianz Life MD & CEO Tarun Chugh also agreed that work-from-home would be the new normal in India for the near term. If the lockdown ends, it does not mean that people will suddenly go start going to offices. Work-from-home is here and setting into Indian culture. Even three months hence, there would be enough people doing remote working, added Chugh. Though initial glitches were faced by companies on connectivity, providing laptops and personal computers to work on, industry sources said that infrastructure challenges of remote working have been ironed out over a month. Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here A homeless man with coronavirus symptoms was left sleeping on buses after authorities failed to find him accommodation. The man contacted several government-funded services tasked with helping the homeless, but was told there was no space for him, human rights journalists at Liberty Investigates found. The man, in his 30s, tried ringing the Governments homelessness helpline StreetLink when he began suffering a cough and fever, but his calls were not returned. He eventually phoned east London charity the Hackney Migrant Centre (HMC), explaining his situation and that his application for asylum had been refused. Once HMC had raised the case with StreetLink, an outreach worker from its partner Government-funded charity, Thames Reach, visited the man. The worker saw he was sleeping on a bus and unwell but told him there was no space for him in local accommodation, HMC said. The charity also contacted case workers at the mans local council, Tower Hamlets, who allegedly told him at one point he was ineligible for support due to his immigration status. This is despite the Government insisting all homeless people should be provided with shelter during the Covid-19 crisis, whatever their circumstances. On March 26, junior housing minister Luke Hall MP, wrote to local councils in England asking them to find rooms for all rough sleepers including refused asylum seekers. The letter also asked authorities to begin separating those with symptoms, and stressed that anyone concerned about a homeless person during the epidemic could use its StreetLink app to report it. However, it wasnt until the charity published tweets copying in local MPs that the man was finally found a hotel room on Good Friday by the councils out-of-hours team. The man was not provided with food other than the breakfast included in the hotel booking, so with no cash to buy food, and guidelines to self-isolate, he went hungry over the Easter weekend. I find it shocking that there wasnt accommodation available for a man who was sleeping on buses and suffering Covid-19 symptoms, said HMC director of services Daf Viney. The poor provision of food was not an isolated case, he added in an interview with Liberty Investigates. We often have to battle really hard to get any support for migrants and, when we do, we find its the absolute bare minimum of support is provided," he said. "For the good of the wider population, its vital that peoples basic needs are met. The Government has scrambled to protect vulnerable rough sleepers with its 1.6 billion funding pledge and pleas to local authorities to go above and beyond. Homelessness charities have welcomed the 1.6 billion package but warned of ongoing confusion and gaps in its implementation. There remain a number of remaining barriers to the government achieving its ambition... this remains a public health emergency and a race against time, they wrote in an open letter to the Prime Minister signed by Crisis, Homeless Link, Thames Reach, The Passage and others. They said access by local authorities to the cash pot was not always easy or certain, causing unwillingness among some local authorities to fork out for accommodation - while some homeless people were wrongly being denied help. The Greater London Authority announced on Tuesday that it has now housed 1,057 of the capitals rough sleepers - but this was only about one ninth of the 8,855 its own records showed were sleeping rough in the reporting year of April 2018 and March 2019. Lockdown London 1 /18 Lockdown London Thames Reach said in a statement that the operation to house rough sleepers during the crisis was complex and constantly evolving, admitting there have been some issues. We are working incredibly hard across London with our partners including the Greater London Authority in order to rehouse people sleeping rough during this difficult and dangerous time, it said. Due to the complex nature of this process, the situation is constantly evolving and there have been some issues accessing accommodation and provisions in a timely way ... We are disheartened to hear of this story and sorry that the gentleman was not accommodated as quickly as we would have hoped. A homeless man wearing a protective face mask is seen in Westminster / REUTERS StreetLink said it had checked the mans case and was satisfied that (its) team members have followed the processes correctly. A spokesperson for Tower Hamlets Council said: The council is committed to supporting rough sleepers as part of our response to the coronavirus. We have secured additional hotel and hostel space in the local area and have successfully accommodated more than 70 rough sleepers so far. In this case, the gentleman concerned was not previously known to our rough sleeping team and his immigration status meant that in normal circumstances he would not have been eligible for support from the council. That resulted in a delay in securing accommodation for him. We are pleased that he is now staying in a hotel where he has sufficient facilities to allow him to self-isolate safely. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 01:15:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) repeatedly called on countries to attach great importance to the outbreak and improve preparedness at its early stage, which a recently released WHO timeline of COVID-19 response clearly showed, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press conference when responding to a journalist's question on criticisms of the WHO for not placing travel restrictions at the early stage of COVID-19 outbreak. "Since the outbreak of COVID-19, WHO has said it does not recommend trade or travel restrictions based on science and in accordance with the International Health Regulations and repeatedly explained the ground for such decision," said Zhao. "As I understand, in the previous five times when WHO announced Public Health Emergency of International Concern, no travel or trade restrictions were recommended, including during the H1N1 flu outbreak in 2009." Recently, the UN Secretary-General and many heads of state and international organizations have expressed support for WHO. The UN General Assembly has adopted by consensus a resolution affirming WHO's role. The statement issued by the Extraordinary G20 Summit not long ago also stressed its full support and commitment to further strengthening the WHO's role in coordinating international anti-pandemic action, which also reflected the shared opinion of the international community, he said. "I would like to point out that the WHO recommendations were made by the relevant committee in accordance with WHO procedures, which also include the opinion of experts from the United States," Zhao added. Enditem For Congress, the coronavirus pandemic changed everything except the personality feuds that have defined the institution in the Trump era. Instead of congressional leaders and President Donald Trump rallying to take on a virus thats crushing the economy and killing tens of thousands of Americans, the opposite has happened. The partisan sniping and long simmering squabbles among the White House and Big Four Senate leaders Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy are more prominent than ever. The most recent example came Thursday. As an emergency rescue fund for small businesses ran dry, leaders on both sides dug in extending a weeklong dispute about how to replenish the program and who was at fault for the delay. It is surreal to see Democratic leaders treat support for workers and small businesses as something they need to be goaded into supporting, said McConnell, who brought the Senate in for a brief session and then promptly adjourned until Monday. This should be above politics. The comment offered only a hint of the disputes between congressional leaders that are multifaceted, personal and stubborn. While there is a legitimate policy disagreement among the parties, long-running personal quarrels among the most powerful people in Washington are also undermining relief efforts. And the idea of Congress rising above politics is laughable at the moment, even as the need for statesmanship has never been greater. The origin of the latest clash is a game of phone tag that has left each side accusing the other of pettiness. Democrats, now angry that Republicans began to move forward without their input, are dealing only with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Republicans, in turn, are mounting an all-out assault on the Democratic Party as hostage-takers that hate small businesses. Sidelined and forced to watch the political theater play out from their home states, some rank-and-file lawmakers in both parties are growing exasperated. Story continues Im frustrated, Im dismayed, Im disgusted, said Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who beat a GOP incumbent in 2018. And I speak for a lot of us when I say that. Phillips emphasized he wasnt criticizing any one leader in particular but rather the business-as-usual partisanship on display as top lawmakers and party campaign committees blast out statements blaming the other side instead of negotiating. Retorted Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), an ally of McConnell: I know this is shocking to you, but some of its just posturing. I dont think were going to stay stuck forever, Cornyn added. Still, he blamed Schumer and Pelosi for using an emergency as an opportunity to spend money. Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., listens during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) Its a tried and true tradition in politics for leaders to harangue the other side publicly while quietly working behind the scenes to clinch a bipartisan deal. But the institution is hindered by the interpersonal relationships or lack thereof between the four leaders. For Pelosi and McConnell, there are still hard feelings over how the last round of coronavirus negotiations played out. Pelosi and McCarthy have a limited working relationship, while Schumer and McConnell are standoffish at the best of times. That dynamic makes governing in ordinary times a challenge. But now, some lawmakers note, the consequences are literally life and death. While party leaders bicker, critical funds for small businesses, hospitals and state and local governments are running out. Mitch McConnell doesnt talk to anybody on our side of the aisle, fumed Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.). This is a serious, serious problem. Were in the middle of a pandemic come on, man. Why wont [Pelosi] allow more money? McCarthy asked reporters Thursday. I cannot understand a scenario where you want to play politics with that. Theres no explanation. All they have to do is say yes today. One of the biggest issues in the latest conflict is that Democrats contend McConnell moved forward on a bill to deliver more money for the Paycheck Protection Program established in the coronavirus rescue law without talking to Schumer first. They say its just the latest example of McConnells unilateral approach during the pandemic. He did that not even trying to work with Leader Schumer whatsoever, said Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who serves on Schumers leadership team but often breaks with his party. My God. Chuck will talk to the wall. Chucks not hard to talk to. You might not agree with him, but hell talk to anybody. On the morning of April 7, McConnell sent out a news release announcing his plans to try to approve more money for the small business fund. McConnells office said the leader placed two phone calls and followed up with two emails to Schumers staff that day and that those entreaties were not returned. Democrats say those efforts came too late anyway and that McConnell had already made his decision publicly. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said if Schumer is offended because he didnt get a phone call soon enough from the majority leader, then I think the minority leader ought to fill out a hurt feelings report and lets move on. I apologize on behalf of God and country. I apologize to him. Consider me sorry, Kennedy said. Democrats say they have no problem with the additional $250 billion to support small businesses but want to provide the same amount to hospitals and cash-strapped states. Republicans are balking and say any other aid should be addressed in a broader bill. Pelosi, like McConnell, has adopted a hard-line approach at times during the coronavirus crisis. After a tense meeting between leaders ended without an agreement on the $2.2 trillion rescue package last month, Pelosi left McConnells office declaring plans to put out her own version instead and days later did just that. And when Pelosi wanted to establish a special House coronavirus oversight panel, she made the announcement without first talking to McCarthy she called him, he didnt answer or even some senior Democrats, who found out as reporters tweeted the news. When McCarthy and Pelosi did connect, he responded to her proposal by asking, "Why don't we just allow the attorney general to deal with that?" Pelosi was incredulous, according to a source familiar with the conversation. Complicating matters is that the leaders are trying to govern by unanimous consent or voice vote in order to keep lawmakers away from the Capitol amid the pandemic. That means they need widespread cooperation from both parties and chambers a whole new dynamic for the majoritarian House and a Senate where 60 votes usually rules the day. A single lawmaker can now completely upend leadership plans. In one rare instance of unity, McCarthy and Pelosi teamed to quash an effort by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to force a recorded vote on the third rescue package that would have forced more than 400 lawmakers to return to Washington or else be recorded absent. But cooperation had already begun to deteriorate as the size of the legislation got bigger and the stakes grew higher. During the earlier "Big Four" meeting in McConnells office, McCarthy tried to persuade Pelosi and Schumer to let a Senate GOP proposal advance while they kept hammering out a bipartisan agreement. McCarthy asked for Democrats trust and argued that a similar process had essentially played out in the House on the previous bill, according to a GOP aide familiar with the meeting. Democrats balked, saying the policy and price tag differences between the two bills the most recent one totaling more than $2 trillion was "apples and oranges," according to a Democratic aide. McCarthys appeals didnt work: Senate Democrats blocked the procedural vote twice, demanding more oversight among other significant revisions. And Pelosi pushed ahead with her own bill, even though it never ended up receiving a vote. McCarthy lashed Pelosi and the Democrats for not extending the same courtesy. Thats the difference, if you want to compare the two of us right now, McCarthy told reporters Thursday. This week, Republicans piled on Pelosi a frequent target for the current impasse. The Trump campaign designated her the ice queen for showing off her ice cream stash in an apparently expensive freezer, a sobriquet Democrats say is overtly sexist and point out wouldnt be used for a man. And GOP lawmakers accused Schumer of only holding up negotiations at her behest. But Democrats contend Republicans aren't operating in good faith. It can't be just Secretary Mnuchin sends down a request to Sen. McConnell and three days later he puts $250 billion on the floor without any further discussion and totally ignores other needs, said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). Relationships between Democrats and the president are even more strained. Trump and Pelosi havent spoken in months, since she walked out of a tense White House meeting after he called her a third-rate politician, and she jabbed him on Russia by saying, All roads with you lead to Putin. Its not much better between the two New Yorkers. After Schumer sent Trump a letter pressing him to appoint a point-person to manage the ramp-up of health care supplies, the president responded by suggesting Schumer may lose his primary in 2022 and that Schumer is a bad senator for his state. According to Schumers office, Trump told Schumer hed tried to prevent the letter from being sent. The exchange prompted gasps from even Republican allies of the president. Every public official in the heat of anger writes a nasty letter, said Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) [moved attribution]. But Abraham Lincoln would put at the bottom of his: unsigned, unsent and put it in his drawer. And Napoleon had a rule that he would wait for 30 days. Added Alexander, Both the president and Sen. Schumer might learn a lesson from Lincoln and Napoleon. WESTFIELD A $10 billion federal stimulus package for aviation has resulted in an influx of $171 million for Massachusetts airfields and provided $69,000 in grant funds for Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport. The CARES Act grant, said airport manager Christopher Willenborg, stipulates that the funds must be used by general aviation airports for development and operating expenses. The additional income will benefit Barnes by providing for operating costs with an emphasis on maintenance. We are looking at operating expenses and are targeting maintenance and improvement on the field, Willenborg said. It could be for runway markings, crack sealing, runway lights or supplies. Willenborg also said airport managers are waiting for additional guidance from the Federal Aviation Administration on how the money can be spent. Were not making any plans until we receive that guidance, he said. The $69,000 will certainly help make sure were keeping the airport safe. Once the guidelines have been put in place, the grant funds will be issued within the next week or two, and improvement work will be done about two to three weeks after that. Im hoping within a month or two we can get the work done, Willenborg said. The states congressional delegation announced the funding last week, with U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren saying the grant also supports workers. Airports in Massachusetts and across the country, which fuel our national and regional economy, have been hit hard by this public health emergency (the caronavirus), she said. This much-needed economic relief will allow the Commonwealths airports to support their workers and maintain essential operations, and Ill keep pushing the federal government to support them during this difficult time. Locally, both Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee and Pittsfield Municipal Airport have also been granted $69,000. Boston Logan International Airport is seeing the greatest grant funding with $141.3 million, followed by $17.97 million for Barnstable Municipal-Boardman/Polando Field in Hyannis and $6.2 million for Nantucket Memorial Airport. A plan to reopen Alabamas economy from the coronavirus pandemic lockdown calls for medical professional services to reopen May 1. The plan, which spells out practices for different areas of commerce, lays out procedures for doctors, dentists, oral surgeons, optometrists and physical therapists. Gov. Kay Ivey said she does not plan to take any immediate action on the recommendations. With dentists, for example, it calls for no walk-in patients. Patients will be met outside the office for health screenings by staff wearing a facemask and gloves. The waiting area of the office will be closed, but parents with children or adults accompanying elderly patients may wait in the examining room with the patient. Dental employees will wear N95 masks, gloves, full face shields and disposal gowns, and gloves and gowns will be disposed of after each patient. Ron Beasley is one of the two founders and owners of StoneCreek Dental Care, which has 17 locations in the southeast. He practices in Vestavia Hills. He said he thinks the start date is feasible, adding that hes thrilled by the recommendation and hopes patients will be the same. His only concern is in securing the N95 masks. Everybodys trying to get those right now, he said. But Ive basically been wearing something like an N95 mask for the last 25 years in my practice. Medical doctors have similar procedures. Patients will be required to wait in their cars and notified by cell phone when an exam room is available, then escorted directly into an exam room. Those exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms will be referred to appropriate healthcare facilities, with some conditions handled by telemedicine. Exam rooms will be cleaned and disinfected after each patient, and staff at checkout will be required to wear gloves, with no exchange of paper between patient and staff. Jason Ayres, a doctor practicing in Etowah County, said he thought the May 1 date was feasible, as many doctors offices have continued to see urgent cases in some capacity. He said hes more concerned that other businesses, such as barber shops, might be allowed to open only two weeks after Gov. Kay Ivey issued a stay at home order. Just two days ago, Alabama had its fourth highest number of new cases reported, he said. Here are some related stories on Fridays recommendations: As Alabama looks to reopen, state health official says people need to stay home Masks and temperature checks? Rules vary by business in Alabamas plan to reopen When will beaches reopen? Is it safe? Uncertainty looms despite proposal to reopen Alabama salons, tattoo shops Could youth sports really resume in Alabama on May 11? Small businesses optimistic with recommendations to re-open; caution urged Dont despair, TFSA investors! With the recent market crash, smart opportunistic buys today can yield huge returns in the future. Lets look at one stock that represents such an opportunity: Enbridge (TSX:ENB)(NYSE:ENB). With the global oil industry in chaos, and the economic ramifications of a worldwide pandemic unfolding, many investors are steering clear of all energy stocks. While there are some companies that should be avoided, here are three reasons why you should consider adding Enbridge stock to your TFSA right now. Reason #1: The dividend Enbridge pays a massive dividend! With the stocks recent pullback to $40.21, as of this writing, the dividend yield has increased to 8.1%. For over 65 years, Enbridge has paid dividends to its shareholders. The company has a great track record of dividend increases, having increased payouts for eight consecutive years. In the last three years alone, Enbridge has increased dividends at an annual rate of 9.6%. With a dividend of 8.1%, a $10,000 investment in Enbridge would pay out $810 in annual dividends. Reason #2: Enbridge is fairly insulated from the volatility of oil prices Theres no denying that the short-term outlook for the oil and gas industry is bleak. As the global oil surplus has been building, producers have been slashing spending and trimming output. Not only is the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc on demand for oil, but Saudi Arabia is ramping up oil production in a price war with Russia. This combination of bad news is sending global oil benchmarks to their lowest prices in decades. While many oil and gas companies are in a dire situation, the outlook for Enbridge is not nearly as grim. A sizable portion of Enbridges revenue comes from natural gas transportation, storage, and distribution. The company generates 98% of cash flows from fee-based contracts. These contracts are not dependent on the price of oil, making the companys revenue less sensitive to the volatility of the ongoing war on oil. Story continues Reason #3: Enbridge has a strong balance sheet Several years ago, Enbridge made a major acquisition of Spectra Energy. While the deal provided Enbridge an excellent way to diversify into natural gas, it also saddled Enbridge with enormous debt. The deal stretched Enbridges balance sheet to approximately seven times its operating cash flow. However, over the past three years, Enbridge has done a tremendous job in strengthening its finances. Today, the companys balance sheet sits at a much more reasonable five times the companys operating cash flow. According to CEO Al Monaco, Enbridge has approximately $12 billion of liquidity, which gives the company the capacity to fund all of its capital expenditures and any debt maturities well into 2021. Knowing that an election year, like 2020, often brings uncertainty into the market, Enbridge took actions in late 2019 and early 2020 to prepare it for a choppy year financially. Of course, at the time, Monaco didnt realize that the oil market would implode and a global pandemic would break out. Still, the decisions made over the past year have put Enbridge in a much stronger position than other companies in the sector. The bottom line Monaco expects the biggest toll from the economic crisis to be realized in the companys second-quarter results. The CEO is hopeful that an economic recovery will come in the second half of the year. Despite the current climate, Enbridges valuation is reasonable, and its earnings are relatively safe. The company has done an excellent job managing its balance sheet over the past several years in anticipation of a rocky 2020. In the meantime, TFSA investors can take heart in Enbridges 8.1% dividend yield. The post TFSA Investors: 1 Discounted Dividend Stock Yielding Over 8%! appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Cindy Dye owns shares of ENBRIDGE INC. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Enbridge. 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 Six people in South Carolina have died from coronavirus after attending the same funeral. The funeral was held in Columbia in the first week of March and many who attended are now in quarantine, The State reported. They attended that same funeral and unfortunately passed away from Covid, Sumpter County coroner Robbie Baker said. They came back to Sumter, got sick, and I was notified they had passed. Unfortunately, a large amount of people congregated at that funeral, somebody there was infected with it, spread it, and just didnt know it. A husband and wife who died days apart are among those who were infected while attending the funeral. The couple had been married for 50 years. Mr Baker said the deaths were almost certainly a result of an infection that began at the funeral. He said they illustrate the severity of the threat that still looms if individuals insist on gathering in large groups. Melissa Nolan, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of South Carolina, explained how viral transmission could happen during a funeral. Hypothetically, if you have someone who is very sick, and they are shedding [the virus] and they walk up to the casket, and they cough, those virus particles will stay in the air around that environment for about an hour, she said. If someone came into that environment, within six feet, they could become infected. Ms Nolan noted that individuals who arent showing symptoms do present less risk of infection, but urged caution regardless. Officials from two South Carolina funeral homes told The State funeral homes have been encouraging families to adhere to social distancing during services, keeping at least six feet between mourners and ensuring gatherings remain small. One of the officials, Brad Evans, president of the states Funeral Directors Association, said funeral homes were working to find ways to provide comfort while observing social distancing policies. In our profession, whats the most difficult thing to do? It is to not shake someones hand, or not give someone a hug, Mr Evans said. The most important thing you can do is to show somebody you care, and to not express that in a way as we have done forever we are trying to do the best we can under the circumstances and trying to keep people safe. Immunology expert, Professor Kingston Mills has cautioned that testing for Covid-19 needs to be ramped up before any restrictions can be lifted. The lock-in is working, it is restricting the spread of the virus, he told Newstalk Breakfast. However, he warned that testing needs to be at the highest level. Hopefully by May 4 transmission rates, the number of deaths and ICU admissions will have gone down. "That's the aspiration, they're the real values, the case number I wouldn't read too much into, some of them are old data coming from the testing in Germany, the thing is they're missing a huge number. They have other laboratories coming on board to help with it, he added. Test every individual in contact with anyone tested positive, otherwise youre allowing people to escape the net, who may not have symptoms and can spread the virus. The laboratories have been overrun, hospitals are now doing testing, I think there's a commercial company going to come on board to dramatically increase the testing. Easing back into normality will be a slow process, but it cannot be considered unless there has been widespread testing, he said. When the current restrictions are eased, the Chief Medical Officer says it is "concievable" that people may be asked to wear masks. The World Health Organisation (WHO) say the equipment could lead to complacency and lowers the emphasis on washing hands and social distancing. Dr Tony Holohan says every piece of advice could change but currently masks are not necessary: "We might have certain measures around use of masks or PPE or other kinds of things as part of how we learn to live in a situation whereby we are releasing some measures because we think it is important to do so but we want to minimise the risk of transmission of infection having done that." Additional reporting by Digital Desk [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] Food banks and community organizations that are already running low on food due to the economic impact of the coronavirus are facing additional pressure as schools continue to shut down programs serving kids. "We're reaching capacity," said Alabama Food Bank Association Policy Director Kim Lawkis, when it comes to filling the gap caused by schools stopping meal service. In Alabama, around 400,000 students depend on schools for two meals a daybreakfast and lunch. Once schools closed in mid-March, most continued to distribute food to students, but many have stopped now. Alabama State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey said many districts are in the process of switching over to their summer meal program method, but that hasnt been a seamless transition. That has left some school communities in a lurch, with no food coming from schools and no community partners set up to fill the gap. Related: One Alabama county relies on army of volunteers to keep feeding children "Essentially we've started an early summer," he said, and that's when many community partners like YMCAs and community centers distribute meals through the federal Summer Meal Service Program. That transition, he said, "has not been smooth in many communities." Lawkis' association is one of those summer sponsors and has been ramping up distribution in the past few weeks. But there are problems, she said, because the need is so great, growing exponentially week over week. Lawkis said her organization has great vendors that supply food, but with the huge numbers of needy students, it would help to have schools at the table. "The community partners don't have the infrastructure and equipment and the buying power that a lot of these school districts have." Alabama Food Bank Association Director Laura Lester is concerned about the number of school districts that have shut their programs down in Alabama. "This is not happening in every state," she said. "Not to the extent that it is happening in Alabama." Lawkis encourages school officials to stay open during the transition to summer feeding programs, urging best practices to stay safe and healthy. "There are people in our state that are doing it." The list of best practices is short. "Wear masks and gloves as they prepare and deliver their meals," she said. "Check volunteers' temperatures at the door." If they have a temperature, send them home. Sanitize equipment regularly. "The backbone of the food ecosystem in our state for children," Lawkis said, "is the school lunchroom." According to information posted on the USDAs website, of the 611 school-sponsored meals distribution sites that started serving meals immediately after schools closed the week of March 16, nearly 300 have shut down. Two dozen more will close by the end of the month. Beginning May 1, a full five weeks before schooling is scheduled to end, with new programs scheduled to start while others will end on April 30, current USDA data shows 518 placessome schools and some community centers and residential areaswhere children can pick up meals. Compare that to the 1,400 public schools statewide that would ordinarily be serving student meals, and the enormity of the problem becomes clear. "Schools are the front line for feeding kids. We can work alongside the schools," Lawkis said, helping to organize volunteers and front-line workers to distribute food and to provide some of the food. But schools need to be at the table to really meet the needs right now. The map below shows wide swaths of Alabama where there are few places where hungry students can find meals. The USDA's database isn't completely accuratefor example, Macon County schools are still serving food to children but are not on the map while Washington County schools suspended their meal service but are still indicated as servingbut it is the only information available to use for now. The USDA data also omits Elmore County, which is continuing to feed students in five schools and using eight buses to distribute food into neighborhoods across the county. Danielle Turk oversees the summer food program at the Alabama State Department of Education. Data she shared showed nearly 1,200 sites were open last summer, and some applications are still underway. During the summer, Turk said, "We have normally a statewide effort of schools, private non profits, churches, and county and city governments." Calling this a "whirlwind" effort, they had to get schools up and running in only a few days while still meeting federal requirements for registration. The situation is rapidly changing and simply getting the word to people where meals are available has been a challenge. "In a time like this," Turk said, "getting the word out of site locations, times, and dates is hard because all those things can change in a minute and then the outreach efforts are for nothing." The education departments Break for a Plate website has the most up to date information available, and residents can text FOOD to 877-877 for places where food is available close to them. Finding workers to hand out meals has been a problem in some areas, Mackey said. School officials in areas that shut down meal service said they couldnt ask school employees to willingly risk gettingor giving--the coronavirus during meal distribution. A federal benefit, called Pandemic Electronic Bank Transfer, or P-EBT, will help families who rely on schools for meals during the closure, but those benefits are not yet being distributed. Mackey told AL.com he had hoped families would receive those benefits, amounting to $130 per child, by the end of April but it now looks like it will be May before those benefits reach families. A spokesman for the Alabama Department of Human Resources, which is the agency responsible for distributing the benefits to families, said the application was submitted to federal officials on April 9, but they were still working through questions about Alabamas application. While families are waiting for those financial benefits to arrive, Turk said she is encouraged that some who have currently closed their school-based meal programs are now talking about reopening them. Related: Birmingham city, Jefferson county schools restart meals for students On Wednesday, Lawkis' organization took over the meal distribution program in Trussville, a suburb east of Birmingham. Though only about 10% of the district's 4,800 students qualified for free or reduced-price meals at the beginning of the school year, Superintendent Dr. Pattie Neill said families there now need help. "We have multiple families whose businesses are closed and multiple families who are either out of work or who have lost hours at work," Neill said, "and they haven't had the chance to apply for free or reduced-price meals." Neill said her school district didn't have a problem with workers. "We had more workers than we needed because everybody showed up to help." However, due to a growing need150 students the first week compared to more than 800 this week--Neill has now turned that function over to the Alabama Food Bank Association, which will continue to provide grab and go meals at Trussville Middle School. Getting food to the school was becoming a problem in recent weeks. "Deliveries have been spotty," Neill said, and sometimes essential foods, like milk, were not being delivered at all. After talking with other superintendents in the area, she said, "I felt the best thing to do for the community at large was to consolidate (food orders)" Neill said. "You don't want the church ordering, the food bank ordering, and putting a stress on the supply chain." While continuing to step up where Lawkis continues to hope that schools will reopen their meal service programs to hungry children. Schools are the front line for feeding kids. Related: Alabama schools chief worried about mental health, meals, internet access for students Heres a look at Alabama State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackeys interview on AL.coms Facebook live on Thursday. The Navy Thursday identified the sailor from the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt who died of coronavirus-related complications. He was Charles Robert Thacker Jr., an aviation ordnanceman chief petty officer aboard the vessel. Thacker, 41, died Monday at a military hospital in Guam, four days after he was found unresponsive during a medical check in quarantine housing on the island. He was born in Fort Smith, Ark., and graduated from high school in Hookstown, Pa., according to his Facebook page. He enlisted in 1997 and lived in San Diego with his wife, Symantha, and their two young children. Thacker tested positive for the coronavirus March 30, three days after the virus-stricken carrier docked in Guam. He was removed from the ship and placed in an isolation house on Naval Base Guam with four other Roosevelt sailors. The Navy said he was checked twice daily by medical teams. He was found unresponsive on one such check April 9 and was hospitalized. Symantha Thacker, also an active duty sailor stationed in San Diego, was flown to Guam after her husband was moved to an intensive care unit. She arrived two days before his passing and was by his side when he died, the Navy said. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time, said Capt. Carlos Sardiello, the Roosevelts commanding officer. 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. The couple marked their eighth wedding anniversary on April 5 while Charles Thacker was isolated in the base house in quarantine. Thackers Facebook page included numerous photos of his wife, son and daughter. In his profile photo, Thacker is wearing his uniform and kissing his wife on the cheek. 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. Thacker first served on the Roosevelt in 2016, and returned to the carrier in December. He also served on the George Washington and Ronald Reagan carriers. From 2003 to 2005, Thacker served on Guam with the Naval Air Weapons Maintenance Unit 1. Thacker had a variety of awards and citations, including two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, a Navy E Ribbon and a National Defense Service Medal. Matthias Gafni is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mgafni ST. LOUIS Bank of America is donating $100,000 to the United Way of Greater St. Louis to help those in the region impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. In addition, United Way is working closely with local COADs (Community Organizations Active in Disaster) to coordinate efforts, ensure efficiency and avoid duplication in the regions crisis response. A Swedish princess has begun working in one of the country's hospitals to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Princess Sofia, 35, is helping staff on the frontline at the Sophiahemmet hospital after completing a three-day medical course at Sophiahemmet University College, where she is an honorary chair member. She is now able to assist the workforce in battling the infection, which has so far killed over 1,000 people in Sweden and infected 12,000 more. The princess, married to Prince Carl Philip, 40, was pictured at the hospital on 16 April wearing scrubs along with other staff. Sophiahemmet University, also based in the Swedish capital, is helping to train 80 people per week to be deployed to hospitals and ease the burden on medics, reports Mail Online. Reports suggest the princess was keen to make a voluntary contribution to the healthcare system during the coronavirus crisis. Princess Sofia, a mother-of-two and former model, joined Sweden's royal family in 2015 after marrying Prince Carl Philip - son of King Carl Gustaf. The couple has two children together; two-year-old Prince Alexander and Prince Gabriel, also aged two. Meanwhile, in the UK, William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, today launch a new campaign encouraging people to look after their mental health during lockdown. The campaign, called 'Every Mind Matters' has been launched with help from the NHS and Public Health England It is targeted at those at the greatest risk of suffering from poor mental health during the pandemic. The platform, which has been online since October but only recently pivoted to coronavirus-specific content, includes free resources for managing your mental wellbeing and advice on improving this at home, as well as supporting friends and family. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge say in a video accompanying the launch: All over the country people are staying at home to protect the NHS and save lives. Its not always easy. Recommended William and Kate launch new plan to support mental health in lockdown We can feel frustrated, miss loved ones or get anxious. So now more than ever, Every Mind Matters. According to official NHS guidance, the best way to look after your mental health during the pandemic are: talking about your worries with friends and family, setting a regular routine and making goals, maintain good quality sleep, manage your news intake, and try to do exercise where possible. If you are worried about your own mental health or that of friends or family members, you can call Mind on 0300 123 3393 or Samaritans on 116 123. California Democrats are building a wall of money to defend the congressional seats they took from Republicans in 2018, new Federal Election Commission financial reports show. With the March primary behind them, all six of those first-term Democrats have at least $1 million in the bank for the fall campaign, with three of them crossing the $2 million mark. Matching that cash becomes an immediate challenge for Republicans looking to reclaim those seats. But fundraising isnt everything in the campaigns, said Torunn Sinclair, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Campaign Committee. No amount of money will cover up these Democrats records, she said in a statement. The coronavirus pandemic hasnt made it easier for challengers to raise the money they need, especially after a number of the Republicans faced competitive and expensive primaries. In the Central Valley, Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock (Stanislaus County), took in $789,093 in the quarter that ended March 31, leaving him with $3.5 million in campaign cash. His Republican opponent, veterinarian Ted Howze, raised $71,147 in the first quarter, leaving him with $100,575 in the bank. Campaign officials said Howze canceled several fundraisers planned for March and early April and moved some of his focus to community service work because of the disruption caused by the virus. Its an incredibly different environment, said Tim Rosales, lead strategist for Howze. Anything scheduled after the primary has been pushed out, and now were trying to connect with voters in other ways. That pivot may have come at a cost beyond the cash. Howze was not among the four California candidates named in the opening round of the National Republican Campaign Committees Young Guns program, which plans to boost the challengers who look to have the best chance to grab Democratic seats. Two Orange County candidates who werent on that GOP list also face huge money gaps. Brian Maryott, a San Juan Capistrano city councilman, is challenging Democratic Rep. Mike Levin in a district that bridges San Diego and Orange counties. But Levin has $1.4 million in the bank, compared with $77,033 for Maryott. The numbers are even worse for Greg Raths, a Mission Viejo councilman. Democratic Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine already has raised $4.5 million for her re-election effort, far more than Raths $111,969. Its much closer in the Central Valley rematch between former GOP Rep. David Valadao and Democratic Rep. TJ Cox of Fresno, who took Valadaos seat in 2018. The GOP challenger has $1.2 million in campaign cash, only about $1,700 more than Cox. Two other Orange County contests are likely to be free-spending affairs. Rep. Harley Rouda, D-Laguna Beach, has $2.4 million for the fall campaign, while Republican Michelle Steel, an Orange County supervisor, has $1.1 million. In another rematch of a 2018 race, Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros has $1.1 million cash on hand, compared with $970,420 for Republican Young Kim of Fullerton. One of the most hotly contested California races is for a Los Angeles-area seat left open by last years resignation of Democratic Rep. Katie Hill. While Assemblywoman Christy Smith, D-Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County) finished on top in the primary, GOP businessman Mike Garcia is leading the money race with $446,742 in the bank, to $357,256 for Smith. In San Francisco, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is facing a challenge from the left in an all-Democrats battle against progressive attorney Shahid Buttar. Pelosi was a runaway winner in the primary and has an overwhelming advantage in fundraising. Her $3.5 million in the bank dwarfs Buttars $85,302 in campaign cash. John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth urses and medical staff stage a protest over the inadequate supply of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), in wake of the coronavirus pandemic, at Howrah Orthopedic Hospital. PTI Photo New Delhi: The Centre came under tremendous pressure from the opposition parties and experts to ramp up testing as coronavirus toll and cases surged. The death toll due to coronavirus rose to 437 and the number of cases to 13,387 in the country on Friday, according to the Union Health Ministry. While the number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 11,201, as many as 1,748 people have been cured and discharged, and one had migrated, it said. The total number of positive cases includes 76 foreign nationals. Seventeen deaths have been reported since Thursday evening -- seven from Maharashtra, six from Delhi, three from West Bengal and one from Tamil Nadu. Of the total 437 deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 194 fatalities, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 53, Delhi 38, Gujarat 36 and Telengana 18. Tamil Nadu has reported 15 deaths while Andhra Pradesh has 14 deaths. Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka have reported 13 deaths each. West Bengal has registered ten fatalities. Four persons have lost lives in Jammu and Kashmir. Kerala, Haryana and Rajasthan have recorded three deaths each. Jharkhand has reported two deaths. Meghalaya, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam reported one fatality each, according to the health ministry's latest data. However, a PTI tally of figures reported by various states as on Thursday evening showed at least 444 deaths. There has been a lag in the Union Health Ministry figures, compared to the number of deaths announced by different states, which officials attribute to procedural delays in assigning the cases to individual states. According to the ministry's data updated in the morning, the highest number of confirmed cases in the country are from Maharashtra at 3,205, followed by Delhi at 1,640 and Tamil Nadu at 1,267. COVID-19 cases have gone up to 1,131 in Rajasthan, followed by 1,120 in Madhya Pradesh, 930 in Gujarat and 805 in Uttar Pradesh. The number of novel coronavirus cases has risen to 315 in Karanataka, 314 in Jammu and Kashmir, 255 in West Bengal, 205 in Haryana and 186 in Punjab. Bihar has reported 80 cases and Odisha 60. Thirty-seven people were infected with the virus in Uttarakhand, while Himachal Pradesh and Assam have registered 35 cases each. The sudden, grim revelations about a makeshift morgue crammed with 17 bodies at a New Jersey nursing home where at least 26 people are now dead from the coronavirushas left family members in shock and terrified for the safety of their loved ones. It is absolutely shocking and heartbreaking," said Sonia Grunwald, whose 94-year-old mother lives at Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation in Andover, one of the largest nursing homes in the state. "I certainly was not aware of these horrible things that were going on in the other building. It never even crossed my mind that this could be so bad. Grunwald said her mother, a Holocaust survivor, had symptoms of COVID-19 and is currently in isolation. Im really just praying my mom is well taken care of and that the staff is safe," she said. "Shes a tough woman but its her age that worries me. At his daily briefing on Thursday, Gov. Phil Murphy said he has asked state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal to look into what happened at the Andover Subacute and Rehab, and review all longterm care facilities in New Jersey that have experienced a disproportionate number of deaths during the pandemic. I am heartbroken by the tragic news that several individuals have lost their lives. I am also outraged that bodies of the dead were allowed to pile up in a makeshift morgue, he said. We can and must do better. The nursing facility in northwestern New Jersey came into sudden focus, after police on Monday received an anonymous tip about a body reportedly being loaded into a shed on the property. Andover Police Chief Eric Danielson told NJ Advance Media that this past weekend authorities had received a request for 25 body bags from the nursing home. Sussex County Administrator Gregory V. Poff II said Thursday there have been 57 recent deaths at the facility, of which 26 were COVID-19 related. Andover has 699 licensed beds between two separate facilities. The larger of the two is ranked at the bottom in the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare ratings, with 1 out of 5 stars, or much below average. The other is ranked 3 stars, or average. The nursing home is owned by a Lakewood-based company called Alliance Heathcare Holdings. Federal and state records list its principals as Chaim Scheinbaum and Louis Schwartz. In 2017, the nursing homethen under different ownershipsettled charges that it billed New York Medicaid for materially substandard or worthless nursing services provided to certain patients that failed to meet federal standards of care and federal statutory and regulatory requirements according to the U.S. Attorneys Office in New Jersey. The previous owners did not admit to any liability, but agreed to settle the case by paying $395,508 to the United States and $492,492 to the state of New York, said federal authorities. Calls to the nursing home and Andover Township administration were not immediately returned. Calls to a phone number listed for Scheinbaum were not returned. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, the freshman New Jersey Democrat whose district includes Andover in Sussex County, said he had spoken with the administrator of the facility on Sunday, who told him there had been a huge COVID-19 outbreak and a significant amount of deaths in a short period of time. Indeed, on March 29, the Sussex County Division of Health reported an outbreak of the coronavirus at Andover Subacute. At the same time, Gottheimer reported that he was told the facility had been short on staff which was confirmed by Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli at the states daily coronavirus briefing at the daily coronavirus briefing on Thursday afternoon, noting that the local health department had surveyed the site and come to the same conclusion. Were not pleased with what is going on at the Andover facility, Persichilli remarked. Gottheimer said it was heartbreaking for families to know their loved ones were not being cared for. If youre so short-staffed, are people getting their medicine? he asked. Are we doing every possible thing to keep them safe? He also had concerns about the lack of communication with families. We received many calls from staff members and family members. People are scared and theyre not getting information, said the congressman. They had a huge outbreak and a significant amount of deaths in a short period of time. The health commissioner said 103 residents and four staff members have tested positive for the virus, while 133 residents are reporting flu-like or respiratory symptoms and 48 staff members are reporting flu-like symptoms. According to Grunwald, the nursing home went into lockdown early last month, barring any visitors at the facility. Since the lockdown, she said she has spoken to her mother from the other side of a glass window. She declined to comment on whether she has received updates from staff regarding her mother or any positive cases of the coronavirus at the nursing home, but said the responsibility for what had happened is with the ownership. She fears that the outbreak will incapacitate nursing staff who may no longer be able to take care of her mother. The bottom line is all I care about is that shes really taken care of, she said. And that the staff stays healthy too. We cant do it without them. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Staff writer Jonathan D. Salant in Washington contributed to this report. Rodrigo Torrejon may be reached at rtorrejon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rodrigotorrejon. The coronavirus pandemic could erase two decades of progress in eradicating poverty in the Asia-Pacific region as it threatens to send the global economy into a deep recession, according to the International Finance Corporation, which provides financing for private sector companies in developing markets. The sister organisation of the World Bank plans to pump US$8 billion into a broad series of programmes designed to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging market economies, which have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Vivek Pathak, the IFCs regional director for East Asia and the Pacific, said about US$96 billion has flowed out of emerging markets since late January, and tourism a major driver of the economies in Cambodia, Fiji and other parts of the region is close to dead right now. Our biggest concern is the loss of jobs, Pathak told the South China Morning Post. If the situation were to continue to deteriorate, we would have close to 11 million people going back into poverty. That 11 million would be on top of the 24 million people the World Bank estimates will not be able to escape poverty in the East Asia and Pacific region this year because of the pandemic. The coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, has infected more than 2 million people and forced broad shutdowns of cities from New York to Singapore to stem the spread of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. More than 137,000 people have died worldwide. On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund said the global economy is very likely to experience its worst recession since the Great Depression and surpass the contraction and job losses seen during the global financial crisis in 2008. A partial recovery is projected for 2021, with above-trend growth rates, but the level of [gross domestic product] will remain below the pre-virus trend, with considerable uncertainty about the strength of the rebound, Gita Gopinath, the IMFs chief economist, said in its latest World Economic Outlook. Much worse growth outcomes are possible and maybe even likely. Story continues In the United States alone, about 22 million people have applied for unemployment benefits in the past four weeks. Charles Dumas, chief economist at independent research firm TS Lombard, said the status of the pandemic in emerging market countries other than China where the first reports of infections emerged late last year is lagging behind developed countries by three weeks or more. The key prerequisite of defeating the virus in EMs is still some weeks maybe months even away, Dumas said in a research report on Wednesday. The big unknown is how these countries will manage during that period. Pathak, the IFC regional director, said manufacturers in Asia have been hit particularly hard. The complex and diverse supply chains in manufacturing have led to hits in almost every sector, Pathak said. He described the coronavirus pandemic disrupting the delivery of zips to garment manufacturers, leaving them sitting on huge inventories. First unveiled in March, IFCs programme will supply about US$6 billion to banks and financial intermediaries to support trade financing and working capital for SMEs. Typically, these are small outfits. They don't have a lot of cushion, Pathak said. A few days, a few weeks of disruption means its hard for them to operate. Theyve been hit very hard from what were hearing. Our prime objective is how do we keep the financial sector continuing to operate and provide liquidity to them. For example, IFC expanded trade-financing limits by US$294 million for four banks in Vietnam last month to allow them to continue to lend to companies in need. The institution also will provide US$2 billion in financing to existing clients in the infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture and service sector companies vulnerable to the pandemic. IFC will offer loans to companies, and if necessary, make equity investments. Funding also is going to companies seeking increased demand in the health care sector. We have been working with a lot of new clients in the past few months, Pathak said. Were accelerating our push to move faster to work with these clients because almost anybody and everybody has been affected by the virus. Pathek said businesses are having to adjust to a new normal and it could be some time before the world economy recovers. As countries start to recover, its going to be different across the region. I think some countries are going to go faster and some are going to take longer, Pathek said. Similarly with sectors, I do see our support going well into 2021. This article has been corrected from the original which stated that US$96 billion flowed out of Emerging Asia 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. More from South China Morning Post: This article Job losses from coronavirus pandemic could force 11 million into poverty in Asia, International Finance Corporation says first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Two 18-year-olds from Bucks County were jailed this week for allegedly shooting a 51-year-old Philadelphia man in the back at the southern end of Delaware Canal State Park. The victim was shot and his cellphone was stolen about 12:15 p.m. Sunday, March 29, on the canal towpath in Bristol Township, Bucks County, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Suspects Raquan Johnson and Javonte Musarra, both of Bristol, fled toward Lavana Falls Apartments and were charged following a state police investigation, according to a news release from state police at Trevose. The two were arraigned this week on charges including attempted homicide, robbery, aggravated assault, firearms violations, theft and conspiracy. They were sent to the Bucks County prison in lieu of 10 percent of $2 million each. Each will face a preliminary hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence to send their cases toward trial in county court. State police troopers were assisted in their investigation by the Bristol Township Police Department, the Bucks County District Attorneys Office and rangers from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. 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. Democrats blocked the effort, however, and Speaker Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer, the minority leader, responded with their own proposal that would double the size of Mr. McConnells: They, too, called for an additional $250 billion in small-business loans, but with stricter conditions on how and to which businesses they would be granted. They also proposed $100 billion to provide hospitals with testing and personal protective equipment, $150 billion for state and local governments, and a 15 percent increase to the maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit (also known as food stamps.) But Mr. McConnell returned the favor of blocking that proposal, which means small businesses, hospitals, local governments and SNAP recipients will have to wait until lawmakers can negotiate in person. That may be just as well for Governors Andrew Cuomo and Larry Hogan, who say states and territories need at least $500 billion in federal aid, not $150 billion. Opinion Debate Will the Democrats face a midterm wipeout? Mark Penn and Andrew Stein write that "only a broader course correction to the center will give Democrats a fighting chance in 2022" and beyond. write that "only a broader course correction to the center will give Democrats a fighting chance in 2022" and beyond. Matthew Continetti writes that time and again, the biggest obstacle to a red wave hasnt been the Democratic Party. Its been the Republican Party. writes that time and again, the biggest obstacle to a red wave hasnt been the Democratic Party. Its been the Republican Party. Ezra Klein speaks to David Shor, who discusses his fear that Democrats face electoral catastrophe unless they shift their messaging. speaks to David Shor, who discusses his fear that Democrats face electoral catastrophe unless they shift their messaging. Michelle Cottle examines two primary contests that will shake the parties well beyond the states in play. Fixing the health insurance mess In the United States, roughly half the population relies on employers for health insurance. As the fraught saying goes, If you like your employer-based plan, you can keep it. But if a pandemic costs you your job, the only thing you keep is the pandemic. With millions of Americans now losing their coverage, Ella Nilsen reports at Vox that Democrats have introduced a plan to increase subsidies for COBRA, a program that allows laid-off employees to continue buying into their plans. As Ms. Nilsen explains, COBRA is prohibitively expensive, but if more people are able to access it with these extra subsidies, it could possibly help fill a large gap in insurance coverage. The benefit of this plan is that it allows for relatively seamless continuity of coverage, and getting unemployed workers onto COBRA can happen very quickly, Larry Levitt, the senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation, told Ms. Nilsen. But as the health care policy analyst James Medlock points out, COBRA subsidies are also an expensive solution, since they effectively function as a transfer of public money to for-profit insurers. And, as the writer Molly Crabapple notes, if you didnt have employer-sponsored insurance before the pandemic, COBRA wont help you. Another way to prevent the number of uninsured from skyrocketing is to expand Medicaid, as Senator Doug Jones has proposed. Others have called for lowering the eligibility age of Medicare to 0 (effectively enacting a version of Medicare for all). Palghar : , April 17 (IANS) In a shocker during lockdown, three persons were lynched to death and some policemen were injured by a huge mob of villagers outside Gandchinchle village after they were suspected to be robbers, the police said here on Friday. At least three vehicles, including two belonging to the police, were damaged in the incident and additional forces were rushed to the site to control the situation. According to an official, the three victims, including the driver, were proceeding from Nashik to Mumbai when they were accosted by the mob and questioned. The driver managed to summon the police, which rushed to the spot on the Dhabade-Khanvel Road, said Anandrao Kale of Kasa police station. The officers took the trio into the police van for inquiry even as the crowd protested and demanded action against "the robbers". The mob, said to be around 200, grossly outnumbered the police and soon started assaulting the three victims with stones, sticks and other objects. The three have been identified as Sushilgiri Maharaj, Chikne Maharaj and the driver, Nilesh Telgade. They were later pronounced dead and their bodies have been sent for autopsy to a local government hospital, a Palghar Police spokesperson informed IANS. Even some policemen were injured in the incident. By Friday evening, over a 100 persons have been detained and investigations are on. The Kasa Police have registered offences of murder, armed rioting, violating prohibitory orders besides invoking sections of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and Epidemic Diseases Act. The district authorities, including Collector Kailas Shinde and Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh, have briefed the state government on the incident. The district police followed up by issuing public appeals to the villagers, urging them not to resort to violence against any unknown persons visiting the village but immediately inform the police. The latest incident came three days after the vehicle of a prominent medic, Vishwas Salvi, was similarly attacked when he was proceeding to conduct thermal screening of villagers and distribute relief food materials. In that incident, four policemen were injured, and later a dozen persons were arrested. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Gandhinagar, April 17 : After imposing curfew in Ahmedabad and Surat limited areas the Directorate General Of Police (DGP) Gujarat imposed curfew in Rajkot's Jungleshwar area. The curfew will be effective from Friday midnight. "Wherever there is widespread corona infection and so that we can curb the virus spread and so that the medical inspections can be carried out, we have decided to impose curfews in such areas in the state," said DGP Shivanand Jha on Friday. "Till yesterday, we had imposed curfew in certain parts of Ahmedabad and in Surat. From today midnight we have decided to impose a similar curfew in Rajkot's Jungleshwar area and Rajlaxmi society. The 2.5 square kilometre area is densely packed with over 50,000 population. The number of positive Corona cases in this area is also very high. So to curb the spread of the virus, we have taken this decision. The entire area comes under the jurisdiction of a single police station of BhaktiNagar," added Jha. "3 State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) companies have been deployed on top of the existing Police Force of Rajkot for the implementation of the curfew. Besides that, eight horse rider teams have also been deployed to monitor the curfew area," added Jha. Similarly like Ahmedabad and Surat, a relaxation to buy essential commodities like milk, vegetables, grains, medicines will be given only to the women of these areas between 1 and 4 p.m. in Rajkot. "It has been observed that during the curfew relaxation hours between 1 and 4 p.m. in Ahmedabad, women are not maintaining the social distancing. If this continues, we will be forced to take action against them. Every kind of violation of curfew will be acted against," added Jha. "For the violation of curfew, the police has registered 74 complaints in Ahmedabad and in that 82 persons have been arrested. Similarly for these violations in Surat, 26 complaints have been filed by the police and 26 persons have been arrested," added Jha. "We are constantly monitoring the curfew areas through drones and CCTV and any violation will not be tolerated and will be acted against. Out of the total police complaints in Surat for violation of curfew, 4 complaints were filed on the basis of drone footage," added Jha. On Friday, Gujarat crossed the thousand mark, with a total of 1,021 Covid-19 positive cases. Ahmedabad has the maximum number of positive cases 590, followed by Vadodara 137, Surat 102, Rajkot 28. Gujarat has seen 38 lives lost due to the global menace of Covid-19. No death have been reported from Rajkot. Rajkot is the hometown of the Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Annual Social Security report lists top reasons for final medical denial of SSDI benefits Belleville, Illinois, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nearly 513,000 people applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits received medical denials in 2017. This illustrates the importance of understanding the complex SSDI application process and how best to qualify for benefits, according to Allsup, the nations premier disability representation company. In 36 years, Allsup has helped hundreds of thousands of people nationwide qualify for and receive SSDI benefits. According to the recently released 2018 Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, the top three reasons for final medical denials were: The person was found able to do other types of work (40.6 %). The impairment was found not to be severe enough (23.8 %). The person was able to do their past work (9.9%). Rounding out the reasons for nearly 513,000 medical denials were: The impairment did not or is not expected to last 12 months (5%). Other e.g. insufficient medical evidence, incomplete claim development, return to substantial work before disability is established (20.8%). The criteria to receive SSDI benefits are very rigorous, said Dan Contreras, Allsup lead advocate. For example, your disability must be severe enough to demonstrate that you are unable to work for 12 months or longer, or that it is terminal. If thats not the case, its likely the Social Security disability examiner will deny the application because the disability is not severe enough to prevent working. Documentation and medical records are extremely important for not only medical conditions, but also for work and job history, Contreras explained. The SSA has a five-step review process for most SSDI applicants, according to Contreras. Are you unable to engage in Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)? Earning more than $1,260 a month typically indicates you are able to work with your disability. Is your physical and/or mental condition severe? Does your condition meet a medical listing? These SSA listings cover major body systems and impairments considered severe enough that make it difficult to perform SGA. Can you do your past job? Can you do any job? This is based on your education, skills and vocational rules that vary by age. Story continues Given the stringent nature of the SSDI review process, knowing if you are eligible before you apply is important, says Contreras. Allsups free online assessment tool, empower by Allsup has significantly enhanced the SSDI eligibility, application and appeal process. It helps determine in advance if you are likely to meet the eligibility requirements of the program, and its easy and efficient, and with Allsup, 97% of those who complete the SSDI process with us obtain benefits. To apply for disability benefits or get help with a disability appeal, visit Allsup.com. Learn more about empower by Allsup at FileSSDI.Allsup.com. ABOUT ALLSUP Allsup and its subsidiaries provide nationwide Social Security disability, veterans disability appeal, return to work, and healthcare benefits services for individuals, their employers and insurance carriers. Allsup professionals deliver specialized services supporting people with disabilities and seniors so they may lead lives that are as financially secure and as healthy as possible. Founded in 1984, the company is based in Belleville, Illinois, near St. Louis. Learn more at TrueHelp.com and @Allsup. Rebecca Ray Allsup (618) 236-5065 r.ray@allsup.com Victoria Shockley Pinkston (919) 780-9727 victoria.shockley@pinkston.co In normal times, the vice presidency is not supposed to be worth a warm bucket of, um, spit. But these are not normal times. A global plague has shut down much of American society. The virus is particularly deadly to the elderly, and the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee will turn 78 later this year. In November, voters will want more than anything a VP who is ready on a moments notice to lead the country out of a crisis. So the Democratic veepstakes is suddenly much more important than it otherwise would be. Joe Biden has pledged to name a woman as his running mate, and he has indicated that he would very much like that woman to be an African American. Stacey Abrams checks both boxes, and she is auditioning for the job. But while she might excite the Democratic base, a failed gubernatorial candidate who has never held a public office more powerful than state legislator obviously has no chance of getting the nod during the present pandemic. Maybe the coronavirus will, against all odds, abate in the coming months. But it would be an act of political insanity for a geriatric presidential nominee to select a former state legislator as his running mate under the current circumstances. If Biden wants his VP to be a black woman, then, he is left with only one real choice: Kamala Harris. While the California senator has three years of experience as a senator and six years more as her states attorney general, her presidential campaign was a disaster, doomed by vacillation and equivocation on important matters of policy. She proved herself capable of delivering scripted attacks during debates, but her most famous such attack came at Bidens expense: She hit him on his past opposition to forced busing, practically calling him a racist. That would be difficult, to say the least, for her to explain away were Biden to choose her. It shouldnt be an insurmountable obstacle, and she still makes sense on paper. But her primary performance failed to generate much enthusiasm among Democrats, and her indecisiveness made her seem unready to step up in a crisis. Story continues What about Elizabeth Warren? If Biden wants ideological balance on the ticket, the senator from Massachusetts makes the most sense. But does he really need ideological balance? For most of the left, Bidens pledges to lower the Medicare-eligibility age to 60, establish a public option for health care, and defeat Donald Trump will be enough. Bernie Sanderss most alienated, angry, hardcore supporters are not going to turn out because of Warren; they hate her just as much as they hate Biden. The greater number of 2016 Sanders voters who didnt turn out for Hillary Clinton in key Midwestern states could be swayed by Warren, but my hunch is that they were turned off more by Clintons persona than her ideology, and its hard to see how Warren would connect with them on a cultural level. More importantly, Warrens pledges to radically transform the nations economy could scare away the moderate suburbanites who powered Democrats successful 2018 effort to retake the House and Biden really cant afford to lose those voters in 2020. All of which suggests that a relatively moderate woman from the Midwest would make much more sense as Bidens VP. Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer has gotten a lot of attention in recent weeks, but a fair amount of it has been negative. Whitmer only has one year of experience as governor, and voters may come to view Michigans especially stringent lockdown restrictions as arbitrary and excessive in the coming months. She seems like a long-shot for the second spot on the national ticket. The darkhorse VP nominee from the Midwest is Tammy Baldwin, who has been a senator from the potentially decisive, perpetually polarized swing state of Wisconsin for the last seven years, and won re-election in 2018 by eleven points even as GOP governor Scott Walker lost his bid for a fourth term by just one point. The existence of BaldwinWalker voters, plus the fact that Baldwin was the first openly gay women in Congress, must be attractive to Democrats. The major drawback is that Baldwin has never endured the national spotlight. That leaves just one name: Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota senator who is still the leading contender for the job. She wont scare away crucial suburban voters the way that Warren would and Harris might. She is serving her 14th year in the Senate, so she has experience, and having run for the presidency this cycle, she has survived the scrutiny of a national campaign. There are other senators Biden could select, of course: Tammy Duckworth of Illinois is a veteran and a Purple Heart recipient. Catherine Cortez-Masto of Nevada makes a fair amount of sense if Biden decides his path to victory depends more on the Southwest than on Wisconsin. But neither Duckworth, Cortez-Masto, nor Baldwin has been tested on a national stage the way Klobuchar was. The Minnesota senator was far from flawless during the primaries, and she had some (literally) shaky performances. But she also proved herself more than capable of knifing an earnest and smooth-talking Indiana politician on the debate stage when it counted, a skill that might come in handy this fall. Biden has four months to make a final decision, but at the moment Klobuchar remains his most logical pick. More from National Review WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump released federal guidelines Thursday night for a slow and staggered return to normal in places with minimal cases of the novel coronavirus, moving to try to resume economic activity even amid an outcry from political and health leaders about the nation's testing capacity. Despite Trump's desire for a May 1 reopening, his plan does not contain a date for implementation and is a vague set of recommendations for a three-phased reopening of businesses, schools and other gathering places in jurisdictions that satisfy broad criteria on symptoms, cases and hospital loads. "America wants to be open and Americans want to be open," Trump said. "A national shutdown is not a sustainable long-term solution. To preserve the health of our citizens, we must also preserve the health and functioning of our economy." The plan effectively reverses Trump's claim earlier this week that he had "total authority" to declare the nation reopened. The federal guidelines shift accountability to governors and mayors, placing the onus on them to make decisions for their own states and localities based on their own assessments of the coronavirus's spread and risk of resurgence. "You're going to call your own shots," Trump told governors on a conference call Thursday, a recording of which was obtained by The Washington Post. The White House guidelines are far less detailed than public health guidances drafted recently by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and sent to the coronavirus task force. Trump's the-buck-stops-with-the-states posture is largely designed to shield himself from blame should there be new outbreaks after states reopen or for other problems, according to several current and former senior administration officials involved in the response who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Governors have said one of the most important factors in making those determinations is testing data, but Trump's plan does not contain a national testing strategy. Senior administration officials said that although the federal government will try to facilitate access to tests, states and localities will be responsible for developing and administering their own testing programs. Leaders across sectors, from elected officials to business executives to public-health experts, have amplified warnings this week that the nation is not ready to reopen in part because its testing system is woefully inadequate. So far, about 3.3 million people have been tested in the United States, according to the Covid Tracking Project, at a rate over the past week of roughly 146,000 people per day. While that is a significant improvement from early testing stumbles, it is still far short of the millions of tests per day experts say is needed to begin safely reopening the economy in a nation of some 330 million. Trump claimed that the United States has "the most advanced and robust testing anywhere in the world," but the data show other countries, including Germany and South Korea, tested far more people per capita early in the outbreak, which helped them contain cases and deaths. Germany, with about a quarter of the U.S. population, has been testing 350,000 people per week, one reason Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to begin gradually reopening her country next week. "It is the single best tool to inform decisions and to calibrate all of this," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said Thursday of testing. "This has to be figured out. I understand that this is a problematic area and the federal government's not eager to get involved in testing. I get that, but the plain reality here is we have to do it in partnership with the federal government." Cuomo said he was proud that New York had tested 500,000 people in 30 days, but noted that is a fraction of the state's 19 million residents, nearly half of whom are workers. The state worked with laboratories to develop and process tests, and the federal government was not a player, according to a senior New York state official. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., whose husband, John Bessler, was tested for the coronavirus and waited six days to get his results - he tested positive and has since recovered - said in an interview that she has been "obsessed with this from day one." Absent a vaccine, she said a broad and comprehensive testing program is the only way to bring the economy back to its full potential. "You don't have to be an infectious disease doctor to figure out that the testing is going to be the gateway to making people feel safe and comfortable going out and reopening the economy," said Klobuchar, who was among several senators who raised the issue on a conference call Thursday with Trump. "It is really hard for people to know if they can go back to work or customers can go into stores unless we have that testing." There is no national testing strategy, but rather a patchwork of programs administered by states with limited federal guidance. Federal officials are still getting requests from private laboratories for help obtaining the necessary reagents to conduct tests, a person involved in the task force said. Meanwhile, the American Hospital Association has raised concerns with the administration about a lack of testing supplies. There also is no single administration official working on testing. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus coordinator, has been communicating with hospitals and states about testing protocols, while Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior adviser, has been running point with the industry. The government has been unable to compel test manufacturers to dramatically increase the number of tests produced, and Trump has been unwilling to invoke the Defense Production Act for that purpose. States are also still struggling with acute supply shortages for tests, including swabs and reagents, that Washington has not addressed. The lack of a federal strategy could mean jurisdictions with greater access to supplies and tests could reopen first, as opposed to areas with the lowest risk, said Ashish Jha, a professor at Harvard University and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute. "It's not going to be solvable by letting the market sort itself out or letting every state and company compete with each other," Jha said. "You really are going to need federal coordination and federal strategy." For the last several weeks, health and other administration officials had been discussing having most workers tested for the virus before they returned to work, both to protect businesses afraid of becoming the sites of large outbreaks and to quickly identify and isolate infected people to prevent another wave of cases. But in the last few days, the strategy has morphed to prioritizing four key groups: health-care workers, food safety workers, those in nursing homes and people with chronic diseases - which would still amount to testing millions of people. The new strategy was driven by a realization that it would be impractical to test everybody, as well as a lack of available tests, said a senior administration official involved in the strategy. The guidelines Trump unveiled Thursday suggest that, before reopening, states should first have a "robust testing system in place for at-risk health care workers," see a decrease in confirmed covid-19 cases over a 14-day period, and hospitals should be able to "treat all patients without crisis care" before proceeding to a phased reopening. Trump has been advised by a number of political allies, as well as medical experts, that there needs to be significantly more testing before the country reopens. "The key to opening up the economy is mass testing," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a Trump confidant. "There are parts you could safely begin to reopen the economy, but the real key is mass testing. You have to have mass testing. It has to be science-based." Yet Trump routinely brags about how many tests already have been completed and complains about dire economic projections. The president is "determined to reopen the country. Testing is just not his primary thought," according to one of his advisers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid. On the conference call Thursday with governors, Trump played down the significance of testing. "Testing is very interesting," Trump said, according to the audio recording obtained by The Post. "There are some states where I think you can do with a lot less testing than other people are suggesting." He told the governors that they have "a lot of leeway" in determining how many tests they conduct. Trump has heralded a new rapid-response test from Abbott Laboratories that can deliver results in as few as five minutes, and has taken pride in his administration's role helping distribute the machines nationwide. But when Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, said they got the "great Abbott machines" two weeks ago but still don't have testing kits required to use them, Trump replied that the states are "going to lead the testing." Only a fraction of the Abbott tests are being used right now because there are not enough skilled technicians around the country to operate them - a challenge officials know will continue to persist as testing ramps up - according to a senior administration official involved in the response. On a separate call Thursday with senators, some Republicans shared Trump's enthusiasm for reopening the stalled economy. "There's no way we're going to be able to test comprehensive enough and with enough confidence where it would assuage the fears of people who want that in place before you reopen the economy," Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., who was on the call, said later in an interview. Some Democrats were alarmed by this view. "We need to do this in a methodical way and not just rush forward and put lives at risk," said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., another participant. Meanwhile, a group made up of six doctors from the coronavirus task force - Birx, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci, Food and Drug Administration commissioner Stephen Hahn, testing czar Brett Giroir, Surgeon General Jerome Adams and Centers for Disease Control director Robert Redfield - also has been working on a serology testing strategy. Serology tests help identify antibodies that indicate some level of immunity to covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and could help identify people who can safely return to the workforce. Some experts have warned that they are not the panacea many are hoping for because it's likely only a small percentage of the population has been infected. While there are numerous serology tests on the market, none so far have received FDA approval and officials have warned that many of them are made in China and inaccurate. The doctors group is drafting a plan that includes having an FDA-approved serology test in the coming weeks that could first be used for workers who have been most exposed to the virus, including health-care workers and first line responders, and eventually expanded as availability increases. - - - The Washington Post's Seung Min Kim, Felicia Sonmez and Lena H. Sun contributed to this report. A nurse who spent more than four decades caring for those at the end of their lives has died from coronavirus. Barbara Sage, 68, became the first Marie Curie worker to fall victim to the killer big when she lost her battle in intensive care on Sunday. While the mother-of-two had held the hands of her dying patients over the years, her own family were denied this option in her final moments. She was employed as a senior healthcare assistant in Bromley, south-east London, and had worked for Marie Curie for the last 14 years after joining in 2006. Barbara Sage, 68, pictured, became the first Marie Curie worker to fall victim to the killer big when she lost her battle in intensive care on Sunday Her daughter, named only as Donna, said: 'Mum always said her job wasn't about the getting paid, it was about being there for people when they need it. 'It was about being caring and kind and giving people your time. 'She wouldn't just get up and leave at the end of her shift. 'She'd stay on to support the families or wait for the coroner if needs be.' Barbara, who was also a grandmother, was described as a 'very warm person' and had started out her career as an ambulance driver in London, aged 18. 'She was dedicated to caring for people,' her daughter added. Barbara's manager Adebusola has spoken about the kind of nurse Barbara was. She said: 'If ever Barbara was off and we needed cover for a shift, she'd say 'if the patients need me, I'll be there'. 'That was Barbara all over, patients first. There was one time that has always stuck with me that showed how loving and dedicated she was. 'There was a patient who was dying in Bromley. His wife, who was his main carer, was taken ill and had to go into hospital. They also had a disabled son with Downs syndrome living with them. 'Barbara was incredible. She made some calls and got the patient into the local hospice so he could be well looked after. 'She waited with him to be taken in - because she was worried what would happen if the son was left alone with his dying father. 'Then she stayed at home with the son, cooked him breakfast and looked after him and comforted him until the social worker arrived. 'She'd started her shift at 10pm the night before, and she left the family's house at 1pm the next day. 'She hadn't slept, she was amazing and if that's not kindness and dedication then I don't know what is.' 'Barbara's family couldn't hug her goodbye' Matthew Reed, chief executive of Marie Curie said: 'Barbara's death is a devastating loss for the whole Marie Curie team, and I know everyone who worked with Barbara over the last 14 years can attest to her professionalism and commitment. 'I know she will be very greatly missed. 'I've spoken to Donna who told me how her mother had spent all her life as a palliative care nurse, holding the hands of dying people and hugging their loved ones. 'She told me how she and the rest of the family couldn't hold Barbara's hand as she was dying. They couldn't hug her goodbye. 'This pain is something that so many families are having to go through right now. 'My thoughts are with Barbara's family and friends, as well as everyone who is grieving a loved one in these incredibly difficult times.' Barbara's partner Gerald, her children Donna and Aaron, and her five grandchildren plan to celebrate Barbara's life at a memorial later in the year, Marie Curie has said. The Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday said in an advisory that video-conferencing software Zoom was not a safe platform, and was not for use by government offices or officials. "Zoom is a not a safe platform and advisory of Cert-In on the same dated Feb 06, 2020 and March 30, 2020, may kindly be referred," said the advisory from the Cyber Coordination Centre under the MHA, dated April 12. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. 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Digital Editor BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17 By Fidan Babayeva - Trend: Azerbaijans Cabinet of Ministers approved Instruction on the movement of people working in the agricultural sector, Deputy Executive Director of Azerbaijan's Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication Ramil Huseyn said, Trend reports. According to him, this guideline sets the rules regarding the actions of persons involved in the production, processing and sale of agricultural products during the period of special quarantine regime. Consequently, work is underway in the agricultural sector to ensure the continuity of production. "Moreover, according to the decree of the head of state, it is important to allocate 30 million manat [$17.6 million] to the Agency for Agricultural Lending and Development to issue interest-free microloans in the agricultural sector. They will be aimed at covering production costs and the needs of agricultural producers during the pandemic and consequent period," he said. Huseyn emphasized that in the conditions of a pandemic or any emergency, the creation of the State Grain Fund is a timely solution to ensure the food security. On the other hand, Azerbaijan also imports part of food wheat from Russia and Kazakhstan. As for potatoes, the available resources of our country are quite enough to meet demand. The situation with the production of onions and other vegetables is also under control, the deputy director noted. "The volume of actual sugar reserves in our country, according to the State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan, is 395,000 tons, which indicates there will be no problems with paying for domestic consumption in the coming months," he said. According to Huseyn, in January-February 2020, 7,800 tons of rice were imported into Azerbaijan. Currently, rice stocks are sufficient to meet the demand for about five months, whilst meeting of demand for meat and dairy products is ensured mainly through the local production. Work is also underway to provide the population with other food products. As a part of the Action Plan for the implementation of the presidents decree on a number of measures to reduce the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic dated March 19, 2020, the issue of early VAT-exemption of imports of certain products required for the populations food and medical needs will be considered. He also said that the setup of a commission to ensure the efficient use of water resources will contribute to the development of agriculture. The choice of the development of agriculture and processing industry as the main priority of the state economic policy will assist in the growth of local production and increase of the food security and import substitution level, the deputy director added. --- Follow the author on Twitter: Fidan_Babaeva Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. Start your free trial. In a post outlining Facebooks plans when society reopens, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Thursday that the company is canceling all events with 50 or more people through June 2021 not 2020, but 2021because of the coronavirus pandemic. This is because, as Zuckerberg writes, Even beyond this next period, guidance from health experts is that it wont be advisable to have large groups of people get together for a while. The company will be holding virtual events during this time instead. Advertisement Facebook is generally looking to slow down the timetable for bringing its 45,000 employees back to their offices in Menlo Park, California, and around the world, requiring most people to work from home at least through the end of May and allowing anyone to do so through at least the summer if they choose. The company will also stagger the reopening of its offices in waves; people who work on complex hardware and monitor sensitive content, like terrorism- and suicide-related posts, will be among the first to return since they cannot do their jobs remotely. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We think its important that we give the right of way to other types of businesses and people who may not have the flexibility to work from home productively for their livelihoods, Zuckerberg said in a CNN coronavirus town hall on Thursday. I dont know how long this will take for society to reopen, but I would imagine that we will be among the last back to offices in order to make sure that others can get back first. Advertisement Advertisement Big tech companies were early proponents of shutting down workplaces and canceling events. Apple, Twitter, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook asked employees to work from home in the first week of March. Facebook called off the annual F8 developer conference, its biggest event, at the end of February, while Apple canceled its marquee Worldwide Developers Conference a couple weeks later. Google also cancelled its I/O conference at around the same time. Bill Detwiler, editor in chief of TechRepublic, predicts that these cancellations will accelerate the preexisting trend of making tech conferences completely virtual. Given Zuckerbergs announcement, it now seems less likely that even next years F8 will take place in its usual conference-center setting. Just as Silicon Valley ended up being prescient about the extent to which the coronavirus would shut down society in the initial outbreak, Facebooks decision to hold off on large gatherings for more than a year may give us a glimpse at how the pandemic will continue to shape our lives as we slowly emerge from quarantine. (Facebook did not respond to an inquiry about how the June 2021 timeline was determined.) While many professions wont be able to work at home for as long as a company that primarily deals with software can, other major tech companies at least are likely to follow Facebooks example with similarly lengthy moratoriums for their own events, as will many other industries. Leading health authorities believe that a COVID-19 vaccine wont be ready for another 12 to 18 months, which means that social distancing may still be the law of the land for the foreseeable future. The Trump administration also released a reopening plan on Thursday that will gradually ease lockdown restrictions in three phases, but it has not yet set target dates and warned that shutdown measures could come back if cases begin to rise again. In all likelihood, packed concerts, bustling restaurants, and large celebrations wont be in the cards for a while. State leaders today released a proposal to reopen Alabama businesses, including salons and tattoo parlors, but questions loomed about whether its safe for those types of shops to do so. A group of lawmakers and business leaders who are advising Gov. Kay Ivey issued a report called Reopen Alabama Responsibly, which recommends immediately reopening with some new conditions and safety requirements salons, barber shops, tattoo parlors and tanning salons, all of which are deemed close contact businesses. Ivey said she does not plan to take any immediate action on the recommendations in the plan. Because of the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, those businesses and others deemed non-essential are currently closed through April 30, per an order issued by State Health Officer Scott Harris. [Related: Barber shop cuts plan to defy Alabama coronavirus order by reopening] The Reopen Alabama report is one of several recommendations being offered to Gov. Kay Ivey as she looks to reopen the state in phases. In response to the report, the governor issued a statement saying she does not plan to take any immediate action on the recommendations. Harris hasnt publicly commented on the proposal, which would require his approval to take effect. Getting back to work wont be an easy decision under the circumstances, at least for some stylists. Its a very tough call, said Mary Reinhardt, a stylist at a Decatur salon and a teacher at the Salon Professional Academy in Huntsville. I want to go back to work. But, Reinhardt said, shes uncertain about whether its safe for her, other stylists and their clients. As stylists, we also have to protect the public, she said. Its not just about making people look good. Thats what I teach my students. The Reopen Alabama recommendations would require employees of salons and other close contact businesses to wear masks, and, in most instances, gloves. Salons and barber shops would be required to maintain six feet between work stations. [Related: Alabama should require masks in public, says hospital CEO] Customers would be required to wash or sanitize their hands, and workers would have to sanitize all tools between appointments. Customers would be serviced only with appointments; walk-ins would not be allowed. Cash payments would be prohibited at barber shops. Some businesses, like waxing and nail salons, would require employees to have their temperature checked each day. Tattoo and body artists, and employees at waxing salons, and massage businesses should wear a disposable lab-coat or protective gown, the report proposes. Protective gear, like masks and gloves, has been in short supply globally during the pandemic, and some health experts have said health care workers could be at risk if those supplies are being taken by the general public. At barber shops and hair salons with four or more employees, staffing would be limited to 50 percent at a time, and only one customer would be allowed inside the building for each worker. Employees or customers with COVID-19 symptoms would be prohibited from working or receiving services. Salons wouldnt be allowed to provide books, magazines or other reading materials for clients. Generally, if all organizations follow their common cleaning and sanitizing practices risk of contamination is considerably mitigated, the report says. Reinhardt said sanitizing was already a top priority at Parlour Hush, the beauty salon where she works in Decatur. But she still worries about spreading the virus because of the proximity between stylists and clients. Even before the pandemic, stylists tried to avoid serving clients who were sick, Reinhardt said, but shes concerned about the potential for spread between asymptomatic people. What if I was asymptomatic and giving it to other guests? she said. Theres a lot of uncertainty. Is it safe? Speaking at Huntsvilles daily coronavirus briefing shortly after the new proposal was unveiled, Dr. Karen Landers, the Alabama Department of Public Healths northern district medical officer, said now is not the time to relax social distancing guidelines. Landers didnt specifically address the Reopen Alabama proposal by name but her comments appeared to be at odds with its recommendations. It is not time for us to say, OK, weve had impact, lets stop what were doing, Landers said. But rather to continue all the processes that are in place. People need to continue to stay at home, Landers added. Only go out for essential work or essential supplies. Here are some related stories on Fridays recommendations: Alabama doctors offices open up in May, plan recommends As Alabama looks to reopen, state health official says people need to stay home Masks and temperature checks? Rules vary by business in Alabamas plan to reopen When will beaches reopen? Could youth sports really resume in Alabama on May 11? Small businesses optimistic with recommendations to re-open; caution urged The Covid-19 crisis that has descended with unimagined swiftness has revealed the need for prompt actions in local communities to treat afflicted people and to check the spread of the deadly infection. With more than 1.3 billion people, spread across over 600,000 villages, the need for local self-sufficient, resourceful communities in the un-served and under-served regions has never been more acute. Even from a non-coronavirus context, there is an urgent requirement to expand and strengthen the presence, capabilities and resources of local community centres. These centres can be very important focal points to ensure that the societal and economic needs of the village, or a community of villages it serves, are adequately understood and continuously addressed to enable self-sufficiency in various areas. These include healthcare, hygiene, education, skill development, entrepreneurship and job creation based on the unique local needs and environment of that community. The above challenges may seem formidable, but India enjoys a demographic dividend, with 65% of its population less than 35 years old. Besides this, it is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and has access to advanced, affordable technology. These advantages can rapidly enable and deploy a digitally reimagined world of innovative community-focused solutions and services. There is, thus, a great opportunity to create a hub of community innovation centres in the unserved and under-served regions of the country. The hubs could develop relevant frugal technology-driven solutions and innovative services that can address the needs of the local community. This is indeed possible with a focused approach and great synergies between central, state and district officials, the private sector and its over three million NGOs committed to the economic and societal well-being of the country. Towards this end, Niti Aayog has launched through the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), the selection and establishment of a network of Atal Community Innovation Centres (ACICs) in tier-2, tier-3 cities and rural India in a unique public-private academic partnership mode. Every ACIC established would get a grant of up to 2.5 crores from AIM with a matching or greater contribution from the applicant. The ACIC is encouraged to form value-adding partnerships with the private sector, NGOs and local MSME industries. These ACICs that would develop as hubs of community innovations, solutions and services, would address the unique local needs of every community they are established in, be it agriculture, dairy, textiles or handicrafts. The ACICs would leverage the resources, capabilities, CSR funds that their partners bring to the fore. Relevant innovations from one ACIC hub will be shared and replicated with others speedily through the network of hubs being created based on local needs. The ACICs would also host Advanced Tinkering Labs that can serve as a platform for learning new skills and entrepreneurial development in the local community of schools, colleges and technical institutes (ITIs). Low-cost, affordable frugal technologies like 3D printing, robotics, Internet of Things and microelectronics are imperative in a digitally evolving world. The ACICs are planned to be linked synergistically with other innovation and entrepreneurial initiatives of AIM, including Atal Incubation Centres, Atal New India Challenges and Applied Research and Innovation for medium and small enterprises. With the government enabling over 300 million rural Indians to online banking and payment systems, Aadhar which enables a plethora of unique identification solutions, web and mobile applications extending national and global reach, and satellite, fibre and possible 5G technologies, community innovation centres can usher in a new world of grassroot, locally-relevant innovations and the explosive development of rural enterprises. The hub community innovation centres can also synergize with the network of GoI established common service centres (CSC) in spurring local entrepreneurs. Community centres have indeed played a pivotal role in the growth and advancement of many an advanced economy, and in developing a more equitable, self-sufficient, decentralised ecosystem in the remotest parts of their country, with active participation of the private sector and local industries. Evolving a vibrant self-sufficient high quality yet affordable ecosystem of education, healthcare, hygiene and job creation in every village of India is a must in the years ahead. Engaging with, and developing robust community innovation centres can usher in a dynamically new quality of life and purpose. The combined will and efforts of government, academia and industry is key to realise this aspiration for our country while also setting an example for the rest of the world. As the great Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the champion of downtrodden and neglected communities said, If you ask me, my ideal would be the society based on liberty, equality and fraternity. An ideal society should be mobile and full of channels of conveying a change taking place in one part to other parts. Innovative community centres may well make these much-needed waves of change across the country. (R Ramanan is mission director, Atal Innovation Mission, and additional secretary, NITI Aayog. Views expressed are personal.) Chornobyl exclusion zone, satellite imagery PlanetLabs Kyiv city hall recommended that citizens close their windows, which is due to a drastic increase of concentration of harmful emissions into the air. That's the consequence of fires in Chornobyl exclusion zone and a forest district in Zhytomyr region, northern Ukraine; they still have not been extinguished. Bellingcat investigation bureau came up with a big article focused on the current environmental situation. "Citizens have meanwhile expressed concerns that radioactivity in the exclusion zone could be spreading through thick smoke from the burning trees. Also, some international media outlets have made misleading claims about spiking radiation levels at the abandoned nuclear waste storage with both of these statements actually being incorrect", the agency wrote. Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs on Chornobyl fire: as of 7 am there is no open fire, slight smoldering of forest floor https://t.co/dMLvy2Z81o via @MVS_UA #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/PWu3dwuwAm Liveuamap (@Liveuamap) April 14, 2020 The bureau refers to numerous posts in social media and the data from open sources showing that the actual radiation level remains within normal. It appears that the burnt odor is the result of combustion gases released into the air after the fires in the mentioned locations, but that has nothing to do with radiation level spikes. Sentinel Hub Chornobyl fire, satellite imagery, April 2020 Sentinel Hub Chornobyl fire, satellite imagery, April 2020 "According to experts and government sources, the situation is more complicated than meets the eye. Local radiation levels seem to have increased, but there has been no immediate risk for citizens being exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. Using open source online tools such as the EUs Joint Resource Centre Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring map, no increase of radiation is visible in the area in the period of the forest fires. Naturally, fear of radiation is an understandable concern, as its invisible yet potentially lethal. The history of a lack of communication and transparency from those responsible for nuclear contamination incidents be it waste, or meltdowns of reactors only adds to heightened anxiety in the general population", the article says. Accepting the coronavirus pandemic as not just a challenge but also a big opportunity for the economy, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to offer a special package to investors "disenchanted" with China and eager to shift base to other countries, a senior official said Friday. "Many companies appear to be disenchanted with China. If a company or investor wants to invest in the state, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will give them a special package and facility," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said. Adityanath has asked officials to work out the package, which could be offered to investors in addition to the existing incentives, Awasthi said, adding the Industrial Development and MSME departments have also been asked to come up with a package. The chief minister has asked his ministers and senior officials to discuss the matter with the embassies of different countries, officials said. On Thursday, he asked his ministers to make all-out efforts to take advantage of this opportunity. He has tasked Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahana and MSME minister Siddharth Nath Singh to start the process of dialogue with the countries who would be interested in investing the state. He has asked his Economic Advisor KV Raju and former Chief Secretary Anup Chandra Pande to draft a plan for this. Uttar Pradesh has the connectivity and the human resources to attract investments, Adityanath has told officials. The outbreak of coronavirus, in the Chinese city of Wuhan, in December last year has dealt a major blow to the global economy because of lockdowns imposed around the world to contain the virus. China itself had to shut down its central Hubei province for over two months since January 23. Data released by the Chinese government on Friday showed the country's GDP took the worst hit since 1976. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The peak of the Matterhorn, seen from Zermatt, Switzerland, on Dec. 16, 2013. (Alexandre Soares via Photo of the Day Submission) US Flag Projected Onto Swiss Alps Mountain in Show of Solidarity A projection of the American flag lit up the face of the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps on Wednesday night as a sign of solidarity, hope, and strength amid the CCP virus pandemic. An image of the flag, which was projected onto the mountain by Swiss light artist Gerry Hofstetter, was shared by the Embassy of Switzerland in the United States on Thursday. INCREDIBLE! As a sign of solidarity, the American flag was projected onto the Matterhorn last night. Switzerland is sending hope and strength to the United States of America, the post read. The projection is part of a series created by Hofstetter which sees the face of Matterhorn illuminated with images and mottos from 10 p.m. local time to midnight, from the town of Zermatt, located near the base of the mountain. With the illumination, Zermatt wants to give people a sign of hope and solidarity in this difficult time of the coronavirus pandemic. Just like the motto light is hope, Zermatt Tourism said in a news release. The village shows solidarity with all people who are currently suffering and is grateful to all those who are helping to overcome the crisis. Hofstetter has previously emblazoned the 14,690-foot (4,478 meter) tall mountain with other displays such as the Italian, Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Japanese flags, and mottos reading #AllOfUs and #StayAtHome. The projection has also displayed an image of the Swiss flag and an image of a heart. Since 1999, Hofstetter has displayed his artwork on buildings, monuments, landscapes, and mountains across the globe. The tourism company noted that the American flag was displayed at a time when, according to official figures, the United States has been the most impacted by the outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. There are more than 671,000 CCP virus cases and 33,286 deaths, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University, although many researchers believe the official figures are incorrect due to misreporting from countries like China and Iran. As it stands, the USA is the country that has been most impacted by the COVID-19 crisis with the highest number of confirmed cases, the news release states. Our thoughts are with all American people at this unprecedented time. The Matterhorn has always been a symbol of Switzerland and a place of strength and stability, the tourism company said. Zermatt is convinced: As strong as the Matterhorn, so strong must the society stand together, be anchored and let the storm pass. The mountain resort, like all others in the country, has been shut since March 13 and has been ordered to remain so until at least April 19 amid the CCP virus pandemic. The Swiss death toll from the virus has exceeded 1,000, but the rate of infections has slowed and the government is preparing to loosen other restrictions in the country starting on April 27. Actor Kushal Tandon has asked for a ban on short-for video app TikTok, citing its tieds to China. The actor wrote a note on his Instagram account demanding a ban on the app saying it was made for useless people. TikTok has been downloaded over 1.5 billion times and is extremely popular in India with many celebs having a presence on it. The app is based in China. Kushals note read, While the whole world is f****d coz of China b**** ,but still guess what are Indians and many others are giving them the revenue from s*** #tik tok, while China made Tlk tok for people who were useless and who had nothing to do , and look at us all haha ,every one is in Tlk tok, ban Tlk tok proud of never using this shit Tik tok. Ban Tlk tok. Kushal Tandon wants TikTok to be banned, says China made it for people who were useless The actors post got nearly 33000 likes within a few hours. However, he disabled the comments section a few hours after the post. Meanwhile, TV actor Vivek Dahiya is all for TikTok and shared a note about why banning the app has nothing to do with the coronavirus pandemic. He shared the note on his Instagram account with the caption, When I was asked to ban/quit using #Tiktok because its Made in China. This note answers that and beyond. #Reflections #Perspectives #Mindsets #Psychology. Kushal Tandon wants TikTok to be banned, says China made it for people who were useless The note read, For those suggesting we should ban made In China. remember - the mobile phone you use to express your thoughts about banning an app was also assembled in the same part of the world so are 7 out of 10 products in every average household. China is branded the manufacturer of the world, whether we like it or not. Am pretty sure the founder of this app was not responsible for conspiring the Corona virus. Additionally. hydroxycioroquine used for recovery is either made In India or China. The bottom line is. we are all interdependant in this global marketplace. II one nation is a Buyer, then the other is a Seller. and both need one another to move forward. towards a single Goal of prosperity. Unless of course, we are fully self sufficient in everything but no such example exists. Also read: Ayesha Takia, husband Farhan Azmi offer their Mumbai hotel as quarantine facility The note ended with, Under a nation-wide lockdown, social media is a great platform to spread messages of hope and unity. I am using my social Media platforms to entertain my friends, family and fans and in turn bring a smile and laugh. It doesnt cost a penny and it certainly doesnt affect my national Pride. Follow @htshowbiz for more Meghan Markle and Harry were about to buy Mel Gibson's multi-million dollar mansion in Malibu, but they never closed the deal according to a source. MEGHAN AND HARRY IN CALIFORNIA The former Duke and Duchess of Sussex had moved to California before Canada declared a nationwide lockdown due to the swelling cases of COVID-19. As you may know, Meghan and Harry had been in Canada since December of 2019 but decided to move to California after they stepped down from their senior royal duties. It was first reported that the couple would be living in Canada with their son Archie. However, they later decided to move to California, where Meghan's mother is living. A recently published article said that one of the reasons that Meghan and Harry decided instead to move in California is to avoid paying multiple taxes. Meghan is still a U.S. citizen, and this means that if they were to stay in Canada, she would be required to pay taxes in Canada and the United States. MEGHAN AND HARRY'S HOME IN MALIBU Meghan and Harry are now renting a multimillion-dollar home in Malibu. However, it is still not clear how much the home is worth. It was reported that the former Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very keen on looking for a new home. Mel Gibson's brokers have been working closely with Meghan and Harry's brokers regarding Gibson's 12 million estate. The couple is looking for a mansion that is on five acres of land, spacious ground, and access to a private beach club. There were long talks and discussions made about Gibson's property. However, the negotiations just ended being preliminary, and they were not able to finalize it. It is unclear who ended the talks, but what is clear is that Gibson's home has been on and off the market for years. Gibson's mansion has five bedrooms, walk-in closets, an exceptional chef's kitchen, a gym, and two ocean-view swimming pools. Moreover, it was reported that the mansion was previously owned by David Duchovny, The X Files star. HOW WILL MEGHAN AND HARRY CELEBRATE THE FIRST BIRTHDAY OF THEIR SON The couple had planned an A-List Event of their son's birthday on May 6. However, they now have to rethink it as Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti had already announced that social gatherings will be prohibited because the country is still battling the global COVID-19 pandemic. The United States has more around 678, 210 cases of COVID-19, and with a death toll of 34,641 according to worldometers. The country also ranked 1st among the countries with COVID-19 cases. It is for this reason that it is not a surprise anymore why the federal and local authorities are stringent in prohibiting social gatherings. It is now speculated that due to the prohibition of social gatherings, the former Duke and Duchess of Sussex will hold a quiet birthday celebration of their son in their multi-million rented home. One of the insiders said: "There is no way that Harry and Meghan could or would even consider throwing a party for family and friends. As special as Archie turning one is, now is the time to take safety more seriously than ever." The insider also added: "Their close-knit friend group will have plenty of other opportunities moving forward to come together. There are other events lined up throughout the rest of the year. Just last week, April 19 was the date restrictions would set to be lifted, but that's not the case anymore for safety reasons." The prohibition of social gatherings while the country is still in a health crisis will prevent the former Duke and Duchess of Sussex from hosting a party. Meghan and Harry have close friends in Los Angeles like Oprah Winfrey, the Clooney's, and Elton John. Read related articles: Harry and Meghan Markle "HUMILIATED": Former Royals May Face Instagram War Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem accused Americans across the nation of giving up their 'liberties for a little bit of security', vowing to go against the grain and keep her state open as protests against lockdown orders are staged nationwide. Infections in the state have trebled in just one week and is home to one of the country's largest virus hotspots following an outbreak at a pork processing plant. At the start of the month there were only 129 infections in the state but, as of Thursday, 988 cases have since been confirmed and six deaths reported. Despite the alarming surge of COVID-19 cases in such a short space of time, Noem insists she still had no plans to implement a lock-down. The controversial Governor assured critics that she will continue to make decisions based on 'science and 'facts', 'rather than letting emotion grab a hold of the situation.' South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem accused Americans across the nation of giving up their 'liberties for a little bit of security', vowing to go against the grain and continue to keep her state open despite nationwide calls to order a shutdown South Dakota saw its infection numbers spike following an outbreak at a Chinese-owned pork processing plant in Sioux Falls where about 500 employees tested positive for coronavirus She argued that it was up to individuals - and not governments - to decide if they should go to work, worship or stay at home. 'I took an oath when I was in congress, obviously to uphold the constitution of the United States. I believe in our freedoms and liberties,' Noem said in an interview with FOX News. 'What I've seen across the country is so many people give up their liberties for just a little bit of security. And I don't have to do that. 'If a leader will take too much power in a time of crisis, that is how we lose our country. So I felt like I've had to use every single opportunity to talk about why we slow things down, we make decisions based on science and facts and make sure that we are not letting emotion grab a hold of the situation.' South Dakota saw its infection numbers spike following an outbreak at a Chinese-owned pork processing plant in Sioux Falls where about 500 employees tested positive for coronavirus. An estimated 120 people, who are family members of the employees, have also now tested positive. The combination of the figures means the outbreak at Smithfield Foods, which was forced to shutdown this week, is responsible for the single largest cluster of coronavirus cases in the country. 'I took an oath when I was in congress, obviously to uphold the constitution of the United States. I believe in our freedoms and liberties,' Noem said in an interview with FOX News. 'What I've seen across the country is so many people give up their liberties for just a little bit of security. And I don't have to do that' At the start of the month there were only 129 infections in the state but, as of Thursday, 988 cases have since been confirmed and six deaths reported Backlash protests against lockdown orders have been staged all over the country this. Protestors The Michigan Conservative Coalition and Michigan Freedom Fund demonstrated on the steps of the State Capitol on Wednesday, demanding shutdowns be lifted While acknowledging the troubling outbreak, Noem said that, outside of Sioux Falls, two thirds of South Dakota has either no cases or only one coronavirus case in an entire county, which in her opinion is an indication the situation is very much under control. 'We are addressing the one hot spot that we do have an aggressively testing in that area,' Noem said. 'And South Dakotans are doing a fantastic job following my recommendations.' By ignoring calls to shutdown the state, Noem says she has been able to keep businesses open, while also allowing people to 'take on some personal responsibility'. Gov Noem also accused the media and high-profile critics such as Elizabeth Warren of conflating her decision not to issue a lockdown with the outbreak at the food plant. 'What they are neglecting to tell folks is that this processing plant is critical infrastructure. Regardless of a shelter-in-place order or not, it would have been up and running because it's an important part of our nation's food supply,' Noem Thundered. 'So that's what's been happening on the national level, they've been not telling all the facts behind us. 'If the people of South Dakota can be trusted to make good decisions. We have common sense. That's why people want to live here that's why I love living here.' By ignoring the calls to shutdown the state, Noem says she has been able to keep businesses open, while also allowing people to 'take on some personal responsibility' (Pictured: Demonstrators stand outside of the Virginia State Capitol refusing to comply with their state's shutdown orders) Protesters from a grassroots organization called REOPEN NC demonstrate against the North Carolina coronavirus lockdown at a parking lot adjacent to the North Carolina State Legislature in Raleigh on Tuesday Smithfield Foods, which is headquartered in Virginia, is owned by China's WH Group Ltd. The company announced that in addition to closing its Sioux Falls plant, it was also shutting plants in Wisconsin and Missouri. Employees, local officials and industry sources told Reuters late last year that workers box up pig carcasses to ship to China instead of providing meat to Americans. It comes after the South Dakota State Medical Association wrote a letter to Gov Noem on April 3 urging her to issue a quarantine order for residents. 'A stay-at-home order would give our health professionals the necessary time and resources to manage this pandemic,' the group said. '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.' Sioux Falls Mayor Paul Ten Haken, who is also a Republican, issued an ordinance this week that requires residents in the city to stay at home after Gov Noem refused his request to issue a statewide one. His ordinance allows residents to still travel for work, as well as out for groceries and essential items. It urges people to social distance if they are outside. In an interview with CBS This Morning on Wednesday, the mayor said the number of cases were 'staggering'. 'The growth that we've seen in our COVID cases, really in the last week, has been a bit staggering,' TenHaken said. 'We're doubling and we've been doubling every four days for the last 18 days.' In reference to Gov Noem refusing to issue a lockdown, the mayor went on to say that he would rather be 'chastised for being over-cautious' than for not doing enough to stop the spread of the coronavirus. New Delhi, April 17 : Stress is known to be an important factor which disrupts menstrual cycles in women and girls. With all the COVID-19 anxiety floating around, it is natural that some women may experience a slight delay before their next period. "We have always seen that stress delays menstrual cycles. In girls slated to appear for competitive exams, we have seen the moment these exams are over, their cycles are back on track. Hormones for a normal menstrual cycle are released from the brain, but an increase in stress levels can cause a disturbance," Dr Meghana D Sarvaiya, Senior Consultant - Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Mumbai told IANSlife. Adding, "A few days ago, I had a patient who delayed her cycle probably for the first time in her life. She got blood tests for pregnancy as negative, so stress could have been the only reason, unless there is an ovarian cyst which can again be attributed to stress levels or not having ovulation on time." The doctor suggests remaining optimistic and waiting for at least 7-10 days after your due date, before consulting a doctor. However, once the fear and stress of contracting the virus eventually subsides, the next wave of anxiety will be triggered by employment status, finances, children's education costs, pension savings and lifestyle compromises in general because of a leaner wallet. "All of these combined will cause stress and anxiety, and when that happens, the menstrual cycles goes out of sync," Dr Partap Chauhan, Director, Jiva Ayurveda says. Here's how Ayurveda can help you manage stress and keep menstrual cycles regular: 1. Shatavari is a wonder herb for women. It helps with maintaining balanced menses, eases menstrual complications, helps fight stress, and delays signs of ageing. Take one teaspoon of Shatavari root powder and boil it in one cup of water. Strain, add a teaspoon of honey and drink. 2. Face masks do more than keep your skin healthy, they calms your nerves and give you mind a break from the day's stress. You can make your own mask at home. Take two teaspoons of milk cream, a teaspoon of Multani Mitti and add a few drops of sandalwood essence, or chamomile essence. Apply it on your face and neck and lay back. Sandalwood has what modern science names 'alpha-santanol' which relaxes the mind, balances heart rate and blood pressure. 3. Dashaang is a special Ayurvedic incense that is made with sandalwood, Jatamansi and other calming herbs. Low-fume versions are great for your morning yoga and meditation sessions. Other than its primary function of making your mind calm, Dashaang Dhoop will also purify the air, and reinstate positive Vaastu energy in your living space. 4. Malkagni, Jyotishmati, Brahmi, Ashwagandha are great for keeping your mind sharp and overall nervous health. Whenever you have an urge for caffeine, make a 'kaadha' (concoction) of any one these herbs. It will free you from your caffeine dependency, and keep your brain on its toes to deal with problems. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Ghana has recorded a total of 1.3 per cent of COVID-19 infections among the at-risk population of 50,719 tested, as at April 15, 2020. Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, said as at mid-night on April 15, the country's COVID-19 case count was 641. There have been eight deaths and 83 recovered patients. Additionally, 17 treated patients are awaiting the results of their second tests to be clinically declared recovered, after the first ones came out negative. He was addressing a press briefing, in Accra, on Thursday, on the COVID-19 pandemic and related matters in the Ghana. The Information Minister explained that the strategy for the testing management of the disease had been grouped into three: with the first involving the normal surveillance system which, had tested a total of 13,838 persons who either self-reported to health facilities, or called the 112 help-line for assistance. Out of these, 268 (1.9 per cent ), tested positive. The second category, he said, comprised travellers who entered the country through the Kotoka International Airport in Accra and Tamale, after the announcement of the travel ban, hence they had to be put under the 14-day mandatory quarantine. He said 105 (5.28 per cent ) of the 2,011 persons tested in Accra, were positive, while 10 (91 per cent ) of the 11 tests conducted on the other travellers held in Tamale, also tested positive. Mr Oppong Nkrumah explained that the Enhanced Contact Tracing and Testing exercise being undertaken in Accra, Tema, Kasoa, Kumasi and other hotspot areas in the country, had also resulted in the testing of 34,869 persons, out of which 258, representing 0.7 per cent, had proven positive. The Minister said the statistics available currently gave an idea of the level of challenge that existed within the system, adding that, it was such elements that would form the President's decision on what would happen next. 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 Chattanooga businesses working with First Horizon will garner approximately $175 million in funding from the SBAs Payment Protection Program. With over 500+ applications processed and more awaiting the next round of funding, bankers from Chattanoogas largest financial institution spent over 10,000 hours in 15 days for the first round of applications. The First Horizon bankers are also aware of other small businesses who have expressed an interest in the next round of funds but have yet to apply. Market President Jay Dale noted that the bank is looking forward to the next round of funding that Congress is expected to authorize. We are working as quickly as possible to have our next round of applications ready once the funds are accessible. We are hopeful that Congress will move quickly to assist our small businesses. Statewide, First Horizon has funded more than one-third of all PPP loan requests. The bank received 8,500 requests and currently has funded $1.6 billion to businesses across the state. The funds made available through the PPP are a life-line to so many small businesses, said Mr. Dale. We will continue to do all we can to support our customers during this time. Great customer service is something weve provided for the last 156 years and COVID-19 and the recent tornadoes arent about to keep us from doing just that. Transport operators and drivers in Western North Region have increased transport fares by over 25 percent. This follows the directives by the Ghana Private Road Transport (GPRTU) for drivers to reduce the number of passengers travelling in buses and taxi cabs to ensure social distancing. Passengers traveling from Sefwi -Waiwso the Regional capital to Sefwi- Asawinso for instance, now pay 12.00 cedis instead of nine cedis representing 33.3 percent increase. The fares from Sefwi- Asawinso in the Waiwso Municipality to Debeiso in the Bia West District has increased from 12.00 to 15.00 cedis, while fares from Enchi in the Aown Municipality to Dadieso in the Suaman District has increased from 18.00 to 20.00 cedis. From Sefwi-Bodi to Akontombra passengers now pay 15.00 instead of 12.00 cedis while from Debeiso to Adabokrom increased from 10.00 to 14.00 cedis. Some drivers explained to the Ghana News Agency, that they decided to increase the fares as a result of the reduced number of passengers to ensure social distancing. Some passengers and residents expressed worry about the situation, stressing that they did not understand why transport fares in the Region had increased while fares in other regions remained unchanged. They therefore called on the transport Ministry and Western North Regional Coordinating Council, to bring drivers to order since the increase was too much for them to bear. 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 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 Do you believe in climate change; if so, what should Congress do to combat or contain it? Nebraska has been blessed with an abundance of natural resources. It's incumbent on us to steward well what we've been given and nobody cares more about the future of our land and water than our farmers and ranchers. We should trust the data and have a conversation, but over-the-top alarmist talk and bad policy proposals like the Green New Deal aren't workable solutions. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders would be better off spending time working with Nebraska's agriculture producers. Would you support a major infrastructure modernization program? If so, what should it look like? Congress doesnt do a lot of long-term thinking and infrastructure is one of the issues it hasnt been serious about. We need to invest in infrastructure, but details matter and we have to pay our bills. A good plan would look to innovate without throwing money down the drain. Do you believe President Donald Trump has earned a second term? Why or why not? Many of Turkeys doctors and health care workers left their shifts at noon on April 17 to stand together albeit a meter apart, as necessitated by the rules of social distancing in recognition of the approximately 100,000 doctors verbally and physically assaulted while doing their job in the last 10 years. Organized by the vocal and anti-governmental Turkish Medical Association (TTB), the demonstration comes in the wake of a new law that slaps heavy penalties on those who assault health care workers. Taken amidst the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic that claims more than a hundred lives every day in Turkey, the law will punish physical attacks on health care workers with 1.5 to 4.5 years in prison without parole. Threats or insults against health care officials carry a maximum punishment of three years. April 17 marks the death of a young doctor, Ersin Arslan, who was stabbed to death in the southeastern city of Gaziantep in 2012 by the 17-year-old grandson of an 80-year-old patient who died at the hospital. Arslan was hardly an isolated case. A report prepared by the main opposition Republican Peoples Party last December says that a Health Ministry hotline to report physical and verbal violence against health professionals received at least 40 complaints daily between 2012 and 2019. The report read that nine doctors had been killed on duty between 2005 and 2019. The recent law covers doctors and other health care professionals including pharmacists, who for the last two weeks have faced threats and attacks from people angered by the unavailability of protective masks. Some people have attacked the pharmacists to take the mask off their faces, Erdogan Colak, the chairman of the pharmacists union, complained to the local media. Under the COVID-19 precautions taken by the Turkish government, masks can no longer be obtained without requesting one from government online and receiving a code. With this code, Turks can pick up their masks free of charge from a pharmacy or have it delivered at home. Since last week, people who do not have masks have been unable to enter markets to shop for food. The law and its tougher penalties, initiated by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally Nationalist Movement Party, passed in the early hours of April 15, with consensus from all political parties. Turkeys Health Minister Fahrettin Koca a doctor and hospital administrator immediately tweeted his thanks to all those who have supported the new law that now doubles penalties for attacks against workers in the health sector. Although the law falls short of what we would have wanted, we still consider it a step in the right direction, the Turkish Medical Association said in a statement the same day. It added that the association has been pushing for a law to protect health care professionals from violence since 2007. Ironically, the proposals were mostly blocked by the AKP, which has held a parliamentary majority since 2002. The tone of the statement made it clear that the association would not be burying the hatchet with the AKP government just yet particularly as its members fought the pandemic under high risk with less than adequate equipment. About 10 health care workers have died since the start of the pandemic, including the first Turkish doctor to diagnose the novel coronavirus infection in Turkey, Dr. Cemil Tasciogu. As we fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, we still hear that there are attacks against doctors and other health personnel, the statement said. These attacks will not be prevented by increased sentences on paper; it is a structural problem. The TTB has repeatedly said that tensions between the doctors and patients largely stem from the governments health policies, which urge the doctors in public and private hospitals to see too many patients a day. Many doctors complain that they can only see a patient for five minutes. This is hardly adequate time to ask about symptoms, let alone make a diagnosis, complained a family doctor in the Aegean port city of Izmir. Many doctors also blame politicians, from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan down, who wave off doctors complaints about their work conditions as self-serving, "unpatriotic" and simply greedy. In one internationally famous case, a doctor who posted a meme to Facebook comparing the president to Gollum, the power-hungry "Lord of the Rings" character, was not only sued but immediately removed from duty. So when Erdogan stood on the balcony of the presidential palace on March 20 and applauded the doctors and health personnel along with the public, very few health care professionals felt flattered or grateful. Who wants his applause? a doctor and former administrator of a university hospital commented to Al-Monitor under condition of strict anonymity. For the last 18 years of AKP rule, doctors and the health personnel have been on the receiving end of pointless restrictions, ever increasing income tax and direct insults and wrath from Erdogan that made it easy for unsatisfied patients or their families to attack doctors. Few of the attackers were ever put behind bars, and those who were will get out with the recent amnesty. Though Erdogan's rhetoric has softened toward the doctors and the health care workers during the pandemic, the policy of polarization those who are against us and those who are with us has not changed, political science professor Aysen Uysal told Al-Monitor. The medical associations or experts who have an independent voice are either excluded from policy-making or silenced. Many doctors who talked to Al-Monitor have refused to comment on the record, saying they had been explicitly warned not to speak publicly about the pandemic or the government's policies. Only last month, the chairs of TTBs local branches in Van and Mardin were summoned by the police shortly after the association started releasing its own counts of people infected with the coronavirus, data the state was withholding. A new trade agreement between Vietnam and Cuba officially came into force earlier this month, and is expected to help bring bilateral economic, trade and investment ties on par with their sound political relationship. Cat Lai Port in Ho Chi Minh City The European-American Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade said on April 16 that the two countries had completed procedures for the trade deal to take effect on April 1. The Vietnam-Cuba Trade Agreement, signed in Hanoi on November 9, 2018, features 14 chapters which include regulations on trade in goods, rules of origin, customs management and trade facilitation, technical standards, food safety, and animal and plant quarantine. Under the pact, the two sides have pledged to eliminate or reduce tariffs on nearly all commodities currently traded between them over the next five years. The Vietnamese Government recently issued Decree No.39/2020/ND-CP on a list of Vietnams special preferential import tariffs to implement the trade agreement from now until 2023. Accordingly, import tariffs on 514 items from Cuba, including some types of shrimp, fish, honey and fruit, cement, chromium ore, disinfectants, protective suits and wireless internet devices have been slashed to zero percent. For the 49 remaining tariff lines, tax rates will be cut gradually. Commodities such as sugar and unprocessed tobacco will have their tariff rates reduced to 15 percent in four years, cigarettes and cigars to 70 percent, and liquor and alcohol to 20 percent. This decree will become effective on May 20.VNA WASHINGTON (AP) The ranks of America's unemployed swelled toward Great Depression-era levels Thursday, and President Donald Trump reacted to the pressure on the economy by outlining a phased approach to reopening parts of the country where the coronavirus is being brought under control. Trump told the nation's governors that restrictions could be eased to allow businesses to reopen over the next several weeks in places that have extensive testing and a marked decrease in COVID-19 cases. TRUMP CHECKS: President's name to be printed on stimulus relief checks We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time, Trump said, adding that his new guidelines give governors the freedom to act as they see fit. His comments marked an abrupt change after a week in which he clashed with governors over his claim that he had total authority over how and when the country reopens. Both Democratic and Republican governors welcomed the moderate White House approach, which calls for a gradual, three-phase reopening of businesses and schools. In phase one, for example, theaters, sporting venues and churches would open under strict physical distancing protocols, but bars would remain closed. Trump said reopening could be imminent in some places, and he has remarked that data suggests coronavirus cases have peaked in the U.S. Scientists have said its not clear that is the case, and they warned states to proceed with caution to prevent the virus from storming back. The president unveiled his reopening plan the same day the government reported 5.2 million more Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the four-week total to 22 million easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record. The losses translate to about 1 in 7 American workers. While many Americans have chafed at the damage to their livelihoods, business leaders and governors have warned that more testing and protective gear are needed before they can start lifting the lockdowns and other restrictions. My No. 1 focus is to keep my family safe, so Im really not in a hurry to put an end to this, said Denise Stockwell, who is about to lose her job in marketing at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. But conservative economist Steven Moore, a Trump ally, said there will be 30 million people out of work in the country if the economy doesnt open back up soon. And that is a catastrophic outcome for our country. Period, he said. In China, official data released Friday showed GDP shrank 6.8% from a year ago in the quarter ending in March, its worst contraction since market-style economic reforms began in 1979. Consumer spending and manufacturing activity remain weak despite factories and offices reopening starting last month, suggesting recovery may be longer and harder than initially expected. STIMULUS EXPANSION: New proposed $2K per month COVID-19 payment would include more Americans Some forecasters earlier said China might rebound as early as this month, but they have been cutting growth forecasts and pushing back recovery timelines as negative trade, retail sales and other data pile up. Worldwide, the outbreak has infected more than 2.1 million people and killed more than 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 U.S. reached about 31,000, with around 650,000 confirmed infections. The spread of the virus is declining in such places as Italy, Spain and France, but rising or continuing at a high level in Britain, Russia and Turkey, authorities said. In other developments: Vladimir Putin postponed Russia's grand Victory Day parade May 9 in Red Square marking the 75th anniversary of Nazi Germanys defeat in World War II. Since Soviet times, Victory Day has been the nations most important holiday, reflecting wartime losses put at more than 27 million dead. 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. Police acting on an anonymous tip found at least 18 bodies over two days at a nursing home in Andover Township, New Jersey, that were waiting to be picked up by a funeral home. Under the Trump administration road map, places that are turning the corner on the virus would begin a three-phase gradual reopening of businesses and schools, with each phase lasting at least 14 days, to ensure that the outbreak doesnt make a resurgence. Many Americans, especially in rural areas and other parts of the country that have not seen major outbreaks, have urged governors to reopen their economies. More than 3,000 turned out this week to decry the Michigan governors restrictions, police broke up a demonstration in North Carolina, and protests also took place in Oklahoma, Kentucky and Virginia. Those people that know theyre vulnerable, self-quarantine. And everybody else, let them go back to work," Aaron Carver, a laid-off construction worker, said at a protest in Richmond, Virginia. The decision of whether to relax the restrictions rests not with the White House but with the state and local leaders who imposed them in the first place. Seven Midwestern governors announced Thursday that they will coordinate on reopening their economies, after similar pacts among states in the Northeast and on the West Coast. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Trump ally, said 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 said. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said the White House guidance makes clear the best path to reopening is still a cautious one that proceeds carefully and incrementally. Two in three Americans expressed concerns that restrictions would be eased too quickly, according to a Pew Research Center survey released Thursday. Economists said unemployment could reach 20% 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. 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 supermarkets may stick with one-way aisles and protective shields at the cash registers, experts say. It might be back to normal for everyone else, but people still dont feel comfortable gathering at restaurants and bars, said Jeremiah Juncker, manager of the Rappourt pub in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Many European countries, like the U.S., have seen heavy job losses, but places like Germany and France are using government subsidies to keep millions of people on payrolls. Italys hard-hit Lombardy region is pushing to restart manufacturing in early May, while Britain extended restrictions at least three more weeks. Switzerland announced staggered re-openings. The transition is beginning, Swiss Home and Health Minister Alain Berset said. We want to go as fast as possible, and as slow as necessary. ___ Associated Press journalists around the world contributed. ___ This story has been edited to correct that Aaron Carver is a laid-off construction worker, not housing contractor. ___ Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak The market craziness that we saw during February and March has officially extended into April. Following the disastrous crash in March, the market now seems to be gearing towards a rally. I say seems because if theres one thing that weve seen over the past months, its that we are living in a time of extreme volatility. That craziness also means there are some uniquely discounted stocks to buy at the moment. So how exactly should investors account for that volatility in their portfolio? Defensive stocks are always a great path forward, particularly those stocks that offer a handsome dividend. Here are two such stocks to consider adding to your portfolio today. Buy green, get rich Canadas Big Banks are some of the best investments on the market. Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSX:TD)(NYSE:TD) is a long-time favourite among investors, and for good reason. TD is the second-largest bank in Canada and one of the largest banks in the U.S. market. TDs quiet ascension to become one of the largest banks in the U.S. is something that prospective investors should strongly take into consideration. In short, Canadian banks are well known for being highly regulated. Specifically, that regulatory overhead makes them more stable than their U.S. peers. Factor in a growing presence in the lucrative U.S. market where loan and deposit growth exceed Canada and you have a winning stock to buy. So how exactly did TD enter the U.S. market with such force? Following the Great Recession, TD acquired several regional banks along the U.S. east coast and stitched them together under a single brand: TD Bank. Today, TD has a network of over 1,200 branches in the U.S. stretching from Maine to Florida. Interestingly, that U.S. branch network is provided steady gains during earnings season, now accounting for a whopping 38% of net income as of the most recent quarter. In terms of a dividend, TD offers investors a quarterly dividend that works out to an appetizing 5.80% yield. Story continues Your cell is important to your portfolio Wireless devices are the one thing that has kept many of us occupied and sane during this period of self-isolation, so it only seems fitting that I now mention a telecom. While Shaw Communications (TSX:SJR)(NYSE:SJR) is neither the largest nor the most well-known of Canadas telecoms, that doesnt mean that the Calgary-based company isnt a great stock to buy. Year to date, Shaw has seen its stock price drop by 20%, which is hardly a compelling reason to consider an investment. So what exactly makes Shaw a solid investment option? Enter Freedom Mobile, Shaws wireless segment. Compared to the Big Three telecoms, Freedom mobile is still a new player on the field. That smaller size means that Freedoms coverage is restricted to just some of Canadas major metro areas. Shaw is actively working on expanding that coverage, but an expected competitive coverage growth still a few years out. To offset the lack of coverage, Shaw is offering very compelling rates and data allowances in areas where it does provide coverage. As Shaw continues to report subscriber growth, those efforts appear to be working. By example, in the most recent quarter, Shaw reported a gain of 54,000 postpaid subscribers. That gain was instrumental in Shaws wireless segment seeing a whopping 18% year-over-year improvement to adjusted EBITDA. In terms of a dividend, Shaw offers a monthly distribution that currently works out to a handsome 5.39% yield. Investors should note that Shaws dividend is not subject to the same annual hikes that some of its telecom peers offer. Rather, Shaw is actively reinvesting into building out Freedom mobiles coverage further. Are these good stocks to buy? Both TD Bank and Shaw represent stellar options to add to any portfolio. Additionally, both stocks are still trading at levels far below where they started in 2020. Despite that initial appeal, were still in a period of extreme volatility. While the volatility is a concern, the long-term prospects for both stocks make them solid options to buy now and hold for decades. The post 2 Great Stocks to Buy Right Now appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Demetris Afxentiou owns shares of Shaw Communications. 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 UTICA N.Y.- Hospital workers can be overwhelmed at this time treating coronavirus patients, so one local restaurant stopped by MVHS hospitals to deliver dinner to those working in the emergency room. Minar Fine Indian Cuisine of New Hartford stopped by the emergency room at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica Thursday afternoon. Chicken and Vegetarian options were available. NEWSChannel 2 spoke with the owner's daughter Ruchika Nayyar, who says the restaurant wanted to give back to the doctors and nurses who are working non-stop in this time of need. "We knew that there's a lot going on and we just wanted to help." said Nayyar. "We know that there's doctors that are working overtime and they're working so much, and there's nurses, and there's a lot of need, and we figured why not help out and give some food." Minar also delivered food to the St. Luke's and Faxton campuses as well. Senior citizens aged 70 or more can avail doorstep banking facilities even during coronavirus lockdown. As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines, banks have to arrange pick up of cash or cheque and drop of demand drafts for senior citizens and differently-abled or infirm persons (having medically certified chronic illness or disability). The central bank has advised banks to provide basic banking facilities, such as pick up of cash and instruments against receipt, delivery of cash against withdrawal from account, delivery of demand drafts, submission of Know Your Customer (KYC) documents and life certificate at the residence of such customers. These instructions were issued way back in 2017 after the RBI observed that banks were discouraging or turning away senior citizens and differently-abled persons from availing banking facilities in branches. Most of the leading banks, including SBI, PNB, Bank of Baroda, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, provide doorstep banking services facility to their customers. Also Read: Coaxing Indian banks: RBI can't without government help As per the information available on the country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI's) website, the lender offers doorstep banking (DBS) services to senior citizens and differently-abled customers who have completed KYC process and have registered address within a radius of 5 KMs from the home branch. The DSB service is available in savings bank/ current account of resident individual customer only. Doorstep banking service offered by the SBI include cash pickup, cash delivery, cheque pickup, cheque requisition slip pickup, form 15H pickup, delivery of drafts, delivery of term deposit advice, life certificate pickup and KYC documents pickup. Also Read: RBI allows extension of NBFC loans to delayed commercial real estate projects by 1 year The customer can call up SBI toll free number 1800 111103 between 9 am to 4 pm on working days through doorstep banking tab in YONO app. Under DSB services, the maximum limit for cash transactions per day is Rs 20,000 for cash deposit and withdrawal, while minimum limit is Rs 1,000. The service charges per visit for non-financial transactions is Rs 60+GST and Rs 100+GST for financial transactions. US Dollars (Photo : Image by NikolayFrolochkin from Pixabay ) Image by NikolayFrolochkin from Pixabay Advertisement KEY POINTS Recipients have complained on social media of various glitches and problems plaguing the IRS' stimulus web tool and the first wave of checks being deposited Problems have included the web tool crashing from traffic, checks being deposited into the wrong accounts and tax services taking service fees out of the stimulus check Some have reported checks being sent to the accounts of the recently deceased, causing further confusion among some recipients As the Internal Revenue Service began sending stimulus checks to help Americans affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but some recipients said Thursday their checks went to the wrong bank accounts while other checks were sent to accounts belonging to the recently deceased. Others have reported glitches related to several popular tax programs that kept them from receiving their checks. The apparent root of the problems has been the IRS' Get My Payment web tool that recipients could use to track the stimulus checks. However, complaints began flooding the IRS on Wednesday as users complained of various glitches or being unable to enter the necessary information. Some users who managed to get into the tool said on social media their stimulus check was sent to either an inactive accouns or an account belonging to someone else. Despite the problems, some banks reportedly told recipients there was nothing they could do. "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," Lansing, Michigan, resident Chris Rodriguez told USA Today. Another problem being reported by recipients is that either the wrong amount or no money was dropped into their accounts at all. The U.S. Treasury Department and other experts said this was because the IRS was unable to get direct deposit information from various tax services, such as H&R Block and TurboTax. Consumer law expert Vijay Raghavan told the Washington Post the IRS sent the stimulus out to the tax services first because it had "temporary bank accounts" on file belonging to the services. Raghavan said this was due to either people getting an advance on their tax returns from employers or because they had the service fee taken out of their 2019 returns. This meant the tax services saw the stimulus money first, took out the service fee, and distributed the remaining money to customers. By Trend The political parties which are represented in the Azerbaijani parliament signed a statement in connection with the measures to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic and eliminate socio-economic consequences, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani parliament. The statement was signed by the representatives of New Azerbaijan Party, Ana Vatan party, Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, Civil Union Party, Great Revival Party, Azerbaijan Political Party of Democratic Reforms, Azerbaijan Democratic Enlightenment Party and Civil Union Party. The document reads: "We, the political parties that signed this statement, emphasize that it is important to further strengthen the national unity and solidarity while COVID-19 pandemic is raging all over the world and causing the death of hundreds of thousands of people. There is a threat of the deepest crisis over recent decades as a result of the pandemic. The social and economic life has been greatly affected. The consequences of the pandemic have been also observed in Azerbaijan. While realizing the importance of comprehensive and preventive measures taken in our country to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection, protect peoples health, address emerging socio-economic challenges, we make the following statement: COVID-19 pandemic prevention measures are implemented by the Azerbaijani government on the initiative and under the leadership of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. The movement was restricted and the special quarantine regime was introduced to reduce the cases and risk of infection with the virus. The operational and comprehensive work on organizing the medical treatment of patients is carried out. The return of numerous Azerbaijani citizens to the country, including undergraduates studying abroad and remaining abroad as a result of border closures was ensured at the state expense. The additional measures are carried out to further strengthen the social protection of vulnerable strata of the population. The students who are members of low-income families and pay for education were exempted from tuition fees during the fight against the pandemic. The state support program is implemented in connection with the social protection of employees who have stopped working as a result of restrictive measures applied to prevent the spread of a pandemic. The projects are implemented within the support for entrepreneurs working in small and medium-sized enterprises who temporarily ceased their activity. The multilateral programs on the protection of all sectors of the economy from the negative impact of a pandemic are developed. A set of measures is conducted to maintain macroeconomic stability. A big amount of state funds are allocated to finance the measures to combat the pandemic. The population is mobilized for taking the measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, including the creation of Fund to Support Fight against Coronavirus". Some 176 people older 65 sentenced to imprisonment were pardoned upon the Azerbaijani presidents decree. We urge the members of organizations that we represent to follow the necessary, urgent preventive and restrictive measures which are implemented by the government with great responsibility and fully comply with the quarantine regime. We also call for demonstrating social responsibility as part of the fight against coronavirus. We urge to join the calls for national unity and solidarity, which are an important condition for the fight against a pandemic. We call for refusing from any meetings to fulfill the organizational tasks and use the capabilities of modern information technologies. We strongly condemn the dissemination of rumors, information of a provocative nature related to the coronavirus in social networks and ask the relevant competent bodies to take the strongest measures within the law against such actions. We condemn the propaganda in social networks posted abroad and aimed at creating distrust in the governments measures to combat COVID-19 pandemic, which intentionally damages the health of the population and we demand to put an end to such dangerous anti-Azerbaijani propaganda. We consider it unacceptable for some groups to consciously politicize the introduction of a special quarantine regime as part of the necessary restrictive measures to combat coronavirus and sanctions for gross violations of the law that pose a serious threat to human health. We strongly oppose the use of the current situation caused by coronavirus for political propaganda, turning a pandemic into an instrument of political struggle and using it for narrow political purposes that are far from national interests. We urge all political parties, public organizations and civil society organizations to support the measures taken by the Azerbaijani government to quickly eliminate COVID-19 pandemic and its possible socio-economic consequences, as well as to facilitate their successful implementation. New Azerbaijan Party Ana Vatan party Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party Civil Union Party Great Revival Party Azerbaijan Political Party of Democratic Reforms Azerbaijan Democratic Enlightenment Party Civil Union Party --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A lot of people dont know how to interact with health care, Walker said. One of the things Im getting a lot of complaints about - I dont want to go to the emergency room to get turned away and not get tested. AUSTIN Texas is easing restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday, starting next week by letting retailers sell items for curbside pickup, resuming elective surgeries and reopening state parks. But Texas tiptoeing toward restarting one of the worlds largest economies immediately ran into new questions and skepticism, and came at the end of what has been the deadliest week in the state of 29 million people for those infected with COVID-19. It also comes as President Donald Trump urged states to LIBERATE! their workforce, and as Abbott faces pressure from both conservatives who are eager to get Texas back to work and Democrats who are wary of going too quickly. Texas ranks last in the U.S. in coronavirus testing per capita, according to an analysis by The Associated Press of data collected by The COVID Tracking Project. Abbott said future decisions on reopening more of Texas would be guided by testing, and although he assured that testing would go up quite a bit in late April or early May, he did not provide a number. He also said courts would decide whether his lifting restrictions on nonessential surgeries means abortion clinics can reopen. Providers say their clients are traveling to as far away as Illinois and Georgia to terminate pregnancies. Step by step, we will open up Texas, Abbott said during a televised announcement from the Texas Capitol. Universities and schools for more than 5 million Texas public school students, however, wont reopen before summer, and Abbott said broader stay-at-home orders designed to increase social distancing remain in effect through the end of April. Another phase of reopening Texas is set to be announced April 27, but Abbott did not provide any criteria or other details. His plan brought swift approval from business groups and doctors, but some of Texas biggest cities took a cautious view. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who has begun wearing a face mask in his daily news briefings, said he needed more details and offered a reminder that the fourth-largest city in the U.S. had yet to reach a peak of coronavirus cases. The testing is the key piece, said Turner, a Democrat. The misstep will be if you open it up and you dont have the widespread, ubiquitous testing. At least 428 people have died in Texas, with more than one-third of those deaths having been reported since Monday, according to state health figures. At least 17,300 people in Texas have tested positive for the virus, which causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, can cause more severe illness or death. White House guidelines recommend that states pass checkpoints that look at new cases, testing and surveillance data over the prior 14 days before advancing from one phase to another. Governors of both parties have made clear they will move at their own pace. Conservatives are pressuring Abbott to unleash businesses as Texas is struggling to handle a crush of more than 1 million people who have filed for unemployment since the crisis began. Democrats, who have a shot at retaking the the Texas House in November for the first time in 20 years, are ratcheting up their criticism of Texas testing capacity and a stretched supply of protective equipment for medical workers. Abbott said taking restraints off businesses doesnt mean employers should coerce workers who are worried about contracting COVID-19 back on the job. We need to make sure that our employees feel safe, he said. Only recently have some Texas cities rolled out programs for anyone to get tested, regardless of whether they are symptomatic. In Austin, public health officials on Friday announced a plan to boost testing by as much as 2,000 per week with an online application that allows people to bypass a referral from a doctor. ___ Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak The Chinese Communist Party has revised its reported death count in Wuhan by exactly 50 percent, an attempt to improve the credibility of the government as residents and experts have warned the actual count is far higher that whats been previously reported. In an interview Friday with the Xinhua state news agency, officials pointed to unreported deaths at homes as the reason for the revision, to show accountability to history, to the people and the victims, and to promote open and transparent disclosure of information and data accuracy. Deaths rose 1,290 to 3,869 in the revised number. But Wuhan residents have warned that the death count is at least 40,000, pointing to increased demands on funeral homes and cremation numbers, which the government has censored reporting on. U.S. intelligence has also told the White House that mid-level bureaucrats in Wuhan have been lying about the number of cases, with some experts estimating that the total caseload in China could be close to three million, way above the official count of over 82,000 officially confirmed cases. The provinces report nonsense, such as Jiangsu with zero deaths in a population of 80 million, Derek Scissors of the American Enterprise Institute told National Review. The lessons China learned are all wasted, even harmful if decision-makers elsewhere believe China is offering accurate information and represents a model. Wuhan lifted its total lockdown earlier this month, but city doctors have warned that tens of thousands of asymptomatic cases could exist, in comments that were subsequently removed from publication by the government. More from National Review If you're behind on your debts, your coronavirus stimulus check could be taken from you. Some states are fighting back to prevent that from happening. To that point, New York is blocking banks and debt collectors from seizing stimulus payments delivered to residents authorized by the CARES Act. Payments started going out to Americans last week, either through the mail or electronic direct deposit. On Saturday, New York's attorney general said banks and debt collectors cannot freeze or seize stimulus funds. The stimulus payments approved by Congress and President Trump "were not designated as exempt from garnishment, allowing debt collectors to potentially benefit from consumers," New York attorney general Letitia James warns. James argues state law exempts public benefits from legal processes "by a judgment creditor seeking to satisfy a monetary judgment." Additionally, this week, Ohio Attorney General David Yost warned creditors that those one-time government checks are protected by state law from garnishment. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed an executive order Friday barring debt collectors and creditors from seizing stimulus checks sent to Oregonians under the latest coronavirus relief package. "Many Oregonians, through no fault of their own, are struggling to pay their bills, their rent, or even buy essentials like groceries and prescription drugs," Brown said in a prepared statement. "These recovery checks were meant to provide relief, not reward debt collection agencies for preying on Oregonians who have lost their livelihoods due to the COVID-19 pandemic." These announcements were prompted by the CARES Act, the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus legislation passed by Congress, because it does not prevent private debt collectors from seizing the money for unpaid debts. The CARES Act does protect federal and state debts from garnishment. "The stimulus checks were intended to be used during an emergency to put food on the table, keep the lights on and a roof over our heads," Ohio Attorney General's Yost said in a statement. "It wasn't meant to pay off an old bill." More from Personal Finance: Stimulus checks delayed for those who got advances on their tax refunds Creditors can snatch your stimulus check if you have outstanding debts IRS sends coronavirus stimulus checks to dead people Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16) President Rodrigo Duterte is open to dropping infrastructure projects scheduled this year to free up funds for COVID-19 response, his spokesperson Harry Roque said on Thursday. The government plans to spend over 1 trillion this year on various construction projects, in keeping with the administration's promise to usher in a "Golden Age of Infrastructure" and fill the country's needs for longer and wider roads, convenient train systems, and bigger airports and seaports, to name a few. But that plan may now be shelved with the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc on the local and global economy. "Ang mensahe ng Presidente, gagamitin natin ang pondo ng taumbayan. Kung kinakailangan, sabi nga po ng Presidente noong Tuesday, ititigil niya ang lahat ng infrastructure projects kung kinakailangang gastusin ang pondo ng bayan para magkaroon ng pagkain at iba pang pangangailangan ang ating mga kababayan," Roque told reporters on Thursday. [Translation: The President said we will use taxpayers' money. As the President said last Tuesday, he will stop all infrastructure projects if we need to spend the public funds to provide food and other essentials to our fellow Filipinos.] This is contrary to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III's previous remarks that the "Build, Build, Build" program which includes 100 big-ticket priority projects will not be downgraded even with the rampaging coronavirus, as it is being counted on as the "fuel" for the local economy to bounce back from this year's slump. The Transportation Department earlier offered to realign some 11 billion from projects under its watch to give way to coronavirus aid. RELATED: COVID-19 has 'little effect' on 'Build, Build, Build' projects DPWH The government has earmarked about 200 billion for two-month cash subsidies for 18 million poor households, hoping it would tide them over while the Luzon lockdown keeps them away from their jobs. Other forms of cash aid have also been extended to displaced laborers, overseas workers, and small businesses. The Finance Department laid out a 1.17-trillion response plan made up of a mix of cash and non-cash measures meant to soften the economic impact of COVID-19. Bulk of this will be sourced from loans specifically, $5.7 billion will be borrowed from foreign lenders as emergency money. ANALYSIS: A bounce-back strategy for 'a crisis like no other' Apart from this, Duterte also ordered to sell government assets to generate more cash, mentioning the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Philippine International Convention Center in particular These two spaces usually host art exhibitions and large conferences, graduation rites and other events. The PICC's forum halls are currently being used as a quarantine facility for suspected COVID-19 patients. Roque added that Duterte is also looking at generating resources by selling the prized pieces of jewelry seized from the family of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos to recover portions of the money he stole from the state when he was in power. He clarified that even before the pandemic hit, that was already being studied by the state. Roque also thumbed down Senator Imee Marcos' call for the Philippines to halt debt payments for now to have more cash to spend for COVID-19 relief, saying such a move would do more harm than good to the economy. Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - A new cargo of medical equipment for Tunisia arrived early Thursday aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight, sources close to the Tunisian ministry of Health said The rescue of troubled regional lender Baoshang Bank Co. Ltd., which was taken over by Chinese regulators in May because of what they described as its severe credit risk, is coming to an end. Mengshang Bank Co. Ltd., a new commercial bank set up to take over Baoshangs operations in its home territory of Inner Mongolia, officially came into being on Saturday at a ceremony attended by the lenders new chairman and president, sources with knowledge of the event told Caixin. Mengshang has been established with registered capital of 20 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) and capital reserves of 4 billion yuan, according to a March filing by Hong Kong-listed Huishang Bank Corp. Ltd., one of the new lenders major shareholders. The Peoples Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank, has the biggest stake in Mengshang with, 27.5%, which it holds through a wholly owned company Deposit Insurance Fund Management Co. Ltd., according to the filing. The latter company was set up in 2019 to manage a 100 billion-yuan fund to protect depositors savings at financial institutions. The PBOC has also become a major shareholder in Hong Kong-listed Bank of Jinzhou Co. Ltd., which in March announced a restructuring that will see an entity owned by the central bank become its largest shareholder with a 37.7% stake. Heavy losses Huishang Bank, which lost billions of yuan on its investments with Baoshang Bank, holds 15% of the new lenders equity. The Hong Kong-listed bank announced in February it was taking over four of Baoshang Banks branches in Beijing, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Ningbo and buying other assets from the lender outside of Inner Mongolia. CCB Financial Asset Investment Co. Ltd., a unit of state-owned China Construction Bank Corp. (CCB), holds 5%. Government financial vehicles and state-owned enterprises (SOE) in Inner Mongolia hold a combined 52.5% stake in the new lender. Huang Xiaolong, deputy head of the PBOCs financial stability bureau, disclosed on Friday that the banking watchdog had approved the establishment of the new bank. The directors and senior management of Mengshang Bank have not been officially announced but sources have told Caixin that the chairman will be Yang Xianfeng, who previously served as the president of a CCB branch in northwest China, and the president will be Qiao Junfeng, a vice president at CCBs regional headquarters in Inner Mongolia. The PBOC and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission announced in May 2019 that they had seized Baoshang Bank, a move that sent tremors through the countrys vast interbank market and left some financial institutions nursing heavy losses. The takeover was part of the authorities efforts to contain financial risks stemming from the breakup of the business empire of disgraced tycoon Xiao Jianhua. The takeover revealed endemic corruption at the lender, which has already led to the downfall of some of the banks executives and local banking regulators. In just one example, Xiao Yu, hired by the banks former chairman Li Zhenxi as an assistant to the president, was found to have obtained 2 million yuan from the bank through expense claims. In 2016, Xiao received over 3 million yuan as annual salary, while in 2017 and 2018, he received more than 4 million yuan a year, Caixin has learned. From 2016 to 2018, Lis annual salary reached over 7 million yuan on average, far higher than the 4 million yuan salary of Tian Huiyu, president of China Merchants Bank, one of the countrys biggest commercial lenders. Contact reporter Timmy Shen (hongmingshen@caixin.com, Twitter: @timmyhmshen) and editor Nerys Avery (nerysavery@caixin.com) Caixin Global has launched Caixin CEIC Mobile, the mobile-only version of its world-class macroeconomic data platform. If youre using the Caixin app, please click here. If you havent downloaded the app, please click here. New Delhi, April 17 : Read about a journey that began on March 17, 1959 in Lhasa and ended a year later in in McLeodganj in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, where the Dalai Lama set up permanent residence-in-exile -- with an Indian civil servant playing a no mean role in the events; then explore the twists and turns of a graft trial a century ago that ultimately exonerated the protagonist, Arthur Crawford; and finally rediscover the contribution of Galileo to opening up the universe. As the Covid-19 lockdown continues, the IANS bookshelf this weekend transports you into a seemingly unreal world, but one which is grounded in hard reality. Educate yourself! 1. Book: An Officer and His Holiness; Author: Rani Singh; Publisher: Penguin-Ebury Press; Pages: 340; Price: Rs 499. Some people are born great and some willy-nilly have greatness thrust on them. Such is the case of Har Mander Singh, an officer of the Indian Frontier Administrative Service who was posted as the Political Officer in the Kameng division of the North-East Frontier Agency (now Arunachal Pradesh), when the 14th Dalai Lama took a considered decision to leave his Potala Palace in Lhasa in the face of the growing belligerence of China, which had incorporated Tibet within its ambit. Much has been written about the Dalai Lama's arduous journey from Lhasa to the Indian frontier, but little is known about the efforts made by Har Mander Singh, for which he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, for escorting the Tibetan spiritual leader with bare-bone resources and minimal security at his command to Tezpur in Assam, from where the Ministry of External Affairs transported him via train to Mussoorie for a meeting with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru before choosing to settle in McLeodganj, a little above the hill station of Dharamsala. It was an effort well worth it. "I don't know, but I have a feeling," Har Mander Singh, now in his 90s, told the author, his niece and a broadcast journalist who has done extensive work for the BBC, "that he thinks well of me. The other day here (in New Delhi), Harsh, my son, invited him to talk to the street children who are in Harsh's care. He noticed me in the crowd and he said, 'Har Mander Singh, come to me', then he got hold of both my hands and I was feeling I should run away from here. He made me sit next to his chair and he kept holding both my hands for the entire period of time. There must be some feeling for me somewhere." Noted author and civil rights activist Harsh Mander, incidentally, is Har Mander Singh's son. He dropped the 'Singh' surname when he joined the IAS since he didn't want to be "bracketed". He quit in 2002 in the wake of the Gujarat riots that followed the Godhra train burning and has also served on the National Advisory Council (NAC) headed by Sonia Gandhi during the UPA regime. The book is loosely divided into three sections. The first details the escape from Lhasa, parts of it in the Dalai Lama's own words and based on extensive interviews with the author. The second deals with the role of Har Mander Singh, again interview-based, on the journey from the border crossing at Chutangnu, through Gorhsam, Shakti, Lumla, Thongleng village, Tawang, Jang village, Senge Dzong village, Dirang village and Rahung village and Bomdila - to enable devotees pay obeisance - and finally to Tezpur. The third, based on secondary sources, deals with the aftermath - the 1962 Sino-Indian war and the continuing tensions between New Delhi and Beijing. In sum, the book is a valuable contribution to filling in gaps in the history of the era and a reminder to today's generation of what statesmanship is all about. 2. Book: The Arthur Crawford Scandal - Corruption, Governance and Indian Victims; Author: Michael D. Metaelits; Publisher: OUP; Pages: 243; Price: Rs 1,295. Arthur Crawford (1835-1911) was the first Municipal Commissioner of Bombay (1865-1871) and the Collector of Bombay - and till recently had a prominent downtown market named after him. He was known as an able administrator - but with underhand financial dealings - and for an extravagant lifestyle funded largely by loans. Later in his career as the Commissioner of Bombay Presidency's Central Division, he was accused of demanding bribes from mamlatdars (taluka heads), prompting a major scandal and a heated public debate led by Lokmanya Tilak and Gopal Krishna Gokhale. An enquiry cleared him - but not many of his subordinates - but he was struck off the Civil List and recalled to England. Were any lessons learnt? "Today's India inherited rules and traditions from that era of foreign rule. A commonplace in the catechism of the benefits that British rule bestowed on India is the introduction of British-based law and a system of impartial courts of justice...(but) "we must recognise that much of the criminal law in India has not changed very much over the past century. This is important because the law that was in force in the 1880s forms the basis of today's law dealing with bribery and the corruption of public officials," writes Metaelits, a former member of the US Foreign Service. Then, as now, the big fish got away and the smaller fish became the victims. Nothing, it seems, has changed. 3. Book: Galileo and the Science Deniers; Author: Mario Livio; Publisher: Simon and Schuster; Pages: 304; Price: 599. "Using a simple arrangement of lenses fixed at the two ends of a hollow cylinder, Galileo was able to revolutionise our understanding of the cosmos, and of our place within it. Fast forward four centuries and we find a great-great-great-grandson of Galileo's telescope - the Hubble Space Telescope," writes astrophysicist Mario Livio, who describes the pioneering astronomer as a "man who was intellectually radical and well ahead of his time". He then lists the six main reasons for Hubble's popularity: the incredible images it has produced, the scientific discoveries to which it has significantly contributed, the "drama" associated with it after being initially dubbed a failure, the ingenuity of the scientists, engineers and astronauts to iron out the glitches, the telescope's longevity from 1990 to the present day, and the "extraordinarily effective" dissemination of the information gleaned from it. "The drama characterizing Galileo's life, the brilliant ingenuity he showed in his experiments in mechanics, the courage he demonstrated in defending his views, his enormous success in disseminating his findings and in making them accessible, and the fact that his ideas became the basis on which modern science has been erected, are the main characteristics that made Galileo and his story immortal," Livio writes. This truly is a book for the connoisseur. (Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at vishnu.makhijani@ians.in) A Delhi court has granted interim bail of 45 days to a local politician, Ashu Khan, arrested for allegedly rioting and instigating a mob during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act on December 15 last year which resulted in damage to public property and injuries to police near Jamia Millia Islamia University. Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Garg granted the interim relief to Khan in two cases related to violent protests at Jamia Nagar and New Friends Colony area, on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 2 lakh. The court took note of the decision of the High Powered Committee that undertrial prisoners involved in offences punishable up to 10 years imprisonment be granted interim bail to decongest overcrowded prisons due to the coronavirus pandemic. "The court is of the considered view that it is cardinal principle of criminal jurisprudence that an accused is presumed to be innocent till his guilt is established beyond reasonable doubt. Admittedly no custodial interrogation of the accused Ashu Khan is required," the court said. It directed him not to tamper with evidence or leave the country without its permission. During the hearing held through video conferencing, police said Khan not only participated in riots, but was also involved in mobilising and instigating the mob which resulted into damage to public property and injuries to the public as well as the police. Police claimed that Khan had admitted in an interview given to a television channel that he led the protestors and raised slogans against the legislation. Khan gave a speech and on his instigation protestors turned aggressive, pelted stones on the police and set vehicles and police booths on fire, police alleged. Advocates Asghar Khan and Tahir Khan, appearing for the accused, argued that he has been falsely implicated in the case and he be granted interim bail because of the possible threat of coronavirus in the congested prisons. "There is also possible threat of transmission and fatal consequences of coronavirus and it is very necessary that prisons must ensure maximum possible distancing amongst the prisoners including undertrials. Social distancing is practically not possible as the prisons are overcrowded and hence accused (Ashu Khan) be released on bail," the counsel said. The lawyers further said that Ashu was exercising his fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution and criticising the newly passed Citizenship Amendment Act and proposed NRC as it is against the spirit of Constitution. The Jamia Millia Islamia has also filed a case against the alleged attack on the university students by the police inside the campus, which is pending in the court. On December 15 last year, a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act near Jamia turned violent, with demonstrators pelting stones at police and setting public buses and private vehicles on fire. Police later entered Jamia, allegedly fired tear gas shells and baton-charged students. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man in his 40s is fighting for life after a shooting in Brent. Police scrambled to Harlesden at around 7.45pm on Friday to reports of a shooting. A man in his 40s was found inside a home in Nicoll Road with gunshot injuries, a spokesman for Scotland Yard said. He was rushed to hospital in a life-threatening condition. There have been no arrests and enquiries continue. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 14:04:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NANJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The daily refined oil consumption in east China's Jiangsu Province has reached 50,000 tonnes, returning to more than 90 percent of its normal consumption, according to Jiangsu Oil Products Company of China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec), China's largest oil refiner. The refined oil consumption dramatically decreased as residents were required to stay at home and companies shut down to stem the spread of COVID-19, which resulted in the lowest daily oil consumption of 10,000 tonnes in February in Jiangsu, according to Kong Lingjiang, manager of the company's retail center. As more and more companies have resumed production as the epidemic wanes, the consumption of refined oil has gradually returned to normal, as well as the storage of refined oil, Kong said. Jiangsu is expecting an increase in refined oil export and a 10 percent growth of refined oil consumption in the future, according to Kong. Enditem State officials on Thursday reported at least 3,518 dead and 75,317 people infected with the coronavirus in New Jersey, with 362 new fatalities and 4,391 new positive in the last 24 hours. Gov. Phil Murphy announced the states death toll surpassed the number of New Jerseyans who died in World War I. God bless their souls, each and every one of them, Murphy said of toll 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. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage Heres a roundup of coronavirus news: Coronavirus will keep N.J. schools closed through at least May 15, Murphy says: Schools will be closed through at least May 15 because of the coronavirus pandemic, keeping New Jerseys 1.4 million students continuing to learn from home, Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday. Let me be perfectly clear: There is nobody who wants to open the schools more than I do, the governor said at his daily coronavirus briefing in Trenton. I cant do that right now. 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. Trump gives governors 3-phase 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. N.J. man stole cases of N95 masks intended for healthcare workers, authorities say: An electrical contractor was charged with stealing several cases of respirator masks that Prudential Financial planned to donate for healthcare workers amid the coronavirus pandemic, the state Attorney Generals Office said Thursday. Army Corps building new treatment areas at 3 N.J. hospitals as coronavirus surges: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently awarded contracts for the construction of new treatment wings that will add over 300 beds at three New Jersey hospitals. Girl charged with racially assaulting Asian woman over coronavirus: A girl was charged this week with yelling racial slurs related to the origin of the coronavirus at a 55-year-old woman in Edison and then punching her, according to authorities. Gov. Murphy outraged by bodies piled up at N.J. nursing care during coronavirus outbreak: Gov. Murphy said Thursday he is outraged that bodies of residents who died at a Sussex County nursing home during the coronavirus outbreak were allowed to pile up at a makeshift morgue." The state Attorney Generals Office launched an investigation. Coronavirus cases in the United States: There were 667,801 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, Adam Clark, Chris Sheldon and Kevin Shea and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Emerging from the coronavirus lockdown, Chinas oil refiners are buying ultra-cheap spot cargoes from Alaska, Canada, and Brazil, taking advantage of the deep discounts at which many crude grades are being offered to China with non-existent demand elsewhere. The discounts of spot cargoes of Canadas Cold Lake blend, Alaska North Slope, and Brazils Lula grades vary between $5 and $9 a barrel to Brent, traders in Asia told Bloomberg on Friday. Chinas refiners are said to be pretty much the only buyers of spot crude right now, as both state-owned corporations and independent refinerscommonly known as teapots are taking advantage of the cheapest oil in years to stock up on crude worth $15 a barrel or less. Independent refiners bought spot cargoes of Cold Lake from a European trader at a discount of $8-$9 a barrel to Brent, while Alaska North Slope and Brazilian grades have been sold at a $5.50-$6 per barrel discount to the international benchmark price. Refiners in China kept their processing rates low in March, because of the slump in local demand due to the pandemic and the lockdowns. Still, signs point to some recovery after the end of the lockdown in China, at least in demand for ultra-cheap crude for April and May. Refinery runs in China hit their lowest in 15 months in March, according to data from Chinas statistics bureau on Friday, compiled by Reuters. China-based analysts told Reuters that toward the end of March, refiners started to recover some of the utilization rates at refineries with fuel demand rising from earlier this year when China was the hotspot of the pandemic. In March, Chinas crude oil imports rose by 4.5 percent on the year, but dropped compared to January-February. However, independent refiners began ramping up bookings for crude arrivals in March and April as early as at the end of February. Import in April and May are expected to rise from the March levels as demand is slowly returning, and refiners are looking to buy ultra-cheap oil, Li Yan, senior analyst at Longzhong Information Group, told Reuters. Story continues By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Read this article on OilPrice.com Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. Start your free trial. As Congress negotiates additional measures to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, it is essential that we prioritize pumping money into the economy, both to mitigate the devastating fallout of the crisis on Americans livelihoods and to pay for the essential services needed to combat the disease. But there must also be oversight. Congress is writing checks for good reason, but they must not be blank checks. Rather, we need to see how the Trump administration is spending taxpayer money, to prevent waste, corruption, and favoritism. Advertisement In the CARES Act, passed on March 27, Congress not only authorized emergency spending of approximately $2 trillion, it also inserted a number of accountability mechanisms. Most centrally, it created both a special inspector general for pandemic recovery and a Pandemic Relief Accountability Committee, both of which are charged with detecting and preventing fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement of the money appropriated by Congress to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. The committee is made up of inspectors generalindependent watchdogsfrom different departments within the federal government. Importantly, both the committee and the special inspector general are required to make reports to Congress, as well as to the president and the secretary of the treasury. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even as President Donald Trump was signing the CARES Act into law, though, he was already undermining these important oversight bodies. His signing statement for the bill declared that the provisions requiring consultation with and reporting to Congress were unconstitutional and that he would not comply. And then on April 8only days after he had fired the intelligence community inspector generalTrump fired the acting inspector general for the Defense Department, who had been set to become the chairman of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. Advertisement Advertisement These actions are of a piece with this administrations attitude toward congressional oversight more generally: an unprecedented and unacceptable attitude of contempt, stonewalling, and outright refusal to recognize Congress vital constitutional role. The stakes for our country are simply too high to allow this presidents response to the COVID-19 crisis to proceed without oversight. And we can fix this, which is why one of us is working with Sen. Elizabeth Warren on a comprehensive proposal in the Senate to do just that. The next COVID-19 bill must protect the independence of inspectors general by ensuring that they can only be fired for good cause, a legal standard that currently applies to numerous other government officials, ranging from civil servants to the leaders of independent agencies. Moreover, this protection should apply to acting inspectors general, as well as to Senate-confirmed ones, to prevent presidential end-runs. Advertisement Advertisement The bill must also require the secretary of the treasury, the special inspector general for pandemic recovery, and the chairman and executive director of PRAC to send Congress weekly reports listing instances where the watchdogs have been denied information by some part of the executive branch. Each signatory should have to certify, under penalty of perjury, that the list is true and complete. If the watchdogs are denied the information they need to do their jobs, Congress should know the reason why. Advertisement Advertisement Whats to prevent the president from trying another end-run around this proposal, as he did following the signing of the first CARES Act? To ensure participation, there should be a stronger enforcement mechanism this time around. If the letter is not filed, then it should trigger a rider prohibiting the payment of the salaries of any political appointee in the Treasury Department, including the secretary, until the letter is submitted. Advertisement Advertisement And perhaps most importantly, the provision should have what lawyers call a nonseverability clauseessentially, an all-or-nothing proposition. A nonseverability clause says that, if a decision-maker (here, the president) deems one statutory provision unconstitutional and therefore void, certain other provisions must fall as well. Here, the clause should make clear that, if the administration declares that it will not comply with the provisions requiring reporting to Congress or with the rider denying political appointees salaries in the case of noncompliance, then provisions giving the treasury secretary discretion to decide how certain funds will be spent must also fall away. The president is not above the law, and congressional oversight is one of the key mechanisms for keeping him accountable. Congress has the tools to beef up that oversight, and it should not let another important bill go by without doing so. In short: no oversight, no slush fund. Department store giant Kohl's Corporation (NYSE:KSS) announced in an SEC Current Report filing that it has sealed the deal on a $1.5 billion revolving credit facility with Wells Fargo Bank. The Wisconsin-based retailer also declared that it immediately drew down the full $1.5 billion, activating a clause that places restrictions on dividend payments. Now relying on online sales and curbside pickup due to the coronavirus pandemic, Kohl's furloughed most of its workforce, while its CEO Michelle Gass has waived her salary during the crisis. Out of the $1.5 billion it just borrowed, Kohl's has earmarked approximately $1 billion to refinance existing debt. The rest will be used to give it more "financial flexibility," which is also the rationale behind its temporary halt of dividends. The news about the company's dividend decision won't come as a surprise to many shareholders. Kohl's shares already started trading downward on April 1 as investors caught wind of a potential dividend cut. Its dividend yield at the time was an outstanding 17.6%, an extremely robust level that raised questions about sustainability. While the terms of the new credit facility with Wells Fargo call for restricted dividends if Kohl's borrows more than $1 billion on it, the company's board of directors had already decided to suspend dividends the day before, April 15. The suspension begins with the 2020 fiscal second-quarter's cash dividend and continues indefinitely. Kohl's said it's still committed to paying the dividend and that its shareholders can expect their payments to resume once the retailer sees "stabilization in the environment." 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. Story continues 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. Subscribe to Skift newsletters for essential news about the business of travel. During the holy month of fasting and prayer, the faithful will not be able to access the Noble Sanctuary. The council governing Muslim holy places calls on the faithful to "pray at home". Archbishop Marcuzzo notes that Christians, Jews and Muslims "united and determined" in the fight against the novel coronavirus. The emergency has highlighted of the role of the family and of the domestic Church. Jerusalem (AsiaNews) The al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem will be closed to Muslim worshippers during Ramadan. No one will be able to access the site to pray. This follows the closure of the citys businesses and places of worship, including the Holy Sepulchre, during last weeks Easter break in an attempt to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic. During the holy month of fasting and prayer, tens of thousands of Muslims come to the al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock every day for evening prayers (Tarawih). According to tradition, the prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven from here. The Haram esh-Sharif (The Noble Sanctuary), known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is the third holiest site in Islam. Yesterday afternoon the Jordanian-appointed council of clerics that oversees al-Aqsa announced the decision to extend the lockdown, which it had first imposed on 23 March, at the start of the pandemic. In a statement the Council noted that closing off the area was "painful" but "in line with legal fatwas (clerical opinions) and medical advice. Given the circumstances, Muslims must therefore "perform prayers in their homes during the month of Ramadan, to preserve their safety". During the Easter and Passover celebrations, Christians and Muslims took precautions and implemented restrictions to stem the COVID-19 pandemic. Even Muslims are ready to respect the directives of the authorities, said Mgr Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, auxiliary bishop and patriarchal vicar of Jerusalem. We are all united and determined, he noted. Although Israel and Palestine have not been overwhelmed by the virus, this is perhaps one of the most positive aspects of this emergency situation. But we must remain vigilant. The atmosphere is still festive because we have not had drastic restrictions, he explained. Still, like Christians "Muslims too will celebrate Ramadan at home, without festivities and Iftar dinners with friends and acquaintances, including some time Christians. This Easter was something special, out of the ordinary" with few participants. "We worked with media, computers, social media. Many clergymen did a great job, "tirelessly visiting families, especially those with seniors, and the sick, to bring them communion, make confession, hand out olive branches on Palm Sunday. The coronavirus outbreak has made people more aware about their precariousness and weakness"; however, it also boosted their inner self and highlighted the role played by the family and domestic church as the original centre of the faith at a time of large gatherings. Israel has reported so far about 13,000 cases of the novel coronavirus with 148 deaths. The Gaza Strip, where fear of the contagion is high given its devastated healthcare, and the West Bank have reported about 300 cases and two deaths, but the actual figure is very likely higher. Since 25 March mosques and other places of worship have been closed in Gaza, since 14 March in the West Bank. (L-R) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and President Donald Trump listen during a signing ceremony for H.R. 748, the CARES Act in the Oval Office of the White House on March 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced on Friday their picks to sit on the five-person board overseeing a $500 billion bailout fund intended to help ailing businesses weather the coronavirus pandemic. McConnell said he has chosen Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., for the spot, while McCarthy picked Rep. French Hill, R-Ark. The fund, run by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will work with the Federal Reserve to deploy $4 trillion into the U.S. economy. As part of the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill signed into law last month, McConnell, McCarthy, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will each choose a representative for the board overseeing the $500 billion fund. Pelosi and McConnell will choose the committee's chair, in consultation with McCarthy and Schumer. "Senator Toomey is one of the sharpest members of the Senate," McConnell said in a statement. "He is a leader on economics and finance and a key member of the Finance, Banking, and Budget Committees. The Commission will benefit greatly from his expertise." Toomey, who represents swing state Pennsylvania, has a decidedly pro-business reputation who has in the past gone against the administration. He opposed President Donald Trump's replacement of the North American Free Trade Agreement after Democrats secured changes designed to boost wages and assuage labor groups. He also voted to end Trump's emergency order to fund a border wall. During negotiations over the CARES Act, he fought hard against giving airline grants to support payroll, rather than low-interest loans, a spokesperson previously told CNBC. He ultimately lost that battle amid a heavy push from Democrats and unions. Hill, meantime, sits on the House Committee on Financial Services. Before his run in Congress, he was a commercial banker and investment manager. Toomey and Hill join Schumer's pick, Bharat Ramamurti, a longtime aide to Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Pelosi has yet to choose a representative. The committee is one of three prongs Congress established to oversee the trillions of dollars the government will deploy to the fight the pandemic. The $500 billion fund will have an inspector general picked by Trump and approved by the Republican-led Senate, while the entire $2.2 trillion packages will have a board of inspectors general Already, Trump has pushed back against two of those prongs. The president stated in a signing document that he believes the inspector general of the $500 billion fund needs his permission before informing Congress if the Treasury blocks requests for information. He also removed the lead watchdog overseeing the $2 trillion coronavirus package, just days after the official, Glenn Fine, was appointed to the role. Ramamurti wrote to the Federal Reserve earlier this week, pushing for a number of disclosures, including more information on what companies will get aid, and the restrictions by which they must comply. McConnell also said Friday that Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, chair of the Senate Banking Committee, will lead and coordinate the Senate's oversight of the CARES Act. -- CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report. BANGOR, Calif. A three-year-old was transported to a hospital after a Bangor couple told Butte County Sheriffs Deputies their step-child ingested methamphetamine water. It happened on Thursday, April 16, at the intersection of Oroville-Bangor Highway and Swedes Flat Road. Deputies said when they arrived on the property, a search warrant was served at the travel trailer that 42-year-old Joseph Webb and 38-year-old Alisha Crandell reside at. Webb told deputies their three-year-old step-child ingested meth water that they had removed from their water bong, that they were using to smoke meth, according to the Butte County Sheriffs Office. After the child ingested the meth, Webb said he did not immediately call for medical help. Instead, Webb and Crandell spent 15 minutes attempting to get the child to vomit. The child eventually began having what Webb described as a seizure, deputies said. Webb then placed the child in a pond located on his property, he told deputies he was attempting to cool down the child, BCSO said. After removing the child from the pond, he then called for medical help. All three children were detained by detectives. The Felony Investigations Unit and the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force said they located several items of evidence, to include meth pipes and water bongs. Webb and Crandell were placed under arrest for three felony counts of child endangerment. Their bail has been set at $500,000. Deputies said the child was transported to Oroville Hospital and then flown to a hospital in the Sacramento area. The child is currently receiving medical care at the Sacramento area hospital, according to deputies. Also while on scene of the property, Deputies said they contacted several people including 49-year-old Anita Morgan, and two children. Morgan was placed under arrest for a stolen vehicle. Andrew Ahn cried when he read the screenplay for Driveways, but he didn't know he had a movie on his hands until Brian Dennehy came aboard. "I was approached by the producer, Joe Pirro, about the project," Ahn recalls over the phone with EW. "He had been working with the writers, Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, on the script for a little while. He saw this quality in their writing that he felt mirrored my priorities as a director. The script was so human and the respect for the characters was at this level that you don't really see in screenplays very often." Driveways, out on VOD this May 7, tells the story of 8-year-old Cody, who goes with her mother, Kathy (Hong Chau of HBO's Watchmen), to his late aunt's house. As Kathy cleans the place in hopes of selling it, Cody forms a friendship with Del, a veteran of the Korean War and a widower who lives next door. It's a story about "living a good life" and "this question of regret," Ahn says. With Dennehy, a Tony- and Golden Globe-winning veteran of the stage and screen for the past five decades, onboard, the indie film felt more real. It now also marks one of Dennehy's final performances. The actor died at the age of 81 on Wednesday night in his Connecticut home, surrounded by wife Jennifer Arnott and son Cormac Dennehy. "I think everybody's just in shock," Ahn says, having spoken with a number of the cast and crew about Dennehy's passing. "Even though he was older, he just had this spirit on set that made you feel like he was gonna stay alive forever. He's just such a presence." Richard Hutchings In memory of Dennehy, Ahn shared memories with EW of the actor from shooting Driveways in 2018, as well as snapshots of their time on set. ANDREW AHN: "My first thoughts are really about his family. I'm worried and concerned for them. We had really gotten to know Brian's wife, Jen, they invited us to their home in Connecticut to view costume fittings. I got to spend time with them and eat lunch. I'm thinking a lot about them. I'm just so glad that I got the chance to work with him, I'm happy that people are recognizing his work throughout his career. I'm glad that Driveways will come out so that people can see that he continued to give amazing performances throughout his career. He was still so passionate about it. It's tough. I'll say, as the director of the film, I have been on phone calls and texting and emailing members of the cast and crew. I just want to make sure that we honor Brian in the way that he really deserves. Story continues I read the screenplay [for Driveways] and just cried. I immediately wanted to do it, and the question became, who's gonna play Del? I think it was so obvious that the best choice for the role was Brian. That character, he's so bottled up and he has this imposing physical presence but by the end of the film is so vulnerable. That's something that Brian is so good at. He's such an imposing physical presence but then is such a softy. I just knew that he would be the right person for this. When we sent out the offer and he said that he was interested and wanted to talk with me, I was so thrilled. When I met him, he was such a fun guy. He loved to talk and tell stories, hear stories. It was such a joy. So, when he said yes to the project, I knew that we had a movie. This would be great because Brian Dennehy was going to be in it. Richard Hutchings I remember when we started talking about Brian, my writers mentioned they had seen him on Broadway. I found a DVD copy of his performance in Death of a Salesman. You could just see this tortured soul in his depiction of Willy Loman and I knew that he had that layer, that emotional vulnerability hiding underneath a tough exterior. Talking to him, he's such a jokester. He's so funny, so witty, never missed the opportunity for a punchline. I think he had this quality of really being open and you just felt comfortable with him. When I was going to meet him in person for the first time, I was a little nervous. Maybe he would just be this tough and gruff guy. But he loved just sitting, chatting with me. We chatted for two hours about the film, about my life. I think he really understood that this art form is super collaborative, and he wanted to enjoy the company of his collaborators. It was so fun on set because Brian was so feisty. He had a lot of questions about the character. He had a lot of thoughts about Del's life. We were constantly talking, and that was really exciting for me because Brian's won Tony Awards and has had this amazing career. He could've shown up to our set and phoned it in. But I could tell by the way he was engaging with me and engaging with the other actors that he really cared about this. He was really invested. He wanted to do his best work and that, to me, was such a blessing that he still wanted to give it his all even after he's proven himself and had this already fulfilling career. There's a scene in the film where Del has to tell Cody that he's moving to Seattle at the end of the summer. I remember we filmed Brian's coverage first and then we shot Lucas' coverage. Afterward, Brian came up to me and said, 'Hey, the kid was so good and he's given me some ideas. I'm really inspired. Do you mind if we try that again? I'd love to get another take.' I thought it was so cool and so humble of him to be inspired by his 12-year-old costar, that he was open and honest and vulnerable enough to take in what his costar was giving him and feel inspiration. For me, as an artist just thinking about my own career and what my artistic ambitions will be like when I'm 80, I hope that I'm constantly inspired the way that Brian was. I think he really loved acting because he really loved life, and was just constantly looking at the world as if it were for the first time. Richard Hutchings We filmed Driveways in August of 2018. I had seen Brian for ADR work in the fall of 2018 and then I got to see him for the U.S. premiere at Tribeca [Film Festival] in April of 2019. I was hoping to see him again this spring. A festival in Houston was going to honor him with a lifetime achievement award and he was thinking of coming. I was excited to reunite with him. So, it's been a little while since I've seen Brian. I didn't see him much during the Tribeca premiere. He came for the Q&A. What I loved about what he had to say about the film and about the experience was that he had such a great time and that he loved working with Lucas. I think for me, that friendship in the film could only work if Lucas and Brian were actually friends, and they were so buddy-buddy, super chummy on set. Their friendship that they had on set was really special and unique. I remember, between takes, Brian would help Lucas with his British accent just for fun. They really got along. When we were filming some scenes that were supposed to be early in the film, where Del is a little less open to Cody, Brian would do these scenes and he'd be so nice to Lucas. I'd have to say, 'Oh hey, Del isn't as friendly to Cody right now because he's suspicious of him.' And Brian would say, 'Why would he be suspicious of him? He's a great kid, he's adorable.' So, I really had to work with him to get Brian to not like Lucas which I think was really hard. It was such a gift for us. He was so generous and loved talking to the crew and was such an important presence on set. Richard Hutchings He's had such an amazing career and a legacy. My brother, who does not really care about my filmmaking career I'm just his younger brother I told him that I was working on a movie with Brian Dennehy. And for the first time, my brother said, 'What was it like? What was it like working with him on set? You were working with the sheriff from [First Blood], the dad from Tommy Boy!' He was finally excited about me being a filmmaker because of Brian Dennehy. It was such an honor to work with him, and I feel like I'm a better filmmaker, a better person because of my time with him." Related content: The Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Bello has on Friday relaxed the lockdown order in the State to allow the weekly Jumaat congregational prayers. Recall that the Niger state government after confirming the index case of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state announced a total lockdown in the State. Also Read: Akwa Ibom Extends Lockdown By One Week In a surprising move on Friday morning, the North Central State relaxed the order for Muslims in the State to attend Jumaat service between 11am and 3pm. The announcement was made in a tweet in the early hour of Friday on the Twitter handle of the Niger State governor, Abubakar Sani Bello. 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 Police guidelines suggesting the public can visit the countryside to exercise have been branded 'hugely unhelpful' in the battle against coronavirus. The guidance, which emerged last week, tells officers people can drive to the countryside for walks, when far more time is spent walking than driving, and can also stop to rest and eat lunch while on a long walk. It also made clear that it is 'lawful' to drive somewhere to exercise. But the advice has been slammed by the National Rural Crime Network (NRCN), which warned it presents a 'real risk' of more people travelling to rural towns and villages and a possible spike in cases in Britain's countryside. The guidance for police forces was described as running a 'real risk' of spreading coronavirus in the countryside by the National Rural Crime Network. Pictured is a police officer checking a car in Aysgarth, North Yorkshire Advice says people can travel for exercise. Police pictured stopping vehicles at a checkpoint in Aysgarth Falls, North Yorkshire. Julia Mulligan, the police and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire and NRCN chairwoman, said the guidelines, produced by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and College of Policing (CoP), 'go completely against' government advice to stay home. 'The main message from government and scientists is that to tackle coronavirus we need to stay at home,' she said. 'These new guidelines go completely against that and are hugely unhelpful in the efforts we are making in rural Britain to stop people travelling to our communities and spreading this virus. 'Saying individuals and families can travel long distances into the countryside has alarmed many for whom that is their home it has the potential to strain services in already struggling communities, stretches police resources and even adds strain to the NHS which is working so hard to keep us all safe. 'We need an urgent review of these new guidelines and I will be having discussions with ministers, the College of Policing, police leaders and my fellow commissioners in the days ahead.' A police officer puts up a sign in Aysgarth, North Yorkshire, to ensure motorists are complying with government restrictions on travel A policeman stops a range rover driver to ask where they are heading in North Yorkshire The document gives more advice to officers on how to interpret the lockdown restriction laws known as the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020. When details emerged, the CoP insisted it was not 'new national guidance and the messaging for the public hasnt changed'. Although described as a 'really useful practical guide', the examples given are not set out specifically in law under the regulations and the document says each case must be considered individually. It adds: 'Some public statements made soon after the adoption of the regulations suggested that members of the public could only leave their homes if essential to do so. 'However, this is not the test set out in the regulations and there is no legal basis for a requirement in those terms to be imposed.' According to the document, incidents also likely to be reasonable include buying luxury items and alcohol; exercising more than once a day; moving to a friends address for several days to allow a 'cooling-off' following arguments at home; and buying tools and supplies for repairs and maintenance. Incidents not likely to be considered reasonable include someone who can work from home choosing to work in a nearby park; a short walk to a park bench when the person remains seated for a much longer period; buying paint and brushes simply to redecorate a kitchen; and driving for a prolonged period with only brief exercise. A spokesman for the NPCC said: 'While there is nothing in the legislation that prevents people from driving to exercise, police forces and the Government have rightly continued to advise the public not to travel long distances in the car to exercise. 'Therefore forces who have advised this are not out of step with the CPS guidance. 'Officers should continue to use discretion and judgment in deciding what is and what isnt necessary and reasonable in the circumstances being mindful of the purpose of the regulations to prevent transmission of infection.' India has joined Germany, France and 22 other nations in endorsing the World Health Organization (WHO) as the backbone of the efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic signaling that it had no intention to rally behind the United States, which launched a tirade against the international agency. The Foreign Ministers and the senior diplomats of the 25 member-nations of the Alliance for Multilateralism had a video-conference on Thursday to discuss the ways to strengthen the key international organisations in the efforts to contain the virus, which infected nearly two million people and killed over 1,30,000 of them so far around the world. What we need now is more international coordination, not less, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said after the video-conference, which was convened by him and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian. Follow live updates on coronavirus External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar did not participate in the Alliance for Multilateralism video-conference, but senior diplomat Vikas Swarup, Secretary (West) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), represented India. A priority is to strengthen key international organisations so that the crisis can be brought under control, Maas was quoted saying in a post on the official website of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany. The Alliance for Multilateralism is therefore supporting the call issued by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a worldwide ceasefire, as well as the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) as a key coordinator of the efforts to tackle the pandemic. We need to strengthen international organizations especially @UN and @WHO. Weakening the @WHO now would be like throwing the pilot out of the plane during a flight. We agreed on this at the meeting of the Alliance for Multilateralism, Mass posted on Twitter. Germany and France led the Alliance of Multilateralism to support the WHO just after the US President Donald Trump suspended funding to the agency accusing it of severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the COVID-19 virus from China. The COVID-19 virus was previously unknown before the outbreak began at Wuhan in China in December 2019. Trump criticised the WHO for not recommending restrictions on travel from China to the US and other nations for several days after the COVID-19 outbreak was reported in the communist country. India indicated that it would not support any move to put the WHO under scanner at a time when the international organisation should instead be allowed to do its job of coordinating the global effort to contain the pandemic. A source in New Delhi stated that the question on the WHOs role could be revisited once the world would have had addressed the crisis. Germany and France were, however, more candid in disapproving the US move to suspend funding to the WHO. Blaming others won't help. The virus knows no borders, Maas tweeted on Wednesday. One of the best investments is to strengthen the UN, above all the under-financed WHO, for the development and distribution of tests and vaccines. France too expressed regret over the US move against the WHO. The video-conference of the Alliance for Multilateralism on Thursday saw more nations coming out to support the WHO tacitly disapproving the US campaign against the organisation. (The) UN and (the) WHO need our strong support, Pekka Havisto, Foreign Minister of Finland, tweeted after the virtual meeting. New Delhi did not make public the statement Swarup, the MEA Secretary (West), presented during the video-conference of the Alliance for Multilateralism. He, however, tweeted that improvements in global health governance and multilateral institutions to fight the pandemic were discussed at the virtual meet. French and German Foreign Ministers had launched the Alliance for Multilateralism on April 2, 2019. It is an informal coalition of countries to protect multilateralism at a time of growing nationalism and protectionism around the world. The launch of the coalition itself was a response to the US Presidents America First policies and his decisions to slash American Governments funding for multilateral organisations like the United Nation as well as to pull out from bodies like the United Nations Human Rights Council and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation and from pacts like the Paris Climate Agreement. US President Donald Trump has announced the US is cutting its funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) a decision that will have major implications for the global health response to the coronavirus pandemic. The US contributes more than US$400 million to the WHO per year, though it is already US$200 million in arrears. It is the organisations largest donor and gives about 10 times what China does per year. Trump has accused the organisation of mishandling and covering up the initial spread of COVID-19 in China, and of generally failing to take a harsher stance toward China. What will Trumps decision to cut funding mean for the organisation? Read more: Heres why the WHO says a coronavirus vaccine is 18 months away Who are members of the WHO? The WHO was established in 1948 to serve as the directing and coordinating authority in international health. It was created with a mandate to improve the health of the worlds population, and defined health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. While various civil society, industry and faith-based organisations can observe WHO meetings, only countries are allowed to become members. Every May, member states attend the World Health Assembly in Geneva to set the WHOs policy direction, approve the budget and review the organisations work. Currently, there are 194 WHO member states, which means the organisation has one more member state than the United Nations. SALVATORE DI NOLFI/EPA How is the WHO funded? The WHO receives the majority of its funding from two primary sources. The first is membership dues from countries, which are described as assessed contributions. Assessed contributions are calculated based on the gross domestic product and size of population, but they have not increased in real terms since the level of payments was frozen in the 1980s. The second source of funding is voluntary contributions. These contributions, provided by governments, philanthropic organisations and private donations, are usually earmarked for specific projects or initiatives, meaning the WHO has less ability to reallocate them in the event of an emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more: Why Singapores coronavirus response worked and what we can all learn Have countries pulled funding before? Over more than 70 years of operations, a number of countries have failed to pay their membership dues on time. At one point the former Soviet Union announced it was withdrawing from the WHO and refused to pay its membership fees for several years. When it then rejoined in 1955, it argued for a reduction in its back dues, which was approved. As a result of nonpayment of assessed contributions, we have seen several instances where the WHO has been on the verge of bankruptcy. Fortunately, governments have usually acted responsibly and eventually paid back their fees. Has there been political criticism of the WHO before? Yes. In 2009, the WHO was accused of acting too early in declaring swine flu a pandemic, in part over concerns it had been pressured by pharmaceutical companies. Five years later, the organisation was accused of acting too late in declaring the West African Ebola outbreak a public health emergency. Trump has criticised the WHO for not acting quickly enough in sending its experts to assess Chinas efforts to contain COVID-19 and call out Chinas lack of transparency over its handling of the initial stage of the crisis. But these criticisms ignore Chinas sovereignty. The WHO does not have the power to force member states to accept a team of WHO experts to conduct an assessment. The country must request WHO assistance. Nor does the organisation have the power to force a country to share any information. It can only request. Of course, Trumps comments also ignore the fact the WHO did eventually send a team of experts to conduct an assessment in mid-February after finally obtaining Chinese approval. The results from this investigation provided important information about the virus and Chinas efforts to halt its spread. Does China have increasing influence over the WHO? Understandably China has grown in power and economic influence since 2003, when then-Director General Gro Harlem Brundtland publicly criticised it for trying to hide the spread of the SARS virus. China has also been criticised for blocking Taiwans bid to join the organisation. Taiwan has had one of the most robust responses to the COVID-19 crisis. Advertisements But China is ultimately just one of the WHOs 194 member states. And one of the great ironies of Trumps criticism is that the organisation has been criticised by other member states for decades for being influenced too heavily by the United States. Read more: Chinas economic recovery depends on the rest of the world What happens if the US cuts funding? If enacted, these funding cuts may cause the WHO to go bankrupt in the middle of a pandemic. That might mean the WHO has to fire staff, even as they are trying to help low- and middle-income countries save lives. It will also mean the WHO is less able to coordinate international efforts around issues like vaccine research, procurement of personal protective equipment for health workers and providing technical assistance and experts to help countries fight the pandemic. Stefani Reynolds / POOL /EPA More broadly, if the US extends these cuts for other global health initiatives coordinated by the WHO, it will likely cause people in low income countries to lose access to vital medicines and health services. Lives will be lost. There will also be a cost to the United States long-term strategic interests. For decades, the world has looked to the US to provide leadership on global health issues. Due to Trumps attempt to shift blame from his administrations failures to prepare the US for the arrival of COVID-19, he has now signalled the US is no longer prepared to provide that leadership role. And one thing we do know is that if nature abhors a vacuum, politics abhors it even more. Adam Kamradt-Scott, Associate professor, University of Sydney This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The conversation The General Overseer of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry, Inc. Jeremiah Fufeyin has called on all the rich Nigerian Pastors to prove just how wealthy they are by assisting other well-meaning Nigerians following the Lockdown extends. Fufeyin who recently donated 300 million Naira to charity stated that Christians in Nigerians have been generous to the Church and it is only right that the church reciprocates these gestures by supporting Nigerians now. Read Also: Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin Prophesied Coronavirus In 2014 (Video) Via a press statement signed by his Publicity Secretary, Mr. Moses Akpovotiti, and Media Aide, Engr. Tare Franklin Fufeyin, Fufenyi challenged other wealthy and renowned Nigerian clergymen to support the Federal Government by giving to Nigerians. He stated that Christians in Nigerians have been generous to the Church and it is only right that the affluent Clergymen reciprocate these gestures by supporting Nigerians, now. According to him; Nigerians need the Church now, more than ever, and I am challenging all Nigerian Billionaire Clergymen, like myself, to come out and do something to aid Nigerians and support the work of the Federal Government. Nigerians need the Church now, more than ever, and I am challenging all Nigerian Billionaire Clergymen, like myself, to come out and do something to aid Nigerians and support the work of the Federal Government. Fufenyi also stated that he will be contributing another 800 Million naira worth of charity donations to Nigerians, to help relieve the hardship and hunger that Nigerians are battling during the Lockdown. A video which has since surfaced online, also showed him distributing cash to some Nigerians in need of the money during this lockdown. If you are a Billionaire Prophet, Pastor, Apostle or Bishop, this is the best time to spread the love of God, by helping the needy find relief in this season of hunger and tribulation. God has blessed me with everything that I need. I am blessed and wealthy, and I am always ecstatic to give back. I hereby challenge every wealthy Clergyman to come out and give, in order to help the Federal Government lessen the burdens on Nigerians. God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Changing the November 3 date would require the support of both chambers of Congress, which is nearly impossible to imagine. And the constitution dictates that a presidential inauguration be held on January 21. 'No centre of gravity' Loading Across the political spectrum, there is broad agreement that the pandemic has reshaped the election contest. In a widely-shared memo this month, political strategist Bruce Mehlman argued the election would essentially be a referendum on Trump's handling of the crisis. But there is no consensus on what the voters' verdict will be. The situation is too unprecedented and the outlook too uncertain. "Every person you ask has a different theory," Stan Barnes, a veteran Republican strategist, says. "There is no centre of gravity here yet." With more than 10 million people across the nation suddenly unemployed, volunteers are handing out food to bread lines forming in the shadows of privileged enclaves like this one in Florida. Credit:Bloomberg Mia Love, a former Republican congresswoman, thinks the pandemic has turned Trump from an election favourite to underdog. That's because it has deprived him of his most potent electoral asset: a booming economy. Loading "Before the coronavirus I would regularly meet people who said they didn't like the President's rhetoric but felt they had no choice but to vote for him," Love says. "The economy was going so well. Now everything has shifted. When things are going badly, people feel they have less to lose by changing leaders." As a rule, if the economy is going well then US presidents get re-elected. If it's going badly, they lose. Of the six presidents who experienced a recession in the lead-up to an election, five lost their re-election bid. All the presidents who didn't experience a recession during their first term won a second. 'Trump makes his own weather and that is something that ought to make Democrats fearful.' Stan Barnes, Republican strategist Republican strategist Stan Barnes isn't convinced this rule holds during a pandemic. "This is unlike any other election year in American history," he says. "I don't think your average American blames Trump for this economic downturn." He thinks emergencies like this work in favour of incumbent leaders, allowing them to dominate the discussion and project authority. "I'd rather be the Republicans than the Democrats going into November," he says. "Trump makes his own weather and that is something that ought to make Democrats fearful." 'Take a Zoloft' While Trump has been an omnipresent figure during the crisis, former vice-president and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has largely gone under the radar. That changed briefly this week when he unveiled a hat-trick of prominent endorsements: Bernie Sanders, Barack Obama and Elizabeth Warren. The pandemic accelerated the end of the Democratic primary and led the party to unify behind Biden more quickly than it would have otherwise. But while Biden is well-liked by Democrats, enthusiasm for him is low. A Washington Post poll recently found that just 24 per cent of his supporters felt highly enthusiastic about his candidacy - the lowest for a Democratic presidential candidate in 20 years of polling. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden scored a hat-trick of endorsements this week. Credit:AP "The palpable phenomenon here is we have a Democratic candidate no one gives a damn about," Barnes says. But there are upsides to being out of the spotlight. In recent weeks Biden has been accused of sexual assault by former Senate staffer Tara Reade, who says he molested her in 1993. Amid the wall-to-wall coverage of the virus, the allegation, which Biden denies, has got little airplay in the mainstream press. "If ever there were a year where a nominee might benefit from being invisible, it's this one," says Larry Sabato, the director of the University of Virginia's Centre for Politics. Loading Sabato's advice to Democrats who are worried about Biden's lack of visibility: "Take a Zoloft and relax." Digital domination By this stage of a normal election cycle, Trump and Biden would be holding big rallies to amp up their supporters. They would be mingling with donors to raise funds. Volunteers would be knocking on doors and registering people to vote. These activities have all moved online for now. In terms of person-to person campaigning, the election is likely to be far more condensed than Americans are used to. Both parties still have their glitzy conventions scheduled for August, but they could become online-only events if mass gatherings still deemed unsafe. Although he loves the thrill of his rallies, Trump is well-placed for a digitally-dominated campaign. Trump has 77 million Twitter followers compared to Biden's 5 million; on Facebook he has 29 million followers compared to Biden's 2 million. His social media dominance allows him to get his message to voters without relying on direct voter contact or the mainstream media. Voters are unlikely to be so keen to vote in person during this election season. Credit:AP The pandemic has brought political fundraising to a virtual standstill, and that's bad news for Democrats. This would usually be a prime fundraising time for Biden, but both individual and corporate donors are distracted and wary of opening their wallets. Loading Trump and the Republican National Committee have an estimated $US225 million ($357 million) cash in hand, compared to $US20 million for Biden and the Democratic National Committee. Biden has been hosting "virtual fundraisers", but no one believes they can raise as much cash as real-life events. As well as campaigning and fundraising, the pandemic is likely to change how many Americans vote. There is expected to be a surge in demand for mail-in ballots by voters who don't want to wait alongside strangers in lengthy lines. Voting rights advocates have been calling for billions of dollars in extra funding to help election authorities make polling places safe. Loading Michael McFaul, a former US ambassador, this week warned of "massive disenfranchisement" unless authorities extend early voting and make it easier to vote by mail. "If millions of people dont vote because of health concerns, or if millions of votes remain uncounted as a result of poor preparation, many Americans will perceive the presidential election in November as illegitimate," he warned in a column for the Post. A toss-up One thing that hasn't been transformed by the pandemic is opinion polling. After an initial bump, Trump's approval ratings are basically back where they started: an average favourability of 44.3 per cent, according to Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight. The head-to-head polls also remain steady, with Biden ahead of Trump by an average of five to six points. Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball, a respected forecasting service, this month updated its presidential election projections. The site expects Biden to win 248 electoral college votes and Trump 233, putting both candidates within reach of the magic 270 needed for victory. Measuring John Bean Technologies Corporation's (NYSE:JBT) track record of past performance is a valuable exercise for investors. It allows us to understand whether or not the company has met or exceed expectations, which is an insightful signal for future performance. Today I will assess JBT's recent performance announced on 31 December 2019 and compare these figures to its historical trend and industry movements. Check out our latest analysis for John Bean Technologies How JBT fared against its long-term earnings performance and its industry JBT's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 31 December 2019) of US$129m has jumped 24% compared to the previous year. Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has exceeded its 5-year annual growth average of 23%, indicating the rate at which JBT is growing has accelerated. What's enabled this growth? Let's take a look at whether it is only due to an industry uplift, or if John Bean Technologies has seen some company-specific growth. NYSE:JBT Income Statement April 17th 2020 In terms of returns from investment, John Bean Technologies 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 7.7% exceeds the US Machinery industry of 6.5%, indicating John Bean Technologies has used its assets more efficiently. However, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for John Bean Technologiess debt level, has declined over the past 3 years from 15% to 14%. 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? You should continue to research John Bean Technologies to get a more holistic view of the stock by looking at: Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for JBTs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for JBTs outlook. Financial Health: Are JBTs 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. The Koforidua Regional Hospital has appealed to voluntary blood donors to come to the aid of the Blood Bank of the Hospital. Speaking to the media, Dr Cardinald Newton, the Acting Director of the Hospital said as, at Easter Monday, the Hospital had only eight units of blood left. He explained that the main source of blood donations to the Hospital had been second cycle schools, religious organisations, some institutions and voluntary donors. He said due to the directives against large gatherings and closure of schools, the sources of blood donations to the Hospital had dried up. Dr Newton said currently the Hospital was contacting voluntary blood donors to donate blood to the Hospital. He said the Hospital was also motivating women attending anti-natal clinics at the Hospital to impress it upon their relations to donate blood to the Hospital for it to be given to them should the need arise during delivery. The Hospital Director said the Hospital had also written letters to staff members of the Hospital, urging them to donate blood to the Blood Bank and the response he described as wonderful, saying many of them were coming forward to donate blood. Dr Newton revealed that since the announcement of the lockdown of Greater Accra, Kasoa and Greater Kumasi, patients recorded at the various departments of the Hospital had gone down, except the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department where the anti-natal attendance keeps increasing. He assured that the Hospital was taking all the necessary steps in the wake of COVID-19 to ensure that the blood donated were safe. 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 Kmart is struggling to keep up with online demand after announcing it would close stores because of the coronavirus outbreak. Kmart Australia and New Zealand Retail Director John Gualtieri issued an email on Friday apologising to customers for lengthy delays on orders as operations buckle under 'unprecedented' demand. 'Dear Kmart community, we hope you and your families are keeping happy and safe as we continue to navigate our way through this time,' it begins. 'I feel it's vital to acknowledge and sincerely apologise to our customers who have yet to receive their online order or continue to experience delays reaching our customer service teams. Kmart announced it will be trialling store closures across the country and shifting online as the coronavirus alters market demands (pictured: Kmart in Chadstone) The retail giant admitted it is struggling to cope with online demand in an apology letter (pictured) issued by the company's Retail Director John Gualtieri on Friday 'We have been overwhelmed with the volume of orders over the past few weeks and stock availability has been impacted; making it difficult to keep up with our customers needs.' Mr Gualteri said the company had added 'additional resources' to rectify the issue but delays would still be expected, urging customers to order in advance. He also apologised to those having difficulty getting into contact with service teams as the 'volume of customers making contact is unprecedented', directing shoppers to the chain-store's website for answers to frequently asked questions. It comes a day after the retail giant notified customers it will trial the closure of a number of stores across Australia as more shoppers choose online shopping in the wake of the pandemic. Certain stores across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria will temporarily close while coronavirus restrictions remain in place. Three out of some 240 stores will trial the closure and instead become online delivery centres to keep up with the current demand for online services. The department store is offering free delivery for orders over $45. Scroll down for video In the email, Mr Gualtieri also paid tribute to the essential workers in the community helping to battle the COVID-19 outbreak 'Over the past few weeks, we have seen a huge surge in demand for our online services and we want to continue to support our customers with shopping in a way thats most convenient for them,' a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday. 'Weve made the decision to temporarily convert a few of our stores into order fulfilment sites to help support the growing demand for our online home delivery services. 'Our store teams will continue working instore, as part of this fulfillment team; ensuring that our Kmart customers and communities have easy access to the products they need, at the time they need them most. 'We will continue to offer free delivery on all online orders over $45 to help support our customers during this time. 'Weve successfully trialled this concept at our Brandon Park store in Victoria; and were excited to be rolling it out at Top Ryde in New South Wales and Caboolture in Queensland. 'We recognise that this is a unique time and we are here to support our customers, teams and communities, while we all adjust to this new way of life together. 'Our deepest appreciation and thanks to the local communities for their understanding and support.' Kmart is trialling the closure of three stores to focus on the demand on the online service (Pictured: Kmart in Parramatta Westfield) The retail sector has been hit badly by coronavirus restrictions. Myer temporarily closed all its stores and stood down 10,000 staff in March. Bosses said the Australian institution that's 120 years old would still be open online. General Pants, Smiggle, and Peter Alexander have also temporarily closed due to the coronavirus fallout. Fashion giant H&M has also closed all 49 of its stores in Australia until further notice because of the coronavirus crisis. The company shutdown will leave as many as 1,300 people without jobs across Australia. Australian bootmakers R.M. Williams has also shut all of its stores due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The renowned brand said the coronavirus crisis had 'stopped us mid-stride' and forced it to temporarily close its doors. The Australian Retailers Association has warned larger fashion companies are most at risk as non-essential services go into lock down and consumers save their money. ARA's Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said larger retailers like Myer and David Jones will flounder, despite Scott Morrison's business rescue package. All Myer stores across Australia will be closed for at least a month due to the coronavirus pandemic The flagship Melbourne H&M store (pictured) closed its doors on April 5 as the company shuts down operations nationwide in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic The prime minister announced a second round of drastic rescue measures worth around $66billion, including grants of up to $100,000 to help small businesses pay their staff. 'It's an excellent package but it does not cover some of the bigger business that we're dealing with that, if this continues, will unfortunately head into liquidation,' Mr Zimmerman said. 'I have been in discussions with retailers in the large sector who are extremely worried, particularly at this point in time, there is concern in the discretionary spend retailers so clothing, footwear, accessories.' Alongside the cash payments, the government is launching a massive loan scheme worth $40billion under which it will guarantee 50 per cent of cheap loans given from banks to struggling companies to keep them from going under. 'We will be supercharging our safety net, we'll be supporting the most vulnerable to the impacts of the crisis, those who will feel those first blows,' Mr Morrison told reporters. '(We will) preserve the businesses that comprise our economy so on the other side they can bounce back strongly and don't have to reassemble themselves from the ruins of failed businesses.' Ryanair has lost an appeal of its failed defamation action against three pilots over an email circulated to more than 2,000 colleagues. The Court of Appeal yesterday found Ryanair had not established the high-profile 2017 trial was unfair - a decision which leaves it facing a substantial legal bill. The airline unsuccessfully sued three members of the Ryanair Pilot Group interim council in the High Court over the email entitled 'Pilot Update: What the Markets Are Saying About Ryanair'. The email was circulated to 2,289 Ryanair pilots in September 2013. Ryanair claimed that by publishing that incorrect statement, the defendants were saying, by innuendo or insinuation, that the airline misled investors, knowingly facilitated insider dealing by management, was guilty of market manipulation and conspired with management to abuse the markets. The pilots, Evert Van Zwol, John Goss and Ted Murphy, denied the claims and the case took seven weeks to reach a conclusion. Neither Mr Van Zwol nor Mr Murphy ever worked for Ryanair, and while Mr Goss had in the past, he was dismissed after appearing in Channel Four's 'Secrets from the Cockpit' programme in 2013. Although the jury found the words complained of were defamatory and alleged the airline was guilty of market manipulation, in a majority verdict, it also decided it was published by the defendants without malice. As the trial judge, Mr Justice Bernard Barton, had ruled the publication occurred on an occasion of qualified privilege, Ryanair's claim failed. Qualified privilege is a protection which exists where a statement is published to someone with an interest in receiving it, as long as it is not motivated by malice. The case came against the backdrop of years of campaigning by pilots for union recognition, and Ryanair found itself facing allegations the trial process was being used as an industrial relations tactic, a claim it denied. In its appeal, Ryanair took issue with the refusal of Mr Justice Barton to accede to its request for the discharge of the jury after an undiscovered document emerged during the evidence of a defence witness. The airline also contended the judge was wrong to rule publication occurred on an occasion of qualified privilege. But Mr Justice Seamus Noonan of the Court of Appeal said the airline had failed to establish the trial was unfair. He was satisfied the trial judge correctly exercised his discretion in refusing to discharge the jury. He also said any ostensible prejudice arising from the late production of a document was "effectively eliminated" by the trial judge allowing further cross-examination of witnesses and giving appropriate directions. Atomic-resolution images of SALT. Credit: ZHU Feng, Md Shafiqul Islam, ZHOU Lin, et al. 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 reported an important discovery regarding the mechanism of Li-ion migration in solid electrolytes for batteries, observing a new type of microscopic feature that can significantly influence ionic transport. Solid electrolytes are the key components for 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 an orders-of-magnitude change in ionic conductivity. At present, only two types of non-periodic features, 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 Li 0.33 La 0.56 TiO 3 . 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 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. Additionally, due to their extreme thinness and the distraction from other coexisting microstructures, the presence of these defects is hardly 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 high as ~15%, which can lead to a one to two orders-of-magnitude reduction in ionic conductivity. "The defect loop is acting as a Li-ion trap: 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 the term "single-atom-layer trap" (SALT) to describe this unique feature. Its discovery reveals that non-periodic features other than grain boundaries and point defects may also greatly alter ionic transport, and that similar studies are urgently needed on other solid electrolytes. Explore further Researchers investigate the structure of phosphate ionic conducting glasses using solid-state NMR More information: Feng Zhu et al, Single-atom-layer traps in a solid electrolyte for lithium batteries, Nature Communications (2020). Journal information: Nature Communications Feng Zhu et al, Single-atom-layer traps in a solid electrolyte for lithium batteries,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15544-x Provided by University of Science and Technology of China Allianz SE Chief Executive Officer Oliver Baete warned the coronavirus has upended insurers business models and will cause massive losses across the industry. The virus has forced closures across the entire economy and not just in a limited number of cases, Baete said. Any recovery from those shutdowns will likely take longer than people currently predict, he said. The coronavirus has hit our industry like a meteorite impact, Baete said in an interview on Bloomberg Television. There will be huge losses for the industry coming, it just takes a while for those to materialize. Baete spoke just after the German government unveiled a plan, first reported by Bloomberg, to backstop losses at commercial credit insurers to keep trade flowing and prevent bankruptcies. Allianz is one of the companies to benefit because one of its units, Euler Hermes Group, is among the top players in that market. Commercial credit insurers provide cover for businesses in case customers pay bills late or default. Baete said in February that Allianzs biggest potential risk would be from any bankruptcies in Europe spurred by the viruss spread, which would hit its credit insurance coverage in the region. PIMCOs Performance While Allianz is strong enough to shoulder claims, its business model would require it to scale back coverage without a backstop, reinforcing the impact of the virus on global trade, Baete said. Its a very, very important measure the government has taken, Baete said. We are extremely stable, we could absorb all the losses, but if insurers cut back coverage, then people will further reduce trade. Under the German plan, the government will backstop losses of 30 billion euros ($33 billion) for commercial credit insurers this year. In return, insurers will surrender 65% of their premiums to the government while continuing to provide coverage. Allianz so far has not incurred any significant losses in its investment portfolio and was actually doing well in some areas, such as at its bond manager Pacific Investment Management Co., he said. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics COVID-19 Profit Loss Market Allianz The OB and Budweiser poster that reads: "We support our heroes." It shows global efforts to help fight COVID-19. Courtesy of OB By Kim Hyun-bin Oriental Brewery (OB), the country's largest alcoholic beverage maker by market share, is offering help to people suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the company's social contribution project dubbed "OB Good World," the company has been reaching out to key regions around the country. The maker of the leading local beer brand Cass has been helping prevent the spread of the virus in the Daegu region, which was the hardest hit. Since February, OB has allocated 1 billion won to buy emergency supplies like masks, hand sanitizers and personal hygiene and medical products through its supply chain and provide the items to regions in dire need. In February, OB helped the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association by donating 8,970 two-liter bottles of water for people in quarantine. OB, which also has global beer brand Budweiser, donated the proceeds of Budweiser sales on April 7 marking the World Health Organization sponsored "World Health Day." In Korea, which had sales of 90 million won, the money was donated to the Community Chest of Korea's "special coronavirus fund." The money will be used for coronavirus quarantine efforts including for medical staff and volunteers. Budweiser's "Stay Strong" campaign aims to help young artists who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. / Courtesy of OB We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - The Native American woman who has graced the packaging of Land OLakes butter, cheese and other products since the late 1920s has quietly disappeared. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/4/2020 (634 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - The Native American woman who has graced the packaging of Land OLakes butter, cheese and other products since the late 1920s has quietly disappeared. Known as Mia, the woman was shown sitting in a serene landscape of lakes and woods. That landscape remains on the Minnesota co-operative's packaging, but Mia is nowhere to be found. On some packaging she is replaced by photos of Land OLakes member farmers. Try our Dish The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. Dish arrives in your inbox every other Friday. See sample. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. President and CEO Beth Ford said that as the co-operative, founded in 1921, looks toward its 100th anniversary it needed packaging that reflects the foundation and heart of the company's culture. 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 in a statement. The woman's image has been modified over the years. Ojibwe artist Patrick DesJarlait remade Mia in the mid-1950s. DesJarlait's work is included in the Minnesota Museum of American Art in St. Paul. I have mixed feelings about it, Robert DesJarlait, Patricks son and an artist and writer, told the Star Tribune from his home in Onamia, Minnesota. Im sad to see it go, but I can understand why its gone. We live in a politically correct time, so maybe it was time to get rid of it. It certainly devolved into a stereotype." Land OLakes, which is headquartered in Arden Hills, posted $14 billion in sales in 2019. The coronavirus pandemic has blown a multibillion-dollar hole in Californias budget, one that is likely to force Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers to make difficult decisions in the years to come. The shortfall is likely to total roughly $35 billion in 2020-21 alone, the nonpartisan state legislative analyst told senators who convened a special budget hearing on the coronavirus Thursday in Sacramento. The shortfall could snowball by an additional $85 billion in the years that follow, Legislative Analyst Gabriel Petek said. If budget problems of this magnitude were to emerge, they would exceed the states reserves, Petek said, in something of an understatement. The surplus that the Legislature, Newsom and former Gov. Jerry Brown accumulated over the past decade totals about $21 billion, about $4 billion of which will probably be needed this year to meet the constitutional requirement of a balanced state budget. Peteks estimate, which he presented via videoconference to two senators wearing masks in a Capitol hearing room and several others who tuned in remotely, renders all but moot Newsoms January budget proposal. The governor had asked for new spending to add homeless services, wildfire prevention programs and health care for undocumented immigrant seniors. Petek said it will realistically probably take several months for the state to have a clear picture of its budget situation given the sudden nature of the coronavirus pandemic, which has halted most economic activity and will certainly cause a sharp drop in tax revenue. He suggested lawmakers pass a baseline budget that doesnt add nonmandatory expenses and assumes the state continues existing service levels. Doing that may make it easier to address whatever budget problem does emerge this summer, Petek said. The hearing gave the senators a look at what will dominate their time when they return from their emergency recess, which began last month and is now scheduled to end May 4. Newsom must release a revised spending plan by next month, and by law the Legislature has to pass a balanced budget by June 15 or go without pay. State Sen. Holly Mitchell, a Los Angeles Democrat who leads the budget subcommittee that met Thursday, said that while the situation is grave, California is much better prepared than it was before the last economic collapse in 2008. Then, the state had little budget reserve, Mitchell noted. The current cushion will at least enable California to avoid borrowing immediately, gutting programs, and issuing IOUs instead of paychecks to state workers, she said. Mitchell said the level of aid California receives from the federal government will be key in shaping the speed of its recovery. One issue Congress is wrestling with in its next coronavirus relief bill is how much money to give to state and local governments. We know that most of the work is still ahead of us, Mitchell said. We understand the gravity of the situation. Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner Did it have to take a pandemic for our government to realize that people have to have access to health care? Since promoting the general welfare is in preamble of the U.S. Constitution, it stands to reason that access to health care is part of the general welfare. Its not a new concept. In the 1990s, Sen. Paul Wellstone introduced a bill for universal, single-payer health care. Rep. John Conyers did so in 2003. Medicare for All was a focal point of Bernie Sanders 2016 and 2020 platform for the presidency. He reiterated that health care was a human right, not a privilege, and argued the need for a comprehensive health care plan not dependent upon ones employment or ability to pay. Now, with the world and our country being wracked by COVID-19, its finally become a no-brainer that people who need medical care should get it. Period. The U.S. was woefully unprepared for supplying personal protective equipment, or PPE, for medical workers, as well as not having enough medical supplies, ventilators and enough hospitals to see our way through this pandemic. President Trump tepidly invoked the Defense Production Act, ordering General Motors to manufacture ventilators and 3M to make masks. Eventually the U.S. Army and National Guard set up field hospitals. It didnt have to take so long. Hospital officials have likened the procurement of PPE to The Wild West. States and individual hospitals are bidding against each other, subverting shipments from one place to another by offering more money to the supplier to fulfill their needs. Why isnt there a centralized system that keeps track of medical supplies? Can we learn that lesson, that such a system would be more effective in distributing supplies to hot spots when needed? For once, institutionalized racism is acknowledged, as people of color are disproportionately contracting COVID-19 and dying from it. Poverty, no health insurance, lack of access to medical care and having untreated underlying medical conditions all contribute to being more severely affected by COVID-19. Low-income people often live in crowded urban areas, arent able to afford a car and rely on mass transit. Manufacturing and service-work jobs dont lend themselves to telecommuting, so these workers face an additional risk of contracting COVID-19. Millions have contracted the virus, and thousands have died. Relatives, co-workers, friends, neighbors all are being mourned by those who knew and loved them. There is a collective grief in the world, a universal commonality that strips away the differences of borders, cultures, languages and politics. What else has the pandemic taught us? People need money to subsist on. The moratorium on evictions and the distribution of stimulus checks are a small start to help. Housing should be provided for the homeless. Day care is a necessity for working people. The air is cleaner and overall pollution is greatly reduced without the constant flow of traffic on our roads. And prisons are incubators of disease and put people at risk, including many who never were on trial but are imprisoned because they didnt have the money to pay bail. When the Connecticut Food Bank distributed bags of groceries in Hamden last week, cars were in line for over a mile down Dixwell Avenue as people waited to get food for their households. Three hundred and ninety families received food, and 400 were turned away because there was no food left. Scenes like that are replicated all over the country, with 17 million people thrown out of work due to the pandemic. Yet farmers are plowing under millions of pounds of vegetables or leaving them to rot because the farmers customers (schools, restaurants, hotels, institutions, etc.) are now closed. Dairy farmers are flushing tens of thousands of gallons of milk down the drain daily and in poultry plants eggs are destroyed before they hatch because theres no market for so many chickens with the closures. Individual food banks dont have the storage capacity or ability to distribute the fresh produce thats grown for entire school systems. If a redistribution of the wealth could be imagined, why not a redistribution of the food? Really, what is so scary about The common good for the common people? Or From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs? Would you prefer Look out for No. 1 and Every man for himself? How about Whats in it for me? or the open-to-interpretation You gotta do what you gotta do? Look what the pandemic showed: human nature isnt dog eat dog, its How can I help? and Lets work together. Lets hear it for the people who are carrying us through this, at great risk to themselves: the bus drivers, grocery workers, EMTs, CNAs, nurses, doctors, soup kitchen workers, sanitation workers, mail carriers, teachers, social workers, everyone with a sewing machine who is making masks, hobbyists and high-schoolers with 3-D printers who are making face shields for fire departments and hospital workers. Hooray for them and everybody doing what they can to help people through this and ultimately restore some kind of normalcy in our lives. When this miserable, painful and traumatic pandemic runs its course, on what basis will society be rebuilt? A better worlds in birth? I hope so. Paula Panzarella is a New Haven resident. As many as 14 Tablighi Jamaat meet participants, including 11 Bangladeshis, were arrested after the completion of their quarantine period on Friday. The Jamaatis were arrested after the completion of their quarantine period and sent to a temporary jail set up here for them, said Bhadohi Superintendent of Police Ram Badan Singh. They were earlier picked up on March 31 from a private guest house in Kazipur locality under City Kotwali police station and their samples were sent for testing , Bhadohi Chief Medical Officer Lakshmi Singh said. Dr Singh said after receiving their reports, which were negative, they were sent on 14-days quarantine which ended on April 15. District magistrate Rajendra Prasad said their passports have been confiscated. Besides 11 Bangladeshis, these Jamaatis include one from Assam native and two from West Bengal, said the SP, adding they all had arrived here from Delhi on March 4. Cases were also lodged against seven others, including the guest house owner, who had helped them live in hiding here, the SP added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the gradual reopening of a US economy battered by the brutal side effects of an unprecedented effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. "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." His announcement came hours after new data showed job losses from the pandemic fallout in the world's number one economy had reached 22 million in the past month. New York Federal Reserve Bank President John Williams warned it will probably take "a year or two," if not longer, for the US economy to recover its strength, as other figures showed dire damage to the home building market and manufacturing. Trump had been campaigning for reelection in November largely on record low unemployment and a surge in US output. So for the Republican, the battle to stop the coronavirus and lift social distancing and the paralysis of entire industries is also a race against the political clock. However, the recommendations issued from the White House, in conjunction with medical advisors, were a far cry from Trump's previous hopes for a sudden, widespread end to social distancing measures. Instead Trump described a cautious approach in which state governors, not the White House, will take the lead -- also a retreat for Trump who had insisted he could dictate the pace of reopening. "Our approach will outline three phases in restoring our economic life," he said. "We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time, and some states, they will be able to open up sooner than others." Some states, Trump said, are already free from the impact of the coronavirus and therefore can open "literally tomorrow." If state governors "need to remain closed, we will allow them to do that. If they believe it is time to reopen, we will provide them the freedom and guidance to accomplish that task and very, very quickly, depending on what they want to do," he said. - Phases but no timeline - In a White House paper, presented to governors earlier in the day, Trump laid out the plan for getting people gradually back into public venues, but offered no timetable. Depending on locations and levels of the virus there, people will be able eventually to attend public gatherings and conduct non-essential travel. But even in the third phase, or what government scientist Deborah Birx called the "new normal," the White House is recommending continued, longterm extra hygiene measures. There will also be a focus on stamping out any resurgence. "What's key to this is early alerts and getting in there before they have a problem," another top government scientist, Anthony Fauci, said. The caution at the heart of the plan represents a shift of direction for Trump, who from the start of the crisis has shown frustration with the extraordinary disruption and medical staff's advice to take extreme measures. Fauci insisted that "the predominant and completely driving element" of the plan remains "safety." "Light switch on and off is the exact opposite of what you see here," he said. - Deaths and job losses - Experts say that the United States is now bending the curve of the coronavirus outbreak. However, while new cases are diminishing, deaths remain at a frightening rate. Nearly 5,000 people died from the virus in the United States alone in the 24 hours to Thursday evening, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, a figure that seems to include "probable" deaths linked to COVID-19. They join the nearly 140,000 killed worldwide by the disease that has infected more than two million, according to an AFP tally. Neither will the shaken economy be steadied overnight. Another 5.2 million workers filed for unemployment benefits last week, according to the Labor Department's weekly report, slightly less than the previous week but still a shocking figure. A separate report from the Commerce Department detailed the damage to the housing market, with homebuilding slowed sharply in March, while a Federal Reserve report showed plunging manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia region, echoing similar reports elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Small Business Administration tasked with managing a $349 billion program to help businesses struggling due to the pandemic said it had exhausted its funds as lawmakers in Congress argued over a new round of stimulus measures. US President Donald Trump and government coordinator Dr Deborah Birx lay out the plan for reopening the economy - Residents of Lagos and Ogun states have shared their experiences over recent robbery attacks in their areas - Some armed robbers have been terrorising the areas in the last few weeks - The affected areas include Agege, Abule Egba, Iyana Ipaja, Sango, Kola, Ijaye, Lambe and Ifo township in Ogun state Following the robbery attacks in some areas in Lagos and Ogun states as the COVID-19 lockdown bites harder, some residents of the areas have shared their experiences. Legit.ng's regional reporter, Ibrahim Akinola, reports that many communities in Lagos and Ogun states have become theatres of operations for criminals and hoodlums in the last few days. The men of the underworld looted shops, robbed innocent citizens and people have been living in perpetual fear and anxiety. The areas most affected include but not limited to Agege, Abule Egba, Iyana Ipaja, Sango, Kola, Ijaye, Lambe and Ifo township. It was gathered that residents especially the youths have resulted in self-help by mobilising themselves into various vigilante groups and street guards for effective policing of their communities as the invaders have devised means of outsmarting the police. It was also learned that a group known as one million boys normally sends a warning letter to the community it intends to invade and rob. Legit.ng's investigation revealed how the robbers unleashed terror on the residents of Agege, Oko-Oba, Sango and Lambe area of Ogun state. Some security personnel chasing the criminals. Source: UGC In a chat with Legit.ng, a resident of Agege area of Lagos state, Abideen Adesola, described the incident as worrisome and threatening. He said: "This is very worrisome. I haven't slept for several nights now. We can't just sleep. Sleep won't even come under this very tense atmosphere. These gangs move in hundreds with all kinds of dangerous and dreaded weapons. They robbed us of our valuables. They even rape women and inflict various injuries on many people on a daily basis without being challenged by the security agents. All the shops in this street have been emptied by these terrorists. Yes! I call them terrorists and I mean it." He stated further: "When it became unbearable, we held meetings and decided that we should take the security of ourselves and properties into our own hands and as our due responsibility since the state security seems to have been overwhelmed. "Each house gives volunteers and we formed ourselves into street guards and vigilantes. We are currently engaging them fire for fire. But for how long are we going to do this? I can only appeal to the Lagos state government and the Nigerian Police Force to please beef up the security to decisively deal with these criminal elements and promptly come to our aid as a matter of urgency." Jelili Awodele, a resident of Ladoje area of Agege said that he had never experienced such a terrible situation in his life, adding that the robbers also carried out their dastardly act in broad daylight. He said: "I have never experienced a situation like this before. These boys are so bold and confident that they carry their dastard acts in broad daylight. I am one of the street guards. We don't sleep again at night. We man every point of interest on the street. "We set burnfire at every joint and strategically position ourselves. When they came yesterday, for instance, we were nearly overpowered but thank God we managed to repel them. I call on the Government of Sanwo-Olu to please compel the security officers to be patrolling every hot spot in our communities. These boys can be easily tracked if the police really want to work." PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! One of the chiefs in the area, Chief Sarumi of Oko Oba said: "I personally appeal to the Lagos state commissioner of police, Hakeem Odumosu to please beef up the security of people here, especially during this lockdown period. I know him to be very professional, intelligent and reasonable. For how long are we going to wallow in sleepless nights? It is seriously pathetic. Similar accounts were given by the people of Sango, Lambe, Ijaye, Kola, Oniyale and Ifo township all in Ogun state. They all appealed to the Ogun state government to do the needful as a matter of urgency. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the co-chairman of the Kano state COVID-19 Taskforce, Prof Abdulaziz Habib, allegedly tested positive for the virus. It was reported that Professor Habibs test result was one of the 12 released on Wednesday, April 15, by the Kano state's ministry of health. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better What will you do if your partner tests positive to Coronavirus? | - on Legit TV Source: Legit.ng By Akbar Mammadov Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov has voiced his countrys concerns over reported transportation of fuel, raw materials from Iran to Azerbaijans Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region. In a phone conversation held with Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Iran Seyed Abbas Aragchi and Iranian envoy Javad Jahangirzadeh on April 15, Khalafov said that recent information and videos in the Armenian media about the transportation of fuel, raw materials and food by trucks with Iranian state license plates to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan have caused serious concern of Azerbaijani government and deep public dissatisfaction," the foreign ministry reported in its official website on April 16. "Such incidents serve to support the occupant Armenia and escalate the conflict", Khalafov added. Khalafov noted that Azerbaijan doesnt spare effort to protect the high-level ties with Iran, noting that despite the closure of the borders during the pandemic, it protected transit and trade relations between the two countries. Khalafov expressed hope that in line with the principles of Azerbaijani-Iranian bilateral ties, the Iranian side would examine the information and videos and make clarification to Azerbaijan. In turn, the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister stressed the importance of Iran's relations with Azerbaijan, noting that friendly and fraternal relations will continue. Noting the existence of enemies of Iran-Azerbaijan friendly relations, Aragchi said that "these forces are constantly trying to damage our bilateral relations by providing such information. Immediately after the video was released, the country's embassy in Baku was instructed that the information was false and refuted, Aragchi said. The Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister also thanked the Azerbaijani government for its assistance in combating the pandemic and for keeping the country's borders open for transit and cargo during the pandemic. In turn, Ambassador Javad Jahangirzadeh said that the country gives importance to the bilateral relations, noting the friendly relations between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Iran. The ambassador also expressed the Iranian side's deep gratitude for the constant care of the Azerbaijani-Iranian relations by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the assistance provided to Iran in connection with the pandemic, as well as conditions created for the transit. On April 13, Iran's Embassy in Azerbaijan commented on the video, which shows trucks allegedly belonging to Iran transporting fuel and food to Azerbaijans occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region. At the stage of comprehensive development of relations between Tehran and Baku, enemies and forces who do not want bilateral relations be developed and disseminating such kind of false information in order to interfere with this process, are trying to cast a shadow on good neighborly relations between the two countries, the embassy said. We bring to the attention of the distinguished Azerbaijani people that Iran has neither land nor air communication with the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Armenians tried to spoil the relations between the two countries also in the previous years with the help of video or photo materials. As it can be seen, neither the place nor the time is known in the mentioned fake video. The news is completely false. Our expectations from the Azerbaijani media is that prior to the publication of any news, they clarify its reliability and refrain from disseminating information without reference to a reliable source, said the embassy. It should be noted that on 7 March, Azerbaijan allocated humanitarian assistance to Iran in the amount of $5 million to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19), according to Azerbaijans Cabinet of Ministers. The ministry reported that the Azerbaijani government ordered the allocation of these funds from the reserve fund of the state budget for 2020. There are friendly and good neighborly relations between Azerbaijan and Iran. The relevant ministries and government agencies of both countries work closely to prevent the spread of the COVID-19," said the statement. -- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 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. New Delhi: 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. Adding to the 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. Rahul 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." Hubs of culture, politics and finance, the cities many of us call home can, at times, be hard to live in. The challenges of an urban environment often include overcrowding, a high cost of living and air pollution. The latter is a serious issue that can affect us all: according to the World Health Organization, it's estimated that air pollution kills 7 million people each year, with 9 out of 10 people breathing air which contains "high levels of pollutants." One solution to help tackle the problem of air pollution could be increasing the number of trees and green spaces within urban areas, according to experts. As well as being aesthetically pleasing the sight of branches covered in blossom can lift even the gloomiest of moods trees can offer a range of benefits. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN, for instance, has stated that one tree can absorb as much as 150 kilograms of carbon dioxide annually. It has also described "large urban trees" as being "excellent filters for urban pollutants and fine particulates." A number of cities are now making concerted efforts to improve green spaces and boost the number of trees on their streets and in parks. Take the Australian city of Melbourne. Authorities there say the city's "urban forest" amounts to more than 75,000 trees and they want to boost canopy cover from 22% to 40% by the year 2040, planting over 3,000 trees annually to achieve their goal. Other cities have similar targets: authorities in Milan, for instance, recently announced a target of planting 3 million trees by the year 2030. "A city like Melbourne realized that trees are an essential way of keeping your city liveable and also adapting it to climate change," Cecil Konijnendijk, from the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Forestry, told CNBC's Sustainable Energy. "So they really integrated urban forestry into their development." Konijnendijk went on to list Singapore as another place where trees were "taken very seriously." The south-east Asian city-state is aiming to plant 1 million trees over a 10-year period. In addition to absorbing carbon dioxide an important step in battling climate change trees can also provide other benefits that may not be immediately obvious. "The main thing that trees do actually, they help cool the city. So by cooling the city we know there is less need, for example, for air conditioning costs," Konijnendijk added. Indeed, according to the FAO, when it comes to cooling urban areas, strategically planting trees can cool air by between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius. While the aim to plant huge amounts of trees might be an admirable one, some parts of the world face challenges when it comes to greening urban spaces. "They don't have the planning capacity, they don't have the money, the capacity to really work on this," he added. "So we see, for example in Africa and other parts of the world, maybe Latin America, cities are growing very rapidly. India is adding another 200-300 million urban dwellers How do you get your cities ready for that? And how do you integrate trees in that? That's a big challenge." Correction: The text of this story has been updated to remove an incorrect temperature conversion. T his is the moment Londons Woolwich Ferry joined the acclaim for NHS staff battling the coronavirus pandemic. The commuter ship, which operates in the southeast of the capital, spun to form doughnuts and honked its horn in the middle of the River Thames on Thursday night. The captain of the vessel performed the touching gesture as the nation held the fourth consecutive Clap for Carers to pay gratitude to health workers on the front line. Onlookers were left astounded and cheered on from the banks of the Thames. One user tweeted: Nice touch from the @TFL #woolwichferry doing lovely (and nippy) 360 spins for #clapforheroes". Another added: The fab crew of the #Woolwich ferry not only sound their horn to let us know its 8pm & time for #ClapForCarers - tonight Dame Vera gave a twirl! A steering company even joined in the praise, tweeting: We feel honoured to have provided the thrusters for the Woolwich Ferry! Thousands turned out on their doorsteps nationwide for the round of applause, but at Westminster Bridge a group were criticised for failing to follow social distancing rules. The Medical Council of India (MCI) has written to state councils to compile a list of doctors registered with them as part of an exercise to take stock of human resources available to treat Covid-19 patients. The letter, sent to state councils last week by MCIs board of governors, sought an updated list of registered medical practitioners and their contact details. The Medical Council of India has been entrusted for ensuring availability of registered medical practitioners (registered under the Indian Medical Council Act 1956/State Medical Council Acts) for tackling Covid-19 pandemic. It is requested to share the updated list of registered medical practitioners available in your medical council, said the directive to the state councils. Also watch | COVID-19 | Doubling rate reduced since lockdown, growth factor down 40%: Govt Apart from the name and registration number of each doctor, the state councils have also been asked to provide mobile phone numbers, email IDs and contact addresses. This information should be sent to the MCI as early as possible, in view of the prevalent situation. This information will be further shared with the government authorities for their use, when required, the letter said. After receiving the MCIs directive, states councils have started compiling the data. Girish Tyagi, member of the Delhi Medical Council, said: We are working on compiling the list. Once a medical practitioner registers, the name stays for at least five years in the state register, and some of them are PG students from other states who return to their respective state after their education is over. We need to weed out those names from the list, and with skeletal staff at our disposal right now, it might take a little longer to segregate those who are still practising in Delhi. India has 1.1 million allopathic doctors registered with the Board of Governors, State Medical Councils, and Medical Council as of December 2019. Assuming 80% availability, it is estimated that around 9.26 lakh doctors may be actually available for active service, said minister of state for health Ashwini Kumar Choubey in the Lok Sabha. For a population of 1.36 billion, this makes the doctor-population ratio 1:1,457, lower than the WHOs recommended norm of 1:1,000. For people in rural areas completely dependent on government hospitals and clinics, the government allopathic doctor-patient ratio is 1:10,926. With Covid-19 cases rising, the government is gearing up to upgrade infrastructure and add to the human resource pool to deal with the situation. Another directive sent to all state chief secretaries by the Union health ministry last week was for using the services of ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists or postgraduate trainees for collecting samples for Covid-19 testing, as many states are facing a manpower shortage for collecting samples. You are aware that the country is in the midst of an unprecedented outbreak of Covid-19. One of the key components of our strategy to combat this outbreak is contact tracing and collection of nose and throat swab samples of potentially infected persons. There is an urgent need of trained and qualified personnel to collect these samples and the number of such persons needs to be augmented significantly, said the health ministrys directive. All States/UTs are, therefore, requested to organise collection of Covid-19 case samples by using the services of ENT specialists and residents. The services of these professionals working in all government and private medical colleges of the states may be drafted for this purpose, the directive added. A health ministry official, on condition of anonymity, said: While the labs are enough, there was felt a shortage of trained people to collect samples. The experts discussed the matter and thought of using ENT specialists for the purpose as they already are trained in handling diseases of the nose and throat. The states have passed on the instructions to all medical institutions in this regard, and the process of involving specialists has begun. Experts said roping in trained people for the job will help. It is definitely a good idea as ENTs are more skilled to do the job. The problem is bigger in remote areas, where involving them should surely help, said NN Mathur, ENT professor and former principal of Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (Safdarjung Hospital). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Donald Trump administration is using the State Departments annual arms control compliance report to build upon its previous allegations that Iran may be violating the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The State Department submitted a brief executive summary of the report to Congress today. This years executive summary bolsters the emphasis that last years report placed on the trove of documents that Israel says it obtained in a 2018 raid on an Iranian nuclear archive. The 2019 report asserted that the archive itself could potentially constitute a violation of the NPTs ban on nuclear weapons development. The summary of this years report goes a step further by noting that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported articles of chemically processed uranium at an undeclared location in Iran. Irans intentional failure to declare nuclear material subject to IAEA safeguards would constitute a clear violation of Irans [comprehensive safeguards assessment] required by the NPT and would constitute a violation of Article III of the NPT itself, the executive summary says. Notably, compliance reports under both the Trump and Barack Obama administrations had consistently found that issues related to Iranian NPT violations were resolved as of the 2015 reporting period, despite Irans continued refusal to acknowledge or provide certain information about the military dimensions of its past nuclear activities. That assessment changed last year under the leadership of Yleem Poblete, a prominent Iran hawk who served as assistant secretary of state for arms control, verification and compliance. Poblete left the post in June after clashing with Undersecretary of State for Arms Control Andrea Thompson over the 2019 report. Thompson left her post in October. The assistant secretary of state post remains vacant, but the 2020 report indicates that the State Department is still determined to move forward with its case over Irans alleged NPT violations. The problem with inserting all these concerns rather than sticking to hard and fast assessments of legal compliance is that youre taking this away from being a very cut-and-dry document for the purpose of seeing where we are with treaty compliance and turning it into more of a political document, said Alexandra Bell, a senior policy director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation who worked on the compliance reports as a senior adviser to the State Department under President Obama. Still, Irans reduced cooperation with the IAEA in recent months is providing fodder for the Trump administrations arguments. The summary of the 2020 report notes that Tehran has refused to provide IAEA inspectors with access at two locations not declared by Iran and did not substantively respond to the IAEAs requests for clarification regarding possible undeclared nuclear material or activities at those locations and a third, unspecified location. Iran agreed to allow IAEA inspectors to monitor its NPT compliance as part of Obamas 2015 nuclear deal. But after Trumps 2018 withdrawal from the deal, Iran began violating its end of the bargain, nearly tripling its enriched uranium stockpile since November. Iran also said it would no longer obey the deal's restrictions following Trumps January strike on Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani even as Tehran continues to negotiate with Europe. While the Iran nuclear archive and the IAEAs struggle to inspect potential undeclared nuclear sites have already been widely reported, the full report which is undergoing a declassification review may contain more specifics. This marks the second year in a row that the Trump administration has missed its April deadline to submit the full report to Congress. They were actually legally required to get the full assessment up, said Bell. It would be nice to see that sooner rather than later. WASHINGTON - Errors are turning up in the Internal Revenue Service's $1,200 payments to households this week, with some people receiving too little, a handful getting more than expected and some seeing their payment go into an unrecognizable bank account. Many of the millions of people expecting the payments are struggling with an IRS "Where's My Payment" webpage intended to give the status of their funds. Several users said on Twitter their payment information is unavailable, even though they should qualify for the money. Some said the IRS deposited the money into a bank account that isn't theirs. The Treasury Department said it is aware of the issues and working to address them. The department has rushed to process 80 million payments in three weeks - about half of the 150 million to 170 million direct deposits and checks being sent to Americans as part of the $2.2 trillion coronavirus package passed in late March. The IRS has directed users of its webpage to keep trying daily to learn the status of the payment. But the solution is less clear for those who say their funds went into a bank account they don't recognize. "The IRS deserves high grades for pulling this off at this stage," said Mark Everson, a former IRS commissioner. "But now they have to be extremely careful to make sure security protocols are correct." ADVERTISEMENT It's not clear how widespread the glitches are or whether the cause lies with problems at the IRS or with the end users or their banks. And the situation isn't new - the IRS has an online form for taxpayers whose annual refunds have been sent to the wrong account. Still, taxpayers are going to get anxious if they don't see their payments, which puts them more at risk of falling victim to scammers, said Everson, now a vice chairman of tax advisory firm AlliantGroup LP. The IRS says that if a payment goes to a closed account, the bank will reject the deposit and the IRS will send the person a check in the mail. The IRS says it will start mailing payments on April 20 and can process about 5 million checks a week. People whose payment went astray will be notified where it was sent and given instructions for reporting problems in receiving the money. But those notices won't arrive until about two weeks after the payment was scheduled to appear. Taxpayers who previously got advance tax refunds from a tax preparer, such as Intuit Inc.'s TurboTax, Jackson Hewitt or H&R Block Inc., could also face delays. The bank account on file may be reported as closed because it's a temporary account associated with the tax preparer or lender, National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins said in a blog post. Those taxpayers will get their checks sent to a personal account, if possible, or will get a check in the mail. That could also explain some of the unrecognizable account numbers some taxpayers are seeing. Some of the millions who have received payments are seeing less than anticipated after the bank garnished some or all of the payment. The law bars the government from garnishing payments if individuals owe back taxes, but it didn't say whether banks could seize payments to cover other debts their customer owes. Five banking groups said in a letter to Congress that absent a law change or guidance from Treasury, they are required to enforce court-ordered garnishment to pay creditors. ADVERTISEMENT Some banks say they won't seize assets for late fees or below-zero account balances. USAA said in a statement Thursday that it will pause collecting against negative account balances after it had initially garnished some stimulus payments from their account holders. Wells Fargo & Co., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. said they're working to ensure that checking-account customers with negative balances still get their full stimulus payments. People in Alabama, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, and Oregon, could face a state tax bill next year on some of their stimulus payment, because of laws that increase state tax liability as federal tax bills are decreased. If people end up being eligible for a bigger payment than the IRS initially sent, because of a change in family size or job change, the state could tax that portion, said Jared Walczak, director of state tax policy at the Tax Foundation. Additionally, others including international students and relatives of people who died are getting payments they didn't expect. The IRS is relying on tax return data as old as 2018 in some cases. The IRS hasn't specifically said whether the funds will need to be repaid in either instance, but generally the agency has said payments sent in error won't need to be returned to the IRS. Still, public policy experts are worried that bureaucracy, a lack of awareness and lack of access to technology will prevent many people from getting their payments. The IRS has said recipients of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income won't have to do anything to receive their funds. But if they have dependent children, they must submit information to the agency to get the $500 per child they are owed. Additionally, some people receiving veterans benefits will need to submit their information to the IRS. The "biggest concern" is that people who don't normally communicate with the IRS will need to take extra steps to get full payments, said Thomas J. Giordano Jr., who heads the Social Security disability practice at law firm Pond Lehocky & Stern. He said that's particularly hard because public libraries and other places that offer access to computers are closed. "You're talking about the most underprivileged portion of our populace," he said. ADVERTISEMENT --- (c)2020 Bloomberg News Visit Bloomberg News at www.bloomberg.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. B eer sales have slumped by a staggering 82 per cent since the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis, research among small independent breweries has found. The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) warned that many businesses are struggling to survive. A survey of almost 300 small breweries found that eight out of 10 do not believe the Government is doing enough to support them. Just over half said they were unable to access any Government support, and almost a third were considering redundancies. With pubs, bars and restaurants closed, the main route to market for independent breweries has been cut off, leading to two-thirds of them stopping production, said SIBA. Chief executive James Calder said: "Unlike the global beer brands who can supply supermarkets in great volume, small independent breweries sell the majority of their beer through pubs, bars and restaurants, meaning the lockdown measures have hit them much harder. "While many have launched local delivery services or online shops to try to stay afloat, the increase in online sales is a drop in the ocean compared to the overall decrease their beer sales have seen. "Pubs, bars and restaurants have been receiving help from the Government, but none of the same schemes apply to our small breweries who saw their sales fall off a cliff almost overnight. They urgently need a package of measures to keep them going otherwise many won't be able to reopen." Herman Belmar, Deputy Director of Grenadines Affairs with jurisdiction over the Northern Grenadines, has warned against inflicting wanton damage on the water system in Bequia. "The idea of producing sufficient water on Bequia, at the desal plant, for the entire island to be able to run the water as is seen in the COVID-19 ad nonstop running water from the time you turn the tap on while washing hands to the time you turn it back off that cannot happen. The plant was not designed for that at all. So said Herman Belmar, Northern Grenadines Community Development Inc. (NGCDI) project advisor and Deputy Director of Grenadines Affairs when he spoke with THE VINCENTIAN last Sunday. Meeting the communitys need The aging desalination plant, located at Paget Farm, was designed to produce up to 20,000 gallons of potable water daily. Wear and tear and maintenance issues have reduced its productivity down to 40% in recent times, and it is further challenged by the lack of a backup system and extra pumps. "We are running the plant to produce just enough water to keep the community supplied. We currently have about 19 households connected to the system, including the Bequia Seafoods; and when theyre in the peak of their processing, they would need at least 2 3 thousand gallons of water per day. So on an average, we have to produce about 8 000, 9 000 gallons of water per day to keep the system sustainable. Its not that the system cant do it, but because of its age, we have to cut back on the hours of production. So we run about 8 hours daily. As far as I know, what we produce is keeping the island sustained, assured Belmar. As proof of the plants island supply capacity, Deputy Director Belmar pointed to the two-tiered water supply system administered by the NGCDI. "While we have household metered connections, we also have a public distribution system where you can come with your truck and have it filled up with water, at a cost of $100 per 1000 gallon, he said. And Belmar is of the view that the cost and quality of the water produced at the plant is undervalued and underappreciated. Keeping water affordable Belmar pointed to the use of photovoltaic cells as providing the plant with the cushion to make the water affordable to the community. These solar panels are an essential element in the whole scheme. However, they currently perform at less than optimal capacity. "All of our energy is paid directly through VINLEC because all the energy we generate go straight to VINLEC; so we operate on a credit basis, Belmar explained. The plant, in its original design, should have been producing approximately 20% energy more than is required for water production. However, difficulty in cleaning the panel means a loss of energy. "So while we should be generating 70 kilowatts of energy per day, right now were only able to generate about 40, so were nowhere near peak production, the Deputy Director said. This inability to harness "excess energy in turn impacts negatively on the NGCDIs intended revenue stream. "We very well might be running in arrears with VINLEC where energy is concerned, Belmar revealed. Vandalism is rife And if cleaning the panels and being unable to afford a system redesign and construction are not enough to handle, there is the issue of community vandalism. "Weve had pipes being broken without any explanation, taps being knocked off, people setting fires that burn holes in the lines pipelines, people breaking into the water system itself weve had a series of problems where vandalism is concerned, Belmar lamented. Belmar issued an all-out appeal to "the public to respect the desalination plant as a public property. It is not owned by anybody except the public, so if they lick it up, they mash it up for them own self. Just like you cant go and cut down VINLEC poles, you shouldnt come and mash up the pipelines in Paget Farm. He described the acts of vandalism as "lowdown wicked, and posited that "people believe if they mash up a pipeline, they mashing up Ralph Gonsalves and Herman Belmar. Theyre not doing me any harm, theyre not doing the Prime Minister any harm. Theyre hurting their country and the people who really need the water. "I have arrested one person before, and I would arrest anybody that I can prove has damaged or molested any of the water supply in Paget Farm. . We are not going to tolerate it (vandalism) any longer, the Deputy warned. FILE PHOTO: Visitors speak with a representative at the Newmont Corp booth at the PDAC annual conference in Toronto MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Newmont Corp is looking to restart in as soon as days some of the four Canadian and South American gold mines that it shut last month to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, Chief Executive Tom Palmer said on Friday. The world's biggest gold miner wound down operations at its Yanacocha mine in Peru in mid-March and a week later placed two more mines in Canada and one in Argentina on care and maintenance as it sought to safe-guard the health of its workers and comply with government regulations. The move, which impacted its Musselwhite operations in northern Ontario, and Eleonore mine in Quebec as well as Cerro Negro in Argentina, came as it withdrew its full-year guidance and said some production could be deferred into 2021. On April 4 the company said it would scale back operations at its Penasquito gold mine in Mexico. But as the coronavirus shows signs of peaking, and authorities in Buenos Aires and Quebec City have lifted restrictions around mining which they have deemed as an "essential service", Newmont is looking to a phased restart, Palmer said. "I would expect we would be able to bring operations that have been on care and maintenance back into some level of production," Palmer told Reuters by phone from Perth. "In those countries where restrictions have been lifted... it is days or weeks," he said, without specifying how long other mines may take to restart. The novel coronavirus has impacted miners globally as governments have shut down borders and transport and mandated people stay at home to curb the spread of the virus that has infected more than 2 million and killed over 143,000, according to a Reuters tally. Palmer also said that discussions were continuing with all levels of government as well as local communities in countries "to ensure we can demonstrate that we can maintain through our protocols the health and safety of everyone involved". Story continues Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, who imposed a country-wide lockdown in mid-March, has moved to put mining on a list of essential sectors, although the virus has snarled transport and miners' logistics. Canada's Quebec province announced on Monday it would redesignate mining an essential service starting on Wednesday while in northern Ontario mining is already seen as essential. In Peru, which imposed a national state of emergency in mid-March, the Antamina copper mine controlled by BHP and Glencore said on Monday that it would halt all operations for at least two weeks to stem the spread of the virus. Palmer said Newmont was in talks with governments including in Peru and Mexico, about the importance of mining to the economy and communities. (This story corrects last name of CEO throughout.) (Reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) 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. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has demanded answers from China about the origins of coronavirus amid conspiracy theories it was made in a lab. Mr Dutton said the families of 64 Australians who have died from the disease deserve answers about how the outbreak originated. 'All of those families would demand answers and transparency, and I don't think it's too much to ask,' he told ABC News on Friday. 'It would certainly be demanded of us if Australia was at the epicentre of this virus making its way into society. 'So I think it is incumbent upon China to answer those questions and to provide the information so that people can have clarity about exactly what happened. Because we don't want it to be repeated.' Workers are seen next to a cage with mice (right) at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in a file photo On Thursday US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanded that China 'come clean' following unconfirmed reports that coronavirus may have originated in a laboratory as part of bungling experiments to prove that Chinese scientists were superior to Americans in identifying emerging virus threats. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the US is trying to determine whether the coronavirus first crossed to humans accidentally during experiments with bats at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. 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, unnamed sources 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. Chinese President President Xi Jinping is pictured wearing a mask on 10 March The Wuhan Institute of Virology is China's only bio-safety level four (BSL-4) facility '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.' 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 However, scientists in Australia have said there is 'no evidence' the virus started in the lab. A bat virus named RaTG13 was stored at the Wuhan institute - but it would take 20 years to mutate into the coronavirus, according Professor Edward Holmes of the University of Sydney. He said the disease most likely jumped from animals to humans. 'Coronaviruses are commonly found in wildlife species and frequently jump to new hosts. This is also the most likely explanation for the origin of SARS-CoV-2,' he said. Associate Professor Hassan Vally of La Trobe University added: 'There is no substance to this claim and other conspiracy theories about the origin of COVID-19'. Asked about the lab theory 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. Every wildly successful computing platform gains that success because of a "killer app" -- a software category or usage model that compels people to embrace it en masse. Spreadsheets for the PC. Cameras for the smartphone. Wearable computing as a generic category has chugged along for years as mere toys for geeks without a killer app that makes everyone want or need one. [ Coronavirus Crisis: COVID-19 coverage on Insider Pro ] While 75 percent of Americans own a PC of some kind and 95 percent own a smartphone, only 20 percent own a wearable device. But that's about to change. The morning sun rises over solar panels at the Desert Sunlight solar farm in Desert Center, Calif. ( Los Angeles Times) To the editor: The print headline for the article on a stimulus for renewable power projects reads, "Clean energy seeks another U.S. lifeline." It's as if, first, this is all clean energy producers do, and second, fossil and nuclear fuels haven't been gorging themselves at the public trough for way more money and way longer than clean energy ever has. If clean energy had gotten the same handouts from the government that fossil and nuclear fuels have, today we would have a clean energy economy and a cleaner and much more healthful environment. What we have now is making us all sick, and we are the ones who have to pay the bill. Another lifeline? Please. Sara R. Nichols, Los Angeles .. To the question: Of course the federal government should fund clean energy projects. We truly need a stimulus that will get many people back to work and, at the same time, be of benefit to all. To fully understand why we need this, go outside and take a deep, deep breath. Luxuriate for a few moments in some deep inhaling. How special it is to be able to observe clear skies and breathe wonderful, pollution-free air! If we have learned anything from this COVID-19 crisis, it is that we should not have to put up with dirty, carbon-filled air and skies dimmed by pollutants. We as a nation can take measures to provide a healthy environment for all, which is why we need to invest billions in clean energy projects. Sally Louise White, Valencia 'On January 17, we had our first meeting with the Cabinet secretary.' 'Different secretaries belonging to different departments attended it.' 'It was only two weeks when China had said there is a new disease.' 'So, we gave the quickest response.' IMAGE: Seven patients who recovered from COVID-19 leave for their homes after they were discharged from the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital in Patna, Thursday, April 16, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo Dr Raman Gangakhedkar is the Head Scientist of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research. Dr Gangakhedkar, a soft-spoken Maharashtrian, is currently the face of the Indian scientific community in the times of a pandemic that the world is yet to conquer. His words carry credibility to a billion plus Indians confined to their homes. Dr Gangakhedekar speaks to Senior Rediff.com Contributor Sheela Bhatt in an exclusive three-part interview. What was the broad framework under which India formulated the strategy which is right now in implementation? See, in January, it was mostly imported cases. Since it was so, the issue was how do we stop them from coming in from those countries? Because we didn't want that infection to come to us a few decisions were taken at a time when actually WHO was saying 'You should not stop international travel'. The government took a decision saying 'we need to take proactive steps.' We stopped flights from China in January. We also started restricting the movement of people. And then visa issuance was reduced. Second, we also stopped international flights from different destinations. That broad framework was only related to imported cases. We couldn't stop Indians from coming in from abroad. Because, finally, an Indian is an Indian. He or she would come back to his coutnry. So the decision was taken that even if we bring them in, we must do contact tracing, home isolation. So they were kept under observation. Those who were symptomatic were offered tests. And if they were found positive, then they were admitted to hospitals. If they were found negative they were asked to go for home isolation. Those who came from countries where it was severe situation like in Iran and Italy, they were quarantined. They were put in army camps. And they were released only after it was found that none of them have infection. When you look back, do you find that your strategy has worked? Very much. See, you must remember that we used to have a huge number of international travellers. If I recollect, close to about 67,000 to 70,000 people were coming every day. I think just before closing down, around 300,000 people were coming in daily. Just imagine, a point prevalence of infection among them of 1% or 2%. We would have had a very severe outbreak. When did you hear first of coronavirus? How did you react and act upon this knowledge? Coronavirus we know for a long time. Because SARS and MERS are coronaviruses by itself. So we know for quite some time. Almost a decade or so. We also know that coronavirus can cause a flu-like illness. But this one we came to know only after China told us. Novel corona was not known before. What kind of authentic knowledge does India have of what happened in China? We know what is in the public domain. We know that it (coronavirus) has come from bats. We know according to them pangolins were one of the mammals that were involved when it jumped species from animals to human beings. If I was to put it in a different way, we have some crude information about epidemiology from China. Like? Like, you talk of an incubation period. It has come essentially from China. We talk of asymptomatic to symptomatic ratios, they came from China studies. Modelling studies that happened with non-pharmacologic interventions, they came from China. There were some learnings. Additionally, China did a lot of clinical trials, But not many of them are in the public domain. We also know that they used certain drugs, but we are not confident because none of them are currently published. A large number of them continue to remain in research mode as it appears. We don't have so many publication about drug trials. IMAGE: A lab technician collects a swab for a COVID-19 test in Ahmedabad. Photograph: PTI Photo After the diagnosis, what kind of drugs did Chinese dctors administer to patients? We don't have sufficient information to say that this was an effective approach applied by China to cure patients. We don't have authentic information. So why are we not asking China? Because, that we can't ask. See in science, there is one rule, if I do a study, the moment the study is over, I would try to publish it as fast as possible. To disseminate knowledge. Now studies must have had happened. It is possible that -- and this is pure speculation; I don't have any evidence -- the enormity of the outbreak was so much initially they (Chinese doctors) were only involved in diagnosing treatment. And naturally, the focus on research came at a later time. The initial focus was to find out what has happened. Why people are dying due to an X disease. The daily admission rates must have been pretty high. Naturally as a researcher, you find it very difficult to spare your time. Because most often, a researcher is also a treating physician in most places. So essentially they must not have had been in a position to conduct research at this juncture. If you look at their own clinical trials site, where you have to register which trial are you conducting -- the trial is given a number. Like ICMR has the CTRI (Clinical Trials Registry-India) registration -- you will find a majority of the trials actually started, at the end of the pandemic. Not in the beginning. That is in January, in Wuhan? Perhaps, even beyond January. There are some that have started in April or so. That information is available. I think they had an opportunity, but the enormity of the outbreak must have had overwhelmed them. As a scientist, how confident are you when you are applying certain drugs to Indian patients infected by coronavirus today? Drugs, we are not confident about. Because we think whatever globally happening is more of speculation. Because you don't have direct good evidence like you have for other diseases. Like, if you use this drug you are likely to cure 'x' percentage of people. That data is not available. Naturally, what is happening is people are using their imagination, their biological understanding of the disease, the medicines that are being used accordingly, to pick up those medicines which are in clinical trial mode. Firstly, medicines, which are still in clinical trial stage, were used in China and then elsewhere as people started doing trials. You note that most of the studies that are coming out, they are small number studies. If you look at their sample size, it is pretty small. 30 or 40. For a disease, which has infected now close to 25 lakh, your numbers of research is very low. Why? That is because you started late, and the whole thing overwhelms no? You quickly have too many cases to handle. And you are not prepared to do research. Research is generally a slow kind of activity. Rahul Gandhi (the Congress MP) alerted the nation on February 12 about coronavirus. Were you working on the issue then? Very much. That I keep telling, no? On January 17, we had our first meeting with the Cabinet secretary. Different secretaries belonging to different departments attended it. To be very honest, I don't think anybody can blame anything. We have done our best, far earlier compared to the rest of the world. If you look at it, it was only two weeks when China had said there is a new disease that has come and it is novel corona. So if you look at it as a response perhaps, we gave the quickest response. IMAGE: Travellers outside the Hankou railway station after travel restrictions to leave Wuhan were lifted. Photograph: Aly Song/Reuters Let me ask again, as a scientist, please explain how did China cure the overwhelming number of patients in Wuhan? How did Wuhan restart normal life? From the science point of view, I would just say they were extreme measures of lockdown using their military that worked. But that is not about science... But if you don't know anything, what is... Didn't they administer a particular drug protocol? We don't know that part. We know they employed their army for lockdown. People were not allowed to come out at all. So essentially what will happen is that those who are infected, they remain in their confines. And the disease finally starts slowing down in terms of numbers. Because your numbers cannot increase, nobody is coming in contact with infected people. New numbers stopped coming... is that how the Chinese cured coronavirus? We don't know, but it is possible. Yes, they also provided what is called traditional Chinese medicine. We have no clue what it contains. We don't know whether it was successful. We know only one thing. The way evidence is coming up, we don't think they knew about a drug which was highly effective and that cured people. Neither did they have vaccines that they could administer to people. It is just non-pharmacological measures that made them come out of it. Understood, very interesting. Why have Spain, Italy, Iran, France, Britain, America succumbed so badly to the disease? See, one of the reasons of the current situation you must understand. By and large, the proportion of people who travel across the globe is high in the developed countries compared to India. So the likelihood that you could acquire this infection outside is also higher. That is number one. Number two, the death rates continue to be higher there. The reason is their population is far older compared to our population. When you get old, you would have more number of people who have other diseases: Diabetes, hypertension and things like that. So it is not something that comes as a big surprise. More travelers bring in more infection and more vulnerable populations gets a higher number of infections. You said you were aware of coronavirus since January and the government was working on it. How come there is a shortage of PPE and masks then? No no, it was not just us (ICMR). Everybody in India was aware at that time. Those who were into decision making were aware. Now when it comes to test kits, you have to realise that initially the test kits were supplied only by Chinese manufacturers. Because the virus was there, the virus was isolated by them. So naturally they had more lead time to develop diagnostic kits. They were essentially using it for their own people for diagnosis. You must realise that you have finite capacity and you are using it within the country. Now once that stage was gone, you would find that the rest of the world also started facing a severe outbreak. We initially had a lesser outbreak and we had sufficient kits, but as the number increased, the kits's demand increased in lakhs. Actor Deepika Padukone is making the best use of her time as actor husband Ranveer Singh catches on his sleep during lockdown. The actor took a break from her newfound love for cooking and sat to go through the many letters and cards sent to her by fans. Deepika shared a glimpse of some of the handwritten letters and cards on Instagram with the hashtags #fan and #love. The first letter seems to have been given to the actor at an event. It read, You have been the reason for some of the best things in my life. I fell in love with Bollywood because of you. I was 15 when I watched Chennai Express and I was super thrilled to see someone represent my community on screen (Meenamma). The fan went on to thank her for opening up and sharing her battle with depression and wrote, You are the reason why I had a conversation with my mum about depression. If it werent for you speaking up, I dont think I would have opened up that soon. It is also because of you that I discovered my favourite actor ever! (Ranveer & you in Ram Leela). I have lived in Singapore all my life but watching your movies have made me fall in love with countries I have never been to Mumbai to Corsica. I visited Mumbai for the first time this year & I will be going to Corsica next month. The fan ended the letter by calling the actor the light of my life. The second letter calls Deepika truly inspirational for the work that she is doing with removing the stigma with mental health in India. Besides fan letters, she has also been digging old pictures from her childhood. Flipping through the pages of her early days in modelling, the actor recently shared a picture from the times when she was a child model. She took to Instagram to post a vintage childhood image to prove that her career started young. In the image which appears to be a print advertisement, Deepika is looking cute in a glamorous black dress with matching shoes and a hat, and is posing like a pro with a big smile. Started young, she wrote as caption for the picture. Also read: Sushmita Sens boyfriend Rohmans jaw hits the floor as she attempts gravity-defying yoga poses. See pics Amid the lockdown, the actress has turned into a master chef, and is treating her husband and actor Ranveer Singh to scrumptious meals. They keep on giving their fans a glimpse into their private moments through social media. Follow @htshowbiz for more With the Democratic presidential primary campaign all but officially over, Barack Obama finally endorsed Joe Biden this past week. The announcement reunites a wildly successful political partnership: Biden spent eight years reinventing the vice presidency with a single-minded focus on how he could push Obama's agenda. And now that Biden is in the market for his own vice-presidential pick, his understanding of the job and the way he served in it are likely to inform his judgment on how to fill it. His decision - he has promised to choose a female running mate and perhaps a woman of color - will be his most consequential act as the presumptive nominee. (All the more so in light of Biden's advanced age and the pandemic, which has already hospitalized one world leader and most severely attacks older victims.) But whoever gets the VP nod will immediately have to lose a part of herself to the office. So the question is not just who should stand at Biden's side, but more fundamentally what kind of vice president she should be. Biden reimagined the role of vice president, expanding the duties of the second-in-command and becoming a powerful presidential surrogate, chief counselor and undaunted voice behind the scenes. He demanded to attend presidential briefings and have weekly lunches with Obama, ensuring that the vice president was not only integral to all presidential decisions but also fully prepared to assume the highest office at a moment's notice. Having earned Obama's trust, Biden helped pilot the president through crisis and accomplishment. He oversaw implementation of the stimulus package after the 2008 financial crash and helped manage the response to the H1N1 flu epidemic, as Obama noted in his endorsement, and he jawboned senators in the effort to pass the Affordable Care Act. Biden's experience as wingman - and his perception of the job - provide a window into what he will probably expect of his own vice president. Given the challenges that lie ahead, Biden would most benefit from a No. 2 who recognizes the efficacy of the model he established and the value of striving toward the kind of extraordinary partnership he and Obama forged. Before Biden accepted Obama's offer to join the ticket in 2008, he laid out some ground rules. He didn't want to be a traditional vice president. Ever since the first man to hold the job, John Adams, cried out to the Senate, "I am vice president. In this I am nothing but I may be everything," the VP was little more than an understudy. The role expanded somewhat over time, but most vice presidents were relegated to minor tasks and kept out of the way, often on diplomatic or ceremonial missions. Then along came Dick Cheney, George W. Bush's vice president, who snatched power for himself in the day-to-day operations of the White House, not so much as a partner to the president but as lord of his own fiefdom. Biden sought a significant role but of a far different tenor than Cheney's: His aim was to help Obama achieve his vision. "The vice presidency is totally a reflection of the president," Biden once explained. "There is no inherent power, none, zero. And it completely, thoroughly, totally depends on your relationship with the president." Whomever Biden selects as his vice president would probably be accorded significant powers of her own but would also need to accept the long-standing parameters of the institution. In formulating his template for the office, Biden had a mentor: Former vice president Walter Mondale, who had drawn up a memo for his boss, President Jimmy Carter, outlining his vision for the position. To effectively assist Carter, Mondale believed, he needed full intelligence briefings; the authority to command cooperation and candor from others throughout the executive branch, including the Cabinet; a strong relationship with the White House staff; a seat in key advisory groups; and private time with the president, at least 30 minutes each week, particularly when major decisions were under consideration. Biden adapted Mondale's guidelines to his own personality and ambitions, and Obama assented. Biden asked to join the president's intelligence briefings, to have scheduled time with his boss each week and to be granted authority to work among competing groups in the White House; he wanted to be included in the paper flow, to be allowed to speak his mind and spur debate in meetings, and to be the last person in the room after advisory sessions. Most important, Biden wanted to speak honestly to the president, and Obama, a novice in Washington, knew he needed to hear from someone who had the courage to do just that. Having stood at Obama's shoulder as chief counselor for eight years, and now confident in the effectiveness of his style as No. 2, Biden is in a position to bequeath the tradition of a powerful and deeply engaged vice president to the woman he selects for the job. The expansion of the vice president's role is in many ways a necessary corollary to the evolution of the presidency. Commanding the Oval Office has become an overwhelming - even impossible - job. The president has too little time, too many people demanding his attention and too many grand ambitions. The result, according to author Jeremi Suri, is that the job is simply too big for one person: The president is set up to fail. As Suri writes in "The Impossible Presidency": "No recent American president has been prepared for the overwhelming power of the office, and the responsibilities and challenges that define it. . . . Presidential power is awesome and pathetic at the same time." Under the Biden formulation, the vice president eases some of the president's burden and helps guide him toward success. A Biden vice president, like anyone who holds the office, would inevitably shape the position in her own image. At the same time, if the Democratic ticket is elected, she is likely to face hurdles in cementing her relationship with her boss. No president and vice president are an immediate match. It's unusual for a White House duo to hit it off the way Obama and Biden eventually did. Tensions inevitably exist because of the vice president's chief calling: To assume power in the event of the president's death or disability. Personality clashes can also make for a rocky adjustment. Friends of John Kennedy noticed that he was always a little on edge whenever his vice president, Lyndon Johnson, was nearby. It was a combination of the unspoken possibilities and the mismatch of the genteel New Englander and the gruff Texan, who irritated most everyone close to Kennedy, especially his brother Robert, the attorney general. Johnson sensed the unease. "Every time I came into John Kennedy's presence," he once said, "I felt like a goddamn raven hovering over his shoulder." Obama and Biden were by no means immediately drawn to each other. They at first circled each other warily in the Senate as both were eyeing runs at the presidency. And as candidates for the 2008 nomination they were competitors, not looking to be friends. But Obama was impressed by Biden's debating skills, and Biden was impressed by the eloquent speech on race that Obama gave to blunt a swirling controversy and save his candidacy. Gradually, after Biden ended his campaign, they moved toward each other. Obama ultimately realized the strengths Biden would bring to the ticket - his long experience in the Senate and his foreign affairs expertise - and asked him to join. But still there were hurdles. Biden was gaffe-prone and had several slip-ups just weeks after joining the Obama campaign. At a town hall in Nashua, New Hampshire, he admitted that Hillary Clinton was as qualified to be vice president as he was, inadvertently casting doubt on Obama's first decision as the nominee. Soon afterward, Biden appeared on the "CBS Evening News" and said that Franklin Roosevelt went on television to calm the nation after the stock market crash of 1929. But Roosevelt wasn't president then, and Americans didn't have televisions yet. Biden's gaffes dogged him throughout the Obama years. Yet as newsworthy as the stumbles were, they were never consequential. As he and Obama got to know each other, their mutual admiration and respect grew. Obama, often a reticent, aloof figure, appreciated the warmth of the outgoing Biden. And freewheeling Biden took lessons in self-control from the ever-cautious Obama. Absorbing each other's better qualities, Obama and Biden formed a much-beloved, full-bodied duo that was splashed in photos and memes across the media and the Internet. Biden and his vice president may be hard-pressed to repeat the extraordinary attention that the Obama-Biden bromance attracted. For Biden's VP, however, success wouldn't rest on taking the partnership to the next level in the Obama-Biden mold. An acceptance of the Biden game plan, a commitment to facilitating it and a devotion to the team would go a long way to bringing the duo together. It's still likely, though, that an affinity would sprout between Biden and his vice president, beyond the standard White House relationship. As the nation witnessed during the Obama years, Biden has a way of exciting affection among those close to him, and if his vice president embraced her role as he envisions it, a profound friendship could emerge - different in character from the Obama-Biden bond but nonetheless as compelling and substantial in energizing a Biden White House. - - - Levingston is the nonfiction editor of The Washington Post and the author, most recently, of "Barack and Joe: The Making of an Extraordinary Partnership." The Ranking Member of Parliament's Mines and Energy Committee, Adam Mutawakilu has kicked against bribery and corruption made against Members of Parliament in the approval of the AKSA Energy deal. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this week charged Mr. Asante Berko, who is a former banker at Goldman Sachs Group Inc, for arranging at least $2.5 million in bribes to be paid to Ghana Government officials and MPs. The alleged bribes were reportedly to help a Turkish company secure a power purchase agreement deal in Ghana back in 2015 amid the power crisis. Though there are no details yet on the nature of Mr. Berkos engagement with Parliament, Mr. Mutawakilu has come out to say the Mines and Energy Committee had no direct dealings with the accused. I want to state emphatically that nothing of that sort happened and Parliament never received anything with respect to performing our legitimate duties as to the passing of the power purchasing agreement. It wasnt only his but we passed several agreements but there was no situation where there were any underhand dealings, he said to Citi News. Mr. Berko, who recently resigned as the Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery following the claims, but has denied bribing any Government official or Member of Parliament. The Damongo legislator also said it would be prudent for Parliament to wait on the case in the U.S to develop significantly. Thankfully he himself has admitted that he never paid anything to Parliament or any other persons and now the matter is before a court and we expect the court to do its work while we monitor the outcome which will go further to indicate whether the Speaker will take as a matter of urgency, the Ranking Member said. I never bribed government officials, MPs in power deal The former TOR MD in a statement clarified that although the US SEC had initiated proceedings against him, allegations that he bribed government officials and MPs were completely false. While it is true that the SEC has just this week issued such proceedings against me, the allegations that government officials and Members of Parliament were bribed by me are completely false. I state categorically that I have not paid any bribes to government officials, Members of Parliament nor any officials of Parliament. I have had no contact with Members of Parliament nor officials of Parliament, regarding the approval of this transaction, he said in the statement. In a related development, the Executive Director of the Institute of Energy Securities (IES), Paa Kwasi Anamua Sakyi has expressed his dissatisfaction with the resignation of Asante Berko. He also posited that the government should have asked Mr. Berko to step aside while it conducts its independent investigation, rather than just accepting his resignation. ---citinewsroom Chancellor Rishi Sunak has extended the government's coronavirus business bailout so that all 'viable' firms will be able to access loans - even those with turnover of more than 500 million. The updated version of the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loans Scheme, set to launch on Monday, will allow all firms with a turnover of more than 45 million to apply for up to 25 million in finance. Meanwhile, companies which have a turnover in excess of 250 million will be able to apply for up to 50 million of support. Businesses with turnovers of more than 500 million were originally not eligible for the scheme but that cap has now been lifted. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has agreed to a new fund to support struggling mid-sized businesses in the UK. The scheme for larger businesses was set up by the Treasury to help firms which did not qualify for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme which was designed purely for small and medium-sized businesses. The extension of the scheme comes after ministers faced fury from some businesses which have seen their bids for support turned down while others have complained of being left out in the cold. Mr Sunak said: 'I want to ensure that no viable business slips through our safety net of support as we help protect jobs and the economy. 'That is why we are expanding this generous scheme for larger firms. 'This is a national effort and we'll continue to work with the financial services sector to ensure that our 330 billion of government support, through loans and guarantees, reaches as many businesses in need as possible.' One potential drawback of the updated scheme is that firms which access the larger business loans scheme will not be able to access the Bank of England's Covod Corporate Financing Facility which Easy Jet and Greggs have both borrowed from. Business Secretary Alok Sharma said coronavirus disruption had 'struck a heavy blow against businesses of all sizes' and the government wanted to keep them afloat as best as possible. 'Expanding this scheme will provide larger firms with the support they need during the pandemic, helping to provide job security to thousands of people and protect our economy,' he said. With the UK's state of lockdown now extended for at least a further three weeks, businesses are scrambling to ensure they can remain solvent until the economy can return to normal. The government said the new loans would be 80 per cent guaranteed by the state and explained banks must not ask for personal guarantees on any loans under 250,000. For anything above, the government said that 'claims on personal guarantees cannot exceed 20 per cent of losses after all other recoveries have been applied'. Keith Morgan, chief executive of the British Business Bank, said: 'The new Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme focuses on a relatively narrow area of the market, but one that is vitally important to the UK economy. 'More finance for viable mid-sized and larger firms will help them protect jobs and be in a better position to resume normal business when the current pandemic subsides.' Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the CBI, said the government had provided 'enormous relief' to middle-sized businesses but called for more to be done to help smaller firms. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We think the other area it is worth looking at hard is the really small loans - below 25,000 of loans - where we have many, many small businesses we're hearing from all the time who are not able to access the loans.' Google has announced TensorFlow Lite Model Maker, a tool for converting an existing TensorFlow model to the TensorFlow Lite format used to serve predictions on lightweight hardware such as mobile devices. TensorFlow models can be quite large, and serving predictions remotely from beefy hardware capable of handling them isnt always possible. Google created the TensorFlow Lite model format to make it more efficient to serve predictions locally, but creating a TensorFlow Lite version of a model previously required some work. In a blog post, Google described how TensorFlow Lite Model Maker adapts existing TensorFlow models to the Lite format with only a few lines of code. The adaptation process uses one of a small number of task types to evaluate the model and generate a Lite version. The downside is that only a couple of task types are available for use right now i.e., image and text classification so models for other tasks (e.g., machine vision) arent yet supported. Other TensorFlow Lite tools announced in the same post include a tool to automatically generate platform-specific wrapper code to work with a given model. Because hand-coding wrappers for models can be error-prone, the tool automatically generates the wrapper from metadata in the model autogenerated by Model Maker. The tool is currently available in a pre-release beta version, and supports only Android right now, with plans to eventually integrate it into Android Studio. New Delhi, April 17 : BJP Vice President and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe has made a unique request to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He has written a letter to Shah, requesting him to amend the lockdown rules to allow salt farming and manufacturing amid the nationwide lockdown in place to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Sahasrabuddhe hails from Maharashtra's Thane district that has many salt producing units, which are presently non-functional due to the countrywide lockdown that has now been further extended till May 3. "Basically, this is one kind of farming. But salt farmers are not considered as farmers like those whose profession is agriculture or those who farm fruits," Sahasrabuddhe told IANS. In his letter to Shah, he said, "This summer time is the ideal season for salt farming. Hence such workers and salt farmers must get some reprieve in their movement and professional work during the lockdown." He added that since it is not a labour intensive sector, maintaining social distancing should not be a concern. Making an emotional pitch to Shah, who hails from Gujarat, Sahasrabuddhe said, "Thousands earn their livelihood through salt farming in my home district Thane and Palghar. Even in other parts of India, including Gujarat, thousands are involved in this activity." Maharashtra figures among the top five salt producing states in India along with Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. Gujarat being the largest salt manufacturing unit, any decision to amend the current lockdown exemptions will help many salt farmers in Shah's own state as well. There are about 11,799 salt manufacturers engaged in production of common salt in an extent of about 6.09 lakh acres of land in the Country. It is estimated that 87.6 per cent of the total number of salt manufacturers are small salt producers. Congratulations, rd3.net.br got a very good Social Media Impact Score! Show it by adding this HTML code on your site: Rd3.net.br scored 72 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 3.5/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 24 Apr 2014, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. rd3.net.br is very popular in Facebook. Furthermore its facebook page has 7344 likes. The total number of people who shared the rd3 homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the rd3 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 rd3 homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if rd3 has a Facebook fan page). This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the rd3 homepage on Twitter + the total number of rd3 followers (if rd3 has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the rd3 homepage on Delicious. Basic Information PAGE TITLE RD3 - Radio Difusora Tres Passos - Inicio DESCRIPTION Portal RD3 - Radio Difusora Tres Passos - AM 1350Khz KEYWORDS difusora, radio, am, tres Passos, tres, passos, tres, radio, rd3, noticias, radio difusora, regiao, celeiro, OTHER KEYWORDS abril, trs passos, passos, entrevistas, bernardo, boldrini, bernardo boldrini The title found in the head section of the homepage. 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 keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. Domain and Server DOCTYPE HTML 5.0 CHARSET AND LANGUAGE Portuguese (Brazil) UTF-8Portuguese (Brazil) DETECTED LANGUAGE Portuguese Portuguese SERVER Apache/2.2.9 (Fedora) (PHP/5.2.9) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux Character set and language of the site. 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The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Global COVID-19 observatory and resource center for childhood cancer St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, in partnership with the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP), today launched the Global COVID-19 Observatory and Resource Center for Childhood Cancer. The website offers health care providers around the world a space to share the latest information, insights and best practices in treating pediatric cancer patients who are infected with SARS-CoV-2. The site also provides access to a pediatric cancer registry, a registration and reporting system that uses a secure, cloud-based platform to collect de-identified data from pediatric cancer patients who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The registry uses data from institutions around the globe and provides real-time analytics and up-to-date information. "We are facing a global challenge like never before, and we need to articulate a response that brings together multiple organizations around the world," said Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, M.D., director of St. Jude Global. "Not only is this virus placing the lives of children with cancer at risk, but it is also disrupting the entire continuum of care. Access to care around the world is limited, and our international partners, like us, are focusing substantial hospital resources on fighting COVID-19." Organizers say the registry's success depends upon robust international participation and collaboration. The global pediatric hematology and oncology community will have access to the data and will receive regularly updated summary information about reported cases--including the number of cases by country and by treatment. The registry's data repository contains only de-identified data, in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act's Safe Harbor de-identification provisions. "We want to be able to capture all the cases of children with cancer affected by COVID-19 and let that inform our decision-making," said Professor Kathy Pritchard-Jones, SIOP president. "The registry is a high-level, first-pass effort to get the information quickly, because what we find out now can guide future interventions. With the data generated by the registry, we will be able to create an observatory to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on childhood cancer care and control." Pritchard-Jones said this is a call to action for the pediatric hematology and oncology community to start sharing their experiences to help children. "Through St. Jude Global, we have started a new effort to coordinate knowledge-sharing for treating pediatric cancer patients who have COVID-19," said St. Jude President and CEO James R. Downing, M.D. "Development of COVID-19 is particularly worrisome because these patients have suppressed immune systems from cancer treatments. Our physicians organized this platform for collecting data, sharing clinical experiences, developing online seminars and workshops, and outlining best practices for treating children with cancer and COVID-19." In addition to the registry, the website offers current resources and educational content for clinicians. Forums with trending topics and featured seminars allow clinicians worldwide to discuss COVID-19 insights and treatments. "There are lessons learned from countries where the pandemic peaked ahead of us," Rodriguez-Galindo said. "We've already held educational sessions with physicians and infectious diseases experts from Singapore, Japan, China and Russia. These meetings have been translated to Spanish, French and Arabic. These opportunities to meet with global health care leaders will continue to be a catalyst for the registry." St. Jude Global's mission is to improve the survival rates of children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases worldwide through the sharing of knowledge, technology and organizational skills. St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and cures childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80% since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food -- because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. To learn more, visit stjude.org or follow St. Jude on social media at @stjuderesearch. ### About SIOP Established in 1969, the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP), is the only global multidisciplinary society entirely devoted to paediatric and adolescent cancer. The society has over 1,800 members worldwide including physicians, nurses, other health-care professionals, scientists and researchers. Our members are dedicated to increasing knowledge about all aspects of childhood cancer. SIOP envisions that "no child should die of cancer" and is aiming to improve the lives of children and adolescents with cancer through global collaboration, education, training, research and advocacy. To learn more, visit siop-online.org or follow SIOP on social media at @WorldSIOP. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and cures childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food -- because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. To learn more, visit stjude.org or follow St. Jude on social media at @stjuderesearch. This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. (Newser) On Thursday night, New York Times media columnist Ben Smith reported on a "pretty dire email" from National Public Radio CEO John Lansing, and the news was dire indeed: The nonprofit media group is being forced to initiate big cost-cutting measures in the wake of a budget deficit that could reach $25 million through fiscal 2021, per the Hill. The Wall Street Journal reports that deficit could go as high as $40 million, per a memo Lansing sent to staff Wednesday. The cuts will mainly come from nixing travel, conferences, and promotions, as well as putting raises, bonuses, and hiring on hold. A "very tough marketplace" made worse by the coronavirus pandemic is causing sponsorship funds to dry up, and donations could be next as supporters nervously keep an eye on their own investments, Lansing noted. story continues below The Journal notes NPR's "unique model," one that receives money from both the government-supported Corporation for Public Broadcasting, as well as via fees and dues from member stations. "Other news organizations ... need to return profits to investors. We don't," Lansing noted. "But we do need to survive financially, and ensure NPR can continue to serve stations and the public for the coming years, so all of our resources go toward public service." Lansing added that job cuts aren't expected at the moment, though he warns he doesn't have "a crystal ball" on what the future may hold. "It is our goal to avoid them as much as is reasonably possible," he said. "However ... I can't guarantee anything other than that is my intent." (Read more NPR stories.) Motor insurance customers could be next in line for refunds on their policies after Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe appealed to insurers to be "proactive and generous" in their treatment of policyholders. He made the remarks on a conference call with Insurance Ireland in which he urged the sector to improve its treatment of customers in the interest of "fairness and the industry's own reputation". Mr Donohoe told insurers there is "a strong case" that customers should see refunds due to what is expected to be a significant reduction in the number of claims. It comes just days after it was confirmed that health insurance policyholders are in line for refunds and rebates following the Governments effective takeover of 19 private hospitals. Now, the Minister is putting pressure on the motor insurance industry to follow suit. Among the key points raised on the call by Mr Donohoe was that insurers "must be proactive and generous in relation to their treatment of motor insurance policyholders". Mr Donohoe said: "In relation to the treatment of motor insurance policyholders, I pointed out that a combination of the very profitable part of this market over the last 12 months, when combined with what is likely to be a significant reduction in claims for this period, provides a strong case for some type of refund of consumers' motor premium package." This would provide "some financial relief" to under-pressure customers, he added. Mr Donohoe also raised concerns that some insurers have adopted a "blanket rejection of all business interruption claims". Many businesses have raised concerns about their insurance providers refusing to pay out for claims relating to the business interruptions caused by the Covid-19 shutdown. The Department said the failure to pay out in some cases has reinforced the Minister's view "that some insurers were doing the industry significant damage and were not treating customers fairly". Mr Donohoe also castigated some Insurance Ireland members who have agreed to implement commitments regarding forbearance and business premises but have yet to do so, though he also commended the sector for the steps it has taken in responding to the challenges of Covid-19. The main message that I wanted to convey to the insurance industry, through Insurance Ireland, is the need for the industry to help itself and do the right thing by customers during this time. "I made it clear that failure to do so will be very damaging for the longer term reputation of the sector," Mr Donohoe said. "I indicated that the cost and supply of insurance remains a priority of mine and expect it will also be one for any new Government. It is essential that the industry fully engages with the reform agenda and does so in the interest of fairness for its customers and their own reputational credibility going forward." A Purdue College of Pharmacy resource has some tips for people with high risk conditions to make pharmacy trips safely and keeping your social distance in the process including an online listing of Indiana pharmacies that offer delivery, drive-thru and curbside pickup services. Credit: Unsplash/James Yarema People with diabetes are being warned that they are at "high risk" during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a Purdue University expert can explain more about what that means. Maybe the biggest surprise is that being at "high risk" does not mean people with diabetesType 1 or Type 2are more likely to catch the virus than people without it, says Jasmine Gonzalvo, clinical professor of pharmacy practice and director of the Purdue Center for Health Equity and Innovation. "What needs clarification is this population is at high risk for developing serious complications from the virus," Gonzalvo says. "People see the brief narrative around COVID that implies, 'high-risk, COVID, diabetes." It needs to be clear that if you have diabetes, you're at a higher risk for serious complications from the virusnot serious risk of catching it." Gonzalvo is chair of the Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education and the sole pharmacist and diabetes care and education specialist serving on the National Clinical Care Commission. She says that managing diabetes well will likely reduce the chances of developing serious complications once someone with diabetes catches the virus. "If you're monitoring your blood sugars, eating well and taking your insulin or other medications as recommended, you can likely reduce your risk of dealing with severe symptoms or life-threatening complications," says Gonzalvo, who has provided clinical care to individuals with diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors for 13 years at Eskenazi Health, Indianapolis. Gonzalvo says another concern is insulin rationing. The cost of insulin is causing some people with diabetes to use less than they're prescribed, especially now, when many people are out of work. Using less insulin for long periods of time can cause hyperglycemia and can lead to serious complications for those who contract the coronavirus. Gonzalvo urges people who are struggling to afford their insulin to review their options at the American Diabetes Association's Insulin Help resource. For those seeking cost-saving coupons for other medications, including those for diabetes, Gonzalvo suggests GoodRx. The American Diabetes Association is another resource for diabetes-related COVID questions, as well as the Diabetes Disaster Response Coalition. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak The Peoples Committee of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong has announced it would discipline leaders and forest owners who failed to prevent deforestation in their localities over the past three weeks. Pine trees have been chopped down in Da Lat City. The committee took the bold move after reviewing the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Developments reports on the deforestation in Di Linh, Dam Rong districts and Da Lat City between March 23 and April 9. Pham S, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, said related collectives and individuals, including forest owners, leaders of the communal people's committees and forest rangers in the area where deforestation occurred would have to take responsibility for their lax management. He requested the authorities of Dam Rong and Di Linh districts and Da Lat City to urgently investigate the deforestation and strictly handle violations. From March 25 to April 9, at least five deforestation cases have been reported, including one case in Di Linh Districts Dinh Trang Thuong Commune under the management of Tan Thuong Forest Management Board, three cases in Dam Rong Districts Sroonh Commune under the management of Serepok Forest Management Board and one case in Da Lat Citys Ward 3 under the management of Lam Vien Forest Management Board. Those who caused wrongdoing and irresponsibility would be disciplined. The work must be reported to the provincial People's Committees before May 30. S also asked forest owners and the People's Committees of communes and wards to strengthen patrols and clear the deforested area for re-planting work. Those who were found to use the deforested area for personal purposes must be strictly punished. VNS Another forest destruction case detected in Lam Dong Province Central Highlands Lam Dong Provinces Da Lat City Police on Monday seized three loggers involved in cutting down pine trees in 151A sub-area, District 12, the Vietnam News Agency reported. Pine forests in Lam Dong destroyed due to violations in forest management Authorities in Lam Dong Province are investigating the destruction of a pine forest in the area after various violations were found in community-based forest management. Photo: (Photo : YouTube/Good Morning America) Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Utah couple Brennan and Abby Norman decided to go on with their wedding and let all their guests watch and listen to them in their cars! The couple has everything planned and was supposed to tie the knot on April 25. However, after hearing of the closing of schools earlier, they realized that all their plans could not go in vain, so they thought of a different way of celebrating their nuptials. Brennan told People that they knew that things have to change. They knew that they could not have a reception because when they heard that schools have been shutting down, they knew that social gatherings would not be allowed. Guests were shocked upon learning that the couple planned to have a drive-in wedding in Morgan, Utah. Admittedly, the groom said that they did not know it was possible. Since the couple could not proceed with their honeymoon and no huge reception will happen, the 21-year-old couple decided to push back their wedding date to April 10. They picked and set the location on the evening of April 9, as they tried to figure out how to let their guests listen to the ceremony. They prepared everything from the music as the bride walked down the aisle to the couple's vows. Brennan sought the help of his friend, who puts big Christmas decorations yearly, to help him with lights and sounds. Together with his friend, they went to a local Radio Shack and asked for their help to use an FM transmitter to let their guests listen from their cars by just turning on a specific radio station. Tsering Lazerson, one of Brennan's close friends and one of the attendees, said that their wedding was well organized because there was even a person directing vehicles to their parking spaces. Lazerson said that everything was "super pretty" because they used an open field as a wedding space where they decorated with a simple set of doors and surrounded them with flowers and used the Rocky Mountains as the backdrop. Brennan said that what surprised them was the "perfect" weather because that day was super sunny with 65 degrees temperature. He said that in Utah, it is rainy and cold all the time. The guests used their phones to capture the special moment and sent their congratulations with a fitting send-off. Lazerson said that instead of clapping, they honked their horns before the couple left. The couple plans to have a honeymoon and reception once the pandemic is over. Even if everything was prepared in the last-minute, it "exceeded" the couple's hopes, and the best part of it is they did not have to worry about the decorations, feeding their guests, and all the other details. This event could "probably be one of the least stressful weddings ever." Brennan said that it was very easy because all they did was to show up at 4 o'clock, and Abby had to walk down the aisle to get married in the gorgeous valley that they live. Lazerson said that this proves that a "super awesome wedding" can still happen despite the requirement to have social distancing. Shaheen Bagh area in Delhi that remained a hotbed of the anti-CAA protests for nearly 100 days has become one of the COVID-19 hotspots in Delhi. The Delhi government identified areas like street no. 6, A Block, Abu Fazal enclave and Street nos. 3-5, East Ram Nagar, Shahdara as the new containment zones. With these new containment zones being identified, the number of containment zones in Delhi has now reached 60. Services like home delivery of essential items and medical emergencies are allowed in these zones as mentioned by the Home Ministry guidelines issued on April 15. The ministry states, "there shall be stricter perimeter control to ensure that there is no unchecked inward/outward movement of population from these zones." Apart from delivery of essentials at the doorstep and restrictions on movement, the authorities will also conduct door-to-door screening for symptomatic people as per the Centre's cluster containment strategy and Delhi government's Operation Shield. As of April 16, Delhi has classified 9 districts as hotspots with large COVID-19 outbreaks. These districts include South, South East, Shahdara, West, North, Central, New Delhi, East and South West. Delhi has recorded a total of 1,640 coronavirus positive cases and 38 deaths today as per the Health Ministry data. India's count of coronavirus positive cases has reached 11,201 whereas 437 people have died as of today. Also read: Coronavirus in India: Home Ministry releases guidelines for containment zones and hotspots Also read: Coronavirus Lockdown India Live Updates: RBI Governor to address media at 10am; Additional stimulus on cards? Haiti - Taiwan : Strengthening of the bilateral cooperation Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe paid a courtesy visit to the Embassy of Taiwan (Republic of China) in Haiti on Thursday, where he met with the Charge d'Affaires ai Shin Chih-chi on the strengthening of the bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Prime Minister Jouthe thanked the Taiwanese government for the support granted to Haiti, in order to fight against the spread of Covid-19 in the country including in particular a donation of 1,000 tonnes of rice, 7 thermal cameras, 280,000 masks and others sanitary facilities offered by Taiwan and which have already arrived in the country https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30543-haiti-taiwan-a-first-batch-of-materials-to-fight-against-covid-19-has-arrived.html Shin Chih-chi said that the Taiwanese government was ready to support the efforts of the Government of Haiti, particularly in the sanitation and disinfection campaigns of the main arteries, public markets, hospitals and public establishments. He confirmed that nursing staff from public hospitals in Haiti by videoconference will have Thursday evening [April 17] exchanges with their Taiwanese colleagues around their experiences in the fight against Covid-19. HL/ HaitiLibre Himachal Pradesh DGP Sita Ram Mardi on Friday urged the people of the state to maintain communal harmony. In a video statement, the director general of police said there were reports of communal discrimination in shops and hospitals of the state during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown but did not mention any particular case. The DGP stated that there were some reports of tenants being asked to vacate because they belong to a particular community. Mardi also said strict action would be taken against those who are found discriminating on the basis of religion. Besides, he directed the station house officers to ensure the security of Kashmiri labourers in the state. Mardi asked them to hold meetings of peace committees in communal sensitive areas. The DGP also said the security of the students from north eastern states will be ensured by HP Police. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 17.04.2020 LISTEN Metro TV host Paul Adom-Otchere says Klottey-Korle MP Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings claims are "baseless" regarding food being shared by the government to some 400,000 poor people in areas under lockdown. Justifying his previous days polemic against the opposition MP on his Good Evening Ghana programme, Mr Adom-Otchere told Accra-based Citi FM on Friday that Dr Agyeman-Rawlings unsubstantiated claim could have sparked violence from members of her National Democratic Congress (NDC) against members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), which could have degenerated into a Rwanda genocide-like war. The comments of Mr Adom-Otchere followed the expression of an intention by the Minority in Parliament, to drag him to the National Media Commission (NMC) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) over what they deem his attack on one of their own, who happens to be the first daughter of the partys founder, former President Jerry John Rawlings. In his Thursday night tirade, Mr Adom-Otchere admonished the first-time lawmaker to stop misbehaving and making unsubstantiated allegations against her political opponents at a time that the country needs unity to fight COVID-19. Despite an initial denial by the government, the medical doctor-turned-politician, in a statement, asked President Akufo-Addo to probe the matter. In his editorial, however, Mr Adom-Otchere, a member of the Board of the National Media Commission (NMC) described the allegation the opposition legislator as wrong and called on her to behave properly. That is a serious allegation to make against an opposing political party or to make against a government or to make against a municipal assembly or to make against any other politician This is very wrong; members of parliament cannot do that. Dr Rawlings, youre an elected member of parliament, you cannot do that. You cannot hide behind paper and camera and make baseless accusations against your opponent, that is the kind of politics we want to stop in this country, that is not the kind of politics we want to encourage, the kind of politics we want to stop in this country is what you have done, Mr Adom-Otchere said. Using Dr Agyeman-Rawlings own statement against her, the TV host said: In your statement, you said: My colleague MP in the Ablekuma South Constituency, 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. This is what you do as a member of parliament, let it get into your system Dr Rawlings, let it get into your system; you come from a privileged place, we respect you, we respect your father, behave properly, stop misbehaving. How can you even issue such a statement for what you have doneweve been charitable to you because of who you are Look at Oko Vanderpuijes behaviour you are quoting; why didnt you behave the same way? Are you better than Oko VanderpuiJe, no, no one is better than anyone, youre all members of parliament. But yes, you come from a great place that all of us wish we could come from. You are carrying the political heritage of Flt. lieutenant Rawlings, you cannot behave the way youre behaving Mr Adom-Otchere quizzed: Who told you to issue this statement? Herrr, I dont even know what to say withdraw this statement before the lions chew you on social media. How can you tell us how Oko Vanderpuije behaved and you cannot behave that same way; how John Dumelo behaved and you cannot behave the same waythis your statement is completely flawed, never issue such a statement again, youre a great woman, a fine politician, we want you to stay in politics ---classfmonline 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. Vijayawada: One lakh rapid testing kits that reached Andhra Pradesh from South Korea being handed over to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at the Chief Minister's Office in Vijayawada amid the extended nationwide lockdown imposed to mitigate the s Image Source: IANS News Vijayawada: One lakh rapid testing kits that reached Andhra Pradesh from South Korea being handed over to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at the Chief Minister's Office in Vijayawada amid the extended nationwide lockdown imposed to mitigate the s Image Source: IANS News Amaravati, April 17 : Apart from officially flagging off the rapid testing kits imported from South Korea on Friday, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy also underwent the COVID-19 test. When the results came about ten minutes later, everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Jagan Mohan Reddy tested negative for coronavirus. The state will also breathe easier as the introduction of the fast-action test kits will mean quicker results and consequently better chances of treatment and containment. At present, 2,100 tests are being conducted in 7 labs per day. In addition to that, the state has over 240 other kits for conducting the tests extensively. With the arrival of one lakh rapid test kits for testing COVID-19 cases, doctors would be able to test over 10 lakh cases. The Chief Minister said the fight against the pandemic can be speeded up with the arrival of the new rapid test kits. Special Chief Secretary for Health Jawahar Reddy said the kits would be dispatched to all the districts in three days and doctors are being given special training to handle the kits. As many as 16,555 tests were conducted in the state till April 16. While 331 tests were conducted for every 10 lakh people in Andhra Pradesh, in Rajasthan the rate of testing is 549 persons per 10 lakh people, 485 in Kerala and 446 in Maharashtra, the officials said. By Sir Ronald Sanders The growth projections by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) for Antigua and Barbuda of 6.5%; Dominica 4.9%, Dominican Republic, 4.7%; Grenada 4%; and St Kitts-Nevis 3.5%, evaporated overnight as COVID-19 walloped the economies of these countries. By the end of March 2020, it was clear that all these economies would shrink significantly by the end of the first quarter of the year, and that the second and third quarters would be no better. Guyanas economy was on track to grow by a phenomenal 85.6% largely because of production and sales of newly discovered oil and gas resources. That growth is also unlikely to happen now as oil prices plummet amid reduced demands in a world that was largely shut down for weeks in March and April in attempts to curb COVID-19s spread. The political situation in Guyana, where results of a March 2 general elections are still not final and verified as credible, and the contraction of the economy by the effects of COVID-19, make the huge projected growth very unlikely. The Bahamas was already forecast to have negative growth of 0.6%, and Barbados, climbing out of a period of prolonged economic decline, was projected to grow by 1.3%. The blows delivered to these economies, from the sudden and complete closure of the tourism industry, have further set back their prospects. A meeting of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on April 16, rightly looked to the International Financial Institutions (IFIs), particularly the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) to access assistance to meet the financial challenges arising from the crisis. In the harsh reality of significantly reduced revenues and increased emergency costs to prevent and contain the coronavirus, many of these countries will find it extremely difficult to pay pensions and wages of their public service establishments. They all need both an injection of money to help them meet budgetary costs over the next nine months at least, and a suspension of debt service payments to other governments and private lenders from whom they have borrowed. But it is clear that the countries that control the levers of the global economy, including the decision-making bodies of the IMF, the WBG, and the Paris Club, have no intention of allowing suspension of debt owed by middle-income and high-income Caribbean countries, even though, the criteria is a false measurement of development and financial capability. G20 Finance Ministers the representatives of the worlds richest nations meeting on April 15, issued a communique that was long on words, but short on commitment to deliver on the needs of any but low-income countries. It is almost as if countries are being punished for better policies and economic performance. The COVID-19 pandemic has once again highlighted not only inequality between nations but, more importantly, the damaging consequences of an unjust economic order. While rich nations will suffer unemployment and economic decline, they have all the resources to recover from these circumstances. Developing countries particularly small developing states dont. Globally, there is now the prospect of a serious debt crisis, and the Caribbean is engulfed in it. If the problem is not addressed, there will be more than $100 billion in capital outflows from developing economies. That figure, calculated by reputable organisations, is nearly five times the level from 2008 when a global recession was started by the failures of major US banks. At the end of the disastrous effects of the pandemic whatever unpredictable shape that takes small developing countries, for the most part, will be left poorer, highly-indebted and with little fiscal space, after debt servicing, to return to their growth projections in January 2020. COVID-19 has created a storm much worse than any brutal hurricane that the Caribbean has ever suffered. The G20 leaders said that they will do whatever it takes to stop companies and households in their countries from taking a heavy loss of income. But despite declaring that global action, solidarity and international cooperation are more than ever necessary, they have given no such undertaking to the countries outside their own nations, except to low-income countries, which, in the Caribbean is Haiti. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on March 30, called for a $2.5 trillion coronavirus package for developing countries. UNCTAD argued that this figure matches the sum of 0.7% of their Gross Domestic Product that developed countries had pledged to deliver over the last ten years but didnt. Only five of them all in Europe fulfilled their undertaking. UNCTAD detailed the use of the funds in three ways: a $1 trillion liquidity injection a kind of helicopter money drop for those being left behind; a debt jubilee for distressed economies, including an immediate debt standstill on sovereign debt payments; and a Marshall Plan for health recovery, largely in the form of grants. While every developing country should agitate for acceptance of the UNCTAD proposal, it would meet strong resistance from the most powerful nations. Already, the IMFs board of directors was restrained by the countries with largest voting rights from lending to Venezuela and Iran. Further, the defunding of the World Health Organisation (WHO) by the United States because of its perception that China influenced the organisation over the pandemic, indicate political considerations and not humanitarian or even financial ones. What the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated again is that the prevailing policies of the IMF and WBG are unhelpful to the majority of nations of the world, including the Caribbean, that are classified as middle or high income, disregarding the many other factors of their underdevelopment and vulnerabilities. For instance, the IMF/Bank proposals did not address rescheduling or forgiveness of multilateral debt or debt owed to private banks. Caribbean countries will get loans from the IMF and WBG after going through many hoops, but the process will not be swift, and the conditions will be rough. In these circumstances, Caribbean governments, the private sector, political parties, and trade unions need to collaborate on the actions they can jointly take to weather the gathering storm that has not yet fully formed. They also must prepare for a long haul. Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com (The writer is Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States and the Organisation of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and at Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own) A young girl, nude and blindfolded and wearing earplugs, sits in a V-shaped niche just below the shingled roof on the outside wall of a wooden house. She is looking away from us, lost in her own dark and silent world. Its the first painting that Julie Curtiss has finished since returning from a residency in Japan. I wanted a perfect little self-sufficient person, says Curtiss, but now its become more like pure isolationa noncommunication. It may be a selfie. Curtiss has insomnia and needs earplugs, an eye mask, and total darkness to sleep. Or is it a prophecy of our current era of social distancing? Like all Curtisss work, its passing strange. Its a late-winter day, and were in her Brooklyn studio, on the ground floor of a former factory. Curtiss, who grew up in a suburb of Paris, is half French and half Vietnamese. Shes a young-looking 37, with long black hair and a quiet, alert intelligence. The art is all around us in various stages of completionpaintings, gouaches on paper, and small sculptures of sushi that look highly edible until you notice that some of them are human eyes or lips and that they are actually made of plastic, clay, and paint. Theres also an upturned straw hat filled with spaghetti shaped into the form of a womans head. Another sculpture is made entirely of real ash-blonde hair. (Hair appears in most of the works here.) Were in a disconcerting, dreamlike environment, with images that manage to be both familiar and surreal. The art world discovered Curtiss only recently. After years of almost no recognition, shes suddenly in demand. (She moved to New York in 2010 with her now husband, the artist Clinton King.) Curtiss recently joined the Anton Kern Gallery in New York, where she had a solo exhibition, Wildlife, last springone of the eye-catchers there showed an elegant woman in an evening gown, sitting on a toiletand shes just been picked up by the White Cube gallery in London. The attention ignited in 2017, after collectors bought everything she showed at Spring/Break, the curator-driven art fair for young talent. (Curators and artists acting as curators call the shots these days, not critics.) Her prices exploded, from $1,000 or $2,000 a painting to more than $400,000. Three of them sold last November at Phillips and Christies auction houses for a total of $1.1 million. Curtisss quirky, humorous, often macabre brand of neo-Surrealism had touched a nerve. She was able to quit her day job as a studio assistant for the artist known as KAWSshe had worked for him for four years. Before that, shed toiled for a year in the Jeff Koons art factory, working on his Hulk seriesor Oolk, as she pronounces it. Story continues Courtesy of the artist, Anton Kern Gallery, and White Cube. Julie Curtiss For Curtiss and for many of her artist friends, the initial springboard to recognition was Instagram. Shed started posting images of her work back in 2014. Loie Hollowell, an abstract painter of the same generation, saw the postings and got in touch. Her detail and her precision, her sense of line and structure, and her really inventive and beautifully made work caught my eye, Hollowell tells me. I had to see it in person because Instagram lies. Hollowell went to Curtisss studio and was blown away. They became and remain close friends. Hollowell, who was a little further along the road to recognition (shes now represented by the Pace mega-gallery), helped Curtiss get into several group shows. Hein Koh, another artist who saw her paintings on Instagram, curated Curtisss revelatory solo booth at Spring/Break in 2017. The Brooklyn and New York art community is amazing, Curtiss says. Ive lived in Tokyo and Ive lived in Paris, but the scene here, the community, is so tight, so supportive. Its pretty special. Curtiss grew up in the suburb of Montreuil, east of Paris. Her mother, Therese Biver Curtiss, was French, a librarian in a school for social workers. Her much older Vietnamese father, Jacques Curtiss, was a technical photographer for an architectural firm. Jacques had been adopted by a Vietnamese woman who married a French soldier from Africa named Curtiss, and they brought him to Paris as a 12-year-old. The soldier soon disappeared. My father called him le pere Curtiss, Julie says, so I never knew his first name. Her parents met in the 1970s through the Communist Party, which controlled Montreuil. I grew up going to Communist Party meetings, Curtiss says, but her parents also took her to museums, the Musee dOrsay in particular, where she remembers being riveted by an anonymous Medusa-like marble head, grotesque and screaming. Im often galvanized by art that fascinates and petrifies you at the same time, she explains. When she was six, her parents went to Vietnam, taking Julie along, so her father could try to find his biological mother. After five weeks of going to different villages, knocking on doors, they found her. It was a sobering experience that left Julie with a residue of uneasy memories. In France, the family had a reasonably comfortable, lower-middle-class life, but in Vietnam, Julie saw absolute poverty and people deformed by contact with Agent Orange. The Curtisses returned nearly every summer. Courtesy of the artist, Anton Kern Gallery, and White Cube. Julie Curtiss Raised as an only child, Curtiss spent a lot of time drawing. For years she wanted to be an illustrator, but just before enrolling in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts she changed her mind. At the Beaux-Arts, she experimented with creepy sculptured heads made out of coconuts, with her hair and her baby teeth molded into them. They were really intimate and dark, like shrunken heads, or like the Japanese Noh masks that fascinated her. She entered some of them in the 2004 LVMH young artists prize competition and won. This gave her the money to finance an exchange semester at the Art Institute of Chicago. It was her first trip to America, and it changed my life. Curtisss work is sometimes said to be influenced by the Chicago Imagists, artists who worked on the margins of Surrealism and popular culture, but she was barely aware of them at the time. Years later, when a friend showed her a catalog of drawings by Chicago artist Christina Ramberg, I was in shock, she told me, because I felt such strong connections with her. I had to work my way through that language and evolve from there. The real life-changer was when she met Clinton King, a sculptor and performance artist who had just gotten his masters degree from the Art Institute, in 2006. I laid eyes on her at a karaoke bar in Chicago one night and said to my friends, Im going to marry that woman, King tells me. It was a real case of love at first sight, which is dangerous. They were two very different people who had a lot in common. Clint, as Curtiss calls him, had grown up in a trailer in the middle of the woods near Coshocton, Ohio. Hes six years older than she is, had been married and divorced, and is, as he puts it, a natural extrovert, and shes an introvert. They were both committed to art, though, deeply into the anima thinking of Carl Jung, and fixated on Japan. King had been there when he was 19his first wife was Japanese; Curtiss had been obsessed by manga as a teenager and was addicted to Japanese art, novels (Kawabata, Murakami, and others), and films. After going back to Paris to graduate from the Beaux-Arts, Curtiss joined King in Tokyo. It wasnt easy going. I was sharing a small apartment in a country where I didnt know anybody, didnt know the language, with a guy I hardly knew, she says. After a year, they separatedKing stayed in Japan, and Curtiss went back to Paris. Soon after, her mother was diagnosed with cancer, and Curtiss stayed with her for three years, during which she and King kept up a long-distance relationship. In 2010, Curtisss mother died, and Curtiss and King moved together to New York. They married at City Hall and then a year later had a small French wedding in Burgundy, where shes recently taken over her parents humble country house. Im often galvanized by art that fascinates and petrifies you at the same time Curtiss brings us chilled cans of pamplemousse La Croix and starts laying out her new series of black-and-white gouaches on the studio floor. Offbeat color combinations have defined her work so far, and its a little jarring to see such a bold change. But the images have lost none of their ability to perplex and disturb. A giant python is ingesting a crocodile; a cockroach is about to drop into the part in a womans shiny black hair; two female hands with talon-like fingernails pinch the nipples of a pair of domelike breasts. No faces to be seen, of course, and the images have the same abrupt cropping that characterizes her previous work. Im not trying to spell it out, she says. Its purposely ambiguous. She uses illustration as an entry point to the subconscious. When you illustrate, youre already chewing the food, making it easily accessible. Not showing the face creates a distance, and theres a mystery that comes from that. As a teenager, she was often very depressed. I had a lot of therapy, she tells me. I think my art was very therapeuticjust doing it, making sense of things, creating out of a place of darkness. Unlike King, who tends to work in bursts of activity followed by periods of intense social activity, Curtiss works for long hours every day. I need art to extract this darkness and make sense of it and bring it to the light. Darkness gets into her art in weird juxtapositions that make us laugh and also cause what Victor Hugo called a new shudder. But Curtiss herself is anything but depressive. She recently started playing the piano again and has been practicingChopin, Satie, Schuberton a keyboard in her studio. Shes also an omnivorous consumer of recorded music, everything from rock and jazz and vintage pop to classical and French chansons. She and King watch three or four movies a week at home, accompanied by their rescue cat, Dini, short for Houdini. (King is an accomplished magician.) I ask if she wants kids. At least one, she saysbut not right away. It can be tricky when one member of an artist couple suddenly outshines the other, but Julie is married to a modern man, as Hollowell told me, and King is all in with her success. His colorful abstract paintings were featured in the latest edition of Spring/Break in early March, in a booth of his own. I made work until I was 34, and no one was paying attention, Curtiss says. I had no shows whatsoever. It was hard. I was working then, and Im working now, and Ill work when people stop paying attention, because eventually that happens. Im just waiting for Clint to take it over, so I can chill. Originally Appeared on Vogue London: US First Lady Melania Trump called Carrie Symonds, the pregnant fiancee of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to wish the couple a speedy recovery from the coronavirus, a White House statement said on Thursday. Johnson is recovering from COVID-19 after spending several days in intensive care with the disease. Symonds said on April 4 she had suffered the main symptoms of the coronavirus but was on the mend. "Mrs. 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. Students wont return to Iowa classrooms this academic year, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Friday in extending her order closing schools. Schools have not held in-person classes since mid-March, when Reynolds first recommended they close to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. On April 2, she ordered schools closed until April 30 and said she would give districts notice before then if that were to change. Believe me, I would like nothing more than to stand before you today and announce that Iowa will be open for school in May, Reynolds said Friday during a news conference at the states emergency operations center, explaining health data does not support the safely of reopening school buildings. Iowa high school spring sports are canceled as well, and summer sports will be re-evaluated later. In extending her order to close schools, Reynolds will continue to waive instructional time requirements for schools that provide remote learning opportunities. She said schools will be allowed to begin the 2020-2021 school year before Aug. 23. The announcement came on the same day the state reported the highest daily tally of new coronavirus cases since the disease was found in Iowa last month. The 191 new cases eclipses the previous spike of 189 announced Tuesday. Linn is the only county in Iowa to have more than 300 cases and its 304 cases puts it almost on par with the 305 cases reported in the entire state of Wyoming. In Iowa, 64 people so far have died of COVID-19 and there are a total of 2,332 cases in 82 of the states 99 counties. The four COVID-19 deaths reported Friday include the first in Black Hawk County, where the state said an individual between the age of 61 and 80 died. Officials also reported one death in Scott County, between 61-80; one in Tama County, 81 or older; and one in Washington County, between 61 and 80. A peak of the COVID-19 cases is expected at the end of the month. The state is working to support schools and families as they adjust to a new way of learning and of life, Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo said during the news conference. Unlike previous classes, the Class of 2020 likely wont go to prom, have a senior skip day or even a graduation ceremony, but despite all of this they remain focused on the future, Lebo said. We know parents are adjusting, too, in more ways than I can fairly capture, so to them I just want to say thank you. With buildings closed for the rest of the academic year, school districts still will be required to provide continuous learning opportunities if they do not want to be forced to make up lost time face-to-face later. Under normal circumstances, the timeline for developing continuous learning plans would take months, years even, Lebo said. Our schools developed and implemented solutions in only a matter of weeks. Every public school district in the state submitted a plan for continuous learning by an April 10 deadline. Districts will need to submit another return to learn plan by July 1. Those can include summer school and other enrichment opportunities designed to address disruptions in learning as a result of COVID-19, Lebo said. As we find our way forward, robust, engaging options for learning outside of brick-and-mortar will become an integral part of our educational framework, she said. Complementing face-to-face learning, and preparing students for the increasingly digital world they live in. In their continuous learning plans for this school year, most districts in the sate, 285 of 327, will offer voluntary educational enrichment opportunities optional, ungraded work that wont count for class credit. Voluntary opportunities include online activities and paper work sheet packets. Only six districts will implement required educational services for all grade levels. Those services should nearly match the rigor of normal classes, and student attendance will be taken and work can be graded. The state also allowed 36 districts to provide a combination of required and voluntary learning. Many of those districts plan to offer required services for high-schoolers including Linn-Mar Community, Marion Independent, College Community and Solon Community school districts while they continue to provide younger students with voluntary learning opportunities. Among the states accredited private schools, 179 schools submitted plans 80 for required, 73 for voluntary and 26 for a combination. Reynolds announcement came a day after President Donald Trump gave governors guidelines for reopening their states. Reynolds said she was pleased with the content of the Thursday afternoon call with the White House. Trumps guidance stipulated states, before relaxing social distancing measures, should see the number of reported covid-like symptoms and cases trending down, and hospitals should have capacity to treat all patients without crisis care and be testing its health care workers. Governors have authority to decide whether to follow the guidance, which includes three phases. In Trumps phase one, schools that already are closed should remain closed. In phase two, for states with no evidence of a rebound, schools can reopen. John McGlothlen of The Gazette contributed to this report. 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. With the detection of new cases in the last 12 hours, the coronavirus count in Gujarat now stands at 1,021. Two more persons succumbed to the coronavirus infection during the same period, taking the toll to 38 in the state, said Principal Secretary, Health, Jayanti Ravi. While a 31-year-old man died in Vadodara, the other, aged 55, succumbed in Ahmedabad during his treatment, she told reporters in Gandhinagar. During the 12-hour period, one more COVID-19 patient recovered, taking the number of those discharged to 74 so far, she said. Out of the 92 new cases, the highest, 45, were from Ahmedabad, followed by 14 in Surat, 9 in Vadodara, 8 in Bharuch and 5 in Narmada, said Ravi. Other districts where cases have emerged include Botad (3), Panchmahal (2) and one each in Anand, Chhotaudepur, Dahod, Kheda and Mahisagar. Ravi attributed the sudden spurt in the cases to intensive surveillance and testing in coronavirus hotspots, including those which have been placed under curfew till April 21 in the walled city of Ahmedabad. A majority of the COVID-19 cases which have emerged from Ahmedabad since Thursday are from Kalupur, Raikhad, Khamasa, Jamalpur, Vejalpur, Dariyapur, Khanpur, Vatva, Chandkheda and Nikol areas. Out of the 1,021 cases reported so far, most of them were recorded in five districts - Ahmedabad (590), Vadodara (137), Surat (102), Rajkot (28) and Bhavnagar (26). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian parliaments lower house adopts ombudsmen witness immunity bill RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 11:00 17/04/2020 MOSCOW, April 17 (RAPSI) The lower house of Russian parliament, the State Duma, adopted a bill granting the privilege of witness to Russias and regional human rights commissioners in a final third reading on Friday. Amendments are to be introduced into Russias Civil Procedure and Criminal Procedure Codes. The witness immunity is supposed to be apply to the Russian federal ombudsman and rights commissioners in the Russian Federation subjects. According to the bill, they would have a right to withdraw testimony in relation to information they received on duty in civil and criminal trials. Currently, only Russias High Commissioner for Human Rights has such a privilege in civil proceedings. Moreover, the draft law envisages a special order of proceedings in criminal cases against ombudsmen. In accordance with these amendments, chiefs of the Investigative Committees regional investigations directorates would be authorized to take decisions on the launch of criminal cases against regional ombudsmen. Sacco brings his award-winning comics journalism approach to Northern Canada in Paying the Land (Metropolitan, July.), about the history and culture of the Dene, a First Nations people embroiled in conflict over oil fracking. Youve traveled to war zones for prior books, such as Palestine and Safe Area Gorazdehow did this compare? I wanted to get away from war zones, but what I found out is that you cant get away from conflict. Lets just say whatever I knew about Canadian history, the consequences of colonialism really hit me. Theres the violence that involves a gun, and theres a violence thats involved in the residential schooling. It was real education. What was the story that you originally expected to tell, and how did that change? I wanted to do something about climate change and resource extraction. Resources are extracted on the peripheries, and that generally means they affect indigenous people. Of course, it wasnt as simple as I thought. You cannot assume that all indigenous people are against resource extraction. I began to understand the conflicts within the community, and their conflicts with the government over land claims. It began to snowball and become a much bigger book than I thought it was going to be. What was your biggest challenge? Learning how to get into the frame of mind of letting elders speak, listening attentively, letting people talk as much as they want to talk. Thats different from the interrogative way I normally do my questionsquestion-answer question-answer question-answer. I learned to accommodate myself to the rhythms of life there. What was the most difficult part to write and draw? The chapter about the residential schools. It was disquieting to see what happened, as a matter of policy, to indigenous children. It didnt just happen in Canada. It happened in the United States, in Australia, in a lot of colonized places. It was a very intentional attempt to break the culture by keeping people from speaking their languages, by Christianizing them, by forcing them down a path that had nothing to do with their culture. Some of the kids returned to their homes and could no longer speak with their grandparents, if not their parents. Thats a sure way of breaking culture and fracturing a society, atomizing it. What surprised you most about the Dene? I was struck by their relationship to the land. It made me rethink how I think of land, and how Westerners think of land in general. We think of land in terms of property, something to be measured and parceled and sold. Then you absorb the lesson of the Dene, which is that the land owns us. (Editors note: The author is a former Staten Island chiropractor who now resides in Melbourne, Fla., with her husband Charlie Ocera, the son of Islander Carole Ocera, who died at the age of 80 on Monday at Staten Island University Hospital North. Here is Dr. Fernandezs heartbreaking story). Written by Dr. Dorothy Fernandez/Special to the Advance Tonight at 6:48 pm, while Elvis played in the background and an amazing ICU nurse (Alexa Zuffante) held her hand for us, my mother-in-law (Carole Ocera) passed away. Im truly at a loss for words. This nightmare happened so fast. I cannot explain the depths of despair in my soul. It is in my nature to fix things and I tried so desperately to fix this. But, God had other plans. Carole was a tough lady and Im so glad she was. She gave us all a run for our money. She didnt put up with our crap and certainly did things her way. She was loved by most people who met her. Im not going to lie. When she first met me, she was distant. I can understand her concerns as a mom. I didnt let that stop me. Since day one, I stepped in and tried to be the daughter she never had. I didnt give her an option lol. As soon as we got married, she knew I was in it for the long haul and immediately accepted me as family. Carole wasnt one to be mushy. She loved you in her own manner. Tonight, one of her friends shared that she was so proud of me. Apparently, she would brag about me being a doctor to all her friends. I cannot express how that has granted me comfort. We got into the habit of me calling her almost hourly. I have solace knowing I was there for her emotionally every step of the way. We let her know she wasnt alone and that we would fight for her and that we did. I miss her already. My world has just lost a shining light. I dont know what Im going to do with myself. Carole, Im so proud of you! You did everything I asked of you to fight this monster. And when we found out it was too much, you went to rest peacefully. There will be no more suffering, you will now be healthy again. This isnt good bye but so long as you would say. I promise to take care of Charlie. Carole Ocera sits between her daughter-in-law Dr. Dorothy Fernandez, left, and the doctor's mom, Priscilla Fernandez, on the doctor's wedding day. (Family photo) I will share two more things. The first is a funny story. A week after we got married we went to visit her. When we walked into her room, there displayed on her wall in a frame was a picture from our wedding. But it wasnt a picture of her and Charlie. It was a picture of her, my mom and myself! Needless to say I was shocked. If you knew Carole, you knew that she didnt put pictures in her room never mind on her walls. But there on her wall proudly displayed alongside Chris was a picture of us! What a character. Secondly, from the bottom of our hearts, we need to thank the amazing team at the ICU and Palliative Care in Staten Island University North, including Elda, Dimitry and Alexa. I cannot express to you how these doctors and nurses have helped us. They would gown up and go into her room nightly so we could FaceTime her. They even allowed us to three-way call a pastor to pray over her. Today when we were told the end was near, this amazing soul, Alexa Zuffante, an ICU nurse, went in and allowed her us to Time her to say our goodbyes. This poor girl stood there alongside us and sobbed as if she was related to Carole, as she held that phone for us. At one point, we had to stop to console her. She was broken emotionally by our situation. She held Caroles hand and by the time it was over, we formed a bond never to be broken. They know me in the ICU as Caroles daughter. Im so proud to hold that title and my mom isnt jealous at all. When she passed, Alexa even called me to see how I was doing. To say these people are heroes is an understatement. We can never repay you. God bless and stay safe. We are forever indebted. Love Mocha, Charlie and I love you forever and always. Leading Tamil National Alliance (TNA) official M. A. Sumanthiran told the Daily Mirror last week that the coronavirus pandemic meant Sri Lankans must abandon the idea of a general election anytime soon. In the course of his extended April 6 interview with the English-language daily, Sumanthiran, a former Jaffna District parliamentarian, urged President Gotabhaya Rajapakse to reconvene parliament. Sumanthirans call was not aimed at challenging the government, but providing a rubber-stamp to the recent authoritarian measures imposed by the president. Under the cover of suppressing COVID-19, Rajapakse has deployed the military and arrested tens of thousands as curfew violators. On March 2, the president dissolved parliament, six months before its term officially ended, and announced, amid the surging pandemic, that the general election would be held on April 25. Rajapakse hoped to win a parliamentary majority for his Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party so it could rewrite the constitution and scrap existing legal barriers to authoritarian methods of rule. While the crisis forced the postponement of the election, Rajapakse continues to use executive powers, in violation of existing laws, to implement a range of authoritarian measures and further expand the militarisation of his administration. Rajapakse has also made clear that while he is not ready to reconvene parliament, his administration still wants to hold the election next month. The government has signalled that prior to a ballot, it will seek to push people back to work without proper protection from COVID-19, in line with similar measures in Europe, the US and elsewhere. Since March 18, Sri Lanka has been under a national curfew, with periods of brief respite in some districts. While the lockdown is to prevent the virus spreading, there is no serious government plan to distribute day-to-day essentials to workers and the poor who now face incredible hardship. Every day the Sri Lankan police boast about the thousands of curfew violators its officers have arrested. On Wednesday, the number arrested rose to over 28,000. Police spokesman Ajith Rohana has told the media that all those arrested would be sent to quarantine centres for 14 daysan arbitrary punishmentafter which police will file cases against them. According to Sumanthirans line of argument, these mass arrests and other anti-democratic policies would be allowed if the government gazetted laws related to curfews and calling out the military and presented them to a reconvened parliament. In an April 8 interview with the Tamil-language Veerakesari, Sumanthiran referred to Rajapakses mobilisation of the military and cautioned that the executive should not act arbitrarily. Having the army controlling the situation must be prevented, he said, but added that this could not be completely avoided in the context of today. In fact, Rajapakse, continuing actions taken by the previous president, is mobilising members of the armed forces every month for the maintenance of public order throughout the country and its territorial waters. The military personnel involved in these exercises have police powers to arrest people without a warrant. Sumanthiran has insisted that the reconvening of parliament could involve about 20 MPs or, if necessary, consist of a teleconference of all 225 MPs who could pass laws and even make constitutional changes with a two-thirds majority. Rajapakse has little concern for the TNAs democratic gestures and continues elevating retired senior armed forces officers into key government posts. This includes the recent appointment of Army Commander Lt. General Shavendra Silva as head of the National Centre for Prevention of Coronavirus. Military intelligence and police officers are conducting threatening operations to trace those infected with the coronavirus. Distribution of limited government relief, particularly in the North and East of the country, is also being supervised by the security forces. Police are also involved in a crackdown against anyone on social media criticising the governments inadequate response to the pandemic. This operation, which is being stepped up, has seen 16 people arrested over their Facebook postings. Neither the TNA, nor any other Sri Lankan opposition party has challenged these arbitrary measures, but are providing political cover for Rajapakses rapid moves towards a presidential dictatorship. Sumanthiran noted in his Daily Mirror interview that the lockdown has drastically impacted on the masses who are struggling to survive and stated that the situation in the North and the East is precarious Some people are nearing starvation. In the same breath, however, he claimed that subsequent actions by the government have been fairly satisfactory. The only problem with the governments so-called relief measures, he said, is that they are not balanced. Workers and the poor in the North and East, whose lives have been devastated by Colombos three-decade civil war and the ongoing military occupation, face a social catastrophe. Recent media reports indicate that villages in both regions, like their counterparts in other parts of the country, have not received the governments so-called relief packages. People are currently being arrested as they search for food or firewood for cooking. Like every other capitalist party in Sri Lanka, the TNA is nervous about mounting political discontent. Tens of thousands of workers have lost their jobs; frontline health workers have denounced the lack of protective gear, and workers and the poor are increasingly shocked by the surging global death toll from the pandemic. Over the past two years, Sri Lankan workers have united across Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim divisions in a series of strikes and protests against government-imposed International Monetary Fund austerity measures. The growing mass movement created divisions within the establishment and a political collapse of the Maithripala Sirisena-Ranil Wickremesinghe government. Rajapakse came to power late last year by exploiting the popular opposition and making various bogus social promises to working people while assuring the ruling elite that his regime would establish strong government. As the pandemic crisis worsened, the TNA and every other parliamentary party met twice with Prime Minster Mahinda Rajapaksethe presidents older brotherand pledged their support to the government. Sumanthirans recent interviews are yet another exposure of the rightward shift of the TNA and other Tamil bourgeois parties, who support US imperialisms war preparations against China. In 2015, the TNA backed the US-orchestrated regime change to oust former President Mahinda Rajapakse and install Maithripala Sirisena. It functioned as a de-facto partner of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration and endorsed its integration of the Sri Lankan military with US Pacific Command, along with the imposition of an IMF austerity program and the suppression of any inquiry into the militarys war crimes against the Tamil population. Following last years Easter Sunday bomb attacks by an Islamic terrorist group, the TNA rushed to support former President Sirisenas introduction of draconian emergency laws and its nationwide anti-terror deployment of the military. After Rajapakse came to power, the TNA leadership similarly pledged to work with him in return for a power-sharing arrangement with the Tamil elite. The response of the TNA and other Tamil nationalist parties to the coronavirus pandemic makes clear that these organisations do not represent the interests of the Tamil masses. Tamil workers must reject these right-wing pro-imperialist parties and unite across ethnic lines with their class brothers in Sri Lanka and internationally to defend their democratic and social rights on the basis of socialist policies. This is the program that the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and its sister parties in the International Committee of the Fourth International fight for. We urge all working people and youth to study the SEPs policies and read the World Socialist Web Site. The author also recommends: Coronavirus crisis in Sri Lanka: A program for the working class [28 March 2020] Sri Lanka: Billions to big business as government prepares new attacks on working people [8 April 2020] New Delhi, April 17 : After rumours that Okhla mandi in South Eastern District had been sealed, Delhi Police clarified that only some restrictions have been imposed on the crowds and the mandi has not been sealed. The street vendors have been removed in the mandi. Friday is a weekly holiday for the Mandi therefore, there were no crowds. When IANS spoke to the police about this, it turned out that it was just a rumour. Neither Okhla mandi was sealed nor was it temporarily moved or closed. Joint Commissioner of Police Devesh Chandra Srivastava told IANS, "No, the mandi has not been sealed. It may be that it looks closed due to the weekly off on Friday." South Eastern District DCP R.P. Meena also said, "No, this is wrong news. Okhla mandi is not sealed. Yes, the crowd does not gather. People should keep a distance from each other. So a lot of precautionary arrangements have been made." Okhla Mandi falls in Amar Colony police station area. IANS also talked to an officer of the Amar Colony police station about this. He also denied that the market would be sealed. According to the same officer of the police station, "We have a lot of staff for social distancing here. On Friday, there is a weekly holiday of the mandi. So today there is no rush. Anyway, the police station stationed the shops for social distancing. The hawkers in front and around the mandi have been removed so that the crowd does not gather in one place." Ontario has changed the way its reporting COVID-19 testing data in the midst of the pandemic in a move experts say may skew the true picture of how the virus is spreading in people across the province. Until this week, the Ministry of Health had been reporting the total number of patients tested for the coronavirus each day. On Wednesday, the reporting changed to include only the number of samples tested per day, and because more than one sample is taken from some patients, it was no longer possible to know how many people had been tested. This means it is now harder to know the important measure of Ontarios test positivity rate, said Todd Coleman, epidemiologist and assistant professor in health sciences at Wilfrid Laurier University. Switching how tests are reported changes the positivity rate very significantly, he said, adding that the province should report both the number of samples tested and patients to give us an accurate representation of whats happening. The positive rate the percentage of people tested for a disease who are found to actually have it can give a picture of an epidemics spread, experts say. Over time, as more people become infected, the positive rate should be expected to go up. But after the switch to the reported data, Ontarios positive rate has fallen sharply. Nearly 10 per cent of patients reported tested Tuesday were positive; that number was less than 6 per cent for samples reported Thursday. Why does this matter? Because thats how the disease works, Coleman said. Its not dependent on each test. Each test that comes back positive doesnt mean a new case. The reporting change came on the same day that Premier Doug Ford pledged testing in Ontario would hit the 8,000-per-day mark after weeks of falling short of that number, even as provincial labs expanded capacity to meet increasing demand. On Thursday, the Health Ministry reported that 9,001 tests had indeed been completed up significantly from previous days. But because of the reporting change, it was unclear whether many more people had actually been tested, or if the jump was merely the result of the switch. Well, today were at over 9,000 COVID-19 tests. Weve hit our first target, Ford said at his daily news conference Thursday. The premier did not explain that the provincial tracking data publicly available online had been quietly changed until he was pressed by a reporter. First of all, theyre accurate numbers and Im going let the minister explain it, Ford said, turning to Minister of Health Christine Elliott. Were testing some people a couple of times, maybe a week later. But they should still count as a test and that all depends on their situation but Ill pass this over to the minister, he said. Elliott downplayed the data change. The number of people who have been tested more than one time are not significant, she said. Whats more important is weve really expanded the number of people were testing in different locations; in long-term health care homes; front-line health care workers; working with Indigenous communities, working now with essential service workers. Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, said Ontarios data flip-flop was a political decision to showcase its newly increased testing ability. Its odd because what you are actually presenting, in a sense, is less data by saying were going to count the number of tests but not the number of people tested, said Furness, who has expertise in vulnerable populations and systemic issues in long-term-care facilities. Youre deliberately saying, Weve got these two data points and were only going to hand you one. Less information is never a good thing, he continued. It seems to me its a political decision to report the larger of the two numbers, to say, Look at all the testing weve done, because theres been a lot of discussion around testing capacity. So I think the premiers office may want to demonstrate, Weve built this testing capacity and now were using this testing capacity, and I think its a political consideration. At the news conference, Elliott also said the data change brings Ontario more in line with what most other provinces are doing and the way theyre reporting, principally British Columbia. Canadian provinces are not uniform in their data collection. Some use totals for people tested, some use total samples tested. Alberta and Saskatchewan track both. Both are important, said Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease expert based out of Toronto General Hospital. I bet that data (in Ontario) is available and I think it would be helpful to have both, because some people are testing multiple times a) because they tested negative but they still have symptoms so they get tested again; b) some people are health-care providers and need to get tested more than once to make sure that they test negative so they can go back to work, Bogoch said. People tested is important because we want to know how many people have this infection. Samples tested is important because that gives us an understanding of what the lab capacity is. So I think theyre both important and Id want both data points. Bjoern Wylezich / TNS NEW HAVEN A city man will serve 15 months in federal prison after he was found in possession of a stolen gun, according to federal authorities. Nyejire Polo Redmond, 20, was sentenced Thursday to serve one year and three months in prison, time already served, followed by three years of supervised release, a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney for Connecticut John Durham said. A loyalist paramilitary serial killer turned police informer received an unduly lenient prison sentence, the Court of Appeal has ruled . Senior judges ordered held that the six and a half year term imposed on so-called supergrass Gary Haggarty should be increased to ten years. Now freed, the former Ulster Volunteer Force chief will not face a return to jail because his campaign of sectarian murders was carried out before the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. But the court still found Haggarty should have been facing a minimum 40-year sentence before applying discount for his confessions and information supplied on hundreds of other paramilitary crimes. Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan said: "We are satisfied, therefore, that the tariff of six and a half years was unduly lenient given the catalogue of infamy and murder of which he was guilty. We substitute a tariff of 10 years. "That represents a very considerable discount from a 40-year starting point and provides a generous incentive for those who are prepared to assist in combating terrorist violence." The ruling came in a challenge by the Public Prosecution Service to the sentence ultimately imposed on the 48-year-old. Haggarty is currently living at a secret location under witness protection under the terms of an assisting offender arrangement he entered into. He admitted more than 500 offences committed while part of a notorious terror unit based in north Belfast. His catalogue of offences extended over 16 years, from 1991 to 2007, and included the five murders: Sean McParland, 55, a father of four from south Belfast gunned down while babysitting his grandchildren at a house in Skegoniel Avenue, Belfast in February 1994. Catholic workmen Eamon Fox, 44, and Gary Convie, 24, shot dead close to a building site on Belfast's North Queen Street in May 1994. Sean McDermott, a 37-year-old Catholic shot found shot dead in his car near Antrim in August 1994. John Harbinson, murdered after being handcuffed and beaten by a UVF gang on the Mount Vernon estate in north Belfast in May 1997. Haggarty also aided and abetted the murder of Peter McTasney, who was shot dead in his home on the northern outskirts of the city in front of his three-year-old daughter in February 1991. He also confessed to a further five attempted murders, including against police officers; multiple counts of conspiracy to murder; directing terrorism; and membership of a proscribed organisation. He pleaded guilty as part of a controversial state deal that offered a reduced sentence in return for providing evidence on other terror suspects. In January 2018 his prison term was slashed from 35 years to six-and-a-half years due to the information supplied on scores of loyalist killings and attempted murders. But only one man is to be prosecuted over a murder using his evidence. Despite Haggarty's release in May 2018 due to time served on remand, the PPS sought to have his sentence reviewed and increased. Lawyers for the prosecution argued that the starting point should have been a whole life tariff before mitigating and aggravating features were taken into account. The court was told Haggarty played a central role in "callously" plotting the deaths of Catholic victims because of their religion. Defence lawyers responded, however, by arguing that the legal move was academic - because the ex-loyalist boss will not face a return to prison. However, the appeal represented an opportunity to give judicial guidance on future cases involving assisting offenders. Sir Declan stressed the "utmost seriousness" of Haggary's crimes. "His killings were professional in the sense that they were acts committed to further the aims of a well-resourced and much feared terrorist gang," the judge said. "The terrorist gang claimed to have political motivation. The victims were deliberately targeted because of their religion. "In the killing of Mr Harbinson in particular there was evidence of gratuitous violence involving extensive and multiple injuries." However, he also acknowledged Haggarty provided pre-emptive intelligence, allowing police to take prior action in approximately 44 potential incidents. At least 34 individuals were identified as being under threat, enabling the authorities to take mitigating action. "The offender was, of course, remunerated in respect of his information and continued to operate at a high level within this terrorist organisation," Sir Declan added. "There is no doubt that his position within the organisation made useful information available to him which he passed to police, but it is also clear that he felt at liberty to engage in serious terrorist activity during this period." Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 22:32:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Yu Hong (L), the Chinese Ambassador to Brunei, transfers the medical supplies donated by China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to Brunei's Minister at the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy Haji Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, April 16, 2020. (Xinhua) BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Brunei received medical donations from China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Thursday, as a part of the bilateral cooperation in fighting the COVID-19 outbreak. Yu Hong, the Chinese Ambassador to Brunei, transferred the medical supplies donated by Guangxi to Brunei's Minister at the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy Haji Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah on Thursday. "The Brunei-Guangxi Economic Corridor, an important cooperation project between China and Brunei, has been highly valued and actively supported by the leaders of both countries since its inception. Currently, represented by the Maura Port project, the cooperation between the two sides is developing smoothly, and new cooperation projects are being actively promoted," Yu Hong said. In a letter to the Brunei minister, Chen Wu, chairman of the autonomous regional government, appreciated the assistance, encouragement and donations of medical supplies from the Brunei government and people when Guangxi was in critical moments combating the COVID-19 for the last two months. "As Brunei is currently facing challenges of COVID-19 outbreak, the Guangxi government and its people feel empathy and would like to extend their support and make donations of medical supplies to Brunei." "I believe that the Brunei government and people will overcome the outbreak and maintain stable economic and social development," Chen said. Haji Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah thanked the government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and China's central government for the medical cooperation and donations to Brunei and expressed the willingness to strengthen cooperation with Guangxi and continuously promote the cooperation in the building of the economic corridor. The medical supplies include 12,700 N95 protective masks, 10,000 disposable surgical masks, 500 disposable surgical gowns, 1,000 goggles and 250 infrared thermometers. "The mutual support between Guangxi and Brunei at the critical moment to fight the COVID-1 pandemic fully embodies the deep friendship between the two countries, and has further enriched the content in building the Brunei-Guangxi Economic Corridor," Yu Hong added. Enditem While the White House will not reopen the federal health care exchanges, many unemployed folks will still be able to sign up for an Obamacare plan, including the millions of workers who have lost employer-provided coverage so far because of the coronavirus crisis. Losing your job is a qualifying life event that allows you to get coverage via the federal marketplace outside the normal open enrollment period. To do so, you must apply within 60 days of losing access to your employer-based insurance. Eleven of the states with their own health-insurance exchanges, plus the District of Columbia, will offer special enrollment periods, allowing anyone who is eligible under the Affordable Care Act rules to sign up. Those states are California, Connecticut, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Idaho is the only state with its own exchange that will not be holding a special enrollment period. In addition, 36 states and the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid coverage so that adults with income up to 138% of the federal poverty level can qualify. Note that unemployment benefits count as income under Medicaid rules, but the expanded benefits included as part of recent legislation to address the coronavirus outbreak will not affect eligibility. Uncle Sam will also pay health care providers to treat uninsured individuals for COVID-19, using money from two recent coronavirus aid packages. To be eligible for the funds, health care providers are not allowed to balance-bill their patients. 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. 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. Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17 By Jeyhun Alakbarov - Trend: The number of passengers transported in Azerbaijan by buses moving inside the countrys cities (excluding in Baku) and districts during the special quarantine regime dropped by 85 percent, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijan's State Road Transport Service on April 17. According to the report, 231,624 citizens were transported from April 1 through April 3; 124,292 - from April 4 through April 6; 63,653 from April 7 through April 9; 69,043 - from April 10 through April 12; and 73,275 - from April 13 through April 15. The number of passengers transported from April 13 through April 15 decreased by 68.4 percent compared to early April. The buses servicing Baku-Sumgayit, Baku-Absheron and Sumgayit-Absheron routes transported 75,400 passengers from April 1 through April 3; 54,405 from April 4 through April 6; 45,275 from April 7 through April 9; 43,460 from April 10 through 12; and 46,160 from April 13 through April 15. The number of passengers transported from April 13 through 15 decreased by 38.8 percent compared to early April. The service also noted that no coronavirus infection cases were recorded among drivers of buses moving within Azerbaijani cities and districts outside the Absheron Peninsula, as well as between Baku and Sumgayit, Baku and Absheron district, Sumgayit and Absheron district inside the peninsula. In order to prevent coronavirus infection spread in the country and possible consequences caused as a result of the infection, Azerbaijan announced a special quarantine regime from 00:00 (GMT+4) March 24 through April 20. The special quarantine regime envisages restriction of entry and exit to/from Baku, Sumgayit and Absheron, except for special-purpose vehicles, banning those above the age of 65 from leaving home, gathering in groups of more than 10 people in public places, including on the streets, boulevards, parks and other places. I join the entire CTA family in extending our sincerest condolences to his family, friends and loved ones, CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. said in a statement from the agency. For nearly 20 years, this hardworking and dedicated gentleman was committed to making sure our customers had the best transit experience possible. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly says the coronavirus tracing app being developed by the national cabinet will be key to containing the virus, as the federal government ramps up its campaign for Australians to agree to have their movements logged. Strengthening the contact tracing system was one way authorities were aiming to get the coronavirus under sufficient control to begin relaxing harsh social distancing rules, he said, echoing Prime Minister Scott Morrison's description of the app as an "industrial" tracing capability. The government is ramping up its push for Australians to agree to download a tracing app on their phones. "It's really a technological component of what is standard practice for public health practitioners," Professor Kelly told reporters in Canberra on Friday. "I've talked here before about the disease detectives we have and we have trained many of them in Australia." Representative image Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Friday there has never been a cover-up of the coronavirus outbreak in China and the government does not allow any cover-ups. Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing that the revision of the case toll in Wuhan, where the epidemic first emerged in late 2019, was the result of a statistical verification to ensure accuracy and that revision is a common international practice. Wuhan's health authority earlier on Thursday revised up its cumulative death toll by 50 percent to 3,869 to rectify what it called incorrect reporting, delays and omissions. Some, including US President Donald Trump, have openly questioned the accuracy of China's disclosures regarding the scale of the epidemic in the country.Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here The Taoiseach has ordered an urgent review after a charter flight brought almost 200 seasonal workers into Ireland during the coronavirus lockdown. The flight from Sofia arrived at Dublin Airport earlier this week, transporting 189 Bulgarian workers to be deployed on fruit farms owned by Dublin company Keelings. Leo Varadkar has ordered a review into the rules and procedures around travel into Ireland during the ongoing health emergency. Health Minister Simon Harris and chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan also expressed concern at the incident. We need to keep travel to a minimum and ensure that passengers are interviewed on arrival and that quarantine is observed Mr Varadkar said: I share the discomfort expressed by the chief medical officer about the report of a large number of people coming to Ireland earlier this week to work in the horticulture sector. We need to keep our airports and ports open so essential goods and essential workers can get in and out of the country and Irish citizens and residents can return home. However, we need to keep travel to a minimum and ensure that passengers are interviewed on arrival and that quarantine is observed. I have therefore asked for an urgent review of the current rules and procedures to be carried out over the weekend. That review will be considered by the Cabinet Committee on Covid-19 on Monday and any changes that are necessary in light of that review will be made. Earlier, Mr Harris voiced concern in a Twitter video, saying: I feel deeply uneasy about this, I dont think the idea of chartering planes at this time to bring people into our country is a good idea. Friday evening update on #coronavirus #Covid19 - National Public Health Emergency Meeting, ramping up testing, more measures for nursing homes & why we need you to #stayhome https://t.co/eqE53u0vc4 Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) April 17, 2020 At a time were asking people to socially distance, the idea that a chartered plane, on which you cant socially distance, would be coming into our country is something which makes me feel uneasy. Chief medical officer Dr Holohan said companies flying migrant workers into the country was not currently consistent with public health advice. Keelings has faced widespread criticism due to the strict public health measures in place to stop the spread of Covid-19. Dr Holohan was asked about the incident at Fridays coronavirus briefing by the National Public Health Emergency Team. He said he was not comfortable with companies chartering flights to bring large numbers of workers into the country. He said he only found out about the Keelings flight after it had arrived. It wouldnt really be consistent with the public health advice that weve been giving, he said. And I think some of that advice does have implications in relation to travel and for people who are travelling and weve been very clear and consistent in what that advice is. He said travel should be limited to Irish citizens returning home from abroad and to those engaged in keeping vital supply lines operating. I dont want to be critical of any individual or any individual circumstance, I dont know the details of the circumstances, Im aware of in general terms whats been reported in the media, he added. COLLEGE PARK, Md., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cybrary, the world's largest online cybersecurity career development platform, today announced its first Scholars Program to support those impacted by COVID-19 and who seek careers in the Information Technology (IT) and cybersecurity fields. As part of the inaugural cohort, program recipients will receive a free year of Cybrary's Insider Pro membership, as well as a year of mentorship with an experienced Cybrary community mentor and a CompTIA Exam Voucher. The Insider Pro membership offers access to Cybrary's platform, allowing members to gain a community of mentors and industry peers, Career Development Programs, hands-on virtual labs, and role-specific assessments as defined by the knowledge, skills and abilities in the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. "After seeing so many lives and communities significantly impacted by COVID-19, we wanted to extend support to our global community during these difficult times," said Ryan Corey, CEO and co-founder of Cybrary. "Through the Scholars Program, we're committed to not only helping during the immediate crisis, but we're also supporting the long term goals of future IT and cybersecurity leaders throughout their career progression. We strongly believe that by helping these individuals reach their goals, together we can make a greater impact in the community." The Cybrary Scholars Program aims to support those impacted either financially or professionally, during the pandemic, including those who have been laid off, furloughed, experienced reduced hours, or are unable to fulfill a professional opportunity. Scholars will be selected from a committee made up of Cybrary leadership and community members and will be assessed on their level of commitment to the IT and cybersecurity fields, community engagement, urgency of need, and impact. Applicants are not required to have professional experience nor do they need to meet specific age requirements. Those interested in applying for the Cybrary Scholars Program can apply here and current Cybrary members are also eligible to apply. The application deadline is May 1, 2020. About Cybrary Cybrary is the world's largest cybersecurity learning and certification preparation platform. Its ecosystem of industry professionals, companies, content, and technologies converge to create the fastest growing catalog of online courses and experiential tools that provide IT and cyber security learning opportunities to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Visit www.cybrary.it to learn more. Media Contact Lexie Janney Merritt Group for Cybrary [email protected] (703) 390-1531 SOURCE Cybrary BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17 Trend: The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is ready to assist Turkmenistan in improving distance education, Trend reports with reference to Zolotoy Vek (Golden Age) newspaper. Representatives of WIPO and Turkmenistans several ministries attended a meeting, which was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan in a videoconference format. The participants discussed the issue of Turkmenistan's accession to The Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organisations. Turkmenistan has adopted a law on copyright and is currently working to bring this law up to international standards, the report said. The meeting participants also discussed prospects of Turkmenistan's accession to the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled. WIPO is a part of the UN that deals with the use of intellectual property. Turkmenistan joined WIPO in 1995. WIPO is the oldest international organization in the field of intellectual property protection, which was formed on July 14, 1964. Since 1998, the WIPO worldwide academy is engaged in training of human resources in the field of intellectual property protection. It has a distant learning center that allows receiving education via the Internet. The former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani has condemned the criteria adopted by President Muhammadu Buharis administration to identify beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme. It will be recalled the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq had announced that Nigerians with N5,000 or less in their bank accounts and those who buy N100 call credit will benefit from the coronavirus lockdown palliatives from the government in terms of cash transfers. She said people in such categories are considered poor and will be added to the expanded National Social Register to benefit from government palliatives. However, Sani noted that in a country that pays N30,000 as minimum wage, the decision to only pay those with less than N5,000 during the lockdown period is illogical and irrational. In a country where the minimum wage is officially 30k;to deny a citizen 5k because he has 5k in his account under lockdown with no end in sight is illogical and irrational. The Poor can be accused of many things, but the poor did not import #COVID-19 into our country; Stop killing or convicting them over lockdown violations. There should be a more civilized and lenient way of punishing the innocent, he wrote on Twitter. Share this post with your Friends on Verizon Communications Inc on Thursday agreed to buy BlueJeans Network Inc, a rival of Zoom Video Communications Inc, for less than $500 million as it looks to tap into the new-found popularity of video-conferencing apps. Shelter-in-place orders to contain the spread of the new coronavirus have pushed companies to adopt news ways of doing business, leading to a surge in demand for video-conferencing apps such as Zoom, Cisco's Webex and Microsoft's Teams. BlueJeans has about 15,000 enterprise clients and counts Facebook Inc and Standard Chartered among its major customers. BlueJeans co-founder and Executive Chairman Krish Ramakrishnan said the deal was negotiated during the last three months mainly using the company's video-conferencing tool. "This is the new norm," he said, referring to how the deal was clinched in a virtual setup that also included the use of e-signatures. The company is already a partner of Verizon, with the meeting app being offered to customers under the telecom company's unified communications and collaboration services. "Verizon got a good deal, but BlueJeans had been trying to sell itself for months," Piper Sandler analyst James Fish said. The deal comes at a time when rival Zoom has seen its popularity surge, with its daily active users soaring to 200 million from about 10 million before the pandemic started to spread. Zoom has a market valuation of $42 billion. Ramakrishnan said BlueJeans was not able to bolster its sales and marketing in the past as it needed more capital. "In the last month, we have been growing, but we needed more capital to grow and it was better for our customers and our employees that we joined forces with Verizon," he said. The deal, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is expected to close in the second quarter. Evercore and Goodwin Procter were advisers to BlueJeans, while Debevoise & Plimpton was adviser to Verizon. Verizon would integrate BlueJeans into its 5G product plan, aiming to tap areas such as telemedicine and distance learning, said Tami Erwin, group CEO of Verizon Business. A mother who's had 10 children in 10 years with her pastor husband, is keen to increase her brood to 12 - just like the couple in the 2003 Steve Martin comedy, Cheaper By The Dozen. Courtney Rogers, 36, who was a virgin bride when she married Chris Rogers, 32, in October 2008, has not been without a baby bump for more than nine months since tying the knot. The couple who live in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, have just one 'date night' away from their children each year. They have six boys and four girls aged between nine months and ten years, all of whom are home-schooled and ferried around their neighborhood in a 15 seater van. The family lives on a 12 acre plot, spending around $1,200 (975) each month on food. In January the family went on an economy drive in order to save money; they stopped eating out and making fun purchases, because it was costing them well over $1,000 (812) a month. Courtney Rogers, 36, who has ten children with her husband Chris Rogers, 32, revealed they're hoping to increase their brood. Pictured: The couple with Clint, 10, Clay, eight, Cade, seven, Callie, six, Cash, five, twins Colt and Case, four, Calena, two, Caydue, 21 months and Coralee, 10 months The family who live in New Mexico, spend around $1,200 (975) each month on food and the children are happy to wear hand-me-down clothes. Pictured left to right: Caydie, Case, Cade, Coralee, Clint, Callie, Clay, Colt, Calena and Cash The children are happy to wear hand-me-down clothes and shoes, and the family shops in the sales to cut costs. Once a year they enjoy a family holiday for a week, camping near relatives in Georgia, 1,500 miles away - which costs them $1,000 (812) for travel and expenses. At Christmas, Courtney and Chris forgo presents for one another, so they can spend $1,000 (812) on gifts for their children. Their last child-free date together was in November, when friends looked after their children. Courtney said: 'We walked downtown and ate a little something at several restaurants. 'Then we went in a few shops and ended the night at the symphony listening to Handel's Messiah. It was very nice and we both enjoyed the quiet time alone.' The couple love their life as part of a massive family and have no desire to stop having children any time soon. 'We want to have more if we can,' said Courtney, whose youngest children Caydie and Coralee were born just 361 days apart. Courtney revealed they hope to have to have more children, and perhaps become a family of 14. Pictured: The family at the supermarket Courtney who teaches local children at her church, in addition to home-schooling her own kids said she loves knowing what her children are learning. Pictured: Courtney with Coralee 'We want to have 12 children, a family of 14 even. 'My husband is the eldest of 10, so before we got married, he joked about having as many as his mother had. 10 children in 10 years March 13, 2010 - Clint was born weighing 8lbs 14oz July 26, 2011 - Clay was born weighing 7lbs 13oz September 16, 2012 - Cade was born weighing 6lbs 9oz July 25, 2013 - Callie was born weighing 4lbs 8oz October 24, 2014 - Cash was born weighing 7lbs 6oz September 12, 2015 - Colt was born weighing 4 lbs 6 oz September 12, 2015 - Case was born weighing 3lbs 8oz May 9, 2017 - Calena was born weighing 6 lbs 6oz June 10, 2018 - Caydie was born weighing 7lbs 9oz June 6, 2019 - Coralee was born weighing 8lbs 9oz Advertisement 'The kids want us to be like the film Cheaper by the Dozen, where the parents compromise their careers to raise 12 children. 'Having several kids in diapers at once and having lots of strollers this is normal life to us.' Keeping two bottle-fed lambs, dogs and chickens on the 12 acres of land where they live, neither Chris or Courtney who were both home-schooled, find teaching their children a chore. 'I love having them with me all the time and seeing them learn and knowing what they are learning,' said Courtney, who also teaches local children at her church on Sundays, but is not currently doing so due to the coronavirus lockdown. 'I can adapt the lessons to each child and I don't have to make them sit for hours all day. I love how it's flexible and the kids can run around outside or feed the lambs between lessons. 'I'm more like a tutor. I'll set the children work to do and they will come up to me and ask me questions about it. I've often got a baby in my arms, or I'm changing a nappy and I'll have four kids queuing up to ask me a maths question.' Courtney and Chris met through a mutual friend at a church camp in Georgia in 2007. Pictured left to right: Calena, Case, Cade, Clay, Callie, Caydie, Colt, Cash, Clint and Coralee at the park Since meeting through mutual friends at a church camp in Georgia in 2007, Courtney and Chris have become soul mates. They spent a year living 300 miles apart, with her in North Carolina and him in Georgia before tying the knot in October 2008, when she moved states to join him. And two months after getting married, Courtney who is the eldest of six children discovered that she was pregnant. 'Sadly, I had a miscarriage,' she said. 'When I got that positive result, it was a dream come true, but then we lost it in the December.' Just five months later, she fell pregnant again, with their firstborn Clint. Courtney who doesn't use birth control, is adamant that her massive family is a personal choice rather than because of religious reasons. Pictured: Chris and Courtney Then, seven years ago and several babies later, they moved to New Mexico. Courtney, who has never suffered with morning sickness, continued: 'I love being pregnant. I love growing another person inside me, thinking about what they will be like and picking out names.' Unhappy about using birth control, although she swears it is not for religious reasons, Courtney is adamant that her massive family is a personal choice. 'Some people think it's for religious reasons, but it's not,' she said. 'I am the only mother at our church who has lots of kids. I think the most anyone else has is four. 'I have never been comfortable going on birth control, as I don't like the idea of taking a pill.' The mother-of-ten revealed morning is the most hectic part of the day, although the older children have chores to help the day run smoothly. Pictured: Coralee Mother to Clint, 10, Clay, eight, Cade, seven, Callie, six, Cash, five, twins Colt and Case, four, Calena, two, Caydue, 21 months and Coralee, 10 months, Courtney has had seven vaginal births, two caesareans and, sadly, two miscarriages. Superbly organised, she and Chris usually start the day at 7.30am, when they wake up with baby Coralee and put together breakfast of cereal and fruit for the other children, who are up and out of bed by 8am. 'The morning is the most hectic part of the day there is always so much going on, with kids running everywhere,' explained Courtney. The older children, who each have chores to make sure the day runs smoothly, help clear up after breakfast and Courtney starts her day of classes giving the kids a break after a few hours to help bottle feed the lambs. 'On a good day, I will also get three washing machine loads of clothes etc done,' she said. Chris who is a pastor at their local church, sometimes does odd jobs around the town including landscaping and construction to bring in extra cash. Pictured clockwise: Caydie, Calena, Case, Colt, Cade, Chris, Clay, Clint, Cash, Callie and Coralee eating lunch 'Then everybody helps out with lunch - it will be something like sandwiches or leftovers - and I'll put the little ones down for their afternoon nap, while the other kids watch a movie or get their chores done.' Chris who is a pastor at their local church, is usually home for dinner, which could be lamb fajitas or pizza, but sometimes works late, doing odd jobs around the town, such as landscaping, construction, or helping with renovations at home and at the church building, to bring in extra cash. The enterprising couple are also extending their house to give them five bedrooms, as well as creating additional accommodation to generate an income. Courtney explained: 'We moved a little shed onto our land last year, which we are trying to renovate and do up, so we can rent it out and earn some extra money.' Courtney has been told there is a higher risk of haemorrhaging if you have lots of babies, but she's not worried. Pictured: Courtney with Cade Courtney who had her first baby at age 25, claims she didn't think they would all come so fast. Pictured: The family at the beach The family, who their mother says seldom argue, even try and do their bit for the environment, by using cloth nappies and wipes during the day and bamboo nappies at night, which can be composted. Meanwhile, despite the World Health Organisation recommending a gap of 18 to 24 months between pregnancies, Courtney who was advised by doctors after the caesareans to try and leave a longer time if she wants to have vaginal births sees no reason to stop having children any time soon. 'I've been told there is a higher risk of haemorrhaging if you have lots of babies, but that's never been something which has worried or affected me, because I give birth in hospitals so they are prepared,' she said. 'I had my first baby when I was 25. I didn't think they would all come so fast, but, of course, I wouldn't change it.' Not all Courtney's pregnancies and births have been without incident. Courtney gave birth to baby number three, Cade, on the driveway. Pictured left to right: Cash, Case, Colt, Clay, Cade, Coralee, Clint, Calena, Callie, Caydie at Christmas Baby number three, Cade, came so quickly that Courtney gave birth to him on the driveway outside their house. 'That's our exciting birth story,' she said. 'I began to get contractions on his due date. 'After the in-laws picked up the oldest two boys, we headed to the hospital to be checked and monitored. I was already 3cm dilated, but after a while on the monitor, my contractions basically stopped and the nurse got instructions to send me home. 'We arrived home around 2am, exhausted, and went straight to bed. A few hours later, I woke up with a horrible pain. 'I called the hospital again and was told to come in, so made my way outside, but when I got to the car, I couldn't go any further. It was time to push!' Paramedics arrived just in time to deliver Cade on the driveway. Courtney gave birth to baby number four Callie, with a caesarean delivery because of complications. Pictured: The family at the supermarket 'From the time I woke up, to the delivery was only 15 to 20 minutes,' said Courtney, who has given birth to most of her babies alone. 'For most of my births, Chris has dropped me off at hospital, then had to go home to look after the other kids. Baby number four, Callie, was a Cesarean delivery, due to complications caused by placenta previa - when the placenta partially or totally covers the mother's cervix. This meant Courtney started bleeding at just over 33 weeks, prompting the emergency Cesarean. She then had a second Cesarean with the twins. And she had a second miscarriage at 11 weeks when she fell pregnant after having Colt and Case, who were born six weeks early in September 2015, weighing just 4lbs 6oz and 3lbs 8oz, respectively. 'When the twins were five months old, I fell pregnant again,' she said. Courtney said she was unable to go anywhere on her own, when she was bringing up seven children under the age of six. Pictured: The girls 'But I had a miscarriage at 11 weeks, which was hard, because it was further along than my first miscarriage.' At one point, bringing up seven children under the age of six, even Courtney admits it was 'challenging.' 'I could not go anywhere on my own and it stopped me from doing anything alone,' she said. 'It's easier now they are all older.' Still, Courtney is quick to shoot down in flames anyone who criticises her and Chris for having such a massive family. She said: 'I have been criticized for having them so close together, but I take good care of myself and my babies. 'The people who ask how I can give all my kids enough attention are usually those who send their kids off to school. Courtney revealed the family start celebrating Christmas from the beginning of November, buying new clothes and presents for each child. Pictured: Clay and Cash Courtney said she doesn't regret the number of children she's had. Pictured: The family having a BBQ 'I do not understand their logic when I am around my kids 24 hours a day.' And she and Chris always make sure that none of their children miss out particularly at special times, like Christmas. She said: 'We start celebrating right at the beginning of November, with music and decorations. 'We get them all new pyjamas, an outfit for Christmas Day and we get each of them three or four presents, plus stocking fillers. 'We ask them what they want and we can usually get everything they ask for. 'I do not regret having so many children the more the merrier as far as I'm concerned. 'Chris and I love being parents and, as a family, we have a great time together.' Chris added: 'It gives me such pleasure to see them growing up. 'Each have their own gifts, and I love to see them using them around the home and at church.' You can follow Courtney on Instagram @littlehouseinthehighdesert On Thursday night, Mr. Cohens lawyer, Roger B. Adler, said that, after two weeks in quarantine, his client would be granted release into home confinement because of the virus risks. Prosecutors declined to comment on the agencys decision to let Mr. Cohen serve his sentence at his home in Manhattan, which was reported on Thursday by CNN. Lawyers for at least six other inmates in the Otisville camp said their clients also had been informed they would be furloughed to lessen the possibility of their contracting the virus. Some were told they would finish their sentences in home confinement. Others were told they were being furloughed to home confinement, meaning they might be required to return to the prison camp. One defense lawyer, Steve Zissou, said his client was informed that the entire camp was told last night to pack up were shutting down the camp. Mr. Taylor, the prisons spokesman, on Friday morning denied that the site was being shuttered. It is not true that the camp is closing, nor is it true that all the inmates at the camp are being moved out, he said. Defense lawyers said Mr. Cohen and the other inmates were told they would be held in quarantine at Otisvilles medium-security prison for 14 days to ensure they do not have the virus before being sent to their homes. On Friday afternoon, a Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman, Susan Allison, acknowledged that the camp inmates were being moved to the medium-security prison and would be screened for eligibility for home confinement. She said all were being preemptively quarantined in case they qualify. Since criticism had mounted on US President Donald Trump for halting funds for the World Health Organisation amid pandemic, he took on Twitter to slam the UN health agency on April 17 for ignoring the alerts sent by Taiwan regarding the human-to-human transmission of the novel virus in the preliminary stage of the outbreak. Trump also questioned WHO for spreading misleading, inaccurate information about the coronavirus in January, February since it was discovered in Chian in December 2019. The US President also held WHO accountable for the delay in taking decisive action. Why did the W.H.O. Ignore an email from Taiwanese health officials in late December alerting them to the possibility that CoronaVirus could be transmitted between humans? Why did the W.H.O. make several claims about the CoronaVirus that ere either inaccurate or misleading.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020 ....in January and February, as the Virus spread globally? Why did the W.H.O. wait as long as it did to take decisive action? Lanhee Chen, Hoover Institution Fellow @FoxNews Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020 Read - Oil Climbs As Trump Lays Out Reopening Of Virus-hit US Read - COVID-19: Donald Trump Unveils 3-phase Plan To Reopen US Economy Trump stops WHO funding US had previously threatened the United Nations health agency to stop funding and accused the latter of being China-centric. However, Trump officially announced on April 14 (local time) that the country will halt funds to WHO and the American authorities will review the mismanaging of COVID-19 outbreak. While China urged the US to fulfil its obligations especially during the pandemic, Trump has said that WHO failed in its basic duty and must be held accountable. According to international media reports, Trump claimed that US used to fund at least $400 - $500 million to the World Health Organisation, every year, whereas China roughly funded $40 million. Moreover, the US President also believes that the outbreak would have been contained in the early stages if WHO had urged China to be more transparent and sent medical experts to the mainland for assessment of the situation. Earlier, Taiwan had accused the WHO of not communicating an early caution about human-to-human transmission and slowing the drastic spread of the pandemic. According to reports, the Taiwanese doctors had learned from their colleagues in mainland China where the fatal virus was originated in December 2019 that the medical staff were falling ill from then-unnamed Coronavirus. It was the signal that the COVID-19 was being passed among humans and the WHO was made aware of the same on December 31. However, it was not communicated to other countries who later struggled to stem the spread of Coronavirus. Read - President Donald Trump Believes American Sports Could Resume Behind Closed Doors Read - 'Our Prayers Are With You': Melania Trump Tells UK PM's Fiancee Amid COVID-19 Crisis : The Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) is playing an active role in filling the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL) underground crude oil caverns at its Mangaluru and Padur facilities. The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has mandated ISPRL to work closely with public sector oil companies, including MRPL, to achieve the target of filling up Mangaluru and Padur caverns, a press release said here. The target can be achieved by taking advantage of the prevailing very low crude oil prices in the international market, the release said. The series of crude oil cargoes of varying volumes from one million barrels to two million barrels, being sourced by MRPL, IOCL and BPCL, would be unloaded in the Single Point Mooring (SPM) of MRPL falling under the jurisdiction of NMPT during April and May, before the onset of the monsoon in the region. The ministry had already informed through a tweet that it is going an extra mile to meet the country's energy security in spite of the COVID-19 challenge. Crude oil cargoes at low prices are lined up to reach Mangalore port during April and early May to completely fill the strategic petroleum reserves (SPRs) at Mangaluru and Padur, the release said. MRPL managing director M Venkatesh confirmed that the first consignment of two million barrels by MRPL and the second consignment of one million barrels by IOCL have already been successfully unloaded into the caverns. Taking advantage of the low crude oil prices, ISPRL has started filling the country's strategic petroleum reserves to enhance the energy security of the nation. MRPL, IOCL, BPCL and HPCL are associated in this exercise to fill the three SPRs located at Visakapatnam, Mangaluru and Padur. MRPLs role is crucial in filling the 1.5-million metric tonne facility in Mangalore and 2.5-million metric tonne facility at Padur as it extends its SPM and booster station facilities for this activity. The SPM facility, located 17 km from the shore and within its jurisdiction in the Arabian sea, would be utilised to pump crude oil from ships of different size including VLCC (very large crude carriers) vessels, the release said. Crude discharged from the ship through SPM and subsea pipeline reaches the MRPL booster station located at the landfall point. From the booster station, the crude is routed through the crude oil pipeline to Mangaluru ISPRL cavern located within Mangalore Special Economic Zone or through the booster pump to caverns located in Padur in Udupi district, 30 km from here. MRPL, Karnatakas sole hydrocarbon refinery, is a central public sector organisation under the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas and a subsidiary of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). The refinery constitutes 7 per cent of the nation's crude oil refining capacity and meets the demands of Karnataka and neighbouring regions of bordering states. It is sustaining the refinery operations at 50 per cent capacity to meet the critical demand of LPG and ensuring availability of petrol and diesel to all oil marketing companies in this hour of crisis, the release said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) State officials revealed Thursday that 375 nursing home patients have died from coronavirus in Connecticut including 15 at a Shelton facility. The grim death toll stretches across the state, ignoring community size, income statistics and density levels. In New Canaan, the Waveny Care Center lost nine patients and 11 others have coronavirus. At the Jewish Senior Services nursing home in Bridgeport, six patients have died and 23 have the virus. Nine patients died at the Golden Hill Rehab Pavilion in Milford and 67 are suffering from COVID-19. Two other Milford nursing homes have seen three deaths. The data shows that overall 1,713 nursing homes patients are suffering from COVID-19. Those patients are spread among roughly half of the states 215 nursing homes, which collectively contain about 15,000 beds. Josh Geballe, commissioner of the state Department of Administrative Services, praised nursing home staff for keeping the infection and death toll at current levels. Its a real testament to our nursing homes, the nurses and the staff they have there and the work they have been doing, to put in place the right infection control procedures, Geballe said. He noted the death toll represents about two percent of all patients at a state nursing home. We know this is a highly at-risk population, Gabelle noted. We have seen that across the nation and across the world and the teams are doing great work in our nursing homes to really try to protect those nursing homes, he added. In response to the virus taking a hold on the states nursing homes, Gov. Ned Lamont is moving patients into four COVID-only nursing homes and segregating other patients at their facilities when possible. Weeks ago, the state banned family visits and took other measures to stem the spread of the virus. Still, death and infection spread across the state. Garner Heights Health Care Center in Shelton, a 130-bed facility, has seen 15 deaths since the pandemic hit the state. Only one nursing home in Waterbury has hit that single facility total. Two other Shelton nursing homes, Bishop-Wicke Health and Rehabilitation and Apple Shelton Lakes, also lost patients 13 at Apple and 12 at Bishop-Wicke. In Stamford, 15 patients have died and 93 have the disease at five different nursing homes. In fact, big city nursing homes are seeing deaths and infections at a similar rate to their small town counterparts. Torringtons Litchfield Woods nursing home lost 12 patients and 38 patients have the disease. New Haven lost two patients at the RegalCare and Mary Wade Home nursing homes and 66 have the virus. The Milford Health and Rehabilitation Center suffered one death and has 13 patients have COVID-19. The West River Rehab Center lost two patients and seven patients have the disease. In Hamden, six patients died at the Arden House and Hamden Rehabilitation & Health Care Center. Gov. Ned Lamont said 103 more statewide fatalities had brought the total coronavirus death toll to 971. Hospitalizations are flattening and the governor drew some optimism from a 10 percent decline in Fairfield County hospital admissions, the region with the most cases. A net increase of 18 hospitalizations was reported, and a total 15,884 COVID-19 cases were reported, up 1,129 from Wednesday. bcummings@ctpost.com (Photo : REUTERS/Kacper Pempel) Backlit keyboard is reflected in screen of Apple Macbook Pro notebook computer in Warsaw February 6, 2012. Banks in the United States raise fraud alerts as the country struggles with the coronavirus pandemic. They sent emails to their clients as well as set-up their pages to tackle online fraud activities. This confirms the recent warning from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) earlier this month. The FBI alerts about the increasing scams, which targets those who do fund transfers. Recently, there was an increase in business email compromise to institutions purchasing personal protective equipment or other supplies needed to combat coronavirus. Recent attempts of BEC include a financial institution that received an email allegedly from the CEO of a company. There was a previously scheduled a transfer of $1 million, but the BEC requested to change the transfer date and the recipient account due to the COVID-19 quarantine protocols. The email address used by the fraudsters was almost identical to the CEO's actual email address, with only one letter changed. Another case was with a bank customer who received an email from a certain "client" in China. The "client" requested to change all invoice payments to a different bank because they hardy access their regular bank accounts because of "coronavirus audits." The victim sent several wires to the new bank account, leading to significant loss before fraud discovery. READ ALSO: COVID-19 Cure? Patients Have Started To Respond To Remdesivir Banks warn clients Bank of America sent out an email earlier this week to advise its customers to ignore unsolicited messages requesting for their personal or account information such as PINs, access codes, or Federal Student Aid (FSA) I.D.s. Like all cybersecurity analysts, the bank advised its clients to validate a suspicious email request by calling the bank's official phone number. Citibank also alerted its customers via email about protecting their accounts during the pandemic. Unfortunately, fraudsters try to take advantage of the worrying situation. Citibank advised its customers to set up the "Fraud Early Warning" triggers on their accounts and to watch out for suspicious emails, including "medical advice and treatments." Meanwhile, customers can check the Citibank coronavirus page to see the latest updates. As of Friday, Apr. 17, there were more than 2.1 million reported cases of coronavirus worldwide, with over 672,000 coming from the United States it is by far the most impacted country by the pandemic. Similarly, Wells Fargo has a dedicated page where customers are advised to inspect to look out for phishing scams, catching people off-guard during this trying time. Wells Fargo Chief Information Security Officer Gary Owen ensures the public that the bank will not be asking for a card PIN, access code, or online banking password. "If there is any uncertainty, do not respond to requests for information, and go straight to the source to verify legitimacy if possible," Owen said. Banks recommend choosing different usernames and passwords for each account. It is also advised to create strong passwords with a unique phrase with a mix of letters, numbers, and even special characters. It is also better to activate two-factor authentication to keep the account secure. In a Fox News report, A.G. Senior Solutions Architect Warren Poschman said that scammers mostly target the ill and the elderly. "Banks are stepping up to remind us that even though much of everyday life is currently shut down, cybercrime hasn't and vigilance is required," Poschman added. Read also: Foreign State Hackers Have Broken Into U.S. Coronavirus Research, FBI says 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. RTHK: Moscow, Beijing slam attempts to blame China Vladimir Putin and 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 President 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. Both France and Britain also questioned China's role in the deadly pandemic. 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. 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. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Thursday that Britain and its allies would ask tough questions of China over the coronavirus outbreak, adding "we can't have business as usual after this crisis". In an interview with the Financial Times published on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said there were grey areas in China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak and that things "happened that we don't know about". "Let's not be so naive as to say it's been much better at handling this," he said of China's management of the outbreak. We don't know. There are clearly things that have happened that we don't know about." (AFP) ______________________________ Last updated: 2020-04-17 HKT 02:52 This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. In 2013, the director and writer Rithy Panh released The Missing Picture, a documentary that covers the Khmer Rouges takeover of Cambodia and the atrocities perpetrated by that regime (formally known as the Communist Party of Kampuchea), which massacred nearly two million citizens during its almost four-year reign. Panh was 11 when his family was expelled from Phnom Penh, and he witnessed the death of his parents. The Missing Picture deploys animated clay figurines for its narrative, forcing viewers to confront how they see and imagine violence. Panh writes the preface to Tian Veasnas comics volume YEAR OF THE RABBIT (Drawn and Quarterly, $29.95), another important attempt to visualize from the inside what the experience of constant fear, cruelty and starvation was like for the millions of Cambodians imprisoned in brutal work camps, and murdered by the Khmer Rouge. Veasna, remarkably, was born just three days after the April 17, 1975, takeover, while his parents were on the run. Translated from the French by Helge Dascher, Year of the Rabbit chronicles the struggles of Veasnas extended family, based on his interviews with surviving relatives. Veasna eventually immigrated to France as a political refugee. This page-turner plunges us from the start into the chaos without the mooring and the editorializing of an overarching narrator (Veasna forgoes the first person entirely). It focuses tightly on the journey of one intergenerational family group (the family tree at the outset is helpful), who had been affluent and is therefore deeply suspect in the new regime. Veasnas father, Khim, is a doctor who must pretend to have been a vendor, but whose medical skills and previous care of patients win him some favors at key moments in their story. We also have two pinot noirs from Italy. Italian pinot is a style that may not appeal to American palates on first sip. Light in body but expressive in fruit, they reward a little patience not so much in aging in your cellar, but in enjoying over the course of a meal. Best of all, they tend to be well priced. While recent agreements between Italy and Azerbaijan are economically significant, their political dimension is even more significant, especially as regards the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. European Council on Foreign Relations reports in its artice Almost an ally: Italys new approach to Azerbaijan and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that President Ilham Aliyevs state visit to Italy in February 2020 was unique in Azerbaijans modern history. The trip marked a qualitative leap in the relationship between the countries as reflected in the agreements they reached during it, as well as the size and institutional profile of the Azerbaijani delegation, which participated in a business forum hosted by the Italian Foreign Ministry. Bakus significant political investment in the relationship appears to have met with enthusiasm from the Italian business world and, most significantly, a reciprocal effort by the Italian government. Officials in Rome have described their push to deepen the relationship as a precise political choice and the focus of very high expectations. Much of the Italian and foreign press coverage of the event has focused on the economic dimension of the agreements. Indeed in line with the joint declaration on a multidimensional strategic partnership Aliyev and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed during the trip the relationship moved far beyond its traditional driver, the energy sector, to embrace other strategically important areas such as defence, infrastructure, and investment. Coming shortly before the inauguration of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, which will deepen economic interdependence between Italy and Azerbaijan, the countries have established what they call a mutually beneficial partnership. Within this partnership, Baku hopes to diversify the Azerbaijani economy and Rome to address Italys bilateral balance of payments deficit. However, while the agreements between Italy and Azerbaijan are economically significant, it is their political dimension that could bring about the greatest qualitative leap in the relationship. The joint declaration affirms the parties support for the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based upon the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of national borders that is, the pillars of international law on which Azerbaijan has traditionally based its claims against Armenia. This signals a significant departure from if not the de facto repeal of Romes established policy of equidistance between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The declarations overall political scope is unaffected by its general reference to the fundamental principles of the Helsinki Final Act. Moreover, the joint declaration is the first Italian pronouncement on Nagorno-Karabakh to make no explicit reference to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europes Minsk Group, the body that has mediated negotiations between the warring parties for almost three decades. The Azerbaijani authorities have long argued that the Minsk Group, of which Italy is a permanent member, is ineffective and biased with a view to stimulating parallel negotiations or changing the talks current format. In this context, Rome has made a major concession to Baku in the joint declaration by adopting a clear position on the issue and, accordingly, responding to Azerbaijani claims that the West has double standards in its approach to protracted conflicts in Eastern Europe. This marks an important dealignment with Italys partners in the Minsk Group and the EU. Indeed, in 2014, the European Unions unwillingness to adopt Azerbaijans principles on Nagorno-Karabakh contributed to the failure of negotiations over an Association Agreement with the country. Moreover, such principles still lie at the heart of the complex negotiations over a new EU-Azerbaijan partnership agreement, which began in February 2017. Therefore, Italy has positioned itself as the Wests main political (rather than merely economic) interlocutor with Azerbaijan an almost ally, in Aliyevs words. It is currently difficult to tell whether the qualitative leap in Italy-Azerbaijan relations will result in any concrete attempt to relaunch negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh, a move the Italian authorities have repeatedly advocated. It is possible that Rome will be unable to capitalise on its newly assertive approach to the Southern Caucasus. Still, Italys effort to strengthen its relationship with Azerbaijan is primarily a political move, one designed to address the lack of credibility that undermines EU policy. Rome has signalled its willingness to break with the past, by adopting Bakus point of view on the pivotal issue in Azerbaijani foreign policy. In this sense, the joint declaration seems to move the parties in the right direction. [April 17, 2020] Latest Kasasa Research Shows Increase in Online Account Openings During COVID-19 Crisis Kasasa, an award-winning financial technology and marketing provider, announced today that online account openings for community financial institutions across the nation have increased by 14.5% as social distancing measures increase and thousands of branch locations close to prevent the spread of the virus. Additionally, account closures have declined by 28%. While digital onboarding has increasingly been a focus of most financial institution's digital strategy, it is proving more important now than ever. From selecting an account or loan, applying, getting approved, funding and receiving follow-up communications, such as a welcome package or additional product recommendations, a digital experience must be available to consumers. Kasasa's latest research also found changes in keyword searches over the last 30 days. Searches related to opening an account increased consistently with "open a bank account" and "open a checking account" searches increasing in volume over the past two weeks. Meanwhile, "open bnk account online" and "open checking account online" also saw a sharp increase. According to Google (News - Alert) Trends, search volume for "open bank account online" was higher than it has ever been before and is actually driving customers to open up accounts as an end result. Additionally, searches for auto loans and personal loans are trending. "Even in the midst of a global pandemic, the need for financial services will never slow down, making it critical that community financial institutions continue serving their local communities in the way they need," said Gabe Krajicek, CEO of Kasasa. "Life will eventually go back to normal, but the current environment underscores the importance of having a strong digital account opening process to allow individuals to bank in not only the way they need to right now, but how they prefer to in the future." About Kasasa Based in Austin, Texas with 450 employees, Kasasa is a financial technology and marketing provider committed to driving results for over 900 community financial institutions by attracting, engaging, and retaining consumers. Kasasa does this through branded retail products, world class marketing, and expert consulting. For more information, please visit www.kasasa.com, or visit them on Twitter or LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005453/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A team of Stanford University scientists testing for coronavirus antibodies has found an infection rate many times higher than the number of reported cases in Santa Clara County, the region with the most COVID-19 patients in Northern California. The researchers tested 3,330 Santa Clara County residents ages 19 to 64 on April 3 and 4 and found antibodies in 2.49% to 4.16% of the samples. The percentage range occurred because various adjustments were made based on race, demographics and other variables. Researchers used the results to calculate that between 48,000 and 81,000 people were infected in the county in early April, when only 1,094 cases had been reported. Thats essentially 50 to 85 people with antibodies for each confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2, the official name of the virus, the report said. The population prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Santa Clara County implies that the infection is much more widespread than indicated by the number of confirmed cases, wrote Eran Bendavid, a population health and disease modeling expert and lead author of the study, which was signed by 17 researchers. Population prevalence estimates can now be used to calibrate epidemic and mortality projections. The results back up previous studies in Europe and less-scientific studies that bolster concerns among epidemiologists that there is a huge number of infected people who dont know they are carriers or failed to report being sick. It could mean a lot of people are spreading the disease because they dont know they have it or that more people than we know have immunity. The study is significant because it was one of the first studies in the United States to use antibody testing to determine the prevalence of the virus in a particular community, which has, until now, been mostly guesswork. The hope, said Jay Bhattacharya, co-leader of the study group, is that researchers across the country will duplicate the Stanford study, which would lead to better forecasting of infection and death rates, and help government leaders develop safe public policy. It is absolutely critical that similar studies be done all around the country, said Bhattacharya. I dont want to say that Santa Clara County is representative of the entire country because it is clearly not. But the results do give meaningful and, in some cases surprising, insights into COVID-19 and its spread. I think based on our study that it is less lethal than has been previously reported, said Bhattacharya, who calculated that it is about equal or slightly more lethal that the flu. At the same time, its still quite a lethal virus. There are people getting very sick and dying from it every day. Most virologists and disease experts believe the coronavirus is about eight times as deadly as the flu, however. Infectious disease experts have criticized previous coronavirus projections, which were mostly extrapolations of reported deaths, arguing that they were based on incomplete and faulty data particularly in the United States, which is hampered by a lack of testing. The Stanford research was welcomed by most because it is a serological study, based on blood tests, but at least one local researcher had reservations because of the way the test subjects were recruited and the lack of a breakdown by age. Marm Kilpatrick, an infectious disease expert and a professor in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, criticized the use of Facebook advertisements to recruit study participants, arguing that people with COVID-19 symptoms would be more likely to volunteer to be tested. Besides not using a random sample, the study, he said, also failed to adjust results based on age, profession or socioeconomic status, or determine whether the subjects showed symptoms prior to the study. Unfortunately this paper is badly misleading, Kilpatrick tweeted Friday. Do NOT interpret this study as an accurate estimate of the fraction of population exposed. Authors have made no efforts to deal with clearly known biases and whole study design (recruiting via FB ad? Really?) is problematic. The authors said the participants were a representative sample of the county by demographic and geographic characteristics. Santa Clara was chosen, in large part, because it has been particularly hard hit by the virus. The first two positive tests, the earliest known cases in the state, were detected on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in travelers returning from abroad. Santa Clara also had the first presumed cases of community-spread acquired disease, meaning the source was unknown and could have been local. 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 case load skyrocketed after that, and by the end of March nearly 1,000 cases had been reported in the county. Bendavid said he foresees this type of testing as the way forward across the country. Now we have a real measure and we can get a sense based on real numbers and denominators, he said. The study appears to fall in line with another recent study that estimated that as many as 270,000 Californians are infected with the coronavirus, or 0.69% of the population. Thats more than 10 times the number reported. It calculated that 4.8% of the U.S. population was carrying the disease by early April, 39 times higher than reported, and that nearly half of New Yorkers were probably infected. Gov. Gavin Newsom warned last month that as many as half of Californians about 20 million people could end up with the coronavirus if nothing were done to stop the spread. To prevent that, the entire state has been shuttered since then. Until now, the general consensus among the various studies seemed to be that there are about 10 infections for every 1 that is diagnosed. This study suggests a higher rate than that, but the authors said much more testing will have to be done before that is confirmed. We are actively pursuing opportunities to set up testing in other places, Bhattacharya said, mentioning a study of Major League Baseball his group is planning. Antibody studies are also planned in Berkeley, Solano County, Los Angeles and other places around the country. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @pfimrite Philip Atta Basoah, Member of Parliament for Kumawu constituency 17.04.2020 LISTEN I have noted with curiosity a feature article published on Ghanaweb under its "Opinions of Wednesday, 15 April 2020", headlined, "Did Kumawu MP defraud his Constituents? Four questions for Bassoah" and authored by one Mr Ebenezer Ofori Sarpong, alias Citizen Ebenezer. The writer claims to be an NPP delegate of the Kumawu Constituency in the Ashanti region and from the look of things, will exercise his franchise in the impending NPP primaries to choose the NPP parliamentary candidate to contest the seat with any eligible opposition partys candidate in election 2020. Surely, and as could be concluded from his submission, he will vote against Philip Basoah (Hon), the Member of Parliament for Kumawu Sekyere Constituency. Read the full content of his publication from the underlying web link. https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/Did-Kumawu-MP-defraud-his-Constituents-Four-questions-for-Bassoah-924820 The writer asked some pertinent questions requiring answers from Philip Basoah in default of which he will take legal action against him. Like the writer, I stand to fight official corruption in Ghana. Ghana and her sister African countries are not developing, but wallowing in denigrating poverty to the point of Africans being seen as subhuman by most of our white contemporaries and to be treated with scorn as its currently being meted out to black Africans in China, compulsorily evicted from their hotel rooms and accommodations and chased out into the streets. Gainsaid, Ebenezer has been making some sweeping statements that I find them very difficult to believe if the MPs Common Fund is used exactly as heard from some Members of Parliament. I understand the money does not go into the MPs' personal bank accounts so they do not have direct access to the money to use it as though he or she going to buy anything, inflating the price and there and then issuing a cheque or presenting a bank card in payment, right? How then could Philip Basoah have embezzled any of the MP's Common Fund unless he sole-sourced a contract at a bloated cost to a particular contractor, then secretly went to the contractor to crawl back some of the money as kickback, right? Is Ebenezer, asserting that Philip Basoah renovated a purported DVLA branch office in Kumawu when he was the DCE or while he is still the MP? Could he please come out clearer on this claim of his? If Basoah committed that crime of dubiously inflating the cost of the renovation of that building, when was it done and why now is Ebenezer exposing him, although there is no expiry date set to when a committed crime cannot be brought up for public disclosure and/or prosecution. Again, Ebenezer claims the MP lied about the money used for renovating the DVLA building or office block as coming from his MPs Common Fund whereas indeed, and to him, it came from the governments allocated Special Initiative fund of US$1 million per Constituency per year fund. If the money came from the Special Initiative fund which is strictly managed by the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) which is under the Office of the President and supervised by the Minister responsible for Special Development Initiatives, how could Basoah fraudulently avail himself of the fund? I cant get my head around this although in corruption-infested Ghana, everything is possible. The public demands further and better particulars and clarifications from Ebenezer Ofori Sarpong, whoever he is. My confusion gets worse and becomes more compounded with the questions being raised by Ebenezer. I think the Sector Minister, Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyeremateng (Hon), had better step in to answer this question by me. Is a Member of Parliament as a sole person allowed to manage and use the Special Initiative fund without any oversight role played by a superior or an inferior body of any sort to ensure that the fund is being used prudently and according to the purpose for which it was set up? Has Ebenezer checked with the DVLA National or Regional Headquarters to confirm their initial objective for the Kumawu branch office as to issuing and renewing drivers licences or not, to be in a much better position to condemn Basoah for being a liar when the reality dawned on him that Kumawu DVLA is unable to do as allegedly disclosed by Basoah initially but only to perform petty or irrelevant tasks? Without better clarifications from the government through the Sector Minister and Basoah who now stands accused, I shall not be able to deal expertly with the wild allegations raised by Ebenezer which common sense tells me that they are full of exaggerations and malicious intents. Although my plate is already full of dealing with the Kumawu chieftaincy issue, I shall make room for investigating the allegations against the Kumawu MP by Ebenezer and inform the public as and when I lay hands on the needed credible information. Corruption allegations must not be brushed under the carpet so are false accusers not to be spared. Therefore, both Basoah and Ebenezer must gird themselves up for public onslaught on them, especially if they are found to be lying and behaving dishonestly. I hope Ebenezer has not come out with this information for his parochial political interest. If I discover that this allegation is false and bordering on any selfish persuasion, then he will have a case to answer but if on the other hand he is telling nothing but the absolute truth, then he has my blessings. In my attempts to search for information before publishing my views, I researched the underlying web links but could still not convince myself the way I wanted to. I am still in limbo hence requesting better and further particulars from Ebenezer, the Sector Minister and Basoah. https://ghanatalksbusiness.com/infrastructure-development-in-ghana-implications-of-the-constituency-one-million-dollars-initiative/ https://allafrica.com/stories/201907170467.html https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Development-authorities-to-disburse-1-million-per-Constituency-763347 https://www.peacefmonline.com/pages/politics/politics/201907/386946.php To conclude, I find it irresponsible on the part of Ebenezer for accusing Basoah of not respecting the traditional leadership in Kumawu. I have exception to this statement of his which borders on his probably deep-seated hatred for, and secret but wide orchestration to get rid of, Basoah, for their own criminal objectives. Rockson Adofo Friday, 17 April 2020 Tension: Hundreds of protestors march outside the Kentucky State Capitol to rally against current social distancing requirements and business closures ordered by Gov. Andy Beshear. Photos: Reuters In Kentucky the protesters chanted "we want to work" and "facts over fear". In Michigan some carried rifles with their US flags as the snow fell. There were Trump caps visible among the crowds gathered in Ohio, while in North Carolina a woman led away by the police shouted: "God bless America!" Right across the United States, a country now in its second month of tight restrictions to stem the spread of Covid-19, small but vocal protests have begun to spring up. These anti-quarantine gatherings, emerging amid unprecedented surges in unemployment, are happening in state capitals and are often targeted at governors. The common thread is a demand for orders keeping people at home and businesses shut to be loosened, thereby helping a US economy choked off by the lockdowns. Many of the signs and shouts accuse the state governments of overreach - a clue, perhaps, as to why such protests are being seen in America. Suspicion of big government is deeply rooted in a country born from revolution and a point of pride on the Right, where many of the protests appear to be emanating from. It may also reflect frustration voiced by President Donald Trump, who has made no secret of his desire to lift restrictions and at times bemoaned scientific advisers pushing social distancing rules. Yesterday he was set to share with governors his administration's guidance on how to open society back up after the 'Great Lockdown'. In recent days Mr Trump has stuck with an upbeat tone, talking of "light at the end of the tunnel" and saying on Wednesday that America had passed its peak of Covid-19 cases. One of the biggest protests occurred in Michigan, whose governor, Gretchen Whitmer, is a rising star in the Democratic Party and has clashed with Mr Trump in recent weeks. Thousands of people descended on the Michigan Capitol in Lansing on Wednesday, many sitting in cars and honking horns in what was dubbed 'Operation Gridlock'. One poster read "hands off our citizens!!!". Another declared "I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery". A third just had two words: "Release us!" Some of those present said Ms Whitmer's stay-at-home order was too restrictive, stifling the economy and unfairly undermining personal liberty. "It's time for our state to be opened up," said one middle-aged woman from her car. She had been holding a placard of the American flag daubed with "land of the free". "We're tired of not being able to buy the things that we need, go to the hairdresser's, get our hair done," she added, leaning forward to show her roots. Another woman who spent some of the protest waving the stars and stripes from the back of a pickup truck had been affected by job losses. "Our community is struggling. My husband is on unemployment [benefits] for the first time in our life," she said. "We want to go back to work." Ms Whitmer acknowledged the frustration, saying, "I know that people are angry, and that's OK," but warned that the protesters many of whom did not wear masks - were endangering people. "The sad irony here is that the protest was [that] they don't like being in this stay-home order - and they may have just created a need to lengthen it," the governor said. The four-week total in unemployment rises across the US is up to 22 million, or around one in eight people working a month ago. It is unlike anything seen since the Great Depression in the Thirties. In Kentucky, another Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, was the target of criticism as around 100 protesters voiced their disapproval at the state Capitol in Frankfort. They chanted "open up Kentucky" and "you're not a king, we won't kiss your ring". ( Daily Telegraph, London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] US Navy claims 11 Iranian ships came close to its military vessels in PG Iran Press TV Thursday, 16 April 2020 12:47 AM The United States Navy is claiming that 11 Iranian ships repeatedly came close to its military vessels in "dangerous and harassing approaches" in the Persian Gulf. The US Naval central command made the allegation in a statement on Wednesday. It alleged that the Iranian "vessels repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the US vessels at extremely close range and high speeds," and came within 10 yards of the US Coast Guard cutter Maui. Tehran has not yet responded to the allegations but American ships are known for repeatedly violating Iran's sovereignty. "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," claimed the statement, adding that, "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." Tehran has been a staunch critic of US imperialist adventurism in the Persian Gulf and the rest of the world. Iran has time and again asserted that it will stand ready to defend its regional interests in the face of US aggression. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Start slowly, use the right nipple, relax and enlist help. Start by offering bottles filled with just a half ounce or so (of breastmilk or formula). If your baby has been exclusively breastfed, Rosenfeld recommended starting with a wide, slow flow nipple that mimics the shape and flow of your own nipples, decreasing the chance that your baby will find it easier to get milk from a bottle than the breast. A baby older than 3 months, however, may become frustrated with a slow flow bottle, especially if moms breasts have a fast flow, Rosenfeld warned. In that case, she recommended trying a faster flow nipple. To ensure that baby is happy, relaxed and not too hungry, offer a bottle one to two hours after your babys last feeding. Crying is a late sign of hunger, and a hungry baby is easily frustrated. If you are the first to offer the bottle, your baby may refuse and insist on nursing. (She knows who has the good stuff, after all.) Instead, ask your partner or another familiar caregiver to offer the first few bottles, if you can. This will not only help your baby get used to bottle feeding, but will help establish a feeding relationship with your partner (if you have one), too. Whomever is giving the bottle should try to relax and follow your babys cues. Babies sense stress and may reject a bottle if the person offering it seems anxious. Do not force your baby to bottle feed. If your baby refuses the bottle at first, do not force him to drink. Wait and try again later, an hour or two after their next feeding. Some studies have linked early overfeeding with an increased risk of later obesity. For most healthy, full-term infants, parents can look to their baby rather than the clock for hunger cues, according to a webpage from the American Academy of Pediatrics. This is called feeding on demand, or responsive feeding. On Wednesday, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DP) won a landslide victory in the South Korean general election, defeating the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) and retaining control of the National Assembly. Legislators serve four-year terms in the 300-seat unicameral body. The DP won 163 seats outright while the UFP took only 84 with those totals rising to 180 and 103 when proportionally-allocated seats were added. To procure the additional seats, both parties took advantage of a new electoral law passed in December by setting up satellite parties known as the Together Citizens Party and the Future Korea Party respectively, with the explicit intention of merging these into the main parties. The election is the first in 16 years that the ruling party has won a majority in the National Assembly and ensures that the Democrats and President Moon Jae-in will have full control of the government. A voting bloc controlling 180 seats or three-fifths of the total can pass almost any legislation except for changes to the constitution, which requires an additional 20 votes. DP Chairman Lee Hae-chan stated after the election, We will do our best to overcome the war against the coronavirus and the economic crisis so as to reward peoples support for us. The DP was the beneficiary of the governments response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the explosion of infections in February, public support for Moon had fallen to 41 percent while the Democrats approval rating stood at just 34 percent. Hwang Gyo-an, who served as UFP chairman, stepped down from his position Wednesday night as his partys defeat became clear. He remarked, I will take all responsibility. As I promised earlier, I will give up my party post to hold myself accountable for the election outcome. Resignations are a common practice in South Korean politics after an election loss and are largely ceremonial shows of contrition. Hwang also lost his race against Lee Nak-yeon in Seouls Jongno district, where numerous government offices are located. Both men are former prime ministers, with Lee and Hwang serving under Presidents Moon and Park Geun-hye respectively. The race was seen as a potential presidential match-up in 2022 when Moons single term ends. Despite the COVID-19 outbreak, voter turnout was an estimated 66.2 percent, the highest rate since 1992 and an 8.2 percent increase over 2016. While the establishment media celebrated this outcome, a third of the eligible voting population, or 14.9 million people, still did not vote, an indication of widespread discontent with the candidates and parties. The election was also the first in which 18-year-olds could vote, with the eligible age lowered last December from 19, adding 540,000 new voters. The same law changed the basis for seats elected on a proportional basis and allowed the two biggest parties set up their satellites. Supposedly meant to help smaller parties win more proportional seats by changing how they are distributed, the legislation had the opposite effect as most of the minor parties have been swept from the National Assembly. The third largest party in the legislature is now the pseudo-left Justice Party, which won one directly elected seat and five proportional seats, maintaining its total in the legislature. The Party for Peoples Livelihoods (PPL), which held 20 seats before the election, was swept out of the legislature all together. The PPL consists of anti-Park Geun-hye conservatives as well as right-wing Democrats who were followers of former President Kim Dae-jung. Other parties winning a handful of seats include the Peoples Party (three proportional seats), which is a former ally of the PPL and led by Ahn Cheol-soo, and the Open Democratic Party (three proportional seats), another DP offshoot. Five so-called independents also won seats. In its campaign, the DP capitalized on the COVID-19 pandemic to claim that it had successfully contained the outbreak. The government was well aware that another bungled response to a disease outbreak similar to that during the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak could generate widespread discontent, particularly as support for the government fell. In the aftermath of the election, however, the Moon administration will accelerate its efforts to prop up big business and foist the burden of the pandemic onto the backs of workers. The International Monetary Fund predicts that South Korean economy will contract by 1.2 percent in 2020the first period of negative growth since 19971998 Asian Financial Crisis. In response to that crisis, the DP imposed the IMFs demands for the pro-market restructuring of the economy. While in power under Kim Dae-jung and Noh Moo-hyun, the Democrats oversaw massive job cuts and the casualization of the workforce, the effects of which led to a real youth unemployment rate of nearly 25 percent, as well as stagnant wages, and other attacks on working conditions. President Moon warned on Monday that this may be (just) the beginning of pain while claiming his administration would prioritize protecting jobs. What this means is more government handouts for big business, on top of the trillions of won already spent, supposedly to prevent further layoffs. The Bank of Korea has also already promised an unlimited amount of funds to financial firms. In fact, major job cuts are being planned with tens of thousands of jobs on the chopping block. Workers have already faced firings, unpaid furloughs, and large wage cuts. In March alone, there were approximately 156,000 applications for unemployment benefits, a 24.8 percent increase over the same month in 2019 and the biggest since the 200809 global financial crisis. The new legislature and the Moon administration will only accelerate these attacks which will provoke resistance from the working class. The government will not hesitate to use the police-state measures rolled out to combat COVID-19such as the tracking of hundreds of thousands of peopleagainst workers fighting to defend their jobs and health. Workers, farmers, and youth must turn to their counterparts around the world who are also being driven into conflict with their ruling classes who are determined to enhance their profits and wealth whatever the costs to working people. What is needed is a unified struggle to reconstruct society on a socialist basis to protect the lives and meet the pressing social needs of the entire population. Firefighters and police officers across the state are expected to get a months supply of respirators to help protect them during the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Charlie Baker said Friday. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the Command Center are expected to distribute 200,000 respirator masks starting Friday to first responders, including sheriffs officers and college and university police. Tens of thousands of masks were already sent Friday to regional MEMA offices, who are distributing them to local agencies. Each recipient will get five respirators per month. Theyre expected to use one for a week, washing it daily, before moving on to the next. Our first responders are trained on how and when to use these masks, as well as how to properly care for them, Baker said Friday afternoon. This latest distribution was not set aside from Emergency Medical Service providers, but the governors office said EMS providers are still receiving respirators and other personal protective equipment. Some law enforcement agencies have struggled to get sufficient protective gear during the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this month, Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno made a public appeal for the state to send masks to police officers and firefighters after his request for masks was denied. Sarnos remarks prompted MassMutual and Holyoke Medical Center to donate respirators for local police and firefighters. An appeal by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno for masks for city police officers and firefighters, to help protect them from the coronavirus, has spurred additional donations of masks. Sarno said Thursday he is deeply thankful for all of the outpouring of support in private donations of N95 and KN95 masks, one day after he was critical of not getting masks from state and federal agencies. It is unclear whether these respirators are N95 masks or KN95 masks. Both are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but the KN95 masks do not meet the standards of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. When the New England Patriots Plane arrived from China with masks, local hospitals who received them learned they were KN95 masks and were hesitant to use them, according to the Boston Globe. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Massachusetts officials have distributed more than 370,000 masks from the Patriots plane. The state has also distributed more than 2.3 million gloves, nearly 190,000 gowns and 380 ventilators. Overall, the state has distributed at least 176,049 N95 and KN95 masks. Of those, 28,833 were distributed in Western Massachusetts, making up 16%, according to the states daily PPE summary. About 26,430 or 15% were distributed in Central Massachusetts. The MetroWest region got 23,890 or 13% of the respirators, according to the summary. The Metro Boston area got 16,440 or 9%. Northeastern Massachusetts got 26,150 or 14%. Southeastern Massachusetts got 49,230 or 27%. Another 5,076 or 2% went to state agencies. Related Content: Coronavirus fallout: Judge says state could reopen recreational marijuana shops if sales were limited to Massachusetts residents; heres why thats unlikely Coronavirus: New England Patriots mask shipment contained models some hospitals are reluctant to use (report) Massachusetts small businesses receive more than $10 billion from Payment Protection Program, ninth highest in U.S. Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Dorit Kemsley called a report she's having problems in her marriage to Paul 'PK' Kemsley 'far-fetched' and 'ridiculous.' The Woodbridge, Connecticut native, 43, on Wednesday appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, where she answered in detail about the rumor - that her spouse had been residing in the U.K. amid their marital woes. Cohen, 51, asked Dorit: 'There was a rumor recently that PK was living at a friend's London guest house because your marriage was in trouble. What do you make of that? ' The latest: Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Dorit Kemsley, 43, called a report she's having problems in her marriage to Paul 'PK' Kemsley, 51, 'far-fetched' and 'ridiculous' Cohen nearly debunked the rumor off the bat, noting that he had just seen PK, 51, before the show, as 'he came in and said hi.' Cohen said that he guessed everything was OK, as the Bravo beauty - who recently moved into a $6.5 million Encino, California mansion with her family - said she and her husband of five years were together when they 'were in San Francisco.' The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star filled in Cohen on the details of what irritated PK about the story. 'He said, the thing that bothered him the most wasn't even that there were divorce rumors, it was the fact that someone would think that he would live in someone's guest house,' said Dorit, who shares two kids with PK, son Jagger, six, and daughter Phoenix, four. Family first: Dorit shares two kids with PK, son Jagger, six, and daughter Phoenix, four Her side: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star filled in Cohen on the details of what irritated PK about the story Dorit continued: 'He said, "It's so far-fetched, it's ridiculous."' Dorit, who founded the swimwear line Beverly Beach by Dorit, questioned the process of how the news spread (as it initially came from a writer named Brian Moylan on the podcast Bitch Sesh (from Casey Wilson and Danielle Schneider) in February. The celebrity couple subsequently told Page Six that the reports of marital conflict 'couldnt be further from the truth.' 'Because one person says it on some podcast and all of a sudden it somehow could be true,' she said on Wednesday. 'No fact checking? I don't even understand journalism today - is it journalism?' Cohen replied, 'Well I don't know if it was a journalist who said it, I don't know who said it.' Relocated: The beauty recently moved into a $6.5 million Encino, California mansion with her family Back at it: Cohen, who also welcomed actress Garcelle Beauvais on the program, is recovering after announcing he'd tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus Candid: Cohen is one of a number of celebrities who have publicly confirmed testing positive for the virus Cohen, who also welcomed actress Garcelle Beauvais on the program, is recovering after announcing he'd tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus. 'I feel like it worked its way through my system - Im solidly at 90 percent - its good,' Cohen, who is doing WWHL and his SiriusXM show from home, told Today last month. A number of celebrities have publicly confirmed testing positive for the virus, including Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Idris Elba, Prince Charles and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. TV personalities who have been diagnosed with the virus include ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos and his wife Ali Wentworth, CNN personality Chris Cuomo and his wife Cristina, CNN's Brooke Baldwin and The Bachelor's Colton Underwood. As of Thursday, the death total for COVID-19 was at 26,708 people in the U.S., with 629,264 total positive diagnoses, Johns Hopkins University reported. On a global level, 142,735 people have died amid 2,138,763 positive diagnoses worldwide. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 16:22:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SHANGHAI, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Some 3,770 tourist attractions in China have resumed operation and launched online booking access on Trip.com Group, the country's largest online travel agency. According to Trip.com Group, tourists from Hunan, Chongqing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Beijing, Shandong, Anhui and Guangdong have booked tickets for tourist attractions for the upcoming International Labor Day holiday through its online platform. Many tourist attractions and museums nationwide offering free entrance, including the archaeological ruins of Liangzhu City in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, also require online reservation. "Tourists will get used to making a reservation before traveling, which is helpful to avoid gatherings as an epidemic prevention and control effort," said Yu Xiaojiang, an official of the company. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the National Health Commission recently released a circular, requiring tourist sites that resume operation should receive no more than 30 percent of their daily visitor capacity and indoor tourist sites should remain closed amid the epidemic. The circular required tourist sites to encourage visitors to reserve visiting slots in advance to control visitor flows and prevent large gatherings. Enditem Credit: CC0 Public Domain German companies will make tens of millions of masks per week from August, Health Minister Jens Spahn said Friday, including 10 million meeting the FFP2 protective standard and 40 million surgical masks. "We were able to award contracts to some 50 companies which want to produce 10 milion FFP2 masks and 40 million surgical masks from August," Spahn told reporters at a Berlin press conference. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 AFP Babatunde Gbadamosi, former governorship candidate in Lagos State, has noted that Nigeria cannot afford a prolonged lockdown order. The former governorship candidate of the African Democratic Party (ADP) took to his twitter handle to write a lengthy letter to the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on steps to curb the spread of Coronavirus in the State. Also Read: House Party: Naira Marley, Gbadamosi Tender Apology To Lagos Govt Gbadamosi in his statement warned that poverty and hunger in the country due to the lockdown will end up destroying Nigeria and affect the economy. See his full statement below: Governor @jidesanwoolu Please make every single government & private medical facility a test centre & encourage everyone to get tested. Don't be afraid to find out our true position, or too many people will die. Insist that everyone MUST wear masks, which you will give. Babatunde Olalere Gbadamosi (@BOGbadamosi) April 17, 2020 Channel funds to pharmaceutical companies to produce large amounts of immune boosters like Vitamin C plus zinc, to be distributed free. Also PLEASE, if you must, set up a time-bound committee to look into available cures. Dr. Zelenko's therapy already appears to be most effective Babatunde Olalere Gbadamosi (@BOGbadamosi) April 17, 2020 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. 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 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. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news, advice and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter Watch the latest videos from Yahoo News UK For over 50 years, Jesus baptismal site was a casualty of war. Now, it is a casualty of the new coronavirus. Last week in time for Easter, the UK-based demining specialist HALO Trust group exploded in chain reaction the final 500 landmines at Israels Qasr al-Yahud monastery complex. We got the churches together, all eight different denominations, and then we got the Israelis and the Palestinians, HALO Trust CEO James Cowan told the BBC. So all three major faiths, and we looked at how we could do this. Located six miles east of Jericho on the Jordan River, Bethany beyond the Jordan in 1968 was placed by Israel under military jurisdiction following the Six Day War. Fearing terrorist infiltration across the shallow riverbed, the army laid over 6,000 landmines and booby-trapped the churches. Israel declared peace with Jordan in 1995, but the area remained closed. In 2011, it was partially reopened, allowing access along one narrow path between the Jordan River and the Greek Orthodox St. John the Baptist Monastery. And in 2016, HALO Trust, which works in 27 nations around the world, announced it would begin demining efforts. Funding issues caused a two-year delay. Significant progress began in March 2018, after securing the necessary $4.6 million ($2 million of which was provided by the Israeli government). By years end, CT reported that 800,000 pilgrims visited the not-yet-fully-demined complex. In 2019, CT reported how Christian rapper Lecrae was one of them and provided information on the ecological concerns surrounding the Jordan River. Qasr al-Yahudthe Castle of the Jews in Arabicis located at the traditional location of the Jews crossing into the Promised Land. It is also associated with the ascent of Elijah into heaven on a chariot of fire. A competing baptismal site lies on the Jordanian side of the river. In 2000, Pope John Paul II paid his respects; in 2014, Pope Francis did the same. The Greek Orthodox church, which dates back to the fourth century, was partially destroyed by an earthquake in A.D. 1024 and was rebuilt in the 12th century. Other buildings belonging to the Franciscan, Ethiopian, Russian, Syrian, Romanian, and Coptic churches were built in the 1930s. Restoration work is now ready to begin. Bullet holes line the walls of chapels, winepresses lie fallow, and bird droppings collect on sanctuary floors. It was like walking into a time capsule, said Cowan, with beer still on the shelf, the tables still laid for dinner. A representative of each church accompanied the minesweepers upon entry, to ensure nothing was stolen or damaged. Palestinian staff provided logistical support, helping to earn local trust. For the past nine years, HALO has cleared other sites in the West Bank, coordinating between Palestinians and Israelis. But there are still approximately 35 square miles of landmines in the West Bank, according to The Wall Street Journal. These have not deterred a historic number of tourists, however. Last year, Israel received a record-high 4.55 million visitors, up 10 percent from 2018, when 61 percent of visitors were Christians. The sector contributed $6.3 billion to the national economy. As demining progressed at Qasr al-Yahud, Israeli officials expressed optimism that pilgrims to the baptismal site would triple, as each church gained full access to its facilities. Now, COVID-19 is devastating the industry. Closing the borders to tourism may cost $1.7 billion, the Israel Hotel Association stated. This may be particularly painful to Palestinians in Bethlehem, where 70 percent of the economy is derived from tourism and 9 out of 10 industry workers are Christians. Qasr al-Yahud concentrates its traffic around the January celebration of Epiphany, predating the new coronavirus outbreak. But just as the sacrament symbolizes death and rebirth, perhaps the traditional site of Jesus baptism can foreshadow a brighter future. In the time of COVID, these grim times, its really nice to have a story like this, said Cowen. Theres actually a bit of hope. Boycott in place since 2006 over rights abuses has deepened unemployment and economic weakness, government claims. As the coronavirus threatens to weaken Uzbekistan's economy, the country is calling for a boycott of its cotton to be lifted. Al Jazeera in the article Uzbekistan seeks end of cotton boycott as virus weighs on economy writes, that 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 country's 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. 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 country's 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 government's letter to the Cotton Campaign on Thursday said: "Uzbekistan's textile sector is one of the country's 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 government's 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." PHILIPSBURG:--- The Honourable Minister of Justice Anna E. Richardson, held a virtual meeting with various stakeholders from within the ministry as well as representatives from external agencies. The meetings purpose was to address a growing concern within the community and the relevant stakeholders regarding child protection in general and specifically the Alternative Care System (foster care system), which has changed drastically over the last three years. Since then, there has been a decrease in the number of Alternative Care Homes (Foster Homes) currently in operation on the island. With the sudden closure of two of the three local Alternative Care Homes, the need for more housing within the Alternative Care System is an especially pressing matter. Compounding on the issues mentioned above, it was also brought to light that specialized care facilities need to be established for girls and minors with disabilities. All stakeholders were able to express their professional recommendations based on their organization's findings, assessments, and experience thus far concerning this critical topic. Having this meeting was very fruitful. It gave direct insight and fueled a conversation that has been needed for some time now between these stakeholders who play a crucial role within the childcare system and the Ministry of Justice. To the minister's delight, all of the stakeholder's points echoed her sentiments and vision concerning the protection of the children within our society, and the reinforcement of the law, which safeguards the Rights of the Child. All participants of the meeting agreed to the need for the establishment of a new Alternative Care Facility in accordance with the minimum standards for children homes to be staffed with the appropriately trained personnel. Additionally, a review of the support to Alternative Care Parents (foster parents) needs to be conducted and adjusted according to recommendations to better support Alternative Care Families who play a crucial role in providing Alternative Care Children a safe home. Minister Richardson emphasized the Ministrys commitment to the representatives of the initiative to move forward. A solid action plan will be established, one that will improve the effectiveness of the Alternative Care System, as part of the broader vision of strengthening the child protection system on Sint Maarten and will ultimately ensure the success of every child it serves. The minister would like to thank all stakeholders that took part in this meeting. Even though our island is currently experiencing a turbulent time, she is proud to see that the people of Sint Maarten are still forging ahead, tackling and addressing relevant issues within our community. A follow-up meeting has already been scheduled for Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020. In the interim, all parties will share relevant information and documentation with the Minister of Justice to aid as a base to get the project underway. We are #SXMStrong President Donald Trump wants to get the hobbled US economy back on its feet, but guidelines he announced for reopening the country are notably cautious and unspecific. So what comes next? - No big bang - As recently as April 8, Trump was saying "it would be nice to open with a big bang." Instead, the world's biggest economy will put a tentative toe in the water. The national lockdown is estimated to have saved hundreds of thousands of lives by quashing the rapid spread of the coronavirus. For Trump, though, the economic chaos that has ensued also poses a massive political risk with only 200 days until the November 3 presidential election. Some 22 million people have lost their jobs in just one month. What's clear from the White House guidelines announced Thursday, however, is that reopening will be slow, cautious and very different across the huge country. The guidelines suggest three vague phases for relaxing social distancing and opening up travel and public gatherings. No timelines are given. "Light switch on and off is the exact opposite of what you see here," Dr Anthony Fauci, one of the top government medical advisors, said. - Who's really in charge? - Trump this Monday claimed he had "total" authority to set the pace of where and when the coronavirus lockdown ends. With Thursday's announcement, he gave up on that, saying the 50 state governors will have full control. Some saw this as a retreat. But political analysts also say Trump wanted the benefit of the big White House announcement while shielding himself from what could be a messy process ahead of election day. With Trump standing back, this means the onus will rest with people like Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York, Ron DeSantis in Florida, Gavin Newsom in California, and Greg Abbott in Texas. Trump will be on the sidelines, supporting or in some cases castigating, as he did Friday when he berated Cuomo for "ridiculously" demanding federal help to get tens of thousands of ventilators. - Trump: 'Liberate' lockdown states - Even the decision whether or not to keep up the quarantines is becoming a bitter left-right issue in radically partisan America. A grassroots anti-lockdown movement with strong links to Trump's right-wing base has mounted protests in several Democrat-run states. On Wednesday, a large protest erupted in the Michigan capital, Lansing. Demonstrators clogged streets with cars, while a group toting rifles and handguns paraded on the steps of the legislature. On Friday, hundreds of protesters were reported to have gathered outside the home of the Minnesota governor. On Thursday, other frustrated Americans protested in Virginia. Trump made political hay out of the tensions, tweeting on Friday a call to "LIBERATE" the three states. - Who's reopening first? - Trump said "large sections of the country" can "think about opening," some of them "literally tomorrow." He mentioned sparsely populated states with no major coronavirus problems like Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota. That won't be so easy in states with more economic importance, however. New York and New Jersey, which are at the heart of the northeast corridor, have been hardest hit by the virus. Cuomo on Thursday extended New York's lockdown for a month. In Washington state, which was hit early but has since controlled the virus, aerospace giant Boeing is set to become the first large corporation to undo its lockdown. Some 27,000 workers are due to resume work in the next few days, albeit with social distancing measures enforced. Texas announced plans Friday to relax restrictions within the next week on hospitals' ability to perform elective surgeries, encourage shops to let customers order goods then pick up from outside, and open state parks. Florida allowed limited beach openings Friday and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer hopes she can allow "some relaxing" of one of the country's tightest lockdowns on May 1. - Testing times - With governors left to make up their own schedules, rather than operate under a nationally coordinated plan, big questions remain over how the reopening can avoid letting the virus bounce back. One of the many issues lacking clarity is the reopening of domestic, let alone international travel. With some states largely virus-free, but others still in the grip of the pandemic, can people be encouraged to return to the nation's empty airports? And how can states and businesses that have reopened be sure they are not silently becoming new incubators for the disease? On Thursday Fauci said the key was "early alerts and getting in there before they have a problem." But experts say that kind of monitoring will require vastly increased testing capabilities. "The more testing, the more open the economy, but there's not enough national capacity," Cuomo said this week. "We can't do it yet. That is the unvarnished truth." A nearly deserted Los Angeles International Airport looks like a lot of America's economy Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci has pushed President Donald Trump to be cautious US President Donald Trump says governors should lead the reopening in each state Protesters at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing say quarantine has gone too far New Yorkers applaud medical workers in a city hit especially hard by the coronavirus Coronavirus testing is still not up to speed across the country, some experts say SHORELINE As the coronavirus pandemic creates economic uncertainty across the country, Shoreline towns have looked for ways to ease the financial hardships residents face. Madison and Guilford have instituted rollover participation for their senior tax freeze programs. Nonprofits in both towns, such as Madisons Neighbor to Neighbor Fund and the Guilford Foundation, have upped efforts to support families in crisis. Now, the communities are exploring another option: tax deferral programs. Madison will allow some residents to defer tax payments on real, personal and motor vehicle taxes by 90 days, First Selectman Peggy Lyons announced in a release Wednesday. The Board of Selectman unanimously approved the program during its Monday meeting, according to Lyons, who added that the town will provide more details on eligibility going forward. Nearby, the North Branford Town Council also voted in favor of developing a 90-day tax deferral program at its April 7 meeting, minutes indicate. The vote was unanimous except for one absence, per the minutes, which say that Mayor Robert Viglione could not attend because he had tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, although Guilford has not officially announced a tax deferral program, it is considering one. At the Board of Selectmans next meeting, scheduled for Monday, First Selectman Matthew Hoey will recommend that the Board of Selectman adopt a deferral option, he said in an email Thursday. Although Hoey is inclined to make the option available to all residents, he intends to ask that those who can afford to do so pay their taxes on time, he wrote. It is my expectation that a significant number of our residents will be able and willing to so as to protect the ability of those less fortunate to take advantage of the extension without impacting the towns cash flow and financial health, Hoey said. meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com Almost 900,000 Australians have applied to withdraw up to $20,000 from their superannuation accounts early to help them cope with the coronavirus crisis. As part of the government's coronavirus rescue package, workers are able to access their supers to help them stay afloat during the economic downturn. More than 260,000 Australians have registered for the early drawdown scheme over the past week according to the latest figures from the Australian Taxation Office. The total number of people across the country who have registered to have access to their superannuation account is now 880,000, according to The Australian. Scroll down for video A queue of people outside the Centrelink office in Norwood, Adelaide on Thursday French nationals queue to enter Sydney airport to be repatriated back to France on April 2 (pictured) amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts fear the total drawn from the nest egg pots could eventually top $50billion, as more than 1.5million workers are expected to apply for the scheme when it opens on Monday. Ordinarily, strict rules block people from accessing their superannuation until they hit retirement age of between 55 and 60. However, people who withdraw now would not only lose this money from their retirement funds, they would redeem it at a time when share markets have plunged, forcing them to sell at a loss. The government predicted that 1.3 million people would ask for early access to their pots, with 70 per cent of that figure already registered. Workers will be able to access up to $20,000 in total from their superannuation fund, withdrawing half before July and another $10,000 between July and October. Assistant superannuation minister Jane Hume said the government is expecting super funds to give the money to workers quickly. Known as an early drawdown scheme, it will be running from April 20, but people are allowed to express an interest now, giving them access to up to $20,000 from their super accounts 'We understand this is a very challenging time for all Australians,' she said. 'These measures will ensure that Australians impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic will receive this vital financial support as quickly as possible.' HOW DO I DO IT? If you are eligible, you can apply directly to the ATO through the myGov website: www.my.gov.au. You will need to certify that you meet the above eligibility criteria. After the ATO has processed your application, they will issue you with a determination. The ATO will also provide a copy of this determination to your superannuation fund, which will advise them to release your superannuation payment. Your fund will then make the payment to you, without you needing to apply to them directly. However, to ensure you receive your payment as soon as possible, you should contact your fund to check that they have your correct details, including your current bank account details and proof of identity documents. Advertisement Known as an early drawdown scheme, it will be running from April 20, but people are allowed to express an interest now. 'In terms of the number of people registering, this should be used as a high level indicator of volumes of those who may eventually apply for early release of their super only,' the ATO said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the measures as part of a second stimulus package on March 22, surprising the superannuation industry by allowing people to access their super early. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said workers and sole traders could withdraw the money if the number of hours worked or their income fell by 20 per cent or more due to the coronavirus. The early release also applies to welfare recipients who qualify for the coronavirus supplement. This initiative builds on existing provisions that allow early access to super in the event of hardship or on compassionate grounds, and it is estimated to put up to $27 billion dollars of superannuation back into the pockets of hardworking Australians,' the Treasurer. But it may not be the best time for all Australians, as the accounts are likely to have dropped in value. As part of the government's coronavirus rescue package, workers are able to access their supers to help them stay afloat during the economic downturn Share markets have dropped more than 30 per cent since February and destroyed trillions of dollars worth of value worldwide. Australians had $3 trillion in superannuation as of December of which $1.9 trillion had been invested in various instruments, the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia said on its website. Of that $1.9 trillion, 51.4 per cent was invested in equities both Australian, international and unlisted. The remainder was in fixed income, cash, property and infrastructure. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17 By Tamilla Mammadova - Trend: The German development agency (GIZ) has provided 100,000 face masks and 2,000 liters of hand sanitizing liquid to the Georgian Ministry of Health to help handle the coronavirus pandemic, Trend reports citing Georgian media. "This support not only enables us to effectively cope with the virus, but it also assures our citizens that we are not left alone in these challenging times and can rely on our international partners. The donated items will be distributed in the Georgian regions to assist local administrations and medical staff in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic", said deputy minister Mzia Giorgobiani of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia. Meanwhile, last week the government of Poland has donated over 500 liters of disinfectant, 22 units of spraying equipment and three heating devices for field tents to the Emergency Management Service of Georgia to help the country fight the spread of coronavirus. As of now, Georgia has confirmed a total of 370 cases of COVID-19 since February 28, including 77 recoveries and three deaths. Starting from April 17, it is mandatory to wear face masks at all closed public spaces. Otherwise, the relevant legal entities will be fined for violation of the state of emergency regulations. During ten days from April 17, restrictions also are imposed on visiting cemeteries in all cities throughout the country. Georgian health officials again call on everyone to stay home and keep social distancing to avoid further spread of COVID-19, the report said. On March 21, Georgia declared a state of emergency until May 10 to prevent the spread of coronavirus. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356 "Mayan Suite," the debut album by Brian Andres Trio Latino. Whether it's bomba or mambo, whether there's a hand drummer or not, those rhythms are represented. Aaron [Germain] and Christian [Tumalan] are steeped in those traditions. One of the things about this trio, I wanted us individually to have a voice of our own. Drummer Brian Andres unleashes an electrifying new project with the May 15 release of "Mayan Suite," the inaugural recording of his Trio Latino, on Bacalao Records. Though it finds Andres stepping back from his longtime leadership of the eight-piece Afro-Cuban Jazz Cartel, the new trio (featuring pianist Christian Tumalan and bassist Aaron Germain) shows itself to be every bit as musically rich as the larger ensemble. Whats more, the albums striking originals and zesty interpretations find the band equaling that richness with audacity. Indeed, Andres created the trio in the hope of finding just such an emboldened style. With fewer voices, he says, Theres much more space to explore, for creative expression, and with that freedom theres greater responsibilities for all three of us. In fact, Tumalan and Germain fulfill both their freedom and their responsibility in supplying all of "Mayan Suite"s original compositions. The pianist brings threeincluding the title track, a five-part series of hard-grooving miniatures that packs fully realized statements as well as satisfying improvisations into a remarkable seven-and-a-half-minute journey. Yet Tumalan shows no less ambition in the adrenaline rush of Viento Solar or the wistful tenderness of Si Tu Vez. Germain, meanwhile, presents dazzling, dancing Latin syncopation on Escucha and a light-stepping aura of mystery on Higashi Nakano. That is not, however, to understate the merit of the musicians playing. Andres, Tumalan, and Germain balance their considerable chops with invention and eloquence, whether on the thrilling originals or the fiery renditions of Chick Coreas Got a Match? and the standard On Green Dolphin Street. Its not happenstance that all three are rhythm players: Trio Latinos prowess on "Mayan Suite," collectively and as soloists, comes in the service of irresistibly kinetic grooves drawn from the Afro-Latin jazz canon. Whether its bomba or mambo, whether theres a hand drummer or not, those rhythms are represented, Andres says. Aaron and Christian are steeped in those traditions. One of the things about this trio, I wanted us individually to have a voice of our own. Of that, "Mayan Suite" leaves no doubt. Brian Andres was born Nov. 7, 1968 in Cincinnati, Ohio to musical parents: His father played woodwinds, his mother piano and vocals. The younger Andres naturally followed their example, taking up the drums at the age of nine. He continued through high school and into the College-Conservatory of Music before beginning his most intensive education, playing the blues with Cincinnati Slim and the Headhunters. It was the first of many gigs, in many styles. Yet it was while hearing someone elses banda salsa bandthat Andress life was changed. The neck- and shoulder-twisting polyrhythms took him over completely; he immediately formed his own Latin jazz outfit and began consuming the grooves wherever and whenever he could. He was particularly drawn to the concentration of musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area, one of whom, Paul van Wageningen, was so friendly and inspiring that Andres soon made the move to Northern California himself. It was there that Andres found his groove, so to speak. He jelled with Latin musicians of all stripes, found work in multiple projects, and fronted his own Afro-Latin Jazz Cartelwith whom he recorded his first album, "Drummers Speak," in 2007. He has continued at the head of the octet for over a decade: they have received critical acclaim, recorded two more albums (San Francisco, 2013; "This Could Be That," 2016), and worked with the cream of the crop of Latin jazz talent in the Bay Area. The Cartels rhythm sectionthe nerve center of the bandcomprises Andress Trio Latino. The smaller ensemble has taken on a life of its own, one which Andres has now documented with the recording of "Mayan Suite." Covid-19 and the resulting Shelter in Place order has made life very difficult for everyone, says Andres. Many musicians, myself included, feel a profound sadness during this time, because we are deprived of our most cherished activityperforming for an audience. Thankfully we can still connect with our instrument alone, in study and practice, which keeps the spirits up, but there is no substitute for performing. Because of this, Trio Latino is looking to do a live online performance sometime soon. We are working out the details now to be able to provide the best presentation possible. The LG G7 ThinQ is reportedly receiving an update that enables Wi-Fi Calling. The new feature is said to be a part of the V20n-MAR-10-2020. The update is about 670.05 MB in size It looks like LG G7 ThinQ owners in India will finally be able to enjoy Wi-Fi Calling from their devices. According to a report by Gadgets360, the new feature is part of the V20n-MAR-10-2020 update that also includes the March security patch. The report also notes that the update is about 670.05MB in size and is being sent out via OTA. So all users should receive it soon. They can also manually check for the update by heading over to Settings -> System -> Update Center. It should be noted that that only Airtel and Jio offers Wi-Fi Calling functionality in India. Both telecom operators launched the new services a few months back. Wi-Fi Calling aims to improve indoor calling by using an already existing Wi-Fi connection to make the call. Traditionally, mobile phones connect to cell phone towers which are placed outdoors. However, physical obstructions like walls make it hard for the signals to pass through. Coming back to the LG G7 ThinQ, the smartphone packs a 6.1-inch QHD+ display with a 1440 x 3120p resolution. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC with 4GB RAM. At the back of the phone is a single 16MP camera, while at the front is an 8MP unit. The phone also packs a 3000mh battery, with support for 18W fast charging. LG is also working on a new phone called 'Velvet'. The company said that it will be the first device to implement the companys new brand strategy for smartphones. The company noted that it is moving away from alphanumeric designations, and will now use expressive names. As per the company, this will help the consumer capture the essence of the device best suited for his or her personality and ever-changing trends. The name Velvet is intended to evoke images of lustrous smoothness and premium softness, two key characteristics of the new phone. You can learn more about the LG Velvet here. The WHA Industrial Zone 1 in Nghe An Province has effectively deployed a business continuity plan to minimize disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The zone, the first project of Thailands WHA Group in Vietnam, deployed the plan soon after Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc declared the Covid-19 outbreak an epidemic on February 1. It immediately formed a crisis management team to protect employees and support its customers and partners. "Our crisis management team has four main tasks," said Vivat Jiratikarnsakul, WHA Chief Operating Officer, Industrial and International, also crisis management team leader. "The first is to assess the situation and the new developments daily; the second to initiate adequate actions to mitigate risks for the companys employees, customers and business partners; the third to ensure deployment of enough resources where and when needed; and finally, to coordinate all remedial actions." Vivat Jiratikarnsakul, WHA Chief Operating Officer, Industrial and International, also crisis management team leader. Assisted locally by the zones Nghe An office, led by General Director Nguyen Thi Bich Lien of the WHA Industrial Zone Nghe An JSC, the crisis team put in place a series of protective measures, including employee travel restrictions, social distancing, splitting critical workforce in different locations, temperature checks for employees and visitors, and frequent sanitizing of the companys premises. These measures complied with practices recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other recognized international organizations. WHA Industrial Zone 1 in Nghe An Province facilitated working from home to ensure employees safety amidst the novel coronavirus epidemic. The WHA Group on March 23 initiated a Business Continuity Plan (BCP), aiming to prevent operational disruption and ensure delivery of products and services. Under the plan, a specific team has been set up to support operations, with back-office capabilities for industrial development, logistics and utilities. The plan includes the protection of water facilities with routine disinfectant sprays and restrictive access, increasing inventory to protect the supply chain and avoiding business interruptions. The company has enabled its employees to work from home by providing them with permanent access to necessary data and software, and facilitated the use of the latest voice and video communication tools. The BCP also includes a disaster recovery solution. "A good BCP must comprise strict measures for data protection. In todays digital era, data is one of the most valuable resources for any business. Setting up an appropriate Disaster Recovery Site, in order to continuously protect our data and systems, is essential," said David Nardone, Group Executive - Industrial and International, WHA Industrial Development Plc. David Nardone, Group Executive - Industrial and International, WHA Industrial Development Plc. "A practical BCP must not only minimize the impact of a crisis, but also help companies gain the trust of their investors, customers and business partners, as well as build a strong brand image," he added. Nardone said new developments would be monitored and Vietnamese authorities recommendations followed strictly. "The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of having a good BCP to avoid a major disruption of operations. Our embrace of new technologies also proves that we are entering a complete digital era where technology affects the way we work and live. This explains why nowadays, access to digital infrastructure is almost as important as access to electricity and other utilities. The internet is no longer a luxury but a necessity," he added. WHA Industrial Zone 1 in Nghi Loc District, Nghe An Province. Set up in February 2017, the WHA Industrial Zone 1 had an initial area of 145 hectares, which in turn, is part of the 498-hectare Phase 1, now open to local and international investors. With a total area of 3,200 hectares upon completion, it will be one of the largest industrial zones in north central Vietnam. The WHA Group operates 10 industrial estates in Thailand. For more information: Nghe An Office: Telephone: (+84) 238 222 9999; Address: Lot AC1-1, WHA Industrial Zone 1 - Nghe An, Nghi Long Commune, Nghi Loc District, Nghe An Province, Vietnam Hanoi Office: Telephone: (+84) 243 574 6999; Address: 11th Floor, Daeha Business Center, No. 360 Kim Ma Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. Email: invest@whavietnam.com Website: www.whavietnam.com Weekly briefing: Tornadoes ravage South, DOJ backs churches, locusts threaten millions Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment We've compiled the top stories of the week. Here's what you need to know: Tornadoes, storms devastate South; at least 36 killed Over 120 tornadoes ravaged the South on Sunday and Monday, according to the National Weather Service, leaving at least 36 people dead and countless homes destroyed. We saw more tragedy in the midst of what is already one of the most trying times our state has endured. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster More storms across the Gulf Coast states are expected this weekend. Justice Dept. steps in to support churches against gathering bans The Department of Justice began to take action against government officials who single out religious organizations to enforce large gathering bans during the coronavirus pandemic. After the DOJ intervened in a case where members of a Mississippi church got ticketed for attending a drive-in service, arguing that churches were being singled out in social distancing guidelines, the mayor of Greenville reversed course to allow such services. Attorney General William Barr said his office will continue to defend houses of worship against discrimination. New wave of locusts threatens millions in Africa, Middle East The locust infestation in Africa and the Middle East is expected to get 20 times worse over the next few months, according to the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization. With the insects devouring crops, tens of millions of people are facing food insecurity. The coronavirus pandemic has made it more difficult to deliver pesticides and fight the spread of locusts in Africa as many governments have instituted travel restrictions. Some people will even tell you that the locusts are more destructive than the coronavirus. There are even some who dont believe that the virus will reach here. Ugandan farmer Yoweri Aboket Willow Creek names new lead pastor 2 years after Bill Hybels resignation Willow Creek Community Church announced that Michigan megachurch pastor David Dummitt will succeed founder Bill Hybels as senior pastor. Dummitt has been leading the 10,000-member 2|42 Community Church in Southeast Michigan. He will begin serving as pastor at Willow Creek in June. The announcement comes two years after Hybels resigned following several sexual misconduct allegations. Interviews Tim Keller on Gods message to the world amid COVID-19 Youre not really in charge. You may think you are going to get ready for the next one, but you never will. The world isnt under your control. Tim Keller Chick-fil-A founders daughter on how mothers quiet faith, strength led to companys success Jeremy, Adrienne Camp offer tips for God-glorifying marriage Pray for Christians in Mozambique who have been killed, displaced by Islamic militants New releases Albums: Heaven Come Closer (live) by Corey Voss & Madison Street Worship (April 17) Songs of Refuge by Simple Hymns (April 17) Books: In Unison: The Unfinished Story of Jeremy and Adrienne Camp by Jeremy and Adrienne Camp (April 7) Grace from the Rubble: Two Fathers' Road to Reconciliation after the Oklahoma City Bombing by Jeanne Bishop (April 14) Days after a 21-year-old woman student and hostel inmate of Lovely Professional University (LPU) near here tested positive for coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the Punjab government issued a show-cause notice to the private institution for violating lockdown norms. In the notice issued on Thursday, the state higher education and language department asked Phagwara-based LPU, which also has foreign students on its rolls, to explain within seven days on why the no objection certificate issued to it should not be withdrawn for violating government orders and endangering the lives of 3,200 people, and many more. When contacted over phone, LPU additional director Aman Mittal said, We have received the letter of the Punjab government and will file the reply. He declined to comment further. IGNORED GRAVITY OF SITUATION The notice said that the Punjab higher education minister had ordered the suspension of teaching in all institutions, including private ones, on March 13. It has now come to light that in spite of the instructions, ignoring the gravity of the situation and jeopardising the lives of about 3,200 people and thousands of others to which infection can spread, you did not shut down completely, the notice said. Considering the highly infectious nature of the disease and despite the fact that there was sufficient time for you to send all students to their respective homes from March 13 to March 22, but for no reasons you continued with the functioning of the university and the hostels and made no effort to send them to their homes, it said. MISLED LOCAL ADMINISTRATION The notice said: It might be argued by you that the movement of students was not possible in the light of the complete lockdown. There is no denying the fact that norms about maintaining social distancing were flouted and the administration was informed that the university was shut and vacated, while that was not the case. It is amply clear that you did not pay any heed to instructions of the district administration on March 23 and kept it in dark. When the world is battling this deadly virus and the only remedy is complete isolation, your administration threw all instructions to the winds and put hundreds of lives at risk. By Gina Lee Investing.com Cathay Pacific will close three bases in the United States as the airline continues to struggle with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline will close its bases in New York, San Fransisco and Los Angeles, affecting 286 staff. Elsewhere in North America, it has already closed its Vancouver base in March and closed its Toronto base in 2019. The U.S. closures will bring the number of Cathy staff who will lose their jobs to 553. Cathay will maintain its three remaining overseas bases in London, Bangkok and Singapore. The move comes as the company announced its March traffic figures on Thursday. Alongside sister airline Cathay Dragon, it carried 311,128 passengers in March, a 90% decrease from the same period in 2019. It already slashed its flight schedules by two-thirds in March,and outlined a skeleton service for flights in April. Cathay Pacific stocks in Hong Kong gained 3.88% to HK$9.36 by 12:51 AM ET (5:51 AM GMT), despite the companys announcement. Related Articles Asia shares up as plans to re-open U.S economy offset record slump in China GDP Japan airlines keep most domestic flights despite few takers for seats Southwest asks unions to start considering post-aid concessions An Australian government minister has called on China to be transparent about the origins of the coronavirus and predicted the world will rethink relations with Australia's most important trading partner because of the pandemic. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton recently recovered from COVID-19 which he apparently contracted during a trip to Washington D.C. Dutton told Nine Network on Friday: I do think there will be a reset about the way in which the world interacts with China. We do want more transparency. Chinese interference in other countries and involvement in cyber spying need to, I think, be looked at again, Dutton said. When you've got a communist party that doesn't have the transparency that other comparable economies have, then that is a problem, Dutton said. Dutton's call for transparency comes after U.S. officials revealed intelligence agencies were assessing whether the respiratory virus escaped from a biological laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the pandemic began. Hopefully you can have China answering these questions that are reasonably put and people can have more confidence, Dutton said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Moves by rich countries to freeze debt repayment for poor nations grappling the coronavirus crisis are positive but fall far short of a real fix, African experts say. The agreement on debt, announced by the Group of 20 wealthier nations, is a one-year freeze on payment of debt owed by 76 poor nations, 40 of which are in Africa. Africa's overall debt stands at around $365 billion (336 billion euros), around a third of which is owed to China. The world's weakest economies will be able to free up precious cash for immediate needs but will still struggle under a mountain of debt, experts say. "It provides a breathing space," said Hassane Boukar of a Niger citizens' group called AEC. "There will be a lot of spending ahead in fighting the coronavirus pandemic," he said. "The fact that there is a moratorium helps these states to mobilise funds that they otherwise would have had to earmark for repaying debt." The moratorium "will stop African economies from falling off the cliff in the immediate future, but if solutions aren't forthcoming, catastrophe lies ahead," said Jean Alabro, an Ivory Coast economist. In terms of infections, Africa so far has been relatively unscathed by the pandemic when compared to Europe or the United States. As of Thursday, the continent -- North African countries included -- had recorded under 18,000 cases, and fewer than a thousand of these had been fatal, according to an AFP tally. Economic storm The bad news is that Africa is highly vulnerable to the new virus. Health experts say the contagious microbe could be devastating in urban slums, refugee camps and war zones, especially given the continent's notoriously weak health systems. The IMF expects Africa's gross domestic product to shrink by 1.6 percent in 2020 -- the worst result ever recorded. By Guillem Sartorio (AFP) As a result, anti-virus lockdowns, curfews and other restrictions, when coupled with a slump in world demand for minerals and tourism, are set to have a crippling impact on African economies. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects Africa's gross domestic product to shrink by 1.6 percent in 2020 -- the "worst result ever recorded" -- while the World Bank has warned that the region could slip into its first recession in 25 years. The debt agreement should free up around $20 billion that can be used to fight the coronavirus pandemic, according to Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan. Commentators pointed to the fact that the debt will remain on the books -- and the payment freeze only applies to government-to-government debt, not on liabilities to private lenders. Debt cycle "Suspending (debt) is not the same as cancelling it" on the scale of assistance, said Djidenou Kpoton, an economic analyst in Benin. Demba Moussa Dembele, head of a Senegalese NGO called the African Forum for Alternatives, said two-thirds of African exports took the form of commodities or semi-finished foods. "International demand (for these) is going to collapse, and prices will follow suit," he said. "The G20's decision is ridiculous -- it doesn't rise to the challenge. It's an insult to poor countries." Congolese economist Noel Magloire Ndoba, like others, said a one-year holiday on debt payment was "cosmetic. The real problem is the debt itself -- it should be scrapped, quite simply." But some voices also warned of Africa's chronic dilemma: when debts are wiped out, countries that struggle with graft or incompetent government typically sign up for more. "So long as we have leaders who mistake the country's bank account for their own, the number of debt moratoria or debt cancellations will have little effect -- it won't change anything," said Masra Succes, a Chadian opposition figure who heads a pro-reform group, the Transformers' Party. The issue of governance also leads to the longer-term question of how to restructure African economies so that they are less exposed to the volatility of world markets and are better geared to weather crises. "These days, African finance ministers are considered capable if they are able to borrow money," said Alabro. "They should focus more on local companies rather than on multinationals to spur local production and create jobs. African leaders have to build economies that are orientated towards the public interest." Add CoolSocial badge. Show it by adding this HTML code on your site: Shoppinas.com scored 46 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2.5/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 13 Dec 2012, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. Add a widget like this on your site: click here This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the shoppinas homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if shoppinas has a Facebook fan page). This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the shoppinas homepage on Twitter + the total number of shoppinas followers (if shoppinas has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the shoppinas homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the shoppinas homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the shoppinas homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. Basic Information PAGE TITLE Quezon City, NCR (Metro Manila) - Shop Pinas Community Classifieds DESCRIPTION Classifieds for our community. Buy, sell, trade, date, events... post anything. ShopPinas Community Classifieds. KEYWORDS classifieds, posts, ads, events, images, buy, sell, trade, real estate, apartments, personals, dating, shoppinas community classifieds, xzero classifieds, community classifieds, community, society, social networking, philippines shopping OTHER KEYWORDS The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. Domain and Server DOCTYPE HTML 4.01 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE UTF-8 DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Apache/2.2.19 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.2.19 OpenSSL/0.9.8e-fips-rhel5 mod_auth_passthrough/2.1 mod_bwlimited/1.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635 (PHP/5.2.17) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Operative System running on the server. Type of server and offered services. Character set and language of the site. The language of shoppinas.com as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for shoppinas.com by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND The URL of the found Facebook page. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The type of Facebook page. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND (Photo : @sahartabar.before/instagram) sahar tabar's snap photos showing her look before and after surgeries (and makeup) The zombie Angelina Jolie is now on a ventilator after she turned COVID-19 positive while in prison in Iran. Instagram star Sahar Tabar from Tehran became famous after posting images of her spooky, skinny face that resembles Oscar-winning star Jolie with the angled facial features. However, some fans likened her to Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. The 22-year old Tabar (Fatemeh Khishvand in real life) was arrested last October due to blasphemy, inciting violence, and encouraging the corruption of young people from her Instagram posts. Her lawyers already appealed for her immediate release as she is said to be seriously ill and supported by ventilators while in prison. However, Center For Human Rights In Iran, a U.S.-based human rights group, said Presiding Judge Mohammad Moghiseh of Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, has repeatedly refused to grant her bail. This was even after numerous coronavirus cases are recorded in the country's prisons. Currently, Iran has a total of over 76,389 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 4,777 virus-related deaths. These make Iran the worst epidemic in the Middle East. However, the actual figures could be higher as the official tally only included those who died in the hospital and tested positive for the virus before their death. Meanwhile, around 85,000 prisoners were freed to eliminate to contend the virus last month. 'We find it unacceptable that this young woman has now caught the coronavirus in these circumstances while her detention order has been extended during all this time in jail,' human rights lawyer Payam Derafshan said on Wednesday, Apr. 15. Derafsham also said that Sahar and other inmates who have non-violent charges should be released as well because of coronavirus pandemic. Tehran's guidance court, which deals with 'cultural crimes and social and moral corruption' ordered her detention. 'The prison director should acknowledge the infection and admit she has been hospitalized,' he added. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Doctors Discover People Who Experience Loss of Smell and Taste are Ten Times More Likely to Have COVID-19 Instant Instagram star Tabar became famous in 2017 with 26,000 followers before her Instagram was shut down following her arrest. Iran only allows Instagram, while other social media apps like Facebook and Twitter are banned. In her posts last year, she reportedly had 50 surgeries, including a nose job, lip fillers, and liposuction to make her look like Hollywood actress Jolie. However, she later confessed she made fun of her look and blown it up through makeup and editing. 'This is Photoshop and makeup... I paint my face in an increasingly funny way. It is a way of expressing yourself, a kind of art,' said Sahar. In July, Sahar shared her true self for the first time with photos of her prior and after the surgery. In the first photo, she shows a fresh look without her signature makeup, sporting a long dark hair, brown eyes, and much smaller lips. On the other one, she wears her zombie Angelina look with blue contact lenses, pointed nose, and sunken cheeks. However, Sahar claims she did not intentionally want to be like Jolie neither the Corpse Bride. Her Instagram account has recently been reactivated with 15,000 followers. Read Also: FDA Approves Production of the Coventor Ventilator That Costs 25x Less Than Most Existing Devices 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Doctors and nurses at The Royal Melbourne hospital have taken a razor to their beloved beards to better protect their patients from coronavirus. The new policy saw bearded medical staff at the renowned Victorian health facility line up together to have their precious facial hair lopped off. Infectious disease expert Professor Nigel McMillan from Griffith University told the Daily Mail bushy beards, trendy moustaches and designer stubble can prevent even the highest quality face masks from working properly. 'P2 hospital grade masks - the ones with filters at the front that doctors and healthcare professionals wear - only work if you have a secure seal around the edge of the mask, so you need to be clean shaven,' he said. Even an emergency physician with four decades of experience could not escape the clippers under the hospital's new rules. 'It's a clinical term called beard shock,' Professor George Braitberg joked to the Sunrise program, as he stroked his face trying to get used to the feeling. Infectious disease specialist Ben Cowie said: 'I'm a little bit traumatised it's fair to say. It's feeling very cool on my face. But I don't think I look very cool.' His teenage daughter disagreed when he showed her his smooth new look via Facetime. 'You look better I think,' she said. Infectious disease specialist Ben Cowie is pictured above getting a shave after The Royal Melbourne Hospital announced all medical staff would have to forgo their facial hair in the fight against coronavirus With the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Australia now at 6,462 including 63 deaths, front line health workers are being asked to make huge sacrifices. 'I don't know if my 18-month old son will recognise me anymore,' clinical nurse and new dad Scott Woolard said. 'But that's what we have to do just to prepare for what's coming up.' The hospital is getting ready for a massive influx of coronavirus patients and the 'great shave' is just another part of those preparations Mr Cowie said. 'This is necessary our hospital is on a war footing to prepare for what's coming. 'This is going to ramp up and it will be confronting for our health services and our community like nothing we have ever seen. 'We have to distance ourselves physically but we can't allow that to distance ourselves emotionally. 'We have to pull together. Unity is more important than ever before.' A number of police officers across the country have also been ordered to shave off their facial hair too, in case they need to respond to a COVID-19 situation and wear protective masks on duty. The new rule will impact officers in Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory until the pandemic is over. A trombonist to the stars has been accused of 'outrageous and despicable conduct' by his New York co-op for hosting 'drug-fueled parties' during the coronavirus pandemic. Mike Seltzer, 52, who has played with Sting, Lenny Kravitz, Mos Def, Bernadette Peters and David Byrnea, is being sued by his fellow shareholders at the Hamilton in Harlem for allegedly flouting the building's ban on non-essential guests. Seltzer, who owns a penthouse estimated to be worth in the region of $700,000 in the 76-unit building, has been accused of hosting drug-fueled parties, sneaking guests in through the basement and garage and allowing his guests to loiter in the halls littering drug paraphernalia. The Hamilton Owners Corporation filed a lawsuit against the Columbia University's music school faculty member last week, accusing him of not complying with the building's COVID-19 protocols, the New York Post reported. Mike Seltzer, 52, (pictured) who has played with famous faces including Sting and Lenny Kravitz, is being sued by his fellow shareholders at the Hamilton in Harlem for allegedly flouting the building's ban on non-essential guests during lockdown The building, reportedly home to a number of people who are elderly or have pre-existing health conditions, banned all 'non-essential' guests entering the building, including family members, in March to help protect residents and staff. The suit cites 'outrageous and despicable conduct' and claims Seltzer is ignoring social distancing rules by hosting drug-fueled parties in his penthouse. The board claims that the musician has been handing his key fob to guests. His guests have allegedly been causing chaos in the building, incessantly pressing the buzzers, and making a nuisance under the influence of drugs and alcohol 'possibly a psychedelic or LSD', the suit claims. Seltzer's disregard for the rules is 'placing the life and safety of the building's residents, some of whom are elderly or who have underlying health conditions, in grave danger of serious injury and death,' according to the suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court. The suit also states that the behavior is 'deeply concerning' in light of the fact Seltzer's previous roommate was found dead in his apartment in September. 'The fact that a dead body was found in the apartment to which drug use and paraphernalia is continually reported by shareholders and security is deeply concerning on many levels,' according to the court records. The Hamilton co-op in Harlem. The building, reportedly home to a number of people who are elderly or have pre-existing health conditions, banned all 'non-essential' guests entering the building, including family members, in March to help protect residents and staff Seltzer, who owns a penthouse estimated ton be worth around $700,000 in the 76-unit building, has been accused of hosting drug-fueled parties in his apartment, sneaking guests in through the basement and garage and allowing his guests to loiter in the halls littering drug paraphernalia The co-op cannot evict Seltzer from the building under New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's executive order that protects tenants from eviction until at least June 20. But, Massimo D'Angelo, the claimants' lawyer, said the Hamilton board is seeking an emergency injunction that will force Seltzer to follow the building's rules or face arrest. 'Once the judge signs this, it becomes a court order and I can move to hold him in contempt of court and have him thrown in jail,' D'Angelo told the Post. Seltzer is being sued by the co-op which says his disregard for the rules is 'placing the life and safety of the building's residents... in grave danger of serious injury and death'. The co-op cannot evict him under New York's executive order that protects tenants from eviction but an emergency injunction could force Seltzer to follow the building's rules or face arrest A request to comment from Seltzer was not returned, the Post said. Other co-ops across New York, which allow residents to own shares in the entire building, have been introducing strict social distancing rules during the state shutdown. Essential workers such as movers are being banned by some boards from entering the buildings. Doormen wearing masks and gloves are delivering food orders to residents' doors, sanitizing all packages, and even flushing toilets in apartments left vacant by owners who have fled out of town. Doormen wearing protective masks stand outside a residential building on Central Park South on Tuesday. Other co-ops across New York have introduced strict social distancing rules during the state shutdown including banning movers and limiting staff to a single doorman At some buildings, they are working double or triple shifts and covering the workload of doorman, elevator operator and concierge in order to limit the number of staff in the building. 'Those people go home and leave the building at night, so it's a way to limit exposure to just one person,' Manhattan broker Philip Scheinfeld told the Post. 'I sold an apartment to a client on Fifth Avenue and they are literally not letting anyone but owners enter the building.' New York City's official death toll from the coronavirus pandemic rose sharply Thursday, as another 723 people died taking the toll to 7,563. The number of confirmed cases in the city also continues to rise, reaching 117,565. Prince William admitted he has been concerned for the health of his father and grandparents during the coronavirus crisis. William, 37, said in a BBC News interview broadcast this morning that he was 'worried' when he first learned Prince Charles, 71, had been diagnosed with COVID-19 because the virus is 'fairly risky' for someone of his age. Speaking via video link from his home in Norfolk, William also revealed the family is doing all it can to protect the Queen, 93, and Prince Philip, 98, from the virus. The couple have been in isolation at Windsor Castle for a number of weeks. Prince William admitted he has been concerned for the health of his father and grandparents during a video call with the Duchess of Cambridge on BBC News today, pictured William said: 'Obviously I think very carefully about my grandparents - who are the age they're at, we're doing everything we can to make sure that they're isolated away and protected from this.' Prince Charles spent two weeks self-isolating at Birkhall, his home on the Queen's Balmoral estate, after testing positive for coronavirus last month. Prince William confessed he had feared for his father's health at the time. He said: 'I have to admit, at first I was quite concerned, he fits the profile of somebody, at the age he is at, which is fairly risky.' William said the family is doing all it can to protect the Queen and Prince Philip from the virus. Pictured, the Queen on an engagement on March 3, before the lockdown But he added that he was optimistic Charles would recover. 'My father has had many chest infections, colds, and things like that over the years. And so, I thought to myself, if anybody is going to be able to beat this, it's going to be him. 'And actually he was very lucky, he had mild symptoms. I think the hardest thing he found was having to stop. And not being able to go and get a bit of fresh air and a walk. 'He's a mad walker and just loves walking so I think he found it quite difficult. Especially, also I think with his mental health, being stuck inside and not being able to go for walks.' William also said of his father: 'Actually he was very lucky he had mild symptoms and I got a lot of good reassurance from doctors and friends of mine who said "listen, the days he's on when we found out about it, he's probably passed the worst of it". 'And obviously speaking to him made me feel more reassured that he was OK, but again at that age you do worry a bit more.' William, 37, said in a BBC News interview broadcast this morning that he was 'worried' when he first learned Prince Charles , 71, had been diagnosed with COVID-19 because the virus is 'fairly risky' for someone of his age. Pictured, Charles and Camilla at Birkhall on 8 April Prince William and Kate Middleton gave a Zoom interview with BBC News in which they discussed life with their three children at Anmer Hall. The Duchess talked about how the couple had kept a strict regime while home schooling their children Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, four, and Prince Louis, who is two next week, in the past month. The couple said it was also important to avoid scaring their children and making it 'too overwhelming', but added that home schooling was 'fun' and the children had been pitching tents, cooking and baking. The Queen and Prince Philip have been in isolation at Windsor Castle for a number of weeks. Pictured, the Queen conducting her weekly audience with the Prime Minister over the phone from Windsor Castle on 25 March And speaking about continuing the home schooling throughout the Easter holidays this month, the Duchess said: 'We don't tell the children we've actually kept going through the holidays. I feel very mean.' Kate also said the family had been through 'ups and downs' during the lockdown 'like lots of families' since it was imposed on March 23, but they had stayed in touch with other family members using video conferencing apps. The Duke of Cambridge also described how the three-week lockdown has been 'frustrating' for many people as 'pressure, stress and isolation' has been building up. In response to Irans coronavirus outbreak in late February, one of the governments first actions was to close schools and universities on March 5, leaving the education of millions of students in limbo. The prolonged shutdown has led to major challenges for students, parents and teachers. Mahta is a fifth-grade student in Tehran who is trying to continue her education despite the challenges brought by the pandemic. Ive missed my school and my friends. Studying in school with my friends and along with my teacher was much better than studying online, the 11-year-old told Al-Monitor. With many instructors using popular messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram to communicate with their students, Mahta explained her experience with the methodology, which is new to millions of Iranian students. Our teacher shares recordings of herself explaining new lessons and assigns us daily homework, but unlike the teachings that were done in school, these are not done according to a specific plan, she said. Mahta talked about learning additional course material from her parents. Learning from mom and dad is a bit harder because the teaching methodology is different from what were used to in school, she said, pointing out that its also harder to concentrate on studying while at home. These new challenges arent limited to students. Mahtas mother, Fahimeh, described her hurdles over the past month and a half. One is dealing with the difficulties of using local mobile apps that dont have the features of their foreign rivals like WhatsApp and Telegram, and the other one is the added free time the kids have nowadays at home because of the coronavirus, she told Al-Monitor. To minimize the effect of the school closures on the education system, Irans Education Ministry introduced an online app, the Social Network of Students (Shad in Persian), and presents daily lessons for different grades on state TV. The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology ordered companies that provide home internet access to increase network speed fourfold. The government also prepared self-study packages and delivered them to students living in areas with poor communications services or those completely cut off from service. The locally designed app can serve as many as 16 million students, including those with physical impairments, but its official launch was delayed to ensure security after recent incidents in which information of millions of Iranians was leaked. Despite all efforts by the government, signs of the countrys unpreparedness for a complete shift to distance learning are visible, and raise alarms that digital gaps in parts of the country might further reduce the chances of equal opportunity for all Iranian pupils. Weve been asked to install some specific apps so my daughter can continue her education, Fahimeh said. She said that even in Tehran, not all children have smartphones. Some have to use their parents mobile devices to access course material. I know that even some parents dont have smartphones. With the economic situation, which has even turned worse because of the coronavirus, many families cant afford to buy a smartphone, she added. Many teachers have complained that current online teaching methods lack the interaction they used to have with students at school, which they said has decreased the quality of education. The issue of educational justice has always been a topic of debate in Iran. Many Iranian students mostly in less-developed areas continue to study under harsh and sometimes dangerous environments, which on occasion has led to fatal incidents. With the high dependency of distance learning on digital technologies, some people have voiced concerns that, given some students lack of access to the internet and digital devices, focusing on online learning might further deprive many students of quality education. Education Minister Mohsen Hajimirzaei recently tweeted that 6.9% of students (about 870,000 people) do not have access to the internet. However, according to a March report by Irans Telecommunications Ministry, only 70% of Iranian families have internet access. The same report adds that access rates vary from one province to another. For instance, in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan one of Irans least-developed regions more than 53% of its 2.9 million residents dont have internet access. To learn more about the challenges of implementing distance learning, Al-Monitor contacted Saeed Yaghmouri, an academic affairs expert in Iran. Yaghmouri said some good work has been done to advance the process. The main factor that had until now stopped its full implementation is the central concept of in-person education in Iran. In our education system, distance learning is seen as a complementary tool to enhance education and training, not as a replacement, he told Al-Monitor. According to him, cultural factors and Iranian societys willingness or reluctance to accept the sudden switch from in-class education to online education play important roles in how people perceive the quality of distance learning. Yaghmouri, a co-founder of Iranian educational startup Classgram, a class management tool for primary-grade students, sees the coronavirus pandemic as a big test for the countrys educational system. He urged education officials to end their monopolistic view, explaining that distance learning wont succeed as long as the ministry continues to be both a decision-maker and implementer. The ministrys launching of the exclusive system [Shad] which it wants millions of Iranian students to use is a clear indication that it is continuing its old policy of keeping full control over the education system, he said. Meanwhile, schools will be closed until at least April 19, and students like Mahta have to continue studying at home. Ive missed my friends and teacher a lot. I want to go back to school again, but I also understand that we have to stay home for now to be safe, she told Al-Monitor. More than 78,000 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus in Iran. With 22,000 active cases and more than 4,900 deaths as of April 16, schools could remain closed indefinitely. Chinese state security organs unveil retired official's plot to subvert state power Global Times Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/16 14:11:13 China's Ministry of State Security has revealed a series of major cases threatening the country's security including one involving a retired official who reached out to foreign enemy forces and plotted to stage terrorist activities in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, to subvert state power. The case was one of a batch of typical major criminal cases harming the national security in key fields such as political, military and science and technology, and was revealed to raise awareness of national security issues on the country's fifth National Security Education Day on Wednesday. According to China's state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) on Wednesday, citing materials provided by the state security ministry's publicity department, the retired official, surnamed Su, who worked in a school in Yunnan Province, had posted several anti-government articles online and came to know some key members of an overseas enemy force in 2016. When a key member of this enemy force came to China, he and Su plotted to subvert state power. Su's gang first planned to purchase weapons from overseas, then hired "die hard soldiers" to attack the Kunming public security bureau and take over a local military ammunition base. Su had planned to promote his political views online after pulling off the plot, and would flee overseas in the event of failure. Su's evil plot was foiled in its planning stages by state security organs, as he had left a trail of clues online by using multiple WeChat groups to coordinate the gang and discuss funding and details of weapons. Su was convicted of the crime of subverting state power in April 2019 in a court in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, where he confessed to his illegal acts. The Ministry of State Security also disclosed cases of defections involving personnel related to state secrets. Wang Pihong, formerly a deputy chief designer from an aviation research institution in China, had participated in a number of national key secret projects. His wife, Zhao Ruqin, was also with the same institute, and also involved in key state projects. The couple had the knowledge of state secrets and had been planning to migrate to a Western country. They forged fake materials, applied for personal passports and took a holiday in 2002 to move to the country with their child, and obtained the nationality of the destination country by 2005. The Wangs had been on the state security organ's radar after their disappearance, and a probe found that Wang was working in the same line of business in this foreign country, posing major threats to China's military and science and technology security. Wang and his wife were arrested in November 2017 when the couple returned to China to visit their family. CCTV also disclosed the case of Zhang Jiange, a Chinese military engineering expert who had been compromised by foreign spies. The foreign spy agency made contact with him during an academic trip he took in 2011. A foreign spy calling himself "Jack" tempted Zhang with cash and promises of a good education for his child. Zhang had been found to be providing intelligence to Jack such as some weapons which were not yet commissioned into service, development direction and status of some cutting-edge weapons in China. Zhang was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the crime of espionage. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Family members of a South Carolina boat crash victim are suing two restaurants accused of serving too much alcohol to the man charged with causing the crash. The lawsuits filed Tuesday allege that the restaurants on Lake Murray served suspect Tracy Gordon, 53, beer and several rounds of liquor shots, on Sept. 21, shortly before he crashed his speed boat into a pontoon carrying Stanley Kiser and his wife and daughter, according to a copy of the complaint. Kiser was pronounced dead at the scene and his wife had to have her leg amputated because of injuries sustained in the accident, the attorneys representing the family said. One of the couples daughters was also seriously injured. The Kisers argued in their suits that the lakeside restaurants staffs kept serving Gordon alcohol after they should have known that he was impaired. The complaint also accused the eateries of negligence for failing to ensure Gordon would not operate his boat after drinking, according to the documents. The co-owner of Liberty Tap Room, one of the restaurants named, told The State he thinks they will likely be dismissed from the suit once the facts unfold. The newspaper said representatives for the other restaurant, the Rusty Anchor, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Gordon was charged with felony boating under the influence resulting in death and two counts of felony boating under the influence resulting in great bodily injury, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits South Carolina Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) - The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Friday addressed issues raised by some repatriated overseas Filipino workers currently quarantined in a 2GO ship. Some OFWs who returned from Dubai yesterday lamented on social media how they were brought to the makeshift quarantine vessel, instead of bringing them home or to a proper quarantine facility. The DOTr clarified that it is the recruitment agencys responsibility to manage the accommodation of OFWs in quarantine facilities. If such coordination was made, the OFWs, upon arrival, will board a bus to be escorted by the PCG or the PNP going to their arranged accommodation. If no accommodation was arranged for them prior to landing, that is the time that they will be brought to Pier 15, the DOTr said in a statement. The repatriates called attention to the cramped quarters. With bunk beds so close together, they say there was no room for social distancing. In response, the DOTr said the beds in the ships were already built-in and part of its design. We would like to point out that most of the beds in the said vessel are built-in, fixed type, as part of the original ship design and configuration, the DOTR added. It should be highlighted that the vessel has a 1,200-passenger capacity, but in order to ensure the observance of strict protocols on social distancing, we are only accommodating at most 400 persons, it said. The DOTr also clarified that the room accommodation for the repatriates are free of charge and that the P180 charge for the three meals to be prepared by 2GO is optional. It said the Philippine Coast Guard and the Maritime Industry Authority had been directed to shoulder the food expenses of the repatriates for the meantime. And if the person would not want to avail of the in-house meals, they also have the option to buy food and other essentials at the mini mart located also inside the vessel, the DOTR added. The transportation department assured that it is also addressing sanitation issues within the quarantine facility. We again apologize for any shortcoming, and we will see to it that we take the necessary remedial action, as we both endure and acknowledge our sacrifices amid the difficulty of our situation, it said. The main thing that will help Americans win their battle against COVID-19 and return to complete normalcy is a vaccine, the leader of North Georgia Health District said this week. Speaking Thursday during County Connect, the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners twice-weekly show streamed live on the countys website at www.whitfieldcountyga.com, Dr. Zachary Taylor listed three other smaller victories that would also help in the fight against the coronavirus universal availability of rapid testing to determine if someone is infected, a test for antibodies to see if someone has been infected in the past, and an effective treatment to prevent victims from becoming severely ill. Just when such a vaccine could become available remains to be seen, Dr. Taylor said. Vaccine development does take a long time, he said. One of the problems is they have to identify which part of the virus the vaccine needs to attack to be effective. Usually a vaccine prevents a virus from attaching to a cell or it may interrupt some other mechanism of the virus. He said how a vaccine can be designed depends on the particular virus and how quickly it mutates. The first thing they have to do is make sure its safe to give to humans, Dr. Taylor said. The second thing they have to do is make sure its effective when its given to humans. Then once they have decided this is the vaccine were going to use, its going to have to be mass-produced, and once its produced, then we have to get it out to the public. He says were probably talking about next spring before an effective vaccine is available. It could be earlier wed all be happy if that were the case. It could be later depending on how difficult it is to find the appropriate candidate vaccine for manufacture. In the meantime, Dr. Taylor says the Whitfield County Health Department is hosting drive-through testing five days a week for people who believe they have COVID-19 symptoms, including fever, cough, and less commonly sore throat, nausea, and diarrhea. If someone believes they have those symptoms and they want to schedule a test, Dr. Taylor said, they should call 888-881-1474 to set up an appointment. We also have a testing site in Cherokee County, and were going to start one next week in Gilmer County. In Dalton, at 800 Professional Blvd., just past the Whitfield County Correctional Center, the health department is offering drive-through testing Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. Dr. Taylor said 88 tests have been conducted this week in Whitfield County, with another 97 in Cherokee County. We expect that number to pick up as people learn about the availability of our testing now, he said. We hope it does because we would like to test more people. We could probably do 300 or 400 tests a week here. And if we have a higher demand, well expand our hours and we could do more testing. Hamilton Medical Center has also tested 224 additional patients, with 203 negative results, 13 positive for COVID-19, and eight results pending. Asked about the CDCs suggestion that a well-functioning monitoring system is needed before current restrictions are lifted, Dr. Taylor explained that rapid type testing needs to be widely available, and were seeing improvements in that. We were all frustrated early on about the availability of testing and the backlog that was occurring in our commercial laboratories to get the test results, he said. If we had a well-functioning testing system that was rapid where people could get their results quickly, we could quickly define people, diagnose people that were infected with this, we could isolate those people, and that would help us reduce the transfer in our community so that we could all function safely and have business as usually safely. Dr. Taylor said the lab being used by the health department has promised test results in 24 to 48 hours (much faster than the previous seven to 10 days early in the pandemic). Thats a big improvement, he said, again, not where we want to be in the future, but its a big improvement over what we have had. So far theyve been able to do that, so were hopeful that theyre going to continue to be able to do that. They are serving the entire state, so theyre getting a lot of tests in. As of Thursday morning, all those tests (the exact number wasnt known by Dr. Taylor) have resulted in 34 positive cases in Whitfield County, with three deaths reported. Whitfield County Emergency Management Director Claude Craig said that statewide from Tuesday to Thursday, 876 additional positive tests were confirmed, with 182 more people hospitalized and 60 more deaths reported. I think its important for people to understand that there are many more cases that have occurred in our county and that are out there right now, Dr. Taylor said. Initially when there was less availability of testing, we would ask people who had mild illnesses to just stay isolated at home. We did not want them to overwhelm our health facilities, so many people didnt get tested who had mild illness. We also know theres a group of people who were actually asymptomatic and had infection. We think that group of people has been part of the spread of the virus in our community. Thats why you see people wearing masks in public, and why we think its important to wear masks. Dr. Taylor acknowledged that early on, health officials warned that masks werent effective. Theres truth in that in the sense that a mask doesnt necessarily keep you from becoming infected, especially the surgical-style masks that you see people wearing in public. They tend to have openings on the side so theyre not completely protective like the types of masks and respirators you see our health care providers wearing. But while it may not completely protect someone from the virus, the mask does keep a person from transmitting the virus to other people or to the surfaces when youre out in public, Dr. Taylor said. So I would encourage you all to wear a mask if you go to the grocery store or if youre out in public for some reason simply because you could have early infection, what we would call pre-symptomatic infection, or you could have an asymptomatic infection and so could therefore transmit the virus to other people youre around, he said, and wed like you to protect these people. Dr. Taylor also encouraged continuing to practice social distancing as much as possible and to be very conscientious about washing your hands. If youve been out in public, wash your hands before you touch your face, he said. Make sure that youre also cleaning surfaces, especially surfaces that are touched often, like door knobs, countertops, computer keyboards, your telephones, things like that. Asked about the use of plasma donations from patients who have recovered from COVID-19, Dr. Taylor explained giving such plasma to another patient transfers the first persons antibodies so the second person can defeat the virus. Thats certainly been used in other instances, he said, It was used early on when we were dealing with Ebola in some cases. It certainly is a plausible treatment. Its undergoing clinical trials along with some other drugs that are anti-virals. As for the drug hydroxychloroquine (in combination with azithromycin, or Z-Pack) commonly used to treat malaria, Dr. Taylor said that combination is being tested to determine its effectiveness against COVID-19. As for the so-called herd immunity, Dr. Taylor said we would need to get more than 80 percent of the population immune to the virus either from a vaccine or from previous infection. But we dont want to do previous infection because we know this particular virus, the illness it causes, its more severe than the influenza. While the current death rate is 3 or 4 percent, Dr. Taylor said the actual death rate will likely be much lower as more and more people are tested and the real distribution in our population is determined. The mortality rate is probably lower because of the cases we dont know about, he said, but even if its 1 percent or a half percent, thats still many fold higher than what we see with influenza. Weve seen medical providers dying of coronavirus, and you dont see that in a normal influenza season and people with influenza are hospitalized all the time. Of course, one major difference is we do have a vaccine for influenza, and we do have a treatment for influenza. Dr. Taylor stressed that the medical community still has much to learn about the coronavirus. While someone who has recovered from the virus may have immunity to it, he warns that how long that immunity is remains to be seen. Its possible that you initially would be immune to reinfection, he said, but that immunity may wane over time, so you could be reinfected. Likewise, that might be true for people who receive an eventual vaccination, he said, so there might have to be some type of intervals of vaccination annual, two years, five years. Well see as we learn more about the virus and what we need to control it. I dont know the exact answer, but youre probably going to have to take the vaccination more than once in your life but the frequency I dont know. While having mumps and measles gave people his age lifelong immunity, Dr. Taylor said we dont necessarily expect to see that with COVID-19. He explained that scientists have known about coronaviruses for about 40 or 50 years and probably have existed for centuries. We do know theyve been around a long time, and we do know also they exist in humans and animals, he said. He pointed out in the past 20 or so years, the SARS coronavirus was worse than COVID-19, but it wasnt very infectious and sort of went away on its own. Another type known as MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) goes from camels to humans and is primarily restricted to the Middle East. He said the latest coronavirus, COVID-19, is a very infectious virus and is easily transmitted from human to human. Asked by a viewer if the health department had a need for donation of supplies, Dr. Taylor said not at this time, but that is very nice of them to ask. He praised the staff at the health department, saying they are doing tasks they dont normally do, especially the COVID-19 testing. They have to do the drive-through testing, so theyre out there whether its raining or cold or hot or stormy. Theyve really stepped up to provide this service to the community, and Im proud of what theyre doing and I hope the people of this county are proud of what theyre doing. Dealing with COVID-19 has really been tough, I know, for everyone, Dr. Taylor said. I hope we keep compassion in our hearts, both for those who are ill, those who are hospitalized, and that we help each other, especially our population that has chronic illness who are at greater risk. There are a lot of things we can do for them. We can shop for them so they dont have to go out in public. We can stay in touch with them so they dont lose touch; theyre isolated and not able to get out. They need people to call and talk to them. He also urged compassion for political leaders. This is a really tough time, he said. I dont envy the governor at all having to make these decisions, and I dont envy any of our political leadership for having to make these decisions theyre making because theyre not easy decisions to make. All in all, he says, there are no really good answers. People are suffering economically from the stay-at-home order, he said, but if you release that too early, people are going to suffer from getting sick and our health care facilities could be overrun. So lets all have a little compassion in our heart for each other. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 17:07:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Senate of Cambodia on Friday passed a draft law on state of emergency amid the spread of COVID-19, according to a Senate's press statement. Fifty-four senators, who were present during the session, unanimously approved the draft bill, the statement said. The Senate's approval came a week after the draft law was unanimously adopted by the National Assembly. The draft bill will be submitted to the king for final approval. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said that the draft law was made based on the Article 22 of the Constitution, and the state of emergency will be declared when the nation faces dangers such as war, foreign invasion, and public health concerns caused by pandemics. "It aims to protect national security and public order, people's lives and health, properties and environment," Hun Sen said. The draft bill stated a number of measures including the prohibition or restriction of freedom of movement, and freedom of gathering. It also allowed the government to lock down public or private spaces in order to respond to any emergency. The draft bill was made after the country has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases. According to the health ministry, Cambodia has so far recorded a total of 122 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 98 patients cured as of Friday. Enditem An unknown gunman shot dead six local workers from the main American military base north of Afghanistan's capital and wounded three others, an Afghan official said on Friday. The nine workers, all Afghan nationals, were on their way home late Thursday when a gunman riding a motorcycle opened fire on them about 500 meters (about a quarter mile) from Bagram air base, Parwan provincial governor's spokeswoman Wahida Shahkar said. Shahkar said the gunman escaped. No insurgent groups immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but Taliban and Islamic State group fighters are active in northern areas of Afghanistan. IS claimed responsibility for firing five rockets from a vehicle at Bagram air base on April 9 but there were no casualties. Shahkar said Afghan national security forces began an investigation to find the person who attacked the workers, who provide cleaning services at the base. The Afghan government and Taliban are in the process of exchanging prisoners as part of a peace deal signed by the US and the Taliban on February 29 in Doha. The release of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 government personnel ahead of intra-Afghan negotiations is a condition of the US-Taliban deal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra Congress president and state Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat on Friday hinted that the gathering of migrant workers near Bandra station in Mumbai on April 14 may have been a political conspiracy. Addressing a press conference, Thorat said soon after the gathering, Twitter hashtags like "UddhavResign" and "President's Rule Imposition" were trending, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also called up the state chief minister. "Migrant workers came out on to the streets twice in Surat (in BJP-ruled Gujarat) and elsewhere in the country but I am now aware if the Union home minister called up the CMs there or if there was a Twitter war as was seen after the Bandra incident," he said. In reply to another query, Thorat said Governor BS Koshyari should appoint CM Uddhav Thackeray to the Legislative Council at the earliest as it was a matter of political stability in the state. "If there was no lockdown, and (MLC) polls were held, the CM would have been elected easily. We hope the governor takes a decision on the cabinet recommendation made on April 6," he said, adding there were reports of some court case against this cabinet decision and that the governor was seeking legal advice. He lashed out at the Centre claiming the BJP, on the one hand, was criticising the state government for not doing enough over the coronavirus outbreak, and, on the other hand, was refusing to give Maharashtra's revenue share of Rs 16,000 crore. He said the lockdown was affecting revenue and a decision to resume industrial activities in districts where there are no COVID-19 cases will be taken up after April 20. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tenants who are sheltering in place during the coronavirus outbreak will likely face a softer rental market when the lockdown lifts, says the head of development-tracking market research firm Urbanation. Shaun Hildebrand said that while construction has slowed, many residential building sites are still operating and will inject new supply into the rental market. There are already signs of a shift in the Toronto areas notoriously tight rental market, he said. There were 7,200 units leased in the first quarter of 2020, a 16 per cent year over year increase. But there was a significant shift after March 16, Urbanation reports. The year started with a 25 per cent year over year uptick in the number of Toronto-area lease transactions. But in the second half of March, rentals were 25 per cent below the same level the year before down 39 per cent compared to the first half of the month. The supply of rentals dropped only 7 per cent during the same period. That we saw some weakness in rents already, just two weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn, it just speaks to how quickly the market is starting to react, said Hildebrand. The changes represent a pretty dramatic shift and likely the beginning of what will be a pretty soft period for the rental market, he said. Some 10,000 condos and 1,000 purpose-built rentals were expected to come on the market in the second quarter of this year, and while they will likely be delayed, most will be ready for occupancy later, said Hildebrand. Residential construction sites are operating, albeit at a slower pace to allow for worker safety measures. On the demand side we have job losses, lower income, lower immigration. On the supply side we havent seen a lot of rental availability as yet but I think that will happen, he said. Job losses mean some tenants will move into roommate situations or back home. Hildebrand predicts fewer people will upgrade their apartment. But the introduction of new buildings means a large supply coming online at once and that can put downward pressure on rents. Because most Toronto investment condos are owned by individuals rather than REITs or pension funds, those landlords will be motivated to rent their units and, because they bought at lower prices than condos sell for now, they will have some flexibility to lower their prices, he said. Meanwhile, rental website PadMapper reported a 10 per cent drop in apartment searches between February and March. Toronto remains the most expensive rental market in the country, according to PadMapper. The $2,250 average one-bedroom rent, was .9 per cent higher year over year in April. Two-bedroom rents rose 2.8 per cent to $2,950 in the same period. Barrie had the fastest growing rents in the country, up 5 per cent year over year to an average $1,460. A former South Korean conglomerate chairman was given a suspended prison sentence on Friday for sexually assaulting two women. The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Kim Jun-ki, former chairman of DB Group, to an imprisonment of two and a half years, suspended for four years, after finding him guilty of raping his housemaid and sexually assaulting his secretary. It also ordered the 75-year-old Kim to undergo 40 hours of sex offender treatment and barred him from employment at child, youth and disabled welfare facilities for five years. Kim is accused of raping and sexually assaulting a housemaid in his vacation home between February 2016 and January 2017 and of sexually assaulting his personal secretary between February and July 2017. Kim left for the United States in July 2017 to receive medical treatment. He resigned as DB chairman two months later after news media reported suspicions of his sexual offenses. Kim returned home last October and was immediately arrested after police revoked his passport, put him on an Interpol wanted list and sought his extradition from the U.S. DB, formerly Dongbu Group, is the nation's 43rd-largest conglomerate, with businesses ranging from construction and steel to finance. (Yonhap) After the DOJ intervention, the Mayor of Mississippi ended the ban on drive-in services Church services Churches started holding due to the COVID 19 outbreak. The drive-in style religious gatherings, which were banned after Easter, are now cleared since the mayor sensed that there are no problems with people being in their cars with their windows up for social distancing. The City of Greenville issue fines for parking lot services, there are many concerns of critics of the ban who announce that religious institutions are treated unfairly. There tends to be concerns due to the unfair treatments that were given. Logically, there are comparisons of Christians banned from having drive-in service with their windows down, with drive-in restaurants free to continue their business. "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." Mayor Errick Simmons said in a press conference on Wednesday streamed over Facebook live. "Today, given the definitive guidance from the governor, in the city of Greenville we will allow drive-in and parking lot services in the city. So as long as families stay in their cars with windows up." As of today, churches are strongly encouraged to hold church gatherings in the ideas of drive-in services. NEW YORK, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Dadi , the leading male fertility company that introduced the first FDA-licensed at-home sperm collection kit and storage solution, today announced a new "Send a Friend a Free Kit" program for National Infertility Awareness Week being held April 19-26, 2020. Through the Send a Friend a Kit program, Dadi customers can send one friend a free at-home sperm collection kit, a lab testing fertility report and one year of storage--a $199 value. The program applies to any Dadi customer who has purchased a kit by April 30, 2020. National Infertility Awareness Week comes at a time when many families are questioning the coronavirus quarantine's impact on their fertility journeys. By participating in the "Send a Friend a Free Kit " program, Dadi customers can empower their friends and family to immediately take charge of their future fertility despite the quarantine. While National Infertility Awareness Week addresses the fertility challenges of both women and men, the burden of infertility typically falls on women--despite 50 percent of infertility cases being attributed to male factor infertility. By testing their sperm as a first step, men can identify any issues and be directed to the right treatment plan, thus saving women from the expense and stress of additional procedures. If sperm is determined to be healthy, it can be stored for future use. With Dadi's patented, FDA-licensed and temperature-controlled kit, sperm samples can be collected in the comfort of the customer's home and shipped safely and securely overnight. Within 24 hours of receipt of the customer's deposit, a certified lab technician analyzes the sperm deposit and emails the customer a personalized fertility health report, which also includes a video of their sperm. Healthy deposits are stored in Dadi's secure lab facility with an annual subscription for an overall experience that's faster, easier and less expensive than traditional sperm banks. Dadi, guided by an advisory board of medical and scientific fertility experts, is leading the charge in helping men take control of their reproductive health. Since launching last year, Dadi has: Begun working with Johns Hopkins Oncology Center, which is now referring its male cancer patients to Dadi during the quarantine Established partnerships with Planned Parenthood (to assist the transgender community), McDonald's, and others Serviced thousands of customers in over 1,100 cities in all 50 U.S. states "In our current global climate, helping each other plan for the future is more important than ever," said Dadi co-founder and CEO Tom Smith. "That's why for this year's National Infertility Awareness Week, we're working to normalize the conversation around male factor infertility while making Dadi services even more accessible. With our Send a Friend a Free Kit program, we're empowering our customers to help others take charge of their future fertility despite the quarantine. With Dadi Kit, men can immediately take steps to test and store sperm--quickly, easily and securely--all from the comfort of their own homes." About Dadi Dadi is the leading male fertility company that makes male fertility testing and storage more affordable and accessible. Dadi has created a simple, safe, and easy way for men and couples to make well-informed fertility preservation and family-building decisions as well as identify potential male factor infertility issues. Male factor infertility has been traditionally ignored and represents a systemic problem across industry-standard reproductive health services. Dadi's at-home collection kit and cryogenic sperm storage solution is FDA-licensed across the USA in all 50 states and provides comprehensive lab testing and reporting for an overall experience that is faster, easier and less expensive than traditional sperm banks can provide. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Dadi was co-founded by Tom Smith, Gordon von Steiner, and Mackey Saturday. Since its launch in January 2019, Dadi has serviced customers in over 1,100 cities nationwide. For more information, visit www.dadikit.com . Media Contact: Chris Blake 415-989-9000 [email protected] SOURCE Dadi Theres a Black Mirror episode that seems closer to modern life than some of the other, more futuristic storylines. In it, a teenage boy is blackmailed into performing various dubious acts by nefarious strangers who say theyll share what hes been doing on his computer including his webcam footage unless he carries out their instructions. Its not so very far from the truth. Experts say that software has been around for the last 30 years that enables hackers to gain fairly easy access to computer cameras and inbuilt microphones. And were all susceptible: You can be compromised regardless of setup, no operating system is unhackable, James Smith, head of penetration testing for cybersecurity firm Bridewell Consulting, tells The Independent. Malware can take over control over screen, webcam or microphone, adds Snorre Fagerland, senior principal security researcher for cybersecurity software brand NortonLifeLock. Always be a little cautious about your cybersafety. While many of us may have had our webcams pretty consistently covered in the past, the introduction of video conferencing and virtual socialising from Zoom to Microsoft Teams to Google Hangouts during lockdown has ensured cameras are spending a lot of time out in the open. Its all a bit Black Mirror (Alamy) But just how safe is it to leave your webcam uncovered? Heres everything you need to know. How easy is it to hack a personal or company computer or laptop? This depends on how alert and careful a user is and/or how strict security measures are implemented, says Fagerland. Malware can take over control over a screen, webcam or microphone. Smith agrees that it all depends on how well a device is managed and maintained. So, if a computer has comprehensive anti-malware software installed that is updated regularly as needed, with a user whos vigilant against the risk of phishing attempts and clicking on links from unknown sources, the chances of a system being hacked are slimmer. However, a simple piece of software left unpatched which means there are vulnerabilities in a program or code can act as a backdoor, putting the system at risk. Its also not just third-party software that poses a threat. There have been many operating system level vulnerabilities that allow a remote attacker to compromise a system, says Smith. Then you also have the risk of phishing attempts and social engineering, whereby a malicious actor would attempt to get the user to run or open a piece of malware. How easy is it to hack into a laptops built-in webcam? Pretty easy, it would seem. Once a system has been compromised its a trivial task to access a webcam, says Smith. A hacker might gain access to your machine by exploiting a vulnerability in the system, such out-of-date software, or by tricking you into running a malicious piece of code disguised as a legitimate link or attachment. After that, theres trojan software that has been around since the early 1990s which has given a point and click solution for anyone wanting to remotely access cameras and microphones, and even the live viewing of activities being performed on the machine, says Smith. According to Fagerland, if a computer gets infected, many common malwares include a feature that either hijacks your camera or installs spyware that is secretly listening, watching and recording you. Again, it all depends on how well a device is protected; once a hacker is in, its a cinch to access your computers webcam and microphone. The priority is to stop them gaining access in the first place. Are PCs more susceptible than Macs? According to Smith, there used to be urban legends that the Mac operating system was unhackable, but as the number of Mac users rose, so did the amount of Mac-specific malware. You can be compromised regardless of setup, no operating system is unhackable, he says. While some corporate systems may have more advanced solutions in place to protect users, all devices carry the same risk if theyre not maintained properly and any piece of software can contain vulnerabilities that could give an attacker a foothold. Who might be trying to hack into webcams and why? Recommended Millions of webcams at risk to spying can be secured after fix release There are a range of possible culprits, including organised crime rings, who might hack webcams for bribery and blackmail purposes. In most cases, for home users and small or medium sized corporations, the ones attempting to hack into users devices are regular cybercriminals who are in it for the money, says Fagerland. Webcam access can be monetised in some settings, particularly if they can catch something on the footage that can be used for blackmail. Smith adds: Theres also been a rise in domestic abuse cases where spouses have been spying on their partners. What is the most effective way of protecting yourself? Covering your camera or, if its an external USB camera, unplugging it when not in use is key, according to Smith, as is making sure youre aware of phishing attempts: Do not click on any links or open attachments from untrusted sources, he says. Fagerland adds that installing anti-malware should be a priority: The most effective way to protect yourself is by using security software that would keep camera and microphone hijacking malware at bay. Welcome to lockdown Britain Show all 20 1 /20 Welcome to lockdown Britain Welcome to lockdown Britain Westminster Bridge stands deserted on the morning after Boris Johnson announced the UK was in lockdonw PA Welcome to lockdown Britain The clock tower in Leicester on the day after the prime minister put the UK in lockdown PA Welcome to lockdown Britain The A23 north of Brighton is relatively empty on the morning after the prime minister put the UK in lockdown AFP/Getty Welcome to lockdown Britain The Bullring in Birmingham on the day after the prime minister put the UK in lockdown PA Welcome to lockdown Britain A sign informing residents that bingo is cancelled for the forseeable future in Eyam, Derbyshire AFP/Getty Welcome to lockdown Britain Empty streets in Skegness the day after the prime minister put the UK in lockdown PA Welcome to lockdown Britain Reverend Paul Unsworth prepares food parcels for the homeless in London Getty Welcome to lockdown Britain Streets of Windsor are deserted on the morning after the prime minister put the UK in lockdown AP Welcome to lockdown Britain The Greyfriars Bobby statue in Edinburgh after Boris Johnson urged the public to stay indoors Getty Welcome to lockdown Britain Gallowtree Gate in Leicester on the day after the prime minister put the UK in lockdown PA Welcome to lockdown Britain An isolated couple watch the prime minister's announcement that the UK is to be put in lockdown in Weybridge, Surrey Reuters Welcome to lockdown Britain People jog in Battersea Park in London the morning after the prime minister announced the UK is going into lockdown with people only allowed outside for essentials and daily exercise Reuters Welcome to lockdown Britain McDonald's on High Wycombe High Street High Street displays a sign for takeaway only shortly before closing indefinitely as the prime minister announced that the UK is tto be put in lockdown Getty Welcome to lockdown Britain Deserted streets of Bristol after Boris Johnson urged people to stay indoors Tom Wren/SWNS Welcome to lockdown Britain Kathryn Hadley and her husband David who are in self-isolation in their home in Clutton, Somerset. David has terminal cancer and Kathryn is in a wheelchair Tom Wren/SWNS Welcome to lockdown Britain Residents of Marsden, West Yorkshire head home from the shops on the day Boris Johnson urged the public to stay indoors AFP/Getty Welcome to lockdown Britain Dennis's kebab van remains open for business in a deserted High Wycombe High Street as the prime minister announces that the UK is to enter lockdown Getty Welcome to lockdown Britain Drawings of rainbows stuck on a tree in Davenham, Cheshire Reuters Welcome to lockdown Britain Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport in London after the prime minister announced the UK is to enter lockdown PA Welcome to lockdown Britain Deserted streets of Bristol after Boris Johnson urged people to stay indoors SWNS To keep devices secure, you need to follow the golden rules for cyber safety, according to NortonLifeLock: think before you click on links and download attachments; be wary of emails, text messages and calls that prompt you to take immediate action; and ensure you have up-to-date security software. Are people more at risk now were using our webcams more? Coronavirus lockdown means were potentially more susceptible to cyberattacks, according to Smith. Users are at risk of forgetting to cover up their webcams when not in use, as well as accepting far more remote meeting invites, which carry the risk of being phishing attempts disguised as what appear to be legitimate requests. You also have the fact that with employees working remotely their home networks may not have the same amount of protection in place as they would from a corporate location, says Smith. According to research from NortonLifeLock, 16.5 million Britons experienced a cybercrime in the last year a number that could potentially grow exponentially as cybercriminals take advantage of the coronavirus outbreak to trick consumers into surrendering their sensitive information. Am I safe if my webcam light isnt on? Not necessarily. Dont assume that just because the LED isnt on next to the camera that the camera isnt active, says Smith. Treat the camera like youre always being watched, as the activity LED can be suppressed. Equally, even if your webcam is covered (or unplugged if its an external USB camera), hackers can still hear you a would-be attacker could eavesdrop on your conversation via the computers built-in microphone. Muting it wont help, either; the mute function is software-based so an attacker would be able to unmute it. Prince Harry takes part in video chat with child charity WellChild Five tips to improve your cybersecurity Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das will address the media at 10 am on Friday amidst the steep fall in the rupee and the continuing volatility in other segments of the financial markets. The rupee fell 0.55 per cent to a new record low of 76.86 against the US dollar on Thursday, while the equity indices have been on a see-saw in the wake of the coronaviirus outbreak losing over 30 per cent since January. "Watchout for the RBI Governor @DasShaktikanta address live at 10.00 am today (April 17, 2020)," RBI said in a tweet. This will the second time that the governor will be addressing the media since the nationwide lockdown was imposed from March 25. On March 27, RBI held a historic pre-term MPC (Monetary Policy Committee) meeting whererin the repo rate was cut by a record 75 basis points. The repo rate was reduced to a 15-year-low of 4.40 per cent and was also the steepest cut since October 2004. The same day, the central bank cut the cash reserve ratio by 100 bps to 3 per cent apart from announcing various measures to boost liquidity in the system. There were calls that the 75 bps cuts was not sufficient and that RBI could go for more rate cuts and liquidity measures. Many brokerages had said RBI could slash the lending rates by another 100 bps. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Garda investigation is underway after shots were fired at a house in west Dublin last night. Gardai were called to the scene in the Adamstown area of Lucan at around 9.50pm after receiving reports of gunfire. It's believed a number of shots were discharged and one bullet was later discovered lodged in the window of the house. However, no injuries were reported and the scene was preserved pending a technical examination. A Garda cordon remained in place at the scene on Castlegate Square this morning as members of the Divisional Search Team carried out examinations of the area. Their searches were focused on the green area outside the property where a number of bushes are located. A Garda spokesman said that investigations into the incident are ongoing. NEW YORK Berna Lee got the call from the nursing home in Queens on April 3: Her mother had a fever, nothing serious. She was assured that there were no cases of coronavirus in the home. Then she started calling workers there. One said, Girl, let me tell you, its crazy here, Lee said. Six people died today. In a panic, Lee drove from her home in Rhode Island to the nursing home, beginning a two-week scramble for information, as workers at the facility, Sapphire Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing of Central Queens, told her privately that many residents had died and that most of the homes leadership was out sick or in quarantine. Finally, she banged on her mothers first-floor window to see if she was OK. It was unclear whether her mother understood what was happening, Lee said. I didnt know how bad it was, she said. People told me bodies were dropping. The crisis at Sapphire highlights not only the desperate state of nursing homes in the New York region, which have become a center of the coronavirus outbreak, with nearly 2,500 deaths in New York alone, up more than 1,000 in the last week. It also illustrates what relatives of residents said was a deeply troubling lack of information about what is going on inside the homes. Sapphire has not disclosed how many residents have died in the outbreak, but Wednesday, the homes administrator told the local state assemblyman, Ron Kim, that the total was 29, Kim said. But the numbers given by the home, Kim said, did not match what he was hearing from workers there. Everyone is trying to tell me that a lot more people died than the 29 they are citing, he said. Two workers at the home, which has 227 beds, also told The New York Times that the actual death toll was considerably higher, as many as 60 residents. State officials, who regulate nursing homes, said the department would provide information about the death toll and the extent of the coronavirus spread inside Sapphire and all 613 nursing homes as soon as it was able to validate the data. Since the first outbreak at a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington, in late February, which killed at least 37 people, nursing homes have proved grimly efficient places for the coronavirus, bringing overworked caregivers in constant contact with frail, older residents. The work can readily spread disease: When changing a diaper or helping someone into bed, there is no such thing as social distancing. Factors repeat with deadly regularity: not enough staff, not enough protective equipment and not enough testing, which would enable homes to isolate infected people. New York state has no minimum staffing requirement for nursing homes, which often means that overstretched workers move from one vulnerable resident to the next, with no time to change into fresh masks and surgical gowns, even if the homes had them. In New York and New Jersey, funeral directors have been unable to keep up with the death toll at one nursing home after another. Few involved more disturbing circumstances than Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II in northern New Jersey, where at least 57 residents and workers have died, 17 of them discovered by police acting on an anonymous tip. In Suffolk County, on Long Island, nearly half of all deaths from the coronavirus involved nursing homes or assisted-living facilities. Families are caught in a vacuum of information, barred from visiting, and nursing homes have a financial incentive to provide only the most benign view of what is happening behind their closed doors. On Thursday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, responding to the outcry of families, promised an executive order requiring nursing homes to inform relatives about COVID-19 infections and deaths in the facilities. He also pledged to release information for each nursing home, to the best we have, something the state had previously declined to do. Sapphires administrator, Jerry Enella, did not respond to repeated messages Wednesday and Thursday. On its website, the home says: We strive to provide the highest quality of care to each of our patients by offering a range of services to meet your needs. Our goal is to keep you as healthy as possible by offering care when you need us most. Kim, the state assemblyman, said he had a heated exchange with Enella outside Sapphire on Wednesday afternoon. Enella, he said, defended the quality of care and told Kim that there were 29 deaths there, one of the highest totals in the region so far. It was very clear that the director was not able to handle the situation, Kim said afterward. We went to lend a hand and understand what they need. But theyre all about trying to get damage control and protect themselves. On Thursday, state Health Department officials were on the site doing a survey and evaluating conditions at the home, said Michael A.L. Balboni, a former state senator who is a consultant for the Sapphire Care Group. They are still trying to determine what the actual numbers are, Balboni said. Whats going on right now is to find out what has happened and for what period of time. Determining the cause of death is never that simple in the middle of a pandemic, he said. Workers at the home maintained that the toll at Sapphire was higher than 29 deaths. You come to your shift and this persons gone, this persons gone, said one worker who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being fired. We were losing five or six residents a week, then four or five a day. Last week on my shift it was about eight of them passed away. My God. This information was not shared with families debating whether to remove their relative from the home. Berna Lee, the daughter from Rhode Island, said Thursday that her mother was weakened by a fever and pneumonia but was hanging on. I just want her to get better and I can go home, Lee said. Robin Kim, whose mother was in the home after brain surgery and the onset of dementia, said that in March her mothers nurses disappeared without explanation. She only later learned they were out with the coronavirus. Yet April 6, she said, a Sapphire social worker told her she did not know of any cases in the building. Robin Kim stopped asking about the coronavirus for fear of alienating the workers. But it did not save her mother. Robin Kims mother, Tae Ak Lee, known as Clara, died Monday, with a nurse holding her hand for the last hour of her life. The last Kim saw of her was in a storage room at the nursing home, wrapped in a bedsheet, with two other bodies on tables beside her and the air conditioner turned up high. Other family members of residents have also struggled to get basic information. Andy Liao, whose mother, Qun Xiao, has been in the nursing home since 2018, said he used to visit his mother multiple times a week. But after families were barred from visiting, a nurse helped him to video chat with her regularly. He grew worried when she developed a fever and slight cough in early April and lost her appetite. A nurse told Liao his mother had normal pneumonia. Are you sure its not COVID-19? he said he asked. They dont know because the patients in that center are not allowed to get tests, the nurse told him. Then the nurse fell ill, and Liao said he did not speak to his mother for days. He made repeated calls to the facility, desperately trying to reach any available nurse. But the phone just rang and rang. Finally, April 8, he got through. A social worker helped him video chat with his mother, 84, who was very weak. It was the last time hed speak to her. His mother died later that evening, he said. Liao still doesnt know if it was COVID-19 that killed her. But he said he heard that many staff and the patients passed away very quick. He doesnt blame the home, but he worries about the patients who are left inside. There arent enough workers. The management might not be able to do that much, he said. Its the same problem all over New York many, many people die, and they dont know what to do. New Jerseys homes have been similarly ravaged. Gov. Philip D. Murphy on Thursday asked the states attorney general to begin an investigation of the Andover nursing home, where the bodies were found piled in a small holding room, and of all other long-term care centers that had experienced a disproportionate number of deaths. This is completely unacceptable, Murphy said. Medicare and Medicaid officials were also sending surveyors to do a full review of Andover Subacute, New Jerseys largest nursing facility, the state health commissioner, Judith M. Persichilli, said. The owner, Chaim Scheinbaum, disputed the police account about finding 17 bodies; he said there were only 15. He also said that staffing levels were solid. The backup, and after-hours holiday-weekend issues, plus more than average deaths, contributed to the presence of more deceased than normal in the facility holding room, he said in a statement. Pat Wiegands brother, Raymond, has lived at Andover for 15 years. She said she had gotten no information about the outbreak from the owner. But she said she had called regularly and was grateful to the overworked staff members who have updated her on the condition of her brother, who is 70 and developmentally disabled. His roommate, she recently learned, had a fever. So far nobody has lied to me; nobody has not taken my calls, Wiegand said. Right from the beginning they said to me: This is a war zone. Were getting no help from the government. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Since the time, Paras Chhabra has returned from the house of Bigg Boss, the actor is making headlines for many reasons. Though the show was a big hit and Paras Chhabra proved his mastermind qualities inside the house. The contestant also entered the finale episode but decided to walk out of the show in his own terms and conditions as he took the money bag and took an exit. After doing Bigg Boss, immediately after two days, Paras Chhabra appeared in his Swaymvar Mujhse Shaadi Karoge to find a life partner. Further, there were also reports that Paras Chhabra has also been approached for Nach Baliye but later all these got cleared as it was just a rumour. Recently, while interacting with a media portal, Paras Chhabra revealed that he is willing to do Nach Baliye with his buddy Mahira Sharma if at all the show gets offered to him. Talking about their future project, there were reports that after collaborating for their first music video Baarish, Paras and Mahira will also be seen together in a Punjabi film. Later, Paras and Mahira were also seen accepting that yes both of them have been offered a Punjabi film. It seems that the duo is waiting for the lockdown to get over so that they can come back with their film. Together, Paras and Mahira share a great bond and both of them miss no chance of backing each other. Also Read: Coronavirus lockdown: Surbhi Chandna glams for dance party with elder sister at home Talking about controversies, earlier Paras was making headlines for his breakup with Tv actor Akanksha Puri, later he was accused of his non-payment of dues to his Bigg Boss designers. Not just this, recently Jai Bhanushali also slammed Paras and Mahira for donating things for PRs sake. For all the latest Entertainment News, download NewsX App Sen. Kamala Harris said Friday that she would be honored to serve with Joe Biden if the presumptive Democratic nominee asked her to be his running mate, but that shes too focused on the coronavirus pandemic to think much about it now. Id be honored to serve with Joe, but I literally, Im not there, Harris told The Chronicles Its All Political podcast. I am so focused on this thing that is literally killing lives every day, and causing people to be unemployed and stand in food lines (at the) food bank hours every day. I think that my constituents deserve that I would be focused full time on serving in the Senate, said Harris, who is not up for reelection until 2022. Biden has promised to pick a woman as his running mate. Harris is at the top of many lists of possible candidates along with two other former presidential contenders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and former Georgia state legislator Stacey Abrams. Harris appeared with Biden at the last public campaign event that the former vice president held before the pandemic ended such gatherings, a rally in Detroit before the Michigan primary last month. She has also appeared with him at fundraisers, possibly burying any animosity between the two after Harris criticized Biden in a presidential debate last summer for his 1970s opposition to mandatory busing to integrate schools. The attack prompted Harris sharpest spike in the polls, but she soon faded and ended her campaign in December. Harris, 55, has several potential advantages as a vice presidential candidate. She is a woman of color her mother was born in India, her father in Jamaica which could help Biden connect better with the Democratic Partys base. As a senator and former attorney general of the nations most populous state, she may be seen as more prepared than some to assume the top job. One downside is that deep blue California is in the bag for Biden in the November election, so Harris wouldnt deliver a home-field advantage in a swing state. Harris also weighed in Friday on allegations by former Biden staffer Tara Reade, who said Biden sexually assaulted her when she worked in his Senate office in 1993. Reade said Biden pinned her to a wall in a Senate building, reached under her clothing and penetrated her with his fingers, according to the New York Times. Last year, Reade was among several women who said Biden had inappropriately touched them or invaded their personal space. Reade made the assault allegations in a podcast interview last month. Biden has not personally addressed the allegations, but his campaign has denied them. Harris told The Chronicle that Reade has a right to tell her story. And I believe that and I believe Joe Biden believes that, too. Harris said the case raises a bigger structural issue, frankly, which is that women must be able to speak without fear of retaliation. The senator said she could only speak to the Joe Biden I know. Hes been a lifelong fighter, in terms of stopping violence against women. She pointed to his lead role in passing the Violence Against Women Act in the Senate in 1994. The Joe Biden I know is somebody who really has fought for women and empowerment of women and for womens equality and rights, Harris said. For now, Harris says she is focused on the pandemic. One concern is what she called a lack of oversight for how the Trump administration is distributing the $2 trillion that Congress approved in a coronavirus relief bill last month. California small-business owners, she said, fear that money from a loan program included in the bill is just going to friends of the administration, because were not seeing any of it. She and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, have called for a bipartisan investigation of everything that has happened around the coronavirus. Asked if the administration had responded to her concerns, Harris said, They are slow to get back to any question that they dont want to answer. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer and Tal Kopan is The Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com, tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli, @talkopan The Covid-19 crisis must lead to an investment programme in the countrys health services of historic proportions, according to the President of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO). Dr Padraig McGarry was speaking to mark the IMO's planned AGM, which was scheduled to take place this weekend in Killarney, but was postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak. He said it is timely that when doctors would have been debating health issues, the fragility of those services is exposed like never before. Dr McGarry outlined priorities for the IMO which, he said, it would seek to raise with the incoming government. These include: * Increasing the capacity of the public hospitals; * Investing to recruit and retain doctors to work in the health service here, including targeted measures to address the unprecedented number of consultant vacancies; * Investing in General Practice, which has proven its pivotal position in the frontline of the public health response to Covid-19; * Investing in and supporting public health doctors and recognising their contribution to national health policy and the well-being of the nation. The IMO President paid tribute to the 1,100 newly qualified doctors coming into the system in the coming weeks, including a class which graduated from UCC today. "These young people are the future and will be amongst the leaders of the profession in the years ahead. We owe it to them to provide them with every support and assistance we can. We know just how vital their role will be in the years ahead. Let us make sure we equip them to do their jobs to the best of their abilities," he said. "The simple fact is we have far too few doctors right across our public health services; in our hospitals, in General Practice and in our public health structures. It is not enough to thank people for their efforts, Government must actually support a proactive recruitment programme and financially support a fast track programme for additional beds and services. The women and men of our health system have risen to the challenges that Covid-19 has presented. We continue to work to care for our patients but we need to see ongoing support from the Government. Dr McGarry also paid tribute to the bravery of those working in challenging conditions, such as a shortage of PPE, and warned it will "never be acceptable" to ask people to work in an unsafe environment. "We must protect and keep our doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals and all support staff safe so they can continue to provide much needed care to patients," he said. Indian regulator TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) has asked operators to submit usage data for their prepaid subscribers so that it can determine how best to assist them. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, India is currently under a lockdown that was due to end today (17th April) but has now been extended until 3rd May. TRAI wants operators user data to determine how subscriber habits were affected during the lockdown, and what assistance can be provided. The majority of subscribers in India are prepaid, and while data usage has spiked during the lockdown, retailers selling airtime have been forced to close, leaving many with no option for topping up their credit. In response, many operators began offering free credit schemes. TRAI has requested data on such programmes from the countrys main private operators Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel, as well as state-run BSNL and MTNL. It has also asked for information on how many subscribers were unable to top up prior to the lockdown, and how many ran out of credit during the three-week stretch. Once TRAI has received and assessed the data, it will be able to make recommendations on allowing prepaid subscribers to stay connected during the extended lockdown period. The regulator has also asked operators to extend all prepaid accounts until 3rd May a request with which the countrys private operators have already complied. ALTON Dozens of first responders came to the aid of four people ejected from a reportedly stolen Nissan Sentra on Washington Avenue at Bozza Street while fleeing Alton police Friday afternoon. Illinois State Police reported Friday night that a 17-year-old female from Cahokia was pronounced dead after being airlifted to a St. Louis hospital. In this article ROG-CH A photo showing the logo of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche in Basel. SEBASTIEN BOZON | AFP | Getty Images Swiss drugmaker Roche aims by next month to offer blood tests to identify those who had been infected with the coronavirus, potentially helping inform locked-down nations of who might have some immunity and be able to resume work or contact with the public. The Basel-based company said on Friday it wants to make the antibody test available by early May in countries that accept European CE regulatory standards, and is seeking U.S. Food and Drug Administration emergency authorization for its use in the United States. It plans by June to boost test production to "high double-digit millions" per month, said Thomas Schinecker, Roche's diagnostics head. Roche joins a global race in which U.S.-based Abbott Laboratories and Becton Dickinson and Co, Italy's DiaSorin and others hope to sell tests that demonstrate people's immune systems have developed antibodies in response to the new coronavirus. While it is not yet known for sure if those who have been infected develop immunity to the new virus as with many other illnesses, accurate antibody tests are seen as essential to help nations craft strategies to end business and travel shutdowns that have battered economies around the globe. "This is the working assumption: If you test and find people that have developed these antibodies, then at least for a certain period of time they will have gained immunity," Schinecker told Reuters. "We worked day and night on this, over weekends, to make sure we can help as many patients as possible." Roche's test, which differs from the PCR assays it also makes that use a nose swab to identify active infections, will run on more than 40,000 of its cobas e testing machines installed worldwide. Roche's new test will identify immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies. The body quickly produces IgM antibodies for the initial fight against infection. IgG antibodies remain longer in the body, suggesting possible immunity. Countries have various plans to use such tests to better understand the COVID-19 illness caused by the virus, and identify those who were infected but showed only mild symptoms, or none at all. Finland, Germany, Britain and other countries have antibody testing plans. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to use them to study community-wide transmission. [April 17, 2020] BodyRock! 2020 Goes Virtual UPMC Health Plan, Early: Media Collective and Stage AE are pleased to announce that BodyRock! 2020 is becoming a free virtual fitness event. This event is designed to deliver the best of Pittsburgh's fitness scene to an active audience all from the comfort of their own homes. Presented by UPMC Health Plan, BodyRock! will bring hundreds of fitness enthusiasts from across the Pittsburgh region, and beyond, together in a format that is becoming the new normal. Registrants will have access to free online cutting-edge workouts taught by Pittsburgh's top-rated boutique fitness instructors. This 5th annual eagerly-anticipated event has typically been held at Stage AE. Due to the COVID-19 regulations and the need for social distancing our team has decided to create an opportunity for individuals to still move their bodies and continue to create a sense of community with other fitness enthusiasts on Sunday, April 19th. The website bodyrockpgh.com will go live at 8am and will provide individuals with access to classes, meditations and health discussions. The site will remain live indefinitely for those individuals unable to log on next Sunday. All-access tickets are free and individuals can pre-register here. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005584/en/ (Graphic: Business Wire) "Pittsburgh's fitness scene continues to impress me every year with its growth of new studios and instructors. It is bittersweet to make this pivot this year, however my passion to share movement with my community has me eager to bring this year's event virtual. In addition, to our hand curated list of instructors for 2020 we have invited back all of our OG instructors to offer even more opportunities to sweat it out. We take the time to preview and select the best of the best and we can't wai to share with our city at this years 5th annual event," said Laura Early, Founder of Early: Media Collective. New to this year's multi-faceted line-up are April Jackson and Kristen Boyer of Mt. Lebanons and soon to be Strip District's - Mecka Fitness. April and Kristen will lead a mixed format workout of body weight strength training and yoga. Candice Rush of Carnegie's Endure Barre, will teach her signature Endurance Barre Class - a unique class that features dance based movements with intervals of cardio training. Returning again this year to the BodyRock! stage are Kam Jamz, Nick Staples (News - Alert) of Zenergy, SWEAT PGH and several other well known local studios. In addition to expanding the fitness offerings, virtual BodyRock! 2020 has included a significant charitable component to the mix. We will be asking individuals to donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters rather than purchasing tickets to this years event. Donation links will be available via our online platform. 100% of the proceeds will be benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Greater Pittsburg and will help to fund the BBBS "Bigs and Littles" youth mentoring programs. "BBBS is an outcome based program that mentors youth facing adversity in Allegheny, Washington, and Greene County," said Jan Glick, Chief Executive Officer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh. "We could not be more pleased that Stage AE and Early: Media Collective are using their ingenious capabilities to donate to our organization. We look forward to BodyRock! 2020, and sharing with attendees about how they can help to change a young person's life, right here in Pittsburgh." "At UPMC Health Plan, our goal is to improve the health and wellness of our members and community at large and that's why we're happy to sponsor an event that features such a great variety of locally-owned fitness studios while supporting a wonderful organization like Big Brothers Big Sisters," said Dr. Joon Lee, chief medical officer at UPMC Health Plan. In addition to the presenting sponsor UPMC Health Plan, Early: Media Collective and Stage AE also received support from Restore Hyper Wellness & Cryotherapy Center, Freshi, Peloton and more. Keep up with the action and get social with the event by visiting the BodyRock! 2020 Facebook Event Page. LINK TO PHOTOS FROM 2019 LINK TO INSTRUCTOR PHOTOS About Early: Media Collective Early: Media Collective is a female-owned, full service, marketing and creative agency. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, the firm brings to life the stories behind the brands of local businesses. Specializing in brand strategy, strategic messaging, web development and social media management. For more information about Early: Media Collective and its members, please visit www.earlymediacollective.com, or connect with the company over social media: @earlymediacollecitve and #BodyRock2020. About UPMC Insurance Services UPMC Insurance Services is owned and operated by UPMC, a world-renowned health care provider and insurer based in Pittsburgh, Pa. UPMC Insurance Services - which includes UPMC Health Plan, Workpartners, UPMC for Life, UPMC for You, UPMC for Kids, and Community Care Behavioral Health - offers a full range of health insurance and benefit management services including Medicare, Special Needs, Children's Health Insurance, Medical Assistance, Behavioral Health, Employee Assistance and Workers' Compensation products and services to over 3.7 million members. For more information, visit www.upmchealthplan.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005584/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Police are hunting for a man in a face mask after a 69-year-old woman was sexually assaulted in broad daylight. The woman was at the Seven Hills medical centre, in Sydney's north west, at around 12.30pm Thursday for an appointment when she went out the back of the centre in search of a bathroom. She saw a man standing in the back yard of an adjacent property and asked him for directions. Police are appealing to the public for help identifying this man. He is described as being of Asian appearance, aged in his 30s, approximately 180cm tall with a solid build and short black hair The man, who police believe is aged in his 30s, then directed the elderly woman to where he was standing. 'Whilst doing this, he's masturbated as she walked along,' Detective Chief Inspector Paul Tickner said, 9News reports. 'When she realised the toilets weren't there, she's then turned around to come back in and he's then sexually touched her in a couple of spots.' The indecent assault caused the woman to scream and collapse to the ground in shock. The man fled the scene and the woman walked back to the medical centre, where police were contacted. Police attended the medical centre and searched the nearby area but were unable to find him. Police are hunting a man in a face mask after an alleged sexual assault in Sydney Detective Chief Inspector Paul Tickner said the woman was left in shock by the incident Det Tickner said the man had only been behind the centre for a few minutes before the alleged attack. 'He has seen this opportunity and taken advantage of this 69-year-old lady,' he said. Police have released images a man they wish to speak to in relation to the incident. He is described as being of Asian appearance, aged in his 30s, approximately 180cm tall with a solid build and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a 'very distinctive' black and white Adidas jacket, grey trackpants and black and white shoes as well as sunglasses and a face mask. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Social distancing, that's the term world has learned from the coronavirus pandemic that killed thousands of people globally, resulting in a lockdown in many countries, including India. As announced by PM Modi, the lockdown will be in place till May 3 and hence there's a ban on travel. This travel ban has caused the aviation industry a lot of financial burden and everyone is hoping for the world to be a normal place again. But that's easier said than done. While airlines will resume flight services once the lockdown is over, they are prepping for progressive changes to incorporate new social distancing norms in travelling, till at least, a credible solution to COVID-19 is found. A few days ago we saw few images from a Spicejet ground bus where some seats were cross marked using a reflective tape so that people maintain a relevant distance even when traveling from terminal to aircraft. Now we have learnt that airlines in India are working to stop middle seats booking to maintain a distance between aisle and window seat travelers. This might be a blessing in disguise for many, but lesser occupants in a flight means more cost of traveling as the operational cost for a plane right from the fuel to parking fees, staff salary all remains the same. This burden will directly be transferred to the end consumers who will be shelling out more money to travel in the coming days. Not only this, airports are also preparing for social distancing. Check-in counters will now open 3 hours prior to flight (currently its 2 hours for domestic flights), and will close 1 hour prior (currently its 40-50 minutes), to allow more time for sanitized processing of customers and baggage. GoAir, Vistara have announced a slew of measures to protect its staff, crew, and passengers in preparation for a phase-wise commencement of flights from 4th May 2020. Reduction of inflight service to minimize non-essential interaction between passengers and crew will be adhered. Also, only water will be provided and there will be no meals or snack service. Crew will be wearing face masks and gloves at all times when interacting with passengers and when in the aisle. Non-essential movement in the aisle will be discouraged too. Commenting on the measures being taken, Vinay Dube, CEO GoAir, said: GoAir is in full preparation mode for a gradual commencement of flights from 4th May 2020. Nothing is more important to us at GoAir than the safety and well-being of our staff, crew and passengers. 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. While the situation remains fluid, we plan to resume services in a phased manner starting 4 May 2020. We will make every effort to protect the health safety of our customers and staff, following all regulatory guidelines as well as by adopting certain important, stringent preventive measures proactively. We will ensure social distancing across all touchpoints and continue with our stepped up cleaning measures. Any passenger showing symptoms of fever and/or respiratory illness will undergo a precautionary check-up with the Airport Medical Support Team. We will also make temporary adjustments in some of the aspects of our onboard service purely to minimize interaction between cabin crew and customers. Vistara Spokesperson said. Simply put, air travel will not remain the same in the post COVID-19 period, at least till the world finds a vaccine to stop the spread of Coronavirus. The state on Friday appealed a federal judges order calling for widespread COVID-19 testing and hand sanitizer for all inmates at the geriatric prison outside Houston. The case involves the same judge and the same prison where inmates won a landmark settlement over dangerous indoor heat. In his request for a stay of U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellisons Thursday order, Attorney General Ken Paxton said calling for enhanced protections for inmates during the pandemic created a dangerous situation for guards and other front-line workers although his reasoning bumped up against expert testimony at a hearing this week on the class-action lawsuit brought by inmates. It is absurd to prioritize inmates health concerns over those of hardworking medical professionals and demand unreasonable expansion of the resources and processes already implemented by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the attorney general said in a statement. He said the federal judge had no authority to overrule Texass decisions about how to manage its scarce resources. TDCJ previously prioritized testing for inmates who appear to have symptoms of COVID-19. Jeff Edwards, who brought the civil rights case along with attorney John Keville of Winston & Strawn LLP, said the ruling was in sync with public health directives that seek to protect everyone from a contagion. The idea that this order is anything but supportive of the medical providers and the correctional officers on the front lines is a false narrative, Edwards said. By protecting the inmates, you necessarily protect the people who are taking care of the inmates. In addition to ordering testing, soap and sanitizer, Ellison mandated cloth masks for all inmates at the Pack Unit in Navasota. He gave prison officials three days to come up with a plan to test all staff and inmates in the unit, which houses up to 1,478 prisoners over age 50 or with preexisting conditions, he said. Ellison also ordered the prison to educate inmates about the pandemic, offer more cleaning supplies in each housing area and enforce strict enforcement of social distancing guidelines when transporting inmates. As of Friday, two inmates at the prison had tested positive, including one who died April 11. Another 149 prisoners were under medical restriction. The Courts decision to stop the Texas Department of Criminal Justice from continuing to endanger the inmates at the Pack Unit represents a victory for all Texans and is a reminder that the Constitution protects everyone, Edwards said in a statement. As a consequence of the decision, the inmates, the correctional officers watching over them and the surrounding community are much safer. The suit alleged that the agency has not allowed the inmates access to hand sanitizer, though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended it and some inmates are producing it. It also claimed the agency had not done enough to limit gatherings, reduce movement and educate inmates on symptoms, as recommended by health officials. During a hearing Thursday afternoon, held by phone, experts testified that a vulnerable population of mostly elderly and infirm inmates is dangerously exposed at the facility. Lawyers for TDCJ argued that prison officials followed CDC guidance for correctional facilities. Assistant Attorney General Christin Vasquez said the agencys COVID-19 policy has been updated multiple times since last month. All visitors were screened starting March 11, and two days later the agency suspended all visitation and volunteer work at prisons, she said. She also cited a suspension of recreational activity and the creation of a rotating eating schedule as evidence that TDCJ is promoting social distancing. The record is voluminous as to what TDCJ has done to protect them from contracting COVID-19, Vasquez said. When they enter the prison unit, there are additional measures being taken to try to combat the spread. Vasquez also pushed back on the request for hand sanitizer, alleging that inmates might drink it or use it to start a fire. The lawsuit was filed March 30 on behalf of inmates Laddy Valentine, 69, and Richard King, 73. Both testified during the hearing Thursday about conditions in the Pack Unit. Valentine testified that he sleeps in a Texas prison dorm with 52 other inmates, all living in cubicles less than 6 feet away from each other He said even with social distancing guidelines in place, he and other inmates were crowded through gates and corridors on their way to the chow hall. Inmates also sat close together on benches while waiting for available showers, according to his sworn testimony. King, who said he works as a janitor at the unit, testified that he wasnt given enough disinfectant spray to last the entire day. He also said he and his work partners get one pair of disposable gloves per day. Whoever cleans the bathroom, thats who uses the gloves, he said. As of Friday, 562 prisoners statewide had been tested for COVID-19, and 327 tested positive. Among the 1,064 employees and contractors tested, 158 tested positive. At least three prisoners and one correctional officer who tested positive have died. gabrielle.banks@chron.com julian.gill@chron.com The sun rises behind the First Baptist Church of Colorado Springs. Churches around the Pikes Peak region were empty on Easter Sunday because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The nurse, 31, told police she was still wearing her scrubs and mask, and was riding the bus home with a co-worker. She coughed into her elbow and Yarbrough accused her of trying to give him the coronavirus, police said. He punched her in the face as he got off the bus. Scientists predict a megadrought will possibly hit North America soon, according to the BBC. A megadrought is a natural event that will last longer than droughts that hit North America in the 19th and 20th centuries. The study Large contribution from anthropogenic warming to an emerging North American megadrought, posted on Science Mag, discovered the last two decades were the driest in North America since the late 1500s. "Williams et al. used a combination of hydrological modeling and tree-ring reconstructions of summer soil moisture to show that the period from 2000 to 2018 was the driest 19-year span since the late 1500s and the second driest since 800 CE," the study said. Climate change: a serious threat However, some researchers say it is too early to say if there will be a megadrought. According to scientist Dr. Angeline Pendergrass from the US National Center for Atmospheric Research, "the region can have long spells with little precipitation. But she agrees that climate change will make things worse, with drought drying up the people's reserves. Read now: Renewable Energy Developments Threaten Biodiverse Areas Researchers told Science Mag that global warming has affected "what would have been a moderate drought in southwestern North America into megadrought territory." The upcoming megadrought is just the beginning of a trend that won't stop unless the United States changes the way it handles its emissions. These mostly come from power plants burning coal, vehicles using gasoline or diesel, as well as natural gas. The USA ranked second in countries the produce the most Carbon Dioxide emissions in the world, according to USA Today. In 2017, it produced 21.47 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from fuel and per person. Most of these emissions occur when power plants burn coal or natural gas and when vehicles burn gasoline or diesel. Something can still be done While drought occurs naturally, its impact can be lessened by nations shifting to green energy. The Union of Concerned Scientists analyzed the U.S.A.'s ability to make the shift. It concluded, "the U.S. can dramatically reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and nearly phase-out coal by 2030 while saving consumers and businesses money by investing primarily in energy efficiency and renewable energy." But the United States is not the only country with the means to go green. In a report by the Climate Council,10 other countries are already leading the charge on renewable energy: Sweden, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Scotland, Germany, Uruguay, Denmark, China, Morocco, and Kenya. Read Now: Breakthrough Concept for Storing Energy without Batteries Sweden promises to generate electricity without using fossil fuels by 2040, while Costa Rica has been producing electricity using hydro, geothermal, solar, and wind for four years. Nicaragua aims to produce 90% renewable energy using wind, solar, and geothermal sources, with Scotland using wind power to generate 98% of its electricity. Meanwhile, Germany powered every household using renewable energy for one year. It took Uruguay 10 years to run on almost 100 percent renewable energy, which was only 40% eight years ago. Denmark set a world record in 2017: 43% of its electricity came from the wind; 30 years in the future, it claims to be 100% free of fossil fuels. Although China is the number one carbon emitter in the world, it had the largest amount of solar PV in 2017. Morocco is taking solar energy to the next level by having the largest concentrated solar power plant in the world, capable of powering one million homes. Half the power generated in Kenya comes from geothermal energy - they have a 310 MW wind farm that produces 20% of Kenya's electricity. NINE detainees and nine personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Chief Inspector Xavier Solda, BJMP spokesperson, said on Friday, April 17, that the persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who tested positive for the virus are from the male dormitory of the Quezon City Jail. They were among the 41 PDLs who were isolated and tested after they came in direct contact with a detainee who died of a heart attack but was suspected of having contracted the novel coronavirus, which causes the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). One of the 41 PDLs, who is an elderly, was brought to the Lung Center of the Philippines but Solda clarified that he tested negative for the virus. Solda said the others were being treated in an isolation facility in Payatas which was constructed with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Philippine Red Cross. He said they are being attended to by their health officers with assistance from the Department of Health and Quezon City Government. Solda assured that the BJMP is taking all precautionary measures to ensure the welfare of the PDLs in the said facility. Now, we are doing an extensive contact tracing. We have a team assigned to do it. Since we are already observing reverse isolation for PDL manifesting Covid-19-like symptoms, meaning basta me cough, fever, and colds, or meron kang premedical conditions, we can ascertain with slight ease where to focus our efforts from among the total number of PDL we have in the facility, he said. Ibig sabihin, sa kabuuang bilang ng PDL sa Quezon City Jail, alam na namin kung saan kami dapat tumingin, kung kanino kami dapat mag-focus. With the situation at hand, the BJMP continues to test concerned PDL through the help of the Local Health Department of Quezon City and the Department of Health, he added. Meanwhile, Solda said the BJMP personnel who tested positive for the virus were experiencing mild symptoms of the illness and were under home quarantine. "Hindi naman severe 'yung symptoms nila. Nandoon pa rin 'yung common symptoms na sore throat, may mga may ubo pa rin sa kanila. They were advised na mag-home quarantine muna," he said. (SunStar Philippines) There was ongoing confusion Friday about which parts of the country would reopen first and under what conditions, hours after President Donald Trump announced a new three-phase reopening plans and U.S. deaths from coronavirus reached another grim milestone. A total of 4,951 Americans died in the 24-hour period ending at 8 pm Thursday, which came just minutes after the president delivered remarks to the nation about the need to reopen as quickly as possible. The president hinted Thursday that some some states might be moving toward reopening 'over the next few days,' adding: 'I heard from a number of governors who said they're in very good shape.' There was continuing confusion Friday about which states or other jurisdictions might reopen first, and how and whether they could get sufficient testing online to ensure the health of their citizens. The Trump administration announced a new three-phase plan for reopening Thursday night The head of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Robert Redfield, indicated that the first openings might come not on a state-by-state basis but county-by-county. 'There's a number of jurisdictions that are very close to having that capability,' he said. The guidelines state that an area must show declining infection over 14 days. Redfield added Friday that it must be declining 'consistently.' He said it was 'really, really important that the outbreak in these jurisdictions is really declining consistently over a two-week period' for reopening to occur. But he said there are currently a number of jurisdictions with 'have limited activity' for spread of the disease. Redfield pointed to the ability to conduct rapid testing and contact-tracing, as well as being able to test individuals who present a 'flu-like' illness. It was not immediately clear which jurisdictions, if any, have that capability now. Among the first states to move to Phase One appear to be states that Trump carried in 2016 that are led by Republican governors, while a number of urban centers including New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C. continue to be hit hard. Axios reported that Texas and Florida, both critical parts of coalition, would 'set the standard' for reopening. The head of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Robert Redfield, indicated that the first openings might come not on a state-by-state basis but county-by-county The Trump administration put out the guidelines even as thousands of Americans died Thursday of the coronavirus Alabama, and Mississippi are 'expected to move quickly,' sources told the publication. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer of New York told MSNBC Friday: 'Theres a key thing missing in all this its called testing.' 'If we dont have a strong adequate testing regime, were going to have real trouble. You have to know who has the illness, whos immune from the illness and who could get the illness before we can determine who can go back to work and who cant. He called the testing regime 'scattershot and totally inadequate for what's needed' to get Americans back to work. The backdrop for Trump's move is extreme concern his advisors that the economy needs to start moving now to avoid a potential depression. But with only about 1 per cent of Americans having been tested for the deadly disease, public health experts are warning the nation is not yet ready to reopen. Dr. Dan Hanfling, who worked on health preparedness during the Obama and Trump administrations, told NBC: 'I don't think we're near it. I don't think we're close,' Hanfling. Two or three times as many tests may be needed. 'We are an order of magnitude off right now from where we should be,' said infections disease expert Dylan George. Testing is the perpetual problem here.' Healthcare workers wheel the bodies of deceased people from the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, U.S., April 4, 2020 A backhoe and workers are seen working on large burial trenches and abandoned buildings on Hart Island, located in the Long Island sound, off the coast of the Bronx, New York, USA, 10 April 2020. New York City has used the island for many years to bury unclaimed bodies and officials have suggested the idea of temporary burials of victims of COVID-19 on the island, which is the country's largest public burial ground Trump on Thursday 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. '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. Democratic rival Joe Biden criticized the guidelines on CNN Thursday night. 'It doesn't give you any hard guidelines,' he said. Dr. Anthony Fauci told Fox News Thursday night the administration will be prepared for any setbacks that come after the reopening. 'Any explosion, which we hope will never happen, and if it does one of the requirements of this is to make sure we have the capability of jumping all over that,' he said on host Laura Ingraham's show on Fox News. UN says Myanmar army is carrying out almost daily air strikes and shelling in the restive Rakhine and Chin states. The Myanmar army is carrying out almost daily air strikes and shelling in the restive Rakhine and Chin states amid a surge in clashes with fighters, with reports of at least 32 civilians killed in recent weeks, according to the United Nations human rights office. The Arakan Army, an armed group seeking greater autonomy for ethnic Rakhine people, has been battling government troops for more than a year. Addressing reporters in Geneva on Friday, UN human rights office spokesman Rupert Colville said Myanmars military operations in populated areas had resulted in at least 32 deaths and 71 injuries since March 23, the majority women and children, and they have also been destroying and burning schools and homes. He later said that the 32 were civilians. Colville said it was very difficult to get precise information from Rakhine, noting that there had been an internet blackout in the area since June 2019. So as to whether the reported casualties are the result of targeting or were caught in the crossfire between the Arakan Army and Myanmar government army, its not entirely clear, he said. Myanmar army spokesman Major General Tun Tun Nyi told Reuters News Agency: We published news of what happened there. You can find out by reading them. I dont think I have to give any comment on it. After local officials and a resident told Reuters that shelling in Rakhine states Kyauk Seik village on Monday killed eight people, the army said such reports were fake. A ceasefire A number of countries and members of the international community have called for an end to fighting in Rakhine, not least to help protect vulnerable communities from the coronavirus pandemic. Myanmar has reported 85 cases of COVID-19 and four deaths. Rights groups have said that Tatmadaw, as the military is known, is doing little to end the ethnic conflicts in Myanmars border states, where some armed groups have called for a ceasefire to focus on the battle against coronavirus. 200416060255091 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, Naw Hser Hser, general-secretary of the Womens League of Burma told Al Jazeera. This needs to stop, said the Hpa-an based activist. We need to work together. Nobody can do it alone. The Arakan Army declared a month-long ceasefire for April along with two other ethnic armed groups, citing the coronavirus pandemic. The military rejected the ceasefire, with a spokesman saying a previous truce declared by the government went unheeded by armed groups. With coronavirus deaths turning the country upside down, our egomaniacal divider-in-chief offered racism instead of wisdom, inanely fighting to win a popularity contest by getting his name on too-small stimulus checks. Rethinking role models, I've had to find inspiration elsewhere: Medical Mentors Forget Oz, Drew, Phil, Pimple Popper and Doolittle. The 50-year-old Atlanta neurosurgeon Dr Sanjay Gupta won me over with his helpful video "How to make your own mask at home". And Dr Anthony Fauci, the 79-year-old nerdy director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who constantly corrects Trumpian falsehoods, proves that nothing's more heroic in a crisis than brains, balls, and honesty. Essential Workers As the vapid influencers of yesterday fade, our true heroes are emerging: healthcare workers, grocery store employees, subway conductors, farmers, garbage collectors, postal carriers and firefighters. They deserve raises and better protective equipment as they're risking their lives daily to do their jobs and take care of us. Too bad it took a plague to recognize them as the real life rock-stars they are. The Brothers Cuomo I never paid much attention to Andrew and Chris. Until our inarticulate leader blamed China, Obama, leftwing conspiracies, media and the World Health Organization for the pandemic he mishandled. Then I heard my state's eloquent governor offer smart reasons for closing down the city, adding, "If someone wants to blame someone, blame me. There is no one else responsible." A leader from Queens taking responsibility while articulating thoughts in full sentences? Add to this his love for his mother Matilda and kid brother who has the virus himself (as does his wife) and we finally have a first family to root for and look up to. CNN anchor Chris Cuomo says coronavirus 'messes with your head', stressing mental health toll Germaphobes I rolled my eyes when Curb Your Enthusiasm curmudgeon Larry David bristled at being embraced by new people on TV. But now, seeing how easily viruses can spread, I'm adopting his "no hugging strangers" rule. A student with OCD who continuously left my classes to wash her hands joked that the rest of the planet was finally catching up with her. I apologized for finding her preoccupation annoying. Along with wearing a mask and plastic gloves, it seems insane not to keep using soap and water to prevent infections. Cooperative Co-parents I wasn't a huge fan of Die Hard, A Few Good Men, or Demi Moore's infamous Vanity Fair cover and I don't know why the divorced ex-spouses are isolating together. But I enjoyed the pictures of Bruce Willis, his ex, their daughters and dog in green striped pajamas on social media. Bruce's current wife Emma's comment: "Not many can pull that color off! Looking good squad," with four green hearts, showed great extended domestic karma during the quarantine. Bosom Buddies I liked Tom Hanks ever since Big's floor piano tap dance and I admired his wife Rita Wilson's recent candor on social media about her battle with breast cancer. After announcing that they had both contracted Covid-19 in Australia, this couple donated their blood for antibodies to help discover a vaccine. As if that's not cool enough, Hanks self-deprecatingly insisted he was only asked to host last weekend's Saturday Night Live because he was the "celebrity canary in the coal mine of coronavirus. The Runner-up He was not my candidate. Yet just as Bernie's conceding the Democratic nomination, his Medicare for All plan seems essential, especially given the loss of 22 million US jobs, with higher rates of coronavirus-related deaths among people of color, immigrants and the poor. I was impressed the senator endorsed Biden, calling Trump a racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic religious bigot who downplayed the virus and vowing to make him a one-term president as he did. Dauntless Designers Christian Siriano, a former Project Runway winner who dressed Michelle Obama, swiftly turned his fashion house into a medicinal mask factory. Brandon Maxwell, Prada, Armani, H&M, Burberry and others soon followed suit, showing us that being a good citizen is never out of fashion. Susan Shapiro is an award-winning writing professor at The New School and the bestselling author of 13 books including Unhooked, Lighting Up and The Byline Bible 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 in a small morgue, intended to hold no more than four people. TRANSITION TO NORMAL: Trump says new guidelines are coming to roll back some social distancing 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. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. 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 Center I. 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 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. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi is in for more trouble as his estranged queen, Chanel Chin, has accused him of rape. The couple had a messy divorce in December 2019 and the king released a statement saying This is to inform the general public, most especially friends and associates of the Oluwo of Iwoland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu I, that Ms Chanel Chin is an ex-queen of his majesty. Following the divorce, there had been a series of accusations and counter-accusations between the bitter couple. In an interview with GIO TV, the Jamaican narrated how she met with the Oluwo and how he had sexual relations with her while she was unconscious. Chanel explained that she had met with the king on three different occasions before they were properly introduced at an event in Lagos. It was a popular Lagos monarch that introduced me to him again properly. He said we were both from Toronto and that the Oluwo was single. We all had fun and I had a little too much to drink. I went upstairs to one of the rooms to sleep. At about 3 am, I woke up to find the Oluwo on top of me. I was naked. I tried to get him off me but he stayed put, saying hes a king and no one says no to a king in his culture. He said I was going to be his wife and I would have a good life. I am saying this because the Oluwo has been going about telling people that I was a prostitute from Toronto and that he didnt know me. He also claimed he slept with me on the first night. Tell people the truth. Tell them that you raped me while I was resting in one of the rooms after I had too much to drink. The day I met him was the day my life changed drastically. I met him on February 2nd, 2016. His coronation was on January 16th, 2016. One month later, I missed my period. I had my baby in November 2016. Do the math. He raped me. He took me back to Iwo with him because of what he had done and said he was going to marry me, she said. Meanwhile, A fresh video was released today showing the king rolling a huge stick of Marijuana in his palace. In the video, the kind appeared to be the only one in a large room. Although there was background noise, no one was seen in the large room where he was wrapping the marijuana. Share this post with your Friends on The Syrian government has created anger and concern with their decision to implement the smart card scheme for bread, with people worried it will be the end of subsidies writes Asharq Al-Awsat. The Syrian government insists on distributing subsidized bread to citizens using the smart card despite poverty and the spread of the novel coronavirus. Some citizens saw the decision as an act of treason, saying that it crosses the red lines set by the ruling Baath Party, while experts said this might be a first step towards removing the subsidy on bread, just as had happened with other commodities, when the government has failed to provide the basic needs for people. The scenes of crowded bakeries that were witnessed in Damascus at the beginning of the war is back after more than nine years. Then, people wanted to secure subsidized bread, paying fifty pounds for eight loaves of bread. This started to happen all over again at the beginning of 2020, and it became worse under the precautionary measures against COVID-19, announced by the government in March. To make things worse, bakeries also announced they were shutting their doors during their usual working hours due to a shortage of flour, which it receives from the government. Amid this situation, the government has repeatedly hinted that it will adopt the smart card option as a tool to control the distribution of goods for citizens after the idea was deemed to be a success in its first trial with mayors and neighborhood committees. The government said it aims to rationalize consumption and, to prevent the trading of bread or converting it into fodder, which used to happen to 40 percent of the bread that was baked before noting that this distribution process caused traffic, a scene similar to what used to happen in bakeries. A bundle of subsidized bread was being sold for more than 600 Syrian pounds on the black market, noting that one US dollar is equivalent to 1,250 Syrian pounds. The governments suggestions were met with rejection, which went viral on social media platforms and some even called on President Bashar al-Assad to intervene and halt the measure in light of the failed and bitter experience the citizens went through when they used the smart card to obtain materials like gas and fuel and basic supplies like sugar, rice, vegetable oil, and tea. Although the government announced that each family is entitled to one gas tank every 23 days, many families stressed that they did not receive any fuel, despite waiting for 75 days. Many main household providers spend an entire day outside government institutions to receive sugar, rice, vegetable oil and tea, although they might not receive them on the same day and if they do, it would be lacking several materials. Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection Atef Naddaf said during a conference held on Monday that the government will continue with implementing the new method. Several websites and Facebook pages reported him saying that the implementation of the card system would kick off on Wednesday, noting that, within four days, the consumption of bread already decreased by distributing it through authorized agents, in reference to the mayors and neighborhood committees, while the bread is distributed once every 2-3 days in certain neighborhoods as a result of poor collection methods and transportation. Louay, a citizen like the majority of other citizens who were waiting for Naddafs statement, said to Asharq Al-Awsat, The government betrayed the people and now its challenging them with their loaf of bread, an essential material which they cannot live without. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, a female teacher said, People are deprived of a single piece of Falafel and even from an egg, and yet, the government is working to make people dream about receiving a loaf of bread! They are crossing and stepping on every red line they said they would never come near, from gas to fuel and goods supplies, she added. Economists, who requested anonymity, told Asharq Al-Awsat that, the governments decision did not come to rationalize consumption but came as a result of a shortage in flour, just like other living necessities that the government is incapable of securing amid the sanctions imposed on Syria, worsened by paralysis in freight traffic due to the coronavirus pandemic. One of these experts point to the possibility that this decision will be a prelude to lifting the subsidy for bread supplies definitively. He highlighted similar scenarios that have occurred regarding previously subsidized commodities such as gas, gasoline and fuel oil, as those materials were cut off and then became available in small quantities at high prices, to become even more expensive than they are in the international market, noting that the price of some goods in the Syrian markets is now three-times higher than those in international markets. A kilogram of sugar in the international market is available for less than 20 cents, which equals 220 Syrian pounds, while in the Syrian market its being sold for 600 Syrian pounds. Speculations concerning the governments intention to lift support for bread were reinforced by news on certain websites citing an official in Damascus as saying that the government is considering raising the prices of tourist bread, cookies, and samun (pita-like bread)- noting that the new prices will be issued next week. The official said this comes in light of the significant increase in production cost, noting that the previous prices were issued when the price of flour was 150 Syrian pounds, while today its more than 350 Syrian pounds, in addition to the high prices of oil and food enhancers. 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. [April 17, 2020] Suning.com Released 2019 Financial Report with the Establishment of Full-Scenario Retail NANJING, China, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 17, Suning.com (002024.SZ), China's leading O2O smart retailer, owned by Suning Holdings Group, released 2019 annual financial result. According to the report, the company achieved revenue of RMB 269.229 billion (US Dollars 38.06 billion) in 2019; the net income attributed to shareholders was RMB 9.843 billion and 2019 GMV reached to RMB 378.74 billion, increasing by 12.47% year-on-year. In 2019, Suning.com acquired an 80% equity stake in Carrefour China, which meant the establishment of full-scenario strategic retail layout. As of 2019, Suning.com operated 8,216 stores of various types, and the number of Retail Cloud franchises in lower-tier market reached to 4,586. The online GMV also rose to RMB 238.753 billion and the GMV of open platforms achieved to RMB 80.314 billion, growing by 37.14% year-on-year. Furthermore, the strategy of full-category was productive for Suning.com in 2019. General merchandise steadily increased by 115.44% year-on-year, rising to the second place of total revenue, following home appliance category. The full-category and omni-channel mode attracted more consumers based on more home-delivey business, which helped the company to improve consumers' shopping experience and strengthen consumers' activities and brand loyalty. It's worth mentioning that Carrefour China has steadily improved its operating efficiency. According to preview of Suning.com Q1 financial result, Carrefour China has achieved two consecutive quarterly profits and the home-delivery service has gained a prominent performance, accounting for 10% of total Carrefour sales in March. With the gradual transformation of Carrefour stores, Suning.com has built a comprehensive FMCG supply chain with the store-warehouse integration between Suning Convenience Stores and Carrefour. Through this mode, Suning.com can realize a quick replenishment for stores and for home-delivery, by full-scenario, real-time and low-cost. In terms of logistics infrastructure, by the end of 2019, Suning Logistics has 25,881 delivery outlets and the total area of warehousing and related support facilities for Suning Logistics was 12.1 million square meters. In 2019, Suning Logistics focused on the construction of advanced infrastructure network and the openness of warehouse delivery business to enhance socialized and customized supply chain system through advantages of low-cost, real-time and diverse economic delivery capabilities. The formation and full integration of all-scenario retail are injecting new motivation into Suning's advance development. Under the huge pressure of pandemic, the innovative exploration of Suning.com in the full-scenarios operation has achieved outstanding results. Suning.com focused on user's socialization, community and content-oriented consumption features, constantly tried innovative business formats such as social e-commerce, home-delivery business, and live streaming to improve operation performance from multi-points, demonstrating extremely strong pressure-bearing capacity and synergy of multiple business segments. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/suningcom-released-2019-financial-report-with-the-establishment-of-full-scenario-retail-301042836.html SOURCE Suning.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A new front opened up in Texas this week in the battle over how to conduct elections in the midst of a pandemic. On Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued an interpretation of the states absentee-balloting provisions that would preclude those who are afraid of contracting COVID-19 from voting absentee by mail. On top of that, Paxton made a veiled threat to prosecute anyone who encourages absentee balloting by people who are afraid of contracting the disease or anyone who obtains such a ballot under false pretenses for that purpose. On Friday, though, a state judge issued a temporary injunction allowing voters to seek absentee ballots for that very reason. The language in Texas absentee balloting provision initially might read as being as restrictive as Paxton has interpreted it. However, theres another possible reading, one that has the backing of the state district judge in this case, Tim Sulak, and one that would greatly expand absentee voting rights for Texans. The case will almost certainly face an appeal and have major consequences for Novembers elections, but the more permissive reading is actually supported by a long history of jurisprudence in the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The election law in question says a person can only vote by mail if the would-be voter has a sickness or physical condition that prevents the voter from appearing at the polling place on Election Day without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or of injuring the voters health. On one hand, Paxtons claim that being sick means actually being physically ill is plausible. The rule, he says, is about sick people who cant get to the polls because they are sick, or who might get sicker if they had to vote in person. It is not about non-sick people afraid of getting sick if they go to the polls. As the ACLU stated it in its motion in the case, though, its arguable that everyone now has a physical condition that increases the likelihood that going to the polls might injure[] the voters health. (New Hampshire has interpreted its analogous physical disability provision in precisely this way) Paxtons construction of the statute, meanwhile, also might mean that someone who actually tests positive for COVID-19 but is asymptomatic may not qualify for an absentee ballot, which seems absurd. As Voxs Ian Millhiser wrote: Either one of these interpretations of the Texas law is plausible, and a judge could reach either conclusion using methods of statutory interpretation that are widely accepted as legitimate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is where Texas judges should turn to the so-called democracy canon, a method of interpreting statutes that is tailor-made for cases like this one. In his 2009 Stanford Law Review article about the method, University of California, Irvine law professor Richard Hasen offered a case citation that perfectly captures the heart of the democracy canon: [a]ll statutes tending to limit the citizen in his exercise of [the right of suffrage] should be liberally construed in his favor. In other words, when there is a tie in how to interpret the statute, the tie goes to the voter. Advertisement Advertisement The case Hasen citedOwens v. State ex rel. Jennettwas, in fact, a Texas Supreme Court case. Indeed, Texas historically adopted a fairly strong version of what Hasen called the democracy canon. In one appeals court case from the 1950s on the very subject of absentee ballots, Sanchez v. Bravo, a Texas court established a clear statement rule regarding restrictions on the right to vote. If a state is going to prevent someone from voting, the court ruled, they have to say so in clear and unmistakable terms. Otherwise, courts must read the law in a way that promotes the right of the citizen to cast his ballot and thus participate in the selection of those who control his government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Finally, there is a related issue about the good faith of the voters whove decided they want to vote absentee by mail. If the Texas Supreme Court eventually comes down on the side of a narrow reading of the lawturning its back on the democracy canon and an older body of the courts own jurisprudencethis could be made up by voting officials and lower courts generously construing on a case-by-case basis voters reasons why they chose to vote absentee. It is here that Paxtons veiled warning in the letter that those who obtain ballots by false pretenses can be prosecuted sounds a sour note. It is one thing to proclaim a general election rule regarding sickness and disability. It is a separate and more ominous thing for the state of Texas to threaten voters who understandably want to have it both ways: to stay safe in the middle of a pandemic and exercise their right to vote. A pair of 'mum' jeans with an asymmetric waistline beloved by supermodel Kendall Jenner has sold out just four days after launching in Australia, but one international website has three sizes left in stock and it's still shipping Down Under during COVID-19. Los Angeles fashion label Agolde is the creator of the best-selling 'Criss Cross' jeans, which have a high waistline cleverly tailored to create the illusion of denim fabric folding over itself across the hips. Made entirely from cotton, the jeans sit right above the waist and hang straight over the legs, a flattering style which makes you appear taller and slimmer. Supremely versatile, the jeans can be dressed up or down, looking equally stylish paired with basic white crop tops and chunky 'Dad' runners, or with sexy silk strap tops and stiletto heels. The jeans have already sold out on designer website Tuchuzy just four days after launching on Sunday, but they're still available in waist sizes 25, 26 and 27 - which fit extra small and small figures - on clothing site Revolve for $320 AUD. Los Angeles fashion label Agolde is the creator of the best-selling 'Criss Cross' jeans (pictured), which have a high waistline cleverly tailored to create the illusion of denim fabric folding over itself across the hips Made entirely from cotton, the jeans sit right above the waist and hang straight over the legs, a flattering style which makes you appear taller and slimmer Revolve is offering free express shipping for orders over $157 AUD, so if you order today, the jeans will be delivered straight to your door by Wednesday, April 22 at the latest. Supermodel Kendall Jenner stepped out in a pair of mum jeans with an asymmetrical waist from New York label Monse in July 2017 Part of the brand's signature style, Agolde is known for stitching asymmetric waistlines onto its denim jeans, shorts and skirts. Descriptions of the jeans online refer to them as large fitting and recommend 'sizing down', meaning shoppers should choose one waist size smaller than their usual measurement. The over-sized fit makes the jeans perfect for days at home in isolation, which will last for at least another month after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a four-week continuation of coronavirus restrictions late on Thursday afternoon. Asymmetric jeans have long enjoyed the celebrity seal of approval after being worn by Hollywood icons and catwalk megastars over the past three years. Supermodel Kendall Jenner stepped out in a pair of mum jeans with an asymmetrical, crooked fly from New York label Monse in July 2017. Those jeans carried a hefty price tag of $1,259 AUD, which makes Agolde's $320 AUD version seem affordable in comparison. Why fashion insiders swear by tailoring their jeans Most women take blazers, suits and dresses to be tailored without a second thought, but denim is not usually awarded the same treatment. But fashion icons and Hollywood legends have been tailoring their jeans for years to achieve the perfect fit Back in 2014, Kim Kardashian West famously paid stylist Los Angeles Cornelius Clay the princely sum of $5,960 AUD a day to alter her denim whenever she needed. Thankfully, tailoring for mere mortals is decidedly more affordable, with a basic hem turn-up costing around $15 AUD and more dramatic structural changes to the legs or waistline running up to $100 AUD. Here's what you should remember before buying or tailoring jeans. 1. Tailors are not miracle workers It's important to remember that tailors are not miracle workers. They can fix a lot when it comes to jeans, but not everything. The rise - where the waistband sits on your body - the hips and the crotch are three notoriously difficult areas for a tailor to alter, something you should keep in mind when you're shopping for your next pair. Changing the length of the fabric and slimming the legs of the jeans are both easily done. 2. Wash denim inside out in cold water Before taking denim to a tailor, was the fabric inside out a few times in cold water and leave it to air dry. This prevents your jeans from shrinking in the future after you've gone to the trouble and expense of having them tailored. 3. Bring shoes to the alteration Particularly if you want to shorten your jeans. Wear the shoes you plan to wear most with the jeans to help the tailor mark the right length to alter. Source: StyleCaster Advertisement Part of the brand's signature style, Agolde is known for stitching asymmetric waistlines onto its denim jeans, shorts and skirts Supermodel Kendall Jenner stepped out in a pair of $1,259 AUD asymmetric jeans in 2017, which makes Agolde's $320 AUD version (pictured) seem affordable in comparison Australian trend watchers rushed to get their hands on a pair of 'Criss Cross' before they sold out. 'Adds to cart,' Melbourne stylist Kristy Wu wrote on the Agolde's Instagram photo announcing the launch. Fashion blogger Karissa Sparke, from the New South Wales north coast, called the jeans 'too perfect'. A month into the coronavirus shutdown, this week has been full of bad news, from hospitals nearing capacity to national unemployment numbers reaching 21.7 million. But our nation has found the perfect antidote to these trying times, and its right here in the City of Brotherly Love. Yes, were talking about Pizza Groundhog. Earlier this week, Kristin Chalela Bagnell sent 6ABC a video of the furry creature methodically munching on a cold slice of pizza while staring into her Philadelphia home through a sliding glass door. In the clip, her two dogs stare back at the groundhog, who continues chewing unfazed. Since then, the chunky rodent has gone viral. The animal cut through partisan noise, appearing on CNN and Fox News and giving popular late night comedians such as Jimmy Kimmel and Trevor Noah feel-good material that doesnt involve politics or the pandemic. In the Thursday monologue of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel called the video a glimmer of beauty in these grim and depressing times and quipped that he thinks a groundhog eating pizza means we have another two weeks of home confinement. It kind of looks like me every night for the last three weeks," Kimmel said. He also referenced the frequent comparison to New Yorks Pizza Rat, which became a viral sensation in 2015 after dragging a large slice of pizza down the steps of a subway station. But given rats have a short life expectancy, he said, the Pizza Rat is dead. ... Sorry, is now a bad time for that information? To which a chorus of Philly faithful replied on social media: No, this is the moment for our Pizza Groundhog and only our Pizza Groundhog. The official Twitter account of the Pennsylvania government even weighed in, tweeting at New York City, we see your pizza rat and raise you one pizza groundhog. On The Daily Show, Noah called the animal a legend. Hes just eating that pizza right in their faces, he said. You know hes not going to stop with those dogs, right? You can see in that little groundhogs eyes, hes getting cocky." I bet next week hes going to come back and start taunting us humans," he added. "Hes going to set up a little brunch outside the window with all his friends. Chalela Bagnell could not be reached Friday for comment on whether her quarantine visitor has returned. Neither could Pizza Groundhog. His motive and future plans remain unclear. FORT WORTH, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 17, 2020 / Sanara MedTech Inc. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Sanara MedTech Inc. ("Sanara" or the "Company") (OTCQB:SMTI), a provider of surgical and chronic wound care products dedicated to improving patient outcomes, announced today an update on the execution of the Company's strategy. Record First Quarter 2020 Revenue and COVID-19 Impact For the first quarter of 2020, the Company generated revenues of approximately $3.5 million, a 42% increase over the first quarter of 2019. This was the second consecutive record revenue quarter for the Company. The slowdown in the Company's Surgical Division's sales due to the impact of the COVID-19 virus began in the second half of March and is expected to continue until elective surgeries return to full capacity. Recent news articles and industry surveys have reported that 60-80% of surgical procedures will be postponed in the coming months due to mitigation efforts associated with the outbreak of the virus. Sanara's management team believes this to be representative of the slowdowns faced by many of the surgical facilities and hospitals where its products are used. However, management also believes that the majority of surgical procedures currently being delayed will ultimately be performed. The Company's Wound Care Division also expects a decrease in sales until the COVID-19 situation is resolved. The main impact will be on new growth and product adoption due to sales personnel not being allowed into skilled nursing facilities and wound care centers to provide education and product training. In an effort to ensure patients are still able to receive the benefits of the Company's products, Sanara is assessing ways to use virtual education and other technology-based solutions to communicate with clinical staffs until Sanara employees are allowed back into these care settings. To date, the company has been able to do speaker programs and product certifications with customers on its virtual platform and is looking into ways to expand these efforts. Ron Nixon, Sanara's Executive Chairman stated, "The COVID-19 pandemic presents challenges for all businesses including those, such as Sanara, involved in the elective surgery and chronic wound care markets. However, the Company is taking steps to mitigate these impacts and position itself to be able to support a significant increase in demand from delayed surgical procedures when they are ultimately able to be performed." Update on Product Pipeline Sanara recently launched its Wound Irrigation and Debridement System which includes the Company's Pulsar II Advanced Wound Irrigator and BIAKOS Antimicrobial Irrigation Solution. This system offers a way to remove biofilms while simultaneously debriding wounds with significantly less patient discomfort than other treatment methods. In the third quarter of this year, the Company plans to launch BIAKOS Antimicrobial Wound Gel. This product has been cleared by the FDA and uses a synergistic formulation to eliminate biofilm microbes and create an environment conducive to wound healing. It is effective against planktonic microorganisms as well as immature and mature biofilms and can be used alone or in combination with BIAKOS Antimicrobial Wound Cleanser to enhance the products' effectiveness. When utilized together, the cleanser is applied initially to clean a wound and disrupt biofilms (removing 99% in 10 minutes). The gel can then be applied and will remain in the wound for up to 72 hours eliminating biofilms between normal dressing changes. "Today we are also announcing two important product updates as Sanara continues to execute its strategic plan," said Ron Nixon. "Our Wound Irrigation and Debridement System offers an efficient and effective way to irrigate and debride a wound while also eliminating biofilms. In addition, BIAKOS Antimicrobial Wound Gel will complement our BIAKOS Antimicrobial Wound Cleanser and strengthen the Company's product offering for biofilm removal, one of our six focus areas of wound and skin care." About Sanara MedTech Inc. With a focus on improving patient outcomes through evidence-based healing solutions, Sanara MedTech Inc. markets and distributes wound and skincare products to physicians, hospitals, clinics, and all post-acute care settings. We are constantly seeking long-term strategic partnerships with a focus on products that produce efficacious outcomes at a lower overall cost. Our products are primarily sold in the North American advanced wound care and surgical tissue repair markets. Sanara MedTech markets and distributes CellerateRX Surgical Activated Collagen to the surgical markets as well as the following products to the wound care market: BIAKOS Antimicrobial Skin and Wound Cleanser, HYCOL Hydrolyzed Collagen, and PULSAR II Advanced Wound Irrigation (AWI). In addition, Sanara is actively seeking to expand within its six focus areas of wound and skincare for the acute, post-acute, and surgical markets. The focus areas are debridement, biofilm removal, hydrolyzed collagen, advanced biologics, negative pressure wound therapy adjunct products, and the oxygen delivery system segment of the healthcare industry. For more information, visit SanaraMedTech.com. Information about Forward-Looking Statements The statements in the press release that relate to the Company's expectations with regard to the future impact on the Company's results from new products in development and any other statements not constituting historical facts are "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of and subject to the safe harbor created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Since this information may contain statements that involve risk and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, the Company's actual results may differ materially from expected results. This document may contain forward-looking statements concerning the Company's operations, current and future performance and financial condition. These items involve risks, contingencies and uncertainties such as product demand, market and customer acceptance, the effect of economic conditions, competition, pricing, the ability to consummate and integrate acquisitions, and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties detailed in the Company's SEC filings, which could cause the Company's actual operating results, performance or business plans or prospects to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by these statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise any of these statements to reflect the future circumstances or the occurrence of unanticipated events. Investor Contact: Callon Nichols, Director of Investor Relations 713-826-0524 CNichols@sanaramedtech.com SOURCE: Sanara MedTech Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/585491/Sanara-MedTech-Inc-Announces-an-Update-on-the-Execution-of-its-Strategy E mmanuel Macron has joined other world leaders in questioning China's handling of coronavirus, saying things "happened that we don't know about". The French president said it would be naive to suggest the country had dealt better with the pandemic than some Western democracies. In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Macron said there should be no comparison between open societies and those which suppress truth. "Given these differences, the choices made and what China is today, which I respect, let's not be so naive as to say it's been much better at handling this," he told the newspaper. Foreign Secretary says it won't be 'business as usual' with China after pandemic "We don't know. There are clearly things that have happened that we don't know about. Discussion the idea of abandoning freedoms to fight the pandemic, he said: "We can't accept that. You can't abandon your fundamental DNA on the grounds that there is a health crisis. France has so far seen 141,000 cases of Covid-19 and almost 18,000 deaths. In comparison, China has recorded 83,400 cases and just over 3,300 deaths. Loading.... China's transparency over the outbreak has also been question by other countries, including the UK. The UKs foreign secretary Dominic Raab said it cannot be "business as usual" with China after the pandemic and called for a "deep dive" review into how the virus was able to spread. Mr Raab, who is deputising for Boris Johnson while he recovers from the virus, said there needs to be a thorough review of the worldwide spread. He 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. US President Donald Trump recently angered China by blaming the outbreak on the Chinese virus and the Wuhan virus and had cast doubt on the statistics coming from the Communist country. In an apparent swipe at his US counterpart, Chinas President Xi Jinping said the virus knows no boundaries and ethnicity. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17 Trend: The Azerbaijani embassy in Russia has issued an appeal in connection with coronavirus, the embassy told Trend. "As part of the efforts being made to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection, the state border between Azerbaijan and Russia was temporarily closed, the embassy said. Some citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan for one reason or another could not leave the country and are forced to stay in the Russian Federation. Many of them faced a difficult situation due to strict quarantine measures. They virtually have no income. Some people have health problems. Some individuals are in the hospital or stay self-isolated. Unfortunately, among them there are people who are unable to pay for meal and accommodation. The embassy, being in constant contact with the responsible individuals and the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in coordination with the Foreign Ministry and other official structures of the Russian Federation, continues to render assistance and take appropriate measures, within its diplomatic powers and limited capabilities, to help the Azerbaijani citizens, the message said. Being on high alert, the embassy has created a 24/7 hotline, the message said. As a result of hard work in a short period of time, more than 2,000 fellow citizens were returned to Azerbaijan. The embassy appreciates and expresses gratitude to all those who, in coordination with the embassy or personally, have already rendered any assistance to the Azerbaijani citizens who need help, the message said. While appealing to the diaspora organizations, businessmen, wealthy Azerbaijanis, the embassy calls on all compatriots living in Russia to put aside all disputes, misunderstanding, and render any assistance to their fellow countrymen without populism and insults, the message said. The embassy, for its part, expresses readiness to continue coordination of such humanitarian activity and wishes everyone robust health and patience, the message said. Amid an urgent need today, we urge all Azerbaijanis in Russia to join the appeal of the Azerbaijani president - "We are strong together!". We believe that the wise Azerbaijani people will overcome this difficult situation with dignity. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE The numbers are baffling. Thousands of people could die, one statistical model suggests, as the coronavirus tears through New Mexico in the next year. Another model, by contrast, estimates 155 deaths by this summer. Each projection, meanwhile, produces new figures almost daily. But even amid the uncertainty, scientists and state health officials say, the modeling is valuable. Like a hurricane forecast, it can help guide policymakers who have to decide now, not later, how to prepare. State health officials reported eight more deaths Thursday the most in one day. The state says COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has contributed to 44 deaths this year. Disease models are not intended to be a perfect prediction of the future, said Kathryn Hanley, a virologist and biology professor at New Mexico State University. No one can give you that. New Mexico health officials are tapping the expertise of scientists at Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories as they try to forecast the demand for hospital beds, ventilators and other medical resources amid the pandemic. Theres a saying: All models are wrong, but some are useful, said Bradley Dickerson, senior manager of a Sandia group that counters global chemical and biological security threats. Disparate forecasts Two main models have grabbed attention in New Mexico one by the University of Washington and another used by New Mexico health officials. In late March, researchers at the University of Washington projected about 510 coronavirus deaths in New Mexico through late June or early July the first wave of the pandemic. But theyve repeatedly revised the estimates downward in recent weeks. On Thursday, the model was projecting just 155 deaths in New Mexico through late June. New Mexico health officials often deliver a far more dire forecast. The latest estimates they released from last week projected 2,984 deaths in New Mexico over the next 12 months, along with severe shortages of intensive care beds and ventilators. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Human Services Secretary David Scrase have repeatedly pushed back on the Washington model, describing it as far too optimistic. We still think its too low, Lujan Grisham said Thursday of the Washington projection. I wish it wasnt. The University of Washington model is largely driven by the number of deaths in a community, Scrase said, with infection rates and other factors inferred from how many people have died. But New Mexico has had relatively few deaths just 44, including eight announced on Thursday and is still early in its outbreak, making the Washington approach, Scrase said, less reliable. Instead, New Mexico health officials are using what they call an SIR Model, which examines the rates of people who are susceptible to the disease, infected and recovered. It projects the number of deaths based on how many people are infected and similar factors. And the local model is projecting far more deaths than the Washington one. Scrase and Lujan Grisham say COVID-19 may be particularly dangerous in New Mexico because of the states high rates of chronic liver disease and other conditions all factors they said the Washington model doesnt consider. Lujan Grisham said cultural or genetic factors may also influence the disease. The states highest rates of coronavirus infections are in McKinley, Sandoval and San Juan counties, where outbreaks have hit two pueblos and the Navajo Nation. Lujan Grisham said states throughout the country are generally using their own models based on local data, not the Washington projections. Local data New Mexicos modeling team meets by phone every Tuesday afternoon. Experts from Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories, Scrase said, are on the call. They go over several models that project how the disease might move through New Mexico. The team considers the Washington projections, New Mexicos own model and other forecasts. But state health officials, Scrase said, need the flexibility of having their own New Mexico-specific model. The local projections can factor in the latest information on how many people have tested positive each day and produce updates based on the latest data. Models from other states dont offer that flexibility. Modeling is sort of like buying a car, Scrase said in a public briefing this week. If you went to buy a car and they wouldnt let you test-drive it, you probably wouldnt want to buy the car. We need to be able to put our own New Mexico data in. Scrase said the local model produces new projections as more information becomes available. New Mexicans willingness to stay home and engage in social distancing, he said, has helped flatten the projected growth in cases and pushed back the projected peak, which could come in late April or May. Deadliest day yet The number of deaths in New Mexico surged this week. The record eight deaths announced Thursday include people ranging in age from their 30s to their 80s including five adults in San Juan and McKinley counties, which include the Navajo Nation. All but two of the deaths involved people with underlying health conditions. Altogether, state health officials reported 116 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 1,597 confirmed cases. Ninety patients are now hospitalized with the disease, and 353 people are classified as having recovered. Much uncertainty Predicting how high the death toll will climb is incredibly difficult, scientists say. Changes in assumptions lead to an almost breathtaking difference in the potential outcomes. Theres so much uncertainty because this is a new virus and so theres a lot of information we dont know, said Sara Del Valle, a mathematical epidemiologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The unknowns include the number of people who are infected but dont have symptoms, how contagious those people are, and whether people who have survived the disease are immune from getting it again. In addition, Del Valle said, human behavior is a critical factor that contributes to disease spread, and we dont have real-time information about what people do or will do. Dickerson, at Sandia, has been working with the state on projections for medical resources. Even with uncertainty, he said, the models are useful as long as the decision-maker is comfortable with the model and its limitations. I think any of these models are better than weather predictions, Dickerson said. Hanley, a regents professor of biology at NMSU, said one of the challenges that people find difficult to grasp is how their communitys response to a disease will affect its spread. Throughout history, she said, communities have nearly eradicated one disease or another only to stop because the effort is so successful people begin to doubt the disease is actually a threat. That is just human nature, Hanley said, but its led to a number of failed health actions because they stop too soon. Note: Biology Professor Kathryn Hanley of New Mexico State University isnt part of the modeling team producing projections for New Mexico health officials. Union workers at luxury apartments throughout the state and in New York began a 24-hour strike Thursday morning to protest what they say are low wages and a lack of protective gear. At The Cliffs apartment building in Jersey City, members of SEIU 32BJ walked out to protest treatment by employer Planned Companies, a Parsippany contractor that provides maintenance, janitorial, and concierge services to luxury apartment buildings, including the Beacon in Jersey City and the Galaxy Towers in Guttenberg. Kevin Brown, vice president of SEIU 32BJ, said that despite being designated essential workers, the union members are still receiving low wages and poor benefits, and alleged that Planned Companies harassed employees when they wanted to join the union. These striking workers are essential because they keep large luxury residential buildings running and safe, but theyre basically not receiving the treatment and respect that essential workers deserve, Brown said. Essential workers are not receiving essential wages and benefits. Workers at Planned buildings had not been provided appropriate gear to protect against the coronavirus, Brown said, and workers at the Beacon apartments were forced to take unpaid time off to self-quarantine after coming into contact with a COVID-19 positive employee. In an emailed statement, Planned Companies spokesman Ben Martin said the company gave its workers adequate protective gear and accused the union of engaging in organizational bullying." In a time when unemployment and anxiety are at unprecedented levels, SEIU 32BJ continues to use this health emergency to proliferate an agenda of operational disruption and muscle-flexing in the name political and financial gain, Martin said, noting that Planned Companies is working to establish a relief fund for employees. We can confirm that all buildings serviced by Planned Companies have been staffed adequately and professionally, and the feedback from owners and tenants continues to be outstanding. Jersey City Councilmen Rolando Lavarro and Jermaine Robinson also attended the walkout, as did Hudson County Freeholder Bill ODea, who said he planned to push for an investigation of the unions allegations that workers were not receiving personal protective gear. Thats worse than violating labor rights, he said. Its criminal. ICMR has given Kerala their approval to conduct a clinical trial for plasma therapy on critically ill patients in its hospitals. The top medical research body of India, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), on Thursday, has approved a clinical trial for plasma treatment for people who are infected with COVID-19 and are seriously ill. Many countries around the world have begun using plasma to treat patients infected with coronavirus and the treatment has shown some favourable results in improving patient health. Currently, there is no cure for the virus but there are many ongoing vaccine trials. Kerala Kerala's Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) has been given the nod of approval by the ICMR to begin convalescent plasma therapy, reports PTI. SCTIMST is expected to start the trial by the end of this month after receiving approval from the Drugs Controller of India and the Ethics committee. Five medical colleges - at Thiruvananthapuram, Alapuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kannur - have been included in the trials and Dr Anoop Kumar Chief of Critical Care Medicine at Baby Memorial Hospital Kozhikode and an expert on COVID-19 will do the clinical follow up. Additionally, The Print has reported that ICMR has only allowed these hospitals to conduct the therapy on patients who are critically ill. This (plasma therapy) will not be for mild patients, but (for) those who are on ventilators and under the clinical trial mode, before being recommended for all patients, said Manoj Murhekar, Director of the Indian Institute of Epidemiology. Chandigarh Dr Jagat Ram, Director, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, in an interview with India Today TV on Thursday, said that his institute, in collaboration with another coronavirus centre, will launch a clinical trial for plasma therapy as well. However, the representative of ICMR made no mention of this second trial. Delhi The Delhi government, headed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sought and receieved the approval of the Centre to conduct plasma therapy clinical trials. It will be tested on critically ill patients as a form of compassionate testing. Trial of Plasma Enrichment technique will begin in the next three or four days. If successful, we can save the lives of serious COVID-19 patients, Delhi CM said in an online media briefing. An autonomous Delhi government hospital the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences has already received approval to conduct the trials. Economic Times reported that a private hospital, Max Healthcare, has already used antibodies to treat two patients who were in the intensive care unit. The patients members of the same family requested the doctors to use this treatment quoting the provision of Off Label Use. The hospital, however, is still waiting on their approvals from ICMR to conduct trials. Pune Sassoon General Hospital in Pune has applied for approvals to begin randomised controlled trial and is in the process of getting a plasma separator. BJ Government Medical College in Pune is also seeking approval for an experimental convalescent plasma therapy trial. However, there are many obstacles that need to be jumped over before ICMR and the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) give them the all-clear. What is convalescent plasma therapy? Plasma therapy uses the antibodies found in the blood of people who have recovered from an infection (or convalesced), to treat patients who are infected. According to The Associated Press, the body makes antibodies especially designed to target an infection. Those antibodies can stay in the blood specifically the plasma i.e. the yellowish liquid part of blood for years. Plasma therapy is not a vaccine, but instead gives the infected person's body a boost to start producing its own antibodies. Theoretically, it can be used in patients whose immune system is too weak to fight the infection. History of plasma therapy The use of plasma to treat patients is not new and has been used successfully to treat patients infected with other Coronaviruses, namely Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that range from the common cold to more critical viruses like MERS and SARS. These viruses come from animals and can sometimes transmit from animals to humans, which is called a spillover event. However, these are rare cases, as a lot of different factors have to align in perfection for that to happen. In the case of COVID-19, they did. The use of plasma therapy dates back to the 1900s, when first Nobel Prize awardee Emil von Behring developed a cure for diphtheria by injecting infected patients with antibodies taken from animals. In 1918, when the Spanish flu became a pandemic similar to COVID-19, plasma therapy was used. It was particularly useful when a person was injected in the early days of their illness. During the Ebola epidemic that started in 2013, plasma therapy was again used to treat patients as the development of vaccines always take time. The first vaccine was approved in the US in 2019, but it is a preventive measure. There is still no cure for the disease. During the SARS pandemic in 2003, it spread to 26 countries and caused 8,000 deaths. In some cases, plasma from recovered patients were used to treat those who were infected. Seventeen years later, there is still no vaccine or cure for SARS. The difference between vaccines and plasma therapy When the human body is infected by an intruder, it makes antibodies to fight it. Antibodies are proteins produced by the body to neutralise or destroy toxins or disease-carrying organisms, and they are made specifically to fight that one type of disease. In order for a person to fight the disease and not get sick in the future, the antibodies help the body achieve immunity to the disease. There are two types of immunities - active and passive immunity Active immunity is long-lasting and sometimes life-long, but it takes weeks to develop. It occurs when the immune system produces antibodies for that disease either by getting infected or through the introduction of a weakened disease via a vaccine. A vaccine is a biologically engineered medicine that trains the body to fight a disease it has not yet come into contact with. The weakened or inactive disease-causing microorganism is injected into the body, which in-turn prompts the body to create its own antibodies, thus giving a person immunity towards that disease. Vaccines are designed to prevent disease, rather than treat the disease once someone is infected. Passive immunity is temporary, but immediate. It occurs when antibodies are given to a person rather than the body's immune system producing them on their own, for instance with plasma treatment. What did China find? The novel Coronavirus first emerged in China with at wet market in Wuhan, and the first case was detected in December 2019. However, it was only in January that the gravity of the spread of the virus began to set in. China saw a steep rise in the number of people who were getting infected and the death toll was increasing as well. While the country first brushed off the seriousness of the disease, it soon started taking extreme precautions to try and control the spread of the virus. A massive lockdown was enforced, with no one being allowed to leave the Hubei province at first, and then the country. Researchers in China set about trying to first isolate the virus and then conduct preliminary studies that set the foundation for other researchers worldwide. In a couple of months, the virus had spread and become a pandemic. Chinese researchers found that the virus can turn critical in older people especially men while children, who have better immune systems, are not as affected. They narrowed down the origin of the virus to the animals sold in the wet market - snakes, bats and pangolins. These researchers also started testing other, previously approved antiviral drugs to treat the infection. The researchers also found that using the plasma from the blood of a person who had recovered from COVID-19 could help in the treatment of other infected patients. Reuters reported that their preliminary results were encouraging and the WHO had also approved of this approach, saying it was 'very valid'. Dr Mike Ryan, head of WHOs health emergencies program, told Reuters, It (plasma therapy) is a very important area to pursue, but "it has to be carefully timed and its not always successful. Other countries trying the same approach China has now relaxed the lockdown after their cases have gone down drastically to single digits. Meanwhile, the USA has taken over. The number of cases in the US are much higher than they ever were in China. The US has also joined the plasma therapy bandwagon and has begun clinical trials for plasma. They have also begun clinical trials for possible vaccines, but we will have to wait and watch for the results. Turkey, South Korea, Italy, the United Kingdom, are some of the few countries that are also looking at plasma therapy to help deal with the coronavirus crisis that has gripped the world. Even before the coronavirus outbreak really took root in Massachusetts, retailers began seeing shortages of hand sanitizer and toilet paper - an indication of things to come. Now, a large segment of the essential workforce is impacted, and not just hospital workers and law enforcement. Among those on the front lines increasingly in need of materials: emergency daycare providers - those child care workers who opened their doors during the crisis to take care of the children of families on the front lines. Many of the smaller, home-based operations, which are limited to caring for up to 10 children, have been hit particularly hard with supply shortages, including everything from bleach, toilet paper and hand sanitizer, to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), like masks and gloves. Its been an ongoing issue, said Karen Arnold, who runs Little Darlings Day Care in Springfield, a home-based provider. Nationwide, hospitals have been inundated with COVID-19 patients, causing mass shortages of PPE, and news of the virus spreading has prompted residents to stock up, an on occasion hoard, supplies and food. In Massachusetts, hospitals and first responders, including fire departments that operate ambulances, had put out calls to anyone, including construction companies, to donate any masks or other medical equipment they are not using. The shortage of toilet paper has forced some daycare providers using napkins for toilet paper. Many have had a hard time stocking their facilities with bleach, alcohol and masks. Arnold says shes had to turn to pick-up and delivery services like Instacart to get supplies from grocers like Aldi, instead of ordering them off of Amazon, which has now marked off certain supplies -masks, hand sanitizer dispensers and PPE - as exclusively for hospitals and government organizations. The alternative, Arnold says, is going out and trying to find the equipment - a task thats not only become a lost cause, but was starting to feel dangerous. We were hunting store to store to store and stockpiled what we could, she said. Now the shelves are just empty. Alexandra Genduso, who runs ABC Bilingual Child Care Program in Worcester, says a parent of one of her children recently tested positive for the virus, prompting her Ararat Street facility to close down for several days toward the end of last week. Genduso recalls helping to secure the child in the car of the parent who become infected. She says the incident highlighted the need to make PPE supplies available to emergency daycare workers. We dont greet parents outside without protection, she said. If we didnt have the mask or gloves, we probably would have gotten sick. Genduso said the state ought to step in and help daycares, like hers, that are direly in need of supplies. I havent been able to get bleach. And Lysol, forget it, Genduso said. The states Department of Early Education and Care has acknowledged the difficulty in obtaining supplies, several providers said. In a letter dated April 2, EEC Commissioner Samantha L. Aigner-Treworgy said they are coordinating orders for providers. We are working on getting orders of soaps and disinfectants to support your operations and should have more information about that next week, Aigner-Treworgy wrote. EEC officials did not return phone calls and emails requesting comment. But Genduso said no one has reached out to her. Other home daycare providers have been surviving off of bulk supplies. Louise Morgan, who runs Childs Play Family Daycare in Worcester, said shes been well-stocked and bulked up on extra supplies. Yeah youre going through it a lot quicker, she said. For now Im good, knock on wood. Related Content: From left to right, Dr. Taison Bell, Dr. Ebony Hilton-Buchholz, Dr. Bryant Cameron Webb and Dr. Leigh-Ann Webb. Credit: UVA Health As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across the United States, data is beginning to emerge showing the disproportionate impact of the virus in minority communities, particularly African American communities. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control released a study of a representative group of hospitalized patients showing that the percentage of black patients hospitalized for COVID-19 was much higher than the percentage of African Americans in the population as a whole, "suggesting that black populations might be disproportionately affected by COVID-19." For example, in Michigan, a hard-hit state, African Americans make up 14% of the state's population, but accounted for 41% of its COVID-19 deaths as of April 6. In Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards has said that African Americans account for slightly more than 70% of the state's COVID-19 deaths, a statistic he called "disturbing." Four University of Virginia doctorsDr. Taison Bell, Dr. Ebony Hilton-Buchholz, Dr. Bryant Cameron Webb and Dr. Leigh-Ann Webbare among a group of physicians who initially raised the alarm about these trends, pushing state and federal officials to release demographic data about the spread of COVID-19. Bell, who met Cameron and Leigh-Ann Webb when they were all undergraduates at UVA, is an assistant professor of medicine specializing in infectious disease and critical care and is the medical director of the medical intensive care unit. Hilton-Buchholz is a critical care doctor and anesthesiologist; Cameron Webb is an assistant professor of medicine and public health science and a congressional candidate for Virginia's 5th District; and Leigh-Ann Webb is an assistant professor of emergency medicine. (Cameron and Leigh-Ann Webb are married) All four doctors are African American and are deeply concerned, personally and professionally, about how this virus will affect their communities. They began sharing their concerns on Twitter earlier this month, and, in addition to working with colleagues at UVA, have now spoken to national media outlets and national health care and policy officials, including the Congressional Black Caucus, to push for more transparent data and urgent efforts to help minority and low-income communities likely to be affected by the virus. Cameron Webb is also a faculty leader at the UVA Equity Center, launched in 2019 to build stronger relationships between UVA and the Charlottesville community and tangibly redress racial and socioeconomic inequality. Faculty and community leaders involved in the center are working together to identify community concerns, highlight potential gaps or inequities and make recommendations to University leaders. We spoke with all four doctors to learn more. Q. What trends have you noticed as this pandemic has hit the U.S.? Bell: As an African American health care provider, there are already health disparities that are distressing to us at baselinehigher rates of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions that make African Americans more vulnerable to acute illnesses like COVID-19. We were seeing all of these fancy dashboards and graphs showing hotspots, or curves, but I worried that a lot of people in African American communities were getting very, very sick, but not getting tested at the rate we would expect. There was a gap between what we were projecting overall and what this virus could do in underserved communities. When we started looking for that data, it was very scarce. That's when we started putting out calls for more data, more transparency about the race and ethnicity of COVID patients. We need to know how much suffering is disproportionately happening in minority and underserved communities. Hilton-Buchholz: I think this pandemic will reveal the systemic racism that is in every sector of society, and how that factors into health outcomes. For instance, you can't talk about those with comorbidities being vulnerable without talking about the disproportionate impact of industry, air and water pollution on minority and low-income communities, or how food deserts affect obesity and diabetes rates. Many essential workersoften working low-paid jobs that are now critical to keep this country runningtend to be black and brown people of lower socioeconomic status. Our prisons, which are very vulnerable to this pandemic, are overwhelmingly crowded with black and brown people. Although these systems, and our health care system, can and do discriminate, the virus does not. I think this will be one time where we really see the cracks that have always existed, cracks where the virus can now spread and fester. Cameron Webb: We and many others in the medical community were concerned about the national paucity of data in the beginning. We did not know much about who was being tested and who was being impacted. We took note of the lack of useful geographic and demographic information. And, from the beginning, it was evident that the dynamics of this particular pandemic would disproportionately affect people with less access and fewer resources to protect themselves. We knew that lower-income and minority communitiesparticularly low-income minority communitieswould be very vulnerable, and the first wave of national data has confirmed that. Q. How can race and ethnicity data about the impact of COVID-19 help the country fight the pandemic? Leigh-Ann Webb: If we don't have access to transparent and comprehensive data, we can't meaningfully inform health policy and resource utilization to benefit the communities that are the most vulnerable. If we have actionable data, we can identify vulnerable communities and do boots-on-the-ground work in those areas, getting information and resources where they are most needed and tracking cases as they appear. From a public health standpoint, this is critical to use as an adjunct to other strategies we are using to fight for patients' lives during the pandemic. Bell: Think of it like a wildfire. Even if it is not your house on fire, you should care about it being on fire because it could spread to your neighborhood or your house, too. If there is one section of our country where COVID-19 is exploding, we all need to be invested in finding and treating those vulnerable groups. If we aren't, it will ultimately make the whole country sicker. The virus does not respect the boundaries of ethnicity or geography that we normally place around ourselves. Cameron Webb: We need more widely available testing, if we are going to get ahead of this. We need to know where the hotspots are so that we can do more testing and contact tracing in the communities that are hardest-hit. We also need to recognize that essential workers, many of them from minority or low-income groups, need testing and adequate protectionnot just at work, but on their way to and from work. And, we need to focus on resources for those with chronic disease, who are very vulnerable to this virus and who, in many cases, cannot visit their primary care doctors during this time of physical distancing. We will be dealing with this virus for a while, and we need to look at ways to protect people with chronic illnesses while making sure they have access to care they need. Data will be critical to all of this, because it can help us see where the problems are. Q. What else can be done to address these concerns? Hilton-Buchholz: If we know that African American communities are experiencing this virus at a higher rate, then we know which neighborhoods and communities we should be focusing on, and we should meet folks there. Many African Americans rightfully distrust the medical community, so providers need to make an effort go there and help right some of those wrongs. People are dying, we must do everything we can to meet them where they are. We also need people to keep talking about this. When I posted on Twitter, I started getting responses, starting hearing from companies that are helping to collect this data, talking to the Congressional Black Caucus and to the media. That is the way information moves today, and we need to keep speaking up. Bell: Now this issue is being mentioned even at the president's press briefings, and different states and locales are starting to release race and ethnicity data. Progress requires pressure, and we need to keep amplifying the message to our leaders, to push for accountability and transparency. Leigh-Ann Webb: In Charlottesville, we have the benefit of looking at other communities that have reached their peak volumes before us, and learn lessons from those communities and providers. UVA Health has been very proactivepreparing for PPE shortages, being on the forefront of in-house testing, participating in drug trials, including one that Dr. Bell is leading. Thankfully, we had a bit of a head start and lots of smart people who have worked tirelessly to make sure we are as prepared as we can be to face COVID-19. Nationally, I would like to see a comprehensive release of data by the CDC, as well as continued private-public partnerships with biotech companies, innovators and academic institutions. An interactive national model built with comprehensive data (including demographic variables) could assist health care providers with critical information so that we can respond in a real-time, data-driven way in communities all over the country. Cameron Webb: As a University working toward being a better neighbor, we owe it to our communities to fight the racial disparities that our own health system helped to create. The Equity Center is intended to serve as a bridge between the University and the community, and we are fortunate to already have good relationships with community leaders. We want to advocate for some of the social determinants that can put people at risk during COVIDincome threats, housing adequacy or inadequacy, food access and other issues. We have been engaging in these conversations for a while now, and will continue working closely with community leaders to make recommendations to the University and advocate for those recommendations. I would also like to add that, while we have not yet seen as robust a number of coronavirus cases as some other areas, the threat is still significant. Often, moments of crisis are the medium where bias really grows best. In the middle of a crisis, when you lack time think as critically and are pulled in a million directions, you take cognitive shortcuts. That is where bias can play much more of a role. We are fortunate to have time before we get to that crisis point here in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, in terms of COVID-19 cases. We have to start building an equitable infrastructure now to fight this pandemic and the inequalities it exacerbates. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak To say that the reign of the GEO Group, the private, for-profit entity that runs the county prison, has been without controversy would be a bit of an understatement. GEO is the latest in a string of private operators to hold the reins of the countys jail. The push dates back to 1995. Thats when County Council took the plunge into the somewhat controversial practice of having a private entity operate its jail. Sealing the deal was the fact that Wackenhut Corrections Corp., a private company from Florida, also would build the county a much-needed new facility. Initial estimates indicated the project could cost the county as much as $95 million. Wackenhut built the facility for $55 million. The doors opened in 1998. The controversy surrounding private operation of a county facility hasnt stopped since. Wackenhut eventually became GEO Group Inc., which ran the prison until 2009, when Community Education Centers Inc. of West Caldwell, N.J., assumed operations. In 2017, GEO Group completed an acquisition of CEC and with it, once again assumed operations of the George W. Hill Correctional Facility. Critics have persistently pushed County Council to sever the deals with private operators and bring the operation back under direct county control. They have cited prisoner care, a string of inmate suicides and other issues in what remains the only privately operated prison in the state. For years, the Republican-controlled County Council resisted calls to end the relationship, citing dollars and cents issues the private operators could do the job cheaper than the county could. In fact, in December 2018, the then-county Board of Prison Inspectors unanimously approved a five-year, $264 million contract with a GEO Group Inc. subsidiary to run the 1,883-inmate facility. The contract was approved for a five-year initial term with the two 2-year options that could extend it to a nine-year contract at a cost of $495.9 million. That was before Democrats seized control of County Council, first taking two seats up for grabs, then last November winning all three council races, giving the Democrats an ironclad 5-0 majority on council. One of their first orders of business was to set up a new oversight board to review operations at the prison. Then in February, council took the first formal steps toward returning all operations of the George W. Hill Correctional Facility back under the direct auspices of the county. The idea of a private, for-profit prison is a broken model, County Councilman and Prison Oversight Board Chair Kevin Madden said. Across the country, people are realizing that. Across Pennsylvania, people are realizing that. We continue to have the ignominious status as having the only private, for-profit prison in the state of Pennsylvania. A situation that popped up recently likely will only add fuel to the fire and calls for the county to expedite the process. As with the rest of the county, prison officials are grappling with the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 illness that accompanies it. Prisons are particularly problematic, often developing into hot spots because people both inmates and staff are working in very tight, closed-in conditions. Prison guards are often thought of along the lines of first responders, nurses and doctors, on the front lines in the battle against coronavirus. Which only makes you shake your head at a recent ruling by GEO Group. Multiple corrections officers at the prison told he Daily Times the company was refusing to give employees who tested positive for COVID-19 paid time off. Their reasoning? The guards indicated GEO officials told them they would not be offered paid time off unless they could prove they contracted the virus at work. Luckily, that stance wasnt in place for long. Monday, GEO issued an email clarifying their policy. Sick time will now be offered. As circumstances around the country have evolved, GEO has clarified its policy for all facility employees, according to the email. GEO policy is that all employees at the facility who test positive for COVID-19 will be paid, regardless of how the employee contracted the virus. If an absent employee is tested for COVID-19 and their test results are positive, GEO will convert their absence from sick leave or PTO to company-paid status. This policy applies to all employees who have tested positive for COVID-19, including new cases going forward. County Councilman Kevin Madden chairs the prison oversight board. He was heartened by GEO Groups shift. Im glad they saw the light, he said. We are, too. They made the right call. We just wish they never took their harsh stance in the first place. The coronavirus pandemic will hit the economy 'like a truck', Scott Morrison said today. The Prime Minster warned the crisis will bring the biggest economic shock since the Great Depression of the early 1930s. 'The GFC was an entree compared to what this is. This is on a whole other level,' he told Melbourne's 3AW radio. Australia's unemployment rate will keep deteriorating into 2021 as the coronavirus shutdown forces more retrenched workers to queue up outside Centrelink, experts say. Pictured are long lines at Darlinghurst in Sydney's east Treasury officials are expecting Australia's unemployment rate to hit 10 per cent by the end of June, a joblessness level unseen in Australia since April 1994. 'On the economy we have some really bad news coming our way... this thing is going to hit like a truck,' the Prime Minister said. Mr Morrison was asked if new taxes would have to be increased to pay for the government's extraordinary spending programs such as the JobKeeper scheme to pay six million workers' wages. But he said he planned to focus on policies that would facilitate growth such as lowering taxes and reducing red tape. 'We're going to have to look at growing the economy. Increasing taxes doesn't always grow the economy.' The worsening shutdown of the economy could see the jobless rate double to 10 per cent within six months and triple to 14 per cent within a year, leaving two million people out of work as Australia went into recession for the first time in three decades. Pictured are people outside Centrelink at Bondi Junction in Sydney 'We've got to get our economy up and humming. That's how you get people back into work. And when people are back in work, then they are paying taxes.' The Prime Minister said he was 'not contemplating' a budget repair levy. In 2014-15 such a levy took two per cent of income earned over $180,000. Earlier on Friday Mr Morrison said health care workers, retail employees and possibly teachers could soon qualify for coronavirus testing without significant symptoms. The Prime Minister said on Thursday that Australia's testing regime will be massively beefed up over the next four weeks to prepare for the end of lockdown. Part of that plan will involve testing people who work in certain 'at risk' occupations even if they have only 'basic symptoms', Mr Morrison said today. Health care workers, retail employees and possibly teachers could soon qualify for coronavirus testing even if they have no symptoms. Pictured: A testing centre in Bondi Asked who would be the target of the broader testing regime, the Prime Minister told Triple M Hobart: 'There are particular occupations which are more at risk. 'Health care workers, retail workers, those sorts of jobs where they are more at risk and have basic symptoms that wouldn't normally qualify.' The Prime Minister said teachers were not at risk because children are less affected by the virus. But he said: 'I think broader testing among teachers would be a good thing' to help put staff at ease. Mr Morrison said tests will be made available in more suburbs and localities so that any local outbreaks can easily be identified. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia's testing regime will be massively beefed up over the next four weeks to prepare for the end of lockdown. Pictured: A testing centre in Bondi He also said he wants a new tracing app that can show a patient's recent contacts to be optional - but did not rule out forcing people to download it if less than 40 per cent of the nation sign up. 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, Mr Morrison said on Thursday. But Australia's most populous 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 30 new cases of coronavirus in Australia on Thursday, taking the national total to 6,479. The crisis peaked at 460 daily cases on 28 March. 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 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. 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. A police officer refrains a woman from swimming on Bondi Beach in Sydney 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. It comes as schools in New South Wales plan to use a roster system to bring some children back to class. Schools in New South Wales will use a rota system to bring some children back to class, Premier Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) said today On Thursday Premier Gladys Berejiklian 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. 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 pandemic. Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi has been granted KSh 200, 000 cash bail by a Mombasa court. Saburi has been behind bars for 14 days after he was arraigned and charged with flouting government directive on quarantine for all passengers arriving in the country from states that had reported COVID-19 cases. Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Sabui during court proceedings. He has been released on KSh 200k cash bail. Photo: Daily Nation. Source: UGC On Wednesday, April 15, Saburi through his lawyer Ben Githi told the court he never tested positive for COVID-19 and the reports indicating so were crafted to tarnish his name. Results from Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) indicated the DG had tested positive for coronavirus. The politician, however, argued he never took his samples to KEMRI for testing hence the results were manufactured by the institute to fix him. "We can confirm that my client did not submit any samples to KEMRI, which diagnosed him with COVID-19. Tests conducted on my client at the Coast Provincial General Hospital (CPGH) two days later showed that he was COVID-19 negative, he argued. He questioned how possible it was for his client to test positive for COVID-19 at KEMRI and return negative results at Coastal General Hospital within a span of two days. "His samples were tested by KEMRI in the first case and indicated he was COVID-19 positive, then two days later, another test by Coast General Hospital confirmed him coronavirus negative," argued Saburi's lawyer. The prosecution, however, maintained the DG tested positive for the deadly virus and exposed a host of Kilifi residents whom he interacted with after his arrival from Germany. The state counsel asked the court to continue detaining Saburi to allow for completion of investigation. The prosecution also submitted that the people of Kilifi county were bitter and would most likely attack the DG if he was to be released from remand. Mombasa Principal Magistrate Elvis Michieka, however, found no compelling reason to continue locking up the politician and granted him the bail. Saburi was ordered to surrender all his travel documents. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and tuko news Ruth Matete is not telling the truth about her husband's death - Pastor John's manager | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) may add further caps to the price of Covid-19 treatment at private hospitals after receiving complaints of inflated bills from patients and doctors. While experts have welcomed the move, some private hospitals have raised concerns because they are running at financial loss. Additional municipal commissioner (health) Suresh Kakani said he has received complaints of overcharging and will soon meet with representatives of private hospitals to discuss the issue. Along with private hospitals, I have also received complaints about private laboratories who are charging extra for personal protective equipment (PPE) kits. We are looking into the matter and trying to bring a standardised price rate, he said. A doctor, who works in a BMC-run isolation ward, has filed a complaint with the civic body and state health department on the issue of inflated charges at private hospitals. There is need to bring regulations on the daily usage of PPE, she said. In March, the BMC allowed 12 private hospitals to set up isolation wards to treat Covid-19 patients. These hospitals can charge either Rs 4,000 per day or restrict bed charges to 50% of the total bill. However, the guideline did not mention costs of testing, safety kits and diagnosis. Patients have since complained that private hospitals are overcharging. A 56-year-old resident of Dadar and her husband tested positive for Covid-19 and were admitted to a private Hospital in south Mumbai on April 3 and April 4 respectively. When they were discharged on April 12, their hospital bill was Rs 4 lakh. We didnt know it costs around Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000 per day. They [the hospital] included the price of safety kits in the bill, said the woman. Private hospitals point to the sharp rise in the price of PPE (each kit costs between Rs1,200 and Rs1,500). A doctor can wear the PPE for four hours at a time. This along with medicines and bed charges results in high costs. Private hospitals have to buy their own PPE and if the municipal corporation wants to put a blanket on the bill price, they should provide the safety kits to hospitals free of cost. Hospitals across the state are facing monetary loss. So they cant afford to shoulder the responsibility of PPE, said Dr Avinash Bhondwe, president, Indian Medical Association (IMA), Maharashtra. However, Kakani said, There is no need to use a single PPE kit for an individual patient. They can treat several patients wearing the same safety kits. So, it is unfair to charge each patient separately. Health experts have welcomed the move to standardise the price of Covid-19 treatment at private hospitals. This is a pandemic situation so there is need to bring a standardised price rate not only for PPE, but also for medicines, ventilators and other services. If we keep the service charges open-ended, private hospitals will exploit it to meet their own financial needs, said health expert Dr Anant Bhan. STAMFORD A longtime city resident, known as a friend to all who knew her, died last week from complications of COVID-19, her family indicated in her obituary. Annette Possidento died on April 11 at Stamford Hospital. She was 84. The family would like to thank the compassionate nurses and doctors at the Stamford Hospital for their tireless efforts during this time, the obituary for Possidento said. Possidento was born to Antonio and Rose Fratturo on May 25, 1935. Her obituary said she was a longtime resident of Stamford. She will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt and friend to all who knew her, Possidentos obituary said. She was a woman who put others before herself and, according to her obituary, had a generous, kind-hearted spirit. A smile was always brought to her face from time spent with her family, especially her grandchildren, the obituary said. She enjoyed talking with her sisters, playing a good game of cards with her friends and always loved a warm, cozy sweater. Possidento is survived by her children, her grandchildren, her great-granddaughter, her sister-in-law and several nieces and nephews. Online condolences can be left at Cognetta.com. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) The Department of Health said it did not order the stop of COVID-19 testing in a dense sub-village in Cebu City, where 135 residents are infected. Hindi po totoo na hindi na itetest ang mga tao dito po sa ating Sitio Zapatera dahil sinasabi na nga pong may community transmission, said Ma. Rosario Vergeire, Health spokesperson in the DOH daily online briefing on Friday. Dahil po sa expanded testing, magtetesting pa rin po sila dito." [Translation: It is not true that we will no longer test the residents of Sitio Zapatera because there is community transmission. Because we have expanded testing; they will still undergo the tests.] Sitio Zapatera has more cases than any other area in Visayas. Cebu City in total has 161 infected residents, while Western Visayas has 45, Central Visayas has 71 and Eastern Visayas has seven cases as of Thursday. Earlier, director Jaime Bernadas of the Department of Health in Central Visayas, said the agency sees no need to test more from the 9,000 residents in the area. He said there has been "sustained community transmission" in Sitio Zapatera since its first COVID-positive patient was detected on April 7. Mayor Edgar Labella ordered the lockdown of Barangay Luz, where the sub-village is located, as he isolated the patients in the Barangay Luz Elementary school. Most of the cases are asymptomatic. Cebu-based journalist Dale Israel contributed to this report 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. New Delhi: Maoist 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. 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 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 ecided 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. Concerns have been raised about a prominent member of Saudi Arabias royal family after claims she was being detained without charge in a notorious prison used to house al-Qaeda militants. In a series of tweets published on her verified Twitter account late on Thursday, Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz al-Saud said her health was failing inside a maximum security prison near Riyadh. I am currently being arbitrarily held at al-Hair prison without criminal, or otherwise any, charges against my person, her tweet said. My health is deteriorating to an extent that is [severe] and that could lead to my death. The tweets said she was abducted without an explanation with one her daughters and thrown into prison, and had been denied medical care, but did not specify dates. A family friend told The Independent that she was locked up with her daughter Suhood. I am beseeching my uncle, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, and my cousin, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to review my case, and to release me as I have done no wrong. My current health status is VERY critical. Princess Basmahs tweets, in which western politicians including the US president, Donald Trump, and the French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian were tagged, were deleted early on Friday afternoon. However, two sources close to the family of the princess confirmed the authenticity of the tweets and that she was in a high-security lock-up with common criminals and alleged terrorists. Someone in Saudi Arabia hacked the account and deleted the tweets, a friend and former business partner of the princess told The Independent. We are trying to get them back as we speak right now. Two sources close to the family confirmed that she is suffering various ailments that have worsened during her time in prison, where at least two cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported. She has some preconditions of a respiratory nature and thats why we are concerned, one source said. Saudi Arabia has been backsliding on human rights since the ascent of de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has been described as reckless and ruthless. On Tuesday, the human rights organisation Reprieve reported that the rate of executions inside the kingdom had nearly doubled to 800 in the five years since the prince and his elderly father took power in 2015, compared with 423 during the previous five-year period. Following the abduction, torture, murder, dismemberment and disappearance in 2018 of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist for The Washington Post, the kingdom has sought to revamp its image. On Thursday, the oil-rich kingdom pledged $500m (400m) to help global organisations fight the coronavirus pandemic. Someone in Saudi Arabia hacked the account and deleted the tweets. We are trying to get them back as we speak right now Friend and former business partner of the princess The princess is an outspoken descendant of the kingdoms founder, and the youngest daughter of former king Saud bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, who was overthrown in 1964. In a 2012 interview with The Independent, she spoke out against the religious police, restrictions imposed on Saudi women, and the treatment of the kingdoms religious minorities. It is such a non-tolerant atmosphere, even of other sects, she said. Any other sect that doesnt actually belong to our community is thought to be Im not going to be sharp but very specific not the true Islam. She has been missing since last year. Prince Mohammed has been rounding up, jailing, and shaking down for money members of the royal family he perceives as opposed to his quest for absolute power. They are fighting each other, said Yahya Assiri, a Saudi dissident living in exile in London. The royal family is fighting each other over very silly things, They feel jealous of each other over money, property and power. Prince Mohammed and Princess Basmah are first cousins; King Salman, Prince Mohammeds father, is her paternal uncle. Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, a billionaire Saudi investor, spent time in Hair in 2018, along with 11 other members of the royal family. Andrew Harnik, STF / Associated Press U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, had some choice words for President Donald Trump over a political advertisement that was tweeted out by a Twitter account managed by the Trump campaign. In the meme-like ad, two alleged MS-13 gang members are photographed next to verbiage saying they are supporting Trump's likely democratic opponent Joe Biden for not deporting them. New Delhi, April 17 : Rahul Gandhi has been accused of taking the Prime Minister head on over each issue that confronts the nation, but at his press conference on Thursday, which was streamed live on social media, he struck a different note, saying while he disagreed with the PM Minister on various issues, this is not the time to highlight differences but to make constructive suggestions to the government. The Congress leaders, who, in private, have been critical of the way the party responds to the government, now say that Rahul's changed tactic is winning him accolades. They say it was Rahul who had first red-flagged the government on Covid-19 threat. A bitter critic of Rahul Gandhi and former aide Pankaj Shankar said: "Hope Rahul continues with this 'constructive suggestion' mode. Good for India and equally god for Congress." Party leader Anil Shastri who once suggested Priyanka Gandhi should take over as party president, is all praise for the former party chief. "Rahul has rightly cautioned the government to go slow on spending as the country is likely to face a major financial crisis. He has also alerted the government about massive unemployment in the coming days. The Modi must preemptively address these issues." The party's social media cell is active and is very enthusiastic about the feedback it is getting. Party's social media head Rohan Gupta dared the Prime Minister to answer why he has failed to effectively handle the corona crisis and the ensuing lockdown. "Does he have any roadmap?" he asked. Rahul Gandhi had said on Thursday: "Suppose, you spend all your money right now, and then you have a financial crisis, later in a few months, then you have got a real problem. So, you have to think strategically and move strategically. Certainly you have to spend a significant portion of your money in protecting people." Latest updates on Howdy Modi Houston Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Crane Market is a mechanical device that plays an integral part in several constructions and transportation-related activities. The device is mainly used to lift and carry heavy objects, and aid workers in the respective sector. One of the oldest technological setup, cranes still find substantial acknowledgment in several sectors owing to which a moderate CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period (2017-2023) seems quite probable. Market research Future (MRFR) in their report reveals the possibility of a substantial leap for the crane market from its previous valuation of USD 32.10 billion in 2016. Several factors such as the rapid urbanization and industrial overhauling in emerging economies are expected to bolster the cranes market. It is further receiving an acknowledgement from the oil & gas sector. Advanced technologies have made them lighter and stronger, and its efficacy increased considerably, which has given it much scope for percolation across industries. At the same time, its association with IoT is making cranes operation much easier. Segmental Analysis: The global crane market, as observed by MRFR in their latest report on the same market, reveals a well-thought segmentation by type and application. This segmentation is expected to provide several insights to help the market analysts understand the coming years for the market and realize changes that can be made for a better prospect. Based on the crane type, the crane market can be segmented into mobile cranes, fixed cranes, and marine cranes. The mobile cranes segment finds several functional opportunities due to their ease of operation. The marine cranes have substantial utility in defense and other transportation-related scopes. Based on the application, the crane market can be segmented into construction & infrastructure, mining, oil & gas, and others. The construction & infrastructure segment is gaining substantial traction due to emerging economies providing much scope owing to rapid urbanization and industrial upgradation. Regional Analysis: Regionally, MRFRs observance of the global crane market includes namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), and Rest-of-the-World (RoW). This attempt is to find out growth pockets and capitalize on the opportunities so that the market can maximize profits. The APAC is expected to rise with thrust provided by countries such as India and China where the constructional activities are in full swing. Both countries have chalked out their construction activities and other infrastructural plans that would bolster the crane market in the coming years. Also, the oil & gas exploration and other activities in these two regions have accelerated which can substantially boost the regional market. Indias effort in the shipbuilding sector is expected to further the cause for the regional market. China, Japan, and South Korea, and others are equally trying to reshape their naval capacity. Such dynamics are expected to make the regional market achieve the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. Europes market is expected to follow the lead of the PAAC with substantial construction and maritime activities to provide traction to their market. North America is also expected to showcase significant growth during the forecast period as its densely-packed industrial sector is constantly driving the crane market ahead. Competitive Landscape: The global crane market, as reported in the MRFR report, depends mostly on companies such as Konecranes PLC (Finland), Cargotec Oyj (Finland), The Manitowoc Company, Inc. (U.S.), Liebherr Group (Switzerland), Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co., Ltd. (China), Terex Corporation (U.S.), Tadano Ltd. (Japan), Sumitomo Heavy Industries Construction Crane Co., Ltd (Japan), Manitex International Inc. (U.S.), and Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (China) for better strategic outcomes. These companies are targeting individual growth, but the process would also give the market scope for expansion. In May 2019, Columbus McKinnon planned to launch their latest series of crane technologies which would showcase variable frequency drives, advanced wire rope hoists, radio remote controls, mill duty brakes, and cable reels. Also, the company is also excited with their latest Magnetek brands OmniPulse DDC Series 2 drive and IMPULSE VG+ Series 4 drive. These two are further noted for their anti-shock, load summing, weight measurement II, hoist synchronization, and advanced system diagnostics. Jaipur: In yet another incident of attack on policemen, at three police personnel on patrol duty where roughed up in the Tonk district in Rajasthan on Friday (April 17). According to Vipin Sharma, Additional SP, the police party was attacked in the Kasai Mohalla in the district. The police has detained some people for interrogation in connection with the case and an investigation has been launched into the matter. Meanwhile, Rajasthan reported at least 55 cases of coronavirus on April 16 taking the tally of cases to 1,131. "Total of 55 people including 23 from Bharatpur, 11 from Tonk and 11 from Jodhpur and three from Jaipur have tested positive for COVID-19 in the state on Thursday," said, Rajasthan Health Department. Bharatpur district saw a sudden spurt in COVID-19 cases, with 23 persons testing positive there, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Rohit Kumar Singh. Apart from Bharatpur, 11 cases each were reported from Jodhpur and Tonk, two each from Jhunjhunu and Kota and one each from Ajmer, Nagaur and Bikaner districts, he said. In Jaipur, three persons, one each from Ghatgate, Topkhana and Shastri Nagar area, tested positive. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) A Filipino nurse based in London died in his flat alone while undergoing quarantine due to his COVID-19 infection. Police discovered his body after his niece pleaded the cops to check on his uncle who was living alone. Donald Suelto, 51, had been working for the National Health Service in London for the past 18 years, his niece Emylene Suelto-Robertson narrated in an interview with CNN Philippines Pia Hontiveros. Robertson said her uncle contracted the fatal virus after being exposed to one of his patients who tested positive for the disease. He didnt have personal protective equipment and the patient was coughing in front of him, she said. When Suelto registered a high body temperature, he reported it to his manager and subsequently got a swab test. The doctors ordered him to go on a week-long isolation on March 28. Suelto did not experience any COVID-19 symptoms early on his self-home quarantine. But on the fifth day, he told Robertson that he had a sore throat. He complained of fever the next day. I advised him to go to the hospital and he contacted his manager, recalled Robertson, who lives in Scotland which is an hour away from London by plane. Suelto did call his manager on April 5, but he was advised by his boss to instead call the London hotline NHS 111, which allows patients to get urgent healthcare online. Robertson added his uncle's calls went unanswered probably due to the high volume of COVID-19-related calls. I was trying to contact him Friday, Saturday, and Sunday," she told CNN Philippines. "I was trying to contact but he did not answer so I was like expecting he was already in the hospital." On April 7, a friend of Suelto contacted the police to check on his flat. But the police insisted there was no one in the house and that they are not allowed to barge in. Robertson then called the police, introduced herself as family and pleaded them to break into his uncles flat. As the authorities barged inside the house, they found the lifeless body of Suerto. The London police called their Scottish counterparts to break the shocking news to Robertson. The procedure was really very tough for us because there was no direct contact after we were informed that he was found dead in his house," Robertson lamented. "It was like we were chasing so many numbers from different corner court in London because no one advised what the procedure was after they found my uncle dead." Robertson said she would remember her uncle's dedication to his profession and devotion to their family. The niece added Suerto did not marry because he supported his four nieces and nephew in the Philippines. He also left behind his 77-year-old mother back home. He was really a dedicated worker," Robertson said. "He is devoted to his family and he loved his job." Jay Inslee, governor of Washington State, has accused President Donald Trump of "encouraging illegal and dangerous acts." In a statement released on Friday afternoon, the governor said the president's "unhinged rantings" could lead to violence and were "fomenting domestic rebellion". He also warned that the president was putting millions at risk of contracting the coronavirus. The governor was responding to the Mr Trump's comments earlier on Friday about "liberating" parts of the country from lockdowns put in place to stem the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr Inslee says that while on Thursday the president stood alongside White House officials and public health experts, saying that science would guide his plan for easing restrictions, with sensible guidelines to resuming economic activity, "Less than 24 hours later, the president is off the rails." "Hes not quoting scientists and doctors but spewing dangerous, anti-democratic rhetoric." The governor voiced his appreciation for the continued communication with the vice president, Dr Birx, Admiral Polowczyk, Admiral Giroir and others in the federal government, but pointed out that their work is being undermined by the president's irresponsible statements. Indeed, Mr Inslee says that the president is undermining his own goal of recovery by delaying the ability of states to amend current interventions in a safe, evidence-based way. "I hope someday we can look at todays meltdown as something to be pitied, rather than condemned. But we dont have that luxury today. There is too much at stake," he continued. Instead, the governor argues, he will likely cause a spike in Covid-19 infections in places where social distancing is currently working. An increase in infections in any location will postpone the 14 days of decline that Mr Trump's own guidance says is necessary before modifying any lockdown orders to reopen businesses. The governor concluded: "I hope political leaders of all sorts will speak out firmly against the presidents calls for rebellion. Americans need to work together to protect each other. Its the only way to slow the spread of this deadly virus and get us on the road to recovery." On Friday afternoon there were just under 700,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the US and the death toll was approaching 37,000 people. Sweden's parliament passed a new law on Thursday that gives the government temporary extra powers to bypass parliament to adopt emergency measures to curb Covid-19. It is important that the government has access to more tools in the fight against the coronavirus if they should prove necessary, said Social Democrat MP Kristina Nilsson in parliament during the debate. The new law gives the government the right to temporarily close businesses, shut down ports and airports, and limit public events. The new law comes in to force on 18 April and will be effective until the end of June. Sweden's approach to handling Covid-19 was highly criticised by scientists within the country and around the world as the government did not impose lockdowns on the general public, only advising social distancing measures. According to Johns Hopkins University Covid-19 watch, Sweden has 12,540 cases and 1,333 deaths, more than 5,000 cases more than its neighbour Denmark that imposed lockdown measures. France death toll In France, the Covid-19 death toll has risen by 753 people in the last 24 hours, according to officials. Greek islands sheltering migrants are health bombs Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), a faith-based charity, has called five Greek islands in the Aegean Sea that hold some 42,000 migrants health bombs that could explode. Father Maurice Joyeux, of JRS, says that the camps holding the migrants have become dangerous in the shadow of Covid-19. Cypriot government sends special kit to Turkish north EU-member Cypriot government said it has sent 2,000 chloroquine tablets and 4,000 items of protective equipment to the northern part of the country that is controlled by the Turks. The rare move was prompted by Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, who requested help from Cypriot President Nicos Anastasaides last week to stem the tide of Covid-19 in the north. Cyprus has reported a total of 715 cases and 12 deaths, while in Turkish-occupied Cyprus 105 people are stricken with coronavirus, and four deaths have been reported. Four female political novices ousted veteran politicians in Wednesday's general election. They are Ko Min-jung and Lee Su-jin from the ruling Minjoo Party and Kim Eun-hye and Bae Hyun-jin of the main opposition United Future Party. Ko, who was a spokeswoman for President Moon Jae-in, trounced former Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon in the Gwangjin district in eastern Seoul by winning 50.3 percent of votes. "I don't think this is a victory for Ko Min-jung," she said in her acceptance speech. "I believe voters want to support the Moon Jae-in government." Lee defeated four-time UFP lawmaker Na Kyung-won in the Dongjak district of southern Seoul with 52.1 percent of votes. The fact that both Lee and Na are former justices drew considerable media attention to the race. Lee said in a telephone interview with the Chosun Ilbo, "I learned by speaking to residents that they were already decided. The residents of Dongjak district are disillusioned by the old political class and passed their judgment." She pledged to "rely on my 20 years of experience as a judge to create new courts handling international trade disputes and juvenile crime." Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Insights Market Research Future predicted that the Global Dehydrated Fruits & Vegetables Market to reach USD 38.06 during the forecast period at a CAGR of 7.95%. Worldwide consumption of dehydrated fruits and vegetables continues to grow due to changing lifestyles and consumer buying habits. At the same time, greater efforts to develop longer life solutions without the use of harmful preservatives also ensure the popularity of dehydrated fruits and vegetables. Dehydration of fruits and vegetables improves their shelf life, which also positively affects retail profit margins as deterioration decreases. Dehydration generally retains most of the nutritional and other properties of fruits and vegetables, owing to which they are popular with health-conscious consumers. The development of the Dehydrated Fruits and Vegetables Market Analysis is related to several factors. Around the globe, the consumption of functional drinks such as nutraceuticals has increased rapidly in recent years. Growing health problems and consumer lifestyle changes are the most important factors related to the development of functional beverages in advanced and emerging economies. In addition, the rising demand for fruit powder should have a positive impact on the overall development of the dehydrated fruit and vegetable market. At present, superfruit juices are becoming increasingly popular among consumers. Demand and consumption of superfruits have increased due to diseases such as diabetes, obesity, allergies, and other chronic diseases that have increased knowingly in recent years and therefore have played a vital role in raising consumer health awareness. In addition, the growing use of superfruit powders as an ingredient in beverages, food, and pharmaceuticals drives market growth. Key players Most companies operating in this market are focused on increasing their activities in all geographic areas, research, and development capabilities, and spending heavily to deliver products with enhanced functionality. Some of the key players influencing the growth of DMH Ingredients, FutureCeuticals, Inc., Kanegrade Limited, Saipro Biotech Private Limited, Activz LLC, Baobab Foods, NutraDry, Paradise Fruits Solutions Gmbh & Co., LLC, Milne MicroDehydrated, Herbafood Ingredients GmbH. Major players in the dehydrated fruit and vegetable market have implemented strategies such as partnership, geographic expansion, new product development, acquisitions and product promotion to strengthen their business portfolio. Recent Updates The Kansas Department of Agriculture has been honoured with a prize of $373,525.24 via the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Funds for the program are presented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service to increase growth prospects for specialty crops. According to the USDA, specialty crops are defined as fruits, tree nuts, vegetables, nursery crops, dried fruits, horticulture, and including floriculture. KDA has appointed other inheritors to use the funds further. Get More Professional and Technical Industry Insights @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/dehydrated-fruits-vegetables-market-5516 Market Segmentation Global Dehydrated Fruits and Vegetables Market are bifurcated based on type and shape. The type segment consists of fruits and vegetables. Based on the species, the fruit segment is anticipated to take the lead in the forecast period from 2018 to 2023. The fruits are then segregated into apples, apricots, pineapples, bananas, cherries, among others. The fruits are expected to produce apricots with an increase in growth rate of 8.06%. In addition, the vegetables segment is also segmented into such as tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, garlic, and many others. Moreover, the global Dehydrated Fruits & Vegetables is also classified based on its form into powders, pellets, and others. Regional Outlook Geographically, North America might sustain its control over the forecast period. The North American region is anticipated to reach a valuation of $12.32 Billion over 2023 and grow with a CAGR of 7.69% over the forecast period, 2018-2023. The development of the North America region is likely driven by several factors, including the growth of technological advancement in the North American dehydrated fruit and vegetable market. In addition, the existence of major manufacturers in North America should be one of the most important factors for market growth. However, it is also estimated that the Asia Pacific region will grow at a rapid pace over the forecast period. NOTE: Our Team of Researchers is Studying Covid19 and its Impact on Various Industry Verticals and wherever required we will be considering Covid19 Footprints for Better Analysis of Market and Industries. Cordially get in Touch for More Details. 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. More than a million coronavirus test kits destined for the US are sitting in a warehouse in China due to new restrictions imposed by the Chinese government on exports. The test kits are stranded along with masses of face masks and other medical equipment made by US firms after they were unable to get the necessary clearances demanded by the new rules, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited businesses and US diplomatic memos. The move follows a decision by Donald Trump to force US companies to redirect surgical masks manufactured abroad back to America for use in the battle against the coronavirus. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau was among a number of foreign leaders who warned the move could prompt retaliatory measures against the US which would hamper its ability to effectively fight the outbreak. China is a global hub for the manufacture of medical equipment around the world. A slowdown in supply there could have grave implications for the international community's ability to fight the pandemic. Chinese officials have said the new export policies were aimed at ensuring essential medical supplies that the country needs were not exported from China, and that the goods leaving the country were of sufficient quality, according to the report. Extra checks and certification are now required before medical supplies can leave the country. Recommended Trump orders American firm to bring protective masks back to US Some 1.4 million test kits for Covid-19 made by PerkinElmer, a healthcare equipment manufacturer based in Massachusetts, are currently being held in its Suzhou factory because the company does not yet have the approval required by the new rules, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a State Department memo. The same memo said that one local mayor in China had told 3M, a Minnesota-based firm that produces protective and healthcare equipment, that it relied on 3Ms N95 respirators for its own coronavirus prevention efforts and did not have an alternative supply. While some of the supplies were eventually released, the new rules are causing a bottleneck that is delaying essential medical equipment at a time the US is facing severe shortages, according to the State Department. Among the products delayed was a shipment of circuit boards used in ventilators manufactured by General Electric, according to the Wall Street Journal. The new restrictions come at a critical stage in Americas battle against the coronavirus. The country has seen more than 670,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 33,000 deaths the highest in the world. Medical professionals working on the frontline of the crisis have reported severe shortages of protective equipment. Many are forced to reuse protective masks due to short supply. Earlier this month, Mr Trump invoked the Defence Production Act, a Korean War-era law, to compel 3M to sell equipment destined for Canada to the US government. Mr Trudeau, Canadas prime minister, issued a veiled warning in which he warned that medical equipment goes both ways across the border, and noted that thousands of nurses travel from Canada to work in Detroit every day. These are things that Americans rely on and it would be a mistake to create blockages or reduce the amount of back and forth trade of essential goods and services, including medical goods, across our border, he said. Photo: CTV/Chopper 9 A coalition of rights groups in British Columbia is calling for the immediate release of as many inmates as possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19 after the death of an inmate this week at the Mission Institution. An outbreak at the medium-security facility is the largest among federal prisoners in Canada, with 55 inmates testing positive so far. The B.C. Civil Liberties Association and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs are also calling for an immediate coroner's inquest into what the groups say was the inmate's preventable death. The Correctional Service of Canada said in a statement Thursday that it was the first death of a federal inmate from apparent complications related to the novel coronavirus. Joint Effort, a prison abolitionist group that works with incarcerated women at federal and provincial prisons in Abbotsford and Maple Ridge, B.C., says flattening the curve of the disease must include correctional facilities. In a statement, the groups say inmates need full access to health care, harm reduction supplies and hygiene necessities, and governments must ensure every prisoner who is released can access income assistance and other supports. "The passivity of the government of Canada as COVID-19 spreads through federal prison populations has been an alarming display of inhumanity, and one with lethal consequences," said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, noting that a third of inmates in federal custody are Indigenous. In Quebec, 87 federal inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 in outbreaks in three prisons, while nine inmates have been diagnosed at the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Ontario. Of 20 Ukrainians handed back to Ukraine, only two are military servicemen. Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories Oleksiy Reznikov has commented on the latest stage of the exchange of held persons held with the Russian-controlled forces in Donbas on Thursday. In a comment to Obozrevatel, the minister explained why of 20 Ukrainians handed back to Ukraine, only two are military servicemen captured by the enemy in the warzone. Reznikov has admitted that terrorists are extremely reluctant to release Ukrainian troops. "This is already a delicate matter of negotiations in the humanitarian team of the Trilateral Contact Group. But there are certain stages, 10, 20, and 30... We will bring them all back home," the minister stressed. Read alsoEU on exchange of Donbas detainees: Welcome next step towards Paris agreement implementation Also, Reznikov elaborated on the importance of non-disclosure of preparations to swaps. "Any negotiations are like biddings. They are bargaining, looking at who is a valuable asset, reading media reports, posts on the internet. When stakes rise, this complicates the negotiation process," he explained. "All negotiations should be held behind closed doors, there must be trust within the negotiation team. If this becomes the subject of disclosure the release of swap lists, discussions of what's better or worse it only complicates the work of the negotiation team," said the vice prime minister. The web browser is by far the most important piece of software on your PC. Unless youre at a workstation crunching numbers or editing Hollywood blockbusters, you probably spend the majority of your computer time staring at a webpage. Thats why its important to have the best tool for the job. So much has changed since our last browser showdown in early 2019. Not only is Internet Explorer out, but classic Edge is about to be replaced by Chromium-based Edge. The latter is not officially a part of Windows yet, but you can already download it manually to replace the original (and basically terrible) Edge. For this latest PCWorld browser showdown, weve dumped classic Edge and replaced it with the stable version of Chromium Edge. There are tons of browser options out there but real choice is limited. With Edge now using Chromium, three of our four browsers in this showdown are based on Googles open-source project. Even the two most talked about alternative browsers, Brave and Vivaldi, are based on Chromium. We wont get into the argument here, but suffice to say, from our point of view this is bad. The web thrives when multiple engines adhere to independent web standards, not when developers target a single browser engine. Were not quite returning to something like the age of Internet Explorer 6. Apples Safari browser (based on Webkit) is really the only choice on iOS, for example. Still, its concerning. Lets take a look at the four major optionsChrome, Edge, Firefox, and Operato see how they stack up in 2020. Last time around, Opera topped our charts as the best browser to get. This year, Edge (yes, Edge) is our top pick, but dont get too excited. Youre not losing much, if anything, if you stick with Chrome instead. Read on to find out why. (If none of these internet browsers strike your fancy, head over to PCWorlds roundup of 10 intriguing alternative browsers.) Browsers in brief Chrome Google A perennial favorite, Google Chrome tops the metrics charts of both StatCounter and NetMarketShare by a huge margin. Googles browser has built a dedicated fan base thanks to its massive extensions library, and the fact that it just gets out of your way to put the focus on web content, not the browsers trimmings. Chrome isnt quite as simplistic as it once was, but its still very easy to use. There isnt much to Chrome except a huge URL barknown as the OmniBarplus a space for extensions, a bookmarking icon, tabs, and thats it. Yet Google still finds a way to hide all kinds of features inside the browser, including deep integration with Googles services. It can sync bookmarks, passwords, open tabs, and more across devices. Chrome also has multi-account support for family PCs, a built-in PDF viewer, built-in Google Translate functionality, a task manager, and the always handy Paste and go context menu item. If theres one complaint people have about Chrome its that the browser eats up available memory. Our browser testing in 2015 showed that Chrome was definitely a memory beast, but these days the beast is much more domesticated. Firefox Mozilla Anyone who loves extensibility but wants greater privacy should look at the open-source Mozilla Firefox. Its also the only non-Chromium option in this round-up. Firefox paved the way for other browsers to become extensible, and its extensions architecture offers plenty of choice for users. Firefox also has a sync feature to see open and recent tabs, browsing history, and bookmarks across multiple devices. Firefox 74 is an excellent browser, and continues the Quantum era that started with version 57. Quantum brought a new and updated design with refreshed icons, and a new library section that houses your history, pocket reading list, downloads, and synced tabs. Firefox also has a task manager, screenshot tool, and the ability to use Windows 10s native sharing tool. Where Firefox has really stood out in recent years is with the browsers incognito mode. All browsers have a private mode that lets you browse without any of your activity being logged in your saved history. But most of the time these private modes still allow websites to track your activity for that specific session. Firefox does away with this by including ad and tracker blockers when using incognito mode. It also supports an optional Facebook Container extension that prevents the social network from tracking you across the web. Opera Opera Before Chrome, Opera was a popular choice among power users. Opera is really one of the more under-rated browsers around. It comes with a built-in VPNthough we dont recommend using it. It also has built-in ad and tracker blocking, a snapshot tool, a unit converter for time zones and currency, and the mobile versions of Opera come with a built-in cryptocurrency wallet. Opera also has its own take on the social sidebar with one-click access to services such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram. Like Chrome and Firefox, Opera also has cross-device syncing features. Microsoft Edge Microsoft Microsoft Edge is dead, long live Microsoft Edge. Edge is now a Chromium-based browser. The new version isnt bundled with Windows 10 at this writing, but installing it from Microsofts site will automatically replace legacy Edge with the new Chromium browser on the desktop. Performance with Chromium Edge is on par with Chrome and Opera, and it also has similar functionality. That means extensions from the Chrome Web Store are available, but not by default. As with classic Edge, extensions come from the Microsoft Store, but it can be set to install Chrome extensions by typing edge://extensions into the URL bar and pressing Enter. Next, click the Allow extensions from other stores button, select Allow in the pop-up window that appears, and then visit the Chrome Web Store and use it just like on Chrome. We expect Microsoft to continue to push the Microsoft Store with extensions for Edge. These efforts are most likely in vain, however, as the Chrome Web Store is available to Edge users if they want it, and developers have little incentive to add their work to Microsofts store. As with other Chromium browsers, Edge can sync open tabs, bookmarks, saved passwords, and browsing history across multiple devices. Currently, Chromium Edge lacks many of the Windows 10 features the old version had, such as integration with OneNote and Cortana. Microsoft does plan on bringing out a new feature soon called Collections that can collect, organize, share, and export web content to Word or Excel. Right now, Edge is fairly plain, but thats normal for a new browser. As Chromium Edge matures we expect to see Microsoft extend the browsers capabilities. Benchmarks With the overview of our four contestants out of the way, lets get down to business. To find out which browser is worthy of your bandwidth in 2020 we used a variety of testing tools. We largely stuck to our typical testing regimen, but that is set to change in upcoming browser showdowns. A number of the tests we use have been unsupported for years, and itll soon be time to shake up our testing approach. For this round we added WebKits JetStream 2.0, which was released in March 2019. JetStream 2 contains a lot of the tests from JetStream 1.1. It also borrows from newer benchmarks such as WebKits Ares-6 and Web Tooling by the V8 team (V8 is the JavaScript and WebAssembly engine for Chromium). WebKit said it also drew inspiration from Mozillas Kraken. Anyone who wants to get into the details of JetStream 2 should check out Webkits blog post. In addition to JetStream 2, we used JetStream 1.1 to maintain comparisons to previous runs of the showdown one last time. We also kept the now-unsupported Octane 2.0 and SunSpider 1.0.2 benchmarking tools. Then we turned to WebXPRT 3 and Speedometer to test the browsers under simulated web app workloads. Finally, we took a look at CPU and RAM usage by loading a set of 20 websites in a single window in quick succession. Once all tabs began loading, we waited 45 seconds, and then checked the CPU and RAM usage. The idea was to see the amount of system resources the browser used during a heavy workload. For the tests we left each browser in its default state. There are no extensions running, no account sign-ups, nor was there any deliberate tinkering with settings. Its just raw browser action. Our test rig was an Acer Aspire E 15-575-33BM laptop loaded with Windows 10 Home, version 1909. The laptop also has a 1TB hard drive, 4GB RAM, and an Intel Core i3-7100U. Each browser was tested over an ethernet connection. The performance picture Firefox came out of this showdown a browser of extremes. As well see, it either wins a particular performance test or comes in dead last. This is most likely a result of our current browser monoculture. When a Chromium browser wins a particular category, its two cousins arent far behind. Nearly every Chromium-based victory was one of degrees between the three amigos, which inevitably pushes Firefox towards the back. For all of the benchmarks, we ran the test three times in succession, except for WebXPRT 3 and our homegrown 20-tabs torture test. Each time we ran the test we relaunched the browser window. We then took the average score from the three runs. Lets start with JetStream 2, the newest addition to our testing regimen. Our top winner for this round was Edge, but as we said its hardly a resounding victory with Chrome and Opera not that far behind. Firefox performed abysmally in this test compared to its counterparts. Katherine Stevenson / IDG Looking at both JetStream 1.1 and SunSpider, Firefox won top marks. It won the SunSpider test handily (lower is better) with Edge coming in second. Interestingly, Edge was quite a few seconds faster than the other two Chromium browsers. Firefox was marginally better than in our 2019 outing, shaving 8 milliseconds off its scorethough that is within the margin of error. Chrome and Opera werent even close to Firefox, but they did cut down their scores by more than 100ms. So good job to the V8 team. Katherine Stevenson / IDG Firefoxs JetStream 1.1 score (higher is better) wasnt any better this time around than its previous runs, but the other browsers either didnt improve enough (Chrome and Opera) or changed browser engines (Edge). That puts Firefox at the top spot for not sucking as much as Chromium. Katherine Stevenson / IDG For Octane 2.0, which is also no longer supported, Edge grabbed another victory. Notice, however, that its only marginally better than Chrome. Opera, meanwhile, was out to lunch compared to its brethren, and Firefox was pushed towards the back. Mozillas score is about the same as its always been, but the Chromium browsers improved significantly compared to the 2019 outing. Katherine Stevenson / IDG Moving on to the more modern Speedometer test, which quickly iterates through a set of HTML 5-based to-do lists. Chrome came out on top, with Edge a close second and Opera nearly three points behind the leader. Firefox, meanwhile, was way behind team Chromium. Its worth noting, however, that Speedometer scores for Chromium browsers were much higher just two years ago with 90+ scores being common. Katherine Stevenson / IDG The numbers were much closer for WebXPRT 3, which looks very similar to WebXPRT 2015. The scores, however, are dramatically different. WebXPRT 2015 scores were commonly three hundred or more. With WebXPRT 3 the scores didnt crack 150. That means comparing these scores to previous runs wont give us any insights. WebXPRT uses a wide number of web apps, from photo collections to online note-taking to data sets to score performance. This test is kind of like a PCMark for browsers, and to our mind, one of the most significant tests. Firefox came out on top here by a solid margin, with Edge coming in second followed closely by Chrome and Operathe latter two tied for third. Again were seeing the Chromium effect on these scores. Katherine Stevenson / IDG Finally, we come to the memory and CPU tests. Slamming an average PC with 20 tabs of mostly media-rich sites all at once is going to chew up a good chunk of CPU and memory. Most of these browsers did not disappoint in that respect. Edge was the best performer in CPU usage by a good margin. Opera came in second, followed hot on its heels by Chrome. Mozillas performance was a little better than last time, but still nowhere near what it needs to be. This test is where each browser distinguished itself with finally at least three different outcomes. Katherine Stevenson / IDG Edge took the crown for memory as well, but Chrome wasnt that far behind. Interestingly Opera was only marginally better than Firefox. Again, mostly different outcomes for each browser. The Chromium underpinnings matter less here. Katherine Stevenson / IDG And the winner is So who wins? Heres how we see it. Chromium Edge wins our top spot for a good showing in the stress test, as well as Octane 2.0 and JetStream 2. Chrome is a close second since its showing was consistently good and not far off of Edge. Really, this couldve been called a tie as well, but the margins in some of the tests, while not wide, were enough to hand the crown to Edge. Were giving Firefox third place for strong showings in the old JetStream 1.1 test, as well as Sunspider and WebXPRT. We also feel compelled to be perhaps a little unfair and send some ire Mozillas way. As the only non-Chromium mainstream browser it simply has to do betterespecially in CPU and memory management. The new Quantum versions of Firefox are dramatically better than their predecessors, and as we said last time, if the stress test had gone better it might have taken the top spot or at least second place. PC users need a strong alternative choice to this Chromium soup were swimming in, and for that reason Firefox must up its game. To borrow a quote from Princess Leia, Save us Mozilla, youre our only hope. Opera comes in last for scoring either third or fourth place in every test we ran, save one. Granted, those losses were almost all a matter of degree, but it shows a consistent pattern. To sum up: Edge is the best browser available right now, though Chromes performance is very close to it. Firefox is still a solid option if you want something that isnt built with Chrome DNA. Finally, if you love Chrome but want something with a little more novelty then Opera is for you. GLEN CARBON For the past three years, art students at Father McGivney Catholic High School have been bolstering a message on what it means to be a Griffin. This year was no exception. Under the leadership of art teacher, Mary Campbell, students have been working with a non-profit called the Memory Project and this year they helped with a special project to help spread hope and love. The Memory Project, founded by Ben Schumaker in 2004, is a way to give back to children in underprivileged areas around the world where art students and teachers create portraits of those children. This is one of the only ways these children are able to have a physical memory of their childhood. The first time I had my student draw portraits for the children of the Memory Project, we chose to work with children from Syria, Campbell said. That experience was so positive, I knew we would be participating again. This year, Campbell and her students chose to give back to children who are refugees from Myanmar and are currently living in Malaysia. Even though not all the students involved back home have a personal connection, they are helping bolster what it means to be a Griffin. I preferred we work with Filipino kids for last years project because my grandpa had been stationed in the Philippines and thats when my grandparents decided to adopt my mom to give her a better life when they returned back to the U.S., Sophia Strehl said, a senior at McGivney. Principal Joe Lombardi said the project ties back to the schools mission statement, Serve the Culture of Life. That [mission] means our McGivney family strives to see the importance of every living person, he said. This project, along with the dozens of other service projects our students undertake as individuals, as a school and within our community, helps our students actively live out our mission. Last year, Campbell approached Lombardi and asked to do a fundraiser in-house as a way to give back to children in need. She was able to raise $1,000 to donate to the project, with the help of students. I applaud our students who participated in this project, Lombardi said. They are using their talents to show another person, a stranger, that someone cares about them. It helps them understand the importance of valuing human dignity. As leaders across the country begin to think about how to re-open the economy, a new model projects that coronavirus cases in San Antonio would skyrocket if the city suddenly returned to normal. One team at the University of Texas at San Antonio, using Metro Health data, projected about 3,600 total cases of the virus in Bexar County through July, with a peak coming in early May. On ExpressNews.com: UTSA models: Without social distancing, coronavirus cases would skyrocket But those figures rely on the city keeping the current restrictions in place. With just a 50 percent increase in mobility - people leaving their homes, shopping, going to work and socializing - the model projects that number would leap to 300,000. Lifting restrictions entirely would bring 920,000 total cases. The model was created by a team that includes Juan Gutierrez, chairman of UTSA's math department. The Good Newsletter: A weekly dose of inspiring San Antonio stories, delivered to your inbox "With the evidence that we have, (the virus) cannot be stopped," Gutierrez told the Express-News. "We're going to change our social norms, the way we operate, the way we work, until there is a vaccine." The city posted the model online, along with local projections from a second UTSA team and the Oliver Wyman consulting firm. Officials also shared a model for the state of Texas created by a University of Washington institute. Here are the four models: The USS Theodore Roosevelt anchors off the coast in Gosport, England, on March 23, 2015. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) Carrier Sailor Who Died of COVID-19 Identified As 41-Year-Old Chief Petty Officer The sailor from the virus-hit carrier who died of COVID-19 had been identified by the Navy as a 41-year-old officer. Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr. was the first active-duty member of the armed services to die from the CCP virus, which he contracted aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Over 4,000 sailors have now been pulled off the Roosevelt as part of a systematic evacuation and disinfection. At least 655 crew members had tested positive for the CCP virus by April 16, with just over 5 percent still to be tested. Six sailors are currently hospitalized with one currently still in intensive care due to difficulty breathing. Official photo released of Aviation Ordnanceman Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr., 41, of Fort Smith, Ark. assigned to USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), who died from COVID-19 April 13 at U.S. Naval Hospital Guam. (U.S.a Navy Photo/Released) Thacker passed away on April 13, but his identity was withheld until April 16 by the Navy out of respect for next of kin. His spouse, also a member of the armed services, was by his side when he passed away. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time, said Capt. Carlos Sardiello, The Roosevelts commanding officer, in a statement. 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. The Navy is currently investigating how the outbreak began on the ship. Many have pointed to a now-controversial port call in Vietnam. However, Navy officials have told media outlets that they have not found conclusive evidence of a link between the outbreak and that port call. The outbreak began 15 days after the carrier left the port in Vietnam. The virus is thought to have a 14-day incubation period. Navy officials are now considering the possibility that the virus came aboard through the regular supply deliveries to plane, known as carrier onboard deliveries (CODs) from the Philippines or Japan. Officials said first cases were among members of the carriers air wing, according to the Wall Street Journal. The decision to allow sailors off the ship in Vietnam isnt the only controversy. Captain Brett Crozier was dismissed as commander by Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly over a leaked memo that highlighted the plight of the carrier. That memo, claimed Modly, had been sent with the knowledge that it would be leaked. After a barrage of criticism, Modly flew out to Guam to explain himself to the crew. But his speech, during which he lambasted the captain and crew, was recorded and leaked, sparking more anger. After initially refusing to apologize, Modly abruptly resigned. Despite currently being temporarily sidelined in Guam due to an outbreak onboard, the Roosevelt could still quickly be deployed if needed, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters. The only significant COVID-19 issues we are having on any of the ships, at least reported up to today, is the Theodore Roosevelt, he said during a briefing on April 14. The other ships that are at sea are COVID-free. A single sailor from the carrier USS Nimitzwhich is currently docked and preparing for deploymenthad tested positive, he said. But he was out of state, and he remains out of state to this day. A second sailor displayed the symptoms, and that sailor was placed into isolation and is not on the ship. The Nimitz is set to pick up the baton from the Harry S. Truman, which has remained at sea despite coming to the end of its deployment, to keep the crew safe and to keep a carrier group ready. The decision to keep the Truman strike group at sea in the Atlantic was made to ensure that the Navy has at least two carriers at sea and ready to go at a moments notice, said Milley. Each day, students and parents in New Jerseys Chester schools head to the district website and fill out a link to a Google form , which indicates that the student is present for the day. Administrators monitor the forms and check in with students who appear not to be engaged. Theyve been lenient so far with anyone who turns in their form after the 9 a.m. deadline. Attendance is one of the many facets of K-12 education that has changed dramatically as the novel coronavirus pandemic has forced the majority of U.S. schools to close buildings and deliver instruction remotely. Typically, taking attendance is simply a matter of asking, is the student in the building or not? With most school buildings closed , its now represented by a more amorphous set of factors: whether the student is engaged in learning, completing assignments on time, staying in touch with teachers. That atmosphere has created quite a bit of confusion for Chesters school leaders, who are considering eliminating the Google form requirement. The information schools collect can provide valuable context about how theyre serving students remotely. But its a time-consuming task for families, particularly those with multiple students under one roof. See Also: Coronavirus and Schools Brad Currie, the districts director of planning, research, and evaluation, worries that revising the policy would confuse parents even more. His team decided this week to stay the course for now. Whatever we can do to not stress people out, he said. Emphasizing Leniency, Flexibility The federal Every Student Succeeds Act requires states to report chronic absence data as a measure of school quality. During COVID-19, though, several states have given schools flexibility to decide whether and how to take attendance. State governments in Colorado and Oklahoma, among others, have suspended requirements that schools report attendance numbers to them, but encouraged attendance tracking for districts own purposes. Kentucky has pushed schools to focus on project completion dates rather than instructional time. Florida schools are tapping into the technical infrastructure of the state-funded Florida Virtual School to keep tabs on students progress. New Jersey hasnt issued any attendance guidance, Currie said. Many districts have simply stopped taking attendance altogether, or focused on preparing teaching materials and getting students access to technology before determining whether they were using it. Georgia, Ohio , and Washington, D.C., have declared that all students will be marked present for the rest of the school year. Researchers at the University of Washingtons Center for Reinventing Public Education have been tracking district approaches to a variety of topics, including attendance. Fourteen of the 82 districts in the current iteration of the centers survey have attendance tracking systems in place, as do half of the 18 charter management organizations in the centers analysis. Some districts are taking attendance but emphasizing leniency, especially when using completion of assignments as an attendance tracking approach. Angola High School in Indiana, for instance, is giving students two days after an e-learning assignment is posted to attempt to complete it. Students may not understand the material and may have questions, and we want to create a culture where students will attempt the work, said Travis Heavin, the schools principal. Schools that already use learning platforms that report student logins and participation to teachers are ahead of the curve. But its not a proxy for whether theyre learning or not, or whether theyre necessarily engaged, said Susan Patrick, president and CEO of the Aurora Institute, an advocacy and research organization for online learning. We dont want students to be logged in necessarily to a single platform for eight hours a day. Teachers at Woodside Elementary School in Sussex, Wis., are giving students daily assignments, such as a trivia question or a drawing activity, that they complete as an indication of their attendance for the day. If the school records that a student misses that assignment three days in a row, administrators try to reach the family. The least of our concerns is being very stringent that a kid has to be in front of their computer from this time to this time, said James Edmond, Jr., the schools principal. Students who have struggled with attendance prior to the pandemic are continuing to do so, Edmond said. Other students are missing assignments if they or their parents dont understand how to access virtual lessons. If they dont know what to do, and its too frustrating for them, they just say, You know what, forget it, Edmond said. Measuring Online Engagement Some educators and policymakers have been looking for lessons learned from state policies around virtual schools, which have been teaching students remotely far longer than most traditional public schools. A Wisconsin statute for online schools, for instance, requires that schools notify a parent or guardian when a student has failed to respond appropriately to a school assignment from a staff member within five school days. In Oklahoma, virtual schools are required by law to measure attendance by considering factors such as online logins to curricula or programs, offline activities, completed assignments and testing. But measuring engagement time online can be an imprecise science, said Gary Miron, a professor at Western Michigan Universitys College of Education and Human Development. A student might have schoolwork open in one window while spending more time on social media or a game in another window. Virtual schools that have quantified attendance as one interaction per week fall well short of ensuring students are engaged, he said. Virtual schools attendance monitoring methods have also been controversial. A 2016 Education Week investigation found that some virtual schools have a low bar for marking students present, which means attendance numbers dont reflect students academic progress. Miron thinks many traditional public schools, which have lower average class sizes than virtual schools, are well-positioned to keep students on track remotely, once they get procedures in order. I have confidence that with some training, for a class of 25 to 30 students, you can have face-to-face contact with them, he said. Why Attendance Matters There are myriad reasons why students may not be virtually attending classes during the COVID-19 crisis. Some lack access to Wi-Fi or digital devices . Others are more focused on basic necessities like getting food or taking care of siblings while parents are still at work. Many schools are struggling to reach students who have not been engaged in learning since the pandemic hit, Education Week reported this week . Among more than 1,000 teachers who answered a nationwide survey this month from the Education Week Research Center, an average of 21 percent of their students have been essentially truant or unreachable during COVID-19 closures. Some districts, like Los Angeles Unified, have connected with most middle and high school students but still struggle to reach elementary students. The average truancy rate was highest among students in middle school classes, according to EdWeek Research Center surveys of teachers. Schools, and students, need time and districtwide policies to figure out what the new routines are, and to make sure that theyre healthy and well, Patrick said. She compares the traditional model of taking attendance to the factory model of punching a time card, which doesnt take into account the quality of a students learning experience. Attendance monitoring might seem like too much of a logistical hassle for schools and parents when students are learning from home, but it may prove valuable once school buildings reopen, said Bree Dusseault, practitioner-in-residence for the Center for Reinventing Public Education. This attendance data is going to be very important for future teachers to know what students had access to, and its also going to be important for making sure that we dont lose whole cohorts of students, Dusseault said. All districts should be keeping records of students engagement with learning materials, though not with a goal of administering consequences or punishment, she said. Teachers who inherit students who were affected by the pandemic will benefit from records of which students were able to participate, and which ones struggled to engage. Schools that already had systems in place to keep in touch with families by phone or email will have an easier time tracking virtual attendance, Dusseault said. For those that did not have measures in place, she recommended that now is a perfect time to start developing that infrastructure. With everything from graduation requirements to testing protocols shifting rapidly to accommodate the urgency of the pandemic, schools are now focusing more on whether students are learning than whether theyre merely present, according to Patrick. Maybe this is an opportunity to really consider what we are taking attendance for, she said. The police of Zagora, Southeastern Morocco, seized on Thursday over 1.6 ton of cannabis and arrested three people involved in this drug smuggling operation. The main suspect was captured at the entrance of the city of Zagora on board a truck transporting 62 packs of cannabis weighing 1,69 ton, says a press release issued by the National police. His two accomplices were arrested in the rural commune of Tinfou, 40 km south of Zagora, where they were supposed to receive the drug haul. The searches carried out by the security agents in their homes led to the seizure of a 44 car and over $54.000 in cash, coming supposedly from narcotics trafficking. An investigation was opened to identity all those involved in this smuggling attempt and determine the possible links between this operation and international drug-trafficking networks. LANSING, MI -- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday extended a buyback program for bars and restaurants that allows them to sell unused spirits back to the state while the industry rides out the COVID-19 outbreak. The Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) will continue accept applications from bars and restaurants until Friday, April 24, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. The deadline was originally set for 5 p.m. Friday, April 17. Were extending the deadline so that more of our licensees, many of whom are small business owners, can take advantage of this unprecedented program, said MLCC Chair Pat Gagliardi in a press release. They are the backbone of Michigans hospitality and beverage alcohol industries and are vital to Michigans economic vitality. These zero-interest measures are being taken to help sustain the financial viability of these business owners who are being severely impacted by this health crisis. The MLCC said it has informed more than 6,000 on-premises liquor licensees of their eligibility for the program and how they can apply. Liquor licensees are able to sell unused spirits purchased prior to March 16 to the state while they remain closed under state order. When the businesses are able to reopen, they can purchase the spirits back from the state for no additional cost within 90 days of the order being lifted. The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association praised the extension, saying the move will help businesses as they look for revenue during the crisis. We thank MLCC Chairman Pat Gagliardi for his creative leadership during an immensely challenging time in the hospitality industry. He has offered an elegant solution, essentially providing a contact-free buy back opportunity for shuttered restaurants and bars who currently have no other way of generating revenue from their alcoholic spirits, said Justin Winslow, President and CEO of the MRLA, in a press release. As the collective shelter of American society persists, our neighborhood restaurants and bars need every bit of support they can get to make it out the other side. Any licensee that does not buy the spirits back from the state within 90 days of the end of the order can have that property seized by the MLCC. 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 5 things that need to happen for Michigan to reopen its economy after the coronavirus crisis Whitmer partners with governors in 2 other states, asks Trump for more money during coronavirus battle Unemployment claims top 1M in Michigan as coronavirus closures continue More than 2,000 people have died of coronavirus in Michigan T he UK coronavirus death toll has risen by 847 to a total of 14,576 as of 5pm on Thursday, the Department of Health and Social Care has said. This is up from a total of 13,729 the day before. The Department of Health also said, as of 9am on Friday, 341,551 people have been tested for Covid-19, of which 108,692 tested positive. Overall, 438,991 tests have concluded, with 21,328 tests carried out on Thursday, excluding data from Northern Ireland. These are the Government's official figures which differ from those released by individual health authorities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The current figures also only account for those who have died in hospital and not in care homes, hospices or at home so in reality the UK death toll will be much higher. Loading.... It comes as leading physician Professor Anthony Costello, of University College London's Institute for Global Health, told MPs that the UK could face 40,000 deaths in this first wave alone and could see the highest death toll in Europe. NHS England separately announced that 738 new deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 13,134. Of the 738 new deaths announced, 138 occurred on April 16, 320 occurred on April 15 and 109 occurred on April 14. Loading.... The figures also show 154 of the deaths took place between April 1 and April 13, and the remaining 16 deaths occurred in March, with the earliest new death taking place on March 21. NHS England releases updated figures each day showing the dates of every coronavirus-related death in hospitals in England, 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. 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 The figures published today by NHS England show that April 8 currently has the highest total for the most hospital deaths occurring on a single day 792 although this could change in future updates. Earlier on Thursday, Nicola Sturgeon said a total of 837 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, up by 58 from 779. Loading.... The First Minister said 7,409 people have now tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by 307 from 7,102 the day before. There are 189 people in intensive care with coronavirus or coronavirus symptoms, a decrease of seven on Thursday, she added. There are 1,799 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. Meanwhile, Public Health Wales announced 11 new deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed hospital deaths in Wales to 506. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast: The total of confirmed cases in Wales has reached 6,645, a rise of 244, while 23,332 tests have been carried out on 20,066 individuals. A further 18 people in Northern Ireland have also died in hospital settings with coronavirus in the past day, according to Fridays daily bulletin from the Public Health Agency. TEHRAN, Feb. 27, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Photo taken on Aug. 5, 2013 shows Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L) talking with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in the presidential office in Tehran, Iran. President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday officially r Image Source: IANS News UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (R, Front) addresses a UN Security Council ministerial debate on the cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations in maintai Image Source: IANS News Tehran, April 17 : Iranian Defence Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said on Friday that the US was the cause of insecurity in the Gulf. The "illegal and aggressive" presence of the US forces in the Gulf has been the source of problems for the regional people, Hatami said on the occasion of Iran's Army Day. "We are at our home, and they (Americans) have come from the other end of the world and cause problems by threats and sanctions," Xinhua news agency quoted Hatami as saying. In a tweet on Thursday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also slammed the US presence in the waters to the south of Iran, saying that the American forces have come to the Gulf "7,000 miles away from its borders". On Thursday, the US Navy said that 11 military vessels of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) conducted "dangerous and provocative actions" near American Navy and Coast Guard ships in international waters in the Gulf on Wednesday. GBP/AUD Exchange Rate Falls as Australian Employment Surprises The Pound to Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) exchange rate dipped by -0.2% today despite an uptick in Australias Unemployment Rate in March, albeit modestly from 5.1% to 5.2%. The pairing is currently trading around AU$1.980. Kaixin Owyong, an Economist at the National Australia Bank (NAB), was downbeat in his assessment, commenting: These figures are likely to deteriorate sharply in April where we expect a large rise in unemployment, which we forecast to reach 11.75% by mid-year. Widespread reports of workers being stood down and hours being cut as businesses grapple with a sharp pullback in demand for their goods and services should result in a collapse in hours worked and a sharp rise in underemployment. However, the Australian Dollar (AUD) benefited from a far stronger-than-expected rise in employment figures, with Employment Change report for March increasing to 5,900 despite the forecast -40,000. Nevertheless, the Aussies gains are likely to be short-lived as the coronavirus is expected to severely limit Australian jobs throughout April. Pound (GBP) Falls as UK Says Covid-19 Strengthens Reasons to leave EU The Pound (GBP) fell against many of its peers today after Downing Street claimed that the coronavirus crisis had increased the need for the UK to be free of the European Unions regulations after 2020. A spokesperson for Downing Street told journalists: We will not ask to extend the transition. 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 a point when we need legislative and economic flexibility to manage the UK response to the coronavirus pandemic. Sterlings weakness has now been exacerbated by fears that the UK could leave the European Union on 31st December without a deal. Combined with the coronavirus crisis, this has significantly weakened GBPs appeal today as Britains economic uncertainty continues to increase. The head of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, has called for the UK and the EU to extend their Brexit negotiations beyond the December deadline. Mrs. Georgievea said: I really hope that all policymakers everywhere would be thinking about [reducing uncertainty]. 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, the UK, the EU, and the whole world. Today also saw the GBP/AUD struggle on rising expectations that the UK Government could extend the nationwide lockdown for a further three weeks. As a result, the UKs darkening economic outlook continues to drag down the Pound. GBP/AUD Forecast: Could a UK Lockdown Extension Period Weaken Sterling? The Australian Dollar (AUD) will remain sensitive to market risk sentiment throughout the rest of this week. Any further indications that the global economy could slump into a recession, confirming the IMFs dire report this week, would weigh on the risk-sensitive Aussie. The GBP/AUD exchange rate will continue to be determined by the UKs coronavirus developments. Should the Government decide to extend or increase the lockdown measures to curb the spread of the virus, we could see Sterling sink deeper against the Australian Dollar. Hyderabad, April 17 : The Telangana government on Thursday decided to collect data of the people buying medicines for fever and sore throat from medical stores. At a review meeting on Covid-19 situation in the state, Municipal Administration Minister K.T. Rama Rao asked officials to gather information about those who recently purchased such medicines. He asked the Municipal Commissioners to take help of drug inspectors in their respective municipalities and conduct reviews with the members of pharmacy associations. The minister also asked them to issue orders for submitting details of the buyers. Stating that self-medication is dangerous, he said the medical agencies should keep the data and provide the information to the government about those buying medicines for sore throat and fever. The direction assumes significance in the wake of finding by the authorities that the majority of those tested positive for Covid-19 and undergoing treatment were asymptomatic. Health Minister Eatala Rajender had said on Wednesday that most of those under treatment at Gandhi Hospital here have no symptoms like fever, cough or sore throat. Telangana has so far reported 700 Covid-19 positive cases with 18 fatalities. Joseph Dindiok Kpemka 17.04.2020 LISTEN Deputy Attorney General and Member of Parliament for Tempane, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka is urging persons politicizing the government's efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic to put an end to it because it impedes progress. According to the Tempane MP, government is working with the advise from health and development experts to get a lasting solution for the pandemic and needs all Ghanaians to comply with directive to curb the spread. The spread of this virus is a national concern, if it continues to spread it is the whole country that will be affected; if we end the spread, the whole country will benefit and go about our businesses and activities without fear. It is a collective fight and we must all comply for our collective good. The Deputy Attorney General was speaking in his constituency; Tempane in the Upper East Region where he handed over some items to the Tempane District Health Directorate to help curb the spread of Covid-19 in the district. The donation was done by the MP and the DCE for the Tempane District Assembly, Paul Abugri and will be distributed to all health facilities and other public and vantage points in the district. The items included 85 Veronica buckets, 72 large boxes of hand sanitizers, 355 pieces of liquid soap and 102 tissue papers. According to Mr. Kpemka, many Ghanaians are still doubting the existence of the virus in the country, saying there are still Ghanaians who are underrating the danger Covid-19 can pose to them, their families and communities. He advised his constituents to frequently wash their hands with soap under running water and avoid crowded areas till the fight against the rapid spread of Convid-19 is won across Ghana. So far the Tempane district in the Upper East Region has not recorded any positive case of Covid-19, which the District Chief Executive expects to maintain for a long time. Paul Abugri called on traditional authorities in the district and the entire Upper East Region to join in sensitizing the public in order to curb the spread of Covid-19 in Ghana. Meanwhile, the Upper Regional Security Council in collaboration with the various districts and municipalities are implementing some measures to enforce social distancing. ---Daily Guide EAST HAVEN As the coronavirus spread, Joseph Fournier, who runs Fournier Legal Services in East Haven, thought about the elderly community along the Shoreline. He noticed that many were afraid to go into a law office, he said, adding that the fear was justified he, too, wanted to limit person-to-person contact. But the situation created a barrier to services that potentially could be more important than ever, especially for older adults, Fournier said, included designating a health care proxy and creating a living will. Thats why Fourniers firm decided to take an unusual step. For the months of April and May, it is offering to provide health care proxies and living will advance directives, free of charge, Fournier said. Health care proxies, or health care representatives, are those who make medical decisions for individuals who cannot do so themselves. Living will directives provide instructions for preferred medical treatment. For example, many clients prefer not to be kept alive by artificial means if there is no chance for recovery, Fournier said. The firms effort to help people obtain living wills and designate health care representatives is meant to be a gift, Fournier said, adding that the service does not make the firm obligated to represent recipients other matters. But if a doctor were to question the validity of the documents, the attorneys would step in for free, according to Fournier. The firm has set up the program so that it is both easy to use and limits possible exposure to the coronavirus. All you have to do is fill out an online form, said Ben Frosceno, who took advantage of the service. I couldnt believe how simple it was, he said. Soon enough, Frosceno received an email with the documents, Frosceno said, adding that it is not legally valid until it is notarized and signed by two witnesses. While Frosceno does not think he has COVID-19, at 56 years old he thought designating a health care proxy was an important step to take, especially given the current climate, he said. I think its a great idea, I think his [Fourniers] timing was perfect, Frosceno said. While the service is free, Frosceno pointed out that it is a smart business decision, as he now feels comfortable turning to the firm in the future to create a full will, he said. Most of the clients Fournier has heard from are new to using his estate planning services, he said. But the attorney represents some in their business ventures, including Daniel Vigliotti, who runs DuVig Brewing Co. in Branford and said he has used Fourniers services for about five years. When Vigliotti heard Fournier was offering free health care proxies, he took the opportunity to designate one. What with everything going on, you just dont know, Vigliotti said. You hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Like Frosceno, Vigliotti also emphasized how easy Fourniers service was to use, noting that he may not have otherwise gotten around to creating a living will, simply because it can be a hassle. Under normal circumstances, Fourniers firm would be unlikely to provide this type of service typically, he would recommend that his clients create a full will, and he would also work with them in person, he said but, the attorney noted, the coronavirus pandemic does not constitute normal circumstances. meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday requested his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma to ensure hassle free movement of vehicles, carrying essential commodities from Guwahati to Barak Valley, through Meghalaya. Sonowal said, vehicles carrying essential commodities to Barak Valley pass through the neighbouring state and a helping hand from the authorities of Meghalaya will enable Assam government to reach out to the people faster, an official of the Chief Minister's Office said. Sangma assured Sonowal of taking adequate steps for transportation of essential commodities through Meghalaya without any disruption. Both the chief ministers also discussed the situation created by the coronavirus pandemic and the steps taken by both the neighbouring states to contain the outbreak. Meanwhile, Sonowal also called up several eminent personalities of the state and discussed the prevailing situation in the state. The chief minister called the prominent persons of Barak and Brahmaputra Valley to wish them on the occasion of Rongali Bihu and the Assamese New Year, the official said. Sonowal called judges, litterateurs, veteran journalists, lawyers, academicians and wildlife conservationists among others. Some of the eminent persons he spoke to were retired Supreme Court chief justice Ranjan Gogoi, litterateurs and former presidents of Asam Sahitya Sabha Homen Borgohain, Nagen Saikia, Rong Bong Terang and Imran Shah, veteran journalists Dhiren Chakraborty, Nitya Bora, Prafulla Gobind Barua and Haidar Hussain, conservationist Jadav Payeng among others, the official said. The chief minister apprised them of the situation in the state during the lockdown imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak and the measures taken by the state government to tackle it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nearly 67 per cent of digital workers in India are utilising emerging technologies such as machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) are increasing to increase efficacy at work, a new survey by Gartner said on Thursday. The 'Gartner 2019 Digital Workplace Survey' found that India is the most digitally dexterous country in the world -- followed by the UK and the US, due to having the largest Gen Z workforce along with the desire to learn new skills using digital technologies in the workplace. "Seven out of 10 employees in India said that adoption of new digital technologies will create career opportunities and higher paying jobs," said Rashmi Choudhary, principal research analyst at Gartner. "Technical professionals are firm believers of adopting new digital technologies in comparison to manual, skilled and semi-skilled manual workers," she added in a statement. Twenty-seven percent of the digital workers in India are skilled experts in digital technology for work purposes, according to the report. In terms of tools that employees use for real-time collaboration, digital workers in Singapore and India use real-time messaging and social media network tools more frequently than their counterparts in China, France, Germany, US, and the UK. In India, 39 per cent of digital workers want to be trained one-the-job to keep their knowledge on AI, ML, IoT up to date, which is the highest among the survey respondents. "Digital tools improve employee collaboration through crowdsourcing and cross-pollination, thereby improving the digital dexterity of workers," said Choudhary. Forty-five percent of digital workers in India do not mind having their work habits tracked and monitored by digital technologies - the highest among the surveyed respondents. "Digital workers in India believe that an intelligent workplace contributes to increased focus on more meaningful, business-critical work. At the same time, they expect that their organization is mitigating the risk it entails by being monitored," Choudhary noted. Workers in India are looking for employers who invest in skills upgrading to allow them to remain adaptable and versatile in their career, said the report. The deaths of 44 people diagnosed with Covid-19 in the past 24 hours have been confirmed, bringing A blitz of 30,000 nursing home patients and workers will take place over the next seven to 10 days in order to address a high number of clusters of cases of Covid-19. Also, a census of mortality across all long-term residential care facilities to be carried out this weekend to cover all deaths, Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 since January 1, 2020, regardless of where the death occurred. Health officials said on Friday night that it is planning to expand testing capacity to 100,000 tests per week operating on a seven-day week basis for a minimum of six months to bring about a situation of real-time turnaround. Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said such a ramping up of testing is crucial as we move into the next phase of dealing with the virus. In relation to the 44 deaths, Dr Holohan said the number is not necessarily the number of deaths yesterday but rather a report of the deaths notified in the past 24 hours. A number of deaths date back a number of days, Dr Holohan said. Of those 44 deaths, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre said 33 of those were located in the east, three in the north-west, three in the south and five in the west of the country. The deaths included 19 females and 25 males and the median age of the days reported deaths is 84. In total, 25 people were reported as having underlying health conditions. A summary of all 530 deaths provided by health officials show that: 308 (58%) of those who died were male, 222 (42%) were female The age range is 23 - 105 years The median age of those who died is 83 316 of these cases were admitted to hospital with 45 admitted to ICU As of 11.15am on Friday, officials been notified of an additional 597 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported by Irish laboratories. An additional 112 confirmed cases of Covid-19 reported by a laboratory in Germany. With the latest figures from Germany included, there are now a total of 13,980 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland. The HSE is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread. In relation to demographics, 44% are male and 55% are female, with 436 clusters involving 2,723 cases. The median age of confirmed cases is 48 years and 2,082 cases (16%) have been hospitalised. Of those hospitalised, 294 cases have been admitted to ICU and 3,347 cases are associated with healthcare workers. In terms of geography, Dublin has the highest number of cases at 6,567 (51% of all cases) followed by Cork with 945 cases (7%). Of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 53%, close contact accounts for 42%, travel abroad accounts for 5%. Speaking to reporters, Dr Holohan said: We endorsed a proposal to increase testing of staff and residents across all long-term residential care settings including nursing homes. The behaviour of the virus among vulnerable groups who live in these care settings continues to be a concern and this remains a priority for NPHET. While we are suppressing the disease among the general public, we cannot afford to become complacent. To remain safe from Covid-19 we need to continue to wash our hands thoroughly and regularly, cough into our elbows and practice social distancing. "These simple measures can slow down the spread of this virus and save lives. Weve structured this years virtual conference to be as flexible as possible for the demanding schedules of our industry during the current international health crisis." - Charles Stellar, President and CEO of WEDI WEDI, the preeminent national membership association for health IT guidance and collaboration, today announced the presenters and session details of the organizations annual spring conference. WEDI 2020 will take place May 4, May 6 and May 7, 2020, and will be held virtually for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Weve structured this years virtual conference to be as flexible as possible for the demanding schedules of our industry during the current international health crisis, said Charles Stellar, President and CEO of WEDI. Registered attendees will have complete access to the collective knowledge, expertise and informational resources of our much-anticipated conference, but through the added convenience of a virtual format. Attendees will be able to interact with speakers after each presentation through live Q&A, and will also have full on-demand access. WEDI 2020 Virtual will feature nine sessions over the course of three days, offering health care professionals the latest information to aid them in understanding the impact of COVID-19 on federal policy decisions and telehealth adoption, FHIR integration strategies, ways to overcome data exchange roadblocks, guidance on Da Vinci implementation, and a deeper dive into the industrys push toward administrative automation. Critical and timely industry discussions will be led a host of industry leaders and influencers including: George Halvorson, Chair and CEO, Institute for Intergroup Understanding Alexandra Mugge, Deputy Chief Health Informatics, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Donna Campbell, Provider Portal & Provider Connectivity Product Manager, HCSC Patrick Murta, Solution Architecture Fellow, Humana Chris Bailey, Director, MiHIN Tim Pletcher, Executive Director, MiHIN Sharon Kim, Senior Health Care Analyst, BCBS MI Krista Drobac, Executive Director, Alliance for Connected Care Dan Chavez, Executive Director, San Diego Health Connect Melissa Kotrys, CEO, Phoenix Health Current Alix Goss, Vice President and Senior Consultant, Imprado Viet Nguyen, Technical Director, Da Vinci Project WEDI 2020 Virtual is open to all interested health care stakeholders across provider, payer, vendor and government entities. Both WEDI members and non-members can register online and can view the full schedule here. In addition to individual passes, Corporate Passes are also available, allowing everyone in an organization to attend as many virtual sessions as theyd like. About WEDI For nearly 30 years, WEDI has been an instrumental force in igniting public-private partnerships to empower meaningful changes for the American health care system. Recognized and trusted as a formal advisor to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), WEDI is the leading authority on the use of health IT to efficiently improve health information exchange, enhance care quality, and reduce costs. WEDIs membership includes a broad coalition of organizations, including: hospitals, providers, health plans, vendors, government agencies, consumers, not-for-profit organizations, and standards development organizations. To learn more, visit http://www.wedi.org and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Most Americans have said they think the president reacted slow when responding to the coronavirus pandemic, and they now fear the country will open too quickly, a new poll revealed. In a survey with 4,917 Americans across party lines, the Pew Research Centre found that 66 per cent of Americans were concerned President Donald Trump could open the states too early during the coronavirus. Within the parties, 81 per cent of Democrats feared social distancing restrictions could be lifted too early, while 51 per cent of Republican held that same concern. This comes as Mr Trump and state governors were actively seeking options to lift restrictions to help boost the US economy, which has suffered during the pandemic. Unemployment rose to 22m Americans filing for government assistance and industries, such as retail and travel, have reported significant declines in revenue. With the Trump administration and many state governors actively considering ways to revive the stalled US economy, the public strikes a decidedly cautious note on easing strict limits on public activity, Pew reported. Although a majority of Americans appeared to still want social distancing measures for the near future, there were 32 per cent of residents who feared restrictions wouldnt be lifted quickly enough, according to the poll. Mr Trump and his administration has plowed ahead on plans to get the economy going again despite warnings from health officials that reopening too early could cause a resurgence. During the White Houses daily press briefing on Thursday, the president unveiled the governments three-part plan to assist state governors during reopening. Its going to be up to the governors, he said in regards to reopening the country. The plan included guidelines each state would need to pass in order to move onto another phase of reopening. The president claimed about 29 states could be in the ballpark of starting the reopening process. But critics including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were quick to dismiss the guidelines. 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 in a statement last night. One concern about reopening the economy too early was the continued lack of testing across the country. Almost 3.5m Americans have been tested for the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University, which makes up just over 1 per cent of the population. Dr Deborah Birx, a top health adviser for the president, said a majority of the governments recommendations hinged on increased testing among states. But state governors have said they need assistance from the federal government in order to test at the level needed to safely reopen. Americans also had a lack of confidence in how Mr Trump has handled the coronavirus. According to Pew, 65 per cent of residents believed the White House reacted too slow to the pandemic. Mr Trumps rhetoric was also surveyed in the poll to gauge how Americans viewed the presidents response. A slim majority of Americans thought the president was doing only fine or a poor job when addressing the needs of people who lost their jobs (54 per cent), working with state governors (54 per cent), responding to need of hospitals (55 per cent), and providing accurate information (57 per cent). The president only boasted positive results when it came to addressing the economic needs of businesses, with 51 per cent calling his response good or excellent. When it came to rhetoric, 52 per cent of Americans thought Mr Trump was making the situation seem better than it is. As talks heat up about reopening the country, Americans were not convinced the US was nearing the end of the pandemic. In fact, 73 per cent of Americans believed the worst was yet to come in problems the US would face because of Covid-19. The survey was conducted between 7 April and 12 April, but the infection rates and death toll have since significantly increased. The US has confirmed more than 670,000 positive cases and 33,286 have died from the novel virus. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 22:03:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese Ambassador to Japan Kong Xuanyou (C) poses for a group photo with representatives of Chinese students during a ceremony held to distribute health kits at the Chinese Embassy in Japan in Tokyo, Japan, April 17, 2020. The Chinese Embassy in Japan on Friday held a ceremony to distribute health kits containing face masks and other supplies to Chinese students studying in Japan. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi) TOKYO, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in Japan on Friday provided Chinese students studying here with health packs containing an anti-epidemic guide and medical kits, as the number of COVID-19 cases has topped 9,000 in the country. During a speech at the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Kong Xuanyou told representatives of the students that since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Chinese government and people as well as their families have always been concerned about their safety and health. According to Kong, the health packs handed out today is not only to help students enhance their ability to protect themselves and strengthen their confidence in combating the epidemic, but also to convey the care and greetings from the the Communist Party of China and the government to all the Chinese students in Japan. Noting the continuous development of the outbreak in Japan, the ambassador urged the Chinese students to remain calm, show solidarity and follow the information issued by the Japanese government and the embassy. He also called on students to consciously comply with the relevant epidemic prevention requirements, understand the knowledge of scientific protection while maintaining adequate sleep and nutrition. The student representatives, for their part, told Kong that the health packs contain great energy. From the motherland to the embassy and then to their hands, the health packs convey the care of the motherland for the students, giving them the confidence to combat the epidemic. The first batch of 10,000 health packs arrived at the embassy on Thursday evening, and are expected to be delivered to Chinese students in more than 200 schools. According to the embassy, another batch of health packs will arrive on Sunday. Enditem Ireland has announced that it will quadruple its contribution to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a few days after Donald Trump pulled US funding from the health agency. Simon Coveney, the Irish deputy prime minister, said on Thursday that his country would donate 9.5m (8.3m) to the WHO this year to aid its Covid-19 response. Commenting on the importance of the UNs health agency, he said that so many countries rely on UN expertise and capacity to save lives. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the WHO, thanked Ireland for its donation and continued support. He wrote on Twitter: "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 euros. Irelands decision came shortly after Mr Trump said he would halt his countrys contribution to the WHO - pending a review into its handling of the coronavirus crisis. He accused the WHO of failing to adequately obtain, vet and share information in a timely and transparent fashion" The US presidents announcement was met with condemnation from health experts and politicians around the world. Dr Patrice Harris, the president of the American Medical Association, described the move as a dangerous step in the wrong direction that will not make defeating Covid-19 easier. Mr Coveney called it an indefensible decision in the midst of a pandemic. One of his colleagues, the Irish health minister Simon Harris, said that any effort to undermine the WHO is dangerous, illogical and harmful. The US donated more than $400m to the WHO in 2019, roughly 15 per cent of the health agencys budget. With zero revenues due to the lockdown, fashion retailers on Friday asked the government to devise a mechanism to allow companies to get some cash flows stating that they are headed for a "very challenging time" while also seeking support in co-sharing of workers wages, waiver of rentals and GST reduction. Heads of Tommy Hilfiger Apparels, Calvin Klein India & Arrow; Bestseller Retail India that sells brands like Jack & Jones, Junarose, and Mamalicious; Vedant Fashions which retails under Manyavar brand and Ritika Pvt Ltd which sells designer Ritu Kumar label, felt that it would take up to 15 months for normalcy to return to the sector after the lockdown. The companies also said they have decided against job cuts during the period of lockdown and instead are focussing on upskilling their employees to ensure that they "protect the livelihoods" of their staff as long as they can. "Cash flows are really challenged, there is no revenue. Unlike Europe and other parts of the world where online was allowed and some operational revenue was coming in, we are not seeing any revenue coming in as even e-commerce is not allowed," Bestseller Retail India Country Head Vineet Gautam said. Speaking at a webinar on 'Impact of COVID-19 on Fashion Business' he said: "The government needs to work on some mechanism to allow companies to get some cash flows in, otherwise we are heading towards a very challenging time in business, where there is no cash coming in but there is continuous cash outflow in the business. Yes, we have responsibility to our people and we are ensuring that in the best way we can." Expressing similar views, Tommy Hilfiger Apparels, Arrow and Calvin Klein India Managing Director CEO Shailesh Charutvedi said in the last one month "we have zero sale and zero collection" and there has been only cash outflow in terms of fixed cost, including salaries of employees. Vedant Fashions CFO Dalpat Jain said any help from the government to help the industry in having liquidity would be appreciated. "In various countries across the world, governments have supported industries one way or the other. In Singapore, the government has waived off lease costs on properties which were in their control plus issued advisories to property owners," he said adding India could also explore similar ways in discussion with mall owners and landlords so that their business is also not affected. On the wage front, Jain said India could also look at "co-sharing" like Bangladesh has done by having loans which are available to industries only with 2 per cent interest that too on moratorium and in installments. To ensure that consumer demand comes in a big way, he further said GST relief must be provided on apparels which currently range between 12-18 per cent. Post the health crisis, he said consumers will move to small ticket items and if there is GST relief which could be passed on to them, then it will help in demand creation, Jain added. "The hangover of this corona is going to remain for sometime after the lifting of the lockdown. I foresee this continuing at least 12-15 months till the time the vaccine is discovered and in this period the way we service our consumers is going to change," he said. On job cuts, Gautam said Bestseller Retail India is "keeping everyone currently on rolls now. We have not let go of a single person. I think our first responsibility is to protect jobs till the time we can manage to. That's what we are trying to do so that the least impact comes to our people." Similarly, Jain also said as a matter of principle, Manyavar "has taken a stand that we will safeguard our workers, we will ensure that livelihood is not impacted in this period". On how soon the industry can come back to normal, Ritika Pvt Ltd Managing Director Amrish Kuamr said: "Once we do start up there will be a gradual start up, it will take time for normalcy to return." Giving a more specific timeline, Gautam said: "As the lockdown opens up we don't foresee demand coming up immediately. I foresee 9-12 months for normalcy to return. That's how we are trying to see." On the other hand, Jain said: "The hangover of this corona is going to remain for sometime after the lifting of the lockdown. I foresee this continuing at least 12-15 months till the time vaccine is discovered. And in this period the way we service our consumers is going to change. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This captured image shows Korea Foundation (KF) President Lee Geun, top right, and Seoul National University College of Medicine professor Jee Young-mee, top center, joining the University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy (CPD) Director Jay Wang during a video seminar hosted by the CPD to learn Korea's responses to the COVID-19 crisis. / Courtesy of KF COVID-19 combat efforts possibly adds to public diplomacy asset, KF chief says By Yi Whan-woo Korea may be able to provide a model on how to prevent pandemics after emerging as a worldwide exemplar in handling the COVID-19 crisis, according to the chief of a government-affiliated public diplomacy organization, Friday. Speaking during a video seminar hosted by the University of Southern California (USC) Center on Public Diplomacy (CPD), Lee Geun, the president of the Korea Foundation (KF), said successfully showcasing the model characterized with minimal restrictions on economic activities and daily lives was important. Lee added the world otherwise may have to refer to an authoritarian, totalitarian or lockdown model and possibly face another Great Depression. "When you have a successful national model, that model will become a very precious and valuable public diplomacy asset which I call a soft power resource," the KF president said, adding Korea so far has three models economic development, democratization and the Korean Wave or hallyu. "And perhaps if we're lucky, try harder and succeed, we might have another model which is what I call the pandemic prevention model in the age of globalization," he said. Lee was one of the two speakers joining the video seminar, titled, "Crisis management and public diplomacy (PD) during coronavirus: Lessons from South Korea." The other speaker was Jee Young-mee, a Seoul National University College of Medicine professor who also serves as a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Emergency Committee and WHO Research and Development (R&D) Blueprint Scientific Advisory Group. Each shared their views and answered questions received online. CPD director Jay Wang moderated the one-hour seminar. The seminar took place as the government, after failing to prevent the coronavirus in its early stages, bounced back and "flattened the curve" of new infections and deaths. Korea's handling of the COVID-19 crisis was opposite to China's a swift and aggressive lockdown of cities including Wuhan where the virus outbreak began. Lee noted the Chinese model "has been successful in terms of containing the virus in the very early stages." He still viewed the Korean model as "more suitable to democratic countries." "Our model has a relatively-open economy as we have contact-tracing technology. We also have relatively-normal daily lives, and at the same time, we stick to the social distancing rule," he said. "I think it is very important for us to succeed in controlling the disease or otherwise we may end up with an authoritarian or totalitarian control model which may end up with another Great Depression slowing the global economy." He attributed Korea being able to keep the spread of the virus under control to six elements. The six elements are a well-prepared public health and medical system and universal medical insurance; highly-educated civil society observing laws and rules; public-private partnership on developing and distributing test kits, apps and face masks; a wired society that helped tracing the outbreak and sharing the relevant information expediently; drive-thru screening and other innovative test methods; and flexible government responses. Regarding criticism on privacy issues, such as revealing the tracks of infected citizens, Lee argued it revealed limited personal information, was handled in a democratic manner and embraced by society. Asked about a "new normal" in the post-COVID 19 era, Lee speculated digital technology and social distancing will be enhanced while online-based lifestyles and businesses will expand. Founded in 1991, the KF is a nonprofit organization tasked with promoting public diplomacy under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Lee has been serving a three-year term since September 2019. He was formerly a professor of international relations at Seoul National University's Graduate School of International Studies and the university's dean at the Office of International Affairs. New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) Amid the country's battle against the coronavirus, over 1,000 retired Army Medical Corps officers and paramedical staff have volunteered to once again serve at armed forces hospitals in their respective home stations whenev Image Source: PK New Delhi, April 17 : Amid the country's battle against the coronavirus, over 1,000 retired Army Medical Corps officers and paramedical staff have volunteered to once again serve at armed forces hospitals in their respective home stations whenever needed. The armed forces informed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday that these include 43 officers and 990 paramedics. Singh was also told that to help in the isolation and treatment of coronavirus positive patients, including ICU care, orders to notify 50 armed forces hospitals as dedicated COVID hospitals and mixed COVID hospitals have been issued. These hospitals have a combined bed capacity of 9,038. Civilian COVID-19 cases would also be admitted in these hospitals to augment state healthcare facilities. These developments were revealed during the Defence Minister's review of the functioning of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) and their assistance to civilian authorities to contain the spread of coronavirus. Approximately 650 medical officers undergoing postgraduate training at various armed forces medical colleges will be reverted back to their units for providing medical care depending on the evolving situation. In addition, 100 medical officers from recruiting organisations are being detailed to work in hospitals where COVID wards are being established. Lieutenant Gen Anup Banerjee, Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services, informed the Defence Minister that the emergency financial powers were granted to Director Generals of Medical Services and officers down the hierarchy. He said procurement of essential health equipment such as face masks, sanitisers, Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), ventilators is going on smoothly at a fast pace. On a request by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Rajnath Singh was told, the three armed forces have set up quarantine facilities at six stations for civilians evacuees from Italy, Iran, China, Malaysia, and Japan. Standby quarantine facilities have also been created at other stations. Starting February 1, these facilities have housed 1,738 individuals. Six viral testing labs have already been established with the help of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and are functional at various AFMS hospitals. The Army Medical Corps is currently providing medical cover to the quarantine camp at Narela, New Delhi where a team of six medical officers and 18 paramedical staff have been deployed. Singh was also apprised about advisories issued to armed forces personnel, for providing assistance to civilian authorities in respect of quarantine facilities, and provisioning of hospitals and healthcare in the prevailing situation. Appreciating various measures taken by the Armed Forces Medical Services, the Defence Minister directed them to extend all possible assistance to civil authorities to overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Reporter: It appears the president is also watching this press conference. He tweeted 13 minutes ago. 'Governor Cuomo should spend more time doing and less time complaining. Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking! We built you thousands of hospital beds that you didn't need or use, gave large numbers of Ventilators that you should have had, and helped you with testing that you should be doing.' It goes on a little bit more. So wondering if you could respond to that and also the question about the overwhelmed ICUs. Cuomo: Good. Let's respond to the President. First of all, if he's sitting home watching TV, maybe he should get up and go to work, right. Seoncd, let's keep emotion and politics out of this and personal ego if we can because this is about the people and our job and let's try to focus on that. I have said repeatedly that when we were fighting for the additional capacity for our hospital system, that the president moved very quicky and I applauded him for it and he brought the Army Corps of Engineers and he brought them up to build the Javits Center capacity. Twenty-five hundred beds. He's wrong it hasn't been used. About 800 people have gone through Javits. To dismiss 800 people is disrespectful, but we didn't use 2,500 beds because we didn't reach the capacity. When he says 'well we built it, we didn't need it' it sounds like, the suggestion is, well it was request by the state that wasn't valid. If he didn't really believe 2,500 beds was necessary, I dont believe the federal government would have built the 2,500 beds. And the number came from a projection from him. Him. So he should read the reports he issues. The White House coronavirus task force had enormous, projected in the millions of people. The CDC - which is the president - projected in the millions of people. So the projections were high. They were the president's projections. So for him to say to anyone, well you relied on projections and the projections were wrong, they're your projections, Mr. president. So were we foolish for relying on your projections Mr. President? CDC? Coronavirus task force? That's you. We relied on your projections. OK, shouldn't have relied on your projections. Actually, I think the president has a better argument: yes we should have built 2,500 beds because the projection said it could get that bad and because we worked together, we flattened the curve and we didn't hit the projection which is actually what happened. But don't suggest that anyone made a mistake relying on your projections, or on Cornell, Columbia, McKinsey, etc. Second, I have said on a number of times I don't know, what am I supposed to do, send a bouquet of flowers? - they were very helpful on Javits, they were very helpful sending US Navy Ship Comfort, they were on very helpful in intervening with China and getting PPE equipment out of China. They were very helpful in helping us find ventilators. I said 'thank you, thank you, thank you.' Now, going forward, we're still in the midst of it. The president doesn't want to help on testing. I said eleven times, I said the one issue we need help with is testing. He said 11 times i dont want to get involved in testing, it's too complicated, it's too hard. I know it's too complicated and too hard. That's why we need help. I can't do an international supply chain. He wants to say: 'Well I did enough.' Yeah, none of us have done enough. We haven't, because it's not over. So yes, thank you for the Javits, thank you for the US Navy Ship Comfort. But it's not over. We have a lot more to do and no one can do the posture of 'just say thank you for what Ive done, and I'm now out, I'm not doing anything else. [Rubs hands] I've done my part.' [Holds up hands] What if I said to the people of my state, OK, I'm done. By the way, I've saved hundreds of thousands of lives, I've flattened the curve, I've created more hospital beds than anyone imagined, I'm done. I'm going home, I'm going to go see my mother, spend time with my kids and I'm going to go out fishing - in Connecticut, because their marinas are open. That's it, I'm done. What if I said that? That's what he's saying: 'I'm done, I don't want to help on testing, testing is too hard.' And then the only thing he's doing, let's be honest, is 'it's up to the states to do reopening.' By the way, it was always up to the states. What, are you going to grant me what the Constitution gave me before you were born? It's called the 10th Amendment. I dont need the president of the United States to tell me that I am governor and I don't need the president of the United States to tell to me the powers of a state. People did that: Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison they are the ones who gave me the power. And I don't need the president of the United States to read the Constiution for me. Maybe he should have read the Constitution before he said he had the power to open the states. Where he did a very graceful 180 and many people allowed him to do the graceful 180, but. So he now says it's up to the governors, which he said repeatedly now - yesterday, version of yesterday and now it's up to the governors to reopen. OK I get it, and you don't want to help on testing, which is a national problem and replicates the same chaos that you created with medical supplies because FEMA wasn't ready. By the way I needed a stockpile? Where was your stockpile? 10,000 ventilators for the nation? That was your stockpile? Where your projections, the federal projections said they would need double the hospital capacity of this nation. Think about that. The CDC says double the hospital capacity of the nation. The minimum projection was 2.4 million hospital beds. You know how many hospital beds we have in this nation? 900,000. His projection says 2.4 million hospital beds, the whole hospital system is only 900 and his stockpile has 10,000 ventilators. You were ready with your stockpile? Didn't you read your own CDC projection? Didn't you read your own coronavirus projection? So thank you again Mr. President for the Javits, thank you again for the U.S. Navy Ship Comfort, which by the way, is just doing your job as president, it's not really thank you like you wrote a check yourself, but thank you for that. We're not out of the woods, we have to go forward, we need help on testing and we need funding. It's up to the governors, it's up to the states well then, provide the funding. No. They only want to pass a bill that funds their small business program for PPP, their small business program. You need to fund the small business program. You're going to say, after saying this monumental task is up to the individual governors and the individual states, you're going to say, you're going to say I'm providing no help, no assistance, no financial money. I understand why small businesses need the funding. By the way, I know that airlines need a bailout - but not the states. Why don't you show as much consideration to states as you did to your big businesses and airlines? Right. Reporter: Did you guys speak yesterday or this morning after he asked, announced the May 1st reopening of.. Cuomo: No. He didn't announce anything. He said it's up to the states, and if you say it's up to the states and you just hold up a big microphone that can listen to all the governors, you'll hear some governors say I can start to reopen right away, because some governors are in places where they don't have a serious problem. They never did. By the way some states never closed down. So if you're in a state that has a de minimus issue, yeah, then you can open up faster, you can open up tomorrow, or you can stat opening up tomorrow. He's doing nothing. He said it's up to the states. It's up to the governors which is what it always was because it's always been the governors' power. Then he says 'it's a 50-piece puzzle.' It's called the map of the United States. It's not a puzzle. And those lines are called states. And those states have constitutional power. Remember the way this whole thing starts, the colonies create the federal, government, not the other way sound. So, introduction to constitutional theory and policy. The states have the power to open. The states are opening on their own timelines. We're trying to coordinate with our neighboring states. Western states are co-ordinating. Middle states are coordinating. All he's doing is walking in front of the parade but he has nothing to do with the timing of the parade, right. The governors are going to open when they think they should open. All I'm saying is there's two things they need help from. They need help from the federal government, two things: help on testing because they can't do that and I don't want to redo the mayhem of the PPE debacle, second point we need funding to do it. The way you love talking about how you funded everything; big businesses are getting bailed out, airlines are getting bailed out, bail out, bail out, bailout, all with taxpayers' money. State governments, which are the only ones which are doing this whole reopening, theyre going to need funding, right. And, well, show gratitude. How many times do you want me to say thank you? And I'm saying thank you for doing your job. This was your role as president, OK. SO that's the honest statement of fact without politics I'm not running for anything so I have no agenda but delivering for the people of this state - and without ego. You want me to say thank you? Thank you for doing your job in helping build Javits and sending the U.S. Navy Ship Comfort. Thank you for participating in a modicum of federal responsibility in a national crisis which you know is a national crisis because he declared a federal emergency. So thank you for having the federal government participate in a federal emergency and thank you for your help building Javits, 2,500 beds, pursuant to your projection. Your projection. And if you don't agree with your projection fire the head of the CDC, fire the White House coronavirus task force people, because they did the projections. In case he forgot, or didn't read his CDC report, just to be precise, March 13, March 13, so we're well into it, CDC says 160 to 214 million Americans infected. That's over half the population . CDC. 2.4 million to 21 million Americans hospitalized. 2.4 million. Bottom number 21 million Americans hospitalized. March 13th. The CDC. March. 2.4. Let's take their low number, which is a hell of a differential either 2.4 or 10 times 2.4. Thank you for that great projection, but anyway, let's take their minimum number. How many hospitals beds do you have? 900, let's call it a million. So it's two and a half times what your capacity is, right? We're the state of New York, we have a 50,000 bed capacity, but by their projections what do we need? 150,000 beds. By the way, what did McKinsey say that we needed? 140,000 beds. They got it from the CDC, as it says on the screen [shows CDC projections slide]. That's why we built 2,500 beds at Javits, because we listened to you, Mr. President. And if we were following for listening to you, then shame on us. But read your own report next time before criticizing us. [Reporter asks question about state funding and is answered by another official] Can you pull up the White House coronavirus projection, just so the president can read what he said? [Reporter asks about PPE shortages and nursing homes another official answers] Cuomo: Excuse me one second. You saw the CDC projections. This is the White House coronavirus task force, January, February, March 31st, of the projections. 1.5 million to 2.2 million deaths without the mitigation, 100 to 240 best case scenario. That's the president's projections. So Mr. President, if you want to point fingers, which I think is a mistake, you're in the middle of the game, it's only half-time, don't be a Monday morning quarterback at half-time, never works out well, and if you want to point fingers, we built more beds than we needed, our only mistake was in believing your numbers and believing your projections If that was a mistake then I'm guilty but I thought New York state relying on what you said would have been a safe assumption. I won't make that mistake again and it was your CDC and your White House coronavirus task force that made those projections. [Reporter asks about other states reopening. Cuomo speaks about reopening in parts of the state] Can you put up the Navarro memo, just for kicks, just to make sure? CDC, coronavirus task force and Mr Peter Navarro's memo to the president which the president said he never read. Peter Navarro says 100million Americans can be infected, as many as one to 2 million souls can be lost. SO whose projections were wrong? Head of the CDC, Peter Navarro and head of the White House corona task force. Fire them all, that's what I say. Fire them. You know the show when the president did- you're fired? If he wants to fire someone for projections, retake his TV career, those are the three. Documented. If he wants to blame someone for the projections, blame the CDC, Peter Navarro, and whoever is on the coronavirus task force, because it's their projections. Peter Navarro you can fire. [Reporter: why has this got under your skin] It's what he said. Well this is an important moment, he's saying he doesn't want to provide funding to the states and he doesn't want to provide help on testing. And I can tell you the states can't do it otherwise and if this testing doesn't work, that's a serious problem. I don't care about his politics, but if we don't have federal help on testing, that's a real problem and I'm not going to go through the chaos that was created last time on PPE where people that were genuine heroes couldn't get PPE, because there was a lack of coordination and because everything was made in China. We're looking at that situation again, I can tell you that, I know enough to know that. An apartment complex in Songpa district in southern Seoul / Korea Times file Last July, independent publisher Beijing Bright Culture Development Co. and state-owned Beijing Publishing Group joined forces to create a new entity: BPG Bright Technology & Culture, thus established with a refreshing amalgam of the modern and the traditional in its business model. We will utilize the more modern and innovative marketing channels and fresh publishing ideas to differentiate ourselves in the marketplace, says company president Yuan Hai, adding that half of the new companys program will be on childrens books. We plan to publish nearly 100 new titles each year, with the focus on pop science for primary and middle graders. Our sales and marketing department have started coordinating and sharing market insights with the editorial group to ensure that we are proactively publishing to fit emerging demands and new trends. We are also breaking our editorial division into smaller and nimbler teams at the same time. There will be a balancing act between originals and translations, notes Yuan, whose team is publishing more volumes of Jef Nyss Jeremy series, one of the bestselling comics series in Belgium. We will continue working with partners such as Casterman, DK, Scholastic, and Nathan Editions to bring in unique contents while we work on building our original publications. The team has just published the first eight-title set of Nations Pillar: Old Scientists, a picture book series on Chinas pioneer scientists in different disciplines. Promoted through social media platforms prior to its November launch, the series sold 6,000 sets within a month; the second set will be released by the end of this year. Yuan and his team are currently in the process of planning several edu-comic titles, as well as some on TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) for children. The strides made in the Chinese animation industry has built the capacity and capability for storytelling and illustration, and we are going to leverage this for our original edu-comic series, he says. I am also seeing new talents capable of combining artistic beauty with scientific knowledge, and more scientists and medical practitioners wanting to contribute their expertise in a meaningful way. Yuan adds that he is looking forward to publishing content that will help to build the next generation of readers, leaders, and forward thinkers. Return to the main feature. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) The province of Bulacan hopes to start rapid testing for COVID-19 by tomorrow, governor Daniel Fernando said on Friday. The province had set up its own testing center, which has three floors and a capacity of a hundred beds, said Fernando on CNN Philippines Balitaan. Hopefully by tomorrow, bubuksan na yung third floor namin. Uumpisahan namin doon, he said. [Translation: The third floor (of our testing center) will be opened. We will start (the testing) there.] Some 50 probable or suspected patients shall be staying there, he added. In a Facebook post, Fernando said they are expecting immediate approval from the Department of Health for the usage of the facility. Quarantine facilities have also been set up by the province for suspected cases and frontliners, he said. According to the governor, Bulacan currently has 299 suspected cases, with 252 in their homes and 99 confined in different hospitals. Fernando added, as early as last month, he suggested the establishment of a testing laboratory per region to speed up the response to the virus as it spreads quickly, too. Hindi yung RITM lang, hindi yung San Lazaro lang, hindi yung Baguio lang. Kung mangyayari man ito by region ay magiging mabilis po tayo, he said. [Translation: (The testing) will not be done just by RITM, San Lazaro (hospital), and Baguio (General Hospital and Medical Center). If it will be done by region, we will get faster.] As of April 16, Bulacan has 74 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Some 21 have died from the disease, while 3 have recovered. 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 11:26:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy said here Thursday that China supports the United Nations (UN) in playing a greater role in the Afghan issue. "The Afghan peace process is facing a historic opportunity, and China firmly supports an inclusive peace process that is 'Afghan-led and Afghan-owned,'" Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told the "6+2" Format Video Conference on Afghanistan, chaired by UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo. Recently, the Afghan government and the Taliban have made efforts in creating conditions for the start of intra-Afghan negotiations by releasing prisoners to each other, Zhang said, adding that China appreciates this and calls for the early launch of the negotiations. China respects the choice of the Afghan people for the country's future and supports Afghanistan in safeguarding national unity and political stability, said Zhang. "China calls on all parties in Afghanistan to put the national interests first and form an inclusive government," the envoy said. Zhang pointed out that China is concerned about the recent resurgence of violence in Afghanistan, and urges the international community and all parties in Afghanistan to strengthen the country's security capability. "China welcomes the agreement signed by the United States and the Taliban. We call on the parties concerned to ensure, in implementing the agreement, that the withdrawal of foreign troops in Afghanistan is conducted in an orderly and responsible manner to avoid the rise of terrorist activities," said the ambassador. He added that achieving lasting and sustainable peace and prosperity in Afghanistan requires a solid economic and social foundation, and all efforts should be made to help Afghanistan reintegrate into regional cooperation based on its own advantages to meet the expectation of its people. Noting that Afghanistan and Pakistan recently started transporting goods through Gwadar Port in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Zhang said China welcomes this new progress in Afghanistan's integration into the regional economy. "We call for efforts to strengthen regional cooperation and connectivity, and to increase investment in Afghanistan's infrastructure construction," he said. China recently held a video conference to share its experience on the prevention and control of COVID-19 with Afghanistan, and handed over the first batch of anti-epidemic supplies to Afghanistan. "China calls on all parties in Afghanistan to respond to the UN secretary-general's call for a global ceasefire and calls on the international community to do its best to support Afghanistan's fight against the outbreak," said the ambassador. "China hopes the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan will strengthen its own anti-pandemic effort while helping the Afghans and is ready to maintain communications with the UN and provide necessary assistance," he added. Enditem U.S. Army modernization officials have asked aviation firms for ideas on equipping the service's future scout helicopter with mission systems such as a sleek 20mm cannon and advanced technology for optionally-manned flight. The April 13 request for information comes on the heels of the Army's selection of the Bell Textron Inc. 360 Invictus and Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky Raider X in late March for the final prototyping stage of the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, or FARA. The aircraft is being designed under the Future Vertical Lift effort to replace the retired OH-58 Kiowa and some AH-64 Apache helicopters. FVL is one of the Army's top modernization priorities under a new strategy the service launched in 2017, with the goal of replacing most major combat platforms beginning in 2028. Program officials are seeking information on a range of capabilities to give FARA pilots an edge as they penetrate enemy air defense networks, flying far faster than current Army aircraft, service officials say. Related: Down to 2: Aircraft Will Compete to Replace the Army's Apache, Kiowa Interested companies have until May 15 to submit ideas for equipping FARA with navigational capabilities such as "Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED) assisted visual-based solutions for aerial navigation in GPS denied environments," according to the request for information. FARA officials are also interested in solutions and software applications that support "supervised autonomy/optionally-manned flight," as well as technology to give pilots decision-aiding tools, such as voice activation for some systems, and other cueing capabilities, according to the RFI. Pilot heads-up or helmet-mounted displays will have to be high-definition, color-capable, and compatible with a night-vision device. The FARA will also be equipped with a 20mm cannon capable of providing a maximum of 360 degrees of azimuthal coverage and 60 degrees of elevation coverage, according to the RFI. The Army is "particularly interested" in solutions that generate "minimal aerodynamic interference" to reduce drag, as the aircraft is being designed to fly at speeds of 200 miles per hour or more. Lockheed's original Raider prototype has been flying since 2018 and has surpassed speeds of 200 knots, according to Sikorsky representatives. It is currently being scaled into the Raider X, which will be 20% larger for the FARA program. Bell officials maintain that the 360 Invictus helicopter should be able to fly at speeds greater than 180 knots true airspeed, or more than 200 miles per hour. The Army also wants the mission systems designed for the FARA to be capable integration into the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft, or FLRAA, also being developed under FVL to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. In mid-March, Army aviation officials selected Bell Textron Inc. and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. to continue into the FLRAA Competitive Demonstration and Risk Reduction phase of the program, which is expected to last until 2022, the year the service plans to choose one vendor to build the Black Hawk replacement. Bell Textron's V-280 Valor tiltrotor helicopter prototype and the Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 coaxial-rotor Defiant helicopter prototype were developed under the Army's Joint Multi Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) effort. The Army plans to hold an industry day for both FARA and FLRAA efforts in Huntsville, Alabama this summer on a date to be announced in the future, according to the RFI. -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Read More: These 2 Futuristic Aircraft Will Compete to Replace the Army's Black Hawk The Leaving Cert should be cancelled now. Waiting until the beginning of June to be told what the detailed arrangements are for this year is not fair. Students and teachers, not to mention families, are all affected by the uncertainty. It is an additional burden on young people. The coronavirus has really shocked the nation. Yes, our medical teams and all their back-up personnel are doing a fantastic job. But at a cost. Ireland needs as much certainty that it can get at this point in time. This is particularly true of the sixth-year students in every county. About 60,000 pupils are due to sit the exam, but more than 300,000 other people will live every day of the Leaving Certificate, if it goes ahead. These are the younger brother and the older sister, the parents, the grand parents as well as the aunts and uncles. Ireland is quite unique in this regard, compared with other countries in Europe. What other country has, on the front page of the newspapers, the details of the English, Irish, Maths, as well as History exams? And it goes on, and on. That's pressure no student needs, particularly now. Covid-19 still has some time to run. No one knows how long, and will not know, perhaps until the world discovers an effective vaccine. But we do have time to provide some certainty for the 60,000 who really need it now. The Government should announce that because of the uncertainty of the duration of coronavirus the Leaving Certificate for 2020 is being cancelled. Such a decision would bring us into line with number of countries, such as England and Wales, France, the Netherlands, as well as many African countries. The International Baccalaureate has been cancelled as have International A levels. A decision to cancel the Leaving would immediately reduce the current level of worry and fear that is widespread in homes up and down the country. In its place, the Department of Education and Skills should, in consultation with the Second Level Education Community, prepare an alternative set of documents for each of the students in their final year in second level schools. A decision now to cancel the Leaving Certificate would create enough time for the teachers and principals to provide these documents for each student. This could be done in the first three weeks of the month of June. In principle, each young person would then leave second-level school with a comprehensive document, outlining their coming of age. It could include house exam and mock exam results and other material. This is what is used in many developed countries for students who have come through primary and second-level education. What the students do next is a matter for them and all the third-level institutions. These would be very inclusive in the range of options which are open to them. In normal times, sixth-year students and their teachers would now be on the last lap of their preparations for the end of their second-level studies and revision of seven or eight subjects. The six best subjects, in terms of marks, form the basis for calculating the CAO points which the students normally work out when they open their Leaving Cert results in early August. But that is not going to happen this August, given the present arrangements. And then, with business as usual if the Leaving does go ahead, the Central Applications Office will announce the real winners, who get the most points. This is now all up in the air as far as many people are concerned at the moment. According to what has been indicated so far, these highly important Leaving Cert results will issue some time in September. This is just too late, on present known plans, to fit in with the rest of the beginning of the school year. This uncertainty, not to mention pressure on the front-line students, will affect an awful lot of families. Many of them will also be coping with the economic fallout of Covid-19. Do we really need this multifaceted exam pressure and uncertainty on top of everything else? This does not need to happen and it can be stopped - now -while we have the time to cancel the Leaving Cert for 2020. Ruairi Quinn is a former education minister and leader of the Labour Party Every week the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned. Check all the international media coverage of IFJ, divided by language, in the period between 10 and 17 April, 2020 As Spring Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation reports the first activity of COVID-19 within its patient population, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has reported 35 cases among nursing home residents in Dauphin County. Representatives for Spring Creek did not return a call Thursday, so it is unclear how many of the 35 reported cases are from the facility. Spring Creek is the only facility to report COVID cases as of April 16. According to the Department of Health, Dauphin County is reporting three cases between 3 of the countys nursing home facilities and personal care homes. While there are 35 resident cases between the facilities, there are only 2 employee cases reported between them. On Friday, Frey Villages ownership company Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries released a statement that they have no cases of COVID at their Middletown facility. READ: Pa. coronavirus deaths top 700; 27,735 cases reported statewide There has only been one COVID-19 death reported in a nursing home in Dauphin County, and the Department of Health numbers do not say at which facility the death occurred. Dauphin Countys numbers almost perfectly match the numbers being reported out of Cumberland County, according to the Department of Health. Cumberland County also has three nursing home facilities, between which 30 residents have tested positive for COVID-19. Three employees at those facilities have tested positive, and two people have died, according to health officials. Two of the three employee cases are at Cumberland Countys Claremont Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Middlesex Township, the county has reported. This story was updated to include a statement from Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries and to include updated information on the source of the Department of Healths numbers. Read more on PennLive: Google on Friday said it has been adding as many as 2 million new users per day on Meet over the last few weeks as people log in to the video conferencing platform to connect with others remotely amid the coronavirus outbreak. The tech giant said its infrastructure is geared to handle a further surge in usage and asserted that it remains committed to comply with all the security and privacy requirements of its customers. "Google Meet has surged over 25 times from what it was in January, and recently a day to day growth surpassing 60 per cent...And we're onboarding over two million new users to the platform every day in the last few weeks, significant growth," Google Cloud Head of Security (Networking and Collaboration Specialists) Asia Pacific Mark Johnston told reporters. "When COVID-19 led to this unprecedented increase in video conferencing, (our) infrastructure allowed us to scale to meet it (demand), even exceed it and there's still plenty of room to grow," he added. The platform has seen over 2 billion minutes of engagement per day, he said. "We continue to scale while maintaining our security and privacy policy and compliance for our customers. Google is ready for this," Johnston said, adding that Google continues to engage with governments, enterprises and educational institutions across the globe to understand how it can support them further. Video conferencing tools like Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom and others have seen a significant jump in userbase and traffic as people connect while maintaining social distancing amid the coronavirus outbreak. There is also concern around the security of such platforms given that enterprises and governments are using these modes to carry out day-to-day business and sharing critical, sensitive information. Recently, India's Home Affairs Ministry had said meeting platform Zoom is not safe and it is not to be used for official purposes by government officials. Zoom, in response to an emailed query, said it takes user privacy, security, and trust extremely seriously. "Zoom was originally developed for enterprise use, and has been confidently selected for complete deployment by a large number of institutions globally, following security reviews of our user, network and datacenter layers," Sameer Raje, India Head of Zoom Video Communications, told PTI. Talking about the steps taken by Google, Johnston said its enterprise offerings are encrypted by default, both at rest, and in transit. "Encryption is pervasive in the way we apply and add significant security to our platform," he said. Johnston, however, clarified that there is a difference between encryption by default and end-to-end encryption. He cited the example of recording of meetings to be played back later and said cloud provides additional enrichment capability that end-to-end encryption would not be able to create. Johnston said Google Meet employs an array of counter-abuse protections to keep meetings safe. These include anti-hijacking measures for both web meetings and dial-ins. He added that several features are being rolled out to help keep the meetings safe. For example, only meeting creators and calendar owners can mute or remove other participants, which would ensure that instructors can't be removed or muted by student participants in a classroom setting. Also, only meeting creators and calendar owners can approve external participants' requests to join. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) LUDINGTON West Shore Bank is already successful in helping over 100 business customers acquire more than $17 million in funding through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. These initial funds will help protect nearly 2,000 jobs in Michigans west shore communities. With hundreds of additional requests in process, the Business Banking team is diligently working with guidance from the SBA and banking experts to assure small business owners receive the economic support they need to help overcome their temporary loss of revenue and help save thousands of jobs. Our primary focus, after protecting the health and safety of our employees and customers, is assuring our business owners have the assistance they need to overcome their challenges, said Raymond A. Biggs, President and CEO of West Shore Bank. As a local community bank, we understand the unique needs being experienced in our area and work one-on-one with business owners to determine the best solution to help them. We want to help keep doors open and assure thousands of employees will continue to be paid. We want to keep our regions economy moving forward. Throughout West Shore Banks 122-year history, the Bank has remained strong and steadfast during difficult times, a place to turn to for help. Our responsiveness to our business owners requests is really making an impact, stated John Clark, SVP Senior Lending Officer. We are very focused on guiding them through this unprecedented time and are working diligently to keep customers updated on options available through the SBA as well as other state and local programs. We are accessible any time of the day, including weekends, and are quickly processing requests. Because of our teams focus and commitment, we worked quickly to implement an efficient process to help customers benefit from these funding programs. The PPP program is available for all businesses including sole proprietors, self-employed individuals, independent contractors, nonprofits, veterans organizations and tribal business concerns with 500 or fewer employees. West Shore Bank is also providing a range of assistance options for businesses and families facing hardship as a result of COVID-19. More information is available at www.westshorebank.com/relief. You may also e-mail CustomerCare@westshorebank.com or call Customer Care at (888) 295.4373 during regular banking hours. Uttar Pradesh reported 41 fresh coronavirus cases on Friday, taking the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state to 846, an official said. The state has so far recorded 13 deaths -- the maximum five from Agra, two from Moradabad and one each from Lucknow, Kanpur, Basti, Meerut, Bulanshahr and Varanasi, health department sources said. "The number of coronavirus positive cases in the state is 846 in 48 districts. Of the total cases, 74 patients have been treated and discharged," Principal Secretary Heath Amit Mohan Prasad told reporters here. He said in three districts - Pilibhit, Hathras and Mahrajganj - where coronavirus cases were reported earlier, there are presently no active cases. "The patients were treated and there are no active cases in these districts. We have askedofficers to remain alert and continue to collect samples," Prasad said. He said 3,200 samples were collected and 2,962 tests were conducted on Thursday. About the patients in isolation wards, he said, "At present 993 patients are admitted in isolation wards while 10,714 patients are in quarantine facility. These are those patients who are symptomatic or were in contact with coronavirus positive cases," he added. When asked about reports that some Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits were not up to mark, Prasad said, "It is not so. The kits in question were old and purchased for H1N1 last year. They were purchased at Rs 115 per kit following all the norms. Presently, the new kits cost Rs 1,086 per unit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PEORIA, Ill. Texas-based Vistra Energy has agreed to shutter a coal power facility in central Illinois by the end of 2022 under a preliminary settlement with environmental groups that sued the plant in 2013. The Sierra Club announced Monday that the agreement with Vistra Energy affiliate Illinois Power Resources Generating to close the E.D. Edwards coal plant in Peoria County will proceed to the federal judge hearing the case, the Journal Star reported. Ryan Hidden, who helped organize the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign, said in a news release that the Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing the settlement. "Residents in the Peoria area have been working for years to voice concerns and hopes to push for a cleaner and more just energy future," Hidden said. Sierra Club's release also states the agreement includes the provision of $8.6 million to create clean energy jobs and public health and environmental projects in Illinois. Navy officials reported nearly a dozen small crafts operated by the naval wing of Iran's Revolutionary Guard after they carried out questionable maneuvers close to U.S. warships conducting exercises in the North Arabian Gulf on Wednesday. According to the U.S. Navy's statement, the vessels repeatedly went around the U.S. warships at dangerously close range and high speeds. They were reportedly less than 50 yards away from the USS Lewis B. and within 10 yards of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter. The U.S. crews said they issued multiple warnings. These included bridge-to-bridge radio, short blasts from the ships' horns, and acoustic noisemaker devices. They claim that the crew did not receive any response from the people aboard the Iranian speedboats. The IRGCN vessels eventually responded after an hour, maneuvering away from the U.S. warships. The Navy called the vessels' actions "dangerous and provocative." They said that the reckless actions of the IRGCN speedboats increased the risk of miscalculation and collision. The vessels' behavior was also not in accordance with the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, also called COLREGS. They also violated internationally recognized maritime customs, which obliges vessels to act with due regard for the safety of others in the same area. U.S. Defense Secretary Mike Pompeo said he and the Pentagon are currently discussing how to best respond to the harassment. Other Controversies The harassment came a day after armed Iranian speedboats briefly detained a Hong Kong-flagged chemical tanker in the Gulf of Oman. The crew reportedly boarded the vessel, directing it to Iranian waters. The vessel was released later that day with all of its crew in a safe condition. Iran has been involved in a series of incidents the previous year. In June 2019, a U.S. aircraft reportedly saw an IRGCN patrol boat near the motor tanker Altair. The said tanker was one of two oil vessels attacked off the coast of Oman on June 13, 2019. The crew from a different motor tanker abandoned their ship after discovering probable explosives following an initial blast. The Pentagon's Central Command said an Iranian boat later approached the ship and removed an unexploded mine. The ship had roughly 44 crew members, with some sustaining minor injuries. In September 2019, Iran released a British-flagged oil tanker after detaining it for more than two months. Iran's Revolutionary Guard seized the ship on July 19 and detained its 23 crew members after allegedly violation maritime laws. Iranian authorities released seven crew members on September 4. British authorities claim the vessel was "unlawfully seized" and is a part of Iran's attempts to interfere with freedom of navigation. The move came after Britain detained an Iranian oil tanker on suspicions it was transporting oil to Syria, violating sanction imposed by the European Union. The tanker, Gibraltar, was released on August 15 after the Iranian government assured it would not violate the sanctions. The oil tanker was later photographed near a Syrian port. It was said to be carrying over 2.1 million barrels of crude oil estimated to be worth $130 million. Want to read more? Check these out: The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket emblazoned with the famous NASA "worm" logo for the Demo-2 mission/ NASA and SpaceX are targeting May 27 for the launch of Demo-2, the first launch of NASA astronauts from the U.S. since 2011 and the first crewed launch for Elon Musk's space company. Bridenstine tweet As its name implies, Demo-2 will be the second time SpaceX launches its Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station. But, unlike Demo-1 last year, this time two astronauts will be on board. Demo-2 is set to liftoff at 4:32 p.m. EDT from launchpad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will be strapped into a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule that is sitting on top of a Falcon 9 rocket. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine earlier this month explained to CNBC why Demo-2 has been a priority for the agency. "We need access to the International Space Station from the United States of America. Commercial Crew is the program that's going to make that happen. It's essential for our country to have that capability," Bridenstine said. The current Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has hit the smartphone industry hard. With the world coming to a halt following the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been a sharp decline in smartphone demand. Now, it seems the worlds largest smartphone vendor Samsung is having to make some tough calls owing to that fall in demand. According to a report from the South Korean news portal The Elec, Samsung has cut down smartphone production in April by about 60 percent. The company usually manufactures more than 300 million smartphone units every year. Thats a monthly average of 25 million units. However, this month, the South Korean giant will reportedly produce only 10 million smartphones. The report cites Samsungs suppliers as the source of information. Advertisement Samsung cuts down smartphone production in April Samsung produces a bulk of smartphones in the first quarter of the year. The company then places further orders in April according to the demand. So it usually produces fewer smartphones in April as compared to the overall monthly average. However, the number will be even lower in April 2020. Since not many people are buying phones in this time of financial uncertainty, Samsung would still have quite a bit of inventory left over from its March production. So, it makes sense for the company to not manufacture a lot more units until the demand surges back again. Samsungs smartphone factories in India and Brazil have been shut down. Both countries are in lockdown as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise. The Indian government recently extended the nationwide lockdown until May 3. The Korean companys manufacturing plants in several other countries have also been shut down, while some are operating at lesser capacity. Advertisement Companies like Apple and Huawei, on the other hand, are getting ready to resume production soon. These companies have their main production units in China, the epicenter of the Coronavirus pandemic. And since COVID-19 is almost under control in China, industries are expected to resume operations soon. Samsung, meanwhile, plans to ramp up smartphone production starting next month, thats if things improve in India and Brazil by then. The smartphone giant is still hopeful of launching the Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Fold 2 in its original schedule in August. Market watchers expect smartphone demand to hit rock bottom in the second quarter of this year. The demand will start rising in the third quarter, with the market finally getting back to normal in Q4 2020. Overall, global smartphone shipments are expected to fall more than 10 percent this year. A coalition of 350 local businesses is urging Mayor Sylvester Turner and County Judge Lina Hidalgo to begin May 1 to ease stay-at-home restrictions meant to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, warning many firms cannot survive additional weeks of forced closures. The impromptu association, calling itself the Houston Coronavirus Business Group, said in identical letters to the leaders Wednesday that a balance must be struck between the medical communitys desire to keep cases and deaths down and the need to limit damage to the economy. The group said business leaders should have an equal influence in extending restrictions beyond April 30 as doctors, who they said fail to grasp the severe economic damage wrought by the draconian stay-at-home order. These good folks arent business or economic experts, and they dont see or understand the economic spiral that we are currently experiencing and the human toll a complete shutdown will ravage in terms of lives, mental health, physical wellbeing, crime, poverty, etc., the letter states. The letter is the first organized push by members of the business community against restrictions of movement and commerce since the pandemic reached the Houston area. CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Stay informed with accurate reporting you can trust on HoustonChronicle.com The virus is expected to peak in the Houston area in late April or early May, health experts say, calling it a potentially disastrous time to permit residents to again congregate in restaurants, offices and playgrounds. The virus will and should dictate when we lift restrictions, said Baylor College of Medicine CEO Dr. Paul Klotman. It makes no sense to artificially pick a date based on what we wish to happen. Hidalgo, who has yet to decide to extend the stay-at-home order beyond April 30, said she would not consider lifting it until the virus has peaked here and widespread testing is available. She said she wants businesses to reopen as soon as possible, but lifting restrictions too quickly could backfire. Dr. Umair Shah, the countys public health director, warned about a second wave of the virus. I share everyones urgency to get back to normalcy, but we have to be smart and strategic in our fight against COVID-19, Hidalgo said. Any premature action we take to lift the order would put us right back where we started and would extend the economic impact even more. Turner said he had not received the groups letter, but repeatedly has urged patience about re-opening shuttered businesses and, like Hidalgo, said testing first must become more widely available. "I think all of us on this stage would love for the city to open up yesterday," Turner said, gesturing to other officials at his daily news conference Thursday. "But my No. 1 priority as the mayor of the city is to protect the health and safety and security of the people in this city." The mayor and judge also have come under pressure to convene a recovery council to handle the aftermath of the crisis. Angela Blanchard, a disaster expert and former president of Houston nonprofit BakerRipley, penned an open letter this week calling on Turner and Hidalgo to form the group with officials from the public, private, philanthropic and faith sectors. When they're at the same table, comparing their dashboards, their views of ... the present and unfolding challenges, then we craft better answers and better responses, Blanchard said Thursday. Just two elected officials alone cannot possibly reach all of the people that need to know and understand the intricacies and the nuances and the details that well need to grasp as we work our way out. CORONAVIRUS CHRONICLE: Subscribe to our new daily podcast for pandemic insights through a Houston lens Turner said Thursday he and Hidalgo each plan to appoint a recovery czar who would serve as co-chairs for some type of recovery group. A spokeswoman for Turner said more details would come when the czars are announced, which the mayor said will happen in the next few days, if not sooner. Hidalgo and Turner on March 11 shuttered the Houston Rodeo; on March 16 they closed bars and limited restaurants to takeout and delivery. The county judge a week later issued the stay-at-home rules, which closed most businesses, prohibit public gatherings and order residents to stay put except for necessary errands. The economic impact of similar restrictions across Texas has been staggering, plunging the state into a near-certain recession. Unemployment claims soared past 1 million on Thursday, a figure unlikely to have reached its zenith as businesses small and large teeter on bankruptcy. Across the nation, first-time unemployment claims this week reached 22 million, and Congress passed a $2 trillion stimulus bill to prevent firms from shedding more workers. Jon Silberman, a principal with commercial real estate firm NAI Partners, said he founded the informal group 10 days ago because he worries political leaders are insufficiently concerned with the plight of businesses. I feel like the health care side of the equation is clear, he said. But the other side of the equation, which is economic impact, which has as significant a potential risk, has not been well-documented. I felt like it needed a voice. Silberman drafted the letter and urged businesses to sign an online petition. Those that did include engineering firms, insurance agencies, dry cleaners, nail salons and law firms. Morgan Weber, co-owner of the Agricole restaurant group which owns Eight Row Flint and Coltivare in the Heights, said despite being able to offer takeout, the restaurants revenues have sunk 80 percent. He said the company has yet to be approved for loans funded through the federal stimulus package, putting Agricole at risk of going out of business if it cannot reopen its dining rooms. He said patrons still would be eager to practice social distancing. Its not a black and white situation where they flip the switch on May 1 and then everybody magically reappears, Weber said. Nobody wants to be in crowds right now. Barber Pitther Guzman, who opened his first salon off Interstate 10 in the Energy Corridor last year, said he has not had a customer since March 19. Ive lost a lot of money. Ive got to pay my rent and my electricity, Guzman said. I can't wait any longer. LIVE UPDATES: Stay on top of the latest coronavirus news, analysis and more with our daily live blog The letter asks the city and county to gradually ease restrictions in such ways as continuing to limit large gatherings and force residents who contract the virus into quarantine. Hidalgo said a lack of widespread testing has left epidemiologists blind to potential hot spots of the virus here, preventing the government from switching to more tactical restrictions that allow portions of everyday life to resume. Now Playing: 'COVID-19 in 60': Houston coronavirus news in a minute Video: Houston Chronicle Getting back to normalcy requires testing for everybody that has symptoms, Hidalgo said. We dont have a vaccine. We dont have treatment. All we have are tests and social distancing. The coalition also has appealed to Gov. Greg Abbott, who has the authority to override local restrictions. Abbott said he would announce his plan for reopening the states economy on Friday. The White House on Thursday issued broad guidelines for restarting the national economy, but President Donald Trump said he would defer to governors on how to manage reopening their states. Todd Ackerman and Lisa Gray contributed reporting. zach.despart@chron.com jasper.scherer@chron.com Global contraction of coronavirus in the first of 2020 is inevitable as the pandemic struck the global economy in an already fragile state, weighed down by trade disputes, policy uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, the IMF said on Friday. Addressing the Development Committee Meeting during the annual Spring Meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said a severe economic impact in the first half of 2020 is inevitable and the pandemic encounters weak public health systems. The global coronavirus outbreak is a crisis that is like no other and poses daunting challenges for policymakers in many emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs), especially where the pandemic encounters weak public health systems, capacity constraints, and limited policy space to mitigate the outbreak's repercussions, Georgieva said. She said the medium termed projections are clouded by uncertainities Medium-term projections are clouded by uncertainty regarding the pandemic's magnitude and speed of propagation, as well as the longer-term impact of measures to contain the outbreak, such as travel bans and social distancing, she said. However, most EMDEs are already suffering from disruptions to global value chains, lower foreign direct investment, capital outflows, tighter financing conditions, lower tourism and remittances receipts, and price pressures for some critical imports such as foods and medicines, she said. The world economy was in a sluggish recovery before the coronavirus outbreak and is now bound to suffer a severe recession in 2020, Georgieva added. According to the Johns Hopkins University data, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed two million globally and 144,000 people have died so far. The US is the worst hit with more than 670,000 COVID-19 cases and 33,000 deaths. It further added that rising malnutririon 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. Georgieva said that prospects have deteriorated sharply with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries that were affected earlysuch as China, South Korea, and Italyhave suffered large contractions in manufacturing activity and services, exceeding the losses recorded at the onset of the global financial crisis. She said retrenchments in activity have been accompanied by a sharp re-pricing of financial assets amid rapidly deteriorating risk sentiment, large equity sell-offs, widening risk spreads, and reversals of portfolio flows to EMDEs. Many commodity prices have fallen sharply, notably for oil. A large global contraction in the first half of 2020 is inevitable. Prospects thereafter depend on the intensity and efficacy of containment efforts, progress with developing vaccines and therapies, the extent of supply disruptions, shifts in spending patterns, the impact of tighter financial conditions on activity, and the size of the policy response, Georgieva said. There is an assumption the global economy would start recovering from the third quarteras public health measures are scaled back and the impact of policy support materializes. While the recovery is expected to pick up in 2021, by end-2021 global output would remain significantly below the pre-crisis trend, she said. The IMF Managing Director said that the immediate priority is to minimise the pandemic's human toll and economic disruption. Bold action from the international community is needed to help LIDCs cope with the pandemic and its economic and social repercussions, she said. The first priority must be to limit the human toll from the pandemic. Policymakers must use all instruments at their disposal to slow the pandemic's spread and prevent overloading their health systemsthe idea of a tradeoff between saving lives and saving livelihoods is a false dilemma, she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Presidential staffer, Clara Napaga Tia Sulemana, has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to the Nanton District Health Directorate as her contribution to the fight against the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The package includes 100 bottles of liquid soap, 200 hand sanitizers, boxes of tissue paper, 15 Veronica budgets with stands and washing bowls. The items were presented on her behalf by Mr Gilbert Dery and Alhassan Tia to the DCE of the area, Hon Abdul- Rahamani Abubakari. He, in turn, handed the items to the Nanton Health Directorate and was received by Mr Duut Damyar, the District Diseases Control officer. The Health Directorate thanked the Presidential staffer, a native of the area, for the support and promised to put the logistics to good use. Ghana has 641 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 nationwide. The Northern Region has recorded 10 but the patients are all foreigners from Guinea and Burkina Faso. The government, as part of measures to curb, prevent and fight the pandemic has instituted measures including border closures, ban on public gathering and partial lockdown of certain parts of the country including Greater Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Greater Kumasi. Source: Peacefmonline.com 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 Money laundering to culpable homicide: Time running out for Maulana Saad India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 17: The Enforcement Directorate which filed money laundering charges against Tablighi Jamaat leader, Maulana Saad said that the funding from both foreign and domestic sources are under the scanner. The ED would soon issue summons to Saad, who recently said that he was exercising self quarantine. The Jamaat congregation held at Nizamuddin last month led to a massive spike in the number of coronavirus cases in India. Culpable homicide charge added against Tablighi leader Maulana Saad It may be recalled that the Tablighi leader was recently booked for culpable homicide for going ahead with the congregation despite several warnings. Sources tell OneIndia that the Income Tax department is also scrutinising the funds that the Islamic sect had received. The ED which filed the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act said that it has been scrutinising the financial transactions since the past couple of weeks. We have a water-tight case on hand and will be summoning the Maulana soon. NEWS AT 3 PM, APRIL 17th, 2020 The case was filed after the agencies noticed a spike in the accounts of Saad. Nearly 2,000 foreigners had attended the congregation and the funding could have spiked due to this, an official familiar with the investigation said. The ED would also question the accountants and other members of the Jamaat to find more details about the money trail. The Delhi police which is also probing the case slapped charges under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code against Saad. The police said that the case was registered based on a complaint by the Station House Officer of Nizamuddin. Saad had ignored warnings and gone ahead with the congregation. Due to the congregation, several members of the Jamaat succumbed to the coronavirus. Worse, they even spread it others, as a result of which a massive spike in the number of cases was reported. Tablighi Jamaat leader Maulana Saad will join probe after quarantine period is over In addition to this, the Union Home Ministry also blacklisted over 800 Jamaat members who attended the congregation. They had violated visa norms. They took part in religious activity while on a tourist visa, officials said. 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 (Photo: VNA) 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. (Natural News) A naval ship thats been docked off the coast of Los Angeles as a floating hospital for non-coronavirus patients is now experiencing its own outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). The USNS Mercy, which was sent to the Port of Los Angeles by the United States Navy to help alleviate the burden on land-based hospitals treating Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) patients, is reporting a total of seven crew members that it claims have tested positive for the novel virus. All infected persons have reportedly been removed from the ship and put into isolation, but many are now wondering whether or not its safe to continue treating patients aboard the vessel. Those recently in contact with the infected individuals have also been placed into isolation for monitoring, while the remaining 1,000 some-odd military personnel whove been working on the ship, along with a small civilian staff, remain in place. The ship is following protocols and taking every precaution to ensure the health and safety of all crew members and patients on board, reads a statement from the Navy, which has indicated that the Mercy will not be ceasing its operations despite the outbreak. This will not affect the ability for Mercy to receive patients at this time. As a precautionary measure, 112 other personnel who may or may not have the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) have been quarantined ashore just to be sure that others aboard the ship, including patients, are safe from infection. Check out The Health Ranger Report below, as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, talks about how the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a biological cyber-attack on the world: Four personnel aboard the USNS Comfort in New York also tested positive for coronavirus All the way across the country in New York City, the USNS Comfort, a sister ship to the Mercy, also experienced its own small outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) in which four personnel tested positive. However, all four of these individuals are said to have since recovered and returned to work. The USNS Mercy reportedly left San Diego, where it usually lives, on March 23, and arrived in Los Angeles a few days later. The USNS Comfort was undergoing maintenance before being rushed out and sent to New York City on March 28. Both ships have been operating under capacity, with the Mercy currently treating about 20 non-coronavirus patients, including one ICU patient. The Comfort, which is accepting both non-coronavirus and coronavirus patients, is currently treating about 70 patients total, including 34 people in intensive care. All in all, the Comfort has treated 120 people total, including 50 that have already been discharged. About half of these patients were infected with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). The Comfort was set up to provide assistance and care for patients, and that is exactly what we are doing, a spokeswoman from the service indicated in a statement. Other Navy ships are also experiencing outbreaks of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), including the deployed aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, which is reporting almost 600 cases. Multiple sailors have also had to be hospitalized for the novel virus, while one is said to have died from related complications. The tests are giving off over 80% false positives, and sure enough everyone tests positive, wrote one Zero Hedge commenter, speculating as to why this might be happening despite the Navys rigorous safety protocols. [I]f they have the flu, they turn a treatable condition with a ventilator and push fluids into the lungs and kill the patient how many people have to die [until] the boys in the white coats figure it out? Treat the patients with IV vitamins, its working. To keep up with the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), be sure to check out Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com BusinessInsider.com NaturalNews.com Two more inmates at the Bexar County jail have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to 10. Both inmates had already been in isolated cells in the infirmary, officials said Thursday, before their test results returned. At that point, they were placed in negative-pressure cells. Of the 10 inmates who have tested positive, one has required serious medical care, officials say. Theresa Scepanski, a chief administrative officer at University Health System who oversees medical care at the jail, said the man is doing better. He was expected to return to the jail Thursday. The inmate will be held in an isolated cell in the infirmary for two weeks. In order to be released back to general population, an inmate must be symptom free for 72 hours, Scepanski said. The Sheriffs Office also said Thursday that a mechanic who serviced Bexar County Sheriffs Office vehicles tested positive for the virus. The vehicles have since been sanitized. At last count, 22 employees at the Sheriffs Office have tested positive for the coronavirus. Three other county employees who work with deputies including two at the jail have also tested positive. 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 Joe Wojtecki wont forget room number 1315 in Clara Maass Medical Center. Its where his colleague, Dr. Francis Molinari, was intubated while battling the coronavirus last week in the intensive care unit. Its where, on April 5, Wojtecki held a tablet in his gloved hands and FaceTimed Molinaris family so they could speak with the dying 70-year-old physician, who lay on a ventilator unable to talk back. And its where, four days later, Molinari died. His sister Lisa didnt know that would be her last chance to talk to her brother, to tell him how much she loved him. That 20 minutes of FaceTime meant the world to her, but she only knew the person who made it happen as Joe. After NJ Advance Media wrote about Dr. Molinaris death, Clara Maass hospital staff contacted NJ.com to reveal Joes full name. Hes the assistant of patient experience at the hospital, and was there that Sunday, working on his day off. On Wednesday, NJ Advance Media reconnected Lisa and Wojtecki in an online Zoom meeting so she could share her gratitude for his act of kindness. Youre putting your life at risk every day... But youre also providing a service that you have no idea how it touches our lives, Lisa Molinari told Wojecki. " I could not thank you enough and please know how much we appreciate that." He has made those FaceTime conversations possible countless times over the past few weeks, carrying the heavy emotional toll that comes with witnessing the final goodbyes of strangers. As COVID-19 races through the state, people have been unable to hug or hold their dying relatives amid hospital visitor restriction policies. At Clara Maass Medical Center, some families have Wojteckis cell phone number saved, and use him as a conduit to see and speak to their hospitalized loved ones. Before noon on Wednesday, he had set up five FaceTime calls for patients two of whom he says are in extremely critical condition. Heres another one from another family," he said as his phone began ringing during a recent interview with NJ Advance Media this week. I gotta get this. Dr. Francis "Frankie" Molinari, right, with his siblings, Janice, Lisa and Albert. Photo courtesy of Lisa MolinariClara Maass Medical Center, Lisa Molinari The FaceTime call two Sundays ago was different, though. Molinari wasnt a stranger. Wojtecki knew him both as his humble coworker at the medical center and an all around nice guy. He recalled a friendly conversation the two had at the wedding venue Naninas in the Park in Belleville during a Christmas party for staff last year. Molinari, better known as Frankie to friends, graduated from the University of Bologna in Italy with a degree in medicine and worked for Hudson County for 30 years before retiring in 2018. A Kearney resident, he maintained a small practice in Belleville after retirement and was on the staff at nearby Clara Maass Medical Center. That day, when they asked me if I would start doing some FaceTiming so families could connect, I felt like I was there for a reason," Wojtecki told Lisa Molinari. Molinari was admitted to the hospital on March 29 with a high fever. His condition deteriorated as the days went on, until he was put on a ventilator. That Sunday, Molinari nearly died, but the doctors and nurses revived him, his sister Lisa Molinari said. Lisa frantically called the hospital to set up an in-person visit with her brother, but amid the outbreak, it wasnt possible. FaceTime was their only option. Wojtecki answered their pleas. He suited up in a gown, hairnet, goggles and mask and arranged the call between the doctor and his family, who had scrambled to get all his siblings in different parts of the country on the line too. Wojtecki placed the device beside Molinari and left the room to give the family privacy during the intimate moment. Dr. Francis Molinari, far left, at a family gathering.Lisa Molinari Not thinking it would be the last time theyd see him, the Molinari family shared words of encouragement with him, Lisa Molinari said. Although Molinari was unable to speak because he was intubated, they motivated him to keep fighting. To us, we feel like he could hear us and that gives us some sense of comfort," said Lisa Molinari. If we had one last opportunity, the conversation wouldve been different and it would have been that the fight is over... and he could let go. But at least I feel like he could hear us and he knew we were there and he knew people loved him. Any sense of connection we could have, that was very important. Lisa Molinari said shell remember her brother as someone who was full of life and loved the medical profession. Growing up, she said, family often talked about how he would one day become a doctor, and an aunt even set aside money for his schooling. We always knew that that was Frankies destiny, Lisa Molinari said. They plan to hold a celebration of Molinaris life at a future date. Amid the chaos, Wojtecki didnt realize until after the call that the patient in the bed was his coworker. Since then, Wojtecki said he has done the same for a lot" of families, too many to count. Sometimes, he holds the patients hand to provide the physical comfort they are missing. Priests or religious leaders also at times join the call for prayer. The job has taken a toll on Wojtecki emotionally. I cant imagine having a loved one in the hospital and not be able to hug them and say goodbye," he said. The hard part is when youre multiple days and you become so attached to the families. Where I see my coworkers are physically drained, Im emotionally drained. Subscribe to the #TogetherNJ newsletter to get a weekly dose of 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. Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo2@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AvalonZoppo. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. An old friend blurted out on Facebook the other day that in Week 5 of working from home, he has gotten tired of wearing jeans. "I can't believe I just wrote those words," he added, with tongue clearly planted firmly in cheek. "Jeans are the garment that defined my generation. Yet I find myself longing for the soft embrace of navy blue or charcoal gray. Perhaps with some pinstripes." My friend is a lawyer of considerable accomplishment in Manhattan. You can understand how being out of uniform would be unsettling both to him and to those who know him like seeing a priest in an aloha shirt or a rocker in a blazer. Who are you if you don't look like you? The novel coronavirus has changed our lives in a lot of ways, the clothes we wear likely among the least important of those. But like the celebrities who are posting photos showing us their unkempt hair and gray roots, this turn away from our usual public presence offers us a chance to redefine ourselves in a way that's perhaps a bit more genuine. Or maybe we'll all just adopt some new pretenses. I caught myself grabbing a black crewneck pullover from a drawer the other day before a Zoom meeting, and I know it's because once when I was wearing it a woman told me I looked like a movie director. Yeah, cool: Me and Scorsese. That's apparently who I wanted to be to the folks on the other end of the call. Not that it's a good idea to totally disregard the social conventions represented in our clothing. This week police in Taneytown, a Maryland community of a few thousand people not far from the Gettysburg battlefield, issued a statement reminding residents to wear pants when checking their mailboxes. "You know who you are," the cops warned ominously. Well, you may say, if who you are is somebody who hangs around the house in your boxers, why shouldn't you saunter to the end of your very own driveway with a proud display of your kneecaps? Assuming, that is, you're not a flasher showing us more. But social norms play a big role in determining what we choose to wear and what others consider acceptable. When my older brother went to college, students at that school were allowed to wear shorts to class only once a year, on what was called Bermuda Day. By the time I got to the same campus just a few years later, cutoff jeans were our everyday habit (it was a warm climate). Now and I confess that I find this strange some college students wear pajama bottoms to class. Or they did, anyway, before COVID-19 closed campuses. With professors showing up only on computers, probably even more students are learning in pajamas. No harm, no foul. Sociologists tell us that clothing isn't just a practical way to protect vulnerable flesh; it's more a key way we establish our identity and convey it to others. If we're emotionally healthy enough to reveal an identity that's genuine, the clothes we choose to wear will reflect the real you and me. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. If, though, keeping your job hinges on a favorable view of your identity among millions of people like, if you're a big time politician you may be ever so careful about how you dress. When Mario Cuomo was governor, he always wore a jacket and tie with a starched shirt if he was going to be seen in public or photographed the real view, you had to think, of a disciplined man who was not known to relax. His son Andrew, the current governor, is more likely to costume himself for the occasion: a suit for most workdays, but khakis and a polo shirt emblazoned with the state seal, and a bomber jacket, on occasions when a governor might want to be seen as getting down to dirty work for the people. Premeditated, perhaps, but there's some authenticity to it. The guy used to drive a tow truck, you know. So how do we explain Donald Trump's overlong red ties? It was his trademark long before his rallies sold red MAGA hats, and before red-versus-blue was the color scheme of the Republican/Democratic divide (which only dates to Election Day 2000). In fact, red ties were a power statement in the 1980s world of real estate, which Trump hoped to dominate, bankruptcies notwithstanding; they claimed, "I'm potent." This week, Trump was wearing his red power tie as he asserted, "When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total." That's not true under our Constitution, but Trump apparently thought better of the bullying, anyway; this crisis demands tough decisions from real leaders. So 24 hours later, the man in the red tie punted the responsibility to the nation's governors. The tie, of course, actually signifies nothing. It's just an article of clothing, and only humans change clothes. A tiger, you know, can't change its stripes. BOGOTA, April 17 (Reuters) - Colombian startup Rappi is piloting deliveries by robots as a safe way of getting food to people forced to stay at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. The pilot started this week in Medellin, Colombia's second-largest city. The boxy robots, which travel on four wheels and are decked with orange flags on their antennae, carry deliveries of up to 35 square centimeters (5 square inches) and are used to transport restaurant orders paid for digitally. The robots complete the last mile of the deliveries and are disinfected before and after each use, Rappi said in a statement on Thursday night. The robots are operated jointly by Rappi and U.S.-based KiwiBot. "We believe that by partnering with technology we will be able to continue meeting our aim of safely making people's lives easier, especially in situations like the one we find ourselves in," Rappi's Colombia country manager Matias Laks said in the statement. Rappi has completed close to 120 deliveries each day with 15 robots in the pilot area, it said. It said it intended to run the pilot until July and, if successful, roll it out to other cities where it operates. Rappi, which has around 200,000 distributors across nine Latin American countries, reported a year-on-year 30% rise in deliveries during the first two months of 2020 - before the lockdown began. In the fiercely competitive world of home deliveries, Brazil's iFood last week announced it had bought a controlling stake in Rappi's Colombian rival Domicilios.com as it looks to expand in the region. (Reporting by Nelson Bocanegra Writing by Oliver Griffin Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) Policeman accused of drug planting to wait for trial under house arrest pixabay. com 17:36 17/04/2020 MOSCOW, April 17 (RAPSI) The Central District Court of Russias city of Kaliningrad has placed police officer Ruslan Yakovenko under house arrest until June 14 over alleged drugs planting, the victims lawyer Vladislav Filatyev has told RAPSI. The defendant is charged with abuse of power resulted in grave consequences and illegal drug turnover. The court chose a less restrictive preventive measure despite the investigations and prosecutions motions for detention. Investigators belive that in January 2020 police officers from the transport police anti-drugs department asked their acquaintance to find a person to whom they could plant drugs to improce the clearance rate. The attorney insists the policemen planted the drugs on his 22-year client and then arrested him. A case was opened against the young man over illegal drug trafficking. "Not Just Jazz" Now on sale! From our hearts to your hearts. Alsamarol 2057 was formed in Rahway New Jersey by group founded and guitarist Allan Burnett. The other band members are vocalist Denice Bradshaw; saxophonist Samuel Clark; pianist and vocalist Eva Marie Harris; drummer and vocalist Edwina Sabrina Jones; pianist and vocalist Robert Turner; and bass player and vocalist Ed Washington. Joining the band on this album is guitarist Jerry Ramos of Mercury Recording Studio in Rahway, and drummer-percussionist Mark Turner of East Orange New Jersey. Alsamarol 2057s Raw Street Music is the blending and blending of Jazz, Blues, R&B, Soul, Gospel, with Latin and African flavor. Essentially, the band members say this music is From our hearts to your hearts. The band is fortunate to have so many experienced, talented, and skilled musicians, said co-founded Samuel Clark. Sam also said, If I wasnt a member of this group, I would pay to see Alsamarol 2057 perform. Not Just Jazz is an album with instrumental and vocal songs. It has at least one song that nearly anyone would enjoy. The songs in the album are A Quito; Lonely People; Hero; Shadow Prints; That Day; Stood Me Up; Luigis Theme; Cant Get Enough Of Your Love. The song A Quito (a vocal song written by Samuel Clark and Robert Turner) was written in appreciation of the people of Ecuador. Sam was amazed and inspired by his unforgettable interactions with the people of Ecuador, and the unbelievable natural beauty he saw in the country. Edwina Sabrina Jones is singing the lead on A Quito, and Jerry Ramos is playing rhythm guitar. A Quito and the other songs in the album can be purchased by going to the link below: https://alsamarol2057.com/music-store/ The song Lonely People (written by John Taylor, Samuel Clark, Robert Turner) is a jazzy swing vocal. Vocalist Denice Bradshaw has the lead on this one. We must mention the solid drum work of Edwina, and the inspiring bass lines of Ed Washington on this one. Hero is a song (written by Robert Turner) about a little fellow who had a figurine he called Hero. Robert and Edwina are singing on this song. Shadow Prints (written by Samuel Clark) is an up-tempo instrumental written in honor of a guitarist friend of Sam. Eva Marie Harris does an outstanding job on piano in this one. That Day (written by Samuel Clark) is about the ending of a love affair. Vocalist Denice Bradshaw takes care of this one. Stood Me Up is an up-tempo instrumental written by Samuel Clark. Sam is playing alto saxophone on this one, with a guitar solo by founder Allan Burnett. Luigis Theme is an instrumental written by Samuel Clark, Robert Turner and Edwina Jones. It was inspired by the interactions with the management and patrons of Luigis Rancho of New Jersey. Robert Turner lays down a nice piano solo in this one. Cant Get Enough Of Your Love is an up-tempo vocal written by Robert Turner. Vocalist Denice Bradshaw is leading this one. The guitar solo is by Allan Burnett. And throughout this song and the entire album you can hear the percussion work of Mark Turner. For additional information about the members of Alsamarol 2057, and to view their photos go to the link below: https://alsamarol2057.com/ 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 (Newser) A senior Saudi royal says she and a daughter are being held in a Riyadh prison without charge despite repeated pleas to her cousin, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz al-Sauda granddaughter of Saudi Arabia's founding monarch and the youngest daughter of King Saud, who ruled from 1953 to 1964demanded their release in a series of tweets late Wednesday, per the BBC, though they have since been deleted. Her plea, said to have come from inside al-Ha'ir prison, surprised some extended family members. While the 52-year-old human rights advocate hadn't been seen in more than a year, per the Guardian, some senior royals believed she was recovering from an illness, while others thought she was under house arrest. story continues below It's now believed Basmah and her daughter were detained while trying to leave the country for Switzerland in March 2019. Basmah, who claimed the trip was for urgent medical treatment, now describes her health as "deteriorating to an extent that is severe, and that could lead to my death," per the BBC. She claims to have not received medical care. Human Rights Watch says the case is further evidence that the crown prince is working to silence "all forms of critics," but especially women. Basmah, who previously lived in London, called on Saudi Arabia to swap its absolute monarchy for a constitutional monarchy, as in the UK. She also worked to advance women's rights in the country and advocated for restraint in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. (Read more Saudi Arabia stories.) Lipids, or fats, have many functions in our body: They form membrane barriers, store energy or act as messengers, which regulate cell growth and hormone release. Many of them are also biomarkers for severe diseases. So far, it has been very difficult to analyze the functions of these molecules in living cells. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden and the Leibniz Research Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP) in Berlin have now developed chemical tools that can be activated by light and used to influence lipid concentration in living cells. This approach could enable medical doctors to work with biochemists to identify what molecules within a cell actually do. The study was published in the journal PNAS. Every cell can create thousands of different lipids (fats). However, little is known how this chemical lipid diversity contributes to the transport of messages within the cell, in other words, the lipid code of the cell is still unknown. This is mainly due to the lack of methods to quantitatively study lipid function in living cells. An understanding of how lipids work is very important because they control the function of proteins throughout the cell and are involved in bringing important substances into the cell through the cell membrane. In this process it is fascinating that only a limited number of lipid classes on the inside of the cell membrane act as messenger molecules, but they receive messages from thousands of different receptor proteins. It is still not clear, how this abundance of messages can still be easily recognized and transmitted. The research groups led by Andre Nadler at the MPI-CBG and Alexander Walter at the FMP, in collaboration with the TU Dresden, have developed chemical tools to control the concentration of lipids in living cells. These tools can be activated by light. Milena Schuhmacher, the lead author of the study, explains: "Lipids are actually not individual molecular structures, but differ in tiny chemical details. For example, some have longer fatty acid chains and some have slightly shorter ones. Using sophisticated microscopy in living cells and mathematical modelling approaches, we were able to show that the cells are actually able to recognize these tiny changes through special effector proteins and thus possibly use them to transmit information. It was important that we were able to control exactly how much of each individual lipid was involved." Andre Nadler, who supervised the study, adds: "These results indicate the existence of a lipid code that cells use to re-encode information, detected on the outside of the cell, on the inner side of the cell." The results of the study could enable membrane biophysicists and lipid biochemists to verify their results with quantitative data from living cells. Andre Nadler adds: "Clinicians could also benefit from our newly developed method. In diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, more lipids that act as biomarkers are found in the blood. This can be visualized with a lipid profile. With the help of our method, doctors could now see exactly what the lipids are doing in the body. That wasn't possible before." ### (CNN) - As frontline workers and hospitals struggle to get access to enough medical equipment to deal with the rapid spread of coronavirus, a growing number of businesses are pushing what could be a promising fix: 3D-printed supplies. A sprawling network of multinationals, local firms, universities and even individual hobbyists have stepped in to fill a void by using 3D printers to make face shields, respirator masks, nasal swabs and even ventilator parts in recent weeks. "3D printing actually has the capability to react very, very quickly in terms of hours you can go from idea, to design, to prototype, to produce," Ramon Pastor, acting president of 3D printing and digital manufacturing for HP, told CNN Business. The same process can take days or even weeks for traditional manufacturers, he added. The list of products that can be 3D printed is a testament to the technology's potential to ease the medical supply crisis. HP alone has printed and distributed more than 50,000 products from its centers in the US and Spain over the last two months, including face shields, protective masks and door handles you can open with your elbow to avoid touching them with your hands. It's also working on developing nasal swabs that can be used to test for the virus and an emergency field ventilator made with 3D-printed parts that it aims to start producing in the coming weeks following additional tests. Despite this groundswell of activity, there are limitations on how far 3D printing can go to genuinely bridge the gap. While some hospitals have turned to this technology to shore up their supplies, safety concerns remain for 3D printing certain critical medical equipment, including ventilators. Hospital leaders may not be comfortable with using these products. The US Food and Drug Administration has sounded a note of caution on the effort and has only approved a fraction of the 3D-printed device applications it has received so far. "While the FDA understands that 3D printing may occur to provide wider availability of devices during the COVID-19 public health emergency," the agency notes on its website, "some devices are more amenable to 3D printing than others." 'A war effort' Inside the 3D printing community -- as well as parts of the medical community -- hopes appear to be high. University and school libraries are bringing their machines together, individual enthusiasts are pitching in from home, and smaller companies are joining forces with rivals to speed up the production of medical equipment. Tangible Creative, which has 100 3D printers at its warehouse in Newark, New Jersey, has partnered with Brooklyn-based competitor MakerBot and Columbia University to create a coalition called the Covid Makers Response. The group is currently printing roughly 2,000 face shields a day, which volunteers pick up and drop off at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan. They are then assembled and sent to more than 30 hospitals in the area. "It was like a war effort," said Tangible's co-founder and CEO Nevaris A.C. It's part of a larger movement among big and small businesses to reorient their manufacturing operations toward producing medical supplies. Major US automakers are now making ventilators, tech firms such as Apple are designing face shields and companies that make phone accessories and gaming hardware are switching to mask production. While most of those companies are repurposing their existing manufacturing bases for the equipment, Ford said it will use 3D printing to make some disposable masks at its Advanced Manufacturing Center. "One of the really incredible things that's happened over the entire time scale of the crisis is this incredible community," said Anthony Costa of New York's Mount SInai hospital network. Costa is a professor at the hospital's medical school and the director of Sinai Biodesign, a center that works on medical innovations that has been helping source 3D-printed equipment for the network's hospitals. "They have done it at sort of a crowd-sourced level," he added. "Everyone who has a 3D printer in their basement, all the way to the prototyping facilities that we work with throughout the city, have all retooled all of their resources to make sure that we get to components that can have an impact." President Trump earlier this month invoked the Defense Production Act to speed up the production of ventilators and other equipment, but the bulk of deliveries aren't expected to arrive until June. 3D printing companies say they can't substitute traditional manufacturing, but their relative speed and ability to scale could make them an effective stopgap solution as medical workers continue to operate in crisis mode. "It allows you to move very quickly and so it allows you to fill those short-term supply chain gaps ... and obviously that's what this is," said Greg Kessler, CEO of 3D printing company Shapeways. "That's why 3D printing is a very good solution during these times." Shapeways has also been supplying face shields to New York hospitals and is working on producing nasal swabs and ventilator splitters that allow one ventilator to be used by multiple patients. Not all 3D-printed medical equipment is the same Some medical equipment is easier to produce than others. That's why so much of the 3D-printing effort has been focused on items like face shields. "Typically, as long as face shields fit comfortably and snugly across the forehead, are long enough to cover one's facemask but not so long that they bump against the provider's upper chest when looking down, and the plastic shield is clear and easy to see through, then the shield is good to go," Jeanne Noble, a professor of emergency medicine and director of coronavirus response at the University of California, San Francisco medical center, told CNN Business. The specific requirements of more fundamental medical equipment such as ventilators and masks make them tougher to design and often require approval from the FDA to produce. Ventilators in particular are becoming increasingly critical, as several states face massive shortages and have warned they may struggle to save patients when the pandemic peaks. "As you move up the risk scale, senior leadership starts to get involved to better understand, what risk are we really putting patients at?" said Costa, of Mount Sinai. "And certainly for something like a ventilator, you know, a life-sustaining device, we're not just going to get a part from a store and implement it, we're not simply going to 3D print something and not study it." The FDA has released guidance cautioning that 3D-printed equipment provides a physical barrier but may not be able to keep out smaller liquid or airborne particles as effectively. "3D-printed masks may look like conventional PPE," according to the FDA website. "However, they may not provide the same level of barrier protection, fluid resistance, filtration, and infection control." A spokesperson for the FDA said the agency has assessed 50 3D printed submissions through a partnership with the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans affairs, and has so far only approved one face mask and eight face shields for clinical use. Another four mask designs have been approved only for community use. "We are willing to be flexible and adapt to this pandemic, so that we can get essential medical devices to those in need," the spokesperson said. "As long as data supports the application, we are authorizing these products quickly." A massive network, ready to go Right now, some hospitals are continuing to move forward with select 3D-printed supplies. UCSF, for example, is working with 3D printing firm Carbon to create nasal swabs for coronavirus testing that Noble estimates will be available in the next two weeks. "This is a critical contribution given the scarcity of testing swabs that we are still facing," she said. And there's a huge potential network of 3D printers across the country that could be tapped into. Nearly 600,000 consumer 3D printers priced at less than $5000 were sold in the US in 2018, according to report last year by the Federation of American Scientists. Tangible Creative, HP and Shapeways have all made their design files available online for anyone that is able and willing to print them. "It's not like you need a mold," said Eugene Chang, Tangible's co-founder and industrial design director. "You have this digital file and you can just send it to people, and they can hit print, just like how you send an email and can print it out on a 2D printer." But Costa said more advanced equipment, even with the necessary approvals, would require industrial grade printers. As of 2018, according to the FAS report, 140,000 of those were sold worldwide. Once the regulatory and testing hurdles are cleared, however, 3D printing firms say they can move very quickly into mass production. Pastor said HP has the capacity to print 1 million swabs a week in the US alone. "Even building a new 3D printing factory is actually a question of weeks," he said. "You can react within weeks and actually double, triple, quadruple your capacity if you want to." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Can 3D printing plug the coronavirus equipment gap?" CAMBRIDGE Police have identified the victim of a fatal stabbing Tuesday as Danilo Perez, 33, a homeless man living in Cambridge. Cambridge police and the Middlesex District Attorney said Perez was stabbed multiple times as he fought with his killer near Green Street and Sidney Place shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday. The victim was found in the Franklin Street area by a passing jogger. Authorities transported him to Massachusetts General Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police said they believe the homicide was not a random act. Cambridge police and State Police detectives attached to the District Attorneys Office are investigating the incident and are looking for anyone who may have witnessed the attack. Citizens with information can contact the Cambridge Police Department Anonymous Tip Line at 617-349-3359 and leave a message. Anonymous tips can also be sent via the Cambridge Police MyPD mobile app or via text message to 847411. Start your text with TIP650, then type your message. You can also email your tip to: cambridgepolice.org/tips There are fears that America may soon be faced with a shortage of fresh meat and groceries as processing plants are forced to close due to COVID-19 outbreaks, taking a vital link out of the food supply chain which is wreaking havoc on farmers and retailers. Since the pandemic began last month, the number of animals being slaughtered has shrunk because there are not enough plants open to receive the meat and pump it out to the mass markets. It is causing some stores to limit how much food people can buy, but with the appetite for groceries higher than ever thanks to the nationwide closure of bars and restaurants, it has created a nightmarish supply and demand imbalance. Some fear that it will become worse in the weeks ahead. 'We are very concerned about fresh meat. We have fresh meat today, but there are indicators that it will be a problem in the future,' Mark Griffin, the president of B&R Stores Inc., a Midwestern grocery chain, told The Wall Street Journal. The number of animals being slaughtered is falling because there are not enough meatpacking plants still functioning for farmers to send the produce to Across his stores, meat sales have increased by 30 percent but suppliers are only filling 75 percent of what they normally would. It is causing a ripple effect down the supply chain. According to the USDA, cattle slaughters were down by 14 percent in the week ending April 11 from the previous week, hog slaughters were down by six percent and chicken slaughters were down by two percent. It comes down to the fact that thousands of meat plant workers have been forced out to stay at home due to outbreaks. In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a plant run by Chinese-owned Smithfield had so many outbreaks among workers it was labeled the hotspot of America. It has since announced the closure of plants in Cudahy, Wisconsin and Martin City, Missouri. The Sioux Falls plant, where 518 employees and 120 of their family members have tested positive for coronavirus, is now the largest single source of cases in the U.S., and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention has dispatched a critical response team to the scene. 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. Four employees of a Tyson Foods poultry plant in Georgia have also died after becoming infected with the coronavirus, the food giant has confirmed. A company spokesperson said Friday that three of the employees worked inside the chicken processing plant in the town of Camilla, while the fourth person worked in a supporting job outside the confines of the factory floor. Tyson Foods did say how many workers there have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new virus. Another problem is that the processors and plants which remain open cannot keep up with the demand for grocery store meat and they are having trouble working fast enough to reroute anything that was intended for schools or restaurants. Farmers have been forced to dump thousands of gallons of milk and get rid of countless eggs because the demand for their mass produce is just not there in the same way that it was. Shelves at this Publix in Atlanta are seen stripped bare last month after panic buying. Plant closures now threaten the supply of pork in the US, raising the possibility of shortages Smithfield's Sioux Falls plant, where 518 employees and 120 of their family members have tested positive for coronavirus, is now closed indefinitely They cannot scramble fast enough to put in place a supply structure for the grocery stores whose normal suppliers are overstretched. Some companies have done away with less popular items to focus solely on production of what is lacking. Among them is Smithfield. Cargill is putting product in different types of packing. Cargill is instead offering similar products in different packaging types or substituting other varieties, said Tom Windish, head of Cargills North American retail protein business. Stew Leonards Inc is no longer selling sliced chicken breasts, instead focusing on meeting demand for whole breasts from farmers in Pennsylvania since chicken breast sales are up 60 percent. 'What were trying to do is make sure the shelves are filled with the basics,' Chief Executive Stew Leonard Jr. told the Journal. Other suppliers, like those which sell to Lund Food Holdings, are only selling 16-ounce packages now of poultry instead of 32-ounce packages to simplify their production. A package of Smithfield Foods breakfast sausage is seen in a file photo. The company's Sioux Falls plant processes five percent of the American pork supply Frozen ground beef is also becoming more popular and frozen turkeys that were produced for the holidays are also flying off the shelves. 'No one would buy turkey in April in any other year, but it is highly likely that they will this year,' Griffin said. Another topic of the conversation is how in demand brick-and-mortar grocery stores will be once the pandemic is over. With more people than ever signing up to grocery delivery services like Instacart and Amazon's WholeFoods, the role of the traditional grocery store is uncertain. Those two delivery services have seen orders soar. They are hiring in the hundreds of thousands to keep up with demand. Homeless encampment resident Tammy Schuler walks her dogs beside a row of tents and tarps that line the Santa Ana River bicycle path in Anaheim, Calif., on Jan. 25, 2018. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images) Judge Blocks Orange County From Using Hotel to House Transients With COVID-19 SANTA ANA, Calif. (CNS)An Orange County Superior Court judge indicated on April 16 he would grant a temporary restraining order blocking the county from using a state-and-federal program to house transients infected with COVID-19 at a Laguna Hills hotel. However, Judge Thomas Delaney continued the hearing until the morning of April 20, in order to receive more arguments from the attorneys for the county and the city. Delaney rejected the argument that the use of the 76-bed Laguna Hills Inn at 23061 Avenida de la Carlota as a shelter for transientseither showing symptoms of COVID-19 or who tested positive for the diseasewas a public nuisance. But Delaney said he was leaning toward granting the temporary restraining order on the grounds that using the hotel for the states Project Roomkey was a change in the covenants, conditions, and restrictions of the property, which would allow for neighboring property owners to object. Delaney told the attorneys to file more legal briefs and that he would issue a ruling on April 20. Were not disputing the beneficial idea of trying to help transients, said attorney Kelly G. Richardson, who represents the city. The county begins its papers saying this is a NIMBY issue, Richardson added, referring to the acronym for Not in my backyard. This is dismissive and minimizes the issue, and frankly is offensive. Were not talking about a factory that smells. Were talking about life and death here. Richardson further argued that the countys support for the project contradicts its arguments against the states plan in February to house COVID- 19 patients from a cruise ship at the Fairview Developmental Center in Costa Mesa. Daniel Nordberg, another attorney representing the city, said the hotel project represents a danger to the community because the workers tending to the sick will be coming and going at all times. Youre talking about dozens, perhaps 100 people, taking care of these very sick people, and theyll be coming and going at will, Nordberg said. There are fast food restaurants, takeout restaurants across the street. A kidney dialysis facility is within a stones throw, Nordberg said. The countys attorney, Kevin Dunn, countered that if they had money, the transients engaged in the program could check into the hotel anywayeven if they were sick with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirusand the city couldnt do anything about it. This is going to be people watching TV, eating chips just like anyone else would be, Dunn said. The covenants, conditions, and restrictions are not altered because it still operates as a hotel, Dunn argued. These people are not on ventilators, these people do not require hospitalization, Dunn said. They just need to be isolated. This population of all populations needs to be isolated. Otherwise, the countys transients could be spreading the virus anywhere without any monitoring, Dunn said. The hotel was on a list given to the county by the state. One of the factors was that the hotel must not have central air conditioning, to prevent spreading the virus to other rooms, Dunn said. Also, the hotel owner must be willing to enter into a lease with us, Dunn said. Finding another location, as Delaney suggested, was not likely. The fact is, hotels are near people, Dunn said. There are not hotels in the middle of a desert with no buildings around it. The county wanted to have hotels in the north, central, and south parts of the county, to keep the transients as close to where they stay as much as possible, Dunn said. Orange County opened up two other hotels in Stanton and Anaheim to house transients there. Lawsuit Challenges Project Roomkey It appears this is the first lawsuit of its kind to challenge Project Roomkey. 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. Project Roomkey is a state program in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 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 or have symptoms associated with the disease. 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 confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. The lawsuit 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, and 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, she 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, she added. 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 17 in Orange County, putting the death toll at 28. Orange County also reported 77 new cases of COVID-19, increasing the overall total to 1,501. 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. After Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, explained the White House's new guidelines for states to slowly reopen their economies in a three-phase process, Fox News host Laura Ingraham sought another opinion later in the show. She turned to Phil McGraw, better known as Dr. Phil, television psychologist to the masses. He acknowledged that the novel coronavirus is killing Americans - more than 33,000 as of early Friday - but also wondered why the economy would shut down over the pandemic but continues to function as people die from lung cancer, car crashes and pool drownings. (Unlike coronavirus, none of the causes of death listed by Dr. Phil are contagious.) "We don't shut the country down for that," said Dr. Phil, after he cited inaccurate statistics on accidental deaths. "Yet we are doing it for this and the fallout is going to last for years because people's lives are being destroyed." The conflicting views, one from the most qualified source available on the topic and the other from a talk-show host with questionable credentials, highlighted again how expert advice on the novel coronavirus has frequently been undermined by celebrity doctors with little to no infectious disease experience. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House coronavirus task force, urged a cautious approach on Ingraham's show Thursday night. His advice was quickly undercut by Dr. Phil in a following segment, when he argued states should reopen their economies even if lives might be lost to the virus to prevent anxiety and depression. "People are dying from the coronavirus," Dr. Phil said. "I get that." Then, he launched into his theories about what might happen if people don't return to work and school soon. In doing so, he cited incorrect statistics and repeated talking points Fauci and other experts have disputed. The conversations came after President Donald Trump released new federal guidelines on Thursday that lay out a three-phase plan to eventually return to normal in places with minimal cases of the coronavirus. The recommendations place the onus on governors and mayors to determine when and how to return to normalcy. Dr. Phil joins other social distancing naysayers, like Mehmet Oz, another TV doctor who told Fox News' Sean Hannity on Tuesday that an unmitigated coronavirus death toll might be a "trade-off" worth making to reopen schools. Drew Pinsky, known for his 30 years as host of the radio show "Loveline" and as a reality TV regular, also sparked controversy when he compared the coronavirus to the flu. (Unlike Dr. Phil, both Dr. Oz and Dr. Drew are physicians, though neither is an expert in infectious diseases.) Fauci, who is a licensed physician and immunologist, joined Ingraham to discuss the guidelines he helped write for slowly reopening the economy. He ended up having to dispute questionable claims the Fox News host repeated that compared the novel coronavirus to HIV and SARS and downplayed the need for a vaccine. Fauci and others have suggested some level of social distancing guidelines may need to remain in place until a vaccine is developed. "On the question of a vaccine, we don't have a vaccine for SARS," Ingraham said. "We don't have a vaccine for HIV, and life did go on, right? So the idea that we're definitely going to have a vaccine, we didn't really approach much else in the same way as we're pegging going back to normal with a vaccine, did we?" Fauci responded by pointing out the stark differences between HIV, the virus that caused SARS and the novel coronavirus. He said HIV was "entirely different" because researchers developed effective treatments that allow people to live with HIV/AIDS. And SARS, he said, disappeared on its own, which ended efforts to develop a vaccine. "I think it is a little bit misleading, maybe, to compare what we're going through now with HIV or SARS," Fauci told Ingraham. "They're really different." "But, we don't know," Ingraham said in response. "This could disappear. I mean, SARS did pretty much disappear. This could as well, correct?" "You know, anything could, Laura," Fauci said. "But I have to tell you, the degree of efficiency of transmissibility of this is really unprecedented in anything that I've seen. It's an extraordinarily efficient virus in transmitting from one person to another. Those kind of viruses don't just disappear." Fauci spent the rest of his time on "The Ingraham Angle" explaining the need for a piecemeal approach to reopening the economy. He stressed that states should meet all of the criteria in each phase of the White House's guidelines before moving on to the next and remaining vigilant, and willing to close down again, for renewed outbreaks. Minutes later, Ingraham welcomed Dr. Phil to her show. Dr. Phil, who has a doctorate in clinical psychology but is not licensed to practice medicine, spoke about the mental toll of isolation under the stay-at-home orders aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus. He suggested more people will suffer mental-health issues, like anxiety and depression, because of job losses and economic impacts of the pandemic than will catch the virus. That's when the TV psychologist compared coronavirus deaths to those caused by automobile accidents, smoking and drowning. Fauci has criticized the comparison to car accidents in the past, calling it a "false equivalency." "We have people dying, 45,000 people a year die from automobile accidents, 480,000 from cigarettes, 360,000 a year from swimming pools, but we don't shut the country down for that," Dr. Phil said. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, swimming pool-related deaths are much lower than the figure offered by Dr. Phil on Fox News. About 3,500 people unintentionally drown each year in the U.S., and not all of them drown in pools, according to the CDC. At least 33,286 people have died of the novel coronavirus and more than 671,000 people have been diagnosed with covid-19 in the U.S. as of Friday morning. After Ingraham's show aired, many people expressed dismay at Dr. Phil's segment. Among them was Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., who pointed out that about 4 percent of reported covid-19 cases have ended in a death (although experts believe the actual fatality rate is far lower because of the number of untested people who likely have a mild or asymptomatic case of coronavirus). Covid-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus, has rapidly become a leading killer of Americans. Between April 6 and April 12, the virus killed more people in the United States than any other cause of death except heart disease. "The case fatality rate of #COVID19 is over 4% in US," Lieu wrote on Twitter. "If 4% of people who routinely went swimming would die & 15% would end up in the hospital, I guarantee Dr. Phil would not go swimming." Cameroons President Paul Biya has made one of his first public appearances since Covid-19 struck the country, announcing the release of some prisoners in order to prevent the spread of the virus in overcrowded jails. The decree does not include English speaking detainees and suspected Anglophone separatists remanded as part of the ongoing crisis in the North-West and South-West regions. The decree announced by Biya will excludes inmates convicted for embezzlement, corruption, or terrorism, according to Nkongho Felix Agbor Balla, a lawyer and human rights expert. Most of the Anglophones who are in detention currently were charged and sentenced on terrorism charges, so its not something to celebrate from an Anglophone perspective, Agbor Balla, told RFI. The names and number of prisoners to be freed have not been divulged by the government. Rights groups called for prisoners to be released due the risk of the highly contagious Covid-19 spreading rapidly through overcrowded facilities. These prisons are overcrowded as a result of the crisis that is rocking the English-speaking regions of the country, reads a statement from the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA), Agbor Ballas Cameroon-based group that documents human rights abuses. Since the Anglophone crisis started in 2016, thousands of persons have been illegally arrested and detained without proper trials in various dungeons for years, including women, the sick, minors and politicians, the statement added. Maintaining social distancing, practicing self-isolation, and taking basic measures such as hand-washing are difficult in prison, especially overcrowded ones. According to the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Cameroon currently has 858 Covid-19 cases, with 17 deaths, and 165 people who have recovered. Among those still in prison are Julius Ayuk Tabe, a top figure in the Anglophone separatist movement, who was given a life sentence along with nine others last August. Story continues The central prison in Buea, in the troubled South-West region, was built for 700 people, but currently holds over 2,000, said Ilaria Allegrozzi, Central Africa senior researcher for Human Rights Watch. "Cameroonian authorities are limiting prison visits and asking visitors to wash their hands. But lawyers and family members of detainees say its not enough," she adds. Many held in pre-trial detention Most of the inmates have not been convicted, according to Agbor Balla, who says some 75 percent are currently held in pre-trial detention. These people could not be released under Article 8 of the constitution because that falls under the prerogative of the judiciary," whereas those to be freed under the Covid-19 response fall under presidential decree. Agbor Balla says that the Cameroonian judiciary can release Anglophone prisoners using nolle prosequi, meaning "will no longer prosecute". It was used for the release of Cameroonian politician Maurice Kamto. Ultimately, preventing prisoners from becoming targets of Covid-19 is key, especially due to overcrowding. We call on the government authorities to release all prisoners with minor crimes, including political prisoners, juveniles and prisoners with health problems as this will go a long way to decongest the prison facilities in the country, according to the CHRDA statement. Photo: Jamie Grill/Getty Images/JGI/Jamie Grill/Blend Images LLC What can 200 pregnant women tell us about how many people already have the coronavirus or how sick they get? Months into the pandemic, theres so little definitive information about the virus even the baseline question of how many people have it, where they live, and how they fare that its no wonder people excitedly seize on any new data, however inconclusive, that might provide some insight. Thats what happened on April 13, when public figures started tweeting about a letter published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The letter was fewer than 500 words long. It was a report from two New York City hospitals, both affiliated with New YorkPresbyterian, that had tested all 215 patients admitted for delivery between March 22 and April 4. Only four, or about 2 percent, of those patients had any symptoms of the coronavirus, and all four tested positive. What was more surprising was that 29 women, or 13.7 percent of the total pool, tested positive without having any symptoms. (Three of them were reported to have a fever by the time they left the hospital a couple of days later.) Former Obama health-care official Andy Slavitt, who has over 400,000 followers on Twitter, immediately declared that the takeaway is that 15 percent of New Yorkers may already have COVID-19. (He subsequently walked that back.) Scott Gottlieb, who ran the FDA until last year, also speculated that the data in the letter suggested exposure in New York to COVID could be very high. How many people have already had or are currently infected with the coronavirus is both significant and elusive: It could tell us how close we are to possibly reaching herd immunity or give us a better baseline for how many of the infected actually become critically ill or die. If more people have had it than we think, the news could actually be good. The high numbers of asymptomatic patients could also indicate how many people get infected and have the ability to spread it without ever knowing the so-called silent spreaders. The problem is, testing in the U.S. has been a debacle for months; despite the acute need, Politico recently reported that the number of tests being analyzed by labs actually dropped by 30 percent in the last week. Some countries have been able to go further than testing current suspected cases by testing for antibodies that suggest someone may have had the disease and could even be immune to it now. Antibody tests have been promised in New York and across the country but so far are a rare commodity that could take months or years to perfect. Another reason the data was greeted so eagerly is that New Yorks hospitals have been ordered to stop all elective surgeries and the public has been told to avoid the hospital unless its a true emergency, making pregnant and laboring the only predictable flow of patients. And some New York Cityarea hospitals are only testing women with symptoms, which makes it hard to figure out how many people are asymptomatic. The differences between the test-positive rates that were seeing in a lot of different places is that theyre being screened for something specific either they have symptoms or they have a close contact, said Stephanie Gaw, a professor of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of CaliforniaSan Francisco, who is co-leading the Priority study of pregnancy and the coronavirus. This was not that. In that sense, it could be a snapshot of people walking around. The Priority study already has over 200 participants from around the country. But to be clear, this was a letter, reporting preliminary results that were less than ten days old, nothing approaching a peer-reviewed study despite the prestige of the outlet. The team at New YorkPresbyterian wasnt testing pregnant patients to draw sweeping conclusions about prevalence or asymptomatic transmission. They actually started testing everyone out of fear of infecting their medical workers. In mid-March, two women were admitted to the hospital for scheduled inductions of labor because of non-coronavirus-related complications; though neither had any symptoms when admitted, both became critically ill with COVID-19 soon afterward. Over a dozen medical staff were exposed to the virus without protective gear, according to the hospital, which led to the short-lived ban on companions in labor and delivery and the more lasting policy of testing everyone in labor. The initial data, the letter said, underscores the risk of COVID-19 among asymptomatic obstetric patients. The studys authors also never said their 215 women were remotely representative of the general population. They dont disclose any of the pools demographics besides their pregnancy (and didnt respond to an interview request). Pregnant women are younger in general, Gaw pointed out, whereas most of the worst-affected by the coronavirus are older men. Theres another problem with drawing conclusions from the data. Pregnant women are very different physiologically than nonpregnant people, Gaw said. Your immune symptom is suppressed. And many diseases have different symptomology in pregnancy. That could cut either way: With many diseases when theyre diagnosed in pregnancy, most pregnant women dont show signs but some may become more ill To really compare, youd have to compare to similar-age nonpregnant women to say theres a significant difference. While the group of women described by the New England Journal of Medicine letter were mostly asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, others have become very sick, and not just the two women at New YorkPresbyterian who prompted the systems universal testing. At least two New York women, Precious Anderson and Yanira Soriano, were successfully delivered by C-section when they were unconscious because of being critically ill from the coronavirus but seem to have recovered. Their babies are so far reported to be doing well. We also dont know how pregnancy affected the study pools patterns of behavior leading up to the tests were they likelier to stay home because of pregnancy? Or were they being seen by doctors weekly before their due dates, which might have raised their exposure? And even if it can be generalized, the data may only tell us about how prevalent the virus is in a pocket of New York City. Gaw said a handful of other hospitals have begun universal testing of patients admitted for labor and delivery, including the Kaiser Permanente system in California and Oregon Health and Sciences. The West Coast has so far seen lower rates of confirmed infection and deaths. One hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, where the government has conspicuously refused to lock down the population, reported on April 10 that when they tested all women in labor, only 7 percent were positive. Unfortunately, past studies of theoretically similar diseases can only tell us so much. The data from the other coronaviruses is very sparse, says Gaw. There were maybe 50 pregnant women [studied] from those outbreaks. The ones that they did report were barely ill. In general, its probably biased towards sicker patients. As with so much of the coronavirus pandemic, well just have to wait to know more. FP Trending Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity has again been in news as astronomers have discovered the behavior of a star in line with the theory. A study published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics has revealed that the star was found orbiting a black hole at the centre of Milky Way galaxy. The researchers have said that during their observation they saw the star trace a rosette-shaped orbit around the black hole. Their observation proved that Isaac Netwons theory of gravity was not right in this case as he suggested that the orbit of a star would be elliptical. It was Einstein who had predicted the path correctly. Theory of Relativity, which was published in 1915, has helped scientists understand the forces of gravity. The study was conducted by European Southern Observatory (ESO) scientists using the ESOs Very Large Telescope, which is located atop a mountain at nearly 2,700 metres above sea level in Chile's Atacama desert. The regions low humidity and smooth airflow helped astronomers get clear visibility for the telescope. Einsteins 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, says Reinhard Genzel, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) in Garching, Germany. The research also points to the existence of a black hole called Sagittarius A*, believed to have 4 million times the mass of the sun and 26,000 light-years from it. The ESO, in a statement, said, This long-sought-after result was made possible by the mysteries of the behemoth lurking increasingly precise measurements over nearly 30 years, which have enabled scientists to unlock at the heart of our galaxy. The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks! Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics. The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc. The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics. The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates. Access to college recruiters and advisors its harder to line up higher education. Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family. Vote View Results Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 13:25:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. - - - - WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled guidelines for a phased reopening of the U.S. economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has grounded the nation to a halt. "My administration is issuing new federal guidelines that will allow governors to take a phased and deliberate approach to reopening their individual states," Trump said at a White House press conference. - - - - BEIJING -- China's value-added industrial output, an important economic indicator, fell 8.4 percent in the first quarter (Q1) of this year, as the novel coronavirus outbreak deals a huge blow to industrial production, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Friday. Output by the manufacturing industry went down 10.2 percent, while the production and supply of electricity, thermal power, gas and water reported a year-on-year decrease of 5.2 percent. - - - - YANGON -- Myanmar President U Win Myint Friday urged people in the country to cooperate and participate in combating the COVID-19 pandemic in unity as a national duty. The Myanmar president made the remarks in his message delivered on the first day of the Myanmar calendar New Year. - - - - BEIJING -- Chinese health authority said Friday that it received reports of 26 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland Thursday, of which 15 were imported. The other 11 new cases were domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said in a daily report, noting that five cases were reported in Guangdong Province, three in Heilongjiang Province, two in Shandong Province and one in Liaoning Province. - - - - UNITED NATIONS -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday reaffirmed China's support for the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) in playing a leading role in coordinating international cooperation against COVID-19. Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks in a letter sent to President of the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and permanent representatives of member states to the United Nations. - - - - ROME -- Italian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Marina Sereni on Thursday voiced support for the World Health Organization (WHO) and called for a more coordinated international response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sereni made the remarks after a video conference of foreign ministers in the Alliance for Multilateralism, which was organized by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. - - - - WASHINGTON -- The policy-setting body of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday pledged collective action to mitigate the health and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are in an unprecedented global crisis. The global economy will contract sharply this year, reflecting necessary health measures to contain the virus, disruptions in economic supply and demand, and tightening financial conditions," the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) said in a communique after a meeting. - - - - BEIJING -- 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. - - - - UNITED NATIONS -- 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. Enditem Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) Contrary to claims circulating online, the Food and Drug Administration disclosed Friday that there are no medicines for the coronavirus infection pending registration at its office. Undersecretary Rolando Enrique "Eric" Domingo, former spokesperson of the Department of Health and now the Director General of the FDA, said no application has reached their department to date. "Wala pa pong napapa-receive po sa atin na gamot for COVID-19," Domingo said in a virtual health briefing. [Translation: We have not yet received any medicine for COVID-19.] The FDA said it discourages "off-label drug use," or the use of a pharmaceutical drug for a disease or medical condition that it is not approved to treat, for COVID-19. "Hindi natin ine-encourage ang off-label drug use, kasi ang bawat gamot, talagang aprubado siya para sa partikular na sakit," Domingo emphasized. [Translation: We discourage off-label drug use, as each medicine is only given a green light for a particular illness.] He added that "off-label drugs" are currently being studied and included in clinical trials by health experts to test its effectiveness on COVID-19. The Health Department likewise maintained that there is still no cure to the viral illness. "Paalala sa lahat: Wala pa pong aprubadong gamot," Health Spokesperson Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire pointed out in the same briefing. [Translation: A reminder to all There is no approved medication yet.] The FDA earlier warned the public against the use of drugs or vaccines with unproven claims that it could treat COVID-19. The Philippines now has 5,878 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease, with 387 deaths and 487 recoveries. The deadly Ebola virus was spreading through West Africa, and top Obama administration officials were increasingly alarmed about Nigeria, the most populous nation in the continent. They needed the country to take action, and Joe Biden was tapped to deliver the message. A few hours before an elaborate White House dinner for African leaders, the Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, was summoned to a meeting in Biden's office in the West Wing. When the door closed, the vice president unleashed a string of warnings so forceful that it shocked those around him. "He really pressed him and pressured him to ramp up Nigeria's efforts. I remember us all being surprised," said Lisa Monaco, a top homeland security adviser to President Barack Obama who at the time was helping manage the Ebola response. The episode showcased Biden in a role he often played in the Obama administration, acting as a political Swiss Army knife brought out for specific jobs at certain moments of crisis. From the administration's opening days, he used relationships built up over decades in Washington to help blunt the impact of health crises, including Ebola, and push through a stimulus package to lift the country out of the worst economic collapse since the Depression. As the country is again seized by a global health epidemic and economic turmoil, Biden is leaning on this record as voters determine whom they can best trust in a crisis, a judgment both Democrats and Republicans believe will be at the forefront of voters' minds in November. As President Donald Trump tries to portray the former vice president as a bumbling bureaucrat, Biden is touting his experience - and the Obama administration's approach to handling crisis - and directly contrasting it with the response to the novel coronavirus by Trump and his federal team. Trump and his supporters have dismissed the notion of Biden as a competent crisis manager, pointing to everything from shortages in the federal government stockpile that emerged after the Obama administration to Biden incorrectly referring to the H1N1 virus as N1H1. "Biden was a joke," said Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the Trump campaign, citing several past stumbles. "Today he ineffectively snipes from the sidelines, offering suggestions for things President Trump is already doing, and desperately looking for relevance where there is none." Highlighting Biden's support for trade policies such as NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Murtaugh added, "The idea that he can handle an economic crisis is laughable." A review of the eight years Biden spent in the Obama administration, and interviews with nearly a dozen of those involved, showed that in moments of crisis Biden was relentless and enmeshed in the details. He could be sober and empathetic, but also prone to verbal miscues that other officials had to quickly clarify. He was less the originator of policies than the hammer to drive them into being. The cauldron of those crises formed Biden's outlook on the current ones. Biden says he begins each day talking with his teams of health and economic advisers and keeps in touch with House and Senate leaders and mayors and governors around the country. (He also spoke recently with Trump to offer suggestions for handling the coronavirus; they agreed to keep most details of the conversation private, but both called it cordial.) He has outlined an economic proposal to pump federal money into the economy - as the Obama administration did - and set up a presidential task force to oversee its implementation. He has called for legislation to forgive at least $10,000 per person of federal student loans, increase Social Security checks by $200 per month, and ensure no American pays out of pocket for medical care related to the coronavirus. Biden has also been pressing for more testing of the coronavirus. He has criticized Trump for not taking action sooner to stop the spread of the virus and for not heeding early warnings to prevent it from spreading here. More than anything, Biden is offering himself as the antithesis to Trump, a candidate who as president would delve into the details, defer to the experts and wrestle the full weight of the government to pursue his goals. - - - As a snowstorm raged in Chicago in late 2008, the future president and vice president met with their economic team to figure out what to do about a plummeting economy. The two men had what one person in the room described as "FDR envy." They were pushing for signature programs and projects, like the Works Progress Administration or the Tennessee Valley Authority, that would be remembered half a century later as are Franklin Roosevelt's. In many cases, they couldn't identify iconic projects, and with job figures plummeting they knew they had to come up with something fast. They decided to turn on the federal money spigot and let it flow as quickly as possible through stimulus spending. Some of it would go to states, others in the form of individual tax breaks. Biden's primary role became selling it to his former Senate colleagues, trying to convince them to approve what became a $787 billion spending package known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. "Joe Biden, steady hand, working across the aisle, listening to people - he helped divert a depression, there's no question in my mind that that is the case," said former senator Kent Conrad, D-N.D., a deficit hawk, who at the time was chairman of the Budget Committee. "Now, in every detail was he right? No, nobody's going to be right in every part of a trillion-dollar package," Conrad added. "Did he, by his actions, help to divert a depression? Absolutely." To win passage, the administration needed the votes of several Republicans. Biden targeted a half-dozen whom he called and cajoled, urging them to stand with him in a moment of crisis. Among them was Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, an old friend who used to ride Amtrak with Biden back to their respective hometowns. Late one night in the days before the legislation would come to a vote, Biden called Specter's office and couldn't reach him. Minutes later, Specter's chief of staff Scott Hoeflich got a call on his cellphone from the White House switchboard. "Scott, this is Joe," Biden said. "Where's Arlen?" Hoeflich assured him they were trying to track the senator down. Shortly after, Biden called Hoeflich's cellphone again, asking for a status update. Biden also called Specter's home in Philadelphia and spoke with the senator's wife, who said her husband was sleeping. Eventually the two connected the next morning. "He was relentless," Hoeflich said. "He was all over everything and everyone - in a positive way - super hands-on, super in the weeds." Specter was getting enormous pressure to oppose the legislation, with Republicans worried about the cost. Biden kept emphasizing how important the legislation was to the country, and to the president. He also suggested that Specter would not face any opposition in his reelection bid the following year. In the end, Biden helped convince three Republicans to vote for the legislation, among them Specter. The senator would soon switch to the Democratic Party, and in 2010 lose the seat he'd held for 30 years. He died in 2012. "It did cost us politically," Hoeflich said. It also became a seminal moment for how Obama viewed Biden, according to people close to both men. The first few weeks of their partnership had been bumpy - when Biden attempted a joke about Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. mixing up words in the oath of office, an irked Obama stood stone-faced - but Biden's efforts on the spending package had proved his value. After the bill's passage, Biden oversaw its implementation, keeping tabs on projects large and small around the country to rebuild roads and bridge and install new train lines. "There's a theme that runs through all of this," said Jared Bernstein, who was Biden's chief economic adviser at the time. "He strongly believes in the importance of competent governance. To the level you'd expect to see from a retail politician." Biden would call small-town mayors to check in, and he expressed an interest in details like the health of the trees that were being planted. "He likes this word 'granular.' He uses that word a lot, then and now," Bernstein said. "He likes a tangible feel of what's going on. If I would tell him, 'We need a stimulus that's 4 percent of GDP,' he'd get it. But that's not what got him out of bed in the morning." It was, Bernstein said, "the kind of moment that the federal government could either shine or fail. And he wanted it to shine." Yet the measure he helped to push through also ignited new political movements - some on the right, who were frustrated with the growing size of government, and others on the left, who felt that it failed to punish Wall Street and overlooked the middle class. "The response to the crisis was a . . . disaster, that's the basic problem. It was a nightmare," said Matthew Stoller, a fellow at the Open Markets Institute and the author of "Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy." "The reality is the response, the lack of prosecutions, the concentration of wealth, the amnesty for white collar criminals - it led directly to the kind of [animus] that got Trump elected." - - - In the midst of trying to sell the recovery act package, the administration was also trying to figure out how to handle the H1N1 influenza virus, also known as the swine flu. The first U.S. case was detected in April 2009, and over the next year the pandemic would kill nearly 12,500 Americans and up to 575,000 worldwide, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trump has recently claimed that Biden "was in charge of the H1N1 Swine Flu epidemic which killed thousands of people." But Biden was not in charge or deeply involved at all, according to former Obama administration officials, because he was focused on the economic recovery. He went to meetings where the topic was discussed but was not involved beyond that. Still, he did have an impact early on in the response, with comments that caused the White House to scramble. Obama had warned Americans who are sick to avoid traveling in confined spaces. Biden went further. "I would tell members of my family - and I have - I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now. It's not that it's going to Mexico, it's [that] you're in a confined aircraft. When one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft," Biden said on NBC's "Today" show. "That's me," he said. "I would not be, at this point, if they had another way of transportation, suggesting they ride the subway." Biden's comments were not in line with what health experts were warning. They triggered frustrated responses from the still-struggling travel industry, which urged Americans to listen to medical professionals rather than politicians. "To suggest that people not fly at this stage of things is a broad-brush stroke bordering on fear-mongering," American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith told the Associated Press. Biden's office tried to clarify that he was only warning sick people not to travel, but other administration and Cabinet officials were brought out to reassure travelers. "If anybody was unduly alarmed for whatever reason, we would apologize for that," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said during a White House briefing. - - - If only tangentially involved in the H1N1 fight, Biden did have a more pivotal role several years later when cases of lethal Ebola began spreading. As advisers briefed Obama, Biden and others, the administration began identifying major impediments to a global response and rallying the world to address it - the sort of approach that Biden, six years later, would criticize Trump for abandoning. "We're talking today about flatting the curve," Monaco said. "It was a similar thing in West Africa. . . . We really needed to slow the acceleration of the cases we were identifying." When the African leaders arrived at the White House for a prearranged conference, top administration officials set up meetings between several delegations and Biden. They wanted him to be the one to confront the Nigerian president over his lack of response, and they wanted it to be done in an intimate setting, so the message could be relayed clearly without embarrassing the foreign leader. "The very direct message was the government needed to be pushed to do more with its detection and surveillance," said Grant Harris, who was Obama's principal adviser on issues related to Africa. "It couldn't wait or risk being complacent or put too much strategy in hope." It was a message that Biden often would be called upon to deliver, this time a few hours before a White House dinner of dry-aged beef, plantains and coconut milk. "Biden has a unique talent with foreign leaders," said Colin Kahl, who was Biden's national security adviser during part of the Ebola response and who now teaches at Stanford. "He establishes relationships of trust. He can be their friend and have a smile on his face while jabbing them in the chest to urge action on things. It's a hard trick to pull off." Then as now, there were calls for a travel ban. But this time - unlike with swine flu - Biden was pushing against one. "There was a real pushback from science and public health experts that that would be really counterproductive," Monaco said. "It would discourage public health workers who we needed to go there. If they couldn't get back, how would you get anyone to go?" "There was a period where there was a lot of fear, a lot of panic," she added. "As things got tense in terms of discussion and political pressure about having a travel ban, he was a very strong voice on ignoring politics and letting science dictate what our plans should be." The administration set up a task force that was led by Ron Klain, who was Biden's former chief of staff. Nearly 3,000 U.S. troops were sent to Africa to help stop the spread, and Congress approved $5.4 billion in emergency funding for Ebola treatment. And early on, the State Department transported two health workers - who had contracted the virus while working with patients in Monrovia, Liberia - to Emory University in Atlanta. The decision attracted the attention of a New York businessman. "Ebola patient will be brought to the U.S. in a few days - now I know for sure that our leaders are incompetent," Donald Trump wrote in the first of more than 100 tweets about Ebola. "KEEP THEM OUT OF HERE!" "The U.S. cannot allow EBOLA infected people back," he wrote the next day. "People that go to far away places to help out are great-but must suffer the consequences!" It was a few days later when Biden met with Jonathan, the Nigerian president, to pressure him to take more action. Three days after that meeting, the Nigerian president declared a national state of emergency. And over the next two weeks, the country built an Ebola Treatment Unit, trained 2,300 health staff, performed 19,000 home visits and screened 150,000 travelers at airports. "This is how it should be: swift, effective and comprehensive action in defense of citizens," Jonathan said that October in a national address to hail the country's curtailing of the disease. The outbreak raged throughout portions of West Africa for two years, killing more than 11,300. In Nigeria, there was a minimal death toll: eight. Lee students (left to right) Victoria Martin, Abby Close, Seth LaPeer, Desiree LaPeer, and Michael Dillinger are shown here with Dr. Murl Dirksen and Iva Homyestewa in Ivas home gallery on Second Mesa in Arizona Prior to recent travel restrictions related to COVID-19, five Lee University anthropology students, along with their professor Dr. Murl Dirksen, visited several First Nation homelands in Arizona and New Mexico. The students were Abigail Close, Michael Dillinger, Desiree LaPeer, Seth LaPeer, and Victoria Martin. According to Dr. Dirksen, professor of anthropology and sociology at Lee, the purpose of this educational experience was to give students a personal knowledge of the diversity of Native American cultures in the American southwest. The visit exposed them to the varied topography and environments where Native Americans have survived since arriving on the North American continent thousands of years ago. Students visited religious sacred and archaeological sites, along with meeting Native American traditional artists, tribal government officials, educators, and Christian leaders on the Navajo, Hopi, Apache, and the Tohono Oodham Reservations. This trip helped me to appreciate even further the diversity that is contained within our own borders, said Mr. Dillinger. "It was a great experience, not only because I saw a bunch of breathtaking sites and diverse groups, but also because we interacted and got to know some of the local people." According to Dr. Dirksen, assigning native children to boarding school was an early assimilation strategy, and the Lee group visited one of the earliest sites of this policy of forced education - Fort Apache and Theodore Roosevelt School at White River, Arizona. The location was built as a cavalry fort, but later designated as Fort Apache in 1879, and it became the home to Theodore Roosevelt Indian Boarding School in 1923, intended to acculturate Navajo and Apache children. Students observed a more recent integration approach when they stayed at the Peace Academic Center, a school and community center in the Hopi village of Kykotsmovi. Arts and crafts are major income sources for Native Americans throughout the southwest for more than 100 years, so the students visited Indian trading posts that still sold Navajo rugs, kachinas, and pottery. This gave the students an idea of the economic value of these items for the local economy as well as the skill and pride with which they are crafted, said Dr. Dirksen. Students were able to interact with a Hopi potter in her village home on First Mesa. They also observed a demonstration of basket weaving at the home gallery of Hopi basket weaver Iva Honyestewa and heard her lecture about traditional Hopi life. Native Americans have been exposed to a variety of forms of Christianity. The students visited a Catholic mission in San Xavier de Bac church, outside of Tucson on the Tohono Oodham Reservation, which is now a national historic landmark. The group stayed overnight at the United Methodist Church in Window Rock, the location of the Navajo Nation tribal offices, and worshipped with the Navajo congregation on Sunday morning. While there, Dr. Harry Begay, a Lee alumnus and leader of Church of God ministerial training for the Navajo Nation, welcomed the students to his reservation home just outside of Gallup and briefed them on his ministry and the social problems facing the Navajo homeland. One of the most significant lessons learned by the students was the sacredness of the land and reverence for nature, said Dr. Dirksen. They witnessed how Christianity has been contextualized and how traditional religion and spirituality are still vital to many First Nation people. The Navajo homeland is defined by four sacred mountains but incorporates the hallowedness of several canyons including Canyon De Chelly and Grand Canyon that are of great historical and spiritual importance. Hopi people live in the same villages today they lived over a thousand years ago, and their pueblos are contemporaneous to Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon archaeological sites. Guide and cultural expert Lance Polingyouma toured the students through a huge rock art solstice site near the villages of Third Mesa, explaining how traditional Hopi made etchings on rock and used natural geological features in keeping track of time for planning and longer calendrical events. Introducing students to the beautiful people and places where I was raised was a rich and important experience for me, said Dr. Dirksen, who grew up on the Hopi Reservation. In so many ways students came to understand the why First Nation people value their sense of place. In view of the ongoing spread of COVID-19 across the world and its growing global impact, the American Association for Clinical Chemistry {(AACC) Washington, DC, USA} has decided to reschedule the 2020 AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo to December in order to ensure a healthy and safe meeting experience for all attendees. The AACC Clinical Lab Expo was originally scheduled to be held July 26-30, 2020 in Chicago, IL, USA.AACC is a global scientific and medical professional organization dedicated to clinical laboratory science and its application to healthcare. AACC helps lab professionals adapt to change and provides vital insight and guidance so patients get the care they need. With more than 800 companies exhibiting, the AACC Clinical Lab Expo is the worlds largest exposition for clinical laboratory products and services.AACCs leadership has been carefully monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak and consulting members, staff, industry, and other experts. Based on input from all stakeholder groups, and in close collaboration with host city officials, the AACC has announced that it will be able to preserve the complete Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo experience to which its members, exhibitors, and the entire laboratory medicine community have been looking forward.The 2020 AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo will now be held December 13 17, 2020 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL, USA. Rescheduling the event will enable AACC to provide the experience that its attendees and exhibitors expect. The AACC has reaffirmed that the association remains committed to supporting the essential work of laboratory medicine professionals and to holding an event that unites and strengthens the industry in the face of enormous challenges. Scientists have yet again found a possible answer to avoid COVID-19 cases from happening, which means mitigating the spread of the novel coronavirus and preventing more deaths from happening. Hope Against COVID-19 According to a report by the Daily Mail, a team of researchers from the University of Leicester is working on creating the "decoy proteins" that could potentially stop coronavirus from infecting healthy people. The SARS-CoV-2, or the novel coronavirus, causes COVID-19 by infecting healthy cells of the body. Experts believe that the virus attacks the cells through the receptors known as ACE-2 receptors, which are found in the surface of the cells that are scattered around the body's airways. The receptors provide a gateway to the system's bloodstream and then "facilitate" the infection from the novel coronavirus. With the "decoy proteins," scientists hope that it would trick the SARS-CoV-2 virus and lure them away from healthy cells in the lungs and instead, the coronavirus would stick to the drug and incapacitate it. "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 the University of Leicester Professor Nick Brindle. If it is successful, it could prevent the symptoms of COVID-19, including severe pneumonia and other acute respiratory diseases that could cause suffering and even death. Experts have described the theory as "hope against the horrible pandemic." Read Also: Coronavirus Death Toll in Wuhan Abruptly Raised to 50% as China Revised its Numbers Testing the Theory Besides the University of Leicester researchers, a team from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, as well as experts from the University of British Columbia in Canada, have been using the theory. So far, they have had promising results. The team created a modified "soluble" form of the ACE-2 receptors that were called hrsACE-2 to human cells in a lab setting. According to their research, which was published in the journal Cell, the approach stopped the virus from replicating at an early stage by "catching" the virus and blocking their way to the real ACE-2 receptor cells it was initially targeting. A company in Austria known as Apeiron Biologics has already been given the green light to try the drug APN001 that contains hrsACE-2 as an active substance. Phase II of their trial aims to cure 200 critically ill COVID-19 patients in China. Could Removing ACE-2 Receptors Work? Some experts are working on removing the ACE-2 receptors in the body to prevent the coronavirus from sticking to the lung tissues and eventually progress to a COVID-19 infection, but many believe it would have negative side effects. Two companies in the US, Vir Biotechnology and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, located in Boston and Massachusetts, respectively, are working on the theory. ACE-2 receptors are found in cells throughout the body, but coronavirus apparently attacks the cells in the lungs most. German researchers believe that the coronavirus "depends" on these receptors to hijack the human body--according to their study that was also published on Cell. Besides the COVID-19 virus, the coronavirus behind the SARS outbreak back in 2002 also relied on the receptors to get into the body and replicate themselves to create an army that could damage our organs. Read Also: Coronavirus: Doctors Discover People Who Experience Loss of Smell and Taste are Ten Times More Likely to Have COVID-19 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A special court here has rejected the plea of DHFL promoter Kapil Wadhawan and his brother Dheeraj, seeking inspection and certified copies of the FIR registered against them in connection with the Yes Bank scam. The plea was rejected by the court on the grounds that the matter is not urgent and the accused has liberty to apply after the lockdown is lifted, Wadhawans' lawyer said on Friday. The Wadhawan brothers are named as accused in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR pertaining to the swindling of money by Yes Bank promoter Rana Kapoor and others. Both Kapil and Dheeraj were absconding since the case was registered against them on March 7, prompting the CBI to get non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against them from a special court. The agency has alleged that Kapoor, 62, entered into a criminal conspiracy with the Wadhawans for extending the financial assistance to DHFL through Yes Bank in return of substantial undue benefits to himself and his family members through companies held by them. According to the CBI FIR, the scam started taking shape between April and June 2018 when Yes Bank invested Rs 3,700 crore in short-term debentures of the scam-hit Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL). In return, the Wadhawans allegedly "paid kickback of Rs 600 crore" to Kapoor and his family members in the form of loan to DoIT Urban Ventures (India) Pvt Ltd, a firm linked to the Kapoor family, the agency has said. The CBI's FIR came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Kapoor in connection with the scam last month. He is currently in judicial custody. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston have piqued the media and public's interest since their reunion at the Screen Actors Guild Awards earlier this year. Past rumors alluded to Pitt proposing to Aniston to tie the knot for the second time, and now the pair will reportedly officially announce their relationship in a special interview. Reports about speculations about Pitt and Aniston getting back together have given a wave of excitement among fans. Online portals suggest that they will soon be featured in an interview where they will be sharing all details about their reunion. Recent reports suggested that former married couple Pitt and Angelina Jolie are not on good terms amid hearsay that the "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" actor has rekindled his romance with Aniston. Published on "Life & Style," on April 13, 2020, Jolie reportedly gave Pitt an ultimatum upon learning about his alleged relationship with the "Friends" actress. The "Salt" actress reportedly made her former lover choose between dumping Jennifer or she will appeal for full custody of their kids. A source said that Jolie prohibited Pitt from introducing Aniston to their children until the divorce is finalized. Pitt and Aniston were once dubbed as America's "golden couple." The photogenic pair got together at the peak of their fame and eventually became one of the most photographed couples in the world. However, no official announcement has been released regarding these matters. Pitt and his ex-wife Aniston shared a special moment together when they congratulated each other for winning at the SAG Awards at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in January. The pair, who split in 2005 after the Brangelina affair, was photographed hugging and smiling at each other as they were spotted in one frame backstage. Also Read: Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston Reunion: Couple Rumored to Be Expecting Twins Via Surrogacy? Pitt received the award for best supporting actor for his character in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood." Aniston took home the award for her role in "The Morning Show." However, Aniston once said in a 2018 interview with "Elle" that she has moved past the obsession with marriage and procreation. "Why do we want a happy ending? How about just a happy existence? A happy process? We're all in process constantly," she pointed out, She presumed that perhaps women "haven't figured out that they have the power, that they have the ability to achieve a sense of inner happiness." Reports suggested that the duo is having twins via surrogacy, while others suggest that Aniston is opting for adoption. "Woman's Day Australia" revealed that the lovebirds are finalizing the host for the interview with too many good options. In the tell-tale interview, they are believed to share the reason why they got back together after 15 years. They are said to be possibly featured on Ellen Degeneres' show, Oprah Winfrey's or Ryan Seacrest's show. Negotiations on their interview will apparently set the record straight once and for all. No obvious signs of a revived romance have yet emerged, but it was confirmed that Pitt and Aniston have bonded to become friends again. It was said that a renewed rapport requires serious work on Pitt's part. Related Article: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Feud Continues Following SAG Reunion with Ex-Wife Jennifer Aniston @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Because children havent had much experience, these cortical cells recognize almost everything as new and willingly absorb new information. But they get more judgmental as our understanding of the world solidifies. As we get older, these cortical gatekeepers are more restrictive. Theyre like, Wait, this isnt really a new experience, Dr. Kulhman said. They keep the gate up. Theres a term for that youthful time when the gates are easily lowered: the critical period. In neuroscience, the critical period is defined as a period of heightened plasticity, when the brain can easily make new neural connections in response to all kinds of information. In language learning, its the basis for the hope that my 3-year-old would eventually speak Catalan like someone whod been born in Barcelona. But a few months into my sons second year of classroom muteness, Id started to get anxious. I called Dr. Karen Lichtman, Ph.D., who studies the relationship between age and language acquisition at Northern Illinois University. She quickly told me not to worry. I think what most linguists would say is that your son is learning to speak Catalan just like everybody else in his class, she said. Hes just choosing not to speak. In essence, my son was probably absorbing language like a sponge, but I had no way of knowing it. This was both reassuring and frustrating. Dr. Lichtman went on to say that my son was in the perfect language-learning situation, at the perfect time. She referred to the critical period to start a language as between ages 4 and 7. Other leading researchers, such as Dr. Robert DeKeyser, Ph.D., a professor of linguistics at the University of Maryland, believe that the critical period runs from ages 6 to 16, roughly until puberty ends. Linguists agree that people tend to get worse at language learning as they get older. Only children can acquire the native-like level of fluency. I knew this truth painfully well from my own daily struggle with Spanish and Catalan. But then Dr. Lichtman said something that surprised me: People think that children are fast at learning language. Theyre not fast, theyre slow. She told me about a study she published in the Journal of Child Language in 2016, which compared how children and adults learn languages. For seven days, Dr. Lichtman and a research assistant taught a made-up language called Sillyspeak to separate groups of children and adults in two different ways. The first group learned by explicit instruction, with grammar rules laid out the way most languages are taught in school. The other group never heard the rules of Sillyspeak, but just practiced sentences with the help of toys. Children are generally thought to learn better by this type of play-focused instruction. At the end of the study, adults demonstrated more knowledge of the language, regardless of the type of instruction they had received. The adults were more accurate than the kids. The adults were faster than the kids, said Dr. Lichtman. Thats how it is at the beginning stages. Its the distinction between learning something faster and learning something better, and thats where people are confused. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 17, 2020) - Beleave Inc. (CSE: BE) (OTC Pink: BLEVF) ("Beleave" or the "Company") announces that the previously filed unaudited interim financial statements for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2019 (the "Q3 Financials") were incomplete and missing a statement of changes in equity and notes to such financial statements and therefore should no longer be relied upon. Consequently, the Company is in default of its obligations under Part 4 of National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations and Part 3 of National Instrument 52-107 Acceptable Accounting Principles and Auditing Standards to file an interim financial report prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (the "Default"). This press release is being issued at the request of the Ontario Securities Commission ("OSC") in connection with a continuous disclosure review. As a result of the Default, the Company also announces that the OSC will be issuing a temporary cease trade order ("Temporary CTO") preventing trading in the Company's shares effective as of the market close. On March 2, 2020, Beleave filed the Q3 Financials together with management's discussion and analysis thereof. The Q3 Financials had certain content deficiencies that the Company is working diligently to resolve on an expedited basis. The Company expects that it will be able to re-file the Q3 Financials by April 29, 2020 at which time the Temporary CTO will be lifted. If the Company is unable to re-file the Q3 Financials by April 29, 2020, a permanent cease trade order will be issued by the OSC on April 29, 2020. Also, as previously announced on April 13, 2020, Branson Corporate Services, a provider of outsourced corporate services, was appointed to provide interim CFO services. At this time, Branson will no longer provide interim CFO services to the Company and Keith Li will not be taking on the role at this time but will continue to provide financial consulting services to the Company. About Beleave Inc. Beleave is an ISO certified, Canadian cannabis company headquartered in the Greater Toronto Area that cultivates high-quality cannabis flower, oil and extracts for medical and recreational markets. Beleave is fully licenced to cultivate and sell medical and recreational cannabis and is leading the way through research partnerships with universities to develop pharma-grade extracts and derivatives. Beleave is developing new product lines, including cannabis-infused products, oils, vape pens, and other novel cannabis delivery methods for 2020. Beleave has developed a network of medical cannabis clinics in Ontario and Quebec under the Medi-Green banner. Investor Relations Contact: Bill Panagiotakopoulos Interim CEO bill@beleave.com Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law ("forward-looking statements"). The use of any of the words "plan", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur are intended to identify forward-looking information. These statements are only predictions. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking information addresses future events and conditions, by its very nature it involves inherent risks and uncertainties. This information speaks only as of the date of this news release. Except as may be expressly required by applicable law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or revise any such forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents, which can be found under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54571 Hollywood star Johnny Depp has made his debut on Instagram with a cover of John Lennons 1970 song Isolation. The actor, known for being elusive, joined the social media platform on Thursday. His first post was a picture of him sitting on a wooden bench, surrounded by candles. Hello everyone filming something for you now gimme a minute, Depp captioned the photo. After few hours, he came up with an eight-minute-long IGTV video, in which he talked about the global coronavirus pandemic and released the Isolation cover. Now is the time to open up a dialogue as the threat of this invisible enemy has already caused immeasurable tragedies and enormous damage to peoples lives. I feel we need to try to help each other throughout these dark times, these trying times for those we love, for our community, for ourselves, for the world and for the future, Depp, 56. said. The Pirates of the Caribbean star also urged his fans to be creative during self-isolation. We cannot and must not succumb to shutting down and giving in to what feels like hellish quarantine monotony. Create something today that will benefit yourselves and others tomorrow. Do anything you think could be of use to brighten someones day. Draw, read, paint, think, learn, make a film on your phone, play an instrument if you play; if you dont, learn, he added. Depp then revealed that he has been working on a new album over the past few years with former Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck, who also played with the star on the Isolation cover. The profundity of his lyrics seem to Jeff and me especially fitting for whats happening right now. The songs about isolation, fear, and the existential risk to our world, so we wanted to give the song to you, Depp said about the track penned by Lennon. Also read: Johnny Depp says ex-wife Amber Heard sliced his finger off, and it erupted like Vesuvius We truly both hope in our own little way, it helps you get through these unusual times that were experiencing, even if it just helps to pass the time as we endure isolation together, he added. In less than a day, Depp has amassed more than 1.6 million Instagram followers. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi, April 17 : The Department of Revenue under the Union Ministry of Finance has asked its staff to donate a days salary every month till March 2021 to the PM-CARES Fund. In a circular, the department has said that any officer or staff having objection to the directive may write to the Drawing and Disbursing Officer by April 20. "It has been decided to appeal all officers and staff of Department of Revenue to contribute their one day's salary every month till March 2021 to the Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) Fund to aid the government's efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic," the circular said on Friday. The department has two statutory bodies under it -- Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Central Board of Indirect taxes, and Customs (CBIC). Donations towards the PM-CARES Fund are eligible for 100 per cent tax deduction. The fund has been created to seek contribution from people to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle fans have added the British charity WellChild to 'mark Archie's birthplace' as they raise over 21,000 in fundraising efforts to celebrate the royal's first birthday. Supporters of Meghan, 38, and Prince Harry, 35, are marking the celebration on 6 May with the hashtag #ArchieDay on social media. After officially launching the campaign earlier this month, they urged others to share donations with charities to help vulnerable children impacted by coronavirus in countries which the Duke and duchess of Sussex hold dear to their hearts, including Canada , America and South Africa. The organisers of the initiative have now revealed they have added WellChild to the efforts, writing online: 'We heard all of your suggestions and we agreed that the #ArchieDay fundraising campaign would not be complete without a nod to Archies birthplace. His fatherland, the UK.' Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, supporters have raised over 21,000 for charities around the world to mark their son Archie's birthday on 6 May It's the first British charity of the official organisations in the campaign, and is the only one of the royal couple's patronages to be featured. The move comes days after the Duke showed support for WellChild, of which he has been patron for 10 years, by speaking to British families caring for seriously ill children during the pandemic from his bolthole in Los Angeles, where he is enjoying family time with Meghan and Archie. 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. The couple have both attended the WellChild awards together on several occasion, most recently in October last year. The organisers of the initiative added the British charity WellChild to the fundraising efforts in order to 'make a nod to Archie's birthplace' (pictured, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the WellChild awards in October 2019) Organisers posted on Instagram to say that they felt the #ArchieDay campaign 'wouldn't be complete' without a British charity According to official online fundraising pages, Sussex supporters have raised just over 1,600 for the charity since it was included in the campaign. Meanwhile overall efforts by the initiative have resulted in over 21,000 being donated to the four charities involved. Launching the campaign officially earlier this month, fan account @Archie_day urged others to help 'celebrate Archie's birthday with a global party', before listing a series of charities selected for the 'desire to help children.' Among the three charities chosen by the group was the Nourish Eco Village in South Africa, where Prince Harry and Meghan performed their final royal tour in November. The addition of the British charity comes after Prince Harry spoke with families caring for seriously ill children during the pandemic from his bolthole in Los Angeles earlier this week The campaign was launched earlier this month to mark Archie's first birthday on May 6, encouraging followers to donate to a series of charities to celebrate the day The charity provides food to children from impoverished families in rural communities that rely on schools to get a meal daily. Canadian charity Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, which was chosen because 'Canada has always been central to The Duke and Duchess of Sussexs love story and relationship', also tweeted about the success of the campaign. Fans were also directed to the organisation Children's Aid, which helps children living in poverty in America to honour the Duchess' home country. Supporters of the Sussexes have been urging others to share donations with four selected charities in the UK, Canada, America and South Africa (pictured, Archie with Prince Harry in December) Launching the campaign earlier this month, fan account @Archie_Day shared an image which read: 'Motivated by the pure joy of Archie's arrival and the very serious circumstances of our time, we introduce a campaign to honour his first birthday and to promote the principles we hold dear. Community, kindness and compassion.' The image, which was shared by multiple fan accounts on social media as they launched the coordinated campaign read: 'Before COVID-19 became an ominous presence in our lives, a group of us got together ot organise a fundraising campaign to honour the principles emphasized by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their humanitarian efforts: community, kindness, and compassion for vulnerable people and ecologies.' It went on to explain that the group hoped to build on the success of previous fundraising efforts, including last year's #GlobalSussexBabyShower, which was launched by a Meghan fan account, called for users to celebrate Mother's Day by donating to some of the Duchess' favourite charities and patronages. It follows a campaign last year by the group ahead of baby Archie's birth to raise money for some of the Duchess' patronages and favourite charities The message went on: 'It is in that spirit, we kick off the #ArchieDay fundraiser in benefit of vulnerable children affected by the coronavirus epidemic. 'We are all in this together. We will get through this together. We would love your support.' 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'. Vale Training, an independent division of Cunningham Lindsey, has announced the launch of Vale Consulting Services (VCS) to provide seasoned executives as claims consultants to advise on best practices and processes in the insurance claims industry.VCS currently specializes in providing leakage analysis for property, casualty, workers compensation, and litigation management. The analysis is made by seasoned executives averaging 30 years in claims management experience.VCS does more than the average file audit, it provides an analysis that identifies root causes of variance and leakage, as well as a strategic plan with constructive recommendations to ensure fair indemnification, and minimize variance and leakage.John Fleming, VCS VP and director, commented: Over the last several years, we have continued to see data indicating that carriers are experiencing a significant rise in indemnity payments for reasons that we have found ultimately lead back to a need for an evolving best practice philosophy across the claims process.Just as the claims industry is ever-changing, so are we, and providing consulting services isnt new for us. Weve just expanded, created a dedicated practice to provide consulting services with a team of seasoned professionals who can navigate these modern day challenges of an evolving claims world.More than 40 groups of policyholders affected by flood and storm damage from last months East Coast Low have attended an insurance forum hosted by the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) in Latrobe Memorial Hall this week.ICA CEO Rob Whelan said policyholders at the Latrobe forum greatly appreciated the opportunity to consult with insurers and other experts on the recovery process.The forum was attended by the ICA and representatives from insurance companies, the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), and North West Community Legal Service.Though the claims process is well advanced for most policyholders, and hundreds of claims have already been finalised, the ICA recognised some claimants had unresolved questions or concerns, Whelan said.The forum allowed policyholders to ask their insurer about the progress of their claim, including the repair and rebuilding process. Several groups also received guidance on formal dispute resolution processes from the ICA, FOS, and Legal Aid.Less than 1 per cent of household claims and less than 2 per cent of business claims from the ICA-declared catastrophe have been denied in northern Tasmania, usually because the policyholder did not buy insurance that covered flood damage.Whelan revealed that 43,244 claims were received by insurers from across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania; with overall insured losses estimated at $377 million. Northern Tasmania accounted for 2,640 of these claims for estimated insured losses of $30.5 million.Insurers recognise the emotional and financial trauma these disasters cause, and how important it is for policyholders to get back into their homes and businesses quickly, said Whelan.That is why each insurance company is working as fast as it can to finish processing claims and completing repairs. business E-commerce cos gear up to deliver essential, non-essential items from April 20 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. French Navy Opens Probe Into Flagship Coronavirus Contamination Sputnik News 16:30 GMT 16.04.2020 PARIS (Sputnik) - The French navy has opened a probe into an outbreak of the new coronavirus abroad its flagship aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle, the Defence Ministry has said. "The navy's chief of staff [Christophe Prazuck] has ordered an investigation into the command to establish how the epidemic was managed within the strike group", the ministry said in a communique published Wednesday. A third of 1,767 sailors serving with the carrier's strike group have tested positive for the virus. The ship had been away on a mission since 21 January and had no contact with the outside world after making a brief stop in the northwestern French port of Brest on 15 March. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the Chevalier Paul frigate returned to their base in Toulon on Sunday, 14 days earlier than planned. The majority of the 668 infected sailors serve with the Charles de Gaulle. Thirty-one have been hospitalised, including one in intensive care. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A former North Korean diplomat has won a seat in South Koreas National Assembly. Thae Yong Ho was a candidate in the South Korean parliamentary elections on Wednesday. He became the first North Korean to have fled the North and won an assembly seat. Tens of thousands of North Koreans live in South Korea. Thae was elected to represent voters in the mostly wealthy Gangnam neighborhood in Seoul. He was a former minister at the North Korean embassy in London. He defected and resettled in South Korea with his family in 2016. Republic of Korea is my motherland, an emotional Thae said at his campaign office. I thank you (Gangnam voters) for selecting me to become the first (defector) from North Korea to win a constituency ... Ill only uphold your order and work hard. Thae later bowed deeply and waved his hands, making his fingers in the shape of the letter V. He started singing South Koreas national anthem with supporters as tears came to his eyes. Thae is a member of the countrys main conservative opposition, the United Future Party. It has called for stronger action to deal with North Koreas nuclear activities and its record of human rights abuses. North Korea was not a major issue in the South Korean elections. Instead, many voters are concerned about the spread of the new coronavirus. The Souths ruling, liberal Democratic Party espouses better relations with North Korea. The party took control of 180 of the 300 available seats, partly because of the governments reaction to the virus. Before the elections, Thae said he decided to compete for a seat in the National Assembly to help South Koreans understand the true nature of North Korea. He also said he wanted to map a better unification policy. He has said his election would give hope to suffering North Koreans. It is unusual for a member of the Norths ruling elite to defect to South Korea. About 33,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea over the past 20 years. Most are rural people escaping poverty. Thae has said he decided to flee because he did not want his children to live miserable lives in North Korea. He said he was saddened after watching North Korean leader Kim Jong Un execute officials and seek development of nuclear weapons. North Korea has called Thae human scum and accused him of stealing government money and other crimes. Im Jonathan Evans. Bill Gallo reported this story for VOANEWS. Mario Ritter Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story defect v. to leave a country, political party, or organization and go to one that is a competitor select v. to choose uphold v. to support or confirm bow v. to bend over as a sign of respect anthem n. a song officially accepted by a country to express national identity espouse v. to express support for proportional adj. having a number that is directly related to something else through some sort of method elite n. the people who have the most wealth and highest positions in a society miserable adj. terribly unhappy or sad scum n. a worthless individual Dianna Pinto of Concord, Calif., gave birth to her first child only days after a shelter-in-place order was issued to stop the spread of COVID-19. Pinto delivered at the Kaiser Permanente hospital in Walnut Creek and her birth unfolded as some do with a prolonged 36-hour labor ending in a Cesarean section. Hospitals typically allow women to welcome multiple guests at their laborsincluding friends, family, a midwife, or doula and, of course, spouses and partnersto offer support, take photos and share the experience. In the age of coronavirus, hospitals are permitting only one guest. Pinto chose her husband. When she looks back on her birth, she views it through a lens of optimism. "Initially, we had talked about wanting it to be only me and my husband in the delivery room," she said. "The shelter in place kind of worked out because we could tell family, 'We cant have anyone in the room.' I think if anything, the nurses were able to focus more on me as a patient, versus dealing with family coming in and out." But now that Pinto is home with her newborn, the no-visitors policy still stands, and while her husband has been home from work and "absolutely amazing" with his support, she's beginning to miss family and friends. Even her in-laws who live in the same town haven't met their grandson. "We've had no visitors," said Pinto. "It literally has just been me and my husband for three weeks. I think that has been the worst part. Hes three weeks old and we cant share this joy. Its just too scary." For this story, several pregnant women and new moms were interviewed. In all cases, they've had healthy pregnancies and births and voiced few complaints considering the positivity of their situations, but they all brought up one issue: loneliness and isolation. Their pregnancies and births have been filled with a lot of empty rooms and medical masks and this frames the experience as a cold, medical event rather than a more spiritual and natural one filled with connection and bonding with friends and family. Pinto said the postpartum has been especially hard as the hormones kick in and those weeks when her parents were supposed to have been staying with them and helping have passed. "I feel a little lonely," she said. "I want my mom." Ever since social distancing orders were issued in California in March, much of regular life has stopped. But pregnancies and births have naturally continued. Being pregnant, giving birth and being a new mom is generally the same as it was before, except women are going through a lot of the experience by themselves or with someone on a screen. "Patients are coming to ultrasounds by themselves, their prenatal care by themselves," said Dr. Roxanna Irani, the medical director of obstetrics and gynecology at UC San Francisco. "Were doing a considerable amount of tele-health visits. We are still absolutely doing in-person visits if a mom has concerns or complications, but were trying to limit their exposure." Dr. Irani said virtual visits have been well-received because coming into the hospital for a prenatal appointment can be an ordeal as healthcare workers are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of patients and staff. Before a pregnant woman even comes to the hospital, she is screened over the phone to make sure she doesn't have COVID-19. She's screened again at the door of the hospital. Everyone she comes into contact with at a clinic or hospital is wearing masks and gloves. San Francisco resident Leslie Smith who is due in July says she recently had a virtual prenatal appointment. "My doctor was almost wearing a Hazmat suit even over the VC," Smith said. Oakland resident Murph Bhat who is about 38 weeks pregnant shared the protocol for an upcoming in-person prenatal appointment for an ultrasound at Alta Bates in Berkeley and described the unusual circumstances. Bhat said she and her husband were told to drive to the hospital and park in the parking lot and begin the process from the car with a phone appointment. She would then go into the hospital alone for the procedure. "They told us, 'Only you can come in,'" Bhat said. "You cant touch anyone or interact with anyone on your way. Come directly into the room. You will only interact with the doctor." Hospitals are allowing two parents to the first newborn visit, but after the initial meeting with the pediatrician, only one parent is allowed. ::: Pregnancy for women is often a time of connecting and bonding with other women and couples through group activities, such as prenatal yoga and breast-feeding and birthing classes. Today, these things aren't being done in person and instead are happening online, or not at all. Bhat said she knows one other person who is pregnant, but hasn't sought connection with other expecting moms online, nor taken part in regular virtual yoga. She is spending a lot of her time at home working. "I'm still working from home, so why use up that maternity leave if I dont have to commute?" she said. Many pregnant women aren't regularly stepping outside for walks or to grocery shop due to the risk of catching the virus. While studies don't show that pregnant women are at a higher risk for severe disease, parents who become infected near the time of birth may be separated from their new babies for up to 14 days. To protect herself, Smith is mostly staying inside and using Instacart for groceries and recently bought a treadmill for exercise. She lives in a high-rise and simply riding the elevator can be terrifying as it puts you in a close situation with others. Smith is healthy, but like most pregnant women right now, isolated. "The weirdest thing is growing this bump by yourself," Smith says. "Nobody sees you. I see my face in the mirror at home, but that's it. I went outside, and I dont go outside too much, and I saw my reflection and saw my belly, and it was like, 'Wow, I'm pregnant.'" Smith said that she hadn't planned to share details of her pregnancy on Facebook but finally posted something as a way to connect. "I wanted to keep it private but I realized people dont even know Im pregnant," said Smith, joking that when this is all over, she might bump into a friend who would be completely confused by why she's carrying a baby. ::: Nikki Sherin of San Francisco was scheduled to be induced on March 16, the day Mayor London Breed issued the stay-at-home order. Sherin called the hospital that morning at 5:30 to find out what time to go in. "I called, and they said call at 9 a.m.," she said. "I called at 9 a.m., and they said to call at 10:30 a.m. I called at 10:30 a.m., and the nurse was like, 'Honey, you dont want to be here right now. It was the morning the no-visitor policy got released and she said, 'Youre not allowed to have your spouse here because of the new policy.'" Sherin later talked to her doctor who said the situation was changing by the hour and the latest information was that her husband could be at the birth, but nobody else. Two days later, she was induced. When she and her husband arrived at the hospital, they were screened at the door and then walked through empty hallways to labor and delivery. "We didnt see a soul," she said. Laboring women, often walk hospital hallways to help speed up the birthing process, but Sherin said she was confined to her room. She never saw any other patients during her visit. This was Sherin's second child and with her first, family join her at the hospital. "I had my mom and mother-in law-in my room with my husband and then my dads were in the waiting room," she said. "It was a big family affair. My daughter was the first granddaughter on both sides and then this is the first grandson. The plan was to have at least my mom in there. But I could have only my husband. I think my mom was more disappointed. The second time around it felt more intimate having just me and my husband there. Though we later realized we had no photos because there was no one there to help. You just have to readjust all your expectations." Dr. Irani said at UCSF she's seeing many pregnant women adjust to the new restrictions around visitors by using technology. Women are receiving support from their doulas during delivery through digital devices. "Weve definitely had doulas on Facetime the whole time," she said. "Theyve offered fantastic support even if its virtual. We welcome them to be a part of the experience virtually." She has also seen new parents bring their families into the delivery rooms with screens. "I was in one room and I was nearly brought to tears because they had four phones out with all the grandparents and other family," said Dr. Irani. "There was someone in New Jersey and someone in New York. Her husband was managing all the devices. While the birth experience wasnt their first choice, I know they still felt the love of their families." Dr. Irani added, "We recognize it is so hard for moms and families right now. Were doing our best to make it a positive experience." Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Representative image The Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das on April 17 announced a targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO) of Rs 50,000 crore that will benefit non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) and micro-finance institutions (MFIs), a move that will help small and medium-sized businesses. The funds availed by banks under TLTRO 2.0 should be invested in investment-grade bonds, commercial paper, and non-convertible debentures of NBFCs, with at least 50 percent of the amount going to small and midsized NBFCs and MFIs, the central bank said in a statement. The bank could also increase the size of TLTRO, Das said. This is the second round of measures announced by the central bank since the viral outbreak to ease liquidity situation. Also read: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das launches Round 2 of liquidity bonanza; this time for small NBFCs, MFIs NBFCs and MFIs play a crucial role in lending towards small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs). As the lockdown continues, these businesses have been hit, with manufacturing has come to a grinding halt. Estimating the business level and its impact on working capital and hence the availability of cash flows for debt servicing and repayment post the moratorium period would be a challenge, said Sanjay Doshi, Partner, Deal Advisory-Financial Services, KPMG India. However, there was a significant impact on cash flow, which may last from three to 12 months, Doshi said. The latest move by RBI may help SMEs survive the current crisis as they face working capital issues. Das, who held a video conference with the media, also announced relaxation of asset classification norms. The accounts availing the moratorium facility will be excluded from the 90-day NPA classification norms of the RBI. There will be an asset classification standstill for all such accounts from March 1 to 31 May 2020," Das said. The guidelines would also apply to NBFCs. The central bank had on March 27 allowed banks and other financial institutions to allow borrowers to put on hold repayment of term loans for three months beginning March 1. Most of the micro, small and medium enterprises transactions are cash-based and SMEs usually have a smaller working capital cycle of 90 to 120 days. The latest steps by the RBI will give the much-needed fund relief to them. New Delhi, April 17 : Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday held a video conference with Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal and hospitals here and directed the city to ensure sufficient blood stock for transfusion. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, Medical Superintendents of major Central and State Government Hospitals and Municipal Commissioners of Delhi were also part of the meeting. The Union Health Ministry in a statement said Harsh Vardhan congratulated the Delhi health team for managing and keeping the situation under control in the fight against coronavirus. "But we should not neglect the emergency and other patients in these testing times," said the Union Minister. He said he received a lot of complaints regarding the denial of treatment to patients suffering from critical ailments other then COVID-19. He was referring to patients requiring dialysis, those suffering from respiratory or heart disease and those who require blood transfusion and pregnant mothers. "We need to take a serious view against this denial of treatment to patients who have been visiting hospitals in case of emergency and are being forced to visit a number of hospitals, one after another, resulting in denial of immediate medical attention which may result in loss of their lives," he said. The Union Minister instructed all the MSs of the hospitals to take proper care of non-COVID patients just like the COVID-19 patients. "It is a testing time for everybody in lockdown; patients who are really ill and require urgent medical attention are venturing out with great difficulty to reach the hospital for treatment in this situation. We should not turn them away on any kind of flimsy pretexts as certain procedures like blood transfusion, dialysis etc can't wait," he added. The Minister said apart from the dedicated COVID hospitals, remaining hospitals are supposed to take care of non-COVID patients who have been visiting hospitals with a hope of getting due treatment. The Delhi government on Wednesday had issued an order announcing that COVID-negative reports are not necessary for a patient going for emergency treatment at the nursing homes and private hospitals in the city, warning the health providers of strict action on any such demand. The Delhi Directorate General of Health Services issued the order warning the nursing homes and private hospitals that if they denied emergent medical care, including dialysis to a serious patient on the pretext that they have to carry a COVID-19 negative report, they can even face registration cancellation. The Union Health Minister urged the hospitals to respond to non-COVID patients with compassion and care as they are already going through severe hardships during lockdown. Harsh Vardhan exhorted the hospitals to keep sufficient blood stock for transfusion by promoting voluntary blood donors and utilising various services like mobile blood collection vans with the help of Indian Red Cross Society. In addition to this, the Union Minister asked the Indian Red Cross Society to send such mobile blood collection vans to the premises of regular blood donors to facilitate them to come forward for blood donation which is a noble deed at this point of time. Nearly 400 Rohingya Rescued from Boat Drifting Off Bangladesh Coast By VOA News April 16, 2020 At least 382 Rohingya refugees have been rescued off the coast of Bangladesh after drifting for several days aboard an overcrowded fishing boat. Officials with Bangladesh's coast guard said the boat was spotted late Wednesday and brought ashore. Video footage taken by a local journalist showed a crowd of mostly women and children looking emaciated as they were helped off the boat. The Rohingya are believed to have sailed from Bangladesh on a voyage to Malaysia but were turned away due to strict border controls because of the coronavirus pandemic. One coast guard official says the boat had been out to sea for about two months and that the passengers were starving. In addition to the 382 survivors, at least two dozen Rohingya died during the voyage. As many as 1 million Rohingya are living in cramped, squalid camps in southern Bangladesh, with the majority having crossed over from neighboring Myanmar to escape a brutal military crackdown in 2017. Thousands of Rohingya over the years have attempted to escape the camps by boarding crowded boats bound for either Malaysia or Thailand. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 5,000 were given to West Side Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center that serves under-and uninsured community members with two locations in the Southeast Wilmington area; area; 2,500 were distributed through Sunday Breakfast Mission, a homeless shelter providing meals that has continued to serve the already vulnerable population; and 2,500 were distributed to workers at Food Bank of Delaware mobile food delivery and food pantry sites. Said Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware Campaign Manager Chris Coffey, "As communities of color across the country are devastated by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, we're proud to provide 10,000 medical masks to these three incredible organizations that are breaking down barriers to health and food security. We appreciate their heroic workers and their efforts to serve the most vulnerable residents of Delaware." "It is a blessing to receive PPE in these difficult times," said Bruce Davison, Sunday Breakfast Mission. "Now more than ever, we need to protect our staff, our vulnerable residents and our guests in order to stay safe and healthy." Last week, CPBD partnered with local pastors to urge Governor Carney for a racial breakdown of the state's coronavirus cases, which he has now done. While the data is not yet available, a ProPublica study from other states is already exposing a staggering disparity in the mortality rate for African Americans that have contracted the illness compared to their white counterparts. CPBD will be delivering masks to these groups in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 and shrink that disparity. CPBD calls on Governor Carney to create a racial equity rapid response team and support community organizations, like the three organizations above, who have worked for years to create trusted outreach systems. Culturally competent providers who look like and speak the languages of racially diverse communities are essential to stopping coronavirus from disproportionately affecting black and latinx residents. Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware is a group made up of more than 5,000 members including employees of the global translation services company TransPerfect, as well as concerned Delaware residents, business executives and others. They formed in April of 2016 to focus on raising awareness with Delaware residents, elected officials, and other stakeholders about the issue. While their primary goal of saving the company has been accomplished, they continue their efforts to fight for more transparency in the Delaware Chancery Court. For more information on Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware or to join the cause, visit DelawareForBusiness.org . Contact: Chris Coffey, [email protected] SOURCE Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware Related Links http://www.delawareforbusiness.org Murdered gangland killer Robbie Lawlor was buried yesterday just three graves from his brother-in-law Richie Carberry, who was shot dead late last year as part of the same criminal dispute. Our photos show the brothers-in-arms' final resting place at Dardistown Cemetery in north Dublin. Earlier, just over a dozen people, including children, attended Lawlor's funeral in Laytown, Co Meath. It is understood that the body of Lawlor, who was shot dead as part of an elaborate double- cross in Belfast two weeks ago, was released to his family by the PSNI on Wednesday. Expand Close Mourners at Robbie Lawlors funeral yesterday at the Sacred Heart Church in Laytown / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mourners at Robbie Lawlors funeral yesterday at the Sacred Heart Church in Laytown He was waked at his home before the funeral mass, which was celebrated yesterday by Fr Denis McNelis at the Sacred Heart Church in the seaside town. When contacted, Fr McNelis said he did not wish to comment on the funeral as Lawlor's family had requested privacy. After the mass, the congregation left in six cars, three of which sported black flags. Armed detectives in an unmarked garda car followed the hearse and mourners for the 37km from Laytown to Dardistown. Lawlor was buried very close to his brother-in-law and partner in crime Richie Carberry, who was shot dead outside his home in Bettystown, Co Meath, last November. His murder is believed to have been ordered by the same mob who had Lawlor shot. It is understood Lawlor's sister Eileen, who was married to Carberry, was at yesterday's funeral, which was monitored by undercover gardai. It came only hours after PSNI detectives appealed for information about a hooded man spotted close to the scene of Lawlor's murder. The 36-year-old was shot dead outside a house on Etna Drive, Ardoyne, at around 11.50am on April 4. Expand Close Gangland hitman Robbie Lawlor was shot dead in Belfast / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gangland hitman Robbie Lawlor was shot dead in Belfast Detective Chief Inspector Peter Montgomery said: "It's been nearly two weeks since the brutal killing, and I have received reports of a person wearing a black jacket with the hood up and carrying a holdall while walking along Jamaica Way towards Old Park." No one is in custody in relation to Lawlor's murder after a 36-year-old man was freed on bail after his arrest in Belfast. Four other males, aged 33, 30, 27 and 17, were arrested in the city and questioned within hours of the shooting but were released without charge. Two of them, the 33-year-old and his teenage nephew, are key members of the McCarthy- Dundon gang who travelled to Belfast with Lawlor. A "blame-game" has broken out between members of the Limerick gang, who gardai believe were hired to set-up the murder of Lawlor, and the Maguire mob from Drogheda, who are suspected of ordering the shooting. The row is over the 50,000 blood money seized by gardai, which was partial payment for the hit. Lawlor had a fearsome reputation and was one of the chief suspects for the barbaric murder and dismemberment of Drogheda teenager Keane Mulready Woods last January as part of the Drogheda feud. Lawlor, who was a member of the so-called anti-Maguire faction, was also the chief suspect for a string of murders including that of Tallaght criminal Mark Byrne (29) in 2005, David 'Fred' Lynch (26) in 2009 and his pal Noel Deans (27) the following year. Only hours after Deans' killing, Lawlor perversely drank tea with and consoled his victim's heartbroken mother. Lawlor was also the chief suspect for the murder of his former close associate, Kenneth Finn (36), in February 2018. The Berejiklian government has accepted all 50 recommendations of an independent expert panel assessing the impacts of coal mining in the Sydney catchment and pledged "a more stringent approach" to future approvals. Planning Minister Rob Stokes said the government would set up an inter-agency taskforce this year to implement the panel's findings. The Berejiklian government says it will beef up oversight of coal mining in Sydney's catchment. Opponents say the lack of monitoring makes improvements in the future difficult to assess. Credit:Janie Barrett We want to ensure we have every measure in place to protect Sydneys water supply for generations to come, Mr Stokes said, adding the actions would improve existing assessment and monitoring while providing "greater certainty" for Sydneys water supply and 5000 mining-related jobs in the Illawarra. The plan includes setting up an independent expert panel to assess mining applications in the catchment, and to review and update calculations of current and future water losses "in line with the best available science". McCallie School officials will continue delivery on Friday of face masks that were contributed by parents of Chinese students. Deliveries will be made to Erlanger Hospital, CHI Memorial Hospital and the Chattanooga Police Department. In addition, several hundred masks will be delivered to Mercy Helpers, an organization that is supplying food to victims of tornadoes that struck the Chattanooga area earlier this week. On Saturday, McCallie faculty and staff that live on campus will distribute masks to neighbors and small businesses close to the campus. Last week, McCallie delivered several thousand face masks to Parkridge Health Systems. The supplies, which include cloth masks and N95 masks, were contributed by parents of Chinese students who are boarding students at McCallie. Over the past several weeks, those parents organized efforts throughout China to secure masks and ship them to McCallie as a gesture of support for McCallie and the Chattanooga area. Fujifilm India Extends Support to Combat Covid-19 Pandemic Chandigarh, 2020: Fujifilm India Private Limited, a pioneer in imaging technologies, has pledged its commitment and contribution towards aid for the unprecedented crisis caused due to the Coronavirus pandemic outbreak. The company has announced the supply of 200 N95 respiratory& surgical facemasks along with 40 PPE kits to healthcare professionals at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh. To combat the spread of the disease, Fujifilm is providing these essential preventive healthcare utility (PPE) kits to doctors, which include Surgeon Gown, Face Mask, Gloves, Preventiv Fujifilm India Extends Support to Combat Covid-19 Pandemic Advertisement Commenting on this, Mr. Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India Pvt. Ltd. said, We all are witnessing an unprecedented and difficult time of our lives due to COVID-19 global pandemic.Committed to work together with the people of India in this hour of difficulty, we have introduced these measures to ensure adequate protective equipment and masks are available for healthcare specialists and associated workforce present on the front lines.At Fujifilm, we believe its time for all of us to come together and protect the humanity by acting responsibly and by doing what we can to prevent further spread and avoid disruptions from the COVID-19 virus. In addition, the company is installing Computed Radiology, Digital Radiology systems and imagers across isolation wards at hospitals to ensure effective monitoring and controlling the disease outbreaks. These technologies will empower clinicians to improve efficiency and expedite the early diagnosis of the disease. Advertisement About Fujifilm India Private Ltd Fujifilm established in 1934 has believed in Innovation and creation of new values through leading edge and proprietary technologies. FUJIFILM India as a firm believer in innovation continues to work hard to provide the Indian consumer the best products and services. Our corporate slogan is Value from Innovation. Advertisement Along with expressing Fujifilm's commitment to continuously creating innovative technologies, products and services that empower the potential and expand the horizons of tomorrow's businesses and lifestyles, the slogan also encapsulates the company's desire to combine our own original technology with human resources, expertise and technology from around the world both internally and externally to create innovation. A new brand statement has also been created to articulate these commitments more specifically, and the slogan encapsulates the main points of the brand statement. Our Goal is to be a company that is able to resolve a diverse variety of the problems that face society, contribute to the world through the continuous creation of value added products and services, and achieve sustainable growth through constant innovation. That was the commitment we made to the world when we launched our new corporate slogan Value from Innovation. We quickly ascertain customer needs, and communicate these clearly and accurately to those involved in product development. Instant camera instax is successful example of this in Photo Imaging business, which was developed after accurately assessing market demands and with all related business divisions working together throughout the entire process from production to sales on a worldwide scale. To provide injured workers with immediate access to medical treatment online via smartphone, tablet or computer, ICW Group Insurance Companies, a leading group of property and casualty carriers, announces it is now offering telemedicine to its workers compensation policyholders. To provide this new service, ICW Group is partnering with Concentra Telemed, the first telemedicine service specifically designed for work-related injuries. Utilizing licensed medical providers experienced in occupational health, Concentra Telemed gives injured workers the option to access non-emergency medical treatment 24 hours a day, seven days a week with no need to visit a medical facility or spend time in a waiting room. We were actively working on our telemedicine rollout when the coronavirus pandemic hit, said Amanda Granger, senior vice president, work comp claims. Thankfully, ICW Groups workforce was equipped to quickly shift to a work from home model and accelerate delivery of this important service. We are pleased our policyholders will now have this safe option for their employees during this challenging time. ICW Groups telemedicine service allows injured employees to video chat with a medical provider immediately using video conferencing. The provider can diagnose, treat and prescribe medication and telemedicine can be used for follow-up visits and re-checks. The service also offers rehab treatment for work-related injuries through Concentra Telemeds virtual physical therapy program. Everything about telemedicine is designed to make the process easier for employees injured on the job so they can get the care they need, when they need it, and from any location, said Granger. The telemedicine service is suggested for minor injuries not requiring an in-person medical visit. If an in-person visit is required, an injured worker will be referred to the nearest medical facility. Injuries treated through telemedicine include: Minor functional movement and repetitive use injuries Contusions, bruises, scrapes, rashes and burns Sprains and strains For more information about ICW Groups telemedicine offering, visit the telemedicine resources page on its Policyholder Center website. About ICW Group Based in San Diego, ICW Group Insurance Companies is the largest privately held insurance company domiciled in California. Quoting more than $3 billion annually, ICW Group represents a group of Property, Auto and Workers Compensation insurance carriers, including Insurance Company of the West and Explorer Insurance Company. ICW Group is recognized nationally as an industry leader in helping policyholders achieve fewer and less costly claims, and is committed to meeting the needs of its policyholders and elevating the trusted agents and brokers who advise them. More information is available at http://www.icwgroup.com, http://www.twitter.com/ICWGroup, http://www.linkedin.com/companies/icw-group and http://www.facebook.com/ICWGroup. Media Contact ICW Group Jessica Northrup 858.924.8662 jnorthrup@icwgroup.com (Natural News) Scientists have discovered a new species of shark lurking off the Gulf of Mexico. However, this isnt a terrifyingly large shark that can eat humans whole. This shark is small and can glow in the dark. The new shark, known as the American pocket shark (Mollisquama mississippiensis), is only the second species of pocket shark to be identified by marine scientists. It was first discovered in the central Gulf of Mexico in 2010 and it wasnt classified until 2019. The specimen of American pocket shark marine scientists were able to retrieve was only 5.5 inches long and resided deep underneath the ocean at a depth of 1,100 feet below the surface. Pocket sharks are an enigmatic genus of deepwater sharks known for their small size. Only two specimens of pocket shark have ever been collected, one in 1979 and the American pocket shark in 2010. Both are separate species, each from separate oceans. Both are exceedingly rare, said Mark Grace, biologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Grace conducted his study on the American pocket shark with the help of researchers from Tulane University. American pocket shark produces bioluminescence Research on the American pocket shark began in 2013, when Grace first came across it while examining specimens captured by NOAA during a 2010 mission to study sperm whales. Grace and the researchers from Tulane began studying the shark. They used X-ray imaging and high-resolution CT scans to examine both the inside and outside of the pocket shark. They also received help from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in France. The ESRF had an X-ray that was 100 billion times brighter than the X-rays Grace and the other researchers used. Using this data, the researchers identified the specimen as a pocket shark in 2015. Furthermore, Grace was able to determine the location of the American pocket sharks photophores, or organs that are used specifically to create bioluminescence. Its photophores are located all over its body. This allows the pocket shark to glow in the dark. The photophores produce a bioluminescent fluid that helps the shark see in the darkness of the deep ocean. Furthermore, Grace and the other researchers used the X-ray and CT scan images to distinguish the differences between the American pocket shark and the first pocket shark specimen to be discovered, the Mollisquama parini. M. parini was discovered in the Nazca Submarine Range, off the coast of Chile, in 1979. It wasnt properly categorized until 1984. It is currently in a museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Both species have two small pockets that produce the bioluminescent fluid that makes it light up on each side of its body near its gills. The American pocket shark also had fewer vertebrae, different teeth and it had photophores all over its body. Henry Bart, director of Tulanes Biodiversity Research Institute, emphasized how there is still much to be learned, not just about pocket sharks, but about the deep seas that they inhabit. (Related: Why do deep-sea dragonfish have invisible teeth?) The fact that only one pocket shark has ever been reported from the Gulf of Mexico, and that it is a new species, underscores how little we know about the Gulf especially its deeper waters and how many additional new species from these waters await discovery. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk ScienceAlert.com Britannica.com CBSNews.com LiveScience.com Curious just how far your dollar goes in Houston? We've rounded up the latest places for rent via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to locating affordable apartments in Houston if you've got up to $1,500/month earmarked for your rent. Take a peek at what rentals the city has to offer, below. (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. 2355 Bagby St. (Midtown) Listed at $1,401/month, this one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment is located at 2355 Bagby St. The unit comes with a fireplace, a dishwasher and a walk-in closet. Building amenities include secured entry, a swimming pool and garage parking. Pets are not welcome. (See the complete listing here.) 872 Bettina Court (Memorial) Next, there's this two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit located at 872 Bettina Court. It's listed for $1,403/month for its 915 square feet. The building has assigned parking. The unit also has carpeted floors, a walk-in closet and a dishwasher. Pet lovers are in luck: This property is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (See the complete listing here.) 2100 Bering Drive (Greater Uptown) Here's a 973-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom abode at 2100 Bering Drive that's going for $1,404/month. The unit has a dishwasher, hardwood flooring, a balcony and a walk-in closet. For those with furry friends in tow, this property is pet-friendly. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. (Check out the complete listing here.) 2525 McCue Road (Greater Uptown) Next, check out this 805-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom abode that's located at 2525 McCue Road. It's listed for $1,406/month. In the residence, the listing promises a balcony, a ceiling fan and hardwood flooring. Pet owners, take heed: This rental is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. (Take a look at the complete listing here.) Fallsview Lane and Enclave Parkway (Eldridge / West Oaks) Located at Fallsview Lane and Enclave Parkway, here's a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment that's listed for $1,410/month. You can expect to find a walk-in closet, hardwood flooring and a dishwasher in the unit. Amenities offered in the building include a swimming pool. For those with furry friends in tow, this property is pet-friendly. (Check out the complete listing here.) Working with a tight budget? Here are the cheapest rentals recently listed in Houston. 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, read on for five marketing tips for real estate agents to showcase local market expertise. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. SUZHOU, China, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hengtong's Indian subsidiary (hereinafter referred to as "Hengtong India") is reaching out to marginalized communities such as rural areas of Khed city to help the people there fight the battle against this crisis. In the face of the pandemic, the whole society needs to take actions and fight against it. The COVID-19 pandemic has almost brought the world down to its knees. Not only have developing countries like India, but the developed nations are also struggling to keep up with the speed at which the deadly disease is spreading. As of April 17, more than 12,000 cases have been confirmed in India. Hengtong is committed to taking initiatives that will benefit the local community. Hengtong India clearly understands the shortage of basic masks and hand sanitisers, especially in rural areas. Hengtong India has distributed face masks and hand sanitiser kits to over 2500 families in the villages in and around Khed, Chakan area, as well as the police officers and security personnel there. The idea is to help them to cope with the pandemic. As taking the right measures of wearing a mask and washing or sanitizing hands regularly will likely to help prevent the transmission of this deadly virus, Hengtong has risen to the occasion and is trying its best to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Khed City, Pune, India. Hengtong India hopes its efforts and contributions can save many vulnerable lives in Khed City. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1156714/Hengtong.jpg Photograph: John Locher/AP In early March, Las Vegas, a city with more than 147,000 hotel rooms, had homeless people sleep on the ground in a parking lot after a local shelter temporarily closed because of coronavirus. Photographs of homeless people lying on the concrete in marked-off squares, with the empty hotels behind them, prompted public condemnation around the world. Related: After the end of the world: the eerie silence of the Las Vegas Strip This week, Vegas touted a new isolation and quarantine complex for homeless people, erected in the same city-owned parking lot where homeless people slept on the ground. The complex consists out of a series of tents for homeless people who are sick with coronavirus, but are not sick enough to go to the hospital. The citys official Twitter account sends links about the complex to social media users who share the photographs of homeless people sleeping on the ground and officials are touting the parking lot tents as a first of its kind facility in the nation. This emergency shelter has been closed for some time now. A new isolation center, believed to be a first of its kind in the US, opened this week to give anyone who is sick and homeless a safe place to go: https://t.co/IwvIS6xX1J City of Las Vegas (@CityOfLasVegas) April 16, 2020 this emergency shelter has been closed for some time now. A new isolation center, believed to be a first of its kind in the US, opened this week, we hope that you'll look this information over: and reconsider https://t.co/lGm7UgzITE City of Las Vegas (@CityOfLasVegas) April 15, 2020 The opening of Las Vegass isolation complex came as Nevada health officials reported the number of diagnosed Covid-19 patients statewide approached 3,000, with at least 114 deaths. And it follows a controversial city council decision last year to crack down on people living outdoors by making sitting, resting or lodging on sidewalks a misdemeanor punishable with up to six months in jail or fines of up to $1,000 in most neighborhoods. Story continues Photographs from inside Las Vegass tent complex show rows of beds, in 10 by 10 squares, with short, cloth partitions between them. People who have been diagnosed with coronavirus, and those who only need to quarantine, are put in separate parts of the complex, according to the city. The isolation complex is only accessible to those with a medical referral, either for being diagnosed with coronavirus, for having symptoms, or for having been exposed to someone with coronavirus. Homeless people cannot just walk up and get a bed: they are being transported to the complex in an ambulance, a city spokesperson said, as coronavirus testing is done at local homeless shelters. The city has told reporters that lighting, fence screens and security guards at entrances to the ISO-Q facility are designed to provide privacy and confidentiality for residents, and that visitors will not be allowed. Erecting tents for sick homeless people in a parking lot cost taxpayers $6m, a city official said. A Las Vegas spokesman told the Guardian that renting empty hotel rooms to house homeless people rather than having them sleep on the ground wasnt an option. None of those hotels are open. Theres no staffing at any of those hotels. The city doesnt own any hotels, Jace Radke, a senior public information officer for Las Vegas, said. On Twitter, the city said that Clark county, where Las Vegas is based, did attempt to work with hotel partners but deals were not able to be ironed out. Radke did not answer questions about ongoing attempts to come to an agreement with city hotels, and referred all questions to Clark county, which he said was in charge of the negotiations. A spokesperson for Clark county did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Asked if it would not be safer for homeless people with coronavirus or in quarantine to be sheltered inside real buildings, Radke said, The city management made a decision to build this ISO-Q facility, and said it best meets the citys specific needs. As of Thursday, the ISO-Q, which was built to hold 500 people, only has eight people there, Radke said. He added that the reason why Las Vegass account is tweeting the things its tweeted is because We like to keep the community informed about what the city is doing. The Associated Press contributed reporting. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17 Trend: Turkmenistans Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted an International Media Forum dedicated to 25th anniversary of Turkmenistans permanent neutrality, Trend reports. The media forum held via video conference on April 17, 2020, was attended by heads and representatives of several ministries and departments of Turkmenistan, national universities and media as well as scientists and experts. Rectors and professors of well-known foreign universities, heads of international organizations, more than 50 media representatives from over 20 countries including Trend News Agency also attended the event. At the opening of the media forum, the importance of Turkmenistans policy of permanent neutrality conducted under the leadership of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, was underlined. The forum speakers shared their vision of the positive status of neutrality of Turkmenistan aimed at promoting human values and achieving progress in the world exclusively through peaceful and constructive dialogue. A video was shown to demonstrate the success of the time-tested neutrality policy of Turkmenistan. The neutrality of Turkmenistan serves as a good basis for the development of friendly and mutually beneficial relations between the states of the region and the world. Turkmenistans permanent neutrality reflects the desire of its people to maintain peace and good neighborly relations with other countries, said Deputy Director General of Russias TASS Information Agency Alexander Kopnov. Doctor of economics, independent consultant on democratization and security sector reforms in the Netherlands, professor Sami Faltas emphasized that Turkmenistan has successfully integrated neutrality into its foreign policy, which is implemented on the principles of good neighborliness and mutual respect. Dean of the Department of International Relations of the Belarus State University, Doctor of Historical Sciences Victor Shadursky stressed the special importance of the neutrality of Turkmenistan in the context of strengthening and expanding mutually beneficial friendly relations between peoples and countries of the world. Rector of the Caspian State University of Technology and Engineering named after Sh. Yessenov (Kazakhstan) Berik Akhmetov highlighted the main directions of the institute of permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan. "Kazakhstan, as a friendly country, supports the policy of neutrality of Turkmenistan and respects its independently chosen development path," he added. The forum continued its work with a question-and-answer session. The event participants were invited to take part in the international conference The policy of Neutrality and its role in ensuring international peace, security and sustainable development, scheduled to be held in Ashgabat in December 2020. BEIJING China acknowledged Friday that the coronavirus death toll in the one-time epicenter city of Wuhan was nearly 50% higher than reported, underscoring just how seriously the official numbers of infections and deaths around the world may be understating the dimensions of the disaster. In Italy, Spain, Britain, the United States and elsewhere, similar doubts emerged as governments revised their death tolls or openly questioned the accuracy of them. "We are probably only seeing the tip of the iceberg," said Barcelona University epidemiologist Antoni Trilla, who heads the Spanish government's expert panel on the crisis. Worldwide, the outbreak has infected more than 2.1 million people and killed over 145,000, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally based on figures supplied by government health authorities around the globe. The death toll in the U.S. topped 33,000, with more than 670,000 confirmed infections. Authorities say infections and deaths have been under-reported almost everywhere. Thousands have died with COVID-19 symptoms many in nursing homes, which have been ravaged by a disease that hits the elderly the hardest without being tested. Four months into the outbreak, nations are still struggling to increase their testing capacity, and many are still far from their goal. In Italy, officials have acknowledged that the country's official death toll of more than 22,000 understates the true number, primarily because it doesn't include those who died in nursing homes and were not tested. A government survey released Friday of about one-third of Italy's nursing homes found more than 6,000 residents have died since Feb. 1. It was unclear how many were a result of COVID-19. In Britain, the official death toll of about 14,600 come under increasing scrutiny because it likewise does not include any deaths at home or in nursing homes. The country's statistics agency has said the actual number of dead could be around 15% higher; others think it will be far more. And in Spain, the country's 17 autonomous regions were ordered to adopt uniform criteria on counting the dead. The country has recorded more than 19,000 deaths, but the system leaves out patients who had symptoms but were not tested before they died. "There is a general feeling that the epidemiologists don't have a clue of what's going on, that experts know even less and that governments are concealing information, but I don't think that's true," said Hermelinda Vanaclocha, an epidemiologist on Spain's top virus advisory panel. "It's simply not easy." China raised its overall death toll to over 4,600 after Wuhan, where the outbreak first took hold, added nearly 1,300 deaths. Questions have long swirled around the accuracy of China's case reporting, with critics saying officials sought to minimize the outbreak that began in December. That has been a struggle around the world, though. The official death toll in New York City soared by more than half earlier this week when health authorities began including people who probably had COVID-19 but died without being tested. Nearly 3,800 deaths were added to the city's count. Such figures can have a huge influence on governments' actions, as medical staffs struggle to figure out how to cope with surges of sick people and officials make crucial decisions about where to devote resources and how to begin easing lockdowns to resuscitate their economies. China's economy shrank 6.8% in the quarter ending in March compared with the same period a year ago, its worst contraction since market-style economic reforms began in 1979. The number of people applying for unemployment benefits in the U.S. rose by 5.2 million, bringing the four-week total to a staggering 22 million. U.S. unemployment could reach 20% 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. President Donald Trump told the nation's governors on Thursday that restrictions could be eased to allow businesses to reopen over the next several weeks in places that have extensive testing and a marked decrease in cases. "We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time," he said. New York, the deadliest hot spot in the U.S., reported more encouraging signs Thursday, 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, New York state has over 40% of all U.S. deaths, and Cuomo extended the states lockdown through at least May 15. SBC leader Albert Mohler indicates support for Donald Trump in reversal of 2016 position Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Calling him the most consistent president in American history, prominent Southern Baptist R. Albert Mohler Jr., indicated Wednesday that he will likely support President Donald Trump in 2020 despite not voting for him in 2016 when he also encouraged other Christian leaders to do the same. I did not vote for Donald Trump [in 2016], I certainly did not vote for Hillary Clinton, as a matter of fact, Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, revealed in an Ask Me Anything session posted on YouTube. Before making the confession, he explained how 2016 had been a challenging time of disequilibrium for the Republican Party, which he had supported consistently since 1980 when he voted for Ronald Reagan. The disequilibrium in the race had everything to do with the Republican side. It had everything to do with Donald Trump. Can I stand in all expectations of the political class and winning the Republican nomination? Look, he came with more baggage than any presidential candidate in American history of a major party, Mohler said. He wrote books in which he bragged about his promiscuity, bragged about how he cut deals. His personal character was such that Americans knew what they were getting in the 2016 election and in the final weeks of the election. You had the bombshell of the video in which he made comments to a television personality that were just beyond even the moral vocabulary of most evangelical Christians and yet against all odds, again Donald Trump won the election in 2016, winning in the Electoral College, he said. And Mohler, like many in the Never Trump camp in 2016, did not withhold his concern for Trumps moral character, which some critics dismissed as borne of false piety and self-righteousness. While he doesnt have a different opinion of Trumps moral character today, Mohler said he was impressed by the presidents commitment to his campaign promises and as a result he will not make the same decision he did in 2016, when he refused to support him. I dont have a different moral estimation of Donald Trump. Even in office he continually leaves me very frustrated in how he presents himself, how he speaks, but he has been more consistent in pro-life decisions, executive orders than any president of the United States in any party. Hes been more consistent than any Republican certainly in the quality of appointments he has made to the federal judiciary, which will far outlive any presidency, he said, noting that he will will make a different political calculation in 2020. Im having to look at the situation differently, he added, because 2020 is not 2016. Mohler told The Washington Post in an interview published Thursday that he first began to believe Trump would deliver on his campaign promises during the 2017 Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Neil M. Gorsuch. Trump also went on to appoint a number of evangelicals throughout his administration, including Mohlers son-in-law, Riley Barnes, who currently serves as a senior adviser in the State Department. And because Trump has kept his promises, Mohler argued that he could likely see stronger support in 2020 from evangelicals than the 80 percent he got in 2016. In retrospect, I made my vote of minimal importance, he told The Washington Post. I dont intend to do that in 2020. Theres a bit of regret in that. Dwight McKissic, senior pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, who is black, told the publication that he would no longer recommend Mohlers seminary to black students. It shows youre tone deaf or you dont care about the sensitivities of the majority of African Americans who find Donald Trump a repulsive personality and politician, McKissic said. Karen Swallow Prior, professor of English at Liberty University, noted in a series of tweets that she would not be supporting President Trump or the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, this fall. In humility, hope, and faith, I will vote in November for a president who has better character, promotes more consistently life-affirming policies, and isnt as handsy (or worse) with women than either of the two major party candidates. This is not throwing my vote away, she wrote. This is refusing to accept a bar so low. I will also ask God to blessand multiplythis vote and others like it. Not to 'win' in a worldly sense, but in a more eternal one. I believe God will bless and use a remnant of voters. If you are with me, please pray likewise. Popular Bible teacher and author Beth Moore replied that she would be doing the same. Left-leaning Christian legal analyst and commentator Monique Pressley commented that Prior's response is the same as a vote for the president. Youre right. Its not throwing it away, its a vote for Trump. More so, it is a slap in the face of every person of color who has suffered injustice upon inhumane act under this president. You are voting from a place of luxury your brothers and sisters can ill afford, Pressley began in her response to Prior. FYIit was the devil, not God, who used this same remnant of which you speak leading to us having this godless man as potus. This is no time to be so spiritual you are of no earthly good. Civil rights being snatched away, the WH run like a criminal enterprise, she continued. I cannot express to you in strong enough terms how disappointing it is for any Christian leader to rest in his or her privilege continuing to ignore or justify the abandonment of those whose lives are right now hanging in the balance. What rights would the majority have in this country if Black people (since permitted to exercise the right to vote) had refused to pick the better of two candidates because of how low the bar was? When did we have the luxury of picking a completely non-viable candidate because our wish list wasnt met? Pressley asked. I will not join you in praying God raises a remnant so wedded to its ideals that it is detached from reality. I pray God raises an army...of believers who see clearly enough to do what is required to protect those they claim to love. RICHMOND, Va. - As acts of civil disobedience go, this was pastoral: Gary Golden spread a blanket on the grassy lawn by Virginia's Executive Mansion, opened a wicker picnic basket and offered strawberries to strangers. As fellow protesters took him up on the offer Thursday, coming up to the edge of the blanket, sticking their hands right into his container of sliced berries, Golden was defying Gov. Ralph Northam, who has ordered Virginians to keep their distance from one another to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Golden, a 55-year-old from Fredericksburg whose insurance business has suffered from the crisis, suspects that the social distancing mandates are an unnecessary burden - and a moneymaker for hospitals. "Society's shut down and locked down so that the hospital systems don't have to invest more and care for their patients," said Golden, who had a model of the coronavirus, crocheted out of yarn, attached to a backpack. "And they're clever because the government's doing it for them now. The government's saying, 'Here, we'll bring in the Army, we'll bring in the National Guard, we'll build this for you, we'll do that for you.' These hospitals are making out." Golden was one of about 50 people who came to Richmond's Capitol Square about midday to protest restrictions that Northam has imposed since the coronavirus first was diagnosed in the state. It was a much smaller - and less vocal - version of a demonstration staged a day earlier in Lansing, Michigan, where thousands of drivers created a traffic jam intended to pressure Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, to ease restrictions there. Northam, a Democrat, has shuttered schools for the year, restricted restaurants to carryout or delivery service and ordered Virginians to stay at home except to get essentials such as food, medical care or exercise. Republican leaders in the state House and Senate have been generally supportive of his actions. But after Northam extended some closures this week, they called on him to give more consideration to reopening businesses. "Governor Northam will continue to make decisions based in science, data, and public health," Northam spokeswoman Alena Yarmosky said in an email. "He is grateful to the millions of Virginians who are taking this seriously and working together to protect themselves, their families, and their communities. As a doctor and as governor, his top priority is and will continue to be keeping Virginians safe." The demonstration - advertised on Facebook group sites such as ReOpen Virginia - kicked off about 11:30 a.m. Capitol Police closed entrances to the square at 11:46 a.m., said spokesman Joe Macenka, who counted about 50 protesters. There was probably an equal number of media members, and there were significantly more police, though Macenka said it was policy not to discuss how many had deployed. Officers stood across the front fence of the Executive Mansion, while others were arrayed around the gathering of protesters, occasionally walking through and asking groups to spread out to follow the governor's guidelines that require people to stay six feet away from one another. Family groups were allowed to stay together. Other clusters of Capitol Police, all wearing masks, stood at the blocked-off entrances around Capitol Square, not letting anyone else in. "They've been orderly," Macenka said, about an hour into the protest. Apart from the police and TV cameras, most of the event looked like a picnic. Families spread blankets on the ground and ate lunch near a civil rights memorial honoring Barbara Johns and her effort to integrate public schools in Farmville. Others sat on folding chairs in the shade. A few carried signs. "My Body, My Choice to Work," read one; "Stop the madness - it is just a cold virus," said another. Almost none of the protesters wore masks. "We're here for the picnic," said Will Nesbitt, 54, of Alexandria. He and his wife, Julie, had a seat on a bench near the Barbara Johns memorial and a plastic container packed with food. But it was a picnic with a message aimed at Northam's 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 it's outrageous that without passing any laws he just by decree tells me what I can do." He said he has looked at the data about the coronavirus on the Virginia Department of Health website but doesn't feel the disease is any worse than the usual influenza outbreak that comes around every year. "The death rate and the danger seems to be much lower than seasonal flu," he said. And the concentrations of deaths in nursing homes? "That's proof that social distancing doesn't work, because those people aren't going to bars, I can tell you that. Those people aren't going out." The coronavirus has a significantly higher death rate than seasonal flu, according to the World Health Organization. It also is far more contagious. Experts say the danger at nursing homes has been so great because the clients can't be far enough apart. Nesbitt said that if the elderly are more vulnerable, it doesn't make sense to shut down the entire economy to save them. "If we can ask young men to go to the desert . . . to die for America, why can't we risk old people?" Nesbitt said. "Because this country will be flattened if people aren't allowed to make an income and feed themselves." The real victims, he said, are the middle class. The poor will still be poor after the pandemic and the rich will still be rich, he said. "But everybody who's trying to pay their bills, every small business - they will be obliterated. And that has long been a goal of the socialists in this country." As in Michigan, where flags showing support for President Donald Trump were on display, some Richmond demonstrators backed the president, who has been eager to lift restrictions and has said he has "total authority" to reopen state operations. Scott Moffat, 67, sporting a red Make America Great Again cap, called the virus a "hoax." A part-time pastor at Faith Baptist Church outside Richmond, he said his family has taken a financial hit. His wife got laid off from her job offering food samples to shoppers at Costco, a practice not considered safe during the pandemic. "I have the right to choose to go out if I choose to expose myself. It's my body," said his wife, Susan Moffat, 74, who said she had trouble squaring Northam's public-health orders with his support for abortion rights. "It's funny how you trust people to kill a baby but you don't trust them to leave their home." Tarus Woelk, in a star-spangled hat, said she'd never attended a political demonstration before. What drew her out this time was the loss of her job as a long-term substitute teacher at Glen Allen High School. She recalled how diligently she'd worked to protect students before classes were called off. "My goodness, I had hand sanitizer, I would wipe down the desks, the door handles, the pencil sharpener. I had hand sanitizer for the kids when they walked in," she said. "I mean, we were doing all the right things." She was one of the few protesters who'd come equipped with a mask, something Northam has urged Virginians to wear in public but has not mandated. "It's allergy season," she said. "The only part I like about the mask now, it helps with the pollen." CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Meetings Today has created a suite of resources designed to inform and support professionals in the meetings and events industry. The continually updated online library of articles, podcast episodes and webinars focuses on the human side of business during these uncertain times. Topics include personal wellness, inspiring industry stories, crisis communication strategies for business, and much more. Meeting and event planning is one of many industries particularly hard hit by travel restrictions and social distancing measures. Along with so many others, event planners, association planners and meeting professionals are navigating unfamiliar territory. The content offered by Meetings Today acknowledges this "new normal" and provides practical information and guidance. Podcast episodes such as Wellness in the Age of Coronavirus and Working From Home Now? A Therapist's Advice on Maintaining Healthy Family Relationships offer self-care strategies and guidance on how to preserve family relationships while working in close quarters. In Pro Tips for Working and Managing From Home During the Coronavirus Crisis, listeners explore ways to stay productive and effective while working remotely. Tyler Davidson, vice president and chief content director for Meetings Today, summarized the company's new content initiative by saying, "As a longtime advocate for meetings and event planning professionals, we know our audiences well. We understand what they're going through from a business and personalperspective. Leadership in moments like this means bringing people together, sharing information and offering tools to help them thrive." Meetings Today is a division of Stamats, a Cedar Rapids-based marketing company that helps businesses and organizations connect with their audiences by providing innovative research, strategy, branding and digital solutions. Beyond meeting and event planning, Stamats' services span multiple industries, including higher education, healthcare, facilities management and commercial interior design. Stamats President and CEO Peter Stamats explained the culture behind the new suite of resources Meetings Today has developed: "Stamats is a family company. We've always been focused on people, and specifically, the power of people to unite in challenging times," Stamats said. "During the Iowa flood of 2008, we saw firsthand how communities and businesses pull together and rebuild stronger. Our goal is to offer resources that inform and support people now and empower them to create new opportunities on the other side of this crisis." About Meetings Today: Meetings Today is the premier meeting planner resource for information on meeting facilities, sustainable meetings, meeting technology and more. The company provides print and digital publications that empower individuals by providing well-researched content and comprehensive information about destinations and topics. Sabra Fiala Stamats 319-431-0453 [email protected] SOURCE Meetings Today Related Links https://www.meetingstoday.com Credit: CC0 Public Domain Epidemics often bring a search for scapegoats, with anti-Asian harassment in the wake of COVID-19 the latest example. Likewise, ideas circulate that different races also differ in their susceptibility to the disease, evidenced by a myth that blacks were immune to the virus. Both are subjects familiar to Rana Hogarth, a history professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who teaches the history of Western medicine and African American history. She spoke with News Bureau social sciences editor Craig Chamberlain. What does the past history of epidemics suggest about the root causes for harassment and racism directed at Asians and Asian Americans today? Epidemics can trigger so much anxiety and people want to gain control by trying to make sense of it. Historically, blaming the marginalized in society served the purpose of explaining disease in a way that conformed to a specific worldview. It rationalized and brought a semblance of order to a world turned upside down. Targeting groups to blame is often also the result of underlying social or political tensionsand groups that are seen as economic threats, as not assimilating or conforming, often bear the brunt of this. Thus, how we frame diseases and understand epidemics as a society becomes politicalno matter how apolitical we think diseases are. This was the case in the early 20th century when the plague appeared in San Francisco's Chinatown. In this instance, Chinese people were blamed for its spread and were unfairly singled out as carriers of the disease. Prior to the plague's arrival, there were already negative ideas circulating about Chinese people, fueled by economic fears that attributed unemployment and declining wages to Chinese workers, whom many white Americans also viewed as racially inferior. The plague amplified these sentiments and Chinese people were wrongly viewed as vectors of the disease. This history, within a long history of anti-Asian stereotypes and sentiments connected with epidemic disease, is one reason that calling COVID-19 the "Chinese virus" is problematic today. We can go back even further to violence against Jewish communities in 14th-century Europe during the Black Death. Jewish populations were viewed as outsiders and were unfairly accused of causing the plague by poisoning wells. This idea gained credence among those inclined to incorporate anti-Semitic viewpoints in their explanations for the disease. It seems we saw a twist on this impulse earlier in the current pandemic when the myth circulated that African Americans were immune to the virus. That is a prime example of people jumping to conclusions and creating explanatory frameworks based on incomplete information. There was commentary on social media that black people were not getting COVID-19. Flashing forward to what we are seeing now in Chicago and elsewhere, black people are overrepresented in both cases and deaths. The past offers perspective on how perpetuating such myths about racial minorities or assuming innate racial difference can have devastating consequences. During Philadelphia's 1793 yellow fever epidemic, for example, medical wisdom of the day said that black people were inherently resistant to it by virtue of their race, which later turned out to be not true. When yellow fever ravaged the city, white physicians asked the free black inhabitants to stay behind and help bury the dead, nurse the sick, dig graves, etc. One result of this dangerous myth was that a nontrivial number of black people actually did get yellow fever and some died of it. Your book "Medicalizing Blackness" describes how American medicine, early on, developed ideas about black bodies being different in basic waysregarding disease, tolerance of pain, etc. How do you see that still playing out today? One of my aims in writing that book was to understand how and why physicians constructed black people's bodies as inherently distinctive from white people's bodies. To be clear, I am not saying that we should not consider individual traits, even race, when assessing health outcomes and vulnerability to disease. What I am saying is that we must be careful in how we do that because it makes all the difference. Major media outlets from Chicago and across the nation have been reporting on how African Americans are being disproportionately impacted by this virus. We've seen headlines stating black people make up about 68% of Chicago's deaths from the disease but only about 30% of the city's population, followed by data on their high rates of comorbid conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. We need to remember that these preexisting conditions that make one vulnerable to this virus can be exacerbated by structural inequality and racism. Lack of consistent access to health care services or lacking health insurance coverage can lead to suboptimal health outcomes. Moreover, racial discrimination in health care settings, implicit bias in medical decision-making, etc., can make it that much more difficult for African Americans to seek out and receive appropriate care. One major point I hope to emphasize in my work is that we should consider such disparities as a function of how black people's bodies have been regarded by the medical profession and within medical settings, in addition to how they have been treated by society as a whole. That way, we shift our efforts away from trying to understand what might be different or unique about black people's bodies, to trying to understand how the often-hostile spaces their bodies might be forced to inhabit can influence their overall health outcomes. Explore further COVID-19's unequal toll on black Americans New Delhi, April 17 : Delhi's Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital on Friday called back all the 68 staff members to work after the test report of a patient, who allegedly failed to disclose her 'home-quarantine' status to the hospital, came negative. The Hospital on Thursday had home-quarantined 68 staff members, including doctors and nurses, as a precautionary measure, after a pregnant woman allegedly failed to disclose her 'home-quarantine' status to the hospital authorities. According to the administration, the 25-year-old women passed away on Wednesday night and her test report were awaited. "The patients report is negative. So all the staff has been called back and all services have been restored," a hospital source told IANS on Friday. According to the source, the woman was admitted to the hospital on Monday, but she allegedly did not disclose that she had been asked to be under home quarantine. While her test reports were awaited, the 68 staff members were home-quarantined as a precautionary measure. The 68 staff members include doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and officials of the government hospital in north-west Delhi. Boeing Co. will start building commercial airplanes at its facilities in Washington state again next week after halting production indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic, the company announced Thursday. That will include the aerospace giant's factory in Everett, Wash. where it assembles the 787 Dreamliner jet that's also produced in South Carolina. Operations remain suspended at the Dreamliner plant in North Charleston, the company said. Production in Washington state will resume next week in a "phased approach," according to a statement from Boeing. "The health and safety of our employees, their families and communities is our shared priority," Stan Deal, CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes said in a statement. "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." About 27,000 workers in the Puget Sound region will return to work next week to resume production for several programs, including the 787. Boeing also brought about 2,500 people back to work earlier this week for defense production operations. The company laid out a list of precautions that it will be taking when employees return next week, including implementing staggered shift start times and voluntary temperature screenings. Workers will be required to cover their faces while at work. They are "strongly encouraged" to bring their own face coverings, but the company said it will provide face masks to workers who don't have them. Other protective equipment will be given to employees who work in areas of the factory where "physical distancing cannot be maintained for an extended period," the company said. Employees who can work from home will continue to do so. Boeing's production lines in Washington state have been temporarily shut down since March 25. Boeing South Carolina continued to assemble 787s for another two weeks before the company shut down the North Charleston production line "until further notice" on April 8. Employees at the North Charleston facility who are affected by the shutdown are being paid for 10 working days, covering the two-week period that started last Wednesday. If the shutdown continues past next Wednesday, April 22, those workers will have to tap into their paid time off, sick leave or vacation time. They also may be able to apply for unemployment benefits, like Washington state workers could after their two paid weeks expired. Boeing employs nearly 7,000 people in South Carolina. In Washington state, the aerospace giant has its largest workforce, nearly 72,000 people according to the latest counts. The head of listed jeweller Michael Hill has said it's "possible" the retailer could emerge from the coronavirus crisis with fewer stores as the business experiences a triple-digit surge in online sales. Chief executive Daniel Bracken told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald some of his 300 stores which were "borderline" profitable prior to the crisis may have their closure accelerated, depending on how conversations with landlords go. Michael Hill believes the virus crisis could create opportunity for its business. Credit:Dan Peled "Depending on how we get on with a particular landlord, or how well we're performing in a particular centre, every individual score could be a different outcome," he said. "Equally, landlords may come to the table with such compelling offers they could move from a breakeven to a profitable store." Brazilian Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta (R) gives gel alcohol to President Jair Bolsonaro, both using protective masks, during a press conference about government plans and measures about the CCP virus crisis in Brazil, at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on March 18, 2020. (Andre Coelho/Getty Images) Brazils Bolsonaro Announces Health Ministers Departure Amid CCP Virus Crisis Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced on Thursday that his health minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta would leave his position following disagreements between the two over how to address the CCP virus situation in the country. In televised remarks, Bolsonaro said that Mandetta did not fully appreciate the need to protect jobs. Bolsonaro also called for business to resume in Brazil, Latin Americas most populous country, and also its largest economy. Bolsonaro said that shutting down the countrys economy would cause more damage than quarantining only high-risk Brazilians. Life is priceless, but the economy and employment need to return to normality, Bolsonaro said at a press conference on Thursday, reported The Associated Press. He added that he would not condemn or criticize Mandetta. It was a consensual divorce because more important than me and more important than him as a minister is the health of the Brazilian people, Bolsonaro said. We need to return to normal, not as fast as possible, but we need to start having some flexibility, he also said, adding that the government cannot afford emergency aid to the poor for much longer, Reuters reported. In an interview with CNN Brasil, Bolsonaro warned that Brazil risked going broke and ending up the same as Venezuela, and appealed to the countrys governors to reconsider their quarantine restrictions. At his press conference, Mandetta, an orthopedist, thanked his colleagues and Bolsonaro. I leave the health ministry with a lot of gratitude to the president for having nominated me and allowing me to nominate each of you, Mandetta said, according to The Associated Press. I know I am leaving the best team. Work for the next minister like you worked for me. Dont spare any effort. Brazil saw its first case of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the novel coronavirus, on Feb. 26. The country now has at least 30,683 confirmed cases and 1,947 CCP virus deaths. Read More Editorial: Giving the Right Name to the Virus Causing a Worldwide Pandemic You should have absolute certainty that we fought a good fight until here, Mandetta told fellow ministry workers. But were at the start of the battle. Do not think we are past a peak in growth of the virus, Mandetta warned, Reuters reported. The health system is still not prepared for an acceleration. Incoming health minister Nelson Teich, when asked about the ministrys position now that he was in charge, said there would not be any sudden changes in policy, and that health and the economy are complementary. New Minister of Health, Nelson Teich gestures during a media conference by Brazils President Jair Bolsonaro, amid the CCP virus crisis, in Brasilia, Brazil on April 16, 2020. (Reuters/Adriano Machado) In regards to keeping distance and isolation, what is to happen, you will not see a radical and dramatic shift [in policy] on what is to happen, Teich said at a news conference. What is important today is the information about what happens to people and the corresponding action to take. He added that there is complete alignment between his and the presidents position on the CCP virus crisis. Teich is an oncologist and senior consultant at Teich Health Care, a medical services company. He also has a Masters in Business Administration, according to his LinkedIn page. Senator Major Olimpio, Bolsonaros former right-hand man in Congress, urged Teich to continue with the current restrictions. Teich has defended social distancing. If he persists in this, he will have serious problems with President Bolsonaro and wont last 30 days in office, or he will have to tear up his degree and contradict the entire global scientific community, the senator said in a video posted on social media. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. It has been 28 days since Russell Hill, unbeknownst to his wife, went on a secluded camping trip with a female friend - never to be seen again. The pair's burnt out camping site was found in the Wonnangatta Valley, 250km northeast of Melbourne. Along with 'beautiful and elegant' Carol Clay, described as a long-time friend, Mr Hill went on the remote camping expedition on March 19, one his wife thought was making alone. Police have now called off the search for the mysterious couple, presuming them dead after their charred campsite was discovered. Not a single trace of the pair has been found - with no clues at to what happened in the remote bushland. Russell Hill (pictured, right) went missing on a camping trip with Carol Clay (left) on March 19. But his wife Robyn, 71, had no idea they were travelling together The pair went missing in the Wonnangatta Valley, more than 200km north east of Melbourne But sources say the pair would have had plenty of time to escape a fire, and Mr Hill's Toyota four-wheel drive - found at the scene with keys in the ignition - is drive-able. The unusual circumstances have led police to reiterate that while they are presumed dead after a major helicopter search proved fruitless, they are not ruling anything out. 'Anything's on the table,' a source close to the investigation told the Daily Telegraph. With no bodies found after an extensive search, which included dozens of officers and high-tech drones, the pair could still be alive. There are suggestions they could have easily escaped the fire which charred their camp, and it is understood police do not believe the blaze was started deliberately. They may be elsewhere in the valley, or have left the area completely by some other means. Carol Clay (pictured) was described as an 'elegant' woman who always dressed well and was known for her excellent sponge cakes Ms Clay, 73, who has a daughter, was well-known locally and a beloved member of the CWA Pakenham branch, where she was renowned for her sponge cakes. Described as a 'very elegant' woman who always 'dressed beautifully', a friend said of Ms Clay: 'She brought a breath of fresh air to the association. 'She had a phrase, "don't forget your lippy, girls". 'This is unbelievable, where can she be? There are too many unanswered questions.' She told friends she would be back home by March 29 - 10 days after the camping trip began. But despite the promising signs that the mysterious friends could still be alive, prospects are dampened by the inhospitable conditions in the valley. Police released images of the couple's burnt out campsite with Mr Hill's car parked beside it (pictured) in a remote area of bushland in Victoria's Wonnangatta Valley The High Country is known of its challenging but dramatically beautiful 4x4 drives, with rugged bushland and stunning mountain scenery. 'Unfortunately we weren't able to find any evidence or clues that might assist us with locating Carol and Russell,' Inspector Craig Gaffee, who was leading the investigation, told the ABC on Thursday. Acting Sergeant Scott Wilkinson who was part of the team looking for the pair, said the search was substantial, but ultimately fruitless. 'We were searching every bit of bush and terrain in the immediate area,' he told Nine News. 'The subsequent search has got nothing in the way of evidence, no signs at all of the missing people. A search for the pair in Victoria's Wonnangatta Valley (pictured) has been called off, with the pair presumed dead 'We are disappointed, we would like to get some result, particularly for the families of the missing people.' Mr Hill's wife Robyn, 71, had no idea her husband was with another woman when he disappeared. She said her husband had been friendly with Ms Clay for decades but she had no idea they were travelling together and now fears they are both dead. Detectives found no evidence of an accelerant involved in the fire, which destroyed their tent, table and camping chairs and singed Mr Hill's car. Mr Hill was last heard from on March 20 when Mrs Hill messaged him over the radio as he entered Wonnangatta. Expert hikers (pictured) as well as helicopters and drones had been deployed to look for the pair in Victoria's Wonnangatta Valley, but the search has proved fruitless 'I knew something was wrong because he wasn't calling in on the radio... I just wish they would find them both alive,' Mrs Hill said. A day before the search party found the burnt-out tent, other campers stumbled across the site and claimed it looked normal. 'Arson chemists haven't been able to determine a cause of the fire at this stage but we don't believe that fire was deliberately lit,' Inspector Gaffee said. 'There is a gap there between the 20th and the 26th so if anyone was up in the Wonnangatta Valley during that time period we'd love to hear from them.' He said it looked as though the pair had intended to return to the site as Ms Clay's belongings were still in the car, and food was left at the campsite. 'The subsequent search has got nothing in the way of evidence, no signs at all of the missing people,' Acting Sergeant Scott Wilkinson said. 'The main difference between this and the initial search was it was predominately on foot, thorough ground searching on foot". Carol Clay (pictured) was a beloved member of the Pakenham branch of the CWA, where she was known for her baking skills 'We were searching every bit of bush and terrain in the immediate area. 'It has been released that the fire was non suspicious and the cause was undetermined. 'We are disappointed, we would like to get some result, particularly for the families of the missing people.' The Pakenham CWA branch issued a statement saying they were 'shocked' by the situation. 'All Pakenham members are shocked and wish to send Carol's family and friends our love at this difficult time.' Ms Clay was said to be 'very popular' within the CWA, having become state president and even recently becoming a Member of Honour - a prestigious title in the organisation. Mr Hill was an experienced bushman, having worked in the area in the logging industry. The dark past of the 'cursed' valley: Alpine bushland where married man went missing with a 'mystery woman' has a chilling history of revenge, double murder and a mysterious disappearance Nic White for Daily Mail Australia The bushland where an elderly man and his female companion are missing has a dark history of murder and vanished hikers. Russell Hill, 74, from Drouin, and Carol Clay, 73, from Pakenham, Victoria, went missing last month after going on a camping trip together on March 19. A famous double murder took place in the same area a century earlier, and in November an experienced hiker went missing on a five-day trek. Jim Barclay, the manager of Wonnangatta Station, and his assistant John Bamford were found shot to death in 1918. Mr Bamford was notorious for his 'wicked temper' and Mr Barclay was warned not to be 'drawn into arguments' with him, but the two were said to get along fine. Wonnangatta Valley (pictured) is known for its rough terrain but beautiful landscapes The pair were last seen alive in late December 1917 when they went to the nearest town to cast their votes in the referendum on conscription for World War I. Harry Smith, the nearest neighbour to Wonnangatta Station, known as the most isolated homestead in Victoria at the time, visited to deliver mail on January 22. He found no one home but 'home tonight' was scrawled in chalk across the kitchen door so he stayed two nights and went home. Mr Smith returned on February 14 and was shocked to find the station still empty, the mail he left untouched, and Mr Barclay's dog Baron starving and neglected. Arthur Phillips of Mansfield, co-owner of Wonnangatta Station, with Jim Barclay, manager of the Wonnangatta Station (standing) in 1915 He returned with two other men on February 23 to search for the missing pair and found Mr Barclay's badly decomposed body. Mr Barclay's remains were buried in a shallow grave that foxes and dingoes had dug up, and he was only identified from his clothing, a belt, and a tobacco pouch. Police arrived to investigate and found Mr Barclay's shotgun had been recently fired and both the men's rooms were in 'a state of disorder'. A post-mortem revealed he was killed by a shotgun blast to the back and it was initially believed Mr Bamford killed him and fled. 'I am of the opinion that Barclay and Bamford had an argument over working matters and that Bamford loaded the gun and shot Barclay,' Detective Alex McKerral later told an inquest. The homestead at Wonnangatta Station in Victoria, known for its rugged terrain, as seen in 1935 (pictured) 'He removed his working clothes, and dressed himself in Barclay's suit, which is missing, saddled his horse and after dragging the deceased to the creek, rode the horse away.' The horse was later found running wild without a saddle and a statewide manhunt was launched with a 200 reward offered for information. In November 1918, Mr Bamford's body was found after a search party spotted a boot sticking out of a pile of logs. He had been shot once in the head. With Mr Bamford also dead, it as no longer obvious that he was the killer and the inquest found they were both murdered by unknown parties. The case has never been solved and several theories were put forward including 'that Bamford shot Barclay and afterwards Bamford was shot by some friend of the manager, in revenge, in the good old wild west manner'. A century later, experienced Melbourne hiker Niels Becker disappeared during a five-day trek through the same remote area. The 39-year-old left from Upper Jamieson Hut on October 24 and sent a message to family on October 29 saying he was headed back to his car via Mount Stirling. Experienced Melbourne hiker Niels Becker (pictured) disappeared during a five-day trek through the same remote area Mr Hill and Ms Clay disappeared in However, he was near heard from again and a search party of 70 police, State Emergency Service, and volunteers failed to find any trace of him in a 2,000sqm area. Mr Becker had hiked in the area many times before and was well-prepared for his solo walk other than not having a GPS locator. Police at the time believed he could have survived weeks in the wilderness despite heavy rain and snow falling in the area. 'If he's prepared with the appropriate dry clothing he should survive it might not be at all comfortable, but it is survivable,' Senior Sergeant Damian Keegan said. 'He's a very fit person, he's been training a lot for this, and a very intelligent man so he probably has the capacity to cover quite long distances.' However, by November 12 it was believed Mr Becker died of hypothermia. His body has still never been found. 'Last week I was so optimistic and my daughter said he'll come out with an 'epic story' but I think after Tuesday and yesterday, well, we're not so optimistic,' his mother Johanna Becker said on November 7. Mumbai: The Producers Guild of India has decided to donate fully-equipped tents and vanity vans of Bollywood stars to the police force, particularly female cops, across 22 key locations in the city, as the uniformed personnel battle it out to protect Mumbai from the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative is called Mission Suraksha. "We are delighted to launch 'Mission Suraksha' to protect our caretakers, especially women cops on bandobast duty. Fully equipped tents and vanity vans used by cine stars have been provided across 22 key locations as restrooms for breaktime," a statement issued by the guild reads. The gesture comes just a few days after Bollywood stars took to social media to express their gratitude to Mumbai Police for their tireless efforts during the ongoing lockdown. Even before the nationwide lockdown was announced, the Producers Guild of India had set up a relief fund for daily wage earners associated with the film industry, to ensure these workers and their families get sustenance during the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Producers Guild of India, along with Indian Film and Television Producers Council and Federation of Western India Cine Employees, recently came together to support the most impacted daily wage workers through direct bank transfers. DUBLIN, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Blockchain: Regulating the New Economy" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The rising demand for faster and more secure transactions along with full transparency has made Blockchain one of the fastest-growing technology markets in the world. In brief, this research service covers the following points: Blockchain - An Overview Blockchain Working Principle Blockchain Governance Framework Drivers and Challenges Use Cases Enabling New Governance Models Blockchain Regulatory Scenario Future Governance Frameworks and Strategic Insights Blockchain, which is a decentralized digital database, supports secure transactions without the need for a central authority to approve/accept the transaction. Although this technology has been recognized mainly by digital currencies such as Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, it has several other non-financial applications in different sectors including agriculture, logistics, healthcare, real estate, cloud storage, education, public transportation, pharma, food and beverage, and so on. Blockchain is enabling new governance model across the globe with valued use cases. Countries around the world are improving and updating their regulatory frameworks to provide a suitable and attractive environment for Blockchain companies to keep pace with the fast-growing global Blockchain market and reap the benefits of this technology. Blockchain technology is positioned to meet the increasingly complex demands of the digital-first future through smart contract capabilities, middlemen elimination, and provenance and consensus on all transactions. Cryptocurrencies are experiencing high growth, which is attracting lots of investment through various funding models and paving the way for tokenization model in the sharing economy. Key Topics Covered 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Research Scope 1.2 Research Methodology 1.3 Research Methodology Explained 1.4 Key Findings 1.5 Growth Opportunities 2. Blockchain - Overview 2.1 Blockchain is Becoming Highly Appealing to Economies Across the Globe due to its Immutability, Disintermediation, and Security 2.2 Majority of Blockchain Systems in the Experimentation Stage or in Use Globally are Either Public or Private 2.3 Key Specifications of Blockchain-based Governing Systems 3. Blockchain Working Principle 3.1 Blockchain Technology Working Principle - P2P Governing Network 3.2 DLT Ensures Greater Security for Transactions, which is Run and Recorded on it 3.3 Blockchain Tokenization Creates Token which is Used for Payment Transactions 4. Blockchain Governance Framework 4.1 Blockchain Revamps the Traditional Regulating Models by Making Them More Relevant, Accessible, and Cost-effective 4.2 Off-chain Governance vs. On-chain Governance 4.3 Consensus Algorithms Ensures Efficient Decision Making in DLT 5. Growth Drivers and Challenges 5.1 Blockchain Faces Key Challenges that Include Lack of Awareness as well as Scalability 6. Use Cases Enabling New Governance Models 6.1 Blockchain-based Applications are Setting the Decentralized Governing Framework Across the Industry Sectors 6.2 Decentralized Applications must Explore ways of Complementing the Role of Central Authorities 6.3 Blockchain Governance grants Access to the Interconnected Trusted Network of Loyal Customers 7. Global Regulatory Scenario 7.1 Standardization and Uniformity Among Global Regulatory Authorities will be Key to Ensure Scalability in Decentralized Models 7.2 The US Remains A Prominent Country in the Cryptocurrency Ecosystem 7.3 Switzerland is Leading the Crypto-friendly Nation Tag 7.4 Singapore is Establishing a Tokenized-based Blockchain Working Ecosystem 7.5 Majority of Countries are in Consultation Phase with Respect to Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Regulation 7.6 Adoption and Integration of Blockchain into Governments Systems Will Enable Frictionless Partner Ecosystem 8. Future Governance Frameworks and Strategic Insights 8.1 Synergies Between Blockchain and Other Emerging Techs to Provide Converged Applications Across the Industrial Sector 8.2 Blockchain benefits are Cascading and more Effective for Tackling the Current Centralized Governance Issues 9. Industry Contacts 9.1 Key Contacts For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/mrmp5r 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] 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 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Many UK university staff on fixed-term contracts, visiting lecturers and student support workers have been laid off or informed their contracts will not be renewed. In recent weeks, three British universities have announced hundreds of temporary contract redundancies in order to make financial savings. The University of Sussex and two from the prestigious Russell Groupthe University of Bristol and the University of Newcastlehave cited the coronavirus pandemic as necessitating severe expenditure cuts. With higher education largely suspended or going online during the pandemic, fear is mounting of precipitous falls in the numbers of international students coming to the UK. This, along with cuts in research grants next year, will cost universities hundreds of millions of pounds. Attenborough Arts Centre, University of Sussex (Wikipedia Commons) University budgets are expected to be cut by up to 800 million by autumn 2020, due to lost income from conferences, student accommodation, catering and other associated income streams. The business model of the British higher education sector is dependent upon highly educated staff who are denied secure employment and must eke out their employment on temporary and zero-hour contracts, where they are paid hourly. More than 50 percent of UK university staff are on temporary and part-time contracts. Sussex University has issued a document, Financial Review from Sussex. The Research Professional News website drew attention to a section on temporary staff, which states: Non-business critical posts currently held by temporary or agency staff will need to be reviewed and terminated as soon as possible. The document advises, Where possible, the tasks should be reassigned to other members of your team or non-critical tasks may need to be temporarily suspended in order to focus on core business activity. This means that the workloads of those who remain employed after departmental staffing levels are reduced will grow exponentially. The guidance adds that posts currently held by tutors [and] work carried out by other casual staff, will need to be reviewed in light of forthcoming scheduled teaching and where possible, terminated as soon as possible. Where tutors are employed on an open-ended rather than a fixed-term basis, managers should discuss with [HR] the process which should be followed. Kathryn Telling, a lecturer in sociology at Sussex School of Law, Politics and Sociology, tweeted that she was genuinely sickened by the document. Once the pandemic emerged in the UK, Sussex Vice Chancellor Adam Tickell wasted no time e-mailing the respective heads of departments demanding that finances require immediate action. He told departments that cost-cutting in progress prior to the emergence of the pandemic was being accelerated and demanded strict adherence. Tickells e-mail contained a missive from Sussex Director of Finance Allan Spencer to terminate with immediate effect all educators on fixed-term contracts and those hired from employment agencies. All recruitment at Sussex is to be frozen indefinitely. Spencer recommended the immediate inclusion of those job offers made by Sussexs recruitment, but which had not yet been formally accepted. Such a move is not only callous in the extreme but potentially leaves many educators in limbo. The University of Bristol have dismissed 84 staff on temporary and short-term contracts. In an e-mail to affected workers, the temporary staffing service manager said their contracts would end early on April 9, due to the pandemic. A spokesperson for Bristol university said callously, These staff were given two weeks notice instead of the usual one week. Prostrating themselves before the employers, the University and College Union (UCU) threatened only to write to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to politely ask that rather than laying the staff off, universities include them in the job furlough scheme whereby the government picks up 80 percent of their wages. UCU General Secretary Jo Grady said, Furlough arrangements should apply to all staffincluding those on insecure contractsand the government should extend the one-year visa extension for NHS staff to cover people working in our colleges and universities. Taking their lead from the suggestions made by the UCU, the Bristol spokesperson subsequently informed Cable, a public interest journalism website, Where we can show as a result of COVID-19 we have had to lay staff off because the work no longer exists we hope to be able to apply for the furlough scheme. Universities have a complex set of arrangements and we require clarification from government about our eligibility to furlough individuals. Helen Rokliff is one of the workers who had her employment contract terminated early. She started work in the Bristol Maths Department in November 2019 on a temporary, zero-hour contract, which was due to end on April 30. She told Cable, They [Bristol Temporary Staffing Service] gave assurance that they would pay until the end of the contract. That was about two or three weeks ago, and then about a week later, management told me they were so sorry, but theyve retracted that and said they are only going to pay until April 9. Rockliff contacted the university requesting enrolment in the furlough scheme. As far as I can see, it is applicable, Rockliff added. When I queried them about why they decided not to use it, they responded by saying that they could terminate my contract in a week and that the government guidelines werent very clear. I assume they just thought thats the easiest course of action. Ashley Scott was employed on a temporary contract at Bristol for the last four years as a receptionist and administrator through the Temporary Staffing Service. My contract came to its end just as the lockdown came into place, Scott told Cable. It had been rolled over in the past, but that wasnt to be because of coronavirus. Im now having to apply for universal credit and thats proving to be really difficult. I feel like Im stuck in limbo. An internal Bristol University e-mail seen by Cable explains to staff, As a worker, your assignments are of a temporary nature, which can be ended earlier than anticipated by giving you one weeks notice. In the circumstances, we have made the difficult decision to review all of our temporary arrangements. In another email to faculties at Bristol, Deputy Vice Chancellor Guy Orpen celebrated their efforts in fighting coronavirus. We can all be proud of the contribution the University community is making to the local, national and global effort; as a leadership team, we will continue to ask what more the University can and should be doing. A former Bristol university employee responded, I was wondering about sending them an email saying Im trying to get you to extend your care for the community to your own staff! Bristols top brass will not be facing the loss of their privileged status. Vice Chancellor Hugh Brady enjoyed a salary increase of 9,000 last year, from 373,000 to 382,000. Half a dozen UK university vice chancellors are paid in excess of 500,000, and more than half earn at least 300,000 per year. The UCU has a long record of suppressing the fight of its members against attacks on their jobs, terms, conditions and pensions. Opposed to rallying educators and university staff against the redundancies and accelerating casualisation of the Higher Education sector, Grady claimed, Short-term reactions will have long-term consequences and any moves to reduce hours or make staff redundant are premature, unacceptable as they were counter to the governments key aim of retaining jobs. This refers to the same Tory government that, in alliance with the universities, is seeking to slash the pay, pensions and livelihoods of university staff. Not opposed in principle to the cuts, Grady pleaded, Universities should suspend any dismissals for at least the period of the crisis and then review staff needs. Staff dismissed at this time will find it almost impossible to secure alternative employment whilst the crisis continues. ''COVID-19, let me tell you that it's real. COVID-19 (Coronavirus), it is real'', a survivor warns Ghanaians not to trivialize the pandemic and flout the instructions by health personnel and the government to safeguard themselves. A father of four named Frederick Drah, who recovered from the novel coronavirus infection, revealed the moments of sorrow and horror following news of having contracted the virus. Frederick Drah was among eighty-three people who fully recovered from the virus and have been discharged home. Narrating his ordeal to Ghanaians at a press briefing in Accra on Thursday, April 16, 2020, he noted that after showing symptoms of the virus, he was for the first time in his life whisked away in an ambulance to the Ga East District Hospital for treatment but had to face the pressure of being isolated from his family. He recounted the disease rendered him very weak that he had to take water at the shortest period of time due to dryness in his throat among other complications. Mr. Drah, sharing his pathetic story, was however grateful to the Health Professionals who attended to him at the hospital for taking keen interest in helping him recover from the disease. He admonished Ghanaians not to think Coronavirus is alien to the country but rather take the disease seriously and comply with all health directives to resolve the epidemic. "I've never sat in ambulance before but that day I sat in the ambulance and the only thing I could tell my wife is that I just waved her. It was a terrible moment for me in my life that particular day...This ambulance picked me and I was just in the ambulance. Wherever this ambulance was going, I didn't even know. I was just in and this gentleman drove me, and before I realized I entered to Ga East District Hospital. That very faithful day, I know there should be distance between myself and the doctors. Me being the first patient to use that facility at Ga East District Hospital, the doctors [was] scrared of me. The nurses [was] scared of me. "COVID-19, let me tell you that it's real. COVID-19 (Coronavirus), it is real. I'm telling every Ghanaian that this virus, it is real. So, please and please, try and obey the lockdown, washing of hands, social distance...Let us try and obey. I don't every normal human being can be drinking water within the shortest time like that. Within the shortest time that I take water, my throat is dried so have to be continuous taking water, taking water. COVID-19 is real," he exclaimed. He further urged the general public to stop stigmatizing persons infected by the virus. 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 TOKYOOfficially, Shuhei Aoyama has been teleworking for a month. But that doesnt mean he can avoid going to the office. Several times a week, Aoyama makes a half-hour commute across Tokyo for a task seemingly more suited to the age of the samurai than of the supercomputer: stamping his official corporate seal on business contracts and government paperwork. The stamps, known as hanko or inkan, are used in place of signatures on the stream of documents that fill Japans workplaces, including the hotel network that employs Aoyama. They have become a symbol of a hidebound office culture that makes it difficult or impossible for many Japanese to work from home even as the countrys leaders say working remotely is essential to keeping Japans coronavirus epidemic from spiralling out of control. While the world may see Japan as a futuristic land of humanoid robots and intelligent toilets, inside its offices, managers maintain a fierce devotion to paper files, fax machines, business-card exchanges and face-to-face meetings. Essential documents are not digitized, and computer systems are obsolete and tied to offices. Middle managers in Japans team-oriented workplaces are hesitant to allow employees to work from home, with some fearful they will slack off or even drink on the job. And the workers who do have the option of teleworking fear harm to their careers. Forced to balance the needs of the office and the risks to their own health, employees like Aoyama, 26, say they are losing patience with the countrys work traditions. Its not so much our companys culture as it is Japanese culture thats causing the problems, he said. In other countries where people are staying home to limit the spread of the virus, many white-collar workers have made a fairly routine shift to Zoom video conferences and electronic document signing. But in Japan, the worlds third-largest economy, the sudden need for social distancing has caught companies off guard. Many organizations that were not ready, not prepared, are being forced to do telework, which is causing lots of trouble, said Kunihiko Higa, a telework expert at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Many internal rules require face-to-face meetings, Higa added. They think they cant manage workers who are not there. The Japanese government, too, can be an obstacle, even as it pushes working from home: companies applying for telework subsidies have reported needing to print out 100 or more pages of documents and deliver them in person. Before the pandemic, the government was pressing companies and local government offices to move their essential functions online. In a country plagued by natural disasters like earthquakes and typhoons, organizations have long paid lip service to the importance of telework for ensuring the continuity of business and governmental duties. In the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics, which were scheduled to begin in July but have been postponed, the government pushed workplaces to allow employees to work from home, hoping to free up the citys notoriously crowded public transportation network for a flood of spectators. Many companies pledged to get on board. A survey in late February by Keidanren, Japans national business association, found nearly 70 per cent of its members had instituted or were planning telework policies. But even as the government has now declared a state of emergency in major cities and is urging people to reduce human-to-human contact by at least 70 per cent, few companies seem to have been able, or willing, to put their plans into action. A survey last month by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism found fewer than 13 per cent of workers countrywide were able to work from home. More than 70 per cent reported difficulties with telework. The numbers are better in Tokyo. A survey conducted at the end of March by the citys Chamber of Commerce and Industry found 26 per cent of companies had instituted teleworking. On Monday, two days after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe asked businesses to cut commuting to meet social-distancing goals, commuter traffic in the capital was down significantly, and business districts were quiet. Other cities and rural areas are unlikely to see such a dramatic shift. A study in late March by Tokyo-based Persol Research and Consulting found that in Nagoya, Japans fourth-largest city and one of the first places to be hit hard by the coronavirus, just nine per cent of permanent employees were telecommuting. Japanese companies, a lot of them, are set up on the premise that youre all going to be in the same place, said Rochelle Kopp, a consultant who specializes in Japanese business practices. Even if you have a laptop, you cant always take it home. There are a lot of software and hardware issues. The inability to work from home is really hampering Japans ability to deal with COVID-19, she said, referring to the disease caused by the coronavirus. For several weeks before Japan declared the state of emergency, it avoided recommending the kind of stringent measures used by other countries to limit peoples movement. Many observers have attributed that reluctance to the damage it would inflict on Japans already-limping economy damage that could be compounded if companies had to severely curtail operations because they could not easily shift to telework. For the many workers in Japan who believe they face a false choice between their jobs and their well-being, few things have exemplified the dilemma more than the distinctive red imprint of the venerable hanko. Why do we have to put each other at risk just for something trivial like a hanko? Yoshitaka Hibi, a professor of Japanese literature at Nagoya University, wrote in a Twitter post liked more than 28,000 times. This is our chance. For the love of god, someone please destroy this custom, he added. The practice of using stamps to seal official documents came to Japan from China nearly 2,000 years ago, but did not become a part of everyday bureaucracy until the late 19th century. Today, the walls of discount shops in Japan are lined with row after row of black self-inking stamps, known as shachihata, inscribed with common surnames. Chain stores design and carve individualized stamps on demand. Japanese typically have at least two seals: a custom-made one registered with the government and used for formal documents, and another used in more informal situations. People often keep one at the entrance of their home for deliveries, another in the desk at their office and a third secreted away in their house for use on bank documents. Corporations have their own individualized seals, often kept under lock and key, and produced only for use on important paperwork, such as contracts. In traditional workplaces, as documents flow from desk to desk, even employees with only tangential relationships to the work described in them are expected to add their stamp, indicating they have read and approved the contents. Even the most technologically savvy companies have not been able to completely shake the habit. Line, the company that developed Japans most popular chat app, has largely eliminated the use of hanko in its office, designing an application that allows users to seal documents with a digital stamp. But its employees, said spokeswoman Satsuki Motojima still cannot avoid an occasional trip to the office to add their seal to documents required by the government or other companies. Takao Tokui, the chairman of the All Japan Seal Industry Association, argued hanko were an important part of the countrys social infrastructure, crucial to people who are less tech-savvy, including the elderly and people in rural areas. Still, change could come quickly, said Hibi, the literature professor at Nagoya University. Shortly after his tweet, the school said it would no longer require students to receive a hanko from professors to approve their classes. As it turns out, he said, all it took was for someone to say something. Read more about: During services, only clerics and technical staff providing for live TV coverage will be allowed inside temples. The National Police will not allow provocations and mass gatherings outside churches during religious services on Easter this Sunday, says Yuriy Tandit, advisor to the minister of internal affairs. During services, no more than 10 persons will be allowed inside temples this is clerics and technical staff providing for live TV coverage. Parishioners by one in smaller churches and in groups of no more than two people in bigger ones will be allowed to come inside after the service. "The Ministry of Internal Affairs is taking unprecedented measures to protect the health of our citizens. Over the past two weeks, we, along with the head of the National Police, have held three meetings with the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches. Also, we are in constant contact with priests of various denominations, having reached agreements on how to conduct Easter services under quarantine conditions," the press service of the interior ministry quotes Tandit as saying. Read alsoSome 85% of Ukrainians do not plan to go to church on Easter poll The advisor added that all those attending churches must wear protective. Tandit also noted that law enforcement will not allow crowds outside temples. The police, within the framework of the agreements and pursuant to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Ukraine in the event of mass gatherings forming outside churches, will act in several stages. The first stage is public dialogue. In case of repeated violations, the police will draw up administrative protocols. We will not allow provocateurs to set up mass events outside parishes," said Tandit. Washington: Commercial creditors need to support debt relief for the poorest countries and cannot just free ride on a suspension in debt payments by official bilateral creditors, World Bank President David Malpass said on Friday. Malpass told the World Banks Development Committee that the debt relief initiative agreed this week by the Group of 20 economies and the Paris Club was a huge achievement to help the poorest countries deal with the health and economic impact of the new coronavirus pandemic. He said the Bank would look at ways of further extending support for the poorest countries, but cautioned that it was critical to protect the financial capacity, credit rating and low cost of funding offered by the Banks lending arms. Malpass said the pandemic of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, had unleashed a global recession that would be deeper than the one seen during the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, and that would hit the poorest and most vulnerable countries the hardest. More than 2.14 million people in more than 210 countries and territories have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 143,744 have died, according to a Reuters tally. Malpass said the World Bank was financing and implementing pandemic response programs in 64 developing countries, with the number to grow to 100 by the end of April. Tne Bank was able to provide $160 billion of financing over the next 15 months, with some $50 billion earmarked for the poorest countries, or those eligible for International Development Association (IDA) aid. But more work and resources would be needed, he said. Its clear that it wont be enough. If we dont move quickly to strengthen systems and resilience, the development gains of recent years can easily be lost, Malpass told the committee, which was meeting by videoconference early on Friday. Debt relief will be a big topic at the meeting. China on Thursday urged the World Bank to allow its poorest borrowers to suspend debt payments while they deal with the coronavirus pandemic, saying the worlds biggest multilateral development bank should lead by example. World Bank officials worry that suspending debt payments could impair the excellent credit ratings currently held by the Banks IDA bonds and other instruments. Nigerian Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed also welcomed the G20 debt relief agreement, but urged the World Bank and other multilateral institutions to find ways to participate. She said middle-income countries with debt challenges also needed urgent help, and supported a call by African leaders for $100 billion in aid for the continent to deal with the pandemic, with $44 billion earmarked for immediate debt relief. Malpass said Africa was a big concern for the Bank, and it would create a new vice president post in July to focus on sub-Saharan Africa. FLINT, MI-- Michigans U.S. senators will join Congressman Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, during the Support Flint Webinar series beginning Monday, April 20. The webinar series, organized by the Flint and Genesee Chamber of Commerce, aims at informing residents about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters will join U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee to discussed federal relief efforts underway to help communities deal with COVID-19 at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 20. They will also discuss what lies ahead for Congress and the Senate as they continue to address the crisis. The webinar can be accessed here. Later that day, employment law attorney Dean Yeotis will discuss the adverse decisions small business owners are facing during the pandemic. This includes topics like paid sick leave as well as expanded family and medical leave. He will also discuss Gov. Gretchen Whitmers executive orders, which include suspending activities and unemployment benefits. That webinar can be accessed here. On Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist will be joined by state Sen. Jim Ananich and Jeff Donafrio, director of Michigans Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, at 10:30 a.m. for an update on the states response to COVID-19. That webinar can be accessed here. Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here Flint mayor will not extend 30-day curfew Flint hospitals union president, Edward Nelson, dies from coronavirus Flint police officers, lieutenants and captains receive pay raises Flint gets additional bottled water donations amid coronavirus shutdown (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. In this period of heightened stress and various signals, we must guard against children wandering off to internalise the emotions they might be feeling. While there is a heightened effort to look after the physical symptoms of the COVID-19, experts are also concerned about the psychological impact the pandemic will cause. This novel virus, which emerged first in December 2019 in China, has become a pandemic that baffles even the most knowledgeable scientists. It has resulted in lockdowns, face mask wearing, physical distancing, economic meltdowns and even death. If adults and experts are stressed and anxious about the COVID-19 virus, how are children coping? According to Kids Health.org, "Kids who see disturbing images on TV or hear talk of natural disasters, war, and terrorism, may worry about their own safety and that of the people they love. The war against COVID-19 is no different for children. They see their parents worry and try to cope with the stresses of potential or actual lockdowns, and of being infected with the virus. Focusing on the children In this month when we focus on Child Abuse Prevention, it is worth emphasizing that the needs of children in this time, are magnified. While governments, including that of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, must be commended for putting in place various supplementary packages to mitigate the ripple effects of the pandemic, the stress of Vincentians to provide and care for the home, is still a reality. Parents now have to worry about economic and health conditions caused by the pandemic. Even more worrisome is that many of these parents are frontline workers, e.g. healthcare providers and police officers, who have to balance between caring for not only the general public, but also their home environment. In an interview with THE VINCENTIAN Newspaper, social worker Earl Ole George Daniel, expressed concern that children are observing the heightened sense of anxiety in adults, more so their parents. George, who resides in Canada and has nearly 25 years of experience in his field, said while people are quite rightly focusing on the physical aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic, they must not neglect their mental state. He advised, "We ought to have a plan for the psychological effects of what this is doing to our population. The activities of many children have been curtailed or stopped altogether. Some have had their exams postponed, some have been cut off from all their friends, and some are living in apartments/residences that dont have a backyard to play. It can be very damaging psychologically. Involving children in shared activities Daniel urged parents to look for warning signs since stress can manifest itself in many different ways. He highlighted that children can show signs of depression which can be subtle, such as eating more than usual or less, sleeping more or less, becoming more defiant, and even breaking out in skin rashes. It is important that parents try to normalize their childrens lives as much as possible and keep communication open, George advised. In this regard, he suggested that parents do activities such as playing board or card games and watch movies with their children. He lamented that too many parents allow their children to go off in a corner to use electronic gadgets, but they fail to realize that children can also be looking at the news which could make them anxious. Care for the children now According to UNICEF, there are 1.2 billion adolescents in the world who are between the ages of 10 and 19. The extent to which society invests in their health and well-being, will determine the future, not just for them, but for everyone, as children will become the future adults and must learn coping skills. Daniel said that it is essential that parents help their children decipher information, and do things with them to help divert anxiety about the pandemic. He emphasised the importance of ensuring that the concerns of youngsters are not ignored, and that parents should find more creative ways of disciplining their children if they are acting out. He further warned parents that if they are immensely frustrated, heightened stress levels can also affect their immune system, which he said is the perfect condition in which the coronavirus will fester. Technavio has been monitoring the whole milk powder market and it is poised to grow by USD 481.25 million during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of almost 1% 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/20200417005292/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Whole Milk Powder 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. Arla Foods amba, Dairy Farmers of America Inc., Danone SA, Fonterra Co-operative Group, and Nestle SA are some of the major market participants. The wide use of whole milk powder 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. Wide use of whole milk powder has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Whole Milk Powder Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Whole milk powder market is segmented as below: Type Regular Whole Milk Powder Instant Whole Milk Powder 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=IRTNTR31272 Whole Milk Powder 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 whole milk powder market report covers the following areas: Whole Milk Powder Market Size Whole Milk Powder Market Trends Whole Milk Powder Market Industry Analysis This study identifies innovations in milk powder packaging as one of the prime reasons driving the whole milk powder market growth during the next few years. Whole Milk Powder Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the whole milk powder market, including some of the vendors such as Arla Foods amba, Dairy Farmers of America Inc., Danone SA, Fonterra Co-operative Group, and Nestle SA. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the whole milk powder 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 Whole Milk Powder Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist whole milk powder market growth during the next five years Estimation of the whole milk powder market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the whole milk powder market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of whole milk powder 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 Regular whole milk powder Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Instant whole milk powder Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by type PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 North 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 Technological advances in milk processing and milk products Innovations in milk powder packaging features Increasing online retailing of whole milk powder PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Arla Foods amba Dairy Farmers of America Inc. Danone SA Fonterra Co-operative Group Nestle SA PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors 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/20200417005292/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/ Every name on the BrandBucket marketplace is exclusively listed with BrandBucket. That means that all of our sellers are very responsive, making for quick domain transfers. A dedicated BrandBucket agent will manage your domain transfer from beginning to end, ensuring a secure and easy transaction. They will manage the receipt of the domain into one of BrandBuckets secure registrar accounts and then complete the transfer to you. 1. Verification and registrar choice After we receive the payment and verify it, we will reach out via email to confirm which registrar you want the domain transferred to. We also provide a link to our tracking system, where you can communicate with us, check on the status of your transfer, view your invoice, and download your logo files. In most cases, if a domain is moved between accounts at a single registrar, the transfer is quick and usually completes within 48 hours. If a domain changes registrars (in other words, you would like to move it away from where it is currently registered), the transfer is slower. The total transfer time can then be anywhere from 48 hours to 7 days. BrandBucket has vetted and supports the following registrars: GoDaddy Namesilo Uniregistry NameCheap Google Domains Network Solutions Name.com Dynadot Amazon Route 53 123 Reg Gandi 2. We request the name from the seller. Once we know where you would like the domain transferred, BrandBucket will request the domain from the seller. All of our sellers are very responsive, making for a quick process. 3. Transfer the name into your account As soon as we receive the name from the seller, we start the transfer into your account and guide you through the whole process. 4. Verify with the buyer that the transfer is complete Once we confirm that you have received the name, we consider the escrow process to be complete. Only then do we release payment to the domain seller. The Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has expressed concerns over the ability of the police to dislodge bandits, whose operational bases are established in Edo and the south west states, as revealed by the police headquarters on Thursday. Following the arrest of the suspected kidnappers and armed robbers alleged to have been involved in the killing of Funke Olakunrin, daughter of Afenifere leader, Reuben Fasoranti, the police said they believed the attackers, linked to armed robbery, kidnapping and vandalism, have their operational bases across the south west and Edo states. The Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, on Thursday, announced that four of the suspects who carried out the killing of the Mrs Olakunrin had been apprehended while four others were still at large. Mrs Olakunrin died of gunshot wounds in July 2019 after her vehicle was attacked by armed men, suspected to marauding Fulani bandits whose violent activities had reached a frightening level across the south west states. The murder sparked nationwide outrage, especially in the south west, which also inspired the discussion on the need for a regional security within the region. The polices announcement also rested the controversy over a week ago between Afenifere and the police in Ondo State on whether the suspects had been arrested or not. Those arrested suspects include 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. However, the leader of the team, identified only as Tambaya, and three others are yet to be found. Tambaya has been declared wanted by the police and he is said to be capable of communicating in Hausa, Fulfude and Pidgin English. He is also described as fair in complexion and suspected to be between 27 and 30 years of age. 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. The spokesman for Afenifere, Yinka Odumaki, in a telephone chat with PREMIUM TIMES, said Afenifere would wait for the investigations of the murder that would lead to the prosecution of the alleged killers. Because father, a 94-year-old man and the children, are still in pains over the unfortunate murder of their mother, so now that we have some suspects, we will allow the police to do their work within a reasonable time that will lead to the detailed prosecution of those who have been accused of the heinous crime, he said. On the revelation that the bandits have their operational basis in the south west region and in Edo State, Mr Odumakin said the development confirmed all the group had been saying all the while. We have been saying all along that we have been surrounded by these criminals, he said. And when this happened the police in Ore told the junior brother, Kehinde Fasoranti, that these people are Fulanis and we said so, that these are the identities of those who killed her. But Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu said where are the cows. But now we have seen the cows. They have been troubling the southwest, Edo and Delta, so their identities have revealed what we know. On what they police should do to ensure the criminals are not allowed to operate freely in the areas mentioned, Mr Odumankin noted that the police knew where the criminals were, but lacked the necessary will to do the work. Clearly, they know where the criminals are, but they have often been shy of going after them or dealing with them because these criminals have sectional sympathies at the highest level in the land and that is the problem of the police, he said. Ideally, we would have said they should go after them, but we know what is happening in our country now. On Amotekun, the Afenifere spokesman said it was necessary that the state governors should ensure that the security outfit takes off without delay. Amotekun is one of the things that came out of Funke Olakunrins death and the governors should not allow it to go under, he said. They must do what they need to do to make sure that it is up. The governors should do what they needed to do. Tee Leo-Ikoro, the Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, had been in the heat of the arguments of the veracity of the information recently on the arrest of the suspects. Advertisements He had denied that the police had arrested the suspects when it was first rumoured and had explained that some persons had been arrested but further investigations would be necessary to ascertain if they were involved in the killing of Mrs Olakunrin or not. He told PREMIUM TIMES that despite the fact that the criminals claimed they had operational bases in the region, efforts would be made to ensure they were not allowed operate. The crime rate in Ondo State is the lowest in the country, which shows that here their base will not be allowed, Mr Leo-Ikoro said. The police here is proactive. However, there is enough policemen in the south west to deal with the situation. Now that this revelation is coming, the police in the region will have to raise their level of vigilance and preparedness to deal with the situation. We are going to put in more effort to ensure there would nothing to worry about. A member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has lambasted former President John Mahama for asking government to make funds available to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). He said Mahamas suggestion was misplaced looking at his track record. On Thursday, April 16, in a speech to deliver food items to 20,000 households in the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi areas as relief packages over the Coronavirus lockdown, asked the President, Nana Akufo-Addo-led NPP government to ensure it funds ECG. That, he urged, was to enable the electricity company provide uninterrupted power during the period of the fight against COVID-19. According to Mr Mahama, Considering the new cases being discovered, it is clear that we are entering a new phase where there is the beginning of a horizontal spread of the disease. This requires us to redouble our efforts in the battle against the pandemic, he added. The former President urged In other for us the people of Ghana to realize the needed benefit from the subsidies on electricity tariffs and water announced, I ask the President to assure and fund ECG and the power producers to enable them to discharge their duties without interruption. But in response, Mr Otchere-Darko, wrote on his official Facebook page, reminding Mr Mahama about how his NDC government caused unprecedented electricity crisis in Ghana leading to the collapse of several businesses even when there was no coronavirus emergency. He told Mr Mahama that In 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, you had no Covid-19 to significantly disturb economic activity. What you had was the longest dumsor in Ghana's history, which significantly disturbed economic activity, he told the former President who is seeking a comeback to power. Mr Otchere-Darko further told Mr Mahama and, why did we have dumsor? Mainly because ECG, Gridco, VRA, were woefully underfunded and highly indebted. He added that so yes, the former President knows exactly what he's talking about when he offers suggestions that this government should make sure it funds ECG adequately to avoid dumsor. According to him, Mr Mahama knows the consequences of his own inadequacies, adding that good advice from one who has been there, done it and all. The government of Andhra Pradesh under the leadership of Jagan Mohan Reddy claimed that it had imported one lakh testing kits from South Korea and its the first state to import and The CM takes care of everyone's health and the govt is going to test all the suspects. The government of Andhra Pradesh under the leadership of Jagan Mohan Reddy claimed that it had imported one lakh testing kits from South Korea and its the first state to import and The CM takes care of everyones health and the govt is going to test all the suspects. But the leader of opposition Chandrababu Naidu has expressed serious doubts about the transparency of the CM dashboard and the entire data of the government and said there are thousands of COVID 19 cases in Andhra Pradesh. He termed COVID-19 health bulletins as bogus and full of wrong claims because of the YSRC regimes premeditated plan to give false reports to the Central government. In a teleconference with the party peoples representatives and Mandal party presidents, Mr. Naidu said that the CM dashboard claimed 11,613 tests as having been carried out in AP day before yesterday but the figure was increased to 20,235 by yesterday. It claimed 8,622 tests as having been done in just 12 hours while health secretary said 16,555 tests were carried out. Whereas, the total capacity of the 7 labs in AP was only 990 tests per day as per the CM dashboard itself. Even the total 263 labs in the country could conduct just 27,256 yesterday but AP is claiming that 8,622 tests were conducted in 12 hours. Mr. Naidu accused the Jaganmohan Reddy government of releasing false reports on virus transmission which has created confusion among the people. The total concentration of YSRCP leaders was on getting lockdown lifted and getting local body elections held as early as possible but not on saving lives of people. The government has no right to play with the rights of the people. Ignorance of the CM is pushing the state into a serious health crisis. the leader of opposition Naidu warned of a great disaster if the government continued to hide facts on Corona cases. The governments failure was evident behind the deaths of Kurnool and Nellore doctors. The Kurnool doctor was famous as a poor mans doctor but now he became a victim due to infection from a patient on account of lack of protection. Medical grade masks and kits were grabbed by YSRCP leaders and workers while doctors and health workers are getting dangerously exposed to infections. On the other hand, BJP too expresses similar doubts over the corona issue in Andhra Pradesh. the partys State Unit president Kanna Lakshmi Narayana demands White paper for the treatment to the COVID patients in the state. He has written a letter seeking details of testing kits available and their additional supplies, quarantine and isolation centers and the roadmap for increasing their number. Lakshminarayana sought details of the steps taken for tracing those who attended the religious congregation at Hazrat Nizamuddin in New Delhi and reasons for the governments complacence in punishing the miscreants who attacked on-duty police and doctors. Another BJP leader Lanka Dinakar too expresses doubts and accusing that Jagan Mohan Reddys Govt is hiding data to shift the state capital as soon as possible and for conducting the polls for Local bodies. He further added that Union Government has allotted 1 lack testing kits to Andhra Pradesh out of 5 lack kits imported from South Korea, Which is highest testing kits served to a single state since 11 districts of Andhra Pradesh had declared as Red Zone Category out of 13 Districts. The dangerous situation exists in Andhra Pradesh has been identified by the Union Government as testing reports have been supressed by the Andhra Pradesh Government without a proper coordination among Chief Minister, Health Minister and Health Secretary. Lanka Dinakar added Andhra Pradesh is the place in which highest number Doctors have infected Corona and Government is giving punishment against Doctors and other Frontline warriors who demand for masks and PPEs. State Government priority is not fight against Corona, but Fight against Corona warriors For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Dr. Vanessa Almendro Navarro, PhD, MBA, is Director of Strategy and Operations at Eisai's Genetic Guided Discovery in Dementia (G2D2) Center in Boston MADRID, Spain and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oryzon Genomics, S.A. (ISIN Code: ES0167733015, ORY), a public clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company leveraging epigenetics to develop therapies in diseases with high unmet medical need, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Vanessa Almendro Navarro, of Eisai US, as an independent director. Dr. Almendro will be Lead Director and member of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee. Carlos Buesa, CEO of Oryzon, said: We welcome Vanessa to our board. As an oncologist with extensive experience in drug development, she is a recognized expert in the US biotech industry. We very much look forward to her guidance and support as we execute on our objectives in the coming years. Dr. Almendro has extensive experience in corporate strategy, and in the clinical and commercial development of therapeutics in a number of disease areas, including oncology, neurology, diabetes and pain. Over the past 16 years, she has been active across basic research, target discovery, drug development, clinical strategy, new product planning, strategic alliances, and business development. Following conferral of her PhD, she held a postdoctoral appointment as Group Leader in the Department of Oncology Medicine at the Hospital Clinico-IDIBAPS in Barcelona. From 2008-2014 she was a Visiting Scientist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Her career in the pharmaceutical industry began at Vertex Pharmaceuticals where she served as Head of Experimental Biology and then as Associate Director, Global Marketing Pipeline and Strategic Management. Subsequently, Dr. Almendro joined Cogen Therapeutics as Director of Strategy and Operations, until her current position as Director of Strategy and Operations at the Genetic Guided Discovery in Dementia (G2D2) Center of Eisai in Cambridge, MA. Eisai is one of the largest Japanese pharmaceutical companies and has a global footprint. Story continues Dr. Almendro combines her current functions with the position of Interim Managing Director at the philanthropic investment fund of the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS), a charitable organization devoted to supporting research and promotion of therapies for the treatment of brain tumors. She also works with the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council as a mentor to start-ups and biotech companies. Dr. Almendro said: I am excited to join the Oryzon Board at this important time for the company. Epigenome remodeling with LSD1 inhibitors has great therapeutic potential for the treatment of multiple diseases, and Oryzon is uniquely positioned to explore and advance the clinical development of these inhibitors. I am eager to start working with the rest of the Board and the company to advance the development of these epigenetic candidates in the hope of helping patients with devastating diseases. Following the appointment, Oryzons Board of Directors is composed of seven Directors, of which four are independent, one "other," and two Executive Directors. Three of the Directors have a biomedical background, while the others have experience in finance, auditing and marketing. Three of the Directors are women. About Oryzon Founded in 2000 in Barcelona, Spain, Oryzon (ISIN Code: ES0167733015) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company considered as the European champion in Epigenetics. Oryzon has one of the strongest portfolios in the field. Oryzons LSD1 program has rendered two compounds, vafidemstat and iadademstat, in clinical trials. In addition, Oryzon has ongoing programs for developing inhibitors against other epigenetic targets. Oryzon has a strong technological platform for biomarker identification and performs biomarker and target validation for a variety of malignant and neurological diseases. Oryzon has offices in Spain and the United States. For more information, visit www.oryzon.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This communication contains, or may contain, forward-looking information and statements about Oryzon, including financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations, capital expenditures, synergies, products and services, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally identified by the words expects, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates and similar expressions. Although Oryzon believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors and holders of Oryzon shares are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Oryzon that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include those discussed or identified in the documents sent by Oryzon to the Spanish Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV), which are accessible to the public. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and have not been reviewed by the auditors of Oryzon. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. All subsequent oral or written forward-looking statements attributable to Oryzon or any of its members, directors, officers, employees or any persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statement above. All forward-looking statements included herein are based on information available to Oryzon on the date hereof. Except as required by applicable law, Oryzon does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forwardlooking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States or any other jurisdiction. Oryzons securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. Any public offering of Oryzons securities to be made in the United States will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained from Oryzon or the selling security holder, as applicable, that will contain detailed information about Oryzon and management, as well as financial statements. There has been a fire outbreak at a section of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) complex in Abuja. Oluwole Osaze-... There has been a fire outbreak at a section of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) complex in Abuja. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, INEC director of publicity and voter education, confirmed the incident. He said the fire only affected the office of the director of election and party monitoring in the building. Yes, there was a fire incident. Fortunately, we have a fire unit in the office. It was put out, he said. Some equipment and correspondence were affected. But no sensitive material was affected. There have been cases of fire outbreaks at government offices lately. On Wednesday, a part of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) headquarters in Abuja was gutted by fire. And days ago, a section of the office of the accountant-general of the federation was razed by fire. It was 50 years ago today that Paul McCartneys solo debut album was released, taking some of the shine off the impending release of The Beatles final album Let It Be. The previous week McCartney had previewed a promotional copy of McCartney containing a press release interpreted by the media as McCartney announcing that The Beatles were no more. The split had been brewing for years and would become official in due course, although, at the time, McCartney took the flak and was typecast as the man who broke up the beloved Fab Four. Accordingly, McCartney was roundly slated by the critics. The five decades since have witnessed over 60 studio albums from the four solo Beatles and to say that they are a bit of a mixed bag is an understatement. A handful have attained classic status, however, so here is my choice of the 10 best solo Beatles albums. 10. John Lennon and Yoko Ono Double Fantasy (1980) Released just weeks before his death and always much better than its indifferent reviews, Lennons comeback alternated songwriting duties with Yoko. Inevitably, Johns songs carry the emotional and long-lasting resonance, notably Starting Over, Woman and Beautiful Boy (McCartneys favourite on Desert Island Discs), while Watching the Wheels eloquently reflects on his estrangement from the music industry. 9. Paul McCartney Flaming Pie (1997) Reinvigorated by his work on The Beatles Anthology project, McCartney released his first album in four years, a stripped-back affair recorded over a two-year period. With McCartney in magnificent voice, it was his best since 1982s Tug of War. Calico Skies, Souvenir and the dreamy Heaven on a Sunday are just some of Flaming Pies many highlights. 8. Ringo Starr Ringo (1973) Ringo got by with a little help from a dazzling array of friends on this huge commercial success. Lennons sardonic Im the Greatest is terrific and Photograph, co-written with George Harrison, topped the US charts. As so, too, did his sparkling cover of Youre Sixteen, a song that sums up the feelgood vibe of Starrs finest solo outing. 7. Paul McCartney McCartney (1970) Largely scorned on release, now recognised as a lo-fi classic, Maccas home-made debut was all his own work. McCartneys unpolished gems include Junk, Maybe Im Amazed, one of his most personal, heartfelt and greatest songs, and the soulful Every Night, which gave some inkling to McCartneys state of mind amid the messy Beatles break-up. 6. George Harrison Living in the Material World (1973) A worthy follow-up to the triumphant All Things Must Pass found George attempting to reconcile his superstar status with his inner spirituality. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) was a US No 1 and Be Here Now and Dont Let Me Wait Too Long exemplify the uniformly high standards of musicianship throughout. 5. Paul and Linda McCartney Ram (1971) Reviled by contemporary critics (the nadir of rock, roared Rolling Stones Jon Landau), Ram has long since been rehabilitated. A homespun quality reflected McCartneys domestic bliss down on his farm with Linda. Fine rockers such as Smile Away sit easily alongside the fabulous time changes of Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey and melodic beauties Heart of the Country and Back Seat of My Car. The Beatles studio albums ranked in order of greatness Show all 12 1 /12 The Beatles studio albums ranked in order of greatness The Beatles studio albums ranked in order of greatness 12. Yellow Submarine (1969) Not as bad as popular myth would have it, nevertheless, the soundtrack to the bands animated movie is the one Beatles album that comes closest to a file under for completists only rating. The best-known songs All You Need Is Love and Yellow Submarine are available on innumerable compilations, and of the four new songs, only Lennons raw and menacing Hey Bulldog hits the mark. The Beatles studio albums ranked in order of greatness 11. Beatles For Sale (1964) With three albums, a clutch of classic singles, a landmark movie and a hectic touring schedule including their conquest of America to their name, a weary band retreated to Abbey Road to record their fourth album in less than two years. The results were variable on a covers-heavy set with folk and country influences on some downbeat but effective originals such as No Reply and Im a Loser, while Eight Days a Week represents the pinnacle of the Lennon/McCartney writing partnership before they began to write less and less together. However, with too much filler and some perfunctory covers, Beatles For Sale hasnt stood the test of time as well as any of their other 1962-1966 (The Red Album) era long players, resulting in its low position here. The Beatles studio albums ranked in order of greatness 10. Let It Be (1970) The messy break-up album recorded under trying circumstances contains a few tracks I would be happy never to hear again but any album that includes Get Back, Let It Be, The Long and Winding Road (with or without Phil Spectors ethereal choir and strings which McCartney hated), and Lennon and McCartney harmonising together for the first time in years on Two of Us has to have something going for it. Ultimately, therefore, Let It Be proved something of a sad but not entirely unworthy epitaph for the greatest pop group ever. The Beatles studio albums ranked in order of greatness 9. With the Beatles (1963) Between their first and second albums The Beatles had three No 1 singles From Me to You, She Loves You and I Want to Hold Your Hand but the temptation to include any of them on their second long-player was resisted. However, with 14 tracks on With the Beatles, the band couldnt be accused of not giving value for money, even if it duplicated their first album with six covers, including several impressive nods to their love of Motown on Please Mr Postman, You Really Got a Hold on Me and Money. Elsewhere, George, who surprisingly has three solo vocals on the album, as many as Paul, tears up Roll Over Beethoven while McCartneys All My Loving is still one of the groups most loved early songs. Its an album largely dominated by Lennon however, and he excels on It Wont Be Long Not a Second Time and the aforementioned Money. The Beatles studio albums ranked in order of greatness 8. Please Please Me (1963) The tone of the thrilling debut that launched the Fab Four into pop music history is set by Paul on the opening track as he counts in I Saw Her Standing There (One, Two, Three, Four!). Lennons justly lauded, throat-tearing version of Twist and Shout bookends the album and in between theres a mix of originals and covers including a fine Harrison vocal on Do You Want to Know a Secret and the first two hits Love Me Do and the euphoric title track as the band struck up an immediate rapport with producer George Martin, even if George (Harrison) didnt like his tie. Almost half the 14 tracks were cover versions, and as such, Please Please Me is an undeniably raw, but breathless and brilliant rush through the bands live act of the day, with Ringo proving conclusively that he was the right man for the job. It also points to the future of pop music as acts more and more began to write their own material, and remains one of the great debut albums. The Beatles studio albums ranked in order of greatness 7. Help! (1965) A tie-in with the bands second film, Help! was a considerable improvement on previous album Beatles For Sale, and in truth is a bit of a mixed bag, but the best songs are very good indeed, rising to classic status with Ticket to Ride, McCartneys Yesterday the ultimate Beatles standard and the title track, which was Lennons very real cry for help. Bob Dylans influence permeated Lennons superb Youve Got to Hide Your Love Away and McCartneys countrified Ive Just Seen a Face rolls and tumbles sumptuously, and then theres the bittersweet Youre Going to Lose That Girl a cavalcade of riches that emphatically compensate for some of the lesser tracks on show. The Beatles studio albums ranked in order of greatness 6. A Hard Days Night (1964) Partly the soundtrack of their first movie which amounts to their first quantum leap with all 13 tracks penned by Lennon and McCartney. The Beatles third album was light years ahead of the opposition in their homeland in 1964, from the moment it announced itself with the epochal opening chord on Georges new Rickenbacker 12-string on the famous title track. Lennon sang or composed the bulk of the songs, with I Should Have Known Better and Ill Be Back particular highlights, but McCartney owned three of the most lustrous jewels in And I Love Her, Cant Buy Me Love and the bands most sophisticated song to date, Things We Said Today. The Beatles studio albums ranked in order of greatness 5. Rubber Soul (1965) The Beatles entered their seminal middle period with another seismic leap in quality with their first true masterpiece which, although influenced by soul and Dylan, proved so influential itself that it spurred contemporaries such as Brian Wilson to hitherto unimagined heights. The quality control barely lapsed over the fourteen tracks with the band never tighter than on the opening Drive My Car and then the innovations flowed. Harrison's sitar on Lennon's sublime confessional Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), double-tracked vocals on several tracks, fuzz bass on Harrison's Think For Yourself, which along with If I Needed Someone demonstrated that Harrison had arrived as a songwriter of note, and who can forget Lennon's intake of breath on the superlative Girl? McCartney tossed off another standard in Michelle. The Beatles studio albums ranked in order of greatness 4. The Beatles (1968) The sprawling White Album was recorded in an atmosphere of tension and strained relationships as the group disintegrated, yet somehow a work of great quality emerged, even if it was the product of the four individual members pulling in different directions. Theres little cohesion here in the scattershot mix of styles, just a lot of great songs interspersed with some not so great songs, and some rubbish. With 30 tracks, there is much merit in the oft-repeated claim that with some judicious pruning, The Beatles could have been the greatest single album of all time. A snapshot of just some of the great songs includes McCartneys Blackbird, Helter Skelter, Back in the USSR and Birthday; Lennons Julia, Dear Prudence, Happiness is a Warm Gun and Revolution 1, while Harrisons stellar contributions include While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Long, Long, Long. With that quality, single album or not, it would still have to be a heck of a long album. The Beatles studio albums ranked in order of greatness 3. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) Five decades and more since its release, Sgt Pepper, with its band within a band concept and drugs-influenced vibe still reigns imperiously as the most famous pop record ever made. It may now not be considered the greatest album ever recorded, or indeed the greatest Beatles album, but with George Martin at the peak of his powers and the band now retired from touring, they were able to hone their mastery of the studio. Sgt Pepper remains a piece of art that in terms of experimentation, innovation and influence has rarely, if ever, been bettered. It contains some of the bands most-loved songs With a Little Help From My Friends, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, a genuine masterpiece for the ages in Shes Leaving Home, and their greatest, A Day in the Life, but overall, the albums greatness lies in the old cliche of the sum being greater than the parts. The Beatles studio albums ranked in order of greatness 2. Abbey Road (1969) With Let it Be in the can but not yet deemed fit for release due to the fractious nature of the recordings, Abbey Road was chronologically the last Beatles album to be recorded. Fittingly, although many of the tracks were the products of the individual members, Abbey Road reunited the band for one last magnificent stand. Abbey Road is justly celebrated for the McCartney-led 16 minute medley on side two commencing with You Never Give Me Your Money and concluding beautifully and with appropriately with The End, but it's also a side that begins with Harrison's Here Comes the Sun. The Beatles studio albums ranked in order of greatness 1. Revolver (1966) For a good number of years, Revolver lay in Sgt Pepper's shadow - universally admired to be sure, but somehow a little harder to love than previous simpler pleasures and Pepper itself. Part of that may be due to the mind-blowing eclecticism and scale of ambition of the album, which all these years later still astounds. The influence of drugs, psychedelia, and Eastern religion came to the fore on Revolver with double-tracked guitars, reversed tape loops, varispeed and various sound effects as the band, with George Martin an equal partner, fully explored the boundless sonic possibilities of the studio. 4. John Lennon Imagine (1971) The omnipotence of the utopian title track cant quite overshadow the excellence of the rest of this very personal album. Jealous Guy, Oh My Love and How rival Imagine for accessibility, but Lennon was also brutally direct on How Do You Sleep?, a notorious and mean-spirited attack on McCartney. Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up 3. Paul McCartney and Wings Band on the Run (1973) Five albums into his post-Beatles career, McCartney reasserted his genius, returning to classic Macca pop hooks and fantastic guitar driven rock. The marvellously propulsive Jet, Picassos Last Words, and the ebb-and-flow title track rank among his finest achievements, but theres barely a misstep on a record that emphatically restored the artists critical stock. 2. John Lennon John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970) On his disturbing, compelling, cathartic masterpiece, Lennon bared his soul in public like few artists before or since. Harrowing opener Mother addressed his troubled childhood. I Found Out and Working Class Hero are wearily cynical, Love, achingly affecting. God details Lennons disillusion with the eras sacred cows, concluding with The Beatles (The dream is over). 1. George Harrison All Things Must Pass (1970) The Beatles break-up allowed Harrison to grow musically and his magnum opus revealed his bounteous gifts. My Sweet Lord, the moving title track and Beware of Darkness are perfect summations of Harrisons spirituality, while Isnt It a Pity became a standard. The youngest Beatle had produced an album for the ages that filled the yawning chasm left by The Beatles demise. An Apache AH-64E attack helicopter of the Indian Air Force on Friday made a precautionary landing at a village in Punjabs Hoshiarpur district. The members on board the aircraft are said to be safe. On 17 April , an Apache helicopter of the IAF got airborne from Pathankot Airbase. The helicopter, after approx 1 hour of flying had indications of a critical failure and carried out a safe landing west of Indora, Punjab. The captain of the aircraft took correct and prompt actions to recover the helicopter safely. Crew on board the helicopter are safe and there has been no damage to any property. The aircraft will be recovered after necessary rectification, the IAF said in a statement. This is the first incident involving the latest helicopters imported by the IAF from the United States. India inked a $ 1.1-billion deal with US defence giant Boeing in September 2015 for 22 Apaches. These choppers are being split in two squadrons, with one based at Pathankot and the other at Jorhat. Armed with fire-and-forget Hellfire missiles, an Apache can track up to 128 targets a minute and prioritise threats. The missiles equip the gunships with heavy anti-armour capabilities. The Indian Army is also buying six Apache attack helicopters in a deal worth $930 million. The army will deploy attack helicopters for the first time. The six army Apaches are being bought as a follow-on option to the 2015 IAF contract. Since 2008, India has bought or ordered military equipment worth more than $15 billion from the US, including C-130J special operations planes, C-17 transport aircraft, P-8I submarine hunter planes, Harpoon missiles, helicopters, and M777 howitzers. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has attacked the presidents coronavirus response, telling Mr Trump to go to work instead of watching TV. Back-and-forth commentary between the governor and president started during Mr Cuomos daily press briefing on Friday. During the briefing, the governor criticised the president for leaving it all on the states to test residents and finance coronavirus response while, at the same time, putting pressure on them to reopen. The state should this, the state should this, the state should this. Yes. Well, what support have you given the states? None. I mean, how can that even be? How is it even plausible as a strategy? It doesnt work, Mr Cuomo said. Dont give them this massive undertaking and then not given them any resources to do it, he added, referencing the states need for federal assistance. The federal government cannot wipe their hands of this and say, Oh, the states are responsible for testing. We cannot do it. We cannot do it without federal help. The president and Mr Cuomo have a contentious relationship, but in recent weeks they have worked well together to curb the spread of Covid-19 in New York, the current epicentre of the virus for the US. Previously, Mr Cuomo thanked the president for assisting the state by acquiring ventilators, sending USNS Comfort hospital ship, and turning the Javits Centre into a field hospital. But hes also criticised the Trump administration for being behind on testing and providing supplies to states. Criticism from Mr Cuomo on Friday sparked a series of angry tweets from the president. Governor Cuomo should spend more time doing and less time complaining. Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking! We built you thousands of hospital beds that you didnt need or use, gave large numbers of Ventilators that you should have had, and helped you with ... testing that you should be doing, Mr Trump wrote. We have given New York far more money, help and equipment than any other state, by far, & these great men & women who did the job never hear you say thanks. Your numbers are not good. Less talk and more action! The tweets during Mr Cuomos press briefing encouraged the governor to express exactly what he thought of the federal response. First of all, If hes sitting home watching TV, maybe he should get up and go to work, right, he said. Second, lets keep emotion and politics out of this. And personal ego, if we can. Because this is about the people and its about our job. One attack from the president was that the federal government provided New York with more hospital beds than the state ended up using. In response, Mr Cuomo said he already applauded the presidents swift action in altering the Javits Centre and bringing in the USNS Comfort. But he added the requests for more hospital beds came from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention projections, an organisation under the federal government. For him to say to anyone, well, you relied on projections and the projections were wrong. Theyre your projections, Mr. President! So were we foolish for relying on your projections, Mr. President, the governor questioned. He added multiple reports from the CDC and White Houses coronavirus taskforce backed up the number of hospital beds New York could need. The number came from a projection from him. From him. So he should read the report he issues, Mr Cuomo said. So the projections were high. They were the presidents projections. Reasoning behind New York needing less hospital beds than originally anticipated was because social distancing measures worked to help flatten the states curve, Mr Cuomo added, so original projections were not met. The governor, fired up from the criticism, went on to state he already thanked the president for helping during the crisis multiple times. What am I supposed to do? Send a bouquet of flowers? Mr Cuomo asked. They were very helpful ... I said thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. The president doesnt want to help on testing. He wants to say I did enough. None of us have done enough. Its not over. We have a lot more to do. When it came to the Mr Trumps role during the health crisis, the governor thought he was just walking in front of the parade while everyone else did the work. How many times do you want me to say thank you? And Im saying thank you for doing your job. This was your role as president, Mr Cuomo said. You want me to say thank you? Thank you for doing your job, he said. Thank you for participating in a modicum of federal responsibility in a national crisis, which you know is a national crisis because he declared a federal emergency. So thank you for having the federal government participate in a federal emergency. He went on to accuse the president of giving more consideration to big businesses and airlines when bailing them out instead of the states. The presidents previous history in reality television was also mentioned by Mr Cuomo, with the governor encouraging Mr Trump to fire the people surrounding him if he was so upset over projections not being met in New York. If you dont agree with your projection, fire the head of the CDC, fire the White House coronavirus task force people because they did the projections, Mr Cuomo said. Fire them all. Mr Cuomo was asked by a reporter about his attack on the president following the tweets. Previously, the governor said he would not instigate a fight between Mr Trump during the pandemic. But it has since reached a boiling point between the two politicians. This is an important moment the states cant do it alone, Mr Cuomo said. I dont care about his politics, but if we dont have help on federal testing thats a real problem. Mayor Lori Lightfoot who has literally been driving around the city to tell people to stay home made an appearance on Comedy Centrals The Daily Show on Wednesday to talk about the impact the coronavirus has had on Chicago. But she also acknowledged the memes of her PSAs that have taken over social media since she shut down Chicagos lakefront, telling host Trevor Noah that Humor is kind of the unifying thing. The perception is that nursing homes arent doing a good job when they have five, ten cases, he said. The reality might be that theyre the one where it didnt explode to 30. When the final counting is done, he said, Were going to find that places with staff employed in a lot of places will turn out to be the hardest hit. An aide works in three places. You maximize the risk of bringing it in. Responding to the release of the data, ArchCare, which is affiliated with the Archdiocese of New York and operates four nonprofit homes in New York State, called the focus on deaths misleading. Among ArchCares properties is the Mary Manning Walsh Home on Manhattans Upper East Side, which, state records show, has had 31 deaths. Reducing the battle against coronavirus to a simple tally of lives lost ignores multiple realities and does a tremendous disservice to the thousands of dedicated health care workers who are putting their lives on the line each day, the agency said in a statement. In New Jersey, the loss of life has been almost as severe. As of Friday, 1,530 nursing home residents had died of the virus, according to the health commissioner, Judith Persichilli. New Jersey has not released data for individual facilities. In Connecticut, nearly 40 percent of the virus-related fatalities have involved nursing homes, although the states death toll is far below New Yorks and New Jerseys. Advocates for people in nursing homes said the data was a start but not enough, because it did not tell families whether people in homes had the virus, or how widely it had spread. Without that, said Richard Mollot, the executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, the state is essentially withholding the information necessary to make informed decisions on a personal, as well as community, level. An executive order issued by Governor Cuomo on Thursday required homes to inform families about coronavirus infections, though that information will not be available to the public. Stills from video footage, annotated by Business Insider, showing London's Metropolitan Police on Westminster Bridge on Thursday April 16. On the far right is Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick. Metropolitan Police/Twitter/Business Insider London's police have been accused of ignoring coronavirus lockdown rules after gathering on London's Westminster Bridge to applaud health care workers on Thursday night. The video they tweeted of the event has been widely shared, as it shows some officers not standing six feet apart as UK social distancing guidelines advise. Another video of the scene shows members of the public mingling in crowds, undeterred by police. A statement from the Metropolitan Police said: "While many people adhered to social distancing guidance, it appears that some did not." The footage prompted accusations of hypocrisy, since the police are charged with making sure other people adhere to the lockdown. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. London's police have been criticized for disregarding social distancing rules by gathering on a bridge in London to join in with applause for health care workers on Thursday night. The otherwise heartwarming scene on Westminster Bridge, with patrol car lights flashing, was part of a regular ritual in the UK in which people applaud health workers and carers on Thursdays at 8pm. Videos are widely shared on social media with the tag #clapforourcarers. Police and members of the public on Westminster Bridge during a #clapforourcarers event on Thursday, April 16. Damir Rafi/Twitter The Metropolitan Police tweeted the video with the hashtag soon after, saying: "Thank you to the real heroes. Thank you London ... London is together." The UK went into lockdown on March 23. Nationwide, the UK's police have been tasked with enforcing social distancing guidelines that advise people to stay around six feet apart, on only essential trips outdoors. The video, which also included Met police chief Cressida Dick, shows most officers lined up roughly three feet apart. Story continues Another view of the scene, in a video tweeted by Damir Rafi, shows people milling about and forming crowds on the bridge. Rafi wrote: "I'm a doctor working at the hospital that's right there. And yes, I was also somewhat perplexed by the lack of social distancing..." In response to the Met video, one person wrote: "They're not 2m [6 feet] apart and how the hell is that an essential reason to be out. Bl--dy hypocrites." The sentiment was reflected in hundreds more comments. A spokesperson for the Met said in a statement emailed to Business Insider that officers had been celebrating the work of key workers. The spokesperson added: "A large number of members of the public also gathered to express their gratitude. While many people adhered to social distancing guidance, it appears that some did not. "We regularly remind our officers of the importance of social distancing where practical, and will continue do so." London's Metropolitan Police tweeted a video applauding key workers, in which officers did not appear to observe social distancing guidelines. Met Police chief Cressida Dick (farthest right) was a Metropolitan Police/Twitter/Business Insider In March, complaints have arisen from people who believe the police have been overzealous in their efforts to enforce the guidelines, the MailOnline reported. On March 26, Derbyshire Police tweeted drone footage of people going for walks in the remote hills of the Peak District in northern England. The police said that trips that far away were not "essential travel," although those pictured were observing social distancing. This move came under criticism from civil liberties group Big Brother Watch as well as former Justice Secretary David Gauke, the BBC reported. Read the original article on Business Insider The Whitmeyer Distillery is known for producing whiskey and hosting tastings. But the family-run facility has completely changed their focus to a more timely cause, trading the whiskey for hand sanitizer and the whiskey tastings for hand delivered 32 oz. bottles of hand sanitizer. Since March 31, the distillery at 16711 Hollister St. in Houston has been manufacturing hand sanitizer using their distillery equipment in order to help the Houston area combat COVID-19, whether it be doctors or families that need hand sanitizer. Founder and President Travis Whitmeyer said the distillery has completely halted production of whiskey and has given away 40,000 bottles of hand sanitizer since Whitmeyer Distillery began production. The distillery is giving out the hand sanitizer, delivering for free it directly to cars, and offering larger orders on their website. Bottles are limited to one per household and first responders are receiving free bottles for their departments. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Coronavirus live updates: Schlumberger posts $7.4 billion loss, Houston COVID curve flattens Whitmeyer said the idea came about when the Food and Drug Administration and the Tax and Trade Bureau suggested distilleries and other business with access to similar equipment attempt to manufacture hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whitmeyer Distillery donated 6,100 gallons to Texas Childrens Hospital System on April 2. We told them were going to produce it for them, dont worry about paying for it, were just going to donate it, he said. We did it and in addition to that we had other orders coming in from other places and we kind of figured out a model. It hasnt even been a month yet and we figured out this model that allows us to take money for some orders and the money that we collect there allows us to keep the lights on here, keep our people paid. COVID-19 AID: Northwest Assistance Ministries receives $75K grant to serve more Houston families during COVID-19 pandemic Since beginning the production of hand sanitizer at Whitmeyer Distillery, 100 bar and restaurant workers who were fired or laid off due to COVID-19 have been hired by the distillery to help produce the hand sanitizer. Whitmeyer said the future of the distillery was uncertain before hand sanitizer production due to their tasting room having to shut down for COVID-19 related precautions, cutting 30 percent of their revenue. Whitmeyer Distillery has been able to stay afloat while producing hand sanitizer although the model is not profitable, Whitmeyer said. We were getting ready to lay everybody off and this thing just kind of snowballed and became what it is, he said. We are taking donations. All of the donations are going right back into all of the giveaways and paying the employees. Theres a link on the website if somebody wanted to donate. Whitmeyer said his family never intended, or expected, to be in this situation as a critical business during a pandemic, but he hopes to return to normal after the needs are met. GIVING BACK: Houston area mother and daughter donate more than 2,000 handmade masks to people in need Being a whiskey distillery, were interested in getting back to that at some point, he said. Well keep it going as long as we can as long as we need it. Were not making a killing but it can keep going. Its totally been worth it with all of the love that weve been getting and all of the press attention and goodwill. Its certainly been worth it. For more information, visit www.whitmeyers.com/. chevall.pryce@chron.com ROSCOMMON, MI Hoping to encourage the community to continue social distancing and isolating amid the COVID-19 crisis, the Roscommon County Sheriffs Department has shared a photo of a deputy with the departments K9. The agency at 9:18 a.m. on Friday, April 17, shared the selfie of Deputy Andrew ONeil with K9 Kato on its Facebook page. The post is titled Quarantining with Those You Love. In efforts to keep a majority of our staff well and able to serve the county, we have changed staffing and shift rotations to reduce contact and cross contamination between shifts, the post reads. Last night Deputy ONeil and Kato were on patrol in a car by themselves. They are quarantined at home together too. Its a lot of time together, but Kato continues to put up with Andy and all of his quirks through all of this. Sheriff Edward Stern said Kato has been with the sheriffs department since May 2017 and is about 4-and-a-half years old. Kato is a German shepherd and came from Slovakia thanks to a five-figure donation from a local family. ONeil has been with the department for several years and takes Kato on his regular 12-hour patrol shifts, Stern said. Anytime Deputy ONeil is working, Kato is with him, Stern said. Related: Sheriffs K-9 Unit stronger with addition of new dog, Kato Les membres du cabinet ont pris note que le nombre de cas de positif au Coronavirus est a 324, que le gouvernement a recu un don de 500,000 tablettes de hydroxychloroquinede lInde, que le couvre-feu sanitaire a pris fin le 15 avril 2020, que le Wage Assistance Scheme et Self-Employed Assistance Scheme seront reconduit pour le mois davril 2020. 1. Cabinet has taken note of the situation pertaining to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the measures taken to contain the pandemic, namely (a) the number of positive cases as at 17 April 2020 was 324 and the number of persons successfully treated to-date was 108; (b) currently there were some 325 patients in the Treatment Centres; (c) all patients attending the Flu Clinics in the Regional Hospitals were being tested for COVID-19. A separate facility would be set up in each Regional Hospital to accommodate a Flu Clinic; (d) the procurement of medical items was being effected from China, Amsterdam and Hong Kong; (e) the Government of India has donated medical supplies (500,000 tablets of hydroxychloroquine) which were delivered by a special Air India flight on 15 April 2020; (f) Jack Mas Foundation has also donated medical items to Mauritius which arrived on 15 April 2020 by a special Ethiopian Airlines flight; (g) the Government of China was also donating medical supplies to Mauritius; (h) the UNDP was assisting Mauritius in the setting up of an Electronic Laboratory Information Management System for COVID-19 patients at the Central Health Laboratory; and (i) the EU would donate an amount of Rs11 Million to the COVID-19 Solidarity Fund. 2. Cabinet has taken note that the Curfew Order in Rodrigues and Agalega lapsed on 15 April 2020 and sanitary and non-sanitary precautions were being taken to ensure that there is no importation of COVID-19 on both islands. 3. Cabinet has agreed to the extension of (a) the Wage Assistance Scheme to cover the month of April 2020. The aim of the Wage Assistance Scheme is to provide financial support to employees of the private sector who became technically unemployed during the COVID-19 lockdown/curfew period. An employer would be debarred from the Scheme if he has benefitted from funds under the Scheme and has not paid his employees for the months of March and April 2020 or he has laid off even one employee during the lockdown/curfew period; and (b) the Self-Employed Assistance Scheme to cover the period 16 April to 30 April 2020. The Scheme gives financial support to the informal sector. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 22:57:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RIGA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Some of the outpatient and diagnostic services that were suspended in Latvia following the declaration of a nationwide state of emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic will resume as of next Monday, under a decree issued by Health Minister Ilze Vinkele. The minister said on Twitter that the necessary safety measures for healthcare staff and patients have been agreed with the medics, so that dentists, specialist physicians and other healthcare services providers can resume their work. The services that will resume in a phased and gradual process include government-funded mammography screening, specific diagnostic tests and specialist consultations and dentistry, as well as foot care for diabetics. With the rate of new COVID-19 cases in Latvia stabilizing and even showing a downward trend lately, the authorities have started to consider easing some of the restrictions introduced to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease. Earlier this week, the health minister said, however, that even though some other European countries have already started relaxing their confinement measures, Latvia will leave all its restrictions in place at least until the current state of emergency ends on May 12. Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said in a televised interview on Wednesday that in two weeks, epidemiologists might come up with their proposals on how to gradually lift the restrictions. By Friday morning, 682 COVID-19 cases had been confirmed in Latvia and five patients had died from the disease. Also, 88 patients have recovered from COVID-19, according to information released by the national Center for Disease Prevention and Control. Enditem BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17 Trend: The World Organization for Animal Health has disseminated information on eliminating the threat associated with highly dangerous diseases detected in various animal species in several countries of the world, the Food Safety Agency of Azerbaijan told Trend. In addition, the waiting period also ended and the corresponding health status for a number of countries has been restored. As a result, there was a need to review the restrictions imposed on the import of livestock and animal products to Azerbaijan from different countries. In this regard, it was decided to abolish a number of restrictions imposed by the relevant decisions of the agency in the field of veterinary. Thus, based on the official information of the World Organization for Animal Health, restrictions on the import of livestock and animal products from various countries introduced due to highly pathogenic avian influenza, Newcastle disease, nodular dermatitis, foot and mouth disease, flower disease of small cattle and bluetongue disease have been eliminated," the agency said. "Entrepreneurs, as well as the relevant veterinary authorities of other countries, have been informed about the decision. Food Safety Agency appealed to the State Customs Committee (SCC) for relevant measures, said the message. Seized IUU fishing boat burns near Phuket pier PHUKET: Fire broke out last night (Apr 16) on an illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing boat seized by the officials in 2016 that was anchored in the Tha Jeen canal in Rassada, on the east side of Phuket Town. marine By Eakkapop Thongtub Friday 17 April 2020, 11:31AM Firefighters took about two hours to bring the fire under control. Photo: Kusoldharm Phuket Firefighters took about two hours to bring the fire under control. Photo: Kusoldharm Phuket The Shun Lai caught fire while anchored about 100 metres from the Asia Marina Pier in Rassada. Photo: Kusoldharm Phuket The Shun Lai caught fire while anchored about 100 metres from the Asia Marina Pier in Rassada. Photo: Kusoldharm Phuket Police and firefighters were called to the scene just before 9:30pm. They arrived to fund the fishing boat Shun Lai ablaze, anchored among a group of other fishing boats near the mangroves along the bank of the canal about 100 metres from the Asian Marina Pier. Firefighters took two hours to bring under control the fire, which was ablaze near the bow of the boat. Although the boat has a steel hull and it had no equipment on board, it was fitted with wood and fiber, causing it to burn quickly, fighters explained. What caused the fire is under investigation, said police. No people were reported as injured as a result of the fire. The Shun Lai was one of nine boats that arrived in Phuket to make repairs in September 2016, with authorities being presented documents claiming that the boats were registered in Bolivia. Checks by the Phuket Marine Office confirmed that none of the boats were registered or had been issued any fishing licence in that country, prompting Royal Thai Navy personnel to intervene and seize the boats - but not before two of them manage to flee. (See story here.) Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, leaves his apartment to report to prison in Manhattan, New York, May 6, 2019. Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer and fixer for President Donald Trump, will be released from prison in two weeks and be allowed to serve the remainder of a three-year federal criminal sentence in home confinement due to concerns about the coronavirus, CNBC has learned. Cohen, 53, currently is incarcerated at the federal camp in Otisville, N.Y., where 14 inmates and seven staff members have tested positive for Covid-19, according to the Bureau of Prisons. The fallen lawyer, who arranged hush money payments to women who said they had sexual encounters with Trump, originally was due to be released there on Nov. 22, 2021. CNN first reported the news of Cohen's expected release on Thursday evening. Cohen's lawyer Roger Adler later confirmed that to NBC News. The development comes three weeks after a federal judge in New York flatly rejected Cohen's request that he be released into home confinement due to the chance that he would develop Covid-19. Adler had cited Cohen's past two hospitalizations and "pulmonary issues" in his request for early release. "I reiterate my belief that the coronavirus provides a basis for an appropriate modification of the venue in which his previously imposed sentence will be served, and that the sentence of 36 months should not end up being a capital crime depriving my client of his life," Adler wrote in a March 23 letter to Judge William Pauley. A day later, Pauley dismissed the request, writing in a court filing, "That Cohen would seek to single himself out for release to home confinement appears to be just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle." But the Bureau of Prisons was recently directled by Attorney General William Barr to move to release federal inmates if they would be eligible for home confinement, and if they were at risk of becoming infected with the coronavirus. Adler told NBC News that Cohen will be released into home confinement on May 1 after completing a 14-day quarantine at Otisville. Cohen will join about 1,000 other federal inmates who have been ordered released by BOP to stem the spread of coronavirus in prison and camps. So far, 451 federal inmates and 280 staff members have been infected with Covid-19. A total of 16 inmates have died from the disease. Cohen, a New York City resident pleaded guilty, in 2018 to multiple financial crimes, lying to Congress and to campaign finance violations. Cohen admitted he lied to Congress about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. And he admitted to paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 shortly before the 2016 presidential election in order to keep her from speaking to journalists about her allegation of having a sexual tryst with Trump years before, months after the birth of his youngest son. Cohen said he made that payment at the direction of Trump. Cohen also admitted to facilitating another hush money payout that year, in the amount of $150,000, to Playboy model Karen McDougal from the publisher of The National Enquirer, a Trump-friendly supermarket tabloid, in order to avoid her going public with her claim of an affair with Trump. Technavio has been monitoring the packaged natural mineral water market and it is poised to grow by USD 39.22 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of over 7% 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/20200417005136/en/ Technavio has announced the latest market research report titled Global Packaged Natural Mineral Water 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. DANONE, Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co. Ltd., Nestle, PepsiCo, and THE COCA-COLA COMPANY are some of the major market participants. The benefits of mineral water 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. Benefits of mineral water has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Packaged Natural Mineral Water Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Packaged natural mineral water market is segmented as below: Product Packaged Natural Still Mineral Water Packaged Natural Sparkling Mineral Water 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=IRTNTR31308 Packaged Natural Mineral Water 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 packaged natural mineral water market report covers the following areas: Packaged Natural Mineral Water Market Size Packaged Natural Mineral Water Market Trends Packaged Natural Mineral Water Market Industry Analysis This study identifies rising popularity of premium packaged natural mineral water as one of the prime reasons driving the packaged natural mineral water market growth during the next few years. Packaged Natural Mineral Water Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the packaged natural mineral water market, including some of the vendors such as DANONE, Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co. Ltd., Nestle, PepsiCo and THE COCA-COLA COMPANY. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the packaged natural mineral water 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 Packaged Natural Mineral Water Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist packaged natural mineral water market growth during the next five years Estimation of the packaged natural mineral water market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the packaged natural mineral water market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of packaged natural mineral water 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 Packaged natural still mineral water Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Packaged natural sparkling mineral water 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 APAC 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 Increasing investments in mineral and bottled water industry Packaging innovations with environmental sustainability and technological advances Rising popularity of premium packaged natural mineral water PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors DANONE Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co. Ltd. Nestle PepsiCo THE COCA-COLA COMPANY PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of vendors classification 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/20200417005136/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/ Offshoots of industrial real estate development in Vietnam, particularly cold storage facilities and factories, have boosted demand for smart, eco-friendly materials. While most industries have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, both production lines at the Pisocy fireproof panel factory of Phuong Nam Soundproofing Insulating Co. are still running. Workers are fully equipped and protected with hats and masks. Hand sanitizer bottles are available in every corner of the factory. Every morning, cold rolled steel sheets are put into both production lines. The following processing stages, like placing corrugated iron materials into the molds, injecting PIR foam and the cutting of panels to specifications are completely automated. Both lines have the capacity to produce thousands of square meters of panels per day. All the panels have two sides made of stainless or corrugated steel. Their inner layers include heat-insulating and fireproof layers with balanced thickness and high stiffness. After beginning at around 20 percent of the capacity, the factory has, six months later, reached 50 percent of its designed capacity per day. In fact, there are times when the two lines have functioned at 80 percent of maximum capacity to meet clients demands just in Vietnam. Most orders from the beginning of 2020 are from industrial business clients, using the panels to build factories, warehouses, clean rooms and cold storage facilities. Phuong Nam Soundproofing Insulating Co. Photo by Quynh Tran. In fact, part of the reason why Vietnams materials production business is still running well amid the coronavirus pandemic is high demand in industrial real estate sector. A report by real estate service company Jones Lang Lasalle shows that the sector has performed well, with rental rates remaining high in the first quarter. The report says that since the wave of relocating assembling from China to Vietnam appeared a few years ago, Vietnams industrial real estate has remained a promising market. With well-developed infrastructure and proximity to China, Vietnam in general and the northern region in particular have attracted more and more big companies who want to diversify their production portfolio beyond their facilities in the neighboring giant. At the end of Q1, northern industrial parks had an average occupancy of 72 percent, with Bac Ninh and Hai Phong leading the pack with large supply of such spaces. However, the shift (from China to elsewhere) will partly be affected by disruptions in the global supply chain. The Covid-19 outbreak has imposed restrictions and barriers in both domestic and foreign trade. JLL expects investments and transactions to be delayed. Reduced activities at major ports and airports will also reduce asset performance. On the other hand, the pandemic could also accelerate application of automation and robotics in industries. With consumers preferring online shopping, the demand for advanced logistics will be boosted. JLL expects the industrial real estate market to recover fully once the coronavirus threat is gone. In its latest forecast, real estate consultancy CBRE also says that niche markets in industrial real estate and logistics will benefit in the long term, as increased consumption of fresh foods increases demand for cold storage systems. Besides, the US-China trade war has caused many manufacturing companies around the world to diversify their supply chains to other Asian countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India and Bangladesh. A CBRE report says the virus outbreak and its effects on global supply chains will continue to drive this trend in the long term, especially as companies try to minimize their dependence on China. A warehouse built from insulating panel materials in Tan Phu Trung Industrial Park, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by Quynh Tran. In addition, automation in logistics is expected to increase as suppliers seek solutions to reduce their reliance on human resources and prevent disruptions. In the long term, automation and robotics will significantly change the operations of distribution centers and warehouses. Giap Van Thanh, General Director of Phuong Nam Soundproofing Insulating Co., said that 80 percent of the companys clients are currently enterprises that own factories and warehouses with great demand for expansion and renovation. He said the demand for industrial real estate is expected to remain stable in the second quarter. Should Covid-19 be well-controlled by the end of June, industrial construction activities will continue strongly, Thanh said. "There will be a push for materials production in general and green materials in particular then." He stressed that in such a scenario, green and hi-tech materials will prove more efficient, helping builders significantly shorten construction time. At present, a 25,000 square meter factory can be built in less than three months, from designing to building and putting it into operation. The shortened construction time also contributes to reduced labor costs and power consumption, while the buildings have a longer lifespan. These are essential factors that can yield quick investment returns for warehouses, cold storage and food storage facilities. Currently, Phuong Nams main product line, the Pisocy panel, replaces traditional materials with a high insulation coefficient, ensuring deep cold storage up to minus 50 degrees Celsius, preventing heat loss when installed. Pisocy panels also meet fire protection standards of level B2, EI ~ 60 of the Fire Department with the ability to withstand heat of 300 degrees Celsius for up to 180 minutes, Thanh said. However, he also noted that winning the heart of clients remains a challenging task. Their requirements are getting more and more stringent, and, furthermore, the epidemic has posed financing challenges, he said. Giap Van Thanh, general director of Phuong Nam Co. Photo by Quynh Tran. Sustained trend Clients in various industries are selecting green materials in general and insulation panels in particular. The cost of green materials has gradually reduced because of active domestic production. Made-in-Vietnam green and high-tech materials help builders reduce their dependency on imports from developed countries which are invariably more expensive. Thanh said he has seen many builders importing panels at very high costs. This prompted him to spend several years in Europe researching and experimenting in order to bring suitable solutions to Vietnam. Currently, Phuong Nam can produce panels of "the same quality as advanced countries at much lower prices." "In the near future, we will look for foreign distributors to expand our international market, especially large industrial constructors in developed countries," he added. Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday said Kerala-based Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Science and Technology has developed a low cost diagnostic test kit that can confirm in two hours the presence of COVID-19 infection. The diagnostic test kit developed by the Thiruvananthapuram institute can detect coronavirus in 10 minutes, and the sample to result time will be less than two hours, Vardhan tweeted. A total of 30 samples can be tested in a single batch on a single machine, he said. 'The confirmatory diagnostic test, which detects the N Gene of #SARS_COV_2 using reverse transcriptase loop-mediated amplification of viral nucleic acid, will be one of the world's first few, if not the first of its kind in the world,' Vardhan tweeted. The diagnostic kit comes at a time when India is looking to ramp up its testing for the contagious virus and has been procuring kits from outside the country. The Department of Science and Technology said the new diagnostic kit is cost-effective as each test will cost the lab Rs 1,000, which is less than the minimum cost of COVID-19 tests being carried out at present. Known for its low-cost innovations like developing indigenous heart valves in the past, the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology is an Institute of National Importance under the Department of Science and Technology (S&T). It has been at the forefront in developing medical aids in fighting coronavirus. The test kit called Chitra GeneLAMP-N, funded by the Department of S&T, is highly specific for SARS-CoV-2 N-gene and 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. The Department of S&T said the tests performed at National Institute of Virology, Alappuzha show that Chitra GeneLAMP-N has 100 per cent accuracy and match with test results using RT-PCR. This has been intimated to the Indian Council for Medical Research, the authority to approve it, for COVID-19 testing in India, it said. Current PCR kits in India enable detection of E gene for screening and RdRp (RNA-dependent RNA polymerase) gene for confirmation. Chitra GeneLAMP-N gene testing will allow confirmation in one test without the need for a screening test and at much lower costs, the department said. "Development of a novel, inexpensive, rapid confirmatory for the diagnosis of COVID1-9 by Sree Chitra in record time is a compelling example of how a creative team of clinicians and scientists working together seamlessly can leverage knowledge and infrastructure to make relevant breakthroughs," said Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of S&T. The testing facility can be easily set up even in the laboratories of district hospitals with limited facilities and trained laboratory technicians and the results can be read from the machine from the change in fluorescence, he added. The cost of testing with the new device for LAMP testing and the test kit for two regions of N gene (including RNA extraction) will be less than Rs 1,000 per test for the laboratory. The technology was transferred for manufacture to M/S Agappe Diagnostics Ltd, Ernakulam, a leading company in in-vitro diagnostics with national and international operations. Besides the diagnostic test kit, the institute has also developed Acrylosorb, an equipment to collect body fluids and dispose them off safely, which is the first such equipment developed. AcryloSorb can absorb liquids at least 20 times more than its dry weight and also contains a decontaminant for in situ disinfection. The superabsorbent material can be effective in the safe management of infected respiratory secretions Another innovation is an isolation pod that restricts COVID-19 patients from having contact with others. The isolation pod is a chamber, just like a telephone booth, for examining COVID-19 patients. The disinfected examination booth is closed like a telephone booth for examining the patient without direct contact with the doctor to prevent transmission of infection. It is equipped with a lamp, table fan, rack, and Ultraviolet (UV) light. The installed UV light in the booth disinfects the chamber after each patient leaves. A pair of gloves provided in the examination booth allows the patient's physical examination. Additionally, an entry tunnel on the side frame is provided to pass a stethoscope within the chamber. The institute has also developed a bubble helmet, an alternative option for the traditional oxygen masks. A parishioner and 'right hand man' of the controversial pastor Tony Spell who has defied lockdown measures has died from coronavirus. Harold Orillion, 78, who was a member of Life Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge in Louisiana died from COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to The East Baton Rouge Parish coroner. The man's cause of death was listed as 'acute respiratory distress syndrome' due to the coronavirus. Pastor Spell disputed the man's cause of death, saying he died of a broken heart after recently losing his son. The pastor has previously said his parishioners are true Christians who wouldn't mind dying from the virus because they'd be doing so in the name of God and freedom. A 78-year-old man who was a member of Life Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge in Louisiana has reportedly died from COVID-19. Pictured: Pastor Tony Spell It's unclear when the man last attended a service at Spell's church. Spell confirmed to television stations WAFB and WVLA that Mr Orillion was a parishioner in good standing, but said the cause of death was a 'lie', despite the coroner's determination. Mr Orillion leaves behind a wife and several siblings. Spell described him as a 'great member of the church' and one of his 'right hand men.' Pastor Tony Spell has come under fire for repeatedly holding services at his church during the coronavirus pandemic and is now facing misdemeanour charges for letting them go ahead despite a ban on gatherings. Pastor Spell (pictured centre background after an evening service on March 31) has disputed the man's cause of death, saying he died of a broken heart after recently losing his son He has previously preached that people had 'nothing to fear' and that 'true Christians do not mind dying'. 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.' One of his lawyers who is representing him following his misdemeanour 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. 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 '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 also 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 personally drove a bus load of parishioners to the church on Sunday to attend the Easter service. He is facing misdemeanour charges for holding services despite a ban on gatherings 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.' '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'. He says that he continues to hold services because God told him to do so. Bus loads of congregants arrived at Spell's Life Tabernacle Church before an Easter church service on Sunday 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.' The number of infections in Louisiana has increased to more than 21,000 and the death toll is now over 1,100. Oregon officials expect to receive $2.45 billion from the federal CARES Act, and more than half of the money is due by the end of next week. That portion, $1.6 billion, will be split between the state, the city of Portland and Multnomah and Washington counties to pay for unbudgeted COVID-19 expenses through the rest of the year. Other jurisdictions will receive their share from the state. Here are more developments to know Friday: NURSING HOMES: State officials found a litany of problems with how a Portland nursing home that has emerged as hotbed of coronavirus handled sick patients. At least 14 residents of the home have died. A second outbreak at a veterans home in Lebanon has now killed six residents. A worker at a third senior care home filed a whistleblower lawsuit, alleging she was fired after raising concerns that large gatherings at the facility put residents at risk to get coronavirus. EDUCATION: The Oregon Department of Education released new grading guidelines for freshmen, sophomores and juniors, telling high schools not to assign letter grades, and instead mark students work as passing or incomplete. TRANSPARENCY: Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued an order directing local governments to keep meetings open to the public. She told cities and school boards to adhere to the states open meetings mandate by using available technology, such as livestreams online. JOBS: The governor announced Oregon will eventually waive a waiting week for unemployment claims, boosting the amount of benefits coming into the state by millions of dollars. The change will apply retroactively to workers already receiving benefits, the governors office said. Nearly 300,000 workers have now filed jobless claims, accounting for 15% of all jobs statewide. CASES: At least 64 people have now died from COVID-19 in Oregon, state health officials said. The tally includes six new deaths disclosed Thursday. More than 1,700 people have been sickened by the virus. BUSINESS: The Small Business Administrations coronavirus relief program has run out of funding, frustrating Oregons small business owners. Some local tattoo shops and artists are coming up with new ways to make money while the pandemic keeps businesses closed. HELP: Members of PopMob and the Rosehip Medic Collective, groups known for their activism, are making free hand sanitizer to distribute to frontline workers and homeless residents. #TEAMOREGON -- The Oregonian/OregonLive Here are the things that we need from you. Today, we are asking people over 70 years of age or people who have compromised immunity or underlying respiratory conditions, to stay at home as much as they can. That means we need friends, family and neighbors to support our older New Zealanders and people who may be in this group by doing simple things, like keeping in contact and dropping off food or other supplies. When you do, make sure you are not sick, that you are using good handwashing practices and youre keeping your distance. We also need everyone to start working differently. Many offices had plans for workers to work from home. Others have staggered meal breaks or shift-based working. We are now asking you to implement these plans. Youll be pleased to know that we do consider both the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny to be essential workers. And as you can imagine at this time, of course, theyre going to be potentially quite busy at home with their family as well and their own bunnies and so I say to the children of New Zealand if the Easter Bunny doesnt make it to your household, then we have to understand that its a bit difficult at the moment for the bunny to perhaps get everywhere. But Ive a bit of an idea that maybe in lieu of the bunny being able to make it to your home, you can create your own Easter hunt for all the children in your neighborhood. Senator Ali Ndume has been described as a discontented politician over his recent claims that the activities of the Federal governments relief committee on COVID-19 headed by the minister of Humanitarian affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq was riddled with fraud. It will be recalled Ndume while lamenting that the relief packages were not getting to ordinary Nigerians, had accused the committee of sharing the materials for their own private persons. However, the federal government has responded to his claims on Friday in a statement signed by Mallam Garba Shehu, media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari where it challenged Ndume to mention names or keep quiet. The statement added that the President remains committed to his declaration in 2015 where he noted that he belonged to everybody and belonged to nobody. The Statement reads: When he was first elected President in 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari said that he belonged to everybody and belonged to nobody. What was true then remains true today. He believes in public service, as a servant of the people and he expects the exact same commitment from members of his government and, of course, his closest aides. The President has made it clear times without number that anyone who will not, cannot, or does not pull his weight nor meet these exacting standards is not welcome in his administration. A number of ranking officials have been shown the way out at various times simply on account of this. Similarly, he believes in loyalty and truthfulness. Should any individuals be found to be serving themselves and not the people, then it is right and proper to call them out. But this must be done on the basis of evidence and proof not on conjecture. It is therefore disappointing to hear a politician call out unnamed individuals in the administration and accuse them of unnamed transgressions. If this politician has evidence then he should make public their identities as well as his proof. Innuendo is not proof. Similarly, simply claiming that the COVID-19 Palliative Measures Committee is not functioning as it should is not the same as presenting proof for such a claim. No one replaces an institutional government body in the midst of the global pandemic without clear and irrefutable evidence that it needs replacing. A press briefing from a discontented politician is rarely the source of such evidence. At this difficult time of the battle by Nigeria against Coronavirus, everyone should help the fight and not seek to make political capital out of it, whatever his or her grievances. Share this post with your Friends on VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 17, 2020 / JNC Resources Inc. (CSE:JNC) ("JNC" or the "Company") is a Mineral Exploration Company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of feasible resource properties throughout Canada and the continental United States. Our management team has a proven track record of discovery and is committed to maximizing shareholder value by continuing its exploration success. JNC's initial project, the Triple 9 in South Central British Columbia, is an excellent example of a new discovery zone to be explored. Please refer to the NI 43-101 report, available on our website and filed on sedar.com. We are committed to: Being a progressive, proactive and innovative organization; Demonstrate leadership in the pursuit of excellence within the exploration community; Provide accurate and timely dissemination of information to investors and other stakeholders; Continuously seek out and acquire properties that demonstrate exploration potential; Expanding our land holdings to include: Canada, United States and International Countries; Diversifying our portfolio over several different precious metal categories; Ensuring that our exploration programs are conducted in accordance with stringent quality assurance and control guidelines, along with the highest standard of best practices; Incorporating new, and innovative leading edge technology; Ensuring that our exploration programs consider the use of traditional aboriginal land and provide meaningful opportunities for the economic development of first nation communities; Ensuring all work programs are environmentally accountable with commitment to long-term sustainability. JNC Resources has created a corporate culture for success. We will continue to develop the opportunity at Triple 9 by obtaining permits to prove historical gold values on the Blue Nose reserve, as well as determining the size and scope of the newly discovered Road Zone massive sulfide showing. JNC's vision is to create a diversified portfolio of projects. Management's goal is to be fiscally responsible to position the Company for any potential joint venture or partnerships that will enhance shareholder value. With a focus primarily on gold, we are excited about the opportunities of all precious metals exploration that will allow for long term sustainability and growth. About JNC Resources Inc. JNC Resources is a North American mining exploration company. Our goal is to develop under-explored properties, benefit from deal flow generated by our strategic partnerships and growth opportunities. Currently JNC is developing our 100% optioned project in South Central British Columbia. The Triple 9 project consists of Gold properties with a new discovery of high levels of base metals, located 20 km's outside the town of Sicamous. JNC will be actively exploring new projects and expanding its portfolio with projects that fulfill the requirements of our seasoned leadership team and continue to maximize shareholder value. For further information please contact: Michael Mulberry T: 778-855-5001 info@jncresources.com Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are 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. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in applicable forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in such statements. NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. SOURCE: JNC Resources Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/585456/JNC-Resources-Inc-Mission-Statement CARBONDALE When disaster strikes, volunteers come out of the woodwork to help. During the 2009 superderecho, there were hundreds of people out with chainsaws, trucks, shovels and wheelbarrows to help their neighbors. But what do you do when you cant help in person because of COVID-19 and social distancing? The Southern Illinois Community Foundation has found a way. City of Marion furloughs 43 employees to reduce impact of COVID-19 closures The City of Marion has furloughed more than 40 employees to curb revenue loss during the states stay-at-home order designed to stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As the community settles in during Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzkers stay-home order and other executive orders limiting business, many in the region are left without work and a lot of time to worry about what that will mean for them and their families. The federal government this week began sending relief checks of as much as $1,200 a person or up to $3,400 for families of four. However, there are those who have the fortune of still being able to work or who have a solid financial safety net. For these people, the SICF has a challenge: Pledge all or part of your stimulus check to those in need. The SICFs Southern Illinois COVID-19 Community Relief Fund was established to provide an avenue for those with the means to assist but maybe not the network best able to help. Byram Fager is the SICF executive director and he said the group was receiving calls from people who felt they didnt need the stimulus check and wanted to know how they could use it to help their neighbors. I feel like theres something we should be doing with it but we just dont know how, Fager said of the messages SICF would receive. Fager also noted that, unlike a natural disaster, the scope of COVID-19 and its impact is not in a focused area. This disaster we are in right now," he said, "theres no limit." The community relief fund was launched Monday, and since then, Fager said they have received thousands of dollars in donations. But, unlike the three other COVID-specific funds the foundation manages, the Southern Illinois COVID-19 Community Relief Fund allows donors to choose for their dollars to stay in the community they live in. As for what the funds will support, Fager said the foundation is still working out the details. He said it managed the $100,000 grant passed down from the state to more than 50 food banks and shelters in the lower 15 counties of Illinois. Since the state (grant) focused first on food and shelter we thought maybe we should go to that rent and utility assistance, he said, adding that children's services are high on the list, too. He hoped this decision would be finalized by the end of the month. In a video posted Monday, Carbondale City Manager Gary Williams announced that he would be donating 100% of his stimulus check. I encourage everyone out there who has the same means as I have to do the same thing, Williams said in the video. On Wednesday, speaking with The Southern, Williams said his family was blessed that both he and his wife were still working and he wanted to pass this blessing along. He said if just 400 families did the same, the fund would have close to $1 million. Southern Illinois food pantries see increased requests due to COVID-19 Across Southern Illinois, organizations that feed the hungry are seeing an increase in requests for help. Fager said while the campaign bills itself as a challenge, it isnt similar to the Ice Bucket Challenge the social media trend from 2016 that raised awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In these videos, participants pledged money and called on friends to participate, all before having a bucket of icy water poured over their heads. This is helpful for some types of giving, but, as with everything COVID-19 related, this is more complicated. This isnt about challenging you and shaming you into giving part of your stimulus check, Fager said, adding its not as easy for some as they truly do need the money. As for how to apply to benefit from the Southern Illinois COVID-19 Community Relief Fund, Fager said the application process will be dictated by how much money is received in donations. He didnt want 15 nonprofits to apply when only one or two could be selected. He said the gifts need to be meaningful, so he and his team are waiting to decide how to divvy up the donations. That said, he encouraged all nonprofits to be in touch through the foundations website, https://www.sicf.org. Those interested in donating can also use that website. Lets be frank here, guys. Given tough circumstances, its pretty natural for us to split a pitcher with the lads and maybe down a solitary scotch (or three). Yet for most people stuck behind closed doors during the lockdown, alcohol remains a faraway fantasy, trapped behind locked liquor stores and barricaded bars and restaurants. If only there was a way Unless youve got the conscience and sobriety of an angel, you might have wondered, just out of curiosity, of course... how hard is it to break into a liquor store, anyway? Fortunately for us rascals, a bunch of people decided to find out first hand. Quite a few bunches, actually. Devoid of booze, several Indians across the nation have broken into liquor stores and made off with dizzying amounts of bootlegger booty - lakh upon lakh worth of rum, vodka and whiskey have been redistributed and left cops and shop owners stunned and furious. Perhaps even more astounding is that many of these thefts have been just for liquor - the crooks left cash registers untouched in several cases, according to police. Here are a few of the most ridiculous liquor thefts to have hit India since the lockdown began - just dont get too inspired: 1. Mandya, Karnataka Wikimedia High Score: Rs. 5 Lakh You heard that right - just to put things into perspective, 5 Lakh can get you somewhere in the ballpark of one thousand, two hundred and fifty bottles of Old Monk. Let that sink in. During this fateful night in early April, three stores were robbed in Karnatakas Sugar City - two of which were looted by the same group, according to local police. Apparently the thieves broke in by cutting open the shops window grills. A delegation of Mandyas liquor store owners soon approached top officials with a simple request - either provide security or lift the ban ASAP. 2. Narasaraopet, Andhra Pradesh Wikimedia High Score: Rs. 4.9 Lakh While verifying CCTV footage after this shop was broken into on the 9th of April, officials found that store supervisor G. Prasant, watchman Yakob & Excise Dept. constable Satyanarayana were involved in the theft - making this a thorough inside job. While the masterminds remain at large, police have managed to recover 3.5 lakh in cash from the already-nabbed guilty parties involved. 3. Hosahalli, Karnataka Cultural Trip High Score: Rs. 4.18 Lakh Situated a couple of hours away from Bengaluru, this scenic riverside town famous for betel nut farms, ancient temples and Vedic Hindu temples, recently made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Local liquor store owner K.G. Vijay Kumar was devastated earlier this week when booze burglars cracked open his shops shutters and made off with 25 cartons full of various kinds of liquor in both bottles and tetra packs. Upon police investigation, cops discovered that not only was a huge amount of alcohol missing - the thieves even covered their tracks by making off with both CCTV cameras and the camera receiver unit. 4. Bellary, Karnataka Indian Rail High Score: Rs. 35,000 Youve probably noticed a pattern by now - as a Kannadiga myself, this is hardly surprising. While the Bellary burglary wasnt as high-yield as some of the others on this list, its perpetrators deserve a special mention because of their sheer audacity - instead of hitting a liquor store like normal criminals, these crooks broke into a government excise office where seized bootlegger liquor was stored. Adding insult to injury, this theft was committed at the perfect time too - April Fools Day. 5. Gandhi Nagar, Hyderabad DX News High Score: Rs. 34,000 Weve heard of lockpicking and breaking in through windows - but this crook was really thinking out of the box. According to the CCTV footage, our thief drilled a hole through the shops false ceiling, and seemingly used gloves, throwing the police off-track by not leaving behind any fingerprints. After breaking in, the culprit made off with Rs 26,000 worth of alcohol, along with Rs 8,000 in cash. Despicable. While were in awe and shock at the level of tenacity these criminals displayed at getting their fix, its representative of a serious problem with alcohol in the nation. Apart from these states, similar crimes have been reported from Mumbai to Haryana and Delhi - making the lives of police officers harder than theyve already been given the lockdown situation. Police forces have been asked to take up extra patrol, especially in localities with wine shops. Its no surprise that when whole city centres are deserted, thieves are moving on from residential areas to unoccupied commercial properties. We have not been able to focus much on this aspect since the force is already stretched, said a senior police officer in Bengaluru to The Times of India. Hopefully, well be back to normal soon. President Donald Trump accused Democrats on Friday of causing people to lose their jobs as the two sides battle to replenish a program to buoy small businesses shuttered by the coronavirus. Trump attacked Democratic leaders in Congress Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer as both sides prepare to spend the weekend in talks on how to refill the coffers of the Small Business Administration after it ran out of its $350 billion in relief funding Thursday morning. Today people started losing their jobs because of Crazy Nancy Pelosi, Cryin Chuck Schumer, and the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats, who should immediately come back to Washington and approve legislation to help families in America. End your ENDLESS VACATION!, the president wrote on Twitter. President Trump accused Democrats of causing Americans to lose their jobs over the fact that they won't yet approve new funding for the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program Trump tweeted Friday morning that the 'Do Nothing Democrats' should return from their 'ENDLESS VACATION' to get new legislation passed Staff for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (left) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have been in conversation with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and those talks will carry through the weekend Staff from Schumer and Pelosis offices have held talks with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on a rescue bill and those conversations will continue this weekend. Weve had constructive talks. Theyre going to continue through the weekend, and I dont see any reason why we cant come to an agreement soon, Schumer said Friday morning on MSNBCs Morning Joe. Neither the House nor the Senate is scheduled to return to Washington D.C. until May 4 a decision made by leadership in both parties because of the coronavirus. Additional funds were need nearly universal approval so they could pass by voice vote, a procedure that keep lawmakers from having to travel during times of restriction. Senate Republicans attempted to inject $250 billion into the program last week but were blocked by Democrats, who want to see tweaks in how it runs. Specifically, Democrats want to see more money for hospitals and state and local governments. The hospitals, state and local governments are on the front lines of this crisis. Theyre running out have been running out of money and desperately need emergency infusion of additional funds to care for patients and prevent greater spread and death, Pelosi said Thursday at her weekly press conference. The program also has faced questions about what kind of businesses are getting the loans and what the funds are being used for such as paying employees salaries or for rent/mortgage payments and utilities. The loans carry a 1% interest but that is forgiven if owners use the funds to keep staff employed. The loans were intended for businesses with fewer than 500 employees, some large restaurant and hotel chains have revealed theyve received payments, which was allowed after language was inserted in the legislation to support the hard-hit hospitality industry. There have been more than 677,000 cases of the coronavirus in the United States and more than 34,000 deaths. The economy has been hit hard with 22 million Americans filing for unemployment as business shut down to help contain the spread of the virus. The president has pushed hard for the economy to reopen to get the country back up and running. On Thursday, he unveiled his three-phase guideline for states to begin that process but the administration only 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. Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly blamed Democrats for the money running out for small businesses, funds that were included in the Paycheck Protection Program as part the $2.2 trillion stimulus package he signed into law last month. Democrats are blocking additional funding for the popular Paycheck Protection Program. They are killing American small businesses,' Trump lamented in a Twitter post on Thursday. 'Stop playing politics Dems! Support Refilling PPP NOW it is out of funds!' he continued. Republican lawmakers joined the president in blaming 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. 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. 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. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and impact our country and our world, Kinneret Apartments and the Kinneret Council on Aging continue to intensely focus on preventing the spread of the virus within its 280 apartment independent living community. Collectively, they released the following statement regarding the heightened infection prevention protocols: "We are all aware of the extraordinary impact that the coronavirus is having on our communities, country and world. Today, we assure you that we are focused on the health and wellbeing of our residents as well as our employees. Already in place at Kinneret were strict health and safety guidelines, carried out by our front-line staff and management team. As part of a statewide collaboration through our membership in LeadingAge Florida, we are working closely with the governor's office, the Florida Department of Health, the Department of Elder Affairs, the Agency for Health Care Administration and other state agencies to monitor COVID-19. Our focus has been and continues to be on prevention, education and training. We are continuously gathering information to ensure we are as prepared as we can be, and to ensure the continued safety and wellbeing of our residents. We are attending daily calls with public health officials and clinical and quality experts to discuss best practices for preparation and response to the virus. We are following the CDC and local and state health mandates and continue to monitor the most up-to-date information on how we need to care for and protect our senior residents and employees." In response to the crisis, here are the key, critical protocols that have been implemented: Beginning on March 12th, ongoing communication has been distributed to each resident including precautions to promote health, suggested travel restrictions, promoting social distancing and a no visitor policy. All communication is provided to residents in English, Spanish and Russian. Signs have been posted throughout the two-building complex with reminders on healthy habits along with the no visitor policy posted at each entrance. Additional materials have addressed the cancellation of numerous onsite events including Bingo, exercise classes and the Tuesday Cafe as well as cancellation of all offsite excursions. A modified food delivery system has been implemented for the twice a month Food Pantry to limit contact amongst residents. Information was sent out that addressed symptoms of COVID-19 and what to do if you suspect you are ill. A Facebook page was created for Kinneret Residents so that they may communicate with other residents and adult coloring books and other individual activity items are being distributed to residents as to address the mental health aspect of social distancing. Common areas are cleaned daily with additional hand sanitizers now located throughout the complex. Kinneret Apartments and the Kinneret Council on Aging will continue to communicate with residents to keep them informed on up-to-date news and mandates as it relates to the virus and CDC and local and state directives. Located in vibrant downtown Orlando, Kinneret Apartments provides affordable, independent senior housing with amenities and social activities that enhance the lives of our residents. Kinneret Council on Aging provides additional support and enrichment through educational, spiritual and social programs that further create a warm and loving atmosphere. For more information on the facility or to find out how you can donate to the Kinneret Council on Aging please go to http://www.kinneretliving.org or contact Sharon F. Weil at sweil@kinneretcouncil.org or Laurel MacDonald at lmacdonald@cateretmgmt.com. So what is it about the pandemic crisis that has prompted the ACCC to suddenly give the green light to behaviour that would normally attract hefty fines, and in some cases could even lead to jail time? As Sims sees it, the pandemic is a war-like crisis. Normally, allowing companies to co-operate would lead to "complacency, inefficiency and higher prices". Facing an emergency like a pandemic, however, the community can be better off if big companies work together and share some resources or information, just like wed support companies pooling capacity to lift output in a war. "At a time of crisis such as in war or with a pandemic, where there is a common enemy to fight for the nations survival, and so a sense of national purpose, co-ordination is both efficient and carries little or no downside," Sims said in a speech last month. The scale of these temporary authorisations is major, but its not unprecedented for the watchdog to allow firms to co-operate where it thinks the public benefit outweighs the damage. But normally the ACCC will allow companies to work together in a more narrow set of circumstances, such as if coal miners want to negotiate with a monopoly owner of a port. Loading Even with the recent approvals handed out by Sims, there are also still strict limits on what the companies can discuss. The exact conditions vary between industries, but price-fixing remains well and truly out of bounds. All the same, at a philosophical level, it may still strike you as surprising for the competition watchdog to be allowing anti-competitive behaviour among some of the biggest companies in the country. So, what does it tell us about competition more generally if the watchdog is prepared to so radically change tack in a crisis? In brief, it is an illustration of how competition, regarded as something of a holy grail in economics, is not an end in itself. Indeed, competition can at times lead to behaviour that's mutually destructive. This is because of what economists call collective action problems where a group of people or firms would be better off co-operating, but their own individual interest stops this from happening. Back on the example of bank relief packages, you wouldnt normally expect banks to compete fiercely on whose hardship policies are most generous to customers, because a bank that was much more lenient on customers than rivals could put it at a competitive disadvantage. In an economic crisis as extreme as the pandemic, however, if a regulator can step in and allow banks to agree on some common standards for treating people in distress, its a better outcome for all. Add-on insurance, a dubious type of cover that was sold to customers making other purchases, such as buying a car, was found to often be worthless. Credit:Nic Walker This problem of companies lacking the right incentive to work collectively on a problem is not exactly new to the financial sector. It also reared its head repeatedly in the royal commission into financial misconduct. Take the example of add-on insurance, a frequently dubious type of cover that was sold to customers making other purchases, such as buying a car. All too often, the policies were worthless. Deputy chairman of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, John Lonsdale, last year said insurance companies knew they were paying out much less in claims for these policies, compared to regular car insurance, and theyd been warned years earlier by regulators about the poor customer outcomes. But many continued to sell the cover anyway, because pulling out of the market would be a first-mover disadvantage. Loading Returning to todays pandemic, all sorts of big businesses are now under pressure to take action that will help their customers but they also face a disincentive to move ahead of rivals. The ACCCs recent actions have tried to deal with this problem, while removing the risk of being sued or facing criminal charges. Putting aside economic theory, the ACCC says these authorisations should have tangible results. These include: well-stocked supermarket shelves; reliable supplies of essentials such as petrol, electricity, medical equipment and drugs; internet services that cope with a surge in usage as everyone stays home; and life insurers covering doctors and nurses against their higher risk of catching COVID-19. All valuable contributions to the war effort, even if they are brought about through anti-competitive behaviour. Ross Gittins is on leave. A black Miami doctor was handcuffed outside his home last week while on his way to hand out tents to the citys homeless during the coronavirus outbreak. The home security footage appeared to show a police sergeant handcuffing Dr. Armen Henderson, an internal medicine physician at the University of Miami Health System, as he was placing camping tents in his van. According to Henderson, the officer asked him what he was doing and if he was littering Henderson told him he lived there. Image: Dr. Armen Henderson is arrested in Miami (Armen Henderson) At some point, he got upset with what I was saying and he handcuffed me, Henderson, who is African American, told MSNBC. The officer then walked him over to the police car and pointed his fingers at him, all while not wearing a mask, the doctor said. Hendersons wife, Leyla Hussein, came out of the house with identification to prove they both lived there. It was really humiliating, he said. Image: Armen Henderson (Lynne Sladky / AP) In a video statement released last week, Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina acknowledged his agency was aware of the viral video and was committed to investigating the incident. The City of Miami Police Department does not condone or accept profiling of any kind, Colina said. In a statement sent to NBC News, Eldys Diaz, executive officer to the police chief, wrote, The Miami Police Department takes all reports of police misconduct seriously and is particularly sensitive to allegations of racial profiling and abuse of authority. If the investigation concludes that the involved employee violated Miami Police Department policies, he will be disciplined for each sustained violation in accordance with established agency procedures. Incidents like these underscore why black communities often distrust law enforcement. Only about a third of blacks say local police, do an excellent or good job in using the appropriate force on suspects, according to a 2016 Pew Research Center study. After fatal police shootings of black men such as Walter Scott and Alton Sterling, that were caught on camera, a study was released that accused some police of targeting minorities. The study found that black people were, in fact, more likely to be stopped by police. Story continues If youre black or a minority, youre significantly more likely to be arrested if they stop you, Ted Miller, an economist specializing in public health who led the study, told NBC News recently. They are quick to point a finger without listening. And theyre quick to, because of racial prejudice, feel threatened in ways that make them behave inappropriately, he said. In 2019, another study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences revealed black men were 2.5 times more likely than white men to be killed by the police. You have seen how these situations can escalate, Henderson said. Situations like this have escalated into black men being shot all across the country. Follow NBCBLK on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Seashells piled up on the beaches of the Outer Banks in North Carolina as a ban on visitors due to the coronavirus outbreak left no one to collect them, local media reported. This video, posted to Cape Lookout National Seashores Facebook page on April 13, shows a carpet of shells across the sand near the ocean shore. The Charlotte Observer reported that the shells were normally snapped up by families on spring break. However, tourists had been barred by roadblocks preventing access to many popular locations to all but locals. North Carolina had 5,465 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of April 16, while 131 people had died in the state as a result of the virus, according to health officials. Credit: Cape Lookout National Seashore via Storyful Are you lost in the wild? Sorry, but the page you're looking for has not been found Try checking the URL for errors, goto home or try to search below. Millennials, Gen Zers showing greater interest in Gospel amid COVID-19 pandemic, Greg Laurie says A Great Awakening is at hand Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A megachurch pastor whose Palm Sunday service was watched online by President Trump says that amid the COVID-19 pandemic an increasing numbers of young people are starting to embrace the Gospel. Due to the public health crisis that's besetting the United States and other nations around the world, many churches have been livestreaming their services online as large physical gatherings are temporarily halted due to government-issued social distancing orders. But the move to digital means of worship might portend a Great Awakening, according to Greg Laurie, the longtime pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, who wrote in an op-ed published in Newsweek on Tuesday that he and his team were pleasantly surprised to see that their first week of shifting services to online-only drew over 250,000 viewers and has been growing ever since. "Last week, we had over a million people tune in for church. These are people literally from all around the world, from every age and background, who are missing church. So, to the best of our ability, we are bringing church to them. Whats more, hundreds of thousands of them are people whom marketers would refer to as the 'target demographic' between the ages of 18 and 34." Ever since the shutdown began, viewership among millennials has increased 235%, he said. Churches have been attempting to reach younger generations with the Gospel for decades, seemingly in vain, Laurie elaborated, highlighting the plethora of news stories and surveys in recent years about declining church attendance and the rise of the "nones" those who never have or no longer affiliate with any particular religious tradition. But the worldwide coronavirus outbreak has fundamentally changed the environment. "Could it be that simply by responding as best and as quickly as we could to something no one saw coming, weve unwittingly stumbled into part of Gods answer to a generational riddle?" he asked. "We touch our phones a shocking 2,617 times a day, and 84 percent say they cant go a single day without their phone. Most people under 30 cant even remember a world before cell phones. Perhaps this is why some psychologists refer to millennials as 'Generation Panic.' They have been so inundated by a world of unrealistic comparisons and 'excessive expectations' online that they are afflicted by 'a harsh inner critic and an obsessive need to achieve.'" A millennial friend reportedly told Laurie that he believes it only makes sense that God would bring revival through laptops and phones now and that he had an encounter with God while watching a broadcast in the privacy of his home with no one watching and no pressure to behave or perform. "But here is the most surprising thing to me about this new, burgeoning online congregation. At the end of my message, I extended an opportunity for people to pray and ask Jesus Christ to come into their lives. At last count, over 31,000 have responded. Thats in four weeks," Laurie said. "Youve heard of 'life imitating art.' Well, this is virtual reality becoming actual reality." Laurie went on to note that while his congregation is looking forward to gathering physically again they are presently seeing something which looks like a great awakening as they continue to shelter-in-place. "Lets hope and pray that it continues. America is long overdue," Laurie concluded. The president announced at the end of the April 4 White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing that he would be watching Laurie's Palm Sunday service. Later that day, Trump also tweeted that he would be watching the livestream. In an April 6 tweet, Laurie thanked the president for joining and noted that approximately 1.3 million tuned in to the service and that 11,207 people indicated a desire to know Christ. Russian president Vladimir Putin has unveiled a brand new emergency coronavirus hospital, built up from scratch in just 36 days after intense, around-the-clock work. The mammoth emergency 92 million construction in Moscow will initially hold 800 patients - 300 more than originally announced - and it comes amid fears of the city's capacity being overrun. Mr Putin opened the hospital built by tens of thousands of workers working tirelessly - and another 60-bed army-constructed facility in Nizhny Novgorod - by video-link. 'Both centres were created from scratch over a very short time, just several weeks, which is unprecedented,' he said. Scroll down for video The brand new hospital on the outskirts of Moscow has been built up from scratch in just 36 days after intense, around-the-clock work The new hospital will receive the first patients on Monday, April 20, all construction work has been completed in a month The 92 million construction was pushed through by president Vladmir Putin after fears of Moscow's capacity being overrun with the spread of coronavirus accelerating The complex was unveiled by video footage, and came after Russia was hit by a record 4,070 new cases on Friday with a total of 273 deaths - a rise of 41 'I want to thank the civilian builders and the military personnel of the Defence Ministry. The centres have been fully staffed. Doctors, nurses and medical personnel are facing a period of hard and intense work.' The facilities opened as Russia was hit by a record 4,070 new cases on Friday with a total of 273 deaths, a rise of 41. The news comes after the Russian president was forced to postpone the May 9 Victory Day parade in Red Square because of the deadly virus. Putin, who had invited world leaders to mark the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, warned of the 'extremely high' risks of the epidemic as he delayed the event. It comes as officials today reported a record rise of 4,069 new COVID-19 cases and 41 deaths in Russia over the last 24 hours. The new figures bring the nationwide tally to 32,007 cases and 273 deaths. Russian president Vladimir Putin has been forced to postpone the country's Victory Day parade in Red Square because of coronavirus. Pictured: Russian soldiers wore masks as they rehearsed for the parade on Wednesday On Friday, officials reported a record rise of 4,069 new COVID-19 cases in Russia over the last 24 hours, bringing its nationwide tally to 32,007, with 273 deaths. Pictured: A soldier rides a tank during a rehearsal for the parade in Yekaterinburg on Wednesday Since 1945, Victory Day on May 9 has been the nation's most important holiday. This year marks the 75th anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat in World War Two However, Mr Putin said the country was facing a difficult choice between honouring the sacred day and protecting the life of every person, each of which is also sacred. He told his security council the 'risks associated with the epidemic, whose peak has not passed yet, are extremely high', and 'this does not give me the right to begin preparations for the parade and other mass events now'. 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. Mr Putin said the country was facing a difficult choice between honouring the sacred day and protecting the life of every person, each of which is also sacred Strict lockdown rules are in place, with people told to only leave home if they absolutely need to and to keep up social distancing and the wearing of masks. Mr Putin said the parade would be held later this year, but did not name a date. On Wednesday, the head of the country's veteran's association, Vladimir Shamanov, suggested a possible date of June 24, the day when the 1945 parade was led by Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov. September 3, the day when World War Two ended, was also suggested. The news of the postponement of the parade comes just two days after Russian troops were pictured rehearsing for it. 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. Pictured: A Russian soldier disinfects a children's play area in the town of Alabino, near Moscow, on Thursday Military vehicles were driven down the streets of Yekaterinburg with troops - clad in protective face masks - marching alongside them. RT reported that a different date had already been considered for the May 9 celebrations in the hope of enforcing social distancing rules. Officials were also considering holding the parade without veterans - who gather wearing their medals every year - as they are more susceptible to the bug. Last week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no decision had been made and that the country would understand if foreign leaders decided not to come due to the pandemic. Strict lockdown rules are in place in the country, with people told to only leave home if they absolutely need to and to keep up social distancing and the wearing of masks. Pictured: A woman rides a Moscow Metro train on Thursday He added the celebration would take place even if it doesn't happen on May 9. On Thursday, there were fears that a senior Russian official who tested positive for coronavirus could have infected crew of the International Space Station prior to launch. 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. The news of the postponement of the parade comes just two days after Russian troops were pictured rehearsing for it Joe Biden has started taking some planks from the platforms of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and adding them to his own. Warrens bankruptcy plan? Now Bidens. Sanders plan for free college? Biden says hes now in favor of that for families making less than $125,000 a year. Sanders says thats not good enough, which puts Sanders on the side of those who are more affluent an odd position for a democratic socialist. But we digress. Whether these are good policy choices is a matter of political opinion, but they are undoubtedly good politics in the context of the Democratic Party theyre intended to help the more centrist Biden win over fans of two of the most popular progressive candidates to his left. While Biden is busy borrowing ideas from others who sought the nomination, here are a few more he should consider he should raid the platforms of Warren, Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker, Michael Bloomberg and even the little-known John Delaney for ideas on how to build a new economy in rural America. For the past year, weve been studying what each of the candidates has to say on the rural economy. First the bad news: The two candidates left Biden on the Democratic side, Donald Trump for the Republicans are the ones who have said the least. Trump really has no plan at all, which is surprising considering his political strength in rural America. His economic plan for those areas, though, is based on nothing more than hope hoping that a robust economy nationally helps all parts of the country. However, we now have several decades of data, across multiple administrations, to show thats not happening. The new economy benefits metro areas that have large concentrations of educated workers it penalizes rural areas that dont. Economists call this the great divergence and its splitting the country in two in a way we havent seen in previous economic eras. Weve used this analogy before and it still holds: In the industrial era, a roaring economy in Detroit building cars also benefitted Appalachia because all those coal miners were digging coal for the steel furnaces. In todays economy, Silicon Valley has been disconnected from the rest of the country its not buying algorithms assembled at digit factories in Martinsville. Unfortunately, Biden doesnt have much to say about this, either. Other Democrats did, though. Bloomberg, Booker, Buttigieg, and Warren all had the same general idea: They wanted the federal government to redirect its research spending away from the usual suspects at Stanford and MIT and direct it instead to universities in the heartland. Will creating more Silicon Valleys and Route 128s in, say, Kansas City and Cincinnati, really help places like Southwest Virginia and Southside Virginia? No. But there are still some worthwhile thoughts behind these ideas. We know universities are economic engines. What if some of those federal research dollars could be used to transform the University of Virginias College at Wise and other schools like it in very rural areas into research centers? This is a new way of thinking about federal research spending but these other candidates may have been onto something. Many candidates also proposed spending more on research into carbon-free energy. Warren said shed direct that spending to land grant universities, rural areas, and areas that have seen the worst job losses in recent years. Lets be even more radical: What if all that went to colleges based in the coalfields, since those are the communities most directly hurt by the transition to green energy? Would that help build a new Silicon Valley in the heart of Appalachia? Here are some other ideas Biden could adopt: n A Department of Economic Development. Warren proposed to replace the Commerce Department with a Department of Economic Development, more singularly focused on job creation. Shed also put this department in charge of all worker retraining programs, now scattered across the federal bureaucracy. Theres no guarantee this would help rural areas, but this approach does seem closer to how states work and seems a way to make attacking the great divergence more emphatic. n Worker training. Buttigieg had a lot to say about this. One of the biggest problems with growing a new economy in rural America is the vast skills gap. In Arlington, 74% of working-age adults have at least a bachelors degree. In Southwest and Southside Virginia, the figure is typically under 20% and sometimes in single digits. There are lots of reasons why technology jobs are clustering in superstar cities and not rural America; thats one of them. Not every job requires a college degree, but an increasing number require more than a high school diploma 66%, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Before his death, former Gov. Gerald Baliles called for a Marshall Plan to improve education levels in rural Virginia. Biden could do the same. Thats why a more effective alternative to free college would be free community college and figure out how to make it easier for adults to go back to school. n Forgive certain student loans. Delaney only made the debate stage once and was never heard from again but the former Maryland congressman had some of the most innovative ideas, which he packaged under the heading of a Heartland Fair Day. Among them: He proposed to forgive student loans for college graduates who move to rural areas and live there for at least 10 years. This would address two problems at once both population decline and the skills gap. Delaneys proposal wasnt as radical as it might seem. Its a variation of programs already put in place by Republicans in Kansas and Maine and approved last year by the Republicans who run Virginias tobacco commission that oversees a trust fund for economic development in Southside and Southwest Virginia. n Give a priority to government contractors who have majority of employees in rural areas. This was another Delaney idea. Think of this as a kind of rural affirmative action. More specifically, Delaney proposed that 20% of such contracts go to rural areas. You can quibble over the percentage but the basic notion seems worthwhile, because it might incent certain employers to open operations in rural areas. How far would any of these ideas go toward addressing the problem? Thats hard to say but theyd certainly go further than doing nothing, which is otherwise what weve seen from Trump or Biden. Local organizations, as well as individuals, have been stepping up left and right to donate their time and materials to help their fellow community members stay as safe as possible during this pandemic. Here is a glance at some of the local helpers. Mid-Michigan Chinese groups donate nearly $10,300, face masks In less than a week, the Tri-City Chinese Association (TCCA), Midland Chinese Christian Fellowship and Midland Chinese School have raised nearly $10,300 for three regional hospitals and are in the process of acquiring professional protection equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers. We are very grateful for the generous out-pouring of donations from our Tri-City Chinese community, and feel very privileged to serve this community, stated TCCA President Xiaoyun Chen in a letter to members. The fundraising effort to battle COVID-19 began on March 29 while members were video-chatting. Members of TCCA, Midland Chinese Fellowship and Midland Chinese Schookl set a goal of $3,000 with $1,000 each to go to three hospitals. By the next day, the amount raised was double of their original goal. The fundraiser ended on April 1 with $10,299 total. The plan is to split $7,300 evenly to three hospitals in Midland, Bay City and Saginaw as well as give $3,000 to the Midland County COVID-19 Coalition. There are also plans to provide a pizza lunch to employees at MidMichigan Medical Center in Midland. Local family prints, donates 3D face mask holders Related Story Midland Rising: Manufacturers pivot operations to aid in pandemic fight You might have seen a post on social media that went viral recently of a Boy Scout in Canada who is 3D printing devices or "ear guards" that keep medical face masks strapped back. They keep the masks from rubbing on ears and causing pain from extended wear. The idea was sparked by the countless number of medical professionals and regular citizens who are finding themselves wearing these protective masks more than before due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Well, a local 11-year-old girl, Nevaeh Tschirhart, caught wind of the idea and began to use her own 3D printer to mass produce the plastic strap holders for those who need them in the community. While Nevaeh usually uses her 3D printer at craft shows and to print gifts for friends, families and teachers, this was a new endeavor. Nevaeh, who is also a Boy Scout, was able to get the design file for printing the strap holders, and began printing Sunday night. Preston, Nevaeh's 8-year-old brother, said, "Not a ton of people have 3D printers so, it's cool that our family does and we can help in a different way." Hemlock Semiconductor donates 15,000 PPE items to Covenant HealthCare When Covenant HealthCare first asked Hemlock Semiconductor Operations (HSC) to donate personal protect equipment from its supplies, the chemical manufacturer wasnt sure it would have much on hand. But after scouring the HSC plant, workers at the nations largest producer of ultra-pure polysilicon boxed up more than 15,000 masks, coveralls, gloves and other materials that health care workers at Covenant could use. Covenant has four main campuses in and around Saginaw as well as other staff serving in 14 surrounding counties. Everyone needs to be all in when it comes to helping our health care workers on the front lines dealing with Covid-19, said HSC Chairman and CEO Mark Bassett. Were happy we can do our part by donating this personal protection equipment to help keep health care workers in the Great Lakes Bay Region safe and able to treat area residents during this public health crisis. The roundup of PPE supplies at Hemlock Semiconductor included checking supply cabinets throughout the sprawling industrial plant that employs 1,500 people to collect N95/H95 masks. By the time the search was completed, three pallets of materials were ready to be loaded on a Covenant truck. Supplies included: 980 N95/R95 masks, 175 disposable Tyvek protective coveralls and 150 disposable Tyvek protective coats, 150 clean room hoods, 196 pair of safety glasses, 60 pair of goggles, 15 face shields, 750 pair of sterile latex gloves, 5,000 hairnets, 5,000 facial/beard covers, and 4,100 boot or shoe covers MSU St. Andrews uses 3D printers to produce PPE pieces Over at MSU St. Andrews educational center in Midland, the classrooms and labs sit vacant while students take classes online due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, despite the empty classrooms, there are a dozen 3D printers there working around the clock, aiding in the efforts to combat the novel disease. Specifically, the printers are making pieces for reusable face shields, which medical professionals can use as personal protection gear against the virus. Face masks, gloves and other personal protection gear for medical professionals have been in high demand while shortages ensue across the state. So, faculty at Michigan State University saw a chance to help ramp up production of such gear. Specifically, it was the brainchild of Nathan Tykocki, assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology in the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Tykocki was able to find a printing design and coordinate the efforts among MSU departments. In Midland, the 3D printers are being used to make the headband pieces of the shields. The clear plastic part of the face shields are then being made in the packaging department on Michigan State Universitys main campus in East Lansing, said John Furcean, outreach specialist for MSU. Dow pledges $3M to aid coronavirus relief efforts Dow has pledged $3 million to help fund coronavirus relief efforts with donations for global relief organizations, as well as non-profits in communities where Dow operates. In addition, the company announced it has begun producing hand sanitizer at its manufacturing site in Stade, Germany, and is repurposing an existing facility to produce hand sanitizer in the U.S., as well. Dow stated more information about this latter effort will be shared soon. In terms of sanitizer production, 300 tons of hand sanitizer per month equivalent to 600,000 standard bottles (500ml each) will be donated to pharmacies and hospitals in Stade, Germany and other regions in Germany. "Safety is our top priority at Dow. With the unprecedented impacts of COVID-19 impacting our world, we are committed to helping protect the health and safety of our employees and communities, while deploying our business solutions where they are needed most," stated Jim Fitterling, Dow CEO in an announcement. "We appreciate this crisis places extreme stress on nonprofits, social services, small business and health care sectors, and we are working to provide fast, flexible funding, as well as adjusting our manufacturing processes where we are able to help address those needs." Duro-Last of Saginaw retools to produce PPE Hospitals across the globe are experiencing critical PPE supply shortages. Team members at Saginaw's Duro-Last, Inc., the worlds largest manufacturer of custom-fabricated, thermoplastic roofing systems, found a way to help. Duro-Last engineers, product development and manufacturing staff united to fabricate and manufacture isolation gowns and face masks. Utilizing expertise in manufacturing flexible PVC and fabrics, the team went from prototype to production to delivery in one week. The gowns are made from flexible PVC making them water and fluid-repellant. The masks are washable and reusable, made from polyester and PVC. Duro-Last reformulated products and retooled processes to manufacture these supplies. This is about helping health care professionals in any way we can and at the same time keeping people employed, said Tom Saeli, Duro-Last CEO. I am very proud of and impressed by the people in our company who quickly developed these products. Our country is full of tremendously smart, entrepreneurial people who can bring timely solutions to this unprecedented need. The need is real and I believe its our obligation to act now. If the efforts of our team inspire just one other company to join this fight, it will be worth it, said Saeli. Team Schulz turns out over 1,500 masks Team Schulz the campaign of Sarah Schulz, a Democratic contender for state representative has made and provided 1,502 free and home-made-with-love face masks directly to medical workers and at-risk people in the local community. Our hearts are full and our hands have been busy on the purple team, said Schulz, candidate for the 98th District of the Michigans House of Representatives, who has pivoted her campaigns focus and resources to community service. Right now the group has over 65 sewing machines humming away in homes across the district. When one of the sewers, Ruth Pasek, was asked why she is helping with this project, she said: In the midst of not knowing what to do and not knowing when this is going to end, it's an easy way to help without even leaving your house. And for me its personal because I think of all the people that helped me when I had cancer. So Im helping people that I actually know. SVSU teams with Saginaw distillery on plan to produce hand sanitizer Saginaw Valley State University is doing its part to answer the call by beginning plans to produce 300 gallons of much-sought-after hand sanitizer that health care professionals can use while responding to the COVID-19 virus. SVSU's plans involve a partnership with Saginaw-based Old Town Distillery, which recently donated 270 gallons of 190-proof alcohol that serve as a key sanitizer ingredient. The project is one of several COVID-19 response initiatives being pursued by SVSU in collaboration with Michigan Health Improvement Alliance, a nonprofit that coordinates health care-related efforts across 14 mid-Michigan counties. As we face this public health crisis together, our university is proud to join with the Michigan Health Improvement Alliance and our regional economic development leaders to protect our brave health care professionals across the state, said Matthew Kline, manager of the SVSU Independent Testing Laboratory where the sanitizer would be created. Delta College donates medical supplies to area hospitals Several disciplines from Delta College have come together to provide much-needed medical supplies and equipment to area hospitals and medical centers treating patients and those affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The list of supplies includes 1,440 surgical masks, 24,000 gloves and 525 gowns, as well as oxygen concentrators, flowmeters and safety googles. Five ventilators that are used in Deltas respiratory care program have been delivered and are on loan to hospitals. We want to do our part to help the many health professionals and hospitals in our community who are preparing for resource shortages, said Virginia Przygocki, dean of career education and learning partnerships. We know the supplies will be put to good use and we want to do all we can to support doctors, nurses and other medical personnel. Coleman Fire Department to the rescue The Coleman Community Fire Department has come to the rescue -- and not in its standard way of battling blazes and providing emergency medical responses. The 23 members of the volunteer fire fighting team reached into their own pockets to help some of the community's most vulnerable citizens. The firefighters took up a personal collection and donated enough money to a Coleman business mainstay, Leah's Korner Kafe, that the restaurant is providing at least 175 meals, free of charge, to individuals and families that may be struggling to put food on the table during this crisis. Coleman Fire Chief William Cozat said one of his firefighters came up with the idea to help some people in their small, tight-knit community that may be less fortunate and are experiencing serious hardship. "We didn't do it for the recognition and there isn't any taxpayer money involved," Cozat said. "I think it's been well-received. We didn't place any qualifications that people have to meet to get a meal. We just want to help those most in need." Davenport donates PPE, continues classes online Faculty and staff at the university have set up and continue to donate to a student emergency fund to support those in need. More than $10,000 has been distributed for computer equipment, hotspots, rental vehicles for moves home and other much needed items. Davenport University has donated more than 16,000 pieces of personal protective equipment from its nursing and science labs to healthcare providers across Michigan, including N95 and procedure masks, face and eye shields, isolation, surgical and PPE gowns and gloves. Davenport will continue to offer 100% of its classes online including nursing and lab sciences for the spring and summer semester - at the same tuition rate as the winter semester. Corteva and United Way partner to feed 1,000 families United Way of Midland County this week partnered with Corteva Agriscience to host the Midland County Emergency Food Pantry Network mobile food pantry, feeding over 1,000 local families. On Thursday, volunteers from Corteva, United Way of Midland County, Great Lakes Bay Veterans Coalition, Midland County Emergency Food Pantry Network and numerous community members distributed food at Midland High School. Food continues to be the No. 1 request through 2-1-1, said Holly Miller, executive director of United Way of Midland County. We recognize many need food help, some for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Corteva is an amazing partner, providing dollars and volunteers to ensure food continues to be available for so many who are counting on this lifeline. The group worked together to distribute enough food to feed 3,600 individuals. For the health and safety of volunteers and participants, attendees were asked to stay in their vehicles for the distribution. Volunteers also wore gloves and cloth masks. ABP Majhas reporter Rahul Gurugranth Kulkarni, who was arrested for rumour-mongering and spreading fake news through the channel, has been granted bail. As reported earlier by Adgully, there are several reports purporting to draw a connection between a huge gathering of migrant labourers at Mumbais Bandra West station and a news story run on ABP Majha. An ABP News Network spokesperson affirmed that these reports were entirely misconceived and were being circulated with the sole intention of baselessly maligning ABP Majha. He insisted that the channels news story was broadcast in public interest and on the basis of valid documents and information. Following this incident, Rajat Sharma, President, News Broadcasters Association (NBA), wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thakrey, requesting for dropping of charges and release of Kulkarni and to adopt the recourse of filing complaint before the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA). Also read: ABP scribe arrest: NBA writes to Maha CM; calls it assault on freedom of press Defending Kulkarni, Sharma in his letter stated, that he is a person with impeccable record and known for his upright journalism and added, NBA condemns the said unreasonable arrest. The arrest is a serious infringement on the right of freedom of speech and is a frontal assault on the freedom of press. The fundamental right of freedom of speech is sought to be gagged and any further custody and incarceration of him would be a serious infraction of the constitutional mandate and would also threaten his life. Following Kulkarni's bail, Avinash Pandey, CEO, ABP News Network, thanked every journalist who stood by the group in support of responsible journalism and said, Today, journalists are risking their lives by going out of home and reporting the truth, which is incredible. Pandey further said, ABP Majhas reporter Rahul Gurugranth Kulkarni, who was falsely accused and arrested for rumour-mongering and spreading fake news through the channel, has been granted a bail by the court. Once again, we at ABP Majha continue to stand our ground and will confront any malicious attempt to damage our reputation with all our sincerity and grit. To insinuate that reports are based on fake news was absolutely outrageous. Nonetheless, we have full faith in the judiciary system of India and we will do everything in our capacity to fight this menace of fake news and misinformation. He maintained, ABP Majha is a respectable and responsible news channel and has, in the past, demonstrated the same, by ensuring accuracy of information and credibility of its sources before broadcasting and Rahul Kulkarni has not deviated from practices of responsible journalism. With that said, we will ensure our full support to an impartial investigation, to bring the real culprits to justice. President Trump's former personal lawyer and longtime fixer Michael Cohen will be released from prison to serve the remainder of his three-year sentence in home confinement due to coronavirus concerns, CNN first reported and Cohen's lawyer Lanny Davis confirmed to Axios. Flashback: Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to multiple financial crimes, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations. He has been serving his sentence at the federal prison camp in Otisville, New York, where 14 inmates and seven staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, per CNN. Between the lines: Cohen's pending release comes as the Justice Department's inspector general is assessing federal prisons to determine whether the coronavirus is being properly mitigated. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Why Did Kim Jong Un Skip a Major Celebration of His Grandfather? By William Gallo April 16, 2020 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not make his regular appearance in state media coverage of the country's most important political holiday Wednesday, a highly unusual absence in the country's methodical reporting of official events. Judging from state media coverage, Kim made no public appearances during Wednesday's Day of the Sun holiday, which marks the birth anniversary of Kim's grandfather, the country's late founding leader, Kim Il Sung. Usually, the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper reports the day after the holiday that Kim visited the embalmed body of his grandfather, which is housed at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang. However, Thursday's paper mentioned only that other senior officials paid respects at the mausoleum, which also contains the embalmed body of Kim's father, Kim Jong Il. Is coronavirus a factor? As with most developments in the highly secretive state, the reason for Kim's absence is unclear. Some observers speculatively linked Kim's nonappearance to the coronavirus, which North Korea claims to have completely kept out. Others were more cautious, saying Kim may be attempting to distance himself from his predecessors. "It's safe to say that his absence yesterday is strange. It clearly goes against North Korea's narrative that it's business as usual," said Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a Korea specialist who teaches at King's College London. Like virtually every other country, North Korea has taken drastic coronavirus containment measures, including sealing its borders and temporarily quarantining thousands of people. North Korea's claim that it is coronavirus-free, however, is widely disputed. The 36-year-old Kim last appeared in public on Saturday at a meeting of the Korean Workers' Party, where he called for a tougher response to the coronavirus. On Sunday, Kim skipped a key session of North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly. It is not clear whether Kim was present Tuesday when Seoul says Pyongyang launched its latest barrage of short-range missiles. North Korean state media did not report on those launches, as it usually does, the following day. "[Kim] has been pretty active these past few weeks, surrounding himself with multiple officials who had no masks on. It's hard to believe he suddenly developed personal sensitivities toward the coronavirus," says Rachel Minyoung Lee, a Seoul-based North Korea analyst. Change in tone In the past, North Korea has held military parades or conducted provocations around the Day of the Sun. This year, though, state media coverage of the holiday has been subdued. Not only did Kim not visit the mausoleum, there were also no special state media editorials or reports of a national meeting, as is usual this time of year. The change in tone may be part of a concerted effort by Pyongyang to further bolster Kim's leadership and distinguish him from the legacies of his father and grandfather, said Lee, a former U.S. government open-source intelligence analyst on North Korea. "North Korea since late last year has made an effort to distance Kim Jong Un from his predecessors, apparently to highlight [Kim] on his own merit so what we're seeing now tracks with that trend," she said. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Kim's public debut, which followed the unexpected death of his father, Lee said. "State media could be paving the way for further bolstering Kim Jong Un's leadership in the leadup to that anniversary, as well as the party's 75th founding anniversary in October," she added. Andray Abrahamian, who focuses on North Korea as an adjunct senior fellow at the Hawaii-based Pacific Forum, agreed that Kim "has definitely attempted to convey to international interlocutors that he is not merely a scion and is his own man." "Portraying that to a domestic audience is an entirely different thing though," he said. Anti-'mystification' North Korea has tried for decades to create a mythology and personality cult around the ruling Kim family. The youngest Kim has sometimes taken his own approach, though, for example telling authorities last year to stay away from the "mystification" of their leader. Since 2018, Kim has also engaged in a series of unlikely diplomatic meetings, including meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump. During some of those public appearances, the portly Kim has at times appeared out of breath, leading some to speculate about his health, but there is no evidence he is sick. "My best guess is he shows up again soon, nothing is ever mentioned in North Korean media, [South Korean] intel leaks some unverifiable story in a month about how he caught the flu or had a corn removed and then we've all forgotten about it in a few months," Abrahamian said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iceland is known to be one of the happiest countries in the world, but because of coronavirus preventive measures there is undeniably mental stress and a strange feeling of loneliness. Icelandic Forest Service Now the country's forestry service has come up with the novel idea to help people in isolation - hug trees, not people. According to BBC, a senior ranger, Bergrun Arna Thorsteinsdottir, at the Hallormsstadur National Forest in East Iceland, told the RUV public broadcaster, "Why not come and enjoy the forest, where you can hug the trees and just get the energy from this area." Icelandic Forest Service The department posted the statement on its homepage with a collage of park rangers, friends, and family members all hugging a tree. Meanwhile, the countrys forestry service has issued warnings about tree hugging, saying that people should go deeper into the forest to find a tree that hasnt been hugged by anybody else. Iceland has taken a less restrictive approach to curb the coronavirus. While those who have come into contact with the virus are quarantined, the country has not implemented a lockdown. Icelandic Forest Service Schools have closed and gatherings of more than 20 people are banned, but the country's forests are still open. The country, which has a population of around 340,000, has reported 1,727 cases of coronavirus, and eight people have died. Iceland has tested one tenth of its population for Covid-19, and its data has suggested that most people display mild symptoms of the virus, or none at all. Bihar has given approval to the Norway India Partnership Initiative (NIPI) to develop artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tool to track suspects of the coronavirus disease through cough sound analysis. Sanjay Kumar, Bihars principal secretary (health), said NIPI, which is working with the Wadhwani Institute of Artificial Intelligence, would take four to six week to develop the tool. Wadhwani Institute is Indias first research institute dedicated to developing artificial intelligence solutions for social good. Every cough has a distinct pattern. Cough of a Covid-19 patient will also have a distinct pattern, different from other (influenza-like) coughs, which a machine will be able to recognise, Kumar said. NIPI, he said, would need a fairly large number, at least 500 Covid-19 patients, to record their coughing pattern to develop the tool. Once it has as reference the coughing pattern, the AI-powered machine would be able to detect a Covid-19 suspect as soon as the individual coughs in front of the machine, said Kumar. Also read: Bihar intensifies outreach programme for stranded migrants in other states I have given NIPI the go-ahead to collect Covid-19 related information it may require from us. Since we do not have as many Covid-19 patients, the NIPI may need to collate data from patients in other states as well, added Kumar. Four new Covid-19 cases were recorded during the last 24 hours, taking Bihars tally up to 74 on Thursday. The AI-based tool seems exciting and may have the potential to triage suspected Covid-19 cases through cough sound analysis, said Kumar. We granted NIPI our approval in principle on April 14 to develop the tool in keeping with our proactive response to Covid-19 crisis and several measures taken to identify suspected cases, testing the high-risk population and quarantining them, besides looking at the introduction of innovative solutions to control and break the chain of transmission of infection Covid, he said. Also read: Most patients in Bihar recover without critical care, govt keeps fingers crossed NIPI was established in 2006 through a joint statement by the Prime Ministers of Norway and India. It provides strategic, catalytic and innovative support to the Indian healthcare system for improved maternal and child health. The initiative is one out of five bilateral partnerships that Norway has entered into to support the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals. NIPI provides technical support to Bihar, Rajasthan, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ruchir Kumar Ruchir writes on health, aviation, power and myriad other issues. An ex-TOI, he has worked both on Desk and in reporting. He over 25 years of broadcast and print journalism experience in Assam, Jharkhand & Bihar. ...view detail She just spent $450 on groceries during one trip. She likes to cook normally, but shes growing tired of cooking and deciding what to eat. Her daughter dislikes a lot of what I make and just sits there looking at it. Bethany misses restaurants. While she cooks she listens to a podcast. The subject is sympathy cards. She remembers she has to get one soon for a friend who just lost his father a week earlier in the pandemic. That night when she takes trash out, she notices a light on next door and thought of the elderly Mexican man who lives there; he was just taken by an ambulance and she held his gate open for the paramedics. She went back inside and hugged her husband as he washed dishes. - A 20-year-old lady from Bangladesh was found to be having two different wombs, a condition called didelphys - The lady who goes by name Arifa Sultana gave birth on two occasions, nearly a month apart - Interestingly, on the second occasion, Sultana gave birth to two children, a boy and a girl, giving her three kids in two months Arifa Sultana, a 20-year-old woman who lives in Bangladesh has given birth to two children, less than 30 days after having a child. According to Edition.cnn.com, Arifa's first child was born normally in late February 2020, after which she was discharged and allowed to go home with her child. READ ALSO: COVID-19: Granny warms hearts after spending her 48th birthday making 526 masks for poor people READ ALSO: Singer Eddy Kenzo shuts down rumours he's broke hours after putting his multi-million ride on sale Less than four weeks later, Dr Sheila Poddar, a gynaecologist at Ad-Din hospital in Dhaka, indicated the 20-year-old new mother came to his unit complaining of discomfort in her abdomen. An ultrasound was carried out to see what was wrong with her only to find that she was presently pregnant with two children who grew up in the same womb. READ ALSO: COVID-19 Angels: Bar owners donate KSh 450k to help feed pregnant mothers during lockdown It was discovered the mother has two wombs. Photo: UGC Source: UGC READ ALSO: Afisa wa polisi amiminiwa risasi na genge la wahalifu lililokuwa linasafirisha bangi It was reported all three children were doing very well whilst their mother was also responding to treatment after going through a C-section to birth the twins. News about the deliveries impressed and inspired many people who took to different social media platform to congratulate the mother. The condition of having two wombs is actually not new. It is known as didelphys and has been a rare occurrence in women. 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. Couple names new born twins Corona and Covid | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 09:06:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) said it is doubling available funds under its COVID-19 crisis recovery facility to 10 billion U.S. dollars due to high client demand. The decision came after requests for funding have substantially exceeded the 5 billion dollars originally allocated for emergency relief, as clients require immediate assistance in areas including health infrastructure and pandemic preparedness to alleviate health care pressures. AIIB is currently reviewing projects from several of its members, many in collaboration with other multilateral development banks, the bank said in an online statement released Friday. The projects include a 500-million-dollar project in India to purchase equipment and detection capacity and strengthen its national health systems. According to the statement, Turkey has submitted a request for a 500-million-dollar credit line for two of its development banks to help alleviate working capital shortages and liquidity constraints as a result of the pandemic. Indonesia is requesting 250 million dollars to strengthen hospital readiness, enhance pandemic preparedness and strengthen testing. "We are facing a formidable challenge, with the depth and severity of the crisis growing with each passing day," said AIIB President and Chair of the Board Jin Liqun. "It was imperative that we respond to the urgent and extraordinary scale of demand from our members to significantly increase the scope of our response." AIIB said it is working closely with other international financial institutions to create a network of support options, especially for the most vulnerable economies. "An adaptive, multilateral approach will be necessary to effectively help countries around the world successfully navigate the health and economic costs of recovery," Jin said. Headquartered in Beijing, the AIIB began operations in January 2016. It is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia. Enditem Apple's next flagship device could arrive later than expected due to obstacles created by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, analysts say. According to a forecast from Goldman Sachs, an Apple partner that helps power the company's branded credit card, it does not expect the company to launch upcoming iPhone 12 models until early November. The company has since downgraded Apple's stock to 'sell'. Among the obstacles, analysts say, is limited global travel that could impede Apple's final engineering and production process. Apple's phone sales could experience a significant dip in the third quarter, according to Goldman Sachs. That could affect Apple's upcoming iPhone 12 and phones like the recently released iPhone SE (pictured) which has a 4.7-inch screen and physical home button. While Apple's primary assembler, Foxconn, says that it will be ready to meet demand for Apple's typical September launch, factors in other parts of Apple's supply chain may hinder that timeline. As noted by 9to5Mac, suppliers in China have been significantly affected by lockdowns created by the COVID-19 outbreak. Additionally, Apple has voiced concern about whether consumers will be willing to buy a premium phone as the economy worsens and many have their salaries reduced or lose their jobs entirely. Goldman Sachs said it expects iPhone shipments to drop 36 percent during the third quarter due to coronavirus-related lockdowns around the world and downgraded Apple Inc stock to 'sell.' The brokerage firm also predicted that the average selling prices for consumer devices are likely to decline during a recession and remain weak well beyond the point when units recover. 'We do not assume that this downturn results in Apple losing users from its installed base' a Goldman Sachs analysts said in a note. 'We simply assume that existing users will keep devices longer and choose less expensive Apple options when they do buy a new device.' Though Goldman Sachs downgraded Apple's stock, the tech giant's recently released budget device could help keep sales relatively stable. Earlier this week, Apple released a smaller iPhone priced at $399, lowering the starting price for the company's smartphone line to broaden its appeal among budget-conscious customers. Nicaraguan president missing in action for nearly one month and counting The spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Managua By Ismael Lopez MANAGUA (Reuters) - During Nicaragua's devastating civil war in the 1980s, youthful revolutionary Daniel Ortega toured every town in the Central American nation, clad in his green Sandinista uniform. Now in his second stint as president, the 74-year-old leftist leader has disappeared from public view for nearly a month, raising questions about his health and whereabouts as the world reels from the spread of the coronavirus. As in 2014, another time he dropped off the map, his absence has even prompted speculation he may have died. The government did not respond to a request for comment on the reasons for Ortega's absence, his health or whether he is alive. However, a government official close to Ortega said he was alive, speaking on condition of anonymity. Over the years, the former guerilla has suffered two heart attacks and developed high cholesterol and other ailments, said the official. Since then, the president has been increasingly protective of his health, said the source. Ortega's last public appearance was on March 12, in which he spoke briefly via video from a living room. "He has always fled from problems; no wonder he is absent in the midst of the coronavirus crisis," said Dora Maria Tellez, a former minister in Ortega's first government in the 1980s who later broke with the president. Ortega also disappeared for several weeks in 1998, after his adopted stepdaughter accused him of abuse, which he denied. During his current absence, Vice President Rosario Murillo, his wife, has spoken publicly every day, fueling speculation that Ortega will eventually emerge to oversee a campaign to defeat the coronavirus. So far, Nicaragua has not encouraged social distancing or other measures against the virus, even as neighboring Honduras and nearby El Salvador implement tight restrictions. Nicaragua has registered seven coronavirus cases and one related death, but experts question the numbers because the government has not revealed how many tests have been conducted. Story continues Ortega's health has often been a closely guarded secret. Elected president in 1984, Ortega was voted out of office after a single five-year term as the economy floundered. He eventually won re-election and returned to office in 2007. After orchestrating a constitutional change to allow for re-elections, his current term is due to end in 2022. (Reporting by Ismael Lopez, Writing by Daina Beth Solomon) The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine has called on Russia to end illegal restrictions on the movements of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, which plays a vital role in preserving stability in eastern Ukraine. U.S. Charge d'Affaires, ai Kristina Kvien said this in a video address on Facebook. She noted that SMM members are working under challenging circumstances to preserve regional stability and they continue to do so today despite the health risks of COVID-19. At the same time, Kvien said that recently, the SMM has faced new and unacceptable challenges. The diplomat noted that Russian-influenced media falsely claim the SMM was responsible for the spread of COVID-19 in eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia and its proxies have increased restrictions on the movements of SMM monitors, she said. In this context, Kvien said that Russia and its proxies are not just harming the SMM's work, but they are harming the people of eastern Ukraine and preventing the flow of humanitarian goods. "We call on Russia to cease its destabilizing behavior, to adhere to its international agreements and to immediately withdraw from the Ukrainian territory. And we express our firm support for the critically important work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission," Kvien said. On April 14 and 15, Russian-backed forces again denied OSCE SMM patrols passage at checkpoints along official crossing routes. On the afternoon of April 14, at a checkpoint near Horlivka, an SMM patrol travelling from government-controlled areas was unable to proceed into non-government-controlled areas due to spikes laid across the entire road, and the presence of a mine sign in the middle of the road. On April 14 and 15, at the checkpoint of the armed formations south of Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk), members of the armed formations denied SMM patrols passage into government-controlled areas, referring to quarantine restrictions due to COVID-19. With regard to COVID-19, the SMM has introduced a number of stringent mitigation measures into its operational procedures. These include strict adherence to social distancing rules both internally and with external interlocutors, daily temperature checks, use of PPE, and minimizing the number of personnel in vehicles. op Nigerians have been warned by a medical expert to shun the rumour and claims that consumption of alcoholic drink and herbals as a remedy for combating Coronavirus disease in the states. According to Dr Akintunde Ogunfeyimi who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ondo State, the consumption of local gin and herbs as a means of ending the spread of COVID-19 is nothing but a false report. The Chief Medical Director of Ondo State Specialist Hospital, located in Okitipupa, reveals on Thursday that many Nigerians have ignorantly accepted the untrue remedy of battling the killer virus. Dr. Akintunde, however, has warned that the practise should be stopped, adding that no vaccine has yet been approved scientifically as a remedy to the killer virus and that no proof or research confirmed the intake of local gin and herbal concoctions as a means to curtail the disease. Meanwhile. the Ogun state government in a series of tweet on Thursday, April 16 has announced that it has discharged Three COVID-19 patients, Naija News report. Share this post with your Friends on by Boris Giannetto and Pierluigi Paganini Communication is key in intelligence activities. On the one hand, it is essential to transfer to a number of recipients the knowledge coming from information acquisition and analysis (intelligence communication); on the other hand, it is crucial to understand and control the communication connected with the activities carried out (communication intelligence). As to current events, the inclusion of pandemic phenomena among major global threats is a normal (and not new) practice for intelligence analysts. Watchful intelligence operators have been long communicating in strategic documents the possible outbreak of a pandemic. The outbreak and its consequences were predictable and to some extent they were predicted, at least as a non-specific threat. There is not always a follow-up to strategic communications, as priority is usually given to tactical communications. Regardless of the content. Tactical measures involve less exposure than strategic ones: Decision-makers are reluctant to rely on long-term plans and forecasts. In other words, its like the finger pointing to the moon. Predicting phenomena and not being heard is not a good job. Cassandras curse. The discrepancy between intelligence communication and use of the communicated intelligence is a long-standing problem. This is even more true for cyber intelligence. Some definitions could help out to frame the theme. To communicate means to share information with others by speaking, writing or using other signals. In this context, it refers to share intelligence and to master communication about intelligence. The term cyber refers, by and large, to the virtual world of ICT, the Internet and computers. Cyber intelligence is a subset of intelligence. Intelligence, in our domain, refers to information that has been collected, integrated, evaluated, analyzed, and interpreted. Such information ought to be shared. And used. Both these steps involve a sound process of communication. The current cyber threat landscape is characterized by a growing range of threats with an increasing level of sophistication: The threat scenario shows a high degree of interconnection, that keeps on enlarging the attack surface. Due to the instantaneous and asymmetric nature of threats, it is essential to share real-time information about them (and about the related threat actors), in order to prevent cyber-attacks and to mitigate the risk of exposure. One of the most insidious aspects of intelligence communication is analyzing heterogeneous data coming from different sources: It is important to boost capabilities to aggregate only relevant information so as to provide finished intelligence to decision makers. The ultimate goal of the process is building a model for each threat, by profiling threat actors and developing effective countermeasures to improve the overall resilience of infrastructures. Classical theories about communication cannot utterly fit to the intelligence sphere: Communicating bad news or threat scenarios has little to do with marketing, persuasion and sales techniques. Even if one could have recourse, to a certain extent, to some of these techniques. Intelligence deals with secrets: Notwithstanding, it is now getting increasingly public. Intelligence services used to mainly operate in the dark, often away from the media and the public (when they managed to do that). The global growth of the Internet and cyberspace have amplified the need for intelligence operators to go public and to communicate both internally and externally. As far as intelligence communication is concerned, one of the fundamental aspects of the intelligence cycle consists in condensing complex analysis and investigations into concise and exhaustive outputs. This step is essential to convey the results of cyber intelligence investigations which are technical and detailed per se into clear and concrete information. Top management officers should have actionable intelligence at their disposal: Timely and accurate information, which allows them to make decisions and initiate effective actions. Communication is as important as analysis: A bad one could nullify any analysis effort. Intelligence communication is also extremely important to set the strategic direction to be followed in technical, tactical and operational cyber intelligence activities. Position papers and documents ought to serve this purpose. Finally, it is crucial to strengthen and to develop an information network for the exchange of cyber intelligence information, through direct relationships with relevant institutional and private counterparts. Information sharing aims at building a network of entities (i.e. individuals, security researchers, organizations, and businesses) that could gather and exchange information about cyber threats. As reported by the ENISA, one of the most important aspect for cyber security is information sharing at national and transnational level. The European agency recommends that the knowledge on cyber-attacks, incident response procedures, mitigation measures and preparatory controls ought to be shared between relevant stakeholders. With reference to cyber intelligence, information sharing activities are crucial. A study on Cooperative Models for Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs), published by the ENISA in 2017, proposes specific patterns for information sharing and good practices about physical and cyber threats, including mitigation. The report categorized the most common approaches in three different models: The country focused, the sector specific and the international structures. An effective information sharing process also depends on the quality of the information shared among entities: Data must be provided in a readable and understandable way and have to obey an applicable taxonomy in compliance with the sharing initiative. Another aspect to consider is the need to sustain the information sharing among public and private industries, even if entities involved in the process of creating ISACs have different motivations. Figure 1 : Reasons for the creation of ISACs (ENISA) With reference to intelligence communication, some problems could derive from the balkanization of the intelligence activities. Although some powers remain exclusive prerogative of intelligence agencies, information collection and analysis activities especially in the cyber domain are now also performed by private organizations and other administrative institutions. Carrying out intelligence activities within administrative institutions involves a set of snags related to pre-existing schemes and procedures, designed for other kind of activities. A failure in communication patterns and information sharing between public and private actors could bring about several glitches, so jeopardizing the entire ecosystem. In addition to intelligence communication that takes place downstream of the collection of information and analysis communication intelligence is also crucial. PSYOP and INFOP are certainly well-known practices. New tools and techniques are daily used by individuals and threat actors to spread disinformation. Terms like trolls, fake news, narrative, deep fakes and echo-chambers are becoming more and more popular, even if the rationale behind these actions has been standing for millennia. Armies around the world have conducted systematic PSYOP on multiple occasions. For example, during World War I, the US Captain Heber Blankenhorn established (in the War Department) the Propaganda Subsection, that was specifically tasked on carrying out Psychological Operations. At the time, over 50 million leaflets were delivered in modified artillery shells and leaflet bombs dropped from airplanes on enemy units on the Western Front. The current scenario and future trends are likely to get more tricky is mainly complicated by hybrid war phenomena and by the interconnection of increasingly complex threats. The cyber domain simply boosts these features. Over the years things changed, threat actors (and among these, of course, state entities) use social networks and instant messaging applications to influence the sentiment of public opinion on specific topics: Psychological operations are nowadays immediate and could be carried out on a global scale. The most relevant and partly new element is that the communicative component becomes intrinsically connected to intelligence activities. It is no longer just an ancillary tool. Public events (at least until the current emergency situation and social distancing) with speeches delivered by intelligence agencies top management sometimes even jointly (see the case of the Five Eyes) are a relatively new fact as well. Deterrence, propaganda, awareness, information, public service, recruitment, cooperation and research are just few of the purposes for which intelligence operators come out into the open. These purposes that mainly affect the so called institutional communication are pursued by an array of means: Institutional websites, social networks accounts, sector magazines et cetera. These media respond to different audiences, but they are often tightly intertwined. As far as strategic communication is concerned, communications units deal with the dissemination of strategic messages to a gamut of internal and external stakeholders, from management to technical units, from community to constituency, from media to the general public. As to communication intelligence itself, controlled and voluntary data leaks are powerful weapons for the intelligence agencies: The use of true, false, distorted or manipulated information (or a simultaneous mix of these kinds of information) to influence public opinion and/or to force decision makers is frequent. On the opposite side, insider threats, unexpected and uncontrolled leaks are always lurking (whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, Bradley Manning and Joshua Adam Schulte are just prominent examples). At present, these aspects do not only concern intelligence agencies, given the increase in intelligence and cyber intelligence activities performed by other institutions and private companies. Cyber intelligence and communication intelligence are fundamental tools for analyzing, understanding and controlling the threat scenarios emergent behaviors. Adaptation and evolution ought to be the preferred drivers to cope with the external complex context. Regardless of the origin of the virus and its phylogeny, the ongoing pandemic is changing the global financial, economic, technological, psychological and social scenarios. Geopolitical confrontation becomes more severe in some geostrategic regions. Some states will benefit from this emergency situation, others will be disadvantaged. Communication and information war will have an increasing clout. Mastering communication is and will be more and more in the future a tantalizing mantra for both private organizations and institutions. The above considerations apply to both democratic governments and totalitarian regimes. The Original Paper containing the reference is available here: https://securityaffairs.co/Downloads/Paganini_Giannetto_Cyber%20Intelligence.pdf About the Authors: Boris Giannetto and Pierluigi Paganini Boris Giannetto works in the Bank of Italys CERT and deals with cyber intelligence. He has the role of handling communication initiatives on this topic. His expertise is focused on strategic analysis and positioning. He worked on cyber resilience and held the role of expert for operational risk; for a short period he was employed at the Italian FIU (UIF). He used to work for some years for Telecom Italia S.p.A. (TIM) Public & Regulatory Affairs, on regulatory strategy and public policy. Professional experiences in the private sector, Legal and Foreign Affairs. Background in Institutions such as MAECI-UN-ODC, Italian Parliament, and UN-ICRI, with a focus on security issues. He graduated cum Laude in International Political Science at La Sapienza in Rome, with a thesis about regulation and electronic communications; classical high school diploma with full marks; he speaks several languages. He published papers and articles at national and international level and attended as a speaker various events and summits (most recently ITASEC 2020). Pierluigi Paganini ( SecurityAffairs Cyber Intelligence, cybersercurity) Share this... Linkedin Share this: Twitter Print LinkedIn Facebook More Tumblr Pocket Share On Optimizing OTT QoE in the Era of Personalization See more videos like this in the Streaming Media Conference Video Portal. Read the complete transcript of this clip: Marc Maycas: I would say that we're living the era of personalization. And we see this many times when we see articles about Netflix saying that they are changing the thumbnails for the end users in order to be able to help them look for their content better and so on. So the problem that brought us here is, nowadays we have a lot of services and subscription models in order to replace all the customers and we have all those services living together. We have subscription-based services that now are going to NPAW ads. So another technical problem that we are facing as well nowadays is we have those AVOD freemium services living together and also we still have some pay-per-view services where you rent a movie for a weekend and you watch it. I don't know if that's very popular here in the States, but when I come from, Barcelona, services are doing this nowadays. Users are more demanding on watching content on-the-go as well. So Wi-Fi, the data consumption, the tech challenges--users are not at home anymore. This has an impact on the devices. So you need to know which devices you want to tailor that specific experience to the users. So you need to know what they're using more, how they're using it, and help them find the content that they want. Because if you do not engage them then you'll lose them. Also, we have to take into account that QoE is taken for granted. I still remember when I started 10 years ago that the quality of experience was, "Oh please, I don't want to have another buffer in the next two minutes." And now it's, "I want a TV-like experience. I want something that goes flawlessly with digital television broadcasting quality." And even better, even with 4K and everything that we are seeing nowadays in the encoding space as well. So, QoE is taken for granted, even if I'm watching everything in my phone, and that's actually something that we need to tackle. There is also competition. So the market is rapidly changing. Some markets are concentrating ... I mean, for example, we are seeing that in France or in Spain, there are broadcasters that actually, in order to fight against Netflix, they have all grouped together in hybrid HDTV applications that they just share all their content for their end users so they don't lose that engagement. We even have some IPTV resellers or some some telcos in this case that inside their separate boxes, they put Netflix and HBO and their competition inside of it. And why are you doing this? If that's actually vaporizing your content, that sounds weird. Talking to these people, they told me, "I prefer people using my box and being able to stay engaged there so I don't lose them forever. And maybe they like Netflix. So they log in and they just go to Netflix, some application that I don't have any kind of control. But then when I come back I just watch that series that cost me like 10 million to produce or that comedy show that is so popular that I made along with other producers in the space." For example, in Spain, we have LOVEStv--it's kind of a a naming joke. Like it's LOVEStv because we love TV, but in Spanish "lo ves" means "you see"--so that kind of thing. And also content is very important in the industry. Actually it's the main driver of what brings us to there. It's true that as I'm saying-- and I know that I'm not focusing too much on QoE right now-- but the idea is I'm going to find the content that I want, but if the content doesn't work, then I don't care. I won't go to other places. I want to download the content without anyone noticing it. And that's actually money that I'm losing. And that they're making me lose money against other users that are watching this content without having the permission to watch it. So here we have a saying-- they say, "content is king." A few years ago I updated it or I liked to update it to say that "content is king but quality is queen." And now I would say that what I love to say-- and I like to push this and maybe you can help me out when you go out there and you just talk about that--I would say that "data is king," because with data you know what content you want. You don't know what quality you have without data. So you need these data and well-formatted data and meaningful data so you can succeed. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Related Articles Telehealth startups are finding new riches amidst the coronavirus crisis. As patients across the U.S. seek out medical professionals via phone or other devices, six telehealth startups have closed funding rounds amounting to a combined $190 million in recent weeks. Experts believe the Covid-19 pandemic will change the health care industry long after the crisis ends--and it will extend beyond the telehealth companies themselves. Seattle-based 98Point6 announced a $43 million Series D on April 3 with funding from Goldman Sachs and Costco co-founder James Sinegal, among others. The startup gives customers on-demand access to doctors via text chat or video at a cost of $20 for the first year and $120 for the second. 98Point6's app has seen a 200 percent usage increase since January, with one-third of all visits now Covid-19-related, according to the company. The startup founded in 2015 recently launched a Covid-19 assessment tool that helps patients quickly determine the best course of action using Centers for Disease Control guidelines. Co-founder and CEO Robbie Cape says the company will use the funds to increase the number of physicians on its staff, which already has grown from 50 in early March to 160 today. The company has raised $129 million in total funding. TytoCare, a New York City-based startup, on April 7 announced a $50 million Series C that was co-led by Insight Partners, Olive Tree Ventures, and Qualcomm Ventures. The company creates a $300 kit that includes internet-enabled tools including a stethoscope and otoscope, which is used for ear exams. A doctor can examine the patient remotely and diagnose ailments ranging from respiratory issues to ear infections to the flu. Experts suggest that might soon become the norm. "Health care will remain forever changed by the Covid-19 pandemic," says Arielle Trzcinski, senior analyst at Forrester who studies the health care industry. "The pandemic has removed significant barriers in past adoption--awareness, cost, and ability for patients to see providers on a reoccurring basis. We'll continue to see a dramatic shift toward a virtual-first delivery model." Still, some expect the industry to cool off a bit once the current crisis ends. "Looking out to the long term, we expect telehealth utilization to come back down but remain above pre-pandemic levels as providers expand their offerings and as patients embrace the technology," says Marc Albanese, senior director of research at market tracker CB Insights. He adds that more health care practices are using wearables and remote patient monitoring during the current crisis--a trend he expects to continue even after the crisis subsides. The global telehealth market is expected to grow from $41 billion in 2019 to $155 billion in 2027, according to a report published by market research firm Grand View Research earlier this month. Other telehealth companies that have closed rounds during the pandemic include Los Angeles-based SteadyMD ($6 million), Singapore-based Doctor Anywhere ($27 million), and New York and Tel Aviv-based K Health ($48 million), which offers primary care via text. K Health co-founder Allon Bloch told VentureBeat in late February that the startup's app was adding 10,000 to 15,000 new users per day. The impact of more patients turning to telehealth could be felt by other health care companies. Joe Kvedar, a dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and president of the American Telemedicine Association, expects to see home testing kits and online medication delivery? grow with the rise of telehealth, for instance. Saudi-Led Coalition Conducts Nine Airstrikes on Sanaa, Suburbs, Military Source Says Sputnik News 03:09 GMT 16.04.2020 CAIRO (Sputnik) 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. On 15 April, spokesperson for the Houthi movement Yahya Sarai said that the Saudi-led coalition had conducted 26 air raids on the country's northern and western provinces despite the alliance's step towards a ceasefire in Yemen. 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 8 April, 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. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan has reactivated Talibani camps situated at Afghanistan-Pakistan border to launch terror attacks in Kashmir. A Jaish-e-Mohmmad (JeM) terrorist held by Afghanistans security forces revealed Pakistan's plan to launch massive attacks in Kashmir as well as on Indian assets in Afghanistan. The captured terrorist was given arms training in Pakistan for four months and sent to Afghanistan to carry out attacks. Earlier, Indian security agencies had also expressed similar apprehensions that Pakistan was using Taliban camps for attacks in Kashmir, now the JeM terrorist's confession has completely exposed Pakistan. In an encounter with terrorists in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, security forces had killed 15 terrorists and recovered arms and ammunition from the Talibani camps. The security forces discovered that only 5 of them were Talibani and the rest were from the JeM outfit. "In an intervening night of April 13-14 a big group of JeM terror outfit was intercepted while entering in Nangarhar provenance. In an encounter, several terrorists were killed and arms and ammunition were recovered from them," reports Afghani media. Indian security agencies is assessing the current situation. Many feel that the infiltration in Kashmir will see a rise and the terrorists will be battle hardened veterans from Afghanistan. "Pakistan's ISI is trying to infiltrate Taliban into Kashmir. Most of the Taliban terrorists are war veterans. There are also reports about the presence of JeM terrorists at launch pads near Line of Control. Some of them also trained in Taliban camps," said an officer working in the Indian security establishment. Due to the peace agreement between the Taliban and the US in Doha, American troops will return from Afghanistan in a few months. In such a situation, Pakistan is trying to take advantage of this opportunity. Indian security agencies had earlier also expressed apprehension that after the withdrawal of US troops, Pakistan's agencies will carry out attacks on Indian bases in Afghanistan. "ISI is playing its old game but better than before. Unlike in the past when ISI didnt hide its military role inside Afghanistan, now they are projecting that they are changed now. This is to placate the Americans. However, Afghan NDS has been unexpectedly putting up a strong fight against ISI design to colonize Afghanistan," said another official. In the recent terrorist attack at a gurdwara in Kabul more than 25 people lost their lives. The investigation revealed that the Haqqani Network, an ISI-controlled group that is part of the Taliban, wanted to attack the Indian mission in Kabul but failed due to tight security. Since they were not able to attack the Indian mission, they attacked the gurudwara instead. This attack was a clear signal to curtail Indian influence in Afghanistan for the near future. As per security agencies report Masood Azhar is not well and his younger brother Mufti Rauf Asghar is the de facto head of JeM. Rauf's son Wali Azhar has also also trained in Talibani camps. Coronavirus Outbreak updates:Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday said airlines are advised to open bookings only after the government takes a decision on starting domestic and international commercial passenger flight services.'The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarifies that so far no decision has been taken to open domestic or international operations,' he wrote on Twitter. Auto refresh feeds The total number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 13,835 on Friday with toll from COVID-19 disease at 452, as per the last update released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW). Of the total cases, 11,616 are active while 1,766 have been cured/discharged and one has migrated. The Union health ministry claimed a decline in the rate of doubling of infections in the last one week even as India witnessed a surge in cases with 1,076 infections and 32 fresh deaths in the last 24 hours, and Gujarat becoming the sixth state to cross the 1,000 mark in confirmed coronavirus cases. District Magistrate South Delhi B M Mishra said a zone in Sangam Vihar was contained on Friday after a total of four cases in one house related to the March Nizamuddin congregation were traced. With four more fatalities reported, the death toll from COVID-19 in Delhi has jumped to 42, while the number of coronavirus containment zones here were increased to 68. New zones were added in various areas, including in Malviya Nagar and Jahangirpuri, the authorities said. The number of novel coronavirus cases in the national capital rose to 1,707 on Friday, with 67 fresh cases and four deaths being reported in a day, according to Delhi government authorities. The tally of the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country climbed on Friday to 7,260 with 137 deaths. In Punjab, the number of such cases is 3,300. "Out of some 4,692 Tablighi Jamaat members in the province, tests have been carried out on some 4,653 so far," he told PTI. He said the members who have tested positive for COVID-19 have been kept in isolation to control the spread of the virus. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said 429 members of the religious group had attended the annual congregation in Raiwand in Punjab province and all of them have had tested positive so far. A total of 429 members of a Tablighi Jamaat group have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Pakistan's Sindh province. "Two more persons tested positive for COVID-19 today. They were infected after coming in contact with positive patients. Further contact tracing is underway. Total positive cases in the state stand at 85," said Sanjay Kumar, Principal Secretary Health, Bihar. The contact tracing of two new cases, who were infected with the virus after coming in contact with corona positive patients, is underway. With two more COVID-19 cases reported on Friday, the total number of positive coronavirus cases in the state climbed to 85, reports ANI. The US Agriculture Department is partnering with regional and local distributors to purchase $3 billion in such farm goods to be distributed to food banks, churches and aid groups as millions of Americans face unemployment with much of the US economy shut down. President Donald Trump on Friday announced a $19 billion relief program to help US farmers cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, including $16 billion in direct payments to producers and mass purchases of meat, dairy, vegetables, and other products. While hearing two Public Interest Litigations pertaining to the issue through video conferencing, a bench of Chief Justice Geeta Mittal and Justice Rajesh Oswal directed that the matter of insufficient testing be urgently examined by the Chief Secretary, UT of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Secretary, Health and Medical Education. Regarding lack of efficient internet facilities in the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the high court directed the Secretaries of the respective Home departments to file reports by the next date of hearing, an official release said. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court Friday directed the union territory administration to urgently examine the issue of insufficient testing facilities while passing a slew of directions regarding the measures to be taken in the battle against the COVID-19 disease. The application also contains relevant information on the preventive and safety measures regarding COVID-19 pandemic to create awareness among people, they added. The mobile application is based on integrated information available on Google maps. It also contains information about the red zones, the officials said. COVID-19 Helpline Jammu and Kashmir application will provide useful real-time information to people about the location and contact number of hospitals, control rooms and rapid response teams in their vicinity, they said. The Army has developed a mobile application to strengthen the efforts of Jammu and Kashmir administration to contain the spread of coronavirus, officials said on Friday. The first case was reported on 7 April at the INS Angre base there. All other persons who came in contact with these affected personnel have also been tested, Navy officials told ANI. They stayed in the same block at INS Angre and are said to have been infected by a navy official who tested positive a week ago. INS Angre is a shore-based logistics and shore-based support establishment of the Western Naval Command. All the 20 sailors are asymptomatic and have been moved to INHS Asvini in Colaba and are in quarantine. About 20 sailors of the Indian Navy have tested positive for COVID-19 at INS Angre in Mumbai, News18 reports. The number of deaths linked to the novel coronavirus reached 150,000, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. The death toll is still far short of the so-called Spanish flu, which began in 1918 and is estimated to have killed more than 20 million people by the time it petered out in 1920. All the seven persons, including the drivers of the trucks, were coming from Delhi and they managed to evade police at the Lakhanpur checkpost, they said. They were apprehended by a police team at the Battal checkpost in the Majalta belt of the district after two trucks were intercepted, the officials said. Police have started the process of sending them into quarantine as a COVID-19 prevention measure, they said. Seven people were detained while they were trying to reach their homes by hiding in trucks amid the COVID-19 lockdown and booked for concealing their travel history in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district on Friday, officials said. The closing of the surveillance for the clusters could be independent of one another provided there is no geographic continuity between clusters. However, the surveillance will continue for severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI). According to the ministry's "Updated containment plan for large outbreaks COVID-19", a containment operation (large outbreak or cluster) is deemed to be over 28 days from the date the last case in that zone tests negative. Containment operations will be scaled down if no secondary positive case of COVID-19 is reported from a quarantine zone for at least four weeks after the last confirmed test has been isolated and all his contacts have been followed up for 28 days, the Union Health Ministry said. The Navy is looking into the possibility of the men having moved around within the Navy facilities for essential duties even though the city is otherwise under lockdown. The sailors were staying in the residential accommodation facilities of INS Angre - a shore-based depot that provides logistical and administrative support to naval operations of the Western Naval Command. 20 sailors of the Indian Navy in Mumbai have been tested positive for coronavirus. The sailors have been quarantined at a naval hospital in Colaba, reports NDTV. Three new cases each were found in Matunga labour camp, Muslim Nagarand Indira Nagar, two at Social Nagar and one each at Dr Baliga Nagar,Laxmi Chawl, Janata society and Sarvoday Society on Friday, said the BMC official. A 62-year-old COVID-19 patient from the area died at Sion hospital, he added. A total of 10 coronavirus patients from this densely populated area have died so far. The number of coronavirus cases in Mumbai's Dharavi slum area reached 101 on Friday with 15 new patients being detected, said an official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). All primary contacts (though asymptomatic) were tested for COVID-19. The entire in living block was immediately put under quarantine, containment zone & INS Angre under lockdown. "Action being taken as per established protocol. No cases of infection onboard ships ad submarines," said Navy officials. 21 serving personnel tested positive for COVID-19 within naval premises at Mumbai. This number includes 20 sailors of INS Angre, a shore establishment at Mumbai. Most of these are asymptomatic and have been traced to a single sailor who was tested positive on 7 April, reports ANI. President Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday that to date the US had conducted more than 3.78 million coronavirus tests, by far the most in any country. New York, the financial capital of the world, has emerged as the epicenter of the pandemic. More than 14,000 people have died in the city and over 200,000 lakh people have tested positive so far. Neighbouring New Jersey has more than 78,000 cases and 3,800 deaths. The number of the coronavirus cases in the US crossed 700,000 on Friday, while over 35,000 people have died from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data maintained by Johns Hopkins University, as President Donald Trump assured his people that America was "very close" to seeing the light "shining brightly" at the end of the tunnel. "The IMF's policy tracker shows that fiscal measures so far have amounted to about USD 8 trillion and liquidity injections by central banks amounting to over USD six trillion," Kganyago told reporters during a news conference on Friday. Observing that the coronavirus disease has presented all with significant and potentially daunting challenges, Lesetja Kganyago, chairman for the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), said the international community was far from declaring victory on the outcomes or the outlook. Countries have taken fiscal measures and central banks together injected a whopping $14 trillion as part of their efforts to mitigate the challenges posed by the novel coronavirus pandemic, the International Monetary Fund has said. Coronavirus cases in India have reached 14,387 with 480 casualties reported, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The number of active cases stand at 11,906 with 1991 recoveries. It is aimed at coordinating efforts to discover a vaccine, funnel resources and support to industry and research institutions and review regulations to remove any blocks in scaling it up, he said. Addressing the daily Downing Street briefing, UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma said on Friday the new Vaccine Taskforce, led by the government's Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, is a collaboration between business and industry and academia. The UK has set up a taskforce to urgently find a coronavirus vaccine and prepare the industry to manufacture it at scale once it is developed, as 847 fresh death were reported due to the COVID-19, taking the death toll in the country to 14,576. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the coronavirus pandemic was a huge challenge but was also an opportunity. He said scientists, data experts, and engineers needed to be mobilised to fight COVID-19. With this, the number of coronavirus positive cases in Indore has gone up to 892. Of the 69 COVID-19 deaths in the state so far, as many as 47 people have died in this city alone, they said. As 50 more persons tested coronavirus positive in Indore on Friday night, the number of COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh has climbed to 1,360, health officials said. So far, 69 persons have died due to the infection in the state, the officials said on Saturday. The toll due to novel coronavirus has risen rose to 480, with 28 more fatalities reported on Saturday, while the number of cases saw a jump of over 500 to go up to 14,378, according to the Union Health Ministry data. 991 new COVID-19 cases and 43 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, said Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday. "They talk about a certain kind of bat, but that bat wasn't in that area if you can believe this," he claimed. "That bat wasn't sold at that wet zone.... That bat is 40 miles away." "We're looking at it, a lot of people are looking at it. It seems to make sense," Trump told reporters at a White House news conference on Friday when asked if there was an investigation into whether the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China. The US has been conducting a full-scale investigation into whether the deadly virus "escaped" from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Fox News said in an exclusive report, adding that intelligence operatives were reportedly gathering information about the laboratory and the initial outbreak of the pathogen. The US is looking into reports that the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 150,000 people globally, "escaped" from a virology laboratory in China's Wuhan city, President Donald Trump has said. With the new cases, total positive cases have been found in six of the 12 districts of Himachal Pradesh -- Kangra, Una, Solan, Chamba, Sirmaur and Hamirpur. Hamirpur deputy commissioner Harikesh Meena confirmed that two cases tested positive from the district on Friday. Their contact history was being ascertained, he added. Till Thursday, there was no COVID-19 positive case in Hamirpur district. Three more persons tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in Himachal Pradesh to 39, officials said. Two persons from Hamirpur district and one from Chamba district tested positive, they added. Of the 2 deaths reported on Satuday, one patient had chronic kidney disease and the other had acute diabetes, said state Health Department. On Saturday, 41 more COVID19 cases and 2 deaths from Jaipur were reported in Rajasthan. The total number of positive cases in the state rises to 1270 and 19 deaths, reports ANI. An antibody is a protein produced mainly by plasma cells that are used by the immune system to neutralize bacteria and viruses. In this treatment, the plasma extracted from the blood of a fully recovered COVID-19 patient is injected into the critical patient to help his body generate antibodies to fight the virus. The Gujarat government has decided to carry out plasma transfusion treatment on COVID-19 patients in the state, particularly those in critical condition, to boost their immunity, health officials said. With 201 death out of 480 accounting from Maharashtra, the state accounts for almost 41 percent of the total deaths in India. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state with a total of 3,323 cases. While 331 patients have recovered, 201 deaths have been reported. The petitioner has cited various reports suggesting that there is a rise in domestic violence cases since the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown. The plea, which was filed by advocates Mithu Jain, Arjun Syal and Vidisha Kumar has requested the court to intervene and protect women and children suffering from domestic violence across the country. The court on Saturday will hear the plea filed by the NGO, All India Council of Human Rights, Liberties & Social Justice (AICHLS) seeking direction to all concerned authorities to implement effective measures for victims of domestic violence and child abuse amidst COVID-19 lockdown. The Delhi High Court has agreed for an urgent hearing of a petition on a report of an increase in domestic violence cases during the lockdown. The total number of positive cases in Nagpur district climbed to 63 including 1 death, 12 discharged after four fresh cases were reported from the district on Saturday, reports ANI. Not just NCW, social activist Linda Newmai also tweeted about the incident. Following this, the Mumbai Police lodged a first information report (FIR) against the accused. A case was then registered under the Epidemic Diseases Act and sections 270 and 352 of Indian Penal Code (IPC). According to the victim's complaint, the incident occurred when she went to buy groceries with her sister when Elias approached them on a bike, took off her mask and spat on her near Kalina signal. The incident came to light when after National commission of Women took cognisance of it and formed three teams to investigate the matter. "Yet another case of racial discrimination amid COVID-19 outbreak, a miscreant spat on a north-eastern girl at Kalina Market area in Mumbai. NCW is looking into this matter for appropriate action," the commission tweeted. A 23-year-old man, who allegedly spat on a woman from Manipur in Mumbai's Kalina area on 6 April, was arrested by the Mumbai Police on Friday. The accused has been identified as Mohammed Amir Mohammed Elias, a native of Kurla. The SCRB has contacts of women who had experienced domestic violence in the past, and they will be contacted to find out their present condition, a senior officer of the state police headquarters said. The initiative will be implemented with the help of the State Crime Record Bureau, the official said. The special drive "Phone-Up Programme" has been launched across the state to deal with the problems of domestic violence in the crisis period, he said. The Odisha police have come out with an initiative through which policemen will contact women who had earlier reported domestic violence to inquire about their condition over the phone during the ongoing lockdown, an official said on Saturday. On Friday, Wuhan's officials announced that as of April 16, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases was raised by 325 to 50,333 and the number of fatalities up by 1,290 to 3,869. As per the new figures, the overall confirmed cases on the mainland reached 82,719 by Friday, including 4,632 deaths. As many as 1,058 patients are still being treated and 77,029 have been discharged from hospitals. The country's National Health Commission (NHC) announced the revised national figures of coronavirus, taking note of Wuhan's new data. China's imported cases of coronavirus increased to 1,566 with 27 fresh ones, while its revised death toll stood at 4,632 with 50 percent jump in fatality figures from the epicentre Wuhan, health officials said on Saturday. The coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent lockdown have delayed the cabinet formation and the BJP-led government is drawing flak from the opposition Congress for not having a dedicated health minister at this critical juncture. The state does not have a council of ministers ever since senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan took over the chief minister on 23 March. Under fire for not having a full-time health minister amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has constituted an advisory committee, comprising Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi and 12 others, to deal with the crisis. Dr V Kashyap, Medical Superintendent RIMS said that the baby is under proper care and all precautions are being taken. "A detailed discussion was held by experts and doctors, and the baby has been allowed to be fed by mother, after proper sanitization. Baby's sample will be sent for testing today." he further added. A woman who had delivered a baby two days ago in Ranchi's Sadar Hospital, has tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. Her child has been admitted to the isolation ward at RIMS hospital. "The Sadar Hospital staff members who had attended to the woman are now undergoing tests," ANI quoted Ranchi Administration in Jharkhand as saying. Balsing Rajput, Superintendent of Police, Maharashtra Cyber, said, "The fraudsters place some malware on porn websites. When someone accesses such a site, the fraudsters manage to breach the data of that person. The browser then starts working as a remote control desktop, using which they access the visitor's display screen and get the contact numbers of his friends, his contacts on social media and e-mails." The cyber wing of the state police said that the fraudsters are sending e-mails to those viewing porn content on such websites, asking them to make payment in bitcoins, failing which they would make public their video of using adult websites. The Maharashtra Police said that they have observed an increasing trend of cyber fraudsters sending extortion e-mails to those visiting porn sites. The demand for the drug has swelled rapidly in the last few days after India decided to lift a ban on its export. Hydroxychloroquine has been identified by the US Food and Drug Administration as a possible treatment for the Covid-19 and it is being tested on more than 1,500 coronavirus patients in New York. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres salutes countries helping others in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, his spokesman has said, days after India sent supplies of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to several nations, including the US, reports PTI. Sonko, the governor of the Kenyan capital city, Nairobi, confirmed in a media briefing on Tuesday that his care packages include a few small bottles of the cognac, Hennessy, reports CNN. The governor justified the inclusion of alcohol as "throat sanitizer." Recipients of Nairobi politician Mike Sonko's COVID-19 care packages can expect to receive the typical food staples except for one item: alcohol. With this objective, the ministry has written to various state governments and port authorities to identify land parcels of 50-500 acres for setting up such parks, it said. "MNRE has initiated action in a big way towards setting up new hubs for manufacturing renewable energy equipments in the country to meet both domestic and also cater to global demand," the ministry said in a statement. The MNRE has offered many incentives to states to set up such parks at a time when numerous international firms are looking to move their production base out of China after the COVID-19 outbreak. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has urged states to set up renewable energy (RE) equipment manufacturing parks to meet domestic demand as well as make India a global production hub. A total of 176 new cases of the novel coronavirus disease have been reported in Gujarat in the past 12 hours. Ahmedabad alone reported 143 cases, reports ANI. The total COVID-19 cases in the state now stand at 1,272. Seven people have died due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours as the total toll climbed to 48. He clarified that it was not a COVID-19 related death. According to the protocol, two samples have to be taken. However, in this case three were taken and all were negative. "It is a normal death," he said. Noting that the elderly patient was suffering from kidney-related ailment and was diabetic, the collector said, "He was under observation in the ICU and in the last two days there were lot of complications. Due to his age and earlier diseases, the doctors tried their best but he expired at 4 in the morning." K V Nandakumar, Superintendent of the Government Manjeri Medical College hospital, where he was admitted said, "The man was in ICU and was undergoing treatment for coronary artery disease kidney ailment and diabetes." The patient was declared cured of the viral infection after his last three samples taken on 7, 10 and 13 of April came out negative, Malappuram District Collector Jafar Malik told PTI. An 85-year-old coronavirus patient, who was declared cured and was under treatment for kidney and heart-related ailments died early Saturday at a hospital Malappuram. All the infected sailors were serving at the INS Angre, a shore-based logistics and support establishment, and they are undergoing treatment at a Navy hospital, official sources said. At least 26 Indian Navy personnel have tested positive for coronavirus at the Western Naval Command in Mumbai, in the first case of a major outbreak of the disease in the Indian armed forces. "The patient had a medical history of co-morbid conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes and pneumonia," he said. The woman was referred to the GMCH from a private hospital on 13 April and her swab samples were sent for testing, following which she was reported positive three days later, GMCH nodal officer Dr Arvind Gaikwad said. A 65-year-old COVID-19 patient died at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Maharashtra's Aurangabad city in the early hours of Saturday, an official said. This is the third coronavirus-related death in Aurangabad district, he said. Government Medical College PRO Puja Tripathi Pandey said the man was initially admitted to Jaitipur health centre after he complained of fever and cough but was then moved to the medical college earlier this week and quarantined. "He died late Friday night after vomiting," Pandey said. A 20-year-old man who showed symptoms of coronavirus infection and was quarantined for two days at a hospital in Shahjahanpur has died, an official said on Saturday. "We have received 42,000 rapid kits, they will be used in containment zones starting from tomorrow," said Jain. After 67 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported in Delhi on Friday, the overall tally in the National Capital climbed to 1,767. "There have been 42 deaths in the Delhi while, 911 patients are admitted at hospitals. Of the 911 positive cases, 27 are in ICUs and six are on ventilators," said Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain. In March, Netflix announced it had established a $100 million fund to assist the hardest-hit workers on its own productions and others in areas where Netflix has a large production base. Netflix Inc has increased the amount of money in its coronavirus emergency relief fund by $50 million, bringing the total for displaced production workers to $150 million, a company spokeswoman said on Friday. The NGO - All India Council of Human Rights, Liberties and Social Justice (AICHLS) - in its plea has sought safeguarding measures for the victims of domestic violence and child abuse amid the lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which has infected 14,378 people and claimed 480 lives in India. The submission was made before a bench of justices JR Midha and Jyoti Singh which was hearing via video conferencing an NGO's plea claiming that there was an increasing in number of domestic violence incidents since the nation was put under lockdown and sought an urgent intervention by the court. The AAP government and the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) have told the High Court that there are sufficient measures in place to safeguard victims of domestic violence and child abuse amid the lockdown in the country. "Of the 12 new cases, 11 have contact history and one has a history of Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI)," informed the state government. The confirmed positive cases also include the 92 patients who have been discharged. So far the state has reported 13 deaths. With 12 more individuals testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Karnataka, the overall tally in the state on Saturday climbed to 371, said chief minister BS Yediyurappa. The fresh cases were reported from 5 pm Friday till 12 pm Saturday. In addition, Walmart Foundation is donating a total of Rs 7.7 crore to Goonj and Srijan - NGOs supporting vulnerable communities through the crisis. Walmart Inc and e-commerce major Flipkart will spend Rs 38.3 crore towards in-kind donations into India to help with the front-line response efforts, a statement said. Walmart Inc, Walmart Foundation and Flipkart on Saturday said they are are supporting India's COVID-19 response by donating personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers and funds for organisations providing essential relief materials to farmers and small businesses. The appeal to maintain social distancing was also reiterated and the need to avoid religious congregation. In the Group of Ministers (GoM) meet conducted on Saturday, the management strategy for coronavirus hotspots and clusters was reviewed. In the meet, suggestions to enlist services of retired doctors, health professionals and medical students in the final year of graduation were examined. The guidelines to allow limited activities and the measures announced by RBI were also appreciated, Singh further said. After the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Saturday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Interacted with the GoM on the COVID-19 situation. We discussed ways to mitigate the hardships faced by the people and the role ministries can play in providing relief to people." As per Fridays directive, the managing directors of the sugar mills will list the native village, tehsil and district of the labourers and their families living in the shelter for more than 14 days. "They will have to undergo a medical check-up and the list sent to the collector of their present residence and to the collector of the native district," it said. As per the guidelines signed by Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta, over 1.31 lakh migrant labourers and their families, who work in 38 sugar factories, are unable to go to their native districts due to the nationwide lockdown imposed in view of the novel coronavirus. In a major relief which could be seen as the biggest evacuation plan within the state, the Maharashtra government on Friday decided to allow over one lakh migrant sugarcane workers to return to their native villages, said media reports. The infant is one of the three new coronavirus cases detected in Uttarakhand on Friday. The number of cases in the state after these fresh infections has risen to 40, a health department spokesperson said. They did not say where the congregation was held or when the infant's father had tested positive. A nine-month-old infant who is among the latest coronavirus cases detected in Uttarakhand contracted the infection from his father after he returned from a Tablighi Jamaat congregation, officials said on Saturday. In a video that surfaced online, in a criminal wastage of food, the authorities can purportedly be seen overturning the vegetable cart following which the hawker attacked the policewoman. A scuffle broke out between a vegetable vendor and police personnel on Friday in Mumbai's Mankhurd area after the woman was not allowed to hawk her wares in the containment zone. In this treatment, the plasma extracted from the blood of a fully recovered COVID-19 patient is injected into the critical patient to help his body generate antibodies to fight the virus. The Gujarat government has decided to carry out plasma transfusion treatment on COVID-19 patients in the state, particularly those in critical condition, to boost their immunity, health officials said. "He is a senior doctor who attended to COVID-19 patients at Sassoon. A couple of days ago, he complained of breathlessness and got himself admitted at the hospital," an official from the hospital said. Sassoon Hospital is the designated COVID-19 critical care centre in Maharashtra's Pune city and so far, over 40 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported from the state- run facility. A 52-year-old senior doctor from Pune's Sassoon General Hospital has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, an official said on Saturday. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to chair a Cabinet meeting at 4 pm over the situation regarding coronavirus in the national capital. The government has identified over 40 containment zones and sanitisation is underway. This is the second COVID-19 death in Ludhiana in the past two days and the fifth since the pandemic struck. He was admitted to the Satguru Partap Singh (SPS) Hospital after he tested positive on 13 April. Hospital sources said he died due to multiple organ failure. Assistant commissioner of police, Anil Kumar Kohli, died of the novel coronavirus in Ludhiana on Saturday afternoon, taking the COVID-19 toll in Punjab to 16. He succumbed to the infectious disease at the age of 52. Therefore, all government and private colleges, state-based universities and their constituent colleges should start conducting regular online classes according to a timetable from 21 April, the order said. A government order dated 17 April said the closure of schools and educational institutions to stop the spread of COVID-19 is badly affecting the studies of college students. All government and private education institutions in Uttarakhand have been asked to start regular online classes from 21 April to ensure studies are not affected. "Being a part of India team is a matter of great pride. But today we are going to create a bigger team, Team Mask Force," Indian captain Kohli said in the video. The ''Team Mask Force'' has been created to spread awareness about wearing masks in public places. Featuring Indian cricketers such as Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, the BCCI has created a new video to promote wearing masks in public places and help the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. The press note stated that this review of is for curbing opportunistic takeovers or acquisitions of Indian companies due to current COVID-19 pandemic. Also, transfer of ownership of any existing or future FDI in an entity in India, directly or indirectly, resulting in beneficial ownership falling within this restriction will require government approval. The department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade on Saturday issued a press note stating that foreign investments from countries with which India shares land border shall be under approval route. As many as 43 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, taking the toll to 480. Meanwhile, the recovery rate in India is at 13.85 percent with nearly 2000 patients having recovered from COVID-19, says Health Ministry's Lav Aggarwal. The Union Health Ministry on Saturday reported that no new COVID-19 cases were reported in 22 districts in the past two weeks. Giving an age-wise analysis, Lav Agarwal, Health ministry joint secretary, said that 14.4 percent deaths have been reported in the age group of 0-45 years. He said that 10.3 percent coronavirus deaths have been reported in the age group of 45-60 years, 33.1 percent in those who fall under the age bracket of 60-75 years and lastly he said that 42.2 percent deaths are reported in the age group of 75 years and above. The ministry also said that of the coronavirus deaths in the country, 83 percent cases have been reported to have co-morbidities. During the routine media briefing on coronavirus, the health ministry said that 75.3 percent of the COVID-19 deaths in India have been recorded in those who are 60 years of age and above. The Jamaat linked cases were found in 23 states, the heath ministry further said Of the 14,378 positive COVID-19 cases, 4,291 of them have been linked to Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin Markaz in mid-March, said Health Ministry "Bookings for select domestic flights for travel from 4 May, 2020, and for international flights for travel from 1 June, 2020 onwards are open," it stated. "In the light of the ongoing global health concerns, we have currently stopped accepting bookings on all domestic flights for travel till 3 May, 2020, and on all international flights for travel till 31 May, 2020," a notification on Air India's website said on Saturday. Air India on Saturday announced it has opened bookings on select domestic and international routes from 4 May and 1 June, respectively. The amendment specifies that transfer of ownership of Indian companies arising out of FDI investments from neighbouring countries will now also be subject to government approval. Similar FDI restrictions were earlier placed on Pakistan and Bangladesh. The government has amended the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy to discourage opportunistic investment in Indian companies by neighbouring countries in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic. Madhya Pradesh BJP President V D Sharma also said that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan did not immediately expand his council of ministers because the "top- most priority" for the administration was to tackle the pandemic and not "waste time" on any other issue. The COVID-19 cases have exponentially gone up in Madhya Pradesh as the previous Congress government did not get the Tablighi Jamaat members tested and was busy organising a film awards event in the initial days of the outbreak, a top BJP leader, who is convenor of state's health task force, claimed. Tamil Nadu has reported 15 deaths while Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have reported 14 fatalities each. Punjab and Karnataka have reported 13 deaths each. Rajasthan has registered 11 deaths while West Bengal has reported 10 deaths fatalities. Of the total 480 deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 201 fatalities, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 69, Delhi at 42, Gujarat at 41 and Telangana at 18. About three lakh Rapid Antibody Test kits were airlifted to Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu from the Chinese city of Guangzhou, Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri said. China has dispatched three lakh more Rapid Antibody Test kits being used for quick detection of the COVID-19 to India, the Indian envoy said on Saturday. Gujarat reports 104 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total to 1,376, PTI quotes Health department official as saying. With 12 deaths, the toll due to the diseases rose to 53. These deaths were reported from Ahmedabad (5), Surat (2), and one each from Panchmahal, Anand, Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar, and Vadodara, said Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi. Most of the deceased suffered from comorbidities like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. With 186 new cases, the number of coronavirus cases in Delhi mounted to 1,893 while the death toll rose to 43, according to a bulletin issued by the CMO. Of the total cases, 207 have recovered and the number of active cases stands at 1,643. 874 tests have been conducted today and a total of 2,22,83 tests have been conducted in the National Capital, it said, adding that the number of tests done per million was 1,103. The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarifies that so far no decision has been taken to open domestic or international operations. Airlines are advised to open their bookings only after a decision in this regard has been taken by the Government. @MoCA_GoI @DGCAIndia @AAI_Official Earlier in the day, Air India said it has opened bookings on select domestic flights from May 4 and on select international flights from 1 June.A few days ago, IndiGo had announced that it would start flight operations in a phased manner from 4 May. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday said airlines are advised to open bookings only after the government takes a decision on starting domestic and international commercial passenger flight services."The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarifies that so far no decision has been taken to open domestic or international operations," he wrote on Twitter. "Airlines are advised to open their bookings only after a decision in this regard has been taken by the government," Puri added. The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarifies that so far no decision has been taken to open domestic or international operations. Airlines are advised to open their bookings only after a decision in this regard has been taken by the Government. @MoCA_GoI @DGCAIndia @AAI_Official Earlier in the day, Air India said it has opened bookings on select domestic flights from May 4 and on select international flights from 1 June.A few days ago, IndiGo had announced that it would start flight operations in a phased manner from 4 May. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday said airlines are advised to open bookings only after the government takes a decision on starting domestic and international commercial passenger flight services."The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarifies that so far no decision has been taken to open domestic or international operations," he wrote on Twitter. "Airlines are advised to open their bookings only after a decision in this regard has been taken by the government," Puri added. The Assam government has decided that all departments in the state secretariat will start functioning from 21 April, reports PTI. The head of the administrative department will ensure that officers of the rank of deputy secretary and above shall attend office regularly and other Grade-I and Grade-lI officers may attend office as required from 21 April , an official order said. "A 62-year-old man had died in KEM hospital on April 16 due to acute respiratory failure. His samples tested positive on Friday. Another 58-year-old man died in Poona Hospital on April 17 due to viral pneumonia. His report was also positive," the official said. The third victim was a 75-year-old man who died at the state-run Sassoon Hospital here on Friday. He had respiratory tract infection. official as saying. Three deaths due to coronavirus were also reported during the day, said an official of the Pune Municipal Corporation, taking the toll to 51 Forty-seven new cases of coronavirus were reported in Pune on Saturday, taking the number of COVID-19 patients in the district to 612, PTI quotes a health The minister announced a 1.6-billion pound cash boost for local councils around the UK to help them cope with the COVID-19 response. Today we are providing 1.6bn of new funding to support councils with the pressures they face as they respond to the crisis," he said. Jenrick said it would help adult services, children's services, the most vulnerable and waste collection services. "It is correct that the hard work and forbearance of the British public is paying off. The rates of transmission are falling. But the number of deaths remains sobering. It reinforces the need to consider this the moment to keep going and keep following the measures," Jenrick said, as the country's overall official toll soared by 888 on Saturday to 15,464. Britain's death toll in the coronavirus pandemic registered another big daily spike of 888 to hit 15,464 on Saturday. Addressing the daily Downing Street briefing, UK Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said that 4,60,437 tests for the deadly virus have now been carried out across the country, with 1,14,217 people tested positive and 17,759 in hospital down from 18,711. New York City, the epicenter of coronavirus outbreak in the US, has 1,22,148 confirmed virus cases and more than 7,890 COVID-19 deaths and another 4,309 probable deaths, people who did not have a positive COVID-19 laboratory test, but their death certificate lists as the cause of death "COVID-19" or an equivalent. "If you look at the past three days, you could argue that we are past the plateau when we're starting to descend, which would be very good news. Again, it's only three days but that's what the numbers would start to suggest, he said, while cautioning that even if the state is not at a plateau anymore, we're still not in good position. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state appears to be past the plateau on the coronavirus infection curve and is "starting to descend, as hospitalizations continue to decline and the daily death toll dropped under 550 for the first time in almost two weeks, reports PTI. "Hospitalization numbers are down (and that is) good news, Cuomo said at his daily coronavirus press briefing on Saturday, noting that the number of people getting hospitalized from the virus continues to fall from around 18,000 to currently 16,000, the emergency rooms have fewer people in them and the ICU admissions and intubations continue to be down. Manipur's second COVID-19 patient has tested negative for coronavirus on Saturday, PTI quotes the director of of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Prof Ahanthem Santa Singh as saying. Singh told PTI that he 65-year-old patient, who is undergoing treatment at RIMS tested negative for COVID-19 in the third test. In the earlier two tests he had tested positive. The second COVID-19 patient was admitted in RIMS Hospital on 31 March. The COVID-19 Common Control Room (CCCR) of Manipur government in a press release said the patient will be discharged if the next test result is negative. Since in Chandigarh corona outbreak is scattered and not confined to a specific pocket,area,village or cluster ,entire district has been declared as containment zone. Manoj Parida, Advisor, Chandigarh Administration said that the district of Chandigarh had been declared as a containment zone as the virus outbreak is scattered and not confined to clusters or pockets. The chief minister also directed to release a sum of Rs 1,000 per head for those belonging to weakers sections. In addition, he has also directed to provide Rs1,000 to the leftover families of the urban and rural areas who have not been covered so far in any welfare scheme. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday directed officials concerned to ensure that temporary and outsourced employees get their honorarium without any cut for the lockdown period, reports PTI. In a meeting with senior officials, the chief minister directed that in case of any temporary or outsourced employee working in educational institutes, hospitals or offices not being able to attend the office due to the lockdown, his honorarium should not be cut, said Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi. "Such employees should be paid honorarium without any cut, he said. Coronavirus Outbreak updates: Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday said airlines are advised to open bookings only after the government takes a decision on starting domestic and international commercial passenger flight services."The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarifies that so far no decision has been taken to open domestic or international operations," he wrote on Twitter. 43 new coronavirus cases were detected in Telangana on Saturday, taking the state total to 809. While 186 patients have been discharged till date and 18 deaths have been recorded, the number of active cases stands at 605. With 125 fresh cases, the number of people infected with the coronavirus went up to 974 in Uttar Pradesh. According to a health department bulletin, 108 COVID-19 patients have been treated in the state so far and the number of active cases is 852. Of the 125 cases reported on Saturday, 86 are linked to last month's Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi's Nizamuddin, the bulletin said. Gujarat reported the highest single-day spike of 280 in COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of the infected people in the state to 1376, a Health department official said. Ahmedabad alone accounted for 239 coronavirus positive cases. The city now has 862 such cases, the official added. Uttar Pradesh reported 44 fresh coronavirus cases and one death on Friday, taking the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state to 849 and the death toll to 14, an official said. During the routine media briefing on coronavirus, the health ministry said that 75.3 percent of the COVID-19 deaths in India have been recorded in those who are 60 years of age and above. The ministry also said that of the coronavirus deaths in the country, 83 percent cases have been reported to have co-morbidities. As many as 43 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, taking the toll to 480. Meanwhile, the recovery rate in India is at 13.85 percent with nearly 2000 patients having recovered from COVID-19, says Health Ministry's Lav Aggarwal. Assistant commissioner of police, Anil Kumar Kohli, died of the novel coronavirus in Ludhiana on Saturday afternoon, taking the COVID-19 toll in Punjab to 16. He succumbed to the infectious disease at the age of 52. He was admitted to the Satguru Partap Singh (SPS) Hospital after he tested positive on 13 April. Hospital sources said he died due to multiple organ failure. A nine-month-old infant who is among the latest coronavirus cases detected in Uttarakhand contracted the infection from his father after he returned from a Tablighi Jamaat congregation, officials said on Saturday. They did not say where the congregation was held or when the infant's father had tested positive. As 50 more persons tested coronavirus positive in Indore on Friday night, the number of COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh has climbed to 1,360, health officials said. So far, 69 persons have died due to the infection in the state, the officials said on Saturday. With 12 more individuals testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Karnataka, the overall tally in the state on Saturday climbed to 371, said chief minister BS Yediyurappa. The fresh cases were reported from 5 pm Friday till 12 pm Saturday. The confirmed positive cases also include the 92 patients who have been discharged. So far the state has reported 13 deaths. After 67 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported in Delhi on Friday, the overall tally in the National Capital climbed to 1,767. "There have been 42 deaths in the Delhi while, 911 patients are admitted at hospitals. Of the 911 positive cases, 27 are in ICUs and six are on ventilators," said Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain. "We have received 42,000 rapid kits, they will be used in containment zones starting from tomorrow," said Jain. A 65-year-old COVID-19 patient died at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Maharashtra's Aurangabad city in the early hours of Saturday, an official said. This is the third coronavirus-related death in Aurangabad district, he said. The woman was referred to the GMCH from a private hospital on 13 April and her swab samples were sent for testing, following which she was reported positive three days later, GMCH nodal officer Dr Arvind Gaikwad said. A total of 176 new cases of the novel coronavirus disease have been reported in Gujarat in the past 12 hours. Ahmedabad alone reported 143 cases, reports ANI. The total COVID-19 cases in the state now stand at 1,272. A total of 176 new cases of the novel coronavirus disease have been reported in Gujarat in the past 12 hours. Ahemdabad alone reported 143 cases, reports ANI. The total COVID-19 cases in the state now stand at 1,272. A woman who had delivered a baby two days ago in Ranchi's Sadar Hospital, has tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. Her child has been admitted to the isolation ward at RIMS hospital, reports ANI. The Delhi High Court has agreed for an urgent hearing on a petition on a report of an increase in domestic violence cases during the lockdown on Saturday. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state with a total of 3,323 cases. While 331 patients have recovered, 201 deaths have been reported. 991 new COVID-19 cases and 43 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, said Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday. Meanwhile, three more persons tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in Himachal Pradesh to 39. As 50 more persons tested coronavirus positive in Indore on Friday night, the number of COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh has climbed to 1,360, health officials said. So far, 69 persons have died due to the infection in the state. Coronavirus cases in India have reached 14,387 with 480 casualties reported, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The number of active cases stand at 11,906 with 1991 recoveries. 21 serving personnel tested positive for COVID-19 within naval premises at Mumbai. This number includes 20 sailors of INS Angre, a shore establishment at Mumbai. Most of these are asymptomatic and have been traced to a single sailor who was tested positive on 7 April. 20 Navy personnel have tested positive for COVID-19 at a naval base in Mumbai. The first case was reported on April 7 at the INS Angre base there. All other persons who came in contact with the affected personnel have also been tested: Navy officials Meanwhile, the number of deaths linked to the novel coronavirus reached 150,000, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. The Union health ministry claimed a decline in the rate of doubling of infections in the last one week even as India witnessed a surge in cases with 1,076 infections and 32 fresh deaths in the last 24 hours, and Gujarat becoming the sixth state to cross the 1,000 mark in confirmed coronavirus cases. The total number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 13,835 on Friday with toll from COVID-19 disease at 452, as per the last update released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW). Of the total cases, 11,616 are active while 1,766 have been cured/discharged and one has migrated. However, according to a PTI tally based on reports from states, the total number of confirmed cases in the country is 14,173 while the toll stands at 479. Meanwhile, even as the Union home ministry updated its containment plan for coronavirus hotspots, Maharashtra, the worst-affected state in the country, relaxed restrictions on sugarcane workers as well as released plans to allow some industrial and commercial activities, including MNREGA works from 20 April in areas that are not marked as containment zones. Activities related to supply chain of essential goods, whether in manufacturing, wholesale or retail trade of essential goods through local stores, large brick and mortar stores or e-commerce companies, will be also allowed, except in containment areas. On Friday, the number of confirmed cases in the state crossed the 3,000 mark and toll from the virus inched closer to 200. Mumbai, Indore worst hotspots Mumbai once again remained the worst-affected hotspot in the Maharashtra (and the country), with 77 more people testing positive in India's financial capital on Friday. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the city has 2,120 confirmed cases as on Friday. The number in Dharavi, Asia's largest slum, reached 101 with 15 new infections reported on Friday, PTI reported. Indore, which is the second worst-affected city in the country (and the worst affected city in Madhya Pradesh), the number of confirmed cases were at 842 while 47 patients have died since the outbreak began less than a month ago. At 5.58 percent death rate, Indore's coronavirus mortality is above the national average, state health officials said. Gujarat becomes sixth state to cross 1,ooo mark While Maharashtra continues to lead in terms of total confirmed cases at 3,205 infections, Delhi is the second worst-affected state with 1,640 cases, followed by Tamil Nadu with 1,323 cases, Rajasthan with 1,193 cases and Madhya Pradesh with 1,164 infections. In Gujarat, the total number confirmed cases reached 1,021 after 92 new cases were reported on Friday, while the death toll reached 38 (the third highest in the country and same as that of Delhi) with the addition of two fatalities, health officials said in Ahmedabad. State officials attributed the sudden spurt in the cases in Gujarat to intensive surveillance and testing in coronavirus hotspots, including those which have been placed under curfew till 21 April in the walled city of Ahmedabad. Meanwhile, Karnataka, which recorded 38 new positive cases, its highest single day tally so far, on Friday has scaled up the number of coronavirus tests by five times, state officials said. The state has 353 confirmed cases so far. Of the total 452 deaths listed by the health ministry on Friday, Maharashtra tops the tally with 194 fatalities, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 57, Gujarat and Delhi at 38 each and Telangana 18. Tamil Nadu has reported 15 deaths while Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh reported 14 fatalities each. Punjab and Karnataka reported 13 deaths each. Rajasthan has registered 11 deaths while West Bengal reported 10 deaths fatalities. Some states have reported less than 10 deaths. As per the latest updated data from the health ministry, the rate of recovery of COVID-19 patients in India is at 12.7 percent, while the mortality rate of 3.27 percent. Rate of doubling of cases has slowed, says health ministry At a daily media briefing about updates on COVID-19 situation, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal maintained that there had been a 40 percent decline in the growth of new cases. The average growth factor of cases from 1 April stood at 1.2, whereas between 15 and 31 March 15 it was 2.1. This decline of 40 percent was due to increase in testing, including that of cases with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI). he said. The health ministry official also said that the rate at which coronavirus cases were doubling has come down. "Before lockdown, the doubling rate of coronavirus cases was 3 days. Going by the number of cases in the last seven days, the doubling rate has been 6.2 days. In 19 states and Union Territories the doubling rate is less than the national average." he said Agarwal also claimed that India has been doing better than many other countries on the outcome ratio, which is the number of recoveries from coronavirus infection versus the number of deaths. "If 80 percent of the patients in India are recovering and in 20 percent cases deaths are being reported, then by that standard India has been doing a little better than many other nations on the outcome ratio," he said. He also informed reporters that 1,919 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals with 1.73 lakh isolation beds and 21,800 ICU beds have been readied till now. In a letter to all chief secretaries and principal secretaries (health) of states, ICMR Director General Dr Balram Bharagava listed the protocol for using the rapid antibody test' in hotspot area for epidemiological studies and surveillance. India received five lakh rapid antibody testing kits from China on Thursday and these, health ministry officials, said are being distributed to states for districts with high burden of infection. In case, the state does not have a hotspot, these tests may be used for: any hotspot which may emerge in future or as a surveillance tool for epidemiological purpose in such areas where cases have not emerged so far, the ICMR said. The ICMR said that 28,542 samples were tested on Friday with the total number of samples tested so far at 3,32,583. The ICMR also said that it will conduct a study to find the efficacy of BCG vaccine against COVID-19 and till any definitive result is reached it will not recommended the vaccine even for healthcare workers, officials said on Friday. Maharashtra seeks relief from Centre, allows conditional travel for sugarcane workers The Maharashtra govt on Friday sought financial aid from Centre. While Maharashtra finance minister Ajit Pawar has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a grant of Rs 10,000 crore for five months, state revenue minister and Maharashtra Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat on Friday demanded a package of Rs 25,000 crore from the Centre to help the state tackle the coronavirus outbreak. Thorat said that the state is taking care of 7.5 lakh poor and migrant labourers in 6,500 camps. "We have demanded PPE kits from the Centre but are yet to get them. We want the Centre to give us a package of Rs 25,000 crore as well as Rs 16,500 GST refund to tackle the outbreak," he added. On Friday, the Maharashtra government relaxed some of the restrictions placed on movement of people, including allowing over one lakh migrant sugarcane workers to return to their native villages amid the lockdown subject to the carrying out of medical tests in connection with the coronavirus outbreak. A statement released by the office of Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde said that the decision will benefit sugarcane workers from Beed and Ahmednagar who are stranded in western Maharashtra, the border areas with Karnataka and other parts of the state. The statement said those operating these factories will have to get workers and their kin tested and certified, and inform authorities, including gram panchayats, and then obtain requisite permissions for their safe return. Health ministry updates containment plan, extends wait period to four weeks The Health ministry said on Friday that containment operations will be scaled down if no secondary positive case of COVID-19 is reported from a quarantine zone for at least four weeks after the last confirmed test has been isolated and all his contacts have been followed up for 28 days. According to the ministry's "Updated containment plan for large outbreaks COVID-19", a containment operation (large outbreak or cluster) is deemed to be over 28 days from the date the last case in that zone tests negative. The plan said the authorities will do extensive contact tracing and active search for cases in containment zone, test all suspect cases and high-risk contacts, isolate all suspect or confirmed cases, implement social distancing measures and intensive risk communication as part of the cluster containment strategy. "The objective of this containment plan is to stop the chain of transmission thus reducing the morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19," the ministry said. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan also said that the Thiruvananthapuram-based Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Science and Technology in Kerala has developed a low cost diagnostic test kit that can confirm COVID-19 infection in two hours. The kit can detect coronavirus in 10 minutes, and the sample to result in time will be less than two hours, Vardhan tweeted. A total of 30 samples can be tested in a single batch in a single machine, he added. Meawnhwile, Union home minister Amit Shah said the Modi government is leaving no stone unturned to tackle the coronavirus crisis. "Modi government is leaving no stone unturned in this fight against COVID-19, ensuring minimum disruption in people's lives while planning for a strong and stable India in days ahead," he tweeted. With inputs from agencies Preliminary results from government lab experiments show that the coronavirus does not survive long in high temperatures and high humidity, and is quickly destroyed by sunlight, providing evidence from controlled tests of what scientists believed but had not yet proved to be true. A briefing on the preliminary results, marked for official use only and obtained by Yahoo News, offers hope that summertime may offer conditions less hospitable for the virus, though experts caution it will by no means eliminate, or even necessarily decrease, new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The results, however, do add an important piece of knowledge that the White Houses science advisers have been seeking as they scramble to respond to the spreading pandemic. The study found that the risk of transmission from surfaces outdoors is lower during daylight and under higher temperature and humidity conditions. Sunlight destroys the virus quickly, reads the briefing. While that may provide some good news about the outlook for outdoor activities, the Department of Homeland Security briefing on the results cautions that enclosed areas with low humidity, such as airplane cabins, may require additional care to minimize risk of transmission. In a statement to Yahoo News, the DHS declined to answer questions about the findings and strongly cautioned against drawing any conclusions based on unpublished data. Photo illustration; Yahoo News; photos: Getty Images The department is dedicated to the fight against COVID-19, and the health and safety of the American people is its top priority. As policy, the department does not comment on allegedly leaked documents, the DHS said in a statement. It would be irresponsible to speculate, draw conclusions, or to inadvertently try to influence the public based upon a document that has not yet been peer-reviewed or subjected to the rigorous scientific validation approach. The results are contained in a briefing by the DHS science and technology directorate, which describes experiments conducted by the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, a lab created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to address biological threats. Story continues While the DHS describes the results as preliminary, they may eventually make their way into specific recommendations. Outdoor daytime environments are lower risk for transmission, the briefing states. Simulated sunlight rapidly killed the virus in aerosols, the briefing says, while without that treatment, no significant loss of virus was detected in 60 minutes. The tests were performed on viral particles suspended in saliva. They were done indoors in environments meant to mimic various weather conditions. While the results of these tests have not been previously made public, Harvey Fineberg, head of the National Academies Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats, broadly described plans to conduct the experiments in an April 7 letter to the White House. In that letter, addressed to President Trumps top science adviser Kelvin Droegemeier, Fineberg wrote that the DHS lab is well suited for the kinds of studies they have planned, and the scope and relevance are noteworthy. In particular, they plan to create simulated infected body fluids, including saliva and lower respiratory secretions. Droegemeiers office did not respond to a request for comment on whether it has received the latest results from the DHS. The National Academies also did not respond to a request for comment. While the lab results are new, scientists for many weeks have predicted, based on available data on the diseases spread, that warmer, wetter climates would be less hospitable to the spread of the coronavirus. An early analysis by scientists observed that the virus was spreading more slowly in countries with warmer climates. We are not saying that at higher temperatures, the virus will suddenly go away and everything would be fine and you are going out, Qasim Bukhari, a computational scientist at MIT and a co-author of the analysis, told Yahoo News in an interview. No, we are not saying it. We are just seeing that there is a temperature- and humidity-related dependency, but I think many people now have started to realize this. Bukhari said that since he and his colleagues published that analysis, the numbers on the coronaviruss spread continue to support their contention. They are doing a lot of tests now in India. Also, when you look at the numbers in Pakistan its the same. There are more than 5,000 cases in Pakistan right now, he said. But the increase is not as rapid as you see in other countries. Women in Islamabad, Pakistan, wait to receive cash from a government program for families in need. (Anjum Naveed/AP) The question of the effects of sunlight and heat on the coronavirus has been particularly fraught, because there has been a tendency to misinterpret the relationship between good weather and disease spread. Early on, some politicians tried to encourage people to go outside, including to beaches, arguing that sunlight would kill the virus. The problem, however, is that without widespread immunity, people can still transmit the coronavirus to others, even in warm weather. The real question now, Bukhari said, is whether enough people have already been infected that the summer temperatures wont prevent continued transmission. So lets say 50 percent of the population is already infected, and then those temperatures arrive and then those humidity levels arrive, then what difference can those temperatures and humidity levels be? Probably none. Thats the thing. While the new lab results are important, the science behind how sunlight kills the virus is fairly well established, says Arthur Anderson, former director of the Office of Human Use and Ethics at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, Md. [Ultraviolet] light breaks DNA into fragments. If the virus is floating around in the air and theres bright sunlight, the UV component in sunlight will break the DNA or the RNA into pieces, he told Yahoo News. Infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has become the leading face of the White House response, has provided cautious statements about what the summer months might mean for the coronavirus, saying recently, Its almost certainly going to go down a bit. He has stopped far short, however, of saying that good weather alone would have an impact. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (Alex Brandon/AP) Yet the lab results may ultimately provide at least some basis for optimism. Does this give a little more hope about the virus potentially decreasing? said Dr. Kavita Patel, a Yahoo medical contributor and nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution. Yes. I would say even Dr. Fauci has alluded to that. Colds and flus dont disappear in the summer, even if they are less common, Patel noted. We do have cases of the flu in the summer, she said. Thats why all of us in medicine are being a little more guarded. The labs work was done in a controlled environment, according to the DHS briefing, and tested how long the coronavirus survives on stainless steel in a droplet of saliva from a cough or sneeze under conditions related to temperature, humidity and sunlight. The lab is now doing additional testing, such as experimenting with low-tech techniques for sterilization of protective equipment, which would include using rice cookers, clothes steamers and electric pressure cookers. The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, which conducted the experiments, has traditionally kept a low profile because of its classified work on biological warfare defense and bioterrorism. Fineberg, in his letter to the White House, did not go into detail on the planned experiments, noting that the lab shares its findings with the interagency task force on the coronavirus. It is unclear for now whether the center intends to publish in a peer-reviewed journal or choose some other route for making its results known. Patel said she could understand government concerns about releasing preliminary results, but in general she leans toward openness. As a clinical doctor, we want to learn as fast as possible anything that works clinically. You want to be able in the first line to say: This is preliminary, with caveats. But why hold back the information? she said. It may be that the government wants to control how the message is released, she suggested. I would say in a global pandemic, thats less of a priority. _____ 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: The Insights People Promotes Two, Hires Seven UK-based kids, parents and family market intelligence provider The Insights People has promoted two of its team, including Richard Craig who moves into the newly created position of Chief Data & Information Officer. The firm has also appointed seven new members of staff. Headquartered in Manchester, the company includes Kids Insights, offering marketers a range of resources on the consumption and behaviour trends of 4-to-18-year-olds; and Parents Insights, a market intelligence resource for all things 'parenting, mum and baby'. With its recent launch into Latin America via Brazil and Mexico, the company now surveys more than 3,000 children every week, across nine continents and four countries. Craig (pictured) joined the group's Bee Industrious division in 2017 as Director of IT, alongside his role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for The Insights People; and he is replaced as CTO by Dan Lucas, who previously served as Client Technical Director. In terms of new hires, Juha Remes joins the company as Senior Developer, Harrison Drew as IT Support Engineer, Tanya Sarakinis as US Business Developer Director, and Rob Legnar as European Business Development Director. In addition, Rajan Sundavadra takes up the position of Research Executive, Jenny Ryan joins as Office Manager, and Dominic Holmes joins on an apprentice scheme as a Junior Content Executive. CEO Nick Richardson comments: 'I am absolutely delighted to welcome so many talented individuals to our expanding business. It has been an extensive recruitment process but one which means that we are best placed to serve the needs of our clients and continue to establish ourselves as the global leader in kids, parents, and family market intelligence. And we are continuing to actively recruit for account management, developer and data scientists' roles all of which will be based in our Manchester headquarters'. Web site: www.theinsightspeople.com . (Repeats story published on Thursday with no change to text) * Vietnam partially lifts its ban on rice exports * India rates climb to $375-$380 per tonne vs $361-$365 * Thai rates ease to $530-$538 a tonne from $555$580 * Bangladesh to double allocation of ration cards to 10 mln By Brijesh Patel BENGALURU, April 16 (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. 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." Story continues 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. 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) The total number of coronavirus COVID-19 cases across 185 nations spiralled towards 2,204,511 and the death toll stood at 149,378 at 11.45 pm (IST) on Friday (April 17), even as the battle between humanity and the virus continue to surge. With the highest numbers both in positive cases and death toll, the US continues to remain the worst-hit with a total of 679,374 cases. It is followed by Spain at with 188,068 cases, Italy with 172,434 cases, France with 147,121 cases and Germany with 138,497 cases. With a massive jump, the US has witnessed the highest death toll across all the nations at 34,180, followed by Italy at 22,745, Spain at 19,478, France at 17,942 and the UK at 14,607. In the US, some states are contemplating to announce timetables for lifting restrictions aimed at blunting the coronavirus pandemic, a day after President Donald Trump outlined guidelines for a phased reopening of the devastated US economy. In Texas and Florida, Republican governors is likely to outline plans for a gradual reopening, according to media reports, and the city of Jacksonville, Florida, will allow beaches and parks to reopen with some restrictions. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio cancelled permitted city events through May, extending the cancellation by a month. He said events for June were under review. He said New York has to set a "high bar" for restarting large group events. The extraordinary measures to control the novel coronavirus outbreak have battered the U.S. economy - a record 22 million Americans have sought unemployment benefits over the past month, almost wiping out all the job gains since the Great Recession. In Italy, the deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic rose by 575 on Friday, up from 525 the day before, while the number of new cases declined slightly to 3,493 from a previous 3,786. The daily tallies of deaths and cases extend the broadly stable situation in place over the last 12 days. This plateau is down considerably from peaks reached around the end of March, but the downtrend has not proceeded as was widely hoped in a country that has been in lockdown for almost six weeks. The European Union has recommended smartphone tracking apps to help countries ease restrictions that have prompted steep economic downturns across the bloc. For doctors in northern Italy, fighting what is still Europe`s worst outbreak of COVID-19, the frontlines have moved beyond hospitals as special teams try to keep patients alive at home, away from the saturated wards where thousands have died. For staff on the so-called USCA (Special Continuity Assistance Units) teams, it has been a draining struggle, initially hampered by a shortage of vital protective gear, that mixes emergency medicine with the shock of losing unprecedented numbers of patients. Spain reported 585 new fatalities in the past 24 hours, but it was difficult to compare with previous tolls after the government amended its counting mechanism. The government issued revised guidelines overnight for reporting deaths in order to standardise the data sent in from the country's 17 autonomous regions. The change was an apparent move to eliminate any deaths where the patient had not been tested for COVID-19. Officials said they would revise previous fatality counts, and also apply the new rules to death tolls moving forward. "This could mean that some of the figures may seem a little strange," said Fernando Simon, the health ministry's emergencies coordinator, pointing to a "discrepancy" in the data supplied by one particular region. There have been growing questions over the death toll in recent days with Madrid and Catalonia, the two worst-hit regions, this week insisting they had thousands of more victims than the official count. France said on Friday there was no evidence so far of a link between the new coronavirus and the work of the P4 research laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the current pandemic started. "We would like to make it clear that there is to this day no factual evidence corroborating the information recently circulating in the United States press that establishes a link between the origins of COVID-19 and the work of the P4 laboratory of Wuhan, China," an official at President Emmanuel Macron`s office said. The broad scientific consensus holds that SARS-CoV-2, the official name of the coronavirus, originated in bats. British healthcare staff have been advised to treat COVID-19 patients without full-length protective gowns due to shortages of equipment, the Guardian newspaper reported on Friday. Health minister Matt Hancock told a committee of lawmakers earlier that Britain was "tight on gowns" but had 55,000 more arriving on Friday and was aiming to get the right equipment where it was needed by the end of this weekend. The Guardian reported that with hospitals across England set to run out of supplies within hours, Public Health England had changed guidelines which stipulated full-length, waterproof surgical gowns should be worn for high-risk hospital procedures. The new advice says that when gowns run out alternative options include using a plastic apron, borrowing supplies from other hospitals, or wearing coveralls, the Guardian reported. Sky News reported doctors and nurses had also been advised that single-use gowns could be used again because of the shortage. The Department for Health and Social Care did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the change of advice. GCSE and A Level students to receive their results in August This article is old - Published: Friday, Apr 17th, 2020 Exam results for GCSE and A Level results for students across Wales will continue to go ahead as planned in August. Thousands of secondary school and college students had been set to sit their exams this summer However last month Education Minister Kirsty Williams confirmed that exams in Wales would not go ahead due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead those due to sit their GCSEs and AS and A levels this summer will be awarded a fair grade to recognise their work. Yesterday Kirsty Williams confirmed that that the 2020 Wales results day for AS & A level students, and for GCSE students, will be as originally scheduled. This means that Wales, Northern Ireland and England will share the results days of 13 August for AS & A Level and 20th August for GCSE. She said: As I set out in my letter to the Education Secretary for England on 31 March, during these uncertain times, providing clarity and ensuring that learners are not disadvantaged in accessing their university places by a divergence in results dates have been key priorities for me. I am pleased this will now be the case. Sticking to the existing results dates has been the intention in Wales, supported by the advice of our independent exam regulator Qualifications Wales. Proposals in England to move to a much earlier results day introduced an unnecessary risk, and I had expressed my concerns to counterparts in the UK Government, as well as the education sector here in Wales and UCAS. I therefore welcome the announcement for England. Education Ministers from across all governments in the UK have worked well together during these challenging times, but on this occasion I regret that we were unable to make a joint announcement. GCSEs and A Levels are shared and owned across three countries within the UK. Making a joint announcement would have helped provide much needed assurance and certainty for all of our learners, their parents and practitioners at this difficult time. I hope that now confirmation of results day has been provided that our learners are able to make future plans with a little more confidence, although I recognise this continues to be a time of great uncertainty. Congress is missing. With every level of government consumed by the coronavirus pandemic, the 535 members of the House and Senate have been relegated to the sidelines, scrounging for relevance while the fights of consequence unfold without them. Even as theyve busied themselves back home, lawmakers are desperate for a way to cast votes or hold hearings from afar. In their absence from Washington, lawmakers worry theyve ceded the spotlight to President Donald Trump, who has eagerly overwhelmed the national bandwidth with factually challenged news conferences, executive orders and feuds with governors, who have also taken starring roles in the nations coronavirus response. The frustrations are most acute among the Democrats endangered members, particularly, freshmen who worry the American public cant see their members actually fulfilling their duties in Congress a perception of idleness that could put their reelections on the line. Congressional leaders are now trying to cobble together unanimous support for massive economic rescue legislation that can pass while lawmakers remain isolated in their homes. That means enormous government decisions like when to reopen the country are made with the House and Senate having virtually no say in the matter, fueling claims of a do nothing Congress even as members say they're busier than ever handling the crisis from home. Meanwhile, rank-and-file members are stuck waiting on the legislative front, drafting letters to the White House and adding to their lengthening to-do lists for when, eventually, they return to Washington. Lawmakers say it's even tougher to stomach as congressional leaders struggle to agree on a way to shore up a key small-business relief fund that went dry this week. I am a frustrated member of Congress whos joined by many similarly frustrated members of Congress, said freshman Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), a vocal proponent of allowing Congress to hold remote hearings and debate. Story continues We are operating still as a 19th-century institution in a 21st-century unprecedented crisis, Phillips said. We cannot leave it just to the administration to have the megaphone. But so far, thats exactly what has happened. Lawmakers have been limited to issuing strongly worded statements as Trump has sought to reshape a narrative about his administrations early reluctance to take aggressive steps to tackle the coronavirus, which contributed to the massive outbreak the nation is suffering. Hes used his bully pulpit to assert the total authority to override states public health decisions and reopen the economy as soon as May 1 against the advice of infectious disease experts. The frustration isn't limited to the majority: A group of about two-dozen Republicans is increasingly restive and threatening to return to Washington ahead of the House's return date to try and jump-start action. Congress did, of course, already pass roughly $2.5 trillion to jump-start the federal governments response to the dual economic and public health crises. And individual members have become crucial, influential advocates for their constituents as they deal with local challenges, such as medical equipment shortages in health care facilities and businesses on the brink of closure. But as the crisis kept lawmakers homebound for all of April, leaders in both parties have remained resistant to allowing other business outside the Capitol like electronic voting or hearings to go on, raising concerns of security and institutional precedent. The House and Senate are both slated to hold sessions on May 4, a delayed return that could slip further as the threat of contracting and spreading coronavirus remains high. House committees have issued demands for documents and testimony to aid their probes of the administrations coronavirus response and to identify holes in the nations recovery effort. But public hearings have been on pause for weeks, and theres little House committee leaders can do if the White House resists its efforts. Whats emerged in the absence of policymaking is a boisterous inside-baseball debate over House procedures: namely, whether lawmakers are even constitutionally permitted to cast votes remotely. House Rules Committee Chairman James McGovern (D-Mass.) recommended Thursday that the House adopt a low-tech remote voting procedure to allow those in the Capitol to cast votes at the direction of their far-flung colleagues. Such a process might draw challenges and would require the full House to convene in order to approve such a rule change. And some members said it didnt resolve problems like House committees being unable to meet and debate legislation remotely. One lawmaker called the idea bullshit. McGoverns push followed steadily rising complaints from lawmakers eager to take actions of consequence while their constituents are struggling. Earlier in the week, roughly 20 members, led by the Houses most vulnerable moderate members, proposed a resolution directing House leaders to come up with a plan any plan to allow remote congressional activity. Rank-and-file lawmakers are also clamoring for a way to conduct congressional hearings from afar, a platform that would at least allow members of the public to see their lawmakers at work, pressing for answers amid the pandemic. But theres no agreed-upon system for such hearings, which would also likely require a rules change. And some video platforms have been flagged as potential security risks, leaving some lawmakers skittish about holding online hearings. 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, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said this week on MSNBC, referring to the online video conference platform. Some lawmakers have made plans to hold remote events anyways: Starting next week, the Congressional Progressive Caucus will livestream a series of unofficial hearings on Facebook, featuring public testimony on issues like their national paycheck guarantee plan. But vulnerable Democratic incumbents are especially worried that the public will view them as shirking their responsibilities, even as they spend full days working the phones to help hospitals, businesses and other local leaders. Anthony Brindisi speaks to supporters on election night, Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the Delta Hotel in Utica, N.Y. Brindisi, a Democratic Assemblyman, ran against Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney in the race for New York's 22nd Congressional District. (AP Photo/Heather Ainsworth) I do worry about the optics, said Rep. Anthony Brindisi of New York, a freshman Democrat running for reelection in a Trump district. People expect Congress to be working, and we absolutely are right now, but we also have to be voting and conducting hearings and oversight. Voting by proxy would be a good first step, Brindisi said, though he stressed that more needed to be done. We need to adapt and conduct business like the rest of the world is right now. Some lawmakers, particularly institutional veterans, have argued that Congress is simply limited in what it can do under the extreme circumstances, acknowledging that the two bodies must return to their chambers to conduct business. I think the Constitution clearly anticipates that members would be present, Senate Rules Chairman Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) told reporters in a deserted Capitol this week. Blunt said the Senate is looking at ways to hold remote hearings but that Congress had already dismissed the idea of voting away from Washington in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks: "We've dealt with these issues and even more difficult scenarios than whether you should get on an airplane or not because you might catch a virus. Were working in a challenging environment, added Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). Itd be preferable if we were not in this situation. Given the circumstances, were adapting as best we can. Some Democrats also worry theyve been sidelined for one of the most consequential decisions of all how and when to reopen the economy, a move that could rescue millions of constituents who are facing unemployment but also risk a resurgence of coronavirus infections if handled incorrectly. The president skipped over Congress role when he basically said, I will compel states to reopen when I want them to, said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who is leading a push among Democrats to reassert congressional authority over the critical decision. To the extent theres a federal role in reopening America, that role is to be defined by Congress. Not all lawmakers agree that it is Congress role, saying the legislative branch can do little more than exert pressure on the administration from the sidelines of its battle with state executives and public health experts. Ultimately there are things the president can do that we cannot control, House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Katherine Clark of Massachusetts said. But what we can control is our response, continuing to put American families first, continuing to stand with our governors. But Raskin along with Democratic Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Donna Shalala of Florida, Anna Eshoo of California and Peter Welch of Vermont have drafted a bill to directly challenge Trump's powers to oversee a state-by-state process allowing millions of people to slowly emerge from their homes into shops, schools and public transit, by putting it in the hands of Congress instead. Raskin acknowledged, though, that neither the House nor the Senate can take up that bill for a vote or even a debate until lawmakers are able to safely return to Washington. That is the challenge of the next few weeks, Raskin said. Were not here. It is a real problem. Melanie Zanona contributed to this report. The Karnataka government indicated on Friday that information technology and bio-technology companies could be allowed to start limited operations from Monday. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with representatives of companies, deputy chief minister CN Ashwath Narayan said while the lockdown would continue, technology firms could start operations after April 20 with 50% of employees coming in on alternate days on the condition that all steps are taken to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. His remarks came against the backdrop of Karnataka recording a substantial increase in Covid-19 cases for the third consecutive day. According to state primary and secondary education minister Suresh Kumar, 44 new cases - the largest single day jump - were reported since Thursday. Karnataka exports $40 billion in technology services, and the sector is the largest employer in the states organised sector. Narayan said employees of tech firms wouldnt require special passes. I doubt whether there would be the pass culture after April 20. Anyway, there is no public transport, no metro, no buses. Only one person can travel on two-wheelers, and there are limits on how many can travel in a car, he said. If the technology companies want, we can provide sanitised public transport buses. Narayan said representatives of IT companies had assured him that hygiene norms, wearing of masks, use of sanitisers, social distancing and other government directives would be strictly implemented. They have said they will undertake screening and testing, as well as other responsibilities, he said, adding the economy couldnt be permanently shut. However, chief minister BS Yediyurappa, speaking at a different media interaction, sounded a more cautious note and said the matter of allowing the technology industry to resume operations was under consideration. A decision will be made over the next couple of days based on the Centres guidelines, he added. Primary and secondary education minister Suresh Kumar said the 44 new Covid-19 cases had taken the states cumulative total to 359. This follows 38 cases on Thursday and 19 cases on Wednesday. The 359 cases include 13 deaths and 88 people who were discharged after being treated. Briefing the media, Kumar acknowledged the trend was worrisome but said Karnataka had done well when compared to the national figures. Kumar said the average number of tests had increased from 500 a day to 2,000 a day. The Centre has dispatched 12,400 rapid testing kits imported from China to the state. The state government has fixed a price of 2,250 for each test by a private hospital, Kumar said. Asked about the violation of the lockdown in Kalburgi during a temple chariot pulling ceremony for which hundreds had gathered, Kumar said no decision had been made on conducting mass tests there. An expert committee of doctors advising and guiding the state government said earlier on Friday that early detection and treatment were key to ensuring public health. The panel said on an average, people were coming in for treatment four day after the first symptoms appeared. The committee appealed to people to come in earlier. The state has also sought clearance from the Indian Council of Medical Research to conduct plasma therapy, which is considered effective in treating Covid-19. In a separate development, police carried out a mild lathi charge at Savanur in Haveri district after a large number of people gathered for Friday prayers in spite of the Wakf boards appeal not to do so. Three men drowned while swimming in Tungabhadra river in Bellary district in violation of the lockdown. A case was registered in Huvina Hadagali police station and a search was launched to retrieve their bodies. One-man feast: Louis Ortiz, 42, has been charged with burglary, larceny and criminal mischief after allegedly breaking into a Connecticut restaurant and spending four days eating and drinking A Connecticut man has been accused of staging his very own feast in time of plague by breaking into a restaurant that was closed due to the coronavirus lockdown and spending four days eating and drinking thousands of dollars worth of the eatery's supplies. According to a statement from the New Haven Police Department, officers responded to Soul De Cuba Cafe on Crown Street at around 11.30am on Tuesday after getting a call from the establishment's manager, saying that he found a stranger sleeping inside the shuttered business. Officers tracked down the suspect, identified as 42-year-old Louis Ortiz, to a location near the ransacked restaurant and found him to be in possession of a bottle of rum stolen from Soul De Cuba. Investigators then reviewed security footage from the eatery, which confirmed that the initial break-in took place four days earlier, on Saturday, when they say Ortiz climbed into the locked business through a side window. The 42-year-old man then allegedly 'helped himself over the course of four days to the restaurants food, liquor, and beer,' according to the release. Ortiz was discovered sleeping inside Soul De Cuba cafe on Crown Street in New Haven, Connecticut, on Tuesday morning when a manager arrived to check on the eatery Besides gorging himself on refreshments, police say the hungry and thirsty intruder also took some 'beverages and property' to go. The management of the eatery estimated that Ortiz consumed or removed thousands of dollars worth of provisions, including 70 bottles of liquor. Soul De Cuba has been closed since mid-March due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but a manager has been routinely visiting the site to make sure it was secure. Ortiz was booked into the local jail on felony counts of burglary, larceny and criminal mischief. At his arraignment on Friday, Ortiz's bail was set at $10,500. Ortiz's next court appearance is scheduled for May 27. As part of its 2020 project, Art Bridges the Generations through Story & Play, Public Arts Midland is inviting local artists to paint pianos which will be placed around the city this summer. The group has extended its submission deadline to Thursday, April 23. Participation is open to artists and school groups, who must submit a written proposal as well as a rendering of what the finished piano will look like. Public Arts Midland is also looking for volunteers to be piano tuners, players and caretakers who will regularly check on the instruments and protect them from inclement weather. Mostly we want the community to know that it is still a go and that we would love to have more participation, said Public Arts Midland committee member Dacia Parker. Once the submissions are in, Public Arts Midland will notify the 13-15 chosen artists by email on April 27, with a Zoom planning meeting to follow a few days later. Artists will then have four to six weeks to complete their work. The pianos will be stationed around Midland, some in businesses, others in public spaces. Depending when social distancing measures are lifted, there are plans to organize gatherings this summer for the public to enjoy music and play games downtown while they check out the entries. There has been a wide range of themes submitted so far, but several are focused around music and music notes. Each one is creatively expressed differently, and it is fun to see the various interpretations, Parker said. The second aspect of the 2020 project emphasizes the contributions past generations have made to the community. Members of Public Arts Midland will interview and photograph senior citizens and display their story across different sites in Midland. Roxy Kilbourn, 14, of Midland combined both the artistic and historic aspects in her patriotic and military-themed art submission. We thought the piano being military themed would be a way to honor people in the community as well, said her mom, Karen Kilbourn. Its kind of a new thing for me but I wanted to try it, Roxy said. Roxy enjoys drawing, but this is the first time she has participated in something on this scale. Her initial design was going to focus on Marvel superheroes like Captain America, but when her dad said her great-grandfathers and two great-uncles served in four separate branches of the military, she changed her approach. I really want to be able to share some of the stories from my family that have impacted me, Roxy said. Roxys design will incorporate traditional patriotic themes including the Stars and Stripes, yellow ribbons representing support of the armed forces and paying homage to the U.S. Army, Marines, Air Force and Navy. She also plans to include names of local men and women who have served on the top of the piano. I really wanted one of the main focuses being the dog tags on the side, Roxy added. We are very touched by her thoughtful intent to recognize the history, story and impact veterans have made on our community, and to honor them, Parker stated. The committee would love to see more young people submit entries and participate, as it would be a great project for troops and other groups to work on together. Proposal forms are available at facebook.com/publicartsmidland and must to be submitted to artplays2020@gmail.com by 5 p.m. Friday, April 23. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 19:04:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BUDAPEST, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Hungary has donated 2,750 surgical masks to the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual School in Budapest, according to a press release on the embassy's official website on Friday. The donation will support the teachers and students of the school to fight against the novel coronavirus, said the release. Erdelyi Zsuzsanna, president of the school thanked the Chinese embassy for bringing these urgently-needed supplies at this crucial moment and expressed the confidence to win the war against the COVID-19 pandemic. As the only full-time public school in Central and Eastern Europe that incorporates Chinese into its curriculum just as the local language, Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual School has gained popularity in Hungary in recent years. According to official figures, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Hungary stood at 1,763 on Friday, with 207 recoveries and 156 fatalities. Enditem Jonah Hill was seen emerging from lockdown this week to enjoy a surfing outing in Santa Barbara, California. The 36-year-old actor, who was famous for his fuller figure when he first became a star, showed off his now trim frame in a clinging wetsuit. Although Los Angeles County where Jonah lives part-time has closed all of its public beaches, Santa Barbara County has not done so. Getting some air: Jonah Hill was seen emerging from lockdown this week to enjoy a surfing outing in Santa Barbara, California Jonah currently has a house in Santa Monica that he bought for $6.77 million last year as well as a loft in Manhattan, according to Variety. The Superbad icon announced on Instagram this Thursday that he will be participating in the star-studded All In Challenge to fundraise for COVID-19 relief. Jonah revealed that he is auctioning off the chance to shadow him for a day on set while he directs a film once the crisis subsides. Off he goes: The 36-year-old actor, who was famous for his fuller figure when he first became a star, showed off his now trim frame in a clinging wetsuit He added that '100% of the donations will go to America's Food Fund, which benefits Feeding America and World's Central Kitchen, No Kid Hungry and Meals On Wheels.' A slew of big name celebrities are participating in the All In Challenge ranging from Robert DeNiro and Leonardo DiCaprio to Ellen DeGeneres and Justin Bieber. Jonah was invited to participate by Matthew McConaughey and he has passed the ask along to Oprah Winfrey as well as his old pal Channing Tatum. Details: Although Los Angeles County where Jonah lives part-time has closed all of its public beaches, Santa Barbara County has not done so The Wolf Of Wall Street actor made his feature film directorial debut with the 2018 film Mid90s about a 13-year-old who loves skateboarding. 'The film is in no way an autobiography,' he told Newsweek. 'But there are things that are highly personal - mostly just the emotions of growing up, what things felt like.' Jonah has spent more than a year in a relationship with photographer Gianna Santos, whom he got engaged to last summer. Day after day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau comes forward to brief the nation on COVID-19 and he reassures Canadians that were all in this together. Are we? Laura Lopez, Cesar Paredes, Alina Przybyl, Gustavo Antonio, Liliana Trejo, Lisa Cheung and Danilo Dee would beg to differ. If the virus doesnt kill us, hunger will, Colombian Trejo, who has been living in Montreal for 12 years, said on Thursday. Risking detention and eventual deportation, these seven migrants spoke publicly Thursday of being perilously excluded from Canadas safety nets. Many dont qualify for the new emergency relief benefits and income supports, although they pay taxes, because at least half a million of them dont have Social Insurance Numbers, which are required to access government benefits. Among migrant workers many vulnerabilities coming to the forefront during the pandemic, this is a particularly unkind cut. Syed Hussan, executive director of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, is a child of migrant workers, was himself one, and has worked with migrant and undocumented families for more than 12 years in this country. Never before have I seen the incredible breadth of despair, suffering and looming calamity that Im seeing in our communities right now, he said. The workers, along with migrant rights advocates, called on Trudeau Thursday to urgently open emergency relief benefits and other income support to workers who dont have SINs and to those whose SINs have expired. They are also asking the government to use the workers Individual Tax Numbers to make them eligible for benefits while not sharing the information with the Immigration department. The workers voices expose a dirty little secret about Canada: we depend and grow rich off the very people we sanctimoniously exclude and frown upon as law-breaking outsiders. Laura Lopez, her husband and young child moved from Mexico to Canada five years ago. The couple were construction workers in Vancouver who lost their income to the pandemic. We are very scared, she told reporters during the online conference. Despite distancing rules, her husband sometimes finds work once or twice a week, but thats not enough to pay the rent or get groceries. Its a nightmare as a parent, to have no resources to provide for your kids. Two years ago, Lopez had a second child, this one born in Canada. What about the Canada Child Benefit for him? She tried applying online, but the application requires a parental SIN. I asked my lawyer and he said all of my sons rights as a citizen are frozen because I dont have a SIN, Lopez said. Excluded. Ditto with Cesar Paredes, an engineer and an expectant father working here as an undocumented construction worker. What about people with documents or permits that recently expired? Alina Przybyl is an international student from Poland at George Brown College in Toronto who has been in the country for three years. Before her study permit expired in January, she applied for an extension in December. (SINs expire with work and study permits). Now shes stuck, still to get a renewal. As an international student were only allowed to work 20 hours per week off campus. I was in no position to have savings, she said. Its hard for me to believe migrants cannot get support because of a formality like expired permits. Excluded. Lisa Cheung is an undocumented massage parlour worker who came to Canada as a refugee four and a half years ago. She paid $4,500 in taxes in March but has no income now that businesses have shut down. Her work permit expired in February. I am worried about food and rent. I cannot even pay the phone bill, she said through a translator. She had to borrow a phone to be able to speak to reporters Thursday, she said. Excluded. What about people who have all the documents? Gustavo Antonio has been a seasonal farm worker in Canada for 17 years doing orchard picking. He is stranded in Mexico unable to travel to Canada despite having a valid work permit (therefore a valid SIN) and a work contract. He is the familys sole breadwinner and now has no income. I have a right to get help from Canada, he said on the phone from Mexico. But no. Excluded. These are only some of the people trapped in a cruel vacuum created by exploitation and indifference. As workers in construction, farm work, cleaning, caretaking or restaurants, these are people doing jobs Canadians dont want to do. Nevertheless, these are jobs that are essential to maintain our food supply, to build our homes, to clean our hospitals, to deliver goods from warehouses as we safely practise physical distancing, to sell us groceries, to keep our children and our elders safe while we go to work. We need these workers, but we cant be bothered to value them because lets face it: were rich, theyre not. We grind them underfoot all the while patting ourselves on the back for our famed benevolence. Were not asking for a handout, said Danilo Dee from Edmonton, who came to Alberta in 2009. We are workers like anybody else and we dont deserve to be left behind. To have half a million people without income support means it will be impossible to flatten the curve, Hussan said. Its a public health imperative. Read more about: He had been in the hospital for seven days when doctors declared he might not make it out alive. His blood oxygen levels sank. His lungs struggled. The ventilator helping him breathe, doctors at Virginia Hospital Center said, did not seem to be doing much good. Nurses called his family. His family called a priest. They wanted to make sure Francis Wilson, 29, received last rites before the end. Wilson, a George Mason University law student, was among the first wave of coronavirus patients admitted to a Washington-area hospital last month. He was an outlier - young, healthy, no preexisting conditions. But by the time he called an ambulance, he could barely stand up without gasping for air. He was also one of the first cases in which doctors watched a patient come so close to death - and live. As the national coronavirus death toll continues to climb, hospitals are examining stories like Wilson's for lessons and holding them up as glimmers of hope. He is among about 48,000 people nationwide to beat covid-19, according to Johns Hopkins University estimates, and among the youngest in the region forced into an intense battle for survival. Washington Post photo by Bonnie Jo Mount. For a week after returning from the hospital, Wilson quarantined at home to make sure his symptoms were really gone. Now, he said, he's figuring out what to do with the adaptive immunity that medical experts have said covid-19 patients are likely to have when they recuperate. It means he should be immune to the coronavirus - although it's not clear for how long. "After I've taken this thing on, I really feel like I can handle anything," Wilson said a week after leaving the hospital. But recovery has its challenges. Nightmares and flashbacks wake him in the night. More than once, Wilson said, he has jolted awake thinking he had ripped out his breathing tube or IV lines. He has dreams about being buried alive, testing positive again, watching his friends die, infecting people without knowing it. Memories from the 11 days he was in a medically induced coma return with little warning. He's spent hours trying to piece them together. "Most of the time I was under, I don't remember anything, but for some reason, those moments when I was closest to death, my brain retained not only the memory of the stimuli occurring around me, but it retained my hallucinations or dreams while I was under, as well," he said. "That's been one of the strangest things for me to try to work through. Why do I remember this? Is any of it real?" Wilson started to feel sick on March 8, the day after the rector at Christ Church Georgetown became the first person to test positive for covid-19 in the District. The law student's symptoms were mild at first: sore throat, headaches, a slight cough, feeling sluggish and tired. Wilson said he thought it was spring allergies. At the time, few Americans realized that widespread community infection had probably already begun beyond Washington state, where the United States saw its first fatal infection clusters of the virus. Doctors in the District at the time were still asking about travel histories and exposure to people who had tested positive. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, did not declare a public health emergency until March 11. News coverage and scientific studies indicated that young, healthy people were at low risk. Wilson had not been out of the country. He was not in contact with anyone who he thought had the virus. But a week later, he felt worse. He went in for a flu test, which came back negative, and a pneumonia test, which came back positive. Wanting a more detailed diagnosis, Wilson said, the doctor requested further testing, including checking for covid-19. Three days later, Wilson found out he had the novel coronavirus. By then, he had already called an ambulance to take him to the hospital. It took him an hour to get from one room in his one-level apartment to the other. Standing up knocked the wind out of him. When he started to cough, he couldn't stop. A friend he had gone bowling with the week before also developed symptoms. Doctors at Virginia Hospital Center told him they were going to put him under general anesthesia for further monitoring and connect him to a ventilator to help him breathe. "We didn't know how serious his situation really was at the time," said his father, Henry Wilson. "We thought when he got to the hospital that they would take care of it and he would be getting better soon. But then it only got worse." Francis Wilson had been on a ventilator for seven days when his parents received a call from an ICU nurse telling them they had to come in right away. At Virginia Hospital Center, the family was given protective masks and gloves and told they could see Wilson - who was being monitored in a negative-pressure room used to treat covid-19 patients - only from behind a glass wall. The hospital had done all it could, a nurse told them, and he wasn't getting better. Doctors wanted to transfer him to George Washington University Hospital, where medical staff have the ability to administer extracorporeal life support - a technique that allows the blood to be oxygenated outside the patient's lungs. It's typically reserved as a last-ditch effort to save someone, said GWU Hospital spokeswoman Christine Searight. But it would take 20 minutes to transfer him, and the medical staff worried Wilson might not survive the journey, said his sister, Bernadette Wilson. "You start to bargain with God in situations like that," Henry Wilson said, his voice cracking. "He looked so peaceful, but I realized that it could be the last time I spoke with him. I said, 'Francis.' I shouted, 'I want you to live.' " Somehow, Francis Wilson said, he heard their voices. His parents telling him to pull through. His sister saying they had too many things still to do together. He describes it as an "out-of-body experience." Once at GWU Hospital, Wilson started to improve. The doctors were able to "ratchet up the settings" on his ventilator, Searight said, and his lungs seemed to respond for the first time in more than a week. Two days later, Anna Wilson received a text message from her son. It said: "Mom, I'm alive." Today, Wilson is again in uncharted territory. How do you reenter a world that looks nothing like the one you knew? How does it feel to have survived a virus that is killing people by the thousands every day? Wilson said his goals are simple: He wants to visit his parents, both in their 70s. He wants to hug his mom, maybe get his sister to give him a haircut. Once he gets the all-clear from his doctors, he wants to donate plasma to help other coronavirus patients beat the disease. Most of all, he said, he wants people to take his story as a lesson. San Francisco, April 17 : After shares of pharmaceutical major Gilead Sciences surged following a media report that the company's antiviral drug remdesivir showed promise in treating COVID-19 patients in a "closely watched clinical trial", analysts at Robert W. Baird & Co. said that the results need to be critically looked into. According to a report in the health-oriented news website STAT, most of the patients recruited for the studies reported fast recoveries in fever and respiratory symptoms. Following the treatment almost all of them were discharged in less than a week, while only two died, according to the report. But in an investment research report, the Baird analysts pointed out that the results reported by STAT were based on "uncontrolled, anecdotal data, which often winds up not being confirmed in controlled studies". STAT did say that all the patients in the trials were given remdesivir, suggesting that there were no control populations. Moreover, the results of the studies were leaked. An infectious disease specialist at University of Chicago discussed the trial results with other University of Chicago faculty members. STAT obtained a copy of the recorded conversation. The Baird analysts said that these results need to be cautiously interpreted and added that the more definitive answer will come from the double-blind placebo controlled study by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the US National Institutes of Health, expected in late May. Remdesivir is an investigational broad-spectrum antiviral treatment. It was previously tested in humans with Ebola virus disease and has shown promise in animal models for treating Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which are caused by other coronaviruses. The safety and efficacy of remdesivir to treat COVID-19 are being evaluated in multiple ongoing Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials. Gilead earlier said that a study in China in patients with severe disease was terminated early due to low enrollment. But the study in China in patients with mild-to-moderate disease is ongoing, it added. Additional studies of remdesivir and other investigational treatments for Covid-19, based on a master protocol by the World Health Organization, have also begun to enroll patients in countries around the world. Xi Jinping Coronavirus China REUTERS/Aly Song The UK told China it couldn't return to "business as usual" with the international community after the coronavirus pandemic. UK First Secretary of State Dominic Raab said the world would have to investigate how the outbreak started in China. The UK government has previously cast doubt on China's information about the outbreak. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The UK has told China that it cannot return to "business as usual" after the coronavirus pandemic. UK First Minister of State Dominic Raab told a press conference on Thursday that the international community must investigate the origins of the outbreak in China. "There absolutely needs to be a very deep dive on lessons, including on the outbreak of the virus, and I don't think we can flinch from that at all," Raab said. Related: What Could Be the Fastest Way to End the COVID-19 Crisis? When he was asked if there would be a "reckoning" with China after the crisis ended, Raab said: "There's no doubt that we can't have business as usual after this crisis, and we have to ask the hard questions about how it came about and how it could have been stopped earlier." He added: "We'll look very carefully with other international partners at how this outbreak happened." Most scientists believe the coronavirus originated at a market in Wuhan, a city in China's Hubei province. However, sources in the UK government have examined whether the virus accidentally leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan where scientists were researching viruses, according to a Mail on Sunday report. "There is a credible alternative view [to the zoonotic theory] based on the nature of the virus," a member of the Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms, the UK government's emergency committee of senior officials, told the newspaper. They added: "Perhaps it is no coincidence that there is that laboratory in Wuhan. It is not discounted." The Mail on Sunday also reported that government figures suggested that the real number of cases in China could be up to 40 times larger than the official count. Story continues The UK government has also publicly cast doubt on China's information about the virus. On March 29, UK Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove told the BBC he was skeptical of China's official virus numbers. "The first case of coronavirus in China was established in December of last year, but it was also the case that some of the reporting from China was not clear about the scale, the nature, the infectiousness of this," he said. A report by the UK Parliament's Foreign Affairs CommitteeA last month also accused the Chinese government of spreading disinformation about the virus' spread. "Disinformation about COVID-19 has already cost lives," the committee said. "It is essential that the Government issues clear and transparent messages at home to confront and rebut disinformation spread by foreign powers." Business Insider Officials in Moscow say they have filed a formal protest to Oslo over the detention of a Russian fishing boat in the Arctic by Norway's coast guard near a remote chain of Norwegian islands. The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, about 850 kilometers north of mainland Norway, is seen as a potential flashpoint between Moscow and the West, as climate change has opened up the resource-rich region. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on April 17 that Moscow was seriously concerned about the detention of the Russian fishing vessel, named Borey, on April 2. The ship was stopped within Norway's fishery-protection zone, which Russia considers illegal. "We believe the practice of detaining foreign vessels by the Norwegian coast guard in the so-called fish-protection zone is in line with Norway's policy of illegally expanding its rights in the archipelago region," Zakharova told TASS. Norway's Foreign Ministry confirmed the Borey had been detained by its coast guard, saying the fishing boat was suspected of violating Norwegian regulations in the protection zone. "The case was solved under normal procedure at sea and the vessel was released," the Norwegian ministry said in a statement. The ministry also confirmed it received Moscow's diplomatic protest but reiterated that the fishery zone was established legally. Previous incidents of Russian vessels being detained in the area were reported in 2003, 2011, and 2016. Based on reporting by Reuters and TASS Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 11:23:06|Editor: ZD Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday excluded Senator Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican, from a congressional group that convenes every other GOP senators and over 20 Democrats, which focuses on reopening the coronavirus-hit nation. The 2012 Republican presidential nominee Romney was the only GOP senator to vote to convict Trump in his impeachment trial earlier this year. The senator voted to convict the president on the abuse of power charge and to acquit him on the obstruction of Congress charge. Several Democratic senators who voted to convict Trump were among those tapped to serve on the task force. Trump hosted phone calls with members of the group on Thursday, said a White House press release. The dialogue included "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," the release said. Earlier in the day, Trump lashed out at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who initiated the impeachment drive against him last year and has recently criticized his handling of the coronavirus outbreak. "She is totally incompetent & controlled by the Radical Left, a weak and pathetic puppet. Come back to Washington and do your job!" Trump tweeted. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Pelosi said that Trump "ignored the warnings about the pandemic" and that "he told his most loyal followers it was a hoax and would magically disappear." "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 added. Enditem Labour unions said Friday they had lodged a complaint against French call centre firm Teleperformance for allegedly exposing staff in several countries to "dangerous" working conditions amid the coronavirus outbreak. In some cases, workers had no choice but to sleep on the floor with other colleagues in call centres due to restrictions on movement linked to virus lockdowns, the UNI Global Union and French unions CFDT, CGT and FO said in a statement. In others, workers had to share headsets despite the risk of virus contagion. Among its contracts, Teleperformance operates the emergency number in France for people seeking information on COVID-19. A complaint was lodged with the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for alleged violations of its guidelines for multinational enterprises, the unions said. "In ten countries including France, the Philippines, Colombia, Britain, Albania, Portugal and Greece, the complaint alleges dangerous conditions in client service centres for clients such as Apple, Google and Amazon," they added. The UNI Global Union is a federation of unions in 150 countries. The complaint was the first brought for alleged non-respect of the OECD guidelines since the coronavirus outbreak forced governments to impose strict lockdown conditions, shuttering non-essential companies and forcing millions to work from home, said the statement. The OECD, an economic cooperation forum comprising 36 nations, can entertain complaints concerning the alleged violation of workers' rights in the course of foreign business operations. Teleperformance has 331,000 employees in 80 countries, and describes itself as "the global leader in customer experience management." On its website, the company states it was "working tirelessly to protect the health and well-being of our employees, while ensuring business continuity for our clients." But according to the CGT, the firm "delayed enabling remote work (for staff) at its call centres which remained open, endangering the health of workers." And once remote work became possible, the company expected staff to use their personal cellphones for work, it added. There have been numerous reports of staff being forced to work in close proximity at Teleperformance call centres in France, Greece and Portugal, where health authorities closed a centre that allegedly stayed open after staff were diagnosed with the virus. A centre in Blagnac, southwestern France, had to be closed for disinfection after a labour inspection, said the CGT. And in the Philippines, workers had no choice but to sleep at the office, according to the UNI Global Union. On April 7, the company said it had ordered more than six million masks, had enabled half of its workforce to telecommute, and was targeting two-thirds by mid-April. The company did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (JNS)-The worldwide pandemic COVID-19 is wreaking havoc in its relentless sweep across the planet, not only in terms of health needs and care, but in economic terms as well. It has quashed the booming stock market and decimated unemployment lows, with such turmoil expected to continue for the next few weeks and maybe months. While the long-term impact of the coronavirus is yet to come, Jewish communal organizations are already hearing from small business, individuals and groups that have immediate financial needs as they try and cope with the shutdowns. At the same time, many are concerned that donors may not be able fulfill previous pledges or increase donations to meet the deficit because of the economic downturn. "Federations in every community are deeply involved with their community and are already responding to needs of their communities," said Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America. "Obviously, we know we have a large number of people who are isolated and quarantined. We have Pesach coming up, and we are going to need to make sure everyone all the people in our community have the ability to have a seder, kosher-for-Pesach food, and that those who are isolated are cared for and have essential needs. "This is what the collective exists for, and I couldn't be more proud of them," he continued. "The crazy thing about this is while there may be areas slightly more impacted, it is truly a global crisis." The closing of stores and businesses of all sizes is causing a financial impact to schools, Jewish community centers and other agencies, added Stephan Kline, the interim director of the Washington, D.C., office of the JFNA. Jewish Nevada, the local federation office based in Las Vegas, has already mobilized to help residents, with its website also posting a special COVID-19 section with a host of resources and links. "As we continue to assess the needs of the community, we have opened a COVID-19 relief fund that will help us to address needs as they come in," said Stefanie Tuzman, president and CEO of Jewish Nevada. "But we have immediately provided financial support to our synagogues and agencies, which are receiving direct requests for assistance from their congregants and members. We are working closely with our Jewish Family Service agency to not only provide funding support, but to provide food for Passover for homebound seniors, as well as volunteers to help deliver food to those who are restricted." Mirroring other free loan societies across the country, the New York-based Hebrew Free Loan Society is already seeing the effects of the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus. "We have to move fast and be thoughtful-and those two things don't always come together," acknowledged David Rosenn, executive director of the Hebrew Free Loan Society, which helps people in New York City, in an online program last week sponsored by the Jewish Funders Network, which connects philanthropists to needs in the Jewish community. "A lot of people are already under financial pressure." The Hebrew Free Loan, which provides aid to individuals and small businesses in Westchester County, N.Y., Long Island and New York, has already altered its repayment schedules for the 130 business that have borrowed money and changed some terms of its loans for others. "The HFLS Board just approved last night allowing all of our borrowers to hit pause on repayments for the next two months," Rosenn said in an interview with JNS. "That will keep money in the pockets of lower-income people who are going to need to marshal all their financial resources in the weeks and months ahead. That will create a $1.3 million problem for us in terms of cash flow, but better us than our borrowers. We need to be taking actions that we would not normally consider, because it's not a normal time." The organization has also created a special "Coronavirus Financial Impact Loan," awarding loans of between $2,000 and $5,000 to low-income households to help with child care for those who have to work, medical bills, loss of wages and other needs. According to Rosenn, 300 loan applications were downloaded as of the end of last week, and "about a dozen completed so far, but we just put it up, and we expect volume to increase very soon." Before the outbreak, "we were on track to make $20 million in loans-a total of 1,400 loans. We anticipate 40 to 50 coronavirus loans per week, for the next 12 weeks for a total of 480 to 600 loans [at a cost of] $2.4 million to $3 million." 'A systematic impact on the entire community' Andres Spokoiny, the president and CEO of the Jewish Funders Network, believes the economic impact of the coronavirus will affect many different groups. "We are looking at a systemic impact on the entire community. I don't think we'll be able to isolate this to a specific sector," he said during an interview with JNS. One of the concerns, he pointed out, is that many Jewish organizations host major fundraising events in the spring. Those are now canceled. "There is going to be a big loss because of how the galas work. There's a whole economy in the nonprofit world that lives off these fundraising events," explained Spokoiny, noting that nonprofits are telling their donors that even though the events are off, donation requests are on. "So far, the response from the philanthropic community is very encouraging. People are committing to give the same sponsorship even though the event is not taking place." However, he added, "we're still at the beginning." Noted Fingerhut, "We have many wonderful, innovative programs in our community that we want to support and sustain, but we have to do some triage... anyone who thinks we are not going to lose something from this total mosaic of Jewish communal life is being dishonest." Recognizing that significant numbers of families are already struggling financially, the Orthodox Union has launched several initiatives to address food insecurity. Among efforts are an online portal called Kosher Food Lifeline, where people can post about the availability of free or low-cost kosher food in different communities. Those needing a meal can search the database for a food source near them. "The crisis has deprived many families of income, and others are confronting wholly unanticipated, nondiscretionary expenses-all the more devastating during this period leading to Passover," said Orthodox Union executive vice president Allen Fagin. "The OU is devoting significant resources to help with the food-insecurity issues that our community is facing due to the COVID-19 outbreak." Also helping with emergency food needs is the Met Council on Jewish Poverty of New York. The agency just received a $1,750,000 grant from the UJA-Federation of New York to continue its operations and supply food pantries across the state. The funds will also help provide emergency Passover meals to more than 180,000 Jewish New Yorkers in need. "Met Council is on the front lines with UJA-Federation dealing with an unprecedented crisis unfolding in our city. After health care, the No. 1 concern that we should have is feeding struggling, homebound and elderly New Yorkers," said David G. Greenfield, CEO of Met Council. "The emergency food-pantry system is strained in a way that we have never seen before. This emergency funding from UJA will allow us to serve hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who are now in crisis." One element that everyone agrees will be critical for Jewish organizations at the frontlines of providing assistance to their communities is some assistance from the federal government. To that end, the Jewish Federations of North America signed on to a letter signed by more than 40 other major nonprofit agencies requesting a $60 billion in aid to help those most in need. Also, signing on to the letter was the Orthodox Union. Faygie Holt Empty store shelves at Target in East Hanover, N.J., in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, March 2020. According to Kline, who serves as Federation's point person in Washington, D.C., like all other industries-transportation, tourism, the arts-the nonprofit sector, which accounts for 10 percent of the gross domestic product, needs to lobby for its specific needs. "The president and Congress are talking about a trillion-dollar aid package... can we get a great package of support for the nonprofit sector?" posed Kline. Among the items that Federation and other nonprofits are asking the government for are charitable tax incentives or loans and grants "that would be bring in added new revenue." "What's at risk here," added Fingerhut, "is the individual needs of members of the Jewish community, which we are delivering on, but also the institutional structure of the Jewish community. We will not allow the capacity of the Jewish community to serve all its constituents to fall apart." A Massachusetts man was charged on Wednesday with trying to blow up a Jewish assisted-living centre that had been targeted for attack on a white supremacist website that promoted a Jew killing day, federal prosecutors said. The man, John Michael Rathbun, 36, was charged in federal court in Western Massachusetts with two counts of attempted arson after authorities said he tried to ignite a five-gallon plastic gas canister outside Ruths House, an assisted-living home in Longmeadow, Mass., on the morning of April 2. Federal prosecutors said Rathbuns DNA matched bloodstains found on the handle of the canister and on a partly charred Christian religious pamphlet that had been stuffed in the nozzle as a fuse. Rathbuns mother told federal agents she prints and distributes Christian pamphlets, but did not recognize the one in the gas canister. The canister was found near a widely used pedestrian walkway, about 45 metres from Ruths House, authorities said. The 64-unit centre, which is open to older people of all religious backgrounds, is part of a section of Longmeadow that includes several Jewish institutions, including three temples, a Jewish private school and a Jewish community centre, federal prosecutors said. It really targeted this small but tight-knit Jewish community, said Eric Lesser, the state senator from Longmeadow, who added that the institutions need more funding for security. People are on edge and people are concerned. Ruths House had been targeted for attack on two social media platforms operated by an unnamed white supremacist group, according to a criminal complaint. One user on March 4 had discussed a mass killing at that Jew nursing home in Longmeadow Massachusetts, and another had created a calendar listing for April 3 called Jew killing day. The FBI was not sure whether Rathbun was involved with the white supremacist group, but said his computer had been seized and an investigation was continuing, according to the complaint. The incident came as assisted-living centres and nursing homes around the country have been ravaged by the coronavirus and as Jews have faced spasms of anti-Semitic violence, including attacks on synagogues in Poway, Calif., last April and in Pittsburgh in 2018. Anti-Semitic attacks in the New York area have also been more frequent in recent months, with three people killed in a shooting at a kosher supermarket in Jersey City, N.J., and a knife attack at a rabbis home in Monsey, N.Y. In times of national crisis, hatred based on religion often blossoms into violence, said Andrew Lelling, the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts. We will find, investigate and aggressively prosecute anyone engaged in this kind of mayhem. Rathbun, who made an appearance in federal court via video conference on Wednesday, has not yet entered a plea. A federal magistrate judge, Katherine A. Robertson, released him to his home in East Longmeadow, Mass., over the objections of prosecutors, who said the decision appears to have been greatly influenced by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, at this time, Ive been advised not to comment, Rathbun said in a brief telephone interview on Thursday. I have nothing to say. Rathbuns federal public defender, Timothy Watkins, declined to comment. Ruths House is part of a 23-acre campus that includes a rehabilitation centre and several other facilities run by JGS Lifecare, which was founded in 1912 by 13 Jewish women as the Daughters of Zion Home for the Aged in Springfield, Mass. A spokeswoman for JGS Lifecare referred questions about the episode to federal prosecutors. Even before the attempted arson, JGS Lifecare was in crisis after 93 residents and 43 staff members in its facilities tested positive for the coronavirus and 21 residents died from the virus. Ruths House had no confirmed cases as of April 10, according to a letter from the groups leaders, who said they were contending with the most difficult time in our lives. Joseph Bonavolonta, the special agent in charge of the FBIs Boston division, said that the case highlights the very real threat posed by racially motivated violent extremists. He added that the bureau and its partners were determined to use every investigative tool to identify, assess and disrupt threats like this one to keep our communities safe. Scientists and staff combine expertise across disciplines to address drug development, medical supplies, information processing, and more UPTON, NY, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scientists and staff at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) national laboratories are marshalling their expertise, unique facilities, and other key resources in the battle against COVID-19. At Brookhaven National Laboratory: Research is already underway to better understand key characteristics of the virus that causes COVID-19 and its interactions with human cells, which could help guide the development of therapeutic drugs and vaccines. Laboratory scientists and collaborators are using experiments and computational methods to identify the most promising drug/vaccine candidates, and developing tools to help other scientists keep up with the latest developments around the world. The Laboratory has also gathered critical protective equipment as part of a Federal effort to support medical professionals, and is exploring options for making much-needed supplies. "Brookhaven Lab has exceptional resources for addressing some of the most urgent scientific and logistical challenges of this pandemic," said John Hill, director of Brookhaven Lab's National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), who is chairing a working group to coordinate the Lab's COVID-19 science and technology efforts, and is serving on a team coordinating the COVID-19 research across all the DOE national labs. "The speed with which the entire scientific community is attacking this problem is amazing," he said, "and the whole Lab, whether working off site or on, is part of this effort." Deciphering protein structures Even as the Laboratory operates with minimal staff to help keep the virus from spreading, experiments are running at two of NSLS-II's protein crystallography beamlines to help find ways to thwart the virus. These experiments aim to characterize the atomic-level structure of viral components, including how they connect with receptors on human cells, so scientists can identify ways to block the infection-causing interactions. Story continues NSLS-II, a DOE Office of Science user facility, provides x-ray beams to create those atomic-scale pictures. "NSLS-II has the brightest synchrotron x-rays in the world for studying the proteins in the virus and understanding better the processes hijacked in infected cells," said Sean McSweeney, leader of Brookhaven Lab's structural biology program. "The high brightness means we can get 'pictures' from tiny crystal samples of the proteins. We don't need to spend weeks, or months, growing big crystals, which is typically a bottleneck in protein crystallography. We also have methods for testing potential drugs that bind to these proteins and then collecting and sifting through data very rapidlyall of which greatly speed the process of discovery." Scientists from several pharmaceutical companies and academic researchers have already collected data, and more are expected each week, in some cases collaborating in the search for antiviral agents and targets for vaccines. Brookhaven scientists are engaged in this work as well. "One group, which includes scientists from the biology department, is working to solve the structure of an 'envelope' protein embedded in the virus's membrane. This protein is important to the virus's life cycle," McSweeney said. "Deciphering these structures will provide atomic-level data that could guide the development of drugs that bind to the proteins and interfere with their functions so the virus can no longer infect cells or replicate." The structural studies may help identify viral components that are most likely to trigger the production of antibodieschemicals produced by the immune system that can fight off an infection. These immune-system-triggering proteins, known as antigens, form the basis of most vaccines. "The Department of Energy has been exceptionally helpful in fast-tracking the approval process for this research," Hill said. "Every proposal is getting beamtime." Much of the data will be published in the open research literature and deposited in the globally accessible Protein Data Bank so that scientists everywhere can learn from one another and build on each other's efforts. Brookhaven is also hosting a centralized portal to streamline access to all the structural biology resources across the DOE complex. Brookhaven is also fielding requests to pursue COVID-19 protein studies at its new cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) facilitythe Laboratory of BioMolecular Structurewhich is currently under construction adjacent to NSLS-II. "The Laboratory and DOE both recognize how crucial this facility will be to advancing our understanding of COVID-19, particularly for studying the large protein complexes that span cell membranes," said Hill. "We are so grateful to everyone who is working to bring this facility into operation at an accelerated pace." Computational approaches Once scientists know the viral components they want to target for developing therapeutic agents, they need to know which small drug-like molecules will fit into the viral-protein pockets or the cell-surface receptors to which the virus binds. Brookhaven scientists are working on that piece of the puzzle, too. NSLS-II, for example, can run experiments using samples of viral or receptor proteins and drug candidates together to find which fit best and offer the most promise of blocking infection. But the universe of small molecules that could interact with protein components is extremely large. Running experiments to look at every possibility would take far too long. Fortunately, computational scientists at Brookhaven, working in partnership with colleagues at Stony Brook University, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Rutgers University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the University of Texas, and elsewherecurrently around 160 scientists, 25 at Brookhavenare helping to speed up the search for drugs. "The aim of this research is to accelerate the development of antiviral drugs by modeling proteins that play critical roles in the virus life cycle to identify promising drug targets," said Kerstin Kleese van Dam, director of Brookhaven Lab's Computational Science Initiative (CSI). Using supercomputing resources across the U.S., the scientists will screen the chemical structures of a wide range of small molecules that might be able to block key viral functions. These "virtual" experiments will explore the chemical structures of known drugs that are already licensed and could quickly be repurposed, as well as libraries of small drug-like molecules that could be developed into drugs. Brookhaven scientists are focused on large-scale libraries with billions of chemical structures that could be manufactured quickly for testing. This research relies on machine learning and other tools of artificial intelligence (AI) running simulations of the interactions between proteins and potential drugs. The virtual screening using these "molecular dynamics" simulations will refine the machine learning and AI approaches so that successive rounds of evaluations create a list of potentially viable small-molecule drug candidates. As one local example, in a project led by Stony Brook, Lab scientists will be running simulations to see which molecules might block the interaction between the "crown" (or corona) of "spike" proteins on the COVID-19 virus and receptors on human lung cells. "In a first step, we will be looking at 60 different target sites where a new drug may attach to the virus and one billion drug-like molecules to identify the most promising options for neutralizing the virus to keep it from entering cells," Kleese van Dam said. Then, only those particularly promising molecules would need to be studied in detail with structural studies at synchrotrons like NSLS-II or cryo-EM facilities. Kleese van Dam put out a call for volunteers across the Lab who have experience with high performance computing and the Lab's computing clusters to help make faster progress, saying "We have the data, we have the tools, but need people who can help us to run the programs and check that they ran correctly, and to test an initial set of structures against possible drug targets." The response was overwhelming. "We had very quickly a large number of volunteersmore than we could accommodate on our current projectfrom all across the Lab, including staff from NSLS-II, the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), high-energy and nuclear physics, and the Collider-Accelerator Department," Kleese van Dam said. Many scientists at the Lab's Office of Science user facilitieswhich include CFN and the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) in addition to NSLS-IIhave experience dealing with "big data" problems, so this call-to-action was a perfect fit. "I'm so grateful to those who stepped up so selflessly," Kleese van Dam said. "We're compiling a list of all these volunteers so we can deploy them to a range of COVID-19 projects as needed going forward." Kleese van Dam's group is also developing computational tools to help scientists battling COVID-19 keep up with the latest research developments around the world. "More than 15,000 new papers related to COVID-19 have been published since the start of the outbreak in December 2019, and the quality and relevance of these papers to current research needs varies dramatically," she said. "We're developing a 'natural language processing' program that will search through a library of all these papers to pull out the most relevant information based on a researcher's plain-language question." Using this system, scientists would be able to more easily find and track the latest data on which drugs are in clinical trials, for example, or pull out research on the latest potential targets. A different kind of computational model developed with help from Brookhaven scientists was designed to simulate the spread of the virus in the Chicago area. This project was led by Sergei Maslov, a former Brookhaven scientist who is now at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and is still a CFN user, with help from CFN's Alexei Tkachenko. Government officials in Illinois used this model in an early effort to optimize their response to the outbreak there, and ongoing research continues to improve and extend this work. On the front lines In addition to attacking the COVID-19 research head-on, the Laboratory has been working with the DOE to gather and distribute the Lab's excess personal protective equipment (PPE) to health care workers on the front lines. Hill's COVID-19 science and technology working group is also exploring other ways the Lab can contribute at the local hospital level. "We looked at ways we might sterilize masks or other critical equipment," Hill said, "and we're exploring options for using the Lab's 3-D printers to make components for face shields, or possibly even ventilators. But there are lots of complicated details still to be worked out." Meanwhile, Battellewhich manages Brookhaven Lab as one entity of Brookhaven Science Associates (the other half being Stony Brook University)is hoping to meet the sterilization need. They've deployed a shipping container outfitted with a Critical Care Decontamination System to Stony Brook Hospital. According to Battelle, the system uses hydrogen peroxide vapor to clean tens of thousands of pieces of PPE at a time. "This system could be a real game changer to keep healthcare workers protected as they meet the rising influx of COVID-19 patients," Hill said. Check the Labs COVID-19 research page to learn more about the projects being coordinated by the COVID-19 S&T Working Group. Operations at NSLS-II, CFN, and the CSI are supported by the DOE Office of Science. The AMX and FMX beamlines carrying out protein crystallography at NSLS-II are also supported by the National Institutes of Health; CSI receives additional support through Brookhaven's Program Development funds. *** Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://www.energy.gov/science/ [https://www.energy.gov/science/] Follow @BrookhavenLab on Twitter [http://twitter.com/BrookhavenLab] or find us on Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/BrookhavenLab/] One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE's Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by the Research Foundation for the State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit applied science and technology organization. Attachment Karen McNulty Walsh Brookhaven National Laboratory 6313448350 kmcnulty@bnl.gov Citing a semi-flattened curve of novel coronavirus cases in Texas, Gov. Greb Abbott announced three new executive orders during a Friday press conference outlining the process of re-opening the state's economy. The orders include implementing a Strike Force that consists of a team of nationally recognized medical experts and private and public leaders that will advise on best practices to safely re-open the state. Highlights Citing South Koreas progress in fighting COVID-19, Apple is looking to open its sole store in Seoul. It will, however, function on reduced hours keeping the health of customers in mind. Apple reopened all of its 42 retail stores in China in March. Apple is looking to open its first retail store outside of China. Located in Seoul, South Korea, Apple's only store is likely to open its doors on April 18. Apple, in a statement, said that South Korea has shown great progress during the spread of COVID-19, a report by Bloomberg stated. By doing this, Apple is slowly trying to get back on track to resume physical retail operations. The store will reportedly work for short hours on an adjusted schedule to ensure customers and employees continue to stay healthy. Apple, in the beginning, is looking to focus on offering product support instead of making sales. Customers will have the option of buying Apple products from the store, and the option of ordering Apple products online is available top. South Korea curbed the spread of COVID-19 by early April and set an example for the world to follow. The country has so far seen a little over 200 deaths with over 10.500 cases. The reason why Apple feels it is safe to open its retail store in Seoul. To contain COVID-19, Apple was fast to take action as it started shutting stores all over the world. Apple first shut all of its 42 retail stores in China before opening them in March. It then shut shop in all countries indefinitely, leaving out Greater China. Apple will reportedly open its stores in the US by early May. CEO Tim Cook, in a company-wide virtual meeting held on April 16 answered queries related to the pandemic. A report by Bloomberg stated that Cook addressed his colleagues and said that Apple was not immune to worldwide economic trends but that it "entered the coronavirus pandemic with a robust balance sheet." Cook also stressed that the company will keep investing in a "really significant way" in research and development and future products When asked about job cuts, Cook emphasised on the strong financial position and pointed out that it has been paying retail employees while stores are closed. Cook said "I won't tell you Apple won't be impacted," while stressing that his focus is on running the company for the long-term rather than making short-term adjustments. There was no clarity as to when the employees would return to offices, but Cook assured that when it happens temperature checks and social distancing will be implemented. Apple's head of human resources and retail, Deirdre O'Brien, further said Apple is reworking on its vacation policies so that the company can meet the needs of the employees. In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, a group of Butte women found a way to show appreciation to those on the front lines, while supporting local restaurants struggling from a stay-at-home order. When Sonia Zachow of La Casa Toscana began delivering meals to health care providers at St. James Healthcare, she wanted to do more to help those on the front lines. So Zachow reached out to Julie Jaksha, regional director of the small business development center for Headwaters RC&D, for help coordinating efforts with other local restaurant owners. Meanwhile, Jaksha had already heard of another Butte resident, Krissy Kraczkowsky, interested in starting a front line appreciation group in Butte. Thats when she saw an opportunity for collaboration. Together, they formed the Front Line Appreciation Group (FLAG) of Butte. FLAG began as a grassroots effort in New Jersey. Multiple FLAG groups quickly cropped up in cities across the country. Jaksha and Kraczkowsky started the first FLAG in Montana. Having a coordinated effort works way better, Jasksha said. FLAG is a win-win during this challenging time for all of us in the Butte community. We have many wonderful local restaurants whose daily operations have been completely thrown off course due to social distancing and sheltering-in-place orders. In simple terms, FLAG is people helping people, she said. "Our goal is to help restaurants' cash flow and help keep them afloat during this tough time, while supporting our healthcare workers, first responders and other emergency personal that are working tirelessly stay strong and know that they are appreciated. We have an amazing community of people who want to help, Jaksha said. The FLAG Butte Chapter raised over $5,500 to cover the costs of close to 200 meals delivered within four days of its launch. The money raised has been used to purchase meals from local restaurants and deliver them to front line healthcare workers at various facilities, including St. James Healthcare and Southwest Montana Community Health Center. The group has been working with more than a half dozen restaurants, including La Casa Toscana, Wicked Que, Casagranda's, Metals Bar & Grill, M&M, Subway and Taco del Sol, among others. Jaksha said more restaurants have been wanting to help out. The community, local businesses, and restaurants have rallied behind FLAG to ensure that hospital workers, healthcare providers, and first responders are all taken care of, said Kraczkowsky, Butte FLAG coordinator. Its been an amazing collaboration. We are all in this together. And we are stronger together. Donations are being accepted via PayPal via https://www.headwatersrcd.org/frontline-appreciation or checks can be mailed to the US Bank, 10 S. Main, Butte, MT made payable to Headwaters RC&D C/O FLAG Butte. For questions about the program or donations, contact Krissy Kraczkowsky at ButteFLAG@gmail.com. or Julie Jaksha at jjaksha@headwatersrcd.org Love 13 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 3 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Local churches are continuing to offer services to their congregants via alternative service options. Some have taken to online streaming, others are offering services hosted in the parking lots of churches and others have been called off completely for the time being. Here's a list of where and when they're hosting services: Since Jan. 1, more than 150 pieces of legislation have been introduced to address some aspect of absentee voting (map below). Here are some examples: SB 2 , vetoed by the governor but overridden by state legislators, will require voters to provide a photocopy of an ID in order to obtain an absentee ballot. It also requires citizens who vote in person to provide a photo ID, which has not been required previously. The legal director for the Kentucky chapter of the ACLU characterized the passage as voter suppression. HB 419 would allow all qualified voters to vote by mail and eliminates the requirement that a person requesting to vote by mail provide a reason for the request, or documents supporting that request. It requires that ballots mailed to voters include a postage paid return envelope. A 10277 addresses pandemic concerns in the states June primary election by allowing absentee voting in the event of an imminent, impending or urgent threat resulting from a disease outbreak. HB 878 allows an in-person voter who cannot provide the required forms of identification to sign a statement affirming their identity, with a felony penalty for false statements. Absentee voting in person would open on the 45th day prior to an election and continue until the Saturday immediately preceding it. An excuse is required for absentee ballot requests. HB 251 would allow voters to vote absentee without having to provide an excuse. Applications are due not less than five days before an election. Alabama HB419 includes epidemic within the circumstances that would allow the governor to suspend any election. If the election has already begun when an election emergency is declared, absentee ballots received at that point would be counted during the re-scheduled election. Iran's Firouzja makes history at Banter Blitz Cup 03/29/20 Source: Tehran Times 16-year-old Alireza Firouzja claimed a historic 8.5:7.5 victory to defeat reigning World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen in the final of the $14,000 Banter Blitz Cup. In a thrilling contest, broadcast worldwide, Firouzja, who was featured by Mirror as an upcoming talent recently, earned applauds from Carlsen himself. "Good game Alireza. I was way out of shape, but he deserves full credit. I've just got to be better, but he is amazing strong. Full credit," Carlsen said. "That was really horrible, I just was way out of shape, but he deserves full credit" 16-year-old Iranian chess prodigy Alireza Firouzja has upended the chess world by beating World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen to win the $14,000 Banter Blitz Cup. https://t.co/axVW6pPaE3 pic.twitter.com/yeiyTJOwqt CNN Sport (@cnnsport) April 17, 2020 Firouzja said he had prepared thoroughly for the final. "The only thing I think about all day is chess, so maybe it's all day," the Iranian teenager said. There will be a chance for revenge on Monday when they play again in the Magnus Carlsen Invitational. Assisted living residences may ease visitor restrictions meant to prevent COVID-19 from devastating retirement communities after cuts to home care services have left some seniors relying on family members for support. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Assisted living residences may ease visitor restrictions meant to prevent COVID-19 from devastating retirement communities after cuts to home care services have left some seniors relying on family members for support. The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority has temporarily suspended home care services considered to be non-essential including bathing, laundry, cleaning, respite and more as part of its COVID-19 response. While the extent of the service rollback is still unclear, Julia Janzen of Homestead Manitoba says about half the residents at five of the companys assisted living facilities are affected. "Assisted living (facilities) sometimes get forgotten about a little bit, even with a pandemic," said Janzen, who is part of Homestead Manitobas management team. "Weve worked for the last couple of weeks to bring our buildings to a point where we were comfortable with the people who were entering our building." Now though, all of a sudden were getting phone calls from family members saying Well, can I come tomorrow because I have to give my mom a bath?" Julia Janzen of Homestead Manitoba Like many independent, privately operated assisted living facilities, Homestead Manitoba proactively closed its doors to visitors and has allowed only essential service providers to come onto the property, Janzen said. "Now though, all of a sudden were getting phone calls from family members saying Well, can I come tomorrow because I have to give my mom a bath?" she said. "Were having to open up our doors again for more outside people. Even though theyre family, we dont know where theyre coming from in order to care for their parents." Home care case co-ordinators with the WRHA began contacting clients over the long weekend to let them know services would be cancelled or reduced. The health authority has asked family members to fill the service gap where possible. A WRHA spokesman told the Free Press the service reduction is intended to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to staff and clients; to conserve personal protective equipment for services that must continue; and to ensure staff time is prioritized so vital services can continue. "Within community settings, in-home care and support varies in terms of level of care, type of care and frequency of care with each individual client," the spokesman said in a statement. "Similarly, an assessment of what services might be eligible for modification or postponement, and determination of how those changes can safely be implemented, will vary by client." Information is trickling in slowly, Janzen said assisted living facilities are not privy to their residents health information and she is hearing from seniors who have lost all regularly scheduled home care appointments for showers and baths, linen changes and laundry. "We are, on a daily basis, now trying to figure out and respond to these changes, because these seniors need that," Janzen said. Homestead Manitoba has a plan in place to screen caregivers for the virus before being allowed inside. Caregivers must answer a questionnaire and follow handwashing and social-distancing protocols while in the building, and are escorted by staff who sanitize touch points in common areas. The reduction in home care also comes with a risk of falls and injuries as the seniors' children attempt to provide care, Janzen said. "We would much prefer a home care worker to come in because we know that theyre checked on a regular basis, they have all the PPE thats required, and they have the training so that whatever needs to happen is done safely," Janzen said. "But we have to. We have to let some of these families in." Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Bethel Place executive director Joanne Schmidt said staff at the facility are monitoring the demand for increased visits and is managing on a case-by-case basis. At Brightwater Senior Living of Tuxedo, which has nurses and caregivers on staff around the clock, people who have lost services will be cared for, president Quintin King said. "A very small number of our residents have private or WRHA-provided care services. In a situation where those outside services are being temporarily limited through safety restrictions, those residents have access internally," King said. We would much prefer a home care worker to come in because we know that theyre checked on a regular basis, they have all the PPE thats required, and they have the training so that whatever needs to happen is done safely. Julia Janzen Provincially funded long-term and personal care homes have been strongly recommended by Shared Health to suspend visitor access entirely due to the risk the virus poses to those populations. Roughly half of Canadian deaths from COVID-19 have happened in long-term care facilities, the Canadian Press has reported. Shared Health chief nursing officer Lanette Siragusa said Wednesday those restrictions remain in place and allowing caregiver visits at retirement homes and independent assisted living facilities has to be carefully considered. "There would have to be very stringent screenings and reasons that would be evaluated in terms of what is the staff requirements and what is the patient requirements, and how do we make sure those needs are met," Siragusa said. danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca 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: 230,597 in New York state, including 17,134 deaths. 573,223 total tested. 701,131 in the U.S., including 36,822 deaths. 58,587 recovered. 3,557,493 total tested. 2,242,868 worldwide, including 153,871 deaths. 569,270 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. Friday's coronavirus updates: 4:17 p.m.: Rensselaer County reports additional positive cases The number of positive cases increased by 12 for the day to reach 174, officials said. This was up by five from the original increase of seven. There are 14 county residents hospitalized with three in the intensive care unit. The county has seen 2,071 residents tested. Six county residents were released bringing the total to 64. ___ 3:34 p.m.: Warren County reports 2 deaths in long-term care facilities Warren County officials reported a fourth death Friday afternoon, and provided their first public confirmation that two of those deaths were residents of long-term care facilities. The Warren County Board of Supervisors and Warren County Health Services said the most recent death was a resident of a nursing home in the southern part of the county, but did not specify which facility. The Pines home in Glens Falls is currently battling a large outbreak. Of the four county residents known to have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, two were at a hospital, one was at a nursing home and one was at an adult-care facility, officials said. The county also confirmed nine additional cases of COVID-19, bringing its total confirmed case count to date to 84. Fifty-four of those residents have recovered. Four are currently hospitalized. ___ 3:15 p.m.: Rensselaer County reports seven new coronavirus cases The new cases bring the total of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county to 169. ___ 3:02 p.m.: Schenectady County reports 14th COVID-19 death Officials provided no details about the death. The number of confirmed cases to date in the county rose by 16 overnight to 295 as of Friday. Eighty-nine residents have recovered from the illness. Twenty-eight people are currently hospitalized in the county, including non-residents. ___ 12:57 p.m.: Albany and veterans group cancel Memorial Day parade Mayor Kathy Sheehan and Mark Rosenzweig, the chairman of the Joint Veterans Committee, announced the decision Friday, blaming the cancelation on fear of the coronavirus pandemic. The Joint Veterans Committee coordinate with local veterans groups and schools to pull of the parade each year. With the event canceled, the committee will hold wreath-laying events on Memorial Day at the Gold Star Families and Vietnam monuments in Lafayette Park. ___ 11:13 p.m.: Saratoga County reports its 7th death due to COVID-19 The county Department of Public Health Services said the victim was a 91-year-old female, but provided no other details. As of Friday, 253 county residents have tested positive for COVID-19, up from 246 reported Thursday. Fourteen residents are hospitalized. On Tuesday, county officials said during a Facebook Live event that 122 individuals had recovered, but they have not been releasing that data on a daily basis. ___ 10:30 p.m.: Albany County says 13 residents of the county-run nursing home have tested positive for COVID-19 County Executive Daniel McCoy said four staff members at the facility in Colonie have also tested positive. Officials said three other long-term care facilities in the county have known cases, and said there have been at least two nursing home deaths in the county, though they did not specify where. Responding to questions about why the county hasn't been more forthcoming with news of nursing home cases, McCoy cited privacy concerns and said he's sorry if the press "gets a little hurt because we didn't tell them" about cases, but that the county's obligation is to notify families. At nursing homes across the country, family are learning of outbreaks and deaths at their loved ones' long-term care facilities after the fact. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order late Thursday night requiring facilities to notify next of kin within 24 hours after a positive case or death. As of Friday, 574 residents of the county have tested positive for COVID-19 and 282 of them have recovered. Thirty-four residents are hospitalized with the illness, including six adults in the ICU. ___ 10 a.m.: Schenectady County says it won't release case, fatality data from private nursing homes County Manager Rory Fluman, in the county's first Facebook Live address since the pandemic began, said no residents of the county-run Glendale home have tested positive so far. He did not respond to a question about whether staff there have. He said he would leave it to private nursing homes to decide whether they want to publicly release case and fatality data. "If I have a family member in a nursing home and Ive just heard on the news that there is somebody thats positive there, I immediately as a family member am very, very scared," he said. "So we take the release of information from other nursing homes very seriously." At nursing homes across the country, family are learning of outbreaks and deaths at their loved ones' long-term care facilities after the fact. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order late Thursday night requiring facilities to notify next of kin within 24 hours after a positive case or death. ___ 6:15 a.m.: RPI plans remote learning for required summer semester Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is moving ahead with its mandatory Arch session this summer by holding it remotely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic instead of on-campus, which was one of the original selling points of the program for rising juniors. The students will pay the semester tuition rate of $27,000 with some secondary fees reduced, according to RPIs website. The total amount a student pays is impacted by the financial aid awarded. Some students writing anonymously on the Reddit site about RPI have questioned Arch being required as the pandemic continues. RPI makes it clear on its website for Arch Summer 2020 that students have to attend in order to maintain their status at the university. Read more ___ 6:06 a.m.: Capital Region's initial jobless claims 25 times last year's level There was little comfort to be taken in Thursday's report from the U.S. Labor Department that initial claims for unemployment insurance fell 20 percent from the previous week's figure. After all, the 5,245,000 claims for the week ending April 11, down from 6,615,000 initial claims a week earlier, nevertheless pushed the total claims for the past four weeks over the 22 million mark. That essentially erased all the jobs created since the Great Recession, according to Business Insider. Initial claims for unemployment benefits continued to rise in the five-county Albany-Schenectady-Troy metropolitan area, up 5.2 percent to 12,174, from 11,569 a week earlier. For some perspective, the latest figure was 25 times greater than the 483 claims filed during the same week one year ago. Read more ___ Thursday: 13th person dies 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. ___ Thursday: Hearst Foundation donates to hospital foundation The Hearst Foundations announced they would donate $50 million to nonprofits across America, including $1 million for the St. Peter's Hospital Foundation in Albany. ___ Thursday: 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. ___ Thursday: Cuomo says N.Y. stay-at-home will be go 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 ___ Thursday: 563 cases 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. ___ Read more updates from Thursday The British government is set to extend the Covid-19 preventative lockdown for another three weeks, as the death toll on Thursday jumped by 861 to 13,729. Meanwhile, the United States is planning to announce measures to ease the lockdown despite the biggest jump in infections in five days and consecutive days of record fatalities. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that the numbers continue to rise. Whilst we've had a flattening of the number of cases, that hasn't started to come down yet. And as far as I'm concerned that is still far too high, Hancock said Thursday. Acting head of state, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, is expected to extend the lockdown for another 21 days. Prime Minister Boris Johnson continues to recuperate after contracting Covid-19 and spending a week in hospital. Raab will meet with senior ministers before making the announcement. Britain is one of the worst-affected countries globally to date. Workers in the National Health Service have criticised the London government for the scarcity of personal protective equipment such as visors, gloves, masks and gowns. A number of doctors and nurses taking care of coronavirus patients directly have died after themselves becoming infected. Testing times for UK Ministers have also been asked to extend testing for Covid-19, a measure that has worked to slow the spread of the virus in countries such as South Korea and Germany. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has named Britain as one of the countries giving positive signals that the peak of the pandemic may be passing in Europe. On Thursday, WHO Europe Regional Director Hans Kluge warned that the virus still hangs heavily over the European region, but said that the UK was one of a few countries that could be seeing the peak number of infections The next few weeks will be critical for Europe. Make no mistake, despite the spring weather, we are in the middle of a storm, says Kluge. US eases restrictions as infections rise The United States is set to announce measures to ease the lockdown despite the biggest increase in new Covid-19 cases in the past five days, with fatalities surpassing 30,000 doubling in the past week, according to John Hopkins University tracker. President Donald Trump told reporters that the US's aggressive strategy has seen the country past the peak, adding that less-affected states could ease restrictions before 1 May. Trump has blamed the World Health Organization for severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus and says he plans to stop funding the international body. The editor-in-chief of the prestigious Lancet medical journal has criticised the US leader's decision to axe WHO funding. This move is a crime against humanity," Richard Horton of the Lancet has said. "Every scientist, every health worker, every citizen must resist and rebel against this appalling betrayal of global solidarity. WASHINGTON President Donald Trumps former lawyer and longtime fixer Michael Cohen will be released from federal prison to serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement because of the coronavirus pandemic. Cohen is currently locked up at FCI Otisville in New York after pleading guilty to numerous charges, including campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress. He will remain under quarantine for 14 days before he is released. Federal statistics show 14 inmates and seven staff members at the prison have tested positive for the coronavirus. After he is released, Cohen will serve the remainder of his sentence at home, according to a Justice Department official and another person familiar with the matter. They could not discuss Cohens release publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Prison advocates and congressional leaders have been pressing the Justice Department for weeks to release at-risk inmates ahead of a potential outbreak, arguing that the public health guidance to stay 6 feet (1.8 meters) away from other people is nearly impossible behind bars. Attorney General William Barr ordered the Bureau of Prisons earlier this month to increase the use of home confinement and expedite the release of eligible high-risk inmates, beginning at three prisons identified as coronavirus hot spots. Otisville is not one of those facilities. As of Thursday, 473 federal inmates and 279 Bureau of Prisons staff members had tested positive for the coronavirus at facilities across the U.S. Eighteen inmates have died since late March. Many federal inmates have been seeking home confinement as the number of coronavirus cases grows in the federal prison system, but advocates have accused the Bureau of Prisons of moving too slowly to release inmates. The Bureau of Prisons said it had moved more than 1,000 inmates to home confinement since March 26, when Barr first issued a directive to increase its use in late March. The agency said it is a tremendous logistical lift that was accomplished through the marshaling of all of BOPs resources. The Justice Department official said Barr had told senior officials at the Bureau of Prisons when he first issued his directives that they must scrupulously apply the same criteria to all inmates and not give anyone special treatment. On Friday, the Bureau of Prisons said it was moving about 111 inmates most of whom are likely to qualify for home confinement or furlough from the prison camp at Otisville into the medium-security prison at the facility so they could begin a quarantine period, which would be required before they could be released, as their records are reviewed. A federal judge had denied Cohens attempt for an early release to home confinement after serving 10 months in prison and said in a ruling earlier this month that it appears to be just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle. But the Bureau of Prisons can take action to move him to home confinement without a judicial order. Cohen, 53, began serving his sentence last May and was scheduled to be released from prison in November 2021. Other high-profile inmates have also been released as the number of coronavirus cases soars. Last week, a judge ordered Michael Avenatti the attorney who rose to fame representing porn star Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against Trump to be temporarily freed from a federal jail in New York City and stay at a friends house in Los Angeles. Avenatti had said he was at high risk of getting the coronavirus because he had a recent bout with pneumonia and his cellmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan was removed due to flu-like symptoms. Former New York state Senate leader Dean Skelos, 72, who was also serving a sentence at Otisville, is also expected to be released soon from prison to home confinement after testing positive for the coronavirus, prosecutors told a judge Wednesday. CNN first reported Cohen was being released to home confinement. A spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office in Manhattan declined to comment. The Bureau of Prisons said Friday the death of a case manager working at USP Atlanta is being considered the first potential coronavirus death of a federal prisons staff member. Robin Grubbs, who had worked at BOP since 2007, was found dead at her home Tuesday and posthumously tested positive for coronavirus, according to an agency spokesman. Officials said she had last worked at the Atlanta prison on April 10 and appeared to be asymptomatic. A cause of death is undetermined. ___ Associated Press writer Larry Neumeister in New York contributed to this report. Remdesivir, an experimental antiviral drug made by the Bay Area's Gilead Sciences, reportedly had a successful clinical trial in Chicago. The Boston Globe's STAT News reported Thursday that Dr. Kathleen Mullane, an infectious disease specialist at University of Chicago Medicine overseeing the hospital's remdesivir studies, informed other faculty members that the results of the trials were encouraging. Gilead's two Phase 3 clinical trials involved 125 people with the coronavirus, with 113 of those cases classified as "severe." All the patients were treated with daily infusions of remdesivir. The best news is that most of our patients have already been discharged, which is great," Mullane reportedly said on a video call. "Weve only had two patients perish." Mullane stated that most of the patients were discharged after six days, something STAT News deemed a "rapid" recovery when compared to the typical length of hospitalization required for severe COVID-19 cases. However, the Chicago trial did not include a placebo group for comparison, and Mullane warned not to jump to conclusions yet. Still, Mullane believes that the results are quite encouraging. "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. Similar clinical trials are under way at other hospitals across the country, but no other results have been released to this point. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Eric Ting is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting Belarus remained the sole executioner in Europe and the former Soviet region, passing three death sentences and executing at least three prisoners. Legislative amendments targeting the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly further restricted, in particular, online and media activity and the right to protest. Credible evidence surfaced about hundreds of children and young people serving lengthy prison sentences for minor, non-violent drug-related offences. Vulnerable groups including Roma and LBGTI people remained at risk of discrimination although some positive steps were taken not to deport foreign nationals believed to be at risk of torture or other ill-treatment in their home countries. Background Economic growth was slow. Belarus remained heavily reliant economically on Russia, while tensions persisted over the price of imported commodities and Belarus resistance to further integration that could threaten its sovereignty. In June, Minsk hosted the 2019 European Games. Parliamentary elections in November showed low turnout and resulted in a parliament entirely loyal to the President. They were widely criticized by independent local and international observers for failing to uphold democratic standards. Numerous candidates regarded as disloyal to the regime were disqualified on questionable technical grounds, and all allegations of vote-rigging were ignored. Death penalty At least three men were executed in secrecy. Alyaksandr Zhylnikaus lawyer visited him in prison on 13 June and was told her client had served his sentence. At the end of the year, the family had still not received official information regarding his execution. No official information was available regarding his co-defendant, Viachaslau Sukharko, but it is believed he was also executed. The UN Human Rights Committee had requested a stay of execution for Alyaksandr Zhylnikau while it considered his case. Since 2010, Belarus has ignored 13 other such requests by this committee and executed prisoners whose cases were under consideration. Alyaksandr Asipovich was executed on 17 December, after being sentenced to death on 9 January. Two other men were sentenced to death for murder in separate cases; Viktar Paulau and Viktar Serhil. Freedom of Expression Freedom of expression continued to be severely restricted in law and in practice. Government critics and other dissenting voices faced harassment and other reprisals from the authorities, including in administrative and criminal proceedings. The changes to the Law on Mass Media which entered into force in December 2018, considerably tightened state control over online media. The law compelled registered and unregistered online media outlets to record the names of people who submit comments and disclose the relevant information to the authorities on request. It also made the owners of registered online media liable for the content of the comments. Despite a hiatus in the harassment of journalists which coincided with the European Games in Minsk in June, the authorities continued to impose heavy fines on freelance journalists cooperating with international media. Article 22.9 of the Code of Administrative Offences (unlawful creation and dissemination of mass media produce) was used to penalize journalists providing content to foreign media unless accredited with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Access to the independent news site Charter97 remained blocked following the authorities move to restrict access to it in January 2018. The harassment of anarchist and former prisoner of conscience, Dzmitry Paliyenka, continued. He was arrested and held in pre-trial detention from March to October, with four charges brought against him. Three were manifestly unfounded and were dropped during his trial, but he was convicted on tenuous grounds and given a non-custodial sentence for hooliganism which he was appealing at the end of the year. Freedom of assembly The right to freedom of peaceful assembly remained severely restricted, in law and practice, and those who attempted to exercise it faced arrest by police (often using excessive force), heavy fines and arbitrary detention. Changes to the Law on Mass Events entered into force in January and established new procedures and fees for organisers of public events who were obliged to pay for policing, medical and clear-up costs. Not only did all assemblies still require prior notification and the authorities express permission, but the notification procedure was extended to certain, previously pre-approved, areas (designated typically in remote locations). Approvals for assemblies in other areas were in practice often refused or delayed. Article 23.34 of the Code of Administrative Offences (violating the rules of organising and holding mass events) continued to be used to prevent people from exercising their right to peaceful assembly. The unofficial Freedom Day celebrations in March were restricted. On 24 March, event organisers and peaceful protesters were detained during a pre-authorised event in Kievsky Park in Minsk which was attended by over 1,000 people. On 25 March, independent media and civil society representatives were prevented from holding a peaceful commemorative event at Kastrycnickaja Square in Minsk amidst heavy policing. At least 15 people were detained in unmarked police vehicles. All those detained on both days were later released without charge. Despite calls from the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus for fundamental freedoms to be respected ahead of the parliamentary elections in November, dozens of people, including electoral candidates, were convicted or were facing administrative charges under Article 23.34 for their peaceful participation in unauthorized protests during the parliamentary election campaign and in December protests against possible deepening integration with Russia. Protestors were fined and/or sentenced to between five and 45 days administrative detention and repeated requests by lawyers to access some of those detained were arbitrarily denied. Freedom of association Obstacles to officially registering independent NGOs remained in place, with registration applications turned down for arbitrary reasons. The repealed Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code, which criminalised participation in the activities of an unregistered organisation, was replaced with Article 23.88 in the Code of Administrative Offences which gave the police authority to fine offenders up to 1,275 Belarusian rubles (US$ 615) without judicial review. Justice system - juvenile justice and fair trials Credible evidence surfaced about hundreds of children and young people serving lengthy prison sentences for minor, non-violent drug-related offences. Among these, dozens and possibly hundreds were serving lengthy sentences for minor, non-violent drug-related offences committed when they were children. Many did not receive fair trials, with children as young as 16 imprisoned for to up to 11 years under Article 328 of the Criminal Code for illicit drug trafficking as members of criminal groups, often without other group members identified. Five UN Special Procedures, including the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, expressed their concern to the authorities in October regarding the situation of children arrested and detained in relation to drug offences. Excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officials, including hours-long incommunicado detention and ill-treatment of children arrested for drugs, and fabrication of evidence through setup, were reported from earlier years. In August, a former commanding police officer from Mahilyou was sentenced to 10 years in prison, reportedly for framing alleged drug traffickers. His trial was closed and the indictment kept classified, depriving alleged victims of his crimes of a chance to have their convictions challenged. Harsh conditions and discriminatory treatment in prisons of children convicted of drug offences were widely reported. Discrimination Several vulnerable minority groups continued to face discrimination and inadequate protection before the law, leading to a climate of fear and self-censorship. Roma The Roma community remained socially marginalized, especially in the areas of employment and education. In May, following the suspected murder of a traffic police officer, the authorities in Mahilyou raided a number of Roma communities using excessive force to detain dozens of people, including children. According to local human rights defenders, over 50 men were arbitrarily detained for three days and released without charge. The police officers death was later attributed to suicide. Despite an official apology to the Roma communities, the authorities have not initiated any proceedings against those law enforcement officers who used excessive force. LGBTI Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people continued to face harassment including stigmatizing and discriminatory rhetoric from state officials. In May, the Ministry of Internal Affairs published an article on its website which referred to the destructive impact of the views and ideas of the LGBT community and stated that [a]lthough science has not established a direct relationship between pedophilia and same-sex sexual relations, the numbers speak for themselves. Following a verbal and physical attack on film-maker Mikhail Kuprich in August by a man who believed him to be gay, on 24 December, a court in Minsk found the assailant guilty of malicious hooliganism under Article 339.2 and sentenced him to 18 months restricted freedom (parole-like non-custodial sentence) and ordered him to pay financial compensation to Mikhail Kuprich. However, a request made by Mikhail Kuprichs lawyer to amend the original charge of hooliganism to reflect the hate motive was rejected. Rights of migrants and asylum-seekers Belarus continued to forcibly return foreign nationals, including asylum-seekers, to countries where they were at risk of serious human rights violations including torture and other ill-treatment, in violation of the principle of non-refoulement. In May, opposition activist and journalist from Ingushetia, Ismail Nalgiev, was arrested at Minsk airport. He was forcibly returned to Russia on 10 May despite fears that he was at risk of politically motivated prosecution, torture and other ill-treatment, and an unfair trial. In Russia, he was detained under politically motivated charges of use of force against an official in connection with the 26-27 March protests in Ingushetia. On a positive note, on 17 June, Merhdad Jamshidian, an Iranian national, was given one-year residence status on humanitarian grounds. In September it was extended to five years. Mehrdad Jamshidian, resident in Belarus since 1993 and married to a local woman with whom he had three children, had spent 11 months in temporary detention following deportation requests from Iran where he would be at risk of torture and other ill-treatment, and the death penalty. Melania Trump spoke with Carrie Symonds, the fiancee of Boris Johnson, on Thursday to wish her and the British prime minister well as they recover from the coronavirus. Trump told Symonds the United States was praying for their speedy and full recoveries, according to a readout from the first ladys office. Symonds, who is pregnant, said earlier this month she suffered from coronavirus symptoms but was on the mend. Mr Johnson spent three days in intensive care (ICU) because of the disease and seven in total at hospital. The couple are understood to have been recovering at the Prime Ministers country estate, Chequers, when they received the call from Mrs Trump. The readout from the White House said: Mrs. 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. Mrs. Trump reaffirmed that the United States stands together with the United Kingdom in the fight to defeat the coronavirus pandemic. Mrs. 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. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Yves here. The super rich dont appear to have the good sense to realize that even their refrigerators of food will carry them only a few months, and they depend on other critical supplies like drugs and fuel, as well as laborers to maintain their properties. With so-called front line workers putting their health at risk for inadequate (if any) hazard pay, now is the time to demand better. And if takes a general strike, so be it. Nurses have been planning a one-day walkout to make a similar point. By Sonali Kolhatkar, the founder, host and executive producer of Rising Up With Sonali, a television and radio show that airs on Free Speech TV and Pacifica stations. Produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into stark relief the inequalities baked into the U.S.s capitalist systemone that deems nurses and grocery workers essential, but leaves them with just as few rights and privileges as they had before the crisis struck. The scenario before us, where society depends more than ever on the bottom rung of the working class, offers a perfect storm for these essential workers to use their leverage and demand better protections for themselves now and in the future. This perfect storm may well unfold on May 1a day with historic roots in the U.S., marked by workers all around the world to demand their labor rights. For those of us considered non-essential workers, May 1, 2020, also offers an opportunity to say a resounding no to President Donald Trump, who is desperate to salvage his flagging shot at reelection and demanding that people return to work at the beginning of May. Trump has made clear that his needs are more important than ours in defying health experts who agree that May 1 is far too early to return to normal. He has claimed total authority over lifting state and citywide quarantines during the pandemic. A general strike on May 1 would lay waste to his wishful thinking for totalitarianism. Kali Akuno, the co-founder and co-director of Cooperation Jackson, laid out his organizations call for a May Day strike this year and shared with me in an interview that, we are calling on all workers to come as one, in particular the essential workers to strike for their lives. He explained that, If Trump is calling for businesses to return to normal, if that is allowed to proceed without the personal protective gear being in place for every single one of our essential workers, were just going to create a calamity and keep this crisis going further. Akuno also sees the pandemic as a turning point where workers can send a message of refusing to go back to business-as-usualthe status quo where a massive underclass of working people are living paycheck-to-paycheck without adequate health care, paid leave, childcare for their dependents, or decent wages is no longer acceptable. It was business-as-usual that allowed this to roll out in the way that it has, he said. Workers deemed essential have been forced to work in order to keep their jobs but offered little recompense or even protection from the virus. A supermarket worker at Tems Food Market in Macon, Mississippi, found my personal mask-making project on social media and begged me to make 20 masks for her colleagues and her. In the early days of the crisis, not only were grocery workers like her not provided with protective gear, but many were also stunningly not allowed to wear their own safety equipment such as masks and gloves. My own cousin, a grocery store manager in Boston, Massachusetts, responded to my worried queries about his health and safety saying that upper management was not permitting him and others to wear masks at work until recently. This was corroborated by supermarket analyst Phil Lempert who told the Washington Post, One of the biggest mistakes supermarkets made early on was not allowing employees to wear masks and gloves the way they wanted to. It is no wonder that the workers we rely on to feed and care for us are falling ill from the virus and dying. Thousands of grocery workers have already tested positive for COVID-19 and as of mid-April more than 40 have died. Although such essential workers are naturally terrified of catching the virus in their workplace, their vulnerable socioeconomic status also means they cannot afford to quit. The pressure to conform and fall in line with the demands of corporate America are all too real as workers face a choice between accepting their oppression or being fired. More than 16 million Americans have already lost their jobs, and beyond a $1,200 payout from the federal government and hard-to-access unemployment benefits, there is little else to compensate them. Still, in the face of such an untenable situation, workers are already agitating for their rights with walkouts and protests. The New York Times labor writer Steven Greenhouse explained that, Fearing retaliation, American workers are generally far more reluctant to stick their necks out and protest working conditions than are workers in other industrial countries. However, now, with greater fear of the disease than of their bosses, workers have set off a burst of walkouts, sickouts and wildcat strikes. Whole Foods workers had planned an action for May Day but moved up their sick out to March 31 to demand better conditions and pay. Amazon workers at a warehouse in Staten Island, New York, organized a walkout, but the worlds largest retail giant simply fired the organizer. The person ultimately responsible for overseeing workers at Whole Foods and Amazon is Jeff Bezos, the worlds richest man who personally racked up an extra $24 billion this year alone largely as a result of the pandemic. Bezoss wealth and power, when contrasted with the harsh conditions under which his employees work, are an appropriate symbol for a general strike on May Day as the best chance for workers to demand their rights. On its website, Akunos organization Cooperation Jackson spells out the demands it is making for May Day in encouraging workers to not show up for their jobs, and for all Americans to collectively refuse to shop for a day. These include not only short-term demands for personal protective equipment for all essential workers, but also long-term demands for a Universal Basic Income, health care for all, housing rights, and a Green New Deal. Americans are perhaps more receptive to the idea of a general strike than they have been in a century. Alongside the hashtag #NotDying4WallStreet are calls on social media for a #GeneralStrike2020. High-profile left thinkers like Naomi Klein have already embraced the idea of a general strike. But Akuno admits that a strike will not work if only small numbers of Americans participate, saying, we need to reach people in the hundreds of millions, and we have to organize in such a way where we change the fundamental dynamics of labor, how its valued, how its treated. In other words, there is the potential for transformative change in this crisisbut only if we can seize the moment. UK health authorities are turning to mobile applications to help try and slow the spread of COVID-19 across Britain. According to an April 6 research report by Gartner the ongoing pandemic is pushing global healthcare systems beyond their limits, prompting the need to rapidly develop new capabilities such as contact tracing and mass temperature screening. Of the more than 148,000 global deaths so far, more than 14,000 have been reported in the UK. However, whilst the UK government has followed World Health Organisation advice around instigating a country-wide lockdown and introducing social distancing measures, it has faced criticism around the lack of available testing for both front line workers and the public. Launched in late March, the COVID-19 Symptom Tracker App was developed by Kings College London (KCL), alongside Guys & St Thomas' hospitals and London and Boston-based startup ZOE, a nutritional science company co-founded by KCL Professor of Genetic Epidemiology, Tim Spector. ZOE was originally founded to combine data from Spectors research into twins with machine learning to develop a consumer product that can predict a persons response to what they eat. As the coronavirus pandemic spread, Spector decided to use ZOE to track the symptoms of volunteers in his studies, then opted to roll the app out to the entire UK population. The application was released on March 24 and within a day had been downloaded more than a million times. Users who choose to input data into the app are asked to provide information that includes age, sex at birth, height, weight, postcode of residence, pre-existing health conditions, and habits such as smoking. Then, theyre asked daily to report any symptom that could be associated with COVID-19. The data is shared with researchers at Kings College and at the Guys and St Thomas' Hospitals, to get a better sense of how the pandemic is spreading through the UK. Data is key to stopping virus transmission As the virus continues to spread globally, Mike Jones, vice president, team manager and research director for healthcare at Gartner, said collecting data at a population level is critical to help manage the epidemic nationally and support government efforts to supply appropriate resources geographically. He said that while the government has been doing its best with the information it has already, getting data on an individual level is vital for strengthening any scientific modelling. While most of us are still in lockdown, the Bay of Plentys three primary health organisations - Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation, Eastern Bay Primary Health Alliance, and Nga Mataapuna Oranga have been in full swing on the frontline of COVID-19, ensuring essential healthcare is still available for our communities. More than 3800 people were assessed at the Bay of Plenty COVID-19 Community Based Assessment Centre (CBACs) in the 20 days to 14 April and 1960 people swabbed. More than 1800 people (over 65s, pregnant women, and people with chronic health conditions) received flu jabs via drive-through clinics at Tauranga Boys College over five days before lockdown on 26 March. In this article, SunLive goes behind the scenes at the WBOP PHO to see how an unprecedented international health pandemic has been tackled at a local level. Assessment and testing for COVID-19 On 21 March, with community transmission becoming a real threat, the Government introduced a four-level alert system to help combat COVID-19, with an immediate move to alert level 2. Nurse Belinda Gasteen and Dr William Moss assessed people for COVID-19 at Te Rereatukahia Marae in Katikati recently as part of the Pahi Tahi mobile COVID-19 assessment service. Supplied photos. For the countrys District Health Boards, this meant a rapid move to set up testing clinics and community assessment centres. Local primary health organisations worked in partnership with the Bay of Plenty District Health Board to develop these facilities locally, with WBOP PHO Clinical Director, Dr Claire Isham, taking a lead role. The first CBAC was at Tauranga Racecourse - later moved to a larger site at Trustpower Baypark Stadium followed the next day by a CBAC in Whakatane, and testing clinics in Opotiki and Kawerau and mobile clinics to remote communities established in the following weeks. Claire says New Zealand has never seen anything like these mass testing sites before. There was some theoretical work done previously in anticipation of the SARS and MERS epidemics but this was the first time weve ever had to stand them up and make them happen. We had testing stations up and running within 48 hours and the first CBAC within a week. Claire Isham. As well as the logistics of organising venues, equipment, traffic management and security, doctors and nurses had to be pulled in from the community to staff it, and strict clinical processes needed to be in place. The PHOs IT teams also leapt into action, setting up a database and designing an app to streamline the flow of information. We had to ensure the safety of patients and staff, that swabs were being collected in the correct way, and that information was being collected in a way that it could be accurately reported, both to health officials and the patients themselves, says Claire. A constantly changing case definition for testing for COVID-19 proved to be challenging in the early days. We were setting something up from scratch and having to constantly change it, as well as refine our processes on the go. Claire has high praise for the local doctors and nurses who are working at CBACs. Weve had an awesome crowd of people who have been open to innovation and making changes and improvements as we go. The behaviour of the Bay of Plenty public at CBACs has also been positive, says Claire. Everyone has got behind the purpose, and even when its been busy people have understood that the processes are for their own safety. We havent experienced any of the unpleasant behaviour that has been seen in other parts of the country. Providing a kaupapa Maori service WBOP PHO has also been working with kaupapa Maori providers, Ngai Te Rangi and Ngati Ranginui iwi, The Centre for Health, Bay of Plenty DHB, and Nga Mataapuna Oranga to deliver a mobile CBAC service called Pahi Tahi, providing COVID-19 assessment and testing to marae, hapu, and vulnerable Maori communities. Kiri Peita. WBOP PHO Director Maori Health, Kiri Peita, says other health and social support services are also being provided alongside this and whanau are being reminded to contact their usual primary care providers if they become unwell in the future. Prior to lockdown the WBOP PHO also supported Ngati Ranginui with care packages for local kaumatua, and organised flu vaccination clinics for Maori communities on remote Motiti and Matakana Islands. Sharing the good news While Toi Te Ora Public Health has been responsible for managing patients who have tested positive for COVID-19, WBOP PHO General Manager of Community Services West, Debi Whitham, and her team have been responsible for contacting patients with negative COVID-19 results. The usual reaction is thats the best phone call Ive had all day. Patients can ask for a text notification, and we will do that, but we always try to speak to people because we know they are anxious and worried. As well as sharing the good news, the team remind people that even though they dont have COVID-19, they still need to stay home and get well before venturing out into the community again. Debi would also like to remind people who have been tested for COVID-19 that negative results can take several days to process so it is essential they keep their phones turned on until they receive their results. Paving the way for a new normal in primary healthcare For most people, seeing a doctor means phoning for an appointment, going to the surgery, and having a 15-minute face-to-face consult. With COVID-19, face-to-face consults are being limited to protect the spread of the virus. This doesnt mean you cant see your doctor, but you might talk by email, phone, or video conference instead. A handful of doctors in the Bay of Plenty had already been moving towards virtual consultations as part of a pilot project called Health Care Home, but for the vast majority, it has been a huge change in the way they work. The WBOP PHO has been providing IT support and offering advice and assistance to GPs on the safe use of the technology for healthcare. It has also been offering financial and emotional support to GPs who, as small business owners, are also facing great uncertainty. The rate of change in how GPs work has been phenomenal, says Claire Isham. As well as ensuring patient and staff safety, they have had to come to grips with new technologies. This has exciting potential for healthcare delivery going forward. There has also been a downturn in business as people have followed the advice to stay home. We dont want people getting sick unnecessarily with non-COVID-19 health issues and want to encourage the community to contact their healthcare provider if they have any health concerns. Flu vaccination The 2020 flu vaccination campaign was due to get under way on 1 April but with COVID-19 rapidly taking hold, it was brought forward by two weeks. Flu vaccination wont stop people from getting COVID-19, but it will reduce the impact of flu on our healthcare system this winter. The WBOP PHO mobilised frontline staff from its Health and Wellness Centre to offer mass drive-through flu vaccination clinics at Tauranga Boys College, with more than 1800 people from vulnerable populations over 65s, pregnant women and people with chronic health conditions receiving a flu jab over five days. Phil Back. Drive through clinics were also held in other parts of the city and teams mobilised to offer flu vaccination on Motiti and Matakana Islands. While there were some early concerns about the supply of vaccinations locally, Phil Back says these issues have been resolved and GPs, with the help of PHOs, are continuing to ensure vulnerable groups are receiving jabs before they become available to the general public on 27 April, including home visits if needed. Community nursing on the frontline Tamar Courtney is a GP Liaison nurse and has spent the past few weeks administering hundreds of flu vaccinations and providing healthcare to vulnerable patients in their homes. She was among those giving flu jabs at the drive through clinics at Tauranga Boys College. Tamar Courtney. The response from the community was amazing they loved it, she says. I can see this being done again in future because it makes sense that if youre not unwell, you dont go into an environment where people are potentially unwell to get a vaccine. Tamar also flew to Motiti Island where whanau drove up in their cars and met the vaccination team on the tarmac at the airport. It was organised in the morning and we were there at 1.30pm. It was a great experience. Tamar is very mindful when going into peoples homes that she is entering their bubble and follows strict hygiene and safety protocols. She feels for the many older residents in our communities who live alone. Whereas before they might have gone out and played bowls or cards with friends, now they are isolated in their homes. We have been calling a lot of our patients, just to touch base and make sure theyre okay. For Tamar, working on the frontline in her community during the pandemic has been a privilege and a great learning experience. Its been a real opportunity to look at how we do things and why we do them. Heaven forbid if this ever happens again, were going to be more prepared than we have ever been. A new dawn for local healthcare WBOP PHO general manager general practice services Phil Back agrees, saying the partnership between primary (GPs) and secondary (hospital) healthcare during this crisis has been crucial, and it is hoped this strengthened relationship will continue well beyond the life of COVID-19. Everyone has got on and done what they needed to do. We have all worked together for the common good, to serve our community. It really is the start of a new dawn for local healthcare. Canadian oil and gas company fined $200,000 for 2018 explosion Irving Oil was fined $200,000 on April 15 after the company pleaded guilty to a safety violation relating to a October 2018 fire and explosion at its refinery in St John, New Brunswick. Irving was charged under New Brunswicks Occupational Health and Safety Act. Irving Oil's St John refinery - Image: Shutterstock There were approximately 1,500 people on the site when the incident happened, mostly contractors working on a turnaround at the facility. Court documents show that 80 workers from 17 different companies had reported injuries as a result of the incident, although all of these were sustained while the workers were evacuating the refinery. In all, 36 workers sustained injuries which meant they could not work the worst of these was a broken heel bone. The explosion in October 2018 was caused by corrosion in a reactor effluent pipe which ruptured and ignited. The pipe had originally been installed in 1974 but was upgraded between 2004 and 2005. According to court documents, this upgrade meant that localised corrosion was able to go undetected. Following the incident, Irving Oil inspected all its pipes for further localised corrosion but did not find any pipes in a similar condition. The Irving Oil facility in St John is Canadas largest refinery with a crude capacity of over 320,000 barrels per day, according to the companys website. More information... Contact Details and Archive... Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE:RBA) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 46% in the last month alone, although it is still down 11% over the last quarter. The full year gain of 13% 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). Investors have optimistic expectations of companies with higher P/E ratios, compared to companies with lower P/E ratios. Check out our latest analysis for Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Does Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry? Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers's P/E of 28.75 indicates some degree of optimism towards the stock. As you can see below, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers has a higher P/E than the average company (21.3) in the commercial services industry. NYSE:RBA Price Estimation Relative to Market April 17th 2020 Its relatively high P/E ratio indicates that Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers shareholders think it will perform better than other companies in its industry classification. 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 P/E ratios primarily reflect market expectations around earnings growth rates. If earnings are growing quickly, then the 'E' in the equation will increase faster than it would otherwise. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases. Story continues Most would be impressed by Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers earnings growth of 22% in the last year. And its annual EPS growth rate over 5 years is 10%. This could arguably justify a relatively high P/E ratio. A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank Don't forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future) by investing in growth. That means taking on debt (or spending its cash). Spending on growth might be good or bad a few years later, but the point is that the P/E ratio does not account for the option (or lack thereof). So What Does Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers's Balance Sheet Tell Us? Net debt totals just 6.7% of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers's market cap. The market might award it a higher P/E ratio if it had net cash, but its unlikely this low level of net borrowing is having a big impact on the P/E multiple. The Bottom Line On Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers's P/E Ratio Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers has a P/E of 28.8. That's higher than the average in its market, which is 13.2. Its debt levels do not imperil its balance sheet and it is growing EPS strongly. Therefore, it's not particularly surprising that it has a above average P/E ratio. What we know for sure is that investors have become much more excited about Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers recently, since they have pushed its P/E ratio from 19.8 to 28.8 over the last month. If you like to buy stocks that have recently impressed the market, then this one might be a candidate; but if you prefer to invest when there is 'blood in the streets', then you may feel the opportunity has passed. 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 report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E below 20. 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. President Donald Trump is demanding state officials "liberate" Minnesota, Michigan, and Virginia amid the coronavirus pandemic, after saying hours earlier it would be up to governors to reopen their states. The president issued his demands on Twitter on Friday in short tweets as protesters were "massing," as a local television station put it, in front of the official residence of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat. Earlier this week, conservative protesters, many wearing pro-Trump gear, stormed the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan, to demand leaders there open that state from a "stay-at-home" order. "I think they'd listen to me. They seem to be protesters that like me and respect this opinion, and my opinion is the same as just about all of the governors," Mr Trump said Thursday night when asked about the open-up protests. "They all want to open. Nobody wants to stay shut, but they want to open safely. So do I. But we have large sections of the country right now that can start thinking about opening," he added. "So that will be a governor's choice, and we'll have no problem with it." But he changed his tune by the next morning, as he often has since becoming president. "LIBERATE MINNESOTA," he first wrote without providing context to why he wanted the state to reopen. A minute later came a tweet calling for the liberation of Michigan. Both are considered swing states in November's presidential election. Mr Trump won Michigan narrowly in 2016 and barely lost Minnesota to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Mid-Atlantic commonwealth is put into the 2020 Democratic column by most political professionals, but some give Mr Trump an outside shot at besting former Vice President Joe Biden there. "LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege," the president wrote a few minutes later. These tweets come just one day after the Trump administration unveiled its three-phase plan to help guide states on reopening during the pandemic. At the time, Mr Trump said he would leave the decision up to the states while adding he thought 29 states were close to entering the first phase of reopening. But it now appears the president was willing to publicly put pressure on the states he thought should immediately open. The three states were not the only ones to receive targetted tweets on Friday. Mr Trump also went on the attack against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo over federal response. Chris Cuomo called out a Republican congressman on live TV over spreading a conspiracy theory about Ukraine: CNN The "jackass, loser, fat-tire biker" that CNN's Chris Cuomo berated on radio has filed a formal police complaint against the Prime Time anchor. The 65-year-old Long Island man, David Whelan, was the subject of a Cuomo tirade during a broadcast of "Let's Get After It with Chris Cuomo" over an alleged verbal confrontation between the two on Easter Sunday. According to the East Hampton police complaint, obtained by The Independent, Cuomo allegedly threatened Mr Whelan, saying he hadn't "seen the last of him" and that "he would beat the crap out" of him. "At this time D. Whelan does not wish to pursue charges but does want the situation documented as he is worried about C. Cuomo retaliating against him," the report said. In an interview with The New York Post, Mr Whelan said he approached Cuomo and asked why he wasn't social distancing. "I said to him, 'Your brother is the coronavirus czar, and you're not even following his rules unnecessary travel'," he said. Cuomo has been in quarantine and broadcasting from his Southampton home since announcing on 31 March that he had tested positive for coronavirus. According to Mr Whelan, Cuomo responded: "'Who the hell are you?! I can do what I want!' He just ranted, screaming, 'I'll find out who you are!'" "He said, 'This is not the end of this. You'll deal with this later. We will meet again.' If that's not a threat, I don't know what is," Mr Whelan said. Cuomo vented about the incident during his SiriusXM radio show on Monday, explaining that his public profile prevented him from firing back at people talking "bullshit". "I want to be able to tell you to go to hell, to shut your mouth," Cuomo said. "I don't get that doing what I do for a living, me being able to tell you to shut your mouth or I will do you the way you guys do each other." Story continues "I don't want some jackass, loser, fat-tire biker being able to pull over and get in my space and talk bullshit to me, I don't want to hear it." It is the second major controversy to come out of Monday's show, during which Cuomo seemingly had an existential crisis and said he didn't want to work at CNN because he didn't value indulging irrationality and hyperpartisanship. "I don't like what I do professionally. I don't think it's worth my time," he said. "I don't think it's worth it to me because I don't think I mean enough, I don't think I matter enough, I don't think I can really change anything, so then what am I really doing?" Cuomo walked back the comments during his SiriusXM show on Tuesday, saying he was taken out of context. "I was talking about having legitimate questions, which I've had all along this administration. Let alone, with a fever with Covid for two weeks and being pissed off about being sick and rethinking a lot of things on an existential basis all the time," he said. CNN did not immediately respond to a request for comment. CNN has previously defended their star broadcaster after video showed him threatening to throw a man down a set of stairs. The video, shared widely across YouTube and Twitter, showed Cuomo repeatedly cursing and threatening a man in New York in August last year. "Punk ass bitches from the right call me Fredo," Cuomo says to a man standing beside him. "My name is Chris Cuomo. I'm an anchor on CNN. Fredo is from 'The Godfather.' He was a weak brother and they use it as an Italian aspersion." After the man says he thought Cuomo's name was Fredo, the cable TV host became agitated, saying: "You're going to have a big fucking problem. I'll fucking ruin your shirt. I'll fucking throw you down these stairs." Read more Chris Cuomo has existential crisis on radio after battling Covid-19 Chris Cuomo says he shivered so hard with virus he chipped his tooth CNN anchor Chris Cuomo hosts show after coronavirus diagnosis 'Its like being on eBay': Cuomo attacks US healthcare as coronavirus Investigation revealed that the accused defrauded around 300 victims and many more yet to be identified Hyderabad: An online business advertising a fake medicine as a cure for Covid-19 was busted by Jubilee Hills police within a few hours of receiving a complaint. Reportedly, the accused took on the surname Bathini (who provide the fish prasadam for asthma) to market the fake medicine. According to the police, the accused took advantage of the crisis to sell the illegal product. He made a digital pamphlet with fake information that the Bathini Brothers have invented a potential cure for Covid-19. The fake medicine, named Covid-19 Abhaya, the pamphlet stated, is a preventative food supplement for Covid-19 coronavirus. On the bottle and pamphlet, the accused provided a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence number to gain the trust of the public. The licence number is fake, said Mr A.R. Srinivas, joint commissioner of police, incharge of Hyderabad West Zone. Investigation revealed that the accused defrauded around 300 victims and many more yet to be identified. The accused was selling the fake medicine in a small plastic container for `285. Money was collected through Google Pay and the product handed over by a delivery executive. The incident came to light after Bathini Harinath Goud, one of Bathini Brothers, noticed the pamphlet and approached Jubilee Hills police. Mr Goud stated that they had not made any such product. The police formed a special team and apprehended the culprits within a few hours. It is incredibly dangerous and reckless to exploit peoples fear for profit. We will be taking strict action against these opportunistic criminals, added Mr Srinivas. The coronavirus cases in Andhra Pradesh continued their upward surge as 38 more people tested positive, taking the total to 572 on Friday. Giving the figures for the last 24 hours ended at 9 am on Friday, the Health Department said 15 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospitals in Anantapuramu and Kadapa districts. The department authorities said the spurt in the number of positive cases was because of the increased number of tests they were carrying out. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has last week asserted that the overall COVID-19 situation was now under control in the state. According to the COVID-19 official dashboard, a total number of 20,235 blood samples were tested in the state so far, of which 19,663 turned negative. The state government has now reduced the daily COVID-19 bulletin from two to one. In all, 35 Corona patients in the state had recovered and been discharged from hospitals till date. In Kadapa district alone, 13 patients all Tablighi Jamaat event attendees and their contacts were discharged on Thursday and sent home. In neighbouring Anantapuramu district, the first patient who tested positive for COVID-19 upon returning from Mecca, and her contact, a 10-year-old boy, were both discharged following recovery. Kurnool district, the hotbed of COVID-19, climbed back to the top spot in the state, adding 13 new cases and reaching a total of 126 in the last 24 hours. Guntur district shared the top position with 126 cases, including four registered since Thursday morning, followed by SPS Nellore with 64 cases and Krishna with 52. After the discharge of 35 patients and death of 14, the total number of active Covid-19 cases in AP now stood at 523. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. K ate Garraway has said her husband is still in a deeply critical condition after he was admitted to hospital with coronavirus. Derek Draper, 52, a former lobbyist and political adviser, has been in hospital since the end of March. Good Morning Britain host Garraway, also 52, praised NHS staff for keeping my Derek alive and said there is hope. She wrote on Instagram: From the bottom of my heart a billion thank yous to the extraordinary NHS workers whose skills, dedication and downright guts in the face of so much personal risk, are keeping my Derek alive, just as they are doing for thousands of covid patients. Im afraid he is still in a deeply critical condition, but he is still here, which means there is hope. Garraway, who has a daughter and a son with Draper, whom she married in 2005, continued: Sending so much love and support to the thousands who have had that hope for their loved ones stolen by this hideous disease. You are not alone and I hope that helps give you strength to withstand the torture of grief. Celebrities reacting to coronavirus - In pictures 1 /34 Celebrities reacting to coronavirus - In pictures Gigi Hadid with boyfriend Zayn Malik and sister Bella during her quarantined 25th birthday celebration Instagram / @gigihadid Joe Jonas and Sophia Turner have turned their isolation boredom into hilarious TikTok content TikTok Kylie Jenner and best friend Stassie have been very active on TikTok TikTok Gigi Hadid celebrated her 25th birthday with family while in quarantine Instagram / @gigihadid Chrissy Teigen and John Legend have been able to enjoy time with their kids Instagram / @chrissyteigen Katy Perry recorded herself for American Idol in a life sized hand sanitizer bottle Instagram / @katyperry Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were the first celebrities to have a confirmed case and kept us updated on their recovery journey on Twitter and Instagram Instagram / @tomhanks Demi Moore and Bruce Willis in matching pajamas with their daughter and her boyfriend Instagram / @buuski Kaia Gerber adopted a puppy to keep her company Instagram / @kaiagerber Helena Christensen has been having her son take glam Instagram photos for her Instagram Brooklyn Beckham in quarantine with his girlfriend Nicola Peltz Instagram Matthew McConaughey played virtual bingo with seniors The Enclave at Round Rock Senior Living/Facebook Kim Kardashian on a flight wearing a face mask and gloves @kimkardashian Naomi Campbell preparing for a flight @naomi Gwyneth Paltrow wearing a facemask during a plane ride @gwynethpaltrow Bella Hadid wearing a face mask on a plane @bellahadid Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas @sophiet Sebastian Stan on a plane in protective gear @sebastianstan Naomi Campbell preparing for a flight @naomi Nicole Scherzinger with Thom Evans @nicolescherzinger Idris Elba announced on Twitter that he had tested positive for coronavirus @idriselba Robbie Williams greets fans with elbow bumps Getty Images Kylie Jenner and best friend Stassie have been very active on TikTok TikTok Kylie Jenner and best friend Stassie have been very active on TikTok TikTok Joe Jonas and Sophia Turner have turned their isolation boredom into hilarious TikTok content TikTok Katy Perry has taken to dressing up in outlandish costumes Instagram / @katyperry She said she had been getting lots of support from neighbours since Draper went to hospital. Thank you, too, to my own little band of key workers, the neighbours who let off fireworks tonight for the NHS, gave the Easter bunny a helping hand to make life feel a bit more normal for Darcey and Billy, those who have dropped off food, and friends, family and all of you who have sent messages of love and support, the presenter said. Its such a comfort. We must all stand together. #clapthecarers #love #hope. Garraway was also forced to self-isolate after she showed symptoms of Covid-19. In a collection case against a Hamilton County auto parts store, the Tennessee Supreme Court today clarified the procedure and jurisdiction for an appeal from a county general sessions court to a state circuit court. The Supreme Court found that when defendants appeal a general sessions judgment to circuit court, but then fail to appear for the circuit court trial, Tennessee law requires circuit courts to enter a default judgment against the defendant, subject to enforcement in the circuit court, and retain jurisdiction over that case.In 2012, Ken Smith Auto Parts began to sell products to CCW Systems, Inc., on an open account.The CCW account later became delinquent and CCW went out of business. In 2017, Ken Smith filed a collection action in the Hamilton County General Sessions Court against Michael Thomas, the owner of CCW. Mr. Thomas did not appear in court on the day of the trial and the General Sessions Court entered a default judgment against him. Mr. Thomas appealed this judgment to the 11th Judicial District Circuit Court, which covers Hamilton County.Under Tennessee law, when a general sessions court judgment is appealed to circuit court, the circuit court conducts an entirely new trial. The Circuit Court trial against Mr. Thomas was set in Chattanooga for Oct. 17, 2017, at 9 a.m. During that time, Mr. Thomas was living in Knoxville. He left Knoxville around 6 a.m. the morning of the trial. Along the way, Mr. Thomas encountered a wreck on the highway that forced him to sit in traffic for two hours. Consequently, he never made it to the Circuit Court trial.Because Mr. Thomas did not appear for his trial, the Circuit Court dismissed his appeal and sent the case back to the General Sessions court for enforcement of the General Sessions judgment. After Mr. Thomas filed a motion with the Circuit Court explaining why he was prevented from attending the October 17 trial, the Circuit Court first set aside its order of dismissal, but later reversed itself, finding it no longer had jurisdiction to set aside its prior order.Mr. Thomas appealed to the Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals held that the Circuit Court did have jurisdiction and was correct in setting aside its dismissal of Mr. Thomass appeal from the General Sessions court. It reinstated the Circuit Courts order setting aside its dismissal.The Tennessee Supreme Court then granted Ken Smith permission to appeal. The Supreme Court held that, under Tennessee law, instead of sending the case back to General Sessions court, the Circuit Court should have entered its own default judgment against Mr. Thomas in the amount of the General Sessions judgment, subject to enforcement in the Circuit Court. It also held that, after the Circuit Court committed error by dismissing Mr. Thomass appeal and sending the case back to General Sessions court, the Circuit Court had jurisdiction to grant Mr. Thomass motion to set aside that order. Consequently, the Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Appeals judgment in favor of Mr. Thomas.To read the unanimous opinion in Ken Smith Auto Parts v. Michael F. Thomas, authored by Justice Holly Kirby, go to the opinions section of TNCourts.gov. Philip Morris International Inc. PM is scheduled to release first-quarter 2020 results on Apr 21. The companys earnings came in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the last reported quarter. Further, it delivered a positive earnings surprise of 6.5%, on average, in the trailing four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter earnings is pegged at $1.13 per share, which suggests 3.7% growth from the year-ago quarters reported figure. However, the consensus mark has moved down 4.7% in the past 30 days. The consensus mark for revenues is pegged at $6,648 million, which indicates a 1.5% dip from the year-ago quarters reported figure. It is worth noting that although Philip Morris announced a temporary suspension of operations at its manufacturing facility in Bologna (on Mar 23) to contain the spread of coronavirus, it doesnt anticipate facing any out-of-stock situation in any of its major operating income areas. Moreover, the company remains committed toward employee protection, as part of which it has implemented several measures. Philip Morris International Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Philip Morris International Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Philip Morris International Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Philip Morris International Inc. Quote Key Factors Phillip Morris has been benefiting from its efficient pricing strategy. Higher pricing at the combustible tobacco portfolio has been aiding the companys performance for a while. In the last reported quarter, favorable pricing boosted the top line as well as the adjusted operating income. Further, in the last earnings call, management stated that despite the anticipated hurdles in Indonesia, it expects strong pricing in 2020. We note that strong pricing has been helping the company in the face of an unfavorable tax environment and declining cigarette volumes. Well, receding cigarette sales volume has been a hurdle for Philip Morris for quite some time now. In 2020, management expects a 2.5-3.5% drop in total cigarette and heated tobacco unit shipment volumes on an LFL basis. In fact, the company also expects a fall in international industry volumes due to higher excise taxes in Indonesia and the cigarillo category gaining traction in Japan. Cigarette shipment volumes are being adversely impacted by lower demand for cigarettes, stemming from anti-tobacco campaigns and consumers rising health consciousness. Moreover, regulatory hurdles have created limitations for marketing cigarettes, further affecting its sales volume. To this end, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made it mandatory for tobacco companies to use precautionary labels on cigarette packets to dissuade customers from smoking. In fact, per court orders, cigarette makers have been made to put up self-critical advertisements on television and newspapers to dissuade customers from smoking. The FDA is also bent on drastically reducing nicotine in cigarettes to minimally addictive levels. Nevertheless, revenues from reduced risk products or RRPs have been a driver. The company has been progressing well with business transformation, with about 8% of shipment volumes and one-fifth of net revenues coming from smoke-free products, as of 2019-end. Toward this end, the companys IQOS, a smokeless cigarette, counts among one of the leading RRPs in the industry. Notably, the marketing and technology sharing agreement between Philip Morris and Altria Group, pertaining to the sale of IQOS in the United States, has been approved by the FDA. Notably, RRPs formed close to 19% of the companys total revenues in 2019, including about 13% contribution from IQOS devices. Among other initiatives, Philip Morris announced a partnership with South Koreas KT&G this January to commercialize the latters smoke-free products outside the country. In earlier developments, Philip Morris inked a deal with Canada-based Parallax that provides low-risk tobacco alternatives. The company expects consistent growth in IQOS and the Heated Tobacco category and therefore, remains committed toward expanding these products. What the Zacks Model Unveils Our proven model predicts an earnings beat for Philip Morris this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But thats not the case here. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Philip Morris carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and an Earnings ESP of +0.15%. Other Stocks With Favorable Combinations Here are some companies you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat. Clorox CLX currently has an Earnings ESP of +2.56% and a Zacks Rank of 1. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Church & Dwight CHD currently has an Earnings ESP of +4.42% and a Zacks Rank #3. Kimberly-Clark KMB has an Earnings ESP of +0.44% and a Zacks Rank #3. Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside? Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. See the pot trades we're targeting>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Philip Morris International Inc. (PM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (CHD) : Free Stock Analysis Report The Clorox Company (CLX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research The Delhi government on Friday asked private schools in the city not to charge parents any fee component other than tuition fees till the reopening of the institutes that are closed due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak and the lockdown prompted by it. At a press conference, Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia said private schools will not be allowed to increase fees without the governments permission, while asking these institutes not to charge three months tuition fees at a time. We have got several complaints about schools hiking fees and also levying charges for transport, which is not even being utilised during the lockdown...Schools also cannot charge beyond the tuition fee, Sisodia said. Watch | Delhi govt warns private schools over fee hike, issues guidelines for lockdown He said the rule will be applicable to all schools, irrespective of if an institute is built on government land or private land. No school can charge three months tuition fee (at a time), the fee has to be collected monthly, he said. Sisodia also said private schools cannot deny students access to online classes in case parents are not able to pay fees during the lockdown, which has brought the economy to a standstill. Though schools and colleges are closed, they are allowed to conduct online classes to stick to the academic calendar. An umbrella group of around 400 private schools partly welcomed the Delhi governments directive. We agree with the governments decision of not charging transport fee during the lockdown. And also, schools are in agreement with the payment of the fees on a monthly basis, said SK Bhattacharya, president of The Action Committee of Private Unaided Recognised Schools in Delhi. However, we dont agree with the decision of not charging the annual amount because majority of the schools have fixed expenditures that cannot be met without the annual charges. We can also take the annual charges in instalments, he said. The annual fee is a sum schools charge parents over and above the tuition fee, and generally use it for the maintenance of electricity, water and other essentials on the campus. While majority of schools charge it once a year, some take the payment half-yearly or quarterly. Soon after Sisodias press conference, the Delhi governments Directorate of Education (DoE) issued a notice to this effect to private schools, directing them not to charge parents any other component than the tuition fee. No fee, except tuition fee, shall be charged from parents, till further orders. Heads of the schools shall not demand and collect tuition fees from parents on a quarterly basis. The fee shall be collected on a monthly basis, the order said. The schools shall, in no case, deny access to online education to any student who is unable to pay fees due to financial crises arising out of ongoing lockdown, it said. DoE further asked schools not to revise the fee structure in the 2020-21 session till further orders. All private schools are asked not to stop the salaries of their teaching and non-teaching staff members in the name of the unavailability of funds. Arrange the funds in case any shortfalls from the society or trust running the school, the DoE order said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON BERKELEY, Calif. - A Pacific Gas & Electric lawyer told a federal judge that the beleaguered companys plan for getting out of bankruptcy is winning support from the victims of Northern California wildfires ignited by the utilitys crumbling equipment, despite concerns they will be shortchanged in a $13.5 billion settlement. The disclosure made Thursday by PG&E lawyer Kevin Orsini is an early indication that PG&E is thwarting an attempt to pressure the San Francisco company into revising a deal that it reached in December to pay for the staggering losses suffered during catastrophic wildfires in 2017 and 2018. A bankruptcy committee representing the victims recently has been raising red flags about the $13.5 billion settlement that it helped negotiate because half of the amount consists of PG&E stock that has been fluctuating wildly amid the economic turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Just last week, lawyers for the victims committee unsuccessfully tried to persuade U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali to approve a letter warning that the $13.5 billion deal wasnt panning out as envisioned. Besides concerns about the value of the promised stock, the victims committee is also worried the bankruptcy plan will miss its Aug. 29 date for raising the money needed to pay claims. The letter would have advised more than 82,000 to delay voting until at least April 25 to give the committee time to address its concerns, but Montali declined to put the courts seal of approval on the warning. The voting on PG&Es plan began earlier this month and will continue through May 15. In Thursdays hearing involving another wildfire matter, Orsini told U.S. District Court Judge James Donato that the victims so far are overwhelmingly voting in favour of the companys plan. Orsini didnt say how many of the victims ballots have been cast so far. PG&E declined any further comment. The plan also needs backing from a wide range of investors, lenders, government agencies and insurers that also have claims in PG&Es bankruptcy case, but their support has been widely expected for several months. PG&Es biggest challenge has been getting the wildfire victims on board, given their deal represents more than half of the $25.5 billion in settlements contained within PG&E elaborate plan. While the victims committee has been griping about shortcomings in the plan, it has continued to gain support from other lawyer representing people who lost family, homes and businesses in the wildfires that drove PG&E into bankruptcy and caused the company to plead guilty to 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter. The lawyers siding with PG&E contend the company plan is the best hope to get money to victims at a time when the crumbling economy threatens to make some of them even more destitute than they are. Even so, almost everyone agrees the stock market turmoil is threatening to erode the original value of the $13.5 billion fund for the wildfire victims. One financial expert that company stock pledged in the deal may turn out to be worth $4.85 billion, instead of the promised $6.75 billion. On the flip side, the PG&E stock could still rebound and end up paying victims even more than they hoped. The companys shares closed Thursday at $11.13. Thats down dramatically from the stocks six-month high of $18.34, but a rebound from its recent low of $7.85 earlier this month. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 22:09:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writer Shi Xiaomeng BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Washington's irresponsible decision to suspend funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) seems to have rubbed salt in the already wounded partnership with its traditional allies at a time when the global combat against the COVID-19 pandemic has entered a critical stage. Thursday's Group of Seven (G7) tele-summit ended without a joint statement. The bloc's European members voiced their backing for the WHO, and called for stronger international cooperation to contain the outbreak. German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the virtual conference that the crisis can only be tackled with a strong and coordinated international response while expressing her full support for the world health body. The transatlantic alliance was already in bad shape before the sudden outbreak of the pandemic. Since the current U.S. administration came to power, the U.S.-Europe bond has suffered a series of blows over the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s defense expenditures, trade conflicts, the Iran nuclear deal and the refugee crisis, among others. In the eyes of some Washington decision-makers, their allies in Europe are more of a burden than an asset. As for the Europeans, they have been trying to handle frustration after frustration in the face of a capricious White House. Donald Tusk, former president of the European Union Council, once famously sighed "With friends like that, who needs enemies?" During Europe's arduous battle against the deadly pandemic, Washington has hardly been helpful. According to earlier media reports, Germany has accused the United States of hijacking some of its urgently needed medical supplies like face masks and ventilators. Andreas Geisel, the interior minister for Berlin state, even called Washington a modern pirate. Undoubtedly, Washington's fund-freeze move will undermine the very international body that serves as the backbone in coordinating the world's pandemic containment efforts. Without a fully functioning WHO, Europe's drive to end the outbreak will only become much harder as the WHO's European regional director Hans Kluge warned on Thursday "the storm clouds of this pandemic still hang heavily over the European region." Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney tweeted: "This is indefensible decision in midst of global pandemic. So many vulnerable populations rely on (the) WHO -- deliberately undermining funding & trust now is shocking. Now is a time for global leadership & unity to save lives, not division and blame!" As the confirmed COVID-19 infections have surpassed 2 million with the death toll topping 144,000, it is even more imperative for countries around the world to work together as closely as possible. Clearly, the world's sole superpower has set a bad example by acting self-centered during a global public health crisis. For European countries, perhaps the pandemic offers another chance to reconfirm the true color of their ally on the other side of the Atlantic. Enditem Like many Australians, former Married At First Sight participant Dean Wells is staying at home amid the coronavirus pandemic. And on Thursday the reality TV star, 42, shared a startling statistic he discovered while talking to a friend who is based in Uganda. Dean explained to his followers on Instagram that he had emailed his pal - a photographer living in the landlocked African country - to check in on him and the current situation there. Startling statistic: Former Married At First Sight star Deans Well has compared the number of coronavirus cases in Uganda and Ethiopia to Sydney's Bondi Junction and Mosman The Dancing With The Stars contestant said his friend was doing fine and that there have been no deaths as yet. 'I'm thinking, "What? Has Uganda only got like two million people? like what's going on,' he queried. After doing some Google searching, he said he was surprised to learn that of the African country's population of 42 million people, there were only 55 cases coronavirus and no deaths. Shocked: Dean explained to his followers that he had emailed his photographer friend living Uganda to check in on him and the current situation. The reality TV star was shocked to learn that Uganda had recorded no deaths as yet as a result of the coronavirus He added: 'Ethiopia has 100-and-something million people, yet they still only have like 55 cases.' 'Between Bondi Junction and Mosman, just those two suburbs have the same amount of cases as the whole of Ethiopia with 100 million people,' he said of the population-to-coronavirus case disparity between the two. 'Even with the lack of travel and maybe the lack of proper testing, those numbers still seem crazy,' Dean said. As of April 17, Uganda has 55 coronavirus cases and no deaths, while Ethiopia has 92 confirmed cases and three deaths, according to Worldometers. Interesting numbers: 'Between Bondi Junction and Mosman, just those two suburbs have the same amount of cases as the whole of Ethiopia with 100 million people,' he said of the population-to-coronavirus case disparity between Sydney and the African nations According to NSW Health, Mosman and Bondi Junction are considered coronavirus hotspots, recording up to 49 and more than 50 cases respectively, as of April 16 at 8pm. As of Friday morning, there have been 6,509 cases of coronavirus in Australia and 63 deaths. While more than half of the cases have recovered, there are 42 patients on ventilators across the country. Nurse Mike Gulick was meticulous about not bringing the coronavirus home to his wife and their 2-year-old daughter. Hed stop at a hotel after work just to take a shower. Hed wash his clothes in Lysol disinfectant. They did a tremendous amount of handwashing. But at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, California, Gulick and his colleagues worried that caring for infected patients without first being able to don an N95 respirator mask was risky. The N95 mask filters out 95% of all airborne particles, including ones too tiny to be blocked by regular masks. But administrators at his hospital said they werent necessary and didnt provide them, he said. His wife, also a nurse, not only wore an N95 mask but covered it with a second air-purifying respirator while she cared for COVID-19 patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center across town in Los Angeles. Then, last week, a nurse on Gulicks ward tested positive for the coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19. The next day doctors doing rounds on their ward asked the nurses why they werent wearing N95 masks, Gulick said, and told them they should have better protection. For Gulick, that was it. He and a handful of nurses told their managers they wouldnt enter COVID-19 patient rooms without N95 masks. I went into nursing with a passion for helping those who are most vulnerable and being an advocate for those who couldnt have a voice for themselves, but not under the conditions were currently under, Gulick said. The hospital suspended him and nine colleagues, according to the National Nurses United, which represents them. Ten nurses are now being paid but are not allowed to return to work pending an investigation from human resources, the union said. They are among hundreds of doctors, nurses and other health care workers across the country who say theyve 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. 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. PPE, or personal protective equipment, refers to items such as masks and gowns. Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dont require N95 masks for COVID-19 caregivers, but many hospitals are opting for the added protection because the infection has proven to be extremely contagious. The CDC said Wednesday at least 9,200 health care workers have been infected. 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. Saint Johns 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. Its no secret there is a national shortage, said the statement. The hospital would not comment on the suspended nurses. 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. 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. Shes 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. As COVID-19 cases soared in March, the U.S. 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. 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 werent 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. 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 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. A Napa County firefighter sprays foam on hot spots from a fire at a mobile home park following a reported 6.1 earthquake on August 24, 2014 in Napa, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) 40,000 Australians Join Class Action Against Defence Department Over Land Contamination Over 40,000 Australians have joined a class-action suit against the Department of Defence for its use of toxic chemicals in fire-fighting foam and its poisonous effect on surrounding properties and life. Its the second action filed against the defence department. The first settled in February for a sum of $212.5 million (US$134.3 million). The lawsuit, filed by Shine Lawyers, alleges the defence department negligently allowed the toxic chemical PFAS to escape from defence bases and contaminate local environments, impacting the land values and the livelihoods of those communities. The suit represents residents in Wagga Wagga and Richmond in New South Wales; Bullsbrook in Western Australia; Wodonga in Victoria; Darwin in the Northern Territory; Townsville in Queensland, and Edinburgh in South Australia. Well-known consumer advocate and Shine Lawyers ambassador Erin Brockovich has also championed the case. The lead applicant for the action is Reannan Haswell, who moved to Bullsbrook ten years ago with her partner. Were afraid to let our children drink or bathe from our water supply, and were trapped on a property with little or no value as a result of our exposure to PFAS, she said. The office of Kevin Bailey, Mayor of the City of Swan, confirmed via email to The Epoch Times that packaged drinking water is being delivered to residents. At the same time, longer-term solutions are being investigated at no expense to the landowner. The council said yearly valuations by Landgate, the West Australian Land Information Authority, revealed property values had indeed declined for properties affected by water contamination. The council is assisting by lowering rate charges. What Plaintiffs Are Seeking Shine Lawyers is seeking compensation for economic loss and decreased property values for residents. Special counsel for Shine, Joshua Aylward said, In some instances, property owners have seen the value of their land decrease by more than 50 percent. Aylward said prices plummeted due to high levels of contamination; in peoples blood, in drinking water, in livestock, and also in surrounding rivers and dams. The first suit settled in February represented residents of Williamtown in New South Wales; Oakey in Queensland; and Katherine in the Northern Territory. The defence department stated that settling was an important milestone on what has been a difficult journey for many people over the past few years. The current action represents more plaintiffs than the Black Saturday bushfire class action in 2014 which had 10,000 plaintiffs. What is PFAS PFAS refers to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, a human-made chemical thats resistant to grease, oil, and heat. Its commonly used in fire-fighting foams and cleaning products. The defence department has been using PFAS for fire-fighting since the 1970s. According to Aylward, the chemical is an effective retardant and defence personnel train regularly with it. However, years of training saw run-offs of PFAS into surrounding soil and land. The defence department began phasing out its use in 2004 because of concerns that the chemicals break down slowly and can persist in humans, animals, and the environment. Research is mixed and yet to reach a conclusion on the exact long-term health effects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggested there are potential issues with increased cholesterol and a limited connection to cancer and immune system problems. The House of Representatives in the United States earlier this year passed a bill requiring the EPA to manage PFAS more comprehensively. The Australian defence department is currently investigating 18 defence sites for potential contamination. In late 2019, it reported findings surrounding the Amberley airbase in Southeast Queensland finding health effects from exposure to PFAS, however it could not determine any trends which differed from the general population. The department still recommended minimal exposure to PFAS as a precaution. Five people were arrested and 36 cases of whiskey, two cases of beer and seven bottles of countrymade liquor were seized from them in four separate incidents, on Thursday. In the first case, the crime branch of Chandigarh Police arrested Deepak Kumar, 33, a resident of Ruda Bhagthana village in Gurdaspur district, Punjab, and recovered 35 cases of whiskey from his Indigo car, near Mauli Jagrans Booth Market. Meanwhile, Alok, a resident of Vikas Nagar in Mauli Jagran was arrested with two cases of beer from behind the Mauli Jagran community centre. Also, Naresh Kumar, a resident of Sector 40, Chandigarh, and Mangal, a resident of Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, were arrested with a case of whiskey from the Sector-38D market and Baljeet from Jhujhar Nagar, Mohali, was arrested with seven bottles of countrymade liquor near the cremation ground in Maloya. All five were booked under the Excise Act and later, let out on bail. The Uttarakhand government has initiated efforts to bring the chief priests of Kedarnath and Badrinath stuck outside the state due to the Covid-19 lockdown to preside over the opening of the temples. The state government has decided to open Kedarnath on April 29 and Badrinath on April 30 and the priests are supposed to be present at the opening ceremony. However, it has also asked authorities concerned to nominate other priests as replacement of the chief priests in case they are not in a position to be present on the occasion. The chief priests (called rawal) of Kedarnath is in Maharashtra and that of Badrinath in Kerala. In case of Kedarnath and Badrinath, the priests who conduct the rituals for the opening of portals are outside the state. We spoke to home ministry that these priests be allowed to come to the state. The home ministry has agreed they will be allowed to come to Uttarakhand by car. If they come, they will be quarantined for 14 days, said Madan Kaushik, cabinet minister and spokesperson of the state government. But even after their return, the rawals will have to mandatorily remain in 14-day quarantine, due to which they will have to skip the opening ceremony. Kaushik said in case of Badrinath shrine, the Tehri royal family (considered its custodians) will be empowered to change the date of the opening the portal or nominate somebody for opening the portal. Similarly, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee has also been asked to nominate another priest as a temporary replacement for the Kedarnath rawal if he is not in a position to make it to the temple on schedule. Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh told news agency PTI that this has been done three or four times in the past also amid unusual circumstances. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 23:02:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Friday refuted the distortion of the HKSAR Basic Law that recent comments by a central government agency and the liaison office are interference in Hong Kong, and stressed that the two offices have the power to supervise major affairs in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the liaison office condemned some Legislative Council (LegCo) members for maliciously filibustering and paralyzing the LegCo for personal political gains earlier this week, which was intentionally twisted as interference from the central government in Hong Kong affairs, a spokesperson of the liaison office said. The spokesperson said in a statement that the two offices are empowered to supervise major issues concerning relations between the central government and the Hong Kong SAR, the correct implementation of the Basic Law, the normal operation of the political system, and the overall interests of society on behalf of the central government, as well as express its concern and attitude. "This is not only a requirement for performing duties but also a power endowed by the Constitution and the Basic Law," the spokesperson said, stressing that it does not go against the Article 22 of the Basic Law. The central government is committed to the principles of "one country, two systems," "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy, but a high degree of autonomy does not mean a full autonomy, the spokesperson said, noting that the high degree of autonomy, including the legislation, stems from the central government, which accordingly can supervise the exercise of such power. Dennis Kwok Wing-hang and some other lawmakers repeatedly and maliciously filibuster to obstruct the election of the chairman of the LegCo's House Committee, leaving a large number of bills closely related to people's livelihood unable to be discussed, which harmed the interest of Hong Kong residents and violated the legal responsibility that the HKSAR lawmakers should shoulder according to the Basic Law, the spokesperson said. As the LegCo cannot perform its constitutional responsibility and the HKSAR political system cannot operate, the central government cannot sit idly and must exercise the power of supervision, which is the requirement to govern Hong Kong according to the law, to ensure Hong Kong's stability and prosperity, and to safeguard the interests of residents, the spokesperson said. Kwok has violated his oath of upholding the Basic Law and allegiance to the HKSAR when taking office, and is also likely suspected of committing misconduct in public office, the spokesperson said. The negative effect of malicious filibustering has emerged. Legal experts have pointed out that an array of bills related to people's well-being have not been discussed in time, including those on taxpayers, the disabled, house supply and public health. The bill on tax concessions alone concerns 1.91 million taxpayers and 145,000 tax-paying corporations or unincorporated businesses. With the session of the LegCo due to end in three months, bills that have not been discussed will become invalid, resulting in huge losses to Hong Kong residents. The spokesperson also said the central government fully respects Hong Kong's independent judiciary and final adjudication written into the Basic Law and the procedures of appointing judges, and has never interfered in the trial of cases by Hong Kong courts. Geoffrey Ma Tao-li, chief justice of the Court of Final Appeal, said on Wednesday that he has not at any stage encountered or experienced any form of interference by the mainland authorities with judicial independence in Hong Kong since taking office in 2010, including the appointment of judges. HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam said earlier this week that it is legitimate for the central government to express their concern and it is the act of some LegCo members who urged foreign governments to impose sanctions on Hong Kong that should be called interference. Echoing Lam's words, the spokesperson condemned some opposition figures of Hong Kong, who begged foreign governments to interfere in Hong Kong affairs and incited them to cancel Hong Kong's special status as an independent economic entity, restrict exports of high-tech products to Hong Kong, and pass the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. The spokesperson said they blatantly betrayed the national interests and broke the bottom line of "one country, two systems." When HKSAR LegCo members take office, they all pledge to uphold the Basic Law and be loyal to China's HKSAR, which means loyalty to the country is an inevitable requirement, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson warned those opposition lawmakers to stop harming the interests of Hong Kong and national security for personal gains, otherwise, they will eventually pay the price. Enditem 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) The news of four contacts of ACP Anil Kumar Kohli testing positive for Covid-19 sent the police department in a tizzy on Friday, prompting it to place the entire staff of Basti Jodhewal police station under home quarantine. Among the four patients are three cops Basti Jodhewal SHO sub-inspector Arshpreet Kaur, her driver ASI Sukhdev Singh and ACP Kohlis driver constable Prabhjot Singh. Residents of the police flats near Sarabha Nagar police station were left jittery after SI Arshpreet, who lives there, tested positive. Disinfection was promptly carried out at the flats, while the Basti Jodhewal station was sanitised twice. The SI has no travel history, but she was deputed at the vegetable market, along with ACP Kohli and other cops. She was also part of the team tracing Tablighi Jamaat members, who had attended the Markaz event in Delhis Nizamuddin area. District mandi officer (DMO) Jasbir Kaur, the fifth confirmed patient on Friday, had attended many meetings with ACP Kohli, besides others with deputy commissioner Pardeep Agrawal, commissioner of police Rakesh Agrawal and cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu. ROW OVER QUARANTINED COPS BEING SENT TO NATIVES Placed under quarantine at their government quarters on Club Road, four security personnel, two readers and the driver of ACP Kohli were asked by their neighbours to return to their home towns. Following objections by the residents, who are also police staff, the cops left for their natives in Khanna, Moga, Ferozepur and Sangrur, inviting controversy for the police department. Panchayat of Chowas Jakhepal village in Sangrur took exception to the police personnel being made to travel when they were supposed to be in quarantine. The Sangrur health department also wrote to the Ludhiana police commissionerate objecting to the decision. Ludhiana commissioner of police Rakesh Agrawal said the cops attached with ACP Kohli were sent to their home towns following protocol. They were informed about the precautions to be taken and quarantine notices had been pasted outside their houses. The police chief said all police personnel were asymptomatic, and hence been placed only under home quarantine. They will receive better care back home, he added. PANIC GRIPS COMMISSION AGENTS Panic gripped commission agents at the vegetable and grain markets of the city as they had been conducting meetings with DMO Jasbir Kaur for issuance of wheat procurement coupons for farmers and making other arrangements at the markets. President of the Sabzi Mandi Ahrtiya Association, Gurkamal Singh, said several agents and other workers left the markets as soon as the DMOs news spread. He said thermal scanning should start at the entry point of the market and the area should be properly disinfected. Market committee chairman Darshan Lal Baweja said the markets will remain open, and he had sought a substitute for the DMO from the Punjab Mandi Board. No other board officials were quarantined in Ludhiana, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON They want to keep us locked in our homes. They want to keep us away from churches and synagogues. They want to make sure we dont go back to work. They dont get it. 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. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The global sleep apnea devices market size is estimated to be worth USD 12.61 billion by 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2019 to 2025, according to a report by Grand View Research, Inc. Increasing number of patients suffering from sleep apnea, growing awareness, and treatment rate of these diseases in North America are some of the factors contributing to the revenue growth. On the basis of product type, the market is categorized into therapeutic and diagnostic devices. Therapeutic device led the market with about 65.06% of revenue share in 2018, due to increased awareness and patient medication adherence in developed markets such as US and Canada and high prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). PAP Devices led the therapeutic segment due to higher product adoption and availability and comparative higher patient outcome. The segment is expected to witness a CAGR of 5.1% between 2019 and 2025. Diagnostic device segment comprises of actigraphs, polysomnography, respiratory polygraphs, and pulse oximeters . Polysomnography devices led the market with 34.88% of revenue share in 2018 and is estimated to witness a CAGR of 7.05% over the forecast period. As there is no gold standard for diagnosis of OSA, polysomnography is one of the most preferred diagnostic tests for sleep apnea. Increase in preference of polysomnography test is expected to drive the market revenue between 2019 and 2025. Sleep apnea PAP devices have witnessed significant development in terms of design, safety, and efficacy has helped to boost product adoption and patient outcome. Moreover, miniaturization of PAP devices and availability of cheaper brands is expected to fuel growth of the sleep apnea devices market over the forecast period. Some of the key manufactur are BMC Medical Co. Ltd.; GE Healthcare; Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited; Curative Medical Inc.; Cadwell Laboratories ResMed; Invacare Corporation; Braebon Medical Corporation; ImThera Medical Inc.; Phillips Respironics; Curative Medical Inc.; Nihon Kohden; and Compumedics Limited. Request a Sample Copy of the Global Sleep Apnea Devices Market Research Report @ www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/sleep-apnea-devices-market/request/rs1 Further key findings from the report suggest : Therapeutic devices segment led the market in 2018, with a revenue of USD 5,302.1 million, due to high prevalence of OSA, increased treatment rate, patient adherence, and availability of technologically advanced products Oral devices segment is anticipated to exhibit the fastest CAGR of 11.7% over the forecast period as these products offer higher patient outcome, lower economic burden, and higher treatment adherence due to their smaller size Some of the key players operating in the sleep apnea devices market are BMC Medical Co. Ltd.; GE Healthcare; Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited; Curative Medical Inc.; Cadwell Laboratories; ResMed; Invacare Corporation; Braebon Medical Corporation; ImThera Medical Inc.; Phillips Respironics; Curative Medical Inc.; Nihon Kohden; and Compumedics Limited Grand View Research has segmented the global sleep apnea devices market on the basis of product and region: Sleep Apnea Devices Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Therapeutic Devices PAP Devices Oral Devices Nasal Devices Chin Straps Diagnostic Devices Actigraphs Polysomnography Respiratory Polygraphs Pulse Oximeters Sleep Apnea Devices Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) North America US Canada Europe Germany UK Spain France Italy Russia Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Singapore Australia Latin America Brazil Mexico Argentina MEA Tunisia Egypt South Africa Access full research report on global sleep apnea devices market: www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/sleep-apnea-devices-market MONTREALQuebec Premier Francois Legault says he takes full responsibility for the lack of orderlies in struggling long-term care homes, where more than half of the provinces 688 deaths related to COVID-19 have occurred. Legault told reporters Friday he didnt want to get into a fight with the health-care unions when he first took office in 2018, and therefore decided to hold off on paying public-sector orderlies more until contract negotiations began. Historically, the unions representing workers such as orderlies, nurses and other staff in Quebecs health-care system negotiate as a large group to leverage bargaining power. The collective agreement for all health-care personnel was only set to expire at the end of March 2020. If I had to redo it, I would have increased their salaries faster even without the OK of the unions, Legault said about the orderlies. The province is currently lacking about 1,800 people to work in the residences, where some of Quebecs most vulnerable and disabled seniors live. But the shortages of staff for long-term care homes predated the COVID-19 crisis by years. Legault acknowledged that, though he knew unions would have objected to a divisive approach to negotiating salary increases, he could have forced their hand through a special law or ministerial decree. We came into this crisis poorly equipped and the situation deteriorated when the virus came in, he said. I take full responsibility. Hubert Forcier, a spokesman for the federation of unions representing about 90,000 public-sector health-care workers in Quebec, said his organization proposed months ago to allow orderlies to reach a higher salary scale that other employees benefited from. Doing so would have allowed orderlies to make up to $25.27 an hour $2.92 more per hour than the current highest rate on the scale and it wouldnt have affected the pay of any other health-care worker, according to the federation. I couldnt believe what I heard today, Jeff Begley, president of the union federation, said in a statement Friday, in reference to Legaults news conference. Its been years that we have been ringing the alarm bells regarding the untenable conditions in the health-care network. As a consequence of the orderly shortage, the province has had to plead with family doctors and medical specialists to leave their practices and help in the long-term care homes to feed, wash and care for residents. Legault also welcomed Friday the news that members of the Canadian Armed Forces will be heading to the province to help in those facilities. The Department of National Defence said Friday the roughly 125 members, including nursing officers and medical technicians, will begin to deploy to Quebec on Saturday. Quebec on Friday reported a total of 16,798 cases in province and 58 new COVID-19-related deaths. Of the total 668 COVID-19 deaths in the province, 377 of them almost 55 per cent occurred in long-term care homes. Legault said that while 1,076 people are hospitalized, with 207 of those in intensive care, the COVID-19 situation in Quebec is largely stable outside the Montreal area. In the rest of Quebec ... the situation is pretty much under control, said the premier. We are looking ... to open up these regions in an intelligent way, in a gradual way, while ensuring we follow up on the situation to make sure we dont face a second wave of the virus. Read more about: Two more care home workers have tragically lost their lives to coronavirus, as Britain's death toll of those fighting against the virus on the front line continues to mount. Tributes have been paid to mother-of-four Patricia Crowhurst who passed away at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough on Tuesday, while in North London 26-year-old Sonja Kaygan tragically lost her battle, leaving a three-year-old daughter behind. Patricia, 54, from Teesville, provided one-on-one support for residents at several care homes across Teesside. Her husband Arthur, 60, and her four children Melitza, 27, Ffion, 25, Karriz, 20, and Quillam, 18, had to say goodbye to her over the phone as strict COVID-19 rules prevented them from entering the hospital. Mum-of-four Patricia Crowhurst (pictured with her husband Arthur) passed away at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough on Tuesday (Left to right) Karriz, Quillam, Melitza, Arthur, Patricia Crowhurst and Ffion pictured together. Heartbreaking final goodbyes had to be said via phonecall due to the coronavirus restrictions Patricia's eldest daughter Melitza said her mum had worked as a carer for 20 years and was committed to her job. Melitza, a teacher, said: 'She cared so deeply for her job and she knew what it could mean and she still went everyday. 'She knew the risks going into them and she still carried on going because she wanted to be there for her clients who she looked after. 'She knew how scared they were and wanted to comfort them.' Patricia was employed by nursing and care agency North East Nursing. Melitza believes her mum contracted the virus during her work. She said that she stopped work when she started with a cough which appeared around a week before she developed a temperature. Her family then had to call an ambulance for her on Wednesday, April 8 as she was struggling to breathe. Patricia was put on a ventilator on Friday, April 10 but sadly lost her battle with the virus on Tuesday. Melitza added: 'The week she started to develop a cough she was complaining she had to take a week off work. The last time we saw her was when she got put in the back of the ambulance. 'We Facetimed her twice while she was in high dependency but she couldn't really talk, she had an oxygen mask on. Every time we rang they said she was stable and needed a high percentage of oxygen. 'On Tuesday morning at quarter to five they said they didn't think she would be alive in the morning and at quarter past five she passed away - it was within half an hour. 'The nurses were amazing. Even though my mum was sedated they held a mobile up so we could talk to her and say a final goodbye.' Melitza added her mum Patricia had previously sought medical advice to see if she was 'at risk' of the virus as she suffered from mild asthma and diabetes. She said that her mum was told she could continue to work and so she did in order to support her clients. Melitza said: 'She had regular clients that she would go and see in the same care home. 'She specialised in people with dementia and she was very good at making sure they felt safe enough to be in that care home when they didn't understand what's going on. In London, Sonya Kaygan, a carer at the Elizabeth Lodge Care Home in Enfield, died on Friday 'She was the life and sole of the party and she didn't realise she was. She would do anything for anybody, she was there for everybody. She had a lot of life left to live. 'I think she would have done it all over again so she could be with her residents who were scared. 'She was just an angel who didn't have her wings and now she does. I'm so proud of her.' In London, Sonya Kaygan, a carer at the Elizabeth Lodge Care Home in Enfield, died on Friday. She was described as a 'gentle and kind-hearted' woman who 'gave her life to others.' A GoFundme page has been set up in her memory, to go both go towards funeral costs and help support her young daughter, 3, now being looked after by her grieving mother Ayse. The UK recorded 847 new coronavirus deaths in hospitals on Friday, taking the total to 14,576. [April 16, 2020] OctaFX Is Donating 25,000 USD to COVID-19 Relief KINGSTOWN, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OctaFX is a Forex broker implementing online trading services globally since 2011. It offers a state-of-the-art trading experience to over one million users. OctaFX has won more than 20 awards since its foundation, including the Best Forex Broker Asia 2019 award. The company is well-known for its social and charity activity. They announced an initiative to help combat the virus, which has affected many, with a 25,000 USD donation. The beneficiaries of the 25,000 USD contribution are Aksi Cepat Tanggap, Indonesia, a humanitarian organisation; Malaysian Red Crescent Society, Malaysia; Vallalar Educational Trust, India; and Award Pakistan, Pakistan. These charities specifically serve impoverished families, medical workers, and those most impacted by the fallout from COVID-19. The donation will go towards purchasing of medical masks, hand sanitizers, and food. They reported that this is not their only initiative. Just recently they declared that they would be dramatically reducing their spreads up to 14 points. They have also asked locals to enquire about humanitarian organisations that could also benefit from an OctaFX monetary contribution. They'll be holding a benefit lasting a month later beginning on the 23rd of April which will raise money to help those in need. OctaFX always seeks new ways in which to provide support to local communities. They've challenged other brokers to match their relief efforts by cutting spreads and donating. OctaFX has a detailed history providing public assistance, and this is another example of how they value society. Follow OctaFX on Instagram Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1156222/OctaFX.jpg Contact: [email protected], +34-691-370-613 SOURCE OctaFX [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] By Deborah Borfitz April 17, 2020 | The cost and complexity of proving out discoveries in the lab on human study subjects has given rise to a sensor revolution for the monitoring of everything from the environment and health of mice to the temperature and humidity levels in freezers, fridges, and incubators. Internet of Things (IoT) measurement systems are effectively catapulting animal studies out of the horse-and-buggy era and eliminating preventable holdups due to instruments being out of date or incorrectly calibrated, according to IoT enthusiasts working in an assortment of lab settings. Nicholas Hertz, Ph.D., co-founder and chief scientific officer at biotechnology company Mitokinin, had the digital vivarium system of Vium installed about two years ago to record minute changes in mice that are indicative of neurodegenerative disease but would otherwise be undetectable. Many promising findings in the lab arent translating into treatments for people because traditional measurement platforms are unable to tease out very subtle phenotypes, he says. As described by a representative at Vium, the digital vivarium system employs sensors and computer vision to produce data on animals without having to move them out of their home cage. The platform provides continuous real-time measurement of motion, breathing rate, and percent time running on a wheel. The collected biomarkers get analyzed in the cloud before being sent back to researchers in real time, the spokesperson continues. When the company started in 2015, it functioned as a contract research organization but interest in the technology quickly swelled. As of the end of 2019, five of the top 10 pharma companies were clients of Vium. The system allows mice to be monitored around-the-clock and not just during the day when its most convenient for their human handlers, says Hertz. Mice are nocturnal, so taking measurements on them when theyre supposed to be sleeping can skew results. The mice are also placed into the digital cages well before experiments begin so they can get acclimated to the system, he adds. Among the ways Mitokinin has used the digital vivarium system is to monitorvia a web portal and 24-hour live camera streamingthe effect of drugs on mice, including whether they appear healthy or sick or are experiencing any severe defects in behavior, Hertz says. The seven scientists using the system can log in from home on the weekend and, if the mice are doing well, save themselves a trip to the lab. Beyond the convenience factor, the digital cage system facilitates behavior analysis for neurodegeneration using the rotarod test, one of the oldest used means of assessing the effects of a drug on animal behavior, says Hertz. It measures how long it takes for the mice to fall off a circular rod turning at a constant or increasing speed. The problem with the rotarod test is that results can be hard to reproduce even a week later, Hertz says. If a mouse thinks its going to going to fall off this rotating rod and die then it will of course try to stay on as stringently as possible, but if it knows theres a soft pad below to land on it may not hold on at all. Mice also tend to get tested during the day when theyre accustomed to sleeping, which doesnt produce an accurate picture of their behavior, he adds. Since Vium monitors mice 24/7, subtleties of their behavior can be more easily detected, he explains. This is one reason some academic groups have tried to create similar 24-hour monitoring systems on their own for years. The beauty of working with Vium is that its platform is iterative, says Hertz. The company also helps with data analysis, providing a rationale for the phenotypes Mitokinin researchers detect. Mitokinin is using the digital vivarium system several different ways, including continuous behavioral measurement for long-term, longitudinal animal studies lasting about six months, says Hertz. Alternately, its used for acute studies where the mice might be quite sick and need to be closely watched for the moment their bodies are failing. One valued feature of the system is that it can measure breathing rate, Hertz continues. An alert is triggered if a mouse has a slow breathing rate so researchers can immediately provide needed care. The long-term animal studies are for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers, he says. Sleep and activity trackers are monitoring the same behaviors in their human research counterparts and the results from the devices tend to differ from self-reporting. The Vium system can help remove that sort of bias in mouse studies by allowing for continuous sleep-and-activity tracking. Aha moments with the Vium system are commonplace, says Hertz. For example, researchers now know that different neurotransmitters, and not just dopamine-producing ones, inhibit genetic expression of the hyperactivity phenotype. That would have been difficult to discover using traditional behavior quantification methods. Any research lab that does mouse work could potentially benefit from using the digital cages, Hertz says. This would include cancer researchers, who might want to monitor survival and tumor shrinkage as well as behavioral changes suggestive of improved quality of life in mice getting an experimental drug. But it is especially well suited to aging-related studies to reveal minute changes in mobility. Hertz says he is aware of no other such commercial system but is a big fan of Vium. When weve had trouble analyzing data, theyd put one of their best scientists on it. While it is customary to wait six months to see drug effects, detectable changes were found after only two weeks with one of the animal disease models developed with Vium, he notes. Peace Of Mind At Repertoire Immune Medicines (previously Cogen Immune Medicines), the IoT in the lab is for ongoing monitoring of temperature and other ambient conditions in freezers, fridges, and incubators. If theyre not accurate, everything we do can go literally to waste, says Lab Operations Manager Demet Aybar, a chemist by training. Depending on the cell lines being grown and stored, the right temperature might be as low as minus 140 degrees Celsius (cryogenic freezer) to a steady 37 degrees (CO2 incubators). Protein and assay kits also need to stay in precise storage temperatures. A trio of sensors provided by Elemental Machines helps Aybar ensure that favorable conditions are maintained, she says. Thats no small feat, given that the responsibility covers 100 machines on two floors occupying 34,000 square feet of space in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We have two more companies within our facility that we are monitoring, and I am overseeing their day-to-day operations as well, she explains. The sensors utilize copper-based thermocouples that read the analog temperature in the machines, digitalize them and transfer the data via a Bluetooth gateway to the cloud, and then return the metadata to researchers on a dashboard with actionable insights, Aybar says. The Element-A sensor monitors the environment (humidity) and Element-T the temperature, while Element-D connects OEM instruments to the cloud to automate the collection of maintenance and calibration records and critical performance and utilization metrics. Following the recent merger that created Repertoire Immune Medicines, the same system was also implemented at a second site in Cambridge that also has a lot of instruments but all of them are older models without a built-in communication board. Worry quickly turned to relief when the solution turned out to be a call to a few manufacturing companies to have the boards installed at minimal cost. Advantages of using the sensors are twofold, Aybar says. They give her peace of mind that she will be immediately notified by computer (alerts by phone are not yet an option) if anything is amiss, even a tiny bit of a temperature change. That translates into financial savings from temperature failings for frequently used, high-cost items such as assay kits and cell lines. Its light, very user-friendly technology and I encourage all of my colleagues to use it. Later this year, Aybar says Elemental Machines is expected to release sensor fusion technology using artificial intelligence that will provide additional metrics such as compression cycles and how often doors on machines open and closeand to predict when, and why, instruments are going to have a problem. As far as Aybar is concerned, Elemental Machines is fast approaching the capabilities of Thermo Scientifics high-end InSight Analytics, powered by KLATU but at a more attractive price point. She has previous experience with Coris sensor technology, she says, but it offered no practical way to get the probe in tissue culture incubators to take readings. According to an Elemental Machines representative, the company has a library of nearly 200 instruments that it can connect to. Its internal market research indicates that in the U.S. alone more than 200 million scientific instruments are not directly connected to the internet at present. China denied Friday it had covered up the extent of its coronavirus outbreak, as it responded to growing questions from Western powers led by the United States. A foreign ministry spokesman acknowledged that the virus's rapid spread had contributed to undercounting that resulted in China raising its death toll earlier Friday, but he added "there has never been any concealment, and we'll never allow any concealment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) COVID-19 claimed the life of a 43-year-old woman in Nuevo Laredo, municipal and Tamaulipas state health officials said on Thursday. Her death is the third in the city and the fifth statewide according to Nuevo Laredo Mayor Enrique Rivas Cuellar. She was at the Hospital General de Zona 11 del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS). In addition, Nuevo Laredo has 28 cases under investigation. Rivas Cuellar added that the most dangerous phase is approaching and asked the community to avoid going out, stay home and save lives. I regret to inform the third death due to COVID-19 in Nuevo Laredo. Infected are up to 13. With the migrants, numbers have spiked ," Rivas Cuellar said. Three out of the 13 confirmed cases are migrants who were at Casa Del Migrante Nazareth, according to health officials. This week, Casa Del Migrante announced that they would no longer intake people but will continue operating with the individuals who are currently at the shelter. Municipal officials have placed the shelter on quarantine. They will sanitize the shelter, test and observe migrants staying there. Rivas Cuellar said the three migrants who tested positive will be placed in a municipal shelter, where medical attention will be rendered to them during the quarantine. Rivas Cuellar urged the community to be cautious. He reaffirmed his commitment to support those who tested positive. Rivas Cuellar pointed out that COVID-19 is silent but fatal. We have to be prepared as a society so that our conscience guides us to protect each other. Stay home and lets save lives, Rivas Cuellar said. ATLANTA, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With storms predicted to impact the state for the second consecutive weekend, including potential torrential rains, Georgia Power remains committed to providing its 2.6 million customers safe and reliable service during the COVID-19 pandemic, while offering important safety tips and storm resources. Spring is one of the most active seasons for severe thunderstorms with lightning, hail and tornadoes, though severe weather can happen at any time. Storm Response Pandemic Preparations Georgia Power constantly monitors changing weather conditions and is prepared to respond to service interruptions that might occur because of severe weather while taking proactive actions including special "distancing" and other precautions to help protect customers and employees from the spread of the virus. The company's investments in Smart Grid technology and increased automation in recent years mean an increased ability to more quickly isolate outages to smaller numbers of customers and reroute power remotely for improved reliability. In addition, the company's comprehensive pandemic plans help ensure readiness of the critical personnel and facilities necessary to continue providing the safe and reliable energy customers expect and deserve. In the field, the power restoration process includes these key steps: Assessing Conditions Responding crews or in major storms, damage assessment teams work to identify trouble spots and the resources needed to fix them, which could involve coming onto customers' property. Crews will employ appropriate distancing efforts and customers are asked to keep children and pets indoors and maintain safe distances from crew members as well. Making Repairs Georgia Power crews focus on repairs that return power to the greatest number of customers in the least amount of time. Ways you can help keep workers safe while they work in the field: If you see utility crews, please stay back a minimum of six feet much more if they are working. Please, no cookies or treats for workers during this time. Give a wave or thumbs up to workers you see. They'll understand your gratitude as they work to keep the lights on. Don't touch utility trucks or equipment. Electric providers are operating under modified conditions to keep workers safe, which includes additional cleaning and sanitation of tools and equipment. Post your appreciation for lineworkers on social media using the hashtag #ThankaLineman. April is lineworkers appreciation month. Storm Safety Georgia Power reminds customers to keep safety first during severe weather and offers the following storm tips: Before a Storm: Stay aware and check the weather forecast before heading outdoors. Check your emergency kit, unplug major appliances and charge cell phones in case you lose power. Stay aware and check the weather forecast before heading outdoors. Check your emergency kit, unplug major appliances and charge cell phones in case you lose power. During a Storm: Take safe shelter inside a sturdy building away from windows and doors. Avoid contact with conductors of electricity - appliances, metal objects and water. Watch for rising water levels. Quickly go to high ground if you see or hear rapidly rising water. Take safe shelter inside a sturdy building away from windows and doors. Avoid contact with conductors of electricity - appliances, metal objects and water. Watch for rising water levels. Quickly go to high ground if you see or hear rapidly rising water. After a Storm: Never touch any downed or low-hanging wire, including telephone or TV wires that touch a power line. Never pull tree limbs off power lines or enter areas with debris or downed trees as downed power lines may be buried in wreckage. Additionally, do not walk or drive through standing water as it may conceal live wires brought down by the storm. Remote Customer Resources Customers can subscribe to Georgia Power's YouTube Storm Channel for the latest safety videos and can connect with Georgia Power on Facebook and Twitter for helpful information every day, and restoration updates during severe weather. Georgia Power offers the following videos, tools and tips to help customers prepare for severe weather: Outage Alerts Subscribe to the free Georgia Power Outage Alert service to receive personalized notifications and updates via text message. Outage Maps - Customers can follow progress on outages in their town or across the state on the company's outage map available at www.georgiapower.com/storm online or on the Georgia Power mobile app on your smartphone. Georgia Power Mobile App Download the Georgia Power mobile app for Apple and Android devices to access storm and outage information on the go. About Georgia Power Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.6 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is consistently recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power). SOURCE Georgia Power Related Links http://www.georgiapower.com NEW HAVEN Because of unemployment increases and shortages of household supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic, people are struggling to meet basic needs beyond food and shelter. With four children and 13 grandchildren, Sophie Tworkowski and her husband, Peter, know the need for diapers. And as volunteers at Junta for Progressive Action in New Haven who are teaching English as a second language, they see whos in need. When people think about having their basic needs met food, utilities, rent you think about diapers as being secondary, but people dont have access to laundromats and diapers are essential to meet the needs of families, said Sophie Tworkowski. Thats why they volunteered to deliver diapers from Juntas diaper bank to families in the city this week. It was a tremendous relief for some families and something positive today, Tworkowski said. You feel youre contributing to something. Junta primarily serves the Latino and immigrant communities in Greater New Haven, assisting hundreds of families each year through its social and legal services, adult education, workforce development, youth programs, case management and disaster relief. Junta Executive Director Bruni Pizarro said diapers have been one of the highest demands from Juntas families, next to rent assistance. Were listening to our participants in what is the need in our area amid COVID(-19), Pizarro said. Were honing in and listening and taking a composite of the household and where theyre at to serve those needs. Junta serves a lot of low-income families, including people who are undocumented and dont get government assistance. Thats why were stepping up and help as many families as we can to make sure for our communities who are already disenfranchised, were relieving at least one burden, Pizarro said. If we can relieve the cumulative burdens of this crisis, it helps them regain dignity, feel secure and cared for. Junta partners with the Diaper Bank of Connecticut to get the products to distribute, so the organization decided to begin delivering diapers since families were struggling with access. Pizarro said theyre hoping to run the diaper delivery twice a month if they can secure the volunteers. We want to deliver as many as we can give out because there is a need, she said. Theyre so expensive and weve heard our families are not getting the sizes they need in the stores, so were providing access to those things. We got so many calls for this. Along with future diaper deliveries, Junta is partnering with Chabaso bakery to donate bread and baked goods, too, Pizarro said. Those wishing to volunteer can reach out by emailing info@juntainc.org. Pizarro said the gesture of solidarity from staff and volunteers in this critical moment has filled her soul. In normal times, Nancy Brown volunteers as an ESL tutor with Junta, but after the coronavirus forced the organization to cancel classes, she looked for another way to help. Thats how she found herself delivering diapers Thursday morning to four different families in need, she said. It was good to be able to do something, you know, in some small way, she said. The diaper delivery is organized to limit person-to-person contact. A Junta staff member filled the volunteers trunks with the diapers, then those volunteers wearing masks delivered the diapers to nine families combined. Everybody said thank you, Brown said. That was huge for me because its so frustrating to be cooped up and to hear about the extreme need. Brown delivered diapers to four houses Thursday and hopes to help out again in the future, she said. I think Junta is really stepping up to support their clients. Pizarro said Junta has been growing into a disaster relief niche for its communities since the recent natural disasters in Puerto Rico that forced impacted families to relocate. With the spread of the coronavirus, she said Junta is responding to a whole new type of disaster. I hope it doesnt continue too long so people dont fall through the cracks, Tworkowski said. But people do rise up in these times. Meghan Friedmann contributed to this story. mdignan@hearstmediact.com President Moon Jae-in's party won a decisive victory in an election held under tight virus controls. The party of South Korean President Moon Jae-in has won a decisive victory in parliamentary elections, with voters backing the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic. South Korea was among the first countries to hold a national vote since the pandemic began. Strict safety and social distancing measures were in place for the vote. With nearly all votes counted, Mr Moon's Democratic Party won 163 seats in the 300-seat National Assembly. The party's sister group, the Platform Party, was forecast to win a further 17 seats, giving the government a total of 180 seats. Among the winning candidates for United Future was high-profile North Korean defector Thae Yong-ho. Mr Thae, a former senior diplomat at North Korea's embassy in London, won a seat for the Gangnam district in Seoul. Although 35 parties put forward candidates, the race was between the left-leaning Democratic Party and the conservative opposition, United Future Party. United Future and its parliamentary partners are expected to win 103 seats. It is the first time in 16 years that left-leaning parties have secured a majority. The prospects for President Moon's party did not look good in January. The South Korean economy has slowed, talks with North Korea have stalled and news headlines were dominated by a series of political scandals. But the country has managed to combat coronavirus with aggressive tracing and testing measures. It brought the number of daily infections down from a peak of 900 a day in late February to fewer than 30. The Democratic Party put this effective response at the heart of its campaign. It has resulted in President Moon's government winning the largest majority in parliament this country has seen since it held its first democratic elections in 1987. How were people able to vote? In order to cast their ballots, voters had to clean their hands with sanitiser, wear face masks and plastic gloves, stand at least one metre (3ft) apart, and have their temperatures taken. Anyone with a temperature above 37.5C had to cast their vote in separate booths that were then disinfected after each use. One voter, a young woman, told BBC Seoul correspondent Laura Bicker: "I thought maybe the election should be postponed because people wouldnt turn up. But now that Im here and see so many others, Im not worried." There are currently about 60,000 people in quarantine due to the coronavirus in South Korea. Despite this, the overall turnout was more than 66%, the highest in 18 years, aided by the fact it was first time that 18 year olds were allowed to vote. About 26% of the population cast their votes in advance, either by post or in early polling stations set up in quarantine stations on Friday and Saturday. People who had tested positive for coronavirus were under strict instructions to only vote at certain times and at specially designated polling stations. They were also forbidden from using public transport and were only allowed to walk or take their own car. "Everyone recognised the seriousness of the situation and showed mature citizenship by encouraging electoral officials rather than complaining," the mayor of Seoul's Yongsan district, Sung Jang-hyun, told the BBC. South Korea briefly had the worlds second-largest outbreak of coronavirus but it was largely brought under control through a policy of widespread testing, thorough contact-tracing, and widely observed social distancing. 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. BBC He's been isolating at his Herefordshire home with mother Elizabeth Hurley, 54, great-aunt and grandmother Angela. And Damian Hurley passed time during the nationwide lockdown on Thursday as he posed for idyllic snaps in a field at sunset. The 18-year-old smouldered in the Instagram pictures as he pouted for the camera while wearing a open crisp white shirt. Strike a pose: Damian Hurley passed time during the nationwide lockdown on Thursday as he posed for idyllic snaps in a field at sunset Damian added matching white linen trousers to his look and layered a number of mecklaces around his neck. He wore his brunette tresses loose on his shoulders and echoed his model mother Elizabeth as he gazed at the camera, before laughing in the second snap. Damian's time on the field comes shortly after he enjoyed some down time in the sun on Tuesday as he enjoyed a picnic in the grass. Idyllic: The 18-year-old smouldered in the Instagram pictures as he pouted for the camera while wearing a open crisp white shirt Damian posed for a shirtless snap as he read Enid Blyton classing The Famous Five as he sat among the daffodils. 'Conquering serious literature,' he wrote alongside the sultry Instagram snap, once again channeling his mother with a smouldering pose. Damian is in lockdown in Herefordshire with his mum, great-aunt and grandmother, Angela - and Elizabeth told Hello! that her hopes of meeting a new man have been scuppered by the coronavirus pandemic. Elizabeth said: 'I'd love to fall madly in love with someone, which certainly won't happen whilst I'm locked down with blood relatives. Enjoying the peace: Damian's time on the field comes shortly after he enjoyed some down time in the sun on Tuesday as he enjoyed a picnic in the grass 'Maybe when it's over I'll put my headlamps on full beam and make an effort.' The beautiful brunette was pining for sunnier climes on Tuesday when she shared another sizzling swimsuit snap to Instagram. The Austin Powers actress was typically age-defying as she slipped her toned frame into a fuchsia one-piece, with a cleavage-baring cut-out section. The halterneck swimsuit hugged the star's slender waist and drew the eye to her bronzed legs as she sat by a tropical pool Nautical but nice: Damian's mum Elizabeth Hurley, 54, put on a very busty display in a striped bikini on Instagram on Tuesday as she said she would 'love to fall madly in love with someone' Toned: Elizabeth was pining for sunnier climes on Tuesday as she shared a sizzling swimsuit snap to Instagram Her brunette tresses were styled sleek and straight while her pretty features were enhanced with smoky shadow and liner. It comes just days after the actress shared a racy lingerie snap on Saturday as she urged fans to keep themselves safe on what was her 11th day in lockdown. She sported a lacy black negligee for the post as she told fans she was holed up in her Herefordshire home with eight others, including her elderly mother and aunt. In her post, Elizabeth admitted that after days of going makeup free in her home she decided to get dressed up in her best lingerie for her latest post. Sizzling: Elizabeth shared a racy lingerie snap on Saturday as she urged fans to stay at home on her 11th day in self-isolation during the coronavirus pandemic The star explained that she'd been self-isolating with her son Damian, her mum Angela, 79, and her elderly aunt, as well as a close friend who was considered high risk. As Elizabeth urged her followers to self-isolate to try and prevent the spread of the virus, she said she felt 'incredibly lucky' to be in her country home during this time of social distancing. She penned: 'Day 11 of my family's lockdown in Herefordshire and I finally washed my hair, put on some make up and found time to post. Candid: The actress told fans she was 'incredibly lucky' to be isolating in her countryside home, and revealed she had been isolating with eight other people 'In these scary times I feel incredibly lucky to live in the countryside and have lots of outside space. 'As well as my son, I have seven other people living with me including my 79 year old mother and her sister- also in her late 70's- and one of my best friends who is in the highest risk group with severe respiratory problems. 'Keeping everyone as safe as possible (and fed) is a full time job. We all are full of the highest admiration for our wonderful NHS staff and are doing everything we can to not add to their burden. 'Thank God it's Sat night and we can r-e-l-a-x and take a break from being glued to the news #stayhome #staysafe #nhsheroes.' Open: Among those joining Elizabeth in isolation were her son Damian along with her elderly mother and aunt A valley dam that Rwanda officials claim could house 30,000 bodies has been discovered more than a quarter-century after the nation's genocide with 800,000 ethnic Tutsi and Hutus fatalities who tried to protect them. This is touted as the most important discovery in years. 50 bodies have been unearthed so far with attempts that are hindered by the East African country's lockdown due to COVID-19. On April 7, Tuesday, it has been 26 years since the genocide transpired. Since the country is subjected to lockdown, residents commemorated the genocide day through activities on TV and social media. The events regarding the anniversary usually organized by the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission and were aired on TV and social media as all public gatherings have been banned due to the novel coronavirus. The unearthing of the genocide grave could not be timelier as several perpetrators of the genocide are being released from jai including lieutenant colonel Aloys Simba. He was freed in December 2018 despite protests by the Rwandan government. Efforts to exhume bodies are also being hampered by water filling. "The challenge we face now is that the valley dam contains water, but we are trying to dry it up," according to Naphtal Ahishakiye, executive secretary of genocide survivor organization Ibuka. Ethnic Tutsis and Hutu moderates along with their political allies were massacred in the 100-day bloodshed. New information on mass graves is being offered by some inmates who were freed from prison, while other information on the dam came were provided by nearby residents. Also Read: Rwanda Marks 20th Anniversary Of Genocide As Authorities Still Track Perpetrators The virus-related lockdown is currently preventing in-person funeral gatherings, so Ahishakiye added, "We try our best so that we give the dead a decent burial." The genocide followed President Juvenal Habyarimana's assassination. The valley dam is located outside the capital, Kigali, in the east of the country. According to authorities, years before the genocide, the dam was dug to provide water for rice farming. When graves of victims from the genocide are unearthed, some survivors question whether true reconciliation can be agreed upon if suspects of the killings conceal information about the location of bodies buried. Some survivors are dubious about this act of secrecy by the perpetrators. Every now and then, mass graves are unearthed in the country, underscoring the scale of the horror. Practically everybody in the country is aware of the tribulation that Hutus and Tutsis had to endure during the genocide. Hutu majority militias were responsible for killing the Tutsis and other Hutus who were against the genocide. Rwandans are mainly ethnic Hutus, but their country was reigned over by the Tutsi minority for decades until 1959 when their monarchy was overthrown. A Tutsi rebel group identified as the Rwandan Patriotic Front that had been created in Uganda invaded the country in 1990. Members of the minority Tutsi community were targeted and slaughtered, along with their political opponents regardless of their ethnic origin. Around 70 percent of the country's Tutsi population was murdered. The massacre was only halted when the RPF took control of the capital. This led to about 2 million Hutus who were perpetrators of the genocide or feared reprisal attacks to escape. Related Article: World's first commercial drone delivery service has launched in Rwanda @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Over the past few years, we have covered the exploits of the 138th Aviation Company Memorial, an organization dedicated to preserving the memory of the small band of U.S. Army aviators in the 138th Aviation Company who performed highly secretive, and certainly hazardous, signals intelligence missions throughout the Cold War, including numerous combat operations in Vietnam and Desert Storm. The organization successfully obtained and refurbished a representative aircraft, a rare variant of the Beech RU-21A Ute (67-18113), for their planned memorial which they had hoped to erect at the B-52 Memorial Park within the grounds of Orlando International Airport. However, a lack of finances has forced the group to change their plans. The following adapted press release relates these developments Desert Storm Warbird Has A New Home With the Valiant Air Command in Titusville, Florida. After nearly five years of diligently trying to raise funds to place an ex-U.S.Army Beechcraft RU-21A Ute on display next to B-52D 56-0687 at Orlando International Airport, (MCO), it ultimately became clear to the Board of Directors of the 138th Aviation Company Memorial, Inc. that the effort was taking far longer than anticipated to achieve. In the interest of the aircrafts preservation therefore, the hard decision was made to donate the aircraft to the Valiant Air Commands Warbird Air Museum in Titusville, Florida. The RU-21A is the last remaining example of the codenamed Cefirm Leader Special Electronic Mission Aircraft System that was developed just as the Vietnam War ended. When the system was retired in 1994, it sat in a salvage yard for 20 years until the Veterans of the 138th Aviation Company, with the help of Dynamic Aviation of Bridgewater, Virginia, saved it. The aircraft will now be the centerpiece of a display that is hoped to help educate the public of the role that these secretive aircraft played in providing Signals Intelligence products for our nations defense. Once current conditions related to the Global Pandemic abate, work will begin on restoring the aircraft to its former glory and a formal rollout ceremony will take place, followed by a reunion of Veterans of the 138th Aviation Company. In the meantime, the aircraft will be available for viewing for visitors at the Valiant Air Commands museum when they reopen to the public. Dreamworx Aviation, an aircraft transportation company with over 20 years of experience in aircraft recovery and transportation. helped move the aircraft from its temporary home at Orlando Executive Airport to her new home in Titusville. About the 138th Aviation Company Memorial Inc.: The 138th Aviation Company Memorial Inc is a 501(c)3 (Pending) Non Profit organization committed to building a memorial dedicated to those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country as members of the 138th Aviation Company. The unit was originally formed in 1966 and served with distinction in Vietnam, and in 1974, was redesignated as a US Army Reserve unit. In 1990, the Reservists of the 138th Aviation Company were activated and deployed from Orlando to Saudi Arabia for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. After 25 years at Orlando International Airport, the unit was deactivated in 1999 but in 2004, the unit was reactivated once again, now known as the 138th Military Intelligence Company flying the Northrop Grumman E-8B Joint STARS aircraft out of Warner Robins AFB, Georgia. A group of students from the HCM City Economics and Laws University has found a method to reduce motorcycle emissions by raising an algae species. The algae, combined with chlorophyll, can create a filter to reduce environmental pollution. Tran Gia Linh, a member of the group, said she at times could not see the ground when looking down from the eighth floor of her dormitory at 9 am, which she attributed to the high level of photochemical smog. Students raise algae in motorcycle exhaust pipes At 5 pm, when driving motorbikes from the school to the city, Linh was in a traffic jam. She fekt suffocated because of the dust and the smoke from motorbikes exhaust pipes. She decided to carry out research to find a way to reduce CO2 from the exhaust pipes. Linhs team read a report which shows that CO2 emissions are 64 percent of the reasons behind global warming. They want to find a solution that reduces CO2 emissions to the environment. The students chose to work on algae, because they believe it has strong CO2 absorption capacity, can easily live in harsh environments and can absorb up to 80 percent of CO2 emission volume. The algae-made filter that the team is researching is different from others: it is new, feasible, cheap, friendly to the environment, and easy to use. They decided to raise algae in exhaust pipes. They will install a device behind the pipe, which comprises one membrane with algae, and one membrane with water and nutrients needed to feed algae. They decided to raise algae in exhaust pipes. They will install a device behind the pipe, which comprises one membrane with algae, and one membrane with water and nutrients needed to feed algae. The students are moving ahead with their research to find the most feasible designs. The idea sounds crazy, but it can turn into reality, Linh said. We came up with the decision to make a diaphragm that minimizes the CO2 coming from motorcycle exhaust pipe to the environment by growing algae and chlorophyll, she explained. The students are now researching materials and are going to carry out experiments in laboratory. With the support and professional advice from many parties, including teachers from the University of Science and Technology, International University and UPSHIFT Organizing Committee (a project to find and nurture community projects), they are determined to proceed with the project. We want to do something to contribute to the cause of environmental protection, Linh said, adding that they want to cooperate with people who share the same sense of purpose. Thanh Lich 11 female students have won medals at math Olympiads since 1974 Vietnam began attending International Mathematics Olympiads (IMO) in 1974. Since then, 11 female students have won medals from the competitions. The municipal Health Department arrived at this conclusion after an inspection of the premises at the Taiwanese-run firm in Binh Tan District. The company, which is the citys largest employer with more than 60,000 employees, resumed business Thursday after a two-day shutdown. Officials said they found the footwear maker had taken various additional measures to minimize risk of Covid-19 infections. It has scaled down its production to 30 percent, reduced by 90 percent the number of buses transporting workers and installed bulkheads at its canteen to prevent droplets contact between workers. The officials calculated that the novel coronavirus infection risk indicator at the company has fallen to 42 percent Thursday from 81 percent last week. However, they have asked the company to limit the number of workers using buses to below 1,000 a day and temporarily stop organizing night shifts. The company can continue operations, but must ensure the production process meets pandemic prevention criteria set by the city, the officials said. Earlier, city authorities had asked the company to temporarily halt operation from April 14-15 over safety concerns after its Covid-19 infection risk indicator rose to 91 percent on April 6 and 81 percent on April 9. Municipal regulations stipulate that companies with a Covid-19 infection risk indicator of more than 80 percent must be closed temporarily. There are 10 metrics used to measure Covid-19 infection risks, including: the number of employees working in the same area at the same time; worker density measured per square meter in factories; the rate of employees washing hands when entering and leaving the company; the rate of employees wearing face masks while working; and the rate of employees having body temperatures checked before entering the company. The company covers three shifts and uses over 800 vehicles for transporting workers to nearby provinces each day. Local officials said that if an outbreak occurs at Pouyuen, the consequences would be severe because Covid-19 could spread to nearby businesses and HCMCs four neighboring provinces of Long An, Tien Giang, Ben Tre and Tay Ninh. Ho Chi Minh City, home to 13 million people, including migrants, has about 450,000 businesses employing 3.8 million workers. Vietnam's southern metropolis is one of 12 localities, including Hanoi and Da Nang, that have to extend the social distancing campaign until April 22 under the latest directive from Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. They are deemed to carry a high risk of Covid-29 infections spreading. As of Friday, Vietnam had recorded 268 Covid-19 cases, of whom 198 have been discharged from hospitals. Globally, the Covid-19 pandemic has a reported death count of 147,376 after spreading to 210 countries and territories. The spread of Novel Coronavirus has indeed affected the day-to-day life of people all across the world. Amid COVID-19 spread, the demand for ban on Chinese gadgets and apps like TikTok is prevalent on the internet. Taking an action on it, former Bigg Boss Telugu 3 contestant Shilpa Chakravarthy, in an interview with ETimes, stated that she has already stopped using the Chinese app. Speaking about the same, Shilpa Chakravarthy said, "I've been reading a lot on COVID-19 pandemic and I felt the demand for a ban on Chinese apps is legitimate. In a way, it might also help encourage our indigenous apps and gadgets. Anyways it is just my choice to stop using the app." Sharing her opinion on using various other Chinese apps, she said, "Yes, me, my kids and I'm sure we are using many other essential and non-essential Chinese apps, too. In a situation like this, we are compelled to depend on certain things like the COVID-19 kits that we are importing from China. But I felt things like TikTok can be stopped at least." "I don't know, right now my state of mind is like this. I'm not sure if I will return to it later," Shilpa added. The TV host also claimed that her locality in Hyderabad is under a strict lockdown after a COVID-19 positive case was reported recently. She confessed that she is trying hard to keep herself and her kids engaged and positive during the Coronavirus lockdown. Also Read : Kratika Sengar Quits TikTok; Says It's Spreading Communal Hate In The Country On a related note, Shilpa Chakravarthy entered Bigg Boss Telugu 3 as a wild card contestant. However, after spending 14 days in the house, she got evicted on day 56. She is quite a popular personality on TV. [April 17, 2020] Debiotech Working on COVID-19 Microneedle Vaccine Delivery, to Enhance Efficiency and Reduce Dose LAUSANNE, Switzerland, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Debiotech will be collaborating with vaccine companies, foundations and public organizations, using its unique DebioJect Microneedle, to improve the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines by reducing the necessary dose to achieve a sufficient immune response. It is already well documented that the immune response induced by intradermal administration of fifth of an intradermal dose for rabies is equivalent to the full dose given intramuscularly. In the case of influenza vaccine, the same intradermally injected dose has been shown to elicit a superior immune response in the elderly. These micro-needles therefore address two key issues related to the current pandemic: faster access to a larger share population with the same vaccine production capacity and better protection of the most vulnerable part of the population. A recent publication in the Lancet demonstrated the value of the intradermal approach in the case of COVID-19: microneedles were used to deliver a subunit vaccine in a pre-clinical in-vivo animal trial, inducing the production of specific antibodies within 2 weeks from the injection (EBioMedicine, University of Pittsburgh, April 2nd, 2020). The success of intadermal injections with conventional methods requires experience and skills. This problem no longer exists with the DebioJect, which can be used without specific training. The CE marked DebioJect Microneedle consist of one short (less than 1mm) hollow microneedle, part of a disposable automatic insertion device. It can infuse up to 0.5 milliliter of a liquid formulation in less than five seconds, just like a conventional injection. The microneedles are manufactured using Micro-Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) techniques which are capable of producing billions of microneedles on a single fully automatized production line. "We are eager to actively participate to one of the most important challenge of our times, protecting the population against this COVID-19 pandemic by use of all available technologies, vaccines and drugs," says Frederic Neftel, MD, President of DEBIOTECH SA. "We have been already working for many years on innovative intradermal vaccine delivery systems, which could be one way to increase the efficiency of future vaccines, while making it available to more patients with the same dose amount." "DebioJect has already been successfully used on humans in multiple studies and can be produced at very high scale, thanks to a unique MEMS production process we have been working on for over 10 years," says Laurent-Dominique Piveteau, PhD, MBA INSEAD, CEO of DEBIOTECH. "Our entire team of over 50 PhD's, engineers and technicians is ready to move into this exciting task to deliver a potentially novel and more efficient vaccine technology to everyone." Debiotech is currently offering to collaborate with every company, foundation or organization active in the COVID-19 vaccine testing. DebioJect was awarded: the Swiss Technology Award 2006 the CTI Medtech Award 2008 the Medical Design Excellence Award 2014 More information is available at: www.debioject.com. Partnership/Business Development/Press Contact: Luca Reut Business Development Manager Debiotech SA Phone: +41-21-623-60-00 Fax: +41-21-623-60-01 Email: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/debiotech-working-on-covid-19-microneedle-vaccine-delivery-to-enhance-efficiency-and-reduce-dose-301042701.html SOURCE Debiotech SA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] TVS Motor Company on Friday said it has acquired UK-based iconic bike manufacturer Norton Motorcycles for GBP 16 million (around Rs 153 crore). The company has acquired the Britain's most iconic sporting motorcycle brand Norton in an all-cash deal for a consideration of GBP 16 million by acquiring certain assets of Norton Motorcycles (UK) through one of its overseas subsidiaries, TVS Motor Company said in a statement. Founded by James Lansdowne Norton in Birmingham in 1898, Norton Motorcycles is among the most popular British motorcycle brands of all time. Norton Motorcycles is known for its classic models and range of luxury motorcycles ranging from authentic retro classic reboots of the famous Commando to its contemporary 200 bhp, 1200cc V4 superbikes. "This is a momentous time for us at TVS Motor Company. Norton is an iconic British brand celebrated across the world, and presents us with an immense opportunity to scale globally," TVS Motor Company Joint Managing Director Sudarshan Venu said in the statement. The transaction is in line with the company's effort to cater to the aspirations of discerning motorcycle customers, he added. "We will extend our full support for Norton to regain its full glory in the international motorcycle landscape," Venu said. Norton will continue to retain its distinctive identity with dedicated and specific business plans, he added. TVS Motor will work closely with customers and employees in building the success and pre-eminence of the Norton Motorcycles brand, Venu noted. "We look forward to growing together globally in the years to come," he added. TVS Motor Company is excited about the existing and upcoming products at Norton Motorcycles including Commando, Dominator and V4 RR, Venu said. "Confident of the strong synergy between both the brands, we believe that Norton Motorcycles can leverage TVS Motor Company's global reach and supply chain capabilities to expand to new markets," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China has now launched a wide-ranging campaign to portray Mr. Xi as the hero who vanquished the virus. Some Chinese officials have gone so far as to claim that the United States created it, conspiracy talk just as ugly as that heard in Washington. But the part of Chinas campaign that is most troubling is the claim now being disseminated widely that Chinas system should be emulated. Global Times, the strident nationalist daily, declared the other day that Chinas model is the only successful one to extinguish the virus. An article Thursday went so far as to declare Chinas rise was coming about because of the Wests decline. The Maharashtra housing department has asked landlords to postpone rent recovery from tenants for at least three months due to the lockdown for the coronavirus outbreak. In a circular issued on Friday, Additional Chief Secretary (Housing Department) Sanjay Kumar also asked landlords not to drive tenants out of their homes if they fail to pay rents during the current period. The official noted financial transactions have not been taking place across markets and factories due to the lockdown, and the this had a bearing on income and employment of people. 'Several people are faced with difficult financial situations. Large number of people are not able to pay their regular rents. 'Hence, rent recovery should be postponed for at least three months and no tenant be driven out for non-payment of rent,' Kumar said in the circular. Aqua Pennsylvania will close portions of U.S. 1 and Route 252 beginning this week for utility construction, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced. The work schedule is: * State Road between Rolling Road and Sproul Road in Springfield, weekday lane closure, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through May 1; and * Providence Road between Kirk Lane and Monroe Street in Upper Providence and Media, weekday lane closures 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through May 1. Aqua will also close West Chester Pike in both directions at the intersection with Rockridge Road in Edgmont from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 22 through May 1 for water main installation. * PECO Energy is planning single lane closures this week on several state highways in Delaware County for utility construction. All work will take place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The schedule is: * West Chester Pike between Lynn Boulevard and Township Line Road in Upper Darby, April 20 through April 24; * Providence Road between Harvey Road and Mallard Mill Run in Nether Providence, April 20 through April 24; * Sproul Road between Rosemont Avenue and Summit Road in East Whiteland Township, April 20 through April 28; and * Lancaster Avenue eastbound between Pembroke Avenue and St. Davids Road/Chamounix Road in Radnor, April 20 through May 1. * For information on projects occurring or being bid this year, those made possible by or accelerated by Act 89, or those on the departments Four and Twelve Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 860 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website. For PennDOT information, visit www.penndot.gov. Follow local PennDOT information on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAPhilly, and follow the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennsylvaniadepartmentoftransportation and Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot President Donald Trump and his allies are increasingly seizing on Chinas role in the spread of the novel coronavirus as a vehicle to launch a full-throated attack on presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, and to deflect criticism of his own role in the domestic health crisis. A super Political Action Committee (PAC) supporting Mr Trump on Thursday announced a weeks-long $10m (8m) ad campaign in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania three states key to the November election that attempts to brand Mr Biden as soft on China. The effort, run by America First Action PAC and promoted by Donald Trump Jr, among others, includes a hashtag and a new website tagging the former vice president as #BeijingBiden. The ad follows a Trump campaign ad on the same theme. The effort to weaponise anger at the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout echoes Mr Trumps past demonisation of Muslims and of Mexico and those with Mexican ancestry. It also attempts to portray Mr Biden and his son as financially beholden to China for decades, accusing them of the same sort of personal profiteering of which Democrats have accused Mr Trump and his family. Mr Bidens campaign and other Democratic allies are laying the groundwork for a counter-attack against Mr Trump. On Friday, Mr Bidens team intends to hit back with a new digital campaign contrasting Mr Trumps response to the pandemic and China with Mr Bidens, according to a person with knowledge of the plans, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly. And as Mr Trumps campaign focuses on Hunter Biden and his business dealings in China, some Democrats suggest they will soon begin targeting Mr Trumps children and their business activities. Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Show all 15 1 /15 Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden watch Barack Obama's farewell speech on 11 January. Obama called Biden his 'brother' Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years US President Barack Obama speaks alongside US Vice President Joe Biden about the Affordable Care Act AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama Getty Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Obama listens to Joe Biden speak of his work on defeating cancer on 18 October in the White House Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. President Barack Obama is applauded by House Speaker Paul Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden while delivering his final State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in Washington Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. Vice President Joe Biden interjects as President Barack Obama delivers remarks at a reception for the 25th anniversary of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics at the White House in Washington REUTERS Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Obama and Vice President Joe Biden react after a heckler was removed for their extended interruption (Reuters) Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Speaker of the House John Boehner (R) as Vice President Joe Biden looks on Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Barack and Michelle Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden observing a moment of silence outside the White House to mark the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Barack Obama and Joe Biden putt on the White House putting green Getty Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Barack Obama and Joe Biden in April 2013 AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years January 1, 2013: U.S. President Barack Obama winks as he arrives with Vice President Joe Biden (L) in the briefing room Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and others receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House May 1, 2011 in Washington, DC Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Vice-President Joe Biden, right, confirmed that the US was looking at ways of taking legal action against Julian Assange - back in December 2010 GETTY IMAGES Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden, left, and retired military officers watch President Barack Obama sign orders to close down the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in January 2009 GETTY IMAGES Despite repeated warnings from our intelligence agencies and medical experts, Trump spent vital weeks praising Chinas [coronavirus] response as successful and transparent while deceiving the American people about the extreme threat we faced and failing to prepare our country, Biden-campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said on Thursday. China played Donald Trump for a sucker, and now all of us are paying an atrocious price for his malpractice with over 28,000 American lives taken by this outbreak, infections climbing, and our economy in a nose-dive. Dan Eberhart, an oil industry executive and prominent Trump donor, said he sees the issue of China playing a similar role in the 2020 election to that Mexico and immigration played in 2016. He said he believes Mr Biden has a lot of vulnerability under that dynamic, but he also suggested the Trump team needed a new antagonist to blame. The wall is a fading issue, and its lack of effectiveness in the 2018 midterms relegated it to a simmer on the back burner for the 2020 campaign, said Mr Eberhart. The China issue plays to Trumps strength, and Trump has a long record on being assertive and aggressive toward China. He added, Trump is masterful at figuring out ways to create an enemy and highlighting an enemy and showing his strength by brushing back the enemy. And China is another example of that. But Mr Trump has his own political weaknesses, Mr Eberhart said, most notably a very exposed flank in people saying we werent prepared enough for the pandemic. Mr Trumps political career has been marked by targeting a foe and converting weakness into political strength. Early in the crisis, the Trump administration and others labeled the outbreak the Chinese virus or, in reference to the city where the outbreak was first identified, the Wuhan virus. But he also repeatedly praised China, with which he has been trying to strike a trade deal. The anti-Chinese approach has been widely copied on the right. Senator Josh Hawley, Republican for Montana, has filed legislation that would set up a US.-led international commission to examine the origins of the virus. He said he would also enable any American affected by the coronavirus to sue the Chinese government. We know the truth isnt that this was just some happenstance occurrence that China didnt know anything about, he said on Fox News on Wednesday night. We know they knew all about this, we know that they suppressed the evidence . . . So lets get the truth, and lets hold them accountable. Ben Rhodes, who served as deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama, said the strategy by Mr Trump and his allies to elevate China is a political manoeuvre that is completely in keeping with his style. Trump always needs a foreign enemy to animate his support. In 2016, it was radical Islam. In 2018, it was caravans. In 2020, it will be China, said Mr Rhodes. The common thread is theres some foreign enemy and only Trump is willing to stand up to them. That pitch belies the true picture of Mr Trumps own dynamic with China and is unlikely to sway people who are not already staunch Trump supporters, Mr Rhodes argued. Substantively, I think hes tapping into frustration and fears about China that have been present for a long time. But hes had four years and its hard to see what hes done about that. And one of the biggest challenges he has is theres a lot of tape of him praising China, Mr Rhodes said. Mr Rhodes encouraged Mr Biden, whom he supports, to aggressively rebut the attacks. I do think its essential that they hit back, he said. Then Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping shares a joke with then US Vice President Joe Biden at Disney Hall Los Angeles in 2012 (Getty Images) (Jay L Cendenin-PoolGetty) Squabbling over China and the coronavirus is only the latest chapter in the Biden-Trump debate over the Asian economic powerhouse. Throughout last summer, the two fought over trade policies with China. Mr Trump had seized on a comment Mr Biden made early in his campaign in which he seemed to downplay China as a geopolitical rival, saying that the country was not competition for us. Mr Trump called Mr Biden a dummy who wasnt taking seriously a country that has stolen trade secrets from US companies and manipulated its currency. Mr Biden, meanwhile, said Mr Trumps unsettled policy was rattling allies and taking the country toward the brink of a trade war. You bet Im worried about China if we keep following Trumps path, Mr Biden said at the time. Then Vice President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping toast during a state luncheon for China on 25 September 2015 in Washington DC (Paul J Richard/AFP/Getty Images) Mr Biden has often talked of how well, as vice president, he got to know Chinese President Xi Jinping. He was a chief point of contact for Mr Xi in the two years before Mr Xi became president in 2013, and worked on a range of policies on which the Obama administration sought Chinese cooperation, including the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal. Mr Trump has pulled the United States out of both of those international agreements. As much as on policy, however, Mr Trumps campaign views China as terrain where it can launch a personal attack on Mr Biden by amplifying criticism of his son Hunter Biden. Hunter Biden flew to China on Air Force Two with his father in 2013, when the then-vice president was meeting with the countrys leaders. Less than two weeks later, Hunter Biden joined the board of a new investment advisory firm whose partners included Chinese entities. Affiliates of the advisory firm said they planned to raise $1.5 billion (120b). Hunter Bidens attorney has said that it wasnt until October 2017 that he acquired a financial stake in the firm, BHR, and that his interest was worth $430,000 (345k) last year. Joe Biden has a big China problem, Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaigns communications director, said as he wrapped together the criticisms. He doesnt view China as an economic competitor, he was critical of the Presidents lifesaving China travel restrictions, he has resisted holding China accountable for the virus outbreak, and his son Hunter remains on the board of a Chinese investment firm despite promising months ago to resign, he added. Joe Biden will be held accountable for failing to stand up against China when workers needed it most. George Mesires, an attorney for Hunter Biden, said his client resigned from the investment firms board in October 2019, and that a database that lists Hunter Biden as a board member would be updated when a successor is named. Mr Bidens campaign has pointed out frequently that Mr Biden warned of the coronavirus outbreak in late January, at a time when Mr Trump had kind words for Chinese leaders and their handling of the virus. Mr Biden has also said that he supported Mr Trumps restrictions on travel from China but that the president should have acted more urgently. China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus, Mr Trump tweeted on 24 January. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi! I think China is very, you know, professionally run in the sense that they have everything under control, Mr Trump said a few weeks later on Fox Business. The new ads from America First show Mr Biden offering praise in the past for China. I believed in 1979 and said so and believe now a rising China is a positive development, Mr Biden is seen saying in a 2011 address. One of the pieces of evidence in the ad for Mr Bidens support for China is a vote to normalise trade relations in 2000. But that legislation was also supported by every member of the current Senate Grand Old Republican Party (GOP) leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Senator John Thune, Republican for South Dakota, Senator Roy Blunt, Republican for Monatana, and Senator Charles Grassley, Republican for Iowa. An ad last week from Mr Trumps campaign also portrayed Mr Biden as too reluctant to criticise China. The ad, however, included an image of Gary Locke, a former governor of Washington state, and appeared to suggest he is a Chinese official. The footage of Mr Biden with Mr Locke who is Chinese American and was serving as US ambassador to China at the time is interspersed with Mr Biden with Chinese officials. The Washington Post The looming global recession resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic could cause hundreds of thousands of additional child deaths this year, effectively reversing recent gains in reducing infant mortality, the United Nations (UN) warned on Thursday. In a statement on the new findings, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for urgent action to support the worlds children amid the universal crisis. Thankfully, children have so far been largely spared from the most severe symptoms of the disease. But their lives are being totally upended, he said, commenting on a new UN report. I appeal to families everywhere, and leaders at all levels: protect our children. The report finds that the socio-economic impact of the pandemic, together with measures to mitigate the spread of the new coronavirus, could potentially be catastrophic for millions of children worldwide. Practically all students worldwide are now out of school because of the pandemic, said the report, detailing how the crisis is putting young lives at risk in key areas that include education, food, safety and health. Nearly 190 countries have imposed school closures, affecting 1.5 billion children and young people. The report stated that the losses in learning today, and in their future development, are hard to fathom. Some schools are offering distance learning, but this is not available to all, the Secretary-General said, adding that children in countries with slow and expensive Internet services are severely disadvantaged. Millions missing out on school meals Child nutrition is another vital concern, according to the report. The UN chief recalled that even before the pandemic, childhood malnutrition and stunting were at unacceptable levels. With classrooms shuttered, the nearly 310 million children worldwide who rely on school meals are missing out on this daily dose of nutrition. Meanwhile, hastily implemented lockdown measures risk disrupting food supply chains and local markets, posing a potentially grave threat to food access. Safety at home and online Sixty per cent of all children worldwide are living in countries that have implemented full or partial lockdowns, according to the report. As the crisis deepens, family stress-levels also are rising, and children confined at home are both victims and witnesses of domestic violence and abuse. School closures also mean the loss of what the UN chief called an important early warning mechanism for incidents. There is also a danger that girls will drop out of school, leading to an increase in teenage pregnancies, he added. Child health a casualty Though coronavirus infection rates so far have been far milder among children, the report found the broader effects of the crisis on child health are significant. Hospitals and health facilities overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients are making it difficult for children to access standard care. Families out of work, or otherwise experiencing reduced incomes, are forced to cut back on essential health and food expenditures, which particularly affects children, women and breastfeeding mothers. Polio vaccination campaigns have ceased, thus setting back progress in eradicating the disease in its last two strongholds: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Additionally, 23 countries have suspended measles immunization campaigns targeting nearly 80 million children. With the global recession gathering pace, there could be hundreds of thousands of additional child deaths in 2020, the Secretary-General warned. This scenario would effectively reverse progress made in reducing infant mortality over the past two to three years. And 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, so is likely an under-estimate of the impact, said the report. While the Covid-19 crisis is unprecedented, it is also an opportunity for unprecedented international solidarity for children and humanity. Governments are urged to take steps to counter the unintended effects on children by rolling out or expanding social assistance to families, securing food supply chains and local food markets, and prioritizing the continuity of services such as schooling, nutrition programmes, and maternal and newborn care. The report further recommends specific protections for the most vulnerable children, such as migrants, refugees, minorities, children with disabilities, and those living in slums. Standard strategies for physical distancing and lockdowns should be adapted in places such as low-income settings in urban areas, refugee camps and conflict zones. The report underlined that the UN is working across all settings and stands ready to support countries striving to invest in the worlds youngest generation. With the pandemic placing so many of the worlds children in jeopardy, I reiterate my urgent appeal: let us protect our children and safeguard their well-being, said the Secretary-General. TradeArabia News Service The coronavirus infection may have come into Indore in Madhya Pradesh through air travellers in January-February, Collector Manish Singh said on Friday. Indore is among the worst coronavirus-hit cities in the country with over 840 cases, and 47 people have died of the infection so far, a mortality rate of 5.58 per cent that is much higher than the national average. "It appears the virus came into the city from the local airport through air passengers in January and February," Singh said. Since he was not the collector of Indore at the time, Singh said he does not what were the instructions issued to officials then in connection with the outbreak. "I feel the 5,000 to 6,000 people who returned from abroad should have been screened at the airport then. They had come from abroad and should have been strictly confined to their homes by the health department," he said. Singh said some protests were also held in Indore city in January-February, which was attended by outsiders. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Photo : pixabay) If you have opted for a break from studies and want to travel and learn then you should opt to travel to Turkey. Turkey is a country which is part of both Europe and Asia. A part of Turkey falls in Europe and the rest in Asia. The country is steeped in history with a rich culture which blends the old with the new. People who visit on Turkey tours marvel at the beauty of the country and its rich heritage. Given below are a few reasons to visit Turkey: Istanbul: The erstwhile capital city of Turkey or Constantinople as it was called earlier was Istanbul. Now the capital is Ankara. Istanbul has a lot of history and the best part is that the city encompasses both Europe and Asia. If you travel by ferry you can reach the European part of the city from the Asian one. The historical part of the city is mainly in the European side and if your Turkey tours are all about history then you should visit the European side of the city. Food: If you are a foodie then you will absolutely love the food in Turkey. The Mediterranean, Asian and European influences have created a totally wonderful Turkish cuisine. On your Turkey tours do not forget to try the kebabs, the shawarma, the kofte and for those with a sweet tooth the baklava. Beaches: If you love the sun and the sand then you have a lot of options in Turkey. The best beaches are in Antalya, Bodrum and Izmir. You can explore the coves here or just laze in the sun. You can also go on the famous Blue Cruise while on Turkey tours and visit the beaches that abound along the Mediterranean Coast as well as the Aegean Coast. Turkish Baths: Well, who hasn't heard about the Turkish baths, and what better way to relax than to visit a Turkish bath or Hamaam as they are called? It is an experience that you will never forget. You will be scrubbed and cleaned with soap and you will feel really clean after your bath. Blue Mosque: Well, most photographs of Turkey in tourist magazines will feature the Blue Mosque. It is a feature of the Ottoman Empire. The splendid Mosque is a very popular attraction. The grandeur of the mosque is seen to be believed and when you see it in all its glory in the evening when it is blue you will feel close to God and nature. The blue mosque should be on the bucket list of everybody. Hagia Sophia: The Hagia Sophia was the largest building in the whole world when it was constructed. It is by no means small now, but bigger structures have come up around the world. The Hagia Sophia is near the Blue Mosque and whoever visits the mosque makes it a point to visit the Hagia Sophia too. This building is now a museum but it was a Greek Orthodox Church at one time. Later it was a mosque during the Ottoman reign. It is a very popular destination for tourists and a visit is a must if and when you visit Turkey. Antalya: If you want to spend a weekend in a tourist resort in Turkey then Antalya is the place you need to go to. It is one of the top tourist destinations due to its beauty and thousands of visitors throng this place in the summer. Epheseus: If you are a history student, Turkey has a lot to offer for you. Epheseus is one such place. It is an UNESCO heritage site. The Roman city is wonderfully preserved and you cannot find a better Roman city in the Mediterranean region. If you want to experience the Roman Empire and how they lived then visit Epheseus and the giant monuments there. You need at least one day to really explore this place. Cappadocia: The rock formations of Cappadocia should be seen to be believed. You should take a hot air balloon ride to really enjoy the scenery here. There are underground cities here which you can explore. You can hike around the rock formations too. This place should be on your bucket list. Ani: For those historically inclined a visit to the ruins of Ani is a must. Not many people visit the place and it is near the Armenian border. The ruins have been preserved well and you can have a great time exploring this. People: Last but not the least, the people of Turkey are the reason you should visit the country. The people are very hospitable and will make you really comfortable. You will not feel like a guest at all, they will make you feel at home. Do not be surprised if strangers invite you to their homes for tea or even lunch or dinner. Luis Sepulveda was one of the most celebrated authors of Chile. He died at the age of 70 on Thursday, April 16, 2020, due to COVID-19. He was was a committed writer who was exiled by the Pinochet dictatorship for his political activities. He is best known for his 1992 novel titled The Old Man Who Read Love Stories. Luis Sepulveda was a very successful writer in Europe where he has been based since the 1980s. Other than this, he is also appreciated for his honours and depictions of life in South America. His works have been translated in are sold in over 50 countries. Luis Sepulveda has a range of novels, chronicles and has even written childrens stories. May his soul rest in peace. Read Also| Ruskin Bond Live Streams Poetry And Book Reading Session Amid COVID-19 Lockdown The life of Luis Sepulveda Luis Sepulveda was born on October 4, 1949, in the city of Ovalle which is located in the north of the Chilean capital Santiago. From a young age, he worked as a political activist and was the first for Chiles Communist Youth, and then for the Socialists. He was arrested and jailed in 1973 under the military regime of Augusto Pinochet. He was in jail for two-and-a-half years. In one of the 2003 books titled La locura de Pinochet, he wrote: I write because I believe in the militant force of words, while describing his time in jail. Read Also| Books To Read If You Are In Lockdown Dealing With A Family Similar To 'Kapoor & Sons' Luis Sepulveda never got a chance to return to Chile and live there. But in 2017, he got his Chilean nationality back. After he was stripped of his nationality he travelled around Latin America, where he founded theatre troupes. He did it in countries like Ecuador, Peru and Colombia. In 1978, Lius Sepulveda also spent a year living with the indigenous Shuar people in the Amazon under a UNESCO study programme. Read Also| New Book On COVID-19 Addresses History, Evolution, Facts, & Myths Around The Pandemic After this, Luis Sepulveda released his first novel published in 1992, titled The Old Man Who Read Love Stories. This book was a story redefine mans relationship with nature. It was translated in 35 languages and was sold across the globe. It was also made into a movie in 2001 by Rolf de Heer and starred Richard Dreyfuss in the main role. Read Also| National Unicorn Day | 5 Harry Potter Trivia About Unicorn We Bet You Did Not Know Other popular work of Luis Sepulveda is The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly (1996). Luis Sepulveda settled in Europe in 1982 in the German city of Hamburg. He lived there as a journalist and sailed the seas for several years on environmental activist group Greenpeaces boats. As a sideline, Luis Sepulveda also wrote screenplays and directed films. He first began showing symptoms of COVID-19 on February 25 after returning from a festival in Portugal. Amazon is reportedly nudging consumers to buy fewer non-essential items on the platform as it struggles to keep up with a surge in orders during the coronavirus outbreak. The e-commerce giant is quietly dialing back tactics that encourage impulse spending or upselling of other products. The firm is said to have removed recommendation widgets, canceled promotions and will postpone the popular Prime Day extravaganza indefinitely, sources close to the matter told the Wall Street Journal. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos told shareholders Thursday that the demand for essential products remains high, but came without warning and created major challenges for suppliers and delivery network. Scroll down for video Amazon is reportedly nudging consumers to buy fewer non-essential items on the platform as it struggles to keep up with a surge in orders during the coronavirus. The e-commerce giant is quietly dialing back tactics that encourages impulse spending or upselling of other products Amazon has become an essential for Americans amid the pandemic as more than 340 million are under lockdown in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus. As of Friday there are more than 677,800 cases and over 34,800 deaths reported in the US. Because many consumers cannot purchase products at brick-and-mortar stores, they are taking advantage of Amazons massive library of items for sale that can be delivered right to their doorstep. Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos said Thursday in a letter to shareholders: Amazonians are working around the clock to get necessary supplies delivered directly to the doorsteps of people who need them. Amazon has become an essential for Americans amid the pandemic as more than 340 million are under lockdown in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus. As of Friday there are more than 677,800 cases and over 34,800 deaths reported in the US 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. AMAZON WORKERS PLAN 'VIRTUAL WALKOUT' Amazon tech workers have called for a one-day 'virtual walkout' to pressure the firm over warehouse safety conditions during the coronavirus pandemic. Employees also demanded workers fired for speaking out against Amazon and its lapses in management be reinstated. In March a walkout was held at the company's Staten Island facility with up to 50 workers striking. Chris Smalls who organized the walkout was later fired by the company. This month, company fired two user experience designers, Maren Costa and Emily Cunningham, for what it called repeated violations of internal policies, without specifying which ones. The two workers had recently made public statements questioning Amazon's pandemic safety measures. The virtual walkout, organized by Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, is scheduled for April 24 and asked participating colleagues to take a personal day off at the same time. With this, they asked that warehouse workers receive permanent pay increases and benefit changes. Advertisement The demand has forced Amazon to change the way it operates, which includes eliminating many of its tactics that encourage customers to buy more products that they may not need. Sources told the Wall Street Journal that Amazon has canceled its yearly Mothers Day and Fathers Day promotions and is postponing Prime Day indefinitely. However, the firm has yet to make these changes public. DailyMail.com has reached out to Amazon for comment and has yet to receive a response. Not only has the firm experienced a surge in orders, but it is also facing worker strikes over conditions in warehouses and confirmed coronavirus cases at certain locations. It's believed there are at least 74 Amazon facilities with employees who have been infected and on March 31, Gerard Tuzara, an operations manager at a fulfillment center in Southern California, died from the virus. As a result of feeling ignored, Amazon tech workers are staging one-day 'virtual walkout' to pressure the online retail giant over warehouse safety conditions. Employees also demanded workers fired for speaking out against Amazon and its lapses in management be reinstated. The virtual walkout, organized by Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, is scheduled for April 24 and asked participating colleagues to take a personal day off at the same time. With this, they asked that warehouse workers receive permanent pay increases and benefit changes. Amazon has been criticized by both employees and officials alike. The firm is said to have removed recommendation widgets, canceled promotions and will postpone the popular Prime Day extravaganza indefinitely, sources close to the matter told the Wall Street Journal Not only has the firm experienced a surge in orders, but it is also facing worker strikes over conditions in warehouses and confirmed coronavirus cases at certain locations. Pictured are employees at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, NY protesting over conditions at the site New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, as well as other concerned officials, wrote a letter to Bezos asking that he improve work place conditions for employees after infections increased. 'Any failure of Amazon to keep its workers safe does not just put their employees at risk, it puts the entire country at risk,' he wrote. With the surge in orders and diminishing workforce, Amazon has quickly put together a speed team of senior executives that will develop a plan to get Amazon back to its normal selection and delivery times, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal. It's believed there are at least 74 Amazon facilities with employees who have been infected and on March 31, Gerard Tuzara (circled), an operations manager at a fulfillment center in Southern California, died from the virus However, the sources noted that it could take more than two months before the company is running at pre-pandemic capacity. But Amazon did announce this week that it would hire 75,000 more people for jobs ranging from warehouse staff to delivery drivers as the coronavirus epidemic keeps Americans locked in their homes and demand for online orders surge. The company will also begin allowing third-party sellers to resume shipping nonessential items this week in a sign the company is gearing up to meet consumer demand. KABUL - An unknown gunman shot dead six local workers from the main American military base north of Afghanistans capital and wounded three others, an Afghan official said Friday. The nine workers, all Afghan nationals, were on their way home late Thursday when a gunman riding a motorcycle opened fire on them about 500 metres (about a quarter mile) from Bagram air base, Parwan provincial governors spokeswoman Wahida Shahkar said. Shahkar said the gunman escaped. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said the group had nothing to do with the shooting. The Islamic State affiliate is active in northern areas of Afghanistan and on April 9 the IS claimed responsibility for firing five rockets from a vehicle at Bagram air base. There were were no casualties. Shahkar said Afghan national security forces began an investigation to find the person who attacked the workers, who provide cleaning services at the base. The Afghan government and Taliban are in the process of exchanging prisoners as part of a peace deal signed by the U.S. and the Taliban on Feb. 29 in Doha. The release of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 government personnel ahead of intra-Afghan negotiations is a condition of the U.S.-Taliban deal. MONTICELLO, Ind. (WLFI) A cryptic message on Indiana Beach's social media sites has caused quite a stir. It has been a roller coaster ride for fans of Indiana Beach over the past few months. The future of the Monticello amusement park has been up in the air since its owners closed it in February. Now with a recent social media post, some think the park could have a new chance at life. Indiana Beach made a post on its social media sites crossing out the word "permanently" from "permanently closed." As we reported earlier this week, Apex Parks Group, the parks current owner, filed for bankruptcy. White County leaders approved a $3 million incentive package to a potential buyer. They said the funds would come from the wind farm development fund. News 18 reached out to White County's Economic Development Director Randy Mitchell to find out more about the post. We have not yet heard back. The Leitrim Observer is launching a campaign calling on everyone to come out and support our local and rural shops. Never before has it been more important that we ensure the survival of these businesses as they face tough economic times. The Covid-19 pandemic has hit businesses like a tsunami and no one can predict the future. However you don't need a crystal ball to foretell that unless we, the people of this county, do our bit and come out and support these small stores in our communities, the future is looking very bleak. Business people and communities around the county have backed the campaign calling on you, the consumers not to forget the local shop. Of course people will still need to do a certain amount of shopping in our large supermarkets, who in turn provide much needed employment but we are asking you to share the spend. Our local stores, whether they are in a town, village or townland, have well stocked shelves - indeed they have many of the goods which seem to be in short supply in supermarkets. When one also takes into account the government guidelines re travel there is absolutely no reason why we should not be taking advantage of these local businesses that are open. The owners and their staff are putting themselves on the frontline too, leaving themselves open to catching this highly contagious virus. But they continue on and have diversified as best they can with many now offering a home delivery service - they are doing all they can to meet our needs. So rather than applauding them, show your support with some action. If we want our communities to thrive then this is the time to do so. Deputy Martin Kenny backing the campaign stated: it is important for people to support local business and remember that there is no passing trade during these times of restricted movement. All sections of the economy needs to support each other and having a focus on purchasing Irish goods will also help our small producers get through this challenge. While the large corporate owned superstores may sometimes offer a bigger range, the smaller local shops have all that people need and they keep the sense of community together in these more difficult times and need people's support now to get through this crisis. The staff of Mulvey's, Main Street, Carrick-on-Shannon: Pat, Catherine, Martin, Anne Marie and Marc Meanwhile Chairman of Leitrim GAA County Board Cllr Enda Stenson said: As Chairperson of Leitrim GAA I just want to put out an appeal to people everywhere to think local and shop local. From a GAA club viewpoint your local shop is and always has been the first point of call when the need arises financially or otherwise. In your local shop/business you get a personalised service. The business owner more often than not know their customers and will always go that extra mile to assist all their customers with their shopping/service needs and strive to send you off satisfied with the service you received. These smaller business usually offer unique products and services that you may not find elsewhere. Every local business that can remain open through these turbulent times will greatly enhance the local economy and should be commended. However they can only stay open with the support of us all as a community. When shopping locally you are supporting your community. Small local shops usually support the local farmer. The local butcher might be your neighbour feeding his cattle and sheep on the lands next to yours. Traceability is never an issue. For this reason Im calling on you all to support local businesses now as never before, its good for your health as you remain in the locality and if you can walk to your local shop even better. When talking to friends on the phone or in any form as you keep your social distance I urge you to talk up your local shop/business. When normal service resumes and it will, the local GAA clubs, drama groups, tidy towns etc... will be heading to these local businesses/shops looking for spot prizes/sponsorship for raffles, functions and fundraisers. These groups will need this support of these business in the future and so we need to support these businesses now in their time of need. Leitrim County Council Chairman, Enda McGloin, further called for our support for local and rural shops saying: Parishes in Leitrim have a town or a village or something even smaller than a village and within that we have perhaps a few grocery shops or at the very least one shop. Over the last 20 years or more many of these local shops have disappeared along with rural post offices especially in communities that have witnessed de-population, now there is a grave danger that many more may not survive the impact of this pandemic that threatens so many aspects of our lives. The advantage they have right now is under government and HSE guidelines they can and should open to ensure our communities have a supply of essential food and commodities unfortunately many other businesses that retails non-essential items have not the same liberty. If they are open for business and the people living in those communities that they serve choose to travel further for all of their shopping they too will become part of the debris of this crisis when we eventually come out the other end. Stocking up. Paul McPadden gets his vegetable supplies from Robert Lewis at the Manorhamilton Farmers' Market in Manorhamilton on Good Friday Picture: James Molloy Over the years many students have attained valuable part time and summer holiday employment through the local shops in their communities again another example of the local shop giving back something to the parish. Your local shop in many cases is the institution that bind communities together so my plea to the many people who live in our county is to make a commitment to your community by ensuring your local shop is your first port of call when you need supplies during the emergency. I encourage our communities in Leitrim especially those of us who live in the most rural areas to check out your local shop first when you need supplies during this crisis, if you cant call in give them a call I am confident they will ensure your needs are met. When this crisis passes and leaves like the tide going out, we want to ensure that it does not inflict further damage on the fabric of our rural communities in Leitrim by bringing many of our rural shops with it. Ballinamore business man Gordon Hughes also stated: With all the uncertainty in Ireland and indeed the world presently it is perhaps more importantly than ever to shop local and help support our neighbours and friends businesses that are all struggling at this time. As many of these businesses are currently closed and unfortunately some probably will remain closed for the foreseeable future it is vitally important that when the travel restrictions are lifted that we continue to support our local businesses more than ever. Whilst it will be tempting to travel to larger urban centres to do shopping it is important to note that our local shops and services will particularly need the cash flow to get back up and running otherwise many of these businesses will never be in a position to reopen. We have already over the last few years seen in small towns and villages the closure of various shops and services and it is important to do whatever we can now to stop this decline otherwise we will end up with ghost villages and no sense of community. DONT CLICK FOR CARRICK Joe Brady speaking on behalf of Carrick-on-Shannon Chamber of Commerce wants you to be active in getting Carrick back to its vibrant best. He stressed This too will come to an end and life will go on. For so many in our area working in the retail, restaurant and hotel sector, this has been a body blow. We all know lots of people who are out of work because of Covid-19. We all can help get a lot of them back to work. Carrick-on -Shannon Chamber of Commerce is encouraging everybody in our region to 'Dont CLICK for Carrick'. Unless youre ordering from one of our local businesses, leave your computer mouse down, close that app on your phone. What the Chamber are saying is, if you want to help your sister, brother, mother, father, neighbour or friend get back at work, buying what you need over the internet is an action that is the opposite to achieving that. We need to get these shops, hotels and restaurants back open but they cant open if people just order from Just Eat or Amazon or whomever online. We want our town to quickly get back to its vibrant vest. If youre going to spend money, spend it inside of the shops, hotels and restaurants of our town. There are a lot of people you know who will be very appreciative. Drumkeerin Cllr Padraig Fallon highlighted the importance of spending whatever money you can to support local businesses in your community. We all are going through difficult times right now but especially, with the restrictions in place, it is very important that we support our local businesses. He said.I know that I have heard and many others have told me they are hearing of businesses which have been forced to close and the fear that some of these businesses will not be able to reopen at the end of this. That is a very serious concern for businesses and for those they employ. He said that it is important that people do all they can to help local businesses as no one wants to face a situation where they lose any services in their locality. Tommy and Mary McNamara operate the Sheemore Inn and shop at Kilclare. With the pub closed the shops remains open 7 days a week from 9am - 6pm. Phone 071 9641814 for enquiries and deliveries I would urge people, with respect to the restrictions currently in place, to shop locally and spend as much as they can in local businesses, he said. I know that these times are difficult for everyone, but businesses are facing significant pressures and I think in times like that communities have a responsibility to spend as much as they can to help secure the future of businesses in our communities. Cllr Justin Warnock paid tribute to his local community and highlighted the importance of ensuring the survival of local businesses in areas like Kinlough and Tullaghan." Kinlough's biggest employer is McGowan's Spar, but there are also people employed in McGowan's Newsagents, Simpson's Shop and in Tullaghan, Rodger's shop and service station. All of these are open now and working to provide for our community," he said. "It is very important that we show our support and spend locally. Businesses which employ our local people are vital for the future of our communities and we must support them." Montgomery County health officials on Friday confirmed a seventh death from COVID-19 and 20 more cases. As of Friday, there were 370 cases in Montgomery County with 245 still active. The seventh death, according to the Montgomery County Public Health District, was a woman in her 80s and a resident of The Conservatory at Alden Bridge in The Woodlands. She marks the independent senior living communitys fifth death. As of Friday, there were 264 active cases with 47 people still hospitalized and 217 in self-isolation. To date, 99 people have recovered. Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough said Friday the county has not seen the rapid spread of the virus that health officials expected. He said local hospitals continue to have adequate beds for those needing care. Anyone wanting to be tested can contact the MCPHD/MCHD COVID-19 Hotline at 936-523-5040. Call takers have a list of testing sites to share with those who are interested. 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SOURCE Blue Ridge Networks Related Links http://www.blueridgenetworks.com Coronavirus India Lockdown Live News updates: The Maharashtra government has instructed all the landlords/house owners in the state defer rent collection by at least 3 months. The Maharashtra State Housing Department which issued the directions said that during the period, no tenant should be evicted from rented house due to non-payment of rent amount. Meanwhile, the state tops the list with 3,205 cases and 194 deaths, which also the highest in the country. Delhi has 1,640 coronavirus cases with death toll at 38. India recorded over 1,000 COVID-19 cases and 23 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the latest date by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country climbed to 13,387 on Friday, according to latest data by Health Ministry. This includes 11,201 active cases, 1,748 cured and discharged, 437 deaths and 1 migrated. Among other badly hit states are, Delhi (1640 cases and 38 deaths), Tamil Nadu (1267 and 15 deaths), Rajasthan (1131 cases and 3 deaths), Madhya Pradesh (1120 and 53 deaths), Gujarat (930 and 36 deaths) and Uttar Pradesh (805 and 13 deaths). The countrywide lockdown has been extended till May 3, a day after which the central government announced a set of guidelines to be followed during the extended lockdown. Looking at global situation, in the United States, around 4,500 people died in 24 hours. Nearly 6 lakh people have contracted the infection in the US. Globally, the number of novel coronavirus cases has crossed 2 million, while the total count of COVID-19 cases has surpassed 20 lakh across 180 countries. 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: 8.30 PM: PM Modi talks to South African President Had a good discussion with President Cyril Ramaphosa about COVID-19 challenge and assured India's support to South Africa for maintaining essential medical supplies, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 8.13 PM: India sends medical aide to Afghanistan In a series of offerings of critical drugs, India sent 100,000 paracetamol&500,000 hydroxychloroquine tablets to Afghanistan through Ariana Airlines today. This is in addition to 1st consignment of wheat India shipped earlier to bolster food security, says Afghan Envoy Tahir Qadiry 8.03 PM: Coronavirus cases in MP Number of COVID-19 cases surge to 1,310 in Madhya Pradesh including 69 deaths & 68 recovered/cured. 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: MP Health Department. - ANI 7.44 PM: Samples tested today are 28,542; total samples tested so far are 3,32,583: Indian Council of Medical Research. 7.30 pm: Arunachal Pradesh state police have started using drones in several districts for surveillance to keep a check on movement of people amid the nationwide lockdown. (PTI) 7.20 pm: Congress urges CM Kejriwal govt to help migrants, daily wagers in distress due to COVID-19 lockdown Congress said that migrants and daily wagers should be giving ration and cash as incentives to instil confidence in them to stay in cities during the nationwide lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The party also urged the Delhi government to waive school fees and fixed power charges for shopkeepers, and pay 75 per cent salaries of teachers in aided schools, as it put forth a 10-point demand charter before the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation to help those in distress. 7.00 pm: Madras High Court TN govt's rejects plea to open liquor shops during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. 6.45 pm: Six new containment zones created in National Capital The 6 new containment zones in New Delhi are: The entire effected area around H.No 859/20, L-II, SangamVihar, New Delhi Gali No. 26 & 26B, H.NO. 2056 to 2092 and Gali No, 27 & 27B, H.No 2063 to 2083, Tughlakabad Extension, Delhi. In and around area of C-105, Hari Nagar, New Delhi. In and around area of B-333, Hari Nagar, New Delhi. In and around area of C-785, Third Floor, Camp No. 2, Nangloi, Delhi. In and around area of RZ-168, K2 Block, Nihal Vihar, Delhi 6.30 PM: More trouble for Markaz chief Maulana Sa'ad Kandhalvi Income Tax, in its initial probe, has found suspected tax evasion, income evasion and un-declaration of wealth. The crime branch has given documents to Income Tax Department, which is now scrutinising it. Sa'ad's income and tax returns of last five years are under scanner. The agency is also looking into who provided money to markaz members to travel across the country. The Income Tax Department will also look into who provided money to finance boarding and lodging of thousands who attended the markaz since January. Crime branch and ED have already initiated probe against Saad and Markaz. 6.20 PM: Coronavirus cases in Kerala Only 1 COVID-19 positive case reported in Kerala today; 10 more people have recovered. As of now, there are 138 active cases and 255 have cured, says the Kerala Health Minister's Office. 6.17 PM: Sitharaman attends World Bank-IMF Meet Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attends the Development Committee Meeting of the World Bank-IMF through video conference in New Delhi today. She has shared measures taken to combat COVID-19, including social support measures for poor and vulnerable and relief measures for firms in statutory and regulatory compliance matters. She commended the speedy response and efficiency of President David Malpass and his team at World Bank Group in rolling out the Fast Track COVID-19 Response Facility. Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman attends the Development Committee Meeting of the World Bank-IMF through video conference in New Delhi today.#IndiaFightsCorona @nsitharamanoffc @PIB_India @DDNewslive @airnewsalerts @IMFNews @WorldBank pic.twitter.com/qfbqPjptDh Ministry of Finance #StayHome #StaySafe (@FinMinIndia) April 17, 2020 6.04 PM: HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on private schools charging fees The HRD Minister has urged private schools to reconsider decisions on annual fee hike, collecting fee quarterly during lockdown. "I hope state education departments will address the fee issue keeping in mind the concerns of parents, schools. A few states have taken positive steps to address school fee-related issues during lockdown, hope others will consider too," he added. 6.00 PM: Lockdown best possible decision in initial days taken by PM Narendra Modi to tackle COVID-19, says Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala. 5.57 PM: Coronavirus cases in Uttarakhand: 40 Three COVID19 positive cases have been reported in the state today. The total number of positive cases in the state is now 40. Three COVID19 positive cases reported in the state today; the total number of positive cases in the state is now 40: Uttarakhand Health Department pic.twitter.com/OOHEbbe7XO ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 5.40 PM: Coronavirus cases in Himachal: 35 The total number of COVID19 positive cases in the state stands at 35 including 12 discharged patients & 1 death: Himachal Pradesh Health Departmen. The total number of COVID19 positive cases in the state stands at 35 including 12 discharged patients & 1 death: Himachal Pradesh Health Department pic.twitter.com/vnOS73MZFb ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 5.30 PM: India reported 1,076 new cases and 32 deaths in the last 24 hours. The country's total number of coronavirus positive cases have risen to 13,835, including 11,616 active cases, 1,766 cured/discharged/migrated and 452 deaths 5.20 PM: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan holds meeting with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Health Minister Satyendar Jain and senior health officials via video conference. Delhi: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan holds meeting with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Health Minister Satyendar Jain and senior health officials via video conference. pic.twitter.com/ejRnpwwoXW ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 5.16 pm: Dehradun coronavirus updates 2 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported from Dehradun in Uttar Pradesh. Out of these two people, one case has been reported from a sealed colony who is the son of Jamaat attendee, the other case has been reported in Military Hospital, who is a lady doctor. 5.08 pm: Coronavirus in India Live Updates: Postpone rent collection by 3 months, Maharashtra govt to landlords The Maharashtra government has instructed all the landlords/house owners in the state defer rent collection by at least 3 months. The Maharashtra State Housing Department which issued the directions said that during the period, no tenant should be evicted from rented house due to non-payment of rent amount. Update 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.#WarAgainstVirus pic.twitter.com/cOFsh0NDGD - CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 17, 2020 5.00 pm: Uttar Pradesh coronavirus news 3 UP districts are COVID-19 free now. The districts are Maharajganj, Hathras and Pilibhit. 4.54 pm: Rajasthan coronavirus news A mob attacked a police patrol party with bricks and lathis in Tonk, Rajasthan on Friday. 3 cops were injured in the attack. This happened when the cops were patrolling the areas where the curfew has been imposed. Rajasthan: Three police personnel injured after they were attacked while patrolling in Tonk today. Vipin Sharma, Additional SP says, "police party was attacked in 'Kasaai mohalla'. We have brought some people for interrogation, investigation underway". #CoronaLockdown pic.twitter.com/qdGULRzr3N - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 4.49 pm: Uttar Pradesh coronavirus news Uttar Pradesh government said on Friday that 20,453 FIRs were registered so far for the violation of lockdown guidelines across the state. 4.44 pm: India lockdown news: My son got married in a simple ceremony, we followed guidelines, says HK Kumaraswamy After receiving a lot of flak over his son's wedding in the wake of countrywide lockdown, former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that his son got married in a simple way and wanted to thank lakhs of his supporters. He added that the family followed the lockdown guidelines. 4.38 pm: Health Ministry on Coronavirus Ration between COVID-19 patients who recovered, those who died stands at 80:20, says Health Ministry. 4.35 pm: Coronavirus latest updates 1,919 dedicated coronavirus hospitals with 1.73 lakh isolation beds, and 21, 800 ICU beds set up in India, says Health Ministry 4.32 pm: India COVID-19 cases: 3.19 lakh tests conducted so far, says ICMR The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Friday that 3,19,400 samples have been tested so far in India and 28,340 tests were conducted on Thursday. 4.28 pm: Coronavirus news: 19 states/UTs have les doubling rate than India's average Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry said on Friday that 19 states and union territories have a lesser doubling rate of coronavirus cases that the national average. These states/UTs include Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Telangana, Odisha and Tripura. 4.21: Health Ministry briefing on coronavirus The Health Ministry said in its daily briefing on Friday that the growth of COVID-19 cases has shown a 40% decline and recovery rate is over 13%. The ministry added that the douboing rate of the cases now stands at 6.2 days. 4.15 PM: According to the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs, the total number of COVID-19 cases has surged to 13,387 in India, and as many as 1,749 patients have cured. 4.10 PM: Union health ministry daily briefing has started. #WATCH Union Health Ministry press briefing (17th April) https://t.co/kN6caQa1J8 ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 3.55 PM: PPE kits in short supply Placed orders for 14,000 kits with central govt's HLL, got 3,000 till now, says Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo. 3.45 PM: Special train carries 950 Army personnel A special train with around 950 Army personnel, who have completed professional courses at Army training establishments at Bangalore, Belgaum &Secundrabad, left Bengaluru today & will reach Jammu on 20 April. The personnel are due to rejoin their units in North India, says the Indian Army. A special train with around 950 Army personnel, who have completed professional courses at Army training establishments at Bangalore, Belgaum &Secundrabad, left Bengaluru today & will reach Jammu on 20 April. The personnel are due to rejoin their units in North India: Indian Army pic.twitter.com/0JDjQS84GX ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 3.41 PM: Two booked for denying to carry COVID-19 victim's body The police have booked two people for denying to take the body of a COVID-19 victim to crematorium. An ambulance driver and a sweeper have been booked for denying to take the body of a -COVID-19 victim, a native of Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi, to crematorium in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh. 3.39 PM: Coronavirus deaths in J&K: 5 A 75-year-old COVID-19 patient from Armpora Sopore in Baramulla has died at JVC Hospital in Srinagar, taking the death toll due to the disease to five in Jammu and Kashmir, Medical Superintendent of JVC Hospital said. - ANI 3.25 PM: Coronavirus update from AIIMS Patna A 35-year-old male, who had tested positive for COVID-19, lost his life at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, today. He had a history of tuberculosis and had a fever at the time he was admitted to hospital. 3.15 pm: Tamil Nadu coronavirus updates Watch: Dr. R. Narayanababu, Dean of Omandurar Medical College, Chennai says, "As patients are coming out of quarantine after 15 days, they will have mild depression. When they return to their homes, they can isolate themselves, the public should not isolate them". #WATCH Dr. R. Narayanababu, Dean of Omandurar Medical College, Chennai says, "As patients are coming out of quarantine after 15 days, they will have mild depression. When they return to their homes they can isolate themselves, the public should not isolate them". #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/ftRiA6fxt8 - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 3.09 pm: Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu news Tamil Nadu is the third worst-affected state after Maharashtra and Delhi with COVID-19 cases. The state has a total of 1,267 coronavirus cases along with 15 deaths and 180 cured and discharged, according the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Maharashtra tops the list with 3,205 cases and 194 deaths, which also the highest in the country. Delhi has 1,640 coronavirus cases with death toll at 38. 2.58 pm: Lockdown in Delhi news Delhi Police said on Friday that 26 cops, including a Station House Officer (SHO) have been put in quarantine as they had come in contact with 2 police constables, who had tested positive for novel coronavirus infection. (ANI) 2.52 pm: Coronavirus in Bihar Patna AIIMS officials said on Friday that a 35-year-old male COVID-19 patient from Vaishali has died at the hospital, ANI reports. 2.47 pm: India lockdown news: Modi govt leaving no stone unturned in fight against COVID-19, says Amit Shah Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that the Modi government is leaving no stone unturned in its fight against novel coronavirus trying to ensure minimum disruption in people's lives while planning for a strong and stable India in future. He added that the measures taken by the RBI to boost Indian economy will further reinforce PM Modi's vision. Modi govt is leaving no stone unturned in fight against #COVID19, ensuring minimum disruption in people's lives while planning for a strong & stable India in days ahead. Steps taken by RBI today to boost Indian economy further reinforce PM Modi's vision: Home Minister Amit Shah pic.twitter.com/MigEggFlaN - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 2.41 pm: Chennai coronavirus news 30 people were discharged from Omandurar Medical College on Friday, after recovering from COVID-19. A recovered patient said, "Healthcare staff addressed all our problems. Whatever has been preached in Islam, same was advised by doctors, like regularly washing hands and being optimistic". Chennai: 30 ppl discharged today from Omandurar Medical College, after recovering from #COVID19. A recovered person says,"Healthcare staff addressed all our problems. Whatever has been preached in Islam, same was advised by doctors, like regularly washing hands&being optimistic". pic.twitter.com/PJQPmFsL9d - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 2.29 pm: Coronavirus outbreak: Britain's Prince William and wife Kate urge people to look after their mental health Britain's Prince Willian and his wife Kate appealed to people to look after their mental health during the COVID-19 crisis. "There are things we can all do to look after our mental wellbeing at this time," Prince William said. Lauding the frontline warriors fighting the coronavirus pandemic he added that a lot of them are putting their lives and health on the line for all of us. 2.19 pm: Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh With 361 new COVID-19 cases, Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest single-day number for any state so far. Indore alone reported 244 new infections emerging as the biggest hotspot in the state. With Maharashtra and Gujarat continuing to report a spike in cases, the country recorded over 1,000 fresh coronavirus cases in 24 hours. 2.13 pm: Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir news The J&K education department has decided to deliver textbooks to school students of the government schools of 66 zones. The department is also running the online classes for the students. 2.06 pm: Pakistan coronavirus latest news Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the country's lead agency to take steps to tackle COVID-19 during the upcoming holy month of Ramzan. The total number of novel coronavirus cases in the country past 7,000-mark. 1.58 pm: Coronavirus cases India: Over 1,000 new cases, 23 deaths in one day India recorded over 1,000 COVID-19 cases and 23 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the latest date by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country climbed to 13,387 on Friday, according to latest data by Health Ministry. This includes 11,201 active cases, 1,748 cured and discharged, 437 deaths and 1 migrated. Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state with total number of confirmed cases at 3,205 as of date with 194 deaths which is also the highest in the country. Among other badly hit states are, Delhi (1640 cases and 38 deaths), Tamil Nadu (1267 and 15 deaths), Rajasthan (1131 cases and 3 deaths), Madhya Pradesh (1120 and 53 deaths), Gujarat (930 and 36 deaths) and Uttar Pradesh (805 and 13 deaths). 1.48 pm: COVID-19 in India: Security guard in Delhi booked for infecting family with coronavirus tests negative A security guard who was booked for allegedly infecting 2 members of a family with COVID-19 in South Delhi has been tested negative. The family had earlier registered an FIR at the Defence Colony police station. However, the test report of the guard that came out on April 11, showed negative result. 1.43 pm: Coronavirus in Delhi Muslim clerics and community leaders appeal to people to pray at home during the holy month of Ramzan. "We should stay at home & practice social distancing to keep ourselves & others safe. If we fast & pray at home, there is no problem with it," Cleric Mufti Mukarram said. 1.36 pm: Coronavirus latest updates: UNSC President backs WHO, says cannot blame the organisation Backing the World Health Organisation (WHO), the President of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Dominican Republic Ambassador Jos Singer said, "The world is not prepared. No country imagined this. We cannot solely blame WHO. We have to, at this moment, have one body and follow them." Hailing India as a key player in the world, he said, "In our point of view, India currently is a key player in present global order and we are confident it will continue to do so during these hard and unprecedented times." 1.26 pm: Coronavirus India news: PM Modi lauds RBI's relief measures to tackle economic crisis Taking to Twitter PM 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 limits." 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 limits. - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 17, 2020 1.17 pm: Delhi coronavirus updates Schools can't hike fee during lockdown, says Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. "We have got several complaints about schools hiking fees and also levying charges like transport fee, which is not even being utilised during the lockdown. No private school will be allowed to hike fees without seeking permission from the government. Schools also cannot charge beyond the tuition fee," Sisodia said at a press conference on Friday. 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: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia pic.twitter.com/Bm80wyYlUG - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 1.08 pm: Gujarat coronavirus news 59 news cases reported in Gujarat as of 8 am on April 17, according to Health Ministry. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the state stand at 930 now along with 73 recoveries and 36 deaths. 12.59 pm: Lockdown in Maharashtra news Maharashtra's health department that 288 more novel coronavirus cases and 7 more deaths were reported in Maharashtra on Friday. This has taken the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state to 3,204 while the death toll is at 194, reports ANI. 12.54 pm: Karnataka coronavirus news 38 more COVID-19 cases reported in Karnataka from 5 pm on Thursday till 12 pm on Friday. According to the state government, the total number of cases in Karnataka now stand at 353, comprising 82 discharged and 13 deaths. 38 more #COVID19 cases reported in Karnataka from 5 pm yesterday till 12 pm today. Total cases in the state stand at 353, including 82 discharged & 13 deaths: Karnataka Government pic.twitter.com/P4e9WfKHyN - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 12.46 pm: Rajasthan lockdown news 3 cops were injured on Friday after they were attacked while patrolling in Tonk. "Police party was attacked in 'Kasaai mohalla'. We have brought some people for interrogation, investigation underway," Vipin Sharma, Additional SP said. Rajasthan: Three police personnel injured after they were attacked while patrolling in Tonk today. Vipin Sharma, Additional SP says, "police party was attacked in 'Kasaai mohalla'. We have brought some people for interrogation, investigation underway". #CoronaLockdown pic.twitter.com/qdGULRzr3N - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 12.36 pm: Lockdown in Uttar Pradesh UP government has sent 300 buses to Kota, Rajasthan to bring back stranded students there. 12.30 pm: Andhra Pradesh coronavirus news 38 fresh COVID-19 cases reported in Andhra Pradesh in last 24 hours, taking the total tally in the state to 572. These cases include 35 patients who have been discharged and 14 deaths. 12.25 pm: Coronavirus in India: Got removes restrictions on exports of formulation of paracetamol India has removed curbs on the exports of formulations of the paracetamol, which is a common pain reliever, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a statement on Friday. It added that the exports of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) of paracetamol will remain restricted. 12.19 pm: Delhi lockdown updates Private and government schools in Delhi cannot hike fees at this time, says Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia. 12.10 pm: Delhi coronavirus news The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Delhi jumped to 1,640 on Friday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The death toll in the national capital also climbed to 38 while, 51 people have been cured, discharged, migrated so far. Delhi is the second worst-affected state in India following Maharashtra whose cases have crossed the 3,000-mark at 3,205 as of date with 194 deaths which is also the highest in the country. 12.00 pm: India lockdown: Former Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy's son ties knot Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy married Revathi, the grand-niece of former Congress Minister for Housing M Krishnappa, in Ramnagar on Friday. The wedding celebration took place amid the countrywide lockdown. #WATCH Karnataka: Nikhil Kumarswamy, son of former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, tied the knot with Revathi, the grand-niece of former Congress Minister for Housing M Krishnappa, today in Ramnagar. (Video source: anonymous wedding guest) pic.twitter.com/5DH9fjNshQ - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 11.54 am: Coronavirus outbreak: Schools, colleges postpone fee payment, offer instalment options Educational institutions are postponing the fee payment for students suffering severe income losses due to COVID-19 lockdown. The schools and colleges are offering students installment options for fee payment. Read more here: Coronavirus: Schools, colleges defer fee payment, offer installment options 11.47 am: Delhi coronavirus news Union Group of Ministers (GOM) meeting over COVID-19 is underway at Nirman Bhawan. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and other ministers also present at the meeting. Delhi: Union Group of Ministers (GOM) meeting over #COVID19, underway at Nirman Bhawan. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and other ministers also present. pic.twitter.com/PKnxvJP3Yv - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 11.37 am: Maharashtra coronavirus updates The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will mandatorily put asymptomatic patients in 14-day quarantine, but their swab test will not be collected immediately. It added that samples of such patients in quarantine will be taken after the fifth day of isolation, if they develop symptoms for COVID-19. 11.28 am: Coronavirus updates: Denmark will allow small businesses to reopen on April 20 Denmark will permit some small businesses, such as driving schools, beauty salons and hairdressers to reopen on April 20, the government said on Friday, following a lockdown ordered in March to contain COVID-19. (Reuters) 11.20 pm: Gujarat coronavirus cases 92 cases emerged in Gujarat on Friday.This has taken the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state now to 1,021, comprising 74 discharged and 38 deaths, according the the State Health Department. 11.10 am: Maharashtra coronavirus news 86 cases, 9 deaths reported in Dharavi area of Mumbai Maharashtra: Dharavi area of Mumbai, where 86 #COVID19 cases & 9 deaths related to the virus, have been reported. pic.twitter.com/FpoQ2y2g6t - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 11.02 am: Punjab coronavirus news: 3 contacts of infected Sub-Inspector test positive in Ludhiana 3 contacts of COVID-19 infected Sub-Inspector who had earlier tested positive for the virus were also tested positive on Friday. These contacts include, his wife, a sub-inspector/SHO and a constable belonging to Ferozpore District, who is a driver. ACP case - three contacts test positive in Ludhiana; Wife, a Sub-Inspector/ SHO and a constable belonging to Ferozpore District, who is his driver. SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) being followed: KBS Sidhu, Special Chief Secretary, Punjab pic.twitter.com/erW8QlImbE - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 10.53 am: BusinessToday.In coronavirus tracker: Check latest state-wise COVID-19 tally 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. 10.47 am: Karnataka coronavirus news Nikhil Kumarswamy, son of former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, tied the knot with Revathi, the grand-niece of former Congress Minister for Housing M Krishnappa, on Friday in Bengaluru. Karnataka: Nikhil Kumarswamy, son of former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, tied the knot with Revathi, the grand-niece of former Congress Minister for Housing M Krishnappa, today in Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/HrLpGD5s9p - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 10.39 am: Nearly 4,500 Americans died of COVID-19 in one day Up to 4,591 Americans have died in the past 24 hours due to novel coronavirus in the United States. According to Johns Hopkins University, 4,591 US nationals died in 24 hours by 8 pm on Thursday. The previous highest was 2,569 on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 infection has killed over 1,44,000 people and infected more than 2.1 million people worldwide. 10.27 am: China coronavirus news Wuhan, the epicentre of COVID-19 outbreak, abruptly raised its death toll by 50% on Friday to a total count of 3,869, conceding that several cases were "mistakenly reported" or missed entirely. 10.16 am: Coronavirus latest news: US provides around $5.9 million in health assistance to India The United States has given around $5.9 million in health assistance to India to stem the further spread of novel coronavirus pandemic. The amount will be used by India to contain the spread of disease by providing relief and care to the affected people, circulate essential public health messages to communities and boost case-finding and surveillance, the state department said on Thursday. 10.06 am: RBI Governor Shakikanta Das begins his second media briefing since the COVID-19 outbreak 9.56 am: Coronavirus updates: Home Affairs Ministry revises guidelines Home Affairs Ministry has issued an order to include the following in the revised guidelines on lockdown 2.0 for implementation by ministries and state governments. Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an order to include the following in the consolidated revised guidelines on lockdown measures for strict implementation by Ministries/Depts of GoI, State/Union Territory Govts &various authorities. pic.twitter.com/svAUgGQV2x - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 9.48 am: Madhya Pradesh coronavirus news Tomato produce in Chhatarpur rotting in fields due to lack of labour and transportation. Farmers say, "All crops are completely destroyed. We are not able to take tomatoes to the market; it has caused us a loss of Rs. 50-60,000 in the last two weeks." Madhya Pradesh: Tomato produce rotting in fields due to lack of labour and transportation, in Chhatarpur. Farmers say, "All crops are completely destroyed. We are not able to take tomatoes to the market, it has caused us a loss of Rs. 50-60,000 in the last two weeks." pic.twitter.com/RmuC7Y7b1A - ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 9.36 am: Ghaziabad coronavirus news Police using drones to monitor COVID-19 hotspots in Ghaziabad. "We are using drones to monitor the hotspots regularly. Lockdown measures are being implemented and rules are being enforced," said Manish Mishra, Superintendent of Police (City). Ghaziabad: Police are using drones to monitor #COVID19 hotspots in the district. Manish Mishra, Superintendent of Police (City) says, "We are using drones to monitor the hotspots regularly. Lockdown measures are being implemented and rules are being enforced". (16.04.20) pic.twitter.com/cfPWWBjTEl - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 17, 2020 9.23 am: Rajasthan coronavirus news: 38 more people infected Rajasthan recorded 38 fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday, taking the state's tally to 1,169. These new cases include 18 from Jodhpur, 6 from Tonk, 5 from Jaipur, 4 from Kota, 2 from Nagaur, and 1 each from Jhunjhunu, Ajmer and Jhalawar. 9.15 am: RBI Governor press conference: Shaktikanta Das to address media at 10 am on Friday RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das will address media at 10 am on Friday. This will be his second briefing amid COVID-19 outbreak in the country. Das is likely to announce measures in the form of financial relief to the sectors hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to discuss ways to cushion the economy and sectors worst-affected by COVID-19. 9.07 am: RBI Governor address: Centre working on a financial relief package The central government is working on a financial relief package in form of staggered boosters. According to sources, the government may focus on relief to benefit MSMES, workers and services sector which are hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis. The relief measures will be announced by central government and RBI. Meanwhile, RBI governor Shaktikanta Das is likely to announce the measures in his press conference on Friday. 8.59 am: Canada-US border won't reopen for several weeks, says Canadian PM Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday that his country's border with the United States would fully reopen for many weeks, rejecting US President Donald Trump's overtures to open the same sooner. 8.50 am: Coronavirus latest news: Donald Trump orders probe to check if the virus leaked from a China's lab US President Donald Trump has ordered an investigation to check if the coronavirus was leaked from a lab in China's Wuhan. An article by Scientific American, an American popular science magazine throws interesting details about what was going on the lab and the version of scientists working there. 8.40 am: Coronavirus India cases: Confirmed cases cross 13,000-mark The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases climbed to 13,387 on Friday, according to latest data by Health Ministry. This includes 11,201 active cases, 1,748 cured and discharged, 437 deaths and 1 migrated. 8.30 am: Coronavirus US news: Donald Trump announces 3-phases guidelines for reopening economy United States President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled a 3-phased approach to reopen the economy by restoring normal commerce and services. However, only for places with strong testing and seeing a dip in novel coronavirus cases. 8.15 am: BusinessToday.In coronavirus tracker-Check state-wise COVID-19 tally 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 London, April 17 : London Mayor Sadiq Khan has told the government that wearing face masks while travelling the UK capital should be compulsory, the media reported. Despite UK public health experts not currently recommending the use of face-coverings, Khan was lobbying for guidelines to be changed, reports the BBC. The UK government's social distancing guidelines do not mention face masks. "(But) the evidence around the world is that this is effective," the BBC quoted Khan as saying on Thursday. "I'm lobbying our government and advisers to change their advice, and I want us to do that sooner rather than later. "They are already reviewing this on the basis of our representation," he added. The World Health Organization said that it remains the case that medical masks should be reserved for healthcare workers, not the general public. But WHO special envoy David Nabarro has suggested more widespread use of masks will become "the norm" as the world adjusts to living with COVID-19. The overall coronavirus death toll in the UK has risen to 13,759 while the number of infections recorded so far has reached 104,148 since the outbreak began. Meet Daphne. Shes around 30, pretty, a bit artsy (she makes lovely painted teapots, if anyone cares about painted teapots), unemployed. She lives in her sisters pool house following an elliptically discussed catastrophe involving a previous job and a previous boyfriend. Shes taking a break from alcohol, and from men, but her problem is herself. As captured by Shailene Woodley in Endings, Beginnings, she is a painfully realistic archetype for all of the sexually adrift young urban women of 2020. Halfway through the movie, she wonders aloud if life might be better if things worked the way they did in Father of the Bride. Then she gets out of bed with one young man to text with his best friend: Thinking of you alot [sic]. Co-written and directed by Drake Doremus, a master of finely calibrated indie relationship dramas, Endings, Beginnings (which is being released digitally in lieu of a theatrical release) reveals its conservatism with that Father of the Bride reference, a hint that Daphnes sexual tourism is not the way things have to be. The film isnt at all judgmental about Daphne. It strikes no moral stance. It simply provides a detailed portrait of how bed-hopping has left Daphne an emotional wreck. The buffet of sexual options has made her feel empty rather than sated. Woodley, who first attracted attention as George Clooneys spoiled teen daughter in The Descendants (2011) and later starred on HBOs Big Little Lies, gives a beautifully measured performance. She has a lot on her shoulders; the script by Doremus and Jardine Libaire is so subtle, withholds so much, that Woodley must convey much of what drives her character nonverbally. Daphne is depressed and fragile when, at a New Years Eve party, she flirts with a thoughtful and handsome young American, Frank (Sebastian Stan), then meets an equally interesting and attractive Irish novelist, Jack (Jamie Dornan). She goes on dates with both of them, not aware that theyre best friends. After she finds out, she . . . continues to hook up with both of them. I dont know what Im doing, she confesses to her friends, but its pretty obvious what her problem is. Shes floating along on the currents of her time. Fittingly enough, at a party she sings Losing My Religion, an unmade bed of a song in which no line has anything to do with the next line. Story continues Woodley is so winsome and likable as Daphne that she plays a little trick on the audience: Were pulling for her so much that we dont initially notice how awful she is. Still, were all creatures of the culture we live in, and 2020 Los Angeles is a long way from Father of the Bride. When she wistfully brings it up, she means the 1991 Steve Martin remake, not the 1950 Spencer Tracy original, but from her perspective the Nineties might as well be the Fifties. Wouldnt it be great, she thinks, if romance took place amid institutional support for enduring commitment a large and loving family and all the fuss that goes with marriage? Instead, she thinks she has passion, which might be a fair trade. But as the film shows, it really isnt. Instead of excitedly pushing toward a wedding as in Father of the Bride (in which the bride is only 22), the characters in Endings, Beginnings slouch towards middle age (Woodley is 28 and the other two principals are 37) without even accepting the commitment that comes with the title of boyfriend or girlfriend. Bereft of a solid family foundation, Daphne bears all the wounds of a commitment-optional culture. Her mother (Wendie Malick) is living with a boyfriend, having broken up with Daphnes father, who turned out to have a second family on the side. Mom tries to make a bond with Daphne by passing along the ring her ex once gave her, but Daphne doesnt value it for the same reason her mother doesnt. Detached from any symbolic link to commitment, the ring is just an object, a hurtful one at that. Another manifestation of what has gone wrong since Father of the Bride is Daphnes iPhone. Doremus was among the first directors to take account of the cinematic possibilities of the smartphone, and did so all the way back in 2011, when he made his best film, Like Crazy, in which he captured the exhilaration of young love in a heartfelt romance that starred Jennifer Lawrence, Felicity Jones, and the late Anton Yelchin. In Endings, Beginnings, Daphnes phone is constantly pinging with possibility, reminding her that no matter who she is with at the moment, there are other tasty options within reach. Its both a cause and an effect of short attention spans. Texting (cleverly rendered in animated graphics onscreen) provides an ideal way for shallow people to present themselves as intriguing and clever without committing to anything as burdensome as an actual conversation. Beneath its loosey-goosey indie texture (jumpy editing, hand-held cameras, washed-out colors, overlapping dialogue), Endings, Beginnings is acutely focused. Its far too sympathetic to Daphne to be confused with an indictment, but by boring in what ails Daphne, Doremus makes it clear that her malaise is downstream of her sexual profligacy. In painfully re-learning what humanity as a whole absorbed and enforced over the centuries, she is a stand-in for a lot of confused young women who wonder why maximal sexual liberation is not making them happy. More from National Review Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller announced Thursday that the archdiocese's churches will continue to practice social distancing and limit gatherings to 10 people or fewer until May 18. Garcia-Siller said in a Facebook post that the extension comes after new computer data from health authorities and civic officials indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic is most likely to reach its peak in San Antonio from late April to mid-May. A team at the University of Texas at San Antonio projected about 3,600 total cases of the virus in Bexar County through July. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Banking stocks rallied sharply on April 17 with the Nifty Bank itself rising 6.6 percent after the Reserve Bank of India relaxed NPA classification norms and announced more liquidity measures to support NBFCs, HFCs, and MFIs. Axis Bank was the biggest gainer in the sector surging 13 percent followed by Bandhan Bank, Federal Bank, ICICI Bank, IDFC First Bank, and IndusInd Bank gaining 9-10 percent. Kotak Mahindra Bank, HDFC Bank, RBL Bank, PNB, SBI and Bank of Baroda were up 1-5 percent. In fact, banking & financial services space lifted market sentiment. Nifty50 itself gained more than 3 percent. The Reserve Bank of India on April 17 said that in respect of all accounts for which lending institutions decide to grant moratorium or deferment, and which were standard as on March 1, 2020, the 90-day NPA norm shall exclude the moratorium period, i.e., there would an asset classification standstill for all such accounts from March 1, 2020 to May 31, 2020. NBFCs have flexibility under the prescribed accounting standards to consider such relief to their borrowers, it added. Given the risk build-up in banks' balance sheets on account of firm-level stress and delays in recoveries, banks will have to maintain higher provision of 10 percent on all such accounts under the standstill, spread over two quarters, i.e., March 2020 and June 2020, the RBI said, adding these provisions can be adjusted later on against the provisioning requirements for actual slippages in such accounts. Economic activity has come to a standstill during the period of the lockdown, with consequential lingering effects that have unambiguously affected the cash flows of households and businesses. Hence on March 27, the RBI had permitted lending institutions to grant a moratorium of three months on payment of current dues falling between March 1 and May 31, 2020. "The relaxation of 90 days additional for the classification of NPA would also reduce the stress for the indebted corporates who have cash flows issues due to the pandemic. It will also help them to approach banks for further credit if required," Raghvendra Nath, MD, Ladderup Wealth Management told Moneycontrol. In order to ease the liquidity position at the level of individual institutions, the RBI has brought down liquidity coverage ratio requirement for scheduled commercial banks from 100 percent to 80 percent with immediate effect. "The requirement shall be gradually restored back in two phases 90 percent by October 1, 2020 and 100 percent by April 1, 2021. Liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) is basically the amount of high-quality assets, basically government-backed securities, that are required to be maintained by the banks as a percentage to their total net cash outflows over the 30 days period. "The lowering of the ratio enables the bank to have more liquidity and make more investments outside the government security space," said Raghvendra who feels the RBI moves are very timely and would help reduce the economic stress. The Reserve Bank also announced several measures to support NBFCs, MFIs and HFCs, especially in a lockdown period that is quite long (started on March 25 and will end on May 3). The RBI has decided to conduct targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO 2.0) for an aggregate amount of Rs 50,000 crore and said funds availed by banks under TLTRO 2.0 should be invested in investment-grade bonds, commercial paper, and non-convertible debentures of NBFCs, with at least 50 percent of the total amount availed going to small and mid-sized NBFCs and MFIs. "This will comprise Rs 25,000 crore to NABARD for refinancing regional rural banks (RRBs), cooperative banks and micro finance institutions (MFIs); Rs 15,000 crore to SIDBI for on-lending/refinancing; and Rs 10,000 crore to NHB for supporting housing finance companies (HFCs). Advances under this facility will be charged at the RBI's policy repo rate at the time of availment," said the RBI. Along with the above measures, the RBI also reduced the fixed rate reverse repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points to 3.75 percent with immediate effect and relaxed NPA classification norms. More than half of Britons believe China is to blame for the coronavirus pandemic, a poll revealed today. Research for MailOnline showed 56 per cent hold Beijing responsible for the spread of the infection around the world. There is also overwhelming support for a worldwide ban on 'wet' animal markets - where scientists believe the disease might have originated in Wuhan, according to the survey by Redfield & Wilton. The findings emerged after Dominic Raab took aim at China, saying it faces 'hard questions' about the crisis. The Asian superpower revised the death toll in coronavirus ground zero Wuhan upwards by 50 per cent overnight, revealing that nearly 4,000 people have died from the illness in the area. Research for MailOnline showed 56 per cent hold Beijing responsible for the spread of the infection around the world In a social media post, the city government added 1,290 deaths to the tally, bringing the toll to 3,869. Officials said many fatal cases were 'mistakenly reported' or missed entirely in an admission that will fuel growing global doubts about Chinese transparency. The poll found 56 per cent of Britons believe China is to blame for the spread of the virus, compared to 26 per cent who said the opposite. Some 18 per cent said they were not sure. Three quarters want 'wet' markets banned, and 54 per cent said it would be appropriate for coronavirus to be known as the 'Wuhan Virus' - despite the World Health Organisation saying geographical tags are discriminatory. Foreign Secretary Mr Raab told a Downing Street briefing last night there will have to be a 'deep dive' into the facts around the outbreak. '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. 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.' Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said last night there would have to be a 'deep dive' into the facts around the outbreak, which started in the Chinese city of Wuhan 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 Donald 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. Earlier this week, four Northern Michigan sheriffs released a statement saying they wouldnt strictly enforce Gov. Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home orders, calling them a vague framework of emergency laws that only confuse Michigan citizens. On Thursday, one of those sheriffs, Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole, appeared on Fox News to further discuss their concerns with Fox News host Shannon Bream. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extends coronavirus stay-at-home order through April 30 Cole said many of the calls his West Michigan department have received involve people reporting more vehicles than normal at residences or requests to have officers check IDs to make sure people are where theyre supposed to be. He added that its unrealistic for officers to be checking on individual residences. I think thats a bridge too far, he said. Were being asked to go on peoples private property on anonymous tips and remove people from homes. Again, its a bridge too far. Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Borkovich, Benzie County Sheriff Ted Schendel and Manistee County Sheriff Ken Falk also attached their name to the original statement released on Wednesday as thousands of angry residents protested at the state capital in Lansing. Bream asked Cole how you protect people from the coronavirus without violating constitutional rights. We want people to follow the CDC guidelines, but we also want people to be protected on their own property, Cole said. He then said that locally restrictions on boating in particular sent people over the edge, noting that there are 77 inland lakes and streams in Mason County where fishing is exceptionally popular. With Michigans coronavirus stay-at-home order extended, frustration builds over whats been deemed non-essential A person can break out their ORV and go ride trails, but a person cant break out a 16-foot boat and fish, he said. My worry, Shannon, is that officers are going to be put in bad positions, in dangerous positions by going out by going out and checking IDs and making sure people belong where theyre at. I pray it doesnt happen but theres a probability of a bad encounter between a citizen and a police officer. The interview ended with Cole responding to one of the many critics that have emerged since the sheriffs released their statement. Im elected by the citizens of Mason County, not a particular attorney, he said, before reading the Mason County Sheriffs mission and vision statement. The people of Mason County can decide if they still want me to be their sheriff when this election cycle is up. Michigan has 29,263 cases of COVID-19, with 2,093 deaths, as of Thursday, April 16. Another update is expected at 3 p.m. on Friday. The full interview can be seen below. The World Health Organization said Friday that it was increasing aid to Africa to try to contain the spread of COVID-19 amid a big spike in the cases and deaths across the continent. Compared with other regions in the world, the numbers of cases and deaths in Africa are still very low. But WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there were worrying signs that this was changing and that COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, was taking root. In the past week, there has been a 51 percent increase in the number of reported cases in my own continent, Africa, and a 60 percent increase in the number of reported deaths," he said. "With the current challenge of obtaining testing kits, it is likely that the real numbers are higher than reported. Nearly 19,000 cases in Africa have been reported to the WHO and close to 1,000 people have died. The U.N. Economic Commission for Africa warned that the pandemic could kill at least 300,000 people and push as many as 30 million into extreme poverty. Tedros said he had been speaking with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and heads of the African Union, International Monetary Fund and World Bank to strengthen support for Africa. The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced yesterday that more than 1 million tests for COVID-19 will be rolled out across the continent starting next week. Strengthening and supporting African Union institutions like the African CDC will really help, not only for now but also for the future, he said. Countering criticism Tedros is emerging from several days of bruising criticism by the Trump administration, which alleges he mishandled the coronavirus pandemic. To counter that impression, Tedros enumerated several other measures he's taken to manage this crisis. In addition to increasing essential supplies of tests and personal protective equipment, Tedros said, he also is working to accelerate the development, production and equitable distribution of a vaccine to protect the world from COVID-19. Tedros said that to get help in this effort, he had spoken to and received commitments from French President Emmanuel Macron, U.S. philanthropist Bill Gates and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Johnson had been hospitalized after testing positive for the coronavirus but recently was released. An electrical contractor has been charged with stealing several cases of respirator masks that Prudential Financial planned to donate for healthcare workers amid the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Thursday. Kevin R. Brady, of Point Pleasant Beach, was charged with theft by unlawful taking and conspiracy to commit theft, according to the state Attorney Generals Office. The 49-year-old worked as an onsite contractor, giving him access to a Prudential facilitys storage areas in Iselin, authorities said. He is accused of taking up to 1,600 of the masks. From March 27 to April 1, Brady allegedly pilfered seven to eight cases of the N95 respirator masks, with each case containing 200 masks, according to authorities. Prudential intended to donate the badly-needed protective gear to a local hospital. Officials said the charges stemmed from a joint investigation involving the New Jersey State Police, Middlesex County Prosecutors Office, along with the Woodbridge and Point Pleasant Beach police departments. The county prosecutors office was expected to release more details later Thursday. It was not immediately clear if Brady had retained an attorney. Newark-based Prudential last month donated 153,000 masks and respirators as the fast-spreading virus left New Jersey hospitals scrambling to find enough protective equipment for frontline healthcare workers. The insurance giant stockpiled masks as part of the companys emergency preparations following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Cases of the coronavirus have surged in New Jersey. Officials on Thursday reported at least 3,518 deaths and 75,317 total people infected from the pathogen in the state. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook. In the past three weeks, the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington has dispensed over $2 million to nonprofits working to combat the effect of COVID-19, and it will continue to give grants, officials say. The foundation is a philanthropic hub that manages and gives out scholarships and grants in the area. When the COVID-19 pandemic began ramping up in Washington, the foundation created a Southwest Washington COVID response fund. Foundation President Jennifer Rhoads said the goal is to get funding out to the community as soon as possible. Were going to be very active and transparent about those funds, Rhoads told The Daily News. The grants focus on priority populations in Cowlitz, Clark and Skamania counties, she said, such as healthcare, housing and food. All a nonprofit has to do is send in a description of the need and the amount of money its requesting, Rhoads said. Were making this super simple, Rhoads said. We dont want them to go through a big process. The grants are also targeting nonprofits who help vulnerable groups like children and families, elders, those with compromised immune systems, healthcare and nonprofit employees, those without health insurance or access to sick days, communities of color, residents with limited English and poor people, according to the website. We must respond urgently to provide a bridge of support for local folks that cant wait for state and federal resources to feed their families or protect their loved ones, Rhoads said in a press release. The fund has awarded 63 grants totaling $2.17 million since March 23. Locally, grantees include healthcare organizations: PeaceHealth St. John Foundation ($36,000), CORE Health ($30,000) and Community Home Health and Hospice ($25,000). Schools have also been granted money to continue providing weekend food boxes, outside of the bagged meals handed out, or for emergency aid funds. So far, grantees are Educational Service District 112 ($150,000), Longview Public Schools ($5,000) and Lower Columbia College Foundation ($25,000). Social services have received the bulk of local funding, including Community House on Broadway ($20,000), Youth and Family Link ($9,000), FISH of Cowlitz County ($10,000), Love Overwhelming ($53,000), Emergency Support Shelter ($15,000) and Lower Columbia CAP ($160,000). For a full list of grantees, visit the Community Foundations website. The fund is also actively seeking donors, Rhoads told TDN, because while its already attracted a fair amount of money, the need is large. I anticipate a prolonged situation where people are really going to need supports around housing and food and healthcare, she said. Its not going to be fixed overnight. One donor is the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, according to a press release. While the private foundation is usually focused on funding capital projects, capacity building and scientific research, executive director Steven Moore said the trust decided to contribute because of the rising strain on food banks and emergency services. We are connecting with leaders across our region to better understand needs and identify how we can provide support in meaningful ways, Moore said in the press release. We are incredibly grateful to organizations like the community foundation that leverage a deep understanding of community in order to respond with urgency and impact. Rhoads said in a press release that a public health crises of this scale will require everyone to pitch in, and that individual giving is necessary. We see this as both a sprint and a marathon, Rhoads said in a press relese. Organizations need our support now as they respond to immediate needs. But they will also need us as our region works to recover, and that will take a collective effort from caring people. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Former Married At First Sight star and air hostess Ashley Irvin is among the thousands of airline staff who are out of work thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. And on Friday, the 31-year-old reminisced about some of her best memories while working for Virgin Australia. She wrote in the caption of her emotional Instagram post: 'Missing my Virgin family more than I ever thought I would... Hope to be back in the air soon.' 'Hope to be back in the air soon': Former Married At First Sight star and air hostess Ashley Irvin is among the thousands of airline staff who are out of work thanks to the coronavirus pandemic Among the images she included was a photo of herself beaming as she sat in the cockpit of a plane while wearing a pilot's cap. The blonde beauty was also seen posing with a work colleague, with the pair both wearing the caps while on a shuttle bus on the way to work. Elsewhere, Ashley posted a photo of herself wearing a yellow hi-vis vest while sitting in front of a stationary engine. Ready for take-off: And on Friday, the 31-year-old reminisced about some of her best memories while working with Virgin Australia Looking glamorous: The blonde beauty posted a photo with a colleague looking glamorous as they wore pilots' caps while on a shuttle bus on the way to their plane Memories: Another photo included an outtake show Ashley and a colleague posing in the captain's chair and wearing their caps She also shared behind-the-scenes photos of herself with other flight attendants, all dolled up and ready to serve passengers. She then uploaded a cheeky video of herself doing some raunchy dance moves while passing time in a waiting room. Ashley might not have to wait for too long to be back in the air as Virgin Australia announced it would be resumed domestic flights on a limited basis, on Friday. Work friends: She also shared behind-the-scenes photos of herself with other flight attendants, all dolled up and ready to serve passengers Cheeky moves: She then uploaded a cheeky video of herself doing some raunchy dance moves while passing time in a waiting room Virgin confirmed they had agreed to a deal with the Australian Government to resume domestic flights while enforcing strict social distancing on board, News.com.au reported. An email sent to customers on Friday read: 'The schedule will commence Friday 17, April 2020 and run for a period of eight weeks, until 7 June 2020.' As of Friday morning, there have been 6,509 cases of coronavirus in Australia and 63 deaths. Ready for boarding: But Ashley might not have to wait for too long to be back in the air, as Virgin Australia announced it would be resumed domestic flights on a limited basis and on strict social distancing conditions on Friday Before Mark Cuban became a billionaire, he was a small-business owner -- one who experienced a sudden loss in cash flow, similar to what many business owners are currently experiencing during the Covid-19 crisis. When he was building one of his first businesses, Cuban said he received a call one day that $82,000 in forged checks had been cashed. There was only $2,000 left in the bank. "The fear is overwhelming," he said, reliving the experience on a webinar hosted by Salesforce this week on building resilience for small businesses. Cuban advised small-business owners to take some of the same steps now that he took when faced with his own cash crunch. Here's what he had to say. 1. Accept the reality and quickly take action. Few saw this pandemic coming at the scale it did. It feels like whiplash to suddenly realize that everything has suddenly halted. Anger, anxiety, and fear are all normal emotions. As a business owner, you can't be paralyzed by those feelings. You need to move into action mode. Cuban was furious to learn his bank account was drained and that he couldn't have prevented it. But if his company was going to survive, he needed to get back to work fast. "You can't pretend it didn't happen," he said. 2. Triage with transparency. Cuban strongly urges transparent communication during this time with everyone and anyone who you owe money to. Talk to your employees. Talk to your banker. Talk to your landlord. Communicate transparently and openly about your situation, even if you don't exactly know what the next steps are. This is exactly what Cuban did when he suddenly ran out of money. "If my company was going to survive, I was going to have to get on the phone with all my bankers and let them know exactly what happened, why it happened, and then ask for some time," he said. 3. Be brutally honest with everyone. "You have so much work to do to get through this," Cuban said. If you try to sugarcoat the reality of the situation with your business partners, it will catch up with you. Moving your business through the Covid-19 pandemic is all about being agile and resilient. 4. Prioritize connection over selling. The fact of the matter is that many clients and accounts may not be able to spend money with you right now. Now is not the time to push sales, even if you're hurting on the revenue side. Instead, Cuban says you should work on building the relationships you already have. Check in on your accounts without the expectation to close deals. "Call them up, email them, text. How are you doing?" advised Cuban. "The power of human connection is more important now than ever." On the other end of the crisis, you will be remembered for your kindness and compassion during this stressful time. That will pay off. If that account faces a decision between you and another vendor in the future, they're more likely to pick you. 5. Become an expert in small-business loans. You can seek advice from a lawyer, but you also need to do the homework yourself. Don't expect your bank to hold your hand in navigating the loans process. "Recognize that the bankers are just as confused as you are," Cuban said. Although that's a scary thought, when everything is moving so quickly it's difficult for everyone to keep up. Be the person that does keep up. As more stimulus funding hopefully becomes available for small businesses, study up on the rules and nuances. SPRINGFIELD The Police Department received a shipment of 500 body cameras on Friday for its officers use, and is preparing to move forward with a training program despite the coronavirus pandemic. The cameras, along with docking stations, were delivered by the departments hired vendor, Getac Video Solutions of Bloomington, Minnesota. We continue to make progress on our Body-Worn Camera system, Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood said in a statement. We anticipate having our first group of officers wearing these cameras at some point in May. A group of approximately eight officers and two supervisors will initially wear the cameras, and then those officers will train the next group of officers to help expedite the learning curve for this new equipment, Clapprood said. The program is expected to cost between $2.5 million and $3 million the first five years, officials said. The cost covers equipment, cloud-based storage, new video analyst positions and reconstruction of some areas of the police station on Pearl Street to accommodate the new docking and reviewing stations. The body camera program was supported by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the City Council, who said it will better protect the public and the police officers and result in improved transparency and accountability. I still see Body-Worn Cameras as something that will help us, not hurt us, Clapprood said. Even with this current serious health crisis before us, this very important initiative must and will continue to move forward ASAP, Sarno said in a statement. This has been an initiative that my administration has pushed for a number of years. Clapprood described the cameras as a vitally important public safety program that will only continue to enhance and build mutual respect and trust with our entire Springfield community and police department. Getac was selected in January and signed its contract with the city in late March and began manufacturing and shipping the equipment to Springfield. The department said in January that it hopes to have the camera system in full swing by the end of the 2020. Due to COVID-19-related travel and training restrictions, the Springfield Police Department, Winbourne Consulting and Getac are collaborating to modify the body camera implementation plan, the department said. The training curriculum, for example, is being adjusted with an emphasis on social distancing, officials said. The U.S. Department of Justice awarded the Springfield Police Department $1,122,000 grant for the camera program. The additional money will be received through a bond and the citys general fund. The department described operation of the cameras as follows: The cameras will be triggered automatically via Bluetooth technology by the use of emergency lights on a cruiser. They can also be activated manually by a police officer. When the record feature is activated, the previous 30 seconds will be preserved with video only (no audio) and then the audio will begin at the initial activation of the recording. The Police Department said it will address any privacy concerns and detail what the public can expect from the body camera program in the coming weeks. Advertisement A First World War soldier's bedroom has lain completely untouched in his former home since he died from injuries 102 years ago. Dragoons' Second Lieutenant Hubert Rochereau died aged 21 in an English field ambulance after fighting in the village of Loker, Flanders, on 26 April 1918. His heartbroken parents, initially unable to locate their son's body, said they would turn his bedroom into a permanent shrine to his memory. Mr Rochereau was buried in a British cemetery and lay undiscovered by his family until four years after the war ended, in 1922. He was repatriated to a graveyard at his home village of Belabre, 44 miles from Poitiers, south-western France. His bedroom, where he was also born, remains untouched to this day as a permanent memorial. Dragoons' Second Lieutenant Hubert Rochereau died aged 21 in an English field ambulance after fighting in the village of Loker, Flanders, in 1918. His bedroom at home in Belabre, 44 miles from Poitiers in south-west France, was left untouched When his heartbroken parents bequeathed the house in 1935 they bricked up the entrance to the room and stipulated to the new owner, French General Eugene Bridoux, that no item was to be moved from the room for 500 years Today the dust-covered bed, military jacket and items of furniture are still lying where he left them 102 years ago Stunning photos show the soldier's dust-covered military hat still lying on his bedsheets, more than a hundred years after he last set foot in the room, while a military jacket still hangs in a corner. A pistol, pipe and stirrup for horse riding remain on his desk positioned facing the window, which still has a chair tucked underneath ready for his return. Discoloured books, a candle and a vase of brown withered flowers remain on his bedside table, in front of a picture of a soldier in uniform, and French flags still hang from poles propped against the wall. His parents kept the room exactly as he left it and, when they bequeathed the large family home to French General Eugene Bridoux in 1935, stipulated no item should be moved inside it for at least 500 years. The Second World War broke out three years later and, after France's defeat in 1940, General Bridoux became Secretary of State for the Vichy Regime, which maintained compliance with the occupiers and oversaw the transfer of thousands of French Jews to Nazi concentration camps. General Bridoux fled to Franco's Spain at the end of the war, and remained there until his death in 1955. He was sentenced to death by French authorities in his absence and his property was confiscated. Pictured above are MR Rochereau's military boots still sitting underneath his bookcase in his bedroom A pistol, knives and drawing remain on his desk. The house's owners have said they will not move any items from the room The pistol and pipe lying on the desk are pictured above. After receiving the house General Bridoux led the French Vichy regime which oversaw compliance with the Nazi occupiers and the transfer of French Jews to concentration camps The solider's moth-eaten military jacket hanging next to his desk is pictured above. A sword remains on the wall The house was rented by a family of solicitors initially until it was purchased by General Bridoux's granddaughter and her husband Daniel Fabre in the 1950s. Mr Fabre was still living at the property in 2014. Aware of the hidden shrine in the house, they eventually decided to take down the brick wall concealing it. Belabre's mayor, Laurent Laroche, told The Guardian in 2014 the family invited local officials to see it in the 1980s and 'said they intended to keep the promise made to keep the room untouched'. 'We cannot forget that it is a private property,' he added. 'Mr Fabre has two daughters and we don't know what they will do with it one day. Indeed, they are perfectly free to do whatever they want.' The mayor has previously appealed for benefactors to help preserve the room and transform it into a museum. The village's mayor started trying to raise funds to turn the room into a museum in 2014 as it remains in private hands It is unclear whether, if the house is sold again, the items still in the room will be moved from their positions The moth-eaten military jacket he wore is pictured above, still hanging where he left it 102 years ago General Bridoux's granddaughter's husband, Daniel Fabre, told French newspaper L'Express that he would keep the room in tact 'not out of piety but out of respect'. 'A sense of responsibility and perhaps pride certainly haunted this family of soldiers, one of whose ancestors had served as house marshal under Napoleon,' he said. Rochereau, who was born in 1896, received a posthumous croix de guerre for his courage in battle - which was placed on his bed by his parents before they left the house. He served with the 15th Dragoons based in Libourne, near Bordeaux. Calif. pastors face potential $1K fines, jail time for holding Easter services Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pastors in California have received citations for holding services on Easter in defiance of social distancing orders enacted to combat the spread of novel coronavirus. They could face the possibility of being fined hundreds of dollars or serving months in jail. As some churches continue to hold in-person worship services despite orders from state and local governments nationwide to stay home, more local authorities are enforcing stay-at-home orders by cracking down on religious gatherings. Bay area pastor Wyndford Williams of All Nations Church of God in Christ in Richmond was given a misdemeanor citation on Monday after holding an Easter service Sunday. The Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office confirmed the citation on Facebook Thursday. According to the Facebook post, a deputy responded to an anonymous complaint about an unlawful assembly at the church building Sunday afternoon. A Deputy responded to the location and saw approximately 40 people inside the church. None of them were wearing a face mask and they did not practice social distancing, the sheriffs office explained. The Deputy first spoke to the deacon and asked to speak to the pastor who was in front of the parishioners. The pastor was uncooperative and refused to talk to the Deputy. The deputy then left the location and wrote a report. On Monday, Williams was issued a citation for violating the state health order. The sheriffs office confirmed that it filed a case with the district attorneys office for prosecution. Section 120295 of the states health and safety code highlights penalties for violations related to the section of the state's health code dealing with infectious diseases and quarantines, which gives the state the ability to "require strict or modified isolation or quarantine for any case of contagious, infectious, or communicable disease." Violators could be subject to a fine of no less than $50 and nor more than $1,000. Violators could also be subject to imprisonment for a term of not more than 90 days. "Our focus has been on education of the Health Officer Order and in the vast majority of cases we ask for voluntary compliance and that solves the problem," Contra Costa Sheriff David Livingston said in a statement. "This was different. The pastor refused to cooperate and put the lives of dozens of parishioners at risk." Just over two-hours drive south in Merced County, Pastor Fernando Aguas of the Iglesia De Jesucristo Palabra Miel told KTVU that he was given a citation by a local sheriffs office after over 40 people attended his churchs Easter service. Aguas told the television news outlet that the congregants in the church were maintaining a proper six feet of social distance. However, he said that not everyone was wearing face masks. According to the pastor, the citation he received carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail or a $1,000 fine. He said he has a court hearing scheduled for August. It wasn't fair what he did," Aguas said of the sheriff. "When he quoted the Constitution, he was wrong. We have the right to assemble." Aguas clarified that he thought the rules of the states stay-at-home order were only a recommendation and argued that churches should be exempt. Sheriff Vernon H. Warnke told KTVU that the pastor put his entire congregation in jeopardy. "By putting them in jeopardy, one person could have showed up, not known they're infected and infected the entire congregation, the sheriff was quoted as saying. This congregation now goes out and gets with their family because they think they're OK, and then it continues to go." The citations against the pastors come as religious gatherings have been linked to large clusters of COVID-19 cases across the globe, including 70 who tested positive linked to a church in Sacramento. In Kansas City, five deaths and 44 cases have been linked to a gathering that took place from March 16 to March 22 at the Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ, according to data from Wyandotte County as reported by KCTV. In Greenville, Mississippi, churchgoers were issued $500 tickets by police for attending a drive-in church service last week in defiance of a mayors order banning the services. After intervention from the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of a church that filed a lawsuit against Mayor Errick D. Simmons order, Simmons said Wednesday that he would again allow drive-in services as long as parishioners keep their windows rolled up. He said those fined would not be forced to pay the fines. In Louisiana, Pastor Tony Spell of Life Tabernacle Church has been given multiple misdemeanor citations for holding services in defiance of Gov. John Bel Edwards' order from March banning gatherings of more than 50 people. In late March, Florida Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne was arrested for violating a state safer at home order by holding in-person worship services. In California, three churches filed a lawsuit against Newsom and local officials claiming that the states stay-at-home order violates their right to practice their religion. They are represented by the Center for American Liberty. While the state exempts other services like grocery stores and fast-food restaurants by considering them to be "essential" services, the lawsuit argues that the state is barring religious leaders from conducting essential religious services. The state and localities have granted sweeping exceptions to the shutdown orders for favored businesses and professions, while specifically targeting people of faith and decreeing to religious institutions that it is good enough that they be allowed to offer streaming video services, attorney Harmeet Kaur Dhillon, CEO of the Center for American Liberty, said in a statement. The link between age and high death rates from coronavirus has been confirmed for the first time by researchers - and it could help predict the scale of future outbreaks. The University of Oxford study highlights the importance of age and demographics in explaining why some countries have higher rates of fatality than others. They found that in Italy the rate of death was 1.7 times greater than in South Korea despite both nations having an early outbreak of the deadly COVID-19. Lead author Jennifer Dowd said the information in the study could be used to forecast how COVID-19 will play out in different countries as it continues to spread. Scroll down for video A new patient of the COVID-19 treatment department of the Hospital 'dell' Angelo' of Mestre prays in his room on April 16, 2020 in Venice, Italy. Researchers say countries with a higher percentage of older people will suffer more from a coronavirus outrbeak The study was motivated to examine the impact of age on the virus by the early severity and number of deaths of COVID-19 in Italy compared to South Korea. Currently, COVID-19 mortality risk is highly concentrated at older ages, particularly those aged over 80, according to the Oxford team. They say that by understanding a countries age demographic it is possible to predict the burden of critical cases and help plan the need for hospital beds and staff. Until more nuanced data on comorbidities becomes available, the concentration of mortality risk in the oldest ages is one of the best tools we have to understand and deal with Covid-19 at local and national levels, said Dowd. The researchers used data on death rates and population age in Italy and compared it to the US and Nigeria - which has one of the youngest populations in the world, as can be seen in this animated graph. The demography and population health expert says the way different age groups interact in a nation is also vital to understanding the spread of the virus. The impact of the virus on Italy has helped the research team create a new demographic science forecasting approach to COVID-19. Italy has one of the oldest populations in the world with 23.3 per cent of the country over the age of 65, compared to 14 per cent in South Korea. Using the current age-specific case fatality rate in Italy, the researchers were able to show how population age structure interacts with high COVID-19 mortality rates at older ages to generate large differences in numbers of deaths. In Italy, the predicted number of fatalities was 1.7 times greater than for South Korea. 'In addition to age demographics, intergenerational interactions are also important to understand the spread of COVID-19, says Melinda Mills, Nuffield Professor and Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science. Italy is a country characterised by extensive intergenerational contacts and residential proximity between adult children and their parents,' Mills said. 'COVID-19 mitigation policies need to consider this interaction between household living situations and the concentration of vulnerable populations.' Using the information from Italy will help them create demographic projections that can be used to understand how population age structure could influence fatalities in different countries around the world. They created a simulation to show how population age structure could affect countries yet to experience a large surge in the virus. They picked two countries with similar population sizes but very different age distributions: Brazil, where 2 per cent of the population is over 80, and Nigeria, where only 0.2 per cent of the population is over 80. This scenario saw in excess of three times more deaths in Brazil, based on age structure alone. Italy has one of the oldest populations in the world with 23.3 per cent of the country over the age of 65 - which in part explains its higher rate of coronavirus deaths In contrast to Italy, South Korea, which also had a very early outbreak of coronavirus, has a much lower percentage of over 80s - just 14 per cent compared to Italy's 23.3 per cent The authors say that population density and health system capacity are also important to understand the impact of the virus. Our demographic science forecasting approach shows how Covid-19 could play out in different places, and could be an important tool for governments and policy makers, says Dowd. Holding other factors such as medical capacity constant, a younger age structure should provide protection to a population,' the author added. 'Countries and localities with older populations will need to take more aggressive protective measures to stay below the threshold of critical cases that outstrip health system capacity. This could include much stricter lockdown measures, particularly involving older people and interaction with older people. The study, Demographic science aids in understanding the spread and fatality rates of Covid-19, has been published in the journal Proceedings National Academy of Sciences. The Centre on Friday informed the Kerala High Court that there was no immediate plan to bring back the Indian citizens stranded in the Gulf countries Kochi: The Centre on Friday informed the Kerala High Court that there was no immediate plan to bring back the Indian citizens stranded in the Gulf countries due to the novel coronavirus outbreak and that the expatriates had been granted visa extension. The counsel for the central government made the submission before a division bench comprising justices Rajavijayaraghavan and TR Ravi during the hearing of a plea seeking a direction to bring back Indians stranded in the UAE. Permission of the Gulf countries was required to send medical teams there to carry out medical examination of the stranded Indians, the counsel said when the court sought to know the Centre's view on Kerala government sending medical teams to the Gulf countries to deal with the issue of COVID-19 disease among Malayalees there. The court posted the plea for 21 April for consideration after the Central government informed that a similar petition is under consideration of the Supreme Court. In its plea, Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC) in Dubai, the organisation for non-resident Indians from Kerala, sought directions to the Ministries of External Affairs and Civil Aviation to provide exemptions in the international air travel ban to bring back Indians stranded in the UAE. The petitioners noted that those who return could be kept in quarantine as per the protocol of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Boris Johnson is tonight engulfed by the worst crisis of his premiership over the Downing Street party scandal. On a day when his future as Prime Minister was being openly questioned, Tory MPs broke ranks to demand he urgently address claims of a lockdown-busting gathering in the No 10 garden. Mr Johnson failed to appear before the cameras or make any public comment yesterday - despite explosive allegations that he and his wife attended the event at a time when all parties were illegal. No 10 also refused to deny he had been at the 'bring your own booze' bash on May 20, 2020. The Prime Minister is expected to make a statement at the start of PMQs tomorrow in a bid to quell mounting anger from the public and his own party. Today he faced a ferocious backlash from families who were prevented by lockdown rules from saying a proper farewell to loved ones. As support drained away, senior Tory figures put the PM on notice, warning that his survival in No 10 depended on addressing the 'utterly despicable' allegations and restoring trust in his Government. Several warned he would have to resign if wrongdoing was proved, while others suggested he could soon face a confidence vote from mutinous backbenchers. Those close to Dominic Cummings, the ex-aide who has waged a determined campaign against his former boss, were said to be claiming Mr Johnson had only a 20 per cent chance of political survival. You can manage your notification subscription by clicking on the icon. To start receiving timely alerts, as shown below click on the Green lock icon next to the address bar Click it and Unblock the Notifications Click it and Unblock the Notifications Close X New Delhi, April 17 : The Union cabinet had met on Wednesday at 5.30 p.m. and was through with its work in an hour. There has not been any cabinet briefing since. The reason: round-II of the economic package that the government is reportedly working on was not yet ready. However, if sources are to be believed, not just the NDA government but BJP as a party seem to acknowledge and is open to suggestions from the opposition parties and opposition-ruled states. BJP spokesperson on economic issues Narendra Taneja said, "We are here as one team. The situation demands so. We have heard what Rahul Gandhi said yesterday or other political leaders have suggested so far. The government has been in regular consultation with all states, including those ruled by the opposition. I am sure, the economic package or otherwise, more or less everyone wil appreciate the effort of this government to boost the economy at a time like this." Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday suggested that rather than going in for a big-bang economic package, the Modi government's economic package 2.0 should be subtle, measured and specific. So, this economic package is likely to be smaller than the previous one of Rs. 1.7 lakh crore, but won't be the last one, sources said. A government source indicated the combined worth of all installments of the economic package may go up to as much as 3 to 3.5% of the GDP. However, the forthcoming package 2.0 will be barely 0.5% of the GDP. This time around, a respite is sought to be given primarily to two sectors -- Medium and Small scale industries (MSME) and hospitality industry. The government seeks to ensure livelihood of a percentage of the poor who are employed with the MSME sector, say sources. A source said this will not be the last economic package and there could be a series of it, which the government is prioritizing according to the need. After Wednesday's cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had a one-on-one with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where the two are believed to have resolved the final "hiccups". It is though not known what the nature of the "hiccups" was. The two sectors have been one of the worst hit during the 21-day lockdown which is further aggravated by the extended lockdown till May 3. Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) has said that more than one- fourth of India's 69 million micro, small and medium enterprises may have to shut shop, which essentially means millions of job losses. A pre-lockdown-I All India Manufacturers Organization (AIMO) study painted a grimmer picture, predicting that 43 per cent would shut shop if the shutdown was to be extended, which is now already extended. A government source said there could be more than one stimulus for the sector, even after the current one, with specific targets to ensure minimum or no job losses. The buzz is that the Modi government may allocate approximately Rs 15,000 crore for the sector's revival that is crucial not just in terms of India's export but also the economically vulnerable segment of society associated with this sector. RSS's economic wing Swadeshi Jagran Manch too has been espousing their cause. Another sector that may be aided is the hospitality industry. With aviation business grounded, hotels shut, most restaurants closed and tourism finished, the sector is predicted to stare at 70% of its workforce losing jobs. An advocacy group on behalf of the sector had already written to the PM listing their charter of demands from short-term to long-term for a revival. Though it could be too much to ask of a government finding itself caught in a financial stress that it has failed to fulfil demands of states to give their GST dues, the economic package 2.0 may have some goodies for them too. There is no clarity on what the exact nature and contour of the package will be, but there's unanimity that it won't be a big-bang package but a measured one with specific intent and many more like that could be in the pipeline in the coming months. The government's decision to allow agriculture, e-commerce, infrastructure and logistics to conditionally return to work in 'green zones', starting April 20, was taken to complement the economic package. There is a strong indication that the government would announce the package well before April 20, though there is no official word about it. During a virtual press conference yesterday by former Congress President, Rahul Gandhi had one suggestion that the Modi government might like: "Keep in mind to not use all your ammunition right now, if you use it now, we'd end up with a real financial backlash, we will have a serious problem." (Anindya Banerjee can be contacted at Anindya.b@ians.in) Graham Sawyer remembered with love Tributes have been paid to a hugely popular former manager at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Graham Sawyer, who died aged 76 on 31st March, was a major figure in local theatre, especially at the RSC, where he was first house manager then later theatre manager between 1969 and 2000. Graham, of St Gregorys Road, Stratford, had cancer and died at Myton Hospice after being diagnosed with Covid-19. Graham with his sister Julie He was known to most Stratfordians and countless visitors not least the Prince of Wales and the Queen as the public face of the RSC, where his outgoing personality enlivened the foyer. Adrian Noble, former artistic director, said: Graham understood the importance of welcoming our audience, whether they hail from Texas, Tokyo or Shipston-on-Stour. He had the ability to remember hundreds of names, family members, former employees and, crucially, he had the gift of the gossip. My wife Joanne and I were blessed by countless small courtesies and kindnesses. He will be much missed. Behind the scenes, Graham organised accommodation for actors and sorted out their often offbeat requirements. Once, when he asked a caterer to deliver a platter of sandwiches to one house, she found herself serving Prince Charles. For some years he programmed and ran the winter season at the Swan Theatre, and in a brief gap in his RSC years he worked as house manager at the Royal Festival Hall, London. Former deputy theatre manager Richard Rhodes worked with Graham for 15 years. He said: We experienced the rich tapestry of RSC life back in the 80s and 90s fires, floods, the opening of the Swan and Royal visits. Graham calmly sailed through them all, followed by plenty of laughter as we looked back on events at the end of the day. Some of my favourite recollections include Graham being given a couple of hours notice to find a strong male masseur for Rudolf Nureyev, who was flying in from Peru to make a guest appearance that evening with the London Festival Ballet, and being presented with a donkey to house for a week during a run of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Graham was also keenly involved in amateur dramatics, mainly with the Talisman Theatre in Kenilworth. Close friend Peter James recalled: His on-stage appearances were few and less significant than his talents for designing and directing. His directing style was very Stratford, based on multiple input from the cast rather than imposition from the director. Graham was born on 19th February 1944 in West Acton during a blackout a neighbour guiding the midwife to the house with a torch. Peter added: His life has been book-ended by war and then the coronavirus pandemic, but he was philosophic to the last and took great comfort from his Quaker belief. Two days before he died he was sitting out in the sunshine chatting to a fellow patient. Those who knew him mention the width of his enthusiasms, his endless talk, his generosity, his thoughtfulness, his sheer fun to be with and his love of life. Graham never married but his lifestyle had blessed him with an address book of countless friends. These, in his final months, he systematically invited to pay goodbye visits his guests shared a platter of food and a trawl though his gloriously haphazard collection of shared memorabilia. Richard Rhodes summed up: When leaving me to the weekends duties, his parting words would always be take care so, for the last time, take care Graham we miss you. Graham is survived by his sister Julie Hall and her daughters, his nieces Amy and Penny. Princess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Albert II of Monaco pose on the balcony after their civil ceremony on July 1, 2011. (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) Perspective on the Pandemic: Relationship Between Prince Albert II of Monaco and the Chinese Regime Commentary The CCP virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, is spreading rapidly around the world. On March 19, Prince Albert II of Monaco contracted the virus and became the first head of state to become infected. The Epoch Times editorial Where Ties With Communist China Are Close, the Coronavirus Follows reveals the relationship between the virus and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), pointing out that the virus spread among countries, cities, organizations, and individuals that have close ties to the Chinese regime. So then whats the relationship between the monarch of Monaco and the CCP? Prince Albert II Visited China Ten Times Prince Albert II, as head of state and chairman of the Monaco Yacht Club, personally presented the Monaco Yacht Club Annual Breakthrough Award to Guo Chuan, who completed the sailing of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Together, the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road are commonly known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, also known as One Belt, One Road). Although the Chinese regime has repeatedly claimed that the BRI is a purely economic project, government officials and think tanks have criticized the initiative for being Beijings means of expanding influence while placing developing countries under heavy debt. For example, The New York Times previously reported about a BRI project between China and Pakistan that involved cooperation in developing military aircraft, navigation systems, radar systems, and shipborne weapons. The Prince Albert II Foundation, established in June 2006, also maintains close cooperation with the China Environmental Protection Foundation to carry out projects such as a field observation station for monitoring algae bloom at Lake Taihu in China. In September 2018, during his 10th visit to China, Prince Albert II signed a series of cooperative agreements with Beijing. On March 24, 2019, Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited Monaco and commented that ChinaMonaco relations are a role model of cooperation between small and large nations. Prince Albert II hosted Xi and his wife at his palace and implemented unprecedented security measures for him, according to Chinese state media. At that time, Monaco prohibited all flights within its airspace and water traffic. Yachts were also prohibited from mooring at luxury ports. Monaco media Hellomonaco reported on this visit under the headline, Chinese Presidents Historic Visit to Monaco. According to Chinese state media reports, Prince Albert II stated that Monaco hopes to expand cooperation with the CCP in all aspects. The Royal Palace of Monaco stated that the nation was seeking to strengthen trade and economic cooperation with the Chinese regime, but didnt provide final details of the signed agreement. Before arriving in Monaco, Xi visited Italy, where he and the then-Italian prime minister signed an agreement for Italy to join BRI. During Xis visit to Monaco, The Associated Press and other media outlets expressed their concerns about Monacos cooperation with Chinese tech giant Huawei on 5G telecommunications networks. Monaco Chooses Huawei On July 9, 2019, after Xis visit, Monaco officially became the first country in Europe to be fully covered by 5G with Huaweis technology as part of its core infrastructure. The United States had tried to warn its European allies about the national security risks of using Huawei equipment, due to the companys ties with the Chinese military. On the same day, Serge Telle, the minister of state of Monaco; Xavier Niel, the French businessman who owns Monaco Telecom; and Guo Ping, deputy chairman of Huawei, attended a public event for the formal announcement of Huaweis 5G networks in Monaco. Telle also tested positive for the virus. What Are the Risks of Huawei? The Canadian National Post published an opinion article in 2019, whereby the author argued that cooperation with Huawei was tantamount to surrendering control of the lifelines of our economy and society to the Chinese regime. The areas impacted by 5G arent just telecommunications, but all areas of human society, the article stated. 5G technology would become the core of finance, health care systems, remote surgery, as well as electricity and water supply. Choosing 5G providers wasnt only a decision about protecting information security, but also related to the integrity of data and systems that our daily lives depend on, it stated. Its security issues have been highlighted by U.S. officials. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, Huawei is an instrument of the Chinese Communist government. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that accepting Huaweis 5G tech would be akin to choosing autocracy over democracy. As early as 2012, Monacos main operator, Monaco Telecom, began to cooperate with Huawei. In February 2019, Monaco Telecom and Huawei signed a memorandum of understanding on 5G cooperation. Monaco also signed a cooperation agreement with another Chinese tech giant, the mobile payments app Alipay, in June 2017. This was the first time Alipay had signed a strategic cooperation agreement with a sovereign government. In the editorial Where Ties With Communist China Are Close, the Coronavirus Follows, The Epoch Times stated: Taking history as a mirror, as ancient Chinese scholars did, it is apparent that the coronavirus pandemic is a calamity linked with the CCP and its 70 years of brutal rule. And today, the world is an interconnected community. Any country, community, or organization that keeps too close to the CCP and falls for its deception will taste the bitter fruits of that involvement. Perhaps Monacos situation serves as an example. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Advertisement Shoppers in New Zealand have grimaced in pain while being tested for the coronavirus in a supermarket car park. More than 350 unsuspecting community members were tested for COVID-19 in Christchurch when they went to do their grocery shopping on Friday. The testing station was set up by Pegasus Health at the Pak'nSave car park on Moorhouse Avenue. The public tests could be a look into what wider testing in Australia will look like as Prime Minister Scott Morrison plans to implement more testing services across the country. One man was pictured closing his eyes as the swab is seen entering his nose during the testing at the Pak'nSave car park Another random volunteer was pictured grimacing in pain after the nurses completed the test on Friday (pictured) One woman's eyes were watering as she is tested for deadly coronavirus. Medics in PPE can be seen administering the painful test Random shoppers were pictured squirming in pain while being tested for the virus, which involves a long swab being inserted into the nostril. Pegasus Health chief executive Vince Barry told Stuff the testing was 'extraordinarily successful', with more than 350 swabs taken by 3pm. One man was pictured closing his eyes as the swab is seen entering his nose, while another man was grimacing in pain after the nurses completed the test. Another woman looks to be in pain as she tilts her head back and waits for the nurse to insert the swab into her nostril. Chris Emerson described the test as a 'burning sensation at the back of the nose' and said it was not painful but just uncomfortable. Deb Anderson, who is a 56-year-old essential worker, said she volunteered to have her swab taken to ensure her family was safe. 'It's for peace of mind. I've just had the flu vaccine and I thought if this is available, it may be a good time to get down here,' she said. Mr Barry said he was impressed by the amount of shoppers who were happy to get tested. The testing centre was not advertised as the government is looking to test people with no symptoms or known contact to the virus. The Government is hoping to find whether there have been undetected cases in the community and are looking into easing restrictions on the nationwide lockdown. Medical staff test a shopper in her car who volunteered at a pop-up community COVID-19 testing station at a supermarket car park in Christchurch A supermarket employee was also tested at the pop-up community COVID-19 testing station on Friday in Christchurch Shoppers line up at a pop-up community COVID-19 testing station at a supermarket car park in Christchurch on Friday Community members were happy to complete tests despite being symptom free to ensure they were not carrying the virus and infecting people. The public tests could be a look into what wider testing in Australia will look like as Prime Minister Scott Morrison looks to implement more testing services across the country. Australian coronavirus restrictions are set to be in place for at least four more weeks as the country attempts to reduce infection rates, but Mr Morrison is considering wider testing such as the random community testing seen in New Zealand. 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. 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. Its time to clean out the garage, inspect those boxes in the attic and sift through closets for equipment that can help protect those who are helping care for and treat COVID-19 patients. A group of New Mexico students Protect NM has teamed up with The Curse, New Mexico Uniteds independent supporters group, to make sure medical professionals have the equipment they need to stay safe during the pandemic. David Carl, president of The Curse, said they are asking individuals and businesses to donate any homemade, surgical, procedural or N-95 masks, face shields, goggles, gowns, and gloves they are not using. Together New Mexicans are rallying together to make a life-saving impact, Carl said. Your donation of PPE (personal protective equipment) will mean that someones father, someones grandmother, or someones best friend will survive this pandemic. One donation will save countless lives. They will begin collecting personal protective equipment, by appointment, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18, with a drive-thru donation drive at all three Sagebrush Church locations and Manzano Day School. The drive will continue April 24-25 also from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To schedule a drop off time, fill-out a short form at protectnmppe.wixsite.com/protectnm. Sally Midani, a member of Protect NM, said difficulty in obtaining equipment and safe usage of the equipment makes a shortage inevitable. While our group is optimistic about the potential influx in numbers, it cant be overstated just how much this project relies on the community for its success, she said. We want New Mexicans to know the impact that one box of masks or even one mask for that matter can have on saving lives and protecting our frontline workers who take risks for our community every day. Midani said they will be working with the states New Mexico COVID-19 Emergency Supply Collaborative to make sure the equipment goes to health-care providers on the front lines of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Carl said The Curse is planning additional drives in the future at local breweries and restaurants. He said these future drives will include free, exclusive, Curse masks for anyone who donates. The masks are being made by members of the supporters group. Personal protective equipment donation drive WHAT: Drive for homemade, surgical, procedural or N-95 masks, face shields, goggles, gowns, and gloves WHEN: By appointment only from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 17-18, and April 24-25 WHERE: Sagebrush located at 7500 Montgomery NE; 6440 Coors NW; 414 Charleston SE; and Manzano Day School, 1801 Central NW When children turn into adults they have many important decisions to make that will shape their entire life. One of the major choices they must decide is which career path to follow. Many are influenced by their parents and it is not unusual to see children follow in the footsteps of mother and father when it comes to their chosen employment. However for 24-year-old Nguyen Linh Chi that was never going to happen. The professions of her parents certainly played its part, but for Chi, there was no doubt in her mind it was exactly the job she did not want. Her parents were butchers, and would trade in cat and dog meat. My parents used to sell dog and cat meat, she said. However, after reading news on the internet and having pets at home, my family has totally quit eating and selling this dish. Chi decided to run and co-own a cafe in Hanoi but not just any kind of cafe. This venue on Le Thanh Nghi Street is a place where you can get a coffee and a cuddle with one of 30 cute cats that roam freely around the two-storey coffee shop. She said: We open a cat cafe so that cat lovers can come to have a drink and chill with cats. Besides, we also want to create a spacious space to raise as many cats as we want. DINNER TIME: Nguyen Linh Chi feeds her cats inside Meo's House Coffee. Meos House Coffee is located on one of the busiest streets in Hanoi surrounded by many university buildings and as a result, its core customers are students. Because I am busy studying, I cannot raise cats myself, frequent visitor Mai Thi Thu Ha from Hanoi Open University said. I go to cat cafe instead because I have a big passion for them. Visitors will be amused by more than 30 British shorthair cats waiting for them right after entering this cafe. The cafe welcomed more than 60 visitors a day on average, Chi revealed. Most of our guests are cat lovers and come to this place to play with cats. Some customers only drop by because they are curious about a cafe with more than 30 cats. CUTENESS OVERLOAD: Cats can melt everyone's heart. VNS Photos Minh Phuong From 10 cats at first, the number has tripled. Besides making sure the business turns a profit, Chi has to pay serious attention to the health of the cats. Taking care of such a large number of cats is quite hard, Chi said. We have to treat them carefully from the moment the kittens are born, get their first vaccinations right through till they get older. Raising a cat is as hard as raising a baby. And we have to take care of more than not just one but 30 babies. If a disease breaks out, the risk of infection will become higher when having many cats together in one place. Visitors always feel comfortable when playing with cats while having a sip of coffee. This cat cafe is different from others because the smell here is more fragrant," Thu Ha said. To maintain the hygiene, Chi designed the toilet system for cats and also careful about what food cats will eat. In the cafe, the cats toilets are designed under the seat. We also use cat litter sand, odour remover clay. Our staff is guided to clean regularly, Chi said. Food that we use to feed cats is also important. If they eat cat food, their poop wont smell as bad as when they eat rice with fish. Growing up with parents who prepared and sold cat meat for living, Chi has opened up this cat cafe and dedicated to loving animals to cement the love for animal among the community. She strongly believes although eating cat and dog meat was common practice in the past, and still happens today nationwide, more and more people are turning their noses up at such a dish. Youngster and internet users are very critical towards eating dog and cat meat, she said. Peoples awareness of this problem is gradually increasing. HEY THERE: All felines are adorable and friendly. Nguyen Xuan Lam had to come back to the cafe twice. He raises his own British shorthair cat at home. This is the second time that Ive come to this cafe. Cats here are very adorable, and friendly. To Lam, cats are like his friends and they must be treated equally as human instead of being considered delicacy. I think people share different opinions about eating cat meat. However, if we love cats and other pets, we wont eat them, Lam said. VNS Minh Phuong Get close with animals at pet coffee shop in HCM City A pet-themed cafe in Saigon contains alpacas and turtles for animals lovers to play with while sipping a cup of coffee. PRINCETON, N.J., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Open letter from David R. Barile, MD: Dear Governor Murphy: First and foremost, thank you for the excellent job you are doing managing our state during this time of crisis, but as you well know as you are reading this, many of New Jersey's elders are dying. I am a Geriatrician in active practice in Princeton. I am the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Goals of Care Coalition of New Jersey, a sixteen-member organization that works to improve Palliative Medicine services across our state. In addition, I am the Medical Director of Geriatric and Palliative Services, and the Geriatric Section Chief at UPENN Hospital of Princeton. My private medical practice includes making daily rounds in our hospital, as well as local skill nursing and assisted living facilities in our region. I am also in daily close contact with physicians and administrators of such facilities across the state. As an advocate for the elderly, I am obliged to raise awareness of the current shortage of health care personnel staffing these facilities. I am familiar with the waiver the state has placed on these facilities regarding staffing. I am not objecting to this waiver. (I am also aware of the list of healthcare volunteers that the Dept of Health has made available to our state facilities.) However, these efforts simply do not meet the current need to care for our frail elders. Last weekend I was notified that one of my patients in a local assisted living facility tested positive for COVID-19. When I arrived at the facility, I found the patient in the common dining area with no mask and in close contact with employees and elder residents. When I inquired how this could possibly happen, the response was due to "lack of staffing". Governor Murphy, you know that many who are staffing these buildings are unable to come to work because they are sick w/COVID. This leaves ill residents without the proper care and protection they need to prevent getting infected. Also, the staffing crises impacts care for those not only presently suffering from COVID, but all residents of elder care facilities. Most of our frail elders in nursing and assisted living facilities require hands on assistance with basic functions such as eating, toileting and bathing. In the current "lock-down" environment where all are kept in their rooms (or should be), elders are not being fed, cleaned, nor cared for with regard to their basic needs. Many are left bedbound for days, likely to result in bedsores and subsequent illnesses such as pneumonia and fractures due to falls. I know that currently the NJ National Guard is mobilized to distribute PPE. I respectfully request that you, as Governor, immediately issue an executive order to expand the services of the National Guard to those Nursing Facilities and Assisted Living Facilities most in need. Please take the following steps: Through direct reporting to the Dept of Health, identify those facilities who are lacking in staff to provide the basic services such as nutrition, personal hygiene and medication delivery Direct National Guard to staff these facilities until regular staff may return to work. I sincerely thank you for your time and consideration and, again, for all your efforts to protect New Jersey citizens from this pandemic. Respectfully submitted, David Barile, MD CC: Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, George Helmy Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff of Outreach Deborah Cornavaca, Commissioner of Health Judith Persichilli, Chief of Staff Andrea Martinez-Mejia, LTC Ombudsman Laurie Brewer. SOURCE David R. Barile, LLC Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is letting her fans get to know her a little better with a candid Q&A session she took part in on Instagram on Thursday. Rosie, who turns 33 on Saturday, has been with her action star beau Jason Statham, 52, since 2010, and the pair share a two-year-old son Jack Oscar Statham. Among the highlights of her sharing, Rosie revealed how she first met Jason, that they want more children and that she is proud their son has a 'proper' English accent despite living in the US. Revealing: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and fiance Jason Statham in a candid snap from her Instagram posts on Thursday Talking about Jason, she divulged: 'We met at a party in London in 2009! It was instant chemistry,' Rosie wrote over a picture of Jason trying on clothes in a fitting room. Meanwhile, Rosie gave an update on her son Jack saying he's doing 'great' amid the current pandemic: 'We are lucky to be enjoying lots of family time together at the moment.' Adding: 'He's turning 3 in a few months which I can't believe. Currently we are attempting potty training!' Family matters: Rosie revealed how her son Jack, who is about to turn three, is coping in the current pandemic Asked if Jack has an American accent, Rosie replied: 'I'm really proud to say he has a proper English accent and he does have the same booming loud voice as Jason, the pair of them are sooo noisy!' Rosie said of her son: 'He looks very much like me when I was young but with Jason's eye colour.' She also revealed that they have turned their garage into a 'make-shift gym' and is following work-outs by celebrity trainer Simone De La Rue to keep fit. Other tidbits from Q&A included Rosie revealing that she and Jason would 'love' more children, and that their 20-year age gap as a couple isn't a problem, stating: 'Nope! Never been an issue! Age is nothing but a number!' Unseen pics: Rosie shared this snap of her as a child, as she told fans she will turn 33 on Saturday Telling-all: Rosie spoke candidly about her fiance Jason, as well as explaining her tattoos Luxe traveler: Rosie revealed that her favourite vacation destination is New Zealand and she laughed when Derek Blasberg asked her if she had really hiked in wedge heels Working mama: Rosie told fans about her son's English accent, and how she has been keeping fit Quarantine: Rosie revealed what she's been reading to keep her occupied Rosie revealed her white diamond engagement ring from Jason on the Golden Globes red carpet in 2016, however the pair have yet to set a date. She previously revealed that getting married was not a priority for the couple, explaining: 'Weve been so focused on our work for so long and Jack came along. 'We definitely talk about it, were looking forward to that time. Its also not a huge priority for us, were so happy.' Rosie also discussed that she still gets starstruck when she meets famous people. She wrote: 'I nearly ALWAYS get star struck around people I admire. I get nervous and can't speak and usually end up embarrassing myself.' Scientists say Neanderthals used plant fibers to create string more 40,000 years ago. The string was discovered in France in an area where Neanderthals once hunted animals for food. The scientists said the discovery adds to a growing body of evidence demonstrating the mental abilities of our closest extinct human relatives. A report on the discovery appears this month in the publication Scientific Reports. The report describes a string made from three small pieces of plant fiber. The materials were tied together into what looks almost like a very thin rope. The researchers suspect it was likely part of a stone cutting tool that the Neanderthals may have used to remove skin from dead animals. The string was found 50 kilometers north of Avignon in southeastern France. It is thought to be between 42,000 and 52,000 years old. Around that time, early humans apparently hunted reindeer there during seasonal migrations. The string represents the latest evidence to dispute the widely held belief that Neanderthals were much less intelligent than modern humans, or Homo sapiens. The oldest sign of string-making by Homo sapiens dates to 19,000 years ago. It was found in Israel. The cord, as well as fiber technology in general, is an example of an infinite use of infinite means, said Bruce Hardy, the lead author of the report. He is an anthropologist at Kenyon College in the American state of Ohio. Hardy added that strings and rope can be used in many ways, including tool making, as well as carrying things and capturing animals. Fiber technology in general is foundational in our society - from strings and ropes to tie things together, clothing, and even twisted wires used as cables in modern buildings, Hardy said. He spoke to the Reuters news agency. The six-millimeter-long string seems to have been made from fibers from a conifer tree. It may have been used to tie a six-centimeter-long and four-centimeter-wide stone cutting tool to a handle. It may also have been part of a net or container that ended up under the tool. Other studies have shown that Neanderthals used complex group hunting methods. They also may have used spoken language, used color pigments for body painting, and may have buried their dead with flowers. They disappeared a few thousand years after Homo sapiens moved through Neanderthals Eurasian homelands around 40,000 years ago. Im Pete Musto. Will Dunham reported on this story for the Reuters news agency. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story string n. a long, thin piece of twisted thread that you use to attach things, tie things together, or hang things extinct adj. no longer existing migration(s) n. the act of moving from one area to another at different times of the year cord n. a long, thin material that is usually thicker than a string but thinner than a rope infinite adj. having no limits author n. a person who has written something foundational adj. of, relating to, or forming or serving as a base or foundation handle n. a part of something that is designed to be held by your hand pigment(s) n. a natural substance that gives color to animals and plants 17.04.2020 LISTEN As the lockdown continues in Ghana, many organisations and celebrities have shown their support through giving to those in need. As part of the presidents initiative to supply basic necessities to those that are struggling during this pandemic, Pen to Paper Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organisation with their main focus being on improving literacy rates in Ghana, has extended their generosity to some of their old and new students and their families, who are finding it difficult in this period of lockdown. Last Saturday was their first distribution of providing food relief bags to 65 students and their families. The bags consisted of essential items, such as rice, gari, tomato paste, sugar, sardines, oil and soaps. All items were bought from local market sellers so as to also support them with an income. Their aim this week is to provide another 50 food relief bags. With their intervention of supporting those most as risk, they are urging everyone to look out for those in need in their local communities. Co-founder of Pen to Paper Ghana, Richard Manu says, We are aware of our students who struggle financially since we have parent meetings and visit our pupils at home to understand the living conditions and lifestyle. As an organisation, we couldnt just sit at home with the knowledge that some of our pupils would be finding it difficult to get their next meal; therefore we started a food relief fund to help provide essential food items to help ease them whilst we are still on lockdown. As well as food being distributed to the pupils, Pen to Paper Ghana have donated three veronica buckets to the communities to be placed in busy areas to allow the community to wash their hands regularly and help prevent the spread of the virus. Richard ends with, We cannot do all or even do much, but if we all do something, we are heading towards accomplishing a bigger goal - eradicating the virus, with the least impact on the communities. Remember to abide by the measures giving by health organisations and the leaders of the nation. They are there to help us all so lets help each other. We will continue to support families in need, this is not our last. A 20-year-old man allegedly stabbed his neighbour while armed with a sword and knife, a court was told on Friday. Eoin Burns is also accused of stealing clothes from the other man during an encounter at their south Belfast apartment complex. Police then arrested the alleged stab victim, Denis McMahon, on suspicion of breaking into Burns' flat on the Lisburn Road less than two hours later. Both men appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court on charges connected to the two incidents early on Thursday morning. Burns faces counts of possessing an offensive weapon - namely a sword and knife - assault occasioning actual bodily harm to McMahon, theft of personal items, disorderly behaviour, and assault on police. Meanwhile, 21-year-old McMahon is accused of burglary, having a kitchen knife as a weapon, assault on police and criminal damage to a PSNI vehicle. A detective said he was detained in the apartment of Burns, the man he blamed for stabbing him. "A number of items (in the flat) were damaged, including a TV, oven door and shower door," the detective said. McMahon then allegedly kicked an officer and a window in the police car. By that stage Burns had already been arrested in connection with the suspected stabbing. McMahon's barrister, Sean O'Hare, claimed his client went to the other defendant's property to retrieve his own garments. "The person who stabbed him is the real catalyst for the offending here," Mr O'Hare contended. But a solicitor for Burns instead insisted that he was the victim. District Judge George Conner was told both accused have now lost their accommodation at the apartment complex. He granted them bail on condition that the can find addresses suitable to police. Adjourning the cases for four weeks, Mr Conner also ordered Burns and McMahon to have no contact with each other. With just under two weeks left on Montgomery Countys stay-at-home order, County Judge Mark Keough has terminated the local order but said the county will remain under orders and guidelines of the state. Keoughs action also lifts the curfew placed on residents. In a video statement, Keough said his decision to terminate the local order and follow the states orders means nothing will be standing in the way locally as Gov. Greg Abbott works to roll out a phased plan to reopen businesses. Abbott outlined his plan Friday to reopen Texas amid the COVID-19 crisis. This will give our local business time to prepare to reopen for business as we await orders from the governor, Keough said. However, while we are still monitoring the spread, continuing our social distancing in our essential and nonessential businesses we know that by April 27 we will have more details, he said. While not called a stay-at-home order, Abbotts order, which expires April 30, keeps schools closed and all non-essential businesses closed. However, on Friday, Abbott authorized retail to go operations at closed businesses April 24 that allows workers to deliver items to a customers vehicle or home. Abbott also eased restrictions on nonessential surgeries effective Wednesday and reopened all state parks as long as visitors wear face masks and abide by social distancing. Keough initially issued a disaster declaration March 12 following the first COVID-19 case in Montgomery County. Keough followed that action March 27 and issued the stay-at-home order for the county residents and enacted a curfew. As of Friday morning, there were 370 cases in Montgomery County with 245 still active. The countys death toll from the novel coronavirus is now seven. In a video statement, Keough said the county would continue to monitor the spread of the virus but noted the rate and number of cases in the county have not trended as high as initially anticipated. He added local hospitals have not have any capacity issues. Keoughs order includes the following: Nursing homes: Nursing homes, retirement, long-term care, senior living centers, or any other facility that provides a permanent or temporary living services to vulnerable individuals shall prohibit non-essential visitors from accessing their facilities unless to provide critical assistance or for end of life visitation. Additionally, these facilities are prohibited from providing or allowing gatherings of residents. This provision shall remain in effect until further notice. Avoid large gatherings: Vulnerable individuals should continue to stay home as much as possible. When necessary to be in public places, vulnerable individuals, should avoid any large gatherings, maximize physical distance from others and practice good hygiene. Good hygiene: Individuals are urged to continue practicing good hygiene, by washing hands often, utilizing hand sanitizer when hand washing is unavailable, avoid touching your face, disinfecting frequently used items and surfaces, and utilize face coverings where possible when in public settings. Individuals who are ill should stay home avoiding any public activities and isolate from other family members until directed by a medical professional or symptom free. Guidelines: Businesses are urged to develop and implement appropriate policies in accordance with any guidance or orders issued by federal, state and local governments. These policies should follow best practices for each respective industry with regard to; social distancing, and use of protective equipment. Providing increase sanitation of common and high-traffic areas, screening employees for illness, requiring employees who are ill to stay home. For more information on the govenors GA-14 order, visit www.mctx.og. cdominguez@hcnonline.com The Northwest Multiple Listing Service reported Northwest MLS report for March shows initial disruptions from coronavirus pandemi Like many sectors of the economy, residential real estate is experiencing disruption and uncertainty just when the vigorous spring market was ramping up. Not surprisingly, the March activity report from Northwest Multiple Listing Service, which covers 23 counties across Washington state, was mixed as guidelines affecting how brokers conduct business evolved. ... We expect that all numbers will decline in April and May as a direct result of the governors Stay Home order that became effective on March 26, stated Mike Grady, president and COO at Coldwell Banker Bain. He also expects April and May will be bridge months before the market returns to a more normal activity level, assuming we all abide by Governor Jay Inslees directives. Windermere Chief Economist Matthew Gardner described the numbers for March as essentially irrelevant given the fact that the economy went into freefall during the month. He also noted that for a period, real estate was not considered to be an essential service, which he said suggests that Aprils numbers will also not be an accurate representation of the market. emphasis added There were 6,735 sales in March 2020, down slightly from 6,750 sales in March 2019.The press release is for the Northwest. In King County, sales were down 0.2% year-over-year, and active inventory was down 21.6% year-over-year.. This puts the months-of-supply in Seattle at just 1.2 months.The closed sales are for contracts mostly signed in January and February. There will be a significant decline in sales in coming months. The antibody tests aim to detect infections after the recovery of people Open source The Food and Drug Administration of the U.S. has authorized another two antibody tests for coronavirus as CNN reported. The antibody tests aim to detect infections after the recovery of people. However, the presence of antibodies does not mean the presence of long-term immunity to the virus. Totally, three tests were authorized by the FDA and their use outweighs the risks. The blood samples are used for the tests and they can be held in the authorized laboratories. The aim of the test not to determine a virus but the antibodies to it. However, the FDA stated that the tests cannot provide the precise result if the infection is in the early state. "A negative result may occur if you are tested early in your illness and your body hasn't had time to produce antibodies to infection," the FDA said. Nevertheless, the experts stated that antibody tests may detect past infections even if the disease was mild or without symptoms. Thus, it will be possible to find out the real number of people who got through the virus. Chembio Diagnostic Systems and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics developed the authorized tests. Besides, Abbott Laboratories announced recently that it will also release a new test; however, it is not FDA authorized. As we reported, the Australian scientists from Monash University and Royal Hospital in Melbourne found out that anti-parasitic of broad-spectrum ivermectin might suppress the presence of coronavirus in body cells during two days. Business is booming for Medal.tv as house-bound users flock to the gaming startup, making it one of the rare coronavirus success stories. Half its employees are still taking salary cuts in the wake of the outbreak. In return, the 33-person company is offering those employees restricted stock units which will vest over one year. The company intends for employees to be able to sell those shares when Medal eventually closes its next round of financing. Timing on that: to be determined. "If everything goes well, not only does the company save money and slow down its cash burn, but the employees that exchange their salary for stock will have a bigger payout during our Series B round," said co-founder Pim de Witte. Medal is among a growing number of startups offering stock-for-salary trades to preserve cash as the tech industry reels and economic uncertainty mounts. Medal, which lets players clip and share snippets of games on social media, has doubled its user growth rate since shelter in place orders started. The company said while high earners were "strongly encouraged" to take the deal, the pay cut and stock option swap was voluntary. It's a move that only works for "employees who believe in the financial outlook of your company," De Witte said. Venture capitalists have warned startups that Silicon Valley's funding spigot could soon tighten, prompting many startups to try to build up a cash pile to withstand for at least the next year to 18 months. In the first quarter of 2020, the number of VC deals shrank by 27%, even though total money invested stayed mostly flat. Already, more than 24,000 employees have been let go at hundreds of tech companies, according to tracker Layoffs.fyi. For some startups facing economic uncertainty, salary reductions are a more humane and sustainable alternative to cutting staff, and the short-term blow can be lessened with promises of equity. But the trade-off could have drawbacks for employees, particularly if more startups go out of business or fail to conjure a sale or initial public offering in coming years. Another risk is that companies never get around to readjusting compensation once the economy recovers. Seth Bannon, who runs the venture capital fund 50 Years, said he's seen startup pay cuts range from 10% to 40% in recent weeks. "When capital becomes scarce, even if business is doing well and a startup is hitting its growth targets, they have to make painful changes," Bannon said. "Who knows when you'll be able to raise capital or what the market is going to look like in the coming months?" For startups aiming to cut costs, boosting equity for employees is "a way for companies to say, we're cutting salaries but you didn't do anything to deserve this, so we're giving you an equity bonus that makes up for it," he added. Another venture firm, DCVC, said its startups are pursuing a variety of responses, but that some portfolio companies are taking a 20% to 30% pay cut, and in many cases are then offering employees ways to earn more cash in the future-including bonus multipliers or stock in the form of options. Options lock in an employee's ability to buy stock at a set price. The employee still has to pay the money to get the shares, which can present a financial and tax burden on those earning less during the crisis. Oh My Green, a startup that delivers healthy office snacks, coffee and catering to Apple Inc., Lyft Inc. and other office kitchens around the U.S., cut two-thirds of its 600 employees last month after most of its clients shut their offices and moved their workforces home. For the remaining staffers, Oh My Green offered the choice to take a quarterly salary reduction in exchange for an equity boost that vests immediately. About 50 people took the company up on its offer, giving up between 10% and 60% of their salaries. The swap was mandatory for members of the senior leadership team. "We had to make hard choices," said founder Michael Heinrich, who saw revenue at the company quickly sink. "It's better to cut deep at the beginning of a crisis to conserve cash because it's easier to rehire people than do multiple rounds of morale-destroying layoffs." Oh My Green does have some recourse. In January, it raised additional funding from investors. Heinrich expects that the money will help tide the company over for at least 18 to 24 months, he said, declining to disclose the amount raised. The startup, which is backed by Bannon's 50 Years, has also retooled its operations to send snack boxes home to customers, and had recently acquired a smart refrigeration company whose customers include large hospital chains still in business. Sensorydata Corp., a smart fabric tech startup that makes bed sheets and wheelchair covers to prevent bed sores and other pressure injuries, said it had to halt product trials at hospitals inundated with coronavirus patients. So the company shifted its attention to procuring surgical masks and other personal protective equipment during the virus outbreak. In the meantime, it's asked employees to take a 50% pay cut but is providing them with additional stock options and sales commissions from the PPE products they sell. "We have to keep the ship afloat, and I don't know how long it will be until we raise the next round of funding," said founder Reuben Katz. "This way, we're all in it together." While some VCs laud the boost in equity as a way to provide an eventual payout to employees when the economy turns around, others caution against being too quick to dole out shares. "That would be the last advice I give to companies trying to survive this pandemic," said Edith Yeung, a managing partner at early-stage fund Proof of Capital and adviser to 500 Startups. Yeung advises young companies to first try to curb the cash burn by reducing rent or software costs, or delaying payments and other expenses. "Equity is best used to motivate employees to stay with you, but in a downturn most people already want to stay employed and keep their benefits," she said. Haiti - News : Zapping... Arrest of the gang of crooks On Thursday during an operation at Carrefour feuilles, in the "Bariajou" area, agents from the Bureau of Financial and Economic Affairs arrested 5 individuals and seized two vehicles. This operation was carried out following an investigation opened around three complaints for theft of vehicles, scam, forgery in bank entries, use of forgery and association of criminals. The individuals arrested respond to the names of: Wilson Sauveur, Claubert Theodor, Stanley Destramy, Junior Theodor and Guerinos Massillon. The UEH announces the start of the distance courses Thursday Herold Toussaint, the Vice-rector for academic affairs of the State University of Haiti (UEH) announced the start of distance courses at the level of the different faculties of the UEH from the beginning of May in order to save the academic year in progress. ONA-POLIS : Extension of deadline Due to the epidemic of Covid-19 in the country, the National Old Age Insurance Office (ONA) took stock of the progress of the ONA-POLIS file, affected by the instructions for the state of emergency health and decided to extend the registration deadline for the police until May 15, 2020. A joint note from the directors general of ONA and the PNH, will shortly confirm and formalize this decision. CARICOM : President Moise on video conference On Wednesday, President Moise held a video conference with his CARICOM counterparts on the ways and means to be implemented in order to harmonize our strategies aimed at slowing the spread of Covid-19 in our different territories. 2,500 food kits delivered to Arcahaie On Thursday, April 16, the Economic and Social Assistance Fund (FAES) accompanied by partner entities and institutions gave 2,500 food kits to vulnerable residents of the Arcahaie commune. Installation of the DG of the MDE On Wednesday Abner September, the Minister of the Environment installed Astrel Joseph as the new Director General of the Ministry. HL/ HaitiLibre Hyderabad: In spite of the Telangana governments claims that it would let no migrant labourer stuck in the state go hungry, and they would be provided 12 kg rice and Rs 500 each, there are thousands of migrants in the city who havent yet received it. Many of them are completely dependent on the charity of private citizens or ad-hoc donations from government and police officials. A majority of the migrants are from Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh who have been out of work since the lockdown began and are unable to travel home. They are cooped up in small tenements in areas such as Cherlapally, Rasoolpura and Medchal, often five or six people sleeping in one small room. Many of them who spoke to Deccan Chronicle said they are unable to claim the 12 kg rice from counters set up by the Civil Supplies Corporation. Left with no options, they are recording videos and taking pictures of their plight, appealing for help from all their contacts. Sunil Kumar, a welder from Bihar, living with five friends in Cherlapally, said they have been dependent on free meals distributed at a nearby water tank by the GHMC every afternoon. The crowds were too big and the food would be over in a matter of minutes. They asked an official at a nearby ration shop for supplies so they could cook at home. He took our mobile and Aadhaar numbers. The next day, when we didnt get any calls, I called him. He told us to give him my employers number. He said he would force my employer to give us food. I refused because I didnt want to make my employer angry; I want to retain my job, Kumar said. The matter of claiming their 12 kg remains unresolved. I have around 30 friends all of whom are from my district/village. None of them were able to get the 12 kg rice or the Rs 500 cash, he added. Mr Suresh Nayak lives with nine other Odisha natives in Chilkanagar. Nayak and his friends were unable to get ration from the counters. I asked at many ration shops. The officials sent us to some nearby counters, but they were never open. At one counter, we gave our Aadhaar numbers to some officials but nothing came of it. On Wednesday, we gave up and finally sent out a video recording of ourselves and circulated it on WhatsApp, he said. The video was noticed by Rachakonda police who arrived in the evening to give them 15 kg of rice and some wheat. Biden Putting Together White House Transition Team Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said he is putting together a transition team as he eyes winning the White House in November. I promise you that has already begun, Biden said during a virtual fundraiser on Thursday night. Sounds presumptuous. I dont want to say we started thinking about it a month agowe didbecause that sounds like I was certain this was going to happen that I would be the nominee. I dont want it to sound like that, but it has to happen and thats why the transition team is already being put together. Biden declined to say who is leading the selection of the transition but vowed that any members will be first rate. Biden did not rule out announcing some people he plans to name to his cabinet in the event he beats President Donald Trump, the Republican who is running for reelection. The transition team will look into potentially moving some positions to the cabinet level, including the Office of Science and Technology, the global health security pandemic office, and a potential climate change-focused role that doesnt exist right now. Biden said his ideal cabinet looks like America and reiterated his desire for a female vice president. If the Lord Almighty said: Joe, I tell you what. You have to decide in three hours what your cabinet is or youre going to be bounced out of the race, I could write down who could be in the cabinet, Biden told attendees and reporters. There are at least two or three people qualified for every one of those positions. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks in Wilmington, Delaware, on March 12, 2020. (Matt Rourke/AP Photo) His long history in politics has brought him into contact with people in the private sector and in the public sector. Several hundred people who held positions in prior administrations, including some Republicans, have said that theyd be ready to join the Biden administration if the former vice president wins, Biden said. Biden held two virtual fundraisers from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, on Thursday, including one hosted by Jed Katz, managing director of Javelin Partners. At the earlier one, hosted by Gene Ludwig, founder and CEO of Promontory Financial Group, and his wife, neurologist Dr. Carol Ludwig, Biden said hes raised over $5 million in two days, attributing the money to former rivals who have endorsed him. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) are the last two Democratic presidential candidates to leave the race and endorse Biden. Were raising more money than we ever raised because theyre going out to their people and saying, Its time to give your five bucks,' Biden said. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who endorsed Biden this week, spoke with Biden on Wednesday. Biden said the Democratic Party has never been united like it is now. Theyve united in a way, I dont think, we have ever fully united before, because they know the alternative, he said. His former rivals say very nice things about me. I think they mean it, they give me more credit than I deserve, he said. Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and former Vice President Joe Biden participate in a Democratic presidential primary debate in Charleston, S.C., on Feb. 25, 2020. (Matt Rourke/AP Photo) Attack on Trumps Base Biden launched an attack during a Wednesday viral fundraiser on some of Trumps voters, drawing links to Hillary Clintons infamous basket of deplorables in 2016. An attendee asked Biden if he could win over supporters of the president. Probably not, Biden replied. There are people who support the president because they like the fact that he is engaged in the politics of division, Biden said. They really support the notion that, you know, all Mexicans are rapists and all Muslims are bad and dividing this nation based on ethnicity, race. This is the one of the few presidents who succeeded by deliberately trying to divide the country, not unite the country. Trumps campaign drew a connection to Clintons past comments, saying in a statement: Hillary Clinton in 2016 openly smeared white, working class Trump voters as deplorables. Four years later, Joe Biden is picking up where Hillary left off. The campaign hit Biden over his remarks about blue-collar jobs and his plan to make so-called assault weapons illegal. Joe Bidens 2020 message appears to be, Learn to code, you racist bigots,' it said, referring to Biden last year claiming coal miners should learn computer programming. Bidens campaign hasnt responded to criticism of the remarks. The former vice president and senator told event attendees that Trumps base includes people he grew up with, white, working class, high school-educated people. A women enters a voting booth at the Ward Five Community Center during the New Hampshire primary in Concord, N.H., on Feb. 11, 2020. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images) Trump reached the voters by telling them: Look, the reason that youre being hurt is because the Democrats did this to you. They dont care about you. Youre the forgotten man Well, as soon as he got elected, you forgot the forgotten man, Biden asserted, according to Fox News. Its about dignity. He doesnt seem to give a damn about it, he doesnt talk about it at all, he has no sense of empathy, Biden said, referring to Trump. Thats why I think the Democratic Party will be able to win those folks back. Some people who voted for Trump dont want to vote for the president, Biden alleged, adding that he hopes they vote for him instead. Clintons infamous 2016 remarks were made at a fundraiser in New York City. You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trumps supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right? The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobicyou name it, Clinton said at the time. And unfortunately there are people like that. And he has lifted them up. - Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said five of the positive cases were hotel workers while four were picked by the ministry's surveillance team through contact tracing - The CS said mass testing would soon begin to identify all those who came into contact with COVID-19 patients - Out of the 246 cases, 53 have recovered while 11 succumbed to the virus Kenya has confirmed 12 new cases of COVID-19 bringing the national tally to 246. Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said five of them were hotel workers while four were picked by the ministry's surveillance team through contact tracing. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: US piles pressure on China to come clean on origin of COVID-19 Health CS Mutahi Kagwe. Photo: Ministry of Health. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: President Mugufuli declares 3 days of prayer as COVID-19 pandemic ravages Kagwe said mass testing would soon begin to identify all those who came into contact with the positive cases. "As we stand right now, we have tested 450 samples, out of these, 12 have tested positive for the virus. Five were hotel workers and another four were from contact tracing," "What these tells you is that we really need to start our testing capacity so that the contacts of those people who are positive can also be tested and therefore we can be able to maintain and contain the pandemic," he said. READ ALSO: Shida ya Ruto ni handisheki, Raila asema kuhusu matatizo ya Jubilee The first case of COVID-19 in the country was confirmed on Friday, March 13. On Thursday, April 16, President Uhuru Kenyatta directed the Ministry of Public Service and the Ministry of Health to develop a welfare package to cushion frontline health workers who were risking their lives while treating patients. "Recognising the critical importance of health, mental and emotional needs of our frontline medical doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, I am today directing the Ministry of Public Service and the Ministry of Health to develop a welfare package to cushion these frontline officers, especially during this challenging time," "This should include actions by medical insurance companies to cover the health requirements of our hospital staff especially those dealing with the pandemic," he said. 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 Returning home after 24 years, trafficked woman tries to pick up pieces Ha Thi Chien was trafficked to China in 1996 and only returned home in northern Vietnam several days ago. As she sits with her head on her sisters shoulder in their small house in Tan Son District, the northern province of Phu Tho, her memories come flooding back. She had left home at 18 in the hope of earning money to support her poor family. "Father used to catch toads and frogs for us, we used to collect bamboo shoot and cassava in the forest," she recalls. "You are right, that is correct," Thuan, her sister, responds. Thuan came to Phu Tho from her home in the northern province of Thai Binh after learning her long-lost sister was returning. Now she spends time talking to and helping Chien adapt to her new life. Chien sobs as she recounts her story. Photo by Tran Le Dung. Chien was the second of six daughters of Ha Van Hoat, 68, and Hoang Thi Lieng, 70, had. The couple struggled to earn a living or afford an education for them. One day in 1996 Chien decided to leave home to help her parents by doing some business. Her sister recalls her saying before leaving: "I will earn money and come back when I have enough to build a house for you." But the years rolled by without any news from Chien. The other five daughters got married and their mother suffered from a paralyzing stroke. The family did not have enough money to look for the lost daughter. Hoat laments: "How can I not miss my child? but I had no way to find her." But that feeling began to gradually lessen over 24 years. Last month out of the blue, the local police called them to say Chien had been found. Chien says of her family: "They made a video call so I could see them. I did not remember their names but I recognized them when I saw them." Then, on March 28, she returned home after almost a quarter century. It was a sunny day, and Hoat hobbled out to welcome his daughter. They all burst into tears. "You are home now, do not worry," her sisters told Chien, who could not control her emotions and went on her knees and sobbed uncontrollably. Chien (in conical hat) learns how to herd a buffalo. Photo by Tran Le Dung. She had been trafficked to China by a woman in the village. She had gone with her bus and realized after several hours they had entered China. They sold her to a Chinese couple, who changed her name to Dinh Thi Bich Ha and sold her in turn to a Chinese man. "We have one kid. My husband loves me, and allowed me to return to Vietnam to see my family, but when I was returning, I was trafficked again." She tried to escape four times, but was caught and beaten up and sold to a brothel. At the end of last year a woman from the northern province of Ninh Binh was sold to the brothel where she worked, and she suggested they should try to escape. One night, when everyone was sleeping, the two escaped through a window. After they had wandered in a forest for five days, they were given food by a man who then took them to a police station in Lang Son Province in northern Vietnam. They gave Chien and the woman some money to return home. But since she could not read, Chien got into a wrong bus and went to the central province of Quang Nam. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, local authorities quarantined her for 14 days after learning she had come from China. "She said her hometown was Thu Ngac Commune, Tan Son District, Phu Tho Province," Captain Tran Le Dung, head of police in Thu Ngac, says. "The center for social protection in Quang Nam Province asked local authorities, but they could not find anyone named Dinh Thi Bich Ha in Thu Ngac." But after speaking to locals, they found her family, he says. Hoang Van Liem, chairman of Thu Ngac Commune, says Chiens family has faced many difficulties. The local administration has provided her with food and money, and will initiate the process to restore her citizenship after six months, he adds. Chien still shakes in fear when talking to a stranger on the phone. She accompanies her sister to the forest to collect some vegetables and tend their buffaloes. She is getting used to cooking and washing her parents clothes, and is desperate to make up all the years they have lost. At least 100 cars encircled HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe on Friday morning in a prayer parade for health care workers serving during the novel coronavirus pandemic. The workers gathered outside the back of the hospital where a colorful sign displayed heroes work here and a nearby message was written in chalk on the concrete to say our heroes wear scrubs. They were backed up bumper to bumper around the hospital, West Conroe Baptist Church Pastor Jay Gross said, describing the cars surrounding the hospital. It was amazing. A lot of the workers came outside, they were waving, our folks were honking and waving. There were a ton of people out there. Just before the parade the church made and delivered approximately 30 large baskets filled with enough snacks, water, and other goodies for 30 people that will go to all of the stations. The goodies also include 800 glasses that transform into a different color when a cold drink is added. Frontline defenders These are some frontline defenders for our community, Gross said. Yesterday, we delivered the same kind of baskets to the police stations and fire stations, just saying thank you and we appreciate you for putting yourselves out there in harms way for us. We just wanted to pray for all of them and for Gods protection and for healing for the people that are sick. Gross believes the thrilled workers masks hid smiles. They were very grateful, thanking us, Gross said. When the parade came around, a lot of them came outside, they were waving. I could see people inside up against the windows waving. We were honking and pointing and waving. The chaplain told me they were just blown away when we told them we would be doing this, so it turned out very good. I think they knew they were appreciated. West Conroe Baptist Church, whose members have bought tons of snacks and goodies, plans to continue to fill and provide baskets for other police, fire stations, and other places. The members have been ordering and bringing supplies for baskets and coordinating the prayer parade for about two to three weeks. Gross had a feeling there would be a big turnout. Our church is very missional, and they love doing stuff outside the walls of the church anyway, but right now they are kind of chomping at the bits to do something, Gross said. When we put this word out they got really excited about it. Showing appreciation While the public has been encouraged to stay at home to reduce the risk of contracting the dangerous and sometimes deadly COVID-19 novel coronavirus, the church, was willing to take the risk to safely show its appreciation. I think our folks understand that this is a time right now where the church needs to be seen as salt and light and it is a way to let people, some who may not be people of faith, to see that the church really cares about the community and cares about others, Gross said. Whatever little ways that we can show that compassion, we want to do it. For those experiencing hardship or anxiety due to the pandemic, Gross offered words of comfort. I think right now is a time to understand that we can find hope in Christ and find hope in God, Gross said. There have been other catastrophes and crises where our nation as a whole has really turned its heart toward faith and the Lord. The last time I remember such an event was 9/11. Churches were packed after 9/11 because people needed hope and they needed to know that there are answers and there is going to be life after this and there is someone they can trust in. The church is coordinating a major distribution of hundreds of grocery food boxes with the Montgomery County Food Bank and plans to put the word out once those details are available. Those who are interested in participating with appreciation baskets or other activities are encouraged to email the admissions minister at kay.robinson@wcbc.us. mellsworth@hcnonline.com Internet usage has skyrocketed in America over the last decade, with the average home consuming more than 38 times the amount of data in 2010. In 2020, the average US household is on track to consume 344GB of data every month, compared to just 9GB a month in 2010. The huge increase in data usage has largely been driven by streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Hulu, among others, while online gaming and game downloads have contributed as well. Internet usage has skyrocketed in America over the last decade, with the average US household on track to consume 344GB of data per month in 2010, a massive increase of the 9GB a month consumed in 2010 'There's no doubt the average consumer is using more bandwidth than ever before,' a report from research company DecisionData,org says. 'With services like Netflix and YouTube offering millions of HD video, or every household having a half-dozen devices constantly using data over home connections, it should surprise no one that the amount of content downloaded or streamed in a given month is rapidly growing.' According to the report, which was compiled using information from the Federal Communications Commission, the trend could see Americans consuming more than 1TB of data a month by 2023. That would put a large percentage of the US population in excess of data caps used by most internet service providers in the country, which typically range from 250GB to 1TB depending on the service. 'One terabyte of data seemed like an impossibly large number even in recent memory, but the reality is many consumers will continue to trend toward it faster than they realize,' the report says. The huge growth has been driven by streaming services like Netflix and YouTube, and if it continues, many Americans could find themselves over standard data cap limits imposed by internet service providers WHAT ARE DATA CAPS? Data caps are set by network providers to restrict the amount of data transferred by a customer. If users go over the data cap, usually set as monthly limits, customers are charged a fee or in some cases cut off. Caps are set as the total amount of data downloaded per month. At times when more customers are home - such as the current coronavirus pandemic - data caps can be debilitating. Advertisement Most ISPs charge overage fees for customers that consume more than their monthly allotted data. For example, AT&T's home internet service charges an additional $10 for every 50GB over the cap on a person's plan, which can range from 150GB to 1TB. Most major ISPs have suspended their data caps during the COVID-19 pandemic, which industry critics have pointed to as proof that overage fees are exploitive and don't meaningfully protect networks from congestion. 'It's worth remembering that data caps have nothing to do with congestion or capacity constraints,' Ernesto Falcon, a lawyer with the advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation, told Vice. 'They are billing practices and not a technical measure.' Some believe the arrival of 5G mobile data networks could put even more pressure on ISP providers to raise data caps. 5G service promises to run at speeds surpassing many home connections and make it possible to download huge files in a matter of seconds, including high-definition movies and games. [April 17, 2020] Launch Ceremony of "Yiwugo Live Streaming" & Debut of Yiwugo Top Landladies YIWU, China, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Yiwugo.com, the official website of the Yiwu Commodity Market, which is the largest commodity wholesale market in the world, held the "Launch Ceremony of Yiwugo Live Streaming & Debut of Yiwugo Top Landladies" at 2:00 pm, April 15, 2020. Ten landladies who had received the title of "Yiwugo Top Landladies" participated in the event and made their debut on the "Yiwugo Live Streaming" platform to recommend products for the audience. The "2020 Yiwugo Top Landladies", including Ye Yili from Shifeng Socks Firm; Long Dongzhao from Bacai Toys Firm; Fu Jiangyan from Zhangweichao Socks Firm; Deng Tingting from Nantong Ennas Home Textile Co., Ltd.; Zhang Jiying from Zhejiang Xingbao Umbrella Co., LTD; Li Jun from Yiwu Zongxin Shoes Co., LTD; Fang Hongying from Hongying Magnet; Shi Guangxu from Brilliant Diamond Painting DIY; Zhu Jingwen from Yiwu Chunchao Hatting Factory; and Zhang Limin from Yiwu Weigang Hardware Firm, not only brought the most recommendable flagship products of their stores, but also launched attractive promotional schemes for this lie streaming show. Besides, Yiwugo invited Song Yu, the top host in Yiwu to moderate this live streaming show, and Mr. Wang Jianjun, CEO of Yiwugo, also participated to cheer for the landladies. The products introduced by the landladies during the live streaming show preceded waves of purchase orders. Different from other streaming platforms that depend on "Internet celebrity" to bring traffic and orders, the "Yiwugo Live Streaming" platform featured the business owners who have great insights into the product features, production process and market advantages to recommend the products in person. As the purchase requirements of wholesale buyers are highly rational and professional, they require more specialized product introductions. As business owners know best about their own products, they may present professional product introductions through live streaming and directly address the concerns of the buyers, thus significantly increasing the deal-closing ratio and meeting the particular conditions of the Yiwu market. Besides, the "Yiwugo Live Streaming" platform, which is "grafted" onto the Yiwugo APP, also features a matching intelligent recommendation system. During the live streaming process, the system will automatically match and recommend live streaming businesses for interested buyers who have logged on Yiwugo according to their previous research and purchase data. Once the user followed a certain business, it will also receive live streaming recommendations from the business. As more functions are added to the "Yiwugo Live Streaming" platform in the future, Yiwugo will not only help buyers to easily locate their desired goods, but also contribute to closing more deals. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/launch-ceremony-of-yiwugo-live-streaming--debut-of-yiwugo-top-landladies-301042601.html SOURCE Yiwugo [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New Delhi, April 17 : Unable to persuade India to sign on to its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has entered the Indian market through venture investments in start-ups and penetrated the online ecosystem with its popular smartphones and their applications (apps). India may have sidestepped the physical corridor, but has unwittingly signed up for the virtual corridor. China quietly has created a significant place for itself in India in the last five years - in the technology domain, according to a research by Gateway House. "The Belt and Road Initiative carries with it Chinese products and standards, both virtual and physical. India may have sidestepped the physical corridor, but has unwittingly signed up for the virtual corridor," the study notes. Over the course of one year, Gateway House has conducted a deep study of Chinese investments in India as part of a larger research project on Chinese investments in India's neighbourhood. The findings are remarkable: 18 of the 30 Indian unicorns have a Chinese investor. This means that China is embedded in Indian society, the economy, and the technology ecosystem that influences it. As per the study, Chinese tech investors have put an estimated $4 billion into Indian start-ups. Such is their success that over the five years ending March 2020, 18 of India's 30 unicorns are now Chinese-funded. TikTok, the video app, has 200 million subscribers and has overtaken YouTube in India. Alibaba, Tencent and ByteDance rival the U.S. penetration of Facebook, Amazon and Google in India. Chinese smartphones like Oppo and Xiaomi lead the Indian market with an estimated 72 per cent share, leaving Samsung and Apple behind. Giving the reasons for China's tech depth in India, the study notes that this is because there are no major Indian venture investors for Indian start-ups. China has taken early advantage of this gap. Alibaba's 2015 investment in 40% of Paytm, a digital payments platform, paid off barely a year later when in November 2016, the government of India demonetised its large currency notes and simultaneously promoted a move to a cashless economy. Paytm benefitted from Alibaba's superior fintech experience, which it applied to India seamlessly, making it a dominant player. Also, China provides the patient capital needed to support the Indian start-ups, which like any other, are loss-making. The trade-off for market share is worthwhile. For China, the huge Indian market has both retail and strategic value. Therefore, companies like Alibaba and Tencent have different considerations and horizons for their investments. In contrast, Western venture money is mostly through funds like Sequoia and SoftBank. In India, China's tech giant companies and venture capital funds have become the primary vehicle for investments in the country - largely in tech start-ups. This is different from other emerging markets where Chinese investments are mostly in physical infrastructure. Chinese FDI into India is small at $6.2 billion, but its impact is already outsized, given the increasing penetration of tech in India China's Whereas investments in other emerging markets countries is mostly in physical infrastructure, Chinese funding to Indian tech start-ups is making an impact disproportionate to its value, given the deepening penetration of technology across sectors in India. TikTok, owned by ByteDance, is already one of the most popular apps in India, overtaking YouTube; Xiaomi handsets are bigger than Samsung smartphones; Huawei routers are widely used. These are investments made by nearly two dozen Chinese tech companies and funds, led by giants like Alibaba, ByteDance and Tencent which have funded 92 Indian start-ups, including unicorns such as Paytm, Byju's, Oyo and Ola. Unlike a port or a railway line, these are invisible assets in small sizes - rarely over $100 million - and made by the private sector, which doesn't cause immediate alarm. All this adds up to just 1.5 per cent of the total official Chinese (including Hong Kong) FDI into India. This doesn't cover investments made by funds based out of Singapore and elsewhere, where the ultimate owner is Chinese, so the actual investment in India will be higher. China is most active in India in the start-up space. Gateway House has identified over 75 companies, with Chinese investors concentrated in e-commerce, fintech, media/social media, aggregation services and logistics. A majority - more than half - of India's 30 Indian unicorns (start-ups with valuation of over $1 billion) have a Chinese investor. PORTLAND, Ore., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With the closure of schools throughout the nation, many parents are having a tough time playing the role of teacher, especially when there are multiple children of different ages and a limited amount of laptop computers to go around. A new educational toy company based out of Portland, Oregon believe they have the perfect product for parents in this present situation and beyond. It's called the HandMoto. (HandMoto.com) HandMoto Puzzle Series HandMoto Spelling Series The HandMoto is a portable, dry erase activity board where any standard 8 " x 11" printed content can be instantly inserted to change the background for unlimited uses and activities. The printed materials are never wasted. Since the HandMoto in a sense 'becomes' whatever content is inserted, stay at home parents can now print up any lessons, games, school activities, and more, and the printed content is never actually marked up, so they can be used over and over again. With travel restrictions and most families staying at home, because of the fact that parents can print any content on their home printer and insert it into the HandMoto for learning and fun, the company believes the HandMoto will be a life-saver to many families stressing over finding new things to do. HandMoto's parent company, Moto Sign and Media Corporation's first goal was to create a means of delivering information in a manner that was safe, valuable and sustainable for both the user and the planet. (no materials are wasted or become landfill in the HandMoto System). The next goal was to provide the best possible educational (yet fun) materials available today. HandMoto received the Gold Standard ASTM F963 Certification for Child Safety. HandMoto's boards, pens, erasers, and packaging are 100% made in the USA. HandMoto's educational team works with hundreds of authors to develop courses and cutting edge content for ages three to a hundred! Gene Anderson, the company's CEO says, "The HandMoto is an eco-friendly learning tool that is both safe and sustainable. Our content (inserts) promise to be the best educational materials available today for all ages, created by experts that will accommodate both children's and adults' learning experiences for years to come." Media Contact: Debbie McGeorge [email protected] 541-572-5949 SOURCE Moto Sign and Media Corporation File image: Jair Bolsonaro Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro fired his health minister on April 16 after clashing with him over how to fight the new coronavirus, and again called for states to end stay-at-home orders that he said were hurting the economy. Few global leaders have done more than Bolsonaro to play down the pandemic, which has killed nearly 2,000 Brazilians. He has called the virus "a little flu" and criticized state governors for imposing restrictions supported by health experts and the popular outgoing minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta. In televised remarks met with pot-banging protests in several major cities, Bolsonaro said Mandetta did not fully appreciate the need to protect jobs and he called again for a resumption of business in Brazil, Latin America's largest economy. "We need to return to normal, not as fast as possible, but we need to start having some flexibility," Bolsonaro said. The government cannot afford emergency aid to the poor for much longer, he said. Read Also: I will fire him: President Bolsonaro threatens Brazil minister over criticism on handling 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 The dispute at the highest reaches of Brazilian politics coincides with several countries debating when and how life should start returning to normal after coronavirus lockdowns, which are predicted to drive the global economy into recession. Governors in the United States have formed regional coalitions to begin considering plans for reopening their economies, stoking friction with U.S. President Donald Trump, an ally of Bolsonaro's, who wants to see lockdowns lifted faster. But while there are signs that the outbreak has peaked in the United States, medical experts agree that a peak in Brazil is still weeks away and it is too early to end social distancing. "Do not think we are past a peak in growth of the virus. The health system is still not prepared for an acceleration," Mandetta warned in his parting comments at the ministry. NEW MINISTER PROMISES NO SUDDEN CHANGE While Bolsonaro sharply criticized the shutdowns, the Health Ministry under Mandetta provided guidance supportive of the social distancing measures. Mandetta's daily briefings had also contradicted Bolsonaro's praise for unproven drugs. Incoming minister Nelson Teich, asked at a news conference about the ministry's position now that he was in charge, said there will not be any "sudden changes" in policy. However, he added: "There is a complete alignment between me and the president." Click here to follow our LIVE blog on the coronavirus pandemic Teich, who founded an oncology group sold to United Healthcare in 2015, lacks the political experience of his predecessor, a former lawmaker who had begun to upstage Bolsonaro. Boslonaro's popularity has slid and he faces nightly protests from Brazilians banging pots from their windows over his handling of the outbreak. In addition to the daily 8:30 p.m. protest on Thursday, people also spontaneously began striking cookware when Bolsonaro announced Mandetta's firing. The Health Ministry's response to the epidemic was rated "good" or "great" by 76% of Brazilians surveyed by pollster Datafolha. Just 33% of those surveyed gave Bolsonaro the same ratings. Senator Major Olimpio, Bolsonaro's former right-hand man in Congress, praised Mandetta for sticking to scientific principles in the public health crisis and urged the new minister to defend the need for isolation measures. "Teich has defended social distancing. If he persists in this, he will have serious problems with President Bolsonaro and won't last 30 days in office, or he will have to tear up his degree and contradict the entire global scientific community," the right-wing senator said in a video posted on social media. The spread of the coronavirus in Brazil has accelerated to 30,425 confirmed cases, with some 200 fatalities per day bringing the death toll to 1,924 on Thursday, according to Health Ministry data, the highest in Latin America. Patient rooms in the new Patient Pavilion for the University of Pennsylvania Health System were prepared months ahead of schedule to accommodate non-coronavirus patients during the pandemic, but the space is no longer needed immediately, state health officials said. Read more Though Philadelphia-area hospitals have been strained by coronavirus cases, city and state health officials said Friday, so far none are out of room for new patients. Still, some hospitals are bearing a greater load than others. Clinical workers are exhausted and overworked at Temple University Hospital, said Francine Frezghi, president of the Temple University Hospital Nurses Association, a local of the nurses union PASNAP. Temple has more COVID-19 patients than any other Philadelphia institution, according to data shared by city hospitals. Theres a slow trickle of nurses who are themselves becoming victims of the coronavirus, she said. Every day Im hearing about another nurse whos positive, Frezghi said. Theyre scared. Theyre anxious. Theyre dedicated, though. Temple University Hospital and Einstein Medical Center are especially strained. Both are in low-income areas in North Philadelphia and serve many African American residents, who appear to be disproportionately affected by the virus, data suggest. Temples Boyer Pavilion, which is being used as a COVID-19 hospital, had between 30 and 40 beds available Friday morning, including 5 to 10 ICU beds, said Jeremy Walter, a Temple Health spokesperson. These numbers change hour to hour, he said. In the hospitals critical care wards, nurses are finding their workloads in some cases doubled over the norm. In intensive care units, nurses accustomed to caring for no more than two patients per shift are now responsible for up to four, Frezghi said. In the less-acute medical surgical units, she said, each nurse is assigned to six to seven COVID patients. The hospital is not turning patients away, she said, but one day in the last week it did request emergency medical teams divert patients away from an overwhelmed emergency room. Adding to the hospitals challenges, she said, is the number of beds being occupied by COVID patients who have recovered enough that they dont need hospitalization and "could be home, but they dont have anywhere to go. 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. Temple was the only hospital that would provide the number of available beds. The city health department relies on the Hospital and Healthcare Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) for data, said department director Thomas Farley, but does so with the stipulation that the information not be shared publicly. HAP would not comment. Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Rachel Levine said Friday afternoon that 2,524 people are hospitalized across Pennsylvania with COVID-19, adding that hospitalizations were up in the southeastern and northeastern portions of the state. She said she has received no reports of hospitals at capacity. The state reported an additional 49 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday, bringing its total to 756, and reported 1,706 new confirmed coronavirus cases. As pressure builds to ease social distancing requirements so people can return to work, thats among the highest daily tallies in the last month and an abrupt change from recent daily declines. Levine said the increase is due in part to a significant number of results from LabCorp and Quest, labs that have experienced backlogs. Farley said his department is watching for signs of uneven burdens among the citys hospitals. Were encouraging any hospital near capacity or at capacity to transfer patients so every patient gets optimal care, he said. I cant talk about specific hospitals, and some are closer to capacity than others. The overall region has adequate capacity, and the best way to manage that is through transfers." Hospitalizations in Philadelphia, which lag the discovery of new cases, continue to increase as they have across the state, he said at an afternoon news conference on Friday. There were 852 coronavirus patients in city hospitals Friday, and 1,633 in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Were definitely not past the worst of this, Farley said. At the five hospitals run by Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic in West and North Philadelphia, Darby Borough, Langhorne, and Wilmington administrators have reported needing intensive care beds, but have been able to manage this increase within our own facilities," spokesperson Ann DAntonio said. Penn Medicine is in frequent communication with the city health department and other hospitals about capacity issues, and has developed guidelines for transferring coronavirus patients to Penn hospitals when most appropriate for the patient, including for advanced life support options, said Patrick Norton, a spokesperson, in a statement. Crozer-Keystone, which operates four hospitals in Delaware County, said it had adapted some units to accommodate COVID-19 patients, so we are not limited by the number of ICU beds we have in our system, Rich Leonowitz, a spokesperson, said in an email. The health system has transferred a few non-coronavirus patients based on their needs, Leonowitz said. Likewise, when neighboring facilities need us to accept patient transfers, we handle it as we always do. And the overflow sites that some Philadelphia health systems had created for a surge in patients have not yet been used. No patients have had to be moved to the facility set up at Temple Universitys Liacouras Center. And though the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania had planned to fast-track the opening of its new Patient Pavilion building to create more capacity for COVID-19 patients, the hospital hasnt needed the additional space, said Nate Wardle, a spokesperson for the state Department of Health. Jefferson Health has experienced episodic COVID-19 patient surges, particularly at its suburban Philadelphia and South Jersey hospitals, said Stephanie D. Conners, Jeffersons chief operating officer, in a statement, but has enough beds and ventilators in the system as a whole. The health system is also accepting transfers from other hospitals as appropriate when patients require special treatment. Bridget Therriault, spokesperson for Main Line Health, which runs Bryn Mawr Hospital, Lankenau Medical Center, and Paoli and Riddle Hospitals, said Friday that there are 239 COVID-related hospitalizations across Main Line Health hospitals and they have not had to divert any patients to facilities out of their network. We have seen a slow but steady increase as opposed to a dramatic uptick all at once, Therriault said. Chestnut Hill Hospital declined comment. Staff writers Erin McCarthy, Wendy Ruderman, Inga Saffron, and Sean Collins Walsh contributed to this article. READ MORE: Do you have a news tip for the Inquirer? Please send it through our secure portal. A kitchen prison worker has been detained by Wisconsin authorities for her alleged role in helping a pair of inmates escape from a detainment facility. Holly Marie Zimdahl, 46, was charged with party to the crime of escape, according to a release from the Columbia Country Sheriff's Office. Zimbahl, from Pardeeville, was a civilian kitchen worker Columbia Correctional Institution. Holly Marie Zimdahl, 46, was charged with party to the crime of escape, according to a release from the Columbia Country Sheriff's Office Thomas E Deering, 45, (left) and James Robert Newman, 36, (right) had escaped from CCI at 4.25am on Thursday and made it over the fences by 4.35am, according to authorities Her arrest was in connection to the two inmates who fled from the prison early on Thursday. Thomas E Deering, 45, and James Robert Newman, 36, had escaped from CCI at 4.25am and made it over the fences by 4.35am, according to authorities. The pair were apprehended on Friday at around 8.37am in Rockford, Illinois. They were arrested without incident. Authorities believe that the escaped men were picked up at 5.54am on Thursday at a Piggly Wiggly in Poynette and traveled down Highway 51. Zimbahl, from Pardeeville, was a civilian kitchen worker Columbia Correctional Institution (pictured) Police are still searching for the vehicle and expect to make additional arrests. 'I want to thank Miss Carlys in Rockford, Illinois for being brave and calling police while keeping the suspects there,' Sheriff Roger Bradner said in the release. 'These two individuals were very dangerous suspects and we are thankful nobody was hurt during their escape and arrest.' Christina Pickens knew her situation as a part-time maid was only going to get worse when she lost over $5,000 in wages in the month of March. Pickens, who cleans rental cabins in Sevierville, Tennessee, saw a sharp drop in orders from her usual clients as spring break customers began canceling reservations due to the COVID-19 outbreak. With no relief in sight, Pickens had no choice but to file for unemployment. I depend on people heavily coming in for vacation, Pickens says. What Pickens did not expect, however, was how difficult it would be to collect unemployment as an independent contractor in Tennessee. Im frustrated because I cant find the answers as to where I can get some financial help, she said. As Americans experience record layoffs, reduced hours and other employment issues amid the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, gig workers, independent contractors, freelancers and temporary workers all over the country are finding themselves in a precarious situation. 'We need help now': Coronavirus stimulus relief plea from self-employed to Washington: 'We need help now' Delays in jobless aid: Gig workers, self-employed face delays in jobless aid As Americans experience record layoffs, reduced hours and other employment issues amid the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, gig workers, independent contractors, freelancers and temporary workers all over the country are finding themselves in a precarious situation. Numbering 57 million and representing one-third of the workforce, these part-time and self-employed workers are struggling to obtain relief promised them under The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES Act. But what they're finding is that government employees in many states arent trained to handle their unique situations. The rules governing when a part-time worker can collect unemployment insurance can be confusing. The technology is antiquated, and some states like Arizona have such onerous eligibility restrictions that part-time workers can't get benefits at all at least for the time being. Most states have specific rules regarding part-time availability that add barriers to Unemployment Insurance eligibility, said a report by the National Employment Law Project. Limitations on overall work hours, times of day, or days of the week imposed by health, disabilities, caregiving responsibilities, or other factors can prevent claimants from receiving UI benefits in any state. Story continues Some of these limitations will become less relevant once new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits are fully implemented across the country. That's just not the case at the moment. Coronavirus-caused job losses across US: Key swing states Michigan and Pennsylvania are among hardest hit Unemployment claims: Record 22 million Americans file for benefits over past month as layoffs continue In Tennessee, Pickens said it was difficult to navigate the Labor and Workforce Development website, and shes not confident her efforts will result in a penny of unemployment benefits. Even when the state implements changes under the CARES Act, Pickens is not expecting much. Tennessee ranks near the bottom of U.S. states in terms of unemployment benefits offering $275 per week just a fraction of what Pickens earned from her cleaning business. "They are way behind on whats really going on in terms of trying to apply for any kind of benefit," Pickens told USA TODAY. Snags in federal assistance When Congress passed its $2.2 trillion relief package last month, benefits were supposed to be extended to everyone impacted by the order to stay at home. Not only would full-time workers receive unemployment checks, but under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, freelancers and gig workers would receive half the average unemployment benefit in their states and an extra $600 per week through July 31. Even the self-employed and part-time employees would get benefits under the law, regardless of whether states allowed those classifications of workers to receive benefits prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. But many of these workers have run into roadblocks. Intake is swamping the system right now, said Wayne Vroman, a labor economist and associate with the Urban Institute, a Washington D.C. think tank that carries out economic and social policy research. Claims with substantial work history are much easier to service and those workers will be able to collect their benefits much sooner. Part-time and self-employed workers, who cant present pay stubs are much harder to service, Vroman said. State computer systems simply arent set up to handle their requests because they dont meet the current criteria. Olivia Wertheimer, for example, kept getting her hours reduced in the middle of March until she was eventually out of a job at the Hot Table Panini restaurant in Worcester, Massachusetts. But bad news compounded when the 22-year-old student at Becker College tried to file an unemployment claim. The states Department of Unemployment Assistance told her she couldnt proceed because she did not meet the state's minimum wage requirements. In Massachusetts, workers must earn at least $5,100 during the previous four quarters, which comes to $425 per month. Wertheimer had only worked for a little over three months and earned around $1,500. Without assistance from the government, she was forced to dip into savings. She feels grateful to be splitting the rent with roommates, alleviating some of the financial pressure. Misty Schuler, a waitress in Prescott, Arizona, had a similar experience. After losing her job at a Golden Corral restaurant, the state Department of Economic Security turned her down for unemployment insurance because she didnt make at least $7,000 in total wages in at least two quarters of her base period, with wages in one quarter equal to $5,987.50 or more. Schuler told ABC 15 News in Arizona that she was really surprised because she thought all Arizonans were supposed to get help. "I dont know what Im gonna do, she told a broadcast journalist. Im scared. Im afraid. Waiting for help: assistance for part-time, self-employed workers delayed Thats not the way the CARES Act passed by Congress a month ago is supposed to work. All workers knocked out of a job because of the crisis are supposed to get some financial assistance to weather the storm. The new legislation should apply to anyone who can demonstrate an attachment to the workforce, said Michele Evermore, policy analyst for the National Employment Law Project. The problem is that it takes a while to get this program ready to implement. Evermore explained that the U.S. Department of Labor first has to issue guidelines so that states know exactly how to interpret the new law. Then the states have to set up their computer systems based on those interpretations. They have to go in and reprogram their computers to accept all these new people and change all the inputs so computers dont kick people out and so that they accept new kinds of documents rather than pay stubs to verify employment, she said. They have to implement all this stuff, and the earliest any state said they could do that is by April 18. Evermore said the state of Washington is likely to be the first state to come online, while others wont be out until mid-May. Im actually quite concerned about how long it will take to get any benefits out, Evermore said. Brett Bezio, deputy press secretary for Arizonas Department of Economic Security, said his state is still evaluating guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor on how to extend unemployment insurance to part-time or short-time employees like Misty Schuler who traditionally havent received benefits. Implementation of this provision will require significant system changes, Brezio said in an email to USA TODAY. We are accepting applications for (Pandemic Unemployment Assistance), and these initial claims will be processed once the system modifications are in place. Similar words of caution about the eventual payment of unemployment benefits appear on Ohios Department of Job and Family Services website. It says that self-employed and part-time workers will be eligible for unemployment benefits once new programs are operating. Like other states, Ohio is waiting for further guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor on how to operationalize it, the Ohio website says. Once it is up and running, retroactive benefits will be provided. We will share more information as soon as we have it. Workers vulnerable in crisis In the meantime, gig workers, independent contractors, the self-employed, freelancers, part-time and temporary workers are in a vulnerable position. According to a recent Urban Institute report, many part-time and self-employed workers were already living close to the edge before the coronavirus crisis took hold. About 44% of both hourly and self-employed workers reported difficulty paying for basic needs such as housing, utilities, food, or medical care during 2019, the report said. The report added that more than a quarter of hourly workers and 21% of self-employed workers said they would have trouble coming up with $400 to pay for unexpected expenses within the next month. Some work two or three jobs to make ends meet, and if they lose one job or get cut way back, it would put their families at risk. Scott Gibson, a full-time career services director at the Interactive College of Technology in Atlanta and a part-time Grubhub delivery driver, recently had his hours at his full-time job cut from 40 to 30 per week. He filed for unemployment to make up the difference. "Im worried that my second job will affect my unemployment wages from my first job," Gibson told USA TODAY. Gibsons employer helped him process his unemployment claim on April 8, but he has not yet heard back from the Department of Labor. Evermore, the National Employment Law Project analyst, said Gibson has a good chance of getting a partial payout. If I work two jobs and lose one that causes my income to go down by a quarter, I should be eligible for Partial Unemployment Insurance, she said. And I should also get the extra $600. But she added that the Grubhub income does complicate matters and will have to be declared. Evermore added that many people are confused on how having a second job will affect their unemployment wages. Any person who is not being paid is considered unemployed and is entitled to receive federal assistance, she said. The date payments are supposed to be deposited is still unclear. "Its going to be hard and its going to take some time, but people need to be reminded that these are their earned benefits, Evermore said. The system should cover them." Contributing: Charisse Jones, Michael Braga This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus crisis: Part-time workers struggle to get unemployment Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on March 18. (Photo- AFP) London: Global equities surged Friday as reports of encouraging trials for a possible coronavirus drug injected optimism into investors. Asian indices posted healthy gains also as official data showed the fatal COVID-19 pandemic had not hit China's economy as badly as some had feared. However, WTI oil prices tanked to $18.03 per barrel to strike a fresh 18-year low point, punished by crude oversupply and virus-hit weak energy demand. Wall Street rose overnight after President Donald Trump laid out guidelines for a phased reopening of the US lockdown. After the closing bell in New York, reports emerged of encouraging trials for potential coronavirus drug remdesivir, made by US biotech firm Gilead Sciences. "Reports that a Gilead drug is producing encouraging results in clinical trials is also giving risk sentiment a lift," said City Index anlayst Fiona Cincotta. "Any successful treatment drug would essentially mean that economies can reopen more quickly, good news for a rebound. Without this, any recovery is expected to be more drawn out." The overnight trial reports gave a shot in the arm to jumpy global equities. In late March, Gilead had faced calls to not enforce exclusivity over the drug. This story was originally published on Aug. 14, 2019 in NYT Parenting. After the birth of her second child, Erica Jefferson of Rapid City, S.D., was faced with a choice: Pay her student loan bills or pay more than $1,000 a month for day care. She chose the latter. Keeping her job she works as a claims processor for a funeral insurance company was a necessity. Her husband, a veteran, was injured in the military and cannot work or physically care for their 18-month-old. That became a real struggle for us, she said. Having already exhausted her ability to defer her student loans, she opted for forbearance, a repayment option that typically requires only interest payments, but fell behind on those payments as well. My kids, they always have clothes on their backs, new shoes theyre always well fed but for me , her voice trailed off. I have to pay day care. I have to pay rent. C hinese authorities in Wuhan has revised the city's coronavirus death toll from 2,759 to 3,869, increasing the number of fatalities by almost 50 per cent. The original undercount of 1,290 was caused by insufficient admission capabilities of "overwhelmed medical facilities" during the outbreak's peak, Chinese state media said on Friday. The number of total cases in the city of 11 million people was also raised by 325 to 50,333, accounting for about two-thirds of China's total 82,367 announced cases. Authorities deny there was any attempt at a cover up. The official Xinhua News Agency quoted an official from Wuhan's epidemic and prevention and control headquarters who said that, "due to the insufficiency in admission and treatment capability, a few medical institutions failed to connect with the disease prevention and control system in time, while hospitals were overloaded and medics were overwhelmed with patients." 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 "As a result, belated, missed and mistaken reporting occurred," the official was quoted as saying. Questions have long circulated around the accuracy of China's case reporting. Wuhan, in particular, was faced by criticism after several days in January without reporting new cases or deaths. Wuhan expat discusses city's life after lockdown This has led to accusations that Chinese officials were seeking to minimise the impact of the outbreak and wasting opportunities to bring it under control in a shorter time. The increased toll comes after Wuhan lifted its mass lockdown restrictions last week after more than 70 days. The capital of the Hubei province lifted the city-wide quarantine overnight on April 7, with 55,000 people who had been trapped there then expected to return home. Employees eating during lunch break at an auto plant of Dongfeng Honda in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province. China's economy contracted for the first time in decades last quarter / AFP via Getty Images Streets in the city were clogged with traffic and long queues formed at the airport, railway and bus stations as thousands streamed out of the city to return to homes and jobs elsewhere. Yellow barriers that had blocked off some streets were gone, although the gates to residential compounds remained guarded. The city was put under strict stay-at-home measures from late January as the epidemic unfolded. Elsewhere in China, police arrested 42 people for hoarding and driving up the price of the cloth material used to make face masks, as well as illegally producing shoddy and inferior material for resale. The Ministry of Public Security said in a statement Friday that a nationwide task force had been formed to crack down on crimes related to the production of masks, which almost all Chinese wear when in public and many in their offices and even homes as a safeguard against coronavirus. That has led to scarcities in many places and severe price increases, especially in online sales. The ministry statement said raids in the southern industrial hub of Guangdong and three other provinces in early and mid-March resulted in the breaking of 20 cases and the seizure of material worth more than 34 million yuan (almost $5 million). Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast The Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) has uged the HSE to clarify whether family members are allowed to visit patients nearing death in care facilities. As strict no-visiting restrictions have been implemented in high-risk Covid-19 areas, such as ICU units, the IHF is seeking guidance from the health authority on how families can make a request to the hospital or care setting. The group recommends that one family member should be allowed to visit every person who is dying in hospitals and care settings. Sharon Foley, CEO of the IHF, said: "Many people and staff in care settings have raised concerns regarding any person dying alone in a healthcare setting where family or loved ones are not allowed to visit, or be with the person at the end of life. "There is only one chance to get end-of-life care 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. "We appreciate hospitals and other care settings will need to assign staff to training families in the 'donning' and 'doffing' of PPE and that this training and support requires time and resources." Mary Burke, director of care at Killure Bridge Nursing Home in Co Waterford, said it was vital for both families and patients to be given visiting permissions at the end of life. Ms Burke said the nursing home, which had not yet had a positive Covid-19 case, had prepared plans for how it would deal with the death process should a patient fall seriously ill after contracting the illness. "Unfortunately, in this current climate, funerals are restrictive and the grieving process is hampered by it all. "In months to come, we may see the impact of this. People will feel that 'I didn't grieve for mammy, I didn't go to a funeral', or that they didn't get the send off that they would have liked to have got. "We will be trying to ensure that there won't be suffering for families during this and to give the residents and the families some dignity. "We have to have some bit of humanity in this. We would be facilitating this one to two max to come," she told the Irish Independent. "You don't want to be saying goodbye to your mother or your father through a phone or a video. "It's all new for us, we're learning and trying to make sure that the person at the end of life has a good death and that the families are supported." A HSE spokesperson said: "Hospitals are making an incredible effort at a very difficult time to support all patients to maintain contact with their loved ones during their hospitalisation. "Staff are hugely conscious of the importance of maintaining contact with families to reduce the isolation felt by patients and reassurance to their loved ones during their stay in hospital. Many hospitals have set up patient care package systems, patient specific postal systems and virtual visiting through the use of iPads and mobile phones. "With those unable to use this technology supported to make the calls. "An exception is made to the no visiting rule for patients who are palliative in so far as is possible and as you can appreciate this is challenging given the need to maintain strict infection control guidelines which are there to protect everyone. The numbers allowed to avail of this visiting is restricted." Facebook has taken action against posts by Irish anti-5G activists who said that masts should all be burned down and that a 22 or a good slingshot would sort out telecoms engineers erecting them. Comments on the Stop 5G Letterkenny Facebook page have been removed after the Irish Independent highlighted the intimidatory remarks this week. A comment advising that a 22 or a good slingshot would sort engineers was posted days before an Eir mast in Letterkenny was vandalised through arson last Sunday. The mast was being upgraded to give extra 4G mobile capacity for the local hospital. Other posts show videos and photos of maintenance crews at telecom sites. We are removing misinformation that could contribute to physical harm, a Facebook spokesperson told Independent.ie, confirming the removal of some activists comments on Facebook posts created by Stop 5G Letterkenny. However, many of the groups posts and comments remain up, including one conspiracy theory that the pandemic may have been preplanned as a cover for telecoms engineers to erect 5G infrastructure. The group has also posted debunked claims that telecoms masts will cause cancers and headaches. Irish telecoms companies have expressed fear in recent weeks over an escalation in attacks on infrastructure and masts. The attacks are linked to conspiracy theories that associate 5G with the spread of Covid-19 or general health problems. Such claims have been roundly debunked by the World Health Organisation, as well as local medical authorities. In the UK, almost 100 masts have been attacked or vandalised as the conspiracy theories on social media platforms gather pace. Activists say that 5G technology will cause cancer and other illnesses, a claim that has been rubbished by the Irish Cancer Society, Comreg and other authorities. Despite the debunked claims on 5G, a number of county councils remain opposed to the rollout of 5G in their areas, alleging that the technology has not been proven safe. However, Comreg says that 5G radiation remains far below the levels at which it becomes a threat to human health. While Facebook responds to reports of potential specific infringements, it typically does not investigate more widely unless blacklisted terms or images are detected using its machine-learning techniques. Under our existing policies against harmful misinformation, we are removing false claims that 5G technology causes the symptoms of or contraction of COVID-19, said the Facebook spokesperson. This includes posts that make false claims about cures, treatments, the availability of essential services or the location and severity of the outbreak. We also do not allow content that coordinates harm or publicises crime and we have removed multiple posts on Irish groups for violating these rules. Meanwhile, Facebook is to ramp up action for people who like or comment on bogus Covid-19 information on the social media platform. Under a new initiative, users who like or comment on a misinformation post will now be shown links to World Health Organisation content on debunked myths. People will start seeing these messages in the coming weeks, said Guy Rosen, Facebook vice president for Integrity. Were going to start showing messages in News Feed to people who have liked, reacted or commented on harmful misinformation about COVID-19 that we have since removed. These messages will connect people to COVID-19 myths debunked by the WHO including ones weve removed from our platform for leading to imminent physical harm. 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. In some cases, Facebook says, misinformation is getting people to drink bleach as a Covid-19 remedy. WASHINGTON - The United States is struggling to test enough people to track and control the spread of the novel coronavirus, a crucial first step to reopening parts of the economy, which President Donald Trump is pushing to do by May 1. Trump on Thursday released a plan to ease business restrictions that hinges on a downward trajectory of positive tests. But more than a month after he declared, Anybody who wants a test, can get a test, the reality has been much different. People report being unable to get tested. Labs and public officials say critical supply shortages are making it impossible to increase testing to the levels experts say is necessary to keep the virus in check. There are places that have enough test swabs, but not enough workers to administer them. There are places that are limiting tests because of the CDC criteria on who should get tested, said Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency physician and associate professor at Brown University. Theres just so many inefficiencies and problems with the way that testing currently happens across this country. Trumps plan envisions setting up sentinel surveillance sites that would screen people without symptoms in locations that serve older people or minority populations. Experts say testing would have to increase as much as threefold to be effective. The plan pushes responsibility for testing onto states. The governors are responsible for testing, Trump told reporters at his daily briefing Friday. He said the federal government would ship 5.5 million nasal swabs to states in the next few weeks to help address shortages. Swabs can be done easily by the governors themselves, Trump said. Mostly its cotton, its not a big deal. But state and local officials as well as lab managers say they cannot expand testing until there are more supplies. This week governors, physician groups and laboratory directors called on the Trump administration to address shortages of swabs, protective gear and highly specialized laboratory chemicals needed to analyze the virus genetic material. Hospitals and state health departments report scouring the globe to secure orders, competing against each other and their peers abroad in a system that Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., described as mayhem. The federal government cannot wipe their hands of this and say, Oh, the states are responsible for testing, Cuomo said Friday as he complained of a shortage of chemicals manufactured in China. I dont do China relations. I dont do international supply chain. Trump has denied that the U.S. has fallen short, asserting that the nation has the most expansive and accurate testing system anywhere in the world. Only in recent days has the U.S. surpassed the testing rate in South Korea, which has conducted about one test for every 100 people. Vice-President Mike Pence boasted Thursday that the U.S. had completed more than 3 million tests, but in March he promised 5 million would be distributed by the middle of that month. Pence told reporters Monday that if governors would simply activate underused high-capacity testing machines, we could double the amount of testing in the U.S. literally overnight. That is not the experience in Rhode Island, said Gov. Gina Raimondo, D-R.I. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly of Kansas, whose state has one of the lowest per capita testing rates in the country, told CNN it has been difficult to get testing supplies. Gov. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., a Trump ally, said testing needs to be stepped up before he can lift restrictions. Jennifer Rodriguez, a pharmacy technician at a major retail chain in California, said she was sent home by her employer last week after coming down with symptoms. Her company would not test her, and she spent hours on the phone trying to find a place that would, she said. The San Luis Obispo County health department can only test 50 samples per day, and a spokeswoman said those tests are reserved for people who are hospitalized, first responders and those who have had contact with people who tested positive. Rodriguez didnt qualify. Another clinic told her she might have to pay $150 if it determined she did not fit its test criteria. I just feel like medical workers, or even people on the front line, they should have some kind of priority, said Rodriguez. 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. Lab officials and health experts told The Associated Press that supply shortages have prompted them to limit who can be tested. That can leave out people who have symptoms but arent sick enough to be hospitalized, or people who have no symptoms and might unwittingly spread the virus. Experts say it will be crucial to test those people if the economy is to reopen. Ed Thornborrow, medical director of the University of California at San Francisco Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, said he wants to run 3,000 tests per day, but he can only do 100 to 250 now because he lacks enough nasal swabs. He works constantly to find more. Thats what I spend most of my time on these days, he said. Meghan Delaney, chief of pathology and lab medicine at Childrens National Hospital in Washington, says shortages of chemicals known as reagents are constraining how many tests her lab can perform. Vendors, in response, are restricting what hospitals can buy, said Dr. Robin Patel of the Mayo Clinics infectious disease laboratory. Its a little bit like rationing, Patel said. In early March, Trump announced a plan for nationwide testing via drive-thru sites at chains such as Walmart and Target, linked by a Google-affiliated website. Six weeks later, the website is a pilot program available in just four California counties. Few of the retailers sites have opened, and executives from companies including Walgreens have said they are waiting for more direction from the federal government. Trumps testing czar, Dr. Brett Giroir, said Friday the U.S. would need to process 4.5 million tests per month to enter the first phase of easing social distancing guidelines, under the White Houses reopening plan. Currently the U.S. is conducting about 1 million tests per week, Giroir said. Were going to continue to push that further and further as we open up the laboratories and are able to open all the supplies we need, Giroir said. Trump and his deputies have have promoted a 15-minute test developed by Abbott Laboratories as a game changer. Federal officials initially distributed 15 machines to each of nearly all the public health labs in U.S. states and territories, along with 250 to the Indian Health Service. Alaska received 50. But governors say they didnt get enough cartridges needed to run large numbers of the tests. Rhode Island received only 120, much fewer than they were promised. Raimondo said when the state tried to get more, Abbott and others that make the test cartridges directed her to the federal government, which in turn told her to go directly to the companies. The state has now received 850 tests, far fewer than it requested, Raimondo said Friday. Federal health officials declined to say how many cartridges were initially sent to states, but said more will be available as Abbott increases production. The company says it is currently producing 50,000 cartridges daily and has shipped more than 600,000 to hospitals, emergency care clinics and other health care facilities nationwide. The U.S. bungled its initial testing rollout due to flaws with the test kits developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Precious time was wasted in February as the test was corrected and redistributed. Private labs at hospitals, universities and commercial companies werent fully enlisted in the effort until March. The U.S. is currently testing roughly 145,000 people daily, for a total of 3.5 million results reported, according to state data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project. Public health experts say capacity needs to be much higher, in part to repeatedly test essential workers and to isolate those who test positive and to track down their close contacts to prevent new outbreaks. We still probably need to be doing three times more testing than were doing now, said Dr. Ashish K. Jha, director of the Global Health Institute at Harvard. I dont see America getting by anytime soon with 100,000 to 150,000 tests. ___ Smith reported from Providence, Rhode Island. ___ 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. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US negotiator for Afghan peace process Zalmay Khalilzad on Friday held a telephonic conversation, focusing on the evolving situation in Afghanistan after the Trump administration struck a deal with the Taliban in February. It is learnt that Jaishankar and Khalilzad exchanged views on ways to bring lasting peace to the war-ravaged country. "@US4AfghanPeace called to update on recent Afghan developments. Shared the Indian perspective. Our historical friendship with this close neighbour will always guide our Afghan policy," Jaishankar tweeted. The US-Taliban deal, inked on February 29, provides for the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan effectively drawing curtains to Washington's 18-year war in the country. The US has lost over 2,400 soldiers in Afghanistan since late 2001. India has been a key stakeholder in the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. India has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan controlled. India has also been maintaining that care should be taken to ensure that any such process does not lead to any "ungoverned spaces" where terrorists and their proxies can relocate. Earlier this month, India welcomed the decision by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to form a team for intra-Afghan negotiation. India has been calling upon all sections of the political spectrum in Afghanistan to work together to meet the aspirations of all people in that country including those from the minority community for a prosperous and safe future. There has been global concerns over Pakistan's support to Taliban and other terror groups operating in Afghanistan. Days before inking of the peace deal between the US and Taliban, India conveyed to the Trump administration that pressure on Pakistan to crack down on terror networks operating from its soil must be kept up. This is perhaps the bad news many of the TikTok generation were dreading. The popular social media platform has announced the new TikTok Family Pairing option, which means parents can remotely set restrictions to a childs TikTok account. For that, the parent will also need to have a TikTok account (smart way to get even more people registered, on-board and hooked) and then link their childs account with their own. Parents will now be able to preset limits for how much time their kid spends TikTok on a daily basis, will also have the option of limiting or completely disabling the direct messages (DMs) option altogether and be able to manage what kind of content their kids can see on their TikTok app. Family Pairing enhances our suite of safety tools and complements our work to provide greater access to product features as users reach key milestones for digital literacy. It is part of our continued work toward providing parents better ability to guide their teen's online experience while allowing time to educate about online safety and digital citizenship, says Jeff Collins, Trust & Safety, San Francisco Bay Hub at TikTok. TikTok is a video sharing social media network owned by Chinese company Bytedance. This is part of the companys attempts to make the platform safer for children. In February last year, they had to pay a fine of $5.7 million to the US Federal Trade Commission for violations of the childrens privacy law, and the company has been making improvements since then. A similar feature had rolled out in the UK in February, and Bytedance had made it clear then itself that itll be available for everyone in the near future. That time is now. Starting April 30, TikTok will be automatically disabling Direct Messages for registered accounts under the age of 16. Parents can then choose either leave these disabled or enable them for select contacts only. TikToks policies include the option to only allow approved followers on direct messages and also restrict video or photos from being sent in these messages. These changes will be rolling out over the next few weeks, says the Bytedance owned TikTok and parents will be able to link a childs account by scanning a QR code in the digital wellbeing settings in the app. TikToks incredible popularity can perhaps be best judged by numbersit has over 800 million monthly active users as of January, according to Hootsuites Digital 2020 report. This is up from 300 million in January 2019, which is nothing short of an incredible spike. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic when everyone is working from home, Music Business Worldwide numbers suggested that the app saw a 185 increase in downloads, which clocked 2 million downloads, between March 16 and March 22. The app is available for Android phones and the Apple iPhone. From the Sweetwater County Assessors Office Within the next few days, county residents will be receiving their 2020 Notice of Value according to Dave Divis, Sweetwater County Assessor. Individuals who have signed up for the e-notice program should see their electronic assessments very shortly. Residents should take the time to look over the notices, as they will be the basis for the 2020 property taxes being mailed in September. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the closure of the courthouse to the general public, Divis is encouraging homeowners to direct any and all questions to the p... In a record spike for the state, a staggering 44 new positive cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the number of infections to 359, the Health department said on Friday. With 44 new cases, this is the highest single day tally in the state so far, after 36 new cases were reported on Thursday. "Today is a very negative day as far as the numbers are concerned, as there are 44 new cases," Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar told reporters. "We have increased our capacity of testing and are testing more samples," he said. Pointing out that more than 17,000 tests have been conducted, Kumar said, earlier 500 tests per day were conducted while now it is nearly 2,000. He said, in terms of tests and its results Karnataka stands second in the country after Kerala. "in Kerala one out of 44.16 tests is positive, while in Karnataka one out of 43.56 tests is positive." Additional Chief Secretary Health and Family Welfare department Jawaid Akhtar too said complete census testing of all secondary contacts is being done and this is sending a lot of positive cases. "Even though the number (of positive) cases has gone up our positivity rate is 2.2-2.3 per cent. In this positivity rate, we are next only to Kerala ..it is good in a way that we are able to identify infections in secondary contacts and we will be able treat them now," he said. "We have also kept adding different groups of patients like Influenza-like illness (ILI) history cases; patients in database with- non communicable diseases, TB, HIV, among others, widening the ambit testing," he said, adding that intensive surveillance and screening will be done to diagnose cases early. According to a bulletin, as of 5:00 PM on April 17, cumulatively 359 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 13 deaths and 88 discharged. It said of 258 active cases, 255 patients (including 1 pregnant woman) are in isolation at designated hospitals and their condition is stable while three are in ICU. Among the 44 new cases, except two (one with travel history Delhi and other with SARI) all others are the contacts of patients already tested positive. Eleven of the newly infected are from Nanjanagud in Mysuru, who are contacts of a single patient who had earlier tested positive, while other districts with large number of fresh cases are - ten from Bengaluru urban, seven from Hosapete in Ballari, five from Belagavi, three each from Malavalli in Mandya and Chikkaballapura. Four out of total 38 new cases are children. The bulletin said nine out of 359 cases detected and confirmed in Karnataka are transit passengers of Kerala. From across the state most number of infections have been reported in Bengaluru urban with 86 cases, followed by Mysuru 73 and Belagavi 41. Out of total 88 patients discharged,41 are from Bengaluru, 12 from Mysuru, eight each from Chikkaballapura, Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada. 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 17,594 samples were tested so far, out of which 2,070 were tested on Friday alone. According to the bulletin, 14,606 samples have reported as negative, and of them 1,532 reported negative today. Responding to a question on the pharma company - Jubilant in Nanjanagudu, Mysuru district which is one of the large cluster of cases in the state, Kumar said 1705 people have been quarantined, 1225 have been tested, out of them 61 are positive, reports of 480 are still awaited. Meanwhile, with rising number of positive coronavirus cases in the state, the Karnataka government has decided to conduct tests on those displaying symptoms for the disease in districts that have not reported even a single case. Eight districts are COVID-19-free in the state. Noting that doctors were of the opinion that it was necessary for those suffering with fever, cold, breathing problem to immediately undergo COVID-19 test, the government said a special app is being developed for this purpose. In the wake of COVID-19 cases increasing during the last couple of days, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa held discussions with top officials and experts. The Department of Health and Family Welfare has issued guidelines for Testing of Pooled Samples using RT-PCR with advisory by ICMR. The department has issued circular regarding approval of COVID-19 testing in private laboratories with condition and fixed the cost test at Rs 2250 in Karnataka. On the advisory issued by ICMR, the department has also issued circular on Rapid antibody based blood test for COVID-19. According to Kumar, ICMR has purchased, 6,50,000 rapid tests kits for the country, of which Karnataka will get 12,400 kits. "It will reach us this night, so from tomorrow it will be used for tests," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer hopes to relax some of the restrictions on Michigan businesses and residents next month, though shes not ready to commit to it two weeks out. Early Friday morning, April 17, the governor appeared virtually on Good Morning America where she was asked if Michigan aimed to relax some restrictions by May 1, similar to comments made by another Midwest governor. "I do hope to have some relaxing come May 1 but its two weeks away and the information and the data and our ability to test is changing so rapidly, its hard to tell you precisely where well be in a week from now much less two," Whitmer said. "We are looking very carefully at making sure each decision we make is supported by the science, by the facts and is in the best interest of the people because thats ultimately what matters to our ability to ramp up our economy again and avoid a second wave, which would be devastating. Michigan is under a state of emergency and Whitmer has signed several executive orders that have closed businesses and limited social gatherings in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the infectious respiratory virus that has sickened at least 29,263 residents, including 2,093 who have died. During the Friday morning interview, Whitmer said Michigan has had to be really aggressive as the state with the third-highest number of deaths associated with COVID-19. She said the Midwest states are banding together and sharing intelligence regionally, but that doesnt mean each state will make the same decisions. In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday that some businesses in his state could reopen after May 1 as long as proper precautions are taken like social distancing, cleaning of surfaces, frequent hand-washing and mask wearing. DeWine said the relaxing of Ohios stay-at-home order would be gradual, according to a report by the Associated Press. The state has reported more than 8,400 COVID-19 cases and 389 deaths since March 9. Thursday evening, President Donald Trump announced guidelines on the three phases to re-open the economy. Asked how she intends to use the guidelines, Whitmer said most people agree re-opening needs to come in stages and testing is really important. Pointing the to requirement that robust testing be in place for at-risk health care workers, the governor called it a shortcoming and said testing needs to be more widespread. We should be able to administer tests to anyone who has symptoms, ideally to people who are around people who have symptoms and in the best case scenario, just doing them broadly so we really get a handle on where COVID-19 is and where the threats are, Whitmer said. Whitmer was also asked about comments from a handful of Michigan sheriffs who have said the governor has overstepped her authority with her stay-at-home restrictions. She said four out of 83 sheriffs have made that point and thats fine. All I ask is lets not get overly political here, she continued. Lets focus on the public health. Im the governor for almost 10 million people. I represent and want to protect every one of them whether they supported me politically or not, or they were even disengaged. Thats my job to protect the people of Michigan and thats precisely what Im doing with each of these orders. The governor went on to echo previous sentiments that each order has weighed heavily on her. She knew closing non-essential businesses and limiting bars and restaurants to no dine-in services would result in layoffs. She knew closing schools would reduce education efforts for children and would take away meals that some families depended on. Theres a price thats paid and I know there are a lot of businesses and people that are hurting right now, Whitmer said. "But the fact of the matter is its better to be six feet apart right now than six feet under and that is the whole point of this. Weve got to save lives. Every life matters. 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. More from MLive: 5 things that need to happen for Michigan to reopen its economy after the coronavirus crisis Whitmer partners with governors in 2 other states, asks Trump for more money during coronavirus battle Unemployment claims top 1M in Michigan as coronavirus closures continue More than 2,000 people have died of coronavirus in Michigan AM Best has maintained the under review with negative implications status for the Financial Strength Rating of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of "bbb-" of Al Ittihad Al Watani (L'Union Nationale) Societe Generale D'Assurances du Proche Orient, sal (Al Ittihad) (Lebanon). These Credit Ratings (ratings) reflect the company's balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorises as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and marginal enterprise risk management. Al Ittihad's balance sheet strength is underpinned by its strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). The balance sheet strength assessment also factors in the company's highly liquid and conservative investments, most of which are held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Al Ittihad's operating performance has improved since 2017 as a result of actions implemented by management. These included putting the Lebanese portfolio into run-off and focusing on the company's profitable operations in the UAE. AM Best expects prospective performance to be adequate over the underwriting cycle, supported by continued profitability in the UAE and the successful management of run-off portfolios. Al Ittihad is strategically important to its parent, Nasco Ultimate Holding Limited, as an underwriting platform in the UAE, and receives technical support from its sister company, Bankers Assurance S.A.L. (Bankers). Capital extraction from Al Ittihad by its shareholders to a level that would weaken its balance sheet is considered unlikely, and no drag is assigned to the ratings, despite Bankers' weaker credit profile. These ratings remain under review with negative implications due to the weakening of the economic and financial conditions in Lebanon and the country's recent default. Although the majority of its business and assets are in the UAE, Al Ittihad maintains some exposure to Lebanon, where it is domiciled and where it holds approximately 30% of its assets (mainly real estate and some cash and deposits). AM Best will closely monitor events in Lebanon, and aim to resolve the under-review status once there is more clarity as to their impact on Al Ittihad's credit profile. 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 individual 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/20200417005556/en/ Contacts: Charlotte Vigier Senior Financial Analyst +44 20 7397 0270 charlotte.vigier@ambest.com Christopher Sharkey Manager, Public Relations +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159 christopher.sharkey@ambest.com Ghislain Le Cam, CFA, FRM Director, Analytics +44 20 7397 0268 ghislain.lecam@ambest.com Jim Peavy Director, Public Relations +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644 james.peavy@ambest.com Italian health officials have declared a long-sought victory over the coronavirus in poorer southern regions that were less prepared for the pandemic than the richer north. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte had warned six weeks ago that Italy's ability to conquer COVID-19 depended on whether cases can stay largely contained to its northern epicentre around Milan. The disease has now officially claimed 22,745 lives in the Mediterranean country of 60 million people -- a toll second only to the United States. But Italy has still counted itself relatively lucky because the outbreak erupted in provinces with the best equipped medical staff. Conte decided to gamble early by imposing the Western world's first peacetime national lockdown while the disease was still gathering force. His team argued that the short-term economic pain would pay off by saving the health care system and allowing the country to gradually reopen in the weeks to come. Italy's top health officials said on Friday that Conte's big bet had paid off. "We have prevented the spread of contagions in southern regions," public health council chief Franco Locatelli told reporters "This is now a fact supported by figures." However, business leaders charge that Conte is doing unnecessary damage to the economy by extending the shutdown for too long. The latest data from Italy's civil protection service offered new reasons for Conte not to extend some of the strictest measures when they expire on May 4. They showed the number of people currently being treated for COVID-19 rising by only a few hundred for the first time since the outbreak began. The current number of cases had been going up by at least 1,000 a day for over a month. But they edged up by just 11 outside Milan's Lombardy region on Friday. "In absolute terms, we have had had the highest number of recoveries since the start of the crisis," civil protection service chief Angelo Berrelli told reporters. Conte also unveiled plans to roll out a phone app that could potentially help trace coronavirus infections and further stop the spread. The generally improving picture prompted the civil protection service to announce that it was suspending daily briefings and moving to a twice-a-week format. The leaders of Italy's northern industrial heartland are pushing Conte to take another gamble and open as many businesses and industries as possible in early May. The shutdown has devastated once-booming factory towns and left millions furloughed or temporarily unemployed. Italy's central bank said industrial production had declined by 15 percent in March and total economic output was set to contract by five percent in annual terms between January and March. But a standoff is emerging between the northern leaders and those south of Rome. Naples's Campania governor Vincenzo De Luca warned Friday that he may have to "close our borders" to people from the north should those regions' stay-at-home orders be lifted. The scale of business reopening will be determined by the number of deaths and recoveries reported over the coming days. Italy is still digging though data from individual regions to determine the true impact of its worst disaster since World War II. Previously undisclosed figures from its public health institute revealed that nearly 17,000 medics have been infected with the virus since Italy's first COVID-19 death was recorded on February 21. Several Italian doctors have expressed fears that infected health care workers may have been unwittingly spreading the disease to their patients in the early weeks of the outbreak. A study released Thursday by the FNOMCeO medical association said COVID-19 has killed 125 doctors in Italy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Is Ohio starting too soon to roll out a reopening plan after the coronavirus crisis? Cleveland.com editors debate the question on the Friday episode of This Week in the CLE. Listen online here. Youve made clear that you want as much information as you can get about the coronavirus pandemic, so we started a half-hour conversation each day about the trending topics. Editor Chris Quinn hosts, with help from editors Jane Kahoun, Kris Wernowsky and me. We answer many of the questions youve sent through our text message platform. Youve been sending Chris lots of thoughts and suggestions on our from-the-newsroom account, in which he shares once or twice a day what were thinking about at cleveland.com. You can sign up for free by sending a text to 216-868-4802. And youve been offering all sorts of great perspective in our coronavirus alert account, which has 12,000-plus subscribers. You can sign up for free by texting 216-279-7784. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine plans to begin reopening Ohio on May 1. Jane says we dont have many more details, but Kris thinks it may be too soon, with the virus still spreading. I dont. Summit County has finally released numbers of coronavirus cases by ZIP code, and since I grew up there, I get to explain why West Akron is among the most saturated areas of the county. University Hospitals is making it easier for patients to test for coronavirus. Instead of the long swabs health care workers shove up your nose, patients can do it themselves with shorter swabs. Kris wonders why they didnt think of this sooner. More than 855,000 Ohioans have filed for unemployment. Thats a big number, which Kris puts into perspective. In four weeks, that was more than the 715,512 who filed in all of 2018 and 2019 combined. Im no introvert, but all this social isolation has been like a vacation for some people. I delve into Peter Krouses story about how some peoples mental health has vastly improved. Another judge made headlines this week in Medina County, where Domestic Relations Judge Mary Kovack continued to hold in-person, non-emergency hearings amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Kris shares the judges perspective. Who knew? To end, we discuss the fact the Fyre Festival fraudster is in federal prison in Ohio, and he wants out to protect himself from the coronavirus. Happy weekend, all. Well see you Monday. Meanwhile, find all our past episodes here. Do you get your podcasts on Spotify. Find us here. If you use Stitcher, we are here. RadioPublic is another popular podcast vehicle, and we are here. On Google Podcasts, we are here. On PodParadise, find us here. And on PlayerFM, we are here. April 6 At 7:39 a.m., Officer D. Rocha was dispatched to the 4600 block of Verone Street in reference to a burglary of habitation in progress. Upon arrival at 0741 hours, Officer Rocha located the suspect. Officer Rocha placed the suspect in custody. All items were returned to victim. Assisting officers on this incident were Sgt. D. Hollie, Ofc G. Carson and Ofc Lysack. At 4:05 p.m., Officer Marcotte initiated a traffic stop in the 7400 block of IH 610 East Service Road on a 2017 Chevy Cruze for displaying a fictitious license plate. The driver will be filed on for displaying a fictitious Texas license plate. April 8 At 8:18 a.m., it was reported that between March 2 and March 27 an unknown person stole a skid steer from a construction site at 5235 Bellaire Blvd. April 9 At 9:26 a.m., Officer Trujillo was dispatched to the 5300 block of Braeburn Drive in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle. Upon arrival he spoke to the victim who stated an unknown person broke into his vehicle and removed some items without his permission. At 12:05 p.m., the victim in the 100 block of Beverly Lane was notified by email from Expedia Credit Bureau that someone took out a loan in his name to buy a car online at Carvana. The victim did not authorize anybody to use his information and did not allow anyone to use his information online to buy a car. At 3 p.m., Officer Darold Bailey was dispatched to the 5200 block of Holly Street in reference to an aggravated robbery of a person call. Two black male subjects armed with a firearm robbed three workers on location. Detectives were able to identify both suspects will charge one suspect. April 11 At 3:24 a.m., Officer Schwausch observed a vehicle swerving within its lane and fail to signal a lane change at the 5400 block of IH610 northbound East Service Road. Officer Schwausch conducted a traffic stop on this vehicle and further investigation found the driver to be driving while intoxicated (with a previous conviction). The driver was charged with driving while intoxicated 2nd and transported to the Bellaire Jail without incident. At 12:27 a.m., Officer Younger initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle for committing multiple traffic violations near the 7000 block of IH 610 southbound. During the traffic stop investigation the driver was placed into custody for driving while intoxicated 2nd offense and found to be in possession of illegal drug/narcotics. Officer Schwausch assisted with the traffic stop investigation. At 8:47 a.m., Officer Ortega was dispatched to 5106 Bissonnet St. to a theft which occurred at 12:33 p.m. March 22. HEB External Theft Investigator stated the suspect was observed using a different barcode to purchase wine bottles on their video record system. The suspect was arrested on March 28 for theft at a different HEB location. At 10:09 a.m., Officer Lysack was dispatched to the 4800 block of Holly Street in reference to a burglary of a building. Officer Lysack arrived on scene and met with the victim who was performing construction work at the location. The victim stated an unknown suspect forced entry between 1950 hours the night before and 1000 hours that morning. The suspect stole multiple power tools. April 12 At 12 a.m., Officer Schwausch observed a vehicle traveling southbound in the 7000 block of IH 610 without headlights when required and speeding (94mph in a 60mph zone). Officer Schwausch conducted a traffic stop on this vehicle and further investigation found the driver to be driving while intoxicated (with a previous conviction). The driver was charged with driving while intoxicated 2nd and transported to the Bellaire Jail without incident. At 10:31 p.m., Officer Schwausch observed a vehicle traveling south in the 7500 block of IH 610 speeding (96 mph in a 60 mph zone) and almost strike the freeway barrier and another moving vehicle on the highway. Officer Schwausch conducted a traffic stop on this vehicle and further investigation found the driver to be driving while intoxicated (with a previous conviction). The driver was charged with driving while intoxicated 2nd and transported to the Bellaire Jail without incident. At 9:23 a.m., Officer Carson was dispatched to 5861 Bissonnet St. in reference to two males shoplifting from the store. Officers located the males, and both will be charged. Officer Lysack and Sergeant Hollie assisted in this incident. In the past 20 years it had grown by 9% average. Exports are also falling, driving the Chinese economy. At least 205 million jobs lost due to the pandemic, but the estimates do not take into account 122 million migrant workers. Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Chinese economy collapsed in the first quarter of the year registering a growth of -6.8%, the first time since the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976. The contraction of the national gross domestic product is due to quarantine and halt in production to combat coronavirus. Over the past 20 years, the average annual increase has been 9%. Analysts' forecasts were for a more contained fall (-6%), while the International Monetary Fund had calculated a decrease of 8% compared to the same period of 2019. A slowdown to 1.2% is estimated for the entire year of 2020 (in 2019 the Chinese GDP grew by 6.1%.). Without a growth of at least 6%, the regime will not be able to keep its promise to double the GDP compared to 2010 levels. The March numbers are better than those of the first two months of the year, but the spread of the pandemic to other countries limits the possibility of a rapid recovery. China, considered the "worlds factory", remains heavily dependent on foreign exports, especially to the US and Europe, which are heading for economic recession. In the January-March period, Chinese exports fell by 11.4%; imports marked -0.7%. The drop in fixed investments (16.1%), industrial production (1.1%) and retail sales (19%) shows that the economy of the Asian giant is struggling to recover. And this despite the Trivium National Business Activity Index calculating that Chinese companies are working at 82% of their capabilities. According to a recent independent study, 205 million Chinese are unable to return to work. In March the unemployment rate was 5.9%, slightly improving compared to the negative record of the previous two months (6.2%). However, these figures do not take into account the 122 million migrant workers who were unable to reach their place of employment due to traffic restrictions. They mostly come from rural areas, where average income has fallen by 4.7%. Nationwide the drop was 3.9%. Gunmen have shot dead six local contractors who worked at the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan. Wahida Shahkar, the spokeswoman for the governor of Parwan Province, said the incident occurred late April 16 some 500 meters from Bagram Airfield, north of Kabul. Shahkar said the contractors, most of them cleaners, were in a vehicle heading home when gunmen "affiliated with the Taliban" fired on them. He said the gunmen escaped. The Taliban denied any involvement in the attack. Similar attacks in the past have been blamed on Taliban and Islamic State (IS) militants. IS militants claimed responsibility for firing five rockets from a vehicle at Bagram Airfield on April 9, but there were no casualties. Taliban militants have been carrying out attacks despite signing a peace deal with the United States in February aimed at ending the 18-year war. Based on reporting by Tolo News and AP Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. 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 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 ($3,000). 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 publicized. 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 news 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 she said, "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." Lawmakers in the Philippines last month passed special legislation giving President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers. Duterte, already criticized for a brutal war on drugs that has left thousands dead, has been fiercely belligerent toward critics. 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. "It is feared that Duterte will use his increased authority to quell dissent and further pounce on (his) political enemies," said Aries Arugay, associate professor of political science at the University of the Philippines. 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 news 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 journalist Ana Lalic, who wrote about a lack of protective equipment and "chaotic" conditions at a large hospital complex. The clinical center said her article "disturbed the public and hurt the image of the health organization." The government also closed its daily coronavirus news conferences for journalists, asking them to send their questions by email. It said it's meant to stop the spread of the virus but rights groups and independent media decried it as a form of censorship. 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. Thailand's top public health experts deserve credit for their sincere efforts to counter misinformation, said Joel Selway, an associate professor of political science at Brigham Young University, who has published a book on politics and health policy in developing countries. "This doesn't mean that the Prayuth-led government would not also take advantage of this to crush political opponents," he added. Artist Danai, who said he will contest the charge against him, admits to regrets overwriting 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," he said. "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." Gov. Tom Wolf unveiled the key criteria of his plan for reopening Pennsylvania amid the coronavirus pandemic on Friday. A six-point plan was outlined during a televised address, but Wolf provided no timetable for when they could start taking place. He added that more specifics will be forthcoming next week. The six-points are, as taken verbatim from Wolf: "First, our approach will be data-driven. We will rely upon quantifiable criteria to drive a targeted, evidence-based, regional approach to reopen in Pennsylvania. "Second, we will put forth guidance and recommendations for employers, individuals, and healthcare facilities for assured accountability as we reopen. "Third, reopening necessitates that adequate personal protective equipment and testing are available. "Fourth, reopening requires a monitoring and surveillance program that allows the Commonwealth to deploy swift actions for containment or mitigation if its necessary. "Fifth, protections for vulnerable populations must remain steadfast throughout the reopening process, such as limitations on visitors to congregate at care facilities and prisons. Six, limitations when large gatherings unrelated to occupations should remain in place for the duration of the reopening process." Other states, such as Ohio, have set May 1 as the target date for reopening. Wolf set no such marker on Friday. These are actions we are undertaking and the standards were going to use to make our decisions, Wolf said. "Next week, I will be outlining more specific steps on the reopening process as we work with experts in public health agencies and stakeholders to determine how to safely reopen our economy. Pennsylvania has been under a statewide stay at home order since April 1. The first such orders were put into place on March 23 in seven counties, and non-life sustaining businesses as defined by the Wolf administration have been closed for a month. On Thursday, President Donald Trump highlighted a three-phase plan for states to reopen whenever they feel it is time to do so. Wolf referenced that messages and The Associated Press described them as: 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. Currently, Pa. has nearly 30,000 confirmed coronavirus cases that have resulted in 756 deaths. When we get to the point when were ready to reopen, it has to be a staged approach, and it will be, Wolf said. More coronavirus coverage: This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here. Raymond Copeland was so proud of his job with the New York City Department of Sanitation that he kept a dollar-store trinket in his car with the word strongest, a reference to the nickname for his department that goes along with New Yorks Finest (police officers) and New Yorks Bravest (firefighters). For Mr. Copeland, who raised three girls as a single father after their mother died, the job offered economic security. Once his children grew up, he was able to travel to Caribbean vacation spots, and planned to buy a house with his fiancee, Tameka Robinson, a fellow sanitation worker. Ray was living his best life the last couple of years, said Mike Arroyo, who knew Mr. Copeland since 1988, when they were teenagers in the South Bronx who bonded over their mutual love of hip-hop. 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 Thursday, the Advance/SILive.com visited Mezcals, a restaurant specializing in Mexican cuisine. The restaurant is open for pickup and delivery from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Customers can call 718-494-4547 or 718-494-4515 to place an order. The restaurant delivers across the borough. 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: Mezcals is open for pickup and delivery orders at 20 Bradley Ave. Hours are Thursday through Sunday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. call 718-494-4547 and 718-494-4515. Posted by Staten Island Advance on Thursday, April 16, 2020 MORE ON YES, THEYRE OPEN ONeills, 1614 Forest Ave. 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. Amid tensions in north Kashmirs Kupwara sector on the Line of Control after a series of ceasefire violations and the killing of five para commandos and three civilians, Army chief General MM Naravane on Thursday arrived in Kashmir on a two-day visit to review the security situation in the region. The army chief, besides reviewing the situation in Kashmir was also briefed about the latest security situation on the LoC, especially in north Kashmir. The five commandos, as well as five militants, were killed on April 5 when the troops prevented a group of militants from sneaking into Valley from Keran sector. On April 10, the army said it destroyed launch pads and ammunition dumps in Keran sector in retaliation to the ceasefire violation. Army spokesperson Rajesh Kalia said the army chief, who was accompanied by the Northern Army Commander, Lt Gen YK Joshi and Chinar Corps Commander, Lt Gen BS Raju, also visited formations and units in the area on Thursday. He was briefed by the Chinar Corps Commander at Badami Bagh Cantonment on the overall situation pertaining to the Line of Control and the hinterland. Kalia said that while interacting with jawans, Naravane argued that it was the dawn of a new era of development, peace and prosperity in Kashmir, and applauded them for their morale and motivation. The spokesman said the army chief also reiterated the need to be prepared to meet emerging security challenges at all time. TikTok users under the age of 16 will soon no longer be able to send or receive direct messages through the hugely popular video-sharing app. From 30 April, new online safety measures introduced by the Chinese-owned app will stop children from using the Direct Messaging feature to contact other users. TikToks head of safety Cormac Keenan explained that the ban is aimed at going one step further with its existing restrictions, which already prevent users from receiving unsolicited messages from people that are not friends with them in the app. As part of our commitment to improve safety on TikTok, we are introducing new restrictions on who can use our Direct Messaging feature, he said. 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. Recommended Hackers could swap TikTok videos with their own Andy Burrows, head of online child safety at the NSPCC praised the proactive step firm and called for other social media firms to do the same. 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. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty Since launching in 2016, TikTok has been downloaded more than 1.5 billion times, according to figures from app analytics firm Sensor Tower. Last year, it was one of the most-downloaded apps in the world, proving particularly popular with younger demographics. Its massive popularity has brought with it increased scrutiny on how it is protecting young people from privacy breaches and online abuse. In February, TikTok announced a variety of safety measures that allow parents to control what their children see on the platform. The family safety mode links childrens accounts to their parents, meaning controls on screen time and the type of content that appears on their feed can be enforced. MONTREAL, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - BCE Inc. (TSX: BCE) (NYSE: BCE) will hold its first-quarter 2020 results conference call with the financial community on Thursday, May 7, 2020 at 8:00 am eastern. Participants will include Mirko Bibic, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Glen LeBlanc, Chief Financial Officer. Media are welcome to participate on a listen-only basis. To participate, please dial toll-free 1-800-806-5484 or 416-340-2217 and enter passcode 4789815#. A replay will be available until midnight on June 5, 2020 by dialing 1-800-408-3053 or 905-694-9451 and entering passcode 3452793#. A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available on BCE's website at BCE Q1-2020 conference call. About BCE BCE is Canada's largest communications company, providing advanced Bell broadband wireless, TV, Internet and business communications services alongside Canada's premier content creation and media assets from Bell Media. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca. The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research and workplace leadership initiatives. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk. Media inquiries: Marie-Eve Francoeur 514-391-5263 [email protected] Investor inquiries: Thane Fotopoulos 514-870-4619 [email protected] SOURCE Bell Canada Related Links www.bell.ca Where do my rights end? Where someone elses rights begin! Having served in the worlds greatest military, I read with interest Mr. Exums article talking about the loss of military lives in post WWII conflicts and campaigns. My heart broke, as it always does, when remembering the men and women who died for our freedom. I pray for those men and women and their families still today, as the impact of the loss of a child, parent, or spouse affects multiple generations to follow. As a veteran with a service-connected disability, I count my blessings that I am able to work and support my family, and mourn for those veterans who have lost that ability due to injuries sustained from their service to our country. We should all remember those who have sacrificed for this country, answering the call. Did those of us who put on the uniform know what the ultimate impact of the desired outcome that we fought for would be? Of course not. But, were these military campaigns really total losses? Reasonable minds will differ in answering the last query. But, I was extremely disappointed when Mr. Exum tried to link the statistics on military losses to the losses we are suffering from COVID-19. Tying military losses to any other loss is certain easy, creates emotion and as the low hanging fruit, is oft repeated. But, Mr. Exums attempt to correlate the two was cheap and fell flat with me. Post-Vietnam, we have had an all-volunteer force. Sure, many young men and women signed up for active duty, the National Guard or the Reserves primarily to fund college. I did. Obtained many credits while on active duty. Obtained my undergraduate degree and law degree in part due to the GI Bill. But, then I obtained a direct commission to serve again on active duty because I loved it. I served under three Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. I have strong opinions regarding how the military was utilized and treated by each of these presidents. However, I understood that our military is under civilian control with the President as the Commander-in-Chief. While we may have questioned decisions, we nevertheless followed all lawful orders. No one volunteered to permit COVID-19 to ravage their communities. Not only are the unfortunate victims paying the price, but so are so many others who are literally on the front lines. Medical personnel, caregivers, grocery store personnel, gas station employees, logistical workers moving food and good across this country. The list goes on. They are serving us at great risk. And, they are a volunteer force working to support their families and loved ones. So, Mr. Exum proposes that we all decide if we want to shelter in place. If we get sick, its our choice. Maybe. But, individuals choices do not only impact the individual who makes that choice. If the become infected, whether or not symptomatic, that person will be exposing more of our front line workers. The risk will increase exponentially. Lets look at an example that many of us are facing. My father is in an assisted living facility that is closed to non-essential visitors. He has dementia and does not fully understand why he has not seen his family in some time. Yet, the facility has remained free of the virus. If we let each person decide whether to engage in social distancing or stay at home, then each time these facility workers engage in necessary activities such as get gasoline, buy groceries or even traverse the parking lot to get into the facility, they risk being infected by these individuals who have chosen to expose themselves. No. It is not just about our rights. It is about the rights of your neighbors as well. Your freedom to expose yourself to the virus ends when you put others at risk for getting the virus from you. This is hard. My business, my family and my friends are all impacted. But, lets think about others and not just ourselves. And, from my perspective, waving the flag and playing the patriot card fails when you are willing to put others in your country and community at risk. Most have not volunteered to serve in the military, but please to volunteer to follow the guidelines put in place by those relying on the experts. I do not believe each individual has the right to choose, thereby placing their communities at risk and infringing on the rights of others to stay healthy. Dont place the burden on your neighbors to avoid you to stay safe. Sacrifice a little bit to help fight the virus for your neighbors, community and country. That is what service is all about. Love your neighbor as yourself! Hmmm, that commandment is still applicable 2,000 years after it was first shared, isnt it? Scott Davis Signal Mountain (JNS)-In ordinary times, Israel Aerospace Industries Systems Missiles Space group churns out advanced missiles, including interceptors used by the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 defense systems. During these extraordinary times, the group has added a new production line-one that produces hospital ventilators. As Israel, like many countries, grapples with a shortage of ventilators in the face of a potential tidal wave of vulnerable coronavirus patients, IAI teamed up with Ra'anana-based Inovytec, which specializes in the production of emergency medical systems, to get the new production line going quickly. The new cooperation program, which is being conducted together with the Defense Ministry's Directorate of Production and Procurement, and the Ministry of Health, will soon see hundreds of ventilators being produced, giving Israel a domestic mass production capability. The new line was set up in a matter of days, and has already produced and tested dozens of machines. "The issue of ventilators is a significant bottleneck," an IAI source told JNS. "We have been in contact with the health and defense establishments to see how we can call up our capabilities to assist." IAI is working with government-owned companies and start-ups on multiple task forces aimed at finding new solutions to the pandemic. After being put in touch with Inovytec via the Defense Ministry, the cooperation quickly resulted in the production line of the company's Ventway Sparrow ventilators. "This is a proven machine in use in Israeli hospitals and abroad," the source said. But Inovytec's small size meant it could not rapidly shift to mass production. As a result, IAI entered the picture with its factory, engineers, technicians, and infrastructure, who normally work on building missiles and satellites. Both types of production require great precision and technical checks, the source explained. The Defense Ministry described the Ventway Sparrow as "a state-of-the-art, turbine-powered, lightweight, easy-to-use ventilator that enables effective invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation for both adults and children. The ventilator has been tested for compliance with the most stringent medical standards, and is currently used in hospitals and emergency medical centers in Israel and around the world." IAI is also able to procure the materials needed for production and has the logistical prowess to get hundreds of ventilation systems rolling off the production line by next week. "The infrastructure, equipment, electronics and precision that are needed to make missiles fit the production of ventilators," said the source. 'Accelerate production rates even further' Avi Dadon, head of the DOPP, stated, "Once we were assigned the task of acquiring and producing a maximum number of ventilators in a short period of time, we saw the immediate mobilization of the local industry. A high-tech medical company, working with the excellent defense industry and the Ministry of Defense, has been able to deliver an advanced production line that already issues dozens of advanced respirators within just a few days. We are at the beginning of the road, and in the coming weeks, we will accelerate production rates even further." The Defense Ministry noted on Tuesday that "all the parties involved are facing challenges in the international chain of supply and dealing with record demand and difficulty in purchasing components. As a result, all of the relevant bodies in the State of Israel have joined forces in order to achieve what is needed for the production of these crucial ventilators." The new production line is one of several efforts under way by the Defense Ministry's Directorate of Production and Procurement. The DOPP is also overseeing the purchase of medical equipment and protective gear, including ventilators and masks, abroad. Under the DOPP's plan, drawn up together with the Health Ministry, this will include 2,500 ventilation machines-1,000 assembled in Israel and another 1,500 bought abroad and flown in. Those target numbers appear to have grown substantially in recent days, in line with potential worst-case scenarios. In an extraordinary report aired by the Israeli investigative program, Uvda on Channel 22 this week, a Mossad official in charge of a joint operations room at Tel Hashomer Hospital, involving health and defense officials, shed light on the overseas operation aimed at getting hold of the machines. The program also featured comments by Mossad director Yossi Cohen, who stated, "My central objective is procurement and readiness for the most severe scenarios." A man identified only as H, the head of Mossad's Technological Branch discussed how his organization joined forces with the Health Ministry and brought its operational expertise to the unprecedented overseas purchasing operation. The Mossad has been instructed to bring to Israel more than 130 million items in the next two months that are needed to fight the coronavirus, including protective gear, test kits, medicines, and most of all, ventilators-the subject of fierce international competition around the world. "The world is selling them in between the cracks. We must find those cracks," said H. "We activate our special ties to win in this competition." He spoke of thousands of leads that the intelligence agency is pursuing. The operation should result in a million-and-a-half N95 masks-vital for medical teams-700,000 surgical masks and a large number of ventilators. 'We cannot remain dependent on procurement from other countries' At the same time, officials in Israel are stressing the need to develop rapid self-sufficiency in this field. "The State of Israel must develop independent capabilities in everything related to dealing with the COVID-19 virus pandemic," Defense Minister Naftali Bennett stated on Tuesday. "We cannot remain dependent on procurement from other countries. We must develop independent, advanced capabilities." Brig. Gen. (res.) Dr. Dani Gold, director of the Directorate for Defense Research and Development in the Defense Ministry, said, "Turning a missile-production line into a ventilator assembly plant is a very complex task, made possible by the collaboration between the Ministry of Defense and the defense industry. We are continuing in the race around the clock to translate the extraordinary tech capabilities of the defense establishment to the fight against corona." Udi Kantor, Inovytec CEO, added that "the collaboration with IAI and with the Ministry of Defense is amazing at this time, and it allows us to multiply our production capabilities and supply ventilators in the shortest possible time frame. We are operating in a challenging time, and in a global 'war' to acquire the necessary components and fulfill our mission." Also this week, the Defense Ministry announced a new agreement with the Sion Medical company in Israel, whose factory is in Sderot, for the purchase of 35 million masks and hundreds of thousands of Uniforms for medical staff. Some 11 million surgical asks will be available by April. The company will also produce 5.5 million N95 masks, and hundreds of thousands of overalls and protective gear. "A unique machine was brought to Israel with the assistance of the Defense Ministry, in order to enable Sion to open the production line for advanced masks. The machine is the only one of its kind in Israel," the Ministry said in a statement. FRESNO, CA As TFTP previously reported, a married couple claimed Fresno sheriffs officers destroyed their house by using it as a training ground for a teargas-wielding SWAT team, 50 vehicles, two helicopters, a K-9 unit and a fire truck because an unarmed homeless man had been found in their closet. Now, after attempting to seek compensation for their incredible loss for over 3 years, the Jessens were told this month that they can kick rocks, the government who destroyed their home, owes them jack squat. Last week, according to Courthouse News, the Ninth Circuit court of appeals upheld a ruling that the Fresno County and the city of Clovis are not liable for negligence claimed by David and his wife Gretchen Jessens lawsuit, because the damage to their home was caused by the officers discretionary acts. Seriously. As TFTP reported in 2017, David and Gretchen Jessen sued Fresno County and the City of Clovis in Fresno County Court. They say the unconstitutional assault on their home was excessive, unreasonable, violent, destructive intrusive unnecessary and unreasonable. Indeed, it was. But the court apparently didnt agree. In their lawsuit, the Jessens, who are farmers, claimed in their complaint that the sheriff and police used their house as a military battleground for training because the Fresno County Sheriffs Department and/or Clovis Police Department had found, by accident, the perfect location to conduct a training exercise on a rural home, on a dead-end street, in rural Fresno County, where civilians were not present, civilians were not going to congregate, civilians were not going to observe or interfere with the military training assault on the Jessens home and the situation posed no risk of injury to the officers. This nightmare for the Jessens started on June 11, 2016 when David Jessen received a call from the sheriffs office telling him that his house may have been broken into. David called his wife and hurried home to find four patrol cars with officers scattered around the perimeter. One of the cops was holding a bullhorn and was yelling come out, and hands up. Cops told the Jessens that a homeless man had broken into their home after being kicked out of a vacant house nearby. When police asked David if he had any weapons inside, David gave officers an honest answer, telling them that he had two unloaded shotguns and a loaded .357 magnum. However, he told the cops that all of them hidden so well that only he could find them. After telling police he had guns, police then claimed the homeless man inside who was unarmed for the entire duration of the standoff had threatened to shoot anyone who came inside and asked him and his family, who had just arrived, to wait elsewhere. After taking his family to a friends house 10 minutes away, Jessen drove back to unload some farm equipment and found law enforcement cars lining the road to his house for a quarter of a mile, plus two ambulances, a fire truck, and two helicopters circling above. Bewildered and baffled at the show of force, Jessen says, he drove away and was passed by a SWAT vehicle and a crisis negotiation motor home heading toward his house. Several hours later, deputies told him he could go back home. On the way there, Jessen counted at least 55 law enforcement vehicles. After parking and walking to his house, a SWAT officer told him the operation was concluded, and a second officer handed him a card and said we have insurance for this. The Jessens home was so badly destroyed that it was unlivable. Tech Dirt described the damage as follows: Five rooms were teargassed. Four doors and seven windows were destroyed, along with 90 feet of fencing that was rolled over by SWAT vehicles. An entire wall was ripped out as well. The criminal who required a teargas-wielding SWAT team, 50 vehicles, two helicopters, a K-9 unit, fire truck, and an two ambulances was local homeless man, Chanley Un. He had stolen an ice cream bar, some milk, and half a tomato from the Jessens and police destroyed their home to catch him. A video taken of Uns arrest showed that this dangerous man wasnt even wearing shoes. The Jessens were reasonable and extremely humble in their request for damages, asking for just $150,000 to repair their home. Yet the appellate panel denied it. The record evidence shows that defendants have a general policy of obtaining warrants prior to entry, of using reasonable force, and for the reasonable use of tear gas. The Jessens failed to establish a triable issue that any of these policies caused any constitutional injuries, or that there was a persistent and widespread violation of these policies amounting to an unconstitutional custom or practice, the panel wrote. Even assuming, without deciding, that defendants training policies are inadequate, there is no evidence that the need for more or different training [was] so obvious that defendants were deliberately indifferent to the Jessens rights, the panel wrote. Courthouse News reports that under the case Conway v. County of Tuolumne, the California Court of Appeal found discretionary act immunity applies to the selection of the means to effectuate an arrest, including the decision to deploy a SWAT team in effectuating an arrest, and the subsequent decision to deploy tear gas. Under Conway, Defendants are immune from liability, and the district court properly granted summary judgment for Defendants on the Jessens negligence claim, the panel wrote. After the ruling, a spokesperson for Fresno County released a statement noting that they were very pleased with the decision by the Ninth Circuit again confirming that the Sheriffs Office acted reasonably and in the interest of public safety under all the circumstances. Sure thing. A Co Tyrone minister has told how he and his parishioners have been left greatly dismayed by vandalism carried out at one of their buildings. The Church of Ireland property at Brantry Road, near Dungannon, was attacked on Wednesday afternoon. Windows were smashed and a pool table damaged inside the old church hall, which the parish uses mostly for storage since it opened its new hall. Rev Bill Atkins said: "We have been dismayed that this has happened when we are in the midst of an international crisis. "When you consider everything they need to do right now, it seems like an awful waste of their time." Local Ulster Unionist MLA Rosemary Barton described those behind the vandalism as "thugs". She added: "To destroy church property at any time is an act of wanton destruction, but to do so to a small rural Church of Ireland parish property at a time of health crisis when the majority of the community in Northern Ireland are trying to work together is a sickening action. "I had hoped that people had matured enough after decades of murder and destruction in our society to not be involved in such destructive activity." A PSNI spokesman said entry is thought to have been gained through a window. He appealed for anyone with information on the incident to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 2008 15/04/20. COLUMBUS, OhioGov. Mike DeWine announced Friday he has commuted the sentences of Coingate convict Tom Noe and six other inmates. Noe, 65, is currently in year 14 of his 18-year sentence for looting a $50 million rare-coin investment portfolio he managed for the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation. Hes incarcerated at the Marion Correctional Institution, where 217 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus, as well as 95 staffers (one of whom has died). DeWine said Noe had a spotless prison record, adding he will have to report to a parole officer every six months and will have to make restitution. I felt that enough time had passed, the governor said. Noe was once a rising Republican star, chairing the Lucas County Republican Party and serving on the Ohio Board of Regents, which oversees the states public colleges and universities. He was convicted of racketeering, money laundering, aggravated theft, forgery and tampering with records. The jury estimated he stole $1.1 million from the state. The Ohio Parole Board previously voted repeatedly not to recommend clemency for Noe. When DeWine was asked whether he believed Noe was worthy of early release regardless of the coronavirus, the governor said its kind of hard to tell" but that the virus was certainly part of the consideration that went into my decision. Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates, whose office prosecuted Noe, couldnt be reached for comment Friday. Bates told the Blade earlier this month that she agreed to waive the usual 60-day notice requirement for commutations in Noes case, but she added that crucial questions remain unanswered -- including the location of the money he stole and how he intends to repay $12.4 million in outstanding court-ordered restitution and costs. Im not a hard-hearted person, Bates told the Blade. I dont want anyone to suffer. But I have the same questions. Wheres the money? What is the plan to repay it? What is your underlying health issue? These are all questions the governor should ask and the parole people should ask. The other six inmates set for early release are Freda Carnes, Roger Cole, Deborah Frohnapple, Alexis Martin, Fred James Jr., and Henry Thompson. All except Martin were convicted of non-violent, drug-related crimes and came from a group of 26 inmates who are age 60 or older and has a chronic health condition that makes them particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus, DeWine said. Judges and prosecutors involved with their cases agreed to speed up their release process. Martin, a 22-year-old whose commutation was already pending, is a victim of human trafficking who has been serving a 21-year sentence for her role in the murder of her pimp in Summit County. DeWine said Martin will be sent to an appropriate group home and will be under supervision for an extensive period of time. Heres the list of the seven inmates whose sentences are being commuted by DeWine: Read more Ohio coronavirus coverage: Teachers unions urge keeping Ohio schools closed the rest of the school year Ohio Houses economic recovery task force slammed by panels top Democrat BOP says sixth inmate dies of coronavirus at Elkton federal prison in Ohio Ohioans describe common glitches, frustrations with state unemployment filing system JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels stores can remain open during coronavirus emergency, AG Dave Yosts office says Psychologist, Jean Piaget, in 1952, would call kids as "little scientists." It was children's untiring effort to look for explanations that led Piaget to call them as such. A recent study published by Frontiers in Psychology further supports Piaget. It was found in the study conducted by Margaret Shavlik, that children like storybooks that explain the function of the world around them. Causal storybooks, according to the study, were seen as more interesting by the children who were part of the study. The study in Austin, Texas Shavlik is a doctoral student and research assistant at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. She conducted her study in Austin, Texas, among 48 children who are aged 3 to 4 years old. There were two sessions for the study. During these sessions, the researchers read two books about animals. These books were: "Biggest, Strongest, Fastest" and "What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You?" Both books were illustrated and written by Steve Jenkins, and though both are causal books, they differ in the kind of information provided. "Biggest, Strongest, Fastest" had only factual descriptions and not the explanatory type of description of the features of the animals. On the other hand, "What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You?" showed an explanation about an animal's survival and the connection of an animal's body part or behavior to such. After reading the books, the persons who read it to them ask the children which they prefer or is their favorite. Forty-four percent (44%) picked the causally rich book, while twenty-nine percent (29%) preferred the less causal book. What does this imply? Dr. Dipesh Navsaria of the University of Wisconsin believes that when children seek explanation and later on understand it, the more that they feel they are part of the world. Shavlik also thinks that if children prefer these kinds of books, parents and caregivers will choose to provide them with such. This instance, in turn, could increase the urge to read together and later on develop early literacy. So, which books? According to an owner of an independent bookstore in Georgia, the types of causal books that may spark interest to children are anything that explains even the simplest phenomena. For example, a book about how a little act of kindness can change another person's day, maybe very interesting to a child or a toddler. This type of books helps children think more critically about the world. The Importance of Reading When reading, the child and the parents also create a bond. This bond is not only special because of the time spent together, but also because this is a step in early childhood literacy. Dr. Navsaria also said in a CNN report that the curiosity of a child is being fed by the information that they get, and how they get the answers to their questions. This nature of a child, according to Dr. Navsaria, can affect someone's adulthood. He also adds that if reading is their way of doing so, doing so at a younger age, then this can help develop different areas of learning. The Storm Water Management Board approved an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a major drainage project here. The Squirrel Creek diversion project includes 800 linear feet of channel improvements and a detention basin near South Haven Elementary School. The storm sewer there was undersized, and that has impacted residents, County Engineer Michael Novotney said. The federal government is paying 75% of the cost of this project. Its a complicated agreement, because were dealing with a complicated issue, McClure said. I think this is a long-overdue infrastructure improvement, Good said. The finished project will get rid of stormwater quicker, but it also holds it in the detention basin and cleans it, too, Good said. This is important for McCool Road, too, because it will keep the stormwater from flooding the road, County Surveyor Kevin Breitzke said. The detention pond is set to be finished this year and the storm sewers next year, Novotney said. Other drainage work in South Haven is ongoing. [April 17, 2020] Macau's smart city project gains momentum Sydney, April 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communications focus report on Macau outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets. Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Macau-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses Macau boasts a sophisticated, independently regulated communications market. Gradual liberalisation has now fully opened the telecoms market with the full impact slowly becoming evident. Fixed line subscriptions in Macau continue to fall. Macaus fixed-line market is transitioning to a fibre broadband market as CTM invests significantly in fibre access networks, a project made possible given Macaus high population density. Fixed-line broadband market penetration has grown slowly over the past five years in a highly mature market. Over the next five years to 2023 growth is expected to further subside, as the remainder of the ADSL customers are predicted to migrate to fibre access. Competition is intense in Macaus mobile market, with four mobile network operators and a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) offering services. All four operators offer 4G LTE services. Mobile subscriber and mobile penetration rates are high, exceeding 300%; this high figure is due to the in excess of 20 million visitors that visit Macau annually as well as the usage of multiple sim cards by mobile subscribers. Mobile broadband has presented mobile operators with an additional revenue growth opportunity, driving investment in 4G LTE and 5G networks. Following the introduction of the global 5G standard, CTM has begun testing 5G wireless technology. If the 5G license and spectrum arrangements progress well, 5G in Macau will synchronize with the neighbouring regions which plan to launch 5G services for commercial use in 2020. Macaus smart city project is being developed outside mainland China. This project will span different areas such as transportation, medical services, tourism and e-government. BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 is having a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries. On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth. Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report. The report also 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: CTM starts first phase of 5G network rollout; SIM card registration deadline reached; Macau's smart city project development shows progress; Fibe cannibalising Macau's largely DSL-based broadband subscriber base; Market liberalisation and network coverage targets on new entrants driving fibre investment; Report update includes an assessment of the global impact of COVID-19 on the telecoms sector. Companies mentioned in this report: Companhia de Telecomunicacoes de Macau (CTM), MTel, Macau Cable TV, Macau Basic Television Channels Limited, MOOV, KKBox, Soliton, SmarTone, 3 Macau, China Telecom. Key statistics Country overview Background COVID-19 and its impact on the telecom sector Economic considerations and responses Mobile devices Subscribers Infrastructure Telecommunications market Market Overview and Analysis Regional Asian Market Comparison Background Regulatory environment Historical overview Regulatory authority Liberalisation and regulatory developments Licensing Spectrum Fixed network operators Companhia de Telecomunicacoes de Macau (CTM) MTel Telecommunications infrastructure Overview of the national telecom network International infrastructure Smart Infrastructure Data Centres Data Centre Providers Smart Cities Fixed-line broadband market Market Overview Broadband statistics Fixed-line broadband technologies Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) and Fibre-To-The-Home (FttH) Other fixed broadband services Mobile market Introduction Mobile statistics Mobile broadband statistics Mobile regulatory issues CDMA licences awarded 3G licences LTE licensing SIM card registration Mobile infrastructure Analogue networks Digital networks 2G 3G 4G 5G Major Mobile Operators Operator Statistics CTM 3 Macau (Hutchison Telecom Macau) SmarTone Mobile Communications (Macau) Ltd China Telecom Mobile content and applications Introduction m-banking (payments/loans) Digital economy Introduction e-Commerce e-Government E-Macao Digital Media MCTV (Macau Cable TV) conflict Macau Basic Television Channels Limited Satellite TV Related reports List of Tables Table 1 Country Statistics, Major Operators and Telco Authorities 2018 (e) Table 2 Top Level Country Statistics 2018 (e) Table 3 Number of licensed operators by service 2018 Table 4 Historic - CTM mobile, fixed-line and broadband subscribers and ARPU: 2007 2012 Table 5 Fixed Line Subscriptions and Penetration 2007 2018 Table 6 Fixed-line subscribers residential v. business 2010 2018 Table 7 Historic Fixed-lines and teledensity 1985 2008 Table 8 Fixed Broadband Subscribers and Penetration (with Forecast) 2008 2023 Table 9 Fixed Broadband Subscribers- Fibre vs ADSL 2018 Table 10 Internet Users and Penetration 2007 2018 Table 11 Internet Users and Penetration 2007 2018 Table 12 Historic - Internet users and penetration rate 1994 2006 Table 13 International internet bandwidth 2007 2017 Table 14 WiFi Hotspots 2008 2018 Table 15 Mobile subscribers and penetration 2007 2023 Table 16 Mobile Subscribers by category 2018 Table 17 Historic - Mobile subscribers total and prepaid and penetration rate 1990 2007 Table 18 Mobile Broadband Subscribers and Penetration (with Forecast) 2009 2023 Table 19 Mobile subscribers by Mobile Operator and Market Share 2018 Table 20 CTMs mobile subscribers 2005 2018 Table 21 Historic - Online activities by individuals 2015 Table 22 Historic - Broadcasting statistical overview 2013 List of Charts Chart 1 Mobile, Mobile Broadband & Fixed Broadband Penetration 2018; 2023 Chart 5 Fixed Line Subscriptions and Penetration 2007 2018 Chart 6 Fixed Broadband Subscribers and Penetration (with Forecast) 2008 2023 Chart 7 Mobile Subscribers and Penetration (with Forecast) 2007 2023 Chart 8 Mobile Broadband Subscribers and Penetration (with Forecast) 2009 2023 List of Exhibits Exhibit 1 Map of Macau Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Macau-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses Nicolas Bombourg [email protected] Within Australia (02) 8076 7665 Outside Australia +44 207 097 1241 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The police commissioner, Dermot F. Shea, has asked domestic violence officers in the precincts to reach out to people they know have been victims in the past or might be vulnerable and check on them. What Im concerned about is its happening and its not getting reported, and I think thats a reality we should all face, Mr. Shea said. The reported downturn in domestic violence in the city contrasts with a spike reported statewide. For example, State Police troopers responded to 1,753 domestic violence calls last month, a 15 percent increase from March 2019, when there were 1,522 calls, a spokesman said. The police agencies serve vastly different populations. New York City officers patrol a dense city where victims usually have other options than calling the police. State troopers, on the other hand, are often the only resource for miles in some of the states rural communities. The split between the city and the state was also reflected in calls to domestic violence hotlines. Calls to the state hotline increased nearly 18 percent last month compared to February. The city hotline, operated by Safe Horizon, a nonprofit, saw an 11 percent drop over the same period, although use of its online chat service increased. Some shelter providers in the city, however, have seen their phones light up. The Violence Intervention Program, a nonprofit that operates a shelter and serves primarily Latin American women, saw an increase of nearly 35 percent in calls to its help line in March compared to February, primarily from victims seeking emergency shelter. And recent arrests in the city suggest the crisis is putting pressure on some troubled families, whose members suddenly find themselves confined at home together nearly all day, every day. Mohammad Mohebi, 27, the man who the police say slapped his daughter, was usually at work during the day, while the girl and her younger sister were at school or with their grandmother. His wife, a graduate student, was usually at school, too, but the couple and their two daughters were all sheltering in place in their apartment in downtown Flushing, officials said. New Jersey needs more space to house and treat patients diagnosed with COVID-19. As part of his push to ensure those spaces exist, Gov. Phil Murphy directed operators of longterm care facilities to make arrangements to accommodate residents with the coronavirus by creating separate, isolated units were these patients can recover without endangering non-COVID residents. In less than two weeks, the staff at one South Jersey continuing care community managed to convert a former patient wing that hadnt housed patients in years into a dedicated COVID-19 unit. Friends Village at Woodstown welcomed its first coronavirus patients to the isolated unit on Wednesday, just 13 days after the renovation project began. A lot came together in a very short time, acknowledged Gary Morris, director of marketing at Friends Village. Friends is a retirement community in Salem County that provides all levels of care for seniors, from independent living to assisted living and long-term services on a 30-acre campus. Workers renovate an old unit at Friends Village at Woodstown to prepare for COVID-19 patients. This expansion is not intended to take hospital overflow cases, as is being done in a few other nursing homes statewide. Patients treated here, including current Friends Village residents, will be those discharged from hospitals who are still COVID positive but over their window of worry, so to speak, Morris said. We would get them back up and running. The new unit can include eight to 12 beds, but that figure is a moving target, Morris said. Over the years, Friends Village has expanded into different areas of independent living, Morris explained, and new cottages and apartments have been built across the campus. The renovated wing was a residential area decades ago, but hasnt seen patients in about 17 years. Until last month, it was used for storage. Friends Village knew it had to prepare for the coronavirus and quickly formed a plan to reactivate the area, which needed plenty of renovations. We looked at that hallway and said we can make it happen, Morris said. They discussed the idea in late March and had approval from the state Department of Health by April 2. They had bids for roof work that night. Renovations to the wing included installing an entirely new roof to replace the leaky old one, installing new plumbing and bathroom fixtures, replacing carpeting with vinyl flooring, installing phone lines and WiFi, and giving the whole place a fresh coat of paint. Each single-patient room comes complete with a TV. The unit is completely blocked off from the rest of the facility, with a separate exterior entrance and a separate drop-off area for ambulances. We completely rerouted ambulance traffic on campus, Morris said. We tried to manage the flow so we know exactly where every positive patient would be on campus, even from arrival by ambulance. The units staff of about 20, including three shifts of nurses, aides, physical therapists and maintenance, work in this unit only. In addition to contractors, the facilitys maintenance staff worked 18-hour days to pull this project together, while other members of the staff pitched in. It was all hands on deck, Morris said. Personally, I was laying on the floor hooking up hospital beds. The only way to make it happen was to put your titles and roles away. We were just doing everything. LeeAnne McCauley, director of nursing at Friends Village, posted a message to Facebook praising the teamwork that made this project possible. Today is my 13th straight at work with most of those days averaging 14+ hours, she wrote. And there are other people who have put even more time in than that. The teamwork that pulled this off is nothing short of spectacular. Ambulances will be directed to a special drop-off point for COVID-19 patients arriving at the new coronavirus unit opened at Friends Village at Woodstown. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook. [April 17, 2020] Lazard to Announce First-quarter 2020 Results Lazard Ltd (NYSE: LAZ) will announce its first-quarter 2020 results in a press release to be issued Thursday morning, April 30, 2020. The press release will be available on Lazard's website at: www.lazard.com. Lazard will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. EDT on April 30, 2020, to discuss its financial results for the first quarter of 2020. The conference call can be accessed via a live audio webcast available through Lazard's Investor Relations website at www.lazard.com, or by dialing 1 (800) 458-4121 (U.S. and Canada) or +1 (323) 794-2093 (outside of the U.S. and Canada), 15 minutes prior to the start of the call. A replay of the conference call will be available by 10:00 a.m. EDT on April 30, 2020, via the Lazard Investor Relations website at www.lazard.com, or by dialing 1 (888) 203-1112 (U.S. and Canada) or +1 (719) 457-0820 (outside of the U.S. and Canada). The replay access code is: 3220366. ABOUT LAZARD Lazard, one of the world's preeminent financial advisory and asset management firms, operates from more than 40 cities and 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 on Lazard, please visit www.lazard.com. Follow Lazard at @Lazard. LAZ-EPE LAZ-CPE View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005421/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A group of conservative activists and pastors thats challenging Harris Countys stay-at-home order is now also suing Gov. Greg Abbott, claiming his recent executive order to stem the spread of Covid-19 infringes on their constitutional rights. In a suit filed in Travis County on Thursday, Steve Hotze , a longtime conservative activist, and multiple Houston-area pastors accuse the governor of imposing draconian, unconstitutional requirements on Texans. Attorney General Ken Paxton is also a defendant in the suit. Once government and its constituents start operating on the basis of fear rather than facts, they are willing to take whatever medicine is prescribed, no matter how harmful the side effects may be, the suit says. Churches and small businesses are shut down, and Texans right to move about freely is restricted. For all practical purposes, the governors executive orders constitutes a lock-down. Abbott could not be reached for comment on Thursday. Many of the plaintiffs in the new suit are also involved in a separate legal challenge to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgos stay-at-home order. Those restrictions were superceded last month by Abbotts order, which deemed church services as essential. The governor also said that church members should practice social distancing. Multiple legal experts said that the order struck a fine balance between public health concerns and religious liberties, and many congregations said they would continue meeting online . Jared Woodfill, the former Harris County GOP chairman who is representing the plaintiffs, said that Abbotts order did not go far enough. I don't think the governor has a right to say when people can worship or the manner in which they can worship, Woodfill said. The new suit also challenges the authority granted to Texas governors or local authorities under the states disaster act. Woodfill accused Abbott and local leaders of suspending laws and thus setting a poor precedent for future disasters. Think about the authority that this one statute gives to so many individuals, Woodfill said. ...They can effectively do what theyve done: Destroy an economy. At least 16,000 Texans have been infected by the virus and 400 had died as of Thursday. Yet those numbers likely account for only a portion of the actual cases in Texas, which has been among the worst states for testing. Earlier this week, an expert on pandemics told the Chronicle that the nation is likely only in the second of a five-step process to maintain and recover from the virus. Now Playing: 'COVID-19 in 60': Houston coronavirus news in a minute Video: Houston Chronicle Meanwhile, Hotze, Woodfill and many of the plaintiffs in the suit have continued to hold or attend worship services in recent weeks, and shared photos with a reporter in which they and others are embracing or standing directly next to one another. Were first responders too in the spiritual realm and in the mental realm, John Greiner, pastor of Houstons Glorious Way Church, said after a recent service. We are one nation under God, and In God We Trust is on our money, added Greiner, who is also a plaintiff in the suits. For us to have our freedom of religion and the right of peaceful assembly taken from us? ...Its just not tolerable. Hotze has also continued to compare the virus to the flu, calling it fake news thats been over hyped by the media and weaponized to hurt President Donald Trump. Jasper Scherer contributed. robert.downen@chron.com Even if you carefully tracked ovulation and know when your baby was conceived, your due date is still an estimate, because every pregnancy is different. That was demonstrated in a 2013 study in which researchers estimated the due dates of 125 women who were trying to conceive in the United States. They pinpointed the days they had ovulated by testing their urinary hormone levels and then followed their pregnancies. Whats really cool is that even with this exact date, there was still five weeks of variability in length of pregnancy, said Anne Marie Jukic, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences who led the study. Observational studies have tried to tease out factors that might explain some of this variability. For example, one study of more than 40,000 women in London published in 2016 found that if a womans first baby came before or after her due date, her second baby tended to do the same, but not by as many days. Another study published in 2006 looked at more than 77,000 couples in Norway and concluded that gestational lengths might be inherited: meaning that the amount of time your child develops in the womb might be similar to the amount of time that you spent in your mothers womb. And another study of about 119,000 women in Northern California found that those who were on their first pregnancies or who were obese were more likely to deliver at 40 weeks or beyond, while those with complications like high blood pressure or diabetes were more likely to deliver before their due dates. But by their nature, observational studies can show only statistical correlations; they cant demonstrate cause and effect. Additionally, much of this research and thus our understanding of pregnancy length and factors influencing it has been conducted in white populations and may miss important factors influencing pregnancy, and by extension, maternal and infant health. Were looking at research in incredibly homogenous populations that may not reflect the diversity in any one community, said Dr. Amanda Williams, M.D., an ob-gyn and maternity director at Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in California. Older studies in both the United States and Britain have found that a pregnancys length can vary with race and ethnicity, where white women tend to have longer pregnancies and are more likely to reach their due dates than black or Asian women. Black women in the United States are also at greater risk for preterm birth, which contributes to a higher rate of infant mortality among them. These outcomes are most likely caused at least in part by social inequality, the chronic stress of experiencing racial discrimination and, as reported in the journal Pediatrics in August 2019, disparities in NICU care. Because of the data limitations on pregnancy length, Dr. Williams said she doesnt dwell on the precision of due dates and the many factors that might nudge a baby to come a little earlier or later, explaining that theyre unlikely to be clinically significant for individual patients. What I do tell them is that risk of preterm birth in African-American patients is much higher, so were going to take contractions much more seriously, she said. And when shes weighing decisions like whether to induce labor, shes not just thinking about the due date but other factors that are known to increase the risk to the baby as pregnancy continues, like diabetes or high blood pressure. Medicine, especially pregnancy management, is as much an art as it is a science, and we have to individualize our care and take as much information as possible about that person and that pregnancy as were making decisions, Dr. Williams said. There are very few absolutes in obstetrics. I know I wished for more absolutes during the weeks of waiting for my daughters birth. I was used to having more control over my schedule, and it was hard for me to let that go. But in hindsight, that period was a fitting introduction to the unpredictability of babies and the patience necessary for parenting. Eight years later, my daughter still makes me wait daily: Hang on, Mom, Ill be there in a minute! Alice Callahan is a health and science journalist, a mom of two and the author of The Science of Mom: A Research-Based Guide to Your Babys First Year. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 07:41:06|Editor: Liu Video Player Close NEW YORK, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Governor of the U.S. state of New York Andrew Cuomo on Thursday said the state's non-essential businesses shutdown and school closure will be extended to May 15 in an effort to keep reducing the infection rate of COVID-19. Cuomo said at his daily briefing that this action is taken in consultation with other neighboring states, which will jointly re-evaluate after this additional closure period. The state has seen a net decrease in total hospitalizations, intubations and intensive care admissions. "We have shown that we can control the spread of the virus, but we can't now undo all the progress we've made," he said. The governor further explained the face-covering order he put forward the day before, saying all people in the state should wear masks or face coverings on public transportation systems and while taking private transportation or riding in for-hire vehicles. The order applies to anyone age two and older and will take effect Friday night. The governor reiterated that the state will reopen its economy over the coming weeks in collaboration with other neighboring states, and officials will determine what businesses can be reopened first and how those businesses can ensure the safety of its customers and employees. "We have to do it in a way that doesn't drive up the infection rate and create a second wave of the virus," he noted. In New York City, mayor Bill de Blasio said all public pools will remain closed in the summer due to the pandemic, and the city government is still considering whether to open its public beaches. "I do not want - until we have a much, much better sense of where this is going - I don't want to create a situation where people start gathering," he said. New York state has seen 223,691 COVID-19 cases and 14,832 deaths, as the country's total cases rose to 667,225 as of Thursday afternoon, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. Enditem LOS ANGELESBuzzFeed is reporting that in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, some landlords are asking for sex from tenants who are unable to pay their rent. According to reporter Amber Jamieson, a woman who was newly unemployed texted her landlord that she could pay her rent only after she was working again, and claimed her landlord replied by asking her to come over and spoon him instead. Another woman who was also unemployed due to the virus outbreak reportedly was looking for a more affordable apartment and texted a prospective landlord who in turn responded with a dick pic. To read the full story, click here. The above complaints were just two of the 10 received by the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women after the coronavirus crisis began. "We've received more cases in our office in the last two days than we have in the last two years," Khara Jabola-Carolus, the commission's executive director, told BuzzFeed. More similar incidents are being reported nationwide, said Cheryl Ring, legal director at Opening Communities, a fair housing organization based in Chicago which has experienced a three-fold increasue in such incidents. "Since this started, they [landlords] have been taking advantage of the financial hardships many of their tenants have in order to coerce tenants into a sex-for-rent agreementwhich is absolutely illegal," Ring said. The Fair Housing Act protects tenants from sexual discrimination by landlords and prospective landlords. Still of Alex Blake taken from the Property Sex Twitter feed. Angie Chan is the supervisor of the Molecular Diagnostic Section of the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, which performs the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests on samples received in the lab. (John Underwood/Purdue University photo) WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Purdue University is continuing to lend expertise and resources to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic through increasing Indianas testing capacity for the virus thanks to a partnership with the Indiana State Department of Health and Indiana hospitals. The Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL) located in Purdues College of Veterinary Medicine is working with Fort Wayne-based Parkview Health to start conducting COVID-19 tests for human patients. Testing began after the lab received Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments certification to conduct human diagnostic testing, with Parkview agreeing to provide clinical oversight. Testing will be expanded in collaboration with other hospitals, with all samples sent directly from partner hospitals to the ADDL. To avoid a testing backlog, hospitals interested in working with the ADDL are required to complete the Partnership Inquiry form. The goal is to turn around results the same day that samples are received in the lab. The lab was certified in a matter of days after Purdue leaders suggested using the ADDL to conduct tests and address the states limited testing capacity and need for resources. State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG, said in a recent daily briefing with Gov. Eric Holcomb that resources are still limited for COVID-19 testing in Indiana as the number of cases continues to rise. The College of Veterinary Medicine has a long history of providing services to protect animal and human health, said Willie Reed, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. Providing COVID-19 testing is yet another way to support the citizens of Indiana during this unprecedented public health crisis. The project was shepherded by David Broecker of the Purdue Research Foundation and involves several partners including the foundation, the Indiana State Department of Health, Parkview Hospital, the Purdue community. Broecker is the chief innovation and collaboration officer for the Purdue Research Foundation. Dr. Kenitra Hendrix, director of the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, says the ADDL had a unique opportunity to assist with COVID-19 testing in Indiana because of the labs expertise in providing infectious disease testing and immunity surveillance for animals across the state. The ADDL is uniquely positioned to contribute skills and expertise in the detection of pathogens to the fight against COVID-19, while maintaining our diagnostic support of animal health and the safety of the food supply, Hendrix said. Hendrix says the samples are being tested using a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) testing method that the ADDL uses regularly for animal specimens. The ADDL team, working with state health authorities, adjusted its intake and sample processing procedures to gain the necessary certification to use the PCR testing capability on human specimens. Our team has worked diligently to prepare to perform this testing, Hendrix said. It is rewarding to be able to take on this role in support of the citizens of our state. The project is a cross-disciplinary, collaborative effort with the Indiana State Department of Health, the Purdue Research Foundation and the Purdue community. Indiana continues to increase our capabilities and preparedness for rapidly testing patients to support our front-line health care workers, Box said. We are grateful to Purdue and the ADDL for helping to make testing more available for Hoosiers who are helping others during this pandemic. Parkview Health provided clinical expertise on obtaining a CLIA license and setting up the lab for human testing. It still takes several days to get results that are sent out to central labs across the country, said Dr. Michael J. Mirro, chief academic research officer at Parkview Health. Even the new tests are limited by supply constraints. What Purdue has done is fantastic and shows the ingenuity associated with creative problem solving. Paired with the significant amount of time invested by the Parkview lab team, we believe this will have a positive impact on the states testing capacity. The ADDL is a Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) facility accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD). BSL-2 laboratories are used to study moderate-risk infectious agents or toxins. Hendrix says that additional partnerships with other hospitals across the state are possible. More information and a form for potential partners are available at https://purdue.vet/covid19testing. 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. About the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine seeks to advance global animal and human health and well-being through excellence in learning, discovery and engagement while serving as a major referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of animal diseases. Faculty research both animal and human health, with an emphasis on animal welfare science and the human-animal bond; infectious diseases and immunology; cancer; neuroscience; and musculoskeletal biology and orthopedics. The college also is one of only a few nationally that educate all members of the veterinary team, offering the doctor of veterinary medicine degree as well as bachelor's and associates degrees in veterinary nursing, post-graduate internships and residencies for veterinarians seeking specialty training, and graduate degrees in the departments of Basic Medical Sciences, Comparative Pathobiology, and Veterinary Clinical Sciences. For more information visit www.vet.purdue.edu. Writer: Abbey Nickel, nickela@purdue.edu, 740-326-0481 Media contacts: Tim Doty, doty2@purdue.edu, Abbey Nickel, nickela@purdue.edu The pilot of a helicopter that crashed in Papua New Guinea, killing three passengers, will be paid millions of dollars in damages. Bruce Towers, 69, was left with complete paralysis of his lower limbs and partial paralysis of the upper limbs after the helicopter he was piloting crashed on April 20, 2006. Mr Towers was ferrying mine workers to a camp when the helicopter became enveloped in fog so thick he couldn't see the ground as he tried to land. He tried to keep the aircraft under control, but it hit a tree and crashed. Bruce Towers, 69, was left with complete paralysis of his lower limbs and partial paralysis of the upper limbs after the helicopter he was piloting crashed on April 20, 2006 (pictured: A Hevilift helicopter similar to the one Mr Towers piloted) He said in 2016 that cloud could form quicker in the late afternoon in the mountains where the crash occurred than almost anywhere else in the world. 'Rather, cloud formed with out of the ordinary speed in the air through which the helicopter was flying, surrounding the helicopter, as if instantaneously.' Slater and Gordon Workers' Compensation In-house Counsel, Tim Lucey, whose firm represented Mr Towers, said he was happy his 14-year legal battle was over. 'It's been a hard-fought case,' he told Cairns Post. 'No amount of compensation will make up for this accident and the impact on Bruce's life. 'But the money will assist him to ensure he will receive the care and support he requires as a quadriplegic for the rest of his life.' Queensland Supreme Court Justice James Henry previously found aviation company Hevilift was liable for damages. Justice Henry this week ordered Hevilift to pay Mr Towers $5.6 million in damages. Consensus seems to be building globally around the idea that Bluetooth-based contact tracing could be a practical use of technology to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Why it matters: Both governments and advocacy groups agree that using Bluetooth to sense the proximity of users' phones could be more effective and less of a civil rights problem than tapping location-based data that apps and service providers often collect. Driving the news: The EU on Thursday said that mobile apps can help slow the spread of the disease, when combined with ample testing and medical care resources. But it cautioned that such apps need to be interoperable and also protect privacy. The EU runs the globe's strictest privacy regime, so the guidelines it has offered suggest a path forward for the Bluetooth-based approach. The American Civil Liberties Union offered up its own guidelines on Thursday, calling for apps that minimize data retention and central storage, augment human contact tracing and are, among other things, voluntary, non-discriminatory, and built with input from health professionals. They should also be narrowly tailored to this epidemic and their use should end when the pandemic ends, or if they are shown to be ineffective at slowing its spread, the group said. The big picture: A number of entities are working on similar technology approaches that would appear to be able to meet the goals outlined by the EU and ACLU. Most prominently, this includes the joint Apple-Google effort announced last week, which aims to build a foundation for Bluetooth-based contact tracing in both the iOS and Android smartphone operating systems. Other efforts include the PACT project from MIT and those from several groups in Europe. Yes, but: Any contact-tracing approach those above or something new will need widespread adoption to be of much use. Privacy advocates have argued that people need to trust the system or it won't be widely used enough to have an impact. Widespread testing is also a prerequisite. Contact tracing can't work unless people actually know they are infected so they can alert others. Meanwhile: Pew reported in a new survey that Americans are not only divided on whether they find tracking apps acceptable, but are also skeptical such apps will really be effective. What they're saying: ACLU staff technologist Daniel Kahn Gillmor told journalists Thursday that he is glad to see invasive location-tracking apps fall by the wayside as momentum builds for apps that use Bluetooth-based proximity. "None of them are perfect but they are substantially better than these attempts at location-specific tracing," Gillmor said. Go deeper: Bello El-Rufai has apologised for his infamous conduct on social media last weekend, saying the controversy he sparked fell short of his familys enduring values of decency and tolerance. I wish to withdraw that statement and apologise to the gentleman concerned for the hurtful comment, Mr El-Rufai said in a statement Friday. I also apologise for appearing to attack an entire ethnic group for the misdeed of one person. Mr El-Rufai, 32, set the Nigerian social media and blogosphere alight on April 12 after a message he sent threatening to organise a gang rape of an adversarys mother was made public on Twitter. In the Sunday morning private message to @thanos_zer, Mr El-Rufai said: Tell your mother Im passing her to my friends tonight. He then concluded the message with an ethnically charged insult: No Igbo sounds please! No sooner had @thanos_zer, who has maintained his anonymity, posted the message on his timeline than Nigerians began condemning Mr El-Rufais conduct. His mother, Hadiza El-Rufai, was the first to be inundated with questions about her sons sexual violence call. After over 24 hours of sidestepping calls to disavow her sons offensive messages, Mrs El-Rufai eventually distanced herself from her sons behaviour and apologised for not immediately condemning it on Monday afternoon. Mr El-Rufai, however, did not immediately take his mothers cue, continuing instead with verbal threats against those criticising his conduct and even threatening to sue this reporter for covering the matter. He later deleted some of his controversial tweets, but the one against PREMIUM TIMES reporter remained. READ ALSO: Although he stopped tweeting about the matter as of Tuesday afternoon, anti-rape campaigners, as well as a multitude of social media users, maintained their demand that law enforcement authorities should arrest Mr El-Rufai because his threat violated the Cybercrime Act. The incident later morphed into partisan political and ideological bickering that festered throughout the week, boiling over on Thursday with the ouster of a literary magazine editor whose handling of the story on the controversy pitted him against his employers. Mr El-Rufai sought to dampen the temper on all sides Friday afternoon with an unreserved appeal for the public to forgive his excesses. I regret the sexual innuendo in the private message and apologise unreservedly for it, the Kaduna governors son said. I wish to state very strongly that the statement was made during the heat of the moment and I wish to put on the record that I do not condone sexual violence and I certainly do not believe that there can be any justification for gender-based crimes. I am learning from the episode in the continuous journey of emerging as a better person, he added. He also said he had sought forgiveness from his family members and female friends for his gender and ethnic-based threats, saying such would not be repeated going forward. I have apologised to my mother in person. I have also reached out to the women in my life and apologised. I realise that the intensity around this matter stems partly from my surname. The mistakes I made with the private message and in smearing an ethnic group because of one person are now being replicated by people that are attacking my parents and my family because of my conduct. I am one of many children in a family raised with standards of decency and strong values of which my recent conduct has fallen short. I apologise to the general public in recognition of the duty to acknowledge wrongdoing and strive to be better, Mr El-Rufai said. On Friday afternoon, @thanos_zer declined to comment on Mr El-Rufais apology, saying he would take his time to review it and make a public statement if necessary. The popular Netflix documentary-series Tiger King is getting a comic book version. According to Variety, TidalWave will be releasing the biography comic titled Infamous: Tiger King in June. The comic will be written by Michael Frizell and drawn by Joe Paradise and Jesse Johnson. You can't make this stuff up. I never imagined that I'd be researching a book like this. It was a challenge to find a focus for the comic because there's so much happening. No wonder Netflix created a limited series as opposed to a Dateline episode, said Frizell. We wanted to do something that is fun and a good distraction in regard to in the state of the world now. I am obsessed with everything in this story and wanted to tell it from a different medium. The comic book medium can be used to entertain as well as inform, TidalWave publisher Darren G Davis added. The Tiger King docu-series revolves around the life of Oklahoma zookeeper Joseph Exotic and the events that culminated in an alleged murder-for-hire plot against animal rights activist Carole Baskin. Netflix also released a special after-show episode on April 12. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Britain is not evacuating its citizens permanently resident in Zimbabwe, but is encouraging those who had visited as tourists and for other private business to book the remaining Ethiopian Airlines tickets. A number of airlines have cancelled flights in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving thousands of passengers stranded in foreign lands. In an interview, an official with the British Embassy said the information on available flights was meant for those trapped in transit or who were visiting Zimbabwe as tourists and for other reasons. The British Embassy has urged UK nationals normally resident in the UK, but currently in Zimbabwe to book a flight home as soon as possible, said the Embassy. In most circumstances, these are tourists and visitors. International travel is becoming more difficult with the closure of land borders with further restrictions, such as on freedom of movement, being introduced. We are not targeting British nationals who are permanent residents of Zimbabwe, but those in transit or just visiting, said the Embassy. The next Ethiopian Airlines flight to London is on Saturday April 18. Seats are still available. At present, we are unable to disclose the number of UK nationals normally resident in the UK, but they are here and have booked flights from Zimbabwe back home. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic across the globe, a number of countries closed their borders to avoid imported cases of the virus, although no country can forbid its citizens or legally resident foreigners from returning home, hence quarantine measures for many such groups. The Italian city of Venice slowly stirred back to life this week as some shops reopened and residents tentatively ventured outside -- all in masks while keeping a safe distance from others. Italy allowed bookshops and stationery and childrens clothing stores to reopen across the country from Tuesday, the first easing of strict lockdown rules in place nationwide since March 9. While some regions refused to adhere to the new guidelines, fearing a resurgence of the outbreak that has devastated the country, the canal-strewn city of Venice allowed some shops to resume business. In the Veneto region, of which Venice is the capital, stores were allowed open two days a week. ALSO READ: World tourist trap Italy turns into a coronavirus no-go zone But gone were the hordes of selfie-stick wielding tourists and the water taxis racing through the Grand Canal that normally pack the hotspot. Instead, locals loosely scattered through the citys narrow passageways, all wearing required masks and standing a safe two meters (6.5 feet) apart, per regulation. One woman, Caterina, ventured into an open bookstore with a bottle of disinfecting gel at the entrance, and came away with books for herself and others. I bought many books, she told AFP. I needed them. Like an addict -- for something of substance. The gradual reopening of Italys battered economy has been dubbed Phase Two by the government. The International Monetary Fund projected this week that Italys growth could dip by 9.1 percent this year. Tourist havens such as Venice have been particularly pummelled by lockdown orders that have kept millions indoors and closed all stores except for essential supermarkets and pharmacies. Some shopkeepers said rules about reopening were murky. Stationery store owner Elena Franzon said she was allowed to open only part of her store seling goods but not the photocopying section. This Phase two is still not very clear, because we have few indications, (the rules) are fragmentary, said Franzon, who like many merchants is struggling to pay staff wages and taxes. The Italian government has said lockdown orders could be lifted on May 3. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter A plant-obsessed science student has shared details about his 200 strong collection, and explained why underwatering your shrubs at home is better than overwatering them. Hudson is the 20-year-old behind popular Instagram page House Plant Boy, where he shares some of his favourite greenery and ways to help them thrive while we're all at home during COVID-19 isolation. The Newcastle-based amateur horticulturalist is studying environmental science and has a casual job at an organic grocery store, which helps fund the small greenhouse contained in his backyard. A plant-obsessed science student named Hudson has shared details about his 200 strong collection Hudson is the 20-year-old behind popular Instagram page House Plant Boy 'I have been growing plants as a hobby for about a year and a half now. From when I started collecting plants to now there has been a big change in my collection,' he told The Jungle Collective. 'I began collecting simple plants often found at Bunnings or a local store but for the past year or so it has been very aroid focused, which is a type of plant.' Of his hundreds of leaves and flowers Hudson's favourite plant is the philodendron splendid because of the many colours on it and the fact the leaves feel like velvet. Of his hundreds of leaves and flowers Hudson's favourite plant is the philodendron splendid because of the many colours on it and the fact the leaves feel like velvet 'I have been growing plants as a hobby for about a year and a half now. From when I started collecting plants too now there has been a big change in my collection,' he told The Jungle Collective The Newcastle-based amateur horticulturalist is studying environmental science and has a casual job at an organic grocery store, which helps fund the small greenhouse contained in his backyard How does Hudson keep his plants alive? * He touches the soil every day and if it's bone-dry he will water the plant. * He would rather underwater a plant than overwater it. * He mixes his own soil to keep the plant healthy and growing. * Hudson doesn't take cuttings from his smaller shrubs. * He houses them in a backyard greenhouse. Advertisement His burgeoning plant hobby is shared by his boyfriend, who runs House Plant Heaven on social media, and they often pose with similar shrubs on their pages. Hudson has been enjoying more time with his plants than ever now that Australia is locked down due to coronavirus, and has a few tips for those wanting to start their own collection. 'Don't overwater! I was a severe overwaterer when I began collecting and had a lot of casualties,' he said. 'Now I've learned how they grow so that I can tell when they need to be watered. It's always important to observe the soil and use a finger to feel how wet it is before watering. His burgeoning plant hobby is shared by his boyfriend, who runs House Plant Heaven on social media (right), and they often pose with similar shrubs on their pages 'Don't overwater! I was a severe overwaterer when I began collecting and had a lot of casualties,' he said 'For most plants, I make sure that the soil is completely dry to the touch before giving them a drink. And I often find that it's better to underwater than overwater.' One way to keep the plants healthy is to understand the importance of a good soil mix and create it yourself. Soil controls how much water is kept around the roots of a plant, the air around the roots and the nutrients that that plant can absorb. A good mix, according to Hudson, will leave you with a much healthier plant and if you make it 'chunky', can also help with overwatering. A good mix, according to Hudson, will leave you with a much healthier plant and if you make it 'chunky', can also help with overwatering Hudson's plants are often varied in colour 'I now make my own using potting mix, orchid bark, horticultural charcoal, perlite and slow release fertiliser and have found that it keeps my plants booming,' he said. He would avoid 'cutting' parts of your plants, to give to friends and family, too early or when the plant itself is too small as this can lower its chances of survival. 'I was being too cut happy and cutting my philodendron Florida beauty right down to just a few leaves and then swapping and selling all of the cuttings only to have the new shoot on the mother plant come out completely green (it's meant to be different coloured),' he said. 'I was devastated but cut it off and luckily it shot out another shoot that had variegation. So not quite a disaster but very close.' Hundreds of other plant enthusiasts have reached out to Hudson and asked for cuttings of his plants, but he's careful with the ones he cuts. A murderer who has pets in jail, unlimited phone calls and no curfews has admitted she still gets 'depressed' in a new documentary fronted by Stacey Dooley. Tatiana Dixon, 27, was convicted in October 2003, aged just 20, of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. She is one of the inmates at the 'progressive' Iowa Correctional Institution for Women who were interviewed for the BBC's Stacey Dooley: Locked Up With The Lifers, which airs on Sunday at 9pm. The Northwest women-only jail is radical in its approach, allowing prisoners access to pets, plenty of phone calls, large televisions, makeup and unconstrained leisure time. But, speaking to Stacey, 33, Tatiana, who suffers from bipolar disorder, admitted that the benefits aren't enough to stop her from feeling 'depressed'. Iowa Correctional Institution is radical in its approach, as it allows prisoners access to pets (pictured), plenty of phone calls, large televisions, makeup and unconstrained leisure time Stacey Dooley (pictured) visits the American prison for a new documentary, airing on BBC Two on Sunday at 9pm The broadcaster speaks with Tatiana Dixon (pictured left, aged 20, and right in the prison recently). She was convicted in October 2003 of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole During the interview, the BBC favourite asked Tatiana: 'Does it ever get overwhelming in here?' 'I wouldn't say overwhelming,' the inmate replied. 'But, like, I'm bipolar so sometimes I just get super depressed, sometimes I just don't want to deal with people. 'And there's nowhere you can really go to be alone, but the shower, you know. That's the only time I can really be alone, if I need to cry or need to vent, as there's people always around and they just watch you.' A dog is seen during Stacey's visit to the Iowa Correctional Institution in Northwest America Inmates sit together in a communal area of the prison as they watch their favourite programmes from a large TV Inmates sit on a sofa together as they play with a large dog in the communal area of the prison Prisoners celebrate a woman's birthday during footage from Stacey's new BBC documentary Elsewhere in the programme, Stacey noted that the Iowa jail is 'strangely calm' compared to the many other prisons she's been invited to. Speaking to warden Cheryl in the footage, Stacey said: 'There will be some people who will think this is totally unjust, and that they shouldn't be able to live a life like this inside.' Cheryl responded: 'I would say the key word is inside. When you step out of here, you will see the fence and razor wire. No matter how comfortable and pretty this place is at the end of the day it is still prison.' Stacey Dooley: Locked Up With The Lifers, Sunday 19th April, BBC Two, 9pm Speaking to warden Cheryl (above) in the footage, Stacey says: 'There will be some people who will think this is totally unjust and that they shouldn't be able to live a life like this inside.' (JNS)The whole world is changingbut not for J Street, which, virus or no virus, is still devoting itself to persuading members of U.S. Congress to embrace the Palestinian cause. Over the past several weeks, J Street was mobilizing its supporters around the country to urge them to demand the administration release vital assistance to help the Palestinians combat the coronavirus pandemic. Think about that. In the midst of an epidemic that has left U.S. hospitals desperately short of emergency equipment and has resulted in millions of Americans losing their jobs, J Street is trying to convince the government to give millions of taxpayers dollars to two anti-American terrorist regimes: the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. Talk about tone-deaf! Completely oblivious to the suffering of American citizens, J Streets top priority is to give American money to two of the most vicious America-hating regimes in the world. Its not just a matter of priorities. Its not just that most Americans dont want their money going to anti-American regimes. Its also a matter of funding terrorists. The P.A. proudly pays salaries to imprisoned terrorists and families of dead terrorists. Foreign aid is fungible. If the United States gives the P.A. money for one part of its budgethealth carethat frees up money to pay terrorists. Same for Hamas. Practically every week, Hamas terrorizes southern Israel with rockets or flaming balloons (on March 29, it launched a rocket into Sderot). If America sends money to Gaza for any purpose, that will enable Hamas to spend other money on terrorism. Despite these facts, J Street plunged ahead with its lobbying effort, and last week, a group of U.S. senators and representatives sent a letter to the secretary of state, pleading for money to be sent to the P.A. and Hamas regimes. At the time the letter was sent, the P.A. territories had just 50 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, and Hamas-run Gaza had only two. Yet for some reason, J Street felt that it was urgent for these members of Congress to set aside whatever they were doing and give their attention to these geographical areas. I dont know exactly which congressional staffers or J Street activists had a hand in drafting the language of the letter. But boy, did they mislead the members of Congress who signed it. For example, as evidence that the Palestinian Arabs are in dire straits, and therefore worthy of millions of American taxpayer dollars, the congressional letter asserted that in Gaza, 54 percent are food insecure. What the writers of the letter forgot to mention is that at the end of 2018, 68 percent of Gazans were food insecure, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. So, in 16 months, the rate has dropped from 68 percent to 54 percent, yet J Street misleadingly seeks to give the impression that things are getting worse. There are, by the way, other economic indicators that tell a similar story. For example, we are constantly hearing about the high unemployment rate in Gaza. That same U.N. office reported in January that 26 percent of the Gaza workforce is unemployed. But if you check the CIA World Factbookone of the most authoritative sources of information on conditions around the worldyou find that unemployment in Gaza was 26.1 percent in 2016 and 27.9 percent in 2017 (the most recent data available). So, wheres the big crisis? The congressional letter asserts that according to the United Nations, 38 percent of [Gaza] residents live in poverty. Do you know what the poverty rate in Gaza was 10 years ago, in 2010? You guessed it38 percent. The congressional letter also claims that more than 90 percent of [Gazas] water is undrinkable. The members of Congress who signed the letter no doubt would be surprised to learn that just six weeks ago, the World Bank announced that a group of countries have pledged the funds for a massive water-desalination program for Gaza$60 million will be coming from Kuwait, $42 million from nine European countries and Australia, and $15 million from the World Bank itself. So, at a time when Arab and European regimes are finally promising to do their partinstead of always relying on the U.S. to foot the billsJ Street for some reason insists that Americans must again trot out their check books for the Palestinian cause. There is, however, one hopeful sign in this otherwise disheartening episode. Despite J Streets efforts, only eight senators and 15 House members signed the pro-Palestinian letter. And some of the signatories were the usual gang of cheerleaders for the Palestinians, like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib. Meaning that despite all of J Streets pleadings, very few members of Congresslike very few Americanssee the merit in sending tax dollars to supporters of terrorism. Stephen M. Flatow, an attorney in New Jersey, is the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in an Iranian-sponsored Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995. He is the author of A Fathers Story: My Fight for Justice Against Iranian Terrorism, now available on Kindle. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17 Trend: Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed gratitude to Georgia for the message of solidarity, Trend reports citing the ministrys Twitter page. "By illuminating the television tower in its capital, Tbilisi, with the colors of the Azerbaijani flag, Georgia showed solidarity with Azerbaijan. Thank you, friendly Georgia!" said the message. The television tower was lit with the colors of the Azerbaijani flag. In the evening, the tower began to glow in blue, red and green colors. A file photo shows immigrants deported from the U.S. boarding a flight to Mexico City. (John Miller / Associated Press) The Trump administration has deployed a team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to Guatemala to "review and validate" the country's coronavirus testing after officials there reported more than 70 deportees on two recent flights from the United States were infected, according to authorities in both countries. At the same time, Guatemalan officials said Thursday they have indefinitely suspended deportations from the U.S. About 30 deportees on a March 26 flight from Arizona and 44 more on a flight Monday from Texas tested positive soon after arriving in the Central American country, Guatemalan officials said. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement subjects deportees to a health screening before boarding but does not test them for the coronavirus. Guatemalan officials have been testing them after arrival. ICE spokeswoman Jenny Burke told The Times that CDC officials are currently on the ground in Guatemala "to review and validate the COVID-19 tests performed on those arriving from ICE air flights." "Once results are available, ICE will determine whether to reevaluate current medical procedures with CDC guidance to ensure that any newly necessary practices are implemented," she said. Guatemalans who were deported from the U.S. in the last few days will be tested and in some cases retested, government officials there announced later Thursday. Guatemala is working together with United States authorities in revalidating the health of Guatemalans deported in the last few days, presidential spokesman Carlos Sandoval said in a live address to the nation. Neither a spokesperson with the Guatemalan Ministry of Health nor ICE would give further details about the testing. The reports suggest there are far more coronavirus cases among immigrants in U.S. custody, and potentially in Guatemala overall, than publicly acknowledged. The Guatemalan Foreign Ministry's official count of deportees from the U.S. who have tested positive remains five, with the latest arriving in Guatemala on Monday. The government has confirmed 214 cases nationwide. Story continues ICE has confirmed 100 cases of COVID-19 among the roughly 32,000 immigrants in its custody, and none among those it has removed. But it has only just begun limited testing in detention facilities across the U.S. The Guatemalan health minister, Hugo Monroy, prompted diplomatic scrambling Tuesday night when he told reporters in Guatemala City that up to 75% of passengers on a deportation flight from the United States had tested positive. He did not specify which flight, but officials later confirmed to The Times it was the March 26 flight from Mesa, Ariz. More broadly, Monroy asserted that 50% to 75% of all Guatemalans deported from the United States have been testing positive for the virus. He later contradicted himself in a video sent out by his government, saying he was referring to a single flight. Then came the news of Monday's flight, with a Guatemalan official telling the Associated Press that an additional 44 deportees had tested positive. Neither Guatemalan health officials nor Foreign Ministry officials would confirm the report to The Times. Guatemala became the first country to stop deportation flights from the U.S. last month amid fears the Trump administration could export the virus to the relatively unaffected country, prompting ICE to establish additional protocol for removal flights. ICE subjects every potential passenger to the health screening including temperature monitoring by a flight medical provider before boarding, Burke said. Migrants who fail the screening are kept off the flight and sent to an ICE-approved facility for additional monitoring. Experts and officials have expressed concern that these screenings are insufficient, because many carriers of coronavirus are asymptomatic. Guatemala has paused and resumed the flights several times amid ongoing health concerns. On March 30, Vice President Guillermo Castillo begged the U.S. to stop deportation flights to Guatemala, according to an interview with a local radio station. The flights were paused again for a week but restarted Monday with 182 Guatemalans deported on two flights from Texas. At least 25 ICE employees in detention and staging facilities and 80 other employees outside of detention have also tested positive for COVID-19, according to the agency's latest tally. ICE has refused to provide the number of confirmed cases among its thousands of contractors, or how many employees, contractors and detainees have been tested. On Monday Q&A asks COVID-19: Where to Next? Australia now faces some serious questions about the next phase of our battle to contain coronavirus. Recent data is encouraging social distancing seems to be working and weve avoided the catastrophic start to the epidemic other countries have endured. Our policy-makers are now looking for an exit strategy that comes with a range of ethical dilemmas. How do we balance the health of the population with the health of the economy? And with unemployment set to hit 10% will the coronavirus force a re-think of the Australian industrial and economic landscape? Q+A tackles these big questions with an economist, an epidemiologist, an ethicist, union leader and the man chosen by the Prime Minister to lead the COVID expert advisory panel. Theyll join Hamish on the panel live: Neville Power, Executive Chairman, National COVID-19 Coordination Commission Sally McManus, Secretary, ACTU Simon Longstaff, Executive Director, The Ethics Centre Gigi Foster, Economist, UNSW Jodie McVernon, Epidemiologist, Doherty Institute 9:35pm Monday on ABC (live streaming locally at SA 8.05pm; NT 8.05pm; WA 6.35pm. Q+A is simulcast Live around the country on ABC TV, ABC iview and ABC NEWS on radio. ABC Australia also broadcasts Q+A in to Asia and the Pacific). (Newser) John Krasinski is continuing to bring "Some Good News"this time by hosting a virtual prom for isolated high schoolers. The A Quiet Place director shared a photo of himself at a high school dance on Instagram on Wednesday. "I can't take it anymore how much you are all missing your prom," he wrote, per the Los Angeles Times, offering to DJ a cyber event with friends as part of his YouTube series. He meant business, as a teaser video arrived Thursday. story continues below In separate scenes, Krasinski is seen dressed up in front of a wall of balloons, then singing in sweats and a stained T-shirt in what looks to be his living room. "For all of you missing prom, I'm hosting this Friday night," says The Office star. Krasinski has already hosted Steve Carell, reunited the Hamilton cast to surprise a 9-year-old superfan, and treated Boston hospital workers to a trip to Fenway Park. The prom party kicks off here at 8pm EST. (Read more John Krasinski stories.) Moel Famaus Jubilee Tower turned blue for frontline key workers on Thursday evening This article is old - Published: Friday, Apr 17th, 2020 For those with good eyesight you may have seen of the Jubilee Tower at the top of Moel Famau bathed in blue light on Thursday evening. North East Wales Search and Rescue (NEWSAR) joined forces with The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Denbighshire County Council to show their appreciation for NHS, social care staff and other frontline key workers. Clap For Carers, which was held for the fourth time on Thursday, is an opportunity for people to thank those working incredibly hard to save lives during the coronavirus pandemic. Jubilee Tower was lit up for around 10 minutes from 9pm by the blue flashing lights of NEWSARs emergency vehicles. Deputy Team Leader, Gerald Davison said: We are pleased to support the AONB team with this idea. We have to regularly give our Landovers a run out after weekly checks, so this was an ideal opportunity to combine this with giving thanks to the NHS, other emergency services and key workers. Just two members were involved to maintain appropriate social distancing at all times. NEWSAR has only has one callout since the restrictions on movements, but we are geared up for supporting North Wales Police with missing person searches which we are concerned may increase in these difficult times. Please try to support each other to get through the challenges of isolation. Flintshire Councillor Tony Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing and Communities, said: We wanted to show our appreciation of the tremendous amount of great work being carried out by health, social care and other frontline staff who are playing a vital role in helping to protect our communities and reducing the spread of coronavirus. What better way to show respect to our local heroes than lighting up our own iconic structure that can be seen for miles. Whilst Moel Famau Country Park is currently closed to visitors we understand how iconic the Jubilee Tower is to the many people who can view the hill from their homes. We are grateful to everyone staying at home and not travelling to the Country Park, Moel Famau will still be here when this is over and we will extend a warm welcome to our visitors then. Bengaluru, April 17 : Former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Gowda married Revathi at a farmhouse near Bidadi in Ramanagara district amid the extended lockdown, a spokesman said on Friday. "As scheduled, the wedding was held at the auspicious time (10-11 a.m.) in the farmhouse at Kethaganahalli near Bidadi in the presence of family members and close relatives," Kumaraswamy's media secretary K.C. Sadananda told IANS on phone. The farmhouse is 3 km from Bidadi and 45 km southwest of Bengaluru towards Mysuru in the state. Nikhil (28) got engaged to Revathi (22), grand niece of state Congress leader M. Krishnappa, in Bengaluru on February 10. Image Source: IANS News "About 100 people attended the ceremony, performed as per Hindu rites by priests in the presence of the couple's parents, other family members and relatives," said Sadananda. Among those present were Nikhil's grandfather -- JD-S supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, grandmother Chennamma, uncles, including state's former minister H.D. Revanna, cousin and Hassan Lok Sabha member Prajwal Hegde. "The wedding was simple without frills. The grandparents and the couple's parents blessed the bride and bridegroom amid chanting of Vedic hymns by family priests," recalled Sadanada. The lockdown extension since April 15 to May 3 forced the Gowda clan to shift the wedding venue to the farmhouse from the bride's house in Bengaluru, which is a Covid-19 hotspot, with over 80 positive cases reported so far. "Kumaraswamy took the state government's permission to conduct the marriage at his farmhouse and secured car passes to ferry the family members and relatives from Bengaluru," noted Sadanand. Though Ramanagara is a green spot without a single Covid-19 case so far, security was tightened for the event and the 3 km road to the farmhouse from the state highway at Bidadi was blocked to prevent the party's cadres and Nikhil's fans from flocking to the venue. "As the lockdown norms do not permit more than 100 guests for a ceremony like wedding, Kumaraswamy has requested the people, including the party's members to bless the couple from their homes to prevent crowding," Sadanand said. Nikhil's mother Anita is the JD-S legislator from the Ramanagara assembly segment. She won the seat in the November 2018 by-election after Kumaraswamy vacated it, as he had also won from the adjacent Channapatna assembly segment in the May 2018 assembly elections in the southern state and retained it. "Kumaraswamy has promised the party leaders, workers and the people of Ramanagara to hold a grand reception for the couple and treat them to lavish food after summer and when normalcy returns post-Covid war," added Sadanand. Nikhil, a rising bilingual (Kannada/Telugu) star, lost to south Indian actress Sumalatha Ambareesh, an Independent, in the May 2019 general election from the Mandya Lok Sabha seat as a JD-S candidate in his bid to enter politics. -- Syndicated from IANS After extending the lockdown until 3 May, the government has decided to gradually open up some areas after 20 April, with an exhaustive list of dos and donts. This step has been welcomed by not only all the major political parties but also by the business community at large. As the rabi harvesting season is at its peak, the government needed to commence the foodgrain procurement operations without any further delay so that no hardship is caused to farmers who are hoping to harvest a bumper rabi crop. Opening of agriculture produce marketing mandis, permitting trading in food grain and their transportation to warehouses and godowns of the Food Corporation of India had become imperative to enable the farmers to sell their surplus produce at the support prices fixed by the government. This will, to some extent, absorb the rural labourers and also provide them means of livelihood. Similarly, the removal of restrictions on the industries located in rural areas, unhindered movement of trucks and allowing the roadside eating joints to operate will certainly help absorb a huge number of workers. Likewise, letting a select group of industries open up will help augment the supply chain. In the coming weeks, based on the spread of the coronavirus disease, the government is likely to ease the restrictions further to bring the economy back on rails. Another important area that must be uppermost in the minds of decision makers is the critical education sector. Due to this virus, most of the state governments ordered the closure of all the schools, colleges, universities in the second week of March. As things stand, there is absolutely no possibility of reopening them over the next few months. Fortunately, almost all the state governments had allowed the board examinations to be completed so there is nothing to worry about on that account. The state governments and respective state boards and the CBSE have already taken the decision to promote all the 9th and 11th grade students. That was a wise decision in the interest of students. It seems the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) could not complete the examination process and still has to conduct tests in a few subjects. This can be accomplished in a short span of time when the situation normalises. Naturally, universities across the country have to go through the examination process too - which as per present indications - cannot begin before the end of May. So, the most-likely scenario appears to be that the university exams can only be conducted in the month of July. We, as a nation, have the experience to handle these kinds of unforeseen situations in the past. The early seventies were the JP movement days when strikes in colleges and universities were the norm. During those years, our universities used to normally remain closed for two to three months in a year and students used to protest against the annual examinations scheduled for April-May. As a result, the university used to hold the exams in July. Consequently, the academic session used to get delayed by a couple of months. To the credit of the teaching community back then, we never suffered academically in any way. The time has come for our teaching community to rise to the occasion and handle the situation to the best of their ability, which they undoubtedly have in abundance. Any talk of holding the exam online, or suggesting such innovations to the detriment of the student community, should not be deliberated. Let us wait and watch as things unfold and plan to schedule the examinations in the month of July. The university admissions process should be accordingly planned in the best interest of students. Similarly, several entrance examinations such as the Joint Entrance Examination had to be postponed. Now, there is a possibility that the prestigious Civil Services Examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission will also have to be rescheduled. These examinations have, for one reason or the other, been postponed several times in the past and there is no need to worry on that account. We, as a country, have the experience to deal with these minor hiccups once in a while. During the 1930s, the United States of America went through the Great Depression, their economy was shattered, millions lost their jobs, poverty levels skyrocketed and businesses and banks went bankrupt. Franklin D Roosevelt became the President in 1933. He came out with a nation-building programme called the New Deal and built thousands of hospitals, schools, parks, roads, bridges and the famous social security scheme. The USA, as a country, changed transformationally. India has been waiting for decades for its own New Deal. The coronavirus has created Indias Great Depression; the government has to respond with its Deal. (VS Pandey is a former IAS officer. He retired as secretary, department of fertilisers in the Government of India) A court in Massachusetts has ruled that Gov. Charlie Baker acted within his authority when he made the decision to order the state's recreational marijuana retailers to close their doors during the COVID-19 shutdown of non-essential businesses. Judge Kenneth Salinger's decision, handed down on Thursday, means that adult-use cannabis dispensaries will stay off Massachusetts' list of "essential businesses" allowed to operate during this stage of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic. The matter landed in Suffolk Superior Court because last week a group of recreational dispensary operators and the associates sued the governor over the closure. They argued that the stoppage risks causing "irreparable" damage to their businesses, and requested that it be lifted. Massachusetts' policy is unusual for a recreational-use state -- the majority of states where cannabis has been legalized for adults have designated all dispensaries to be essential businesses and allowed them to keep operating during the pandemic. Gov. Baker has said that his main concern is that if people from neighboring states travel to Massachusetts to buy recreational cannabis, that could increase the risk of people spreading the coronavirus. Although recreational sales have been halted for the time being, the sale of medical marijuana is being permitted. And apparently, there has been a surge in applications for medical marijuana cards. "The governor's decision to treat medical marijuana facilities and liquor stores differently than adult-use [recreational] marijuana establishments has a rational basis and therefore is constitutional," Judge Salinger wrote in his ruling. One company that will be affected by the ongoing closure is Curaleaf Holdings (OTC:CURLF), a marijuana company headquartered in the state. This impact might not be severe, however, as only two of the four dispensaries Curaleaf operates in the state sell strictly recreational product. On Friday, Curaleaf Holdings' stock lagged behind the broader equities market, rising by 1.4%. And when kids are addressing grownups, said Daniel Post Senning of the Emily Post Institute, they should at least try to make eye contact which he knows can be tough for some children. You can teach kids to look at the bridge of someones nose, he suggested. It gives them something specific to do in that moment. Swann tells kids that if an adult asks a question, they should try to hold that persons gaze when they give an answer. Ill say, If someone asks how old you are, look at them when you say 5, and then you can look away, she said. And even the youngest children can have a hand in thank you notes, said Senning. If your child is very young, involve them by writing a note as they sit with you, he suggested. At the end, they can scrawl their name or include a drawing. He favors handwritten notes, but kids can show appreciation with a phone call or a brief video of the child playing with the new toy Grandpa sent and saying thanks. And the ability to acknowledge a mistake with Im sorry is also important, Senning said. Everyone thinks of manners as exemplary behavior, but how we conduct ourselves when things arent going well is a bigger test of our people skills. Maybe modern-day manners are not as formal as in generations past, but in some ways, theyve improved theyre less about what fork to use and more about tolerance and respect for others differences. And anyone whose child has undertaken an elementary school cool to be kind initiative knows that being kind is a very 21st-century value. The way we teach kids under 6 to be considerate is to say that we dont do, or say, anything to other people thats going to make them mad, sad or embarrassed, Swann said. We ask a lot of what if questions, like If you did this, how do you think that would make someone else feel? There is also a welcome emphasis on boundaries: Often, kids are no longer expected to hug someone just because theyre asked. This, too, is a positive development, Dr. Brown said: Otherwise, in some cases, it can set kids up to believe that if adults, especially family, ever make them feel uncomfortable, then the child just has to tolerate that. Regional disparities in Canada's COVID-19 crisis emerged with growing clarity on Friday, as some provinces celebrated relative success while the federal government rolled out new measures to help others still grappling with the pandemic. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/4/2020 (634 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 Regional disparities in Canada's COVID-19 crisis emerged with growing clarity on Friday, as some provinces celebrated relative success while the federal government rolled out new measures to help others still grappling with the pandemic. Government and medical officials said different parts of the country are experiencing the outbreak to varying degrees, with central provinces accounting for the bulk of new cases and other jurisdictions reporting flattened curves and limited outbreaks. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged the disparate circumstances on Friday as he unveiled new stimulus measures targeted at specific provinces, rather than the country as a whole. "We will continue our co-ordination around principles and steps that need to be taken. But this is Canada, which means there are very different needs and very different approaches that will be in place across the country," Trudeau said at his regular morning news conference. The latest round of economic measures were specifically geared towards Newfoundland and Labrador and the country's western provinces, including a $1.7 billion funding promise to clean up orphaned oil wells largely found in Alberta. Despite the regional differences, the country's top public health official cautioned against relaxing protective restrictions even in regions where the pandemic seems to be under control. Dr. Theresa Tam said the bulk of COVID-19 cases are concentrated in just two provinces, Ontario and Quebec, where new provincial numbers continue to show the most positive diagnoses. Comparatively, some provinces have reported no fresh cases for several days running and British Columbia has openly declared it has flattened its pandemic curve. But Tam cautioned against letting the public guard down, saying physical distancing measures and economic shutdowns must stay in place to prevent the pandemic from flaring up in other areas. "Some areas will experience the epidemic slowdown earlier than others. But no matter where we are in the country, we've got to remember that Canadians are highly susceptible to the virus. Unless we all remain diligent in maintaining our new habits of physical distancing and good hygiene, new outbreaks can be sparked anywhere at any time." The regional differences were also clear from the nature of government responses to the crisis. Trudeau indicated members of the country's Armed Forces would be on the ground in Quebec later Friday, particularly to help with an ongoing series of outbreaks at long-term care facilities. Quebec reported 16,798 total COVID-19 cases in the province as of Friday, nearly 700 of which have been fatal. In Ontario, meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases continued to climb, though at a consistently lower rate in recent days. The province reported its largest single-day increase on Friday, with 564 new cases and 55 new deaths. Prince Edward Island, in contrast, reported no new cases, continuing a streak the province's medical officer of health called encouraging. Manitoba and New Brunswick also said virus cases remained flat on Friday. And in B.C., where provincial officials released fresh data on the impact of COVID-19, chief medical officer Dr. Bonnie Henry hailed the province's success in coping with the outbreak relative to other jurisdictions. "Our pandemic started earlier than other parts of Canada," she said. "But ... we have flattened that curve." Even in those provinces with more encouraging numbers, however, restrictions aimed at curbing the spread were expected to remain in place for some time. And in harder-hit regions such as Ontario, a return to the pre-pandemic norm is still a distant prospect. "The number 1 priority is health over everything," said Premier Doug Ford. "I am zoned in on this economy ... after we get through this and we get the green light." 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. Regional variations are evident across Canada's business community, Trudeau acknowledged as he announced yet another financial assistance effort initiatives. The package targets the oil and gas sector, among others, with funding earmarked for cleaning up so-called orphaned oil wells. The measures are unlikely to satisfy the country's oil producers, who have been sounding alarms about the economic devastation in the sector in the lead-up to Friday's announcement. With western Canada's heavy crude selling for under $5 a barrel this week less than a tenth of the price it garnered a year ago a letter to Canada's natural resources minister from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers called for freezing the carbon tax and delaying new climate change regulations while the industry weathers the storm. More than 31,000 Canadians have tested positive for COVID-19, which has killed more than 1,300 people across the country. About half of those killed have been residents of long-term care facilities. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2020. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 03:45:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Workers unload medical supplies from Jack Ma Foundation at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in Gaborone, Botswana, April 16, 2020. The second consignment of medical supplies from Jack Ma Foundation to Botswana government arrived in Gaborone, the capital city on Thursday evening. (Xinhua) GABORONE, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The second consignment of medical supplies from Jack Ma Foundation to Botswana government arrived in Gaborone, the capital city on Thursday evening. The consignment consists of 18,912 extraction kits, 18,900 swabs and viral transport medium, 10,320 N95 masks, 9,500 medical gloves, 3,800 face shields, 3,700 medical protective clothing, 36 thermometer guns and two ventilation machines. After receiving the donation at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, Morrison Sinvula, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, said with the second helping from the Chinese foundation, Botswana now has enough protective clothing for front liners. Lemogang Kwape, Minister of Health and Wellness, on Thursday morning announced that the southern African country has registered two new confirmed Coronavirus cases, bringing the total cases to 15 since the first case was identified in mid March. Of the 15 cases, one, a 79-year-old woman, has died. The country is now on a 28-day lockdown that will end on April 30. Parliament has also recently adopted a motion that President Mokgweetsi Masisi tabled requesting for a six moths period of state of emergency, which he argued will help government better fight the scourge. Enditem Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) All deaths in Legazpi City, Albay, will now be treated as suspected cases of COVID-19, to be buried or cremated within 12 hours after dying. According to a public advisory signed by Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal Friday, the Legazpi City Task Force on COVID-19, will reinforce the following general protocols on burials to lower the risk of virus transmission in the city. Aside from the order of burial and cremation of remains within 12 hours of death, the task force also advised residents of additional guidelines. Another one is that nobody from the immediate family of the deceased, who has a travel history from Manila, or any other place outside Bicol Region, shall be allowed to attend the funeral mass. Furthermore, the funeral entourage shall not be more than 20 individuals and should strictly observe hand hygiene protocol, wear face mask and keep distance at least a meter between each other. A death certificate issued by the City Health Officer and by the Local Civil Registrar within 30 days of death shall also be required for the burial protocol. No burial or cremation shall take place without a validly issued death certificate, the advisory read. According to the Department of Health Friday, there are now 5,878 cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines. The total number of recoveries is now at 487, while the nationwide death toll is at 387. CNN Philippines stringer Rosas Olarte contributed to this story. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 15:58:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on Jan. 22, 2020 shows an exterior view of the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Liu Qu) - "Right now it makes no sense to question WHO": Germany - WHO "an important part" of the global anti-virus fight: Canada - WHO is "essential" in fighting the pandemic: Italy BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- More countries worldwide have 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," triggering widespread backlash and criticism across the world. The Cuban foreign ministry on Thursday said the United States "seeks to disqualify the established leadership" of the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as that of the United Nations, which is indispensable during the coronavirus outbreak. It urged in a statement the international community to bolster cooperation and solidarity in face of the COVID-19 pandemic. "There is still time to act and mobilize the will of those who are responsible," the ministry said. Medical workers transfer bodies of victims who died of COVID-19 at a hospital in New York, the United States, April 6, 2020. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua) German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday called for more global cooperation to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and voiced support for the World Health Organization (WHO). Merkel told a video conference of leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) that the crisis can only be tackled with a strong and coordinated international response, according to a statement by the German Federal Government. The German chancellor expressed her full support for the WHO, as well as numerous other partners, said the statement. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, on the same day, said that the WHO remains "the backbone of international pandemic control." "Right now it makes no sense to question WHO, its functionality or its importance... To weaken it would be nothing more than throwing the pilot out of the plane while a flight is in progress, and we don't consider that to be responsible," said Maas. Photo taken on March 12, 2020 shows Young Israel, a synagogue at the center of a one-mile-radius containment area in New Rochelle, New York State, the United States. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday joined a call with his fellow G7 leaders. He focused on emphasizing the collective need for a global response against the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Canadian Prime Minister's Office. The Canadian prime minister said that G7 nations also have a responsibility to assist more vulnerable countries, and the World Health Organization (WHO) is "an important part" of the global fight against the novel coronavirus. Italian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Marina Sereni on Thursday said the WHO is "essential" in fighting the pandemic and that Italy will continue to back the organization's mission. "Beyond the need to respond to domestic problems, there is a need to take action beyond national borders," Sereni said. "This pandemic requires a global response ... This initiative is focused on strengthening multilateralism, which has seen its institutions weakened in recent decades." Sereni's comments were echoed by foreign ministers from such participating countries as Canada, France and Germany, which also expressed solidarity with the WHO. Maas called the organization the "backbone of the fight against the pandemic" in a statement. Health care workers stand outside Brooklyn Hospital Center during the coronavirus pandemic in the Brooklyn borough of New York, the United States, on April 14, 2020. (Photo by Michael Nagle/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). "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. 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. A social distancing sign is seen in McCarren Park during the coronavirus pandemic in the Brooklyn borough of New York, the United States, on April 14, 2020. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua) 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 Thursday in a statement. "It (WHO) 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 spokesperson Clayson Monyela. "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. Philippine Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Thursday that the Philippines "stands committed" to the World Health Organization (WHO), lauding the U.N. body's leadership in the global fight to combat COVID-19. "We support the WHO. As far as the Philippines is concerned we stand committed to the WHO and we will give our contribution when the need arises," Roque said in a virtual briefing. "I hope that all nations of the world will continue to cooperate with WHO and it's also important to contribute to the fund of the WHO," he added. Photo taken on April 12, 2020 shows a board reminding people to keep social distancing at the Fisherman's Wharf amid COVID-19 outbreak in San Francisco, the United States. (Photo by Li Jianguo/Xinhua) The European Union (EU)'s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Thursday relayed the EU's strong support to the World Health Organization (WHO) in a phone talk with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Borrell "expressed concern about the decision by the United States to suspend its funding to the WHO and committed to work towards mobilizing additional resources." Borrell reiterated the need to continue working together through the multilateral system to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The Nordic ministers for development cooperation jointly expressed their support for the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday. In a joint social media entry, the ministers underlined the essential work done by the WHO "during these critical times." A United States Postal Service (USPS) worker wearing a mask delivers mails during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York, the United States, April 13, 2020. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua) The ministers noted that evaluation of the work the WHO has done will come later, and they believed now is the time for "more international cooperation and solidarity, and not less." Also on Thursday, the UN Association of Finland, a non-governmental organization that promotes and supports the actions and principles of the United Nations, described the U.S. decision as an "incomprehensible action." Executive Director Helena Laukko said the U.S. move is "cruel play with human lives". "Everyone should understand that as long as the virus has not been totally overcome, everyone remains in danger," Laukko told Finnish national broadcaster Yle. She said that the U.S. freezing of contributions to the WHO could affect vaccination programs, for example. 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). Sydneys iconic Bondi Beach could soon reopen following a wave of anger from locals. The famous beach has been closed since March 21 after large crowds failed to heed social distancing regulations put in place by the Australian Government to slow the spread of coronavirus. But it now appears surfers and swimmers may be able to get back in the water as discussions take place between the Waverley Council and the areas surf life saving clubs. Beachgoers are seen at Bondi Beach despite the threat of Coronavirus in Sydney, Friday, March 20, 2020. The following day the famous break was closed A police officer asks couple to move on while patrolling Bondi Beach during the Easter Long Weekend on Sunday, April 12, 2020 North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club president Andrew Christopher told the Sydney Morning Herald, the proposal would not allow sunbathers or lingering groups. Instead, the trial scheme would ease the restrictions for beachgoers looking to exercise. The surfers are of the view that it's no different than going on a jog in Centennial Park, Mr Christopher said. At the moment a number of early-morning surfers are flaunting the rules and climbing over the fencing which has been erected to keep beachgoers out. Mr Christopher said, by permitting people to use the beach at certain times, this would put an end to the trespassing. Although the fence is expected to remain in place, the trial will see the north and south end of the beach reopen so that live savers can monitor the number of people coming in. A number of early-morning surfers are flaunting the rules and climbing over the fencing which has been erected to keep beachgoers out. Pictured: A surfer at the neighboring Bronte Beach ignoring the no access warning on April 13, 2020 If the proposal proves successful at Bondi it's expected the trial will be extended to the area's neighbouring beaches. Pictured: A surfer at Bronte Beach scaling the fence and ignoring the no access warning on April 13, 2020 You trial those hours and if it works, and people arent abusing the privilege, you could gradually extend it, Mr Christopher said. We're not saying it should be open slather. Mr Christopher said if the proposal proves successful, it could then be introduced to surrounding beaches in the eastern suburbs including Bronte and Tamarama. But not everyone is in favour of the proposal. Waverley has been one of the COVID-19 hotspots in the country ... if were going to be serious about lockdown and controlling the virus, we cant open our beaches, Tamarama Surf Life Saving Club President Tim Murray said. I want to go for a swim ... but this has wrecked people's lives, theyve lost jobs, and I can give up a swim to make sure this is successful. The Bondi area has been one of Australia's coronavirus epicenters with the total number of cases reaching 111 after a series of clusters broke out. New South Wales Health even set up a pop-up testing facility to deal with the number of backpackers who contracted the deadly virus. Medics perform COVID-19 tests on a member of the public at a drive-through COVID-19 testing center on Bondi Beach in Sydney on April 11, 2020 A lone surfer stands on Bondi Beach on March 22, 2020 after the famous break was closed to slow the spread of coronaivirus Waverley Council are set to make a decision on the matter within the coming days. Council expects to advise the community in the near future as to whether a relaxation of restrictions is possible and, if so, what the likely time frame for such a relaxation would be, a spokesperson said. In the meantime, the spokesperson was adamant the beaches remain closed and anyone caught trespassing could be fined. A violent inmate who was unlawfully at large for a month after failing to return to prison has been apprehended. William James Patterson (37) has been sent back to prison after failing to return from temporary release. He 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. Patterson was temporarily released from Magilligan Prison on March 18 and was due to return on March 20, but did not show up. "Police would like to thank the public for their assistance," a PSNI spokesperson said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) The senate majority will tackle their call for Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to resign, despite his refusal to quit his post over his alleged incompetence in handling the COVID-19 crisis. Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III on Friday said the resolution urging Duque to step down will be discussed when the session resumes in May. Sec. Duque is a friend, but when almost two-thirds of the Senate, perhaps more, receive complaints from health workers, DoH employees, and those in the direct line of responses, I cannot not support Senate Resolution 362, Senate President Tito Sotto said in a text message. At least 14 senators from the 24-member chamber on Thursday signed the resolution seeking Duque's resignation for his "failure of leadership, negligence, lack of foresight, and inefficiency" in the measures and actions carried out by the department he heads. The senators said Duque's "poor planning, delayed response, lack of transparency, and misguided and flip-flopping policies and measures" in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic is endangering the lives of healthcare workers and all Filipinos. Senator Ping Lacson said Duque will be invited to explain his side. He added other medical experts and healthcare frontliners will also be asked to speak out, so the lawmakers can craft a bill that can help the medical community. As a matter of course, a public hearing will be conducted after first reading and referral. Not only will it give Sec. Duque the opportunity to explain his side, it will also give all other resources persons in the medical community and whoever may be invited to shed light to further articulate their views with the end in view of passing relevant legislation on our part, he said in a text message. 100 percent support Despite the resignation demands, Duque still has the full support of President Rodrigo Duterte and his co-Cabinet members. Lahat kami sa [All of us in the] Cabinet uttered our 100 percent support kay Secretary Duque, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a virtual briefing on Friday. President Rodrigo Duterte has also rejected calls for Duque to resign, deciding to keep him in his post. Nograles believes Duques no-nonsense approach to the COVID-19 response is what the President appreciates. Nograles, who also serves as the spokesperson for the COVID-19 task force, highlighted the contributions made by the embattled secretary in the national governments response to the global health pandemic. All of the decisions that were made came out to be the right decisions. If we had not imposed a community quarantine immediately, if we had not done yung travel restrictions immediately, if we had not done this, if we had not done that magkakatotoo yung sinabi ng WHO na 70,000 tayo infected ng COVID-19 [If we had not done that, the projection of WHO that we will have 70,000 cases would have happened], he said. Senators criticized Duque's delayed action on mass testing and imposing a travel ban on countries with an alarming number of coronavirus cases. Nograles said it is understandable if some mistakes are committed along the way because the country is responding to a new strain of coronavirus. In this battle magkakaroon ng missteps eh [there will be missteps], because its novel, its a new virus. The world does not even know how the virus operates, how it reacts, how it moves, he stressed. The Philippines has 5,660 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 362 deaths, and 435 recoveries. Mr Kafui Safo, the Achiase District Director of Agriculture, has urged farmers to increase their productivity and produce more to help feed people in the lock down areas of the country. He made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Achiase in the Eastern Region. Mr Safo said with the support of Agriculture Extension Agents in the area, the farmers have cleared large hectares of land for cultivation in the major season. The District has about 32,000 farmers of which majority were rice farmers. Mr Safo said the Achiase District Assembly had provided the staff at the Agriculture Department with veronica buckets, soap and hand sanitisers, while the staff work on rotation bases, in conformity with government directives to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. In a related development, the District Information Service is working with assembly members to enhance sensitisation on precautionary measures to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus in the District. Mr Ebenezer Adane, the Achiase District Information Officer, said the Department was undertaking sensitisation programme through the use of information van, information centres and engagement with market women. He therefore advised the public not to live in fear, but adhere to the directives on the prevention of the spread of COVID-19. He advised them to have enough rest and eat nutritious food to stay healthy in orger to boost their immune systems. 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 The ruling Minjoo Party's landslide victory in the general election on Wednesday is expected to give fresh momentum to President Moon Jae-in's quixotic attempts to engage North Korea. In a meeting on Thursday, Cheong Wa Dae pledged to make "consistent" efforts for progress in "the Korean peace process." In his New Year's press conference early this year, Moon proposed allowing individual South Koreans travelers to visit the North, seek cross-border cooperation in public health, and push for transforming the demilitarized zone into a "peace zone." His overtures have so far been met with deafening silence or abuse from the North, which appears to blame him for the collapse of last year's summit with the U.S. in Hanoi. In the hustings, the Minjoo Party promised to press ahead with cross-border economic cooperation. "There is a high chance that the North will respond to Moon's tourism proposals since it has had economic difficulties since trade with China was suspended and leader Kim Jong-un has focused on the tourism industry," a ruling-party official claimed. The ruling party also wants to push for the resumption of package tours to Mt. Kumgang and the reopening of the inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex even though international sanctions against the North make that completely impossible. An elderly man has died from coronavrius, taking Australia's death toll to 64. The man, 72, died at Mersey Community Hospital at Latrobe in Tasmania on Friday morning. He is the seventh person to die from the illness in Tasmania. 'This is another sad reminder that this disease takes lives, and we must do everything we can to contain the spread of coronavirus,' Premier Peter Gutwein said. 'I again ask Tasmanians to work with us, do the right thing, stay home and save lives.' The man, 72, died at Mersey Community Hospital at Latrobe in Tasmania on Friday morning Policing of social restrictions has increased in the state after there was an outbreak at two hospitals in Burnie. Both hospital were forced to close. Almost 100 of the states 180 virus cases are linked to the hospital outbreak, including 60 workers. There have been 64 deaths in Australia and at least 6,508 cases. While more than half have recovered, there are 42 patients on ventilators across the country. University of Melbourne Professor James McCaw said the next few weeks would be 'absolutely crucial' in keeping the infection rate down, news.com.au reported. 'We will inevitably see an increased caseload from the last few weeks, we are going to see an increase in hospitalisations, admissions to ICU and deaths,' he said. But the anticipated increase in fatalities would be driven from earlier infections. 'It's really important at this time to realise that wave of hospitalisations and infections will be driven by the past cases from the last few weeks,' Professor McCaw said. The Australian government has forged its own path toward stopping the virus, managing to already bring down infection rates and slow the spread of the deadly disease, without following advice from the WHO. Pictured: Nurses at Sydney Airport Professor McCaw said the increase was 'inevitable' and didn't mean health services or the government had lost control of the outbreak. 'We don't have an overwhelmed hospital system yet and we may never have one if we continue to base our responses on the best available evidence,' he said. New modelling from the Doherty Institute has shown that COVID-19 is on the decline in Australia. The research found that 93 per cent of all symptomatic cases of coronavirus in Australia are probably identified. 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 fresh modelling also predicts that every 10 cases of coronavirus in Australia will produce just five more fresh infections. 'Our best estimate at the moment in Australia is for every 10 infectious cases, they're only reproducing another five and this shows our epidemic at the moment is in decline,' the Doherty Institute's epidemiology director Professor Jodie McVernon said. 'That's great because it shows the public health measures that have been in place have been very effective in limiting the spread of this disease. But it doesn't let us be complacent.' Prof McVernon warned that if the current measures were relaxed too early, every 10 cases would create another 25 over the course of the infection. The reproductive number gives the average number of secondary infections each positive case is likely to produce and reproduce. Prof McVernon was referring to the COVID-19 modelling data released on Thursday, after work by her and colleagues at the Doherty Institute. The infection and immunity institute is one of the key Australian bodies in the battle against the virus. Prof McCaw said the modelling does not run so far as to show when elimination is possible. 'We have to be very cautious about extrapolating too far into the future,' he said, adding elimination would take at least months not weeks. 'If there were changes in our mixing behaviour or our intervention methods over that month and beyond, these numbers will change,' he said. Mumbai, April 17 : South actress Sanjjanaa Galrani, who was also seen in the television show "Mujhse Shaadi Karoge", has taken to a new hobby -- learning the guitar -- and she is absolutely loving it. "I love the guitar and it has been a long time wish to learn to play. I had been busy with my professional commitments for the longest time and I couldn't take time out to learn. But since the quarantine there is nothing much to do than sit at home," said Sanjjanaa, who is learning the craft from her neighbour. She added: "I laid my hands on the guitar I had bought to learn. Now I am making full use of the time. I urge all the people globally to stay indoors and stay safe." Sanjjanaa made her film debut in the Tamil-Telugu bilingual film "Oru Kadhal Seiveer" in 2006, and shot to fame with her controversial role in the Kannada film "Ganda Hendathi". She was then seen in "Bujjigadu" and later in the bilingual crime drama "Dandupalya 2". Sanjjanaa urged everyone to keep their hands sanitised. "We would have to stand united to defeat this pandemic," she concluded. Latest updates on Lockdown diaries In August 2008, Democrat candidate Barack Obama added Joe Biden to the ticket as his Vice President. Everyone understood that Biden was there to offset the vacuum that was Obama on foreign policy. Thats why its surprising that Biden is signaling that he intends to add Bernie Sanderss foreign policy advisors to his team. One wouldn't think he'd be looking for help. Back in 2008, Joe Biden was running the risk of becoming a real-life Pat Paulsen, the comic who began running for president in 1968 and continued to run, billing himself as the Perennial Presidential Candidate for the next 28 years. Biden's two runs were both pathetic. His first run in 1988 ended memorably after a plagiarism scandal forced him out. His second run 20 years later went down in flames the moment he said of Barack Obama, I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guyI mean, that's a storybook, man. He trundled along for a few more months after that, but his primary turnout was so dismal he quit. Despite the condescending, old-fashioned racism in Bidens remark about Obama, Obama eventually selected Biden as his running mate. Most people assumed that Obama was making sure that his Vice President would not overshadow him, and he certainly achieved that with Biden. However, from a Democrat point of view, Biden did bring something substantive to the ticket, which was his vaunted foreign policy experience. The New York Times explained, Senator Barack Obama introduced Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. as his running mate on Saturday at a boisterous rally in Springfield, Ill., a choice that strengthens the Democratic tickets credentials on foreign policy and provides Mr. Obama a combative partner as he heads into the fight with Senator John McCain. In Mr. Biden, Mr. Obama selected a six-term senator from Delaware best known for his expertise on foreign affairs Mr. Biden spent last weekend in Georgia as that nation engaged in a tense confrontation with Russia. Bidens foreign policy chops look a bit different 12 years later. Robert Gates, who was Obamas defense secretary, spoke scathingly of Bidens alleged expertise: I think he's been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades. Moreover, ever since the Democrats pushed the Ukraine hoax, everyone in America learned that much of Bidens foreign policy was dedicated to enriching his family through corrupt deals with foreign governments. Additionally, the left has never forgiven Biden for his original support for the Iraq War. Perhaps its this tarnish that explains why Bidens campaign announced that it asked Bernie Sanderss campaign to send its foreign policy advisors over to help Biden out: Three sources, including two people who advised the Sanders campaign on foreign policy, confirmed that an open invitation has been sent out to Sanders foreign policy advisors who want to work with the Biden campaign. It is understood that the invitation was made at the request of the Biden campaign, and that no such invitation had been made by Hillary Clintons campaign after defeating Sanders in the 2016 primary. Its also possible that Biden understands that he cannot win without the Bernie Bros coalition, and if this means embracing Bernies foreign policies, so be it. After all, Bernies policies are pretty much the same as those Obama promoted; its just that Obama dressed them up in language that he hoped would make them more palatable to Americans. By now, though, the Democrat party has moved so far left that its members will be more enthusiastic about Bernies policies than about Joes effort to stay within the traditional framework. According to the New York Times, Bernie says that America should not do anything, including providing non-military support, to save the Venezuelan people from Maduros deadly socialism. America should re-enter the Iran Deal with no new preconditions. America should not have killed Qassem Soleimani because taking out the man who had masterminded attacks killing thousands of American troops nevertheless did not make Americans safer. America should work with Europe when it comes to Iran, which is a funny thing to say because Europe has no intention of ever taming Iran. America should not sanction North Korea based upon its nuclear ambitions. America will provide aid to Israel only if Israel ends its occupation. This means returning Israel to the unsustainable pre-1967 border and giving Palestinian the descendants of Palestinians who fled Israel the right of return. These are the preconditions for a new genocide. You can see the rest of Bernies foreign policy stances here. For the most part, because they reflect the Democrat partys leftward push, it makes sense for Biden to embrace them. Nevertheless, for a man who was once the Democrat partys foreign policy maven, having to beg Bernies team for help looks terrible. Gujarat on Friday became the sixth state to cross the 1,000 mark in coronavirus cases whose all India tally jumped by over one thousand for the fourth straight day to inch towards 14,000 even as the Centre said the doubling time for COVID-19 infections has slowed down in the last one week. As the Centre prepared to distribute five lakh rapid antibody testing kits, which arrived from China on Thursday, to states for districts with high case burden, the Union Health Ministry said it took 6.2 days for coronavirus cases to double in the last one week as against three days before the nationwide lockdown came into effect from March 25. "Before lockdown, the doubling rate of coronavirus cases was 3 days. Going by the number of cases in the last seven days, the doubling rate has been 6.2 days. In 19 states and Union Territories the doubling rate is less than the national average," Lav Agarwal, joint secretary in the ministry told reporters. The total number of coronavirus infections in Gujarat touched 1,021 on Friday after 92 new cases were reported, while the death toll reached 38 with the addition of two fatalities, health officials said in Ahmedabad. Principal Secretary, Health, Jayanti Ravi attributed the sudden spurt in the cases to intensive surveillance and testing in coronavirus hotspots, including those which have been placed under curfew till April 21 in the walled city of Ahmedabad. Maharashtra(3,236) Delhi(1,640) Tamil Nadu(1,323) Rajasthan(1,193) and Madhya Pradesh(1,164) were the other states where the number of cases had surpassed the 1,000 mark. The number of COVID-19 cases in Mumbai alone rose to 2,120 with 77 more persons testing positive, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. The number of coronavirus cases in Mumbai's Dharavi slum area reached 101, it said. The number of coronavirus cases in the country rose by 1,076 and 32 deaths were reported in 24 hours, taking the tally to 13,835 and the fatalities to 452, according to the latest Health ministry data. A total of 1,767 patients have recovered, it said. According to a PTI tally based on reports from states, the total number of COVID-19 cases was 13,789 and 1,853 had recovered while the death toll stood at 457. The COVID-19 cases jumped by 1,463; 1,118, and 1,043 on the three days respectively from Tuesday this week, according to official data from the Health ministry and the states. Agarwal maintained there had been a 40 per cent decline in the growth of new cases. The average growth factor of cases from April 1 stood at 1.2, whereas between March 15 and 31 it was 2.1. This decline of 40 per cent was due to increase in testing, including that of cases with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI). he said. The official also said that India has been doing better than many other countries on the outcome ratio, which is the number of recoveries from coronavirus infection versus the number of deaths. "If 80 per cent of the patients in India are recovering and in 20 per cent cases deaths are being reported, then by that standard India has been doing a little better than many other nations on the outcome ratio." Of the total 452 deaths listed by the health ministry, Maharashtra tops the tally with 194 fatalities, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 57, Gujarat and Delhi at 38 each and Telengana 18. Tamil Nadu has reported 15 deaths while Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have reported 14 fatalities each. Punjab and Karnataka have reported 13 deaths each. Rajasthan has registered 11 deaths while West Bengal has reported 10 deaths fatalities. Some states have reported less than 10 deaths. Despite being under a strict curfew since late March and enjoying the reputation of being India's cleanest city, Indore in Madhya Pradesh has acquired the dubious distinction of recording a very high coronavirus mortality rate. Till Friday morning, the city had recorded 842 COVID- 19 cases, and the 47 deaths since the outbreak began less than a month ago are 10.75 per cent of the 437 fatalities recorded across the country. The 5.58 per cent death rate in the city is itself above the national average, officials said. As on Friday, there were 155 containment areas, covering almost 6 lakh residents in a city of 30 lakh, and curfew continues to be in force since March 25 when the first COVID-19 case was detected here. Meanwhile, authorities continue to maintain there was no threat of community transmission in the city. "The new COVID-19 cases are mainly of those who are either related to or have known the earlier patients. Such persons are already quarantined and, therefore, the question of community transmission does not arise," Chief Medical and Health Officer Praveen Jadia said. At his media briefing, Agarwal said 1,919 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals with 1.73 lakh isolation beds and 21,800 ICU beds have been readied till now. Agarwal said a Group of Ministers held a meeting on Friday to chalk out a roadmap about the lockdown and reviewed efforts of science and technology institutes in diagnosis, vaccines, drugs, hospital equipment accessories and general wellness. Head of Epidemiology and Communicable diseases at Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar said 3,19,400 COVID-19 tests have been conducted so far in the country. "Out of these, 28,340 tests were conducted on Thursday, of which 23,932 were done at 183 laboratories under ICMR network and the rest at 80 private labs," he added. The Health ministry also said containment operations will be scaled down if no secondary positive case of COVID-19 is reported from a quarantine zone for at least four weeks after the last confirmed test has been isolated and all his contacts have been followed up for 28 days. According to the ministry's "Updated containment plan for large outbreaks COVID-19", a containment operation (large outbreak or cluster) is deemed to be over 28 days from the date the last case in that zone tests negative. The plan said the authorities will do extensive contact tracing and active search for cases in containment zone, test all suspect cases and high-risk contacts, isolate all suspect or confirmed cases, implement social distancing measures and intensive risk communication as part of the cluster containment strategy. "The objective of this containment plan is to stop the chain of transmission thus reducing the morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19," the ministry said. Karnataka has scaled up the number of coronovirus tests by five times, said Medical Education Minister Sudhakar K, who regretted that some of those who died due to COVID-19 pandemic could have saved their lives had they opted to avail the treatment early. The state has recorded 13 deaths. A staggering 38 new positive cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the state taking the total number of affected in the state to 353, the Health department said This is the highest single day tally so far. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Modi government is leaving no stone unturned to tackle the coronavirus crisis. "Modi government is leaving no stone unturned in this fight against COVID-19, ensuring minimum disruption in people's lives while planning for a strong and stable India in days ahead," he tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WATERLOO Tyson Fresh Meats officials disputed employee accounts about working conditions inside its Waterloo plant, saying no employees have moved between plants and additional cleaning and protective measures are indeed in place. Liz Croston, a spokesperson for Tyson, told The Courier on Thursday there were several inaccuracies in the story that ran Thursday, particularly the contention that workers from a temporarily closed plant in Columbus Junction were being moved to Waterloo with no quarantine period in between. Were not moving team members between plants, so thats inaccurate, Croston said. She wasnt sure if, after an appropriate quarantine period, some workers would be moved to other plants to help with higher demand. She said she would check with her companys human resources department. Croston also disputed the contention there wasnt adequate hand sanitizer in the facility or that social distancing guidelines werent being followed. She said where social distancing wasnt possible, barriers were being erected. Were installing work station dividers where we can and providing more break room space, she said. She said employees temperatures are taken before they enter the facility, and any employee with a fever of 100.4 or higher is not allowed in the facility, and we send them home. We absolutely are working closely with our health departments in all of our communities on this, and following CDC guidance, Croston said. As you know, this is an ever-changing situation, so that is key. She noted such information on the plants safety procedures was being provided in several languages, the companys absentee policy was relaxed and those with questions or concerns are encouraged to have talk to their supervisor. This is a challenging time, and theyre feeling anxious, Croston acknowledged. We believe information is the best tool for fighting this virus. We also encourage them to tell us what theyre seeing. Those reassurances didnt match what immigrant and refugee organizations across Iowa have been hearing from workers in recent days, said Erica Johnson with American Friends Service Committee of Iowa. People were afraid to work. They were almost being gaslighted by management, Johnson said. The information that is coming out is not what were hearing. (Workers are) actually afraid, and they need somebody to stand up and take proactive measures. Johnson said more than 77 organizations across the state have signed on to a #ProtectIowaWorkers statement being sent to Gov. Kim Reynolds, demanding they take immediate steps to protect Iowas workers from COVID-19, she said in a Wednesday Zoom call with media. Other activists on the call said theyve heard similar concerns at workplaces across the state. The plants have done a very good job of keeping things private from their workers, from the public. So there really isnt knowledge of how many people have tested positive, said Maria Gonzalez, co-organizer with Immigrant Allies of Marshalltown. Employees at these plants are proud of what they do, said Rafael Morataya, director of the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa. But they are not willing to risk their lives for these jobs. Reynolds announced 1,500 test kits for coronavirus were headed to Black Hawk County on Thursday to help with a suspected outbreak at the plant, during the same briefing in which she announced further restrictions on gatherings in Northeast Iowa. More testing could go a long way toward lifting the veil of secrecy, activists say, and help workers on the front lines. It is the working class that keeps this state running and keeps America running, and it is the working class that will save this nation again, said Charlie Wishman, secretary and treasurer of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. Workers may be essential, but they are never, ever expendable. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. London, United Kingdom The coronavirus crisis has exposed global inequalities and highlighted the necessity to end poverty, but could result in a fairer world as the pandemic is changing political attitudes, according to Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of the UKs main opposition Labour Party. In an interview on Thursday with Al Jazeeras new social media show The New Normal, Corbyn discussed how the coronavirus will affect the gap between rich and poor. (Visit this page to watch the interview in full) The coronavirus crisis has emphasised just how unequal our planet is, how unequal our societies are in the USA, Britain and Europe, and many other parts of the world. After the coronavirus, it can never be the same again, Corbyn said, as he worked from his London home amid a lockdown. The impact globally is different, in different places. The impact on the poorest communities is the greatest, and the impact on Black and minority ethnic communities is greater still. The world is going to be a different place post-COVID. And it cannot be a global retrenchment and global austerity; its got to be that we recognise health inequalities are a danger to everyone, even the well-off and healthy are in danger of health inequalities. In the UK, more than 104,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19, a disease that has killed more than 13,700. The Conservative-led government on Thursday extended a lockdown aimed at containing the spread of the infection by three weeks, until at least May 7, a development which came amid mounting criticism over its failure to provide healthcare workers with adequate personal protective equipment (PPE). What coronavirus has shown us is that were only as healthy as the system that protects us from ill health, and if a whole lot of people are denied that protection, as in the USA where healthcare does not extend to all then we are all vulnerable to coronavirus spreading, said Corbyn. Ten years of austerity in Britain has meant 94 percent of our hospital beds were occupied in January, that there was a shortage of PPE and despite many demands that I and others put on the prime minister that there was proper testing around the country, we are still not testing anything like enough. When the World Health Organization said the solution was test, test, test, they were absolutely right. If we dont test, we obviously dont know with any accuracy how many people have contracted [COVID-19]. Corbyn said that, as leader of the opposition, he was condemned by mainstream media and other politicians for wanting to spend far too much money on the UKs National Health Service. I didnt expect it would take only 12 weeks before the UK government stood up in Parliament that they would spend whatever it took to get through this crisis, he told Al Jazeera. Looking ahead, he said he was terrified of what could happen should the infection sweep through refugee camps. On a global scale also, my concern is those living in overcrowded, densely populated places are more likely to pick up coronavirus for the obvious reason its difficult to socially distance if youre eight people in a two-bedroom flat. Its difficult to socially distance if youre one of hundreds of thousands of people in refugee camps. In a remark aimed at US President Donald Trump, who sent shockwaves around the world when he recently withdrew funding for the WHO, Corbyn warned there would be another health crisis in the future. The only way forward is supporting global action to help end global health inequality, and not taking money away from the WHO, but supporting the WHO and helping it to do the best job it possibly can, he said. The coronavirus crisis will change political attitudes, he said, explaining there was a newfound respect for key workers such as cleaners who are often underpaid and ignored. We will have a more inclusive society in future. Adriana Alvarez has worked at a McDonalds outside of Chicago for nearly 10 years. But she said the job that has been her lifetime is now potentially life-threatening because of the novel coronavirus crisis. The 27-year-old single mother, who has an 8-year-old son, said she makes an hourly wage of $13.45, which is barely enough to support her family. She is among millions of essential workers who are on the frontlines of the pandemic helping to feed people throughout the United States by staffing fast-food counters, drive-thru windows and fulfilling online grocery orders. Now, were categorized as essential workers. Before, we were just burger flippers who should get a better job, go to college, Alvarez told Nightline. But now were the ones out there risking and keeping this economy flowing. So I feel like weve been very important. Its just people fail to realize it. MORE: For essential workers who keep communities running during the coronavirus pandemic, staying home isn't an option Unable to work from home, Alvarez is among other foodservice employees who have become front line workers. Some say they are doing their jobs without the protections they need to keep themselves and their customers safe. We deserve hazard pay. We deserve paid sick leave," Alvarez said. "Were risking going to work... and were still getting paid the same poverty wages and I dont think thats fair. PHOTO: Adriana Alvarez, a fast-food worker, says she loves seeing workers happy getting their food but that her company needs to do more to keep its employees safe. (ABC News ) 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. Alvarez is part of the Fight for $15 movement, an effort that started out advocating to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the group has also supported employee strikes around the country. On Wednesday, the group organized an online strike of McDonalds employees, including Alvarez. This is life or death, she said, mentioning a McDonalds employee in California whos fighting for her life on a ventilator due to COVID-19. Story continues That employee is 56-year-old Sonia Hernandez. Her daughter, Jennifer Barrera Hernandez, described her as a lovely, lovely mom who gave everything for us. She said her mother was always there to provide for her family over the 18 years that she worked at a McDonalds in Monterey Park, California. Hernandez claims at that time her mother wasnt provided with gloves or a mask to wear at work. She said Sonia began feeling ill in March but that she continued to work until her health took a turn for the worse in early April, when she tested positive for COVID-19. "My cousin, she texted me that there were going to take my mom to a hospital," Jennifer Barrera Hernandez said. "My mom called us all, like my brothers and my sister and me, she called us saying that she was going to have to go a ventilator and they were going to put her under sedation." MORE: VIRUS DIARY: Life with an essential worker is a daily dance That was the last call that Hernandez said she had with her mother, who is now in critical condition. PHOTO: Jennifer Barrera says her mother, Sonia Hernandez, became ill with COVID-19 while working her fast-food job and that she is now in critical condition. (ABC News ) She told me, I want you guys to take care and I want you to take care of the kids, Hernandez said. That was before she was put on the machine. [She said], 'Take care of everyone.' "We have to make a decision, if ever her heart stops, if we want them to resuscitate her or just let her leave in peace," she added. Hernandezs family has since set up a fundraising page to help raise money for her medical bills. Last week, an employee from the McDonalds where Sonia Hernandez worked filed a complaint with the states Division of Occupational Safety and Health, asking in part that "the company instruct all the workers who were exposed, either directly or indirectly [to the sick employee] to self-quarantine, with full pay for the time of self-quarantine. In a statement, McDonalds said that when it was notified of the employee's diagnosis, it immediately reached out to four other crew members that had come into close contact with the employee, instructing them to self-quarantine for 14 days, and that the restaurant was also closed overnight for routine deep cleaning," conducted in accordance with the latest CDC guidelines." They also said that starting with measures taken in March, the Monterey Park restaurant crew was equipped with PPE including gloves, masks, and protective barriers, and continues to abide by social distancing guidelines to safely serve customers. Since February, we have changed nearly 50 processes in McDonalds U.S. restaurants, such as adding employee wellness and temperature checks, McDonalds continued, adding that it is confident McDonalds employees impacted by the virus are receiving paid sick leave to tend to their critical health needs and that their "number one priority is the health and well-being of our people, who are the heart and soul of McDonald's." The company said it was also exploring other potential benefits like hero pay bonuses. "I would say, just fight for your rights," Jennifer Barrera Hernandez said. "Today, is my mom. Tomorrow, I don't know, it could be theirs, or it could be them." MORE: Grocery workers are key during the virus. And they're afraid "If you feel like you're doing the appropriate measures to keep us safe, then come on down and work with us," Alvarez said. "Come on down so they can see exactly what we have to go through and how anxious we feel just to be at work, and if we're not at work, we can't feed our kids. We can't feed our families. We can't feed ourselves." Allynn Umel, the organizing director for Fight for $15, says she hopes the people she represents get the respect and the dignity that they have deserved and have been fighting for once the COVID-19 pandemic is over. McDonalds workers and others have historically been treated as disposable and McDonalds workers in this moment have claimed their space, she added. PHOTO: Allynn Umel is the organizing director for Fight for $15, an organization working to increase the federal minimum wage. (ABC News ) It's not just fast food workers who are raising their voices. Gig workers across the country have claimed to feel unsafe on the job as well. Vanessa Bain was working as an Instacart shopper, picking up and delivering groceries to online customers in Silicon Valley, California, until March 13, when she walked out in protest over what she says were unsafe working conditions. "Coronavirus, that's not the crisis," Bain said. "The underlying crisis is that there is more work than ever. It's precarious. People don't have savings accounts. People are not in a position where they're earning income that is in surplus to their expenses." Other Instacart shoppers, like Bain, have walked out of their jobs as well. We turned off the app, said Sharon Maze-Goen, a 57-year-old Instacart shopper. We asked for the [personal protective equipment], which, you know, that was the last thing they gave in to. But then again they didnt make them readily available. Instacart said in a statement that over the past few weeks, the company had consistently, proactively communicated with the shopper community to ensure they had the support they needed, adding that they "absolutely respect the rights of shoppers to provide [them] feedback." The company said it had also secured health and safety kits that will include a face mask, hand sanitizer and a thermometer to distribute to shoppers across the community. PHOTO: Vanessa Bain was a grocery worker until March, when she quit due to what she says were unsafe conditions. (ABC News ) In an effort to provide relief to essential workers, ranging from doctors and nurses to delivery drivers and janitorial staff, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and California Rep. Ro Khanna proposed an Essential Workers Bill of Rights earlier this week that they hope will be included in the next federal coronavirus relief package. The policies within include providing health and safety protections, higher compensation and universal paid sick leave. "We have to go on strike because they don't listen to us," Alvarez said. "So, the more people, the more power we have." 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 'Underlying crisis': Foodservice workers protest lack of COVID-19 safety measures, hazard pay originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Only nine players make up the O'Neill St. Mary's girls basketball roster in 2021-22 and three of those nine are sophomores. All three started last year as freshmen, all three are averaging in double figures this year and all three have led the Cardinals to an 8-2 start. A new accelerated asylum procedure came into force. A study giving detailed figures on the extent of sexual violence against women was published, initiating a broad discussion on women's rights and sexual violence. Refugees and asylum-seekers A new asylum law came into force on 1 March. Asylum procedures were accelerated in the federal centres of the six asylum regions. The government set a goal to complete 60 percent of asylum applications within 140 days of arrival. Asylum-seekers are also to receive free counselling and legal representation in the new procedures. However no reliable system had been put in place to proactively identify vulnerable asylum-seekers and their needs related to procedures and accommodation. Direct access to specialist medical care is difficult for asylum-seekers, and people seeking to assist asylum-seekers face restrictions in accessing federal centres. The number of asylum applications had reached its lowest level since 2007, with 14 269 applications lodged in 2019. The Swiss asylum authorities continue to rely on a rigid application of the Dublin Agreement, regularly returning even vulnerable asylum-seekers and people who have relatives in Switzerland to their first country of entry. The accommodation of rejected asylum-seekers who cannot be returned to their countries of origin amounted to inhuman treatment. Under the governments emergency assistance regime, these people are housed in underground civil defence facilities in some cantons (Zurich and Ticino). In 2015, the National Commission for the Prevention of Torture (NCPT) considered this to be permissible for a maximum period of three months. Human rights defenders In at least five cantons, immediate criminal orders were issued against people who helped others to settle in Switzerland, and access protection and livelihood means in Switzerland. When they opposed the conviction, they faced trial. Among them were human rights defenders Anni Lanz, pastor Norbert Valley and Lisa Bosia Mirra. Under federal Swiss law, non-aggravated cases of facilitating entry, stay and circulation (that is, not for payment) is punishable with a fine and in some cases criminal registration. National Councillor Lisa Mazzone introduced a parliamentary initiative to explicitly exempt from punishment this kind of action to aid people in the future. In spring 2020, the parliament will debate the use of this provision and the introduction of a humanitarian exemption. Women's rights The women's strike on 14 June was one of the largest mobilizations in Switzerlands history. About half a million people took to the streets calling for an end to continuing discrimination against women. Amnesty International commissioned research on the prevalence of sexual harassment and sexual violence in Switzerland. The organization called for reform of Swiss criminal law, so that rape is defined on the basis of lack of consent in line with international human rights standards. Currently, the legal definition of rape in Switzerland continues to be based on violence, threats of violence or other means of coercion. Counter-terror and security After two new laws had already been introduced in 2017 and 2018, two new anti-terrorist laws were discussed in parliament in autumn 2019. They are expected to be passed in 2020. The amendment of anti-terror legislation for the first time introduced a definition of terrorism. Vague and overly broad offences can result in encroachments on fundamental rights and arbitrary application. In May, the Federal Council presented the Federal Act on Police Measures to Combat Terrorism, which Amnesty had criticized as too far-reaching. The law provides for a series of preventive coercive measures against so-called persons likely to threaten public safety. This provision lacks clarity and violates the principle of legality. Rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people (LGBTI) In December 2018, the Swiss parliament decided to expand the scope of the law on penalizing racism to include calls for hatred and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Opponents have called for a national referendum, which may take place in February 2020. Discrimination based on gender identity, however, remained outside the scope of the legislation. Legal, constitutional or institutional developments In December, the Federal Council has adopted a draft law on the creation of a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI). The draft complies with the Paris Principles relating to the National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, however, the budget attributed to the future NHRI is low (1 million CHF/year). The Parliament is expected to discuss the draft law and should adopt a final version before the end of 2020. AMID the Covid-19 pandemic, access to healthcare has become limited for people quarantined in their homes. To provide convenient access to medical consultations without need of physically visiting health centers, the local government of Liloan has partnered with Xynapx Technologies, a local medical software startup that developed CloudPx and CloudMD, which provides online telemedicine and e-consultation services from doctors and medical professionals, and medical records management. The partnership between Liloan and Xynapx, termed GugMed, will help connect people online with doctors for their Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 related medical queries. Without need of going out of their homes, people can communicate with doctors through video conferencing and chatting. Coined from the words Gugma, the Cebuano word for love, and Medisina, the Cebuano word for Medicine, GugMed is a free service for residents of Liloan. The local government of Liloan is paying for Liloan Community Medical Emergency Services Center doctors and medical consultants that will be available online for consultations, while Xynapx has extended the use of their software for free the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic. Users may also opt to access doctors outside of Liloan who are signed up to the software, and it will be up to the doctor to bill for fees, if any. Apart from free online medical consultations, GugMed will also provide the option of shifting to online monitoring for Persons under Monitoring (PUMs). Currently, Barangay Health Workers and Municipal Health Workers of the Local Government have to physically go house-to-house to check the temperatures of PUMs twice a day, increasing risk of exposure to frontliners. With GugMed, PUMs may now go online to enter their temperatures and vital statistics, and report symptoms, if any, subject to follow ups by health personnel to ensure accuracy and compliance. Close monitoring of individuals under suspicion of Covid-19 will still continue while observing Department of Health protocols. Story continues At the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Local Government of Liloan and Xynapx, Mayor Christina Frasco said, Faced with this global pandemic that has caused worry and fear in our communities, we aim to give people in quarantine hope and healthcare, while also giving priority and protection for our frontliners, and ensuring that our health centers are not overwhelmed. I am grateful for this partnership with Xynapx founded by well-meaning Cebuanos who have stepped up to help their fellow Cebuanos in this time of need. John Jay Yuvallos, president and CEO of Xynapx Technologies, said: "This initiative provides a facility for doctors to continue consults with patients while still observing social distancing. Through this service, we ease the minds of people with medical conditions who need to stay home." COO Rich Arnold Tuadles said their immediate objective is to expand the access of healthcare to every Filipino affected by Covid-19 including those with non-Covid medical conditions and to consolidate data that will aid government agencies to proactively identify critical issues before they occur. To register or log in to the medical consultation service, patients can go to econsult.cloudmd.com.ph while doctors can register at cloudmd.com.ph. Since the start of the Enhanced Community Quarantine, Liloan has gained national recognition for its Covid-19 related efforts, from its Keep Calm Food Kits forming a Philippine Flag that went viral as a symbol of the countrys fighting spirit, and with Mayor Christina Frasco recently being cited as one of the ten mayors in the Philippines for her efforts in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. (PR) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 17, 2020 10:33 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2718dd 1 National church-rejection,church,Semarang,Central-Java,Satpol-PP,LBH,intolerance Free A Baptist church has become the latest Christian construction project to be halted in Semarang, Central Java, following protests from non-Christian residents in a sign of growing religious intolerance among the majority Muslim population. Local protests over the construction of churches have become common in many predominantly Muslim areas in Indonesia, with local authorities tending to side with protestors In some, if not most, cases. In a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Thursday, the Semarang Legal Aid Institute (LBH), which legally represents Tlogosari Baptist Church, said that officials from the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) had come and put a halt to ongoing construction on the church. LBH Semarang said that the action had no any legal basis and showed that officials were bowing to pressure from "intolerant groups". "What the agency is doing is a form of abuse of power and violates the law," it said in the statement, stressing that the church construction project had already secured the necessary building permit (IMB). Read also: Permit for Riau Islands church revoked over local fears 'it may turn into an icon' A group of Semarang residents held a protest at City Hall on March 6 to demand that the church's construction be stopped. The protest group claimed that the project had obtained the IMB through "deceit" by getting them to sign a blank paper. Wahyudi, the head of Tlogosari Baptist Church, was quick to dismiss the accusation, saying that the church organization had openly asked for the residents' permission to proceed with the project in 1998, when it first applied for the permit. A 2006 joint ministerial decree requires that all development projects for places of worship, no matter the religion, must obtain 90 signatures from followers of the religion, as well as 60 signatures from followers of other religions who live near the planned site of the development, before the project may be proposed. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 23:15:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese regulator handed out hefty fines to individuals and companies in the securities sector for illegal practices last year as the country stepped up efforts to contain financial risks. In 2019, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) confiscated and fined a total of 4.18 billion yuan (about 591.5 million U.S. dollars) in the sector, according to a report released by the CSRC Friday. During the same period, the CSRC handed out 296 administrative penalties and prohibited 66 people from entering the securities market, the report said. The harsh crackdown on illegal practices came as China's rapidly expanding financial industry has been placed under greater regulatory scrutiny in recent years to curb financial risks. Enditem The foundations new $150 million commitment will fund the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced an expansion of its funding for the global response to COVID-19. The increase includes an additional $150 million of grant funding plus a commitment to leverage the resources of the foundations Strategic Investment Fund, which could be deployed to catalyze the rapid procurement of essential medical supplies and help life sciences companies secure financing to produce COVID-19 products. 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. Melinda Gates, Gates Foundation, co-chair said, It is increasingly clear that the worlds response to this pandemic will not be effective unless it is also equitable. 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 foundations 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. 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 incentivize 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 programs. The funding announced today builds on the $100 million the foundation has committed to date to support the global response, as well as $5 million in resources to support public health agencies and frontline response organizations in the greater Seattle region. Initial foundation funding has helped to kick-start the search for COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines; enhanced virus detection capacity in Africa; and contributed to the response in China. The foundation has also directed its programmatic technical expertise to support multilateral, national, and sub-national responses to the pandemic. Bill Gates, foundation co-chair said, COVID-19 doesnt 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. 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. While there is not yet global consensus on the total resources required to turn back COVID-19, the figure is more than any one contributor will bear. A coordinated, international effort bringing together all sectors will be required to mobilize the billions in funding needed in the months ahead. Institutions such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance are in place to coordinate the development and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, but they require an influx of new resources to do so. Other organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), national governments, and private companies will need to be involved in funding the at-risk manufacturing of vaccine candidates and deciding how to ensure equitable access to essential products for populations worldwide. Mark Suzman, foundation CEO said, This pandemic has unleashed an extraordinary philanthropic response. While significant, it is still only one small part of what must be a coordinated effort to beat this global crisis. Philanthropy cannotand should notsupplant the public and private sectors. What philanthropy is good at is testing out ideas that might not otherwise get tried, so governments and businesses can then take on the successful ones. With all sectors working together, we can avoid the worst-case scenarios of human, economic, and social costs. In announcing its new $150 million commitment, the foundation identified four priority areas for investment: Accelerating Virus Detection The foundation will provide partners in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia with funding to scale their COVID-19 detection, treatment, and isolation efforts. In some countries, this will include leveraging emergency operations centers normally deployed to support polio eradication and malaria elimination efforts toward COVID-19 detection. Protecting the Most Vulnerable Foundation funding will help partners in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia pilot different approaches to physical distancing and infection suppression in settings where stay-at-home policies and other physical distancing strategies may not be practical. The goal will be to identify infection suppression strategies that can be effectively sustained over time with minimal social and economic disruption. A key focus will be building on lessons learned from two decades of experience in implementing infectious disease prevention programs, specifically the importance of community-designed and community-led engagement efforts. The foundation is also considering gender equality issues in its response, and it will support research into the differential health, economic, and social impacts of the pandemic on women and girls in LMICs. This will help to inform the foundations short-, medium-, and long-term policy response to the pandemic and global policy responses. This effort will build on the foundations existing work to improve gender data by designing and implementing gender-specific metrics and surveys to capture data that reflects the experiences of women and girls. Minimizing Social and Economic Impact The foundation will provide non-medical funding to help LMICs strengthen social and economic support for people who are living in extreme poverty or who are at risk of falling back into extreme poverty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia together account for 85 percent of the 629 million people around the world who live on less than $1.90 per day, and past pandemics have had a disproportionate impact on people who cannot afford adequate nutrition, safe sanitation, and quality housing. People living in extreme poverty are also less likely to be able to practice physical distancing because they cannot afford to stop working. The foundation will work with partners to help expand access to social payment systems to communities that are most at risk of serious social and economic disruption due to public health measures undertaken to suppress COVID-19 transmission. Develop Products for a Sustained Response The foundation will continue to invest in efforts to accelerate the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines for the COVID-19 response while working with governments, the private sector, and multilateral institutions to ensure scaled manufacturing and the equitable procurement and distribution of these products as they become available. This work will include efforts to develop affordable and accessible point-of-care diagnostics, as well as support for the development of treatments and vaccines whose production can be quickly scaled once clinical trials have demonstrated their safety and efficacy. The foundation has committed to working with governments, CEPI, and the private sector to help provide financing for the at-risk enhancement of vaccine manufacturing capacity. This will allow the production of vaccine candidates so that global vaccine supply can be quickly scaled once clinical trial results are available. The foundation will work with national governments and international organizations such as the WHO; UNICEF; Gavi; and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to ensure that LMICs have equitable access to essential commodities and to ensure that supply and distribution chains are well prepared to facilitate their rapid and widespread delivery to Gavi- and Global Fund-eligible countries. - Judge Mumbi Ngugi said Lillian Omollo had not been able to show a legitimate source of the funds in her accounts - According to her, the only conclusion that could be arrived at was that the funds were proceeds of crime and corruption - Omollo had put up a fight to save the money in the accounts which were frozen following an application by the Assets Recovery Agency - She argued that the money was part of her salary, some of which she earned before joining the government - Omollo also claimed the funds were from produce from a farm owned by Sahara consultants and her husband Dick Achieng in Siaya Former Youth and Gender Principal Secretary Lilian Omollo on Wednesday, April 15, suffered a huge blow after the High Court ordered her to forfeit KSh 33.6 million to the state. Justice Mumbi Ngugi said Omollo failed to explain the source of the funds held in bank accounts in her name, her three daughters and entities run by her husband. READ ALSO: Coronavirus meets compassion: Another landlord waives rent, surprises tenant with groceries Lillian Omollo had put up a fight to save the money in the accounts which were frozen following an application by the Assets Recovery Agency. Photo: Daily Nation. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Coronavirus: G20 nations temporary halt debt payments by world's poorest nations According to a report by the Daily Nation, she said the funds were proceeds of crime and corruption and therefore liable for forfeiture to the state. "The respondents have millions of funds in their accounts and this court has found they are unable to show a legitimate source," Judge Ngugi said. During the hearing, the ex-PS claimed the funds were from produce from a farm owned by Sahara consultants and her husband Dick Achieng in Uyoma, Siaya. READ ALSO: Clash of giants: China blasts Trump for halting WHO funding She argued they grew vegetables such as tomatoes and capsicums in greenhouses. The second source of the funds, according to the respondents, was Achiengs consultancy fees allegedly paid for work done in South Sudan. But Ngugi said an analysis of documents annexed by Omollo intended to demonstrate that the Uyoma farm was a legitimate source of the funds showed they were comprised. READ ALSO: Landlords and tenants association orders all tenants to stop paying rent citing COVID-19 impact The former PS Lillian Omollo was appointed PS for Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs on December 18, 2015. Photo: Daily Nation. Source: UGC The judge noted the documents appeared to be photocopies of receipts issued by Onkeo Farm for relatively small amounts paid for sale mostly of tomatoes. Ngugi said none of those documents showed receipt of funds that could explain deposits of KSh 500,000 or KSh 900,000 on a single day. She said Omollo and her team did not produce any documents to show that they owned the farm in Uyoma. READ ALSO: Anonymous donor gifts every household in Iowa town KSh 15k food gift card The judge further noted the amounts in the accounts were deposited in lump sums in excess of KSh 500,00 but there was no evidence of payment of income tax by the respondents. An account at Equity Bank, registered in the name Lilian Muthoni Mbogo, had $67,331 (KSh 7.2 million) while another in the name LIDI Estates Ltd had $28,981 (KSh 3.1 million) Another account at the same bank, also under LIDI Estates Ltd, had KSh 2,297,495 while another had $8,979 (KSh 954,377) READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Patient given guard of honour by ICU staff after recovering Another account at Equity in Omollos name had KSh 1.68 million while one in the name Sahara Consultants at Diamond Trust Bank had KSh 5.65 million. Three accounts in Omollo's childrens names had more than KSh 11 million. Documents filed in court state that the amounts were deposited between January 2016 and March 2018 yet she was appointed PS for Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs on December 18, 2015. 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 This past week for the first time encouraging signs began to emerge that Canada may be flattening the curve of coronavirus infections. But how quickly will things return to normal? Its a high stakes decision that pits lives against dollars. Lifting restrictions too soon could lead to another wave of infections and hundreds of additional deaths; keeping them in place too long could cause more job losses and business closures while impairing long-term recovery efforts. Its not new that we factor human life against the economy, said Larry Smith, economics professor at the University of Waterloo. We do this implicitly all the time. The difference now is that it has to be done explicitly. Given COVID-19s brutal economic toll, pressure is mounting on public health officials to end the business shutdown, even if it means some lives will be sacrificed. More than a million Canadians lost their jobs last month by far the largest single-month job loss ever recorded and Aprils unemployment figures could be even worse. The Bank of Canada said the economic restrictions required to fight the spread of COVID-19 could cause permanent damage to the Canadian economy if they arent lifted by the summer. Politicians, sensing the publics growing impatience, have tried to temper expectations. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it would be weeks more before the federal government considered loosening restrictions, warning of the potential for a second wave of infections. We cannot be in a rush to get things going again, he said on Wednesday. When Premier Doug Ford extended the state of emergency until May 12 he indicated the economy will not be ramping up anytime soon. This is a health crisis and Im not going to jeopardize peoples health to open up the floodgates, he said. Toronto Mayor John Tory said the city is working on an approach to reopening city services guided by public health advice to ensure it doesnt cause further health risks. He promised details in the coming days on what he called a very complicated plan. Meanwhile, other jurisdictions are starting to take small steps toward easing restrictions. Quebec, the countrys hardest-hit province, allowed mining and home construction to resume. Leaders in British Columbia and Saskatchewan discussed tentative reopening plans. Some European countries began lifting restrictions this week, while parts of the U.S. are laying out the conditions under which they will reopen parts of their economies. Earlier this week the World Health Organization identified six criteria that should be in place before countries consider relaxing physical distancing measures: that transmission of the virus is controlled; the health system has the capacity to detect, test, isolate and treat every new case and trace every contact; outbreak risks are minimized in vulnerable settings, such as hospitals and nursing homes; preventive measures are put in place in schools and workplaces; importation risks can be managed; and that communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to adjust to the new norm. There is no magic formula for making this decision, Smith said. Ultimately its a judgment call based on scientific evidence and guided by public health. But we cant wait until theres no risk of virus death before reopening the economy. We dont use that standard for anything, he said. Otherwise wed prohibit all vehicle traffic. While theres an inherent tension between the economic costs and health benefits of physical distancing, the economy also benefits from sound public health decisions, said Robyn Gibbard, senior economist at the Conference Board of Canada. There is a point where we will reopen things even though that will increase the risk of additional people getting sick, he said. I think its a matter of just doing the best we can to protect people and protect their health, and recognizing that if we do open up too soon we increase the risk of things like a second wave of infections that will then force a second wave of lockdowns, which will then have a second wave of economic consequences. When and how restrictions are lifted could have major ramifications on public health and the economy for years to come. We asked epidemiologists and economists to identify the conditions that should be in place to ensure the best outcome. Lets try to do it as soon as we can, said University of Toronto epidemiologist David Fisman. But lets get our ducks in a row before we do it. Sustained decline in new infections Flattening the curve isnt enough, said Isaac Bogoch, a doctor and infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto and Toronto General Hospital. There should be a steady, continuous decline in new infections, not simply a plateau, he said. We want to see this plunge and continue to plunge. For how long? The short answer is I dont know. The longer, more nuanced answer is probably a few weeks, at least a couple of weeks. Its not just a matter of saying, Look, we have a reduction in the number of new cases, Hallelujah! We want to see this come down to a very low number of new cases per day and sustain that. Widespread testing and contact tracing Trudeau said this week that wide-scale testing will be an essential part of reopening the economy once the first wave of the epidemic is over. This is what made the containment efforts in South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan so effective. From what weve seen so far it appears to be the most effective way of keeping people safe while also allowing the economy to continue to function, said Gibbard, the Conference Board of Canada economist. The only way to keep track of how the virus is doing once more businesses are allowed to open is to have good surveillance and good situational awareness, said Fisman, the epidemiologist. You have to watch like a hawk. Developing the test-and-trace infrastructure and ensuring there is enough capacity to handle widespread testing is the challenge. When you start to lift up these public health restrictions we have to be able to rapidly identify new cases so we dont go back to square one, Bogoch said. A gradual reopening When California Gov. Gavin Newsom outlined how his state would start lifting restrictions earlier this week he emphasized that everything wont come back at once. There is no light switch here, he said. Its more like a dimmer. Experts agree this is the best approach. Whats going to happen when we start to loosen restrictions is very, very difficult to predict, said Erin Strumpf, an associate professor in both the economics and epidemiology departments at McGill University. Easing restrictions incrementally allows for greater control, she said. So that if we start seeing an uptick in the number of new cases, youre able to put some restrictions back in place in a way thats incremental and not necessarily really intense. Strumpf said that public health officials and governments will be trying to keep the infection rate at a level the health care system can handle without resorting to crisis-level care. Were going to tolerate some new infections, she said. But it should be at a low enough rate that the health care system can manage it well. Regional coordination Trudeau has said the easing of restrictions is likely to happen at different rates across the country because the epidemic is in different phases in different regions. British Columbia, for example, peaked first, while the Prairies and Maritimes have seen relatively few cases. But Bogoch said its important for there to be sustained reduction in the number of new cases in all provinces because there is still some interprovincial travel. So if one province has a terrible outbreak and other provinces are under control, we still have to be cautious there. Although not all provinces are in sync, we likely have to see all provinces headed in the right direction and all provinces demonstrating some success managing their epidemics. Public support While governments make the decision on whether businesses can open and what kind of economic activity is allowed to resume, people also need to feel safe and confident in those decisions, Gibbard said. Just opening things up on paper doesnt mean things will return to normal. You really have to do this in a way that makes people feel safe. Gibbard cited data from OpenTable, the restaurant reservation platform, that showed even before governments ordered dining rooms to close reservations had declined significantly in many countries. Similarly, Sweden, which resisted a broad lockdown, is suffering a higher death toll than neighbouring countries and still projecting an economic downturn thats comparable to countries that imposed much stricter measures. So its not just up to checking a box and saying, Things are open now, Gibbard said. You actually have to make people feel safe if you want them to resume their normal economic activity. He said federal and provincial governments should follow the example of South Korea by publicizing a set of specific criteria before a broader reopening of the economy. You set really clear, easy to understand criteria based on the science around a low level of infectiousness, a low level of untracked spread, and once you get down to that level you say, Were at a point now where we feel we have this under control, and people expect things will open up from there. This way people have confidence that the decision is evidence-based and not politicized. Nobody has to doubt that the populations health is kept in mind. Midland is home to many businesses who have found themselves in the unique position to pivot their operations to make products that will aid in the frontline fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Many businesses, such as Savant Group, QuadSil, Dow, DuPont and Three Rivers Corporation, have begun to help in one way or another, whether its producing hand sanitizer or making personal protection equipment, despite no obligation to do so. For many of these businesses, contributing to the fight against COVID-19 wasnt a matter of if, but a matter of how. Rebecca Cox, president of Savant Group, and her husband, VP of marketing and sales, Gordon Cox, said the executive board at Savant felt it was important for the company to contribute in some way to the cause. She said the production of personal protection equipment stood out as most critical and making hand sanitizer was closest to their wheelhouse. They knew they would be able to respond quickly by doing something they already had the knowledge and experience doing. We felt that we were fortunate to be in a position and be able to help out this way, she said. And honestly, we kind of carry the philosophy that if people in companies took it upon themselves to find ways to contribute to the greater good, we all would be able to produce and live in a world that was able to respond faster when critical areas of need like this come up. So, we just wanted to be able to be that type of company and those types of people that step up when the need was there. Founded in Midland, the Savant Group consists of Savant Labs, Tannas Co., King Refrigeration, and the Institute of Materials, which together have reshaped the lubricant industry over the last 50 years. With half of the companys business done in an international marketplace, the group has not been unaffected by this pandemic, Rebecca said. Speaking for the whole group of companies, weve been affected pretty drastically, she said. Although we serve companies that are operating in critical infrastructure sectors, like energy or transportation, food production; oil those types of areas our production is about a quarter of what it usually is at this time of the year. So, with production lines a lot quieter in Midland, theyve begun using what would normally be blending and bottling reference oils and calibration fluids, to hand sanitizer. Gordon said theyve begun to acquire the raw materials to blend and bottle hand sanitizer in one-gallon bottles to ship out. Beginning next week, their output will be about 1,500 gallons a week. They already have orders placed in places like Bay City and even in Illinois, and the company hopes to provide supplies to institutions like police departments, schools and healthcare systems, long after the executive orders expire. The way were looking at this even when the stay-at-home mandate is lifted, there is still going to be the COVID-virus out there, and now were bringing people back into intermixing. So, if anything, the demand and the need for hand sanitizer is going to increase over the next few months, not decrease, Rebecca said. Other local corporations, like Dow, have also been contributing to hand sanitizer production. Dows Auburn site has the capacity to produce about 15,000 pounds (7 metric tons) of hand sanitizer per week, which equates to nearly 30,000 eight-ounce bottles. Antimicrobial solution makes its way to market In a similar fashion, local research and development company, QuadSil, has made an antimicrobial gel/spray formula that claims to protect hands and surfaces for up to four to eight hours, even despite hand washing. Amberlyn Hales, CFO and COO for QuadSil, said just 1 milliliter of their hand gel, SiArmor, is needed to bind and provide protection for four to eight hours on hands. It also comes as a spray for surfaces. She said it does not contain alcohol, like traditional hand sanitizers. So, if you were to touch a shopping cart or a door handle, and there was e-coli on it for example, you would kill it, Hales said. Its not going to get on your hands and continue to grow like if you were to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer as soon as its dry you dont have any continuing protection. QuadSil has since partnered with RVs for MDs, a nationwide Facebook group that is connecting first responders with recreational vehicles to live in during the pandemic. Hales said they have distributed their SiArmor spray to clean RVs. In addition, she said they are in contact with the City of Flint to spray their police vehicles and are hoping to get the Midland Police Department on board as well. QuadSil traditionally works in an industrial market but for the better part of the last four years, the company has been working to get FDA approval to sell their antimicrobial hand gel straight to the consumer. Now amid the coronavirus pandemic, that approval came at a seemingly ideal time. We have been working on bringing this to market for over four years and it just happened to fall, truthfully, coincidentally, with the pandemic, Hales said. She said this antimicrobial solution is the lifes work of John Blizzard, owner of the QuadSil, Dow retiree and former chair of the American Chemical Society. This is 35 years of his work into this hand gel product, Hales said. So, its a very big deal for him to finally see it reach people because he spent so many years working on formulating this its a patented product and hes really really excited. In terms of the product finally hitting the shelves during a virus pandemic, Hales said its very emotional and humbling for Blizzard, who is now 74. Its been quite the process for everyone because no one saw this coming and just some of the pure coincidences of it have been astounding, she said. However, like other businesses, QuadSil is feeling the negative effects of the pandemic. Hales said theyve never had trouble obtaining plastic bottles, until now. To learn more about QuadSils SiArmor Hand Gel or to shop the product online, visit www.siarmor.com. Ramping up PPE production This week, DuPont launched a new program, dubbed #TyvekTogether, to increase the overall availability of Tyvek personal protective garments as a way for the company's to help combat the spread of COVID-19 and protect frontline responders. DuPont has invested in equipment and technology to significantly increase its production of Tyvek and Tychem garments globally to meet the ever-increasing demand for personal protection equipment (PPE). At full capacity, this initiative could deliver 6 million additional non-surgical isolation gowns per month, according to the company. Since January DuPont has increased production of Tyvek garments by more than 9 million garments per month specifically for COVID-19 response, which is more than double the amount produced for any prior crisis. In addition, the #TyvekTogether Program will introduce a new specialized Tyvek fabric to enable an increase in the amount of garment production for the COVID-19 response to 15 million garments a month. Additionally, DuPont will donate more than 57,000 Tyvek coveralls directly to the states in the U.S. most impacted by COVID-19, which includes Michigan. The DuPont Personal Protection unit of DuPont Safety & Construction remains committed to helping to protect those who protect others, especially as we strive to protect the dedicated workers on the front lines fighting COVID-19, the company stated. For more information about the #TyvekTogether program, visit www.dupont.com/personal-protection/tyvektogether.html. Also in the realm of PPE, Three Rivers Corporation has worked with MidMichigan Health and an engineering firm, Eckert Wordell, built a mobile decontamination trailer that will be used at MidMichigan Health to sterilize face masks for employees. Chris Moultrup, director of business development for Three Rivers Corporation, said it can hold about 50 face masks at once and uses ultraviolet germicidal radiation to sterilize masks in 20 minutes. This will allow employees to use one mask up to three times. In addition, Moultrup said Three Rivers Corporation is gearing up to do much more in terms of helping those on the frontline of the pandemic. He said more news on that will be available soon. Credit: National Cancer Institute As an expert in the commercialization of early-stage technologies, especially in the life science and medical device industries, Supriya Munshaw, senior lecturer at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, has monitored news of the vaccine development process during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the following conversation, Munshaw offers insights on the likely time frame for a coronavirus vaccine, the steps involved in developing one, the most promising candidates currently in the labs of biotech companies, and why, years after the MERS and SARS outbreaks, a coronavirus vaccine still has not been produced. Some U.S. government officials are talking about a COVID-19 vaccine being ready in a year to 18 months. And some experts say that's too soon, if it's going to be a safe vaccine. What do you think is a likely time frame? A year to 18 months is very optimistic. Typically, a safe and effective vaccine will take anywhere from 10 to 15 years for development if one is starting from scratch. The good news here is that coronaviruses aren't novel, and there are groups that have already been working on such viruses for a while, especially since the MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV epidemics. So we are not starting from scratch, but even then 18 months is quite optimistic. Given the urgency of the situation, it is most likely that the manufacturer and the FDA will work together to balance the risks and benefits of the vaccine, such that the first vaccine we get may not be the most effective as long as it is safe. Since vaccines are given to healthy individuals, the safety requirements are quite high. What steps are involved in developing a vaccine for COVID-19? What are the challenges and costs? As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states on its website, vaccine development begins with an exploratory phase that involves identifying the appropriate antigens, or particles on the virus that can be used to elicit an immune response in the vaccine recipient. This is the basic research stage and can take anywhere from two to four years. The next stage is pre-clinical studies, where the response to the identified antigen is observed in animals and in cell and tissue cultures, taking up to two years. Next, we move on to the clinical trial stage, where in Phase I the vaccine candidate is tested in a small group of people (about 20 to 30) to ensure safety, followed by Phase II, where a larger group of individuals (typically hundreds to thousands) is tested for safety, dosage, and administration. Finally, in Phase III, the manufacturer tests the vaccine on thousands of people and looks for the incidence of disease in their large sample. It takes time to recruit people, find sites for clinical trials, and establish protocols. Once all that is done, these large vaccine trials can go on for anywhere from one to five years, because you are waiting to see if your vaccinated group has a lower incidence of disease than your placebo group. Again, given the urgency of this situation, a surrogate endpoint may be used such that the effectiveness of the vaccine is measured in the type and length of immune response it can elicit. But even then, you're talking one to two years for this last phase alone. Also, one must remember that there is a high failure rate at each stage, so just because we found an antigen at the exploratory phase doesn't mean it will end up being a vaccine. Another important aspect is scaling and manufacturing. Regulatory approval does not mean that enough vaccines can be manufactured quickly enough and then be available for the entire population. We often have flu vaccine shortages, even after planning those vaccines in advance. Is it correct that a coronavirus vaccine has never been developed? If so, why wasn't one developed after the MERS and SARS outbreaks of the past two decades? There are no vaccines to protect against any of the coronaviruses. But the research that was done during the previous epidemics may have shortened the exploratory and pre-clinical stages for the COVID-19 vaccine. That's why we already have vaccine candidates in Phase I. The MERS-CoV vaccine is still under development, but the disease is primarily contained to the Arab peninsula. And since SARS-CoV disappeared, a vaccine is no longer necessary. Are there ways to speed up the vaccine development process through a coordinated effort between public and private entities? The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations is coordinating a majority of the efforts of vaccine discovery throughout the globe. It arranges funding, partnerships, and collaboration efforts among governments, pharmaceutical companies, and research organizations to speed up this process. For example, they brought together Moderna, the biotech company with a lead vaccine candidate in Phase I trials, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to conduct the trial. What are the most promising vaccine candidates right now? Several companies are working on vaccine candidates. We have candidates from Moderna, Inovio, CanSino Biologics, and Shenzhen Genoimmune Medical Institute in the lead in Phase I trials. The others are in preclinical or exploratory stages. Interestingly, a trial is about to begin in Australia to test the effectiveness of the bacillus CalmetteGuerin vaccinetypically used to prevent tuberculosisagainst COVID-19. We know this vaccine is already safe, so that's taken care of. It will be interesting to see if it is effective. Do you see a coronavirus vaccination, once developed, becoming an annual occurrence, similar to influenza vaccinations? It depends on how long the virus lasts and how fast it mutates. The SARS-CoV disappeared before a vaccine was ever developed. There are several hypotheses why this happened, but no one knows exactly why. The social distancing and isolation measures taken during that time probably played an important role in curbing the spread. In terms of its mutation rate, influenza has lasted and has a very high mutation rate, meaning the virus changes rapidly, and several strains are often in circulation. So every year a vaccine is made based on predictions of the strains that will be around that year. Even then, influenza vaccines don't confer 100% protection because it is difficult to predict every single mutation. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 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. Bihar saw a spurt in fresh cases of Covid-19 on Thursday with 10 people including a two-year-old girl testing positive for the dreaded novel coronavirus, taking the total count of positive cases to 80 in the state, a top official said. The child was among six persons from Munger districts Jamalpur sub division who tested positive. All of them were related to a 60-year-old patient, health departments principal secretary Sanjay Kumar said. In addition to the girl, the Munger cases include three women aged between 20 and 55 years and two men, aged 38 and 40 years, he added. Follow latest updates on coronavirus here With a total of 14 cases, including six recoveries and a death, Munger is now the second worst-affected district of the state after Siwan where 29 people have tested positive so far. Two men, aged 35 and 67 years, and hailing from Buxar district, have also tested positive, the principal secretary said. Buxar district magistrate Aman Samir said, The two had on March 30 returned home after taking part in a Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Asansol, West Bengal where they are believed to have picked up the contagion from infected delegates. Notably, the Islamic organisation, which has its headquarters at Nizamuddin in Delhi, has been blamed for a large number of coronavirus cases across the country. Also read| Covid-19: What you need to know today The Jamaat had held a congregation at its headquarters in the first half of March, which was attended by hundreds of participants from abroad and some of them were suspected to have carried the infection. Besides, a 60-year-old man in Patna, who came in touch with a Covid-19 patient with travel history to Dubai, and a 35-year-old man from Vaishali district had tested positive late on Wednesday night. The Vaishali patient has no travel history and is admitted to AIIMS, Patna for multiple illnesses. His samples were sent for testing when he developed respiratory distress, the official said. After he tested positive, his village in Raghopur block of Vaishali and a private hospital in the state capital where he underwent treatment before being taken to AIIMS have been sealed by the respective district administrations. Those with whom he has been known to come in contact have been kept in isolation wards, the official added. Meanwhile, the state government embarked on an extensive door-to-door screening programme on the lines of the pulse polio campaign of the 1980s. The screening programme was reviewed on its inaugural day at a high-level meeting chaired here by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Click here for complete coronavirus coverage Out of 38 districts in the state, 13 have reported Covid-19 cases. Gopalganj, which had reported three cases and Lakhisarai, Bhagalpur and Saran accounting for one case each are now left with no active case. The health departments principal secretary said Bihars recovery rate was better than all states except Kerala and Chhattisgarh and its mortality rate was significantly lower than the national average. He also underscored every day, on an average, 1,900 people die in Bihar in natural course. Lets not confuse all deaths with Covid-19. We need to be careful and vigilant. BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the need for more global cooperation to tackle the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday and voiced support for the World Health Organisation after the United States cut its funding. Many world leaders have condemned a decision this week by U.S. President Donald Trump to suspend funding for the agency amid a crisis that has left more than 2 million people infected and almost 140,000 dead worldwide. BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the need for more global cooperation to tackle the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday and voiced support for the World Health Organisation after the United States cut its funding. Many world leaders have condemned a decision this week by U.S. President Donald Trump to suspend funding for the agency amid a crisis that has left more than 2 million people infected and almost 140,000 dead worldwide. Merkel told a video conference of leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialised nations that the crisis can only be tackled with a strong and coordinated international response. And the German leader expressed her full support for the WHO in the call, her spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement. Merkel had also backed European Commission proposals for a virtual donor conference and said G7 countries had a special responsibility to help countries in Africa. The United States contributed more than $400 million to the WHO in 2019, but Trump has accused it of promoting Chinese "disinformation" about the virus. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who hosted a video conference of foreign ministers in the Alliance for Multilateralism, a group of 23 countries, said the WHO remained 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 after the talks, and that the Alliance had agreed to strengthen the body, adding there may be lessons to be learned once the worst of the crisis was over. Asked if Germany would step in to help fill the gap left by the United States, Maas told reporters that jumping in when another country withdraws contributions was wrong in principle as it can encourage others to do the same. Maas also said the Alliance, set up by Germany and France in 2018 to support the United Nations, agreed that ensuring a fair distribution of protective materials, tests and medicine as soon as they are available to poorer nations was needed. (Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Alexander Smith) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Kansas City Mayor Q Answers Lockdown Questions Mayor Lucas discusses KC's response to COVID-19 Thursday, April 16, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas extended the citywide stay-at-home order until Friday, May 15. The order was originally set to expire Friday, April 24. In a recent interview, Mayor Lucas discussed his perspective on how Kansas City has responded to the coronavirus pandemic, his priorities, how he is working with schools during this time, and what it has taught him in his leadership role. Kansas City Newsie Niceness Stays Winning Cash Thank you, Kansas City! One KC effort raises more than $2 million KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City, THANK YOU! Together, we were able to raise $1,062,008 in donations for One KC. Wow! Combined with the $1 million dollar match from the Hall Family Foundation and Sunderland Foundation, the total raised today is $2,062,008. KC, you opened up your hearts and your wallets. Local Farmers Suffer Mooooolah Drought Missouri dairy farmers hit hard by COVID-19 closures Meat and dairy suppliers are among the hardest hit in the agriculture industry by coronavirus-related closures. With demand from schools, restaurants and exports down, dairy farmers are seeing a surplus of milk."For a cow, once you stop milking her there is no restarting," Chris Heins said.Heins' farm in Higginsville produces 8,000 gallons of milk a day. Kansas Church Warning 5 deaths, 44 coronavirus cases tied to gathering at KCK church KANSAS CITY, KS (KCTV) -- In an update to previous reporting KCTV5 News has done, the number of cases and deaths that have been tied to a church gathering in KCK has increased. According to data from Wyandotte County, 44 people in the state were infected after attending the Eastern Kansas Minister's Conference at Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ in Kansas City, Kansas. Golden Ghetto Gears Up Johnson County approves $250,000 for new personal protective equipment KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Health care workers and first responders in Johnson County will soon have new personal protective equipment to help keep them safe on the front line of the COVID-19 fight. The Johnson County Board of Commissioners voted Thursday to approve a contract to buy more than $250,000 of emergency personal protective equipment, according to a news release from the county. Newspaper Notices Rising Social Media Protest Stay-at-home order protests planned for Kansas City, Topeka, Jefferson City next week Demonstrations like the "Operation Gridlock" event that brought traffic to a standstill in Lansing, Michigan, on Wednesday are planned for next week in Kansas City, Jefferson City and Topeka to protest local and state COVID-19 shutdown orders. Public Radio Finally Reports Working Class Harsh Times Kansas City Area Residents Seeking Jobless Benefits Face Busy Phone Lines And Broken Web Sites Thousands of metro residents are among the 22 million Americans who have filed for unemployment in the past four weeks. But given the existing limitations of state computer systems and phone lines in both Kansas and Missouri's Departments of Labor, there are many who are struggling to get their claims processed. EPIC QB Lends Helping Hand Patrick Mahomes' foundation works with KC Public Schools to deliver hygiene kits to students in need GUSTING UP TO 25 MPH. ROB: IF YOU LIVE IN KANSAS, YOU HAVE AT LEAST 2 MORE WEEKS OF STAYING AT HOME TO FIGHT OFF THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 THE ORIGINAL STATEWIDE ORDER WAS SUPPOSED TO EXPIRE SUNDAY. BUT AS KMBC9'S MARTIN AUGUSTINE EXPLAINS, THAT'S NO LONGER THE CASE. Numbers and resources tonight . . .After the jump we share more news links, human interest stories and roundup reports regarding the local impact of the pandemic:Developing . . . New Delhi: Auto industry body SIAM on Friday said availability of labour and ensuring a fully operational supply chain will be some of the major challenges for partial resumption of economic activity from April 20. Despite various challenges, including closure of the sales network, the industry is preparing to commence operations with detailed safety protocols in place, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) President Rajan Wadhera said in a statement. His comments were in response to the recent guidelines issued by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for containment of COVID-19 pandemic in the country and partial opening of economic activities. "Many of our member original equipment manufacturer (OEMs) who are operating in rural areas outside municipal limits and those who are operating in industrial estates and industrial townships are in touch with the respective state/district administrations to explore how they can restart their operations from April 20," Wadhera said. Availability of labour and ensuring a fully operational supply chain would be major challenges which needs to be addressed by the individual companies before any decision is taken to open up, he added. Continued closure at dealerships would be another key challenge, Wadhera noted. "The industry in the meanwhile is getting fully prepared with detailed protocols for opening up which will ensure safety through social distancing at the workplace and factories," he said. SIAM has also prepared a recommended protocol based on inputs from its member original equipment manufacturer (OEMs), he added By Natalia Zinets KIEV (Reuters) - A Kiev court has rejected an appeal by Chinese investors to unfreeze the shares of a Ukrainian aircraft engine maker, a setback for the Chinese company that has sought to acquire the Ukrainian firm in a deal opposed by the United States. China's Skyrizon Aircraft Holdings Limited bought a majority stake in the aircraft engine maker Motor Sich, but the shares were frozen in 2017 pending an investigation by Ukraine's security service (SBU). Washington wants the deal scrapped. The United States and China have competed for influence in Ukraine since its relations with Moscow soured when Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014. In its ruling, the court kept the shares frozen, citing the SBU probe into whether selling Motor Sich sabotages national security by allowing sensitive technology into foreign hands. The ruling was dated March 13, shared with the parties this week and reviewed by Reuters on Friday. Skyrizon plans further appeals, said a lawyer involved in the case, speaking anonymously due to the political sensitivity of the case. Zelenskiy's office, the U.S. embassy and the Chinese embassy did not respond to a request for comment. Motor Sich and the SBU declined comment. Motor Sich severed ties with Russia, its biggest client, after the annexation of Crimea. The wrangle over its future has held up efforts to find new markets, and supporters of a quick resolution say it is now operating at less than half capacity. "Motor Sich has become a hostage to the geopolitical situation," former Prime Minister Anatoliy Kinakh, chairman of an industrial union which has called for the government to resolve the dispute quickly, told Reuters. The state's anti-monopoly committee has launched its own investigation and says it is waiting to receive more documents before deciding whether to sanction the sale. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's administration has had to balance strengthening ties to Beijing with keeping the United States, its biggest military aid donor, onside. In recent weeks, Beijing and Washington have both offered aid to Ukraine to fight the coronavirus. At the moment it is a very difficult task when we have the biggest powers in the world and their interests are in conflict in Ukraine," Oleksandr Danylyuk, a former top security official under Zelenskiy, told Reuters. (Additional reporting by Ilya Zhegulev; Writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Peter Graff) TEL AVIV - The US will give 5 million euros to the Palestinian National Authority (PA) to deal with basic needs during the fight against COVID-19, US ambassador to Israel David Friedman announced on Twitter. The move is the first of the kind in two years after the US froze funds to the PA due to Palestinian opposition to US president Donald Trump's peace plan. Friedman said that the money would be for hospitals and to support families in need and that the US is helping the Palestinian population as well as others throughout the world suffering from the pandemic. Republican senators had in recent days urged the US administration to help Palestinians. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: After seeing an SOS message from a Rajya Sabha member from Odisha on Twitter regarding migrant workers being stranded in Ongole without food, a group of IT professionals from Hyderabad swung into action and handed over ration that would last for a week to the distressed migrants. MP Amar Patnaik on Wednesday tweeted that despite coordinating with the Andhra Pradesh government, help had not reached the said workers. Co-ordination of over 10 days has failed to help a group of 30 Odias with ration. Left with no choice, they have decided to walk from AP to Odisha, said Patnaik. Seeing this, several people reached out to the MP offering help, including Sai Teja, an IT professional from Hyderabad. Teja, who has been coordinating relief efforts since the last 20 days for destitutes in the city, sprung into action. We posted the SOS message on several groups. In one group I had a common friend hailing from Ongole. He saw the SOS and responded, said Teja. His contact in Ongole, Manohar, took up the challenge and purchased Rs 4,000 worth groceries and travelled 10 kms to the company site and delivered the food items. The MP personally thanked the team on Twitter for their intervention. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia told CNBC on Friday that the federal government is helping states deal with the crush of Americans filing for unemployment insurance and the guidelines for paying out an additional federal coronavirus stipend. On top of the jobless benefits provided by the states, last month's $2.2 trillion coronavirus rescue package passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump allocated an additional $600 per week from the federal government for up to four months. "About two-thirds of the states are now making those payments," Scalia said. "We want to help them succeed in getting these payments out to workers." Scalia, son of late conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, said the federal government is providing resources to the states, some of which have decades-old computer systems. "We have a billion dollars that we are giving out to help them with those systems." In just a month, 22 million workers have filed first-time jobless claims, including more than 5.2 million last week alone. The U.S. economy is close to wiping out all the jobs created in the 10 years since the Great Recession. Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, accepted a major endorsement from the lobbying group J Street today, setting up a battle for the former vice presidents ear with the left-leaning organizations main rival, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). J Street has been a powerful voice to advance social justice here at home and to advocate for a two-state solution that advances Middle East peace, Biden said in a statement. I share with J Street's membership an unyielding dedication to the survival and security of Israel, and an equal commitment to creating a future of peace and opportunity for Israeli and Palestinian children alike. This is the first time J Street has ever endorsed a candidate for president. The increasingly influential lobby group first announced that it would endorse the eventual Democratic nominee in January. At a time when the threats to our core values both at home and abroad have never been more serious, all of us in the pro-Israel, pro-peace community know that the path to a better future begins with defeating Donald Trump at the polls, said J Street president Jeremy Ben-Ami. Why it matters: Biden has traditionally boasted close ties with AIPAC throughout his decades-long political career. Still, that didnt stop AIPAC from spending millions to defeat the Iran nuclear deal that Biden championed as vice president. The vice president thanked J Street for its support for the Iran deal when addressing the groups national gala in 2016. Nonetheless, Biden has resisted J Streets push to restrict military aid to Israel if it moves forward with annexing West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley a position that more closely aligns with AIPAC. Biden took the time to address both last years J Street conference and this years AIPAC conference via video. During his AIPAC address, Biden urged the Israelis to stop the threats of annexation and settlement activity, warning that they would undermine support for Israel in the United States, especially among young people in both political parties. This position stood in stark contrast to AIPAC president Betsy Berns Korns remarks at the conference, who praised Trump for greenlighting annexation in his peace plan. Whats next: J Street will now transfer $240,000 to the Biden campaign through its PAC. The organization noted that it also plans to raise more than $1 million for Biden before election day. Know more: AIPAC and J Street are engaged in a fierce tug-of-war with the Democratic party over whether and to what extent the United States should lift Iran sanctions, reports congressional correspondent Bryant Harris. Also check out his report on how AIPAC has convinced a sizable number of Democrats to jump on board with undoing one of the last provisions of the Iran nuclear deal. JALANDHAR Mandeep Singh, a member of Sikh Federation UK, died due to Covid-19 at Leicester city in the United Kingdom on Thursday evening. Mandeep, 46, who hailed from Chitti village of Jalandhar district, ran construction business in Leicester and was associated with various gurdwaras there. Varinder Singh, chairman of Gurdwara Guru Teg Bahadur, Leicester, told HT over phone that Mandeep got infected with coronavirus in the last week of March and was shifted to a hospital in Leicester two weeks ago. He was on ventilator and breathed his last late Thursday evening. He is survived by his parents, wife and two sons. Mandeep moved to the UK in 1993 and established his business. Gurjit Samra, spokesperson for Sikh Federation UK, said that Mandeep remained on the front foot in the community fund-raiser functions. He was a very nice person and an asset to the community. Claudia Webbe, member of parliament from Leicester East, tweeted, So sad to learn of the #Coronavirus death of Mandeep Singh Chitte. Hed been a huge support to me. My thoughts are with his family, friends & loved ones. He did so much for the community, so gentle, so kind and well respected amongst @SikhFedUK of Leicester-this is a massive loss. ROME, Ga. - Three Georgia men accused of belonging to a white supremacist group and of plotting to kill a couple were denied bond Thursday after requesting a hearing because of coronavirus concerns, authorities said. Floyd County Superior Court Chief Judge Bryant Durham rejected bond requests for 25-year-old Michael Helterbrand of Dalton; 19-year-old Jacob Kaderli of Dacula; and 21-year-old Luke Lane of Silver Creek, news outlets reported. The three men face charges of conspiring to kill members of a militant anti-fascist group and participation in a criminal gang. Floyd County police said the men belong to the Base, a group described by the FBI as a collective of hardcore neo-Nazis, operating as a paramilitary organization that is hostile to minority communities. An arrest affidavit said the men planned to kill a married couple who were anti-fascist protesters part of the Antifa movement and believed that killing the couple would send a message to enemies of The Base. The men were previously denied bond in February but requested another hearing amid coronavirus concerns and delays. Lanes attorney, Emily Matson, said social distancing was impossible in jail and inmates dont have access to disinfectants. Matson and the other attorneys argued they couldnt adequately represent their clients because of massive amounts of evidence presented by the FBI and limited access to their clients because of COVID-19 restrictions. The judge told the attorneys to appeal in two weeks. Floyd County Sheriffs Sgt. Anthony Cromer said there have been no cases of COVID-19 in the jail. We are screening all of our staff two times per shift at least, Cromer said. Organizers of The Base recruit fellow white supremacists online especially veterans because of their military training and use encrypted chat rooms and train members in military-style camps in the woods, according to experts who track extremist groups. The group, which has the motto learn, train, fight, brings together white supremacists of varying ideologies, the experts say. The impact of coronavirus in Northern Ireland has not been as severe as in other parts of the UK, senior health officials have said. Our figures are more closely aligned with the Irish Republic. The observations from Dr Michael McBride, NI's Chief Medical Officer, and Professor Ian Young, the chief scientific adviser to the Department of Health, came during yesterday's Stormont press briefing. Dr McBride said there had been a "noticeable difference" in the virus' impact here compared to other parts of the UK and Europe. "It is fair to say that the virus and the spread of the virus and the epidemic is again more similar to that in the Republic of Ireland compared to some parts of the United Kingdom and indeed some parts of Europe more generally," he said. Dr McBride said compliance with social distancing in Northern Ireland has been "astounding". Prof Young cited a number of potential factors, including population density, age distribution of the population and high social distancing compliance in Northern Ireland. He added: "I think from a modelling perspective, we intervened at a somewhat earlier stage of the epidemic than was the case in the rest of the UK." Dr McBride said the next phase in our response to the pandemic could see a return to contact tracing and containment. "We are now moving through the peak of the current wave of Covid-19 and the impact has been seen in terms of lives lost, in terms of admissions to hospital and into intensive care," he said. He continued: "In the weeks ahead we will be considering how our response needs to change as the pandemic evolves and therefore our response will need to evolve. "That may include us introducing again some of the measures that we did previously in terms of containment, contact tracing and testing as the virus circulates less widely in the community." Queen Elizabeth IIs husband, Prince Philip, has interacted with the public many times over the years during royal engagements and walkabouts. At times, people try to engage the Duke of Edinburgh in conservation but if hed rather not have one he has a way of getting out of it that doesnt get picked up on. Philip, however, is not the only royal who has adopted a subtle trick to end conversations. Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth also have their own ways of doing that. Read on to find out what they do to avoid getting stuck in lengthy conversations. Prince Philip | Matt Dunham WPA Pool / Getty Images How Prince Charles breaks conversations during engagements As the heir apparent, Prince Charles has been in the public eye all his life. Over the years the future king has done countless engagements and has found a way to end a conversation in a polite way. Royal historian Hugo Vickers spoke to People magazine about how Charles and other members of Britains most famous family avoid getting sucked into awkward conversations. The Prince of Wales likes to break up a conversation with some humor or a chuckle before moving along. Prince Charles has a quick ha ha and that enables him to break the conversation, Vickers revealed. The trick Prince Philip uses so he doesnt get stuck in a conversation Prince Philip | Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images Charles father, on the other hand, has figured out a way he can stop long conversations from happening before they even start. Being married to the queen and having performed royal duties for seven decades, Prince Philip perfected how to move on from conversing with someone as quickly as possible. Vickers noted that the duke uses a specific sweeping motion when he greets people in crowds during a walkabout. Hell shake a persons hand, ask a question and then swing his hand from left to right moving down the line so swiftly that by the time you answer he is well out of earshot. Queen Elizabeth sends signals when she wants a conversation to end Queen Elizabeth II | Scott Barbour/Getty Images Of all the ways members of the royal family get out of or avoid lengthy conversations altogether, Queen Elizabeths is the most sophisticated. The monarch discreetly uses her handbag to send cues to her aides that shes ready to leave a conversation so they can usher her away. The queens staffers keep a close eye on her movements when shes speaking to palace guests or members of the public and they are trained to know exactly what each signal means. For example, if the queen wants to get out of a conversation with someone shell move her purse from one hand to the other. Sometimes she will be more obvious though by placing her handbag on the ground or spinning her wedding ring feverishly till she is recused by one of her staffers. According to the Daily Mail, if shes ready to wrap up a dinner party shell place her handbag on the table as a sign that she wants the event to end ASAP. Read more: Why Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip Are Living Together Again For the First Time in More Than Two Years For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here. With shelter-in-place orders forcing many restaurants and bars to rethink their business, bars are coming up with increasingly creative ways to connect with customers and help staffers who are facing not only decreased hours, but layoffs. Navigating new, relaxed rules from Alcoholic Beverage Control that allows for to-go cocktails alongside food, the bartending crews at Tonys Pizza Napoletana and the rest of Tony Gemignanis restaurants came up with a plan. A friendly, competitive plan that was hatched on Instagram. We have a core group of regulars that come just to hang out, explained Tonys bar manager, Elmer Mejicanos. So we said, what if we do something where instead of the same, full cocktail menu that will be available for you to purchase, how about each bartender comes up with a cocktail or something that we already had on the menu that was their creation and then put [together] a competition where we see who has more regulars that are going to buy your drinks. For the first competition, Mejicanos and two other bartenders introduced their personalized, to-go cocktails on Tonys Instagram page, @tonyspizza415, inviting customers to vote for their favorites by ordering specific cocktails. READ ALSO: Bay Area restaurants and nonprofits are feeding hospital workers. Here's how you can help Along with that, Tonys patrons could send tips directly to the bartender via the groups virtual tip jar: a Google spreadsheet of Venmo, PayPal and CashApp accounts for the bartender. (Since its launch, the tip jar has become so popular that the list has expanded to include bartenders and servers from other North Beach establishments, as it has become a way for the neighborhoods workers to get some support from their usual customers.) The turnout for the first competition was great, according to Mejicanos, and served a number of purposes. Not only does it help their bartenders with hours to work and some tips it gives them a way to connect with their customers during this difficult time. The more we get [our bartenders] involved, the more we can give them hours and the better off they are, Mejicanos said. Now they have a stage where customers can actually get money directly to them. People come into Tony's to buy pizza and a handful of cocktails, but they can't necessarily have an interaction with people there they just grab the stuff and leave. But now when they're home, and they're enjoying their drinks and their pizza, they can just go to whoever made those cocktails and send them a tip directly. I think everybody, including business owners and bar managers, just anybody in the industry, because of what's happening right now, is trying to get a little more creative," Mejicanos later added. "Everybody's trying to figure out ways to connect, because our industry is all about service. It's the human connection, the conversation, the interactions and that is basically everything that you can't do right now. I think having this tip jar that you can just go online and tip, or just see people filming videos of bartenders making their cocktails ... basically customers are able to see you, in a way, making their cocktails without them having to be there." Gillian Fitzgerald, co-owner of the bar Casements in the Mission, has also turned to Instagram during the shelter-in-place orders, but in a different way. Fitzgerald has been teaching cocktail classes since 2013, such as with Workshop SF, and now each day at 11:30 a.m., she showcases a new cocktail she makes in her home kitchen, live on her Instagram page, @gillian_fitzgerald. This is not so much a business plan, but a way for Fitzgerald to keep busy, as well as stay creative and do something she enjoys. I do the classes at 11:30 for my own mental health, a little bit, Fitzgerald admitted. It ensures that no matter what's going on we're up early in the morning applying for grants or we're getting orders and deliveries ready here at the bar I set aside some time. Or, if I'm having a sy day and I'm still in bed at 10 o'clock, I have to get up, because I have to go do this thing at 11:30 and prep for it. So it's good for me, too, to keep my own mental health in check. Fitzgeralds been teaching simple cocktails with ingredients and alcohol that most people have at home, swapping out professional bar equipment like Boston shakers and mixing spoons, for things like pickle jars and a chopstick to make things accessible. The experience has also kept Fitzgerald in contact with friends in her homeland of Ireland and elsewhere. We try and bring a little joy to everyone's morning, Fitzgerald said. It's super DIY. Most of the drinks are very, very simple and it's more just so that normal people can enjoy a cocktail at home. And if they don't want to make it, they can buy it from me online, Fitzgerald joked, referring to the to-go cocktail program at Casements. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BAR: A list of Bay Area bars and breweries with gift cards, crowdfunders and to-go offerings For Elda, social media was at first another avenue for the bar to help its bartenders. What began as charming Instagram videos on @elda_sf eventually pivoted into a side hustle of becoming part-media company, with Elda producing cocktail video classes for customers and corporate groups, alongside the bars to-go food and cocktails. It's kind of like a spirit lifter for the people that are a little bit inactive and definitely need some kind of activity or something to focus on, besides the day-to-day routine of what shelter in place is actually like, said Elda owner Alvaro Rojas. Rojas credited his talented staff with deciding to do a bartending recipe series via Instagram from each bartenders home. The videos showcase the staff and include guest spots from beloved pets and plants, and more importantly, link to each bartenders personal Venmo account for tips. Bartender Christian Suzuki was the first to go in front of the camera, and with it opened up opportunities to do private cocktail classes via places like Zoom for events such as a bachelorette party that had to cancel their plans. The group also found opportunities to do corporate events remotely such as at Facebook. The social media company was already doing a cocktail series with places like True Laurel, and Elda was able to jump on board with its own series of classes. Elda is also planning to do more events via Zoom, Rojas said, with the plan to deliver custom cocktail kits to attendees in San Francisco, so they would be able to follow along with the lesson. For any interested bar, bartender that wants to do the same thing, I definitely recommend it it's important that we continue to engage with each other in whatever way possible, Rojas said. We don't know how long [the shutdown] is going to last and if people are able to make a little bit of money, then even better. It was very disheartening to have to lay off our employees and, you know, as somebody that also bartended and lived check to check in the city for a long time, missing one paycheck is really difficult for a lot of our staff, considering the cost of living in San Francisco. So, you know, it may not sound like much, but if you can make 50 bucks doing a video somehow, if somebody's going to pay you to do it for 100 bucks, then that means a lot and it can go a long way. Part of the reason we also wanted to do this was just to show people that we're not just scared and sheltering in place, Rojas later added. We wanted to remain relevant as well, to let people know that we're still here, we're still doing things. We still wanted to connect to our guests since we couldn't connect to them at Elda in a face-to-face kind of way that we used to. It was a way for us to kind of continue what our business is, what we do, in the only way possible. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Dianne de Guzman is a Digital Editor at SFGATE. Email: dianne.deguzman@sfgate.com Hospitals continue to perform medically unnecessary circumcisions on male infants, diverting personal protective equipment (PPE) and other needed medical resources during the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Why are we allowing hospitals to keep cutting the genitals of perfectly healthy baby boys when really sick people are fighting for their lives? Even though U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams, MD, has asked health care systems to cancel elective, non-essential procedures for adults, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that there is not sufficient scientific evidence to recommend routine newborn circumcision, hospitals continue to perform medically unnecessary circumcisions on male infants, diverting personal protective equipment (PPE) and other needed medical resources during the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. To rectify this waste of medical resources, as well as protect the natural bodies of baby boys, Intact America today launched a petition drive to demand that the Surgeon General tell hospitals to stop performing male child circumcisions at this critical time. Intact America estimates that, nationwide, hospitals perform 3,000 newborn circumcisions a day, or more than 1 million circumcisions a year, and that each day, the medically unnecessary procedure consumes 6,000 surgical masks, 6,000 pairs of protective gloves, and other supplies that could be better put to use protecting frontline health care workers from COVID-19 and treating sick patients. Intact America is the largest national advocacy group working to end involuntary child genital cutting in America. Baby boys do not need to be circumcised at any time, but its particularly jarring to see it happening now, when hospitals are short-staffed, lack personal protective equipment for their doctors, nurses, and aides, and are places to be avoided unless one is critically ill, says Georganne Chapin, Executive Director of Intact America. Circumcision creates an open wound on a vulnerable newborn, and it actually extends the hospital stay for both babies and their mothers, increasing the likelihood that they will be exposed to COVID-19 and other pathogens. In an opinion article published in USA Today, Surgeon General Adams called on hospital systems to cancel or delay non-essential elective procedures during the current national health emergency. At a time when health providers in the hardest-hit areas are concerned about having enough PPE [personal protective equipment] to take care of COVID-19 patients, it is imprudent to pull PPE from regional and national pools to do procedures that could be postponed, he wrote. Going a step further, Intact America is launching today a petition on Change.org, calling upon Dr. Adams to halt routine male newborn circumcision now and forever. The United States is the only country in the world where medical newborn circumcision is widely practiced, Ms. Chapin explains. If baby boys are not circumcised in England, Europe, and Australia, then how can we in America consider circumcision to be essential? Why are we allowing hospitals to keep cutting the genitals of perfectly healthy baby boys when really sick people are fighting for their lives? Ms. Chapin also points out that baby boys feel excruciating pain when their foreskins are cut and many experience life-long adverse consequences, including diminished sexual pleasure and medical problems such as meatal stenosis (a condition that occurs only in males who are circumcised) which causes narrowing of the ureteral opening, thus interfering with urination. About Intact America Intact America is the largest national advocacy group working to end involuntary child genital cutting in America and to ensure healthy sexual futures for all people. It does this by challenging social and sexual norms and empowering supporters and volunteers through advocacy and education. To learn more about the issues involved in the current conversation about newborn male circumcision, visit IntactAmerica.org and CircumcisionDebate.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Two of the world's biggest pharmaceutical giants are joining forces to create a coronavirus vaccine April 17,2020 | Source: SBS News Pharma giants Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline will join forces to work on a coronavirus vaccine they hope will enter clinical trials this year, potentially making it available in the second half of 2021. The vaccine will combine a Sanofi-developed antigen, which stimulates the production of germ-killing antibodies, with GSK's adjuvant technology, a substance that boosts the immune response triggered by a vaccine, they said in a statement. "The companies plan to initiate phase I clinical trials in the second half of 2020 and, if successful, subject to regulatory considerations, aim to complete the development required for availability by the second half of 2021," they said. "As the world faces this unprecedented global health crisis, it is clear that no one company can go it alone," added Sanofi's chief executive Paul Hudson. Given the extraordinary humanitarian and financial toll of the pandemic, Sanofi and GSK said global access to COVID-19 vaccines was a priority. They said they were committed to making any vaccine developed through the collaboration "affordable to the public and through mechanisms that offer fair access for people in all countries." Sanofi, based in Paris, said it would contribute its S-protein COVID-19 antigen, designed to exactly match proteins found on the surface of the new virus. Britain's GlaxoSmithKline said it would add its adjuvant, an ingredient for vaccines that can create stronger and longer-lasting immunity. "The use of an adjuvant can be of particular importance in a pandemic situation since it may reduce the amount of vaccine protein required per dose, allowing more vaccine doses to be produced and therefore contributing to protect more people," the statement said. It can also improve the likelihood of delivering an effective vaccine that can be manufactured at scale. Sanofi and GSK said their joint effort was supported by funding and a collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services. "The companies plan to discuss funding support with other governments and global institutions prioritising global access," they added. BARDA Director Rick Bright said the development of an adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine promised "to end this pandemic, and help the world become better prepared or even prevent future coronavirus outbreaks." The coronavirus outbreak has killed more than 120,000 people worldwide since the first cases were reported in China last December. SBS Theme(s): Others. As "Saturday Night Live" wrapped up the "Weekend Update" segment in the show's recent quarantine-themed episode shot inside cast members' homes and over Zoom calls, Michael Che signed off with a shout-out to his grandmother. "From Weekend Update, I'm Martha's grandbaby," he said. This week, Che was once again inspired by his late grandmother, who recently died of the novel coronavirus. He announced on Instagram on Wednesday night that he will pay one month's rent for the residents living in a New York public housing complex where Martha resided until the 1990s. "Obviously I can't offer much help by myself," he said. "But in the spirit and memory of my late grandmother, I'm paying one month's rent for all 160 apartments in the (New York City Housing Authority) building she lived in." Che joins the ranks of other celebrities who have donated in connection with the coronavirus pandemic in one way or another. Some famous landlords, such as actors Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell, have given tenants a break on April rent. Others, like Kylie Jenner and musician John Mayer, have donated money to help hospitals buy medical supplies such as gloves, masks and ventilators. Millions of Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic shut down workplaces nationwide, putting a strain on families who cannot afford to pay bills because of the sudden loss of income. The virus's impact has been particularly brutal in New York, the main hotbed of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, where more than one in 100 people have been infected and more than 14,000 have died. Che said the building in which his grandmother, Martha, lived for years holds a meaningful place in his family's history, even though his grandmother moved out of the public housing building in the 1990s. That is why he chose to pay rent for the 160 people who live there now. He discussed Martha's death during the recent episode of "SNL" hosted by Tom Hanks, who was one of the first major celebrities to catch the coronavirus and recently recovered from covid-19. During the "Weekend Update" segment taped via Zoom, Che told co-star Colin Jost that coming back to work had helped him feel better. "I'm doing OK, considering," he wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post announcing his grandmother's death. "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." Although New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered a 90-day moratorium on evictions in the state, people are still expected to pay rent in April, May and June. New York City landlords anticipated that up to 40 percent of tenants would be unable to pay rent in April, the New York Times reported, with many losing their jobs or enduring pay cuts because of social distancing measures. Renters have been advised to talk to their landlords about their options if they cannot afford rent. But there is no universal policy in place other than the reprieve from evictions while the stay-at-home order is in place in New York City. The "SNL" cast member urged Cuomo and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to take further action to offer relief to the city's poorest residents who cannot afford to pay rent under the city's stay-at-home order. The comedian wrote on Instagram, "its crazy to me that residents of public housing are still expected to pay their rent when so many new yorkers cant even work." Amanda Holden fans have slammed authorities for not enforcing social distancing rules during a clap led by the presenter outside West Middlesex University Hospital. Last Thursday the presenter, 49, showed her support for the weekly #clapfortheNHS exercise by joining hospital, ambulance and fire brigade staff to show their support for front line workers. And despite recognising the cause, many fans questioned whether it was safe for attendees to be standing so close together, and questioned why the public weren't made to ahere to the 2 metre rule amid the coronavirus pandemic. Replying to local MP Ruth Cadbury's video of the event, one follower wrote: 'Genuinely don't want to be a party pooper but is it not an issue that there seems to be 60/70 people there standing right next to each other?'. Amanda Holden fans have slammed authorities for not enforcing social distancing rules during a clap led by the presenter outside West Middlesex University Hospital (seen with MP Ruth Cadbury) Another added: 'What on earth are you doing? Physical distancing matters. Public figures modelling good behaviour matters.' Replying to a video Amanda shared to her Instagram account, another said: 'Hope they all washed their hands before standing on top of each other'. Meanwhile another added: 'Wonderful to supporter the NHS completely but that is a huge amount of people together is that safe is that social distancing?'. And local Facebook page Brentford Today and TV wrote: 'Nothing can take away from our admiration for all our frontline workers and that is why so many of us clapped for them last night. And despite recognising the cause, many fans questioned whether it was safe for attendees to be standing so close together, and questioned why the public weren't made to ahere to the 2 metre rule amid the coronavirus pandemic (Amanda seen with police) 'But the nature of their job means they are at higher risk of being infectious. Imagine the impact if one of those in this scene were carrying the virus, it spread through close contact and then everyone walked back inside the hospital to mix with vulnerable patients and fellow staff. 'Police officers were present no doubt the very officers who have been enforcing social distancing in the parks and elsewhere. Why didn't they act?'. Last Thursday Amanda Holden visited West Middlesex University Hospital in London to lift the spirits of NHS workers and midwives amid the coronavirus pandemic. Replying to local MP Ruth Cadbury's video of the event, one follower wrote: 'Genuinely don't want to be a party pooper but is it not an issue that there seems to be 60/70 people there standing right next to each other?'. Replying to a video Amanda shared to her Instagram account, another said: 'Hope they all washed their hands before standing on top of each other'. Sharing footage from the clap to her Instagram account, she wrote: 'A real privilege to be invited by my beloved midwives up the road to help lift the spirits of our wonderful NHS tonight. 'These clinical teams both in uniform and not- that you can see have just finished a 12 hour shift working closely together.' Addressing safety concerns, she added: 'Members of the public are behind the person video-ing and I was in the circle the NHS formed around me -2 meters away. Even the photographers are official NHS working across all hospitals. 'All safety rules and regulations were adhered to for the workers and people involved! 'I will never forget the care I received here at my local hospital, when my son was born sleeping I heard first hand from Pippa Nightingale and Natalie Carter how your wonderful donations are making a huge difference.' And local Facebook page Brentford Today and TV wrote: 'Police officers were present no doubt the very officers who have been enforcing social distancing in the parks and elsewhere. Why didn't they act?'. The "Impact of COVID-19 on the European Economy" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Impact of COVID-19 on the European Economy, Deviation Trends Analysis Report: Segmentation (Automobile, Food Beverage, Machinery, Electrical Electronics, Aviation, BFSI, Retail E-Commerce, Healthcare, Travel Tourism, and Others) Europe is among the largest economies across the globe in terms of industrial production. The GDP of the European Union (EU) was estimated to be $18.8 trillion in 2018, increased from $17.4 trillion in 2017, represented nearly 23% of global GDP. This result owing to the remarkable focus towards the production of all finished goods and services within the country. In 2018, EU industrial production surpassed the level that was observed in 2008. More than 75% of the value of sold 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 region has a significant production of food products, motor vehicles, machinery and equipment, and basic metals and fabricated metal products. In 2018, the production of food products in EU 28 increased by nearly 117 billion (16%) compared with 2008. In addition, there is a considerable production of machinery and equipment, such as construction and transportation equipment in European countries, including UK and Germany. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), in UK, the production of machinery and equipment increased by 1.8% and reached nearly $36 billion in 2018. However, European countries are currently facing a recession due to factory shutdown and shortage of raw material amid the COVID-19 outbreak. After China, European countries, including Italy, Spain, and UK are highly affected by COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the epidemics of COVID-19, the manufacturers of the automobile, chemical, electronics, and aircraft are facing concerns regarding supply chain disruption. The government orders to suspend production is further affecting industrial output in the region. Several automobile companies, retailers, and machinery and equipment manufacturers 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 due to Italian government orders for nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 epidemic. It is expected that Ferrari and Fiat began producing. Further, Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC, a part of Tata Motors, suspended its UK production facility in line with the government advise to reduce the spread of coronavirus. The study on the impact of COVID-19 on European industry is classified into automobile, food beverage, machinery, electrical and electronics, aviation, retail and e-commerce, healthcare, travel and tourism, and others. BFSI and automobiles are among the most affected sectors due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the region. European banks were facing financial and debt crises in 2019 and the COVID-19 crisis has created uncertainty in the financial sector. As per the European Banking Authority (EBA), as of June 2019, the weighted average ratio of non-performing loans stood at 3%, rather than 6% in 2015. The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to worsen the level of bad loans in banks' balance sheets. Hence, it is expected that several small and medium-sized businesses will struggle to repay their debts and have been forced to close, which, in turn, will more worsen the condition. However, Europe's central banks are focusing on reviving their economy by offering support to businesses. For instance, during a special meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on 10th March 2020, the Bank of England declared to reduce Bank Rate by 50 basis points from 0.75% to 0.25% to counter the economic shock following from the coronavirus effect. This will support to keep firms in business and support avoiding longer-lasting economic harm. Key companies getting affected by coronavirus epidemic in the region include Ferrari S.p.A., Siemens AG, BASF SE, British Airways plc, Siare Engineering International Group s.r.l., and Rolls-Royce Holdings plc. Siare Engineering International Group s.r.l. is in talks with Fiat and Ferrari to help produce more ventilators to fight coronavirus pandemic in Italy. The Italian government has asked Siare to augment its production of ventilators from 160 to 500 per month, as death toll surpassed 5,000 and is growing rapidly. Siare may face concerns regarding obtaining parts, which can be overcome by partnering with automakers with better purchasing power and an efficient supply chain. Apart from automakers, aviation firms are also expected to join ventilator production to cope up with the increasing demand. The report covers: Comprehensive research methodology of the pre and post-COVID-19 impact on the European economy. 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 European economy. Insights about market determinants which are stimulating the European 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 European economy excluding COVID-19 pandemic effect 3.2. Deviations in the European economy growth rate due to COVID-19 pandemic 4. Verticals Affected Most 4.1. Automobile 4.2. Food Beverage 4.3. Machinery 4.4. Electrical Electronics 4.5. Aviation 4.6. BFSI 4.7. Retail E-Commerce 4.8. Healthcare 4.9. Travel Tourism 4.10. Others 5. Country Analysis 5.1. Italy 5.2. Spain 5.3. UK 5.4. Germany 5.5. France 5.6. Rest of Europe 6. Company Profiles Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. Associated British Foods plc Aviva plc BAE Systems plc BASF SE Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) AG British Airways PLC Dyson Ltd. F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG Ferrari S.p.A. Fiat Automobile S.p.A. J Sainsbury plc Joseph Cyril Bamford Excavators Ltd. (JCB) KfW Bankengruppe Nestl S.A. Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA Novartis AG Rolls-Royce Holdings plc Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc Siare Engineering International Group s.r.l. Siemens AG Tesco PLC Thomas Cook Group PLC For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/3suqyq View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005322/en/ Contacts: 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 AKRON, Ohio, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- To protect the health and safety of its shareholders, employees and other stakeholders during the coronavirus pandemic, FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) today announced it is changing the format of its 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to a virtual meeting, instead of an in-person event. The live audio webcast will take place at 8 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, with online access beginning at 7:30 a.m. EDT. FirstEnergy currently plans to resume its in-person annual meeting format in 2021. All FirstEnergy shareholders as of the close of business on March 20, 2020, the record date for the annual meeting, are invited to access, participate in and vote at the live virtual meeting. Any eligible shareholder who wishes to join the live webcast, including individuals who previously registered to attend the meeting in person, must follow the steps below to preregister for the event prior to 2 p.m. EDT on May 18, 2020. Instructions to Preregister for the Virtual Meeting Shareholders who hold shares registered directly in their name with our transfer agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC; participants in the FirstEnergy Corp. and Energy Harbor Savings Plans; or employees who hold unvested registered stock may preregister to access and participate in the meeting by visiting www.CESVote.com, then entering the control number printed on your Proxy Card or meeting notice. On the voting page, select the link, "Click here to preregister for the online meeting." If you own shares through a brokerage, bank or other institutional account, you may preregister to access, participate and vote at the virtual annual meeting by asking your institution to provide you with a legal proxy. Submit a legible copy or photograph of that document to [email protected] to receive a new control number and instructions to access the meeting. Beneficial shareholders who do not elect to obtain a legal proxy may preregister to listen to the virtual meeting as a guest. Instructions are available in the company's Proxy Statement. Please see Q&A 15, "Advance Registration Instructions All other shareholders," on page 106. Questions at the Meeting During the webcast, participants will be invited to submit questions to FirstEnergy by accessing the "Ask a Question" text box. Questions pertinent to the Annual Meeting and related to our business will be answered during the webcast, subject to time constraints. Questions that cannot be answered live due to time constraints will be posted and answered on our Investor Relations website, www.FirstEnergyCorp.com/IR, as soon as practical after the meeting. FirstEnergy asks participants to follow its meeting Rules of Conduct, which will be on the event website. If You Need Assistance If you need assistance obtaining a legal proxy, registering in advance for the virtual meeting, or voting, please contact our proxy solicitor, Morrow Sodali, toll-free at (800) 461-0945. FirstEnergy encourages all eligible shareholders to vote and submit their proxy in accordance with their voting instructions. The company requests that shareholders submit votes early to help avoid additional solicitation costs, however shareholders who preregister to participate in the meeting may also vote during the meeting at www.CESVote.com. FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,500 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or online at www.firstenergycorp.com. SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp. Related Links http://www.firstenergycorp.com Over 1,400 American citizens and permanent residents of the US have been evacuated from Ghana by the US Embassy. This comes in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in Ghana. The Embassy made this known in a statement published on its website to highlight Americas partnership in Ghana and other parts of the world in the fight against the virus. The United States reaffirms this commitment to our partnership with Ghana. As Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on April 10, we are also thankful to the government of Ghana for its strong support in helping the U.S. Embassy in Accra repatriate over 1,400 American citizens and permanent residents of the United States who requested assistance to return to the United States at this time, Stephanie S. Sullivan the U.S. Ambassador said in the statement. The Embassy has organized a number of repatriation flights with the last one being on Wednesday, April 15, 2020, which sent 300 Americans back home. The first flight carried 305 Americans on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 after the Embassy got the Ghana Governments support to arrange for repatriation flights. Partnerships in Ghana According to Ambassador Sullivan, the US government has maintained a strong partnership with Ghana in the fight against COVID-19. He also added that the US Government has also partnered with the Ghana Armed Forces to be at the forefront of the fight. The GAF has deployed one state-of-the-art Level II Field Hospital in the Greater Accra area as part of the government of Ghana's COVID-19 response to directly serve those most in need. The hospital is one of two that I handed over February 4 this year on behalf of the United States. The donation was made through the U.S. government's Africa Peacekeeping Rapid Response Partnership (APRRP) program, she stated. Also in early February, even before Ghana had its first known case, the U.S. National Institutes for Health, through its longstanding partnership with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, made available material to enable several hundred samples to be tested, she added. ---citinewsroom Imagine if someone had asked you on March 1 of this year to predict what the world would look like on April 1. How close to reality would you have come? Most who dared offer an opinion would have turned out to be spectacularly wrong. Few could have foreseen a world in such disarray locked down by a deadly virus that has forced most citizens of the world into their homes and closed millions of businesses along the way. Up until a few weeks ago, such a future seemed the stuff of Hollywood, not real life. But here we are, in the midst of a coronavirus shutdown that has already lasted for weeks and promises to continue for weeks more. What will the world look like on May 16? Only the most confident amongst us would even venture a guess. Yet, the Cheshire Town Council, after a month hiatus, began its work again this week, meeting twice via teleconferencing to discuss the issues of the community, the most pressing of which is the coming fiscal years budget. Originally, the Council had until the end of April to officially approve a spending plan for the municipality, but given the unique circumstances in which we find ourselves, Governor Ned Lamont extended that timeline out to May 30, giving communities like Cheshire more time to deliberate. But whether the budget is due by the end of April or May, the Council, and all municipalities across the state, will be faced with the same difficulty: How to plan for tomorrow when today offers such uncertainty? In normal times, budgets can be tricky. Local leaders must indulge in a bit of prognostication, determining not just the current financial health of their community but also what the diagnosis will be a year from now. Looking at the numbers, the trends, and the needs of the Town helps everyone from the Superintendent of Schools to the Town Manager to, ultimately, the Town Council decide exactly how much to ask from each taxpayer. How, then, does the Council approach our current situation? How can anyone know the ramifications of an episode so unprecedented as this one that is still unfolding as we speak? There may be some good news on the horizon as, on Monday afternoon, Lamont announced that Connecticut would be joining with several other states to discuss how best to restart communities so as to breath life into dying economies while also doing everything possible to keep people safe from a virus that still presents a very real threat. It was assuredly welcome news to business owners and out-of-work employees who are currently stuck in limbo, and it signaled to all that elected officials understand the need to address the emerging financial crisis with the same vigor with which they attacked the current public health one. But as of now, reopening anything likely remains weeks off. We are still seeing people die from COVID-19. We are still battling our invisible enemy. What will Connecticuts economy look like when the dust begins to settle? How will that impact Cheshire? Thats what the Town Council will try and predict before approving a budget. It will be no easy feat. LONDON, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OneTrust, the largest and most widely used privacy, security and trust software, announced today that 2Checkout, a leading digital commerce and payments provider, implemented OneTrust DataGuidance Awareness Training to build a culture of privacy and trust across all functions of the business. Read the case study: 2Checkout Deploys OneTrust DataGuidance Awareness Training to Build a Culture of Privacy and Trust With a team of over 400 people globally, the data protection function at 2Checkout had an obligation to implement a level of companywide privacy training in order to comply with the legislative requirements in multiple territories. Developed by the International Association of Privacy Professionals and now powered by OneTrust, the general and specialty modules offered by OneTrust DataGuidance Awareness Training provided the solution for 2Checkout. With courses ranging in complexity and relevance for different roles and functions across the organization, OneTrust DataGuidance Awareness Training has helped build that privacy culture throughout 2Checkout. "Our digital commerce platform is leveraged by 17,000 merchants from around the world, selling their products and services globally. We help clients by simplifying the complexities of modern commerce like global payments, subscription billing, merchandising, taxes, compliance, and risk, so they stay focused on innovating their products and delivering exceptional customer experiences. The compliance aspect is increasingly important, and this means we need to be aware of all the relevant privacy laws in all countries and territories that we operate in and assist our clients to sell into," said Oana Ducuta, the Data Protection Officer at 2Checkout. "Awareness Training helped me address each department with respect to its location and to tailor their training content specifically for their role." "Building privacy awareness is critical to creating a culture of trust within any organization, "said Kabir Barday, OneTrust CEO and Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP). "We're proud to partner 2Checkout and to be part of their awareness training journey." To learn more about how 2Checkout build privacy awareness with OneTrust DataGuidance Awareness Training, read the case study. For additional information, or to request a live OneTrust DataGuidance demo, visit DataGuidance.com. About OneTrust DataGuidance OneTrust DataGuidance is an in-depth and up-to-date privacy and security regulatory research platform powered by more than two decades of global privacy law research. Hundreds of global privacy laws and over ten thousand additional resources are mapped into DataGuidance to give customers in-depth research, information, insight and perspectives on the world's evolving list of global privacy regulations. OneTrust DataGuidance integrates seamlessly with the entire OneTrust platform, including OneTrust Privacy, OneTrust PreferenceChoice, OneTrust Vendorpedia, OneTrust GRC and OneTrust Ethics. To learn more, visit DataGuidance.com or connect on LinkedIn. Media Contact Gabrielle Ferree [email protected] +1 770-294-4668 SOURCE OneTrust DataGuidance Nigeria on Thursday confirmed 35 new cases of coronavirus. This brings the total number of cases in the country to 442. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in a tweet said the new cases were reported in three states Lagos, Kano and Oyo and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The breakdown of the new cases showed that Lagos has 19 cases, followed by FCT with 9, Kano 5, and Oyo, 2 cases. 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 in the city. The NCDC said as at 10:20 p.m. on Thursday, there were 442 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria. Of this, 152 have been discharged while 13 people have died. 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 251 cases, followed by FCT 67, Kano 21, Osun 20, Edo 15, Oyo 13, 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. Meanwhile, Nigerians have been advised to expect a rise in the number of infections as the government intensifies contact tracing and testing to identify those who may have been exposed to the virus. The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has also warned that the government will sanction private hospitals in Nigeria who are treating COVID-19 patients without permission. A video surfaced on social media with claims that electromagnetic waves from a 5G iPhone can set steel wool on fire. In the video, an iPhone is surrounded by steel wool. When the phone receives an incoming call, the wool appears to catch fire. The video has been manipulated. When viewed frame by frame, a quick transition can be seen just before the steel wool begins to sparkle with what appears to be flames. The video showed up in January on social media, and it reemerged recently as conspiracy theories began circulating around 5G wireless service and the coronavirus pandemic. While Apple has not launched 5G capable phones, experts say a ringing cellphone would not set steel wool which is highly flammable on fire.The phone itself doesnt emanate some massive power, Muriel Medard, professor of electrical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told the AP in a telephone interview. It couldnt even if it wanted to. She also emphasized that 5G wireless is relying on fairly conventional systems. People have been using these wireless frequencies already. In recent weeks, there has been a surge in conspiracy theories linking COVID-19 to the expansion of 5G wireless. Theres no evidence to support any link between the two, as the AP has reported. 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. 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. The dreaded disease, which originated in Wuhan city in China in December last year, has so far claimed more than 144,000 lives and infected over 2.1 million people. The virus has infected over 671,000 people and claimed more than 33,000 lives, the highest for any country in the world. New York City and its adjoining areas, including New Jersey and Connecticut have emerged as the epicenter of the virus in the US. New York alone accounts for 226,000 cases of infections and 16,106 deaths. In New Jersey, as many as 3,518 people have died of the disease and 75,317 have tested positive. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, till April 14, four per cent of the Americans infected with COVID-19 were of Asian origin and nearly one-third (30 per cent) were African Americans. US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that experts and scientists report that his strategy to slow the spread of the virus has saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Models predicted between 1.5 million and 2.2 million US deaths. If there was no mitigation, it could have even been higher than that and between 100,000 and 240,000 deaths with mitigation. It is looking like we will come far under even these lowest numbers, he said. Noting that experts say the curve of the virus has flattened, and the peak in the new cases has passed, Trump said that nationwide, more than 850 counties or nearly 30 per cent of the country have reported no new cases in the last seven days. Because of our early and aggressive action, we have avoided the tragedy of health care rationing and deadly shortfalls that have befallen in many other nations, nations which wherever possible we are helping, he said. According to Trump, at least 35 clinical trials are already underway, including antiviral therapies, immune therapies, and blood therapies in the form of convalescent plasma. So far, more than 3.5 million tests have been carried out. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TipRanks There are thousands of publicly traded companies out there, and they all send out a range of signals that investors must learn to interpret. Parsing these signals is essential for investing success, and having a clear strategy, based on reliable market indicators, often makes the difference between gaining or losing in the market. One of the clearest signals that retail investors can follow is the buying patterns of corporate insiders. These are the company officers who hold high positions CEO Details added (first version posted on 11:50) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17 By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend: The Parliament of Azerbaijan has sent a letter of protest to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) because PACE has not expressed any reaction regarding the so-called "election" held by Armenia in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova said at a parliamentary meeting held on April 17, Trend reports. Gafarova noted that the lack of PACE's response is regrettable. "Over the past 10 years, I was a member of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE, speaker of the parliament added. I acted as a member of the Bureau and chairperson of the PACE committee. During this period, together with my colleagues I witnessed many cases of biased attitude towards our country in PACE. We have repeatedly observed the attempts by pro-Armenian circles gathered in PACE to slander Azerbaijan, adopt false resolutions and decisions to undermine the credibility of our country, Gafarova added. I would say that sometimes the anti-Azerbaijani, pro-Armenian forces in PACE defended the interests of the Armenians even better than they themselves. The lack of PACE reaction to the so-called "election" held by the criminal regime in the occupied Azerbaijani region is unacceptable, speaker of the parliament said. I think that this is also great disrespect for the system of international law. Therefore the Azerbaijani parliament sent a letter of protest to PACE." The speaker of the parliament has also criticized anti-national forces, stressing that they serve the interests of Armenia. "All sound opposition parties in Azerbaijan, voicing the position of national and state interests, take part in this dialogue, take appropriate steps to contribute to the process, speaker of the parliament said. Unfortunately, some marginal groups that always oppose Azerbaijans statehood and independence have refused from this dialogue, relying on external forces. The true goal of such groups, showing hostility against the state, is to create tension in the country, speaker of the parliament said. These destructive forces, calling themselves radical opposition, want to use the coronavirus pandemic that shocked the entire humanity to realize their vile intentions. Of course, the Azerbaijani public and people see such actions and firmly condemn the unhealthy and anti-national activity of such circles. The position of the Azerbaijani people is that there is no place for such forces in the new configuration of the political system that is being formed in the country, Gafarova added. An Imam, Malam Abubakar Sarki-Aminu has been sacked by the Chairman of a Muslim sect, Jamaatu Izalatil Bida Waiqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS) in Zaria, Kaduna state, Sheikh Sani Yakubu, for complying with the state governments directive on congregational prayer. The sacked Imam was the recognized Imam who conducted five daily prayers at Sheik Abubakar Mahmood Gumi Jumaat Mosque, Kofar Gayan Low-cost, Zaria for almost 40 years. The Chairman confirmed the Imams sack on Friday and directed that the Committee Chairman for 5 daily prayers of the Mosque, Alhaji Shehu Dan-Maikuli to speak. According to Dan-Maikuli, there were disagreements between the duo even before the sack order. When Sheik Usman Baban-Tune was alive he had to come in and settle some issues between the sacked Imam and the Mosque committee. After the resolution, it was agreed that the Imam should be organising monthly committee meeting to discuss problems and prospects of the Mosque but after that resolution, we spent over four years without a single meeting. When this issue of coronavirus came, one day the Imam just stand up after leading Zuhur prayer and announced that as from today he suspend congregational prayers until the issue is over, by then I was not in the Mosque. When I came for Asr prayer only to be told that the Imam ordered for closure of the Mosque, I called him on phone to enquire and he said yes he had ordered that the Mosque be closed, he said. Incidentally, the Chairman came on Wednesday and led Isha (night) prayer and thereafter announced the sack of Malam Abubakar Aminu and replaced him with Malam Ahmad Tijjani as the new Imam, he said. Speaking on his sacked, the Imam said: when this case of coronavirus pandemic surfaced in Nigeria, after a while, Kaduna State Government declared that henceforth Jaumat prayer is banned and any gathering above 50 people should be suspended. Our Mosque usually witness a very large crowd of worshippers, as such we have to comply with the directives given by Gov. Nasiru el-Rufai to avoid spread of the disease. In line with this, I stood up after leading a congregational prayer to tell people that in view of the order by the state government, I suspend congregational prayers in this Mosque until the ban is lifted, he said. Sarki-Aminu said: My deputy Imam called me on phone that Sheik Sani Yakuba ordered that we should continue with the congregational prayers, that I should come out for Subhi (dawn) prayer. Read Also: Kaduna Govt Converts NYSC Camp To Quarantine Centre I replied him that, if the chairman wants me to continue with the congregational prayers, let him formally write to me so that I will be convinced that his order supersede that of government. I waited without anything to that effect, later I leant that the chairman came and lead a congregational Ishai prayer and announce my removal and replaced me with Malam Ahmad Tijjani with two deputies who already are my deputies. On allegation that he did not consult the Mosque committee before the closure, Sarki-Aminu observed that whenever government gives directives then who else will give a counter-directive? In an ideal situation, Imam is the leader of the Mosque, the committee did not enquire from me but they decided to go straight to Sheik Sani Yakubu and he used his power and reopened the Mosque and subsequently announced my removal. 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Gov. Mike DeWine made a significant announcement at his Thursday briefing: Beginning May 1, the state will start to open back up -- but in phases and with restrictions. Cleveland.coms Laura Johnston reports that DeWine offered a glimpse of what may allow a business to open its doors again. Latest figures: The number of Ohioans who had died from coronavirus increased to 389 on Thursday, with 8,414 infections, cleveland.coms Laura Hancock reports. Data guy Rich Exner has the map and the graphics. Shedding jobs: In the past four weeks, a whopping 855,000 Ohioans have filed unemployment claims, including 158,678 last week. The latest numbers are the lowest in the four weeks that Ohio has closed businesses due to the coronavirus, cleveland.coms Evan MacDonald reports. During the Great Recession, jobless claims peaked at just over 40,000. Across the Midwest: Seven Midwest governors, including DeWine in Ohio - are working together in restarting the economy, Hancock reports. DeWine and his office had earlier downplayed the effort -- as well as one involving only Kentucky and Indiana -- though his office later said the states will be together looking at case numbers, hospital admissions and capacity and testing and tracing COVID-19 and how to socially distance in businesses. Order in the court: 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, cleveland.coms Eric Heisig writes. Shop owner Tanya Rutner Hartman is represented by attorney, Maurice Thompson of the libertarian-leaning 1851 Center for Constitutional Law. Unmasking motives? A Chagrin Falls man who Ohio Attorney General David Yost accused of stockpiling N95 masks to sell on eBay said he owns a construction company and purchased the masks a year ago for employees to wear when they sanded concrete. Mario Salwan, who is also accused of price gouging, said his business has suffered during the pandemic, cleveland.coms Cory Shaffer writes. Nursing home numbers: The long-awaited list of Ohio nursing homes with coronavirus cases arrived late Wednesday. But the information was limited to the name of the facility, the county and the combined number of cases for patients or staff, Exner reports. The list can be found here. It will be updated by the Ohio Department of Health each Wednesday. Open for business: Though Hobby Lobby has shut its doors because of DeWines order closing non-essential businesses, JoAnn Fabrics and Michaels convinced the Ohio attorney generals office that they should be exempted. As cleveland.coms Jeremy Pelzer writes, the two retailers agreed to follow social-distancing measures at their Ohio stores. Check it out: Even though Ohio libraries have been closed during the coronavirus emergency, librarians around the state are offering a range of services to patrons, from using 3-D printers to make personal protective equipment to boosting their Wi-Fi connections to access in library parking lots, Pelzer writes. Buckeye Brain Tease Question: As white settlement increased in the Illinois plains, the pioneers in the eastern part of the state wanted to create a new county and county seat. Illinois state Sen. John W. Vance agreed, and a new county was named after a county with the same name in Ohio, where Vance grew up. The county seat was also named after Vances Ohio hometown. What is the name of the Ohio and Illinois counties and cities? Email your response to capitolletter@cleveland.com. The first correct respondent will be mentioned in next weeks newsletter. Thanks for responding to last weeks trivia question: The 1918 influenza pandemic hit a U.S. Army camp in Ohio particularly hard. What is the name of the camp and which city was it in? Answer: Camp Sherman in Chillicothe was rocked by the Spanish Flu 3.3% of those who caught the flu ended up dying, the highest percentage of any U.S. Army camp, according to a 2010 article in Public Health Reports, a scholarly journal. Nearly 1,200 died of the disease as it swept through Camp Sherman in the summer and early fall of 1918, leading Chillicothe to be quarantined, according to Ohio History Connection. Capitol Letter reader Michael Myers of Pickerington was the first to send the correct answer. Birthdays Saturday: State Rep. Mark Fraizer; Secretary of State Frank LaRose, State Treasurer Robert Sprague; U.S. Rep. Bob Latta; Emma Cardone, Ohio Department of Medicaid legislative liaison; Stephan Shehy, Ohio House Republicans policy adviser; Thomas J. Moyer, former chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court (1939-2010) Sunday: April Barrowman, executive assistant to the Ohio House Republicans Chief of Staff Jonathon McGee; Alex Sawatski, legislative aide to state Rep. John Patterson Straight from the Source Nobody loves a county fair better than Mike DeWine, and nobody loves a state fair more than I do. - Gov. Mike DeWine, when asked during Thursdays coronavirus briefing whether the Ohio State Fair and county fairs will be held as planned this summer. I dont know the answer to your question yet, DeWine added. 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. 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. ATLANTA, GA Sophia West is the blonde, hazel-eyed MILF with a perfect physique who, from now until Monday, April 20, is giving her fans free access to her OnlyFans. New members can get 30 days free, which includes her more than 200 naughty videos with Keiran Lee, Cyrus King, Eliza Eves, and many more, plus weekly live shows. Plus, its the only place you can direct message West. Head over to onlyfans.com/sophiawest to get in on the action and see what her life is like on and off set. Get a free 30 days now through Monday, April 20. Afterwards, the price will go up to $4.99 per month. I wanted to give my fans some joy by offering them a free 30 days of my OnlyFans. We all need something to look forward to, says West. The 30 days gives new members access to everything with no strings attached so that they can get a taste of me. And, Im pretty sure after 30 days, theyll be addicted. Sophia West recently signed with East Coast Talent. Get her on set by calling John OByrne 732-859-2414 or emailing [email protected] DD Kendras in Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir are already offering virtual classes Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR) are broadcasting educational content through their regional channels across the country on TV, radio and YouTube to help students continue their learning process during the coronavirus lockdown. The virtual classes are being offered in collaboration with various state government institutions. The virtual learning through DD and AIR include curriculum based classes for primary, middle and high school level students, says a notification by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The government is making Secondary School Leaving Certificate subjects and model question papers for Class 10 students available in some states. Doordarshan and AIR are also offering classes that help students prepare for their engineering and medical entrance examinations. It is trying to make learning interesting by including story telling by eminent personalities and quiz shows in the curriculum. With an aim of inculcating discipline in students sitting at home, most of these classes start early morning and few are repeated in the afternoon, the notification adds. DD Kendras in Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir are already offering virtual classes. AIR is broadcasting classes from these centres: Vijaywada, Hyderabad, Bengalu r u, Tiruchirapalli, Coimbatire, Puducherry, Madurai, Trivendrum, Tirunelveli, Panaji, Jalgaon, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Parbhani, Aurangabad, Pune, Nagpur, Mumbai, Gangtok, Guwahati, Bikaner, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur. According to Ministry of I&B, on average DD is airing 2.5 hours of educational content daily, while AIR is broadcasting 30 minutes of educational content daily. - Meghan and Harry had maintained an extremely low profile since moving from Canada to the US - The Duke and Duchess of Sussex quietly delivered food to the needy in Los Angeles - The couple volunteered with Project Angel Food, a Los Angeles nonprofit that prepares and delivers medically tailored food to people suffering from chronic illnesses Prince Harry and Meghan Markel have been spotted for the first time taking care of the needy since they moved to Los Angeles. The royals had kept an extremely low profile since relocating from Canada to California in March 2020. READ ALSO: My favourite: Lulu Hassan gushes over hubby Rashid Abdala while celebrating his birthday READ ALSO: Former Tahidi High actor Abel Mutua discloses crazy things he did to win Sanaipei Tande's heart In a video recorded by TMZ, the couple was caught on camera on Wednesday, April 15, sneaking out in the public for a good deed. Harry and Meghan quietly delivered food to needy folks in Los Angeles. READ ALSO: Mwanamuziki Akothee asherehekea siku ya kuzaliwa ya mwanawe mzungu According to the video, both were wearing caps and face coverings while dropping off meals to needy L.A. residents impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The Duchess was not taking no chances with the virus, only touching surfaces with her gloved hands. They were dressed casually, something that made it difficult for someone to identify them. The couple volunteered with Project Angel Food, a Los Angeles nonprofit that prepares and delivers medically tailored food to people suffering from chronic illnesses. According to close sources to TMZ, Harry and Meghan dropped off the donations at a low-income housing unit for disabled and special needs residents and made a few stops inside the building. In March 2020, the Sussex royals sent an emotional goodbye to their fans on their last day as royals. Meghan and Harry thanked their community for the support and inspiration during their tenure at the helm. 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 A teen was brought to tears when her family surprised her with a prom at their home after the last dance of the school year was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ariana Salinas, an 18-year-old senior at Cypress Christian School in Houston, has spent her last weeks as a high school student learning online while hunkering down at home with her parents and brothers. 'I was really looking forward to it being the best year,' Ariana told CBS affiliate KHOU. 'Then all this came in, and it was really upsetting.' Scroll down for video Aww! Ariana Salinas, an 18-year-old senior at Cypress Christian School in Houston, was brought to tears when her parents, Araceli and Bryan, surprised her with an at-home prom Heartwarming gesture: Ariana never had the chance to buy a gown for the milestone dance, so her mom sweetly hung her own prom dress from the ceiling for her to wear While enjoying the milestone dance with her friends was no longer an option, her parents, Araceli and Bryan Salinas, went out of their way to bring prom to her. 'It keeps me up at night, because shes not going to have that. And I think they really truly deserve to have those moments,' Araceli told KHOU. Bryan took their daughter out for a three-hour drive while his wife decorated their home with balloons, garland, and twinkle lights. Araceli wrote 'Class of 2020' on the front windows, and she even set up a homemade photobooth for pictures. Perfect plan: To pull off the surprise, her father, Bryan, drove her around for three hours while her mom, Araceli, strung up lights and wrote 'Class of 2020' on the windows Emotional moment: The teen's surprise was captured on video, and the footage shows Ariana walking into her decorated home and giving her mom a big hug Ariana never had the chance to buy a prom dress, but her mother took care of that as well. Araceli sweetly hung her own prom dress from the ceiling for her daughter to wear on her big night. The teen's surprise was captured on video, and the footage shows Ariana walking into her decorated home in a T-shirt and shorts as Jason Mraz song 'Have It All' plays in the background. Ariana gives her mom a big hug, and as they embrace, she is crying tears of joy over the heartwarming gesture. 'I love you,' she tells her parents before getting changed. Strike a pose: Photos from the family's prom show Ariana modeling her mother's orange gown from decades before Special night: Ariana's parents got dressed up as well, and they happily posed for photos with her. The teen even enjoyed a slow dance with her dad Memories: 'I will never forget it as long as I live,' the high school senior said of her parents' surprise Photos from the family's prom show Ariana modeling her mother's orange gown from decades before. Araceli said it was 'emotional' for her to see her daughter wear the dress, which fit her perfectly. Ariana's parents got dressed up as well, and they happily posed for photos with her. The teen also took pictures with her brothers, who donned T-shirts and jeans. Per prom tradition, the family danced for nearly three hours, and she even enjoyed a slow dance with her dad. 'It was just very very special to me, and I will never forget it as long as I live,' Ariana told KHOU. 'It was a perfect night, and I loved it.' (Photo : REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo) FILE PHOTO: A woman walks past the logo of Google during an event in New Delhi, India, August 28, 2018. Picture taken August 28, 2018. Google is reportedly checking out its very own Google-branded debit card to help customers make and track purchases made online and in stores. The project is supposed to be a new centerpiece for Google's current Google Pay system that could be used for a wider variety of purchases. An increased debit card presence could permit Google to be more beneficial in retaining records of payments and purchases, and provide the enterprise with valuable perception on purchaser spending. A "Google Pay Card," according to TechCrunch, might vastly expand the app's use cases, and Google's capacity as a fintech large. Google has additionally partnered with Citi and Stanford Federal Credit Union for the brand new feature. Google, as a financial service company? By creating a smart debit card, Google can free up new streams of revenue and statistics. Google could potentially charge interchange fees on purchases made with the cardboard or other bank account costs then split them with its banking partners. Depending on its privacy decisions, Google may want to use transaction records on what people purchase to enhance ad campaign measurement or even targeting. Brands might be willing to buy more Google ads if the tech giant can show they pressure an income lift. The long-time period implications are more significant. A smart debit card and checking accounts may want to pave the way for Google supplying banking, inventory brokerage, financial advice or robo-advising, accounting, insurance, or lending. Google told The Wall Street Journal in November 2019 that the company was experimenting in the checking account space. The tech giant previously said it's exploring how it could partner with banks and credit score unions in the United States to offer smart checking accounts through Google Pay. Google Pay, according to TechCrunch, has been supporting its customers benefit from budgeting tools, while preserving their cash in an FDIC or NCUA-insured account. For now, Google would allow its partnered banks and credit unions to offer economic infrastructure and navigate regulation while building smarter interfaces and consumer experiences. ALSO READ: Apple Pay, Google Pay Begin Rollout To Most 7-Eleven Stores In US However, Google's debit card seems to be a more convenient (and potentially) more steady face on existing debit card options from banks. Reports don't seem to tell yet whether Google will be giving any perks or benefits for using its system, such as cashback offers. Google has yet to mention when it would launch the debit card or if the test will ever get a full consumer release. First look Google launched a Wallet debit card in 2013 as an extension of its old charge app Google Wallet but shut the cardboard down in 2016. Given Google's inclination for renaming or shutting down previously reviving products, building a new debit card feels on-brand. The Google Card - with the Google Pay app - would permit a review of in-depth transaction data at a glance, perfect with swift action for unrecognized charges. According to SlashGear, the card would include a contactless card reader chip - and the capability to switch off access to the said chip in the Google Pay app. The leak confirmed the app has easy switches for contactless card payments, locking the physical card, and securing one's very own financial institution account in general. This app will allow the user to entirely reset their debit card when they believe it's been compromised-no more waiting three weeks to get a contemporary physical card to get a single account modification. The app leak show a button to quickly lock a card as one orders a substitute card - easy. ALSO READ: Google Pay Guide: How To Use The New Payment System, How To Add Cards, And More 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. LIVE updates of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decisions On a closer look, the second round of COVID-19 relief measures announced by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das on April 17 is a careful balancing act. The RBI has indeed opened up some room for Non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) and cash-starved microfinance institutions (MFIs) to avail funds by asking banks to deploy half of the money raised under the targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO) in these companies. Also, a separate refinancing window has been allowed for Nabard and Sidbi to help small firms. The RBI has also permitted banks to relax asset classification norms during the moratorium period. But, there was a big catch for NBFCs in the RBI presser that went unnoticed by many. Das has been silent on the biggest demand from NBFCs--moratorium on the loans NBFCs borrowed from banks. This silence has come as a big disappointment for NBFCs. The sector has about Rs 7 lakh crore loan outstanding from banks. NBFCs, MFIs and HFCs have been asked to give moratorium to their borrowers but banks arent offering the same to these companies. This meant that these companies will have to continue making their payments to banks even as their payments wont come from borrowers during the moratorium period. This has created a liquidity distortion for these firms and a lack of level playing field. During the presser and later in the detailed statement issued by the RBI, there is no mention of extending the moratorium facility to NBFCs. In a conversation with Moneycontrol on April 16, Harsh Shrivastava, Chief Executive Officer of MFIN said that NBFC-MFIs are likely to see up to 25 percent fall in the collections on account of the moratorium extended to borrowers. Our biggest demand was for a moratorium for the loans NBFCs owe to banks. There is no clarity on that yet. The RBI governor was silent in his presser about this, said Kishor Kumar Puli, managing director and CEO of Pradakshina Fintech, an NBFC based in Hyderabad that operates among small borrowers as a corporate business correspondent. Liquidity measures positive The RBI mainly announced few liquidity measures on April 17. These included fresh TLTROs worth Rs 50,000 crore (half of which should go to small companies) and Rs 50,000 crore refinancing facility for All India financial institutions like Nabard. Also, the reverse repo rate reduced to 3.75 percent from 4 percent to disincentive banks from parking money in the RBI for just 3.75 percent. The RBI also increased the WMA limit for states by 60 percent to ease their burden. Considering the slowdown in the economy, the RBI has allowed lenders to relax NPA classification norms for borrowers, excluding the moratorium period from the 90-days NP classification rule. Also, Liquidity Coverage Ratio for banks too has been brought down to 80 percent from 100 percent. Further, with respect to loans to commercial real estate, the RBI said, NBFCs can offer relaxations. These are all positive measures. But, right now, liquidity is the biggest worry for small companies and NBFCs. Although the RBI had introduced targeted long term repo operation (TLTRO), much of the money raised under this facility by banks (Rs 75,000 crore in three rounds) has been deployed in the papers of top rated companies. On April 17, while announcing Rs 50,000 crore additional TLTRO, the RBI said that at least 50 percent of the money raised should be deployed in small companies. This is aimed at nudging banks to lend more to small companies. But, analysts are not sure whether this will happen for sure. When a bank has money to deploy and if it can choose between AAA rated companies and low-rated firms, the money will definitely go to the AAA company, said Siddarth Purohit, analyst at SMC Global. It needs to be seen whether this time small companies get a preference, Purohit said. However, the industry is pinning its hopes on the central banks decision to allocate Rs 50,000 crore to Nabard, SIDBI and NHB to lend to small-borrower focused institutions such as MFIs. This is a positive move since these organizations would know the needs of the sector well, said Ajay Kanwal, the managing director and CEO of Jana Small finance bank. I wish the amount allocated was bigger, say around Rs One lakh crore, Kanwal said. What will happen to moratorium demand of NBFCs now? The decision on moratorium for NBFCs by banks is now largely up to the banking industry. It was the bank lobby, Indian Banks Association (IBA) which decided that financial intermediaries like NBFCs need not be given moratorium facility. The RBI circular hadnt specifically excluded NBFCs. IBA is likely to meet tomorrow to decide on the moratorium demand by NBFCs. Now, the decision is totally up to the industry. While announcing relaxed asset classification rules, the RBI also hiked the provision banks need to set aside for loans that are being given temporary relaxation. This could hurt banks liquidity in the near-term but will safeguard the industry in the event of major asset quality deterioration in the future. (Banks) will have to maintain higher provision of 10 per cent on all such accounts under the standstill, spread over two quarters, i.e., March, 2020 and June, 2020. These provisions can be adjusted later on against the provisioning requirements for actual slippages in such accounts, the RBI said. Overall, the RBI measures announced by Governor Das on April 17 were tilted towards small companies. The liquidity measures may indeed help small companies if banks choose to lend low-rated firms. But with no clarity on loan moratorium, one needs to wait and watch whether NBFCs may actually gain much from RBIs measures. Latvian participants are evacuating the wounded during NATOs Crystal Arrow 2020 exercise. American media reported that NATOs many conflicts have come to the fore with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and its widely criticized response, exposing the already wobbling alliance to greater tests in the future. NATOs pandemic response is widely criticized. An article published on Americas War on the Rocks website showed that all NATO members have been seriously hit by the COVID-19 outbreak with those in Europe once becoming the epicenter, yet the organizations response so far has been nothing but disappointing. NATO hasnt taken strong prevention and control measures. Although NATO has taken some pandemic containment measures, its Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC), in general, hasnt played its due role of organizing, leading and coordinating the efforts. The member states are mostly on their own fighting the novel coronavirus and a coordinated prevention and control network hasnt been formed. NATOs war-preparedness activities are affected. Lately, Gen. Tod Wolters, NATOs Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and the U.S. European Command claimed that the alliances war-preparedness hasnt been affected by the pandemic, but the reality is that NATO has decided to call off the winter exercise Cold Response 2020 in Norway. As several NATO members have ramped up containment measures, Exercise Defender-Europe 20, one of the groups largest exercises since the Cold War, has also been put on hold. The US is slammed for poor pandemic response. As one of the most important NATO members, the US has been absent from the coordinated battle against COVID-19. The American website Defense One published an article titled Where is NATO? And Where is Trump? , which said the Trump administration initially signaled the crisis was not a NATO problem. After the virus spread all over the world, the Trump administrations silence on NATOs role has been deafening, raising doubts among even the administrations staunchest European friends. A lot of problems have come to the fore. According to US media, the NATOs many other problems have also surfaced in addition to the poor performance in coordinated prevention and control. The first is the defense spending issue. Foreign media generally believe that some of NATOs European members will probably cut their national defense budget due to the strain imposed by the pandemic on their economy, making it even harder to meet Trumps request for a defense budget that accounts for 2% of national GDP. Washington and Brussels are likely to argue more intensely about the sharing of defense expenses, which may undermine NATOs solidarity and affect American troops in Europe. The second is war-readiness. So far quite a number of soldiers in Europe-based American troops and the militaries of Lithuania, Norway, and other countries have been infected with COVID-19, and NATOs joint exercises and training, as well as personnel deployments, are mostly at a halt. NATOs top priority now is to maintain war-readiness and guarantee troops movement and normal combat operations in extraordinary conditions, according to foreign media. The third problem is command and control. The website Defense One pointed out that one lesson that NATO can learn from the pandemic is strengthening communication and connection, enhancing the resilience of its command and control system, and realize real-time, efficient communication connecting four-star generals all the way to the rank and file. Furthermore, the building of nuclear combat command and control capabilities becomes more important as the outbreak lends a heavy blow to NATOs regular combat forces and deterrence. Last but not least is the production chain of the military industry. The COVID-19 outbreak has shocked the global production chain, not only affecting the production of large battling platforms and ammunition for many NATO members, but also making the acquisition of certain important parts and components more difficult. This will probably slow down NATOs R&D in AI and other cutting-edge technologies. The prospects for NATO are gloomy. Analysts said that the root cause for NATOs poor response to the outbreak and other problems lies in itself the military blocs unclear positioning and functions, unclear thoughts on development, and inefficient internal operation since the end of the Cold War, particularly since Donald Trump took office in 2017. Foreign media commented that a political-military alliance thats believed to be brain dead can hardly deal with a significant public health emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic effectively, much less the real threats and potential crisis facing its member states. As the US keeps making trouble, the pandemic continues to wreak havoc and other challenges keep escalated, the prospect for NATO is gloomy. For one thing, the divide between the US and Europe will grow wider. The Trump administration may continue to promote its America first policy and pressure NATOs European members on the sharing of defense expenses and other issues. Its tough stance will encounter fierce discontent and open opposition from relevant countries, driving the two sides further apart from each other. For another, NATOs transformation process is strewn with obstacles. The poor coordination in battling the novel coronavirus has prompted a rising call within NATO for military transformation. Generally speaking, the alliances military system has many weak links in its command and control, maintenance of war-readiness, maneuvering and logistics, with extremely unbalanced military strength among the member states as well. However, its military transformation, which involves too many aspects and faces too many obstacles, isnt likely to enjoy a plain sailing and make substantial progress. At last, self-affirmation is a long and hard journey for NATO. As an outcome of the Cold War, the value of NATOs presence is being increasingly questioned. To affirm itself, the alliance, on the one hand, has to get the US onto the right track and, on the other hand, further cement the consensus among member states in development direction and measures. It will be an extremely arduous task, one that NATO cannot shy away from but is almost impossible to accomplish. As is known, the Pan American Village was designed to house athletes and Para athletes during the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games The Head of State noted that the coronavirus epidemic is teaching us many lessons, as well as changing the paradigms and the ways of thinking, for example, about the human fragility and the need to reiterate that health is the best investment. According to the top official, part of the Pan American Village a complex of 7 towers, 20 floors each was reserved for Peruvian athletes who had reached the podium, and the other apartments were going to be sold to recover the investment in favor of the Public Treasury. "However, this disease will be over, and what will we do after that?" he asked himself. "Should we sell the Pan American Village to increase the budget, or why don't we turn it into a large hospital complex in Lima? Do you realize that we need to change? We should think about the social rather than the economic gain because the best investment is the one that benefits the people," he added. After reiterating that Peruvians will leave this pandemic behind and will be stronger next year, the President requested citizens to be careful so that in the future unimportant actions are not prioritized. (END) RRC/RMB/MVB Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra has left open the possibility that the Pan American Village , located in the heart of Lima's peripheral Villa El Salvador district, would become a large hospital complex.Published: 4/17/2020 RTHK: Singapore mulls placing workers in cruise ships Singapore is assessing whether migrant workers who have recovered from coronavirus might be safer on cruise ships than back in dormitories that have become infection hotbeds, despite problems controlling onboard outbreaks encountered elsewhere. The city-state has seen virus cases surge in sprawling housing complexes for foreign labourers, recording its biggest ever jump in cases on Thursday, and is looking for new accommodation solutions for hundreds of workers. Around 60% of the 4,427 people infected on the island stay in dormitories, where mainly South Asian labourers live 12 to 20 in a room, and share toilets in conditions some workers have said are unsanitary. "Cruise ships are being considered as they have readily available rooms and en-suite toilets to minimise person-to-person contact," the city-state's tourism board said in an e-mailed statement on Friday. It said the measure could be rolled out for workers who have recovered from the coronavirus and tested negative, helping free up space in dormitories. Authorities are also moving some healthy workers from dorms into public housing, military camps and industrial ships used to accommodate offshore staff. People rarely catch infectious diseases twice as they develop some immunity, medical experts say, though there have been isolated reports of such cases since the pandemic began in China in December. Two ships owned by Genting Cruise Lines, that could each accommodate up to 2,000 people, were being checked to see if they had suitable ventilation systems, security protocols and infection control measures, the tourism board said. Cruise ships have also been at the centre of mass outbreaks during the coronavirus pandemic which has claimed over 130,000 lives and infected over two million people globally. One of the most notable incidents involved the Diamond Princess which was quarantined for nearly a month in Japan, with eventually more than 700 people becoming infected. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Lagos State Government has reiterated the need for residents to desist from setting up bonfire on tarred road surfaces across the State while embarking on vigilante operations, especially during the COVID-19 lockdown. A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engr Aramide Adeyoye, urged Lagosians to refrain from such acts. Engr Aramide pointed out that roads that had been rehabilitated with taxpayers money were being destroyed by the heat generated from the bonfire. READ ALSO LASTMA To Release Impounded Vehicles After Lockdown According to her, Burning of tires directly on the roads where taxpayers money has been expended is not only unpatriotic, environmentally hazardous, but more importantly compromises the integrity of the pavement and overall riding surface, especially now that the rains are about to commence. The Special Adviser, therefore, appealed to residents to desist from this unwholesome act so that the roads will remain intact after the lockdown. Bay Area residents must wear face coverings in public starting this weekend, a practice that likely will become ingrained as leaders look to ease restrictions on social and commercial life. Mayor London Breed announced the rules for San Francisco on Friday, which will apply to people riding transit, working at essential businesses, doing construction, grocery shopping, standing in line at a store or doing anything else that puts them near others. Any time youre indoors or within close proximity of others within an essential business, you will be required to wear a mask, Breed said during her afternoon briefing. She stressed that face coverings will not replace the 6 feet of separation that experts have recommended for social distancing. The order is part of a regional effort that will require residents of several counties to wear cloth coverings. Health directors of Marin, Alameda, San Mateo and Contra Costa counties released similar mandates Friday, following the lead of Sonoma County, which delivered the first order early this week. Santa Clara County stopped short of issuing a health order to require face masks. Instead, health officers on Friday issued expanded guidance strongly urging all individuals to wear face coverings when performing essential duties in public. The county said in a statement the guidance is meant to achieve the same goals as other counties that issued enforceable requirements. San Franciscos order, issued by City and County Health Officer Dr. Tomas Aragon, takes effect at 11:59 p.m. Friday night, though the city will wait until 8 a.m. on Wednesday to enforce it. Residents will not be required to wear protective gear to simply walk down the street, jog, hike or a ride a bicycle. Breed characterized face masks as a new normal to which residents will have to acclimate. City Public Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax echoed that sentiment. It is important to understand that todays order is part of a broader strategy to establish new ways of interacting and behaving, Colfax said. The hope, he added, is for Bay Area residents to be in the habit of donning protective gear whenever they shop, hail a taxi, hop on a bus, or go about everyday life. Relaxing the stay-at-home orders may mean that masks become entwined in the fabric of everyday life, Colfax and other health experts signaled. It is likely that we will need to continue to do this for some time, even after we start to emerge from our homes, Colfax said. Officials will not apply the new rules to children 12 or younger, and theyve discouraged parents from putting masks on children under 3. Health directors are also trying to dissuade people from purchasing medical-grade gear, such as N95 masks, which are in short supply and should be reserved for hospitals. San Francisco is working to distribute coverings to vulnerable populations, which include homeless people, the elderly and the disabled. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday that he is eyeing a statewide mask order as he and other leaders take interim steps to reopen California. We are leaning in that direction, and we are very encouraged by the work thats being done at the local level all throughout the state of California, Newsom said Friday, referring not only to the Bay Area, but also to an order that came down this week in Los Angeles. Although Newsom encourages face coverings and said his entire household wears them to go to the grocery store, he has never worn one during his daily briefings at the State Operations Center. If you saw the protocols to get in this room, you would understand how secure and protected this room is, he said. Breed and Aragon released a statement with guidelines that face garments fit securely and fully cover the nose and mouth. They recommended homemade masks, bandannas, scarves, towels or neck gaiters, and advised that the cloth be washed frequently with soap and water. 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 order carries the force of law, their statement said, and in San Francisco, noncompliance is a misdemeanor punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both. Nonetheless, Breed admonished San Francisco residents not to police each other, as she stood at a flag-draped podium on Friday afternoon. What we dont want is more confrontation, more stress, and more drama in general as a result of this order, she said. Matt Willis, public health officer for Marin County, described masks as the next step to make the coronavirus recede, even as the rate of new coronavirus cases slows down in Bay Area cities and counties. Weve seen the shelter-in-place order, thus far, has successfully flattened the curve, but that doesnt mean were out of the woods by any means, Willis said. He noted that 25% of people who contract the coronavirus may never exhibit symptoms a glaring concern for medical workers, as it suggests the virus may continue to spread, undetected. He and other officials hope the new face covering rule will help stave off that proliferation. Although Fridays order lays the groundwork to eventually relax shelter-in-place rules, counties will still uphold the original order at least until May 3, when its set to expire. So far, none of them have announced steps to reopen the Bay Area after that date. The vast majority of members of community remain susceptible to COVID-19, so we need to be extremely cautious making any changes to shelter in place, Willis said. Chronicle staff writers Alexei Koseff, Carolyn Said and Anna Bauman contributed to this report. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle When the coronavirus threat is behind us and we look back at this extraordinary moment in history, we will be shamed by one thing above all: How we treated the poorest of our citizens. For the past 31 days, I have had the chance to travel and report extensively across north India and, everywhere, its the same inconvenient truth. Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers, displaced both physically and emotionally, are living in abject penury and on the brink of starvation. This week, I responded to an SOS video message by one such worker from Kolkata. I was able to trace him to a construction site in east Delhi. When my team and I arrived at the location, we found the workers cordoned-off under lock and key behind a giant tin sheet. Scrawled across a dusty blackboard with chalk were instructions for the hours that they could be let out. It was nothing less than bonded labour or slavery. Inside, five men to a room the size of a closet, were more than 200 workers, some of them with small children, in a compound full of cement and stones. They told us that they had been handed ~100 each and a few kilos of dry rations when the lockdown was first announced on March 24. Since then, they had received no wages. If something happens to us here, if we fall ill, from coronavirus or any other disease, who will look after us? asked Fazulu. Send us home. For the interview, the security guards barricaded the only exit point to the compound, threatened to take away what we had filmed and kept our three-member crew, two women among them, locked in for close to 40 minutes. Of course, we fought our way out, but as I left, I could only wonder, if this could happen to us with all our privilege, imagine what the workers go through on a daily basis. The argument is not against the lockdown; everyone accepts its inevitability, even if there are varying views on whether it needs to be applied in a one-size-fits-all fashion. But if Lockdown 1 forgot to factor in what would happen to 45 million migrant workers, Lockdown 2 does not seem to have learnt any significant lessons from the error. In this past week, we have seen migrant labourers, in the thousands, come out on the streets. This could be because of the fake news trigger that trains are ready to take them home, as we saw in Mumbai, or a spontaneous eruption of anger and despair, as we saw in Surat. In the Sitapura industrial area of Jaipur, workers whom we have rendered invisible, power the clothes, gems and jewellery that our class likes purchasing on weekend jaunts to Rajasthan. These men and women, most of them from Bihar, tell us, forget wages, their employers have not even bothered with a cursory phone call to check on their well-being. Like migrant labourers elsewhere, they have neither a vote in the state they work in, nor a ration card. And like elsewhere, there is a significant gap between the slew of welfare schemes announced and what happens on the ground. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot told me that he supported one-time special trains, after screening them, to take migrant workers back home. We have to understand their emotion. They are scared, they are worried, they need a sense of security. He also warned of the practical economic consequences if this issue is not addressed. Right now, they are half here and half there. Factories cannot reopen like this. How is it that we ran special chartered flights for middle- and-upper-middle class Indians from across the world, but we forgot to organise buses for our poor? Why is it that we get so agitated when it comes to being separated from our parents and children, even if they are economically secure; but we feel disdain or indifference towards hundreds of thousands of Indians, without our monetary cushion, expressing the same sentiment? Im haunted by the words of Mukesh Nirvasit who supports workers from the informal sector. We should stop treating migrant workers as if they are beggars and our response is charity. They have built our factories, our economy, our country. If we cant look after them, let them go home. Barkha Dutt is an award-winning journalist and author The views expressed are personal SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Chhattisgarh will start pool sample testing for COVID-19 in a couple of days, state's Health Minister T S Singh Deo said on Friday, while ruing the Modi government's "conservative" testing strategy instead of an "aggressive" approach, which would have put the country in a much better position to fight the pandemic. In an interview to PTI, Deo also said the Chhattisgarh government is in the process of procuring 75,000 rapid testing kits on its own and has also asked the Centre for providing some. "We have re-tendered for 75,000 kits on Thursday. We have also appealed to the Central government (for giving us kits) which I hear is to get a tranche of about 6,40,000 kits from abroad. Chhatisgarh is one of those states where we don't have even a single kit today," Deo said. The Centre is likely to send rapid testing kits to the state by Saturday, he said. However, he was not aware of the number being sent. He also asserted that the personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical personnel, including doctors and nurses, dealing directly with COVID-19 patients was in short supply. On the state set to adopt pool testing, Deo said, "We were one of those states asking for it. On Tuesday, the ICMR cleared this. We have talked to the laboratories at AIIMS and the medical college (Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial Medical College) in Raipur. They are in agreement that they will be able to do it," he said. AIIMS Raipur has a capacity of 350-400 sample tests in a day and with pool testing it can go up to 2,000, while the Raipur medical college has about 100-120 samples capacity which would be able to go up to 500-600 in a day, he said, adding that "the pool testing would start within a day or two." Pooling of samples involves testing them in batches and when pooled sample tests positive, then individual samples are assessed. Pool testing reduces the number of test kits used, and therefore, increases testing capacity. Asked about former Congress president Rahul Gandhi's assertion on ramping up testing, Deo said it has to be the way forward because if one is not testing aggressively then it is like being in a "dark room" and working on speculation. He said different protocols are being followed around the world and while one advocated a lockout, the other was testing and regulating movement. "Between South Korea and India, South Korea has tested about 7,000 per million, while India, I don't think it would have touched even 200 per million, so that is the gap....It is easier not to have a lockdown if you have a more aggressive testing protocol. Then you are more aware of where to prevent people from moving around and where to allow people to be much freer to move around," Deo said. "The testing protocol (adopted by the Centre) was very conservative. The entire testing protocol in the country was with only one facility initially, NIV (National Institute of Virology), Pune. Now we have 220 labs. So either the government was not prepared or not planning," he alleged. Deo said that selective testing created a "big gap" between the asymptomatic population and those tested, and that was one of the reasons for the spread of the virus. On Chhattisgarh having fewer number of cases and zero death, the minister said the key was that the state started preparations early and then luck also played its part. "We did start early, that is true. We started on January 27 by putting in the rapid task force headed by the district collectors so that the inter-department coordination would be there as just the health department would not have been able to ensure compliance (of protocols) beyond a point," he said. "We are fortunate to have had only 33 cases, so I would give a lot to chance, a lot to luck, maybe our people have been alert. We have had a large population that has been under quarantine, Wednesday's figures were 94,795 in home quarantine and 242 in government quarantine facilities," he said. Malls, cinema halls, and other business institutions were also asked to regulate activities or close down early in the state, he said. "Between January 27 to March 24, we had tried to put an administrative system in place which had identified COVID dedicated facilities and training of manpower.We started screening people coming in at the airport from January 28," he said. "It was very difficult at the bus stand and railway stations so we went for hoardings, billboards and jingles (for COVID-19 precautions). The idea was to educate the people because from day one it was absolutely clear that there was no cure, no medicine, that we could provide to the people," he said. The government had to try and contain the virus' spread, he added. According to the state government, there were 33 cases of coronavirus, out of which 23 people have been discharged or cured and there have been zero fatalities due to the pandemic in the state. The death toll in the country due to COVID-19 has risen to 437 and the number of total cases to 13,387 on Friday, according to the Union health ministry. The minister also said there was no early standardisation of the PPE kits for COVID-19 and the Indian Council of Medical Research ( ICMR) published its standard for such kits only on March 24. "We had placed our orders on March 5 for PPEs to government subsidiary HLL for 7,000 kits and subsequently for another 7,000 kits on March 16. Out of those 14,000 kits we ordered, the firm could supply us only 3,000," Deo said. These items are in short supply and it is not clear to manufacturers in the country as to what standard of PPE kits they have to supply for COVID-19, the senior minister in the Chhattisgarh government said. Asserting that the pandemic should serve as a wake up call for governments across the globe and they should commit at least 3 percent of the GDP to the health sector, he said there must be a sustained investment in the public health sector, he said. Deo also said the state government has asked the Centre for an automated DNA/RNA machine for sample procurement, noting that currently it is being done on a manual basis. If they provide us with this machine then the capacity doubles, the minister added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) EAST ALTON In light of the national coronavirus pandemic, Sivia Law decided to inspire positivity within the community through 30 Days of Kindness. The firm has come up with 30 activities to inspire kindness that satisfy social distancing and health guidelines. Some acts are a simple nod, FaceTime with a family member, posting an inspirational quote, thanking an essential worker and sending cards. Sometimes people just need a little nudge in the right direction to act on behalf of their kind thoughts, said attorney Todd Sivia. We wanted to be a catalyst for people to take kind action. On Day 15, Sivia Law encouraged people to send someone a pizza. The firm partnered with Dominos to send 200 pizzas to healthcare workers at nursing homes in the community. We are happy to make these donations, partnered with you, under our Feed the Need program, stated Dominos regional manager Jennifer Prante. Glad we had the opportunity to work together. Sivia Law also encouraged residents to choose positivity and spread kindness, and they asked people to share their experiences and photos through Sivia Law on Facebook. We really wanted to support a segment of essential workers that mean so much to the elderly community, and the community at large, stated Sivia. It is an unusual time for all, but together we will make it through, community is everything! For more details, visit www.sivialaw.com or call the Edwardsville office at 618-659-4499 or the East Alton office at 618-258-4800. This year a detainees commission is urging Israel to release hundreds of sick inmates with poor health, who are at high risk of contracting COVID-19. Palestinians are marking Prisoners Day to commemorate the plight of thousands still held in Israeli military jails. But this year, a detainees commission is urging Israel to release hundreds of sick inmates with poor health, who are at a high risk of contracting COVID-19. Al Jazeeras Nida Ibrahim reports from the occupied West Bank. Rome residents commemorate 77th anniversary of Nazi raid. Today is the 77th anniversary of the Nazi raid on Quadraro, a south-eastern suburb of Rome, during world war two. The district was well known for its numerous partisans and opponents of the regime, and as such was referred to as a "wasp's nest" by the SS chief in Rome, Herbert Kappler. At dawn on 17 April 1944, under the code name Walfisch (Operation Whale), the Nazis rounded up around 2,000 men from their homes in Quadraro, deporting as many as 947* men, aged between 16 and 60, to concentration camps in Germany and Poland. The operation took place at around 04.00 and was led by Kappler who, less than a month earlier, was responsible for the Fosse Ardeatine massacre near the Via Appia Antica on 24 March. The then German consul general of Rome, Friedrich Eitel Moellhausen, wrote that Quadraro was viewed as the refuge of "informers, partisans, communists." Moellhausen also wrote that Kappler "was of the opinion, expressed several times, that when someone could not find refuge or welcome in convents or at the Vatican, he slipped into Quadraro, where he disappeared." For Rome, in terms of size, the Quadraro operation was second only to the raid at the Ghetto district on 16 October 1943, when more than 1,000 Jews were deported to the Nazi extermination camp at Auschwitz. *The number of those deported from Quadraro ranges from 683, based on a list compiled by the parish priest Gioacchino Rey, to the much higher estimates of 740 and 947. Image: Identification card of Sisto Quaranta who survived the deportation of Quadraro and died aged 93 in 2017. Photo Corriere della Sera. Bengaluru: The wedding of former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy turned out to be a family affair at his farm house near Ramanagara, about 60 kms from the Karnataka capial, Bengaluru. The actor married Revathi, grand niece of former minister and Congress MLA M Krishnappa. Though it was meant to be a low key wedding, since both families have political background, the number of people who attended the event are said to be have been higher than recommended by the government. Meanwhile, police in Ramanagara had blocked the roads from all directions for 15 kms and only cars with passes were allowed to commute in the direction. Even media was not allowed anywhere near the venue. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Airline traffic recovery may not reach last years baseline levels for another three years, and many smaller airlines will disappear, Davy Stockbrokers have said. In a note, research analysts Stephen Furlong and Ross Harvey said they now expected a smaller, more concentrated industry post-crisis and certain airlines to have gained market share. Those airlines include Ryanair, Aer Lingus and British Airways owner AIG, and Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air, Davy said. Traffic recovery will be slow, perhaps not reaching baseline 2019 levels until 2023. Discounting,aided by low fuel prices,could accelerate this but only few airlines will survive without long-term equity impairment, the note said. Davy said that all airlines have continued to look at every measure to reduce operating expenses. Most will need explicit state backing, in Norwegians case, a potential debt for equity swap leading to a permanent, or at least semi-permanent, equity impairment. For others, the capital structure may become so indebted that it will take several years of positive free cash flow to return the capital structure to 2019 levels, the analysts said. Davy reiterated its belief the European market will follow the US model of consolidation. Airlines that were strong coming into this crisis should be stronger coming out. Many will disappear. Some will be significantly smaller. Aircraft deferrals, lease extensions and aircraft retirements will become the norm, the note said. In the longer-term, a coordinated global response will be needed as the industrys 75% break even load factor is some way off, it added. While the industry is burning through cash, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Mr Furlong and Mr Harvey said Wizz Air was in a good position currently, compared to easyJet. We believe Wizz is in a better-than-expected position. Less than half of cancelled bookings require cash refunds and liquidity appears to have held up well so far, but EasyJet is in a slightly worse-than-expected position, they said. [April 17, 2020] Houston Apartment Association Launches "HAA Renter Assistance Fund" with a $100,000 Donation to the Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries In response to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the financial well-being of a growing number of apartment residents, the Houston Apartment Association (HAA) today is donating $100,000 to the Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries (ACAM), launching their "HAA Renter Assistance Fund." HAA is also challenging its members, including apartment owners and operators as well as suppliers, to contribute additional funds to the program. "Many of our residents have lost their jobs or have experienced a reduction in pay," said Clay Hicks, HAA president. "While many were able to pay their April rent, many others will need help meeting their rent obligations in May and possibly beyond. We hope our contribution is a starting point to meet the immediate need, as we navigate this unprecedented crisis together as a community and we join Mayor Sylvester Turner in asking for more flexibility to allow federal money to be used for renter assistance." While both eviction delays and the "HAA Renter Assistance Fund" provide immediate relief, the next step is for elected officials, non-profits and the community at large to explore meaningful, systematic rental assistance resources to help residents remain in their homes. To help those in need and preserve badly needed housing supply, HAA is urgently asking local city and county leaders, civic leaders and cmmunity organizations to join the association in lobbying the members of Congress to include short-term rental assistance in the next stimulus bill. ACAM, a management support organization for a network of 14 area assistance ministries throughout the Greater Houston area, provides short-term emergency assistance and programs to low-income families to lead them on a path to long-term resiliency and self-sufficiency, including short-term rental assistance. Funds from the HAA donation will be distributed to the requesting families' apartment management companies to cover their monthly rent. "ACAM is grateful to the HAA for taking the lead to create a way that property owners and managers can support families in need of assistance," said Sharon Zachary, CEO, Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries. "Our region's community assistance ministries are strong organizations that continue to help our most vulnerable families during times of crisis. As the region's safety net, the network serves more people every day -- often in faith that the resources to continue the work will come. It is a sign of generosity when a collaborative of multifamily businesses come together to create the HAA Renter Assistance Fund." About the Houston Apartment Association: The Houston Apartment Association is a professional trade association that serves individuals and businesses involved in the ownership, construction, management, maintenance and operation of apartments and other rental dwellings in the Houston area. See www.haaonline.org for more information. About Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries ACAM is a 501(c)(3) public charity with the mission of advancing collaboration to create community-wide solutions for thriving nonprofits, neighborhoods, and families. ACAM's formal in-network partners include 14 highly engaged faith-based human service organizations, assisting on average 200,000 individuals annually across five Houston-area counties. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005388/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Medical staff put on protective equipment before attending to COVID-19 patients at the Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on March 16, 2020 China's coronavirus ground-zero city of Wuhan on Friday admitted missteps in tallying its death toll as it abruptly raised the count by 50 percentand as world doubts mounted about how transparent China has been during the crisis. The United States has led the charge in questioning Beijing's handling of the pandemic and how much information it has really shared with the international community since the virus emerged late last year. Authorities in Wuhan initially tried to cover up the outbreak, punishing doctors who had raised the alarm online in December, and there have been questions about the government's recording of infections as it repeatedly changed its counting criteria at the peak of the outbreak. Wuhan's epidemic control headquarters said in a social media posting on Friday that it had added 1,290 deaths to the tally in the city, which has suffered the vast majority of China's fatalities from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. That brings the total number of deaths in the city to 3,869. But the city government only added 325 cases, raising the city's total number of infections to 50,333. The change also pushes the nationwide death toll up by nearly 39 percent to 4,632, based on official national data released earlier on Friday. The official toll in the country of 1.4 billion people, however, remains well below the number of fatalities in much smaller countries such as Italy and Spain. Crowds wait for medical attention at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital on January 25, 2020 Pressure mounts China has come under increasing pressure from Western powers, with Washington and others raising doubts about transparency, and the US probing whether the virus actually originated in a Wuhan laboratory. US President Donald Trump said China's death toll was "far higher" that it had admittedeven after the new numbers were issued. Chinese scientists have said the virus emerged from a Wuhan food market whose merchandise reportedly included exotic wild animals sold for human consumption. "We'll have to ask the hard questions about how it came about and how it couldn't have been stopped earlier," British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Thursday. French President Emmanuel Macron told the Financial Times it would be "naive" to think China had handled the pandemic well, adding: "There are clearly things that have happened that we don't know about." Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian acknowledged that the virus's rapid spread had contributed to undercounting, but added: "There has never been any concealment, and we'll never allow any concealment." There however has also been some domestic discontent over the authorities' handling of the outbreak, especially in Hubei province and its capital, Wuhan. There are growing global doubts about the transparency of China's coronavirus tally A civil servant in Yichang, which is in Hubei, said he had filed a lawsuit against provincial authorities for covering up the epidemic. "Someone must be held accountable for this," Tan Jun, the civil servant, said on social media. He later said police ordered him not to talk about the matter. Data flip-flops State-run nationalistic tabloid Global Times defended the revision in an editorial, saying it was a "responsible correction" based on "facts" and that some in the West were "hyping" speculation. "It is hoped the veracity of the data can put all controversy surrounding it to rest," it said. Joseph Kam, professor of emerging infectious diseases at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said local authorities may have been asked to hit a certain target in their reporting of deaths and confirmed cases. "Given the naivety of these numbers, it seems very likely that this timing is to try to ameliorate foreign anger and distrust amidst the high infection and fatality rates we've seen," Kam told AFP. Wuhan cited several reasons for the missed cases, including that medical staff were overwhelmed in the early days as infections climbed, leading to "late reporting, omissions or mis-reporting". Medical staff in protective clothing arrive with a patient at a hospital in Wuhan on January 25, 2020 It also cited insufficient testing and treatment facilities, and said the deaths of some patients at home were not properly reported. Hubei health authorities have previously flip-flopped on their figures. Officials abruptly added nearly 15,000 cases to their count in mid-February, counting those who were diagnosed through lung imaging in addition to those who underwent lab tests. Later, the National Health Commission removed 108 deaths from the toll after discovering that some fatalities were double-counted in Hubei. Authorities changed their methodology again in late February, no longer adding cases identified through lung imaging. More recently, China started counting asymptomatic cases. Zhang Hai, a 52-year-old Wuhan man who has sought official answers after his elderly father died from the virus following unrelated surgery, said the revision was an "improvement". "The number revision shows the local government can take into account the problems brought up by the relatives of the deceased, and this can bring some solace to grieving families," he said. Explore further WHO experts visit Chinese virus epicentre 2020 AFP Bengaluru, April 17 : Amid charges and counter-charges between Karnataka's ruling BJP and the opposition Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), police denied lockdown violations at the wedding of former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Gowda with Revathi at a farmhouse near Bidadi in Ramanagara district on Friday. "Lockdown norms were followed and about 100 people, including family members and close relatives of Kumaraswamy were allowed to attend the wedding at the farmhouse earlier in the day," Bidadi police sub-inspector C. Bhaskar told IANS over phone. "As the lockdown is strictly enforced, 40 vehicles with police passes were allowed to enter the road to the farmhouse from the state highway at Bidadi," he added. Though some people from nearby villages came to the highway when the marriage was underway, they were dispersed, as only those whose names were cleared by the district authority were allowed to proceed to the farmhouse in cars, reiterated Bhaskar. Rubbishing allegations by ruling BJP's district unit president M Rudresh that several people thronged the farmhouse to view the wedding in violation of the lockdown, Kumaraswamy's media secretary K.C. Sadananda told IANS about 45-50 family members and relatives of the Gowda clan were present at the farmhouse. "Lockdown norms were followed for the wedding, which was held inside the farmhouse. Besides family members and relatives, only drivers, cooks, waiters and servants were present. The entire event was recorded by cameras installed around the place for proof and to counter any charge of violation," he said. Rudresh, who did not respond to IANS calls, was heard telling local TV channels that more than the permitted 100 people were present around the farmhouse for a glimpse of the ceremony. To this, Sadananda said: "If Rudresh has visual evidence of the lockdown violation, he can submit it to the local police for investigation. As per norms, social or physical distancing was maintained by all during event." Though the couple and family members, including Kumaraswamy, his wife Anita, father H.D. Deve Gowda and mother Chinnammma did not wear the masks at the wedding ceremony, which was inside the house, they wore masks at breakfast and lunch. "No guideline to wear masks inside a house. The farmhouse is in the district (Ramanagara) which is a green spot without a single case of coronavirus till date," added Sadandada. Even media persons were not allowed to the farmhouse in compliance with the lockdown norms. Earlier in the day, Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan told reporters here that he had asked the district's Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police to inquire into the charge that lockdown guidelines were violated. "Permission was given for the wedding but with guidelines to maintain social distancing and wearing of face masks by all those attending the ceremony. If there is a violation, action will be taken," he said. Nikhil, 28, got engaged to Revathi, 22, a grandniece of state Congress leader M. Krishnappa, in Bengaluru on February 10. Volleyball star Kim Yeon-koung has received an offer from a Chinese team as her contract with her current Turkish club nears an end, according to media reports. Volleyball news website World of Volley said Thursday that Beijing BAIC Motor in the Chinese Volleyball Super League has expressed an interest in recruiting Kim of Eczacbas VitrA. Her two-year deal with the Turkish club is set to expire in May. Kim's agency declined to confirm the report, saying, "We cannot say anything about her next move at this moment as many leagues around the world are going through a tough time due to the coronavirus epidemic." Kim played in the Chinese league with Shanghai Guohua Life in the 2017-18 season. She returned to Seoul on Wednesday after matches in Turkey were canceled due to the epidemic. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has sent several truckloads of food grains and other essential items for the people of Amethi to help them tide over their hardships during the lockdown, the the Congress' district unit said in Amethi on Friday. Amethi's former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has sent five trucks each of rice and wheat besides one truck of pulses, cooking oil, spices and other material for distribution among people, said party's district unit president Anil Singh. It is Rahul Gandhi's endeavour to ensure that Amethi people face no difficulty in meeting their daily needs during these difficult times, said Singh, adding a total of 16,400 ration kits have been distributed among people of 877 gram panchayats and seven nagar panchayats in Amethi so far. For protecting people against coronavirus infection, 50,000 masks, 20,000 sanitisers, 20,000 soaps and other similar material have been distributed among 'corona warriors' on behalf of Rahul Gandhi, said Singh. Besides 'Congress fights Corona' group, being run under the guidance of Rahul Gandhi, is extending help to the Amethi natives living in other states, Singh said, adding that 91 people in Madhya Pradesh, 212 in Gujarat, 308 in Maharashtra, 52 in West Bengal and 308 in Punjab and Haryana have been helped by the group. Earlier too Rahul Gandhi had sent food grains for Amethi people. The government will extend a loan scheme to help mid-sized and larger businesses through the coronavirus pandemic following concerns that many were unable to access support. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said on Thursday night that companies with a turnover of more than 45m will be able to access up to 25m of government-backed finance. Businesses turning over of 250m or more can borrow up to 50m under the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) which will launch on Monday. The move is designed to help companies that were too large to access government-backed loans already announced for small firms, but were not able to apply for funding from the Bank of England. Companies including Greggs and EasyJet have secured borrowing facilities from the Bank of England's Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF), but other large firms who were not "investment grade" have been unable to do so. Mr Sunak, said: "I want to ensure that no viable business slips through our safety net of support as we help protect jobs and the economy. That is why we are expanding this generous scheme for larger firms. "This is a national effort and we'll continue to work with the financial services sector to ensure that our 330bn of government support, through loans and guarantees, reaches as many businesses in need as possible." Ministers have made clear to banks that they want them to lend quickly to any viable business affected by coronavirus that needs funding. Figures released this week by the banks' lobbying group UK Finance showed that only 6,020 loans totalling 1.1bn had been approved for small businesses under CBILS, though the number had doubled since last week. Around one in five applications have been approved so far but many small firms say they have enquired and decided not to apply or been told by their bank that they are not eligible. Some small businesses have called for the government to increase its backing for the loans from 80 per cent of banks' losses if borrowers default, to 100 per cent. The new extended scheme for larger businesses will operate in a similar way to the existing one with the government covering 80 per cent of any losses. Business Secretary Alok Sharma added: "Coronavirus has struck a heavy blow against businesses of all sizes across the UK. "Expanding this scheme will provide larger firms with the support they need during the pandemic, helping to provide job security to thousands of people and protect our economy." With the lockdown extension stretching for another three weeks at least, businesses are keen to ensure they can remain solvent until the economy can return to normal. SCHROEPPEL, N.Y. -- When a fire that killed more than 60 cows at Ralph H. Bowerings family farm was finally put out, Bowering tried to sleep. He couldnt. Sounds hed heard earlier kept him awake. On April 8, a fire started burning 1,100 bales of hay in a barn Bowerings family had owned for about 120 years. He knew the fire would burn quickly and the floor could collapse. Bowering unsnapped his cows chains. He started with an 11-year-old, his oldest cow, and moved to younger ones. Many cows huddled, refusing to leave the barn. As the cows burned, they bellowed. He removed chain after chain until pieces of the burning barn fell around him. Firefighters put out the fire around 4 a.m. Bowering tried to sleep but instead re-lived the fire. The sounds he remembered alone were enough to keep him up. But the smell did too. The cows had to be left until later that morning. No matter how much youve done, you never feel like youve done enough, Bowering said. The only thing I was thinking about is trying to save cows," Bowering added later. "The next day I felt like I failed because so many died. I dont know what else I couldve done. The farm on Biddlecum Road in Schroeppel has provided the Bowering family a livelihood and generations of memories. Bowerings kids and grandkids swung on the same rope swing and his family hoped his great grandkids would too. Now, Bowering is trying to figure out whether he can rebuild. When he talks of the fire, its the cows that force him to clear his throat for composure. Hes bred them for nearly 50 years and knew their names and their defining characteristics. Whole cow pedigrees, the equivalent of a family tree, perished in the fire. His family has been tallying values of the tangible things Bowering lost. A new barn could cost $200,000. New equipment like a milking machine and wheelbarrows could cost $50,000. Bowering lost $16,000 in cow embryos and semen. Feed for surviving cows will cost $12,000. Its not about the money, Bowering said. It never really has been. In 1975, Bowering bought his aunts and uncles farm on Biddlecum Road because his parents werent ready to retire. Bowering would later buy his parents farm, too, taking out a more than $100,000 mortgage. In the mid-2000s and early 2010s, profits from sending the cows milk to a dairy, Agrimark, dropped. Bowering struggled to pay the second mortgage with less money coming in. He stopped sending milk to Agrimark to cut costs, sold many of his cows and picked up a 45-hour-a-week job at Scholtens Dairy in Van Buren. We were going to lose the farms if I didnt do something, Bowering said. Bowering still woke up at 5:30 a.m. to feed his animals and do some basic work but largely let other family members operate his farm. Much of its profitability came from crops and selling the cows semen and embryos. Because the farm had run his finances thin, he took out the lowest level of insurance he could to keep costs down. On Wednesday, that backfired when the barn caught fire. As Bowerings son, Ralph E. Bowering, drove up to the house that night, he worried whether his father left the barn before it collapsed. He knew the depths his father would go to save generations of work. My dad likes his cows more than he likes most people, his son said. He and his father spoke little that night. His father hardly spoke to anyone. In the dark, Ralph H. Bowering couldnt tell how many cows he had saved. It looked like just five or six. His son put together a search team to find any animals who had strayed from the farm, set to embark at daybreak. The next morning, though, the cows returned one by one, until 22 showed up. Help arrived too. Area farmers donated feed for the surviving cattle. The Oswego County Highway Department donated a bulldozer and an operator who helped dig a trench. Shawn Lindsley, Bowerings son-in-law, owns an excavating company and postponed some of his companys jobs to set up the farm, help bury the cows and clear debris. People began showing up with food to the Bowerings houses. His family tried to convince him to start an online fundraiser, but he demurred. I dont want to ask for money from people who dont have it, he told his children. They set up a Gofundme page anyway and help arrived there, too. In a week, it has raised more than $34,000 from 417 donors. One man showed up to Bowerings house with a six-pack of beer and a package of hot dogs. He didnt have money to give, but he wanted to help. The first farm hand Bowering hired nearly 50 years ago, now living in Kentucky, called him and offered to drive to New York to help. Bowering had so much help he turned the man down. Farmers around the country who have done business with Bowering heard about the fire. They called asking if the cows theyd sold him got out. He had to tell most they hadnt. One farmer from Wisconsin offered to trace the pedigree of one of the cows to see if he couldnt help Bowering restart the line again. Instead of sleeping after the fire was put out, Bowering did as hes always done when his farm has been in peril: He worked. Bowering worked on no sleep through about 9 p.m. the day after the fire. He and his family started setting up the barn at his parents old farm. They started running a vacuum pump and a gutter cleaner and water lines. He checked the doors and collected feed and hay. Farmers in the area brought spare parts. His son drove to Finger Lakes Dairy in Seneca Falls to buy a pump regulator. Its getting better day by day," Bowering said. "Its only been a couple days. The first day I had no good thoughts whatsoever about anything. Bowering knows there may be limits to how much he can rebuild. Hes 69 years old with gray hair that runs beneath his hat. He still owes nearly $100,000 on the mortgage and doesnt know if he could borrow any more money to build the barn and maintain a profitable farm. Last year was a rough one for his crops. Spring was too wet to get any in and the Fall was too wet to get any out. Bowering had been leasing some of his land to another larger farm to make money. The farm didnt renew its lease this year. Before the fire, though, things had been promising. He had been able to get crops into his fields. I had just started thinking it was going to be a really good year, Bowering said. Now, just getting the farm up and running has been its own feat. In the days since the fire, the cows he did save have tried bellowing for their calves not knowing they wont come back. Among the cows he saved was Lulu. When the fire started on Thursday night, Lulu was pregnant. By the time she returned, she was ready to give birth. All cows in a line have names that start with the same letter on Bowerings farm. He named the calf Lucky. Lucky, the calf pictured above, was born the day after a fire at the Bowering's farm in Schroeppel. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Chris Libonati via the Signal app for encrypted messaging at 585-290-0718, by phone at the same number, by email or on Twitter. The United Kingdom will not go straight back to business as usual after coronavirus cases decrease and the lockdown is eased, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Thursday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th April, 2020) The United Kingdom will not go straight back to business as usual after coronavirus cases decrease and the lockdown is eased, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Thursday. He responded to a question by Sky news about a tweet by his senior official, Nadine Dorries, who said that a "full exit" from the lockdown would only happen when a vaccine was found. This could take up to 18 months. "The point Nadine was making is, we will not be returning to some, just straight back to how things were before. This will take time," Hancock said on a Sky News morning show. The secretary, who will attend an emergency committee meeting on coronavirus response later in the morning, said it was too early to start phasing out social distancing rules. "People can see that while we may be reaching a peak, the numbers aren't coming down yet," he said. Brits are advised to only go outside for food, health reasons or work in which telecommuting is not possible. As of Wednesday, the UK has confirmed a total of 98,476 coronavirus cases, with 12,868 related fatalities. The exchange of words between Prime Ministers Dr. Keith Mitchell of Grenada and Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, regarding border control policies and the potential impact on their respective socio-economic spaces, heightened over the last week or so. On April 6, Dr. Mitchell registered his fears saying, "We have to protect our brothers and sisters in Carriacou and Petite Martinique from what is taking place in the Grenadines at this particular time. According to an online news source, on April 10, Prime Minister Gonsalves said, I want to say to the people of Carriacou and Petite Martinique that if you are having difficulties getting food, we can help because we have a lot of it in Union Island, and we can get it to Union Island. I want to tell our brothers and sisters that if you want to get cooking gas, we can help you; but let us do it in a structured and organized manner. One day later, PM Mitchell shot back a blunt declaration to his citizens, "It is alarming that our citizens will be called upon to break the law by the leader of another country. It is grossly irresponsible and has the potential for not only legal consequences, but also pose a significant threat to public health and public safety, and he warned the citizens of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, "not be misguided into flouting the law of the land. THE VINCENTIAN Newspaper reached out to PM Gonsalves for clarity as to what appears to be a developing rift between the sister Eastern Caribbean States. He pointed to the time-worn socio-economic integration of the neighboring Grenadine territories while explaining that the help he proffered could be accomplished whether through regular commerce or via intra-government collaboration. ""Doing the thing in a structured way is not anything that is novel. It happens all the time, and if they want to include the governmental authority, we have the Director of Grenadine Affairs, Edwin Snagg, and he himself has a business down there. Constant movement between islands Gonsalves acknowledged hearing a voice note from a woman who allegedly lives on Petite Martinique. One of the claims made therein is the near impossibility of enforcing the border restrictions on the northern tip of that island which the woman described as belonging to Vincentian Grenadine territory. PM Gonsalves agreed that maintaining the border closure would be problematic at best, especially given the age-old cultural and economic ties both territories share. "Traditionally, nearly half of the people who work at PSV (Petite St. Vincent) and Palm Island which are our territories, are from Petite Martinique. "Petite Martinique people come to Union regularly to get medical attention. In fact, they come there, and sometimes when they need more serious treatment, they take the boat and come up to St. Vincent. Clearly, some people gave Keith (Prime Minister Mitchell) wrong information, so this is why I say I am not interested in any village dog fight which he has initiated. I doubt he heard my statement. If you read the story in Grenada Today, they documented what I said, and then Keith now put a different spin on it a spin which doesnt relate to the facts at all. Because it spin in a way that it completely distorts, misrepresents what I said, in fact what he said I said, I didnt say. "I said, we come down from St. Vincent we go to Union all the time, so we can take the stuff; but if the people run out in Union, we can send stuff down. All of us have an interest in the people in Carriacou and Petite Martinique to get food, medicine, gas. I dont want to break Keith Mitchell regulations that he has. Im not that kind of person. Clearly, neither the quarantine nor the lockdown is as effective as they should be because fellas leaving by boat and coming and buying things. But once it is known that they come there from these places, the authorities know, theyd have to be quarantined for 14 days, particularly when they try to come ashore, Dr. Gonsalves shared via an exclusive telephone interview. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is straining healthcare resources across the globe, prompting countries to impose social distancing measures to reduce the transmission of the virus. The problem is, the virus can spread even if the infected person has no symptoms, making contact tracing and isolation measures more difficult. Now, a new study reveals the rapidity of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 transmission that occurred in a Boston homeless shelter. The study titled COVID-19 outbreak at a large homeless shelter in Boston: Implications for universal testing is published as a preprint (not yet peer-reviewed) server medRxiv. A team of researchers from Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program and Massachusetts General Hospital sheds light on the dangers of asymptomatic transmission. People who do not have symptoms are not aware they are infected and may pose a risk of people surrounding them. Homelessness and lockdowns Over several weeks, many countries have been on lockdown, and social distancing measures have been imposed. However, the amount of social distancing measures required to stem the coronavirus epidemic remains unclear, especially if asymptomatic transmission is happening in various locations. One of the most vulnerable populations is those without homes. The circumstances of homelessness create the potential for the rapid transmission of COVID-19. The researchers wanted to see the situation of homeless people amid the coronavirus outbreak and found that many people in the homeless shelter are positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19. Upon observing a cluster of COVID-19 cases from a single large homeless shelter, the team conducted symptom assessment and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for all the guests living in the shelter for over two days. A total of 408 people were tested, and the team revealed that 147 of as much as 36 percent were PCR-positive for the virus. Real-time PCR cycler. Image Credit: Vit Kovalcik / Shutterstock Those who are symptomatic have reported the most common symptoms they experienced were fever, shortness of breath, and cough. In the US, an estimated 2.3-3.5 million people experience homelessness annually, and about 500,000 individuals sleep in homeless shelters each night. The congregate nature and hygienic challenges of shelter life create the potential for rapid transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in this vulnerable population. Our findings illustrate the rapidity with which COVID-19 can be widely transmitted in a homeless shelter setting and suggest that universal PCR testing, rather than a symptom triggered approach, maybe a better strategy for identifying and mitigating COVID-19 among people experiencing homelessness, the team concluded in the study. Testing guidelines Many countries are grappling with testing. A lack of testing, along with muddled guidelines for treating only those with symptoms, may have contributed to the spread of the virus. People who have symptoms should be isolated, but those who do not have symptoms are advised to go on with their regular daily activity. The team suggests increasing testing capacity to cover even the asymptomatic ones. For homeless people, the government worry since they cant self-isolate, making it hard for health officials to conduct contact tracing and containment of the infection. Although recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and widely implemented in Boston and elsewhere, front-door symptom screening in homeless shelter settings will likely miss a substantial number of COVID-19 cases in this high-risk population. These results support a universal PCR testing approach for identifying COVID-19 among people experiencing homelessness, the researchers added. COVID-19 global situation SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus that has emerged in a seafood market in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, in China. From there, it has spread to 185 countries and territories and has infected more than 2.15 million people worldwide. More than 143,000 people have succumbed to the virus, while more than 540,000 have already recovered. The United States has reported the highest number of infections, with more than 667,000 confirmed cases and more than 32,000 deaths. Other countries with high infections include Spain with more than 184,000 cases, Italy with more than 168,000 cases, France with more than 147,000 infections, and Germany with more than 137,000 cases. 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. With no effective treatment against the coronavirus available and a vaccine unlikely to be ready for at least a year, a lot of hope has been placed on the idea that the rise in temperatures over summer will stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. Fernando Belda, a spokesperson from Spains AEMET weather agency, is optimistic about the chances. His team has just found the first signs of correlation between cold weather and the spread of the coronavirus in Spain. We are seeing a pattern, the lower the temperature, the greater the effect, he explains. But past epidemics and the coronavirus situation in other countries indicate that summer will not be enough to stop the pandemic. There are a lot more factors that affect the transmission and spread of the new virus, but there is a statistical correlation Cristina Linares, AEMET Belda and his team of Spanish researchers analyzed the average temperature in each region over a 14-day period and the number of coronavirus cases that were confirmed during this time, for every 100,000 inhabitants. The pattern, according to Belda, is repeated over the 14 days, from the start of the lockdown until now. Cristina Linares, the co-author of the study, says the results need to be taken with care. We have to be very cautious, because the humidity and temperature conditions vary a lot between different geographic areas, and of course, there are a lot more factors that affect the transmission and spread of the new virus, she says. But there is a statistical correlation. Just a few weeks ago, the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (Nasem) sent a public report to the White House that said summer could not be depended upon to stop the pandemic. The experts warned that countries such as Australia and Iran, which both have weather conditions considered summery, are seeing the rapid spread of the virus. Whats more, other coronaviruses that cause potentially serious human diseases, such as SARS or MERS, have not shown any seasonal behavior, added the report, which was led by doctor Harvey Fineberg from Harvard University. So-called General Snow, the name given to the harsh winter climate of Russia that helped stop several invasions, was Russias deadliest weapon against Adolf Hitler and Bonaparte Napoleon. Similarly, US President Donald Trump has backed the idea that a General Summer could defeat the novel coronavirus since the beginning of the crisis. At a rally in February, he said: It looks like by April, in theory, when the weather gets a little warmer, [the coronavirus] miraculously goes away. But few still believe in General Summer. In a virus with a lipid casing you expect to see a correlation with meteorological variables Carl Heneghan, the director of the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, Oxford University There are infections that are closely linked to cold weather, such as the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which is the most frequent cause of pneumonia in children. SARS-CoV-2 has a lipid casing, like the respiratory syncytial virus, which should make it more sensitive to changes in temperature, relative humidity, and ultraviolet radiation, says epidemiologist Carl Heneghan, the director of the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, Oxford University. In a virus with a lipid casing you expect to see a correlation with meteorological variables. The big question is whether that sensitivity will be enough to stop the pandemic. According to the report from Nasem, there is some evidence to suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may transmit less efficiently in environments with higher ambient temperature and humidity. But it warned: Given the lack of host immunity globally, this reduction in transmission efficiency may not lead to a significant reduction in disease spread without the concomitant adoption of major public health interventions. Spanish virologist Margarita del Val, from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), agrees: in a pandemic the number of susceptible cases matters more than the meteorological changes. Epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch, from Harvard University, warned a month ago that even seasonal infections can occur out of season if the virus is new. Classical viruses need favorable conditions, such as winter temperatures, to spread through a population, as many people are already immune after having overcome the disease in previous years. New viruses have an advantage that is temporary, but important: Few or no individuals in a population are immune, Lipsitch explained in an article for the US Center of Communicable Diseases (CDC). The 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, for example, started in April, eased in the summer, and flared up again in September, all outside of the usual flu season. But Lipsitch, an expert on the current crisis, warned not to expect a summer miracle in the case of the coronavirus. While we may expect modest declines in the contagiousness of SARS-CoV-2 in warmer, wetter weather [...] it is not reasonable to expect these declines alone to slow transmission enough to make a big dent. The epidemiologist Cristina Linares also acknowledges that even the correlation between cold weather and coronavirus cases could be mistaken. They are preliminary results. Other factors that influence the possible seasonality of the spread must be taken into account, in addition to the environmental conditions. Human activity, containment measures, population density, etc. have a decisive influence, she explains. A study done in China at the start of the pandemic suggested that for each 1C rise in temperature, the daily number of confirmed cases fell between 36% and 57% The Spanish team is now working on a more sophisticated analysis, that includes other essential environmental variables, such as humidity, ultraviolet radiation, and air pollution, as well as other factors, including hospital and intensive care admissions, and mortality rates. The objective is to identify risk areas in real time at the provincial level to be able to act effectively, according to a statement from the Science Ministry. A study done in China at the start of the pandemic suggested that for each 1C rise in temperature, the daily number of confirmed cases fell between 36% and 57%, as long as the relative humidity hovered around 75%. But the authors of the study led by Zhijie Zhang from Fudan University in Shanghai recognized that this association between Covid-19, temperature and humidity was not consistent across different Chinese provinces. On March 22, the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine at Oxford University analyzed preliminary studies, particularly in China, that pointed to a decisive link between cold, dry weather and the increased spread of the coronavirus. The Oxford team warned that there were methodological errors in the studies and that the papers had not been externally reviewed by other scientists, as is standard practice in international science. For now, there is no reliable sign that General Summer can defeat the new coronavirus. English version by Melissa Kitson. Police must stop overstepping their powers under new coronavirus laws in order to maintain public trust, MPs have warned. The Home Affairs Committee said several errors had been identified through social media and press reporting, and called for forces to ensure that there are proper checks in place. Two forces have so far admitted wrongly charging people under the Coronavirus Act 2020, while the separate Health Protection Regulations which allow officers to arrest and fine people for breaking the lockdown have also been misinterpreted in some cases. Senior officers have admitted 39 fines were handed to children in violation of the law and were being rescinded. The Home Affairs Committee voiced concern that police were enforcing government advice rather than the letter of the law, which is less strict. It highlighted incidents including the wrongful arrest of a man delivering food to vulnerable people in Manchester and incorrect suggestions non-essential supermarket aisles could be policed. A report published on Friday said significant differences between the number of fines handed out in different areas raised questions about how consistently the law was being applied. The warning came as the government extended the UK lockdown for at least three more weeks. 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, said foreign secretary Dominic Raab. That would risk a quick return to another lockdown. Parliaments Joint Committee on Human Rights previously warned police may be punishing people without any legal basis because of confusion around the extent of the law. UK coronavirus lockdown extended for three weeks, says Dominic Raab It does not define essential travel or state how many times people may exercise outside a day, except in Wales. After hearing evidence from senior officers for its inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus outbreak, the Home Affairs Committee said mistakes must not endure. Given the pace at which the new regulations had to be implemented, it is not surprising that there have been some early problems and errors, the report added. We welcome the swift clarifications and apologies from forces on social media about cases where the police have got things wrong .... the early evidence and figures shared with us from some forces suggest that the overall police response has been proportionate. Rank-and-file officers did not know the lockdown was going to be announced on 23 March and had to be trained to use the hastily drawn-up laws at unprecedented speed. MPs said differences between the Health Protection Regulations and government guidance had caused issues and called for official announcements to provide clarity. It is vital that all forces and all officers understand the distinction between government advice and legal requirement, and that the tone and tactics they use are appropriate to each, the report added. Failing to do so depletes public trust. Following intense public debate about the use of parks during the lockdown, the committee said police were right to intervene when social distancing was being violated but parks should not be closed without trying enforcement action. Police officers have been told to use arrests and fines as a last resort, and first engage with the public to encourage them to comply voluntarily with the law. It allows officers to arrest people for breaking restrictions on movement and gatherings, or fine them up to 960 for repeated offences. More than 3,200 fines have been handed out in England so far, and 83 cases have reached court. Police officers around the country are doing a vital job in difficult circumstances to support the NHS and save lives, said Yvette Cooper, chair of the Home Affairs Committee. The speed at which the regulations came in means early errors are unsurprising, as everyone has been feeling their way, and the police need to ensure any mistakes continue to be corrected, and that there are checks and training in place. The report also called for police leaders and the government to ensure the physical and emotional safety of police officers, including by providing adequate personal protective equipment and making the testing of officers a priority. It raised concern about the growing backlog of more than 37,400 court cases and called for support for victims of crime, suggesting that criminal justice system employees should have key worker status. The Home Affairs Committee is to produce a separate report on domestic abuse, which is expected to increase during the lockdown despite overall crime plummeting by 28 per cent in a month. Martin Hewitt, chair of the National Police Chiefs Council, said it would be publishing data on how the lockdown is being enforced. We continue to work with the College of Policing so that officers and staff have the right guidance when carrying out their responsibilities proportionately and safely. All guidance is kept under regular review," he added. We will consider the recommendations made by the Home Affairs Committee carefully, both nationally and within forces, to address the issues raised. Priti Patel, the home secretary, said she was committed to providing officers with the resources, powers and equipment they need. She added: Our police are doing an excellent job in extraordinary circumstances helping us to protect the NHS and save lives." MONTREAL - Transat A.T. Inc. plans to use the federal emergency wage subsidy to rehire 4,000 employees it had temporarily laid off after halting all flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Transat says the employees, 1,900 of whom are flight attendants, will not be required to work as part of their recall. The returning staff will receive 75 per cent of their baseline pay up to a maximum of $847 per week, as defined in federal legislation passed last week. Temporarily laying off a large majority of our employees was a necessary but heartbreaking decision, Transat CEO Jean-Marc Eustache said in a statement. Eustache added that he hopes the announcement will provide some comfort for staff, 80 per cent of whom had been laid off. On March 23, Transat announced it would lay off 3,600 workers as it suspended its entire Air Transat flight schedule, a move followed by 400 other furloughs. Since then the airline business has gone into a further tailspin as closed borders and travel controls cratered demand. The International Air Transport Association predicts revenues will fall by $314 billion (U.S.) this year, or 55 per cent from 2019. The Kolkata Police on Friday arrested 605 people in different parts of the city for defying the lockdown, a senior officer said. They were arrested during naka-checking in different areas for venturing out without a valid reason, not wearing masks and spitting in open, among others, he said. The police also seized 128 vehicles during the day, he said. All those arrested will be prosecuted under the section dealing with disobedience of order duly promulgated, the officer added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three persons, including a six- month-old infant girl, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Bihar, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 83, a top official said on Friday. According to Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar, all the three cases reported late Thursday the baby girl besides a woman aged 21 years and a 55-year-old man have been reported from Munger district. The trio belong to the same family from Jamalpur block which had earlier reported seven cases a 60-year-old man who tested positive on Wednesday and six others, including a two- year-old girl whose test reports came a day later. "The 60-year-old had attended a Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Nalanda district," Block Development Officer Rajiv Kumar said. Hundreds of people are said to have taken part in the congregation at Bihar Sharif, the headquarters of Nalanda district, last month before the lockdown was announced. The Tablighi Jamaat has been in the eye of a controversy ever since its headquarters at Nizamuddin in Delhi emerged as a hotspot for COVID-19. The district now has 17 cases, and is the second worst-affected in the state after Siwan where 24 people have tested positive. Prior to the spurt witnessed in the last couple of days, Munger had for some time been without any active case, having reported one death and six recoveries. A 38-year-old resident of the district had died at AIIMS, Patna on March 21, a day before test reports confirmed that he was COVID-19 positive. The deceased had returned from Qatar a few weeks earlier. Several people, neighbours and relatives in Munger and Lakhisarai districts, and staff of a private hospital in Patna where he was briefly admitted before being referred to AIIMS, had ended up catching the contagion from the deceased. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) T he number of deaths linked to coronavirus across the world has hit 150,000, with the UK reporting 14,576 in hospitals alone. Data compiled by John Hopkins University set the global death toll past 153,000 on Friday night. The US is the country with the most confirmed Covid-19 fatalities to date with more than 36,800 deaths declared so far followed by Spain, Italy, France and the UK. The latest grim milestone was reached as the British Government announced it would be ramping up efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine. Business Secretary Alok Sharma said a new Vaccine Taskforce had been created, made up of experts from across academia, life science and industry. Government announce Covid-19 vaccine taskforce This taskforce is up and running and aims to ensure that a vaccine is made available to the public as quickly as possible, he told the daily Downing Street press conference. However, he acknowledged: Producing a vaccine is a colossal undertaking, a complex process which will take many months. There are no guarantees. The announcement came moments before the latest twist in the national personal protective equipment (PPE) saga. A shortage of critical protective garments means doctors and nurses will be asked to work without full-length gowns and to reuse items when treating coronavirus patients. AFP via Getty Images Public Health England (PHE) reversed its guidance stipulating that long-sleeved waterproof gowns should be worn when caring for Covid-19 sufferers. If the gowns are not available, clinical staff are now advised to wear disposable, non-fluid repellent gowns or coveralls or washable surgical gowns, with aprons, and to wash their forearms afterwards. The updated guidance states that the reuse of PPE should be implemented until confirmation of adequate re-supply is in place, and that some compromise is needed to optimise the supply of PPE in times of extreme shortages. At least 50 NHS workers have now died after contracting Covid-19. Dr Rob Harwood, consultants committee chairman at the British Medical Association, responded to the news saying: Telling staff to use aprons in the place of gowns directly contravenes both Public Health Englands previous guidance and that of the World Health Organisation. "This is guidance thats there to help keep healthcare workers and their patients, out of harms way. If its being proposed that staff reuse equipment, this must be demonstrably driven by science and the best evidence rather than availability and it absolutely cannot compromise the protection of healthcare workers. Loading.... A Department of Health spokesman said: New clinical advice has been issued today to make sure that if there are shortages in one area, frontline staff know what PPE to wear instead to minimise risk. Earlier on Friday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock urged more companies to volunteer to manufacture PPE domestically and admitted he would love to be able to wave a magic wand to increase PPE supplies. He told the Commons Health and Social Care Committee that the equipment was a precious resource and that maintaining supplies was challenging due to the very high global demand. It came as a leading physician warned that Britain will face further waves of Covid-19 and will probably have the highest death rate in Europe because the Government was too slow to act. Professor Anthony Costello, of University College Londons Institute for Global Health, said the harsh reality is that we were too slow with a number of things and deaths could reach to 40,000. The Department of Health said a further 847 patients had died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Thursday, bringing the total past 14,500. In other developments: Chancellor Rishi Sunak extended the Governments furlough scheme by another month until the end of June. London Mayor Sadiq Khan urged the Government to change its advice to the public on wearing face masks to combat the spread of the virus. Downing Street suggested summer holidays should not be booked yet as there is no certainty of when the lockdown will be lifted and travel can resume. Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would deviate from the UK Governments lockdown measures if her advisers told her it was in the best interests of her country. And in happier news, war veteran Captain Tom Moore, 99, reached another extraordinary milestone in his heroic efforts to raise money for the NHS. For Toronto mother Alicia Soerensen, the last few weeks have been a little overwhelming as she waits for the school board to deliver a tablet or laptop to her son, and shes worried that hes falling behind. Her son Jack is in Grade 6 at a Toronto public school in Willowdale. He alternates weekly between the home of his mother and the home of his father, where theres no computer access. While at Soerensens, he shares her laptop, which isnt ideal because her job in legal services requires her to use it. Plus, internet access at her home is limited, which means it can take several attempts to access the resources that teachers have shared, and sometimes Jack can only do school work at night when connectivity improves. School boards are working around the clock, preparing, delivering and organizing drive-through pickups of items such as Chromebooks, iPads and internet sticks to thousands of students. Schools closed in mid-March to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. On Friday, the province announced its collaborating with Rogers Communications and Apple to meet the educational needs of those lacking both devices and internet access. So far, Ontario school boards have purchased 21,000 iPads, which come loaded with learning software and wireless data that Rogers is providing free until the end of June. We know COVID-19 and this entire situation has created pressures and challenges on everyone, said Education Minister Stephen Lecce. Its why Im proud that the government is taking another step forward to build up (learning at home). We took two million kids who are in class in March, and, within days, we pivoted to distant virtual learning. Our new teacher-led program is keeping students engaged in learning. And Im proud of this province, of our ingenuity, of the can-do spirit, of our people, doing whatever it takes to support our kids. Premier Doug Ford, announcing an expansion of child-care services for essential staff on the front lines of this health crisis, also spoke about the continuing shutdown of Ontario schools, which closed March 13. Ford knows many, many parents are concerned about their kids being out of school because, for our children, education is everything. He said that no matter what, their education must continue. And that means having the educational tools needed to facilitate online learning . These iPads will have free wireless data and will help students from low-income families continue their learning safely at home during this pandemic. This week, the director of education at the Toronto District School Board, the countrys largest with 247,000 students, said staff are working day and night to prepare and distribute devices to students. We made the decision to have the devices delivered directly to the homes of our students to ensure that families can remain safely at home, said John Malloy in a message to parents. This option will take more time, but the safety of our communities is our top priority. Given the enormity of the distribution effort about 50,000 devices in total are expected to go out to TDSB students the delivery process, which began earlier this month, should be completed by early May. For the most part, Chromebooks and iPads were sourced from the boards own inventory, but it also purchased new ones, including 6,500 internet-enabled iPads. The Peel and York public school boards each are dispensing about 20,000 devices for the most part, parents pick them up at the school, following public heath protocols. In some cases, devices are delivered to homes. The logistics are complex at the best of times, said Paulla Bennett, chief information officer at York Region District School Board, which has 128,000 students. But were in a different climate right now, having to validate our procedures through public health and make sure that were exercising social distancing and safe practices so the logistics are that much more complex. At the York board, all 20,000 devices, most of which have been distributed, are Chromebooks from its own inventory. About 1,400 students without internet access also received mobile phones from Rogers that include data plans. Bennetts comments are echoed, in part, by Steve Camacho, chief information officer at the Toronto Catholic District School Board, which has 91,000 students. Ive never seen anything of this scale, he said. Whats unique about this situation is getting the individual devices to the individual parents . The speed of that has been a significant challenge. Rather than dip into its inventory the board was worried about risking the safety of staff going into schools to get devices and of parents picking them up the TCDSB purchased about 6,000 Chromebooks and internet-enabled iPads. Theyre being delivered to the homes of 4,500 students. Were working as fast as we can, said Camacho, adding shipments will continue next week as they work to meet everyones needs, including a recent request to have devices sent to children living with their mother in a womens shelter. We want everybody to participate in distance-learning as much as possible. Similarly, at the Peel District School Board, which has 153,000 students, distribution will extend into next week, given the large volume of devices that need to be adjusted for use outside the boards network. Its been a little overwhelming, said Alicia Soerensen, who noted Jack cant do school work when hes with his dad, and then he struggles to catch up. (Jack) was starting to get frustrated and really overwhelmed and just rushing through, trying to get everything done and he wasnt really understanding the content . Thats how hes been falling behind a little bit. Although boards officially launched distance-learning April 6, some teachers, including Jacks, began posting school work on Google Classroom on March 23. Soerensen has had to take time off work, sitting with her son for up to five hours a day at her laptop to help him get caught up. Hes doing a little better now, she says. She hopes Jack receives a device soon. She said it will provide him with the autonomy to take the lead in his learning. On any given morning in quarantine, Jimmie Fails wakes up to the sound of Joe Talbot singing in the shower. The childhood friends and co-creators of The Last Black Man in San Francisco have been sheltering in place together in the Mission District: cooking, watching movies, reading books and generally trying to stay sane as their lives are put on hold. Theyre also using their time in isolation to work on a new film set in San Francisco. Its been almost a year since The Last Black Man in San Francisco was released in theaters: a critically acclaimed love letter to the rapidly changing city they grew up in. Inspired by Fails' own upbringing, it's an odyssey-like journey through a San Francisco he strives to belong to as he faces the ongoing threat of being priced out. Its a theme that remains all the more relevant today as unemployment rates skyrocket and thousands of California residents are rendered incapable of paying their day-to-day expenses, much less their rent. And while the city is working to open up hotel rooms to house its homeless populations, some of those individuals have already been exposed to the virus amid a recent outbreak in the citys largest shelter. RELATED: The Last Black Man in San Francisco director creates map of the city featuring things he loves Fails and Talbot discussed the current crisis with State Sen. candidate and activist Jackie Fielder in a livestreamed conversation on Thursday evening. Its deeply frustrating, Talbot told Fielder, a 25-year-old Stanford alum running against incumbent Scott Wiener. I think Hillary Ronen said it really well, she said, you know, We are all in this together. And we really are. We are only as healthy as the sickest person in our city. Screenshot/Jackie Fielder on Twitch Fails agreed, adding that while The Last Black Man in San Francisco intends to show how the city has changed, its purpose is to also to encourage unity among residents now more than ever. As a true San Franciscan, you have to fight for keeping things the way they were when we were brought up. Keeping those same values, that same sort of spirit, said Fails. Thats exactly what the duo hopes to accomplish as they spend their time working on another film that will eventually be shot in the city. More information is soon to come, said Talbot. For the Bay, people are going to be really excited. Well just say that, he said. "It is a weird vision, its a fun summer movie. Its also going to serve up a heavy dose of nostalgia. Thats the place we work from, said Fails. I think that people that are from the Bay are just very reminiscent. Towards the end of the conversation, Fielder thanked Fails and Talbot for their critical and timely work. "I will always be of the belief that culture carries policies," said Fielder. "We cant just throw facts and numbers at people to convince them the world is messed up in these particular ways. That's the role of storytellers, and that's really what is going to carry people into whatever is coming after this." Watch the full livestream here. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Amanda Bartlett is an SFGATE associate digital reporter. Email: amanda.bartlett@sfgate.com | Twitter: @byabartlett Boris Johnsons most senior aide is facing fresh allegations he flouted lockdown rules by taking a sightseeing trip on Easter Sunday. The prime minister is facing mounting calls to sack Dominic Cummings amid claims he made several trips to see his family in County Durham, while the country was being told to stay at home. Ministers vociferously defended Mr Cummings after it emerged he had made the 260-mile journey, insisting he had obeyed the rules by staying in one place while there. However, an eyewitness told The Observer and the Sunday Mirror he had seen Mr Cummings on 12 April, 30 miles from Durham in Barnard Castle. Another eyewitness said they saw the prime ministers most trusted aide in Durham on 19 April, days after he had been photographed returning to Downing Street. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty UK news in pictures 27 November 2021 Residents clear branches from a fallen tree in Birkenhead, north west England as Storm Arwen triggered a rare red weather warning AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 An aerial picture shows a worker using a quad bike and trailer to transport freshly harvested trees at Pimms Christmas Tree farm in Matfield, southeast England AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 26 November 2021 A shopper browses Christmas trees for sale at Pines and Needles in Dulwich, London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 November 2021 A murmuration of hundreds of thousands of starlings fly over a field at dusk in Cumbria, close to the Scottish border PA UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 24 November 2021 Migrants are helped ashore from a RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) lifeboat at a beach in Dungeness, on the south-east coast of England, on November 24, 2021, after being rescued while crossing the English Channel. AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 23 November 2021 The coffin of Sir David Amess is carried past politicians, including former Prime Ministers Sir John Major, David Cameron and Theresa May, Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the requiem mass for the MP at Westminster Cathedral, central London PA UK news in pictures 22 November 2021 The scene in Dragon Rise, Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset where police have launched a murder probe after two people were found dead Tom Wren/SWNS UK news in pictures 21 November 2021 London-based midwife Sarah Muggleton, 27, takes part in a 'March with Midwives' in central London to highlight the crisis in maternity services PA UK news in pictures 20 November 2021 Police officers monitor as climate change activists sit down and block traffic during a protest action in solidarity with activists from the Insulate Britain group who received prison terms for blocking roads, on Lambeth Bridge in central London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 19 November 2021 A giant installation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson made from recycled clothing goes on display at Manchester Central, as part of Manchester Art Fair, in a 'wake-up call for the Prime Minister to tackle textile waste' PA UK news in pictures 18 November 2021 The scene at a recycling centre in Stert, near Devizes in Wiltshire after a large blaze was brought under control. The fire broke out on Wednesday night the fire service has said and local residents were advised to keep windows and doors shut due to large amounts of smoke PA UK news in pictures 17 November 2021 The sun rises over South Shields Lighthouse, on the North East coast of England PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2021 ancer Maithili Vijayakumar at the launch of 2021 Diwali celebrations at St Andrew Square in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 15 November 2021 Forensic officers work outside Liverpool Women's Hospital, following a car blast, in Liverpool Reuters UK news in pictures 14 November 2021 Wreaths by the Cenotaph after the Remembrance Sunday service in Whitehall, London PA UK news in pictures 13 November 2021 Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of detainee Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is ending his hunger strike in central London after almost three weeks. Ratcliffe has spent 21 days camped outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London without food. He began his demonstration on 24 October after his wife lost her latest appeal in Iran, saying his family was caught in a dispute between two states PA Earlier, Downing Street had described the first trip as essential, saying Mr Cummings needed his familys help to care for his young son because his wife was sick with coronavirus and he feared he was next. Cabinet ministers lined up to defend Mr Cummings, saying he had put his family first and accused critics of trying to politicise the issue. Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, used the daily Downing Street press conference to suggest that Mr Cummings had not broken lockdown rules because he had stayed put upon arrival in Durham. But Robin Lees, 70, a retired chemistry teacher, told the papers he had seen Mr Cummings in Barnard Castle on Easter Sunday. Mr Lees compared him to Catherine Calderwood, Scotlands former chief medical officer, who stood down after visiting her second home twice during lockdown. Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP have written to Sir Mark Sedwill, the cabinet secretary, calling for an inquiry into Mr Cummingss decision to travel from London to Durham. They want the probe to include when the prime minister was made aware Mr Cummings had left the capital. Senior Tories also expressed concern that Mr Cummings's behaviour could encourage others to flout the rules, jeopardising the governments plans to gradually lift the lockdown. The Independent can reveal that senior MPs are set to question Mr Johnson over Mr Cummings later this week, as pressure grows on the prime minister to explain what he knew about the trip under lockdown. Parliament is in recess until June, meaning Mr Johnson will not have to face MPs at Prime Ministers Questions. But members of the Commons Liaison Committee, which is made up of the chairs of other select committees, said they expected Mr Johnson to be questioned about Mr Cummings when he makes his first appearance before them later this week. Pete Wishart, an SNP MP who sits on the committee and is a member of the "quad" which organises its business, said: If nothing has changed and Dominic Cummings is still in post by Wednesday, it would be very surprising if this was an issue that was not raised. Another member of the committee said: Im sure one of my colleagues will crowbar the Cummings question in. In a statement defending Mr Cummings, Downing Street said his trip had been essential to ensure his young son was properly cared for. After an offer of help from his sister and nieces, he travelled to a house near to but separate from his extended family. A spokesperson for No 10, said: "Yesterday [Friday] the Mirror and Guardian wrote inaccurate stories about Mr Cummings. Today [Saturday] they are writing more inaccurate stories including claims that Mr Cummings returned to Durham after returning to work in Downing Street on 14 April. We will not waste our time answering a stream of false allegations about Mr Cummings from campaigning newspapers." There was confusion about the involvement of police, however. No 10 also said that at no stage was Mr Cummings or his family spoken to by the police. On Saturday night Durham Police took the unusual step of confirming they had spoken to Mr Cummingss father. Steve White, the police and crime commissioner for Durham Police, a former head of the Police Federation in England and Wales, said it was "most unwise" for Mr Cummings to have travelled when "known to be infected". The SNP accused No 10 of a "cover up" after reports some in Downing Street knew Mr Cummings had made the 260-mile journey during lockdown. Former Tory cabinet minister David Lidington, Theresa Mays de facto deputy prime minister, told Newsnight: "There's clearly serious questions that No 10 are going to have to address, not least because the readiness of members of the public to follow government guidance more generally is going to be affected by this sort of story." Professor Neil Ferguson, the epidemiologist whose modelling prompted the lockdown, quit as a government adviser for flouting the rules when he was visited at this home by his lover. At the time Mr Hancock, the health secretary, said he was "speechless" and that he backed any police action against Mr Ferguson. Sir Ed Davey, acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, called for Mr Cummings to quit over the allegations, while a spokesperson for Labour said: "The British people do not expect there to be one rule for them and another rule for Dominic Cummings." Asked by reporters on Saturday if he had considered his position, Mr Cummings said "obviously not". Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 01:16:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Keren Setton JERUSALEM, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival, Blue and White leader, Benny Gantz might meet later Thursday to discuss a possible unity government after previous meetings failed to yield an agreement between the two. The move comes after a Wednesday deadline to form an emergency government in Israel passed on midnight without result. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who gave the two an extension earlier this week in order to reach a compromise, has now tasked the parliament, or the Knesset, with finding a prime minister within the next 21 days. If a candidate does not have the 61 signatures needed in order to secure a majority, a new election will be scheduled three months from now. Such an election will be scheduled for July and will be Israel's fourth consecutive election after three campaigns ended with no clear-cut majority for either side. At the end of last month, Gantz announced he would be willing to enter an "emergency" government with Netanyahu. His move led to much criticism from his political allies. As the country struggles with the coronavirus, Gantz said he was putting his differences aside in order to help the country out of the crisis. His party quickly disintegrated in response, leaving him to lead just his faction, 15 members, less than half of the original list. During the following three weeks, any Knesset member can attempt to rally the 61 signatures to form a government. Netanyahu, who already has the endorsement of 59 members, can theoretically find two more signatures and form a government without Gantz. But the two Knesset members who are believed to be inclined to join a right-wing government have said they will not defect. The Israeli premier could also look elsewhere for the coveted two signatures. Public pressure to form a government in light of the looming economic hardship expected to plague Israel in the near future might push some members to reconsider their positions. Netanyahu is Israel's longest serving prime minister and is considered a mastermind at political maneuvering. Gantz is a political new-comer who has little political experience. Aside from running three rather successful political campaigns, he has held no elected office and his parliamentary experience is insignificant. An agreement between Gantz and Netanyahu would require great compromise on both sides. According to political commentators, the negotiations are stalled due to legal matters. Netanyahu, who is being charged on charges of corruption, is trying to avoid legislation that would bar him from serving as premier in the future. Current Israeli law does not prohibit an indicted prime minister from sitting in office, but Gantz and his supporters believe that Netanyahu should have resigned long ago regardless of the law but because of public norms. Gantz, who has been significantly weakened by the crumbling of his party, has one weapon left in his arsenal and that is the promotion of such legislation, which has the chance of the majority of Knesset members supporting it. Netanyahu's trial was to open last month but has been postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 lockdown measures which have also taken effect over the judicial system. A power-sharing agreement would include a rotation on the premiership with Netanyahu relinquishing power in 18 months. "The talks are serious because Netanyahu is asking questions that go to the heart of what matters to him," said Jonathan Rynhold, a professor of the political science department at the Bar Ilan University. "When he asks about legal questions, that is a sign," Rynhold said. Netanyahu has significantly strengthened in the polls in recent days, showing a marked increase in mandates for his Likud party. But in the midst of a COVID-19 crisis, an election in three months might not necessarily end well for him. "By the time we have elections, people might look at this differently," said Rynhold. This leaves Netanyahu to weigh the risks and perhaps lean towards a government rather than another referendum, Rynhold said. But Gantz is now a part of a very fragmented opposition, no longer a leading figure of it. Aside from mutual animosity to Netanyahu amongst the bloc opposing the Israeli leader, Gantz cannot form a government without the Likud. The polls that are very favorable to Netanyahu are showing negative results for Gantz right now. "Gantz's horizon doesn't look good," Rynhold told Xinhua. The clock is ticking and Gantz has three weeks to pass contentious legislation through the various legal hurdles any law has to pass. "They both may come to the calculation that it's better to make a deal," he added, "But I do not see Gantz caving on the legal issues." "If Gantz continues to feel that he is being manipulated by Netanyahu, he will go forward with anti-Netanyahu legislation," said Gayle Tal Shir, a scholar of the department of Political Science at the Hebrew University. "But he is on a very tight schedule and the chances of passing such legislation within the 21 days are very slim." Throughout his political life, Netanyahu has left a string of political colleagues who have believed his promises only to end up empty handed. Gantz's previous allies warned him of exactly that. Even if he agrees to leave office mid-way, Netanyahu can still manipulate his way into remaining in position. "Netanyahu will have plenty of time and opportunity to try to undermine the rotation agreement, without being seen by the public as being directly responsible for this," said Rynhold. "Netanyahu has no intention of leaving office in a year and a half," Tal Shir said. "He will find a way to lead to another election and win it. I don't think he has internalized leaving and therefore is also looking for legal ways to prevent the supreme court from limiting him." "The current coalition agreement has been final for several days now, the only one not ready to sign it is Netanyahu," she added. Enditem John Oliver showed up on Thursdays Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, where he spoke about his appearance on the hit Netflix docuseries Tiger King. In 2016, the subject of the series, known as Joe Exotic (Joseph Maldonado-Passage), ran as a write-in candidate for president. And after running clips of a Joe Exotic campaign ad on Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Oliver had some fun with it. Wow. Just wow, Oliver said. Joe Exotic is truly the candidate youd want to sit down and have a beer with, then another beer, and then several more beers until youre drunk enough to try meth for the first time. The point is, Joe Exotic: Make America Exotic Again. What Oliver was unaware of at the time is that Joe Exotic was killing his own tigers at his private Oklahoma zoo, and actively trying to hire a hitman to murder his nemesis, Carole Baskin. He was recently sentenced to 22 years in prison for his crimes, which, besides killing tigers and the murder-for-hire plot, also included selling baby lemurs and falsifying paperwork to say they were donated. Asked if he was shocked to see his coverage of Joe Exotics presidential run on Tiger King, Oliver replied, Yes, I was a little surprised. I was hoping wed be left out of that. But I did have a dalliance with Joe Exotic back in early 2016. He added, We were aware of what was happening down there, not the full extent. All our researchers told us was, he keeps ranting about a woman named Carole. Then, we didnt realize what that meant. Now, unfortunately, we know. On the show, Joe Exotic was constantly ranting about how Baskin, who owns an exotic-animal sanctuary in Florida, killed her second husband Don Lewis, who mysteriously disappeared 23 years ago, and fed him to the tigers. Baskin has adamantly denied those claims, but its a widely accepted assumption among viewers that thats exactly what happened, and Oliver agrees. Asked if he thinks Baskin fed Lewis to the tigers, Oliver responded, I mean, it certainly seems like the most likely scenario that he was tiger chow. Story continues Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen airs Sun-Thurs at 8 p.m. on Bravo. Watch patchy WiFi prevent Zac Efron from singing with High School Musical cast during Disney Family Singalong: 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 Entertainment: Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Iran said on Friday 89 more people have died from the novel coronavirus, as the country's official fatalities remained in double figures for a fourth day. Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told a news conference that the latest deaths brought the overall toll to 4,958. It was the sixth day that the official fatality rate has dropped in the Middle East's worst-hit country. Jahanpour added that 1,499 new infections had been confirmed in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 79,494 from 319,879 tests. Of those confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus and admitted to hospital, 54,064 had been discharged after recovering. Another 3,563 were in critical condition. Ever since the country reported its first deaths two months ago, there has been speculation abroad that the tolls are higher than officially announced. A parliamentary report on Tuesday said the officially announced figures were based only on those hospitalised with "severe symptoms". It said the death toll was estimated to be as much as 80 percent more and infections "eight to 10 times" higher. The health ministry has confirmed the numbers may be higher due to limited testing. The government of President Hassan Rouhani has struggled to contain the outbreak and keep Iran's fragile and sanctions-hit economy running. It shut schools and universities, postponed major events and imposed a range of other restrictions, but it has stopped short of ordering lockdowns. Iran is to allow small businesses in Tehran to reopen on Saturday, following similar measures for those outside the capital last week. The move has faced criticism from health experts and even some authorities, but top officials argue that sanctions-hit Iran cannot afford to shut down its economy. The Iranian health ministry acknowledges that limited testing for the coronavirus may mean its figures understate the true numbers of infections and deaths WASHINGTON People in parts of the country that voted for President Donald Trump have worried less about COVID-19, especially as the new coronavirus was first emerging in the U.S., a new study out of Rice University found. The study comes as Trump pushes to reopen the economy, with the backing of Texas Republicans, including Gov. Greg Abbott, who took preliminary steps to reopen some businesses on Friday, while extending school closures. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox The findings suggest that the new coronavirus and efforts to curb its spread have fallen into the partisan divide, something that appears to be the case in Texas, where a group of conservatives, including an influential Texas activist, penned an open letter to Trump this week, calling stay-at-home orders tyranny. Even when objectively speaking death is on the line, partisan bias still colors beliefs about facts, the study said. Relying solely on compliance with voluntary suggested measures in the presence of different political views on the crisis may have limited effectiveness; instead, enforcement may be required to successfully flatten the curve. Counties with the most Trump voters saw far fewer Google searches about the virus, and social distancing was 40 percent less prevalent in those areas than in other counties, according to Rice Business professor Yael Hochberg, who co-authored the study. The study used internet search data, as well as smartphone data to analyze average daily travel distance and visits to non-essential businesses over the last several weeks. It found that searches were low and travel was common in Trump country, especially in the early weeks of the outbreak. THE PARTISAN DIVIDE: Texas conservatives call stay-home orders tyranny. Some lawmakers agree. Even as states began to issue stay-at-home mandates, the study found that counties that went for Trump in 2016 were slow to begin social distancing. Daily travel distance in those counties dropped by less than 7 percent, compared to a more than 9-percent drop in daily travel in counties with fewer Trump voters. Only when the federal order to slow the spread arrived from the White House do high Trump counties begin to catch up, the study said. The study also found that trend started to change after March 9, when it was announced that COVID-19 had struck the Conservative Political Action Committee meetings and conservative politicians including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz were self-quarantined, suggesting that their risk perceptions are affected not by changes in fundamental underlying risk, but rather by political-related interpretations of the risk. The study found more people began searching for Fox News stories about the coronavirus after CPAC, consistent with Fox News viewers playing catchup once their own are affected. ben.wermund@chron.com 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. 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. Donald Trumps presidency has been a disaster for judicial diversity. His judges are overwhelmingly straight, white, and male. Many are wealthy corporate attorneys born into privileged American families whose connections guided them along a path to power. In other words, Trump judges do not look like the country they serve. While the federal bench grows more homogeneous by the day, Democratic governors are diversifying their state judiciaries to an unprecedented degree. On Monday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, elevated Grace Helen Whitener to the state Supreme Court. Whitener is a disabled black lesbian who immigrated from Trinidad. She joins Inslees two other appointees: Raquel Montoya-Lewis, a Jewish Native American who previously served on tribal courts, and Mary Yu, an Asian-American Latina lesbian who officiated the first same-sex marriages in the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whitener has been an outspoken advocate of judicial diversity and sought to educate marginalized communities about the legal system. We have a limited number of judges of color on our benches here in Washington State, she said in 2019. Its not reflective of the population that it serves. And one core cannon of our judicial system is trust and confidencebuilding it on our communities. And having a judiciary that is reflective of the community that it serves is truly important in raising trust and confidence in the services that we provide as judicial officers. Shortly before her nomination to the Supreme Court, Whitener said: I believe, as a marginalized individualbeing a black gay female immigrant disabled judgethat my perspective is a little different. I try to make sure that everyone that comes into this courtroom feels welcome, feels safe, and feels like they will get a fair hearing. Advertisement Advertisement Yu has also noted the value of diverse perspectives on the bench. The more we reflect the community we serve, Yu said in 2016, the greater confidence we instill in what we do. We are our best when we have diverse perspectives at the table and we are at our best when we are racially and geographically diverse. At her own swearing-in ceremony, Montoya-Lewis also spoke about the ways her identity informs her jurisprudence. I was raised to remember that I come from those who survived, she said, referencing the struggles of her Jewish and Native American ancestors. She explained how that family history helped her form a perspective on justice not an abstract concept but as a term of action. Im honored to bring that perspective to the Supreme Court, Montoya-Lewis said, as well as the stories that helped me to formulate it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Washington now has arguably the most diverse court, state or federal, in American history. (In Washington, the governor can fill vacancies, state Supreme Court vacancies, and those justices must later run for election.) There are currently seven female justices, including the chief justicea record for any state Supreme Courtand just one straight, white, male justice. Its closest competitor is the California Supreme Court. Three of Democratic Gov. Jerry Browns four appointees to that court are people of color: Goodwin Liu (who is Asian-American), Mariano-Florentino Cuellar (who is a Latino immigrant), and Leondra Kruger (who is black). Diverse judges may have a deeper understanding of the ways that illicit bias can infect law and policy. Washington and Californias Supreme Courts are, unfortunately, outliers on this front. A 2019 Brennan Center for Justice study found that most states high courts are overwhelmingly white and male. It noted that 24 states have all-white Supreme Courts, while just 15 percent of state Supreme Court seats nationwide are held by racial minoritieseven though nearly 40 percent of the country is non-white. Eighteen states never seated a black Supreme Court justices and 13 never seated a person of color as a justice. Women held just 36 percent of state Supreme Court seats. Advertisement Advertisement Unsurprisingly, progressive governors are substantially more likely to appoint diverse judges. From 2017 to 2018, Democratic governors appointed 83 percent of justices of color, while Republican governors appointed 77 percent of white justices. But Republican governors arent the only roadblocks to a diverse judiciary; many states elect their justices, and judicial elections strongly favor white people. From 1960 to 2018, just 17 justices of color first reached the bench through the ballot, compared to 141 justices of color who were appointed. The Brennan Center found racial disparities in virtually every element of state Supreme Court races. Candidates of color receive fewer donations, more likely to be targeted by outside interest groups, and more likely to face a challenger. If theyre running in a retention electionmeaning theyre not competing against another candidatetheyre more likely to lose. Moreover, voters in many states engage in racially polarized voting, meaning white voters are less likely to vote for a non-white candidate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whitener and Yu are correct that judicial diversity is important to the legitimacy of the courts. One scholar has found that citizens of all races and ethnicities are more likely to believe that our justice system is fair and equitable to all when judicial decisionmakers reflect the diversity of the citizenry. Diverse judges also tend to have a deeper understanding of the ways that illicit bias can infect law and policy. A non-white judge may be more attuned to the racism that motivates voter suppression measures and draconian criminal penalties; a female judge may know not to deploy sexist tropes when upholding restrictions on womens liberty; a gay judge may better understand the animus that lies behind anti-LGBTQ laws. It is thus no surprise that the conservative Federalist Society, from which Trump has drawn his judges, is dominated by straight white men, or that Trump has elevated so few non-traditional nominees to the bench. Republicans fear that diverse judges pose a threat to their political project. Advertisement The Washington Supreme Court is notably liberal; in recent years, it has issued decisions abolishing capital punishment and juvenile life without parole while upholding LGBTQ non-discrimination laws and progressive public financing of elections. It represents a vision of a different kind of jurisprudence from a radically diverse benchwhat the federal judiciary might look like if a Democratic president and Senate controlled the judicial confirmation process. Joe Biden has already pledged to name a black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court if elected, but hell have scores of lower court vacancies to fill, as well. He should look to states like Washington to learn how to reshape a judiciary to look more like the country it serves. Two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Friday, police said. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Dairoo area of Shopian in south Kashmir in the morning following specific information about the presence of militants there, a police official said. He said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants fired upon security forces, who retaliated. In the ensuing gunfight, two militants were killed, the official said, adding their identity and group affiliation is being ascertained. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Abdominal cramps are one of the main symptoms of Crohn's disease. (Getty Images) Crohns disease could one day be eased by taking a freeze-dried pill containing microbes found in faeces, experts have said. The inflammatory bowel disease is considered a lifelong condition that can trigger diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and extreme fatigue. While the exact cause of Crohns is unclear, research suggests an imbalance of gut bacteria may play a role. Read more: Everything There Is to Know About Crohn's Disease Faecal microbiota transplants (FMT) have therefore been suggested as a treatment. This involves taking good bacteria from a healthy donors gut to repopulate a patients microbiome. Scientists from the Centre for Digestive Diseases in New South Wales, Australia, gave 10 patients a combination of FMT and standard Crohns drugs. The patients achieved prolonged remission, with some free of flare-ups for up to 23 years. Crohn's occurs if part of the digestive tract becomes inflamed. Crohns is thought to affect 157 in every 100,000 people in the UK, meaning at least 115,000 Britons have the disease. In the US, around 1.6 million people have an inflammatory bowel disease. This can include Crohns or ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis only causes inflammation of the colon, whereas Crohns can affect the entire digestive tract. With no cure, Crohns patients often take immune-suppressing drugs to dampen inflammation in their gut. Writing in the journal Gut Pathogens, the Australian scientists claim drug efficacy is sub-optimal, with more than 60% of patients failing to respond to the medication after six weeks. Crohns has been linked to everything from genetics and smoking to a suppressed immune system and stomach bug. Research suggests colonisation of the bacteria Mycobacterium avium in the gut may also be a trigger, supporting FMT as a potential treatment. Read more: What its really like to live with Crohns disease To learn more, the scientists looked at 10 patients, seven of whom took Crohns-specific antibiotics for around three years to initially induce deep healing. Story continues After coming off the antibiotics, five of the patients had around four FMT transfusions each. All the patients experienced prolonged remission lasting between three and 23 years. For most, this was achieved via a combination of FMT, antibiotics and the Crohns drug infliximab. FMT is thought to re-establish a healthy gut microbiome after prolonged antibiotic use. Antibiotics can be highly effective at ridding infections, however, they can also target good bugs in the gut. Two of the participants achieved long-term clinical remission and mucosal healing with FMT alone. Antibacterial therapy and FMT are emerging treatments which can result in clinical and endoscopic remission, if employed correctly, the scientists wrote. While further research is required, they believe this could pave the way for a treatment regimen of antibiotics and a crapsule, an oral capsule of freeze-dried donor faecal microbiota. What is faecal microbial transplantation? FMT is only approved in the UK when other treatments have failed to stop diarrhoea caused by the bacteria Clostridium difficile. It involves faeces being taken from a healthy donor and processed. A liquid mixture is then transplanted into a patients intestine via an endoscope. The aim is to restore the balance of gut bacteria so they can fight the infection. Donors are first tested for an array of infections. They must be free of health problems and lead a healthy lifestyle. C. difficile can be tricky to treat, with up to a one in four chance of the infection returning after initially seeming to be cured. The bacteria can become less responsive to antibiotics over time, prompting doctors to recommend FMT. Read more: Crohn's Disease: Symptoms and Treatment There have been no reported cases of infections as a result of a patient receiving the transplant. FMT has also shown promise in ulcerative colitis. Scientists from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center gave two patients the transplant after they developed inflammatory bowel disease as a result of cancer therapy. After just one transfer, the female patients symptoms disappeared completely within two weeks. The man experienced partial recovery after one treatment and total resolution after a second. A University of Limerick lecturer has received funding for a project exploring a new method of care for older people discharged from hospital Emergency Departments, writes Donal ORegan. Dr Rose Galvin, a senior lecturer in Physiotherapy at UL, is one of five new research leaders awarded 1.5m from a total of 7.5m in Health Research Board (HRB) funding. The HRB investment supports five new research leaders to conduct research that delivers evidence to directly inform changes in health policy and practice. Each of the research leaders has developed strong partnerships with different aspects of the health sector and includes public and patient perspectives in their work. The research project to be led by Dr Galvin at UL is Towards an integrated model of care for older adults transitioning from the Emergency Department (ED) to the community. Dr Galvins research concentrates on older adults who are discharged to the community after presentation to the ED, who may be at risk of poor outcomes following discharge. This research programme responds to key actionable strategic priorities identified in national ageing, emergency care and integrated care policies relating to the development and delivery of a continuum of high-quality care services that are responsive to the needs and preferences of older adults, Dr Galvin explained. In collaboration with colleagues across the academic, hospital and community healthcare setting, Dr Galvin aims to develop and evaluate a coordinated care pathway that achieves improved outcomes and provides value for money. Older adults frequently attend the ED and research suggests high rates of adverse outcomes following emergency care, said Dr Galvin. This research seeks to develop and implement an evidence-based model of integrated care for older people who are discharged from the ED, that is planned around their needs and choices, and supports them to live well in their own homes and communities, she added. The project involves collaboration and engagement with service users, advocacy groups, health decision makers and health practitioners. For the last two years, Dr Galvin has led the nationally funded study, OPTIMEND, with a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals in the ED at UHL to explore a new model of ED care for older people. DUBLIN, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Impact of COVID 19 on Automotive Market" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global automotive industry is expected to register steady growth over the forecast period 2019-2025. The automotive industry contributes significantly towards the economy of several major countries and also is considered to be the backbone of many nation's GDP. Major factors that will augment the industry growth over the forecast period include rising disposable income and increasing focus on the development and rolling out of electric vehicles on road. Governments across the globe are providing subsidies on the purchase of electric vehicles to combat the environmental issues arising due to pollution from conventional vehicles. Thereby, focusing on surging the fleet size of electric vehicles in the existing vehicle fleet size of the country. Further, the disposable income of the consumer is rising due to which they are more likely to shift towards the more technologically equipped vehicles which are normally higher at price. Hence, likely to augment the global automotive market value. However, the industry is facing a heavy headwind amidst the global economic downturn and trade war between China and the US. Moreover, there are several other factors at the regional level that are affecting the industry growth rate in a particular region. For instance, factors such as raising GST on automobile vehicles and mandatory implementation of BS-VI from April 2020 are responsible for the decline in the automotive industry growth rate in India. While the industry has not recovered from these above factors, it has hit a hard brake with the recent outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. The spread of coronavirus across the globe has forced plants to shut down, disrupted supply chain and quarantined workforces. Several automotive giants such as Volkswagen AG, Hyundai, Toyota, and Tesla have shut down their production plants for a definite period, causing severe impact on the global automotive industry. The report analyzes the global automotive market on the basis of sales channels, product type, propulsion technology, and geography. Based on the sales channel, the market is segmented into OEM and aftermarket. Based on product type, the market is classified into passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles. Passenger vehicle segments which include 2 wheelers and passenger cars is expected to dominate the global automotive market over the forecast period. Further, based on propulsion technology, the market is divided into conventional vehicles and new energy vehicles. The conventional vehicle segment held the dominating share in the global market in 2018, whereas, new energy vehicle segment which includes fully electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles is estimated register robust growth over the forecast period. Geographically, the market is analyzed into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World. Asia-Pacific held the dominating share in the global automotive market with China holding around one-third of the global automotive consumption. Apart from China, economies such as India, South Korea, and Japan are also influencing the automotive industry growth of the Asia-Pacific. North America and Europe also home several automotive companies such as Tesla, Daimler AG, Volkswagen AG, Renault SA, and others which further contribute significantly towards the global automotive industry. However, the recent outbreak of COVID-19 has severely impacted the automotive industry across the globe. China has been hit hard by this spread of the virus as the country is an epicenter of the COVID-19. Several provinces in China including Wuhan and Hubei, which collectively fulfills around 60% of China's automotive vehicle production demand, have been quarantined. This has led to disruptions in the supply chain. Moreover, China not only is the largest consumer and producer of automotive vehicles but it also caters to a wide range of countries by exporting several automotive components that are essentially used to produce finished goods. Shut down in the production in China has forced other automotive makers, such as Toyota and Tesla, to hold their production as the dearth of semi-finished products from China continues. Furthermore, the report profiles several players that are contributing to the global automotive industry. Some of the key players of the market include Bajaj Auto Ltd., BMW AG, Daimler AG, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co., Groupe PSA, Honda Motor Co. Ltd., Hyundai Motor Co., KIA Motors Corp., Renault SA, Toyota Motor Corp., Volkswagen AG, Yamaha Motor Co., and many others. The report covers: A comprehensive research methodology of the global automotive industry. 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 global automotive industry. Insights about market determinants that are stimulating the global automotive industry. 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 Research Methods and Tools Market Overview and Insights Scope of the Report Analyst Insight & Current Market Trends Key Findings Recommendations Conclusion Supply & Demand Analysis 2. Market Overview Historical market growth estimation in the automotive industry not accounting COVID-19 pandemic effect Deviations in the automotive industry growth rate taking COVID-19 pandemic effect into account 3. Market Segmentation Sales Channel OEM Aftermarket Product Type Passenger Vehicle Commercial Vehicle Propulsion Technology Conventional Vehicles New Energy Vehicles 4. North America United States Canada 5. Europe UK Germany Italy Spain France Rest of Europe 6. Asia-Pacific China India Japan Rest of Asia-Pacific 7. Rest of the World Middle East & Africa & Latin America 8. Companies Profiled Bajaj Auto Ltd. BMW AG Daimler AG Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. Ford Motor Co. General Motors Co. Groupe PSA Honda Motor Co. Ltd. Hyundai Motor Co. KIA Motors Corp. Renault S.A. Toyota Motor Corp. Volkswagen AG Yamaha Motor Co. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/juilb1 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] 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 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Officials in Daggett County are seeking information about a camper who was last reported seen in the Browns Park area earlier this month. The Daggett County Sheriffs Office was notified that no one had contact with 44-year-old Leonard Corby Corb Fisher since March 31 or April 1. A deputy, along with two Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers responded to the area April 5 and found his campsite, as well as personal property and the pickup truck that had been lent to him. They also found a note indicating the truck wasnt starting. However, the truck was found t... Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. Start your free trial. Last year, when a faraway country was under attack, President Donald Trump saw an opportunity. Thousands of Ukrainians had died in a Russian proxy war, and Ukraine needed help. To others in the U.S. government, this meant America had to act. But to Trump, it meant power. He realized that by refusing to meet with Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelensky, he could pressure Zelensky to make a statement, which Trump could use in his reelection campaign. Trump could even withhold aid that Ukraine desperately needed. Advertisement In February, at his trial in the Senate, Trump got away with that abuse of power. Now, as thousands of Americans die in a global attack from the novel coronavirus, hes abusing his power again. But this time, Trump isnt threatening a foreign government. Hes threatening the governors of his own country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump put the squeeze on Zelensky in a phone call last July. We do a lot for Ukraine, he said. He complained that the relationship wasnt reciprocal, and he asked for a favor. Today, Trump talks the same way about governors who plead for masks, ventilators, and coronavirus tests. Its a two-way street, he told Fox News on March 24. They have to treat us well also. On March 27, as the death toll from the virus rose, Trump demanded that governors be more appreciative. On April 2, he issued a warning to those who expressed disappointment in him. I guess they assume I dont watch them, he said. But I watch very closely.* Advertisement Advertisement For the most part, Trump has gotten what he wanted. In conference calls, governors have praised and thanked him for sending supplies to fight the virus. They sound like Zelensky, who, in his phone call with Trump, sucked up to get aid. Trump brags about the praise he gets from governors, in the same way he still brags about the praise he got from Zelensky. Some of you were at the call yesterday where I spoke with the governors, Trump boasted to reporters on March 20. Every one of them was very impressed with what weve done. Advertisement When Trump and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, extorted Zelensky, they had a specific request. They wanted Zelensky to announce an investigation of Trumps likely opponent in the 2020 election, former Vice President Joe Biden. Trump hasnt sought such an explicit quid pro quo from the governors. But when they give him the praise he demands, he uses that praise the same way he had hoped to use the announcement from Zelensky: to hurt Biden and help himself. Joe Biden has a Democratic problem, Trumps counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters at the White House on March 26. Hes got the Democratic governors of the two largest states, Gavin Newsom and Andrew Cuomo, collaborating with and complimenting the White Houses efforts. On Monday, Trump used the daily White House coronavirus briefing to air a campaign-style video of Cuomo, Newsom, and other governors thanking him for aid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Governors who dont play ball face retaliation. First come the threats. On March 26, after a conference call with governors, Trump said they were all properly appreciative, except for one little wise guy. Without naming the offender, Trump added menacingly: Hes usually a big wise guy. Not so much anymore. We saw to it that he wouldnt be so much anymore. Advertisement Advertisement Then come the verbal attacks. The first governor besieged by the pandemic was Jay Inslee of Washington. Trump called him a snake and a loser. Then Trump mocked Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michigan, as Half Whitmer. He accused others, including J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, of blaming the Federal Government for their own shortcomings. A week ago, Trump claimed that some governors, in order to get on TV, were lying about not having enough tests or masks. They always say that, because otherwise youre not going to put them on, he told CNNs Jim Acosta. Advertisement Advertisement Trump has a more powerful card he can play against the governors: a huge federal supply of masks, ventilators, and emergency equipment. When Trump refused to meet with Zelensky, he sent Vice President Mike Pence instead. Against governors, Trump plays the same game. If they dont treat you right, I dont call, Trump pouted. In the next days, he said that if they wouldnt give this administration credit, I dont have to deal with them. He specifically blacklisted Inslee (I dont call the governor of Washington now) and Whitmer (Dont call the woman in Michigan). When these governors had to be spoken to, said Trump, I get Mike Pence to call. But Trump has a more powerful card he can play against the governors: a huge federal supply of masks, ventilators, and other emergency equipment. On April 2, Trumps son-in-law and White House adviser, Jared Kushner, rebuked governors who expected direct access to this stockpile. The notion of the federal stockpile was its supposed to be our stockpile, said Kushner. Its not supposed to be state stockpiles that they then use. Trump agreed. The federal government needs it too, not just the states, he argued. Its a federal stockpile. We can use that for states, or we can use it for ourselves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It seemed inconceivable that the president of the United States might withhold aid from governors in a pandemic, as he had withheld aid from Ukraine in a war. But this week, Trump implied that he could do just that. On Monday, he told reporters he had absolute power to decide when states could reopen their economies. When somebodys the president of the United States, the authority is total, he declared. The next day, a reporter asked Trump whether he might take away federal funding from governors who disobeyed him. Trump answered the question like a mob boss. I dont want to say that. Theyll listen, he replied. They need the federal government, not only for fundingand Im not saying take it awaybut they need it for advice. Theyll need, maybe, equipment that we have. We have a tremendous stockpile that were in the process of completing. Were in a very good position. He concluded: No, the governors will be very, very respectful of the presidency. Advertisement On Twitter, Trump threatened the governors more explicitly. Cuomos been calling daily, even hourly, begging for everything new hospitals, beds, ventilators, Trump wrote.* I got it all done for him, and everyone else, and now he seems to want Independence! That wont happen! An hour later, Trump tweeted: Tell the Democrat Governors that Mutiny On The Bounty was one of my all time favorite movies. A good old fashioned mutiny every now and then is an exciting and invigorating thing to watch, especially when the mutineers need so much from the Captain. Too easy! Advertisement Advertisement Trump has abused power since the day he took office. He sabotaged the Russia investigation by firing the person in charge of it, trying to fire the next person in charge of it, coercing witnesses, and replacing his attorney general with a lackey who dismissed the final report. Then, a day after extinguishing that investigation, Trump extorted Zelensky in their infamous phone call. Now, just two months after the Senate refused to punish him for his extortion of Ukraine, hes using the federal emergency stockpile to threaten governors. No one is safe from this despot. Theres no crisis he wont exploit, and no weapon he wont use. Correction, April 17, 2020: This post originally misstated the dates of two Trump press conferences. They were on March 27 and April 2, not March 28 and April 3. It also misstated the date of Trumps tweet threatening governors. It was on Tuesday, not Wednesday. For more discussion of this weeks political news, listen to Thursdays Political Gabfest. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a flurry of phone calls on Thursday with his counterparts in Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates to discuss Iran and the COVID-19 pandemic. Pompeo discussed Irans destabilizing behavior according to US readouts of three separate calls with Qatari Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Kuwaiti Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser al-Mohammad Al Sabah and Emirati Foreign Affairs Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Pompeo also thanked Qatar for its support in repatriating American citizens and discussed continuing efforts to support Americans and Kuwaitis returning home in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic with Al Sabah as well as bilateral efforts to contain and mitigate the coronavirus with Sheikh Abdullah. Why it matters: While the readouts of all three calls emphasized the COVID-19 discussion over Iran, the discussions took place after 11 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ships harassed six US vessels in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday at dangerously close ranges. The tit-for-tat between US forces and Iran-backed proxies in Iraq has continued since President Donald Trumps January assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad. Whats next: Pompeo and the State Department are also engaged in a massive effort to repatriate some 21,000 Americans stranded abroad as the coronavirus sweeps the globe and international flights grind to a standstill. Know more: Al-Monitor contributor Karen Young is closely tracking the Gulf Cooperation Councils response to the pandemic. Read her analysis detailing how Gulf state banks are struggling to jumpstart their struggling economies and her predictions on what the pandemic has in store for the future of their labor markets, particularly as foreign workers flee back to their home countries. In his April 10, 2020 WealthManagement.com article, Broker/Dealers on Recruiting in a Virtual World, Jon Henschen looks at broker dealer response to the changing home office visit during the pandemic and the move towards virtual visits. Henschen opens his discussion by noting that as we navigate our way through the COVID-19 pandemic, airline travel is increasingly being viewed as flying in an aluminum petri dish. Broker/dealers still wanting to recruit financial advisors are learning to adapt by evolving the home office visitan almost mandatory step in the recruiting process, where face-to-face meetings and a fair amount of socializing help humanize the potential professional home for prospectsto a virtual experience. According to Henschen, his firm has always encouraged advisors to do home office visits as part of their due diligence because meeting face to face and having a meal with those you will be partnering up with gives you a more intimate perspective than what you get over the phone or on a computer. This experience wont go away, but when the lights come back on in a post-pandemic world, we may see a lasting uptick of those choosing to save the time and exposure by opting for a virtual experience. Henschen asked some of the firms broker/dealer contacts, representing various sizes and types, what they thought of the new virtual home office visit option and shares their feedback: We have already done several Zoom virtual visits. They are very helpful in conveying content and subject matter expertise but less so in giving a prospective advisor a sense of culture or pulse that comes from visiting our home office. When and if the virus situation stabilizes to where we can have home office visits again, we will suggest to prospective advisors that this is the clearest way to truly get a sense of our firm, tools and humanity. For now, we are also smart enough to leverage elements of a new normal to share our firm in a world where folks may be less inclined to do business travel if they dont have to. We are doing home office visits via Zoom for now and are having good success. While meeting in person is best, in some ways, the virtual visit is better because it means less time out of the office and you can still connect and see each other and have all the conversations you would otherwise have in person. Our home office visits have typically been set up so that each department head has an opportunity to go over all the specific details pertinent to that department with the recruit (i.e. operations, investments, practice management, sales, marketing, transition, compliance, etc.), and they would all get done in one day. With the virtual visits, were doing one to two departments per day, spread out over seven to 10 days, which is actually good as it gives the recruit the time to reflect and take in the information at a deeper level. Going forward, we see the virtual home office visit as a viable option, although, obviously, we would want to have face-to-face, but were finding that its not necessary to actually get the deal done. No formal plans as of yet, but we would certainly be open to virtual home office visits. We have been utilizing Zoom for our technology demos, and we would assume that would grow into potential virtual meetings in lieu of a home office visit. We would see this as a temporary fill-in for home office visits. Weve always been able to host virtual home office visits and we do think that recent events will make these more popular. However, there is no substitute for face-to-face meetings, where advisors and home office associates can get a better feel for each other and the potential relationship. I think it is too early to tell if this is going to change the home-office-visit process. Obviously, if someone wanted to do a Zoom meeting, we would accommodate them. However, nothing beats a face-to-face meeting, going to dinner and breaking bread with a prospect and having that prospect see the building and experience the culture of our home office. Henschen cites James Asquiths April 2, 2020, Forbes article, When Will Aviation Return to Pre-Coronavirus Levels? where the author wrote, The quick answer to this question is, unfortunately, not for a very long time. The recovery in demand will be long and slow. Asquith also notes, Some analysts are predicting and even hoping that aviation and travel will bounce back stronger than ever once travel restrictions ease. The major concern is that the economy has been so badly impacted that demand simply will not be at the level it previously was, for the foreseeable future. Concluding his comments, Henschen observes that today we have technology tools like Zoom, which we didnt have back in the Great Recession of 2008. However, we are dealing with something much different in the current crisis: Crowds and confined spacessuch as airplanes and cruise shipsare now taboo. The changes will have a lasting impact. Our normalcy bias has tended to favor a V-shaped recovery in anticipation of a day, coming soon, when everythingthe economy, our habits and routinesreturn to their pre-crisis state, as if the coronavirus-inspired pause never happened. But faith in that belief is beginning to feel a lot more fragile. Recruiting and the war for talent will continue, but the way it is done may be forever altered. Jon Henschen is founder of Henschen & Associates, a Twin Cities-based firm that matches financial advisors to independent broker dealers. He has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry and has worked as a registered financial advisor in both the independent and wirehouse channels. Jon has been featured in numerous financial publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, Reuters, and the New York Post. Shanmukha Innovations, a start-up from the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc), is in the process of validating a new two-step method for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing that can help India scale up molecular testing for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patients. The RT-PCR test amplifies the virus genetic material (RNA) from throat swabs of the patients, converts it to DNA, amplifies it and checks it for designated markers to see whether it is SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19. The method devised by the IISc team uses two machines, which are cheaper and readily available in India, instead of one to conduct the test. A thermal-cycler is used to amplify the genetic material machine, while a fluorescence reader is used to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2. India is conducting around 25,000 RT-PCR tests a day. The daily testing figures are likely to go up, as the much-awaited consignment of 500,000 rapid blood-based antibody test kits arrived from China on Thursday. India has also started manufacturing its own antibody kits. RT-PCR is the golden standard of tests, as it can detect the presence of the virus in the body from day one. But there are very few RT-PCR machines available in the country. They are also expensive. Our method uses a thermal cycler, which is more readily available in biology laboratories, said Arun B, director, Shanmukha Innovations. At IISc, there are about 30 RT-PCR machines, as compared to 200 thermal cyclers. There are about 186 government laboratories with the RT-PCR machines that have now been approved for Covid-19 tests. The fluorescence reader the second machine needed for the testing -- is also available in several academic labs or can be manufactured at a lower cost. The fluorescence readers are used to measuring the DNA in samples and are available at several academic laboratories. It can also be manufactured at an estimated cost of 1 lakh as opposed to about 15 or 20 lakh, which an RT-PCR machine costs. We have been working with this method for other diseases such as malaria and Kala-azar, now we need to validate the workflow for Covid-19, said Arun. Shanmukha Innovations is collaborating with the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute to test round 100 samples using the traditional RT-PCR test and their two-step method to assess whether the results are as accurate. The team already has two prototypes. Once validated, the manufacturing can happen within six weeks, he said. The start-up is also working on a mobile laboratory with bio-safety level (BSL) II that can cut down on the testing time. We have a few vans donated to us under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) scheme. We are working on these vans. We are fitting these vans with equipment and restructuring as a BSL II lab. Currently, there is at least a three-day lag between the time a sample is collected and a patient receives his report because all the samples have to be sent to the designated laboratories. Instead, we can now take the vans to the Covid-19 hotspots and conduct the tests directly on the spot. Around 12 samples can be processed within three hours, said Arun. Each van is likely to cost around 45 lakh. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON "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. A villager was killed and another sustained bullet injuries in crossfire between security personnel and Maoists in Bijapur district on Friday. The injured villager was admitted to a district hospital and his condition is believed to be stable. According to the police, the incident took place on Friday morning when the security forces were out for an anti-Maoist operation. Officials said that a joint team of CRPF and the state police launched an operation on Thursday night following a tip-off regarding Maoists movement. When the team reached the forest near Otkalpada village, the encounter with Maoists began. The Maoists managed to escape during the encounter and when the firing stopped two villagers were found injured in the jungle. The two villagers- Dubbak Anna and Yalam Dharmaiyya sustained bullet injuries during the cross fire and were rushed to hospital, Inspector General of Police (IG) Bastar Sunderraj P said. The IG further added that Anna died in the hospital while Dharmaiyyas condition is stable. The whole area has been cordoned off and a search is on, the IG said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ritesh Mishra State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh. Reports Maoism, Politics, Mining and important developments from the state. Covered all sorts of extremism in Central India. Reported from Madhya Pradesh for eight years. ...view detail Ferrari will be "prepared" for when Formula 1 gets up and racing once again. That is the word from the Maranello team's CEO Louis Camilleri, who this week moved to cheer up shareholders concerned about the impact of the coronavirus crisis. "Our decision to distribute this dividend demonstrates our confidence in the future, and it is a reward to our shareholders in these difficult times," he is quoted by Corriere dello Sport. Ferrari, whose headquarters are located within the most affected Italian region, recently extended its factory shutdown until the beginning of May. But Camilleri says Ferrari will thrive once again. "Nobody knows exactly when it will happen, but as Shakespeare says in Hamlet, if it doesn't happen now, the important thing is to be prepared. Rest assured that Ferrari is prepared," he said. (GMM) Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-18 05:08:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Iran said on Friday that it is closer to the containment of the COVID-19 outbreak in most of the country. Meanwhile, Turkey is poised to overtake Iran as the hardest-hit country in the Middle East due to rapid growth of new cases. Iran on Friday reported 1,499 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 79,494, including 4,958 deaths. Iranian Minister of Health and Medical Education Saeed Namaki said that the Islamic republic is closer to containing the pandemic in most of its provinces. "Despite circumstances arising from sanctions and economic warfare, no patient was left abandoned behind hospital doors and no patient lacked needed drugs and medical care during the peak of the virus across cities," Namaki said. He said that Iran's virus response was developed on scientific models and years of past experience in "eradicating infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, polio, measles, mumps and tetanus." In Turkey, 4,353 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed on Friday, bringing the total number to 78,546. The death toll surged to 1,769, after 126 more deaths were reported. In addition, 8,631 patients have recovered from the novel coronavirus, while 1,845 are being treated at intensive care units and 1,014 intubated. Turkey is set to replace Iran as the top country in the region with the most confirmed coronavirus cases as it has been witnessing daily fast growth in the new infections since it reported the first case on March 11. In Israel, 224 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Friday, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 12,982. Eight new deaths were recorded, raising the country's death toll from the coronavirus to 151. The latest figures show a significant decline in the number of patients in serious condition, to 168 from 180 on Thursday. Also, the number of ventilated patients dropped from 136 to 122, the ministry said. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced 477 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases to 6,302. Two more patients died from COVID-19, raising the country's death toll to 37. UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention said that 93 more patients made full recovery from the virus, taking the tally of the UAE's recoveries to 1,188. In Morocco, the Health Ministry announced 281 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number in the country to 2,564, which include 135 deaths and 281 recoveries. This was the biggest single-day rise in the new cases since the outbreak of the pandemic in the North African country on March 2. Egypt confirmed 171 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 2,844. Nine more patients died from the virus, taking the death toll to 205. Egypt is currently under a nationwide 10-hour curfew for two weeks until April 23 over COVID-19 concerns. Kuwait reported two more COVID-19 deaths and 134 new cases, bringing the tally of confirmed infections to 1,658 and total deaths to five. The Omani Ministry of Health announced 50 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number to 1,069. The death toll rose to six, after two new deaths were recorded. In Iraq, the Health Ministry confirmed 48 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number in the country to 1,482. The Iraqi authorities have taken several measures to contain the outbreak of COVID-19, including a nationwide curfew until the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to be April 24 or 25. To help Iraq cope with the coronavirus pandemic, a Chinese team of seven medical experts have been working with their Iraqi counterparts since March 7. Palestine on Friday recorded 12 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number to 402. The new cases are Palestinian workers in Israel who returned to their homes and their contacts. Jordan said Friday it will start a program soon to bring home Jordanian students and expatriates stranded abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A website will be launched to receive requests from those wishing to return home. Jordan's Health Minister Saad Jaber reported five new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the tally of confirmed cases in Jordan to 407. Enditem Because of my concerns with what was going on nationally and locally in terms of the virus, my instinct was to go ahead and act to protect Tulsa County citizens and the judges and the people who work in the courthouse, LaFortune said. Although the courthouse itself is closed, the wheels of justice continue to roll in a virtual and limited manner. Routine dockets are closed, but emergency proceedings, whether guardianship hearings in family court or in-custody felony arraignments in criminal court, are being conducted remotely. Nonemergency pressing matters, the judges have the authority to handle those case by case within their discretion by video conference or telephone conference, LaFortune said. This is why the Chromebooks and the story behind them are so important. The computers were purchased by the Tulsa County Bar Association, which holds a fundraising dinner for the district court at the start of each presiding judges term. Two years ago, a portion of the funds which remain in the control of the bar were used to buy computers for the countys 13 district judges. Now computers are being purchased for the countys 13 special judges. Armed gardai will be monitoring whether a Traveller funeral tomorrow morning will be the focus of breaching strict coronavirus regulations and if violence could break out in the aftermath of it. The funeral in north Dublin is due to go ahead after the death of a highly respected member of the Traveller community aged in his late 70s who is understood to have died earlier this week from complications linked to Covid-19. Senior sources expressed grave concern after gardai received intelligence that up to 70 members of the deceased mans family were planning to travel from the UK to attend the funeral. Since the death of the elderly man who had no involvement in crime there have been intensive discussions between senior gardai and community policing officers who patrol the area where the funeral will take place. Senior sources say that gardai have warned that no more than 10 people can attend the event but it remains to be seen what will happen so it is unclear what the people who have travelled from the UK will do. To compound the tense situation, gardai are aware that some associates of the tragic man who died in a north Dublin hospital this week are involved in a Traveller feud with another faction. There was an incident at a north Dublin halting site on Thursday morning in which gardai received reports that slash hooks were produced in the course of an altercation linked to this, a senior source said. However when armed gardai arrived at the scene those involved in the altercation had left the scene and no arrests were made. A policing plan has been put in place for this funeral and there are genuine concerns about violence in the aftermath because of the feud and of course breaches of the Covid-19 regulations, the source explained. The development comes after residents of a Co Offaly town have expressed concerns that social distancing guidelines were ignored at a large funeral there earlier this week. The concerns arose when more than 150 people from the Traveller community attended the burial in a small cemetery in Birr. More than 50 cars and vans were parked outside the cemetery, prompting concerns in the local community about the lack of social distancing. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, gardai have 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. The Traveller and Roma human rights organisation Pavee Point today (FRI) issued a statement on Traveller funerals calling on Travellers to fully adhere to COVID-19 public health measures. Both the Government and the Catholic Church have stated that only immediate family members - up to a maximum of 10 people - should attend church and graveside services and physical distancing should be maintained at all times, the Pavee Point statement raid. This relates to ALL funerals, including those of people who have died of COVID-19.There are no post-funeral social gatherings and An Gardai Siochana have powers to enforce COVID-19 restrictions during this crisis. These restrictions are not easy and Traveller organisations understand the importance of funerals to bereaved families. We want to make sure people take the long-term view on this. We want to make sure that as many people as possible are around to support bereaved families in the future. Bereaved families are vulnerable, may be in a state of shock and feel unable to get the message across that its ok to stay away from a funeral. But, given the COVID-19 situation, bereaved families do understand that people need to stay at home, yesterdays statement read. It added: The COVID-19 crisis is particularly hard on Travellers given underlying health conditions and overcrowded living conditions. Gathering at funerals is a sure-fire way to make the situation worse and pass on the virus if any one person does happen to have it. This puts the whole Traveller community at further risk. By adhering to the restrictions, we can do our part in reducing (as far as possible) further spread of virus and/or prevent any unnecessary deaths. Its been 59 years since the famous Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba. Ironically many lessons from that invasion quickly became forgotten. Released on the 59th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Larry Hancocks newest book on covert action titled "In Denial: Secret Wars with Air Strikes and Tanks?" examines the ongoing conduct of Americas officially deniable military action across the globe during four decades of the Cold War, from Tibet and Laos to Cuba and into Africa in the Congo and Angola. It focuses on the practices involved, especially the challenges of command and control in secret warfare while examining the reality that - despite its repeated, ongoing failures - deniable military action was never abandoned, even while repeatedly failing in both its political and military goals. "In Denial" also digs deeply into one of the most dramatic and highly public failures of ostensibly deniable military action the American effort to oust the regime of Fidel Castro, from its beginning under President Eisenhower to the eventual disaster of the Bay of Pigs amphibious landings. Hancocks research uses new sources to provide an in depth examination of the propaganda, political action, and military elements of the separate phases of the fourteen month long Cuba Project. In doing so he reveals that the CIA actually experienced two separate failures in the project, with the first occurring some six months prior to the Bay of Pigs. "In Denial" offers dramatic new insights into the causes and responsibilities of both failures. It also illustrates that while officially there were lessons learned at the Bay of Pigs, they were quickly overwritten by political pressures and proved to be extremely short lived. "In Denial" traces the practices of secret warfare from the Kennedy Administration onwards and in a new century examines how covert military action has reemerged, with operations conducted by regimes in Russia, China, and Iran in pursuit of regional political and economic sovereignty. In doing so it describes the resurgence of covert military action in the 21st Century and questions whether certain new practices seemingly effective by comparison will actually prove to be more successful, or only prove to have delayed consequences. "In Denial" is available at Amazon.com. Larry Hancock is considered a top contemporary writers in the areas of intelligence and national security. His previous works in the area of national security and military history include Shadow Warfare (with Stuart Wexler), Surprise Attack, and Nexus: The CIA and Political Assassination. His also coauthor of The Awful Grace of God, a study of religious terrorism, white supremacy, and the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. A graduate of the University of New Mexico, he earned is BA with honors, majoring in history, cultural anthropology and education. Following service in the United States Air Force and a professional career in computer/communications and technology marketing, he returned to his long term interest in historical research. Known as a document geek, he researched and published several collections of CIA, FBI and military documents prior to beginning his writing efforts. In Denial is his tenth book dealing with Cold War era history and issues of military history and national security. Author interviews can be arranged by contacting the publisher. For all media inquiries please contact: Publisher Campania Partners LLC, Mike Swanson - contact [at] campaniapartners.com New Delhi, April 17 : Not a single foreign Tablighi Jamaat member should leave India without informing the investigative team, Commissioner of Delhi Police S.N. Shrivastava issued directions to his unit heads associated with a case filed against the religious group. A total 1,306 foreign nationals were Tablighi Jamaat participants, out of which 250 were found in Delhi. The foreigners, who have been quarantined and are associated with Markaz, "should not be allowed to leave" without notifying the probing team, Shrivastava issued direction during a meeting with the senior IPS officers heading various units of Delhi Police last week. He also has told the Crime Branch unit head Praveer Ranjan to ensure to seize travel documents and other evidences of the foreigners associated with Markaz. Deputy Commissioner of Police Joy Tirkey of Crime Branch is probing the incident. Both Ranjan and Tirkey were unavailable for comments. Shrivastava, a 1985-batch IPS officer who also had headed anti-terror unit in Delhi Police five years ago, also roped in Cyber Unit of Special Cell to help Crime Branch to gather evidence in the case and help in the investigation. It has been found that 1,306 foreign Tablighi Jamaat activists, including those from the US, France and Italy, who took part at a congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin, have been identified in different parts of the country and most of them have been put in quarantine. A total of around 9,000 people, including the 1,306 foreign nationals, had participated at the March congregation of the Tablighi Jamaat, a Sunni organization. The congregation had sparked off a nationwide search for its attendees with reports emerging from various states of new clusters of coronavirus-affected people linked to the event. On April 2, under the directions of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had blacklisted 960 foreigners, present in India on tourist visas, for their involvement in Tablighi Jamaat activities. The MHA had also directed Director Generals of Police all concerned states and union territories and Commissioner of Police, Delhi Police to take necessary legal action against all such violators, on priority, under relevant sections of the Foreigners Act, 1946 and Disaster Management Act, 2005. These directions were issued after the Delhi Police had registered a case against seven people, including Tablighi Jamaat Markaz chief Mohammad Saad, under stringent sections for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. They have also been booked for violation of Epidemic Act and Disaster Management Act on March 31. The case is registered under various sections of Epidemic Act and Disaster Management Act and Indian Penal Code. Saad, the organizer of religious event wherein thousands of people from India and 41 foreign countries gathered amid the COIVD-19 outbreak is still to be questioned as he was in self quarantine. (Sumit Kumar Singh can be reached at sumit.k@ians.in) -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed How did an ancient plant from Latin America become Asia's second-most-important cash crop? 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 This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A directive to this effect was issued Thursday by the Government Office. The decisions local administrations can make include the levels of restrictions on residents going outside, on the opening of non-essential businesses, operation of public transportation and large gatherings. For each decision, local administrations can select one of three levels: require, restrict or recommend. Provincial and municipal chairs would also get to decide which business and service establishments must remain closed; monitor projects, construction sites and business establishments. They can close down establishments that fail to meet anti-epidemic conditions; and handle outbreaks in their localities. Local administrations would need to decide whether or not to extend the enforcement of social distancing based on the epidemics situation in their area, and they can enforce their decisions at commune and district levels. The National Steering Committee on the Prevention and Control of Covid-19 will be responsible for instructing and assisting the establishment of quick response teams in all 63 provinces and municipalities; enhancing testing capacity and improving infrastructure of local health systems; and proposing measures to deal with each threshold in infection cases as well as the speed of the infection. The PM has also added the northern province of Ha Giang to the list of those with medium risk of Covid-19 infections following the discovery of a new case in the province on Thursday. Out of Vietnam's 63 provinces and municipalities, 12 have been classified as having high risks of infection, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. Another 16 provinces and municipalities have been listed in the medium risk category and the remaining 35 in the low risk category. The localities with high infection risks have been instructed to continue implementing social distancing norms until April 22 or April 30. As of Friday morning, Vietnam had recorded 268 Covid-19 cases, of whom 177 had been discharged from hospitals. Globally, the Covid-19 pandemic has a reported death count of 146,872 after spreading to 210 countries and territories. Help India! By Amina Kausar, TwoCircles.net Indian expat in the UAE, Rakesh B. Kitturmath was sacked this week from Emrill Services where he worked as team leader. Kitturmath is currently facing police action after being fired for his Islamophobic post on social media. Support TwoCircles Post 2014, there has been a surge in hate filled posts directed against Muslims by the expats who migrated to different parts of the world in search of better living conditions and jobs. Only few of these hate comments get reported on a large scale and even fewer face police actions and deportation for such actions. However, in a welcome depart from the normal, Stuart Harrison, CEO of Emrill Services in Dubai sacked Kitturmath stating the organization has zero policy of tolerance towards hate crimes. In the UAE alone there are 3.3 million Indians working in different sectors, from manufacturing to heavy machinery handling. And the atmosphere on social media, much like India itself, is witnessing an alarming trend of posts filled with anti Muslim hate. Especially the recent Tablighi Jamaat controversy has spiraled anti-Muslim comments on the web coming particularly from expats working in gulf countries amid coronavirus pandemic. One can easily watch these online battles between good Samaritans and extremists on Twitter, where some of the expats have increasingly taken on themselves to defend the Hindutva ideology far away from their homeland. Under legislation passed in 2015, the UAE outlaws all religious or racial discrimination. The anti-discrimination/anti-hatred law prohibits all acts that stoke religious hatred and/or which insult religion through any form of expression, be it speech or the written word, books, pamphlets or via online media.The legislation mainly aims to fight discrimination against individuals or groups based on religion, caste, doctrine, race, color or ethnic origin. Last week Abu Dhabi resident Mitesh Udeshi was sacked for posting a cartoon mocking Islam on his Facebook page, and simultaneously a police complaint was filed against Sameer Bhandari of Future Vision Events & Weddings, Dubai after he asked an Indian Muslim job seeker to Go back to Pakistan. While the UAE has outlawed any kind of racial or religious discrimination, it remains to see how stricter action might be implemented against the rising trend of Islamophobia in future, considering that hate speech has become a cause of concern on social media of Indian expats working abroad. On the other hand, many netizens have taken it upon themselves to keep a constant vigil on the rise of hatred. A few of them on Twitter have started reporting malignant content to the employers of offenders. One such post that sought immediate attention from authorities was from a twitter handle @DeadZedb. User @DeadZedbhad had called out Pankaj Joshi for using slur words against students of Jamia Milia Islamia University, commenting that the University is producing terrorists. Another Balakrishna Nakka, Chief Accountant at Dubais Moro Hub Data Solutions Company had posted a cartoon showing Muslims as suicide bombers and spreading the Coronavirus. Appalled by Nakkas comments, Moro Hub sacked him and said in their official statement that they take zero tolerance attitude to material that is or may be deemed Islamophoic or hate speech. After Moros official statement, the twitter handle @DeadZedb told TwoCircles.net: I acted in my capacity as a good resident and reported criminal hate speech, implying that it was genocidal hate speech that could get people killed back in India and someone had to report them. However, due to harassment by the rightwing Twitter handles, @DeadZedb later had to deactivate his account. Similarly, many handles have begun to tag employers and call on governments in these countries to take action. Another Twitter user, @RizwanRzaKhan has compiled a list of all expats living in the Middle East who are involved in online hate comments. Rizwan had expressed that once such a list is compiled, they would be reported to the local authorities in respective countries. He had also later revealed that when the list had been readied and these names were reported through social media, many from the rightwing IT Cell started boycotting Muslim employees and businesses. As a response to this, Rizwan said that, It is funny and sad these IT Cell guys are defending expats by using the same language their bigot friends did. Another user named @brumbyozhad retweeted email IDs of the officials to be reported in case of hate crimes. However, the hate comments from extremists have their own legion of supporters. After user @DeadZedbs posts went viral, many Islamophobes continued to hunt down those who reported such content until they deactivated their accounts. One such user @divyasoti has termed the people who are exposing Islamophobia to be doxxing.Another Twitter user, Iyervval Mitra, has asked the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take action against people who report hate speech online. When Twitter handle @alghurair98, originally a Dubai-based Social Media Influencer mentioned how UAE has strict laws for hate against all religions, @divyasoti declared that India has zero tolerance for any kind of Hindutva violation. However, Twitter handle @brumbyoz believes that some of the expats living in Gulf countries are bringing a bad name to India and prompting religious animosity through social media and should be booked for spreading hate. He added that they should be brought to book before the whole Indian workforce is profiled as problematic in such countries. Responding to the rising Islamophobic posts among Indian expats, Saudi Scholar Abidi Zahrani has proposed that those individuals involved in spreading hatred against Muslims in the Middle East should be sent back to India from Gulf countries. Zahrani, in a tweet, has reminded that Gulf States host millions of Indians, some of whom are infected with COVID19 and are being treated free of charge regardless of their faith while fascist Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu terrorist gangs while following the Hindutva agenda are committing crimes against it own Muslim citizens. UAEs royal family member Princess Hend Al Qassimi in a tweet on Thursday said anyone that is openly racist and discriminatory in the UAE will be fined and made to leave. And then, for students in Chicago Public Schools in particular, its easier to fall through the cracks with some of the issues they face if the teachers arent seeing them, Scott said. If a teacher cant see a student and say You look malnourished, that makes it tougher, obviously, to be certain those students are getting what they need. A worker helps a customer at the Presidente Supermarket in Miami on April 13, 2020. Joe Raedle | Getty Images The coronavirus outbreak is creating widespread suffering and uncertainty as the nation grapples with grave and interconnected challenges to our health and economy. We are a long way from returning to full employment. Missing in the planning to return to work is a response to a very fundamental challenge: how do we ensure that the return to economic activity better positions American workers for success particularly those most profoundly hurt by this pandemic. One key way to achieve this is to provide effective training to move to better jobs. The businesses that come back will not look like the businesses before, and that means disruption to the jobs that employers will fill. There will not be a perfect match between those who can safely return to work and the workers who are needed for the businesses ready to reopen. America needs a plan to skill up the workers it will take to reopen. President Donald Trump has announced a task force to get America back to work; former Vice President and apparent Democratic nominee Joe Biden has written an op-ed framing his views; and governors have begun to form alliances to plan reopening their economies. Ideas have included removing restrictions based on the local severity of the disease, allowing people to come back to work in waves based on their risk profile, or first reopening certain sectors that can maintain social distancing. While we don't know when health realities will make it viable to resume economic activity, it is critical for our nation's leaders to start planning immediately to increase the chances of success for workers as well as businesses. Of course, the goal has to be to get as many workers as possible back into their prior jobs, and to provide income support for those who don't have that opportunity. But the disruption to the workforce is profound and additional action is essential. While we don't know when health realities will make it viable to resume economic activity, it is critical for our nation's leaders to start planning immediately to increase the chances of success for workers as well as businesses. The Wall Street Journal reported that "we have already seen the fastest reallocation of labor since WWII." Government leadership is needed to identify which sectors or geographies are most necessary to bring back first, the characteristics of their work force and the skills needed for the most critical jobs, and how we can get available workers the training they need to perform that work. Many businesses will not reopen and others will shrink dramatically, leaving many workers disconnected from good jobs. Other workers may choose not to pursue their previous role. For those who cannot regain their previous role or want to pursue a better opportunity, federal policy should empower them with information and training to pursue the good jobs that become available as some sectors surge and others collapse. This is a short-term imperative and a long-term objective. It would be tragic if we failed to use this moment to get people training so they can pursue higher paying jobs in the labor market ahead. This moment will either widen the divide in opportunity or make the first break at narrowing it. Where to start? First, within the context of public health realities, what jobs will come back first, and what skills are required to actually perform those jobs successfully? In the short-term those may be critical jobs in healthcare and other sectors that are needed for the public health response or community safety. In the next wave, some jobs will come back with some level of social distancing still in place. In the longer term, entirely new trends will change the direction of industries and sectors, increasing the demand for some skill sets while decreasing others. Second, who can fill these jobs, and what skills do they have? Again, the answer has to take into account who can first return to work without health risks. The federal and state governments can use their job boards in partnership with on-line job search sites to make transparent to workers the skills in demand so people can apply for jobs perhaps in sectors in which they have not previously worked. Third, how can we address the mismatch by powering rapid learning for available workers tied to available jobs? Many employers use online learning delivery partners today and we need to scale the availability of that training and provide the funds workers need to pursue it. Australia is ahead of us in pursuing this in response to Covid-19. Money for training The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Odododiodoo constituency, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye has defended claims by the Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings that the distribution of food from the government is being done on partisan basis. MPs from areas such as Klottey Korle, Odododiodoo, Ayawaso North, Ablekuma South, Ashaiman, Obom Domeabra and Asawase say there is an elaborate scheme to ensure that food packages distributed are done in a manner that excludes sympathizers of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). Recounting his experience in an interview with the media in Parliament today [Friday], Nii Lante Vanderpuye alleged that food items were distributed to only New Patriotic Party (NPP) members in his constituency. It is NPP mechanism and system being used to distribute food in the community and sometimes when the vehicle comes to the park, I have seen it myself, they call NPP boys in the area who are organisers. If you are standing by a vehicle and you are a known NDC member in the community, you will never be given [some of the food]. What is happening is not a fabrication. We will not come here and say things that are not happening. In Odododiodoo, it is widespread. It is sad. I feel sad that I sat here and contributed to a debate and then I sit here and look at my people being discriminated against. It is sad, the MP complained. Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings who first made the claim earlier this week emphasized the need for persons discriminately distributing the items to be dealt with. Sometimes there are few people who are not following the directives from the authority in which case they must be brought to book. So I stand by that and mine is to encourage people to follow due process, she said. ---citinewsroom Some Americans are angry. On Wednesday, thousands of Michigan residents in their vehicles brought traffic in Lansing to a standstill. A spokesperson for Operation Gridlock said theres a clear message for the governor who has locked down the state: Instead of talking about whats essential and nonessential, lets talk about whats safe and not safe. Some Americans are simply saddened. Dallas beloved Khao Noodle Shop will close its doors and stop serving its acclaimed Laotian meals. Owner Donny Sirisavath explains, Weve exhausted our minds, our bodies, and weve exhausted our bank accounts. Throughout the nation, Americans are ready to get back to work. Weve upended our lives in recent weeks; weve adopted the habits, from hand-washing to social distancing, that will help ensure that the coronavirus takes as few lives as possible. And it has worked. All signs say we are flattening the curve. But new data isnt resulting in new approaches from our elected officials. Indeed, in some places, the lockdowns are getting even more restrictive. When residents of Raleigh, N.C., objected, the Raleigh Police Department broke up a small and socially distanced rally, dismissively saying on Twitter, Protesting is a non-essential activity. The economic hardship being inflicted now will be lasting and every day we keep our shops and manufacturers shuttered, we prolong the suffering. Its time to reopen the U.S. economy. Lets enact sensible policies made at the state and local levels based on safety and the very best data available. As economist and George Mason University Professor Tyler Cowen points out, The lockdown is the No. 1 feature of just about everyones life at the moment even in states not officially or completely locked down. The first step is to change our mindset lets flip our assumptions. From the early days of this crisis, we have operated under the assumption that all activities and gatherings deemed nonessential are unsafe. Yet throughout these long weeks of staying at home, there have been notable exceptions. Grocery stores, some big-box retailers and fast-food joints have been open (if only for drive-thru), and we have dutifully tried to maintain our social distances. And weve all made our own risk analyses for things like trips to the craft store and walks in the park. For the most part, weve made the adjustments weve felt were necessary and that were comfortable with. So now, lets make the logical and supportable assumption that most activities, when combined with our well-practiced social distancing and hygiene measures, are safe. We can make allowances for certain regions (looking at you, Manhattan), populations (such as the immunocompromised) and activities (no stadium concerts yet, Mick and Keith). In other words, instead of shutting it all down, and making exceptions for essential goods and services, we should be ready to open up the economy, making exceptions to protect those who are truly at risk. What would that look like? Wed reopen the struggling retailers who are losing ground every day to the online giants. Wed open the stores and shops and offices and manufacturing plants that all have next months rent looming over them. Wed let restaurants host gatherings of families and friends again. Americans can be trusted to practice those habits weve all learned so well in recent weeks. Its time for government to get out of the way and let us get back to work when and where the best data confirm for us its safe. Some of us are angry; some of us are sad. We have all suffered in recent weeks not least because lives have been lost to this illness. But we need not prolong suffering through a painful, self-inflicted recession. America is ready to move forward. Kevin Roberts is the director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 23:52:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's health ministry said Friday 12 more people tested positive to the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of those infected to 246. Mutahi Kagwe, cabinet secretary for health, told a news conference at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi that the 12 cases are from 450 samples tested since Thursday. Kagwe said among the latest cases, five are hotel workers and four are from contact tracing. The medical personnel have stepped up testing of more people as part of moves to contain the spread of the pandemic. Kenya, which has 53 recoveries and 11 deaths, is leaving nothing to chance as it ramps up interventions to contain the pandemic amid grave threat to public health, economy and national security. He said the ministry is working to expand its testing capacity so that contacts of COVID-19 patients can be tested within the shortest time possible to control the spread of the pandemic. Enditem Washington: A day after laying out a roadmap for reviving economic activity, US President Donald Trump has urged his supporters to "liberate" three Democrat-led states, effectively calling for protests against stay-at-home orders aimed at containing the coronavirus. In a series of tweets, the President urged people in Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia to rise up and "liberate" themselves from restrictions. He also hit out at New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo for criticising the federal response. Cuomo "should spend more time 'doing' and less time 'complaining,"' he said, adding: "Less talk and more action!" Trump also accused New York of asking for more ventilators than it needed. Welcome to the News Release Wire Selection Control Panel. Instant News Wire She is set to mark her 46th birthday with a virtual party hosted by her pal DJ Fat Tony. And Victoria Beckham was feeling nostalgic on her big day as she shared a series of childhood snaps on Instagram on Friday. The former Spice Girl noted that under lockdown it's a 'stranger birthday than usual', but it had left her feeling grateful for her health and family. Adorable: And Victoria Beckham was feeling nostalgic on her 46th birthday on Friday as she shared a series of childhood snaps on Instagram on Friday Alongside a video montage of adorable snaps, she penned: 'Its my birthday. Perhaps a stranger birthday than usual.' 'But I am so grateful to be safe and well and with @davidbeckham @cruzbeckham @romeobeckham #HarperSeven while missing @brooklynbeckham and all my family I cant be with today. 'I know we will all be dancing together in spirit to my playlist tonight! xxxxx VB' Strange times: The former Spice Girl noted that under lockdown it's a 'stranger birthday than usual', but it had left her feeling grateful for her health and family Victoria is currently in self-isolation with husband David, 44, along with three of their children, Romeo, 17, Cruz, 15, and Harper, eight. Their eldest son Brooklyn, 21, is isolating in the US with his girlfriend Nicola Peltz as that's where he was when the outbreak happened. The Beckham family came under fire earlier this month when it was revealed they were isolating at their sprawling Cotswolds estate, with locals slamming the couple for their so-called 'selfie-isolating.' Dancing together: Victoria made the most of her birthday in lockdown as she vowed to dance along with her family despite not being able to see them in person Cute: Victoria shared a slew of snapshots from her childhood, with the sweet snaps showing her beaming and clapping away in the sunshine Fashionista! Victoria showed that she's always had a keen eye for fashion as she sported a fetching orange and floral number as a tiny tot Cheeky: One adorable snap showed Victoria grinning for the camera as her teeth came in They left their London home to stay at their 6 million countryside property before the UK was put on lockdown on March 23. However, David and Victoria have since sparked speculation they've returned to their home in London amid the coronavirus lockdown. Social media posts from the couple hinted they're back in the capital despite the government strictly advising against non-essential travel during the pandemic. On the move: Victoria appeared to be quite the active youngster, with sweet snaps showing her running towards the camera Strike a pose! Victoria also had a keen eye for the camera as demonstrated by the adorable poses she struck whilst in her toddler years Catching rays: Victoria knew all about the power of accessories from a young age, sporting a lovely bonnet and pair of shades for a day in the garden On the move: One sweet shot showed Victoria had a novel way of getting around in her toy car Squeaky clean: Taking to her Stories, Victoria also showed off her presents from her children - a personalised washing up liquid and apron - as she gushed over her love of housework Meanwhile, Victoria's family were quick to share their own birthday messages online as well as in person, with David posting a series of snaps - including some epic throwbacks from her Spice Girl days. He wrote: 'Happy birthday mama we love you so much and hope you have the most amazing day @brooklynbeckham @romeobeckham @cruzbeckham #HarperSeven'. Her eldest son Brooklyn - who is spending lockdown in New York with girlfriend Nicola Peltz, shared his own sweet throwback snap, writing: 'Happy birthday to the best mum in the whole world youre my best friend and I love you so much.' Romeo also got his well wishes in early as he uploaded a sweet selfie of the pair, captioned: 'Happy birthday mum love u so much have an amazing day '. Throwbacks: Victoria's family were quick to share their own birthday messages online as well as in person, with David posting a series of snaps - including some epic throwbacks David wrote: 'Happy birthday mama we love you so much and hope you have the most amazing day @brooklynbeckham @romeobeckham @cruzbeckham #HarperSeven' Sweet: David shared a slew of snaps of Victoria from her Spice Girls heyday and in more recent months as he wished her a happy birthday The sunshine of his life: David concluded the snaps with a picture of Victoria snapping a stunning sunset on her phone Youngest son Cruz stuck with the throwback theme, sharing a snap of Victoria and her fellow Spice Girls and their children during the reunion tour in 2008. He captioned the shot: 'Happy birthday mum I love you so much ' Meanwhile, Victoria's fellow Spice Girl Emma Bunton shared a sweet shot of the pair back in the band's heyday. She captioned the shot: 'Happy birthday my gorgeous friend @victoriabeckham we love you so much. ' Classic: Her eldest son Brooklyn - who is spending lockdown in New York with girlfriend Nicola Peltz, shared his own sweet throwback snap Sweet: Romeo also got his well wishes in early as he uploaded a sweet selfie of the pair, captioned: 'Happy birthday mum love u so much have an amazing day ' Spice: Youngest son Cruz stuck with the throwback theme, sharing a snap of Victoria and her fellow Spice Girls and their children during the reunion tour in 2008 She also took to her Stories to pen: 'Happy birthday @victoriabeckham. Can't wait till we can celebrate together again. x' The sweet posts come ahead of the 'virtual birthday celebration' Victoria is hosting on Instagram Live with her friend DJ Fat Tony amid the ongoing lockdown. The fashion designer previously told how Fat Tony will take over her Instagram to share a playlist of her favourite songs with fans. Sweet: Victoria's fellow Spice Girl Emma Bunton shared a sweet shot of the pair back in the band's heyday Friendship never ends! Emma also took to her Strories to share a series of throwback snaps Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the mother-of-four shared a snap of herself frolicking in a pile of large white balloons as she urged her followers to 'turn the music up'. Alongside the photo, she wrote: 'Tomorrow is my birthday. @di_fattony_ has given me the best bday present. A playlist of all my favourite songs to share with everyone.' Rather than receive gifts, Victoria told how she would like her friends and family to make a charitable donation this year instead. Happy family: Victoria is currently in self-isolation with husband David, 44, along with three of their children, Romeo, 17, Cruz, 15, and Harper, eight, but not eldest son Brooklyn Cosy: Their eldest son Brooklyn, 21, is isolating in the US with his girlfriend Nicola Peltz as that's where he was when the outbreak happened She wrote: 'Instead of gifts this year I have asked my friends and family to donate to @thechildrenssociety. The link is in my bio. 'They provide a lifeline for children hidden from view in the coronavirus crisis, and in even more danger now from abuse, exploitation, neglect or hunger. Please support them if you can. 'Tony will be going live on my Instagram tomorrow at 8PM BST/4PM EDT. Turn the music up and have a dance in your living room/kitchen/bedroom. Thank you Tony! x VB.' To help India fight against COVID-19 pandemic, Larsen & Toubro will provide medical aid worth Rs 40 crore comprising of PPEs, N95 masks, diagnostic kits and other medical equipments, a top company official said on Friday. This will be in addition to the Rs 500 crore provision per month by the engineering giant for providing support to 160,000 contract labour spread across the country and donation of Rs 150 crore to the PM-CARES Fund announced on March 30. The company will provide 45,000 PPEs, 151,000 N95 masks and 155 diagnostic kits. The value of the medical aid to combat deadly coronavirus is estimated at about Rs 40 crore. "As a responsible corporate citizen, we are providing the PPEs, diagnostic kits, N95 masks and critical hospital equipment including ventilators that will be helpful in effectively combating the pandemic", SN Subrahmanyan, CEO & MD, Larsen & Toubro told PTI. The conglomerate plans to donate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to various healthcare organisations under State governments of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Telangana. It plans to donate 151,000 N-95 masks to health agencies in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, he said. The company has already handed over 100 semi fowler beds with matresses, 2 ventilators, 7 bipap ventilators and 20 multiparameter monitors to Tamil Nadu Health Department-run The King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research, Chennai. The institute will further receive 8 ventilators from L&T shortly, he said adding, the company also plans to donate 12 ventilators for state health authorities in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. L&T is sourcing 155 make-in-India test kits - capable of conducting 15,500 tests - developed by Pune-based molecular diagnostic company, Mylab Discovery Solutions to be donated to Central government and state governments. Each kit can conduct 100 tests and is capable of detecting infection in 2.5 hours as opposed to other imported kits that take longer duration. The move assumes significance in the wake of shortage of testing kits and short supplies of equipment. As the daily wage earners are facing problems during the lockdown, L&T has also provided grocery kits to 1,966 families and cooked meals were provided to 8,000 people in Mumbai through its NGO partners. Also, the company is providing 2,000 meals per day for 2 weeks to doctors, sanitation workers, stranded families in public hospitals in Chennai, as per information. Additionally, 20,000 meals are being provided to migrant workers and labourers in the state capital of Tamil Nadu. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israel's coronavirus cases close to 13,000 Israeli Health Ministry reported 264 new infections in the past 24 hours, with the death toll at 148. The number of novel coronavirus cases in Israel has risen to 12,855, with 148 deaths, the countrys Health Ministry said Friday. NEARLY 3,000 PATIENTS WERE RECOVERED A total of 148 people have died and 264 more tested positive for the virus, while at least 182 people are in critical condition, said the ministry. Meanwhile, more than 2,967 have gone on to make a full recovery. The government has taken several steps to stem the spread of the virus, including closing all educational institutions and banning gatherings of more than 10 people. All businesses except supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations and banks have remained shut since March 15. The capital Tel Aviv also banned the entry of foreign citizens except those with Israeli residency. The Vietnam Food Association has petitioned authorities to prioritise customs clearance of consignments of rice exports stuck at ports. A rice field in the Mekong Delta. It has also urged them to cancel the customs declarations of exporters who submitted declaration forms with high volumes but could not prove they had them ready for export when inspected. The Government recently approved resumption of rice exports, but capped them at around 400,000 tonnes for April with an eye on national food security amid the Covid-19 pandemic. On April 12 the General Department of Customs began accepting online customs declarations from rice exporters, but many were left disappointed since the quota of 400,000 tonnes was reached within just three hours. Many firms with rice consignments stuck at ports were unable to submit declarations. The business group said some 300,000 tonnes of rice are now stuck at ports, and authorities should create conditions for enterprises to complete customs clearance as soon as possible. It also suggested that the customs department should consider classifying consignments at ports into those that would go through a green channel, meaning exemption from inspection, and yellow channel, meaning partial inspection, for quick clearance. The Government should scrap all limits on exports of sticky and organic rice since they do not affect domestic food security, it said. Checking the actual rice volume, number of containers and seal numbers is imperative to ensure the information is exactly as enterprises declared in customs declaration forms, and if authorities detect false declarations, they should cancel and sanction the firms, it said. Nguyen Ngoc Nam, chairman of the VFA, said with their rice stuck at exit points, enterprises have to bear huge costs. Besides, businesses that do not deliver on time have to compensate their foreign buyers, he said. So if the above consignments are not cleared and exported, businesses would suffer losses of billions of dong, threatening their very survival, he said. The VFA said: Some enterprises will not have revenues to pay loans in time if they cannot get customs clearance and export their rice in April and May. "This will ... threaten their survival. Sticky rice export The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has urged the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) to allow resumption of sticky rice exports from the last winter-spring crop, and advise it on the supply and demand status to adjust the cultivation area and output. On April 15 MoIT asked MARD if sticky rice is a part of the national rice reserve and the impact of sticky rice grown in Long An and An Giang provinces, the biggest producers, on national food security. It also sought information about the area under glutinous rice in the two provinces and expected output, and recommendations for the export of sticky rice. VNS Vietnamese rice exporters surprised with the quick end of export quota Many rice exporters were left surprised because the export quota of 400,000 tonnes of rice in April ended quickly in just three hours. Doctor's offices have closed, nursing homes shelter in place, but home health workers are heading into residences with limited supplies and a lot of uncertainty to help people weather the coronavirus pandemic. While much of the state stays indoors on account of the governor's orders, the people who provide health care inside homes are heading out, often without the full protective gear some staff at hospitals are wearing. Tiffany Redders, a home health nurse with Roper St. Francis, said she feels a duty to her patients; she may be the only person they see each day. But COVID-19 has thrown both her and her patients' health into question. "It's just uncertain," she said. "We can't control what people do in their own homes." On Wednesday morning, Redders helped Tyrone Smalls, 63, sort through his medications. She raised her eyebrows and made him promise to take his prescription on time, and connected him with staff at Roper St. Francis who helped work through how to get Smalls his medications for free. Smalls Redders' patient of about two years, has congestive heart failure and had surgery to put in a pacemaker only weeks ago. For the Moncks Corner resident, avoiding the hospital is critical during the coronavirus' spread. "Basically I have to sit back and relax," Smalls said, and let other people take care of him. South Carolina's large population of people aging and with underlying health conditions is at particular risk. And those are exactly the patients home health is meant for. Most of South Carolina's health care industry has been struggling with the opposite. Layoffs have plagued hospitals, which had to scale back non-urgent care to conserve protective equipment and prevent infections. Closures of many doctor's and dentist's practices have meant at least 5,900 people from those offices have filed for unemployment since the beginning of March, according to the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. South Carolina's senior population already contends with other health issues at a greater rate than most other states. Nearly 17 percent of people over 60 years old have gone hungry in the last year, according to America's Health Rankings. Many use the state's low-income Medicaid program to pay for the care. Nearly 100 home health agencies operate in South Carolina. Hundreds more in-home care providers, which help people with their daily but not medical needs are licensed around the state. Grace Caregivers in Lexington is one. The company helps clients with food prep, offers rides to doctor's appointments and helps with bathing, along with other critical needs. Kimberly Thomas-Metts, executive director of Grace Caregivers, said she began asking staff in February to stay home if they are showing cold or flu symptoms, before the first cases of coronavirus disease appeared in South Carolina. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control monitors in-home care providers but not closely, she said. For instance, in-home providers are not required to use gloves, though Thomas-Metts said she is requiring it. Grace Caregivers has not been able to acquire more protective gear as supply chains have dried up and even hospitals struggle to obtain more. Staff has been using a donated supply of masks. Thomas-Metts said many clients are now unable to access their usual medical care because medical offices have closed, and are afraid to leave their homes because of the possibility of picking up the virus. "They're home, and they're terrified," Thomas-Metts said. To help fill in the gaps, Grace Caregivers and a handful of volunteers have been assembling bags full of cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer and non-perishable food. As of Monday morning, they had put together 800 of the baskets. But without more supplies, they will have to stop. To donate to Grace Caregivers Grace Caregivers, a Lexington-based in-home health care group, is collecting donations for baskets of food, cleaning supplies and more it is delivering to people in need in the Columbia area. The baskets' production is limited by supplies. Call 803-399-8014 to find out how to help. Samantha Brown owns a Charleston-area home care company called Faithful Companion Home Care. She has been a certified home care provider for over 15 years. She was troubled by early reports on the coronavirus' impact in Washington State, where the disease killed 23 people inside one nursing home. I said, 'We've got to do something different.' Brown said she wants to make sure the elderly population is protected. So she is requiring her staff to disinfect the homes where they are working every two hours. But maintaining a supply of gloves, disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer and masks has been a challenge. The results of the pandemic have been mixed for Faithful Companion. Many clients have needed extra help because family can't reach them. Others, meanwhile, have called off the service due to concerns about people coming in and out of their homes. Overall, staff are working longer hours with lower pay, Brown said. Im really just praying for this to be over soon, she said in late March. One stands on guard outside the high-rise building in Noida saluting perhaps as the other drives out to look after his patients the two men, both tasked with fighting COVID-19 in their own special way, unable to even hug their children when they return home to strict isolation. Compelled by their jobs to step out every day, the security guard and the doctor are part of the army of corona warriors' helping India battle the pandemic. The coronavirus story is not about one person or two on opposite ends of the social spectrum. Many thousands of others. who necessarily have to physically interact with people outside, maintain strict distancing norms at home to ensure their families don't get infected, even if they happen to. It is tough, but what's the alternative? For once, me and a doctor sahaab who stays in the building are facing the same problems. Neither he nor I can embrace our children, Rajesh, a security guard at a building in Noida in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Budh district that has reported at least 68 cases, told PTI. Rajesh, who stays with his two children, wife and mother in Sorkha village near the Delhi suburb where several buildings have been sealed, spends the better part of the day outdoors. He knows the area around is marked as dangerous but says he has no choice. I try to do shifts that get me home late. When I go home, my wife keeps a bucket of water for me and I bathe outside. I also wash my own clothes and my dishes. I haven't eaten with my family in days, he said. What he misses the most is just touching his children. When I returned from work, they would normally rush to embrace me. Now I make sure I return afterthey have slept, he said. Coronavirus being the great equaliser, the stories of just doing their jobs at the cost of being quarantined' from the ones they love the most even in these stressful days find echo everywhere. Nirmala, an anganwadi worker in Gurgaon, said she speaks to her children only on phone and sleeps on the terrace when she is back home to avoid any contact with them. Raj Kumar, 27, who works as a ward boy in a Delhi hospital, has started living out of a store on the terrace of his home. The stairs have become his dining table because that's where his wife keeps his food. As soon as I am back from the hospital I take a shower and clean the bathroom. We ensure no one enters the bathroom for at least two hours after I have used it.I wash my clothes myself and the clothes are dried separately so they don't touch my kids' clothes, Kumar told PTI. Pinku, a garbage collector in Noida, sleeps on a cot outside his house where his wife keeps everything he needs. For the past three years, Pinku's day started at 5 am when he would start collecting garbage in Noida's Sector 41. But things have changed since the lockdown. Getting ready now takes more time as he needs to ensure he wears the mask and the gloves given to him properly. Everything has to be washed and sanitised, before and after. For the last week, ever since the area was declared a hotspot, he has been staying away from his family. They live in the same house but his utensils are kept separately. "Things became tougher after the area was declared a hotspot. I sleep outside. I miss my family, especially my wife," he said. A doctor in east Delhi practices extreme caution too. She calls up her daughters before reaching home. They open the door and rush inside while their mother enters and heads for a bath before interacting with anyone. Going out everyday, even if to do jobs necessary to ensure that people are safe in the lockdown period, comes with its own issues. A sanitation worker in Noida who did not want to be named said he is being treated like an outcast in his colony. He said he misses his old life when he could hug his friends play with his children. Now he sleeps in the verandah and keeps as much distance as possible. My two-year-old daughter does not understand why I am not playing with her or not even going near. She cries loudly so I try to be out of her sight as much as possible but it is very difficult when you live in a 350 sq ft house. I just go home to sleep and leave as early as possible to ensure they don't fall sick because of me, he said. According to Bezwada Wilson, national convenor of the Safai Karmachari Andolan, sanitation workers have only been provided with masks. When they go back home they do not interact with their family members out of scare that they might contract coronavirus. Lack of sanitation facilities for them is also a problem, he said. A police constable who works in an area declared a hotspot ensures the area remains completely sealed. He wears masks and gloves and is careful while interacting with people living inside the colony. I am particularly scared for my 85-year-old mother. I can be a carrier of the disease for her. I have now moved out and stay with my colleague who lives alone. But my mother needs me for providing her medicine and grocery and I am so worried, he said. The death toll due to coronavirus rose to 437 and the number of cases to 13,387 in the country on Friday, according to the Union Health Ministry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An explosion at a paper mill in Maine shook the ground Wednesday and produced a plume of black smoke that was visible for miles around, but it appeared no one was injured. The blast rocked the Androscoggin Mill in Jay, in central Maine, around noon, state police spokesman Steve McCausland said. Mill personnel told police no one was injured, though some people suffered respiratory distress. 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. Emergency responders rushed to the mill, and the state fire marshal planned an investigation. The cause wasnt clear to investigators, and the investigation will likely begin in earnest on Thursday, as the scene was still being secured, police said. The explosion left significant damage in the area of the mills digester, which is used to process raw materials. Mill spokesperson Roxie Lassetter said the company was in the preliminary stages of assessing what happened and evaluating the environmental impact. The explosion released a mixture of wood fiber, water and chemicals, and the company is taking steps to restore order to the mill site, Lassetter said. The most important thing is no one was hurt, Lassetter said. Its nothing short of a miracle, and we are grateful, Lassetter said. Governor Janet Mills urged residents to stay far from the Jay scene. She also said during a news conference that the state is breathing a deep sigh of relief that the explosion wasnt a bigger disaster. I just want to say, if ever there was a day when we should believe in miracles, today is it, she said. The mill had been sold in February by Ohio-based Verso Paper to a specialty paper producer in Pennsylvania. Pixelle Specialty Solutions, of Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, acquired both the Jay mill and another mill in Wisconsin in a $400 million deal. Pixelle said at the time that the deal would make it the largest specialty paper business in the U.S. in terms of annual production. We ask for everyones continued prayers through this and will update information once it is available. We are also asking that you stay away from the area and allow the crews to work, said Shiloh LaFreniere, spokeswoman for Pixelle. The mill was built in the mid-1960s in Jay, which today is a community of about 5,000 people. Maine Senate President Troy Jackson said the state will need to support the community and its workforce in the wake of such a major blow. To the 500 mill workers, who showed up to work today expecting it to be an ordinary day, I know that this is devastating and that the next few hours, days and weeks wont be easy, he said. The explosion recalled a deadly propane explosion in 2019 in the Maine community of Farmington, and investigators in Jay initially feared the worst, said Sgt. Joel Davis with the state fire marshals office. The 2019 explosion killed Farmington Fire Capt. Michael Bell and injured seven people. Associated Press writer David Sharp contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Maine CAIRO In an attempt to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, Giza governorate imposed April 7 a lockdown on al-Moatamdia village, which is affiliated with the governorates Kerdasa municipal division, for 14 days and cordoned it off. The decision came after several cases of the virus that causes COVID-19 were detected in the village. In this context, the governorate, commissioned by the government, took several measures to facilitate the lives of the village residents and delivered infant formula and medicines to those suffering from chronic diseases. It also provided ambulances to transport those critically ill to hospitals. Village residents have volunteered to provide services for the elderly and those suffering from chronic disease. Alaa Wali, a member of parliament from Kerdasa, said April 8 in a phone call with "Aala Masouliti" ("It Is My Duty") broadcast on Sada Elbalad satellite channel that a full lockdown had been imposed on al-Moatamdia as two people infected with the virus attended a wedding while two others attended a funeral service. He noted that nine people tested positive, while three of these cases had died, saying about 200 people have been in contact with them. Wali noted that the decision was taken to protect the 100,000 residents of the village and to avoid having them infect people outside the village. He added that the village residents have been provided with basic necessities; some 1,000 meals and 500 boxes of food commodities have been distributed to people in need and to irregular workers, and cars carrying ATMs have been roaming the village to provide banking services to residents, as part of the government initiative. Meanwhile, the Preventive Medicine Department of the Veterinary Medicine Directorate in Giza started disinfecting shops, cars, streets, house entrances and entrances to the village. A number of village residents have also been tested to determine the exact number of people who have been infected. Meanwhile, Giza governorate deployed several cars with PA systems in the streets to raise awareness of the coronavirus. Ahmed Nabil, a village resident, told Al-Monitor that he learned that village residents had contracted COVID-19 through a video broadcast posted by the mayor on Facebook, and ever since local police has been enforcing the curfew imposed across Egypt. He said that as soon as the lockdown was announced, security forces cordoned off the village. He noted that a large number of residents, especially the elderly, have been stuck at home, adding that some people have obtained permits to leave their homes to go to work, while others are sneaking to work through side streets. Ahmed Amer, who volunteers to support the village residents, said that ever since the village was under lockdown, the residents have to stay in their houses as there is no reason to leave given that they have been provided with the necessary goods and supplies. He said the only obstacle is the local clinic that lacks some medicines and that they have contacted the Giza deputy governor in this regard. Amer explained that he, along with 35 other young men, carried out disinfection campaigns in the village and distributed food with the help of several nongovernmental organizations. Wali told Al-Monitor over the phone that the number of cases has not yet increased and that some suspected cases tested negative for COVID-19. Despite the lack of commitment to stay at home on the part of some residents, the vast majority is abiding by the preventive measures, he added. Al-Monitor tried to contact the undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in Giza governorate, Mohamed Mansour, but he said he was not authorized to talk about the coronavirus cases in al-Moatamdia village. The Ministry of Environment has taken several measures to deal with the waste coming from al-Moatamdia by allocating April 8 a landfill area for the village's waste and a car for the disinfection of any equipment used within the village. It is also treating the village waste as hazardous and covering it with quicklime. In addition, the ministry has set up a mechanism to get rid of insects and rodents that the waste could attract in order to limit the spread of the infection and has obliged waste workers to wear protective equipment while working. Governor of Giza Ahmed Rashid said in a April 10 phone call to "Aala Masouliti" that the governorate is fully ready to provide assistance to village residents during the lockdown. He added that mobile retail outlets are out on the streets to sell vegetables, meat and poultry, and those who had been in contact with the infected individuals are under close observation. Several villages in different Egyptian governorates have been under lockdown for 14 days now. Two villages in Minya governorate in southern Egypt were isolated on April 27, al-Hayatem village was isolated in the Gharbia governorate in northern Egypt on March 31 and the village of Aburabi, affiliated with the Ismailia governorate in the east of the country, with a population of 149 people, was also isolated on April 3. The isolation of al-Moatamdia comes in conjunction with the precautionary measures taken by the Egyptian government to halt the spread of the coronavirus, including the decision to impose a partial curfew on citizens on March 24 from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m., and the decision March 21 to close places of worship such as mosques and churches. On March 19, Egypt shut down all restaurants, coffee shops, cafeterias, casinos, nightclubs, bars and shopping centers, and it suspended school and university classes on March 14. The government is only using just over half of its daily coronavirus testing capacity, according to the latest official statistics. Alok Sharma, the Business Secretary, told today's Downing Street press conference that 21,328 tests were carried out yesterday. But No10 has estimated the UK's testing capacity is now at 38,000 a day, with ministers continuing to struggle to explain why actual test numbers are falling so far short of what could be done. The latest data came after Matt Hancock admitted his 100,000 daily coronavirus tests target is an 'ambitious goal' as he was confronted by health chiefs over claims NHS staff are not coming forward for the checks. Dame Donna Kinnair, the chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said she had been told examples from the frontline of sick nurses who were driving two hours to testing centres only to be told to come back another day. She said: 'Nurses are sometimes driving two hours feeling very unwell with possible symptoms of coronavirus and driving to a testing station. 'Sometimes if you haven't got an appointment you're turned away only to be told to come back another time. 'We need clear instructions about how to get tested so that people aren't turned away, we can make appointments and people who are feeling very unwell have access to tests.' Business Secretary Alok Sharma tonight revealed 21,000 tests were conducted yesterday, far below the UK's 38,000 testing capacity Meanwhile, a senior practice nurse in north London has labelled the testing operation 'an absolute disgrace' after she was forced to stay at home for a month due to the fact she could not access a test. Those comments are in stark contrast to the claims made by the Health Secretary who has argued lower than expected demand among NHS staff has allowed the government to expand its operation to other public sector workers. Jeremy Hunt, who chairs the health committee, has called for a massive increase in testing and tracing. He said it was a huge logistical undertaking but added: 'If we're going to copy the best in the world then that is what we now need to do.' Earlier this week Mr Hancock announced tests would be extended across the social care setting and today he said the police, fire service, prison staff and judges will also now be eligible. Earlier Matt Hancock had told the Health and Social Care Select Committee that coronavirus testing will be expanded to more public sector workers including police and the fire service But Dame Donna Kinnair from the Royal College of Nursing challenged Mr Hancock's claims that demand for tests from NHS workers had dropped as she said nurses were still struggling to access checks London nurse Barabara Botsford has told how she was prevented from working for four weeks because of a testing 'fiasco' Mr Hancock had said there was lower than expected demand for tests from NHS workers over the Easter weekend. But healthcare bosses have cast doubt on his claims of a reduction in demand amid suggestions that the flat numbers could actually be down to testing failures and poor access to checks for workers. Dame Donna told the Health and Social Care Select Committee: 'There is an issue about how we get nurses and others to be able to be tested because actually it's not quite clear. 'So you would expect as an employer, that if you started to become ill that you would be able to have a defined place to go to, and your employer would instruct you where to go. 'What I'm hearing from the frontline is that nurses are driving up to two hours, feeling very unwell with possible symptoms of coronavirus and driving to testing stations, and sometimes if you haven't got an appointment you're turned away only to be told to come back another time. 'So we really need some clear direction of how we can access testing, both in the NHS but more so for social care because [they] don't have the same infrastructure as the NHS.' The Covid-19 testing site at Chessington was working efficiently today after a slow start at the beginning of the process. Scores of NHS staff and other key workers queued in an orderly fashion for the 90- second swan examination which will determine whether they have had Coronavirus or not. Four testing booths were in operation today compared to only one when the centre first opened earlier thus month. Key workers queued in six lanes ahead of their test with their windows closed but their ID documents and email invitation to the site on display. Hundreds of vital staff members are believed to have passed through the site enabling to return to their frontline jobs once their symptoms have past. Testing currently is a split between patients, NHS staff and social care workers. Self-isolating staff are able to get tested at one of the UK's 22 drive-through sites. Barbara Botsford, a nurse in London, told the Evening Standard she was unable to work for a month due to testing access problems. She said she had to wait weeks for a test after self-isolating, finally got one, was then told it had been lost and that she would have to be tested again before the original then appeared showing she had tested negative. Ms Botsford said she had been 'desperate' to return to work but had been prevented from doing so for four weeks because of the testing 'fiasco'. Mr Hancock told the same committee that the current NHS coronavirus-related staff absence rate is 7.1 per cent, down slightly on the previous statistic of eight per cent. The Health Secretary has said he is sticking to his 100,000 tests target but today insisted 'ramp up' was happening even before he made the promise. 'I don't think if we had announced the 100,000 target a couple of weeks earlier as you suggest we would be in any different position now because we were continuing to drive to increase testing all along,' he told MPs. Cars queue at a coronavirus testing site in a car park at Chessington World of Adventures today 'The challenge is that the increase, the radical increase, in the amount of testing over the last two months from 2,000 tests a day at the start of March to 10,000 tests a day at the end of March and now with the ambitious goal I have set of 100,000 by the end of this month. 'That ramp up has been ongoing throughout. I set a public target in part because people were asking how fast are we going to get there and because it also managed to galvanise the non-diagnostic pharmaceutical industry here.' Mr Hancock said that now 'we have got the curve under control, I want to be able to get back to the position that we can test everybody with symptoms'. 'I anticipate being able to do that relatively soon because we are increasing capacity,' he said. Announcing a further expansion of testing to more public sector workers he added: 'I can today expand the eligibility for testing to police, the fire service, prison staff, critical local authority staff, the judiciary and DWP staff who need it. 'We are able to do that because of the scale up of testing.' The giant Covid-19 test centre set up in an IKEA car park is averaging 500 tests a day As well as NHS staff key workers are also being given priority to bid to Visit one of five mobile test bays at the Wembley site. Trained staff take a nasal and throat swab with results being emailed out in 48 hours. More than 500 people had an appointment on Friday with a similar number throughout the week Those arriving need written authorisation to enter one of five testing bays. Members of the public are not yet permitted to attend. Yesterday it emerged that Mr Hancock had failed to hit a target of carrying out 25,000 daily coronavirus tests. 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 and the number of tests still below even 20,000. At least 16million has already been wasted on two million coronavirus antibody tests from China that turned out to be duds. Boris Johnson heralded the tests as a 'game changer' but the Government is now seeking a refund from two manufacturers following a negative evaluation by Oxford University experts. Antibody test kits, which check the blood for antibodies produced after somebody has contracted the virus, are seen as vitally important to reactivating the economy and measuring national immunity rates. (CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The COVID 19 Pandemic has been characterised by many as the unseen enemy moving swiftly across the globe. To date, at the international level, it has affected approximately 1.5 billion students with run on impacts for teachers and caregivers. Within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) it has disrupted the education and careers of over five million students and two hundred thousand teachers across the Basic Education, Skills for Lifelong Learning and Tertiary Education Sectors, including the provision of special education. In the CARICOM Region, a whole of Government approach has been taken to managing the impact of COVID-19 at the national level. The Region is to be applauded for its swift and coordinated responses to COVID-19, putting in place the health, education, social, economic and security protocols needed to reduce the impact on the social sustainability and economic resilience of the region. With a particular reference to COVID-19 and education, the response required relates to decisions to ensure the continuity of education on the one hand, and enabling a swift recovery on the other. Now more than ever, the Region has become acutely aware of the essential roles played by schools and teachers in maintaining the safety and security of children and vulnerable youth. COVID-19 has amplified our awareness of the need for increased technological innovation in the operationalisation and assessment of educational systems and has triggered the need for a response to education for all, in periods of crisis. The closure of schools has impacted the earning capacity and participation rates of caregivers, in particular single parents and those who are self-employed; challenged the health security of children who rely on the provision of school meals; increased the risk of exposure to incidents of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and hampered the successful integration of at-risk youth in continuing education. Teachers have also been affected. They are now being called to execute pedagogical innovation that many feel not prepared or trained for; challenging the quality of educational delivery and the efficacy of teachers. COVID-19 is rehearsing often aired propositions on the need for education systems to become 21st Century ready; it is challenging expectations for continuing teacher professional development and creating new conditions of labour for the teaching force, made of up mostly of women, who also fulfil obligations as caregivers. COVID-19 has exposed even more the pestering inequalities of educational provision in many of our Member States (MS). This also challenges our ability to deliver universal quality education to our citizens. There is now a greater urgency to secure the continued access and participation of children, youth and adults who live with special education needs and disabilities. Those families who are extremely poor or live in remote geographical locations (including the teachers who live in these areas) are at this time unable to fully access the educational accommodations that are being put in place by governments as interim responses to the need for educational provision at a distance over an undeclared, yet protracted period of time. The uncertainty of when the pandemic will come to an end is facilitating deepened uncertainties in educational provision. A Call to Action- COVID19 and Education CARICOM As it relates to the education sector our readiness to respond to the provision of quality basic education at a distance, using online synchronous and asynchronous approaches has been prefigured by the 21st Century readiness of our educational infrastructure. Educational resilience requires an urgent digital transformation. Within MS educational continuity and stability have been managed through interventions that range from the creation of learning packets that are delivered to children, to the creation of educational television series facilitated by particular experts, to the use of learning platforms where both teachers and students can interact via synchronous or asynchronous modes. Out of an abundance of concern and using the whole of government approach, MS have also ensured the provision of welfare relief to students and their families. Our Higher Education sector appears most ready to respond to the provision of technology enabled education in a crisis, with faculty and students of some institutions more ready to continue their educational careers in an online environment. However, attention must be given to TVET institutions, and Community Colleges, to ensure that they too have the capacity and infrastructure to contribute to the normalcy of post-secondary education provision. The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has been a regional vanguard in the area of E-Testing and has demonstrated their solidarity with the region through a proposal for a revised examinations strategy that aims to ensure the integrity of the examinations process, produce valid grades and sustain educational progression across levels of learning. It is evident, that a critical paradigm shift in educational provision is needed; we need to ensure educational resilience through digital transformation. This is the call that is made through the UNESCO SDG 2030 Agenda and reflected in the CARICOM Human Resource Development 2030 Strategy, through the design and implementation of a Caribbean New School Model. Responding to this call can no longer be delayed by the vagaries of financial and political positioning. If the region is to acquire the economic and social resiliency required for educational provision it must become innovative, mediated by ICTs and driven by a competency-based approach. I take this opportunity as the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Antigua and Barbuda and Chair of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) to call my colleague Ministers to action. To aid in a swift recovery from COVID-19, Ministries with responsibility for Education across the CARICOM Region must: Contribute to a regional capacity to respond through knowledge and resource sharing that ensures that we respond and recover at equitable rates as one CARICOM. Articulate national policies related to the provision of education in periods of crisis, ensuring the protection of the most vulnerable, including where relevant, members of the migrant population. Commit to a digital transformation that guarantees the resilience of the educational system. This is an investment where educational leaders, teachers and students are enabled to engage in quality learning and assessment using fully online platforms; thus aiding in the rapid recovery from the effects of COVID-19. Strengthen public private partnerships with members of industry to enable a smoother transition between pre-, during- and post-COVID-19 realities. Safeguarding the future of our national and regional workforce and entrepreneurial sectors. Ensure that the information related to COVID-19 is disseminated in such a manner that allows teachers, students and families with cognitive, physical and psycho-social learning differences, access to factual information that supports their ability to advocate for and protect themselves and their families in this crisis. Recognise and cater for the mental health impact of COVID- 19 on teachers and learners, paying attention to the ways in which this too can serve to disrupt learning. Interventions must be designed that support the emotional wellbeing of learners, teachers and parents. We do not know the length of this road, but we do know that we are journeying together. Let us adhere to the national and regional safety protocols designed to ensure that we remain in the best of health to continue to serve our children, teachers and communities who stand with us in service. We are all obligated to protect our CARICOM legacy that is the health, wellbeing and educational excellence of the children and youth of our Region. Two jihadists travelling in a truck in northern Syria were killed in an aerial attack, although it is not clear who was responsible reports Al-Masdar. An unknown aircraft carried out an attack on a group of jihadist rebels that were traveling through the Idleb countryside on Thursday. According to the reports, a pick-up truck carrying jihadist rebels was targeted by the unknown aircraft as it travelled through the northern region of the al-Ghab Plain. The strike reportedly destroyed the jihadist pick-up truck in the town of al-Ankaweh and killed the two militants that were traveling inside the vehicle. No one has claimed responsibility for this latest attack; although, some reports have speculated that it was carried out by a Russian suicide drone. The Russian military has been conducting several reconnaissance flights over the Idleb Governorate since mid-March, so it could very well be their aerospace forces that are behind this strike. 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. A new report published in Science Advances on the emergence of agriculture in highland Papua New Guinea shows advancements often associated with a later Neolithic period occurred about 1000 years' earlier than previously thought. University of Otago Archaeology Programme Professor and report co-author Glenn Summerhayes says findings in Emergence of a Neolithic in highland New Guinea by 5000 to 4000 years ago, provide insights into when and how the highlands were first occupied; the role of economic plants in this process; the development of trade routes which led to the translocation of plants and technologies; and an associated record of landscape, environment and climate change through time. The report details the earliest figurative stone carving and formally manufactured pestles in Oceania, dating to 5050 to 4200 years ago, which were found at a dig site in Waim. Also found were the earliest planilateral axe-adzes uncovered in New Guinea to date, and the first evidence for fibrecraft and interisland obsidian transfer from neighbouring islands over distances of at least 800km. "The new evidence from Waim fills a critical gap in our understanding of the social changes and technological innovations that have contributed to the developing cultural diversity in New Guinea," Professor Summerhayes says. The combination of symbolic social systems, complex technologies, and highland agricultural intensification supports an independent emergence of a Neolithic around 1000 years before the arrival of Neolithic migrants, the Lapita, from Southeast Asia. When considered together with a growing corpus of studies indicating expansion and intensification of agricultural practices, these combined cultural elements represent the development of a regionally distinct Neolithic. The research establishes dating for other finds at the site, including a fire lighting tool, postholes, and a fibrecraft tool with ochre, possibly used for colouring string fibre. The report suggests increased population pressure on the uneven distribution of natural resources likely drove this process, which is further inferred by language and genetic divergence. The project arose out of an Australian Research Council Grant awarded to Dr Judith Field (University of New South Wales) and Professor Summerhayes. "Former Otago postgraduate student Dr Ben Shaw was employed as postdoctoral fellow to do the "leg work in the field" and Dr Anne Ford (Otago Archaeology Programme) contributed to understandings of the stone tool technologies. As it worked out many of these rich discoveries were made by Dr Shaw. It was one of the best appointments Dr Field and I have ever made. I am proud of our Otago graduates who are some of the best in the world." Professor Summerhayes and his team had previously completed a Marsden funded project in the Ivane Valley of Papua, establishing the beginning of human occupation at 50,000 years ago. The results of this work were published in Science in 2010. "This project is a follow-on where we wanted to construct a chronology of human presence in the Simbai/Kaironk Valley of Papua New Guinea by systematic archaeological survey with subsequent excavation and analysis of a select number of sites. "This work tracks long-term patterns of settlement history, resource use and trade, and establishes an environmental context for these developments by compiling vegetation histories, with particular attention paid to fire histories, indicators of landscape disturbance and markers of climate variability. This will add to understandings of peoples' impact on the environment." Professor Summerhayes received a Marsden grant in late 2019 for his project "Crossing the divide from Asia to the Pacific: Understanding Austronesian colonisation gateways into the Pacific". This will involve work in the Ramu Valley, which was once part of an inland sea, and will tie in the developments of Highland New Guinea, with the movements of Austronesian speakers into the Pacific. ### For further information contact Professor Glenn Summerhayes University of Otago, Department of Archaeology Email: glenn.summerhayes@otago.ac.nz Booking Holdings Applies for European Relief With Substantial Layoffs Possible Booking.com terminated 48 contractors in Amsterdam when their agreements expired, and Glenn Fogel, CEO of that unit and its parent Booking Holdings, told employees in an internal video Friday that additional layoffs were certainly possible. Under the headline, Dizzyingdrop in turnover at Booking: layoffs on the way, Dutch site NRC reported on the video it obtained, as well as internal documents, although it didnt publish the actual video. Staff at Booking.com, the worlds largest travel site, is very concerned about a possible dismissal (layoffs), the NRC story said. Last Friday, American top executive Glenn Fogel announced this during a video conference with hundreds of employees. In it, Fogel replied probably, yes to the question of whether layoffs would be made. Join our Online Summit on the Online Travel Sector on May 21st at 11 a.m. ET There have been no announcements of layoffs, although the company is undoubtedly mulling its options as competitors and big travel companies virtually everywhere have furloughed or fired staff. With bookings down 85 percent as of early April, compared to a year earlier, Booking Holdings confirmed Thursday that it applied for government assistance in the UK and the Netherlands. Fogel, who tested positive for coronavirus a couple of weeks ago, and is reportedly fully recovered, said at the time that the company hadnt decided yet whether to apply for relief under the U.S. CARES Act. This pandemic has had an immense impact on many industries, especially the travel industry, which is under unprecedented pressure, Booking Holdings said in a statement. We are not immune to this pressure, and as we work to manage costs aggressively, we are also looking at government subsidy efforts as they are being announced across regions. In the UK under its relief program, Booking Holdings would be able to furlough employees for three months but they would receive 80 percent of their pay from the government. The Netherlands relief package would enable the company to keep employing working for three months at full salary paid by the government. During this period, a major restructuring would be barred. Story continues The relief will help us support the short term financial health of our business, and our employees, as we continue to plan for the longer-term recovery when the travel economy begins to emerge from this difficult time, Booking Holdings stated. Works Council and Employee Concerns There is deep concern among Booking.com employees about layoffs, according to the story from NRC, which obtained internal documents. Bookings Works Council, which is an internal employee association, submitted a plan to Booking a couple of weeks ago seeking to limit the number of layoffs and to ensure they are carried out in an equitable manner. There is, according to reports, dissatisfaction among Booking.com employees with the companys stock buybacks of 2019 reportedly around $8 billion worth because it might have bettered served as a buffer against the firings that might still happen this year. And there is anger about the deep divide between Fogels compensation and those of employees. In 2018, Fogel was the highest compensated online travel CEO at $20.45 million, and that amounted to the largest gap 402 to 1 between CEOs and employees median pay among peer companies that Skift tracked. Most of the 2019 CEO compensation numbers in online travel havent been publicized yet. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic this year, Fogel agreed to cease taking any salary for the remainder of the year, and top executives have taken pay cuts. The Works Council has asked Fogel to give up taking his share grants and options in 2020, as well. Expedia Already Did Layoffs, Barry Diller Is Not Bullish That Booking Holdings is considering layoffs is hardly surprising given the the nearly grounding of global travel. Consider that Booking Holdings is in better financial shape than Airbnb and Expedia, which laid off about 12 percent of staff earlier this year. Booking Holdings has pledged to massively reduce its travel advertising in 2020, and in a CNBC interview Thursday, Expedia Group chairman and senior executive Barry Diller said, We wont spend $1 billion in advertising probably this year. He said Expedia spent around $5 billion in advertising in 2019. [See the Diller video below.] Diller noted that after 9/11 in 2001 he went ahead with a then-pending transaction to acquire Expedia, saying if theres life, theres travel. He said the recovery post-coronavirus will not mimic either 9/11 or the 2008 financial crisis. As far as travel is concerned, while Im absolutely optimistic that at some point, but I dont think soon, I dont think its until probably September, October, November, December, really get life back, Diller said. And in order to travel, youve got to have that. So, theyre totally different situations. This is not analogous. I dont think its analogous to anything. Certainly not analogous to 9/11 and to the financial crisis in 08. Subscribe to Skift newsletters for essential news about the business of travel. CHICAGO, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite higher than usual volume due to the COVD-19 pandemic, telemedicine consults at First Stop Health, as of April 13, were being delivered at the same under-three-minutes response time as prior to the coronavirus outbreak. First Stop Health conducted its first COVID-19 consult on March 9. While utilization among First Stop Health clients remains substantially higher than its 48% average already among the highest in the industry patients continue to receive convenient access to high-quality care quickly, without leaving their home. Fifteen percent of its consults were related to COVID-19, as of April 13. As Americans are told to shelter in place, First Stop Health Telemedicine is helping keep people away from medical waiting rooms and providing much-needed advice to anxious patients on how to operate in the presence of the highly contagious COVID-19 virus. First Stop Health Telemedicine trends: COVID-19 Consults* Consult Increase Since March 9 Median Doctor Response Time March 9 1% -- <6 minutes March 16 9% 78% <15 minutes March 23 9% 92% <11 minutes March 30 20% 57% <9 minutes April 6 21% 43% <3 minutes April 13 15% 15% <3 minutes *Percentage of telemedicine consults According to the CDC, COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have increased from 647 on March 9 to more than 579,000 on April 13. Learn more about First Stop Health by visiting fshealth.com. About First Stop Health First Stop Health provides care that people love. Patients can talk with doctors 24/7 via mobile app, website or phone. We help them save time and money with convenient, high-quality care. Our Telemedicine services are only available as an employee benefit program from employers. Media Contact Nick Severino | VP, Marketing | First Stop Health 888-691-7867 x-410 | [email protected] SOURCE First Stop Health Related Links https://www.fshealth.com The global tally of confirmed coronavirus infections has now crossed two million, with the United States contributing the most to the spike. The global death toll now stands at over 1,37,000, and the number recoveries at a little over half a million. In India, the numbers of confirmed cases have breached the 13,000 mark, with 431 fatalities and 1,659 recoveries. Maharashtra has become the first state in India to have more than 3,000 confirmed coronavirus cases. At 187 deaths, it also has the highest fatality in the country. Here are a few data trend to help you understand the ... LOGUMKLOSTER, Denmark The cluster of red brick buildings in a remote part of southern Denmark looks unremarkable from the outside, but this week, its classrooms housed some of the rarest people during the pandemic in todays Europe. Schoolchildren. On Wednesday, 350 pupils returned to classes at the Logumkloster District School for the first time in a month, as Denmark became the first country in the Western world to reopen its elementary schools since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. It has turned the Danish education system into a laboratory for whether and how schools can function in an age of contagion. It is a new world, said Tanja Linnet, the schools head teacher, as pupils arrived early on Thursday morning. We used to make plans for if there was a terrorist attack here but never this kind of attack. Joseph Andino shares a moment with his wife, Sandra, and daughter, Regina, near their home in Philadelphia, PA on April 15, 2020. Many of Pennsylvania's 1.3 million jobless workers are frustrated with the state's unemployment system. Joseph Andino, 37, a sous chef, filed on March 16, he got an initial notification from the state, and for three weeks, has not heard anything more. He can't get through to Unemployment Office by phone, email, webchat. Now his wife is unemployed, the bills are coming due, and they're trying to keep up a strong front for their 3 year old daughter. Read more One in five or about 20% of Pennsylvania workers have filed for unemployment benefits after many businesses closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Worried about a slowing economy, Republicans have been pushing to reopen businesses, but national polling suggests that an overwhelming majority of Americans would rather continue social distancing until the virus is better under control. During this time spent apart, going without human touch can be difficult. We have some tips on how to cope along with where to watch Lady Gagas One World concert this weekend. Theres also a bracket you can vote in that will decide Phillys best pro athlete of all time. Lauren Aguirre (@laurencaguirre, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) One of every five Pennsylvania workers has now filed for assistance as the economic wreckage from the coronavirus cascades across the nation. Last week, 238,537 workers in the state filed new jobless claims. Thats the lowest in four weeks, but a volume that is more than 10 times the number of claims that were received in a typical pre-coronavirus week. Overall, more than 5.2 million Americans filed new unemployment claims last week. But tens of thousands of workers who have taken a financial hit werent eligible under Pennsylvanias unemployment program. This group includes gig workers, people who had job offers revoked due to the pandemic, and people without enough work history to apply for benefits. That will change soon as part of the federal $2.2 trillion coronavirus economic relief package. This week, Pennsylvania Republicans pushed to loosen Gov. Tom Wolfs closure of most businesses. It mirrors a national struggle over when and how to ease economic and social restrictions put in place to fight the coronavirus. Many medical experts have warned that reopening too soon could lead to a resurgence of the virus. The debate has mostly broken along familiar party lines. President Donald Trump has fixated on opening at least parts of the country by May 1. Pennsylvanias Democratic senator, Bob Casey, said the decision should not be based upon the stupid gut instinct of a politician. Meanwhile, a national poll suggests that voters may have more patience: 81% said Americans should continue to social distance as long as is needed even if it means continued damage to the economy. Of Republicans, 72% agreed with continued social distancing. Its been weeks since weve been able to touch another human being (whom we dont live with). Losing that kind of contact from family and friends is hard psychologically and physically. The comfort of touch is one of our most natural ways to cope with anxiety. 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. And it matters physically, too. Scientists say a touch releases the powerful bonding hormone oxytocin. Nothing can fully replace human touch, but there are some things you can do to help stimulate the same good feelings. These range from petting your dog or cat to trying yoga or just keeping warm. What you need to know today Through your eyes | #OurPhilly This pretty shot put a smile on my face. I hope it does for everyone else too. Thanks for sharing, @datleib! 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! Thats interesting Opinions 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 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. writes David Oxman, a Philly intensive care physician and medical ethicist, on how considering pre-existing conditions in a crisis is not discrimination. Destroy the Postal Service and you destroy democracy. Maybe thats Trumps plan? Inquirer columnist Will Bunch writes. Architecture critic Inga Saffron writes about discovering her grandfather the bank robber on the 90th anniversary of Americas worst prison fire. What were reading Giant posters are turning boarded-up storefronts in Philly into tributes to essential workers. Billy Penn has more. Philadelphia Magazine asked Philly chiropractors how to take care of your back at home. Heres what they said. Why an artist made a hyper-real but very fake U.S. passport, from the Los Angeles Times. Your Daily Dose of | The Goldbergs It should surprise no one whos ever watched ABCs The Goldbergs that the real Beverly Goldberg is riding out the coronavirus pandemic with two ka-jumbo bags of cheese in her freezer. The shows creator, Adam F. Goldberg, based the sitcom on his 1980s childhood. And now, his mother has a cookbook that features dishes made famous on the show. Join us at noon Friday as Ellen Gray interviews Beverly Goldberg on The Inquirers Instagram Live at Lunch series. Follow us on Instagram to watch. Details added (first version posted on 17:25) 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." Most people have never heard the name Jerrie Mock, but the Ohio housewife was a world record setter and my grandmother. Fifty-six-years ago today, a woman from Ohio became the first woman to fly solo around the world. No, you are not doing the maths wrong. I am not talking about that other, much more famous, female American aviator. I am talking about Jerrie Mock, private pilot, housewife and my grandmother. When she left for her round-the-world adventure, she was dubbed The Flying Housewife by the media. She was a 38-year-old mother of three who had wanted to fly around the world since she was a little girl. When she and her husband, Russell, discovered that no other woman had done it yet, they immediately started the process of filing the paperwork to officially seek the world record. Jerrie and husband, Russel, in the cockpit, pre-round-the-world flight [Photo courtesy of Rita Mock-Pike] Jerrie and Joan About six weeks later, however, another woman a younger, professional pilot attempted to file her own paperwork. That woman was Joan Merriam Smith. Jerries 750 hours of flying seemed unlikely to hold up against Joans thousands. Joan took off two days before Jerrie. But as Jerrie had filed the paperwork first and only one person may officially attempt a record of this kind at any one time, assuming Jerrie made it, she would be the first on record. But if Joan beat her to it, she could still take the unofficial title. The newspapers liked to make a big deal about the race. It wasnt really a race, my grandmother told me on many occasions. Jerries passport from the round-the-world flight on display at The Works in Newark, Ohio [Photo courtesy of Rita Mock-Pike] In 2012, I conducted several interviews with Jerrie, asking for details that she had not included in her book, Three-Eight Charlie. What would you do differently, Grandma? What scenes would you add? I asked. I would [show] more of what went on back home [while I was flying]. Russ talking on the phone and shouting at me wherever I was in Africa and him lying about what Joan had done, she told me. She was stuck in South America. He told me she was doing all these things but she wasnt. She was stuck with leaky gas tanks. He said, Shes flying places every day. Shes going to beat you. He made me so angry I almost quit! Suspicions of sabotage On March 19, 1964, Jerrie left Ohios Port Columbus airport in Charlie, her 11-year-old single-engine plane. Charlie had needed some new equipment to be ready for the flight ahead. There was new radio equipment and all but the pilots seat had had to be removed to make way for the additional fuel tanks needed to fly over the open ocean. Jerrie was using some cutting-edge technology. Ken Richter had recently invented the Richter gauge for detecting ice in the carburettor. There was a tendency to get carburettor ice, and that would freeze up and the engine would quit because it couldnt get gas, she explained to me. Richter sent Jerrie one of the gauges, which she had installed. But, being new technology, adjustments had to be made. One of the mechanics there put it in he put it [where] the old gauge [should go] and it wasnt working. I had to go back and they put it in the right place. There were several other mishaps as Jerrie prepared Charlie for the flight. Jerrie and a mechanic examine the tires of a P-206 [Photo courtesy of Rita Mock-Pike] We were flying down to Cincinnati and [Russ] was in a rush to park. He turned around quickly and hit the fence with the tail. They put a piece of metal over the tail It didnt look so good, she recalled. [A newspaper] interviewed me and Charlie and took a picture of the tail Russ had bent. Then there was the problem with one of the radios, and another with the oil filter. There were minor odds and ends that didnt get shipped but the oil [filter], that was the one that would really have been a problem, she told me. Russ was trying to get [the plane] to swing around and in the process all of a sudden oil starts pouring out of the plane. They took it apart and discovered that the new oil filter had been replaced by [an] old one. If I had taken off with that, I would have been killed. That was the most dangerous thing. She suspected someone had tampered with it in a bid to sabotage her efforts, but with no evidence and no idea who, when she shared stories of it with her family, she referred only to the bad people. The flight But the preparations were the least of Jerries worries. When she took off from Ohio, she had 21 stops and nearly 37,000km (22,860 miles) ahead of her. Her first leg was through the Bermuda Triangle. As she left radio range, she heard the operator say: Well, I guess thats the last well see of her. I wasnt entirely sure he was wrong! My grandmother often chuckled as she recounted the tale. I had never flown over open water before. And I was going to fly all the way around the world. But hey, I accomplished two out of three lifelong dreams. Thats pretty good for just a woman, [as they called me]. Jerrie in Papua New Guinea [Photo courtesy of Rita Mock-Pike] The flight took her through the Azores, North Africa, the Middle East, Asia and back through the Pacific Islands. Along the way, she encountered people who could not comprehend a woman making this journey by herself; some who opposed it and others who, although surprised, received her with open arms. She recalled how, when she landed in Saudi Arabia, the guards sent by Prince Faisal to inspect the plane, wondered: Where is the man? When a search of the cockpit turned up no one else, the hundreds of people surrounding the tarmac cheered. They paraded her around so everyone could see the lady pilot. In other places, they were not so impressed. In Manila, the capital of the Philippines, she said her instructions on how to return the fuel tanks to their proper place were ignored, so they had to do it all over again. They didnt believe that I knew what I was talking about. The flight took 29 days, ending on April 17, 1964. Twelve world records In October 2019, Jerrie was posthumously welcomed into the Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame for her accomplishments in womens rights, freedom and aviation in general. I received the award in her honour. Had she been around to receive it herself, I suspect she would have laughed and insisted she had not done anything unusual. She would often say that any woman who knew how to fly a plane could have been the one to do it. Perhaps one of the most remarkable things about my grandmothers accomplishments was that she did not do them for the fame and glory, or even for the walls it might break down for other women; she did it because she wanted to see the world and this was the best way she knew how. Jerrie Mock in Columbus, Ohio, with her Cessna P-206 [Photo courtesy of Rita Mock-Pike] After she made her big world flight, Jerrie was given a Cessna P-206 from the Cessna Aircraft Company. But she would have to pay so many taxes and fees that she could not afford to keep it. So Russell and some others, along with the Catholic Society of the Sacred Heart, helped Jerrie raise funds so that the plane could be transferred to the Flying Padres, a group of priests working in remote villages in Papua New Guinea. She loaded up the aircraft, which she called Mike, and headed to Honolulu in October 1969. From Honolulu, she took off for Papua New Guinea, although she was redirected to Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. When she made it to New Britain Island in New Guinea, she handed over the keys to Father Tony. On the flight, she set several speed and distance records (no longer hers, due to technology advancements since). That was her last flight as a pilot. Between her around-the-world flight and this last one, Jerrie had taken 12 world records. Today, you can visit her plane, Charlie, in the Smithsonians companion facility at the Steven F Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum facility. Unless you know what you are looking for, though, you are unlikely to spot him. He is the little red and white plane hanging from the ceiling in the general aviation section. My first memory of Charlie was a family visit there when I was a child. We saw him in storage. He was parked next to the Enola Gay the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb, on which I leaned, unaware of the significance of the plane as I stared at Charlie in awe. Charlie hanging at the Smithsonian, October 2019 [Photo courtesy of Rita Mock-Pike] All she needed to be To me, Jerrie is Grandma, but to the female pilots I have met throughout my lifetime, she is someone who broke down barriers for them. These pilots have a role model in a woman much like themselves. Someone normal, someone courageous. Someone who stepped into a cockpit, saying: I dont care if Im not supposed to do this. Ill do it anyway. One such pilot is Shaesta Waiz, founder of Dreams Soar. She became the first certified civilian female pilot from Afghanistan and, inspired by my grandmother, the youngest woman to circumnavigate the globe in a single-engine plane. She stopped in Ohio as a nod to Jerrie. Jerrie in the cockpit [Photo courtesy of Rita Mock-Pike] Most pilots I have spoken to cannot imagine making a journey like Jerries with the kind of equipment she had. But she was a bold woman. She fulfilled her lifelong dreams apart from riding an elephant and sought to inspire others to do the same. She did not seek greatness, and, in her mind, she was not great. She pushed through her fears and disregarded societys expectations for a suburban housewife. I wasnt a great pilot. I was a competent pilot, she told me. And that is all she needed to be. **** This years anniversary is particularly significant for me, because I am the same age now that Jerrie was when she made her flight around the world. I had planned to take my first flying lesson on the anniversary. I was also going to launch my one-woman show portraying her on stage, and I hoped to complete her dream for me to visit more countries than she ventured to during her lifetime. With the COVID-19 quarantines and travel bans, these dreams are on hold for now, like those of many others. But once this has passed, I know what she would want me to do. In the throes of the novel coronavirus outbreak in early April, Kenneth Raske, president of the powerful Greater New York Hospital Association, took his case for needing billions in federal relief funding to another New Yorker, well placed in the White House. The April 8 call with Jared Kushner lasted "probably 30 seconds." After all, Raske said, the facts speak for themselves. The hospitals Raske represents across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island have registered hundreds of thousands COVID-19 cases. They are on the front lines of the most urgent and horrific outbreak in the country. In Missouri, Scotland County Hospital CEO Dr. Randy Tobler said his staff has seen just four outpatient cases. He wrote to his senator, Republican Roy Blunt, seeking help securing bailout money. The focus on the coronavirus has brought elective procedures and routine care the lifeblood of his operation to a halt. Nearly half of the country's rural hospitals were operating in the red before the pandemic hit and at least three have shuttered since it began. The initial tranche of money the Department of Health and Human Services sent Tobler's hospital was about $480,000, or $120,000 per COVID-19 patient and enough for the hospital to cover one cycle of payroll. With that and another stream of federal loans, he estimated, the hospital should have enough money to make it to the fall. New York received roughly $1.9 billion from the first round, or $11,600 per reported COVID-19 patient, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis based on cases as of April 9. Multiple hospital executives met with Trump at the White House earlier this week, including for-profit chains HCA Healthcare and LifePoint Health; Ascension, NYU Langone Health, the Cleveland Clinic, Intermountain Healthcare and Ochsner Health; and Rick Pollack, the head of the American Hospital Association. But whatever levers of influence they are pulling, hospitals big and small across the nation say they are shortchanged by the federal bailout as they face both a health crisis and an economic one. Trump's top health officials have $100 billion in coronavirus emergency funding to dole out and complete discretion about where it goes. HHS so far has sent hospitals and other health care facilities $30 billion, drawn from the massive $2.2 trillion emergency coronavirus rescue package Trump signed into law March 27. The next round, which a senior administration official said will send funds to COVID-19 hot spots, is expected by week's end. On phone calls with senior federal officials, hospital executives have warned of dire consequences if they don't quickly receive cash. They are pushing their senators and leaning into governors who are Trump allies. For all their political clout, however, they are having mixed success. For Tobler, every day in the pandemic has a new challenge: figuring out where to get saran wrap to cover his thermometers, as well as Everclear and aloe to make hand sanitizer. He worries rural hospitals are not going to stand out in the deluge of requests. "The string we're pulling on is a string and the urban institutions have rope they're pulling on," he said. "It's influence, it's politics, it's elitism." Raske, after all, called on President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, who is heavily involved in the federal response to the pandemic that had sickened more than 640,000 Americans as of Thursday afternoon. "I couldn't have asked for a better audience," said Raske, whose association spent $2.5 million on its federal lobbying efforts year. "The question is, what will be the action that will emanate from the facts?" Coronavirus-related funding should go to the places caring for the most patients, he said. "Are they paying overtime to their workers, as we are?" he said. "Are they paying money for staffing companies to come in from all over the country to staff the institutions? "Are they paying extraordinary bills for bringing in PPE at 10 times the cost that it used to be because we're burning through 4 million masks a week? Are they using drugs to run the ventilators for 2,700 patients that are intubated? Shall I continue?" The funding formula HHS pegged its first round of coronavirus aid to revenue from the Medicare program for seniors instead of steering it to hot spots, for example. That decision was rooted in trying to get money out the door quickly, according to multiple people in and outside the administration. "Using Medicare reimbursement was the fastest way because we had that data, CMS Administrator Seema Verma said on a call with reporters. But that distribution created vast disparities among states for example, New Jersey received about $18,000 per COVID-19 case, whereas Minnesota, Nebraska and Montana each received over $300,000 per patient. "Our top three asks were speed, speed and speed," said Brian Tabor, president of the Indiana Hospital Association. In Indiana, nearly 4,500 institutions collectively received $669 million, or roughly $105,000 per confirmed case. Tabor shares his home state with Vice President Mike Pence as well as top Trump health officials HHS Secretary Alex Azar and Verma, who were involved in figuring out how to distribute funding. Tabor said he didn't call Azar and Verma directly, instead largely working with Indiana lawmakers in Congress and through Indiana Hospital Association's national counterpart, the American Hospital Association. The AHA represents thousands of urban and rural nonprofit systems across the country and spent more than $22 million on lobbying last year, dwarfing many cohorts in the lobbying industry. The National Rural Health Association spent a mere $111,400. "We're not the ones in the small rooms when the big decisions are happening," said Maggie Elehwany, the government affairs and policy vice president for the NRHA. "We just hope we're yelling loudly enough that they hear us when the door is closed." The $30 billion was distributed to more than 300,000 entities around the country but the decision to rely on past Medicare billings meant many providers hardly got a bite of the apple, including children's hospitals and nursing homes, which predominantly rely on Medicaid and other programs for reimbursement. Trump has also said that the White House is looking at using part of the hospital bailout fund to cover coronavirus costs for the uninsured, which is likely to disproportionately benefit mostly Republican-led states that did not expand their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act. Those places generally also aren't where the first COVID-19 hot spots emerged, as the early outbreaks were concentrated in coastal states with lower uninsured rates. Further complicating the dynamic is that states with high volumes of coronavirus-infected patients will get reimbursed for that care, whereas hospitals that delay elective surgeries but don't see a swell of patients won't see that cash coming in. Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) also pushed for an initial bailout plan targeted to rural hospitals that never made it into the final version. Despite letters and a call with CMS' Verma, a targeted rural bailout hasn't materialized. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), whose state has lost one rural hospital since the pandemic began, said that the coronavirus crisis exacerbates deep-seated financial vulnerabilities among rural providers as they treat an older, more vulnerable population. "I don't have the Jared Kushners to call and say, 'You're from New York, I'm from New York, why don't you do this?'" he said. "If rural health care collapses, then God help our country." More money to come Roughly two-thirds of the HHS coronavirus money has yet to go out the door, ensuring that a fierce lobbying effort from all parts of the health sector will continue to target the White House, HHS and Congress, which continues to negotiate additional legislation that could send billions more to hospitals. "We're casting our lines everywhere," said Missouri Hospital Association CEO Herb Kuhn. "I don't want to say all the people in Washington I'm talking to." Kuhn, like Azar and many other current HHS leaders, is a veteran of the George W. Bush administration. In Georgia, Jimmy Lewis, who runs a network of rural hospitals and describes the first round of emergency funding as a "breath of fresh air," said he's been so buried on the day-to-day survival of his facilities that he "hadn't had a chance to be involved in the Washington level since this whole shutdown got started." But he said he knows how he'll try to be heard talking to Georgia's junior senator, Republican Kelly Loeffler, who gave him a call "out of the clear blue" and has stayed in touch since. "I got her email address," he said, "and she responds." People Weve Lost Kevin Bundy Jr. 33 years old Lived in Philadelphia Delco paramedic made everybody around him feel good More Memorials Brittany Bundy paused briefly to think of an appropriate description of her husband, Delaware County paramedic Kevin Bundy Jr. Did you ever hear somebody say, They dont make them like him any more? she said. Kevin was that, the kind they dont make anymore. He could be going through so much, and you wouldnt even know because he was always smiling. He thought smiling and laughing could change anything. He was a big goofball. I used to get mad at him and say, Babe, you dont take anything serious. He said, If you get wrapped up in that [bad] stuff, youll be depressed and sick. My husband helped so many sick people throughout his paramedic career. He tried not to bring it home. He always stayed positive. Mr. Bundy, 33, of Southwest Philadelphia, who worked for three years as a full-time Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital paramedic, died Sunday night, April 12, of complications related to the coronavirus. He also worked part-time for Crozer-Keystone Emergency Medical Services. Ms. Bundy said her husband loved to help people. I would ask him, Is this what you love to do? Do you enjoy it, or do you love it? she said. He loved it." She said the couple, who married last September, loved to go to dinner at their favorite spot, the Vietnam Cafe near University City.They also enjoyed watching movies at home with a bowl of popcorn. Bruce Egan, Delaware County president for the Emergency Health Services Council, was Mr. Bundys lead instructor in the paramedic program at Delaware County Community College and said he had a very positive outlook on life. He definitely always saw the bright side of things, Egan said. He was a very hard worker. He would put his mind to things, and he was able to accomplish them. He just made everybody around him feel good about themselves." In addition to his wife, Mr. Bundy, who graduated from Bok Technical High School, is survived by his parents, Helen Brown and Kevin Bundy Sr., and four sisters.. Joe Juliano Today A mix of clouds and sun. Not as harsh by the afternoon. Tonight Partly cloudy. Tomorrow Mostly cloudy and not as cold. There might be a passing rain or snow shower, mainly north or west. Yangon, April 17 (IANS) Myanmar on Friday announced the release of more than 24,800 prisoners, a quarter of its jailed population, on the occasion of the Buddhist New Year and amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Image Source: IANS News Yangon, April 17 : Myanmar on Friday announced the release of more than 24,800 prisoners, a quarter of its jailed population, on the occasion of the Buddhist New Year and amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorities pardon thousands of prisoners every year, but this New Year forgave more than double than on previous occasions in a country with a total prison population of about 100,000 people, reports Efe news. The Office of the President indicated in a statement, in which it does not mention COVID-19 among the reasons for the amnesty, that the measure also includes commuting the death penalty to life imprisonment for several inmates and prison reductions. Despite the fact that the authorities have banned meetings of more than five people due to the novel coronavirus, relatives of the inmates gathered outside the Insein prison in Yangon. The UN has called for countries to release vulnerable and sick non-dangerous prisoners to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in prisons, which in countries of the region such as Myanmar, the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand are overcrowded. Earlier this month, Indonesia released some 30,000 inmates, and other countries such as Iran, Germany, and Canada have taken similar steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections. Myanmar has reported 84 confirmed coronavirus cases and four deaths. China's 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 Organization's officials "have said multiple times there is no evidence the new coronavirus was created in a laboratory." United States President Donald Trump said on Wednesday 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. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Asip Hasani (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya Fri, April 17, 2020 12:44 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd279b4d 1 National Kediri,East-Java,Airport,khofifah-indar-parawansa,Luhut-Binsar-Pandjaitan Free In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, the government has officially begun the construction of Kediri Airport in Kediri regency, East Java, which is expected to be completed in two years to help close the economic gap in the province. Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Padjaitan officiated the groundbreaking of the airport on Wednesday in a virtual ceremony broadcast by video. East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, who attended the ceremony, expressed her gratitude for the start of construction, saying that the airport would help bridge the economic gap between the provinces northern and southern regions. "During the COVID-19 emergency, the construction can commence as scheduled," Khofifah told reporters on Wednesday after attending the virtual groundbreaking ceremony. Khofifah said that the airport had been enlisted in the government list of prioritized projects under the National Strategic Projects (PSN). The video conference was also attended by Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Kediri Regent Haryanti Sutrisno and Kediri Mayor Abdullah Abu Bakar. Khofifah added that the airport would be in line with the East Java administration's priority to build an integrated economic hub, called Selingkar Wilis, involving regencies located around Mount Wilis in western part of the province. The airport itself is located on the foot of Mount Wilis on the northeastern side, some 20 kilometers west of Kediri City. Gudang Garam, through its subsidiary Surya Dhoho Investama, is set to spend around Rp 10 trillion (US$732.4 million) to build the airport, including the acquisition of about 400 hectares of land. The airport, the construction of which is being fully funded by the company, is expected to be bigger than Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport in Malang and accommodate about 5 million passengers per year. Once completed, it will have a 3,000 meter by 45 m runway that will be able to accommodate a wide range of aircraft, from Boeing B777s to Airbus A350s, as well as a passenger terminal, cargo terminal and parking area. It is expected to reduce the overburdened Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, the capital of East Java, about a two-hour drive from Kediri. Read also: Gudang Garams Kediri airport to kick off construction in April, operate in 2022 The airports groundbreaking has faced several delays, in part as a result of problems with land acquisition. Some residents are still refusing to release their land over unmet compensation. There are fewer than 20 families with about two hectares of land in the villages of Bedrek and Bulusari who remain in the area. "If we accept the price, we won't be able to buy land and build a house of similar value to what we have now," Yana, one of villagers, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. She asserted that none of the villagers wanted to hamper the airports development, they simply wanted fair compensation. The Kediri administration said that only 0.6 percent of the land to build the airport remained unacquired. Gudang Garam Director Istata Aswin Siddharta said in a recent statement that Kediri airport had been prepared as an international airport with a focus on serving hajj and umrah (minor hajj) pilgrims as well as thousands of migrant workers from the southwestern part of East Java. The airport will be able to accommodate large planes for domestic and international flights. The exchange of detained persons in eastern Ukraine on April 16 is an important step, and OSCE Ambassador Heidi Grau played a special role in this process. German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert said this at a briefing on Friday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "This is an important step, and we welcome it," Seibert said. He stressed that another detainee exchange, in advance of the Orthodox Easter, was carried out to implement the agreements reached in Paris last December by the leaders of the Normandy Format and is one of the steps "in a series of continuous efforts to peacefully end this conflict." Seibert also praised the role of the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Heidi Grau, who has made many fruitful efforts in the work with the Trilateral Contact Group. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called Ambassador Grau on April 17 to personally thank her for "facilitating these important steps," German Foreign Office spokesperson Maria Adebahr added. Maas, together with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, jointly welcomed the exchange and called for the implementation of other points of the Paris arrangements and the Minsk agreements. op MoneyTV with Donald Baillargeon television program, Copyright MMXX, all rights reserved. MoneyTV does not provide an analysis of companies' financial positions and is not soliciting to purchase or sell securities of the companies, nor are we offering a recommendation of featured companies or their stocks. Information discussed herein has been provided by the companies and should be verified independently with the companies and a securities analyst. MoneyTV provides companies a 3 to 4 month corporate profile with multiple appearances for a cash fee of $6,950.00 to $11,995.00, does not accept company stock as payment for services, does not hold any positions, options or warrants in featured companies. The information herein is not an endorsement by Donald Baillargeon, the producer, publisher or parent company of MoneyTV. 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. The company urges Congress to appropriate more funds to help the remainder of small business applicants seeking relief from COVID-19 Lehi, Utah, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lendio, the nations leading marketplace for small business loans, today announced it has facilitated Paycheck Protection Program loans for more than 50,000 small businesses across the U.S. PPP applications approved through Lendios online marketplace and bank partnerships total more than $5.5 billion. The Paycheck Protection Program is part of the $2 trillion CARES Act signed on March 27, 2020, aimed at getting small business owners back on their feet and millions of Americans back to work. Lendio launched its Paycheck Protection Program loan application for small business owners on April 3. At the same time, hundreds of financial institutions across the country partnered with Lendio to harness its streamlined digital application to facilitate COVID-19 relief funds for their small business clients. Small business owners applied for PPP loans at financial institutions nationwide at an unprecedented rate. With only $349 billion in government funds set aside for the nations 30 million small businesses, the SBA announced on April 16 that the funds had been exhausted. We knew that time was of the essence for every small business in America, said Brock Blake, CEO and co-founder of Lendio. The entire Lendio team worked tirelessly to ensure that our applicants met the SBA requirements and guidelines for fully-completed applications, and we submitted every completed application to our funding lenders. We processed more applications in two weeks than we have in the last 12 months combined. Unfortunately, this first round of relief funds was simply not enough. We are devastated for the thousands of Lendio customers that didnt receive a confirmation before the program hit its capwe are already preparing their applications to make sure they are ready to be approved if Congress increases the fund size. Story continues Lendio is not a direct lender but facilitates PPP loans as an agent through its trusted network of approved lenders which include banks, credit unions and non-bank SBA lenders. Many of the lenders on Lendios marketplace platform are fintech lenders. However, U.S. Treasury did not approve any fintech lenders to fund PPP loans until April 10, and most reported challenges getting set up with the SBAs loan portal to submit applications. If another round of relief funding is approved by Congress, Lendio expects to add approximately 50 new lenders that are approved to participate in the program. Lenders leverage Lendios customer acquisition prowess and online application technology to significantly increase their ability to process high volumes of PPP loans. Lendios average PPP loan size is just over $110,000. The national average is more than double that at just under $240,000, continued Blake. While big banks were only servicing their own customers, and some not at all, many business owners were left with few options. From the first day of the PPP launch, Lendio has focused on business owners in underserved segmentsthe smallest businesses in the country and those without a bank relationship and nowhere else to turn. With only 1.6 million of the 30 million U.S. small businesses approved, we are heartbroken for the applicants that werent approved by the SBA before the funds ran dry. Lendio is working with government officials and industry leaders to put pressure on Congress and asks its small business clients, partners and peers to join in signing an online petition asking Congress to immediately increase the PPP fund size to $850B. About Lendio Lendio is a free online marketplace that leverages machine learning to help business owners find the right small business loans within minutes. With a network of over 75 lenders offering multiple loan products and over 100,000 small business loans funded, Lendios marketplace is the largest in the country and the center of small business lending. Based in the Silicon Slopes of Lehi, Utah, Lendio was recently recognized by Glassdoor as one of the Top 50 Workplaces and has been certified for four years running as a great workplace by the independent analysts at Great Place to Work. In addition, Lendio ranks on Fortunes Best Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance and Inc.s Best Workplaces. For every new loan facilitated on Lendios marketplace platform, Lendio Gives, an employee contribution and employer matching program, provides a microloan to a low-income entrepreneur around the world through Kiva.org. More information about Lendio is available at www.lendio.com. Information about Lendio franchising opportunities can be found at www.lendiofranchise.com. Melanie King Lendio 801-748-4782 melanie.king@lendio.com Bengaluru, April 17 (IANS) All Karnataka districts hospitals caring for moderate to severe Covid-19 patients have been ordered to install oxygen therapy facilities, following the gas finding requirement in managing such cases, an official said on Fri Image Source: IANS News Bengaluru, April 17 : All Karnataka districts hospitals caring for moderate to severe Covid-19 patients have been ordered to install oxygen therapy facilities, following the gas finding requirement in managing such cases, an official said on Friday. "As per the guidelines issued by Government of India, for clinical management of moderate to severe Covid cases, oxygen therapy has been found to be important requirement," said Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary, health department. He has ordered that all hospital beds earmarked for treating moderate to severe Covid cases in dedicated Covid hospitals and healthcare centres in the districts to install facilities to deliver high pressure oxygen, compressed air for ICU beds and central suction facility. "This is applicable in both the situations where the facilities have either liquid oxygen plant or central manifold for oxygen supply," he said. According to Akhtar, the specified oxygen mechanisms should be provided uninterruptedly. "Thus, all the hospitals which are having oxygen supply through the above mechanisms, it shall be ensured that the high pressure oxygen supply, compressed air and suction are uninterrupted for wards and ICU beds," he said. The district deputy commissioners have been directed to take necessary action whose expenditure can be borne from the SDRF/NHM funds. Russia is open to cooperation with the European Union's PESCO defense program, the permanent representative to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, told Die Welt in an interview MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th April, 2020) Russia is open to cooperation with the European Union's PESCO defense program, the permanent representative to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, told Die Welt in an interview. When asked whether Moscow saw PESCO as a threat, Chizhov noted that the United States was the first to express concerns over the bloc's defense cooperation initiative. Russia, he stated, does not view Europe strengthening its common defense policy as a problem and is open to cooperation with PESCO. Moscow at the same time would not like to see PESCO focusing exclusively on NATO goals - such as the construction of bridges, runways and roads to move closer to the east - at the expense of European taxpayers, according to the diplomat. As of part of PESCO projects, Moscow would be ready to consider cooperation in cybersecurity and logistics and possible support for the EU's missions in third countries, but would not help construct bridges that would allow NATO to get closer to the border with Russia, he stressed. According to Chizhov, there are no objective limits for Russia-EU cooperation. The two sides, he went on, could also establish cooperation in artificial intelligence and climate. The Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) was established by 25 EU member states, except for Denmark, Malta and the United Kingdom, in 2018 to deepen the bloc's military and defense cooperation. The countries have since agreed on the list of 47 joint projects, including training, capability development, cybersecurity and operational defense readiness. Elon Musk's SpaceX will transport American astronauts to the International Space Station on May 27, the first NASA astronaut launch from American soil since 2011, the U.S. space agency announced Friday. SpaceX and Boeing have been racing to provide the first U.S. astronaut lift since NASA retired the Space Shuttle nearly a decade ago. SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft has been moving toward capturing the honor for some time now, but the announcement is still a remarkable accomplishment for the relatively young company. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted the launch date on Friday, saying that astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will fly to the Space Station atop SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The launch is scheduled to occur at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. BREAKING: On May 27, @NASA will once again launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil! With our @SpaceX partners, @Astro_Doug and @AstroBehnken will launch to the @Space_Station on the #CrewDragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket. Let's #LaunchAmerica pic.twitter.com/RINb3mfRWI Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) April 17, 2020 The mission is a huge milestone in Musk's efforts to increase the exploration of space and a step toward the Tesla CEO's stated goal of populating other planets. That's still a long way off, but successful Crew Dragon NASA missions would establish the company as a leader in the industry and a rival to traditional defense contractor vendors like Boeing -- as well as provide much-needed funding for SpaceX. Even though the Crew Dragon seems likely to transport crew first, the setback isn't a total loss for Boeing's defense and space unit. NASA committed more than $6 billion to develop the Crew Dragon and Boeing's Starliner, and the agency appears to favor having two separate contractors to bid on future missions. For Orthodox Christians, this is normally a time of reflection and communal mourning followed by joyful release, of centuries-old ceremonies steeped in symbolism and tradition. But this year, Easter by far the most significant religious holiday for the world's roughly 300 million Orthodox has essentially been cancelled. There will be no Good Friday processions behind the flower-bedecked symbolic bier of Christ, to the haunting hymn of the Virgin Mary's lament for the death of her son. No hugs and kisses, or joyous proclamations of Christ is risen! as church bells ring at midnight on Holy Saturday. No family gatherings over lamb roasted whole on a spit for an Easter lunch stretching into the soft spring evening. As the coronavirus rampages across the globe, claiming tens of thousands of lives, governments have imposed lockdowns in a desperate bid to halt the pandemic. Businesses have been closed and church doors shut to prevent the virus's insidious spread. For some, the restrictions during Easter are particularly tough. When there was freedom and you didn't go somewhere, it didn't bother you, said Christina Fenesaki while shopping in Athens' main meat market for lamb to cook in the oven at home in the Greek capital instead of on a spit in her ancestral village. But now that we have the restrictions, it bothers you a lot. It's heavy. In Greece, where more than 90% of the population is baptized into the Orthodox Church, the government has been at pains to stress that this year's Easter cannot be normal. It imposed a lockdown early on, and so far has managed to keep the number of deaths and critically ill people low 105 and 69 respectively as of Thursday, among a population of nearly 11 million. But officials fear any slippage in social distancing could have dire consequences, particularly during a holiday that normally sees people cram into churches and flock to the countryside. Roadblocks have been set up, and fines doubled to 300 euros ($325), for anyone found driving without justification during the long holiday weekend. This Easter is different. We will not go to our villages, we will not roast in our yards, we will not go to our churches. And of course, we will not gather in the homes of relatives and friends, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said. For us to continue being together, this year we stay apart. Easter services will be held behind closed doors with only the priest and essential staff present. They will be broadcast live on public television and streamed on the internet. One particularly complex issue is how to handle the Holy Light, the flame distributed throughout the Orthodox world each year from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem to mark the resurrection of Christ. Greek and Russian authorities have arranged to pick the flame up from Israel, but will not distribute it. Cyprus won't even pick it up; there is no need, the island nation's Archbishop Chrysostomos said. Today, faith is not at risk but the faithful are, said Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades. Patriarch Bartholomew I, spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox, has urged the faithful to adhere to government measures and World Health Organization guidelines. But keeping people out of churches has not proved easy. In Serbia and North Macedonia, authorities imposed nationwide curfews from Good Friday through Easter Monday. But in some Orthodox countries, such as Georgia and Bulgaria, limited church services will go ahead. In Greece, after days of delicate diplomacy with the country's powerful Orthodox Church, the government banned the public from all services after the church's governing body imposed restrictions but not a full shutdown. Authorities also quickly scotched a Greek mayor's plans to distribute the Holy Light door-to-door throughout his municipality just after midnight on Saturday. Some priests have defied the shutdown. One recently offered communion where the faithful sip from the same spoon through an Athens church's back door. Russia's Orthodox Church initially seemed similarly reluctant to impose restrictions. When authorities in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, banned church visits on March 26, the Moscow Patriarchate condemned the move as an infringement on religious freedom. Only three days later did Patriarch Kirill publicly urge believers to strictly obey the regulations imposed by the health authorities and refrain from church visits. Closing churches during Easter has been hard on Russians used to attending services. Many have turned to the internet and video conference prayers. At first it was just a shock, said believer Andrei Vasenev. How is that possible - not go to church? But then we realized it was a matter of finding a way. Vasenev, two dozen others and a priest from his parish have started praying via Zoom and plan to do the same during Easter. For him, going to church is about community, and Zoom prayers keep this community together. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Theres a feeling of, Oh my god, Im not going in, Im not working, said Dr. Stephen Goldstone, a surgeon in New York who is mulling whether to volunteer. I feel totally guilty about not being there, he said, especially because he has taught medical students that doctors are obligated to treat patients even when it means putting themselves at risk. But that idea has not been tested in our lifetimes the way it is now. Even medical ethicists are divided about the degree to which medical professionals are required to put themselves in harms way. This is a question many of them have studied only in much more limited situations, or in the abstract. Now its pervasive and urgent, and everyones well-being rests on the answer. There are certain duties that go with your position in life, said Dr. Steven Miles, an emeritus professor of medicine and bioethics at the University of Minnesota, adding that he had contracted tuberculosis, staphylococcal pneumonia, hepatitis and dysentery while treating patients in developing countries. If were going to give doctors the monopolies on these tools, and compensate them, there comes a time when we say, Were going to need you for this work. If firefighters refused danger, he said, we couldnt have a fire department. But firefighters at least wear full protective armor. They risk their own lives, typically without fear of inadvertently transmitting the danger to someone else. The No. 1 rule is: You dont create two victims, said Dr. Douglas Diekema of the University of Washington, who argued that the continuing shortage of adequate protective gear somewhat lessened the moral obligation for health care workers. No one I spoke with thinks it would be irresponsible of you to treat Covid-19 patients despite coming from other areas of medicine. Doctors with varied specialties are doing so many working under supervision, handling tasks like monitoring oxygen and blood pressure or collating lab results. Almost everyone feels unprepared, because the disease is so new and the treatments are still so uncertain, doctors said. Would they still call us heroes if they knew we felt so helpless? Dr. Craig Spencer, director of global health in emergency medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, recently wrote. Thats an unsettling change for ultra-specialized doctors like you, accustomed to working with more order and control. Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency physician in Providence, R.I., said the chaos of treating conditions like gunshot wounds had been the best emotional training for the coronavirus. Were used to working at the liminal edge of the health care system, she said. The key to volunteering, other doctors said, is to find your own toehold. Several weeks ago, as the crisis climbed in New York, Dr. Judith Salerno faced a quandary similar to yours. For years, she had been running nonprofit organizations, seeing only a few geriatric patients on the side. I was sitting doing Zoom conference calls, and all I heard were the sirens and the ambulances, she said. Although she hadnt worked in hospital medicine for many years, she volunteered at Bellevue. On her first day, she felt like an intern all over again. Robin Wright was all smiles while getting some fresh air and exercise with her husband Clement Giraudet. The House Of Cards talent, 54, seemed to be happy to get out of the house to walk the dog during a bike ride around their Pacific Palisades neighborhood Friday. She and Clement cruised through the neighborhood side-by-side while their handsome animal kept up. Beaming beauty: Robin Wright was all smiles while getting some fresh air and exercise with her husband Clement Giraudet on Friday Robin was bundled up for the brisk day, donning navy leggings and a thick windbreaker. Continuing to keep out the chill, she wore a knit beanie on top of her shoulder length blonde locks. Businessman Clement kept a low-profile in a dark jacket and black jeans. He topped his look off with a Yankees cap. Since entering lockdown in Los Angeles, Robin has also been enjoying plenty of outdoor adventures with her husband of nearly two-years. Breath of fresh air: The House Of Cards talent, 54, seemed to be happy to get out of the house to walk the dog during a bike ride around their Pacific Palisades neighborhood Keeping warm: Robin was bundled up for the brisk day, donning navy leggings and a thick windbreaker The duo tied the knot on August 10, 2018 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. Dressed down: Businessman Clement kept a low-profile in a dark jacket and black jeans. He topped his look off with a Yankees cap Puppy love: Their dog looked like they were having a great timem Prior to her marriage to Clement, Robin was wife to fellow Hollywood veteran Sean Penn, 50, who she divorced in July of 2010. 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. Since early March, the Chronicle has been checking in with disaster-recovery expert Angela Blanchard. While head of the Houston nonprofit Baker Ripley, Blanchard was on speed-dial for the Houston and Harris County leaders who dealt with catastrophes such as hurricanes. After Katrina struck New Orleans, her nonprofit team helped more than 30,000 Louisiana families deal with the storms aftermath here in Houston. And after Hurricane Harvey, in only a matter of hours, she oversaw the opening of a mass shelter at NRG Center. Now, though still based in Houston, she teaches a Brown University public-policy graduate course in disaster response. Wednesday night, on Medium, she posted a dramatic open letter to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo . She wrote that unless they begin bringing more of Houstons other leaders into a disaster-recovery council, they risk facing a rebellion by business people and others around the region. You ordered us home to save lives, Blanchard wrote. Now its time to bring us together to save livelihoods. On Thursday, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said that he and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo will each appoint coronavirus-recovery czars, wholl co-chair a recovery panel. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Would you describe what you wrote in that open letter? I was advocating strongly for something that I've been asking for since early March . I don't want to portray myself as some lone voice. Many leaders in Houston or thinking as I am about the need to come together. Why? Because from the multiple disasters that have befallen this region, we have experience with the power of collective action. We know the results that we can get when we bring in leaders from all three sectors: the public sector; the private sector; and the philanthropic and faith sector. When they're at the same table, comparing their dashboards, their views of the unfolding challenges, then we craft better responses. How is that different from what you see now, from the people already advising the mayor and county judge? I'm not privy to a list of everyone that our current elected officials are listening to. I'm certain many people are weighing in about how to handle this. But here's what I'm seeing that is of great concern. What is damaging to individuals, to those of us merely trying to get on with our lives in some fashion, is tension and tug-of-wars between the people who are making decisions about our lives and our livelihoods. MORE FROM LISA GRAY: At one Houston highrise, coronavirus has set off a court battle over lives vs. livelihoods When those tensions instigate wars and create rifts, that then leaves us with a void of information, a void of clarity, about direction and duration. Its past time to bring people together. There are many leaders from every sector that deeply care about the people of the region, our well-being, our economic success, and our triumphing over this virus. If we convene people at the same table, with the same set of information, they can reach a consensus about how to do things. What we don't want is a battle at every milestone as we work our way out of this. It was fair for us to struggle going in. It was certainly fair for there to be conflict and confusion about who was in charge, who went first, what restrictions were necessary when. Everyone was in a heavy learning mode. But we have a chance now be unified as we work our way out of this. It's time to pull leaders together. You wrote to the judge and the mayor, If you don't do this, you will find yourself managing a rebellion. What sort of rebellion? What signs of rebellion do you see? Well, I was deeply disturbed by an email that was circulated. It was an appeal to sign a petition to demand reopening of businesses on May 1. Now Playing: 'COVID-19 in 60': Houston coronavirus news in a minute Video: Houston Chronicle I believe, as Dr. Fauci says, the virus dictates. When will we be past the surge? The virus dictates. Do we have community spread? Are we at the peak? The virus dictates. I understand the motivation to pick a date for reopening. I understood the urgency and the feeling of desperation. But we don't know that May 1 is a good day for reopening; in fact, in all likelihood, it's not. I saw that email, circulated amongst business leaders, and I saw the support it had received. I also saw another email, essentially saying that the Houston areas leaders don't know what they're doing. First, that's not fair. Second, there's a chance here right now to put the same set of facts in front of all of the well-meaning people in this region so that we have a collective view. We also will ask any members of this council that they not only represent the sectors from which they come, but that they also be ambassadors back to those sectors, to their constituencies and to their colleagues about why any particular agreed-upon action is necessary. We have had to all become educated very quickly about a whole set of things that we haven't lived before. Two elected officials alone cannot possibly reach all the people who need to understand the intricacies and the nuances and the details that well need to grasp as we work our way out. Could you give examples of the sorts of actions or questions that this group might handle? Let me start first with the most prevalent and pressing question: How long? How long does this go on? Where are we headed? I don't think there's anyone with a crystal ball so perfect that they can say, At this date, we will be at the point where we're not identifying new cases, and at this date, we will have all the testing done that will be necessary to anticipate hotspots. And then at this date, we'll have a vaccine. These are the actual parameters of disease control. We don't have those dates. But what we can communicate is a common understanding of what those parameters are, who's tracking them, who will have that information, how well know when we've reached those milestones. In this vast region, where over 6 million people go about their daily lives working, getting educated, celebrating and we're going to have to imagine how we reopen in a way that is clear enough, day by day, so that people know what they can and cannot do . This is not a time when we have a nickel to waste not a minute, and not a nickel. If you're running a foundation, you've seen your portfolio severely dented by what's happened in the marketplace; your grant-making powers have been impacted. If you're in the medical center, you switched from your customary operations as a hospital now to virus COVID-19 treatment, you're not doing surgeries . Your budget is impacted by not doing surgeries. We're going to have a significant amount of uncompensated medical care because Texas, unfortunately, has a very high rate of uninsured people because of decisions made at the state level. We are seeing a time when the very people who often give generously when we face down a flood or hurricane are also losing their jobs . MORE FROM LISA GRAY: 'So fire me.' Houston's age of coronavirus has its own Robin Hood for surgical masks. So we can't afford to be inefficient not with public sector resources, not with private sector resources, not with philanthropic and faith resources. lisa.gray@chron.com, @LisaGray_HouTX You like having money, right? The four in 10 Americans who have no emergency savings would sure like some, as would the difficult to pin down but undeniably gigantic number who live paycheck to paycheck. The payday loan industry has long exploited this market by promising a quick fix while actually just contributing to bankruptcy rates, but the tech world is fighting their sleazy approach by, uh, offering the same basic service. But in app form! Their creators insist on calling them "early wage apps," and you may recall the scorched Earth advertising strategy the industry leader, Earnin, employed last year. In theory, they're as innocent as the many websites that call them great ways to pick up easy cash claim. If you need, say, $100 right now, you can get it a week before your next payday, and then when that day arrives the app automatically withdraws $100 from your bank account. It's all the benefits of a payday loan without the life-destroying usury. You can read more in "9 Apps That Loan You Money Now," "The True Cost Of Payday Loans -- And Some Borrowing Alternatives," and other fun reminders that America's safety net was stolen from a 1930s circus that left a carny corpse at every stop. Articles like those tend to thank "innovative technology" for "disrupting" the payday loan industry, because are you even a tech company if you're not disrupting something? And with a name like Earnin, they have to be pro-consumer, right? Only someone on your side would be cool enough to drop the "g." But Earnin needs a source of income, so they humbly ask you to add a tip to your transactions -- and not so humbly cap the amount you can borrow if you don't tip. A $9 tip on a $100 advance doesn't sound like much, but at 469% APR that's actually worse than the payday loan average of a mere 391%. Kang Hun, a conspirator in the highly publicized Telegram chatroom sexual exploitation ring, has his face disclosed to the public in front of the Jongno Police Station in Seoul, Friday./ Yonhap By Kim Se-jeong An 18-year-old boy, Kang Hun, a conspirator of the highly publicized Telegram sex exploitation ring, had his face made public, Friday, as was the case for his conspirator, Cho Ju-bin, who was indicted earlier this week. Kang allegedly helped Cho who called himself "Baksa," meaning a doctorate degree holder in Korean operate the chatroom in which sexually explicit and abusive videos were consumed via a subscription service. He allegedly attracted new clients to the chatroom, collected entrance fees the payments were made with cryptocurrency converted them into cash and handed the money over to Cho. "I am sorry. Sincerely, I send my sincere apologies," Kang said in front of Jongno Police Station in Seoul surrounded by camera flashes, Friday. He stood handcuffed, looking down to avoid eye contact. He refused to answer questions from journalists and was then driven to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. Kang became the youngest suspect to have his identity made public. The police have the authority to disclose the suspect's identity given the gravity of the crime and public interest associated with it, while some voice concerns over doing this. Cho was indicted earlier this week for blackmailing women, including underage girls, into making sexually explicit and abusive videos which he then sold subscriptions to in the chatroom on Telegram. Cho is facing 13 other charges, including sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl. The number of paid members in the group chat was estimated to reach 15,000 and he received payments in cryptocurrency. It's unclear exactly how much Cho earned through these activities. Police confiscated 130 million won in cash, 15 cryptocurrency wallets, securities deposits and shares from Cho's home. Police are currently tracking down the paid members of the group chat. So far 10 have been booked for possessing child pornography. Last month, one subscriber committed suicide for fear of getting caught and having his identity made public. The police said Kang was also allegedly involved in a separate fraud case involving Sohn Seok-hee, a journalist and the president of the cable news channel JTBC. Sohn said Cho had approached him last year threating to injure him unless he paid off Cho. The case has outraged many in Korea, who pressured the police to make Cho's identity public when he was transferred from the police to the prosecution office last month. Women's rights advocates are pushing the court and the government to toughen up laws and punishments related to sex crimes. The Korean legal system is relatively lenient when it comes to sex crimes which has led to multiple public outcries over a number of lax punishments handed down in recent years. BERLIN, April 17 (Reuters) - A coronavirus contact tracing app will be ready for Germans to download and use on their smartphones in three to four weeks, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Friday. German federal and state government leaders said on Wednesday 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. Developers are working hard on an app to make sure data protection standards are "as perfect as possible", Spahn told broadcaster ARD. "For it to be really good, it needs more like three to four weeks rather than two weeks," Spahn said. Germany has the fifth highest COVID-19 caseload behind the United States, Spain, Italy and France at nearly 134,000 but has kept fatalities down to a relatively low 3,868 thanks to early and extensive testing. The German authorities have, however, been more cautious than some Asian countries in using digital technology to fight the coronavirus, restrained by Europe's strict data privacy laws and mindful of public scepticism towards any surveillance reminiscent of Nazi- or communist-era rule. (Reporting by Paul Carrel Editing by Michelle Martin) Turkey Mob Boss Released While Govt Critics Kept in Prison ISTANBULAn organized crime boss serving a prison sentence in Turkey was set free April 16 as Turkish authorities continued releasing thousands of inmates to ease overcrowding during the coronavirus pandemic while moving to keep government critics behind bars. Mob boss Alaattin Cakici was released from an Ankara prison and planned to sequester at a friends hotel in western Turkey, defense lawyer Zeynep Ciftci wrote on Twitter. 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, doesnt 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 crackdown on freedom of expression. At least 85 journalists are behind bars, according to the Journalists Union of Turkey. The pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party stated more than 3,500 party members, including former party leaders and lawmakers, are imprisoned. The main secular opposition Republican Peoples Party stated 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 in Turkey is well-documented. He was active in violence against other groups before a military coup in 1980, and continues to have devoted followers. By Zeynep Bilginsoy An army jawan went missing while patrolling on the Indo-Tibet border in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district, police said on Friday. The soldier, Prakash Ralla, of the 7 Madras Regiment had gone missing during patrolling on April 7 and the army lodged a missing person report at the Pooh police station on April 9, the police said. Efforts are on to search for the missing jawan, who is feared to have drowned in the Sutlej river after accidentally falling from a mountain peak, they added. Officials said 10 jawans of 7 Madras Unit went on short range patrolling towards Dhaga bridge on the Tibet border from Khab to Tashigang and Somangch. Two jawans were left behind on their way back to Khab base camp from Dhaga bridge. The eight jawans kept waiting midway for the two jawans. Later, they decided to reach Khab base camp as it was getting dark. The next morning, army jawans started searching for the two missing jawans. One jawan was found lying in an injured condition and was taken to a hospital in Pooh town for treatment, they said. The other missing jawan, Prakash Ralla, could not be traced. It is feared that the two jawans lost their way while returning to Khab base camp and fell after slipping from mountain peaks, the officials said. Efforts are on to search for Ralla, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday raised the limit of ways and means advances (WMAs) to states, which are, however, none too impressed by the move because it falls short of their requirements. WMAs are short-term advances the central bank gives to help states tide over temporary mismatches in their cash flow. These are given at the repo rate, which is 4.40 per cent. The RBI increased the limit by 60 per cent above the level as of March 31, 2020. This new limit is available till September 30, 2020. Earlier, it had raised the same limit by 30 per cent in ... A woman Indian Administrative Service officer was transferred after a former Congress MLA accused her of high-handedness in dealing with public in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh district to enforce lockdown. IMAGE: Security personnel stop commuters for questioning during the nationwide lockdown, in Surat, on Friday. Photograph: PTI Photo In his complaint lodged with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, former Congress MLA Surendra Singh Jadavat alleged that Chittorgarh SDM Tejasvi Rana also snatched currency notes from vendors in the mandi and tore them up. A sitting ruling party MLA, going to Circuit House in a vehicle, too was stopped by her and his driver was fined by police on her directions for not carrying licence. Rana, a 2017-batch IAS officer, was transferred after some videos, purportedly showing her snatching registers from traders in a mandi and throwing them besides pushing a table while enforcing lockdown on Tuesday, surfaced on social media. "The officer reached mandi and misbehaved with vendors there on Tuesday. It was the time when the district administration had already announced a relaxation for four hours. "There was no crowd on shops and the traders were sitting idele but the officer aggressively accosted them, threw their registers after snatching them from the shopkeepers," Jadavat alleged. The IAS officer's acts were got captured in CCTV cameras installed in shops and the videos got viral. "At one shop, the vendor was counting currency notes. She snatched the notes and tore them up. This is a crime," he alleged. "Her behaviour was insensitive and objectionable. Her highhandedness created resentment among traders and I complained to the chief minister about it the same day," Jadavat said. Jadavat also alleged that the officer also tore lockdown passes of two persons during checking on road. "She conducted checking on roads and tore lockdown passes of two persons who were returning after distributing ration to the needy. This was the peak of highhandedness," he said. On the same day, the SDM stopped the vehicle carrying Congress MLA Rajendra Singh Bidhuri near Apsara cinema in the city and directed police to fine the driver for not carrying his licence. The MLA was going to the Circuit House, and when his vehicle was stopped and sent to the police station, he went to the Circuit House in another vehicle. "As per the SDM's direction, the driver and the vehicle were sent to the police station where the driver was fined," a police official said. Bidhuri said he has no issue with the police action as the officers were doing their jobs. "My vehicle was stopped by the SDM and police. They were doing their job and I have no problem with that. It was just a petty matter," he said, adding, he has no role in her transfer. The incidents occurred on Tuesday and her transfer order was issued on Wednesday night. However, no reason for the transfer was mentioned in the order. When contacted, Rana, who was transferred to Jaipur on the post of joint CEO- state health assurance agency, refused to comment on the matters. Credit: Frank Greenaway A new study has shown that road traffic noise causes bat activity to decrease by about two thirds and suggests that the negative effects could be felt considerable distances from the source. Researchers from the University of Sussex conducted the first controlled field experiment to investigate the effects of traffic noise on both bat activity and feeding behaviour, working with five different bat species. When recorded road noise was played, they found that the activity of all bats declined by around two thirds, with feeding behaviour also impacted. Professor of Environmental Biology Fiona Mathews said: "Bats use special high frequency calls known as ultrasound to effectively 'see' in the dark using echolocation. "We tested whether ultrasonic sounds from vehicles were the problem but actually found that most of the response was to audible noise. "This type of noise resulted in aversive responses in all the bat species tested, whereas responses to ultrasonic noise were restricted to just a single species. "Therefore, just like us, bats are likely to find audible road noise an irritationsomething they would prefer to avoid rather than it jamming their echolocation. "This is important as it means we could expect to see negative effects continue at a considerable distance from the road. We know that lower frequency road noise travels well beyond 50 metresthe scale at which ecological impact assessments are conducted." Credit: University of Sussex Road traffic is growing rapidly across the globe and predicted to double in the UK by 2050. For wildlife, this means increased risk of road traffic accidents but also wider effects due to light and sound pollution. While it is known that the behaviour of birds can be altered by traffic noise, as they sing louder and are less responsive to alarm calls, to date there has been little research into the impact on other wildlife. By creating a controlled 'phantom road experiment', Professor Fiona Mathews and Domhnall Finch from the University of Sussex, alongside Dr. Henry Schofield from Vincent Wildlife Trust, joint funder of the research, were able to disentangle the impacts of traffic noise from other factors and demonstrate the type of impact it can have on bat assemblages. Dr. Schofield added: "In recent years, we have become increasingly aware that bat species face barriers in the landscape that impede their ability to access suitable feeding areas and reduce their chances of survival. Along with habitat fragmentation and artificial lighting at night, this research has added road noise to the list of anthropogenic factors reducing habitat quality for these protected species." Their results, published online by Environmental Pollution, suggest that Ecological Impact Assessments are needed wherever there are significant increases in traffic flowand not just when new roads are built. Domhnall Finch, the Ph.D. student who undertook the work commented: "Under current legislation, all new major roads schemes have to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to examine the potential negative effects the road could have on wildlife. "These assessments quite often focus on the direct impacts, such as habitat loss or collisions, and methods of mitigating these impacts. However, future assessments also need to be undertaken when there is a predicted negative impact on behaviour, incorporating assessments of such indirect impacts on wildlife." Bats play an important role in the environment, helping to control pest insects and pollinating plants and spreading their seeds. As reports show that the COVID-19 lockdown has caused road travel to plummet by as much as 73%, the researchers are now hoping to monitor whether bat activity around roads actually increases when traffic density is decreased. Explore further Sensory danger zones: How sensory pollution impacts animal survival India's leading cellular operator Airtel is trying to connect millions of blue-collar workers and migrants, who have been impacted due to the COVID-19 lockdown, to the nearest support centres. Airtel believes that given the current situation, there is an urgent requirement to provide migrants access to basic relief services such as food, shelter, healthcare and even jobs, wherever possible, especially in top metros. For this, Airtel has collaborated with the Bengaluru-based AI tech start-up Vahan. Bharti Airtel and Vahan are amalgamating their resources and technology to connect affected workers in Delhi and Bengaluru with the nearest support centres and NGOs. Airtel will launch a massive SMS campaign to reach out to all such impacted workers on its network. The SMSes will be sent in English, Hindi and Kannada, and will carry a quick link that will guide users to Vahan's platform. Once the receiver clicks on the link, Vahan will use its advanced artificial intelligence solution to connect the user with the nearest relief providers. For this, Vahan has already created a resource pool of 1000-plus help groups and NGOs which are working actively to help fellow citizens. Madhav Krishna, CEO of Vahan, says, "We at Vahan, in close partnership with Airtel, are really proud to be able to leverage the power of our technology to touch millions of the most needy when they require our help the most. We are also excited about our ability to help these people get jobs as we all work towards returning to normalcy." Vahan claims to enable jobs for the next billion internet users and matches job seekers with employers inside messaging apps such as WhatsApp. Airtel had also acquired a stake in Vahan as part of its Startup Accelerator Program in October 2019. Earlier, Airtel had extended the pre-paid pack validity for millions of low-income customers on its network. All these customers were able to get incoming calls on their Airtel mobile numbers even after the validity of their plan had been exhausted. Airtel had also credited an additional Rs 10 of talk time in the pre-paid accounts of all these customers to enable them to make calls or send SMS and therefore stay connected with their loved ones. Airtel also allows users to do a self-assessment for coronavirus using the My Airtel app. The carrier along with Apollo hospitals unveiled an AI-based customer tool to assess COVID-19 risks. As of today, there are 11,201 active coronavirus cases; 1748 has been cured/discharged and 437 died due to the infection. Also Read: IMF's projection of 1.9% GDP growth for India highest in G-20, says RBI Governor Das Also Read: Coronavirus could cost millions of jobs in tourism sector, says UN Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 16:18:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Prime Minister (PM) Scott Morrison has warned that the country's social distancing rules could remain in place for a year. "Social distancing is something we should get very used to for the foreseeable future," said Morrison in an interview with radio station 3AW on Friday. "It could be a year... but I'm not speculating about that," he said. Morrison on Thursday announced that social distancing measures would be in place for at least another four weeks. However, on Friday morning he said that government's advice on staying at least 1.5 meters away from others will remain in place until a vaccine is developed and rolled out. "Certainly while the virus is prevalent across the world, that (the 1.5 metre rule) should be a natural instinct for us," he said. He said that before restrictions could be eased, Australia must establish a more robust testing regime and at least 40 percent of the population sign up to a coronavirus tracing smartphone application. The app will track users' movements and notify them if they have been in recent contact with another user who tests positive for the virus. "We need to get an automatic, industrial level tracing of the coronavirus," Morrison said. "We've been working on this automatic process through an app that can ensure that we can know where the contacts were over that infection period and we can move very quickly to lock that down." "This is the simple deal: if people download the app and more people have got it, the sooner we can start easing off on some of these restrictions," he added. Enditem When the COVID-19 crisis canceled their April trip to Vietnam, four-time Grammy nominee Jeezy decided to 'bring Vietnam' to his March 27 proposal to The Real co-host Jeannie Mai while still at home in quarantine. 'As I walked in, he started to describe that I was stepping into a dinner in Vietnam,' the 41-year-old bride-to-be recalled to her Hello Hunnay vlog on Thursday. 'So here I was looking at the love of my life as he was transporting me to Vietnam, as I turn my attention to the table, there were all these beautiful Vietnamese dishes. He set up our little chopsticks. Fantasy: When the COVID-19 crisis canceled their April trip to Vietnam, four-time Grammy nominee Jeezy (L) decided to 'bring Vietnam' to his March 27 proposal to The Real co-host Jeannie Mai (R) while still at home in quarantine The 41-year-old bride-to-be recalled to her Hello Hunnay vlog on Thursday: 'As I walked in, he started to describe that I was stepping into a dinner in Vietnam' 'And there were lanterns. Here's the crazy things - there were actual silk lanterns, the kind that you can only get in Vietnam, hanging on the window.' The South Carolina-born, Georgia-raised 42-year-old then showed Jeannie a slideshow of themselves superimposed over Vietnamese tourist hotspots they had planned on visiting. Mai - who's half Vietnamese - noted: 'The fact that Jay did not let the quarantine stop us from still enjoying our trip to Vietnam really touched my heart.' When Jeezy (born Jay Wayne Jenkins) got down on one knee by the fireplace and popped the question, the San Jose native 'completely froze because I just could not believe that he did this.' Jeannie described: 'There were actual silk lanterns, the kind that you can only get in Vietnam, hanging on the window' Mai added: 'As I turn my attention to the table, there were all these beautiful Vietnamese dishes. He set up our little chopsticks' Ho Chi Minh City: The South Carolina-born, Georgia-raised 42-year-old then showed Jeannie a slideshow of themselves superimposed over Vietnamese tourist hotspots Mai - who's half Vietnamese - noted: 'The fact that Jay did not let the quarantine stop us from still enjoying our trip to Vietnam really touched my heart' 'I then at that very moment figured it all out,' Jeannie said. 'Jay had planned to propose to me in Vietnam. The reason he brought Vietnam to me is because he didn't want the quarantine to stop the fact that he wanted to propose to me. Jay is my soulmate.' Before dancing the night away on their patio dubbed 'Club Ice,' the Don't Make Me rapper then showed Mai a video of her parents offering their approval for the marriage as well as other family members. 'Jay had done the most important thing in my culture, which his to pay respect to the mom and the dad,' former make-up artist gushed. 'Jay is my soulmate!' When Jeezy (born Jay Wayne Jenkins) got down on one knee by the fireplace and popped the question, the San Jose native 'completely froze because I just could not believe that he did this' 'The most important thing in my culture!' Before dancing the night away on their patio dubbed 'Club Ice,' the Don't Make Me rapper then showed Mai a video of her parents offering their approval for the marriage as well as other family members (Mama Mai pictured R) Jeannie and Jeezy reportedly met on the set of The Real and began dating in November 2018 - one month before her divorce was finalized to her husband of a decade, Freddy Harteis (R, pictured in 2015) Blended brood: Mai will soon become stepmother to the 5ft9in hip-hop star's son Shyheim, daughter Amra Nor, and son Jadarius from previous relationships (pictured November 28) Jeannie and Jeezy reportedly met on the set of The Real and began dating in November 2018 - one month before her divorce was finalized to her husband of a decade, Freddy Harteis. Mai will soon become stepmother to the 5ft9in hip-hop star's son Shyheim, daughter Amra Nor, and son Jadarius from previous relationships. The Daytime Emmy winner currently co-hosts the syndicated talk show The Real (remotely) on weekdays alongside Adrienne Bailon, Tamar Braxton, Loni Love, Tamera Mowry, and Amanda Seales. And Jeezy is next scheduled to perform June 27 at the Aretha Franklin Amphitheater in Detroit. Remotely at home: The Daytime Emmy winner currently co-hosts the syndicated talk show The Real on weekdays alongside Amanda Seales, Loni Love, Tamera Mowry, and Adrienne Bailon (pictured Wednesday) Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday stressed on the need for deployment of armed police forces at all the 'red zones' of coronavirus in West Bengal to ensure that people do not violate the lockdown, even as the state reported 22 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the total number of cases to 210. The Union health ministry, however, put the total number of cases in the state at 255. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the BJP alleged anomalies in the distribution of ration through PDS system, a charge denied by the ruling Trinamool Congress. Stressing the need to abide by lockdown norms, the chief minister said armed forces will be deployed at all red zones -- the most vulnerable areas -- to ensure that people do not violate rules and stay indoors. Banerjee warned that if the contagion can't be contained, it might lead to community transmission in the red zones. During a video conference with district officials and senior police personnel, she described neighbouring Howrah district as a "very sensitive zone" and urged people there to stay indoors and not gather at marketplaces. "I urge the people of Howrah to stay at home. Otherwise, we will not be able to contain it (COVID-19). The situation is alarming (in Howrah). As of now, the transmission is restricted within families, but if community transmission begins, it will lead to a major problem. "I'm telling this clearly... if needed, deploy armed police in those areas at least for 7 to 10 days. Markets in Howrah will have to be closed by noon," Banerjee told officials during the meeting. Kolkata is a red zone and it has to be brought down into an orange zone and then to green zone, she said. Expressing concern over the rising number of COVID-19 cases, the chief minister said the situation, if not dealt with immediately, could lead to disastrous consequences. "I don't want to see huge gatherings inside market places. Nobody will be allowed entry to markets without a mask. People must use sanitiser before entering shops," she stated. The CM asked administration officials in Howrah to take initiatives to bring the district to 'orange zone' from 'red zone' over the next 14 days. Banerjee also directed Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma to depute armed policemen at the red zones in the north and the central parts of the city. Of the 23 districts in the state, ten including Alipurduar, North and South Dinajpur, Malda, Jhargram, Coochbehar, Purulia, have not reported any COVID-19 case, the CM noted. "But we must not be complacent. We have to be alert and take all precautionary measures," she said. Banerjee also asked the administration in the bordering districts to be alert and keep a check on the entry of people, especially from Bihar and Jharkhand. She also advised district magistrates and superintendents of police to regularly visit hospitals and keep an eye on distribution of food grains at ration shops. Meanwhile, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh accused the state government of not properly distributing ration materials due to which many poor people are starving. "People are not receiving rations in many areas. In most places, TMC leaders are distributing ration to their own supporters, common people are being deprived. This has been going on, since the beginning of the lockdown," Ghosh claimed. State Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick said the allegation was baseless and politically motivated. "The state government is providing more than 7.5 crore people with free ration. Making allegations to score political brownie points is not appreciated at this time of crisis," Mullick said. The CM on Friday visited a ration shop at Bhabanipur in south Kolkata to ensure that poor people during lockdown get their due quota of foodgrains. She also distributed masks to a group of people in the area. Banerjee also announced a decision to include all state government accredited journalists in West Bengal and their families into a health insurance scheme of Rs 10 lakh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mixing memories of his East African childhood with his day-to-day life as a husband and father in New Haven, Conn., Ficre Ghebreyesus conjured up an imaginary space of his own. He created this multilayered world in his studio, where, after his sudden death at 50 in 2012, he left behind more than 700 paintings and several hundred works on paper. And he performed a similar magic in the popular Caffe Adulis, where he earned his living by cooking hybrid recipes that drew on the culinary heritage of his native Eritrea and neighboring Ethiopia. If, by some chance, a habitue of the Caffe Adulis ventured to Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, and sought a beloved dish on a local restaurant menu, disappointment usually ensued. People would ask for shrimp barka in Eritrea, and it doesnt exist, said Mr. Ghebreyesuss widow, the distinguished poet Elizabeth Alexander, who is the president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The thing that was cool about Ficre as a chef is that to him it was making art. Its like the dreaminess of the paintings. Theres something remembered and something invented. Mr. Ghebreyesus very rarely exhibited his paintings publicly. We disagreed about that, Ms. Alexander said. I now see that he just wanted to work. He thought that self-advocacy was inappropriate. But she thinks he would be very pleased that Galerie Lelong in Chelsea is now representing him. Gate to the Blue, his first New York exhibition, was scheduled to open there in late April. Although the actual opening has been postponed until Sept. 10, the gallery has posted the images of the paintings in the show online. Nigerian comedian Seyi Law has taken to his IG page to appeal to those asking Im for help but he can not render. According to the funnyman, many think he does not help people who ask for his help because he is not one to make these things known. He went on to say he has been preventing so many DMs with pleas for help but he can not help at the moment. Read Also: Comedian Seyi Law, Wife Celebrate 9th Wedding Anniversary Seriously, because I dont publicize what and when I give, some people think I dont give. Their problem though, but for now, please make my dm rest small. It is heartbreaking to receive so many pleas and be unable to help. God bless you guys. They are all people who have a low-acuity COVID-19, said Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who noted that the pop-up hospital was not designed to treat the sickest patients. They will be there for as long as it will take for them to recover. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Friday to start reopening the state. Retail businesses will be able to provide to-go services, with some restrictions, starting on April 24. This does not apply to essential businesses such as grocery stores, which have been able to operate during the stay-at-home order; it is for all retail stores considered non-essential. Heres what else you need to know. Customers will be able to buy items from a retail store via pick-up and delivery (by mail or to a customers doorstep), but will not be allowed inside the store. Payments For retail to-go and delivery to the customers doorstep, the order is encouraging businesses to process payments over the phone or online if possible. If this is not possible, contact should be limited. For delivery by mail, all payments should be done over the phone or online. Hand-off of purchased items For retail to-go, items will need to be placed by a store employee on the backseat or in the trunk of the customers car. For delivery to the customers doorstep, items should be delivered by an employee or a third-person carrier, who will not be allowed to enter the customers home. For delivery by mail, there will be no customer contact. Sanitization and safety precautions The order urges customers and employees to wash their hands after every transaction, as well as wipe down any items that came into contact with either the customer or the employee. All employees of a retail business must be trained on environmental cleaning and disinfection, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. Employees must wash their hands before entering their place of business. Employees must wear face masks. Employees must keep at least 6 feet between each other. Employees will be screened before entering their store. An employee must be sent home if they have the following symptoms: cough, fever, shortness of breath, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell. Any employee who has been in contact with someone whos tested for positive COVID-19 will also be sent home. Environmental advocates are raising alarms about China's plans to build more coal-fired power plants as the government pursues economic recovery. Late last month, the British-based website Carbon Brief (carbonbrief.org) issued a report on the risk that China's government will approve a wave of new coal power projects to spur the economy, despite evidence that most existing plants run at a loss now. Activists have argued for the past several years that China's coal-fired fleet, heavily underutilized and burdened with overcapacity, will be unable to compete with renewable energy sources like solar and wind as the costs of development and generation come down. That point has already passed, the advocates say. Yet, the influential coal-power industry lobby continues to press for more plants. The industry pressure comes at a critical time as the government prepares its 14th Five-Year Plan to start in 2021 with the likely objective of restoring pre-pandemic levels of economic growth. "The focus on stimulating the economy with major investment and a recent shift of emphasis toward energy security appear to cast aside concerns about overcapacity and financial viability," said the Carbon Brief report. "Whether or not there is high-level political support for the idea, important industry players are making a push for significantly increased limits on coal-fired capacity," the report said. The China Electricity Council, the industry's main lobbying group, argues that coal-fired capacity will reach 1,300 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, a nearly 24-percent increase over present levels and a 200-GW rise over the limits in the current five-year plan. That new capacity would swell to well over 300 GW with the retirement of older existing plants, the report estimates. The targets could translate into hundreds of new coal-fired projects, despite the fact that existing plants typically operate at less than 50 percent of capacity with more than half running at a loss. A similar case is made by Carbon Tracker, an independent financial think tank, which released its latest in a series of reports last month warning that coal power developers worldwide stand to lose over U.S. $600 billion (4.2 trillion yuan) due to cuts in the cost of renewables. Coals days are numbered Despite the industry push, the days of coal power predominance are numbered because the climate goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Centigrade will require an 80-percent decline in coal use for generation, Carbon Tracker said. Efforts to meet the target will lead to early retirements of hundreds of plants and abandonment of incomplete projects, turning investments into stranded assets, unable to pay a return. The stranded assets in China are estimated at U.S. $158 billion (1.1 trillion yuan). The Carbon Tracker report calculates that 71 percent of the country's 982 GW of coal-fired capacity will cost more to run than building and operating renewable projects. The negative numbers have not deterred the industry from recommending more plants. Last June, the China Electric Power Planning and Engineering Institute urged 16 provinces to increase capacity to avoid future shortages, the Carbon Brief said. Last year, 21 of China's 31 provincial-level governments were given a green light for new projects. Last month, four more provinces were approved with 34 GW of capacity in progress, the group said. "More such plants have been approved in March 2020 than all of last year," the Business Times Singapore said. A survey last month by China Economic Weekly found that the 25 provinces had announced investment plans for a range of projects totaling 49.6 trillion yuan (U.S. $7 trillion). Projects planned for this year were estimated at 7.6 trillion yuan (U.S. $1 trillion), the South China Morning Post said. While the anti-coal advocates have made many of the same points in their reports before, the issues have increased in urgency because of pending decisions on economic stimulus and the coming five-year plan. Earlier this month, the National Energy Administration (NEA) invited public comment on a series of planned reforms that will open access to onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration and development to "certain qualified market entities," the China Daily Hong Kong edition said. The removal of restrictions is part of a draft energy law that will "prioritize development of renewables as mid- and long-term energy solutions," ICIS News reported. According to the NEA draft plan, the government will "encourage the prioritized utilization of renewable energy ... and push forward the replacement of fossil fuels with non-fossil fuels." The NEA plan for the oil and gas market follows a Jan. 9 announcement on opening the sector to domestic and foreign investors for exploration and development starting May 1. At the time, the announcement by the Ministry of Natural Resources was billed as a "major reform" and a concession to Washington days before the signing of the "Phase 1" deal with the United States to avert an escalation of tariffs. One selling point for China is that new domestic production would lessen reliance on imports. China's dependence on foreign oil now exceeds 72 percent. But the reform has drawn little response from international oil companies (IOCs). "I think the upstream opening will attract little interest from IOCs," Michael Meidan, director of the China Energy Program at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, told RFA in January. Factors, including China's difficult geology and depleted resources, make the opportunities unappealing to IOCs, but some private Chinese investors could find them more attractive if they expect to advance in the domestic market by putting themselves in the government's good graces, Meidan said. A coal storage facility is seen from above in Hejin, central China's Shanxi Province, Nov. 28, 2019. Credit: Associated Press Import dependence advantage While the oil and gas offerings may not excite the market, the promoters of coal-fired power have sought to turn the import dependence issue to their advantage, Carbon Brief said. The activists cited remarks by Premier Li Keqiang at a meeting last October that focused on energy security. According to a report by the official Xinhua news agency, Li spoke first of the need "to make scientific coal explorations plans" before addressing domestic oil and gas exploration and renewable energy. "Some have interpreted Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's remarks ... as a signal of support for coal-power expansion," the Carbon Brief said. "This was widely interpreted as a retreat to coal in the face of energy security concerns, following the trade war with the U.S. However, China's energy security fears mainly relate to oil and, to a lesser degree, gas," the group said. Mikkal Herberg, energy security research director for the Seattle-based National Bureau of Asian Research, said the competing pressures are typical of those surrounding any major policy change in China. "It's not surprising that the power and coal lobby would see an opportunity to promote their interests as part of the coronavirus recovery process," he said. "It's also not surprising that they would mobilize the energy security argument even though there are only marginal energy security interests involved," he said. China's leaders are likely to seek some middle ground between the competing interests, Herberg said. "The stimulus effect of building more coal power is mainly in the building phase, then the oversupply gets dealt with," he said. "So, I would expect more coal power to be planned and permitted than ... the environmentalists want but less than the coal/power lobby wants," Herberg said. Last year, coal accounted for 57.7 percent of China's energy consumption, down 1.5 percentage points from 2018, while "clean energy," including natural gas, hydropower, nuclear, wind and solar increased 1.3 points to 23.4 percent, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said. Renewables alone including hydro, wind and solar supplied 13 percent of China's consumption, ICIS said, citing official data. The government has targeted a 15-percent share for renewables by the end of 2020. Coal-fired plants provided 66 percent of China's electricity output last year, down from a high of 81 percent in 2007, Carbon Brief said. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Lakewood and the developer planning to transform the former site of Lakewood Hospital into a mixed-use development are at odds over whether the site is ready for development, threatening the future of the One Lakewood Place project. The disagreement seems to be over a Covenant Not to Sue, which would protects the propertys owner or operator and future owners from being legally responsible for further investigation and remediation after completing cleanup of environmental contamination at the site. A letter from Lakewood Mayor Meghan George also describes an ongoing conversation between the city and Carnegie Management and Development Corp. about a financial gap that could stop One Lakewood Place. She wrote that the developer has not responded to a communication about further negotiations for the city to help with that cap, and sent letters on April 3 and April 10 which announced the agreement was terminated. In an interview with cleveland.com, Carnegie CEO and President Rustom Khouri said the city has not met its requirements without the Covenant Not to Sue, though Georges letter states the city was willing to support obtaining a Covenant Not to Sue from the Ohio EPA, but could not obtain Carnegies approval to proceed. George could not be reached for comment late Friday to clarify that statement. In the letter, she disagreed with any claims that the city didnt fulfill its requirements. Even though this termination is a default by Carnegie, Carnegie has laid blame on the City, citing an alleged failure by the City to timely satisfy the site work conditions in the DUA, she wrote. Carnegie has provided no evidence to support this allegation or its unfounded claim that Carnegie is entitled to reimbursement. The former Lakewood Hospital site at the corner of Detroit and Belle Avenues was set to become One Lakewood Place, with 200 housing units and 12 town homes, along with retail and office spaces. As the site was being cleared for redevelopment in September, demolition contractors found tetrachloroethylene under stone slabs and in soil at the site. Tetrachloroethylene was used in dry cleaning before it became more strictly regulated in the 1970s. The area where it was found was a laundry room in the 1950s. The unexpected environmental remediation totaled $1,725,000, which came from the Lakewood Hospital Fund, a result of money received from the master agreement with the Cleveland Clinic, according to an email from former Lakewood Planning & Development Director Bryce Sylvester. He has since left to work for Team NEO, an economic development organization. The city completed environmental remediation and obtained a letter complying with the standards of the Ohio EPAs Voluntary Action Program. George, a former city councilwoman who took became mayor in January, calls the claims that the city failed to satisfy the development agreement inappropriate and unjustified, and a violation of the trust of the people of Lakewood." She also writes this will not deter the city from redeveloping the site, and that other parties have expressed interest. We know that the site, centrally located in the heart of Lakewood and with demolition, abatement and site work completed, is one of the most attractive sites for development in all of Northeast Ohio. Khouri said Carnegie wants to continue working on the project, but wont until city acquires the Covenant not to Sue. He said the company is working with anchor tenants that require a strict timeline. Weve run out of time, he said. We still want to do the development. We think what weve put together is an unbelievably beautiful project. This story has been updated to clarify the origin of the Lakewood Hospital Fund. Here are some questions and answers about coronavirus-related fraud: How can I protect myself from coronavirus fraud? First, understand that there are currently no F.D.A.-approved vaccines or treatments for the coronavirus, said Noah Joshua Phillips, an F.T.C. commissioner. That will, hopefully, change but you are unlikely to hear about it first via a shady robocall. The best thing to do if you get a suspicious call is to hang up, he said. Standard advice for any type of suspicious communication applies now, only more so, experts say. Whenever an offer seems too good to be true, or some aspect of a call or email or social media posting seems a bit off, pause before you do anything. Engage your inner skeptic, said Kathy Stokes, director of fraud prevention programs at AARP. Turn to credible sources of information on the virus, she said, including the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. Make sure you are visiting the official dot gov site and not a knockoff that may end in dot com or dot org. If you get a strange email or text, dont click on any links or attachments; it could download malware onto your computer. Call the sender of the email, or call a trusted friend, to get a second opinion. Call the government agency cited in the message, using a number you look up independently, and ask if it has legitimate business with you. What if I am expecting a government stimulus payment? Most people dont have to do anything to get their economic stimulus payments, which the government is issuing to help people facing money troubles because of the virus. Those payments will be deposited into your bank account automatically, the I.R.S. said. The agency encouraged people to take extra care during this time, however, to avoid potential fraud. The I.R.S. isnt going to call you asking to verify or provide your financial information so you can get your payment faster, the head of the agency, Chuck Rettig, said in a statement this month. Some people who dont typically file a tax return, like people with very low incomes, must enter their information onto a special I.R.S. portal. This involves sharing sensitive details, including your Social Security number, so be careful to use the I.R.S.s official website, said John Breyault, vice president of the National Consumers League, a nonprofit group. When people are desperate, he said, that creates opportunities for scammers. MONTREALQuebec expanded its push to fill staffing shortages at nursing homes ravaged by COVID-19 Thursday, taking the unusual step of calling on the military to join in the effort. The provinces doctors answered a plea made Wednesday for help on the front lines, and Premier Francois Legault confirmed he has also asked Ottawa for Canadian Forces help. Legault said about 2,000 doctors signed up to provide basic care to the elderly, but noted not all of them would be deployed at once. He acknowledged some growing pains are to be expected when integrating the highly paid physicians into the system. Obviously, its 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 be ready to make concessions. 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, he said. Some doctors would only be available a few days a week while others wouldnt be able to help until later this year, but Legault indicated the need was a national emergency and everything helps. Quebecs scramble for resources came as the province announced its biggest daily jump yet in reported deaths 143 more, bringing the total to 630. Legault explained most of the deaths did not occur in the past 24 hours but have been added to the list following a change in data collecting methods as well as post-mortem investigations. Ninety per cent of COVID-19 deaths registered in the province involve victims 70 and older, and 70 per cent of all deaths reported are in long-term care and seniors homes. Quebec has already sought federal military aid twice, and Canadian Rangers are helping with the COVID-19 effort in Quebecs far north and in the Lower North Shore region, but this time, it is looking for skills needed in nursing homes. Legault said he believes there are between 60 and 100 military members who have the training required. The federal government said it was in talks with Quebec about what support could be sent to the province, while leaving the door open to alternatives other than the military to fill the gap. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested during his daily news conference in Ottawa that the Canadian Red Cross or some of the roughly 30,000 Canadians with medical training who have registered with Health Canada as potential volunteers could be tapped to assist instead. Our Armed Forces certainly have doctors, but they do not have that many, Trudeau said while noting Quebecs request for help in long-term-care facilities is very different from the assistance usually requested by provinces. When the time comes to help with floods, the Armed Forces have the ability and are trained to help in these situations. This is a new situation. So we are talking with Quebec to figure out how we can help, but we will be there to help. We understand how important it is for everyone. The details of Quebecs request remained murky, despite repeated questions to federal ministers for details. We agree that this is an absolutely urgent situation, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said. We dont have details to offer at this moment on personnel or tasks, because those need to be worked out. But they are being worked out right now. While the situation in long-term-care homes is deemed critical, Legault said the number of patients requiring hospitalization is under control. Of the 1,018 COVID-19 patients in hospital, 209 were in intensive care nine fewer than Wednesday. The province also reported nearly 1,000 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 15,857 more than half of all cases in Canada. Roughly 2,000 workers are off the job in public and private nursing homes. Some have tested positive for COVID-19 and others fear being infected. The province reached a deal with federations representing doctors, with specialists being paid $211 an hour to assist nurses and orderlies to provide basic care feeding and bathing patients and administering medications. As doctors began heading to long-term-care centres, the first report of a Quebec doctor dying from COVID-19 emerged. The Canadian Medical Association identified the physician as Dr. Huy-Hao Dao and expressed its condolences. The medical community is mourning the loss of one our own, while also acknowledging all those who have passed away across the country and around the world, association president Dr. Sandy Buchman said in a statement. It reminds us that the virus is a serious one and that we cannot underestimate the importance of public-health measures. We continue to extend our appreciation to all the health-care workers providing care on the front lines. Your heroic efforts do not go unnoticed and are tremendously appreciated by all Canadians. Cogeco Nouvelles reported the 44-year-old physician had worked in community medicine in the Monteregie region south of Montreal. Dr. Horacio Arruda, Quebecs director of public health, said the doctor did not contract COVID-19 while providing care to patients, but for privacy reasons he declined to go into specifics. This health worker didnt work in, I would say, hospitals or long-term-care facilities. He got the disease somewhere else, he said. Read more about: - A herd of more than 50 elephants crossing the road was recorded on camera in a province in Thailand as netizens watched in awe - Local police arrived on the scene to ensure the wild animals crossed over safely - Wildlife rangers were tracking the family of elephants as they moved through the road prompting them to block the road so as to prevent any accidents As many people continue to practise social distancing, animals are slowly taking over the streets and roads meant for human beings. A video of a herd of more than 50 elephants crossing the road was recorded on camera in a province in Thailand as netizens watched in awe. READ ALSO: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle spotted for the first time in US delivering food to the needy A heard of elephants crossing the road in Thailand. Photo: Viral Press. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Rihanna chooses 20-year-old Kenyan-based Sudanese beauty to model latest Fenty collection According to Lad Bible, the herd left the forest and crossed the highway in Chachoengsao province on Thursday, April 9. Local police arrived on the scene to ensure the wild animals crossed over safely with locals gathering around to watch. READ ALSO: Wataalamu wanasema kuna hatari kubwa katika kulala sana, jihadhari hasa kipindi hiki cha coronavirus Thailand citizens watching in awe as elephants cross the road. Photo: Lad Bible. Source: UGC According to reports, wildlife rangers were tracking the family of elephants as they moved through the road during the day, prompting them to block the road so as to prevent any accidents or blockages. Pratya Chutipat Sakul who filmed the scene said the elephants were moving calmly and barely noticed the humans adding she was happy to witness the beautiful scene. Meanwhile, Kruger National Park in South Africa shared photos of lions basking on tarmacked roads. The animals had taken control of the streets following a lockdown in South Africa which prevented people from visiting even the parks. 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 Cases of COVID-19 in Florida prisons may be metastasizing and so are the fears of staffers, lawmakers and family members of inmates, who wonder what is being done to keep inmates and employees safe as the highly contagious virus spreads. At least four inmates have died, nearly one in three inmate tests are coming back positive and theres little information on exactly who is being tested and when. The first inmate deaths werent acknowledged by the Florida Department of Corrections for six days and only after a news organization revealed them. Statewide, 63 staffers have come down with the virus, many of them in state prisons run by private contractors. At a time when millions are losing their jobs nationwide, the Department of Corrections announced this week that it was lowering the minimum age to be a corrections officer and offering $1,000 bonuses for new recruits. Its been over a month since the first COVID-19 cases in Florida started to pop up, but just one day since the FDC started to publicly list how many inmates and employees have been tested for the disease. We are seeing many states improve their transparency while Florida isnt going anywhere, said Sen. Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican and criminal justice reform advocate. Im just trying to cut through the red tape and get some clarity on who is the lead in providing that information. For weeks, the FDC, from its communication staff to Secretary Mark Inch, has ignored questions from reporters about how many inmates were being tested, how many tests were coming back positive, how many were coming back negative and how many were pending. The state, which oversees more than 24,000 staff and approximately 95,000 inmates, has tested 310 inmates, according to numbers first posted on the departments website on Wednesday and updated Thursday. Of those, 44 came up positive, 96 negative, and 170 are awaiting results. As of now, only inmates experiencing flu-like symptoms are being tested, according to the departments website. Relatives and friends of inmates, however, regularly tip off journalists to unreported outbreaks, and shortages of soap, gloves and masks. They also say staffers routinely neglect to quarantine inmates when they enter the system or transfer from one prison to another. Story continues For weeks, the department has ignored press queries about complaints like these. The most recent flurry of COVID-19 cases was announced via posting on the FDC website to have occurred at Tomoka Correctional Institution in Daytona Beach, where three employees and seven inmates have tested positive. A woman whose friend has been at Tomoka for three years said one of his dorm-mates was sick and soon after the man was taken away by medical personnel, nurses came to take the temperatures of the approximately 80 men who shared the dorm. The men received masks and were told the dorm would be on lockdown for three days, but none of them were tested for COVID-19, the woman said. I know it will be a strain on the camp to test everyone but any dorm that had someone test positive should test all the inmates in that dorm, she said. Leaving them all together has put them all at risk. The 44 positive cases as of Wednesday translates to a rate of four per 10,000 inmates the same as that of California, one of the epicenters of the outbreak of the coronavirus in the United States. Because Floridas testing numbers are so small, their significance is limited in demonstrating a trend. The Texas prison system, second largest behind California and ahead of Florida, has a confirmed case rate of 20 per 10,000 inmates, according to a Miami Herald/McClatchy analysis. In facilities run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the rate is 26 per 10,000. Jeffrey Sand In New York City, another epicenter in the outbreak, the rate of confirmed cases is a staggering 375 cases per 10,000 inmates. The state of New York has separate prison systems at the county and state levels and another for New York City. Blackwater River Correctional Facility, a state prison near Pensacola run by a private contractor, the Geo Group, has been the hardest hit by the virus. Blackwater has nine staff members and 34 inmates who have tested positive, according to Thursdays web posting. Blackwater inmates Jeffrey Sand, 69, and William Wilson, 84, died earlier this month. Their deaths were just made public on Wednesday when a reporter for the News Service of Florida contacted the medical examiner in Santa Rosa County. On Thursday evening, the medical examiners office said it had received two other inmates who had died of COVID-19. Their names and ages: Rafael Rosario, 65, and Jessie Bannerman, 66. When the News Service of Florida posted its story, the Department of Corrections acknowledged the first two deaths on its website, although the first death had occurred six days earlier. Thursday it ackowledged a third, although the medical examiner in the county has tallied four. I am worried like crazy, said a woman whose fiance shared a dorm with Wilson. The guys are crying out to their families to get some kind of help because there were so many of them sick. She said the men in the dorm are now getting one mask a week as protective wear. Corrections staff concerns According to the department, staff at all facilities have been authorized to wear personal face masks while at work but have not yet been provided with masks by the state. PRIDE Enterprises, a company created by the Florida Legislature and using prison labor, will be transitioning to making the cloth face masks, which will be issued to correctional officers first, and then to at-risk inmate populations second. Rafael Rosario John Kazanjian, president of the Florida Police Benevolent Association, which represents corrections officers, said while morale is up among staff at the prisons, catching the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, is always in the back of everybodys mind. More testing would help a lot, he said. And more protection. You go to work and you come in contact with somebody, he said. Until the testing is more available to us, we are just going to have to mask up, wash our hands constantly and just pray that we dont catch it. On a conference call hosted by FAMM, an acronym that previously stood for Families Against Mandatory Minimums although the group has expanded its mission to other prison issues, the organizations director, Kevin Ring, noted that the guards and the people living there are on the same side. They all want a safe place to live and work, he said. But prisons are the last place youre going to dedicate resource. Thats why families are scared. While Gov. Ron DeSantis has acknowledged the scope of the COVID-19 problem in the states elder-care facilities and has said he wants the Florida National Guard to fortify strike teams conducting tests in those homes, he has rejected suggestions that some frail, older inmates near the end of their sentences could be released. Thats a solution being implemented in some other states. Brandes, frustrated by the lack of answers on testing in prisons, chimed in Thursday during a Florida Health Care Association conference call about the nursing home issue. Who is responsible for data transparency at prisons as we have more and more cases of COVID? Who is responsible for the dissemination of that information? Jessie Bannerman Bob Asztalos, a lobbyist for the Florida Health Care Association, said he didnt know because he has nothing to do with prisons. I dont expect an answer from you, Bob, Brandes replied. I expect an answer from the agency. Because I doubt they are going to have a separate call for prisons like they have for nursing homes right now. Asztalos laughed knowingly. After the call, Brandes told the Miami Herald that hes been asking the state to do random testing similar to the nursing home approach for a while now. The populations are similar, he said. There are thousands of elderly inmates and just like nursing homes, staff come and go. There is no visitation allowed in either. The only difference, he said, is that prisons have no good way to practice social distancing. When asked at an April 2 news conference about the idea of furloughing some elder inmates to slow the spread, DeSantis said releasing felons wouldnt make things any better. Some of these other states have really been releasing a lot of people. Some of these people are dangerous, he said. I dont see how in a time of pandemic where people are on edge already [that] releasing felons in society would make a whole lot of sense. David Fathi, director of the ACLU National Prison Project, said the chief issue with COVID-19 in prisons is that its impossible to stay distant from others in close quarters. Public health experts are unanimous that the most effective way to slow the spread of the virus in prisons is to reduce the population, to allow the people remaining to comply with the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines, he said. This can be accomplished by releasing people already incarcerated, reducing new admissions, or both. William Wilson Brandes, chairman of the Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Subcommittee, filed two bills this year to address these issues. One would have allowed for the early release of some inmates with debilitating illnesses, and the other would allow a panel to consider early release for inmates at least 65 years old who have been in prison at least 10 years. Both of his bills died. All of this is grounded in the priorities of the governor, Orlando Democrat Rep. Anna Eskamani said on the call hosted by FAMM. And the governor doesnt prioritize this. Everything is a hot mess right now. Herald/Times Bureau reporter Mary Ellen Klas contributed from Tallahassee. Staff writer Ben Conarck contributed from Miami. After rapid testing kits, it has been determined that dogs could potentially help detect the novel Coronavirus and may join various task forces in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic that has taken over the world. iStock The strong sense of smell that dogs possess might help in the detection of COVID-19 carriers. In fact, reportedly, they may even be more effective than tests that are limited in quantity and are not used on asymptomatic people in countries like India. Reportedly, dogs will be able to discern the asymptomatic carriers or COVID-19 from the population who have the potential to turn into super spreaders. iStock A British charity has teamed up with scientists to see whether dogs could help detect COVID-19 through their keen sense of smell. Medical Detection Dogs will work with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Durham University in northeast England to determine whether canines could help in diagnoses. iStock They're following previous research that talks about dogs' ability to sniff out malaria. The study is based on the hypothesis that each disease creates a distinct odour in humans, and dogs can, in fact, decipher these odours. The organisation said they had begun the prep to train dogs in six weeks "to help provide a rapid, non-invasive diagnosis towards the tail end of the epidemic". The charity has previously trained dogs to detect diseases such as cancer, Parkinson's and bacterial infections by sniffing samples taken from patients. And even, the detection of slight changes in skin temperature, which helps determine if the person has a fever. iStock "In principle, we're sure that dogs could detect COVID-19," said Claire Guest, founder and chief executive of Medical Detection Dogs. "We are now looking into how we can safely catch the odour of the virus from patients and present it to the dogs. The aim is that dogs will be able to screen anyone, including those who are asymptomatic, and tell us whether they need to be tested. This would be fast, effective and non-invasive and make sure the limited NHS (National Health Service) testing resources are only used where they are really needed." But what about accuracy? The head of disease control at the LSHTM has confirmed that dogs could detect malaria with "extremely high accuracy" and, there was a "very high chance" it could also work with COVID-19. If this project by the charity is successful, dogs will be able to supplement ongoing testing by screening for the virus accurately and could triage 250 people per hour. The leaked WhatsApp texts also showed the MP was against Dutch NATO membership. A Dutch far-right politician behind a 2016 referendum on Ukraine and the EU had fishy ties to Russia, according to a new investigation. Thierry Baudet, an MP from the anti-EU and anti-immigrant FvD party, spoke of his Russia contacts in internal WhatsApp messages with FvD colleagues, which were leaked to Dutch investigative website Zembla and radio station De Nieuws BV, EUObserver reports. In the texts, written four years ago, Baudet said he had met Vladimir Kornilov, a Russian with Kremlin ties, in the Netherlands ahead of the referendum. Baudet described Kornilov as "a Russian who works for [Russian president Vladimir] Putin" and a "very influential figure". After Baudet claimed in Dutch media that Ukraine had sent agents provocateurs to meddle in the Dutch vote, FvD colleagues asked him if he had proof. "No. Info comes from Kornilov," Baudet replied. And when Baudet was, at one point, short of money, he said: "Maybe Kornilov wants to pay some extra" and "Kornilov can beat that with all his money", adding winky and smily emojis. Read alsoDutch MPs suspect "Russian trace" in referendum on Association with Ukraine Baudet initially created the FvD as a think-tank. The 37-year old was one of the co-initiators, along with GeenStijl, a Dutch satirical news website, of a non-binding referendum in April 2016 on whether The Hague should ratify an EU association treaty with Ukraine. Kornilov, a former director of the Russian Institute of CIS Countries in Kyiv, a Kremlin offshoot, also visited the Dutch capital, posing as a neutral expert in Dutch media, to attack the treaty. Dutch people voted against ratification, causing a conundrum in the EU Council in Brussels. The Dutch government, eventually, ratified it anyway, but the EU added, in a new proviso, that the treaty did not guarantee military assistance or future membership. Baudet's FvD subsequently became a political party and won two seats in Dutch elections in 2017. The leaked WhatsApp texts also showed he was against Dutch NATO membership. "I now also want to argue in favour of leaving Nato," he said in a message in May 2017. In his defence, Baudet said, on Thursday (16 April), that his old texts were ironic. Dutch-Russian relations suffered a severe trauma when a Russian missile shot down flight MH17, killing hundreds of Dutch civilians, over Russia-occupied east Ukraine in 2014. They deteriorated further when Russia tried to hack the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, an international institution in The Hague, in 2018. And the Kremlin is still publishing MH17 disinformation amid an ongoing Dutch trial of Russian suspects. B rits should not book summer holidays because there is no end in sight to the lockdown, the Government has suggested. Downing Street said it is not able to say with certainty at which point social distancing measures will ease as the UK continues to fight the coronavirus pandemic. It comes after Dominic Raab, who is deputising for recovering Prime Minister Boris Johnson, extended the lockdown by "at least" three weeks to May 7, adding: We need to be patient a while longer. Transport Secretary Grant Schapps said earlier that he would be holding off on booking a summer holiday due to the crisis. Asked by journalists at a briefing on Friday lunchtime whether the public should follow suit, a Number 10 spokesman said: While we are making progress in our fight against coronavirus, we are not able to say with certainty the point at which the social distancing measures can be relaxed. [...] In terms of travel abroad, the advice of the Foreign Office continues to be that you should go abroad for essential travel only. As of today, it is a fact that both the guidelines and the official Foreign Office advice do not allow for people going on holidays. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab extended the lockdown for three weeks / via REUTERS Earlier this month the Foreign Office upgraded its travel advice to warn against travelling anywhere abroad indefinitely. It has scuppered holiday plans for thousands of passengers, with easyJet and Jet2 among the airlines to ground all flights. Industry representatives have called for more certainty from the Government on how travellers and airlines' finances will be protected as pressure mounts on ministers to deliver an exit strategy from the restrictions. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast: Mr Raab told the nation at the daily press briefing on Thursday: "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. There is light at the end of the tunnel but we are now at both a delicate and a dangerous stage in this pandemic. Pro-lifers can pray outside abortion clinics in Mich. during coronavirus shutdown, court rules Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pro-life activists can pray outside abortion clinics in Michigan even as the state has shut down most activities to curb the spread of COVID-19, a court ruled Tuesday. Earlier this month, Andrew Belanger of the group ONElife for Life filed a lawsuit against the city of Detroit and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over being ticketed for demonstrating outside an abortion clinic. The suit also named Justin Phillips and Cal Zastrow as plaintiffs and said the state was using its stay-at-home executive order to wrongfully target pro-life demonstrations. U.S. District Court Judge Janet Neff issued an order noting that both parties had reached an agreement that allows for pro-life demonstrations during the lockdown period. Defendants agree that Executive Order 2020-21 does not prohibit the conduct of Plaintiffs that is alleged in the Complaint, noted the order filed Tuesday. The City of Detroit shall dismiss the criminal citation issued to Plaintiff Andrew Belanger and any related criminal charges or proceedings that might arise from this citation and the incident related to it. In return, explained the order, the pro-life activists will release the City of Detroit and each of its employees, agents, departments, officers and representatives from any and all liabilities, damages, or claims, arising out of the incident underlying Plaintiffs complaint. The parties agree that the above-captioned lawsuit shall be dismissed with prejudice as the provisions of this stipulation resolve Plaintiffs claims, and each party shall be responsible for his or her own costs and attorneys fees, it continued. The pro-life activists were represented by the American Freedom Law Center, a conservative legal group based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. AFLC co-founder Robert Muise said in a statement released Tuesday that the order was a clear victory for our clients rights to freedom of speech and free exercise of religion guaranteed by the First Amendment. It has been said that all tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent. During this current pandemic, we will not remain silent; we will remain vigilant, Muise said. Last month, Whitmer issued an executive order aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus, which resulted in the shutting down of many businesses and social gatherings. On Mar. 31, Belanger and a small group of pro-life activists were demonstrating outside the Scotsdale Womens Center in Detroit, according to the AFLC. Although the demonstrators were practicing social distancing, police arrived and Belanger was issued a State of Michigan Uniform Law Citation for allegedly violating the executive order. In addition to the legal decision released on Tuesday, the state government also posted a clarification online stating that the executive order does not prohibit persons from engaging in outdoor activities that are protected by the First Amendment. 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, it explained. [April 17, 2020] Equifund Partners with Leading Private Equity Valuation Firm WILMINGTON, Del., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Equifund (equifund.com), an equity crowdfunding platform that delivers vetted, early-stage investment opportunities, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Equidam (equidam.com), an online valuation platform for startups. "We're very excited to partner with Equidam," said Jordan Gillissie, Equifund's Founder and CEO. "More than 130,000 companies have trusted Equidam for an unbiased valuation of their business. We feel it's important to provide our members with independent, third-party analysis like this so they can make a better, more informed investment decision. We look forward to making Equidam reports available to our member base on future listings." Equidam's technology combines five leading statup valuation methods with data from 90 countries and 136 industries to provide a comprehensive business valuation report. "Equifund shares our mission of democratizing access to finance, both for startups and individual investors," said Giulia Girardi, co-founder of Equidam. "We are thrilled to apply our technology to streamline fundraising opportunities and open up investing to the millions of people that don't have it right now." Last year, the total amount of money raised in equity crowdfunding offerings (Reg-CF and Reg-A+ ) surpassed $2.3 billion in the United States. The industry is growing rapidly and provides a valuable source of capital to small businesses. "We are an investor-first platform and take an institutional banking approach to qualifying projects," says Gillissie. "Too often we see companies trying to raise money at lofty valuations that aren't justified. Independent valuation reports not only help protect our members but also instill confidence they're not overpaying for their investment." About Equifund Equifund is an equity crowdfunding platform that delivers vetted, early-stage investment opportunities to accredited and non-accredited individuals. As a full-stack platform, Equifund allows investors to discover opportunities, review offering documents and execute an investment in a single place. Media Contact: Jordan Gillissie 800.777.4003 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/equifund-partners-with-leading-private-equity-valuation-firm-301042712.html SOURCE Equifund [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] warrioraks BHPian Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: Delhi Posts: 400 Thanked: 2,639 Times Re: The sojourns of a silver bullet New year ride to Jaisalmer With my Leh gear dusting off because of no-go, I was keen to venture out. All I wanted was to ride into sunset evening after evening, where it would just be me and the melodious thumping of the silver bullet, away from the daily chores and clockwork routine of life. This yearning eventually led to I and a friend riding to Jaisalmer and welcoming 2017 from the golden city. In addition to exploring Rajathan, we got a chance to meet my favourite lyricist Piyush Mishra. We saw him multiple times in Jaisalmer and Jodhpur, and it seemed as if his entourage was following the same itinerary as us. Did not want to disturb him on his vacation and wasn't sure if I should go talk to him. But luckily we ended up being face to face for a moment which gave an opportunity to interact with him. I conveyed that I was a fan and asked for a pic, he obliged without a fuss. Made my day! Since this trip, Jaisalmer has been the city of choice to spend new year eve for me. This is the only city I have visited where the fort and city blend into each other like a uni-body. The place tends to slow down everything around you which is a good way to wrap up the year. The hospitality is raw and genuine, which makes you feel at home and unlike other India cities, you can explore a lot on foot. Mileage ~ 1800 km Route - Gurgaon - Sikar - Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Jaipur Day 1 We wanted to reach Jaisalmer within two days and had planned to leave early. Like all plans, we were delayed and left Gurgaon around 3 pm. My friend also wanted to visit the famous Khatushyamji temple as it was only a slight detour and we ended up spending the night at Sikar. 500 km to go for Jaisalmer. Some North Indian food before we crossed over to the West Rajasthanis love Mahindra Jeeps, saw a lot of them throughout the trip Day 2 We decided to start early because of the long ride ahead and woke up at 4:30 am. As luck would have it, I could not find my bike key. It was initially a comic scene with the 4 of us (I, friend, 2 hotel staff) trying to locate the elusive key in the wee hours of morning. But eventually it got very frustrating. The clock ticked 5:30 am and I was cursing myself for the delays. Losing hope of finding it, I unpacked my saddle bag for the spare key. I have always been a lousy packer and knew that finding spare key would be no easy task, but finally I was able to locate it. As I walked towards my bike and bent down to unlock the bike handle, there it was, the original key dangling from the lock. That is when it struck me - I had forgotten to take the key off the bike last night. Fortunately, no one attempted a theft, my bike was literally up for grabs My co-rider used this moment to give me a few slow claps and some frendly choice of expletives. Later in the trip, I got a chance to return the favour when he lost his bike key (and wasn't even carrying a spare). The bike with the key left overnight With the key fiasco past us, we left for Jaisalmer and were greeted with December chill and foggy weather. We were expecting that the temperature will gradually go up with time as the sun rises. But the sun was no where to be seen and very soon. It became unbearably cold with the air cutting through our face and fingers. After few kilometres of driving we just could not take it any more and decided to stop at a small dhabha to order tea. Seeing us shivering and clattering, the merciful lady preparing tea lit up a stove for us so that we could warm our hands. Bless her! Dhabha that saved us from the winter chill Planning to steal the table - no chance First sand dune we came across We rode continuously to make up time. Quick short break at a dhabha where we interacted with a few truck drivers Miles to go before I sleep Sheep have the right of way First sight of the desert ship Day 3, 4 & 5 We stayed in Jaisalmer for 4 nights. During this time - we explored the city, visited Mata Tanot temple, Longewala border and spent a night in the desert. As I mentioned above, Jaisalmer is a lovely city but the highlight of entire trip was the desert experience. We had never been to a desert before and could not believe how beautiful and tranquil it could be. Luckily for us, our guesthouse owner agreed to arrange a non-touristic experience for us to spend a night in the desert. We were taken into the desert on a jeep for 30 minutes followed by camel ride for an hour. Practically we ended in the middle of nowhere and wasn't sure what lay ahead of us. We were accompanied by 2 local tribesmen who were supposed to cook for us and give us company. For beds, we were given two quilts each. We were also joined by a couple of other travelers. As the sun set in, it dawned to us on what we had signed up for. It was a night under the stars in the middle of nature's laps. I have never seen so many stars in my life. It was a truly unique experience - The medium cooked food from the makeshift stove tasted amazing, the soft sand allowed us comfortable sleep, the stars gave us the childlike joy like we had never experienced and the cold desert wind made sure we never forgot how mighty mother nature is. This was December 2016 and seemed it was a pretty new concept then. But when I visited Jaisalmer again in 2018, it seemed that the trend had really caught on as I saw a lot of tour agents offering options. Jaisalmer has a lot of good cafes with a chilled out vibe. Food is prepared fresh and does take it's own sweet time to be served Jaisalmer fort - The windows you see are actual houses where people live Inside the fort View of the city from the fort One of the bigger dunes in Jaisalmer area Night in the desert - it was pitch dark except for the fire lit by tribsemen The next morning, on the way back to our guest house Day 6 & 7 Once we were back from the desert, we refreshed ourselves at the guesthouse and were all set for Jodhpur. As we were about to saddle up, my friend realized that his bike key was missing. Obviously the key was somewhere in the desert and there was no point even looking for it. So we found a keymaker who helped us with a duplicate key and we bid adieu to the golden city of Jaisalmer. We reached Jodhpur quiet late due to the second key fiasco and found a decent place to stay on the outskirts. Next morning, we went about exploring the city for it's food and history. Mehrangarh fort, Umaid Bhawan and a highly rated restaurant (don't remember the name) is where we ended up spending majority of our day time. The fort is immaculately maintained and is a must-see. Umaid Bhawan was a one time visit, the highlight being vintage cars on display. Also since we were in Jodhpur, how could we miss the Om Banna temple (Pali), where motorcycle is worshiped as a deity. We started for the temple in evening and the highway was pitch dark for the most part . I would not recommend visiting the temple in evening time on a bike because it got risky for us when vehicles approached us from wrong side without their headlights on (mostly tractors). After paying our obeisances, we returned back to our hotel and packed up. Enroute to Jodhpur The Royal Mehrangarh fort Game of thrones, anyone? Umaid Bhawan vintage car collection (the glass partition makes it difficult to capture pictures) Om Banna temple - where a bike is worshiped as deity Day 8 Next morning we left Jodhpur with the goal of reaching Gurgaon. But were very tired by the time we reached Jaipur and decided to halt for the night. I still remember that we stayed at 'Fab hotels' for around 600 bucks a night. This has been the most value for money property ever considering the to room standard, hygiene and service. Day 9 We reached Gurgaon in the evening. Typical of all rides, the last part was the most difficult. Same boring roads, increasing traffic and the sadness of an ending vacation. In hindsight, this trip pushed us to an extent with around 1800 km on the odo. Great memories to cherish for the rest of our lives Enroute to Gurgaon With my Leh gear dusting off because of no-go, I was keen to venture out. All I wanted was to ride into sunset evening after evening, where it would just be me and the melodious thumping of the silver bullet, away from the daily chores and clockwork routine of life. This yearning eventually led to I and a friend riding to Jaisalmer and welcoming 2017 from the golden city.In addition to exploring Rajathan, we got a chance to meet my favourite lyricist Piyush Mishra. We saw him multiple times in Jaisalmer and Jodhpur, and it seemed as if his entourage was following the same itinerary as us. Did not want to disturb him on his vacation and wasn't sure if I should go talk to him. But luckily we ended up being face to face for a moment which gave an opportunity to interact with him. I conveyed that I was a fan and asked for a pic, he obliged without a fuss. Made my day!Since this trip, Jaisalmer has been the city of choice to spend new year eve for me. This is the only city I have visited where the fort and city blend into each other like a uni-body. The place tends to slow down everything around you which is a good way to wrap up the year. The hospitality is raw and genuine, which makes you feel at home and unlike other India cities, you can explore a lot on foot. LAWRENCE, KANSAS -- David Slusky keeps hearing the same comments from other parents who are isolating with young children. "They're telling their kids, 'Please don't do gymnastics on the stairs because this is not the week I want to take you to the hospital!' Many of us are trying to both avoid getting COVID-19 and anything that might send us to the hospital," said Slusky, associate professor of economics at the University of Kansas. He believes Americans have now been reminded how dangerous this situation is ... even without a pandemic exacerbating matters. "Because errors can happen or infections or complications, you don't want to be in a hospital unless you really need to be in one," he said. "I'm not recommending people set up ICUs in their garage. But if you have a condition where you can see a primary care provider and not go to the ER, that's ideal." That's also the contention of his latest paper, "Office Visits Preventing Emergency Room Visits: Evidence from the Flint Water Switch," distributed by the Institute of Labor Economics. Co-written with Shooshan Danagoulian and Daniel Grossman, the research looks at the infamous case of Flint, Michigan. In 2015, the city issued an advisory alerting residents to increased lead in drinking water after its water source was switched from Lake Huron to the Flint River. The result was thousands of children exposed to potentially toxic levels of lead, along with exposing a governmental conspiracy that led to 15 criminal indictments. Slusky's analysis suggests that children were more likely to receive care from the same clinic following lead tests. Establishing such care reduced the likelihood parents would take them to emergency rooms for conditions treatable in an office setting. "This is not only a paper about Flint," Slusky said. "This is also a paper about overuse of the emergency room, and specifically overuse of the emergency room in a low-income population. These people are often the least medically connected, with the least time and least education to manage these kinds of complex problems." His team used an algorithm created by New York University physicians that takes hospital discharges and categorizes them broadly into four categories: unpreventable emergencies, preventable emergencies, conditions requiring office visits and conditions that will resolve themselves. "We use that to think about the number of avoidable visits happening in this diagnosis," he said. In Flint, building a relationship with a primary care physician proved vital to the decision of whether parents would take their children to the ER for something that might be noncritical (such as high fever or diarrhea). He said, "In a town where the emergency manager and governor misled you, the only person who took you seriously that your kid might be sick was your physician. So maybe you'll go to the doctor more now." The connection between primary care and emergency care -- especially for those with low incomes -- is particularly relevant to the current pandemic. "Ideally, we don't want individuals who don't need to be there in the emergency room, especially to keep them from infecting others or getting infected themselves. As we increase testing capacity and try to test more of the population and get them back to work, an established and stronger relationship with a primary care provider is crucial," he said. A KU faculty member since 2015, Slusky specializes in the economics of infrastructure, environment and insurance. Much of his research has addressed the dilemma of lowering health care spending while raising health. "Right now we're not getting great stuff and we're spending a lot. Giving people health insurance doesn't actually save money, though it is a very good way to get them healthy. So part of this is changing what we care about. And part of it is giving people a broader menu of options, so you can call a nurse at two o'clock in the morning instead of just heading to the ER." Ultimately, Slusky believes the Flint study can help the health care industry examine a variety of different policies so that parents can determine the best way - both medically and financially -- to help their sick children. "We need to save our emergency resources for when we actually need them," he said. "And we need to ensure people are aware of and comfortable with other options so they only use emergency resources when needed." ### Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 11:44:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest developments on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in China: -- The city of Wuhan, the former epicenter of the outbreak in central China, on Friday revised its numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city as of the end of April 16 was revised up by 325 to 50,333, and the number of fatalities up by 1,290 to 3,869. -- The National Health Commission (NHC) received reports of 26 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland Thursday, of which 15 were imported. Among the other 11 cases that were domestically transmitted, five were reported in Guangdong Province, three in Heilongjiang Province, two in Shandong Province and one in Liaoning Province. -- As of Thursday, the Chinese mainland had reported a total of 1,549 imported cases. Of them, 670 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, 879 were being treated with 45 in severe condition. -- Also on Thursday, 66 new asymptomatic cases, including three from abroad, were reported on the mainland. The NHC said 1,038 asymptomatic cases, including 206 from abroad, were still under medical observation. -- By Thursday, 1,017 confirmed cases including four deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 45 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 395 in Taiwan including six deaths. A total of 485 patients in Hong Kong, 16 in Macao and 155 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery. -- No new confirmed cases were reported in central China's Hubei Province Thursday. The provincial health commission said Hubei had 610 asymptomatic cases under medical observation by Thursday, adding that 32 such cases were reported on Thursday. -- Wuhan will hand out vouchers worth 500 million yuan (70.6 million U.S. dollars) to boost consumption, according to the municipal bureau of commerce. Starting at Sunday noon, all people in Wuhan, including non-locals, will be able to apply and use the vouchers, a move aimed to support the operation resumption in commercial, trade, cultural and tourism sectors. -- 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, was dispatched by the First Hospital of China Medical University. It consists of a remote consultation vehicle and an X-ray vehicle. -- A branch company of China's largest oil and gas producer PetroChina put into operation a new production line of melt-blown nonwoven fabric in northeast China's Liaoning Province on Thursday. It is expected to manufacture 500 tonnes of melt-blown nonwoven fabric a year. Another production line with the same annual capacity is being built to further boost the raw material supply to mask producers, according to PetroChina Liaoyang Petrochemical Company. -- Beijing reported three new COVID-19 cases related to an imported case on Wednesday. The patients are the family members of an imported case from the United States, who was quarantined for 14 days upon arriving in China on March 24 and went home on April 8 after tested negative for the virus three times. Enditem Some governments have released prisoners in response to the contagions spread, while others ignored calls to do so. Countries across the Middle East have imposed measures to isolate their people to prevent the spread of coronavirus, but attention has turned to the regions overcrowded, unsanitary prisons, where detainees often face a more punishing form of lockdown. Some Middle Eastern governments have released prisoners as part of their response to the pandemic, while others have ignored pressure to do so. Iran temporarily released 100,000 detainees, Bahrain freed hundreds last month, and Morocco and Tunisia announced pardons of thousands of prisoners. Algeria too pardoned some 5,000 inmates. But for those still languishing in prisons, incarceration is a brutal experience. Because of the pandemic, confinement is an additional punishment for the prisoners, said Kaddour Chouicha, 63, an engineering professor at Algerias University of Oran and a human rights activist. Chouicha was detained in December. He is part of the anti-government protest movement that toppled longtime ruler Abdelaziz Bouteflika more than a year ago. You have to plan for the future, Chouicha said of surviving time in prison. Its the only way. Destroys you psychologically In Egypt, authorities rejected pleas to free up overcrowded jails, continuing to imprison dissidents even as coronavirus infections in the country rise. Rights group Amnesty International last month urged Egypt to release all activists and human rights defenders detained solely for peacefully expressing their views, along with pre-trial detainees and vulnerable prisoners. One former detainee, who asked not to be identified for fear of repercussions, said there was a catastrophe brewing in prisons because of unsanitary conditions and overcrowding. We used to dream of having the metal door to the cell opened even though it led to a hallway with a prison guard. Psychologically, that meant a lot to us, he said. He spent two years in a cramped cell with 25 other men in the Borg al-Arab prison, near the northern city of Alexandria, and recounted how a hole in the ground functioned as a rudimentary spot for showering and as a latrine. We had a tattered blanket that we used as a door for privacy, and the little running water we had would wash away all the filth on an already dirty cement floor, said the former inmate, who was released in late 2015. We slept on our swords, meaning we lay on the floor next to each other on our sides. You couldnt sleep on your back, that was out of the question because of the lack of space. He expressed fear the fragile health of some prisoners would be worsened by the authorities decision to suspend family visits from last month, as many depend on those for medical supplies. The move would take a psychological toll too, he added. Imagine youre in a room all by yourself with no access to the outside world. Thats the feeling of a detainee and it destroys you psychologically. Prisoners not prioritised In war-torn Syria, the pandemic has put the spotlight back on the plight of political prisoners and long-term detainees. Syrian activist Wafa Mustafa is part of a group that wants the United Nations to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to free detainees. Last month she said on Twitter that it had been 2,464 days for my dad in #Assad prisons. Almost 7 years in fear, sadness, anger, and hope. Ive always tried to avoid thinking: is he alive? Is he fine? Is he hungry? Will I ever see him again? With the #Covid_19 disaster now, its more difficult than ever to resist the pain, she wrote in English, posting an old photo of herself with her father. 2464 days for my dad in #Assad prisons. Almost 7 years in fear, sadness, anger, and hope. I've always tried to avoid thinking: is he alive? Is he fine? Is he hungry? Will I ever see him again? With the #Covid_19 disaster now, it's more difficult than ever to resist the pain. pic.twitter.com/JOutBUnJEw Wafa Ali Mustafa ( ) (@WafaMustafa9) March 30, 2020 In Iran, Reza Khandan, husband of jailed human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, described on Facebook the situation in Tehrans Evin prison, where family phone calls have been limited. 200403042329181 The crowded meeting room is an ideal place for the virus to spread, he wrote, since many families have been forced to visit in person. Khandan said, according to his wife, there was an acute shortage of face masks and gloves to prevent the spread of the virus in the facility. Laleh Khalili a political science professor at Queen Mary University of London who has written about jails in the region was pessimistic about authoritarian regimes safeguarding the health of their populations, let alone detainees. In her view, some governments have been able to exploit the pandemic to exert further social control because their concerns about security are far more important than the public health of citizens. The very threat of the illness can serve as a means of terrorising prisoners, she said. Unfortunately, the plight of prisoners will not be prioritised. Where is home for you? Are you happy there? Over the two years I wrote The Infinite Onion, I thought a lot about Home with a capital H, wondering if a deep feeling of Home would be possible for me after living in eighty places in three countries. I felt homeless in a conceptual way, and longed for an easy answer to my dilemma of where to settle, where to put down roots for good. Storytelling, especially the long form of a novel, allows me to explore extremes to a degree I cant in real life. In The Infinite Onion, I considered the extremes of home/no home. One of the main characters, Grant Eastbrook, becomes homeless after losing his job. The other main character, Oliver Rossi, has always lived in the same house. Working my way into Olivers character, imagining what it might be like to live in the same place all my lifesomething Ill never experiencefelt bittersweet. Every inch of Olivers home told years of stories in a pile-up of memories. How would that affect him? I knew the benefits and costs of moving frequently. What would the pros and cons of staying look like? By the time I was fifteen, my family had moved fifteen times. I went to three different schools in sixth grade. That was the year I gave up a little, turned to books more and tried to make friends less. The college I attended required travel and new experiences in the wider world for two quarters of each school year. Over the decades, as I pulled up roots again and again, my map of Home became an unfocused blur. I wanted to settle in one place, but was stumped about where. Id bonded with the specifics of so many different places over the decades and couldnt see how to narrow the field. My favorite countryside, trains, and restaurant reside in Freiburg, Germany. Canada had me at publicly funded health care. My beloveds live in widely scattered cities and towns. How to pick a place? Months passed. I continued to write The Infinite Onion, projecting myself into Olivers psyche. A detailed floor plan of his house took shape on my laptop. Details multiplied on my hand-drawn map of the land around his house. I lived vicariously in the story, then pored over Google maps and websites to create an intense spreadsheet of town comparisons, fired up to choose a place and begin developing for myself a semblance of what Oliver had. I dont regret the many lessons learned from exploring the world, but I yearned to settle down. As I strove to bring Olivers world into sharper focus, I decided to stop trying so hard to use logic to solve my issue of finding Home. I surrendered to the story. I daydreamed without touching my spreadsheet. I folded the map and let go. Around the time I sent The Infinite Onion off to beta readers, I hired an astrocartographera specialist in the intersection of astrology and cartography. The outcome is that I now live in the exact place I want to live: Eugene, Oregon. Eugene wasnt on my spreadsheet, but its perfect for me. I love it here. We have an international airport. I can explore the world and return to Eugene as my home base. In the process of finding Eugene, I discovered something even better. Eugene and my apartment are home, but my Home with a capital H lies elsewhere after all. With help from Oliver and Grant, Ive realized my Home is not a location but a state of being. I am most at home when Im quiet. When I collude with the muses to download and craft a story. When I tune in to create. My Home is imagination. As I write, my roots reach down to magma. I share stories to open the front door. As you read, you accept my invitation to visit. Welcome to my Home. About the Book The truth is harder to hide when someone sharp starts poking around. Grant Eastbrook hit the ground crawling after his wife kicked him out. Six months later, in Seattle without a job or a place to live, he escapes to the woods of nearby Vashon Island to consider his options. When hes found sleeping outdoors by a cheerful man who seems bent on irritating him to death, Grants plans to resuscitate his life take a peculiar turn. Oliver Rossi knows how to keep his fears at bay. Hes had years of practice. As a local eccentric and artist, he works from his funky home in the deep woods, where he thinks he has everything he needs. Then he rescues an angry man from a rainy ditch and discovers a present worth fighting the past for. Amid the buzz of high summer, unwelcome attraction blooms on a playing field of barbs, defenses, and secrets. Buy Links About Alice Archer: Alice has questions. Lots of questions. Scheming to put fictional characters through the muck so they can get to a better place helps her heal and find answers. She shares her stories with the hope that others might find some healing too. For decades, Alice has messed about with words professionally, as an editor and writing coach. She also travels a bunch. Her home base is Eugene, Oregon. Connect with Alice: Website Newsletter sign-up Facebook Twitter Instagram Like this: Like Loading... South Korea reported its first on-year job loss since 2009 in March as the coronavirus pandemic began inflicting damage on the job market, data showed Friday. The nation lost about 195,000 jobs last month, marking the sharpest monthly decline since May 2009, when it lost some 240,000 jobs, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The unemployment rate decreased 0.1 percentage point on-year, but the number of employed people fell to 26.6 million in March, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The employment rate for young adults those aged between 15 and 29 also fell 0.8 percentage point on-year to 65.4 percent last month. The coronavirus outbreak has hit hard temporary and daily employees, with the number of temporary workers plunging by 420,000 in March, the data showed. March's tumble was attributed to the novel coronavirus outbreak, which has dealt a harsh blow to consumer spending and corporate activities, as people have been urged to avoid going out to help curb the spread of the disease. Observers said the impact of the coronavirus may appear in the country's job data in the second half of the year, given the time lag of one to two quarters for an economic crisis. By industry, the wholesale and retail sector lost 168,000 jobs, and the accommodation and food service segment saw a decrease of 109,000 jobs last month. In contrast, the farm and fisheries sector added 134,000 jobs and the health care and social welfare sector gained 82,000 jobs last month. "The number of employed people sharply fell in sectors which require face-to-face meetings," a Statistics Korea official said. Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki held a meeting with economy-related ministers earlier in the day, and the government plans to unveil measures next week to support the job market, the finance ministry said. (Yonhap) New Delhi, April 17 : The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Friday said that it has revised the international termination charge from the fixed 30 paise per minute to a forebearance regime within a prescribed range of 35-65 paise per minute. International termination charge (ITC) is the charge payable by an Indian International Long-Distance Operator (ILDO), who carries the call from outside the country, to the access provider in the country in whose network the call terminates. "The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India today issued The Telecommunications Interconnection Usage Charges (Sixteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2020" which revise the present regime of fixed International Temination Charges (ITC) at Re 0.30 per minute to forbearance regime within a prescribed range of Re 0.35 per minute to Re 0.65 per minute," a TRAI statement said. The development comes after TRAI issued a consultation on the international call termination charge in November last year. The previous regime had come into effect on February 1, 2018, which revised the termination charge for international incoming call to 30 paise. [April 16, 2020] Kraig Biocraft Laboratories achieves Knock-in Knock-out Success to create nearly Pure Spider Silk ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) (the Company or Kraig Labs), the leading developer of spider silk based fibers, announced, at a press conference held after todays market close, that it successfully developed a new technology platform, based on a non-CRISPR gene editing knock-in knock-out technology. Other than the silkworms remaining specifically desired native silk protein elements, the Company is now able to produce nearly pure spider silk. The new technology has a purity rate that is about ten times greater than Dragon Silk, a fiber that the Company developed with its previous tools. Dragon Silk has already demonstrated to be tougher than many fibers used in bullet proof vests and the Company expects that the increased spider silk purity, created using this new approach, will yield materials beyond those capabilities. This new system utilizes the Companys eco-friendly and cost effective silkworm production system, which is significantly more advanced than any of the competing methods. Press Conference highlights include: Generation II Spider Silk Technology- Essentially pure spider silk. Generation III Spider Silk Technology- More specific customization. The Companys knock-in knock-out technology allows Kraig Labs to work with very complex protein sequences in silkworm, which are about four times more complex than published technologies. Dr. Trevor Kane, the Companys Chief Scientific Officer, stated that his team is already working on producing even larger, more complex, constructs, based on the Darwins bark spider. Ambitious immunity boosting program wil benefit not only the Companys proprietary transgenics, but will help strengthen production for the mundane silk market, which is a $5 billion a year industry. The New Technology, which is the result of over ten years of effort, hits the target of one of the Companys primary technological goals and opens the door for large scale US production. Interested parties are invited to view the press conference rebroadcast at https://youtu.be/NPg_7ACrBjI This ground breaking announcement does not affect the Company's current work, at its overseas production facility, to ramp up Dragon Silk and Monster Silk, as these fibers are designed to address their own markets. To view the most recent news from Kraig Labs and/or to sign up for Company alerts, please go to www.KraigLabs.com/news . About Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. ( www.KraigLabs.com ), a reporting biotechnology company is the leading developer of genetically engineered spider silk based fiber technologies. The Company has achieved a series of scientific breakthroughs in the area of spider silk technology with implications for the global textile industry. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information Statements in this press release about the Companys future and expectations other than historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are made on the basis of managements current views and assumptions. As a result, there can be no assurance that managements expectations will necessarily come to pass. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as believes, plans, expects, anticipates, foresees, estimated, hopes, if, develops, researching, research, pilot, potential, could or other words or phrases of similar import. Forward looking statements include descriptions of the Companys business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions and goals. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Ben Hansel, Hansel Capital, LLC (720) 288-8495 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Ministry of Informations briefing on April 16, was not only brief, but it was also short of data and analysis. It gave no clues on the question of the lifting, extension or expansion of the lockdown. The national COVID-19 framework hinges on two major strategic assumptions which appear to be that: 1. The Corona Virus was imported by a primary caseload of arriving travellers (C1), mostly by air at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA). 2. The virus was spread by the primary to a secondary caseload of contacts (C2). These informed the lines of action: 1) to identify the arrivals and quarantine them, and 2) trace the contacts of those testing positive and test them too. We now know that of the 2,011 C1s mandatorily quarantined (21 Mar 5/6 Apr), 105 (5.22%) were positive, besides an ad hoc Tamale group of 11, 10 (91%) of whom were positive. We also know from today's briefing that another group normal surveillance group of 13,838 presented 268 (1.9%) positives. The briefing informed that of the 34,854 enhanced testing, assumed to be the C2, originally estimated to be about 15,000, found 258 (0.7%) testing positive. So, overall, the 50,719, 1.3% of a population of 29.77m (2018), 641 or 1.26% have tested positive with 83 recoveries (12.9%) and 8 (1.25%). It has just been announced that another 17 have recovered bringing the total recoveries to 100. The key question at this stage is, given that the lines of action informed by the strategic assumptions appear to have been exhausted, what deductions do the authorities draw? Does the data support the lifting of the lockdown with or without additional sociology-economic measures, or its extension over a longer period, or expansion to a wider geographical area? It's uncertain that the assumptions and lines of action could comprehensively address the threat of the virus and assure a return to normal socio-economic livelihoods. The empirical evidence seems to suggest that although Ghana's per one million population (see tables) may be comparatively high among other African countries the modalities and benchmarks for the country-specific testing are not the same. The one million population parameter is therefore subject to interpretation. It's worth noting too that the March 3, timeline for the border closure coupled with the mandatory quarantine appears arbitrary. There is no scientific or other statistical data to suggest that the virus might not have entered our borders from the onset of the viral outbreak in Nov/Dec 2019 until early March 2020. Another weakness in the lines of action stems from the nebulous nature of contacts. Any arrival who attended a funeral, a social gathering or travel by public transport, could have a virtual number of contacts beyond family and friends. It is uncertain that the national approach to date can assure beyond reasonable doubt that Ghana has flattened its curve (see graphs). It's a bit curious though that the authorities have from the start declined to elaborate any models, estimates or projections that guide and derive from the data it collects. The lack of such models makes it a bit difficult for persons other than the architects and managers of the COVID-19 Task Force to engage in informed discussions. Without recourse to any implications for the lockdown, it is suggested that the testing-tracing line of action should be truly enhanced and deepened, The revised action should, for instance, cover high-density communities, broad categories of medical and health practitioners, and other occupational groups such as commercial vehicle operators, transport station managers, food sellers, market men and women, teachers and other occupations which involve close contact. At the same time, the period for the identification of arrivals should be backdated to late 2019 when the virus was first reported. There are empirical reasons for Ghana to review its COVID-19 strategic assumptions and lines of action. That will be necessary to ensure that the reopening of the country is based on the widest possible testing framework. Without such wide-ranging testing, we would not be able to determine how much or less the virus is prevalent in the country. The writer, Colonel Festus Aboagye is a Security Analyst SAN DIEGO, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Craig McClellan is no stranger to national recognition. The San Diego-based attorney is regarded among the nation's most accomplished civil litigators, having secured more than 135 verdicts and settlements in excess of $1 million each for clients with complex personal injury and business litigation matters. His latest achievement: Being named to the 2020 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America. A Guide to The Country's Most Respected Advocates During these difficult times, Americans have become acutely aware of the value advocacy and unwavering support can offer. It's why Lawdragon's annual guide to the nation's top Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers is all the more poignant; every lawyer named to the list has devoted their practice to representing those in need. As one of the most successful civil trial lawyers in Southern California, Craig McClellan earns another year of recognition from Lawdragon, a trusted legal publication that curates its yearly guides using a rigorous selection process. From nominations and peer review to independent research and evaluation, Lawdragon carefully vets the nation's best and brightest legal advocates so victims, families, and others facing difficult times have a resource they can rely on. Given Lawdragon's stringent criteria, McClellan's selection speaks volumes about his record of success, as well as the glowing reputation he's earned among the professional colleagues, clients, and communities he's helped. A Career Fighting for Consumers As the first and only personal injury attorney in San Diego admitted to the invite-only Inner Circle of Advocates a premier group of the top 100 plaintiffs' attorneys in the nation Craig McClellan has established himself as a proven litigator passionate about serving the wronged and injuriously harmed. Over the course of more than 30 years, McClellan has recovered hundreds of millions in compensation for his clients against some of the largest corporations in the country. That includes noteworthy results in cases where consumers have been harmed by commercial trucking and transportation companies, public entities, and defective products and auto parts. A wrongful death case McClellan litigated against Ford Motor Co. over defective seat belts was the impetus to passing legislation that protects all consumers in California against the dangers of lap-only seat belts. In addition to his Lawdragon 500 selection, McClellan has earned recognition from many other professional organizations including 14 consecutive years of inclusion in Southern California Super Lawyers, selection to The Best Lawyers in America year after year, and Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year for Personal Injury and Product Liability. As Founder of The McClellan Law Firm, McClellan leads a team of trial attorneys in handling a small caseload of high-stakes claims, many of which are referred to the firm from fellow attorneys in need of proven insight. You can find more information about Craig McClellan and his practice at www.mcclellanlaw.com. SOURCE The McClellan Law Firm Related Links https://www.mcclellanlaw.com en-AU A strong foundation. James Donald is the longest-serving portfolio manager running Lazard Emerging Markets Equity. He joined the New York-based firm as an analyst in 1996 and has been involved as a manager here since the strategy's 1997 inception. He's joined by comanagers Rohit Chopra and Monika Shrestha, both of whom are quite experienced. Chopra has worked with Donald since 1999, and Shrestha was promoted to comanager at the end of 2014 after seven years as an analyst on the team. She replaced Erik McKee, who now focuses on a Lazard small-cap strategy. The trio are supported by four analysts: Ben Wulfson, Donald Floyd, Lada Emelianova, and Elizabeth Chung. The analyst group boasts at least 20 years in the industry, an impressive amount of experience, and all four analysts have been at the firm since at least 2011. Chung, the most recent addition, formally joined in 2018 after helping the team with consumer and telecom companies for six years. While all team members are based in New York, international travel is encouraged: Members of the team typically look to travel twice a year to emerging countries. Decision-making is team-based, and the group runs an open structure that allows portfolio managers and career analysts to work together. The team also has access to Lazard's larger global analyst pool, working primarily with nine analysts across global teams that cover emerging-markets names. Independent thinking is evident. The 70-80 stock portfolio's country and sector allocations often differ from the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and can change quickly when James Donald sees opportunity. For example, he was long reluctant to buy stocks in China, considering them relatively expensive until 2012, when the weighting began rising fairly rapidly. That said, while the strategy's stake in Chinese companies had risen to 20% by December 2019, it was still lower than the benchmark by 14 percentage points. In recent years, the portfolio has also carried a hefty underweighting in Taiwan in favour of overweightings in Russia, Indonesia, and Turkey. Sector allocations also vary. The portfolio was overweight in financials and tech and underweight in consumer discretionary stocks in December 2019. The strategy's portfolios tend to drift between the large-blend and large-value areas of the Morningstar Style Box. While the portfolio's average market cap has risen fivefold since the start of 2009, it's still similar to that of the benchmark. A side-effect of the bottom-up approach, this portfolio is missing some of the largest members of the benchmark, as Donald believes Alibaba and Tencent unattractive opportunities amidst investor exuberance. The managers aren't complete contrarians, however, as they carried a 5% position in index heavyweight Samsung Electronics in December 2019. Disciplined and patient. This strategy's relative value approach stands out for its patience and discipline. Lead manager James Donald applies Lazard's firmwide strategy of buying companies exhibiting signs of improving financial productivity but also trading at compelling prices. He looks for companies with above-average returns on equity selling at below-average prices, but this isn't a strict deep-value strategy. The idea generation process starts with a screen focusing on fundamental and valuation metrics, after which the analyst team works to determine a company's value drivers, competitive advantages, and management team quality. Before assigning price targets, the team adjusts for a few risk factors, among them macroeconomics, regional politics, and corporate governance. The team pays particular attention to cash flows and wants resilient balance sheets, often leading them to companies that pay hefty dividends, such as Vodacom Group. The explicit sector and country constraints give Donald plenty of room to maneuver but given the esoteric risks of investing in emerging markets, he limits single-stock exposure to an initial 5% at cost and a total cap of 7%. The team tends to hold positions for multiples years, generally keeping portfolio turnover below 25%. Supporting Player A worthy emerging-markets option. Lazard Emerging Markets boasts a veteran leader, robust supporting cast, and disciplined process. We continue to believe in the strategy, but inconsistent stock selection in recent years and a greater emphasis on fees slightly lower our conviction here. The strategy's accomplished leadership and experienced supporting cast stand out. Lead manager James Donald took charge of this strategy in 1997, joined over time by comanagers Rohit Chopra and Monika Shrestha. The three managers are supported by four analysts, all of whom boast at least 20 years in the industry. The team also maintains regular contact with numerous others emerging-markets teams at Lazard whose focus ranges from growth-oriented equities to local-currency debt. Donald and the team have executed their relative value, bottom-up process with discipline and patience. They look for companies with above-average returns on equity selling at below-average prices, paying close attention to a company's balance-sheet stability and management team quality. Sticking to this fundamental research-driven process can lead to some out-of-consensus allocations, such as the overweighting in Russian equities compared with the MSCI Emerging Markets Index in December 2019. The portfolio's turnover generally stays below 20%, a sign that the managers have stayed true to their longer-term orientation. While Donald's benchmark-agnostic approach has yielded strong results over his tenure, it hasn't been as successful in recent years. The strategy's returns were lower than the emerging-markets Morningstar Category median in 2017, 2018, and 2019; South African and Brazilian picks have been particularly damaging. In the past, however, investors have been rewarded for mirroring the managers' patience: The strategy's dismal 2015 was followed by a top-decile finish in 2016 as its holdings in out-of-favour areas rebounded from their previously lackluster performance. While recent returns have been disappointing, there's still reason to believe Donald and his team can drive outperformance going forward. 2293 2293 Nicholas Goralka Nicholas Goralka Lazard Asset Management is responding to industry challenges and maintains an Above Average Parent rating. Like most asset managers that practice active equity management, LAM has seen outflows from its mutual funds. The division of publicly traded Lazard Ltd. responded by announcing in October 2019 that it would lay off about 7% of its workforce. With those layoffs came the liquidations of three of open-end mutual funds in the United States, contributing to a recent history of churning its lineup. Those funds were generally both small and underperforming. It's unclear how many investment professionals were let go, but LAM reports that investors still constitute a roughly unchanged 40% of its workforce. Those cuts aside, LAM generally boasts minimal portfolio-manager and analyst turnover, as well as an investment-centric culture with strengths in emerging markets, international equities, and global listed infrastructure. Meanwhile, LAM has settled down its product launches somewhat in the past year, though it cloned several strategies for non-U.S. markets. Still, LAM has long focused on institutional clients, and while its recent emphasis on retail clients has been challenging, a majority of the USD 240 billion in assets under management as of December 2019 was in separate-account or collective investment trust vehicles. LAM is a sturdy parent. A strong investing culture. 2020-01-09T15:53:00 2020-01-09T21:53:00Z Recent troubles. This strategy once had a topnotch record, but its performance has been unimpressive as of late. Since lead manager James Donald's 1997 start, the fund has a strong record relative to its benchmark and peers, with strong risk-adjusted returns as well. However, performance has suffered in recent years as some out-of-benchmark decisions have backfired. In 2018, returns were hit by a heavier allocation into Turkish banks as its president began intervening in monetary policy decisions, damaging the prospects of banks hoping for higher rates. 2019 saw returns degraded by an ill-fated investment in Argentinian energy company YPF. Despite these missteps, overall stock selection remained strong per Morningstar's attribution data in the five years ended December 2019. While the strategy did well to protect investors in drawdowns towards the beginning of Donald's tenure, it has since struggled to keep up with the benchmark and category in pullbacks, as seen in 2020's market plummet through March. Furthermore, the strategy's volatility has increased in recent years: The strategy's three-, five-, and 10-year trailing standard deviation of returns were all markedly higher than both the benchmark and emerging-markets category average as of March 2020. It's critical to evaluate expenses, as they come directly out of returns. The share class on this report levies a fee that ranks in its Morningstar category's second-cheapest quintile. Based on our assessment of the fund's People, Process and Parent pillars in the context of these fees, we think this share class will be able to deliver positive alpha relative to the category benchmark index, explaining its Morningstar Analyst Rating of Bronze. F0AUS05DR9 Live Lazard Emerging Markets Equity The Canadian government has delivered $16 billion in income support to workers over the past month, in what represents the first major instalment of Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus stimulus package. The government has paid out $7.9 billion in unemployment insurance benefits from new claimants since March 16, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition they not be identified because the figures are not public. Another $8.4 billion has been sent to residents not eligible for jobless insurance through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which pays $2,000 a month. The money, which amounts to about 20 per cent of what would typically be earned by Canadian workers in one month, represents a badly needed injection of income to buffer the effect of the pandemic providing effectively a floor to the sharpest economic contraction on record in Canada. The government has also begun issuing one-time payments to low-income individuals through a sales tax credit, estimated to provide another $5.5 billion. A lot more is coming. The CERB income support program is intended to last for a total 16 weeks, costing $24 billion over that time, but is designed to be scaled up or extended if necessary. Employment insurance benefits typically last between 14 and 45 weeks, depending on region. The government has received a total of 6.2 million unique applications under the two benefit programs since March 16, the government official said. The governments flagship program for business a wage subsidy of 75 per cent is worth a much larger $73 billion over a 12 week period, and is expected to start within a few weeks. The government estimates direct spending programs will cost a total of $107 billion by June, representing just less than five per cent of economic output. The governments plan provides at least another $155 billion worth of business credit and temporary tax deferrals. WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI The 2020 census is designed to count every person living in the United States and its territories, and that includes college students at universities across the country. This years census is offering multiple ways for people to respond amid the coronavirus outbreak, and the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University are looking to make sure students who would normally be living on campus are informed about how they should be counted for the 2020 census. UM students should still be counted as residents of Ann Arbor, and EMU students should be counted as residents of Ypsilanti if they left campus because of the outbreak and plan to return, according to the census website. Please note that if someone is staying with you temporarily on April 1 due to the COVID-19 situation, they should be counted where they usually live, the website says. This includes college students, who should still be counted at school, even if they are home early because of the COVID-19 situation. If they live in student housing, the college will count them. If they live off campus, they should respond for the off-campus address and include any roommates or other people living there. Any UM student that would have been living in UM housing on April 1 is automatically counted for the census by the university, and they do not need to do anything at all, said UM spokesperson Kim Broekhuizen. Students shouldnt be counted on their parents census forms if they typically live in college housing, and the university is making efforts in a number of ways to communicate that. Now that classes are all online and students have returned home, Broekhuizen said the university has taken steps to reach students in the following ways: Posting information on the Ginsberg Center website about how to participate in the census based on residence. Adding a banner to the universitys online platform, Canvas, that directs students to the census and the Ginsberg page. Sharing various messages via social media channels. Sharing information in an upcoming newsletter to all Ann Arbor students from the interim vice president of student life. A call to complete the census on its connect2community volunteer portal and linked through Happening@Michigan, the UM events calendar. Messaging in the Beyond the Diag newsletter to target off-campus residents. Linking census messaging to other democratic engagement opportunities and messaging. Messaging to international students from the International Center. Broekhuizen said the university will continue to promote how students can participate until the completion deadline for the census, which is Aug. 14. Eastern Michigan University has made numerous efforts to share information on the 2020 census with students even before they went home, said Kristen Klochko, communications and operations manager for Engage@EMU. Students were made aware that living on campus or in the local community meant their responses were for Ypsilanti, Klochko said. Students were also made aware that they should respond to the survey as if they still lived on campus April 1, Klochko said, and the message was shared through Canvas, MyEmich, social media and emails. The 2020 census is critical for EMU and the Ypsilanti community as many state and federal programs such as after-school initiatives, public health, infrastructure and housing support rely on your response, said Klochko, who is coordinating the student census effort. The EMU community and surrounding area are historically undercounted, Klochko said, and that could mean less funding for housing and education, as well as funds for roads. If families complete the census and respond with students who recently moved back home, it will show that less students reported living on campus or in Ypsilanti, Klochko said. More than 60% of Washtenaw County households have responded for the 2020 census, including 59.3% of Ann Arbor and 48.4% of Ypsilanti. Michigans self-response rate in 2010 was 67.7%. Washtenaw County self-response rate for 2020 census tops 60% More information on the 2020 census can be found here. READ MORE: Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus Thursday, April 16: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Former University of Michigan football players reported sexual abuse by doctor to three trainers, lawsuits say Eastern Michigan University offering one-time grant for online summer classes Michigan Stadium seismometer captures quiet campus, Ann Arbor streets during coronavirus outbreak University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University making alternate plans to celebrate 2020 graduates Eastern Michigan University student creates petition against extra cost for online classes Lovie Simone in Selah and the Spades Photo: Courtesy of Amazon Studios/Courtesy of Amazon Studios Selah (Lovie Simone), the flinty queen bee at the core of Tayarisha Poes engrossing directorial debut, is a senior at an elite Pennsylvania boarding school. Shes an A-student and the head of the spirit squad, the envy and admiration of her classmates. Shes also a drug dealer, a role she occupies for the power that comes with it rather than the money money being something that she and the majority of her classmates seem to have no shortage of. Power is the only currency worth caring about at Haldwell, which is technically run by the headmaster played by Jesse Williams but is in practice overseen by five cliques referred to by everyone as factions. Each faction oversees a different aspect of the student bodys underground economy, from gambling to cheating to parties to keeping the administration in the dark. The Spades run the illicit substances, and Selah runs the Spades, which means that she effectively runs the esteemed institution at which the films characters are enrolled. Selah and the Spades is a welcome entry to the canon of films about high school as a battleground, one that stretches from the satirically anthropological stylings of Mean Girls to the supernaturally enhanced dramas of The Craft (the upcoming remake of which will star Simone). While its tony Pennsylvania prep school setting might bring to mind other rich-kid chronicles like Cruel Intentions, the film is closer in tone and spirit to Rian Johnsons 2005 neo-noir Brick. Poe doesnt superimpose hardboiled traditions over its teenage machinations the way Johnson does, but she treats her kiddie crime families with the same unironic seriousness her characters do. Its not a mobster movie as told with prep school kids its more like a movie intent on pointing out that mobsters are just teenagers whove grown up. The disloyal are excommunicated, the traitorous beaten. The first time newcomer Paloma (Celeste OConnor) comes back from acting as an enforcer, her knuckles are bloody. I didnt realize it would hurt this bad, she tells Selah, as exhilarated as she is shocked. The increasingly tense relationship between Paloma and Selah, whos eyeing the younger girl as a possible successor, forms the movies narrative spine. Its no blessing being Selahs protege, not when her desire for legacy wars with her reflexive instinct to destroy anyone who threatens her dominance. Maxxie (Jharrel Jerome), Selahs best friend, retains his place as second in command only by continued subservience, and even he attracts her ire when his focus drifts to a new relationship. Selah doesnt harbor desire for either of her underlings. When it comes to dating, she tells Paloma, I dont do it. I never wanted to. What she wants instead is an impossible kind of loyalty, and the whispers about a disappeared student named Tila indicate that shes destroyed someone shes taken under her wing before. Poe has the camera track Selah through the halls of the school or slowly close in on her face in a cluster of others at the gym, hinting at the turmoil underneath. Brief conversations with her demanding mother (Gina Torres) hint at Selahs formative experiences, while distress over her college plans suggests a fear of leaving the ivy-covered walls of her high school kingdom behind. Selah and the Spades ends just as it feels like its really picking up momentum, which is the major frustration of the film and also, likely, part of the reason it was picked up by Amazon both as a release and the basis for a possible series adaptation. Poe is just so skillful at filling out the quirks and ecosystems of Haldwell, with its party spots and faction headquarters and secret spaces the trunk where the Spades keep their contraband, for instance, is lit inside like a giant keepsake box that its hard not to want to explore more of this world. The films imagination sometimes outstrips its resources especially, oddly, when it comes to the size of the membership of the Spades themselves but its very good at portraying the school as an entrancing place; being there is akin to a scenic swim with sharks. The occasional intrusions of the real world, including an unseen errand to Fishtown in Philadelphia to resupply, feel like blasts of cold water to the face. Race and class are never explicitly among those intrusions, for all that the movie teases its awareness with mentions of Paloma being in a scholarship and with the name Spades presumably chose for her entirely black crew a card suit thats also a slur. Within the schools insular bubble, these things go otherwise unmentioned, which is either part of the films dreamlike stylization or a testament to the temporary leveling power of the privilege on display. It adds to the feeling of seductive insularity the film creates, a kind that you could see someone being reluctant to leave especially when that also means surrendering a place on the throne. A shocking video showing bodies of dead coronavirus victims lying next to live patients fighting the disease has been captured from inside a Brazilian hospital. The horrifying footage surfaced as Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro sparked anger for firing his health minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta for urging the government to do more to fight the pandemic. In total, the bodies of 14 COVID-19 victims were being kept next to patients. The disturbing scenes were recorded at the Joao Lucio Emergency Hospital in the city of Manaus in the northern Brazilian state of Amazonas. The video, reportedly recorded by a nurse, shows bodies of victims scattered throughout hospital hallways lying on gurneys, with some covered in blankets and next to intubated patients. Experts say Brazil's peak in the coronavirus outbreak is expected in the coming weeks, but Bolsonaro has repeatedly said it is just a 'little flu' Mandetta, a respected orthopedist, promoted isolation and drew comparisons to Dr. Anthony Fauci over his handling of the pandemic, before he was axed. Bodies of victims of Covid-19 are show in this video clip scattered throughout hallways in a Brazilian hospital. The victims are shown as being in the same space in the hospital as patients being treated for the disease 'You should have absolute certainty that we fought a good fight until here,' Mandetta told fellow ministry workers in a televised press conference Thursday after announcing his departure. 'But we're at the start of the battle.' Bolsonaro said on the same day: 'Life is priceless, but the economy and employment need to return to normality.' The president, who has been called the Trump of the Tropics, said Mandetta's departure was a 'consensual' decision and insisted 'the health of the Brazilian people' is more important than any government official In a statement to the press regarding the hospital video, The State Secretary of Health said that the victims had died between the night of April 15 and the morning of the April 16, adding that five of the bodies have now been removed. Nine of the victims' bodies remain in the hospital awaiting family members with death certificates, according to reports. The statement read: 'The State Department of Health (Susam) clarifies that the 14 deaths that occurred at Joao Lucio Hospital, between [Wednesday] evening and early Thursday morning, were of suspected patients from Covid-19. 'Of the 14 deaths, five had already been released until 5pm this Thursday, and nine were waiting for family members with death certificates.' The clip, reportedly recorded by a nurse working at the Joao Lucio Emergency Hospital in the city of Manaus, shows some patents being intubated (left). Near the patients being treated, body bags (right) covered with blankets can also be seen on gurneys The horrifying footage surfaced as Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro sparked anger for firing his health minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta for urging the government to do more to fight the pandemic The Secretary of Health's statement said the hospital is now being used to treat COVID-19 patients as the larger Delphina Aziz Hospital is at full capacity. The number of beds there is being increased to meet the high level of demand. 'Susam also informs that the Joao Lucio Hospital has been receiving suspected patients from Covid-19 until the number of beds at the Delphina Aziz Hospital is increased and the Nilton Lins Hospital is operational,' the statement said. 'With the expanded capacity of Delphina and the reinforcement of the beds in the rear hospital, HPS Joao Lucio will be exclusively for urgent and emergency care to support the network.' The Brazilian Department of Health has confirmed that the Joao Lucio Emergency Hospital in the city of Manaus (pictured) is receiving patients suspected of having Covid-19 as bed at the larger Delphina Aziz hospital is at full capacity Of the 14 people who died, the statement said eight were above 60-years-old, six had severe underlying health conditions and all were admitted to the hospital in a serious condition. Five patients were admitted in the last 24 hours, according the statement, which added that 'all patients received adequate care and clinical management according to their needs, medication and oxygen.' Eleven emergency rooms in the state have been transferred into COVID-19 treatment centres, called 'pink rooms', with clinical and stabilisation beds along with ventilators for patients waiting to transfer to the Delphina Aziz Hospital. The number of COVID-19 cases in the state of Amazonas had reached 1,719 with 124 deaths yesterday, according to figures from Vigilance in Health Foundation, with one of the highest infection rates in Brazil at 303 cases per million inhabitants. According to the latest figures from the Johns Hopkins University, Brazil has suffered 30,891 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 1,952 deaths. (JNS)-Israeli researchers said they are days away from finishing production of the active component of a coronavirus vaccine that could be tested on humans starting June 1. "We are in the final stages and within a few days we will hold the proteins-the active component of the vaccine," Dr. Chen Katz, group leader of the biotechnology group at the MIGAL Galilee Research Institute, told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. The human trials will be conducted on "young, healthy individuals" and will then likely expand to the general population, Katz said, adding that he believes the vaccine will be available first in Israel. MIGAL said in late February that it would complete production of its vaccine within three weeks and have it on the market in three months, but Katz explained to the Post that the process was delayed because it took longer than anticipated to receive the genetic construct they ordered from China, due airways being closed and the product needing to be rerouted. The group, funded partially by a NIS 30 million ($8,225,600) grant from Israel's Ministry of Science and Technology, is working with regulators to ensure that the vaccine is safe to try on humans. Katz said because it will be an oral vaccine, "the quality of this kind of vaccine should be closer to food regulations than pharma regulations or somewhere in between. We hope that we will not need to go through the complete purification process like in the drug industry because that could delay us." This program is in addition to Arlo's donations of urgently-needed N95 medical masks to local hospitals in the San Jose, Calif. and Cork, Ireland areas where Arlo is headquartered: Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (San Jose, Calif.), Marymount University Hospital and Hospice (Cork, Ireland) and Ballally Primary Care Center (Dublin, Ireland). "Our first area of focus with regards to COVID-19 has been to help protect first responders by donating urgently-needed N95 masks to local hospitals," said Matt McRae, CEO of Arlo Technologies. "But it quickly became clear to us that the unfolding tragedy also has a severe second-order impact on the ability for people to satisfy their most basic needs including food. The campaign benefitting Second Harvest Food Banks, together with the Arlo community, will support the critical safety net of meals for those who can't get food for their families." Founded in 1974, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is one of the largest food banks in the nation, providing food to more than a quarter of a million people in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties every month. Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County has distributed more than 446 million pounds, or the equivalent of 379 million meals, to a network of community and program partners like church and school pantries, senior centers, Boys and Girls Clubs, Kids Cafes, and shelters for abused women and children since its inception in 1983. "Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County is so grateful to Arlo Technologies for their support of our mission to end hunger, especially now as we work to meet the increased needs of our community due to the negative economic impacts of COVID-19," said Barbara Wartman, Director of Marketing and Public Relations. Arlo Video Doorbells and Security Systems are being utilized as people shelter-in-place for checking in on loved ones, small business security, safety notifications, and to facilitate contact-free deliveries of supplies and meals. This effort is another expression of the company's primary mission, to provide security and protection in our communities. If you're interested in learning more about Arlo and its efforts to shelter and protect communities, please visit www.arlo.com. To learn more about how Second Harvest Food Banks in Silicon Valley and Orange County are building a hunger-free community, visit www.shfb.org or www.feedoc.com. About Arlo Technologies, Inc. Arlo is the award-winning, industry leader that is transforming the way people experience the connected lifestyle. Arlo's deep expertise in product design, wireless connectivity, cloud infrastructure and cutting-edge AI capabilities focuses on delivering a seamless, smart home experience for Arlo users that is easy to setup and interact with every day. The company's cloud-based platform provides users with visibility, insight and a powerful means to help protect and connect in real-time with the people and things that matter most, from any location with a Wi-Fi or a cellular connection. To date, Arlo has launched several categories of award-winning smart connected devices, including wire-free smart Wi-Fi and LTE-enabled cameras, audio and video doorbells, advanced baby monitors and smart security lights. About Second Harvest of Silicon Valley Founded in 1974, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is a trusted leader in ending local hunger and is one of the largest food banks in the nation. The organization distributes healthy groceries through a network of 310 partners at 1,000 sites in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Due to the prohibitively expensive cost of living in Silicon Valley, hunger is at an all-time high as more and more families are forced to sacrifice nutritious food for housing. Second Harvest is helping to keep people healthy by providing enough nutritious food for more than 58 million meals a year half of which is fresh produce. Second Harvest also connects people to federal nutrition programs and other food resources, and advocates for anti-hunger policies on the local, state 3 and national levels. To learn more about how Second Harvest is building a hunger-free community, visit shfb.org. About Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County is leading the fight to end hunger for more than 290,000 men, women and children at risk of hunger in our community. Second Harvest distributes donated, purchased and prepared foods through a network community and program partners in all 34 cities in Orange County. Last year, Second Harvest provided enough food for a record 26.5 million meals, feeding more than 250,000 people each month. Every dollar donated to Second Harvest helps provide food for three meals. Second Harvest is a member of Feeding America, a national hunger relief organization. For more information about our work and how you can help, visit FeedOC.org SOURCE Arlo Technologies, Inc. Related Links https://www.arlo.com Jihadi terrorists killing Christians in Mozambique seek to establish government rule from 'Allah' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment 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. O'FALLON, Mo. (AP) Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday extended Missouris statewide stay-at-home order through May 3, but pledged that the next day people are going to go back to work so the states economy can begin to recover from the coronavirus shutdown. But most businesses wont be reopening anytime soon in Missouris two urban areas. Democratic leaders of Kansas City, Jackson County, St. Louis and St. Louis County all announced Thursday that they were extending stay-at-home orders through at least mid-May. Parson, a Republican, said it is imperative to get businesses back in operation and Missourians working again after weeks of forced closure aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. People are going to go back to work on May the fourth, Parson said. Parson was among the last governors to issue a stay-at-home order. Missouris order began April 6 and was set to expire April 24. St. Louis and Kansas City and their suburbs, along with several other counties, initiated their own shelter-in-place orders several days before that. The extended orders announced by St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page have no end date, but both said theyll re-evaluate in mid-May. Orders by Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. require residents to stay at home, with exceptions for things such as grocery and supply trips or medical visits, through May 15. Across the country, social isolation aimed at slowing the coronavirus has devastated the economy. Nearly 22 million Americans have sought unemployment benefits in the past month, by far the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record. Backlash against restrictions has begun, including a protest in Michigan on Wednesday. A similar protest is planned in Jefferson City for next week. Parson said the stay-at-home order has been difficult, but the effort has worked: Projections now call for fewer cases and deaths than were originally feared. He said his program, which he called the Show-Me Strong Recovery Plan, acknowledges that work remains, including expanding testing capacity and coming up with more personal protective equipment. Our re-opening efforts will be careful," Parson said. "They will be deliberate and done in phases. The timing may not look the same in every community. Our hardest hit areas like St. Louis Kansas City may take longer to fully recover. But we must be ready for a slow and steady recovery, with some sort of social distancing continued, even as we begin to reopen the economy. But Krewson said during her own news conference that removing shelter-in-place restrictions runs the risk of creating a new wave of illnesses. It is important for all of us right now to stay the course continue to stay at home as much as possible, Krewson said. The virus has killed 154 Missourians and the state has seen 5,142 confirmed cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering, which has been tracking cases worldwide. The case tally rose by 358, or 7.5%, from Wednesday. More than half of the confirmed cases in Missouri, and 86 of the deaths, have occurred in St. Louis city and county. Most infected people develop mild or moderate coronavirus symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up within three weeks. But older adults and people with existing health problems are particularly susceptible to more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. Officials announced the deaths of three more nursing home residents. Franklin County Presiding Commissioner Tim Brinker said two women in their 90s died after contracting the illness at Grandview Healthcare in Washington, bringing the number of victims from that nursing home to six. St. Charles County officials said a man in his 80s from Frontier Health & Rehabilitation has become the seventh victim from the St. Charles facility. ___ AP reporter David A. Lieb in Jefferson City contributed to this report. SINGAPORE, April 17 (Reuters) - Singapore's annual exports growth accelerated by 17.6% in March, blowing past expectations due to a jump in shipments of pharmaceuticals and gold, official data showed on Friday. The sharp jump in non-oil domestic exports (NODX) compared with a revised 3.1% rise the month before, data from trade agency Enterprise Singapore showed, and partly reflected base effects due to the downturn in the electronics industry last year. The city-state is a big regional player in the gold trade, and exports can be impacted by sharp swings in value. The surge in exports defied expectations for a 8.9% decline predicted by economists in a Reuters poll. On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, exports expanded 12.8% in March after declining a revised 4.7% in February. (Reporting by John Geddie and Aradhana Aravindan Editing by Shri Navaratnam) (MEMRI via JNS)Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar threatened last week that if Gazans start dying of COVID-19 due to a lack of ventilators, the terrorist group would make 6 million settlers unable to breathe. Speaking with Hamass Al-Aqsa TV and Shehab News Agency on April 2, Sinwar addressed Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, who he said had a Merchant of Venice mentality along with the rest of Israel. Bennett should read the prophecies contained in Chapter 17 of Ezekiel, which are about to come true for the Zionist entity, said the Hamas leader. I would like to use this opportunity to say a couple of words to Zionist Defense Minister Bennett: I refer you to the book of Ezekiel, Chapter 17, to read what awaits you, and what awaits your filthy [Zionist] entity, because the kind of language that you use can be expected only from someone who has a Merchant of Venice mentality. The Merchant of Venice gave people loans, and when the time came and they could not repay their debts, he started to cut off their flesh as payment for the money he had given them. This is the common practice of Bennett, and of the entire Zionist system that has occupied our land. I refer him to the book of Ezekiel, Chapter 17, about what awaits them from this pandemic and from other things. Sinwar emphasized that Hamas does not need any aid from Israel to cope with the coronavirus pandemic, and has been working day and night towards the liberation of Palestine. The coronavirus pandemic, he said, had been sent by God as retribution for the move of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and because God is not pleased about the way the things in this world are run. As for the question about whether we need them to give us anythingwe dont need anything from the occupation, he said. But I say this loud and clear: God forbid, if a time comes when we have no choice but to watch our citizens breathe their final breaths, and when there are no ventilatorsI say to Bennett that we will make 6 million Israeli settlers unable to breathe. With regard to the United States, Sinwar said the pandemic was Gods punishment for U.S. President Donald Trump declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel. When I saw Trump signing his decision to allocate $2.2 trillion for the coronavirus response, I recalled how he had signed in the same manner his decision to declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. I said then: You and the Americans will pay the price for this unjust and criminal decision. Today, our Lord, by means of this virus, which cannot be seen by many telescopes and microscopes... This virus can only be seen by a small number of them, but it has entered all the cities of the world, where curfews have been declared, because our Lord is not pleased about the way things in this world are run. Central New Yorks largest bank says it issued more government-backed loans to small businesses in a week than it did for all of 2019 as companies rushed to claim emergency federal coronavirus relief aid. M&T Bank helped 27,711 businesses gain approval for $6.4 billion in forgivable loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration, a spokeswoman said Friday. Last year, M&T processed 1,449 SBA loans throughout its banking network, said Julia Berchou, a vice president for the Buffalo-based bank. From April 6 through Monday, M&T helped 1,660 small businesses receive loans totaling $371 million in the banks Syracuse/Utica region under the SBAs Paycheck Protection Program. The emergency loan program approved by Congress reached its $349 billion lending limit Thursday after the SBA approved almost 1.7 million loans nationwide. Congress is considering a request from President Donald Trumps administration to approve an additional $250 billion for the program, an effort that would help small business owners whose loan applications have not yet been processed. READ MORE: Small businesses: 2 things you need to do if you missed out on federal PPP loans M&T Bank, which has the largest share of bank deposits in Central New York, accepted the federal loan applications for eight days from April 6 through Monday. The SBA loans are aimed at helping small employers stay open and keep workers on the payroll during the coronavirus pandemic. The low-interest loans will be forgiven, turning into grants, if small businesses can show they kept workers employed through the crisis. M&T said the 27,711 loans it made throughout its banking network will help small businesses that added together employ more than 600,000 people. The bank normally has a team of 25 people handling Small Business Administration loans. To keep up with the flood of applications, M&T redeployed about 2,000 employees to work on the loan program. It was an incredible accomplishment and like nothing weve ever done before, Berchou said. AmeriCU, a credit union with 130,000 members in Central and Northern New York, said it also saw record demand for the SBA loans. John Arnold, AmeriCUs assistant vice president of lending sales, said the number of applicants is unprecedented. Its been excessive, Arnold said. The amount of applications that have come through us are equal to what we typically see in a full year. The credit union successfully processed about 300 loan applications for small businesses, with an average loan of $65,000 to $75,000, Arnold said. Key Bank, the second-largest bank by deposits in Central New York, said Friday that it successfully processed about 35,000 applications for $8.5 billion in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program. A Key Bank spokesman said the number of borrowers and loans approved for its Central New York region is not available. READ MORE: Paycheck Protection Program: Which industries have claimed most coronavirus relief funds? M&T Bank and Key Bank, which control 44% of the Central New York banking market, accepted SBA loan applications only from their existing small business customers. M&T Bank (23%) and Key Bank (21%) are the largest commercial banks by deposit share in Onondaga, Cayuga, Madison and Oswego counties, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. M&T Bank this week contributed $150,000 to local coronavirus relief funds, including $50,000 to the Central New York COVID-19 Community Support Fund. The fund helps supply food, diapers, housing and other emergency needs of Central New Yorkers struggling during the pandemic. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Coronavirus: 8,000 people in CNY likely had the virus and never knew it Onondaga Co. coronavirus: 5 fatalities in deadliest day yet; 579 total cases Updated: See our newest list of CNY restaurants offering takeout and/or delivery Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 By Fran Wood I am about to launch into a pitch for New Jerseyans pumping their own gasoline. I say this as a temporary convert because for decades I have vehemently opposed any attempt to have New Jersey join the rest of the 49 states and allow self-pumping. But I am persuaded that COVID-19 demands temporarily lifting that restriction. I didnt come to this conclusion all by myself. I got it from Sal Risalvato, executive director of New Jersey Gasoline, C-Store, and Automotive Association (NJGCA). Historically, Risalvato, the NJGCA and I were on the same page. But right now theyre convinced self-pumping is essential, and for more than a month, Risalvato has been making that case to Gov. Phil Murphy. He hasnt had a positive response yet. Or any response. Its hard to find fault with Risalvatos reasoning. Station employees feel unprotected, as its impossible to take cash or a credit card from six feet away. Therefore, many are not reporting to work, either self-quarantining at home or quitting altogether. Customers have the same concerns, and some are insisting on pumping their own gas a violation of state law that can result in a $250 fine for the station owner. Gasoline sales are down dramatically, which when coupled with fewer available employees, means hours of operation must be reduced. Risalvato says stations are trying to remain open to serve essential workers, such as medical and grocery store employees. But not all have been able to. Up and down the state, many are closing early, making it harder for late-shift workers to find gasoline. Many of my member stations supply ambulances and emergency vehicles, he adds. The employee shortage also has forced station owners, many of whom Risvalto notes are in their 60s and older, to come in and operate the pumps themselves creating a potentially increased risk for both high-risk owners and customers. There are 2,200 gas stations in New Jersey. Right now, says Risalvato, At any given time of day, between 200 and 500 are closed for certain portions of the day. In some cases for days at a time. Ordinarily, those stations employ about 5,000 pumpers. At the moment, its hard to put a number on how many are working. Hes heard from station owners who say they have only one pumper left. On March 15, before it was clear just how hard COVID-19 would hit New Jersey, Risalvato contacted the governors office to ask for a temporary suspension of the self-pumping ban. He got a response from several senior staff members telling him his request would be discussed with the governor. He never heard back. He then sent a formal letter to the governor on March 24. No reply. His most recent letter to Gov. Murphy was sent March 30. Hes still waiting for a response. All thats needed is for the governor to issue an executive order saying there will be a temporary suspension of the law, says Risalvato. At grocery stores you can sanitize the cart, your products, even the machine that takes your card. You can do the same thing at a gas pump. Well provide sanitizer. He says gas stations that have more than one island can simply designate one for customers who want to pump. The other(s) could remain full-serve. I happen to know Risalvato has become a committed proponent of self-pumping in recent years, because Ive spoken to him when penning (well, typing) my own opinion on this matter. So I asked if hes hoping such a measure would pave the way to changing New Jerseys law. Eventually, yes, he admitted, explaining that the difficulty of finding people to pump gas has become an increasing problem even in normal times. But I dont even want to debate that, he says emphatically. I want to stop the spread [of coronavirus]. Were in a health crisis. I am making this pitch for three reasons: to safeguard employees, to safeguard motorists and to keep gas stations open when they are faced with a shortage of employees. NJGCAs use of the word temporary is what got me on board. I can be persuaded to pump my own gas during a pandemic, but I still have no wish to do it permanently. I dont want to ruin a hairdo in August humidity, or freeze my fingers when the temperature is in the 20s, or have my suede pumps marred by dirty slush left from car wheels in January. So yes, Im all for Gov. Murphy lifting the ban on self-pumping. Temporarily. Fran Wood is a retired Star-Ledger op-ed columnist and former books editor. 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. There is not enough data to measure the air quality in Kyiv, as there are very few observation posts in Ukraine's capital. It was stated by the chairman of the All-Ukrainian ecological league Tetiana Tymochko on the air of 112 Ukraine TV channel. "Kyiv will not be able to compete with the Chinese giant cities, but I can say that the situation is quite intense. Even those observation posts that are located in Kyiv show a significant excess of indicators. The problem is that these posts are small, they do not cover the entire city, they do not take samples, do not calculate and do not identify all the pollutants and that is why we cannot have an objective assessment," she said. According to Tymochko, smoke masses are transporting over long distances, and this is not only the Chornobyl zone, but also the fires in the Kyiv region. As we reported earlier, according to the aqicn.org aggregator, the index of air quality in the Ukrainian capital is defined as "unhealthy". "Everyone can start feeling consequences for their health; the extremely sensitive people can feel more serious consequences," the description reads. Where does incompetence end and crime begin? asked an appalled German chancellor in the First World War on learning that his chief military commander planned to renew his bloody but futile attacks on the western front. President Trump is showing a similar disastrous inability during the coronavirus pandemic to shift away from his well-tried tactics of claiming non-existent successes and blaming everybody for his blunders except for himself. It is his first true crisis in his three years in the White House and, like that German general, he is visibly incapable of changing the way he deals with it. Much virtual ink has been spilled over the last three years about the ineptitude and isolationism of the Trump presidency, and how far it will erode American hegemony. The pandemic has posed the question more starkly than ever before, but it has also provided something of an answer. Crudely put, the US will not remain the one single superpower if the rest of the world sees evidence day after day that the country is run by a crackpot who cannot cope with a global calamity. More is at stake here than the future of the Trump presidency. Over the past decade, Trumpian nationalist populist leaders have taken power all around the world, and they too are being tested and found wanting. Without exception, they have shown themselves to be better at winning (or fixing) elections than they are at combating the virus. Some admit the gravity of the outbreak, but use it to enhance their power and silence their critics. Others reject social distancing and restrictive measures as unnecessary, or denounce them as a hoax cooked up by the media. What comes across in all these cases is that Trumpian regimes, for all their self-serving talk of threats, do not know what to do when there is a real threat to their nation. In India, the Hindu nationalist prime minister, Narendra Modi, locked down his country with just four hours notice, forcing millions of jobless migrant labourers with little money or food to trek hundreds of miles to their home villages. In Brazil, the far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, took an opposite tack, downplaying the crisis and defying his own health ministrys appeal for social distancing by going into the street to buy doughnuts and mingle with his supporters: one film shows him wiping his nose with his wrist before shaking hands with an elderly woman. Turkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is reluctant to do anything to stall the Turkish economy and is jailing journalists who say he is not doing enough for victims of the virus. In Hungary, the prime minister, Viktor Orban, used the pandemic as an excuse to pass a law suspending elections and enabling him to rule indefinitely by decree. The dire state of underfunded Hungarian hospitals is ignored. What might be loosely called the Trump playbook though much of it predates Trump, and has been used by populist nationalist demagogues through history falls short when it comes to dealing effectively with a real rather than a concocted crisis. However, comforting though it would be to suppose that this would discredit leaders who pretend to be national saviours, this does not necessarily follow. In places such as Hungary, Turkey and India, the media is largely under the control of the ruling party, and news of its mismanagement of the crisis will be suppressed regardless of the toll. Yet the pandemic is exposing the weaknesses of regimes from Washington to Delhi and Sao Paulo to Budapest. Autocracy has its disadvantages since, at the core of these governments, is a supreme leader with devoted followers who believe that he can do no wrong. Trump may have drawn back from his claim that he enjoys monarchical powers and can do without Congress, but the boast shows his authoritarian inclinations. Crises expose the poor judgement of such dictatorial regimes, where leaders surround themselves with cheerleaders and courtiers who tell them what they want to hear. A diplomat in Baghdad once told me that among the senior lieutenants of Saddam Hussein, the only safe course was to be 10 per cent tougher than the boss. Trump may not shoot advisers who contradict him, like Saddam did, but he does sack them and shows equal intolerance towards dissenting views as the Iraqi dictator. The Trumpian generation of leaders suffers from a further disadvantage: they come from deeply polarised countries, and are both the symptom and cause of those divisions. Minorities are persecuted: Muslims in India; Kurds in Turkey; Latin American immigrants in the US. The new authoritarians are happy to rule countries that are split down the middle, but they are finding that successfully fighting a pandemic requires a higher degree of national cohesion than they can deliver. ER doctor blasts Trump for stopping WHO funding amid global pandemic The pandemic will rock many of these regimes, but censorship and aggressive government PR may limit its political impact. The devastating Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-19 only gained its name because Spain was one of the few countries that did not censor accounts of its ravages. The coronavirus may ebb, or news of it be suppressed, but it will be impossible to hide the deep economic depression likely to follow in its wake. It was the Great Crash of 1929 that led to the rise of Hitler and the advance of communism, fuelling ever-increasing political violence in the 1930s. A post-pandemic Great Depression mark II may have a similarly explosive political effect, turning the 2020s into the same sort of troubled time in our century as the 1930s were in the last. Rival nation-states will once again confront each other and international organisations such as the UN and the EU, as with the League of Nations of old, will retreat into irrelevance. Enhanced international cooperation and integration, which once appeared to be where the world was heading, are turning out to be a mirage. As Trump presides over the break-up of the international order and the ebb-tide of US hegemony, it is difficult to think of any historic figure that precisely resembles him. But one contender should surely be Kaiser Wilhelm II, the swaggering, opinionated German emperor with catastrophically poor judgement, who led his country to defeat in the First World War. As with Trump, he warned somewhat prematurely of the rise of China and the yellow peril. And, again like Trump, he forecast that the great crisis that he could not cope with would soon be over, promising his soldiers in 1914 that they would be home before the leaves fall. Credit: Carlos III University of Madrid The Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), together with the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas and the University of Porto, has patented a magnetic cork that could remove polluting particles from water, among other uses. The magnetic cork has been created through a process of co-precipitation of iron oxide through which magnetite is obtained. This mineral is absorbed as soon as it comes into contact with the surface of the cork. "The patent arises from the need to make graded adhesive joints. It occurred to me, when reading about the various techniques that are used for graded joints and about cork, that we could make the cork magnetic using the process that is currently used to obtain magnetite," notes Juana Abenojar, researcher in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering at the UC3M. Thanks to the magnetisation of cork, the ease of capturing particles with the help of a magnet allowing them to be positioned in a particular placefor example, to modify rigid polymers when an area needs to be more ductile than the rest as it is going to be subjected to impactis added to the inherent advantages of the material, such as its low weight an impact resistance. Using the magnet, a greater number of magnetic cork particles are put in a certain place to achieve greater flexibility. The material can also be used to remove contaminants captured by these particles from a liquid. "One of its uses would be to absorb heavy metals from water. In other words, removing contaminants from water," notes Abenojar, although she points out that this application is still being studied. The magnetisation of other polymer and ceramic materials, such as silicon carbide or boron carbide, that could be used as sensors are currently being tested. This patent has led to another application from the University of Porto under the title "Methodology and apparatus to manufacture functionally graded joints using magnetized micro particles." "Moreover, the patent is being applied for in Europe as well as the US in order to transfer it to a company that will manage it," Abenojar concludes. Explore further Coronavirus case at Apple's EU headquarters in Ireland Traffic is light on Kelly Drive in Philadelphia one day last month. Read more Cars, trucks, and buses are among the top pollution sources in Philadelphia, given the vast network of normally traffic-choked roads within the city and surrounding areas. The compounds emitted from those commuter tailpipes include particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, and carbon monoxide. In addition, the burning of fossil fuels produces volatile organic compounds, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Its been widely assumed that levels of those pollutants would drop significantly during the coronavirus shutdown, which has reduced rush-hour traffic to a fraction of its normal load. Data from the Philadelphia Department of Public Healths Air Management Services suggest levels of some pollutants have decreased in the city. The Inquirer published a story April 17 with data showing some of the decline. Then on Wednesday, Earth Day, city officials provided updated levels of two key pollutants before and after Gov. Tom Wolfs orders to shut down businesses and require residents to stay home. What the numbers say The city monitors air quality through a network of stations that house instruments measuring gaseous, solid, and liquid aerosol pollutants. Originally, at the request of The Inquirer, the health department analyzed averages from 10 monitors for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and PM2.5 (atmospheric particulate matter under 2.5 micrometers), two pollutants that pose a threat to human health. It compared 16-day periods immediately before and immediately after Gov. Tom Wolf issued statewide mitigation orders on March 17. Both pollutants showed substantial drops. The new city analysis includes a longer period used to examine pollutant levels. The new analysis compared values from Feb. 17 to March 17, before Wolfs orders, and from March 17 through April 16, after the orders. The orders closed schools and restaurants, halted non-essential travel, and traffic plunged. (A full stay-at-home order for Philadelphia went into effect March 23). Nitrogen dioxide The biggest drop came with NO2, an indicator for a group of gases known as nitrogen oxides (NOx). The monitors show a big decline in NO2, which is a good thing since it is harmful to human health. NO2 is pumped into the air during the burning of fossil fuels used in motor vehicles and power plants. Breathing high concentrations of the gas can irritate airways, aggravate respiratory diseases, and lead to coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. Children and the elderly with asthma are generally at greater risk for the health effects of NO2, which may contribute to the development of asthma. NO2 and other nitrogen compounds react with chemicals in the air to form particulate matter and ozone, both of which are harmful. The average daily maximum one-hour NO2 concentration recorded in the month before the order was 37.5 parts per billion. After the order, the concentration had dropped to 29.2 parts per billion, reflecting a 22% drop. Additional analysis showed NO2 levels are 22% lower this year than during the same period in 2019. Particulates The city also saw a decline in particulate matter, which is what you see in soot from vehicle exhaust. The tiny particles, smaller than one-10th the diameter of a human hair, are a health hazard and can penetrate deep into the lungs. The monitors showed that PM2.5 dropped from a daily average of 7.4 micrograms per cubic meter of air to 6.1, a roughly 18% drop. However, an analysis for roughly the same time period in 2019 showed no significant difference, which city officials attribute to the fact that PM2.5 is not just a local pollutant, and so could be influenced by sources elsewhere, as well as weather, which varies from year to year. Carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide, CO, is found in fumes produced by cars, trucks, small engines, and even stoves and grills. If it builds up indoors, it can poison people. CO also dropped from 0.7 parts per million to 0.5 parts per million, about a 25% drop in concentrations. Reducing pollution pays dividends' The health department said in a report that the data "shows that by restricting business and movement by the public, levels of certain air pollutants in Philadelphia will drop by significant amounts. While it is understood that maintaining this level of shutdown is inadvisable and dangerous, the Health Department maintains that there is something to be learned from it. The report continued: "Reducing the number of cars and trucks on the road and the amount of pollution from industrial point sources pays dividends in air quality. " Joe Minott, executive director of the nonprofit Clean Air Council and a resident of Center City, said last week, The difference in traffic has been breathtaking, for want of a better word. Even at the height of rush hour, its nothing. Minott said a drop in vehicle traffic and a commensurate drop in at least some pollutants is exactly what you would expect. Mobile sources are the single largest source of air pollution. And the pollution is at ground level, so it has a very profound impact on nearby communities. FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered Minott hopes that businesses will learn from the shutdown and allow more employees to work from home going forward at least part of the time. I think we are already seeing these sorts of trends in general where younger people are less interested in owning cars and driving," he said. And now, since weve been forced to implement work at home, will that become a new norm? Greenhouse gas What about the chief greenhouse gas in the United States, carbon dioxide? CO2 is widely dispersed in the atmosphere and can come from anywhere. Philadelphia does not monitor CO2 levels in its network. However, the federal Energy Information Administration is forecasting that nationwide, energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will decrease by 7.5% in 2020 as the result of the slowing economy and restrictions on business and travel activity related to COVID-19. And even for 2021, the agency is forecasting that CO2 might only bounce back by 3.6%. Anthony J. Broccoli, co-director of the Rutgers Climate Institute, said the only comparison to what were experiencing now is the 2007-09 recession, when there was a temporary reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. But any lasting effect of the current economic slump on long-term changes in climate will be too small to notice. "Much more drastic reductions in emissions that are sustained into the future would be required to stabilize the climate, Broccoli said. This story was updated April 22 to reflect newer pollutant numbers from its original publication date of April 17. THE Chief Registrar of the Judiciary of Tanzania, Mr Wilbert Chuma, has ordered all new civil cases to be filed in various courts across the country electronically in order to reduce congestion, avoid Corona virus transmission and save costs in justice dispensation. ''All civil litigations involving lawyers should be filed online and not otherwise,'' the Chief Registrar directed in a statement issued by the Directorate of Information and Communication of the Judiciary of Tanzania. He pointed out that the Electronic Filling Rules, 2018 GN 148/2018, issued by the Chief Justice of Tanzania and came into effect on April 13, 2018, emphasized the need of opening cases through the online system. Mr Chuma urged judiciary staff and advocates to be at the forefront of the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to reduce crowding in court compounds and avoid corona virus transmission. According to him, there are currently 1,732 advocates registered in the online filing system, but those using it are only 1,250. He called on the advocates as well as judicial officers to appreciate the importance of using the new system especially during this period of the frightening COVID-19 pandemic. The Chief Registrar also challenged ICT officers in conjunction with other judicial officers to enlighten ordinary citizens on the new system. "The use of ICT for staff and advocates should be part of your daily work to enable you conduct cases without the need of the public to come to court, and thus reduce unnecessary congestion," he said in the statement published on the Judiciarys website. Mr Chuma further said that officials at every level of the judiciary from the Court of Appeal to district courts should make sure a special place was earmarked and be equipped with all the necessary tools for registering cases online. He explained that the process would help people who could not afford to use the service, especially those who have no representation in courts, to register their cases through the new system. The Chief Registrar added that ICT officers should make sure that they provide the necessary support at all times in the areas to facilitate the exercise, including giving such rights to all the deserving people in accordance with the procedures. ''It is the responsibility of every Court Administrator in his or her area to make sure that the necessary needs are available in order to accomplish this exercise, '' he stressed. The Chief Registrar called on administrators to cooperate with ICT officers in their respective areas, to ensure that all judges and magistrates have electronic signatures within 21 days, as per the orders he issued on April 14, 2020. Mr Chuma also directed court officials to control the number of journalists entering court premises and not to allow any press conferences or interviews within the compounds, to reduce congestion. On cases being conducted through the video conference system, the Chief Registrar disclosed that procurement procedures had already been implemented to facilitate the acquisition of such equipment to the courts that do not have such service. He said 13 flat screen or televisions would be sent to various prisons and seven others to the High Court stations, whereby 24 computers and a scanner would be distributed to the sites. On March 23, 2020, the Chief Justice of Tanzania, in his address to the public, called on court leaders at all levels to show leadership skills by helping Tanzanians to continue accessing justice services easily in a world that is experiencing COVID-19. Friday, April 17, 2020 at 6:00PM by Claudio Alves The Coen brothers are some of the most acclaimed American directors of our days. While many celebrate their ability with witty dialogues and violent storylines, a worldview rich in irony and nihilism, parts of their cinematic genius remain a bit underrated. For instance, their works are always beautiful, carefully composed and shot, full of inspired design choices and homages to the classicism of Old Hollywood filmmaking. Few would put them in the same ballpark as contemporary directors like Luhrmann or del Toro when it comes to the consistent creation of lush visual feasts, but maybe we should reconsider that Hail, Caesar!, one of their most underrated pictures, is new on Netflix, offering us a grand opportunity to reevaluate the aesthetic pleasures of the Coens' cinema. Shot by Roger Deakins with an astute eye towards cinematographic techniques of yore, that comedy infused with catholic guilt is a dream of retro glamour. Mary Zophres does some of her best work, costuming the sprawling cast in outfits that evoke the artifice of the late 40s and early 50s MGM productions as well as real-life clothing from the period. As for the sets, they are a spectacle of deconstructed movie magic, gifting us with such sights as a fragmented Roman Forum and a seaside landscape that looks gloriously fake. Such an achievement earned Jess Gonchor and Nancy Haigh a surprising, but richly deserved, Oscar nomination. All of their movies are similarly exquisite when it comes to their images. To celebrate this visual mastery, here are ten other recommendations of Coens flicks of great beauty and the places where you can find them online: BLOOD SIMPLE (1984) The Coens first film is a riff on noir tropes, quoting the narrative models of the genre as well as its aesthetic. DP Barry Sonnenfeld brought the chiaroscuro beauty of those classics of Old Hollywood and bathed it in contrasting neon. The result is a film that feels both specific to the 1980s and lost in time. Available to stream on Direct TV and the Amazon Cinemax Channel. You can also rent it from Amazon, Youtube, Google Play and others. MILLER'S CROSSING (1990) Gangster pictures are distilled into an arch tragedy that's as complex as it is exact. Such is the wonder of Miller's Crossing, one of the Coens' most perfect flicks and one of their most visually impressive too. While Dennis Gassner's sets and Richard Hornung's costumes reconstruct a detailed and severe vision of the Prohibition-era, it's Sonnenfeld's cinematography that elevates it to the higher echelons of the Coens' filmography. The way the woods are turned into eerie circuses of death, unmoored to time and space in their oppressive greenery, is of particular brilliance. You can rent this film from Amazon, Youtube, Google Play and others. BARTON FINK (1991) The work that won the Coens a Palme d'Or marks their first feature collaboration with the one and only Roger Deakins. It's also their first direct look at Hollywood's past, with Oscar-nominated sets and costumes by the same team of Miller's Crossing. As shot by Deakins' camera, those beautiful period designs are turned into visions of Californian purgatory while a hotel's fiery corridor looks like a portal to hell. You can rent this film from Amazon, Youtube, Google Play and others. THE HUDSUCKER PROXY (1994) Whimsical and wacky, this meta-cinematic experiment is one of the Coens' lightest and most delightful pictures. It's also one of their most robustly stylized efforts, quoting the techniques and aesthetics of Golden Age Hollywood with shameless abandon. The team of Gassner and Hornung have seldomly delivered greater work than this picture's explosion of Art Deco fantasy married to Midcentury elegance. Jennifer Jason Leigh, in particular, looks like the divine fusion between a 1930's screwball heroine and a 1950s fashion plate. Available to stream on HBO NOW, HBO GO, Direct TV. You can also rent it from Amazon, Youtube, Google Play and others. FARGO (1996) Roger Deakins' greatest lensing is also one of the Coens' indisputable masterpieces. Just the way this dream team chooses to present the frozen landscapes of North Dakota is Oscar-worthy, painting surrealistic nightmares with headlights lost in nightly drives and making a parking lot look like a striking bit of ominous minimalism. Available to stream on STARZ and Direct TV. You can also rent it from Amazon, Youtube, Google Play and others. O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? (2000) The Coens returned to the milieu of the Great Depression with this satirical tale of Mississippi escaped convicts that references everything from the Odyssey to Preston Sturges. Their exact aesthetic demanded that Deakins used heavy digital color correction in post-production, a pioneering method at the time that allowed the filmmakers to drain the natural tableaux of their green vitality. In its dusty tones and sepia shades, the film looks like an ancient dream of cinema, both primitive and highly technological. You can rent this film from Amazon, Youtube, Google Play and others. THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE (2001) To this day, this is the only full black & white picture the Coens ever directed and it's also one of Roger Deakins' most beautiful achievements. Dennis Gassner's production design and Mary Zophres' late 40s costuming help give The Man Who Wasn't There its particular aesthetic, which references the post-war noirs at the same time it adds a layer of deliberate artifice to its conventions. You can rent this film from Amazon, Youtube, Google Play and others. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007) The images of this Best Picture winner are as masterful as they are sharp. Roger Deakins' shadow games cut detailed tableaux through dark interiors, make the desert look otherworldly and a squalid bathroom into a gloomy painting of medical horror. The sets and costumes doing the subtle 80s period reconstruction shouldn't be undervalued either. Available to stream on Hoopla and STARZ. You can also rent it from Amazon, Youtube, Google Play and others. TRUE GRIT (2010) While this adaptation of Charles Portis' novel may live under the shadow of the 1969 Oscar-winning movie of the same name, the Coens' True Grit is a superior piece of cinema at every level. Zophres' costumes are rich in character detail, defining grotesque villains and anti-heroes with a single outfit. As for Jess Gonchor's sets, they're perfectly squalid, bringing a dangerous severity to the Old West and providing a beautiful canvas unto which Roger Deakins paints with light, color and shadow in the most breathtaking manner. Available to stream on Amazon Prime, Hulu, Direct TV, and Epix. You can also rent it from Amazon, Youtube, Google Play and others. INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (2013) One of the few times after 1991 that the Coens didn't use Roger Deakins as their cinematographer was this 2013 tale of miserly intransigence set in the New York of 1961. Bruno Delbonnel shot this wintry story, creating images that glow with glacial beauty, while Gonchor and Zophres do their usual, bringing quirky idiosyncrasies to impeccably researched historical designs. It's beautiful, alienating us at the same it seduces and spellbinds. Available to stream on Amazon Prime. You can also rent it from Youtube, Google Play and others. What's the best looking Coens film? Is it one of the productions mentioned here or other of their sterling creations like the Lubezki lensed Burn After Reading or the 60s misadventures of A Serious Man, perhaps? Kolkata, April 17 : Admitting that the Covid-19 situation in parts of Howrah was very bad, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday asked top cops to deploy armed police in some of the areas of the district as also in a few zones of Kolkata to ensure that people stayed at their homes and maintained social distancing norms in the markets. The Chief Minister, accompanied by some senior officials, held a video conference with district magistrates and police superintendents from the state secretariat Nabanna, and asked them to work round the clock to battle the disease and prevent its community transmission. She announced that a number of areas in several districts have been designated as very sensitive and sensitive, and for the first time mentioned red, orange and green zones -- demarcations announced by the Central government earlier a identify areas based on the prevalence of positive coronavirus cases. Till Thursday, the Mamata Banerjee-led government was reluctant to use these terms. While red zone denotes areas with substantial numbers of positive cases, where complete restriction is to be imposed, orange zone refers to areas with a limited number of cases in the past and with no surge in positive cases recently, where restricted activities such as farm product harvesting are allowed. Districts with no coronavirus positive cases are included in green zones. The Centre had designated Howrah, East Midnapore, Kolkata and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal as red zones. However, Banerjee said that East Midnapore has already entered into orange zone. "The situation in Howrah is very bad. If from transmission within the family it reaches the stage of community transmission, then lots of people will be affected. If need be, armed police should be deployed in the sensitive areas like the Howrah market where huge crowds are gathering and social distancing norms are not being maintained," Banerjee said. The Chief Minister named Howrah, Urban, Malipanchghara, Dhulagarh, Shibpur and Sankrail as the high risk areas. She urged people not to go out of home and said the police will reach food items to them if needed. Banerjee said some wards in Kolkata were also sensitive and asked city police commissioner Anuj Sharma to post armed police personnel there. "Stop social mixing, roadside chit chats. Police should impose restrictions in markets in these areas. More than five people should not be allowed to queue up in front of a shop. Nobody would be allowed to enter markets without masks. Sanitisers are also mandatory at the entrances of every market," she said. Banerjee categorically told the officials that Howrah should be in orange zone within 14 days. "Similarly, Kolkata also has to be in orange zone from red zone, and then finally in green zone. The matter has to be handled strongly and seriously," she added. 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. Bankura: 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?" FIR filed against BJP MP Dr Subhash Sarkar, a qualified doctor himself, from Bankura, for pointing out that people are dying because of Covid and it is not being reported. Despite several media reports and visuals of the WB admin clandestinely cremating the dead... #SaveBengal pic.twitter.com/iV1PQPhK1u Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 16, 2020 The bodies of two persons who died in a government hospital were cremated by the authorities on 12 April midnight. Some people had demonstrated claiming that the two died of coronavirus. T he Duke of Cambridge today revealed his concern about Prince Charles when he first learned that his father had been diagnosed with Covid-19. The heir to the throne, 71, spent seven days self isolating at his Scottish home Birkhall, when he was told he had contracted the disease late last month. Prince William, 37, said: I have to admit, at first I was quite concerned, he fits the profile of somebody, at the age he is at, which is fairly risky. But my father has had many chest infections, colds and things like that over the years and so I thought to myself (if) anybodys going to be able to beat this its going to be him. William and Kate have spoken about the importance of maintaining good mental health during the coronavirus lockdown / BBC The duke said he was reassured by doctor friends, and his mind was put at rest after speaking to his father, but at his age of 71 you do worry a bit more. William, who was being interviewed by the BBC with his wife Kate about a new mental health campaign, also praised Captain Tom Moore, who has raised 18 million for the NHS by walking lengths of his garden. The duke described the 99-year-old war veteran as an absolute legend and has written to him and made an undisclosed donation to his appeal. Prince Charles gives official statement after coming out of isolation following coronavirus diagnosis During the interview, the Duchess of Cambridge spoke of the extraordinary job NHS staff and other front-line workers are doing will dramatically change how we value them in the future. Kate said the higher status of doctors, nurses and care home workers will be one of the main positives to come out of the coronavirus crisis. Britain's Prince William reacts during a call with a member of the National Emergencies Trust on a conversation about the coronavirus disease / via REUTERS The Cambridges were being interviewed ahead of the launch of a video on Monday highlighting new advice on Public Health Englands Every Mind Matters website. The couple have narrated a clip for the video, which is aimed at supporting the countrys mental wellbeing during the coronavirus outbreak. The couple will tell the nation were in this together. There has been a steep rise in crime against women across the country amid restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak, with the National Commission for Women receiving 587 complaints from March 23 to April 16, out of which 239 are related to domestic violence. IMAGE: Women show their Aadhaar cards as they wait to receive free rations being distributed by the Delhi government. Photograph: PTI Photo According to data shared by the NCW, 123 cases of domestic violence were received between February 27 and March 22. In the last 25 days, the commission received 239 more such complaints. NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma earlier said that the high number can be attributed to the lockdown imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak which has locked the abuser and the victim together. The nationwide lockdown was declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 to control the spread of coronavirus. From February 27 to March 22, a total of 396 offences related to women were reported to the NCW, while from March 23 to April 16, as many as 587 such complaints were received, according to the data. The highest number of complaints were related to domestic violence. The NCW had launched a WhatsApp number -- 72177135372 -- on April 10 to report domestic violence on an emergency basis during the lockdown. The commission constituted a special team to handle these complaints on a fast track basis. Since the launch of this dedicated WhatsApp number, a total of 40 messages were received reporting domestic violence, the data showed. The NCW, in a statement, said these messages are first scrutinised and those related to domestic violence amid the lockdown are taken up on priority and to provide immediate security to aggrieved women with the help of state police and administration. NORTHBROOK, IL The village of Northbrook joined a handful of Chicago-area municipalities in requiring the use of the face coverings in public areas via a supplemental order taking effect on Monday. The order would apply to anyone over the age of five working at or patronizing a Northbrook business open to the public and anyone riding public transportation, including taxis and rideshares. A business owner or operator may refuse admission or service to any individual who fails to wear a face covering as required by this supplemental order. The village also is aware that not all residents have the same access to face coverings. Therefore, it will be distributing a limited supply of nonsurgical masks to the community at a future date. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises the use of simple cloth face coverings for the general public, as opposed to surgical masks or N95 respirators, which must be reserved for health care workers and emergency personnel. N95 masks and medical-grade masks are not recommended for general public use under Northbrook's supplemental order. Homemade cloth face coverings should fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face, be secured with ties or ear loops, include multiple layers of fabric, allow for unrestricted breathing and be able to launder or machine-dried without damage, according to the CDC. Illinois Coronavirus Update April 17: 25,733 Cases; 1,072 Deaths In addition to Northbrook, the village of Skokie required the use of face coverings starting Thursday. The village of Glenview also signed a similar order last week. To keep on top of the latest coronavirus news, subscribe to Patch news alerts and newsletters. The latest updates on the coronavirus situation can be found on this page. This article originally appeared on the Northbrook Patch I've known Michael Caputo, the newly installed assistant secretary for public affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for about a decade. I first encountered him in his role as the manager of Carl Paladino's maverick gubernatorial campaign, which as previously noted in this space was in almost every glittering facet a preview in miniature of Donald Trump's insurgent 2016 campaign albeit with Buffalo accents and Paladino's crushing general-election defeat by Andrew Cuomo. Since then, I think I've been in Caputo's presence twice once for a nice lunch on the Albany waterfront, again at the packed after-party for the 2011 Legislative Correspondents Association show and spoken to him occasionally on the phone (including on his Buffalo radio chat show) or digitally, most recently in a few social-media sparring matches over this column. He's a very charming guy, if you can overlook the fact that this onetime protege of noted felons Roger Stone and Paul Manafort hails from the subspecies of political operatives that has made this nation, and the world in general, a worse place in which to live. Four years ago this month, as Trump was heading toward a thumping victory in the New York presidential primary, Caputo set me up with a phone interview with the candidate that will always count as One of My Most Memorable. Caputo called me at midday to say Trump would reach out at some point in the afternoon, so I thanked him, hung up, got a legal pad and immediately sat down with a few members of our Capitol bureau to frame some questions. My phone rang: Trump already. I did my unprepared best for about 10 minutes we primarily spoke about his ambitions to crush his remaining GOP opponents in New York before the candidate bade me farewell by saying, "You've been really fair." A few weeks later, Caputo was forced to resign from the campaign in a letter to Manafort after he posted a Tweet celebrating the firing of Corey Lewandowski, Trump's campaign manager and a person who appears to have very little of Caputo's bearish wit. Manafort was booted two months later amid revelations about his shady consulting work in Ukraine a harbinger of the charges that would result in his federal conviction two years later. Just after Trump's primary win in New York, Caputo introduced Stone to a Florida-based Russian named Henry Oknyansky (aka Henry Greenberg), who was fronting for yet another Florida-based Russian who claimed to have evidence that Hillary Clinton had been involved in money laundering. According to the Mueller report, Stone refused because "Trump would not pay for opposition research" a line that does not hazard a guess as to whether this was based on moral scruples or simple economics. On CNN in 2018, Caputo analogized his eventual three-hour grilling by Mueller's team to "a proctology appointment with a very large-handed doctor." (In keeping with the truism that there are only six people involved in anything and five of them are from New York, Caputo's legal counsel was Dennis Vacco, another son of Buffalo and the state's most recent Republican attorney general.) Despite the considerable expense and notoriety resulting from his work for Trump's 2016 campaign which Caputo has acknowledged was a "s__show" he has remained fiercely loyal to the president, and is the author of the recently published book "The Ukraine Hoax: How Decades of Corruption in the Former Soviet Republic Led to Trump's Phony Impeachment." As that extended subtitle and much of Caputo's recent career attest, he is an aficionado of conspiracy theories that tend to support the president and the hucksters (Jack Posobiec. Mike Cernovich) who shovel them. He is, in other words, not exactly someone you would reliably count on to provide accurate, apolitical information from behind an agency podium in the best of times, much less in a global crisis that occurs as his caudillo faces an election. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. But perhaps I'm being unfair: The cover of Caputo's new book has now been scrubbed from his Twitter account, along with an untold number of past Tweets a few aimed at me that might be deemed unseemly for the deputy secretary of a federal agency. Caputo's hiring -at HHS is seen by many as the prelude to the departure of Secretary Alex Azar, who has learned the hard way that no matter how much you lick the president's figurative boot, the sheer tonnage of bad news produced by a poorly handled pandemic will prevent you from achieving the shine required by the boss. Azar seems to have committed the cardinal sin that preceded the downfalls of a long list of former Trump Cabinet officials: He got better press than the president, especially in several recent accounts of how the administration bungled coronavirus in January and February. Could Azar, who reportedly warned the president about what was coming, or his own HHS loyalists have been among the sources for those stories? Snitches, they say, get stitches. And now Azar has Caputo. cseiler@timesunion.com 518-454-5619 @CaseySeiler Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has ordered to use China's hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 treatment. The order was published on the Russian governments website for documents relating to official acts. The National Medical Cardiological Research Center was ordered to provide free hydroxychloroquine to facilities treating coronavirus patients. Hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug, has been used to treat COVID-19 internationally. Its effects against the disease have not been confirmed, and it has serious side effects. The Chinese company Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co. has delivered 68,000 packages of the drug to Russia as freely provided aid, Interfax reported. Allegations that the Department of Veterans Affairs is rationing protective equipment among staff who need it and underreporting cases of COVID-19 are untrue, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said Thursday. In an interview with Military.com, Wilkie insisted the department has "not put anyone in harm's way" and stands by the figures it regularly releases on veteran COVID-19 cases, now at 4,946 confirmed infections and 284 deaths. Soon after the pandemic hit the VA medical system, nurses in hard-hit cities like New York and Atlanta reported equipment shortages, with some saying they were running out of paper gowns and shoe covers, and they were allocated just one N95 respirator mask per shift. Under normal circumstances, they are given separate masks for each infectious ICU patient under their responsibility. In addition, VA employees not caring for COVID-19 patients have raised concerns about being issued just one surgical mask per week, a situation that leaves them vulnerable to contracting the illness from contaminated masks. Some 1,600 VA employees have confirmed cases of the coronavirus to date, and 14 have died from the illness. While 11 of those who died were not directly caring for patients, the employees say their lives are being endangered by VA policies. Wilkie however, disagrees. He said the number of sick employees at VA is a reflection of what is happening nationwide with community spread of the virus, and added that while there initially were issues with the department's supply chain, "not one of our hospitals has ever run out of supplies." "We've got 400,000 employees and someone says, 'I can't change into protective gear three times a day' ... I can tell you that in the emergency rooms and on the COVID wards, we are providing all those with [personal protective equipment]," Wilkie said in the interview. According to Wilkie, VA began readying for a possible pandemic the last week of January, establishing 19 emergency operating centers for moving material and equipment around the country as shortages arose. "We prepared to do what we call a cross-deck. Whenever there was a reported shortage anywhere in the country, we could move material around the nation," Wilkie said. Still, despite Wilkie's insistence that VA providers have adequate supplies to meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, nurses at the Atlanta VA Medical Center say they plan to conduct a protest on Friday during their shift change to call for more protective gear, including N95 respirators. "As a nurse during this pandemic, my job is to protect and heal veterans, but without proper protective equipment, I cannot safely do my job that has been my calling for 26 years," said Dana Horton, a representative for National Nurses United at the Atlanta VA facility. "I know working without the proper protections, I am endangering myself, my co-workers, the veterans I care for and our community by possibly exposing others to COVID-19." Data Questioned Reports about the VA's PPE shortages and rationing also were followed this week by a report in Military Times that a VA medical facility's COVID-19 cases were under-reported on the official VA count, raising questions about the validity of the VA's data issued daily Monday through Friday. According to internal documents obtained by Military Times, the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center in Ohio had 66 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among veteran patients, but the official VA count listed just over half that amount, 37. A subsequent article by the Daily Mail concluded that the cases in the Veterans Affairs health system "may be double the number officially reported at some medical care sites." Wilkie said it wasn't appropriate for the Daily Mail to assume that other sites' data were inaccurate based on the Cleveland documents. Related: 'Anyway You Cut it, This is Going to Be Bad,' VA Official Sounded Early COVID-19 Warning "Cleveland was trying to get its numbers right," Wilkie said. "We've had over 40,000 tests, [and more than 4,900] have tested positive. Sadly [284] have passed away. But of those, about 3,600 are at home, 190 are in our intensive care beds and 460 are in the acute beds. We have not been overwhelmed." The VA is the country's largest single health system, serving 9.6 million veterans at 170 medical centers and 1,074 clinics. With 14,000 hospital beds, more than half of which are empty, Wilkie said, the system has been able to execute its "fourth mission," providing a health care backstop for the nation's 3,000-plus hospitals by opening up beds to non-veteran patients. As of Thursday, Wilkie said, the department has cared for 88 non-veteran patients in New York, 26 New Jersey, 33 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, 16 in Detroit and four in New Mexico. It also is providing support to state-run veterans homes, taking 12 veterans from Massachusetts state veterans homes and seven community nursing home patients to VA facilities in New England. VA also has agreed to provide 90 nurses to support the hard-hit state veterans homes in New Jersey and lent VA employees to disinfect two non-veterans homes in Massachusetts. "If we were overwhelmed ... I could not do that," Wilkie said. The number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise in the U.S., topping 667,225 confirmed cases as of Thursday, with nearly 33,000 deaths. Across the VA system, New Orleans has logged the highest number of confirmed cases among veterans, with 436 cases. With 30 deaths, the city has the third-highest mortality count. It's behind the VA's Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York, facilities, with 36 deaths among 338 patients, and Queens, New York, with 33 deaths among 387 patients. 'We Prepared for the Worst' Wilkie said he thinks cases in New York, New Orleans and Detroit may have peaked, but he is watching the West, where there have been few cases so far, and New England, from Boston to Providence, Rhode Island. "We prepared for the worst ... and we're not seeing the worst. Doesn't mean it can't come but right now I'm just not seeing that explosion," Wilkie said. He added that VA has hired 5,700 employees in the last two weeks, including 1,300 nurses, bringing them onto VA payrolls in three days, rather than the weeks or months it normally takes for the government to hire personnel. Wilkie, a member of President Donald Trump's COVID-19 Task Force, has come under fire from some veterans advocates for being somewhat invisible during the pandemic. Unlike Department of Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Wilkie does not hold frequent press briefings and is rarely seen on the television interview circuit. Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and host of the Angry Americans podcast, has launched a #whereswilkie campaign on Twitter to press the secretary into leadership. He also appeared on MSNBC this week saying the VA's insistence that it is fine, is "devastating and dangerous," and Wilkie has not been "transparent" on VA's handling of COVID-19. "He is totally AWOL. He should be the lead element on combating the virus and providing support for not only the veterans, but the public. He's been MIA and that should concern everyone," Rieckhoff said. Wilkie called the charges "absolute nonsense." "This is the 65th interview I've done since March 17," Wilkie said. "The virus has forced me into my office. I can't go anywhere, but I just briefed the House Appropriations Committee today and I've got a House Veterans Affairs Committee this afternoon. Yesterday I spoke to 100 veterans service organizations for over an hour, and I do that every week. I speak to the states and I speak to the VA directors regularly ... I'll leave those statistics to stand on their own." -- Patricia Kime can be reached at patriciankime@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Read More: Cowboy Russian Pilot Blamed for Inverted Buzz of US Navy Recon Aircraft The battle against Coronavirus is long and has many hurdles. Besides the stretched health system, lack of safety gears for doctors, inadequate infrastructure to handle a lockdown situation, there's fake news. The novel coronavirus was "manufactured" in Chinese labs. Covid-19 is being used as a biological weapon by China. Ronaldo converted his hotels into coronavirus hospitals. Covid-19 can be fought with garlic. In India, WhatsApp forwards has been the biggest tool to spread fake news around. Unverified home remedies to tackle the virus, fake advisories asking people to avoid foods such as ice cream and chicken, and conspiracy theories-- Indians are unable to avoid the flood of misinformation. The more sinister 'fake news' was the misinformation that spread wildly around the congregation of the Tablighi Jamaat that was linked to multiple positive cases in the country. READ: Muslims Spitting on Food, Hiding in Mosques to Spread Coronavirus? Beware of These 8 Fake News Stories Misinformation and fake news have been aplenty even as the world grapples to deal with the destruction and devastation caused by the pandemic. Psychology says that in times of crisis, people are even more susceptible to fake news and are more likely to believe any information that comes their way, without properly verifying it. A few days ago, a 'news' post that claimed 5G technology transmits the virus went viral on Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media platforms. The message which has been circulated since January claims that 5G can suppress one's immunity system or may even help in further transmitting the virus. Bizarre, right? What is more bizarre is the fact that people believed it and there were reports of people damaging 5G towers as well. 5G TOWER IS KILLING BEES. IMAGINE THE DAMAGES THIS MIGHT HAVE ON US AND ON OUR KIDS. THE CORONA VIRUS LIE IS A DEADLY 5G RADIATION POISONING IN DISGUISE. WAKE UP FOLKS, SAY NO TO 5G TOWERS. SAY NO TO 5G . By: Andrew Andersen Jr Credit to: Karli Q pic.twitter.com/EJdPLXR1U5 Andrew Andersen Jr (@JAndrewAndersen) April 15, 2020 Racism has also raised its ugly head since numerous Facebook posts claimed that African Americans were immune to coronavirus. No, they're not. There are also theories that claim covid-19 was bioengineered and that it was leaked accidentally from a lab in China. The source of this claim, posts about which are still rampant on Facebook and WhatsApp, is the fact that there is a biosafety level four (BSL 4) lab in Wuhan, where Coronavirus originated. And that lab happens to have samples of a certain virus. However, Forbes reports that there is no way the virus could have been "accidentally leaked" because of their superior level of security. Similarly, there have been posts on social media claiming that Hydroxychloroquine consumption could save you from coronavirus. Even as US President Trump promotes taking the drug, it is still in the experimental phase and is definitely not safe for consumption. A man in Phoenix died after consuming HCQ without consulting his doctor. A few months ago, there were reports that Facebook wasn't removing fake news even if users pointed it out if the concerned post was in local languages. Economic Times reports that at least one-third of Facebook users use local and vernacular languages to communicate on the social media platform wherein the AIs were primarily trained in English. This means if a fake news report has been circulated in local languages on Facebook, chances are, Facebook won't do anything about it even if it has been reported. A BBC report showed how millions of users were greeted with fake news on Facebook with no warning whatsoever by the platform. Nevertheless, Facebook has altered its fake news strategy in light of the pandemic. Now, users who share, watch or receive news that is false, a pop-up alert will redirect them to the WHO website with authentic facts and information and where myths regarding coronavirus have been debunked. An activist group Avaaz has been tracking all the fake news reports on Facebook and calls the platform the epicentre of misinformation. Another video on Facebook claimed that gargling with water, salt and vinegar could rid your body of the virus. The video was shared thousands of times before Avaaz flagged it to Facebook and asked them to take it down. By then, thousands of clones of the video had already been made and circulated. Avaaz says that it can take almost twenty-two days for Facebook to attach a coronavirus misinformation label to a particular post even though it has been flagged. One can only imagine the damage a single post can cause in that time-frame. Now, as this "infodemic" hangs over our heads like a dagger, here's a quick guide on how to spot fake news. Brian Dennehy the burly actor who started in films as a macho heavy and later in his career won plaudits for his stage work in plays by William Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov, Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, has died. He was 81. Dennehy died Wednesday night of natural causes in New Haven, Connecticut, in the US, according to Kate Cafaro of ICM Partners, the actor's representatives. Known for his broad frame, booming voice and ability to play good guys and bad guys with equal aplomb, Dennehy won two Tony Awards, a Golden Globe, a Laurence Olivier Award and was nominated for six Emmys. He was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2010. Tributes came from Hollywood and Broadway, including from Lin-Manuel Miranda, who said he saw Dennehy twice onstage and called the actor "a colossus." Actor Michael McKean said Dennehy was "brilliant and versatile, a powerhouse actor and a very nice man as well". Dana Delany, who appeared in a movie with Dennehy, said: "They don't make his kind anymore." Among his 40-odd films, he played a sheriff who jailed Rambo in 'First Blood', a serial killer in 'To Catch a Killer', and a corrupt sheriff gunned down by Kevin Kline in 'Silverado'. He also had some benign roles: the bartender who consoles Dudley Moore in '10' and the level-headed leader of aliens in 'Cocoon' and its sequel. Eventually Dennehy wearied of the studio life. "Movies used to be fun," he observed in an interview. "They took care of you, first-class. Those days are gone." Dennehy had a long connection with Chicago's Goodman Theatre and also appeared on Broadway. He is survived by his second wife Jennifer Arnott and their children Cormac and Sarah, and by three daughters from a previous marriage. 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. The Congress on Friday said migrants and daily wagers should be incentivised as it put forth a 10-point demand charter before the Arvind Kejriwal government to help those in distress in the national capital due to COVID-19. The party demanded that fixed power charges be waived off and school fees should not be charged from students, besides payment of salaries of school teachers in aided schools and workers in MSMEs by the government. Congress senior spokesperson Ajay Maken sought Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), to be notified as regulations, for delivery boys in the national capital to help stop the spread of the deadly virus through them. He said all 89 people who were in touch with a Pizza delivery boy, feared to be infected with the virus, and have been quarantined should be immediately tested. Addressing a press conference through video-conferencing, Maken said testing should be ramped up in the national capital and asked whether Delhi had entered the community transmission stage-3 of the virus as 135 people have been kept "under investigation". The former Delhi Congress chief said migrants should be incentivised in Delhi and in other towns as they are the backbone of any city and demanded that they be given Rs 7,500 per month immediately to help them cope with the crisis. "Migrants are the backbone of any city and hence they should be incentivised to make them feel safe in Delhi and other towns," maken said. He also demanded payment of ration for two months to the poor and vulnerable, besides advance payment of pension to senior citizens and widows and risk allowance to sanitation and frontline health workers. Maken also asked for an unemployment allowance of Rs 5,000 to all unemployed in the national capital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thomas Black, four, from Market Hill in Co Armagh, Northern Ireland, bangs a Lambeg drum to salute local heroes during Thursdays nationwide Clap for Carers initiative (Niall Carson/PA) A family of Lambeg drummers made Thursday nights clap for carers just that little bit louder in one Northern Ireland village. Thomas and Adam Black, who are four and 10, joined their father Mark at the front of their house in Markethill, Co Armagh, to bang their drums for frontline workers. The Orange Order had called on band members who traditionally take part in their summer parades to divert their musical skills to the 8pm tribute to the NHS. Drummers across the region took up the challenge and played their Lambegs with gusto. Expand Close Adam Black plays a Lambeg drum (Niall Carson/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Adam Black plays a Lambeg drum (Niall Carson/PA) Adam and Thomas decorated their drums for the occasion with hand-made rainbow paintings with messages of thanks to the NHS. Their mother Laura Black said the family was keen to show its support for all those working hard during the coronavirus emergency. Its to show support for all the frontline workers, she said. Its for the people who are in the community who are working with elderly in their homes looking after them, for the lorry drivers, shopkeepers, people in the hospitals anybody who is doing a frontline job at the moment. Expand Close Mark Black and his sons Thomas, left, and Adam play Lambeg drums outside their home (Niall Carson/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mark Black and his sons Thomas, left, and Adam play Lambeg drums outside their home (Niall Carson/PA) Elsewhere, in Londonderry the factory horn from the old Ebrington factory was sounded across the city in honour of the NHS and all frontline staff. Last week, the siren at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast was sounded for the first time in two decades as part of the weekly clap for carers event. KYODO NEWS - Apr 18, 2020 - 00:36 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday that the World Health Organization, which faces criticism over its response to the coronavirus pandemic, is in need of reform but stressed that Japan has no plan to stop funding the U.N. agency. "There are views that it is politically not neutral," Abe told a press conference, in an apparent reference to criticism including from U.S. President Donald Trump that the WHO has taken stances favorable to China, where the new coronavirus was first reported late last year. While noting that the WHO has problems and challenges, however, the prime minister said, "I am not considering slashing Japan's funding (to the agency) at all." His stance is a stark contrast with Trump, who said earlier this week that the United States will halt its funding to the WHO due to its perceived failures and mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic. Following the U.S. move, WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus on Wednesday expressed regret over Trump's decision and stressed the importance of international cooperation in fighting against the global health crisis. A leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has lashed out at the General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia for insisting that the Akufo-Addo government conduct mass testing in all the lockdown areas. The NDC Chief Scribe is reported to have called on the Akufo-Addo government to conduct mass testing in the lockdown areas and not only limit the testing to contact tracing, since that alone will not solve the spread of the virus. He is further quoted to have said that the government should focus rather on buying more test kits for the entire lockdown areas than focusing on incentives for the health workers who are calling on the government for PPEs. But Mr John Boadu believes the NDC General Secretary is speaking from an uninformed position. To him, Asiedu Nketiah is displaying his ignorance since he is not privy to the number of people in the partial lockdown areas; hence, his hasty call on the government to conduct mass testing. Speaking on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning program, John Boadu hinted that the United States of America does not even have enough test kits, hence the suggestion by Asiedu Nketia to conduct mass testing for over 7 million people locked down in the country is inconceivable. The number of people in the lockdown areas in the country is more than 7 million. Even in the USA, they dont have enough test kits . . . so if Asiedu Nketia says we should have tested the 7 million people in the lockdown areas, then he does not know what he is saying, he chided. The NPP Chief Scribe emphatically stated that it is not possible for Ghana to come by test kits for all the over 7 million people in the partial lockdown areas even if the country can afford to purchase them. . . . because he heard people talk about mass testing he has decided to join the chorus. He should show me a country that has the capacity to test even over 2 million people, he scolded. While pointing out that there are protocols to follow in the purchase of the test kits, he accused the NDC General Secretary of commenting on issues without a proper understanding of the nitty-gritties involved. He (Asiedu Nketiah) doesnt know that there are protocols in purchasing the test kits, where every country has a total number allocated to them . . . We cant come by 1 million test kits even if we have the means to purchase them. Why are we exhibiting and advertising our ignorance about this issue? He is exhibiting his ignorance . . . I just can't understand, he slammed. He wondered how the main opposition NDC will be able to get 7 million test kits if they were in power to conduct mass testing for all the people in the partial lockdown areas. Watch Video Below: 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. Featured Video Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has been lauded nationally for his aggressive, science-based response to the deadly covid-19 pandemic. But closer to home, critics say he has a glaring blind spot. Civil rights advocates, public health experts and the state's Democratic lawmakers in Congress say Hogan is not doing enough to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus among the state's vulnerable prison population. Their repeated calls for Hogan to act took on more urgency this week after the state correctional system announced the first inmate death from covid-19. A total of 136 people have tested positive within the system as of Thursday, a figure that includes 105 correctional officers and other employees and staff. Advocates are pressing Hogan to use his sweeping executive power to identify for release high-risk elderly inmates, those with chronic medical conditions and inmates nearing the end of their prison terms as governors have done in other states such as Kentucky and Colorado. In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam (D) has proposed giving the Department of Corrections the authority to release inmates within one year of completing their sentences. D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) has granted extra "good time credits" to facilitate release of certain inmates convicted of misdemeanor offenses. In contrast, Hogan has suggested that people in detention are "safer where they are" locked up in state facilities rather than in their communities. "People that are in our correctional facilities are kind of protected and in quarantine," Hogan said at a news conference in March. But public health experts say Hogan's view is at odds with the reality of conditions inside state correctional facilities, where inmates are in close confinement, eating together and sharing toilets and showers. "Gov. Hogan has been a leader in his response to the coronavirus generally, including for people in close quarters like nursing homes, but he has abdicated responsibility for people in prisons, who are at enormous risk," said Leonard Rubenstein, a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who organized a letter to Hogan from more than 200 colleagues. Rubenstein told the governor in a second letter this week that it is "likely that many more deaths will follow unless those who are most vulnerable are released." "Lives are at stake: Incarcerated individuals are sentenced and detained to deprive them of liberty but not to heighten the risk of severe illness or death." Hogan's spokesman Michael Ricci said the governor has taken several steps to protect inmates, noting that Maryland is one of the first states to shut down all visitation and volunteer-led programs at correctional facilities. "With every decision the governor makes, he has in mind the health and safety of Marylanders, including our incarcerated population," Ricci said in a statement. Ricci said the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services has also worked with local jails to temporarily suspend intakes, utilized its authority to accelerate certain releases "where safe and appropriate," and provided protective equipment to employees and inmates. Among the long list of measures put in place by the department: temperature checks and screening for staff at each shift change; "grab n go" dining at most facilities; waiving inmate medical co-pays; and extending recreation periods for inmates while suspending contact sports. In a letter to the governor Thursday, Democratic members of the Maryland congressional delegation commended Hogan's administration for enhancing hygiene at state facilities and creating isolation units for those infected with covid-19. But the delegation said such actions are not sufficient to protect inmates, state employees and their families. The delegation urged the governor to use his commutation power to "accelerate the release of inmates who pose little risk to public safety but whose continued incarceration would increase the risk of an outbreak amongst the state's prison population." "The continuing spread among inmates puts them, the staff and the medical personnel assigned to the correctional facilities at risk," according to the letter from Sens. Ben Cardin, Chris Van Hollen and Reps. Jamie Raskin, John P. Sarbanes, David Trone, Steny H. Hoyer, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and Anthony G. Brown. Lawmakers also raised concerns about the lack of personal protective equipment for state employees working in correctional, juvenile services and psychiatric hospital facilities. Oluwadamilol Olaniyan, a shop steward with the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and correctional officer at Jessup Correctional Institution, implored Hogan to provide guards and other state workers with face masks and other tools to ensure their safety. "If we on the front lines are not being protected the way we should be protected we are bringing this virus to our families," Olaniyan said during a call set up by union leaders. Olaniyan is in self-quarantine after becoming exposed to another guard who tested positive last week. "We are not afraid of doing this job," he said. "We are afraid that we don't have the proper equipment" to do the job. Earlier this week, the chief judge of the state's highest court took steps to reduce the number of juveniles and adults detained in Maryland. Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera directed judges throughout the state to identify at-risk inmates for possible release. But advocates said only the governor can order the Department of Corrections to work with the parole commission to come up with a list of inmates who are most vulnerable to the virus and those who are close to finishing their prison terms. "There's no way the courts can operate with the breadth and speed and completeness with which the governor can act," said Sonia Kumar of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, which filed an emergency petition asking the state's highest court to help speed the release of inmates. "Part of what is missing is that sense of urgency," she said. "The fact that nothing to that effect has happened is very troubling." Like everyone else during the pandemic, Imam Sayed Tora is living in relative isolation. And relative is the operative word for him, because Tora has eight other family members in the household, all of them female: his wife, Fatimah, as well as six daughters, and his mother. Im outnumbered, he says, and you can hear him smile over the phone. Tora lives in Ancaster and has been an Imam in Hamilton 17 years; 14 years at the Hamilton Downtown Mosque, and the past three years at the Hamilton Mountain Mosque. He has travelled a road that started in Afghanistan, which his family fled when he was as a boy in the early 1980s after Russian forces invaded. He has never experienced anything like COVID-19, an event that has tested him on a number of levels, he told The Spectator. Q: What has the most difficult thing to deal with for you personally, living through the pandemic? A: The first thing is people losing their lives, the number of deaths we are seeing is unprecedented, and especially the seniors, it is hitting me hard. And second, its missing physical contact with people ... Im looking at a completely empty prayer hall that can accommodate over 2,000 people. Q: How do you cope with these feelings you have? A: The best way is increasing my prayers to God to protect everyone in the community, and those dealing with these cases, the front line workers, they are in dire need of prayers. Q: That isolation from human contact, how are you dealing with that? A: On a community level, its reaching out to people through social media. Ive been broadcasting my Friday sermons, and on Saturdays having an interactive family night lecture, and also a session for children and youth on Wednesdays. Its given me some relief, seeing people and interacting with them even though they are not present physically. Q: How do you keep the kids in your family busy and happy during all this? A: The toughest part is the teenagers. Thank God the online schooling started, that is helping keep them busy. And we have also encouraged them to go out in the backyard, or for a walk while maintaining physical distance. And one of my daughters is interested in carpentry, so I bought her material to build things in the garage. And we are doing our best to make sure they have their alone time as well ... It has showed me, and all of us, the value of family, not that we didnt know it before but its opening our eyes to blessings in our lives. Q: Any books you read for relaxation? A: The only thing I would mention is that Im reading more of the Holy Quran and reflecting more on it. There are a lot of lessons to be learned; two-thirds of the Quran are stories of the past, of prophets and messengers, past nations. Q: How about music you listen to? A: I have been listening to documentaries on YouTube, about the pandemic and how it started, and that has led me to focus not only on the text of the Quran, but digging deeper, learning about different pandemics and epidemics the Muslim world faced in the past, how they coped with it. Q: What about TV or movies? A: We watch movies with the kids, we get together on certain nights to watch together. We leave the choice up to the kids, we are just fans sitting with them. The last one was animated ... Hotel Transylvania. Q: Anything else you would like to say? A: The message Id have for everyone in our community, and by that I mean the larger city community of course, is to stay optimistic and remain hopeful and to focus on the brighter tomorrow that we will soon be sharing, God willing, with each other. These challenging times but unusual circumstances dont last forever. This will come to an end, but we need to be collaborative and co-operative with one another. What Does Jesus Say about Human Error and Forgiveness? In the book of Matthew, Jesus speaks of how we sometimes err. Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her? Jesus replied, You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Matthew 22:28-30 In this passage, Jesus is replying to a question about marriage. But the answer He gives is true in most everything for us. We might err because we dont know the Scriptures the way we should and maybe we dont really know His great power. Also, in Matthew, Jesus speaks of forgiveness. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15 And in Mark, Jesus advises: And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. Mark 11:25 Holding onto unforgiveness can cause problems in our relationship with God. Were commanded to forgive others because Hes forgiven us. 4 Scriptures that Highlight Our Error and Forgiveness Were completely unaware of some of our own errors and blessed to be forgiven. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Psalm 19:12 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven; whose sins are covered. Psalm 32:1 I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Jeremiah 33:8 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 Photo Credit: Crosscards.com A woman expecting twins, triplets or other multiples faces a risk of nearly 20 per 1,000 births. Any pregnancy involving assisted reproductive technology, such as in vitro fertilization, carries an increased risk of stillbirth as well, partly because of the higher rate of multiple births. Take steps to reduce risk. Most risk factors cant be avoided, but women can attempt to quit smoking, drinking or using illegal or non-prescribed drugs. Women can also try to lose weight before they get pregnant and eat healthily and exercise regularly during a pregnancy. Most important is managing preexisting medical conditions, including taking recommended medications and treatments. Reaching optimal health before getting pregnant is the best plan, said Dr. Stephanie Ros, M.D., an assistant professor of maternal fetal medicine at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa. Otherwise its all about getting chronic conditions under control. Hypertension; diabetes; lupus; kidney disease; thyroid disorders and liver disease, such as cholestasis of pregnancy (a disease in which pregnancy hormones cause bile to build up in the liver and potentially enter the bloodstream), increase stillbirth risk, as does infection. Pregnant women can reduce the risk of influenza by getting the flu vaccine and can help avoid the food-borne illness listeria by eliminating unpasteurized foods and drinks. Understand the causes of stillbirth. Nearly one-third of stillbirths lack an identified cause, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Genetic and placental abnormalities are the leading known causes of stillbirth. Placental problems include the following: Placental insufficiency: The placenta cannot provide the fetus enough nutrients and oxygen to sustain it, sometimes contributing to fetal growth restriction (another stillbirth risk factor), in which the developing baby doesnt grow to its normal expected weight. Placental abruption: The placenta detaches from the inner uterine wall, depriving the fetus of oxygen and nutrients. Placenta previa: The placenta covers some or all of the cervix. Placental accreta: The placenta does not properly detach from the uterine wall. About 8 percent to 13 percent of stillborn infants have a chromosomal abnormality. But many more stillbirths involve other genetic mutations such as a missing gene or a gene in the wrong location. Its hard to pin down a number because many stillborn infants do not undergo genetic testing, or the testing does not provide answers. Only 2 percent of full-term stillbirths are linked to infection, but infections, particularly parvovirus, cytomegalovirus, listeria and syphilis, contribute to about 19 percent of stillbirths before 28 weeks, according to the college of obstetricians. Even a urinary tract infection can be dangerous to the fetus if untreated, Wimmer added, though those infections are not by themselves a leading cause of stillbirth. Still, talk to your prenatal care provider if you experience even minor unexpected irritation or symptoms. Attend all recommended prenatal care visits. Most often, parents cannot prevent a stillbirth, but the best thing they can do is establish care with a clinician they trust early in pregnancy, Dr. Silver said. BRONX, N.Y., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Answering the call for additional medical workers to join the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, today more than 100 medical students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine graduated a month early. Many of these newly minted doctors will immediately join the staff of hospitals in New York City, contributing to the heroic efforts of medical teams who are treating patients fighting this devastating disease. "This is a truly unprecedented time and our students have bravely risen to the challenge," said Gordon F. Tomaselli, M.D., the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean at Einstein and executive vice president and chief medical officer at Montefiore Medicine. "Since its founding, Einstein has stressed the importance of humanism and compassion along with scientific excellence and our students' response to this pandemic has demonstrated these virtues in vibrant relief." Many of the early graduates will join the staff at Montefiore Health System prior to starting their formal residencies in July. Although the number of new COVID-19 cases appears to be stabilizing, New York City is still the epicenter of the global outbreak, and the need for additional medical staff continues. "We could not be more pleased and thankful to have our Einstein graduates join our residents, attending physicians, nurses, and staff" said Catherine Skae, M.D., associate dean for graduate medical education at Einstein, who oversees the residency and fellowship programs at Montefiore. "Their familiarity with our hospitals and close relationships with our staff that were established during their years here will allow them to make a significant impact right away." Most of the Einstein students who chose to graduate on the original date of May 26 will continue their volunteer activities that support healthcare workers and their families. The student-initiated projects range from child care and dog-walking to making face masks and shields to volunteering on the hospital wards. "We're very proud of how our students have conducted themselves over the past several weeks," Joshua Nosanchuk, M.D., senior associate dean for medical education at Einstein and an infectious diseases specialist at Montefiore. "We're not surprised at their reaction and selfless attitude but salute them for facing these extraordinary circumstances with compassion, grace, and determination." Responding to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's call for additional doctors to join the fight against COVID-19, Einstein has worked with the governor's office, the New York State Department of Education, the Liaison Committee for Medical Education, and numerous other local, state, and national agencies and organizations to ensure that its fourth-year medical students could fulfill their curricular requirements and graduate early. Einstein will hold its virtual commencement ceremony for all graduates on May 26. Albert Einstein College of Medicine is one of the nation's premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. During the 2019-20 academic year, Einstein is home to 724 M.D. students, 158 Ph.D. students, 106 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and 265 postdoctoral research fellows. The College of Medicine has more than 1,800 full-time faculty members located on the main campus and at its clinical affiliates. In 2019, Einstein received more than $178 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in aging, intellectual development disorders, diabetes, cancer, clinical and translational research, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Its partnership with Montefiore, the University Hospital and academic medical center for Einstein, advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. Einstein runs one of the largest residency and fellowship training programs in the medical and dental professions in the United States through Montefiore and an affiliation network involving hospitals and medical centers in the Bronx, Brooklyn and on Long Island. For more information, please visit www.einstein.yu.edu, read our blog, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook , and view us on YouTube. SOURCE Albert Einstein College of Medicine Related Links www.einstein.yu.edu For human beings, stink flirting may not sound like a prudent dating strategy. For ring-tailed lemurs, it is the way to go. Scientists on Thursday described the results of a comprehensive study of this behaviour - unique in the animal kingdom - that is exhibited by these primates native to Madagascar. Male ring-tailed lemurs increase their attractiveness to females by secreting from glands on their wrists a fruity and floral aroma smelling similar to a pear, the researchers said. The behaviour dubbed stink flirting involves a male rubbing a fragrant clear liquid that oozes from those glands against his long fluffy tail and then waving the tail at females. The researchers pinpointed three compounds responsible for the scent. It turns out that the key odourants were not really stinky, said University of Tokyo biochemistry professor Kazushige Touhara, who led the study published in the journal Current Biology. We can say that the identified odours are strong candidates for sex pheromones, Touhara said, referring to chemical substances released by an animal that affects the behaviour of other members of its species. Until now, no pheromones have been identified in any primates, a group that also includes monkeys, apes and people, Touhara said. Although there are many circumstances in which humans utilize olfactory cues for communication, there is no authentic pheromone that has been chemically identified, Touhara said. I believe there is no classic sex pheromone in humans that elicits attractive behaviour to the opposite sex. But there are probably crucial odours that affect each others emotions - for example, a babys head smell that parents sniff and feel happy, and a womans axillary (underarm) odours that affect the emotions of males. Olfactory communication is important for ring-tailed lemurs, which possess well-developed scent glands on their wrists and shoulders that they use to mark territory and designate social rank in addition to romance. Among primates, lemurs are part of a separate evolutionary lineage with a keener sense of smell than the group that spans monkeys, apes and humans. The researchers found a close relationship between the male hormone testosterone and the lemur odour compounds. They also found that the male scent worked its magic only during the breeding season when females were sexually receptive, as measured by the amount of time spent sniffing the scent during lab experiments. Outside of the breeding season, the researchers found, the male gland secretions smelled different - more bitter and leathery. The females, the researchers found, showed scant interest in that. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. ) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The National Youth Authority (NYA) is conducting a baseline study on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on Ghanaian youth in order to inform government's decision. The study is focusing on job losses, how the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected their health and other basic needs. The NYA is using the various social media platforms and websites to collect information from the youth. Mr Sylvester Matthew Tetteh, the Chief Executive Officer(CEO)of the NYA, announced this at a media briefing on COVID-19 case management situation updates in Accra, on Thursday. The CEO of the NYA said it had presented 70,000 worth of Personal Protective Equipment to the Ghana Health Service (GHS)to support the fight against COVID-19. In addition, it had trained and deployed 2,000 youth volunteers to the rural areas to support the public education campaign on dangers posed by the virus and drum home the need to observe the safety and hygiene protocols. In that regard, the NYA provided 500 megaphones to the volunteers to facilitate the COVID-19 education campaign, which is conducted in different local languages. Mr Tetteh, therefore, urged the youth to continue observing the safety and hygiene protocols, comply with the two metre social distancing, wash their hands with soap under running water, avoid handshakes, covering of mouth when coughing and sneezing, frequently use alcohol-based hand sanitizers and stay at home. Ghana's case count for COVID-19 now stands at 641, with eight deaths and 83 fully recovered, as at April 16 at 0753 hours after 50,719 sample tests. All the measures and interventions government put in place are hinged on five strategic objectives:Limit and stop the importation of the virus, detect and contain the spread of the virus, enhance contact tracing and testing of the virus, care for the sick, minimizing the impact on economic and social lives and boosting domestic capability and deepen self-reliance. 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 A 58-year-old man who had tested positive for coronavirus and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital here died on Friday, health officials said. Gurmail Singh, who was a revenue official, tested positive for the infection on Thursday night. Civil Surgeon Rajesh Bagga said he was from Payal sub-division here. He was admitted to hospital after he complained of fever and breathlessness on April 14. Bagga said the man's contacts are being traced. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tax breaks for big business, deregulation and wide-scale industrial relations reform will form part of the Morrison government's attempts to lift the nation out of the economic black hole caused by the global coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned the COVID-19 crisis would hit the economy like "a truck" on Friday but ruled out introducing a temporary levy to begin paying down tens of billions of dollars in debt accumulated from its emergency response. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says COVID-19 will hit the Australian economy "like a truck". Credit:Alex Ellinghausen He has promised to fast-track new and existing major infrastructure projects and adopt an aggressive pro-business investment strategy ahead of the October budget to help the country claw its way out of an expected virus-induced recession. "All I know is that the hit the Australian economy is taking is the biggest we have seen since the Great Depression," he told Melbourne's 3AW radio on Friday. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here In a few hours from now, Apple will start accepting pre-orders for the 2020 iPhone SE. Apart from the US, the device is going up for pre-orders in quite a few other parts of the world as well. If you are wondering as to when the 2020 iPhone SE would go up for pre-order in your timezone, check out this article. In the United States, the 2020 iPhone SE goes up for pre-order on April 17 at 5 AM PDT. Apple has usually started accepting pre-orders for new iPhones at midnight but changed that habit with the launch of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro series last year. Other countries where the 2020 iPhone SE will go on pre-order include Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Jersey, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Kuwait, Latvia, Luxembourg, Maldives, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, UAE, and more. Depending on where you live, you can find the pre-order timing for the 2020 iPhone SE in your timezone below. * Adjusted for Daylight Saving Time (69 places). Sat = Saturday, 4 April 2020 (139 places). Sun = Sunday, 5 April 2020 (4 places). It is important that you get your iPhone SE pre-order in early if you want to get your hands on it as soon as possible. Apple is offering free no-contact delivery and trade-in for the 2020 iPhone SE for additional safety of its customers given the current pandemic situation worldwide. Read: The Best 2020 iPhone SE Preorder Deals The 2020 iPhone SE starts from $399, with the 128GB and 256GB priced at $449 and $549, respectively. In case you are not able to make up your mind on which storage variant you should pick up, read this guide. It is available in three colors: White, Black, and (PRODUCT)Red. If you are confused as to which color iPhone SE you should buy, make sure to read our guide. Preorder 2020 iPhone SE: Note: We may earn a commission for purchases from the links above, which helps us keep the site running. The Parliament of the Republic of Ghana on Thursday, April 2 approved the report of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee which, recommended the passing of the COVID-19 National Trust Fund Bill, 2020 under a Certificate of Urgency. The Bill was laid before Parliament on the night of Wednesday April 01, 2020 by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Honourable Gloria Afua Akuffo (Ghana Parliament, 2020). The main purpose of the fund is to support government's fight against Covid-19 pandemic. The Fund will receive donations for disbursement to individuals who have been negatively impacted by the disease and also make provisions for how the Fund should be managed. On Sunday, March 29, 2020, Ghanas President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo inaugurated the Board of Trustees of the COVID-19 National Trust Fund. The Board is chaired by former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, who will receive contributions and donations from the public to assist in the welfare of the needy and the vulnerable. The members of the board include Archbishop Justice Ofei Akrofi, Mr Jude Kofi Bucknor, Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie, Mrs Elsie Addo-Awadzie, Dr Ernest Ofori-Sarpong and Dr Tanko. Mr Collins Asare will act as Secretary to the Board (www.pulse, 2020). INSTITUTIONAL AND INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS After this had be done, the communal spirit of Ghanaians was ignited and kicked in, the the donations started pouring in. Several institutions and individuals have donated various sums of money to the fund and that act of giving deserves commendation and applause. This is who we are as Africans and Ghanaians. The first person to have contributed towards the COVID-19 Trust Fund was President Nana Addo who donated his April, May and June salaries as seed capital for the Fund. Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia emulated the President's gesture by also donating his three months salary to the Trust Fund. All Ministers of State and other top government appointees at the presidency voluntarily decided to donate 50 percent of their salary for the next three months to the COVID-19 Fund. It didn't end there. The Parliament of Ghana also contributed GH200,000 with the Speaker of the House, Prof. Aaron Mike Ocquaye donating half of his three months salary to the Fund. Some institutions that have also donated to the Fund so far include Hollard Ghana GH100,000, Absa Bank Ghana GH1 million, Interplast GH1.2 million, and Justmoh Construction Limited contributing GH500,000 (Dapaah, 2020). Ghana's Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) has donated $181,000 (about one million Ghana Cedis) as its contribution to the fund while the United Bank of Africa (UBA) also donated $350,000 (about GHC1, 925,000) to the fund. The Ghana Exim Bank, through its Board Chairman, Gyamfi Boateng, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Lawrence Agyinsam, also presented a cheque of GHS 250,000 to the Fund. Newmont, a mining giant in Ghana, has also supported the fund with $100,000. While The Ghana National Gas Company and the Volta River Authority donated has also donated a million and 2 million Ghana Cedis respectively towards the Covid-19 course. Board Chairman of Social Security & National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Dr. Kwame Addo Kufour, and the Director General of SSNIT, Ofori Tenkorang, have on behalf of the institution donated GHS 500,000 to the Covid19 Trust Fund. Notwithstanding the above, institutions such as the CEOs Network, Ghana, through its Chief Executive Officer, Ernest De-Graft Egyir, have presented a cheque of GHS 200,000 to support the the fight against Covid-19 Trust fund while the Ghana Association of Former International Civil Servants (GAFICS), led by their President, Kwaku Osei-Bonsu, donated GHS 50,000. The Mfantsipim Old Boys Association 2003 year Group, led by their President, Enoch Atobrah Gyamfi, donated GHS 10,000 to the Covid-19 National Trust Fund. Meanwhile, the Ghana Used Clothing Association presented a cheque of GHS 300,000. Boakye Yiadom, Chairman of the Association, Dr Effah Nyarko and Hannah Brown, members of the leadership body, presented their cheque to the Chief of Staff while the Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi has on behalf of GIIF, donated GHS 500,000 to the Trust Fund. While the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Volta Region Directorate, led by Woanya Makafui, the Volta Regional Chairman of the party, presented GHS 100,000 to support the Fund, the NDC hasn't done so as corporate entity but President Mahama who is the leader and flagbearer has donated a lot of PPEs and gum boots plus other items to frontline health professionals to various hospital across the country. On the 18th of April, 2020 president Mahama announced that he was prepared to support 20,000 households in lockdown areas. He said "I have in view of the situation many of our people are facing, procured and will be making available, food items to cater for a total of 20,000 households across these areas affected by the lockdown, and these include the areas of Greater Accra, Kasoa and Greater Kumasi". Apart from all these some prominent sons and daughters including Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, MP for Assin Central, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, MP Ayirebi and Minister of Information, Barbara Asher Ayisi, MP for Cape Coast North (CCN) and deputy minister for Works and Housing, MR. Philip Longdon, aspiring NPP parliamentary candidate for CCN, Kwamena Minta Nyarku NDC candidate for CCN, Rev Obofuor of Anoited Palace Chapel and host of others have generously donated items to their Constituents as part of the fight against Covid19. I have been very encouraged by the outpouring and show of love from Churches, Pastors and other individuals who have contributed in diverse ways to help the course of government and this is who we are as a people. Ghanaians and for that matter Akans are communal people and sharing what we have with the less privileged is part and parcel of our existence as a people. But, say enough, urbanisation, westernisation and the destruction of our extended family system is killing this wonderful communal spirit and something needs to be done about it. When we were young, anytime my father slaughtered an animal, for whatever occasion, he would share some of the meat with some of our neighbours. This is who we are. They were not part of our extended family but my father made sure we shared with others. This is affirmed by an Akan adage that says, "It takes one to kill an elephant for members of the community to have a share of the meat". This implies that, though an individual might have something, he or she necessarily must not keep all to themselves but share with others who are less privileged or or don't have. Coronavirus has reinvigorated that communal spirit and the spirit of giving which has been lost on us for all these years. While some churches have done well by donating towards the Covid-19 Trust Fund unfortunately, Prophet Kofi Oduro Leader and founder of Alabaster International Ministries, has explained why it is more important for the church to feed its members with the word of God than to turn itself into an NGO during times like this. According the story, the man of God has labelled those criticizing churches of not being charitable in this coronavirus period by donating foodstuffs and other goodies to the poor to help them survive after governments directive of a partial lockdown where everyone has been directed to stay home as unserious people who only think of what they will eat today. He said such people do not think of the welfare of their souls (Ghanaweb, 2020). This is what the invasion of foreign religion, which doesn't take into account our sociocultural ethos has done to the thinking of people who call themselves men of God. Someone should tell him that, it is the role of the church to assist the state in times like these. Where would the souls of the poor and the vulnerable be for him to be thinking about helping if the physical body isn't in good condition? What at all is wrong if the church decides to assist its members who are poor and vulnerable? Even if they are not members and the church offers a helping hand, what wrong would that have been Prophet Kofi Oduro? Prophet Oduro further asserted that, he is of the greatest conviction that the Church is a place where Christians go to worship their Heavenly Father and to receive His blessings and that is the sole purpose of the church but not to be giving out goodies as some people perceive (GhanaWeb, 2020). If the above quote is true then, the prophet needs to be told that he has goofed. The his appreciation of the role of the church in nation building is a suspect. If members of the society are not hail and hearty, they cannot come to church to receive the so called blessing of God he is reported to have alluded to. In the book of Acts chapter 20:35 "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive. The church including Pastors, Reverends, Prophets, Evangelist, Father's and all those associated with doing God's work must learn to give and not always receive. In conclusion, though coronavirus has come in its wake with a lot of challenges and discomfort, it also has some positives and one of them is the re-ignition of our communal living and giving back in times of need. The politicians, the church, the individuals, corporate institutions who have all generously contributed towards the fight of Covid-19, I say ayekoo. This is who we are as Africans and Ghanaians for that matter. We are a communal people who support one another. Let the lessons learnt from this pandemic linger on and remind us to "sankofa" all the cultural values that held us together. Let this communal spirit which has shown who we really are be maintained such that the society would care for the less privileged at all times. Let government, the church and all religious bodies keep hammering on this good aspect of our lives so that, even if we have forgotten, we shall be reminding ourselves of our good old past. I have been overwhelmed by the extent of generosity that has been exhibited by Ghanaians across the Country. This is who we are and let us all note that, SERVICE TO HUMANITY IS SERVICE TO GOD. D. C. KWAME KWAKYE Broadcast Journalist GBC Radio Central [email protected] Kathmandu, April 17 Energy secretaries of Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Bhutan have held an online meeting to discuss the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the energy sector of the region. Nepals Energy Secretary Dinesh Kumar Ghimire says they discussed the balance between electricity demand and supply, under-construction hydropower projects, the problems they faced, and possible solutions. During the meeting, Nepal proposed forming a joint company for the construction of the Butwal-Gorakhpur 400 KV transmission line between Nepal and India, according to him. He urged his Indian counterpart, Sanjeev Nandan Sahai, to sign a shareholder agreement as soon as possible. Likewise, Nepal also requested India to facilitate the transport of some equipment purchased by Nepali hydropower projects as they got stuck in India due to the lockdown in both the countries. Recently, the cabinet has decided that the hydropower projects continue their works during the lockdown also, he informed. (Corrects last name of CEO throughout) * Aims to restart Canadian and S.American mines-CEO * Top gold miner shut some mines to limit COVID-18 spread * Says in talks with govts including Peru, Mexico MELBOURNE, April 17 (Reuters) - Newmont Corp is looking to restart in as soon as days some of the four Canadian and South American gold mines that it shut last month to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, Chief Executive Tom Palmer said on Friday. The world's biggest gold miner wound down operations at its Yanacocha mine in Peru in mid-March and a week later placed two more mines in Canada and one in Argentina on care and maintenance as it sought to safe-guard the health of its workers and comply with government regulations. The move, which impacted its Musselwhite operations in northern Ontario, and Eleonore mine in Quebec as well as Cerro Negro in Argentina, came as it withdrew its full-year guidance and said some production could be deferred into 2021. On April 4 the company said it would scale back operations at its Penasquito gold mine in Mexico. But as the coronavirus shows signs of peaking, and authorities in Buenos Aires and Quebec City have lifted restrictions around mining which they have deemed as an "essential service", Newmont is looking to a phased restart, Palmer said. "I would expect we would be able to bring operations that have been on care and maintenance back into some level of production," Palmer told Reuters by phone from Perth. "In those countries where restrictions have been lifted... it is days or weeks," he said, without specifying how long other mines may take to restart. The novel coronavirus has impacted miners globally as governments have shut down borders and transport and mandated people stay at home to curb the spread of the virus that has infected more than 2 million and killed over 143,000, according to a Reuters tally. Palmer also said that discussions were continuing with all levels of government as well as local communities in countries "to ensure we can demonstrate that we can maintain through our protocols the health and safety of everyone involved". Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, who imposed a country-wide lockdown in mid-March, has moved to put mining on a list of essential sectors, although the virus has snarled transport and miners' logistics. Story continues Canada's Quebec province announced on Monday it would redesignate mining an essential service starting on Wednesday while in northern Ontario mining is already seen as essential. In Peru, which imposed a national state of emergency in mid-March, the Antamina copper mine controlled by BHP and Glencore said on Monday that it would halt all operations for at least two weeks to stem the spread of the virus. Palmer said Newmont was in talks with governments including in Peru and Mexico, about the importance of mining to the economy and communities. (Reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) To receive Steve Gutterman's Week In Russia each week via e-mail, subscribe by clicking here. When Russian President Vladimir Putin was cracking down on opponents, critics, and protesters dismayed by his return to the Kremlin in 2012, I asked the human rights activist Lyudmila Alekseyeva how far he would go -- and how close to the murderous methods used by dictator Josef Stalin and other Soviet leaders. Alekseyeva, whose resistance to the state began amid the 1960s trials that ended the Thaw and remained strong over the long years of Putin's rule before her death in December 2018, said that the former KGB officer would probably like to use full-scale Soviet tactics to maintain control -- but that he could not do so in the 21st century. That, of course, is why some of the Russians who admire Stalin, or say they would want a leader like him, do not care for Putin: Despite what critics call the persistent rollback of democracy and steps to increase the Kremlin's grip on politics nationwide, in the halls of government and on the streets, he does not have the level of control. Just how much he does have comes into question frequently: Whenever the deadly effects of an accident or disaster are aggravated by corruption or negligence, whenever an influential person seems to get away with looting public coffers, and whenever Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov flouts federal law in a land he rules like a fiefdom, for example. In principle, as they say, Putin should possess more control than ever. In power as president or prime minister for over 20 years, he is in the process of handing himself the option of running for two more six-year stints in the Kremlin after his current term ends in 2024, and a loyal party dominates the national parliament and regional governments nationwide. But as he maneuvers between what analysts say are signals that he is taking charge of the response to Russia's growing COVID-19 crisis and steps to avoid blame for bad outcomes, the Kremlin's shifting approach to the pandemic seems to point to the limits of that control. On March 17, Putin declared that Russia had managed "to contain the mass penetration and spread" of COVID-19, adding: "The situation is generally under control." This Is Now At the time, that seemed potentially credible despite the absence of measures such as lockdowns: The Kremlin had essentially closed Russia's border with China, where the outbreak began in December, and the publicly reported numbers of infections and deaths were far lower than in many other countries. Today, the picture is different. The official numbers have been rising fast in April, reaching 32,008 confirmed cases on April 17, but their accuracy -- and particularly, now, the declared death toll of 273 -- also remains in doubt. Lockdowns are in place, ambulances with patients inside hurry up and wait in line outside overtaxed hospitals, and Putin said on April 13 -- at the start of a week in which the official case count has more than doubled -- that "the situation is changing almost on a daily basis, and, unfortunately, it is changing for the worse." In a development rich in symbolism, China sealed off parts of its long border with Russia after a surge of new COVID-19 infections among people returning from foreign countries including Russia. The COVID-19 pandemic is clearly a major test for the governments of countries around the globe. But in some ways, Putin's predicament may be unique: He has been in power for many years, but this is arguably both the biggest crisis Russia has faced and the one whose ultimate outcome is the least susceptible to PR -- to efforts to manage the optics. The terror attacks of the 2000s -- at Moscow's Dubrovka Theater in 2002, at a school in Beslan, North Ossetia, in 2004, at Domodedovo Airport in the capital in 2010, and many more -- were both deadly and highly visible. Each one a blow to the notion that Putin and the Kremlin could adequately protect the country and its citizens. But they stemmed from a situation that was well known to Putin and even formed the backdrop for his rise to power: the insurgency that persisted in the North Caucasus following two devastating wars against Chechen separatists -- one of them waged with Putin in a leading role, as prime minister in 1999 and then president after that. More recently, Russia has become deeply involved in two wars beyond its borders, backing separatists fighting government forces in neighboring Ukraine and supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the devastating nine-year conflict against his opponents in the Middle Eastern country. In both cases, Putin got Russia involved by choice -- his country has not been attacked. So, the coronavirus is one of biggest challenges to come from outside Russia, if not the biggest, since he came to power. The Cruelest Month For Putin politically, it has turned what was supposed to have been a triumphant spring of easy image-making -- with a May 9 military parade on Red Square following an April 22 vote cementing the constitutional changes allowing him to seek reelection -- into a tricky season in which his governing prowess is being tested in real life. On late March 25, Putin put off the constitutional vote, and on April 16 he declared that the Victory Day parade marking the 75th anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat would be held at a later date -- sometime this year, he promised, using martial language ("We will make the threat we face today retreat") to suggest that the country faces a new foe in COVID-19. Those two announcements served as markers in Putin's shifting approach to the coronavirus, which he at first seemed to dismiss. The changing response was also marked by Putin's televised appearances. At first, he seemed to be nowhere to be seen, while Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin was thrust into the spotlight. For Putin that meant criticism -- and even comparisons to the way Stalin was silent and unseen in public for 11 days after Hitler broke a pact and invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. OK, Zoomer Putin soon popped back into view, however, and turned to videoconferences to make his public statements and imply that he was in command. With office workers in Russia and around the world holding virtual meetings while isolated at home, Putin's apparent enthusiasm for this form of communication led to 'OK, Boomer' jokes at his expense. From the start, though, he has seemed to waver between wanting to show that he is in control and wanting to avoid blame if the situation spirals out of control. "Putin doesn't want to become the Covid-tsar, but nor does he appear willing to empower his regional satraps on a massive scale, with the money, autonomy and control over federal institutions that would require," Mark Galeotti, a senior associate fellow at the British-based Royal United Services Institute, wrote in an April 14 article in The Moscow Times. "Instead, he is just grumbling about 'sloppiness' in the regions, in effect putting much of his legitimacy as president in the hands of his governors, without being able to give them the tools they need yet for it," Galeotti wrote. "The calculation may be that if need be, the governors can be blamed, but given how centralized this system has become, it is questionable how far a long-suffering Russian electorate will buy that." When it comes to Putin, polls have shown that in recent years, the Russian public has become a less enthusiastic consumer. Survey results published by the independent Levada Center on April 14 indicated that, as The Moscow Times put it, Russians' opinions about Putin "have become more negative for a third consecutive year." Specifically, the poll said, a total of 29 percent said they felt "delight" over or "liking" for Putin, fewer than at any time since 2013. The proportion who felt "antipathy" or disgust" for Putin or found "nothing good to say" about him was 16 percent, higher than at any time since he came to power. Asked to choose qualities that attracted them to Putin, the number who called him a "true leader" was 13 percent, the lowest since 2002, and the number who called him an "energetic, decisive strong-willed person" was 25 percent, fewer than ever before in similar surveys by the pollster going back to October 1999. Montana Supreme Court Rejects Releasing Prisoners During Pandemic Montanas Supreme Court has unanimously rejected an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) petition that would have forced the release of many inmates held in custody in the state, supposedly to better shield them from the CCP virus. Montana Attorney General Tim Fox, a Republican, was pleased with the courts decision. They alleged some pretty wild things that the Supreme Court debunked in rather chastising language for the sources of their information and allegations that just werent true, Fox told reporters. I applaud all the district court judges who worked very hard to get in affidavits telling the court what was going on in their jurisdictions. I also applaud the governor and the Department of Corrections for all of the work that theyre doing to keep people healthy and safe, even those who might be incarcerated. Inmates in houses of detention are said to be particularly susceptible to contagious pathogens such as the CCP virus because they live in close quarters and, in some cases, have limited access to proper hygiene resources. The Montana court decision comes as judges across the country largely head in the opposite direction, temporarily releasing prisoners in the criminal justice system as well as immigration detainees on compassionate grounds. Critics say prisoners have received uneven treatment. To provide an example involving high-profile inmates, Trump antagonist Michael Avenatti, convicted of attempted extortion, has been temporarily freed and placed under house arrest during the pandemic, but informal Trump adviser Roger Stone, convicted of lying to Congress and related crimes, has not. Some jailers are pushing back against the effort to free their inmates. Delaware officials say inmates in that state arent going to be allowed to wear protective masks or be released on a compassionate basis during the pandemic, the Delaware News Journal reports. But the Trump administration is allowing some federal inmates to be released temporarily. U.S. Attorney General William Barr has directed the federal prison system to review the situations of all inmates who have COVID-19 risk factors identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Barr instructed officials to prioritize home confinement as an appropriate response to the pandemic, according to the Bureau of Prisons. The case, which wasnt an appeal from a lower court, is cited as Disability Rights Montana v. Montana Judicial Districts 122, and was decided April 14. Helena-based Disability Rights Montana (DRM), represented by the ACLU, petitioned the Supreme Court of the State of Montana to exercise its powers of original jurisdiction under the state constitution and immediately reduce the population of Montana jails, prisons, and houses of correction because Montana is under a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the court recounted in its order. DRM argued that exposing non-dangerous, disabled prisoners to a potential outbreak of the CCP virus, often called the novel coronavirus, constituted cruel and unusual punishment, violating the state and U.S. constitutions. The group asked the court to direct each of Montanas judicial districts to take further action to shrink prisoner populations, and to appoint someone to run the effort, as well as to immediately set free inmates deemed vulnerable to the virus. But the group failed to carry its burden, the court ruled. In its petition, DRM provides nothing more than speculation that some judicial districts might not be taking action, along with at least one false assertion. The group failed to prove that corrections officials had violated any clear legal duty or that the courts of Montana were acting improperly, the court found. DRM failed to demonstrate that local officials showed deliberate indifference in their efforts to curtail in-custody populations in response to the pandemic, the court noted. Officials were already carrying out the directions of Chief Justice Mike McGrath and Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, to free nonviolent inmates and those at high risk for the disease, the court said. Inmates have other opportunity to pursue temporary release, including making motions for bond reduction in the courts, which McGrath previously ordered lower courts to consider on an expedited basis, the court said. DRM also either completely ignored or misrepresented the facts that clearly demonstrate the Executive and Judicial Branches have implemented appropriate and detailed measures for correctional facilities and jails to address the current state of emergency surrounding the critical health and safety issues that must be addressed in light of the emergence of the COVID-19 virus in this State. DRM was disappointed in the legal result. More than one-third of people in Montanas prisons and jails have at least one disability, DRM executive director Bernadette Franks-Ongoy said, the Missoulian reported April 14. The state has a constitutional and moral responsibility to protect these peoples lives. Some jurisdictions are taking proactive steps to reduce their incarcerated populations, among other actions. But not everyone is taking the necessary steps to address this pandemic. COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today announced Dr. Amy Acton, Director of the Ohio Department of Health, has been selected as The Columbus Foundation's 2020 recipient of The Spirit of Columbus Award. Dr. Acton was selected to recognize and honor her outstanding work and leadership in the community and to represent all of Ohio's public health workers, first responders, and medical personnel on the front lines fighting the COVID-19 crisis. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH "The heroism shown by our first responders during this time fills us with pride and reminds us of the strength of our community," said Foundation President and CEO Douglas F. Kridler. "There could be no better representative of our medical professionals' hard work, grit, and commitment to community than Dr. Acton. We know firsthand how dedicated to her work and passionate she is about our residents' well-being." As a Community Research and Grants Management Officer at The Columbus Foundation prior to her current appointment, Dr. Acton demonstrated the same tenacity now seen in the daily press conferences she holds with Gov. DeWine. During the Foundation's 2018 Critical Need Alert: Our Kids, she helped lead an effort that raised more than $2.4 million to support high-quality early childhood education and bolster collaborative efforts to effectively end youth homelessness, far surpassing its initial goal of $1.5 million. "This award honors those in Columbus who exemplify bravery, determination, and the resolve to see a challenge and tackle it," said Kridler. "This has Amy's name written all over it." Numerous previous award winners, including entrepreneur Jeni Britton Bauer, author Michelle Alexander, and poet Scott Woods, honored Dr. Acton in a video tribute. The Spirit of Columbus Award honors pilot Jerrie Mock, the first woman to fly solo around the world. The award recognizes those who exhibit exemplary community spirit through their efforts and accomplishments. As this year's honoree, Dr. Acton will receive a "Jerrie," a bronze miniature of the Jerrie Mock sculpture at John Glenn Columbus International Airport, created by local artist Renate Fackler. Additionally, the Foundation will make a $50,000 grant in honor of Dr. Acton to Star House, a social service organization that operates a drop-in center for youth experiencing homelessness and provides immediate access to basic needs and connections to stabilizing resources. Mock was named the first recipient in 2013, along with Jeni Britton Bauer and David Brown. Additional award recipients include: the late Denny Griffith, former Mayor Michael B. Coleman, Tanny Crane, Jane Grote Abell, Michelle Alexander, Columbus' leading African American artists, and last year, those who contributed to the "Save the Crew" movement. About The Columbus Foundation The Columbus Foundation serves nearly 3,000 individuals, families, and businesses that have created unique funds and planned gifts to make a difference in the lives of others. The Columbus Foundation is one of the top 10 largest community foundations in the U.S. MEDIA CONTACT: Natalie Parscher [email protected] 614/545-3236 Related Images dr-amy-acton-director-of-the-ohio.png Dr. Amy Acton, Director of the Ohio Department of Health PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Related Links Dr. Amy Acton Announced as 2020 Spirit of Columbus Award Winner SOURCE The Columbus Foundation Related Links https://columbusfoundation.org Gov. Steve Sisolak says he expects to know much more next week about whether conditions are right to either end or extend directives that have shut down much of the state, but cautioned that he had no benchmark date in place and that any easing of restrictions would likely be gradual. At a press conference in Carson City on Thursday alongside state health lab director Mark Pandori, Sisolak fielded repeated questions about the timing of a reopening. It comes as President Donald Trump released broad principles for the decision about when to ease business restrictions and just two weeks before Sisolaks school and business shutdown orders are set to end. I cannot take the chance of overwhelming our health care system, and not having a way back out of it, he said, adding that there may be opportunities to relax restrictions and then well see how it works after a little while, if we dont have an enormous spike in positives or emergency room usage. The governor declined to name concrete milestones, if any, that he needs to see before lifting emergency directives that have ground public life in the state to a halt. But he mentioned broad-strokes metrics hes monitoring, including modeling and projections, health risk assessments, testing capacity, hospital bed capacity and the ability of hospitals to deal with future surges. The ability to conduct dramatically more tests will become even more important as restrictions are lifted, Pandori said, not for the reason of diagnosing sick people but for gathering intelligence, including understanding when the virus is carried asymptomatically and how fatal it actually is. This is about finding out where the enemy is, how much of it, he said, and finding out that number for two reasons how much risk is there out there as we start to come out of this and try to reenter normalcy? But also to ask, hey, when the smoke clears, how many people were infected and are infected, because we still dont know that denominator. While Sisolak said he will give as much notice as humanly possible on whether directives would be lifted because he recognized entities such as schools would not be ready to ramp up with 24 hours notice, he warned that relaxation of restrictions would be done in a very gradual manner. Its not going to be just flip on the light switch and everything goes back to normal because thats not how were doing things, he said, adding that it would be unfair for me to just guess a date. I wont do that. Criticism from elected officials Sisolak also pushed back on a growing chorus of elected officials including, most notably, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman who have chafed at the ongoing shutdown as insanity and economically devastating. Goodman said Wednesday that being closed is killing us already, that the death toll represented less than half a percentage point of the population and that there was no rationale for the shutdown to begin with. I dont know who shes relying on for her experts, because none of my experts have given me anywhere near that information, he said. Sisolak said that some people are more concerned with the business side of this than the human toll that this virus is taking and added that I will put the safety of our folks ahead of any profits. He also questioned the utility of opening certain businesses right away when the world is still confronting the pandemic. People who think you can just say Were open back up, and suddenly these hotels are going to be filled, dont understand how the hotel industry works, he said. Asked about an agenda item for a White Pine County Commission meeting next week that seeks an exemption for the small rural county from any shutdown orders beyond April 30, Sisolak argued that rural areas were not immune to the disease. He pointed to Humboldt County, which has a per-capita case rate that rivals more densely populated Clark and Washoe counties. As governor of the state of Nevada, Im responsible for 17 counties. They have the responsibility of White Pine County, thats what theyre elected to do, he said. I will take the action that I feel is most appropriate for the state of Nevada. He said his plan for a gradual reopening of the economy was intended to allow certain industries to restart earlier than others, rather than allow certain counties to reopen earlier than others, although he said he would be willing to look at areas of the state that havent had significant COVID-19 caseloads. But it will not be just everything back to normal even in those areas, he said. Election by mail and unemployment complaints Sisolak said he had yet to read a lawsuit from the Nevada State Democratic Party, filed Thursday, that challenges Republican Secretary of State Barbara Cegavskes plan to conduct the June primary election virtually all by mail. Cegavske said her plan is aimed at reducing the risk of coronavirus spread from in-person voting, but critics including a raft of prominent Nevada Democrats say it could disenfranchise people not accustomed to mail-in ballots. Sisolak, a Wisconsin native, pointed to a widely panned primary election that was held two weeks ago in spite of fears that it would speed the spread of the disease. What happened in Milwaukee, Wisconsin was atrocious. People were standing in long lines, you know, not social distancing. That is something that I certainly could not tolerate in Nevada, he said. I believe that everyone has a right to vote. I know the secretary of state put a lot of time in on this, in consultation with the various registrars in the 17 counties, and well have to wait and see, but I have not weighed in on the lawsuit. On the subject of the states overwhelmed unemployment insurance system, Sisolak said it was too early to tell whether the addition Wednesday of a call center to handle general inquiries was helping the situation. Claimants have said the operators, who are contractors and do not have access to the unemployment system, have not made a difference in their ability to unlock payments that are held up over technical issues. Im hoping it will. Weve got a reduced number of password resets, which is clearly a positive for us. I think were getting to people quicker, he said. My staff is working with [the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation] to explore every option we have available to hook people up with the benefits, and well continue to do that. Its a big priority for me. Asked whether there were workarounds on the requirement that supporting documentation be faxed to the state, Sisolak said its just the way it is. I mean, its unfortunate. I understand people are frustrated, theyre impatientthey want action now, he said. Ive got a team in the state here that is working so hard. Nobody has ever faced anything of this magnitude, and its easy to sit back and criticize. And its easy to throw stones and its easy to say do this or do that. I will stand up for the group that Ive got working for the State of Nevada. 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. nIndustries 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. Also read: Coronavirus: 68 staff members of govt hospital quarantine after suspect dies Also read: ED files case against Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad, others Cheops, ESA's new exoplanet mission, has successfully completed its almost three months of in-orbit commissioning, exceeding expectations for its performance. The satellite, which will commence routine science operations by the end of April, has already obtained promising observations of known exoplanet-hosting stars, with many exciting discoveries to come. "The in-orbit commissioning phase was an exciting period, and we are pleased we were able to meet all requirements," says Nicola Rando, Cheops project manager at ESA. "The satellite platform and instrument performed remarkably, and both the Mission and Science Operation Centres supported operations impeccably." Launched in December 2019, Cheops, or the Characterising Exoplanet Satellite, opened its eye to the Universe at the end of January and shortly after took its first, intentionally blurred images of stars. The deliberate defocusing is at the core of the mission's observing strategy, which improves the measurement precision by spreading the light coming from distant stars over many pixels of its detector. Precision is key in today's exoplanet research. More than 4000 planets - and counting - are known to be orbiting stars other than the Sun. A key follow-on is to start to characterise these planets, providing constraints on their structure, formation and evolution. Taking the steps to characterise exoplanets through the precise measurement of their sizes - in particular those of smaller planets - is exactly the mission of Cheops. Before being declared ready for the task, however, the small, 1.5 metre sized satellite had to pass a large number of tests. Outstanding performance With the first series of in-flight tests, performed between January and February, the mission experts started analysing the response of the satellite, and in particular of the telescope and detector, in the actual space environment. Proceeding into March, Cheops focused on well-studied stars. "To measure how well Cheops performs we first needed to observe stars whose properties are well known, stars that are well-behaved - hand-picked to be very stable, with no signs of activity" says Kate Isaak, Cheops project scientist at ESA. This approach enabled the teams at ESA, the mission consortium, and Airbus Spain - the prime contractor - to verify that the satellite is as precise and stable as needed to meet its ambitious goals. "The pointing is extremely stable: this means that while the telescope observes a star for hours while the spacecraft moves along its orbit, the image of the star remains always within the same group of pixels in the detector," explains Carlos Corral van Damme, ESA's System Principal Engineer for Cheops. "Such a great stability is a combination of the excellent performance of the equipment and of the bespoke pointing algorithms, and will be especially important to fulfill the scientific objectives of the mission. The thermal stability of the telescope and the detector has also proven to be even better than required," adds Carlos. The commissioning period demonstrated that Cheops achieves the required photometric precision and, importantly, it also showed that the satellite can be commanded by the ground segment team as needed to perform its science observations. "We were thrilled when we realised that all the systems worked as expected or even better than expected," says Cheops Instrument Scientist Andrea Fortier, who led the commissioning team of the consortium for the University of Bern, Switzerland. Time for exoplanets During the final two weeks of in-orbit commissioning, Cheops observed two exoplanet-hosting stars as the planets 'transited' in front of their host star and blocked a fraction of starlight. Observing transits of known exoplanets is what the mission was built for - to measure planet sizes with unprecedented precision and accuracy and to determine their densities by combining these with independent measurements of their masses. One of the targets was HD 93396, a subgiant yellow star located 320 light-years away, slightly cooler and three times larger than our Sun. The focus of the observations was KELT-11b, a puffy gaseous planet about 30% larger in size than Jupiter, in an orbit that is much closer to the star than Mercury is to the Sun. The light curve of this star shows a clear dip caused by the eight hour-long transit of KELT-11b. From these data, the scientists have determined very precisely the diameter of the planet: 181,600 km - with an uncertainty just under 4300 km. The measurements made by Cheops are five times more accurate than those from Earth, explains Willy Benz, Principal Investigator of the Cheops mission consortium, and professor of astrophysics at the University of Bern. "That gives us a foretaste for what we can achieve with Cheops over the months and years to come," he says. A formal review of the satellite performance and ground segment operations was held on 25 March, and Cheops passed it with flying colours. With this, ESA handed over responsibility for operating the mission to the consortium led by Willy Benz. Fortunately, the commissioning activities were not affected much by the ensuing emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which resulted in social distancing measures and restrictions to movement across Europe to prevent the spread of the virus. "The ground segment has been working very smoothly from early on, which enabled us to fully automate most of the operations for commanding the satellite and downlinking the data already in the first few weeks after launch," explains Carlos. "By the time the crisis emerged in March, with the new rules and regulations that came with it, the automated systems meant that the impact on the mission was minimal." Cheops is currently transitioning towards routine science operations, which are expected to begin before the end of April. Scientists have started observing some of the 'early science targets' - a selection of stars and planetary systems chosen to showcase examples of what the mission can achieve: these include a 'hot super-Earth' planet known as 55 Cancri e, which is covered in a lava ocean, as well as the 'warm Neptune' GJ 436b, which is losing its atmosphere due to the glare from its host star. Another star on the list of upcoming Cheops observations is a white dwarf, the first target from ESA's Guest Observers Programme, which provides scientists from beyond the mission consortium with the opportunity to use the mission and capitalize on its observational capabilities. More about Cheops Cheops is an ESA mission developed in partnership with Switzerland, with a dedicated consortium led by the University of Bern, and with important contributions from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK. ESA is the Cheops mission architect, responsible for procurement and testing of the satellite, launch, the launch and early operations phase, in-orbit commissioning, as well as the Guest Observers' Programme. The consortium of 11 ESA Member States led by Switzerland provided essential elements of the mission. The prime contractor for the design and construction of the spacecraft is Airbus Defence and Space in Madrid, Spain. The Cheops mission consortium runs the Mission Operations Centre located at INTA, in Torrejon de Ardoz near Madrid, Spain, and the Science Operations Centre, located at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. A young couple 'freaked out' when they saw a group of men attempting to 'break-in' via their doorbell camera but were pleasantly surprised to discover they were actually rescuing a rogue alligator sat on their doorstep. Miranda and Brandon Taylor, 22 and 23, weren't at their home in Port Richey, Florida, on April 9 when their Ring doorbell flagged up a disturbance outside their house and became concerned their empty home was being burgled. The bizarre footage shows three men standing on their front porch looking intently at something near their door and creeping towards it. Miranda and Brandon Taylor, 22 and 23, 'freaked out' when they saw men suspiciously lingering outside their home in Port Richey, Florida, but didn't spot the alligator The couple watched the men on their Ring doorbell while they walked towards the front door of their empty house The group realise the house has a video doorbell and worry that what they are doing may look suspicious. One says: 'They're probably looking at us like what is going on. Don't freak out, we're not trying to do anything.' One of the men gets close to the door and explains 'there's an alligator at your door sorry,' before lunging down to tackle it. He disappears from view and a few seconds later steps back holding the reptile in his arms and walking it away from the house. One of the men edges closer to the house staring at something on the doorstep while another reassures the owner of the house 'were not trying to do anything' The vested neighbour lunges forward out of shot and reappears seconds later holding the alligator in his arms The alligator's tail is visible in the black and white footage while the men walk away from the house with it and return it to the neighbourhood pond Mrs Taylor, who works in financial services, said: 'When we opened the video, we freaked out because we thought we were about to be broken into. 'We turned off the music in the car and listened to the sound intently to see what was happening, which is when we heard them explain about the alligator. 'When we heard that we relaxed a little and just watched it all unfold. Mr and Mrs Taylor thought their house was being burgled but were shocked to see the alligator rescue 'Before we left, we had moved some packages inside from the doorstep otherwise the gator could have grabbed them. 'There is a pond in our neighbourhood and we think it came from there and was just walking along the sidewalk so residents were concerned. 'This is definitely something that only happens in Florida. 'We were out of the house on a drive just to get outside and get a lot of notifications from Ring because the wind blows the tree out front and we thought this was another.' Cookie Preferences Cookie List Cookie List A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website when visited by a user asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. 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You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. A motorcyclist has died after a crash on a busy road in north-east London. Emergency services were called to Pembury Road in Lower Clapton at 8.30am on Friday after a collision between a car and a motorcycle. The motorcycle rider, aged in his 30s, was rushed hospital where he later died, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said. The driver of the car stopped at the scene. A police cordon in place in Pembury Road / @999London / Twitter Officers said no arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing. Pictures from the scene show a police cordon in place and a number of roads closed. Olainfarm groups indicative consolidated sales in March reached EUR 13.2 million, which is an increase by 22% compared to March last year. Revenues in Latvia improved by 29% year-on-year, in Ukraine sales rose by 963%, in Belarus by 1%, in the EU countries by 49%, in Caucasus countries by 126% and in other countries by 35%. Revenues in Russia and Central Asia declined by 28% and 6%, respectively. In March the Group started cooperation with one of the largest pharmaceutical distributors in Ukraine, which already demonstrates substantial results. Despite the spread of COVID-19 to most countries in the world including Latvia, the Group has continued to operate normally with limited impact. The Group companies have taken safety measures in accordance with local regulations. Employees at JSC Olainfarm and the major subsidiaries regularly check their health condition to limit potential spread of the coronavirus among employees. Employees who can perform tasks remotely are working from home. Business trips have been canceled, face-to-face meetings have been limited whenever possible and online meetings are encouraged instead. Because of travel restrictions, the Groups medical representatives are conducting promotional calls via video conference or by phone to stay connected with their customers. The Group companies source raw materials from various countries and have established plans to expand the list of suppliers. At the moment, the Group has sufficient inventory for the foreseeable future, which enables it to plan production without interruptions. The manufacturing processes and product deliveries at JSC Olainfarm have not been significantly affected. More shipments of products to clients are done by trucks instead of air traffic. During the first three months of 2020, Olainfarm groups indicative consolidated sales amounted to EUR 31.7 million. It is by 9% less than in 2019 due to additional volumes sent to Russia in amount of EUR 6 million in the second half of 2019 when wholesalers anticipated introduction of serialization requirements and it has been taken into consideration in the forecasts for 2020. The increase in revenue during the three-month period was in Latvia by 11%, Belarus by 7%, the Central Asian and Caucasian regions where the sales were 25% and 103% more than a year ago, in the EU countries revenue increased by 11%. At the same time sales declined in Russia (-52%), in Ukraine (-36%) and in other countries (-3%). Story continues The change of direction in the sales strategy of the main markets has delivered the expected results shown by the turnover in March, exceeding the indicators of March of last year. We expect that the cooperation with drug distributors will continue to deliver the annual plan in both Russia and the Ukraine, as well as in other markets. Despite the spread of COVID-19 to most countries in the world including Latvia, the Group continues to operate normally with limited impact. The Olainfarm Group continues to work in strict compliance with all the measures related to the control of the coronavirus. Due to state-imposed limitations, healthcare facilities of Diamed and Olainmed have been closed since the end of March. The largest Group companies continue to operate without any changes, said Jeroen Weites, Chairman of the Management Board of JSC Olainfarm. March 2020, consolidated results Sales, mil. EUR Share in total sales Compared to March 2019 Latvia 4.184 32% 29% Russia 2.067 16% -28% Ukraine 1.823 14% 963% Central Asia 1.686 13% -6% Belarus 1.582 12% 1% EU countries 1.294 10% 49% Other countries 0.303 2% 35% Caucasian countries 0.274 2% 126% Total 13.214 100% 22% Three months 2020, consolidated sales Sales, mil. EUR Share in total sales Changes to three months 2019 Latvia 10.858 34% 11% Belarus 5.879 19% 7% Russia 4.343 14% -52% Central Asia 3.594 11% 25% EU countries 3.122 10% 11% Ukraine 1.829 6% -36% Other countries 1.417 4% -3% Caucasian countries 0.653 2% 103% Total 31.694 100% -9% The Central Asian region includes Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Turkmenistan. The EU country region includes all of the European Union member states except for Latvia; Other countries include all of the countries in the world, which are not included in any other groups; The Caucasian countries are Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Unconsolidated sales in March and three months According to the preliminary unconsolidated figures, JSC Olainfarm sales reached EUR 10.4 million in March 2020, which represents an increase by 33% compared to March, 2019. Sales of products in March improved in Latvia by 67%, Ukraine by 1067%, in Central Asia by 2%, in the EU countries by 56%, in Caucasus countries by 221% and in other countries by 37%. Revenues declined in Russia by 28% and in Belarus by 2% if compared to the same months a year ago. During the first three months of this year JSC Olainfarm preliminary revenue declined by 12% and was EUR 23.3 million. The largest sales outlet was Latvia where the revenue climbed up by 21% compared to the three-month period a year ago, in Belarus sales were up by 4%, in Central Asia there was an increase by 32%, in the EU countries revenues increased by 10% and Caucasus countries there was growth by 89%. At the same time revenue declined in Russia by 56%, in Ukraine by 36% and in other countries by 7%. March 2020, unconsolidated sales Sales, mil. EUR Share in total sales Compared to March 2019 Latvia 2.416 23% 67% Ukraine 1.823 17% 1067% Russia 1.765 17% -28% Central Asia 1.646 16% 2% Belarus 1.223 12% -2% EU countries 1.168 11% 56% Other countries 0.210 2% 37% Caucasus countries 0.188 2% 221% Total 10.438 100% 33% Three months 2020, unconsolidated sales Sales, mil. EUR Share in total sales Changes to Three months 2019 Latvia 5.455 23% 21% Belarus 4.807 21% 4% Russia 3.505 15% -56% Central Asia 3.367 14% 32% EU countries 2.726 12% 10% Ukraine 1.824 8% -36% Other countries 1.201 5% -7% Caucasian countries 0.451 2% 89% Total 23.336 100% -12% Results of subsidiaries in March and three months The pharmacy chain Latvijas Aptieka sales reached EUR 2.9 million in March 2020, which represents a 37% increase compared to March, 2019. Silvanols sales reached EUR 0.8 million in March 2020, representing a growth by 33% versus March, 2019. The combined sales of Tonus Elast and Elast Medical in March 2020 were EUR 0.7 million, which is 27% less than this time last year. Olainmed and Diamed Medical Center sales reached EUR 0.24 million, while the Belarusian subsidiary NPK Biotest reached EUR 0.31 million in sales in March, which is 28% higher than in March of last year. During the first three month period of 2020, Latvijas Aptieka sales amounted to EUR 7.5 million, demonstrating a 14% increase in comparison to the same time period last year. Sales of SIA Silvanols reached EUR 1.7 million which is 1% more than last year. The combined sales of Tonus Elast and Elast Medical during the first three months of this year totaled up to EUR 2 million, which is a decline by 8%. Medical Center Diamed and Olainmed revenue was EUR 0.8 million during the first three months of this year and the Belarusian company NPK Biotest sales were worth EUR 0.9 million, improving the result of last year by 15%. March 2020 Three months 2020 Sales of Latvijas Aptieka, mil. EUR 2.938 7.499 Sales of Silvanols, mil. EUR 0.768 1.663 Sales of Tonus Elast and Elast Medikl, mil. EUR 0.686 1.990 Sales of Medical centers, mil. EUR 0.244 0.840 Sales of NPK Biotest, mil. EUR 0.314 0.907 According to the JSC Olainfarm 2020 budget, unconsolidated sales are planned to reach EUR 97.3 million in 2020, while consolidated sales are expected at EUR 135.5 million. According to these preliminary sales figures, in the first three months of 2020, 24% of annual target for unconsolidated sales and 23% of annual target for consolidated sales have been reached. JSC Olainfarm has reviewed announcement procedure of monthly revenue data. In the future revenue data will be disclosed on quarterly basis, starting from the second quarter sales figures. JSC Olainfarm is one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in Latvia with more than 45 years of experience in production of medication and chemical and pharmaceutical products. A basic principle of the company's operations is to produce reliable and effective top -quality products for Latvia and the rest of the world. Products made by the Group are being exported to more than 50 countries of the world, including the Baltics, Russia, other CIS, Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. UPDATE: Wolf offers framework, few details for reopening Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is set to deliver an address Friday afternoon on the COVID-19 coronavirus illness. It's set for 2 p.m. and was announced shortly after 1 p.m. The public can tune in at either governor.pa.gov/live or facebook.com/governorwolf. "Gov. Wolf will update Pennsylvanians on the state of the commonwealth and ongoing efforts to mitigate the virus and provide support to Pennsylvanians impacted by the pandemic," the announcement states. Wolf said Thursday he hadnt decided on extending the stay-at-home order that expires April 30, or on relaxing any restrictions aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19 as the date draws closer. The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Friday confirmed 1,706 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 29,441. The department also reported 49 new deaths among positive cases, bringing the statewide total to 756. COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise in Pennsylvania, and even though the daily increases are not exponential, now is not the time to become complacent, the state health secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, said in a statement. We must continue to stay home to protect ourselves, our families, our community. If you must go out, please make as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but other people as well. We need all Pennsylvanians to continue to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, our health care workers and frontline responders. There are 117,932 patients who have tested negative to date, according to the department. 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. 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: 17 April 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 33,008 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 1,610 pence 20.12 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 1,580 pence 19.75 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 1,596 pence 19.95 USD Trading Venue: Euronext Amsterdam Ticker: PSH Date of Purchase: 17 April 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 30,184 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 20.05 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 19.50 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 19.91 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 199,702,332 Public Shares outstanding, or 205,500,941 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 11,254,418 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/20200417005541/en/ Contacts: Camarco Ed Gascoigne-Pees Hazel Stevenson +44 020 3757 4989, media-pershingsquareholdings@camarco.co.uk The number of coronavirus cases is rising in Armenia. New cases appear every day, the number of which has already exceeded 1100. The government has extended the state of emergency until May 14, thereby confirming that the outbreak is not controlled in the country. There's been a lot of complaints recently about its health system. In order to prevent public outcry, the Armenian political elite has begun pursuing a non-standard policy by integrating a set of anti-coronavirus measures into the country's ideology. One of the pillars of Armenian ideology is the idea of people's constant struggle against the threat in the face of invaders, gentiles and foreigners, who most often were their neighbors, according to the Armenian political strategists. This ideology corresponds to Yerevan's foreign policy, which is limited to observing exclusively national interests to the detriment of regional ones. However, the COVID-19 threat cannot be personified, therefore, an alternative view of the pandemic problem is formed in Armenia, which does not imply criticism of the authorities. Last Tuesday, Armenian President Armen Sarkisyan, in an appeal to the nation, called on the Armenians around the globe to rally in front of a faceless danger, comparing this struggle with the elimination of the tragic consequences of the Spitak earthquake, as well as the Nagorno-Karabakh war. At the same time, Sarkisyan did not specify that the entire Soviet Union provided assistance to the Armenian SSR in 1988, and the results of the occupation policy of Armenian separatism in Nagorno-Karabakh are criticized throughout the world. The fight against the virus is to look like another challenge that will be overcome through national unity. The public should not ask uncomfortable questions related to national health problems. However, they have questions and one of them is what the country's government and numerous officials are doing now. The question is not accidental, since in the current crisis period, the Armenian authorities did not think of anything else but to ensure the safety of the population using self-isolation tool, through its property (apartments and private houses), which is subject to state tax. Despite the outbreak, political strategists do not miss a PR opportunity. On his Facebook page, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan publishes materials every day on parliaments work, his campaign work during the 'velvet revolution', assures the public that all medical facilities in the country are provided with the necessary medicines and personal protective equipment. Despite the moderation of comments, active users of social networks pay attention to the fact that the prime minister seeks to convince the public that the situation in the country is not critical, despite the fact that all evidence to the contrary. People are worried about the financial situation in Armenia, since the country's economy is paralyzed, people do not work, but they still have to pay housing costs, monthly rental fee and other expenses. Moreover, both Pashinyan and Sarkisyan say nothing about material assistance to the population, limiting themselves to modest calls to extend a helping hand to the most vulnerable groups - the elderly and chronic patients. The atmosphere of uncertainty leads to anxiety, no one provides forecasts, while people fear the second wave of the epidemic, since the geography of the outbreak in Armenia is unknown, and the possibility of independent testing for coronavirus is not even discussed. The public suggests that Armenian politicians' loud calls for universal transnational mobilization cover their unwillingness to provide real financial assistance to the population. Armenian business oligarchs are also not in a hurry to provide direct assistance to the population, limiting themselves to behind-the-scenes and non-transparent cooperation with various support funds. Some wealthy people open some private clinics in their homes, equipping them, first of all, with ventilators. There are not enough funds to fight the virus. Moreover, the deficit is also expected after the state of emergency is lifted, when the threat of a pandemic will be over. Therefore, the Armenian establishment has begun cautiously speaking about the national character of the fight against the epidemic, hoping to receive financial support from the diaspora once again, since it does not require testing during a pandemic. This serves to maintain the government's image and suggests the successful consolidation of the ethnic group. Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. Start your free trial. Just last month, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for June Medical Services v. Russo, a case appealing the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision to uphold a Louisiana law requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges at local hospitals. This week, meanwhile, another 5th Circuit decision concerning abortion in the era of COVID-19 was briefly before the court. The issues in the two cases differ, but the theme is the same: The 5th Circuit is using the pretext of health concerns to restrict reproductive rights. In the case of Texas COVID-19-based restrictions, the court was willing to accept the states view that the restrictions as applied to many abortions would serve public health needs, when the opposite is true: Those restrictions will likely hinder those goals by depleting resources and increasing the spread of the coronavirus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In June Medical Services, the appellate court upheld the Louisiana admitting privileges requirement under the theory that it makes abortions safer. Never mind that in 2016, the Supreme Court found the identical requirement in a Texas statutewhich the 5th Circuit also upheldunconstitutional because it imposed an undue burden. As SCOTUS noted, the Texas law provided no health-related benefit but it imposed significant burdens by causing half of Texas abortion clinics to close, resulting in fewer providers, longer waits, more crowding, and increased travel distances. Similarly, the new restrictive order issued in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and upheld in large part by the 5th Circuit will do real harm without achieving the good claimed. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, like officials in 35 states, issued a directive to reduce the states elective medical procedures to conserve hospital beds and protective personal equipment. The executive order, issued on March 22, requires postponement of all surgeries and procedures that are not immediately medically necessary. While it does not single out abortions, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released a press statement declaring it applies to abortions, except in medical emergencies. Advertisement Advertisement The litigation concerning this order moved quickly. A federal district court twice barred the order as applied to abortions, and the 5th Circuit reversed both decisions, except as to pregnant women who would be past the legal limit for an abortion when the order expires and then as to medication abortions. The case was even briefly before the Supreme Court, until abortion providers in the state withdrew a request for intervention on Tuesday. It is a shame that the Texas order will now stand. Even with the allowances for medication abortions and those who would be past the legal limit, the 5th Circuits rulings allow the order to unconstitutionally restrict the right of many Texans to obtain lawful abortions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To justify this limitation of reproductive rights, the appellate court relied heavily on Jacobson v. Massachusetts, a 1905 Supreme Court decision upholding a mandatory vaccination law during a smallpox outbreak. Repeatedly citing to the case, the 5th Circuit insisted that courts adhere to Jacobsons framework governing emergency public health measures. According to the 5th Circuit, rather than usurp the states authority by second guessing the wisdom or efficacy of those measures, courts should consider only whether such laws were enacted under pretext. The 5th Circuits reasoning itself, however, has been pretextual in accepting supposed public health rationales to run roughshod over constitutionally protected reproductive rights. First, despite relying on Jacobson, the 5th Circuit never seriously considered whether the order was necessary to protect public health and whether it is unreasonable, arbitrary, and oppressive, the tests articulated in that case. And it refused to credit the lower courts consideration of persuasive evidence that the order as applied to abortions does not achieve its goal of conserving PPE and hospital beds. Medication abortions, allowed up to 10 weeks gestation in Texas, require no PPE or hospital beds. Procedural abortions only require minimal PPE and typically occur in clinics. Meanwhile, women who remain pregnant still require in-person prenatal care, which consumes more PPE than pre-viability abortions. Finally, delaying abortions does not reduce the spread of the virus. Women will interact with health care professionals more often by remaining pregnant than by having abortions. And to obtain earlier and safer abortions by leaving the state, women have to travel up to 20 times farther, which further increases the possibility of needless viral transmission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 5th Circuit also used public health concerns as a pretext in applying Jacobson as if constitutional law had not evolved since 1905. While the 5th Circuit acknowledged Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, it interpreted Jacobson to allow the restriction of all constitutional rights, including the right to abortion, in public health emergencies. Moreover, despite chiding the lower court for failing to apply Caseys undue burden test, the 5th Circuit not only reframed, but ultimately forsook, the test. Instead of requiring courts to consider the burdens a law imposes on abortion access together with the benefits those laws confer, as required by the Supreme Court in Whole Womans Health v. Hellerstedt, the 5th Circuit interpreted Jacobson to require such a showing beyond question.* In other words, it used a 1905 ruling to grant the state much broader discretion to limit reproductive rights than the Supreme Court allowed just four years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Worse, the 5th Circuit failed to engage meaningfully with its Jacobson-inspired altered understanding of the undue burden test, blithely concluding that a temporary postponement of all non-essential medical procedures, including abortion, is not beyond question, in palpable conflict with the constitution. Yet even under the 5th Circuits version of the undue-burden test, the order would be unconstitutional as applied to abortions. That part of the orders application provides no health-related benefits because it increases both the consumption of PPE and the potential spread of the virus. Moreover, it delays abortions by at least a month, especially given the inevitable backlog that will resultsubstantially longer than the 24-hour waiting period the court allowed in Casey. These delays impose greater health risks from continued pregnancy or later-term abortions. To avoid postponing abortions, women must travel great distances, again adding to the possible spread of the disease. All these factors compound financial and emotional costs during an already stressful pandemic. The order, beyond question, unconstitutionally imposes burdens that greatly outweigh its supposed benefits. There is certainly reason to be pleased that the 5th Circuit now permits medication abortions and abortions that would be time-barred when the order expires. But the fact remains that, by allowing delays of a great many abortions, it still restricts reproductive rights in a way that is inconsistent with the most recent constitutional interpretations. For many Texan women, such constraints under the guise of health concerns could be tragic. LIATs cargo service has opened for business all through the airlines current period of suspension of its passenger service. It has put a temporary halt (until April 18) to its passenger service, but regional airline LIAT is not sitting idle as far as attempting to recoup losses occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline, in an email response to questions posed by Barbados Today, indicated that it will be offering charter services and flights on requests, while anticipating an improvement in coming weeks. "With several territories set to re-open their borders and lift their curfews by the end of April, we anticipate a gradual improvement in demand for passenger services by the end of June. This will allow the airline to revert to a relatively normal passenger service from July through to the end of 2020, the airline said in its email as referenced. The email also pointed to an expansion in the airlines cargo service as "a support role in the region. The airline never ceased its cargo service. In fact, the airline has not been idle, and among the support it has offered, included: assistance to Dominica and Barbados, bringing in 90 Cuban specialists as far as the latter was concerned; assisting governments in the repatriation of citizens. While LIAT originally kept a reduced schedule to maintain connectivity, as of March 31, ten destinations within LIATs network had closed their borders and others imposed curfews as well as travel restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19, Barbados Today reported. B ritain will face "further waves" of Covid-19 and could reach 40,000 deaths in this first wave alone, a leading physician has warned. Professor Anthony Costello, of University College London's Institute for Global Health, told a committee of MPs the "harsh reality" is that the UK will probably see the highest death rate in Europe because ministers were "too slow" to act. His comments come as the Department of Health said the total number of patients who have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus has risen by 847 to a total of 14,576, as of 5pm on Thursday. Prof Costello said: "If we're going to suppress the chain of transmission of this virus in the next stage we all hope that the national lockdown and social distancing will bring about a large suppression of the epidemic so far - but we're going to face further waves. "And so we need to make sure that we have a system in place that cannot just do a certain number of tests in the laboratory, but has a system at district and community level." Prof Costello, giving evidence to the Commons Health and Social Care Committee, said that "we can make sure in the second wave we're not too slow". Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that testing will be expanded to those in the police, fire service and prisons, as well as critical local authority workers, the judiciary and Department for Work and Pensions staff where required. 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 It follows criticism of a gulf between those being tested and the testing capacity, with just 18,665 tests being conducted in the 24 hours up to 9am on Thursday, despite 38,000 tests being available. Mr Hancock confirmed to the committee that more than 50,000 NHS workers have now been tested for coronavirus, and admitted he would "love to be able to wave a magic wand" to increase supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). MPs were also told that healthcare staff are "genuinely concerned" about the safety of patients being compromised if workers are spread too thinly. Anthony Costello told MPs the grim prediction at today's Health and Social Care Committee session / Parliament TV Dr Alison Pittard, Dean at the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, said: "We've had to spread ourselves more thinly and we have developed guidance to try and make sure that continues to be safe, but if we have to expand even more and spread ourselves even more thinly, there would be concern that safety could be compromised. "So everyone is working really well, we're doing everything that we can but staff are genuinely concerned." Dame Donna Kinnair, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, told the committee sick NHS workers are being forced to drive two hours away to be tested. 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 She urged: "We need some really clear direction on how we can access testing both in the NHS but more so for social care, because they don't have the same infrastructure as the NHS." Meanwhile: London Mayor Sadiq Khan urged the Government to change its advice to the public on wearing face masks to combat the spread of the virus. Downing Street suggested summer holidays should not be booked yet as there is no certainty of when the lockdown will be lifted and travel can resume. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would deviate from the UK Government's lockdown measures if her advisers told her it was in the best interests of her country. Number 10 said the number of care homes with coronavirus infections stood at 2,987 as of Tuesday. Prof Costello, a former British director at the World Health Organisation, said he was "not sure we need 100,000 tests per day in reality if we can get this epidemic damped down" and that it was "more important to have the systems in place". "How are they restructuring the public health teams? Have they got plans in place? "Will they need extra volunteers, for example?" He also suggested offering incentives to 10 per cent of the population to stay socially isolated in order to get the economy going again. Matt Hancock casts doubt over accuracy of Covid-19 death numbers in care homes "We have to get the economy going and if it means locking down 10 per cent of our population, even giving them incentives to stay in quarantine and with digital apps to help monitor their symptoms and give them support, that's the way to really keep this going until we get a vaccine and safe herd immunity." The committee's chairman Jeremy Hunt later called for "a massive ramp-up - not just in the testing, but also the tracing of everyone who has been in contact with someone who has the virus". He told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme: "If we're going to be in a position where we can track and trace every single person who has Covid or might have had Covid in three weeks' time, because that's when we could next potentially end the lockdown, well that is a huge logistical undertaking." Mr Hunt added: "If we're going to copy the best in the world then that is what we now need to do." Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast Elsewhere, Downing Street said it was "wrong" of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to suggest the Government is not being more forthcoming about an exit strategy because Boris Johnson is absent. Dominic Raab, who is deputising for the Prime Minister, spoke to Mr Johnson on Thursday, Number 10 confirmed. South Africa: Social Development sets record straight on COVID-19 fumigation The Social Development Acting Director-General, Mzolisi Toni, says the department has not contracted or partnered with any organisation to conduct door-to-door sanitisation for COVID-19. This follows a letter circulating on social media platforms, which authorises Scientology Volunteer Ministries, a non-profit organisation (NPO), to render sanitising services to the National Department of Social Development and Social Developments provincial facilities during the COVID-19 lockdown. Toni said the letter, dated 2 April 2020, which is on the Department of Social Developments official letterhead and bears his signature, is legitimate. However, Toni said the only agreement that existed between the department and Scientology Volunteer Ministries was a once-off agreement that involved the fumigation of its premises and facilities. To date, Toni said, the NPO has rendered free fumigation services at the departments head office in Pretoria, the Gauteng Social Development head office in Johannesburg and a number of department facilities in the Gauteng region. Unfortunately, due to the fact that there are currently people going door-to-door claiming to represent the Scientology Volunteer Ministries and carrying out COVID-19 sanitisation on behalf of the department, the department and the Scientology Volunteer Ministries have agreed to terminate the fumigation agreement. The department acknowledges the good work of the church but cannot be drawn into misrepresentation when the prime focus of the department is on rolling out interventions to mitigate against COVID-19, Toni said. Toni warned members of the public that the department has not contracted or partnered with any organisation to conduct door-t- door sanitisation for COVID-19. He advised members of the public to remain vigilant of opportunists and criminals, who want to take advantage of them during the lockdown period. Toni said that under no circumstances would he direct an Accounting Officer of another public entity or organisation, or a household to use an NPO for unsolicited services, more so when the services in question do not relate to the core mandate of the department. The Department of Social Development is committed to playing a role in offering services and relief to vulnerable groups during the countrys fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Toni said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Major events scheduled for June may not move forward if the coronavirus continues its spread across New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday. The mayor said he plans to make a final decision about whether to yank city permitted events set for June after the city announced Thursday it would cancel all permitted events in May. Can I envision as early as June mass gatherings? Like some of these huge events, theyre beautiful events but theyre really mass gatherings of hundreds and thousands of people, in some cases, more than a million, he told reporters during a press conference. I can't see it, but I want to talk to the event organizers. I want my team to talk to them. I want to see what theyre feeling. I don't see it for June, but were going to have the conversation carefully and then have an announcement real soon, he continued. The citys iconic Pride Parade and Puerto Rican Day Parade both take place in June. On Staten Island, the mayors announcement means cancelation of the historic Memorial Day Parade, which marked its 100th anniversary last year. Thousands typically turn out for the parade along Forest Avenue to honor U.S. military men and women who served their country. The Pride Center of Staten Island hosts a Pride Fest at Snug Harbor in May before the citys Pride Parade. And other events like the Islands food truck festival at the Staten Island Mall and Mt. Loretto take place in June and the Staten Island Mall Carnival typically runs from May through June. Earlier this week, the mayor said large public gatherings across New York City might not happen for the whole summer. He said he was confident the city could reopen public schools by September but was not confident about large gatherings set for June, July and even August. Reporter Victoria Priola contributed to this report. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** The release of detainees in eastern Ukraine on April 16 carries humanitarian values as it brings people back to their families on both sides of the contact line, the International Committee of the Red Cross reported. "It comes at a time when everybody is looking for comfort and someone to turn to. 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," reads a statement of the ICRC in relation to the simultaneous release and transfer of detainees in Donbas. It is also essential that, even in time of COVID-19, the detainees continue to be released and are able to finally see their families again. "It is crucial that such operations can take place in a manner that respects the dignity and safety of those released, within minimum humanitarian standards, and in respect of their individual will," reads a report. According to the ICRC, as of the early hours of April 16, 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. A U.S. judge canceled a key permit Wednesday for the Keystone XL oil pipeline thats 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 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. 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. Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life. Someone posted a picture of those chalked words Monday on a local COVID-19 Facebook page. Itll be there awhile, then disappear from sight and memory in the rush of this thing. Or maybe not. Youre writing your own historical narrative right now, you know. Whether its on paper, phone, camera or keyboard, were not only all in this coronavirus thing together, but were spitting out history markers left and right. We are living in a truly historic time, Donna McCrea said. How we react and respond, as individuals and as a community, will be of interest 10 years from now and 100 years from now. McCrea, head of the University of Montanas Archives and Special Collections at the Mansfield Library, is part of team of professional historians and archivists from throughout Missoula County whove developed, on the fly, a way to collect, maintain and share actions and experiences during these peculiar times. The goal, the group said in a press release Thursday, is to encourage agencies, organizations and individuals from across Missoula County to document their actions and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide a mechanism for this documentation to be collected, maintained and shared as a community archive. Documents, emails, notes, online content, oral histories, interviews, and press releases will be collected. The hope is to also receive personal photos, videos, poems and stories related to the pandemic in Missoula County. McCrea launched the website on Thursday for what, after thorough vetting via Zoom conferencing over the past three weeks, is called Documenting COVID-19 in Missoula County: A Community Archive Project. The landing page www.lib.umt.edu/asc/covid-project explains the details and directs you to a submission form for digital files. It also gives a guide to how to contribute physical materials, though the transfer of such donations will have to wait until McRae and her staff are back working onsite at the Mansfield Library. Were inventing this as we go, said Matt Lautzenheiser, director of the countys Historical Museum at Fort Missoula and coordinator of the project. Honestly, thats what I think Missoula County is doing. They had the systems in place to activate groups to deal with the crisis, but weve never dealt with a crisis like this. Lautzenheiser was one of the initial contacts made by county Commissioner Dave Strohmaier, who got the ball rolling on March 25, just 11 days after revelation of the first two COVID-19 cases in Missoula County. Having worked as a public historian myself, Im keenly aware of the importance of documentation and how poor or incomplete documentation makes it difficult to understand the history of a person, place, or event, Strohmaier said in an e-mail. Typically, historians go to work years after the fact, piecing together the documentary record of a person or event, oftentimes lamenting the fact that there are gaps in the record or memories that are less than sharp. Now is an opportunity to help create our own destiny. Strohmaier reached out to people in both the public and private sectors to vet the idea. His initial interest was focused on local governments response and management of the virus. My worry was that unless we started documenting our decision-making process of how we were figuring this out on the fly, that knowledge would be lost and we would have missed a great opportunity to prepare ourselves for how best to respond to circumstances like this in the future, he said. As the project unfolded under Lautzenheisers leadership, via Zoom conferences, conversations on Slack and email, Google Docs exchanges and a few old-fashioned phone calls, it took wing. Its really kind of grown by leaps and bounds, Lautzenheiser said. He counted 17 people who tuned into the groups third tele-conference Wednesday. They represent a wide swath of interests from city and county government, historical museums, hospitals, the university, public history researchers, media, local businesses and business associations, as well as outlying communities in the Swan Valley and Seeley Lake. Members are also reaching out to schools and tribal representatives. I think my interest is in trying to capture this essentially watershed moment in our history from the perspective of the community, and its been really exciting to watch it grow, Lautzenheiser said. One important growth spot was suggested by Anya Jabour, a history professor at the university, whose perception of the project opened my eyes, Lautzenheiser said. She talked about wanting to make sure it isnt just from a top-down perspective, but also looking at individual members of the community and the different things theyve inspired. Those two Neptune Aviation planes that circled Missoula hospitals in tribute Tuesday night at the howling hour at 8 p.m. inspired plenty of pictures and videos. The Howl for Missoula movement itself is rich fodder for historical documentation. So too are the internal decision-making processes that have turned distilleries into hand sanitation factories, the mask and face-shield makers, the creative ways people are dealing with federal stimulus checks to help the cause. The possibilities are almost limitless, and maybe a little overwhelming. With the folks involved were kind of creating our own little Wikipedia, an open document that everyone can contribute to, Lautzenheiser said. It was challenging to do a press release on this, its such a work in progress, not only coming up with a means of organizing all of it but doing it in the middle of the pandemic where were much more isolated. Strohmaier said he floated the idea with a friend and former colleague who serves as director of the state of New Mexicos historic sites. He wasnt aware of the approach we were taking and validated that this is something new and worth pursuing, the commissioner said. The project, Strohmaier wrote, can help impress upon folks who are creating records to do so in a way that will be useful in the future (or simply things that otherwise might get thrown out). History matters, he said. A significant historic event is unfolding in our midst, and it is incumbent upon us to ensure that we adequately document it to learn from our experience and understand how we and future generations might be more resilient in the face of upheaval like this, be it public health or economic. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Rajasthan reported 38 new cases of the coronavirus disease on Friday morning, with the highest number of infected in Jodhpur, taking the states tally to 1169, state health department data showed. Jodhpur had 18 Covid-19 cases, Tonk six, Jaipur five, Kota four, Nagaur two and Jhunjhunu, Ajmer and Jhalawar reported one each, according to news agency ANI. As Jodhpur saw a spike in cases of the coronavirus disease, the Bharatiya Janata Party has said the situation was grave in Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlots constituency. Follow live updates on coronavirus here The opposition partys state unit president Satish Poonia had said on Thursday said the situation in Jodhpur was not under control and pointed that the collector has requested deployment of troops of the Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The district collector has written on April 12 to the BSF IG and CRPF DIG requesting deployment of the BSF or CRPF or else the situation will spiral out of control. But the government has hidden the letter, Poonia said during a video conference with reporters. The collector had said in the letter, of which HT has a copy, to BSF and CRPF that to maintain law and order and ensure compliance of the curfew imposed in the wake of a sharp rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the city the forces should provide one company each. The government, however, accused the BJP of misleading people and that the situation was under control in Jodhpur. Cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said that the chief minister is himself monitoring the situation. The lockdown is being strictly imposed and adhered to. The government is working hard to ensure we succeed in this fight against Covid-19. The situation is under control and will further improve, he said. Health minister Raghu Sharma also said that the situation is under control and the number of cases has risen because of more testing. The BJP should appreciate the work being done by doctors, health workers, police and not demoralise them, Sharma said. Before Jodhpur, Jaipur emerged as the biggest Covid-19 hotspot district in Rajasthan, accounting for almost one-third of the states total cases. And in Jaipur, Ramganj area has become a hotspot for the infection after a 45-year-old resident of Ramganj, who returned from Oman on March 12, was identifies as a super spreader. He was asked by health officials to stay in home quarantine but continued to meet people and even offered prayers at a local mosque. He tested positive on March 26 and curfew was imposed in Ramganj, a crowded neighbourhood with a population of nearly 500,000. Ramcharan Bohra, Jaipurs MP, has written to Union home minister Amit Shah, accusing the Rajasthan government of following a policy of appeasement which he said has led to the situation going out of control. Bohra said the state government did not take stringent measures and the graph of positive cases from Ramganj kept increasing rapidly. He claimed Congress MLAs from Ramganj area were putting pressure on the administration to provide ration only to a particular community which has angered the locals. He said the government was forcing the local administration and police to relax curfew norms for a particular community which led to people moving out of Ramganj and spreading the virus to other areas in Jaipur. Rajasthan with 12 of its 33 districts features in the list of top five states in terms of the number of hot spot districts. Others are Tamil Nadu with 22 of its 37 districts in the red zone, Maharashtra with 14 of its 36, Uttar Pradesh with 13 of 75, and Andhra Pradesh with 11 of 13 districts. India reported 724 new Covid-19 cases and 23 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry on Friday morning. PARIS - The French navy is investigating how the coronavirus infected more than 1,000 sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, amid growing pressure on government leaders to explain how it could have happened. The ship, Frances biggest carrier and the flagship of its navy, is undergoing a lengthy disinfection process since returning to its home base in Toulon five days ago. One person remains in intensive care and some 20 others hospitalized, navy spokesman Cmdr. Eric Lavault told The Associated Press. Two of four U.S. sailors serving aboard the Charles de Gaulle as part of an exchange program also tested positive, according to a U.S. Navy statement. A British sailor was aboard another vessel, Lavault said, refusing to reveal the sailors health status. Lavault insisted that the aircraft carriers commander sought to increase the physical distance among the crew on the vessel, where there was no testing equipment and for most of its three months on operations, no masks. It is very difficult to apply social distancing measures on a combat vessel, Lavault said. But security of the crew is the first concern. A combat ship, especially an aircraft carrier, is nothing without its crew. A similar outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt and a dispute about how the at-sea health crisis was handled led to the firing of its captain and the resignation this month of the acting U.S. Navy secretary. The French navy has been spared major controversy so far, but the defence minister and the head of the French militarys health service arm were questioned Friday about the infections at parliamentary hearings. Defence Minister Florence Parly told lawmakers that 1,081 of the 2,300 people aboard the Charles de Gaulle and its escort vessels have tested positive so far nearly half the overall personnel. While the virus has immobilized the immense and important ship, Parly insisted that otherwise our forces continue to assure the defence of our country at sea, under the sea, on land and in the air. An investigation to retrace the paths of the personnel is in progress. Lavault noted that the aircraft carrier made a call in the French port of Brest, on the Atlantic Ocean, had been in the North Sea as part of a naval diplomacy mission with NATO partners, and had stopped in Cyprus during an operation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea to join in the fight against the Islamic State group. Journalists had boarded the vessel at one point. All hypotheses are on the table, Lavault said. So far, 350 crew members have been grilled about their movements on and off the vessel, according to Lavault. The defence minister defended the decision to allow the ship to stop in Brest in mid-March, even though France had already ordered all schools closed to fight the virus and the government was preparing confinement measures. Hours after the ship left, President Emmanuel Macron announced a nationwide lockdown, among the strictest in Europe. With nearly 2,000 sailors on the aircraft carrier alone, there is a constant flow of people frequenting the infirmary. In the North Sea, temperatures sometimes dropped to -5 degrees Celsius (23 F), he said. The number of infections rose exponentially from about April 4-5, and lung scans were taken on suspected cases, Lavault said. Its from this date that the commander decided to alert Navy headquarters to propose ending the operation, a decision taken immediately by the (defence) minister, he said. The aircraft carrier was back in its home base at the Mediterranean port of Toulon on April 12. We are and will be transparent about the health situation, the health director Maryline Gygax Genero told the parliamentary commission. Lavault said the carrier was being cleaned top to bottom, first with high-pressure water at 60 C (140 F), then with an anti-viral product, a process that could take weeks. He said the goal is to get the carrier back to sea sometime in May. France has been among the countries hardest hit by the virus, with more than 18,000 deaths confirmed as of Friday and more than 100,000 reported cases. As France heads into a second month of confinement, the head of the national health agency said Friday that the country is seeing a slow but regular decline in the virus, with the number of hospitalizations and people in intensive care continuing to drop. ___ Nicolas Garriga and Angela Charlton contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak One morning in March shortly after the coronavirus shutdown, Dr. John Waits was at his clinic at Cahaba Medical Care in rural Bibb County. The clinic has seen a 30-40% reduction in revenue. We normally have 16 patients in a morning; (that morning) we had four, he said. And two of them were no-shows. One of the remaining patients, a woman in her 80s, called the office because she couldnt figure out how to use Google Hangouts, the platform used by the clinics telemedicine system. The patient had an iPhone with video capability but couldnt figure out how to open the link. Waits eventually called the woman on FaceTime and did the appointment that way. But its far from ideal. The easiest thing to do would be to FaceTime everybody, but its not as secure, said Waits partner, Dr. Laci Smith. And letting patients have a doctors cell number creates its own set of challenges. If Im off call for a week, I dont want them leaving voicemails on my cell phone if they have chest pain. As the economic shutdown wallops small businesses in nearly every sector, healthcare providers havent been immune. They face a double whammy: A drastic decrease in patient volume and a decrease in the amount of money insurance is willing to reimburse for the one thing thats been heralded as the future of healthcare: telemedicine. Its natural to think that this is a medical crisis, so the hospitals and doctors offices must be getting slammed, but neither of those are true, said Dr. Justin Cooke, a primary care physician and co-owner of Community Urgent Care in Fultondale. Thats not to take away from what our (hospital) colleagues are doing, because theyre under a tremendous amount of stress. But overall, the system has taken a financial hit. And in a state like Alabama, where 62 out of the states 67 counties already have a shortage of primary care providers, any doctors closing their doors could have a serious impact on healthcare. I dont think theres any dedicated physician that wants to look at their practice as a business, as a way to make money, said Cooke. But you have to pay staff, pay bills, pay rent. You have to have revenue in order to take care of your patients. Two weeks left At the beginning of flu season last year, Cooke and his co-owners at Community Urgent Care in Fultondale decided to restructure their budget to create a nest egg in the bank. Doctors arent known for their business acumen, he joked. But now, he says, that one decision seems almost clairvoyant. Coronavirus hit the United States in late January, and most businesses shut down in Alabama by mid-March. Soon the clinics average of about 65-70 patients per day slowed to a trickle of around 15 telehealth calls per day, he said. Revenue plummeted 80 percent. If we had not put some money in the bank to fall back on, wed have been out of business three weeks ago, easily, said Cooke. At the current rate of loss of revenue, we have about two to three weeks in reserve. Cooke and his partners applied for a loan a few weeks ago through the Small Business Administrations Paycheck Protection Program that would help them continue paying their 20 employees as well as rent and utilities. But they learned late Thursday the program has run out of money and they wont get a loan. Unless Congress acts quickly to add additional funds, we might be looking at the possibility of having to close our doors until funding becomes available, he said, or even permanently. Digital divide Telemedicine hasnt been the financial savior that some expected. The infrastructure needed for a workable, widely adopted telemedicine system simply did not exist in Alabama prior to coronavirus, said Dr. Christopher Adams, a rheumatologist at East Alabama Medical Center in Lee County. From my personal experience, we tried two different ways of doing it before our medical center IT department said to heck with it, were going to contract this out to a third party, he said. And yet, most of his telemedicine visits still take place via phone call instead of video call. Internet access remains spotty or nonexistent in parts of the state, and many people dont have access to a laptop or phone with a camera. I practice in a somewhat rural area, as do many other doctors, Adams said. So half of my patients are university types and have the technology. The other half are out driving tractors, or welding, or in construction. These patients often dont have a video capability. Low insurance reimbursements Cooke said most of his offices telemedicine visits are also over the phone. A lot of our Medicare patients dont have the hardware or the knowhow to participate in a video chat format for a visit, Cooke said. Most insurance plans, including Medicare, now reimburse a doctor at the usual office visit rate if the telehealth visit is through video. But because of the lack of infrastructure or internet service, many doctors are forced to rely on telephone visits. About 80 to 85% of Adams patients cant do video appointments, he said. For a recent 40-minute phone appointment, he said, he received $12 from Medicare, the rate for a 10-minute office visit. The telehealth reimbursement is tragic, he said. Transformed overnight Part of the reason theres no telemedicine infrastructure, said Smith, is that prior to the coronavirus pandemic, insurance in Alabama didnt pay for telemedicine visits for primary care. Specialists like cardiologists or psychologists could get reimbursed, but primary care doctors could not. After coronavirus hit, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare widened coverage so that a video telemedicine visit could be reimbursed at the same rate as an in-office visit. Other carriers followed suit, including Alabama Medicaid. But that capability is so new that primary care doctors didnt get much time to launch their telemedicine systems. Our whole healthcare system for 70, 80 years is designed around coming into the doctors office, and now in a weekend we were trying to implement in a week this thing wed normally spend 18 months rolling out, said Waits. Pay cuts In other areas of the state, pay cuts for doctors and staff are already a reality. Last week, leadership at EAMC took temporary pay cuts to cover expenses from COVID testing and screening, increased staffing, and a lack of elective surgeries and non-emergency patient visits. EAMC has been at the epicenter of Alabamas coronavirus outbreak, treating an average of 40-50 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. I asked our senior leadership team to take the first (pay) cut and then we asked our employed physicians as well, said Laura Grill, EAMC president and CEO, in a statement. Then (April 8) we communicated a reduction in pay to the rest of our leadership team our directors and managers. I am very hopeful that these cuts will be temporary and that business will return to normal in the near future. Were not quitters Cooke said one of the biggest lessons hes learned from the coronavirus epidemic was that theres no grand plan, nobody waiting in the wings to tell doctors how to transition to telehealth, how to reorganize their businesses. After the initial panic, he said, he and other providers have had to just move forward however they think is best. Even though patient volume is low, he said, the workload is still high and its still pretty stressful for everybody involved. Cooke said he and his partners are working on a plan to start allowing well patients to come in again for clinics. But not getting the Small Business Administration loan theyd hoped for means that more drastic measures arent off the able anymore. If the worst happened and the clinic had to close, Cooke said he hopes it would only be temporary. Were going to rebound from this, said Cooke. Its just a matter of what that looks like, and the timing. Is there going to be a period where we have to close our doors? So many moving parts, its hard to tell. But were not quitters. 5 channel World-famous violinist Vasyl Popadyuk came home and has "stuck" in Ukraine. So, youre far from your wife, three children, and you came here. Concerts are planned here, and suddenly - that's it! Popadyuk: It happens. One must be prepared for this. Unfortunately, no one was ready for this. It is necessary to adapt somehow, not to panic, and believe that it would end soon. Once it has to be over: both good and bad things. So you stayed at home? I could not stay at home because I had to take care of my mother and brother I force them to stay at home. You are famous all over the planet, but first of all, you are a man of two countries: Ukraine and Canada. Yes. How does Canada treat its citizens - those who are forced to stay abroad? I am proud of Canada because Canada really cares about its citizens. The Canadian Embassy helps, even provides financial assistance to those people who were forced to stay outside the country. They tried to evacuate me from here, but for some reason, I was afraid because these were two planes, and I had to sit in Frankfurt for 5 hours. But Canada has very strict quarantine. Does the subway continue to work in Canada? No. And now it is not allowed to have more than two people in a passenger car. You cant walk in the parks, and the fine is really huge. When you arrive in Canada from somewhere, you must indicate the address of your self-isolation for the next two weeks. If I go home, then none of my relatives has the right to leave the house for two weeks too. If you are caught, then a fine of up to a million dollars and three years in prison. But the planes do fly, while in Ukraine they are not available anymore. I do not support such harsh sanctions - this is an exaggeration. And I dont know why and who needs it. But this is my opinion, I might be mistaken. Now its very difficult to convince someone at the time of panic. People in Canada have always sneezed into the bend of their arms. This rule is taught from kindergarten times. The artist earns only at the moment when he enters the stage. Our profession is much influenced, because we are the first to leave and the last to come. Everything should stabilize before we can give concerts again. You gave a concert on Skype in Ukraine. What is happening to Canadian and American artists now? They have online concerts, and even they put me on that list. Do you get something for it? Yes. They give $ 1800 per group. Today, our market stores are full. But what's the situation in Canada? For two months, Canada has been suffering from a shortage of toilet paper. Why? I dont know. You are a god among the Ukrainian diaspora of Canada. But everything started here, in Ukraine, right? No, I'm not a god. Your mom is an outstanding choreographer. And your father played all the music to the film "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors." Ingenious musician. Yes, he was. But not me. Did your parents make you play violin in your childhood? No. I started making music at the age of four; I had private piano lessons. And at the age of six, I said that I wanted to play the violin. Was your way of playing suggested by your teachers? Teachers cannot suggest this; this should come from your nature. So, when you went abroad for the first time, you were with your father? My first trip abroad was when I was 10 years old. I went to Bratislava. And now my last concert was in Bratislava. Now Bratislava seemed to me a very Soviet city. And when did you get to a capitalist country with your father? When I was in the army, together with Tunisia Song and Dance Ensemble. The administration dressed us in jeans and T-shirts, and we supposedly flew away to some festival. We were not allowed to say that we are military. In fact, we were Arafats human shield, he joined us in Budapest. Then we were relocated to the ship "Red October." Soviet and American ships then patrolled the Mediterranean Sea. The Americans watched our concert on their ship. What was your cover name in the army? Sickly. I was just a child when I was called up. I entered the conservatory and then a law was issued, according to which first-year students could be called-up. And I was enlisted. What about your deployments? Afghanistan, Chornobyl, Tunisia. Wherever something happened, we were the first to come there. After Chornobyl has exploded, we were immediately sent there, we did not even have respirators. We lived there for two weeks, on damp land, lived in tents. I was a little sick then, but then everyone drank a lot. When I was in Germany, one Ukrainian family forcibly placed me in a hospital to do all the tests. And German doctors said that I am completely healthy. When you and your father came to Canada, you were constantly being watched. Yes, they were afraid that we could stay. My dad and I lived in different apartments, we were not allowed to live in the same hotel room. Why were they so afraid? You did not give a reason for that. This was not only about us, but it was also about everyone. The 40-year-old chapel of the bandura players was not allowed to go abroad, because the previous chapel, which arrived after the war, stayed in the country. They are now in Detroit. Therefore, a new chapel was not allowed. And we went to the Olympic Games in Calgary: me, my dad, Anatoly Solovyanenko, Maria Stefyuk. Did someone stay then? Yes. What was the attitude of your family towards the Soviet Union? In Kolomyia, there is Vasyl Popadyuks street. He is the first Soviet national artist, who was not a communist. He always spoke only Ukrainian, because he did not know another languages. How much time do you play the violin per day? Sometimes it takes me three hours, five hours, and sometimes I dont play it at all. And how many instruments do you play? Nearly 15. 35 alcoholics from all over the Union have gathered. Nobody could handle us. You were accompanying Gorbachev, right? There was a ridiculous case when Pushkin University in Madrid was opened. Raisa Gorbacheva came to this event, Ion Druta, a Moldavian writer, was there too. Nazarov decided to stage Moldavian-Hutsul music. They played for about half an hour, after which Raisa Gorbacheva said: Guys, can you play something Moldavian? And then something Russian, please. And then the "Time" TV program showed how we sang "Katyusha" together with her. For which of the presidents did you play? King Hussein in Jordan. We were his guests for two weeks. He studied in the UK, his wife was from the UK, very fond of classical music. Princess Sofia, Spain, Juan Carlos. We traveled with Gorbachev and without him. Before the great success came, there was a moment when you had to stay in Canada. I fell in love with Canada right away when I was there with my dad. I believe Canada is Ukraine with complete rehab. When I was already invited separately to play a concert, I simply did not come back. I have got a contract - I was a pianist in the National Ballet. It was my funniest job in Canada. I pretended to understand everything in English. About five pianists worked there, and they played the same thing for forty years. And I just improvising. Many Ukrainians who went there became artists only for the diaspora. But you have worked with serious Canadian producers, managers. This is because our artists sing, and they have no other chance. And I do not have a language barrier - this is instrumental music. Ukrainians are closer to you when Canadians recognize you. I have a neighbor in Ottawa - the daughter of Senator Yuzek. All of Canada lives by his law. According to this law, all Canadians are equal, but each diaspora should develop its schools, churches, banks. And there were not enough 8 votes to accept Ukrainian as the state language. Ukrainians have been living in Canada for 125 years, and Canada is only 150. Ukrainians built this state. What does Canada have, which Ukraine lacks? For me, it was always strange, why Ukrainians coming to Canada immediately change their minds. Maybe, it is about the milieu. They pay taxes because its normal. What would you wish for our country? I would like to wish not to panic. Now we need to consolidate, forget about all sorts of different things that were before that. We need to be together, help each other, and we will survive it. And sit at home. I have Indian impostor syndrome, and its time for it to die a slow and fiery death. Im half-Indian. My skin is too light. I cant speak my familys language of Gujarati. I look like a sad burrito when I try to wrap a sari, like first-day-working-at-Chipotle sad. But food is where I feel it the most. As a food writer, I feel guilty for not cooking Indian food daily for my family. My mom is white, so I grew up eating more fried chicken and meatloaf than dal and kadhi. I experienced racism starting at age 9, which made me reject Indian food and Hinduism for years; it didnt feel safe to own those parts of my culture. I cooked a bit in my late 20s, but life got busy. Now I have three kids who dont like most Indian food and I have a strong desire to pass on the flavors of my culture to them. Im not alone. NPRs Code Switch podcast published a 2017 episode about racial impostor syndrome, which found that multiracial people are socially excluded twice as often as any other racial or ethnic group. As a kid, I was singled out at temple for not dressing traditionally and rejected by a group of Indian girlfriends. As an adult, a 2016 essay I wrote about my relationship with Indian food had Indians commenting that my experience wasnt authentic. (We cooked Indian food from outside of Gujarat! Good Indian girls respect their culture!) I told an Indian co-worker that I felt guilty because my kids didnt like Indian food, and they responded, Sounds like they inherited a white palate! Celeste Noche / Special to The Chronicle There is no one definition of Indian, which is especially important to point out now, given that Hindu nationalists in India are claiming that Muslims are not Indian based on their food, clothes and religion. I need to redefine it for myself, so my 2020 goal is to play with Indian flavors more and involve my kids, but also to be OK whether I make it once a month or daily. At the end of 2019, my repertoire of Indian dishes was limited to four Gujarati snacks, four sweets, a South Indian lemon pickle and masala chai. Its not exactly a proper meal, so in January, I set out to learn more. I would turn to my aunts, who are talented cooks and were my first cooking teachers. But they hold the phone upside down for video chats, measure ingredients in handfuls or empty ricotta containers and use vague explanations for their cooking. Thankfully, were in a golden age of Indian food writing in the U.S., with plenty of articles and cookbooks giving different examples of how to be an Indian home cook. From the vegetarian South Indian cuisine in Chitra Agarwals Vibrant India (Ten Speed Press; 2017) to approachable recipes in Priya Krishnas Indian-ish (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 2019) to The Chronicles A Brown Kitchen columnist Nik Sharmas experimental and modern Season (Chronicle Books; 2018), I devoured as many books as I could, comparing everything from how to grind spices to the best way to make ghee. I love that Sharmas recipes do what my aunts cant: explain the approach and science behind his cooking. Nandita Godboles self-published book Roti (Curry Cravings; 2019) reminded me that the simplest flatbread can take years to perfect (and Im so not there yet). Ill read anything by Khushbu Shah (restaurant editor at Food & Wine magazine) and New York Times food critic Tejal Rao, whose work is as fascinating as it is politically relevant (like Raos recent article on 10 essential Indian recipes). Celeste Noche / Special to The Chronicle Chef Preeti Mistry (of the now-closed Juhu Beach Club in Oakland and Navi Kitchen in Emeryville) is the MVP in my kitchen these days. Her book Juhu Beach Club (Running Press; 2017) taught me that smoky black cardamom and red meat are BFFs, and that fresh methi (fenugreek leaves) makes a superior pesto. I sprinkle her chaat masala on trays of roasted vegetables for a quick shak (cooked vegetables), and her methi thepla recipe in Rage Baking (Tiller Press; 2020) is inspired, yielding a softer, more flexible flatbread by mixing atta (finely ground whole wheat flour) with all-purpose flour. Hot off the tava and slathered in salted butter, even my chile-hating 8-year-old couldnt resist eating it. Dal is a Gujarati staple, so I turned to Ammas Cooking Co., a South Bay online cooking school run by Anjali Mehta. Mehta teaches affordable Gujarati cooking classes using Zoom video conferencing. I only needed my laptop, ingredients and my kitchen to learn how to make toor dal, a split pigeon pea soup my dad and grandma made. Mehtas teaching style is definitively Indian aunty (no recipes, measures in handfuls), so taking notes is necessary. But I loved learning from her, like how soaking and rinsing dal before cooking and adding asafetida makes you less gassy (so helpful!), and she didnt mind guest appearances by my kids. I ended with a bowl of nutty, tart, spicy and fragrant dal, the best damn dal Ive ever had. My oldest saw me chopping a serrano pepper and instantly rejected it, but my 4-year-old ate her first bowl of dal and rice happily, and shes basically my favorite child now. Celeste Noche / Special to The Chronicle I include my kids as much as possible, especially since weve been quarantined at home. My girls love using roti and thepla dough like playdough. My oldest is a good herb picker, but she will complain once for every two cilantro leaves she picks, so it comes at a price. Both girls enjoy helping me grind spices with a mortar and pestle; theres just something cathartic to all ages about channeling rage into smashing spices. I wanted to create a dessert thats a mix of my Indian and American worlds. Hetal Vasavada, a local cookbook author and food blogger of Milk & Cardamom, and New Jersey food writer Pooja Makhijani, do this well, like Vasavadas sev and chana chocolate bark and Makhijanis gulab jamun doughnuts. I started with Makhijanis recipe for mango doughnut and mango glaze and tweaked it into a cardamom doughnut with an intense mango glaze. Her recipe already used canned Alphonso mango pulp, so I reduced the extra, which turned it into a fragrant, concentrated jam (so good on toast). Aside from the reduction, the recipe is easy enough for my 4-year-old and 8-year-old to help. Of course, your 4-year-old might not lick every ingredient and piece of equipment like mine, but they cant all be winners. Celeste Noche / Special to The Chronicle Im not done. Theres so much more to learn and I still struggle with not feeling Indian enough. But Im slowly realizing that my brand of Indian wont be like my dads, and theres beauty in that. Its about equally loving cornbread and khaman dhokla; its listening to desi rapper Raja Kumari along with Kendrick Lamar while I cook. Its replacing the stainless steel spice cups in my masala dabba (Indian spice box) with old weed jars because the lids keep the spices from mixing. Theres power in speaking my shame out loud, giving it the finger, and then baking mango cardamom doughnuts with my kids. Update: The recipes in this story were updated because there were some missing ingredients and instructions. Leena Trivedi-Grenier is a freelance writer living in the Bay Area. Email: food@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Leena_Eats Toor Dal (Split Pigeon Pea Soup) Serves 4 as a main, 8 as a side Dal refers to dried pulses (beans, peas and lentils) in India, and soup made from these pulses. This dal uses toor dal, a split pigeon pea with a sweet, nutty flavor and can be made in an Insta n t Pot. Its a bowl full of spicy, sour comfort thats also flexible, a choose-your-own-dal adventure: Make it thicker or thinner by adjusting the water, tweak the heat or sourness to your liking, or mix up the spices. Find toor dal and other ingredients at an Indian grocery store or online. Dal 1 cup toor dal 1 tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil teaspoon asafetida 1 tablespoons peeled minced ginger (about 1 inches of ginger) 1 serrano pepper, finely minced (deseed and devein for less heat) 5 curry leaves 4 cups water 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 1 cup chopped tomato 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus extra to adjust Tadka 2 tablespoons ghee or neutral oil like vegetable or peanut 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds 2 teaspoons dhana jeeru (ground spice blend 3:1 coriander to cumin) 1 teaspoon turmeric Where to order spices for pickup or delivery Many Indian grocery stores are offering curbside or in-store pick up, and a few even offer delivery. If leaving the house is not an option for you, Amazon and DesiClik (desiclik.com) are your best options. Here are store options. San Francisco Jai Ho, 1462 Fillmore St.: Email your order to jaihoindiangrocery@gmail.com (no specific brands; they will send what is available). Delivery by cab driver; $15 delivery charge. New India Bazar, 1107 Polk St.; 415-928-4553: No in-store shopping but you can drop off your grocery list and wait, or order via website https://www.nibsf.com/ for delivery. East Bay Bombay Spice House, 1036 University Ave., Berkeley: Email order to bombayspicehouse@yahoo.com for pickup. Vik's Market, 2390 Fourth St., Berkeley; 510-644-4412: Email orders@viksonline.com; delivery and pickup offered. www.vikschaat.com New India Bazar, 5113 Mowry Ave., Fremont; 510-742-0555. Email nibazarfremont@gmail.com and pick up your order in 2 days. South Bay Madras Groceries, 1187 W Camino Real, Sunnyvale; 408-746-0808. Email order to ordermadrasgroceries@gmail.com and pick up in 1 day. Coconut Hill Indian Grocery, 554 S Murphy Ave., Sunnyvale; 408-738-8837: Email your order to cocohillsv@gmail.com and pick up within 2 hours. North Bay Apna Bazaar, 7500 Commerce Blvd., Cotati; 707-665-0333: Call with your order; pickup and pay with credit card in 3 hours. Note: Since many spices at Indian grocery stores are sold in bulk, reach out to friends who want to share. See More Collapse 1/2 teaspoon ground hot pepper Garnish 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro Rice or roti, to serve To make the dal: Soak the toor dal for 20 minutes in water, then rinse until water is clear. Heat the ghee or oil in a medium pot over medium heat or in an Instant Pot on saute mode. Sprinkle in the asafetida and stir until it starts to sizzle. Add the ginger, serrano and curry leaves to the pot and stir for 1 minute until fragrant. If it sticks to the bottom of the Instant Pot, add a little more ghee or oil, or scrape it off when you add the water. Add the water and salt and drained dal. If using the stove top, increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the dal is really soft, around 25 minutes. If using the Instant Pot, secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Let it natural pressure release for at least 15 minutes, then you can quick release the remaining pressure. Add tomato and lime juice. For stove top, simmer for 3 minutes on medium or until the tomato softens. For Instant Pot, simmer for 3 minutes on saute mode or until the tomato softens. To make the tadka: Place a small pan on the stove and heat up the ghee or oil until it smokes. Add in the black mustard seeds and stir with a wooden spoon until you hear them popping (this shouldnt take long). Place the dhana jeeru, turmeric and hot pepper in the pan, stir for 5 seconds, then pour the mixture on top of the dal and stir it in. Taste and adjust salt and lime juice if needed. To garnish: Sprinkle the top with the chopped cilantro, then serve with the rice. Keep leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for 3-5 days or freeze for a few months. Baked Cardamom Doughnuts With Mango Glaze Makes 14 doughnuts The flavors in these doughnuts are vibrant and strong, from the cardamom-flecked doughnuts to the glaze that uses mango three ways: freeze dried, canned sweetened pulp (find it in Indian grocery stores or online) and a quick jam made from canned pulp. Concentrated Mango Pulp cup canned sweetened mango pulp Doughnuts 2 cup (320 grams) all-purpose flour Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. 1 teaspoons baking powder teaspoon baking soda teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon ground green cardamom 4 tablespoons (57 grams) salted butter, softened cup (50 grams) vegetable oil cup (100 grams) granulated sugar 1/3 cup (70 grams) brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup (226 grams) buttermilk Spray vegetable oil Mango Glaze 25 grams (about 1 ounce) freeze-dried mangoes 2 tablespoons canned sweetened mango pulp 1 tablespoon (20 grams) light corn syrup 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 cups (150 grams) powdered sugar Salt to taste To finish Sprinkles To make concentrated mango pulp: Place the mango pulp in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture has reduced to cup (measure to check). Scoop the concentrated pulp into a bowl; it will thicken as it cools. This can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the fridge. To make the doughnuts: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom. In a stand mixer or medium bowl with a hand mixer or whisk, beat the butter and oil together with the sugars until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating until combined, then the vanilla. Stir in one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk. Repeat and end with the last third of the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Spray a doughnut pan with the oil, and put the doughnut batter into a pastry bag or sealable plastic food storage bag with a hole cut into one corner. Pipe the batter into each doughnut cavity to fill by three-quarters. Bake the doughnuts for 10 minutes, then let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. To make the mango glaze: Right before making the glaze, grind the freeze-dried mango into powder using a food processor, spice grinder or a sealable plastic bag with a rolling pin until it is a fine powder; you want about 3 tablespoons. Sift. (Freeze-dried powder may clump if you grind it too far in advance.) In a small bowl, whisk together the powder with the canned mango pulp, 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (52 grams) of the concentrated mango pulp and the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Taste and add salt to balance the sweetness. Dip a doughnut in the glaze, turning to ensure the entire top is covered. Set on a plate to dry and immediately add sprinkles before the glaze sets. Repeat with remaining doughnuts. You might need to spoon and spread the glaze over the last few doughnuts. If you can wait, let the doughnuts sit for 1 hour to fully set the glaze. Eat within 1 day; store uncovered at room temperature to prevent the glaze from getting sticky. Newsreader Tracy Vo quit the Today show last month, and returned home to Perth to be closer to her parents amid the coronavirus pandemic. And on Friday, the 36-year-old's official new role was announced in an industry newsletter. The journalist has rejoined Channel Nine's Perth news team, where she previously worked for eight years, prior to her 12-week stint on the breakfast program. New role: Ex-Today newsreader Tracy Vo (far left), 36, has announced her official NEW role. Pictured with (from L to R): Karl Stefanovic, Allison Langdon, Alex Cullen and Brooke Boney Former Sunday Night reporter Alex Cullen has temporarily replaced Tracy. Earlier this month, Tracy spoke about the 'hard decision' to leave the Today show in Sydney after just three months in the role. She told 9Now: 'It was a hard decision, but I thought it was the right decision at the time.' Back home in Perth: The journalist has rejoined Channel Nine's Perth news team, where she previously worked for eight years, prior to her 12-week stint on the breakfast program Her decision to move closer to her family was made just before Western Australia's borders were shut. Tracy's 64-year-old father, Tai, whom she affectionately calls 'Pa Vo', suffers from Morvan Syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease. While Tracy is happy to be closer to family, she does miss the Today show team. Moved for family: Tracy's 64-year-old father, Tai, whom she affectionately calls 'Pa Vo', suffers from Morvan Syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease 'I really miss the Today show guys and it was just a family decision, purely a family decision,' she said. Tracy added that her colleagues were supportive of her decision and that she was looking forward to eventually reuniting with them. As of the evening of April 17, there are 6,523 confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Australia, including 65 deaths. TOPEKA, KS (KCTV) - On Thursday, Kansas Secretary of Labor Delia Garcia said a new gating system will be used reduce the strain on the unemployment benefits system. Under the new system, called 'gating,' people should file based on the first letter of their last names. By David Shepardson and Tracy Rucinski (Reuters) - U.S. airlines are estimated to be sitting on more than $10 billion in travel vouchers that should have been cash refunds from canceled flights, a group of senators released on Friday. Many U.S. airlines are cancelling between 60% and 80% of their flights, and under federal law passengers on those flights are entitled to full refunds, Senators Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal said in a statement. "However, many airlines have been obfuscating this right by offering travel vouchers as the default option, requiring passengers to take burdensome steps to request refunds instead," they said. The Democratic senators had asked Alaska Air Group Inc, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines Inc, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways Corp, Southwest Airlines Co, Spirit Airlines Inc, Sun Country Airlines, and United Airlines to each provide details on their refund policies during the pandemic. In the airline replies, which were reviewed by Reuters, most did not share the total value of the travel vouchers and credits they have issued during the pandemic. But JetBlue, which has 5.5% of the domestic market share, said it issued over $20 million per day of travel credits to consumers in the first few weeks of March. "Assuming a similar trend throughout the industry over the last month, this figure could mean that the airlines are sitting on more than $10 billion in customer cash," the lawmakers said, while inviting airlines to provide more information if they dispute the figure. According to their findings, airlines are offering cash refunds when the company itself cancels a flight, as required by the U.S. Transportation Department, but only Allegiant and Spirit are offering refunds to passengers who voluntarily cancel their own tickets. "None of the biggest carriers with the most revenue, including United, American, Delta, and Southwest, offer similar refunds," it said. In their replies the airlines generally said their policies are consistent with DOT guidelines. Story continues Sun Country, a Minnesota-based ultra low-cost carrier, said refunding all of its non-refundable tickets outside of DOT guidelines "would put the company's future at risk." Among replies by larger carriers, Delta said it had processed over 1 million refunds totaling more than $500 million in March, for passengers that had requested a cash refund for flights that Delta canceled or changed. American Airlines said in its reply that over 90% of the customers who were offered a refund for flights the company itself canceled chose that option over a travel voucher. If passengers do not specifically request a refund, they are issued a travel voucher. While many airlines have made the vouchers valid for up to two years, some airlines' vouchers expire within one year. U.S. airlines are set to soon receive $25 billion in government payroll aid, much of it in the form of free cash, and can also apply for another $25 billion in government loans to help them weather the coronavirus downturn. "The airline industry received its $50 billion taxpayer bailout, so the least it can do is offer full refunds--without forcing customers to jump through hoops. All passengers deserve a full cash refund during this unprecedented time," said Consumer Reports aviation adviser William McGee in a statement. The nonprofit organization, which said it has heard from thousands of affected passengers, launched a petition (https://action.consumerreports.org/20200420_finance_airlinerefundpetition?EXTKEY=PA204MP) on Friday for airlines to refund money to all travelers who had their flights impacted by the coronavirus crisis. Two weeks ago, the Transportation Department reminded airlines that they are obligated to refund tickets when they cancel a flight or make a significant flight schedule change that passengers opt not to accept, but did not take any immediate action against airlines. The department said given the massive crisis it "will exercise its prosecutorial discretion and provide carriers an opportunity to become compliant before taking further action. (Reporting by Tracy Rucinski and David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Lisa Shumaker) BALLSTON SPA An attempt by the chair of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors to call a special meeting failed on Friday afternoon after nine of the 23 members from the larger towns rejected it. Chairman Preston Allen called the meeting to, among other things, cancel the board's regularly scheduled meeting for Tuesday. The nine, who are calling themselves the Saratoga County Public Health Northway Corridor Task Force and have the power of a weighted vote, rejected the special meeting because they want to convene on Tuesday when they will be free to discuss what they believe to be the countys mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic. A special meeting would only allow discussion of the chairmans chosen agenda items. I think the group of supervisors who constitute 65 percent of the weighted vote voted for transparency and open government, said Clifton Park Supervisor Phil Barrett, who is among the nine. We already have scheduled valid meetings established on the calendar and they chose to call for a special meeting that reduces the flexibility of the items that can be discussed to those set by the chairman. For those reasons and more, we voted it down. The nine want to discuss the widely panned overtime pay plan, devised by an ad hoc committee that was comprised of Allen, two other supervisors and two county administrators, both of whom were to benefit from the plan. The nine would also like to address possible budget cuts, which they expect will be necessary as the economy slows during the pandemic. And finally, the nine would also like to insist on more meetings during the pandemic, not fewer. We need a plan, said Clifton Park Supervisor Jonathan Schopf who opposed the special meeting. The time is now. Not having a meeting isnt going to be solving anything. We should be meeting twice a week. If we don't we are in for bad times. In a statement, Allen would only say that he is disappointed in the nine, saying they were asking for a meeting. "We are making attempts to address concerns related to the pandemic and we need everyone to put the county and its residents above their own personal agendas and do whats best for all," Allen said in a statement. "I am urging all the supervisors to put their differences aside and get to work for all Saratoga County residents. Saratoga Springs Supervisor Tara Gaston, also a member the task force nine, said she is looking forward to a full, open board meeting. It signals the start of the board taking back the reins of the county government and guiding Saratoga out of this pandemic, said Gaston who is the only Democrat on the task force. Its going to take a lot of work and we need more meetings and more transparency, not less, to get it done. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. At the special meeting, Allen also wanted to establish another coronavirus ad hoc committee. Barrett said that he is not in favor of Allen establishing another ad hoc committee that created what Barrett called a debacle of the pandemic pay plan for employees and management. "Establishing a first committee was a bad idea," Barrett said. "If we go forth and establish a second committee, controlled by county leadership, that's just compounding a bad decision. We believe it's a good idea to disband the first committee and the board of supervisors meet weekly in the immediate future. I cannot support a second committee after the experience we just had with the first committee." Throughout the pandemic, countys Libertarian party has condemned the county leadership for its attempts to give all employees, including the countys top administrators, time and a half for every hour worked. The party has criticized the boards unwillingness to meet. Chair Rob Arrigo was pleased that the nine were able to stop the restrictive special meeting. Todays vote was a win for the for transparency and a win for the residents of Saratoga County, Arrigo said. The idea that county leadership would cancel a regular meeting to avoid public backlash is undemocratic and unconscionable." Despite being particularly vulnerable to the novel coronavirus in the United States, Chinatown turned out to be well-prepared, unlike other places around the country. Chinese Hospital was at the center of an effort to coordinate barriers for entry of the virus. These involved almost every major institution in Chinatown, including the Chinese-language press and deeply engaged neighborhood institutions, all of whom were imprinted with memories of earlier infectious disease outbreaks. Deep links to front-line health workers in China would also be invaluable as Chinese Hospital worked to avoid what everyone thought was coming. [See our map of coronavirus cases in California by county.] Given the unpredictable pathways of this highly contagious disease, Dr. Zhang and other leaders in Chinatown are well aware that circumstances could change in an instant. Compliance with shelter in place has at times been haphazard. (Mr. Peskins office has fielded many complaints about card games in Chinatowns Portsmouth Square.) But the successes so far can be traced to early action by hospital and community leaders to keep the virus out of areas where it might otherwise flourish. On Feb. 1, one week after Chinese New Year, Dr. Zhang, Mr. Peskin and Chinatown community leaders hosted a news conference highlighting practices to slow the spread of the virus. The Chinese Consul General in San Francisco gave an update on the Chinese governments response. More than 15 years earlier, many in the community had family members who experienced the outbreak of SARS in China, a memory that Dr. Zhang and others said made them more receptive to the advice from local leaders. In early February, the principal of Central Chinese High School announced an initiative to sterilize classrooms and encouraged teachers and students recently in China to stay home for a 14-day self-quarantine. By mid-February, the Chinatown Community Development Center, the owner of 11 S.R.O.s housing several hundred tenants, had installed hand sanitizers in their buildings, doubled up on daily cleanings and started educating tenants about basic hygiene principles. Mr. Peskin saw the effects of this informal campaign every day when he drove through Chinatown on his way to City Hall. For a while it was kind of startling that on one side, on the north side of Broadway, everything was normal and nobody was wearing masks, he said. And the second you would cross Broadway into Chinatown, everybody was wearing masks. Nonetheless, the perception of Chinatown as a potent hotbed of the coronavirus quickly took hold. In February, well before a single Covid-19 case had been detected in San Francisco, tourism in Chinatown evaporated. On Jan. 31, President Trump had announced travel restrictions to and from China, and before long he was referring to the Chinese virus. Attacks against Asian-Americans jumped nationwide. The Duchess of Sussex today backed The Independents moving appeal to raise funds for the delivery of food to poor, elderly and vulnerable Londoners during the coronavirus epidemic. Meghans support for our Help The Hungry appeal, in conjunction with the Evening Standard, came as the community kitchen close to Grenfell Tower that she supports unveiled a new meals delivery service for families struggling to feed themselves during the lockdown. The initiative will be launched on Monday when the Hubb Community Kitchen plans to start cooking between 250 and 300 meals a day, three days a week. The scheme follows a Zoom conference call last week, when the duchess talked to women involved in running the kitchen about how they could adapt their service to feed people at a time when social-distancing rules prevent it from opening as normal. Much of the produce will be supplied by The Independents charity partner The Felix Project which sources surplus food from cafes, restaurants and supermarkets. Meghan said: The spirit of the Hubb Community Kitchen has always been one of caring, giving back and helping those in need, initially in Grenfell and now throughout the UK. A home-cooked meal from one neighbour to another, when they need it most, is what community is all about. Recommended How to support our campaign Im so proud of the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen, and the continued support The Felix Project gives them to carry out these acts of goodwill, which at this moment are urgently needed. Im equally moved by the many people who are contributing to campaign to raise money for these vital organisations in the wake of Covid-19. The meals will be prepared in the cooks homes and delivered by another charity, StreetGames, which runs the Fit And Fed campaign that aims to provide nutritious meals for children at risk of going hungry during the school holidays. The Duke of Sussex, who saw the charitys work during a visit to one of its centres in Streatham last year, put it in touch with the kitchen. Harry and Meghan on Thursday completed two days of volunteering with Project Angel Food in California, helping to deliver food parcels to people in need. The Hubb Community Kitchen was set up in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster in June 2017, when a group of local women gathered in a communal kitchen at the Al-Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre. The duchess first visited it in January 2018 and has continued to make regular private visits. She wrote the foreword for Together, a collection of the womens own personal recipes from across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. Those on the Zoom call were kitchen manager Leila Hedjem, as well as cooks Cherine Mallah, Halima Al-Hudafi, Oxana Sinitsyna and Jennifer Odonkor. Other cooks involved with the kitchen include Intalak Alsaiegh, Faiza Bellini, Jaipreet Bharj, Munira Mahmud, Ahlam Saeid, Lillian Olwa and Dayo Gilmore. Last year, Felix made 48 deliveries to the kitchen, enough for more than 43,000 meals, and this year it has delivered eight times, equivalent to 5,000 meals. Mark Curtin, Felixs chief executive, said: The women of Hubb Community Kitchen have stepped up yet again in the face of a global pandemic. We stand together with all of our partners to get food to people most at risk of experiencing hunger and malnutrition in this time of need. Evgeny Lebedev, a shareholder in The Independent, said: It is a pleasure to have the backing of the Duchess of Sussex for our campaign. Her support for the survivors of the Grenfell fire is truly admirable. Our campaign will continue to support the Hubb Community Kitchen, along with so many other essential community organisations at this time. This is a crisis, and I am grateful for Meghans endorsement. The Independent is encouraging readers to help groups that are trying to feed the hungry across the country find out how you can help by clicking here. Or Follow this link to donate to our campaign in London, in partnership with the Evening Standard. OTTAWA - The Senate will not resume sitting until June 2 at the earliest, but it was unclear Friday when and how the House of Commons would return. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/4/2020 (634 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Senate of Canada building and Senate Chamber are pictured in Ottawa on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. The Senate will not resume sitting until June 2 at the earliest. The office of the Speaker of the upper chamber says the decision was taken as part of the Senate's efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA - The Senate will not resume sitting until June 2 at the earliest, but it was unclear Friday when and how the House of Commons would return. The Senate was slated to come back Tuesday, but the office of the Speaker of the upper chamber said it was decided to extend the current adjournment to prevent the spread of COVID-19. "The Senate's priority remains the health, safety and well-being of all Canadians and it is taking every precaution to protect senators and staff as they carry out their duties," the office said in a statement. The work of three Senate committees will continue by videoconference or teleconference. In addition, Speaker George Furey's office said, the Senate could be recalled before June if it is needed to deal with government legislation. Furey's decision to extend the adjournment of the Senate was made after consultations with the leadership of all the parties and groups in the Senate, which would include the Conservative caucus in the upper house. But an impasse persisted Friday over when and how the Commons should function during the crisis, as Conservatives in the elected chamber continued to insist on in-person sittings up to four days a week. The Commons is scheduled to resume business as usual Monday, unless an agreement is reached among all four recognized parties in the chamber on scaled back sittings. The Liberals are proposing in-person meetings of the House once a week until there is a technical means of holding virtual sittings, but the Conservatives say several meetings a week are needed to hold the government to account. As it stands, 338 MPs would gather in Ottawa on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news briefing Friday. "That is obviously not a good idea," he said. "We are not in normal circumstances." 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. Trudeau said discussions were continuing with opposition parties to find a way to uphold democracy while respecting public health advice on physical distancing. Virtual sittings would ensure MPs who are not within driving distance of Ottawa could participate in House meetings during the pandemic, he added. "That is a technological challenge that we will work very, very hard on." Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer told a briefing the events of recent weeks have demonstrated the importance of accountability and vigilance, including the essential role of Parliament. The Conservatives have proposed "a very reasonable work plan" that would entail fewer than 50 MPs sitting in the chamber at a time, he said. "We believe several sittings a week would be ideal." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2020. The newspapers on Friday, April 10, covered a wide range of topics with much attention given to the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects it continues to cause and the progress in scientists' effort to combat it. The papers also looked at how Kenyans have shown and continued to show solidarity, acts of compassion and care for each other in the wake of the pandemic. READ ALSO: CS Mutahi says he won't report like Eric Omondi after comedian hilariously spoofed his daily briefs Kenyan newspapers review for April 10. Photo: UGC. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Kenyans call out William Ruto for repeating Uhuru, CS Kagwe's updates in his speech over pandemic 1. The Star The publication reports on the government's plan to import and test recommended COVID-19 drugs from Japan which have been deemed effective in suppressing the disease. Ministry of Health Acting Director-General for medical services Patrick Amoth said the government would be considering to try the medicine in its effort to arrest the virus. Japan is said to have been using the drugs, Favipiravir or Avigan, to cure affluenza for years and the same medicine was last month approved as an experimental treatment for COVID-19. The Star newspaper for April 10. Photo: UGC. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Kisumu: Polisi wasaka ndugu wawili waliompa kichapo mpango wa kando wa baba yao 2. The Standard The newspaper reports on what exactly COVID-19 virus does in the body of the infected person which in turn endangers his or her life. According to the publication, scientists have discovered the virus affects how red blood cells work in the body in carrying oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. The virus destroys and displaces haemoglobin thus paralysing its ability to get filled with oxygen. Scientists say when this happens to the patient, the body undergoes similar condition as it does when filled with carbon monoxide poisoning, which often leads to suffocation and death. This, according to medics, explains why it is so difficult to save the lives of patients whose cases have advanced to critical levels since even ventilators that pump 100% oxygen into their bodies do not help much. The Standard newspaper for April 10. Photo: UGC. Source: UGC 3. Daily Nation The daily reports expansively on the acts of charity, compassion and spirit of love for one another that have continued to prevail in the county since the outbreak of COVID-19. Kenyans of goodwill have been donating foodstuffs, hand washing sanitisers, soap, water tanks and even free masks to the vulnerable members of the society. Renowned corporates have also not been left behind in the national quest to combat the pandemic which has greatly affected businesses and the country's economy. According to the publication, Devki Group of companies has wired KSh 20 million to COVID-19 emergency response team. United Bank for Africa has also donated KSh 15 million towards fighting the pandemic while Pwani Oil donated 60,000 litres of hand sanitisers. Giant telecommunication firm Safaricom has been at the centre of it all having surrendered its offices for use as contact centres and helping in contact tracing in addition to making monetary donations. Daily Nation newspaper for April 10. Photo: UGC. Source: UGC 4. Taifa Leo The Swahili newspaper reports on the most devastating Easter holiday in the history of Kenya and the world as Christians will be forced to celebrate the feast in their homes. This has been caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 which has forced governments across the world to suspend social gatherings including church assemblies. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Follow us on Telegram: Tuko news Source: TUKO.co.ke Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it India needs to urgently step up coronavirus testing say experts India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 17: 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 said. 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. Coronavirus outbreak: RBI to disburse Rs 50,000 crore to NABARD, CIDBI, NHB 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). Experts feel the figures are modest for a count of the size of 1.3 billion and "much more number of tests" are needed to combat COVID-19 outbreak in the country. According to worldometers.info which maintains a global database on coronavirus cases and tests conducted, the US, where over 26,000 COVID-19 deaths have occurred, has done 31,00,387 tests averaging about 9,367 per million of population. NEWS AT 3 PM, APRIL 17th, 2020 The figures for India is 2,44,893 tests averaging 177 per million of population. Spain and Italy, two countries which have also seen several thousands of fatalities, have done 6,00,000 and 10,73,689 tests respectively. Dr Ravi Shekhar Jha, Senior Consultant and Head of the Department of Pulmonology at Fortis Escorts, Faridabad, said India is going in the right direction but it is not enough. "Given the massive size of our population, the number of tests needs to be ramped up and should be conducted more rigorously. We need to do effective contact tracing and test them so that those people in turn do not infect others," he told PTI. The number of samples tested till March 28 stood at 27,688, a rise of 7,038 from the corresponding figure till March 27, according to ICMR data. "The rise in number of cases happening is also because in the last few weeks during the lockdown, people who came in contact with affected people were traced and tested. This has to be increased manifold if we have to contain coronavirus in time, otherwise it will be a difficult affair," Jha said. Dr Sandeep Budhiraja, Group Medical Director at Max Healthcare, said it has been decided to conduct coronavirus tests on "all our workforce and patients across the country". "Priority will be to test our admitted patients and new patients being brought in. And, the front-line healthcare workers," he said. India is doing a lot of tests, but it is not enough compared to what the US and Singapore and other countries are doing, he said, adding, "much more testing needs to be done". Another expert from a leading private hospital here, who did not wish to be named, said, "The volume of tests conducted need to be ramped up significantly to capitalise on the gains from the lockdown". Two kinds of diagnostic tests are being currently used in India -- RT-PCR test and rapid antibodies test, according to global health norms. 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. Dr Arvind Kumar, noted lung surgeon at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said the key to fighting the COVID-19 battle is "testing, testing and testing" and then "quarantining and treating". "The more number of people we screen, the greater our chance of winning this fight against COVID-19. The number of tests have to be significantly increased," he said. In Delhi, which has seen 1561 cases and 30 deaths till April 14, over 16,000 samples been tested till that period. "Number of cases were rising and they will increase even more now, as more testing is done. We are still on the rising limb of the epidemic curve. Also, people are learning social distancing, sneezing etiquette, which are important elements in this fight," said Dr Rajesh Chawla, a pulmonologist at Apollo Hospital. The Rebecca Foundation with support from the Merck Foundation, has presented boxes of food and relief items to some persons living with disabilities, HIV and AIDS and some artisans affected by the hardships of Covid-19 the Stay Home order. The restriction on movements order was announced by the President some three-weeks ago, as part of measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country. The relief items include rice, cooking oil, milo, sugar, milk, canned tomatoes and canned fish. The beneficiaries were in communities such as Tseaddo, La, Trobu, Amasaman, Dome, Kwabenya, Doblo, Lashibi, Klagon, Adentan and Ashaley Botwey, all in the Greater Accra Region. First Lady Mrs Rebecca Akufo- Addo, who is also the Executive Director of the Rebecca Foundation, said the initiative was to assist in mitigating the impact of the restrictive measures and the social distancing protocols. She said the Relief Boxes initiative, which involved partners in corporate Ghana and other sectors, is to support the most vulnerable especially, women who have difficulties in providing food as well as basic hygiene products for themselves and their families. We are committed to supporting those most affected by the current partial lockdowns in the epicenters of Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi, and we encourage others to partner with us to make life much bearable for our vulnerable, especially women and children, the First Lady said. She thanked the Merck Foundation and the other donors who had contributed to the Rebecca Foundations Relief Boxes Challenge. 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 Highlights OnePlus has launched the OnePlus 8 phones in China. The OnePlus 8 series phones are priced quite low in China. Their China pricing hints at cheap India pricing. OnePlus 8 series was launched globally, mainly for European and American markets, earlier this week. But in its home market, China, OnePlus had organised a separate event. While it is common for Chinese brands to hold separate local events, something really uncommon happened in OnePlus' case. The duo - OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro - have a way lower pricing in China than their global pricing. In fact, the difference is so low, you can buy a budget smartphone additionally. OnePlus launched the OnePlus 8 in China at a starting price of RMB 3,999, which is around $565 while the OnePlus 8 Pro will be available at RMB 5,399, which translates to roughly $765. The China pricing is about $134 less than its US counterparts, which is equal to the amount you are likely to pay for a budget phone in the US. The Euro pricing of the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro is even much higher when compared with the newly-introduced China prices of the smartphone duo. In Europe, OnePlus 8 starts at EUR 699, which is around EUR 178 costlier than China equivalent. Similarly, the OnePlus 8 Pro costs EUR 899 with a difference of about EUR 196 from its Chinese counterpart. At the launch, the OnePlus 8 series emerged as the priciest to date and it infuriated some fans. OnePlus began as an underdog that was gradually taking on the stalwarts with its aggressively-priced smartphones with the specifications similar to those of the latter. But, eventually, OnePlus began outing more premium smartphones, which are now touching the sub-$800 mark in the US. With the US pricing of the OnePlus 8 phones being so high, the Indian fans began speculating something similar and that propelled the criticism online. But OnePlus was immediate to respond and quell the concerns of the Indian fans. It tweeted that OnePlus does not "speak dollars", along with a teaser that India pricing will be announced soon. If the Chinese pricing is any indication, the OnePlus 8 could be priced at around Rs 44,000 while the top-end OnePlus 8 Pro will bear a price tag of something about Rs 58,000. The speculated pricing is based on currency translation and does not include taxes and other levies. To recall, the OnePlus 7T was launched at a starting price of Rs 37,999 while the OnePlus 7T Pro began for Rs 53,999 in India last year. Despite economic tumult caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Alamo Promise program will cover the tuition of thousands of Bexar County high school graduates as planned in its first year, Alamo Colleges District chancellor Mike Flores said Thursday. After that, things get less certain. The program, financed by public and private funds, will enroll its first cohort of about 3,000 students this summer at one of the districts five community colleges. Since it launched last October, more than 5,000 have completed financial aid and admissions applications to one of the colleges. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest updates on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases The program is expected to cost about $5.6 million in its first year and $122 million over five years. The city and county have committed about $304,000 for the first year, but funding for the second year will depend on decisions made in their upcoming budget process. We know the city and county are getting their footing with regard to what their budgets look like, Flores said. The city had previously agreed to find a way to provide $1.4 million in funding for the second year of Alamo Promise and increasing amounts in future years. The pandemic has caused the city to cut millions from its budget and furlough hundreds of workers in recent weeks. The program also has secured more than $4 million from private donors, including from the Charles Butt Foundation, Toyota, Wells Fargo and Frost Bank. In the coming school year, Alamo Promise will cover tuition costs for graduates of the 25 Bexar County high schools with the lowest college-going rates. In the 2021-2022 school year, the program will expand to cover all Bexar County high schools. In five years, officials expect around 19,000 students will enroll, bringing the local college-going rate from 49 percent to 70 percent. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio universities, colleges getting millions in federal coronavirus relief The pandemics economic fallout also could affect state funding for the Alamo Colleges District, which now provides about 23 percent of the districts budget. Legislature in 2019 appropriated $87.2 million in the two-year state budget to the district but Flores said that could change. We expect the state may issue cost-containment or recision measures in the second year of the biennium. We are closely monitoring that, he said. The districts revenues also include property taxes and tuition payments. A tuition increase is not under consideration, Flores said. The chancellor is also looking at the $22.6 million coming to the five colleges from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Recovery (CARES) Act. Half of that money must go directly to students as emergency grants, while the rest can cover institutional costs. Ashley McBride covers several school districts and the Alamo Colleges District in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | Ashley.McBride@express-news.net | Twitter: @Ashleynmcb Private nurses have been threatened with the sack after refusing to treat coronavirus patients because they didn't have enough PPE. Bosses at Nuffield Health's Cheltenham Hospital warned they had 'little choice' but to take drastic action in an email. Medics across the UK have repeatedly said they are having to share equipment and use items like aprons, masks, and eye visors multiple times, despite them designed to be used only once to limit the spread of a disease. Workers on the coronavirus pandemic frontline have been encouraged by unions to stop working if they don't feel protected. However, they could face criminal consequences as a result if there was evidence of negligence to a patient. Nurses at Nuffield Health's Cheltenham Hospital have been threatened with disciplinary action after refusing to treat coronavirus patients because they didn't have enough PPE Source at Nuffield Health - who have been roped into to help the NHS with the surge in patients - say there have been concerns around working without PPE. An email sent from a senior matron, seen by the HSJ, said: 'I'm hoping to get another undisturbed day as I'm going to have to formally take on everyone who won't help on the C19 side. 'Unfortunately, it will be a disciplinary matter and referral to the Nursing and Midwifery Council. I really don't want to go down that route but they're giving me little choice.' Following the email leak, a spokesman for Nuffield Health said: 'The health and safety of our people, patients and wider communities is our first priority. Our Cheltenham hospital team is proud to be working with the NHS to care for COVID-19 patients in effort the national effort against the pandemic. 'We can categorically state that we have been provided with a full supply of PPE from the local NHS trust so that all members of the team are protected when they treat Covid-19 patients. The team has also been given the appropriate training to ensure they can carry out their roles safely.' Last week, the British Medical Association, Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) and the RCN put out guidance for doctors and nurses respectively which said they can refuse to treat patients if their PPE is inadequate. The RCS 'urges our members not to risk their health' after a survey of 1,978 members found a third do not believe they have an adequate supply of PPE. The RCN recommendations state: 'Ultimately, if you have exhausted all other measures to reduce your risk and you have not been given appropriate PPE... you are entitled to refuse to work.' Pictured, medics wearing PPE at Aintree University Hospital, Liverpool NHS HOSPITAL ASKS BURBERRY FOR HELP AMID FEARS OF RUNNING OUT OF PPE An NHS hospital boss working in southern England has asked British fashion brands to make more personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gowns for his staff. The man, who wished to remain anonymous claimed staff at his hospital had ran out of gowns over the weekend. It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock claimed hospitals had enough PPE to go around. The hospital boss slammed these claims and insisted Mr Hancock's theory was a 'fantasy'. The man, who wished to remain anonymous, phoned the BBC's business reporter Simon Browning and asked for the factory phone number of Burberry, which has turned over its production to make PPE for healthcare workers. Burberry is among a list of labels including Barbour, Louis Vuitton and Philip Treacy to have pledged to manufacture equipment crucial to fighting Covid-19. Browning said such gear was being made efficiently but was not reaching the front line quickly enough, with manufacturers telling him they have been receiving 'upsetting' phone calls from NHS staff about to run out of equipment. Earlier this week Barbour switched from making wax jackets to creating medical gowns. NHS workers have already thanked the luxury clothing brand for turning its factory into a production line for PPE and delivering gowns to North East hospitals. Advertisement The RCN said it would provide legal assistance to those making what it acknowledged was an 'enormously difficult decision'. It warned nurses that they could face criminal prosecution for corporate manslaughter in 'very rare' cases for walking away. But fears among frontline workers have only been exacerbated by the deaths of colleagues. The government says there have been 27 verified deaths of NHS staff during the pandemic, but the media have reported more. Not all the workers have been confirmed to have tested positive for the virus, but they were hospitalised with symptoms before their deaths. Some of the victims complained of a lack of PPE before their death, including Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, who died at Queen's Hospital in Romford, east London, on April 8. The consultant urologist had pleased for 'appropriate PPE to protect ourselves and our families' just five days before he was admitted to hospital with the killer infection. Health Secretary Matt Hancock today said he 'would love to be able to wave a magic wand' to increase supply of PPE when talking about the proposed reuse of materials. During a virtual meeting with the Health and Social Care Committee, Mr Hancock said: 'In some cases, the reuse of PPE is advised by clinicians, so again I come back to the point that this has to be a clinical decision. 'I would love to be able to wave a magic wand and have PPE fall from the sky in large quantities and be able to answer your question about when shortages will be resolved. 'But given that we have a global situation in which there is less PPE in the world than the world needs, obviously it's going to be a huge pressure point.' He added: 'There's nothing that I can say at this select committee that will take away the fact that we have a global challenge and we're doing everything we can to resolve it to get that PPE to the front line.' STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Nothing short of amazing. Thats how the head of Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) describes the emergency medical facility that came together in just four days with the help of the National Guard -- including deployed Guardsman Rep. Max Rose -- Gov. Andrew Cuomos office and the state Office of Mental Health. Im still amazed that we were able to take our first patient on April 7, Dr. Brahim Ardolic, executive director of SIUH told the Advance. SIUH runs the temporary facility, and Ardolic said he received the first call about it on April 2. Housed in a newly-constructed, and not-yet-inhabited building on the grounds of the South Beach Psychiatric Center, the 262-bed medical facility came together during a critical time, with the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) patients on Staten Island pushing the limits of hospital capacity. In six days we were able to do what other places would take weeks to do, Rose (D-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) said of the emergency hospital, where he worked as an Operations Officer during his two-week National Guard deployment. [The National Guard] members, the fighting 69th, they were the first soldiers at Ground Zero, they are the oldest unit in the Army, the longest serving unit, and now theyre fighting this war at home on Staten Island. And theyve risen to the challenge, he said. Rep. Max Rose gives a tour at the emergency hospital on April 8, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/ Alexandra Salmieri)Alexandra Salmieri Without the emergency hospital, which is currently housing between 25 and 30 patients, some would have been treated in tents or semi-permanent structures, or transferred to off-Island facilities. But the new facility, along with the boroughs testing site, allowed for Staten Island to become its own ecosystem. Richmond University Medical Center and SIUH have been running at above-capacity. What we were able to provide with this facility is not having to send people off of Staten Island, Rose said. One way or another we would have had to do something, Ardolic said. Having SIUH in close proximity to the emergency hospital has been important, he said, because patients often need to be transferred from the emergency hospital to SIUH for intensive care and then back once they are stable. MAX ROSE WAS A GREAT PARTNER Ardolic said without the help of the National Guard, as well as the state and federal authorities, the hospital wouldnt have opened as quickly as it did. Having the National Guard present allowed the hospital to minimize additional people onsite, Ardolic said, as they assisted with the moving of equipment, setting up beds, and getting supplies. Max Rose was a great partner, a great leader. He made sure that we had guardsmen along the way for whatever we needed, Ardolic said. He rolled up his sleeves. The guardsmen were also able to secure much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE). One major challenge, Rose said, was outfitting the South Beach Psychiatric Center facility with oxygen sources and new beds that were able to incline and decline. Additionally, the role and function of the National Guard had to be designed. A look inside of a typical COVID-19 patient's room at the South Beach psychiatric Center in Ocean Breeze. Each room has one patient and is equipped with a bed on wheels and oxygen. (Staten Island Advance/ Alexandra Salmieri) But ultimately, Rose said that for once Staten Island got its fair share, having been the first in the state to run a COVID-only facility. The borough set the standard of what needs to be done across the country, he said. Roses deployment with the Guard ended on Thursday. He served as an active duty officer in Afghanistan from 2012-2013, and was formerly a Company Commander in the National Guard. Prior to being elected to Congress, Rose was the Chief of Staff for Brightpoint Health, a nonprofit healthcare organization in New York. THERES NO DOUBT THIS WILL BE WITH US FOR SOME TIME Hospitalizations at SIUH have reduced, Ardolic said, however, the future of COVID-19 is still unknown and people must be prepared. This disease is not a quick disease and this peak, if it is a peak, is going to last for a while. Theres going to be a lot of people who need extensive care for quite some time, Ardolic said. And I dont want to theorize about a re-spike [in cases] because Im not an epidemiologist, but theres no doubt that this is going to be with us for some time and we need to be prepared to treat patients for a while. As an island we need to be accepting of that, he said. Rose said any future deployment with the National Guard will be on an as-needed basis. Hell go wherever hes needed he said, ready to put on the uniform and be on the front lines of Staten Island. Anything that Ive done pales in comparison to the incredible heroism I saw, he said, explaining that he worked alongside doctors and nurses who lost loved ones and had ill family members and were still working 18-hour days. In the short and long-term, its vital that Staten Island has the emergency hospital, Ardolic and Rose agreed. What I did was nothing compared to what our essential workers are doing every single day, Rose said. It was a privilege to get this essential COVID-19 hospital up and running. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** RTHK: Brazil's president fires popular health minister Brazils President Jair Bolsonaro, whose dismissive stance toward the Covid-19 pandemic has angered many health experts, fired his popular health minister following a series of disagreements over the proper response to contain the virus spread in South Americas most populous country. Luiz Henrique Mandetta, an orthopedist, had garnered support for his handling of the pandemic that included promotion of broad isolation measures enacted by state governors. His dismissal comes as experts say the peak of the new coronavirus outbreak in Brazil is expected in the coming weeks. You should have absolute certainty that we fought a good fight until here, Mandetta told fellow ministry workers in a televised press conference on Thursday after announcing his departure. But were at the start of the battle. Bolsonaro, for his part, has repeatedly characterised the virus as a little flu", said shutting down the economy would cause more damage than confining only high-risk Brazilians, and touted the yet-unproven efficacy of an anti-malarial drug. Life is priceless, but the economy and employment need to return to normality, Bolsonaro said at a press conference on Thursday. He also said he would neither condemn nor criticise Mandetta. It was a consensual divorce because more important than me and more important than him as a minister is the health of the Brazilian people. For Mandettas replacement, Bolsonaro named Nelson Teich, an oncologist and senior consultant at medical services company Teich Health Care. He also has a Masters in Business Administration, according to his LinkedIn page. Speaking alongside Bolsonaro, Teich said he didnt want to announce any changes abruptly, as little is known about the virus. He added that he and the president are completely aligned. Health and the economy are complementary, Teich said. (AP) This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. 1. Yes. The downtown area needs a good draw. Some quality taverns would be a plus. 2. Yes. Too many storefronts are vacant. Bars could help to bring in needed revenue. 3. No. Putting a number of bars downtown is just asking for trouble. Dont change things. 4.No. Several churches have located downtown. Putting bars close by would be a bad fit. 5. Unsure. It would depend on how the law is written and what standards are enacted. Vote View Results UNODC supports efforts to reduce COVID-19 risk at Kenya methadone clinics Photo courtesy of the Malindi Sub-County Hospital MAT Clinic Nairobi (Kenya), 17 April 2020 - The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNODC) has donated essential commodities to three methadone clinics on Kenyas coast to address the immediate COVID-19 prevention needs of their health care workers and clients. Frequently stretched beyond capacity given the demand for methadone treatment, the Medically Assisted Therapy (MAT) clinics at Kisauni in Mombasa County, Kombani in Kwale County and Malindi in Kilifi County provide services to an estimated 2,800 clients. UNODC last week provided 5,000 medical examination gloves, eight automatic sanitizer dispensers, 850 litres of hand sanitizer, 50 bottles of hand washing gel, 20 packs of washing powder soap and a first consignment of N95 face masks. Having received the commodities, each MAT clinic has already put them to use in keeping their premises clean and hygienic, and promoting regular and thorough hand-washing by staff and visitors, alongside social distancing measures. A further delivery of 6,000 surgical masks, more hand sanitizer gel and the balance of 800 N95 face masks are expected to reach the three MAT clinics and Civil Society Organizations in the coming weeks. People who use and inject drugs are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 due to their underlying medical conditions like HIV and Hepatitis C, further compounded by stigma and social marginalization, the Head of UNODCs Health and Social Development Pillar at the Regional Office for Eastern Africa, Dr. Fayzal Sulliman, said. UNODC is pleased to provide this support to meet the immediate needs of these clinics that are providing ongoing services to a vulnerable population in circumstances exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Sulliman said. Ensuring continued access to health care during a pandemic, including services for people who use drugs and treatment of drug use disorders, is key not only to protect the health of populations but also to ensure security and stability in the country. Learning from recent experience elsewhere in Eastern Africa, UNODC is closely monitoring the supply chain of methadone with the support of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) so that supply is maintained during this global crisis and there is no disruption of services to people who use drugs in the region. Globally, UNODC is urging member states to ensure access to preventive commodities and also life support assistance, including intensive care if required, to people who use drugs without discrimination so that no one is left behind during the pandemic. Further Information UNODC COVID-19 pandemic guidance on treatment, care and rehabilitation of people with drug use disorders The Russians Get Blamed Again, but Who Is Really Subverting American Democracy? By Philip Giraldi April 16, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - It is perhaps inevitable that a major health panic like the coronavirus will have political ramifications based on whether those most affected by the illness will perceive that the government performed well or poorly in the crisis. The government for its part will engage in a blame game which seeks to place responsibility for what did not go well on an outside party. It should surprise no one to learn, for example, that Hindus in India have been blaming a Muslim group for the proliferation of the virus in their country, an accusation that has led to rioting and other violence directed against Muslims in general and which has produced some deaths. In the United States blame for the health crisis has been more diversified and has been largely construed along existing political fault lines. Democrats are reasonably enough blaming President Donald Trump for the delays and failures to supply medical equipment while Republicans are seeking to exonerate the poor performance by the president, chiefly by editing the existing record to expunge Trumps initial dismissal of the virus as little more than a common cold and even as a hoax. That refusal to recognize the severity of the epidemic cost the country several weeks at a minimum, time that might have been employed to get on top of the disease before it had a chance to gain a foothold. More interesting perhaps is the apparent desire to find a foreign enemy as the source of the virus. That the virus originated in Wuhan is the majority view of the experts, though it is not clear if its genetics were the result of laboratory manipulation or were a naturally occurring mutation. And for its part, the Chinese government at a minimum was not particularly forthcoming when the virus began to spread in Wuhan and the surrounding province, failing to send an appropriate signal to the international community that a potentially highly contagious and lethal new virus had made an appearance. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter In the U.S., Republican politicians and pundits, as well as the president, have exploited the uncertainty by persisting in calling the coronavirus the Wuhan virus or the China virus. There has also been considerable chatter about how Beijing is to blame for it, which, of course, intentionally shifts the narrative away from the actions or lack thereof by the American president. And so as not to ignore the real conspiracy theorists, there are also the stories now circulating about how the U.S. government helped fund research at the Wuhan Institute that involved bats, one of the possible sources of the virus. Additional theories being promoted by Rush Limbaugh and others promote the belief that the Chinese communists deliberately created and unleashed the virus to destroy western capitalism. It was perhaps inevitable that somehow Russia would eventually be brought into the preferred narrative to serve as a distraction that would derail the medias 24/7 focus on the White House and its developing response to the virus. The Russian governments shipment of a planeload of badly needed medical supplies to the United States several weeks ago notwithstanding, Moscow and President Vladimir Putin continue to be useful punching bags for both the national media and both parties in congress. The latest tale from Yahoo news of Kremlin perfidy is also somewhat of a spy story, no doubt intended to enhance its appeal. It has not really caught on with the public yet because the panic over the virus has overwhelmed the news cycle, but there is still plenty of time to seek and find a foreign enemy who is wanting to do harm to the United States of America. According to the news report, which is based on a paper prepared by analysts at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Russian intelligence officers are analyzing the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic to determine vulnerabilities in the American governments procurement and emergency response system. The April 6th study, prepared by the DHS Counterintelligence Mission Center, states that the Russians are likely are watching the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic as intelligence collection on medical supply chain vulnerabilities could inform future operations aimed at weakening key logistical elements in preparation for a wartime attack, or opportunistically during an emergency. In other words, Moscow is looking for vulnerabilities in what amounts to Americas civil defense response capability in case it has to go to war with Washington. Given the lack of evidence confirming any desire on Vladimir Putins part to engage in a nuclear conflict with the United States that would likely destroy most of the planet, it is difficult to imagine that Russia is war planning in any serious way. But, according to some sources, a different picture does plausibly emerge from the Kremlins activity, which is that Russia is working to portray itself as a competent player in the war against the coronavirus while Donald Trump and his European counterparts are being seen as irresponsible fumblers. Moscow has indeed been extending a hand to Europeans even as the Germans have been complaining about the White House conniving to steal their medical supplies. Several plane loads of medical equipment and more than 100 personnel flew to Italy a month ago. According to Italian sources, some of the Russians were intelligence officers making independent assessments of how effectively the Italians have been able to respond to the medical crisis. All of that should surprise no one, as that is what intelligence officers do, though it does not necessarily mean that anyone is necessarily preparing for war. And the DHS report speculates wildly when it suggests that the coronavirus operation is part and parcel of Russias ongoing 2020 election interference, a largely undemonstrated hot button designed to make the hawks in congress swoon with pleasure. If anyone is looking for Russiagate 2, this is exactly how it begins. Blame China, and if that does not seem to be working, look for the perfidious hand of Vladimir Putin, who clearly spends all day in his office dreaming up schemes whereby providing medical supplies to the U.S. and Europe is all part of some master plan to subvert the 2020 presidential election. But wait a minute, the ballot will feature Trump against Joe Biden. Putin is too late. The election has already been subverted. Pakistan on Friday said the sale of anti-ship missiles by the US to India was disturbing and would "destabilise" the region. The US State Department this week notified Congress of its determination to sell Harpoon air-launched anti-ship missiles and Mark 54 lightweight torpedoes worth USD 155 million to India to enhance its deterrent capabilities against "regional threats" and to bolster its homeland defence. Addressing a media briefing here, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said the sale of the missiles by the US to India was disturbing. The sale of such missile systems, along with technical assistance and logistic support at the time when there is a global effort to fight the pandemic is particularly disturbingThis will destabilise the already volatile situation in South Asia, she said. Farooqui again contended that there was a high possibility of India conducting a "false flag operation" while global efforts are directed towards combating the coronavirus pandemic. She said Pakistan had articulated its concerns regarding the sale of sophisticated weapons to India which would further destabilise the region. Replying to a question about the restoration of diplomatic relations up to High Commissioners level between Pakistan and India, Farooqi said Pakistan always wanted good relations with all neighbouring countries. India needs to create an enabling environment for a meaningful engagement that could lead to resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions, she said. The relations between the two nations strained following the Balakot strike when the Indian Air Force jets bombed a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan on February 26 last year to avenge the killing of 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel in the Pulwama terror attack on February 14. Pakistan retaliated on February 27 by attempting to target Indian military installations. The ties further nose-dived after the Indian government abrogated Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir in August last. Pakistan downgraded diplomatic relations with India and expelled Indian High Commissioner. India has maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter of India and does not want anyone's interference in it. During the press conference, Farooqui said the statement issued by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on April 13 claiming denial of food aid to minorities in Pakistan was not based on facts and seems to have relied on inaccurate sources. In response to the unprecedented challenge posed by COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Pakistan is protecting all of its citizens without any discrimination, she said. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) issued a statement expressing concern over the denial of food aid to Pakistani Hindus and Christians amid the COVID-19 lockdown in Pakistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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. The Odisha government on Friday asked all the district collectors to ensure the safety of women and girls in the shelter camps that are housing thousands of migrant workers stranded due to lockdown. In a letter to the district collectors, Labour Secretary Anu Garg said the safety of women and girls in those camps should be given utmost priority and provision of sanitary napkins should be made available through NGOs. Besides, proper sanitation, especially toilets, provision of soaps, masks, sanitisers, mosquito nets should also be made in the camps giving shelter to migrant workers, referred to as guest workers in Odisha. Subroto Bagchi, the state's spokesperson on COVID-19, said food and accommodation along with health facilities have been provided at 2,583 camps for around 77,500 "guest workers". These workers are from various states. Any complaint received through Shramik Sahayata call centre -- 18003456703 -- is being addressed promptly, he said. The Labour Secretary in her letter said that trained counsellors available in the districts be utlised for providing psychological counseling to the workers. Since for many, language may be a barrier, you may identify people in the district/ their Samaj, who could converse with them in their language, Garg said in the letter. Stating that many districts have already provided medical help to the migrant workers, Garg asked the collectors to undertake a review of the situation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reporter Chang Ching-yi (L) and President Donald Trump at a CCP virus press briefing at the White House on April 8, 2020. (Screenshot via White House) Reporter Who Hid Beijing Ties When Questioned by Trump Could Be Fined $16,000 in Taiwan TAIPEI, TaiwanA Taiwanese reporter working for Chinese state-run media could face a heavy fine in his native hometown. The reporter, named Chang Ching-yi, was much talked about on Taiwanese social media after attending an April 9 press briefing at the White House on the pandemic. He was called on to ask a question. President Donald Trump asked where he was from, a question seemingly to find out which media Chang worked at. Chang responded to the question by saying he was from Taiwan, where he was born. However, his response covered up the fact that he works for Dragon Television, a broadcaster owned by Chinas state-run Shanghai Media Group. Chang was the second person to be less than forthright about his affiliation with Beijing. Three days earlier, on April 6, a reporter named Wang Youyou at the Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV denied she was working for the Chinese regime when asked by Trump. Phoenix TV in fact has ties to top officials in the Chinese Communist Partys opposition faction. On April 16, Chiu Chui-cheng, spokesperson of Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council, a government agency that deals with cross-strait affairs, said that Chang, a Taiwanese citizen, violated a local law with his employment, according to Taiwans government-run Central News Agency (CNA). Chang violated Article 33 of the Act Governing Relations Between People of Taiwan Area and Mainland Area according to Chiu. Under the law, people are prohibited from holding any positions in Chinas political parties, military, or institutions of any political nature. Any violators could be fined from $100,000 to $500,000 New Taiwan Dollars (about $3,320 to $16,620). According to Chinese search engine Baidu, Chang was born in Taiwan in 1979, and graduated with bachelors degrees in journalism and Arab studies at the National Chengchi University. He received his masters degree in international relations at New York University. Chang became a Washington-based reporter with Phoenix TV in 2010 and joined Dragon TV in July 2014. Chang has about 32,300 followers on his official Weibo account. And on March 20, he took a jab at Trump when he posted two photos of Trumps press conference notes showing what appeared to be his changing the term Corona virus to Chinese virus. Any political figures who shift blame to other countries cast a chill over people, Chang wrote in the Weibo post. On March 17, Trump first used the term Chinese virus in his tweet. He later explained that he used this wording to challenge Chinas false information. A Chinese diplomat posted a tweet suggesting that the U.S. military passed the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, to China. The U.S. government has long warned about the Shanghai Media Groups close ties with Chinese authorities. In October 2005, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) issued a statement, naming Shanghai-based media outlets, including Shanghai Media Group, of working with the citys propaganda department to improve news screening and censorship in China. [These media outlets] offered specific measures to establish and perfect coordinated and effective long-term administrative mechanisms for pre-reporting strict examination and approval, as well as for post-reporting review, monitoring, and examination, CECC stated, citing state-run media Peoples Daily. Following Chius announcement, some users of Taiwans popular bulletin board service, PTT, called for stronger measures against Chang, including revoking his Taiwans citizenship. One user named nikewang wrote: Use [Taiwans] anti-infiltration law to investigate him, since the CCP is paying his salary. Taiwan passed the anti-infiltration law in December last year to combat Beijings efforts to influence the islands politics and democratic process, through processes such as illicit funding of local politicians and media. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has extended till May 15 the shutdown in the state that is the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic with 223,231 cases and 14,198 deaths. He made the announcement on Thursday before US President Donald Trump's scheduled videoconference with governors to discuss easing restrictions to restart the economy and issue new guidelines. Cuomo said that he decided to extend the restrictions known as "NY on Pause" that was to have been in force till April 29 because the state has not yet gained full control of the pandemic even though the rate of new infections has been coming down. He said, "although we can control the beast, we need to get that infection rate down even more and we are not there yet." "We have to continue doing what we're doing. I'd like to see that infection rate get down even more,a he said. Although he said that he was extending the shutdown in coordination with other governors in the Northeast region, so far only New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has made any announcement. At his news conference he announced only the closing schools till May 15, and was silent about other restrictions. New York restrictions that closes down educational institutions and non-essential businesses, mandates social distancing and from Friday require everyone to wear masks when they are outside covers its population of 19.5 million with nearly 45 per cent in New York City. Cuomo said that he did not know what will happen after May 15, but "we will see depending on what the data shows." As for reopening the state, he said, "Unpausing New York and reopening our economy is going to be an ongoing process over the coming weeks that we're working through with other states, but we have to do it in a way that doesn't drive up the infection rate and create a second wave of the virus." Cuomo said that decisions on opening the state would depend on which are essential and which can be opened safely in a manner that they don't spread infections. He and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio have been at loggerheads over school closings. The mayor wants to close city schools for the rest of the academic year which ends June 28. The governor says that only he can decide and for now it will be in force only till May 15. Trump said on Tuesday that he will be issuing new guidelines for reopening the US economy battered by the restrictions to fight the pandemic. But he said that it will be up to the governors to implement them. Trump said that in the diverse nation the levels of infection varied from state to state and area to area within them and, therefore, there would be different timetables for different areas of the country. Trump's suggestions for opening up the economy has met with criticism that it may happen prematurely and cause COVID-19 to flare up again. By announcing the extension before Trump's meeting, Cuomo appears to preempt any proposals from the president for New York that he is against. Gov. Kay Ivey took part in a phone meeting with the Trump Administration and other governors on the coronavirus pandemic today and said she was eager to see Alabamians return to work and crank up the states economy. Ivey praised Trumps leadership in a statement from her press office. The governor urged Alabamians to stick with safeguards to slow the spread of COVID-19 over the next two weeks to help clear the way for ramping up business activity. Trump addressed reopening America at a press conference today. "The governor is grateful to the president for his Administrations strong leadership and continued guidance during this unprecedented time, Press Secretary Gina Maiola said. She also appreciates the president supporting Alabama making decisions that are in the best interest of Alabamians, specifically as it relates to their personal and economic health. She will continue making these decisions, while carefully weighing both aspects of this situation. As the president mentioned, this will be data driven, rather than date driven. "With his guidance, as well as that from her Coronavirus Executive Committee and our states congressional leaders, Governor Ivey looks forward to getting Alabama back to work and back to normal. She commends Alabamians for their cooperation and asks for their continued patience. Their willingness in the next two weeks is key to flattening the curve and getting our businesses rolling again. The statement came after Trump gave governors an overview of how to gradually began phasing out the restrictions that have stalled much of the economy. Were starting our life again, Trump said during his daily press briefing, according to the Associated Press. The president said governors would set the course for their own states with backing from the administration. On Tuesday, Ivey outlined how she would rely on input from adviser groups and the states congressional delegation to develop a plan to resume business activity, which she said would be done incrementally. The governors stay-at-home order is in effect until April 30. Ivey said she and State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris would review recommendations no later than April 28 to help map out a plan. , We're sorry, this article is not currently available OKLAHOMA CITY - EDITORS NOTE: On April 19, 1995, a former U.S. Army soldier parked a rented Ryder truck loaded with explosives outside a federal office building in Oklahoma City. The blast at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building killed 168 people and injured more than 500 others in what remains the deadliest act of domestic terrorism on American soil. The bombing occurred just two years after the first attack on the World Trade Center. Media and some Americans immediately speculated that Middle Eastern men were the culprits before the FBI later found that two white men were responsible for the attack. Former U.S. soldier Timothy McVeigh was convicted in 1997 on 11 counts of murder, conspiracy and using a weapon of mass destruction in the explosion. He was executed in 2001. Another ex-soldier, Terry Nichols, was convicted on similar charges for his role in the bombing and sentenced to life without parole after the jury deadlocked on the death penalty. Both men were motivated by contempt for government, the hatred sharpened by the 1993 federal raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. Twenty-five years later, the AP is making the original story and photographs available. ____ A car bomb ripped deep into Americas heartland Wednesday, killing at least 33 people and leaving 200 missing in a blast that gouged a nine-story hole in a federal office building. The dead included at least 12 youngsters, some of whom had just been dropped off by their parents at a day-care centre. The government had received calls from six people saying they were from different Muslim groups, asserting they were responsible for the deadliest U.S. bombing in 75 years. But there is no way to know if the calls are genuine, said a Justice Department official, who declined to be identified by name. They could be hoaxes. At least 200 people were injured 58 critically, according to Fire Chief Gary Marrs. Scores were feared trapped in the rubble of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. I was in Japan for the Kobe earthquake and saw the devastation, said James Lee Witt, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The area impacted here is just as bad, if not worse. Three people were pulled from the rubble Wednesday night but two died a short time later, said Assistant Fire Chief Jon Hansen. He said a 15-year-old girl was taken from the building in critical condition. He also said a woman trapped in the basement said there were two others with her. She didnt know if they were dead or alive. The death toll was certain to rise. Our firefighters are having to crawl over corpses in areas to get to people that are still alive, said Hansen. The first of four urban search and rescue units activated by the federal government was headed into the building early Thursday, using dogs, acoustic listening equipment and tiny cameras to look for victims. Attorney General Janet Reno refused to comment on who might have been behind the attack. President Clinton called the bombers evil cowards, and Reno said the government would seek the death penalty against them. A Department of Public Safety dispatcher in El Paso, Texas, told the El Paso Times that an alert had been issued from the DPS for two people who may be bloodied and may be trying to cross into Mexico at Laredo, Texas. The bulletin said the information was on the authority of the FBI. The bomb was believed to be in a minivan with Texas plates, owned by National Car Rental, said Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Kim Hughes. An axle of the vehicle was found about two blocks from the scene, said a police source who requested anonymity. Their clothes torn off, victims covered in glass and plaster emerged bloodied and crying from the building, which looked as if a giant bite had been taken out of it, exposing its floors like a dollhouse. Cables and other debris dangled from the floors like tangled streamers in a scene that brought to mind the car bombings at the U.S. Embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983. I dove under that table, said Brian Espe, a state veterinarian who was giving a slide presentation on the fifth floor. When I came out, I could see daylight if I looked north and daylight if I looked west. Mayor Ron Norick said the blast, which left a crater 30 feet long and 8 feet deep, was caused by a car bomb. He said the vehicle had been outside, in front of the building. Obviously, no amateur did this, Gov. Frank Keating said. Whoever did this was an animal. Police Sgt. Bill Martin said that 12 of those killed were children. Earlier in the day, paramedic Heather Taylor said 17 children were dead at the scene, a figure later disputed by police. Dr. Carl Spengler, one of the first doctors at the scene, said the children, all at the day-care centre, ranged in age from 1 to 7, and some were burned beyond recognition. About 20 of 40 children in the day-care centre were missing late in the day. The search continued after nightfall, with about 100 Oklahoma Army National Guard soldiers activated to help with rescue and security operations in the downtown area. The explosion, similar to the terrorist car bombing that killed six people and injured 1,000 at New Yorks World Trade Center in 1993, happened just after 9 a.m., when most of the more than 500 federal employees were in their offices. The blast could be felt 30 miles away. Black smoke streamed across the skyline, and glass, bricks and other debris were spread over a wide area. The north side of the building was gone. Cars were incinerated on the street. People frantically searched for loved ones, including parents whose children were in the buildings day-care centre. Christopher Wright of the Coast Guard, one of those helping inside the building, said rescuers periodically turned off their chain saws and prying tools to listen for pleas for help, but we didnt hear anything just death. Youre helpless really, when you see people two feet away, you cant do anything, theyre just smashed, he said. Doctors had to amputate one womans leg to free her. She was lying underneath a beam. It was obvious that she could not be extracted alive, said Dr. Andy Sullivan. The attempt to remove the concrete beams would have caused the rest of the building to collapse. So at that point there was no decision made other than to crawl into the space and perform the amputation to get the patient out. The building, which opened in 1977, has offices of such federal agencies as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Social Security, Veterans Affairs, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Housing and Urban Development, and a federal employee credit union and military recruiting offices. The bomb was perhaps 1,000 to 1,200 pounds, said John Magaw, ATF director. As for whether his agency suspected terrorists, he told CNN: I think any time you have this kind of damage, this kind of explosion, you have to look there first. Bob Ricks, agent in charge of the FBI in Oklahoma, said that there were hundreds of leads and that the bureau was treating them all seriously. At this point we do not speculate as to who is responsible, he said. Keating said he was told by the FBI that authorities were initially looking for three people of Middle Eastern descent in a brown pickup truck. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol put out an all-points bulletin for the three, but Keating later downplayed the report, saying it was one of many leads being checked. Keating also said they were checking whether the rental of a vehicle in the Dallas-Fort Worth area was tied to the explosion. Dallas is about 200 miles south of Oklahoma City. The explosion heightened U.S. fears of terrorism. Federal buildings in several cities were evacuated because of bomb threats, and the government ordered tightened security at federal buildings throughout the country. In 1920, a bomb blast in New Yorks Wall Street area killed 40 people and injured hundreds. Authorities concluded it was the work of anarchists and came up with a list of suspects, but all had fled to Russia. After Wednesdays blast, emergency crews set up a first aid centre near the federal building, and some of the injured sat on the sidewalks, blood on their heads or arms, awaiting aid. Carole Lawton, 62, a HUD secretary, said she was sitting at her desk on the seventh floor when all of a sudden the windows blew in. It got real dark and the ceiling just started coming down. She then heard the roar of the whole building crumbling. She managed to crawl down some stairs and was not injured. The explosion occurred on the second anniversary of the fiery, fatal ending to the federal siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. That siege began with a raid by ATF agents a month and a half earlier. Oklahoma City FBI spokesman Dan Vogel wouldnt speculate if there was a connection. The FBIs offices are about five miles away. In the World Trade Center bombing in February 1993, a rented van blew up in a parking garage beneath the twin towers. Four Muslims were convicted. The Andhra Pradesh government on Friday imported one lakh rapid test kits (RTKs) from South Korea to step up Covid-19 testing in the state. The AP government chartered a special flight to import the RTKs from Seoul directly to Vijayawada airport. The kits, manufactured by SD Biosensor of South Korea, were presented to Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy at a high-level review meeting on Covid-19 at his camp office on Friday. With the use of RTKs, the result could be obtained in just 10 minutes on whether or not a person carried the virus. The state government placed an order for a total of one million RTKs and the first batch of one lakh kits was delivered on Friday. The kits will be dispatched to all 13 districts in the next three days and doctors and other medical staff will be trained in their usage before they are put to actual use in a week. With the arrival of one lakh RTKs, the government now seeks to ramp up testing of Corona cases to 17,000 per day by next week, Special Chief Secretary (Health) K S Jawahar Reddy said. "We started with 90 tests per day on February 15, with just one lab in the state. Now, with seven VRDL facilities, the testing capacity has gone up to 3,000 per day. With RTKs and TruNat machines, the testing capacity will increase to 17,000 a day in a week," Reddy told reporters. The Medical and Health Department is also going in for pooled sample testing, wherein one sample could determine the condition of five people. "The ICMR has suggested this method where 100 tests will give the result of 500 people. We are initially doing the pooled sample testing in Vijayawada city," the Special CS said. As part of community surveillance measures, (blood) sample collection, tracking and results would all be monitored online through a new MIS module. In the door-to-door 'Syndromic Survey' conducted by Asha workers and ANMs recently, over 32,000 people were found to have symptoms for Covid-19. "In the next seven days, we will complete testing of all these 32,700 people," Jawahar Reddy said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An emergency ordinance intended to protect essential workers in San Francisco cleared its latest hurdle this week. If passed, it would put in place some of the strongest protections found anywhere in the country for employees at grocery stores, drugstores and restaurants, as well as drivers for on-demand delivery companies. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Government Audit and Oversight Committee unanimously approved the ordinance Thursday. It was introduced last week by Supervisor Matt Haney. Similar to the citys recent emergency order to cap commission fees charged by the makers of popular delivery apps, the new ordinance also focuses on food distribution and delivery, services in demand as people shelter in place during the coronavirus pandemic. On Tuesday, the full Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the ordinance. Representatives of some potentially affected companies, including Uber, Postmates and DoorDash, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The legislation requires on-demand delivery companies to provide protective equipment, including gloves, masks and hand sanitizer, to workers. If the workers purchase the items on their own, the delivery company would have to reimburse them. Delivery service employees would also be paid for time spent cleaning their vehicles and driving to handwashing facilities. Under the proposal, delivery companies must also offer drivers and shoppers the option of no-contact interactions with customers. These employers also cannot fire, suspend or demote anyone for adhering to the ordinance. Workers are still out there regularly interacting with others and putting themselves at risk, and they dont have the option of staying home. We have to make sure that these workers and their customers are protected, Haney said during the committee meeting. Haney worked closely with the citys Office of Small Business and the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, among other entities, on the ordinances language to clarify that it would apply to any website, mobile app or internet service that offers or arranges for consumer purchase and same day or scheduled delivery of food products, medications or other goods ... from essential businesses. Language was also added to make it possible for employees to report to the city any health and labor violations during the crisis. Regina Dick-Endrizzi, the executive director of the city small-business office, said the ordinance addresses the financial toll small grocers face when accommodating delivery drivers for pickup orders. Many (local grocers) have put in place particular protocols for on-demand delivery shoppers in requiring they have protective gear. Theyve been having ... to provide that gear for them to allow them to shop, she said. This is important because our small businesses should not be subsidizing the (expense of) protective gear for these workers. Supervisor Gordon Mar also said that business owners have been asking for help in accessing personal protective equipment. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes The ordinance comes on the heels of San Franciscos recent emergency order to lower the commissions charged by delivery companies to 15%. The commission generally ranged from 10% to 30% of an order. San Francisco was the first city in California to take such action on behalf of local restaurants. Delivery companies criticized the interference in their relationships with local restaurants. Laurie Thomas, acting executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, said her group worked with the city to avoid similar complaints with the new ordinance. With all of the decisions being made so quickly, we have to make sure we dont have some unintended consequences, she said. Theres no one-size-fits-all, but this ordinance does a good job of taking in a lot of factors. Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here. The month of March began with a glorious Sunday morning, perfect for the St. Pats For All Parade in Queens that celebrates diversity and equality as much as Irish heritage and culture. Among the organizers was the gregarious Tarlach MacNiallais, who had worked long and hard for inclusion of the long excluded. He was known for his decades of advocacy for L.G.B.T. and disability rights. A battering ram on issues of importance, according to Harriet Golden, a vice president at A.H.R.C. New York City, an organization that serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, where Mr. MacNiallais worked for nearly 35 years. Mr. MacNiallais died on April 1. He was 57. The cause was complications of the coronavirus, according to friends and family. TEMPLE BAR INVESTMENT TRUST PLC ("Temple Bar" or the "Trust") CHANGE OF PORTFOLIO MANAGER LEI: 213800O8EAP4SG5JD323 The Board of Temple Bar Investment Trust PLC has been informed by Ninety One UK Limited ("Ninety One"), the investment manager of the Trust, that Alastair Mundy, who has been the individual portfolio manager of the Trust since 2002, has been given an extended leave of absence by Ninety One for health reasons. With immediate effect, Alessandro Dicorrado and Steve Woolley have been appointed by Ninety One as co-portfolio managers to manage the assets of the Trust in Mr Mundy's absence. (Mr Diccorado and Mr Woolley are both co-portfolio managers for the Ninety One Global Value strategy and have worked closely with Mr Mundy for many years). The Board notes this, and expresses its sympathy with Mr Mundy, who has served Temple Bar with distinction for many years. The Board will monitor these arrangements and communicate again with Shareholders in due course. Ninety One UK Limited Secretary 17 April 2020 Nick Cordero's wife Amanda Kloots has given another generally positive update on the Broadway star's medical condition, however, she also revealed that he may never walk again. The 38-year-old fitness trainer took to her Instagram Story on Thursday as she said Nick had surgery to remove the ECMO machine that he was on and it went well. She explained: 'The doctor said for Nicks heart and lungs right now theyre in the best condition that they could be. The fact that hes off (the ECMO machine) is great.' Update: Nick Cordero's wife Amanda Kloots has given another generally positive update on the Broadway star's medical condition, however, she also revealed that he may never walk again However it wasn't all great news as she said: 'His right leg is still an issue. here has been some blood flow issues coming down to his foot.' There could be a long road of recovery ahead for the Broadway actor. Kloots said: 'We dont know if hell be able to walk again. We dont know if he can walk again what thatll look like. Positive: The 38-year-old fitness trainer took to her Instagram Story on Thursday as she said Nick had surgery to remove the ECMO machine that he was on and it went well Oh no: However it wasn't all great news as she said: 'His right leg is still an issue. here has been some blood flow issues coming down to his foot' 'I think that there will definitely be a lot of rehab and definitely physio in order for that leg to get working again. But the good news is that blood is finally running down to his toes.' Just a day prior, Kloots had 'really, really good news,' the fitness trainer said Nick's 'heart and lungs are getting stronger.' The turn for the better comes after Nick had to be resuscitated on Saturday after undergoing emergency surgery to alleviate a blockage of blood flow to his leg. Good news: Nick Cordero's wife Amanda Kloots has delivered another update on the Broadway star's medical condition 'They're weaning him off the ECMO machine,' continued Amanda, referring to the apparatus which helps support the heart and lungs. She then said that if all went according to plan, doctors would be able to remove the ECMO machine on Thursday, allowing Nick's heart and lungs to operate on their own. 'Big win,' exclaimed the mother-of-one. However, 'we still need him to wake up,' continued Amanda, imploring fans to sing and dance for Nick at 3pm PST. The viral movement even swept up model Devon Windsor, who posted a video of her performance in honor of Nick on Tuesday. Fighter: However, 'we still need him to wake up,' continued Amanda, imploring fans to sing and dance for Nick at 3pm PST Stars align: The viral movement even swept up model Devon Windsor, who posted a video of her performance in honor of Nick on Tuesday Kloots teared up on Monday while sharing an update on her husband of two years, Tony nominee Nick Cordero, who's battling COVID-19 at the ICU in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. 'He's doing okay guys. He's fighting,' the 38-year-old fitness trainer said via Instastory from their Laurel Canyon home. 'FaceTiming him has been wonderful, for me at least. Me and his mom have gotten to FaceTime him now a couple times. It's very special and I can see him fighting [while unconscious]. Today is a big day and we really need some heart and lung strength to come through...so keep sending up those prayers, guys.' 'He's doing okay guys. He's fighting': Amanda Kloots teared up on Monday while sharing an update on her husband of two years, Tony nominee Nick Cordero, who's battling COVID-19 at the ICU in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles Amanda then recalled a romantic story from when they started dating in 2014 about how the Canadian 41-year-old secretly mastered jumping rope in her honor while he was visiting his sick father in Ontario. 'He told me, "When I was taking care of my dad, I would go to the gym every morning and I taught myself to jump rope so I could win you back,"' Kloots smiled. 'I love this story, obviously because it's about jumping rope, but just a cute story to give you a little insight into what a special guy he is and who he is and the kind of heart he has.' Nick is on a ventilator, a dialysis machine, and he had to be resuscitated on Saturday after undergoing emergency surgery to alleviate a blockage of blood flow to his leg. The 38-year-old fitness trainer said via Instastory from their Laurel Canyon home: 'FaceTiming him has been wonderful...I can see him fighting [while unconscious]. Today is a big day and we really need some heart and lung strength to come through' (pictured March 19) 'Keep sending up those prayers, guys!' Amanda then recalled a romantic story from when they started dating in 2014 about how the Canadian 41-year-old secretly mastered jumping rope in her honor while he was visiting his sick father in Ontario Kloots smiled: 'I love this story, obviously because it's about jumping rope, but a cute story to give you a little insight into what a special guy he is and who he is and the kind of heart he has' 'I got to FaceTime with him today it was the first time I'd seen him since dropping him off at the ER 12 days ago,' The Irishman dancer revealed on Sunday. 'I told him he had to fight. I told him he is strong and can do this...The doctors are still concerned about his right leg and we need him to start making small responses off sedation. These are the next two goals that need to happen.' Amanda and Cordero - who are parents to 10-month-old son Elvis - originally met while performing in the musical Bullets Over Broadway together at the St. James Theatre in Manhattan. Kloots has urged her 98K Instagram followers to 'keep playing and dancing' to Elvis Presley's 1957 song Got a Lot o' Livin' to Do in honor of the Mob Town star. 'The doctors are still concerned about his right leg': Nick is on a ventilator, a dialysis machine, and he had to be resuscitated on Saturday after undergoing emergency surgery to alleviate a blockage of blood flow to his leg (pictured February 14) Castmates: Amanda and Cordero originally met while performing in the musical Bullets Over Broadway together at the St. James Theatre in Manhattan Show business couple: The Inside Game actor and The Irishman dancer are parents to 10-month-old son Elvis (pictured February 1) Oscar nominee Florence Pugh took note and shared a video on Monday of herself dancing up a storm to Got a Lot o' Livin' to Do and asking her 1.4M followers to do the same. 'I was wondering if I could ask a huge, huge favor of you all,' the British 24-year-old said via Instastory. 'Our good friends Nick Cordero and Amanda Kloots are suffering at the moment. Nick has been battling coronavirus for the past two weeks and he's been in critical condition for the past week and he's in hospital every day fighting for his life. And it's really f***ing scary.' The Ohio native - who used to be a Radio City Rockette - has launched a $9.99/month subscription service for her workout videos via her website as a way to make money. Going viral: Kloots has urged her 98K Instagram followers to 'keep playing and dancing' to Elvis Presley's 1957 song Got a Lot o' Livin' to Do in honor of the Mob Town star 'I was wondering if I could ask a huge, huge favor of you all!' Oscar nominee Florence Pugh took note and shared a video of herself on Monday dancing up a storm to Got a Lot o' Livin' to Do and asking her 1.4M followers to do the same Filipinos have been threatened with martial law-style enforcement if they do not comply with a month-long coronavirus lockdown, as police said 120,000 people have been arrested or warned for flouting rules. Over two weeks after he ordered law enforcement to shoot those who violate the lockdown, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte said in a speech on Thursday he would order the military and police to enforce social distancing and curfews if compliance does not improve. He said: The police and military will enforce social distancing and curfews. They will Its like martial law. You choose. I dont like it but its necessary if the country will suffer because you have no discipline. The Filipino government has come under fire for its handling of the coronavirus crisis and has drawn concern about potential human rights violations. The president vowed to identify Filipinos who have done nothing [but] criticise and find fault because they want to be heard by the public and accused critics of politicking. The Philippines main island of Luzon, where the capital Manila is located, has been under lockdown for the past five weeks. Authorities previously said the restrictions would stay in place until 30 April, but Mr Duterte said earlier this week there was no end in sight for the lockdown. He said the lockdown would not be lifted completely until a vaccine for Covid-19, which has infected 5,878 and killed 387people in the country, is developed. Luzon is the fourth-most densely populated island in the world, home to about 57 million people, including 12 million who reside in the capital. Mr Duterte regularly uses violent force to keep people in check, as he did during a major drug crackdown when he took office in 2016, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of people. Last month, five men were arrested for violating the curfew and were reportedly put in a dog cage by officials. Elsewhere, in the city of Paranaque within Metro Manila, curfew violators were reportedly forced to sit under the sun with no protection after their arrest. Recommended Man shot dead for flouting coronavirus rules in Philippines On 1 April, Mr Duterte said in an impromptu national address: My orders to the police and military if there is trouble or the situation arises where your life is on the line, shoot them dead. Understand? Dead. Ill send you to the grave Dont test the government. Less than a week later, a 63-year-old man was shot dead by Philippine police for refusing to follow the coronavirus restrictions, becoming the first casualty result of the lockdown. The head of a task force assigned to enforcing the law amid the coronavirus pandemic said the police and military were prepared to implement a martial law-like lockdown, reported The Manila Times. Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar said on Friday the force was ready for any scenario and is always ready to comply with the presidents order. He added: While the situation has improved, there are still some people who violated the rules and even went to the extent of engaging in illegal cockfighting and drinking session. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, warned that those who violate quarantine rules are being subjected to cruel mistreatment and called for any abuse to be immediately investigated. (Newser) Before they squared off in the Banter Blitz Cup final, World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen said Alireza Firouzja, 16, was going to be "by far my biggest challenge." He wasn't wrong. The Iranian teenager defeated Carlsen 8.5-7.5, this week in the livestreamed event to win $14,000, CNN reports. "I think the match was 50:50," Firouzja said. "I don't think I was favorite or he was favorite ... you should be a little lucky." As the match ended, Carlsen, who has been world champion since 2013, said: "Good game, Alireza! That was really horrible, I just was way out of shape, but he deserves full credit." Firouzja earned his way to the finals by beating 132 players; 109 grandmasters faced off along the way. story continues below Under the rules of the seven-month Chess24 event, players have to comment on their playand their opponents'during a series of three-minute games. Firouzja became Iran's champion when he was 12 and a grandmaster at 14. He stopped competing under his country's flag last year, per News.com.au, when Iran prohibited its athletes from competing against Israelis. He's lived in France with his family since he was 8 and now doesn't represent any nation when he plays. Much of the chess world considers him the most likely heir to Carlsen, 29, of Norway. The two are to meet again Monday in the Magnus Carlsen Invitational. Eight of the world's best players will compete in the $250,000 event. "I think we can expect to see a lot more from Firouzja," Carlsen said. (Read more Magnus Carlsen stories.) New Delhi, April 17 : Crude oil prices continued their fall on Friday with the WTI crude of US dropping below the $19 per barrel mark and benchmark Brent crude price subdued on weakest economic data in three decades reported by China due to the impact of coronavirus pandemic. Currently, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude is trading at $18.37 per barrel, lower by nearly 7.5 per cent from its previous close. Brent crude oil is at $28.50 a barrel, up 2.5 per cent from its previous closing level but has not seen any major pick up even after OPEC and other large oil producers agreed for production cut to stem the oil price slide. The persistent fall in crude can be attributed to both rise in supplies this month and declining demand. The coronavirus pandemic has almost brought the global travel industry to a halt, limiting demand for the commodity which has fallen by almost a third this year. Analysts expect demand to remain subdued due to Covid-19 impact and this could see crude prices falling further. There was hope that agreement on production cuts could stabilise oil prices, But with Covid-19 pandemic continuing, there has been a large slip in demand that is not letting a pick up in oil prices. The current market is oversupplied on shrinking demand creating a situation of free fall for crude. Soon after the OPEC-Russia talks on production cut failed earlier last month, crude had fallen by more than 25 per cent, the largest fall since the 1991 Gulf War, to $34 per barrel on March 9. During the week, crude again lost about 10 per cent to touch a new low of $30 a barrel. The price of oil has now reached a point that it is increasing becoming difficult for higher cost producers to remain operation rather look at declaring bankruptcy. A lot of US shale producers are in deep trouble and analysts expect that low oil price for few more months will result in a spate of bankruptcies in US. With world demand now forecast to plunge by over 20 million barrels per day, a 30 per cent drop from last year, analysts say massive production cuts will be needed beyond just what has been agreed between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia and other producers. Global markets have been on a bear run including the financial markets for the past few weeks owing to the concerns of a significant impairing of the world economy due to the coronavirus crisis. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) A health expert on Friday said the sub-village in Cebu City where everyone is presumed to be infected can opt to use rapid COVID-19 test kits instead of completely scrapping the testing procedure. Despite the widespread transmission of COVID-19 in Sitio Zapatera in Barangay Luz, the Department of Health in Central Visayas sees no need to conduct COVID-19 mass testing for the sub-village's 9,000 residents. It instead opted to totally isolate the congested community, which it deemed as "contaminated." Dr. Ted Herbosa, special adviser of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, said the decision of local health officials is understandable, but he urged them to explore other options. When you already have a widespread community transmission, testing everybody becomes too tedious Another approach, which the President already endorsed, is in a community like that when there [are] already many cases, is to do rapid antibody tests, he told CNN Philippines New Day. The rapid antibody tests produce results in a couple of hours compared to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, which has a turnaround time of up to a week. But the Health Department warned the rapid antibody tests may not give accurate results on whether a patient has coronavirus disease or not. President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the purchase of 2 million rapid antibody test kits, urging the Health Department to fast track the guidelines for its usage. As of Thursday, Sitio Zapatera has recorded 53 confirmed cases, including 9-month-old twins, with most of the patients either asymptomatic or showing mild flu-like symptoms. This accounts for nearly 70 percent of Cebu Citys total number of cases, which is at 77. Local health authorities warned there has been "sustained community transmission" in the sub-village since its first COVID-positive patient was detected on April 7. The area was placed under total lockdown on the same day. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Purdue University and Sandia National Laboratories have signed a memorandum of understanding to renew and expand the strategic partnership that began in 2015. Theresa Mayer, Purdue executive vice president for research and partnerships, and Susan Seestrom, chief research officer at Sandia National Laboratories, signed the document in a virtual meeting on Friday (April 17). The new partnership extends until 2030. The agreement specifies many areas of partnerships, and the research collaborations will be focused in four areas of mutual interest: The two organizations are partnering on programs for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) through the Semiconductor Research Program, including the Joint University Microelectronics Program (JUMP); the Center for Heterogenous Integration Research on Packaging, which integrates microchips into packages; and the nanoelectronics Computing Research Program (nCORE) through Purdue's New Limits center, which researches improvements in computer chips. Advanced data science. Identifying insights from enormous datasets and using data as a fuel for artificial intelligence and automated systems are areas of strategic importance to U.S. security. Purdue's Integrative Data Science Initiative boasts many world-leading efforts in research and education. "Sandia National Labs is a recognized world leader in technology research and implementation," Mayer said. "This partnership will allow us to work together to solve significant national issues and problems that no one institution could address alone." Sandia National Laboratories, which is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is operated and managed by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc. National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia operates Sandia National Laboratories as a contractor for the U.S. Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration and supports numerous federal, state, and local government agencies, companies, and organizations. Seestrom said the partnership will leverage the strengths of each institution. "Our two institutions have worked together to advance cybersecurity, hypersonic flight other research fields critical to national security," she said. "Were building on these successes and growing a pipeline of talented scientists and engineers to solve tomorrows national security challenges." Sandia and Purdue already have a visible presence on each other's campuses. Timothee Pourpoint, professor of aeronautical and astronautical engineering at Purdue, is Purdue's research liaison with Sandia and is a regular presence at the National Laboratory. Eugene Spafford, professor of computer science, and executive director emeritus of Purdue's Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS), completed a 2018-19 sabbatical as a Sandia visiting cybersecurity scientist. Purdue has provided office space for Sandia employees and an intern workspace for Purdue students working on Sandia-related efforts. Among those employees is Kamlesh "Ken" Patel, who oversees Sandia-Purdue academic partnerships. "The university has provided Sandia collaborative space in the heart of campus for our remote staff to engage with Purdue students on national security-related projects. This continued agreement provides a framework to build on such efforts to streamline our future partnership," he said. Just this past year, Purdue has received its highest amount of $1.8 million of discretionary fund from Sandias Laboratory Directed Research & Development program. These have positioned Purdue, in collaboration with Sandia, to lead a team to respond to large federal grant opportunities greater than $10 million. On the instructional side, Sandia has already provided internships for more than 70 Purdue students over the previous five years and recently sponsored two projects in Purdue's Data Mine learning community, with participation of more than 20 students. Instructional collaborations include a master's-level program in cybersecurity; an intern program for Sandia on Purdue's campus, the Sandia-Extended National Security Internship (SENSE); and a national security engineering and policy certificate program for undergraduate students. 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. About Sandia National Laboratories Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia Labs has major research and development responsibilities in nuclear deterrence, global security, defense, energy technologies and economic competitiveness, with main facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California. About Discovery Park Discovery Park is a place where Purdue researchers move beyond traditional boundaries, collaborating across disciplines and with policymakers and business leaders to create solutions for a better world. Grand challenges of global health, global conflict and security, and those that lie at the nexus of sustainable energy, world food supply, water and the environment are the focus of researchers in Discovery Park. The translation of discovery to impact is integrated into the fabric of Discovery Park through entrepreneurship programs and partnerships. Writer and Purdue Media Contact: Steve Tally, 765-494-9809, steve@purdue.edu, @sciencewriter Sandia Media Contact: Troy Rummler, 505-249-3632 trummle@sandia.gov, @troyrummler Sources: Theresa Mayer, executive vice president for research and partnerships Susan Seestrom, associate laboratories director for advanced science and technology and chief research officer at Sandia National Laboratories Kamlesh "Ken" Patel, liaison, Sandia-Purdue academic partnerships French automaker Renault says its China operations will from now focus exclusively on electric vehicles, after it pulled out of a joint venture with Wuhan manufacturer Dongfeng, which produces conventional internal combustion engines. Was it Covid-19 or climate change that inspired the move? The Dongfeng-Renault factory was located just outside the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak: the city of Wuhan. Under the Chinese government's lockdown, the factory was forced to close temporarily initially and its French expatriates were sent home. But on 14 April, the closure became definite. In a press release, the company said that it will now concentrate on "light commercial" and "electric vehicles," and "transfer its shares in Dongfeng Renault Automotive Company Ltd (DRAC) to Dongfeng Motor Group (DFMG). DRAC will stop its Renault brand-related activities." The Chinese partner, DFMG, downplayed the pull out, saying in its press release that due to the "limited financial contribution of Dongfeng-Renault (less than 2 percent in both production and sales volume)...the restructuring will not have a material impact on the business operation or financial position of the Group." But was it the coronavirus that sounded the death knell for this joint venture? "It is a contributing factor," says Bill Russo, founder of the Shanghai-based Automobility Ltd, a consultancy that specialises in the Chinese car market. "The coronavirus is causing companies to reassess their investment plans. Businesses that hadn't been performing as planned, will need to be unwound. "In the case of Renault in China, they have not been historically a very strong performer in the market. And this was a way of cutting their losses," he says. Junk status Dongfeng-Renault sold only 18,607 cars in 2019, according to Reuters, far below its annual capacity of 110,000. It reported an operating loss of more than 1.5 billion yuan (190 million Euro) and with a year-on-year sales decline of 88.65 percent - it was the worst performer of the DFMG, according to the March 2020 sales report. The French partner company, Renault, posted its first annual loss in a decade, prompting Moody's Investors Service on 18 February to cut the company's ratings from Baa3 to Ba1, or "junk" status "anticipating a further decline in the group's operating margin and the continuing weakness of the market environment". The cost "to comply with CO 2 regulation in the European Union (EU) and the ongoing electrification of Renault's fleet" further affected the company's profitability, according to Moodys. Car market slumps A general slump in the car market was aggravated by an increasingly nasty trade war between the US and China. "The trade war certainly was a headwind," says Russo, but he points out that the Chinese market had started to contract prior to the trade war. So why did Renault fail while other car companies seemed to do better? When China opened up, foreign car companies were obliged to create joint ventures with a local Chinese partner, which would retain 51 percent control. Strong relationship Foreign car companies were also obliged to use the latest technology in the common venture. Initially, the foreign partner could have two Chinese partners, but a Chinese company was allowed an unlimited number of foreign partners. The Wuhan-based Dongfeng Motor Group has joint ventures with Peugeot/Citroen, Honda and Renault. But according to Erik van Ingen-Schenau, of the China Motor Vehicle Documentation Center, Renault was never fully committed to China. "Possibly because they teamed up with Nissan (referring to the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubish alliance), and estimated that Nissan would do the work in China," he says. Unlike German and US car manufacturers, Renault was a relative latecomer on the Chinese market. Attempts to get a foothold in the 1990s failed. "Volkswagen, Audi and GM were early, they both had a localised business model not just manufacturing but also the sourcing, market development and branding itself," says Russo. "A common formula for success is a very strong relationship with your local partner." Electric alternative? Following the global trend into developing electric cars, Renault now says it wants to develop electric cars using two existing joint ventures: eGT New Energy Automotive Co, Ltd (eGT) and Jiangxi Jiangling Group Electric Vehicle Co. Ltd (JMEV). According to 2019 statistics of the China Association for Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM,) China produced over 21 million cars for the year, among them 860,000 electric cars. But sales are declining and the time to go electric may not have been wisely chosen. Electric cars "are going through a period where they are not the preference," says Musso, pointing to falling oil prices. And in an overall market that saw a decline of 45 percent, the EV market was down 54 percent. "It underperformed relative to the overall market which was already down. So the EV market is under stress," he says. 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 Donald Trump has escalated his feud with Mitt Romney, the only Republican senator to vote for his removal from office but this time he didn't tweet about the Utah senator or blast him in public. Instead, Mr Trump and the White house left Mr Romney, their party's 2012 nominee for president, off the list of lawmakers with a seat on a new panel to help get the United States open again amid the coronavirus outbreak. In fact, all the other 52 Republican senators are listed as members of the group, according to a White House document describing the group. The president reviewed a list of members before it was finalised, a White House official told CNN. Since Mr Trump became president, he and Mr Romney have not seen eye-to-eye though the former Massachusetts governor typically has voted with the president, especially on major legislation. But their tense relationship turned into a feud when Mr Romney broke party ranks to vote to remove Mr Trump, saying he concluded the president abused his power when he asked Ukraine's leader to investigate Joe Biden, then and now the Democratic frontrunner for president, and his son Hunter Biden. "The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanour," Romney said in an emotional February floor speech. "Yes, he did." "The president asked a foreign government to investigate his political rival. The president withheld vital military funds from that government to press it to do so. The president delayed funds for an American ally at war with Russian invaders," he said. "The president's purpose was personal and political. Accordingly, the president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust." As always, Mr Trump swung back. "Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election," Mr Trump tweeted very early the next morning. At a National Prayer Breakfast shortly after, Mr Trump went even further. "I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong," Mr Trump claimed, even though the deeply religious Mr Romney made clear he had studied the case and concluded the president was guilty of the House-passed charges. Later the same day, Mr Trump mocked the senator when addressing Utah's other Republican senator, Mike Lee. "Say hello to the people of Utah," the newly acquitted Mr Trump said. "And tell them I'm sorry about Mitt Romney. Energy investing is undergoing a sea change. There was already a strong thesis for ditching fossil fuels and getting into green power. But the spread of COVID-19 has greatly exacerbated the decline of oil. Hydrocarbon fuels are sinking, with everything from the oil price war to tanking demand hitting fuel prices. So, is it time to jump ship and start investing in the green economy? The case for buying green power stocks has certainly been growing stronger. Renewables were already becoming one of the oil industrys strongest headwinds. Cost efficiency has been creeping up, making alternative fuels a viable contender for cheap energy production. Pundits like Jim Cramer have gone full bear on the black gold. Celebrity endorsements have also been mounting, raising the profile of the green economy. Investing in green power is a strong, long-term play Theres also the pipelines issue, one of the main bones of contention for Canadian energy investors. Theres always a weak case for buying into a sector that cant effectively transport what it produces. And pipelines faced one challenge after another. Investors grew impatient with pipeline holdups, and share prices dipped with every new legal hurdle. Now, though, the whole situation has been thrown into reverse. Demand is down at pre-Great Depression lows. Oil is so cheap it almost makes no sense to keep pumping it. Storage space has become an issue. The idea of storing it in bags liked boxed wine has even been floated. And the clamour for new pipelines has given way to the grim irony that there are now, in fact, too many of them. Energy stocks fell 7.7% midweek, as it emerged that Canadian GDP had slipped 9% in March compared with the previous month. The sector has long been divisive for investors. Dividend investors have eyed energy stocks as being resistant to recessionary forces. However, energy production is taking a big hit as businesses go dark during the coronavirus lockdown. Story continues Northland Power is a key stock in the renewables space. A 4% dividend is enticing, though investors should be looking beyond yield at the moment. Clean electricity generation is mostly a Canadian enterprise for Northland Power, though it also has operations beyond our shores. Notable operations include Mexico, Europe, and even Asia thanks to a key windfarm deal. Power is generated by natural gas and renewable energy sources, including wind, thermal, and solar. Offshore wind is emerging as one of the biggest sectors for renewables upside potential, and Northland Power ticks this box. Northland Powers offshore wind operations are also geographically diversified and include the Netherlands, Germany, and Japan. The bottom line To paraphrase Warren Buffett, smart investors should aim to be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful. However, this is not the time to back up the truck on stocks just because theyre cheap. The thesis for energy investing is especially uneven right now. With pundits like Jim Cramer going bearish on oil, perhaps the green economy is a safer bet for long-term returns in this embattled sector. The post Buy TSX Green Power Stocks for Safer Long-Term Returns appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Victoria Hetherington has no position in any of the stocks 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 House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) announced on Friday that he would back a Democratic proposal to add hospital funding to a $250 billion relief package for small business loans, signaling that Congress may be closer to passing the legislation. Hospitals need the help. Hospitals are the modern-day soldiers, Mr. McCarthy told the Wall Street Journal. Id like to see money in theremoney in the [Paycheck Protection Program] and money in hospitalsthat would be a very smart move right now. Republicans have repeatedly urged their Democratic colleagues to back legislation that would replenish the Paycheck Protection Program, which was established with an initial $350 billion in loans to small businesses to provide relief during the coronavirus pandemic. The PPP ran out of funds on Thursday, faster than expected. While Republicans sought to pass emergency relief by unanimous consent, Democrats have insisted that the legislation include additional aid to hospitals and local governments, as well as targeted aid for minority and women-owned businesses. A deal must be a little more comprehensive than just giving money to one small business program, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) told reporters on Friday. Schumer said he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would continue talks with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin regarding the legislation. However, some Democrats have called to immediately fund the PPP. Karen Mills, the head of the Small Business Administration during Barack Obamas first term, called on Democrats to act quickly to refund the program. Congress has to act as soon as possible, Mills told Roll Call on Thursday. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D., Ariz.) on Thursday also backed immediate funding for the PPP. The Senate should approve additional funding by unanimous consent ASAP, Sinema wrote on Twitter on Thursday. Small businesses need our help to survive during this emergency. More from National Review Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 01:21:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COPENHAGEN, April 16 (Xinhua) -- World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge on Thursday described the continent as being in the "eye of the storm" as some European countries start to reopen over signs of a slowing in the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. During a press conference on COVID-19 broadcast online from the WHO Regional Office for Europe in Copenhagen, Kluge said approximately one million Europeans in the 53 countries of the WHO European region, 50 percent of the global total, have been infected with COVID-19 and of that 84,000 had perished due to the virus in the past 100 days. Kluge noted that "the next few weeks will be critical for Europe." He said several countries are yet to feel its full impact, while others are experiencing a lull as numbers of new cases of COVID-19 are falling. "Small, positive signals in some countries are tempered by sustained or increased levels of incidence in other countries including the UK, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, and the Russian Federation." Kluge made a call for action to European governments as some Europeans were letting down their guard as they found social distancing and lockdowns tiresome and without end. "Governments and health authorities must come up with answers to identify when, under what conditions and how we can consider a safe transition through a gradual shift in measures." Emphasizing there were no "quick wins", Kluge went on to list 6 key points from new guidelines his office had drawn up for European governments transitioning from a lockdown, due to be released in full next week. -- Evidence shows COVID-19 transmission is controlled. -- Public health and health system capacities must be made ready to identify, isolate, test, trace contacts and quarantine. -- Outbreak risks must be minimized in high-vulnerability settings such as homes for the elderly, mental health facilities and people residing in crowded places. -- Workplace preventive measures must be established, including physical distancing, hand-washing facilities, and respiratory etiquette. -- Importation risks can be managed. -- Community engagement and participation in the transition. "If you cannot ensure these criteria are in place, before easing restrictions, I urge you to re-think," said Kluge. Addressing the complexity and uncertainty ahead, Kluge made a rallying call for both flexibility, when easing and enforcing restrictions, and solidarity when facing the "unforgiving" threat COVID-19 poses on society. "We are entering a period when we may need to rapidly adjust measures, introduce and remove restrictions and ease restrictions gradually, whilst constantly monitoring the effectiveness of these actions and the response and reactions of the public." Meantime, the WHO official urged European countries to "watch, learn and listen to each other, particularly the countries that are already taking steps to ease restrictions and transition to a next phase of response." "More than ever, I call for solidarity between countries. It is the time to step-up and display both responsive and responsible leadership to steer us through this storm," Kluge said. Enditem UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, while addressing a daily COVID-19 press briefing here, said that there would be no more "business as usual" between China and the UK whilst Britain takes a "deep dive" review of the spread of the virus and if it could have been controlled at the earliest, writes Sky News in a detailed report on UK's new hard approach towards China.Raab said: "There is no doubt that 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."He added: "I think there absolutely needs to be a very, very deep dive after the event review of the lessons including 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."These comments from the UK Foreign Secretary came after many western countries including the United States questioned the origin of the virus from a Chinese lab researching diseases in bats, as reported by Sky News.Raab, who is deputising for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he recovers from the coronavirus, said that although the UK and China had good cooperation in the procurement of medical equipment and return of nationals. However, hard questions will be asked on the origin and spread of the disease from China, Sky News writes.The Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee had also warned recently that the propaganda and disinformation push from Beijing was costing lives and slowing the battle against COVID-19, Sky News writes.The committee said that China should have played a central role in the collection of data on the spread of the virus as it first originated in China's backyard itself. The committee has also called the UK government to "confront and rebut" China's disinformation campaign, Sky News reported.The committee has also brought to light the case of Wuhan doctor Li Wenliang, who first raised alarms about the disease but was pressurised by the Chinese authorities to confess that he was "making false statements."Wenliang died of coronavirus in February.Certain senior Members of Parliament have also asked the Johnson government to redraw the country's foreign relations in view of the lies and misinformation from China over the coronavirus.These members have also questioned the deal signed between the UK government and Chinese tech giant Huawei to build a "small yet significant" part of the UK's next-gen communication.Many Western countries are asking questions from China on the origins, real numbers and other vital information on the novel coronavirus that could have been stopped at the earliest.As on Friday, the UK has 104,150 confirmed cases of coronavirus and at least 13,759 people have succumbed to the disease in the country. (ANI) An activist protests from her vehicle calling to house homeless people using vacant hotels. Ben Margot / AP A plan to use a hotel in Laguna Hills to house elderly homeless people affected by the coronavirus has been paused after the county filed a lawsuit claiming the homeless people posed a threat to the health and safety of the community. About 14 percent of the 31,000 people living in Laguna Hills are elderly, who have a higher risk from the coronavirus, and the city borders Laguna Woods, which has about 18,800 people over 55. It's one of many potential hotels being used for sheltering homeless people, in a plan put out by California Gov. Gavin Newsom after he said the coronavirus could infect more than 60,000 of the state's 100,000-plus homeless population. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories A plan to use a hotel's 76 rooms to house some of California's 100,000 homeless population during the coronavirus pandemic has been stopped for now after the county filed a lawsuit against it. It's the second hotel in Orange County to face intense pressure from concerned locals. Laguna Hills filed a lawsuit on April 14 against the owner of the Laguna Hills Inn, the county, and a nonprofit homeless group. The suit claimed that the hotel's putting up of homeless people posed "a direct threat to the health and safety of the surrounding community," according to the OC Register. California's homeless population has been a concern for weeks. In March, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the coronavirus could infect more than 60,000 of the state's 100,000-plus homeless population, Business Insider previously reported. In early April, he announced an initiative called "Project Roomkey" to secure 15,000 hotel rooms for homeless people across the state. He allocated $50 million to the plan. The Laguna Hills Inn was one of these destinations. It was meant to be leased for at least 90 days to put up homeless people older than 65 with underlying health conditions, or who had COVID-19 symptoms, or tested positive for it, according to the Los Angeles Times. Story continues Laguna Hills Mayor Janine Heft said in a statement that the "extreme action" was taken because the county had been put in an "extreme position." "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-risk seniors. We could not stand by and watch this happen," she said. Laguna Hills' population of 31,000 is made of about 14% senior citizens, and it borders Laguna Woods, which has 18,800 residents who are 55 or older, according to the Los Angeles Times. This was the second hotel that was going to be used to provide shelter for homeless people in the county. The first hotel, Ayres Hotel in Laguna Woods, didn't happen after locals protested against it, and the hotel owner asked to be released from the contract. The Los Angeles Times' editorial board described the scenario of the first hotel failure with a headline that said: "NIMBYs stop a hotel from housing sick homeless people in Orange County." Read the original article on Insider Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers, author of "They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South." (Lily Cummings) Its 1858, and a 21-year-old Tennesseean named Elizabeth Childress decides she wants to convert into money something she owns a piece of property that history never previously imagined a woman like her might own, let alone be able to sell. That property? A 15-year old girl named Sally. This anecdote in Stephanie Jones-Rogers' They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South," winner of the 2019 Times Book Prize for history, contradicts much of our received wisdom on women in the antebellum South that they were passive witnesses, helpless in the face of the law, lesser victims of the long, ugly reign of terror that was American slavery. Thanks to the careful scholarship and sharp storytelling of Jones-Rogers, a professor at UC Berkeley, we now know differently. The sale of a young slave like Sally didnt necessarily involve a husband or brother or male relative. It was completely normal for a white woman to do it all herself a dark twist to a complicated legacy of female independence. In the above instance, the young Childress not only had the gumption to hire a negro trader but when the first sale fell through and the final price came in lower than she judged fair, she also took the matter to court. And she won. Its one of many bewildering and upsetting facets of Jones-Rogers book, which offers a shocking, stirring and deeply complicated new understanding of the central role white women played in one of our nations worst moments. As Jones-Rogers recalled in a recent phone call from the Bay Area, it all started with a question. She was a graduate student at Rutgers in 2009, teaching a history course, when a young white female student asked what motherhood had looked like in the 1800s. An expert in the colonial period, Jones-Rogers could have lectured about how slaves like Sally had to care not only for their own infants but also for the children of white masters. Some slaves, Jones-Rogers could say, were even known to serve as wet nurses, suckling the babes of their white counterparts. But the query inspired Jones-Rogers to ask a more specific question: Just how much and in what ways did a white woman control a girl like Sally? Story continues The answer took 10 years of poring over the well-thumbed archives of a Works Progress Administration-era initiative called the Federal Writers Project, which collected first-hand accounts from actual former slaves, their children and other relatives. Its letters and conversations researchers have studied for decades, Jones-Rogers said. But I was looking based on a new framework and a new set of questions. Jones-Rogers began to amass a growing body of evidence bolstered by antebellum legal documents, Confederate correspondence and numerous other sources that suggested white women were hardly helpless observers or secret protestors, wilting on fainting couches in the salons of the American South. Rather, they were full and independent owners of slaves, deeply aware of and expert in the business of buying and selling them and worst of all, they were fully engaged in the cruelty, invention and conniving that kept a whole people in chains. Growing up in Newark, N.J., Jones-Rogers didn't originally plan to study history. As a little girl, she was obsessed with creative pursuits like singing, violin and fashion. But in college, where she majored in psychology, a handful of history courses coupled with the thrill of evidence-based whodunit reality shows like Forensic Files sparked her investigative passion. The hardest reading in They Were Her Property illustrates the sadism with which white women controlled their captives. They were unafraid to use the threat of bodily harm not just to keep slaves in line but also to squeeze greater profits from them. Out of both necessity and choice, white women could be even more devious than men in the brutal mechanics of corporal punishment and torture. (Yale University Press) The example Jones-Rogers says haunts her the most is the rocking chair incident. Voice cracking, the author recalled one white woman who kept her slaves at a level of near starvation, including the children. Every day, Jones-Rogers said, she left a trap, plopping a piece of candy on a dresser, so that every afternoon a young slave girl named Henrietta King saw it. The young girl is so hungry, she cant resist anymore, Jones-Rogers said. When the mistress comes home, its gone. She punishes the young girl by pinning her head under the rocker of her rocking chair. The owners daughter joins in, beating King with a leather cowhide while her mother rocks and rocks. For the rest of this womans life, she is disfigured, she causes children to cry, people to cross the street. Its a very ugly feminist story, Jones-Rogers said, referring to this portrait of white women as powerful, independent and cruel. But the freedom that they are able to procure for themselves is only made possible by subjugation and oppression. At a time of sensitive debates over whether todays feminism is too corporate or too white when, for example, minorities employed by go-go womens workspace the Wing complain of marginalization and hypocrisy Jones-Rogers research helps reframe and complicate the narrative. But she isnt just speaking truth to elites or to her fellow academics: I wanted to write a book my mother could read, and she only has a high school education. Jones-Rogers isnt done stirring up the dynamics of history and feminism. Her next project will investigate the hundreds of white women from Britain who traveled on slave ships from 1680 into the 1700s, picking up captives on African soil. What were they thinking when they heard the moans and mourning? Jones-Rogers wants to know. And why, she will endeavor to explore, did many of these white women ultimately decide to stay in West Africa? The kinds of details Jones-Rogers is collecting are not just shattering conceptions, deepening both the academic and popular understanding of some of the worst things we can do to one another. They also resonate on an almost cinematic level. Would she be interested in adapting any of her work for the screen? I would love that, she said, laughing. But, she cautioned, No matter how much information some people have at their disposal or that you present to them nothing will change their minds. Deuel is the author of Friday Was the Bomb: Five Years in the Middle East. Since Mr. Murcutts heyday in the last quarter of the 20th century the field has stalled, with most builders now following the current codes that Mr. Weir considers illogical. With 13 buildings, he is not prolific, but he is eagerly fighting the fight that Mr. Murcutt began years ago. Mr. Weirs advocacy began amid the 2009 Black Saturday fires, which killed 173 people and destroyed 2,000 homes. He had just finished his Ph.D. in landscape architecture and architecture and accepted a teaching post at Queensland University of Technology, and that expertise thrust him into the national spotlight and crystallized his ideas into a mission. Because he grew up with large-scale destruction of the land, conservation became the driving force. I come from that landscape, and I saw it being bullied, he says. Im this little kid thinking, Wow, this is really full on. Now, I see that whole bullying, colonization thing just keeps going. Mr. Weirs views have been coolly received by many in the field. I have a nemesis, he says, laughing a little uncomfortably. Critics in the fire safety field say he is a publicity hound and way too comfortable building in a flame zone. Mr. Weirs philosophy of stronger design and less clearing of vegetation may not pose too much of a risk in low-intensity fires, they say. But in a severe drought of the sort that is becoming more frequent, nothing will survive a blazing fire front. They also note that Mr. Weirs approach does not provide enough of a safe zone for firefighters. Both sides would seem to have a case. More vegetation means more risk, especially within around 40 yards, said Phil Gibbons, an expert in vegetation management at Australian National University. But he says there are also ways to configure shrubs to reduce risk and maintain habitat. Over-clearing is like killing the goose that laid the golden egg, Mr. Gibbons says. We must learn to better live in those environments. In the second time in a week, Kerala reported a lone COVID-19 case on Friday, taking the active cases to 138 while 78,000 people are under observation. The solitary case is from Kozhikode. On April 15, the state had reported only one case of coronavirus infection, which has claimed two lives in Kerala. Of the 10 people discharged today, six are from the worst affected Kasaragod, two from Ernakulam and one each from Alappuzhaand Malappuram districts, a government press release said. "So far 255 people have been cured of the infection. With this there are only 138 active cases undergoing treatment at various hospitals in the state," the release said. At least 78,454 people are under observation while526 are in various hospitals, the release said. The samples of 18,029 people with virus symptoms have been sent for testing. Of this 17, 279 results have returned negative. While Kasaragod has 51 people undergoing treatment in hospitals, the neighbouring Kannur district has 47 in hospitals. The country's first three coronavirus cases had been reported from Kerala---all medical students from Wuhan, the chinese city from where the global pandemic began. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Bloomberg Opinion) -- How many people in the U.K. have died from the coronavirus? Its a bleak question with many answers too many, considering the importance of this number for an anxious public, for politicians trying to craft a strategy and for financial markets seeking guidance.The U.K.s official daily Covid-19 death count was 12,868 as of April 14, which on the surface would suggest a more benign outbreak than in Italy, Spain, France or the U.S. But this is a number with a big problem: It only counts deaths in hospitals of people who tested positive for the virus. It fails to capture other sources, such as deaths in nursing homes, where elderly residents are particularly vulnerable and where staff lack adequate equipment. Another way to try to capture the size of the virus crisis is to look at all death certificates, and tally up those that mention Covid-19. That data is compiled by the Office for National Statistics and it gives a more complete picture, albeit with an 11-day publication lag. The latest snapshot, covering the period through April 3, shows 5,979 coronavirus deaths registered in England, the part of the U.K. with the heaviest toll. By contrast, using the official daily hospital count, Englands deaths as of that date totaled 3,939. Thats a gap of 2,040, or 51.8%. The difference had been even wider, at more than 60%, earlier in the month.Now there are worries that even death certificates arent capturing the scale of the human tragedy unfolding in care homes. A lack of testing means cases might be going unreported, and the strain on the system may be leading to errors: A whistleblower this week told Channel 4 News that some doctors simply werent registering suspected coronavirus deaths. Care homes are starting to try to fill the information vacuum themselves, with media on Wednesday reporting industry estimates of 1,400 deaths in England. Thats far higher than the 217 nursing-home deaths recorded by Office of National Statistics up to April 3.Given the issues of credibility and public confidence that are at stake, especially considering Prime Minister Boris Johnsons recent brush with the virus, there is an obvious incentive for the British government to make an effort to include nursing-home data in the daily count which is what care organizations explicitly want. Yet that still hasnt happened. The challenge, apparently, is balancing speed with rigor. We just need to be absolutely clear that the cause of death that is attributed is correct and that is what takes time on the death certificate to get right, explained one official recently.Is this such a hard trade-off? Other countries have managed it. Germany reports all deaths that tested positive for coronavirus on a daily basis, as does Ireland. Undercounting is still a risk everywhere, but the obvious vulnerability of nursing homes has become impossible to ignore. France, which initially had the same methodology as the U.K., changed its daily count on April 2 to include care homes and it doesnt require that every person be tested in order to be included in the statistics. This has had a big impact on Frances numbers, with nursing homes accounting for 38% of total deaths, but the benefits of transparency are worth the cost of an optical bump in fatalities.Even as it keeps to its own statistical path, the British government is happy to compare itself with its European neighbors, while studiously avoiding any discussion of methodology. When Health Secretary Matt Hancock recently compared the U.K. death rate with Italys and Spains, he said Britains count had been inflated by its larger population. Johnsons Twitter account regularly publishes a global death comparison chart directly comparing Britains hospital tally with counts from countries such as France that are more complete. Yet if France actually used the same methodology as the U.K., the number of its deaths would suddenly shrink to 10,643, from 17,167. Imagine the outcry.This isnt just an issue of bad data, even if the coronavirus crisis has more than its fair share of that. Its also about the human cost of airbrushing deaths. Its an emotional subject for relatives forced to be apart from their loved ones even as they die, and a source of general anxiety for people asked to give up their freedom to fight an invisible enemy and save lives. If the information governments feed their citizens on a daily basis becomes a source of distrust, there will be repercussions down the road. The U.K. should proactively ensure that doesnt happen. Story continues This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Lionel Laurent is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Brussels. He previously worked at Reuters and Forbes. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other governors have tangled with Trump over the federal governments response to the demand for more ventilators. Pritzker said he and other state officials, as well as individual hospital administrators, have had to scramble to locate and buy ventilators on the open market. The governor has complained that a lack of national coordination has resulted in Illinois often losing out to higher bidders, including the federal government. When people think of glutamate, the first thing they remember is the flavour enhancer that is often used in Asian cuisine. Glutamate is also an important messenger substance in the nervous system of humans. There it plays a role in learning processes and memory. Some Alzheimer drugs, for example, slow down the progression of the disease by inhibiting the effect of glutamate. In the nervous system, glutamate acts as a signal transmitter at the synapses. There, it binds to specific receptors of which there are several types. The metabotropic glutamate receptor of type 4 (mGluR4) plays a decisive role in this system. Direct contact to other proteins Until now, not much was known about the distribution of this receptor in the active zones of synapses. It is now clear that the majority of mGluR4 receptors are located in groups of one to two units on average in the presynaptic membrane. There they are often in direct contact with calcium channels and the protein Munc-18-1, which is important for the release of messengers. This is reported in the journal Science Advances by a research team led by Professor Markus Sauer from the Biocenter of Julius-Maximilians-Universitat (JMU) Wurzburg in Bavaria, Germany, and Professor Davide Calebiro from the University of Birmingham in England. "Our data indicate that the direct contact of mGluR4 receptors with other key proteins plays a major role in the regulation of synapse activity," says Professor Sauer. Active zones are densely packed The new knowledge was gained with the super-resolution microscopy method dSTORM (direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy). The method was developed by Sauer's team in 2008. It enables individual molecules to be located even in the very small and densely packed active zones of synapses. This is not possible with conventional light microscopy because of the diffraction limit of 200 nanometers. "For the first time we now have insights into the molecular organisation of the complex protein machines that control the signal transmission at the synapses of our brain," says Professor Calebiro. Only with this knowledge will we be able to understand how the brain functions and how it processes information on different time scales. The research teams will now use dSTORM to find out how all the proteins are distributed in the active synaptic zone. It is generally assumed that more than 100 proteins are involved in signal transmission in the active zones. Divisadero, Hayes Valley, Lower Haight, Upper Haight Classical cellist Saul Richmond-Rakerd plays for a small audience from his front steps on Page Street. | Photos: Matthew Gerring/Hoodline As dusk approached on Tuesday afternoon, a loose knot of people gathered in the middle of a block of Page Street. There were dog walkers, cyclists leaning on their bikes, a couple seated in dining room chairs on the sidewalk, and neighbors leaning out their windows. They were transfixed by the sound of a Bach solo, played by professional cellist Saul Richmond-Rakerd from his front steps. Just now on Page Street: pic.twitter.com/Md0bM12Coc Matthew Gerring (@mbgerring) April 15, 2020 Tuesdays performance was Richmond-Rakerd's third since the shelter-in-place order went into effect. He said he started doing it just because he missed playing music for people, but it turned into a bigger phenomenon than he expected, consistently attracting crowds of 25-30 neighbors. (Hoodline is not disclosing the exact location, to discourage further congregation.) Richmond-Rakerd says his audience has taken pains to ensure they are appropriately distanced, both from his perch on the front porch and from each other. "People are extremely careful and respectful of the space, he said. [They] gather to watch, but they stay reasonably spaced away from the people around them." For Richmond-Rakerd, this should have been the middle of a busy concert season. After moving to San Francisco from Michigan to get his master's degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, he's now employed as a section cellist with the Monterey Symphony, assistant principle cellist with the Santa Cruz Symphony, and a substitute cellist with the San Francisco Ballet, Santa Rosa symphony, Marin Symphony, Opera San Jose, and others. But the entire regular classical concert season, which usually runs until early June, is now canceled or likely to be, due to shelter-in-place orders. With only some organizations able to afford paying out their contracts, Richmond-Rakerd and his fellow freelance musicians are seeking new venues to play, and new ways to generate income. Story continues "There's definitely a lot of uncertainty right now, he said. Even apart from monetarily, a lot of musicians I've talked to are missing that connection to their audience." Many Bay Area musicians are playing for tips, either online or in person. Livestream concerts are one part of the solution, but Richmond-Rakerd said they dont compare to the real thing. You're playing a computer screen at the end of the day, he said. We all love making music, but a huge part of that is the interaction, the feedback and the energy from your audience. The front porch is a much less formal setting than the concert halls where Richmond-Rakerd usually plays. He said he appreciates the opportunity to bring classical music to the people. "There's always a worry that classical music won't necessarily speak to people, but I've seen that blown out of the water," he said. "It's been nice to see how much people like the solo Bach." Hes also gotten a good reception from neighbors when he plays spiritual music, like "Amazing Grace." One even shouted praise from their window. A couple watches the concert from the sidewalk, near Richmond-Rakerd's front steps. For now, Richmond-Rakerd plans to play at least once a week. The tip jar brings in a little income, and the concerts are helping create a sense of community at a time when the neighborhood needs it. I've met some neighbors that I didn't know before; now we give a wave or say hi when we see each other on the street, he said. It's bringing Page Street together a little bit. China has refuted claims by the US and other Western Countries that it covered up the novel coronavirus outbreak. The Asian nation also denied claims that it is enjoying a cozy relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO). Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Zhao Lijian, while admitting that the rapid spread of the virus had contributed to undercounting that resulted in China raising its death toll, says there has never been any concealment, and we'll never allow any concealment. According to him, claims that China and WHO are too close are an attempt at smearing. US President Donald Trump has questioned China's handling of the pandemic and whether it had been completely transparent since the virus started in Wuhan. Trump recently threatened to halt funding to the WHO due to its relationship with China. Religious freedom advocates are celebrating after Cuban authorities decided to release a Christian mother from jail. Exposito Leyva was imprisoned along with her husband, Pastor Ramon Rigal, last April after refusing to send her children to a government-run school. According to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, the couple had opted to homeschool the children in order to avoid them being indoctrinated with socialist and atheistic ideologies. They were subsequently charged with acts against the normal development of a minor, put on trial and ultimately jailed, spending 11 months behind bars. Now, finally, she is free. While we welcome the release of Exposito and are particularly relieved that she can be reunited with her children, we believe that she should never have been imprisoned in the first place, USCIRF Commissioner and civil rights lawyer Anurima Bhargava said in a statement. The charges brought against her and her husband are part of the Cuban governments harassment, discrimination, and arbitrary detention of individuals simply seeking to practice their religion." Speaking to CBN News, Bhargava said she hoped the release indicates something that is positive with regards to the Cuban government recognizing that imprisoning a parent simply because they decided to personally educate their child is not something that is in line with religious freedom. Now, Bhargava hopes that the governing authorities will begin to see the vital importance of making sure people are able to practice their faith in the way they and their families believe is important. Bhargava now urged the Cubans to release pastor Rigal who is not due for release until next year noting that his health is at grave risk while incarcerated. "It's a concern right now particularly as we see many instances of prisons being a place in which people are contracting the COVID virus," she added. A 2018 report on religious freedom released by the U.S. Embassy in Cuba revealed that the Cuban government is known to issue threats, international and domestic travel restrictions, detentions, and violence against some religious leaders and their followers, and restricted the rights of prisoners to practice religion freely. Media and religious leaders said the government continued to harass or detain members of religious groups advocating for greater religious and political freedom, it added. The Embassy noted that the U.S. government is in regular contact with religious groups and has continued to call upon the government to respect the fundamental freedoms of its citizens, including the freedom of religion. Photo courtesy: Matthias Oben/Pexels Will Maule is a British journalist who has spent the past several years working as a digital news editor. Since earning a degree in international relations and politics, Will has developed a particular interest in covering ethical issues, human rights and global religious persecution. Will's work has been featured in various outlets including The Spectator, Faithwire, CBN News, Spiked, The Federalist and Christian Headlines. Follow him on Twitter at @WillAMaule. Laddy Valentine sleeps in a Texas prison dorm with 52 other inmates, all living in cubicles fewer than six feet apart in the Pack Unit where hes incarcerated. In the units chow hall, proper social distancing would require one inmate per table. But officials say it would take 14 hours to feed the unit under those rules. Valentine, 69, is at the center of an effort to enforce strict social distancing in state lockups. The guidelines that have dictated daily life in the outside world to combat spread of the coronavirus are nearly impossible to follow in facilities built to house people in close quarters, said Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, CEO of Harris Health System. Porsa, who also specializes in correctional healthcare and currently serves as vice chair of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, said prisoners are inherently more prone to infectious diseases. Inmates who contract the disease without showing symptoms unknowingly might pass it to a guard or other inmates in their dorm. In the event of an outbreak, sick inmates or guards threaten to overwhelm hospitals or spark a wave of infections in the community, Porsa said. Thats why health experts and criminal justice advocates are pushing for early inmate releases to alleviate crowding - a measure that 22 other states have adopted in one form or another, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. It becomes a perfect storm for a disease like the coronavirus to spread, Porsa said. TDCJ response Valentine is one of two prisoners in the Pack Unit who recently won a class-action lawsuit against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice that alleged prison officials have not done enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the facility. A federal judge last week granted the prisoners request for hand sanitizer, cloth masks and widespread testing at the Navasota unit, which houses inmates who are over age 50 or have pre-existing health conditions. The judge also ordered strict enforcement of social distancing during transportation necessary for prisoners to receive medical treatment or be released. TDCJ is appealing the decision. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton requested a stay of the order, saying the federal judge had no authority to overrule Texass decisions about how to manage its scarce resources. At a phone hearing last Thursday, attorneys for TDCJ argued that prison officials have followed CDC guidance for social distancing at correctional facilities. They quarantine inmates who were possibly exposed to a known case and further isolate those who show symptoms or test positive. They stagger times when prisoners visit common areas like chow halls and day rooms. TDCJ suspended inmate transfers from county jails and halted non-medical transfers. TDCJ transferred a large portion of sick prisoners to two units in Brazoria County for better access to medical care. But officials acknowledged at the hearing that its not possible to maintain social distancing at all times. Release complications The most logical step to improve social distancing would be early inmate releases, said Porsa and Dr. Paul Klotman, president and CEO of the Baylor College of Medicine. Klotman added that inmates should be tested upon their release and continue to quarantine on their own, if possible. If you travel from New York City right now or Chicago, they expect you to go into a quarantine for 14 days, because youre coming from a high prevalence community, he said. Well, our prisons, thats a mini New York City. Now Playing: 'COVID-19 in 60': Houston coronavirus news in a minute Video: Houston Chronicle A group of Texas criminal justice advocates recommended ways to reduce the population, including expediting parole reviews for medically vulnerable inmates and releasing people already approved for parole. Oklahoma, Georgia and Iowa are among 22 states that have moved to reduce their prison populations, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, a nonprofit focused on educating people about mass incarceration. State Sen. John Whitmire, chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, said thats a long shot in Texas. Ive actually worked in that direction, said Whitmire, a Democrat. But efforts to come up with lists for early release have run into political reality. We unfortunately work in a political setting, and Governor Abbott doesnt agree. Abbotts office did not respond to requests for comment. And seeking early release in the courts is similarly difficult in Texas. Houston criminal defense attorney Josh Schaffer said lawyers can either argue in front of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles or push to get the case in front of Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Both avenues take months of work, he said. The system that was built on the judicial side is not equipped to deal with this crisis, Schaffer said These prisons are going to turn into houses on fire with the doors locked and people burning up inside. Testing TDCJ houses roughly 145,000 people. As of Wednesday, at least 993 total inmates had been tested for COVID-19, of which 594 tested positive. Among the 1,299 employees and contractors tested, 252 tested positive. The virus has played a role in the death of at least five prisoners and one guard, according to TDCJ. Another guard died earlier this month after testing positive, but his exact cause of death is under investigation. Six more inmate deaths are also under investigation. The agency announced the fourth and fifth inmate deaths Wednesday. One of the men, 68-year-old James Nealy, was not tested until his autopsy because he did not show symptoms. Porsa and Klotman say its impossible to know whether asymptomatic inmates with COVID-19 are spreading the disease without expanding the testing criteria. So far, the focus has remained on symptomatic inmates. The thing right now is identifying people who are acutely ill who may need care beyond what we can provide at the prison, said Dr. Owen Murray, vice president of correctional managed care at UTMB, which is doing most of the testing. Its really based on targeting those people who are sick. Right now, untested inmates in dorm settings might touch door handles or other commonly used items before they start experiencing symptoms, Porsa said. You can infect the entire dorm before that person becomes symptomatic, Porsa said. In the dormitory setting, obviously its a lot more dangerous. Klotman compared that scenario to a cruise ship of infected people. This just happens to be a forgotten cruise, he said. julian.gill@chron.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 00:36:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close An employee of the municipality of Piraeus makes 3D printed face shields for medical workers at the Blue Lab in Piraeus, Greece, on April 15, 2020. In a hi-tech hub at the Greek port city of Piraeus, experts in new technologies are racing against time day in and day out this April to meet Greek hospitals' needs for personal protective equipment (PPE) in the war against the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) by Maria Spiliopoulou, Valentini Anagnostopoulou PIRAEUS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- In a hi-tech hub at the Greek port city of Piraeus, experts in new technologies are racing against time day in and day out this April to meet Greek hospitals' needs for personal protective equipment (PPE) in the war against the novel coronavirus pandemic. As such equipment are in short supply around the world, the Blue Lab, the first business innovation center dedicated to exclusively promoting "blue growth" in Greece and launched by the municipality of Piraeus a few months ago, has switched gears. Elias Salpeas, advisor of the municipality on new technologies and head of the lab, and his colleagues have decided to shelve their original mission to help develop a long-term strategy to support sustainable growth in the marine and maritime sectors as a whole, and are using their 3D printers to manufacture protective face shields for doctors and medical workers on the frontline of the COVID-19 crisis. "We decided as a municipal authority to use the equipment we have to help the medical personnel in the war against the pandemic. So we started to make protective shields that we are now printing in our lab and distributing to hospitals in our region. Gradually we are also expanding, depending on demand," Salpeas told Xinhua during a tour of their premises on Wednesday. Greece has diagnosed 2,192 COVID-19 cases and reported 102 deaths since the first infection in the country was confirmed on Feb. 26. Seventy-two patients are currently being treated in intensive care units, according to the Health Ministry. The need for PPE is increasing by the day as more and more infections are confirmed. Seven 3D printers are used at Piraeus' Blue Lab to produce on average 80 such multiple-use shields per day. The lab has already distributed more than 500 shields to public hospitals in Piraeus and has received orders from hospitals across the country. The Greek experts are using open source software made available by their Czech colleagues at Prusa Research, a 3D printing company, and tweaked it to speed up the production process, Salpeas explained. They deliver their PPE primarily to more than a dozen referral hospitals that treat COVID-19 patients exclusively, but they also send supplies to other general hospitals to give doctors and nurses there an extra "safety net," he explained. "The shields help a lot. The medical staff express their gratitude for the assistance we are providing and we are also happy because it feels great to know that what we are offering indeed helps," Salpeas stressed. "We are also trying to print other things, like respirators or tools medical staff could use to open a door without touching it -- whatever we can provide to medical workers to help their war against the pandemic," the Greek expert said. The Blue Lab's production capacity will continue to be at the disposal of the state as long as the emergency requires, but once factories reopen after the lifting of the lockdown, it will be more cost-efficient for the lab to shift to mass production, he said. Greece has been in a nationwide lockdown since March 23. The restrictions will be relaxed on April 27, according to the government. "In financial terms, it is more expensive to use 3D printing for mass production of an item like a face shield. 3D printing is used mainly for test-production, to create a prototype, a model, which will then be mass produced. In this case, we were obliged to use 3D printing because the factories that specialize in mass production are closed," Salpeas told Xinhua. Stressing how important it is for everyone to step in, fill gaps and help address the common challenge, he expressed his gratitude for the helping hand the Chinese municipality of Shanghai has extended to Piraeus amidst the pandemic. "We have been twin cities with Shanghai for several years now. During this test we are all facing, our mayor has exchanged letters of support with the mayor of Shanghai. In this very difficult period, the municipality of Shanghai has sent us 20,000 masks and through you we would really like to express our gratitude," he said, before taking off to visit the nearby Metaxa Cancer Hospital of Piraeus to offer his help and to deliver protective shields. "Each donation made to our hospital is most welcome. It helps during this difficult period we are going through. Having proper equipment is very important," the hospital's President, Chalarampos Toumpekis, told Xinhua. For now, Metaxa Hospital, which is not included in the list of referral hospitals for the virus, has not diagnosed a COVID-19 case, but an entire floor has been reserved for coronavirus cases if needed, he explained. "I believe we are progressing, but we must not stop our efforts," Toumpekis said when asked about the measures taken at his hospital and at national level. "We hope that soon the coronavirus will belong to the past," he said. Enditem When pandemic restrictions are lifted, Phillip Adams aims to be back in his South Melbourne studio with colleagues, reviving a dance practice from a few years ago. It entails lying down, embracing and tumbling across the floor together. Its strictly a non-COVID-19 thing to do. Adams has done this "rolling embrace" before, in front of an audience. In the development stage for his 2017 Melbourne Festival performance Ever, he and other dancers remained in this close embrace as they rolled over each other and around a room for spectators at the Abbotsford Convent. Some in the audience were moved to tears. "The [practice] sessions would drop our bodies into a place of trust, this moment of release into the arms of an old lover, a lost friend, the comfort of intimacy," Adams says now. "The feeling of rolling as a group in this convent space was one of euphoria." BalletLab's 2017 Melbourne Festival performance Ever included very un-COVID-19 embraces. Credit:Igor Spaina To physically connect in such a way seems unimaginable right now, especially for a public performance. But Adams, artistic director of dance company BalletLab, is looking beyond the present crisis: "To merge in a super-intimate embrace. No talking, just rolling. It would be the most wonderful gift I could give back to the virus, as a retort. It goes well beyond emotion." The police have arrested 89 persons across Jharkhand for posting hate-content on social media and rumour-mongering till Friday, according to official sources. Dhanbad, Palamau and Garhwa recorded the highest number of arrests with eight persons in each district, according to the police headquarters records. The police have warned people against fake news, misinformation and posting hate contents on social media, specifying the quantum of punishment under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Representative image Over 2 million cases of coronavirus have been registered in 185 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China in December 2019. The worldwide death toll from COVID-19 has risen to over 1,46,500 on April 17, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre. The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the world into lockdowns, social distancing, or some or the other form of restrictions to help curb the spread of COVID-19. As the lockdown continues to inconvenience people and cripple economies of several countries, experts are thinking about strategies to end the limitations on everyday activities and help normalcy spring back. Amid the pall of gloom, a silver lining is that around 550,000 have recovered from the infection. Some experts see this figure as a resource for restarting the economy. Policymakers of countries like Germany, Italy, and the UK, as well as some US health experts have reportedly started considering issuing 'immunity certificates', which will indicate that a person has immunity to COVID-19. This means, this person is no longer infectious or vulnerable to the disease and thus, can return to normal life. 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 What is an immunity certificate? If a person can contract COVID-19 and survive it, he or she might be entitled to what is referred to as an immunity certificate, also known as the 'immunity passport'. It is a certificate that proves the person is at less risk of contracting COVID-19 as they have immunity that will protect them from getting the infection again for some time. The certificate will most likely exempt the person from the restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the virus. This means the person will be able to leave isolation and move outside freely. How to get an immunity certificate issued? The certificate of immunity can be given on the basis of the antibody test, which detects signs of an immune response, Dr Ashok Mahashur, consultant chest physician at PD Hinduja hospital, Mumbai told Moneycontrol. When the body of a person encounters a virus, it takes some time for it to recognise the invader and begin to scale up an immune response. Immune molecules, called antibodies, are a crucial part of this response. The first type of antibody to appear is called immunoglobulin M, or IgM, and its levels increase within a few days of the person getting infected. But, IgM is a generic fighter. To target and destroy a specific virus, the body refines it into a second type of antibody, called immunoglobulin G, or IgG, that can recognise that virus. There is a third type of antibody, called IgA, which is present in mucosal tissues like the inner lining of the lungs, a report in The New York Times pointed out. IgA is known to be important for fighting respiratory infections, such as influenza, and is likely to be central in coronavirus infections too. Many of the tests look for levels of all three antibodies; whereas some look for just IgM and IgG, and still others test for only one type. Also read | WHO recommends limiting access to alcohol, dispels rumours that it protects people from COVID-19 Which countries are planning to detect immunity and issue certificates? In the UK, Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who has himself just emerged from self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, suggested that Britons who've had the virus might be issued with a certificate, which has already been dubbed as an 'immunity certificate'. It (an immunity certificate) is an important thing that we will be doing and are looking at but, its too early in the science of the immunity that comes from having had the disease, Hancock said at a press conference earlier in April. German researchers have proposed testing 100,000 people for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and giving 'immunity certificates' to those who have these antibodies, which presumably make them resistant to re-infection, according to a report in Business Insider. They can be even allowed to leave the country's coronavirus lockdown earlier than the rest of the population, the report added. A US-based medical devices and health care company, Abbott Laboratories, has announced that it has developed an antibody test that will determine if someone has been previously infected with the coronavirus and has 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," US President Donald Trump had said. Also read | Are Lockdown Bonds a balm for the virus-hit businesses? Theoretically, the antibody test-based certificate is a strategy that could work to identify people who have immunity against the disease, but it still relies on several factors to work properly and safely. Potential benefits of immunity certificates The certificate of immunity is a proposal with an obvious appeal to move the life of the people as well as economy back toward normalcy. Giving immunity certificates to COVID-19 survivors would purportedly: # Help ease the lockdown as people with immunity can move freely; # Get the economy rolling, as persons having the immunity status could safely return to work considering they would not get sick again and start passing the virus around; and # Bring doctors and other healthcare workers as well as security personnel back to their jobs after isolation, so that they can restart working to cure infected persons and prevent the spread of COVID-19, respectively. Challenges that come with issuing immunity certificates Issuing of immunity certificates includes many risks like inaccurate testing, forging or buying black market forgeries of the certificates, deliberate contracting the COVID-19 infection with perhaps a misplaced confidence that one would quickly recover and be duly certified to go back to work, social divide, among others. Lets understand these possible scenarios thoroughly: # Test accuracy: Potential challenges include finding a reliable test to determine whether a recovered COVID-19 patient is actually immune to a new infection or a relapse; or if they are immune, how strong is that immunity and for how long will it last. Although some labs are claiming to have COVID-19 antibody test, like Abbott labs, no test is said to be perfect. Furthermore, scientists are not yet sure whether some recovered individuals have a high enough level of antibodies to fight this coronavirus a second time, making antibody tests and immunity certificates implausible as exit strategies, according to a European journal DW. For instance, there are reports of people being infected twice in China. Also, in South Korea, a small, but growing number, of recovered coronavirus patients are relapsing, testing positive for the virus again. # Discrimination in society It isnt just the science that makes immunity certificates problematic, difficult social questions could also be thrown up. These certificates might create a kind of two-tier society, where those who have them can return to normalcy while others are compelled to follow the restrictions. The tagging of immunity status is even more problematic in smaller towns, where residents know each other. The risk of creating resentment by dividing the society into two groups, where one is allowed to break free of the lockdowns and the other is not, would be extremely "detrimental to the community solidarity," that is holding society together at the moment, a DW report said, quoting Dr Martin Schnell, a professor of social philosophy and ethics in healthcare at Germany's University of Witten/Herdecke. # Possibility of deliberate exposure to COVID-19 The idea to issue the certificate of immunity brings the possibility for people, especially millennials (who might feel their chances of surviving the disease are high), deliberately trying to contract the virus. The economic value of an immunity certificate would be enormous, and plenty of people would be desperate enough to lie or pay to get one. That sounds crazy, but if having the antibodies becomes the cost of entering the job market and thus feeding ones family, there may be workers who feel pressured into it, I. Glenn Cohen, a bioethics expert at Harvard Law School told Bloomberg. # Providing fake certificates There is another possibility of people lying about their own past symptoms. According to Statnews, some people would use anothers immunity certificate unless it is a photo identity card or requires biometrics like thumbprints, retinal scans, or other identity verification. This could lead to new privacy issues. Also, it can encourage a black market in forged immunity certificates. Also read | New normal: How coronavirus pandemic will change lives How will immunity certificates help in response to the coronavirus pandemic? If experts of some countries are considering adopting the practise of tagging people with their immunity status, it might be of some help in the fight against the deadly COVID-19. According to Dr Martin Schnell, the plan can only be considered ethical if the authorities keep all the other social distancing measures in place, such as standing 1.5 meters apart or wearing masks, to protect both the healthy and the vulnerable. However, this could be extremely difficult to do in certain scenarios, such as in public transport where many people travel together, he added. Also read | COVID-19: India can turn this crisis into an environmental and economic opportunity Is it possible to issue immunity certificates in India? The number of confirmed coronavirus cases across India has soared past 13,000, with Maharashtra alone recording over 3000 cases, the highest in any state so far. Of these, as many as 1,748 have been cured / discharged after recovery. So, this population can be tagged with their immunity status. Now the important question is about the feasibility of issuing such a certificate in India on the basis of the antibody test. Lets look at the science first. According to Dr Mahashur, in a country like India, there are so many viruses around, including a variety of coronaviruses, of which COVID-19 is just one type. So, it would be difficult to detect what antibodies a person has. In such a situation, it wont be reliable to label a person as immune to COVID-19 with the presence of antibodies, Dr Mahashur told Moneycontrol. Population is another hurdle in adopting this practice. In a population as huge as India's, measuring antibodies itself is going to be a difficult task, said Dr Mahashur. Its utility is another limitation. So, keeping these factors in mind, I do not feel it is practical to use this test in India, the doctor added. Also, in India, the history of "papers, please" is not exactly a shining beacon of freedom. A recent example of this is the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens, against which people hit the roads and protested massively. In such a country, issuing a paper of immunity could bring another wave of resentment among people who are denied the tag. Photo credit: John Lamparski - Getty Images From Popular Mechanics Lets be clear: An end-times scenario as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is unlikely. But this doesnt mean you can step out for a bag of Swedish fish whenever the urge strikes. You also dont need to buy a years supply of toilet paper. It just means you have to prepare. According to recent models, controlling the spread of the virus will take about 6 weeks of sheltering in place, maybe more. Nevertheless, when it comes to supplies, shop for two weeks worth of food at a timeenough to limit trips outside while maintaining order in your home. Similarly, outfit your home for extended time inside. Make sure you have backup options for power and hygienic defenses against contamination. Heres a guide to the most essential things youll need. I: Stock Up on Basics Photo credit: Irina Tiumentseva - Getty Images Convenient food items like boxed mixes, just-add-water products, and canned vegetables have been the first to disappear from grocery store shelves, but foundational dry ingredients and cooking from scratch can still stretch a long way. Stock your shelves with two weeks worth of these dry ingredients: All-purpose flour: lasts 6-8 months in the pantry, 1 year refrigerated, 2 years frozen. White sugar: lasts indefinitely, but keep from clumping by storing it in an airtight container with a slice of bread, replacing the slice periodically so it doesnt mold. Cornstarch: lasts indefinitely if kept dry. Rice: white rice lasts 4-5 years in an airtight container in the pantry; brown rice lasts 6-8 months in the pantry and up to a year in the refrigerator. Dried beans: last indefinitely. Baking soda: lasts 2 years unopened and 6 months after opening. Baking powder: lasts 9-12 months. Check potency by seeing if it fizzes when mixed with hot water. Salt: never expires, but its additives do. Iodized salt lasts about 5 years. Pepper: Whole peppercorns keep 3-4 years in the pantry. Ground pepper lasts up to 4 years. Powdered or shelf-stable milk: powdered milk is good for 2 years past its best by date. Shelf-stable milk lasts about 6 months pay attention to the best-by date. Oil: Vegetable oil lasts for 1 year in the pantry. Olive oil is good for 2-3. Oats: Lasts 18-24 months in airtight container. Story continues II: What to Buy Fresh When health is at the forefront of our minds, we tend to load our shopping carts with fruits and vegetables. Kris Sollid, senior director of nutrition communications at the International Food Information Council, says surveys show people view fresh foods as healthier than frozen foods, and frozen foods as healthier than canned foods, even though canned and fresh versions might have the same nutritional value. That said, Sollid says you should still compare labels, and avoid canned and frozen products with outrageous sugar or sodium levels. The bottom line: Dont clean out the produce section if thats not how you and your family typically eat. You never want to waste food, but these days, it's more important than usual not to be overly aspirational in your purchases. Photo credit: Getty Images Prioritize the following fresh and frozen staples: Milk: lasts 12-21 days if pasteurized and kept near the back of the fridge. Eggs: freshly laid and un-washed eggs last up to a month at room temperature. Washed eggs from the grocery store last just over 2 months in the refrigerator. Butter: lasts 1-2 months in the refrigerator, up to 9 months in the freezer. Fruits: apples and citrus fruits last up to 2 months in the refrigerators produce drawer. Fruits that spoil within a week or so (such as berries, bananas, and peaches) can be purchased frozen, canned, or jarred. Vegetables: Go for hearty veggies. Cabbage will last 2 months in the refrigerator, and potatoes will last 3 months in a cool pantry. Whole, fresh carrots will be good for 5 weeks, and a squash will last 1-3 months at room temperature. Poultry: Poultry only lasts 2-3 days in the refrigerator, but can be frozen for up to a year. Meat: Red meat and pork last up to 5 days in the refrigerator, and can be frozen for 4-12 months. For longevity, choose cured or smoked meats: Theyll last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Fish: Dont buy fresh fish if you dont plan to eat it within 2 days. Look for fish thats been vacuum-sealed and frozen. It will last in your freezer for up to 1 year. Bread: preservative-free bread lasts 3-4 days in your pantry, while breads with additives last about a week. Extend the lifespan to 6 months by freezing the loaf, and thawing slices as you need them. Cheese: hard cheeses like parmesan and cheddar will keep in the fridge 3-4 weeks after opening, and in the freezer for 6 months. Softer cheeses like brie and feta dont freeze well, and should be eaten within 2 weeks. III: Extend Shelf Life If youve gone overboard on fresh foods, or if youre out of storage space in the refrigerator, your freezer can preserve more than you might expect. Most milk can be frozen for 3 to 6 months, though there may be some textural changes as the fat separates. Remember to leave room for expansion in the container, and thaw frozen milk in the refrigerator. Help your vegetables keep their crunch by taking them out of any plastic packaging before you put them in the refrigerator. Breathable fabric produce bags are better at extending freshness. Most vegetables can be frozen, too, even short shelf-life options like green beans, asparagus, cauliflower, and leafy greens. Elizabeth Andress, director of the National Center for Home Food Preservation, says blanching veggiesflash-cooking them for 2 to 5 minutes in boiling water before submerging them in an ice bath, can help them maintain texture and flavor for up to a year in the freezer, if they're kept at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Photo credit: Getty Images You can also preserve eggs in the freezer, though Andress suggests freezing yolks and whites separately. Yolks will eventually gel in the freezer, but you can delay that process by beating them with either 1/2 teaspoon salt or 1 tablespoons sugar per cup of egg yolks, depending on how you plan to use them. Whites can be frozen individually in ice cube trays to make thawing and measuring easier. IV: Keep Your Lights On We repeat: The grid is not going down, but if this period extends into hurricane season, or if you live in an area where power outages happen frequently, it may be worth investing in a generator. Generators need fueltypically gasoline, but some run on diesel or propane. A standard portable generator uses about 18 gallons of fuel a day, which means you either need to have a lot of fuel on hand or the ability to resupply often. Moreover, gasoline starts going stale in as little as three months, but even if you add a stabilizer to extend its lifespan to about a year, youll need to maintain a surplus. Diesel fuel is more stable than gas, but it can gel in extreme cold, and diesel generators can be pricey and loud. Propane is the most stable fuel of the three, but again, youll need more than a couple 20-pound tanks to run a generator for prolonged periods. Once you figure out what kind of generator is right for you, these tips should keep you up and running, even if your power isnt: Practice Prevents Panic Dont wait until the lights flicker off to start up your genny for the first time. Make sure you know how to operate it, and have everything you might need to perform basic repairs or maintenance on hand. Know Your Power Demands Most portable generators have enough power to keep your refrigerator running, power some lights, and charge your electronics, but they wont run your central heat or air system. If you depend on a well pump for water, youre out of luck there, too. Before you choose a generator, figure out how much power youll need. A generator capable of 10,000 watts will be able to run most, if not all, of the systems in your house, but as power increases, so does price. Dont Bring Down Your Grid Dont feed power from the generator directly into your service panel. Theres risk of fire, electrocution, and damaging appliances and other home systems. Plus, this can send electricity into the grid, also called backfeeding, which can injure or kill a utility worker who shows up to work on your power. To prevent any of that from happening, a qualified electrician can install a transfer switch to run power from the generator to the essential circuits for the kitchen, HVAC units, and well or sewage pumps if you have them. Invest in Accessories The fanciest generator on the market wont do you any good if you cant direct its power into your home. Make sure you have a high-quality, outdoor extension cord, rated to your generators power output. The safest place to run your generator is as far from your house as possible, so choose the longest cord that fits your budget. Use Appliance Alternatives Having a cooler on hand will help you avoid power-sucking trips to the fridge. Pack it with food items youll use first, as well as frozen items to help keep the more perishable goods cold as they thaw. If you decide not to go the generator route, have a reliable flashlight, a couple decent lanterns, and enough batteries to last each one a few weeks. Look for products with LED lighting. Its more efficient and provides light for long periods. Some flashlight and lantern models have rechargeable lithium ion batteries, too. If you can afford to spend a little more, opt for these. Theyre capable of more discharge cycles and are less susceptible to damage if left for longer periods without a full charge. V. Smart Sanitizing Photo credit: Joe Raedle - Getty Images Look, you need a lot less toilet paper than you thinkjust a few weeks worth of these and other paper products like towels and napkins will be plenty. The average person goes to the bathroom about 6 times a day. If youre using a few sheets every time, one roll will last one person almost a month, according to an online toilet paper calculator. Do some quick math: one roll for each person in your house should be more than enough to make it through two weeks. Plus, in a pinch, there are alternatives to bath tissue. Wipes, napkins, and paper towels are all acceptable as long as you dont flush them. You can use clean rags or towels, too; just make sure you thoroughly wash them after each use with laundry soap and hot water. You likely dont need to be constantly disinfecting your house during the coronavirus outbreak, but because the virus can live on surfaces for hours to days, you should keep disinfecting spray or wipes handy to sanitize items that come into your home. The EPA has a list of cleaning products that have been proven to kill the coronavirus. Keep some cleaning basics in stock, too: Isopropyl alcohol (between 60-90%): Can be used alone as a sanitizing agent, or as an ingredient in DIY hand sanitizer. Vinegar: Not a disinfectant, but a solid substitute for bathroom and glass cleaners, and an odor-killer in your laundry machine. Bleach: very effective at killing viruses; allow it to work on surfaces like countertops for 10-15 minutes before wiping away. Hydrogen Peroxide: Can also be used alone as a sanitizing agent, or in hand sanitizer. Soap: effective at removing microbes when you wash your hands thoroughly and often. To protect yourself during essential errands, basics like nitrile gloves can add protection. Consider wearing these any time you need to touch a surface other people have been touching, like shopping carts and gas pumps. Wash your hands before putting gloves on and after taking them off. Its important to understand that wearing gloves all the time wont protect you more than hand-washing: Particles that land on your gloves can still be transferred to other surfaces you touch, and to you, if youre not careful. Theyre only really effective a reminder not to touch your face. More and more people have been donning masks in public places. Respirator masks reserved for healthcare workers and first responders are designed to filter airborne particles. An N95 mask traps 95 percent of airborne particles, while N100 and P100 masks trap more than 99.7 percent. These cant totally prevent infectionCOVID-19 can also enter the body through the eyesbut they can reduce your risk. The CDC recently issued a recommendation that people cover their mouth and nose in public to decrease the spread of virus-laden respiratory droplets. The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators, the CDC said. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance. Well-fitting cloth masks made of a heavy fabric can help you avoid infection, but the real benefit is to the people around you. The CDC says 25 percent of infected people might be asymptomatic. If you have the virus and dont know it, a cloth mask can keep you from infecting others. If youre going to DIY a mask, heres some fabric options: A 100-percent cotton T-shirt: doubled-up, the fabric can block about 70% of particles. Heavy duty cotton/batik: can block particles almost as effectively as a surgical mask. Flannel: thin cotton masks with a flannel layer inside also filter about 70%. Pillowcases and sheets: the higher the thread count, the more effective at particle filtration. Coffee filter: the CDC recommends placing a coffee filter inside a homemade mask for extra air filtration. VI: At-Home Care and Aid Ideally, you and your family will remain healthy until the pandemic is under control. Still, its smart to have healthcare basics on-hand in case of minor illness or injury: Unless you really need medical attention, an already-overwhelmed hospital is not where you want to be right now. To that end, make sure you have these meds and supplies in stock: Prescription medicines: If possible, ask your doctor to call in an additional refill of your daily medications. Having extra on hand might save you a trip outside. Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen: commonly used to treat minor aches and pains, but can also be used to control a fever. Anti-histamine: Allergy season is in full-swing; make sure you have an anti-histamine of choice to treat any hay fever or rhinitis. Gauze, antiseptic, and bandages: Clean and bandage minor cuts and burns. If a wound needs stitches, there might be no avoiding an Urgent Care trip. VII: Staying Sane Photo credit: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS - Getty Images The most important thing you need to survive a prolonged period of isolation might be a distraction to preserve your mental health. Be patient, find a project or routine or practice to occupy your time and mind, and dont panic. Right now, people are feeling a lot of turmoil and fear, says Jessica Sowards, the Arkansas-based homesteader behind the popular YouTube channel Roots and Refuge. There can be a tendency to go overboard trying to prepare for the worst. I always say Im not a prepper, but I believe in being prepared, and the thing Im hoarding is skills. You Might Also Like More than five tonnes of pangolin scales were found in two containers at Cai Mep International Port in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau in May last year.-VNA/VNS Photo In 1994, Vietnam joined the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), the country's first key international commitments to protect wildlife and conserve biodiversity. The country has been developing its legal framework including the Law on Forest Protection and Development (passed in 1991 and 2004), Law on Forestry 2017 and Law on Biodiversity 2008. Notably, Vietnams Penal Code 1999 had an article regulating crimes related to wildlife protection for endangered species. The Penal Code 2015, which was amended in 2017, had two articles regulating crimes on wildlife protection and endangered, precious and rare animals protection. Those convicted of breaking Vietnamese laws protecting endangered species now face up to 15 years in prison and fines up to VND2 billion for an individual violator and VND15 billion (US$660,000) for a legal entity. The previous Penal Code 1999 levied a maximum fine of VND500 million for individuals and did not have criminal penalties against legal entities. The Government has also issued a range of decrees and decisions over the issue. The latest such move on March 6 saw Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ask Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and other ministries to promptly issue a directive on a wildlife trade and trafficking ban in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While questions about the exact origins of the coronavirus remain, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed it is a zoonotic disease, meaning it jumped from wildlife to humans. The WHO has reported that the current COVID-19 pandemic, along with at least 61 per cent of all human pathogens, are zoonotic in origin. The illegal wildlife trade is the second-largest direct threat to biodiversity globally, after habitat destruction. Populations of vertebrate species on earth declined by an average 60 per cent since 1970. The Environmental Investigation Agency reported last year that wildlife trade and trafficking cases detected in Vietnam or relating to the country in the last 15 years involved at least 105.72 tonnes of ivory (belonging to about 15,799 elephants), 1.69 tonnes of rhino horn (belonging to about 610 rhinos), skin and bones of at least 228 tigers, and the body and scales of 65,510 pangolins. Education for Nature-Vietnam (ENV) last year recorded 1,777 violations relating to wildlife animals including 146 trafficking cases, 979 trading case and 610 cases on illegal wildlife farms. Director of the Centre for People and Nature Reconciliation (PanNature) Trinh Le Nguyen said wildlife animal products such as bile, bones and eggs were not subject to the Penal Code 2015s articles, which resulted in difficulties in charging wildlife traffickers with crimes. According to the Penal Codes Article 244, wildlife trader/traffickers commit crimes when the traded/trafficked parts of the animal are those the animal can not live without, for example, its head, heart, liver or lungs. The vague regulation causes difficulties for law enforcement force to punish poachers who trade in scales, skin, hair, teeth, ivory, or horns, Nguyen said, adding that a pangolin could continue living if it lost a few scales but if it lost all of its scales it would die. ENV Deputy Director Nguyen Thi Phuong Dung said wildlife animal products were evidence in wildlife trade and trafficking cases but Vietnams law enforcement agencies faced a shortage of facilities to properly store them. For example, without freezing equipment, wildlife meat, bones or horns would rot, resulting in possibly inaccurate judgments. Dung said that Vietnam still lacked clear regulations on which agencies can certify wildlife animal products and regulations on how wildlife should be taken care of and what exactly has been seized. Unclear legal regulations also lead to improper co-operation/overlapping among agencies - customs, border guards, forest rangers and environmental police in protecting wildlife, she said. While wildlife trade/trafficking and hunting criminals have formed international crime rings with increasing size and sophistication, international co-operation is still limited due to incompatible legal systems or the absence of mutual legal assistance agreements, she said. She added one of her biggest concerns was improper understanding and awareness of people who consume wildlife products as food, medicine, decorations or jewellery. The consumption of wildlife products indirectly motivates criminals in hunting and trading wildlife as well as reduces the effectiveness of law enforcement tools, Dung said. Nguyen from PanNature said 14 non-profit organisations working for wildlife and nature conservation in Vietnam have called on the Government to have stronger actions to control and crack down on wildlife violations. Particularly, the organisations recommended the Government close all illegal and unregulated markets and restaurants that sell wildlife. To do so, Nguyen said, leaders of localities and agencies should take responsibility if wildlife trade/trafficking cases were detected in areas that they manage. The policy that allowed some units to raise wildlife should be reconsidered and the operation of such units should be overseen and monitored strictly so no one could make use of the policy to legalise the supply for an illegal wildlife market. The novel coronavirus continues to be disruptive to the global financial market and supply chain. Ghana is no exception to the impact of this pandemic. Globally, the world economy has been stretched to realign policies to areas of healthcare and social interventions. It has become imperative in these challenging times to channel all resources to curb and contain this canker. The speech by the President of Ghana has resonated with the entire world. He remarked we know how to bring the economy back to life but don't know how to bring people back to life ''. This is a call on citizens to join hands with the state to curtail the spread of the virus. Countries all over the world have adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) protocols in an attempt to prevent the spread and instigate the flattening of the curve for COVID19 cases. The approach adopted globally has predominately been a partial lockdown of all sectors of the economy with the exception of essential services. Cumulatively, the ripple effect is projected to have a devastating impact on the Ghanaian economy, which is largely made up of the informal sector. In effect, COVID 19 has affected the governments budget for 2020 i.e. in terms of revenue mobilization and expenditure in areas of priority. The pandemic will impact adversely on Gross Domestic (GDP) growth, invariably lead to a shortfall in petroleum revenues, import duties and tax revenue and then lead to an increase in healthcare expenditure. The expected decline in import volumes and values cumulatively will lead to a shortfall in expected tax revenue. The projected import duties for 2020 is GHS808 million will not be achieved. The Petroleum Revenue Management Act (815) crude oil price was programmed to be US$62.60 for the 2020 fiscal year. Preliminary analysis of the average crude oil price per barrel is US$30.00 for the 2020 fiscal year, the sharp decline in crude oil prices will lead to a fall in expected petroleum revenue. The impact of COVID-19 has affected all facets of the economic bracket from industry to households because global economic activities have not been full scale. The pharmaceutical industry in Ghana has risen to the call of the President by optimizing the production of drugs and sanitizers. This act broke the artificial upsurge in prices of sanitizers which quadrupled overnight based on market forces. Globally, the government budget is expected to explode due to the unanticipated impact of COVID19. It's expected that Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2018 (Act 982) threshold of 5 % will not be attained due to the impact of coronavirus. The Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta anticipates a 7.8 % rise in the fiscal deficit. In effect, the deficit is expected to increase from GHS 18.9 billion to GHS 30.2 billion the variance will be 2.9 percent of GDP. Ghana Association of Bankers is in the final stage of discussions with the Bank of Ghana, the Finance Ministry and other banks to set up gross loans on preferential terms to essential sectors, such as the pharmaceutical industry. Globally, the world economy has been carefully considering policies to cushion the impact of COVID19 on the economy. The UK government plans to pay 80% of salaries for those not working due to the coronavirus crisis or companies fail to keep staff on the payroll and rather lay them off. The United States $2 trillion aid package is expected to save jobs and bailout companies. Banks have agreed to a general cut of a 200 basis interest on all existing locally dominated currency loans and new loans in Ghana. This policy direction is to cushion businesses against any shocks during and after the pandemic. The groans of people in the informal sector have escalated since the restrictions on movement began. The Ghanaian informal sector participant largely depends on what we tend in the local circles ''hand to mouth. The detrimental impact of the two weeks' lockdown has led to a reduction in savings and business capital. Civil societies, churches and the government have attempted to alleviate the burdens of deprived communities with supplies and cook meals without a carefully thought out plan of mitigating the effect of lockdown in these communities and how the desired results of curtailing the spread of the virus will be achieved. The private sector with industries that do not fall within the exempt bracket has been hard hit, with direct costs of operations such as salaries, rent and loan interest obligations which cannot be deferred, accumulating day in and day out. In effect, if the arrest of the virus is not immediate, the pending ripple effect will lead to more businesses fading out and massive employees retrenchment for the affected businesses to cut down their losses. This pandemic has become a bane on all facets of the Ghanaian economy. i.e. household, firms and industry. The Ghanaian government has become innovative with social interventions such as assuming responsibility for water for the next three months, free bus rides for the health workers and provision of supplies for deprived communities. These initiatives have become necessary to minimize the impact of the pandemic on households. But just like Oliver Twist, the Ghanaian people are asking for more. In conclusion, businesses and households will appreciate subsidies on the cost of utilities and a repeal of the Communication Service Tax (CST) to reduce the cost of data. The Ghana Health Service must adopt a comprehensive approach of mass and random testing to curtail the spread of the virus. We are living in interesting times were tenets of information i.e. timeliness, specificity and relevance are of utmost importance in how well we manage the pandemic as a country. ---citinewsroom A family were left devastated after their request for an additional five people to attend the funeral of their beloved grandfather was denied. John Macpherson, 68, from Brisbane, who has three kids and nine grandchildren, died from cancer last week, and his funeral was held at Albany Creek Memorial Park in Bridgeman Downs on Wednesday. Under current government restrictions, only ten people are allowed to attend funerals to avoid the spread of coronavirus. Mr Macpherson's family pleaded with Queensland Health to allow just five extra people to attend so his grandchildren aged between six and 20 could be there with their parents. But their requests were shut down and the five grandchildren were forced to watch the funeral via live stream on a computer without their loved ones. Mr Macpherson's niece, Amanda Hoddinott, 29, told Daily Mail Australia the family were left heartbroken. 'My uncle has three kids with partners that all have children. With all the grandkids and his own children along with his wife that would have been 15 people. They all live in the same area and had to watch their grandfather go downhill,' she said. John Macpherson, 68, (pictured with wife Gail and grandchildren) from Brisbane, who has three kids and several grandchildren tragically lost his battle to cancer last week with the funeral being held on Wednesday His niece Amanda Hoddinott (pictured with her husband) said her family were devastated after their request to have five more guests at Mr Macpherson's funeral was denied 'The response (from the health department) was that the south-east Queensland area was a hot spot for coronavirus and no more guests would be allowed. 'We have a massive family. My uncle is one of ten and there would have been around 150 of us all there if we were allowed.' Ms Hoddinott said the most frustrating thing was all their family had been following isolation rules and wouldn't have been exposed to the virus. 'They're all in good health, they hadn't been overseas or exposed to anyone,' she said. 'How is having five extra people any different than going to the shops?' Ms Hoddinott said the eldest grandchild, aged 20, was allowed to go but the rest were looked after by a family friend while watching the funeral online. 'They're young but they've had a massive part in his life. They were old enough to understand what was happening,' she said. The family had pleaded with the Queensland department of health but their request was denied meaning Mr Macpherson's (pictured with son and grandson) grandchildren had to watch the funeral online 'All the grandkids were in one house and a friend came and sat with them to watch on while their parents were at the funeral. I imagine it would have been horrible.' Ms Hoddinott who also watched the funeral online said it was devastating not to be there for her family. 'The fact that we couldn't be with our family. We are all so close and the worst part was that we couldn't be there together to support our aunty and cousins,' she said. Following the funeral around 30 family members did a virtual wake on the Zoom application. 'It was nice we were all able to do something. One of my other aunties who was at the funeral said it was bizarre not having everyone there,' she said, 'It wasn't the normal feeling of having that support there. It didn't have that extra warmth of the family all around to support you.' Ms Hoddinott (pictured with mother and sister of John Macpherson) said she thought it was unfair that exemptions were made for other people's funerals Earlier this month, 80 extra people were allowed by the Queensland Health Department to attend a funeral in Mackay of an Indigenous leader. '(The funeral was for) a very significant elder for that community who has died and normally they would expect many, many hundreds if not thousands of people to attend,' Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said. John Macpherson's family said this was like a slap in the face. 'The lack of empathy is the worst thing and everyone's going through this terrible time and they've turned around and said no,' Ms Hoddinott said. 'There was no common sense applied, it wasn't empathetic, it felt like a computer response.' 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 A spokesperson for the Queensland Health Department told Daily Mail Australia there have so far been 145 funeral exemptions granted across the state. 'Our thoughts are with those who have lost a loved one during this unprecedented time. We absolutely understand and sympathise that this is a very difficult time to navigate,' the spokesperson said. 'People should be able to mourn the passing of their loved ones according to their customs, traditions, and circumstances - as long as it is done so safely. 'Sometimes this means larger funerals. Thats why special approval can be granted for attendees (including funeral home staff) under extenuating circumstances. 'Such circumstances would include cultural reasons, the loss of a child, or a death that was unexpected or a result of trauma. 'The ability to grant exemptions on the number of mourners at particular funerals allows us to demonstrate sensitivity and respect, which is the only appropriate response.' The West Bengal Police booked a second Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP on Friday under certain sections of the Disaster Management Act (DMA), 2005 and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for disrupting the administrations work during the Covid-19 lockdown. Significantly on Friday, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee administration for obstructing parliamentarians from carrying out their duties. Dhankhar said that this major misconduct is under scrutiny for exemplary action and tagged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in his tweet. Alipurduar MP John Barla, who on April 14 had written to union home minister Amit Shah alleging that he had been put under house arrest, was booked under section 51 of the DMA (punishment for obstruction) and section 188 of the IPC (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant). The FIR against Barla has been lodged at Birpara police station in Alipurduar district. On April 14, police in Bankura district had booked BJP MP Subhas Sarkar under sections 54 of DMA, 188 and 501 (1) (b) of the IPC, for allegedly spreading false rumours. Party MP Arjun Singh, too, has alleged that the state administration did not allow him to carry out relief work for people in need. Responding to this series of incidents, Dhankhar wrote on Twitter on Friday, Concerned at politically motivated actions meted out to MPs @Drsubhassarkar @johnbarlabjp @ArjunsinghWB @RajuBistaBJP by police and administration. @MamataOfficial in overzealous mode Flagged issue @loksabhaspeaker. This major misconduct is under scrutiny for exemplary action. Those so engaged are in for serious consequences. Such political alignment will not be overlooked. State officials must disable political affinity, Dhankhar wrote in the following tweet. Earlier during the day, chief minister Mamata Banerjee, while addressing the media, had said that some people were playing politics even during a crisis. On April 15, Barla had written a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah alleging that he has been put under house arrest by the district administration. On Friday, Barla wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging mismanagement in the distribution of ration and relief material. Saturday, April 18, 2020, marks the 75th year since the WWII combat death of Pvt. Joseph Merrell, MOH -- hero -- during his one-man attack against vastly superior German forces. Near Lohe, Germany, on April 18, 1945, Pvt. Merrell killed 23 enemy infantrymen. For his utter fearlessness, intrepidity of the highest order, and a willingness to sacrifice his own life so that his comrades could go on to victory, Pvt. Merrell was awarded the Medal of Honor on Feb. 26, 1946. Pvt. Merrell was a Staten Island native (West Brighton), and a graduate of Curtis High School. He rests in St. Peters Cemetery within 100 yards of his brother, Curtis Graduate and Medal of Honor (Vietnam) awardee Fr. Vincent R. Capodanno, MOH. The Pvt. Joseph F. Merrell American Legion Post 1368, is named in his honor. Pvt. Merrells name was recently added to the Livingston WW II Plaque honoring North Shore WW II veterans, restored by Borough President James Oddo. Pvt. Merrell was 18 years old at the time of his death. Rest in peace, good and faithful soldier; your dutys done. We will stand your watch. (Michael J. Brennan, of West Brighton, is the historian for the Pvt. Joseph F. Merrell MOH American Legion Post 1368) The country's shipbuilders suffered a 71 percent decline in new orders in the first quarter compare to the same period last year. gettyimagesbank Business performance expected to further worsen in Q2 By Kim Hyun-bin The country's key industries have been hugely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many experts raising concerns that the situation could get worse in the second quarter as the novel coronavirus is having continuous unforeseeable impacts on the global economy. The shipbuilding industry has been hit hard by the pandemic with companies unable to attract new orders. In the first quarter last year, there were 14 new deals for liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships, which raised hopes the industry could be on a path to recovery after years of stagnation. Just late last year, the expected value of the country's LNG shipbuilding was rated in the top tier globally with many analysts at the time predicting the "industry could be on the path to recovery". However, COVID-19 has frozen the global economy and drastically raised uncertainty, in addition to plummeting oil prices which have played their part in reducing new orders by 71 percent compared to the same period last year. "Ship owners have been postponing orders and there are signs they could cancel existing contracts due to the virus," Lee Byung-chul, vice chairman of the Korea Offshore & Shipbuilding Association said. "If the situation is prolonged, there will be postponement in payment dates, which could create a liquidity crunch. The government needs to extend deadlines for loans as well as increase support and loans to small and mid-size businesses." Executives from the car, steel, heavy machinery, petrochemical and shipbuilding industries held a meeting under the auspices of the Korea Chamber of Commerce Industry and voiced concern that "the real crisis could come in the second quarter." They called on the government to become a "relief pitcher" for the crisis. "In past financial crises the country's economy was able to sustain and rapidly recover as key industries were able to hold their ground, but there is a possibility the manufacturing industry could fall apart amid COVID-19," the group emphasized. Hyundai and Kia Motors are also taking the brunt of the pandemic, having to close numerous domestic and overseas plants, which has created a negative domino effect on parts suppliers and related firms including steel and tire manufacturers. The carmakers' decision led Hankook Tires to halt production at its Tennessee plant, while Kumho Tires temporarily stopped operations at its two domestic plants. "Global sales for Hyundai and Kia global in March recorded 535,000 a decrease of 15.3 percent compared to last year. COVID-19 could continue to halt production at overseas plants for the time being especially in Europe and the U.S.," Lee Sang-hyun, an analyst at IBK Securities said. Concerns are also looming over the steel industry with a continuous decline in demand that has left the company with large stockpiles. Prominent global steel companies such as U.S. Steel and ArcelorMittal have started to halt operations. Since April 13, POSCO's Gwangyang steel plant has started to reduce the circulation of scrap iron, while Hyundai Steel reduced production at its Dangjin plant by 30 percent. Financial experts forecast the steel companies' output in the first quarter will be half that of last year, and expect it to get worse in the second quarter. Chemical companies have also halted plant operations. SK Global Chemical an affiliate of SK Innovation halted production at its Ulsan naphtha plant in December for the first time in 48 years. The decomposition of naphtha is a fundamental process in the petrochemical industry, and is the base component used to create polyester, polyethylene and polypropylene. In addition, the company plans to temporality halt operations at its synthetic rubber plant in the second quarter. A 'serial shoplifter' has been dragged through a Morrisons by his feet in front of stunned shoppers. Three security guards pulled the elderly man back into the store in Enfield, north London, on Thursday. One of them appeared to stand on him during the commotion as startled customers watched on. It is not clear what sparked the shocking incident, but a shopping trolley full of toilet roll has reportedly been seized as 'evidence'. Three security guards pulled the alleged shoplifter back into the store in Enfield, north London, on Thursday Footage shows the security guards dragging the alleged thief back into the store before he smashes into a stack of baskets which come crashing down on his head. The customer is moved towards a corridor in the supermarket, while one of the men says: 'Bring the trolley, bring the trolley.' The bearded man is pinned to the ground by one of the security guards who stands on him briefly. Another, wearing what appears to be a Morrisons' uniform and a face mask, helps to restrain the man. Footage shows the security guards dragging the man back into the store (left) before he smashes into a stack of baskets which come crashing down on his head (right) One of the security guards, wearing a hi-vis jacket, continues to pull the man into the superstore The customer is taken into another room but continues his resistance. A worker wheels a large shopping trolley packed with boxes of Red Bull and toilet roll. The video, which was posted on Facebook on Thursday with the caption 'Morrisons today', shocked social media users. Another worker wheels a large shopping trolley packed full with boxes of Red Bull and toilet roll which have reportedly been seized as 'evidence' A spokesman for Morrisons said: 'In this case, a known shoplifter was seen pushing a full trolley out of our store without paying. 'Our store security apprehended him and clearly when people steal from our stores we aim to recover the items.' The Metropolitan Police have been contacted for comment. A ghostly figure with wild hair and a flowing beard is haunting a small Malaysian community in a bid to ensure superstitious residents stay home during the country's coronavirus lockdown. It is not a genuine spirit but local man Muhammad Urabil Alias, who has taken to dressing up in a white robe and mask and going on regular night-time patrols. During his outings in his village in Kemaman, northeast Malaysia, children scream and run back into their homes as they see the "ghost" walking down the road. Like many countries seeking to fight the spread of the virus, Malaysia has ordered people to stay at home, and closed schools and non-essential businesses. Urabil said that he decided to start the ghost patrols after virus cases rose sharply in the country -- Malaysia has so far reported over 5,000 infections and more than 80 deaths. "I am watching the news and I see more people are dead, so I... decided to scare people," the 38-year-old told AFP. And his creative method of ensuring people stick to the rules appears to be effective in a country where belief in the supernatural runs deep, particularly in rural areas. Muhammad Abdillah said whenever the town's youngsters see him on patrol, they "run like crazy back to their homes. Now before they go out, they have to check whether the ghost is around or not". When Urabil posted a photo of himself dressed as a ghost on social media, it quickly went viral and prompted a visit by the police to his house. He said he was initially worried they were going to arrest him -- but instead the officers thanked him for his efforts and had their photo taken with him. As the demand for health care workers surges with the coronavirus case count, many states are rushing to lift restrictions on nurse practitioners, who provide much of the same care as doctors do. But California allows nurse practitioners to work only under the supervision of a doctor, and most limitations on their practice are likely to hold. Although easing restrictions is a simple regulatory matter elsewhere, such proposals in California are dragged down by decades of contentious political fighting and the state's powerful doctors' lobby argues that California already has enough providers. These "are often some of the definitive health care battles that happen in Sacramento," said Mike Madrid, a Republican political consultant who has been analyzing California politics for more than 25 years. "They're evergreen fights, they never go away." Nurse practitioners are highly trained nurses with at least a master's degree. By comparison, registered nurses have at least an associate's degree. There are more than 290,000 nurse practitioners in the country, and about 27,000 of them practice in California. In 28 states plus the District of Columbia, nurse practitioners can practice much like a physician: They can provide primary care, write prescriptions and see patients. Some of those states require physician supervision when nurse practitioners are just starting out, but most allow them to operate without oversight right away. But 22 states always require physician oversight, including California. Nurse practitioners in the Golden State must have a formal "collaboration" or supervision agreement with a physician who reviews their charts a few times each year. In March, Alex Azar, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, encouraged governors to lift supervision requirements on some medical professionals to provide more flexibility for the health care system to respond to COVID-19. Five states have suspended these requirements and an additional 12 have modified them to give providers with extra training more independence, according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. The Mississippi Board of Nursing rushed to give nurse practitioners more authority to prescribe drugs on March 16. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers suspended supervision requirements on March 27, as did Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on March 31. New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy lifted all supervision requirements for physician assistants and advanced practice nurses April 1. Yet California has been cautious. In a March 30 executive order, Gov. Gavin Newsom directed the state Department of Consumer Affairs, which controls professional licensing, the power to change or temporarily waive regulations to let the health care workforce respond to the crisis. That opened the door for nurse practitioners to ask the department to kill the supervision requirements without actually lifting them. "In some ways, it created a bit of a buffer between him and these decisions," said Garrett Chan, president and CEO of HealthImpact, a group that studies the nursing workforce in California. On Tuesday, the department acted. It temporarily lifted the cap on how many nurse practitioners each physician could supervise. Instead of one physician supervising four nurse practitioners, physicians can supervise an unlimited number of nurse practitioners. It's unclear how this is helping anybody, Chan said. Veronica Harms, the department's deputy director of communications, said via email that the department didnt eliminate the supervision requirements altogether because it wants to keep patients safe while responding to the needs of the health care system. "The Department approved what was needed to meet the immediate demand for health care," Harms wrote. Nurse practitioners have tried for years to get the authority to practice independently in California, and have been repeatedly thwarted by the powerful California Medical Association, which represents more than 48,000 doctors. Doctors have a financial incentive to keep overseeing nurse practitioners. In exchange for reviewing charts and prescriptions every few months, physicians bill nurse practitioners between $5,000 and $15,000 per year, according to a report by the California Health Care Foundation and the University of California-San Francisco. (California Healthline is an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.) The association has one of the strongest lobbies in Sacramento and contributed almost $11 million, primarily to state legislative candidates, since mid-January 2019. It has fought for years against lifting the supervision requirements on nurse practitioners, defeating at least three such "scope of practice" bills in the legislature. Most recently, the association opposed AB-890, which died in committee last year and was reintroduced in January. The bill, introduced by Assembly member Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa), created two ways for nurse practitioners to operate without physician supervision. The California Medical Association wrote in an opposition letter that the measure would lead to "diminishing the quality of care for and lowering the standards for licensed individuals practicing medicine in the state." "It's politics," said Susanne Phillips, the associate dean of clinical affairs at the University of California-Irvine School of Nursing. "We have a very, very strong medical lobby in the state of California. They do not want to see California go to full-practice authority." Now, the association is arguing that the state already has enough providers to address the pandemic because many doctors have been laying off staff and closing their offices. "In a world where you have primary care physicians and literally thousands of other physicians out of work, I'm not sure what eliminating supervision of nurse practitioners gets you," said Anthony York, spokesperson for the California Medical Association. The association argues that California has slowed the virus's spread enough to avoid the severe health care provider shortages seen in harder-hit places like New York, Spain and Italy. Many California emergency rooms are operating under capacity, not inundated, York added. But nurse practitioners counter that emergency room statistics alone offer an incomplete view of the crisis. If nurse practitioners had the ability to practice independently, said Phillips of UC-Irvine, they would have the flexibility to treat patients in different settings, which would relieve pressure on hospitals and prove healthier for patients. For instance, a nurse practitioner could treat a new mother and her baby at an outpatient facility instead of in the hospital, where both patients and providers could be exposed to the virus. "California's current statutory scheme does not allow NPs to provide care in settings and communities that are in desperate need," wrote the California Association for Nurse Practitioners, along with more than a dozen other groups, in a letter to the Department of Consumer Affairs on April 1. "California NPs are more prepared than ever to help address this public health crisis and to provide critically-needed care across the state." For nurse practitioner Sonia Luckey, who practices at Providence ExpressCare, a primary care clinic in Newport Beach, California, waiving supervision requirements would let her serve her patients more holistically, she said. Luckey, 54, is certified in both family medicine and psychiatric medicine and has been practicing for 26 years. The physician who oversees her is an internist, not a psychiatrist, so that limits how she can use her psychiatry training. Though Luckey knows how to treat patients with severe mental illness, she has to refer them to someone else. "That whole mental health side of me is unable to respond to this crisis because of the way the laws are structured," she said. "I could be seeing a whole other cohort of patients right now." The stress of the pandemic is worsening some of her patients' mental health issues, she said. Shortness of breath, one hallmark of COVID-19, is also the hallmark of a panic or anxiety attack. Luckey said her extra years of schooling trained her to distinguish between the two in ways other providers can't. "I was able to prevent a hospital visit and prevent that exposure," she said. "Not everybody can do that." This KHN story first published on California Healthline, a service of the California Health Care Foundation. beyhanyazar/iStock(LONDON) -- Earlier this week, the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, announced that the lockdown currently in place to protect 1.3 billion people would remain in force until at least May 3. While the lockdown has been partially lifted in rural areas for economic reasons, the scale of the fundamental changes to life in the worlds largest democracy, with Indians told to stay inside no matter what the circumstances in order to maintain their social distance, is almost beyond comprehension. As of April 16, only 10,541 confirmed coronavirus cases and 423 deaths have been recorded -- a relatively small figure in comparison to the total population -- and to the outside world it may seem that India is coping. Yet the size of the lockdown is only matched by the potential for COVID-19 to wreak havoc on Indias healthcare system. With poverty, overcrowding and hospitals working at full capacity during the best of times, experts and doctors are warning that the coronavirus pandemic could easily overwhelm the healthcare system, should there be a spike in cases, like the ones that have stretched those in Europe and U.S to their very limits. A possible recipe for disaster Last month, Dr. Srinavas Rajkumar, the general secretary of the Resident Doctors Association at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), one of Indias top public hospitals based in New Delhi, directly appealed to Modi for better equipment for frontline doctors. In the video, he described harrowing conditions for the medical workers dealing with Indias nascent coronavirus epidemic. I, along with many other doctors here, and all over the country, are deployed in COVID duty with either insufficient or inadequate Personal Protective Equipment, he said. The equipment provided failed to meet worldwide safety standards, he said, although doctors were continuing their duties in spite of the imminent threat to themselves. Rajkumar is painfully aware of the task Indian doctors are facing with the pandemic, even as more healthcare systems in more developed parts of the world struggle. Some of the PPE doctors were provided simply look like "raincoats," he said. "Indian healthcare always works at more than the capacity, Rajkumar told ABC News. Every major government hospital handles more patients than they are meant to handle, even on a regular day." Though he received no official response to the appeal, the quality and availability of PPE have since improved, he said. But Indias healthcare system appears to be especially vulnerable to a virus that seems to spread quickly through populations, particularly in crowded urban areas and an unregulated countryside. A best-case scenario, the director of the Center for Disease Dynamics, a public health research organization with offices in Washington and Delhi, said, would be 200 million infections. For a country of its size, India has an alarmingly low rate of doctors, by any reasonable metric. According to the latest statistics from the World Health Organization, the country has less than 0.8 doctors per 1,000 of the population. The United States has triple that amount. According to an analysis from the Brookings Institute, a think tank, of publicly available data, there are 0.55 beds per 1,000 of the population in India nationwide -- a number they described as abysmally low. China, the only comparable country to India in terms of size, has around 4.2 beds per 1,000 people, according to World Bank data. While there is no publicly available data on the number of ventilators in India, Brookings estimates that there are between 17,800 and 25,600 ventilators in ICU wards there. Meanwhile, there are roughly between 150,000 -- 200,000 ventilators in the United States, and even that number is believed to be well short of what is required to deal with the pandemic. India has plenty of history when it comes to pandemics. Periodic outbreaks of dengue fever have overwhelmed local health authorities in recent years, according to Rajkumar. And the country was particularly hit by the last global pandemic comparable to coronavirus, Dr. Elizabeth Chatterjee, a lecturer in regional and comparative politics at Queen Mary University in London, told ABC News. Much of this fear is based on the memory of the so-called 'Spanish flu' of 191819, when perhaps 18 million Indians died (6% of the population at the time), the largest death toll in the world, she said. Indians today are much healthier and better governed than in the colonial era. But still the country's sheer density makes mass transmission dangerously likely, especially because 160 million Indians still lack access to clean water to wash their hands. Add to this India's high levels of air pollution and underlying health conditions like diabetes, and it is a possible recipe for disaster, she said. According to IQAir's latest World Air Quality report, India is the world's fifth most polluted country, and is home to 21 of the world's 30 most polluted cities. There are, however, some factors which mean India may be less vulnerable to the virus, as the "younger age of the population is a protective factor," compared to other hard-hit countries, according to Dr. Srinath Reddy, the president of the Public Health Foundation of India. 'You can only imagine' The Indian government has boasted that the country "has managed to significantly contain COVID-19 as compared to other severely hit countries." But testing so far has been "grossly inadequate," according to Rajkumar. "The percentage is very, very minuscule," he said. "It is very important to note that without adequate testing, the likelihood of getting real figures is very low." India has among the lowest testing rates in the world, according to Chatterjee. That means that an accurate understanding of how far the coronavirus has already spread is difficult to come by. The Hindu nationalist government has prioritized testing cases around the Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic group that held a large event with many foreign visitors in Delhi last month, Chatterjee said. In this way, the statistics fan the idea that COVID-19 is transmitted by foreigners and Muslims, though it is clear that there has been community spread for weeks. For the time being, however, hospitals across the country have not yet seen an overwhelming spike in admissions associated with COVID-19, according to Reddy. It is true that it [up to] 270 odd districts have reported cases, he told ABC News. But hospitals are not bearing a severe load like in Europe or America and elsewhere, so that suggests that the viral spread is not that rapid. However, the key test will be the impact that the lockdown of the whole country -- now in place until early May -- has on the transmission of cases. We still have to wait one or two weeks to find out whether there is going to be a rise in cases, he said. Even at this early stage, however, there are signs that the health infrastructure is creaking under the pressure. The Delhi State Cancer Institute temporarily shut, and has since reopened, after a number of doctors tested positive for the virus earlier this month, according to local media reports. The same temporary closures after COVID-19 diagnoses have happened in other hospitals in Mumbai and Delhi. The re-allocation of already scant resources to deal with the pandemic, in a country where waiting lists for crucial treatments for diseases like cancer stretched for months even before the pandemic, will likely have a deadly cost, according to Rajkumar. "Regular doctors are shunted to COVID care," he said. "If that's the case on a normal day, then imagine now." The problem of lack of resources is especially acute in rural areas. Around two-thirds of the Indian population live in the countryside, and it is not uncommon for people to travel hundreds of miles for critical medical care in the better equipped urban hubs of Delhi and Mumbai. People in the further-flung regions of India dying without seeing a doctor is a fact of life for many, and could be obscuring the true scale of the coronavirus in India thus far. "There are places in rural India completely inaccessible to healthcare and testing facilities, even without the pandemic in India there are people dying without access to healthcare facilities, Rajkumar said. There are people traveling aboard trains overnight to reach Delhi to get treatment. Due to lockdown, there are already reports that [people] are dying of causes other than coronavirus you can only imagine what would be the state in rural India." The need for change A key pledge of Modis ruling government was to implement "Modicare," which would provide health insurance for up to half a billion of the poorest Indians. However, the reforms are yet to fully take hold across the country. We have shortages everywhere, Reddy said. Thats really where we need to invest much more in expanding and skilling both scale up and skill up of our workforce. Yet the lack of a centralized system -- with health policy determined on a state-by-state basis, means some states, particularly in the south of the country, are in a better position to deal with the pandemic. Public healthcare in India rarely functions as a system, Dr. Anna Ruddock, a medical anthropologist specializing in India, who is authoring a book on the link between medical education and health inequalities in the country. As important as overall scarcity is uneven distribution. Public healthcare is inadequate everywhere, but the services that do exist are heavily skewed to cities. While the pandemic response is being centrally directed, health in India is the responsibility of individual states - we see disparities in terms of preparedness and responsiveness playing out very clearly, with direct consequences for the lives of citizens, she said. In terms of distribution, the northern states will suffer most, according to Rajkumar. The authorities in southern states, some of which have "very good public healthcare," are for the most part better prepared for the pandemic, where the number of medical colleges and hospitals is comparatively high, he said. In Kerala, the authorities even claim to have flattened the curve. Nationwide, public health, unlike in the U.S. and U.K., has never been a political priority in India, Ruddock said. But there is a chance that the pandemic may lead to sweeping changes for the better. Indias health system certainly requires a major revamp in terms of the total amount of public financing, expansion of its health workforce, strengthening of its primary healthcare district hospitals and reducing the inequalities that lay in health system preparedness and deficiency between the various states, according to Reddy. And we are hoping that the lessons learned from this wont be forgotten when COVID-19 is quelled. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. 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?" Beyonce made a surprise appearance Thursday on the star-studded Disney Family Singalong that featured Ariana Grande. Ryan Seacrest, 45, hosted the one-hour program on ABC that featured stars who filmed themselves at home amid the coronavirus. Kristin Chenoweth, 51, started the show by leading viewers through vocal warm-ups Surprise appearance: Beyonce made a surprise appearance Thursday on the star-studded Disney Family Singalong that featured stars in self-shot performances Derek Hough, 34, and his girlfriend Hayley performed Be Our Guest from Beauty And The Beast, which Ryan called one of his 'all-time favorite Disney classics'. Their self-shot production featured the couple dancing in costumes around the kitchen and featured a cameo by Julianne Hough, 31, who called them mid-routine. Derek invited her to join and she instantly threw on a costume to join them in the production. Josh Groban sang You've Got A Friend In Me along with images from Toy Story and children singing-along in costumes from the franchise. Pop star: Ariana Grande was featured during the one-hour episode on ABC Warming up: Kristin Chenoweth helped the audience warm up for the singalong First up: Derek Hough, 34, and his girlfriend Hayley performed Be Our Guest from Beauty And The Beast Cameo appearance: Julianne Hough accepted her brother's invitation to join them Little Big Town also performed A Spoonful Of Sugar while being separated due to the coronavirus pandemic and were joined by family members in their kitchens. Auli'i Cravalho, 19, treated viewers to a solo sing-along of How Far I'll Go from the 2016 animated feature Moana in which she played the title character. Ryan and multiple ABC celebrities highlighted the work of Feeding America and its nationwide network of 200 food banks available for those in need due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Split up: Little Big Town also performed A Spoonful Of Sugar while being separated due to the coronavirus pandemic and were joined by family members in their kitchens The host: Ryan Seacrest and multiple ABC celebrities highlighted the work of Feeding America and its nationwide network of 200 food banks available for those in need due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic Beyonce, 39, made her surprise appearance about 20 minutes into the show following a commercial break. 'Hello to all of the families across the world. I'm very proud and honored to be a part of the Disney family and to help present the Disney songbook singalong in partnership with Feeding America,' said Beyonce who starred as Nala in in the 2019 remake of The Lion King. 'I would like to dedicate this song to all of the health care workers who have been working tirelessly to keep us healthy and safe. We greatly appreciate you,' she added. Disney star: 'Hello to all of the families across the world. I'm very proud and honored to be a part of the Disney family and to help present the Disney songbook singalong in partnership with Feeding America,' said Beyonce who starred as Nala in in the 2019 remake of The Lion King Beyonce then gave a close-up performance of the 1940 Disney classic When You Wish Upon A Star from Walt Disney's 1940 adaptation of Pinocchio. 'Please hold onto your families tight. Please be safe, don't give up hope. We're gonna get through this, I promise. God bless you,' Beyonce said after the song before she blew a kiss to the camera. Elle Fanning, 22, introduced Ariana, 26, who sang I Won't Say I Am In Love from Hercules. Hold tight: 'Please hold onto your families tight. Please be safe, don't give up hope. We're gonna get through this, I promise. God bless you,' Beyonce said after the song before she blew a kiss to the camera. Special introduction: Elle Fanning introduced Ariana who sang I Won't Say I Am In Love from Hercules Ariana said Hercules was her favorite Disney movie before performing using multiple screens. Tracee Ellis Rose introduced Christina Aguilera who sang the Disney song Can You Feel The Love Tonight from The Lion King. The childhood Disney star performed with her dog reclining next to her on pillows. Favorite song: Ariana said that Hercules was her favorite Disney movie Disney child: Christina Aguilera sang the Disney song Can You Feel The Love Tonight from The Lion King The episode also featured a High School Musical reunion that included Vanessa Hudgens, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Lucas Grabeel, KayCee Stroh and Raven-Symone. It ended with Michael Buble and Demi Lovato performing a duet to Cinderella's A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes. It featured special thanks to essential workers and those on the frontline in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Exceptions can be made to the no visiting rule where possible for patients in palliative care, the HSE has said. The Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) yesterday called for the health authority to clarify whether family members are allowed to visit patients nearing death in care facilities as strict no-visiting restrictions have been implemented in high-risk Covid-19 areas, such as ICU units. A HSE spokesperson today said an exception can be made to the no visiting rule where possible for patients who are suffering with serious illness. However, the numbers of family members allowed to visit is restricted. A HSE spokesperson said: "An exception is made to the no visiting rule for patients who are palliative in so far as is possible and as you can appreciate this is challenging given the need to maintain strict infection control guidelines which are there to protect everyone. The numbers allowed to avail of this visiting is restricted." The spokesperson said hospital staff are working to keep patients connected with family through video chat. "Hospitals are making an incredible effort at a very difficult time to support all patients to maintain contact with their loved ones during their hospitalisation. "Staff are hugely conscious of the importance of maintaining contact with families to reduce the isolation felt by patients and reassurance to their loved ones during their stay in hospital. Many hospitals have set up patient care package systems, patient specific postal systems and virtual visiting through the use of iPads and mobile phones." The IHF has recommended that one family member should be allowed to visit every person who is dying in hospitals and care settings. The group has also sought guidance from the health authority on how families can make a request to the hospital or care setting. When asked to respond to the IHF's call for guidance at a briefing this morning, HSE Chief Clinical Officer, Dr Colm Henry said: "The current advice we get is through The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) to give advice on contacts, and any such advice or request from the Irish Hospice association, we will look through the experts of advisory groups advising any restrictions or ease of restrictions so there is a common policy and a common understanding for all healthcare settings." Re: Calculus, a subject offered to high school students planning to attend [ #permalink 1 Kudos A total of 429 members of a Tablighi Jamaat group have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Pakistan's Sindh province. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said 429 members of the religious group had attended the annual congregation in Raiwand in Punjab province and all of them have had tested positive so far. He said the members who have tested positive for COVID-19 have been kept in isolation to control the spread of the virus. "Out of some 4,692 Tablighi Jamaat members in the province, tests have been carried out on some 4,653 so far," he said. The tally of the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country climbed on Friday to 7,260 with 137 deaths. In Punjab the number of such cases is 3,300. Tablighi Jamaat members have emerged as the prime suspects among potential coronavirus carriers, not just in Pakistan but in India, Malaysia and Brunei. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Duke of Cambridge has shared his concerns for the health of the Queen amid the coronavirus pandemic. During an interview with the BBC to mark the launch of a new mental health campaign with the NHS and Public Health England, Prince William discussed the impact the Covid-19 outbreak is having on the royal family. The duke said he is worried about his grandparents health due to their age, adding that he is doing all he can to protect them. Last month, the Queen, 93, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 98, moved to Windsor Castle as a precautionary measure. Recommended Royal family send thank you letters and donation to Captain Tom Moore Obviously I think very carefully about my grandparents, who are the age they're at, we're doing everything we can to make sure that they're isolated away and protected from this, William said. The royal also confessed to feeling worried when his father the Prince of Wales, 71, was diagnosed with coronavirus. I have to admit at first I was quite concerned, he fits the profile of somebody, at the age he's at, which is, you know, fairly risky, and so I was a little bit worried, William said. But my father has had many chest infections, colds and things like that over the years and so I thought to myself (if) anybody's going to be able to beat this it's going to be him. The duke added that his father was very lucky to have only experienced mild symptoms. I got a lot of good reassurance from doctors and friends of mine who said 'listen, the days he's on when we found out about it, he's probably passed the worst of it', William explained. And obviously speaking to him made me feel more reassured that he was OK, but again at that age you do worry a bit more. The Duchess of Cambridge also spoke candidly about the outbreak, adding that the extraordinary job NHS staff and other frontline workers are doing will dramatically change how people value them in the future. Kate Middleton said the higher status of doctors, nurses, care home workers, and others will be one of the main positives to come out of the coronavirus crisis. When the duchess was asked whether the Covid-19 outbreak would fundamentally change who we are and what we value, she replied: Yes absolutely. I think what we're seeing now is the NHS and the frontline workers are doing the most extraordinary job and that's really come to the forefront in the last few weeks. And I think it's going to dramatically change how we all value and see our frontline workers and I think that is one of the main positives that you can take from this. They do an extraordinary job, it goes unrecognised daily and now I think all of us as a nation can really see how hard they work and how vital their work is. The comments come as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge launch a new campaign designed to encourage people to look after their mental health during lockdown. The campaign, called Every Mind Matters is targeted at those most at-risk of poor mental health and urges everyone to sign up for a tailored Covid-19 mind plan online. The royal couple say in the video accompanying the launch: All over the country people are staying at home to protect the NHS and save lives. Its not always easy. We can feel frustrated, miss loved ones or get anxious. So now more than ever, Every Mind Matters. Action would be taken against healthcare personnel if any patient needing immediate attention is turned away from hospitals without treatment, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Friday. He made the remarks while chairing a video conference meeting with the Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal, Health Minister Satyendar Jain and medical superintendents of major central and city government hospitals and municipal commissioners of Delhi. Vardhan said he has received a lot of complaints through calls, social media, twitter and the print media, regarding denial of treatment to patients suffering from critical ailments, other than COVID-19. He said these patients include those requiring dialysis, blood transfusion and those suffering from respiratory or heart diseases. We need to take a serious view against this denial of treatment to patients who have been visiting hospitals in case of emergency and are being forced to visit a number of hospitals, one after another resulting in denial of immediate medical attention which may result in loss of their lives," the minister said. He instructed all the medical superintendents of hospitals to take proper care of non-COVID patients just like they are taking care of COVID-19 patients. It is a testing time for everybody during the lockdown. Patients who are really ill and require urgent medical attention are venturing out with great difficulty to reach the hospital for treatment in this situation, Vardhan said. "We should not turn them away on any kind of flimsy pretexts as certain procedures like blood transfusion, dialysis etc can't wait," he said. "Action would be taken against erring health care personnel if any patient needing immediate attention is turned away from hospitals without treatment," he said. He said the national capital presently has dedicated COVID-19 facilities in hospitals like AIIMS and Safdarjung, and two dedicated COVID Delhi Government hospitals--LNJP and Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital. The rest of the hospitals are supposed to take care of non- COVID patients who have been visiting hospitals with a hope of getting due treatment, Vardhan said. The health ministry has also issued a detailed guideline on enabling delivery of essential healthcare services to meet the unprecedented demand on the current healthcare system during this outbreak. Such patients may also be provided services related to tele-consultation, digital prescription and home delivery of medicines, Vardhan said. He urged them to respond to these patients with compassion and care as they are already going through severe hardships during lockdown. We need pre-emptive, proactive, and effective measures to treat all the needy patients including those from vulnerable sections, the Union minister said Vardhan exhorted hospitals to keep sufficient blood stock for transfusion by promoting voluntary blood donors and utilising various services like mobile blood collection vans with the help of Indian Red Cross Society. In addition to this, he asked the Indian Red Cross Society to send such mobile blood collection vans to the premises of regular blood donors to facilitate them to come forward for blood donation which is a noble deed at this point of time. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Containment operations will be scaled down if no secondary positive case of Covid-19 is reported from a quarantine zone for at least four weeks after the last confirmed test has been isolated and all his contacts have been followed up for 28 days, the Union health ministry has said. IMAGE: Disinfectants being sprayed in an area at Dharavi in Mumbai after it was declared a Covid-19 containment zone. Photograph: PTI Photo. According to the ministry's Updated containment plan for large outbreaks Covid-19, a containment operation (large outbreak or cluster) is deemed to be over 28 days from the date the last case in that zone tests negative. The closing of the surveillance for the clusters could be independent of one another provided there is no geographic continuity between clusters. However, the surveillance will continue for severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI). States shall ensure that all required steps are taken to contain clusters within the large outbreak and chain of transmission is broken, it said. The document stated that in India also, clusters and large outbreaks have been noted in parts of the country and unless they are contained in time, the risk of further spread remains very high. A large number of cases has been reported from Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The Centre has declared 170 hotspots -- 123 hotspot districts with large outbreaks and 47 hotspot districts with clusters. Besides, it has identified 207 non-hotspot districts with clusters. In a bid to utilise the extended lockdown period to the maximum extent to contain the spread of coronavirus, states have been asked by the ministry to classify districts witnessing higher number of cases or high growth rate as hotspots, districts where some cases have been found as non-hotspots, and those which have reported no cases as green zones. According to the health ministry's document, "containment for large outbreaks through geographic quarantine strategy calls for near absolute interruption of movement of people to and from a relatively large defined area where there is single large outbreak or multiple foci of local transmission" of Covid-19. In simple terms, it is a barrier erected around the focus of infection. Geographic quarantine shall be applicable to such areas reporting large outbreak and/or multiple clusters of Covid-19 spread over multiple blocks of one or more districts that are contiguous based on the distribution of cases and contacts. According to the plan, the authorities will do extensive contact tracing and active search for cases in containment zone, test all suspect cases and high-risk contacts, isolate all suspect or confirmed cases, implement social distancing measures and intensive risk communication as part of the cluster containment strategy. For large outbreaks amenable to containment, the documents stated that the strategy will remain the same but vary in extent depending upon spread and response to be mounted to contain it. Geographic quarantine and containment strategy will include defining the area of operation, active surveillance for cases and contacts in the identified geographic zone, expanding laboratory capacity for testing all suspect cases, high risk contacts and SARI cases and operationalising surge capacities created for isolation (Covid-19 hospitals/blocks) to hospitalise and manage all suspect or confirmed cases. It will also include implementation of social distancing measures with strict perimeter control, providing chemoprophylaxis with hydroxychloroquine to all asymptomatic healthcare workers and asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory confirmed cases and further intensification of risk communication through audio, social and visual media. "The objective of this containment plan is to stop the chain of transmission thus reducing the morbidity and mortality due to Covid-19," the ministry said. The death toll due to coronavirus rose to 420 and the number of cases in the country climbed to 13,387 on Friday, according to the Union health ministry. However, 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. There has been a lag in the Union health ministry figures, compared to the number of deaths announced by different states, which officials attribute to procedural delays in assigning the cases to individual states. The Rev. James E. Coyle, pastor of St. Pauls Church (now Cathedral) from 1904 until he was shot to death on the porch of the rectory next to the cathedral on Aug. 11, 1921, wrote a column in the Birmingham News that appeared in the newspaper leading up to Sunday, Oct. 20, 1918, the second consecutive Sunday that churches were asked to stop public gatherings. Were pretty on line with him in what were saying, said Bishop Robert J. Baker, current pastoral administrator of the Diocese of Birmingham. He emphasized social distancing, but talked about the ache in our heart. The message is very contemporary. During the 1918 influenza pandemic in Birmingham, churches were closed. The Birmingham News offered to print sermons, service outlines, scriptures and announcements sent in by various clergy to help people worship at home. Coyle kept copies of the newspaper clippings, which are still in the parish records of the cathedral. (See "What clergy said when influenza closed churches in 1918). On Monday, Oct. 7, 1918, Alabama Gov. Charles Henderson ordered the closing of schools, churches and theaters to avoid the spread of the Spanish influenza. It was a similar situation to today, where the spread of coronavirus has forced the closure of most public houses of worship since March 15. Some have already announced they will continue to suspend public worship through May 17 as a matter of public safety. Here is Coyles message from October 1918, as printed in The Birmingham News: AN ADDRESS TO CATHOLICS. By Rev. Father James E. Coyle, Pastor of St. Pauls Catholic Church. My Dear Catholic Brethren: A situation unprecedented in the history of our State presents itself to you today. By order of the civil authorities, and by the advice of your religious leaders, you will not assemble, as you were wont to assemble on Sundays, in your various Catholic churches to assist at Holy Mass. That you may have some words of uplift and cheer, The Birmingham News, with its wonted up-to-dateness, has courteously invited me to write a few words for its many Catholic readers, and I am thus enabled to address, by means of the printed word, a congregation greater far than the five congregations that Sunday after Sunday gather at St. Pauls. [1] I gratefully accept the courtesy of The News. You are for the first time in your lives deprived of the opportunity of hearing Mass on Sunday, and you will, I trust from this very circumstance, appreciate more thoroughly what Holy Mass is for the Catholics. Sunday service is no mere gathering for prayer, no coming to a temple to join in hymns of praise to the Maker, or to listen to the words of a spiritual guide, pointing out he means whereby men may walk in righteousness and go forward on the narrow way that leads to life eternal. No, there is something else that draws the Catholics, to the wonderment of non-Catholics, from their warm homes on cold bleak Winter dawns to trample through snow-covered streets in their thousands and hundreds of thousands to a crowded church, where they kneel reverently absorbed in the contemplation of a man, who in a strange garb, at a lighted altar, genuflects and bows and performs strange actions and speaks in a long dead tongue.[2] What draws the multitude? The Mass, the unutterable sweetness of the Mass. Nothing human could draw, but the Mass is the God-given sacrifice offered the Creator, it is Holy Thursday come down and Calvary made present today. Mass is God really and truly present on our Catholic altars, a living unbloody victim offered again for the sins of men, offered, too, in thanksgiving for all the wondrous graces that unceasing flow from Gods great mercy throne on high. Yes, the Mass is the center of Catholic worship. It is the Mass that matters. Where the Mass is, there is God Himself, really, truly, though under sacramental veils. What a glorious history the history of the Mass! See it offered in the first centuries, in the catacombs over the bodies of martyrs by men who themselves will be martyred tomorrow. The Missionary leaving Rome for lands afar brings with him to sway the hearts of men, when the persuasive words of human wisdom fail, the Eucharistic God, made present in the Mass. See, in Ireland an entire people kept true to St. Patricks faith by the Mass. See Columbus and his men, kneeling at Mass on the early morn of the day, when they sailed away from Palos, to lift forever the mists from the Atlantic, and to win half a world for God. Ah, brethren, let us today reflect on the meaning and the history of that great sacrifice at which we may not assist, a sacrifice that links us with the saints and sages of every age from Christs time till now, and let us beg God in his mercy to remove from us that sickness that keeps us deprived of the great sacrifice, so that soon we may again with glad, worshipful hearts, meet in our churches and assist in offering to the All High that clean oblation, seen by the prophet Malachy in vision,[3] that sacrifice that is offered in every place from the rising to the set of sun. Notes from the Rev. Bryan Jerabek, current pastor of St. Pauls Cathedral: [1] Father Coyle here means that here would have been five distinct Masses each Sunday morning at St. Pauls at that time. [2] Mass was only offered in Latin then. [3] Here Father Coyle refers to an Old Testament passage from the prophet Malachi that has traditionally been understood as referring to Christs sacrifice as perpetuated through Holy Mass: For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a clean offering; for my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 1:11) And heres another message from Coyle published in The Birmingham News in October 1918: A MESSAGE TO CATHOLICS. (By Rev. James E. Coyle, of St. Pauls Catholic Church.) The vigorous efforts made by the health authorities of our city to stamp out the epidemic is, in one form or another, working hardship and discomfort to every single citizen, and this hardship and discomfort is cheerfully endured for the universal good. All partial evil universal good.[1] Sunday without holy mass is the chief discomfort the Catholics have to put up with. To many the memories handed down from penal days, when godless persecution reigned, and Ireland hopelessly complained, vividly arise.[2] We can appreciate how they felt in those days now happily passed forever. Sunday for Birmingham Catholics was wont to be a joyful day. These Sundays it is the reverse. It is certain as good comes from every evil, that a deeper appreciate of the holy sacrifice will result from this necessary legislation. How true it is that we never really appreciate our blessings till deprived of the same for a season. After mass the sacraments are missed. When we speak of the sacraments we ordinarily mean the two of the seven that are so frequently received by the devout Catholic, the sacrament of mercy, penance and the sacrament of love, holy eucharist. Sunday after Sunday, thank God for it, large numbers of our people, having cleansed their souls in the blood of the lamb by a sincere confession of sin, have knelt at the altar rails and received into their hearts the very body and blood of the Son of God. Nay, not only on Sundays, but the piety of some induced moreover the reception of the sacraments on Thursday at holy hour, and some there were that every day took daily supersubstantial bread,[3] the living bread coming down from heaven, His flesh for the life of the world.[4] Deprived of this they grieve and hope and pray that the time of exile will be short, and that soon again daily mass and daily communion will bring some of heavens brightness into their daily lives. Indeed and indeed, the times are out of joint.[5] Holding as we do with firmest faith a belief that to many is folly, that holy mass is calvary continued, that our sins, when repented of sincerely and confessed to one of those who inherit apostolic powers, through holy orders handed down, are washed away, that holy eucharist is the true, real substantial body and blood, soul and divinity of Gods Son, the incarnate second person of the trinity, Jesus Christ, small wonder that deprived of access to these we hope and pray fervently that the epidemic will soon pass away, that our churches may once more be thrown open to our devout worshippers. Darkness in a sense is at present over the face of the city. May there soon be a fiat lux.[6] Notes from Jerabek: [1] This is a quotation from An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope, first published around 1733 which evidently was better-known to readers in 1918. [2] He quotes from a poem called The Penal Days by the famous 19th century Irish Poet, Thomas Osborne Davis. [3] Here Fr. Coyle refers to the Lords Prayer as it came down through the Latin Vulgate, in which, instead of saying, Give us this day our daily bread, said, Give us this day our supersubstantial bread. This variation arises from the fact that there are many different biblical manuscripts in existence among which there are differences. Because we do not have the original copies of any of the biblical manuscripts, scholars have the task of determining which variants are closest to the original; this they do through critical evaluation. Therefore, since Fr. Coyles time, scholarship has settled largely on the daily bread version instead of supersubstantial bread. Both variants are an important part of our Catholic textual tradition. [4] It must be remembered that Holy Communion was generally not received as frequently in Fr. Coyles time. Devout Catholics always attended Mass but did not always receive Holy Communion at every Mass they attended. [5] This appears to be a quotation from a 1904 work of fiction by Herbert Hayens, My Swords My Fortune: A Story of Old France. Fr. Coyles frequent use of literary quotations indicates that he was well-read. [6] Fiat lux is Latin for Let there be light the first words that God spoke in the book of Genesis, as they came down through the Ancient Vulgate version of the Sacred Scriptures. Washington President Donald Trump faced international resistance Thursday to his plan to cut U.S. payments to the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump has accused the organization of mishandling its response and showing too much deference to China, where the new coronavirus first emerged. The White House said Trump's conversation with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan "centered on the lack of transparency and chronic mismanagement of the pandemic by the WHO" and said the Group of Seven leaders called for a "thorough review and reform process." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said everyone on the call recognized the importance of continuing to coordinate and collaborate on the science around the pandemic, to work on public health measures and to share information about vaccine development and possible treatments. German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her "full support" for the WHO and similar international groups, and stressed that it will take "a strong and coordinated international response" to defeat the pandemic, said her spokesman, Steffen Seibert. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is standing in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he recovers from the coronavirus, said the leaders agreed that rapid development and production of treatments and a vaccine are crucial, the British government said. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The Italian foreign ministry said it was committed to consolidating a global governance of health care "in which the WHO plays a crucial leadership role." A statement issued after a separate teleconference of French, German and Italian foreign ministry officials said Italy is considering new contributions to the WHO for research and distribution of a vaccine "for which a global, inclusive effort will be necessary." Separately, Germany's foreign minister warned Thursday that cutting funding for the WHO was like "throwing the pilot out the plane." Trump announced that he will end U.S. contributions to the WHO, claiming the outbreak could have been contained at its source and lives could have been saved had the U.N. health agency done a better job investigating the early reports coming out of China. The WHO has said its work will continue regardless of any action taken by the United States. Insurance Commissioner Ricard Lara speaks in Sonora View Photo Sacramento, CA Get an opportunity to get information and address concerns pertaining to the impact of COVID-19 on small businesses. With many businesses experiencing tremendous economic loss during this emergency, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara wants to hear from owners and release useful information regarding insurance protection. Lara is holding a Tele-Town Hall on Friday, April 17th at 10:00 a.m. Not only will insurance issues be addressed by the commissioner will be joined by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), and the advocacy group Small Business Majority, whose coronavirus impact report can be found here.) The discussion will center around current coverage options and a path forward as the pandemic subsides. Lara notes that the panelists will not be able to respond individually to every submitted question during the call. The commissioners office supplied this sample of questions that will be covered: What is the federal government and State of California doing to assist small businesses and their workers? What is the role of the Department of Insurance in regulating insurance companies during this current emergency? What are my options if I do not have coverage for business losses due to the COVID-19 virus? To take part in the call RSVP via email to crb@insurance.ca.gov. A call-in number will be emailed in advance of the event. All businesses are encouraged by the Department of Insurance to contact their agent, broker, or insurance company to learn what coverage applies to their individual insurance policies. Questions regarding claims or insurance company complaints can be made to the department by calling (800) 927-4357 or click here. For answers to frequently asked questions, click here. 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. Chinese police have arrested 42 people for hoarding and driving up the price of the cloth material used to make face masks, as well as illegally producing shoddy and inferior material for resale. The Ministry of Public Security said in a statement Friday that a nationwide task force had been formed to crack down on crimes related to the production of masks, which almost all Chinese wear when in public and many in their offices and even homes as a safeguard against coronavirus. That has led to scarcities in many places and severe price increases, especially in online sales. The ministry statement said raids in the southern industrial hub of Guangdong and three other provinces in early and mid-March resulted in the breaking of 20 cases and the seizure of material worth more than 34 million yuan (almost USD 5 million). China has become a major exporter of masks and the raw material for making them, and sought to tighten quality standards following complaints from some countries about inferior products. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Reuters) - Myanmar will free almost 25,000 prisoners in an amnesty to mark the traditional New Year, the president's office said on Friday, its largest mass pardon in recent years. President Win Myint said 24,896 people jailed across the country, including 87 foreigners, would be freed unconditionally to bring delights to the citizens of Myanmar and taking into consideration humanitarian concerns. The president gave no details of the crimes the prisoners were convicted of. Zaw Zaw, a spokesman for the prisons department, told Reuters by telephone the large number being released was not linked to concern about the coronavirus, Myanmar has reported 85 cases and four deaths from the coronavirus, which emerged in neighboring China late last year and has spread around the world. Crowds gathered outside Insein prison in the commercial capital of Yangon on Friday hoping to greet family members, despite a ban on gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus. Last year, about 23,000 people were freed over several days in the annual amnesty, according to state media. More than 8,000 were released the previous year. It was not immediately clear whether the release would include anyone convicted in connection with acts of dissent against the government. The prison department says there are no political prisoners in Myanmar but rights groups say dozens of people are in prison because of their political activity. Asked if any such prisoners were among those being released, Zaw Zaw said the prison department did not put "labels" on freed prisoners. An official at Insein prison said he did not know if any activists or dissidents were being freed. When Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi took power in 2016, after more than half a century of military rule, one of her first acts was to release hundreds of political prisoners. "The government doesn't actually acknowledge political prisoners but we were asked for some lists and we gave a list of over 70," said Aung Myo Kyaw of the rights group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). Story continues "We still don't know if any of them are released, he said. More than 331 people were prosecuted in freedom of expression-related cases in 2019, according to human rights nonprofit group Athan. Those behind bars include members of a satirical poetry troupe and students imprisoned last month for protesting against a government-imposed internet shutdown. While the military retains extensive powers, activists say the civilian government has failed to use its overwhelming parliamentary majority to scrap repressive laws stifling dissent, tightening restrictions on civil society. The AAPP says there are more than 92,000 people in Myanmar's over-stretched prison system, with some jails operating at double or triple capacity. So the number being released would represent more than a quarter of the prison population. The government has not released information recently about the prison population. (Editing by Robert Birsel) Amanda Strudwick (pictured above) contracting the coronavirus after helping an elderly woman who she was sharing a ward with A former nurse who was battling cancer died alone after catching the coronavirus from an elderly dementia patient she was sharing a ward with in hospital. Amanda Strudwick had survived lung cancer last year but was admitted to a hospital in Lincolnshire in March with pleurisy and pneumonia. The 52-year-old was told that her cancer had returned and was admitted to Pilgrim Hospital. During her spell in hospital the former nurse and care home manager befriended and elderly woman with dementia. Amanda who was well known in her local area of Boston didn't know that woman was battling Covid-19 and one night she helped put her back to bed when she became distressed and disorientated. Her selfless act of kindness contributed to her death in hospital with no family present on April 11. Now, her family are spearheading a campaign to raise money for the NHS in her memory and have designed 'warrior' t-shirts' to raise money for the NHS Charities Together Campaign. Amanda was told that her cancer had returned and was admitted to Pilgrim Hospital in Lincolnshire (above) Daughter Nicole, 26, from Wigtoft, said: 'My mum was an amazing human being. She worked as a nurse in the NHS for many of years and then managed a little nursing home called White Gables in Kirton Lincolnshire. 'My mum was a survivor to lung cancer. She only had a half a lung on her left side with her normal lung on the right. 'Unfortunately she got pleurisy and pneumonia and ended up being admitted to hospital. We then find out my mum's cancer had returned so as a family we had to deal with that.' Nicole highlighted that her mother had been sharing a ward with a woman who was suffering from advanced dementia. 'My mum, being the beautiful lady she was, decided that although she was poorly she would get out of bed and help this old lady back to her bed, holding her hand to let the lady know she could trust my mum. 'Little did my mum know she would then contract COVID-19 off this lady. Unfortunately, due to getting this and having the cancer and pneumonia, we lost my mum.' Amanda is also survived by husband Chris, 59, son Callum, 20, and her other daughter Tiffany, 25, who lives in Hull. Tiffany, a police officer with Humberside Police, said that if her mother had her time again and knew what was coming she would still have cared for the elderly lady. Tiffany's friend Charlie Moss has designed charity NHS Warrior T-shirts , with 20 from each sale going to the NHS She said: 'My mum was in with cancer. She was COVID-19 clear. The only person she came into contact with was the lady she helped. 'But if she was here today knowing what she would go through she would have still helped that lady, because that's the sort of person she was.' Tiffany said that her mother had come home from hospital for five days when it emerged the woman she helped had tested positive for coronavirus. Amanda was rushed back to hospital after becoming really poorly and she too tested positive. Tiffany said her mother was put into her own room. 'The worst thing was that we were not with her when she died. Dad did go onto the ward dressed up in full PPE on the night she died and he was with her for an hour but not at the end'. She added that her mother was unable to speak, but that he main concern had been that she was sorry for her children. 'She did not say goodbye, she said: 'See you later.' 'Mum was very well known in Boston. If you went into town shopping with her she'd be stopped five times. 'People have to realise that you cannot be going out and about and doing things like going to barbecues.' Tiffany's friend Charlie Moss has designed charity NHS Warrior T-shirts, with 20 from each sale going to the NHS. Amanda's daughter Nicole said: 'Mum was very well known by a lot of people - she changed lives. That's why we're trying to make awareness and to raise money for the NHS. 'While we couldn't be there, the hospital staff became her second family. She was so loved and she was taken care of. 'Coronavirus is happening out there. My mum's deaths has hit home with a lot of people.' "Serving in the military changes you. The shades and degrees of change vary for everyone, but no one is ever the same as... COVID-19 pandemic will not hamper holding an investigation into the crash of Ukrainian International Airlines' plane, which was shot down by Iran in January, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview with Radio Svoboda. "The pandemic complicates everything. Diplomacy as a whole is going through a special time when all contacts transferred online. But I would say that it does not significantly affect negotiations on this issue. That is, everything that needs to be solved to achieve the goal can be solved even in such conditions," Kuleba said on Friday. The minister noted that on Wednesday he has had a telephone conference with the foreign ministers of Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan and the United Kingdom, during which he also discussed this issue. "We agreed that a pandemic will not hinder us in any of the key issues. Somewhere we'll just have to come up with more creative ways to solve logistics problems," Kuleba said. The foreign minister also assured that Ukraine's position has not changed, and he continues to work on the result in close cooperation with colleagues from the International Coordination and Response Group for the Victims of Flight PS752 Crash. "The goal remains unchanged: to establish justice, to pay compensation to families, a full, independent and transparent investigation and responsibility for the downing of the aircraft, in accordance with international law," he said. New Delhi, April 17 : The Union Health Ministry said Indian scientists and researchers are working on vaccine development and that by next month, 10 lakh indigenously developed RT-PCR kits would be manufactured. Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary Health Ministry, said the government is working with global partners on the vaccine development front and introducing it for the general public. Although it is a time-consuming process, "we are accelerating the processes involved." He said the RT-PCR kit manufacturing work is in progress. By May, we can produce around 10 lakh kits. "We are also working on manufacturing 10 lakh rapid antibody detection kits", he said. The real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (real time RT-PCR) test is considered one of the most accurate lab methods to detect, track and study coronavirus. The Health Ministry official said that top government organizations - the Council for Scientific and Industrial Search, Department of Biotechnology and Science and Technology, and Department of Atomic Energy -- have also contributed in the fight against coronavirus by providing 30 labs to enhance the overall testing for the viral infection. The ministry said it has prioritized the indigenous manufacturing of new rapid and accurate diagnostic kits, which can provide results in 30 minutes. "Innovative pooling strategies, limited tested to increase large numbers of people; we are focusing our efforts to increase indigenous synthesis of critical components for domestic kit production. We are also working viral sequencing, to epidemiologically identify mutation, and vaccine development and work is in progress to develop RNA-based vaccines", said Agarwal. He said the priority is also to work on drugs for the future, "although we have many potential drugs, but none of these has been proved so far". "Under a multi-pronged strategy we are working, taking into account India's indigenous knowledge to boost the immune system. We have partnered with WHO to determine different drug therapies. A scientific task force is working to re-evaluate the existing drugs, and if required, these drugs could be re-purposed for COVID-19 use. We are working on the indigenous synthesis of anti-viral drugs", said Agarwal. According to the Centre, of the 28,340 tests COVID-19 done on Thursday, 23,932 were conducted at 183 labs under Indian Council of Medical Research and rest were done at private labs. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman called the shutdown of the city total insanity, saying it is killing us. She also called for Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak to lift the restrictions and open up the economy. This shutdown has become one of total insanity, in my opinion, Goodman said during a City Council meeting on Wednesday. For there is no backup of data as to why we are shut down from the start, no plan in place how to move through the shutdown or how even to come out of it. Goodman noted that a relatively small number of the citys population has died from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from mainland China and causes the disease COVID-19. Tragically, we have already lost, to this virus, 128 individuals in Nevada, she said.But let me tell you, with a population of 3.2 million living in Nevada, those whom we have lost represent less than half of one percent of our population, which has caused us to shut down our entire state and everything that makes Nevada unique. Goodman added that some 900,000 people have lost their jobs and 300,000 have filed for unemployment. These are families that no longer have the ability to buy food for their children and other loved ones. Pay their bills. Pay their rent. Pay their mortgage. Pay their car payment. Or enjoy the life that they had prior to this shutdown, she said. It makes no sense. It makes no sense. The mayor added that experts said the virus would be around for at least a year and that the economy simply cannot survive such a huge shutdown any longer. Councilman Cedric Crear, an entrepreneur himself who lost his aunt to the disease, acknowledged that businesses in Las Vegas are suffering but added, Its important that we do follow the regulations and follow the guidelines that our health care professionals are laying out for us because one death is too many. We cannot keep our heads in the sand and think its going to go away, Goodman said. Were adults with brains who can know what to do to wash our hands, to take all precautions not to spread this disease. It will be part of what we work through going forward, Goodman added. States like Nevada and Florida both have a relatively high numbers of residents who are considered vulnerable to the virusnamely, the elderlyand both states have economies that depend largely on tourism. City manager Scott Adams told The Las Vegas Review-Journal that $160 million in aid from the congressional stimulus bill could be granted, but was unsure when it would arrive. If theres ever a time where the old saying, show me the money, applies, its right now, he said. Nick Oxford / Reuters Thursday was a one-two punch in the gut for the economy. Just hours after the U.S. Department of Labor announced that over five million Americans lost their jobs in the past week, the federal governments fund to keep small businesses afloatconsidered Washingtons key measure to keep people employedran out of money after just two weeks of operation. That initiative, called the Paycheck Protection Program, will likely be shuttered for business for days, as congressional Democrats refuse to accept a refill of the programs coffers unless Republicans agree to pair it with new funding for the countrys hard-hit hospitals and state governments, which are similarly struggling to stay above water. Amid another day of a familiar Washington split-screenlawmakers torching each other before retreating to negotiate behind closed doorsthe people whose lives and livelihoods are riding on the outcome of the political theater are watching anxiously from hundreds and thousands of miles away, wondering if the countrys leaders are able to meet a crisis of staggering scale. Asked what small businesses in Arizona need, Jess Romans answer was brief: The simple answer is money. Roman, the interim CEO of the Arizona Small Business Association, told The Daily Beast on Thursday that his group just conducted a survey of businesses in the state that have filed for relief under the PPP, which is a government loan to keep workers on payroll that doesnt need to be paid back. He expected most filers to be newer and less stable enterprises, but when the results came in, he was shocked at how many of the businesses seeking relief had been around for over a decade and had more than 10 employees. Thats tough stuff, he said. The news out of Washington that day didnt make it any easier. Now youre reading in the paper that Democrats and Republicans are once again fighting and because of that, everythings being held up, said Roman. You just can't be very hopeful about Washington. Story continues Small business advocates hope to see the relief funds replenished immediately, with or without the items Democrats demand. The availability of this program is the difference between holding on and not holding on, Brian Calley, president of the Small Business Association of Michigan, told The Daily Beast. But hospitals and state and local governmentswhich Democrats are fighting to increase funding to by hundreds of billions of dollarsare also hoping for a lifeline of their own soon. Their funding has not gone off a cliff, like the PPP has, but crunchtime is close. Hospitals are worried they may go under or have to dramatically cut back on services. State and local governmentswhich cant run deficitsare figuring out how to square an impossible budgetary circle with cratering tax revenue and increased expenses. In Elkins, West Virginia, Tracy Fath of the Davis Medical Center says that their facility has been relatively untouched by the virus but that a state ban on non-urgent and other procedures has tanked their revenue. Weve seen a 75, 80 percent drop in revenue in a short period of time, Fath told The Daily Beast. What we need help with is cash from this second round Congress is looking at just to maintain our business. I dont think were anywhere close to meeting the need there is currently, said Fath. I think it's just going to be compounded once we get a few months past this. Its the biggest thing Ive ever seen. Indeed, weeks after passing the $2 trillion CARES Act, one of the most sweeping pieces of legislation in U.S. history, lawmakers are already in the position of having to respond again to a crisis that seems to grow in size and severity with each passing day. As those affected hope for urgent action, lawmakers have to balance swiftness with the considerations of a web of constituencies with their own needs. Republicans, for their part, are incredulous that Democrats will not agree to a $250 billion extension of the PPP fundswhich were initially approved in the CARES Act without a single no votethat could be advanced on the Senate floor without having to bring lawmakers back to Washington for a vote. Earlier in the week, Democrats blocked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells attempt to green-light the funding in hopes of buying time to negotiate a broader deal. But as the PPP funding lapsed on Thursday, no deal had materialized, though talks were ongoing between congressional Democrats and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. It is absolutely surreal to see Democratic leaders treat support for workers and small businesses as something they need to be goaded into supporting, said McConnell (R-KY) on Thursday afternoon. Republicans say its not like theyre trying to slip a poison pill past Democrats. Republicans arent getting anything out of this deal, said a spokesman for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), an architect of the CARES Acts provisions for small businesses. This is not a time to come up with a wish list of things to squeeze out... Democrats have to decide if its worth holding small businesses hostage for some wish list. But many Democrats are incredulous themselves that the GOP wont agree to funding for states and hospitals that they also previously approved in the CARES Act. They also argue that aspects of the small business relief program need tweaks, and that its simply not a clean extension of the program. There's no reason we can't do both, said Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) on MSNBC Thursday. There is a simple package the Democrats have put forward that should be taken up and passed promptly. Some Democrats embrace the hardball as a smart political move. Democrats are getting hammered back in their states from hospitals, these gig workers, who are not just their constituents but their base, said a former Democratic aide. This is something they know they have to fix. They have the leverage now that they need to do it. The Republicans were going to hammer them no matter what, continued the former aide. The lesson some Democrats I hope are learning is, these guys are gonna scream whatever they want at the top of their lungs no matter what. Congress and the administration may soon reach a deal to satisfy all sides. But doing so after letting the PPP lapse for several days, to some advocates, is a hardly comforting sign of Washingtons ability to meet the crisis. Calley, with the Small Business Association of Michigan, said that if a deal doesnt come through soon, businesses will have to start making tough decisions: whether to take out a mortgage or liquidate assets just to cover another round of payroll. As I look at the steps taken so far, I think Congress and the president have shown a willingness to scale and to take steps bigger than any steps ever taken before to meet his unprecedented need, said Calley. Still, he said, we have been very discouraged by how difficult it is to cleanly get this done. Everybody needs to put aside partisan differences and just talk about how we can help people, help people stay in jobs and help businesses stay open, Jack Lavin, president and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, told The Daily Beast. Thats what should be a top priority for policymakers. But an extension of the size that lawmakers are pushing for is likely to give way to another one down the roadsooner rather than later, if the economic hurt from the crisis continues. Asked if the government were thinking big enough to meet the historic moment, Roman, of the Arizona Small Business Association, said no. Its toughits not like a black swan financial moment. Its a health thing. Its crazy. Theres a part of me that thinks, theres not even a solution, he said. Its a Rubiks Cube with no simple answer. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Crucial food packages left for the countrys most vulnerable people are being stolen from their doorsteps, police have revealed. Thieves are swiping the lifeline parcels after they are placed outside the homes of those told not to leave the house even to shop because they are so at risk from coronavirus. Cleveland Police are now investigating a number of such thefts, which they say could ultimately lead to loss of life if victims end up needing to go out to replace stolen essentials. Packages which include pasta, cereals, tinned foods and teabags are being sent out to many of the 1.5 million people told they are most at risk from Covid-19 and should not leave the house under any circumstance. Recipients described as the shielded include organ transplantees, cancer patients, people with severe lung conditions, those with weakened immune systems and pregnant women with heart conditions. Chief Superintendent Thom McLoughlin, of Cleveland Police, which covers Middlesborough, Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees, described the thefts as heartless. In a statement released by the force, he added: In itself this is appalling but the concern is that ultimately this may force those shielding to venture out to source food supplies putting themselves or family members at additional risk. Every day our officers on the streets see evidence of communities coming together in unity against Covid-19, every Thursday we hear the clapping for our amazing NHS and carers, and we see story after story on social media of heroism and sacrifice. We will not let the actions of a few heartless criminals tarnish the work of so many and we will make every effort to bring them to justice. The warning comes after it emerged that a pensioner was forced to eat out of her rubbish bin to survive after a food delivery was stolen from her doorstep earlier this month. Metropolitan Police officers were notified of a woman who had no friends or family nearby and so had ordered groceries online. 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 However, the 84-year-old became imprisoned in her own home in Feltham, south London, after accidentally locking herself inside with no way of leaving, officers said. While she was trapped, a callous individual took advantage of the situation and stole the food delivery from her front doorstep, the Met said in a Facebook post. When officers arrived at her home they found the victim had literally no food in her fridge and had resorted to eating out of the rubbish bin to survive. US outlines phased reopening, as China faces virus ire WORLD: President Donald Trump laid out guidelines yesterday (Apr 16) for a gradual reopening of the United States after the battering of the coronavirus pandemic, saying normal life should resume quickly in some states. CoronavirusCOVID-19 By AFP Friday 17 April 2020, 10:09AM President Donald Trump, flanked by Vice President Mike Pence, announces a gradual reopening of the United States. Photo: AFP Trumps 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 worlds 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. Were opening up our country. The United States accounts for the most COVID-19 deaths of any country, with almost 35,000 of the nearly 145,000 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. Trumps 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 yesterday 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. Well have to ask the hard questions about how it came about and how it couldnt 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 dont 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. Were 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 Chinas 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 (WHO) 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 Europes 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 citys 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 worlds 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. Expecting a total of 3,000 exhibitors, they will showcase their latest technologies and products at CIOE 2020, which covers information communications, laser, infrared, precision optics, lens and camera module, optoelectronic sensor and photonic innovations. With more space, CIOE's capable to integrate more resources and to welcome more new optoelectronic companies to explore the further of the industry together. More than 500+ new exhibitors have confirmed their debuts at CIOE 2020, joining the world's largest optoelectronic gathering. HiSilicon, the eye-catcher in optical communications industry, will bring along its latest optical components and modules at CIOE 2020 - Information and Communication Expo. Key players such as Sifotonics, XDK COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT, Triple-stone Technology will also bring along their latest products in cables/fibers, testing, sensing, and in device manufacturing and processing. Meanwhile, STAr technologies, SET CORPORATION SA, Peilican Products and Services will be also launching CIOE 2020 with instrumentation and measurement device, optical communication chips and systems. For the CIOE 2020 - Precision Optics Lens and Camera Module Expo, key players such as ASM MICROELECTRONIC TECHNICAL SERVICES, HUTTINGER, Beijing Machine Toll Research Institute, SUMITA OPTICS, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, Edwards Vacuum will present their up-to-date products in optical coating, optical imaging measurement and optical lens & modules. Meanwhile Teledyne Photometrics, Jagular Industry, SOLAR CHEMICAL APPLIED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY, RADIATION TECHNOLOGY, DELO Industrial Adhesives, Isuzu Optics, NAGASE will also complete the precision optics product categories from materials to module to manufacturing and processing equipment. Suzhou Everbright Photonics, Connet Fiber Optic, Beijing Exuberance Opto-electronics Technology, Suzhou Bellin Laser, OPUS MICROSYSTEMS, SYNTEC TECHNOLOGY, Light Conversion, Altechna, Ekspla, Workshop of Photonics, QS Lasers, Direct Machining Control, and Optogama will further richen choice of laser supply chain at CIOE 2020 - Lasers Technology & Intelligent Manufacturing Expo specialized for laser micro-processing and manufacturing. NJU Institute of Sensing and imaging Engineering, SHENZHEN CREATOR INVENTOR CONNECTOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, China Building Material Academy, Unl-Trend Technology, SHANGHAI MAGNITY ELECTRONICS, SuZhou Gem Optpelectronic Technology, BEIJING ZHONGXING TIMES TECHNOLOGY, Chengdu Ultra pure Applied Materials and EAST OPTOELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY will also showcase the hot the infrared applications in imaging, inspection, energy, surveillance and safety, and fire prevention at CIOE 2020 - Infrared Applications Expo, while Fraunhofer FEP, Optochip optoelectronics, iReach corporation and Qingdao Pico Technology will presenting their 3D imaging and 3D sensing items, liDAR and fiber optic sensor at CIOE 2020 - Optoelectronic Sensor Expo. It is expected that CIOE will again bring premier event for buyer in all optoelectronic categories thanks to their debuts at CIOE 2020. Register now to join CIOE 2020 at Shenzhen World in the coming September. SOURCE CIOE Advertisement Hundreds of police officers and squad cars lined the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Thursday for a final salute to a fellow officer who was gunned down on the job. Breann 'Bre' Leath, 24, was fatally shot when responding to a domestic violence call at a home on April 9. Leath was described by police chaplain Patricia Holman as a 'beautiful flower picked way too soon' during the service, abcnews reported. Leath's family, including her 3-year-old son, watched the service from several luxury suites to maintain a safe distance apart. She had been among three officers who responded to the call at 1803 Edinburge Square on Indianapolis' far east side, police said. Authorities allege that suspect Elliahs Dorsey, 27, opened fire through a closed door, fatally striking Leath. She was rushed to Eskenazi Hospital but succumbed to her injuries and Dorsey has since been charged with her murder and a string of other charges. The hearse carrying the body of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer Breann "Bre" Leath makes it way down the main straightaway at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway following a funeral service for the officer An officer places a white carnation in a trailer to honor Breann Leath following her funeral service Breann Leath was shot and killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call at 1803 Edinburge Square shortly before 3pm. She is survived by one child (pictured above) and her parents, who both serve with the Marion County Sheriff's office On Thursday Leath's hearst could be seen travelling down the speedway while hundreds of officers stood next to squad cars wearing protective masks and keeping to social distancing rules. The Indianapolis Star reported that four rows of patrol cars lined the 2.5-mile track, including her IMPD East District shiftmates, her classmates from the department's 16th recruiting class and other officers from across the region. Leath had been with the Indianapolis Police Departments for two-and-a-half years. Around 1,900 people joined a live broadcast of the 11am services as people were asked to stay at home to maintain social distancing rules. After the service came to a close a firing party gave a 21-gun rifle salute on the track, followed by a bugler's rendition of Taps and around 35 bagpipers who played Amazing Grace on Pit Row. The funeral was held at the Speedway to allow officers to participate and adhere to social distancing rules because of the coronavirus pandemic. Officers can be seen saluting as they wear protective masks and keep safe apart from each other The hearse carrying Leath's body stopped in front of her patrol car as police radios called out her final 10-42, a police code indicating the end of a tour of duty Rows of patrol cars lined the 2.5-mile track, including her IMPD East District shiftmates, her classmates from the department's 16th recruiting class and other officers from across the region, and nearly 2,000 people livestreamed the funeral service The funeral hearse, which was escorted by dozens of police cars, began a final lap around the track around 1:45pm. Officers, standing outside their rows of cars, dropped white carnations into a trailer pulled by a pickup truck. The hearse carrying Leath's body stopped in front of her patrol car as police radios called out her final 10-42, a police code indicating the end of a tour of duty, The Indianapolis Star said. The procession ended at Crown Hill Cemetery where Leath was buried in the Heroes of Public Safety section of the graveyard. A procession of police cars accompanies the hearse carrying Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officer Breann Leath as it arrives at Crown Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery An officer places his carnation on the casket of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer Breann "Bre" Leath following a grave side service An undated photo provided by the Indianapolis Police Department shows Elliahs Dorsey, above. Police recovered a KelTec PLR-16 from the apartment where the shooting occurred Her sister Tiana Leath told mourners: 'She had a way of making you think, 'You know what? I really can do better. I want more for myself.' I'm going to make you proud. Most definitely.' She added that Leath's son 'will get so much love and kisses and tickles that you're going to be jealous'. Following Leath's death Indianapolis Metro Police Department Chief Randal Taylor released a statement describing her as an exemplary officer. He said: 'Officer Leath was an example of what an IMPD officer should be. 'She showed resolve, strength, and compassion in a dangerous job, and was always focused on serving the community she loved. She will be sorely missed.' Elliahs Dorsey was charged on Tuesday with Leath's murder. He was also charged with four counts of attempted murder, as well as charges of criminal confinement and misdemeanor battery, the IndyStar reported. Documents show police recovered a KelTec PLR-16 from the apartment where the shooting occurred. Court records say Dorsey also shot his girlfriend in each of her thighs as well as twice to the stomach. She was transported to Methodist Hospital and was listed in stable condition. PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Orange said it does not expect a significant deviation from its 2020 objectives, but it is closely monitoring the situation and its developments, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Orange confirmed that its Annual General Meeting will be held on 19 May and adapts its dividend policy. Orange's board has proposed a decrease in the 2019 dividend to 0.50 euros per share from 0.70 euros per share, citing the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus crisis. It means that the 0.40-euros balance, which remains to be paid, will be reduced to 0.20 euros. The payment date remains unchanged at 4 June 2020. The company said it will review the objective for 2020-2023 to distribute a dividend of 0.70 euros per share at a later date in light of the evolving situation. 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. American self-help guru Tony Robbins has initiated defamation proceedings against social media giant Twitter in Dublin. The High Court action comes hot on the heels of a libel suit against US website Buzzfeed News over articles alleging sexual misconduct, which the multi-millionaire vehemently denies. Although the articles complained of appeared on Buzzfeed, Mr Robbins lawyers are now also going after Twitter as they allege the pieces were widely distributed on the social media platform. The case aims to break new ground in terms of Irish defamation law. Social media companies have not previously been successfully sued in Ireland over the publication of defamatory material. But the 60-year-old Californian, who is represented by solicitor Paul Tweed, is set to argue that Twitter is a publisher and should be held accountable for defamatory content. Twitters position has been that it is entitled to the benefit of the hosting immunity provided for under the EUs e-Commerce Directive, which has been transposed into Irish law. Social media companies have also tended to rely on the innocent publication defence under the Defamation Act. The proceedings were initiated yesterday against Twitter International Company, which is based at Fenian Street in Dublin. Independent.ie has sought comment from Twitter and a response is awaited. The social media giant was put on notice of a potential lawsuit late last year. The decision to issue proceedings over the articles in Ireland has proved somewhat controversial and Mr Robbins has faced accusations of libel tourism. Irelands defamation regime is much stricter than in the US and is also considered more plaintiff-friendly than the UK. In the Buzzfeed case, the entity being sued is the news outlets UK operation, Buzzfeed UK Limited. Buzzfeed is headquartered in New York and the articles complained of dealt with incidents alleged to have taken place in the US. The Irish Independent revealed earlier this week that Buzzfeed is set to ask the High Court to rule that any such legal action should be in the US. However, Mr Tweed has previously said Ireland is the appropriate forum for both sets of proceedings as Twitters European headquarters is in Dublin. He said it was appropriate that both cases be kept under one roof. The solicitor has also argued that it was appropriate to sue Buzzfeed in Dublin as Mr Robbins is a well-known personality in Ireland, having given talks here, while his books are also widely available in Irish bookstores. You cant go to a bar right now and have a beer, mixed drink, shot, or glass of wine because of stay at home orders and business closures related to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the World Health Organizations Regional Office of Europe is urging people to go a step further and limit alcohol intake, period. If youre thinking no chance, well, just please drink responsibly, but there is one valid reason for the news release issued on Thursday: Some seem to think that drinking a lot of a high alcohol content spirit will somehow make them immune from getting COVID-19, believing it will act in a similar way to how hand sanitizer kills germs on your hands. Thats not true, of course, the W.H.O. notes. Fear and misinformation have generated a dangerous myth that consuming high-strength alcohol can kill the COVID-19 virus, the W.H.O writes. "It does not. Consuming any alcohol poses health risks, but consuming high-strength ethyl alcohol (ethanol), particularly if it has been adulterated with methanol, can result in severe health consequences, including death. There are, of course, other reasons to monitor or restrict alcohol consumption at any point in time, as the W.H.O says that it can exacerbate health vulnerability, risk-taking behaviours, mental health issues and violence and In particular, alcohol compromises the bodys immune system and increases the risk of adverse health outcomes. Therefore, people should minimize their alcohol consumption at any time, and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic." All of this may not stop you from pouring a glass of something, popping a top, or crushing a can this weekend; just do it responsibly. A report on how the lockdown has impacted the migrant workers in the country in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak shows a very high level of economic distress, with many of them being driven close to starvation. The report prepared by SWAN (Stranded Workers Action Network), an NGO released on April 15, reveals that only 51 per cent of over 11,000 workers who were surveyed, had rations left for less than one day, while 72 per cent said they would run out of food in two days. Owing to the lack of cash and food availability, many had been eating frugally and some had even been on the ... He finalized his divorce more than a month ago with a $2 million payment to his fourth wife Elizabeth Shatner. But on Friday Star Trek vet William Shatner was still wearing his wedding ring when heading out in Los Angeles. The 89-year-old actor followed a city order to wear a mask in public places as he ran some errands. On the town: William Shatner, 89, was spotted wearing his wedding ring as well as a mask while out and about in Los Angeles on Friday Shatner was dressed casually for a day out in a dark blue T-shirt and gray trousers. He added brown hiking boots and a silver luxury wristwatch. The TV vet was seen carrying some items out to his SUV in a Trader Joe's shopping bag before heading out. Though he was taking Covid-19 precautions seriously by wearing a mask and practicing social distancing, William came under fire in mid-March for making an appearance at a screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, followed by a meet-and-greet with VIP ticket holders. Low key: Shatner was dressed casually for a day out in a dark blue T-shirt and gray trousers. He added some brown hiking boots and a silver luxury wristwatch Stocking up: The Star Trek icon was seen carrying some items out to his SUV in a Trader Joe's shopping bag before heading out Safety first: He came under fire in March for carrying on with a Star Trek screening in London amid Covid-19 fears, though he now practiced safety protocols He later confirmed via Twitter that he was contractually obligated to make the appearance. 'Unfortunately it wasn't my decision to make. I was under contract to perform. So please take your wrath elsewhere,' he wrote after a fan angrily Tweeted at him. The remainder of Shatner's tour was canceled, and he has been practicing social distancing from home since then. Obligated: Shatner defended the screening appearance on Twitter: 'Unfortunately it wasn't my decision to make. I was under contract to perform. So please take your wrath elsewhere'; still from Star Trek The end: Earlier in March, William reached a settlement in his divorce from his fourth wife, Elizabeth Shatner, whom he married in 2001. He paid her a $2 million lump sum; shown in 2013 Earlier in March, William reached a settlement in his divorce from his fourth wife, Elizabeth Shatner, whom he married in 2001. The terms included a $2 million lump sum payment to her and a separation of their equine possessions. Elizabeth took ownership of two of their horses, Belle Reve's So Photogenic and Pebbles, while he got another two, Renaissance Man's Medici and Powder River Shirley, as well as all horse equipment and 'all horse semen' for him to pursue breeding. Shatner also got to keep his two dogs, Macchiato and Double Espresso. Animal lover: The noted horse enthusiast retained two of their horses, as well as all the equine supplies and 'all horse semen' to be used for breeding; pictured in 2002 He maintained his Studio City home and a ranch in Three Rivers, California (near Sequoia National Park), but Elizabeth took control of their Malibu Cove home and their dwelling in Versailles, Kentucky. The Boston Legal star was previously married to Gloria Rand (19561969), Marcy Lafferty (19731996) and Nerine Kidd (19971999). Nerine died in 1999 after being found at the bottom of their backyard pool. The incident was labeled an accidental drowning after tests revealed she had alcohol and Valium in her system. China's economy shrank for the first time since at least 1992 in the first quarter, as the coronavirus outbreak paralysed production and spending, raising pressure on authorities to do more to stop mounting job losses. Gross domestic product (GDP) fell 6.8 per cent in January-March year-on-year, official data showed on Friday, larger than the 6.5 per cent decline forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll and reversing a 6 per cent expansion in the fourth quarter of last year. China's economy has been crippled by the coronavirus. Credit:Getty Images The contraction is also the first in the world's second-largest economy since at least 1992 when official quarterly GDP records started. While China has managed to get large parts of its economy up and running from a standstill in February, analysts say policymakers face an uphill battle to revive growth as the coronavirus pandemic ravages global demand. CHICAGO, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- At a time when the support of advocates is so desperately needed, Lawdragon magazine's annual guide of the 2020 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America shines a spotlight on attorneys who've excelled in fighting for those facing difficult experiences. That includes seven attorneys from one of Chicago's most successful and respected law firms: Power Rogers LLP. A Guide to The Nation's Top Attorneys Lawdragon magazine is a trusted legal publication that's become known for its annual attorney listings. Each year, Lawdragon staff collect nominations from leading lawyers across the country, and subject candidates to a rigorous vetting process that includes peer review and independent research. The result is a list of attorneys who've enjoyed verifiable success, as well as the respect and esteem of their professional colleagues and the communities they serve. In total, seven of the firm's attorneys were recognized among the 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America, and two attorneys Partners Joseph Power and Larry Rogers Jr. were additionally selected for inclusion in the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America guide, which honors the nation's top attorneys across all practice areas. Joseph A. Power Jr. * * Larry R. Rogers Sr. Larry R. Rogers Jr. * * Thomas M. Power Thomas G. Siracusa Devon C. Bruce Joseph W. Balesteri *Also named to 2020 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers Recognition in one of Lawdragon's annual guides is a highly sought-after accolade. For attorneys at Power Rogers, however, it is one of many that back a legacy of truly impressive results and awards. That includes over $4 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients, $900 million more than its closest competitor since 2000, and 10 consecutive years atop Chicago Lawyer's Annual Settlement Survey. As the country continues to face fallout from the novel coronavirus, and much uncertainty about the future, plaintiffs with complex claims can feel confident knowing that Power Rogers' award-winning trial lawyers remain available to the injured and the wronged throughout these turbulent times. For more information about the Power Rogers LLP legal team, its record of success, and its areas of practice, visit www.prslaw.com. SOURCE Power Rogers LLP Related Links https://www.prslaw.com [April 17, 2020] LexisNexis Offers Free, Comprehensive COVID-19 News Coverage and Practical Guidance Content from The Lawyer's Daily and Lexis Practice Advisor The Lawyer's Daily covers COVID-19's impact on the legal profession and community, government and business; Lexis Practice Advisor document kit provides guidance and insights across multiple practice areas to support decision-making and counsel on COVID-19 issues TORONTO, April 17, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - LexisNexis Canada, a leading global provider of information and analytics, today announced two free resources from The Lawyer's Daily and Lexis Practice Advisor to help legal professionals, lawmakers and business leaders become better informed and successfully navigate the legal issues and intricacies surrounding the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). "In this moment of fluid change and uncertainty, we couldn't think of a better way to help our customers and the community than by offering full access to breaking news and analysis on COVID-19 from our award-winning The Lawyer's Daily newsroom and the Lexis Practice Advisor Coronavirus Document Kit that helps lawyers practice and provide better counsel to their clients," said Eric Wright, CEO, at LexisNexis Canada. The Lawyer's Daily has launched a dedicated COVID-19 page containing breaking news, in-depth features, expert analysis and commentary on all things relating to COVID-19 and the law. It's comprehensive coverage and content illuminates how the global pandemic has impacted the legal industry and the practice of law, as well as the Canadian court system, federal agencies, industries, businesses and more. The free content is available at The Lawyers Daily or delivered via electronic newsletter. "The rapid volume of COVID-19 news and information coming out now makes it a huge task for legal professionals, business leaders and government officials to comprehend its broader impact on the justice system. That's why The Lawyer's Daily is investing significant resources to ensure its readers are well-informed and better able to make decisions pertaining to COVID-19," said John Carson, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, The Lawyer's Daily. "The Lawyer's Daily has a responsibility to nsure everyone has unrestricted access to as much information as possible, including legal news, analysis articles and commentary on COVID-19. It has made this content available at no cost and is being updated daily for anyone who needs it." The Lawyer's Daily COVID-19 Updates page currently features links to stories across topics such as: Courts: Supreme Court of Canada , closures, suspensions, procedural changes and other plans across multiple jurisdictions , closures, suspensions, procedural changes and other plans across multiple jurisdictions Legal industry and business of law: Impact on law firms and their clients, insights from legal practitioners and experts Areas of practice: Labour and employment, insurance, criminal, civil, personal injury and in-house counsel among others Industries: Banking/finance, travel, intellectual property and patenting, pharmaceutical and more Government: New legislation, travel and trade restrictions, border control and more To help Canadian lawyers manage the evolving COVID-19 crisis, Lexis Practice Advisor has developed a Coronavirus Document Kit covering a wide range of topics across multiple practice areas. The Document Kit addresses emerging issues and offers guidance relating to COVID-19 and the law. The content includes guidance for employers on their obligations during a pandemic, key implications of COVID-19 for Canadian public companies, insight on commercial deals and terms, crisis communications, and more. Among the areas covered by the Document Kit include: Employment Commercial Capital Markets and M&A In-House Counsel Finance LexisNexis will continuously update its COVID-19 news coverage and Coronavirus Document Kit, making them freely available to legal practitioners for the duration of the epidemic in order to help maintain the rule of law and return to normalcy as quickly as possible. About LexisNexis Legal & Professional LexisNexis Legal & Professional is a leading global provider of legal, regulatory and business information and analytics that help customers increase productivity, improve decision-making and outcomes, and advance the rule of law around the world. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online with its Lexis and Nexis services. LexisNexis Legal & Professional, which serves customers in more than 150 countries with 10,600 employees worldwide, is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. About The Lawyer's Daily The Lawyer's Daily, a LexisNexis product, provides Canadian legal news, analysis and current awareness for lawyers and legal professionals who need a real-time view on the shifting legal landscape. Produced by a dedicated team of reporters, freelancers and editors, The Lawyer's Daily provides the critical breaking daily news and digests free for all users, in addition to legal industry news. Subscribers to The Lawyer's Daily receive additional in-depth analysis of legal developments, illuminating thought leadership, regular insight from our columnists, and access to historical news and digests from The Lawyers Weekly. This content is delivered on TheLawyersDaily.ca, in Lexis Advance Quicklaw and via AOP-specific newsletters. All these channels combine to keep legal professionals up-to- date and ahead of the curve to provide them with a competitive advantage. SOURCE LexisNexis Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A Newton South High School advanced placement Chinese class that was being conducted on Zoom, was hacked and infiltrated Wednesday by a group posting, vile, hate-filled images and speech, according to the Boston Globe. The incident lasted about three minutes, the newspaper reported. Its part of an act known as Zoom-bombing. All we could hear was just racial slurs and derogatory remarks and hundreds of comments about coronavirus, high school senior Joshua Liu told WHDH. As tens of millions of people turn to video conferencing to stay connected during the coronavirus pandemic, many have reported uninvited guests who make threats, interject racist, anti-gay or anti-Semitic messages, or show pornographic images. The attacks have drawn the attention of the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. Newton Souths principal Joel Stembridge addressed the incident in an email Thursday morning, calling it clearly racist, hateful, and horrible, according to the Globe. This was a traumatic experience for our teacher and students, and we will continue to offer support to everyone involved, Stembridge said via e-mail. To be clear, an attack on members of our NSHS Asian-American community is an attack on all of us. We will be working on a plan for responding I will share more about this soon. A school spokesperson told the newspaper, all Zoom meetings scheduled for Thursday at the school were canceled but would resume on Friday. Newton police, the school said, continue to investigate the incident. This is a trying time for all of us, and events such as these underscore the fragility of this new environment in which we are working, Stembridge wrote. Well have more work to do to ensure that we can continue to support students and build a safe, connected online community. Related Content: PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-17 19:36:25 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 760 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / April 17, 2020 / Eterna Borderless Venture Studio launched today to support projects looking to build applications on the Algorand platform. This program is a combined initiative led by Eterna Capital, Borderless Capital, and Algorand and has attracted the support of more than half a dozen blockchain projects.Andrea Bonaceto, Partner at Eterna Capital: "We are looking forward to supporting talented teams with innovative ideas. We are creating an ecosystem of industry partners to help our portfolio companies to achieve success while accelerating the adoption of blockchain technology." The first venture studio for developers and entrepreneurs building on Algorand will provide an array of tools and resources for creating decentralized applications. Eterna Borderless Venture Studio will also support existing projects to help them transition to the Algorand platform and benefit from its ecosystem. The Venture Studio is now seeking applications from eligible startups. Those selected will receive up to $100K in capital from VC firms Borderless Capital and Eterna Capital. In addition to this, the flagship VC fund of Borderless Capital can do follow-on investment of up to $2M for those companies that emerge as category leading business."An important component of the Algorand community today is broad support for the accelerating momentum of DeFi organizations, enterprises, and governments using this next generation technology," said Silvio Micali, founder of Algorand. "I am excited to see two thought-leading organizations come together and create a rigorous program that will support innovation and frictionless exchange on Algorand." The venture studio has formed an ecosystem of partners that includes elite student groups from some of the world's most prestigious universities such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Imperial College of London. Leading blockchain and PR marketing firm MarketAcross as well as F6S, one of the largest startup ecosystems in Europe, have also partnered with Eterna Borderless Venture Studio. In addition, seven blockchain projects have pledged to join the venture studio from launch:MAX Markets: An international trading group launching their own digital assets exchange.Monerium: A platform enabling businesses to build digital financial services and regulated e-money on a decentralized infrastructure using the fiat currency of their choice.Orion Protocol: A DeFi platform creating a truly decentralized liquidity aggregator and decentralized exchange plugin for businesses and consumers.PlanetWatch: A global network of air quality sensors and environmentally-conscious people who use a decentralized platform to incentivise and gamify environmental monitoring.SingularityNET: The world's decentralized AI network where anyone can create, share, and monetize AI services at scale.Stasis: A tokenization platform with a euro-backed stablecoin allowing investors to tokenize real-world assets.Stonize: A securitization platform looking to attract investors by digitizing private securities without regulatory hassles.Ben Goertzel, CEO at SingularityNET: "At SingularityNET we are exploring the use of Algorand to increase speed of transaction between our AI agents for a variety of applications in fintech, health tech and IoT, including credit scoring, risk management, car and pedestrian traffic analytics and personal medical analytics oriented toward healthy longevity and minimization of COVID-19 risk." The establishment of Eterna Borderless Venture Studio will drive long-term adoption and growth of the Algorand ecosystem, while accelerating the trajectory of startups creating valuable solutions spanning finance, exchange, custody, and more. Eterna Borderless Venture Studio will nurture outstanding projects creating the decentralized applications that will drive the next wave of adoption. Eterna Borderless Venture studio will mostly focus on the European region. This initiative is the first step towards creating a global network of venture studios aimed at supporting the Algorand borderless economy.About Algorand Inc.Algorand Inc. built the world's first open source, permissionless, pure proof-of-stake blockchain protocol for the next generation of financial products. This blockchain, the Algorand protocol, is the brainchild of Turing Award-winning cryptographer Silvio Micali. A technology company dedicated to removing friction in financial exchange, Algorand Inc. is powering a financial evolution by enabling the creation and exchange of value, building new financial tools and services, while providing responsible privacy features. For more information, visit www.algorand.com About Borderless CapitalBorderless Capital is a modern financial institution investing capital and building financial products that accelerate access, bootstrap adoption and creates value globally through the Algorand Borderless Economy. For more information, visit www.borderlesscapital.io About Eterna CapitalEterna Capital is a London based investment company focused on blockchain technology. The firm was launched in 2018 and has established itself as a leading player within the blockchain sector in Europe. For more information, visit www.eternacapital.com Contact:Itai Elizur, COOItai@ MarketAcross.com SOURCE: MarketAcross Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) United Nations, United States Fri, April 17, 2020 11:15 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2755ff 2 World UN,Antonio-Guterres,ChildrenNutrition,children-development,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown Free UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Thursday on families and global leaders to "protect our children," who stand to suffer severe consequences of the pandemic even if they are at lower risk. "I appeal to families everywhere, and leaders at all levels: protect our children," Guterres said in a statement, while presenting a report on the pandemic's impact on children. "With the global recession gathering pace, there could be hundreds of thousands of additional child deaths in 2020." According to the UN, this estimate could in one year destroy the progress made over the last two or three in lowering the infant mortality rate. As schools close across the globe due to the spread of COVID-19, children could also struggle with access to food, as "a staggering 310 million schoolchildren... rely on school for a regular source of daily nutrition," Guterres said. The UN said that 188 of the 193 member nations have closed schools, affecting more than 1.5 billion children and youths. Furthermore, lockdown measures and increased global recession are fueling increased tensions within families, and "children are both victims and witnesses of domestic violence and abuse," Guterres said. Children's health could also suffer. In an attempt to stop the spread of the virus, Guterres explained, "polio vaccination campaigns have been suspended. Measles immunization campaigns have stopped in at least 23 countries." Multiple organizations and foundations estimated Tuesday that more than 117 million children could be deprived of measles vaccines due to the halt of vaccination campaigns. Before the vaccine was introduced in 1963 and became widely accessible, the world recorded major measles epidemics every two to three years that could cause about 2.6 million deaths per year, according to the World Health Organization. GNO (Girls Night Out), recently made posters thanking Dariens heroes, placing them around town. The club meets twice a month at The Depot Youth Center, and has continued meeting weekly through Zoom meetings. Girls Night Out was started nine years ago by a group of high school upperclassmen that simply wanted a time to sit around and vent to each other about things going on in their day to day lives. GNO has been sponsored for the last eight years by an enhancement grant from the Connecticut Youth Service Bureau, which enables the girls to have discussions around dinner, speaker discussions on numerous topics such a stress and anxiety, eating disorders, healthy eating choices, social media, and much more. Lt. Allison Hudyma serves as mentor to this group. This year the group was led by senior Sophie Pullen; incoming Presidents are Caroline Homes and Lindsay Jachino. GNO is open to all Darien high school aged girls, whether attending public, private or home schooled. Registrations for this fall will be on The Depot website www.dariendepot.com soon Dubai, April 17 : Several Indian nationals who arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) seeking employment but now stranded due to flight suspensions in the wake of the coronavirus lockdowns, were desperate to return home as they claimed of running out of money, it was reported. Shahanad Pulukkool, 26, a driver from Kannoor district of Kerala, whose visit visa expired on April 1, said he was staying with four others in a one-bedroom apartment in Dubai. "My brother is leasing the apartment. Owing to the unusual situation we are all in, four others have joined us in the apartment. My brother who works as a driver is taking care of us," he told Gulf News on Thursday. Pulukkool said he came here looking for a job as a driver, but to no avail. "I just want to go home now. I don't want to be a burden on my brother." Shaukat Ali, 29, also from Kannoor, who lives with Pulukkool and his brother, said" "I was shortlisted for a job but unfortunately due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the company said they have put hiring on hold. "My visa expires May end but I see no point in staying here..." The same is the case with Mahesh Purwa. his visit visa expired on March 30 and was scheduled to fly out of the UAE on March 25. "I heard the overstay fines will be waived off, but I would rather be back in my home country now," he told Gulf News. Musaddique M, also from Kerala, India, said: "With the sterilisation drive in place, there is no way I can get out of the house, leave alone find a job. Ramadan is coming up too and I don't think there will be any job placements happening in the near future." According to travel agents and social workers, there are several more such stranded visitors in the UAE. Ibrahim Khaleel Arimala of Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC) told Gulf News that social workers have been helping some people in need, especially with food and personal supplies. The Influenza Forecasting Center of Excellence team at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is developing a COVID-19 forecast hub by unifying multiple models in an effort to produce a more accurate picture of the potential impacts of the novel coronavirus. This "ensemble approach," which has created some of the most accurate forecasts for seasonal influenza, will give the general public, as well as policy makers and scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the White House Coronavirus Task Force, access to a centralized data repository and forecasts representing nine models and five teams of highly respected infectious-disease forecasters. "None of these models on their own are adequate to drive policy decisions," says Nicholas Reich, director of the UMass Influenza Forecasting Center of Excellence, one of two in the nation designated and funded by the CDC. "We've created a simple ensemble model to try to unify all these forecasts of COVID-19 together. Some models are overly optimistic, and others may be overly pessimistic. The reality is likely in the middle. We need the diversity of these modeling teams to understand the full range of future possibilities." The COVID-19 forecast hub includes forecast data from modeling teams from Seattle-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), Columbia University, Northeastern University, Imperial College London and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Reich says he has had such positive collegial outreach with each of the teams whose data has been added so far that other teams have reached out to him and plan to add forecasts to the hub in the coming days and weeks. On Friday, Reich announced the collaboration on Twitter, sharing the link to the group's first ensemble models. These models rely on standardized forecast data from the different groups making forecasts. Over the last week, Reich has coordinated the curation of these forecasts from teams across the world into a common format. Both Katie House, a recent UMass Amherst computer science master's program graduate, and Nutcha Wattanachit, a biostatistics Ph.D. student, contributed to this effort. The ensemble models include interactive visualizations of four-week-ahead forecasts for COVID-19 cumulative deaths by state and for the entire U.S. Reich also will be preparing ensemble models for hospitalizations and total number of cases. "This is replicating the system we have built before for flu forecasting," explains Reich, an associate professor of biostatistics in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences. "All this data is public. We're just putting it all together." "Modeling has been such a central part of the COVID-19 discussion," Reich says. "This is really a massively important resource. We are looking forward to working with these teams, many of whom we already have extensive track-records of collaboration with, to showcase the power of having a diversity of modeling approaches." He notes that this work is much more challenging than creating models to forecast the flu. "Forecasting COVID-19 is a completely different ballgame because we can't rely on 20 years of public health surveillance data like we have for flu," Reich says. ### Mumbai: Indian indices held on to the gains after the RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das announced measures to ease liquidity in the economy. In a major move, the central bank cut its reverse repo rate by 25 bps to 3.75 percent. At 12:15 pm, the Sensex traded 447 points to 31,056 and the Nifty50 rose 127 points to 9,119. Top gainers on NSE Nifty and BSE Sensex included Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC, IndusInd Bank and Bajaj Finance each rising over 5% Equity benchmark Sensex rallied over 1,100 points in opening trade on Friday tracking strong gains in index heavyweights HDFC twins, Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank and TCS amid positive cues from global markets. After hitting a high of 31,711.70, the 30-share index was trading 1,036.74 points or 3.39 per cent higher at 31,639.35. Similarly, the NSE Nifty was quoting 291 points, or 3.24 per cent, up at 9,283.80. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) were net sellers in the capital market on Thursday, as they offloaded equity shares worth Rs 2,920.36 crore, according to provisional exchange data. According to traders, market sentiment turned positive led by rally in global equities. Bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo were trading with significant gains in early deals. Stock exchanges on Wall Street ended significantly on a strong note overnight trade. On the domestic front, more measures to boost the domestic economy by the central bank chief also lifted benchmark indices. Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike has announced the arrest of 22 staffs of Exxon Mobil who defied the restriction of movement in the state. Read Also: Lockdown: Don Jazzy Expresses Concerns Over Insecurity, Urges Police For Protection Speaking via a statement on his official Twitter handle, he has vowed to fight the arrested individuals legally because Exxon Mobil does not operate in Rivers state. Statement below: Security agencies arrested 22 staff of Exxon Mobil who came into the state from neighbouring Akwa Ibom State in violation of the extant Executive Order restricting movement into the state. We do not know the coronavirus status of these individuals. We will fight this matter legally. Exxon Mobil does not operate in Rivers State . That they have a point at the Onne seaport does not mean that they operate in Rivers State. Security agencies arrested 22 staff of Exxon Mobil who came into the state from neighbouring Akwa Ibom State in violation of the extant Executive Order restricting movement into the state. We do not know the coronavirus status of these individuals. #Covid_19 pic.twitter.com/67hcsywKih Gov N E Wike Information. (@GovWike) April 17, 2020 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Heather Scott (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Fri, April 17, 2020 09:37 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd26c943 2 Business coronavirus,COVID-19,pandemic,economic-impact,global-crisis,IMF,recession Free The severe economic crisis ignited by the coronavirus pandemic requires the rapid deployment of every available financial lifeline to help countries survive, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said Thursday. The uncertainty about the health emergency and the extent of the economic damage have driven governments and development lenders to rollout new and accelerated aid vehicles, in the hopes of preventing an even more dire impact. "Everything has to be on the table. We simply don't know yet how the crisis would evolve," Georgieva said. With over two million cases worldwide, the overall death toll approaching 140,000, and nearly 4.4 billion people subject to some degree of lockdown, COVID-19 has brought much of the global economy to a standstill. The International Monetary Fund projects the world economy will shrink by three percent this year, or $9 trillion, but many private forecasters are even more pessimistic. The IMF and World Bank have rushed out billions in financing, ramping up and streamlining aid programs in recent weeks, and winning agreement to provide a one-year debt payment standstill on loans to the poorest countries. Governments are calling on private lenders to do the same, and the Institute of International Finance, the global banking association, has endorsed forbearance for the 76 poorest nations in the world. Georgieva, who acknowledged continuing debate among some of the fund's members over what additional steps would work best, said the critical thing is to act now with the resources available. Building a bridge "What we do know is that we have strong financial capacity to act now, and that speed of action is of (the) essence in the crisis that has moved so rapidly and is so deep," she said at the conclusion of the virtual meeting of the IMF's governing committee. The fund is focused on "building a bridge" over the crisis. The IMF has $1 trillion in lending capacity, and has doubled its fast-deploying crisis financing vehicles, many of which go to the least developed nations, and on Wednesday it approved a new short-term credit line for middle-income countries with strong policy track records. More than 100 countries have asked for aid, and by the end of the month, 50 will have received it, Georgieva said. The IMF is seeking additional funding from member governments for its concessional lending facilities, and has already received pledges for over 70 percent of the $17 billion needed to shore up one of those programs. Japan, Britain, France, Australia and Canada made firm commitments Thursday, she said. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said earlier in the day that Washington was "currently exploring" a possible contribution to two of the emergency funds. Mnuchin recognized that poor nations are especially vulnerable and called for more action from governments around the world to help ease the blow, noting that the "robust response by the IMF and World Bank Group would not be possible without the committed support of its shareholders." 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," 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." Many of the countries eligible for the debt relief and emergency financing are in Africa, and Georgieva said the region is "a high priority" for the IMF and World Bank. "We are mindful of the risks for the parts of Africa that had problems, even before COVID-19, and will mobilize very strongly" to "save lives, save jobs, save hope, protect the future," she said. The external fund manager backed by Berkshire Hathaway's Charlie Munger, Li Lu, makes no bones about it when he says 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital. So it seems the smart money knows that debt - which is usually involved in bankruptcies - is a very important factor, when you assess how risky a company is. We can see that San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong Limited (HKG:236) does use debt in its business. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky. What Risk Does Debt Bring? Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more frequent (but still costly) occurrence is where a company must issue shares at bargain-basement prices, permanently diluting shareholders, just to shore up its balance sheet. Of course, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together. See our latest analysis for San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong What Is San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong's Net Debt? As you can see below, San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong had HK$101.8m of debt at December 2019, down from HK$115.6m a year prior. But it also has HK$129.4m in cash to offset that, meaning it has HK$27.6m net cash. SEHK:236 Historical Debt April 16th 2020 How Strong Is San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong's Balance Sheet? Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong had liabilities of HK$154.3m due within 12 months and liabilities of HK$61.9m due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of HK$129.4m as well as receivables valued at HK$70.6m due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling HK$16.2m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined. Story continues Of course, San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong has a market capitalization of HK$276.4m, so these liabilities are probably manageable. But there are sufficient liabilities that we would certainly recommend shareholders continue to monitor the balance sheet, going forward. While it does have liabilities worth noting, San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong also has more cash than debt, so we're pretty confident it can manage its debt safely. Importantly, San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong's EBIT fell a jaw-dropping 59% in the last twelve months. If that decline continues then paying off debt will be harder than selling foie gras at a vegan convention. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong's earnings that will influence how the balance sheet holds up in the future. So when considering debt, it's definitely worth looking at the earnings trend. Click here for an interactive snapshot. Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. While San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong 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. Happily for any shareholders, San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT over the last three years. That sort of strong cash generation warms our hearts like a puppy in a bumblebee suit. Summing up While it is always sensible to look at a company's total liabilities, it is very reassuring that San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong has HK$27.6m in net cash. And it impressed us with free cash flow of HK$27m, being 185% of its EBIT. So we don't have any problem with San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong's use of debt. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. Take risks, for example - San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong has 4 warning signs (and 1 which is concerning) we think you should know about. Of course, if you're the type of investor who prefers buying stocks without the burden of debt, then don't hesitate to discover our exclusive list of net cash growth stocks, today. 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. The vest-wearing tattooed concierge greets us in his languid, warm Southern drawl as we rush outside from the restaurant to watch a police-escorted parade walking down the street. Welcome to Nawlins. Yall get used to this, he says. Napkins are being waved in the air, sticky fluorescent cocktails spill out of plastic cups and a brass band clanging cymbals and blowing trumpets leads a 50-strong party behind flashing blue lights. Weve been in New Orleans just minutes and Im desperate to join in, but am told theres no need; riotous second line parades shimmying their way through the colourful quarters are not an unusual spectacle. Bustling: New Orleanss French Quarter. The city puts on around 200 festivals a year In fact, the city celebrates around 200 festivals a year, the most famous of course being Mardi Gras, when up to a million revellers dance, drink, dress up in green, gold and purple, and parade through the streets on floats for one of the worlds biggest parties. The merry mayhem lasts two weeks and culminates in Fat Tuesday, known to us as Shrove Tuesday, which next year is on February 16. Yes, coronavirus has put the city offlimits for now, but hopes are high that Mardi Gras will go ahead as normal in 2021. And what a party that is likely to be. A street saxophone player in New Orleans. The city is one of the only places in America where you can drink on the streets New Orleans is one of the only places in America where you can drink on the streets and the bars never close. Its motto laissez les bon temps rouler (let the good times roll) may be cheesy, but roll they do. After dinner, my brother Charlie and I swiftly join in with the riot of colour and sound on Bourbon Street, the citys neon-lit main strip in the French Quarter. Children sit on the pavement battering out persistent, wild rhythms on upside-down plastic tubs and tourists watch from cast-iron balconies as voluptuous Lycra-clad partygoers dance between bars below. We take in wafts of spilled sticky rum, smoky Cajun and Creole cuisine and stale cigars and, with every few steps, are greeted by different snippets of jazz from bars and buskers. The city feels more alive than any other Ive visited. However, just 15 years ago, the brutal pounding of Hurricane Katrina almost consigned it to history. Hearing our foreign accent, every Uber driver is keen to tell us about the citys complex history and its people. Lifes too short, one says. Katrina showed us theres always a reason to party and celebrate here. This is the city that invented dancing at funerals, after all. The hurricane cost 100 billion when it blew in, killing up to 1,800 and flooding 80 per cent of the city. It was the spirit of the resilient residents that got the Big Easy, as its known, back on its feet. While Ubers carry you cheaply and quickly between neighbourhoods, its the old-fashioned streetcar that provides the most romantic form of transport. So, after the first nights festivities, we ride the rails, our heads stuck out of open windows, to a morning class at the New Orleans School of Cooking rated the sixth best experience in the world by TripAdvisor users. The motto of New Orleans is 'laissez les bon temps rouler (let the good times roll) Were dressed in aprons and immediately directed to the drinks station and instructed to help ourselves to a Bloody Mary, Champagne, mimosa or, our chirpy host suggests, all three. No wonder its had such rave reviews. Were taught about the citys tumultuous history and the beginnings of its mix of fiery and colourful Creole and Cajun cuisine, a result of French and Spanish settlers. The difference between Creole and Cajun cuisine is subtle but important: the former comes from the cities of Louisiana (where wealthy migrants enjoyed pricey imports such as tomatoes), while the latter is renowned for its thriftier, more locally-rooted dishes. After three hours of cooking and consuming gumbo, a thick stew of crab and plump shrimps, buttery crawfish pie and boozy bananas foster, we waddle through the cobblestone alleyways of the French Quarter, mimosas in hand, to a Dixieland soundtrack. Cocktails are almost as important as jazz and second lines in New Orleans. The Devil comes here and sighs, Bob Dylan wrote in his 2004 memoir Chronicles. Someone puts something in front of you here, you drink it. How true, especially on Bourbon Street, where the most famous cocktails, the luminous and impossibly sweet Hand Grenade and the surprisingly tasty but inappropriately named Hurricane, are dished out like water in Go Cups plastic beakers you grab from every bar and have refilled anywhere. Mardi Gras is celebrated every year in New Orleans on Shrove Tuesday, which is February 16 next year While Bourbon Street provides world-class raucous revelry, were told to head to Frenchmen Street, a ten-minute drive away, for a more authentic jazz experience. We spend an afternoon dipping in and out of famous clubs including The Maison and The Spotted Cat, all within a few steps of one another. The cocktails continue the next day during a jazz brunch at Arnauds, a family-owned restaurant that dates back to 1918. The three-piece band go between tables, serenading guests and taking requests, while I make my way through poached eggs with smoky fish and silky, salty hollandaise. You need to book well in advance so if you cant get a table here, head to Antoines, the citys oldest restaurant, which has been welcoming popes, presidents, actors and British royalty in its 14 dining rooms since 1840. Waitering is very much a career in New Orleans and theres no better place to witness this than here, where staff are trained for more than a year before theyre allowed to serve a customer. Dressed in suit jackets and bow-ties, those who have qualified serve the restaurants famed Oysters Rockefeller the baked, spicy-herbed and butter-topped oysters its founder Antoine Alciatore invented when he began introducing French sauces to New Orleans after sailing over from Marseilles aged 18. On our way for one last jaunt in the French Quarter, we stumble across the citys annual Oyster Festival. Under the crushing sun (its May and the temperatures flutter around 30c), we sample oysters cooked and served in half a dozen different ways before finishing off with a Po boy, a Louisiana sandwich stuffed with salty fried oysters and remoulade. The sandwich got its name after being shortened from poor boy, as it was a cheap way for locals to fill their stomachs. Were even offered a Bloody Mary oyster shot; not the most appealing considering the Gulf oysters are about three times the size of the Atlantic delicacies were used to at home. We accept, of course. For in New Orleans, if somebody puts something in front of you, you drink it. Alan Alda and his wife, Arlene, got married in 1957, a spectacular 63 years ago, and it might never have happened if it werent for some rum cake that fell on the floor. The first time the two properly met was at a college dinner party where the hostess put a cake to cool on top of the fridge. Alda told UPI that the fridge got shaken and the rum cake slowly moved to the edge of the refrigerator and fell splat on the floor of the kitchen. Arlene and I were the only two people who went in with spoons and ate it off the floor, he told TODAY. Thats how you know. When two people eat a cake off the floor, thats it for life. Since their first meeting over cake, Alan, now 84, and Arlene, 87, have had a rock-solid relationship, raising three daughters, with both partners achieving successhim in television and film, her in photography and writing. American actor, director, and writer Alan Alda in the drivers seat of a jeep, surrounded by Loretta Swit and other cast members of the hit television show M.A.S.H. (Keystone/Getty Images) I dont think we spoil each other, we just love each other, the M.A.S.H. star said to Closer. Without her, I wouldnt do an awful lot because every time Im leaving the house to do some work, she says, Youre going to be great. And I say the same thing to her. The rum cake incident wasnt exactly the first time Alan Alda, who was attending Fordham College, and Arlene Weiss, who was attending Hunter College, were together in the same room. Actor and director Alan Alda circa 1978 (Keystone/Getty Images) [W]e had met once before, but I was too shy to even say, Hello, Alda admitted to UPI. When the cake fell to the ground, most people stood back, but Alda and Weiss dug in and found a common spirit that would help them stay together through thick and thin. Alda joked that young people in the digital dating scene could learn a thing or two about compatibility from his and Arlenes meeting. All this matchmaking on the Internet, and they ask them questionsjust toss a cake on the floor and see who goes for it, he said. Actor Alan Alda and Arlene Alda attend the Premiere Screening of the HBO special Alan Alda: YoungArts MasterClass on Sept. 5, 2014, in New York City. (Janette Pellegrini/Getty Images) Humor has been a vital part of their relationship since that first strange meeting, and it goes both ways. My wife Arlene has a good description [of a successful marriage], he told Parade. She says the secret to a long marriage is a short memory. Its not even funny because its true Theres no relationship as close as marriage that doesnt go through a time when youre so much at odds that youre yelling. Communication is something Alda has mastered in his line of work, as well as for his podcast Clear+Vivid. He told Parade that for success in marriage or any other field, the most important part is trying to understand whats going on in the other persons mind in what they feel or think. If you dont have some understanding, theres no hope your point of view can ever get across. Arlene Alda and Alan Alda arrive at the formal Artists Dinner honoring the recipients of the 2013 Kennedy Center Honors. (Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images) At the direction of the Chinese government, domestic insurers started selling business interruption insurance to cover Chinese enterprises against disruptions from the coronavirus outbreak, which may have unintended consequences. Fitch Ratings cautions that the move could pose risks to the underwriting stability of property and casualty insurers. Not only is there is limited reliable and accurate historical data points, which makes it difficult for insurers to be able to price the products accurately, at adequate levels, but these products also are being brought very quickly to the market, Fitch explained. The policies are aimed at supporting the resumption of production and work within the Chinese economy after a lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus, said Fitch in a market commentary issued on April 16, titled Business Interruption Insurance Poses New Risks to Chinese Insurers. The pricing adequacy of these so-called return-to-work (RTW) insurance products remains highly uncertain as the pandemic is still developing domestically and globally, the ratings agency said. However, the approach used to design or sell these products may limit the overall insured losses that the sector needs to absorb, the commentary continued. There are maximum limits that each insured enterprise can claim if the infection occurs after employees return to work, Fitch said. In addition, the products offered in some regions impose a cap on the maximum number of insured policies that insurers can offer, which will limit their overall risk exposure, and therefore will be unlikely to cause material systemic risks to the non-life insurance sector. According to figures from Chinas banking and insurance regulator, 68 Chinese insurers have introduced coronavirus-related products since the start of the outbreak in late 2019, Fitch confirmed. The features of the insurance vary by product and region, but they mainly provide coverage against two kinds of risks liability for an employees illness and death, and risks related to business interruption associated with property shutdowns due to infection, the ratings agency continued. Fitch explained that the insurance mainly covers quarantine costs, staff salaries, housing rental, cash flow disruptions and refinancing difficulties caused by the coronavirus shutdown. RTW insurance products are largely offered to industries or sectors that the local governments have prioritized for aid. Not all entities are automatically eligible for the RTW coverage because approval from the authorities is necessary for some insurance schemes, Fitch said, noting that some of the products also impose limits on the duration of coverage. Insurers typically underwrite RTW insurance products through co-insurance by sharing risks with a portfolio of domestic non-life insurers. Some schemes also specify a ceiling on the amount that an individual insurer needs to pay. Pre-Crisis Business Interruption Market The majority of Chinese businesses did not buy business-interruption insurance before the outbreak when they purchased commercial property insurance, partially due to capacity availability and affordability issues, Fitch went on to say. These products also generally contained an exclusion clause for epidemics, which means that coronavirus-related claims will not be significant for Chinese property and casualty insurers on these earlier policies, the commentary said. The Insurance Association of China said claim payments related to COVID-19 amounted to CNY123 million (US$17.4 million) as of April 10, 2020. Business from commercial properties only contributed about 3.6% of total non-life insurance premiums in 2019. Fitch predicted the demand for RTW insurance products will continue in the short term as the coronavirus outbreak is still ongoing. The majority of these RTW insurance products or schemes are initiated by municipal or provincial governments, which subsidize a material portion of the premiums to enhance the affordability of these products, said Fitch, noting that the subsidies range from 50% to 70% of the premiums paid to insurers when businesses voluntarily buy the RTW insurance products. Source: Fitch Photograph: A Chinese worker checks the temperature of a customer as he wears a protective suit and mask at a supermarket in Beijing on Feb. 11, 2020. Photographer: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images. Related: Topics Carriers China A jawan was injured in an attack by militants on Friday in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said. The militants opened firing on a mobile checkpoint established by security forces at the Newa area in Pulwama and a jawan was injured, a police official said. The area has been cordoned off and a hunt launched for the assailants. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Famous Veteran, Gene Hackman "I have trouble with direction, because I have trouble with authority. I was not a good Marine." Gene Hackman was born in San Bernardino, California, but family problems spurred him into moving frequently. Although they finally settled in Danville Illinois, his father left when Hackman was 13 years old and his mother was an alcoholic. At the age of 16, Hackman decided to drop out of high school and join the Marines. Despite being underage, he lied well enough to enlist. It only took a few short months in 1947 for the teenaged Hackman to go from basic training to a duty station in China. He worked primarily as a radio operator, but still found avenues for creative expression during his service. One day he volunteered as a disc-jockey for his unit's radio station which turned into a more permanent position which included newscasting. Hackman's deployment took him from Tsing Tao to Shanghai, but he was later stationed in Hawaii. Over the course of his time in the Marines, he was demoted three times for leaving his post without permission. Related: To create a personalized transition plan for yourself, and for transition guides and checklists, visit the Military.com Transition Center. Once he left the military, Hackman took on a series of jobs to support himself. He utilized the GI Bill to study journalism and TV production at the University of Illinois, and later joined the School of Radio Technique in New York. At one point during this time he became a doorman in New York. A fellow former Marine walked through, recognized Hackman, and said, "Hackman, you're a sorry son of a bitch." Hackman did break into acting at the age of 30, and earned respect as an actor of every-man characters. He began working in off-Broadway plays in the 1960s, and steadily found work that put him in the spotlight. He was considered for the part of Mike Brady in "The Brady Bunch," but declined to wait for something more prolific. He was nominated in 1967 for Best Supporting Actor for "Bonnie and Clyde," and again in 1971 for his part in "I Never Sang for My Father." He did win the award the year after for his role as detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in "The French Connection." His career was comprised of lead and supporting roles, and he participated in a large number of projects. Despite his career as an actor, the abilities and discipline in the Marines never left him. On at least two separate occasions, Hackman handled a physical altercation with assailants and walked away unharmed. His last film was "Welcome to Mooseport" in 2004, after which he officially retired from acting. Since then, he's focused on writing. He's produced four novels, and continues to write to this day. Over the course of his career, he's won two Oscars in Best Supporting Actor and Best Leading Actor, as well as four Golden Globes. Want to Learn About More Famous Veterans? Whether you want to learn more about other famous veterans, polish up your resume, find veteran job fairs in your area, or connect with employers looking to hire veterans, Military.com can help. Sign up for a free Military.com membership to have job postings, guides and advice, and more delivered directly to your inbox. The Site C Dam is an under-construction run-of-the-river hydroelectric dam on the Peace River near Fort St. John in northeastern B.C. Credit: B.C. Hydro A little more than a year ago, the British Columbia government launched an inquiry into the regulation of Indigenous energy utilities and ordered the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) to provide recommendations on how Indigenous utilities should be regulated. The BCUC is set to release its final report on April 30. The media has provided little coverage of the inquiry, despite its importance. The inquiry was precipitated by a case brought against the BCUC by the Beecher Bay First Nation in June 2016. B.C."s electricity system is run as a provincial monopoly by B.C. Hydro, with the exception of a few municipal-level utilities. Beecher Bay wanted to build and run an electrical utility within the reserve. BCUC denied the request. That decision effectively denied Indigenous groups the ability to run their own utilities, and profit from the environmental and economic benefits that come with it. Many of the remote Indigenous communities in British Columbia rely on expensive and dirty diesel generators, even though they may have the potential to tap into renewable energy. Despite the court decision, the BCUC's draft report recommends new regulations be developed to regulate Indigenous utilities separately. My new research group, the Clean Energy Research Group (CERG) at Simon Fraser University, decided to analyze the problem. Limits on future options? In line with long-standing land disputes, most First Nations in B.C. dispute the right of the BCUC to regulate their utilities, as reflected in their depositions. Meanwhile, B.C. Hydro is pushing for the continuation a single overarching framework, suggesting that Indigenous utilities could be self-regulating when they operate on reserves of current treaty settlement lands and provide similar customer protections. BCUC's draft and interim reports indicates its intention to follow this line. It would like to continue to have regulatory responsibility for all utilities in the province, citing the need for reliability, reasonable prices and a customer dispute mechanism. It would still permit Indigenous utilities to operate, but only within their own reserve lands, an exception that currently exists only for municipalities. Such a decision would be short-sighted. The Hupucasath First Nation built a 6.5-megawatt run-of-river hydro project that produces enough electricity for the 6,000 homes in Port Alberni, B.C. Credit: . Credit: Green Energy Futures/flickr, CC BY-NC-SA Engine of economic development This issue reflects the wider marginalization of First Nations from Canadian society. Continued endemic poverty in many communities point to what many say is a further reinforcement of hollow promises as represented by the current efforts at reconciliation by the Canadian government. Recently, the B.C. legislature adopted United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on Nov. 28, 2019 without a clear plan or guidelines on what it means in practice. The Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs' opposition to the proposed Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline highlights an important nexus of energy and Indigenous issues. Access to energy is one of the fundamental factors to quality of life, as recognized in the U.N."s Sustainable Development Goals. In fact, things were looking up in B.C. in the early 2010s when B.C. Hydro announced its Standing Offer Program (SOP), which allowed for small renewable clean energy projects to be developed across the province. Energy innovators, such as Judith Sayers, the former Chief of the Hupacasath First Nation, readied clean energy projects that would sell excess electricity back to the province. First Nations rushed to build new projects, seeing the economic development opportunities that lined up with their environmental values. My research group is working with the Kanaka Bar band (T'eqt''aqtn'mux) to document the many economic and social benefits coming from their hydro project, built under the leadership of Chief Patrick Michell. All of this was brought to a grinding halt by the province's decision to build the Site C mega dam project in 2014. Site C is projected to provide 5,000 gigawatts per year with a current projected cost of $10.7 billion. This led B.C. Hydro to halt the SOP, stating that adding Site C means other sources would no longer be needed, and leaving a large list of potential First Nations' projects unfinished. Indigenous energy projects will be needed The SOP opened up desperately needed avenues of economic development to First Nations in B.C., and CERG's analysis concludes the BCUC interim regulations will not revive them. The proposed regulations limit Indigenous utilities to selling electricity only on their own reserves. The inability to sell back to the main grid cuts off all external sources of revenues and sources of investment needed to run the utilities. It continues to marginalize First Nations, while offering some autonomy. The crucial point in CERG's analysis, by its team of engineers, is that B.C."s electricity demands can in no way be met by Site C alone. The projected demand, including the electrification of B.C."s natural gas fields and the switch to electric cars to help meet the province's 2030 goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent, show that additional supply will be needed. The conclusion is clear: B.C. and Canada need new clean energy sources, and Indigenous providers provide the grounds for a win-win situation. By allowing Indigenous utilities to compete, we create both clean energy and Indigenous economic development opportunities. Explore further Indigenous communities moving away from government utilities This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Indigenously developed walk-in sample kiosks have been installed at several places in the country to take swabs of suspected COVID-19 patients for testing. The kiosks, modelled after those used in South Korea, have built-in gloves which can be used by health workers as protective shield while collecting samples of suspected patients. The health workers, therefore, do not necessarily require wearing protective gear while taking samples. IMAGE: A doctor in a protective chamber takes a swab from a man to test for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a newly installed Walk-In Sample Kiosk (WISK) in a government-run hospital in Chennai. Photograph: P Ravikumar/Reuters IMAGE: After each use, the gloves and chair are decontaminated with disinfectants and can be reused. Photograph: PTI Photo IMAGE: A doctor from inside a protective chamber collects swab sample of a person at a newly installed WISK in Chennai. Photograph: PTI Photo IMAGE: A doctor is being sanitised inside the protective chamber after collecting swab sample of a person. Photograph: PTI Photo IMAGE: Doctors inside the protective chamber before collecting swab sample at a government-run hospital in Chennai. Photograph: PTI Photo IMAGE: The model has been adapted from South Korea where it has been used widely. Photograph: PTI Photo IMAGE: A doctor attends a patient who has come for a check-up at Flu Corner in Charak Palika Hospital at Moti Bagh, in New Delhi. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo A former Channel Seven reality TV star sobbed as a judge sentenced her to up to four years' jail for dealing heroin - after hearing how her life spiraled out of control following her brush with fame. Beauty and the Geek runner-up Jordan Finlayson, 29, cried out as New South Wales District Court Judge Phillip Mahony hit her with the hefty jail sentence on Friday morning. Ms Finlayson was a successful model and dancer, an NRL cheerleader and briefly, the face of the iconic Australian canteen food, the Chiko roll. She dated 'geek' Lachlan Cosgrove for close to a year after the program, but the relationship fizzled out. Jail was the culmination of a stretch of drug-related crime for Finlayson, who appeared in front of a Sydney's Downing Centre Court via audio-visual link from jail. She sat hunched in a crumpled green prison jumpsuit, hair in a messy bun, as details were revealed of her drugged-out downfall. From TV star to full-time prison: Jordan Finlayson, 29, sobbed as she was sentenced to jail term of up to four years for dealing heroin on Friday morning Finlayson had fallen into an addiction which saw her use heroin, GBL, Xanax and marijuana on a 'daily basis', the court heard Finlayson at Sydney's Darling Harbour with her former lover, Martin Roser, who was also charged with drug offences and hit with a five year sentence The lingerie model from Sydney's east was furious when Daily Mail Australia first reported separate police drug-related allegations against her in January 2019. She threatened to call in the lawyers, telling a reporter: 'Thanks and thanks for such a horrible write up'. Horrible write-ups are now the least of her worries, with Judge Mahony noting on sentencing that she had suffered a 'significant fall from grace' and had 'hit rock bottom'. The softly-spoken judge said she had fallen into the grips of an addiction that saw her use heroin, GBL, Xanax and marijuana on a 'daily basis'. Her drug habit was fuelled by months of dealing drugs with her boyfriend, Martin Roser. She made about $40,000 from dealing in total, the court was told, but most of the sum was spent on her drug habit and her co-offender's debts. She even overdosed at one point, the judge told the court. An image of a washed-out Ms Finlayson surfaced online following her arrest by police The former cheergirl had little idea of how much trouble she was getting into when she dealt heroin, methylamphetamine and GBL to a stranger over three months last year. Finlayson sold 'H balls' (heroin) and 'eyeballs' (meth) to the officer, and organised the delivery of GBL (a liquid) in a soft drink bottle to an undercover NSW Police officer, the court heard. She became wary that June after spotting police with the undercover operative, the agreed facts said. Finlayson texted the operative: 'I went home buddy. Why were the police there?' Two hours later, Finlayson and her boyfriend were spotted on Dank St, Waterloo, in the city's inner east. Finlayson was already known to police. She had already been caught by officers on offences of supplying and possessing prohibited drugs. She was taken into custody. Finlayson is led away by a female officer and put in the back of a paddy wagon during her arrest last June (police photo) Ms Finlayson was escorted out of the property by detectives and was forced to take off her jacket on the street so police could search it What once aws: During her TV stint, the model, left, found love with 'geek' Lachlan Cosgrove, together on right. The relationship ended but he later supported her at court The model and dancer (left and right) pleaded guilty to three charges of supplying prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis and commercial drug supply The one-time glamour model was charged with two counts of supplying prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis and one of supplying a commercial quantity of prohibited drugs. She pleaded guilty to the three charges. In a letter to the court, Finlayson said her actions 'let everyone down'. She wants to prove 'we all make mistakes. It's how we come back from them that really matters' Judge Mahony told the court that Finlayson had suffered a major 'depressive' episode following her appearance on Beauty and the Geek. He was 'impressed' by evidence she gave to the court where the model admitted she had 'made mistakes and hit rock bottom'. In a letter to the judge, the one-time dancer said going to jail had 'potentially saved her life'. Finlayson said she hoped to start a professional modelling agency when she gets out of prison and wants to start a family too. 'I'm deeply sorry for all the hurt and pain I've caused to those involved,' she wrote to the judge. 'My actions let everyone down.' She wrote that she wants to 'prove to the world that we all make mistakes. It's how we come back to them that really matters.' But while the judge said she had reasonable prospects of rehabilitation, he accepted full-time custody was the only sentence available. She was sentenced to a maximum four year and three month term of imprisonment, with a non-parole period of two years and three months. Finlayson will be eligible for parole in October 2021. Her ex-boyfriend Mr Roser was jailed for five years. YouTube CPAC UPDATE 8:43 a.m. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will support work in the oil and gas sector by spending $1.7 billion to help clean up "orphaned wells." He says restoring abandoned oil and gas wells is good for the environment, for landowners who have to contend with them, and for thousands of workers the effort will employ. The federal government is also creating a $750-million fund to cut methane emissions. Speaking outside his Ottawa residence, Trudeau says the government expects all the spending to maintain 10,000 jobs across the country. He adds that the government is going to provide $962 million to regional development agencies to help more businesses, particularly those that don't have relationships with traditional financial institutions. And he's promising hundreds of millions of dollars in support for the arts and culture industries through the Department of Canadian Heritage. UPDATE 8:29 a.m. Trudeau announces money for energy sector- $1.7B to clean up orphan and inactive wells in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Trudeau says in Alberta alone, orphan well cleanup investment will "maintain" 5,200 jobs. ORIGINAL 8:01 a.m. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to address the nation as he has been doing over the last several weeks. CTV News is reporting that Canada and the United States have agreed to extend the current closure of the border to all non-essential travel for at least another month as the fight against COVID-19 continues in both countries. -with files from CTV News and the Candaian Press TEXAS STARTS REOPENING From April 20: State parks will reopen. People must wear face coverings and masks and adhere to social distancing They also cannot visit in groups of five or more From April 22: Hospitals can start resuming surgeries that had been postponed by COVID-19 but only if they do not take away from the hospital's capacity to treat COVID-19 and if the hospital reserves 25 percent of its beds for COVID-19 patients From April 24: Retailers can reopen but only if they can deliver their goods or services to people at home or in their cars to minimize contact Schools and universities will remain closed for the rest of the year Advertisement Texas will begin reopening next week, Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Friday, starting with public parks and retailers on a 'to-go' basis. People will still be asked to wear face masks or coverings in public and they must still adhere to social distancing. Retailers will be able to open again next Friday but on a to-go basis only meaning they must deliver to people's homes, cars or other places. Surgeries that were postponed because of the pandemic will also be allowed to go ahead, but on a case by case basis. Schools and universities will however remain closed for the remainder of the school year. Despite having a population of 29million people, the state has only recorded some 17,000 cases of the virus. By comparison, New York City - which has a population of more than 8million - has around 120,000. Abbott said the reopening would be in phases. 'Understand this: opening in Texas must occur in stages. Obviously, not all businesses can open all at once on May the first. 'Some businesses, if fully open, without better distancing standards, would be more likely to set us back, rather than to propel us forward. 'A more strategic approach is required to ensure that we don't reopen only to have to shut down once again,' he said. Texas is the first state to confirm that it is reopening next week. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has extended the state's lockdown until May 15 and is saying even then, he will decide gradually on a phased restart of the economy. Gov. Greg Abbott made the announcement on Friday afternoon About 40 people, including some small business owners, gather, Friday, April 17, 2020 at the Wood County Courthouse in Quitman, Texas to rally together against the declining economy due to the coronavirus restrictions. They aimed to support local businesses and going back to work Rev. Demetrius Boyd of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Mineola and Mineola Community Bank President Jim Herlocker lead a rally of people who want to see coronavirus business restrictions loosened due to the negative effect on the local economy at the Wood County Courthouse in Quitman, Texas No state is yet in the position described by President Trump in a series of guidelines issued last night. He said that while he issued a framework for reopening, it would ultimately come down to each state's governor to decide how and when it happens. He has also laid the responsibility for ongoing testing with the states. Governors say they cannot physically produce enough tests quickly enough in order to reopen, and that they need the federal government's help. The resumption of surgeries applies to; Any procedure that, if performed in accordance with the commonly accepted standard of clinical practice, would not deplete the hospital capacity or the PPE needed to cope with COVID-19 Any surgery or procedure performed in a licensed health care facility that has certified in writing to Texas HHSC that it will reserve at least 25% of its hospital capacity for treatment of COVID-19 patients. And that it will not request any PPE from any public source whether federal, state, or local for the duration of the COVID-19 disaster. Abbott also announced the creation of a council to advise him on the remainder of the reopening. They include medical and economic experts. A man talks with a healthcare worker outside Kedren Community Health Center during the coronavirus pandemic in Los Angeles. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) Even as the growth of coronavirus cases appears to be slowing in California, the numbers of dead reached new highs this week with the toll being particularly grim in Los Angeles County. Coronavirus-linked fatalities hit another one-day high in Los Angeles County on Thursday as health officials confirmed 52 additional deaths for a total of 457. It marked the third straight day the county has seen a record number of deaths, according to the county's tally. While the coronavirus crisis began in the Bay Area, Los Angeles County now accounts for an outsized number of deaths despite its large size. The county represents a quarter of Californias population but has been the site of almost half of the deaths due to COVID-19, a Times data analysis found. The five-county Southern California region accounts for roughly 60% of the deaths in California due to the coronavirus, even though it makes up just 48% of California's population. Those numbers led to California recording its worst one-day death total on Wednesday, at 101 reported fatalities. The increase this week on the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 is distressing and a stark reminder of the devastation caused by COVID-19, said Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County's public health director. In Los Angeles County, 88% of those who have died as a result of COVID-19 had other health problems. That underscores the need for all of us to work together to make it possible for those who have underlying health issues to remain in their homes, she said. County officials have said that while strict stay-at-home orders have slowed the spread of coronavirus, they remain worried about the possibility of more outbreaks. They forecast last week that up to 30% of the county's 10 million residents could be infected by midsummer without more behavioral changes, such as reducing shopping trips. Institutional settings such as nursing homes have been major hot spots for the virus in Los Angeles County. Roughly 30% of the deaths in L.A. County have occurred in nursing homes. In Long Beach, that number is more than 70%. All of Pasadena's 16 fatalities have been associated with long-term care facilities. Story continues Nursing homes have been a crisis point elsewhere. Bay Area prosecutors have opened an investigation into the Gateway Care and Rehabilitation Center in Hayward, where 13 people have died. Forty-one residents and 26 staff members there have tested positive. State and local officials have said that California's coronavirus outbreak should be peaking over the next few weeks and are already beginning to talk about the conditions needed to lift some of the restrictions. If those forecasts hold, the state would fare dramatically better than places such as New York, New Jersey and Michigan. New York has seen more than 14,000 coronavirus deaths, compared to more than 970 in California. Officials have attributed early adoption of stay-at-home rules for part of that difference. Daily tallies of new cases in California suggest the spread of the virus is slowing. So does the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units , which has remained between 1,100 and 1,200 since April 7. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that 1,191 Californians were in intensive care as of Wednesday a 1.4% day-to-day increase but that the overall number of patients hospitalized ticked down by almost 1% to 3,141. Thats good news but, again, I caution everybody: One days data does not make a trend, he said. The increase in hospitalizations over the first 15 days of April appeared to be driven by the five counties in Southern California, where the number of those hospitalized doubled from 1,058 to 2,161. But the nine-county Bay Area has seen a flat number of those hospitalized for COVID-19 for those two weeks, staying between 397 and 471. The first two weeks of April have been more stable than the rapid increases in new cases seen in March. The Southern California region has added between 500 to 1,000 cases daily during the first two weeks of April, while the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area has added between 100 to 300 cases daily. San Diego County has added fewer than 150 cases daily, and the seven-county Sacramento area hasnt added more than 100 cases since April 1. But as the death toll increases, there are growing concerns about racial disparities among coronavirus victims. The California Department of Public Health released data this week showing that the coronavirus is killing black residents in disproportionate numbers a trend mirrored by Los Angeles County and other local cities. In numbers released this week, black Californians accounted for 7% of the states COVID-19 cases and 12% of its coronavirus-related deaths. Blacks make up 6% of the states population. State officials said a fuller picture of racial demographics are coming into perspective as more information is included in COVID-19 reporting. As of this week, officials said data on race and ethnicity were complete for 65% of cases and 87% of deaths reported to the state. WINFIELD Police patrolled Doubletree Lake Estates in Winfield after a resident said her family woke up to suspicious activity early Thursday. A resident living on Doubletree Drive South in Doubletree Lake Estates in Winfield reported that her family was woken up by a hooded man trying to open the homes front door around 4 a.m. Thursday. The resident said when her mother and brother went to the door, the man left. The family alerted authorities and Winfield police patrolled the area. Another resident said around 3 a.m. she was home with her children and saw light flashing through her homes windows and believes she heard the sound of a door being moved, however, she did not see a person and no one entered her home. Winfield police responded to the area and patrolled the neighborhood but did not see anyone walking around in the area, said Winfield Marshal Dan Ball. There were no reports of theft or vandalism from the incident and no other calls were received about the suspicious person. Ball said police are always open to viewing home security footage if evidence was captured or if the video will give leads on an investigation. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 14:59:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SYDNEY, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Papua New Guinea's (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape entered precautionary isolation on Thursday after potentially coming in contact with COVID-19, as the country recorded five new cases, taking the total to seven. One of the new cases was a quarantine worker at the PNG's main airport who had also attended the country's National Operation Centre (NOC 19) on several occasions. Police Minister Bryan Kramer said in a statement that the center was locked down and that Marape was among those tested for the disease. "The prime minister and I were not at the center when it was locked down, however we both had our samples taken for testing as a precautionary measure," Kramer said. Until the test results were returned, both Marape and Kramer said they would self-isolate and work from home, urging others to limit their movements as much as possible. "Heed the call. Stay at home if you have no reason to move around." Marape said. "It only spreads when people are moving around." Three of the other cases were from a village along the PNG-Indonesia border in the Western Province. Officials believe that they contracted the disease from traditional border crossings with Indonesia. Another is a woman from the province of East New Britain who has been linked to a positive case in that region earlier in the month. Kramer said testing would be ramped up in the areas where cases have appeared, and that contact tracing would be used in the case of the airport worker. He added that while test kits were in short supply due to the high global demand, the country was working to source more. "Right now it is important to remain calm and vigilant in looking after ourselves and each other, and encourage everyone to adhere to and observe the state of emergency," Kramer said. "To fight the spread of this virus, we need less people to be on the streets, in buses, in shops, in banks or in the market." Enditem [April 17, 2020] Hagens Berman: Delta Latest Airline Hit by Class-Action Lawsuit Seeking Consumer Flight Refunds Amid COVID-19 Outbreak Delta Air Lines is the latest defendant to be named in a class-action lawsuit seeking refunds for consumers refused ticket refund requests for flights cancelled due to the outbreak of COVID-19, according to attorneys at Hagens Berman. The class-action law firm brought similar claims against United Airlines recently, in its suit against Delta. If an airline denied your refund request after your flight was cancelled due to the outbreak, find out more about the lawsuit and your rights. According to the lawsuit filed Apr. 17, 2020 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division, Atlanta-based Delta has acted in deceptive and unfair manners in failing to honor ticket refunds and requests from its passengers in light of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The suit's named plaintiff is a Maryland resident who booked four round-trip tickets for $3,090.22, for travel from Washington Dulles to Cairo, Egypt in April 2020. Delta twice cancelled his flights, according to the lawsuit, once for the initial departure date, and once after the plaintiff rebooked the flights to an earlier date. His requests for a refund were rejected, and Delta informed him he was limited to a voucher for travel to occur within one year of his original booking date. The lawsuit states, "At the time of his ticket purchase, Plaintiff understood that he would be entitled to a refund if his flight was Plaintiff seeks a refund because he does not know when or if he will be able to use a travel voucher." Delta's Changing Refund Policy Under Delta's Contract of Carriage, if the airline cancelled a flight or changed a flight time by more than 90 minutes, passegers could receive a full refund. However, Delta is focused on keeping passenger money through providing travel credits, not refunds. The front page of Delta's website has a "Coronavirus Travel Updates" banner and a large red button to encourage consumers to "Change or Cancel" their flight, yet the refund request form is not referenced on Delta's "Coronavirus Travel Updates," and is only located by searching the website specifically for the refund request form. According to the suit, "regardless of the method by which Delta sells its tickets, Delta has engaged in unfair, deceptive, and unjust conduct: it is refusing to issue refunds to passengers for coronavirus related flight cancellations," highlighting that with mounting cancellations, Delta tried to make it "difficult, if not impossible, for consumers to receive any refund on pandemic cancelled flights." As the Department of Transportation advises consumers of their rights: "If your flight is cancelled and you choose to cancel your trip as a result, you are entitled to a refund for the unused transportation-even for non-refundable tickets." Yet, Delta has refused to give its customers the option of a refund, going as far as automatically issuing a travel voucher if a passenger is travelling soon, and cannot get through to a customer service representative due to high demand. "Simply put, we find Delta's actions in light of the pandemic utterly unacceptable," said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman and attorney for consumers in the class action. "That Delta is offering time-limited vouchers during an unprecedented time of chaos and uncertainty in our nation's history only underscores its primary focus of profits over people, and we intend to fight for their right to monetary relief. Americans are losing their sources of income at alarming rates. Vouchers just won't cut it." "The separation caused by COVID-19 and related protective efforts has particularly impacted travel, including air travel. Opportunity and ability to travel is flat-out eliminated for many Americans, both financially and physically," the lawsuit states. "To add to the difficulties such passengers already face, Delta refuses to issue monetary refunds to passengers with canceled flights. It does so even though all airline passengers are entitled to a refund if the airline cancels a flight, regardless of the reason the airline cancels the flight. Instead, Delta represents it will only rebook and/or provide travel vouchers." The lawsuit against Delta seeks refunds for class members for the amount paid for airline tickets, punitive damages and an injunction directing United to issue refunds for cancelled flights. Find out more about the class-action lawsuit against airlines for failure to refund tickets due to COVID-19-related cancellations. About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is a consumer-rights class-action law firm with nine offices across the country. The firm's tenacious drive for plaintiffs' rights has earned it numerous national accolades, awards and titles of "Most Feared Plaintiff's Firm," and MVPs and Trailblazers of class-action law. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at www.hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005641/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Aligarh, April 17 : The Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested a former Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) student, Mohammad Aamir Mintoi, who had been externed from the district for six months in January for his alleged involvement in criminal activities. He was arrested on Wednesday night, said police. Aligarh Superintendent of Police city, Abhishek, said that Mintoi was spotted by the police near the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College trauma centre and was arrested for defying the externment order. Meanwhile, the AMU students' coordination committee, on Thursday, launched a campaign, demanding the unconditional release of the AMU scholar and asked officials to stop 'witch hunting'. RTE Radio One is seeking submissions for one of Irelands longest established, and most prestigious, writing competitions: the Francis McManus Short Story Competition. I shall not be submitting an entry - for the simple reason that I do not write short stories something I could never quite explain to my late mother who, on hearing the announcement on radio, would ring me up and invariably say: Ger, you should enter one of your stories in that competition. But I dont write short stories, mother. Well what are all those bits and bobs you put in the papers and magazines? Theyre not short stories, mother. And wed leave it at that. The Francis McManus Short Story Competition was first established in 1986 in honour of the acclaimed novelist, and one time head of RTEs features; he was born in November 1909 and died of a heart attack in 1965 at the relatively young age of 56. I have a great affinity with Francs McManus for several reasons: were both Kilkenny men; city boys, we both attended the same secondary school, the Christian Brothers in Jamess Street and we both became teachers. McManus started out in St Patricks Training College in Drumcondra and progressed to UCD while yours truly started out in UCD and progressed to Saint Pats. And, of course, we are both writers. And there the comparison ends especially when it comes to writing. Francis McManus has written numerous novels, essays, plays, biographies and, of course, short stories while I have one book to my credit, a local history of Kilkenny city and county! In the 1930s Francis McManus published a trilogy of history novels: Stand and Give Challenge (1934), Candle for the Proud (1936) and Men Withering (1939) the latter winning the Harmsworth Award of the Irish Academy of Letters that same year. The central character in the three novels is the 18th Century Gaelic poet Donncha Rua MacConmara. McManuss fellow writer, Benedict Kiely, described the trilogy as the most notable historical novels written by an Irishman in our times. I first became aware of Francis McManus when I picked up a copy of his book Flow On, Lovely River (published in 1941) in a second hand bookshop. The title caught my eye as its a line from Kilkennys hurling anthem The Rose of Mooncoin. I was intrigued by the similarity between the plot of the novel and the real life story of Watt Murphy who composed the love song The Rose of Mooncoin. In Flow On, Lovely River schoolmaster John Lee relates the story of his thwarted love for the daughter of the village drunkard. In real life, aging Catholic schoolmaster Watt Murphy was thwarted in his love for Elizabeth Wills (who was not even half Watts age) the daughter of the local vicar. An impossible relationship, Watt was devastated when Elizabeths worried father sent her abroad, thereby sundering the friendship. Broken hearted, Watt composed The Rose of Mooncoin in which Elizabeth Wills becomes Molly, the famous Rose of Mooncoin. Francis McManus taught for 18 years in Synge Street CBS and joined RTE in 1948 as Director of Features. In 1953 he initiated the Thomas Davis Lectures, contributors to those programmes included Padraic Colum, Francis Stuart, Ernest Blythe, and Austin Clarke among others. Francis McManus was a man of many talents. In a talk given in Rothe House in Kilkenny on September 12, 2009 to celebrate the centenary of Francis McManuss birth his son Patrick said that his father spoke and read Italian very well, and passable French. He had a working grasp of Spanish, and he read some Russianwhile his classic cure for his constant insomnia was reading Hebrew at two in the morning, making it difficult for him, Patrick, to sneak in later than promised. He also spoke about bus rides with his father to the city during which the Da, as the family called him, would engage half a dozen passengers or more in conversation, potential characters for his next novel. Or short story. The Francis McManus Short Story Competition has been a source of encouragement and support for emerging writers as well as established ones. Closing date for entry is Friday, May 8. The winning story, and shortlisted ones, will be produced and broadcast by RTE in the autumn. With plenty of Covid-time on hand - what are ye waiting for? MANILA, Philippines - Philippine troops clashed with dozens of Abu Sayyaf militants allied with the Islamic State group in the countrys south Friday, leaving 11 soldiers dead and 14 others wounded, military officials said. Regional military commander Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said the army scout rangers were manoeuvring for an assault when they engaged about 40 Abu Sayyaf fighters in the forested mountains off Danag village in Patikul town in Sulu province. The gunbattle raged for an hour before the militants withdrew. A military report said the militants were believed to be led by Abu Sayyaf commanders Radulan Sahiron and Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, who have been blamed for kidnappings for ransom and beheadings. Bloodstains at the scene indicated an undetermined number of militants were either wounded or killed, the report said. Troops fired mortar rounds toward the retreating militants, and other army troops moved to block the gunmen, the military said. We will sustain our security efforts in order to put an end to the menace of terrorism, Sobejana said by telephone. The clash highlights the diverse problems the Philippines has in addition to the coronavirus. The military has been staging on-and-off offensives against the Abu Sayyaf, which is listed by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organization, for years. The small but violent group is an offshoot of the decades-long separatist unrest in the south of the largely Roman Catholic nation. The violence has eased since the largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, signed a peace deal with the government that replaced a Muslim autonomous area with a more powerful and better-funded region. Japanese Ambassador to ASEAN Chiba Akira said that sharing information and knowledge in a free, transparent and speedy manner is of utmost importance and a prerequisite for regional cooperation in response to COVID-19. browser not support iframe. The ambassador said in an interview recently granted to Vietnam News Agency in Jakarta on April 15 that it is a duty of all countries to mobilise all their resources to curb and terminate the spread of the virus together. He spoke highly of the initiative to hold the ASEAN Special Summit and the Special ASEAN 3 Summit on Response to COVID-19. The diplomat hailed Vietnams active and proactive role in its capacity as ASEAN Chair in promoting common efforts against COVID-19. He said partnership with Vietnam is of utmost importance to Japan this year, not only because Vietnam is ASEAN Chair and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, but also because Vietnam is Japans Country Coordinator for ASEAN. VNA KAMPALA All Ugandans stranded in the United Arab Emirates due to COVID-19 have been asked to register with the Uganda Embassy. The Uganda Embassy to the United Arab Emirates is in the process of registering and verifying stranded Ugandan nationals who are currently in the UAE [Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Kaimah, and Umma Al Quwainj] who are unable to return home because of COVID-19 Crisis, a statement from Uganda Embassy in the UAE said. Ugandan Ambassador to the UAE Zaake Kibede said the exercise is specifically for stranded Ugandans in UAE due to COVID-19 pandemic. He asked those in specified category to submit; their full names current address in the UAE and Uganda telephone contact. Other details include copy of the bio-data page of their Ugandan passport, scanned page of the relevant UAE visit visa/tourist visa for those on business and tourist visit. Others include, a copy of their return ticket where available. The details are supposed to be sent by e-mail to info@ugandaembassyuae.com by April 22. Besides Ugandans in the UAE, we have also seen letters where those in Japan, UK and Ireland, US and Carribean and South Korea have also been asked to register. According to communiques from different Ugandan embassies abroad, the exercise is aimed at helping the government to prepare for the possible evacuation of Ugandans from those countries once international travel resumes. The registration of Ugandans followed a directive from Ugandas Foreign Affairs Ministry to all embassies abroad to send the details of Ugandans for further management until the Ugandan government communicates a concrete decision. Related The Centre on Friday told the Delhi High Court that the man who wanted to take his wife for cancer treatment to Chennai can do so as it is a medical emergency. The central government, however, clarified that he will have to take necessary permissions for taking his wife by air ambulance. The submission was made before Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar in response to the court's query earlier on whether the man can take his wife by air ambulance to Chennai for therapy at the Apollo Proton Cancer Centre. Meanwhile, regarding the man's additional plea for reimbursement of treatment costs under the Delhi government's employees health scheme, the AAP government told the court that a committee was set up to examine his claim, but its decision was not available yet. Taking note of the submissions, the court listed the matter for further hearing on April 22. According to the plea, the petitioner's wife is suffering from carcinoma and has been advised proton therapy at the hospital in Chennai. He had forwarded to the Delhi government all the details, including estimated costs, for grant of requisite permission for the treatment, it said. However, as he received no response, he had to approach the court, the man has said in his plea. He has also said that as his wife needs the treatment at the earliest and 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 had on the last date, April 13, told the court that it will endeavour to expeditiously process his request, in accordance with the rules, within one week. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A sweet sentiment on Facebook has taken a turn for the worst. Users are sharing their old high school graduation photos in support of the class of 2020, which is spending its senior year at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Better Business Bureau, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, warns that hackers can use these posts to find the name of the person's high school and graduation year two common security questions used to access online portals. The organization is urging anyone who has shared the hashtag #ClassOf2020 along with the nostalgic photo to change the security questions on their online accounts. Scroll down for video Users are sharing their old high school graduation photos in support of the class of 2020 who are spending their senior year at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. But hackers can use these posts to find the name of the person's high school and graduation year two common security questions used to access online The departing Class of 2020 is facing the reality of no graduation ceremony, no prom and the loss of traditions, from senior trips to class competitions - and the Facebook community started the trend to show their support. 'In support of the Class of 2020, share YOUR senior picture no matter how old you are. Come on friends, dig out those boxes of memories!! Let's see everyone's pics! Just copy, paste and change your school/year!!,' reads one of the posts floating around Facebook. However, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has shared that, although the trend is a nice gesture, it is leaving those who join in vulnerable to hackers. 'Watch out, scammers or hackers who surf through social media sites will see these #ClassOf2020 posts, and will now have the name of your high school and graduation year, which are common online security questions,' the BBB shared in a press release. The Better Business Bureau is urging anyone who has shared the hashtag #ClassOf2020 along with the nostalgic photo to change the security questions on their online accounts 'All it takes is an internet search to reveal more information about you, such as family members, your real name, birthdate or even where you live.' The group warns that most of the viral trends can leave users vulnerable to hackers including those that ask to share person details about yourself such as 'Top four favorite things' or 'Random facts about you.' 'What most people forget is that some of these 'favorite things' are commonly used passwords or security questions,' BBB wrote. 'If your social media privacy settings aren't high, you could be giving valuable information away for anyone to use.' Students around the US have been forced to leave the classroom and finish the year off at home, as countless schools have closed across the nation due to the coronavirus pandemic and it is the senior class that is losing out. The coronavirus began in Wuhan, China in December and quickly made its way to nearly every country around the globe - however, the US has been hit the hardest The coronavirus began in Wuhan, China in December and quickly made its way to nearly every country around the globe -however, the US has been hit the hardest. The outbreak has forced business to close their doors, leaving millions without a job. It has also forced schools to shut down and students are now learning online, leaving the seniors without the memory of walking across a stage to accept their high school diploma. As of Friday there have been more than 677,800 cases and over 34,800 deaths reported in the US. People take part in a protest against lockdown measures during the coronavirus pandemic at the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan: AFP via Getty Images Donald Trump had just set an election-year trap for governors on Thursday night, but needed to leave some bait inside before releasing the hounds. "I think they'd listen to me. They seem to be protesters that like me and respect this opinion, and my opinion is the same as just about all of the governors," Mr Trump, as skilled a game hunter as there is in the American political forest, said during what he billed as a "major news conference" when asked about protests in some states demanding state leaders end "stay-at-home" orders and open up their economies. "They all want to open. Nobody wants to stay shut, but they want to open safely. So do I. But we have large sections of the country right now that can start thinking about opening," he added, sending signals to his most fervent conservative supporters before leaving some political bait in the trap for state chiefs executive ahead of November's election. "So that will be a governor's choice," he said, "and we'll have no problem with it." The latter remark was vintage Trump due to its illusion of being both definitive and conciliatory. That veneer of, as he put it Thursday evening, his vow to "continue to work with governors" was gone by late Friday morning as conservatives in new states stormed their capital cities demanding an end to the lock down. At 11:22 a.m. (EDT) came this presidential tweet: "LIBERATE MINNESOTA!" At 11:23 a.m. came this tweet: "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" At 11:25 a.m., he posted this: "LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!" Having prepared the battlespace with his campaign-themed "Open Up American Again" guidelines for states to begin at their discretion a recommended three-step process to get kids back to school and their parents back to work, and all of the sputtering US economy humming again, the president's executed the next step in his emerging re-election plan. Story continues Unleash the hounds He unleashed his hounds. That's no pejorative. Trump's pack of hounds are loud and energetic and they are the ones who fuel conspiracy theories on right-leaning cable networks and talk radio, helping to convince even more moderate GOP voters that Democrats at all levels of government are out to take their hard-earned money and give it to minority groups, while building an American that is less white than the one in which they grew up. Many of the white middle-class conservative voters who felt betrayed by the economy amid a socially- and racially-changing America who propelled the tough-talking, anti-immigration, anti-globalism New York businessman to the Oval Office still feel that way. And just enough live in swing states like Michigan and Minnesota that Mr Trump's best re-election strategy on 17 April, seven months from Election Day, is to unleash these hounds with the hopes of chasing governors into his trap of opening up -- for which he inevitably will take credit as the economy there revs up. And if some of the state leaders in the states that will decide whether he or former Vice President Electoral Some residents there, including ones images published by local media outlets showed were wearing pro-Trump gear, were "massing," as a local television station described it, outside the official residence of Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat. That came a few days after protesters, again many clad in "TRUMP" and "Make America Great Again" hats and shirts, stormed the State Capitol in Lansing, demanding Governor Esther Whitmer rescind her orders that have shuttered normal life there. Even some veteran Washington Republican hands see a Trump-set trap for governors in swing states. "For a president who was so gung-ho a week ago that he was the one who had the sole power to open up the economy and then flip so quickly to put the burden but I believe the constitutionally correct burden on the governors, suggests to me that once the lawyers convinced him he did not have that sole power, the political consultants then took over and figured out that he could turn his lemon into lemonade, politically speaking," said G. William Hoagland, a former aide to then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican. Democratic sources also see something of a set-up for governors in the White House's guidelines. "They're using the only playbook they know: bombastic and sensational without regard for the veracity," one Democratic strategist said. Brad Bannon, a Democratic political strategist, said "Trump excels at the blame game," and after first declaring on Monday that only he has the legal power to re-open the country, he has moved to a strategy based on shifting blame to governors, China and the world Health Organisation. "Donald Trump is doing everything he can to ensure his re-election, even if comes at the expense of the health and well being of millions of Americans." 'Voters will remember' But Democrats also see a reason to hope Mr Biden can pounce on the Trump-led federal effort, under which more than 32,000 Americans have died from the virus. "They're thinking about this entirely the wrong way. He's going to be judged on the process here as much as the result," said the Democrat strategist, granted anonymity to be candid. "How they message this matters as much as what they decide. ... I believe this time they're going to pay a price for that." Mr Bannon said "Americans want the president to take responsibility during a national crisis, they don't want him to pass the buck to the governors or anyone else," adding: "Voters will remember in November." But, as always, the president's new strategy appears mostly geared towards his own chances in the Electoral College and its race to 270 votes. Meaning he is putting some potentially vulnerable GOP governors at risk, Mr Hoagland said. "There is also a political risk to Republican governors in Texas, South Dakota and Florida if they move to reopen too quickly, prompted in part by POTUS and those [coronavirus case and death] trends turn sour," he said. But, after setting his trap, the president ended his Thursday press conference signalled he views his portion of running the nationwide response as behind him. It's election season again. "We have incredible people that we are working with, and we're going to bring our country back, and it's going to be bigger and better and stronger than ever before," he declared before exiting the James S. Brady Briefing Room. "We have learned a lot. We learned a lot about ourselves, and I want to thank everybody. And, most importantly, I want to thank the American people." Read more Trump claims China lying about new coronavirus death toll Trump demands 'liberation' of three states Trump says sport will soon return without fans like the good old days Trump announces guidelines for reopening states when coronavirus fades Team Schulz the campaign for Sarah Schulz, candidate for Michigans state House has provided over 3,500 masks to the community within the past three weeks. Many groups within the community have requested and received face masks from Team Schulz to help protect them from COVID-19. The team consists of more than 70 volunteers. After the CDC recommended wearing the masks for protection, the orders came rushing in, said Alaynah Smith, MSW student at SVSU and volunteer coordinator for Schulz. We have helped so many people and although you never do it for the thanks, we have been honored that so many people are appreciative of our efforts. The request for masks have been answered for numerous Bay County organizations: Bay Arenac Behavioral Health Adult Foster Care Homes, Auburn IGA, Pinconning Cheese Co., Town and County in Pinconning, Family Dollar in Linwood and Pinconning, Rickers Market in Pinconning, Ron Bensons Corner Store in Linwood, Dollar General in Auburn. Many Midland County organizations have contributed as well: MidMichigan Medical Center, MidMichigan Health Alliance, Vail House, The Arc of Midland, Midland County Department of Health and Human Services, Shelterhouse, Kroger, Sanford IGA, Midland County Emergency Food Pantry, Disability Network of Mid-Michigan, Meridian School Food Services, Midland Public School Food Services, Kings Daughters, Midland County Emergency Management (police and firefighters), and Pinecrest Farms. Team Schulz has also provided masks for hundreds of individual at-risk community members including cancer survivors, the elderly, immuno-compromised people, pregnant moms and the elderly. Many of the people picking up the masks were tearful, said Smith. One of the emails we received said you did not hesitate to step forward when our frontlines needed the added defense. That is what a true citizen of the United States embodies. Team Schulz will gladly arrange to provide free masks to those who need one. Those in need of a mask may email info@sarah4mi.org or call 989-835-9800. Schulz is a candidate running for state representative in Michigans 98th district, which includes the cities of Auburn, Pinconning, and Linwood, and the townships of Beaver, Fraser, Garfield, Gibson, Mount Forest, Pinconning, and Williams in Bay County, as well as the city of Midland, the village of Sanford and the townships of Homer, Jerome, Larkin, Lee, and Midland in Midland County. Processed by Victoria Ritter, vritter@mdn.net Telestream Vantage IMF Producer Automates IMF Package Creation from Adobe Premiere Pro Timeline Vantage Panel interface streamlines IMF delivery for editors Nevada City, California( ) Telestream, a leading provider of workflow automation, media processing, quality monitoring and test and measurement solutions for the production and distribution of video, recently announced Vantage IMF Producer, a Vantage option that automates the creation of IMF (Interoperable Master Format) packages from Adobe Premiere Pro, an industry leader in video editing. Using a Vantage panel within Adobe Premiere Pro provides direct access and significant workflow efficiencies for editors wishing to use Vantages comprehensive IMF processing and packaging. IMF packages are the preferred method to deliver show masters to companies like Netflix, 20th Century Studios, Disney and many others. Through the use of automated processing, editing staff can focus on the creative functions of storytelling and pacing without worrying about the complexities of the IMF delivery format. While IMF has become the delivery format of choice for many media-services providers and production companies, Adobe Premiere Pro users need to primarily focus on the storytelling process, said Sue Skidmore, head of partner relations for Adobe video. Having a plug-in panel to Adobe Premiere Pro for Vantages automated IMF packaging workflows gives editors confidence they can deliver compliant IMF masters right from their Timeline. IMF is a SMPTE standard for providing a single, interchangeable master file format and structure for the distribution of content between businesses around the world. IMF provides a framework for creating a true file-based final master. Part of the Vantage Media Processing Platform, IMF Producer automates the creation of all files required in an IMF package from a single output render of an Adobe Premiere Pro timeline. In addition to generating the primary package, editors can create additional sequences, which become supplemental IMF packages that contain different versions of audio, subtitles, edit points, Dolby Vision HDR metadata and more. The ability to manage IMF workflows in an application like Adobe Premiere Pro is an economical and highly powerful way of managing IMF supplemental package requirements, says Scott Matics, Director of Product Management at Telestream. Creating IMF Packages that properly conform to specifications is a complex endeavor, and by automating the task, we ensure that humans and computers focus on the skills they are best at. Vantage IMF Producer automatically creates well-formed supplemental IMF packages which can be sent to media management systems that can automatically extract the correct content for final distribution. IMF Producer can process up to 4 jobs simultaneously from Premiere Pro. Using Vantage Timed Text Flip, IMF Producer also provides full support for IMSC-1 Subtitles. The subtitle feature is required for IMF packages and is frequently missing from other solutions. Doctors at a private hospital in Ludhiana will conduct plasma therapy on a police officer who recently tested positive for COVID-19, in what is set to be the first such treatment for the disease in the state. The Punjab government has given its go-ahead to the hospital to conduct plasma therapy on Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Ludhiana, Anil Kohli, an official spokesperson said here on Friday. This announcement was made after a meeting convened by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh via video-conferencing to review the situation arising out the coronavirus outbreak in the state. The family of the Punjab Police ACP, who is admitted to Ludhiana's Apollo hospital, has given permission for the treatment and the director of Health Services is coordinating with potential plasma donors, the official said. The therapy is being arranged by the state government's health adviser, Dr K K Talwar, former director of PGIMER. On Dr Talwar's request, Dr Neelam Marwaha, former HOD, Blood Transfusion Department, PGI, has agreed to guide the efforts for plasma therapy, the spokesperson said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bottom Line: Patients experienced a greater occurrence of infections in the years preceding a cancer diagnosis. Journal in Which the Study was Published: Cancer Immunology Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research Author: Shinako Inaida, PhD, a visiting researcher at the Graduate School of Medicine at Kyoto University in Japan Background: Cancer can develop in an inflammatory environment caused by infections, immunity disruption, exposure to chemical carcinogens, or chronic or genetic conditions. An individual's immunity is thought to be a factor in the development of cancer, but additional research is needed to understand the relationship among precancerous immunity, infections, and cancer development. This information may contribute to efforts to prevent or detect cancer." Shinako Inaida, PhD, visiting researcher at the Graduate School of Medicine at Kyoto University in Japan Studies have suggested an increase in infections prior to the development of non-solid tumors, such as lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and myeloma, explained Inaida. However, fewer studies have examined infection prior to the development of solid tumors. How the Study was Conducted: In this retrospective case-control study, Inaida, along with Shigeo Matsuno, PhD, examined a medical claims database in Japan to determine the annual rate of infections in adults from 2005 to 2012. Individuals 30 years of age and older without any recorded immunodeficiencies were included in the study. The case group was composed of 2,354 individuals who were diagnosed with any malignant cancer between July 2010 and June 2011, and the control group was composed of 48,395 individuals who were not diagnosed with cancer between January 2005 and December 2012. The annual prevalence rates for influenza, gastroenteritis, hepatitis, and pneumonia infections were calculated for each group. The case group included 1,843 men and 511 women; the control group had 37,779 men and 10,616 women. The average age of individuals in the case group was 45.1 years, while the average age of those in the control group was 43.9 years. The most common cancers diagnosed in the case group were digestive and gastrointestinal, head and neck, and stomach cancers. Other cancer types diagnosed in the case group fell into the following categories: respiratory and thoracic; germ cell; genitourinary; liver; female breast; hematologic, blood, bone, and bone marrow; endocrine; and unknown or other cancers. Results: The authors found that individuals in the case group had experienced higher rates of infection over the six years prior to their cancer diagnoses than those in the control group over the same time period. The largest differences in annual infection prevalence rates occurred in the sixth year, which was one year prior to cancer diagnosis. During this year, the infection prevalence rates for the case group were higher than the control group by 18 percent for influenza, 46.1 percent for gastroenteritis, 232.1 percent for hepatitis, and 135.9 percent for pneumonia. For individuals in the case group, the age-adjusted odds of infection increased each year. During the first year, those in the case group had a 16 percent higher likelihood of infection than the control group, compared with a 55 percent greater risk in the sixth year. During the sixth year, the highest age-adjusted odds ratio was observed for hepatitis infection, with those in the case group having had a 238 percent higher likelihood of hepatitis infection than those in the control group. The authors also found that certain infections appeared to have a greater association with certain cancer types. The odds of influenza infection just before cancer detection, for example, were highest for those who developed male germ cell cancers. Additionally, the odds of pneumonia were highest in those who went on to develop stomach cancer, and the odds of hepatitis infection were highest in those who developed hematologic, blood, bone, or bone marrow cancers. "Interestingly, we found that infection afflicting a specific organ did not necessarily correlate with increased risk of cancer in the same organ," noted Inaida. Study Limitations: A limitation of the study was the lack of information about environmental exposures, lifestyles, or underlying genetic or medical conditions, which could have contributed to increased infection in addition to causing cancer. Another limitation was that information regarding infection was based solely on diagnoses recorded in the database; thus, there may be variability in diagnoses across different clinicians, and some infections may not have been diagnosed or recorded. The small sample size for rare cancers was an additional limitation. This story was originally published on Jan. 17, 2020 in NYT Parenting. If youve been pregnant, you probably know this routine: Every few weeks, you clear a couple of hours on your schedule for a prenatal checkup. You sit in a waiting room. Maybe you scroll through a pregnancy app on your phone, but you probably dont strike up a conversation with the woman next to you. Maybe you make a list of your questions: How risky is deli meat, really? Whats that stabbing pain in your side? Finally, a nurse calls your name and takes your blood pressure and weight. You wait some more. Another medical professional measures your belly, checks the fetal heart rate and, if all is well, youre done. That list of questions? Make it snappy. [Pregnancy pains got you down? Read this.] Even if everything is fine, prenatal care is seldom satisfying or particularly informative. But could prenatal care evolve to be more patient-centered and maybe even more medically effective? Thats the way some researchers and providers describe a new model called group prenatal care. It's been nearly 10 years since the last NASA astronauts launched from United States soil - a long, ignominious streak that's been compounded by delays and technical challenges. But now, finally, the space agency on Friday set the date for when it will fly its astronauts from the Florida Space Coast again: May 27. While the date could change - in spaceflight they often do - the announcement marks a significant milestone in NASA's winding, at times tortuous, journey to regain its human spaceflight wings since it retired the space shuttle in 2011. This time, though, the launch will be markedly different from any other in the history of the space agency. Unlike Mercury, Gemini, Apollo or the space shuttle era, the rocket will be owned and operated not by NASA, but by a private company - SpaceX, the hard-charging commercial space company founded by Elon Musk. For all the company's triumphs, and its experience flying cargo to the International Space Station for NASA, it has never flown a single human being into space, a significant and dangerous challenge. NASA has spent years working with the California-based company to ensure its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft can safely deliver astronauts to orbit. And the flight would be the culmination of years of work, which has at times seen setbacks and delays. With a successful launch, SpaceX would accomplish an upset over its rival, Boeing, which also is under contract to fly NASA crews to the space station as part of the agency's "commercial crew program." Boeing's Starliner spacecraft suffered a series of significant setbacks during a test flight without astronauts in December that prevented it from docking with the station and prompted an investigation by NASA. That investigation uncovered numerous flaws and Boeing recently agreed to refly the mission without astronauts on board before proceeding to a crewed flight. With that reflight likely toward the end of this year, a crewed Boeing flight is now thought unlikely until next year. The company, reeling from the 737 Max crisis and the corornavirus pandemic, has set aside $410 million to pay for the costs of the investigation and the additional test flight. In 2014, NASA awarded a total of $6.8 billion in contracts to SpaceX and Boeing, which won the larger share of the pot, $4.2 billion, while SpaceX got $2.6 billion for the same work. Last year, SpaceX successfully flew its Dragon to the station, paving the way for a crewed flight. In an interview with The Post last week, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstein said the agency needed to push on with the launch, despite the coronavirus pandemic, in order to maintain an American presence on the space station, which has been permanently inhabited for 20 years. The space station represents "a $100 billion investment by the American taxpayer," he said. "It's a symbol of diplomacy and cooperation that is important not just for our country but the whole world. It's mission essential." A successful flight would propel SpaceX into rare company, with the United States, Russia and China, the only countries who have flown humans to orbit. And it would end NASA's dependence on Russia to fly its astronauts. Once NASA retired the space shuttle and lost the ability to fly humans, it became dependent on Russia to launch its missions. And Russia began raising the prices it charged for the service -from $21.3 million a seat in 2006 to almost $82 million a seat by 2015, an increase of nearly 300 percent. On Twitter Friday, Musk said SpaceX, which he founded in 2002 with the ultimate goal of sending humans to Mars, has made "good progress, but 18 years to launch our first humans is a long time. Technology must advance faster or there will be no city on the red planet in our lifetime." For the upcoming SpaceX mission, NASA has assigned two of its most veteran astronauts: Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley. Both are married to astronauts. Both have been to space multiple times. Both are former military test pilots. If all goes to plan, they'll lift off at 4:32 p.m. from the Kennedy Space Center's pad 39A, the historic site that has been the starting point for many Apollo and shuttle missions. Hurley's presence would mark a bookending for NASA, since he was on the very last shuttle mission, which lifted off from 39A in 2011. SpaceX's launch comes at an important time for NASA, which has been scrambling to ensure that it keeps a presence on the International Space Station. On Friday, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Drew Morgan returned to Earth, leaving Chris Cassidy as the lone American on the station with two Russian cosmonauts. It's unclear how long Behnken and Hurley will remain aboard the station. Initially, their mission was expected to be a short stay. But because of the setbacks and delays, suffered by both SpaceX and Boeing, their mission will be extended. NASA said that the Dragon spacecraft being used in the flight test can remain in orbit for 110 days. But the "specific mission duration will be determined once on station based on the readiness of the next commercial crew launch." Almost every graduating doctor this year is to be offered an internship in a bid to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has pledged. For the first time, more than 1,000 internships are to be offered to this years medical students as they graduate, according to Mr Varadkar. He was speaking as part of a video address to medical students at University College Cork (UCC), whose graduation was brought forward to assist the health service. It was the first online conferring of medical students to be held in the 175 year history of the university. I know we are living in strange times, Mr Varadkar told students. You are graduating early and you wont be able to celebrate with your friends and your families, as I know you would like to. There will be a time for that in the months ahead, when we develop new treatments, a vaccine, more effective contact testing and tracing regime. In the meantime, we need you to graduate early. Those of you who come from overseas, wed love you to stay to work in our health service for the next year and to build your career in Ireland. I think in the past we havent been as fair to doctors from overseas as we should have been. That is something we want to change into the future. Mr Varadkar also said that he hopes Irish doctors will seek to build their career here as the country works to build a better healthcare service in the aftermath of the pandemic. UCC understands that the online ceremony will not fully replace being on-campus in person, UCC president Professor Patrick OShea told students.Your resilience and adaptability in responding to Covid-19 is genuinely remarkable and has no doubt prepared you for the challenges and rewards of the career path you have chosen." Professor Helen Whelton, head of the College of Medicine and Health, UCC, and chief academic officer to the HSE, said the medical profession worldwide has been lauded for its commitment and resilience in responding to the pandemic. "My colleagues and I, as university and professional representatives, are truly honoured to be with you virtually to celebrate your graduation from student to medical doctor. It is a true testament to your character and resolve to have excelled during these unprecedented times. The entire university is proud of you and supports you. Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' on Friday urged private schools to reconsider their decisions on annual fee hike and collecting fee quarterly during the COVID-19 lockdown, and asked states to work in best interest of both schools and parents. The Central Board of Secondary (CBSE) also wrote to states and union territories to examine the issues of school fee payment and salaries to teachers "sensitively and holistically" keeping in mind the interest of all stakeholders. The nationwide lockdown, which was from March 25 to April 14, has now been extended to May 3 by the central government to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. While the Delhi government announced that schools will not be allowed to hike fees during the lockdown period and only tuition fee will have to be paid, Maharashtra has said parents can lodge complaints with district officers if schools demanded fees. The Gujarat government had on Monday announced that private schools will not hike fees for an year. The West Bengal government has appealed to schools to refrain from hiking fees. "It has been brought to my notice by many parents from all across the country that even in this time of crisis many schools are increasing their annual fee. A lot of schools are also asking the parents to deposit the school fee for 3 months together," the Union human resource development minister said in a series of tweets. Pokhriyal request all schools to join hands in the fight against the coronavirus, empathize with parents amid this "global disaster" and reconsider their decision. "I also hope that the departments of all states will work together towards the best interests of parents and schools. I am happy that some states have already taken positive steps on this, I appreciate their initiative and hope that all other states will reconsider my request," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also urged the people to give priority to human values in the time of this pandemic, Pokhriyal said. He also hoped that all schools will provide timely salary to their teachers and staff. CBSE secretary Anurag Tripathi in a letter to chief secretaries of states and union territories said, "Keeping in view the present situation of the countrywide lockdown, and difficulties being face by all stakeholders in the school education system due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, it is requested that the state governments may examine the issue of lumpsum payment of school fees and teacher's salaries sensitively and holistically considering the interest of all stakeholders concerned," "The states and UTs may consider issuing suitable instructions on periodicity of payment of school fees and payment of salaries to the teaching and non-teaching staff to be applicable during the period of the pandemic," he said. Thakur said that action taken at "your end may kindly be informed to the board to enable us to respond to the queries of our stakeholders." As per CBSE affiliation byelaws, fees is supposed to be be charged under the heads prescribed by the Department of Education of the states and union territories. The admission fee charged under any other head are also charged only as per the regulations of the appropriate government, the byelaws state. The affiliation byelaws also empower the education department of states and union territories concerned to decide the manner in which fee can be collected. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced at a press conference that private schools in the national capital will not be allowed to increase fees during the coronavirus lockdown without government approval and only the tuition fee can be charged till the time schools reopen. Also, schools cannot withhold salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff or collect fee quarterly, Sisodia said, adding schools found not following the directive have been warned of action under the Delhi School Education Act and National Disaster Management Act. "We are receiving complaints from many parents that private schools have increased their fees. These schools have also not notified the Delhi government. Costs like transportation fees are being added and demanded by the schools. "And those students who are failing to pay the fees on time are being dropped from online classes. Private schools should not stoop down to this level," Sisodia said addressing a digital press conference. "Only tuition fee can be charged from students on monthly basis. No other fee like annual or transportation fee or under any other head should be charged in wake of the pandemic COVID 19. Schools cannot ask for three months' fee at a time, he added. Maharashtra School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad said parents can complain to district education officers if schools demanded fees during lockdown period. In a statement, Gaikwad said the government had issued an order on March 30 that schools and other educational institutions should not demand fees during lockdown. The directive said that they can start fee collection after the lockdown is lifted, she pointed out. "I have got complaints that demand for fees is still being made and parents are being pressurized to pay fees now even though the lockdown period is till May 3. Parents can complain about this to the district education officer who will ensure implementation of the order," she said. Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments have announced that schools should not force parents to pay fees during the lockdown. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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. Also read: TCS reports slowest dollar growth in 10 years Also read: TCS expects first two quarters to mirror 2008-09 recession, Q3 to usher in recovery In Peru's northern Piura region, two nurses and an obstetrician from the local Buenos Aires Health Center in Morropon Province show us that duty comes first for them. Neither the heavy rains nor river floods make these professionals doubt about crossing the waters, putting their lives at risk, to reach their health center and attend to patients most of them inhabitants in vulnerable situation who reside in this population center. The two nurses and the obstetrician are on the frontline in the fight against the COVID-19 in the South American country and therefore go to the corresponding health center to fulfill their duty. A citizen recorded a video about it, which was broadcast by a local news outlet and has gone viral on social media. In the footage, the three professionals are seen holding hands to cross the dangerous ravine and they advance slowly, until reaching the other end where the town is located. Piura citizens already deem them as heroines and praise the efforts made by them to fulfill their duty and care for vulnerable families. Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. Start your free trial. In October 1918, during the peak of the flu in the United States, an epidemic of boredom tore through a group of 50 vaudeville actors marooned in Salt Lake City. Weve done everything from sightseeing to window shopping, and weve done it over and over again, one actor told the Salt Lake Herald-Republican, adding that theyd played blackjack until the sight of a card fairly nauseated us. Advertisement The actors had no particular connection to Salt Lake. Theyd been in the middle of a tour, performing musicals two to three times per day. But by October, policy failures in cities like Philadelphia were translating into surging death counts, and much of the U.S. was jarred into cracking down on public gatherings to stop the flu. In Salt Lake City, officials closed all theaters. Meanwhile, trains across the country were severely curtailing service. With no work and no place to go, the actors became a drag on resources. They started singing and dancing in the streets. Some tried selling Liberty Loansgovernment war bonds to support the American World War I effortbut the city lockdown often stymied those efforts. As the crisis continued, the Salt Lake Herald-Republican begged, Will someone oblige some fifty actors and actresses now in Salt Lake by introducing into their midst a new wrinkle or so in the general art of killing time? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For newspapers reporting on the 1918 flu quarantine, the plight of traveling actorsmany of them coastal urbanites without other trade skillsbecame a point of fascination amid the twin calamities of pandemic and war. In Los Angeles, a group of out-of-work actors experienced a trying idleness as their weeks away from work dragged on, so they turned to the national game: poker. The Oregon Daily Journal on Oct. 16 complained that there are many thespians in the city with nothing to do because of the general closing order. Lockdown orders left another group of 100 actors stranded in Omaha, Nebraska, until the end of October. To pass the time, cast members from the show Somewhere in France began loading and unloading salt in a South Omaha packaging plant. Another set of actors toiled away at the American Smelting and Refining Company. In exchange, local charity groups like the Elks Club provided them with free meals. The Baltimore Evening Sun, upon hearing that actors in Omaha were really working for their living, expressed disbelief. The paper commented, Isnt it remarkable what some newspapers will print in these times? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 1918 flu is not a perfect comparison point for COVID-19. For one thing, flus are different from coronaviruses. For another, disease knowledge and infrastructure in the teens was far behind where it is now. Scientists in 1918 had never actually laid eyes on a virus up close. Thats not to mention the existence of World War I in 1918, or the fact that while COVID-19 has generally been shown to be more deadly in older adults, the people most vulnerable to the 1918 flu were ages 20 to 40. But the 1918 flu is also the last time large swaths of Americans found themselves quarantined because of a pandemic, and an analysis of contemporaneous newspaper accounts reveals that #QuarantineLife in 1918 was just as mundane and arbitraryand occasionally surrealas it is now. Advertisement Advertisement If the quarantine last[s] much longer, the magazine and fireside habit will have such a hold that it will be hard to break. Decatur Herald & Review Lockdown in 1918 did, of course, have different rules than lockdown today. Even in those cities that took the most decisive actionSt. Louis was warning residents to avoid crowds before the virus had even reached the citysome basic tenets differed. For instance: To the chagrin of those suffering Salt Lake City actors, not all cities closed their theaters. In Hamilton, Montana, local policy allowed movie theaters to stay in business as long as customers left a seat between each other. Advertisement Advertisement Bookstores also sometimes remained open, and they reported massive spikes in customers. According to the Wichita Daily Eagle, Wichita book stores are enjoying excellent trade in magazines. As soon as a new issue of a popular magazine published, customers raced to snatch it off the stands. One good case study is Decatur, Illinois. During the lockdown, the city of Decatur was reeling; when even parties of the most informal sort were called off, Illinoisans were thrown upon their own resources for amusement. Public dinners were out of the question for the simple reason that its hard to eat wearing [a] flu mask. So residents turned to magazine stands. One local dealer reported to the Decatur Herald & Review that he was constantly sold out, leading the newspaper to conclude that if the quarantine last[s] much longer, the magazine and fireside habit will have such a hold that it will be hard to break. Advertisement Advertisement That gave advertisers a venue to hawk their products despite the sudden halt of most social life. In early November, an Iowa candy store ran a photo of a woman in heels and a cloche hat and asked, All dressed up but no place to go? The store directed customers instead to just stay home (sound familiar?) and pass the time away with a nice box of candy. Other companies rolled out Pass Time Puzzles to keep kids occupied during the pandemic. (So far, with COVID-19, the opposite has proven true: The advertising market has bottomed out, and magazines and publishers are facing layoffs and pay cuts in record numbers.) Advertisement In 1918, many people refused to leave their houses without atomizerswater vapor sprays that, it was believed, helped prevent disease by keeping nasal and throat passages clear. Trains saw their lowest ridership numbers in U.S. history, according to some newspaper reports, and passengers who did venture on board clutched atomizers for dear life. The Asheville Citizen-Times wrote about one man who sprayed every passenger in his carincluding the porterwith an atomizer in an effort to inoculate them from disease. Introducing himself, he said he wanted to tender the use of his atomizer to each of his new acquaintances and practically all of them enjoyed a good spray, said the Citizen-Times, adding that the man carried his atomizer as though it had been an automatic. On these near-empty train rides, women also pretended to sneeze and act sick to deflect unwanted male attention. Advertisement Meanwhile, rumors were running rampant, often amplified by the tensions of World War I. One claim, pushed by pro-Germany propagandists, insisted that U.S. physicians were giving soldiers medicine that would simply kill them rather than speed up their recovery. In Louisville, Kentucky, the lie made such a sensation that the district attorney announced on Oct. 18 that he would prosecute anyone caught spreading it. Other lies were totally legal: The beef extract Bovril was marketing itself in U.S. newspapers as a potential cure for the flu, noting that its bodybuilding powers were needed to fight the influenza epidemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Women pretended to sneeze and act sick to deflect unwanted male attention. But like today, one defining fact of quarantine life was the patchwork of local laws under which people lived. In Chicago, if you coughed or sneezed, patrolling police officers would ensure you were holding a handkerchief. The city also banned smoking on public transport for the first time, reasoning that smokers would be more likely to cough and accidentally spread disease. In Seattle, new laws enacted harsh fines for people caught spitting on the street. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, considered rules that would require manufacturing workers to clock out in staggered intervals in hopes of neutralizing rush hour. San Francisco continued legal proceedings, but court was held in the open air. Localities like Washington state and Davenport, Iowa, mandated flu masks in all public places, from theaters to churches. In Iowa, streetcars were limited to 75 passengers at a time, and conductors who allowed more people risked arrest. Advertisement Yet some of the strangest laws centered on restaurants, as Jan Whitaker recounted in her blog Restaurant-ing Through History. In very few cities did local health officials fully shutter restaurants. Some municipalities did limit open hours, but in general, health officials considered restaurants an essential service. Many people lacked access to iceboxes, making enormous grocery stockpiles near impossible. Especially for working-class people living in crowded tenements without kitchens, restaurants were often the only way to find a meal. Eating home-cooked meals was a measure of wealth. That is not to say that regulations skipped over the restaurant business entirely. Many places required that restaurants scald all their dishes in hot water so that theyd be sterilized, according to Whitaker. Other cities and states asked that cooks and servers wear masks and that tables be spaced at least 20 feet apart. But, to discourage people from gathering in groups, some municipalities passed a series of laws limiting the degree to which everything from alcohol to ice cream could be served. Advertisement Advertisement In Harrisburg, health authorities took aggressive measures to protect the city from the flucanceling all public meetings, requiring private funerals, limiting the number of hospital visitors, and shutting down soda fountains. But while restaurants were permitted to operate, they could not serve single meals of ice cream or pie. Customers could order desserts if they also ate a full meal at the restaurant, but stand-alone orders of ice cream were banned, and restaurants that failed to comply risked prosecution. The bizarre ice cream order caused a small stir in the city, but as the Harrisburg Evening News explained, the whole idea is to prevent persons congregating. Apparently, nothing facilitated socializing like ice cream and pie. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maybe no fact of quarantine in 1918 resonates as much today as the awkward position it left the education system in. In 1918, schools across the country closed for the flu. Like colleges today, some made the promise that classes would continue remotelyexcept instead of Zoom, teachers had to rely on telephones. The problem was students werent having it. In Columbus, Ohio, after authorities closed the schools, instructions were given that pupil and teacher so situate themselves that they could hold telephone consultations regarding lessons. But according to one teacher, I have been sitting at the end of a telephone ever since the schools closed, and I have not heard from a single pupil for a month. Advertisement 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.Source: IANS As a child in Hungary, Arie Even survived the Holocaust by taking shelter along with his mother and brother after his father was shipped to a notorious concentration camp. Even's well-connected grandfather found them refuge in a Swiss-protected home in Budapest before they were rushed to another shelter, under the cover of night, thanks to the Swedish embassy and the efforts of famed diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, who saved tens of thousands of Jews before mysteriously disappearing. The next day, Even's grandfather was shot to death and his body was dumped in the Danube River. Later in life, Even overcame multiple heart attacks, surgeries and even a brush with a cholera epidemic during a family visit to Spain. But he couldn't escape the wrath of the global coronavirus pandemic that has been plaguing the globe. On March 20, the 88-year-old became Israel's first coronavirus fatality after he was infected by a visiting social worker at his Jerusalem assisted-living facility. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Convicted Australian drug smuggler Cassie Sainsbury has been released from prison in Bogota, Colombia, as the nation responds to the coronavirus pandemic. Sainsbury was found guilty of trying to smuggle 5.8 kilograms of cocaine out of the South American nation in April 2017. Sainsbury walked free from El Buen Pastor women's prison on Friday after spending three years behind bars. KAMPALA Four male and three female patients who have fully recovered from the novel coronavirus have been discharged from Mulago Hospital. The seven were discharged by State Minister for Health in charge of General Duties Robinah Nabbanja, bringing the total number of those who have fully recovered from the virus and discharged to 19. Four were discharged from Mulago Hospital on Wednesday, seven earlier discharged from Entebbe Grade B hospital and one from Adjumani hospital. More 7 patients who have recovered from COVID-19 have today been discharged from Mulago Hospital by Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, the Minister of State For Health General Duties. 3 females and 4 males, Emmanuel Ainebyona, a spokesperson of the health ministry confirmed on Twitter. According to the officials, the discharged patients have tested negative twice and are now clinically free of the virus. They were part of the 23 patients that the hospital has been managing. On Wednesday, Dr Byarugaba Baterana, the executive director Mulago hospital, urged government to learn from this outbreak to equip the hospitals to be able to handle bigger number of patients, adding that this is the time to bridge gaps. The time is now to prepare so that we should be able to have bigger numbers, we should manage. [At] Mulago we need like an extra 700 ventilators, 700 monitors, we need another oxygen plant. Other regional referrals that dont have intensive care units [and] the time is now, Dr Baterana was quoted by Daily Monitor. Related live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Oberoi Realty share price rallied more than 14 percent intraday on April 17 after the company repaid NCDs ahead of schedule. The stock, which has rallied more than 31 percent this week, so far, was quoting at Rs 386.05, up Rs 44, or 12.86 percent, on the BSE at 1059 hours. "Oberoi Realty through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Incline Realty Pvt Ltd, has prepaid 125 listed non-convertible debentures (NCDs) of Rs 1,00,00,000 each, aggregating to Rs 125 crore, and its interest payment," the Mumbai-based real estate company told the BSE on April 16. The date of repayment was April 23, it added. Walmart will temporarily close its store in Freehold on Friday to sanitize and restock, a company spokesperson told NJ Advance Media. The store is located at 326 West Main St. The reason for the one-day closing is out of an abundance of caution so a third-party specialist can sanitize the store, the spokesperson said. Its the second time this month Walmart has temporarily closed a store in New Jersey. Previously, Walmart closed its Garfield location on April 9 for the same reasons. Walmart, citing privacy concerns, would not say whether the stores one-day closures are due to a positive case of the coronavirus. The Freehold store is scheduled to reopen at 7 a.m. on Saturday and will give all employees health screenings and temperature checks, the spokesperson said. Face masks and gloves also will be provided. There are currently 71 Walmart stores in New Jersey. RELATED STORIES ABOUT RETAIL AND CORONAVIRUS: BJs allowing first responders, health care workers to shop without a membership JCPenney is having a spring sale. Here are some of the best deals. Food delivery services: Where to order groceries if time slots are filled? 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. Nicolette Accardi can be reached at naccardi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter: @N_Accardi. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 13:17:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Prison staff wearing masks stand guard at the entrance of the Insein prison in Yangon, Myanmar, April 17, 2020. The Myanmar government granted amnesty to a total of 24,983 prisoners unconditionally on Friday, first day of Myanmar calendar New Year. (Xinhua/U Aung) YANGON, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar government granted amnesty to a total of 24,983 prisoners unconditionally on Friday, first day of Myanmar calendar New Year. According to an order of the President's Office, 24,896 Myanmar national prisoners and 87 foreign prisoners are granted amnesty on the occasion of Myanmar's traditional new year and on humanitarian ground as well as in view of relations between respective countries and Myanmar. The government also scaled back penalties for other prisoners on humanitarian ground. According to a separate order of the President's Office, the government commuted death sentences to life imprisonments, while life imprisonments and over 40-year sentences are to be reduced to 40-year sentences while sentences up to 40 years are to be commuted to a quarter of their imprisonment terms, respectively. Last year, a total of 16,483 national prisoners and 16 foreigners enjoyed the release under the unconditional presidential amnesty. Italy has been one of the countries most affected by the coronavirus pandemic. In a desperate situation, many Italians have stepped up to help others in their communities. Voice of America reporter Iacopo Luzi talked with some Italians about making a difference. San Antonio's seven-month wait for Fiesta falls short of the five years the party was put on hold during World War II. Fiesta 2020, originally scheduled for April 16-26, will now take place Nov. 5-15. The March 13 decision to hold off on the event due to the coronavirus pandemic was the first postponement in a history dating back to 1891. Previous global events and emergencies, like both World Wars, canceled celebrations altogether. Healthy climate news: Fava beans could replace soy 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. ### This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, celebs are doing their best to help those in need. Apart from pledging support to daily wage workers in the industry, they are now helping out-of-work paparazzi during lockdown. After filmmaker Rohit Shetty, actor Hrithik Roshan has donated money to help paparazzi as they do not come under any film association or trade union. Photographer Viral Bhayani wrote on Instagram, In such dire straits, actor Hrithik Roshan on his own, came forward and supported the paps who hail from lower middle class families. Im really grateful to Hrithik for helping us in our crisis time. Many other actors have come forward and supported the film industry, but since we do not belong to any film association or trade union - we could not get the benefit which many other leading actors have come forward and announced. #hrithikroshan. While Dia Mirza dropped a heart on the post, Tisca Chopra called Hrithiks gesture superb. Recently, it came to light that Hrithik 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. Hrithik 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 pandemic. 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. Also read: Farah Khan Ali on why she reported Rangoli Chandels tweets: She spreads venom all the time Viral had recently revealed that filmmaker Rohit had sent funds for paparazzi. The filmmaker has also donated Rs 51 lakh to Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), to help daily wage film workers who have been left without jobs since the lockdown. Follow @htshowbiz for more This story was originally published on March 9, 2020 on NYT Parenting. A decade ago, a man tried to pick me up at a bris. He started the wooing by complaining about his ex-wife, who was crazy. (Arent all ex-wives?) He asked whether I was planning to have children. Youre getting up there, he warned. If you want to have a baby, you should probably do it soon. His campaign was unsuccessful. But his 9-year-old daughters was working. Like her dad, she had intuited that I was the most likely candidate for stepmom in the room. She presented me with a plastic cup of red wine and brightly made conversation as if we were at a cocktail party. As the foreskin was snipped, she squeezed my hand. It broke my heart. But hardest to see was her hair. It was a ragged mess, snarled all the way to the middle of her back. It took all I had not to guide her into the bedroom and comb it. A week later, I was still thinking about her. I had no desire to see the father again. But I wanted that girl to have someone to do her hair. [Despite the cultural baggage, stepmotherhood has its privileges.] Why, when we can overlook unbrushed teeth, filthy T-shirts and even general stink, is seeing a kid with uncombed hair so painful? I cant count the number of times divorced friends have told me how depressing it is to get their children back at the end of the weekend with a head full of knots. Amid the complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, many universities are preparing backup plans in case the results of the high school exams are not available for enrollment procedures. A student from Viet Duc High School in Hanoi attends an online lesson. The national high school exams are a major event in Vietnam. It is normally held in late June and the results are used to determine whether a student graduates from high school. They also act as placement tests for college and university admission. This year, the exams have been postponed due to the outbreak, and no new date has been announced. As the acute respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread, forcing schools to extend their closures with no end in sight. The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) had previously rescheduled the closing date of the 2019 - 20 academic year to July 15, while the national high school exams were postponed to August 8 - 11 this year. Nguyen Quoc Trieu, head of the Training Department at the National Economics University (NEU), said the NEU would hold entrance exams if the national high school exams were cancelled. He said the tests would be similar to the national high school exams with content relevant to what students had learned that year, adding that testing would be streamlined. The reason was to ensure the quality of enrollment and avoid confusion among students. Trieu said he was opposed to using the students' reports for enrollment because it was not fair for on candidates. Nguyen Dinh Duc from the Vietnam National University, Hanoi said the disease was a global problem that affected students learning and enrollment. A number of countries had closed schools but none had announced a change in enrollment methods. He emphasised the need to ensure the quality of enrollment. In an ideal world, the pandemic would end soon and the national high school exams would go ahead as planned, Duc said. However, if this was impossible, universities would have to accept a temporary solution in which enrollment would be made based on students records. Outstanding pupils at schools for gifted students or those who had won prizes at national and international contests might be accepted automatically, but universities would have to prepare entrance exams for the other applicants, he said. Rector of Thuong Mai University Dinh Van Son said if the national high school exams were cancelled, the university would select students based on their school records. However, he said, it might collaborate with other universities to hold entrance exams. Two options The MoET has submitted two options for the national high school exams to the Government for consideration following a request from Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The first option is for the high school exams to be held as planned despite the pandemic, while the second is to cancel them. According to Nguyen Huu Do, deputy minister of education and training, if students returned to school before June 15, the national high school exams could be held in mid-August. He said if the academic year finished on July 15, students would still have one month to revise. If the pandemic is under control, it will be possible to organise the exams, Do told Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper, adding that it would help maintain students' motivation. If the exams did go ahead, they would follow last year's schedule, but the number of subjects could be adjusted. The second semester for 12th graders had been streamlined due to the pandemic so students could complete the curriculum before July 15, he said. The MoET also asked provincial and municipal departments of education and training to improve online and television lessons. Do said if the exams were cancelled, the MoET would ask for permission from the Government and submit its plans to the National Assembly Standing Committee for approval. VNS VN schools rush to run high-quality training programs that charge more tuition In 2006, a national key project hosted by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) was launched and applied on a trial basis at 10 key universities in Vietnam. Welcome to this weeks edition of the Surge, in which we suspend reality and pretend that theres going to be a normal presidential election in 2020. Oh, reader. We regret to inform you that Democrats are in array. It is only April, but Joe Biden is the presumptive presidential nominee, and nearly all of the major figures within the Democratic Party are aligning behind his candidacy. Actors from across the coalition are behaving rationally and refusing to let the perfect be the enemy of the good, united in their shared focus on making Donald Trump a one-term president. How is this happening so smoothly? Where is the real Democratic Party hiding? So this week, were ranking the precious wave of Joe Biden endorsements from precious Democrats in their precious plan to win the election (which see Paragraph One). Oh, isnt it just so great to see everyone getting along? We have a headache. Three members of the U.S.-Russian crew have returned to Earth after spending several months at the International Space Station (ISS). Russias Roskosmos space agency said the Soyuz MS-15 capsule carrying the crew chief, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka, and NASA Flight Engineers Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan landed safely on April 17 in Kazakhstan. Skripochka and Meir spent 205 days in orbit, while Morgans time in space lasted 272 days. The crew was replaced by U.S. astronaut Christopher Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner, who docked with the ISS on April 10. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, instead of being brought to the city of Qaraghandy in central Kazakhstan for traditional welcome ceremonies, the crew members were taken straight to the Baikonur space complex near the city of Qyzylorda. The U.S. astronauts will fly aboard a NASA plane directly from Qyzylorda to Houston, while the crews commander Skripochka will fly back to Russia. The ISS, which orbits about 400 kilometers above Earth, is tasked with conducting scientific experiments. As a company whose foundation is built to prioritize the health and wellness of men and women across the globe, we are proud to support an organization whose mission goes above and beyond in the world of healthcare. Astral Brands announced today a giving back campaign where their family of brands will be donating 10 percent of their net proceeds from purcosmetics.com, cosmedix.com, butterlondon.com and aloette.com, from April 15 to May 15, 2020 to the United States and Canadian chapters of the Association of Critical-Care Nurses (ACN). The pioneering health and beauty company is composed of four beauty brandsPUR The Complexion Authority, COSMEDIX, Aloette and butter LONDONall of which will be joining together to help support healthcare workers that are leading the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. To contribute, customers can shop online at any or all four of the Astral Brands websites. Our family of brands is committed to serving our global community as we navigate the developing effects of COVID-19 together, said Robert Cohen, Executive Chairman of Astral Brands. As a company whose foundation is built to prioritize the health and wellness of men and women across the globe, we are proud to support an organization whose mission goes above and beyond in the world of healthcare. Our healthcare workers are battling tirelessly on the frontline to combat this pandemic, and we hope that our contribution to the ACN will help support their efforts and raise awareness during this challenging time. The Association of Critical Care Nurses is the worlds largest specialty nursing organization, with over 100,000 members across the U.S. and Canada. As an independent, non-profit organization, the ACN provides expert knowledge to both acute and critical care nurses to help them maximize their skills while caring for ill patients and their families. During these everchanging times, the organization has aided nurses across the country with additional training and tools to help them properly treat patients experiencing the effects of COVID-19. Our healthcare providers are standing at frontlines battling for our safety around the clock. Help the Astral Family of Brands support the Association of Critical Care Nurses by shopping at our brand websites: purcosmetics.com, cosmedix.com, butterlondon.com and aloette.com. 24 out of 29 suspected cases recorded in Bono Region have tested negative for the novel coronavirus. The results were made known from the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR), with five cases awaiting results. This is according to the regional health surveillance team of the regional health directorate. Deputy director in charge of public health and head of regional health surveillance team on COVID -19, Dr. John Ekow Otto, disclosed this at a press briefing on April 15. He said of the 29 suspected cases, 11 were from Sunyani Municipal, 3 from Sunyani West, 4 from Berekum East Municipal, Dormaa Municipal1, 2 from Wenchi, and 3 in Dormaa East. 'We are in contact with the Ghana Immigration Service and we are tracing all those who have entered the region especially the unapproved routes. There is no positive case yet in the three regions. We are doing contract tracing and follow up on information from public leading to people who are hiding in communities, he said. The regional director of health service, Dr. Kofi Isssah, said the new way of testing which was sputum collection is helping in testing of more suspected cases. There are 9,000 PPEs being used for sputum collection and testing and are expecting 4, 000 more from national to augment it to 13, 000 to enhance on more sputum testing, he said. He encouraged the public to continue with the recommended protocol on preventing the disease especially hand washing under running water with soap and not touching face. ---citinewsroom Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Minnesota Governor's Residence. Liberate Minnesota and other groups opposed to Gov. Tim Walz's stay home orders protested outside the governor's residence in St. Paul. Glen Stubbe | Star Tribune | Getty Images President Donald Trump on Friday urged Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia to "LIBERATE," compounding the pressure on state leaders to start loosening their strict social distancing measures amid the coronavirus pandemic. The president's exhortations on Twitter came a day after the White House issued new federal guidelines on "reopening" the economy, providing states and regions with a broad pathway toward easing their restrictions on businesses and individual residents. The tweets which marked Trump's most aggressive calls yet for state economies to reopen also echoed an increasing number of protests around the country, led mainly by his supporters, demanding governors change their social distancing rules. The three states Trump targeted have Democratic governors. Trump TWEET MICH TRUMP TWEET VIRGINIA Trump TWEET MINN "I think elements of what they've done are too much," Trump said of those states when asked about his tweets at a White House press briefing Friday night. Trump also said he was not concerned that the large gatherings of protesters could spread the disease to others. "No, these are people expressing their views. I see who they are and I see the way they are working," Trump said. "They seem to be very responsible people to me. They've been treated, a little bit rough." Some health experts disagreed. "Gathering unprotected can only result in increased numbers of [Covid-19] infections and stressing the health-care system even more," said Karen Hoffmann, the immediate past president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, in an interview with CNBC. A group calling itself "Liberate Minnesota" staged a protest Friday afternoon outside the residence of the state's governor, Tim Walz. Live-streamed video of the protest showed throngs of people packed closely outside the residence, many waving pro-Trump signs and flags. Few participants appeared to be wearing masks or other protective gear. Several hundred protesters gather outside Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' official residence Friday, April 17, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn., to call on him to loosen stay-at-home restrictions imposed across the state because of the coronavirus. Jim Mone | AP "There are safe ways that we should all be able to go outside and enjoy ourselves a little bit," said Meshawn Maddock, an activist with the Michigan Conservative Coalition, which organized a massive protest in Lansing, Michigan, on Wednesday. "There's also safe businesses that should be able to open up, using practices of social distancing and hygiene, and get back to work because right now Michigan is decimated," Maddock told CNBC in a phone interview. "I mean, we're at a standstill, and I'm actually terrified for our economy." Michigan has the fourth-highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the U.S., according to data from Johns Hopkins University. More than 29,000 people in Michigan have been infected and more than 2,000 people have died. Health experts, business leaders and politicians have warned Trump that coronavirus testing in the U.S. needs to be much more widespread before Americans can safely start returning to their normal lives. Roughly 1% of the U.S. population has been tested for the coronavirus so far, with only about 120,000 tests performed each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But 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. Lifting social distancing restrictions too soon could lead to another surge in infections, prolonging and deepening the impact of the virus, experts say. Even the White House guidelines for an economic reopening say that states or regions should have a "robust testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers, including emerging antibody testing," prior to starting the first "phase" of the plan. Click here to read the new federal guidelines. State leaders such as Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, which is the epicenter of the crisis in the U.S., have called on the federal government to help their testing efforts. But Trump tweeted later Friday that "the States have to step up their TESTING!" and attacked Cuomo directly. "Your numbers are not good. Less talk and more action!" Trump tweeted. TWEETS TWEET Recent polls show Americans overwhelmingly support keeping up the social distancing measures, such as ordering residents to stay at home and closing nonessential businesses. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to support the measures, which have devastated the U.S. economy and led to an unprecedented unemployment spike, although majorities of both parties support the measures. Still, protests against the rules have popped up in at least half a dozen states, including Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia, and local reports say more could soon be coming elsewhere, including in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Protesters from a grassroots organization called REOPEN NC demonstrate against the North Carolina coronavirus lockdown at a parking lot adjacent to the North Carolina State Legislature in Raleigh, North Carolina, on April 14, 2020. Logan Cyrus | AFP | Getty Images "I think they're listening. I think they listen to me. They seem to be protesters that like me and respect this opinion," Trump said of the protesters in Michigan during a White House press briefing Thursday. The Lansing rally outside the state's Capitol building, dubbed "Operation Gridlock," drew thousands, most of whom demonstrated from inside their cars but some gathered in person, defying the social distancing rules. Protesters waved pro-Trump flags and signs from sidewalks, while others hung messages from their vehicles supporting the president and decrying Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's rules, which they say infringe on their civil liberties. "This actually looks like a Trump rally," a man at the protest said on one livestreamed video feed of the event. Maddock complained that media reports of the protest focused too much on "a couple of yahoos that stood on the Capitol steps shoulder to shoulder and took pictures with guns." "That's not what this protest was," she said. 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 Whitmer's latest orders aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus are among the strictest in the country. The new rules tighten business restrictions and prohibit some activities, such as using motor boats. "I know that there are a lot of businesses and people that are hurting right now, but the fact of the matter is it's better to be six feet apart right now than six feet under," Whitmer said Friday on ABC News' "Good Morning America." Trump has previously attacked Whitmer, who is reportedly on the short list to become apparent Democratic nominee Joe Biden's vice presidential pick. At a briefing in late March, Trump said he instructed Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the U.S. response to the coronavirus, not to call governors who aren't "appreciative" of his efforts. "Don't call the woman in Michigan. It doesn't make any difference what happens," Trump said he told Pence. CSPAN Appreciative Video TWEET The president's criticism and Whitmer's status as a potential figure in the 2020 election "probably" helped to stoke partisanship in Michigan, said Matt Grossmann, director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University. "There's a fairly long-term pattern of partisans on each side being mobilized by their president and changing their ideas based on what the president says, and that's been amplified in the Trump era," Grossmann said. That could also be the case in Pennsylvania, where local reports say a mass gathering is being organized for next week in front of the state Capitol building in Harrisburg. "I think this has a lot more to do with the psyche of folks," said Ray Zaborney, a Republican political strategist based in Pennsylvania. "I think everyone is willing to do what is needed to be done," but some leaders "haven't communicated it well." Trump's more optimistic message, that an economic "boom" will arrive once the pandemic blows over, resonates with more Americans, Zaborney said. "No one's prioritizing reopening except the president," Zaborney said. Pennsylvania and Michigan have been pummeled especially hard by the virus and the containment measures clamping down their economies. The two battleground states posted some of the highest jobless claims in the nation over the past four weeks of Labor Department releases. If Trump continues to press for economic relief while governors keep their draconian measures in place, Zaborney said he expects protests to spread throughout the country. "As people get more frustrated, it could get more intense," he said. Kenya plans to ban direct tea sales and will enforce an electronic trading auction system following an industry probe ordered by president Uhuru Kenyatta. It came after small farmers complained about the Kenya Tea Development Agency, which markets their produce. Tea production is threatened by a "dysfunctional" auction system, predatory behaviour and low prices, the ministry said. It ordered a weekly auction to be automated. Bloomberg The state of affairs in Madhya Pradesh is appalling and there is a need for an administrative structure in its Health department, which is working without a dedicated minister, Congress parliamentarian Vivek Tankha said on Friday. Citing the rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the state, Tankha suggested a two-pronged strategy better management or containment in hotspot areas and more tests to detect patients. "The state of affairs in Madhya Pradesh is appalling. From negligible cases of coronavirus in MP on March 23, today the figure has crossed the 1,000-mark," he told PTI. Indore, which detected its first local case of coronavirus on March 27, now has 842 cases, Tankha said. As many as 196 confirmed cases have been reported in Bhopal so far, from just one on March 28, he added. Of these, 95 patients are from the state's Health department who were not even frontline warriors, the Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh said. The number of coronavirus cases in the state has climbed to 1,308 so far. "There have been negligible tests in other parts of the state and the results (of infections/contamination) are still unclear from there," Tankha said, fearing further rise in cases. The MP said the best course of action for the state government was to have a two-pronged strategy for better management of the COVID-19 pandemic. "First, there is a need for better management or containment in hotspot areas and second strategy is to have 'tests and tests', as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO)," he said. Tankha also suggested that the state should have a proper administrative structure in its Health department. Currently, there is no health minister in Madhya Pradesh as Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who took oath as the chief minister on March 23, is yet to have his council of ministers. "Really a disdainful turn of events. Height of insensitivity. Even suffering and mounting death toll is irrelevant for them. 1 man government creating records after records of tragic existence," the Congress party MP said in a tweet. Tankha has recently written to President Ram Nath Kovind against "the illegally designed and poorly conceived one-man show unconstitutionally thrust upon the 7.5 crore people of Madhya Pradesh". "This shenanigan gravely impacts and imperils the war against coronavirus," he said. A chief minister was sworn in amidst the lockdown in Bhopal on March 23, without a Cabinet, Tankha added. Article 163 of the Constitution mandates that "there shall be a council of ministers with the Chief Minister as the head to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions...". Tankha said a one-man government without a Cabinet was an unthinkable "constitutional anathema". Madhya Pradesh deserves to be governed by a Cabinet, he added. "This is what the Constitution mandates. Madhya Pradesh cannot be deprived of this constitutional privilege and especially so in this extreme crisis situation," the parliamentarian said in the letter seeking the president's intervention. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Observing that the entire mankind is passing through a critical phase due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday stressed that social distancing remains the lone effective means to deal with the grave situation. Backing the decision to extend nationwide lockdown till May 3, Kumar said it was done in the interest of the society keeping in mind the rising number of coronavirus cases. He appealed to the people to remain alert and vigilant against the spread of the deadly virus. The total number of novel coronavirus cases in the country reached 14,173 with 437 fatalities while Bihar has so far reported 83 positive patients and two virus related deaths. Considering the gravity of the epidemic, every individual needs to be alert and vigilant and practice social distancing, which is the only effective measure to deal with it (COVID- 19), Kumar said. Speaking about the steps taken by the state government to help distressed people in the hour of crisis, the chief minister said Rs 1,000 is given as special assistance to labourers and the needy persons stranded outside the state following ongoing shutdown across the country. The money is given from the chief minister's relief fund. The special assistance amount has been transferred in the bank accounts of 10.11 lakh people so far, an official release said. The government is still receiving applications and the amount will be credited in their accounts soon after a verification process, he said. Similarly, the state government which decided to transfer Rs 1000 to every ration card holding families in the state has so far provided the amount to 94.85 lakh such families. The remaining card holding families will also get the Rs 1000 assistance soon, he added. More than 50 relief camps are being run through Bihar Foundation in 12 cities of nine states, including Delhi and Mumbai, where people are being served food and ration packets, the CM said, adding a total of 7,66,920 people have been benefitted from it so far. Families, which do not have ration cards, will be provided the assistance with the help of Jeevika groups (women self help groups), Kumar said. Within Bihar, the state government is running 150 disaster relief camps in different cities for the daily wage earners, cart vendors, rickshaw pullers etc. People are provided food, accommodation and medical facilities at these centres, he said. Kumar urged people to cooperate in the door-to-door screening for the virus in the affected districts being done on the lines of Pulse polio campaign to contain the spread of coronavirus. People having even little apprehension about infection must visit the testing centre, Kumar said and urged the citizens not to hide their travel history. The chief minister appealed to the people to stay wherever they are without getting disturbed as the state government is making every efforts to help them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Angelina Jolie 'Zombie' lookalike is said to be on a ventilator in Iran after she fell ill with coronavirus while in prison for her activity on Instagram. Social media star Sahar Tabar, 22, whose real name is Fatemeh Khishvand, from Tehran, shot to prominence after posting images of her eerily gaunt face. But the 22-year-old, whose lawyers had asked for her to be released amid the country's severe COVID-19 outbreak, is now said to be seriously ill. The US-based Center For Human Rights In Iran said a judge in the country refused to grant her bail despite the fact that coronavirus is rife in the country's prisons. Angelina Jolie 'Zombie' lookalike Sahar Tabar, 22, is said to be on a ventilator in Iran after she fell ill with coronavirus while in prison for her activity on Instagram The social media star, whose real name is Fatemeh Khishvand, from Tehran, shot to prominence after posting images of her eerily gaunt face. Last month, the country freed around 85,000 prisoners to try to combat the deadly virus, which is thought to have killed thousands more than official figures suggest. 'We find it unacceptable that this young woman has now caught the coronavirus in these circumstances while her detention order has been extended during all this time in jail,' human rights lawyer Payam Derafshan told the organization on Wednesday. Sahar was arrested in October on charges including blasphemy, inciting violence, gaining income through inappropriate means and encouraging youths to corruption, Tasnim news agency reported. She was detained on the orders of Tehran's guidance court, which deals with 'cultural crimes and social and moral corruption'. The social media star shot to fame in 2017 after she reportedly had 50 surgeries to make her look like the Oscar-winning actress Ms Jolie. She later confirmed her look was mostly was achieved through make-up and editing. Judge Mohammad Moghiseh is reported to have repeatedly denied Sahar's release on bail, even as the kingdom went on to declare more than 70,000 coronavirus cases. The 22-year-old, whose lawyers had asked for her to be released amid the country's severe COVID-19 outbreak, is now said to be seriously ill The US-based Center For Human Rights In Iran said a judge in the country refused to grant her bail despite the fact that coronavirus is rife in the country's prisons Mr Derafshan said it had become a 'habit' for the authorities to 'deny everything' after they claimed Sahar had not caught the illness. 'It makes no sense to deny this. The prison director should acknowledge the infection and admit she has been hospitalized,' he said. He added that Sahar and other inmates who have been put in prison on non-violent charges should also be released because of the outbreak. On Tuesday, Iran's own parliament said the country had likely suffered twice as many deaths from coronavirus as the country's official death toll states, a parliamentary report has said. Investigators said the official total only counted those who died in hospital and who tested positive for the virus before they died - meaning the true toll is higher. Iran has officially reported 4,777 deaths from the virus - a figure which has caused suspicion among experts and the international community. The kingdom also reported 76,389 cases of the virus, making it the Middle East's worst outbreak by far. The 46-page report by Iran's parliament research center, published online, carries the weight of being written by nonpartisan experts within the country. Sahar was arrested in October on charges including blasphemy, inciting violence, gaining income through inappropriate means and encouraging youths to corruption, Tasnim news agency reported Iranian health officials offered no comment on the report. It represents the highest-level charge yet from within the Islamic Republic's government of its figures being questionable. In July, Sahar unveiled her former appearance for the first time, sharing a side-by-side snaps of her pre and post surgery. She later admitted she'd had some surgery such as a nose job, lip fillers and liposuction but insisted most of her unusual appearance is down to make-up and editing. She said: 'This is Photoshop and makeup. Every time I publish a photo, I paint my face in an increasingly funny way. It is a way of expressing yourself, a kind of art. My fans know that this is not my real face.' She added: 'I did not even think about being like Jolie. Also, I did not want to resemble the cartoon character the Corpse Bride. 'Now I understand that I have something to do with them, but I am a muse myself and remembering someone is not an end in itself.' In some, she can be seen wearing a loosely fitting hijab over her hair and a white bandage on her nose commonly seen on Tehran's streets. Cosmetic surgery is hugely popular in the Islamic republic, with tens of thousands of operations taking place each year. Instagram is the only major social media service accessible in Iran unlike Facebook and Twitter and the Telegram messenger service are officially banned. TAYLOR GLASCOCK The prolific actor Brian Dennehy, known for starring in films like "Tommy Boy" and stage productions such as "Death of a Salesman," died of natural causes Wednesday night. He was 81. "Larger than life, generous to a fault, a proud father and grandfather, he will be missed by his wife Jennifer, family and many friends," his daughter, actress Elizabeth Dennehy, wrote on Twitter. April 17, 2020 Press Statement The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is alarmed over the recent spate of fire outbreaks at key Federal Government agencies and departments, particularly in Abuja, the nations capital. The party expressed shock over the disquieting fire disaster at the head office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, on Friday, in which valuable equipment and documents related to electoral and political party monitoring were destroyed. The PDP described the situation as unsettling, recalling that only last Wednesday, the head quarters of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation in Abuja was gutted by fire, followed by another inferno at the head office of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) just two days ago. Our party is deeply worried and hopes that this spate of fire outbreaks is not a coordinated design by sinister elements against demands for due process and accountability in our country, as already being insinuated in the public space. The PDP therefore restates its demand for a forensic investigation into the fire outbreaks in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the CAC and now INEC, as the spate of occurrence has become alarming. Furthermore, our party strongly charged the Federal Government to immediately ensure necessary precautionary and security measures to safeguard all our Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to avert such ugly incidences. The PDP notes that our nation can no longer afford any more fire incident in our key institutions as such will be distressing to the polity, which is already under pressure occasioned by dwindling economy and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Signed: Kola Ologbondiyan National Publicity Secretary Certain currencies are so strong that they would create significant economic turmoil globally if they collapse. For instance, the US dollar is officially the world's currency of first reserve. What do you think would happen it experiences upheavals? Chaos of unimaginable proportions, of course. The currency has the greatest demand globally. What are the other highest currencies in the world by value in 2021? Euro currency in till/ cash register. Photo: Peter Dazeley Source: Getty Images Demand increases a currency's value. Over time, the world has accepted certain currency denominations and prefers using them for transactions. And some have appreciated in value and are highly traded. What is the strongest currency? 25 highest currencies in the world Every country's central bank does its best to stabilize the inflationary pressures of its currency. The institution uses fiscal and monetary policies to make this work. However, demand and supply forces always outweigh such to put a specific value for the currency associated. A nation that possesses the best currency in the world is expected to have a robust economic environment. These conditions, among many, strengthen its currency. If you are looking to travel abroad, looking at the most elevated monetary forms in the world will give you a good idea of what to hold. 1. Kuwait dinar (1 USD = 0.30 KWD) Kuwait dinar. Photo: DEA / A. DAGLI ORTI Source: Getty Images The Kuwait Dinar or KWD was introduced in 1960, and it was equal to one pound sterling. Kuwait is a wealthy country despite its small size because of its oil deposits. If you have a United States dollar, you will receive 0.3 Kuwait dinar, making it the world's strongest currency per face value. 2. Bahrain dinar (1 USD = 0.38 BHD) Bahrain currency banknotes. Photo: RafalStachura Source: Getty Images Bahrain is the second-best currency in the world. The country's wealth is from the exportation of petroleum products, which are the primary source of revenue. When trading the Bahrain dinar for 1 US dollar, you will receive 0.38 BHD. This is an excellent sign that it is one of the highest currency value in the world. 3. Omani rial (1 USD = 0.39 OMR) Omani rial. Photo: johan10 Source: Getty Images The Omani rial or OMR is the worlds third, most-valued currency and is the national currency of Oman. It massively increased in value once it was introduced because of the country's oil exports and is pegged against the United States dollar. A single United States dollar will give you 0.38 OMR, which is nearly double the strength of the pound sterling. 4. Jordan dinar (1 USD = 0.71 JOD) Jordanian dinars, banknotes lay on white background. Photo: eugenesergeev Source: Getty Images Jordan dinar holds the fourth place as the most valuable currency. Surprisingly, the country does not have resources such as oil, and the economy is yet to develop. The Jordan dinar has been pegged to the US Dollar for the last couple of decades, and this could be why it has managed to be among the strongest currencies. However, the Jordanian dinar is used nowhere else in the world despite the high status it possesses. It is only unofficially utilized by West Bank (Palestinian territories). You can get 0.71 JOD if you have a United States dollar. 5. British pound sterling (1 USD = 0.72 GBP) Pensioner holding British bank notes in right hand. Photo: Rosemary Calvert Source: Getty Images The official currency of the United Kingdom, the British pound sterling, is the fifth most valuable currency in the world. Many people think that GBP is the most valuable currency, which is not correct as it falls short of four Arabian currencies. The banknotes of the British colonies are different from those given out by the Bank of England, although their value is 1 per 1. The currency pair, USD/GBP, is the third most traded globally and is often referred to as cable. 6. Gibraltar pound (1USD = 0.72 GIP) Ten Pound notes Gibraltar, British territory in southern Europe. Photo: Geography Photos Source: Getty Images The Gibraltar pound denoted as GIP, is Gibraltar's official currency and is exchangeable with the British pound at face value. This means that you can use either the Great Britain pound or the Gibraltar pound in the country. You can buy 0.72 GIP with a single US dollar. 7. Cayman Island dollar (1 USD = 0.83 KYD) Cayman Island one dollar bill. Photo: @Vellerana Cole Source: UGC Cayman Islands Dollar is the official Cayman Island currency. Since the introduction of the currency in 1972, it has gained dominance globally by providing licenses for hundreds of insurance companies, hedge funds, and banks. 8. European Euro (1 USD = 0.83 EUR) A handful of euro bills. Photo: Owen Franken Source: Getty Images The Euro is the most widely used official currency in the world. Additionally, it is referred to as the world currency of second reserve. This element has made it the second most traded on the foreign exchange market, only preceded by the United States dollar. If you have 1 US dollar, you will receive 0.83 Euro at the prevailing exchange rates. This makes it the eighth strongest currency in the world. 9. Swiss franc (1 USD = 0.91 CHF) Notes of the Swiss franc currency. Photo: assalve Source: Getty Images Switzerland is among the wealthiest countries in the world and enjoys the most stable economy. Many investors choose to keep some of their wealth in CHF as they perceive it as a safer deal due to its strict monetary policies and low debt levels. On the list of the highest currencies in the world, the Swiss franc takes the ninth position. It is the seventh most traded in the world. 10. United States dollar (1 USD = 0.83 EUR) Stacking of the United States dollar bank notes. Photo: IronHeart Source: Getty Images The United States has been dominating the global economy and its currency, consequently becoming the world-leading reserve. The United States dollar is held all over the globe by both commercial and central banks. Moreover, it is the most used and traded. Remember that all the currencies on the list are compared to the United States dollar. Therefore, 1USD is worth precisely that 1.0 USD. 11. Canadian dollar (1USD = 1.24 CAD) Canadian currency of various denominations with the polymer based 100 dollar bill on top. Photo: joshlaverty Source: Getty Images Coming 11th on the list of the highest currencies in the world is the Canadian dollar. For a long time, Canada has been one of the safest countries globally, with credit to the country's economic stability. The market value and stability of the Canadian dollar have attracted many investors to the Forex trading platform, which has brought it to position five as the largest reserve currency in the world. 12. Australian dollar (1USD = 1.29 AUD) Bunch of Australian hundred dollar bills. Photo: Stuart Murdoch / EyeEm Source: Getty Images The Australian dollar is the legal currency of Australia abbreviated as AUD in the foreign exchange market. Although it is not the most expensive currency globally, it holds immense value in the global market and is one of the most stable. The currency replaced the Australian pound that was a holdover from its days as a British colony in 1966. The AUD is the fifth most traded in the forex market. 13. Brunei dollar (1 USD = 1.33 BND) Brunei money in a black wallet. Photo: johan10 Source: Getty Images The Brunei dollar is the legal currency of Brunei, and it was established in 1967. One of the most interesting things about this currency is that it is interchangeable with the Singapore dollar at face value. Both are legal tenders in the country. 14. Singapore dollar (1 USD = 1.33 BND) Singapore dollar. Photo: Zhang Rong Source: Getty Images The Singapore dollar is the legal tender for Singapore. A dollar will buy you 1.33 Singapore dollars. It accounts for about 1.8% of forex trades. 15. New Zealand dollar (1USD = 1.39 NZD) New Zealand 50$ dollars bank note on isolated white background. Photo: Boyloso Source: Getty Images Before the arrival of the New Zealand dollar, the country's official currency was the New Zealand pound. The NZD was officially introduced on July 10, 1967. The currency's strength is rising fast and is most likely because of the nation's political stability. Today, and according to the prevailing exchange rates, you can get 1.39 NZD if you possess a United States dollar. 16. Bulgarian lev (1 USD = 1.62 BGN) Bulgarian banknotes from fifty leva. Photo: Georgi Dimitrov Source: Getty Images The Bulgarian lev is the legal currency of Bulgaria. The country's primary income is industrial-based and is rated by the World Bank as a middle-income nation. A single Bulgarian Lev currently exchanges to the United States dollar at 1.62 BGN. 17. Aruban florin (1 USD = 1.80 AWG) Aruban money. Photo: johan10 Source: Getty Images The Aruban florin was introduced in 1986, replacing the Netherlands Antillean guilder at par. It is the official currency of the Caribbean island nation of Aruba, a well-known location for vacations. 18. Fijian dollar (1 USD = 2.05 FJD) Fijian money in the black wallet. Photo: johan10 Source: Getty Images The Fijian dollar is the official currency of Fiji and is usually abbreviated with the dollar sign and in the forex market as FJD. Even though it is not the best currency globally, it is one of the most valued monetary units. 19. Israel new shekel (1 USD = 3.24 ILS) Israel new shekel. Photo: mai saki Source: Getty Images The Israel new shekel has been the official currency of Israel since January 1, 1986, when it replaced the hyperinflated old shekel. The currency is also utilized as the legal tender by the Palestinian National Authority together with the Jordanian dinar. 20. Malaysian ringgit (1USD = 4.10 MYR) Ringgit Malaysia In hand. Photo: Abdul Aziz Bin Mohamed / EyeEm Source: Getty Images The Malaysian ringgit also referred to as the Malaysian dollar, is the Malaysian Federation's legal tender since June 1967. The currency is divided into 100 sen, and the central bank issues coins in denominations ranging from 5 to 50 sen. 21. Libyan dinar (1USD = 4.48 LYD) Libyan currency. Photo: Comstock Images Source: Getty Images The Libyan dinar (LYD) is the national currency of Libya. If you have a single United States dollar, you will get 4.48 LYD according to the latest currency exchange rates. The currency's strength makes it the strongest in Africa, which is a shock to many people that would have settled for either Nigeria or South Africa. Despite continuous war and violence, the currency has maintained its stance. This is because of the country's central bank strict program of selling a limited number of dollars. 22. Brazilian real currency (1 USD = 5.44 BRL) Money bill cash notes in Brazilian reals, euros and dollars. Photo: Graiki Source: Getty Images The Brazilian real is the official currency of the Federal Republic of Brazil and is denoted in the forex market as BRL. Brazil is the biggest nation in South America and is among BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries referred to as key emerging market economies. 23. Danish krone (1USD = 6.15 DKK) Stack of Danish banknotes and coins. Photo: Scharvik Source: Getty Images The Danish krone is the legal tender of Denmark. If you have 1 USD and exchange it for the Danish krone, you will receive 6.15 Danish krone. The krone is sometimes referred to as crown. 24. Swedish krona (1 USD = 8.38 SED) Swedish krona: Photo: FJZEA Source: Getty Images The Swedish krona is one of the worlds strongest currency even though it doesnt come anywhere close to the Kuwait dinar that tops the list. It is the legal currency of Sweden. The currency is sometimes referred to as the Swedish crown In English. 25. South African rand (1USD = 14.36 ZAR) Sheaf of new Mandela Hundred Rand banknotes in male hand. Photo: RapidEye Source: Getty Images The rand is the official currency of South Africa. Its official symbol in forex markets is ZA. Most people don't know that the name rand has great significance. It comes from the word Witwatersrand, which means white waters ridge. It is clear from the list of the highest currencies in the world that the popularity of a currency does not guarantee its high value. The economic dominance of a nation also does not warrant its currency to be the strongest. The US Dollar tops the list of the most traded currency globally and the leading economy it doesn't hold the highest value. On the other hand, Jordan Dinar takes the fourth position as the strongest currency in the world. Yet, the country is considered a middle-income nation, and the economy is not developed. Tuko.co.ke featured an interesting article about the top seven countries with the most valuable currencies in 2021. You will be amazed by the countries that top the list, including some that have experienced turmoil. For instance, the Libyan dinar is the highest valued in Africa and ranks in the best currencies in the entire world. This is a surprising fact for many people that would have expected the currency to have a lower value than other African currencies. Source: TUKO.co.ke Michigan is inching closer to being able to reopen parts of its economy, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer talked about what that looks like with Detroit business leaders in a Friday, April 17 virtual town hall. The state shouldnt just flip a light switch, Whitmer said Friday, or itll risk having a second wave of the coronavirus and see a spike in deaths. Michigan is under a stay-at-home order through April 30, forcing nonessential businesses to close to slow the spread of COVID-19. I am hopeful that, come May 1, we will take some steps forward, Whitmer said. As we proceed, if that goes well and we continue to see progress, that we then go into a second phase. Low-risk businesses will likely be allowed to open first, Whitmer said. She did not specify which types businesses that might include. All business sectors need to be thinking about how to reopen safely with new precautions, for when the time comes, she said. Whitmer mentioned her husbands profession a dentist as an example. Thats a job where you are up close and personal with people and thats maybe one of the most dangerous jobs you can do (right now), Whitmer said. But the Michigan Dental Association is starting to promulgate best practices Each sector is going to have an opportunity to drive this. The more steps a sector can take to reduce risk of spreading the virus, the more likely it can restart earlier, Whitmer said. The governor plans to roll out more plans next week on if there could be a regional aspect to Michigans reopening the economy. Legislators and businesses from outside metro Detroit have been clamoring to get Whitmer to relax restrictions in their part of the state due to lower caseloads, but Whitmer has refused so far. The governor has been working with experts in epidemiology and health from the University of Michigan, along with business and health experts throughout Michigan and the U.S. to develop a plan. She mentioned President Donald Trumps guidebook to states on reopening, saying Michigan will develop a similar plan of its own, tailored to the state. Seven Midwest governors, including Whitmer, announced Thursday theyre working together to coordinate the reopening of their states and share best practices. The states will consider four factors to help determine when to reopen the economy: The rate of infections and hospitalizations, the ability to test more people, the capacity of hospitals and best practices employers can implement. Businesses across Michigan are ready to reopen, and willing to do so under a "new set of rules," said Detroit Regional Chamber President and CEO Sandy K. Baruah. I want everyone to know that Gov. Whitmer gets the economic side of this, Baruah said. I think we all understand that its not going to be business as usual when were allowed to reopen. 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 Friday, April 17: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan When and how will it end? Considering the end-game for Michigans coronavirus crisis 5 things that need to happen for Michigan to reopen its economy after the coronavirus crisis Gov. Whitmer hopes for some relaxing of stay-at-home order May 1, she tells Good Morning America Michigan Senate Republicans unveil plan for reopening economy during coronavirus pandemic Michigan set to lose billions in tax revenue as coronavirus hits state budgets nationwide Republicans, Democrats at odds about who should return to work and when Meghan Markle and Prince Harry tied the knot back in 2018, and theyve been trying their best to live that happily ever after ever since. Meghan is more than three years older than Harry, and they had quite the whirlwind romance; they were engaged, married, and parents all within three years of meeting. And before Meghan, Kate had been the oldest woman to marry into the family. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Royal women tend to be young when they join the family Years ago, it wasnt uncommon for royals to get married at an extremely young age. Clearly, times have changed, but up until Meghan and Harrys royal wedding in 2018, no royal bride had ever been in her 30s when marrying a prince. Princess Diana was only 19 when Prince Charles proposed; the two had been on 12 dates before he popped the question. But thats in part because status played just as much a role in royal marriages at one time as love did. Sarah Ferguson married Prince Andrew when she was 26 a more common age to wed. Sophie, Countess of Wessex was also 26 when she married Prince Edward. Meghan Markle broke barriers when she and Harry started dating There were a lot of things about Meghan that were unconventional to the royal family. Meghan was an American; something uncommon and new to the royal family. The duchess had also been divorced once already before meeting Prince Harry, which, only one generation prior, would have still been considered taboo. Plus, Meghan is biracial something that is also extremely rare within the family. And Meghan was 36 when she walked down the aisle the oldest female working royal to ever marry into the royal family. Kate Middleton was previously the oldest royal bride Prior to Meghan and Harrys wedding, Kate Middleton held the title of the oldest woman to marry a British royal. Kate was only 29 when she and William wed, which goes to show how young the average age of British royal brides has been throughout the familys deep history. William and Kate were married only a few months after Kates 29th birthday, but people had been putting pressure on William to propose since before Kate was even 25. The two women are also the only royal wives with college degrees Some royal fans have pitted Meghan and Kate against each other, and for quite a while, there were rumors of a difficult feud between the two women. But theyre actually more alike than we thought. They both were commoners who married into the family at an older age than the British royals are used to. Plus, theyre the only two women with college degrees to have married into the family. Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton are the only two women with college degrees to marry into the royal family. | Chris Jackson/AFP/Getty Images Certainly, that will change over time, since its likely frowned upon to not have a degree at this point. Kate graduated from St. Andrews University in Scotland, where she met William in 2002; the two graduated in 2005. And Meghan received her degree from Northwestern University in Michigan back in 2003. With cruise ships around the world being idled after hundreds of infections occurred during their voyages, they might have found a new purpose in Singapore. The city-state is studying using cruise ships to temporarily house foreign workers who have recovered from the coronavirus and tested negative, as it tries to limit the spread after cases soared in the last week. The potential measure could complement other interim facilities such as military camps and vacant public housing, the tourism board said in a statement on Friday. The move comes as the country grapples with a surge in infections among foreign workers who live in often-cramped dormitories and facilities. Singapore had its worst day in the outbreak Thursday as it posted 728 new cases of the virus, a single-day record that contributed to a doubling of its infection count over the past week. The majority of cases occurred at migrant dormitories, where more than 200,000 workers live. The move to contemplate housing foreign workers in cruise ships comes with a fair bit of irony. The government in March stopped port calls for all cruise vessels, where hundreds of infections had occurred during voyages elsewhere. Cruise ships are being looked at as they have readily available rooms and en-suite toilets to minimize person-to-person contact, the tourism board said. The two ships being assessed for this purpose Genting Cruise Lines SuperStar Gemini and SuperStar Aquarius can hold up to 2,000 foreign workers, and will allow health measures to be implemented more effectively in existing dormitories by lowering the number of workers there. With about 10 people sharing a single room, according to Singapore charities that support migrant workers, the crowded conditions at dormitories have emerged as one of Singapores biggest challenges in its fight to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The workers current living conditions have drawn comparisons among health experts to challenges on cruise ships, some of which have shown to be hotbeds for the virus during their voyages. Cruise ships have tight quarters and narrow walkways, making it hard to enforce social distancing. The cruise industry has suspended operations for the moment, with some operators cancelling certain voyages until the end of this year. More than 800 cases of COVID-19 infections occurred during outbreaks on three cruise ship voyages, according to a March 27 report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Since then, more cruises have reported coronavirus infections among crew and passengers. One of the first highly-publicized outbreaks occurred on Carnival Corp.s Diamond Princess, where some 700 passengers and crew became infected even as 3,700 on board were subjected to a two-week quarantine off of Yokohama, Japan. The virus was found on surfaces in cabins of infected passengers on the Diamond Princess up to 17 days after the cabins were vacated but before they were disinfected suggesting that the virus might live longer on ships surfaces than whats been reported in other studies. Gentings SuperStar Gemini, which arrived April 17 from Hong Kong, is currently berthed at Marina Bay Cruise Centre where it will undergo an assessment to determine its suitability for temporary housing, according to Singapores tourism board. The assessment will consider, among other areas, the ships ventilation systems, security protocols and infection control measures, and will only be used to house foreign workers if it passes the assessment, it said. SuperStar Aquarius may be activated for assessment at a later date. Should the cruise ship proposal by Singapore go ahead, the low-wage workers will be allowed scheduled outdoor time and provided mobile phone connectivity and wireless Internet surfing, the tourism board said. Bottom Line: Patients experienced a greater occurrence of infections in the years preceding a cancer diagnosis. Journal in Which the Study was Published: Cancer Immunology Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research Author: Shinako Inaida, PhD, a visiting researcher at the Graduate School of Medicine at Kyoto University in Japan Background: "Cancer can develop in an inflammatory environment caused by infections, immunity disruption, exposure to chemical carcinogens, or chronic or genetic conditions," said Inaida. "An individual's immunity is thought to be a factor in the development of cancer, but additional research is needed to understand the relationship among precancerous immunity, infections, and cancer development," added Inaida. "This information may contribute to efforts to prevent or detect cancer." Studies have suggested an increase in infections prior to the development of non-solid tumors, such as lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and myeloma, explained Inaida. However, fewer studies have examined infection prior to the development of solid tumors. How the Study was Conducted: In this retrospective case-control study, Inaida, along with Shigeo Matsuno, PhD, examined a medical claims database in Japan to determine the annual rate of infections in adults from 2005 to 2012. Individuals 30 years of age and older without any recorded immunodeficiencies were included in the study. The case group was composed of 2,354 individuals who were diagnosed with any malignant cancer between July 2010 and June 2011, and the control group was composed of 48,395 individuals who were not diagnosed with cancer between January 2005 and December 2012. The annual prevalence rates for influenza, gastroenteritis, hepatitis, and pneumonia infections were calculated for each group. The case group included 1,843 men and 511 women; the control group had 37,779 men and 10,616 women. The average age of individuals in the case group was 45.1 years, while the average age of those in the control group was 43.9 years. The most common cancers diagnosed in the case group were digestive and gastrointestinal, head and neck, and stomach cancers. Other cancer types diagnosed in the case group fell into the following categories: respiratory and thoracic; germ cell; genitourinary; liver; female breast; hematologic, blood, bone, and bone marrow; endocrine; and unknown or other cancers. Results: The authors found that individuals in the case group had experienced higher rates of infection over the six years prior to their cancer diagnoses than those in the control group over the same time period. The largest differences in annual infection prevalence rates occurred in the sixth year, which was one year prior to cancer diagnosis. During this year, the infection prevalence rates for the case group were higher than the control group by 18 percent for influenza, 46.1 percent for gastroenteritis, 232.1 percent for hepatitis, and 135.9 percent for pneumonia. For individuals in the case group, the age-adjusted odds of infection increased each year. During the first year, those in the case group had a 16 percent higher likelihood of infection than the control group, compared with a 55 percent greater risk in the sixth year. During the sixth year, the highest age-adjusted odds ratio was observed for hepatitis infection, with those in the case group having had a 238 percent higher likelihood of hepatitis infection than those in the control group. The authors also found that certain infections appeared to have a greater association with certain cancer types. The odds of influenza infection just before cancer detection, for example, were highest for those who developed male germ cell cancers. Additionally, the odds of pneumonia were highest in those who went on to develop stomach cancer, and the odds of hepatitis infection were highest in those who developed hematologic, blood, bone, or bone marrow cancers. "Interestingly, we found that infection afflicting a specific organ did not necessarily correlate with increased risk of cancer in the same organ," noted Inaida. Study Limitations: A limitation of the study was the lack of information about environmental exposures, lifestyles, or underlying genetic or medical conditions, which could have contributed to increased infection in addition to causing cancer. Another limitation was that information regarding infection was based solely on diagnoses recorded in the database; thus, there may be variability in diagnoses across different clinicians, and some infections may not have been diagnosed or recorded. The small sample size for rare cancers was an additional limitation. ### Disclosures: Inaida declares no conflicts of interest. About the American Association for Cancer Research Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world's first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes 46,000 laboratory, translational, and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and patient advocates residing in 127 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 30 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 22,500 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes nine prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients, and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration, and scientific oversight of team science and individual investigator grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and other policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit http://www.AACR.org. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tjokorda Istri Pramitasuri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 17, 2020 16:16 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd28e179 3 Health workout,fitness,brain,mental-health,physical-distancing,large-scale-social-restrictions Free In the past few months, our world has been facing a catastrophic viral infection-based pandemic caused by a newly discovered member of the coronavirus family, called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). This virus has spread from person to person by proximity, prompting governments to step up efforts to curb the spread of the disease it causes, COVID-19. Hashtags #StayatHome and #WorkfromHome have been the trending topics as they show up every single day on social media updates from people all over the globe. For one who spends most of daytime at work, staying inside longer than usual can sometimes feel strange. Instead of lying on the couch while having snacks then feeling guilty for the rest of the day, why not do exercise? Some of you exercised regularly before the pandemic. Losing weight, getting your dream body or maintaining your posture, we know that exercising or being physically active is good for our bodies. Doing workouts is also beneficial for a sharper brain, researchers say. Improve cognitive abilities Exercising regularly means your brain receives enough blood supply to maintain its physiological function. In a review of studies published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, regular exercise and improved aerobic fitness are associated with greater brain volume. Another review published in Poland revealed that there is an established link between exercise and improved brain health by enhancing the secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF is a chemical found in various areas inside our brains including the hippocampus, a special area for memorizing things. It is involved in memory formation, the learning process and enhances the survival of our brain cells. More activity means a better mood for the whole day It's normal if during this pandemic we are more susceptible to mood swings and anxiety. Studies show that physical exercise of sufficient intensity and duration can boost your mood by increasing the circulating levels of a feel-good chemical called beta-endorphin. A review of studies published in the Irish Journal of Medical Science in 2011 suggested that exercise and physical activity can trigger a structure in the brain called the pituitary gland to release beta-endorphin. Able to reduce pain and causing general euphoria, beta-endorphin also has beneficial effects on depression and anxiety symptoms; it is even comparable to antidepressant treatments. Another report from Brazilian researchers in 2015 stated that routine physical exercise is good for our brain as it shows amazing effects in the area called the parahippocampal gyrus of the limbic lobe, which is related to the brain's reward system. What kind of activity should I do? Types of physical activity at home can be diverse; yoga, aerobics, using the treadmill, resistance training, riding an exercise bicycle, working out with tutorials from YouTube videos or simply going up and downstairs frequently. One important thing to consider is your own bodys fitness. If you have ever had or are currently suffering specific disorders such as muscle and bone pain following trauma, cardiovascular diseases or other diseases, please consult your physician about your preferable type of workout. No one size fits all Getting to know yourself is the first key to choosing the appropriate package of exercise for you. Researchers conclude that the highest benefit appears to be in activities that include both strength and aerobic exercise, which last for at least 30 minutes and are practiced for more than six months. In 2010, the World Health Organization released the Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health. The document sums up scientific evidence, current physical activity recommendations and interpretation for three age groups: 5-17, 18-64 and 65-above. The reviews are included with evidence in the field of brain, mood and general health with considerations of different health conditions among individuals. Thus, the benefits of implementing the recommendations from evidence-based studies should outweigh the harm. Along with the astonishing benefits for our brain, exercising is generally a free-of-charge activity and is immediately available to mostly everybody. For your brain's sake, you can add #WorkoutFromHome to your next Instagram stories. (wng) *** The writer is a 24-year-old medical doctor, awardee of the PMDSU scholarship in neurology and is currently attending the postgraduate school of biomedical science at Udayana University. She can be reached through LinkedIn and Instagram. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] -- Reconstructing how many individuals first settled the many small islands in the Pacific and when they arrived remain important scientific questions, as well as an intriguing ones for understanding human history. Human migrations into the islands of Remote Oceania -- from circa 3,000 to 1,200 years ago -- mark the last major movement into locations previously uninhabited by humans. These questions are also crucial as part of scientific efforts to understand the role of early history of Pacific islanders on contemporary public health problems including obesity and associated non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and Type 2 diabetes. A new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences analyzed the genomes of 1,197 individuals in Samoa and found that the effective population size of the first Samoans was small -- ranging from 700 to 3,400 people during the time period from approximately 3,000 to about 1,000 years ago. Starting about 1,000 years ago, population size rapidly increase to about 10,000 individuals, coinciding with increasing agricultural and socio-political complexity, but also with previously hypothesized contacts with other Oceanic peoples. This population history scenario for Samoa is consistent with the existing archaeological evidence of few, widely scattered and small-sized settlements in the first 2,000 years after Samoa's initial settlement. But it contrasts with archaeological population reconstructions of much larger population sizes for adjacent Pacific peoples in Tonga and Fiji during that first 1,500 to 2,000 years after initial discoveries around 3,000 years ago. The research team's conclusions could help in understanding health conditions of particular importance to people in Samoa, home to some of the highest rates of obesity, heart disease and diabetes in the world. "These findings are relevant for our ongoing public health research in Samoan populations because they highlight the importance of population history and size in influencing our ability to identify the effect of novel genetic variations, and their interactions with 21st century environments on population health," said Stephen McGarvey, study co-author and a professor of epidemiology and of anthropology at Brown University. McGarvey has studied extensively obesity and diseases that stem from obesity -- including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and cancer -- in Samoa, which are not only a threat to individual health, but to the nations' economic and social development. "Smaller populations and the evolutionary mechanisms resulting from them, including genetic drift from bottlenecks and natural selection from novel challenging environments such as experienced by the first settlers of Samoa, make it easier to detect new gene variants and different frequencies of known variants that affect cardiometabolic disease risk factors now in the 21th century," he said. The new study also found that modern Samoans derive largely from the Austronesian lineage, including the aboriginal peoples of Taiwan, Island Southeast Asia, coastal New Guinea and other island groups of Oceania -- but share 24% of their ancestry with Papuans, the descendants of the people who settled Papua/New Guinea, an estimate markedly lower than found in neighboring Polynesian groups. The researchers also found strong evidence of population reduction coincident with outside contact from European-derived groups, presumably from infectious diseases new to Samoan immune systems and societal shocks from such epidemics. The whole genome sequence data from participants' DNA also enabled findings about some genetic diversification within Samoa that may be reflective of regional and local social processes. The genomic data also showed an increase in population size about 150 years ago. "These findings indicate that the modern Samoan population is a result of these demographic dynamics from the earliest times 3,000 years ago to the very recent colonial period in the 19th century," McGarvey said. "Any questions about putative genetic influences and their interactions with modern ways of life must be asked in the context of population history." ### McGarvey is the overall principal investigator of the Samoan research and collaborated with Daniel Harris and Timothy O'Connor of the University of Maryland on the study, among other co-authors, with support from the TOPMed program of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). The TOPMed program supplied the Samoan whole genome sequences studied by McGarvey and colleagues from the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Cincinnati and Yale University, with ongoing support from NIH/NHLBI. Harris and O'Connor led the effort to use Samoan whole genome sequence data deploying population genetic methods to estimate shared ancestry of present day Samoans with other human groups, degree of shared genetic similarity within the Samoan sample and then estimation of the effective population size over time of Samoans. The paper's other authors are Michael D. Kessler and Amol C. Shetty of the University of Maryland; Daniel E. Weeks and Ryan Minster of the University of Pittsburgh; Sharon Browning from the University of Washington; Ethan E. Cochrane from the University of Auckland; Ranjan Deka of the University of Cincinnati; Nicola L. Hawley from Yale University; Muagututi'a Sefuiva Reupena from Lutia i Puava ae Mapu i Fagalele, Apia, Samoa; and Take Naseri, Director General, Samoa Ministry of Health, Government of Samoa, Apia, Samoa. The NIH and a number of the researchers' universities provided funding for the study. With the development of international criminal justice, amnesty is often seen as a denial of justice. However, analysis shows that well-thought-out amnesties are often necessary in peace processes and can complement criminal prosecutions, which often prove to be very limited. In a globalized world, international criminal justice is a necessity but remains to be improved. In 18 years, the judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have only convicted four people for international crimes (Lubanga, Katanga, Ntaganda and Al-Mahdi). The ICC is of course a court of last resort and it sometimes manages to push national justice systems as, for example, when British and French judicial authorities go after some of their soldiers who have committed war crimes in Iraq or Cote dIvoire. But in cases of mass violence, national justice systems simply do not have the means to prosecute all perpetrators of war crimes or crimes against humanity unless certain fundamental rights of the defence are sacrificed. It would have taken Rwanda hundreds of years to try the 130,000 genocide suspects before national courts according to the process of rule of law. That is why the authorities had recourse to an adapted form of traditional justice, the gacaca, which although with some less than perfect conditions such as the absence of defence lawyers allowed the judgment of a million people suspected of participating in the 1994 genocide and the reintegration into their communities of tens of thousands of genocide perpetrators. The case of Rwanda remains unique in terms of mass justice after a mass crime. 289 amnesties between 1990 and 2016 According to the UN and the ICC, amnesty is in theory prohibited for perpetrators of serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, although there is no international treaty or custom that explicitly prohibits amnesty for such crimes. However, the practice of States and even of the United Nations bears witness to a much more nuanced reality. Note that the Special Court of Sierra Leone a semi-UN court only prosecuted those considered most responsible for the abuses committed during the civil war between 1991 and 2001 (13 indictments, 9 convictions) while hundreds of combatants who could have been tried for massacres of civilians were amnestied under the Lome Peace Agreement of July 1999, signed with the full support of the United Nations. In reality, neither Sierra Leonean society, which was struggling to extricate itself from a terrible conflict, nor the judicial system was able or willing to undertake such prosecutions, which could have destabilized the country. Although morally unsatisfactory because it was granted unconditionally and almost without limit (blanket amnesty), amnesty was nevertheless preferable to impunity, if only because it recognized at least superficially the reality of the crimes committed. The fact is that amnesty is and will remain an often necessary component of peace agreements. According to the Amnesty Law Database, 289 amnesties were granted between 1 January 1990 and 31 August 2016 during a conflict, at the time of a peace agreement or shortly thereafter. These 289 amnesties cover 75 countries, which means that many countries have experienced successive amnesty laws, since the transition process involves new situations that were not initially foreseen. Thus in Colombia, in 1997, Amnesty Law 418 was adopted for combatants who agreed to demobilize. In 2002, Law 782 extended the amnesty to paramilitaries in self-defence units. In 2005, the Justice and Peace Law supplemented previous laws to cover illegal groups previously excluded from amnesty laws. In 2016, the peace agreement with FARC provided amnesty for the least serious crimes. Constructive Amnesties While amnesty is an inescapable reality, its use is destructive when it consolidates impunity. Thus, no doubt with Washingtons assent, the Afghan parliament passed a general self-amnesty law for all warlords in 2007, which only served to prolong the cycle of violence. Conditional amnesty laws with clear, transparent and objective criteria, possibly combined with selective criminal prosecution of those responsible for the worst offences, can have a constructive effect in a peace process. This is particularly true when amnesty is conditional on disarmament processes or on justice, truth-seeking or reparation programmes. This is what happened in South Africa; it is the process under way in Niger, illustrated by the release of former members of Boko Haram, an armed jihadist movement, which responded to the governments call to lay down their arms; and it is still the issue at stake in the peace plan in Colombia for those who have not committed the most serious crimes. There can certainly be good use of amnesty in peace processes. The world's largest postal service is stepping in to help deliver lifesaving medicines during a countrywide lockdown aimed at tackling the coronavirus pandemic. IMAGE: A man holds parcels containing medicines outside General Post Office, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus in New Delhi. Photograph: Yawar Nazir/Getty Images India Post has changed its priorities in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Boasting the largest postal network in the world with more than 1.56 lakh post offices, of which 1.41 lakh are in rural areas, the robust India Post has become a lifesaver, working round the clock, delivering COVID-19 testing kits, ventilators, masks and medicines to far-flung places. The red mail vans, which are used for delivering parcels within the city limits, have now become the mode of transport to faraway locations during the nationwide lockdown, with no trains and flights in operation. Last weekend, a COVID-19 kit consignment packed in dry ice arrived from Delhi for delivery to hospitals in Ranchi. "The next day was Sunday and we could not afford to have waited till Monday. Our challenge was to rush, so we made arrangements with postal circle of Jharkhand and it was delivered to the hospitals by midnight," said Chief Post Master General of West Bengal Circle, Gautam Bhattacharya. "The other day, 650 kg of medicines and PPEs came from the national capital to the Kolkata sorting hub by a cargo flight. There were 25 cartons and we ensured delivery by midnight," he said. There are more than 50 red mail vans in operation from the Kolkata hub that transports PPEs to districts and other areas of the West Bengal circle. Mobilising the staff, who mostly come from suburbs and subsequent coordination, means that Bhattacharya, whose circle also includes Sikkim and Andaman & Nicobar islands, is having sleepless nights. "This is an all new challenge for us. A lot of movements are taking place of COVID-19 related items. The big challenge is about making the logistic arrangements." It also means extra responsibility for those engaged in the delivery process, such as the drivers, who venture out to faraway places, and that too, at odd hours. "We are operating with reduced staff of about 60 per cent as the small post offices are closed. We bring the parcels to head post offices... We have now become a transport system with no railway and airway service. This is an emergency situation and we are up for it," Bhattacharya added. He cited the example of a post master from Debagram sub-post office in Nadia district, Sanjit Halder, who cycled more than 150 km, all the way from Garia, to reach his work place. It was any other weekend and Halder had retruned to his home in Garia, knowing little about the imminent Janata Curfew and the nationwide lockdown that followed in the subsequent weeks. He kept his work commitment and took his daughter's 'Kanya Shree' (state government-gifted) bicycle and started off at the break of dawn. Halder was in office by 9 pm, ready to serve more than 300 pensioners and monthly-income-scheme holders. "Most of our clients are illiterate and poor, and we work like a close-knit family. I cannot afford to sit at home. I had contacted a taxi, but the driver demanded a hefty Rs 6,000. So, I decided to take my daughter's bicycle," Halder said in an interaction. The 48-year-old took small breaks thrice on the way to keep himself hydrated amid scorching heat. "First, I had some biscuits, then I stopped for sugarcane juice and finally at a sweet stall, I had curd." By the time he reached Krishnanagar, it was pitch-dark and there was a jungle ahead. Luckily, the local police came to his rescue and took him in their van. "For me, it was like a small service to Mother India," said Halder, who has been at the Debagram sub-post office ever since the lockdown came into force. The Kolkata circle of India Post has also made door-to-door distribution of pensions to the super senior citizens during the ongoing lockdown. There are about 60,000 pensioners in the circle of which nearly 30 per cent are in their 80s. "We prepared a list and the respective branch post offices contacted them to facilitate the pensions," Bhattacharya said. India Post is also open to regular mail service, although the priority now has changed, he said. "We were never closed and most of the post offices are open. One can come and book general items. But, we receive them with a disclaimer -- 'the service could be delayed', as we are dependent on cargo flights now. The traffic is less for mail and e-commerce articles, and people are not turning up in large numbers," Bhattacharya said. For weeks, Oz has been trying to find reasons for Fox viewers to be hopeful. In late March, he went on air and listed a litany of potential covid-19 treatments, including several drugs, and argued, If youre a patient and you get covid-19, it is worth asking your doctor about any of the products on this list. On Thursday, Oz told Fox and Friends that he was really bothered by reports, later denied, that Boston University was canceling its fall semester. After weeks of grim, ever-worsening statistics, Houston medical and public health leaders say the area has begun to flatten the COVID-19 curve, the rate at which the disease is spreading through the community. The start of such flattening, seen in testing and hospitalization data, represents the turning of a significant corner for an area that has been shut down for more than a month to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19. The virus has infected more than 2 million people globally and killed more than 33,000 in the U.S. We havent peaked yet, but were seeing very encouraging signs that the curve is flattening, said Dr. Marc Boom, president of Houston Methodist. The number of people testing positive has slowed and hospitalizations have also leveled off. Dr. Paul Klotman, president of Baylor College of Medicine, added that the trend is definitely positive were getting closer to the peak. But he noted that the peak is not a good place to be. The only safe place is when were going toward the valley. Texas Medical Center leaders told Mayor Sylvester Turner this week that the rate of the viruss spread, exponential early, has definitely slowed. But they were quick to warn again complacency and stressed that now, more than ever, people need to keep aggressively practicing social distancing. Public health leaders nationally and locally have stressed the need to flatten the curve by social distancing to reduce the number of deaths and prevent the health care system from being inundated with patients. Oft cited is the situation in New York City, which ran out of hospital beds and to date has suffered nearly 11,500 deaths because measures were not adopted until well into the outbreak. There have been 103 deaths so far in the Houston area. The Houston area, which benefited from the virus arriving later, acted comparatively sooner, closing bars and restaurants and canceling popular events, including its livestock show and rodeo, in early to mid-March, before Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on March 24 issued a stay-at-home order that shut down all but essential businesses. Similar orders were issued in surrounding counties. A week later, Hidalgo extended the order through the end of April. She has yet to decide whether to extend the stay-at-home order beyond April 30. Too early to tell Despite the measures, the Houston areas COVID-19 numbers continued to spike expected, experts said, because of the viruss incubation time of two to 14 days, the sometimes slow disease progression, the lack of access to testing and the often lengthy delays in lab results. But in recent days, public health officials said, the signs such measures are working have become evident. According to new research by two Harvard scientists and a Baylor doctor, for instance, the rate at which the virus is spreading dropped from nearly 30 percent a week and a half ago to almost 5 percent as of Wednesday. That means the time it takes to double the size of the outbreak has gone from every three days to 20 days now. Now Playing: 'COVID-19 in 60': Houston coronavirus news in a minute Video: Houston Chronicle Its too early to really tell the next week or two will be crucial but Houstons social distancing appears to be doing enormous good, said Dr. Mark Siedner, a Harvard professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital. The trend over the last week is really positive. The next two weeks are when a number of models project Houstons cases will peak. Officials said not to read too much into daily counts, which can go up or down depending on the days number of test results returned by laboratories, often in batches that include a backlog of cases. Dr. David Persse, health authority for the Houston Health Department, complained about that tendency by the labs Wednesday. The officials said to look at the average number of cases over a weeks time. Klotman noted that the areas count went from 1,200 cases April 1 to 2,800 cases April 7 to 5,200 cases April 14 that is, up 133 percent in the first six days, 85 percent in the last seven days. Positive test rates also show a flattening. Gulshan Sharma, chief medical officer at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, said the county testing positive rate in the last week has dropped from between 10 and 12 percent in the beginning to between 2 and 4 percent. Others say thats partly a reflection of testing a wider variety of people than just those with severe disease, the case at the beginning. Cautiously optimistic Hospitalizations are also encouraging. Memorial Hermann and Methodist health systems, which have seen the area's most COVID-19 patients in their system hospitals, reported a gradual increase in their censuses last week but a decrease since. Memorial Hermann had 167 COVID-19 patients Thursday, down from 189 on April 10; Methodist had 173 on Thursday, down from 202 on Sunday. The areas overall hospital occupancy rate is 69 percent and ICU bed rate is 85 percent, according to the SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Council, which oversees the area response to medical emergencies. Despite ups and downs, those percentages have been relatively flat during the outbreak. Chronicle graphic Texas Medical Center hospital officials expressed confidence this week that they will be able to handle any surge of patients without the need to send patients to other area hospitals or a makeshift hospital under construction at NRG Stadium. The hospitals can expand by more than 20 percent under internal contingency plans. We are cautiously optimistic with the trending data, said Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of Harris County Public Health. We know the prevention measures put in place, such as the stay-at-home order, are slowing down the disease transmission. But like the TMC leaders, Shah emphasized the area isnt out of the clear yet. He said that if we try to do business as usual, we run the risk of seeing a dramatic increase of cases that could unravel the progress that we have made. He called it essential to ensure there is the necessary public health infrastructure in place such as universal testing and contact tracing so that we are ready to respond to either a second wave or have a focused response to the virus being re-introduced into the community. Jasper Scherer contributed to this report. todd.ackerman@chron.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 17, 2020) - Palamina Corp. (TSXV: PA) reports that all operating activities have been halted in keeping with the government of Peru's travel and work restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The government shutdown commenced on April 1, 2020. All staff and contractors are safe and secure. Palamina maintains a minimal staff shared by the company and its operating partner, Winshear Gold Corp., to maintain all projects in good standing. Management will conduct a review towards the end of June to decide when to resume exploration activities. Palamina also announces the resignation of Darin Wagner from the Board of Directors of the Company for personal reasons. The Company wishes to sincerely thank Mr. Wagner for his contribution and services as a director and wishes him all the best in his future. Andrew Thomson, President of Palamina remarked, "Darin has been critical to Palamina's success in the last several years and he will be missed. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours." Palamina secured a Declaracion de Impacto Ambiental ("DIA") from the Peruvian Ministry of Energy and Mines for its flagship Coasa Gold Project in December of 2019. The Company is awaiting the Authorization to Initiate Exploration Activities ("AIEA") which is required to commence initial drill testing of the Coasa gold system. Palamina is utilizing the shutdown to further refine drill targets and conduct a review of all its existing projects. Palamina is one of a select few Peruvian pure gold exploration companies to have received its DIA. ABOUT PALAMINA Palamina holds applications and mineral rights to four gold projects in south eastern Peru in the Puno Orogenic Gold Belt (POGB), a silver-copper project in the Santa Lucia district and two copper-gold projects in Southern Peru. In September of 2019, Palamina concluded the sale of the Gaban gold and Tinka I.O.C.G Projects for 10,000,000 shares of Winshear Gold Corp. (formerly Helio Resource Corp.) and a 2% NSR per project. Palamina has 36,303,636 shares outstanding and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PA. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Andrew Thomson, President Phone: (416) 987-0722 or visit www.palamina.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. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54573 Karachi [Pakistan], April 17 (ANI): The Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan has launched the 'Humanity First' campaign in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country and the rest of the world. The initiative has been taken under the guidelines of worldwide supreme head of Ahmadiyya community Mirza Masroor Ahmad as coronavirus cases in Pakistan cross 7,000 mark. A release by the community said, "In this context, activists of the Ahmadiyya community are distributing ration and other essentials including medicines and sanitizers in various parts of Pakistan particularly in Chiniot, Sargodha, Jhang, Rajanpur and desert areas Cholistan of Bahawalpur districts of Punjab province." Activists of the Ahmadiyya community are also carrying out these activities in Tharparkar, Mirpur Khas and Karachi districts of Sindh province. It is pertinent to mention here that Ahmadiyya community has donated 3 million rupees in PM relief fund of Pakistan and its cadres are also offering their services in the recently launched 'Tiger Force' by Pakistan Government to tackle COVID-19 pandemic. However, various extremists, radical and religious organisations of Pakistan have warned the government from taking any help from the Ahmadiyya community. These organisations have appealed to the government and common people to boycott these welfare measures of the Ahmadiyya community. Maulana Muhammad Ilyas, district Chiniot Head of International Khatam e Nabuwat, has issued a video message criticising Ahmadiyya community and projecting them as "sympathisers of India". He especially mentions an incident of the 1965 Indo-Pak war and projects Ahmadiyyas as traitors of Pakistan. Another Maulana has also criticised Ahmadiyyaas and urged people to defeat the ill design of the Ahmadiyya community. Moreover, in a recent incident in Karachi, some people confronted activists of the Ahmadiyya community who were distributing essential commodities to the poor and needy people. These people alleged that activists of the Ahmadiyya community were also distributing their literature to the people along with relief material and were in this manner promoting their ideology and trying to attract people towards them. (ANI) The Russian embassy in Madagascar on Friday said it was undertaking efforts to return 13 nationals who arrived to the island nation as tourists and were now stranded MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th April, 2020) The Russian embassy in Madagascar on Friday said it was undertaking efforts to return 13 nationals who arrived to the island nation as tourists and were now stranded. "Thirteen Russian citizens who arrived for the purpose of tourism are now in Madagascar. All individuals have filled out applications on the State Services portal to return to Russia," the Russian diplomatic mission said. At the same time, the embassy "is working to provide assistance to all appealing Russian citizens, based on available opportunities." Madagascar's capital Antananarivo and other urban center went into lockdown and flights in and out of the country were suspended in March. As of Friday, the African island nation has confirmed 117 coronavirus cases in total with no fatalities. By Delana Isles THE SUSPENSION of jury trials is one of the most contentious issues in the TCI, having first been instituted against the will of the people for the corruption trials of former government officials. With just a few days on the job, the new Chief Justice Mabel Agyemang made a case for judge only criminal trials in light of the restrictions brought on by the current Covid-19 pandemic, soliciting the views of the Bar Council and its members. Responses came from a number of local attorneys, among them Oliver Smith, Mark Fulford, Lara Maroof-Misick and Keith James, before the suggestion was abandoned by the chief justice. Smiths response likened the suggestion to "throwing the baby out with the bathwater, a view supported by many of his colleagues. "This initiative is misplaced and is more an easy (and some may say, lazy) administrative solution to an obvious problem. It is like throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Smith offered an alternative that can be employed. "A suggestion would be that during this Covid-19 period, defendants (and defendants alone) be given the right to waive jury trial in order to have a speedy trial. He said this would be an election of the defendant who may wish to waive his speedy trial rights and wait for his jury trial or opt for a speedy non-jury trial. "Alternatively, the court in each matter, on a case by case basis, can of its own volition under the Criminal Procedures Ordinance order a non-jury trial. "This would of course be subject to appeal under the CPO, he added. Smith said that the authority cited by the learned chief justice speaks to an "unreasonable delay, adding: "Surely, it can be argued that trial delays occasioned by Covid-19, are justified and reasonable given the unique circumstances and the need to put initiatives in place to address it. Additionally, the case cited by the chief justice cannot be authority for this jurisdiction to automatically suspend jury trials and instead replace them wholly with non-jury trials by the simple stroke of a pen, the attorney stated. "I equally make no criticism of our supreme court judges and their integrity. I concur with the sentiments of the chief justice. "However, that cannot be the factor to decide whether to suspend jury trials during Covid-19 as the supreme court judges integrity will equally be in play during jury trials. Attorney Lara Maroof-Misick supported Smiths submissions, stating: "In my view such an approach would be wholly contrary to the procedures set out in the legislation and indeed to the guidance provided by case law arising from the legislation. "The authorities emphasise the high threshold required to be met before a trial without a jury can be determined as necessary. "Simply because it is more convenient or easier is far from sufficient. She said the only proper approach would be for applications to be considered for appropriate cases. Following which, a thorough and careful assessment should then be carried out in the usual way taking into account all the relevant factors. "A very important factor must be the defendants views. A blanket approach to all criminal cases would be disproportionate and inconsistent with the legislation, Maroof-Misick stated. Attorney Keith James held similar views, pointing to the Scottish Bars opposition to their own suspension of jury trials in that country; they called it ill-advised and a knee-jerk reaction caused by panic. Attorney Mark Fulford in his rejection of the suggestion, stated that a more measured and systematic approach should be taken instead of the complete suspension of jury trials. "The first position to take is to ascertain if there are any defendants in custody who want to plead, if there are such persons, the court should firstly deal with those matters by video if the defendant so consents. "Secondly, the court should then ascertain if there are any defendants in custody who consent to trial without a jury and table those for the remote/virtual trials; then all summary cases can be dealt with. He said thereafter, those who are amenable to waiting for jury trials to resume whether in custody or not can make that request and tentative future trial dates can be set for those matters. "The running thread of my proposals is that any system to be implemented during this crisis has to be by consent and must take into consideration the wishes of the accused who are the persons to be impacted by any erosion of their constitutionally protected rights. He stated that all over the world it is being proven that imprisoned persons are more at risk to contract Covid-19, as such the courts should avoid rushing to incarcerate offenders. "This virus can be a death sentence in a prison that is already overcrowded and in a country without the necessary facilities and equipment, struggling to address this pandemic. Fulford was also vocal about the contentious Trial Without A Jury Ordinance (TWAJO) which the Bar Council had opposed. "The TWAJO... was made to jail the former leaders of this country, and nothing done by the Bar stopped that legislation from being enacted. INDIANAPOLIS, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, people across Indiana are facing challenges that extend beyond medical care and include basic daily needs such as food, internet connectivity, and essential supplies. Centene, a leading multi-national healthcare company, has partnered with various organizations to support efforts that address these social determinants of health. MHS, as part of the Centene family, will be deploying these programs locally in Indiana. Social determinants of health are non-medical barriers to achieving quality health outcomes. They include socioeconomic and environment factors such as food accessibility, employment, education, and more. Research shows that medical care accounts for approximately 10 to 20 percent of health outcomes, while the other 80 to 90 percent is affected by the social determinants of health. "The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are far-reaching and have extended beyond medical care to affect people's access to food, employment, connectivity, and more," said Kevin O'Toole, MHS President and CEO. "These social determinants of health have a significant impact on people's overall wellbeing, especially among vulnerable populations. MHS wants to help ensure we're supporting the additional needs of communities by providing healthy opportunities during this challenging time." Hunger and Food Security The demand on food banks has significantly increased during this pandemic, and it's estimated that these organizations will need an additional $1.4 billion in funding during the next six months to provide food assistance to people facing hunger. In partnership with the national hunger relief non-profit Feeding America and its network of food banks, Centene and MHS are donating $50,000 to Gleaners Food Bank, Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, Food Bank of Northern Indiana and Community Harvest Food Bank to help Hoosiers in need. Healthcare and Educational Supplies To ensure community members have access to crucial supplies during this time of need, MHS, in coordination with Centene, will be purchasing 1,000 gift cards for use on essential items. MHS will deliver the cards to Gleaners Food Bank, Community Harvest Food Bank, Indianapolis Urban League and HealthLinc for distribution to individuals in need. The gift cards will have a value of $35 and can be used to purchase essential healthcare and educational items, including diapers, over-the-counter medicines, cleaning supplies, and books. Social Determinants of Health MHS is partnering with our members to coordinate their care, including social needs. If a member needs assistance with housing, food, utilities, or is worried about meeting other needs, members can directly contact an MHS Care Coordinator at 1-833-245-7901. MHS has been supporting Indiana residents since 1995 across its Medicaid, Medicare and Marketplace plans. Their efforts to address the social determinants of health reinforce their long-standing commitment to supporting the whole health of their communities, one person at a time. About MHS Managed Health Services (MHS) is a managed care entity that has been proudly serving the state of Indiana for 25 years through the Hoosier Healthwise and Hoosier Care Connect Medicaid programs; and the Healthy Indiana (HIP) Medicaid alternative program. MHS also offers Ambetter from MHS in the Indiana health insurance marketplace, and Allwell from MHS, a Medicare Advantage plan. All of our plans include quality, comprehensive coverage with a provider network you can trust. Visit mhsindiana.com to learn more. MHS is a wholly-owned subsidy of Centene Corporation, a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise offering both core Medicaid and specialty services. About Centene Corporation Centene Corporation, a Fortune 100 company, is a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. The Company takes a local approach with local brands and local teams - to provide fully integrated, high-quality, and cost-effective services to government-sponsored and commercial healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Centene offers affordable and high-quality products to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation, including Medicaid and Medicare members (including Medicare Prescription Drug Plans) as well as individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace, the TRICARE program, and individuals in correctional facilities. The Company also serves several international markets, and contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide a variety of specialty services focused on treating the whole person. Centene focuses on long-term growth and the development of its people, systems and capabilities so that it can better serve its members, providers, local communities, and government partners. Centene uses its investor relations website to publish important information about the company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Centene is routinely posted and is accessible on Centene's investor relations website, http://www.centene.com/investors. SOURCE MHS Since the very start of the COVID-19 pandemic, social media in Africa has been full of videos claiming that different concoctions of garlic, ginger and lemon can keep the virus at bay. We spoke to an infectious disease specialist who said that not only are these recipes ineffective against coronavirus, they could even be dangerous. We examined three of the most widely circulating recipes. Videos offering up homemade tinctures meant to keep a person safe from the coronavirus have been circulating widely on social media in French-speaking Africa. Our readers brought several of these videos to our attention. In turn, we showed them to Khadidiatou Ba Fall, a specialist in infectious diseases who used to head up the infectious diseases service at the main hospital in Dakar, Senegal. We transcribed and translated her comments below. Are garlic, ginger and lemon an effective remedy for coronavirus? This video, which circulated on WhatsApp in Cameroon, Ivory Coast and other countries, shows a person with no known medical qualifications demonstrating his recipe for mixture meant to combat coronavirus. To cure coronavirus, you need ginger, garlic and lemon, he says in French. He suggests crushing all the ingredients and then putting it into boiling water boiling. He claims that once the mixture has cooled and been strained, it will cure COVID-19. Really? We asked Professor Fall about it: There's absolutely no indication that this mixture could cure COVID-19. However, it is definitely good for the human body. It contains a lot of vitamins, including C, B1, B2, B9, D and E, and antioxidants like zinc, magnesium and calcium. This mixture will hydrate your kidneys. Lots of studies of these ingredients have confirmed their positive effects on the human body. Some of them boost the immune system. There are a lot of unknowns about this new virus. Luckily, there is intense scientific research going on into different treatments. Some of them might end up being effective against the virus. One example is the small study into the use of hydroxychloroquine conducted at the university hospital institute in Marseille. Other experts are conducting studies into using plasma therapy, which involves treating COVID-19 patients with plasma rich in antibodies obtained from a patient who has recovered from the virus. Story continues Are steam inhalations any good for treating COVID-19? There have also been videos circulating online showing people breathing in steam in what they claim is an effective cure for coronavirus. Grandmas coronavirus treatment reads the caption on a video posted on April 1 that shows a person covered with sweat after breathing in steam from a hot mixture. The video has been shared more than 700 times. One of our readers sent us a video featuring the Cameroonian singer Longue Longue breathing in steam from some kind of tea brewed in a pot with leaves. We are fighting corona, he says. When contacted, the artist denied that he was trying to demonstrate a recipe meant to combat coronavirus. I felt like I was coming down with malaria and my aunt sent these leaves to treat me. I didnt have coronavirus. Its true that I said, We are fighting coronavirus in the video, but, these days, you cant really say a single word without talking about corona. Professor Fall warns against using this technique to treat coronavirus. She says that it could even contribute to the spreading of the virus. Coronavirus infects a person through their airways. It damages the lungs and can cause serious pneumonia. You should avoid anything that could negatively affect respiration. This kind of inhalation can cause a person to cough or sneeze, which, in turn, can spread the sickness. Is coronavirus the same as the flu? One video that circulated widely in WhatsApp groups in Benin and Ivory Coast shows a healer from Benin claiming that the coronavirus is just like the flu. He claims that his special recipe for a mixture made up of ginger, lemon, orange and honey can cure people of coronavirus. Professor Fall was particularly concerned about this video. Even if there are similarities, COVID-19 is different from the flu. It has a longer incubation period and it lasts longer-- nearly 20 days within an organism. Patients with COVID-19 are much more infectious. There is also a much higher mortality rate. With COVID-19, the mortality rate is around 3 to 4% while the flu has a mortality rate of 0.1%. She has a message for people spreading these recipes. We know that many traditional healers died from Ebola. They are also highly exposed to COVID-19. We recommend that they take special precautions and also immediately refer any suspected cases to traditional health care facilities which can provide the full care needed by COVID-19 patients. Article by Hermann Boko. Montreux Jazz Festival Cancelled For First Time In 53 Years The iconic Montreux Jazz Festival, scheduled for July 2-17, has been canceled. The decision came after Swiss officials extended bans on large gatherings while easing some other restrictions. It is the first time the festival has been canceled in its 53 year history. The Festival is working to reschedule concerts that have already been announced Lionel Richie and Brittany Howard on 8 July 2020, and Lenny Kravitz and Black Pumas on 13 July to next year. The full statement from the festival: It is with deep regret that the organizers of the Montreux Jazz Festival must today announce that this years event, which was set to be held from 3 to 18 July 2020, will not take place. The program planned for this summer will be partly carried over to next years Festival, which will take place from 2 to 17 July 2021. This Thursday 16 April, the Swiss Federal Council announced that it would be gradually easing some of the protective measures against the coronavirus, but keeping the majority of the necessary hygiene and social distancing measures in place. As such, it is now impossible for us to consider holding an event on the scale of Montreux Jazz Festival in July, just as it is for our fellow organizers of other summer festivals in Switzerland and around the world. Public health concerns naturally take precedence over all other considerations. This is the first time the Festival has had to be canceled in its 53 years of making history, bringing people together and producing legendary musical moments. Until the very end, all of us here in the Festival team were still hoping to share these magical moments with everyone who, like us, cannot imagine a summer without the Montreux Jazz Festival. Our thoughts go out to the staff members, artists and their support teams, technicians and engineers and to all our partners who make the event possible, from local hotels and businesses to everyone who lives in Montreux, and of course our loyal festival-goers. The Festival is working on rescheduling the concerts that have already been announced Lionel Richie and Brittany Howard on 8 July 2020, and Lenny Kravitz and Black Pumas on 13 July to next year, and will keep all ticket holders informed. We cant wait to see you again in Montreux from 2 to 17 July 2021, for sixteen days of extraordinary celebrations and musical magic! Share on: Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 13:55:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close QINGDAO, April 17 (Xinhua) -- In the face of declining overseas orders amid the COVID-19 epidemic, the company Qingdao Benda had planned to give some employees a holiday, but eventually decided to have them all working as usual. "The pandemic will come to an end sooner or later. We decide to upgrade technology and conduct staff training during this period to prepare for the post-pandemic production," said Liu Yongjiang, vice president of Qingdao Benda. Established in 1995, Qingdao Benda, a branch of Japan's Benda Kogyo Co., Ltd. in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao, supplies engine fittings for major global automakers, such as Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi and Volkswagen. "We have been developing in China for 25 years and look forward to the further development," Liu said. The company resumed production on Feb. 10, when 80 percent of its employees returned to their workplaces. A week later, all its 290 employees came back to work. "The local government provided quarantine places for the employees from other provinces and commuter permits for us, so we can restore production quickly," Liu said. "We have always had a sound business environment here," Liu emphasized. With a coronavirus-triggered recession looming large for the world, China has been making efforts to cope with the lingering impact on the economy, including helping workers back to factories, refunding export taxes and deferring payment of social insurance premiums. "The local bailout policies saved us 1.27 million yuan (about 179,500 U.S. dollars) this year, greatly reducing our losses due to the epidemic," said Wu Jixu, vice president of Weihai Weidongri Comprehensive Foodstuff Co., Ltd., a Japanese enterprise in the eastern Chinese city of Weihai. "China has done a great job on the prevention and control of COVID-19," Wu said. "We also received help from the local government, such as helping us buy masks during this epidemic." The outbreak has been effectively controlled in China, and this is a great advantage for enterprises in China, said Song Xuedong, director of the management department of LG Innotek Yantai Co., Ltd. from the Republic of Korea (ROK). Despite great pressure amid the epidemic, enterprises from Japan and the ROK said they are still confident about their future development in China. "We won't withdraw investment from China because of the epidemic or any other reasons. We are optimistic about our future development here," said Lee Junjae, vice president of a branch of the ROK's Chang Sung Corporation in Weihai. "Although our investment in fixed assets hasn't increased this year, the operational investment is still rising, including the purchase of new equipment," Lee added. Meanwhile, Yoshihide Murayama, general manager of Taiho Kogyo Corporation of Yantai, a Japanese automobile parts maker, said the company will not move out of China in consideration of the transportation costs and industrial chain. "We have great potential in China, and more products will be exported from here to the world," Murayama said. With overseas orders keeping falling, foreign enterprises are seeking more business opportunities in China's online and offline markets. The ROK-invested Qingdao DSR Corp has started to show its products on TikTok, a popular video-sharing app in China. "More and more people are following us on TikTok. We believe it will become a new marketing channel for us," said Wen Xue, vice president of Qingdao DSR Corp. Enditem A 60-year-old Austrian man was arrested at his home in Torrox Costa on Wednesday of last week after allegedly insulting and threatening staff at the El Morche health centre. According to Local Police sources, staff at the health centre first called the police at around 2pm, reporting that the man had been shouting at health professionals and threatening to assault a nurse, as well as failing to respect social distancing regulations. It would appear that the man wanted preferential treatment from medics at the centre and it was not the first time that he had threatened staff. However, on previous occasions his behaviour had not led to staff calling the police. Zero tolerance "There have been similar incidents with this individual but this time there will be zero tolerance towards anyone who disrespects, intimidates or threatens health workers," said a Local Police spokesperson. Chief of Torrox Local Police Jose Manuel Ruiz said, "We cannot condone any type of violence or disrespect towards those on the front line in the fight against this pandemic, or risk their professional integrity. "We will be uncompromising and do what we can within the limitations of the law." Health workers and patients on a coronavirus ward at a Lebanese hospital were given a special musical serenade on Thursday. Musicians from the non-governmental organisation Ahla Fawda Association performed a musical treat at the Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut in an aim to bring joy to patients and thank medical workers for their efforts in helping fight the virus. Onlookers watched and listened from windows as the musicians performed whilst being lifted into the air by a giant elevator. Iman Nasraddin Assaf, president of Ahla Fawda Association, said she hoped the music would raise the spirits of staff and those currently suffering with the virus. Lebanon has 663 registered COVID-19 cases, the illness caused by the virus. Of those positive cases 21 people have died, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. 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. The Chief Executive Officer of National Petroluem Authority (NPA), Alhassan Tampuli, has donated some Personal protective equipment (PPE's) to the Northern Regional Coordinating Council to distribute to the various health facilities in the region. Some of the items donated include 174 Coveralls PPEs, 1,800, Disposable Isolation Blankets, 200 boxes of Gloves, 25 Lung Exercisers and 10 Pulse Oximeters. Mr. Alhassan Hashim Tafoo who presented the items on behalf of the NPA CEO, said his boss is committed to supporting the health facilities in the region to help prevent the spread of the covid-19 virus in the region. The Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed who received the item on behalf of the regional covid-19 team thanked the NPA boss for the kind gesture. He noted that the items came at the right time, adding that health facilities are in need of them to be able to attend to patients who visit the facilities. The minister tasked the covid-19 team to ensure that the items gets to health facilities that lacks the items to enhance health delivery in the region. Mr. Saeed appealed to the media to support the regional covid-19 team to educate residents about the dangers d preventive measures with regards to the covid-19 pandemic. ---Daily Guide A "massive" funding boost is needed to address the threat of extinction for more than 100 plants and animals that had habitat wiped out in the catastrophic summer bushfires, scientists and conservation groups say. Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley said her commitment to increase spending beyond the Morrison government's initial $50 million wildlife recovery fund had "not changed one iota", pledging "more money will follow". Fires wiped out vast areas of koala habitat in northern NSW and south-east Queensland, and the status of local populations may be escalated from vulnerable to endangered. Credit:APP Ms Ley said coronavirus had disrupted recovery planning but the near future would be a "vital" period for the recovery effort as social distancing restrictions were eased. "I'll be cracking the whip because I don't want our response to slip ... the Prime Minister has said we are going to build back better, not just patching up, not just restoring, rebuilding back better," she said. Im not sure how much the tracking would be helpful in the case of nursing homes, she said. The people in our homes are fragile. They need around the clock assistance from getting out of bed to the toilet. You cant have employees telecommuting. A new type of smart fabric developed in China heats or cools the skin of its wearer depending on the weather. Scientists took sugar from the skeleton of shellfish to form microscopic holes, which contain a chemical that absorbs and releases thermal energy. This allows the fabric to adapt to changing weather conditions, keeping its wearer cool in the heat of midday but warm when an evening storm blows in. Garments made from the fabric could be worn indoors as well as outdoors, reducing the need for air conditioning or heat and leading to energy savings. Smart textiles can sometimes either warm or cool the body, but typically cannot perform both functions. This new fabric is not only light, strong and can be dyed different colours, but heats and cools skin with no external power source. Researchers claim to have made a strong, comfortable fabric that heats and cools skin, with no energy input, which is made up of tiny pores. They filled the pores with polyethylene glycol (PEG), a phase-changing polymer that absorbs and releases thermal energy One of the developers told MailOnline that the fabric could potentially be commercialised for clothing, as well as any other fabric products. 'We scientifically designed the inner structure of thin fibres therefore, anything that can be produced from fibres can incorporate with our technology,' said Professor Guangming Tao at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan. 'It definitely can expand this technology to any fabrics that need to manage temperature, such as tents, umbrellas, curtains, carpet, shoes, bed sheets and many others.' If used in curtains, for example, the fabric could absorb thermal energy to keep a house cool or release heat during a cold day. The fabric is made of freeze-spun silk and chitosan, a material from the hard outer skeleton of shellfish, into coloured fibres with porous microstructures. Pores in the fibres are filled with a material that becomes liquid when cold and solid when cool. A layer around the fibres prevents the liquid leaking To develop their fabric, Tao and his fellow researchers from Huazhong University of Science and Technology used several differeny chemicals. Firstly, they freeze-spun silk and chitosan, a material from the hard outer skeleton of shellfish, into coloured fibres with porous microstructures. They then filled the pores with polyethylene glycol (PEG), a phase-changing polymer that absorbs and releases thermal energy. They then coated the fabric threads with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a non-toxic, non-flammable organic polymer to keep the liquid PEG from leaking out. To test the fibres, the researchers wove them into a patch of fabric that they put into a polyester glove. The resulting fibres were strong, flexible and water-repellent. A volunteer wearing the glove then placed their hand in a hot chamber, at 122F (around 50C). The smart fabric could be used to manufacture tents, umbrellas, curtains, carpet, shoes, bed sheets, as well as clothes The solid PEG absorbed heat from the environment, melting into a liquid and cooling the skin under the patch. When the gloved hand moved to a cold chamber at 50F (1050C), the PEG solidified, releasing heat and warming the skin. This fabric is unique as it is capable of warming and cooling the wearer's skin performing both functions when the temperature changes. Traditional 'smart textiles' have only been able to provide one function and often require external power sources, making them less practical. Researchers suggest that the process for making the fabric is compatible with the existing textile industry and could be scaled up for mass production. 'Several textile companies are contacting with us regarding the commercialisation of this technology,' Professor Tao told MailOnline. 'We would be very happy to collaborate with the right manufacturers to move forward.' The study concludes that this new fabric is more practical for personal thermal management and overcomes limitations of previous garments. The findings were published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. (Photo : Pixabay) NASA Intends To Launch Multi-Spacecraft Missions To In An Attempt To Bring A Piece Of Mars Back To Earth: How Can This Be Possible? (Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @MarsCuriosity) NASA Intends To Launch Multi-Spacecraft Missions To In An Attempt To Bring A Piece Of Mars Back To Earth: How Can This Be Possible? The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is still conducting space missions even though some of its facilities are off because of the ongoing pandemic caused by the coronavirus. According to Techcrunch's latest report on April 17, NASA revealed its ambitious plan yet to collect samples from Mars and bring it back to Earth. According to Nature's previous report, NASA and the European Space Agency are working together on a retrieval program that will bring a piece of Mars back to the planet. The project will be the most ambitious interplanetary mission ever developed according to the report. NASA's Curiosity Team will be operating several space rovers that will be launched to Mars that will gather the rock samples. Although it is difficult to drive a rover on a planet millions of miles away from Earth, NASA's Curiosity Team is up for the challenge. The said space agency posted on the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's website how the team is adapting to the unexpected changes in planning a space mission while practicing self-quarantine. "We're usually all in one room, sharing screens, images, and data," Alicia Allbaugh, the team's leader. "I probably monitor about 15 chat channels at all times. You're juggling more than you normally would," she added. Although the Jet Propulsion Lab offices located in Pasadena, California, have shut down their laboratories , NASA's Curiosity Team is still working just as hard as before the pandemic spread. "Mars isn't standing still for us; we're still exploring," Allbaugh said in the report. NASA intends to launch multi-spacecraft missions in an attempt to bring a piece of Mars back to Earth: How can this be possible? According to Techcrunch, there are three parts of the space mission: The first part will launch NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover which is currently being developed by a team of researchers. The space-rover will gather the samples using a soil scoop and drill. It is expected to be launched in July 2020. Once the rock samples are acquired, it will be stored in 30 small tubes which will be brought back to Earth for observation. The second part of the mission involves sending another spacecraft to Mars which is expected to launch in 2026 and will arrive in 2028. The spacecraft will land in the Jezero crater near NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover. The second spacecraft will deploy another space rover that will collect the rock samples, and then it will launch itself into orbit. It will be the first spacecraft to leave the surface of Mars. The last part of the mission will involve launching a third spacecraft that will wait in orbit near Mars. It will synchronize its orbit with the second spacecraft to collect the samples it is carrying, and then will return to Earth. The third spacecraft is expected to reach Earth in 2031. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : REUTERS/Andreas Gebert) Sonja Krauthoefer of the University Hospital Erlangen checks donated blood and plasma samples, if the blood of the donor can be used for the production of therapeutic plasma for the treatment of seriously ill patients, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Erlangen, Germany, April 7, 2020. The Food and Drug Authority (FDA) launched a website to gather plasma donations from COVID-19 survivors and aid the creation of treatment for coronavirus. The FDA is calling for donations of convalescent plasma, which is one of the measures being pursued to develop an effective treatment for COVID-19. This means extracting the liquid component of blood from people who have already fully recovered from COVID-19 and use it to cure the disease. These survivors develop antibodies or protein components that could help finally treat the infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Currently, there is still no approved treatment for coronavirus, which has now recorded at least 2,166,832 cases worldwide and 144,515 deaths. Meanwhile, the FDA is seeking the help of 546,269 patients who have recovered after contracting the disease. It has created a dedicated website for COVID-19 plasma donations. The website provides pertinent details about the program and how survivors could help. The new FDA website also lists the requirements for donors. Primarily, this calls those who have fully recovered from the disease for at least 14 days to consider donating plasma to help save other patients' lives. Interested individuals must bring a negative laboratory test for COVID-19 disease to any nearby local blood center or the American Red Cross and proceed with the donations. The survivor's plasma: how it helps? Using convalescent plasma for treatment is not a new concept. It has been used already since the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, although it brought various results. The Ebola virus treatment attests to the success of convalescent plasma use. Doctors will inject COVID-19 survivors plasma to infected patients. Ideally, it boosts the latter's immune system and adapts to the disease, leading to passive immunity. The advanced science and technology could improve the efficacy of recovered plasma as a treatment method. The recent tests made in China give positive results on the process. On Mar. 27, researchers from China reported the recovery of five patients who were treated for severe COVID-19 infections using the convalescent serum from survivors. Although all patients were on ventilators, viral titers dramatically dropped to zero 12 days after receiving the serum. However, patients also received interferon and lopinavir/ritonavir before and during the treatment, so the role of antivirals is still unclear. Recently, experts have excluded displopinavir-ritonavir combination as COVID-19 treatments. Various studies test the safety and effectiveness of convalescent plasma as a COVID-19 treatment. These include clinical trials and single-patient treatment authorizations for emergency investigational new drug approvals from the FDA. With the increasing researches, there is a growing need for plasma supplies. With the creation of the new website, FDA hopes to encourage more donations. On Apr. 13, the FDA has provided a guide for these researches to ensure the process agrees with existing protocols. The FDA recommendations include: pathways for the use of investigational COVID-19 convalescent plasma patient eligibility collection of COVID-19 convalescent plasma, including donor eligibility and donor qualifications labeling record-keeping While the FDA does not collect the plasma, it directs the possible donors to FDA-registered blood facilities. Related article: FDA Approves 2 New Coronavirus Antibody Tests: Could These Be The Answer? 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Cake has long been the celebration baked good of choice, but other products are getting a look-in, including the humble cookie. Businesses are reporting a big uplift in demand for giant cookies, gift packs and cookie pies, for events ranging from birthdays to bar mitzvahs. For example, Millies Cookies launched a Stuffed & Loaded Cookie Pie for Valentines Day this year. Priced at 26.99, it was made from two giant cookies and filled with marshmallows, premium chocolate chunks and jammy heart biscuits. Online bakery business Ooh & Aah has recently developed 12-inch cookie cakes, which consumers can cut into slices and portion like a birthday cake. The popular range has attracted over 100 orders per day. Our unique selling point is letter box-friendly cookies. Our 7- and 12-inch ranges are designed to slip through the letter box, so consumers dont have to be at home to receive the gift, says Barbara-Anne McMullan, co-owner of Ooh & Aah. Co-owner Ruth Armstrong adds that customers are using a lot of the 12-inch cookies instead of birthday cakes. It is a birthday and personalised gift all in one, she says. Chinelo Awa, founder of Good Cake Day, has developed larger cookies and biscuits for birthday celebrations, personalised with consumers ages. Cookies and biscuits should be unique and bespoke, making consumers feel special, she says. In todays world, we are constantly encouraged to be homogenised with one standard of beauty. Theres something really powerful about letting cookie cakes celebrate who you are, she explains. Cookies can be adapted to suit different occasions, says Holly Wales, activation manager at CSM Bakery Solutions. With the trend for wedding cakes moving away from traditional sponges, theres an opportunity for large cookie pie-style cakes, served in tiers, as a fun alternative, she explains. Giant cookies are a staple for Primrose Bakery, with its new 10-inch treats featuring piping with messages. Variants include chocolate caramel, peanut butter and white chocolate & granola. US-style giant cookies, which are baked with low-protein cake flour, are a huge trend right now, adds Primrose Bakery manager Daisy Heath. But cookies dont have to be giant to work for a celebration. Cookies and biscuits are easier to handle than a slice of cake you can give them out at birthdays without slicing anything, says Heath. Melissa O Dwyer, owner of Little Bee Bakery, has seen a big increase in demand for cookie gift boxes for Valentines and Mothers Day. They are proving to be more popular than our seasonal themed cakes, she notes. When it comes to cookie-based treats suitable for special occasions, the chocolate confectionery market could be a great source of inspiration, suggests Natalie Drake, bakery category manager at Synergy Flavours. Foodie consumers now look for something a bit more thoughtful and innovative in their edible gifts, she adds. Little Bee Bakery has been inspired by questions for a new range of cookies launching next month, featuring wording such as Would You Like to Be My Bridesmaid?, Maid of Honour? or Would You Marry Me? They will be accompanied by Yes or No mini cookies so consumers can answer the question, take a picture and send their answer back, says O Dwyer. For a baker considering giving celebration cookies a spin, it would seem the answer should be a firm yes. On-trend cookies in 2020 Primrose Bakerys Cookies & Cream Pie (29.95) includes a crushed Oreo base with a 70% dark chocolate filling, marshmallow topping and crushed Oreos. Gails Butterfly Biscuits (5.70) is a box of four chocolate butterfly shortbread biscuits, flavoured and coloured with matcha, turmeric, raspberry and chocolate, and decorated with dark and white chocolate, edible flower petals and pistachios. The Smore Cookie Pizza (8) by Ooh & Aah comprises its Signature 7-inch Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie, topped with marshmallows and a milk chocolate drizzle. Millies Cookies limited-edition Stuffed and Loaded Cookie Pie (26.99) comprises two 28cm/11-inch giant cookies filled with marshmallows, premium chocolate chunks and jammy heart biscuits. The 1.5kg Number Cookie Cake from Good Cake Day (from 104) consists of two-digit vanilla cakes, filled and topped with vanilla Italian meringue buttercream, strawberry macaroons, meringues and fresh flowers. Donald Trump had just set an election-year trap for governors on Thursday night, but needed to leave some bait inside before releasing the hounds. "I think they'd listen to me. They seem to be protesters that like me and respect this opinion, and my opinion is the same as just about all of the governors," Mr Trump, as skilled a game hunter as there is in the American political forest, said during what he billed as a "major news conference" when asked about protests in some states demanding state leaders end "stay-at-home" orders and open up their economies. "They all want to open. Nobody wants to stay shut, but they want to open safely. So do I. But we have large sections of the country right now that can start thinking about opening," he added, sending signals to his most fervent conservative supporters before leaving some political bait in the trap for state chief executives ahead of November's election. "So that will be a governor's choice," he said, "and we'll have no problem with it." The latter remark was vintage Trump due to its illusion of being both definitive and conciliatory. That veneer of, as he put it Thursday evening, his vow to "continue to work with governors" was gone by late Friday morning as conservatives in new states stormed their capital cities demanding an end to the lock down. At 11:22 a.m. (EDT) came this presidential tweet: "LIBERATE MINNESOTA!" At 11:23 a.m. came this tweet: "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" At 11:25 a.m., he posted this: "LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!" Having prepared the battlespace with his campaign-themed "Open Up American Again" guidelines for states to begin at their discretion a recommended three-step process to get kids back to school and their parents back to work, and all of the sputtering US economy humming again, the president executed the next step in his emerging re-election plan. Unleash the hounds He unleashed his hounds. That's no pejorative. Trump's pack of hounds are loud and energetic and they are the ones who fuel conspiracy theories on right-leaning cable networks and talk radio, helping to convince even more moderate GOP voters that Democrats at all levels of government are out to take their hard-earned money and give it to minority groups, while building an American that is less white than the one in which they grew up. Many of the white middle-class conservative voters who felt betrayed by the economy amid a socially- and racially-changing America, who propelled the tough-talking, anti-immigration, anti-globalism New York businessman to the Oval Office, still feel that way. And just enough live in swing states like Michigan and Minnesota that Mr Trump's best re-election strategy on 17 April, seven months from Election Day, is to unleash these hounds with the hopes of chasing governors into his trap of opening up for which he inevitably will take credit as the economy there revs up. And if the leaders of the states do, that will decide whether he or former Vice President Joe Biden win the election. Some residents there, including ones images published by local media outlets showed were wearing pro-Trump gear, were "massing," as a local television station described it, outside the official residence of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat. That came a few days after protesters, again many clad in "TRUMP" and "Make America Great Again" hats and shirts, stormed the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, demanding Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer rescind her orders that have shuttered normal life there. Even some veteran Washington Republican hands see a Trump-set trap for governors in swing states. "For a president who was so gung-ho a week ago that he was the one who had the sole power to open up the economy and then flip so quickly to put the burden but I believe the constitutionally correct burden on the governors, suggests to me that once the lawyers convinced him he did not have that sole power, the political consultants then took over and figured out that he could turn his lemon into lemonade, politically speaking," said G. William Hoagland, a former aide to then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican. Democratic sources also see something of a set-up for governors in the White House's guidelines. "They're using the only playbook they know: bombastic and sensational without regard for the veracity," one Democratic strategist said. Brad Bannon, a Democratic political strategist, said "Trump excels at the blame game," and after first declaring on Monday that only he has the legal power to re-open the country, he has moved to a strategy based on shifting blame to governors, China and the world Health Organisation. "Donald Trump is doing everything he can to ensure his re-election, even if comes at the expense of the health and well being of millions of Americans." 'Voters will remember' But Democrats also see a reason to hope Mr Biden can pounce on the Trump-led federal effort, under which more than 32,000 Americans have died from the virus. "They're thinking about this entirely the wrong way. He's going to be judged on the process here as much as the result," said the Democrat strategist, granted anonymity to be candid. "How they message this matters as much as what they decide. ... I believe this time they're going to pay a price for that." Mr Bannon said "Americans want the president to take responsibility during a national crisis, they don't want him to pass the buck to the governors or anyone else," adding: "Voters will remember in November." But, as always, the president's new strategy appears mostly geared towards his own chances in the Electoral College and its race to 270 votes. Meaning he is putting some potentially vulnerable GOP governors at risk, Mr Hoagland said. "There is also a political risk to Republican governors in Texas, South Dakota and Florida if they move to reopen too quickly, prompted in part by POTUS, and those [coronavirus case and death] trends turn sour," he said. But, after setting his trap, the president ended his Thursday press conference and signalled he views his portion of running the nationwide response as behind him. It's election season again. "We have incredible people that we are working with, and we're going to bring our country back, and it's going to be bigger and better and stronger than ever before," he declared before exiting the James S. Brady Briefing Room. "We have learned a lot. We learned a lot about ourselves, and I want to thank everybody. And, most importantly, I want to thank the American people." A 25-year-old community police assistant has been shot and killed by suspected robbers on Sunday at Oyoko, in the Bosomtwe District of Ashanti. The deceased identified, as Evans Boateng, was said to be stationed at the Kumasi Central Police Station. According to police source at Kuntanase, there was report of a taxi driver, who survived an attack by the armed gang. On hearing the report, the deceased, a resident of Oyoko, joined the youth group who were mobilised by the Assembly Member of the area, George Owusu, to hunt for the robbers, the police source said. It said when members of the group approached the scene, the robbers fired guns from the bush, and a pellet hit the head of the deceased. The source said while the assembly member was conveying Boateng to the St. Michaels Hospital in his Toyota Highlander vehicle, he was involved in an accident at a section of the Aputuogya-Abidjankwanta road. The deceased was conveyed in another vehicle to the hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival. Mr Owusu, and two other occupants of the vehicle, who sustained minor injuries, had been treated and discharged by the health facility. The vehicle has been towed from the accident scene, and investigations had begun into the case. Source: Ghanaian Times 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 Estados Unidos esta junto al Peru en la prevencion y respuesta contra la pandemia del #COVID19. https://t.co/W6ZM6hk8iU Afghan forces have arrested a Kashmiri man who fled in early 1990s and was since believed to have joined JeM terror group, prompting security agencies to review their strategy in Jammu and Kashmir as intelligence inputs suggest that militants for the valley are being trained at Taliban camps, officials said here. Aijaz Ahmad Ahangar alias "Abu Usman Al Kashmiri", a resident of central Kashmir's Budgam, was captured by Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) in Kandahar province in an operation earlier this month along with the chief of Islamic State "Khorasan Province" (ISKP) Aslam Farooqui. ISKP finds a mention in an FIR registered by the National Investigation Agency to probe the shootout at a gurdawara in Kabul last month. The 55-year-old is said to be chief recruiter of the Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir, a group which recently claimed responsibility for the attack on a CRPF party in south Kashmir's Anantnag which left a jawan dead and another injured. The arrest of the dreaded terrorist, who had fled Kashmir in early 1990s to Pakistan via Bangladesh, followed another successful operation by the Afghanistan forces in a province that led to the arrest of a Pakistani terrorist affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror outfit. The questioning of the terrorist revealed the sinister plan of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) which is fully backing the JeM to train the outfit cadre with Taliban for operations against the Indian security forces in Kashmir, the sources said. The security agencies are looking at the arrest of Ahangar as a setback to the Islamic State to set up a foothold in Jammu and Kashmir. A few terrorists, who switched sides to be part of the global terror group, were eliminated by the security forces in various operations in the past few years in the valley. According to the sources, Ahangar's son Abdullah Umais was fighting in Afghanistan's Nangarhar a few years ago, while his son-in-law Huzafa-Al-Bakistani was killed in a US drone strike in the same province on July 18, 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As we tread carefully through the fourth month of the corona virus pandemic, the emotional and physical devastation this plague has caused is felt acutely by so many. As our days of sheltering at home continue, it has become much more real, much more personal, much more frightening. My husband Larry and I are feeling the impact, as I suspect many of you are. Our community already has had two confirmed deaths from the virus. A friend from my writing group, who had been sick with bronchitis, posted the following message on a Monday on her Facebook page: I have pneumonia and am in the Poinciana Medical Center where I am getting fantastic care. Take care. Be well. Two days later, her brother, Brian Joyce, posted that she had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and was on a ventilator. His daily updates only offer more grim news that she is still fighting for her life. Friends and family are all sharing stories of people they know who have been diagnosed with the corona virus and those who have lost the battle. A longtime congregant of our synagogue in Upstate New York succumbed to the virus this week. My sons brother-in-laws grandfather in California died after contracting the virus from his daughter. Each day the numbers continue to climb. Although most of my friends are retired, many have children on the front line as medical staff or first responders. They post and text pictures of their son or daughter in full protective gear orworse yetreused masks and garbage bags for scrubs. Originally, it was believed that the virus mostly attacked the elderly and those with underlying conditions. That reassurance no longer works, and my friends are worried that their children or grandchildren will contract it. Any medical procedure becomes a cause for serious concern and even panic. A friend scheduled for cancer surgery was terrified that he would catch the virus and would be told he must cancel. Meanwhile, his wife had to drop him off at the hospital and pick him up two days later. She couldnt physically be there for him. Another friend, also diagnosed with cancer, was told by her Florida doctor that the surgery would be postponed until the pandemic had subsided. Fortunately, she was able to find a doctor in her hometown of Pittsburgh who could operate within the week. She and her husband made a hasty trip up for the procedure. I am happy to report that her surgery was a success. Last week, Larry was involved in a bicycle accident when he slipped on some wet pavement. His primary physician insisted Larry go to the emergency room for a tetanus shot and for potential stitches for the gash on his elbow. I freaked out, fearing he would contract the virus in the waiting room. Please dont go, I begged. Stay home. Ill stitch it up myself. That freaked him out. Wearing a surgical mask, he left for the hospital, where he was immediately ushered into a sterile examining room. He came home two hours later with a sore arm from the shot, bandages on his wounds none requiring stitches and high praise for the medical staff. Two days after Larrys ER visit, our friends Belinda and Bob Garcia were anxiously awaiting the birth of their first grandchild. The impending delivery was made more stressful as it was uncertain whether their son could be in attendance because some New York City hospitals were not allowing any partners in the delivery room. Everyone was relieved to learn that he could accompany his wife during delivery, but the planned birth was still fraught with worry. Thankfully, the baby was born without complications. The proud grandmother sent me a picture taken in the hospital of the father dressed head to toe in scrubs, and a surgical mask gingerly holding the swaddled baby in his gloved hands. All that were visible were the fathers proud eyes. The corona virus has taken much from us, but the inability to congregate, to be together, to hug one another in times of joy or sadness is the most painful. In normal times, we gather together to celebrate the birth of a baby, to support ill friends, to say goodbye to a beloved friend or relative. During this time of a new normal, grandparents cannot hold their newborn grandchild. Friends and family cannot celebrate birthdays, weddings and bar mitzvahs. High school and college students cannot celebrate graduations. Jews cannot gather around a huge table or meet in a large room to hold a seder. Most tragically, family and friends cannot even help those who lost a loved one to grieve, to offer hugs and human touch. One day, in the unforeseeable future, the corona virus will be behind us. We will gather together and hug each other tightly and even plant kisses on each others cheeks that are wet with tears of joy. We will hold our friends and family not only in our hearts but also in our arms. On Friday, March 20, for the first time in the five years of serving as our spiritual Rabbi Karen Allen did not conduct Shabbat services at Congregation Shalom Aleichem in Kissimmee. The synagogue, like churches, mosques, and other religious meeting places, were closed. In a letter to the entire congregation, Rabbi Allen suggested that at 8 p.m. that evening, when we would all prefer to be together in the sanctuary, lets do two things that are emblematic of the worship service: recite the Shma and Mi Shebeirach prayers. Like Rabbi Allen, Larry and I could not be together with other members of our congregation. Instead, we set the table with white linens and good china and crystal wine glasses. We lit the Shabbos candles, said Kiddish, and ate the delicious warm challah I had made from scratch. We recited the Shma. Then we prayed for all of thosetoo many to even count in need of healing. Mi shebeirach imoteinu, mkor ha-bra-cha lavoteinu Bless those in need of healing with rfu-a shlei-ma The renewal of body, the renewal of spirit, And let us say Amen... Stay well. Stay safe. Stay home. Marilyn Cohen Shapiro, a resident of Kissimmee, Fla., is a regular contributor to the (Capital Region N.Y.) Jewish World and the Heritage Florida Jewish News. She is the author of two compilations of her stories, There Goes My Heart (2016) and Tikkun Olam (2018). Both books available in paperback and e-book format on Amazon. Her blog is theregoesmyheart.me. Former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy on Friday said that the wedding ceremony of his son, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, was held by following all the guidelines of the government, adding that social distancing was maintained. Amid the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, Kumaraswamy proceeded with the ceremony in Ramanagara on the outskirts of Bengaluru. Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, he thanked the well-wishers for their blessings and said that after this crisis period gets over and life is back to normal he will hold a feast. He thanked millions of well-wishers including legislators, leaders, workers, and people of Karnataka for blessing the marriage from their own houses. "Today the marriage of my son Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Revathi took place in a very simple way. Thanks to lakhs of workers and well-wishers of the family for the co-operation. The entire world is struggling because of the coronavirus. In this tough time, we followed the guideline issued by the government. We maintained systematic social distance and took precaution in the marriage," he tweeted. He also tweeted, "Legislators, leaders, workers, family, well-wishers and people of Karnataka have blessed the marriage from their own houses. My family had made a request and people have reciprocated and been a model. Once the present situation changes we come out of this condition and life becomes normal, we and you all will sit together and we will do feast together. We are grateful for your big heart and love. Thanks to whoever wished and blessed the newly wedded couple." The media was not allowed entry to cover the wedding. But the ceremony saw several VIP guests in attendance. Photos and videos of the lavish wedding ceremony show a clear violation of social distancing norms when the state of battling to contains coronavirus. Earlier, the former chief minister had assured that the wedding will be a simple one. He appealed to the party workers to not to attend this ceremony. Meanwhile, 38 new cases of coronavirus were reported for the state which is the largest single-day spike for Karnataka. The total number of cases in the state has risen to 353 which includes 82 patients who were discharged after recovery, the death toll is at 13. Most quantum computers being developed around the world will only work at fractions of a degree above absolute zero. That requires multi-million-dollar refrigeration and as soon as you plug them into conventional electronic circuits they'll instantly overheat. But now researchers led by Professor Andrew Dzurak at UNSW Sydney have addressed this problem. "Our new results open a path from experimental devices to affordable quantum computers for real world business and government applications," says Professor Dzurak. The researchers' proof-of-concept quantum processor unit cell, on a silicon chip, works at 1.5 Kelvin -- 15 times warmer than the main competing chip-based technology being developed by Google, IBM, and others, which uses superconducting qubits. "This is still very cold, but is a temperature that can be achieved using just a few thousand dollars' worth of refrigeration, rather than the millions of dollars needed to cool chips to 0.1 Kelvin," explains Dzurak. "While difficult to appreciate using our everyday concepts of temperature, this increase is extreme in the quantum world." Quantum computers are expected to outperform conventional ones for a range of important problems, from precision drug-making to search algorithms. Designing one that can be manufactured and operated in a real-world setting, however, represents a major technical challenge. advertisement The UNSW researchers believe that they have overcome one of the hardest obstacles standing in the way of quantum computers becoming a reality. In a paper published in the journal Nature today, Dzurak's team, together with collaborators in Canada, Finland and Japan, report a proof-of-concept quantum processor unit cell that, unlike most designs being explored worldwide, doesn't need to operate at temperatures below one-tenth of one Kelvin. Dzurak's team first announced their experimental results via the academic pre-print archive in February last year. Then, in October 2019, a group in the Netherlands led by a former post-doctoral researcher in Dzurak's group, Menno Veldhorst, announced a similar result using the same silicon technology developed at UNSW in 2014. The confirmation of this 'hot qubit' behaviour by two groups on opposite sides of the world has led to the two papers being published 'back-to-back' in the same issue of Nature today. Qubit pairs are the fundamental units of quantum computing. Like its classical computing analogue -- the bit -- each qubit characterises two states, a 0 or a 1, to create a binary code. Unlike a bit, however, it can manifest both states simultaneously, in what is known as a "superposition." The unit cell developed by Dzurak's team comprises two qubits confined in a pair of quantum dots embedded in silicon. The result, scaled up, can be manufactured using existing silicon chip factories, and would operate without the need for multi-million-dollar cooling. It would also be easier to integrate with conventional silicon chips, which will be needed to control the quantum processor. advertisement A quantum computer that is able to perform the complex calculations needed to design new medicines, for example, will require millions of qubit pairs, and is generally accepted to be at least a decade away. This need for millions of qubits presents a big challenge for designers. "Every qubit pair added to the system increases the total heat generated," explains Dzurak, "and added heat leads to errors. That's primarily why current designs need to be kept so close to absolute zero." The prospect of maintaining quantum computers with enough qubits to be useful at temperatures much colder than deep space is daunting, expensive and pushes refrigeration technology to the limit. The UNSW team, however, have created an elegant solution to the problem, by initialising and "reading" the qubit pairs using electrons tunnelling between the two quantum dots. The proof-of-principle experiments were performed by Dr Henry Yang from the UNSW team, who Dzurak describes as a "brilliant experimentalist." My first husband was an electrical worker with IBEW. His union ensured that he made a good wage from the time he started as an apprentice. We were a proud union family on a path to our own American dream. When he died in an accident on that job, his hard-earned union benefits, along with Social Security survivor benefits and support from friends and family, helped me get back on my feet and pursue a career where I could support our young boys. As I campaign for U.S. Senate, Im reminded of this often -- especially now as we pull together to combat this pandemic. We owe our gratitude to the hardworking Iowans going in early and staying late to keep our shelves stocked, our hospitals running, and our lights on. Washington must recognize the sacrifices they are making. When I released my Jobs that Need to Get Done plan to put workers first during this pandemic, I meant it. We should prioritize the folks keeping our state running through this crisis. Our health care workers and first responders are working bravely to keep us safe. We need to make sure they have the personal protective equipment they need. If grocery store employees can keep the shelves stocked, Washington should guarantee them paid sick leave. No one should ever have to choose between staying home sick or going broke. As sanitation workers keep our neighborhoods clean during this public health crisis, the least we can do is ensure their access to affordable health care and pay them enough to support their families. Our truck drivers deserve a fair wage for the long hours they put in, delivering essential supplies to our communities. All workers should be able to do their jobs safely, without fear of getting sick. The Iowa Department of Public Health recently announced a shortage order for personal protective equipment, and the lack of gear threatens us all - especially our frontline workers. I support using the Defense Production Act to expand manufacturing of masks, gloves, and other life-saving supplies. We should also increase premium pay for frontline workers and direct payments to the families of workers who have fallen ill. I know firsthand the difference that hand up can make, and we need to ensure no one working to protect us gets left behind in this crisis. Finally, we should recommit ourselves to our working families by giving every Iowan access to the skills and education needed to earn a good living. When we get through this crisis, lets expand partnerships with trade unions to boost skills training and apprenticeships so folks can earn while they learn. We can create more opportunities by investing in our infrastructure - including our crumbling roads, bridges, and rural broadband. We need to do it the right way, paying prevailing wages on public projects so hardworking Iowans can support their families. I strongly support the PRO Act, which would strengthen workers rights and help them fight for better wages, health care, and workplace safety. Iowans get through tough times by pulling together. Labor unions are a huge part of that. Im proud to have earned the support of unions representing more than 65,000 Iowans, and Ill always see that were putting our workers first. Ill never forget who was there for me when I needed a hand up, or who it is thats working so hard right now - and every day - to keep our lights on, deliver our mail, keep our streets clean, and keep us all safe and healthy. Volunteers provide lunch to truck drivers Truck driver lunch on I35 (1).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (2).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (3).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (4).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (5).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (6).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (7).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (8).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (9).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (10).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (11).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (12).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (13).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (14).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (15).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (16).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (17).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (18).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (19).jpg Truck driver lunch on I35 (20).jpg COMMUNITY MATTERS: Become a member Theresa Greenfield is a businesswoman and candidate for U.S. Senate. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 RTHK: Trump pushes states to lift virus restrictions President Donald Trump urged supporters to LIBERATE three states led by Democratic governors on Friday, apparently encouraging the growing protests against the stay-at-home restrictions aimed at stopping the coronavirus. A day after laying out a road map to gradually reopen the crippled economy, Trump took to Twitter with the kind of rhetoric some of his supporters have used in demanding the lifting of the orders that have thrown millions of Americans out of work. LIBERATE MINNESOTA! LIBERATE MICHIGAN! LIBERATE VIRGINIA, he said in a tweet-storm in which he also lashed out at New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for criticising the federal response. Cuomo should spend more time `doing' and less time `complaining,' the president said. Responding to pleas from governors for help from Washington in ramping up testing for the virus, Trump put the burden back on them: The States have to step up their TESTING!" Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to see businesses reopen quickly and claimed earlier this week that he possesses total authority over the matter, even though the lockdowns and other social-distancing measures have been imposed by state and local leaders, not Washington. On Thursday, the president detailed a three-step set of guidelines for easing restrictions over a span of several weeks in places that have robust testing and are seeing a decrease in Covid-19 cases, assuring the nation's governors: Youre going to call your own shots." Some states did take some of the nations first, small steps toward loosening restrictions. In Florida, GOP Governor Ron DeSantis gave the green light for municipalities to reopen beaches and parks if they can do so safely. In Texas, Republican Governor Greg Abbott said stores can begin selling curbside, nonessential surgery can resume and state parks can reopen. But governors of both parties on Friday suggested they would be cautious in returning to normal, with some of them warning that they can't do it without help from Washington to expand testing. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who has been critical of the governments response to the crisis, acknowledged that people are very anxious about their livelihoods and worried about paying the rent when they are out of work. "But the last thing I want to do is to have a second wave here, so weve got to be really smart, she said. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, a Republican ally of Trump's, endorsed the White House plan but made clear that he will listen to medical experts in deciding how to move forward. He said more testing is needed before any restrictions can be rolled back. I am not going to do something that I feel in my heart is the wrong thing thats going to endanger our people," he said. Cuomo, whose state is the most lethal hot spot in the nation and is still seeing over 600 deaths a day, accused the government of passing the buck without passing the bucks. The federal government cannot wipe its hands of this and say, `Oh, the states are responsible for testing.' We cannot do it. We cannot do it without federal help," he said. Even in largely rural states with small populations, like Wyoming, Maine and South Dakota, governors said they were not anxious to quickly resume business as usual. Until weve got the testing up to speed - which has got to be part of the federal government stepping in and helping - were just not going to be there, said Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, a Republican. Worldwide, the outbreak has infected more than 2.2 million people and killed over 150,000, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally based on figures supplied by government health authorities around the globe, though it has become increasingly clear that the true numbers are much higher. The official death toll in the US neared 35,000, with about 685,000 confirmed infections. The shutdowns have inflicted heavy damage on economies around the world. In the US, the crisis has cost at least 22 million Americans their jobs, pushing the unemployment rate toward levels not seen since the Great Depression. Many Americans, especially in rural areas and other parts of the country that have not seen major outbreaks, have urged governors to reopen their economies. Protesters have taken to the streets in Ohio, Texas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia and Michigan, where more than 3,000 turned out on Wednesday in what looked like one of the president's rallies, with MAGA hats and Trump flags. Protests continued on Friday, including one outside the home of Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota and another in Idaho, where the governor is a Republican. Public health experts have warned that an easing of the shutdowns must be accompanied by wider testing and tracing of infected people to keep the virus from coming back with a vengeance. The clash between Trump and Cuomo was personal, with the president complaining the governor hasn't said thanks for the help he has received from Washington. Cuomo countered by saying: I don't know what I'm supposed to do, send a bouquet of flowers? `Thank you to the federal government for participating in a federal emergency.' Meanwhile, China, confirming long-held suspicions, acknowledged that the coronavirus death toll in the one-time epicentre city of Wuhan was nearly 50 percent higher than reported, amounting to more than 4,600. In Italy, Spain, Britain, the United States and elsewhere, similar doubts emerged as governments revised their death tolls or openly questioned the accuracy of them. Authorities said that almost everywhere, thousands have died with Covid-19 symptoms - many in nursing homes - without being tested for the virus, and have thus gone uncounted. We are probably only seeing the tip of the iceberg, said Barcelona University epidemiologist Antoni Trilla, who heads the Spanish governments expert panel on the crisis. In Italy, for example, where the official toll has climbed past 22,000, a government survey released on Friday of about one-third of the country's nursing homes found more than 6,000 residents have died since February 1. It was unclear how many were a result of Covid-19. In Britain, with an official count of about 14,600 dead, the countrys statistics agency said the actual number could be around 15 percent higher. Others think it will be far more. The official death toll in New York City soared by more than half earlier this week when health authorities began including people who probably had Covid-19 but died without being tested. Nearly 3,800 deaths were added to the citys count. There is a general feeling that the epidemiologists dont have a clue of whats going on, that experts know even less and that governments are concealing information, but I dont think thats true, said Hermelinda Vanaclocha, an epidemiologist on Spain's top virus advisory panel. Its simply not easy. Such figures can have a huge influence on governments' actions, as medical staffs struggle to figure out how to cope with surges of sick people and officials make crucial decisions about where to devote resources and how to begin easing lockdowns to resuscitate their economies. (AP) This story has been published on: 2020-04-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The original cast of Disney's High School Musical have come together for a virtual performance of the song from the movie 'We're All In This Together'. The cast joined forces for a special Disney Singalong event that recently aired on US television. Sadly, Zac Efron couldn't be involved in the virtual performance recorded on 'Zoom' but he did have a special message at the start of the performance. Check out their efforts in the video above! Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Fri, April 17, 2020 09:50 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd26cc62 2 World G7,G7-countries,economic-impact,coronavirus,COVID-19,pandemic,global-crisis Free G7 leaders on Thursday pledged to work together to "safely" put people back to work as the coronavirus crisis drags on in a bid to revive the slumping global economy, the White House said. The Group of Seven nations also called for "thorough review and reform" at the World Health Organization, after US President Donald Trump's searing criticism of the UN agency. In a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, many countries around the globe have instituted extreme stay-at-home orders that have shuttered businesses and devastated the job market. The leaders of the world's most advanced economies, who met via videoconference hosted by Trump, are looking for a way to end the economic paralysis. "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 reestablish economic growth with more resilient health systems and trusted supply chains," the White House said in a statement. The United States currently chairs the G7, which includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. The International Monetary Fund has warned that the global slowdown is the worst since the Great Depression of the 1930s, cutting world output by three percent this year alone. European Union leaders, who also participated in the call, said in a statement that trade would be crucial "in both overcoming the immediate crisis and ensuring a robust economic recovery." More than two million people have been infected with the virus worldwide, and more than 140,000 have died. The G7 leaders agreed to "pool their research and talent to combat COVID-19 by sharing all relevant epidemiologic data," the White House statement said. They emphasized their commitment to "a strong and coordinated global response to this health crisis," and discussed what the statement called the WHO's "chronic mismanagement of the pandemic." "The leaders called for a thorough review and reform process," the statement said. Trump has halted all funding to the Geneva-based WHO, saying it put too much stock in the assurances made by China after the virus emerged there late last year. But it was not clear how widespread the criticism of the WHO was at the meeting. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman issued a statement expressing her "full support" for the agency. And EU leaders said any solution to the crisis would have to come "in strong cooperation with the existing international organizations." The Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam has announced the list of 12 products which are at risk of being investigated for trade defence measures or origin fraud and illegal conveyance. Gas tanks are among 12 products at risk of being investigated for trade defence measures by the US. Photo doanhnhanviet.news The list included hardwood plywood, mattresses, wooden cabinets and vanities, quartz surface products, seamless refined copper pipes and tubes, forged steel fittings, steel wheels, fabricated structural steel, steel propane cylinders and carton-closing staples exported to the US, tyres for buses and lorries to the EU and electric bicycles to both the US and EU. For hardwood plywood and mattresses originating from Viet Nam, the US Department of Commerce is considering initiation of trade defence investigation Statistics shows that Chinas exports of hardwood plywood, which are now subject to anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties by the US, fell from US$1.1 billion in 2016 to $215.6 million in 2019. In the same period, Viet Nams exports to the US rose from $33.4 million to $322.2 million. Chinas mattress exports to the US dropped from $436 million in 2017 to $167 million in 2019 while Viet Nams increased from $64,000 to $166 million. Viet Nams exports of the remaining products to the US and the EU also saw significant increases while Chinas saw declines due to the US and the EUs impositions of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties, creating the risk that those products originating from Viet Nam might face investigations. The list was announced based on the tracing of exports of products which were subject to trade defence measures by the importing countries but the tariff imposition had not been on products originating from Viet Nam. VNS Decades ago, this structure served as a bustling Oregon school, filled with children's chatter. Now, it's a beautifully converted 56,000-square-foot residence. Fresh to the market, the 7-acre Sunny Hill Manor (formerly known as Sunny Hill Elementary School) went to the head of the class this week. We counted a large number of clicks to the cool conversion, which means it's this week's most popular home on realtor.com. The enormous amount of square footage, the kitchen with four ovens, and the acres of room to roam all have major appeal at the moment. The listing details note that there are also opportunities to develop Sunny Hill into something completely different. However, the idea of all those square feet to spare, the asphalt playgrounds, and the classroom spaces sounds like a dream for parents trying to pull off home schooling with far less. And why would anyone want to demolish this vintage bathroom, complete with multiple sinks designed for tiny hands? School bathroom realtor.com Aside from these nostalgic early memories, you also clicked on the intriguing personal residence of the renowned midcentury architect John Lautner, on a charming Queen Anne Victorian in Minnesota, and on an estate in Virginia that was once the home of a future governor. Although we won't spring a pop quiz on you, we would ask you to put your pencils down and pay close attention to all of this week's most popular homes. Price: $2,000,000 Why it's here: This property was built in 1827, and known as Mont Calm, and the listing details describe it as one of the most important homes in the area. It's been inhabited by three notable families over the decades, including the Campbells, whose patriarch David Campbell went on become governor of the Commonwealth in the 1830s. The over 16-acre lot was part of a land grant from King George II in 1752. In addition to the three-story, five-bedroom main house, there's also a guesthouse, as well as the original smokehouse. Delicious! Abingdon, VA realtor.com Price: $199,000 Why it's here: Make your way to the middle of Maine! Surprisingly stylish, this light-filled three-bedroom Cape Cod was built in 1986. Highlights include second-floor skylights, a large kitchen, and a mudroom. The home sits on 2.5 acres surrounded by views of the majestic natural beauty of Maine. Mount Vernon, ME realtor.com Price: $130,000 Why it's here: Call it the "Home Town" effect. Homes in the city featured on the popular show, Laurel, MS, have become oh-so-intriguing to HGTV fans. This darling three-bedroom home has been recently updated, and the affordable price is attractive. It was built in 1935, and the original hardwood floors and arched doorways help maintain its original charm. It's a perfect mix of historic touches and no-muss maintenance. Laurel, MS realtor.com Price: $539,900 Why it's here: This place north of New York's state capital is a picture-perfect suburban Colonial. The four-bedroom layout offers over 3,200 square feet. Built in 2007, and sitting on nearly a full acre filled with green grass, a large deck, a pool, and mature trees, it's ideal for a family that likes to spend time outside. Inside, the home is airy and open, thanks to its high ceilings. Queensbury, NY realtor.com Price: $424,000 Why it's here: Surrounded by sweet views, this three-bedroom home sits on 2 full acres just outside Knoxville, TN. Dating to 1992, the residence features a big country kitchen, huge windows, and a see-through fireplace. Another bonus: All the home's 4.5 bathrooms have been recently updated. Clinton, TN realtor.com Price: $425,000 Why it's here: Tailor-made for big family fun, this 6.5-acre estate out in the country offers plenty of room to run. The four-bedroom home was built in 1993, with oversized rooms, including a huge kitchen, gorgeous sunroom, and a formal dining room. Outside, there's ample space for entertaining and an in-ground pool for a summertime splash. Quinton, VA realtor.com Price: $1,590,000 Why it's here: This modern masterpiece was built by the legendary architect John Lautner as his personal residence, in the late 1930s. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the home was designed with a sloping ceiling for natural ventilation, and built with stucco and natural redwood. On the market for the first time in decades, it has design fans swooning. Los Angeles, CA realtor.com Price: $115,000 Why it's here: Carefully built by Andrew Anderson and completed in 1900, this cute Queen Anne is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been beautifully maintained, from the original hardwood floors to the charming front porch. The foundation has been restored, and the home boasts a new roof as well. The immaculate interiors are decorated in a style appropriate to the period, while maintaining a fresh, modern appeal. Lamberton, MN realtor.com Price: $219,900 Why it's here: Midcentury modern in Kentucky? This marvel was completed in 1961, and sits on more than 2.5 acres. The four-bedroom abode hews to the midcentury aesthetic, with an open layout, groovy stone throughout, and paneling on the walls. There's also a full basement with a bonus room and two living spaces, making this an ideal place to social distance in style. Bowling Green, KY realtor.com Price: $1,250,000 Why it's here: Built in 1949, this over 56,000-square-foot whopper of a property was once the Sunny Hill Elementary School. Now known as Sunny Hill Manor, the gated 7-acre lot offers a wealth of choices for an entrepreneurial buyer. While it's easy to see it as a great opportunity for development, we hope the school doesn't meet the wrecking ball. For an artist or creative in search of space to spread out, this property might qualify as an A-plus. North Bend, OR realtor.com The post Home School! A Huge Converted Schoolhouse Is the Week's Most Popular Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. At least 14 persons were killed in a fire incident at a camp for displaced persons (IDPs) in Borno State. Residents of the camp and similar ones in Borno were displaced from their homes by the Boko Haram insurgency which has caused tens of thousands of deaths. The casualty figure from the fire was announced in a statement by presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, Thursday evening. Mr Shehu said the fire occurred at an IDP camp in Ngala local government of Borno. He said President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday evening described as extremely horrifying, the news of the death of 14 persons and injury to many from the fire incident at an IDP camp in Ngala, Borno State. Reacting to the sad incident, the President directed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to investigate and report the circumstances leading to the incident, and advise on how a future occurrence will be averted. He further directed that urgently needed assistance be immediately given to the victims, and prayed to Allah to repose the souls of those whose lives were lost, and the quick recovery of the injured persons, Mr Shehu wrote. Details of the fire incident at Ngala was still sketchy at press time. However, two days earlier, on Tuesday, there was a fire incident at an IDP camp in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno. Mafa and Ngala are separate local governments in Borno. PREMIUM TIMES reported how no fewer than 700 shelters were destroyed by fire at the IDP camp in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State. The Secretary of the local government, Mohammed Lawan-Sheriff, provided information on the accident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Maiduguri. READ ALSO: Mr Lawan-Sheriff said that dozens of households in the camps were displaced during the fire outbreak, which started at about 11 a.m. on Tuesday and lasted for several hours. He said the fire incident, which began from a tent, gutted other shelters because there was no immediate fire service response in the camps at the time of the incident. He said the combined efforts of the IDPs, Civilian Joint Task Force, security agencies and other good Samaritans brought the situation under control. Immediately, we heard about the incident, we quickly mobilised the host community and rushed to the scene to put out the fire. So far, no death was recorded, he said. The secretary explained that the council and other partners were working to address the humanitarian situation at the camps. We have asked the 11 camp managers to assess the level of damage and do the head count to ensure that everyone is safe, while an ambulance was placed on standby to evacuate any injured persons, he said. The Mafa IDP camp houses about 4,782 households, mostly women, children and the elderly. President Trump launched a new attack on the World Health Organization accusing the agency of ignoring a Taiwanese email 'alerting' them of human-to-human transmission. The president was quoting Lanhee Chen, a fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institute, who made an appearance Friday morning on Fox News Channel to promote a new op-ed. 'Why did the W.H.O. Ignore an email from Taiwanese health officials in late December alerting them to the possibility that CoronaVirus could be transmitted between humans?' Trump tweeted, quoting Chen. President Trump accused the World Health Organization of ignoring a Taiwanese email 'alerting' the organization that the coronavirus, as it was originating in Wuhan, China, could be passed from person to person President Trump launched a new attack on the World Health Organization Friday, quoting Hoover Institution Fellow Lanhee Chen, who had appeared on 'Fox & Friends' The president was quoting an op-ed written by Lanhee Chen, currently a fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Chen appeared on Fox & Friends Friday morning to promote the piece 'Why did the W.H.O. make several claims about the CoronaVirus that are either inaccurate or misleading in January or February, as the Virus spread globally? Why did the W.H.O. wait as long as it did to take decisive action?' Trump continued, adding Chen's name and the Twitter handle Fox News at the end of his tweet. Trump has taken heat from Democrats, from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and from organizations like the American Medical Association for his decision to halt U.S. funding for WHO over the organization's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The president has accused WHO of being too China-centric and said they should have supported his travel ban from China that was announced in late January. During the 'Fox & Friends' segment Chen also asked, 'Why did they instead focus on simply repeating what Beijing was telling them about the virus?' 'This is a very important question that we've got to get to the bottom of because it affected the rest of the ability of the world to respond in an effective way,' Chen told the trio of co-hosts. WHO and Taiwan have been engaged in a back-and-forth over the email the president mentioned in his tweet. Taiwan is not a WHO member, because of objections from China, which claims the island as its own and deems it to have no right to membership of international bodies. Such an approach, Taiwan says, deprived it of timely information to fight the virus, and it accused the WHO of having ignored its communications early in the pandemic. Last month, Taiwan said it had received no reply from the WHO to a Dec. 31 query for information on the outbreak in China's central city of Wuhan, including whether it could be transmitted between people. The WHO has said the email it received made no mention of human-to-human transmission. In Taipei on Saturday, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung quoted the text of the Dec. 31 email written in English that the government sent to the WHO. 'News resources today indicate that at least seven atypical pneumonia cases were reported in Wuhan, China,' the health minister said, reading the email. 'Their health authorities replied to the media that the cases were believed not to be SARS, however the samples are still under examination, and cases have been isolated for treatment,' he continued. 'I would greatly appreciate if you have relevant information to share with us.' In a statement sent to Reuters on Saturday, the WHO said, 'We have asked how they communicated this to us, because we are only aware of that one email that makes no mention of human-to-human transmission, but they haven't replied.' SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, was caused by a previously unknown virus believed to have emerged from the wet markets of China's southern province of Guangdong in 2002-2003 that eventually killed 774 people in nearly 30 countries. Chen, the health minister, said any medical professional would know the circumstances requiring isolation, and added that the WHO was quibbling over the wording. 'If being treated in isolation is not a warning, then what is?' he asked. China confirmed virus transmission between people on Jan. 20. On Jan. 12, the WHO had said there was no clear evidence of such transmission. However, Taiwan, suspicious that information emerging from China was not accurate, had begun screening arrivals from Wuhan on Dec. 31. It also activated its emergency operations centre on Jan. 2, which experts say allowed it to effectively control the early spread of the virus. KALAMAZOO, MI Kalamazoo County, which now has 131 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and nine deaths as a result of the virus, opened the countys first drive-thru testing lab on Friday, April 17. The Family Health Center of Kalamazoo said 125 appointments were scheduled Friday. The first day of testing for the rolling drive-thru program, which will also offer testing at other sites throughout the county, was held in the parking lot of Stones Church, 1225 W. Paterson St. in Kalamazoos Northside neighborhood. Related: Drive-thru coronavirus testing coming to Kalamazoo County The Family Health Center, which is partnering with state and county health officials to provide the testing service, announced Friday the rolling drive-thru testing lab will move to a new location on the other side of the city next week. Plans call for next weeks drive-thru testing location to be in the parking lot of Loy Norrix High School, 606 E. Kilgore Road. Testing at the high school will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, according to information released by Family Health Center. The testing is free and open to all community members, regardless of whether they have been Family Health Center patients in the past or have a primary medical provider, said Denise Crawford, Family Health Center president and CEO. Individuals who are hoping to get tested must first call the center at 269-488-0804 to undergo a pre-test evaluation and assessment to determine whether it is appropriate for them to be tested, Crawford said. If they qualify they will be given an appointment time. All testing will be done for pre-registered individuals only. After the sample is collected, it typically takes 24-48 hours for patients to receive the results Family Health Center is one of a dozen health facilities across the state that is working with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the Michigan Primary Care Association and NxGen MDX Laboratory in Grand Rapids to establish and expand drive-thru testing in areas where there has been a high number of positive COVID-19 cases. Increased testing is the only way we will know where COVID-19 is in Michigan, and will guide our public health response, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigans chief medical executive in a statement. Along with social distancing practices such as staying home and keeping six feet between yourself and others if you must go out, more testing will help Michigan slow the spread of COVID-19. Crawford told MLive that, if the demand is there, she plans to announce the locations of other rolling sites later this week or early next week. The goal is to spread locations across Kalamazoo County. We want to make sure we reach the entire county, so we are looking at locations in Comstock, in Vicksburg, Portage, and all reaches of the north, south, east and west," she said. "We want to make sure we are being very inclusive. The testing process will take between 10-14 minutes per individual, and each site will aim to serve 100-plus people per day as long as the need persists. All sites will be operated on an appointment basis and those being tested will be asked to not leave their cars as they go through the process, she said. Once the test is done, sample collections administered by swabbing a patients nostrils will be sent to Grand Rapids. The Grand Rapids lab, according to a news release issued by the MDHHS over the weekend, has the capability to process 3,000 tests per day. The state on Saturday announced the new rolling sites in Kalamazoo County, along with locations in Atlanta, Bad Axe, Battle Creek, Bay City, Benton Harbor, Jackson and Traverse City. The MDHHS also announced significant expansion of sites in Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Lansing and Saginaw. Michigans testing priority criteria includes hospitalized patients, symptomatic healthcare workers, patients age 65 and older with symptoms, patients with underlying conditions with symptoms, first responders with symptoms and critical infrastructure workers with symptoms. Other patients who meet priority criteria include patients in congregate facilities with symptoms, such as those at long-term care or elderly-living facilities, those in jails or prisons, those in homeless shelters, those in residential foster care facilities and those in other group living situations. Other individuals with mild symptoms were also added to the criteria list on April 14. Another COVID-19 testing site was set up locally on Wednesday, April 8, outside the Kalamazoo Health and Community Services Department at 311 E. Alcott St. Related: Kalamazoo gets coronavirus testing site The Alcott site is by appointment and only through a clinicians recommendation, according to Kalamazoo County Health Officer Jim Rutherford. It is not a drive-thru site. Those seeking testing at one of the rolling drive-thru locations in Kalamazoo County must begin by contacting the Family Health Clinic at 269-488-0804. For more information on coronavirus testing in Kalamazoo, visit the Family Health Center website. 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. Also on MLive.com: Man, 49, dies of coronavirus while wife fighting for her life across the hall Can mosquitoes transmit coronavirus? WHO and CDC weigh in Food bank serves more than 400K meals in Kalamazoo County during pandemic Police canvassed much of North Waco on Wednesday night, searching for the driver and second passenger. Neither had been arrested as of Thursday morning. "This appears to be two separate groups targeting each other," Bynum said. "I don't have a motive for the shooting last night or whether they were just firing off rounds." Norwood was arrested on a Class A misdemeanor charge of deadly conduct. He had been released from jail by Thursday on $10,000 bond. The two groups alleged to be targeting each other was not disclosed Thursday. Bynum said police are continuing to investigate multiple incidents of discharge of weapons calls and continue to search for suspects. Last year, Waco Police Chief Ryan Holt said there are believed to be at least 75 gangs operating in the Waco-area, some of which are involved in car burglaries, theft and the drug trade. He said local, regional and federal efforts are helping to combat gang-related crime. A senior practice nurse in north London has called the Governments testing system an absolute disgrace after being unable to work for a month as she tried to get tested for Covid-19. Speaking to the Evening Standard, Barbara Botsford told of her anger and frustration at waiting weeks for a test, finally getting one, waiting for a result that she was told would be due in 72 hours, and being told a week later that the test was lost and that she would have to go and be tested again. At the same time, her GP practice was dealing with a mounting number of patients with coronavirus, and at one point risked closing because of a depletion of staff due to suspected coronavirus. I am a front line worker and I was desperate to get back to work to help my colleagues, but I could not get a test and then when I finally got one, there was no telephone number to call at the test centre to tell me why my test result was taking so long to come through, she said. I have been tearing my hair out. This is not how a national testing service should be run. Four weeks ago, Ms Botsford was sent home from her GP practice in Muswell Hill and told to self-isolate. She had similar symptoms to those suffered by her Spanish house guest who, on return to Spain, tested positive for Covid-19. Coronavirus - In pictures 1 /106 Coronavirus - In pictures A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images Customers wearing face masks shop at the pork counter of a supermarket following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province Reuters Westminster Bridge is deserted in London the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA Canadian passengers Chris & Anna Joiner ask for help onboard the MS Zaandam, Holland America Line cruise ship, during the coronavirus outbreak, off the shores of Panama City via Reuters A man crosses a nearly empty 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City Reuters The London Eye is pictured lit blue in support of the NHS, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Commuters cope with Coronavirus Jeremy Selwyn Milan's Piazza del Duomo empty AFP via Getty Images People in protective clothing walk past rows of beds at a temporary 2,000-bed hospital for COVID-19 coronavirus patients set up by the Iranian army at the international exhibition center in northern Tehran, Iran AP Martina Papponetti, 25, an ICU nurse at the Humanitas Gavazzeni Hospital in Bergamo, Italy poses for a portrait at the end of her shift AP Pope Francis celebrating a daily mass alone in the Santa Marta chapel at the Vatican, as part of precautionary measures against the spread of the new coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Imag Vysheyshaya Liga - FC Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino v FC Belshina Bobruisk - Torpedo Stadium, Zhodino, Belarus, March 27, 2020 Players in action during the match despite most sport being cancelled around the world as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Hanks and Wilson both have coronavirus Tom Hanks General view of an emergency makeshift field hospital as it is set up at Pacaembu Stadium for coronavirus (COVID-19) patients with a capacity of 200 beds in Sao Paulo, Brazil Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling on people to stay away from pubs, clubs and theatres, work from home if possible and avoid all non-essential contacts and travel in order to reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic PA Naomi Campbell catches a flight in a hazmat suit with goggles, a surgical mask and rubber gloves @naomi Sophie and Emily Ward pose for a photograph with their hand-drawn picture of rainbows and a message on their window in St Helens, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues 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 Corona virus outbreak. PA Shoppers queue outside a branch of Costco, in Croydon, south London, on the weekend after Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered pubs and restaurants across the country to close PA Charing Cross Tube Bakerloo Line very quiet at 8.15am Jeremy Selwyn A woman with a plastic box over her head on the London Underground. PA A Racegoer attend Cheltenham Festival on Ladies Day wearing a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits a laboratory at the Public Health England National Infection Service in Colindale PA A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A couple kiss in Milano Centrale railway station in Milan on March 8, 2020 AFP via Getty Images A combination picture shows visitors wearing protective face masks following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) looking at blooming cherry blossom nd a pigeon walking at an closed cherry blossom viewing spot during the first weekend after Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike (not pictured) urged Tokyo residents to stay indoors, in a bid to keep the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from spreading Reuters This combination photo created on March 5, 2020 shows tourists visiting Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province on March 16, 2019 (top) and on March 5, 2020 AFP via Getty Images Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump looks at the $2.2 trillion coronavirus aid package bill as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Vice President Mike Pence stand by during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House Reuters A satellite image shows an empty South Beach during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Miami, via Reuters General view inside the empty stadium as the two teams line up prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund at Parc des Princes UEFA via Getty Images A Sainsbury's supermarket in Cambridge is among those to sell out of antibacterial hand sanitizer PA Tents and ambulances are set up next to the Princess Cruises Grand Princess cruise as it sits docked in the Port of Oakland on March 09, 2020 in Oakland, California. The Princess Cruises Grand Princess has been held from docking until today as at least 21 people on board have tested positive for COVID-19 also known as the Coronavirus Getty Images Medical staff produce traditional Chinese medicine to treat patients infected by the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images Army soldiers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea AP Russian President Vladimir Putin wearing protective gear walks at a hospital for patients infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the outskirts of Moscow via Reuters A woman who has recovered from the COVID-19 is disinfected by volunteers as she arrives at a hotel for a 14-day quarantine AFP via Getty Images Passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship are seen as the ship arrives at Daikoku Pier where it is being resupplied and newly diagnosed coronavirus cases taken for treatment as it remains in quarantine after a number of the 3,700 people on board were diagnosed with coronavirus Getty Images Dave Abel pictured in hospital in Japan Manchester United fans in the stands during the Premier League match at Old Trafford PA Police officers wearing masks stand in front of the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in La Caleta, in the Canary Island of Tenerife AP Carnival revellers wear protective face masks at Venice Carnival Reuters A general view is pictured of Burbage Primary School in Buxton, Derbyshire after the closure of the school as a pupil's parent has tested positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Images People wearing face masks walk past the Olympic rings in front of the new National Stadium, the main stadium for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Game Getty Images People leave Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre in Milton Keynes where Coronavirus evacuees are due to be released from quarantine today and allowed to go home PA 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 A woman wears a mask while crossing London Bridg Getty Images A general view of Worthing Hospital in West Sussex PA Passengers relax on board the Holland America-operated Westerdam cruise ship, which has been denied permission to dock in Thailand over coronavirus fears via Reuters A child waves as she sits in a vehicle carrying residents evacuated from a public housing building, following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, outside Hong Mei House, at Cheung Hong Estate in Hong Kong Reuters A woman wearing a Minnie Mouse face mask looks at her mobile phone in Beijing on February 11, 2020 AFP via Getty Images The Costa Smeralda cruise ship of Costa Crociere, carrying around 6,000 passengers, is docked at the Italian port of Civitavecchia after a health alert due to a Chinese couple and a possible link to coronavirus on board, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters A patient covered with a bed sheet at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital as it starts to accept patients displaying mild symptoms of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images A medical official takes the body temperature of a man at the departure hall of the airport in Changsha, Hunan Province, as the country is hit by an outbreak of a new coronavirus, China Reuters The view of the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center Getty Images A plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, arrives at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire A police vehicle enters the gates of the Royal Air Force station RAF Brize Norton in Carterton AFP via Getty Images Passengers wear face masks as the push their luggage after arriving from a flight at Terminal 5 of London Heathrow Airport AFP via Getty Images French citizens arrive and settle aboard of an evacuation plane with destination southeastern France, before departure from Wuhan Airport (WUH), China AFP via Getty Images Police stand at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge that crosses from Hubei province in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China Reuters A member of staff at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside prepares for a bus carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China PA Doctor Paul McKay, who is working on an vaccine for the 2019-nCoV strain of the novel coronavirus, poses for a photograph with bacteria containing fragments of coronavirus DNA, at Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM) in Londo AFP via Getty Images Workers produce masks at the Thai Hospital Product Company Ltd. factory in Bangkok AFP via Getty Images Passengers wearing face masks are seen on a bus after disembarking from the Costa Smeralda cruise ship, after tests on a woman from Macau with suspected coronavirus came back negative, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters People hoard bottles of alcohol after the Philippine government confirmed the first case of the new coronavirus in the country, in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Reuters Taking precautions: with fears growing that the coronavirus will spread from China, a health official checks a womans temperature on the underground in Beijing Getty Images An empty road is seen in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020, amid a deadly virus outbreak which began in the city AFP via Getty Images Students wearing masks meditate prior to a lesson at a high school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia AP Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital wear protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus AFP via Getty Images Staff move bio-waste containers past the entrance of the Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China AP Workers driving excavators at the construction site of a field hospital In Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The builders will complete the 1,000-bed hospital by February 3 to cope with the surge of 2019-nCoV patients in the city Getty Images Buddhist monks wear masks as they walk near Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodi AP A woman and a child wearing protective masks walk toward check-in counters at Daxing international airport in Beijing AFP via Getty Images An employee sprays disinfectant on a train as a precaution against a new coronavirus at Suseo Station in Seoul, South Korea AP A policeman wearing a mask walks past a quarantine notice about the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China at an arrival hall of Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan Reuters Paramilitary police wear face masks as they stand guard at Tiananmen Gate adjacent to Tiananmen Square in Beijing AP The resident wear masks to buy vegetables in the market in Wuhan Getty Images Staff sell masks at a Yifeng Pharmacy in Wuhan AP Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV AP But unlike her guest, who got his test result back in two days, Ms Botsford was denied a test. Over the next fortnight, as Ms Botsford recovered, she felt a new imperative to be tested. I felt better and wanted to return to work. I was needed to administer vaccines to new-born babies and see pregnant women and cancer patients. The NHS said: You should NOT return until the test results are confirmed. On Thursday 2 April, Ms Botsford finally got an email invitation saying she had been nominated to be tested for Covid-19. I was asked to attend the next morning at the testing centre in the Ikea car park in Wembley, she said. I was told to expect results within 72 hours. On Monday, 6 April, Ms Botsford called her local clinical commissioning group to ask whether results were in. But the message was, Im so sorry you havent heard back yet, I will chase up now. Every day, Ms Botsford called, but every day her inquiries were met with ignorance and confusion. The group seemed in the dark and there was no test centre number for me to call, she said. The whole thing was an absolute disgrace, a bloody fiasco. I had been told Id get results in 72 hours and it was now almost a week since my test. Later the group admitted to Ms Botsford that there was a backlog in NHS key worker results of up to four days. Its crazy that this should be the case when someone like Prince Charles gets their result within hours, she said. Loading.... Dr Rebecca Hatjiosif, the GP who heads the practice where Ms Botsford works, told the Standard: We have six doctors and a nurse at our practice and at one point four of my seven members of staff were off ill. I said to the NHS, please, if I fall ill, the practice will have to close. A week after her first test, Ms Botsford was given a new explanation by the clinical commissioning group. They said that it was likely my test result had been lost and they invited me to go back for a second test. They said that up to 10 per cent of test results had been lost. Ms Botsford returned the next day for a test. Twenty-four hours later on Good Friday, she got a message regarding her first test. It was Covid negative. Finally, five days later than promised and four weeks after going off, Ms Botsford was able to return to work. The Department of Health said that 54,000 frontline NHS staff and family members have been tested so far, the overwhelming majority receiving their results in 48 hours, and that 96 per cent of people tested at the Wembley site have received their results. The former chief of a South Korean conglomerate was convicted of raping his maid and sexually assaulting a secretary Friday but only given a suspended sentence. Kim Jun-ki, the 75-year-old ex-chairman of DB Group, which has activities in finance and steel, repeatedly violated the two women, the Seoul Central District Court found. But it gave him a 30-month jail sentence suspended for four years, on the grounds of his age and what it said was the "forgiveness" of his victims. South Korea's economy is dominated by a number of family-controlled conglomerates known as chaebol. They are credited with a key role in powering the country's economic growth, but are also accused of murky connections to power. Kim was DB Group's chairman at the time of the offences in 2016-17, and admitted most of the charges. "Even though Kim was in the position of a conglomerate leader who needed to show socially exemplary behaviour, he forgot such responsibilities and assaulted his secretary and housemaid several times," the court said, describing his crimes as "bad". Kim, who had been in custody, was released after the hearing. Prosecutors had sought a five-year sentence. Critics accuse the country's courts of showing leniency to chaebol family members. Previously, leaders of the Hyundai Motor, Samsung and SK groups have been given suspended sentences, and later presidential pardons. Their offences were generally financial, such as corruption, tax evasion or embezzlement, and charges of sexual offences against chaebol chiefs are unusual. Many of the conglomerates have highly hierarchical, rigid management structures and an opaque governance style that can enable workplace abuse. In one high-profile case, a Korean Air heiress threw a temper tantrum over how she was served macadamias, making a crew member kneel on the floor to beg forgiveness and ordering the aircraft back to the gate so he could be thrown off, earning herself instant "nut rage" notoriety. South Korea's economy is dominated by a number of family-controlled conglomerates known as chaebol NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Staten Island will be getting two new coronavirus test sites in the coming days which will have the ability to test up to 5,900 people per week, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday. However, the new testing sites will not be open to everyone. De Blasio told reporters during a press conference Friday that the two new sites opening on the Island and across the five boroughs will focus on testing healthcare workers, those with preexisting conditions, senior citizens and those who live in the hardest-hit areas. One of the new testing sites will open at the Islands NYC Health and Hospitals/Gotham Health Vanderbilt clinic in Clifton today and have the ability to run 2,400 tests a week. The Clifton site will focus on treating senior citizens and Staten Islanders with preexisting conditions that put them at risk for any serious illnesses. The site will serve as a walk in site, but de Blasio said visitors will need to call 311 ahead of time before they go. The second Island site will open Monday, at a site the mayor did not disclose, in a partnership between private healthcare organization One Medical and 1199 SEIU labor union, which represents many healthcare workers. The mayor said the second Island site will only test frontline healthcare workers who are members of 1199 SEIU. The site will also treat essential workers including employees of adult care facilities and employees who care for people with disabilities. The mayor said he expects the second Island site will be able to test 3,500 people per week. Now were focusing on the groups of people in this city who have been the hardest hit by this disease in a very very pinpointed way so were talking about folks in some of the lowest income communities in this city, people in communities of color that have bore the brunt of this crisis, immigrant communities, but very targeted to the places weve seen the biggest problems, the mayor told reporters. With the two new testing sites, Staten Island will now have three major coronavirus test sites along with the drive-thru test site in Ocean Breeze which opened last month. Earlier this week, the mayor said the city will have at least 100,000 coronavirus test kits at its disposal in the coming weeks with 50,000 tests the city will produce a week at the beginning of May on its own and another 50,000 it will receive each week from Aria Diagnostics, a private firm in Carmel, Indiana. With the help of the new testing, the mayor said he hopes the new coronavirus testing sites will be able to ramp up its testing capacity in the coming weeks. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** Haryana on Friday procured over 23,000 metric tonne (MT) of mustard crop across 163 procurement centres, where nearly 8,900 farmers brought their produce. A total of about 23,222.38 MT mustard was purchased by the procurement agencies HAFED and State Warehousing Corporation from the farmers, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Sanjeev Kaushal said. "Today 8,882 farmers reported at the 163 procurement centres for procurement of mustard in the state," he said. Mustard is grown mainly in south Haryana, including Gurugram, Mahendergarh and Rewari. State Agriculture Minister J P Dalal had earlier said that the state government is committed to procure entire crop of farmers. Mustard procurement began on April 15, and 56,781.68 MT has been procured in the state so far. The minister said that about 6.5 lakh MT of mustard was procured in Haryana last year, while this time around 8-9 lakh MT of crop is expected to be procured. Dalal said that due to COVID-19 epidemic, the procurement centres have been set up outside mandis so that farmers can sell their crops while maintaining social distancing. As many as 91 farmers have voluntarily contributed a sum of Rs 1,02,670.62 towards the Haryana Corona Relief Fund, Kaushal said. On wheat procurement, which is set to begin from April 20, Kaushal said that employees of other departments, who will be deployed at procurement centres, will be given training so that they are well acquainted with the procurement process. To avoid crowding, the state government has increased the wheat procurement centres nearly four-fold to 2,000. He said that one day before the procurement date, the concerned officers will visit their respective centres and take stock of availability of sanitizers, masks, among others, to fight coronavirus. One supervisory officer will be stationed at every procurement centre who will give updates on the amount of wheat procured, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ALBANY Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Friday unleashed a torrent of criticism at President Donald J. Trump, accusing him of taking credit for merely doing his job and dismissing Trump's criticism that New York had called for more ventilators and hospital beds than were needed during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Cuomo said that his early estimates that New York would need more than 30,000 ventilators and up to 140,000 hospital beds to get through the peak of the health crisis were based on scientific projections, including work by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Trump's own coronavirus task force. "If you dont agree with your projection, fire the head of the CDC. Read your own report next time before you criticize me," Cuomo said in his daily briefing at the Capitol, at times staring straight into television cameras and addressing his remarks to the president. The barrage came after Cuomo was asked about a series of Tweets that Trump had posted midway through the briefing. "Gov. Cuomo should spend more time 'doing' and less time 'complaining,'" it read. "Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking! We built you thousands of hospital beds that you didnt need or use, gave large numbers of Ventilators that you should have had, and helped you with testing that you should be doing. ... Your numbers are not good." Cuomo was clearly prepared for the attack: He showed PowerPoint slides of federal projections from mid-March indicating more than half the U.S. population could be infected with COVID-19. Cuomo also showed an image of a January memo from Peter Navarro, Trump's economic adviser, indicating the pandemic could infect 100 million Americans and cause up to 2 million deaths. Trump has repeatedly noted that New York would not need as many hospital beds or ventilators as Cuomo had projected, a prediction that is proving to be accurate. The president also has repeatedly touted the federal government's response, which has included sending the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort to New York Harbor, as well as converting the Jacob K. Javits Center into an emergency hospital. "Thank you for doing your job and helping build Javits and sending the US Navy ship Comfort," Cuomo said in response to Trump. "Thank you for having the federal government participate in a federal emergency ... which, by the way, is just doing your job as president; it's not really thank you like you wrote a check yourself." Cuomo continued to push for the ventilators and increased hospital capacity after New York and nearly all other states implemented stay-at-home orders, including closing businesses and schools, that have flattened the rate of infections and deaths. New York remains the nation's epicenter of the pandemic, and Cuomo like Trump on the federal level has faced repeated questions about whether he should have acted sooner. California, where the rate of spread has been significantly lower, shut down its businesses and ordered people to stay home days before New York's order went into effect. Here's a timeline of the state's actions: As Cuomo spoke, Trump tweeted in apparent response to the governor's diatribe: "Cuomo ridiculously wanted '40 thousand Ventilators.' We gave him a small fraction of that number, and it was plenty. State should have had them in stockpile!" Cuomo, who countered that the federal stockpile had just 10,000 ventilators, contends that his estimates were based on scientific projections that did not estimate what could happen to the spread of the virus if the shutdown orders were put in place. Still, Cuomo had continued to lobby for tens of thousands of ventilators, and cited projections saying New York would need up to 140,000 hospital beds, at a time when Trump's administration said the state would not need that level of resources. The governor also lashed out at Trump's recent assertion that the president had the authority to reopen state economies a claim that has now shifted to an acknowledgment that the task will be handled by individual governors. Cuomo called it "a graceful 180." "The federal projections said they would need double the hospital capacity of this nation," Cuomo said, again citing models that projected worse-case scenarios without factoring in economic shutdowns. "The minimum projection was 2.4 million hospital beds. ... You know how many hospital beds we have in this nation? Nine hundred thousand." Cuomo again called on the federal government to provide aid to states in financial distress due to the coronavirus pandemic, and to "allocate the funding to where the COVID(-19) problem exists." "We have a terrible economic deficit; were spending money every day that we never dreamed of spending," he said. "You can't keep writing checks if you have no balance in your account. It doesnt work long-term." The governor again said that widespread testing for the virus and to verify if individuals have recovered and are carrying antibodies will be a key part of reopening state economies, but that the private laboratory system that would shoulder most of that work is not at the needed capacity. He said many of the chemicals used to conduct COVID-19 tests are made in China. "The federal government cannot wipe their hands of this and say 'Oh, the states are responsible for testing,' Cuomo said. "We cannot do it ... without federal help. I dont do China relations." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Cuomo, who signed an order Thursday extending the state's stay-at-home orders to May 15, said the rate at which the infectious disease spreads from one person to another is critical to safely reopening businesses and schools. The current rate is one person with the disease infecting 0.9 persons, or less than one, but during the pandemic's apex in New York it had been a rate of 1.4 people. "Ive never met a .9 person, but the infection rate is less than one-to-one," he said. He added that New York has not done an analysis to determine whether the rate of spread in upstate New York is lower than in downstate, where most of the infections and deaths associated with COVID-19 have been documented. It remains unclear whether Cuomo would implement a reopening plan that allows upstate counties to restart before hard-hit areas of New York City, Long Island and other communities. Trump had outlined a plan on Thursday for states to reopen at the direction of their governors under a federal formula. Cuomo acknowledged that states with fewer cases will be able to reopen quicker. "The governors who have states that have fewer cases can reopen faster it has nothing to do with the president of federal policy," he said. "You have many states where the infection rate is de minimis, so the states that will open first by the data will have much lower infection rates than we do." The rate of deaths and hospitalizations in New York is steadily declining. Although roughly 2,000 people per day are still being hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms, there are more people being discharged who had entered hospitals for treatment at the peak of the crisis near the end of March. Coronavirus live updates: Former Siena player dies, Albany police officer tests positive There were 630 fatalities associated with COVID-19 on Thursday, up from 606 on Wednesday. "That is still breathtaking in its pain and grief and tragedy, and basically flat again like many of the other numbers," Cuomo said. Interactive map of the coronavirus across in New York On Wednesday night, Cuomo signed an executive order requiring anyone older than age 2, and who is able, to wear a mask or cloth face covering in situations where social distancing is not possible. The order went into effect at 8 p.m. Friday. There will be no penalty for violations. How to make your own face mask to stop the spread of coronavirus "Its going to be an incremental process between today and tomorrow. Youre not going to hear any day soon 'Its over,' the nightmare ends and we wake up," Cuomo said. "The testing-tracing is the guidepost through this." In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, staffers at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District in Illinois got an unwelcome surprise when they arrived at work one morning last month: Cybercriminals had hijacked their computer network and were holding it hostage. The hackers were demanding a ransom to restore the system. Our website was pretty much down for three entire days, and it was the primary mode of communicating with the public about COVID-19, deputy administrator Awais Vaid recalled. The only good thing was that just a few months before, we had put our electronic medical records and our email on the cloud, so they were not affected. The district agreed to meet the hackers demands because it didnt have the time to wait or restore its system on its own, which could have taken months, Vaid said. Its cyber insurance paid more than $300,000 in ransom, and the district had to cover its $10,000 deductible. We have become easy targets, Vaid said. Agencies like ours have to have systems up and running, otherwise we wont be able to function. And we needed to be back online as soon as possible because we are the lead authority for public health during this crisis. Since the coronavirus pandemic began, cybersecurity experts say they have seen an uptick in attempted ransomware and other hacking attempts on hospitals, health care systems, clinical labs and research centers. Many hospital and health care employees who arent on the front lines are working at home, sometimes on their own computers, which can be more vulnerable to hackers. And some hospitals that are quickly deploying virtual health care through telemedicine may not be focusing on cyber protections, said Raj Mehta, a principal at global consulting firm Deloitte who focuses on health care cybersecurity. In the rush, a lot of times you dont think about the implications of security, Mehta said. A lot of their security professionals are under water. They dont have time to do the typical risk assessments. Hackers emboldened Across the globe, cyber crimes against the health care sector have surged during the pandemic, experts say. Hackers are using ransomware, phishing -- in which victims unwittingly click on emailed links designed to get personal information -- and spear phishing, which is phishing targeted toward a specific person, organization or company. Among the cases: A nonprofit Rochester, New York, health system that operates nine health centers shut down its computer network for days in late February after it was hit by a ransomware strike. California-based biotechnology company 10X Genomics Inc., which is working to discover antibodies for the coronavirus, was the victim of an attempted ransomware attack in March, according to a recent federal filing. The company said it isolated the source and restored operations with no major day-to-day impact. Microsoft, in a first-of-its-kind targeted notification, warned several dozens of hospitals this month about software vulnerabilities discovered in the online systems they use. The company said attackers have been jumping on the bandwagon. The Greater New York Hospital Association this month alerted its members that an active cybersecurity threat is exploiting vulnerabilities in some networking technology that could allow remote hackers to access networks. Meanwhile in Europe, there has been a significant increase in attempted ransomware attacks, according to a warning Interpol issued this month to hospitals and other health care organizations. A hospital in the Czech Republic and a London medical research company doing clinical trials for new coronavirus medicines already have been victimized. Hospitals often lag behind other industries such as financial services when it comes to cybersecurity, experts say. That makes them an ideal target for hackers, especially during a time when theyre focused on the coronavirus. Its the perfect storm, in a way, said Deloittes Mehta. The biggest fear is that if computer networks get locked up or knocked offline, health care workers wont be able to access important information such as patient medical records and test results. Mat Newfield, chief information security officer for Unisys, a global technology company, said many employees of health care organizations have been given laptops and are working at home with technology theyre not familiar with, on systems they havent been trained on. There was such a knee-jerk reaction to getting people home, which was a necessity, but there wasnt a lot of planning for pandemics, Newfield said. A lot of these organizations didnt have business continuity plans that have been tested. Now theyre open to risks. Alerting employees Some health care systems have warned staffers to be prepared for cyberattacks. At Inova Health System, which runs five hospitals in Northern Virginia, officials are ramping up their usual cybersecurity alerts to staffers, said Scott Larsen, chief information security officer. Officials have provided employees working at home a secure link to the corporate network and are requiring two-factor authentication to get into it. That means staffers must use a second method of confirming their identity before logging in, such as typing in a one-time password sent to their smartphone or email. While many health care security professionals are carefully watching and monitoring for any suspect cyberactivity, Larsen said, its difficult to deal with both hackers and a pandemic. Its like when your immune system is weak and your defenses are down, he said. Were so distracted, and were getting caught looking one way, and they are coming in the other way. In Michigan the 157 hospitals that are members of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association also are at heightened awareness, said Ruthanne Sudderth, the groups spokeswoman. Hospitals there have been trying to make sure employees are especially careful about emails they receive. While hospitals in Michigan have dealt with cyberattacks in the past and will in the future, Sudderth said, this situation somehow seems different. Any kind of attack on the institutions that are saving the lives of our loved ones and neighbors is deplorable. Thats the case any time, she said. But doing it during a pandemic really shows the true colors of the individuals or organizations behind those sorts of attacks. This article was first posted to Stateline, and initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts. California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Photo/Rich Pedroncelli California is mandating that food-industry companies give workers an additional two weeks of COVID-19 sick leave. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that he was signing an executive order that would cover grocery stores, fast-food chains, delivery services, and farms. "I want you to know you are not disposable; you are essential, and you are valued," Newsom said. "With Gov. Newsom's executive order today, California became the leader in a new fight," Elizabeth Strater, an organizer with United Farm Workers, told Business Insider. "It's the first state to mandate expanded sick leave for farm workers during the COVID-19 crisis. We're looking to other progressive states, like Washington, and hoping to see them step up." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. California is making sure farm workers and employees at grocery stores, fast-food chains, and delivery services get two weeks of additional paid time off, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday. The paid time off, mandated in a new executive order, is in addition to sick leave already provided by an employer. It pertains to full-time food-industry workers who are advised by a medical professional to self-quarantine over concerns related to COVID-19. "I want you to know you are not disposable; you are essential, and you are valued," Newsom said in address on Periscope. The order applies to essential retail businesses with more than 500 employees. United Farm Workers, a labor union, praised the move. "With Gov. Newsom's executive order today, California became the leader in a new fight," Elizabeth Strater, an organizer with UFW, told Business Insider. "It's the first state to mandate expanded sick leave for farm workers during the COVID-19 crisis. We're looking to other progressive states, like Washington, and hoping to see them step up." Earlier in the day, the union filed a lawsuit against Washington another agricultural powerhouse led by a Democrat, Gov. Jay Inslee alleging that officials there are failing to protect farm workers from the threat of COVID-19, Business Insider first reported. Story continues Ron Fong, the president of the California Grocers Association, was also supportive. "We welcome the opportunity to partner with labor to ensure consistent standards to protect employees and shoppers and help prevent the spread of COVID-19," he said. Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com. Read the original article on Business Insider The streets of London have been left deserted. (PA) The UKs coronavirus lockdown is to be extended for at least another three weeks. The foreign secretary Dominic Raab warned lifting restrictions now would risk a dangerous second peak of COVID-19. He said the original three-month timeline set down by Boris Johnson to come through the peak of the virus was broadly still the outline. He acknowledged the measures despite all the economic and social impact the current measures are having. In recent days, the government has thanked the British public for largely staying at home. NHS England chief Professor Stephen Powis has urged people to keep up social distancing, which was impacting on the infection rate. This is evidence that is now accumulating that the benefit of that social distancing and reducing transmission is now beginning to be manifest in a stabilisation in hospital admissions, he said. We are beginning to see the benefits of the undoubted hardship that we have all been asked to go through in terms of social distancing, in terms of not meeting with friends and family. 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 However, the UKs extension of lockdown measures is in contrast to other European countries - including other badly hit nations such as Germany, Italy and Spain - who have already begun to ease restriction. So just how much has the British public responded to government requests to Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives - particularly in relation to others? According to Googles mobility report, which shows changes in movement in terms of transport, public spaces (such as parks and beaches) and retail stores, the UK is operating at a similar level to other major European countries in terms of mobility reduction. The report shows that in terms of retail, transport and workplace mobility, the UKs reduction has been at a similar level to that of Spain, Italy and France, but its reduction in mobility of public spaces has been significantly less 37% compared to around 80%. Story continues For the USA its 16%, and for New York, just a 12% drop. Over the same time period, Germanys rate has increased by over a third, but with a significantly lower number of recorded deaths. The UK A view along Regent Street, London, as the UK continues in lockdown. (Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Images) The UK was one of the last European countries to got into lockdown. It did so on Monday 23 March, with prime minister Boris Johnson announcing at the time that businesses were to close and members of the public were to stay in their homes. In both instances, essential use would be allowed to continue, including one form of exercise per person, per day. On the day the lockdown was enforced there were 6,650 confirmed cases in the UK, with 335 deaths. The rate in both has continued to rise until April 10th, 18 days after the lockdown begun, when the country experienced its highest daily cases and deaths; 8,681 cases and 910 deaths. According to Google, the UKs restrictions on retail and transport have been far more successful than parks and grocery/food shops, expected given the governments instructions. UK retail mobility rates UK transport mobility rates UK parks mobility rates Rest of Europe What do the decisions of other countries in regards to lockdown rulings, and their relationship with rise and fall in cases show us? Italy was the first European country to impose a lockdown. Since then, the UK, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland and the United States have all followed suit. Italy, Spain, France and Germany have all experienced over 100,000 cases, with Spain set to top 200,000 within the next few days. It was approximately a month after imposing restrictions that some of the worst-affected areas in Spain and Italy began to reduce the number of new cases and deaths. Italy General view of il Duomo, Milan during the lockdown (Credit: Mairo Cinquetti/Getty Images) Italy went into lockdown on March 9, when their total cases had exceed 9,000 and deaths had reached 463 both higher than when the UK did the same. Stricter procedures meant that the fall in mobility within the parks has been at a similar level to that of retail, transport and work. The country experienced its higher daily rate of cases 11 days after lockdown, with the average daily number falling steadily since. Italy retail mobility rates Italy transit mobility rates Italy parks mobility rates Spain The beach in Sant Pol de Mar, Catalunya, Spain. (Credit: Miquel Benitez/Getty Images) Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez placed the country under lockdown five days after Italy, on March 14. In the last couple of days, some non-essential workers have been allowed to return to work. It experienced its peak 12 days later, but the initial drop-off took longer than Italy to take effect. The country has also recorded more confirmed cases than any other in the world, with the exception of the United States. Spain retail mobility rates Spain transit mobility rates Spain parks mobility rates France Parc de la butte de Montmartre, Paris, France. (Credit: Emeric Fohlen/Getty Images) France will remain in lockdown until at least May 11, says president Emmanuel Macron. It began its period of restriction on March 17, with daily cases falling since on average since April 3. Police and the army have patrolled streets, with strict rules on food shopping instilled and even daily exercise eventually banned. While daily cases has begun to drop, the number of recorded daily deaths has yet to properly do so, despite the regulations imposed. France retail mobility rates France transit mobility rates France parks mobility rates Germany Bags with clothes and food placed in a park for the homeless in Friedrichshain neighbourhood, Berlin. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images) Like its major European counterparts, Germany has over 100,000 confirmed cases, but its number of total deaths is significantly lower less than 5,000. The decrease in retail mobility or workplace mobility hasnt been as sharp as its neighbours, while its mobility trends for parks and public spaces has actually increased since Bavaria became the first German state to go into lockdown, doing so on March 20. The number of daily cases began to fall within eight days of that. As of next week, rules will be relaxed and small shops will be allowed to open once again. Germany retail mobility rates Germany transit mobility rates Germany parks mobility rates New York A temporary field hospital to treat covid-19 patients set up in Central Park, New York City. (Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images) With different US states adopting different strategies, New York governor Andrew Cuomo told all non-essential workers to stay home on March 20. Despite that, the mobility rates, particularly for public parks and grocery stores, hasnt dropped nearly as much as European countries (Germany aside), and the same time period has seen the city become the new epicentre of the outbreak. USA retail mobility rates USA transit mobility rates USA parks mobility rates NY retail mobility rates New York has over 200,000 confirmed cases and 16,000 deaths (nearly half the cases for the entire country). The first set of charts shows the US as a whole, while below are the mobility rates for New York. USA: NY transit mobility rates NEW YORK: NY parks mobility rates Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK An Idaho farmer has decided to donate almost two million potatoes to anybody who claims a share of the crop after the coronavirus turned the potato supply chain upside down. Shutdown orders have caused an unprecedented collapse in the demand for produce, leaving farmers across the US burdened with an abundance of supplies that cannot be sold. Last week, dairy farmers in Wisconsin were left to pour 30,000 gallons (113,562 litres) of milk away each day during the pandemic because of the sudden drop in demand. Ordinarily, one third of dairy sales in the state are sold to the food-service trade, including businesses, schools, and restaurants, which have been ordered shut for weeks. Cranney Farms in Oakley, Idaho, began dumping potatoes on Tuesday before its CEO, Ryan Cranney, used Facebook to advertise the potato giveaway. We started dumping potatoes today as we have no home for them because of this Covid 19 disaster, wrote Mr Cranney. The potato supply chain has definitely been turned upside down. If you would like a few bags come on by. The potato CEO, who traditionally sells potatoes to french fry factories, supermarkets and restaurants, told CNN that the market had disappeared. With people staying at home, these restaurants have shut down and so our markets have just kind of fallen apart, said Mr Cranney. The factories that we sell to for french fries, theyve lost their sales and had to shut their factories down with freezers full of french fries, and so the outlets for our potatoes, were having a difficult time getting them to market. Cranney Farm told CNN that it now plans to cut-back on the amount of crops grown this year, but that if the shutdown drags on longer for several more months, it could be a total disaster. People are going to lose their farms over this. Whilst the farm also produces other crops, Mr Cranney told CNN that the potatoes have been the hardest hit and ordinarily account for more than half of his sales. Still, the Idaho farmer has been completely blown away by the response to his potato hand-out, with one woman driving for 19 hours from Kansas to collect potatoes. People are coming from all over the place, said Mr Cranney. Morning rush hour has moved from 7am to 11am under coronavirus restrictions, according to smart meters tracking home power use. But the more leisurely approach to rising time isn't slowing energy consumption, which is up on average 11pc in the homes surveyed and by 20pc in some households. Smart meters installed by energy company Pinergy show morning time electricity usage has slumped by up to 30pc and the peak time for switching on has moved from 7am to 11am. The other pre-pandemic daily peak, the evening rush hour, has also changed dramatically with up to 20pc less electricity being used. Peak plugging-in time is still 7pm but there's a more gradual rise to that point compared with previously when electricity usage soared rapidly as commuters landed home from work. The reverse is the case in the middle of the day with electricity usage from 9am-5pm up by almost 30pc. Peter Bastable, Pinergy director, said the changes showed the impact of people working, schooling and isolating at home. "We have all made drastic changes to our lifestyles in the last few weeks and this is reflected in our energy consumption patterns," he said. "Depending on how long restrictions go on for, we are likely to continue to see changing patterns of energy consumption." The changes are tracked in a joint initiative by Pinergy and property agents Savills. Sharyn McAndrew, head of sustainability at Savills, said the restrictions appeared to be promoting a better work-life balance. "The challenge for employers will be to ensure some of this new-found balance in our day can be maintained once the restrictions end," she said. Other changes include a 4pc reduction in energy use by city dwellers in general, a 12pc drop by young renters and a 30pc decrease by students, with many moving back to the family home. Pinergy is one of five energy providers to have announced price cuts, but consumer groups have warned home energy bills will still rise as long as the majority are at home most of the day. Australia is expected to see a surge in COVID-19 deaths in coming days despite being on course to eliminate the virus. The number of infections across the country peaked at 460 on March 28 but the rate has significantly dropped following the implementation of strict social distancing measures. There have been 63 coronavirus deaths in Australia and at least 6,508 cases. While more than half have recovered, there are 42 patients on ventilators across the country. Coronavirus infections across Australia peaked at 460 on March 28 but continue to drop. Pictured: Patients seen using the drive through Covid 19 testing clinic in Bondi on April 8 University of Melbourne Professor James McCaw said the next few weeks would be 'absolutely crucial', news.com.au reported. 'We will inevitably see an increased caseload from the last few weeks, we are going to see an increase in hospitalisations, admissions to ICU and deaths,' he said. But the anticipated increase in fatalities would be driven from earlier infections. 'It's really important at this time to realise that wave of hospitalisations and infections will be driven by the past cases from the last few weeks,' Professor McCaw said. Professor McCaw said the increase was 'inevitable' and didn't mean health services or the government had lost control of the outbreak. 'We don't have an overwhelmed hospital system yet and we may never have one if we continue to base our responses on the best available evidence,' he said. There have been 63 coronavirus deaths in Australia and at least 6,508 cases. While more than half have recovered, there are 42 patients on ventilators across the country. Pictured: Police patrol Double Bay to enforce social distancing to combat COVID-19 outbreak New modelling from the Doherty Institute has shown that COVID-19 is on the decline in Australia. The research found that 93 per cent of all symptomatic cases of coronavirus in Australia are probably identified. The fresh modelling also predicts that every 10 cases of coronavirus in Australia will produce just five more fresh infections. 'Our best estimate at the moment in Australia is for every 10 infectious cases, they're only reproducing another five and this shows our epidemic at the moment is in decline,' the Doherty Institute's epidemiology director Professor Jodie McVernon said. 'That's great because it shows the public health measures that have been in place have been very effective in limiting the spread of this disease. But it doesn't let us be complacent.' Australia is expected to see a surge in COVID-19 deaths in coming days despite being on course to eliminate the virus. The anticipated increase in fatalities is driven from earlier infections. Pictured: Walkers on a coastal walk in Sydney's eastern suburbs over the Easter weekend Prof McVernon warned that if the current measures were relaxed too early, every 10 cases would create another 25 over the course of the infection. The reproductive number gives the average number of secondary infections each positive case is likely to produce and reproduce. Prof McVernon was referring to the COVID-19 modelling data released on Thursday, after work by her and colleagues at the Doherty Institute. The infection and immunity institute is one of the key Australian bodies in the battle against the virus. Prof McCaw said the modelling does not run so far as to show when elimination is possible. New modelling from the Doherty Institute has shown that COVID-19 is on the decline in Australia. The research found that 93 per cent of all symptomatic cases of coronavirus in Australia are probably identified. Pictured: Drive-through coronavirus testing centre at Bondi 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 'We have to be very cautious about extrapolating too far into the future,' he said, adding elimination would take at least months not weeks. 'If there were changes in our mixing behaviour or our intervention methods over that month and beyond, these numbers will change,' he said. It comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison said social distancing restrictions could be rolled back in a month, depending on improvements in combatting the virus. The latest modelling does not rule out small localised outbreaks, which cannot be reliably predicted, or changes to human behaviour. 'If we are all still susceptible to this virus, if we don't have immunity, life as normal is not a real option because the virus will come back from somewhere,' Prof McVernon said. Researchers from the Doherty Institute said coronavirus infections could increase again if social distancing rules were loosened. Pictured: Shopper at Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne, on Easter Saturday 'We can't isolate ourselves from the world forever.' While international estimates show undetected cases could be as high as 40 to 60 per cent, Australian experts say it's still uncertain. Quarantine and physical distancing are pivotal to reduce asymptomatic transmission, they added. As for going back to 'normal life', Australians need to rethink that. 'The real danger is back to life as normal discussion because that cannot happen for a very long time,' Prof McVernon said. 'We just need to get that in our consciousness as a society.' Jeffree Star is being called out on social media for ignoring social distancing practices. The 34-year-old YouTuber and makeup artist spent $14.6 million on a 25,000 square-foot house in Hidden Hills, California in December, but since quarantine began, he's left his home to run non-essential errands, like picking up a new luxury car. Even more brazenly, though, he has also invited friends over, sharing a photo of himself and and his social media manager posing after doing their makeup together. Following the rules? Jeffree Star is being called out on social media for ignoring social distancing practices Having friends over? This week, he shared a photo of himself at home with his social media manager. It's unclear if she is living at his house New wheels: Just days before California's shelter order, he went out to pick up a custom McLaren Jeffree has referenced 'quarantine' several times across Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, but the beauty vlogger doesn't seem to actually be adhering to any sort of quarantine or self-isolation. On March 20, he uploaded a YouTube video called 'Never Leaving My House Again' in which he does, in fact, leave his house. At the end of the clip, Jeffree went to pick up a custom-made pink McLaren, visiting a busy garage to see the car and drive it home. And while the rest of the video was filmed at his house, several other people were there, despite calls for individuals to stay at home. 'We're going to get ready today. We're going to get ready in this quarantine environment,' Jeffree said near the top of the clip, after greeting his hair stylist in his home Post COVID-19 world: On March 20, he uploaded a YouTube video called 'Never Leaving My House Again' in which he does, in fact, leave his house Glam squad: He has a hair stylist do his hair, but also heads out to get Botox Errands: He also goes out to pick up a brand new car that he had customized Meet and greet: Jeffree walked through a busy garage and met with several people 'Everyone out there watching, I think the world is in a really weird state now,' he said. 'I looked at my last makeup review that was at the end of February, and then things really got serious in March,' he explained as his hair stylist intently looked on. 'The fact that there's real cities on full lockdown. There's so much happening, it's just really overwhelming.' In addition to getting glammed up at home, he also appeared to visit a dermatologist's office to get Botox. In the video's description, Jeffree explains that the video was 'filmed a few days ago before California went on full lock down' though even before that official order went into place, residents has been encouraged to practice social distancing. Out and about: Jeffree said the video was shot before California's shelter order but social distancing was still recommended at the time Look at me! The makeup artist posed with the new hot pink car Collection! Shockingly, Jeffree actually has several pink McLarens Puppers: He also has two new dogs brought over to his home 'Right now we are not allowed to leave our homes unless to get food or medicine,' he wrote. 'It's been hard to sit down and film with all of this craziness happening.' But if that video was filmed before California's shelter order went into effect, Jeffree's Twitter photo from April 15 was not. 'Quarantine and do our makeup,' he captioned the image of himself and Kammi. Jeffree has also shared photos of his two new pet dogs, who were delivered this month. Commenters on Twitter have been quick to call the makeup artist out for not following the rules. 'I think Jeffree Star needs to address why hes having people over at his house. You need to self quarantine!' wrote a woman named Bianca. Stop it! Commenters have called him out for not socially distancing 'Thats literally the opposite of quarantine btw,' a man named Zachary commented on the picture of Jeffree and Kammi. 'Your deff not taking social distancing seriously at all.. but ya cool glad you go to do your makeup,' added a user name Kristen. 'Newsflash, its not quarantine when you have someone over, also, you are in the high risk category with your asthma, so risky for you to have anyone over,' chided another commenter. 'That doesnt look like social distancing to me Jeffree... I love you, your makeup, and your content, but you have a LARGE audience and you should be setting a better example,' added someone named Alex. Some have speculated that Jeffree may not be having guests over, but rather, that he may have invited some people to stay with him at his house. New digs: In December, he dropped $14.6 million on a new home in Hidden Hills, California Stunning: The home boasts eight bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, two guest houses, and a two-floor gym Space to relax: Star, 34, first announced in October on Twitter that he and boyfriend Nathan Schwandt were house hunting. They have since split up Spacious: The backyard includes a large pool, an outdoor kitchen, a built-in BBQ area, and an unfinished barn Fancy: The home also comes equipped with an elevator to transport Star between the three floors Jeffree had initially bought the home with his ex, skateboarder Nathan Schwandt, before the pair split in January after five years together. The home boasts eight bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, and was an upgrade from his $3.6 million home that he'd lived in for three years. The new house is one of the more extravagant mansions in the community of nearly 700 homes, all of which is guarded by three main gated entrances. Upon entering the more than 25,000 square-foot home, visitors are greeted in a large entryway and a double staircase leading up to the second floor. There are also two separate guest houses on the property, a 4,700 square-foot garage to park Star's luxury vehicles, a ballroom, a master bathroom complete with a sauna, a spa room, a two-story gym, and a wine cellar. Brand new: The Hidden Hills mansion was built in 2007, according to Variety Lots to do: There's also a 4,700 square-foot garage to park Star's luxury vehicles, a ballroom, a master bathroom complete with a sauna, a spa room, and a wine cellar All the amenities: The gym spreads out over two floors Amenities: It wouldn't be a California mega-mansion with out a built-in home theater Time to play: The home comes equipped with a game room The backyard includes a large pool, an outdoor kitchen, a built-in BBQ area, and an unfinished barn that could be converted into a third guesthouse or even a studio space for Star to film his many YouTube videos. The Hidden Hills mansion was built in 2007, according to Variety, and then acquired by financier Jeff Feinberg and part-time actress Stacey Feinberg in May 2010 for $13 million. The couple briefly lived in the mansion before moving out during their divorce. Neighbors will Kris Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Drake, The Weeknd, and John Stamos. Venezuela out of gas, Maduro out of options Mathias Delacroix /AP A city worker sprays disinfectant at a gas station in the Chacao neighborhood of Caracas. - Oil-rich Venezuela is running out of gas - Maduro is running out of options By Ana Vanessa Herrero and Anthony Faiola/Washington Post CARACAS Petroleumworld 04 17 2020 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. Read more: In Venezuela's oil capital, life is a struggle. So is death. 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. Read more: U.S. proposes transitional government for Venezuela, without Maduro or Guaido Venezuelan migrants return to homeland during coronavirus outbreak Almost two million Venezuelan migrants have fled to Colombia, but the lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus has left many without work or residence. (Reuters) 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 shortage 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 imposed sanctions on 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. Read More: In the U.S. embargo on Venezuelan oil, Russia is a clear winner Russia appears to have halted gasoline shipments to Venezuela, 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 AG 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. Read more: Russian oil giant Rosneft pulls out of Venezuela amid U.S. squeeze on Maduro 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 five 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 is 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. Read more: U.S. indicts Venezuela's Maduro on narcoterrorism charges, offers $15 million reward for his capture 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, on 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 because of 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. Mariana Zuniga in Caracas contributed to this report. Recognizing outstanding staff All Hands on Deck is a new series profiling staff members working tirelessly behind the scenes to help Emory continue its academic and health care missions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Know someone we should consider? Email suggestions to l.douglasbrown@emory.edu. The blue coats are not working from home. They are there, fully present, in Emorys hospitals and health care campuses to talk with anyone who needs them patients, families or staff. We talk about the zone of resilience, but this is going way out of bounds, says George Grant, executive director of spiritual health for Emory Healthcare. Staff support has become critical. Folks are carrying not only their anxieties and fears about work, but also about what is happening at home. They are leaving their loved ones and coming back into that atmosphere day in and day out. Their roles are constantly changing, its just overwhelming. We lean up against a wall that is six feet away and are there for people, he adds. The best we can do is to show that were nearby. People feel a sense of calm, knowing that one of the blue coats is on the unit. The spiritual health team includes 46 full-time staff and 52 part-time staff who serve across the Emory Healthcare system, 24/7. It began as the Emory Center for Pastoral Services more than 50 years ago and has evolved over time. We respond to patients, family and staff by caring for the whole person through every stage of health, says Grant, who has a masters of divinity from Emorys Candler School of Theology and is a United Methodist minister. "We care for the spiritual health of all people, regardless of faith or culture. Our role is multi-faith, interfaith or no faith we are trained to be led by the persons own values. Because of the unique isolation imposed by COVID-19, spiritual health staff have been called on to stand in for family members of patients. In that moment, we care for our patients while maintaining protection for ourselves and others, Grant says. We may talk to a family member by phone or on Facetime, being a bridge to the loved one. Mary Beth Krivanek, senior chaplain at Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital, has been placing baby monitors in ICU rooms to connect patients with families who cant visit. Spiritual health staff have held debriefings for medical teams during daily huddles or while coping with COVID-19 deaths. And they have supported staff from food, facilities and environmental services. We are with people as they prepare to go into rooms, we want them to feel figuratively held as they go about that dangerous work, Grant says. They have also filmed a series of videos on topics from anxiety reduction, to mindfulness and meditative breathing, to support found in scripture, available to anyone who might need them. In Clean Hands, Calm Heart, psychiatrist Charles Chuck Raison shows how the simple act of washing your hands can be paired with prayer or meditation; in Hope and Beauty in the Chaos, Timothy Park, director of spiritual health at Emory Johns Creek Hospital, shares his own fears and how to find solace in slowing down; and in Angels with Us, Chaplain Joyce Young of Emory Decatur Hospital talks about combatting the invisible, relentless coronavirus through clinical SWAT teams and spiritual guidance and protection. We started the videos three or four weeks ago, Grant says. Weve got about 15 in the hopper right now and are doing more every day. To view the videos, go to the Emory Healthcare spiritual health web resources. I tend to watch the video content every night, he adds. I feel comforted by the sense of common purpose. We are adapting and creating new, multifaceted ways of having human contact. Were generating a sense of hope when theres a great deal of discouragement, despondency, despair. Thats our reason for being. Spiritually serving dispersed campus communities Lyn Pace, chaplain of Oxford College of Emory, is used to seeing students on campus, running into them in the dining hall or while walking through the temple of the trees on the quad. These days, however, he sees students in a more deliberate fashion. I had my first Zoom meeting with the leaders of our religious and spiritual life clubs a few Wednesdays ago, Pace says. I had them reflect on a high, a low, and a grateful to share with each other. It was a revealing and beautiful moment. There were a lot of tears. Some are living in the same house with immunosuppressed siblings or elders. Others were lamenting the losses of community, campus-wide events, all the festivities that come with the month of April, Commencement weekend celebrations. But the students shared joys as well: Many of them spoke about getting extra time with parents and family in a time of uncertainty, Pace says. Underlying much of it for them is the same as for me wondering when we will return to any normalcy and what that new normal, including our rituals and routines and rhythms, will look like. Rituals and traditions bind religious communities, and the holy days of many faiths occur in the spring, from Passover, to Easter, to Ramadan. Our teams have been working tirelessly to figure out how to continue to offer care for students scattered across the world, Pace says. They seek to foster the same kind of community remotely as they do when were all together. And they do all of this when, like the rest of us, they are unsettled at headline after headline that comes our way. It gives me hope, and Im grateful. Lisa Garvin, associate dean of the chapel and religious life at Emory, stayed on campus the week after spring break, while students were moving out. I wanted to be there to have conversations, check in and ask, how are you doing? How can we help? Garvin is also assisting with triaging EmoryTogether Fund requests. The $5 million fund was created to help degree-seeking students who have experienced financial hardships resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Every day, she says, I go on a walk for my own mental health, but Im also scrolling through the contacts in my phone, sending quick notes, letting people know Im thinking of you and am grateful for your work or your leadership in these difficult times. Pastoral conversations have arisen out of that. Its a reminder that they have my cell phone number. One student who stayed in town is living by himself and is sometimes just lonely, says Garvin. He reached out and I try to check in regularly. You have to be thoughtful of peoples differing circumstances. Some are alone and have less to do, others have children and family and are working from home and have more to do. Helping students stay connected Emorys Inter-Religious Council (IRC), made up of about 30 undergraduate students, is one of Garvins primary responsibilities. She meets with the group virtually on Monday evenings, the same time as their usual campus meeting. Im really impressed and touched that weve had as many if not more students involved each week than when we were on campus, she says. A lot of us are Zoomed out, but seeing all of their faces in their own spaces lifted some weight for me. It is through these coping mechanisms that mental health and religious traditions intersect. Other religious groups at Emory are doing the same. Emory Hillel, an international, pluralist Jewish campus organization, has gone virtual, sharing traditions, songs, and even Zoom baking online through Facebook and Instagram. Upali Sraman, Buddhist Religious Life Scholar for Emorys Office of Spiritual and Religious Life (OSRL), is continuing to hold Buddhist meetings online at their regular time and has also experienced increased attendance. The Buddhist meetings include Emory Healthcare and CDC employees, and students parents and family members joining in from home. And while Muslim authorities have cancelled Friday Jumah prayers around the world during these extraordinary times, a number of Muslim scholars are doing virtual outreach and online teaching. As Ramadan approaches, Emorys Muslim Students Association (MSA) is using online platforms to foster community in partnership with MSAs around town and at other universities. My office is excited to partner with Emory Dining Services to augment the Ramadan experience for students still living on campus by arranging suhoor and iftar meals, says Isam Vaid, Muslim Religious Life Scholar at the OSRL. Garvin says religious leaders are working to reframe what to love your neighbor means right now: Its so counterintuitive, because at the very moment we most want to be with each other, the way we fulfill the commandments of our tradition is not to gather in person. Kevin Crawford, assistant chaplain at Emory, recently spoke with a student who wanted to know how I am living in the darkness, especially without being able to light as many candles as usual. We have given up our freedom. Students miss being on campus and seeing friends, peers, colleagues, even strangers. This is a student class that is very community driven, very confident about their abilities and capacity, and that has taken a hit. A global pandemic has reset our identities, individually and collectively, in numerous ways, says Crawford. But this challenging time is not without opportunities. Theres a great interpretation of a Christian story, where one world is passing behind you as another is coming up before you, he says. The virus proves we are all one. Weve had to establish new boundaries. There is a lot of fear, and the nature of living together is changing. Students are keenly aware of that, having been dropped in the middle of it. Weve elected to do the hard work of living in a crisis together. Hours after the Reserve Bank of India announced a slew of measures to mitigate the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the apex bank's decisions. He said that the RBI Governor's announcements that he made during the press conference would help the farmers, poor and MSMEs. "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 limits," said PM Modi on Twitter. 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 limits. - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 17, 2020 The RBI Governor on Friday announced TLTRO of Rs 50,000 crore for small and mid-sized corporates including non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and micro finance institutions (MFIs) get enough liquidity. "The RBI will conduct targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO 2.0) for an aggregate amount of Rs 50,000 crore, to begin with, in tranches of appropriate sizes," said Das. The funds under TLTRO must be invested in investment grade bonds, commercial paper and non-convertible debentures, with at least 50 per cent going to small and mid-sized NBFCs and MFIs. Also read: Coronavirus Live Updates: Over 1,000 COVID-19 cases in India in 24 hours; country's total count past 13,000-mark "The initial efforts to provide adequate system level liquidity are reflected in the sizeable net absorptions under reverse repo operations. With this achieved, the RBI has undertaken measures to target liquidity provision to sectors and entities which are experiencing liquidity constraints and, or hindrances to market access," Das said. Also read: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das announces fresh stimulus: Key highlights Also read: RBI booster 2.0: Housing finance to get Rs 50,000 crore refinancing facility 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. The British couple at the centre of the transatlantic internet adoption scandal have accused police and social workers of snatching the babies. Judith Kilshaw said she wasn't even allowed to say goodbye to the six-month-old sisters while her solicitor husband Alan pledged to fight for them through the courts. Their comments came as North Wales Police and social services officials dramatically swooped on the Beaufort Park Hotel close to the market town of Mold. Det Insp Nick Crabtree said a protection order, granted under the Children's Act 1989, was served on the Kilshaws shortly before 9.50pm. Speaking a short time later in her hotel room, a drawn Mrs Kilshaw, 47, whose screams could be heard as the children were taken away, spoke of her fears that she might never see them again. She said: "I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to the kids. They put themselves physically between them and us. I'm going to get myself a damn good lawyer, first move, and then I'm going to put in a complaint about the police." She added that social services and police claimed there were concerns about the babies' care and suggested they were incapable parents. The mother-of-four said they also wanted to question the couple's two young sons although her later claims that they too had been taken into care remained unsubstantiated. She said: "The Government just wanted to make an example of us because we dared to tackle them. As for my good friends and neighbours who said so many things about us, well they can rot in hell. " Solicitor Mr Kilshaw, 45, said the family had already enlisted the help of a leading lawyer and would "fight as long and hard" as necessary, saying: "There is no reason given at all for why they were taken away. We obviously realised it was a possibility. There is a political agenda here." [Why wont society let black girls be children?] Still determined to give my kids the tools to resist the messages that tell them their race is something to be remedied or resolved, Ive set about finding ways to convey the beauty of our culture year round but especially during Black History Month by reaching out to experts and other parents whove found a way. Amber Hewitt, Ph.D., a psychologist who specializes in the development of identity among African-American children and adolescents, said that black joy and resistance stems from knowing who we are and where we come from, the good and the bad. There needs to be a balance in how we represent our history: the pain, achievement, atrocities, victory, oppression and joy all of it, she explained. Im trying to be careful not to erase the pain in our story, but there are plenty of joyful moments to share, too. For instance, the kids and I read books together like The Bell Rang and Let the Children March to start conversations about living while black during slavery and the civil rights movement. Then, to plant seeds of self-love, we read the beautifully illustrated book I Am Enough. Those seeds are essential for my black children, who are coming of age in Wyoming. My 4-year-old already notices that hes different from his peers, who are mostly white. And while my 1-year-old daughter is too young to know the difference, I want both of my kids to learn to be proud of who they are before its too late. How long have you lived in Tripoli? My whole life until 2018, when I got to study at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. I visited Libya every summer and winter break, but during these extraordinary times and despite the ongoing conflict, I decided to go back home because I believe that home is a feeling, not only a place. If this pandemic is going to be the end of the world, then Id rather die in my hometown next to my family. What are you seeing and hearing around you right now? Living in Tripoli nowadays means hearing drones flying above your head most of the time. It means hearing projectiles falling around you. It means seeing and smelling smoke and polluted air when you open your window because of the places that get bombed. And finally, it means putting your earphones on whenever there is intensive shelling, so you can forget about the reality a little. Thats it for this briefing. As we end another week, I wanted to thank all the readers whove written recently, particularly those whove asked how we at The Times are doing. It means a lot to us. See you next time. Chris Thank you To Melissa Clark for the recipe, and to Theodore Kim and Jahaan Singh for the rest of the break from the news. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com. P.S. Were listening to The Daily. Todays episode includes an interview with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, whose district has been hit hard by the coronavirus. Heres todays Mini Crossword, and a clue: Container of peanut butter or jelly (three letters). You can find all our puzzles here. Apoorva Mandavilli, the founding editor in chief of Spectrum, an award-winning news site on autism science, is joining The Times as a health and science writer. Kathmandu, April 17 The government of Qatar has denied a charge made by the international human rights organisation, Amnesty International, that it expelled many Nepali workers in the name of testing them for the coronavirus infection. The organisation on Wednesday had said it had interviewed 20 Nepali men who told that the Qatari police detained them in March saying they were being tested for the virus, but expelled them to Nepal after several days. However, the Qatari governments Communications Office says, The individuals were repatriated to their country of citizenship in accordance with Qatars legal system. It informs, During routine inspections as part of the governments coronavirus control measures, officials uncovered individuals engaged in illegal and illicit activity. This included the manufacture and sale of banned and prohibited substances, along with the sale of dangerous food goods that could seriously threaten the health of people if consumed. The government has also denied keeping the workers in appalling conditions in detention centres, saying, The State of Qatar treats all who are arrested or detained in our country with respect, dignity, and humanity in line with international standards. Meanwhile, the statement accuses Amnesty of being biased against Doha. Since the start of the coronavirus global pandemic, Amnesty International has committed a disproportionate amount of time and resources to make unfounded allegations against Qatar. They consistently distort the reality of the public health response and fail to acknowledge the numerous measures introduced to protect the wellbeing of citizens and residents. A millionaire property tycoon has escaped the threat of jail in a court fight with the mother of his five kids over their 2.15m Chelsea home. Peter Andreewitch, 57, and long-term partner Magali Moutreuil, 46, got together in 1998 but split after almost 20 years in 2017. The house in Chelsea, in which they raised their children, is now at the centre of a tug of war between the wealthy former couple, with both Mr Andreewitch and Ms Moutreuil claiming the Grade-II listed home, a few doors from the cottage where Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh lived, belongs entirely to them. Peter Andreewitch, left, and Magali Moutreuil, right, split up in 2017 after spending almost 20 years and having five children together. The pair are battling in the High Court over the ownership of a 2.1 million property in Chelsea where they reared their family The couple both claim they should have sole ownership of their home in Chelsea The battle escalated earlier this year when Ms Moutreuil won a court order that could have seen her former partner committed to prison for contempt of court over financial breaches relating to the house row. But Mr Andreewitch, who is Austrian, has now successfully challenged the order in the Court of Appeal, where top judges found that he had not received a fair trial when he faced off against Ms Moutreuil in the divorce courts. The Court of Appeal in London heard that the seed of the row over who gets the multi-million pound mortgage-free former family home, were planted in July 2000 when the couple had been together just two years. The house had been owned since 1993 by Mr Andreewitch through a company, Pier Investment Company Ltd, but in 2000 he transferred 'the entirety of the shares in the company' to his then new girlfriend Ms Moutreuil. He made the move in a bid to 'shield' his UK properties from 'future exposure,' he told the court, but had never intended Ms Moutreuil to be the beneficial owner of their house. After their relationship broke down in 2017, but whilst they were still living together in the home with their kids, Mr Andreewitch 'began to insist to Ms Moutreuil that she had no rights or interests in the property.' However Ms Moutreuil refused to back down to pressure from her wealthy former partner, who the court heard has a number of 'UK properties' as well as having previously invested in real estate in eastern Germany. Ms Moutreuil was company secretary for Pier Investment Company LTD between 2000 and 2015. During their family court battle earlier this year, Mrs Justice Lieven said Ms Moutreuil's case was that while feeling a 'moral obligation' to her former partner, 'she has outright ownership of the shares and property.' 'Mr Andreewitch's position is that she has no interest whatsoever in the property and shares,' the judge added. The judge went on to find that Mr Andreewitch had breached a freezing order imposed in March 2019 banning either of the warring couple from withdrawing money from the bank account of the company through which the house is owned, except for legitimate company reasons. Ms Moutreuil said that her former partner had flouted that order and 'effectively used the bank account as his personal piggy bank, making regular payments out of it,' both before and after the freezing order was made. But Mr Andreewitch insisted that all payments out of the company account were legitimate, being either his salary, repayments of loans he had made to the business, or money to cover the company's legal expenses. Mr Justice Lieven dubbed Mr Andreewitch 'an unreliable witness' and concluded: 'I have found that he did breach the order and did so in deliberate and full knowledge that he was in breach of it.' But the Court of Appeal overturned that finding because the divorce judge had failed to inform Mr Andreewitch that he had the right to remain silent at the committal application brought by his former partner. The property investor, who was representing himself without the help of a barrister, underwent a lengthy cross examination about payments made from the account before the judge found he had breached the freezing order. It had been 'a serious procedural irregularity' for Mr Andreewitch not to have been told by the judge that he was not obliged to answer any of the questions he faced, given that he was potentially facing jail, said appeal judge Lord Justice Peter Jackson. 'The right to silence is a core element in criminal proceedings and proceedings of a criminal character....This is particularly important when considering procedural matters where a person's liberty is at stake,' he added, allowing Mr Andreewitch's appeal in a judgment given last month. The battle b will now return to the divorce courts, where Ms Moutreuil may have the option to bring another committal application should she wish to do so. Chinas Low-Yield Nukes Are Perfect for Gray Zone Provocations Commentary Chinas testing of low-yield nuclear weapons is consistent with its strategy to intensify strategic U.S. competition in the gray zone just below the threshold of armed conflict. Low-yield nuclear warheads of less than 5 kilotons (KT) are the perfect weapon to blur the distinction between nuclear and conventional warfare. Fielding such a low collateral damage system would give China the capability to back the United States into a corner, where full-scale thermonuclear war or capitulation would be a U.S. presidents only options. Nuclear testing allows the Chinese regime to improve its atomic warheads, but it could also lead to a new generation of earth-penetrating low-yield nuclear weapons that would limit collateral damage from radioactive fallout caused by dirt thrown into the air from a blast. The 2017 U.S. National Security Strategy warned that the United States was entering a period of intensifying strategic rivalry with China. In addition to traditional adversarial efforts to coerce, acquire influence within, or destabilize key countries and regions, China would expand the spectrum of gray zone competition to psychological warfare, subversion of political systems, and covert paramilitary and information operations. To respond to gray zone provocations, the RAND Corp. suggests the United States divide its responses into three categories: aggressive actions that the United States should seek to deter; persistent actions it must live with but compete against; and moderate actions in the middle that the United States should actively seek to discourage over time. Another example of China competing in the gray zone is the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty that was signed by the United States and Russia in 1987 to eliminate all ground-based missiles with ranges between 310 and 3,420 miles. As a non-signatory, China has legally fielded a huge arsenal, of which 90 percent of land-based anti-access/area denial missiles would violate the treaty. This arsenal includes the satellite-guided DF-21D carrier killer that has a target range of 933 miles and a conventional high-explosive warhead that can sink U.S. warships in the eastern Pacific, and target structures at U.S. bases and those of its allies in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. The United States has been forced to live with persistent increases in Chinas conventional missiles. The DF-21D and the new D-17 hypersonic missile are now capable of being armed with low-yield nuclear warheads to attack underground bunkers and 500-kiloton nuclear warheads to wipe out a fleet or city. Consistent with seeking to deter the proliferation of such destabilizing weapons, the Trump administration withdrew from the INF Treaty on Aug. 2, 2019, and announced on Feb. 4 the deployment of the W76-2 low-yield nuclear warhead on some American ballistic missile submarines. Unlike aircraft carriers that are easy targets for Chinas intermediate-range missiles, U.S. submarines can penetrate Chinas defenses. The U.S. State Department has also alleged that China violated the 1984 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention by developing dual-use civilian and military applications. The Chinese regime is also taking advantage of the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It conducted a series of gray zone provocations, following the withdrawal of the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier task force from the East China Sea on March 24, and the simultaneous lockdown and quarantine of the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier at its pier in Yokosuka, Japan. As Beijing continues its illegal effort to claim territorial rights to 80 percent of the South and East China seas, Chinese fighter jets for the first time in more than a decade violated Taiwan airspace by crossing the median line of the 110-mile wide Taiwan Strait on March 31. Ten days later, an attack formation consisting of several Chinese J-11 jet fighters, H-6 bombers, KJ-500 command and surveillance aircraft violated Taiwans airspace twice. Without an aircraft carrier in the Eastern Pacific, the Trump administration sought to compete with such a persistent threat by increasing EP-3E ARIES II reconnaissance flights and conducting B-52 Stratofortress bomber sorties around Taiwan. When China sent its Liaoning aircraft carrier near the Japanese islands of Okinawa and Miyako over the weekend, the United States on April 13 sought to deter such an aggressive act. The U.S. military conducted an elephant walk at Guams Andersen Air Force Base by lining up five 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. Chriss Street is an expert in macroeconomics, technology, and national security. He has served as CEO of several companies and is an active writer with more than 1,500 publications. He also regularly provides strategy lectures to graduate students at top Southern California universities. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The Associated Press Potentially dangerous coronavirus misinformation has spread from continent to continent like the pandemic itself, forcing the world's largest tech companies to take unprecedented action to protect public health. Facebook, Google and others have begun using algorithms, new rules and factual warnings to knock down harmful coronavirus conspiracy theories, questionable ads and unproven remedies that regularly crop up on their services and which could jeopardise lives. Health officials, critics and others who have long implored the tech companies to step up their response to viral falsehoods have welcomed the new effort, saying the platforms are now working faster than ever to scrub their sites of coronavirus misinformation. It was definitely, within the companies, a shift, said Andy Pattison, manager of digital solutions for the World Health Organization, who for nearly two years has urged companies like Facebook to take more aggressive action against anti-vaccination misinformation. Pattison said he and his team now directly flag misleading coronavirus information and, at times, lobby for it to be removed from Facebook, Google and Google's YouTube service. Last month, Iranian media reported more than 300 people had died and 1,000 were sickened in the country after ingesting methanol, a toxic alcohol rumoured to be a remedy on social media. An Arizona man also died after taking chloroquine phosphate a product that some mistake for the anti-malaria drug chloroquine, which President Donald Trump and conservative pundits have touted as a treatment for COVID-19. Health officials have warned the drug hasn't been proven safe or effective as a virus therapy. Days later, Twitter and Facebook began cracking down in unprecedented ways on posts promoting unverified treatments. Twitter deleted a post by Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani that described hydroxychloroqine, a cousin to chloroquine, as 100 percent effective against coronavirus. The company also removed a tweet from Fox News personality Laura Ingraham touting what she called the drug's promising results. Other widely shared claims that hydroxychloroquine cures COVID-19 live on. A conservative radio host's tweet claiming that ALL hospitals and health care workers are using it with total success has been shared more than 12,000 times. In what may be a first, Facebook removed a post from Brazilian President Jair Bolsanaro, who promoted hydroxychloroquine as working in every place to treat coronavirus. Twitter also removed an associated video. Facebook has long resisted calls to fact check or remove false claims directly made by politicians, arguing the public should be able to see what their elected officials say. In this pandemic, however, the platforms have no choice but to rethink their rules around misinformation, said Dipayan Ghosh, co-director of the Platform Accountability Project at Harvard Kennedy School. The damage to society is clear cut: it's death, Ghosh said. They don't want to be held responsible in any way for perpetuating rumours that could lead directly to death. Other sites have also tightened their policies. YouTube began removing videos that claimed coronavirus was caused by 5G wireless networks last week. Some of the videos had racked up hundreds of thousands of views. Google searches for 5G and coronavirus now redirect users news videos debunking the theory. Facebook-owned private messaging service WhatsApp has limited how many chats users can forward messages to in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 misinformation. Since WhatsApp encrypts all messages, it can't read them to determine if they contain misinformation. The pandemic has thrown up new challenges to content moderation. Early on, health considerations forced the contractors that employ human moderators to send most of them home, where for privacy reasons they couldn't do their jobs. Facebook eventually shifted some of that work to in-house employees and leaned more heavily on artificial-intelligence programs. More recently, it has made new arrangements for contract moderators to do their jobs remotely. Meanwhile, bogus ads for masks, hand sanitizer and unregulated blood tests for COVID-19 still appear on Facebook and Google. And one North Carolina man with 44,000 YouTube subscribers who complained that his videos promoting the 5G and coronavirus theory were removed is now using the platform to hawk $99 subscriptions to view his videos. The tech platforms point out they are putting facts about the virus from news outlets, fact checkers, and health officials in front of their users when their safeguards fail. Google coronavirus and you'll be directed to your local health department. Search on Twitter for coronavirus hoax and you'll get a link to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Watch a coronavirus conspiracy theory video on YouTube and you'll see a label promoting legitimate news outlets and COVID-19 information from the CDC hovering over it. FRONT ROW AT THE TRUMP SHOW By Jonathan Karl 368 pp. Dutton. $28. Karl, the chief White House correspondent at ABC News, has known Donald Trump since 1994, and it shows. While Front Row is primarily a straightforward first-person chronicle of Karls time covering the president, the 26-year relationship helps shape the authors reflections on the role of todays news media and its necessary relationship with a democratic government. Still, the book is mostly a procession of stories. Karl recounts a number of well-known Trump-era controversies, and details plenty of the behind-the-scenes intrigue that readers of Trump books now expect. Karl documents the Trump inner circles reaction to the release of the Access Hollywood tape in October 2016, for example. And one of the books most vivid passages is a retelling of the White Houses disastrous attempt to smooth out its response to the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville: At one point, Karl reports, Trump privately insisted the protesters had a good cause in protecting the statue of Robert E. Lee, praising the Confederate general before abruptly offering aides a tour of the Lincoln Bedroom. But Front Row is at times more about the experience of covering the president than about the man himself, and some of its most noteworthy sections recreate revealing interactions with Trump orbit figures during inflection points in the presidency, like the firing of James Comey. Karl offers insights about many personalities surrounding Trump the former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney once recommended that colleagues read a book drawing approving connections between great leaders and certain kinds of mental illnesses, he writes though he dwells enough on the campaign and early years that many such characters are now long gone. (Remember Sean Spicer?) The book feels weightiest toward its end, when Karl addresses the presidents incessant telling of untruths and Trumps dangerous relationship with the press. Unspooling a distressing private Oval Office meeting with the president on the matter, he concludes, I fear President Trumps war on truth may do lasting damage to American democracy. THE MAGA DOCTRINE The Only Ideas That Will Win the Future By Charlie Kirk 256 pp. Broadside. $28.99. What kind of book is The MAGA Doctrine? Kirks musing about whether The Art of The Deal might one day be considered a religious tract comes just nine chapters after the book highlights the importance of a healthy dose of skepticism about authority figures and experts who think they knew best. And thats just pages after its dedication to Donald Trump, which is five chapters before Kirk wonders whether Trump might be remembered as the president who brought about world peace. A group of people who gathered on Westminster Bridge to join in with the Clap for our Carers campaign have been criticised for showing a "concerning" lack of social distancing during the round of applause. A video posted to Twitter shows police cars parked on the central London bridge, as crowds gather in front of them to clap for NHS staff and key workers on the frontline during the coronavirus pandemic. But the clip has prompted backlash amid concerns people were not standing the required two metres apart during the applause. A junior doctor who shared the footage on Twitter said: "I'm a doctor working at the hospital that's right there. And yes, I was also somewhat perplexed by the lack of social distancing..." Also sharing the video, Dale Lowe said: "Should we applaud the stupidity of every person on Westminster Bridge. "No social distancing, not staying at home and certainly not protecting the NHS. You couldnt make this up." Responding to the footage, the Met Police said it "regularly reminds its officers of the importance of social distancing where practical". Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick was on the bridge to lead dozens of officers in the weekly applause for key workers. Downing Street also stepped in, urging people to follow social distancing guidance. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: We would ask that everyone takes responsibility and adheres to social distancing rules so that we can safely show our appreciation for those who are working so hard to fight coronavirus. He added: We would ask that in showing their appreciation for those who are working so hard as carers, they do so in a way which adheres to the social distancing rules. After the video was shared online, one Twitter user wrote: "Regardless of the time, and your clapping for NHS staff, you don't get immunity in this period! "Police are NOT enforcing social distancing AT ALL; they are complicit." Others said: "This is so silly - yes praise the NHS but not whilst youre mixing in the city centre not socially distanced from others and therefore potentially adding more stress to the NHS and putting yourself and others at risk." In a separate video, footage shows police cars parked outside Chelsea and Westminster Hospital with sirens on, as officers stand and pay tribute to the NHS. But the clip also shows crowds gathering behind the police cars and on the streets, prompting concern from members of the public about the lack of social distancing. Commenting on the footage, Twitter users called for people to "stop clapping and start dispersing". One user wrote: "I see social distancing doesn't apply on Thursday evenings." Another said: "Couldnt care less about the clapping, youre encouraging a crowd to form." Clap for our Carers during lockdown: Thursday 16th April 2020 1 /34 Clap for our Carers during lockdown: Thursday 16th April 2020 NHS workers hold a Thank You Captain Tom message outside the Aintree University Hospital Reuters Nurses applaud outside University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers NHS initiative to applaud NHS workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA Soldiers at the Wellington Barracks, London, salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers initiative to recognise and support NHS workers and carers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA Mark Black and his sons, Thomas (left), four, and Adam, 10, from Markethill in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, play Lambeg drums outside their home to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers initiative to recognise and support NHS workers and carers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA NHS workers applaud outside King's College Hospital Reuters An NHS staff member wipes her eyes as she holds a sign to thank British veteran Captain Tom Moore AFP via Getty Images Soldiers at the Wellington Barracks, London, salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers initiative to recognise and support NHS workers and carers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA Nurses outside the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, as they join in to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers NHS initiative to applaud NHS workers and carers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA A woman stands on a balcony with placards in support of the NHS AP Police officers at Westminster Bridge during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab clapping outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers initiative to recognise and support NHS workers and carers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA Firefighters take a picture before the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters St Mary's lighthouse in Whitley Bay on the North East coast is illuminated blue in recognition and support of NHS workers and carers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA Nurses outside the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers NHS initiative to applaud NHS workers and carers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak clapping outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers initiative to recognise and support NHS workers and carers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA Police officers in the street near to the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers NHS initiative to applaud NHS workers and carers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA Health Secretary Jeane Freeman, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Dr Gregor Smith Scotland's interim chief medical officer applaud outside St Andrew's House, the headquarters building of the Scottish Government in Edinburgh, to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers initiative to recognise and support NHS workers and carers fighting the coronavirus pandemic. PA Labour leader Keir Starmer takes part in a national "clap for carers" to show thanks for the work of the NHS AFP via Getty Images Traffic, firearms, patrol, mounted and dog units from Avon and Somerset Police join in the applause in Clevedon, Somerset, to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers initiative to recognise and support NHS workers and carers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA People stand in the street near to the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers NHS initiative to applaud NHS workers and carers fighting the coronavirus pandemic. PA Residents applaud from their block of flats in Glasgow as they to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers initiative to recognise and support NHS workers and carers fighting the coronavirus pandemic. PA Nurses outside the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, as they join in to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers NHS initiative to applaud NHS workers and carers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA A dog in at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, helps to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers NHS initiative to applaud NHS workers and carers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA Nurses applaud outside University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers NHS initiative to applaud NHS workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA The scene outside Leeds General Infirmary as members of the emergency services salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers NHS initiative to applaud NHS workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA A double decker bus is decorated in support of the NHS at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne, to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers initiative to recognise and support NHS workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA Another called for the officers to "stop clapping and start dispersing that large group of people right next to you, if you really wanna help the NHS". NHS England has advised that people should be keeping to the latest Government advice of staying two metres away from other people. A spokesman for the Met Police said: "Officers, along with other emergency service workers, came together last night on Westminster Bridge to celebrate the work of all key workers. "A large number of members of the public also gathered to express their gratitude. "While many people adhered to social distancing guidance, it appears that some did not. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast: Mumbai: Amitabh Bachchan took to social media to celebrate the completion of 12 years of his blog. At the same time, he has left a question for his readers, asking them how did they "tolerate" his blog for so many years! Big B tweeted on Friday morning: "12 YEARS of my Blog today .. began first DAY on 17th April 2008 .. today 4424 DAYs , thats four thousand four hundred and twenty four days of writing my Blog .. EVERYDAY , without missing out a single day .. ! Thank you my Ef .. love and because of you." T 3504 - 12 YEARS of my Blog today .. began first DAY on 17th April 2008 .. today 4424 DAYs , thats four thousand four hundred and twenty four days of writing my Blog .. EVERYDAY , without missing out a single day .. ! Thank you my Ef .. love and because of you ..pic.twitter.com/S7IHHLb9tr Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 17, 2020 At the same time, the actor expressed how he "can't believe" how people "tolerate" his blog. He wrote: "12 years! that is simply unbelievable .. I mean not for me , but you ... how could you tolerate this Blog for 12 years! But truly without all of you .. it would never have been possible..17th April 2020 .. 17th April 2008!" The veteran actor shared an emoji of himself which has a piercing in the tongue. He joked about it on his blog, saying: "Do not miss the tongue pierce in the memoji ; and the beard growth .. Rochelle feels its not a lawn mower I need .. I need to let it out to the goats!" Big B recently took to social media to applaud the unity shown by human beings at a time when the world is battling the deadly COVID 19 pandemic. "Of this there is no doubt at all, that during this pandemic.. irrespective of caste colour creed or belief.. friend, acquaintance or unknown.. never before and perhaps never after has one human shown so much concern and sympathy for another.. there is but one common refrain on every lip.. be safe, be protected," he wrote. With five more deaths since Thursday night, the coronavirus death toll in Gujarat reached 41, a senior health official said here. Those who succumbed to the viral infection included a 31-year-old man from Vadodara and four persons from Ahmedabad, said Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary, Health, on Friday. A 55-year-old man, two men aged 69 and a 70-year-old woman died in Ahmedabad, she said. Of the 41 deaths in Gujarat so far, 21 have been reported in Ahmedabad, followed by six in Vadodara, five in Surat, three in Bhavnagar and one each in Gandhinagar, Patan, Panchmahal, Kutch, Botad and Jamnagar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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. 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. Only persons with valid passes were allowed to move, they added. The declared containment or red zones across the valley have been sealed to ensure strict adherence to the standard operating procedure. The officials said there were 80 red zones in the Kashmir valley and all such areas would remain as red zones up to 42 days, unless no new positive case of COVID-19 is detected. If any new case is detected in those areas, then from that date, the area will again remain a red zone for another 42 days, they added. They said those areas have been sealed off and strict restrictions would were being implemented there. The officials said rapid anti-body testing would be initiated in red zones very soon and Jammu and Kashmir will be among the few states in the country to do that. Meanwhile, the markets across the valley were shut and public transport was off the roads with only pharmacies and groceries allowed to open, the officials said. Educational institutions across Kashmir are closed, while all public places including gymnasiums, parks, clubs and restaurants were shut down more than a week before the nationwide lock down announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While the Prime Minister announced the country-wide lock down on the evening of March 24, the union territory administration here had on March 22 announced a lock down across Jammu and Kashmir till 31 March as part of its efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The administration said the essential services including healthcare personnel have been exempted from the restrictions. Restrictions were first imposed in many parts of the valley on March 19 to contain the spread of the virus infection. The measures were taken after the detection of the first positive case of coronavirus in the valley. The total number of positive cases in the union territory has risen to 314. Four patients have died in Jammu and Kashmir and 36 have recovered. More than 58,000 people have been kept under surveillance including those who are either in government established quarantine facilities or in home isolation. Till date 58076 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance which include 7463 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 265 in hospital quarantine, 272 in hospital isolation and 29366 under home surveillance. Besides, 20706 persons have completed their surveillance period, the officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Education Minister Peter Weir has said his priority is that students here get "fair results" in the new grading system announced for cancelled GCSE, AS and A-level exams. The onus will be on teachers to predict the grades they think pupils would have achieved. Mr Weir said the exam grades received by pupils on August 20 will "involve teachers using their professional judgment, together with an extensive range of evidence held by schools, and statistical modelling". It means that final grades will be based on the combination of information provided by the schools and colleges and that statistical information. "This is a complex process, and more work will be needed on establishing an appropriate appeals mechanism and arrangements for private candidates," he said. "A-level and GCSE marks and ranking from schools have to be with CCEA by May 29. "It remains my priority that pupils receive fair results that reflect hard work that they've put in, and enable judgments to be made about their future progression to study or employment or other avenues." Meanwhile, two mothers have spoken of their fears of what the next four months hold for their children as they await results. Miranda Rogers' 16-year-old son was diagnosed with leukaemia in October 2018, the start of Year 12. That meant Ozzie, a pupil at Magherafelt High School, missed out on a lot of things in his young life, including school lessons. Already having to repeat a year as treatment for his illness took priority, he is again left concerned at events which are completely out of his control. "He has his hopes and dreams set to attend NRC Coleraine to complete a two-year diploma in music technology and I do hope he gets what he needs to obtain a place," said a worried Miranda. "For a teenage boy to have his life turned upside down at 15 through his illness and now have to face more uncertainty, it must play heavy on his mind. "We all want the best for our children, but for Ozzie having come through so much already, you really hope teachers have seen the potential he hasn't been able to fulfil so far. A year ago, he was undergoing his bone marrow transplant. "Today, health wise, he's doing fine, but we'll just spend the next four month hoping that he can get the grades he needs to kick-start his life." It's a double concern for Rachel Barry, who has two girls, Hannah (17) and Jessica (16), at New-Bridge Integrated College, Loughbrickland, who are left waiting for A-level and GCSE grades. "I know most students usually cram at the last minute to get every mark possible, but they won't have that chance," said a concerned Rachel. "Jessica faced a situation where her technology coursework was lost at school and she's been behind. She hadn't quite caught up and we're left worried about how that will affect her. "This is everything to them right now. They're worried. It's the first real life experience they've had and it's not been what they expected at all. "Ninety per cent of students are the same, it's always in the back of their minds that they have the chance to shine in exams. They're told mocks are a trial run. Now the fear is that many will not have put the same effort into their mocks, yet will still be judged on them to some extent. "It'll be another four months of worry, fear and stress knowing they won't get the chance to sit those final exams. It's all been taken completely out of their hands. "Hannah so much wants to go into social work and work with children. Jessica will now have four months not knowing whether she will get back to school to sit A-levels in the future. "They are full of different emotions. Their future career steps depend on these exams. I hope this is fair for all students, but as a mother, I am sick with worry. "It's hard enough for them being out of school, it's going to cause a lot of stress and worry on our children." As India grapples to contain the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government in Madhya Pradesh is finding itself in a tight spot in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The state is currently running as a one-man show with the chief minister at the forefront of the crisis due to the lack of cabinet in the state. As India grapples to contain the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government in Madhya Pradesh is finding itself in a tight spot in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The state is currently running as a one-man show with the chief minister at the forefront of the crisis due to the lack of cabinet in the state. Follow all the latest coronavirus updates here Since there is no cabinet in place, there is no health minister. Besides that, the state health department that was supposed to lead the fight against coronavirus, is almost non-existent, with several top officials, including principal secretary of health, and managing director of Madhya Pradesh Health Corporation and chief executive officer of the states Ayushman Bharat programme, testing positive for the virus. Multiple reports have said that despite showing COVID-19 symptoms, the officials attended numerous meetings on the pandemic, including those which were attended by the state chief minister. With the Congress attacking the one-man Shivraj Singh Chouhan government over the spurt in coronavirus cases in the state, the BJP formed the task force, comprising Chouhan and some prominent state BJP leaders, on Monday. "There were suggestions during the video conference that public participation and motivation should be scaled up to fight COVID-19," former state minister and leader of opposition Gopal Bhargava told PTI. The task force would work for better coordination between the government and the party to fight off the virus, Bhargava said. State BJP chief VD Sharma is the convener of the 10-member task force. Political Crisis Two days before Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown,the Madhya Pradesh government, then led by the Congress, was toppled by the Opposition with Shivraj Singh Chouhan taking oath as chief minister on 23 March. When most states were debating over how to contain the coronavirus outbreak, Madhya Pradesh was dealing with a political showdown between the then Congress lead state government and the Opposition-led BJP. The state was hit by political turbulence after Congress' Jyotiradita Scindia and 22 Congress legislators defected to the BJP, destabilising the state government. Despite warnings over the coronavirus outbreak, MLAs of the Congress and the BJP were visiting one resort after another in groups, flouting social distancing norms in attempts to woo the rebel MLAs. With almost no time to pick a cabinet, Chouhan's government had to kick into action as the number of confirmed cases in the state started to rise. With health officials testing positive, the state is becoming a COVID-19 hub with 1,120 cases and 64 deaths as of Friday morning. Indore and Bhopal are now emerging as major hotspots in the state. Former chief minister and Congress leader Kamal Nath earlier this week had come down heavily on the BJP government at the Centre, accusing it of being responsible for the situation arising out of coronavirus in the country. He also alleged that the Centre ran Parliament only to ensure that the Madhya Pradesh Assembly could function and the Congress government headed by him could be toppled. "It is obvious, Parliament was run only to ensure that the Madhya Pradesh Assembly could run and the Congress government be toppled," Nath told reporters at a press conference addressed through video conferencing. He also said that the people of Madhya Pradesh were "befooled" by the saffron party as there was no council of ministers or a health or home minister in place in the state amid the crisis due to the coronavirus outbreak. Eighty-nine health ministry staffers test positive Another issue the state is facing the state is that nearly 89 personnel of the Madhya Pradesh health department, including four IAS officers and a few doctors, have tested coronavirus positive. 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, an official told PTI. 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, the majority of the health staffers must have got infected while treating the 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. 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 COVID-19 (in Bhopal) are from the health department, which is nothing but an outcome of gross negligence of the officers in the 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. Guidelines for #COVID2019india are binding for all - rich or small - powerful or weak. MP State Human Rights Commission strict notice to Chief Secy MP has affirmed it. Within hours all officials of health Dept ( 32) hv reached covid hospitals - life saver for many. Get well Vivek Tankha (@VTankha) April 7, 2020 Tankha had also attached proof about health principal secretary Pallavi Govil who remained at home after testing positive. She released the media bulletin and called a team of six people at her home to record it, two days after she tested positive, reported Free Press Journal. The letter also accused the principal secretary of health, of changing guidelines of AIIMS to remain in isolation at home. Tankha has also severely objected to bureaucrats not being admitted in the designated COVID-19 hospitals defying all protocols. Attacks on healthcare workers A group of persons pelted stones at a police constable in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district when he asked them to stay indoors to contain the spread of coronavirus on 2 April. Five people have been arrested in connection with the incident. A purported video of the incident also went viral on social media, in which the policeman was seen running to save himself from seven to eight people who were throwing stones and chasing him. One of the miscreants was seen picking up a stick while chasing the policeman. #WATCH Madhya Pradesh: Locals of Tatpatti Bakhal in Indore pelt stones at health workers who were there to screen people, in wake of #Coronavirus outbreak. A case has been registered. (Note-Abusive language) (1.04.2020) pic.twitter.com/vkfOwYrfxK ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2020 In another incident, Two junior government doctors, including a woman, have alleged they were beaten up by police personnel who accused them of "spreading coronavirus", leading the authorities to take disciplinary action against a constable and order a probe into the incident in Bhopal. The doctors suffered injuries in the attack, which they said, took place close to AIIMS Bhopal which is their workplace, when they were on way to home after duty. With inputs from PTI The Andrews government faces calls to reconsider spending $16 billion on the most expensive road project ever built in Victoria, as the state braces for an economic slump caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Economists, transport experts and the Victorian opposition said it would be irresponsible to push on with the North East Link as if nothing had changed. The Grattan Institute's transport and cities program director, Marion Terrill, said the government should re-examine the business case, and reconsider the roads scope in light of a likely slump in population growth. She said 300,000 temporary visa holders had already left Australia this year, and that number could double by the end of 2020. Given the drop in population growth and significant budgetary constraints, it may well make sense to curtail the scope or the way the road is built, even if the decision to proceed still makes sense, she said. The first 100,000 coronavirus antibody tests authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and headed to New York City could have been deployed days ago, but theyve been stuck in red-tape limbo in China, officials with the U.S. government and with the antibody test company told ABC News. Ive been working in government for 15 years almost, at this point, so bureaucratic stuff is never that surprising, said New York City Councilman Stephen Levin, a Brooklyn Democrat who chairs the city's General Welfare Committee. I see it as a hurdle to overcome. The FDA issued the first emergency-use authorization for an antibody test for coronavirus on April 1. That much sought-after nod went to the kit produced by Cellex, a medical-diagnostics company based in North Carolinas Research Triangle. Soon after the announcement, Levin contacted Cellex and helped broker an order of 100,000 test kits for New York Citys Health & Hospitals, to be earmarked for first responders. Along with nasal swab tests and new saliva tests that check for the virus itself, antibody tests are often mentioned by experts as a gateway to getting people back to school and work. Antibodies can determine not just whether someone has recovered but whether a person has been exposed in the first place. While there is no guarantee of immunity, scientists believe it is likely that once someone produces antibodies to the coronavirus, that person has at least a temporary immunity from becoming ill again -- meaning they could potentially more safely reenter the workforce, without endangering themselves and others. PHOTO: A medical professional collects a sample after administering a coronavirus test to a patient at a drive-thru coronavirus testing site, April 6, 2020 in Jericho, New York. (Al Bello/Getty Images) MORE: Inside Trump's plan to reopen the American economy Within days of Cellex connecting with New York City Hall, the first batch of test kits were produced in Cellexs Chinese factory and made ready to ship to the city, now the global epicenter of the pandemic where the estimated death toll now stands at more than 11,000. And then, everything stopped. Story continues The Chinese government issued an export restriction on COVID-19-related medical products, Cellex said in a statement. While it may have good intention, it nonetheless prevented our test from being shipped out of our production site." The Chinese leadership explained that the export restrictions were put in place amid a global pandemic to ensure quality control for the products being manufactured and to keep critical supplies in China as officials fear new hot spots could develop. Cellex executives say their test is not particularly complex as biotech goes. But the manufacturing process is labor-intensive and cannot be automated, so the production line was built in China, where labor prices are lower. I felt so helpless and so heartbroken, James Li, the CEO and chief science officer of Cellex, said of the delays. We received tons of inquiries asking for the test and we got e-mails from doctors, 'Can you give me the test? [Because] they would go to New York to help if [they were] antibody-positive. MORE: On a Florida island for the wealthy, everyone gets a coronavirus antibody test Some business and political leaders, including New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, have said the only way the nation could try to move forward before a fully effective COVID-19 vaccine is available would be protocols for wide-scale antibody testing. As one senior official working on New York City coronavirus response with the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Thursday, Of course the main priority is the ramp-up of testing capabilities through our region and nationwide. That is one of the requirements to open up the economy. Li and Levin said there have been calls and emails to American officials, Chinese officials and efforts to find loopholes or workarounds that might make it possible to get the 100,000 kits moving -- not to mention pave the way for the production and export of as many as 15 million globally in the coming months. PHOTO: Nurse Practitioner Diane Alvarez examines a patient while testing him for the novel coronavirus at the Velocity Urgent Care in Woodbridge, Va., April 15, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Cellex executives even considered whether workers could deconstruct the packaged test kits and ship them stateside in components that would not fall under the export restrictions. We do think that it's more cumbersome and will take longer to get this product to the market, but it does provide an alternative, Li said of possibly shipping components separately and assembling kits in the U.S. We are prepared to do it, but we are hoping we don't have to do that. MORE: Unprecedented countywide coronavirus antibody testing in Colorado back on after mix-up Finally Thursday, Li said he and his team started seeing movement in the right direction. I feel very optimistic and hopeful that we can get this resolved and get the green light to ship our product by early next week, Li said. I think for the first time, we see feedback from the information within the Chinese government from at least two different sources that we will be given the green light for us to ship product. They realized that a one-size-fits-all policy does have unintended consequences that they do not like to see and they are looking at ways to correct. And, though President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have ratcheted up their anti-China rhetoric in recent days, a senior State Department official confirmed to ABC News that, in general, signs are pointing in the right direction. 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) Hugo Yon, deputy assistant secretary of state for transportation, said the State Department and other agencies under the White House's direction are "working very hard with the Chinese to keep critical cargo moving between our countries, including air cargo that's important in the battle against COVID-19." "We've had good communications at the working-level, Yon said, facilitating planes and crews to keep those kinds of goods moving. The FDA has approved several other antibody testing protocols produced by different manufacturers in the last week. But even with more of those products becoming available, officials fear it could take months before testing is offered widely to people throughout the U.S. I think a lot of politics that have crept into this conversation are distinctly unhelpful, Levin said, and we should be focused on helping out our fellow human beings wherever they are because were all in this together, quite literally. 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 ABC News' Conor Finnegan and Alexandra Myers contributed to this report. Crucial coronavirus antibody tests destined for New York City caught in red tape in China originally appeared on abcnews.go.com 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 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 Abid responded in an email that Jeger shared with me. He wrote that the WHO assesses the risk of coronavirus as high throughout Syria, and even higher in camps and prisons. But, he said, the WHO has no choice but to work through the government, which includes relying on its reporting on coronavirus numbers. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Denmark will begin to open up more businesses next week as it further eases virus restrictions, officials announced on Friday. Following late-night negotiations between the main political parties, the government announced a deal for extending the first phase in the country's return to normality. "No one wants to keep Denmark closed for a day more than strictly necessary. But we must not move faster than what allows us to still keep the epidemic under control," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a Facebook post. Denmark began reopening schools for younger children on Wednesday after a month-long closure to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming the first country in Europe to do so. Hairdressers and tattoo parlours will start to reopen from Monday, and driving schools will start giving lessons again. Danish courts will also start to hear more cases after being limited to handling only critical ones. The World Health Organization's European office urged countries to make sure sufficient safeguards were in place before starting to ease restrictions. If countries could not ensure certain criteria, WHO regional director for Europe Hans Kluge urged them to "please rethink". Earlier this week Finland lifted a travel blockade on the Helsinki region. Austria, Italy and Spain have also allowed some businesses to reopen. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 AFP Have you been searching for a stock that might be well-positioned to maintain its earnings-beat streak in its upcoming report? It is worth considering Gardner Denver Holdings (IR), which belongs to the Zacks Manufacturing - General Industrial industry. When looking at the last two reports, this maker of flow control and compression equipment has recorded a strong streak of surpassing earnings estimates. The company has topped estimates by 8.26%, on average, in the last two quarters. For the most recent quarter, Gardner Denver was expected to post earnings of $0.35 per share, but it reported $0.37 per share instead, representing a surprise of 5.71%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $0.37 per share, while it actually produced $0.41 per share, a surprise of 10.81%. Price and EPS Surprise For Gardner Denver, estimates have been trending higher, thanks in part to this earnings surprise history. And when you look at the stock's positive Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction), it's a great indicator of a future earnings beat, especially when combined with its solid Zacks Rank. Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven. The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. 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. Gardner Denver currently has an Earnings ESP of +5.09%, which suggests that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This positive Earnings ESP when combined with the stock's Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) indicates that another beat is possibly around the corner. Story continues Investors should note, however, that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss, but a negative value does reduce the predictive power of this metric. Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, but that may not be the sole basis for their stocks moving higher. On the other hand, some stocks may hold their ground even if they end up missing the consensus estimate. Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Ingersoll Rand Inc. (IR) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. The UK is predicted to see more than 5,000 coronavirus deaths, according to a forecast by scientists base at Imperial College London. (Picture: PA) Britain is one of the three countries projected to have the worst coronavirus death toll in the coming days, according to a forecast by scientists. The forecast, by the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis based within the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College London, predicts that the UK, along with the United States and France, will see more than 5,000 reported deaths in the coming week. The warning comes as the death toll in the UK reached 13,729 as of 5pm on Wednesday, according to figures from the Department of Health. According to the forecast, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Turkey are all predicted to see between 1,000 and 5,000 deaths in the coming week. Other countries are grouped into brackets of 100 to 1,000 deaths, while countries forecast to have fewer than 100 deaths including China and South Korea. 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 The forecast, put together by a group of researchers using figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, aims to forecast the number of deaths in the week ahead for each country with what it calls active transmission - when at least 100 deaths have been reported in a country so far. Describing how COVID-19 is progressing in various countries, it puts the UK alongside 18 other countries where it says the virus is likely stabilising, while it describes it as likely growing in a total of 16 other countries. It comes as the UK was 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 Hans 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. Story continues 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. On Thursday the UKs lockdown was extended by three weeks as officials continue to fight to stop the spread of coronavirus. 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. During the weekly WHO Europe briefing on Thursday morning, Dr Kluge said the storm cloud of Covid-19 still hangs heavily over the European region. 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. Coronavirus: what happened today Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas are making headlines for their romance. They were recently spotted hanging out together in this quarantine period. They walked their dogs and were seen kissing. Read to know more. Also Read | Ana De Armas Shares Vacation Pictures While Beau Ben Affleck Asks For photo Credits Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas face mask kiss Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas were seen walking their dogs in the Los Angeles while wearing matching face masks. Several pictures of them are out on the internet. In a picture, Affleck had his arms wrapped around de Armas. In another picture, the Gone Girl actor is seen kissing the actress while holding a beverage. Ben Affleck wore a plain T-shirt over jeans. He held the leash of his German Shepard. Ana de Armas donned a black leather wrap dress. She paired it with white sneakers. The Knives Out actress held the leash to her tiny puppy, Elvis. Check out their pictures. Also Read | Ben Affleck Reveals Personal Reason For Stepping Down As Batman Also Read | Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck: A Dating Timeline Of Hollywood's Most Loved Couple This was not the first time the couple was spotted while walking their dogs. Earlier, Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas were seen following the same routine. They held each others hands wearing their similar face masks. Affleck sported a T-shirt under a check shirt, while de Armas wore a black and white long dress. Take a look at some of their other pictures together. Also Read | Ben Affleck Admits Filming 'The Way Back' Was Difficult Post Divorce With Jennifer Garner As per reports, Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas first met in 2019 on the sets of Deep Water. Last month, they went public with their romance. They were spotted on a barefoot beach walking during their trip to Cuba together. Affleck was married to Jennifer Garner from 2005 to 2018. 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. Chinese Officials Confirm China Won't Restrict Exports of Medical Products Needed to Fight Coronavirus Company in Late-Stage Negotiations to Secure Distribution Agreement for Additional COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test Which is Approved by China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) ENGLEWOOD, CO / ACCESSWIRE / April 17, 2020 / Aytu BioScience, Inc. (AYTU), (the "Company"), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on commercializing novel products that address significant patient needs announced today that export and delivery of the Company's incoming COVID-19 rapid tests remains on track as previously announced. Additionally, the Company is in late-stage negotiations to secure rights to distribute a second COVID-19 IgG/IgM rapid test, which is approved by China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Josh Disbrow, Chief Executive Officer of Aytu BioScience, commented, "Since the Company began taking the fight to COVID-19, we have continued to aggressively search for and evaluate diagnostic tests and other novel technologies that may complement our current product offering and benefit COVID-19 patients. Also, given the nationwide shortage of tests, we believe we are obligated to secure as many additional tests as we can to help with this shortage. To that end, I am excited to say we're in the final stages of securing yet another IgG/IgM antibody rapid test for U.S. distribution. This test is already approved by China's NMPA, is being regularly exported from China, and has strong clinical performance. By securing this additional antibody test, we expect to have an even greater supply to fulfill the substantial demand we're experiencing. We all need to continue to do the very best we can to help COVID-19 patients and those medical professionals for whom they care." Mr. Disbrow continued, "On March 31, an announcement was made by China's Ministry of Commerce restricting the export of medical materials that have not obtained approval from the NMPA. It is important to note that just yesterday the Associated Press released an article titled, China says no plans to limit export of anti-virus supplies.' The article states: Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng said Beijing has taken steps to speed up customs clearance while ensuring the quality of exported epidemic-prevention goods. Gao said Thursday, China has not and will not restrict the export of epidemic prevention materials.' These statements provide us with confidence and are consistent with the information we continue to receive from our test kit licensor. We remain confident about the timely delivery of the Company's incoming order of COVID-19 IgG/IgM tests," commented Mr. Disbrow. Story continues Mr. Disbrow concluded, "We have received further confirmation that the COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test manufactured by Zhejiang Orient Gene is in the approval process with NMPA. We remain highly confident in the test's clinical performance as recently demonstrated in a published, third-party peer-reviewed study and believe that the Zhejiang Orient Gene COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test is a reliable test in detecting COVID-19 antibodies. The independent study demonstrates test accuracy of 98.0% and 94.1% for IgG and IgM, respectively, when using PCR-positive cases as true positives, which we believe establishes strong clinical utility of the test." The Company will continue to inform our stakeholders about our continuing developments relating to our COVID-19 fight and the progress of the Aytu BioScience business. About Aytu BioScience, Inc. Aytu BioScience is a commercial-stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on commercializing novel products that address significant patient needs. The company currently markets a portfolio of prescription products addressing large primary care and pediatric markets. The primary care portfolio includes (i) Natesto, the only FDA-approved nasal formulation of testosterone for men with hypogonadism (low testosterone, or "Low T"), (ii) ZolpiMist, the only FDA-approved oral spray prescription sleep aid, and (iii) Tuzistra XR, the only FDA-approved 12-hour codeine-based antitussive syrup. The pediatric portfolio includes (i) AcipHex Sprinkle, a granule formulation of rabeprazole sodium, a commonly prescribed proton pump inhibitor; (ii) Cefaclor, a second-generation cephalosporin antibiotic suspension; (iii) Karbinal ER, an extended-release carbinoxamine (antihistamine) suspension indicated to treat numerous allergic conditions; and (iv) Poly-Vi-Flor and Tri-Vi-Flor, two complementary prescription fluoride-based supplement product lines containing combinations of fluoride and vitamins in various for infants and children with fluoride deficiency. Aytu recently acquired exclusive U.S. distribution rights to the COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test. This coronavirus test is a solid phase immunochromatographic assay used in the rapid, qualitative and differential detection of IgG and IgM antibodies to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus in human whole blood, serum or plasma. Aytu recently acquired Innovus Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company commercializing, licensing and developing safe and effective consumer healthcare products designed to improve men's and women's health and vitality. Innovus commercializes over thirty-five consumer health products competing in large healthcare categories including diabetes, men's health, sexual wellness and respiratory health. The Innovus product portfolio is commercialized through direct-to-consumer marketing channels utilizing the company's proprietary Beyond Human marketing and sales platform. Aytu's strategy is to continue building its portfolio of revenue-generating products, leveraging its focused commercial team and expertise to build leading brands within large therapeutic markets. For more information visit aytubio.com and visit innovuspharma.com to learn about the company's consumer healthcare products. Forward-Looking Statement This press release includes 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, or the Exchange Act. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this presentation, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally written in the future tense and/or are preceded by words such as ''may,'' ''will,'' ''should,'' ''forecast,'' ''could,'' ''expect,'' ''suggest,'' ''believe,'' ''estimate,'' ''continue,'' ''anticipate,'' ''intend,'' ''plan,'' or similar words, or the negatives of such terms or other variations on such terms or comparable terminology. These statements are just predictions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual events or results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: market and other conditions, the regulatory and commercial risks associated with introducing Zhejiang Orient Gene's COVID-19 Rapid Test (the "COVID-19 Rapid Test"), shipping delays or regulatory processes and their impact on our ability to introduce the COVID-19 Rapid Test, the ability of the COVID-19 Rapid Test to accurately and reliably test for COVID-19, Zhejiang Orient Gene's ability to manufacture the COVID-19 Rapid Test on a high volume scale, manufacturing problems, customs problems or delays related to the COVID-19 Rapid Test, our ability to satisfy any labelling conditions or other FDA or other regulatory conditions to sell the COVID-19 Rapid Test Kit, the demand or lack thereof for the COVID-19 Rapid Test Kit, Zhejiang Orient Gene's ability to obtain approval from China's National Medical Product Administration ("NMPA") to continue to manufacture and export the COVID-19 Rapid Test, the impact the ongoing disputes surrounding COVID-19 between the People's Republic of China and the United States of America may have on our ability to import additional COVID-19 Rapid Tests from Zhejiang Orient Gene, our ability to successfully identify and enter into an agreement with an alternative manufacture of a COVID-19 rapid test that is approved by the NMPA, the timing of any agreement with an alternative manufacture of a COVID-19 rapid test, any reputational or business harm that we may incur in the event the COVID-19 Rapid Test is not reliable or accurate in testing for COVID-19, any reputational or business harm that we may incur for selling the COVID-19 Rapid Test from a manufacture that is not currently approved by the NMPA, whether the testing standards of the NMPA are comparable to the FDA's standards and any market inference whether positive or negative that may be derived from selling rapid tests that are or are not manufactured by companies approved by the NMPA, scientific and market acceptance of antibody tests as acceptable tests for the detection of COVID-19, the reliability of independent third-party study as it relates to the measure of effectiveness of the COVID-19 Rapid Test, our ability to obtain COVID-19 rapid tests from NMPA approved manufactures on acceptable terms, our ability to meet the demand for COVID-19 rapid tests, unfavorable media coverage related to the COVID-19 Rapid Test, risks relating to gaining market acceptance of our products, obtaining or maintaining reimbursement by third-party payors for our prescription products, the potential future commercialization of our product candidates, the anticipated start dates, durations and completion dates, as well as the potential future results, of our ongoing and future clinical trials, the anticipated designs of our future clinical trials, anticipated future regulatory submissions and events, our anticipated future cash position and future events under our current and potential future collaboration. We also refer you to the risks described in ''Risk Factors'' in Part I, Item 1A of the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and in the other reports and documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. CONTACT: James Carbonara Hayden IR (646) 755-7412 james@haydenir.com SOURCE: Aytu BioScience, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/585517/Aytu-BioScience-Confirms-Export-and-Incoming-Delivery-of-COVID-19-IgGIgM-Rapid-Tests PHILIPSBURG:--- The following vessels Wind Surf, and HNLMS Groningen were in port on Wednesday, April 15 after meeting national port entry requirements which includes stringent public health conditions under the prerogative of the Collective Prevention Service (CPS), a department that falls under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour. The vessels were in port for fuel bunkering and food provisioning. Once the vessels complete this operational process, they depart St. Maarten or anchor out at sea. The vessels crew are not allowed to disembark while the vessel is moored at one of the berthing piers. Port St. Maarten has enhanced its sanitization measures throughout the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facilities via its Sterile Port Protocol since mid-March. The Sterile Port Protocol falls under the scope of the Ordinance Public Health which is part of the International Health Regulations as issued by the World Health Organization (WHO). The aforementioned is part of the ports procedures for responding to infectious disease situations and pandemic plan. A Crisis Emergency Service Department is in place to deal with in the initial phase any infectious disease until medical and public health officials arrive. The port has protocols with stakeholders such as Port Agents/Handlers with respect to procedural details related to maritime health declarations. Vessel agents are aware of their role and the ships responsibility with the provision of the necessary documents required for entering the country. The sailing cruise ship Wind Surf is from Windstar Cruise Line. Windstar Cruises operates a six-ship fleet of small sailing and all-suite ships visiting approximately 270 ports in 2018 sailing throughout Europe, the Caribbean, Costa Rica and the Panama Canal, Asia, Alaska, Canada and New England, and cruising year-round in Tahiti. HNLMS Groningen is a Holland-class offshore patrol vessel operated by the Royal Netherlands Navy. The vessel is deployed in the Caribbean on counter-drug operations and coast guard duties. 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. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage 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. (CNN) -- While President Donald Trump's May 1 deadline to reopen parts of the economy looms, state and local government officials, along with public health experts, are calling for contact tracing teams to start tracking coronavirus positive patients to both contain the virus and start reopening some businesses. But with only two weeks to go, many parts of the country don't have contact tracing teams that are up to speed enough to reopen places, according to experts. Contact tracing is a widely used method in public health that relies on identifying every person who tests positive with an infection, isolating them, and then finding anyone that person could have infected. These contacts may then be quarantined before they can spread the virus to others. It's a tedious approach, but one widely credited with stopping SARS in 2004, after that coronavirus outbreak infected nearly 8,000 people and killed close to 800 of them. With government officials, business owners and people out of work concerned about the impact of long-term social distancing measures on the economy, public health officials say contact tracing is a necessary step needed before certain businesses can reopen and people can start to return normal activities. Trump unveiled a three-phase return-to-normal plan to all 50 state governors on Thursday. It outlines steps each state should take once they meet a certain threshold for number of cases declining over two weeks and certain level of capacity and ability to care for all patients in hospitals. The 17-page document makes a brief mention of contact tracing, saying states should have the ability to do it, but does not offer guidance on how to do it, how many people will be needed to do it, or explain how the federal government will help build up contact tracing systems. Many experts believe the US is nowhere near where it needs to be in its ability to contact trace Covid-positive people and those they've been in contact with. Other countries, like South Korea, have found contact tracing to be an effective method to contain their coronavirus outbreak. More public health workers needed, experts say A study released by Johns Hopkins University last week estimates that the US needs at least 100,000 additional public health workers to assist with large-scale contact tracing efforts before a robust system can begin operating nationwide. Anita Cicero, the deputy director at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and a co-author of the study, said that the US will likely need more than 100,000, but the initial number is a good start to get contact tracing started in some of the more heavily impacted areas. "We're not saying that that is the upper limit of what would be needed but we knew that it's, you know, it's a pretty ambitious goal," Cicero told CNN in a phone interview. "If we can start with that, then people could be added if needed or scaled back." Cicero said Hopkins decided to do the study to point out what resources would be needed to effectively contact trace across the country. "Both state public health and county local public health do not have the resources or the people that are needed to be able to do contact tracing for all identified cases," Cicero said. "So, we felt that it was important to highlight that as a critical gap and try to quantify how shorthanded are we for the contact tracing workforce." While 100,000 additional public health workers may seem like a large number, the study points out per capita, "it is still the equivalent of less than half the number employed in Wuhan City," where the coronavirus outbreak began months ago in China. In a report released Friday, former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Tom Frieden said the need could reach "several hundred thousand." George Rutherford, an epidemiology professor at the University of California at San Francisco who is working on San Francisco's contact tracing program, said he believes the country probably needs closer to 300,000 public health workers to focus on contact tracing full-time. "It has to be an absolute pillar of the response going forward. If we can get the case counts down ... to a manageable number, contact tracing is a far cleaner, far more surgical solution to keeping transmission low than really anything else at our disposal in this country," Rutherford told CNN. But Rutherford said the US is "not at all" ready to reach that level. "We don't have enough people to do it," he said. Rutherford noted that some who are out of work are being trained to work on San Francisco's program. While the recently unemployed workforce is a good source of people to pull from to staff these projects, it will take time to get people hired and trained to do contact tracing work, he said. The Hopkins study estimated that Congress "will need to appropriate approximately $3.6 billion in emergency funding to state and territorial health departments," to ramp up contact tracing and pay people to do the work needed. Contact tracing efforts ramp up in Massachusetts and San Francisco In response to the coming need, some cities and states have started developing contact tracing systems of their own, like Rutherford's program in San Francisco. In about two weeks, San Francisco went from having only 10 people in the city's public health department working on contact tracing to about 150 people, Rutherford said. The city government and public health department partnered with University of California San Francisco to start a contact tracing program for the city. Rutherford led a group of public health professionals from UCSF that normally work overseas but whose projects are now on hold due to the pandemic to get them trained and working on the city's contact tracing efforts. UCSF staff are trained public health professionals, so they were able to get up to speed quickly, he said. Rutherford said they developed a training program with the city's Department of Health and a local CDC training center in the Bay area. After training UCSF staff, Rutherford and city officials started looking for more people they could recruit to work on the program. They called on other city employees who had been furloughed to get trained. Now, they are training a group of librarians and city attorneys to become volunteer contact tracers as well. "It's a personnel-intense activity," Rutherford said. "I think volunteers are great, but you've got to have paid staff too." The volunteers are largely doing email, phone call and texting work remotely to keep track of people who have tested positive or come into contact with someone who has tested positive, while public health professionals manage more high-risk, in-person contact when necessary. Massachusetts started a state-wide contact tracing initiative at the beginning of April, contracting with Partners In Health, a Boston-based non-profit organization that focuses on global public health issues. The Community Tracing Collaborative aims to hire 1,000 contact tracers to track contacts of all Covid-19 positive patients across the state and to support individuals in quarantine. "We need to have a very significant contact tracing program in place," Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said at a news conference. "From our point of view, that is a must-do with respect to anything that looks like a reopening of the commonwealth or a move towards reopening the economy. " Partners In Health has a team of more than 200 people working on the contact tracing program, continuing to hire until they reach 1,000 employees. After Baker announced the collaboration on April 3, Dr. Joia Mukherjee, the non-profit's chief medical officer, said they received more than 900 applicants in 72 hours. More tests will be needed to conduct contact tracing While the contact tracing efforts in Massachusetts are a positive step, public health experts warn that the program won't be completely effective without a huge increase in testing capabilities along with the development of contact tracing systems. "We're here to do the contact tracing, but we don't have tests. If I could scream as loud as I could, we need tests. Our area in the state has been the last to really get the attention it needs," Nancy Paull, CEO of SSTAR, an integrated primary and behavioral health care organization in Massachusetts, told CNN. Paull's center has started a contact tracing team in Falls River, an economically depressed area with a large homeless population in the state's southeast region. Dr. Ranu Dhillon, a researcher with the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and an instructor at Harvard Medical School, said that the US's testing capabilities are nowhere near where they need to be if contact tracing is to work properly. "Based on the testing capacity we have, for example, to do something like that in New York City, there's like 8 million people in New York City. We need 8 million tests. Right now, we do about 150,000 a day," Dhillon told CNN in a phone interview. "We're orders of magnitude away from what we need to be, not that we shouldn't continue to strive to get there." Dhillon pointed out there are still many people who are asymptomatic but have been infected with Covid-19. Without widespread testing, such people could also spread the virus. While testing capacity is an issue, those hired for the contact tracing program in Massachusetts are separated into three types of personnel: case investigators, contact tracers and care resource managers. Mukherjee said all positions are remote and those selected are trained in two days by webinar and an interactive session, a program created in tandem by Partners in Health and the state government. All contact is made by phone. Case investigators contact the newly diagnosed to identify who they've been within six feet of, for more than 15 minutes, in the last 14 days. A contact tracer calls each of those individuals to let them know they might have been exposed. The contact tracers ask how the potentially exposed person is feeling and if they have symptoms. They may also advise on needed medical care and help people figure out how to self-quarantine. If people are unable to quarantine safely because they live in a multi-generational home or don't have access to their own bathroom among other issues, they are then referred to a resource manager who helps them find a place to safely self-isolate or provide them with resources to do so. "Our work around the world has taught us that privilege and economic means allow you to be able to do things that people who are poor and more vulnerable can't do," Mukherjee told CNN. CDC starts contact tracing pilot program in 8 states This week, the CDC started a pilot program, sending community protection teams to eight states to ramp up contact tracing efforts, according to a federal health official with knowledge of the program. The teams will be sent to New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska, North Dakota, Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio. The teams will be "testing new technologies," like applications and mobile technology for contact tracing, as well as "having people do self-swabbing and evaluating how effective that is," the official told CNN. The teams will work directly with state and local health departments to support epidemiologists and labs. The CDC often deploys teams to major public health emergencies both in the US and abroad. In 2016, the CDC's Global Rapid Response Team sent health, communications and logistics experts to 90 public health crises in the US and around the world, including outbreaks of Ebola, polio, yellow fever and cholera. The teams can deploy on short notice and can remain in the field for months to stop health threats or to limit health threats from becoming a bigger issue. This story was first published on CNN.com "Experts say the US needs teams ready to hunt down new Covid-19 cases. But so far, there aren't nearly enough" Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign chairman who was convicted in 2018 of bank and tax fraud, asked Monday to be released from prison to home confinement to serve the remainder of his 7-year sentence, saying his age and health put him at higher risk of death from coronavirus. The issue now could come up in the case of Roger Stone, Trumps longtime confidante who was convicted last year of tampering with a witness and lying to Congress about his efforts to learn of hacked Democratic emails during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The coronavirus pandemic has forced businesses all over the country to close, and restaurants have been among the hardest hit. Though some eating spots are trying to pivot from dine-in to delivery or take-out, In Portland and elsewhere, the impact of the mandated closures has been brutal. One unlikely escape from the difficult realities faced by restaurant professionals has been the current season of Top Chef, the Bravo cooking competition that filmed its All Star season in Los Angeles before the coronavirus outbreak. For an hour each week, we can temporarily focus on the gifted chefs -- including Portlands Gregory Gourdet, director of culinary operations for Departure Restaurant -- as they demonstrate the craft and artistry that go into exceptional cooking. (How to watch Top Chef": Top Chef airs at 10 p.m. Thursdays on Bravo. No cable or antenna? Live stream, or catch up on episodes you may have missed, on Hulu, Hulu + Live TV or fuboTV) But during episodes of Season 17, viewers have also seen commercials featuring head Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio, Portland chef Naomi Pomeroy, and Washington, D.C. chef Kwame Onwuachi, making earnest pleas on behalf of the restaurant industry, and asking viewers to help by adding their voices to the Independent Restaurant Coalition cause, and tell Congress that saving restaurants should be a national priority, as Colicchio says. As the website says, the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC) was formed to help save local restaurants affected by COVID-19. For the 11 million people across the country employed by restaurants and the hundreds of millions of workers up and down the food supply and delivery chain who depend on restaurants these small businesses cannot fail, reads the IRC mission statement. The group is calling on Congress to provide more financial stimulus relief to help restaurants recover and survive. As the Los Angeles Times reports, the coalition recently sent a letter to Congress outlining measures to help restaurants. The coalition also had a conference call featuring Colicchio, chef and owner of Crafted Hospitality, which operates several restaurants; Pomeroy, Beast chef/restaurateur; and Kith/Kin chef/restaurateur Onwuachi. The Independent Restaurant Coalition isnt the only organized effort to help the industry. Another one, also with ties to Portland, is the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, which offers grants to restaurant industry employees who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The fund is operated by the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation, and, as KGW reports, its being promoted by Guy Fieri, host of the Food Network hit show, Diners, Drive-ins and DIves. As Fieri, who has featured restaurants in Portland and around Oregon on his show, told KGW, he teamed up with Portland law firm Davis Wright Tremaine to work on launching the relief fund. In a video interview, Fieri talks about the huge demand for grants, which has unfortunately led to a pause in accepting new applications. But those who want to support the effort can donate. More of our coverage: -- Kristi Turnquist kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist Theres no love like a mothers love. She will go to any length to ensure her child is safe, even if that means travelling 2,700 km across 6 states. This mother here in Kerala, just did that. People who are with their families during the lockdown are safe, but there are some who are having a really difficult time staying away from their loved ones. That too, things start getting worse for them if someone in the family is ailing. In a recent incident, a BSF Jawan's mother traveled 2,700 km across six states, over three days to meet her critically ill son in Jodhpur despite the lockdown restrictions in the country in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Indian Woman Travels 2700 Km Across 6 States To Meet Her Son Latest Breaking News | Celebrity News and Gossip | The India News Today - https://t.co/872Jc7r5o3 The India News Today (@tindianewstoday) April 17, 2020 According to reports, her 29-year-old son, Arun Kumar is suffering from myositis (inflammation of muscles). Sheelamma Vasan, the 50-year-old woman started her journey from Kerala on 11th April and traveled through Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat to reach Rajasthan. She reached her destination on 14th April and was accompanied by her daughter-in-law and another relative of hers. Our BSF Jawans work day in and day out and guard the borders to ensure we all sleep peacefully at our homes. And the credit for their strong will and determination, even during tough times, can also be given to their rock-solid families, that stand behind them and give them a strong foundation. representational Reuters Vasan, in an interview with PTI said, she didn't face any problems on the journey, all thanks to Union Minister V Muraleedharan, office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leader, Oommen Chandy who took interest in the matter to get all the necessary passes for her travel across the states. Bsides, a cab was also arranged by the authorities for the safe journey. She further said in her interview, she was informed about her son's ailing condition by a doctor at AIIMS in Jodhpur and that's when she decided to undertake the journey from Kerala to reach Rajasthan. According to the update, thankfully, her son's condition has now improved, although the BSF Jawan is still under observation. We pray for his speedy recovery! Detail of the Bluetooth button of an audio system in Mexico City on Dec. 6, 2018. (OMAR TORRES/AFP via Getty Images) This COVID-19 Contact Tracing App Uses Bluetooth, Wont Log Your Location Australias federal government has announced plans to introduce a contact tracing mobile app to help curb COVID-19s spread across the country. However, rather than collecting location data directly from mobile operators, the proposed TraceTogether app will use Bluetooth technology to sense whether users who have voluntarily opted-in have come within nine metres of one another. Contact tracing apps generally store 14-21 days of interaction data between participating devices to help monitor the spread of a disease. The tracking is usually done by government agencies. This form of health surveillance could help the Australian government respond to the coronavirus crisis by proactively placing confirmed and suspected cases in quarantine. The TraceTogether app has been available in Singapore since March 20, and its reception there may help shed light on how the new tech will fare in Australia. Your Location is Not Being Tracked Internationally, contact tracing is being explored as a key means of containing the spread of COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies three basic steps to any form of contact tracing: contact identification, contact listing, and follow-up. Contact identification records the mobile phone number and a random anonymised user ID. Contact listing includes a record of users who have come into close contact with a confirmed case, and notifies them of next steps such as self-isolation. Finally, follow-up entails frequent communication with contacts to monitor the emergence of any symptoms and test accordingly to confirm. Government Technology Agency (GovTech) staff demonstrate Singapores new contact-tracing smarthphone app called TraceTogether, as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus in Singapore on March 20, 2020. (CATHERINE LAI/AFP via Getty Images) The TraceTogether app has been presented as a tool to protect individuals, families and society at large through a community data-driven approach. Details on proximity and contact duration are shared between devices that have the app installed. An estimated 17% of Singapores population has done this. In an effort to preserve privacy, the apps developers claim it retains proximity and duration details for 21 days, after which the oldest days record is deleted and the latest days data is added. TraceTogether supposedly doesnt collect users location datathereby mitigating concerns about location privacy usually linked to such apps. But proximity and duration information can reveal a great deal about a users relative distance, time and duration of contact. A bluetooth-based app may not know where you are on Earths surface, but it can accurately infer your location when bringing a variety of data together. No Perfect Solution Exists The introduction of a contact tracing app in Australia will allow health authorities to alert community members who have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19. However, as downloading the app is voluntary, its effectiveness relies on an uptake from a certain percentage of Australians specifically 40%, according to an ABC report. But this proposed model overlooks several factors. First, it doesnt account for accessibility by vulnerable individuals who may not own or be able to operate a smartphone, potentially including the elderly or those living with cognitive impairment. Also, its presently unclear whether privacy and security issues have been or will be integrated into the functional design of the system when used in Australia. This contact tracing model is also not open source software, and as such is not subject to audit or oversight. As it has currently been deployed in Singapore, it also places a government authority in control of the transfer of valuable contact and connection details. The question is now how these systems will stack up against corporate implementations like that being proposed by Google and Apple. Also, those who criticise contact tracing point out that the technology is after the fact when it is too late, rather than preventive in nature, although it might act to lower transmission rates. Some research has proposed a more preemptive approach, location intelligence, implemented by responsible artificial intelligence, to predict (and respond to) how an outbreak might play out. Others argue that if were all self-isolating, there should be no need for unproven technology, and that attention may instead be focused on digital immunity certificates, allowing some people to roam while others do not. And in the apps created to respond to particular situations, theres always the question of: who owns the data? A pandemic-tracing app would need to have a limited lifetime, even if the user forgets to uninstall the COVID-19 app after victory has been declared over the pandemic. It must not become the de facto operational scenariothis would have major societal ramifications. Its All About Trust In the end, it may simply come down to trust. Do Australians trust their data in the hands of the government? The answer might well be no, but do we have any other choice? Or for that matter what about data in the hands of corporations? Time and time again, government and corporates have failed to conduct adequate impact assessments, have been in breach of their own laws, regulations, policies and principles, have systems at scale that have suffered from scope and function creep, and have used data retrospectively in ways that were never intended. But is this the time for technology in the public interest to proliferate through the adoption of emerging technologies? No one fears tech for good. But we must not relax fundamental requirements of privacy, strategies for maintaining anonymity, the encryption of data, and preventing our information from landing in the wrong hands. We need to ask ourselves, can we do better and what provisions are in place to maintain our civil liberties while at the same time remaining secure and safe? By Roba Abbas and Katina Michael Roba Abbas receives funding from Australian Research Council (ARC), University of Wollongong Global Challenges Program and Australia-Germany Joint Research Co-Operation Scheme. She is affiliated with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Katina Michael receives funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Australian Research Council (ARC). She is affiliated with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Australian Privacy Foundation (APF). A man on Friday allegedly tried to commit suicide by jumping off an overbrige in northeast Delhi but he was rescued by police, officials said. A police team on highway patrol duty noticed that a man was attempting to jump from an overbridge of Outer Ring road near West Enclave. They immediately swung into action and rescued him, they said. The picket staff deployed at West Enclave also kept a municipal corporation truck under the bridge in case the man slips, the officials said. It is suspected that the man, a resident of Tilak Nagar, wanted to kill himself due to some domestic issues, a senior police officer said. The man lives with his wife and a son, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In order to prevent community transmission of COVID-19, the government has extended the pan India lockdown. India's Lockdown 2.0 commenced on April 15, 2020, and shall continue until May 3, 2020. The total count takes it to 40 days since the first phase of the lockdown. The lockdown has brought India Inc to a standstill, although considering the need to bring the economy back into motion, certain activities in the essential goods and services sector have been allowed, subject to conditions, with effect from April 20, 2020. The Insolvency Bankruptcy IBC, 2016 (IBC) was enacted in order to provide a solution to creditors, resolve the insolvency of corporate debtors and very importantly, provide a time-bound mechanism to the creditors for debt resolution. Amid COVID-19 outbreak, the government has taken several necessary yet difficult measures such as lockdown, which may render resolution of debts by corporate debtors, strenuous. Also Read: Rs 6.5 lakh crore haircut, 1.1 million job losses; is IBC really a success? Will the IBC be suspended? As a protectionist move for corporate debtors under the IBC, on March 24, 2020, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, for the first time, had announced the intention of suspending Sections 7, 9 and 10 of the IBC, in case the difficulties faced by the corporates continue beyond April 30, 2020, amidst the lockdown. Now that the lockdown has been extended, the government is mulling on promulgation of an ordinance for suspension of the said sections of the IBC. The suspension shall not allow financial and operational creditors as well as corporate debtors themselves from initiating insolvency proceedings. This is primarily aimed at protecting the medium and small enterprises, which are hit the hardest due to the COVID-19 pandemic, because of disruption of supply chains and disabilities caused by lockdown in carrying out the businesses and generating revenue. However, a blanket ban on initiation of insolvency proceedings may have been uncalled for as it is likely to have adverse repercussions for certain sections e.g. the creditors. But, the situation may well be unavoidable since the initiation of insolvency proceedings during these times are likely to severely clog the courts and therefore, the government may well press the suspension button, albeit for a temporary period. We have already seen various measures under the IBC being taken since the last few months including the threshold of minimum default under the IBC being increased ten times from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 1 crore thereby swiping off a large number of operational creditors from filing applications for recovery and leaving them toothless under the IBC. The Force Majeure difficulty Force majeure is basically a clause which provides an ability to contracting parties to not perform their obligations without being held responsible for it, due to the happening of extraordinary events that were not in their control. Importantly, force majeure is generally not seen in loan agreements. However, business contracts that contain such clauses are likely to see parties invoking it, thereby rendering the performance of contract for the time period, impossible, which means that a corporate debtor, owing to zero or substantially lowered revenues during the lockdown is likely to default on its pay-outs to financial creditors as well as operational creditors. Worse, force majeure clauses in certain contracts may well be drafted in a manner which may not allow an interpretation to be taken such that a pandemic of this nature does not get covered. If the IBC is suspended, without a doubt, creditors, especially the operational creditors shall be hit hard. Operational creditors, unlike financial creditors are engaged in the supply chain of the corporate debtor and if they are not paid due to invocation of force majeure, this shall further impact their ability to repay their creditors, thereby showcasing a devastating ripple effect on the economy. Also Read: Coronavirus outbreak: Relaxed IBC timelines may be a face-saver for Indian corporates RBI's COVID-19 Regulatory Package The Reserve Bank of India has allowed financial creditors, i.e., all banks and financial institutions (including NBFCs) to grant a moratorium of 3 months on payment of all term loan installments (including agricultural, retail and crop loans) and interest on working capital loans (such as overdraft facilities), which are due between March 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020. This not being mandatory in nature, poised a difficult question for borrowers and lenders alike, until India's largest public sector bank, State Bank of India, opened this line of moratorium and others followed suit. Such moratorium has already made it easy for the debtors to repay their loans and interest after the end of the moratorium. However, this moratorium shall restrict the liquidity of the creditors and pose difficulty in extending credit to potential borrowers. Even if the credit is extended to potential borrowers considering the hiatus in business activities created by the novel coronavirus pandemic, such borrowers shall be in limited or no capacity to repay at this juncture, which shall only further dry up the liquidity of the creditors. If creditors run out of liquidity, since the Indian banking sector is already exposed to several NPAs, businesses shall be hampered, as a substantial majority run on credit. How will a suspension be brought about? The central government may exercise its powers under Section 242 and other provisions of the IBC to issue a notification suspending Sections 7, 9 and 10 of the IBC, in order to prevent the companies at large from being forced into insolvency proceedings. Section 242 empowers the central government to make such provisions not inconsistent with the provisions of the IBC in order to remove any difficulty. Will a temporary suspension be useful? Suspension of the IBC for a period of 6 months shall further disable the creditors from initiating insolvency resolution proceedings against the corporate debtors, thereby further blocking the mechanism to resolve the debt and recover the credit. In light of the aforementioned measures already taken by the government to ensure the corporate debtors to sail through this period of financial stress, suspension of IBC maybe a little too much of an overprotection of the corporate debtors. Certainly, this suspension will put the creditors in dire financial crisis, as despite the end of the second phase of the lockdown, they will have to remain remediless for at least a period of 6 months, only after which they may seek redressal under the IBC, which shall further take a period of 330 days to recover the loan from the corporate debtors. This is a long period to throw a lot of creditors, especially the operational creditors out of business. Also, during this extended time, the quality of the asset is most likely going to further decrease. It is imperative to question whether the period of 6 months would be enough for the corporate debtors in regaining the same financial position, as was before the first phase of the lockdown so that repayment towards the loans can be made? Especially since no economy in the world knows the end date for the current pandemic. Despite that, optimistic economists predict the economic recovery to take at least a span of 9-12 months. During the IBC's temporary suspension, corporate debtors may not be reinstated into the pink of their financial conditions, so as to repay their loans. The feeble repayment capacity of the borrowers is evident from various circulars released by RBI upon requests of various stakeholders amid COVID-19. For instance, the RBI released a circular upon requests of exporters, seeking relaxation in the timeline for realisation and repatriation of funds to India from 9 months to 15 months. Hence, unless the proceeds are realised, payment of borrowings made by the exporters is only a dream for creditors not coming true anytime soon, even after the period of 6 months for suspension of the IBC is over. This implies that the period of six months may not be enough for the borrowers to regain their repayment capacity, hence the suspension of the IBC may not render envisaged outcomes. How necessary is suspension of IBC? However, the suspension of IBC appears to be the last resort before the government to prevent the initiation of mass insolvency proceedings against the companies that may have defaulted during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted period. Mass insolvency proceedings may cause retardation of economic growth, as vital activities to keep the businesses going are carried out during the insolvency proceedings. Additionally, the already overburdened National Company Law Tribunals (NCLT) shall become further burdened. Strangely, this time, the debate on whether or not a suspension will be imposed may lie on different pedestals which may not have been why the IBC was brought about in the first place. Unfortunately for the government, India Inc's engines are corporates themselves and the burden of keeping this engine running may push the government to once again require the banks and financial institutions to shoulder this responsibility. In turn, the government may infuse funding into these banks for sustenance. Washington/IBNS: The United States recently claimed that China may have secretly conducted a low-yield underground nuclear test, an accusation that might further deteriorate the relationship between Washington and Beijing, which has been badly hit over the recent COVID-19 outbreak. China might be secretly conducting nuclear tests with very low explosive power despite Beijings assertions that it is strictly adhering to an international accord banning all nuclear tests, according to a new arms-control report to be made public by the State Department, The Wall Street Journal had initially reported. A report on arms control compliance does not offer proof, but points to circumstantial evidence, of excavations and other stepped-up activity at Chinas Lop Nur test site, reported The Guardian. In its report, the United States State Department said: "China maintained a high level of activity at its Lop Nur nuclear weapons test site throughout 2019." "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 lack of transparency on its nuclear testing activities which has included frequently blocking the flow of data from its International Monitoring System (IMS) stations to the International Data Center operated by the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization raise concerns regarding its adherence to the zero yield standard adhered to by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France in their respective nuclear weapons testing moratoria," the reports said. "Zero-yield" actually refers to a nuclear test in which there is no explosive chain reaction of the sort as caused by an atomic bomb nuclear warhead, media reports said. The US State Department published report further said: "The Peoples Republic of China (China) has failed to adhere to its November 2000 commitment to the United States not to assist in any way, any country in the development of ballistic missiles that can be used to deliver nuclear weapons (i.e., missiles capable of delivering a payload of at least 500 kilograms to a distance of at least 300 kilometers). "This failure to adhere to its November 2000 commitment is reflected in Chinese entities continued supply of items to missile programs of proliferation concern," it said. The US and China had signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is the Treaty banning all nuclear explosions - everywhere, by everyone, as per CTBTO website. Both the US and China signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), concluded in 1996, but neither country has ratified it, and partly as a result the agreement has not come into force. However, China has sworn to adhere to CTBT terms and the US has been observing a moratorium on nuclear testing, reported The Guardian. 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 Meanwhile, reacting to the development, Republican Senator Tom Cotton tweeted: "The Chinese Communist Party's conducting covert nuclear tests is yet another reason to unsign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty." Meanwhile, China said the US was making false accusations. "We note the report. In recent years, the US has been making the so-called Compliance Report annually, posturing as a judge or referee to criticize other countries' arms control and non-proliferation measures and style itself as a 'model'. This is distorting facts and blaming the innocent," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said during a daily briefing. He said Beijing is committed to a moratorium on nuclear tests. "China holds that treaties and mechanisms in arms control and non-proliferation are important pillars underpinning international peace, security and stability and should be observed and implemented," he said. "With a high sense of responsibility, we fulfill our international obligations and commitments, uphold multilateralism and pursue international cooperation, which contributes to safeguarding the international arms control and non-proliferation regime as well as world peace and security. Our efforts are witnessed by the international community. We refuse to dignify the groundless US allegation with a refutation," he said. Jacinda Ardern has been sued over New Zealand's draconian coronavirus lockdown and accused of imposing severe restrictions for her own 'political gain'. Two applicants made multiple claims against New Zealand's Prime Minister at Auckland High Court on Thursday. The men argued New Zealand's level four lockdown was not worth the economic cost compared to the low number of coronavirus deaths, the New Zealand Herald reported. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured) has been sued over the coronavirus lockdown amid claims the restrictions served her own political gain Police stop vehicles to heading north on state highway one at Warkworth in Auckland on April 9 They also claimed the restrictions left them unlawfully detained and asked for a writ of habeas corpus, which seeks to release an imprisoned applicant from their detention. The court order demands the imprisoned person be brought to court and the official must provide a valid or justified reason for their detention. The first applicant is currently serving a home detention sentence and said Ms Ardern had no grounds to enact the lockdown. He told Justice Mary Peters 'the whole thing's a joke' and noted his sentence allows him to leave the house between 8am and 5pm every day. He also alleged Ms Ardern had conspired with Sir Stephen Tindall to ruin the economy and said the United Nations Secretary-General should have been consulted instead. The man noted that only nine people have died from coronavirus in New Zealand. He said this showed the restrictions were not in line with a modelling scenario that predicted up to 80,000 deaths. One applicant claimed Ms Ardern had no grounds to enact the lockdown and filed an order demanding the Prime Minister justify the 'detention'. Pictured: An empty Wellington street The man also compared Ms Ardern to Hitler and the lockdown to the Holocaust. 'I don't want my democratic rights to live in a society taken away on a whim,' he said. He rejected Justice Peters' question to substitute Ms Ardern for the Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield, who enacted the lockdown order. The second applicant alleged more people would die from other illnesses because hospital resources were focused on battling the coronavirus. 'The Prime Minister made the wrong decision all for her political gain', he said. Ms Ardern's representative, Crown lawyer Austin Powell, said the restrictions limited freedom of movement for everyone but they did not amount to detention. The men argued the lockdown (pictured in Wellington) was not worth the economic cost in comparison to the low number of coronavirus deaths He said there were no specific limitations on distancing from one's home and no requirements to report on movements. Mr Powell said the Health Minister had done what the law required him to do. Justice Peters withheld her decision but said it would be given urgency. Meanwhile Australia's Prime Minister announced the nation's lockdown would be in place for at least another four weeks on Thursday. Scott Morrison urged Australians to adhere to regulations and practice social distancing. The number of positive coronavirus cases in Australia currently sit at 6,522. The two Chinese companies were offering a risky proposition: 2 million home test kits said to detect antibodies for the coronavirus for at least $20 million (16m), take it or leave it. The asking price was high, the technology was unproven, and the money had to be paid upfront. And the buyer would be required to pick up the crate loads of test kits from a facility in China. Yet British officials took the deal, according to a senior civil servant involved, then confidently promised tests would be available at pharmacies in as little as two weeks. As simple as a pregnancy test, gushed Boris Johnson, the prime minister. It has the potential to be a total game changer. There was one problem, however. The tests did not work. Found to be insufficiently accurate by a laboratory at Oxford University, half a million of the tests are now gathering dust in storage. Another 1.5 million bought at a similar price from other sources have also gone unused. The fiasco has left embarrassed British officials scrambling to get back at least some of the money. They might perhaps have slightly jumped the gun, said Professor Peter Openshaw of Imperial College London, a member of the governments New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group. There is a huge pressure on politicians to come out and say things that are positive. A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said the government ordered the smallest number of tests allowed by the sellers and that it would try to recover the money, without specifying how. The ill-starred purchases are in some ways a parable of the risks in the escalating scrum among competing governments racing for an edge in the fight against the pandemic. The still-emerging tests for antibodies formed in response to the virus are the next stage in the battle. By enabling public health officials to assess where the disease has spread and who might have some immunity, widespread use of the tests is seen as a critical step in determining how and when to lift the lockdowns currently paralysing societies and economies in much of the world. You cant lift the lockdown as long as you are not testing massively, said Nicolas Locker, a professor of virology at the University of Surrey. As long as the government is not testing in the community, we are going to be on lockdown. The gamble on the Chinese antibody tests, though, is also a barometer of the desperation British officials felt as public pressure has mounted over their slow response to the virus. One prominent expert, Jeremy Farrar, head of the Wellcome Trust, a British nonprofit that is a major funder of medical research, recently warned that the UK is likely to be certainly one of the worst, if not the worst affected, country in Europe. Long before the development of an antibody test, Germany, for example, the continents leader in containing the virus, began conducting as many as 50,000 diagnostic tests a day to help trace and isolate cases. That rate is now nearly 120,000 a day. As of Wednesday, Britain was still conducting fewer than 20,000 diagnostic tests a day. Having missed a previous target of 25,000 diagnostic tests a day by the middle of April, officials are now promising to reach 100,000 a day by the end of the month and as many as 250,000 a day soon after that. British officials have said that they started out behind because they lack major private testing companies of the sort found in Germany and the United States, which are capable of manufacturing and performing tens of thousands of diagnostic tests. But by the time Britain began pushing in earnest to expand its capacity, it was also trailing behind most of Europe in the competition to buy up the limited supply of compounds, tubes and even swabs needed for diagnostic tests to determine a current infection with the virus. So when the Chinese offers of antibody tests arrived, the officials knew that almost every government in the world was hunting for them, too. Nationalists like Donald Trump, the US president, were pressuring domestic suppliers not to sell outside their borders. Oil-rich Persian Gulf princes were bidding up prices. Medical companies in China, where the virus first emerged, seemed to hold all the cards, typically demanding yes-or-no decisions from buyers with full payment upfront in as little as 24 hours. The two Chinese companies offering the antibody tests, AllTest Biotech and Wondfo Biotech, both said their products met the health, safety and environmental standards set by the European Union. Public health officials reviewed the specifications on paper, while the British Foreign Ministry hurriedly dispatched diplomats in China to ensure the companies existed and to examine their products. Representatives of both AllTest and Wondfo declined to discuss prices. Military personnel are test people at a coronavirus test centre at Chessington World of Adventures car park in Greater London, Britain, 14 April 2020 (Peter Nicholls/Reuters) (Reuters) Within days of the deal, enthusiastic health officials back in London were promising that the new tests would vault Britain into the vanguard of international efforts to combat the virus. Appearing before a parliamentary committee on March 25, Sharon Peacock, a senior public health official overseeing infectious diseases, testified that the tests would require only a pinprick in the privacy of ones home and would soon be available at a minimal cost from either local pharmacies or Amazon. Testing the test is a small matter, Ms Peacock assured lawmakers. I anticipate that it would be done by the end of this week. After quietly admitting last week that the testing had in fact proven unsuccessful, health officials are now defending the purchase as prudent planning and valuable experience. It was to be expected, professor Chris Whitty, Britains chief medical officer, said in a news conference. It would be very surprising if first out of the gate we got to the best outcome that we could for this kind of test, he said. It made a lot of sense to get started early. But Greg Clark, chairman of a parliamentary committee examining the coronavirus response, said the governments promises appeared unrealistic. There is no country in the world that is able to operate in massive scale antibody tests yet, he said in an interview. I think its now clear, he added, that we should have moved earlier and more expansively to make use of all of the testing facilities that we could have. After British complaints about the test kits surfaced, both Chinese companies blamed British officials and politicians for misunderstanding or exaggerating the utility of the tests. Wondfo told Global Times, a Chinese newspaper, that its product was intended only as a supplement for patients who had already tested positive for the virus. AllTest said in a statement on its website that the tests were only used by professionals, not by patients at home. Doctors say the governments descriptions of the antibody tests could also be misleading. By comparing the antibody tests to pregnancy tests, officials seemed to be suggesting the antibody tests would determine whether a patient was currently infected. But a discernible level of antibodies may not appear in the blood until as long as 20 days after infection: meaning a person with the virus would test negative until then. The British military laboratory at Porton Down is also working on an antibody test, but primarily to help public health officials assess the course of the pandemic by surveying samples of the population, not to inform individual patients. The government is hoping to repurpose some of the stored Chinese-made kits for this sort of population-level testing. Do-it-yourself pinprick tests like the ones the British government ordered from China are far more complicated and much further off than such laboratory tests, researchers say. It is not yet certain what degree of immunity recovery from a past infection may confer, either. Rapid antibody tests have limited utility for patients, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned in an 8 April statement, telling doctors that such tests remained unfit for clinical purposes until they were proved to be accurate and effective. British officials, though, were eager for a breakthrough. Even in late March, as the pandemic overwhelmed hospitals in Italy and Iran, British officials brushed off the advice of the WHO to expand diagnostic testing as quickly as possible. By the time Britain began pushing in earnest to expand its testing, every country in the world was competing for the same materials. 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 organisation, 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 Professor 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 (4.82) a swab about 100 times the typical cost. It took about 10 days to get them, professor Swanton added. The British division of 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. By Delana Isles THE ATTORNEY General, the Director of Public Prosecutions and President of the Bar Council are not in favour of the suspension of juries in criminal matters during the Covid-19 pandemic. Their statement was in response to a suggestion from newly sworn in chief justice, Madam Mabel Agyemang, who last week solicited the views of members of the TCI judiciary. The joint response was co-signed by Rhondalee Braithwaite-Knowles, Queens Counsel Eugene Otuonye and Oreika Selver-Gardiner, respectively. In the face of a national curfew imposed in the Islands on March 26, the acting chief justice at the time Shiraz Azziz issued Practice Direction No. 2 of 2020 (Covid-19 Practice Directions) on March 25, suspending nearly all matters before the courts and encouraging the use of video and teleconferencing means to continue certain matters. However, he had reserved certain matters for in person appearances, subject to social distancing advice from public health officials. Shortly after her appointment on April 1, Madam Justice Agyemang suggested a new approach to ensure the continuation of delivery of justice to accused persons. Citing the provision for non-jury trials contained in section 57 of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance, the chief justice pointed to the health implications of jurors, inadequate infrastructure and prisoners right to a fair and timely hearing to substantiate her suggestions. She noted that in Providenciales where the bulk of criminal trials by jury have commenced, there is little room to ensure social distancing due to inadequate accommodations. "Our courts lack the infrastructure to hold jury trials without endangering the lives of jurors and court staff who must work with them, and risking in-country transmission. "It is clear that the only court equipped in Providenciales to carry out its duties of conducting a jury trial may be the SIPT courthouse. "Even so, it will be done at some peril to the jury which will have to sit together and deliberate over evidence led. She added that the court cannot risk infections arising from the jurys performance of its duty. "It is evident then that until the Covid-19 crisis is declared to be over, and people can move about without fear of contracting a fatal disease, the court cannot conduct jury trials. The chief justice noted that enshrined in the Constitution of Turks and Caicos Islands is a right to a fair hearing. "The said provision prescribes the fair hearing of persons accused of crime, before an independent and impartial tribunal. "Among the things included in this provision is the right to be heard within a reasonable time. She added that it is settled law that criminal prosecution time commences when charges are laid; and while some accused persons held on indictable offences are out on bail, many of them are held in custody awaiting trial. "The concern at this time is that due to the volatile nature of this scourge, the end may be in sight or it may not be. "In these uncertain times, the judiciary must rise to the task to provide some normalcy by enabling trials to continue in order that we may not be found wanting, accused of breaching fair hearing provisions of the constitution even during Covid-19 times. She further expressed confidence in the integrity and professionalism of judges of the TCI Supreme Court to be able to conduct fair trials without juries. Official response "It is essential that the judiciary is able to function and normal due process and access to justice is maintained even as we deal with the pandemic, the response from the AG, DPP and Bar Council president read. They stated that continuing access to speedy justice, to the extent that the state of emergency would permit, is an important right of those who are brought before the court and that the pandemic should not grind the wheel of justice to a halt. "It is in this context that the new chief justice has put forward proposals, firstly, to deploy to the largest extent, the use of audio video technology to continue the business of the court and secondly, in doing so, to avoid unduly exposing persons to the risk of exposure to the Covid-19 virus. "In considering the legal framework, the Hon. chief justice quickly noted that the current provisions in the TCI, unlike in other overseas territories and commonwealth jurisdictions, only permit the making of rules and the issue of practice directions in so far as provision is not expressly made by the Supreme Court Ordinance, the Civil Procedure Ordinance or the Criminal Procedure Ordinance. They noted that it was in light of this that the views of key stakeholders were solicited by the chief justice. By Friday, April 10, having had preliminary feedback from stakeholders showing support in principle for the majority of the proposals to reopen the courts, but not in favour of the option of a blanket suspension of jury trials in criminal matters, the chief justice confirmed that she would press ahead with giving effect to those protocols, save for the blanket approach to criminal trials, the tripartite statement read. This means that ongoing trials would continue to be adjourned and new criminal trials would be considered on a case by case basis within the terms of the existing statutory regime, while the situation as a whole would be kept under review. The statement clarified that the protocols proposed by the chief justice seek to secure enabling legislation through the use of emergency powers regulations. This is so that rules and practice directions can be made to facilitate the continuation of court proceedings in the TCI through the filing, service and disposition, of matters which are not presently available under the existing law; and apply to all civil (including commercial), criminal, and family proceedings before the courts. "The hon. attorney general, the director of public prosecutions and the Bar Council support the hon. chief justice in establishing protocols to ensure that the important principles of the rule of law and access to justice are maintained in the Turks and Caicos Islands even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic with maintaining public confidence in the administration of justice and the independence of the judiciary at the core of such decisions. "We appreciate and commend the proactive and consultative approach taken by the hon. chief justice in putting these protocols in place. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stated that some of these events will be held as virtual events instead. He also said that the company will extend its policy of no business travel through at least June of this year. "Guidance from health experts is that it won't be advisable to have large groups of people get together for a while. Given this, we're canceling any large physical events we had planned with 50 or more people through June 2021," Zuckerberg in a statement said. This will include the Oculus Connect 7 virtual reality conference in San Jose. "We will require the vast majority of our employees to work from home through at least the end of May to create a safer environment both for our employees doing critical jobs who must be in the office and for everyone else in our local communities," Zuckerberg added. Zuckerberg said that Facebook will slow its plan to return to office. Facebook will first prioritise the rest of the economy to get up and running. He said that when the society eventually reopens, "it will open slowly in staggered waves." This is to ensure that the people who are returning to work are safe and that the possibility of future outbreaks is minimised. "A small percent of our critical employees who can't work remotely, like content reviewers working on counter-terrorism or suicide and self-harm prevention, and engineers working on complex hardware, may be able to return sooner, but overall, we don't expect to have everyone back in our offices for some time," said Zuckerberg. He said that some of its employees were fortunate enough to work and manage things from home. He further said that those who do not have the flexibility to work from home should be given access to public resources first. Meanwhile, Facebook and Reliance industries are together weighing the options of creating a super-app on the lines of WeChat, an ET report states. Such an app would combine digital payments, social media, gaming as well as flight and hotel bookings, among other features. The two companies would bring in funding, technical know-how, and domain expertise. The idea is to create an app that is not just a communication platform but one where users would also be able to buy groceries through Reliance Retail stores, or shop at ajio.com, or make payments using JioMoney, the report states. The discussions have been delayed due to COVID-19. It is still unclear how the final structure would look like. A report by FT in March claimed that Facebook is close to signing a "preliminary deal for a 10 percent share" in the telecom operator. Disney Plus has edited a casting couch reference from the film Toy Story 2. The line from the animated film came from the character Stinky Pete, played by Kelsey Grammer, as he told a pair of nearby two Barbie dolls, 'You know, Im sure I could get you a part in Toy Story 3.' Disney Plus has previously used CGI to edit the film Splash, extending Daryl Hannah's locks to cover her derriere. The latest: Disney Plus has edited a casting couch reference from the film Toy Story 2; The line from the animated film came from the character Stinky Pete, played by Kelsey Grammer, as he told a pair of nearby two Barbie dolls, 'You know, Im sure I could get you a part in Toy Story 3' 'A few scenes in the film have been slightly edited to remove nudity,' a spokesperson for the streaming service told Variety. The Toy Story 2 edit had previously been done in conjunction with the re-release of the DVD when Toy Story 4 hit theaters last year, two years after dozens of high-ranking Hollywood executives and performers were accused of sexual misconduct. The first major accusations in the movement were wage at producer Harvey Weinstein, 68, who had closely worked with Disney for 12 years through a partnership with his Miramax company that lasted from 1993 until 2005. Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob had left Miramax, which Disney sold off in 2010. Weinstein remains in custody in New York in connection with the 23-year sentence he received for his rape and sexual assault conviction. The disgraced producer, who reportedly recovered after catching COVID-19, is also at the center of a prosecution in Los Angeles in connection with a pair of 2013 incidents. A look back: The Toy Story 2 edit had previously been done in conjunction with the re-release of the DVD when Toy Story 4 hit theaters last year Facing the music: Harvey Weinstein was seen in a NYC courthouse on February 24 Last week, the district attorneys office charged him with felony sexual battery by restraint over a May 2010 incident at the Beverly Hills hotel that falls just within the decade-long statute of limitations. 'As we gather corroborating evidence, we have reached out to other possible sexual assault victims,' Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a statement. 'If we find new evidence of a previously unreported crime, as we did here, we will investigate and determine whether additional criminal charges should be filed.' All skilled-nursing residents of a Phoebe Ministries care facility in Montgomery County -- including many battling COVID-19 -- have been moved to the Allentown location, according to a letter to residents and their families. The 37 residents, who average 84 years old on the skilled-nursing floor, require constant care, a spokeswoman said. Independent living and personal care residents can remain in their apartments at Phoebe Wyncote, the letter said. There is adequate staffing to care for them there, the letter said. More than two dozen Phoebe Wyncote residents were sick with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, as of Friday and many are now recovering under specialized care, a spokeswoman said. None was hospitalized, a spokeswoman said. Ten staff members had been self-quarantined after positive tests and two have recovered and returned to work, a spokeswoman said. No one has died from COVID-19 at either location, a spokeswoman said. The Phoebe Allentown facility has largely avoided experiencing an outbreak of the virus, the letter said. One pool employee ttested positivethere before the Wyncote patients were brought north, a spokeswoman said. With so much staff sidelined in Wyncote, which is a neighborhood in Cheltenham Township, the move was necessitated to provide the most appropriate and highest degree of care for our residents, the letter stated. A resident in her 80s told the Philadelphia Inquirer that, They told us that we were going to be moved. They didnt ask if we wanted to be. It was mandatory. My family is too far away to do anything about it anyway. Normally, a nursing facility cant move patients without their permission, Diane Menio, executive director of the Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly, a Philadelphia nonprofit, told the newspaper. But a lot of the regulations have been suspended, she added. The 1 West and 2 West neighborhoods at the Allentown facility, 1925 W. Turner St., are equipped with specially trained staff and resources (including necessary personal protective equipment) and will be solely dedicated to caring for COVID-19 positive residents, the letter said. Neighborhoods are units within a building, the spokeswoman said. The 3 West neighborhood will be used for patients from Wyncote who have not tested positive for COVID-19, yet need to be closely monitored for symptoms, the letter said. Teams are dedicated to these units and they have separate entrances that restrict crossover between employees and residents, Phoebe Ministries said. Families were advised about the move, which took place on Wednesday as social distancing was created in buses, the letter stated. Staff on board wore appropriate protective gear, the letter said. The arrangement will last until affected members of the Wyncote staff are able to recuperate and return to work, Phoebe Ministries said. 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. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. US President Donald Trump said Friday that China's coronavirus deaths were "far higher" than it has admitted after the toll in the city where the pandemic originated was revised up by 50 percent. Global criticism is mounting against China over its management of the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed more than 145,000 people worldwide and hammered the global economy since it first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan last year. More than half of humanity -- 4.5 billion people -- are confined to their homes as governments scramble to contain the virus's death march across the globe. Global spread of coronavirus. By Simon MALFATTO (AFP) World leaders are now looking at when -- and how -- to ease widespread confinement measures to revive an economy battered by what the International Monetary Fund calls the "Great Lockdown". Trump is eager to restart business in the world's biggest economy, while some hard-hit European nations are slowly creeping ahead on the path to normalcy, with some shops and schools starting to reopen. China denies any cover-up The US leader announced this week a phased reopening of the United States -- one of his central preoccupations -- but on Friday turned his attention to China's death toll after Wuhan's city government added a further 1,290 deaths to the city's fatalities. The revision brought the city's total to 3,869 after many dead were "mistakenly reported" or missed entirely, adding to growing global doubts over China's transparency. A woman wearing a face mask and a plastic bag pulls a cart loaded with bags of recyclables through the streets of Lower Manhattan. By Johannes EISELE (AFP) "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 U.S., not even close!" Trump tweeted. The revised death toll out of China on Friday was specific to the city of Wuhan, not the country as a whole. The United States currently has the most reported fatalities of any country in the world, with some 33,000 deaths. Leaders in France and Britain have also questioned China's management of the crisis, and French President Emmanuel Macron said it would be "naive" to think Beijing had handled the pandemic well. The virus is believed to have emerged in a wet market in Wuhan in December, but two US media outlets reported suspicions the virus accidentally slipped out of a sensitive Wuhan laboratory that studied bats. Beijing, which has come under fire at home and abroad for downplaying the severity and scope of the outbreak, hit back earlier Friday, insisting there had been no cover-up. "There has never been any concealment, and we'll never allow any concealment," a foreign ministry spokesman said. Life-and-death balance Governments around the world are grappling with the question of when to reopen society, seeking a life-and-death balance between unfreezing stalled economies and preventing a second deadly coronavirus wave. A healthcare worker attends to a coronavirus patient in intensive care at a Spanish hospital. By MIGUEL RIOPA (AFP) While Trump declared Thursday that the time had come for the "next front in our war" with a phased reboot of the US economy, others took the opposite path -- Japan, Britain and Mexico all expanded current restrictions. Despite the United States suffering a staggering 4,500 new deaths announced Thursday, Trump proclaimed: "We're opening up our country." The president's approach was a step back from previous hopes for a sudden reopening however, and state governors were given the freedom to set their own plans to resume business. US President Donald Trump, takes questions from journalist as he announces plans to reopen the US economy. By MANDEL NGAN (AFP) Lightly affected states can open "literally tomorrow", said Trump, while others would receive White House "freedom and guidance" to achieve that at their own pace. In New York state for example -- where more than 11,500 people have died -- Governor Andrew Cuomo extended a shutdown order until May 15. In some of the world's most vulnerable economies, lockdown measures are starting to pinch. Tobacco farmers in Zimbabwe fear a delayed start to the normally busy auction season, the lifeblood for thousands of growers in impoverished rural regions. A woman grades cured tobacco leaves at a farm in Zimbabwe, where growers fear this seasons's sales will be hit by the pandemic. By Jekesai NJIKIZANA (AFP) "This year our harvest hasn't been good at all... just average," farmer Shaw Mutalepo told AFP, as workers in face masks crunched cured leaves into large bales. "We might have a delay (in selling) just because of the lockdown," he added. 'Lost decade' Meanwhile, there were more signs the global economy is imploding. China reported Friday its GDP shrank 6.8 percent in the first quarter, the first contraction since quarterly growth data started in the early 1990s. A rickshaw driver carries passengers wearing face masks in New Delhi during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown. By SAJJAD HUSSAIN (AFP) In the US, another 5.2 million workers lost their jobs, bringing the total number of newly unemployed to a staggering 22 million since mid-March. John Williams, a top Federal Reserve official, predicted it would take "a year or two" if not longer for the US to recover. The virus could spark another "lost decade" in Latin America, the IMF warned, while experts cautioned that freezing debt for poor countries will not save many developing world economies. 'It's awful' Some European countries -- such as hard-hit Spain and Italy -- were embarking on a long road back to normality, with Venice residents strolling around quiet canals stripped of their usual throngs of tourists. Officers patrol the streets of Venice, which saw some stringent lockdown measures eased this week. By ANDREA PATTARO (S fornasier/AFP) Switzerland, Denmark and Finland were among those gradually re-opening shops and schools. In Germany, the government declared its outbreak "under control" and said select small shops will be allowed to reopen Monday and some childre would return to school within weeks. Infection rates there "have sunk significantly", Health Minister Jens Spahn said Friday, announcing the country's plans to start producing up to 50 million masks a week from August to meet gaping market demand. Germany's coronavirus deaths and infections have remained significantly below some of its worst-hit European neighbours, a fact which experts say is in part thanks to widespread testing. COVID-19 and the immune system. By (AFP) But Britain, which shut down later than continental Europe, extended its lockdown for at least three more weeks. It announced close to 850 new deaths on Friday, a slight spike from previous days that had seen fatalities start to draw down. And in Russia, recorded infections topped 32,000 as President Vladimir Putin warned that "the risks surrounding the epidemic's spread are still very high, not just in Moscow but in many other Russian regions". Around the world, people have come up with creative ways to bring back some social connection to their upended lives. In Rome an 18-year-old guitarist takes to his balcony every evening at sunset to play covers of Italian classics. "We decided to lend a hand to Italians: a message of hope," Jacopo Mastrangelo told AFP from his patio. "We are accustomed to always seeing Rome full, teeming with people. Now the grass is growing between the cobblestones, everything has been left abandoned, and we decided to help." The ACS Technical Advisory Board and its committees tackle the nations top technology challenges with a global outlook for making Australia a world-leading knowledge economy through the development of its Artificial Intelligence capabilities. For the past two years, the Federal government has commissioned various reports to look at the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an enabler to solving major challenges in the national context. We have also seen the commissioning of a framework for AI Ethics, which contains non-binding principles for business to utilise responsible AI. The NSW government held its AI Summit last year to formulate a comprehensive and beneficial AI strategy for the state. And in Queensland, the State government via its Advance Queensland initiative, launched an AI Hub to develop and attract the best AI talent. However, despite these commendable initiatives, a concrete national position on AI that speaks to the real issues for engaging our industries, leveraging our world-class research and building our economic prosperity, still eludes Australia. A national agenda for artificial intelligence As we enter the 4th Industrial Revolution, AI will be the essence that binds all the technology elements to drive business and innovation for a promising digital future. Australia is a world-leading OECD economy in the creation of high-value AI (machine learning) R&D, estimated to be a $US15.7 trillion economy by 2030. However, Australia has been unable to develop a successful artificial intelligence economy from its local R&D strengths, as Australias ability to convert this high-value R&D into commercial outcomes is poor, with Australia ranked 88 out of 129 countries for knowledge diffusion (business translation). Australia is one of the few global economies that can benefit from the adoption of AI services and automation for productivity gains, as we have high-minimum wages, a large geographic area and limited skilled workers in regional and metro communities. Nevertheless, all efforts to date to try and address the evolving nature of AI at a national level have not been successful in mapping out a practical way to harness its opportunities, including to translate and export these high-value assets. Whilst governments overseas invest billions of dollars in AI to develop a concrete plan for the future, Australia has decided to put up a more modest investment. Therefore, organisations such as ACS need to drive a step change to enable Australia to be a top 10 global innovation economy. Australia has top talent and research, a stable and strong economy and is a trusted partner in the Asian market. Supporting Australias AI economy requires governments, industry and research organisations to do things differently, and set up the digital tools for businesses to scale and grow to be globally competitive. Governments have traditionally supported mining, agriculture and construction, but have not focused on supporting business to compete in the new knowledge economy through a similar model. Hence, there needs to be a way that they revise their support for innovation, because the pace of change is too rapid. Innovation economies around the world are emerging, and those countries that manage the transition to the innovation economy will achieve greater socio-economic benefit. To be at the forefront of the AI curve, Australia needs to position itself to not only consume, regulate, evaluate or certify AI, but actually develop new-to-world, Deep Tech solutions, which can be exported globally. In Australia we have one of the largest per capita concentrations of cutting-edge research in the world. However, as a country, we have the worst record of translation of this research into commercial outcomes. Given the tremendous IP that exists within our Universities and research institutes, we must devise a National plan to harness Australias potential. Despite numerous guidelines, reports and proposals, we now need to formulate a concrete national plan, which considers the practical implementation of AI to grow Australian businesses and provide pragmatic guidance pertaining to AIs responsible use to grow the economy and create jobs. Thus in 2020, the ACS Technical Advisory Board (TAB) will take on the challenge to build on the largely theoretical conversations about AI and work towards developing a national AI agenda which will include: A roadmap for creating home-grown AI innovations to be competitive in the global landscape A guide for practical implementation of AI within Australian businesses A plan for leveraging Australian R&D capability to support startups and SMEs with their AI requirements With the AI vision at the heart of the ACS TABs strategy for 2020 and beyond, ACS will enable the implementation of one of the Nations most challenging and important initiatives of the new decade. The European Union's police agency is warning that counterfeiters are cashing in on the coronavirus by selling products ranging from fake tests to substandard face masks. Underscoring the ability of organized crime gangs to quickly adapt to service new markets, Europol says they are exploiting shortages of genuine products and the anxieties of regular citizens across the continent. The products, mostly sold from on websites or offered on messaging apps, come from countries within the 27-nation EU, but also from India and China. Europol Executive Director Catherine de Bolle says the counterfeit products do not meet the required quality standards and pose a real threat to public health and safety. Europol says along with personal protection gear, criminals are selling fake pharmaceuticals such as the malaria medication chloroquine. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump is clashing with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo over the coronavirus response again. During Cuomos press briefing on the latest COVID-19 updates in the Empire State, Trump attacked the governor in a series of tweets Friday. Governor Cuomo should spend more time doing and less time complaining.' Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking!" Trump wrote on Twitter. "We built you thousands of hospital beds that you didnt need or use, gave large numbers of Ventilators that you should have had, and helped you with... testing that you should be doing. We have given New York far more money, help and equipment than any other state, by far, & these great men & women who did the job never hear you say thanks. Your numbers are not good. Less talk and more action! A reporter asked Cuomo about Trumps tweets, and the governor responded in real time. First of all, if hes sitting home watching TV, maybe he should get up and go to work, right? Cuomo said. Second, lets keep emotions and politics out of it, and personal ego if we can." Because this is about the people, and its about our job. Cuomo has frequently clashed with Trump, asking for more federal help including ventilators and personal protective equipment to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Trump has recently tried to claim he would decide when states reopen for business, issuing a three-point plan for governors to use but admitted it would be to states to decide when to lift stay-at-home orders. Trump has encouraged states to reopen by May 1, but Cuomo who has extended New Yorks stay-at-home order to May 15 said the presidents plan requires more federal aid. Is there any funding so I can do these things you want me to do? Cuomo said Friday. That is passing the buck without passing the bucks. Why dont you show as much consideration to states as you did to your big businesses and to your airlines? Cuomo added. The governor also pointed out that, while other states may have lower numbers of coronavirus and could reopen sooner than others, New York is still seeing more than 600 new deaths daily from COVID-19. Trumps home state has seen more than 220,000 confirmed cases more than any country outside the U.S. and nearly 13,000 deaths. Trump and Cuomo have repeatedly clashed on a number of issues beyond the coronavirus pandemic. Trump, a Republican, has previously claimed New Yorkers are leaving the state like never before" and refused to allow New Yorkers to enroll in Global Entry and other trusted traveler programs. Cuomo, a Democrat, has accused Trump of inciting hate and doing nothing but tweet when it comes to gun control, and also irked the president when he signed a law preventing presidential pardons for state crimes, including his associates like former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Trump further used Twitter Friday to show support for protesters in states demanding stay-at-home orders be lifted and non-essential businesses reopened. LIBERATE MINNESOTA! Trump tweeted. LIBERATE MICHIGAN! LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege! ....testing that you should be doing. We have given New York far more money, help and equipment than any other state, by far, & these great men & women who did the job never hear you say thanks. Your numbers are not good. Less talk and more action! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020 Cuomo ridiculously wanted 40 thousand Ventilators. We gave him a small fraction of that number, and it was plenty. State should have had them in stockpile! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020 New York is still seeing about 2,000 COVID hospitalizations per day. If people tell you the pandemic is "over" they're wrong. Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 17, 2020 MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Cuomo rejects Trump claim of total authority: We dont have a king Coronavirus timeline: How Gov. Cuomo has responded to pandemic since January Trump attacks Cuomo, claims NY governor created death panels instead of buying ventilators Cuomo to Trump: The president will have no fight with me Australian public life could be restricted for another year because of the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned on Friday, as the country's most populous state mulled sending children to school in shifts. Australia has so far avoided the high numbers of coronavirus casualties reported around the world after closing its borders and imposing strict social distancing measures for the past month. Restaurants, bars and other non-essential businesses have closed and public gatherings of more than two people are banned under the threat of fines and even prison. The measures that are expected to double the unemployment rate by mid-year. Australia closed restaurants, bars and other non-essential business to the public and gatherings of more than two people are banned under threat of fines and even prison Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that social distancing measures could be in place for another year. Pictured: Surfers at Bondi Beach despite it being closed In response, the daily growth rate of reported new infections has steadied in the low percentage single digits, from about 25 percent several weeks ago. Australia has seen a total of about 6,500 coronavirus infections and 63 deaths. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said some measures, like the rule requiring people to stand at least 1.5 metres apart, would likely remain for several months, given there was no guarantee a vaccine would be developed in that time. 'Social distancing is something we should get very used to,' Morrison told radio station 3AW. 'It could be a year, but I'm not speculating about that.' 'Certainly while the virus is prevalent across the world (the 1.5 metre rule) should be a natural instinct.' Morrison had said on Thursday the wider social distancing measures would be in place for at least another four weeks, while advocating the reopening of schools across the country, citing medical advice that children are a low risk of transmission. That guidance has been contradicted by several states and territories, which are responsible for schools governance, and brought a public backlash from parents and teachers concerned about exposure to the virus. Austrailia has seen a total of about 6,500 coronavirus infections and 63 deaths, a relatively low number compared with other countries In Victoria, Australia's second most populous state, just 3 percent of children returned to school after the Easter break this week, while the most populous state, New South Wales, has children still on a break. 'We are considering our options around a rostering system which will have some students go back on a particular day to increase that level of face-to-face,' New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters on Friday. 'The alternative is that unfortunately students could face up to a year or longer at home and we don't that's appropriate,' she added. WASHINGTON, Pa. April 16, 2020 Michael J. Markus Tulsa, Oklahoma Oklahoma Mark Boomer Mike Motion Fort Washington, Pennsylvania $100 $564 billion Fort Washington, PA Tulsa, OK FT./PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- HGE Health has reached an agreement with Adherium to integrate Adherium's medication compliance sensor technology into HGE Health's digital patient management platform. The HGE Health platform currently takes into consideration a patient's symptoms to determine whether that patient's condition is worsening, or is expected for the current state of their COPD. Integration of Adherium's Hailie sensor will allow the contribution of each patient's adherence, or lack thereof, to an inhaled prescription drug regimen to be considered in evaluating the patient's condition for worsening trends.HGE Health's 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, Adherium's 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, 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 inwill be one of the first in the country to utilize the Hailie sensor with HGE technology. This new capability is already expanding Respircare's relationships with local payors and native American tribes for COPD and asthma management in," explained Dr., 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.""Adherium's Hailie sensor was initially developed to monitor when, and how often asthma patients used their rescue inhaler," explained, 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 Health's substantial customer base of payers and healthcare providers.Based in, 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. Adherium's 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-300 billion annually in avoidable direct healthcare costs in the US alone, and aburden globally. The resulting monitoring technology uses wireless communications technology to provide real-time data collection and reporting from Adherium's Hailie sensors.About HGE Health Headquartered in, 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 company's technology has compiled the longest-running and world's 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, 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.SOURCE HGE Health An Extended Annual General Meeting Extended AGM of Arion Bank hf., ID-No. 581008-0150, will be held by electronic means on 14 May 2020 at 16:00. Shareholders are asked to visit www.smartagm.com in order to receive their unique login credentials. The meeting will be conducted in Icelandic and English. The meetings agenda is as follows: 1. A decision on payment of a dividend It is proposed that no dividend be paid for the fiscal year 2019 and that net earnings for 2019 be added to the Banks equity. 2. Other business General Information: The final agenda, meeting announcement, proposals and other documents for the Extended AGM will be available on the Banks website, www.arionbanki.is/gm , no later than 23 April 2020 and will be accessible at the Banks headquarters from the same date. An English translation of the meeting material will be accessible to shareholders at the Banks headquarters as well as on the Banks website www.arionbanki.is/gm. Should there be discrepancy between the English and the Icelandic version, the latter prevails. Each shareholder is entitled to have a specific matter dealt with at the meeting if he/she so requests in writing or by electronic means no later than ten days prior to the Extended AGM, i.e. no later than 16:00 Icelandic time, 4 May 2020. A rationale or a draft resolution shall be enclosed with such a request. The request shall be sent to the Board of Directors by an email to shareholders@arionbanki.is . Each share of the Bank carries one vote except treasury shares. Voting at the Extended AGM will be conducted by electronic means, by the use of the Lumi AGM app and Lumi AGM web solution. Shareholders are encouraged to download the Lumi AGM app to an internet enabled device, such as a mobile phone or tablet, prior to the meeting, but such devices are required for the purpose of attending the meeting. Shareholders will be able to submit questions at the meeting, using the Lumi AGM app and web solution. Story continues Shareholders may authorize a representative to attend the Extended AGM electronically on their behalf and vote on their behalf. Shareholders alone are responsible for what persons/parties they choose to share their login credentials with. Shareholders planning on attending the meeting need to apply for the necessary login credentials on www.smartagm.com. Shareholders, who also are legal entities or who intend to authorize a representative to attend the Extended AGM, are instructed to make sure that the person applying for login credentials is legally authorized to do so. The required form of a power of attorney is available on the Banks website www.arionbanki.is/gm. More detailed information on how shareholders can receive their unique login credentials, on electronic voting using the Lumi AGM service and other relevant details can be found on the Banks website. In order to ensure the timely processing of shareholders request to receive login credentials, shareholders shall request access through the website www.smartagm.com no later than one day before the meeting, i.e. no later than 13 May 2020 at 16:00 Icelandic time. Special attention is drawn to the fact that the Computershare system, previously used by the Bank, will not be available for this shareholders meeting, as voting will only take place using Lumi AGM. Notice to holders of Swedish Depository Receipts (SDRs): Holders of SDRs who wish to participate by electronic means or vote by proxy at the Extended AGM must be registered in the register kept by Euroclear Sweden AB (Euroclear) by 5:00 p.m. (CET) on 8 May 2020 and perform either of the following: Notify Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) (SEB) of their intention to participate in the Extended AGM no later than 8 May 2020; or send an original signed proxy form to SEB so as to arrive at SEB no later than 8 May 2020. SDRs are only registered in the name of the SDR holder in the register kept by Euroclear. SDR holders registered in the name of a nominee must have their SDRs registered in their own names in the register at Euroclear to be entitled to participate and/or vote (by an authorized attorney, by proxy form or through Lumi) at the Extended AGM. SDR holders who hold the SDRs through a nominee must therefore ask their nominee to make a temporary owner registration (so-called voting-right registration) in good time before the voting record date 8 May 2020 if they wish to participate and/or vote. Requirement I: SDR holders who are directly registered in the register at Euroclear, or whose SDRs have been voting-right registered by 5:00 p.m. (CET) on 8 May 2020 and who wish to participate (by an authorized attorney, in person or through Lumi) at the Extended AGM must notify SEB of their intention to participate in the Extended AGM no later than 8 May 2020. Notice of the intention to participate, by electronic means, in the Extended AGM should be made to SEB, by mailing the notification of attendance form to the address; SEB, Issuer Agent, AB3, SE-106 40 Stockholm, by e-mailing iadarion@seb.se . Please state your name, e-mail, phone number, ID-number and quantity. Requirement II: SDR holders who wish to instruct SEB to vote by proxy form must send their original signed proxy forms by post so as to arrive at SEB, Issuer Agent, AB3, SE-106 40 Stockholm, delivery address for courier deliveries (e.g. DHL Express): Rasta Strandvag 5 169 79 Solna, no later than 8 May 2020. Notifications and Proxy forms will be available on the Banks website www.arionbanki.is/gm. Temporary restriction on transferring SDRs to shares During the period from end of business on 8 May 2020 up to and including 14 May 2020 a conversion to or from SDRs and shares in Arion Bank hf. will not be permitted. More detailed information regarding the meeting is available on the Banks website www.arionbanki.is/gm. Reykjavik, 17 April 2020 Board of Directors of Arion Bank hf. File picture Prime Minister Narendra Modi 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. 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 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. Gov. Kate Brown is unconvinced that she needs to fast-track creation of a new hospital with inpatient mental health beds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Universal Health Services, which owns and operates Portlands Cedar Hills behavioral health hospital, requested Tuesday that Brown use her powers under the state coronavirus emergency declaration to waive state approval for a second hospital in Wilsonville. Several states have already loosened approval processes since the pandemic started. The company was turned down by the Oregon Health Authority in 2017. Now it is re-applying to get a certificate of need -- a process that requires Universal to prove that 100 more inpatient mental health beds are needed in the Portland area. Browns office replied this week that Universal Health Services has yet to finish its application and that her top public health officials have not recommended that she fast-track the hospitals certificate. Her decision could be a relief to some officials and advocates involved in the states mental health system. Oregons chronically underfunded mental health system is nearly universally accepted as being broken. It ranks at or near the bottom on many national metrics. However, Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran, an ER doctor who has made mental health her priority in office, said that the certificate of need process is one of the few accountability measures the state has in place to govern the mental health system and does not want to see that bypassed. To do this right now, in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, just seems blatantly politically and financially motivated, Meieran said. Right now we need access to community providers, and the PPE to keep them safe. We dont need to circumvent safeguards to start building a for-profit facility that were not sure we even need, that would take over a year to build anyway. Many critics point to Universals for-profit status as a reason to be suspicious. Universal officials have long maintained that status it is a benefit to patients, as it would allow them to start construction on the $40 million project immediately. Major mental health advocates are also concerned the new hospital would pull finite state Medicaid funds from community-based treatment or other treatment options that dont happen inside a hospital. Universal officials argue that Cedar Hills already shows that the claim they will draw down state funds is untrue, because it must accept Medicaid patients but is not compensated for that care. It doesnt have a contract with coordinated care organization Health Share, which provides mental health benefits to most people on the Oregon Health Plan and mainly contracts with Unity. The hospital provided 2,500 days of uncompensated care to patients last year. However, Universal has made the case that the company should be part of the states Medicaid system. Universal Health Services would love to have coordinated care organization contracts for both Cedar Hills Hospital and the Wilsonville hospital, but demand is so high for services that the new project is still economically feasible either way, said spokesman Chris Edmonds. The criticism of the letter now sets up a political divide. Several prominent elected officials, such as Metro President Lynn Peterson and Oregon Sen. Mark Hass, D-Beaverton, who is running for secretary of state, signed on to Universals letter to the governor. Universals bid for fast-tracking also earned the support of the Portland Business Alliance, behavioral health advocacy organization Oregon Recovers and others. A Brown spokeswoman said that the governor is reviewing the letter but is unlikely to grant the request. She believes strongly that every person in Oregon grappling with a serious mental illness deserves access to the services they need, when they need them, said Liz Merah. -- Molly Harbarger mharbarger@oregonian.com | 503-294-5923 | @MollyHarbarger Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. UWs Tarwater Receives American Ornithological Societys Brina C. Kessel Award Corey Tarwater, a University of Wyoming assistant professor in the Department of Zoology and Physiology, is a winner of the American Ornithological Societys Brina C. Kessel Award. The award is presented to the author of an outstanding paper published in the two preceding years in the societys journal The Auk: Ornithological Advances. Here, Tarwater holds an olivaceous flatbill. (Anna Chalfoun Photo) Corey Tarwater, who studies birds for a living, received a feather in her research cap. Tarwater, a University of Wyoming assistant professor in the Department of Zoology and Physiology, is the recipient of the American Ornithological Societys (AOS) Brina C. Kessel Award. The award is presented to the author of an outstanding paper published in the two preceding years in the AOS journal The Auk: Ornithological Advances. Tarwater, Ryan Germain and Peter Arcese were honored for their 2018 paper, Examination of context-dependent effects of natal traits on lifetime reproductive success using a long-term study of a temperate songbird. This paper, based on a long-running study of a song sparrow population on an island off the coast of British Columbia, showed that survival and lifetime reproductive success were heavily affected by a suite of natal characters, but that maternal age and inbreeding coefficient affected both traits. There are many amazing papers published in the journal, The Auk: Ornithological Advances, every year, and I am humbled that my co-authors and I had a paper that the AOS committee felt made a significant contribution to the field of ornithology, Tarwater says. I hope that current and future ornithologists find our paper useful for the development of their own future research. The award includes a $1,000 cash prize. It is given in honor of Brina Kessel, former president of the American Ornithological Union (1992-94) and beloved leader and mentor in ornithology. In 2020, we once again have the pleasure of recognizing the impressive talent and incredible achievements of ornithologists at both early and senior career stages, says AOS President Kathy Martin. Presenting the achievements of the award winners for this year provides a ray of sunshine as we contemplate living with current global challenges. Tarwater says the prize money will go toward travel, so that she and the two other researchers, both from the University of British Columbia, can get together and collaborate on other papers they have discussed writing. Her research interests are broadly focused on the links between ecology, evolution and behavior of year-round resident birds; and using individual-based studies to understand variation in individual fitness and population demography. Tarwater received her Ph.D. in ecology, evolution and conservation biology, and her masters degree in natural resources and environmental sciences, both from the University of Illinois. She received her bachelors degree in wildlife, fish and conservation biology from the University of California-Davis. She conducted her postdoctoral work at the University of California-Berkeley and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Caregiving Emergency Veteran Caregiver Respite Program with CareLinx: Family caregivers of wounded, ill or injured veterans may access no-cost, short-term relief from CareLinx in-home care professionals. The program was recently expanded to provide support to caregivers nationally. Services include help with bathing, cooking, exercising, transportation and companionship. If there is a positive COVID-19 diagnosis in your household, CareLinx will work with you to schedule care once its safe to do so. This resource was created by a partnership between the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and the Department of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with AARP. Education Tutor.com: On-demand, online tutoring and homework is offered at no cost to eligible service members and their dependents. Financial AARP Job Board and AARP Resume Advisor: Filter your job search for opportunities seeking veterans as employees. Get a free expert resume review and discounted resume-writing packages. AARP Veteran Fraud Watch: Refresh yourself on scams targeting veterans and heed the warning signs. Sign up for free watchdog alerts," review our scam-tracking map, or call our toll-free fraud helpline if you or a loved one suspect youve been a victim. Red Cross: Veterans may contact their local Red Cross chapter to be connected with local, state and national resources. Military family support can submit an online request or call 877-272-7337. Medical assistance also is available. Service relief organizations: Veterans in need of financial assistance may contact their respective aid organizations for help with loans, grants or a combination of both. Each branch has its own group: Air Force Aid Society, Army Emergency Relief, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance and Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. Wounded Warrior Project COVID-19 Relief Program: Project participants who registered before April 8 are able to apply for assistance if they are in financial hardship, including inability to pay for food, housing or utilities. The organization committed $10 million to veterans and has asked other companies and groups to match its efforts. Mental and Physical Health Veteran Caregiving Strategies: AARP teamed up with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation to offer strategies to help caregivers of military personnel and veterans tackle the most critical issues. Cohen Veterans Network: Free and virtual mental health services to those who live in California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Headstrong: Post-9/11 veterans and their families are offered free and confidential mental health treatment. Tricare: The health care program for active-duty service members, military retirees and their families temporarily covers telehealth for applied behavior analysis, a therapy that focuses on improving specific actions, as well as parent or caregiver guidance services. Vets4Warriors: The military community, family members and caregivers can seek help from the confidential peer support network that operates 24 hours a day. This includes immediate, free and long-term peer support through private chat, email, phone and text conversations. Operation Family Caregiver: Offers free and confidential one-on-one virtual coaching to military and veteran caregivers across the country. News and information AARP Community Connections: Find or start a mutual aid group in your community that offers resources amid the pandemic. If you are feeling isolated, you may even request a call from a trained AARP volunteer. Blue Star Families Pain Points Poll: Participate and view the results of this ongoing poll that is measuring the changing needs of the military community. Blue Star Families is using the information to alert military, government, and nonprofit leaders to challenges as they arise. COVID-19 Military Support Initiative: The Blue Star Families organization is partnering with the Association of Defense Communities to provide information, expertise and resources to military and veteran families. Military OneSource: The Department of Defense is coordinating with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide outbreak updates for the military community. Elizabeth Dole Foundation caregiver information: Find tips and tools for healthy eating, stress relief and virtual volunteers. The organization is also working with the VA to activate local caregiving networks. National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) FAQs on COVID-19 Procedures: The nonprofit collected information from the following institutions about changes in procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic: the U.S. Department of Defense, the Board of Veterans Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Veterans Affairs services AARP guidance for loved ones in a VA facility: If you have a loved one in a VA facility, ask these six questions about care during the pandemic. Appeals and claims: Veterans are eligible for deadline extensions on claims and appeals, such as suspending actions on veteran debt under the Treasury Department and repayment on previous Veterans Affairs debts. Paperwork also may be submitted late for a variety of other claims. Facebook Portal Smart Device: Active participants in VA caregiver support programs or VA geriatric services are eligible to receive the smart video calling device for free. Facebook donated more than 7,400 portals to the VA that are being distributed with the help of the American Red Cross Military Veteran Caregiver Network. The goal is to reduce isolation and improve social connectedness. MyHealthEVet: Veterans can sign in to send a secure message to their doctors. Other telehealth options include VA Video Connect, an app available for Macintosh and Windows computers as well as Android and Apple mobile devices, which allows them to explain their conditions and receive a prompt diagnosis. VA caregiver support: Caregivers can find specialized support and community connections through two programs. Local caregiver support coordinators can help you find services in your area, or call the Caregiver Support Line, 855-260-3274, to speak with a licensed professional. Vet Centers: Veterans, active-duty service members and their families can seek out Vet Centers, an extension of the VA medical centers nationwide. Individual, group, marriage and family counseling plus care coordination are available. Its call centers are always open at 877-927-8387. Transportation: The VA has a formal partnership with the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) for transportation to VA health facilities. Veterans should call 844-698-2311 or contact their DAV service office. VA hotlines 24/7 White House VA Hotline: 855-948-2311 VA Benefits Hotline: 844-698-2311 VA Caregiving Hotline: 855-260-3274 VA Crisis Line for Mental Health: 800-273-8255 VA Loan Center Hotline: 800-827-0648 Health Care Debt Relief: 888-827-4817 Not enrolled? Veterans not enrolled can call their local VA facility even if they haven't received previous services at a Veterans Affairs health center. Enrollment will be worked on after their health care needs are addressed. Editor's Note: This story has been updated to add new resources and information. As India scrambles to keep its citizens safe from the coronavirus, local ride-hailing giant Ola has stepped up to help. The Indian firm has made its technology platform -- which is capable of, among other things, conducting real-time tracking and navigation and managing crowds -- available to the federal and state governments at no cost. Ola, which is already working with the state government in Punjab, said its technology platform can be refashioned to help the government and public service organizations manage their real-time war rooms. The platform offers the ability to track millions of vehicles and people, and also comes with a feature that can verify via a selfie picture whether people are wearing masks. Ola uses the latter to authenticate whether the person in the driving seat is the registered driver partner. The company emphasized that it is "ensuring highest level of data privacy and security." In the Indian state of Punjab, Ola said the government is using the firms technology to track and manage over 1.7 million farmers produce and their vehicle movement in vegetable markets to ensure they followed the social distance protocol. These capabilities could come in handy to state governments as several cases of large crowds formation in vegetable markets and outside the grocery stores in many parts of the country have emerged in recent weeks, according to local media reports. New Delhi announced a nationwide lockdown last month that restricts people's movement. In Punjab, Olas technology platform is also being used by the state government to issue travel passes digitally. State governments in India are issuing passes to medical professionals and others who genuinely need to leave their houses to attend urgent work. Ola CONNECTS is a powerful platform that stakeholders across the government can quickly deploy to benefit citizens at large amidst the ongoing crisis, said Ravi Bhagat, Secretary Punjab Mandi Board and Special Secretary for Governance Reforms, in a statement. Story continues The launch of Ola Connects, the name of the initiative, is the latest effort from the Indian ride-hailing giant to help in the time of crisis. In recent weeks, Ola has waived off lease rental for its driver partners, and committed to offer a few hundred dollars to driver partners and their families who test positive with Covid-19. All of Olas innovations across AI, tracking technologies, allocation and flow management are part of the CONNECTS platform. We are committed to serving the nation in every way possible and are offering this platform free of cost, dedicated to the hundreds of thousands of doctors, healthcare professionals and frontline staff leading our fight against COVID-19, said Pranay Jivrajka, co-founder of Ola, in a statement. Saudi Arabia and Russia signaled they may be open to further output cuts after the latest OPEC+ deal to curb global oil supplies failed to stem crudes downward spiral. The two nations will continue to closely monitor the oil market and are prepared to take further measures jointly with OPEC+ and other producers if these are deemed necessary, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak and his Saudi counterpart Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said in a joint statement published after a phone call. Oil has plunged about 17% in New York since the group on Sunday agreed to trim worldwide production by an unprecedented 9.7 million barrels a day, as lockdowns aimed at containing the coronavirus cause the biggest demand slump in history. Prices hit a fresh 18-year low below $19 a barrel on Friday. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries projected on Thursday that even full implementation of the cuts wont prevent a surplus in the second quarter, when demand for its crude will fall to the lowest in three decades. LEAVE IT: U.S. weighs paying drillers to leave oil in ground amid glut The joint statement on Friday echoes earlier comments by Saudi Arabias bin Salman, who has said that his country is ready to cut oil production further if needed when the OPEC+ alliance meets again in June. Flexibility and pragmatism will enable us to continue do more if we have to, he said on Sunday. Russian Pain The oil-price crash has been particularly painful for Russia. The nations coffers will get less than $1 for each exported barrel of oil, according to Bloomberg calculations based on data from the Finance Ministry. Riyadh signaled on Friday it was making a swift start to implementing its agreed cuts, with an announcement from state-run Saudi Aramco that it would supply customers with 8.5 million barrels a day as of May 1. Thats almost 4 million a day below planned sales in April. Nonetheless, its uncertain whether the kingdom and its partners really have the appetite for further action right now. OPEC nations often try to support crude prices by communicating their readiness to intervene. The Saudis and Russians are being proactive in providing forward policy guidance in an effort to reassure markets that they mean business when it comes to reducing their output, said Harry Tchilinguirian, head of commodity markets strategy at BNP Paribas SA. FUEL FIX: You know you want it - energy news right in your inbox The 8.5 million-barrel level represents a kind of floor for Saudi oil production because cutting any further would jeopardize output of associated gas, according to Helima Croft, head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets LLC. Domestic gas demand for power generation has been rising sharply in the kingdom for years. The Saudis will probably be reluctant to go below that level initially because of the desire to maintain associated gas production, she said. No Immediate Cuts If the kingdom wanted, it could have announced cutbacks taking effect straight away. But Fridays statement made no mention of reducing production from the current record of about 12 million barrels a day until the cuts officially take effect next month. Saudi crude exports averaged about 9.7 million barrels a day from April 1-16, up about 40% from the same period last month, according to tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. Theres also the signal Riyadh sent with its latest official selling prices, which fine-tune the cost that customers pay in relation to international oil rates. Aramco deepened the discounts for Asian buyers in May, an indication that it seeks to preserve its share of the fastest-growing market even as the production cuts take effect. Its questionable too whether the 23-nation OPEC+ coalition, led by the Saudis and Russia, has the appetite for renewed negotiations following this months epic bout. Reaching the agreement on April 12 took four days of contentious meetings, which included a walkout by Mexico and intervention by U.S. President Donald Trump. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trumps well-known disdain for foreign aid is colliding with the imperatives of fighting the coronavirus pandemic, as his administration boasts about Americas generosity for countries in dire need while still generating confusion and anger on the global stage. The U.S. has committed more than half a billion dollars in anti-virus aid for foreign countries since January a sign that some administration officials recognize Trumps America First policy cant fully protect Americans from a highly infectious disease that knows no borders. And, they know that if the United States doesnt help, arch-rivals like China and Russia will gladly step in to fill void, in part to advance their narrative that the era of U.S.-led Western leadership is over. For instance, two years after slashing virtually all U.S. aid to the Palestinians, the administration announced on Thursday it would provide $5 million in assistance to Palestinian hospitals and households for immediate, life-saving needs in combating COVID-19. Yet, in just the past several weeks the administration has sent conflicting messages about its commitment to assist, suspending contributions to the very organization tasked with battling the global outbreak and reversing decisions to provide critical equipment like personal protective gear and ventilators to other countries in order to meet domestic needs. It has left aid recipients uncertain about whether grant money from the United States can be used to buy those same items, even if they werent intended for distribution in the U.S. The latest in the jarring moves came Tuesday when Trump announced the suspension of U.S. funding for the World Health Organization pending a review of whether the agency bowed to Chinese demands to downplay the threat of the pandemic in its early stages for political purposes. Just two weeks earlier, the State Department had hailed both WHO and the support U.S. provides it. WHO is co-ordinating the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and is on the ground in 149 countries around the world, it said in a March 31 fact sheet touting Americas generosity. This broad-based effort would not be possible without U.S. support. An update to that fact sheet, released on Thursday, does not mention WHO. The previous one, though, noted that the U.S. had provided WHO with more than $400 million in 2019, which was more than twice the next largest state contributor and dwarfed the Chinese contribution of $44 million. Trumps funding suspension decision was widely denounced. Abandoning this critical body will only put more lives at risk, said Michelle Nunn, head of the relief agency CARE USA, one of many humanitarian groups to condemn it. The Trump administrations decision to halt funding to the WHO during a global pandemic is dangerous, self-defeating, and short-sighted. Just six days before Trumps announcement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had announced the U.S. would almost double its overseas virus aid to nearly a half-billion dollars since January. He referred to the unmatched generosity of the American people and said the United States has continued to lead the worlds public health and humanitarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pandemics do not respect national borders, he said on April 8. Through decades of U.S. global leadership in health and humanitarian assistance, we know that smart and strategic investments have proven critical to protecting the homeland. As history proves, we can fight pandemics at home and help other nations contain their spread abroad. Pompeo, however, also introduced a caveat to American aid: He said that assistance to the 64 nations identified as most at-risk would not include personal protective equipment and other essential supplies. We will keep all critical medical items in the United States until the demand at home is met, he said. That was a 180-degree shift from what the United States Agency for International Development said March 18 when it announced the release of some $62 million in emergency anti-virus assistance. That aid, it said, would include the provision of personal protective equipment and other critical commodities. U.S. officials are now looking for alternative places to send the more than $400 million in contributions planned for WHO in 2020. But theres already uncertainty about what aid recipients can do with U.S. funds. An April 10 directive from the Federal Emergency Management Agency barring the export of personal protective gear made in the U.S. or by U.S. companies abroad has left many in government and aid organizations confused about what American assistance can be used to buy once it arrives at its destination. Some groups fear that the administration may use that directive or a corollary to ban them from using grant money to purchase certain types of gloves, facemasks and other respirators, according to relief agency officials. One group, Partners in Health, a Massachusetts-based non-governmental group that runs medical facilities in Haiti, said it had been advised through official channels not to apply for funding that could be used to purchase equipment to battle COVID-19, because the funding could be delayed by confusion over whether the U.S. would finance such purchases. It remains unclear whether or not the U.S. government will be accepting applications for funding that includes commodities such as PPE or tests, spokeswoman Elizabeth Campa said. The U.S. government seems to have a hold on anything being sent overseas out of the U.S. related to coronavirus, including money to buy equipment from producers in other countries. Neither the State Department nor USAID would comment on the matter. ____ Associated Press writer Michael Weissenstein in Havana contributed to this report. DJ Anh Vy (L) and DJ Monotape. Photo courtesy of the artists. Regional electronic dance music (EDM) publication Mixmag Asia named Anh Vy and Monotape among its list of Asian DJs to watch out for this year. According to a Mixmag Asia article published Wednesday, Anh Vy and Monotape are among 18 up and coming regional artists showing "exceptional artistic endeavour and attitude." Anh Vy is no newcomer to Saigons underground techno and house scene. The publication described his style as "versatile" and "leaning heavily on groove-driven techno." In a different article published in March, Mixmag Asia lauded the 24-year-old artist as a DJ with lots of experience in digging for and selecting records, saying he "sees music without borders, and has a knack for seamlessly crossing over genres." Check out Anh Vy's mix below featuring groovy cuts of house, techno and a dash of disco. Monotape, a 21-year-old DJ from Hanoi, is Vietnams last representative on the list. The publication stated his sound is "purely club-centric, weighing heavily on a jumpy tech-house tip that works wonders on Vietnam's burgeoning club scene." The capital artist is one of the first three Vietnamese DJs to have music published by Spinnin Records Asia, a regional label of Dutch electronic music company Spinnin' Records under multinational Warner Music Group. Have a listen to his latest release titled 'Vietnam Radio' below. The list also includes an array of emerging DJs from different countries, including South Korea's Didi Han, Indonesia's Ecilo, Thailand's Notep and Japan's Licaxxx. Mixmag Asia is part of Mixmag, a British publication centered around EDM. The publication made its official debut in Vietnam in 2019. Reports making the rounds suggested that Toyin Abraham has replaced Funke Akindele Bello as NCDC ambassador because the later flouted the regulations. The actress has now come out to debunk the claims, stating that she supports campaigns against Covid-19 but that she isnt an ambassador of the Nigerian Center For Disease Control. The mum of one said she doesnt like the narrative where shes portrayed as trying to take advantage of a bad situation. She wrote: It has just being brought to my attention that blogs are reporting that I am now NCDC ambassador. Implying that I have been used to replace a senior colleague. That line of thought necessitate I put this out there. I am not an ambassador to NCDC. I do not like the narrative that I am trying to take advantage of a bad situation. Please I support the campaign against Covid-19, I appeared on a video campaign against the pandemic but please lets not drag anyone down. Thank you. Signed: Toyin Abraham Cc @bbbmedia Heres the video that made people allege that Toyin was an NCDC ambassador Funke Akindele and her husband JJC Skills attracted fines of N100,000 each and 2 weeks community service after they held a party in their home with over 20 persons in attendance. Although hopes for improving oil demand initially lifted prices, they soon fell as China posted a record economic slump. Oil prices were mixed on Friday after the weakest Chinese economic data in decades showed the effect of the coronavirus pandemic, offsetting some earlier gains on optimism for United States President Donald Trumps early plans to revive the US economy. Brent crude futures were up by 55 cents, or 2 percent, at $28.37 a barrel by 04:06 GMT, while the US crude contract for May delivery, which expires on April 21, was down 13 cents, or 0.7 percent, at $19.74 a barrel. The more active June contract was up $1, or 4 percent, at $26.53. Chinas economy shrank in the first quarter for the first time since at least 1992, as the coronavirus outbreak paralysed production and spending and punched a huge hole in global demand for crude and refined products. That data was released after Trump laid out a three-stage process for ending lockdowns to stop the spread of the coronavirus that has now killed more than 32,000 Americans and nearly 140,000 worldwide. Oil markets found baseline support from President Trumps US reopening plan, said Stephen Innes, market strategist at AxiTrader. Still, downside risk remains the dominant factor, he said. Both oil benchmarks are heading for a second consecutive week of losses, with US oil around 18-year lows: Analysts have slashed forecasts for prices and demand due to the spread of the coronavirus and oversupply concerns. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) lowered its forecast for 2020 global oil demand and warned it may not be the last revision downward. OPEC now sees a contraction of global demand of 6.9 million barrels per day (bpd), compared with a small increase predicted last month, due to the coronavirus outbreak. Downward risks remain significant, suggesting the possibility of further adjustments, especially in the second quarter, OPEC said of the demand forecast. OPEC and other producers including Russia, in a grouping known as OPEC+, over the weekend agreed on production cuts of nearly 10 million bpd, after an earlier cooperation agreement collapsed. Oil company ConocoPhillips said on Thursday it will reduce planned North American output by 225,000 bpd, the largest cut so far by a key shale oil producer to deal with the unprecedented drop in demand. This highlights that the market will see meaningful cuts from outside the OPEC+ group without the need for mandated cuts, said ING bank in a note on Friday. Instead, market forces will do the job, with the low price environment forcing producers to cut back. Still, even allowing for another 10 million bpd of cuts supposed to come from producers like the United States and Norway due to weak prices, there is still a mismatch between supply and demand of about 10 million bpd, most analysts say. The latest market response suggests that the output cuts are having limited effect other than to perhaps stall an inevitable moment of reckoning when stocks exceed capacity and tanks overflow, John Driscoll, chief strategist for JTD Energy Services Pte in Singapore told Bloomberg news agency. The cuts are not enough. Data released on Friday by Chinas National Bureau of Statistics showed the countrys daily refining activity fell to a 15-month low in March as the country struggled with the economic effects of the pandemic. Crude runs over the period came in at 149.28 million tonnes, or about 11.98 million bpd, down 4.6 percent from a year earlier. China is one of the worlds biggest consumers of crude oil. 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.) In the 1920s, the psychiatrist Carl Jung built a two-storeyed retreat near the banks of Lake Zurich. Returning from India several years later, where he had been impressed by meditation rooms he saw, he added a private office that no one was allowed to enter. His mornings were spent writing in that space and his afternoons in meditation or in walks in the countryside. In Deep Work, a call to arms to block the distractions of email and social media in order to do thoughtful, original work, Cal Newport begins his book with this description of Jungs aerie being critical to his ... Last week beloved British beauty brand Charlotte Tilbury officially announced the launch of Charlotte's Magic Serum Crystal Elixir. Now, just a week later, there's a waitlist of over 8,000 for the new member of the Charlotte Tilbury Magic family. Adding to the success of the Magic Family line-up the Charlotte's Magic Serum Crystal Elixir, 60, boasts a smart youth-defying formula that gives skin a soft-focus finish - and it's available to buy today April 16. One customer who managed to get their hands on the new product early put the serum on sale for over 12,000 on the well-known second-hand clothing app Depop 'I am SO excited and delighted with the overwhelming response to my latest breakthrough skincare innovation - my MAGIC SERUM - from journalists, bloggers and vloggers to the incredible waitlist of thousands on CharlotteTilbury.com,' says legendary makeup artist and founder of the luxury beauty brand, Charlotte Tilbury, in a MailOnline exclusive. 'This is the Serum the world has been waiting for!!! It will give you smooth, baby-skin - your best skin yet!!!! I always say, skincare is self-care, and with the power of breakthrough, potent ingredients... this really cares for your skin while you wear it!!' But what makes this serum so much better than other options available from big-name beauty brands? First things first, it promises to reduce the appearance of wrinkles by up to 34 per cent after just eight weeks. Thanks to the inclusion of the now-legendary Tilbury Magic 8 complex (the same star ingredient in the bestselling and award-winning Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream) and additional ingredients such as niacinamide, vitamin C, replexium, polyglutamic acid and a holistic 5-crystal complex, the serum targets clarity, radiance, texture and skin resilience, while providing that lit-from-within glow. The serum also includes the brand's exclusive 'magic' replexium complex, a unique blend of two different patented peptides that trigger collagen production, visibly diminishing the appearance of fine lines. And if you need some skin hydration, it contains polyglutamic acid (derived from soybeans) which, according to the brand will give your skin a solid hit of hydration; four times the hydrating power of hyaluronic acid! Impressive results: After just four weeks 91 per cent agree fine lines and wrinkles appear reduced Upon testing Charlotte's Magic Serum Crystal Elixir during a clinical trial, Jan aged 55 (pictured) saw a visible reduction in fine lines and redness after just four weeks. And according to the brand, her skin hydration levels increased by 193 per cent in just one hour. Naturally, Charlotte's latest drop set social media ablaze. So much so, one customer who managed to get their hands on the new product early, put the serum on sale for over 12,000 on the well-known second-hand clothing app Depop. And this isn't the first time Charlotte Tilbury has hit the beauty jackpot with one of her beauty products. A whopping 25,000 beauty lovers signed up to the waitlist to buy Charlotte's limited edition Pillow Talk range, based off her iconic nude lipstick Pillow Talk. She has also enjoyed similar success with the Hollywood Flawless Filter range. If you're a Charlotte Tilbury devotee, Charlotte's Magic Serum Crystal Elixir launches at charlottetilbury.com April 16 and in all stockists from April 23. MailOnline may earn commission on sales from the links on this page. (Photo : Image by rottonara from Pixabay ) Advertisement Image by rottonara from Pixabay Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The four hardest-hit nations in Europe - Italy, Spain, France, the United Kingdom - are sending mixed signals in as far as reopening their respective economies are concerned. While death rates are seemingly evening out, leaders are apprehensive if matters are really developing to become better. In France, President Emmanuel Macron extended nationwide lockdown for another month in the hopes that conditions could be much improved by mid-May. Macron said that schools - both primary and secondary - would reopen gradually after May. The president highlighted however that the country should have tested all people with symptoms by May 11. Spain, with the highest number of confirmed cases among European countries, eased lockdown measures in some sectors of the economy. Those working in the construction industry, for example, are allowed to return to their jobs. On the other hand, shops, bars and other public places that may encourage large gatherings are to stay closed until at least April 26. Elsewhere in the country, everyone allowed for movement should wear masks every time. Not everyone is pleased about the government's decision to ease lockdown measures. Some businesses said they don't have access to gloves and masks and therefore can not guarantee their employees' safety. Some officials fear that the easing of lockdown is premature and there might be a resurgence in the number of cases because of this. In the United Kingdom, British foreign secretary Dominic Raab said it won't follow suit with its fellow European countries. He highlighted that lockdowns will remain in place most especially that the country holds fifth place globally in terms of the largest number of confirmed cases. The UK is being criticized for its reluctance to address the outbreak promptly. With how big the UK economy is, it is shocking that it lacks testing and protective kits for its health workers. There are accusations that Prime Minister Borris Johnson only take the matter seriously after when he was already infected. In Germany, scientists are recommending to reduce public restrictions after April 19 but Chancellor Angela Merkel has yet to decide on the matter. The country has higher confirmed cases compared to the UK but Germany has a far lower number of deaths. The country, therefore, is not to be considered as one among the hardest-hit in the region but Merkel won't take the matter lightly. A group of German scientists, who served as a consultant for the government, said people should now be required to wear masks in public. And, while businesses are encouraged to reopen gradually, those in the travel sector should only do it as slowly as possible. Here are the total confirmed cases, new confirmed cases, total deaths, and new deaths as of Monday night per country across the European region (data is from the latest situation reports from the World Health Organization). Spain (total confirmed cases 166019) - (new confirmed cases 4167)- (total deaths 16972)- (new deaths 619) Italy 156363 - 4092 -19901- 431 Germany 123016- 2537- 2799 -126 France 94382 -1595 -14374 560 The United Kingdom 84283 -5288 -10612- 737 Turkey 56956- 4789- 1198- 97 Belgium 29647- 1629- 3600- 254 Netherlands 25587- 1174 -2737 -94 Switzerland 25220- 400- 858- 27 Russian Federation 18328- 2558- 148 -18 Portugal 16585- 598- 504- 34 Austria 13937- 130- 350 -13 Israel 10878- 353- 103 7 Sweden 10483 -332- 899- 12 Ireland 9655- 727- 334 -14 Poland 6674 -318- 232- 24 Norway 6415 -95 -103- 5 Romania 6300- 310- 306- 24 Denmark 6174-- 178 273 -13 Czechia 5991- 89 -138- 9 Serbia 3630- 250- 80- 6 Luxembourg 3281 -11 -66 -4 Ukraine 3102 -325- 93- 10 Finland 2974- 69- 56- 7 Belarus 2578- 352- 26 -3 Greece 2114- 33- 98- 5 Iceland 1701 -12- 8- 0 Republic of Moldova 1662- 102- 33- 3 Croatia 1600- 66- 23 -2 Hungary 1458- 48- 109- 10 Estonia 1309 -5- 25- 1 Slovenia 1205- 17- 53- 3 Azerbaijan 1098- 40 -11- 0 Lithuania 1062- 9- 24 -1 Armenia 1039- 26- 14- 1 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1007- 59 -38- 1 Kazakhstan 979- 82- 12- 2 Uzbekistan 896- 100- 4 -1 North Macedonia 828 -0 -34- 0 Slovakia 742 -14- 2- 0 Bulgaria 675 -14 -29 -1 Latvia 651 -21- 5 -2 Andorra 639- 17- 29 -1 Cyprus 633- 17- 16- 1 Albania 446 -0- 23 Kyrgyzstan 419 -42- 5- 0 Malta 378- 8 -3 -0 San Marino 356 -0- 35- 0 Montenegro 267- 5- 2- 0 Georgia 266 -14- 3- 0 Liechtenstein 80- 0 -1- 0 Monaco 54- 0 -0 -0 Holy See 8 Advertisement TagsCoronavirus Europe, Lockdown Extension, Spain, Italy, Reopen WASHINGTON One of the most celebrated pieces of the massive $2.3 trillion coronavirus relief package thats just over 2 weeks old is on life support with no deal in sight to resuscitate it. According to the latest projections, the Small Business Administrations $349 billion appropriation for loans to eligible firms, which are forgiven if they use the money to keep workers on their payrolls, will run out of money by Friday. The White House and Republican leaders want to boost that amount to $600 billion to give more small businesses an opportunity to get relief before the funding dries up. But Democrats see an opportunity to fix flaws in the so-called Paycheck Protection Program that have become apparent since its April 3 rollout, as well as tack on hundreds of billions of dollars more for state and local governments and hospitals that are still bleeding cash. Their case has been bolstered by groups like the National Restaurant Association, which wants changes to the SBA program in addition to more funding, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which supports a related small-business loan fund thats also short of cash. And on Saturday, the bipartisan leadership of the National Governors Association including Democratic Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, from Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumers home state of New York asked for as much as $500 billion in federal aid for states. Thats far in excess even of what Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., have proposed so far, and doesnt include additional direct aid to local jurisdictions. But Cuomo and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, said in a statement that without the added funds, states will have to confront the prospect of significant reductions to critically important services all across this country. Talks between top Democratic leaders and their favorite GOP negotiating partner, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, got off to a seemingly positive start Friday. Schumer said a phone call with Mnuchin had been constructive and added that a bipartisan deal was possible early next week. But sources familiar with the discussions say not much progress was made over the weekend, due in part to the Easter holiday. After it became clear that the small-business lending fund had burned through roughly half its money in one week, with the daily burn rate only ramping up, GOP leaders on Saturday appeared to undercut attempts at a compromise. They released a blistering statement calling on Democrats to drop their objections to their two-page bill that would provide the additional money and nothing else. All we want to do is put more money into a popular job-saving policy which both parties designed together, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California said in a joint statement. American workers are in crisis. Nobody except Washington Democrats seems to be unclear on this fact or confused about the urgency. Senate Finance Chairman Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, piled on in a television appearance Saturday, telling Fox News Neil Cavuto that with the loan program dwindling, Democratic leaders dont have a leg to stand on. The initial $349 billion in the huge relief bill President Donald Trump signed March 27 was intended to cover payroll, rent, mortgage interest and utility costs for eligible firms that apply before June 30. Loan amounts can be for up to 250 percent of monthly payroll expenses, and eight weeks worth of debt is forgiven if loan recipients use the money for intended purposes and spend at least three-fourths of the money on payroll. On Friday, White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow projected that the small-business loan program will run out of money April 17. Thats why we would like the Congress to help us with an additional $250 billion, he told Fox Business Lou Dobbs. Kudlow said at the time the government had approved 661,000 small-business loans, valued at $168 billion. Others said the money could run out before Friday. A Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee aide said the panels model shows the average daily amount of loans approved continues to rise. The committee is not publicizing a date because the situation is fluid, the aide said. But if the SBA burned through about half its money by the end of the week, a rising burn rate implies it could end up completely dry even before April 17. To Democrats, the answer is simple: a negotiated solution that pumps more money into the SBA loan fund, but also moves in their direction in three chief areas. According to Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill, the speaker told Mnuchin in their call Friday that the SBA cash infusion must not solidify the disparity in access to capital faced by many small businesses in underserved areas. She also said hospitals and states and localities need more money. The Democrats alternative to the Republicans two-page bill adding $251 billion to the small-business fund would set aside only half of the money for the existing program. Instead, an extra $125 billion would be allocated differently, including $60 billion for smaller financial institutions that specialize in lending to minority-owned businesses and those without established relationships with the big banks that dominate the existing SBA program. An additional $50 billion would replenish funding for disaster loans of up to $2 million each available to businesses for economic injury. According to Democrats, the $50 billion appropriation would subsidize some $300 billion in additional loans. The disaster loan program got $1 billion in an earlier aid package to support some $7 billion in loans, but the program has over $370 billion worth of demand, according to Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., the ranking member on the Small Business Committee. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said in a letter to lawmakers Friday that far from the maximum $2 million, or even the average request of $200,000, the best the SBA has been able to do is ration the disaster loans down to $15,000 per applicant due to lack of money. Such limited economic relief will be insufficient for a great many main street employers, wrote Chamber president Suzanne Clark. The Democratic proposal would also pump in an extra $15 billion to provide $10,000 cash advances on their disaster loans that wouldnt have to be repaid. The most recent aid package had $10 billion for that purpose, but that money is also already gone, Cardin said on the Senate floor April 9. On state and local aid, it seems unlikely governors will get the full $500 billion they want. The Democrats proposed another $150 billion, which would double amounts already provided and fix problems with the earlier funding round cited by critics. Cuomo, for instance, blasted the estimated $4 billion allocated to New York state under the initial formula. The Democrats new proposal would add perhaps $10 billion more for New York at the state level, given a new set-aside according to each states share of the nationwide COVID-19 infection rate, plus billions of dollars more for municipalities. The measure would also allocate substantially more for the District of Columbia than the first $150 billion funding round did last month, addressing another Democratic demand that the nations capital get at least as much as states with small populations like Wyoming and Idaho. Finally, the entire $300 billion provided in both rounds of aid would be fungible for states and localities, meaning they could use it to fill steep budget shortfalls caused by the pandemic and associated economic shutdown. The first batch of aid stipulated that it could only be used for costs associated directly with COVID-19. Hospitals in New York and elsewhere have complained of getting shortchanged in the Department of Health and Human Services distribution of the first $30 billion in direct aid appropriated in last months massive aid package. The agency says the remaining $70 billion is forthcoming, including more for rural and underserved hospitals, but Democrats want an additional $100 billion. McConnell could opt to try to pass the clean SBA cash infusion Monday when the Senate convenes for a pro forma session. But Democrats objection on April 9 diminishes the odds hed try again, a move Schumer and others derided as a political stunt. Similarly, theres no current path to passing the Democrats proposal without changes. And even if theres a midweek deal, the White House and congressional leadership still would have to confront Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has made clear hell require lawmakers to return to Washington to vote on any proposal, unless remote voting procedures are instituted. All of this drama means some small businesses that have not been approved yet for assistance may have to wait longer for relief. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. Its a very sacred beverage, said Vilakazi admitting its 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 arent 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. 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 Ramaphosas 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. Parliaments 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. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. ) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter 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 To mark World Theatre Day here's a load of some of the most iconic National Theatres from across the world! 1. National Theatre Prague National Theatre, Prague Miguel Mendez (flickr / CC BY 2.0) From the website: The National Theatre is the Czech Republic's representative stage. It is one of the symbols of Czech national identity and a part of the European cultural arena. Today's National Theatre comprises four artistic ensembles Opera, Drama, Ballet and Laterna magika which alternate in performances in the historic building of the National Theatre, the State Opera, the Estates Theatre and the New Stage. How to order a pair of tickets: "Prosim, je mozne objednat si listky?" 2. National Theatre of Greece, Athens The Greek National Theatre in Athens gichristof (Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) From the website: Greece's first state theatre company was the Royal Theatre, which opened in 1901 and operated until 1908, when it closed indefinitely. The National Theatre was founded in 1930 by the Minister of Education, George Papandreou. For many years it operated as a public entity. In 1994, the National Theatre became a non-profit organisation known in English as the Greek National Theatre. Its remit is, through theatre, to promote culture and preserve Greek cultural identity. How to order a pair of tickets: " " 3. National Theatre D Maria II, Lisbon, Portugal Lisbon's National Theatre Damian Entwistle (flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0) From the website: The National Theatre opened its doors April 13, 1846, during celebrations of the 27th anniversary of Queen Maria II (1819-1853). In March 2004, the National Theatre D. Maria II was transformed into a public limited company with public capital, becoming managed by own administration and subject to the oversight and supervision of the Ministries of Finance and Culture. In 2007, TNDM II was integrated into the state-owned enterprises. How to order a pair of tickets: "Por favor, posso encomendar um par de ingressos?" 4. National Theatre Bucharest, Romania National Theatre Bucharest, Romania ( Gaspar Serrano (Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)) From the website: With an existence of more than 160 years, (the Great Theatre was founded in December 1852), the I.L. Caragiale National Theatre of Bucharest is truly a national cultural brand and it is one of the main promoters of the Romanian image abroad. How to order a pair of tickets: "Va rugam sa pot comanda o pereche de bilete?" 5. Centro Dramatico Nacional, Madrid, Spain Centro Dramatico Nacional Tnarik (Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0) From the website: Centro Dramatico Nacional (National Drama Center), is Spain's first theatre production unit. From its founding in 1978, the CDN's primary mission has been to disseminate and consolidate the various schools and trends in contemporary dramaturgy, with a special focus on the work of current Spanish playwrights. How to order a pair of tickets: "Por favor, puedo pedir un par de entradas?" 6. Suomen Kansallisteatteri, (Finnish National Theatre, Helsinki) Suomen Kansallisteatteri Bobo Boom (flickr, CC BY 2.0)) From the website: The Finnish National Theatre, founded in 1872, is the oldest Finnish-language professional theatre in the country. The birth of the Finnish National Theatre was closely linked to the political ideology of the late nineteenth century. Finland was part of the Russian Empire, and the country's intellectual elite was Swedish speaking. Finnish language and art, including theatre, became the cornerstones of a cultural movement which began in the 1860's, gradually developed political ambitions by the turn of the century, and eventually led to national independence in 1917. How to order a pair of tickets: "Ole hyva ja voin tilata pari lippuja?" 7. National Arts Centre, Ottawa, Canada National Arts Centre, Ottawa Asif A Ali (flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) From the website: A home for Canada's most creative artists, the National Arts Centre strives to be artistically adventurous in each of its programming streams the NAC Orchestra, English Theatre, French Theatre and Dance, as well as the Scene festivals and NAC Presents, which showcase established and emerging Canadian artists. How to order a pair of tickets: "Se il vous plait puis-je commander une paire de billets?" 8. National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing, China National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing, China ( Garrett Ziegler (Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)) From the website: The construction of NCPA is a major achievement of the reform and opening up, which reflects the enhanced comprehensive national strength in the cultural field and highlights the confidence and determination for the party and the country to vigorously promote advanced socialist culture and promote social harmony. How to order a pair of tickets: "?" 9. National Noh Theatre, Tokyo, Japan National Noh Theatre ( Matthew Klein (Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)) From the website: As an Independent Administrative Institution under the Japanese Government, the Japan Arts Council's main objectives are to preserve and promote traditional performing arts, and to promote and popularize modern performing arts in Japan. How to order a pair of tickets: "?" 10. National Theatre (Istana Budaya), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Istana Budaya ( Wojtek Gurak (Flickr / CC BY-NC 2.0) From the website: Istana Budaya was initially built in 1995 with construction cost of RM210 million (38,320,248). Istana Budaya is proud to be the first theatre in Asia that has sophisticated stage mechanism for theatre performance. How to order a pair of tickets: "Sila boleh saya memerintahkan sepasang tiket?" 11. National Theatre of Korea, Jangchung-dong, Jung-gu, South Korea The National Theatre of Korea Republic of Korea (flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0) From the website: Founded in 1950, the National Theater of Korea had witnessed the suffering of the Korean War, but for the past 63 years has been standing out as the leader of art performances in Korea. To participate in the government's welfare policy, we established a special system that makes culturally under-served populations keep in touch with art programs in and out of the Theater with own volition. How to order a pair of tickets: " ?" 12. Royal National Theatre, London, United Kingdom The National Theatre Philip Vile From the website: The National Theatre is dedicated to the constant revitalisation of the great traditions of the British stage... In its three theatres on the South Bank in London, it presents an eclectic mix of new plays and classics from the world repertoire with seven or eight productions in repertory at any one time. The National Theatre aspires to reflect in its repertoire the diversity of the nation's culture. How to order a pair of tickets: "Hello dear chap, I don't suppose there's any tickets left for Man and Superman? No? OK, thank you anyway." Beinteriordecorator.com scored 56 Social Media Impact. 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Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Tenderloin residents have long felt dismissed by City Hall. Its adjacent to the seat of San Francisco power geographically, but it might as well be a world away. Though city officials would never admit it, theyve long treated the low-income neighborhood as a containment zone, tolerating everything from blatant drug dealing to open-air injection drug use to filthy sidewalks that wouldnt stand in wealthier parts of town. COVID-19 is just the latest example. While many San Francisco neighborhoods are far quieter than usual as people shelter in place in their homes, the Tenderloin looks more crowded and dirty. A recent visit to the neighborhood showed some sidewalks are clear and clean, but many are packed with tents, garbage and people milling around in proximity. The Tenderloin Community Benefit District counts 300 tents in the neighborhood, up from 120 before the virus struck. While its better that homeless people have a tent than nothing, it also means impassable sidewalks for everybody else. The dense, low-income neighborhood houses more children per capita than anywhere else in San Francisco. Many families live in tiny rooms in single-room-occupancy hotels, sharing communal kitchens and bathrooms. But to get outside for fresh air or to run essential errands, theyre faced with an impossible choice: push through crowded sidewalks, social distancing be damned, or walk into traffic to get around the throngs. The problem is getting worse, said Simon Bertrang, executive director of the Tenderloin Community Benefit District. Kids have not been outside for weeks who are living in small apartments in the Tenderloin. As someone whos sheltering in place with my children, thats pretty hard to hear. Bertrang had to temporarily halt the nonprofits cleaning of the neighborhood Wednesday because someone on the cleaning crew developed COVID-19 symptoms and is awaiting test results. He said the citys few handwashing stations and extra Pit Stop public toilets are appreciated and the city says more are on the way but the response doesnt seem to match the severity of the epidemic. After all, as the outbreak at the MSC South homeless shelter showed, the virus can quickly rip through a crowd of people living in proximity. There are some answers. The city should move as many homeless people as possible into vacant hotel rooms. Mayor London Breed is working to move those who are older than 60 or who have chronic illnesses out of shelters and into hotel rooms, but shes adamant that its not realistic to move the entire homeless population inside, saying Wednesday, If it were that easy we would have done it a long time ago. Nick Otto/Special to The Chronicle But its also not realistic to leave them packed on Tenderloin sidewalks and just hope for the best. Bertrang would like to see safe camping sites set up out of the way of residential neighborhoods with social distancing required, and handwashing stations, public bathrooms, garbage removal and COVID-19 symptom screening at the ready. He suggested one space: the large parking area between the Asian Art Museum and the Main Library, both of which are closed. Another commonsense idea is to close some Tenderloin streets to private cars so pedestrians can safely walk around the neighborhood, and children cooped up inside SRO hotel rooms can get outside for exercise. Supervisor Matt Haney is preparing a letter, along with Tenderloin advocates, to send to the mayor and her department heads asking for these measures, along with more police foot patrols for the neighborhood to combat crime and drug dealing, and more masks and hand sanitizer for neighborhood residents. Abigail Stewart-Kahn, director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, said she is extremely concerned about the crowding in the Tenderloin. She said outreach workers are educating people about the pandemic and telling them to spread their tents 6 feet apart, but new tents keep popping up in the gaps. When people are anxious, which many of us are, we seek connection, she said, explaining people huddled together in the Tenderloin. This is a natural human instinct, and that connection is putting everybody in danger. Juliet Williams / Associated Press She said a very small pilot program is beginning to move people older than 60 or who have chronic health problems off the sidewalks and into hotels, in addition to the larger effort already under way to get the same population out of shelters. But these desperate times call for big answers, not small tests. Jose Ramirez, executive director of St. Anthonys, said City Hall talks a good game about helping the long-neglected neighborhood, but he hasnt seen much proof. Weve heard a lot of talk about serving our most vulnerable, but we havent seen a lot of action around it, he said. His winter shelter, for example, was supposed to shut March 31. The shelter space was used during the day to pack 3,500 meals up from the pre-virus average of 2,000 and he was concerned about shelter residents leaving during the day and potentially bringing the virus back at night. But he wasnt about to release its 22 residents to sleep on the streets in the middle of a pandemic, so he sought help from City Hall. Officials told him the 22 people could move to Moscone Centers shelter but 90 minutes later, that offer was off the table as plans for a shelter there were nixed. 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. Ramirez and his staff raised money to pay for rooms at a nearby hotel for a month, walking the residents there with boxes of their meager belongings. What happens after the month is up? He still doesnt know. Were hoping 30 nights is enough time for the city to get its act together, he said. Meanwhile, St. Anthonys was charged $3,660.55 by Public Works for a permit to offer its meals, clothing and other services curbside rather than requiring people to come into the building. Ramirez asked for a refund and received an email from a Public Works staffer reading, Our fees are codified, which might be the most bureaucratic response ever. After I called Public Works, a spokeswoman said the fee would be waived retroactively. Ramirez has also asked for a handwashing station outside St. Anthonys or at least for financial help to pay for one. The nonprofit is paying $3,500 a month for a rental, and has received no reimbursement. Rachel and Michael Haynes were sleeping at St. Anthonys before scoring a new hotel room on Rachels 64th birthday. I was so ecstatic, I almost chewed my fingernails off! she said. They said theyre sleeping better and are more relaxed. All we do is stay inside and watch TV thats it, Michael said. There are a lot of tents out there. We dont go outside at all hardly. And after their reservation is up, what then? I dont have the slightest idea, Michael said. Neither, it seems, does anybody else in the Tenderloin. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight appears Sundays and Tuesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf Instagram: @heatherknightsf (Bloomberg) -- No one is feeling the pain of an oil collapse more than the shale producers. Except, perhaps, their suppliers. Take Stacy Locke, chief executive officer for Pioneer Energy Services Corp. Locke says he had no choice but to abandon drilling in the Bakken shale basin after roughly 20 years there as plunging oil prices slashed activity, and a major customer in the region -- Whiting Petroleum Corp. -- went bankrupt. The end result of a tough year for oil: Pioneer will lose the last 6 rigs it has in the Bakken, with each one ending jobs for 20 or so workers. Since the start of 2019, the oilfield services sector has lost almost 50,000 jobs, or about 13% of its workforce. Meanwhile, the falloff in fracking -- the technology used to shake loose oil from shale -- is forecast to face its worst year ever with at least half of all work expected to be ended by July 1, according to Citigroup Inc. The domino effect for workers across a wide spectrum of companies can be devastating, said Skip Locken, Pioneers vice president of drilling operations. There are so many different companies that are involved in drilling one well, said Locken, a North Dakota native whos worked with Whiting as a client for a dozen years. It comes down to the person that brings water out to employees on the rig, or toilet paper, paper towels, oil, gas, cement, or who do the fracking and the logging. Contractors hired to map underground pockets of oil, drill new wells and open them are expected to be among the hardest hit in the energy industry as producers slam on the brakes to survive a crude-price crash triggered by a demand-destroying pandemic and a battle for market share between Saudi Arabia and Russia. Although the worlds biggest producers agreed to a global output cut last weekend, it hasnt been enough to boost prices from the doldrums. Its just terribly painful, said Locke, whose own company filed for chapter 11 restructuring in March, about a month before Whitings move. When the big ones fall, thats really pretty catastrophic. Whitings bankruptcy filing alone has undercut rig operators, water haulers, chemical providers and other contractors large and small. Four of the worlds biggest servicers are each owed more than $1 million, with Schlumberger Ltd. and Halliburton Co. carrying unsecured claims of more than $8 million a piece. Investors will get their first look at the first-quarter financial damage on Friday when Schlumberger, the worlds biggest oil services provider, reports earnings. Halliburton and Baker Hughes Co. will follow next week. On Monday, Baker Hughes announced it will write down $15 billion in value from two of its biggest business units. That followed announcements over the past month from rivals Schlumberger and Halliburton of furloughs, salary reductions and job cuts. After averaging less than three bankruptcies a quarter for all of 2018 and the first half of 2019, the oilfield services sector finally hit its debt wall, according to Haynes & Boone LLP. Now the hired hands of the oil patch are averaging more than eight filings over each of the past three quarters. I think were going to have quite a few bankruptcies this go around, Locke said by telephone. Our experience in the Bakken, after 15-20 years up there is probably over for drilling, which is really really sad. To combat that, some explorers such as Parsley Energy Inc. have have asked their contractors to help them cut as much as 25% from their oilfield costs. But industry consultant Rystad Energy estimates that explorers may only be able to get about half that, with so little for the servicers to give up this time around. The last time that oil prices tanked, from more than $100 a barrel in 2014 to roughly $26 in 2016, service companies gave up major concessions to their customers, partly to keep market share. Now companies such as Patterson-UTI Energy Inc. and RPC Inc. are working from a new playbook: scrapping excess frack pumps for the first time ever, turning instead to idle gear in a pinch. When a pump breaks, I drag the truck off to the side and I go grab another one that was working last time I had it on a job, put it in line and run that till it breaks, Richard Spears, an industry consultant whos worked in and around the oil patch for decades, said on a recent Evercore ISI webinar. You can do this incredible discounting as long as youve got idle equipment that was in good shape, he said. But eventually you burn through even all that. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Heading into 2020, as the price of gold was seemingly in the process of creating a new floor at $1550, I was expecting a break-out in the GDX above the $31-$32 level from a nearly 7-year base. Both the miners and silver were leading the safe-haven metal into the new year. This has historically been something which consistently needs to take place for a healthy bull market to continue in the gold complex. Just seven weeks later, the global miner ETF teased investors yet again as the $31 level was indeed breached, but then reversed lower as it did nearly four years ago in August of 2016. The GDX has yet to print a weekly close above $31 since March of 2013, when the price of gold futures was trading $200 lower than yesterdays close. In hindsight, gold stocks were beginning to factor in the ramifications of global government responses to the coming COVID-19 pandemic while at that time, China was in the process of locking down major cities. Once the miners and silver reversed course and began leading the gold price lower in late February, the die was cast for the false move down in the gold complex, as cash became king during the panic that ensued in the entire global marketplace. I have been intimately following and trading the gold complex for the past 18 years. Before this tiny sector is about to embark on a major up-leg, there is usually a false move lower to induce as many participants to sell out of his/her positions before moving sharply higher. After this false move in the opposite direction occurs, the sector inevitably breaks out to the upside with fewer early riders participating during the next bull move. Once caught completely out of position by panic selling at or near the lows, investors are shell-shocked. As the sector quickly begins to create a V shaped bottom, most miss getting back into the sector until after the shares they sold are trading at much higher prices. This is exactly what has been taking place over the past few weeks, when I mentioned the recent bear trap that had occurred during peak crisis in the marketplace into mid-March. The GDX went from a false breakout above $31, to a false breakdown to $16, then back to knocking on the door of a breakout again in just eight weeks. This whipsaw action is basically what took place in the ETF during the financial crisis in 2008-2009, but the time frame was over a year in duration! However, silver and the juniors have remained in a bear market since 2013. Although we have seen more than a few success stories in the junior space, most are trading as if the gold price were still below $1400. Once the bear trap induced all the weaker hands to sell juniors which consume capital, as opposed to miners with cash-flow, many of the best in breed junior developers and explorers have yet to catch up to where they were trading before the breakdown. The gold price is already trading at all-time highs in every major currency except for the worlds reserve currency. With both the Canadian and Australian dollar gold price above $2500, lower-grade, large bulk tonnage deposits located in both of these countries are now economic as the market prices in a new floor at US$1550. Both miners and developers who control large deposits in these countries are poised to benefit from significantly lower local currencies and decade low energy prices. Fuel is a key operating cost for miners, as it is needed to run the giant machines that drill and process massive volumes of ore. With the Federal Reserve now going down the Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) road, which will ultimately lead to stagflation, gold stocks are beginning to spark the interest of investors. Once the GDX breaks out of this huge 7-year base, the discrepancy in valuation between the larger companies and the smaller juniors will become more apparent. With the major miners and royalty firms having out-performed both silver and the juniors during this "V" bottom recovery thus far, I expect both to catch up soon on their way to eventually outperforming big cap gold stocks as they have done so during previous up-legs. Once the impending GDX breakout takes place, generalist capital and momentum players will come flooding into this tiny sector. History has shown it is best to be positioned properly in quality juniors before an impending breakout takes place to take full advantage of this scenario. Now that industry leaders Barrick Gold Corp. (GOLD) and Newmont Corp. (NEM) have broken out ahead of the sector, researching undervalued junior options to invest before the coming breakout in the GDX is highly recommended. A Yellowstone County judge whose misconduct case sparked public input from hundreds of Montanans is being suspended without pay for 30 days. District Judge Ashley Haradas month away from the office will begin May 1, according to the order from the Montana Supreme Court. In the order, signed by six of the seven justices, Chief Justice Mike McGrath said the misconduct was a serious violation of the public trust. "They manifest a flagrant disregard and threat to the rule of law and public confidence in the independence, impartiality, and integrity of our judicial system, the order said. Justice Ingrid Gustafson, a former Yellowstone County district judge, did not participate in the consideration of the case. No reason was given. In a written statement, Harada said she disagreed with the court's decision. Representative image Sumant Sinha, Chairman and Managing Director of ReNew Power, Indias largest renewable energy company, has said that while India Inc has been in conversation with the government over the need for a fiscal stimulus, there was no firm indication yet of a package actually seeing the light of the day. The renewable energy leader predicted that if the badly stressed sectors did not get any immediate relief, there was fear that many such companies would go irreversibly bankrupt. In a detailed interview with Moneycontrol, Sinha said the corporate India pitch for fiscal stimulus was actually yet a wish list. The way the conversation is happening is that the corporate sector is speaking to the government. The government is just listening. It has not made up its mind on either what it wants to do or which sector it wants to immediately help. But India Inc is continuing to talk about what it wants. I dont think anything tangible is there yet. Putting the need for a fiscal stimulus in context, Sinha argued that the government had to tap it at both ends. Try to revive demand by giving money directly in the hands of the poor. At the same time, present a revival plan for the economy. Large sections are badly hurt I would be in favour of a fairly large stimulus rather than doing something very small. Maybe a fiscal stimulus of 5 to 10 percent. One time, one-off, which everyone can easily understand? How the package is to be distributed is the call for the government to take. Large sections of the corporate sector are badly hurt, he noted. 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 ReNew Power managing director identified some of these sectors in an urgent need of government attention. Obviously, aviation is going to be in serious difficulty. Anything to do with the transportation sector is also in trouble. Tourism too is badly damaged. If they dont get relief then companies will irreversibly go bankrupt and once they are gone they are gone. Then you cannot get them and that will lead to more and more NPA and sickness in the banking sector. The situation will get worse and include everybody. You cannot let that happen. You will have to find ways. He recommended that just like the government had isolated virus-hit and virus-free districts, there was a need to isolate business verticals so that large sections of the economy did not become sick. So long as we can create those barriers, we should be in a position to restart fair economic activity, he cautioned. Asked to read the governments mind, he said, In the governments mind, perhaps rightly so, first priority is to meet requirements (provide a safety net) of all those people who are not earning anything due to lockdown. It is a very large number and it is very important to address their concerns. But he asserted that it was equally important to revive the industry as well. If the industry does not revive, long term job creation will suffer as well. It has a circular impact. We need to have vast sections of the economy to come back. If we put money in the hands of the poor they will also spend money and demand will peak up. In reply to another question on the rationale for lockdown extension, Sinha opined, The moot point is that if after such strong lockdown enforcement, cases dont come down then what measure is going to tame the numbers? I hope that in the next few days we actually see cases come down and if that does not happen then we are in it for a long haul. I dont know whether we have any other weapon in our armory to contain it. It is a matter of worry. The ReNew boss, however, said that he completely sided with the government decision. I am all for the government decision because that seems to be the only way to at least try curb the spread. It has been a sensible decision. The extension of the lockdown from the health point of view is very good. But from the economic point of view, we have to look at consequences. Debt servicing is crucial Drawing out the impact on his line of business, Sinha predicted that the demand would continue to be dull even in post-COVID time. Discom financials are going to be hit. If they are hit, how do we do our debt servicing with banks? These are the things that the government has to identify and go in directly and pump liquidity directly into the system. Outlining the key features of the proposed fiscal package, ReNew Power CMD said, Debt servicing is the key issue. Three-month relief isnt good enough. Give a straight-forward debt moratorium of six to nine months. Allow banks to give moratorium and inject liquidity into banks. Also, there is a way to put liquidity directly into companies. For instance, in our sector, induct liquidity into the distribution companies which allows them to pay us. The whole thing is to allow the business to start so that the cycle gets to life again, he averred. Commercial tenancy bills introduced to parliament this week have raised eyebrows in Perths property sector, including a hammer in the governments back pocket that could give tenants the power to break their lease at no cost if severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. When passed, the long-awaited laws will enshrine protections for commercial tenants whose turnover has been slashed or rubbed out completely by the pandemic. Commercial tenancy laws are being debated by Parliament. Credit:Sam Mooy The protections include a six-month ban on evictions, rent freezes, bans on landlords charging interest on unpaid rent and bans on landlords drawing on bank guarantees or tenant security deposits. The bill also proposes the adoption of a code of conduct for landlords and tenants under certain commercial leases similar to the one released by the federal government earlier this month that would see landlords given rent relief in the form of waivers or deferrals. Antananarivo (AFP) - Hundreds of Malagasy on Tuesday elbowed their way onto minibuses bound for the countryside, ignoring bans on group gatherings and outings after the government extended an anti-coronavirus lockdown but temporarily eased travel restrictions. "All I want is to go back to my home," said pensioner Delila Razanamandimby as she struggled through the crowd at a bus station in the capital Antananarivo. "I would rather die in my native village than die here." Like most of his African counterparts, President Andry Rajoelina placed Madagascar's two main cities under a 14-day lockdown on March 22 in a bid to halt the spread of Covid-19. The order went largely unheeded by Malagasy citizens and the number of infections continued to creep up, prompting Rajoelina to extend the lockdown by another 15 days on Sunday. The Indian Ocean island-nation has recorded 88 cases of coronavirus so far, and Rajoelina warned that going back to normal would make it difficult to curb the outbreak. But the president also lifted a ban on public transport for three days and allowed urban residents to "head back to the village" -- preempting another rural exodus after hundreds fled to the countryside following his first lockdown announcement. Antananarivo's Andotapenaka bus station was in disarray early Tuesday morning as people flocked into the building, pushing and shoving with little concern for social distancing. "It was complete chaos because only one gateway was open," said 29-year old engineer Florent Tsimosara, eyes wide with fear as he recalled the experience after eventually managing to get his family on board. "It scared us because all the people were stuck close to each other and we don't know if anyone was sick," he added. Officials on site were swamped by the crowd and rapidly gave up checking the exit permits citizens had been asked to fill in beforehand. "There were so many people this morning that we hand to change our strategy," admitted Transport Minister Joel Randriamandranto, who had come to make note of the situation. Story continues "We cancelled the individual exit permits and registered passengers in groups," said Randriamandranto, adding that the aim was to "ensure traceability". None of the passengers were tested for COVID-19. Only their temperature was taken before boarding, after which they were ceremoniously handed a mouth cover and hand sanitiser donated by an association founded by First Lady Mialy Rajoelina. Yet the high risk of infection did not seem to stop the frantic travellers, determined as ever to reach their destination. "Someone told me the virus cannot stand heat, so I sent my wife and children to Mahajanga (in the north), where it is hotter than Antananarivo," said Tsimosara as he pushed his way back though the crowd. "Here in the capital, no one respects the minimum one-metre distance." Exactly one week after a devastating tornado outbreak propelled a flock of more than 100 tornadoes across the South and Southeast, another severe weather episode is shaping up for the same areas. Conditions are coming together to support widespread severe thunderstorm activity over many of the same hard hit areas, particularly Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. Damaging winds will be the main concern this time around, although a few tornadoes are likely as well. Already, the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has drawn an enhanced risk of severe weather for an elongated stretch of the Interstate 20 corridor through the Gulf Coast states. That's a level 3 out of 5 on their severe weather scale. Last week's risk level climbed to 4. The storm threat on Sunday kicks off what could be an extended period of active weather brewing for the South and the southern and central Plains states. It comes as no surprise, since severe weather and tornado season historically enter full force by late April and early May. Sunda's Threat Areas at risk: The Storm Prediction Center has outlined a level 3 out of 5 "enhanced risk" for severe weather for much of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. A sliver of South Carolina is included as well. Cities like Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Montgomery, Alabama, Mobile, Alabam, Jackson, Mississippi, and Columbus, Georgia - home to Ft. Benning - are include in that risk tier. Nestled firmly within the risk area are also places like Soso, Laurel, Bassfield, and Moss, Mississippi, which were stuck by a destructive EF4 tornado on that 0 to 5 scale for twister that killed 8 on Easter Sunday. That tornado was confirmed as the nation's third largest on record, maxing out the scales at 2.25-miles-wide. Surrounding the enhanced risk is a blanket of slight risk, up for cities like Houston, Shreveport, Louisiana, New Orleans, Atlanta, Charleston, South Carolina, , and Tallahassee, Florida. That corresponds to a level 2 out of 5 potential. Since cold air will suppress storm growth to the north, it's unlikely any severe threat will extend north of cities like Chattanooga or Little Rock, which will be largely unable to break into the "warm sector" of the approaching storm system. Hazards: Scattered to widespread damaging winds, perhaps gusting to 60-70 mph, are most likely as an anticipated line or lines of storms barrel(s) east across the area. Tornadoes will be a secondary concern as well. A few instances of large hail can't be ruled out. In addition, a flash flood risk may materialize with storms that "train" over the same area repeatedly if and when any initial clusters of thunderstorm activity precede the main line of storms. That appears most likely across interior southeast Mississippi and portions of southwest and south central Alabama. Timing: Multiple rounds of storms are possible. The first should slide west to east early in the morning, and could be "elevated" - meaning the storm is rooted in warm air overrunning a shallow layer of chilly atmosphere near the ground. That minimizes the tornado risk and reduces how strong winds can get. Instead, hail is most likely with the initial band. This could occur before sunrise in Louisiana or Mississippi, and around daybreak in Alabama. That heralds the warm front, with a toastier, more humid airmass spreading over the region thereafter. In the afternoon hours, conditions will be favorable for the redevelopment of severe weather ahead of an approaching cold front. Large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes are possible. However, the type of severe weather that materializes is predicated both on the amount of sunshine that develops in between storms and the exact type of thunderstorms that form. Uncertainty: At three days out, it's impossible to gauge "storm mode." In other words, it's not fully evident whether squall lines, thunderstorm clusters, or lone supercell thunderstorms will form associated with the cold front. The most severe weather, including tornadoes, would accompany any supercells that manage to blossom. It's also unclear to what extent afternoon clearing permits the materialization of significant severe weather in the afternoon. While the ingredients are present for higher-end storms, how they are combined and cooked up into individual thunderstorm structures can only be sorted out about a day or day and a half in advance. Even on the day of an event, there are sometimes surprises. However, it's important to have a plan and ensure shelter is available for if - and when - it's needed. Sheltering during covid-19 Some municipalities have shuttered storm shelters due to cororavirus-related concerns, while others have required they remain open. Prior to Easter Sunday's severe weather outbreak, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued an emergency declaration ordering all communities in the state to open their shelters. The proclamation stated "shelters and community safe rooms should remain open and accessible to all individuals seeking refuge from severe weather while implementing reasonable practices. . . to prevent the spread of covid-19." Despite this, one Alabama family was turned away from a storm shelter as a nearby tornado was causing damage to their west, Huntsville affiliate WHNT reported. Workers at the shelter in Crossville, Alabama refused to admit the family, as they did not have enough masks for all of them. The American Meteorological Society issued a statement advising people not to let coronavirus fears discourage them from seeking refuge from a tornado at a shelter, but only if their permanent residences were inadequate (e.g. there is no basement and/or the residence is not sturdily constructed). "Determine if your home can provide you with a good location to take refuge, such as a basement or an interior, windowless room," the statement says. "If you cannot take refuge in your home, discuss sheltering with neighbors, friends, or family. If your community has shelters, verify now which will be open and operating during the pandemic." The extended-range pattern looks supportive of several additional waves of strong to severe weather, with another system rolling through the Mississippi Valley potential tornadoes during the middle of next week. Meteorologists already predicted an active tornado season. Thereafter, there are signals that storminess may return to the Plains by the end of the month. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 07:08:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on April 16, 2020 shows the Shanghai-Romania Expert Dialogue on Fighting against COVID-19 video conference held by the Chinese Embassy in Bucharest, Romania. China has accumulated a lot of useful experiences in COVID-19 patient treatment and nursing through anti-epidemic practice, and Romania hopes to strengthen mutual exchanges, State Secretary of Romania's Health Ministry Horatiu Moldovan said on Thursday. The official highly appreciated China's active sharing of professional experiences during the Shanghai-Romania Expert Dialogue on Fighting against COVID-19 video conference hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Romania. (Xinhua/Chen Jin) BUCHAREST, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China has accumulated a lot of useful experiences in COVID-19 patient treatment and nursing through anti-epidemic practice, and Romania hopes to strengthen mutual exchanges, State Secretary of Romania's Health Ministry Horatiu Moldovan said on Thursday. The official highly appreciated China's active sharing of professional experiences during the Shanghai-Romania Expert Dialogue on Fighting against COVID-19 video conference hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Romania. It is well known that China's health care system has played its due role in the fight against the epidemic and by taking effective measures, China has successfully contained the spread of the coronavirus, thereby controlling the epidemic, he said. Two medical experts in Shanghai had nearly three hours of video conversations with experts and doctors from over 30 hospitals and research centers across Romania. During the conference, Shen Yinzhong, director of the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center's medical department, gave a brief introduction on the COVID-19 situation in Shanghai and the main prevention and control measures. Shen, together with Qiu Zhongmin, director of the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine of Tongji Hospital, answered a series of questions from the Romanian side, including detection methods, diagnosis standards, treatment plans, and medical staff protection. Romania has a total of 7,707 COVID-19 cases, according to the latest official data showed. So far, 392 people have died, while 1,357 people have recovered. If you are correct that he is reoffending, you should notify his parole officer. You might also choose to contact the lawyer who dealt with his case previously and tell him that you believe your son is reoffending and that now you need legal advice for yourself on how to protect yourself from your sons actions. On August 19, 2003, some six months after the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq, UN Special Envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello was killed in a truck bombing at the Canal Hotel in Baghdad. Though 21 others died and hundreds were wounded, Vieira de Mello was himself the target: in claiming responsibility, al-Qaeda bigwig Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said that he had been killed for his part in helping East Timor become an independent state, thereby removing it from the friendly embrace of Indonesia, an aggressively Muslim state. Sergio had been treading a fine line in Iraq between feuding factions, the swaggering ultramontanism of the United States and the conflicting interests of Shias and Sunnis in the aftermath of Saddam Hussein's fall. He believed there was a slender chance of stabilising the country, but his efforts to broker peace and avert years of chaos were ended by that suicide bomb. In 2008, Samantha Power, Barack Obama's Irish-born advisor and later US Ambassador to the UN, wrote a book about Sergio Vieira de Mello detailing his extraordinary achievements and unwavering dedication to conflict resolution. A year later, Greg Barker made a worthy documentary based on her book and now the director has transposed the tireless Brazilian diplomat's story into this lush but gripping drama. Barker uses the bombing as a framing device, catching Vieira de Mello's focus and determination in the days and moments before the attack as he attempts to hoodwink the Americans and various Iraqi factions into backing free and fair elections that will lead to imminent independence. After the explosion, as he lies prone on an upper floor, his mind sweeps back over his eventful life, his various successes and failures. Uppermost in his thoughts is Carolina Larriera (Ana de Armas), an Argentinian UN staffer with whom he's deeply in love, and who's wandering around outside covered in dust and fruitlessly searching for him. Sergio has a wife back in Rio de Janeiro, and two teenage sons he barely knows, but his love for Carolina overwhelmed him when they met for the first time in East Timor. Expand Close Ana de Armas / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ana de Armas Much of Sergio is set in Timor, that benighted Asian archipelago colonised by the Portuguese and invaded in 1975 by Indonesian forces who unleashed several decades of human rights abuses, torture and killings. Vieira de Mello played a major role in guiding East Timor towards independence, but this is just one example of a 34-year diplomatic career spent troubleshooting in some of the world's most dangerous conflict zones. We get hints of this: his student activism in Paris in 1968; his time in Bangladesh and Sudan, Rhodesia; his humanitarian efforts during the civil war in Mozambique; his daring decision to hold talks with the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. From Lebanon to Kosovo, Fiji to Timor, Sergio gained a reputation for being the UN's Mr Fix-it, an idealist with an invaluable flair for pragmatism. Wagner Moura is very well cast as Sergio, a handsome and even dashing man with public virtues, private foibles. Barker and his writer Craig Borten are careful not to cast him as a saint: when Sergio goes home to Rio to visit his family, his ignorance of his two sons' preferences and personalities is glaring. But you also get a sense of how profoundly incompatible this kind of work is to any kind of sustained relationship or stable personal life, and how easily it would have been to be attracted to a fellow UN worker who shares his unsettled lifestyle. Video of the Day Moura, who was so unforgettably nasty as Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar in the Netflix drama Narcos, shows great range here playing a man who's distaste for violence is profound, visceral. Cuban actress De Armas, Daniel Craig's co-star in the recent whodunnit hit Knives Out!, is a suitably ethereal presence as Carolina, whom Sergio is no doubt partly attracted to because he knows their time together is finite. A wandering life has left him incapable of settling, and it's a high price to pay for peacekeeping. Sergio paid the ultimate price, one of the countless casualties of a pointless war that only served to destabilise an entire region. Barker's film puts a shape on the diplomat's work, and gives his life a painterly glow. It's romantic in parts, takes shortcuts in the service of drama. But it's a serious film, giving welcome insights into the inner workings of an institution much maligned by that diplomatic genius Donald Trump. Sergio (Netflix) - 4 stars Streaming movies: Your guide to all the weeks latest releases online We Summon The Darkness (Amazon Prime) - 3 stars Marc Meyers' low-budget horror starts off like every 80s slasher film: it's even set in the 80s and follows three female friends as they head to a heavy metal concert. A satanic cult has been stalking the midwest, and when Alexis (Alexandra Daddario), Val (Maddie Hasson and Beverly (Amy Forsyth) hook up with three men they meet at the gig, one fears the worst. In most slasher films, they'd be lambs to the slaughter, but Meyers wittily subverts the genre and plays with its tired tropes. A sub-plot involving a TV preacher (Johnny Knoxville) is not interesting, but We Summon The Darkness is a funny and knowing little shocker. PW Guide To Second Date Sex (Amazon, Sky Store, iTunes) - 2 stars George MacKay is a fine young actor who's shone of late in films like 1917 and True History Of The Kelly Gang. He may, however, secretly be wishing this clumsy relationship comedy had not been released. He is Ryan, a painfully awkward young man whose record with the opposite sex is pitiful. He hopes his luck is about to change when he meets Laura (Alexandra Roach), a pleasant Welsh girl who's pretty neurotic herself. Both go into a second date at Ryan's place with very different ideas of what's supposed to happen: nothing edifying, as it turns out. Based on a play, this is embarrassment comedy that's actually embarrassing. PW Horacio Arruda, Quebec director of National Public Health responds to reporters during a news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic, at the legislature in Quebec City, on April 16, 2020. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press) Quebec Floats Idea of Letting Kids Get COVID-19 to Build up Wider Immunity in Society The Quebec government has suggested that reopening schools and daycares could be a way to both kick-start its economy and slow the transmission of COVID-19 in the province. Quebecs public health director, Horacio Arruda, told a news conference on April 10 it was very excessively rare for children to develop severe symptoms from COVID-19. Allowing them to catch the virus and become immunized would help the wider society, he said. Because the more children will be, in my opinion, naturally immunized by the disease, the less they will become active vectors with older people, Arruda said. Evidence that children infected with the novel coronavirus rarely develop serious symptoms of the disease has led to talk of exposing students to the virus as a quasi-vaccination strategy and a way of building herd immunitya type of resistance to the diseases spread within society. Phoenix Crawford does school work on a laptop while being home-schooled by his mum Donna Eddy in Sydney, Australia, on April 9, 2020. (Brendon Thorne/Getty Images) Premier Francois Legault has floated the idea of reopening schools and daycares before May 4, if COVID-19 hospitalizations stabilize, so adults can return to work without worrying about finding care for their children. But his comments sparked indignation among teachers unions and parents, who talked about logistical nightmares of opening schools too soon and the threat of kids transmitting the virus to their older relatives. Health experts also question that strategy and say there are larger ethical questions that need to be considered. Alison Thompson, a professor at University of Torontos faculty of pharmacy, said letting children be exposed in schools to COVID-19 is a far cry from a mandatory vaccination program. Its not just a matter of building immunitythey have to get sick first, she said in a recent interview, calling the proposal a sickness strategy. Erin Strumpf, a professor in the department of epidemiology at McGill University, said Arrudas strategy follows the same logic as a vaccination program. When people receive a vaccine, they are given a weakened form of the virus, allowing their immune system to build antibodies to kill it. Children wearing face masks leave their elementary school at the end of the day in Xindian district, New Taipei, Taiwan, City on March 3, 2020. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images) The more people in a society are vaccinated against a virus, the fewer people are around to transmit it to a vulnerable person. Strumpf, however, questioned whether Arrudas strategy would build a sufficient herd immunity in society to protect the most vulnerable. Schools should eventually be opened for other reasons, she explained, but immunizing children is a side benefit. Reopening schools would allow more people to go back to work and to ensure children from disadvantaged backgrounds have access to proper education, she said: It would level the playing field. But the logistics of allowing daycares as well as primary and secondary schools to open are not obvious. Josee Scalabrini, president of the federation that represents the majority of Quebecs teachers, questioned how older and vulnerable teachers can be protected from infected students and how physical distancing can be maintained in crowded classrooms, cafeterias and school buses. Children walk home from Altrincham C.E. aided primary school after the governments policy to close all schools from today due to the coronavirus pandemic in Altrincham, United Kingdom, on March 20, 2020. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) Thompson recognizes that closing schools hurts the economy, but she said opening up the schools too quickly poses many problems. She noted that children are major vectors of pathogens. This is not immunity acquired through vaccine, she said. This would be naturally acquired immunity, and its hard to know how they would acquire that without posing a great risk to the adults that they are in contact with. Legault has since tempered some of his initial optimism about opening schools before May 4. He now says the schools will stay closed until public health officials agree to open them and until he has the assurance that there is no risk to children and teachers. But the premier said Thursday that COVID19 hospitalizations are under control and he is preparing a plan to open up the economy. We will start with companies. We want to do it in a very gradual way, in an intelligent way, he said. By Giuseppe Valiante One more doctor of Ghaziabad's Vaishali Max Hospital tested positive for coronavius infection on Friday, taking the total count of Covid-19 cases in the district to 29, said officials. The second Vaishali Max doctor, found having the infection, was an associate of the hospital's first doctor, an oncologist and a resident of Gyan Khand 1 in Indirapuram, who had tested positive for the Covid-19 early this week, Ghazibad's Chief Medical Officer, Dr N K Gupta told PTI. He said both of the doctors are currently undergoing treatment for the Covid-19 at Saket Max in New Delhi. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Aditya Prajapati, who is also doubling as the area's incident commander under the Epidemic Act, 1897, said the second doctor who was found Covid-19 positive, is a resident of Vaishali, Sector 1 and the area adjoining his residence too has been sealed under the provisions of the Act. The authorities, however, said they have no plans, as of now, to seal the hospital whose two doctors were found corona positive. Dr Gupta said all patients who had visited the OPD of the Vaisahli Max Hospital and came in the contact of the two corona-positive doctors were traced and tests were conducted for COVID-19. Referring to the 91 samples for Covid-19 tests collected from a Gyan Khand 1 street where the Max Hospital's doctor, first tested positive, resided, Dr Gupta said all samples barring one tested negative for the deadly infection. Till date, the total count of positive patients reached 29, out of which seven have been cured, he said. A total of 1,517 samples were sent for testing in the district. Out of these, 29 tested positive and 819 negative while the reports for the remaining are awaited, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) OPCW's Syria report 'lacks due diligence', prepared with 'malicious' intent: Russia Iran Press TV Thursday, 16 April 2020 12:01 AM Russia says a recent report by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on a series of toxic attacks in western Syria is a repetition of "baseless" accusations earlier levelled by certain states, and has been prepared with "malicious" intent. Last Wednesday, the OPCW released an 82-page report, claiming Syrian government forces had been responsible for the alleged chemical attacks on the terrorist-held town of Lataminah in Hama during the last week of March 2017 that affected scores of people. Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said on Wednesday the recent report by the OPCW's Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) about Syria clearly indicated that the IIT seeks to whitewash the illegal acts of aggression against Syria in April 2017 and 2018. "As expected, instead of conducting a serious investigative work, this team of so-called 'experts' merely reduced themselves to echoing baseless accusations produced by some states," the Russian ambassador said during a closed video-teleconference of the UN Security Council on Syria's chemical dossier. "Although we should not be surprised, given the recent revelations on the 'methods of work' of the OPCW Technical Secretariat," he added. Nebenzia expressed surprise at "how a report can be prepared without even the slightest traces of due diligence." "We feel compelled to fill in the blanks left out by the IIT with what seems to be malicious intent," he said, vowing that Moscow will distribute its initial assessment shortly. The diplomat said the IIT's report is invalid for several reasons, including the fact that the materials and evidence have been collected remotely, mainly from groups opposing the Syrian government. The report also ignores the official information provided by the government about the opposition's chemical crimes, he added. "Investigations have also been conducted in flagrant violation of the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), without respecting the key principle of fulfilling procedures to ensure preservation of physical evidence, which, inter alia, requires the evidence to be collected on site and exclusively by OPCW specialists," Nebenzia noted. He also cited the "absence of adequate criteria to select witnesses and assess the admissibility of their testimony" as another reason to prove the report is invalid. The press office of Russia's permanent mission at the OPCW had last week censured the report as "untrustworthy", saying the watchdog has violated the basic principle of its work by conducting a remote investigation without visiting the sites. Last Thursday, Syria dismissed the OPCW report as "misleading" and based on fabricated information provided by Takfiri terrorists and the so-called civil defense group, White Helmets. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Though President Donald Trump just issued new guidelines for how states can reopen as the coronavirus pandemic recedes, its ultimately up to governors to decide how and when restrictions are lifted and Phil Murphy says hes in no rush to do so in New Jersey. Trump outlined the federal guidance Thursday during a conference call with governors and then at his daily White House coronavirus press conference later that day. The curve has flattened and the peak in new cases is behind us, Trump said. Were opening up our country. America wants to be open, and Americans want to be open. A national shutdown is not a sustainable longterm solution. Trump insisted that individual states will be the ones to choose how to restart their economies a contrast from Monday, when he claimed the ultimate authority in making that call. But he painted the new guidelines as a road map governors can use. Governors can take a phased and deliberate approach to opening their states, he said. Some states will be able to open up sooner than others. Some states are not in the kind of trouble others are in. This comes as officials say a vaccine for COVID-19 could be more than a year away. Trump said as many as 29 states could be ready to open soon, but New Jersey and New York wont be among them. New York, New Jersey are having very tough times, the president said. Theyll be there at some point, but theyre not going to be one of the earlier states. Theyre gonna be later, obviously. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage Murphy has said in recent days that New Jersey which has more coronavirus cases than any other state but New York was seeing encouraging signs that the COVID-19 infection rate was slowing. But the governor insisted he wasnt ready to start making plans to lift restrictions and that residents need to keep following his lockdown orders and practicing social distancing. The house is still on fire, Murphy said during his daily press conference Wednesday. The curve may be flattening but were still going up, not coming down. Murphy has also stressed that restrictions would be lifted in New Jersey on a gradual basis and that residents could expect a new normal for a while, with no traditional social gatherings in the foreseeable future But first, Murphy said, New Jersey needs the ability to quickly test large numbers of people and have a robust health care infrastructure ready to go. Trump said millions of tests were being conducted and would continue to be done to alert authorities to new outbreaks of COVID-19, but U.S. Senate Democrats said the country wasnt even close to being able to provide enough. Our testing capability is still woefully inadequate for the crisis, much less to reopen our economy, said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. We have to ramp up testing. It can be done on a far broader scale. We need to get the results back quickly. Thats going to take a national, major effort. Lockdowns to help curb the virus spread have caused record unemployment and revenue losses in New Jersey and across the U.S. Under the new guidelines, states can begin reopening after a 14-day period during which cases of COVID-19-like cases decline, the number of confirmed infections or positive tests also drop, and hospitals are prepared to handle the virus and to test at-risk health care workers. If they need to remain closed, we will allow them to do that," Trump said. "And if they believe it is time to reopen, we will provide the freedom to accomplish that task. Even as businesses and offices reopen, Americans would be encouraged to continue washing their hands, wear masks (especially when using mass transit), and stay home if they feel sick. The guidelines envision the country getting back to some sort of normality in three phases. The first phase would emphasize working at home, keeping schools closed, social distancing, and restricting gatherings to no more than 10 people. Restaurants and gyms would have to impose strict physical separation. Non-essential travel would be curbed. Bars would remain closed. The elderly and those with serious health conditions should stay home. In phase 2, gatherings of up to 50 people would be allowed, working at home and physical distancing would continue to be encouraged, and schools, camps, day care facilities and bars could reopen. Non-essential travel again would be allowed. The elderly and those with serious health conditions still should stay home. In the final phase, there would be unrestricted staffing in workplaces, and the elderly and those with serious health conditions can venture out but should practice social distancing. This is a gradual process, Trump said. As the caseload in a state continues to go down, restrictions can continue to be eased. NEW... A national system of three "phases" will be used for governors to reopen their states. These are the employer and individual markers for "gating" to each phase.... pic.twitter.com/jSPJ0P8cUx Kurt Siegelin (@kurtsiegelin) April 16, 2020 Trump, a Republican, said he talked to Murphy, a Democrat, on Wednesday, calling him a terrific guy. Hes working very, very hard, Trump said of the New Jersey governor. That doesnt mean theyre gonna be opening next week. Earlier, Trump talked to a newly formed advisory group of members of Congress from both parties, including U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist. Gottheimer co-chairs the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, whose members have met with Trump in search of common ground. Its important to have a voice there, Gottheimer said. We need to really think through a safe reopening check list. 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. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. We want to recognize and thank the hospital caregivers who are working tirelessly to serve the community, said Georgia United Credit Union President and CEO, Debbie Smith. The coronavirus pandemic continues to create unprecedented challenges, impacting healthcare workers who are selflessly serving those in need. To show their appreciation of the frontline workers, Georgia United Credit Union launched a Hospital Heroes initiative to provide care packages to seven community hospital partners. During the week of April 13, Georgia United delivered curbside care packages including supplies, meals and snacks to the hospital administration who oversee the frontline workers. Every care package delivery is tailored to the specific needs of the individual hospital. With a $3,500 donation, Georgia United provided individually packaged snacks to support hospital caregivers at Henry Piedmont, Northside Cumming, Newton Medical, Morgan Medical Center in Madison and VA Medical Center in Dublin. A donation of requested supplies, including eye cooling masks and compression socks, was made possible with a monetary donation to Hamilton Medical Center in Dalton. A total of 107 meals were provided for the ER and ICU teams working third shift at Rockdale Piedmont in Conyers. In support of small businesses, meals were purchased from the Conyers Sandwich Shop and included wraps, chips and cookies. We want to recognize and thank the hospital caregivers who are working tirelessly to serve the community, said Georgia United Credit Union President and CEO, Debbie Smith. We are proud to support the heroic efforts made by the frontline workers and hope this contribution provides some relief during these challenging times. When asked how the Hospital Heroes initiative originated, Georgia United Chief Marketing Officer, Aaron Chestnut, stated, COVID-19 has created problems never before seen. Yet despite the unknown, frontline hospital workers fearlessly help those who need it most. Their efforts are heroic and we want to extend our gratitude and let them know we have their back. The Hospital Heroes initiative is made possible with funding by Georgia United Credit Union and their Foundation. To learn more about Georgia United and the programs funded by their Foundation, visit gucu.org and gucufoundation.org. Follow the credit union on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to see how Georgia United is supporting the courageous efforts made by Hospital Heroes and share with friends and family as well. Posts are tagged with #GUCUcares, #HealthcareHeroes and #AllinThisTogether. About Georgia United Foundation Georgia United Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life for children and families in the communities they serve through impactful programs funded and delivered through volunteerism by way of corporate contributions, team members and community efforts. The Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization and is the philanthropic arm of Georgia United Credit Union. For details on volunteering, participating or donating, visit gucufoundation.org. About Georgia United Credit Union Georgia United Credit Union is an award-winning financial leader and partner in education. Headquartered in Duluth, Georgia United is ranked as one of the states largest credit unions with $1.4 billion in assets, 163,000 members and 19 branch locations. As a full-service financial institution, they offer competitive products and services for every stage of life. To learn more, visit gucu.org. ### Perth commuters could be forced to pay up to twice as much as usual in fees every time they park their cars in the CBD unless the state government scraps the city's parking levy, Australia's peak parking body warns. Parking Australia said facilities across the city were running at 10 per cent capacity due to current isolation measures, leaving operators with no choice but to raise fees to make ends meet. The Perth Parking Levy nets $58 million every year. Credit:Reuters "Most of these car parks are not even receiving enough revenue from patronage to cover the levy," Parking Australia chief executive Stuart Norman said. "Instead of the average early bird motorist having to pay about $5 in parking levy per session this could quite easily increase to $10 to cover the levy bills the state government will be issuing." In asking for the delay last month, Smiths attorneys said they had lost critical time to work on his case because of the restrictions put in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus. It would be irresponsible for attorneys to conduct interviews, travel, meet with Smith and carry out other tasks during the outbreak as they pursued clemency and court challenges, they argued. The latest: A day after the White House provided a road map to gradually reopen the crippled economy, some states took their first steps toward easing restrictions. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis said municipalities could reopen beaches and parks if they could do so safely. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott said stores could begin selling curbside, nonessential surgery could resume and state parks could reopen. Abbott on Friday also announced a statewide task force of medical and economic experts to reopen the state, with early May as a target date, issuing an executive order outlining the standards that will be used to guide the reopening of private businesses. Plans for opening businesses will be announced on April 27, depending on whether the state has been able to contain the coronavirus, but schools will be closed for the remainder of the school year. Abbott stressed that the framework would be determined by "data and by doctors" and continued adherence to social distancing guidelines. Vermont will start to ease restrictions Monday but very slowly and with lots of caveats. Certain workers construction, home appraisers, property management and municipal clerks can restart jobs Monday. But only two workers would be allowed per location, and they'd need to wear cloth masks and maintain 6 feet of space, Gov. Phil Scott said. On May 1, farmers markets will be able to operate with strict social-distancing guidelines in place, Scott said. The number of new cases is dropping in some states, but health officials have also identified new outbreaks. In New Hampshire, for example, clusters were identified at three long-term care facilities. Some states already have said they're banding together in regional groups to decide when to reopen. That includes states on the West Coast; seven states in the Northeast; and a group encompassing Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana and Kentucky. Some governors are warning about the dangers of easing restrictions too soon after President Donald Trump unveiled his reopening guidelines and said a shutdown is not a sustainable, long-term solution. "We must get this right because the stakes are very high. If we don't do it right, the consequences are horrendous," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday. "It's going to be gradual. It's going to be rolling it out one thing after another." President Trump announces $19 billion relief program for farmers, food assistance Trump said Friday during a White House coronavirus task force briefing that the U.S. Agriculture Department will provide a $19 billion relief program for farmers and producers as well as food assistance for Americans. It will include direct payments to farmers as well as mass purchases of dairy, meat and produce to get food to people in need, Trump said. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said that under the new program, $16 billion in direct payments would go to farmers, ranchers and producers who have experienced unprecedented losses and $3 billion would buy food for Americans to be distributed through food banks and community and faith-based organizations. New York's coronavirus hospitalizations are decreasing, but states can't test without federal help, Cuomo says New York state's coronavirus hospitalizations are dropping, but like all the states it desperately needs federal help to test enough people to reopen society, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday. "The next frontier (is) testing. We don't have a system" to deal with the kind of volume needed, Cuomo said. States are competing with each other for capacity to test, and they generally don't have enough money to pay for it, so the federal government needs to step in, he said. "(Reopening) is going to be an incremental process," he said. "You're not going to hear any day soon ... it's over." New York has by far the most coronavirus cases in the U.S. Hospitalizations, ICU admissions and intubations across the state are down. But the number of deaths 630 Thursday, against 606 the day before "refuses to come down dramatically," he said. PGlmcmFtZSBpZD0iaHR2LWNvdmlkLW1hcCIgc3JjPSJodHRwczovL2NvdmlkLTE5LWFzc2V0cy5odHZ0b29scy51cy9pbmRleC5odG1sIiBzY3JvbGw9Im5vIiBzdHlsZT0iYm9yZGVyOm5vbmU7Ij48L2lmcmFtZT4= Cuomo's comments came a day after the White House gave all 50 governors a suggested three-phase approach to easing social distancing. But President Donald Trump, in a retreat from his earlier claims that it was his call, told governors that when and how to reopen is up to them. The guidelines are "sound," Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Friday during a Vital Strategies webinar. But he and many other experts and officials, including governors, are stressing that more detailed plans about diagnostic testing, antibody testing and contact tracing are needed before the economy can reopen safely. "We need to find a way to have testing (that is) widely, easily accessible, it is agnostic to your insurance status, and it is ... aggressive ... where there are potentially no cases," Dr. John Lynch, board member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said Friday in a separate webinar. The CDC will establish "surveillance sites in some of the inner-city clinics that we have, and some of the indigenous population clinics, to ... try to identify and understand how much asymptomatic infection is there," CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield told NBC's "Today" show. The CDC is sending teams to eight states to help bolster contact tracing efforts and contain the virus, a federal health official told CNN. They will go to New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska, North Dakota, Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio. Their goal is to expand testing, which is crucial to reopening economies, and ensure those states remain at low levels of transmission, the official said. How the federal guidelines would work The federal three-phase guidelines to reopen the economy rely on "gating" criteria that states would have to pass before starting each phase. The criteria include a "downward trajectory" of COVID-19 cases in a 14-day period, and a return to pre-crisis conditions in hospitals, according to the document. In the first phase, schools currently closed should remain so, and employees who are able to telework should keep working from home. Large venues, including some restaurants and gyms, could operate under strict social-distancing protocols, but bars should remain shuttered. Phases 2 and 3 would gradually decrease the recommended restrictions. Vulnerable populations would remain sheltered in place until phase 3. The phased approach encourages all individuals to "strongly consider" using face coverings in public. And the document encourages employers to use social distancing, temperature checks, testing and sanitation practices in their workplaces. New York and other hot spots are getting longer peaks than expected, expert says New York and other hot spots are experiencing prolonged peaks of the coronavirus pandemic while Southern states may not get hit as hard as earlier projected, experts say. Researchers from the prominent projection model cited by the White House plan to release new data on the pandemic Friday. Updated projections will show decreasing cases on a national level but extended peaks in hard-hit areas, said Dr. Christopher Murray, the director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation model. Americans are social distancing more than expected, even in some states without strong mandates, which factors into the new estimates, Murray told CNN's global town hall on coronavirus Thursday night. "We made a big push trying to take into account how people move around, like direct measurement through cell phone data," he said. "There's more social distancing across the country than I think we expected. A number of states in the South will have smaller epidemics than expected." With growing social distancing, death rates among confirmed cases in some Southern states will come down, which will mean lower national numbers overall, he said. "Counterbalance to that is that places like New York seem to be stuck at the peak for longer than we originally expected," he added. "... It's not something that I think anybody expected to see where people would, instead of two or three days to peak, they're spending a longer period and then cases will start to come down." Antibody tests are available, but not approved treatment As the U.S. discusses reopening the country, health officials are focusing on the development of coronavirus tests, treatments and preventative strategies. There is no specific treatment for COVID-19. Doctors are trying out various drugs and procedures, but it's still not known if they'll work. One antiviral drug remdesivir got elevated attention this week over a video featuring a Chicago doctor's upbeat conversation about a clinical trial of the drug there. Patients in the trial had severe respiratory symptoms and fever but were able to leave the hospital after less than a week of treatment with the drug, the health news website STAT News quoted the doctor as saying. However, the trial does not include a control group, in which some patients don't receive the drug so that doctors can determine whether the drug is really affecting the other subjects' conditions. Several health experts told CNN on Friday that the discussion sounded encouraging but cautioned that much more randomized clinical trials and published data is needed. W2lmcmFtZSBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vZDJjbXZicTdzeHgzM2ouY2xvdWRmcm9udC5uZXQvZW1haWwvcHJvZF9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1c19pZnJhbWVfYXJ0aWNsZS5odG1sIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjQxNCIgc3R5bGU9IndpZHRoOjEwMCU7Ym9yZGVyOm5vbmU7b3ZlcmZsb3c6aGlkZGVuIiBzY3JvbGxpbmc9Im5vIiBmcmFtZWJvcmRlcj0iMCIgYWxsb3dUcmFuc3BhcmVuY3k9InRydWUiXVsvaWZyYW1lXQ== The Associated Press contributed to this report. Bengaluru: Amid the national lockdown put in place to combat the coronavirus pandemics, hundreds of people turned out in crowds in the Siddhalingeswara temple chariot festival in Chitapur village on Thursday (April 16). The gathering for the festival took place despite the lockdown and a ban on rituals or event of any kind. A case has been registered against 20 people including the temple management under Sections 188, 143 and 269 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and further investigation is going to ascertain more details related to the religious gathering. A sub-inspector has also been suspended because of the gathering. "Today at 6.30 am, around 100-150 people had come near Siddalingeshwara temple for about 20 minutes and took part in chariot pulling procession," Superintendent of Police Lada Martin told ANI. Meanwhile, the police is investigating whether it was the temple committee that held the religious gathering or others who decided to go ahead with the rituals despite the ban enforced by the government. Kalaburagi is a hotspot zone in Karanataka as the district has recorded 17 positive cases of coronavirus including three deaths. Meanwhile, Karnataka reported its 13th COVID-19 death on April 16 while 36 people tested positive, the highest single-day tally so far, taking the total number of infections in the state to 315, the health department said. Continuing our coverage of Utah-based startups, this morning we have our second big round of the year from the state. Lucid Software, best known as the parent company of Lucidchart, announced today that it has raised a $52 million Series D. All that's interesting enough, but more fun is that the company's new revenue milestone. Lucid told TechCrunch in an interview with its CEO Karl Sun that it has crossed the $100 million annual recurring revenue (ARR) mark. Slightly annoyingly, it declined to say when it did so. From prior reporting we know that the firm reached $50 million ARR at some point in 2018. Its growth rate then, if we squint and do half-baked math in our head, looks pretty good. Recently, fellow Utah-based Podium also raised a new round and crossed the $100 million ARR threshold. In the same vein of nearly telling us what we want to know, Lucid declined to share a new valuation but noted that the new round pushed its valuation up and that it's now worth more than $1 billion. Was it worth more than $1 billion the last time it raised? We don't know, and the company isn't telling. Sharing some information is better than none and Lucid is an interesting company, so let's remind ourselves about what it does, and then talk about why it says it raised less in this Series D than its Series C. Lucid is a software company with two main products, Lucidchart and Lucidpress . Lucidchart is a cloud software tool that lets users (and teams) build visual data representations like flow charts, org layouts and the like. (Incidentally, while prepping this piece, I found out my partner was a big Lucidchart user during her graduate education.) Lucidpress helps companies build branded materials and content. The two products have helped the company attract around $166 million in capital so far, per Crunchbase and our own calculations. You'll notice Lucid raised less ($52 million) in this round than it did in its preceding capital event, a $72 million investment. I asked Sun about it, noting that the two most obvious ways to read the smaller figure was that the company was either in trouble or that it did not need much more money. It's option two, according to the CEO, who told TechCrunch that Lucid didn't need to raise thanks to its history of being very capital efficient. Story continues The company still has "a fair amount in the bank" from its preceding round, Sun added, but it's taking a cautious stance in light of the new world it now finds itself in. Capital made sense, Sun said. And since investors "continued to knock on the door saying we want to invest more," he added, when the company agreed to take on new funds in mid-March, it wasn't a hard close. The CEO told TechCrunch that his firm could have raised more, but decided to "hold the line" at around $50 million. Lucid has lots more capital and likely enough runway to get through the impending recession. In more normal times I'd stamp my foot here, asking when we get an S-1. But with the markets in turmoil and an election looming, we'll ask again next year. Today's funding event was led by ICONIQ, which previously invested in the company's late-2018 Series C worth $72 million. Prior investors Meritech and Spectrum were joined in the round by new investor Utah-based Cross Creek. While employers are not required to make contributions to fund pandemic-related claims, they will have to make contributions after the crisis. In effect, allowing the drivers to claim the federal benefit helps the companies avoid conceding that they are on the hook for funding state benefits. An Uber spokesman said, Congress fully funded Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for gig workers so that every state, many of which face historic deficits, could give these workers immediate financial support at no cost to their own funds. Uber has also pointed out that the states recent law doesnt make drivers eligible for unemployment benefits on its own. It creates a test that state agencies must apply before granting benefits, and which they have yet to do in many drivers cases. Most experts believe that drivers will be deemed employees under the test. Lyft declined to comment for this article. Californias action appears to reflect a shift by state officials. Early this month, the state seemed to be trying to process benefits for Uber and Lyft drivers under the traditional unemployment system. On a website listing frequently asked questions by workers applying for benefits during the pandemic, it instructed gig workers to list your gig employer as your last employer. Workers who have employers would typically be eligible for traditional unemployment benefits and therefore ineligible for federal pandemic assistance for the self-employed. Last week, Uber, Lyft and another gig company, DoorDash, sent an email to government officials asking the state agency overseeing unemployment insurance to remove that sentence from its website and to help gig workers apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. Many self-employed ride-share and delivery drivers intend to apply for loans and other federal relief available to independent contractors, the companies wrote, and they worry that making an inaccurate representation that they are employees could preclude that, the email said. Ms. Su, the state labor secretary, said the purpose of the new approach was to ensure that struggling gig workers could begin to receive benefits rapidly. While some Uber and Lyft drivers had successfully claimed regular unemployment benefits in California before the executive order, the process took months because the companies refused to submit income data needed to verify eligibility. 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? Typically, every four years, when a politician is asked whether he or she (and it is usually a he) would accept the vice-presidential spot on their partys ticket, the response is usually some variation of: Oh, Id be honored, but I am very happy in my current job as governor/senator/representative/mayor or Thats way too premature a discussion to have right now. So it came as something as a surprise that when Elizabeth Warren went on The Rachel Maddow Show on Wednesday night to discuss that days endorsement of her former rival Joe Biden and Maddow asked the inevitable question about whether she would join the Biden ticket if asked, the Massachusetts senator gave a simple, declarative answer: Yes. Earlier on Wednesday Warren had tweeted out her support for the former vice president with a video message, saying, In this moment of crisis, its more important than ever that the next president restores Americans faith in good, effective governmentand Ive seen Joe Biden help our nation rebuild. Today, Im proud to endorse @JoeBiden as president of the United States. Warren became the last of Bidens top former Democratic rivals to back him for the partys nomination, and she followed by a day an endorsement of Biden by former president Barack Obama in a 12-minute video he also posted on Twitter. Photo: MSNBC Biden welcomed Warrens support, tweeting, We are in a battle for the soul of this nation, and Im proud to have the fiercest of fighters, Senator @ewarren, on my side. With her help, were going to beat Donald Trump and create a government that works for everyonenot just the wealthy and well-connected. Lets do this. On MSNBC on Wednesday night, Warren explained to Maddow why she had waited until this week to endorse Biden, saying it was the right time. Look, I think it was important that Senator Sanders have the time he needed and the space he needed to make the decision about what he was going to do with his campaign, Warren said. And now Senator Sanders has endorsed, President Barack Obama has endorsed, and I was very, very glad to do it today. Story continues And Warren pledged to help Biden defeat President Donald Trump in the fall. Im in this fight to help in any way I can, she said. To help on the policy front, to help by getting out there and talking about it. Shoot, to help by telling people go to JoeBiden.com, pitch in your five bucks, send some texts, volunteer some time, because it is truly the case we are all in this now, and we have seen the importance of having a leader that we can count on in a crisis. Its not Donald Trump. It is Joe Biden. Then, Maddow asked the inevitable question, probably anticipating the inevitable answer. If he asked you to be his running mate, would you say yes? Maddow asked. Yes, Warren said in her one-word answer, offering no disclaimer, no what-ifs, no false modesty about it being an honor just to be considered. Maddow looked momentarily surprised, a small smile beginning to form on her face. Im so happy you just gave me a concise answer to that, said Maddow, now broadly grinning. Im going to let that sit there and resonate a second. Then she cut to a commercial. In March, in the final debate of the Democratic primaries, Biden pledged to pick a woman as his running mate, and among the names being floated since then, besides Warren, are two of his former 2020 rivals, California senator Kamala Harris and Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar, in addition to Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, Nevada senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Florida representative Val Demings, and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. This week, Abrams also expressed her interest in joining the Biden ticket. In an interview with Elle, she said, I would be an excellent running mate, adding, 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. If I am selected, I am prepared and excited to serve. The directness of both Warrens and Abramss responsesand the uncloaked ambition they representeddrew praise on social media, including this tweet from Caitlin Huey-Burns, a political reporter for CBS: Gotta say, its pretty refreshing to hear politicians be upfront about their vice-presidential ambitions. These kinds of answers (Warren saying yes she would take it and Abrams saying shes prepared to serve) are rare and meaningful coming from women. Originally Appeared on Vogue BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's Health Minister Henrique Mandetta on Thursday urged Brazilians to keep avoiding gatherings, saying the worst part of the coronavirus outbreak was not over. Mandetta, who earlier said he expected to be replaced by Friday at the latest, added that the fight against COVID-19 respiratory disease would be a long one that would not be resolved in a week. BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's Health Minister Henrique Mandetta on Thursday urged Brazilians to keep avoiding gatherings, saying the worst part of the coronavirus outbreak was not over. Mandetta, who earlier said he expected to be replaced by Friday at the latest, added that the fight against COVID-19 respiratory disease would be a long one that would not be resolved in a week. (Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing by Gabriela Mello; Editing by Christian Plumb) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Britain's Prince William on Friday spoke about his concern for his father, Prince Charles, after the 71-year-old heir to the British throne tested positive for coronavirus and went into self-isolation ahead of his recovery a week later. William, the Duke of Cambridge who is second in line to the throne, also spoke of his worry for his grandparents Queen Elizabeth II, 93, and her husband Prince Philip, 98 who are both isolated away at Windsor Castle during the pandemic. "I have to admit, at first I was quite concerned, he [Charles] fits the profile of somebody, at the age he is at, which is fairly risky," William told the BBC. But my father has had many chest infections, colds and things like that over the years and so I thought to myself if anybody is going to be able to beat this, it is going to be him," said the 37-year-old. In reference to his grandparents, he added: Obviously I think very carefully about my grandparents. We are doing everything we can to make sure they are isolated away and protected from this but it does worry me. William was joined by wife Kate Middleton in a call-in to speak out about the need to look after mental health during the current lockdown, in force to curb the spread of the deadly virus, as part of their wider work supporting the UK's mental health charities. "There is going to be an ever-increasing need for people to look after their mental health and take it seriously," said William. On a more personal note, the couple reflect on managing young children through the lockdown, with six-year-old Prince George and four-year-old Princess Charlotte's home-schooling routines as well as looking after their youngest son Prince Louis, 2. The family, in lockdown at the royal estate of Norfolk in eastern England, admitted that it had been a challenging time. "It's quite hectic for them all to say the right thing at the right time without pressing the wrong buttons. But it's great and it's nice to keep in touch with everybody," said Kate, in reference to connecting the kids with the rest of the family via video-calls. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been conducting video calls with frontline National Health Service (NHS) workers and lauded their extraordinary work through the crisis. They do an extraordinary job, it goes unrecognised daily and now I think all of us as a nation can really see how hard they work and how vital their work is, said Kate, 38. As part of their mental health initiative, the couple have provided the narration for a video which will highlight new advice on Public Health England's Every Mind Matters website from next Monday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WAITSFIELD, Vt., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chooseco, publisher of the world-famous Choose Your Own Adventure gamebook series announced the September 2020 release of board books based on the classic interactive books. The publisher launched the new "Choose Your Own Adventure: Your First Adventure" series with adaptations from bestselling titles: The Abominable Snowman, Journey Under The Sea, and Space And Beyond. All three titles were originally written by the series' founder, R. A. Montgomery. The adaptations are intended for ages 0-3, and each title has been abridged from 17000 words to 350. To learn more about the forthcoming Choose Your Own Adventure board books, please contact Elizabeth Middleman at [email protected] . ABOUT CHOOSECO Chooseco is a purpose-built publishing house which brought the groundbreaking Choose Your Own Adventure gamebook series back to print. Since the series relaunch, Chooseco has sold over 15 million copies. Chooseco is based in Vermont. It boasts a creative team dedicated to promoting literacy through immersive interactive stories. SOURCE Chooseco Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. Start your free trial. When Dr. Oz went on Fox news Thursday morning, he seemed to be awfully dismissive about the lives of Americas children. Vox journalist Aaron Rupar tweeted the clip, with a wide-eyed emoji: DR OZ: "Schools are a very appetizing opportunity. I just saw a nice piece in The Lancet arguing the opening of schools may only cost us 2 to 3%, in terms of total mortality. Any, you know, any life is a life lost, but ... that might be a tradeoff some folks would consider." pic.twitter.com/aifMeKTsIv Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 16, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For those of you who quite reasonably do not care to hear the voice of Dr. Oz, here is what he actually said: We need our mojo back. 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. I tell you, schools are a very appetizing opportunity. I just saw a nice piece in the Lancet arguing that the opening of schools may only cost us 23 percent in terms of total mortality. 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 it might be a trade-off some folks would consider. Advertisement Advertisement How concerning this is depends on what total mortality refers to. At least a few people interpreted Dr. Ozs statements as 23 percent of the children and school staff die. Podcast host Fernand R. Amandi did the math: With 56 million school kids in the States, thats up to 1.7 million dead children. Imani Gandy of Rewire.News called his comments ghoulish, saying that he should be stripped of his fucking license. Advertisement Look, I do not think that Dr. Oz should be giving medical advice on television, periodmuch less making rounds on network television to pontificate on how we will exit the widest-spread public health crisis of our lifetimes thus far. If Oz has expertise at anything medical, it is as a heart surgeon, not an epidemiologist. As a science communicator, he fails on every front except getting people to listen to him. For a quick example: He has routinely encouraged viewers to buy supplements made from miracle flowers to bust your body fat for good. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But on the schools thing hes not entirely wrong here. Or at least, hes not advocating throwing our nations youth to the novel coronavirus. Lets take a look at what the Lancet paper that Oz referenced on air actually says, as a couple journalists suggested people slow down and do: Recent modelling studies of COVID-19 predict that school closures alone would prevent only 24% of deaths, much less than other social distancing interventions. Policy makers need to be aware of the equivocal evidence when considering school closures for COVID-19, and that combinations of social distancing measures should be considered. Advertisement Advertisement First, its clear that the paper is not arguing that closing schools prevents a specific fraction of children from dying but a fraction of overall deaths from the coronavirus, as MarketWatch has also pointed out. Taking the White Houses projections from last month of 100,000 to 240,000 deaths even with social distancing measures, lets assume that wed add on 4 percent on top of that upper bound. (Yes, quibbling over 4 percent on an estimate that itself varies by more than 200 percent is deranged, but bear with me!) Oz seems to be suggesting school closures in exchange for about 10,000 deaths, nowhere near 1 million, and not of children, who rarely die from the virus but could nonetheless be carriers. Advertisement Advertisement Its also true that opening up schools comes with a slew of benefits: Parents who perform essential jobs have a source of child care, kids who rely on free lunch programs get to eat, and kids who are at risk of not getting an education get to be back in school. You can argue thats still not a worthwhile hypothetical trade-off, you could even argue that its a terrible one. But you cant argue Oz is a kid killer or that saying this might be a trade-off some folks would consider, emphasis mine, is morally bankrupt. (OK, yes, he also called schools a very appetizing opportunity and that is a gross way to put it.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Oz did make one major mistake here: He fails to mention that we actually do not know really what opening up schools would do. The Lancet paper was a review of other studies, and the authors themselves acknowledge that the quality of the evidence it draws on is rather poor. None of the included studies that are directly about the novel coronavirus are peer-reviewed. All the published data that authors looked at had to do with SARS, which is another kind of coronavirus but one that quite obviously played out fundamentally differently. We identified a remarkable dearth of policy-relevant data on the implementation of school social distancing during coronavirus outbreaks, the authors write. Their paper isnt really a starting point for policyits a starting point for more science. More data might come, for example, from antibody testing, which, as journalist Gretchen Vogel notes in Science, could help us figure out how likely kids are to carry the virus and therefore how strictly they should keep up social distancing measures. We are going to have to make a lot of calculations in the coming months that are ghoulish, even the ones that are also morally correct. By closing the country and costing so many people their livelihoods, we already have. Ozs real mistake here wasnt sort of suggesting that we should send kids to die. It was a mistake he makes often: confidently selling us an idea that isnt exactly backed by science. For more on the impact of COVID-19, listen to Thursdays What Next. LAC LA BICHE, ALTA.A group of 10 doctors northeast of Edmonton say they will soon no longer cover emergency room and obstetric services at the hospital that serves the Lac La Biche area. We regret to inform you that due to recent government funding changes to our Schedule of Medical Benefit Claim fees, we have been obliged to restructure our Medical Practice to cope with the loss of income, reads the letter dated April 15 signed by 10 of 11 physicians who work at The Associated Medical Clinic. As a result we will not continue to support the William J. Cadzow Health Centre for ER and Obstetrical coverage after July 31, 2020. We are hereby officially resigning our hospital privileges effective July 31, 2020. The physicians could not immediately be reached for comment about the letter that was released to the media by the NDP Opposition on Thursday night. Earlier this month, the Alberta Medical Association filed a lawsuit against the province over how the government pushed through changes in the way doctors can bill for their services. The lawsuit seeks $5 million in general damages for what it says was a breach of physicians rights and freedoms, and another $250 million in monetary losses for doctors due to the alleged breach of contract. For weeks, doctors have said the changes would force hundreds of clinics across the province, particularly in rural areas, to reduce staff or close their doors. Steve Buick, Health Minister Tyler Shandros press secretary, said the government will move to ensure that people in the Lac La Biche area get the care that they need. If these physicians choose to voluntarily give up their privileges in a way that would reduce access to care, we will work with AHS (Alberta Health Services) to replace them and ensure access is maintained, Buick said in an email. We will also begin exploring longer-term solutions to augment and stabilize physician services in Lac la Biche and any other community as required. Buick noted that the government is maintaining payments to physicians at $5.4 billion this year, the highest level ever. NDP health critic David Shepherd said the decision by the group of doctors will leave Lac La Biche with one family physician. This is devastating news for the people of Lac La Biche, Shepherd said in a release. Shepherd noted that physicians in other rural communities including Stettler and Sundre have also said they plan to resign from serving their local hospital. Read more about: Advertisement New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Friday that he was 'on the cusp' of ruling which businesses could reopen first after the May 15 lockdown ends but that the crucial antibody testing that is needed is being held up because American labs are relying on China for chemicals. As hospitalizations in New York continue to slow and the death rate flattens, Cuomo said the state is starting to 'transition' into the next phase of the pandemic which is reopening. He gave the announcement at a 90 minute press conference on Friday where he eviscerated President Trump - who tweeted earlier in the day that he should stop 'complaining' about the lack of federal help - and reminded the president that he based all of his early decisions on information that came from the White House. Trump had accused Cuomo of overestimating the level of crisis response that was needed. On Thursday, Cuomo extended the state's lockdown until May 15, explaining that the infection rate needs to decrease more until he is satisfied that it is safe for people to get back to work. 'We're starting to transition to the other place - the second half of the situation which is unpausing. The situation we're in now is unsustainable. 'People can't stay in their homes, out of work, you can't keep the economy closed forever. Society cant handle it personally or economically,' he said. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo giving his daily briefing on Friday. He has extended New York's lockdown until May 15 but says the state is beginning to enter the second phase of the crisis which is how to reopen New York currently has an infection rate of .9 percent which means every person who gets the virus gives it to one person or less. On Friday, deaths across the state had risen by 630 to 12,822. Cuomo did not announce the number of new cases but they stand at more than 200,000. An infection rate of 1.2 is considered outbreak territory. Cuomo wants to move as far enough away from that number as possible before he allows people back to work. 'You only have a very slim margin to operate on. You open too fast, you'll get to 1.2 in three days and we'll be right back to where we started,' he said. 'We were over the line, in outbreak territory. Now, we're right on the line,' he said. He has not yet nailed down which businesses will get to reopen first and how to avoid them becoming swamped with people once they do. 'What you create, inadvertently, is a problem when you see all sorts of people descending there because that's open. The first barber shop to open, there will be a line going out the door. 'That has to be thought through and coordinated. We are on the cusp but we're still in the midst of a public health crisis,' he said. A patient arrives at the Brooklyn Hospital Center on Friday. New York still has the highest number of cases of anywhere in America The largest problem the state is facing now is a lack of funding from the federal government which will allow the state to ramp up testing, he said, and the fact that labs are relying on China for the chemicals they need to actually do the tests. Cuomo fumed over the scenario and said it was similar to the global rush to buy ventilators and PPE equipment when the entire world was flocking to the Chinese market because it was the only place that produced what was needed. 'Everything goes back to China and China is in a position where they're being asked globally. That's a piece of the equation that I can't figure out. 'We need masks? Made in China. We need gowns? Made in China. We need ventilators? Made in China. We need testing agents? China. 'These are all national security issues when you are in this situation,' he said. Cuomo also pontificated about using the crisis as an opportunity to implement change in society. He compared it to 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy and said in both instances, the country had come back stronger. 'We talk about the new normal. This also has to be an opportunity where after this horrendous period that we've gone through on every level, after the exorbitant cost, the personal pain, the death of this, this has to be one of those moments in time when we look back and say society transformed. 'We have to say: Yes society took a terrible blow. But it became a moment of reflection where all sorts of new reforms and innovations happened,' he said. He gave the example of airport security post 9/11 and the infrastructure that was built after Hurricane Sandy to better protect the city. On a personal level, he said, he'd had the opportunity to spend time with his daughters when otherwise he was 'too busy'. Cuomo said on Thursday that even when businesses are allowed to resume, they will still have to implement social distancing. 'We have to get to tomorrow. What is the final conclusion of this ugly chapter. I still believe it's when we have a vaccine, when we know this virus is totally controlled. 'Maybe there's a medical treatment in between - we hope, we pray - that would totally change the trajectory. 'People looking for a quick fix, a quick answer, it would be a medical treatment. A vaccine would be a quick fix, in the mean time it's going to be an incremental process between today and tomorrow. 'As much as people don't want to hear that, that's the truth. You're not going to hear any day soon it's over, the nightmare ends. We have to be smart,' he said. CUOMO SAVAGES TRUMP AND SAYS 'I'M NOT GOING TO THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR JOB' AFTER THE PRESIDENT TWEETED THAT HE SHOULD STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT LACK OF FEDERAL HELP AND GET ON WITH TESTING Trump tweeted half-way through Cuomo's press conference to criticize him Cuomo eviscerated President Trump during his briefing on Friday after a reporter asked him to respond to a tweet the president issued while the press conference was ongoing. The pair have come to blows several times this week with regards to how the country would reopen. Trump, who refused to issue a national lockdown, had said that it was up to him when states reopened when in fact the responsibility lies with the governors. On Friday, Trump tweeted during Cuomo's press conference: 'Governor Cuomo should spend more time doing and less time complaining. Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking! We built you thousands of hospital beds that you didnt need or use, gave large numbers of Ventilators that you should have had, and helped you with testing that you should be doing. 'We have given New York far more money, help and equipment than any other state, by far, & these great men & women who did the job never hear you say thanks. Your numbers are not good. Less talk and more action!' Cuomo, enraged by the remarks, said he had thanked him sufficiently but that it was the role of the federal government to take the actions that they have. 'I've said thank you a number of times. Am I meant to send a bouquet of flowers? 'Thank you, again, Mr. President for the Javits and thank you for the US Navy Ship Comfort which, by the way, is just doing your job as president,' he said. He went on to fume that Trump was now trying to wash his hands of the crisis by refusing to help with testing and said that he had devoted money to 'big business' and airlines but had given nothing in the way of funding to state governments. Cuomo shot back by pulling up a slide of what were the CDC's predictions on March 13 that so many people would become infected or hospitalized He also responded to suggestions by Trump that Cuomo had overshot the worst case scenario of the pandemic and asked for more than he needed. Cuomo pointed out that all of his plans were based on information that the White House coronavirus task force and the CDC issued. 'So were we foolish for relying on your projections, Mr. President? The CDC coronavirus task force? That's you. 'We relied on your projections. OK. We shouldn't have relied on your projections,' he said. 'No one can take the posture of: Just say thank you for what I've done and I'm now out of doing anything else. What if I said, "OK. I'm done. I've saved hundreds of thousands of lives, flattened the curve, created more beds than anyone imagined, I'm done now. I'm going home. 'That's what he's saying: I'm done.' President Donald Trump unveiled a proposal this week to reopen Americas gyms in spite of the coronavirus outbreak after a phone call that included the head of the company that owns luxury fitness brands Equinox and SoulCycle, who also happens to be a high-profile Trump supporter. In a memo issued on Thursday titled Guidelines for Opening Up America Again, the White House included gyms among the businesses that would reopen to the general public during phase one of its plan to jump-start the American economy, which has cratered amid nationwide stay-at-home orders and business closures. Though the document said gyms could open if they adhere to strict physical distancing and sanitation protocols, their inclusion nevertheless struck public health experts as bizarre. Gyms are like a petri dish, said Laurence Gostin, the director of the ONeill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University. People are close to one another, theyre sweating, theyre coughing and sneezing, theyre touching multiple surfaces, theyre sharing equipment, theyre indoors. Literally all of the heightened risk factors for COVID transmission are all entwined together in a gym. The White Houses guidance included mitigation measures that would ostensibly minimize the risk of transmission at gyms that opt to reopen, including strict physical distancing and sanitation protocols. But Gostin said hes not convinced that the risks of transmission could be sufficiently minimized. Its very hard to socially distance. Machines are right next to each other. Its also very hard to disinfect. Youd have to do it continuously, not just every hour, he said. There was certainly no attempt to put in any scientific evidence as to why theyre safe or how they could possibly be made safe. The decision on gyms came a day after Trumps phone call with 16 business leaders including Bahram Akradi, chief executive of health club chain Life Time, and Stephen Ross, the founder and chairman of the Related Companies. That firms broad portfolio includes a vast swath of commercial and residential real estate properties, as well as Equinox Holdings, which owns its own eponymous chain of luxury gyms as well as fitness brands SoulCycle, Blink Fitness, and Pure Yoga. Story continues Trevor Noah Drags Equinox Owner for Ignoring Trumps Racism Those businesses, like the larger fitness industry, have been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus. SoulCycle has slashed payroll and furloughed employees. Equinox and Blink have both frozen membership charges. Arkadi has donated to prominent Republicans in the past, though not to Trump. He warned in an appearance on Laura Ingrahams primetime Fox News show late last month that he might be forced to lay off up to 90 percent of his employees unless American businesses began to reopen. The White House readout of Wednesdays phone call said industry representativeswhich included Amazons Jeff Bezos, Brian Moynihan of Bank of America, Jimmy John Liautaud, the eponymous owner of the Jimmy Johns restaurant chain, and Phil Ruffin of Treasure Island Hotelsshared ideas for ways their industries can safely return. The White House declined to comment on whether ideas presented by Ross informed its phase one guidelines. In an emailed statement, a Related spokesperson told The Daily Beast, Stephen Ross never discussed gyms, exercise clubs or anything like that with the President and this story is factually incorrect garbage. Equinox is an independent company, with multiple investors and Related doesnt make strategic or operational decisions for them," the spokesperson added. Ross was one of more than 200 people named to the White Houses economic recovery task forces this week, which will advise the Trump administration on policies to reverse the economic damage done by the coronavirus. He was one of 27 high-dollar donors to pro-Trump groups who made the list. Since the 2016 presidential campaign, hes donated about $300,000 to the Republican National Committee. Ross also hosted a fundraiser for Trumps reelection campaign last year at his home in the Hamptons. The move drew criticism from Trump critics and calls to boycott his fitness businesses, which are among the nations largest by revenue. That fundraiser, combined with one other, helped the president and affiliated campaign groups raise $12 million. As Ross endured criticism for hosting the event, Trump rushed to his defense. Hes a great friend of mine; hes a very successful guy. We were competitors but friends in real estate in New York in the old days, he told reporters. Hes probably more inclined to be a liberal if you want to know the truth, but he likes me, he respects me. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Kenney Government Cuts Northern Living Allowance - CUPE Provincial funding cuts are forcing Keyano College to cancel the northern living allowance of over $1,000 per month to its staff. At a meeting this evening, Keyano College board members reported that the Alberta government has still not funded the Northern Allowance for 2019-20, nor have they committed to funding it for the fiscal year that started on April 1, 2020. Because of the lack of commitment from the Kenney government, the board cannot offer the allowance to employees. Board members discussed, but did not approve actions to address the cut. Similar cuts were made last month to childcare workers in the city. Abou 140 Keyano College employees belong to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill called on the Alberta government to reverse the decision. "Jason Kenney promised to support oil and gas communities," said Gill. "By defunding the allowance, after everything Fort McMurray has been through, it is clear Kenney's commitment was a lie." Started during boom times, the allowance assisted Wood Buffalo residents with the high cost of living. Gill said that the allowance now serves a different purpose. "With the fire, the economic downturn, the crash in oil prices, and the COVID crisis, Fort McMurray residents need help more than ever," said Gill. Gill says he expects other city residents will soon lose their access to the allowance. "The living allowance is a lifeline. Don't cut it." View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416006024/en/ Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-18 00:08:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on April 18, 2020 shows destroyed buildings in Haradh District in Hajjah province, Yemen. On April 8, the Saudi-led Arab coalition announced a two-week cease-fire in Yemen. But military operations and sporadic attacks are still taking place between Yemen's government forces and the Houthi rebels in different areas of the impoverished Arab country. (Photo by Mohammed Alwafi/Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Friday asked for a nationwide cease-fire in Yemen after recent positive developments in the country. "The members of the Security Council called on the Houthis and government of Yemen to engage constructively with (UN) Special Envoy Martin Griffiths' proposals for a nationwide cease-fire, confidence-building measures, and the restart of the political process, with a view to reaching agreement on these as soon as possible," said the council in "press elements" after Thursday's meeting on Yemen. The council members also underlined the vital importance of humanitarian and economic measures and access to those in need to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people, which are especially important in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The members of the Security Council endorsed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' March 25 call for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Yemen in the context of a possible outbreak of COVID-19, and voiced concern about the ongoing hostilities, according to the press elements. They welcomed the announcement of a unilateral cease-fire by the Saudi-led military coalition, which is fighting the Houthis in Yemen. They welcomed the Yemeni government's positive response to the cease-fire call, and called on the Houthis to make similar commitments without delay. In briefings to the Security Council, Griffiths asked the warring parties to seize the opportunity for peace while Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock warned that the United Nations will have to close 31 of its 41 aid programs in Yemen in a few weeks unless there are more funds. Lowcock also rang the alarm over Yemen's economy. On Monday, 25 labs across the State of Wisconsin had the capability to complete 3,888 COVID-19 tests. But on Wednesday, 7,563 tests could be completed 28 labs, showing that testing capabilities had spiked by 97% in a matter of 48 hours. On March 18, less than a month prior, only 1,414 tests were able to be completed, according to the Department of Health Services. Increasing testing capabilities for coronavirus has been a priority of state leaders for weeks. Without widespread testing, it is believed to be essentially impossible to understand the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in Wisconsin. Last week, physicians in Wisconsin were advised that they could order COVID-19 tests for patients who the doctors believe may benefit from being tested. Prior to that new advisory, only medical professionals and those who were hospitalized could get tested, with few exceptions. Still, the number of new diagnoses has held relatively steady. Between March 25 and Thursday, April 16, the number of new daily confirmed cases never fell below 99 or rose above 199. Updated: The original version of this story said that the actual number of tests completed had gone up 97%. In reality, according to the Department of Health Services, the capacity had gone up by that much not the actual number of tests completed. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Organizers of the Festival of Hope celebration have announced that changes will need to be made as the community experiences changes due to the coronavirus. The large-scale celebration traditionally held will not take place on June 20. Board member Dr. Vince Bjorling said there was too much uncertainty as the date gets closer to move forward with planning. Its just such a large event to put together, he said. Even if restrictions put in place because of the pandemic were relaxed next month, there wouldnt be time to pull everything off, he said. The timing was off in another way, too. With everything thats been going on, there are so many people losing jobs and being furloughed, businesses being shut down, he said. It just made it really tough to go ahead and ask for donations. Bjorling said the hope is that a smaller celebration of some kind can take place when things settle down. Even without the organizations major fundraiser, Bjorling said they will continue their mission of helping cancer patients and their families to the best of their ability. Grocery shoppers may have recently noticed something or someone missing from the dairy aisle. Mia, the Native American woman, whose cartoon image has been a fixture on Land OLakes products for nearly 100 years is gradually disappearing from the brand's packaging as the company rolls out a new logo on containers of butter, cheeses, heavy creams and more. New packages of Land O' Lakes dairy products do not feature the Native American princess figure, known as Mia. (Land O' Lakes) As Land OLakes looks toward our 100th anniversary, weve recognized we need packaging that reflects the foundation and heart of our company culture and nothing does that better than our farmer-owners whose milk is used to produce Land OLakes dairy products, Beth Ford, president and CEO of Land OLakes, said in a company statement released earlier this year. The new packaging reads: Proud to be Farmer-Owned: As a farmer-owned co-op, we stand together to bring you the very best in dairy. Instead of Mia, some products will feature photos of real farmers. While the Minnesota-based dairy company unveiled the new logo in February, it is now gradually starting to replace the old one in stores. Land O'Lakes expects the transition to be completed by the end of this year. According to the original announcement, tubs of butter spreads and packages of cheese have already received the branding makeover treatment. Land O' Lakes On its website, Land O'Lakes still features Mia on some product photos, while others have the new logo. According to the Star Tribune, the female figure was first created by illustrator Arthur C. Hanson in the late 1920s. In the 1950s, Patrick DesJarlait, a member of the Ojibwe tribe, reimagined Mia. While DesJarlait's son said he understands the company's decision to change the logo, he told the paper that he was also "sad" to her go. While Land OLakes has only publicly said the rebranding was motivated by a desire to focus on the farmers behind its products, the removal of the controversial figure has been garnering most of the attention. Story continues On Wednesday, Minnesota Lt. Governor and White Earth Band of Ojibwe member Peggy Flanagan tweeted about the issue. "Thank you to Land OLakes for making this important and needed change. Native people are not mascots or logos. We are very much still here," she said. Thank you to Land OLakes for making this important and needed change. Native people are not mascots or logos. We are very much still here. https://t.co/uzKF3K6FEV Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan (@LtGovFlanagan) April 15, 2020 Other politicians and activists have applauded the move, too. In an interview with the Grand Forks Herald, Rep. Ruth Buffalo, D-Idaho, said it was a good thing for the company to remove the image, while pointing out that there is more to be done. Its kinda like with land acknowledgements, its a good gesture and a step forward. But we cant stop there. We as a whole need to keep pushing forward to address the underlying issues that directly impact an entire population that survived genocide, Buffalo said. Reactions on social media have been mixed. Some celebrated Land O'Lakes' move, while others accused the company of being too "politically correct." A few people even alluded to the fact that the illustrator behind the revamped Mia was Native American. Meanwhile, others have questioned the companys decision to not directly address why the the Native American woman was being phased out from all product packaging. Food Speaking to the Minnesota Reformer, Brown University professor Adrienne Keene applauded the company for making a great move. It makes me really happy to think that theres now going to be an entire generation of folks that are growing up without having to see that every time they walk in the grocery store, Keene told the outlet. But she also highlighted the companys decision not to include its reasoning behind the product makeover, which she described as a missed opportunity. It could have been a very strong and positive message to have publicly said, We realized after a hundred years that our image was harmful and so we decided to remove it, Keene said. In our current cultural moment, thats something people would really respond to. A representative for Land O'Lakes was not immediately available for comment. Two officers trying to prevent an inmate from committing suicide were attacked and injured when they entered a cell at Five Points Correctional Facility, according to the union representing New York state correction officers. The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association on Friday said that the incident happened on April 7 when two officers witnessed the inmate attempt to hang from a self-made noose inside his cell at the prison in Seneca County. The officers entered the cell to stop him and he attacked them, NYSCOPBA said, punching one officer in the head and face multiple times and elbowing the other in the side of the head multiple times. After a brief struggle, the officers were able to get the inmate under control and into mechanical restraints. The inmate was removed from the cell and brought to the infirmary, where he then spit blood in a nurses face, NYSCOPBA said. The officer who was punched in the head and face was reportedly taken to an outside hospital, where he was treated and released. The second officer was treated by medical staff at the facility and remained on duty. The nurse was treated for blood exposure. The 43-year-old inmate, who was not identified, is serving a 14- to 16-year sentence after being convicted in Erie County of first-degree robbery and first-degree attempted promoting prison contraband, the union said. He was placed in a special housing unit following the incident and faces internal disciplinary charges and criminal charges. "The two officers entered the inmates cell to stop him from hanging himself. When they did, he viciously attacked them, injuring both," NYSCOPBA Western Region Vice President Mark Deburgomaster said in a news release. "He easily could have staged the suicide attempt to get the officers into the cell so he could attack them. If that is the case, I strongly urge the Seneca County District Attorneys Officer to pursue criminal charges on this inmate, who has an extensive disciplinary record in prison and who is eligible for parole next year." Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 3 Sad 0 Angry 6 Countries have taken fiscal measures and central banks together injected a total of whopping USD 14 trillion as part of their efforts to mitigate the challenges posed by the novel coronavirus pandemic, the International Monetary Fund has said. "The IMF's policy tracker shows that fiscal measures so far have amounted to about USD 8 trillion and liquidity injections by central banks amounting to over USD 6 trillion," Lesetja Kganyago, chairman for the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), told reporters during a conference on Friday. "However, we all agreed, exchange rate and liquidity pressures remain important challenges." Observing that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had presented all with significant and potentially daunting challenges, Kganyago said the international community was far from declaring victory on the outcomes or the outlook. "Yet we are convinced that an aggressive response coordinated through the IMF will lead to more positive economic and humanitarian results than would otherwise be possible," he said. "Beyond the serious human impact of the pandemic, we agreed today that the economic repercussions will be severe, particularly for emerging markets and developing countries, commodity exporters and economies with weak health systems," Kganyago said. "A global recession and severe uncertainty have now gripped our societies. Most of us have taken extraordinary measures to support health systems and affected workers and businesses," he said. During the meeting, he said the IMFC reviewed and supported the package of financial support that the organisation had quickly put together in the wake of the deadly COVID-19. The IMF's crisis response initiatives -- outlined in the IMFC communique -- are critical features of efforts to contain the impact of COVID-19, the official said. The fund has revamped the toolkit by doubling access levels to emergency facilities, expanding the use of precautionary lines, establishing a short-term liquidity line and considering other options to help countries meet their financing needs. According to Kganyago, the IMFC, including donor countries, agreed on the importance of ensuring that the IMF could support its poorest and most vulnerable members. The meeting, welcomed the coordinated approach agreed by the G20 and the Paris Club for a time-bound suspension of debt service payments by bilateral official creditors for the poorest countries that request forbearance. It also encouraged private creditors to participate on comparable terms as well, Kganyago said. IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva said there was unanimous support of the membership for the doubling of access to emergency financing, which meant some 50 countries would received help that by the end of this month. The IMF has requests from 102 countries. "We are able to step up support for our poorest members. We now have more resources for our Catastrophe Containment and Relief Fund with, now, the UK, Japan, China, the Netherlands, and in addition as of today, Germany, helping us to boost capacity to over USD 600 million," she said. The IMFC called on the membership to urgently provide USD 17 billion of concessional financing for its poverty reduction and growth trust. During the meeting, they received 70 percent of the commitments from members. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Paul Adom-Otchere, the host of Metro TVs Good Evening Ghana programme is asking Dr Zenator Agyeman-Rawlings to stop misbehaving and making unsubstantiated allegations against her political opponents at a time Ghana is battling COVID-19. The Klottey-Korle MP had alleged that government officials are sharing food to some 400,000 vulnerable people in Accra, Tema, Kumasi and Kasoa places under lockdown owing to the coronavirus outbreak on partisan basis. Despite the initial denial by the government, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings, in a statement, asked President Akufo-Addo to probe the matter. In his editorial on his programme on Thursday, 16 April 2020, Mr Adom-Otchere described the allegation by the first daughter of Ghanas former President Jerry John Rawlings as wrong and called on her to behave properly. That is a serious allegation to make against an opposite political party or to make against a government or to make against a municipal assembly or to make against any other politician This is very wrong; members of parliament cannot do that. Dr Rawlings, youre an elected member of parliament, you cannot do that. You cannot hide behind paper and camera and make baseless accusations against your opponent, that is the kind of politics we want to stop in this country, that is not the kind of politics we want to encourage, the kind of politics we want to stop in this country is what you have done, Mr Adom-Otchere said. Using Dr Agyeman-Rawlings own statement against her, the TV host said: In your statement, you said: My colleague MP in the Ablekuma South Constituency, 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. This is what you do as a member of parliament, let it get into your system Dr Rawlings, let it get into your system; you come from a privileged place, we respect you, we respect your father, behave properly, stop misbehaving. How can you even issue such a statement for what you have doneweve been charitable to you because of who you are Look at Oko Vanderpuijes behaviour you are quoting; why didnt you behave the same way? Are you better than Oko VanderpuiJe, no, no one is better than anyone, youre all members of parliament. But yes, you come from a great place that all of us wish we could come from. You are carrying the political heritage of Flt. lieutenant Rawlings, you cannot behave the way youre behaving Mr Adom-Otchere quizzed: Who told you to issue this statement? Herrr, I dont even know what to say withdraw this statement before the lions chew you on social media. How can you tell us how Oko Vanderpuije behaved and you cannot behave that same way; how John Dumelo behaved and you cannot behave the same waythis your statement is completely flawed, never issue such a statement again, youre a great woman, a fine politician, we want you to stay in politics ---classfmonline Add the 2020 U.S. Census to the list of things disrupted by the coronavirus. The virus is delaying when door-to-door operations can start, as the U.S. Census announced earlier this week that won't begin until at least June 1. But census workers in Michigan will need to get the green light from state officials in May before that can start. COVID-19 has also closed colleges and universities across Michigan, prompting many students to go home. Snowbirds who go south for the winter may also not be coming back to Michigan as soon as normal, with Michigan's stay-at-home order in place. "As you all can imagine, it's become quite the challenge as we combat coronavirus and COVID-19," said Kerry Ebersole Singh, the Michigan statewide census director. One question is causing some confusion, she said, as the census asks who might be living in your house on April 1. Residents should be counted only where they spend the majority of the year, Ebersole Singh said. To help reach college students who've left campus, Michigan census officials are having schools send messages to students, directing them how to fill out the form. For the first time, the census can be filled out online. The form is nine questions and takes 10 minutes to fill out, officials said. The only questions ask for your name, age, gender, ethnicity, race, number of people in your household, anyone else staying in your house as of April 1, if you own or rent your home and phone number. Each person counted equals about $3,000 in federal funding per year, Ebersole Singh said. "We are not in a place to leave any resources on the table," she said. "These are our federal tax dollars we've already paid to Washington D.C." Which Michigan counties are doing best? To stay on pace to hit the Michigan goal of an 82 percent response rate, Michigan needs to have an increase of 10 percentage points by April 30, Ebersole Singh said. Michigan had a 78 percent response rate in 2010, the last census. Its third in the nation right now, with a 55.4 response rate, trailing only Minnesota (58.8 percent) and Wisconsin (55.4 percent). Those numbers reflect the current response rates and are growing every day. The small city of Huntington Woods which is near Royal Oak is fifth among U.S. cities with an 82.1 percent response rate. For an updating list of rankings by state, county and city, click here. Some Michigan counties are doing much better than others, so far. Livingston County is number one in Michigan and 11th in the country with a 66.4 percent response rate so far. Keweenaw County is last in Michigan and 2,980th in the U.S. with a 15.5 percent clip. The map below shows the response rate for each county. Click here to view the map on mobile. 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 While I dont believe in a deity in the sky who doles out grace to some and withholds it from others, I do believe in a little spark of the divine in each and every one of us. And proximity to both nature and death can sometimes draw us closer to it, can thin the veil into something threadbare and shimmering. Though we remain on the pandemics periphery, my husband and I stare at each other each evening when we say good night, awed by a heightened awareness that life is precious and finite. In a different account, another front line nurse described having never felt this alone. The boys toss several snail shells into the basket, and the youngest finds a broken and bleached turtle shell that he places on top of his head, giggling. The sun is settling behind the mountain, and its time for us to hike back home and cook. The mushrooms reduce in the pan, and Im impressed with how much work it takes to grow, forage or hunt enough food to feed a family. So much work for so little yield. As I place dinner on the table, I light a candle for the people who work to provide the rest of us with food so we dont have to rely on our own labor to do so. Just as the pandemic has designated our mountain living a privilege, it has thrust food production and grocery-store workers into roles both essential and precarious. The morels are delicious, meaty and robust; even those of us who claim to hate mushrooms are enthused. Everyone is worn out, the adults grateful another day at home is done and our duties nearly finished, the kids happy, our bellies full. Our days in the forest are beautiful. I do not mean to imply that this pandemic is a blessing. Quite the opposite: to save ourselves, society is betraying our very human nature, much as we poison a body to rid it of cancer. Were sitting in our apartments and houses alone, away from the loving touch of family, away from the warmth of friends. Were entering hospitals alone and were dying alone. Were enduring food insecurity and job loss and rotting crops and working with the public despite exposure risk. And there are those of us spending long shifts tending very sick patients without the right medical equipment or appropriate protective gear. But as sure as spring comes to the forest, incidental beauty emerges from crisis. This is also human nature. We cant help but hope for good things. Hope for survival, for better medicine, for widespread testing, for more ventilators, for intuitive leadership, for a successful vaccine. Hope for the day we will gather to grieve whats gone and celebrate being together again. My family didnt do a damn thing to deserve this time, just as those to whom this contagion is bringing suffering didnt do a damn thing to deserve it either. By Gwladys Fouche and Laurence Frost OSLO/PARIS (Reuters) - Norwegian Air , which is seeking creditor support for its rescue plan, has told bondholders it will overhaul its strategy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, according to an investor who took part in a briefing by the airline on Friday. Norwegian shook up transatlantic air travel with cut-price fares, becoming the biggest foreign carrier serving New York and other major U.S. cities. But its aggressive expansion in recent years has left it saddled with high debts and fighting to survive, a situation made worse by the slump in air travel due to the coronavirus. Last week the airline presented a rescue plan that would convert up to $4.3 billion of debt into shares and raise some new equity - wiping out much of the remaining value of the company's current stock. On Friday, Chief Financial Officer Geir Karlsen presented some information about the plan to bondholders in a conference call that lasted less than half an hour. Shareholders were not invited. "They said they were assessing their strategy because the world would not be the same after this (pandemic)," Jan Petter Sissener, founding partner of asset manager Sissener AS, which holds bonds in Norwegian Air with a nominal value of $5 million, but also shorted some stock, told Reuters after the call. Norwegian Air mostly reiterated what it had said in a statement to the Oslo bourse on April 8 and stressed the full details of the conversion would be presented to bondholders by April 27 at the latest, said Sissener. No bondholders asked questions, he said. Norwegian Air did not reply to a request for comment. Growing rapidly in the last decade to become Europe's third-largest low-cost airline, Norwegian had accumulated debts and liabilities of close to $8 billion by the end of 2019. On March 16, the company announced temporary layoffs of 7,300 employees, about 90% of its workforce, and the following day called on Norway's government for help, saying it needed cash "within weeks, not months". Another bondholder, Eika Capital Management, said it was looking favourably on adopting Norwegian Air's debt-to-equity plan. Story continues "We are positive toward finding a solution for NAS (Norwegian Air Shuttle), including a conversion," Bjoern Slaatto, CEO of Eika Capital Management, told Reuters. Slaatto said Eika held "little" debt in Norwegian Air, without specifying an amount. The talks may yet hit complications with another category of creditor, aircraft leasing firms, who can seek to repossess their planes if rent and maintenance bills are left unpaid. On March 23, leasing company DP Aircraft said a unit of Norwegian Air had failed to make payments relating to two Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft in its fleet, which had been due on March 13. Bondholders are likely to want lessors to take part in the debt restructuring, Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska said in an April 14 note, rather than risk "a second round of debt/equity conversion a few months later, thus wiping them out". A source close to one of the lessors described the talks as a "long shot", while conceding that collapsed aircraft demand could work in the deal's favour. "If we had somewhere else to move our planes, it would be liquidation," the person said. Norwegian Air has been hit hardest among airlines during the outbreak of the coronavirus, with its shares down 87% over the past year. (Additional reporting by Terje Solsvik in Oslo and Yoruk Bahceli in London; Editing by Susan Fenton) Dr Yusuf Abdullahi, Acting Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, has advised Nigerians against relaxing measures for guarding against the spread of new coronavirus. Abdullahi, who gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, said that Nigeria had yet to be out of COVID-19. He said that the advice became pertinent as some people might want to relax as a result of successes recorded in the fight against the virus. According to him, any complacency may result in consequences that Nigeria might not cope with. This is not the time for relaxation. Nigerians must not be complacent on an issue such as a pandemic that can lead to death of thousands within a short time. This is the time for Nigerians to abide by the directives from governments and health authorities, especially the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19. It is a serious issue; it is a disease that you dont know how many people will be infected. Look at Kano, just one case few days ago; now you can see what is happening. People must be proactive and not relax, he said. Abdullahi said that lockdown was the best option for preventing the coronavirus spread. We know that the lockdown is just for a period; it will help us to record only few cases of the disease. This period will pass; this is our prayer, he said. The acting chairman appealed to governments and well-meaning Nigerians to give palliatives to the poor to ameliorate the effects of the lockdown. Popular author Paulo Coelho has come up with two illustrated tales for children which speak of empathy, faith, trust and hope in the time of the coronavirus pandemic. The Brazilian novelist, best known for his book "The Alchemist", has written these stories - "A,B,C,D" and "The Meaning of Peace" - particularly for parents to read out to their children. The books will be available online on his website. "A,B,C,D" talks about a priest who addresses some workers from one of Rio de Janeiro's poorest districts who gathered at the church to celebrate Easter service. Both the books have been translated and reviewed from Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa and the covers designed by Mireia Barreras. "The Meaning of Peace" is about a king who ruled over a kingdom where everyone is happy but his neighbouring kingdoms are in a constant state of war. He then organises a painting competition and announces a prize of 10 gold coins for the best picture about peace. Finally, he selected a work in which a bird is seen bringing some food for its baby amid strong winds threatening to blow away its nest. "For me, that is the true meaning of peace. When your heart is full of joy, when you are capable of having a family and fighting for it, it doesn't matter what is going on around you, because with peace you have overcome all difficulties," the king told his subjects. The painting then travelled to many other kingdoms. Coelho was born in 1947 in the city of Rio De Janerio. He has been the United Nations Messenger of Peace, since 2007 and it has allowed him to promote the intercultural dialogue and to focus on the needs of the children. His books "The Spy", "Adultery", "Inspirations" and the most-recent "Hippie" have been published by Penguin. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A federal US trade body on Thursday announced to award a grant to an Indian company to accelerate its use of natural gas and improve energy access to support economic growth. Under the grant, the US Trade and Development Agency will fund a feasibility study to evaluate the development of a virtual pipeline that will distribute natural gas via truck, rail or ship to areas unserved by traditional gas pipeline infrastructure. The grant has been awarded to Arush Gas Technology Services LLP. According to Thomas Hardy, USTDA's Acting Director the project will improve the resilience of India's energy network, making it better able to meet increased energy demand from industry and its citizens. It will make a critical difference in achieving a cleaner and more resilient energy supply system in India, while creating significant opportunities for U.S. industry and American workers, he said. USTDA said the new implementation of a flexible virtual pipeline network will serve as an interim transportation solution while India's physical gas pipeline infrastructure is developed, as well as a long-term option in areas where physical pipelines are not viable. AGTS has selected Houston-bases Galway Group to conduct the study. The natural gas virtual pipeline project transferring LNG across the country is a long-term parallel solution for natural gas in India; pipeline gas can cover only a segment of the energy landscape, even if the physical pipeline doubles up in fifteen years, said Shreyas C. Sheth, president, Arush Gas. We believe the experiences from the US technology and services, lessons learnt will greatly benefit India. The Government of India, through its various departments and statutory directives is supporting this energy transition very effectively, and Arush Gas is proud to be a partner in this significant transition, he said. Based on Galway Group's experience in the small-scale LNG and virtual pipelines segment, we are pleased to be given the opportunity to participate and contribute to India's clean energy strategy and virtual pipelines developmental framework, through this USTDA initiative, said Hal Miller, Chairman & CEO of Galway Group LLC, USA. The study supports USTDA's US Gas Infrastructure Exports Initiative and the Administration's Asia Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy (Asia EDGE) initiative goals to strengthen energy security and expand energy access in partner countries, the media release said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Faced with requests from troubled parents from across the country, Union minister of human resources development (HRD), Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, on Friday appealed to private schools to not hike fees or demand quarterly payments due to the ongoing pandemic. In social media posts, the HRD minister said he had been receiving complaints from various parts of the country that schools were not only hiking fees, but also asking parents to pay three months fee in one go. Nishank appreciated that some states had already taken steps in this regard and said that he was sure that others too would follow suit. Following the ministers appeal the CBSE also wrote a letter to states seeking that the issue of fees be addressed to the satisfaction of stakeholders. He, however, also added that schools should provide salaries to their teachers and staff. Our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, also has in this time of pandemic emphasised on giving priority to human values. In this context, I hope that all schools would be concerned about providing proper salaries to their teachers and other staff, the HRD minister said. I hope all state education departments will find a balanced solution, keeping the interests of the students parents as well as the interests of the schools, he said HRD officials said that while they understood the parents concerns, schools have to pay their staff. So far, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Punjab, among other states, have curbed fee hikes and asked schools to not insist on immediate payments. In the higher education sector, the All India Council for Higher Education (AICTE) has told colleges under its purview not to pressure students into paying fees till the lockdown ends. In an order issued on Wednesday, AICTE member Rajive Kumar said that it had come to the notice of the regulator that some institutions were insisting that students pay the fee, including admission charges. Institutions should not insist on payment of fees till the ongoing lockdown is lifted and normalcy is restored, the AICTE directive said. You could say lots of things about food writers - that we get inordinately excited when the first green tops of garlicky ramps emerge in spring; that we spend a little too much time arguing about whether you should brine your turkeys, and still don't know for sure; that we take too long to get to the recipe already; or that we seem to have a banana bread breakthrough once a week. What you can't say about us is that we're psychics. But you don't need to be a psychic to know how to optimize a pantry, or do more with less. So although no one in my profession could have predicted we'd be in the middle of a pandemic, living under quarantine, we all find ourselves having to cook a lot with limited supplies, and food writers can show you how to do that. We have been doing it for years, many of us in cookbooks - without realizing just how handy our work would come in. Four years ago, I started writing a cookbook that would take sets of three ingredients and make three very different dishes that featured them. I relied mostly on pantry items and generally accessible produce. In early April, "Kitchen Remix" was published. It's eerily on time. Similarly, in February, The Washington Post food editor Joe Yonan released his paean to legumes, "Cool Beans," which he began years before our period of heightened bean cookery saw chickpeas flying off the shelves. Around the same time, Emily Stephenson was putting the finishing touches on the manuscript for "Pantry to Plate," slated for publication in October. These are three of the cookbooks, some new, some old, that are relevant to this terrifying and challenging moment. It's a wonderfully mixed bag stitched with a common thread: resourcefulness. Their authors tend to limit themselves to standard pantry fare or widely accessible products, and practice economy, but there's no trace of deprivation or monotony in the recipes. "I'm not a culinary genius - I'm just organized," Amy Pennington wrote in her 2011 cookbook, "Urban Pantry." It was one of the first to make me aware that with some practical thinking, a well-stocked inventory can cover most of our needs. Pennington provides a lesson in larder stocking and in maximizing minimal space and the stuff you store in your cupboards. She'll get you full of beans, among other legumes, in addition to grains, nuts and eggs, and she's full of clever, uncomplicated ideas for how you can incorporate them into breakfast, lunch and dinner. Alana Chernila is of the same hyper-organized persuasion. Recently, on a FaceTime chat, my friend Nicole A. Taylor, since laid off from her job as executive food editor at the website Thrillist, wisely recommended Chernila's "The Homemade Pantry." It's maybe more a how-to for pantry building than a cookbook, per se, but cooking plays an integral part; Chernila is big on DIY. Why buy things like cereals, pancake mix, crackers, pudding cups, frozen foods (fish sticks, pizza, veggie burgers) or buttermilk, mayo or vanilla extract when you can make them? She offers recipes for meals that utilize all your self-made staples as well. Homesteading's not for anyone, even under the best of circumstances. The newest from Lukas Volger, food writer and editorial director of Jarry magazine, "Start Simple" also deals with the art of building on one good thing, but it's more about using your stash than accumulating it. He chose 11 (vegetarian) ingredients and devotes a chapter to each, giving you simple (as billed) base recipes for handling them, and then shows you how you can build on those. I flagged every single dish in the sweet potato section, but I'd be remiss not to direct you to the marinated greens: He puts them into a spicy peanut butter sandwich (it's genius, I tell you), a meatless carbonara with capers, baked potatoes, and then some. A tweet from the San Francisco Chronicle's restaurant critic, Soleil Ho, led me to an update on Namiko Hirasawa Chen's blog, "Just One Cookbook." It isn't a cookbook proper; it's an ongoing digital analog dedicated to traditional and popular Japanese dishes. This "pantry meal guide," as Chen describes her recent post, "26 Stay-At-Home Japanese Recipes Everyone Can Make," is organized by staple - rice, udon and soba noodles, tofu, flour and so on. (Wondering about "flour"? You, too, can learn to make gyoza wrappers from scratch.) Now, let's say you're a stockpiler and you've got a penchant for things in jars, cans or tins, or you've been presciently wise about filling your kitchen with items that have long shelf lives. Nancy Silverton's got your number. In fact, she's had it since 2007, when the visionary behind Los Angeles's Mozza and Chi Spacca restaurants gave us her ballad of store-bought goods, "A Twist of the Wrist." It puts ease first, but because it comes from the mind of a chef, it's a touch more clever about making chicken salad (don't worry, the bird is roasted, and you don't have to be the one to do it) or butternut squash soup (a brilliantly doctored-up version of the stuff that comes in a box). Amsterdam-based Bart van Olphen is in the same boat, but he's focused on aquacultural material. This month, "The Tinned Fish Cookbook" arrives (again with the uncanny timing) to show us all the things we can do with mackerel, mussels, salmon, tuna and the rest of the conserved, sustainable bunch. As someone who made a beeline for the sardines when talk of quarantining began, I'd personally like to thank van Olphen for showing me what they can do when paired with hummus or baked into a tart with leeks and tarragon. The undisputed master of canned-good cookery is British food personality Jack Monroe. Her Twitter handle is @BootstrapCook, and she's currently hosting a daily live chat on that platform, answering people's questions about what to cook with what they've got in their larder. "Tin Can Cook" debuted last year and is the definitive cookbook in this genre. It's also a must-have for anyone on a tight budget. A note to those of you who peruse the recipes, see something like the Chocolate Pear Cake and wonder where to find the "tinned" fruit: Many of the foodstuffs that are packaged in tins in the U.K. show up in cans over here. Unfortunately, we don't have a culinary bootstrapper quite like Monroe in the States (although Leanne Brown, the writer behind the 2015 cookbook "Good and Cheap," would be an ideal candidate for the job should she want it). But we do have Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton of Canal House fame. They may be a little more concerned with fresh produce, but they're not snobs. In their slender edition "Canal House Cooking Volume No. 6: The Grocery Store" they show love to the local corner shop and its fare. My favorite chapter is the one on frozen peas, just because I can't live without them. It's neck-and-neck with Crax & Butter for Dinner, which is basically a bunch of equations for heaping tasty vittles onto saltines and their ilk (combos include cheddar with mango chutney, canned sardines with lemon, pimento cheese). Some cookbook authors haven't explicitly centered their projects on the grocery store, but are more mindful than others about ensuring their recipes don't require anything you can't find in one. Carla Hall did that with her latest, "Carla Hall's Soul Food," which I'm finding a trusty companion right now. I imagine anyone with kids or a lack of time, ambition or pep will have her Speedy Bacon and Three Bean Skillet Stew on repeat. Andrea Nguyen considered the selection at generic supermarkets when developing recipes for last year's "Vietnamese Food Any Day," and instead of requiring a cartful of "necessary" items for any single recipe, or, more impressive, the cookbook as a whole, she relies on a shortlist of readily available flavor builders that you probably already have or else can easily acquire, and recombines them in myriad ways to deliver fresh, ovation-worthy dishes such as Shrimp in Coconut Caramel Sauce that you can bang out on weeknights. Finally, some cookbooks present you with a streamlined system you can apply to your pantry to expedite cooking and make it less labor-intensive. A few years ago, Celia Sack of Omnivore Books in San Francisco introduced me to food writer Ruta Kahate's "5 Spices, 50 Dishes," in which the author promises (and delivers) "simple recipes, but not simplistic dishes" for Indian food. With coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, ground cayenne and ground turmeric on hand, she's able to devise an array of meals. "Although you'll be using combinations of the same spices," she writes, "every dish will have a unique flavor." Conveniently, those five spices can be picked up at any grocery store these days. Like Kahate, Monisha Bharadwaj set out to dispel the "myth that every Indian recipe requires lots of ingredients and processes that take forever to prepare." She knows what it's like to finish another long day of work and not have the stamina to prepare a complicated dinner. Her formula - and the title of the cookbook she released in October, for "a fresh, home-cooked meal that is healthy and delicious" - is "Indian in 7." Each recipe has seven ingredients or fewer, along with her "free" basics, sunflower oil, salt and, because they almost always come in tandem anyway, a hybrid ginger-garlic paste. I'm finding Indian cooking to be particularly lockdown-friendly; it's rooted in and gets its complexity from spices, which don't take up much room and last a long time. But that's me, in my own kitchen. I don't want to make any grand projections about it or anything, because what do I know? I'm a food writer. Actually, there is one thing I do know and can say for sure: Food writers excel at rallying around trends. I don't need a crystal ball to tell you you're probably going to see a lot more cookbooks like those mentioned here in the future, long after we've gotten through this crisis, when we can go back out into a world that has started to spin again. Perhaps, by then, we'll all be better cooks. On Monday, Joshua A. Bickel, on assignment for the Columbus Dispatch, took a photo that went viral. Bickel was in the Ohio statehouse, where hed been sent, in the absence of a furloughed colleague, to film a briefing by Mike DeWine, the governor. His photo captured a group of protesters, mid-cry, as they clamored just outside a window. Two of the protesters had trump hats on; another was wearing a Guy Fawkes mask. They were not respecting social-distancing guidelines. In recent days, the image has circulated online as the visual encapsulation of an angry new cause: right-wing opposition to stay-at-home orders. Liberals shared the photo mockingly, likening the protesters to zombies from the movie Shaun of the Dead. That made Bickel feel uncomfortable. These people arent zombies, he told Slate. Theyre people, and we dont know what theyre dealing with. All week, news outlets have covered protests against government overreach in response to covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. On Wednesday, in Michigan, drivers caused intentional gridlock around the Capitol to oppose an executive order from Gretchen Whitmer, the states governor, that imposed tight restrictions on residents and businesses; at one point, some of the protesters left their cars and congregated on Capitol grounds. Weve seen similar demonstrations in Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and New York. As Tess Owen writes for Vice, theyve featured guns, Guy Fawkes masks, members of the far-right Proud Boys group, possible links to the family of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and chants such as Facts over fear! In Michigan, one protester held up a sign that read HEIL WITMER (sic). Chants of lock her up were heard, too. ICYMI: China, conspiracy theories, and the murky coronavirus origin story NBC News reports, citing local police, that yesterday, between 3,000 and 4,000 protesters showed up at the Michigan Capitol. Most of the other rallies, however, have been far smaller. Some of them have been linked to Republican politicians and established conservative groups. The Michigan protests, for instance, were organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition, a group founded by a Republican state representative and now led by his wife, and the Michigan Freedom Fund, which has strong links to the DeVos family. (The family denies organizational or financial involvement.) Some progressive commentators have argued that the anti-lockdown movement, so far as one exists, is an Astroturf (i.e., artificial, not grassroots) phenomenon, and urged the press to cover it as such. Others see it as genuine. A Facebook group called Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine has 350,000 members. John F. Harris, a founding editor of Politico, wrote yesterday that the restrictions linked to the coronavirus could easily surge through American culture as a powerful boost to the animating spirit of libertarianism: leave me alone. He argued, Ideology hasnt been suspended. It has been forcibly suppressedin ways that inevitably will come roaring back, sometimes in highly toxic ways. Whatever the source of the anti-lockdown protests, right-wing media has thrown its weight behind them. Talk radio hosts, Twitter pundits such as Candace Owens, and sites including Infowars and the Gateway Pundit have all played their part, as have stars of Fox News. On Wednesday, Tucker Carlson called Whitmers shutdown policies mindless and authoritarian and accused her of careerism. (Shes been widely touted, of late, as a possible vice-presidential pick for Joe Biden.) Jeanine Pirro said, of the protesters, God bless them. Laura Ingraham, addressing them on Twitter, wrote that its time to get your freedom back. Yesterday, Brian Kilmeade, a host on Fox & Friends, said that lockdown orders were getting ridiculous. Harris Faulkner, another Fox host, asked Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and right-wing pundit, This country was kind of founded on people who were willing to risk themselves for freedom: Is that what this is, or something else? Huckabee said it was not something else. Several mainstream outlets have compared the anti-lockdown protests to the Tea Party movementwhich, of course, has faced allegations of Astroturfism itself. In 2011, Vanessa Williamson, Theda Skocpol, and John Coggin, of Harvard, wrote that Fox and other right-wing media entities didnt just encourage the Tea Party, but acted, in a sense, as its membership and communications infrastructure, since, on the ground, the Tea Partiers were only loosely interconnected. Asking whether the current anti-lockdown sentiment is real or manufactured is both a hard question to answer and, in some ways, a false one: conservative movements, these days, never exist independently of the right-wing media echo chamber. The echo chamber is the apparatus by which they operate. Anyone covering these rallies should remember thateven if photos like Bickels dont feature members of the media in the shot. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Below, more on the coronavirus: Other notable stories: ICYMI: Chinas expulsion of American journalists also affects Chinese staffand the future of reporting in China Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. COVID-19: Google Doodle thanks all teachers and child care workers India oi-Briti Roy Barman New Delhi, Apr 17: The search engine giant Google on Friday has paid tribute to teachers and childcare workers who are working under tough conditions amid the novel coronavirus outbreak with a doodle. The special logo represents an animated scenario that depicts a teacher conducting online classes for students amid the global pandemic. Today's doodle features a heart emoji for teachers and people who take care of children. As you hover over the illustration, the message "To all teachers and childcare workers, thank you" pops up. India needs to urgently step up coronavirus testing say experts 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. People across the world are working from home while schools and colleges are shut as well. In the meantime, several educational institutions are conducting online classes so that students can continue with their studies. "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." NEWS AT 3 PM, APRIL 17th, 2020 The doodle series has shown gratitude towards those working in emergency services, sanitation services, farmers, doctor, nurses and medical workers so far. On Thursday, Google doodle thanked food service workers for their tireless efforts across the world at the time of coronavirus pandemic with the tagline, "Thank You: Food Service Workers". The Google doodle series started on April 6 started with thanking public health workers and the scientific community. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, April 17, 2020, 12:19 [IST] The death toll was 125 cases as of Friday morning. Ukraine's health minister says that the coronavirus death rate in the country is lower than the global average. "The COVID-19 death rate in Ukraine is 2.7% of the number of the infected," Minister Maksym Stepanov said at a meeting chaired by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to the presidential press service. Read alsoUkraine's coronavirus pace rises with 501 new cases reported in past 24 hours As UNIAN reported earlier, there were 4,662 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ukraine as of 9:00 a.m. Kyiv time on April 17. The death toll was 125 people, 246 patients have recovered. At the same time, Ukraine has not yet reached the peak of incidence, the presidential press service added. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian reaffirmed on Friday his governments plans to gradually reopen more sectors of Armenias economy, again insisting that the coronavirus epidemic in the country is manageable. Pashinian cautioned, however, that the return to normal life will be conditional on employers and other Armenians taking necessary precautions against the highly contagious virus. As long as a vaccine has not been developed, coronavirus will not disappear and we will have infected people, he said in a televised address to the nation. Accordingly, our strategic objective is as follows: to make sure that the number of infected people is as small as possible and bearable for the healthcare system. On the other hand, we cannot be endlessly locked down and live in an endless quarantine or state of emergency, he went on. Therefore, our strategic objective is to live parallel to coronavirus or alongside it, if necessary. We need to use the upcoming period of emergency rule for acquiring necessary skills to do just that. What does this mean in practice? We are step by step allowing the resumption of economic activity in various spheres but expect special responsibility from employers, who must put in place special conditions for coronavirus safety in factories, workshops and construction sites. Or else, we will have to toughen restrictions. For their part, workers and other citizens must strictly follow social distancing rules, avoid touching their faces with unwashed hands and use only clean tableware, added Pashinian. The Armenian government issued stay-at-home orders and temporary closed most nonessential businesses on March 24 amid rapidly growing coronavirus cases. The ban did not apply to agriculture, food retailers, public utilities and services, banks as well as food-processing, mining and cargo firms. As the rate of new infections slowed considerably last week the government decided to reopen some of the other sectors of the Armenian economy. Local firms engaged in open-air construction or manufacturing cigarettes, cement and other construction materials were allowed to resume work on Monday. Pashinian said afterwards that the government is also planning to lift the ban on textile manufacturing. The export-oriented sector employs thousands of people. Textile industry executives met with Economy Minister Tigran Khachatrian on Thursday to discuss practical modalities of restarting their operations and minimizing the risk of mass infections. The government opted for the gradual reopening of the economy despite extending the coronavirus-related state of emergency in Armenia by one month, until May 14. We must redouble our vigilance during the rest of emergency rule, Pashinian said in his address. If we do so, we will step by step return to normal life already from May 14. If we dont the virus may spread with renewed vigor and lead us to a humanitarian disaster, he warned. The Armenian Ministry of Health reported in the morning that the number of coronavirus cases rose by 42, to 1,201, in the past 24 hours. It also said that a 58-year-old man suffering from other pre-existing conditions died from the virus on Thursday, raising the countrys COVID-19 death toll to 19. According to the ministry, the daily number of people who recovered from the disease again surpassed that of new infections. Pashinian stressed the fact that the health authorities continue to use only half of Armenias hospital capacity in the fight against the virus. The epidemic has already inflicted serious damage on the Armenian economy, with tens of thousands of people temporarily or permanently losing their jobs. The government has approved in recent weeks wide-ranging financial assistance to them and affected companies. Pashinian touted on Friday the measures designed to cushion the economic impact of the nationwide lockdown. In particular, he said the government has allocated 16.5 billion drams ($34 million) for cheap credit which Armenian banks are due to provide to thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises and farmers. The government will also provide 1.3 billion drams in grants to those SMEs that have not laid off workers since March, he said. The prime minister also pointed to a total of some 7 billion drams in one-off cash handouts planned or already paid to about 100,000 socially vulnerable citizens. They include employees of private firms forced to suspend their operations, microbusiness owners, self-employed and unregistered workers as well as some pregnant women. In addition, the government decided this week to partly compensate 515,000 households for their natural gas and electricity bills for February. Opposition politicians and other critics of Pashinians government have dismissed these measures as insufficient. President Obama with Irene Hirano Inouye at the White House in 2013. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press ) Irene Hirano Inouye, a prodigious fundraiser who led the nation's premier Japanese American museum in Los Angeles and built bridges across cultures with groundbreaking projects, has died. She was 71. Inouye was diagnosed last year with leiomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer, and died April 7 at her Los Angeles home, said her daughter, Jennifer Hirano. The Japanese American leader, whose soft-spoken mien belied powerful drive and farsighted vision, rose to national prominence in the nonprofit world as board chair of the Ford and Kresge foundations. A major achievement was her "shuttle diplomacy" between the two foundations, which resulted in their combined gifts of $225 million to jump-start the successful 2014 effort to bring Detroit out of the nation's largest-ever municipal bankruptcy, according to a statement by Kresge Foundation President and Chief Executive Rip Rapson and Board Chair Elaine Rosen. But in California and across Asian America, Inouye is best known for her work over five decades to empower women of color, develop the Japanese American National Museum and launch an international council to deepen ties between the United States and Japan. She was the widow of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, the powerful Hawaii Democrat who died in 2012. "Irene was a visionary and she was golden in everything she touched," said Mitchell T. Maki, president of the Go For Broke National Education Center, which preserves and shares the history of Japanese American veterans of World War II. Irene Ann Yasutake was born Oct. 7, 1948, in Los Angeles, the oldest of Jean and Michael Yasutake's four children. Her mother was a homemaker and her father a U.S. Army major who served in the military intelligence service as a translator during World War II and later became an international businessman. After graduating from USC with bachelor's and master's degrees in public administration, she worked as executive director for T.H.E. Clinic, a South Los Angeles health clinic that primarily served women of color. Through her community work, she met Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who was then a high school teacher, and forged a lifelong friendship. Story continues At his invitation, she joined the local Los Angeles board of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and, Ridley-Thomas said, worked hard to spread the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s founding vision of social change through nonviolent resistance. "She was always there," Ridley-Thomas said. "She was warm, unassuming, loyal, faithful, diligent. I just wish there were more people like her in the world." In 1976, she caught the attention of then-Gov. Jerry Brown, who appointed her to head the California Commission on the Status of Women. She advocated gender pay equity and called out efforts by male state legislators to defund the commission as "an insult to every woman in California." In 1980, she helped form local and national networks to empower Asian Pacific American women, whom she believed lacked visibility and leadership opportunities. She fought against the abuse of Asian women brought to the United States as mail-order brides and sought greater representation in educational, employment and political realms. "Many of us are conditioned to sit back, get done what needs to be done and not confront," she told The Times in 1980. "It's much easier that way, but we must fight against falling into that trap." Irene Hirano Inouye, center, was the widow of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, left, the powerful Hawaii Democrat who died in 2012. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press) Her defining work came after businessman Bruce T. Kaji and a group of World War II military veterans joined forces in 1985 to launch what was then an audacious idea: a national museum to honor the history and culture of Japanese Americans. Inouye was hired over 150 applicants in 1988, according to a museum history. Actor George Takei, who has served on the museum board since its inception, said Inouye brought an "indefatigable" work ethic, "calm competence" and extensive management and fundraising expertise. She traveled the nation and later Japan with prominent Japanese American business leaders as they enlisted community support and collectively raised more than $60 million for the museum. A breakthrough donation was $10 million from the Keidanren, Japan's leading economic and business organization, reflecting the group's work to bridge divides between Japanese Americans and their ancestral country rooted in World War II. Inouye oversaw three major expansions of the museum, whose primary holdings are housed in a state-of-the-art pavilion in Little Tokyo. The museum explored the World War II incarceration of 120,000 people of Japanese descent in an exhibit provocatively titled "America's Concentration Camps," the history-making heroics of Japanese American soldiers, the art of Isamu Noguchi, untold stories of first-generation Issei pioneers. The museum became an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, giving it access to artifacts, traveling exhibits and collaborations. "Irene was always looking forward: 'What's the next big idea?'" said Chris Komai, a former museum official who worked with her for 18 years. Former congressman Norman Mineta said one of Inouye's greatest legacies is her bridge-building to Japan and to other communities. After the Sept. 11 attacks, she arranged a meeting between museum board members and leaders in the Arab, South Asian and Muslim communities in Michigan. Ultimately, the Japanese Americans offered support to launch an Arab American National Museum and have led efforts to use their wartime incarceration as a warning against scapegoating Muslims, immigrants and other vulnerable groups. "Without her, we wouldn't have become the Japanese American National Museum that we are today," Takei said. But her vision and ambition could be costly, as she took exhibits to Brazil, Hawaii and Japan. Fundraising for the expansive pavilion fell short. The museum fell into a $10-million debt, leading to pay cuts and layoffs. Inouye also got caught in a tussle over the museum's direction. Her growing interest in building ties with Japan was opposed by some board members who believed the focus should remain on the Japanese American experience. In 2008, she announced she would marry the senator and resigned from the museum. (The museum today has reduced its debt to $2.37 million and held membership steady at about 20,000, according to current President Ann Burroughs.) Inouye pursued her passion to strengthen trans-Pacific ties by helping launch the U.S.-Japan Council in 2009 and served as president until resigning in January. The council has promoted exchanges between Japanese American leaders and counterparts in Japan, including those affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Despite Inouye's many awards and leadership roles in the educational, cultural and nonprofit worlds, Jennifer Hirano said her mother rarely talked about herself and never lost her humility. "She had a bit of the Japanese American spirit: You keep your head down, you do the best work you can, but you don't necessarily talk a lot about it," Hirano said. In addition to Hirano, Inouye is survived by her mother, Jean Yasutake, sisters Linda Hayashi and Patti Yasutake, brother Steven Yasutake, stepson Kenny Inouye and granddaughter Maggie Inouye. Amid the nationwide lockdown owing to the outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus, which came into effect from March 25 and now extended till May 3, all passenger train services and domestic and international flights have been suspended. However, as per the recent developments, two special trains are scheduled to run on April 17 and 18 for the Indian Army personnel. According to a news report in HT, citing national security reasons, the central government has given permission for the running of two special trains to be deployed for the Indian Army personnel, according to officials aware of the development. The Ministry of Home Affairs has given its nod for 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, HT quoted a senior official on request of anonymity. This initiative to run two military special trains is in a bid to meet the operational requirements for Northern and Eastern borders. These are, Bangalore - Belgaum- Secunderabad - Ambala- Jammu on April 17, and Bangalore - Belgaum- Secunderabad - Gopalpur - Howrah - NJP - Guwahati on April 18, 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 the Ministry of Railways is in progress for planning additional trains in coming weeks. the official further 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. Owing to the current situation of nationwide lockdown, the Indian Railways is only running freight and parcel trains for an uninterrupted supply of essential goods. Panaji, April 17 : Under pressure for quick repatriation of seafarers stranded overseas, the Goa government on Friday, kickstarted a statewide exercise, to collect details of the Goa's stranded sailors. Kin and friends of sailors have been asked to submit details of the stranded seafarers to the nearest Criminal Investigation Department bureaus of the Goa Police, which after collation, would be sent to the central government, that is in the process of creating a comprehensive list of Indian seafarers stranded in various ports-of-call across the world. The details sought by the Goa government via a standard performa, includes name of the seafarer and the cruise-ship he or she is working on, location of the vessel, residential address and contact number of the seafarer. The Goa government has been under pressure from the Opposition as well as families of more than 8,000 seafarers, who are believed to be stranded in various ports the world over, many of them in Miami and parts of Europe. On Wednesday, nearly a dozen family members of stranded seafarers were detained after they protested outside the Chief Minister's official residence in Panaji. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said he was in touch with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, whose ministry's was in the process of formalising a standard operating procedure for the repatriation process. OXFORD An Oxford police officer, known as D-Train by local residents, was remembered after his death Friday as an outstanding person who touched the lives of many people. Cpl. Dennis DArchangelo died early Friday morning after a lengthy battle with cancer, according to a statement from the Connecticut State Police Oxford Resident Troopers Office later Friday morning. The town of Oxford lost a phenomenal police officer and the officers lost a great friend and partner, the Oxford office said in a statement. DArchangelo started his career as an Oxford police officer in February 2003. During his time as an officer, he earned awards for lifesaving and outstanding service. He also receive several unit citations. He was promoted to the rank of corporal in May 2019. D-Train, as he was known by the community, leaves behind a wife and a 14-year-old son, the statement said. Shortly after the announcement of DArchangelos death, a GoFundMe campaign was launched by the Oxford police union. The union described DArchangelo as an outstanding person always willing to help his family, friends and community. During his time with us, he has touched the lives of many people, the union wrote in the GoFundMe page description. At this time his family will have several bills and expenses going on without him. The union said DArchangelos son will take up the reigns as man of the house at a time when the teen should only be concerned with playing and going to school. Through the fundraiser, the union said it hopes to set up an education fund for the young man. As of around 3 p.m. Friday, 59 donors had raised $7,990. The page can be found at gofundme.com/f/officer-down-family-assistance. Mobile phone tracking software could be compulsory if not enough Australians voluntarily download the application to help in coronavirus case tracing. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says at least 40 per cent of the population needs to use the app to make it effective. 'My preference is to give Australians a go at getting it right. That's my plan A and I really want plan A to work,' he told Triple M on Friday. Mr Morrison has likened using the tracing app to national service. 'I know this would be something they might not normally do at an ordinary time but this is not an ordinary time. If you download this app you'll be helping save someone's life,' he said. Better contact tracing is one of three main benchmarks the government wants to meet before strict restrictions can be lifted. Mobile phone tracking software could be compulsory if not enough Australians voluntarily download the application to help in coronavirus case tracing Prime Minister Scott Morrison says at least 40 per cent of the population needs to use the app to make it effective The other two are a broader testing regime and a greater capacity to respond to local outbreaks. Mr Morrison says the app won't be used by police as evidence to prosecute people for breaching social distancing requirements. Labor leader Anthony Albanese - who found out about the app in the newspaper - is concerned about the prospect of forcibly being tracked. 'One of the things that would occur if that was the government response would be people would simply stop taking their phone to places,' he told reporters. 'It's up to the government, frankly, to explain exactly what it has in mind with this app and to be very clear with the Australian public about whether it is going to be voluntary or whether it is going to be some level of compulsion involved.' Privacy issues are being worked through before an opt-in app is launched. The app is being developed based on a Singaporean version, TraceTogether. It uses Bluetooth to plot people who had spent 15 minutes or more in close proximity to a person with coronavirus. They then share the records with authorities when asked to be part of a tracing investigation. 'I know this would be something they might not normally do at an ordinary time but this is not an ordinary time. If you download this app you'll be helping save someone's life,' he said Better contact tracing is one of three main benchmarks the government wants to meet before strict restrictions can be lifted Severe flooding is wreaking havoc across Yemen as aid agencies warn of a surge in cholera cases and the potential for a massive coronavirus outbreak in the Arab worlds poorest country. Officials told The National newspaper that flooding caused by heavy rains killed three children and injured nearly 100 residents of 18 displacement camps in the central Marib province on Wednesday. The children, all members of the same family, died while sheltering from the storm. In Yemens capital of Sanaa, a man and child died after being swept away in a flash flood earlier this week, Yemeni health authorities said. The rainy season could exacerbate what is already the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Roughly 80% of Yemens population is reliant on food aid, and hundreds of thousands are afflicted with diphtheria, dengue and cholera. Cholera, which is caused by drinking contaminated water or food, has been raging in Yemen since late 2016. The Nairobi-based Oxfam charity predicts there could be more than one million cases of the infectious disease in 2020. The countrys health infrastructure was already stretched thin after more than five years of civil war between the Iran-aligned Houthis and the internationally recognized Saudi-backed government. The flooding comes as Yemens warring parties accuse each other of violating a 14-day cease-fire announced last week by Saudi Arabia, which is leading a military coalition against the Houthi rebels. Local residents said the Saudi-led coalition launched six airstrikes on Thursday in the Houthi-held capital Sanaa. Days after the cease-fire was announced, Yemen reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19. The patient was a 60-year-old man in the oil-producing region of Hadramawt, the internationally recognized government announced last Friday. Yemen cannot face two fronts at the same time: a war and a pandemic, UN special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths told the Security Council in a videoconference briefing Thursday. We can do no less than stop this war and turn all our attention to this new threat, he said. Tribal leaders and some residents of rural communities along the pipeline's route worry thousands of workers needed for the project could spread the virus in small communities that are unprepared. TC Energy wants to "use this construction as justification for allowing the project to proceed whether or not it is legal," the tribes' attorney said. 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 won't be needed until later in the summer. For most people, the 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. The rural counties along the pipeline's route so far have seen far fewer infections than other parts of the U.S. But they lack adequate health care services to deal with a large outbreak. Construction on two worker camps could start as soon as this month in Montana and South Dakota, according to court documents filed by the company. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) More than 700 doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers in the country have contracted coronavirus disease, the Department of Health said Friday in what is a three-fold increase from the number it reported last week. The agency said 339 doctors have caught COVID-19 while 242 nurses tested positive. Some 22 health workers have died from the disease. In total, 766 healthcare workers have been infected, the DOH said, without mentioning the other medical professionals who were part of the count. The latest number is more than thrice the figure the DOH reported on April 8, when it said 252 health workers tested positive including 152 doctors and 63 nurses. Health workers who have symptoms are included in the agencys list of suspected COVID-19 patients. The Philippine Medical Association earlier said fewer health personnel would have died from COVID-19 had there been more personal protective equipment available to them. The government has since ordered one million sets of PPE which have been arriving in batches over the past two weeks. Yemen can't survive war on two fronts, top UN envoy tells Security Council, as coronavirus outbreak looms 16 April 2020 - With the COVID-19 pandemic threatening to deepen suffering in Yemen, now is the time for rival parties to commit to ending their conflict, UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths told the Security Council on Thursday, during an informal meeting via videoconference. "Yemen cannot face two fronts at the same time: a war and a pandemic. And the new battle that Yemen faces in confronting the virus will be all-consuming. We can do no less than stop this war and turn all our attention to this new threat", he said. Yemeni Government forces, together with their allies, and rebels known as Houthis, or the Ansar Allah movement, have been fighting over control of the impoverished nation for more than five years, creating the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Roughly 80 per cent of the population relies on aid relief. "The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic to Yemen threatens to bring deeper and more widespread suffering to the people", said Mr. Griffiths. "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". Negotiations for nationwide ceasefire Yemen Government troops are backed by a Saudi-led coalition, which on 8 April announced a unilateral ceasefire for an initial two-week period, following an appeal by the UN Secretary-General. The Yemen appeal came just days after the UN chief called for a global ceasefire amid the pandemic. Mr. Griffiths has been "in constant negotiations" with the two sides on proposals for a nationwide ceasefire and on key measures such as prisoner release, paying civil servant salaries, and opening roads for humanitarian access. "We are - I hope, I believe - moving towards a consensus over the proposals I have put forward, particularly on the principle of a nation-wide ceasefire which is supported by both parties", he said. Civilian casualties rising Despite these developments, hostilities continue, the Special Envoy told ambassadors. The UN's top aid official, Mark Lowcock, reported that civilian casualties have risen every month since January. More than 500 people were killed or injured during this period, a third of them children. COVID-19 has arrived in a country where five years of fighting have degraded the 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 Mr. Lowcock, who is the UN Humanitarian Coordinator. And while precautions to reduce COVID-19 risk are not slowing down aid operations, they are being hampered by bureaucratic roadblocks, insecurity and restrictions on staff and cargo movements. Funding is another impediment, as 31 of the UN's 41 major aid programmes in Yemen will shut down in the coming weeks, if they are not supported. Mr. Lowcock feared the loss of health teams that have been essential in containing past disease outbreaks, stating "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". NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Africa: NCR warns cash-strapped public of credit scams The National Credit Regulator (NCR) has urged consumers to be careful of fake credit provider scams, as South Africa continues the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCR is warning consumers to be careful of scammers who act as legitimate credit providers, preying on vulnerable consumers during this period of COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of this pandemic has unfortunately left many consumers desperate for money with some having to resort to borrowing, said the NCR Chief Executive Officer, Nomsa Motshegare. She said criminals have spotted an opportunity to exploit vulnerable people by posing as legitimate registered credit providers and offering loans with a condition of an upfront payment. The NCR has, during this period, been receiving queries from consumers about unregistered companies posing as registered credit providers, offering them loans via SMS and email. These scammers use the registration details of lawfully registered credit providers, inform consumers that the loan is approved and before the loan is paid out, they demand an upfront payment from the consumers. Once consumers pay this upfront payment, the scammers will disappear with no trace and no loan will be paid out to the consumer, Motshegare said. According to the National Credit Act (NCA), an upfront payment for a loan is unlawful and not allowed. The agency, which falls within the ambit of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), urged consumers not to fall for this scam and to never pay any upfront fee for a loan. Those who have fallen victim to this scam and have paid upfront fees should open criminal cases at their nearest South African Police Service (SAPS). All registered credit providers details are listed on the NCR website www.ncr.org.za. - SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. LIVE updates of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decisions You can take a horse to water, but cannot make it drink, goes the hoary chestnut. The Reserve Bank of India can flood the banking system with liquidity but it cannot make banks on-lend these funds. After the last set of measures announced on March 27, banks have taken to parking as much as Rs 6.9 lakh crore at the central banks overnight borrowing window (through an operation known as reverse repo). Other measures such as lending funds to banks for the specified purpose for buying corporate bonds has worked, but only the big boys are beneficiaries. Non-banking financial companies, which extend credit in places where commercial banks cant go or do not want to go, were mostly left out in the previous set of announcements. So, the central bank announced another set of measures where it plans to inject more liquidity into the banking system, get banks to lend to the entities typically small and midsize firms which need it the most---and also offer banks some relief in terms of classifying loans as non-performing. It is a step in the right direction, but given the disruption that COVID-19 is causing, does it go far enough? What has RBI done? It has said that banks will be able to borrow Rs 50,000 crore (to start with) from the central bank for the express purpose of onlending it to small and mid-sized NBFCs and microfinance companies. It has given another Rs 50,000 crore to the likes of NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), NHB (National Housing Bank) and SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) which again provide funding to companies that provide small business finance, housing finance and so on. Thus, RBI has tried to address the issue being faced by NBFCs and HFCs which faced difficulties in accessing funds. Second, it has cut the reverse repo rate the interest banks get when they park funds with the central bank in its overnight borrowing window by 25 basis points. It also cut the LCR (liquidity coverage ratio) which, shorn of the jargon, means that banks have more money to lend. Besides, it has told banks not to distribute dividends to bolster their capital position. 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 Third, it has told banks that they can exclude the 90-day period from 1 March to 31 May in calculating the days past due for loans and classifying bad loans. In other words, loans which were standard as on 1 March 2020 and which have been offered a moratorium shall not count as NPAs. RBI has also told banks to make a 10 percent additional provision on loans where a moratorium has been offered, spread over the March and June quarters, which can be adjusted against actual slippage. These are good measures, but dont go far enough. Look at the markets. The 10-year bond yield fell a mere 8 bps to 6.362 percent from the previous close 6.44 percent. The broader market and financial sector stocks have given up some of their gains. The key problem here is not of liquidity but risk aversion. Cutting the reverse repo or the LCR wont be enough to make banks lend to risk to smaller firms which are the most vulnerable. Of course, one cant blame banks for being risk averse or prudent. But what it means is that the RBI has to convey to them it has their back. It has to assure banks that they wont have to carry a pile of NPAs once the crisis ends and give them the confidence to lend. Moreover, the central bank should actually consider buying corporate bonds itself or getting the government to do so for direct support to corporate credit like the US Federal Reserve has doneThat will be one way to ensure that credit flows smoothly to those who need it the most. Nearly half of adults in the UK have suffered from anxiety problems because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a government survey. As mental health professional raise concerns about the toll the current crisis is taking, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) said 47 per cent of people had reported high levels of anxiety. Over four in five of people surveyed 84 per cent said they were worried about the effect the virus is having on their life, while 53 per cent said it was affecting their well-being. It comes as a group of leading psychiatrists and psychologists said the coronavirus pandemic could have a profound effect on peoples mental health. Writing in The Lancet Psychiatry journal, a group of 24 mental health professionals called for urgent research on the impact of the outbreak and the lockdown claiming smartphones could be tailored to specific groups, such as children and health workers, to monitor their mental health. Increased social isolation, loneliness, health anxiety, stress and an economic downturn are a perfect storm to harm peoples mental health and wellbeing, said the University of Glasgows Professor Rory OConnor, one of the authors of the paper. The ONSs latest opinions and lifestyle survey found that staying in touch with friends and family remotely was the most common action helping people cope with 77 per cent of respondents saying it had helped. Financial worries are among the most common concerns. Nearly one in four adults, 23 per cent said the coronavirus was affecting their household finances, while 44 per cent expect their financial position to get worse over the next 12 months. In March the government announced a 5m pot of funding to help charities support peoples mental health. Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, said some people were finding it difficult to get help during the crisis. While it is too soon to see the extent of the damage, we are hearing that people are already struggling to access the support they need, he told the BBC. A separate survey by a leading addiction charity has found problem drinking is exacerbating tension caused by the lockdown for more than 3.5 million British adults. A survey by Alcohol Change UK found 7 per cent one in 14 people said their own or someone elses drinking had made stress levels in their household worse since the shutdown began. Yet the survey also found huge numbers of people taking steps to manage their drinking more carefully during the shutdown some 35 per cent have reduced their intake or stopped drinking all together. For more on managing mental health and other practical tips on coping during the pandemic, you can find more in our coronavirus advice section. Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal attorney who has served less than a year of his three-year prison sentence for financial crimes, will be freed because of the coronavirus outbreak, it was reported on Thursday. The US Bureau of Prisons informed Cohen that he will be released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York, and allowed to serve out the remainder of his sentence in home confinement. As of Thursday, 14 inmates and seven staffers at the complex have tested positive for coronavirus, according to CNN. Michael Cohen (seen above leaving his Manhattan apartment to begin serving a three-year prison sentence last May) will be freed from the minimum-security prison in Otisville, New York, it was reported on Thursday Before his release, Cohen will be required to stay in a two-week quarantine on the prison grounds. Cohen was told on Thursday that his release is pending. He was originally scheduled to remain behind bars until his release date in November 2021. The federal prison system has recently been freeing older, more vulnerable inmates as well as those convicted of nonviolent crimes due to the ongoing pandemic. Cohen, who once said he would 'take a bullet' for Trump, was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 for directing hush payments to pornographic film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed they had affairs with Trump. At least 14 inmates and seven staffers at the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York (above) have tested positve for COVID-19. The above image was taken in January 2019 Trump has denied having the encounters. In March, Cohen pressed to be released early due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has hammered New York state and surfaced in prisons around the country. US District Judge William Pauley in Manhattan rebuffed the request in a scathing order. 'Ten months into his prison term, it's time that Cohen accept the consequences of his criminal convictions for serious crimes that had far reaching institutional harms,' the judge wrote on March 23. The Bureau of Prisons said that as of Thursday, 451 federal inmates and 280 staffers had tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus. Since late March, 17 federal inmates have died of COVID-19. Last week, Cohen's attorney revealed that Cohen was placed in solitary confinement at the minimum-security prison after another inmate complained about his internet use. In an email seen by Reuters, Cohen's lawyer Roger Adler said: 'It is my understanding that a verbal dispute over phone use prompted a temporary placement to SHU pending an investigation. 'I do not however know who prompted the altercation, or if the action taken was factually/ regulatory appropriate.' Last Saturday, Adler told Reuters that Cohen was removed from solitary confinement. Cohen was transferred last Wednesday to a Special Housing Unit in a disciplinary section of the prison. Adler said on Saturday that Cohen had been moved out of solitary confinement on Friday, but did not provide the reason. The BOP said it does not comment on the confinement conditions of individual inmates. Prior to the transfer, Cohen had been housed in a minimum-security camp at the facility. Hollywood star Johnny Depp has made his debut on Instagram with a cover of John Lennon's 1970 song Isolation. The actor, known for being elusive, joined the social media platform on Thursday. His first post was a picture of him sitting on a wooden bench, surrounded by candles. Hello everyone filming something for you now gimme a minute, Depp captioned the photo. After few hours, he came up with an eight-minute-long IGTV video, in which he talked about the global coronavirus pandemic and released the Isolation cover. Now is the time to open up a dialogue as the threat of this invisible enemy has already caused immeasurable tragedies and enormous damage to people's lives. I feel we need to try to help each other throughout these dark times, these trying times for those we love, for our community, for ourselves, for the world and for the future, Depp, 56. said. The Pirates of the Caribbean star also urged his fans to be creative during self-isolation. We cannot and must not succumb to shutting down and giving in to what feels like hellish quarantine monotony. Create something today that will benefit yourselves and others tomorrow. Do anything you think could be of use to brighten someone's day. Draw, read, paint, think, learn, make a film on your phone, play an instrument if you play; if you don't, learn, he added. Depp then revealed that he has been working on a new album over the past few years with former Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck, who also played with the star on the Isolation cover. The profundity of his lyrics seem to Jeff and me especially fitting for what's happening right now. The song's about isolation, fear, and the existential risk to our world, so we wanted to give the song to you, Depp said about the track penned by Lennon. We truly both hope in our own little way, it helps you get through these unusual times that we're experiencing, even if it just helps to pass the time as we endure isolation together, he added. In less than a day, Depp has amassed more than 1.6 million Instagram followers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Plans for a lockdown in Malawi have been scuppered at the last minute, after a court injuction ordered it be delayed by at least seven days, lawyers say. It was due to begin on Saturday. The news will come as a relief to traders who have fiercely opposed a lockdown because of the serious threat they say it poses to their livelihoods. The court challenge was brought against the government by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, whose lawyer has told the BBC that both sides will present their cases at the High Court next Friday. Until then the lockdown is on hold. Source: BBC 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 Angered by delay in payment of wages amid lockdown, workers of a construction firm pelted stones at its office and injured four policemen in Maharashtra's Solapur district, an official said. The incident took place outside the office of Dilip Buildcon at Junoni near Sangola on Thursday evening, said a police officer. Five people have been arrested, he added. Over a thousand labourers were working on a road construction project of the company on National Highway 166, the official said. Amid the lockdown for containing coronavirus, the manager of the construction firm told workers that the company was in the position to pay them only half the monthly wages at present, and would not be able to provide them food. A group of angry workers gathered at the company's office on Thursday evening, demanding full payment in a single tranche. Office staff alerted police who rushed to the spot, the official said. But the workers soon started pelting stones at the office and the vehicles parked on the premises, he said. At least four police personnel were injured and as many vehicles including two police cars were vandalised by the mob, the official added. Additional police force was called in and the situation was brought under control, he said. A case was registered under IPC sections related to rioting, assault on public servants and breach of prohibitory orders against nine persons and five of them were arrested, the police official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dublin, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Impact of COVID-19 on Global Manufacturing Industry" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The manufacturing sector is a major part of the economy as it accounts for nearly 16% of the global GDP in 2018. As a result, the government across the countries primarily focuses on encouraging the manufacturing sector. Certain initiatives in emerging economies to promote the manufacturing sector include Make in India and Made in China (MIC) 2025. MIC 2025 is the first stage of a larger three-step strategy to transform China into a leading manufacturing power. The initiative seeks to move China up the manufacturing value chain by utilizing innovative manufacturing technologies or smart manufacturing. In addition, Make in India is an initiative was launched in 2015 to encourage the production of goods in India. This aims to reduce India's dependency on exporting nations by producing goods in their own country. Since the launch of Make in India, FDI in the country has followed an optimal trend. During the period, April 2014 to March 2019, FDI inflow in India was $286 billion, which is nearly 46.9% of the overall FDI received in the country since April 2000 ($592 billion). This resulted in owing to the investment-friendly policies and opening of FDI allowance in several sectors. However, after the outbreak of coronavirus, the global FDI inflows has witnessed a sharp decline. As per the estimation by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the COVID-19 outbreak could cause global FDI to shrink by 5%-15%, due to the downfall in manufacturing sector coupled with factory shutdown. The negative effects of COVID-19 on FDI investments are expected to be high in the energy, automotive, and airlines industries. Due to the epidemics of COVID-19 across the globe, the manufacturers of the automobile, chemical, electronics, and aircraft are facing concerns regarding the availability of raw material. In the electronics sector, smartphones and consumer electronics companies have commenced a reduction in production operations and postponed the introduction of new products coupled with the COVID-19 outbreak, which in turn has interrupted the supply of components. The study on the impact of COVID-19 on the global manufacturing industry is classified into automobile, food & beverage, chemical, machinery, electrical and electronics, metal, aviation, pharmaceutical and medical equipment, and others. The electronics industry is being significantly affected due to the COVID-19 epidemic, as China accounts for nearly 85% of the total value of components utilized in smartphones and nearly 75% in the case of televisions. All critical components, such as printed circuit boards, mobile displays, LED chips, memory, open cell TV panels, and capacitors are imported from China. Most of the Chinese factories were shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, in January 2020, Chinese vendors have increased component prices by nearly 2-3% owing to shortage of supplies due to factory shutdown. Therefore, it has negatively affected the electronics manufacturing sector across the globe. Further, the effect of COVID-19 on manufacturing industry is analyzed based on regions, including North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of World. In Asia-Pacific, China is mostly affected by the condition, due to the fall in industrial production coupled with the shutdown of factories. In Europe, most of the automobile companies and electronics manufacturers have temporarily closed their factories or minimize the production output, which results in loss to the global trade. For instance, Daimler and Volkswagen declared recently that they will temporarily shut down production of vehicle and engine at its factories in Europe due to the coronavirus outbreak. The initiative is aimed for the safety of their workers. The closure of factories by major automobile manufacturers resulting in a loss in automobile production, which in turn, is affecting the automobile sector in Europe. The companies getting affected with the coronavirus outbreak include Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V., Ford Motors Co., Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., BASF SE, and the Boeing Co. Some of these companies are shifting their production facility to the countries with less COVID-19 epidemic. For instance, in March 2020, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. declared to shift some portion of its domestic production of smartphones to Vietnam coupled the fastest growth in the spread of coronavirus in South Korea. This aims to minimize the potential effect of coronavirus on its smartphone manufacturing operations. The report covers: Story continues A comprehensive research methodology of global manufacturing industry. 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 global manufacturing industry. Insights about market determinants which are stimulating the global manufacturing industry. 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. Demand & Supply Analysis 2.4. Government Support/Bailout Packages for Manufacturing Industry 3. Industry Overview 3.1. Historical Market Growth Estimation in Manufacturing Industry Excluding COVID-19 Pandemic Effect 3.2. Deviations in the Manufacturing Industry Growth Rate Due to COVID-19 Pandemic 4. Verticals 4.1. Automobile 4.2. Food & Beverage 4.3. Chemical 4.4. Machinery 4.5. Electrical and Electronics 4.6. Metal 4.7. Aviation 4.8. Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment 4.9. Others (Textile and Plastic) 5. Impact of COVID-19 on major economies 5.1. North America 5.1.1. United States 5.1.2. Canada 5.2. Europe 5.2.1. UK 5.2.2. Germany 5.2.3. Italy 5.2.4. Spain 5.2.5. France 5.2.6. Rest of Europe 5.3. Asia-Pacific 5.3.1. China 5.3.2. India 5.3.3. Japan 5.3.4. Rest of Asia-Pacific 5.4. Rest of the World 5.4.1. Middle East & Africa 5.4.2. Latin America 6. Company Profiles ABB Group Airbus SE Apple Inc. BASF SE Caterpillar Inc. China Baowu Steel Group Corp. Ltd. ExxonMobil Corp. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. Ford Motor Co. General Motors Co. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Sinopec Group The Boeing Co. The Coca-Cola Co. VF Corp. Xiaomi Corp. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/h4tctw 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 Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump Reuters The US, UK and China have agreed in principle to a global ceasefire, during the coronavirus pandemic, according to French President Emmanuel Macron. Vladimir Putin's spokesman says Russia will "most likely" sign up as well. The agreement would be a landmark moment as the international community concentrates its efforts in the fight against COVID-19. Trump is due to chair a meeting of the G7 leaders, to discuss the crisis on Thursday. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Trump has agreed to a global ceasefire during the coronavirus pandemic and Putin will 'definitely' sign up as well, according to the French President Emmanuel Macron. Speaking on French radio, Macron said US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Chinese premier Xi Jinping had all confirmed they would sign up to a global ceasefire. "President Xi Jinping confirmed his agreement to me," Macron told radio station RFI. "President Trump confirmed his agreement to me. Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed his agreement to me. I think President Putin will definitely agree too." France, Russia, the UK, the US, and China comprise the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, meaning support from all five members would be required for a ceasefire to be operable. President Trump is due to chair a meeting of the G7 leaders, to discuss the coronavirus crisis on Thursday. The move would represent a major act of international co-operation at a time when multilateral co-operation in other areas is weakening. Trump on Tuesday said he was cutting funding to the World Health Organisation and accused China of "covering up the spread" of the coronavirus in its initial stages. Putin's spokesman on Wednesday said it was "most likely" that the president would sign up to such an agreement. "Most likely, work is underway -- at the expert level, our diplomats are working on this before we can join it. As soon as this work is completed and [passes] approval with other partners, relevant statements will be made," he said, according to CNN. Story continues A White House readout of Trump's phone call on Tuesday said both leaders had "discussed efforts to defeat the coronavirus pandemic and reopen world economies" but did not specifically mention discussions around a potential ceasefire. The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres first called for a global truce back in March, saying that war-ravaged countries were particularly vulnerable to coronavirus pandemics because they have acutely poor healthcare provision. "It is time to put armed conflict on lockdown and focus together on the true fight of our lives," Guterres said. "This is crucial to help create corridors for life-saving aid. To open precious windows for diplomacy. To bring hope to places among the most vulnerable to COVID-19." Read the original article on Business Insider Najibeh Gholami was already doing a medical internship at Mashhad's Imam Reza Hospital in February when the coronavirus pandemic reached that home of one of Shi'ite Islam's holiest shrines. An Afghan physician-in-training in her mid-20s, she quickly volunteered to help tend to COVID-19 patients in that northeastern Iranian city. Thousands there have been infected with the virus, many of them fatally, making it one of the most beleaguered places in the region's hardest-hit country. "I'm doing my duty," Gholami, who came to Iran on a scholarship and studied emergency medicine, told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan in late March. The deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus that emerged from central China is believed to have entered Iran through the city of Qom in February before waylaying ill-prepared hospitals and officials who spent weeks denying or downplaying the outbreak. The related, pneumonia-like illness, COVID-19, has now killed nearly 5,000 Iranians and around 78,000 more, according to official figures, which even officials themselves appear to acknowledge are vastly underreported. Despite tight censorship of social and other media, scenes have been shared of overwhelmed and underprotected medical staff working day and night amid reports of widespread shortages and high infection rates among doctors and nurses. Lives On The Line Just in the past few weeks, around 50 doctors and nurses have died in Iran after contracting COVID-19. Yet, Gholami said, she and her colleagues have overcome their fear of infection in order to do their jobs as best they can. "This is the path I've chosen, and I remain committed to the oath I took to serve the sick and help save their lives," she said. "There is fear, of course, but my colleagues have put their lives on the line and they are serving people tirelessly." Gholami said the happiness and relief of the families and relatives of patients who have recovered from the deadly coronavirus are among her best memories. Speaking late last month, she said that, while dozens of new COVID-19 patients were being admitted each day, that number was a fraction of the figure just weeks before. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that over 3 million Afghans are residing in Iran, including refugees and migrant workers, where some have complained of discrimination. Amid the worsening of the coronavirus outbreak in the Islamic republic, thousands have reportedly crossed the border and returned home. Gholami, who is now on staff at Imam Reza Hospital, said many Afghans have been treated there and recovered. "Medicine doesn't [differentiate]," she told RFE/RL. "We ask our patients about their problems and we try to help them. It doesn't matter where patients are from; if they need to be hospitalized, they will receive the care they need." Gholami said she hoped to one day use her experience to help those in need in her own country, Afghanistan, where only around 700 coronavirus infections have been reported. "The experience I've earned here working with top specialists has been very important to me." Written by Golnaz Esfandiari based on reporting by Radio Free Afghanistan correspondent Nusrat Parsa. Credit: CC0 Public Domain The Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged raised its death toll by 50 percent on Friday, revealing the ground zero of the global pandemic had been much worse hit than Beijing had previously reported. The revision came as a growing chorus of world leaders suggested China had not been entirely open about the full domestic impact of a virus that has killed more than 140,000 people globally and confined half of humanity to their homes. It also followed US President Donald Trump ordering a cautious easing of lockdown restrictions in an effort to kickstart his stalling economy, and as GDP data revealed China's economy had slipped into reverse for the first time in decades. In Wuhanwhere the virus was first detected late last yearan official announcement raised the city's death toll by half, to a total of 3,869. The additional deaths were cases that were "mistakenly reported" or missed entirely, the posting said. But the revision will play into a growing narrative of Chinese untrustworthiness led by Trump's nationalist administration. That has now garnered support from Britain and France, fuelled by two US media outlets reporting suspicions the virus accidentally slipped out of a sensitive Wuhan laboratory that studied bats. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, deputising for Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is still recovering from the virus, said there would be "hard questions" for Beijing. French President Emmanuel Macron told the Financial Times it would be "naive" to think China had handled the pandemic well, adding: "There are clearly things that have happened that we don't know about." Beijing and Moscow slapped down the attacks, with Russian President Vladimir Putin denouncing "attempts by some people to smear China." Life-and-death balance World leaders are grappling with the question of when to re-open society, seeking a life-and-death balance between unfreezing stalled economies and preventing a deadly second coronavirus wave. While Trump declared Thursday the time had come for the "next front in our war" with a phased re-opening of the US, others took the opposite pathJapan, Britain and Mexico all expanding current restrictions. Despite the United States suffering a staggering 4,500 deaths in the last 24 hourstaking the national toll to almost 33,000Trump proclaimed: "We're opening up our country." The president's approach was more cautious than previous hopes for a sudden re-opening however, with state governors given the lead. Lightly affected states can open "literally tomorrow," said Trump, while others would receive White House "freedom and guidance" to achieve that at their own pace. Top US government scientist Anthony Fauci said: "Light switch on and off is the exact opposite of what you see here." In New York state for examplewhere more than 11,500 have diedGovernor Andrew Cuomo extended a shutdown order until May 15. New Yorker Jamie O'Reilly, owner of a dog-walking business, summed up the agonising predicament world leaders face. "Why does the economy matter if we're not around to spend any money because we're all sick?" the 31-year-old told AFP. The shutdown was "stressful" but "you just have to roll with the punches... That's what New Yorkers do." 'Lost decade' Meanwhile, there were more and more signals of the global economy imploding. China's reported Friday its gross domestic product shrank 6.8 percent in the first quarter of the year. That is the first contraction since quarterly growth data became available in the early 1990s. In the US, another 5.2 million workers lost their jobs, bringing the total number of newly unemployed to a staggering 22 million since mid-March. John Williams, a top official at the Federal Reserve, predicted it would take "a year or two" if not longer for the US to recover from what the International Monetary Fund has termed the "Great Lockdown" battering the global economy. The virus could spark another "lost decade" in Latin America, the IMF warned, while experts cautioned that freezing debt for poor countries will not save many developing world economies. 'It's awful' Some European countriessuch as hard-hit Spain and Italywere embarking on a long road back to normality, with Venice residents strolling around quiet canals stripped of their usual throngs of tourists. Switzerland, Germany, Denmark and Finland were among those gradually re-opening shops and schools although Britain, which shut down later than continental Europe, extended its lockdown for at least three more weeks. In Poland, new rules requiring everyone to wear a mask outside received decidedly mixed reviews. "It's awful," postal worker Natalia told AFP, towing a large wheeled letter-bag behind her. "My glasses are fogging up and I can't see a thing. But you have to wear it," she added. Around the world, people have come up with ingenuous ways to bring back some semblance of normality to their upended lives. Luciano Romoli, 80, runs a stretching class every day at noon for his senior neighbours who join him from their balconies in the northern Italian city of Turin. "We got the idea, since we have to be stuck at home, to do some exercise, otherwise when it's over we'll be stiff, and a bit rigid," the energetic pensioner told AFP. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 AFP DUBLIN, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Data Center Market in Southeast Asia - Industry Outlook and Forecast 2020-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. COVID-19 is going to affect the data center market in Southeast Asia. A detailed analysis is included in the report. The data center market in Southeast Asia is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 6% during the period 2019-2025. The data center market in Southeast Asia is witnessing growth with the increased interest from cloud providers such as Google, AWS, and Alibaba to open cloud regions. The adoption of cloud-based services will be a key driver for the market in the next few years. Increasing internet penetration is likely to aid the use of smart devices in this region. The impact of big data, IoT, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality will have a major impact on market growth in other southeast countries after 2020. Most colocation providers are involved in the construction of hyperscale data centers to colocate space to cloud service providers. In Southeast Asia, Singapore is a mature market that accounts for, followed by Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Singapore is the main revenue generator in the APAC region. In 2019, Google announced to expand one of its data center based in Singapore. The country will be the first country to implement 5G technology, which will be followed by other countries by the end of the forecast period. Also, incentives from government agencies will be highly beneficial for continuous investment from both local and global data center developers. Countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia are witnessing an increase in the construction from global colocation providers and REITs targeting wholesale colocation of hyperscale spaces in the market. The following factors are expected to contribute to the growth of the data center market in Southeast Asia during the forecast period: 5G Deployment to Increase Edge Data Center Investments Big Data and IoT Adoption Driving Data Center Investment Availability of Lithium-ion Batteries and Fuel Cells Adoption of Renewable Energy in Data Centers The report considers the present scenario of the data center market in Southeast Asia during the forecast period and its market dynamics for the forecast period 2020-2025. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The report profiles and examines leading companies and several other prominent companies operating in the market. Data Center Market in Southeast Asia: Segmentation This research report includes detailed market segmentation by IT infrastructure, electrical infrastructure, mechanical infrastructure, general construction, tier standards, and geography. The Southeast Asia market has a high potential for converged and hyperconverged infrastructure as they offer scalability and flexibility to operations. The adoption of storage systems has started shifting to all-flash storage array solutions. The penetration of cloud computing, big data, and IoT technology is expected to be predominant drivers for the development of the Southeast Asia market. The server market is moving toward blade servers for developing a high-density computing environment. The adoption of organization-specific software over the cloud platform will also increase the demand for high computing servers. The market for ODM servers will also increase as service providers prefer to use servers based on specific usage. The adoption of x86 based servers is more common in the market. Dell EMC, HPE, IBM, Lenovo, Fijustu are some of the major server vendors. The market for storage drives has been growing rapidly from the last five years. The demand for high-performance I/O intensive storage solutions is increasing due to the growing number of applications such as cloud storage services from businesses across the region. The implementation of the 5G network will boost the digital economy in the region, which is likely to increase the demand for high- bandwidth networking infrastructure. The adoption of DRUPS systems is likely to be high among data center providers in Southeast Asia. Service providers are installing on-site Diesel Rotary UPS with N+2 and N+1 redundancy. Also, renewable energy and OCP-ready colocation facilities will witness growth during the forecast period in the region. Thailand is marching toward the goal of generating 40% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030. This will be a positive sign for operators to power their facilities through clean energy. Most large data centers use 2N and N+N redundant power infrastructure solutions for UPS systems and generators. Data centers are being designed at a PUE of less than 1.5. Owing to power reliability challenges, data center operators in Southeast Asia incorporate a flexible design that supports up to 2N redundancy in power infrastructure solutions. All data centers will implement the supply of power from two different electricity grids to avoid outages. The installation of UPS systems will be mostly of over 500 kVA, and generators with over 1.5 MW with at least 48 hours of on-site fuel backup is growing. Most data centers in Southeast Asia are designed to cool servers through water-based cooling techniques. The growing construction of data centers will aid in the adoption of multiple chillers, cooling towers, and CRAH units with N+N redundant configuration. Vendors are equipped with 2N resilient water-cooling plants with 2N cooling towers and a service corridor with dual coil CRAC and 2N power supply of up to N+25% resilience. The use of air-based cooling is less in Singapore than in other Southeast Asian countries. In Singapore, data centers are designed with hot/cold aisle containment systems and equipped with a rack size of 42U and 45U. However, the market for rack units with a size of 47U-52U is expected to witness growth during the forecast period. Singapore has several large-scale data centers, and the country is likely to witness the same during the forecast period. In 2019, Facebook and Google announced the development of hyperscale data centers, which are likely to be operational by 2020 or 2021. The labor cost in Singapore is high due to the availability of skilled workforces. In terms of security, data centers are installed with physical security and monitoring systems, including DCIM, BMS, and EMS systems. Most data centers developed in Malaysia during the forecast period will be greenfield development projects. Modular data center projects are likely to witness high growth during the forecast period. The labor cost in Malaysia is cheaper than in Singapore. However, the availability of skilled workforces will be a major challenge. CSF Group is among the prominent data center construction contractors in the region, whose expertise will play a vital role in the growth of the market in Malaysia during the forecast period. The number of Tier I and Tier II data centers in Southeast Asia has reduced significantly over the last five years because of the increased awareness about the use of redundant infrastructure. UPS and PDU systems of Tier II data centers are equipped with minimum N+N redundancy. All other infrastructure facilities are identified to be working through the single delivery path with no redundancy in most cases. A majority of under-developed projects across the Southeast Asia region fall under the Tier III category. This trend is likely to continue during the forecast period, with several operators expecting to move to the Tier IV category based on the growth in rack power density and critical data center applications. Most new data centers are designed to be of Tier III standards with a minimum of N+1 redundancy. They can be reconfigured with up to 2N+1 redundancy, with the incorporation of flexible data center designs. Tier IV facilities generate more revenue for the market, with focused investment on highly efficient cooling systems. They involve the adoption of a 2N+1 cooling unit. Hyperscale data centers are considered to be of Tier IV standards in the market, which is a significant boost to the data center market. As of December 2019, there were around nine Tier IV certified data center facilities by Uptime Institute certified in Southeast Asia. Market Segmentation by IT Infrastructure Servers Storage Network Market Segmentation by Electrical Infrastructure UPS Systems Generators Transfer Switches and Switchgears Rack PDU Other Electrical Infrastructures Market Segmentation by Mechanical Infrastructure Cooling Systems CRAC & CRAH units Chiller Units Cooling Towers, Dry Coolers, & Condensers Other Cooling Units Racks Others Mechanical Infrastructure Market Segmentation by General Infrastructure Building Development Installation and Commissioning Services Building Designs Physical Security DCIM & BMS Market Segmentation by Tier Standards Tier I &II Tier III Tier IV Data Center Market in Southeast Asia - Geography China Mobile International (CMI), Equinix, Global Switch, Google, Iron Mountain, Keppel Data Centers + Huawei, and ST Telemedia were major investors in the data center market in Singapore in 2019. Singapore is a major financial center, and hence a natural colocation hub to serve developing markets in Southeast Asia. The market for cloud computing in Malaysia is not as mature as Singapore. Malaysia has a strong potential for growth in cloud adoption because of several digital transformation initiatives carried out by organizations across industry verticals. This is driving several organizations to invest in cloud systems, which, in turn, is driving the need for local data centers. Regal Orion is a new entrant, that is involved in the development of hyperscale campus in Malaysia. Key Country Singapore Malaysia Thailand Indonesia Other Countries Key Vendors Analysis The data center market in Southeast Asia(except Singapore) is in the nascent stage. It has a strong potential for growth as many enterprises are migrating from server rooms to cloud or colocation facilities. The market has a strong presence of players such as Cisco, Dell Technologies, HPE, Huawei, Fujitsu, NetApp, Lenovo, and IBM. The direct presence of vendors can be witnessed in a few countries. However, they offer the product through resellers to enterprises across the country. The growing data center construction in the market is prompting vendors to improve the efficiency of solutions being offered in the market. Many countries in the region suffer from frequent power fluctuations and power outages. This will enable operators to adopt efficient power backup solutions, with UPS systems that offer over 95% efficiency. Schneider Electric, Vertiv, and Delta Power Solutions are among the providers with a strong presence in the market. DRUPS systems are mainly provided by Piller Systems, MTU On-Site Energy, KINOLT (Euro-Diesel), and Hitec Power Protection. The high price of electricity in Singapore will prompt data center operators to consider fuel cells. This may reduce the adoption of UPS systems, generators, and DRUPS systems in the market, creating competition in the market. Prominent Data Center Critical (IT) Infrastructure Providers Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Cisco Dell Technologies Huawei IBM Inspur Lenovo NetApp Fujitsu Prominent Data Center Investors AirTrunk Operating China Mobile International Limited (CMI) CSL Digital Realty Equinix Facebook Global Switch Google Iron mountain Katalyst Data Management Keppel DC Kepstar Data Center Management NTT Communications PT Telekomunikasi Group Regal Orion Space DC ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC) Prominent Construction Contractors Arup AWP Architects CSF Group DSCO Group Faithful+Gould Flex Enclosure Fortis Construction Kienta Engineering Construction M+W Group (Excyte) NTT FACILITIES PM Group Powerware Systems (PWS) Sato Kogyo Prominent Support Infrastructure Providers ABB Caterpillar Cummins Delta Group Eaton Euro-Diesel Fuji Electric Hitachi Hi-Rel Power Electronics Hitec Power Protection KOHLER Group Legrand Group Mitsubishi Electric MTU OnSite Energy (Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG) Piller Systems Rittal Schneider Electric Vertiv Key Market Insights It offers comprehensive insights into current industry trends, trend forecasts, and growth drivers about the data center market in Southeast Asia . . The report provides the latest analysis of market share, growth drivers, challenges, and investment opportunities. It offers a complete overview of market segments and the regional outlook of the Southeast Asia data center market. data center market. The study offers a detailed overview of the vendor landscape, competitive analysis, and key market strategies to gain competitive advantage. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/9uhu1r 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] 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 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Reliance Industries has mopped up Rs 8,500 crore from the sale of non-convertible debentures (NCDs), cashing in on the cheaper funds flooding the debt market that is starved of quality paper, priced it at 7.20 per cent. The debt market is flushed with money after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) opened a special repo operations called the targeted long term repo operations (TLTRO) on March 27, which offers banks funds at the repo rate which is currently pegged at 4.40 per cent. The Reliance Industries (RIL) offer gives a coupon of 280 bps premium on the repo rate. RIL has mopped up Rs 8,500 crore from an NCD issue today (Friday). The issue consist of a three-year fixed tenor tranche of Rs 4,000 crore offering 7.20 per cent coupon, and a Rs 4,500-crore floating rate tranche offering 7.2 per cent, which is a 280-bps spread over the repo rate, a market source told PTI. The issue, which had hit the market Thursday, has been mostly subscribed by State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank, the source added. The company was planning to mop up Rs 9,000 crore in two tranches of Rs 4,500 crore each in with a fixed rate and floating rate coupons of 7.20 per cent. It can be noted that RIL is the most-cash rich company as also one of the most indebted corporates sitting on debt pile of over Rs 1.54 lakh crore as of March 2020. According to an exchange filing, RIL would use the proceeds from the NCD sale to repay existing rupee loans and would be issued through a private placement of consisting of 30,000 unsecured redeemable fixed coupon, non-convertible debentures under the PPD (privately placed debentures) series K1. Each NCD has a face value of Rs 10 lakh each aggregating to Rs 3,000 crore along with a greenshoe option for oversubscription up to Rs 1,500 crore, aggregating in cash to Rs 4,500 crore. The RBI had promised to pump Rs 1 lakh crore to the market through the targeted long term repo operations (TLTRO). Of the total amount it has already infused Rs 75,000 crore into the system and the final tranche is in the market as this copy is being written. Under the TLTRO announced on March 27, banks get three-year funds at the repo rate of 4.40 per cent but have to invest 50 per cent of the fund in NCDs/CPs or any other corporate debt. Earlier this week the RBI however, restricted single company exposure to 10 per cent of the raised amount - which means say if SBI has mopped Rs 10,000 crore through this route it can invest only Rs 1,000 crore of this in the RIL issue. According to media reports, the TLTRO window is being tapped by HDFC, PowerGrid, NHB and also Hudco. The Reserve Bank announced the TLTRO at lower yields to be parked in the secondary market and invest in primary issues as part of its initiatives to help borrowers cope with the economic damage inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier in the day on Friday, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said that it has been decided to conduct targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO 2.0) for an aggregate amount of Rs 50,000 crore, to begin with, in tranches of appropriate sizes. The RIL debentures are rated AAA/Stable by both Crisil and Care Ratings, the filing had said, adding the issue will hit the market on April 16 and close the next day and will have a three-year tenor with annual coupon payout. While Axis Trustee Services has managed the issue which will be traded on bourses, Link Intime was the registrar and HDFC Bank was the arranger. For the quarter to December 2019, RIL's consolidated turnover stood at Rs 1,68,858 crore and net profit at Rs 11,640 crore. The RIL counter was trading 2.7 per cent up at Rs 1200 on the BSE whose benchmark Sensex that was trading up 1.7 per cent up at 1240 hrs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) U.S. Army leaders announced Thursday that they are confident the service will reopen training to new recruits next week, despite the recent discovery of about 50 cases of coronavirus at one of its Basic Combat Training centers. On April 6, Army training officials announced a two-week pause to shipping recruits to BCT as the service struggles to control the spread of COVID-19 throughout the force. Since the pause began, the Army has begun fielding new health testing equipment so the training centers can test several hundred trainees a day. Related: Army Will Stop Taking New Recruits at Basic Training for 2 Weeks So far, about 50 trainees in a single Basic Combat Training battalion at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, Army leaders told reporters at the Pentagon on Thursday. In total, the Army has 992 cases of the virus across the active-duty force, National Guard and Reserve. Despite the cluster of cases at Jackson, Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said he remains confident in the protocols the service has put in place to create a "safety bubble where there is minimum exposure to other soldiers." "I want to assure the parents and families of soldiers that, even in this time of uncertainty, one thing remains true: We have a sacred obligation to take care of your sons and daughters to ensure they are ready to support and defend this nation, and we have the right measures in place to do that," he added. McConville said he visited Jackson on Wednesday to see the new measures that have been put into place. Jackson has four new testing systems -- two BioFire systems and two GeneXpert 16 systems -- which allow training officials to get up to 768 complete test results per day, he said. Each GeneXpert 16 completes 360 test kits per day, "720 for two of them at Jackson," Lt. Gen. Scott Dingle, the Army's surgeon general, told reporters. Each BioFire system completes 24 test kits in 24 hours. "This is on the spot; they are not being sent out," Dingle said. "We get it right there." The Army has expanded this testing capability at 36 installations and has the ability to "cross-level and send it to other locations and medical centers as required," said Dingle, who could not give the Army's total test capability requirements because the number is still being worked out at the Pentagon, as well as at Forces Command and Training and Doctrine Command. "Ideally, we would like to test everyone," McConville said. "The more you can test, the more you are going to feel comfortable with what the status of the force is." For now, the Army will continue to practice social-distancing guidelines in the training centers as much as possible. Despite the pause in shipping recruits, training continues at the Army's initial-entry training centers at Jackson, as well as at Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; and Fort Sill, Oklahoma. "They are continuing to train new soldiers, and some of those soldiers have been there six to seven weeks," McConville said, describing the training he witnessed at Jackson. "They were doing buddy [team] live-fires ... during the training. They were six feet apart, and they were either wearing masks or gaiters when they got closer," he added. To control the possible spread of the virus, the Army's Center for Initial Entry Training has already drastically revamped its procedures for housing and training new soldiers. Before the two-week pause, the service cut the number of trainees it ships each week from about 1,200 to about 600 to allow them to be spaced farther apart in the barracks. In addition, training centers have started a 14-day "controlled monitoring" phase of BCT, where groups of up to 30 new trainees are kept separate from others, in case any of them develops COVID-19 symptoms in that time period. "If someone does become positive with COVID-19, it's a very, very small amount of soldiers they may have infected, and that is how we will keep the spread of the virus down," McConville said. -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Read More: Army Tests New Virus-Resistant Protocols for Shipping Recruits to Training A teenage girl skylarking with friends in the dead of the night at a selfie hotspot has miraculously survived a 15-metre drop just months after a British model plunged to her death at the notorious cliff face. The 16-year-old was with at least one friend at Diamond Bay, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, at 9.30pm on Thursday when she tumbled from the rocks. She suffered severe chest and abdomen injuries but escaped alive from the picturesque but perilous lookout. Her friend, also 16, attempted to rescue her but also had to be hoisted to safety after a tense three-hour rescue involving police, firefighters, and ambulance officers. The cliff has claimed multiple lives in recent years - including 21-year-old model Madalyn Davis just four months ago. Diamond Bay is a popular location for selfies, with numerous photos tagged #diamondbay on Instagram snapped from the cliff edge Madalyn Davis, 21, (pictured in Bondi days before her death) fell to her death from a cliff at a popular selfie spot in Sydney A New South Wales Ambulance spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the girl was transferred to St Vincent's Hospital in a stable condition. There were concerns she may have damaged her spine in the fall but her friend was not injured. There were crowds of neighbours, family and friends gathered watching from afar as the rescue was carried out. The rescue team was lowered from a helicopter and was required to try to find the teenager in the dark She was eventually hoisted to safety and was taken to St Vincents Hospital in a stable condition Photographs show the team of rescuers as the 16-year-old girl was stretchered to safety The cliff is blocked by a fence, but young people have been known to climb it in the hopes of nabbing a selfie with the ocean as a backdrop. On January 13, 21-year-old Ms Davis fell 30 metres to her death after watching the sunrise on the cliff. The young tourist had been at a party in nearby Vaucluse when she and a handful of friends walked to the lookout about 6.30am. They are believed to have climbed over a fence to sit on the edge of the cliff to watch the sunrise and take photographs before she fell. The joint operation took about three hours. Both the teenager who fell, and her friend who tried to rescue her, survived Neighbours, friends and family milled around the Diamond Bay reserve while the operation was underway Ms Davis was mourned in dozens of tributes by shattered friends online, remembered as a 'free spirit' who was 'beautiful inside and out'. In August last year, a 27-year-old woman also fell to her death while posing for photos on the cliff face. Diamond Bay is a popular location for selfies, with numerous photos geo-tagged #diamondbay on Instagram from the cliff edge. The Waverley Council said it would crack down on visitors risking their lives at Diamond Bay for the perfect picture. New South Wales police are investigating the incident. Ms Davis was mourned in dozens of tributes by shattered friends online, remembered as a 'free spirit' who was 'beautiful inside and out' Rescue teams required flashlights to see in the darkness as they spent about three hours trying to rescue the girl TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has ordered an urgent review of rules involving workers being flown into this country. Mr Varadkar has said that he is uncomfortable with a large number of people coming in to work on Keelings Strawberry farm. Mr Varadkar said: I share the discomfort expressed by the Chief Medical Officer about the report of a large number of people coming to Ireland earlier this week to work in the horticulture sector. We need to keep our airports and ports open so essential goods and essential workers can get in and out of the country and Irish citizens and residents can return home. However, we need to keep travel to a minimum and ensure that passengers are interviewed on arrival and that quarantine is observed. I have therefore asked for an urgent review of the current rules and procedures to be carried out over the weekend. A national recruitment campaign will begin shortly for temporary horticultural workers, targeting those who are on the dole in Ireland. Keelings said in a statement that it flew 189 seasonal workers on a charter flight from Sofia to Dublin last Monday. All had been health screened by a doctor before they travelled to Sofia Airport where they were temperature checked before entry, it said. Mr. Kwabena Owusu Nkatiah, a Kumasi based Economist, has said emphatically that Former President John Dramani Mahama will go into history books as the worst leader ever the country has had as far as Heads of States under the Fourth Republic is concerned. According to him, the Former Presidents management of issues relating to the economy and other sectors which are ingredients to the countrys economic growth has so far proven to be a disaster. His comment comes after Mr. John Mahama, had advised the Akufo-Addos government to employ the jobless health workers to aid in the fight against Coronavirus(COVID-19). According to him, more hands are needed at the various health facilities to fight against the pandemic. The Flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) also called for the use of traditional medicine in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in Ghana. It is time to explore the role of alternative medicine and traditional remedies in the fight against the Coronavirus. Some traditional medicines are known to boost the immune system and can help both in the prevention of people succumbing to the disease and also play a role, a palliative function in the management of persons suffering from COVID-19, he said. But speaking on OTEC FM breakfast Show, dubbed Nyansapo on Friday, April 17, 2020, Mr. Owusu Nkatiah was of the view that, ex-President Mahama doesnt come near any of the previous head of states including the late Professor Evans Fiifi Atta Mills adding that he exhibited huge incompetency during his regime. Mahama is yet to wake up to the fact that he lost. Hes resorted to complaining about everything. He has arisen again to contest in 2020. To get a chance, he has taken to defaming the ruling government in the eyes of Ghanaians, he told the programmes host, Captain Koda Maybe he is crying because, after the ruling, he has seen that of all Presidents Ghana has had, he has been the worse under the fourth Republic and it has become burdensome on him, he said. President Mahama is a visionless, incompetent and corrupt leader who did anything good to the people Ghana. ---OtecfmGhana.com The government's workplace watchdog is willing to negotiate with businesses that have underpaid staff about taking longer to make repayments if they are under financial strain because of the coronavirus. The Fair Work Ombudsman has ramped up its call centres to help employers and workers navigate workplace changes the government has brought in to support them through the pandemic. Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker is trying to guide workers and businesses through one of the largest and fastest upheavals in how Australians work. Credit:Jason South But it has had to pause regular visits to firms to check if they are following wage rules, one of its most effective compliance tactics, because of health and safety concerns for its inspectors. "Our expectation is still that those companies pay back their workers," Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. "But that doesn't stop them coming to us and saying ... we're really being hit hard by coronavirus. We would like to have extra time and we ... can negotiate that. Again, it depends on the circumstances." Outlines Details for Conference Call & Webcast and Voting Time and location of the Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the Meeting) on May 14, 2020 has been changed to 1:30 p.m. PT at 400 Burrard Street, Suite 1860, Vancouver, B.C. In order to mitigate the risk posed by COVID-19, NOVAGOLD encourages shareholders to vote on matters before the Meeting by proxy, join via webcast and conference call, and submit questions in advance either via the webcast or by email VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NOVAGOLD RESOURCES INC. (NOVAGOLD or the Company) (NYSE American, TSX: NG) announces that the location and time of the Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the Meeting) has been changed to the Companys offices at 400 Burrard Street, Suite 1860, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 3A6, on May 14, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. PT. The original Meeting location is no longer available. NOVAGOLD MEETING AND SHAREHOLDER PARTICIPATION Due to ongoing concerns related to the spread of COVID-19, and in order to mitigate potential risks to the health and safety of its shareholders, employees, and other stakeholders, the Company strongly encourages shareholders to vote on the matters before the Meeting by proxy, and to view the Meeting presentation online by way of a conference call and webcast, rather than attend in person. The routine legal requirements of the annual meeting will be carried out by a limited number of Company representatives. The designated proxy representatives will cast ballots as indicated by your proxy. NOVAGOLD encourages all shareholders to participate in the Meeting remotely. Shareholders may submit questions to management ahead of the Meeting via email at info@novagold.com . There will also be an opportunity to ask questions during the Meeting by conference call following the conclusion of the official business portion of the Meeting and webcast presentation. WEBCAST AND CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION The conference call and webcast will be available on NOVAGOLDs website at https://www.novagold.com/investors/events/ . Story continues The webcast and conference call-in details are provided below. Following the official Meeting, the Company will provide an overview of NOVAGOLDs 2019 achievements and the outlook for 2020. Callers should dial-in 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and simply ask to join NOVAGOLDs call. Webcast: Here North American callers: 1-800-319-4610 International callers: 1-604-638-5340 The webcast will be archived on NOVAGOLDs website for one year and the conference call replay will be available for 14 days following the Meeting. To access the conference call replay please dial 1-800-319-6413 (North America), or 1-604-638-9010 (International), followed by Access Code: 3781. For a transcript of the call please see the Companys website or email info@novagold.com . Shareholders of record at the close of business on March 18, 2020 are entitled to receive notice of the Meeting and to vote at the Meeting. Details on the agenda of the Meeting and items to be voted on are contained in the Management Information Circular filed with regulators and on the Company website. The proxy card included with the proxy materials previously distributed will not be updated to reflect the change in location and time and may continue to be used to vote your shares in connection with the Meeting. Any shareholder attending the Meeting is to present government-issued photo identification and the Meeting Notice received in the mail. If the Company is unable to hold the Meeting on May 14, 2020, NOVAGOLD will notify shareholders of any changes to the date, time, and/or location through the issuance of a media release and the filing of additional proxy materials with the SEC and SEDAR, both of which will be available on our corporate website at www.novagold.com . NOVAGOLDs 2020 Management Information Circular and Annual Report to Accompany the Management Information Circular are available on the Companys website, www.novagold.com/investors/mic/ , on SEDAR at www.sedar.com , and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov ABOUT NOVAGOLD NOVAGOLD is a well-financed precious metals company focused on the development of its 50%-owned Donlin Gold project in Alaska, one of the safest mining jurisdictions in the world. With approximately 39 million ounces of gold in the measured and indicated mineral resource categories, inclusive of proven and probable mineral reserves (541 million tonnes at an average grade of approximately 2.24 grams per tonne in the measured and indicated resource categories on a 100% basis),1 Donlin Gold is regarded to be one of the largest, highest-grade, and most prospective known open pit gold deposits in the world. According to the Second Updated Feasibility Study (as defined below), once in production, Donlin Gold is expected to produce an average of more than one million ounces per year over a 27-year mine life on a 100% basis. The Donlin Gold project has substantial exploration potential beyond the designed footprint which currently covers 1.9 miles (3 km) of an approximately five-mile (8 km) long gold-bearing trend. Current activities at Donlin Gold are focused on state permitting, optimization work, community outreach and workforce development in preparation for the construction and operation of this project. With a strong balance sheet, NOVAGOLD is well-positioned to fund its share of permitting and optimization advancement efforts at the Donlin Gold project. Scientific and Technical Information Some scientific and technical information contained herein with respect to the Donlin Gold project is derived from the Donlin Creek Gold Project Alaska, USA NI 43-101 Technical Report on Second Updated Feasibility Study prepared by AMEC with an effective date of November 18, 2011, as amended January 20, 2012 (the Second Updated Feasibility Study). Kirk Hanson, P.E., Technical Director, Open Pit Mining, North America, (AMEC, Reno), and Gordon Seibel, R.M. SME, Principal Geologist, (AMEC, Reno) are the Qualified Persons responsible for the preparation of the independent technical report, each of whom are independent qualified persons as defined by NI 43-101. Clifford Krall, P.E., who is the Mine Engineering Manager for NOVAGOLD and a qualified person under NI 43-101, has approved and verified the scientific and technical information related to the Donlin Gold project contained in this press release. NOVAGOLD Contacts: Melanie Hennessey Vice President, Corporate Communications Jason Mercier Manager, Investor Relations 604-669-6227 or 1-866-669-6227 Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as expects, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, potential, possible, and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results will, may, could, would or should occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on several opinions, estimates and assumptions that management of NOVAGOLD considered appropriate and reasonable as of the date such statements are made, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the potential development and construction of Donlin Gold; perceived merit of properties; the advancement of optimization studies at Donlin Gold; potential opportunities to enhance or maximize the value of Donlin Gold; the timing and likelihood of permits; mineral reserve and resource estimates; work programs; capital expenditures; timelines; strategic plans; and benefits of the Donlin Gold project and market prices for precious metals. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent NOVAGOLDs management expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events or circumstances on the date the statements are made. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the need to obtain additional permits and governmental approvals; the timing and likelihood of permits; the need for additional financing to explore and develop properties and availability of financing in the debt and capital markets; the outbreak of the coronavirus global pandemic (COVID-19); uncertainties involved in the interpretation of drilling results and geological tests and the estimation of reserves and resources; the need for continued cooperation between NOVAGOLD and Barrick Gold Corp. for the continued exploration, development and eventual construction of the Donlin Gold property; the need for cooperation of government agencies and native groups in the development and operation of properties; risks of construction and mining projects such as accidents, equipment breakdowns, bad weather, natural disasters, climate change, non-compliance with environmental and permit requirements, unanticipated variation in geological structures, ore grades or recovery rates; unexpected cost increases, which could include significant increases in estimated capital and operating costs; fluctuations in metal prices and currency exchange rates; whether a positive construction decision will be made regarding Donlin Gold; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in reports and documents filed by NOVAGOLD with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time. The forward-looking statements contained herein reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections of NOVAGOLD on the date the statements are made. NOVAGOLD assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. 1 Donlin Gold data as per the Second Updated Feasibility Study (as defined herein). Donlin Gold measured resources of approximately 8 Mt grading 2.52 g/t and indicated resources of approximately 534 Mt grading 2.24 g/t, each on a 100% basis. Mineral resources have been estimated in accordance with NI 43-101. Chefs and restaurant owners across the country have voiced their frustration this week about the makeup of an economic council assembled by the White House to address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on businesses. A recent announcement by Yountville chef Thomas Keller that he was proud to be part of the group spurred outcry on social media, which led the chef to hit back at his haters online. It started Tuesday, when the White House announced the specific makeup of a council of CEOs, association representatives and others who would advise the government on the steps needed to revitalize the U.S. economy in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Among them is a roster of food and beverage specialists, mainly chain restaurant CEOs and heads of national manufacturing corporations like Coca Cola and Kraft, with the notable exception of four chef/restaurateurs known for their work in fine dining: Wolfgang Puck, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Daniel Boulud and Keller. Members of the food industry, like the those affiliated with the Bay Area Hospitality Coalition (BAHC), a restaurant advocacy organization that emerged during the coronavirus outbreak, expressed disappointment that small, independent businesses were left out, as they are still struggling with garnering representation on the federal level. Informing that discontent is a sense of existential urgency: As the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak continues, food and beverage businesses have been among the hardest hit, plagued by mass layoffs and closures. Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle 2017 So when Keller said that he was honored to be tapped for the White House council on Twitter, he was immediately hit with blowback. Critics pointed out the overwhelming whiteness and maleness of the 23-person food and beverage group and were skeptical of such a groups ability to speak to the concerns of food workers at large. The lack of women is really painful, wrote Kat Kinsman, a senior editor at Food & Wine magazine, on Twitter. I'm sure the dudes are great, but I'm so, so tired of just having to trust that they'll do the right thing rather than folks having a seat at the table, too. It feels like, Let daddy take care of it, and that's beyond disheartening. Edward Lee, a Washington D.C. chef and writer, had a slightly different take on it in a Twitter post. Its (sic) a bad look but we have an opportunity (to) be unified in this fight. I will trust in (Keller) to fight for policy we ALL need. Lee called on the government to improve the Paycheck Protection Program, a small business loan program which ran out of funds just days after applications opened; provide better protection for frontline food workers; compel business insurance companies to pay out for losses related to coronavirus; and to offer grants instead of loans with conditional forgivability. John Storey / Special to the Chronicle Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. In response to the backlash, Keller, who normally isnt known for engaging in online back-and-forth, spoke up on Twitter. This is not a partisan issue; millions are struggling to put a meal on their table. I stand proudly alongside some of the great thought-leaders of today; Tim Cook, Jeff Bezos, Ajay Banga, Condoleezza Rice, Adam Silver, Ann Mukherjee, Barbara Grimm, and many others. I urge all haters and cynics to stop and join meaningful actions. Shout less, act more. Los Angeles chef and restaurateur Carlos Salgado responded, Shame on you for pridefully aligning with terrorists without protest and without publicly advocating for the most disenfranchised in our industry. You were our hero. Now you look uglyWe expected more from you, jefe. (That means chef in Spanish, FYI.) Soleil Ho is The San Francisco Chronicles restaurant critic. Email: soleil@sfchronicle.com NORWALK The unanimous vote for a new superintendent for the citys public schools came with at least some apprehension from one Board of Education member. Alexandra Estrella was officially named on Thursday night the successor to the retiring Steven Adamowski as of July 1. However, board member Sherelle Harris said she was only 80 percent in agreement with her colleagues. I was not totally satisfied with the company or the process, Harris said during the meeting, which was conducted over Zoom. Im hoping my 20-percent apprehension will be proven wrong, she said. Harris said she would leave her critique of the selection process to a private discussion. Im hoping this will not be politics as usual, she said. Estrella, who was otherwise welcomed in the unusual format of a livestreamed meeting, expressed her appreciation and centered many of her remarks on serving children. Im a mother, a wife, an educator that firmly believes in the value of education and the development of the whole child, she said. The daughter of immigrant parents who came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic, Estrella shared about the important influence her teachers had on her as a child who didnt speak English. My parents were immigrants that came from the Dominican Republic in search of a better life and in the process they werent able to get educated, she said. It took a village of teachers and educators to support me in that pathas somebody coming into the system not knowing English, Estrella said, noting that her fifth-grade teacher literally transformed her life. I believe that theres nothing more important than our childrens education, and nothing that will propel our community more than investing in education, she said. Im committed to insuring that all children have what they need (and) to make sure that every child acquires the education they are entitled to, she said. Estrella has served as a community school superintendent for the New York City Department of Education since 2013, most recently in Community School District 4 in East Harlem, N.Y. She previously worked for five years as principal of Esperanza Preparatory Academy, a dual-language middle school that she helped found in 2008 in East Harlem, N.Y. Estrella began her education career in 2000 as a science teacher in Manhattan. She and her husband have three children, including twin sons, 14, and a daughter, 18. Like you, I believe in providing all children an outstanding education, she told the board, applauding its strategic plan, as well as the work of Adamowski. I am committed to insuring that that work continues to expand, she said. Im here to learn from your hopes and aspirations, and to take what is already there and build upon it, she said. We are so happy to have you here, BOE Chairwoman Sarah Lemieux said. I am so happy to have you here. I think your leadership is going to be so valuable to us at this time, she said. Estella graduated with a doctorate in education from Sage College of Albany and holds a masters degree in science education from Pace University and a masters degree in educational leadership from Baruch College. In 2017, Estrella was hit with a $3,000 fine for the 2011 sale of her Mount Vernon home to a teacher employed at one of her schools, in breach of New York City rules. New York Citys then-Deputy Press Secretary for the Department of Education told the New York Daily News at the time that Estrella made a mistake and had an otherwise clean disciplinary history. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sara Hussein (Agence France-Presse) Tokyo, Japan Fri, April 17, 2020 15:03 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd285dcf 2 Health coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-drugs,pandemic,medicine,Fujifilm Free It is approved for use in flu outbreaks and has been deployed to treat Ebola, but now Avigan is being trialed as a potential coronavirus treatment. Here are some questions and answers about the anti-viral medication: What is Avigan? Avigan is the brand name of the drug favipiravir. It was developed by what is now known as Fujifilm Toyama Chemical and approved for use in Japan in 2014. But in Japan, it is only approved for use in flu outbreaks that aren't being effectively addressed by existing medications. It is not available on the market and can only be manufactured and distributed at the request of the Japanese government. Favipiravir works by blocking the ability of a virus to replicate inside a cell. There are some safety concerns: it has been shown in animal studies to affect foetal development, meaning it is not given to pregnant women, and some doctors say they would not recommend it for children or adolescents. How is it being used to treat coronavirus? Some doctors began trying favipiravir to treat coronavirus patients early on, reasoning that its anti-viral properties would be applicable. Some initial results suggested the drug could help shorten recovery time for patients, with China's ministry of science and technology hailing it as yielding "very good clinical results". There are currently around five clinical trials ongoing in countries including the US, Italy and Japan, where Fujifilm announced it would be testing the drug's efficacy on a group of 100 patients through until the end of June. The Japan study will involve administering the drug for up to 14 days to patients between 20 and 74 with mild pneumonia. Gaetan Burgio, a geneticist at Australian National University's College of Health and Medicine, said the trials would be looking at a variety of factors. They include clinical outcomes -- meaning effects on fever, cough, oxygenation, recovery time and time spent in hospital -- as well as how quickly the virus clears the system, along with x-rays or CT scans for pneumonia. "If we see a significant reduction in clinical outcome and lower viral load from the favipiravir group, this would be a good sign for a larger-scale clinical trial," he told AFP. What sets these trials apart? While doctors have already been experimenting with favipiravir for treating coronavirus patients, these trials will be conducted according to rigorous guidelines intended to ensure the drug is safe and effective across a broad range of patients. "Smaller studies have been reported but it's hard to draw conclusions from these as patient numbers are small and the trials often don't compare versus [a regime of] best supportive care and placebo, more often to another drug," said Stephen Griffin, a virologist at the University of Leeds. "The big trials should be segregated according to disease severity and will compare to placebo." How does it compare to other drugs? Scientists are studying a wide variety of drugs for possible treatment of coronavirus patients, including remdesivir, another antiviral. One study of the two drugs as a treatment for coronavirus found favipiravir was only effective at relatively high concentrations, with remdesivir considered a better option, possibly in part due to the way coronaviruses replicate compared to other viruses, said Griffin. But remdesivir is not yet licensed anywhere in the world and has to be administered intravenously via a drip, whereas favipiravir is approved in several countries and can be taken orally as a pill. Japan has heavily backed the drug, asking Fujifilm to ramp up production for use at home and offering to supply it for free to dozens of countries that have put in requests. When will we know if it works? Fujifilm's Japan and US trials will run until the end of June, with other data coming in from trials in Italy and elsewhere. Additional information will also be available from so-called compassionate use of the drug by doctors offering it to patients in non-study settings where other medication is not working. But Burgio cautioned against high hopes. "There are to date over 300 clinical trials underway for COVID-19. The expectations are very high for a miracle drug!" "Let's wait and see. However, rather than drugs, the best treatment against COVID-19 for now is social isolation, wash our hands and stay at home." During the news conference, Joliet Interim fire Chief Greg Blaskey said his crews have responded to 31 calls at the nursing home in the past five weeks. Of those, 21 were COVID related. Ten of those were for patients who were breathing but unresponsive, seven were for patients having difficulty breathing and four were for cardiac arrest. The remaining calls were non-COVID-19 related, he said. Mexicos Pemex is looking for joint venture opportunities, the countrys energy regulator said. Thats despite the presidents decision to suspend all new bidding rounds and review all contracts with foreign oil companies signed by the previous government. In an interview with Reuters, the head of the National Hydrocarbons Commission, Rogelio Hernandez, said, regarding the joint ventures, I think it will happen during this government. In fact, I see it as imminent. The Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador government announced the suspension of all oil field exploration and development contracts last year, as it began to review these contracts for signs of corruption by the previous government. At the same time, the Lopez Obrador administration shelved all planned oil and gas auctions for the duration of the contract review. According to Hernandez, Pemex has a portfolio of more than 350 projects, and of these, some 100 could be farmed out to partners because if Pemex does not start developing them, the assets will revert to the state. The process may be coming to an end now, or maybe the government has found that Pemex will be hard-pressed to develop all the priority fields the government identified last year for development. The Lopez Obrador administration plans to increase oil production by 50 percent by the end of the presidents term in office. This plan will have to be delayed temporarily, as Mexico agreed to cut 100,000 bpd from its average daily to support efforts by OPEC+ and other oil producers to prop up international oil prices. However, Pemex still seems to be sticking to plans for drilling 423 new wells this year and accelerate the development of 15 discoveries, even though, according to some energy experts, more than half of the countrys oil production is unprofitable at oil prices of $30 per barrel. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: "It's not rocket science" may be a tired cliche, but that doesn't mean designing rockets is any less complicated. Time, cost and safety prohibit testing the stability of a test rocket using a physical build "trial and error" approach. But even computational simulations are extremely time consuming. A single analysis of an entire SpaceX Merlin rocket engine, for example, could take weeks, even months, for a supercomputer to provide satisfactory predictions. One group of researchers at The University of Texas at Austin is developing new "scientific machine learning" methods to address this challenge. Scientific machine learning is a relatively new field that blends scientific computing with machine learning. Through a combination of physics modeling and data-driven learning, it becomes possible to create reduced-order models -- simulations that can run in a fraction of the time, making them particularly useful in the design setting. The goal of the work, led by Karen Willcox at the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, is to provide rocket engine designers with a fast way to assess rocket engine performance in a variety of operating conditions. "Rocket engineers tend to explore different designs on a computer before building and testing," Willcox said. "Physical build and test is not only time-consuming and expensive, it can also be dangerous." But the stability of a rocket's engine, which must be able to withstand a variety of unforeseen variables during any flight, is a critical design target engineers must be confident they have met before any rocket can get off the ground. advertisement The cost and time it takes to characterize the stability of a rocket engine comes down to the sheer complexity of the problem. A multitude of variables affect engine stability, not to mention the speed at which things can change during a rocket's journey. The research by Willcox is outlined in a recent paper co-authored by Willcox and published online by AIAA Journal. It is part of a Center of Excellence on Multi-Fidelity Modeling of Rocket Combustion Dynamics funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and Air Force Research Laboratory. "The reduced-order models being developed by the Willcox group at UT Austin's Oden Institute will play an essential role in putting rapid design capabilities into the hands of our rocket engine designers," said Ramakanth Munipalli, senior aerospace research engineer in the Combustion Devices Branch at Air Force Rocket Research Lab. "In some important cases, these reduced-order models are the only means by which one can simulate a large propulsion system. This is highly desirable in today's environment where designers are heavily constrained by cost and schedule." The new methods have been applied to a combustion code used by the Air Force known as General Equation and Mesh Solver (GEMS). Willcox's group received "snapshots" generated by running the GEMS code for a particular scenario that modeled a single injector of a rocket engine combustor. These snapshots represent the instantaneous fields of pressure, velocity, temperature and chemical content in the combustor, and they serve as the training data from which Willcox and her group derive the reduced-order models. Generating that training data in GEMS takes about 200 hours of computer processing time. Once trained, the reduced-order models can run the same simulation in seconds. "The reduced-order models can now be run in place of GEMS to issue rapid predictions," Willcox said. advertisement But these models do more than just repeat the training simulation. They also can simulate into the future, predicting the physical response of the combustor for operating conditions that were not part of the training data. Although not perfect, the models do an excellent job of predicting overall dynamics. They are particularly effective at capturing the phase and amplitude of the pressure signals, key elements for making accurate engine stability predictions. "These reduced-order models are surrogates of the expensive high-fidelity model we rely upon now," Willcox said. "They provide answers good enough to guide engineers' design decisions, but in a fraction of the time." How does it work? Deriving reduced-order models from training data is similar in spirit to conventional machine learning. However, there are some key differences. Understanding the physics affecting the stability of a rocket engine is crucial. And these physics must then be embedded into the reduced-order models during the training process. "Off-the-shelf machine learning approaches will fall short for challenging problems in engineering and science such as this multiscale, multiphysics rocket engine combustion application," Willcox said. "The physics are just too complicated and the cost of generating training data is just too high. Scientific machine learning offers greater potential because it allows learning from data through the lens of a physics-based model. This is essential if we are to provide robust and reliable results." Zhang Dixuan and his Huawei team are on a mission to build truly inclusive and pervasive AI. Their goal is to provide affordable, effective, and reliable AI for everyone. Zhang Dixuan, the head of Huaweis Atlas Data Center Business, and his team couldnt be happier. Theyre on the brink of realizing decades of research to bring about a new era the intelligent era. We aim to deliver the ultimate AI computing power, says Dixuan. Its a matter of creating the best or nothing. Huawei Leaders at the forefront of a new era are capable of creating real change. Dixuan feels lucky to be one of those leaders. Dixuan has been with Huawei for more than 12 years. He spent the first six years of his career working on data transmission products. He has participated in the R&D of 40G and 100G products for long-distance optical transmission. For the last six years, he has been involved in the R&D of computing products. I think Im lucky, says Dixuan. Huawei has given us a new world of opportunities and challenges to explore. We have the chance to overcome technical problems at the highest levels on the way to a new era. The essential elements for AI development computing power, algorithms, and data are ready. AI has moved out of the realm of theory and is playing an increasingly important role across industries. Dixuan and his team have been breaking new ground in technology. Theyve patented a method to replace the processors and memory modules of traditional servers online. These key components can now be seamlessly replaced as needed during critical services without disruption. The growing use of AI across industries is also increasing the demand for computing power. There has never been a better time to be working in computing architecture innovation, says Dixuan. Projections state AI will make up 84% of data center workloads by 2024. Huawei Making AI a General-Purpose Technology Huawei has used its Da Vinci architecture to mold Atlas into an AI computing platform for every device, edge, and cloud scenario. Huawei developed Da Vinci as a unified architecture that allows engineers to quickly deploy customized algorithms and applications. The work doesnt stop there. Dixuan and his team have developed products with the industrys most powerful AI computing to fully realize the potential of algorithms and to revolutionize industries. AI has drastically shortened disease analysis and streamlined diagnoses in healthcare. It has also transformed the electric power industry with wireless and solar-powered applications for data visualization and intelligent inspection of power lines. Dixuan and his team are on a mission to build truly inclusive and pervasive AI. Their goal is to provide affordable, effective, and reliable AI for everyone. However, they know they cannot do it alone. Truly inclusive AI requires both the technology of Atlas and an ecosystem of partners. The Atlas team has collaborated with partners on the best ways to spark an intelligent industry evolution to fully capitalize on the potential of AI. A focal point has been how to fully adapt Huawei Atlas to partner algorithmic models to optimize software and hardware and to fully realize computing and algorithmic power. Future plans include accelerating AI development by supporting AI developers in making accessible architecture and programming for everyone. Seize the Day China has recently kicked off a new infrastructure initiative to build an AI framework, 5G networks, and large data centers. This has put Dixuan and his team on a tight schedule. As a result, theyve lost no time in ramping up the R&D of Atlas products and accelerating every step of the process. Once hardware engineers receive the PCB, they immediately go to the production line at the factory to expedite mounting the board fully with components. Software engineers simultaneously prepare their own code so they can debug services as soon as possible. Reports predict the world AI market will exceed $6 trillion by 2025. Chinas New Generation AI Development Planestimates that Chinas core AI industry will exceed CNY1 trillion by 2030 with subsequent growth in related industries exceeding CNY10 trillion. To learn more about Atlas, please click here. Germany is on the side of Ukraine in the European Union regarding the extension of sanctions against Russia, Ambassador of Germany to Ukraine Anka Feldhusen has said. "We are convincing our partners, and I know that we are on the side of Ukraine in the EU regarding sanctions against Russia. We are really fighting for the EU to continue to support these sanctions, because we also believe that they are important and necessary, because the situation in Donbas and Crimea, unfortunately, has not changed," she said during an online discussion of the Kyiv Security Forum on the topic: "New reality: how to protect our home from war, disease and devastation?" on Friday. Feldhusen noted that Germany handed over protective clothing for the State Emergency Service and other assistance to eliminate fires to Ukraine. "This is a little help, but we always think about Ukraine, and we will continue to do this," the ambassador said. In addition, she emphasized that Ukraine is a very important partner of Germany. "Ukraine is a very important partner for us. The EU, especially Germany, stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine. And even if we sometimes criticize, this is our constructive criticism, we think so. This does not mean that we are not your partners and sometimes your friends. No. Our chancellor is really a very great friend of Ukraine, and this is one of the reasons why we are working so closely and why I am so glad to be the ambassador to Ukraine right now because we are working closely and very fruitfully," she said. Russia said Friday it had recorded 32,008 coronavirus cases, including a record 4,070 in the last 24 hours, as President Vladimir Putin warned of "very high" risks, particularly in the ill-equipped provinces. Official figures showed more than half of the new cases were registered in Moscow and the surrounding region. So far 273 deaths have been recorded in Russia, including 41 in the last 24 hours. Speaking during a televised video-conference with regional governors, Putin said that "the risks surrounding the epidemic's spread are still very high, not just in Moscow but in many other Russian regions." Moscow's mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Friday reported the completion of a 500-bed hospital built within weeks, which will start admitting patients Monday. But Putin said every region must be equally prepared, even as several governors complained of a lack of medical equipment and specialist staff. Vladimir region governor Vladimir Sipyagin said his region of 1.36 million only has 71 ventilators and half the needed resuscitation experts. To this Putin responded that governors "are sitting there in order to overcome challenges". Moscow, Europe's largest city with some 12 million inhabitants, has been under lockdown since the end of March, but officials have complained that many residents are flouting confinement rules. Deputy mayor Anastasia Rakova warned the city "will face difficult weeks" ahead. "The peak in morbidity should arrive in the next two to three weeks," she said in a video released on social media. Under confinement rules that Muscovites have to observe until at least May 1, they are only allowed to leave their homes to go to work, walk their dogs, take out trash or visit their nearest shop. This week, city authorities tightened the lockdown by introducing a digital permit system, requiring that anyone travelling by car or public transport obtain a pass. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The coronavirus has now claimed 18 lives in New Canaan, according to Director of Emergency Management Michael Handlers nightly call to residents Thursday night, April 16, 2020. No further information about New Canaans latest casualties was released in Handlers call. New Canaan currently has 139 positive cases. This number is up two from Wednesday, April 16, 2020, in which there were 137 positive cases. RELATED: New Canaan Director of Emergency Management Michael Handlers nightly call to residents for April 16, 2020 In Thursdays call, Handler referenced a chart he posted on the towns website, www.newcanaan.info detailing the demographic breakdown of the towns data regarding the disease COVID-19. The coronavirus causes the disease. Of the 130 total positive infections to date, 28 percent have been association with (the) Waveny LifeCare Network, and 9 percent have been associated with Silver Hill Hospital, Handler also said. Please keep in mind that Waveny has been conducting comprehensive testing of its residents, and their more than 500 employees, which can partially explain the higher incidence of infection, he also said. The data, while limited in sample size, does support the premise that COVID-19 mortality is felt most by the oldest segment of the population, and those with preexisting medical conditions, he also said. Of the 18 fatalities, 16 were over the age of 80, and two were in their 60s. Sixty-one percent of the fatalities are associated with Waveny, (six of the 11 being over the age of 90). One Waveny fatality is included in this data because the State Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has determined that the official cause of death was COVID-19. This contradicts on-site PCR test results from Thursday, April 2, 2020, that were negative. The letters PC and R stand for Polymerase Chain Reaction. RELATED: Chart on the Town of New Canaans website of demographic breakdown of the towns COVID-19 data Handler also mentioned that measures to limit the virus, and diseases spread are working. He also instructed residents to keep doing what they are doing to limit the virus, and diseases spread. The data indicates that self-isolation, and strict social distancing mandates are extremely effective without it, our general rates of infection would more closely mirror those found in a communal living environment, such as a nursing home. Continue to do your part, and please stay healthy, he ended his call for the night saying. 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 19:33:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over a chairpersons' meeting of the 13th NPC Standing Committee in Beijing, capital of China, April 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, will convene its 17th session from April 26 to 29 in Beijing, according to a statement issued after a chairpersons' meeting Friday. Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the chairpersons' meeting. The chairpersons' meeting suggested that the upcoming session review a draft revision to the law on the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste, a draft law on administrative punishments for those working in the public sector and a draft biosecurity law. The session is expected to deliberate proposals on revising the laws on animal epidemic prevention and the People's Armed Police Force, and amending the copyright law. A number of proposals and reports will also be reviewed, including a proposal on a draft decision to authorize the State Council to temporarily adjust relevant laws and regulations in the Hainan pilot free trade zone, a report on environmental protection and a report on strengthening public health-related legislative work. Enditem Mumbai, April 17 : Bollywood actress-former beauty queen Urvashi Rautela has yet again shared a sizzling photograph of herself and said that she wants to be referred "as a goddess". Urvashi took to Instagram, where she shared a photograph of herself flaunting her svelte figure in a sexy aztec print hot pink bikini. She has completed her look by leaving her hair open with a flower and sunglasses. "Refer to me as a Goddess, I'm tired of being modest," she captioned the image, which currently has 1.3 million likes. Just recently, Urvashi shared a picture in white lacy corset, teamed with hot pants and a white shirt. The image seems to be taken in her balcony. She had set social media ablaze in black swimsuit. She had also shared a video where the actress can be seen enjoying a scrumptious breakfast spread on a floating tray. The B-Town hottie and internet sensation had even got trolled for repeating her bikini in previous posts. The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has disrupted supply chains and international trade with more than 100 countries closing national borders to curtail the spread of the deadly virus, which has infected more than 2 million globally. The pandemic has weighed on corporate profit margins and impacted economic growth. Notably, the UN warned that the global economy could shrink up to 1% this year with 22 million people filing for unemployment in the past month in the United States, a reversal from its earlier prediction of 2.5% growth. Moreover, social media companies are witnessing spike in conspiracies related to coronavirus, including misleading or inaccurate claims, false testing methods and fake cures at an alarming rate. This has prompted tech giants like Facebook FB, Twitter TWTR, Alphabets GOOGL Google, Microsoft MSFT and Apple AAPL to develop tools that are helping people stay connected in a secured way. At a time when fake news about COVID-19 is spreading faster than the virus itself, involvement of social media behemoths in developing information centers while also combating fraud and misinformation could help prevent people from panicking and generate some positivity around their respective brand names. Moreover, the tech companies are promoting authoritative content on their platforms and sharing critical updates in coordination with government healthcare agencies around the world. Facebooks Ongoing Fight Against Coronavirus Fake News Facebook recently announced it will inform users if they liked, reacted to or commented on a post with harmful misinformation about the virus that moderators later removed. Moreover, the Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company collaborated with Italys Facta, a fact-checking service to analyze content circulated on WhatsApp, including photos, video and audio. Users can send content to Facta via a WhatsApp message to verify its accuracy. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Furthermore, Facebook announced a $100 million contribution to support journalism as part of its general response to the pandemic. It included a Coronavirus (Covid-19) Information Center with content from the World Health Organization, an effort to scrub the News Feed of dangerous misinformation and ban ads that try to sell bogus cures or gouge people trying to buy medical equipment. Recently, the social-media giant added a new Get the Facts feature on the COVID-19 information center of its news feed that will include fact-checked articles from partner organizations that debunk misinformation about the coronavirus. Moreover, WhatsApp has more than 2 billion users worldwide and has been making efforts to stop the spread of fake news related to the pandemic. The platform announced a $1 million grant for IFCN last month to support journalism from the CoronaVirusFacts/ DatosCoronaVirus alliance a project created by IFCN in January that includes more than 100 fact checkers in 45 countries to fight COVID-19-related fake news and misinformation. Facebook is also supporting fact-checking operations with AFP and other media companies, including Reuters and the Associated Press, under which content rated false is downgraded in news feeds so that fewer people see it. Meanwhile, Facebook-owned Instagram now has health cards that redirect to sources like the World Health Organization or local health authorities. Story continues Facebook, Inc. Price and Consensus Facebook, Inc. Price and Consensus Facebook, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Facebook, Inc. Quote Other Tech Players Fighting Misinformation as Coronavirus Fears Rise Twitter has removed more than 1,100 misleading and potentially damaging tweets since Mar 18 after it announced a new guidance that bars harmful content. This includes tweets from high-profile figures like the presidents of Brazil and Venezuela. The Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company has updated its strategy for monitoring tweets during the outbreak, which includes reviewing the rules and considering the ways in which it may need to evolve to account for new account behavior. Twitter, Inc. Price and Consensus Twitter, Inc. Price and Consensus Twitter, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Twitter, Inc. Quote Meanwhile, Microsofts Bing recently launched an interactive map that provides information on the spread of coronavirus. The map contains details about the number of cases per country, divided into the number of currently active cases, recovered cases and fatal cases. U.S. citizens can view state-by-state information. Notably, the Zacks Rank #3 companys LinkedIn has published a post containing links to information about finding trustworthy news sources and working remotely. A similar post has been made by Alphabet CEO, Sundar Pichai. Microsoft Corporation Price and Consensus Microsoft Corporation Price and Consensus Microsoft Corporation price-consensus-chart | Microsoft Corporation Quote Further, Google announced that it is pumping in $6.5 million into fact-checkers and nonprofits to ramp up its fight against coronavirus-related misinformation. It also launched a website in the United States, which posts data related to coronavirus symptoms, treatment and preventive remedies procured from WHO. Alphabet Inc. Price and Consensus Alphabet Inc. Price and Consensus Alphabet Inc. price-consensus-chart | Alphabet Inc. Quote Apple partnered with CDC, the White House Coronavirus Task Force and Federal Emergency Management Agency to release a COVID-19 website and a COVID-19 app (currently available on the App Store) in the United States to increase awareness about the highly contagious virus. Last week, this Zacks Rank #3 company in partnership with Google announced a new set of tools that will allow mobile devices to trade information via Bluetooth connections to alert people when they are in close proximity to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Apple Inc. Price and Consensus Apple Inc. Price and Consensus Apple Inc. price-consensus-chart | Apple Inc. Quote Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside? Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. See the pot trades we're targeting>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Facebook, Inc. (FB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Twitter, Inc. (TWTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Domestic consumption and export of tobacco may witness a dip of about 20 per cent during the current year due to the ongoing lockdown to contain coronavirus spread in India as well as some countries in Europe and the US, sources close to the Tobacco Board said. Sources indicated that the Board may ask farmers to cut sowing in Karnataka this year following the plunge in demand. However, the Board was yet to take a call on that. A member of India Tobacco Association noted that the country exports about Rs 5,000 crore worth of tobacco after value addition to USA, Europe and other countries. "Like any other industry the tobacco industry also came to standstill due to lockdown. Tobacco auction in AP which began earlier was also suspended. It is expected to begin after April 20. Due to delay in supplies and also health advisories on COVID-19, there may be muted demand this year. Tobacco Board expects about 20 per cent dip in demand this year," sources told PTI. When contacted, Tobacco Board chairmanRaghunadha Babu Yadlapati said Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka produced 124 million kgs and 103 million kgs respectively last year. "We will ensure that all the tobacco produced by farmers will be cleared. We will request the industry to lift unsold stocks if any from them. We will not let any farmer suffer even if there is a drop in demand," Babu said. Without providing absolute numbers, he said the restrictions on smoking and the extended lockdown may impact the tobacco consumption. Of the total tobacco produced in the country, one third or about 65 per cent is exported. The Board chairman said this year they granted permission to sow 140 million kgs and 99 million kgs in AP and Karnataka respectively. The ITA member said the tobacco crop fetches about Rs 3,500 crore at the farmers' level and after value addition about Rs 5000 crore worth of the commodity is exported. "The foreign buyers are yet to come to India and physically inspect the product and place orders, though initial discussions on requirement and quality parameters are over. They changed their travel plans as there is complete lockdown in most of the countries," the ITA member said. According to the ITA, the auction for Andhra Pradesh's stock is expected to resume from April 19 when the relaxations announced by the Centre will come into force for certain sectors. The ITA member said as far as Karnataka crop was concerned, except one million kgs, rest of the commodity was auctioned. Every year a committee on production & production control of Tobacco Board lays down policy and fixes crop size for different soil regions in AP and Karnataka taking into consideration various factors such as demand for flue cured virginia tobacco (FCV) in India and abroad and the marketability of different varieties. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Donald Trump has given US governors a road map 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, the president said during his daily press briefing. Were starting rejuvenation of our economy again. This is a gradual process. 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 normality will be a far longer process than he had 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. They largely reinforce plans already in the works by governors, who have primary responsibility for public health in their states. Youre going to call your own shots, Mr Trump told the governors in a conference call. Were going to be standing alongside of you. Places with declining infections and strong testing would begin a three-phase gradual reopening of businesses and schools. We have a very large number of states that want to get going and theyre in very good shape. That's good with us, frankly Donald Trump Phase one recommends strict social distancing for all people in public. Gatherings larger than 10 people are to be avoided, and non-essential travel is discouraged Phase two encourages people to maximise social distancing and limit gatherings to no more than 50 people unless precautionary measures are taken. Travel could resume 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 begin phase one almost immediately. They will be able to go literally tomorrow, he said. We have a very large number of states that want to get going and theyre in very good shape. Thats good with us, frankly. The guidelines recommend that states pass checkpoints that look at new cases, testing and surveillance data over the prior 14 days before advancing from one phase to another. Governors of both parties made clear they will move at their own pace. Delaware governor John Carney, a Democrat, said the guidelines seem to make sense. Were 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. West Virginias Jim Justice, a Trump ally, 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, he told reporters. At the 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. The guidelines also include general recommendations to businesses as they plan for potential reopenings, suggesting temperature-taking, rapid Covid-19 testing and widespread disinfection efforts in workplaces. Expand Close Protesters in Lansing, Michigan (Paul Sancya/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters in Lansing, Michigan (Paul Sancya/AP) The plan was announced as a growing wave of unrest over lockdown measures appeared to be rising in the US, with protests in various states. In places including Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia, actions of dissent have been organised outside governors mansions and state parliament buildings. Small-government groups, supporters of Mr Trump, anti-vaccine advocates, gun rights backers and supporters of right-wing causes have united behind a deep suspicion of efforts to shut down daily life to slow the spread of the Covid-19. As their frustration with life under lockdown grew, they started to openly defy the social distancing rules in an effort to put pressure on governors to ease them. Some of the protests have been small events, promoted through Facebook groups that have appeared in recent days and whose organisers are sometimes difficult to identify. Others are backed by groups funded by prominent Republican donors, some with ties to Mr Trump. The largest so far, a rally of thousands that jammed the streets of Lansing, Michigan, on Wednesday, looked much like one of the presidents rallies complete with Maga (Make America Great Again) hats or Trump flags. She hit out at a follower after she was warned about her eating this week. And Emily Atack has hit back at fat-shamers once more as she shared a throwback #MeAt20 snap on Friday. The former Inbetweeners actress, 30, posted a snap of herself in 2010 when she was at the height of her fame in the comedy show, with the star sporting blonde locks and a chic LBD. Slammed: Emily Atack has hit back at fat-shamers once more as she shared a throwback #MeAt20 snap on Friday Giving an insight into the trolling she faced as a rising star, she wrote: '#MeAt20 with my melon head and tiny little body, that was criticised for being too fat even then. Ending on an empowering note, she added: 'You will never please everybody. So have that Easter egg for breakfast and relax.' The star was inundated with compliments from fans with one writing: 'Lovely then and now' while another typed: 'You were beautiful then & are still beautiful now Emily. Us ladies need to stick up for ourselves & each other a lot more.' 'Tiny body and I was criticised for being fat!' The former Inbetweeners actress, 30, posted a snap of herself in 2010 when she was at the height of her fame The tweet comes after Emily lashed out at a follower who warned that she would 'put on weight' if she continued with her culinary treats. The star slammed 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: The tweet comes after Emily lashed out at a follower who warned that she would 'put on weight' if she continued with her culinary treats (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.' Speculation about what Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett is doing during the coronavirus crisis is a common topic among investors these days, with most expecting the "Oracle of Omaha" to make a classic value purchase during this tumultuous time or a rescue cash infusion to a struggling company he likes over the long term. Well it doesn't appear any of that is going to happen soon. Berkshire's phone has not been ringing with corporate executives begging for rescue capital as the coronavirus outbreak has left everyone in shock and confused about what their next step will be, Charlie Munger told The Wall Street Journal. "Everybody's just frozen. And the phone is not ringing off the hook," said Munger, Berkshire Hathaway's vice chairman and Buffett's longtime business partner. "Take the airlines. They don't know what the hell's doing." "They've never seen anything like it. Their playbook does not have this as a possibility," Munger said. Berkshire Hathaway is a shareholder in airlines such as Delta and Southwest, among others. However, regulatory filings showed Berkshire sold part of its stake in both airlines recently. Airline stocks have been among the hardest hit during the coronavirus outbreak. For the year, Delta has lost nearly 60% of its value while Southwest is down 40%. The uncertainty around the outbreak also took a big bite out of the broader market. The S&P 500 has fallen about 19% from a record set Feb. 19. Usually, major declines give big investors such as Buffett and Berkshire an opportunity to buy into companies at a discount. Buffett made such investments in financials like Goldman Sachs and Bank of America amid the financial crisis more than a decade ago. However, Munger said they are being conservative this time around. "We're like the captain of a ship when the worst typhoon that's ever happened comes," Munger told the paper. "We just want to get through the typhoon, and we'd rather come out of it with a whole lot of liquidity." The coronavirus outbreak has clouded the global economic outlook. Earlier this week, the International Monetary Fund said it expects a global GDP contraction of 3% this year. Munger noted a recession is taking place, but added he does not think this downturn will turn into a depression. Click here to read the full Wall Street Journal report. Subscribe to CNBC PRO for exclusive insights and analysis, and live business day programming from around the world. Your daily look at late-breaking news and stories that are being talked about: 1. SPACE STATION CREW LANDS IN KAZAKHSTAN An International Space Station crew has landed safely in Kazakhstan after more than 200 days in space. 2. ANXIETY REMAINS HIGH 25 YEARS AFTER OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING Ordinarily, survivors and victims families would gather Sunday at the memorial where the Alfred P. Murrah Building once stood to pay tribute to the lives that were lost in the Oklahoma City bombing 25 years ago, but these are not ordinary times. 3. SKOREAN COURT TO RE-OPEN CASE ON ABUSIVE VAGRANT FACILITY South Koreas Supreme Court says it will re-open a case related to the enslavement and abuse of thousands of people at a vagrants facility in the 1970s and 1980s. 4. JERRY GIVENS DIES Jerry Givens, who served as Virginias chief executioner for 17 years before going to prison and becoming a prominent voice against capital punishment, has died. He was 67. 5. FDA APPROVES NEW BREAST CANCER DRUG U.S. regulators approve a new drug for an aggressive type of breast cancer thats spread in the body including into the brain, where its especially tough to treat. Theres no question the United States missed the opportunity to get ahead of the novel coronavirus, he wrote in an opinion column in The Washington Post on March 31. The choices we and our leaders make now will have an enormous impact on how soon case numbers start to go down, how long the economy remains shut down and how many Americans will have to bury a loved one because of COVID-19. The detrimental health effects of Turkeys appetite for coal have become evident during the coronavirus pandemic, as Turkish officials singled out Zonguldak, a small Black Sea province where lung disease is prevalent, for additional precautions. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced new measures against COVID-19 on April 4, including an intercity travel ban on 31 provinces for the next 15 days. The 30 cities on the list were the countrys largest, with populations of 750,000 and above. The only exception was the city of Zonguldak: home to Turkeys largest reserves of hard coal and its biggest coal-fired power plant. The decision was based on the prevalence of lung diseases in the city, Erdogan said. The government had also imposed a weekend curfew on Zonguldak and 30 other cities since April 10. Some 463 COVID-19 cases were recorded in Zonguldak as of April 10, rendering it the province with the 10th highest number of cases, despite its small population. The spread of the disease has triggered worries over mortality rates in the province, as those with chronic illnesses are at a higher risk of being hospitalized by the coronavirus. According to Cigdem Caglayan, a member of the Association of Public Health Specialists (HASUDER), Air pollution not only causes chronic diseases, it also rekindles existing ones, leading the coronavirus to be more fatal. Breathing in dirty air disturbs the defensive mechanisms of the respiratory system, allowing the virus to gain entry into the body and settle in. The residents of the province seem stuck in a vicious cycle, as the coal economy leads to pollution and chronic illnesses, which render them more vulnerable to the coronavirus. A 2015 study found the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to be unusually high in Zonguldak. The study cited air pollution due to immense coal burning and occupational exposure from coal mining among the reasons. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to avoid inhaling polluted air in Zonguldak. The small provinces short history is closely intertwined with the discovery in the mid-19th century of reserves of hard coal, which fueled the Ottoman navy and later powered the countrys industrialization. Today, Zonguldak hosts four coal-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 3,104 megawatts. However, its entire economy revolves around coal-related industries. In this regard, the citys high air pollution levels should come as no surprise. In 2018, the Chamber of Environmental Engineers prepared a report on the citys air quality and independently measured major air pollutants. The study found that sulfur dioxide, or SO2, levels stood drastically above the set limit, while particulate matter was also consistently higher than the limit values. Particulate matter, or PM, is a term used to describe tiny droplets or particles that are suspended in the air. Classified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2013, they are measured in micrometers and classified according to their size. The most dangerous are those that are smaller than 2.5 micrometers known as PM2.5 as they are able to enter the blood circulatory system after being inhaled. They also make one more vulnerable to COVID-19. Regrettably, air quality measurements from across the country point to a broader danger. Residents in nearly 80 of all Turkey's 81 provinces breathe air that is polluted above the levels recommended by the WHO, Buket Atli, coordinator at the Right to Clean Air Platform, told Al-Monitor. This is especially true for cities that have coal-fired power plants, such as the southeastern province of Kahramanmaras, where residents breathed Turkeys most polluted air in 2018. Just like Zonguldak, high levels of air pollution in Kahramanmaras are also closely linked with coal as the city is home to nearly half of Turkeys lignite reserves. The Afsin-Elbistan coal-fired power plants are located in the Elbistan district, where Turkeys highest level of PM 10 was measured in 2018. A recent study by Harvard University established a clear link between prolonged exposure to PM2.5 and higher COVID-19 mortality rates. Accordingly, a person living in a region with a single unit higher than PM2.5 is 15% more likely to die from the coronavirus, compared to someone living in a place with one unit less. Data on PM2.5 levels across Turkey is inadequate since the country has failed to regulate emissions. Nonetheless, reports by civil society organizations paint a bleak picture, especially as the country continues to invest heavily in coal, a major emitter of PM2.5. According to a 2018 report, Turkey continues to have large numbers of coal power projects in pre-construction. The latest information on how closely human lives are intertwined with clean air could serve as a wake-up call. As more people are deemed vulnerable to COVID-19 based on the quality of air they breathe, the time may be ripe for Turkey to reconsider the deadly consequences of its energy policies. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Reza Mardian (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 17, 2020 08:43 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd26ad83 3 Entertainment transgender,Movie,pop-culture,representation,television,LGBT-in-Indonesia,LGBT-rights Free The death of Mira, a trans woman who was burned to death, has shocked many. It's even more infuriating to know that the perpetrators were not sentenced for murder due to the lack of mens rea. This was a highly controversial assertion made by law enforcement, and it contradicted what local neighbors said they had witnessed. Transgender people have often been portrayed as sad jokes by the mainstream media, mainly in cinema and television. Beti Bencong Slebor (Beti the Messy Transvestite) from the late 1970s gave us an image of what was supposedly the transgender community that lasted for decades. The image was sustained through the 1980s, when trans characters were written for supporting/cameo roles, solely for comedic effect. There was never any depth to these characters, and viewers continued to perceive the transgender community superficially. In the early 2000s, Aming became famous for playing cross-dressing roles in the television show Extravaganza. Although the program depicted gender diversity, the problem remained the same: transgender roles were written purely for gags. In the early 2010s, emerging Indonesian filmmakers started to change that notion. With his first feature film, Lucky Kuswandi directed Madame X (2010), penned by Nia Dinata under her production house, which had released critically acclaimed films such as The Gathering! (2003) and Love for Share (2006). In the movie, Lucky narrates how a trans woman named Adam (Aming) transforms into a superhero to protect society from a manipulative and oppressive government. It's a comedy, but it also provides profundity for the character. Adam's struggles as a transgender person are depicted through the day-to-day discrimination he encounters, including name-calling, dating situations and sexual assault. Madame X allows people to laugh and have an open discussion. Although it was produced with low quality visual effects, the film was praised for bringing such an important premise to the silver screen. In 2011, Teddy Soeriaatmadja's Lovely Man portrayed a transgender person working as a prostitute in Jakarta. It showcases gender as a spectrum, where a man who used to identify as a straight man changed his identity to a trans woman. The film leaves a lasting impression and reminds us that things might be more than what they seem. Both Madame X and Lovely Man are widely considered to be fair representations of the transgender community. More recent films like Bid'ah Cinta (2016) and Eyelashes (2017) manage to show transgender representation in a broader context, such as how the Muslim community perceives transgender people. But there is hardly anyone like Nia Dinata, who continues to urge inclusivity. She worked as a producer of Working Girls (2011), in which Ulfie, a trans woman living in Jakarta, tries to reveal her new gender to her family in Aceh. Anggun Pradesha's documentary Emak dari Jambi (2015), made through a project initiated by Nia, shows a mother living in Jambi coming to Jakarta to meet her son who is now a she. Nia's latest project, Gossip Girl Indonesia (2020), may not specifically tackle the same issues, but she cast two trans women portraying cisgender characters. They might be minor roles, but it is still something important. Nia's approach to ensuring inclusivity in movies has created a healthy discourse around the transgender community in the film industry why they are not given enough roles, for example. No matter how great an actor can act, authenticity and realness can never be replaced. In Hollywood, filmmakers like Ryan Murphy have created shows like Pose, which juxtaposes glamor in the late 1980s and the AIDS epidemic. The show does not hold back when it portrays violence and discrimination against the transgender community. It concerns events of three decades ago, yet it's still relevant. Filmmakers have the privilege to create that impact. The absence of transgender representation in television due to the government's ban on explicit queer-related visuals perpetuates unhealthy discussion. The lack of exposure only ignites intolerance. A recent attempt from the Cameo Project is short documentary Perempuan Tanpa Vagina (Woman without a Vagina), produced under the YouTube Creators For Change. It is available to stream for free. But the industry still sorely lacks great films portraying the wide range of the transgender community, while existing films are not often available on popular streaming services such as Netflix, Viu and GoPLay. Mira's case needs to be addressed fairly, but for the long haul, we need to start thinking about what films we should showcase. It is difficult to expect a big change in television, but streaming services are also obligated to spark a healthy discussion among young audiences. Ensuring the representation of the transgender community could have an impact for years to come. (wng) Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Six people who attended a funeral caught the coronavirus and died, according to a South Carolina coroner. Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker told news outlets the deaths involved elderly, African American individuals. The State newspaper reported the Kershaw County funeral took place in the first week of March. Baker told the news outlet a large number of people congregated there and someone unknowingly spread it. According to WACH-TV, many of the people who attended the funeral are now self-quarantined. "They are people that lost their lives tragically," Baker told the TV station. State Duma restricts sale of alcoholic beverages by bars in apartment houses flickr.com/ bambe1964 18:00 17/04/2020 MOSCOW, April 17 (RAPSI) Russias State Duma has passed in the second and third final readings a bill empowering regional authorities to put caps on sale of alcoholic beverages or ban the operation of public catering businesses, the premises of which are situated in apartment houses or in close proximity thereof, a statement of the lower house of Russias parliament reads on Friday. The document also regulates the minimum standards of customer areas of such establishments, which are to make no less than 20 square meters; however, regional authorities are free to set higher respective standards at their discretion. According to Chair of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications Alexander Khinshtein, the law is aimed at empowering regions to set additional requirements and regulate sales of alcoholic products in public catering establishments. The bill has been initiated and approved because of the numerous complaints of residents of such houses; besides it envisages closing a gap in legislation permitting unprincipled businesspersons to sell alcoholic beverages in prohibited time, the deputy says. Twenty-one workers of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, have been arrested and detained by the police in Rivers state, South-South Nigeria, for allegedly violating the lockdown order in the state, the Petroleum & Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), has said. As part of the measures to halt the spread of the new coronavirus in Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Wike had signed an executive order barring vehicles and flights from entering the oil-rich state. The workers arrest is coming a few days after two Caverton Helicopters pilots and their ten passengers were arrested, charged to court, and remanded in Port Harcourt prison for allegedly violating the lockdown order in Rivers State. The Mobil workers were arrested at about 3:30 p.m. on Thursday in Bori, a border town between Rivers and Akwa Ibom State, according to a statement from PENGASSAN. The oil workers, guarded by the police, were traveling from Akwa Ibom to Rivers to work in an oil facility at Intel, Port Harcourt, when their convoy was intercepted by the commissioner of police and a top army commander in Rivers State, PENGASSAN said. The PENGASSAN statement is signed by its chairman, Razaq Obe, and the secretary, Kings Udoidua. The association said the oil workers have not broken any law and that ExxonMobil Nigeria, like other responsible organizations, has adopted 14 days isolation of all personnel as a prerequisite for offshore travels in order to mitigate COVID-19 risk. The commissioner rebuffed all explanations and forced them to move to Elekaya Stadium, Port Harcourt, where they have been detained, verbally assaulted and starved. The original pretext for sending them to the stadium was to test for COVID-19 but there was no such possibility at the location; it is a construction site. They rather served them papers to write statements. It is appalling that Rivers State authorities have turned the global effort to tame COVID-19 to a tool of muscle-flexing and petty oppression of oilfield workers. We condemn the continued detention of the 21 members of our Union who stake everything to produce the oil the country depends on for survival. We call on all stakeholders to prevail on the government of Rivers State to end this most unpleasant drama, PENGASSAN said in the statement. The police spokesperson in River State, Nnamdi Omoni, however, told PREMIUM TIMES that the oil workers were not arrested, but that they are being kept in an isolation centre where they are to be tested for coronavirus. Nigerian economy depends largely on earnings from crude oil export. The development in Rivers State underscores the delicate balance between keeping Africas largest economy alive and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Nigeria has 442 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 13 deaths, as of April 15, according to data released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. Rivers State has two confirmed cases of the viral infection for now, while Akwa Ibom state has six. Some animals are genetically predisposed to die before reaching old age to benefit the rest of the colony, according to a new British study. Caenorhabditis elegans, a roundworm that shares genetic traits with humans, is programmed to die early to reduce its colony's demand for food, scientists say. These organisms possess a genetic 'self-destruct programme', preventing them from living beyond a certain age to benefit younger worms. Mutations to these C. elegans genes can massively increase their lifespan, most likely by switching off their life-shortening programme. The new study is said to be the first evidence of programmed, adaptive death in an animal that has evolved for the benefits to its wider community. C. elegans has been extensively used as a model organism to understand biological phenomena like ageing. UCL researchers investigated the specifics of the C. elegans life cycle to understand why programmed death may work for them, by devising computer models of a C. elegans colony growing on a limited food supply It's been known for years that programmed cell death benefits living organisms, but we're now realising there is programmed organismal death as well, that can benefit animal colonies, said first author Dr Evgeniy Galimov at the University College London (UCL) Institute of Healthy Ageing. Our findings are consistent with the old theory that ageing is beneficial in one way, as they show how increasing food availability for your relatives by dying early can be a winning strategy, which we call consumer sacrifice. The UCL researchers hypothesised that colonies of closely-related individuals such as C. elegans evolved to develop a programmed death mechanism. To test their theory, the University College London (UCL) devised computer models of a C. elegans colony growing on a limited food supply. The researchers also looked at the impact of shorter lifespans on the overall capacity of reproductive yields in this case 'Dauer larva', which is an alternative developmental stage of nematode worms. Caenorhabditis elegans (pictured here as a 3D render) is a free-living, transparent nematode, or roundworm, about 0.03 inches (1mm) in length Simulations showed that shorter lifespan, shorter reproductive span and reduced adult feeding rate can increase colony fitness by reducing futile food consumption. Early adult death was particularly beneficial when adult food consumption rate overall was high, researchers said. According to evolution theory, altruistic death to leave more food to your relatives normally can't evolve, said lead author Professor David Gems at the UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing. This is because other individuals who live longer would consume resources left behind by altruistic comrades and outcompete them, in what's called a tragedy of the commons. 'But it was recently discovered that wild C. elegans roundworms live in colonies of identical worms, which would prevent long-living worms with different genes from taking over.' C. elegans is a non-parasitic species of worm of the nematoda phylum, about 0.03-inches in length. But what's special about the species is it's commonly used by scientists in ageing research. This is because it actually shares many of its genes with humans due to both species sharing a common ancestor. This similarity allows scientists to assess the effects of genetic and environmental interventions in the worms to research how to extend lifespans. Cycles depicted of the reproductive fitness of C. elegans, both for the individual worm and its colony. In the wild, C. elegans populations experience cycles of boom and bust. When dauer larva encounters a new food patch, such as a rotting plant stem, it forms a colony Despite the similarity, it's unlikely that humans have a similar genetic 'self destruct capacity'. Adaptive death can only evolve under certain special conditions where populations of closely related individuals don't mix with non-relatives, said Dr Galimov. So this is not predicted to apply to humans, but it seems to happen a lot in colonial microorganisms.' Adaptive death could also happen in some types of salmon, which spawn and die in huge numbers in the upper reaches of rivers. It's been shown that the rotting, dead salmon nourish the salmon fry,' he said. 'We call this form of adaptive death biomass sacrifice. The next stage in this area of research is to study real C. elegans colonies to test for behaviours predicted by the model, and then build more realistic models to understand adaptive death. The study has been published in the journal Aging Cell. The indiatimes.com privacy policy has been updated to align with the new data regulations in European Union. Please review and accept these changes below to continue using the website. We use cookies to ensure the best experience for you on our website. Extraordinary Board of Directors meeting approves the EIB Groups response to economic effects of COVID-19 crisis: a 25 billion European guarantee which aims to deliver up to 200 billion for the European economy Board decision follows 9 April recommendation by Eurogroup to include EIB proposal into joint EU response package The EIB Group is set to play a key role in the fight against the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a recommendation by the Eurogroup on 9 April, the Board of Directors of the European Investment Bank (EIB) today backed the creation of a 25 billion European COVID-19 guarantee fund. The fund will enable the EIB Group to scale up its support for European companies up to an additional 200 billion with a focus on SMEs. The guarantee fund envisages a contribution from all 27 EU Member States and will also be open to contributions by third parties, for example from the EU budget. The guarantee fund will be established under the EIBs structure of Partnership Platform for Funds (PPF), based on existing legal frameworks and standardized procedures. The fund will be formally established as soon as Member States accounting for at least 60% of EIB capital have made the necessary commitments. As there is no need to create new instruments or processes, the fund can be set up rapidly. Europe needs an ambitious pan-European response to the pandemic. This guarantee will allow the EIB Group to play a strong role in the EU package of measures agreed by the Eurogroup. The EU Finance Ministers asked us to act without delay and that is what we are doing. We can now move very fast indeed, work hand in hand with national and EU partners, and ensure that support reaches the economy wherever it is most deeply and urgently needed, said EIB President Werner Hoyer. The European COVID-19 guarantee fund will be implemented by the EIB and the EIF, the Groups subsidiary specialised in funding small and medium-sized enterprises. It will serve as a protective shield for European firms facing liquidity shortages. In order to address the consequences of the pandemic in all impacted markets and sectors, the EIB Group will deploy a broad mix of products. The EIB Group and its partners will make sure that the mix of products backed by the fund responds to market needs and requirements to respond to the crisis. The EIB Group will implement the fund in consultation with experts in national authorities, including central banks, to identify where the needs are most pressing. President Hoyer added: The decisions by the Member States on how to help mitigate the destructive effects of COVID-19 show true European solidarity. They prove that Europe stands united and ready to act. Beyond deciding on an immediate backstop, we will need to work hard on a recovery programme for the European economy. The EUs recovery from this terrible crisis must be fast; it must be green, supporting the pursuit of our climate goals; and it must help Europe catch up in innovation, technology and competitiveness. The EIB Group will play its part. In addition to establishing and managing the COVID-19 guarantee fund, the EIB Group is also implementing the emergency measures announced in March to repurpose existing guarantees to support companies in the EU to overcome the consequences of the crisis. The first measure, launched by the EIF on 6 April, offers dedicated EU-supported guarantees to contain the impact of the pandemic, making available 8bn of financing for SMEs and midcaps across Europe. As well as this, the EIB Group is using existing financial instruments shared with the European Commission primarily the InnovFin Infectious Disease Finance Facility to finance projects that work towards halting the spread of the coronavirus, finding a cure, and developing a vaccine. The EIB Group will also support emergency measures to finance urgent infrastructure improvements and equipment needs in the health sector, using existing framework loans or undisbursed amounts from existing health projects. The EIB Groups current pipeline of projects in the health sector amounts to around 5 billion. Detailed information about the help offered by EIB and EIF GENERAL Petroleum Company on Thursday in Dar es Salaam donated various coronavirus protective items to Temeke Municipality in efforts to fight spread of the disease in the area. Leading the donation in their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the companys Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Hayat Khan said the spirit to assist was part of the missions dictum of Together we conquer. Citing the donations as bottles of sanitizers to 142 streets in the Municipality, masks and unspecified number of gloves, he added that the assistance would continue in efforts to help the government to tame the disease in the public and institutions, including Hospitals, which treat quarantined people. Mr Khan noted that the plough back was part of the companys expressing gratitude to the community, where they do business of manufacturing and marketing of lubricant products. Receiving the items for his Municipality, Mayor Abdallah Chaurembo said they would be distributed to Temeke Regional Hospital, Mbagala Hospital, Wards and Streets with an appeal that they should be strictly used and not misused or sold. May I appeal to the Councillors also to make sure that the 200 bottles of sanitizers, 600 pieces of masks and gloves issued to them are rightly take to the grassroots, where there may be a dire need, he said. While thanking the company for the donation, the Mayor said the investor interest to plough back in the community in their CSR was a mature way of showing solidarity with the government in times of difficulties. The government alone can not do it, but it is good we are surrounded by companies like General Petroleum in the Municipality showing support and I understand, you are preparing to also provide Iftar, we wish you all the best, said Mr Chaurembo. On his part, Temeke Municipal Medical Officer Dr Gwamaka Mwabulambo said, despite them receiving the assistance, still appealed to the residents to keep off crowded places, where necessary. People should always maintain a one metre social distance, frequently wash their hands with soap or sanitize hands, but above all keep off unnecessary crowded places, added the medic. A 68-year-old Pakistani man allegedly committed suicide by setting himself on fire in a graveyard here fearing that he contracted COVID-19. This is the first incident in Pakistan in which a suspected coronavirus patient committed suicide. Hanif Ahmed, who was an asthma patient, recently complained about breathing problems, but he resisted his family members' attempt to take him to hospital, police said. As his family members and some neighbours suspected him of COVID-19 patient owing to his identical symptoms, Ahmad developed a strong fear for the disease, a police official said. The official said Ahmed was also aware of the fact that the percentage of mortality of the COVID-19 was high in elderly patients and he resisted his family members' attempt to take him to hospital. Ahmed on Thursday brought petrol from a filling station and went to a nearby graveyard where he set himself on fire and died on the spot, he said. Police reached the spot and claimed to have recorded his statement just before his death. The official said Ahmed told the police moments before his death that someone in his area had told him that he was a confirmed patient of COVID-19, therefore, he committed suicide. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As amazing as this may sound, the worst of the deadly coronavirus for much of the worlds population is still to come. The pandemic is only just beginning to devastate many parts of the developing world. It is easier for us to see its impact close to home. With savage efficiency, the virus is raging through the hospitals and nursing homes of North America and Europe, while key countries in Asia are showing signs of a possible second wave. The number of cases worldwide now exceeds two million with Donald Trumps America leading the world with more than 34,000 deaths. In New York City alone in the past month, more than 11,000 people have died four times the number who were killed on 9/11 in 2001. But beyond our immediate gaze, the unfolding story is even more horrifying. If the virus is overloading the health care systems in the industrialized world, imagine what is happening among the more than a billion people living in the worlds poorest countries of Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and much of Asia. It is there where adequate health systems barely exist, where life-saving guidelines such as social distancing are virtually impossible to maintain, and where the coronavirus is only beginning its lethal march through the impoverished vastness of the developing world. So, given this unprecedented global health crisis, what better time for the president of the worlds richest and most privileged country to announce that the U.S. will halt funding of the sole international organization whose mission it is to solve global health crises? The critical fact is that Donald Trump feels that he is in desperate shape politically and hes right. Much to his horror, his sole argument for re-election has disappeared as the U.S. economy has imploded. His poll ratings are sinking as more Americans realize that his near-criminal indifference during the early weeks of this crisis has been responsible for thousands of American deaths. And the unlikely unity of the Democratic party behind the candidacy of Joe Biden helped this week by the endorsements of Bernie Sanders, Barack Obama and Elizabeth Warren suggests that Trump will lose in November and will lose badly. But in the meantime, strap in. This horror show is not yet over. I am not responsible for anything, Trump said a few weeks ago when pressed to defend the mismanagement of the U.S. coronavirus response. But to make that case, he needs scapegoats and in his reality they have been numerous. First it was the news media to blame. Then it was the U.S. state governors, followed by China. And then, this past Tuesday, it was the World Health Organization (WHO) that was the target of his wrath. Trump announced that U.S. funding of the WHO would be suspended pending a review into whether it was responsible for severely mismanaging and covering up the initial spread of the coronavirus. But living as he does in his own alternative reality, Trump was actually accusing the organization of the very sins that he committed. He ignored the threat when it first became known and was warned about it by the WHO. He lavished unwarranted flattery on China and its president for their work combating the virus: China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus, he wrote on January 24. The U.S. greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. And in late February, he even gushed about how effective the WHO has been: The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) & World Health (Organization) have been working hard and very smart. The World Health Organization has not been perfect after all, no global agency at the whim of donor countries has an unblemished record. But it has been effective. A revealing analysis of the WHOs performance by The New York Times published on Thursday came to this conclusion: A close look at the record shows that the WHO acted with greater foresight and speed than many national governments, and more than it had shown in previous epidemics. And while it made mistakes, there is little evidence that the WHO is responsible for the disasters that have unfolded in Europe and then the United States. But the financial attack on the WHO, if successful by Trump at this critical time, would have real-world consequences. For all of the talk about flattening the curve in North America and Europe, no such accomplishment is even imaginable as the developing world begins to confront the coronavirus. Depending on how effective the WHO and other international agencies are allowed to be, the only strategy for this part of the world in the months ahead is survival. Half a billion people could be pushed back into poverty as developing economies shrink because of the pandemic, according to a report issued earlier this month by the UNs World Institute for Development Economics Research. Its authors at Kings College London warned that the pandemic could lead to an enormous increase in global poverty that could send the world back 10 years and could send some regions back 30 years. This was written before the announcement by Trump about the WHO. Significantly, the worldwide reaction to Trumps decision has been withering. The governments of Britain, Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand and Canada disassociated themselves from any move to undercut the WHO. But Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of the respected British medical journal, The Lancet, went a step further: Every scientist, every health worker, every citizen must resist and rebel against this appalling betrayal of global solidarity. He described it as a crime against humanity. And he is right. Tony Burman , formerly head of CBC News and Al Jazeera English, is a freelance contributing foreign affairs columnist for the Star. He is based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyBurman Read more about: Zoom meetings, handkerchief masks, toilet paper and beans might as well be the four horsemen of the coronapocalypse. I, for one, have learned a great deal about that last one, legumes, in the past month thanks to two cookbooks: The Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Guide (Rancho Gordo Press, 2020) by Steven Sando and Julia Newberry, which came out April 6, and Cool Beans (Ten Speed Press, 2020) by Joe Yonan, which debuted Feb. 4. Having been kept at home with both for quite a long time now, I consider them excellent additions to any cookbook collection. Both exude a slow-simmering gentleness and love for humanity, making them a pleasure to read. In the prelude to The Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Guide, company founder Sando goes back and forth over the many nuances and variables of cooking his heirloom beans: in a pot, with soaking, without soaking and all the rest. But Sando, who is probably more entitled to be a bean snob than anyone else on the planet, wont judge you for adhering to superstition or not following his admittedly loose directions. In the end, he writes, The main thing is that youre cooking beans! That point is an important one, especially now when its so easy to see the beautiful, bubbling pots and elegantly plated quarantine lunches that have multiplied on social media. Such beauty, already somewhat irritating on a normal day, feels especially out of reach now. Everyone else seems to have so much time to decorate foccacia with herby, pastoral scenes and feed sourdough starters and roll pasta with their kids. How do they do it? Why am I eating stale crackers for lunch for the third day in a row? Rancho Gordo Press Despite the absurd, keeping-up-with-the-Joneses element of todays bean cookery, beans really do capture the contradictions of right now: Many of us have more time but also less time. You dont need to watch the pot but, if youre stuck at home, you can probably commit to hanging nearby for the duration. Sandos generous sentiment Look, the beans are going to be delicious regardless of how you fit them into your life is soothing. Less soothing was the task of actually trying to get hold of some of his fancy beans. Rancho Gordo has recently experienced an extreme burst in popularity, straining the small companys capacity and backing up shipments by weeks. Stocks of the companys dried heirlooms are slowly creeping back into markets and grocery stores. But you can always use other beans in these recipes. For best results, Sando recommends shopping at South Asian or Latin markets, where youre more likely to find fresher (i.e., less than 2 years old) packs of dried beans than at big-box stores. For the purposes of recipe testing for this story, I got Rancho Gordo beans, dried beans from a Latin grocer and several cans from a corner store. The Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Guide, which Sando wrote with his colleague Julia Newberry, is like a catalog of short bean profiles: 30 vignettes about key beans in the Rancho Gordo pantheon paired with one recipe each. The book showcases the who of beans with several essay-length profiles of growers like Annabelle Lenderink of La Tercera in Marin County and Maria (surname withheld for privacy reasons), who grows the companys popular Rebosero beans at her farm in Hidalgo, Mexico. Sandos larger-than-life photographs of the beans luxuriate in their every curve, speckle and wrinkle, much like the high-definition photos of wheaten loops and marshmallows on cereal boxes. And each title page includes space for you to jot down notes about the beans: Can veganize with vegetable shortening, or Takes three X-Files episodes to cook. Aubrie Pick Yonans Cool Beans, on the other hand, is traditionally segmented by dish types, including dips, hearty stews, drinks and desserts. The lovely photos by Aubrie Pick are saturated with color, depicting beans in their native environments: mason jars, clay bowls, aluminum cans and clear plastic baggies. With rare culinary honesty, Yonan packs the recipes with references to other recipe writers, restaurants and columns that hes cribbed from. He freely names his inspirations, from the Indian restaurant Bindaas in Washington, D.C., to Edna Lewis to Nigerian food blogger Ozoz Sokoh. As the Washington Posts food editor, Yonan is well connected, though his book comes off less like gratuitous name-dropping and more like a model of how recipes can be a bridge between disparate communities and people. But onto the beans. Each of the books has a unique mother recipe for a basic pot of beans: At the outset, Yonan throws in salt, half an onion, kombu and other aromatics, while Sando recommends sauteeing diced vegetable mirepoix first then adding beans and water and waiting until the pot is three-quarters of the way done before seasoning with salt. Neither recommends meat stocks or ham hocks, which may put off old-school bean fiends. But the kombu and sauteed vegetables add a savory depth that enhances rather than overwhelms the beans, making them versatile encough to work in a range of ways. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. While Sando and Newberrys recipes are more limited in scope, strictly savory with strong Italian, Californian and Mexican culinary threads throughout, I found them to be the most flavorful. Marinated royal corona beans pop with plenty of fresh lemon juice and lots of minced shallot and garlic, while the more involved pasta e fagioli holds an intense savoriness, even made without any meat ingredients. Aubrie Pick As an added bonus, many of the recipes in the book exemplify pantry cooking: I rarely had to run out to the store to get anything special, an aspect of the book that I found very helpful this month. The Italian white bean and tuna salad is one such recipe (since I already had plenty of canned tuna in my earthquake kit), and its perky Meyer lemon and olive oil dressing made it seem as fresh as any farmers market salad. That doesnt mean Yonans recipes are bland. But, in general, I found they needed more in-the-moment adjustments to make good on their promises. For example, his kidney bean and mushroom bourguignon needed some work. It swaps beef for beans, which is a fun take on a French classic, but a quick cooktime means that the vegetables dont become tender and the dish, normally braised for hours, ends up tasting mostly like wine. And his penne with cicerchie (wild chickpeas) in rosemary-scented tomato sauce is a wonderful weeknight dinner centerpiece. It does need more than one sprig of rosemary to actually transmit the herbs flavor into the final product. More Information Recipe: Marinated Royal Corona Beans Serves 4-6 as an appetizer Adapted from "The Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Guide" (Rancho Gordo Press, 2020) by Steven Sando and Julia Newberry. cup extra-virgin olive oil cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon grainy mustard 1 shallot, minced 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tablespoon minced preserved lemon peel or zest of 1 lemon Handful chopped flat-leaf parsley Red chile flakes (optional) Salt and freshly ground pepper 3 to 4 cups cooked Rancho Gordo Royal Corona beans, drained 3 small rosemary sprigs Instructions: In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, shallot, garlic, lemon peel, parsley and chile flakes, if using. Taste and season with salt and pepper to make a very flavorful marinade. Place beans and rosemary sprigs in a wide, shallow container with a lid. Add the marinade to cover the beans completely. If they aren't, add more olive oil and lemon juice in equal amounts. Cover tightly; shake gently. Let sit for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Arrange on a platter with your favorite small bites. See More Collapse Cool Beans really shines in its Drinks & Desserts chapter. (Yes, theres a take on dessert hummus, though Yonan thankfully doesnt call it that.) Here, Yonan goes hard on the phenomenally whippy properties of aquafaba, the liquid broth from cooked legumes, wielding it in an excellent vegan take on Julia Childs chocolate mousse and a clever version of Jose Andres salty margarita sour, combining the whip with salt to turn the usual rim decoration into something more showy. These two books are good companions for each other. The Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Guide, packed with legume geekery, will show you how to get the most out of excellent beans. Cool Beans will send you further along your culinary explorations, expanding your conceptions of what the humble bean can and should achieve. Donald Trump has given US governors a road map 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, the president said during his daily press briefing. Were starting rejuvenation of our economy again. This is a gradual process. 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 normality will be a far longer process than he had 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. They largely reinforce plans already in the works by governors, who have primary responsibility for public health in their states. Youre going to call your own shots, Mr Trump told the governors in a conference call. Were going to be standing alongside of you. Places with declining infections and strong testing would begin a three-phase gradual reopening of businesses and schools. Phase one recommends strict social distancing for all people in public. Gatherings larger than 10 people are to be avoided, and non-essential travel is discouraged Phase two encourages people to maximise social distancing and limit gatherings to no more than 50 people unless precautionary measures are taken. Travel could resume 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 begin phase one almost immediately. They will be able to go literally tomorrow, he said. We have a very large number of states that want to get going and theyre in very good shape. That's good with us, frankly The guidelines recommend that states pass checkpoints that look at new cases, testing and surveillance data over the prior 14 days before advancing from one phase to another. Governors of both parties made clear they will move at their own pace. Delaware governor John Carney, a Democrat, said the guidelines seem to make sense. Were 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. West Virginias Jim Justice, a Trump ally, 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, he told reporters. At the 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. Protesters in Lansing, Michigan (Paul Sancya/AP) The plan was announced as a growing wave of unrest over lockdown measures appeared to be rising in the US, with protests in various states. In places including Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia, actions of dissent have been organised outside governors mansions and state parliament buildings. Small-government groups, supporters of Mr Trump, anti-vaccine advocates, gun rights backers and supporters of right-wing causes have united behind a deep suspicion of efforts to shut down daily life to slow the spread of the Covid-19. As their frustration with life under lockdown grew, they started to openly defy the social distancing rules in an effort to put pressure on governors to ease them. Some of the protests have been small events, promoted through Facebook groups that have appeared in recent days and whose organisers are sometimes difficult to identify. Others are backed by groups funded by prominent Republicans donors, some with ties to Mr Trump. The largest so far, a rally of thousands that jammed the streets of Lansing, Michigan, on Wednesday, looked much like one of the presidents rallies complete with Maga (Make America Great Again) hats or Trump flags. Welcome to Strongman Medicine, a weekly column looking at how governments around the world are taking advantage of the pandemic for censorship, surveillance, and repression. Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. Start your free trial. In this weeks roundup, some reasons to be wary that democratic governments will use track and trace only as intended, more attacks on government critics around the world, a success story that shows just how hard it is to conduct a free election under a pandemic, and the strange case of Nicaragua. Advertisement Big Brother is tracking Theres widespread agreement now that some form of track and traceusing cellphone data to track the contacts of people infected with the coronaviruswill be necessary to allow countries to reopen their economies. Several East Asian countriesnotably South Korea and Singaporehad enormous success using track and trace to control their outbreaks. Apple and Google will be rolling out track and trace software for iOS and Android next month. In theory these programs are supposed to protect users privacy. For example, the South Korean governments website allows you to see if youve been in proximity to a person who has tested positive for coronavirus, but not that persons name. But users still have little choice but to trust authorities not to abuse this data, and not all governments are earning that kind of trust. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Guardian reported this week on a draft memo stating that a contact tracing app being developed by the UKs National Health Service would allow ministers to de-anonymize users, if that became necessary. It did not detail the circumstances that would require this. In Israel, meanwhile, privacy advocates are concerned about the prominent role the countrys intelligence services are playing in the countrys coronavirus response. Israels famed spy agency, the Mossad, has been taking a surprisingly prominent role in attaining medical equipment and information for Israeli hospitals from around the world, the New York Times reported this week. The internal security service, Shin Bet, has also been tasked with tapping into a previously undisclosed trove of cellphone data, normally used to track terrorists, in order to trace coronavirus contacts. These arent necessarily people with an enormous interest in protecting data privacy. Advertisement We already have a glimpse into an extreme version of this system. Chinas color code system requires users have to display a QR code on their phone to be allowed into public places. Those with the wrong color, due to virus risk, can be barred entry. The media crackdown continues Governments around the world continue to target journalists and activists for reporting on the outbreak and shortcomings in official responses. In Somalia, Abdiaziz Ahmed Gurbiye, an editor at Goobjoog Media Group, was arrested and charged with spreading false information and insulting the honor of the president over comments on a personal social media page criticizing the Somali presidents management of the COVID-19 outbreak. In Azerbaijan, Human Rights Watch reports that at least six activists and a pro-opposition journalist have been arrested and charged with violating lockdown restrictions or disobeying police orders. Those arrested had nearly all criticized conditions in government-run quarantine centers or the governments failure to provide adequate compensation to people struggling financially from the consequences of the pandemic, HRW noted. In Chechnya, local strongman/warlord Ramzan Kadyrov devoted a televised speech to personally attacking Elena Milishina, a journalist for the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, after she reported that some quarantined Chechens were afraid to report coronavirus symptoms to the authorities. This is not an idle threat in Chechyna: As the Committee to Protect Journalists notes, at least six of the thirty-eight journalists murdered in Russia since 1992 had covered the province, including Milishinas colleage Anna Politkovskaya. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Disappearing act Nicaraguas Daniel Ortega has been one of the small list of world leaders still refusing to institute social-distancing measures and denying the severity of the virus. But his response has been particularly strange. After March 12, Ortega, once the leader of the insurgent Sandinista rebels but now an increasingly autocratic and erratic leader, disappeared from view entirely, sparking widespread rumors that he was under quarantine or had died. During his absence, the government made some questionable decisions such as sponsoring a Love in the time of COVID-19, mass march in the capital as a show of unity. After more than a month, he reappeared this week, giving a speech in which he said that the Coronavirus is a sign from God to punish imperialism and militarism, and claiming that Nicaragua has had only three confirmed cases of the diseaseall importedand one death. This is almost certainly not true. Advertisement Fair elections are possiblebut difficultin the time of coronavirus Amid all the backsliding, its worth highlighting a democratic success story. Social distancing measures have imperiled elections around the world. Countries including Bolivia and Ethiopia have already delayed highly anticipated elections. In the United States, several states have delayed their primary votes and last weeks Wisconsin election was a dangerous and undemocratic mess. Given recent backsliding on the rule of law in Poland, critics charge the the ruling Law and Justice party is rushing ahead plans to hold a presidential election by mail in May, and that the vote will be neither free nor fair. Advertisement Advertisement This week, however, South Korea once again showed the world how its done. On Wednesday, 66 percent of Koreansthe highest turnout in 28 yearsvoted in parliamentary elections, delivering a landslide victory for President Moon Jae-ins governing Democratic Party. Before the government was widely praised for its coronavirus response, the left-leaning party had been struggling in the polls, owing to a sluggish economy and a number of scandals. How was this possible? The New York Times reports that all voters were given gloves, required to wear masks, waited on line in 3-foot intervals, and had their temperature checked before voting. The thousands of Koreans still in quarantine were escorted to the polls by police after voting had closed for the general public. People hospitalized with coronavirus were allowed to vote by mail. In other words, a safe and free election is possible right now, if the people in charge want to hold one. Forty-four Guatemalans deported on one flight from the United States this week have tested positive for COVID-19, a Guatemala government official with knowledge of the situation said Thursday. The flight arrived in Guatemalas capital Monday from Brownsville, Texas carrying 76 Guatemalans. Three deportees displaying coronavirus symptoms cough and fever were immediately taken for testing. When one of those tests came back positive more who had been quarantined at the airport were tested and 43 more resulted positive, said the official who had not been authorized to share the information publicly and requested anonymity. Presidential spokesman Carlos Sandoval said the official total number of infected deportees remained at five. Were going to check with the Health Ministry, he said. For the moment I can only confirm the cases the (president) has said. I wouldnt know what to say, I cant even say no, but I also cant confirm it. He said he would have an official statement later. It was the latest sign that the presidents office and health authorities might not be on the same page. On Tuesday, the Guatemalan governments accounting of deportees with COVID-19 was drawn into question when Health Minister Hugo Monroy said that on a March deportation flight from the U.S., more than 50% of the deportees had later tested positive. The presidents office later confirmed that Monroy was talking about a March 26 flight from Mesa, Arizona that carried 41 passengers, but has still not adjusted the official number of infected deportees. The plane on which 44 have tested positive was one of two flights that arrived Monday after Guatemala lifted a one-week pause on deportation flights from the U.S. That suspension had been imposed because three other deportees had earlier tested positive. Monroy had said that the deportees were a worrisome factor driving up the countrys COVID-19 caseload. The government said Wednesday that this week it had started testing all deportees, regardless of whether they showed symptoms, when anyone on a flight tested positive. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had no immediate comment to the report but has said in recent days that it screens everyone in its custody and quarantines anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19. The agency said that 100 detainees in its custody have tested positive for the virus, including 17 at a detention facility in San Diego and 12 at one in Batavia, New York. ICE says that 25 employees at detention centers have tested positive for the virus, including 13 at a removal staging facility at the airport in Alexandria, Louisiana. Deportees and their potential to carry the virus into Guatemala have become a sensitive topic. The U.S. government has continued deportations through the pandemic. But some Guatemalan communities are beginning to reject deportees returning home out of fear that they could carry the virus. On Wednesday evening, President Alejandro Giammattei referenced an incident that same day in which townspeople fearing the virus had allegedly organized to burn deportees. Videos circulated on social media showed hundreds of angry residents gathered in a community in Quetzaltenango west of the capital. They accused deportees who were staying in quarantine in a government facility of leaving. Those deportees had arrived by bus from Mexico. Giammattei said that five community councils had organized to try to go burn the center, because they want to burn the people. In a televised address, he said that those 80 deportees had arrived earlier in the week and all had been tested. So far, none had come back positive. Its already guaranteed they dont pose a risk to anyone, he said. Flor Gomez, from the human rights prosecutors office in Quetzaltenango, said emotions had run high in the community. I wouldnt say they were going to lynch them, she said. Yes, they were upset, the intention was to catch them and hand them over to police. She said there was a lot of stigmatization of deportees caused by fears of the virus. Tekandi Paniagua, Guatemalas consul in Del Rio, Texas, said Guatemalans who are stopped by Border Patrol agents are returned to Mexico within a half-hour without any medical exam and often without having their photos or fingerprints taken under rules that took effect March 21 to combat the virus spread. They arent registered or anything, Paniagua said. Unaccompanied children are held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and flown back to Guatemala within two or three days, Paniagua said. The flights from Brownsville to Guatemala are designed for Guatemalans who have just crossed the border in Texas Rio Grande Valley. Byron Milian, a 25-year-old, deportee who just returned to Guatemala earlier this month, said he tried to quietly come home without neighbors noticing because he was worried about their reaction amid the pandemic. Under orders from the health ministry he has self-quarantined for two weeks. He said health officials check on him every other day to make sure hes staying inside. Milian had left Guatemala Feb. 20 and crossed illegally into Arizona in early March. U.S. Border Patrol intercepted him en route to Phoenix. He and a few other migrants were taken to a U.S. government building and held for about 10 minutes, during which time they took his temperature. Then they were loaded back into a truck, driven to the border and handed over to Mexican authorities. The Mexican authorities asked him if he wanted to fight for papers or have them send us back to our country, he said. Within a week Mexico had delivered him back to Guatemala. In Guatemala, authorities took his temperature, listened to his lungs and stuck a tongue depressor in his mouth. On Sunday my quarantine ends, he said. Thank God everything is normal. They told me they will give me a document (to certify he completed quarantine). Chandra Shekhar believed that politics without passion was meaningless. That policy without compassion was useless. This is a day to remember and cherish Chandra Shekhar. He never had an official birthday, but April 17 came to be celebrated as such with a gathering of his faithful in Bhondsi. I once asked him why he chose this day in the middle of summer and the dust storms blew hard. Why not a more temperate day? He laughed and said: I have always been a difficult person, Mohan! Indeed he was. Indira Gandhi discovered it when he opposed the Emergency. The RSS discovered it when he forced them out of the Janata Party. Rajiv Gandhi discovered it when he preferred to quit as PM rather than be insulted by him. I met Chandra Shekhar for the first time in early 1981 shortly after his party was decimated by the Congress(I) in the mid-term elections that followed the collapse of the dismal Janata Party experiment. We were on a flight to Kochi from Bengaluru, and since he and I were seated next to each other, and since it was a hopping flight, we had much time together. Till then Chandra Shekhar was whom I used to see on stage under lights from the dark anonymity of the audience, but I now felt I knew the person as well. It was much later that I came to know the man from the hero, and I learnt that little separated these two. The river of time has flowed some since that day in 1981, but the man and hero continue to be indistinguishable to me. Chandra Shekhars talents, abilities, passion and razor-sharp intellect put him head and shoulders above the rest. This is what made him unique, even when he sat alone, hunched on the front bench of Parliament, eyes intent and ears not missing a single nuance or telling inflection, as eager as a newcomer would be on his first day in the marketplace where national aspirations are reconciled into what is possible and feasible. The politics of policy were his only passion. I was with Chandra Shekhar one evening in 1985 at Pune airport after a long hot day of electioneering in western Maharashtra. He was campaigning for his candidates as well as those belonging to whatever party Sharad Pawar then had. Those who wanted him had typically provided him with a car that had to be stopped every few dozen miles and cooled down with mugs of water poured into its radiator and over its fuel pump. When it came, it came practically without any fuel. We paid for petrol all day long. When we reached Lohegaon airport late, partly because of the stalling car, the flight to Mumbai had left and that was reason enough for local party officials to leave. We arrived tired and wondering what next when we discovered to our chagrin that neither of us had any money. Dont worry, he said, things will work out, only increasing my irritation. Now the Indian Airlines duty officer showed up wanting to know if we wanted to go to Bengaluru. Chandra Shekhar told him yes, but we did not have tickets and added, sotto voce, no money either. The IA official didnt bat an eyelid. He just said: Sir, I didnt ask for the money. If you want to go to Bengaluru, I will give you two tickets on my responsibility. The money will come, I am sure. Two tickets were provided and we were off to Bengaluru. This was soon after Rajiv Gandhi had stormed into office with 425 Lok Sabha seats, and when Chandra Shekhar himself lost his seat from Ballia. The Indian Airlines officer said something very thoughtful. He said: Sir, you may have lost an election, but you have not lost your credibility. Even your word is not required. I consider it an honour to be of some assistance to you. Chandra Shekhars precise perception was unique. It came from a deep understanding of the people of India, our history and our present situation. His wisdom was derived not from Marx, Lenin or even Laski, but inspired by the lives and sayings of Buddha, Kabir, Nanak, Gandhi, Narendra Deva, and Jayaprakash Narayan. It was this perception that made him differ with Indira Gandhi when the Indian Army was sent into the Golden Temple in Amritsar to ferret out a man who should have been nipped in the bud much earlier. After the carnage he remarked to me that anyone who knows Sikh history and understands what has made them so unique would know this was something that will not go unanswered. The great lady paid the price a few months later. What I have learnt from him far exceeds what any university can give. That politics without passion was meaningless. That policy without compassion was useless. That kindness, courtesy and civility to those less privileged than oneself must not be contrived as an act of magnanimity but should come naturally. That consideration to others is the essence of democracy. He taught me a thing or two about what it took to be a civilised person. It has been my good fortune to know this truly and uniquely civilised man and call him my friend and teacher. The deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Assam's Morigaon district, who were asked to stay in quarantine as they had contact history with two COVID-19 patients, have tested negative on Friday, Health Minister Himanta Biswa said. "Happy to inform that DC/SP of Morigaon district have tested negative. It is a big relief for us", the minister tweeted. The samples of Morigaon DC Rituraj Bora and SP Swapnaneel Deka were taken for testing on Friday and the results were negative for COVID-19, he said adding that they would continue to be in quarantine for 14 days. The DC, SP and Joint Director of Health along with two journalists of Morigaon were asked to stay in quarantine as they had come in contact with two persons who tested positive on Thursday. These two patients are secondary contacts of persons who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhis Nizamuddin, Biswa Sarma had said on Thursday. The cumulative number of patients in Assam now stands at 34, which include one dead and nine patients who have been cured and released from hospitals. Thirty-three of the 34 patients in the state are related to the Jamaat event. Meanwhile, swab tets of 10 people from Hailakandi district, who attended a religious event in Guwahati last month, came negative for coronavirus, Joint Director of Health Services Dr Ramesh Chandra Dwivedy said. They had attended a congregation held in the Athgaon Kabarsthan Masjid on March 12 and three of the attendees had earlier been tested positive for coronavirus infection. Meanwhile, one person of the district's Kalibari area was found in Delhi with COVID-19. Monika Bhardwaj, DCP North of Delhi Police, informed this to the Hailakandi police and said there is a "huge possibility" that he may have infected his family members and others. District authorities, following investigations, said he had gone to Delhi almost two months ago and ruled out any possibility of his family members getting infected by him. The district administration has made it mandatory to wear mask or face cover in public places with immediate effect. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 09:17:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LAGOS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people were killed in an attack in the central Nigerian state of Plateau, the army said on Thursday. A manhunt has been launched to nab the gunmen who stormed the Hurra community and killed nine people. Some 33 houses were also set on ablaze by the gunmen, said the army. Residents in the area who survived the attack have been thrown into mourning. Maj. Ibrahim Shittu, spokesperson for the Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), described the incident as unfortunate. Sunday Abdu, a community leader, decried the continuous killings in the state, urging the security forces to intensify their efforts to prevent such attacks. Enditem Amid the current lockdown, states are doing their best to help its citizens and are keeping humanity alive by either donating money or food to the poor and the needy. iStock Now, the Government of Odisha has also come forward and approved additionals funds of Rs 80 Lakh under the Chief Ministers Relief Fund. Interestingly, this good deed is to save the stray dogs and animals in the urban and semi-urban areas across the state. Now that the lockdown has extended till 3rd May, caring for them and feeding them has become crucial, since they won't be able to fend for themselves with humans not around. The funds will be given to the urban local bodies, which includes 5 Municipal Corporations, 61 NACs across the state and 48 municipalities for the remaining 19 days, reports state. Odisha: State Govt has approved Rs 54 lakhs from Chief Minister's Relief Fund for feeding stray animals in 5 Municipal Corporations and all 48 Municipalities of the state during #CoronavirusLockdown period. pic.twitter.com/Dermc7nbCK ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2020 Earlier, the state government had approved Rs 54 Lakh from CMRF for the same purpose, which has now increased to Rs 80 Lakh. Out of this, the recent allocation, Rs 3.8 Lakhs for Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation to feed the dogs and Rs 7.60 Lakh has been given to Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Behrampur municipal corporations. iStock The same way, Rs 45.60 Lakh has been given to 48 municipalities and the rest, which is Rs 23.18 Lakh has been sanctioned to other area councils. The authorities in the municipality department have been asked to come together and work for animal welfare. As far as the cases go, Odisha has around 61 confirmed Coronavirus cases with one death as reported by the Union Health Ministry on Thursday. "Thank you CM sir" - Odisha stray dogs pic.twitter.com/1wgUMStkRm Yash Chaturvedi (@YashCha44663544) March 30, 2020 We r 1st 2 extend d lockdown,1st 2 hv chain of COVID hospitals,1st 2 release package for stray dogs & cattles,1st 2 declare a package 4 daily wage workers & ration card holders & r praised across d globe 4 d pandemic management.Humble gratitude to our CM @Naveen_Odisha & his team Mausam Mishra (@MausamMishraBJD) April 9, 2020 That's a very noble step hope it's utilised fully and faithfully for the assigned cause. Vikas Mishra (@VikasMi11388200) April 16, 2020 He is a Rockstar...that's the reason he never lost a election..nd will not untill he lives (India Matters) (@iamsitaram) March 30, 2020 All in all, no matter what happens, Odisha stands a step ahead to save their people and their animals as well, and this is the sort of kindness we need at the moment. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) Eleven soldiers were killed in a firefight with bandits in Patikul, Sulu on Friday, authorities said. Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, chief of the military's Western Mindanao Command, said 14 other soldiers were wounded after an hour-long gunbattle with the Abu Sayyaf at Sitio Bud Lubong, Barangay Danag at around 3 p.m. Sobejana said the 21st Infantry Battalion encountered around 40 bandits. Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo told CNN Philippines there was an undetermined number of enemy casualty. Arevalo said the government will provide assistance to the families of slain soldiers. Patikul town is a known lair of the Abu Sayyaf, which is notorious for kidnap-for-ransom activities. The firefight happens while the country is addressing the coronavirus pandemic, with some of the police and military deployed in checkpoints enforcing lockdown guidelines to contain the spread of COVID-19. "The WestMinCom's Joint Task Forces nevertheless sustain their security operations while they take the lead in the strict enforcement of the quarantine in Mindanao," the Wesmincom said in a statement. The Cannes film festival will not take place "in its original form" this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Organisers first postponed the festival last month, saying that they would aim to stage it in June or July this year. But in an updated statement, they said that plan was now "no longer an option" after France extended its lockdown measures this week. They did not elaborate on what the alternatives could be but said they hoped "to communicate promptly". The prestigious festival was originally scheduled to take place in the south of France from 12 to 23 May. When the festival was first postponed, its president, Pierre Lescure, said he was "reasonably optimistic" it would still go ahead this year. Mr Lescure told Le Figaro newspaper at the time that he believed the peak of the epidemic would be "reached at the end of March and that we will breathe a little better in April". But on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said the country's lockdown would be extended until 11 May, and that public events could not be held until mid-July at the earliest. In their latest statement, the festival's organisers said: "Following the French president's statement we acknowledged that the postponement of the 73rd International Cannes Film Festival, initially considered for the end of June to the beginning of July, is no longer an option. "It is clearly difficult to assume that the Festival de Cannes could be held this year in its original form." Organisers added that they had started discussions with film industry professionals. "They agree that the Festival de Cannes, an essential pillar for the film industry, must explore all contingencies by making Cannes 2020 real, in one way or another." They added: "We hope to be able to communicate promptly regarding the shapes that this Cannes 2020 will take." Parallel sections cancelled On Wednesday, it was confirmed that three of the "sidebar" events that traditionally run alongside the main festival in Cannes had been cancelled. "The parallel sections of the Cannes Film Festival acknowledge that the previously considered postponement to late June/early July is no longer an option," their organisers said in a joint statement. "Consequently, the Directors' Fortnight, La Semaine de la Critique (International Critics' Week) and ACID regret to announce the cancellation of their 2020 editions in Cannes. "Each section, in consultation with the Cannes Film Festival, is looking at the best way to keep on supporting the films submitted to its 2020 edition." The International Critics' Week was first held in 1962, while the Director's Fortnight(Quinzaine des Realisateurs) was inaugurated in 1969. ACID, named after the Association du Cinema Independant pour sa Diffusion (Independent Film Distributors Association), was launched in 1993. 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 Delhi, April 17 : Even 24 hours after the Delhi BJP issued a helpline number for the poor and the needy of the city under the 'feed the needy' programme, people on Friday complained that the number provided remained switched off all the time. The Delhi BJP in a statement on Thursday said that with the aim that no needy or poor families should be deprived of food during the lockdown due to novel coronavirus, food and ration items are being provided to millions of people daily by BJP workers under the leadership of Delhi party chief Manoj Tiwari. It said that a helpline number 9625799844 has been issued so that people in need can inform about food issues. 'Feed the needy' programme convenor and Delhi BJP State General Secretary Kuljeet Singh Chahal said that in this crisis every party worker is giving the necessary assistance to those in need. However, when IANS tried to use the helpline, it was found to be switched off. Even the SMS dropped on the helpline number remained unanswered. IANS also tried to connect with Chahal to get a comment on the same, but he did not respond to the call and message sent to him. However, Delhi BJP workers in several parts of the city have been providing food and ration to the needy and poor. Several BJP leaders including Tajinder Bagga have also been providing food. On Friday the total number of Covid-19 patients in India rose to 13,387 with 437 people losing their lives due to the pandemic. In Delhi, 1,640 people have been affected with Covid-19 with 38 deaths. Two Australian podcast hosts are calling on the federal government to release non-violent inmates from Australian prisons before a COVID-19 outbreak in the criminal justice system occurs. Bad Boys Breakfast Show co-hosts Shayne Brian and Darren J Carver, who normally host a light-hearted podcast, were compelled to address the serious issue in an episode released this month, as they had both been through the system. Bad Boys comedy duo Shayne Brian and Darren J Carver, who normally keep their podcast light-hearted, have addressed the serious issue of COVID-19 in jails. They spoke with a co-host of the Secret Mens Business podcast, Dwayne Bannon-Harrison, who is Indigenous, about the fact that half of all current prisoners were non-violent offenders, and almost one-third were Indigenous. Carver said he was concerned about a COVID-19 outbreak in prisons because of the lack of social distancing practices. Disgraced former RSL NSW president Don Rowe has been ordered to pay $2000 but has avoided jail time after using one of the charity's credit cards to pay $9400 in hotel and phone bills for family members. The 71-year-old Vietnam veteran, who was found guilty of two fraud charges in February, was on Friday ordered to pay a $2000 fine and be of good behaviour for two years. "He was in a position of trust," magistrate Jennifer Atkinson said in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court. "People in positions where they are spending money paid in by membership, as is the case with the RSL, need to be particularly careful about what is required of them (and) what they can spend." Inmates are crammed into a cell in the Dagupan city jail in the northern Philippines, Oct. 11, 2017. At least nine inmates and nine employees at a Metro Manila jail have tested positive for the coronavirus, Philippine officials said Friday as rights groups pressed for the quick and temporary release of inmates from congested prisons in the country. The infected inmates at the Quezon City Jail have been taken to a quarantine facility in Payatas, a Manila district, said Xavier Solda, a spokesman for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP). The nine have common symptoms of sore throat, and some of them are coughing, Solda said. Officials said the nine were not known to have been infected with COVID-19 by an inmate who died at the overcrowded jail on March 25. A team is tracking down those who may have been exposed to the deceased inmate. His death certificate had listed the coronavirus as a possible cause of death. In early April, about 22 inmates who were suffering medical conditions filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking temporary freedom, citing their vulnerability amid the spread of the highly contagious killer virus. The number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines on Friday rose by 218 to a total of 5,878, with 25 new deaths from the disease recorded, bringing the national toll to 387. Globally, nearly 2.2 million infections have been recorded with the death toll at more than 149,000 as of Friday, according to data compiled by disease experts at U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. Also on Friday, the Philippine economic planning secretary who had called for the government to balance its response to the pandemic between health and economic objectives resigned on Friday over differences in development philosophy with some Cabinet members, the state-run Philippine News Agency reported. President Rodrigo Duterte accepted the resignation of Ernesto Pernia as head of the National Economic Development Authority. Pernia had been in charge of establishing plans for the nations economic recovery from the pandemic. In a report last month, Pernia called for the balanced approach. Otherwise, the situation could deteriorate to a social and political crisis, it said. NGOs voice concern In response to the news about inmates and workers at the Quezon City Jail being infected with the virus, the Philippine office of the International Committee of the Red Cross said it was concerned and continuing to assist detention authorities with our technical expertise and other support. Last week, the Red Cross assisted the prisons bureau in establishing the 48-bed quarantine tent at the Payatas facility. We are supporting the (bureau) in expanding the capacity of this facility to 150 beds to respond to future needs, said Boris Michel, head of the ICRC in the Philippines, said in a statement. Three other facilities are being established to help the bureau cope with possible emergencies linked to COVID-19, Michel said, adding that officials wanted to make sure they were functional as soon as possible, with necessary materials, equipment and infection-control training for the staff. Solda, of the BJMP, said that the nine employees at the jail who tested positive for the coronavirus had self-quarantined at home. Meanwhile, local human rights group Karapatan said the bureau must act fast to release those who are vulnerable, including some elderly inmates who are considered political prisoners. The mass decongestion of detention facilities is a matter of life and death for the thousands of prisoners in country, especially amid the looming threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said. Reports of inmates being isolated for suspected infection should be a cause for great alarm, especially since quarantine measures such as physical distancing are almost impossible in our overcrowded jails, she said. She described these facilities as ticking time-bombs and called on Manila to release prisoners on humanitarian grounds. A Karapatan accounting in the prisons said that apart from the nine Quezon City inmates, about 70 in other facilities were being monitored and isolated. Among those were 30 inmates at a womens correctional facility. The government has the duty to uphold and protect the lives and security of prisoners, most especially amid this pandemic. Any delay can cost many lives and we cannot waste more time and we cannot afford to lose more lives, Palabay said. Edre Olalia, an official with the National Union of Peoples Lawyers, which provides free legal aid to detainees, said the claim from some government officials that inmates were safer inside than outside during the pandemic was a fallacy. He said the government must realize the seriousness of the situation. We just have to wait and pray that it is not too late, Olalia said. And keep on knocking, if not banging on doors. New data from these statistics will be published on the home page of the Students and qualifications. Published: 17 April 2020 Participation in education leading to higher university of applied sciences degrees increased further The number of students attending education leading to a higher university of applied sciences degree was good 14,000 in 2019, which is around 800 students more than one year earlier. The number of completed higher university of applied sciences degrees also increased, by good 200 degrees. On the other hand, the number of students in education leading to a university of applied sciences degree decreased compared to the previous year. In 2019, altogether close on 128,000 students attended education leading to a university of applied sciences degree. These data derive from Statistics Finlands education statistics. Students and degrees in education leading to a higher university of applied sciences degree in 2003 to 2019 Seven out of ten of completers of a higher university of applied sciences degree were women Even though the number of students in education leading to a university of applied sciences degree decreased by around 650 from the previous year, the number of degrees remained on the same level, at close on 25,000 completed degrees. Women attended education leading to a university of applied sciences degree more often than men in 2019. Altogether 52 per cent of those in education leading to a university of applied sciences degree were women, and almost two-thirds of those studying for a higher university of applied sciences degree were women. On the other hand, as many as 55 per cent of new university of applied sciences students were women, 67 per cent of those studying for a higher university of applied sciences degree. Among those having completed a university of applied sciences degree in 2019, six out of ten were women. The corresponding share for higher university of applied sciences degrees was seven out of ten. In education leading to a university of applied sciences degree the number of students was highest in the field of health and welfare, where close on one third, or 29 per cent, studied. Nearly one fourth (24%) studied in the field of technology and good one fifth in the field of business, administration and law. The field of health and welfare was particularly popular among women, as many as 83 per cent of the students in the field were women in 2019. Correspondingly, men studied more in the fields of technology. In these fields, mens share of students was 82 per cent. Every third of those in education leading to a higher university of applied sciences degree studied in the field of health and welfare. Good one fourth studied in the field of business, administration and law and close on one fifth in the field of technology. The number of students in education leading to a degree was highest at Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, around 16,200 students. There were also over 10,000 students in Turku University of Applied Sciences and Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences. The smallest universities of applied sciences by the number of students were Aland University of Applied Sciences (around 500 students) and the Police University College (good 1,100 students). The highest number of university of applied sciences degrees was attained in 2019 at Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, almost 2,800. Almost 1,800 degrees were also attained at Tampere University of Applied Sciences and Turku University of Applied Sciences. The clearly highest number, over 400, of higher university of applied sciences degrees were attained at Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. More foreign students than before come to universities of applied sciences In 2019, more new foreign students than before attended universities of applied sciences. The number of students starting education leading to a university of applied sciences degree increased by around 200 to close on 2,600 in 2019 from the year before. On the other hand, the number of new foreign students starting education leading to a higher university of applied sciences degree fell slightly to 315 students from 2018. The most common nationalities among new foreign students in education leading to a university of applied sciences degree were Vietnamese and Russian, over 300 of both started education. By contrast, the most common nationality among new foreign students in education leading to a higher university of applied sciences degree was Indian, good 30 of them started education. Slightly under 30 new students came from South Africa. Altogether, the share of new foreign students of all new students was 7.5 per cent in education leading to a university of applied sciences degree and around six per cent in education leading to a higher university of applied sciences degree. New foreign students at universities of applied sciences in 2009 to 2019 More detailed time series data on university of applied sciences students and degrees according to education, sex and university of applied sciences, for example, are available in the database tables . More detailed data can be found on foreign students in the database tables of the statistics on Students and qualifications of educational institutions. Source: Education. Statistics Finland Inquiries: Timo Ruuskanen 029 551 3620, koulutustilastot@stat.fi Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma Publication in pdf-format (227.2 kB) Updated 17.4.2020 Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): University of applied sciences education [e-publication]. ISSN=2489-3196. 2019. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 12.1.2022]. Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/akop/2019/akop_2019_2020-04-17_tie_001_en.html BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17 By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend: The Parliament of Azerbaijan has sent a letter of protest to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) because PACE has not expressed any reaction regarding the so-called "election" held by Armenia in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova said at a parliamentary meeting held on April 17, Trend reports. Gafarova noted that the lack of PACE's response is regrettable. "Over the past 10 years, I was a member of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE, speaker of the parliament added. I acted as a member of the Bureau and chairperson of the PACE committee. During this period, together with my colleagues I witnessed many cases of biased attitude towards our country in PACE. We have repeatedly observed the attempts by pro-Armenian circles gathered in PACE to slander Azerbaijan, adopt false resolutions and decisions to undermine the credibility of our country, Gafarova added. I would say that sometimes the anti-Azerbaijani, pro-Armenian forces in PACE defended the interests of the Armenians even better than they themselves. The lack of PACE reaction to the so-called "election" held by the criminal regime in the occupied Azerbaijani region is unacceptable, speaker of the parliament said. I think that this is also great disrespect for the system of international law. Therefore the Azerbaijani parliament sent a letter of protest to PACE." The speaker of the parliament has also criticized anti-national forces, stressing that they serve the interests of Armenia. "All sound opposition parties in Azerbaijan, voicing the position of national and state interests, take part in this dialogue, take appropriate steps to contribute to the process, speaker of the parliament said. Unfortunately, some marginal groups that always oppose Azerbaijans statehood and independence have refused from this dialogue, relying on external forces. The true goal of such groups, showing hostility against the state, is to create tension in the country, speaker of the parliament said. These destructive forces, calling themselves radical opposition, want to use the coronavirus pandemic that shocked the entire humanity to realize their vile intentions. Of course, the Azerbaijani public and people see such actions and firmly condemn the unhealthy and anti-national activity of such circles. The position of the Azerbaijani people is that there is no place for such forces in the new configuration of the political system that is being formed in the country, Gafarova added. Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it 40% decline in growth of COVID-19 cases: Health Ministry India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Apr 17: The government on Friday said there has been 40 per cent decline in COVID-19 cases in India since the restrictions came into effect on March 25. The original 21-day lockdown was extended to another 19 days till May 3 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India faces one of its worst health crises since Independence. Addressing the daily press briefing on the current situation of coronavirus in the country, Luv Agarwal, the Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare highlighted that India's growth factor, or the number of people infected by each person, has also registered a 40 per cent decline since the lockdown restrictions came into effect. The official noted that 19 states and union territories, including Kerala, Bihar, Haryana, Odisha, Tripura and Punjab, had a growth factor than the rest of the country. NEWS AT 3 PM, APRIL 17th, 2020 Agarwal said that 1,749 people, originally infected with the virus, have recovered till date. "Approximately 13.06 per cent people have recovered," he said. Coronavirus outbreak: About 203 million people watched PM Modi's address to nation, says BARC India's doubling rate, or the number of days taken for the cases to increase by twofold, is lower than other major countries, including the US. Agarwal said before the lockdown, the doubling rate was three days. But once the restrictions came into effect, the doubling rate increased to 6.2 days India today breached the 13,000-mark with 13,387 COVID-19 cases while the death toll surged to 437. Of these, 11,201 are active cases and 1,748 are cured. COVID-19 cases on the continent may shoot up from thousands to millions if models are accurate, UN health agency says. Coronavirus cases in Africa could surge from just thousands now to 10 million within three to six months, according to provisional modelling, a regional World Health Organization (WHO) official said. But Michel Yao, head of emergency operations for WHO Africa, said on Thursday it was a tentative projection that could change. He noted worst-case predictions for the Ebola outbreak had not come true because people changed their behaviour in time. This is still to be fine-tuned, he told a media teleconference. Its difficult to make a long-term estimation because the context changes too much and also public health measures, when they are fully implemented, they can actually have an impact. Separately, new research said Africa could see 300,000 deaths from the coronavirus even under the best-case scenario, according to modeling by the Imperial College London. Under the worst-case scenario with no interventions against the virus, Africa could see 3.3 million deaths and 1.2 billion infections, the report by the UN Economic Commission for Africa said. The worlds poorest continent has seen more than 17,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and about 900 deaths so far relatively few compared with other regions. But there are fears that the numbers could balloon and overwhelm shaky health services. We are concerned that the virus continues to spread geographically, within countries, said Matshidiso Moeti, director of WHOs Africa region, which comprises 46 sub-Saharan nations and Algeria. The numbers continue to increase every day. Other killers Infections in South Africa, which has the highest number of cases, have slowed after it began a strict lockdown, but other nations such as Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Algeria have seen higher than average fatalities. The WHO is working with authorities there to improve patient care and reduce fatalities, Moeti said. She warned that President Donald Trumps withdrawal of US funding for the WHO could harm not only the fight against the coronavirus but also that against other killers such as polio, HIV and malaria. The impact, potentially, of this decision will be quite significant on areas such as polio eradication just as Africa was close to being declared polio-free, said Moeti. Trump accused the Geneva-based WHO on Tuesday of promoting Chinese disinformation about the coronavirus, saying this probably worsened the outbreak. More than two million people have been infected globally, with the largest number in the US. Washington is the biggest donor to the WHO, which tackles specific diseases and also strengthens national health systems. The US contributed more than $400m to the WHO in 2019, roughly 15 percent of its budget. We are very much hoping [suspension of funding] will be re-thought because the US government is an important partner not only in financial terms but also it is an important strategic partner, Moeti said. She also said the organisation requires $300m to help African governments respond to the pandemic. Trivandrum-based government institute Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology has developed a diagnostic test kit that can deliver COVID-19 testing results in just two hours at a low cost of Rs 1,000. The test called Chitra GeneLAMP-N uses the reverse transcriptase loop-mediated amplification of viral nucleic acid (RT-LAMP) for testing. This is different from the popular testing methodology called RT-PCR for COVID-19. Current PCR kits in India enable detection of E gene for screening and RdRp gene for confirmation. Chitra GeneLAMP-N gene testing will confirm the result in one test without any need for a screening test and at much lower costs. It can take a total of 30 samples in a single batch in a single machine allowing a large number of samples to be tested each day. The cost of testing with this new device will be less than Rs 1,000 per test for the laboratory and the testing facility can be easily set up even in the laboratories of district hospitals with limited facilities and trained laboratory technicians. The tests performed at NIV Alappuzha (authorized by ICMR) show that Chitra GeneLAMP- N has 100 per cent accuracy and it matches with test results using the popular testing methodology called RT-PCR for COVID-19. Funded by Department of Science and Technology, the test kit is made especially for SARS-CoV-2 N-gene and 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, ensuring a high possibility of accurate test results. The test kit was developed by the team led by Anoop Thekkuveettil, a senior Scientist of the Biomedical Technology Wing of the Institute in the last three weeks. The results now are with the concerned authority for approval following which licence will be required from CDSCO to start manufacturing these kits. Sree Chitra has also additionally developed the specific RNA extraction kits along with GeneLAMP-N test kits and testing devices. The LAMP testing devices costs Rs 2.5 lakhs and the test kit for two regions of N gene costs less than Rs 1000 per test. In comparison, the RT PCR machine costs anywhere between Rs 15-40 lakh and the PCR kit costs Rs 2000-Rs 2500 per test. The technology has been transferred for manufacturing to Agappe Diagnostics, Ernakulam-based firm that provides in-vitro diagnostics. "Development of a novel, inexpensive, rapid confirmatory for the diagnosis of COVID-19 by Sree Chitra in record time is a compelling example of how a creative team of clinicians and scientists working together seamlessly can leverage knowledge and infrastructure to make relevant breakthroughs," said Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST. Also read: Coronavirus Live Updates: Tamil Nadu third worst-affected state after Maharashtra and Delhi with 1,267 cases Also read: Coronavirus lockdown: Delhi govt asks schools to charge only tuition fee Also read: Coronavirus in India Live Updates: 1,007 fresh COVID-19 cases, 23 deaths in last 24 hours, says Health Ministry Also read: Coronavirus lockdown: Delhi govt asks schools to charge only tuition fee Although no minister or adviser wants to think too far ahead, the concern is that the border may have to remain shut, or tightly controlled throughout 2021, and into 2022 while the world waits for a vaccine for COVID-19, or failing that, an effective treatment. Some skilled migrants and international students could feasibly be allowed into Australia during an extended period of national self-isolation. However, they would first have to undergo a 14-day quarantine. That might not matter if the final destination was Sydney or Melbourne. But if they moved to another state, they might need to isolate for a further 14 days. Another option is to allow for the free movement of all people between New Zealand, including tourists, assuming both countries can satisfy one another that the virus is suppressed within their respective borders. In this scenario, travel would be plane only, not cruise ship. Either way, Australia faces the prospect of two, or even three years without the stimulus of mass migration. To place this shock in context, consider the population story of the past three years. Australia grew by almost 1.2 million people between 2016 and 2019. Net overseas migration was responsible for 63 per cent, or 741,000 of that figure. The remaining 433,000 came from net natural increase (births minus deaths). More than half a million migrants, or 73 per cent of the total intake, settled in the three largest cities, Sydney (243,000); Melbourne (241,000) and Brisbane (55,000). One of the little-appreciated benefits of migration for the big three is it has reversed the ageing process in each. In Sydneys inner city, inner south, inner south-west and Parramatta; in Melbournes inner city and inner south, and in Brisbanes inner city, the share of the population that is aged 65 and over is smaller today than it was in 2001. Almost 3 million people live within these charmed cosmopolitan circles. Sydney is the most vulnerable of the trio because it already loses a significant number of locals to other parts of Australia. Elevated property prices and congestion are the key factors behind these departures. Over the past three years, 71,000 more people left Sydney than came the other way. Most settled in Brisbane, which gained 44,000 people from internal migration over the same period. An empty Bent Street in Sydney's CBD. Credit:Kate Geraghty Recovery from lockdown would be tricky for Melbourne and Brisbane without overseas migration; for Sydney it would be next to impossible. The way to see this is to take last years population growth rate for each and then remove the overseas migration component. Loading All three grew faster than the national average of 1.5 per cent in 2019; in fact they were the three fastest-growing areas in the country. Melbourne was the boom capital with a growth rate of 2.4 per cent, followed by Brisbane (2.1 per cent) and Sydney (1.7 per cent). Without overseas migrants the national growth rate is reduced by almost two-thirds, to 0.6 per cent, and the top three switches. Brisbane is now fastest with a modest growth rate of 1.4 per cent, followed by the rest of Victoria (0.9 per cent) and Canberra (0.8 per cent). Melbourne is still a fraction above the average at 0.7 per cent. But Sydney drops to the bottom rungs, with a growth rate of just 0.3 per cent. Of the capitals, only Adelaide (0.1 per cent) and Darwin (where the population would fall by 1.1 per cent) are worse off. A nightmare scenario for Australia during the health crisis is that the property bubble bursts in one or more of the big cities. No amount of federal government intervention in the economy would restore confidence at that point. And the states would not have back-up finance to deploy because their budgets would have been stripped of stamp duty revenue. The experience of past recessions is that the toxic mix of rising unemployment and falling house prices triggers an exodus from the worst-affected capital. That was Melbournes fate in the early 1990s, as retrenched manufacturing workers relocated to Queensland. The electoral map was rewritten to accommodate the population shift through the redistribution of boundaries. Over the course of the 1990s, Victoria lost two seats in the House of Representatives while Queensland picked up three. An almost deserted Melbourne CBD street earlier this month. Credit:Scott McNaughton The fallout from recession this time will be profound if Sydney continues to shed people, thus ceding a greater share of electoral power over the course of this decade to its rivals to the north and the south. The parliament may be permanently polarised as a result, between conservative voters in Queensland and progressive voters in Victoria. Loading A related problem for Sydney is the rush of migrants, international students and tourists who have already returned to their mother countries before borders closed around the world. Official data supplied to The Australian newspaper this week showed the number of temporary visa holders in Australia dropped by 260,000 in the first three months of this year, with a further 50,000 departing in the first two weeks of April. A large number of Australians will have come home during the same period, so it's not yet clear if the exchange of expats will wash out as an increase or decrease in our total population. Suffice to say, once this process is exhausted, net overseas migration will be close to zero for the remainder of this year. The government has encouraged the exchange by telling those on temporary visas who cannot look after themselves to leave now. But this is a short-sighted response. The permanent migration program typically recruits half its intake each year from people who were already in Australia on student or temporary work visas. Why should Australia deny itself the option to continue converting visitors into settlers? Especially when there will be a global scramble for skilled migrants when the health crisis is finally over? The prime minister and the premiers are understandably focused on the short term at the moment. The national cabinet will not have given serious thought to the migration question because the trajectory of the virus is still not clear. First, they have to satisfy themselves that it is safe to reopen parts of the domestic economy, starting with agriculture, construction and manufacturing. Then they have to sequence the reopening of offices, then schools, and eventually those activities that involve crowds. The virus would have to be largely contained to complete the journey. No politician would want to reintroduce a lockdown after the street party was thrown. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kate Abnett (Reuters) Fri, April 17, 2020 07:02 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd266d11 2 Environment Greenland,ice-sheet,climate,climate-change,climate-crisis,environment Free Greenland's ice sheet shrank by more than at any time since record-taking began last year, according to a study published on Wednesday that showed the risk that climate change could cause sharp rises in global sea levels. The huge melt was due not only to warm temperatures, but also atmospheric circulation patterns that have become more frequent due to climate change, suggesting scientists may be underestimating the threat to the ice, the authors found. "We're destroying ice in decades that was built over thousands of years," Marco Tedesco, research professor at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, who led the study, told Reuters. "What we do here has huge implications for everywhere else in the world." Greenland's ice sheet, the world's second largest, recorded its biggest outright drop in what scientists call "surface mass" since record-keeping began in 1948, according to the study. Greenland lost around 600 billion tons of water last year, an amount that would contribute about 1.5 millimeters of sea level rise, according to the study from Columbia and Belgium's Liege university, published in The Cryosphere. Greenland's ice sheet covers 80 percent of the island and could raise global sea levels by up to 23 feet if it melted entirely. Greenland contributed 20-25 percent of global sea level rise over the last few decades, Tedesco said. If carbon emissions continue to grow, this share could rise to around 40 percent by 2100, he said, although there is considerable uncertainty about how ice melt will develop in Antarctica - the largest ice sheet on Earth. Read also: In Greenland village, shorter winters cast doubts over dog sledding Most models used by scientists to project Greenland's future ice loss do not capture the impact of changing atmospheric circulation patterns - meaning such models may be significantly underestimating future melting, the authors said. "It's almost like missing half of the melting," said Tedesco. With climate change impacts from massive bushfires in Australia to thawing permafrost in the Arctic unfolding faster than many scientists had once anticipated, the study underscored the risks associated with burning fossil fuels. A report by the United Nations-backed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published in September projected that sea levels could rise by one meter by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions keep climbing. Massive freshwater melt - like that of Greenland - threatens the hundreds of millions of people who live below current high tide lines or annual flood levels. It also changes ocean salinity, which can disrupt marine ecosytems. Some 600 doctors of various specialisations have been intensively trained to conduct swab tests for new coronavirus, Covid-19, for Kuwaiti citizens who are expected to return home soon, a media report said. The Health Ministry's Public Health Department has organised intensive workshops and specialised lectures for medical teams that will be deployed at Kuwait International Airport to examine the returning citizens when evacuations flights start on 19th April, the UAEs state news agency reported, citing Kuwait News Agency (Kuna). More than 35,000 overseas Kuwaiti citizens are willing to return home following the outbreak of the Covid-19 across the world, said the Kuna report. When tens of thousands worldwide are dead or dying and many thousands more are doomed, its an odd thing to boast about. But when the flagship Hermes store in the Chinese city of Guangzhou reopened after a two-month coronavirus lockdown last weekend, it took a staggering $2.7 million the highest one day earnings by a single boutique in China, ever. VIPs from Guangdong, Chinas wealthiest province, flocked there with their wives to partake in what has been termed revenge shopping: revenge against the deadly Covid-19 disease which prevented them from spending lavishly for so long. A few days later and 600 miles away, Wuhans biggest wet market similar to the citys Huanan seafood market which also sold live wild animals for human consumption and has been blamed for being the origin of the pandemic re-opened too. Researchers work in a lab of Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, 23 February 2017 The message was the same and broadcast by state television for global consumption. After a sharp contraction in its economy China is open for business. World-leading business. Meanwhile, the West, mostly still in lockdown, heads for economic ruin. We find ourselves in a desperately weakened state, just like a Covid-19 victim on a ventilator. But have the Chinese authorities really brought their outbreak under control? Should we believe their official death toll, which is relatively modest even after Wuhan revised its figures 50 per cent upwards yesterday? And did the pandemic truly begin in that Huanan seafood market, rather than by accident or even design in the citys state-run Institute of Virology, as some including Donald Trump this week have implied? Residents wearing face masks purchase seafood at a wet market on January 28, 2020 in Macau, China Responding to the suggestion that weak safety protocols at the Institute meant it was an infected lab worker whod gone to the seafood market that began the pandemic, the U.S. President said: More and more were hearing the story. What is clear is that the Chinese Communist Party has practised is still practising one of the more grotesque deceptions by a totalitarian government. By seeking to control the narrative the authorities first created a fatal paralysis, then an information vacuum into which has been sucked all kinds of speculation. In an attempt to piece together as accurately as possible the extraordinary story of the pandemics emergence, the Mail has spoken this week to leading virologists, academics who specialise in China, economists and activists. Today in the first of a three part series on the Coronavirus Crisis we can also reveal via the world famous Pasteur Institute in Paris the frightening new research, as yet officially unpublished, which suggests the new coronavirus could pass not only to domestic cats but to farm livestock, too; thus creating new reservoirs for the pathogen in the UK. We can tell the story of previous deadly pathogen escapes from Chinese laboratories and cover ups. We will examine the Chinese states inexplicable actions in the early days of the outbreak and the competing claims of conspiracy theories which emerged as a result. And we will look at where China and the world goes from here. Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Chuanshan port area of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, Zhejiang Province, China - 29 Mar 2020 Should we be surprised by what has happened? No, says Ma Jian, the author and human rights activist who is known as the Chinese Solzhenitsyn, after the famous Soviet era dissident. Mr Jian, who was jailed in China and now lives in exile in London, spoke to the Mail last night about the Wests long and lucrative cultivation of China. He said: It has been a disastrous experiment. Democracies cannot engage with totalitarian regimes blindly in this way, without suffering catastrophic consequences. The result is in the UK alone there have been more than 14,000 deaths. That is one truth which cannot be avoided. In 1977 a strange strain of flu started infecting people in Northern China. The symptoms mostly not fatal duplicated those of a flu type last seen two decades before and thought extinct. The strain rapidly spread around the world. But it afflicted only people under 20. How could this be? Genetic tests by virologists indicated this was indeed the same extinct flu from the late 1950s. In its prime, the strain had been so widespread that anyone alive was likely to have been exposed to it and developed immunity. Where had it been for two decades? And why the comeback? The virus had another quirk. It would only survive in a middling temperature range as though it had been bred to do this. In fact it had been scientifically selected to flourish in lab temperatures. Gene testing further showed it hadnt mutated over 20 years in the way it would certainly have done if it had been replicating for generations in the wild. All the evidence suggested the virus had been frozen and stored in a lab for years. Then it had been thawed, and somehow escaped to prey on a new generation that had no natural immunity, according to a report by the University of California, San Diego, in the journal PLoS One in 2010. Fingers immediately pointed to Chinese virology labs as the source. Investigators suggested the virus may have escaped from a lab where researchers were working on a new vaccine in response to warnings about an expected pandemic of a form of swine flu. VIPs from Guangdong, Chinas wealthiest province, flocked there with their wives to partake in what has been termed revenge shopping. Pictured: Mall in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China, April 16 These facts are not well-known, because virology experts worldwide rarely spoke about it for years.Indeed, the leak had happened in the depths of the Cold War. Western scientists did not want to risk humiliating Communist China, for fear it would stop cooperating with global efforts to detect other dangerous virus outbreaks. But this obscure story has chilling echoes today for experts who fear the current pandemic SARS-CoV-2 is the scientific name of the new coronavirus which causes Covid-19 in humans emerged not from Wuhans Huanan market, but escaped from one of the citys two laboratories experimenting with bat coronaviruses. The SARS catastrophe One of these laboratories run by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is very close to the Huanan market. Certainly China has form with virus escapes from laboratories. Worse still, it has already experienced catastrophic accidents with SARS (Severe Acute respiratory Syndrome) viruses which first emerged in China in 2002. In April 2004, China reported a suspected case of SARS in a 20-year-old nurse in Beijing whod cared for a female lab researcher. That researcher took a train home to be looked after by her mother, a doctor who died from SARS pneumonia within a fortnight. The lab researcher had worked at the Chinese National Institute of Virology in Beijing. So too had a young man who fell ill that month. Neither had worked with live SARS virus. Seven other people were infected before a mass quarantine stopped the outbreak. World Health Organisation (WHO) investigators later reported serious concerns regarding the labs security. Five senior officials at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention were sacked. But the WHO wanted more, and called for future Chinese work on SARS-related viruses to be conducted using high level virus-containment measures called Biosafety Level 3 (BSL 3). However, it is reported that the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention lab in Wuhan has also been conducting research into animal coronaviruses with only a Level 2 certificate of biosafety. When the flagship Hermes store in the Chinese city of Guangzhou reopened after a two-month coronavirus lockdown last weekend, it took a staggering $2.7 million The Wuhan Institute of Virology has the highest biosafety certification level 4 but has been accused of poor work protocols and being a source of the new virus by multiple sources. Only last December, Chinese health authorities were promising in the national China Daily to boost their labs biosafety this time in the wake of an incident where the cattle-borne disease brucellosis had infected several lab technicians in Gansu province. Fortunately, the infection could not spread from human to human. Since the Covid-19 outbreak however, such official candidness has been replaced by censorship. Mystery disease and cover-ups In late December before the outbreak was publicised doctors at Wuhan Central Hospital who posted a message alerting colleagues to the mystery new disease were accused by security forces of making false comments and forced to sign statements agreeing not to discuss the disease. Earlier this month, Chinese authorities began to crack down on publication of academic research about the origins of the novel coronavirus. Pasteur report bombshell: Cattle, sheep and even cats can catch it The novel strain of coronavirus responsible for the current pandemic may have evolved to infect domestic cats and many species of farm animal potentially creating a vast haven from which it may repeatedly invade humans, new research has found. A scientific report, submitted to a journal run by the world-renowned Pasteur Institute, in Paris, has been seen by the Mail prior to publication. Researchers at the University of Hunan have studied the lung structures of 251 different animals to determine which could be infected with Covid-19 through contact with either bats or humans. Their findings suggest that, beyond infecting bats, pangolins and humans, the virus has evolved the ability to infect at least ten other creatures. The danger list includes cats, cows, goats, pigs, sheep, buffalo and pigeons. This raises the possibility that, having jumped from humans into these mammals, the virus might mutate into new, even more lethal forms that could then emerge to infect people again. The study team is led by Xing-Yi Ge, a virologist who previously worked at the Wuhan Institute of Virologys Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases. The virologists report is due to be published in the journal Microbes And Infection. It warns that interspecies transmission is believed to be a major cause of coronavirus epidemic. The report adds that this happened in the 2003 Sars epidemic, when the virus moved from bats into humans via infected civet cats and raccoons. To create their species risk-list, the scientists studied the structure of a protein receptor on animal cells called ACE2 the same receptor through which Covid-19 enters human cells and takes over the cells machinery to make copies of itself that infect other cells. The new research indicates that dogs, unlike cats, should not be susceptible to Covid-19 because they do not have the same vulnerable entry point in cells. Covid-19 originated in horseshoe bats, but the new study says bats are unlikely to have passed it to humans through direct contact because that is so rare. There are two main theories to explain how Covid-19 entered humans: that it was passed on via an intermediary animal, such as a pangolin sold at Wuhans food market, or that a sample of the horseshoe bat virus escaped from one of two laboratories in Wuhan that were studying the creatures. The ability of Covid-19 to infect animals that share space with people may create a real, long-lasting threat. One of Europes foremost virology experts, Simon Wain-Hobson, of the Pasteur Institute, says the new Chinese study may have alarming implications. He told the Mail: If they had recently isolated a novel coronavirus from a mammal in the list, then Id gulp. The studys author, Xing-Yi Ge, told the Mail the research is in its preliminary stages, adding: No living virus has yet been isolated from any of the animals on our list. However, some early studies have reported animals such as cats with positive blood tests for coronavirus. Indeed, one such victim has been a tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York. The peril of pandemics caused by viruses that have jumped from animals to humans looks set to grow, according to a report this month led by Bernard Bett, a senior scientist in Kenya. He warns the danger is increasing due to population growth and increased urbanisation, with human settlement expanding into areas once occupied only by wild animals. Increased proximity fuels the transfer of viruses. Already three quarters of emerging human infectious disease outbreaks originate from animals, he warns. Recent examples include HIV and Ebola, which both emerged in Africa. Climate change is another factor, according to respiratory disease researchers at the University of Miami. Variations in rainfall and temperature may cause food scarcities for animals such as bats, chimps, pangolins and deer, which can all carry dangerous infections. A search for food is liable to bring such creatures into closer contact with humans, they say in the journal Annals of the American Thoracic Society. Furthermore, if crops fail and livestock die due to increased flooding, droughts, heatwaves or pests, we may start hunting more animals for food. One Ebola outbreak in 1996, for example, is believed to have been the result of villagers eating a chimpanzee. Advertisement Two leading Chinese universities published web notices requiring academic papers dealing with Covid-19 to be scrutinised first by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Research on the origins of the virus is particularly sensitive and subject to checks by government officials, according to the notices posted by Fudan University and the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan). Jane Duckett, a professor at Glasgow Universitys Scottish Centre for China Research, told the Mail: It is a typical response by the Chinese authorities to try to control the narrative on any story they might think threatens them. Professor Duckett, who focuses on Chinese policy and health, adds: With coronavirus, this may be for example because they know that their initial response to the outbreak was not good enough and would cause dissatisfaction among the Chinese people. We have seen the same before with the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan province where some 80,000 people died. The authorities did not want people protesting at how planning corruption had allowed buildings to be constructed that collapsed during the quake. In similar fashion, the authorities muzzled media coverage of a high-speed train crash in 2011 that killed at least 38 people and injured 192. Footage emerged of bulldozers shovelling dirt over carriages in an apparent attempt to hide them. Scandals over train crashes and earthquakes take big lies to cover up. Now we must consider an almost unthinkable question: is the Chinese government also lying about how the worlds biggest pandemic began? Its little wonder then that conspiracy theories have come to the fore, which brings us to a leading scientist known as Bat Woman. The rise and rise of Bat Woman It had seemed that 2017 was an annus mirabilis for Dr Shi Zengli and her team at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. After 13 years of research they had found the genetic source of the SARS coronavirus which killed 750 people worldwide between 2002-2004. Among the samples taken in 2013 in the caves of Yunnan province, one was labelled RaTG13. It came from a variety of horseshoe bat. Bats have an extraordinary resistance to disease and can act as living reservoirs to viruses which cannot kill them but which may be lethal to other mammals, including humans. Scientists had suspected that civet cats sold for human consumption in Chinese wet markets were the source of the SARS virus. But the civets proved only to be an intermediary for the fatal transfer to humans from bats. Similarly, the MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) coronavirus outbreak of 2012 which killed 850 people, transferred from bats via camels to humans. In 1994, the Hendra coronavirus infection also jumped species from horses to humans. Malaysias 1998 Nipah virus outbreak from pigs to humans also originated in pathogens from bats. The brilliant Ms Zengli had other research interests and was experimenting in synthetic viruses which could pass from animals to humans. Recent research has suggested the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (which causes Covid-19) can pass directly from bats to humans which posed the question: had she gone too far in playing God, deliberately or otherwise? Enter the CIA and MI6. This week, following the leak of 2018 American diplomatic cables expressing concerns about the allegedly reckless way the Wuhan Institute of Virology was being run, the intelligence services became involved in solving the mystery of Covid-19s emergence. Their intervention is a potential game changer in understanding why we are in lockdown; why so many of our grandparents generation is dying; why our economy is tanking. To date, the Chinese Communist Partys leadership has been unwilling to provide the explanatory narrative. And so the conspiracy theories and educated guesses have proliferated. So who was Patient Zero? In late January, after Wuhans belated lockdown, Twitter banned libertarian website Zero Hedge for doxing publishing private information with malicious intent. The site had tweeted in a piece headlined Is This The Man Behind The Global Coronavirus Pandemic? a picture of a scientist at Wuhans Institute of Virology. There followed a flurry of similar accusations on Chinese social media that the cause of the outbreak was the Wuhan Institute of Virology and its poor practices. On February 7 Ms Zengli said the claims were the work of conspiracy theorists who dont believe in science. By that time rumours were abroad that one of her recruits in late 2019 there were at least two online advertisements for bat virus-related research jobs had become Patient Zero: the first person to die of Covid-19. The speculation about an individual called Huang Yanling was enough to cause the Institute to issue a denial on Febuary 16. Recently there has been fake information about Huang Yanling, a graduate from our institute, claiming that she was patient zero in the novel coronavirus, it said. Huang was a graduate student at the institute until 2015. So there. But where is she now? A plot by anti Beijing activists? Last month an internet documentary drew together and interpreted many of the accusatory threads. It was made by a media group linked with groups opposed to the Chinese leadership and called Tracking Down The Origin Of The Wuhan Coronavirus. Certainly it made diligent use of the available material. On January 24 one of the first studies of Covid-19 cases appeared in highly respected British medical journal, The Lancet. The co-authors were medics from hospitals in Wuhan and elsewhere in China. The paper took as its evidence samples from 41 Covid-19 victims in Wuhan who had contracted the virus by January 2. The film seized upon the claim that the studys Patient Zero the first man to suffer symptoms, which he did as early as December 1 had no known direct interaction with the Huanan seafood market. Nor did 13 others of the 41. It was also claimed no bats were sold at the market. The Huanan link was highly unlikely, if not impossible the film suggested. The Chinese had been imposing a false criteria by concentrating on the market. The authorities had closed and cleansed the market, destroying potential evidence. It was a clear cover up. But of what? The results of a second scientific paper were also highlighted by the film. This report was published in Nature, another globally respected journal, in early February. It drew attention to the genetic similarity found between the new then as yet unnamed Wuhan coronavirus and two coronaviruses previously found in bats in Zhoushan. The only Westerner among the reports 19 co-authors was British-born Professor Eddie Holmes of Sydney University. These data suggest that bats are a possible host for the viral reservoir of (the Wuhan virus), said the Nature report. However, as a variety of animal species were for sale in the market when the disease was first reported, further studies are needed to determine the natural reservoir and any intermediate hosts. The documentary stated that the two bat samples had been found by the Peoples Liberation Army (in fact a scientific institute linked to the military). The plot thickened. According to one ex U.S. Department of Defense scientist in the film the Mail has discovered he also happened to be Executive Director of an organisation called the Global Alliance against Communist Propaganda all the indications were that the new coronavirus was the result of reverse engineering of the SARS virus. Another expert argued it could not possibly be a natural mutation. The new coronavirus was not naturally occurring at all, they argued. It had been artificially manipulated in a laboratory so that it could enter and destroy human cells. And the person allegedly at the centre of this sinister manipulation was the Institute of Virologys famed bat woman, Shi Zengli. British born Professor Simon Wain-Hobson of the Pasteur Institute in Paris was cited in the film as being deeply concerned by her work. And why shouldnt he be, the lay viewer might ask? There was a sequence in the new viruss genetic make-up which, the film said, mimicked HIV, the virus which causes AIDS. Was the Wuhan virus being developed in the Institute of Virology to create a bio-weapon? Or a virus for which the Chinese had the only, highly lucrative, cure? A second paper in Nature, submitted this February by Zengli and her team, was offered up by the film as further proof of malfeasance. This new report revealed a faecal sample RaTG13 taken by Zenglis team in the bat cave in 2013 demonstrated an overall genome sequence identity of 96.2% to the new coronavirus. It was its closest relative and formed a distinct lineage from other SARS-like viruses. Dr Zengli appeared to be waving a smoking gun. She emphatically denies the cause of the virus was her laboratory work. She has admitted to Scientific American magazine that after reports of an outbreak she had been worried of an accidental escape of her material. Then she had checked her lab samples against those taken from Covid-19 victims and been reassured they were not to blame. What of other scientists mentioned in the film? Earlier this week Prof Wain-Hobson told the Mail the film suffers from a large number of problems, starting with things called facts. As far as we virologists can see this virus is natural, he said. That means with the data we have that is available in the public domain. And thats it. Of the possibility of a lab escape Professor Wain-Hobson said: It is very possible that the Chinese havent told World Health Organisation (WHO) and the West everything. And yes, they dont like the U.S. and Trump. They want to be Number One on a small planet. But an engineered virus? There is nothing about this virus that indicates its out of a lab. I say that with the info available and my appreciation of virus evolution. In a Twitter post Prof Holmes concurred: I think there are a number of really clear reasons to believe that this is not in any way a lab construct or a lab escape. Will CIA and MI6 crack Covid-19? That position is backed by senior U.S. scientists. But then came a report this week in The Washington Post story based on those leaked diplomatic cables from 2018. The leak coincided, conveniently you may think, with President Trumps announcement that he was withdrawing financial support from the WHO which he felt was too cosy with Beijing. After the story broke Prof Wain-Hobson told the Mail: Without knowing what was going on in the lab we cannot say more. As mentioned earlier, it doesnt look an engineered and others feel this way too, which is comforting. But this is because were using the same data. Professor Holmes agreed with this view in a social media statement released on Thursday. There is no evidence that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans, originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China, he said. Coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2 are commonly found in wildlife species and frequently jump to new hosts. This is also the most likely explanation for the origin of SARS-CoV-2. For its part China has even attempted to blame America. In October 2019 a team of U.S. athletes travelled to Wuhan for the World Military Games. It might be U.S. Army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! U.S. owe us an explanation! a Chinese Foreign Minister said last month Who can say definitively yet if ever whether infected bats were sold in the Huanan seafood market? Or other animals, such as pangolins, which might have served as carriers of the virus? Credible voices in the Western scientific community maintain the evidence suggests the pandemic is a natural occurrence. But thanks to the inaction and secrecy of the Chinese authorities, Western intelligence services have now been tasked with determining the truth. The national lockdown from March 25 to combat the Covid-19 pandemic left the ready-to-cook and snacks category reeling as curbs on the movement of goods and economic activities led to supply chain disruptions and caused massive production losses, posing hurdles for all stakeholders including consumers. The government has extended the three-week lockdown by another 18 days to May 3, to arrest the spread of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic that has taken close to 1.46 lakh lives globally, including close to 440 in India. The Centre, meanwhile, has eased some curbs by issuing revised guidelines to enforce lockdown 2.0 -- allowing movement of all types of goods, essential and non-essentials, among several other relaxations. Lack of employment and the resultant pains in continuing to live in cities have created a crisis of reverse migration as millions of daily wagers returned to their homes, bringing down production in many sectors, including FMCG companies. Unofficial estimates say nearly half of the over 14-crore migrant workers have left for their homes and are unlikely to return soon. "Since the lockdown, our manufacturing has come down to just about 15-20 per cent as our workforce mainly comprises migratory workers, who have left for their homes. We are manufacturing with only 15-20 per cent manpower, those staying nearby, Krishnarao Buddha, senior category head at Parle Products, told PTI. This has also caused a breakdown in supply chain as well and it has become a huge challenge to send supplies to distributors in the absence of truck drivers, he adds. Snacks and condiments are very much in demand and needed in families especially with children or senior citizens. "The ready-to-cook, snacks and condiments makes it easy for people who are working from home and have children and senior citizens to take care. Same is the case with bachelors/students. Therefore, this category should have been in the essential goods list," he opined. CG Corp' executive director Varun Chaudhary said since the lockdown was declared unexpectedly almost all FMCG companies are facing distribution challenges. The company sells instant noodles under the Wai Wai brand. "As state-to-state procedures are different, inter-state transportation is restrictive," he said. "We are trying to distribute in as many cities and localities as possible by following regulations. Within each state, in certain cities we are getting permission to distribute but in some cities it is still a challenge, he stated. Shortage of trucks and drivers is another challenge as many trucks were stuck at various check-points and interstate borders, he said. "We had a good amount of stocks with our distributors. And now we are ramping up our efforts to replenish the stocks. Factory dispatches have improved in the past few days and we have been able to dispatch sizable stocks since then. We are also present on e-commerce platforms like Big Basket and Grofers. We are in the process of widening it further, he added. With some relaxations announced from April 20 for manufacturing outside cities, he hopes supplies will improve over time. But for complete normalcy, we will have to wait. But with gradual improvement we will be better placed to meet demand. E-commerce players like Bigbasket and Grofers, essentially servicing groceries, are ramping up their manpower, which should help fill the gap between demand and supply. Non-traditional groceries e-commerce platforms are tweaking their operations for this, he said. He said FMCG companies are grappling with operational challenges and are under continuous pressure due to several factors like under-utilisation of capacity due to shortage of workforce along with incurring extra transportation cost due to hindrance in movement. However, with the revised guidelines from April 20, it is expected that we will overcome the problems of transportation to some extent, which will help ease in supply of our products, he added. Meanwhile, Navin Tewari, CEO of Capital Foods that offers desi, Chinese and condiments under Ching's Secret and Smith & Jones brands, is expecting a V-shaped recovery if the lockdown is lifted on May 3. Some pockets are already showing an uptick in demand. Typically, aata, daal and chawal are looked upon as basic food items but noodles, pasta, snacks, and schezwan chutney have become equally mainstream. We have already seen a 50 per cent increase in demand for such products in some cities. We see good demand from eastern and northern states. But not elsewhere barring Bengaluru where we are seeing substantial growth in demand, he added. He said the company is getting a very strong connection with neighbourhood stores who are catering to consumers particularly in the North and in the West. Going forward this trend may continue at least through 2020. We are back to 75 per cent of production level in some categories even though we are employing only 45 per cent of the manpower, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) HDIL promoterRakesh Wadhawan, currently lodged in jail in connection with the multi-crore rupees Punjab & Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank scam case, was denied interim bail on Friday by a special court here. Rakesh Wadhawan, who is in his 60s, had sought bail on health ground citing the coronavirus outbreak. He has been booked under the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act (PMLA). His plea was rejected by special PMLA judge PP Rajvaidya. In his application for interim bail, Rakesh Wadhawan had cited his advanced age and existing illnesses, and said he fears contracting the coronavirus infection in jail. Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL) Rakesh Wadhawan and his son Sarang are accused, besides several others, in the Rs 4,355-crore PMC Bank scam which surfaced in September last year. The case is being probe by the Enforcement Directorate, along with the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai police. The case stems from massive loans given by PMC Bank to the now bankrupt HDIL. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shoppers wear face masks to protect against the coronavirus outbreak as they do their weekend shopping at a supermarket in London, Friday, April 17, 2020. The highly contagious COVID-19 coronavirus has impacted on nations around the globe, many imposing self isolation and exercising social distancing when people move from their homes.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein) A leading public health expert said Friday that Britain likely has the highest coronavirus death rate in Europe due to what he described as "system errors," while the government defended its record in responding to the pandemic. Anthony Costello, director of the Institute for Global Health at University College London, said the U.K. "could see 40,000 deaths" by the time the first wave of the country's outbreak is over. The British government reported that as of Thursday, 13,729 people had died in U.K. hospitals after testing positive for the coronavirus. The number does not include hundreds, and maybe thousands, of virus-related deaths in nursing homes and other settings. Costello has been a vocal critic of the government's strategy, saying it has not been doing enough testing for the virus and has failed to trace and isolate people who were in contact with infected individuals. "What were the system errors that led us to have probably the highest death rates in Europe?" he said. "We're going to face further waves and so we need to make sure we have a system in place ... that enables you to test people rapidly in the community, in care homes and to make sure that the results are got back to them very quickly," Costello told a committee of British lawmakers Friday. London Ambulance staff, police officers and firefighters take part in the weekly "clap for our carers" as they stand on Westminster Bridge backdropped by a scaffolded Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in London, during the lockdown to try and stop the spread of coronavirus, Thursday, April 16, 2020. The applause takes place across Britain every Thursday at 8pm local time to show appreciation for healthcare workers, emergency services, armed services, delivery drivers, shop workers, teachers, waste collectors, manufacturers, postal workers, cleaners, vets, engineers and all those helping people with coronavirus and keeping the country functioning while most people stay at home in the lockdown. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) NHS staff applaud outside the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London during the weekly "Clap for our Carers", Thursday, April 16, 2020. The applause takes place across Britain every Thursday at 8pm local time to show appreciation for healthcare workers, emergency services, armed services, delivery drivers, shop workers, teachers, waste collectors, manufacturers, postal workers, cleaners, vets, engineers and all those helping people with coronavirus and keeping the country functioning while most people stay at home in the lockdown. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) In this Thursday, April 16, 2020 photo, David Anderson, left, Executive Director for Quality, Infection Prevention and Control at the charity UK-Med trains medical staff on how to put on and remove PPE, personal protective equipment, to avoid being infected or transmitting coronavirus, at the Nightingale Hospital North West set up in the Manchester Central Convention Complex in Manchester, northern England. The complex has been converted into a hospital to provide care for an increased number of patients requiring treatment during the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Jon Super) Britain was slower than many other European countries to impose mandatory restrictions on business and daily life to slow the spread of the coronavirus. A lockdown ordered on March 23 was extended Thursday for at least three more weeks. Schools, restaurants and most shops are closed, and most people are allowed to leave home only for essential errands or exercise. Health Secretary Matt Hancock defended the government's record, saying "test, track and trace" was part of its strategy. "I think we took the right measures at the right time," he said. The government vowed to conduct 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of April, a more than five-fold increase on current rates. It has also promised to include nursing home deaths in the official tally. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. On Saturday, Ms. Cheney said that she asked Mr. McMurtrys campaign to return her contribution. We as Republicans must not condone racism in any form, Ms. Cheney wrote on Twitter. Last night I was alerted to tweets by a candidate to whom my political action committee made a contribution. After reviewing the tweets, I asked that the contribution be returned. Mr. Turner and the Republican Jewish Coalition also said in statements on Saturday that they had requested for the campaign to return their donations. The Republican Jewish Coalition also rescinded the endorsement of Mr. McMurtry it made hours after Mr. Massie tried to force a vote on the coronavirus relief package. Mr. Massie has long clashed with hawkish Republicans like Ms. Cheney, and he alluded to his disdain for their worldview on Twitter after her donation to Mr. McMurtry and that of Mr. Turners became public, writing: I guess #neocons really do hate coming to work, while expecting nurses and truckers and soldiers to keep doing their jobs. Who knew? Mr. Massies race is less than two months away. After his move to force a vote on the stimulus bill, what was considered a sleepy race has been injected with a shot of intrigue. Mr. Trump sent out two hostile tweets targeting the Kentucky Republican, branding him a third rate Grandstander and calling for him to be thrown out of the party. Mr. Massie, who was at home in Garrison, Ky., on Friday, said that he had spoken by phone with the president hours beforehand and that Mr. Trump had articulated that it wasnt a good political move. He knew by proceeding that he was in danger of subverting one of his campaign strategies to keep Mr. Trump out of the race. The only way that my opponent could get any traction was to get support from President Trump, he said, noting Mr. Trump has a 96 percent approval rating among likely Republican primary voters in his district. Mr. Massie has made no apologies for insisting that lawmakers should show up in person to record their votes on the behemoth spending package. But in the interview on Friday, he said he would not object to forgoing a floor vote on a change to House rules that Democratic leaders have embraced to allow for voting by proxy during the pandemic so long as the process was sufficiently transparent. Mr. Massie said the rule should require that the names of those who voted in person and who voted by proxy be made public, along with the names of those whom absent lawmakers had authorized to vote on their behalf. Drastic cuts to public school spending could come as soon as this summer, an acceleration of the fiscal pain that analysts had already been forecasting for K-12 education. State budgets have been massacred by the widespread shutdown of the economy. And school finance expertsupdating their forecasts on a near-daily basisare now saying public schools will be forced as soon as this summer to make dramatic cuts to their budgets. Signs of the severity are already emerging. In Hawaii, the Democratic governor is considering deep cuts to teacher salaries as early as May 1. For the last several weeks, K-12 analysts have assumed that districts wouldnt see budget cuts until spring 2021 because the federal government sent out a $13.5 billion stimulus fund, states have stored up billions of dollars in rainy day funds and because making mid-year cuts to public schools is so politically unappealing and disruptive. But states have already lost tens of billions of dollars for the last quarter of this fiscal year and will likely lose hundreds of billions more in the 2021 fiscal year as federal and state governments struggle to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities earlier this week estimated that states will collectively lose close to $500 billion next fiscal year. I cant see a school district that wont be looking at budget cuts come this fall Michael Griffith, a fiscal analyst and school finance expert said Thursday morning. Some might be dramatic. Some places might start seeing cuts this school year. Pay Cuts, Furloughs, Layoffs Are All on the Table As more and more people lose their jobs and file for Medicaid and unemployment benefits, that puts a squeeze on state budgets and forces cuts elsewhere. On average, K-12 makes up more than a quarter of states budgets. In some states, it amounts to more than half. More than 22 million people have filed for unemployment since President Donald Trump declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency on March 13. The severity of the cuts will vary by state and district, depending on how much their revenues are tethered to income, oil, and sales taxes, all of which have tanked in the last two months. Earlier this week, Gov. David Ige, the Democratic governor of Hawaii, said he is considering cutting teachers and other public employees pay by 20 percent starting May 1. The statewide school system, already woefully underfunded and experiencing a teacher shortage, is heavily reliant on tourism sales tax. And in Nevada, another tourism heavy state, Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, asked every state agency, including the education department, to find more than 4 percent in cuts this fiscal year. In a conference call with the states teachers union this week, a teacher asked Gov. Sisolak whether there would be teacher layoffs or furloughs this summer. Ill be honest with you, he responded, according to the Nevada Independent , failing to give her a yes or no answer. I have a lot of sleepless nights over this. One thing I dont get much of any more is sleep. This has weighed heavily on my mind for weeks already as it relates to our budgets. In other states, school district officials should prepare for the likelihood that legislatures this summer will reconvene and cut millions of dollars out of K-12 budgets to make up for lost revenue, fiscal analysts now say. That will likely require superintendents to revise their 2020-21 school year budgets and, possibly, lay off teachers and staff just weeks before school starts this fall. That sort of last minute scramble will have a devastating impact on teaching and learning, especially for schools that serve large populations of vulnerable students. The severity and speed at which the economy is cratering has placed into disarray the school finance community which, for years, has used outdated district spending numbers , inefficient and ineffective funding formulas , and piecemeal solutions to send money to districts that need it the most, Griffith said. During the last recession, advocates and lawmakers had time, data, and superintendents testimony to make strategic cuts to public schools. That option is not really available now. People felt like the recession moved quickly, Griffith said. But that took an extended period of time for things to happen. It didnt hit rock bottom until 18 months in. Weve aleady got worse numbers now and were only five to six weeks into this. Marguerite Roza, a Georgetown University K-12 finance professor who has studied cuts during the last recession, said in a webinar Thursday that legislatures will likely first cut new initiatives such as Pre-K programs, counselors, and programs for English-language learners, before considering cuts to states funding formulas, which could force districts to enact furloughs and layoffs. Historically, districts are insulated from economic shifts so when a contraction happens, many are unprepared, Roza said. Griffith said an analysis he did two weeks ago that described the fiscal impact school systems could face next year when factoring in new federal money is now outdated.The $13.5 billion included for schools in the coronavirus stimulus measure passed by Congress, known as the CARES Act, he said, will not spare the vast majority of districts. School funding advocates, he said, should push for another federal bailout , one that is exclusive to public schools and amounts to more than $200 billion. The question for school officials now, he said, is whether the economy will immediately bounce back or not. These are monumental figures, Griffith said, pointing to unemployment numbers and states revenue forecasts. No models can do these sorts of predictions. We have no previous experience dealing with something like this. (Photo credit: iStock/Getty) The son of Tajikistan's long-serving President Emomali Rakhmon was elected to the constitutionally important senate chair position on Friday, possibly indicating hereditary succession plans in the tightly-controlled Central Asian state. Rustam Emomali received the unanimous backing of his fellow senators in the 33-member upper house, meaning he is now positioned to lead the country if his father is unable to. Tajikistan is slated to hold presidential elections later this year. Rustam Emomali will be able to hold the role in combination with his current job as mayor of the capital Dushanbe. The 32-year-old was appointed mayor in 2017, taking on the position after stints in charge of the Customs Service and the national anti-corruption agency. The senate chairman post was previously occupied by Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloev since 2000. Emomali had also replaced Ubaidulloev as Dushanbe mayor, after he held it since 1996. Ubaidulloev was often described as an important power-broker and is believed to have strong ties to Tajikistan's key backer Russia. Emomali had been tipped by some analysts to run in place of his 67-year-old father in the 2020 elections. But his appointment to senate chair raises the prospect of a power transition between presidential terms, which last seven years. That scenario played out in another authoritarian Central Asian state, Kazakhstan. There, long-ruling strongman Nursultan Nazarbayev stepped down as president in March 2019 and allowed then-senate chair Kassym-Jomart Tokayev -- a Nazarbayev loyalist -- to take over the office. Despite evidence of family nepotism in many former Soviet countries, Azerbaijan is the only Soviet successor state to have overseen a hereditary succession. Azerbaijan's current president Ilham Aliyev took power after the death of his father, Heydar Aliyev, in 2003. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This year's season of Married At First Sight received a slew of complaints from the Australian Communications and Media Authority. While it was a ratings hit for Channel Nine, viewers complained about everything from the program's PG age classification and the mental health of the participants. An ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph on Thursday: 'Married At First Sight is a classified program. Some complaints have been about whether the program had been accurately classified.' Will Married At First Sight be taken off air? The social experiment received a slew of complaints from viewers through the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Complaints ranged from the show's PG classification to the mental health of the participants (Pictured Hayley Vernon) Throughout this season of MAFS, episodes of the social experiment classified as Parental Guidance (PG), or Mature (M), and included adult themes. PG shows are not recommended for those under fifteen without parental guidance, whereas M shows are not recommended for those under fifteen full stop. They added: 'The ACMA has also received complaints expressing concern for the welfare of the contestants on the program.' The ACMA spokesperson explained to The Daily Telegraph that the ACMA is a co-regulatory system and that complaints that are filed are first referred the network. 'If the complainant does not receive a response from the broadcaster within 60 days, or is not satisfied with the response, they may refer their complaint to the ACMA,' the spokesperson added. Hitting back: Controversies on the show resulted in plenty of backlash toward the participants on social media, notably Stacey Hampton, who received death threats and abuse after being involved in a cheating scandal with Mikey Pembroke in the finale While this year's season of the social experiment proved was a ratings success, it remains to be seen if the Channel Nine will heed the concerns of viewers pouring in through the independent governing body in charge of monitoring media content. Channel Nine declined to comment. Controversies on the show resulted in plenty of backlash toward the participants on social media, notably Stacey Hampton, who received death threats and abuse after being involved in a cheating scandal with Mikey Pembroke in the finale. Other participants have spoken out against the show and shed light on their experience, including bride Poppy Jennings, who abruptly left her husband Luke Eglin on the show. Looking into it: An ACMA spokesperson explained to The Daily Telegraph that that complaints are first referred to the network and only passed on to them if the complainant doesn't hear back within 60 days (Pictured Poppy Jennings and Luke Eglin) Gone: Contestant Poppy Jennings was another controversial exit. She left the show abruptly after making allegations Daily Mail Australia cannot report for legal reasons Poppy's friend Susie told the Kyle and Jackie O Show in February that there had been more to her exit than was shown on television. She claimed that a particular incident - which Daily Mail Australia cannot report for legal reasons - had caused the mother-of-two to abruptly leave the experiment. Viewers also witnessed groom David Cannon use his 'wife' Hayley Vernon's toothbrush to clean excrement off a toilet bowl. Shock and horror: Viewers also witnessed groom David Cannon (left) use his 'wife' Hayley Vernon's (right) toothbrush to clean excrement off a toilet bowl There were also mental health concerns for bride Natasha Spencer, who had a mental breakdown and was rushed to hospital after she was viciously trolled online ahead of the show's finale. The financial analyst told Daily Mail Australia that she was taken to Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital. 'I had anxiety a week leading up to it [Sunday's finale]. I was at home and had a breakdown. I got taken under a section 22, a medical hold,' Natasha explained. For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has pushed Three Twins Ice Cream to permanently close after nearly 15 years in business. The Bay Area-based company announced Friday it would cease operations after a struggle to remain profitable in recent years, adding that the coronavirus pandemic made things more difficult for them. Any chances of a last-minute solution were erased by the pandemic, Neal Gottlieb, Three Twins Ice Cream CEO, wrote on Facebook. As a result, we have no choice but to shut down the business. ALSO: 'It breaks our heart': Hillside Supper Club has permanently closed amid pandemic The ice cream brand debuted in 2005 with one store that offered organic ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, floats and more. As the years went on, Three Twins Ice Cream became an international brand, available throughout the U.S. and inside local grocery stores. The company expanded to locations in San Francisco, Berkeley and Napa, among others. But even as the companys growth seemed promising, margins were slim, according to Gottlieb. On Facebook, Gottlieb wrote that selling ice cream within grocery stories proved to be brutal. To offset the cost of ice cream production, Three Twins Ice Cream moved its facility from Petaluma to Sheboygan, Wis. in June 2019 as the cost of milk and manufacturing was more affordable. At the time of the move, Gottlieb told the North Bay Business Journal that the company hadnt turned a profit since it launched in San Francisco in 2005. We are striving to offer pints of organic ice cream in the $5 range, Gottlieb said in the 2019 interview. High rents, production costs and competition make this a challenge in California. ALSO: Boba Guys founder on what its like to fire 400 people, shutter 17 locations in a single day Employees at the Wisconsin facility have been let go. California employees, which accounted for corporate staff, are also looking for new roles. As Gottlieb announced the closure, he gave special thanks to all the customers who supported his business through the years and suggested the possibility of an entity reviving the brand in the future. Susana Guerrero is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: Susana.Guerrero@sfgate.com | Twitter: @SusyGuerrero3 MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it Cut salaries instead of laying off staff: Karnataka govt to IT firms India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Bengaluru, Apr 17: Karnataka has asked all Information Technology and allied companies to cut salaries instead of laying off employees during the coronavirus lockdown. Deputy Chief Minister, C N Ashwath Narayan held a video conference with industry leaders. Biocon CMD, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalkrishnan among others were part of the meeting. The Deputy CM took stock of the readiness for the NT/BT companies to resume operations after April 20. Bengaluru has been reliable partner of the world where IT sector is concerned: Ashwathnarayan During the meeting, it was discussed that there should be no employee layoffs. Instead, salary cuts can be taken up so that the functioning of a company itself is not affected, given that there have not been many new business orders. NEWS AT 3 PM, APRIL 17th, 2020 The IT/BT minister, Narayan said that IT/BT companies can start operations with 50 per cent strength from April 20. Some concerns were expressed with regard to passes to the employees and vehicles. We told them that after April 20, there will be no pass system in existence. However, 50 per cent workforce will be permitted. It would take a few weeks for the companies to mobilise this. The government will facilitate companies to hire BMTC buses on contract to ferry employees to work, he also said. FLINT, MI--Kettering University students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic can receive aid through an emergency fund launched by the university. The Kettering University Emergency Fund will help students experiencing economic hardship, which includes basic needs like housing, food and academic materials. It will also help with co-op wages, tuition expenses and other situations highlighted in the online request form. Students must be currently enrolled at Kettering and provide documentation supporting the need in order to be eligible for aid. We know these are trying and uncertain times for everyone, especially our students, said University President Dr. Robert K. McMahan. As we continuously look into every avenue available to provide quality education through virtual learning, were also implementing tools and vital resources that address our students physical and mental well-being. Students with questions or concerns can reach the universitys financial aid team directly by email or schedule a virtual meeting with a team member through the application form. This fund, designed specifically to meet the immediate financial needs of our students, is one way weve tried to lift what is a front-of-mind issue from them to ensure that they can focus on their academic success, said McMahan. Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here Flint mayor will not extend 30-day curfew Flint hospitals union president, Edward Nelson, dies from coronavirus Flint police officers, lieutenants and captains receive pay raises Flint gets additional bottled water donations amid coronavirus shutdown 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. When India kicked off its record-borrowing plan last week, traders were betting that the central bank would step in quickly to ease the debt burden. Governor Shaktikanta Das will make an unscheduled address on Friday just as another auction looms. The government is slated to sell 200 billion rupees ($2.6 billion) of bonds. Its first auction of 190 billion rupees was unexpectedly fully subscribed as investors bought on expectations that the Reserve Bank of India would purchase more debt in the secondary market to cap rising yields. Every successive auction will see less demand in a market thats completely dislocated if the RBI doesnt step in, Vijay Sharma, executive vice president for fixed-income at PNB Gilts Ltd. said before the RBI announcement. The sell-off in bonds can get much uglier. Indias predicament is mirrored in other Asian markets, as governments compete for funding to combat a coronavirus-driven slowdown. While central banks in Australia and New Zealand have embarked on massive bond purchases, capping borrowing costs, the RBI has largely refrained from the measures. As a result, Indias benchmark 10-year bond yield has climbed 30 basis points so far in April, set for its biggest monthly rise in two years. Modis Debt Plans The RBI didnt disclose details of the governors address, which will be broadcast on YouTube at 10 a.m. local time. The government is selling 450 billion rupees of debt, including Treasury bills, every week for the first half of the fiscal year to help fund Prime Minister Narendra Modis record borrowing plan of 4.88 trillion rupees during this period. The weekly debt issuance is about 20% higher than a year ago. Market participants are heavily banking on the RBI for their rescue, said Dhawal Dalal, chief investment officer for fixed income at Mumbai-based Edelweiss Asset Management Ltd. Any miscalculation by the RBI could result in a sudden increase in yields. Last week, the government had to pay underwriters almost 50 times more in fees for its first bond sale of the fiscal year, underscoring how nervous primary dealers were. The RBI executed a 75 basis points emergency rate cut last month, and also pledged to provide $50 billion of liquidity. Attractive Yields However, some traders are of the view that higher yields may attract some demand. The benchmark 10-year yield rose one basis point on Thursday to 6.44%. It had risen to 6.51% on April 9, the highest since February. After the recent sell-off, banks may be seeing a good value in the current level of yields, said Debendra Dash, a Mumbai-based fixed-income trader at AU Small Finance Bank in Mumbai. The 10-year yields are expected to stay around the current levels, and any sustainable rally will be guided by the RBIs support. The Islamic Republic of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's official website has launched a new portlet to raise funds to help those who have been hit by COVID-19. The website accepts cash donations under the tabs "religious funds" from people who want to atone their sins for missing prayers or fasting obligations during Ramadan. Now it has added a drop-down menu which includes a new item for donations to help families affected by COVID-19. "Religious funds" are financial resources at the disposal of high-ranking Shiite clerics in Iran and any sum paid into the funds can be deducted from the donor's taxes. Although this new tab has been added recently, the website has not been observed to present any report on the amount of the money raised and the way it is being spent. During the past weeks, many critics in Iran and abroad have asked why funds at the disposal of Khamenei's financial empire has not been spent to aid coronavirus victims or to provide medical and protective equipment. On March 30, in response to Iranian Foreign Minister's calls for lifting U.S. sanctions on Iran to help the country meet its medical needs during the COVID-19 Outbreak, the U.S. Department of State's Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus suggested that Iran can use the funds at the disposal of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. A day earlier, a reformist member of the Iranian parliament, Mostafa Kavakebian had also demanded that the financial organizations under the Khameneis aegis contribute to COVID-19 relief efforts. The amount of small donations collected by the website (leader.ir) can be an indication of popular support for Khamenei if Khamenei's office ever makes information about the fund raising public. PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-17 15:00:54 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 854 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / April 17, 2020 / Responsible and measured crisis management has always been a key objective for Jozef "Jos" Opdeweegh, a seasoned C-suite executive with over 20 years of experience developing, leading, and growing public and private global companies. With a career dedicated to leadership, corporate culture, and business transformation, Opdeweegh has seen organizations rise and fall in response to a variety of unexpected and unplanned changes. In times of crisis, he argues that listening and adapting is critical, and to do so successfully is a test of truly effective leadership.Jos Opdeweegh shared four key takeaways to guide the executives navigating through stormy waters.Decision-makers must remain solutions-oriented.According to Jos Opdeweegh, "Leadership in these circumstances requires more than bravado. It needs a cool head, an ability to take others with us, and perhaps most of all, a clarity of purpose as well as strength and consistency of will." A crisis is defined as a moment of intense difficulty or danger; a situation when critical decisions must be made. Specifically, it is a time of turning points -- when the actions people choose will steer them to either recovery or disaster. Leaders are the primary decision-makers at these critical turning points in times of crisis. They must be level-headed, encouraging, exacting, and dedicated to those that depend on them.In times of uncertainty, maintain your leadership values."The principles of good leadership surely still apply: a willingness to listen and learn, a focus on the common good, clarity, and consistency to our messaging," said Jos Opdeweegh.Experts often point to historical examples in offering guidance to help navigate a crisis. But often, in considering the specifics of a current situation, these parallels are less relevant. And occasionally an unprecedented crisis is what risk analyst Nassim Nicholas Taleb describes as a Black Swan event: a major unforeseen situation, for which we are entirely unprepared -- and one with such wide-ranging impact that it changes our view of the world thereafter.Without concrete lessons from the past, the principles of good leadership are something of a fail-safe. These principles include humility, compassion, emotional intelligence, competence, and cooperation. In troubling times, people recognize these qualities and are actively looking for them in their politicians and influencers.Opdeweegh is a strong proponent of value-based leadership - the idea that leaders should draw on their own and followers' values for direction and motivation. He claims that being a good leader involves drawing on these universal values to bring others with you.Define the organization's purpose before outlining the direction of next steps."The challenge for leaders is that in this moment of greatest uncertainty, the need to provide clarity of purpose and direction is more essential than ever," Opdeweegh positions.Jos Opdeweegh consistently champions the value of long-term thinking and cautions against the pitfalls of short-term solutions. In times of crisis, vision and intention are imperative to prepare for the consequences and opportunities that lie beyond our immediate difficulties.Uncertainty and unease call for actions that demonstrate purpose and direction. And before any action is even taken, that intention must be established. If purpose is the core plan, then direction is the route for translating that purpose into action. Leaders must create a sense of shared purpose, set the direction of travel and guide behavior towards those goals.Seek impact, rather than consensus.Jos Opdeweegh also asserted, "Leadership, almost by definition, will never please all parties, nor is it intended to, but there comes a point when a path must be chosen." To quote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: "A true leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of it." Ideally, that consensus should help to shape our actions beyond the immediate hiatus.Opdeweegh suggests the various responses to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and how the decisions which followed have impacted those countries, are exemplary of the difference between action and avoidance. He points to the stark contrast between the outcome of the bold action taken by Germany in uniting its country and the grim realities of many former Soviet states.In drawing lessons from the past, it is relevant that Germany acted with speed as well as clarity of vision. And in returning to the present, it is surely significant that organizations that take the most immediate measures, and proactively focus on containment are those that are successful in reducing further damage.Opdeweegh concludes that in times of real crisis, whatever path is chosen, leaders must offer their constituents hope. "Today - more than at any time in history - we vastly greater potential to communicate and marshal our actions in a coordinated and steadfast manner. " If we can add hope and the motivation which comes with it, then "leadership becomes the organization's most powerful tool in tackling the challenges that unfold." CONTACT:Website - http://jozef-j-opdeweegh.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jos-jozef-j-opdeweegh-13986b70/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_D7qf0sQsSzQeDFqAYjgLQ Twitter - https://twitter.com/jos_opdeweegh SOURCE: Jozef Opdeweegh Facebook on Monday announced to inform millions of its users who have interacted with harmful coronavirus claims on its platform, by showing messages in their News Feed in the coming weeks. People who have liked, reacted or commented on harmful misinformation about coronavirus that Facebook have since removed will have such messages landing in their News Feed - connecting them to coronavirusmyths debunked by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the company said in a statement. "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. People will start seeing these messages in the coming weeks," said Guy Rosen, VP Integrity at Facebook. The company said that in March, it displayed warnings on about 40 million posts related to coronavirus on Facebook, based on around 4,000 articles by its independent fact-checking partners. "When people saw those warning labels, 95 per cent of the time they did not go on to view the original content. To date, we've also removed hundreds of thousands of pieces of misinformation that could lead to imminent physical harm," Rosen elaborated. Examples of misinformation Facebook include harmful claims like drinking bleach cures the virus and theories like physical distancing is ineffective in preventing the disease from spreading. Facebook said it has directed over 2 billion people to resources from the WHO and other health authorities through its COVID-19 Information Center and pop-ups on Facebook and Instagram with over 350 million people clicking through to learn more. "Stopping the spread of misinformation and harmful content about COVID-19 on our apps is also critically important. That's why we work with over 60 fact-checking organizations that review and rate content in more than 50 languages around the world," said Rosen. The company recently announced the first round of recipients of our $1 million grant program in partnership with the International Fact-Checking Network. "We've given grants to 13 fact-checking organizations around the world to support projects in Italy, Spain, Colombia, India, the Republic of Congo, and other nations. We will announce additional recipients in the coming weeks," Rosen informed. PALO ALTO, Calif., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Orbital Insight , the geospatial analytics company, has been tentatively awarded a SBIR Phase II contract with United States Air Force's (USAF) AFVentures Strategic Financing (STRATFI). Orbital Insight will help the USAF detect anomalies across the world with analytics powered by artificial intelligence and multiple geospatial data sources such as satellite imagery, SAR, AIS and IoT devices. Introduced last year, Orbital Insight's GO platform is purpose built for the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community to deliver insights in a cloud-agnostic, secure and readily deployable environment. The technology supports critical activity-based intelligence by helping spot trends buried within billions of data points, such as economic patterns associated with global ports, airports and energy infrastructure. "Entire job functions are dedicated to monitoring satellite imagery and other data sources, but the volume of data is too massive to access and analyze at scaleand our national security depends on those answers," said Dr. James Crawford, Orbital Insight CEO and founder. "We're honored to continue our partnership with the US Air Force and empower them with machine learning to zoom in on the physical world, reveal hidden changes faster and proactively inform warfighter decisions." AFVentures was created to serve as an umbrella organization for the Air Force's efforts to work with small businesses while funding critical technologies for the military. The program is a joint endeavor between the service's Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Programs, USAF's in-house innovation incubator AFWERX and Air Force Acquisitions. AFVentures has designated a total of nearly $1B in strategic financing, with $550M for 21 small businesses as part of Phase II's four-year, fixed-price contracts. "If we're not working with the best innovators in the world, then we will lose the technology advantage that we have," said Dr. Will Roper, US Air Force Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Assistant Secretary. "Getting this right is not just innovation, it is imperative." Orbital Insight has previously collaborated with AFWERX in two previous SBIR phases. In addition to its work with the Air Force, Orbital Insight has also entered into strategic partnerships with firms such as Airbus to co-develop powerful change analysis and insights for Airbus Defense and Intelligence customers. About Orbital Insight Orbital Insight is the geospatial analytics company that helps organizations understand what's happening on and to the Earth. Customers including Unilever, Airbus, RBC Capital Markets, The World Bank and the U.S. Department of Defense use Orbital Insight's self-service analytics platform to make smarter business decisions, build sustainable supply chains and improve national security. Headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., Orbital Insight is backed by Sequoia, GV and Goldman Sachs. For more information, visit orbitalinsight.com . Contact: Michael Lapides, [email protected] SOURCE Orbital Insight Related Links https://orbitalinsight.com A woman has been killed in a suspected arson attack just hours after she spoke to police. Emergency services rushed to a house on Alric Avenue in Brent, north-west London, at 2.15am on Thursday following reports of a fire. The victim, 36-year-old Denise Keane, was taken to hospital with serious injuries. She was pronounced dead just after 6am. Another woman, in her 60s, was also taken to hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Police are treating the fire as suspicious. Detectives are investigating. A man, in his 40s, was arrested on suspicion of arson and murder and remains in police custody. It is understood the man and the 36-year-old woman knew each other. However, formal identification of the victim is yet to be carried out. Scotland Yard has confirmed that the victim was in contact with police hours before the fatal incident prompting a professional standards review. A Saudi Arabian oil official on Saturday refuted the conclusion of an analytics firm that the country's oil exports to the U.S. dramatically increased in the last month. TankerTrackers.com said on Thursday that Saudi Arabian oil exports to the U.S. more than doubled from February to March as oil prices crashed. The firm said its data indicates that the April export figure is on track to surpass March's number. An unnamed Saudi oil official who is familiar with the matter denied both conclusions. The official told CNBC that Saudi Arabia's April allocation for the United States is targeted at around 600,000 barrels per day, a figure which the official said is not a significant increase over the first-quarter monthly average. TankerTrackers, which uses satellite tracking of VLCCs the vessels that transport crude says that Saudi crude shipments to American ports went from an average of 366,000 barrels per day (bpd) in February to 829,540 bpd in March a multiple of 2.27. TankerTrackers said that satellite tracking indicates 1.46 million barrels per day of Saudi oil shipped to the U.S. in the first two weeks of April a figure that would mark four times February's daily volume and the highest figure since 2014. According to Saudi state oil producer Aramco's website, the company was loading 15 tankers for its international customers on April 1 the day a previous OPEC production cut agreement with its oil-producing allies, OPEC+, expired supplying the tankers with a record 18.8 million barrels in a single day. It lit up like a Christmas tree, the whole Eastern Province. All the flares just came back online. Samir Madani Co-founder, TankerTrackers.com The boost in exports comes against the backdrop of one of the most dramatic periods in oil market history: Record oil output from the world's largest oil producers juxtaposed with eviscerated demand due to worldwide coronavirus lockdowns as economic activity and global commercial transport came to a screeching halt. "Towards the end of March I saw massive boosts in gas flaring in the fields in the Eastern Province, so they went pedal to the metal and pumped out as much as possible," Samir Madani, founder of TankerTrackers.com, told CNBC over the phone Thursday. "It lit up like a Christmas tree, the whole Eastern Province, all the flares just came back online." Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province is home to the world's largest oil fields and processing facility, and the majority of the kingdom's production. Ahead of the April 1 expiration of the previous OPEC+ cutting deal, Saudi Arabia slashed its official selling prices (OSP) to its customers. At the same time, Saudi barrels headed to its top buyer, China, likely had to be re-routed due to China's extensive lockdown meant to combat the spread of the coronavirus in the country. "I am guessing that was in the immediate aftermath of the failed OPEC+ meeting at the beginning of March," Tamas Varga, an oil analyst at PVM Oil Associates, told CNBC. "That's when Saudis promised to increase production and exports significantly and cut OSP by several dollars." In early March, negotiations between OPEC and its allies failed when Russia rejected Saudi Arabia's terms to cut production in order to boost prices, leading both states to reverse course and set off a price war, with the Saudis increasing production and slashing selling prices for its customers. The move was so destructive to oil markets particularly the U.S. shale industry that U.S. President Donald Trump called on the producers to rein in their output, though he did not do the same for U.S. shale companies, which are now seeing bankruptcies, capex cuts and production shut-ins due to market pressure. At the same time, China's demand for oil dropped significantly, as it kept its major economic hubs under lockdown and factories across the country of 1.4 billion remained closed. From February to March, Saudi oil shipments to China fell by nearly 800,000 bpd, picking up again to about 1.3 million bpd in the first half of April. "As the corona outbreak in China peaked in February, less crude import was contracted, and there is some weeks' lag between contracting and delivery," said Per Magnus Nysveen, head of analysis at Rystad Energy. "In the U.S. the refineries were still running full speed in March and some cargoes were therefore diverted to the U.S." Ellen Wald, president of Transversal Consulting and an expert on Saudi Aramco, added that this meant that "more oil was therefore available to ship to the U.S., where Aramco owns the largest refinery in the country," referring to the Motiva refinery in Port Arthur, Texas. For many American refineries, buying Saudi crude over American shale is also a matter of necessity older refineries aren't designed to be able to process the lighter grade crudes coming from U.S. shale patches, and need medium and heavy grade crudes that Saudi Arabia produces, particularly for products like diesel. Countless businesses have been shut down amid the outbreak (Ben Birchall/PA) The UK urgently needs an exit plan for the coronavirus lockdown, a think-tank has warned as it claimed Britains fiscal forecaster has downplayed the crippling long-lasting effects on the economy. The Adam Smith Institute accused the fiscal watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), of underestimating the long-term hit from the lockdown and closure of a third of the economy. It said the OBRs scenario analysis released earlier this week did not factor in the risk of systemic economic decline if Britains lockdown is sustained. The OBR predicted the economy could shrink by 35% and unemployment rise by 2 million if the lockdown continues for three months followed by a partial lifting for three months but its analysis did not assume any lasting economic consequences. The institute warned the UK was falling behind other countries that already have reopening strategies and timelines in place, such as Germany, Italy, Norway, Austria, Spain, Denmark and the Czech Republic. It said this was holding UK businesses back from being able to plan for recovery once lockdown restrictions are eased. Matthew Lesh, head of research at the Adam Smith Institute and co-author of the report, said: The limbo must come to an end. The closure of one-third of the economy has been necessary to slow the spread and protect the health service but it cannot last forever. We need a route out of this mess: a strategy to protect from this virus while allowing life to progressively return to normal. This will mean testing and tracing capabilities ramped up, maintaining physical distance in shared spaces, but allowing as many businesses as possible, as quickly as possible, to reopen their operations. Britain should consider prepping for a phased reopening and scaling back of state support for the economy, according to the free market think-tank. It stressed the lockdown should only be lifted once clinicians advise the outbreak is under control, but added that an open and transparent exit plan would help ensure public support for the social distancing measures. The call comes as official figures on Thursday revealed a quarter of British businesses have temporarily halted trading in response to the outbreak. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data also showed that firms which have continued to trade furloughed an average of 21% of their workforce in the two weeks to April 5. New Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has also made a similar call for the Government to plan for a phased reopening of the economy. The Adam Smith Institute said a phased plan would allow companies to assess the feasibility of their operations and calculate the worth of borrowing, but said the longer lockdown continues with no end in sight, the less feasible an option this is. The financial services regulator has been asked to scrutinise superannuation funds' spending on a new advertising campaign that includes the pros and cons of withdrawing retirement savings during the coronavirus pandemic. Liberal senator Andrew Bragg this week wrote to Australian Prudential Regulation Authority chairman Wayne Byres accusing funds of trying to undermine the federal government's superannuation early access policy and questioning whether this marketing was legal. Senator Andrew Bragg has previously criticised superannuation funds for their handling of the early access scheme. Credit:AAP The government's early access scheme gives those who have lost 20 per cent or more of their income due to the coronavirus pandemic the ability to withdraw up to $20,000 of their retirement savings. Millions of people are expected to take money out from their nest eggs when the scheme starts on Monday. [April 17, 2020] ORYZON Appoints Eisai Executive Vanessa Almendro Navarro to Board of Directors MADRID, Spain and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oryzon Genomics, S.A. (ISIN Code: ES0167733015, ORY), a public clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company leveraging epigenetics to develop therapies in diseases with high unmet medical need, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Vanessa Almendro Navarro, of Eisai US, as an independent director. Dr. Almendro will be Lead Director and member of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee. Carlos Buesa, CEO of Oryzon, said: We welcome Vanessa to our board. As an oncologist with extensive experience in drug development, she is a recognized expert in the US biotech industry. We very much look forward to her guidance and support as we execute on our objectives in the coming years. Dr. Almendro has extensive experience in corporate strategy, and in the clinical and commercial development of therapeutics in a number of disease areas, including oncology, neurology, diabetes and pain. Over the past 16 years, she has been active across basic research, target discovery, drug development, clinical strategy, new product planning, strategic alliances, and business development. Following conferral of her PhD, she held a postdoctoral appointment as Group Leader in the Department of Oncology Medicine at the Hospital Clinico-IDIBAPS in Barcelona. From 2008-2014 she was a Visiting Scientist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Her career in the pharmaceutical industry began at Vertex Pharmaceuticals where she served as Head of Experimental Biology and then as Associate Director, Global Marketing Pipeline and Strategic Management. Subsequently, Dr. Almendro joined Cogen Therapeutics as Director of Strategy and Operations, until her current position as Director of Strategy and Operations at the Genetic Guided Discovery in Dementia (G2D2) Center of Eisai in Cambridge, MA. Eisai is one of the largest Japanese pharmaceutical companies and has a global footprint. Dr. Almendro combines her current functions with the position of Interim Managing Director at the philanthropic investment fund of the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS), a charitable organization devoted to supporting research and promotion of therapies for the treatment of brain tumors. She also works with the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council as a mentor to start-ups and biotech companies. Dr. Almendro said: I am excited to join the Oryzon Board at this important time for the company. Epigenome remodeling with LSD1 inhibitors has great therapeutic potential for the treatment of multiple diseases, and Oryzon is uniquely positioned to explore and advance the clinical development of these inhibitors. I am eager to start working with the rest of the Board and the company to advance the development of these epigenetic candidates in the hope of helping patients with devastating diseases. Following the appointment, Oryzons Board of Directors is composed of seven Directors, of which four are independent, one "other," and two Executive Directors. Three of the Directors have a biomedical background, while the oters have experience in finance, auditing and marketing. Three of the Directors are women. About Oryzon Founded in 2000 in Barcelona, Spain, Oryzon (ISIN Code: ES0167733015) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company considered as the European champion in Epigenetics. Oryzon has one of the strongest portfolios in the field. Oryzons LSD1 program has rendered two compounds, vafidemstat and iadademstat, in clinical trials. In addition, Oryzon has ongoing programs for developing inhibitors against other epigenetic targets. Oryzon has a strong technological platform for biomarker identification and performs biomarker and target validation for a variety of malignant and neurological diseases. Oryzon has offices in Spain and the United States. For more information, visit www.oryzon.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This communication contains, or may contain, forward-looking information and statements about Oryzon, including financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations, capital expenditures, synergies, products and services, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally identified by the words expects, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates and similar expressions. Although Oryzon believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors and holders of Oryzon shares are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Oryzon that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include those discussed or identified in the documents sent by Oryzon to the Spanish Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV), which are accessible to the public. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and have not been reviewed by the auditors of Oryzon. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. All subsequent oral or written forward-looking statements attributable to Oryzon or any of its members, directors, officers, employees or any persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statement above. All forward-looking statements included herein are based on information available to Oryzon on the date hereof. Except as required by applicable law, Oryzon does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States or any other jurisdiction. Oryzons securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. Any public offering of Oryzons securities to be made in the United States will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained from Oryzon or the selling security holder, as applicable, that will contain detailed information about Oryzon and management, as well as financial statements. IR & Media, US & Europe: Spain: Oryzon: LifeSci Advisors LLC ATREVIA Emili Torrell Hans Herklots Patricia Cobo/Carlos C. Ungria BD Director +41 79 598 7149 +34 91 564 07 25 +34 93 515 13 13 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] All 12 jurors from the Roger Stone case have filed a motion against the release of their pre-trial questionnaires, citing incendiary tweets from President Trump that have resulted in them fearing for their lives. Sidney Austin partner Alan Raul is representing the jurors in the Wednesday motion, made in response to efforts from right-wing conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich who petitioned to have the documents released in February in hopes of helping Stone get a new trial. The filing cites remarks Trump also made to controversial host Alex Jones and claims 'the threats to the jurors' safety and privacy persist' since the trial wrapped in November, the National Law Journal reports. In the filing, Tomeka Hart shared examples of how she was harassed, including by Trump tweets. One disgusting letter she was sent referred to her as a 'buffoon' Another juror, Seth Cousins, said he received this postcard after he appeared on television to defend Hart All 12 jurors from the Roger Stone case have filed a motion saying the fear for their safety following remarks made by President Donald Trump Jurors cited Trump's treatment of Tomeka Hart, the jury forewoman in the case, as indication of how they would be treated if the questionnaire is released 'Indeed, the record shows that the jurors have been subject to continued harassment since the trial concluded and that the release of the questionnaires would only exacerbate the significant risks the jurors face,' the filing reads. 'On the special facts present here, it is necessaryindeed essentialfor the jurors' protections to remain in place. Otherwise, the balancing required by the Supreme Court to protect jury privacy is no better than lip service.' In the filing, each juror explains that they were willing to fill out the pre-trial questionnaire - which contained personal information about the jurors and their families - because they were assured that they would remain confidential. But the consensus was that Trump's pointed attacks against jury forewoman Tomeka Hart made them fear for their own safety. Hart spoke out about the trial and in support of prosecutors who were disgusted by calls from the Department of Justice that Stone's sentence was too tough. But conservatives soon began pulling tweets of Hart's from before the case, with Trump tagging in to slam the woman. 'Given the current climate of polarization and harassment, I do not want to draw any attention to myself, my family, or my employer in any way, shape, or form. It is intimidating when the President of the United States attacks the foreperson of a jury by name,' one juror wrote in the filing. Another added: 'I saw the example of what happened to the foreperson when she was identified, and I believe that if the public gets ahold of the questionnaires, some people will go after the jurors and tear us to pieces.' Hart, one of the two jurors who came forward and identified themselves in the case, shared in the filing that she 'only spoke to the press to confirm the authenticity of the post' she made after Stone's verdict. Most jurors shared their concern with remarks made by Trump and his supporters Back at odds: Donald Trump tweeted an attack on U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson just as she accused him of a campaign of 'harassment and intimidation' against Tomeka Hart, the jury foreperson in Roger Stone's case She shared examples of how she was harassed, including Trump tweets. One disgusting letter she was allegedly sent referred to her as a 'buffoon.' 'After facing this barrage of harassment, I still feel unsafe,' she said in the filing. 'Any more information connected to me that becomes public puts me in more danger, and puts the people I identified in my questionnaire in danger without any legitimate reason.' Seth Cousins, a juror who spoke publicly and defended Hart, said that he went public because he 'felt that it was important to defend the foreperson and the jury's fair and rigorous deliberation process. But following his appearance, Cousins claims he received negative messages on social media and a 'concerning postcard sent to my house.' Cousins expressed worry that the sender knew where he lived, making the postcard an implied threat. 'Attacks on the process and attacks on jury service felt to me like attacks on core values of us as a society and as a republic,' he stated. 'I am concerned about the potential impact that attempts to expose and harass jurors could have on other peoples willingness to serve and to answer questions honestly. 'Additionally, given the implied threat that I received, I am concerned about the potential for threats or negative actions against other members of this jury who have not spoken publicly or revealed their participation in this case.' Several jurors expressed fear at the possible backlash from 'partisan channels' and noted that 'both sides of the aisles might twist the information' if the questionnaires are released. Jurors noted that since the trial completed, they have received an abundance of calls from unknown numbers at 'inappropriate hours.' 'I will not pick up the calls, but I suspect that it may be people calling about this case,' one juror wrote. 'Whenever the topic of this case hits the media, the phone calls increased significantly. I am concerned that the phone calls are just the beginning. If my identity is exposed, I do not know what some people are capable of.' Another added: 'Since being chosen as a juror, I have begun to receive many phone calls from unknown numbers. The phone calls tend to increase when the case appears in the news. For example, they picked up a lot the week when the jurors testified back in February.' For the jurors, being able to serve on the case allowed them to fulfill their 'civic duty' - which many were honored to do. A juror stated: 'Serving on a jury was no small sacrifice, and it involved leaving work and disrupting my normal life for days on end. But I took my duty as a juror seriously, and I am grateful for having the opportunity to serve. 'The threat of being exposed and harassed for jury service creates a situation where people may not be willing to serve as jurors.' Another added: 'My jury service was a learning experience, and I would not give it up for anything. I served willingly, but I did not sign up for what it has become. I find the current situation disheartening.' Roger Stone (center), a friend and adviser to President Trump, is seen above in Washington, DC, on February 20 after he was sentenced to 40 months in prison On Thursday, US District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson rejected Stone's claim that Hart was biased against Trump and therefore could not be impartial in deciding Stone's guilt or innocence during the trial. The Republican president has assailed the judge and prosecutors in the case and has labeled the forewoman an 'anti-Trump activist.' Stone's request for a new trial 'is a tower of indignation, but at the end of the day, there is little of substance holding it up,' Jackson said in an 81-page decision. Jackson sentenced Stone on February 20 to three years and four months in prison after a jury convicted him on November 15 on seven counts of obstruction of justice, witness tampering and lying to lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US election. The charges stemmed from former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry that documented Moscow's meddling to boost Trump's candidacy. Stone was convicted of lying to a House of Representative committee about his attempts to contact WikiLeaks, the website that released damaging emails about Hillary Clinton, Trump's 2016 Democratic election rival, that US intelligence officials have concluded were stolen by Russian hackers. With his motion for a new trial denied, Stone is expected to ask an appeals court to throw out his conviction. During a February hearing, Stone's lawyers presented social media posts by the jury forewoman that they said showed that her lack of impartiality deprived their client of a fair trial. One of the juror's posts at issue was a Twitter post on the day of Stone's arrest that linked to an article about Mueller's investigation along with the words 'Brought to you by the lock her up peanut gallery,' referring to 'lock her up' chants by Trump supporters in 2016 about Clinton. Most of the juror's posts were not about Stone, instead making reference either to Trump or Mueller's inquiry, two common subjects of political discussion among Americans at the time they were written. Stone was sentenced by US District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson (seen right while Stone testifies in this 2019 courtroom sketch) The jury forewoman made Twitter posts during the trial, but all were unrelated to the case. Trump, who has not ruled out a pardon for Stone, posted a Twitter attack on the forewoman during the February hearing. Jackson said in her decision that the juror's opinions about Trump did not translate into bias against Stone. '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 defendantis not supported by any facts or data,' she wrote. ROGER STONE DID A LOT WRONG: WHAT HE WAS CONVICTED OF Roger Stone was found guilty on all charges of: 1. Obstruction of justice, lying to Congress and witness tampering by trying to get Randy Credico to lie to Congress. Sentenced to 40 months 2. Lying to Congress that he did not have emails or texts about Julian Assange. Sentenced to 12 months concurrent with the first count 3. Lying when he claimed his references to being in touch with Assange were actually about a 'go-between' - Randy Credico. Sentenced to 12 months concurrent with the first count 4. Lying that he didn't ask his 'go-between' to communicate with Assange. Sentenced to 12 months concurrent with the first count 5. Lying that he didn't text or email the 'go-between' about WikiLeaks. Sentenced to 12 months concurrent with the first count 6. Lying that he had never discussed conversation with his 'go-between' with anyone in the Trump campaign. Sentenced to 12 months concurrent with the first count Advertisement The 40-month sentence handed down by the judge in February was far below the nine years demanded by the prosecution before that was overruled in a political tumult and furious tweets by Trump. Trump sought to paint that as a win, but Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee, went out of her way to say she was not affected by the president. Stone himself had asked for probation. 'This case did not arise because Roger Stone was being prosecuted by his political enemies,' Berman Jackson said during his February sentencing. She said Stone told 'flat out lies,' and that his conviction had nothing to do with whether Russia interfered in the 2016 election. He was guilty of a 'corrupt, unlawful,' campaign to stop his lies being exposed when he threatened Randy Credico, who he named as his 'go-between' to Julian Assange, to stop Credico revealing the truth, that there was another go-between. Stone was also guilty of withholding texts and emails from Congress, prompting Berman Jackson to again lash out at the president. On February 20, Trump tweeted in rage against the prosecution accusing it of lacking 'FAIRNESS' as the hearing was under way in federal court in Washington D.C. ''They say Roger Stone lied to Congress.' OH, I see, but so did Comey (and he also leaked classified information, for which almost everyone, other than Crooked Hillary Clinton, goes to jail for a long time), and so did Andy McCabe, who also lied to the FBI! FAIRNESS?' the president tweeted. After Stone was sentenced, Trump criticized Stone's conviction, fueling speculation he may pardon his friend Department of Justice attorneys had originally requested a far harsher punishment of seven to nine years only to see their recommendation ripped up by Attorney General William Barr, who drew praise from Trump for labeling it 'excessive and unwarranted'. The intervention sparked accusations of political interference, forcing Barr on the defensive as he denied bowing to White House influence and appealed for Trump to curb his explosive Twitter criticisms of Judge Jackson and the supposedly 'tainted' case against Stone. More than 2,000 former justice department employees have since signed a petition calling on the Attorney General to resign. The original prosecution foursome of Aaron Zelinsky, Jonathan Kravis, Adam Jed and Michael Marando were replaced for today's proceedings at Washington, D.C. District Court, having all resigned in protest. I praythat the prophetic word does not just get read and put on the shelf. We must engage with it in our part of declaring and decreeing them in. Author Deborah A. Rubey encourages all believers to be a prayerful part of Alaskas future in Seeing and Proclaiming Alaskas Destiny ($13.49, paperback, 9781631292026; $6.99, e-book, 9781631292033). Rubey prays and speaks prophetic words over the quilts that she is constantly sewing. Even though the word she shares in this book is for the state of Alaska, specifically, she hopes all believers will join in her prayers on its behalf. I praythat the prophetic word does not just get read and put on the shelf. We must engage with it in our part of declaring and decreeing them in, said Rubey. Deborah Rubey grew up in Homer, Alaska and later moved to Anchorage. She is the mother of two grown sons and runs a long-arm quilting business. ### Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 15,000 titles published to date. Seeing and Proclaiming Alaskas Destiny is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com. Courtesy of Marriott International Marriott International is helping frontline healthcare workers and community caregivers working to contain the coronavirus pandemic by implementing the following Marriott Cares programs. 1. Many of the Marriott properties and associates have been stepping up to the challenge by hosting caregivers and providing safe environments for guests. The properties have been donating cooked and pre-packaged meals and critically important supplies - cleaning products, masks, gloves, anti-microbial wipes, sanitizers and shower caps for medical and other frontline workers. Courtesy of JW Marriott Chicago 2. American Express and JPMorgan Chase committed to partner with Marriott International to provide $10 million worth of free hotel stays for frontline healthcare doctors and nurses. 'Rooms for Responders' are for professionals who are members of the American College of Emergency Physicians and the Emergency Nurse Association. These free Marriott rooms are available in some of the most impacted cities with COVID-19, including Chicago, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, Newark, NJ and Washington, D.C. Courtesy of JW Marriott Chicago 3. Marriott through its Community Caregiver Program, offers room nights at a reduced rate to healthcare workers, regardless of their association affiliation. This special is available in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Courtesy of Marriott International 4. For loyal Marriott guests who are looking for ways to help, donate your Marriott Bonvoy points to the following organizations who are helping in the response efforts in the communities affected by the Coronavirus: World Central Kitchen - Founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres as a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters and health crises. UNICEF - Provides support to people and communities around the world affected by COVID-19. UNICEF donations help in the efforts to provide vital supplies, health and hygiene kits to health clinics and schools, as well as monitor the impact of the outbreak to support the continuity of social services, education and care. The Red Cross - Helps to provide support to people and communities affected by COVID-19 and other recent disasters in the United States. Your donation helps people recover from these emergencies. The Marriott International Disaster Relief Fund - Focuses on providing support to Marriott's affected associates and their families. You can donate 2,500 of your Marriott Bonvoy points for a $10 non-profit donation, up to 125,000 for a $500 non-profit donation. When historians assess how countries approached the coronavirus pandemic, New Zealand is sure to stand out. The South Pacific nation is alone among its western peers in explicitly attempting to eradicate the virus. It adopted one of the strictest lockdowns in the world before a single death was reported, and has isolated infections to keep the disease from spreading out of control. The early signs are promising. The rate of new infections has dwindled to the lowest in weeks, and the death toll -- at 11 -- is one of the lowest among developed nations. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, will decide on Monday whether to start easing a quarantine that requires everyone but essential workers to stay at home. We have the opportunity to do something no other country has achieved -- elimination of the virus, Ardern told reporters Thursday in Wellington, as she cautioned against relaxing restrictions too quickly. The island nations lofty goal of elimination is not without critics, who say its unrealistic and comes at a devastating economic cost. Even if New Zealand succeeds, its borders will have to remain closed to much of the world for a considerable period to keep the virus out. That will decimate the tourism industry, its largest source of foreign exchange earnings. Central to New Zealands approach is a scientific fact that most western leaders appear to have ignored, according to Michael Baker, a professor at the University of Otagos Department of Public Health in Wellington who sits on the governments Covid-19 Technical Advisory Group. That is that the virus usually has an incubation period of five to six days, twice as long as influenza. That means that when someone gets sick, if you isolate them quickly and round up their contacts, you can quarantine those people and interrupt that chain of transmission, said Baker. With influenza you cant really do that because by the time youve found their contacts its too late, theyve infected other people. And yet most countries treated Covid-19 as if it were influenza, he said, trying to slow its advance rather than eradicate it. Nations including the U.K. and the U.S. opted for such mitigation and suppression efforts after they found themselves overwhelmed by cases. Changing Tactics New Zealands initial response took that approach too. In the early stages of the outbreak, Ardern spoke of flattening the curve of the viruss spread to ensure the health system could cope. That all changed on March 23, when she announced a four-week nationwide lockdown would commence two days later, saying modeling showed that without the measures tens of thousands of New Zealanders could die. Industries were shuttered, schools were closed, and the only shops allowed to stay open were supermarkets, some corner stores and pharmacies. At that stage, New Zealand had only 102 cases and no deaths. Most countries resorted to such measures only after fatalities soared. When the U.K. announced its lockdown, also on March 23, it had 6,650 Covid-19 cases and 335 people had already died. Exit Strategy The theory is that imposing tough restrictions early halts the spread of the pathogen and eventually allows an exit strategy to crystallize. The economic hit may be worse upfront, but activity can resume sooner. The alternatives of mitigation or suppression may require restrictions to stay in place for many months, prolonging the economic pain. New Zealands strategy, which requires extensive testing and contact-tracing capabilities, is supported by the statistics. While total cases have risen to 1,409, it has avoided the exponential growth seen in Europe and the U.S. Just eight new infections were reported Friday, the lowest number in four weeks. The island nation, with 5 million residents, has a similar population to Ireland, which has seen more than 13,000 infections and almost 500 deaths. And while New Zealands 11 fatalities compare with 10 in Singapore, that Southeast Asian country is now struggling with a wave of infections from dormitories housing low-wage foreign workers. A comparison with neighboring Australia is more complicated. Australia has far more cases, at 6,468, and deaths have climbed to 63. But the infection rate comes out to 254 per million people, less than New Zealands 292 per million. Australias Approach Australias results have come despite less stringent restrictions. It has allowed more industries to continue operating, such as construction, and consumers can still get a haircut or buy a takeaway meal, keeping many workers on lower incomes employed. Australia is doing better than New Zealand without going to that extreme, said Peter Collignon, an infectious diseases physician at Canberra Hospital who advises the Australian government. Collignon questions whether New Zealands eradication strategy is realistic. The reality is this virus is everywhere, its all around the world, he said. So even if youre successful for a short period of time, how long do you do this for? Six months? Two years? Invariably, youre going to get the virus re-introduced. One concern is the phenomenon of asymptomatic transmission. The possibility that people can pass along the disease even though they show no symptoms underscores the challenge of containing the pandemic. Nirvana Scenario Brendan Murphy, Australias chief medical officer, told a New Zealand parliamentary committee April 14 that eradicating the virus is a nirvana scenario. We are pursuing a very aggressive suppression strategy, he said. Obviously we would like to achieve elimination (but) were pretty doubtful that could be maintained for the long-term given the incredible border measures you would need to have. For Baker, there are benefits in trying to eliminate the virus, as well as evidence it can be done -- China, for example, appears to have succeeded in stopping the Wuhan epidemic and preventing wider transmission within its borders. He believes more countries, including Australia, could yet adopt elimination strategies and eventually form an eastern hemisphere bloc with nations like China, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea within which travel will be possible. Maybe its a bit optimistic, but at least we have an exit strategy and a plan, Baker said. That seems a lot more appealing than the mess that Europe and North America are going to be in for the foreseeable future. Friday, April 17, 2020 at 1:00PM by Nathaniel R A few weeks back we celebrated Romanian cinema due to Whistlers, their most recent Oscar submission, hitting VOD. Why not follow suit today as Iceland's latest Oscar submission, A White White Day, arrives for home viewing? A White White Day is a moving character study about a widower dealing with new revelations about his wife after her death in a car accident. Meanwhile he's building a home for his daughter against the Icelandic landscape which makes for memorable recurring tableaus. We reviewed it at TIFF last year and it's worth checking out. Especially if you love Nordic cinema or are familiar with the work of Iceland's greatest movie star Ingvar E Sigurdsson, who is typically perfect here. We imagine that this film would have ruled this year's Edda Awards (Iceland's Oscars essentially) but the Eddas have been postponed indefinitely (they were originally scheduled for March) due to the coronavirus pandemic. And on that note let's look back at the most essential, famous, acclaimed, influential (or some combo thereof) Icelandic films of the past 40 years via our Posterized series. We've put asterisks beside all the titles that star Sigurdsson since we love him and you will too after screening A White White Day. How many of these 18 Icelandic films have you seen? Land and Sons (1980, Agust Gumundsson) This is considered the "origin" point of contemporary Icelandic cinema. The drama about the tension between farms and cities and a young man during the Depression was their first feature submitted to the Oscars. Since 1980 the Icelandic film industry has grown and they now produce around four or five films per year (not to mention numerous Hollywood productions shooting there for their landscapes). A handful of films annually might not seem like a lot but their population is under 400,000 so it's pretty good per capita! When the Raven Flies (1984, Hrafn Gunnlaugsson) For a good long while this bloody Viking epic was the most famous Icelandic movie. It failed to score an Oscar nomination, though. Children of Nature (1991, Fririk or Fririksson) This romantic drama about a couple escaping their senior citizen home to live in the country became Iceland's first (and still only) Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. Fririksson is prolific and he went on to become his country's most submitted director with six Oscar entries in total. Iceland is still looking for that elusive second Oscar nomination, though (the closest they came was The Deep in 2012 which made the finals -- it also just missed this particular list of Icelandic movies to seek out so its fate repeats!) Remote Control (1992, Oskar Jonasson) A very popular (in Iceland) punk comedy about two siblings and a mother's missing remote control. (Iceland sent a more traditional period drama to the Oscars that year, As in Heaven) Cold Fever (1995, Fririk or Fririksson) This international production is about a Japanese businessman (Masatoshi Nagase) having a peculiar trip to Iceland for mournful reasons. American actors Lili Taylor and Fisher Stevens co-star with various Japanese and Icelandic actors. (It wasn't submitted to the Oscars, surely because of the international/multi-language factor.) Angels of the Universe* (2000, Fririk or Fririksson) Our favourite Icelandic movie star headlines as a schizophrenic in this Oscar submission set in a mental institute. This was Ingvar Sigurdsson's seventh feature (the most famous before that was the 1996 Oscar submission Devil's Island which we almost included in this list but a few titles had to go to keep the list manageable). Sigurdsson won the Edda Awards for Lead Acting. In fact he won Best Actor in the first two consecutive years of Iceland's top film prize. The film co-stars Baltasar Kormakur as a fellow asylum inmate. Kormakur was soon to become the country's most popular director. 101 Reyjkavik (2000, Baltasar Kormakur) This international arthouse hit about a young man and his mother and the Spanish woman (Victoria Abril) they both fall for, heralded an important new talent in the director's chair. Kormakur would go on to become Iceland's most internationally successful director and it started here. Now he makes masculine star driven Hollywood programmers like 2 Guns (2013) and Everest (2015) inbetween his Icelandic pictures. It wasn't submitted for the Oscars despite its popularity but that could be because it's in multiple languages (including English). It won the Screenplay prize at the Eddas which was the first of Kormakur's 8 wins (in various categories). The Sea (2002, Baltasar Kormakur) Kormakur's follow up to his debut was a dysfunctional family drama that was his first Oscar submission. It won 8 Edda Awards and is in some ways the quintessential Icelandic film, including nearly every trope the country's cinema (hell, a lot of Nordic/Scandinavian cinema for that matter) loves to lean into. Noi the Albino (2003, Dagur Kari Petursson) This Oscar submission and cult hit about a teenage boy who dreams of escaping his tiny universe on a fjord surrounded by mountains and snow was a major hit at film festivals. It was eventually nominated for three European Film Awards. Cold Light* (2004, Hilmar Oddsson) This drama about a man haunted by his past became Iceland's Oscar submission and won Sigurdsson his third Actor of the Year prize at the Eddas. Jar City* (2007, Baltasar Kormakur) This crime drama and Oscar submission is about a weary police detectice (Sigurdsson) and a murder investigation in a small town. Volcano (2011, Runar Runarsson) This critical favourite and Oscar submission is another dark family drama (Iceland loves those) about a patriarch trying to reconcile with his estranged children. Metalhead (2013, Ragnar Bragason) This film, which won the most Edda Awards in its year (but lost the best film prize to the next film in our list) has developed a cult following. It's about a girl who loves black metal and dreams of becoming a rock star. We've never quite understand why metal music is so popular in Nordic countries but here's an example of it. Of Horses and Men* (2013, Benedikt Erlingsson) NEW FAVOURITE AUTEUR ALERT. We fell hard for Benedikt Erlingsson, an actor turned director, with this difficult-to-describe movie about odd people and their even odder relationship with horses. Though it was submitted for the Oscars, it was obviously way too weird for them. Land Ho! (2014, Aaron Katz & Martha Stephens) No, it's not strictly an Icelandic picture and it's in English. But it feels right to include here since it an Icelandic/US co-production and, more importantly, practically doubles as a 95 minute advertisement for Iceland's Tourism Board. Two old friends take a trip to Iceland and live it up. It's a very charming picture and if you've ever visited Iceland you'll recognize the famous destination spots! (Yes, we've been. Three times! To the country not the movie. We saw that only once but it's good fun.) Rams (2015, Grimur Hakonarson) This dramedy about long-estranged brothers coming together to save their family sheep was a critical darling, won 11 Edda Awards, and became both Iceland's Oscar submission and a European Film Award nominee for Best Film (in a really top notch year. But unfortunately all the very fine nominees lost to the least worthy contender: Italy's Youth) Heartstone (2016, Gumundur Arnar Gumundsson) Though this coming-of-age teen LGBTQ drama wasn't an Oscar submission (that honor went to Sparrows which was up against Rams the previous year at the Eddas), it won fine reviews, festival honors and took Iceland's top film prize. Woman at War (2018, Benedikt Erlingsson) Erlingsson's second feature (and second Edda winner and Oscar submission) was even better than his jaw-dropping debut and proved he was no flash-in-the-pan director. We will now follow him wherever he wants to take us. In this case it was across the Icelandic landscape as we watched a middle age choir director commit acts of corporate terrorism to stop the ravaging of the Icelandic environment. Woman at War didn't manage an Oscar nomination (which is crazy) but it's been optioned for an American remake by Jodie Foster but there's no way the American version will have half as much personality or humor so do yourself a favor and stream this on Hulu, please! How many of these pictures have you seen? Have you ever been to Iceland? We highly recommend once you can travel again. Recently on Posterized: A Swedish-German research team has been using DESYs X-ray source PETRA III to investigate how surface coatings can be made to attract or repel water using tailor-made latex nanoparticles. Being able to influence the wettability of surfaces during production is important in many applications, from the printing industry to polymer solar cells. Most people are familiar with the phenomenon of water droplets immediately spreading out and wetting certain surfaces, while rolling off others, such as a lotus leaf or water-repellent functional clothing. The degree to which liquids form droplets and run off surfaces is described by the wettability of the surface, which is defined in terms of the angle between the boundary of the liquid and the surface, known as the contact angle. The larger the contact angle, the more water-repellent the surface. Dirt- and water-repellent paints are now available that exploit this so-called lotus effect. Scientists are currently studying new types of polymer solar cells that can be manufactured by spraying thin layers of active materials made of nanoparticles onto a carrier film. The efficiency of such solar cells depends crucially on the individual layers being of a reliable thickness and load-bearing capacity. This in turn depends directly on the wettability of the substrate. Working at PETRA III, the Swedish-German team has now found how to precisely adjust the wettability of sprayed surfaces through thermal annealing, a form of heat treatment. The scientists used so-called core-shell latex particles for their experiments. These are similar in structure to tiny chocolate truffles, consisting of a polymer core encased in smaller latex particles. The team used a special process to manufacture four different types of such nanoparticles: all the particles had the same outer shell, but two different synthetic polymers were used for the core. The scientists produced particles made of the two core polymers in two different sizes (3040 nanometres and 80100 nm). The size of the spheres also corresponds to their degree of polymerisation, a measure of the length of the polymer chains, which also describes the rigidity of the core. The team sprayed very thin layers of the various different types of nanoparticles onto a silicon substrate and used X-rays from PETRA III to examine in real time how the nanostructure of the different latex particles was modified by heating these coatings. The temperature was varied in five steps from 20 up to 140 degrees Celsius. Following the annealing, for at least one hour, the surface structure of the samples was imaged using electron microscopes, and the contact angle of droplets resting on them was measured. Above temperatures of about 70 degrees, the polymers reorganise themselves very distinctly and reproducibly, through expansion, domain formation, mixing and merging. This occurs particularly during the drying phase of the latex polymer coat, whereby the smaller nanoparticles and those with a short-chained, softer core, display more pronounced changes than the larger ones with rigid cores. Once they have dried completely, they remain stable even when treated for prolonged periods at temperatures of over 100 degrees. The scientists believe that this is a result of the mobility of the molecules in the liquid phase. We want to fine-tune the hydrophilic properties of the surfaces through thermal annealing, but also optimize the type and size of the latex particles for applications involving specific working temperatures, says DESYs Stephan Roth, who is in charge of PETRAs P03 beamline. This type of spray deposition can be used when making new types of polymer solar cells, for example, but also for nanostructured sensors or special-purpose inks used in relief printing. The findings presented also offer interesting insights for industrial spray manufactured materials. Calvin Brett from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm explains: In order to achieve faster drying times in industrial applications, the materials to be coated are usually heated. However, if doing so in itself alters the properties of the material that is applied, then this has a direct influence on the manufacturing process. Eva Malmstrom Jonsson, who was in charge of the experiments on behalf of KTH, emphasises the huge potential of further research at PETRA III: By combining our areas of expertise, we have the means of gaining new insights into how colloidal particles behave on a surface and how their properties can be customised through careful chemical design. 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. The Duchess of Cambridge has been styling her own hair, an expert has claimed, after the royal was seen speaking alongside Prince William on on BBC Breakfast this morning. Kate Middleton, 38, was pictured sporting a bouncier and more relaxed blow dry with her pre-lockdown trimmed ends visible as she isolates with William, 37, and their three children at Amner Hall in Norfolk. And now celebrity hair stylist James Johnson has told FEMAIL how he believes the Duchess has been styling her own hair, and how it looks healthier as she goes to less events and has given it a break from regular heat. The Duchess of Cambridge has been styling her own hair, celebrity hair stylist James Johnson told FEMAIL, after the royal was seen speaking alongside Prince William on on BBC Breakfast this morning James said: 'Kates hair is usually more full of volume and pristine. Here her hair looks more undone, and definitely shows signs of her doing it herself. 'Although we are used to Kates perfect locks, Kates effort is great and its nice to see a more relaxed style on her. 'Its not easy doing your hair yourself when youre used to getting it done professionally, so Kate has done well. 'Kate may have even created the blowdry look with a medium tong, which can easily be done at home.' Kate Middleton, 38, was pictured sporting a bouncier and more relaxed blow dry with her pre-lockdown trimmed ends visible as she isolates with William, 37, and their three children at Amner Hall in Norfolk He continued of her new style: 'This mirror like structure to the style also opens the face up more and is perfect for showing off Kates beautiful features. 'Kate had her LOB (long bob) cut before lockdown and luckily she went for a shorter, lighter style which I no doubt is easier to maintain in these conditions. 'Not being so active with work is a great time for her to re-condition her hair, and it shows in the shine. 'The use of less heat day-to-day as Kate goes to less events is ideal for helping restore her hair, perfect for someone like Kate who normally has a busy schedule and a lot of hair styling'. James Johnson has told FEMAIL how he believes the Duchess has been styling her own hair, and how it looks healthier as she goes to less events and has given it a break from regular heat The royal couple shared a photo from the nine-way talk with representatives from MIND, Calm and Action Against Addiction, among others, which they chaired from their home in Norfolk The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hosted a virtual roundtable talk with mental health charity chiefs as they encourage people to take care of their mental and physical wellbeing in lockdown. The royal couple shared a photo from the 12-way talk with representatives from MIND, Calm and Action Against Addiction, among others, which they chaired from their home in Norfolk where they are in isolation with their three children. They expressed their thanks to mental health workers for supporting those who are struggling, and discussed the sectors view on the specific mental health support needed to deal with the challenges sparked by the pandemic. It comes after William, 37, and Kate, 38, narrated a video to promote Public Health England's Every Mind Matters platform, which offers support and advice on how to take care of your mental health during the pandemic. The video is set to be broadcast across national TV channels from Monday. Prince William and Kate Middleton, both 37, are backing a mental health campaign which will launch to support people during coronavirus pandemic. Pictured, during their visit to the London Ambulance Service 111 control room in Croydon Need to know more about coronavirus in New York? Sign up for our daily morning newsletter. In Washington, a federal lending program for small businesses has run out of money, it was revealed Thursday. In New York City, the well appears to be dry, too and businesses say they are getting the silent treatment. In early March, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his administrations Small Business Services agency would roll out emergency aid. At first, grants of up to $6,000 were earmarked for businesses with fewer than five employees. That funding pool closed in the first week of April, sources said. Then de Blasio announced a zero-interest loan pool of $20 million for businesses with under 100 workers whose revenues had tanked by 25% over 60 days. Each business would be eligible to borrow up to $75,000. More than 15,000 businesses initially applied, and 8,500 completed applications, SBS said Thursday. But workers contracted by the agency to process the loans told THE CITY that only about 600 applicants have qualified so far, and that the city abruptly halted applications less than two weeks after they opened. Its unlikely that many applicants will get help. Sources close to the process said the current funding would only cover 250 to 400 businesses, depending on the size of the loans. They got way out over their skis, said one SBS-contracted loan processor. They have like half a billion dollars worth of loan requests and $20 million to give out and I think they have no idea what comes next. Communication from the city about how the loans will work has been spotty at best, and absent at worst, say business owners and those who have tried to assist them. Christophe Le Gorju, a senior director at the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, said its been radio silence from SBS and City Hall since the administration abruptly closed online applications on April 5. Waiting for Word The SBS website says due to overwhelming interest, the loan funds application intake has been paused. The site offers no information about the status of current applicants or how the money will be dispersed. They havent addressed anything publicly, Le Gorju said. None of the people who spoke with THE CITY have received funding, or knew of businesses that had. Le Gorju usually deals with industrial operations but has seen every type of business apply for the city loan in recent weeks from Broadway producers to beer distributors. He is reaching out to elected officials to push for one thing: more money. Money, though, may be scarce: On Thursday, the mayor said the city would have to cut $2.2 billion from its budget this year in the face of a projected $7.4 billion in lost tax revenue. But from Le Gorjus perspective, if you dont increase the deficit now to save businesses, you are cutting future income, taxes and jobs. If you dont have any more businesses, and they all close, then you have nothing left, he said. Among the businesses Gorju has tried to help apply for a city loan is Maurice Pastry, a fourth-generation dessert bakery thats operated on East 135th Street and Locust Avenue in the South Bronx since 1946, according to Craig Brier, who runs the place with his parents and brother. He and his family have not taken any pay since the outbreak as they try to support their employees who are like our second family, Brier told THE CITY by email. Most of the companys regular customers offices, restaurants, hotels and gourmet shops are all closed, he said. The business is still serving a limited number of clients and has applied for a contract to make boxed meals for the Department of Education. While Brier waits on that, and to hear anything from SBS, he is struggling, juggling and hoping. The problem is there is no way to know when, if, nor how much we will be approved for, he wrote. I know they are busy, but a status check would be great. Heard Absolutely Nothing Gabriel Gorre runs a shipping company, CTS Logistics Group, with his father, Efrain, thats been in business in Jamaica, Queens, for 26 years. They applied for a loan from the city as soon as they could, he said. A huge chunk of their business has evaporated since air travel all but disappeared around the globe. So far, theyve had to furlough one of their 13 workers. Gorre hasnt heard anything about his loan status since the first week of April and all communication has come from a local business improvement group that helped with his application, or from the citys lending partner, Pursuit Lending. From the city itself, weve heard absolutely nothing, he said. In the meantime, the Gorres have applied for loans through multiple federal programs and other grants through nonprofits and corporations. They received a $10,000 disbursement on Monday through the federal Economic Injury Disaster Loan program and are grateful, even though its a drop in the bucket. It could maybe cover a half of one payroll period, Efrain Gorre said The father-son team knows the worst is yet to come. In January and February, there was still movement happening because the impact of the disease was limited to mostly China and then Italy, Gabriel Gorre said. But now, shipping across the world has dipped. The biggest impact is starting to be felt, he said. We still have some work now were not doing nothing but its much more of a decline as compared to the first quarter. That economic halt is obvious where they do their work: a warehouse at JFK Airport that they share with two other shipping companies. Usually, its bustling, Efrain said. But on Wednesday, he stopped by and said hes never seen it so desolate in the 18 years the company has operated in that spot. There were no cars, maybe one truck driving by, he said. Its sad its a combination of sad, weary, nervousness all of those things. I try to stay calm, but its just a bad feeling. Message Not Delivered On March 20, nearly two weeks after announcing the small business loan program, the mayor said the city isnt going to be able to meet the full demand immediately. Well do our best to reach as many as we can initially about 400 businesses, he added. But even that estimate from the mayor was never communicated to the businesses, according to one staffer of a local economic development group. A March 14 email obtained by THE CITY from SBS to businesses linked to a memo about the new program, but no mention was made about the limits of the loan fund. On its website, SBS says its loans are available on a first-come-first-served basis. It was never positioned as a lottery like, Fill this out, you might get lucky enough to get a loan, said one business services professional who has been advising applicants. People applied for this thinking, I have applied for a loan that they told me I was going to get in a few weeks. So businesses made actual business decisions based on that. In the same March 20 briefing, the mayor also promised applications for the loans would open up the following day they did not open until March 27, emails from loan processors show and that the loan money will be in their bank accounts by the end of this coming week. Samantha Keitt, an SBS spokesperson, said that both the citys grant and loan programs were always intended as a bridge as we waited for federal support. The overwhelming needs of New York Citys small business community can only be met by the resources of the federal government, she said in a statement. Want to republish this story? See our republication guidelines. SUPPORT THE CITY You just finished reading another story from THE CITY. We need your help to make THE CITY all it can be. Please consider joining us as a member today. DONATE TODAY! Bayer spokeswoman Susan Luke said the EPA made an informed science-based decision based on an extensive review of all relevant science. The claims raised by the petitioners are baseless, and we believe the extensive body of science supporting the EPAs registration decision will ultimately determine the outcome of this litigation, Luke said in an email. Luke said Bayer stands fully behind the XtendiMax product. The lawsuit is focused on EPAs decision for Bayers XtendiMax product, but any decision would be extended to BASFs dicamba herbicide, called Engenia, and Cortevas FeXapan as well. Lawsuit could stop dicamba from being sprayed Earlier this year, a Missouri jury awarded peach farmer Bill Bader $265 million in a lawsuit alleging that Monsanto and BASF knew their dicamba-based herbicides would drift and harm other crops. Hundreds of other farmers have filed similar lawsuits, but those civil lawsuits have no bearing on whether dicamba can be sprayed. The lawsuit filed against the EPA could change that. A medical worker checks a visitor's temperature at Jesaeng Hospital in Seongnam, south of Seoul, Friday, after the hospital was reopened. The hospital was closed following the confirmation of multiple COVID-19 infection cases there in March. /Yonhap By Bahk Eun-ji As the government debates when to officially ease its nationwide social-distancing campaign, the prime minister renewed calls on citizens to adhere to the restrictions for at least another week or two. "We saw many people out on the streets during the Easter weekend and on election day. We need to have a close look at the possible rapid spread of further cases," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a daily government briefing. While some local news outlets reported the government will extend the campaign for another two weeks, until May 3, Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health ministry official in charge of the quarantine effort, said the government was considering an announcement over the weekend. Yoon added the end of official campaign would not necessarily mean the end of social distancing. "Some people get this wrong. Even though the official campaign is over, people still need to keep their social distance along with personal hygiene guidelines," Yoon said. Strict guidelines for social distancing have been enforced since March 22, and recently extended by two weeks to Sunday. The health ministry has strongly recommended citizens to stay home, and suspend religious gatherings and large indoor activities. Yoon said the government has been discussing with experts the introduction of new quarantine guidelines that would allow people to return to their daily lives. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 22 new infections Thursday, bringing the nation's total to 10,635. The death toll rose by one to 230. The number of patients released from quarantine after recovery reached 7,829, up 72 from a day earlier. The number of daily new cases here has been under 50 for the last nine days, mainly due to the extensive social distancing campaign, which has been strictly adhered to by most people since the nation saw a peak of 999 confirmed COVID-19 cases, Feb. 29. The health authorities remain on high alert over imported cases as well as infection clusters at churches and hospitals. Among the 22 new cases, 11 were detected at checkpoints for inbound travelers at airports and ports. This brings the total number of imported cases to 983. The government has enforced obligatory self-quarantine measures for 14 days on all passengers coming from overseas in order to contain imported cases more effectively since April 1. Starting Friday, all late-night international flights have been asked to arrive in Korea between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m., so that passengers can undergo inspections quickly and reduce their time spent waiting for transportation. The southeastern city of Daegu, the region worst hit by the pandemic, reported no new cases for the first time in a week, however, the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province reported four. Other major provinces and cities also reported new infections with two in Seoul and one in Gyeonggi Province. GRAND BLANC TWP, MI -- Hospital staff shuffling out of Ascension Genesys around dawn Wednesday morning after another long shift were greeted with a sound not often heard at that time of the day. Applause. Police, firefighters and ambulance workers greeted staff members April 15 outside the Grand Blanc Township hospital with cheers and words of encouragement as they continue their daily fight against coronavirus. Its a scene thats also played out of late at Hurley Medical Center and McLaren Flint for staff treating patients with COVID-19. Coming off a 15-hour shift, Amy Thrower, a registered nurse for 15 years, became a bit emotional at the response. All these people show up every day, the police officers, the firemen, the first responders, all the front liners, she said through a mask. Everybody is showing up to let the world know what is happening and let people know that we are risking our lives, that were out here fighting this tooth and nail with everything we have. As of Thursday, April 16, the Genesee County Health Department reported 1,149 COVID-19 cases in the area, with 99 deaths. Some of the most impacted areas in Genesee County include Flint with 457 cases, Flint Township at 118 cases, 91 cases in Grand Blanc Township, 75 cases in Grand Blanc and 68 cases in Burton. Thrower admits she goes through a mixture of feelings daily at work and home, from pride to terror. Weve been working hard and sometimes you feel a little lonely, so its a nice feeling (to get the support, she said. I work in the ICU. Were back behind those walls and its hard because we see the things we do and then we go home to our families and pray we did everything right to keep us safe and our kids safe and our families safe and everybody else. Angelina Strickland, a Detroit native now living in Flint, was another one of the hospital staff in the procession outside of Genesys where motivational tunes played as a point of encouragement. She works as a certified nursing assistant at the hospital. It means that we stood up to the challenge, regardless what was coming at us, and even though we are dealing with this situation ... we came together as a people, as a unit ... , said Strickland of the day-to-day work. That was help the people that needed to get together or needed to be helped. I feel that theres hope and that theres promise. As long as we come together as one whole unit, we can beat this, yes we can, she said. Complete coverage at mlive.com/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. Related news: Thursday, April 16: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan More than 2,000 people have died of coronavirus in Michigan First drive-thru coronavirus testing site opens in Flint Genesee County jail deputies test positive for coronavirus Lapeers Mr. Christmas, Tony Macksoud, dies of coronavirus Owosso dumps back-up plan for drive-through graduation ceremony TWO remand prisoners and one prisoner at Butimba Central Prison in Mwanza City have been killed after they allegedly attempted to escape. Speaking with reporters in his office on Wednesday, Mwanza Regional Police Commander (RPC) Jumanne Muliro said the incident occurred on Tuesday at 6.30pm. He named the remand prisoners as Yusuph Benard (34) and Seleman Seif (28) who were facing murder charges, but warders in collaboration with residents chased and arrested them, but they beat them up on different parts of their bodies and were in a bad state. They were later taken to Mwanza Regional Referral Hospital, Sekou- Toure, but when it reached 6:30pm they died while undergoing treatment, said Mr Muliro. The prisoner, George William (34), was convicted and jailed 15 years for the offence of economic sabotage. William had been arrested after attempting to escape from prison. When interviewed by the police he said they had succeeded escaping from the prison and wanted to hire a taxi driver in Mabatini, Nyamagana District, to Katoro in Geita Region. Mr Muliro noted that after he started running, the police ordered him to stop while shooting into the air, but he disobeyed the order and then they shot him in his two legs and they successfully managed to arrest him and immediately took him to Sekou-Toure Hospital, but he also died while undergoing treatment. We appeal to members of the public to continue cooperating with us by informing us the whereabouts of suspected criminals or incidents that smelt of crime, he explained. Without a doubt, the constellations of spring are not nearly as flashy as the star patterns of winter, but there are a few decent ones. Leo the Lion is one of them. Theres no question as to what he resembles. The main part of the constellation looks like a backward question mark shining brightly in the early high southern Rochester sky. Even if youre looking in light-polluted skies you should be able to spot it unless the light pollution is outrageous! The period at the bottom of the question mark is Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo. Regulus is over 77 light-years away, and if youre new to this column, one light-year is equivalent to just under 6 trillion miles! This star is three to four times as massive as the sun, and about three to four times the diameter of our home star. Regulus marks the heart of the oversized celestial feline, and the rest of the curved question mark outlines the profile of the lions head. Just to the left of the backward question mark, you should see three moderately bright stars that form a triangle that makes up the rear end and tail of the celestial king of the beasts. Denebola, the second brightest star in Leo, marks the tip of the big cat's tail. There are many legends and mythology stories about Leo the Lion. I think the best one comes from the Greeks and it involves Hercules, the mighty hero. He wasnt always a hero, though. Hercules committed hideous crimes after being driven temporarily insane by his marriage to the evil princess Megara. Ill spare you the gruesome details, but his crimes were beyond horrific. ADVERTISEMENT Almost immediately afterward, Hercules was immensely remorseful for his horrible crimes and wanted to make amends. After consulting a wise man, Hercules pleaded his case to Eurystheus, king of Mycenae. The king assigned Hercules 12 great labors that he had to perform to atone for his sins. His first labor was to slay Leo the mighty Lion. Leo was a definite terror of the land, devouring anyone that got in his way. Many a brave hunter met his demise trying to slay the lion. Most of them became lion food! Leos hide was like steel armor and no spears could pierce it. Hercules had his work cut out for him, but he had to succeed in making amends for his heinous crimes. For weeks and weeks he stalked Leo, and his patience finally paid off when an opportunity finally presented itself. After gobbling down a fair princess for a mid-afternoon snack, the beast laid down for a nap. Moving as fast as he could, Hercules dove at the mighty lion and went right for its thick neck. With his tremendous strength and his large hands, he struggled with the animal for hours but finally choked the beast with his bare hands! To commend his momentous accomplishment, the gods placed both Leo the Lion and Hercules in the skies. By the way, you can see the fainter constellation Hercules in the early evening summer eastern heavens. Ill have much more to say about the constellation Hercules in June. Meanwhile, see if you can visually capture the great celestial king of the beasts! Comet Atlas may be breaking up Comet Atlas, formally known as Comet C/2019, is still approaching our part of the solar system. It still holds the promise of being a bright comet, possibly visible to the naked eye in early May, but theres now some doubt about that. Comets are basically big balls of ice and frozen gases embedded with rocks and dirt. As they travel in from distant reaches of the solar system, increasingly intense solar radiation causes them to partially melt, producing a large enveloping cloud and a tail of dust, water vapor and other gases. ADVERTISEMENT Sometimes, though, incoming comets succumb to the suns power and get obliterated. This could be happening to Comet Atlas but dont totally give up on it. Atlas could still put on a show, but somewhat muted. Stay tuned! If you want to look for Atlas with a telescope the best star maps for finding it include the Sky Guide app or Heavens-above.com . It took almost four years to downsize the beleaguered Laurel Regional Medical Center, which went from a hospital to a walk-in medical center at the end of 2018. It took only four weeks for the hospital to reopen as a destination for covid-19 patients. "It's monumental," said Dr. Joseph Wright, who leads the University of Maryland Medical System'sregional hospitals. On Friday morning he toured Laurel after visiting the system's facility in Cheverly, which he said was "very busy and very stressed." Prince George's, just outside the District of Columbia, appears to have been hit harder by the coronavirus than any other county in Maryland, with 2,966 cases and 87 deaths reported as of Friday. Some hospitals have had to send patients elsewhere because their critical-care units were full. The reopening of parts of the Laurel hospital will "redistribute the surge," Wright said. Starting next week Laurel will have 10 critical-care beds with ventilators and 36 "intermediate" beds without them. The facility aims to ultimately have 135 beds available, with 400 contracted medical workers. "I expect we'll have people from the other hospitals and our own emergency room immediately," Wright said. He and other hospital leaders could not say how many covid-19 patients have already come through Laurel's emergency room and been sent to other facilities for treatment, though they are sure some have. Testing will not be done at Laurel, a spokesman said - it is a designed for treatment of people who have already tested positive or exhibited severe symptoms without testing. One nurse at Laurel previously said employees have not been told how many patients there have tested positive for the coronavirus in the existing outpatient facility. UMMS spokeswoman Jania Matthews said the system's policy is that any employee who was not wearing personal protective equipment when they were exposed to a covid-19 patient would have been alerted. Unlike other hospitals, leaders say Laurel is blessed with sufficient supplies of that equipment, in part thanks to community donations. Staffers wore full-body protection when transporting beds from shipping pallets into hospital rooms. Designed specifically for the pandemic, the intensive care units have monitors that allow nurses to check patients' vital signs without entering the room. "The ability to continuously remotely monitor" is key, Wright said, because covid patients "can decompensate quickly" and need to be moved to intensive care. He was particularly excited to point out a staff innovation already implemented at the hospital in Cheverly - a "Serenity Room" with relaxing music and low lighting where medical workers can go to decompress. "It's a key indicator of how the staff is rising," he said. "They're going to have to take care of each other through this surge." Laurel's hospital was taken over by the University of Maryland Medical System and downsized in 2018, a controversial decision made by then-owner Dimensions Healthcare amid serious financial trouble and declining admissions. The state is paying the bill for the conversion of shuttered floors into a pandemic facility. Medical staff have come to Laurel from parts of the country not as hard hit by the virus; they will spend the weekend running through plans and potential crisis situations. Lisa Brown, an ICU nurse from Dallas, said she drove to Maryland from Texas to be part of the effort, after the heart hospital she normally works in there stopped doing surgeries during the pandemic. "I'm respectful of the virus," Brown said when asked if she was scared by the prospect of working with covid patients for the first time. "I'm very grateful for the PPE." Other new staff include traveling nurses who have been fighting the virus in other hospitals across the country. Jennifer Sorce came from a covid unit in Pittsburgh, which she said wasn't as overwhelmed by the pandemic. (Alleghany County has reported 947 cases and 43 deaths.) "I feel honored" to be in a hospital unit focused exclusively on covid, Sorce said. "I'm excited to get to use my skills." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung Fri, April 17, 2020 14:13 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd28141d 1 National COVID-19,coronavirus,Bandung-West-Java,West-Java,Grab,communities Free Multi-service app Grab has collaborated with dozens of its restaurant partners to provide 1,000 food packages to medical workers in Bandung and Cimahi, West Java, in an initiative to help frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19. Grab West Java partner engagement strategy lead Mawaddi Lubby said the program sought to express the company's appreciation for health care providers who were risking their lives on the frontlines of the COVID-19 fight. "While other people are staying at home, they are working hard while facing various health risks. We want to express our gratitude," Lubby said in a written statement recently. In addition to collaborating with 40 restaurant partners, Lubby said, Grab was cooperating with Intrafood and the Orang Tua Group to distribute 1,000 instant ginger drinks and 1,500 immune-boosting supplements to health care providers. The company distributed food packages to five COVID-19 referral hospitals in the province on Tuesday: Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Rotinsulu Lung Hospital, Advent Hospital, Dustira Hospital and Santosa International Hospital. The food packages were also donated to personnel from the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) and the local police. Advent Hospital director Roy D. Sarumpaet expressed appreciation for the donations, saying that any form of moral or material support for medical workers was essential as they had very challenging jobs during the pandemic. "It could help lift the medical workers' spirits to treat patients during the COVID-19 pandemic," Roy said. Before Grab, several restaurants and communities had taken part in food donation programs for healthcare providers. On March 26, United States-based restaurant chain Pizza Hut gave free pizzas to medical workers in several COVID-19 referral hospitals and community health centers (puskesmas) in Jakarta. "We have cooperated with the Jakarta Health Agency to deliver free pizzas to COVID-19 referral hospitals and puskesmas. We gave the pizza not only to medical workers but also to all the staff working at the hospitals as they also contribute to stopping the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak," a representative from Pizza Hut chain operator PT. Sarimelati Kencana TBK told kompas.com on March 31. PT Makindo, which owns the Ngikan food chain restaurants, also donated 1,000 food packages to medical workers in several COVID-19 referral hospitals in Jakarta last month. "To show our huge support for health care providers who have sacrificed their time and energy during the COVID-19 outbreak, we are going to donate 1,000 food packages to medical workers," the company announced on its official Instagram account on March 27. Since March 25, several Jakarta residents have also been participating in a food donation program for medical workers called Lunch 4 Paramedic. "Under the program we provide free healthy and nutritious lunches for paramedics in Jakarta," Titi Rusdi, the programs founder told Tempo.co earlier this month. (nal) Dougie Allen insists he stuck to social distancing rules, and has donated fruit and veg for charity food parcels Mid Ulster District Council has confirmed it is considering the appropriate course of action after a local fruit and veg trader was caught selling produce on the Stangmore Road in Dungannon without a licence. A spokesperson confirmed the council had been made aware of the situation. "There are no street trading licences issued for the Stangmore Road," they said. "Police did attend the area at the weekend. We are aware of the issue and are considering appropriate action." The proprietor of Dougie's Farm Shop, Dougie Allen, confirmed he was spoken to by police, but insisted he was following social distancing guidelines. "I usually set up on private land just off the Stangmore Road, but due to the virus the owner of the land thought it would be better if I wasn't in the field," said Dougie. "There is a wide area on the Stangmore Road and there is where I set myself up. "I have been doing what I was supposed to, I have been using gloves and keeping hand sanitiser near and also ensuring social distancing in the line. I thought everybody was very happy, certainly the customers seemed to be." He continued: "The local community say I do a good job and I work with community organisations - Dungannon Swifts are doing food parcels and I give them produce for those parcels. "There is a church in town who are doing similar and I also donate stuff to them and since this crisis has started, I have given fruit and vegetables away to all the NHS workers that come to me for free. "I am more than glad to do it." The popular fresh fruit and vegetable trader also claimed he is offering a unique service for the area, but is now pessimistic about its future. "There is nothing like what I am offering locally," he said. "I have asked council if they can grant me a temporary licence to trade in this spot during the crisis," he said. "Unfortunately, council's environmental health team have told me that if I return, I will be subject to a fine. "I will have to go somewhere else, hopefully I can find somewhere, if I can't, that will be me out of business." The PSNI confirmed it spoke with a fruit and vegetable salesman on Easter Saturday. "Police received a report on Saturday morning (April, 11) at approximately 11.25am about a male selling fruit and vegetables outdoors, on the Moy Road, Dungannon. "Police attended the location and spoke with the male. The matter has been passed to the local council." Tomball Independent School District announced Friday its decision for schools to stay closed the rest of the 2019-20 school year while continuing remote learning. The announcement comes in response to Texas Governor Greg Abbotts new executive orders released earlier that day instructing districts to remain shut the remainder of the academic year. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Gov. Abbott closes Texas schools but takes steps to reopen economy As a District, we are confident in how our remote learning model has evolved and are pleased with the progress made by our students and staff during this transition, Superintendent of Schools Martha Salazar-Zamora stated in a message. We are fully prepared to finish out the 2019-2020 school year strong with academic instruction. Despite staying closed, Salazar-Zamora said Tomball ISD is hopeful to offer graduates an experience they will treasure, even in difficult times. Based on feedback from several Class of 2020 surveys, we will forgo the idea of a virtual graduation and look forward to honoring our graduates with an in-person graduation ceremony in July once we finalize the location, Salazar-Zamora said. CLASS OF 2020: Contract for Tomball ISD graduation canceled; date, location of new ceremonies TBD Salazar-Zamora added that Tomball and Tomball Memorial principals will be asked to share info regarding end of year events for seniors. As much as we are ready to be back together as a school community again, I want to once again extend my gratitude to your family during this time, Salazar-Zamora said. Thank you for continuing to be patient with us during this time and please know that because of your trust in this process, we will all be back together very soon. alvaro.montano@chron.com Hyderabad, April 17 : A woman collapsed and died while waiting in the queue before a bank in Telangana on Friday to draw the Rs 1,500 financial assistance extended by the state government. The incident occurred at Ramareddy 'mandal' (block) headquarters in Kamareddy district. Angoth Kamala (45) suddenly collapsed while standing in the queue at Telangana Grameena Bank. She was rushed to a nearby hospital but died on the way. The tribal woman is suspected to have died of cardiac arrest. Meanwhile, Congress leader and former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir blamed the state government for the woman's death. He said the victim had been coming to the bank for the last two days to draw money and was standing for hours under the scorching sun. He visited Kamareddy Government Hospital where the body was taken for autopsy, consoled the family members and also extended some financial help. He demanded that the government pay compensation to the victim's family. Despite the lockdown, a large number of beneficiaries are standing in queues at banks across the state to draw the money. Even the social distancing norm is not being maintained, causing concern to bank authorities. Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Thursday appealed to people to visit the bank on the date and time given to them to draw the money. The government on Tuesday credited Rs 1,500 each in over 74 lakh bank accounts towards the financial assistance to poor families during coronavirus induced lockdown. It transferred Rs. 1,112 crores to banks for this programme. Norman Platnick was having no luck with millipedes. He was 16, a senior in college (yes, he started at 12) and was interested in a fellow biology student named Nancy, who was very interested in millipedes, he recalled. It was 1967, and they were taking a class on arthropods and needed specimens. But, he said: I was a lousy millipede collector. There would be nothing in my jar but spiders. He examined one of the spiders for a few hours, he said, and was able to identify it as part of the genus Cicurina. So I said: That was kind of fun. Let me try another. And I just never stopped. Dr. Platnick would become a world authority on spiders and the husband of Nancy Stewart Price. He died on April 8 in a hospital in Philadelphia at 68. The cause was complications from a fall in his home, said his son and only immediate survivor, William Platnick. The UK's coronavirus lockdown will remain in place for at least another three weeks, with the government outlining the conditions for easing restrictions. Although Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said there is light at the end of the tunnel, he warned the country remains "at a delicate and dangerous stage of this pandemic". Amid growing pressure to reveal details of an exit plan, Mr Raab revealed there are five factors that the government "must be satisfied of" before measures can be relaxed. They are: Standing in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Downing Street's daily coronavirus news briefing, Mr Raab said that experts had warned relaxing the lockdown now would "risk damage to both public health and the economy" - and undo the progress made so far. The extension takes the lockdown to at least 7 May, and Mr Raab hinted it would likely go further. He added: "We've come too far, lost too many loved ones and sacrificed too much to let up now - especially when we are now beginning to see that our efforts are paying off." On Thursday, the total number of COVID-19 patients who have died in UK hospitals exceeded 13,000 after another 861 deaths were confirmed. There have now been 103,093 positive tests for the illness nationwide. The UK remains a few weeks behind other European countries badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with Italy and Spain beginning to slightly ease some restrictions following consistent daily falls in their infection and death rates. Over in the US, Donald Trump has unveiled a three-phase plan to help the US return to normal, with one in seven American workers now unemployed. While the lockdown has seen the rate of infection drop significantly in Britain, Mr Raab warned there were still "issues with the virus spreading in some hospitals and care homes". :: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker Later today, Health Secretary Matt Hancock will face questions from MPs over the government's coronavirus response. Story continues He is expected to face scrutiny over the provision of personal protective equipment and the UK's exit strategy, with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer claiming that Mr Raab has been "reluctant" to set out a timeline without Boris Johnson's approval. Meanwhile, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said wearing face masks on public transport should be made compulsory in the capital. In a letter to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Mr Khan expressed fears that the UK is "lagging behind the international community on this issue". He wrote: "The latest scientific evidence shows that they can reduce the chances of an individual unknowingly infecting other people with COVID-19 and can therefore help to slow the spread of the virus. "This is consistent with the advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and with actions in other cities and countries around the world, many of whom have made wearing a face covering, especially when it is not possible to socially distance, a requirement before lifting lockdown." As restaurateurs wait to see whether they qualify for small-business loans, as independent operators continue to lobby Congress to save their dying industry, as the White House convenes an economic council that includes several celebrity chefs, World Central Kitchen and its high-profile founder, Jose Andres, have launched a pilot program that will feed vulnerable communities across the country while also helping hundreds of restaurants by reopening their kitchens. Part of its Chefs for America relief operation, World Central Kitchen's new program promises to pay the costs to prepare 1 million meals at more than 400 restaurants nationwide, which are among the hundreds of thousands of independent eateries that have been devastated by the coronavirus outbreak. According to a recent James Beard Foundation survey of more than 1,400 owners of mostly independent restaurants, operators have, on average, laid off 91% of their hourly workforce and nearly 70% of their salaried employees. These workers are, quite likely, among the 22 million people who have filed for unemployment insurance, representing a level of job loss not seen since the Great Depression. WCK's program hopes not only to provide jobs to some of the unemployed hospitality workers, but also to feed those people who have lost their paychecks or who are otherwise vulnerable during the pandemic. The Washington-based organization has hired workers in covid-19 hot spots, from New York City to New Orleans to the San Francisco Bay area, to identify communities in the greatest need of food: homeless people, low-income families, children without access to school meals, seniors who don't feel safe venturing outside their front doors. WCK is also coordinating with delivery services, such as Uber Eats and Postmates, to bring hot meals to these communities. "This is only a drop in the water," Andres said in a phone interview with The Washington Post. WCK hopes to expand to more restaurants in more cities across the country as funding becomes available. With news that the Small Business Administration's $350 billion Paycheck Protection Program is already tapped out, Nate Mook, chief executive of WCK, said the nearly $1 trillion independent restaurant industry cannot wait on an aid package that may never arrive for many owners and, even if it does, may not provide the necessary relief. "The only thing that's really going to save the system is the system going back to work," Mook told The Post. "The restaurants going back to work. The staff going back, getting a paycheck. The restaurants buying from the suppliers that are also impacted by this. You got to get the whole machine going again because you can't just have these Band-Aid solutions." WCK will pay restaurant owners $10 to $20 per meal and guarantee to cover hundreds of meals a day for a fixed period. The restaurateurs will know exactly how much money to expect and can use the funds to rehire staff, order the ingredients and prepare the meals. WCK will handle all other logistics. By providing the restaurants business, Mook said, "they can operate as they normally would." One of the restaurants now essentially serving as a relief kitchen is Reem's California, the acclaimed Middle Eastern bakery and cafe in Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood. Palestinian-Syrian chef and restaurateur Reem Assil said her kitchen is "serving anywhere from 200 to 500 meals a day, and growing, to vulnerable populations and first responders" in the neighborhood. She has had to modify her usual offerings to accommodate the lower price points offered by WCK. She said it was too early to tell whether the influx of business from the WCK partnership will help Reem's California, whose sales dipped more than 80% since the coronavirus hit the Bay Area. "It'll probably bring us back up to more than 50%" of the restaurant's pre-virus sales, she said. Tom Colicchio, the activist-chef behind the Crafted Hospitality restaurant group and the head judge and executive producer of "Top Chef," wasn't sure that, at the current per-meal price, a partnership with WCK would do much to save his restaurants in a high-overhead market like New York City. "Once you factor in rent and overhead and all that stuff, I don't think it's going to do it," Colicchio said in an interview with The Post. "One thing that it does is it keeps the supply chain moving, which is good, because you're buying food." "Where it's helpful," Colicchio added, "is feeding a lot of people. If it's going to keep restaurants solvent, I don't know." Neither Mook nor Andres views the program as a panacea to the problems faced by the restaurant industry during the pandemic. They see it as a model that can be shown to government leaders who could decide to fund it or expand upon it with similar programs. "Our hope is that we can show that this works and get the powers that be, in our state governments and our federal governments, to recognize that this is a solution," Mook said. "We have people we need to feed. We have restaurants that we need to put back to work, and we're showing that this is doable, that it's scalable." The covid-19 outbreak has forced countless restaurants to pivot their business models or shut down entirely. It has forced World Central Kitchen to pivot, too. The organization, founded in 2010 after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, has learned how to safely feed people in a pandemic. WCK has fine-tuned its protocols in the weeks since the group started serving meals to the quarantined staff and passengers aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan, Mook said. At its large-scale feeding operation at Nationals Park in Washington, all workers must pass a temperature check before reporting to their stations. They must also wear masks and gloves and practice social distancing. "Obviously, this is not saving restaurants," said Andres about the new partnership. "But between doing nothing and having them closed and doing something and being part of the community, what side of the history do you want to be?" "Right now, I am doing it. I don't need the approval of anybody. I know it's needed," Andres continued. "We're doing it because if I had to wait for somebody to tell me that we need to do this, already there would be a lot of hungry people." Asked whether he might eventually join the WCK program, Colicchio said: "Right now, if I knew that 10 of my cooks had covid, had a mild case and now they are over it and they have antibodies, that the science says they're not going to get reinfected, I would have them in tomorrow doing this. "I actually had this conversation with my chefs yesterday, saying, 'Start reaching out to people. See if anybody was sick,' " he added. "As we move along, maybe in the next couple of weeks, I may ask my staff if they're willing. I'm not going to compel them to come in. Then we'll see what happens." Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels exchanged 34 prisoners Thursday in the latest trade aimed at creating conditions that could lead to the end of the six-year war in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian president's office said. Ukraine took back 20 of its citizens in the swap with the two separatist entities in the rebel-controlled east, according to a statement from the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Fourteen rebels were released in exchange. It was the third prisoner exchange since Zelenskiy was elected in a landslide last year on promises of ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has killed more than 14,000 people since 2014 and aggravated tensions between Russia and the West. All of this is being done for Ukrainians, who we must rescue from the hell of captivity, Andriy Yermak, Zelenskiy's chief of staff, said. We're bringing back all Ukrainians (held captive by the rebels). With no exceptions. This is what strong countries that value their citizens do. Prisoner exchanges were part of an agreement brokered last year at a summit of the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France. The aim is to take confidence-building steps toward talks to end the war. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the prisoner exchange and urged all parties to take further measures in this spirit in order to enable progress in implementing the 2015 Minsk peace deal, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. He hopes that this important humanitarian action in advance of Orthodox Easter will serve as a positive step towards more progress, including a permanent ceasefire, in line with his global appeal, as well as further disengagement of forces and unimpeded humanitarian access across the contact line, Dujarric said. The last major prisoner swap between separatist rebels and Ukrainian forces took place in December, when the two sides exchanged 124 rebels for 76 Ukrainians. Ukraine continues to negotiate for the return of prisoners held in Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, according to Zelenskiy's office. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 in a move that Ukraine and most other nations consider illegal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) letters@hindustantimes.com New Delhi: The Union government has allowed charities and states to buy extra stocks of federally held foodgrains at a reserve but cheaper-than-market price as several migrant workers battle a food crisis. The federally run Food Corporation of India has reserved a price of 20 and 22 per kg of wheat and rice for stock sale outside the public distribution system (PDS), while the regular market prices ranges between 32-40 a kg and 40-45 a kg for common varieties of wheat and rice. Sales outside the PDS network were earlier available to only registered bulk purchasers and states through online bidding under a federal provision called the open-market-sales scheme. Now states as well as NGOs can buy grains and offer them for free or at no profit-no-loss basis to the poor, especially those outside the PDS system. For instance, charities can use the grains to run community kitchens during the lockdown. Activists are, however, campaigning for universal free ration for everyone who needs it, pointing to growing distress for several internal migrants, especially in cities, who are virtually outside the countrys public (grains) distribution network. Several migrant workers were stranded after a 21-day countrywide lockdown was imposed from March 25, and has been extended till May 3, to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Subsidised grains are only available to beneficiaries who have eligible ration cards. Most migrants in cities either dont have it or have it with their families back in their home states, said Deepa Sinha, who teaches in Delhis Ambedkar University. Under the Pradhan Mantri Gharib Kalyan Yojana, a relief package announced by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on March 26, eligible beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act would get 5kg of free grains per person, beyond their usual monthly ration quota of a similar quantity. Two-thirds of the population is officially covered under the scheme. Indias state-held food stocks stood at nearly 75 million tonnes on April 1, while the requirement of emergency stocks, which vary seasonally, is an average 22 million tonnes. The FCI has shipped out a record 3.74 Million Metric Tonnes of food grains stocks from the surplus states during the current lockdown period at an average of 170000 Metric Tonnes a day, an official said. This is more than double the normal average movement of stocks. Yet, millions dont have a ration card. How would it feel if the weakest members of a family starve despite the households granary being full? asked economist Jean Dreze, a long-time advocate of right to food, pointing to surplus food stocks. Dreze has urged for universalizing access to cheap grains. Surveys by Dreze shows Jharkhand had 700,000 pending ration card applications. A survey by the National Council of Applied Economic Research conducted during April 3-6 showed about 29.3% households were affected by shortages in supplies of food. Income cuts were most severe for daily wage workers, it added. Behind the crisis, there is a public-expenditure burden that few want to be saddled with. The federally run FCIs new reserves will naturally increase food budgets, so states are focusing on withdrawing regular and the additional free quota of 5kg ration per beneficiary, a federal official overseeing supplies said, asking not to be named. Some states, however, announced in-kind and cash support. Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, two states with large migrant populations, have said they would provide instant ration cards and Rs 1,000 per labourer. Many large states have not factored in extra supplies for undocumented labourers. Our government has told the Centre that since for April and May regular foodgrain quota is being distributed to beneficiaries, we will distribute additional free foodgrains of two months, totaling 10kg, in May, Jharkhand public distribution director Sanjay Kumar said. A senior food department official from Karnataka, HR Vijay Kumar, said the state had distributed the total foodgrains due for April and May in April from its own quota. In May, the state would be distributing foodgrains due for May and June from the federal quota. In some states, migrant workers are being forced to live in shelters that have no civic amenities. We have asked the finance ministry to pay at least Rs 5,000 to each labourers family immediately, said K. Saji Narayanan, president of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, a labour union. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday tweeted asking the government to provide for emergency ration cards. Helplines run by political parties have been also flooded with calls from labourers in distress. Taking care of migrant workers is the responsibility of each state. We not only need to take the responsibility for providing them food and shelter, but also need to show them empathy, said P. Muralidhar Rao, general secretary of the BJP. A labour ministry official said small enterprises had sent several proposals to ameliorate distress among workers, such as utilising surpluses from the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). The ESICs revenue income stood at Rs 27, 312 crore on April 2019 while its expenses for the last financial year stood at Rs 11,085 crore. This surplus could be used for temporary benefits to the small and medium enterprise workers, one proposal said. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Families of dying loved ones suit up in protective gear and face masks to say their final goodbyes. A woman is uncertain if her father has coronavirus (COVID-19), or if the experimental drugs he was administered will help his condition. Fathers, aunts and grandmothers quarantine in what experts say are the most volatile healthcare facilities in the midst of a pandemic. This is the grim new reality at nursing home facilities across Staten Island, where the coronavirus death toll is rising, and experts say the true number of cases is far greater than any data will show. RISKING DEATH TO SAY GOODBYE It was about 3:30 a.m. inside Carmel Richmond Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Dongan Hills, when Debra Hanwacker watched her father take his final breaths. Upon entering the building with her 77-year-old mother, staff took their temperatures to ensure they didnt have a fever. They suited up in masks, plastic face shields, caps and gloves to protect themselves from an invisible killer that experts say now lurks in the hallways of most, if not all, nursing home facilities in the New York City area. Her mother, who lives within walking distance and visited her father twice a day, never imagined shed have to risk her own life to say her final goodbye to her husband of more than 50 years. She told him she loved him, that everything is going to be OK, and to let go, Hanwacker said. She couldnt kiss him or anything, but she rubbed his forehead. Her parents, known to friends and family as Honey and Bowe, met when her father was in the Navy and stationed on the boroughs North Shore. Their final moments were sad and beautiful. But also terrifying, Hanwacker said. My biggest worry was about my mother, she said. All I kept looking at was her arm, if her arm was exposed. At one point, she noticed a bit of moisture on the outside of her mothers face shield--a potential death sentence. Hanwacker, a nurse at Staten Island University Hospital, listed off three colleagues on her floor alone at SIUH who have lost parents to the pandemic. When it was time to leave, she instructed her mother to put your hands up, dont touch your face, dont touch anything. Her fathers ashes are being held at a local funeral home, with a burial service pending. Hanwacker consoled her mother by saying, Daddy wouldnt want you to get sick to bury him. Hansine Bowe, 77, of Dongan Hills, holds a photo of her late husband, William, who family said tested positive for COVID-19 and died recently at Carmel Richmond Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center. (Courtesy of the Bowe family) THE DEATH TOLL More than 3,000 coronavirus-related deaths had been reported at long-term care facilities across New York, as of Tuesday, according to the state Department of Health. In New York City, 117 deaths were reported on Staten Island, 663 in Queens, 511 in the Bronx and 394 in Brooklyn. In March, Gov. Andrew Cuomo mandated that nursing home residents who are taken to a hospital and test positive for the virus must be allowed to return to the facility to self-quarantine. (COVID-19) is in every nursing home, said Jon Goldberg, spokesman for ArchCare nursing homes in New York, which operates Carmel Richmond. Theres absolutely no way to contain it, no matter how hard they try." He said that of the 4,000 people cared for daily by ArchCare staff across five nursing homes -- which includes 1,700 beds-- and other programs, there had cumulatively been 497 positive cases of the virus, as of Monday. He said 113 people had recovered from COVID-19. Across the border in New Jersey, the overall death toll is similar to New York. Earlier this week, an anonymous tip led police to a nursing home in Andover, a small township in Sussex County, where 17 bodies were piled in a small morgue intended to hold no more than four people, the New York Times reported. They were just overwhelmed by the amount of people who were expiring, Andover Police Chief Eric C. Danielson told the Times. At the state veterans home in Paramus, at least 27 deaths were reported earlier this week, while nearly half the population was confirmed or awaiting confirmation of being positive for COVID-19. National Guard medics, meanwhile, have stepped in to replace sick staff, according to a NBC New York report. ON THE FRONT LINE The true number of nursing home residents who are infected with the virus, or were infected at the time of their death, will never be known, due to a lack of available tests, experts say. A nurse at a facility on Staten Island told the Advance/SILive.com earlier this month there were upward of 50 presumed cases, along with multiple nurses underscoring the need for proper protective equipment, which she said is extremely limited. Not a single worker has N95, not a single person, she said, And up until a couple days ago, we had absolutely no eye protection" repeating a sentiment expressed by multiple other nursing home health care workers in the borough. She said shes not only concerned for her coworkers many of whom are scared of transferring the virus to their families but also for otherwise healthy residents. Its scary because I feel like our population is vulnerable, and we just dont have anything to deal with" the virus. The issue was addressed recently in a statement by the New York Health Facilities Association and the New York State Center for Assisted Living, which represents nearly 400 skilled nursing providers and adult care/ assisted living communities. Preventing and containing the spread of COVID-19 is incredibly difficult in a long term care setting," said Stephen Hanse, CEO and president of NYHFA/NYSCAL. Nursing homes and assisted living communities are doing everything they can with the resources they have been given to slow the acceleration of the virus for our residents. Thus far, management at Staten Island locations have not released the specific number of infections and fatalities. However, the numbers ultimately will be broken down by nursing home, after a thorough count of the data submitted by the 600 or so facilities in New York, as not to release any potential personal information, said Jim Malatras, president of SUNY Empire State College, who responded to questions about the data Tuesday at Gov. Andrew Cuomos daily press conference. John Scalia and Father Tom Devery of Our Lady Star of the Sea stand by at Resurrection Cemetery in Pleasant Plains as they bury a person who died of coronavirus and whose family cannot attend due to illness. April 14, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) EXPERIMENTAL DRUGS Healthcare workers at care facilities in New York have been given the green light by state officials to administer chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine, experimental drugs with potentially dangerous side effects used to treat symptoms of COVID-19. Experts say a lack of tests has left nursing home residents and their families with questions about the experimental drug touted by President Trump. Possible side effects reportedly include blurred vision or other vision changes, which may be permanent in some cases; and potentially fatal heart failure and issues with heart rhythm. According to a Washington Post report, the CIA advised employees recently that taking the drug as a potential treatment for coronavirus could have potentially dangerous side effects, including death. AN EERIE QUIET Nursing home residents quarantined to one floor is now common at facilities on Staten Island, with those testing positive for COVID-19 housed in a separate unit. Before the pandemic, the lobby at Clove Lakes Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Castleton Corners was a social hub, said Jane Harris, director of public relations. I used to always say, I feel like I should be passing out cocktails and appetizers, she said. We dont have that anymore. The drop-off routine for families also has changed. Before patients are admitted, I explain to families theyre not able to visit. And theyre only able to drop off clothing at the front desk. Residents only contact with family and friends is through a computer screen, while one-on-one rehabilitation and activities on their own floor continue. Harris said one positive is that temporary residents undergoing rehabilitation are working harder than ever toward being discharged. A Staten Island woman whose mother is a resident at Clove Lakes, and has steered clear of the virus, said she fears its only a matter of time. She says no one is visiting, and that were just sitting around here doing nothing, said the woman, who requested anonymity. I say, its for your own protection. Chinas top leader, Xi Jinping, has used the coronavirus pandemic to shore up his political power at home, but the tools the Communist Party has exploited to do this are threatening Chinas international standing. China has demanded fealty and praise of Mr. Xis handling of the pandemic as a price for the countrys provision of medical supplies and expertise. It has accused Western countries of failing to protect their people, unleashing vitriol usually preserved for domestic audiences on the world, provoking anger. In the past week officials in France, Britain and nearly two dozen African nations have rebuked actions or statements by the Chinese government. Mr. Xis government has now been accused of hypocrisy and hubris, for obfuscating the origins of the coronavirus and for portraying Western governments as ineffectual compared to Chinas own response. The states efforts to bolster Mr. Xis standing at home are undercutting any good will that China had generated by sending experts and medical supplies to countries on the newest front lines of the pandemic. Muslims across the country have been urged to offer prayers at home instead of going to mosques during Ramzan and follow the rules of the nationwide lockdown in place to break the chain of coronavirus infections. Jamia Nizamia, one of the oldest Islamic seminaries in India, has said in a release that ulemas and muftis from all schools of thought have urged the community to offer Taraweeh, special Ramzan prayers at night, and break their fasts in the evening with Iftar at home. They are also requested not to host or attend Iftar parties and give away the only so saved to the poor and the needy for their basic needs, the seminary said in the release. Further, the Ulemas and Muftis have 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 observe preventive measures, especially social distancing, strictly, it said. Muslims have also been asked not to hold gatherings for Taraweeh and recitation of the Quran. In the Shariah, responsibilities and duties are assigned and at the same time, exceptions and concessions are given during extraordinary circumstances. Offering Tawareeh is Sunna and here, too, exceptions are allowed, it said. The Islamic Centre of India had also issued an advisory on Monday, asking Muslims to adhere to the lockdown rules during Ramzan. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeens (AIMIMs) Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted the Jamia Nizamias release and issued an appeal for Muslims all across the country. 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, Asaduddin Owaisi wrote. The holy month of Ramzan is likely to begin from April 24 or April 25 subject to sighting of the crescent moon. Muslims observe fasting for about 30 days during Ramzan and do not eat or drink from dawn to dusk. They eat a pre-dawn meal, sehri, and break their day-long fast with Iftar in the evening. Two prominent U.S. congressmen have addressed a bipartisan letter to Tajik President Emomali Rahmon about "continued threats" and other mistreatment of RFE/RL journalists. The lawmakers urge the Tajik authorities to let RFE/RL's operations "continue unabated." The April 16 letter, signed by Representative Adam Schiff (Democrat-California) and Representative Steve Chabot (Republican-Ohio), is a follow-up to a previous appeal made in October. Schiff and Chabot said they'd recently learned of further threats to reporters from RFE/RL's Tajik Service, known as Radio Ozodi. They cited unduly short extensions of press credentials for some RFE/RL correspondents and the outright refusal by the authorities to renew the press accreditation of others. The U.S. lawmakers also expressed concern that authorities in Tajikistan have placed other RFE/RL employees "under review." "At this time of uncertainty and crisis as we confront a global pandemic, trustworthy, reliable, and independent sources of news are at an even greater premium," Schiff and Chabot wrote. Just 10 out of 18 RFE/RL journalists who applied for accreditation in February have been granted credentials, the congressmen said. The U.S. lawmakers also said they were "alarmed to hear" that Tajik authorities had placed the credentials of both the acting bureau chief and bureau administrator "under review." They said a denial of their applications "would essentially close Radio Ozodi's operations in Tajikistan." "It is our hope that your government will take swift action to reconsider these decisions and allow Radio Ozodi to continue its important work," the letter said. It was unclear on April 17 whether Rahmon had seen the letter. Writing on Twitter earlier in the week, James Risch, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was disappointed that the Tajik authorities had not yet corrected the issue: RFE/RL is funded by the U.S. Congress and overseen by the U.S. Agency for Global Media. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's representative on media freedom, Harlem Desir, had urged Tajik authorities in 2019 to investigate allegations of authorities intimidating the family of RFE/RL journalist Humayra Bakhtiyar to pressure her to return to the former Soviet republic. The Committee to Protect Journalists in late October called on Rahmon to take urgent action to ensure that Tajik journalists, including RFE/RL correspondents like Bakhtiyar, can work unhindered. The group also implored the Tajik administration to ensure citizens had access to independent sources of information ahead of parliamentary elections in March that were dominated by Rahmon's allies and found to be woefully undemocratic by Western observers. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Tajikistan 161st among 180 countries in its 2019 World Press Freedom Index. The media rights group warned that Rahmon "increasingly indulges his authoritarian tendencies, thereby threatening the fragile national consensus" that helped end Tajikistan's civil war in 1997. "We appreciate your concerns regarding Radio Ozodis coverage. A free press often results in coverage that policymakers dislike," Schiff and Chabot wrote in their letter. "This, however, is the nature of independent journalism." They noted that Tajikistan is a signatory of the United Nations' International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which has been in force since 1976. They also noted that the Tajik Constitution has language that "defends media freedoms." They expressed hope that Rahmon "will agree that upholding freedom of the press remains imperative." Parents from across the state can now complain to the district education officers if schools insist on paying fees during the lockdown period. State education minister Varsha Gaikwad announced the decision in a tweet on Friday afternoon. The government has already appealed schools to not ask for fees considering the current situation. However, we are getting several messages from parents across the state alleging that schools are still asking for fees to be paid. We urge such parents to write to the education officer in their district so that action can be taken against such schools, Gaikwad said in a video message . On March 30, the education department had come up with a circular asking schools irrespective of boards to refrain from demanding fees till the lockdown is lifted and things are back to normal. Despite this, many schools have asked parents to pay fees before April 30. We are being told that since the school is conducting online classes, we have to pay. This is their strategy to mint money, said a parent from Navi Mumbai who tweeted his complaint on Thursday. Another parent from a south Mumbai school said that parents have been asked to pay bus fees too. When there is no school, why should we pay transport charges? asked the parent. Meanwhile the education department is yet to give clarity on how to approach the education officers considering the lockdown situation. Officials said that details of the same would be communicated by the respective district authorities soon. The UK announced on Friday it will operate 17 more charter flights, with a capacity of around 4,000 passengers, next week to repatriate British nationals stranded in India after Covid-19-related travel restrictions were imposed. The British government has plans to operate special flights for some 20,000 citizens stranded in different Indian states. It had earlier announced 21 charter flights from several cities. The 17 additional charter flights to London will be operated from Ahmedabad (on April 20, 22, 24 and 26), from Amritsar (on April 21, 23, 25 and 27), from Bangalore via Ahmedabad (on April 23), from Delhi (on April 21, 23, 25 and 27), from Goa (on April 20, 22 and 24) and from Mumbai (on 26 April). People who are most vulnerable will be prioritised for seats on these flights which will bring the total number of chartered flights run by the UK government from India to 38, said a statement from the British high commission. Given the number of people who have already registered for a flight, the majority of seats are likely to be allocated to people who are already on waitlists, the statement added. The UK minister of state for South Asia, Lord Tariq Ahmad, said: We know this is a difficult time for British travellers and there is great demand for these flights. This is a huge and logistically complex operation, and we are working tirelessly with the Indian government and state authorities to help more British travellers get home. Jan Thompson, the acting high commissioner to India, said: We are working around the clock to arrange additional flights from locations where we know large numbers are still stranded and are extremely grateful for the support we are receiving from the government of India and local authorities. The 21 charter flights announced previously are operating during April 8-20 and are expected to help more than 5,000 British nationals return home. The charter flights are for UK travellers who normally reside in Britain and their direct dependants. A number of seats will be reserved for those deemed vulnerable. The charter flights are expected to cost between 537 and 591. India has so far facilitated the repatriation of some 35,000 nationals of 48 countries who were stranded in the country because of the Covid-19 crisis. Over the next six months, the Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCR) would spend five million Ghana cedis to support the Governments efforts at mitigating the socio-economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis. Mr. Kwame Gyimah-Akwafo, the President, announced this, when the GRCS distributed foodstuffs to 5,000 households in Madina in the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal in the Greater Accra Region. He said GHC970,000 would go into providing food and essential items to 50,000 vulnerable households in Accra and Kumasi, the hardest hit areas. The package includes educational materials on measures to stay safe. The GRCS would also complement the Governments efforts in key areas, such as social mobilisation, risk communication, contact tracing and early detection. It had already begun intense public awareness on the disease in the two cities, Mr Gyimah-Akwafo said. He urged the public to strictly comply with the Ghana Health Services protocols, such as staying at home; frequent hand washing with soap under running water; the use of hand alcoholbased sanitisers; social distancing and the proper use of disposal tissue when coughing or sneezing. He also reminded the public that any individual could get infected by the respiratory disease, even after taking precautionary measures, therefore, it was very important to completely stop the stigmatisation of patients. The beneficiaries of the Madina donation were identified as the vulnerable residents near the Social Welfare Department. 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 South Carolina's unemployment rate remained surprisingly low in March, suggesting the thousands of job losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic in recent weeks won't be fully reflected in the numbers until next month. The state recorded an estimated increase in unemployment in March of 3,267 people, according to a monthly survey released Friday. That translated into a post a jobless rate of 2.6 percent, which is still extremely low historical standards. The figures may come as a bit of a surprise given that more than 100,000 newly displaced workers filed for jobless benefits in March more than 12 times what the state handled in February. "We understand that the numbers presented today are not a true depiction of the economic impact and unemployment in the month of March," Dan Ellzey, the director of the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, said in a statement. The monthly figures highlight the speed at which South Carolina's once thriving economy was brought to a grinding halt by the public health crisis. The problem is that the workforce survey by the U.S. Department of Labor is conducted around the second week of each month. And many of the layoffs and business closures in South Carolina didn't start until the last two weeks in March. Gov. Henry McMaster began to tighten public health restrictions on March 15, closing schools and ending dine-in services at restaurants. "These issues are pretty unique to the current crisis because of the way it hit and how sharply it hit," said Laura Ullrich, a regional economist with the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond. "I'm sure the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics is working on this. But for right now, there's some data issues." Still, the survey caught some of the earliest signs of the economic collapse in South Carolina. The employment report, for instance, estimated a loss of roughly 10,200 leisure and hospitality jobs in early March. That drop accounted for 75 percent of the state's employment losses from the month before. Ullrich said that number shows that bars, restaurants and hotels took a harder hit in South Carolina than the hospitality industry did in other parts of the country. The new survey results also highlight some of the economic pain now being felt across the country. The national unemployment rate jumped from 3.5 percent in February to 4.4 percent in March, the largest one month increase in unemployment since 1975. That record is unlikely to last very long. The employment survey for April is likely to be far worse in South Carolina and across the nation. More than 22 million Americans have filed for jobless benefits since the March employment survey was conducted. South Carolina saw 272,560 people seek out unemployment benefits over that same time period. That number is equal to nearly 12 percent of the estimated jobs the state had in early March. But there was some good news for South Carolina workers, businesses and policy makers to grasp on to in March's report, according to Ullrich. The state still had 25,000 more South Carolinians in the labor force compared to the same time in 2019, she pointed out, and it actually added 200 manufacturing jobs between February and March. Of course, that was before factories began shutting down operations and furloughing or laying off large groups of workers. "What we can say is that South Carolina was tied for the second lowest unemployment rate in the country, and that's not a bad thing," Ullrich said. "So even though there are data issues, even though there are timing issues, I think we can take that as a little bit of a silver lining for now." A farming family have herded a flock of 150 sheep to make a tribute to NHS workers who are treating coronavirus patients which could be seen on a hillside for miles around. The effort, which was timed to coincide with the fourth Clap For Our Carers on Thursday, took an entire family three attempts to herd the flock to spell NHS on the hillside in Luss in Argyll & Bute, Scotland. Sixty-six-year-old Bobby Lennox drove a quad bike to produce the shape of the three letters, while his granddaughter Katie Nicholson followed behind with buckets of sheep feed which the animals stopped to eat. We feed the sheep every morning and they come and follow behind the quad bike, Kay Wilson, Mr Lennoxs daughter, said. We tried different angles and were third time lucky. Ms Wilson said that yesterday was the last chance they had to complete the tribute because the sheep would soon be off the hill and back in sheds for lambing. She added: Were out every Thursday clapping for the NHS and nobody can hear us so we wanted people to do something people in the area could see. The tribute was one example of efforts across the UK to raise spirits during the Covid-19 pandemic this week by showing gratitude to key workers in the NHS. (Kay Wilson / SWNS.COM) (SWNS) On Thursday, NHS staff thanked the public for their support in a video broadcast on ITV after the fourth week of applause for employees in health and social care. We are working tirelessly to fight off an invisible enemy, but we are not alone. We hear you. The clapping echoes through every hospital, the medics said. Your support every week reminds us that we are all in this together, so thank you. And from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for staying home." Additional reporting by agencies New research published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Ecology finds that ash dieback is far less severe in the isolated conditions ash is often found in, such as forests with low ash density or in open canopies like hedges, suggesting the long term impact of the disease on Europe's ash trees will be more limited than previously thought. The research looked at a 22km2 area in North-eastern France, where ash dieback was first observed in 2010. Although the environment had little impact on the initial spread of the disease, the researchers found that after ten years, the disease remained mild in many places. "We found that the disease had spread to virtually all ash present in the studied landscape within two years. Nevertheless, in many areas ash trees remained relatively healthy" said lead author of the study Dr Benoit Marcais, French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE). "The view that only the most resistant part of the ash population, just a few percent of the individuals, will survive the ash dieback pandemic is wrong. We see that in many environments not favourable to ash dieback, the proportion of ash that remain heathy is closer to 80-95% than to 5%, although the disease may be locally very severe." added Dr Marcais. As well as being further apart from each other, isolated ash trees or those in open canopies tended to have higher crown temperatures than those in shaded forests. This is less favourable for the development of the fungal pathogen that causes ash dieback, Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. High summer temperatures, even in temperate climates like North-eastern France, could further help to reduce the severity of the disease. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of summer temperatures above 35C, which the disease cannot survive at. Reducing the density of threatened tree species by promoting diversity in forest stands could be a valuable strategy in limiting vulnerability to invasive pathogens like ash dieback. With these invasive pathogens occurring more frequently, mixed forest stands may offer protection without the need to target specific pathogens. Ash dieback originated in Asia and was reported in Poland in the 1990s, it then reached France in 2008 and the UK four years later. The fungal spores infect leaves in the summer before moving to the stem, causing shoot mortality and crown dieback. The fungus survives the winter in leaves in the forest litter before spores are released again in summer. This makes dense stands of ash trees with closed canopies highly susceptible to the fungus. To understand the impact of landscape on the severity of ash dieback, the researchers performed a landscape survey on a 22km2 area around the village of Champenoux in North-eastern France shortly after the disease arrived, with further surveys taking place annually. Using 25m plots around the study area, the researchers recorded the presence of ash trees and ash dieback, with samples tested for Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. Dr Marcais cautions that this research applies to the climatic context of North-eastern France. "We show that the low impact of Ash dieback in trees isolated or in hedges is partly linked to high crown temperature during heat waves. In more oceanic climates like northern and western France or Great Britain, this might not be as prominent." The researchers are looking to further explore the impacts of climate: "We are working on how climate affects ash dieback risk. We have already shown that in south-Eastern France, ash dieback will have very little impact because of high summer temperature." Said Dr Marcais. The Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, will convene its 17th session from April 26 to 29 in Beijing, according to a statement issued after a chairpersons' meeting Friday. Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the chairpersons' meeting. The chairpersons' meeting suggested that the upcoming session review a draft revision to the law on the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste, a draft law on administrative punishments for those working in the public sector and a draft biosecurity law. The session is expected to deliberate proposals on revising the laws on animal epidemic prevention and the People's Armed Police Force, and amending the copyright law. A number of proposals and reports will also be reviewed, including a proposal on a draft decision to authorize the State Council to temporarily adjust relevant laws and regulations in the Hainan pilot free trade zone, a report on environmental protection and a report on strengthening public health-related legislative work. In the past weeks, panic loomed in supermarket aisles, as shoppers hoarded groceries and basic food staples, pushing customers to click their way towards online grocery shopping Egyptian Norah Sabry has found online shopping to be the best solution for getting her groceries, as fears over a growing coronavirus outbreak have led to panic-buying and stockpiling of some goods, as well as crowding at some shops. Whether she needs cleaning supplies or basic commodities like rice, grains, pasta or tomato sauce, Sabry resorts to Amazon-owned online retailer Souq to fill her pantry, to avoid crowding in supermarkets and grocery stores, especially as Ramadan approaches, given the extra shopping required for the Islamic fasting month. In the past weeks, panic loomed in supermarket aisles, as shoppers hoarded groceries and basic food staples, leading to empty shelves in some areas and crowding inside shops, triggering moves by the government to limit panic-buying amid assurances of sufficient strategic reserves of staple commodities to accommodate growing demand. I have no other solution, although things, especially during this time, usually arrive late, Sabry told Ahram Online, adding that the delay in delivery has made her shopping experience more demanding due to having to plan ahead more. She added that it takes at least a week for things to arrive during the current circumstances, instead of a previous three-day delivery period. But Sabry, who previously used to go to the supermarket two or three times a week, has another duty after the arrival of groceries from Souq: disinfection. The virus is definitely still a concern so all things must be washed or sprayed with alcohol or Clorox diluted with water, she said. Sabry first sprays the bags, empties them and then washes her hands to start another mission: determining which products can be washed with water and soap and which can be wiped with alcohol before usage. She admitted that she sometimes waits for several days as a preventive measure to use some products that she cant disinfect. Sabry said she will continue to rely on online shopping for her groceries during the holy month of Ramadan, despite any expected delays that she might face as more people rely daily on e-commerce amid government calls for citizens to resort to delivery services to stem the possible spread of more infections. Sabry is not the only time-pressed supermarket commuter counting on Souq to deliver their products amid the pandemic; several people interviewed by Ahram Online said they are using Souq and other e-commerce platforms to purchase necessities. New mother Yousra Samir said she recently turned to online shopping due to fear for her babys health. Online purchasing is very important because everyone is afraid I want to purchase thing for the baby but I cant go out to purchase them so I use Souq to buy them, she said, adding that she has even bought a gift for her husband online, due to the imposed restriction in movement. Good news for online commerce? Egypt's e-commerce sector has been projected to see a boom in recent years, even before the spread of the outbreak. Electronic financial transactions in the country are estimated to be worth $2 billion, including online direct purchases and airline and hotel bookings on the web, organisers of Egypts E-Commerce Summit said last year. The country is a rising star of MENAs B2C E-Commerce, with growth rates of above 30 percent between 2019 and 2022, according to a report by MENA B2C E-Commerce Market in 2019. Amazons Souq told Ahram Online that it is has seen an influx of new customers in Egypt in the past few weeks, as well as more frequent orders from existing customers. We are also seeing more retailers and sellers keen to get their businesses online via our marketplace, it said. According to Souq, the current top purchases by consumers across Egypt were grocery-related categories, namely food items, and purchases related to hygiene, including disinfectants, sanitisers, and cleaning products. We have also seen purchases increase in lifestyle categories including kitchenware, appliances, toys, and sports. This is a reflection of the change happening around working, studying and staying at home, the retailer said. Despite the increase in purchases, Souq admitted that some customers may have experienced delays in delivery due to the deployment of higher health and safety measures which it deemed necessary to be able to serve its customers in a safe manner. We will continue to innovate and build capacity across our fulfillment and delivery networks to meet this surge in demand, it said, adding it is currently working around the clock to upgrade the safety processes across its supply chain, fulfillment and delivery networks, in line with its global best practices in operations. On hygiene, Souq said it has raised the frequency and intensity of cleaning at all fulfilment and delivery networks nationwide, and implemented a number of measures to ensure safe deliveries and return pick-ups. The measures include deliveries that can be left unattended, requiring associates to maintain a safe two-metre distance, and removing requirements for customer signatures, Souq said, as well as encouraging customers to use electronic payment methods for contactless deliveries. Other e-commerce platforms have also upped measures to provide an ease in shopping experience amid a rise in online shoppers due to the virus. Dina Gobran, general manager of popular peer-to-peer shopping website OLX Egypt, told Ahram Online that its main challenge at present is to adapt and cope with the continuously changing market situation, to help and support its users in these difficult times. Our top priority is to provide a safe and secure method for our users to buy and sell on our platform, as these are times where people are trying to save money by selling or buying items that are not as accessible using previously traditional means, she added. Surge includes medical supplies Shoppers rushing online to make their purchases are not just after groceries; there has also been a surge in sales of medical supplies, mainly face masks and gloves. Both sets of products have seen soaring demand since the start of the pandemic, and prices have risen accordingly. Prices of face masks have reached more than EGP 250 ($15.81) from a previous EGP 12 per box for locally produced masks, and EGP 1,200 for imported US-made masks, which were previous sold for EGP 250 per box. Egypt said last month it is temporarily halting exports of face masks, anti-infection supplies and alcohol for three months to meet the high demand in the market. On Thursday, Egypt set the prices of raw ethanol, hand sanitisers and gloves nationwide, in an attempt to crackdown on rising prices, promising hefty fines and jail sentences for violators. The acute shortage of gloves and masks in the country has even led doctors to shift to online shopping to find the essential supplies. Omar Gad, a doctor at a Cairo hospital, told Ahram Online that while he was not new to the online shopping experience, he still turned to Souq in particular to buy gloves, face masks and sanitisers amid the shortage and rocketing prices. Pharmacies now mainly allow the sale of masks and gloves [as single items only], and with calculations, the wholesale of the item would be very high in pharmacies, he said. Gad, who uses the medical supplies and disinfectants he buys at the governmental hospital where he works, due to the shortage there, admitted that, while wholesale prices of some supplies might be higher on the online platform than in pharmacies, it was still understandable. As the shortage persists, Egypt has upped measures to crackdown on manufacturers of defective face masks nationwide, especially as the shortages of the masks globally has created a black market full of scams and stolen medical supplies. On masks, Souq said it strictly prohibits the sale of counterfeit products. It also added that it investigates any claim of counterfeit goods thoroughly, including removing the item, permanently removing the bad actor, pursuing legal action or working with law enforcement as appropriate. This is the time for e-commerce more than any. The self-isolation at home is enough proof of its urgency. You dont need to leave the house or touch any surface to purchase what you need, Gad said. Search Keywords: Short link: Climate-driven megadrought is emerging in western US, says study 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 . This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Then-Vice President Joe Biden with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a 2013 visit to Beijing. (Lintao Zhang / Pool Photo) President Trump's intensifying criticism of China isn't just about deflecting blame during the coronavirus crisis it's opening up a new line of attack against Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee. With the U.S. death toll surpassing 35,000 on Friday and the nation's economy in a record-shattering swoon, Trump's reelection chances now rest heavily on his ability to successfully frame the choice voters will face in November as a referendum on China, according to the president's campaign aides and allies. For Trump, it's an update of the unapologetic nationalism he ran on four years ago, when he played up dangers supposedly posed by Mexicans and illegal immigration, and cast opponents as weak and naive. For Biden, determined to avoid Hillary Clinton's fate, it's a political and cultural minefield to distance himself from China without demonizing it as he makes his final bid for the White House. Unwilling to let Trump's arguments go unanswered, Biden's campaign battled back Friday with a spate of ads disputing his alleged support for China, and going on offense blaming Trump for being too trusting of President Xi Jinping as the coronavirus spread. In a new video, Biden agrees that Chinese authorities were not honest about the early outbreak in Wuhan, and sought to cover up the contagion and the deaths. But Trump, he said, "is not doing enough about it." "The uncomfortable truth is that Donald Trump left America vulnerable and exposed to this pandemic," Biden said. "He ignored the warnings of health experts and intelligence agencies and put his trust in China's leaders instead." American Bridge, a major Democratic super PAC, put $15 million behind a separate TV ad that slams Trump for trusting and praising China and for shipping medical supplies to China when they remained in short supply at home. With rallies and other physical campaigning on hold, the heated battle over China marked the first direct major engagement of the general election campaign. Story continues The clash is playing out amid a pandemic that has put Trump in front of TV cameras at the White House every afternoon, and relegated Biden to remote TV and internet appearances from his home basement in Wilmington, Del. Biden engaged after Trump's campaign revved up political messaging focusing on the former vice president's apparent ties to Beijing, in concert with efforts by the White House and its backers to blame China for the pandemic. Internal research "shows that Joe Bidens softness on China is a major vulnerability," said Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for Trump's campaign. Biden, he said, "doesnt view China as an economic competitor, he was critical of the presidents life-saving China travel restrictions, he has resisted holding China accountable for the virus outbreak, and his son Hunter entered business with a state-owned Chinese bank after he accompanied his then-vice president father on an Air Force 2 trip to Beijing." After weeks of referring to the COVID-19 outbreak as a "Chinese virus," President Trump in recent days has blamed Beijing for not sufficiently warning the U.S. about the outbreak in Wuhan in December and part of January. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) As part of a $10-million ad buy in swing states, America First Action, the principal super PAC behind Trump's reelection effort, this week broadcast spots juxtaposing old clips of Biden speaking favorably about China, with allegations that Beijing "stole American manufacturing and hoarded our emergency stockpile." "Now more than ever, America must stop China, and to stop China you have to stop Joe Biden," the narrator intones. On Twitter, Trump allies have branded their likely general election opponent as "#BeijingBiden." "The Chinese Communist Party has infected the world, and crashed the global economy," said Steve Cortes, a Trump supporter working with America First. The Chinese economy, the world's second-largest, has also crashed due to the coronavirus, according to official data released Friday. But Biden alleges in the video he released Friday that Trump has failed to confront Chinese leaders since the pandemic began, and that the president has left America ill-prepared to respond to the crisis. The Obama administration, Biden argues, initiated a program to receive early warnings for outbreaks and kept a strong Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presence in China to sound the alarm both of which Trump dismantled. "We had an American official stationed inside the Chinese disease control agency serving as our eyes and ears," Biden says. "President Trump left that position vacant as the outbreak hit. And when the coronavirus started to spread, the CDC wanted to get into China to get information that could save American lives. China said no, and Donald Trump didn't insist on access." Trump, Biden continues, instead praised Xi because "he was more worried about protecting his trade deal with China than he was about the virus that had already come to America." In the last month, Trump has bulldozed past questions at nightly briefings about supply shortages and the lack of U.S. testing, even as some hospitals in New York City were overrun and the death toll spiked. He has focused instead on China's culpability. After weeks of referring to the COVID-19 outbreak as a "Chinese virus," Trump in recent days has blamed Beijing for not sufficiently warning the U.S. about the outbreak in Wuhan in December and part of January. "I was angry, because this should have been told to us," Trump said Thursday. "It should have been told to us early. It should have been told to us a lot sooner. People knew it was happening and people didn't want to talk about it." Trump barred visitors from China on Jan. 31, but did not declare a U.S. health emergency until March 13, six weeks after the Wuhan outbreak was public knowledge. For months, Trump had credited Chinese President Xi for his response. Xi, Trump said on Feb. 23, was "working very hard. I think he's doing a very good job." On March 27, after the global economy had begun to crater, Trump offered more praise, tweeting that "China has been through much & has developed a strong understanding of the Virus. We are working closely together. Much respect! This week, he said he was suspending U.S. funding for the World Health Organization, alleging that the United Nations public health agency had shielded China from blame and was slow to react to the outbreak. Claims of a cover-up spread after Fox News, citing unnamed U.S. intelligence sources, suggested that the coronavirus may have accidentally escaped from a Chinese research laboratory, not a wet market in Wuhan as Beijing has said. No evidence indicates it is an engineered virus. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo noted Friday that the official death toll in Wuhan had just jumped by 50% to 3,869. "It's very clear now that the Chinese Communist Party and the World Health Organization didn't put that information out into the international space as they're required to do in a timely fashion," he said on Fox Business. "And the result of that is that we now have this global pandemic." Chinese officials attributed the increase to people who died at home because hospitals were too full, mistaken reporting by medical staff, and other confusion at the height of the crisis. As a result, belated, missed and mistaken reporting occurred, Xinhua, the Chinese news agency, reported. The xenophobic strategy is an update on Trump's 2016 campaign, when he played up dangers supposedly posed by Mexicans and portrayed himself as an unapologetic nationalist while denouncing his opponents as weak and naive. But some Biden backers believe voters will find Trump's sequel less convincing than the original. "What Trump has been trying to sell, is this idea the Chinese misled him [about the coronavirus]. But the most you could say is they misled him for two weeks," said Christopher R. Hill, a former U.S. ambassador who is supporting Biden. "I'm more worried about where the U.S.-China relationship is going," Hill added. "I'm less worried that Trump can turn this into an ace card in the election." - Mugufuli's declaration came hours after the country recorded six new COVID-19 cases bringing the total number of infections to 94 - Tanzania also recorded 11 recoveries and four deaths - The Tanzanian leader said prayers would start from Friday, April 17, to Sunday, April 18 - Kenya held a National Day of Prayer on coronavirus pandemic on March 21 in a service that was held at State House in Nairobi Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli has declared three days of national prayers in the wake of coronavirus pandemic that has hit the nation. Mugufuli's declaration came hours after the country recorded six new COVID-19 cases bringing total number of infections to 94. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: US piles pressure on China to come clean on origin of COVID-19 Tanzanian President John Mugufuli. Photo: Mwananchi news. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Serikali yaanza kuwapa Wakenya fedha za kujikimu wakati huu wa coronavirus In a statement released on Thursday, April 17, Magufuli asked Tanzanians to converge in their respective denominations and pray for God's intervention following the deadly virus. "Fellow Tanzanians, following the coronavirus pandemic, I would like to request you to use three days starting April 17-19 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) to pray to God who has power over all things to save us from this disease. Let us all pray in our respective denominations and regions, he will listen," said the Tanzanian leader. Unlike many countries where church gatherings were suspended to enhance social distancing in a bid to tame the spread of the virus, Mafuguli declined to embrace the measure stating churches were crucial and highly needed in the fight against the pandemic. President Uhuru Kenyatta called for a National Day of Prayer on March 21 in a service that was held at State House in Nairobi and presided over by religious leaders from various denominations. Kenya has so far recorded 246 cases of COVID-19 after 12 more people were diagnosed with the virus on Friday, April 17. 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 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram The Torch is a weekly newsletter from the Committee to Protect Journalists that brings you the latest press freedom and journalist safety news from around the world. Subscribe here. Ecuadorian journalist Dayanna Monroy spoke to CPJ about covering the COVID-19 crisis in Guayaquil, the epicenter of Ecuadors COVID-19 outbreak. Monroy who visits the areas hotspots nearly every day discussed the challenges of reporting on COVID-19 in a country that lacks accurate official information about the virus. CPJ also spoke with a journalist in Taiwan about dealing with misinformation in the country amid the outbreak, and with a lawyer in India about a recent Supreme Court directive making it compulsory for news outlets to carry the governments official version of any pandemic news. In the U.S., a student journalist in Florida spoke to CPJ about leading a student newspaper during the pandemic, and reporters in Seattle described covering COVID-19 as relearning how to do their jobs. Journalism in the time of coronavirus A new Puerto Rico law threatens jail time for spreading false information about COVID-19 The Indian Supreme Court last week ordered journalist Gautam Navlakha to surrender himself to the Session Court for arrest, which he fears due to health risks for prisoners during the pandemic Two journalists arrested in Jordan over coronavirus coverage Bolivia enacts decree criminalizing disinformation on COVID-19 outbreak Security forces recently harassed and attacked at least four journalists in Liberia for reporting on COVID-19 Chechen leader threatens journalist Elena Milashina over COVID-19 reporting CPJ calls on the UN and the European External Action Service to press for the release of imprisoned journalists amid COVID-19 Chinese journalist Li Zehua missing in Wuhan since late February Spotlight Trump speaking during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, at the White House. Trump has called journalists very dishonest for their reporting on the health crisis. (AFP/Mandel Ngan) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Do you have an Amazon Alexa-enabled device? Enable CPJ's flash briefing skill to stay up to date with the latest press freedom news from around the world. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17 By Ilkin Seyfaddini Trend: International Beverages Tashkent company in cooperation with the PepsiCo representative office in Uzbekistan handed over a batch of narcosis and respiratory apparatuses to the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, Trend reports citing Uzbek media. International Beverages Tashkent jointly with PepsiCo representative office in Uzbekistan within the framework of charity project purchased narcosis-breathing apparatuses of expert class Caelus Lite (Belgium) for 1.6 billion soum ($159,280). The main function of this apparatus is anesthesiological, and if necessary it can perform the function of artificial ventilation of lungs. On April 15, all equipment was donated to the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan for treatment of seriously ill patients. Besides, 300 million soum ($29,865) were donated to the Public Fund "Mercy and Health of Uzbekistan". Another 600 million soum ($59,730) will be sent to various funds to help poor families and other charity projects. The above mentioned efforts are being made to help Uzbekistan handle the coronavirus spread. 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 India's doubling rate of COVID-19 has become 6.2 days this past week, markedly better than a doubling rate of 3 days before the lockdown was implemented. In its latest press briefing, the Health Ministry said that 1,007 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours along with 23 deaths. This takes cumulative cases up to 13,387, and deaths to 437. About 1,749 recoveries have been declared so far. The 5 lakh tests that were received yesterday are in the process of being distributed, Dr Gangakhedkar of ICMR said. Over 3.19 lakh tests have been conducted as of now, of which over 28,000 were conducted yesterday. The government hopes to step up indigenous production of COVID-19 testing kits - the target is 10 lakh Indian-made rapid test kits by May. Karnataka saw its biggest jump yet in the number of coronavirus cases on Thursday. Thirty-six new cases were reported on Thursday and then 44 more on Friday, bringing the total to 356. The rising number of cases has prompted the government to start testing those who have symptoms in districts that have no reported cases yet, which is eight districts as of now. Maharastra has the highest number of cases in India so far at 3,236. Out of these, over 2,000 are in Mumbai. The death toll of the state is at 194. There a small ray of hope though since only 32 new cases were reported today, a huge dip from the 286 of the previous day. Government adds to the list of services that can be carried out after 20th April In a bid to pick up the economy and assist the poor, the government had announced a slew of measures earlier this week that would allow certain industries and activities to restart. The microfinance industry has been included in the list as it provides crucial assistance to the poor and to struggling businesses. Further, various types of construction in rural areas has been allowed as well. E-commerce websites can sell electronics such as phones and laptops and appliances such as televisions. Stationary can be sold as well. However, these guidelines are subject to state and local jurisdiction; state governments will determine which districts can lift the restrictions of lockdown. Also, factories can operate at 50% of manpower only, with staggered lunch breaks and shifts. Health Ministry: 40% drop in growth of new cases Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health said that the doubling rate of COVID-19 in the country has become 6.2 days this past week, markedly better than a doubling rate of 3 days before the lockdown was implemented. He said that these figures have been spearheaded by Kerala, where extensive testing, contact tracing and isolating suspected cases has made a meaningful dent in transmission. 25 Indian nationals abroad have died, and 3,336 are infected Earlier this week, the Supreme Court was hearing a petition on evacuating Indian nationals from abroad. The apex court rejected appeals and asked people to stay put where they were for now, citing limited resources in the face of COVID-19. Reports from yesterday have shown that a total of 25 Indians abroad have died, and 3,336 have been declared COVID-19 positive. The vast majority of those who are infected are in the Middle East and Singapore. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that foreign missions have taken steps to ease the troubles of stranded nationals, and have even asked NRIs to step in to provide some relief. It appears that no evacuation measures will be undertaken until the government is satisfied that that pandemic is under control in the country. For more information, read our article on COVID-19 prevention steps every office must take after the lockdown. 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. Today, we have another dispatch from our partners at the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, written by Alyson Stamos and Meiying Wu: SAN FRANCISCO On Jan. 24, the eve of the Chinese New Year, Dr. Jian Zhang, chief executive of San Franciscos Chinese Hospital, saw an alarming photograph as she scrolled through her holiday greetings on WeChat. An old medical school colleague was about to join more than 100 other health care providers being rushed to Wuhan to help manage the coronavirus outbreak. Zhang immediately recognized the threat. Twelve hours, she recalled thinking. We have direct flights from Wuhan to San Francisco, and it only takes 12 hours. She knew those who were visiting family in China during the Lunar New Year would soon be back. A perfect storm seemed to be headed for the 22 square blocks that make up Chinatown, one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the United States. Chinese Hospital, which Zhang has led since 2017, is an acute care facility in the heart of Chinatown. Many of the neighborhoods older Chinese residents live in cramped single-room-occupancy hotels. Travel between Chinatown and China is constant. Zhang called Aaron Peskin, a San Francisco supervisor who represents Chinatown. If we have an outbreak in Chinatown, she told him, it will be a nightmare of yours and mine. But Chinatown has thus far held off the nightmare. Chinese Hospital admitted its first COVID-19 patient on March 26, three weeks after patients had been hospitalized in other parts of San Francisco. As of mid-April, at least 34 cases of COVID-19 had been detected in 22 SROs around San Francisco, according to figures collected by Peskins office. None of these cases were within those 22 square blocks, although three were on the border of Chinatown. Its kind of amazing, Peskin said. Here we are it is now the beginning of April, and Chinatown, knock on wood, is looking pretty darn good. Despite being particularly vulnerable to the novel coronavirus in the United States, Chinatown turned out to be well-prepared, unlike other places around the country. Chinese Hospital was at the center of an effort to coordinate barriers for entry of the virus. These involved almost every major institution in Chinatown, including the Chinese-language press and deeply engaged neighborhood institutions, all of whom were imprinted with memories of earlier infectious disease outbreaks. Deep links to front-line health workers in China would also be invaluable as Chinese Hospital worked to avoid what everyone thought was coming. Given the unpredictable pathways of this highly contagious disease, Zhang and other leaders in Chinatown are well aware that circumstances could change in an instant. Compliance with shelter in place has at times been haphazard. (Peskins office has fielded many complaints about card games in Chinatowns Portsmouth Square.) But the successes so far can be traced to early action by hospital and community leaders to keep the virus out of areas where it might otherwise flourish. On Feb. 1, one week after Chinese New Year, Zhang, Peskin and Chinatown community leaders hosted a news conference highlighting practices to slow the spread of the virus. The Chinese Consul General in San Francisco gave an update on the Chinese governments response. More than 15 years earlier, many in the community had family members who experienced the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in China, a memory that Zhang and others said made them more receptive to the advice from local leaders. In early February, the principal of Central Chinese High School announced an initiative to sterilize classrooms and encouraged teachers and students recently in China to stay home for a 14-day self-quarantine. By mid-February, the Chinatown Community Development Center, the owner of 11 SROs housing several hundred tenants, had installed hand sanitizers in their buildings, doubled up on daily cleanings and started educating tenants about basic hygiene principles. Peskin saw the effects of this informal campaign every day when he drove through Chinatown on his way to City Hall. For a while it was kind of startling that on one side, on the north side of Broadway, everything was normal and nobody was wearing masks, he said. And the second you would cross Broadway into Chinatown, everybody was wearing masks. Nonetheless, the perception of Chinatown as a potent hotbed of the coronavirus quickly took hold. In February, well before a single COVID-19 case had been detected in San Francisco, tourism in Chinatown evaporated. On Jan. 31, President Donald Trump had announced travel restrictions to and from China, and before long he was referring to the Chinese virus. Attacks against Asian Americans jumped nationwide. In late February, Speaker Nancy Pelosi returned to her home district of San Francisco and took a high-profile tour of Chinatown, arm in arm with community and business leaders. Everything is fine here, she said. Come, because precautions have been taken. Chinese Hospital has played a prominent role in San Franciscos Chinese community for more than a century. It began as the Tung Wah Dispensary, opening in 1899 to provide health care to Chinese immigrants who were otherwise unable to get treatment because of rampant discrimination. When the 1906 earthquake destroyed the dispensary, Chinese community groups raised money to rebuild what is now known as Chinese Hospital. Today, it remains the only hospital in the United States built by and for the Chinese community. Bruce Lee, the actor and martial arts master, and Norman Yee, the president of the San Francisco board of supervisors, were born there. Most of the hospital staff is bilingual or trilingual, speaking English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Dr. Roger Eng, chief of radiology, says small details like serving jook, a traditional Chinese rice porridge, to patients for breakfast does have an impact on their mental well-being which we know helps speed up their recovery. Zhang, 53, left her home in Guangzhou in 1990 to study, and obtained a doctorate in nursing practice at the University of San Francisco. While on clinical rotation at Chinese Hospital, she noticed that many women could not afford cancer screenings; she sought and obtained funding for low-cost mammograms and training in breast self-examinations. Shes been with Chinese Hospital since 1993, and became chief executive in 2017. One of the hospitals most effective tools for raising the alarm about the novel coronavirus and getting health information to the community is the citys Chinese-language media at least two newspapers, a radio station and two TV stations. A 90-minute community-initiated fundraiser on Sing Tao Chinese Radio last month raised more than $300,000 for the hospitals efforts to fight the pandemic. Zhang and her colleagues continuing links with China also gave them insights from the front lines in Wuhan. Zhangs medical school friend who deployed to Wuhan just before Chinese New Year ended up running a 51-bed critical care unit. One early idea Zhang borrowed from her medical colleagues in China was to put masks on every patient before they even set foot inside the hospital to minimize the virus transmission in their wards. The local Wuhan diaspora has also helped. A longtime friend of Zhangs, Hai Su, a software engineer from Wuhan, came to the United States in 2001. He helped organize two Wuhan alumni associations to send thousands of dollars worth of medical equipment to their hometown at the height of the crisis. As the epicenter of the pandemic shifted to the United States, the Wuhan alumni refocused their help on the Bay Area. In March and April they donated more than $50,000 to Chinese Hospital in masks and cash. As of Thursday, only one COVID-19 patient remains at Chinese Hospital. Two others have been discharged. So far in April, the hospital has taken in 18 patients from Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital who do not have the coronavirus, helping to open up acute care beds there for those with the virus. On the streets of Chinatown, about 80% of the restaurants are shuttered. Produce markets, fish sellers and butchers are gamely trying to stay solvent with socially distanced shopping in what are often confined spaces. Zhang does not presume that the hospitals record thus far will continue. She hopes for the best, prepares for the worst. Every day that we dont have a surge is a good day, she said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. President Donald Trump has presented his road-map to governors for reopening their states, gradually easing up on social distancing, but critics say it is lacking in crucial details. The guidelines, distributed to governors Thursday, are published under the headline 'Opening Up America Again' and present a three-phase approach to relaxing shutdowns state-by-state, based on case data on the ground. Each phase of relaxed restrictions would be triggered after a state recorded a new two-week period of falling case numbers and reported symptoms - but the plan acknowledges that there could be snap-backs to harsher restrictions if cases rise again. Pointing to the relative success that countries such as Sweden have had with only limited social restrictions, some applauded the plan as a much-needed guide to getting the economy back on track. Critics argued, though, that Trump's plan offers no specifics on how the widespread testing it calls for would be achieved by states. President Donald Trump has presented his road-map to governors for reopening their states gradually easing up on social distancing 'I'm concerned that this plan is laying out what needs to happen, without saying how it's going to happen and what the federal role is,' said Jeremy Konyndyk, former director of USAID's Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance under the Obama Administration, told CNN. Konyndyk said that the 10-page plan offers no specifics on how testing capabilities, contact tracing, and access to personal protective equipment (PPE) would be ramped up to the massive levels needed to relax shutdowns. 'We need a much more detailed implementation plan. It's fine to say the states need much greater access to PPE. How are they going to get that?,' he said. 'There are these bottlenecks we are facing now that are not being resolved,' he went on. Experts from all sides agree that reopening parts of the country would require massive levels of testing in order to identify cases and isolate them and their contacts. Registered medical assistant Lauiesha Plummer administers a nasal COVID-19 test to a patient at a drive-through testing site Thursday in St. Louis Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, reacts on Thursday as Trump describes his plan to re-open the country Random testing, known as surveillance testing, would also be needed to help identify the rate of asymptomatic cases in the population. Estimates for the national testing capability needed range from 775,000 tests a week, from the conservative-leaning think tank American Enterprise Institute, to a Harvard white paper saying a staggering 100 million weekly tests could be needed. In total, the United States has administered 3.26 million tests to date, which comes to just 1 percent of the nation's population. Irwin Redlener, a public health professor at Columbia University, argued in an op-ed for CNN that Trump's guidelines are meaningless until testing is available on a massive scale. 'The governors -- all 50 of them -- would be wise to ignore the President's advice until we can do at least one to two million rapid diagnostic tests per week,' he wrote. Redlener also said that widespread testing for antibodies and high-level contact tracing' should be prerequisite to any relaxation of restrictions. Trump's plan doesn't set out any deadlines for reaching any of its three phases, and if his critics are right, it may be difficult or impossible for any state to make it though the gauntlet without rising case numbers triggering a snap-back. Here's how the plan lays out its guidelines for states: Gating criteria: 14-day period of falling cases needed to trigger each phase of the plan Under Trump's plan, each phase of relaxed restrictions would by triggered after a state or region recorded 14 days of falling numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases and reports of the disease's symptoms. The 'gating criteria,' as the plan calls them, also require that a state's hospitals be able to provide care without resorting to crisis standards, and have protections in place for healthcare workers, including antibody testing. It's not clear that any state currently meets the gating criteria to enter Phase One, and the decision to do so would be left up to governors. After entering Phase One, states would have to meet the same 14-day gating criteria to enter Phase Two, and meet it again to enter Phase Three, which has the loosest restrictions. Phase One: Schools and bars remain closed, social gatherings limited to 10 people The guidance in each phase affects certain employers differently. In Phase One, schools and organized youth activities that are currently closed, such as daycare, should remain closed. The guidance also says that bars should remain closed. However, larger venues such as movie theaters, churches, ballparks and arenas would be able to operate, but only under 'strict' distancing protocols. If possible, employees should continue to work from home, and employers should only have workers return to the job site or office in phases. Also under Phase One, vulnerable individuals such as elderly people and those with underlying health conditions should continue to shelter in place. Individuals who do go out should avoid socializing in groups of more than 10 people in places that don't provide appropriate physical distancing. Trade shows and receptions are cited as examples. The guidelines also recommend minimizing nonessential travel during phase one. Phase Two: Schools and bars reopen, gatherings limited to 50 people The guidelines say nonessential travel can resume in Phase Two, however all vulnerable individuals should continue to shelter in place. When people go out in public, they should avoid social settings with more than 50 people when appropriate physical distancing is not practical. Employers in Phase Two are asked to continue to encourage telework when possible and to close common areas where personnel are likely to congregate, or enforce 'moderate social distancing protocols'. Schools and daycare can reopen. Bars may reopen, but should restrict standing-room occupancy where appropriate. Bars could reopen in Phase Two. Pictured: Casements Bar co-owner and bartender Gillian Fitzgerald teaches how to make a drink on a livestream video at the closed bar in San Francisco Phase Three: Visits to nursing homes allowed and vulnerable people can resume going out in public In this phase, vulnerable individuals can resume going out in public but should practice physical distancing. Visits to senior care centers and hospitals can also resume, though those who interact with residents and patients must remain diligent about following good hygiene practices, namely washing their hands frequently. Meanwhile, low-risk populations should consider minimizing time spent in crowded environments. Employers can resume unrestricted staffing of worksites. There is no set timeline for moving through each of the three phases. That will be up to the governors. However, before a state or region moves on to the next phase, it would have to experience another 14-day decline in documented cases. The good news is that this weekly effort has, so far, required only a lot of passion and many hours of free labor. The Northern Illinois Food Bank has been providing the group with 200 boxes of food each week at no cost, said Lyon, who still has a few marketing clients left after the pandemic hit but is also devoting all his spare time to this relief effort. Hamilton, ON (April 17, 2020) - Two McMaster University professors have received research funding to boost their work to identify COVID-19 infection rates and to understand why some people are more susceptible to the virus. Dawn Bowdish, professor of pathology and molecular medicine and the Canada Research Chair in Aging and Immunity, and Michael Surette, professor of medicine and the Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Microbiome Research, are receiving $300,000 for two studies from The W. Garfield Weston Foundation through its Weston Family Microbiome Initiative. The funds are in addition to a three-year, $1 million grant from the Foundation awarded to the duo earlier this year. The original funding supports a study focused on identifying and isolating the members of the airway microbiome - which consists of microbes like bacteria, fungi, and viruses - that protect older adults from respiratory infection. "This additional funding will help us answer two important questions related to COVID-19," said Bowdish. "One is a better understanding of what the actual infection rate is in the Hamilton community. The second is whether there are differences in the immune responses or the airway microbiomes of those who get sick and those who don't, or in those who have symptoms versus those who don't." In the first study, Bowdish and Surette, in collaboration with colleagues at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, will collect blood from Hamilton residents, including a number of people who are at high risk because they have pre-existing conditions, and ask them questions about their risks and commitment to social distancing. "We don't actually know how many people are infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, because many people are asymptomatic, nor do we understand why some individuals have mild symptoms while others have severe disease," said Surette. "In order to know, we need to collect blood from people after the epidemic and compare it to blood collected before the epidemic to see who has generated antibodies to the virus," he said. "People who have antibodies to the virus were infected, even if they never had symptoms." For the second study, household members of Toronto health-care workers who become infected with SARS-CoV-2 will be asked to provide a nasal swab to measure the microbiome and a sample of nasal secretions to measure early immune responses. "The long-term goal of this is for us to understand whether the airway microbiome can be harnessed to prevent infections," said Bowdish. "We are pleased to support McMaster University to further our understanding of COVID-19 at this critical time," said Mark Mitchell, chair of the Weston Family Microbiome Initiative. "These two studies offer important insights into the immune system's response to this virus and may provide guidance for the prevention and management of the infection, ultimately improving the well-being of Canadians." Bowdish and Surette mobilized their teams quickly to start both studies in April. They say they are grateful the funding from the Foundation was provided expediently to support this important work related to COVID-19. ### Editors: Photos attached of Dawn Bowdish and Michael Surette. Photo caption: Dawn Bowdish is a professor of pathology and molecular medicine and the Canada Research Chair in Aging and Immunity at McMaster University. Photo courtesy McMaster University Michael Surette is a professor of medicine and the Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Microbiome Research at McMaster University. Photo courtesy McMaster University For more information: Veronica McGuire Media Relations McMaster University vmcguir@mcmaster.ca 289-776-6952 Even if many TSX stocks have shown a sharp bounce back recently, the worst does not appear to be over just yet. While hospitality and aviation industries were among the most beaten-down sectors amid the COVID-19 crash, energy and minerals were equally weak this year. Lower oil and gas prices along with increasing recession jitters notably hampered these two cyclical industries. One of the biggest energy companies in Canada Imperial Oil (TSX:IMO)(NYSE:IMO) and a leading miner First Quantum Minerals (TSX:FM) were some of the biggest losers in this coronavirus market crash. These two top TSX stocks have lost more than 50% each so far this year. Top TSX stock: Imperial Oil Shares of a $12 billion integrated energy company Imperial Oil went into a tailspin amid the double whammy of weak crude oil prices and pandemic-driven lockdowns. The stock fell close to $10 last month to levels not seen in the last more than ten years. However, the downside from here could be limited given the weakness in crude prices. No energy company in the world can sustain production with crude oil at around $20 levels. Thus, in the second half of the year, we could see oil cruising back to some respectable levels ultimately reviving energy stocks. Also, Imperial Oils presence across the entire energy supply chain hedges its exposure to crude oil prices. Lower oil prices improve its margins in the downstream operations partially making up for weakness in the upstream segment. The recent selloff in the top TSX stock Imperial Oil has peaked its dividend yield beyond 5%. Thus, if one invests $10,000 in IMO at the start of the year, he or she will make approximately $550 in dividends per year. While Imperial Oils earnings could take a dent in the next couple of quarters, the stock looks attractive at current levels. Its strong balance sheet will support weather these turbulent times. It would be prudent for long-term investors to accumulate IMO shares gradually over the next few months. Story continues First Quantum Minerals Despite the recent surge, TSX stock First Quantum Minerals is still trading 60% lower against its 52-week high. The company recently clarified that it does not expect any headwinds regarding production and sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic. First Quantum Minerals is a $5 billion Canadian mining company with copper contributing a major chunk of its total revenues. It expects a combined copper output of more than 800,000 by 2021, making it one of the biggest copper producers globally. Being in a cyclical industry, recession fears particularly after the virus outbreak must be making First Quantum investors anxious. Additionally, lower copper prices could notably hurt its profitability. However, China and the U.S. opening their economies after the virus containment could bode well for miners such as First Quantum. Investors should note that an impending recession and falling commodity prices are not the only concerns for its investors; First Quantums huge pile of debt could be a bigger concern amid these challenging times. The company is highly leveraged, which indicates poor financial health and weakening profitability. It was even considering a minority stake sale in its flagship Cobre Panama copper mine to cut debt. The post TSX Stocks: 2 Canadian Bigwigs That Lost 50% in the COVID-19 Crash appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Vineet Kulkarni has no position in any of the stocks 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 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. Health workers react to people applauding in front of Mount Sinai Hospital in Queens, New York to show gratitude to medical staff and essential workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. By Johannes EISELE (AFP) "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. An elderly home worker is tested for novel coronavirus near Paris. By ALAIN JOCARD (AFP) "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. A man wears a face mask as people gather along the Yangtze river in Wuhan. By Hector RETAMAL (AFP) 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. A Palestinian mother entertains her children with makeshift masks made of cabbage in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 16, 2020. By MOHAMMED ABED (AFP) "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. World toll of coronavirus infections and deaths as of April 16 at 1900 GMT. By Valentine GRAVELEAU (AFP) 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. A group of Fulani men at a camp for internally displaced people in Bamako. More than 1,200 people who fled their villages in central Mali live at the camp, where conditions don't allow for social distancing or other preventative measures. By MICHELE CATTANI (AFP) 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. French President Emmanuel Macron speaks by videoconference with World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the Elysee Palace on April 8, 2020. By Ludovic MARIN (POOL/AFP/File) 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. Italy has started to ease some lockdown restrictions, allowing bookstores, stationery and children's clothing stores to reopen. By Filippo MONTEFORTE (AFP) 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." A healthcare worker cleans under the bed of an intensive care coronavirus patient in a hospital in Spain. By MIGUEL RIOPA (AFP) 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 Cases of discrimination against medical personnel, even physical attacks, are on the rise. As healthcare workers battle on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic, many are being applauded for their work, while others become the targets of abuse. In Chile, there are increasing reports of discrimination and attacks by people afraid medical workers might infect them. There are reports of similar attacks in other countries, including Argentina and Mexico. Al Jazeeras Latin America Editor Lucia Newman reports from Santiago, Chile. David Roe, shown with his dog Kobe, requires immediate surgery for Stage 4 colon cancer. His insurer insisted he have the operation at a hospital that one surgeon warned was filled with COVID-19 patients. (David Roe) If a hospital is full of COVID-19 patients, shouldn't you be able to receive urgent care elsewhere, even if it's out of your insurer's network? For Hermosa Beach resident David Roe, who is battling Stage 4 colon cancer and requires immediate surgery, the answer from his insurer, UnitedHealthcare, was a resounding no. "You must receive care from a provider within the network," the company said in a letter dated March 26. Easier said than done. UnitedHealthcare wanted the operation performed at Cedars-Sinai, where the insurer could save a buck using in-network medical resources. However, Roe, 29, said he was informed by a Cedars surgeon it would be too risky having him recover in the hospital's intensive care unit, which the surgeon said was filled with dozens of COVID-19 patients. The surgeon advised having the operation performed at USC's Keck Hospital, which boasts one of the state's best colorectal cancer surgery teams. UnitedHealthcare's response was that if Roe wanted to use an out-of-network facility such as Keck, he could pay the estimated $75,000 surgery bill himself just as he'd been doing to consult with a Keck oncologist at a cost of about $500 a visit. "It's unbelievable," Roe told me. "I can literally feel the tumors growing. I can hear the clock ticking." Thanks to the last-minute intervention of a lawyer and state officials, he's scheduled for surgery Friday at Keck, and UnitedHealthcare will cover the cost. But getting to this point has been an obstacle course that illustrates both the extraordinary circumstances of life during a pandemic and the long-standing lunacy of the U.S. healthcare system. "I've never been so dumbfounded by bureaucracy in my entire life," Roe said. He's insured under a health maintenance organization, which by design keeps policyholders within a rigid network, as opposed to the increased (and pricier) flexibility offered by a preferred provider organization. Story continues Still, exceptions are possible. "There may be case-specific circumstances that would allow for a referral out of network if the health plans in-network provider cannot provide medically necessary care in compliance with the law," said Rachel Arrezola, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Managed Health Care, which oversees HMOs. When he received his cancer diagnosis in July, Roe said, he was given about a year and a half to live. That changed thanks to chemotherapy and treatment to bolster his immune system. The softball-size tumors in Roe's liver and colon started to shrink. The Keck oncologist, Heinz-Josef Lenz, co-director of the Colorectal Center at USC's Keck School of Medicine, determined that a narrow window had emerged in which surgery was warranted to remove the shrunken tumors before they could start growing again. "If successful," Roe said, "this could give me years or even decades, rather than months." He appealed UnitedHealthcare's decision. The company refused to budge, regardless of the potential danger of being treated at Cedars. Duke Helfand, a Cedars spokesman, said he couldn't address Roe's situation. But he said the hospital "has capacity to treat COVID-19 patients and those who may need treatment for other serious illnesses, including any who are immunocompromised." Roe contacted the Department of Managed Health Care. It too appealed UnitedHealthcare's decision. Once again, the insurer said no. In a last-ditch move, Roe brought in a lawyer, who was able to connect with a top official at the state agency. That official, in turn, reached out to a senior figure at UnitedHealthcare. And guess what? Once all the layers of stone-faced corporate bureaucracy were bypassed, the insurer reversed course and authorized the surgery at USC. "We are committed to ensuring that people have access to the care they need during this time and encourage them to contact us to help them meet their needs under their benefit plan," Maria Gordon Shydlo, a UnitedHealthcare spokeswoman, said in an emailed statement. If that's the case, I replied, why did the company reject Roe's request for urgent out-of-network treatment not once, not twice but three times before agreeing to cover the procedure? Shydlo said UnitedHealthcare changed its mind "after reviewing additional information we received late last week." She didn't elaborate, but she was presumably referring to the insurer's discussion last Friday with the lawyer and state official. Meiram Bendat, Roe's lawyer, told me no new information was presented during that conversation. "We laid out the facts as they were already known," he said. Roe is now keeping his fingers crossed that his surgery will be successful and he'll have a life again rather than a death sentence. I'm wishing him well. But it's maddening that the richest, most powerful nation in the history of the Earth is saddled with a healthcare system in which episodes like this are all too common. An insurance network isn't some super-exclusive business club. It's the insurer cutting sweetheart deals with certain healthcare providers that allow it to save money. Consumers may benefit from lower premiums, but they may also have to face indignities such as having to switch a prescribed drug to one that the insurer can get more cheaply, or being unable to see a particular doctor or specialist. Or in extreme cases such as what Roe has experienced, they're told they can't be treated at the hospital of their choice, regardless of extenuating circumstances. Luckily, there's a solution. While most Medicare Advantage insurance plans have strict provider networks, traditional Medicare allows beneficiaries to be treated by any doctor or hospital that accepts the program, which is most of them. A "Medicare for all" system, therefore, would both provide universal coverage and eliminate virtually all coverage networks. This isn't "socialized medicine," as some conservatives claim with sky-is-falling hyperbole. It's the insurance system already used by nearly every other developed country to make sure everyone's covered and has access to affordable treatment. Making the sick fight for adequate care isn't just exhausting. It's cruel. If all goes well, Roe will see our great nation come to its senses and stop making healthcare a struggle for millions of people. Even if that takes years. Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. Start your free trial. Ivan Catalano had been sheltering in place at his house in Lombardy, Italys coronavirus epicenter since early March, when the Italian government imposed some of the strictest social distancing measures in Europe. Like the rest of the population, Catalano can only leave the house for urgent matters like getting food, essential work, or health reasons. Every time he goes out, he has to carry a self-declaration form to justify why he is not at home. Violating the measures could cost him more than $3,200 in fines. Advertisement Yet, unlike millions of people in Italy and across the globe, Catalano is not looking forward to the release of a COVID-19 vaccine. A former member of Parliament from the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and a current member of Movimento 3V: Vaccini Vogliamo Verita (We want the truth about vaccines), a single-issue party opposing mandatory vaccination, Catalano has been a representative of Italys anti-vaccine movement for years. The coronavirus pandemic has not shaken his beliefs: Im not scared, and the people Im in contact with arent either. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Italy currently has the second-highest number of reported COVID-19 deaths. It is also a country with a vocal and influential movement opposing mandatory vaccinations. At the end of February, when the threat of the virus was already looming over Lombardy, former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi joked that Nowadays you cant find an anti-vaxxer in Italy, not even if you pay for it. As weeks went by and the numbers of sick people and dead grew by the hour, many believed that the lines of coffins and solitary burials provide skeptics with the brutal reality of what a world without vaccinations would look like and could ultimately mark the end of the anti-vaccine movement in the country. But its more complicated than that. Advertisement Advertisement I am even more convinced about my choice. Ivan Catalano The Italian anti-vaccine movement has grown in recent years, gaining a bigger platform thanks to the Five Star Movement, an idiosyncratic party that is currently part of the coalition governing the country, which has, in the past, stoked fears about vaccine safety. More recently, together with the far-right Lega party, the Five Star Movement opposed a mandatory vaccination law that raised the number of compulsory vaccines for children from four to 10 in 2017. The law was approved following a surge in measles cases from 843 to more than 5,000 in 2017. Despite the vaccination efforts, last year the Italian Institute of Health, reported that Italy is among the 10 European countries where measles is still endemic due to low vaccine rates. Advertisement Advertisement At the latest regional elections in January, only a few weeks before the COVID-19 outbreak, Movimento 3V recorded a surprising result in Emilia Romagna, a region in northern Italy, gaining almost 11,000 votes. It was not enough to reach the 3 percent threshold to get into the regional council, but it underlined how rooted vaccine mistrust is in the country. Emilia Romagna would soon be among the regions hit hardest by the coronavirus. Advertisement Advertisement Catalano was a Movimento 3V candidate in Emilia Romagna in those elections and although the pandemic has since brought social and economic disruption in his country and across the world, he believes that this health crisis could actually strengthen his movement. I am even more convinced about my choice, he said. Advertisement Advertisement This is not surprising to Sara Gorman, a New Yorkbased public health expert and co-author of the book, Denying to the Grave: Why We Ignore the Facts That Will Save Us. She says that at a time of crisis like this, we should expect anti-vaccine groups to become even more entrenched in their beliefs. These are really group phenomena where people join groups of people that are like-minded and hold the same belief, Gorman says. In a stressful situation, youre going to lean on that identity more. Advertisement Advertisement Gorman also notes that theres a very strong correlation between anti-vaccine beliefs and overall distrust in the establishment and the government. In Italy, like in the United States, policymakers made a number of mistakes in tackling the crisis. For groups that are already distrustful of the government, mistakes like this could reinforce their lack of trust at a time when the government is asking or compelling individuals to curtail their personal liberties. This is the sort of thing that anti-vaxxers dont like, Gorman says. Advertisement Yet, the anti-vaccine movement is extremely diverse and includes people with different levels of skepticism. It is estimated that less than 1 percent of parents in Italy refuse vaccinations for their children altogether, while 15 percent are in the so-called hesitant category: parents who are not entirely opposed but have concerns about possible side effects and would like more freedom of choice regarding the pace of vaccination and the types of vaccines. Advertisement According to Antonio Clavenna, head of the pharmacoepidemiology unit at the Mario Negri Institute in Milan, hesitant parents are the ones whose worries can be resolved more easily through communication and empathy. Still, he doesnt think the coronavirus will be a game changer for them. COVID-19 presents an emotional charge and risk of serious symptoms and death that are not perceived as strongly in other diseases, explains Clavenna. The emotional impact of COVID-19 is not necessarily going to lead people to accept any kind of vaccinations. Advertisement Advertisement One of the cornerstones of the anti-vaccine movement is the assumption that potential negative consequences of vaccinations could be greater than the risks of diseases they prevent. Mario Small, a professor of sociology at Harvard, also believes that one of the reasons why COVID-19 is unlikely to shake this conviction is the perception of the magnitude of the coronavirus, which cannot be compared to other diseases. You cant ignore the coffins and the deaths, Small says, but it is likely that the anti-vaccine movement will approach this disease as different. Part of the mentality for which youve made such strong commitment would be to find reasons why your beliefs are still consistent with reality. Giovannihe has asked Slate to use only his first nameis a father of two in his mid-30s from the Emilia Romagna region. He is a strong opponent of mandatory vaccination, and his two small children were excluded from preschool when he and his partner refused to vaccinate them. He says he might be open to a coronavirus vaccine for himself when one become available. There are different types of vaccines and different types of diseases. We dont know enough about COVID-19 yet, but if one day a vaccine became mandatory I might do it to be able to work and travel. Its soon to say. What he is sure about is that the coronavirus has not made him change his mind about other vaccines. Giovanni also says that he is afraid this public health crisis will lead to a tightening of vaccination policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The World Health Organization reported that 70 COVID-19 vaccines are being developed at the moment and three are being tested in human trials. Last week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that he would soon announce an initiative for the accelerated development of vaccines. This accelerated approval process could be used as an argument by anti-vaccine leaders if the vaccination were made compulsory. These groups are skeptics about the safety of vaccines that were approved decades ago, let alone of a vaccine whose trials have only lasted a few months, says Mattia Casula, a researcher in public policies at Ca Foscari University in Venice, who has studied the political impact of the anti-vaccine movement in Italy. Advertisement The uncertainty around the virus is also among the reasons why this public health emergency has not become a come-to-Jesus moment for vaccine skeptics. Different experts have different opinions, said Giovanni, the vaccine skeptic father, explaining why he is struggling to trust medical experts during this crisis. According to Catalano, these concerns are widespread among vaccine skeptics. Catalano pointed out that we dont know how its going to work, how long its coverage will last, and whether it will be made mandatory. He adds: This emergency has drawn even more attention around mandatory vaccination. Now Im even more convinced about freedom of choice when it comes to vaccination, even if it is a vaccine against coronavirus. A 70-year-old volunteer has been helping cook and pack meals at the "tactical" eatery since 7am. Photo by VnExpress/Diep Phan. Borrowing kitchens from temporarily closed restaurants, Nguyen Tuan Khoi opened an eatery to provide meals for the poor in HCMC. Early Wednesday morning, Khoi and a several volunteers were ready to begin work at 100 Ung Van Khiem Street in Binh Thanh District. This location is a restaurant that has been closed under Covid-19 restrictions. Now it is being used as a a "tactical eatery." Khoi, who runs a food enterprise, explained the name: "The word tactical shows speed and mobility in giving meals to the poor. The place for cooking these meals can be changed continuously if we receive the support of other restaurants." The Covid-19 crisis has also severely affected Khoi's business. But when he saw poor workers exhausted by unemployment and no income, he decided to find ways to support them, at least provide them with meals. When he set out on his project, the 36-year-old man was able to get food and volunteers, but he had no place to cook and distribute the meals. When the city ordered restaurants and non-essential services to close, he thought of taking advantage of kitchens in the restaurants that were temporarily closed. "Cooking spaces are available, we just need to move the ingredients in and cook. If tomorrow we move to another place, it will only take us five minutes to clean up," Khoi said. In order to ensure compliance with regulations on social distancing, the "tactical eatery" completely avoids distributing the meals on the spot. A group of volunteers will transport the meals to villages and hospital gates for distribution. On the way, if there are homeless people, the volunteers will stop and give the meals to them. On Thursday morning, Khoi asked the motorbike taxi (xe om) drivers at Ward 25, Binh Thanh District to deliver the meals. He said the eatery will start distributing meals from 10:30 a.m. from Monday to Friday every week. If any driver was free, they could stop by the eatery and deliver the meals voluntarily. On the first day, three drivers agreed to deliver. "The motorbike drivers are locals, they travel around a lot and know of many people in difficult situations in this area," Khoi said. At 10:30 a.m., the meals are put in boxes behind the motorbikes for delivery. Photo by VnExpress/Diep Phan. Nguyen Hoang Tuan, a 51-year-old driver, came to the shop to collect five portions to give them to people in need in the area that he knew of. After Tuan finished, he took pictures and sent it to Khoi. Tuan promised that if it was convenient tomorrow, he would come by to deliver meals again. When the eatery offered him a portion, Tuan refused. "I can afford my own meal, save these portions for people who really need them," he said. Around 11 a.m., Ngo Thi Trang, 60, pushed her cart past the eatery and was given a free meal. Trang is from the central town of Hue and she came with her husband to Saigon to survive. They work many jobs to earn a living. The couple lives in a small rented room in an alley on Ung Van Khiem Street. When the Covid-19 outbreak happened, her husband could not work. Trang's main job is to clean houses and this was also paused. She has been collecting used bottles on the street for nearly a month. Trang is given free meals every day now. For her, these are a rare treat. "These charity meals are better than our meals at home because they are more nutritious," Trang said, holding a lunch box in her hand. A patient receives her meal at the Oncology Hospital, HCMC's Binh Thanh District. Photo by VnExpress/DIep Phan. Since the day it opened for the first time, the eatery has received support from many sponsors with pre-packaged and hygienic food. The place where the meals are being cooked now is a big restaurant with enough space and cooking tools. With two main chefs and about 10 volunteers, 500 portions are finished in the morning. Each portion of rice has meat, vegetables and a soup, worth about VND25,000 ($1.1). With current resources, Khoi can only open another one or two more places like this. What he hopes is that this idea will soon be replicated by other people. He said: "If any restaurant wants to do this, Im willing to help. For individuals and organizations who want to donate money, I will recommend food sponsors and you can donate it to them directly." AGENCY REPORT The coronavirus pandemic has increase risk of human contacts across the world to the point the robots are now utilized for shopping. The robots have taken over the job of delivery of purchases from shops to the homes of customers as the coronavirus risk rises. The robots deliver food items to homes while the shops are closed to maintain social distancing. This is adding to more job loss in the United States (US). Agency Report through Washington Post highlighted: 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 cant go into the shops now, says Williams, among those locked down due to the virus pandemic. And its 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 dont even care about the groceries, Stannard said. Its 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 (four miles) 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 were 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 (25 miles) 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, Nuros 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. PV: 0 Watertown, NY (13601) Today Occasional snow showers. High 34F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches.. Tonight Occasional snow showers. Low 27F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Burgers are back on the menu in some areas here as several takeaways reopen An angry NHS worker yesterday hit out as some hot food bars moved to reopen their doors to customers. The healthcare worker, who asked not to be named, contacted the Belfast Telegraph to complain that hot food bars in her local area had reopened despite the anti-coronavirus lockdown. "I find it incredible that, despite what the PSNI are saying about what constitutes an essential journey, hot food bars have decided to reopen after being closed for all this length of time. "From my point of view, working in the NHS, it's perfectly clear - it's not a necessity. Going to the chip shop is not an essential trip." She said she and her colleagues could hardly believe that these outlets had decided to re-open. "I don't see that a chip shop is an essential service," she added. "Considering a trip to the chippie as an essential service literally laughs in the face of everything we're trying to do." The front line healthcare worker said the hot food bars also acted as a meeting place for teenagers, and the reopenings would make it more difficult for parents to keep their children in lockdown. "It will be harder for parents now to tell their teenagers that there's nowhere for them to go or to meet up," she argued. "These are known places of congregation for young people that are now opening up again." She named two hot food bars - Captain Cooks in Banbridge and Herron's Country Chicken in Portadown - as among businesses which had decided to raise the shutters. Pierre Conlon, owner of Captain Cooks, defended his decision to reopen his outlet for takeaway only, saying he had received clearance from the local council to do so. The restaurant, which is located directly opposite Banbridge PSNI station, is implementing social distancing regulations, and is only providing pre-ordered takeaway food for collection or delivery. "This was a carefully considered decision," Mr Conlon insisted. He said he was "shocked" that someone had complained. "We want to reopen in order to serve customers who rely on us, and so far the response from customers has been very positive, very well received," he said. Keith Ogle of Herron's Country Chicken said his business was a carryout, and was classed as essential. "We're testing the waters with reduced hours over this weekend. Business has been steady," he said. "Most people are phoning in their orders." Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, said that hot food bars were classed as food retailers and were permitted to open provided they put in place effective social distancing measures. Working rapidly and in a bipartisan fashion, we passed the CARES Act, a massive measure to save America in two ways: to bolster the care for the sick and sustain our economy during this shocking trauma. Much of my time has been devoted to the implementation of the Paycheck Protection Program for small business, solving problems for families, protecting our food supply, and developing a strategy for rapid deployment of testing in Nebraska through our excellent health care infrastructure. What Nebraska projects, if any, would you propose? My job is twofold: Make policy decisions for the betterment of America and serve Nebraskans as they interact with the federal government. I continue to work with the University of Nebraska on expanding health care infrastructure and farming for the future. Im proud of the new health clinics for Nebraska veterans. Offutt Airbase and Strategic Command continue to build as critical components of our national defense. Im proud to work with our Native American communities on health and economic development. Do you believe in climate change? If so, what should Congress do to combat or contain it? 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. advertisement 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. The Philippine president has threatened a martial law-style enforcement of a month-long lockdown to slow the spread of the new coronavirus in the main northern region as curfew violations soared. President Rodrigo Duterte said in a late-night televised speech Thursday in Manila that he would order the military and police to strictly enforce social distancing and curfews if compliance would not improve. Police said they have accosted about 120,000 quarantine violators in the last month, including people who engaged in cockfighting and drinking. "The police and military will enforce social distancing and curfews. They will. It's like martial law. You choose. I don't like it." Duterte, who took office in mid-2016, has been in the crosshairs of human rights groups long before the coronavirus pandemic started for his bloody anti-drugs crackdown that has left thousands of mostly poor drug suspects dead. Some irate local officials have taken enforcement to extremes, including a village guard who locked up five drunk curfew violators in a dog cage and others who publicly shamed violators or made them sit under the scorching sun for hours, prompting Human Rights Watch to raise an alarm. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But the virus is highly contagious and can be spread by those with mild or no visible symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death. The Philippines has a total of 5,660 cases of COVID-19, with 362 deaths and 435 recoveries. Published: 17 April 2020 Large regional differences in employment rate among persons aged 55 to 64 in 2018 According to Statistics Finland's employment statistics, the employment rate for the population aged 55 to 64 was 63 per cent in 2018. The employment rate has grown among the age group throughout the 2000s. The employment rate among persons aged between 55 to 64 varied much by area. The employment rates were highest in the regions of Aland, Ostrobothnia and Uusimaa, and lowest in the regions of North Karelia, Kainuu and Kymenlaakso. Main type of activity of persons aged 55 to 64 in 2000 to 2018 At the end of 2018, there were 730,800 persons aged 55 to 64 in Finland, of whom 460,700 (63%) were employed persons. The employment rate, or the ratio of employed persons to the same-age population, has grown throughout the 2000s, except for a downswing of one percentage point in 2009 to 2010. In 2018, there were 242,500 employed persons aged 55 to 64 and the age groups employment rate was 43 per cent. The employment rate rose over the decade by 11 percentage points. The size of the age group grew until 2010 and has after that diminished slowly. In contrast, the number of employed persons increased until 2011, remained almost unchanged in 2011 to 2016, and grew again in 2017 to 2018. After 2010, the number of pensioners in the age group has decreased yearly. In the 2005 pension reform the unemployment pension was discontinued for those born after 1949 and it was replaced by additional days in the unemployment security system, so that in 2014 there were no longer any recipients of unemployment pension. The number of unemployed persons aged 55 to 64 was bigger than before in 2013 to 2016, but it went down again in 2017 to 2018 so that there were 65,000 unemployed persons in 2018. Employment rates higher in the south and west The variation of the employment rate is large by municipality: at its lowest the employment rate of persons aged 55 to 64 was 45 per cent (Kaavi) and at its highest 86 per cent (Lumparland) in 2018. Among the ten biggest municipalities of Finland, the countrys average employment rate for persons aged 55 to 64 (63%) was exceeded in Espoo (71%), Vantaa (68%) and Helsinki (66%). Employment rate of persons aged 55 to 64 by municipality in 2018, % Examined by region, the employment rate of persons aged 55 to 64 was highest in Aland (78%), Ostrobothnia (69%) and Uusimaa (68%). The lowest employment rates were found in the regions of North Karelia (56%), Kainuu (57%) and Kymenlaakso (58%). On the level of the whole country, the employment rate of persons aged 55 to 64 was nine percentage points lower than that of persons aged 18 to 64 (72%). In some municipalities the employment rate of persons aged 55 to 64 was nearly 17 per cent lower (Vierema, Laihia), in some at about the same level (Kauniainen) and in one municipality even higher (Geta) than that of persons aged 18 to 64 in the municipality. Source: Employment Statistics, Statistics Finland Inquiries: Elina Pelkonen 029 551 3011, info@stat.fi Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma Publication in pdf-format (561.6 kB) Updated 17.04.2020 Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Employment [e-publication]. ISSN=2323-6825. profession and socio economic position 2018. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 12.1.2022]. Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyokay/2018/01/tyokay_2018_01_2020-04-17_tie_001_en.html London: Britain and its allies will ask tough questions of China over the coronavirus outbreak, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Thursday (April 17), 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. Refugees, special immigrant visa recipients face delays due to pandemic that could cause their permits to expire. A bipartisan pair of United States senators this week urged the US to extend visas and deadlines for immigrants and refugees, many of whom face danger should they be deported or their arrival to the US be delayed, during the coronavirus pandemic. The letter, signed by Senators Patrick Leahy, a Democrat, and James Lankford, a Republican, calls on the Departments of State and Homeland Security to ensure the safety of refugees and special immigrant visa (SIV) recipients during the pandemic. Refugees are among the most vulnerable populations during this global COVID-19 pandemic, the letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said. SIV recipients, many of whom have risked their lives assisting the US military in combat zones are similarly vulnerable to the impacts of this crisis, the letter said. The SIV programme was created in 2008 specifically for Iraqis who had assisted the US since during its invasion of the country in 2003. The programme later expanded eligibility to Afghans. The senators move was immediately welcomed by advocacy groups. Senators Lankford and Leahys vital advocacy and bipartisan support urges the Administration to extend deadlines and validity periods so these individuals can arrive in safety without further delay, said Betsy Fisher, the director of strategy for the International Refugee Assistance Program (IRAP). Long delays IRAP and 100 other advocacy organisations sent a similar letter to Pompeo and Wolf on March 31, urging an extension of validity periods for visas and other entry permits. Resettlement of refugees and SIVs have been temporarily suspended due to the global pandemic, which presents a new challenge for advocacy groups. Refugees fleeing danger and persecution will face even longer delays in resettlement due to this pandemic, Fisher said. Afghan refugees have fled their country in the millions since the US invaded in 2001 [Gabriela Baczynska/Reuters] Many Iraqi and Afghan wartime partners who have completed years of processing to obtain an SIV will see their visas expire and remain in danger if the validity periods are not extended, she added. The SIV programme for Iraqis must be renewed under the National Defense Authorization Acts, which are laws passed to fund the Department of Defense. The SIV programme for Afghans is contained within the Consolidated Appropriations Act, an omnibus spending bill. Advocacy groups lobbied lawmakers to increase the number of SIVs authorised and foreign nationals can wait months or years for their visas often at great expense to their financial and personal safety under normal circumstances. SIV candidates receive extensive vetting from officials during interviews and other meetings while outside the US. They must prove their relationship to US authorities and the threats against them and their families. Refugees face similar vetting procedures. IRAP Communications Director Henrike Dessaules told Al Jazeera: Hundreds of refugees and SIVs who are cleared for travel will face indefinite delays if arrivals do not resume in May. Dessaules added that a delay on travel until July would mean that thousands of refugees and SIVs would face additional and indefinite delays. The Department of State did not immediately respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment. According to the Leahy and Lankford, acting on this issue is in the US interest. Taking this action would be a small but important step to ensure that the United States leads by example in keeping its promises to refugees and SIV recipients already vetted and approved for resettlement in our country, and prevent further harm to these particularly vulnerable populations, the senators said in their letter. At least 44 migrants who were deported from United States to Guatemala have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a report in CNN. The migrants were returned to Central America on an April 13 flight from Brownsville, Texas. Representational Image/Agencies The flight arrived in Guatemalas capital Monday carrying 76 Guatemalans. Three deportees displaying coronavirus symptoms cough and fever were immediately taken for testing. When one of those tests came back positive more who had been quarantined at the airport were tested and 43 more resulted positive, said the official who had not been authorized to share the information publicly and requested anonymity. AP Presidential spokesman of Guatemala, Carlos Sandoval, said the official total number of infected deportees remained at five. Were going to check with the Health Ministry, he said. For the moment I can only confirm the cases the (president) has said. I wouldnt know what to say, I cant even say no, but I also cant confirm it. He said he would have an official statement later. It was the latest sign that the presidents office and health authorities might not be on the same page. AP The plane on which 44 have tested positive was one of two flights that arrived Monday after Guatemala lifted a one-week pause on deportation flights from the U.S. That suspension had been imposed because three other deportees had earlier tested positive. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had no immediate comment to the report but has said in recent days that it screens everyone in its custody and quarantines anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19. The agency said that 100 detainees in its custody have tested positive for the virus, including 17 at a detention facility in San Diego and 12 at one in Batavia, New York. 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 Although the crisis is still unfolding, it's already clear that building resilience into your organisational DNA is more important than ever. Michael Davies, CEO of ContinuitySA Act swiftly, but have a plan that informs your decision-making Plan for the unexpected Communication Keep up with testing and simulation Look carefully at your supply chain Work with experts Get digitalised Covid-19 has forced the world into a new reality. We have to self-isolate yet remain connected to our work and clients. Covid-19 has also graphically demonstrated how connected we are, and how that connectedness is a source of great vulnerability, argues Michael Davies, CEO of ContinuitySA.To survive, our organisations (and governments) have to become truly agile, able to adjust or even change their business models with extreme rapidity. It has become apparent that digitalisation is critical in helping organisations to adapt at the necessary speed, and so is a primary driver of resilience in this new era.Its early days, but he believes that there are clear lessons businesses should be taking note of already:Countries like Mongolia and Taiwan responded quickly to the Covid-19 outbreak, doubtless because they have seen this movie before. They mandated the wearing of masks early on, and rigorous testing and contact tracing commenced rapidly. The point here is that they already had a plan for such an emergency which could be quickly adapted as needed. Companies should take the opportunity to look at their business continuity and crisis plans carefully, and build awareness across the organisation.Its worth emphasising that planning should not be too focused on specific risks. Your plan must also be able to be adapted to cope with the unexpected. Nobody foresaw the extent of Covid-19 and the rapidity with which the global response escalated - but those who had a flexible plan have proved to be more resilient than others.Put a crisis communications team in place and drill them regularly. At times of crisis, communication with all stakeholders - employees, business partners, regulators, customers, to name a few - is absolutely critical. Yet its seldom done well. In the age of social media, it is all too easy for messages to get muddled and to spread confusion. Clear roles and processes to follow need to be thrashed out now, and the key spokespeople thoroughly trained.If you dont know it will work, it probably wont. A crisis is an incredibly stressful time, and the last thing you need is a response that has to be changed in mid-crisis. Regular real-life tests and simulations are the only way to ensure your company is battle-readyand that your troops arent betrayed by their nerves.Long, complex supply chains are a reality and this greatly increases your vulnerability. Disasters that impact any part of the chain impact every link, and the interdependencies need to be thoroughly understood and planned for.Business continuity planning and implementation are really jobs for a specialist, so work with one. In addition, having a work-area recovery facility is also critical. Its not only disasters that can make it necessarymany clients are using their work-area recovery contracts to provide extra office space to comply with social distancing requirements.The current crisis has shown just how big a role digitalisation and everything it implies plays in enabling agility and quick response to the unexpected. Digitalisation is more than just technology; it has to encompass a new process framework that enables rapid response to changing situations, be they disasters or opportunities. Putting a genuine digital strategy in place is now imperative.Overall, the key message for companies should be the need to build resilience into their DNA. The ability to react quickly and decisively to change, and to be able to recover quickly from a disaster, is central to long-term sustainability, Davies concludes.Spurring that on could just be the unexpected Covid-19 dividend. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 19:31:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- In Uganda, a typical wedding must have many guests, at times in hundreds, bringing together relatives of the bride and groom, friends, employers and the local community. Couples supported by families and friends spend a fortune to have a successful wedding, characterized with feasting as a key highlight. The COVID-19 outbreak in the East African country however presents unusual times. Weddings must be scaled down to 10 people including the priests, according to a new government directive emphasizing social distancing to prevent the spread of the disease. Wilson and Mercy Kamusimiire in the western Ugandan district of Rwampara had planned their wedding months before the government announced a lockdown. However, the government directive could not stop them from having their special day. They scaled down their guests to 10 people, themselves inclusive, defying a long held-norm of having a massive wedding. They had the option of postponing the wedding until the end of the lockdown but they chose to go ahead and tie the knot on April 11. "There was no reason for postponement of our wedding. What God has planned can never be postponed," Wilson told Xinhua by telephone on Thursday. On consulting the parents of both bride and groom, the couple received a go-ahead. "The relatives had no problem with our wedding because they live far away from our home. They even said it was an opportunity for cutting on the costs," Wilson said. "My husband does not have a lot of money. Even our jobs are not that big. So, we took it as God's plan to help us go through a big step in life without spending a lot of money," Mercy added. According to Wilson, the entire exercise, which also included a small luncheon, cost about 85 U.S. dollars. After getting a blessing from the parents, the couple sought permission of the Resident District Commission (RDC) to allow them to move to Mbarara town in western Uganda where the wedding was to be held. According to a government directive people intending to move during the lockdown are supposed to seek permission from the RDC, who is a government representative in district. "The RDC welcomed our idea and granted us permission to use only three vehicles and seven people," Wilson said. The Church service did not last more than an hour and the few guests were later hosted to a luncheon at the couple's home. "Of course there were some people who were not happy with our move," Mercy said. "But I thank God we are now living in a holy marriage as husband and wife." "Receptions where there is eating and drinking can be done after the pandemic. For now what is important is being united before God," Wilson said. Like Wilson and Mercy, many couples are going ahead to have their weddings during the lockdown. They are choosing to put aside family pressure in a bid to avoid lavish weddings. Enditem Tom Hardy-starrer "Capone" will be going straight to a streaming service, director Josh Trank has announced. The movie, which was earlier titled "Fonzo", is biopic on notorious gangster Al Capone. It will chronicle his struggle with early-onset dementia that caused him to reckon with his past crimes. Trank, best known for making movies such as "Chronicle" and "Fantastic Four", shared the film's first trailer on Twitter. In another post, he also confirmed that the film is now going to come out on a streaming service on May 12 rather than in cinemas as originally planned, due to the current global situation. "Will be on streaming! Planned as theatrical, but hopefully will be on the big screen later this year," he tweeted. The director, however, is yet to reveal the streamer which will premiere the movie. Capone was a ruthless mobster who ruled Chicago with an iron fist during the 1920s. He was prosecuted for income tax evasion in 1931 and imprisoned. He died of dementia at the age of 47, following nearly a decade of imprisonment, of deme. "Capone" also features Linda Cardellini, Jack Lowden, Noel Fisher, Kyle MacLachlan and Matt Dillon. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The besieged Tripoli administration ordered the shutdown of all government facilities, large markets and non-essential shops in its territory, and lockdown of roads to traffic, in a bid to slow the spread of Covid-19. The measure, announced by the Presidential Council, starts this Friday April 17 and will last 10 days. Citizens wearing masks may venture out on foot from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Banks, a main source of crowding in recent weeks, would also close. Only essential services will remain operational, including electricity, telecommunications, secu-rity and health services, freight traffic and municipal services, according to the PC order. It also excluded from the lockdown, the shipments of foodstuff and small shops and bakeries, provided that they operate from 7 a.m. till 12 p.m. The government, which rules a shrinking corner of the countrys west, had initially left it to local officials to impose most of the restrictive orders. But as confirmed infections rose to 35, including one death, it accepted a proposal from the National Center for Disease Control to take harsher steps. Guterres has warned that the deadly virus is threatening international peace and security and that it can potentially lead to an increase in social unrest and violence that would greatly undermine our ability to fight the disease. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council would in the coming days discuss and endorse UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres call for a ceasefire to all conflicts in the world, including in Libya, in order to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. French President Macron has pushed for the five permanent members to hold a video conference on that issue. The meeting will take place as soon as Russian President Vladmir Putin accepts the invitation A restaurant investment in one of Dublin's leafiest seaside suburbs has come to the market with a 740,000 guide price. Located at 5A Monkstown Crescent, Dun Laoghaire, the property is let to the well-established Victoria Asian Cuisine on a 35-year lease from July 1996. It is let at a passing rent of 52,000 per annum, or 28 per sq ft. Selling agent Jenny Donnelly of QRE says an investor will see a net return of 6.4pc and term certain income of about 10.5 years. The property comprises a mid-terraced two-storey building used as a takeaway and restaurant. It extends to approximately 183.68 sq m (1,977 sq ft). This area of Monkstown is popular with locals and visitors to the nearby seaside amenities at Seapoint and Dun Laoghaire harbour. Other restaurants on the crescent include Elephant & Castle, Seagreen and FX Buckley. In addition, there are a range of upmarket retailers on the crescent, such as Avoca's food hall and Searsons Wine Merchants. Ms Donnelly anticipates that the investment will appeal to a wide range of investors, given the prime suburban location of the property and attractive lot size. Monkstown also benefits from a Dart station, as well as being on bus routes. The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee on an October, 2019 visit to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. (USAF photo) The judge hearing Amazon Web Service's bid protest lawsuit against the Defense Department agreed to a 120-day remand while DOD reconsiders portions of the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure procurement. The news came in a sealed order on April 17. The stay is good through Aug. 17, 2020, but could be extended or shortened depending on how long it takes officials to complete a partial review of the procurement. AWS is suing over the award of the $10 billion cloud contract to Microsoft, alleging that political interference at the White House influenced the deal and that certain technical aspects of the bids were incorrectly understood by contracting officials. The Pentagon sought the remand to reconsider certain technical aspects of the procurement and, it said, "to accept limited proposal revisions addressing the offerors' technical approach" to pricing data storage. According to court filings DOD said it "wishes to reconsider its evaluation of the offerors' online marketplace offerings and may conduct clarifications with the offerors relating to the availability of marketplace offerings." The marketplace, in the JEDI solicitation, refers to a cloud provider's ability to furnish applications and software and development tools inside the cloud environment. AWS argued against the remand, stating that "its proposed corrective action is irrational and would result in a predetermined re-award of the JEDI contract to Microsoft -- a fundamental breach of the very premise of corrective action." Microsoft, which is a party to the government's case, said that AWS lost fair and square. "Amazon did build its pricing for the entire procurement, and it wasnt good enough to win. And now it wants a re-do," Microsoft Deputy General Counsel Jon Palmer argued in an April 15 blog post. AWS says it's not that simple. "AWS must have the ability to compete on value-which is the combination of technical solution and price," the company stated in a filing. DOD welcomed the remand. "We will immediately execute the procedures outlined in the motion for voluntary remand, issuing a solicitation amendment to allow for limited proposal revisions and a reevaluation of the proposals," Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Robert Carver said in a press statement. Watchdog report The remand comes just a few days after the DOD's Office of Inspector General issued its long-awaited report on JEDI. One of Capitol Hill's top defense barons is eager for the Department of Defense to get moving on its $10 billion cloud infrastructure project and get past a drawn-out period of oversight and second guessing. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, was reassured by a recent report from DOD's Office of Inspector General that validated claims by DOD that the single-award structure and technical requirements of the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract were proper. The Pentagon's internal watchdog recently completed a probe into the massive cloud contract, which was awarded to Microsoft, focusing on certain aspects of the design of the solicitation, allegations of conflicts of interest among key DOD personnel and allegations that President Donald Trump's personal and well-documented animus toward Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos influenced the DOD's decision to award the contact to Microsoft. Amazon Web Services was a finalist in the bidding and was thought by many industry observers to have a leg up because of its experience in delivering classified cloud computing infrastructure to the CIA. According to the IG report, White House lawyers rebuffed efforts to interview top-level DOD officials on the subject of political interference and directed Pentagon lawyers to place conditions on interviews that did take place in order to protect privilege attached to "presidential communications." Smith took umbrage at the effort to stiff-arm investigators but also backed the report's conclusions that rank-and-file acquisitions personnel weren't subject to political interference. "While the White House's refusal to participate in the investigation makes it impossible to know if the administration attempted to interfere at a high level, the report's findings show that DOD personnel involved in the contract proposals and award selections were not pressured by any DOD leader nor the White House," Smith said in a statement. "That is good news." The findings however, Smith continued, "are stained" by the lack of cooperation from the White House. "This administration's complete disregard for independent oversight is further highlighted by the president's recent firing of the Departments acting Inspector General. I commend the Inspector General for completing a thorough inquiry under challenging circumstances and I look forward to the Department moving forward in development of critical cloud computing infrastructure." This story was updated April 17 with news from the AWS bid protest lawsuit. Chandigarh, April 17 : In the first treatment of its kind in the state, the Punjab government is supporting the medical team of S.P.S. Hospital in Ludhiana that has decided to go for plasma therapy of Assistant Commissioner of Police Anil Kohli, who was diagnosed coronavirus positive. This was announced by an official spokesperson after the video conference at which Chief Minister Amarinder Singh reviewed the Covid-19 situation in the state. The family of the police officer, who is admitted in Ludhiana's Apollo hospital, has given permission for the therapy, for which the state is coordinating with potential plasma donors. The latest technology will be used in the therapy, which is being arranged by the state's health advisor and former PGI-Chandigarh Director K.K. Talwar. On Talwar's request, former Head of PGI's Department, Blood Transfusion Department Neelam Marwaha has agreed to guide the efforts for plasma therapy, said the spokesperson. Three persons who had come in contact with Kohli have also tested positive. They have been identified as his wife, Palak Kohli and personal staff Prabhjot Singh and Arshpreet Grewal. HMGOG Announces Release of BEAT COVID-19 Regulations Government has today announced that it has published the Appropriation (Business Employee Assistance Terms COVID-19) Regulations 2020. These regulations, informally known as the BEAT COVID-19 Regulations, set out the regulatory framework for the application, payment and management of the BEAT COVID-19 measure first announced by the Chief Minister in his emergency budget address of 20 March 2020. These regulations have been developed over the past weeks in close consultation with the Official Opposition and the Covid 19 Economic Liason and Advisory Committee. It is through this consultation that Government has cast the nature of the benefits to be paid and, subsequently, widening of the Relevant Sectors for the purposes of these regulations. This will allow security and cleaning related businesses, courier and freight businesses, estate agents, bureau de change and wholesalers who do not have a tobacco licence to also apply for BEAT for employees that are inactive for a whole calendar month. The regulations have been developed organically alongside the bespoke online application system built from scratch. This has ensured that the regulations and the system that will process applications have been fine-tuned in tandem, thereby optimising the Government's ability to process BEAT payments in the tight timeframe required. The regulations have also taken on board a multitude of wide-ranging issues that were flagged by applicants to the BEAT COVID-19 mailbox, leveraging on the experience gained by Govt in responding to over 770 queries. This has also clarified key issues within the regulations that were important to the very people that the regulations are designed to support. The measure will also be a selling point for Gibraltar; evidencing the value that Government attributes to its businesses and employees. And one that would be considered favourably by new businesses and workers alike that may consider relocating to Gibraltar once the pandemic is over. Employers, employees and self-employed persons are encouraged to familiarise themselves with these regulations, particularly as they may be placed under a legal obligation to apply for BEAT COVID-19 for an inactive employee or to notify the Director of Employment if they become active after having received a BEAT COVID-19 payment. The regulations contain detailed provisions relating to the rights and obligations of employers, employees and self-employed persons. Detailed regulations also set out the circumstances that trigger a notification to the Director of Employment and exclude a person from the BEAT measure. Appeals can also be made in defined circumstances, for example, where an employer fails to make an application for an inactive employee. The appeal mechanism is designed to be quick and serve the purpose of making a BEAT COVID-19 payment where it was due. There are serious consequences for any person who fails to comply with the regulations. These range from civil debts amounting to a total of three times any payments received plus a repayment of the amount received, to statutory maximum fines and imprisonment. Various other regulations include naming and shaming and the sharing of data. HMGOG has announced that it will not tolerate any abuse in connection with these measures and these tools are structured to empower HMGOG to clamp down on any abuse. HMGoG has updated its guidelines to guide users through these complex but necessary regulations. The updated guidelines are available on HMGoGs BEAT COVID-19 webpage. Any business or employee with any specific BEAT queries can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for guidance. This mailbox is staffed by a dedicated team drawn from the Income Tax Office, Department of Employment, Government Law Offices and the Office of the Financial Secretary. Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo QC MP, said: We have made magnificent progress since announcing the support that we would provide to our economy only a few weeks ago. This has given businesses much-needed certainty so they can support their employees and protect business during this challenging time. We have also listened to the concerns of some of those excluded sector businesses and brought them in to the relevant sector category for the purposes of these new regulations only. So that they too can receive the support that they need. This is a national effort between the Government, CELAC and the Opposition and we will continue to work with the businesses to ensure that we do not throw away an opportunity that will be so expensively bought. I would like to take the opportunity to thank the teams that have brought this measure to fruition, and give the expecting BEAT recipients the assurance that we will process these applications and associated payment as soon as we possibly can. Minster for Digital and Financial Services, Albert Isola MP, said: These regulations provide an important lifeline that will mean that many businesses survive. The COVID-19 pandemic represents a challenge to businesses unlike any other they have faced before. Government is determined to support these businesses through this difficult time. The hard work that has gone into the system that has been developed to process applications under these regulations is the main tool that will allow business to access support that protects the livelihoods of their staff. Having overseen the development of the system, I would like to thank the teams who have worked tirelessly and relentlessly behind the scenes over the last few weeks to get the system over the line. Minister for Tourism, Transport and Business, Vijay Daryanani MP, said: It seems like an eternity since this pandemic got underway. In that time we have made tremendous strides, not just in our health response, but also in our support for business. We anticipate economic damage, not just in Gibraltar but globally. Just because economic damage is inevitable does not mean that we should not strain every sinew to reduce it. That reduction cannot be done by Government alone. We need our economy to bounce back as hard and as high as it can. These regulations are key to the support that Government has given the employers and employees that make up our tiger-like economy. Appropriation (Business Employee Assistance Terms COVID-19) Regulations 2020: https://www.gibraltarlaws.gov.gi/legislations/appropriation-business-employee-assistance-terms-covid-19-regulations-2020-5339 A more recent publication of this set of statistics is available. Latest publication: Energy supply and consumption 2021, 3rd quarter Published: 17 April 2020 Consumption of fossil fuels decreased by 6 per cent in 2019 According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, total consumption of energy in 2019 amounted to 1.36 terajoule (TJ), which corresponded to a drop of one per cent compared with the previous year. The fall was particularly caused by lower consumption of fossil fuels and peat. Carbon dioxide emissions from energy use of fuels decreased by nearly seven per cent as a result of fallen consumption of coal. Total consumption of electricity went down by two per cent to 86 terawatt hours (TWh). Total energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions 19902019* The use of renewable energy sources grew by one per cent in 2019 and they covered 37 per cent of total energy consumption. The consumption of wood fuels grew for the fourth consecutive year and their consumption again rose record high in 2019. The use of wood fuels grew most in manufacturing and energy production, by three per cent. With their share of 28 per cent, wood fuels were the most used energy source in Finland. The production of hydro power decreased for the fourth year in a row. The production of wind power continued to rise, breaking the production record of the previous year after a growth of two per cent. The use of fossil fuels and peat went down by six per cent from the year before. The share of fossil fuels and peat in total energy consumption was 38 per cent, which was two percentage points lower than in the year before. The consumption of coal fell by 21 per cent, which was mainly due to decreased energy use of hard coal in combined heat and power production, separate production of electricity and manufacturing. The consumption of oil remained almost unchanged from the year before. The consumption of natural gas and peat declined by four and nine per cent, respectively. The fallen consumption of fossil fuels and peat was partly influenced by a considerable fall in separate production of electricity, tax increases concerning fuels at the beginning of the year and higher prices of emission rights. Domestic production of electricity in 2019 was 66 TWh, which was two per cent less than one year ago. The production of nuclear power grew by five per cent and it covered 35 per cent of domestic production of electricity. The next most electricity was produced with combined production of electricity and heat, 33 per cent. The increase in the production of nuclear power covered for the fall in the production of hydro power and condensate power. Condensate power production decreased by 48 per cent from the previous year and its share of total electricity production was four per cent. Solar power production nearly doubled from the previous year, but its share of total electricity production was just three per mil. Hydro power accounted for 19 per cent and wind power for nine per cent of electricity production. In addition to domestic electricity production, total electricity production includes electricity imported from abroad. The volume of net imports of electricity remained almost unchanged in 2019. Altogether, 23 per cent of total electricity consumption was covered with net imports. Final consumption of energy went down as a whole by two per cent. The fall was biggest in manufacturing, three per cent. The share of manufacturing in total final consumption stood at 45 per cent. The consumption of heating energy for buildings fell by one per cent from the previous year and its share of total energy consumption was 26 per cent. For transport, final energy consumption fell by one per cent and its share was 17 per cent. Last year, diverse energy products were imported into Finland to the value of EUR 10.2 billion, which was 4 per cent less than one year earlier. Most energy products were imported from Russia, whose share of the value of imports was around 64 per cent. Respectively, energy products were exported from Finland to the value of EUR 5.6 billion, which was 3 per cent up on the year before. Total energy consumption by source (TJ) and CO2 emissions (Mt) Energy source, TJ 4) 2019* Annual change-%* Percentage share of total energy consumption* Oil 308,493 0 23 Coal 1) 90,025 -21 7 Natural gas 72,752 1 5 Nuclear energy 2) 250,102 5 18 Net imports of electricity 3) 72 151 1 5 Hydro power 3) 44,231 -7 3 Wind power 3) 21,420 2 2 Peat 56,308 -9 4 Wood fuels 377,726 1 28 Others 68,580 3 5 TOTAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION 1,361,787 -1 100 Bunkers 49,018 6 . CO2 emissions from fuel combustion 39 -7 . 1) Coal: includes hard coal, coke, blast furnace gas and coke oven gas.2) Conversion of electricity generation into fuel units: Nuclear power: 10.91 TJ/GWh (33% total efficiency)3) Conversion of electricity generation into fuel units: Hydro power, wind power and net imports of electricity: 3.6 TJ/GWh (100%)4) *Preliminary Source: Statistics Finland, Energy supply and consumption Inquiries: Aleksi Sandberg 029 551 3326, energia@stat.fi Director in charge: Jan Nokkala Publication in pdf-format (651.5 kB) Updated 17.4.2020 Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Energy supply and consumption [e-publication]. ISSN=1799-7976. 4th quarter 2019. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 12.1.2022]. Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/ehk/2019/04/ehk_2019_04_2020-04-17_tie_001_en.html Security forces defused six mortar shells fired by Pakistani troops along the LoC in Jammu andKashmir's Poonch district, officials said on Friday. Pakistan troops have been shelling areas along the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts for the past 13 days. Security forces detected the six unexploded mortar shells fired by Pakistan army in Krishnagati, Mendhar and Balakote sectors of the district, they said. The bomb disposal squads later defused them safely. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US firmly supports SMM work in Donbas, urges Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukrainian territory U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Ukraine Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine Kristina A. Kvien has expressed a firm support to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Donbas and called Russia to cease destabilizing behavior in the region. "The COVID-19 pandemic continues, I would like to thank the OSCE a Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine for its dedicated efforts under challenging circumstances. The men and women of the SMM play a vital role in preserving a regional stability. And they continue to do this today despite the health risks over COVID-19," said Kvien in a statement posted by the U.S. Embassy in Twitter. According to her, recently the SMM has faced new and unacceptable challenges. Russia's influenced media falsely claim the SMM was responsible for the spread of COVID-19 in the east of Ukraine, meanwhile Russia and its poxes has increased restrictions on the movement of the SMM in Donbas. "Russia and its proxies are not just harming the work of SMM but they are harming the people of the east of Ukraine in preventing the flow of humanitarian goods. Life-saving delivery of humanitarian aid and repairs of critical infrastructure must be allowed to continue," said Kvien. She called on Russia to cease its destabilizing behavior, to adhere to its international agreements and to immediately withdraw from the Ukrainian territory, I have always emphatically declined to share any ownership of the word. I grew up in a rural Trinidadian village where avoidance was easy. We hadnt been oppressed by its sting. Neither my father and his peers nor my brothers and their friends used this word as a reclaimed anything. My husband is a white American. Neither of us condone the word in any context. Some African-Americans choose to say it, I explained to my son, but in our family, we do not. Though visually indistinguishable from African-Americans, first generation Afro-Caribbean immigrants retain the option to slip in and out of black American identity. Society may label me as Afro-American (a designation I respectfully accept), but I will always have access to another culture, another experience of blackness. I chose to emigrate and to take the oath of American citizenship. Trinidad, forever home, is only a short flight south from Florida. After almost 30 years, I can still code-switch my accent on a dime. Id hidden my laughter when a white, Brooklyn parent with a black adopted daughter earnestly invited us to an African drum circle. I did not need a cacophony of discordant drums to connect my calypso-loving children to their blackness. After the second talk with my son, I thought more about what my husband and I had taught our children about race. Not much, I realized, not directly. There were no black dolls in the house because both of our kids had preferred stuffed animals, and wed both disliked pedantic the skin Im in storybooks. My darker-skinned, square-jawed daughter looks more like her fathers side of the family, and her lighter brother is a carbon copy of my sister, with his fathers eyebrows. Genes will do as they want. The kids have an American public school grasp of black American history (Dr. King and Rosa Parks), but Id taken the blended nature of our family and our previous life in diverse Prospect Park, Brooklyn, as an unspoken, osmotic racial education. My daughter, who is three years older than her brother, learned the word at around the same age, but as gently as a falling leaf. In the third grade, still in Brooklyn, studying a map of Africa, shed mispronounced Niger, and a savvier classmate had scolded her for saying a Very Bad Word. She had recounted the gaffe to me with great humor, leavening any dramatic discourse. Wed had a good laugh before Id emphasized her friends assertion: The word was indeed very bad. Was it a disservice to not prepare my children to be discriminated against? What kind of parenting is that? An idyllic childhood cocooned in an homogeneous village gave me a strong sense of self, but in America I was unprepared for the ugliness of racial ignorance. Incomprehension turned to terror the first time I was racially profiled in a store. I couldnt quite understand one employers meaning when she expressed surprise at how well I read. Are you sure youre in the right place? asked an art gallery owner. Perversely, I refuse to let any of these interactions become normalized and I allow myself to be surprised every time they happen (and yes, it still happens, especially now that we have moved to Florida: Youre a professor?). Before their birth, my mother-in-law had wondered how our children would identify. She pointed out that my Caribbean roots combined with her white son might purchase claim to something else. African-American, I told her emphatically. But kids will do as they will. My son, a la Meghan Markle, insists on both races. Of course youre both, I tell him. I wont negate his paternal heritage. Just like President Obama, you are a biracial African-American. I am not happy to heap this mouthful of identity on my beautiful boy-child who loves James Charles makeup tutorials and Ariana Grande. But Orlando is not my island village. The children are having a very different childhood. Only a few months after our talk, my son overheard a white child use the N-word against an African-American worker at his school. President Trumps rush to relax social restrictions and open our economy is very scary. The president is trying to fashion a Faucian bargain in which his medical experts would sell their scientific souls to Mr. Trumps demented return-to-normalcy plan. He is asking some of us to sacrifice our lives to generate herd immunity so the rest of us could live coronavirus-free in a prosperous economic and political fantasyland. The governors and we the people will simply not cooperate in a premature and unsafe lifting of social distancing. The High Court has appointed joint provisional liquidators to the Irish arm of Debenhams. The provisional liquidators were appointed yesterday to Debenhams Retail Ireland Ltd, which operated 11 stores in the Republic of Ireland. Mr Justice Paul Coffey said he was satisfied to appoint insolvency practitioners Kieran Wallace and Andrew O'Leary of KPMG as joint provisional liquidators of the company. Last week, it was announced the company was ceasing operations, arising out of its UK-based parent's decision to enter administration. Rossa Fanning SC, for the firm, said it was "with great regret" that the retailer was seeking an order for its winding up, but the company was wholly insolvent and its directors had "no other option". He said the application to seek the appointment of provisional liquidators came after the company was informed by its UK parent that it was no longer in a position to provide it with financial support. Counsel said that the UK parent had been struggling in recent years and it had made a pre-tax loss for the year ending 2018. The Irish firm owes millions of euro to parties including Revenue, the landlords of the premises it had operated from, trade creditors, other firms within the group, and its employees. Counsel said it had been making substantial losses before the Covid-19 pandemic had resulted in stores being closed in late March. He also said the Irish firm had made estimated losses in 2019 and 2018 of over 40m. The Covid-19 outbreak, he said, had compounded the firm's difficulties by firstly resulting in a reduction of footfall in the stores. The company directly employed over 940 staff, and also provided over 500 other jobs indirectly through the 26 concession stands operated by other retail firms located in its stores. Counsel said following the announcement that the company, which successfully emerged from the examinership process in 2016, was to close its stores, it had received correspondence from the Mandate trade union. Counsel said the union, which represents many of those employed by Debenhams, had used strong words and was critical of the company's handling of the situation, and specifically its treatment of the workers. He also said that while the union had quite properly raised concerns it had over the workers, it had accused the company of cynically using the Covid-19 situation as an excuse to shut down the stores. Counsel said that his client rejected that allegation, adding that the Irish firm had been losing significant amounts of money well before the current pandemic. The crisis, he said, compounded the problem and left the company with no other choice than to seek the appointment of the provisional liquidators. The appointment of liquidators, counsel added, would ensure the orderly winding up of the business, and would be in the best interests of all concerned. Making the appointment, Mr Justice Coffey said that the evidence before the court was the company had been loss-making after it had emerged from examinership in 2016, and its difficulties had been compounded by the Covid-19 crisis. However, the judge, noting concerns expressed by the Mandate trade union in relation to those who had worked at the stores, directed that the matter return before the court in two weeks' time. Ana de Armas is almost unrecognizable in new behind-the-scenes photos from her upcoming Netflix film Sergio. For the war drama, the Cuban stunner transformed from a beautiful brunette to a blonde bombshell. And the 31-year-old shared a sneak-peek into her makeover process via social media Friday, posting a hilarious photo of her touching up her roots. Blonde ambition: Ana de Armas is almost unrecognizable in new behind-the-scenes photos from her upcoming Netflix film Sergio Ana's hair was full of foils as she sat and waited for the bleach to take effect. It seems the actress, who recently began dating Ben Affleck, didn't realize all the upkeep her tresses would require, telling fans: 'Keeping the blonde for 3 months while traveling and filming was a struggle.' In other shots de Armas looked perfectly put together, sporting romantic curls and a sweet floral dress as she sat and checked her phone from the hair and makeup trailer. The root of the problem: the 31-year-old shared a sneak-peek into her makeover process via social media Friday, posting a hilarious photo of her touching up her roots Pretty as a petal: De Armas looked perfectly put together, sporting romantic curls and a sweet floral dress as she sat and checked her phone from the hair and makeup trailer in other shots Office chic: She looked professional in a shot taken while filming in Jordan Getting dirty: Another behind-the-scenes shot showed the actress covered in dirt while taking a lunch break Another behind-the-scenes shot showed the actress covered in dirt while taking a lunch break. In Sergio, Ana plays Carolina Larriera, a former UN economics officer who is in love with the title character Sergio Vieira de Mello, a UN diplomat who was killed in the Canal Hotel bombing in Iraq along with 20 other members of his staff. De Mello is being played by Wagner Moura of Narcos fame. German actor Clements Schick plays Gaby Pichon, one of Vieira de Mello's bodyguards. Drama: In Sergio, Ana plays Carolina Larriera, a former UN economics officer who is in love with the title character Sergio Vieira de Mello, a UN diplomat who was killed in the Canal Hotel bombing in Iraq along with 20 other members of his staff Getting into character: 'Working on this movie was an amazing experience,' Ana wrote on Instagram. 'I loved playing Carolina Larriera, a very interesting, intelligent, strong woman' Stylish: She gave her hairstylist a shout out on Instagram Pals: German actor Clements Schick plays Gaby Pichon, one of Vieira de Mello's bodyguards Close: It looks like the co-stars got close during their time filming Sitting pretty: Ana wowed while hanging out between shots Process: Explaining the production process in a Wednesday Instagram, Ana wrote: 'The filming of Sergio lasted approximately three months' On location: 'We shot in Brazil, Jordan, and Thailand. All equally special and important to history' 'Working on this movie was an amazing experience,' Ana wrote on Instagram Tuesday. 'I loved playing Carolina Larriera, a very interesting, intelligent, strong woman.' Explaining the production process in a Wednesday Instagram, Ana wrote: 'The filming of Sergio lasted approximately three months.' '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.' Sergio is set for release Friday on Netflix. More than 400 detainees have been released as officials grapple with the unique circumstances of coronavirus. London, United Kingdom As the lock clicked open and the heavy iron gate creaked towards him, Akil not his real name was surprised by how numb he felt. The freedom of which he had been dreaming for more than a year was finally here but instead of elation, there was emptiness. I always thought Id be really happy when it came to it, but I didnt feel anything Just a bit confused about why me why I was being let go, he says. Minutes earlier, with a judge in court, solicitor at home and he in his single cell, Akil had been granted bail via video link. He was instructed to sign a document setting out the terms of his three-month release and then ordered to leave Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre in Lincolnshire, eastern England. Without an address of his own, Akil had no choice but to call his sister and ask to stay at her home until his temporary release comes to an end in July. I didnt really know where to go, he tells Al Jazeera. No one asked me if I had anywhere to stay I just got my stuff and walked out. 200407143303604 If this had been a couple of months ago, I couldve celebrated my freedom, he adds. But now Im just sitting around, [I] cant see nobody, theres nothing going on. Akil is one of more than 400 immigration centre detainees to be released as part of the United Kingdom governments plans to contain the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus. According to the Ministry of Justice, as of last week, 153 staff and prisoners had tested positive for coronavirus and 12 had died. Temporarily releasing detainees is seen as a way to prevent a further rise in the number of cases under the care of the state. But charities are concerned that the Home Office has not fulfilled its obligation to accommodate all those released. They say without the necessary checks, many may become destitute upon release, or return to the crimes they were convicted of before incarceration. Releasing people to homelessness and destitution is wrong and unlawful, says Bella Sankey, director of charity Detention Action. The Home Office has had months to consider its strategy. It was completely foreseeable that removals would not be possible and that people needed to be safely housed instead. Emma Ginn, director of charity Medical Justice, agrees: It is crucial the Home Office provides any detainee who is released with accommodation and support, so that they can comply with the requirements for social distancing and self-isolation. The UK government has said it will review each individuals circumstances on a case-by-case basis. Charities argue that, where reviews have been conducted, many detainees have not been informed of the outcome. They say some, like Akil, are being released by the tribunal following bail applications, or as a result of other legal action brought by lawyers, typically with medical evidence of vulnerability to contracting COVID-19. Sidahmed, another detainee granted bail in late March, says the release process has been confused and arbitrary. I dont know why I was released and other people werent, he says. Its difficult to get bail for high-risk people usually, but maybe, because I know how the immigration services work I was allowed out. He says communication with the Home Office during the release process and since he was freed has been limited. He is expected to return to London on July 1, but has had no information about what is required of him until then. All they said was If you change your address, you have to let us know. That was it. No conversation or discussion about anything. Ill just have to wait to hear from them. I didn't really know where to go. No one asked me if I had anywhere to stay I just got my stuff and walked out. Akil, former detainee Both Akil and Sidahmed believe their liberty has been granted in part to protect the governments reputation at a time of national crisis. The only reason they released me is because of this virus, says Akil. It doesnt feel like Im free for the right reasons. Its all just a way to make the Home Office look good. Sidahmed adds: Its just because it looks bad when people die, thats why theyre letting us all free Thats not normal for immigration services I know them. They have no mercy, they let people suffer. A spokesman for the UK Home Office told Al Jazeera: The overwhelming majority of those detained are foreign national offenders, and we make no apology for trying to remove serious, violent and persistent criminals. Immigration Enforcement is responding to the unique circumstances of the coronavirus outbreak and following the latest guidance from Public Health England. The High Court recently ruled that the Home Offices approach to detention and the outbreak was sensible. Detention is used only when absolutely necessary, with 95 percent of those liable to be detained already managed in the community, the Home Office further maintained, adding that all immigration removal centres have dedicated health facilities run by doctors and nurses which are managed by the National Health Service or appropriate providers. But for those who remain in detention facilities, the lack of information is compounded by seeing other prisoners released. Ebo, a detainee held at Harmondsworth immigration facility in southern England, has been assured of bail but has yet to secure a date for his hearing. He says the lack of information regarding the review process and the likelihood of coronavirus spreading has led to a rapid deterioration of his mental health: Im very confused, stressed out and scared. Sometimes I feel so low I want to go to the office and smash everything up, but I know that would be a bad thing to do. I dont know whats going on it gets to me. It's just because it looks bad when people die. Sidahmed, former detainee Ebo says looking to the future also causes him significant distress. If they release me, I dont know where Ill go, he explains. I cant go back to my family house because of my previous convictions, so I think Ill have to return to the place where I was using drugs. I dont want to go back there, but I dont have a choice. I need somewhere to sleep when I leave. Campaigners believe continuing to incarcerate immigration detainees puts unnecessary strain on those who suffer from a range of complex psychological and physical conditions. Some detainees have self-harmed or made suicide attempts, and others have been distressed by witnessing fellow detainees self-harming, says Medical Justices Emma Ginn. The fact that so many detainees cannot be removed from the UK during the global lockdown makes their indefinite detention in such perilous conditions seem incomprehensible, indefensible and just plain cruel. But for those who have been released, the ongoing national lockdown has exacerbated fears surrounding the virus. Akil says he feels more at risk as a free man living at his sisters home than when he was imprisoned: I actually felt safer inside than outside. At least in detention I had healthcare, and theres more isolation no one can come in, no one can go out. Now its all different. Names of detainees have been changed in this report to protect those involved. The government has allowed non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs), housing finance companies, and microfinance institutions to operate with bare minimum staff during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown. The government has allowed non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs), housing finance companies, and microfinance institutions to operate with bare minimum staff during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown. Non-Banking financial institutions, including housing finance companies(HFCs), and microfinance institutions(NBFC-MFIs) [can operate], with bare minimum staff," the ministry of home affairs said in its latest order. The MHA has also allowed cooperative credit societies to operate during the time of lockdown. During his address to the nation on 14 April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had extended the countrywide lockdown till 3 May. The lockdown has been extended to restrict the spread of novel coronavirus. Only essential services will be operating during the lockdown. The decision of allowing NBFCs and MFIs to operate comes after they reached out to the government to grant them permission to function like banks with skeletal staff. During the first phase of lockdown that ended on 14 April, the government had only allowed banks to operate. They operated with revised working hours and maintained social distancing. The Ministry of Home Affairs in its revised guidelines had mentioned that banks, insurance, including IT vendors for banking operations, banking correspondent and ATM operation and cash management agencies, would operate as usual from 20 April. The government said that the revised guidelines, however, would not be allowed in the containment zones. If any new area is included in the category of containment zone, the activities allowed in that area till the time of its categorisation as a containment zone will be suspended except for those activities as are specifically permitted under the guidelines of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the government said. Nine days after the Michigan legislature moved to extend Gov. Gretchen Whitmers COVID-19 state of emergency to April 30, some Republican lawmakers are seeking to limit her authority in response to her latest updates to the stay-at-home order. Under current law, Michigan governors can declare a state of emergency for up to 28 days, after which an extension is required by the state legislature. Whitmer initially requested a 70-day extension to her March 10 state of emergency, which Republicans believed was too long. They ultimately agreed to extend the state of emergency through April 30 in an unusual legislative session last week. The state of emergency gives Whitmer and her administration additional executive authority to respond to the coronavirus without legislative approval, and has resulted in dozens of orders temporarily amending state laws and operations to cope with the disease. The most controversial move by far has been Whitmers extension and revisions of the states stay-at-home order, which prohibits non-essential business, travel and activity in the state. On Wednesday, thousands of Michigan residents traveled to downtown Lansing to protest the order. Related: Republicans, Democrats at odds about who should return to work and when This week, lawmakers introduced legislation to repeal the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945 and limit the number of days the governor can declare a state of emergency without buy-in from the legislature from 28 days to 14. Bills were introduced in both the House and Senate by Rep. Jason Sheppard, R-Temperance, and Sen. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte. Other bills in the package would put limits on the punishments against those who violate orders issued under a state of emergency, as well as restrictions on banning the sale or purchase of firearms, ammunition, or other weapons during an emergency. Sheppard said in a statement Whitmers actions during the COVID-19 emergency go beyond the scope of her authority to declare and act during states of emergencies. The governor is playing with peoples constitutional rights, Sheppard said in a statement. She has stripped residents of their property rights by prohibiting travel from one residence to another. In addition, the governor has interfered with commerce by prohibiting Michiganians from purchasing certain goods. Should the bills pass the legislature, theyd need Whitmers signature to become law. Whitmer has previously rebuffed efforts in the legislature to limit her executive authority and has called the stay-at-home order critical to limiting the spread of COVID-19, which has infected 29,263 people in Michigan and killed more than 2,000 residents. COVID-19 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 Protesters angry with Gov. Whitmers stay-at-home order gridlock Michigan capitol Michigan inmates hide coronavirus symptoms to avoid prison quarantine Republicans, Democrats at odds about who should return to work and when When and how will it end? Considering the end-game for Michigans coronavirus crisis Busch offers 1 year of beer to couples whove changed wedding plans amid coronavirus Hong Kong: Banks to ease cashflow pressure The banking sector today launched a scheme to alleviate the cashflow pressure faced by corporate customers in light of the economic challenges brought about by the COVID-19 outbreak. Jointly announced by the Monetary Authority and the Banking Sector SME Lending Coordination Mechanism, the Pre-approved Principal Payment Holiday Scheme is estimated to cover more than 80% of all corporate borrowers in Hong Kong. All corporate customers that have an annual sales turnover of $800 million or less and with no outstanding loan payments overdue for more than 30 days are eligible for the scheme. Eligible customers loan principal payments due within a six-month period between May 1 and October 31 this year will be pre-approved for deferment. The loans principal payments, including revolving facilities, will generally be deferred by six months, whereas trade facilities, given their short-term nature, will be deferred by three months. The scheme does not cover syndicated loans or loans used for financing purchases of shares or other financial assets. Banks will begin informing eligible customers of the pre-approval under the scheme as soon as practicable. Eligible customers do not need to apply. They only need to contact the bank within 14 days of the banks notice to confirm the detailed arrangements. The authority has issued a circular requesting all banks to participate in the scheme and has received support from all 11 major lenders in the co-ordination mechanism. It will monitor the schemes operation and maintain close dialogue with banks. This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The pay-and-use toilets in Mumbai will be free for the public until the lockdown restrictions are in place till May 3 to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities decided on Friday. The BMC authorities said the relief would help the stranded migrant workers in the city, who have no source of income since the initial 21-day nationwide lockdown restrictions were enforced on March 25 and further extended for another 19 days till May 3. We have instructed all public toilet facilities not to charge any money from the users. This relief will continue till May 3 to help the stranded people in the city, said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner (health), BMC. Mumbai has around 8,500 public toilets, which are run by BMC and charitable organisations. They charge between Rs 2 and Rs 5 for one-time use. Over one million people in the city are estimated to use these facilities. The footfall at pay-and-use toilets have come down by over 80% because of the ongoing lockdown, the BMC official said. At present, homeless migrant workers are the only users of these facilities. I have lost my job because of the lockdown. I have only Rs 100 on me. I cant afford to use the pay-and-use toilet for more than once a week when I pay Rs 5 to take a bath, said a labourer from West Bengal Maldas district, who is living in a slum in Bandra (East). Human rights activists have praised the BMCs decision. It is the responsibility of the civic authorities to make arrangements for the basic necessities of the stranded workers amid the Covid-19 outbreak, they said. Thousands of workers have lost their work due to the lockdown. It is a responsible act by the BMC, as it has waived off the fee for public toilets, said Robert DSouza, a human rights activist. Secretary of the Hanoi Municipal Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue speaks at the event (Photo: VNA) During a dialogue with businesses in Hanoi on April 16, Hue said the COVID-19 pandemic is seriously hurting the world economy, including Vietnam. Hanois economy grew by 3.72 percent in the first quarter this year, lower than the countrys average. Calling on investors to develop agriculture, he said Hanoi is determined to raise agricultures growth by 4.62 percent this year by increasing heads of cattle and poultry. According to the official, the city is reviewing land plots so as not to leave them unused. In the outlying district of Ba Vi, 41 ha could be used for clean vegetable cultivation so that investors could consider working on them immediately, he said. Hue said the municipal authorities will also hold a working session with the Ministry of Information and Communications next week to achieve the target of having one business, even a start-up in the field of information technology, digital economy and public services, per 1,000 people. About public investment, Hanoi has had over 107 trillion VND (4.65 billion USD) over the past five years, or 10 percent of the countrys total, he said, adding that the city stays determined to disburse nearly 40 trillion VND of public investment to ease difficulties for businesses. In order to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic, he said Hanoi will continue effectively implementing the Law on Support for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), process administrative procedures online at level 3, and step up online registration for procedures involving businesses at level 4. In his view, Hanoi will promptly devise a scheme to support SMEs for the 2021-2025 period, boost start-ups and innovation, improve the quality and diversify business support services, as well as realise the Governments mechanisms and policies to back production, trade and social welfare for those hit by the epidemic in line with resolutions by the Party Central Committee, the Government and the municipal Party Committee. Speaking at the event, Chairwoman of BRG Group Nguyen Thi Nga suggested that the Ministry of Planning and Investment should reduce corporate tax by 50 percent, apply added value tax from 0 percent or cut it by 50 percent, and offer land use tax exemption. Other corporate executives also proposed tax exemption or reduction. In the first quarter of this year, Hanois regional gross domestic product rose by 3.72 percent, industrial index up 4.44 percent, total retail up 2.3 percent. The total social investment hiked by 5.2 percent to 63.04 trillion VND. There were 6,350 newly-registered firms, raising the total to over 285,300 as of March 31. During the period, more than 4,200 companies suspended operations, up 36 percent year-on-year. Exports reached over 2.74 billion USD, down 18.1 percent while imports topped 5.83 billion USD, down 21.3 percent annually. Almost all sectors saw decrease in revenues, including textile and garment down 30 percent, footwear 20 percent, transportation and hospitality services 20-50 percent. Italy has announced the first details of its plan to use an app to trace coronavirus infections, as it starts exiting a two-month lockdown in early May. Coronavirus commissioner Domenico Arcuri signed a decree late on Thursday awarding the Mediterranean country's contract to a Milan-based startup called Bending Spoons. The European Union recommended smartphone tracking apps as part of a roadmap unveiled on Wednesday to help countries ease restrictions that have prompted steep economic downturns across the bloc. Arcuri's decree states that the free app must preserve users' anonymity and not track location. Instead, it will use bluetooth to log the phone's movements. The plan is to test the app in pilot regions and then expand it nationally. No timeframes were disclosed. Italy's announcement came a week after Apple and Google revealed plans to develop a contact-tracing app. Their initiative would allow apps on phones using rival Apple and Google-backed Android software to exchange information. Arcuri's decree did not mention that project. Countries such as South Korea and Israel have used apps to help people determine whether they came close to someone infected with the virus. Technology experts warn the such apps are not foolproof since bluetooth signals works best in open spaces can be dropped in walled off offices and restaurants. Italy has officially recorded 22,170 deaths from the virus and is looking to lift its first set of restrictions on May 4. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MBABANE If what has been witnessed in the past two days regarding the stocking up of alcohol by consumers is anything to go by, bottle stores will not have stock by tomorrow. Bottle store owners have actually advised imbibers to brace themselves for a dry season after noting that alcoholic beverages were flying off the shelves. A mad rush for alcohol was witnessed on Wednesday and yesterday after it was announced that the manufacturing, distribution and wholesaling of alcohol would now be prohibited in the country. The anomaly happened after Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini announced that the partial lockdown had been extended by three weeks. It was highlighted that bottle stores would continue to operate and finish off their stock. By noon yesterday, most bottle stores around Mbabane, excluding franchises, were already empty. In fact, most of the bottle store supervisors and owners said they were anticipating that their stores would be out of business by tomorrow or Sunday. They said the shelves started being empty last Thursday when the Eswatini Beverages truck last delivered stock. Close Ncamiso Malinga, supervisor at MBM Bottle Store at the popular Complex at Extension 3, said they were definitely going to close business by the end of Saturday. Our shelves started being empty last week Thursday. Currently, the popular beers including Castle Milk Stout, Castle Lager, Hansa, Sibebe Premium and Amstel are out of stock. With no stock, we will be forced to close our doors and this, I predict, will be very soon - before the weekend ends, said Malinga. When asked about the empty shelves of spirits, Malinga said they kept them somewhere else as a safety precaution. We are avoiding break-ins. People are becoming desperate for booze, he said. Msunduzas Down Town Bottle Store owner Simphiwe Hlatshwayo said his heart sank when he realised that the liquor was selling out yet there was no new stock to replenish shelves. This is the first time for me to see this in my history in business. I am certain that I will close doors in two days. There is literally nothing here, said Hlatshwayo. He said his main worry was rent money. With us being out of business, how will we be able to pay rent? I hope that government mitigates this situation, he said. Cool Rhythms Bottle Store, in Sidwashini, sang a different tune. Their shelves were filled to the brim with different kinds of alcoholic beverages, however, the popular brands were out of stock. The bottle stores supervisor, Chamkile Mamba, said they were anticipating to survive throughout the three weeks with the stock that they had. By the time the three-week lockdown comes to an end, we might still be selling the wines and spirits that are not selling fast. However, I am almost certain that the ciders and other beers will soon be sold out, she said. Mamba also said the popular beers started selling out last Thursday. Imbibers expressed their worry over alcoholic beverages running out stock countrywide. They said alcoholic beverages helped them to socialise and unwind. On This Day When Myanmar Rallied the UN Against the Chinese Nationalist Army Invasion U Myint Thein at the UN General Assembly in New York. Thirty-three of the 92 coronavirus patients in Gautam Buddh Nagar are cured and discharged from hospital, a number which has brought some cheer to the district which is among the worst affected in Uttar Pradesh. This 35 per cent recovery rate is better than the 13 per cent recorded at the national level. Union Health Ministry on Friday morning said there are 13,387 positive cases in the country and 1,748 people have been cured. Statistics for Uttar Pradesh show that about 9 per cent of the total 805 infected people till Thursday night have recovered from COVID-19. Gautam Buddh Nagar near Delhi had emerged as a major hotspot for the virus in March and the district also saw the shunting of some top officials, including the district magistrate and the chief medical officer, over the handling of the situation. It initially had the maximum cases in the state but now stands third in the list after Agra and Lucknow. District Surveillance Officer Sunil Dohare on Friday said so far 1,925 samples have been taken for COVID-19 test and 92 of them tested positive. District Magistrate Suhas L Y said 33 of the 92 patients have been cured and discharged. Dear residents, today nine more patients have been cured and discharged, making the total discharge number to 33 out of 92 cases. Now 59 active Covid cases remain in Gautam Buddh Nagar. All our corona warriors shall continue to do our best, the DM tweeted on Thursday night. In a statement on Friday, the health department said 1,222 people are currently under surveillance across Noida and Greater Noida for coronavirus and 595 in institutional quarantine. On cluster containment activity, the department said 4,036 teams were deployed for gathering information and raising awareness in a concerted door-to-door campaign. These teams have visited 3,90,898 houses so far and screened 12,46,769 people. They identified 1,030 people who had travelled abroad in recent weeks. All travellers have been put under surveillance, it added. The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration has identified 28 hotspots across Noida and Greater Noida where residential societies and sectors have been completely sealed, even as the general lockdown curbs are applied elsewhere in the district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Clara-Laeila Laudette MADRID (Reuters) - Having lived through animal-related influenzas like SARS and H1N1, Iberian ham producer Joselito was quick to enhance quality controls with tougher sanitary measures when the coronavirus hit. But the near-total paralysis of its European exports, and the nationwide shutdown of its main client base - Spain's restaurants, bars, and hotels - still came as a huge shock. By Clara-Laeila Laudette MADRID (Reuters) - Having lived through animal-related influenzas like SARS and H1N1, Iberian ham producer Joselito was quick to enhance quality controls with tougher sanitary measures when the coronavirus hit. But the near-total paralysis of its European exports, and the nationwide shutdown of its main client base - Spain's restaurants, bars, and hotels - still came as a huge shock. Now, the firm in Guijuelo, west of Madrid, has refocused the distribution strategy for its prime 'pata negra' ham on retail customers, and has ambitions to shape a debate on how COVID-19 might change the ways European societies meet and consume food. "Eighty percent of our business is domestic," said managing director Jose Gomez. "And of that, half are hotels and restaurants, (a sector) which has stopped completely." Since Spain went into lockdown on March 14, on-line orders for Joselito's slices and legs of ham have trebled. In Madrid it has gone into partnership with home delivery app Glovo. The lockdown cost Spain close to 1 million jobs in its first two weeks, but so far at least, Gomez has managed to avoid firing any staff. For those tasked with salting, skinning and de-boning the ham it's business as usual - or almost. Even before the epidemic, staff in the processing plant wore gloves and masks, and disinfected themselves before handling ham. Now, they are divided into teams with rotating shifts, also wear single-use decontamination suits and get their temperature checked. Before the outbreak hit Europe, the fine ham company had launched its second tasting bar in Madrid, and hoped to open others worldwide. But with the global food and restaurant sector in disarray and the future uncertain, Joselito is concerned about how the pandemic will impact people's mindsets, and the Mediterranean way of life in particular. "The worry I and many Mediterraneans have is that this fear makes us change our customs drastically," Gomez said. "That the virus causes us to gradually lose our traditions." To stimulate dialogue and, the firm hopes, dispel this anxiety, it plans a series of podcasts examining the future of the food and restaurant sector. "We want to speak with people from all over the industry and as many countries as possible, to see... where we're headed," Gomez said. (Reporting and writing by Clara-Laeila Laudette; additional reporting by Elena Rodriguez and Michael Gore; editing by John Stonestreet) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. New Wholesale Model Could Shake Up Airline Distribution Thanks to American Airlines Test With Sabre When British and American legal authorities published rulings on a merger case this month, they also provided a comprehensive, impartial look at how airlines want to change the way they sell tickets. The rulings focused on whether technology companies Sabre and Farelogix should merge. But along the way, they summed up dozens of interviews with experts and leaders at airlines, agencies, and tech vendors worldwide. The rulings suggest that the sector where airlines spend about $9 billion a year is heading in a new direction. The rulings found that large airlines have chosen to cooperate with tech middlemen, despite years of fighting. Yet some airlines will push a new wholesale model to pay travel agencies. The wholesale model would overthrow todays system, where airlines pay tech intermediaries, who, in turn, kick back some of the commissions as incentive payments to agents. The rulings reached opposite verdicts. In the U.S., a federal judge sided with Sabre against the Department of Justice, which had filed an antitrust suit to block Sabres acquisition of Farelogix. In the UK, the regulatory watchdog the Competition and Markets Authority said it would block the merger. The Department of Justice said Tuesday it may seek an injunction to temporarily put hold the merger on hold. Yet looking beyond Farelogixs fate, the two rulings agreed on a lot of trends in airline distribution generally. Get the Latest on Coronavirus and the Travel Industry on Skifts Liveblog The 385-page British decision and the 95-page U.S. court verdict summarized views from dozens of experts. The experts said cooperation is the new watchword for corporate bookings. Most airlines and travel agencies will now spend most of their energies cooperating with Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport, the so-called global distribution systems (GDSes), through something called GDS pass-through. The GDS pass-through works roughly like this. Airlines take on the work of packaging the different aspects of travel, such as the route, type of seat, flight schedule, availability, and price information from various computer databases. They push that information to agencies. In other words, airlines take more control over how their offers, meaning plane tickets and other products, appear on the reservation systems that travel agents use. Story continues Until now, Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport have been responsible for creating the offer. By taking over offer creation themselves, airlines can control what travel buyers see, such as branded fares. An example of a branded fare is Air New Zealands Economy SkyCouch, which lets long-haul flyers buy more than one seat so they can lie sideways to sleep. Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport have said they arent opposed to airlines handling offer creation, a turnabout from a few years ago. They have said they agree that airline displaying those branded offers on agency reservation systems will encourage more travelers to buy upsells, like extra legroom. They have implied that higher transaction prices, on average, benefits everyone in the sector, though they couch this message in language about providing more choice to consumers. A New Wholesale Model Interests Airlines The fight over airline distribution is more about costs than technology. Airlines prefer taking over the task of creating offers because they want Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport to charge lower commissions. After all, airlines are doing more of the work in the new process. American Airlines has been pushing for a wholesale model of payments to match the pass-through model, the U.S. ruling found. Under the wholesale model, the airline, not the global distribution system, pays the travel agency an incentive. The travel agency pays the global distribution system a fee for each booking made via the reservation system, which the tech companies run. The wholesale model can save airlines money. American Airlines estimated that it had achieved cost savings of $66 million a year by shifting online travel agencies that book via Sabre to the wholesale model, according to carriers testimony cited in the U.S. ruling. Airlines are still willing to pay the global distribution systems for handling other functions. They prefer the vendors to bear the burden of managing consumer searches made on online travel companies, for instance. Another new model related to pass-through is the so-called private channel, which has been around since 2017. Airlines may provide different content to travel agencies that take part in their private channels. Some airlines add surcharges for bookings made outside of their private channels as a way to lure agencies to join. Sometimes airlines pay lower or no incentive fees to agencies within the channel. So far, the distribution companies have found ways to maintain their gross profit with private channels, according to a 91-page report by analyst John King at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in October. That suggests the tech giants will continue to support the trend. Yet airlines and tech companies are still fighting over commercial terms for the wholesale model and private channels. Airlines want to stop paying a relatively fixed booking fee for volume sold. They would prefer a distribution model that more tightly rewards tech companies and travel agencies when they deliver more profitable outcomes for the airlines, said King. Airlines want tools that help coax travelers to buy upsells and more expensive products. Another side effect to watch is that private channels and the wholesale model may lead to more consolidation among travel management companies, especially in Europe, as bigger players will be able to negotiate for volume discounts. Which Tech Players Stand to Gain Most? You would think that if airlines believe they can make more money through these new processes, tech vendors would be rushing to deliver the latest tools. But the opposite seems to be taking place. Even before the pandemic, many suppliers of technology to the airline industry were struggling, the rulings found. The UK watchdog used a variety of methods to figure out who the most influential tech players are in offering airline merchandising. They looked at who competed in and won airline contracts since 2016. They surveyed a couple of dozen airlines. They looked at strategy and marketing documents from various companies. The UK ruling found that Farelogix, Amadeus, OpenJaw, and PROS had the sturdiest positions. Airlines seldom took a dozen other vendors seriously, the UK and U.S. rulings found, despite claims by Sabre and Amadeus that they face competition from about a dozen other vendors. Different tech vendors have different specialties. But few focus on the merchandising function that is key to the GDS-bypass and offer creation. The two rulings found that Amadeus, the travel technology giant based in Madrid, remains the best-capitalized company to offer merchandising solutions. But as of now, its service requires airlines to use its passenger service systems, an operational software suite. Amadeus doesnt sell its merchandising tools on their own, which some airlines prefer. Farelogix is the next most competitive service in merchandising, the rulings found. It stands out for letting airlines use its tools regardless of which passenger service system they use. OpenJaw had the next-most-competitive reputation for merchandising, the U.K. ruling implied. The companys ownership by Chinas state-backed travel tech giant TravelSky concerned a few Western airlines, the UK ruling found. The UK authorities said they didnt think OpenJaw would likely to grow materially from its current competitive position in the field of merchandising. However, that view conflicted with the companys statements that it aimed to grow its presence in merchandising and distribution solutions and that five surveyed airlines considered OpenJaw would become stronger in merchandising. Another alternative to Farelogix in the market for so-called merchandising tech is PROS (Pricing and Revenue Optimization Solutions). This airline operational software company has a core business of selling pricing, revenue management, and e-commerce optimization tools to airlines. PROS has focused its merchandising solution at powering airline.com bookings, though. It has limited ambitions to work with global distribution systems, the UK ruling found. ITA Software also had potential strength as a player in merchandising. But the Google-owned company only supplies a merchandising solution to two airlines. Other carriers use ITA for its tools for shopping fares. ITA doesnt appear to have a strong intention to improve its merchandising solutions, the UK ruling found. Datalex is another player in merchandising. But Datalexs accounting scandal and its loss of Lufthansa have hurt it, the UK ruling found. Datalex has not won any new customers since these financial problems arose, the ruling said. Sabre said in late 2018 that, if it didnt buy Farelogix, it would need a few years to build merchandising solutions comparable to what Farelogix, Amadeus, and others offer. Travelport, which is a major distribution system, does offer private channels and enhanced branding for airlines via its reservation systems. But it doesnt sell airlines tools for them to manage offer creation in the way others do. Note: the rulings evaluated the relevant strengths of players in merchandising, not their strengths as businesses. A Chance to Change the Distribution Game Its surprising how little momentum exists to provide a function that airlines say would boost their revenue and profit margins. Merchandising tech isnt the only thing needed to improve how airlines and travel agencies handle tickets, but its a significant one. The pace of change has been slow. Why? Airlines and travel tech companies run closed systems, and theyve optimized these systems for efficiency, rather than agility. Yet agility is now crucial. The sector will suffer unless airlines and tech vendors improve at upselling travelers, providing more relevant offers, and pricing products and services in real-time rather than with todays frequent lags, the UK ruling implied. Compared with other industries, such as retail e-commerce, innovation processes in the distribution of air travel services started comparatively late and, in some cases, have lagged far behind their technical possibilities, according to a filing made for the UK ruling by the consultancy Aviation Competition Law Research. The contrast with sectors outside of travel is sharp. Companies like Amazon and Alibaba are reshaping digital retail. Consumers expect booking travel to become as seamless. So large network airlines risk losing some business to upstart airlines that use more modern technologies. These carrier increasingly cross-sell tickets via so-called virtual interlining technology from companies like Dohop and AeroCRS. They also risk a tech player entering the fray and disrupting them by overlaying a service on top of the sectors outdated technology. A potential case in point: Top-tier venture capital firm Benchmark thinks it has spotted an opportunity by supporting next-generation distribution startup Duffel. While Duffel doesnt sell merchandising tools to airlines, 20 airlines have signed up to use its distribution services in a sign of how the sector could be more disrupted. To keep pace, airlines must upgrade their ways of distributing their content. For an update on that effort, see our Thursday story Airline Direct Selling Through Travel Agencies May Prove Its Worth After the Crisis. Here are the UK Competition and Markets Authority final ruling and the U.S. Delaware District Court ruling: Download (PDF, 2.88MB) Download (PDF, 2.48MB) Subscribe to Skift newsletters for essential news about the business of travel. For almost a week, the prime ministers office has been planning for a return to normalcy in Israel, and the plan is expected to be formalized at a cabinet meeting on April 18. At that time, the government is expected to make an official decision to reactivate the Israeli economy gradually, in stages. However, the plans could change as two upcoming events play out. This first is Israeli Independence Day on April 28. Traditionally, Israelis celebrate the date with gala events in the cities and picnics in the countryside. This year, the same closure and curfew policies in place over Passover will be enforced. The second major event is the Muslim month of Ramadan, which begins April 23. The holiest month in the Islamic calendar is celebrated with special prayers in mosques and the evening iftar meal to break each day of fasting. Unlike the Jewish holiday, which lasts just one day, Ramadan is a month-long event, and therefore poses more complicated challenges. Over the last few days, there has been a worrying rise in the number of cases among the Arab sector, particularly in two hotspots: the towns of Deir al-Asad in the Galilee and Umm al-Fahm in the Triangle region. An investigation by the Ministry of Health had found that the outbreak in Deir al-Asad seems to be related to a kosher food supervisor who visited a large poultry processing plant in the town. One solution now under investigation is imposing a curfew on the village and isolating any infected cases in a hotel up north. In Umm al-Fahm, the municipality stated that it did everything it could to prevent the spread of the virus, but the results arent encouraging. As of April 16, the number of confirmed cases in the village is 55. Knesset member Yousef Jabareen, who lives in Umm al-Fahm, has long been warning about a dearth of testing among the Arab population. In a conversation with Al-Monitor, he noted that while testing facilities serving the Jewish population have already received 210,000 tests, those serving the Arab sector, which makes up 21% of the population, received about 20,000. He worries that this discrepancy will have serious consequences. As a result, he contends that great care should be taken in preparing for Ramadan by civilians and the authorities alike. The Ministry of Health and the Homefront Command describe Ramadan internally as Passover x30 and have given it the codename Nights of Ramadan. Their exotically named operation will involve more than just strict enforcement measures, with tight cooperation between the IDF, the Arab local authorities and Knesset members from the Joint List. A possible complete military and police closure on Arab towns and villages along with several other strict measures make this operation quite different from what took place among the Jewish population during the week-long festival of Passover. If necessary, it will be much more difficult to enforce for as long as 30 days. As a first step, a war room has been set up in the Arab village of Shfaram. Meetings take place there daily between the Committee of Arab Mayors and Ayman Sayyaf, head of the Coronavirus Directorate for the Arab population in the Interior Ministry. One major decision that has already been made is to foster cooperation between the Arab mayors and heads of local councils and the IDFs Homefront Command. It is no exaggeration to say that this is a historic case of cooperation between the IDF and Arab society. Before any step is taken, the chief of the Homefront Command consults with the local authorities. The Homefront Command has recruited about 80 reservists, all of them Arab speakers, to coordinate the distribution of 200,000 food packages to needy families for Ramadan. In addition to this work on the ground, the Homefront Command has also created a website with comprehensive information delivered by Arab celebrities. There are animated videos to explain to children why Ramadan is being celebrated at home this year, instead of with extended family. Surprisingly, the videos went viral even from a Facebook page with IDF and Homefront Command logos on it. In this war against a common enemy, things that once seemed impossible have become routine. We have already come to an understanding that this is war, in every sense of the term, against an enemy that does not distinguish between Jews and Arabs, Homeland Command's commander for Israel's non-Jewish population, Col. Shams Abu-Faras (res.), told Ynet in an interview. He said that the biggest problem is the response of the younger generation of Arab Israelis. A great deal of care must be taken with any information targeting them. And since it is especially difficult to change habits revolving around a family holiday, the focus will be on religious messages derived from Islam that speak of reciprocity and mutual responsibility, highlighting Ramadan as a month of tolerance and understanding. As for the prayer services, which begin at sunrise, the Homefront Command says that the Committee of Arab Mayors asked the imams to issue a fatwa allowing the main prayers to take place in the home. Loudspeakers in the mosques used for the call to prayer will be made louder throughout the 30 days of Ramadan. To enforce a curfew or closure in Arab localities during Ramadan, national service volunteers who have been working with the local authorities since the start of the pandemic will be brought into the towns to help enforce restrictions and explain to the need to prevent infection. The majority of Arab Israelis are not drafted into the IDF. For years, Israels national service authorities have made concerted efforts to recruit young Arab men and women to volunteer where needed, such as hospitals, schools and daycare centers for the elderly, as well as to work with impoverished families and children with disabilities. To date, there has been very little interest among the Arab population. Tensions between the Arab and Jewish populations have been high, especially during the Netanyahu years. Incitement against the Arab population has always been an obstacle. Remarkably, this global pandemic has been able to do what years of intense efforts by groups dreaming of Arab-Jewish cooperation have never been able to achieve. There are two more issues that will need to be handled on the basis of how the disease progresses and the rate of infection among the Arab community. The first involves the possibility of a serious outbreak among the Arab population during Ramadan. If this happens, decisions will have to be made about how soldiers and police will enforce the closure, and whether it will be imposed selectively on certain villages or on the entire Arab population. So far the plan is to look at each case and every locality individually. If it is necessary to bring large forces into an infected town or village, it will be preceded by an information campaign letting the residents know the exact steps that will be taken. Only then will uniformed forces be brought in, accompanied by Arab volunteers who will distribute holiday gifts in addition to helping enforce the restrictions. The second issue would also require a creative solution. Current plans foresee major restrictions being lifted in Jewish towns and villages in May. But these restrictions will not be lifted in Arab towns before Ramadan concludes with the feast of Eid al-Fitr. The decision will be informed by what happens when the restrictions are lifted among the Jewish population and the scope of the outbreak among the Arab community is seen. Thiruvananthapuram, April 17 : An economist turned State Finance Minister Thomas Issac was least pleased after hearing the Friday statement of the RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das and said this was not going to be of any good to Kerala. He demanded that either Das or Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should answer their concerns. Issac told the media that in this new package that has come out, Kerala will only get "Rs 729 crores additional when we draw under the Ways and Means segment which has been raised to 60 per cent". "This once drawn will have to be repaid quickly also. What I want to ask, is there is no mention about waiving of the agricultural loans and not even any mention of a moratorium. The present moratorium of three months means nothing, as the interest will return and it would be of no use. Also, existing loans to all small traders and business should be restructured. I wish the Centre takes up these, if not, it won't help any," said Issac. Issac said the need of the hour was that Kerala should be allowed to increase its borrowing from three to five per cent and through this the state will get about Rs 18,000 crores. "The decision to provide institutions like Nabard financial assistance would be really good," said Issac. Former State Planning Board member C.P. John described the RBI directives as a very bold one. "The reduction of reverse repo rates is hugely welcome as it will bring more liquidity, but the announcement by the RBI Governor's statement that the GDP will reach seven per cent is a bit sketchy. In this aspect, this is like a politician's statement," said John, a leading opposition politician in Kerala. State Planning Board member and an academic K.N. Harilal said the move to allow more money for commercial banks will see more credit being given and will help the economy. "Institutions like Nabard, SIDBI and NHB are quite capable of handling situations like this in their area of work and will be looking to pump in the money," said Harilal. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Protests have broken out at a Mexico border town over potential coronavirus infections and deaths at the manufacturing plants of US companies Lear, Honeywell and Regal Beloit, it was reported on Thursday. More than 80 people have tested positive, and 19 have died, in Ciudad Juarez across the border from El Paso, Texas. Several Mexican workers for Lear Corporation, a Michigan car seat maker, have died from respiratory illness while one worker from the Juarez plant of Honeywell International Inc died after self-quarantining and receiving medical attention, the companies confirmed in statements to Reuters. The deaths are among the concerns of Mexican workers protesting over deteriorating conditions at plants and factories operating during the coronavirus lockdowns. Lear said it had ceased all employee-related activities by April 1 in Ciudad Juarez, a day after the Mexican government declared a health emergency that forced companies to cease non-essential operations. "We are saddened that several employees at our Juarez City operations, who were receiving medical treatment at the same local government social security hospital in Juarez, have passed away, due to complications of respiratory illness," the company said in the statement. As protests broke out at Honeywell on Thursday, the company closed the site for 48 hours to sanitize the area. They said in a statement to the company was "deeply saddened" to learn that one of its workers had died. Authorities had not confirmed if the cause of death was related to Covid-19. "The products we manufacture at our sites are part of Mexico's critical infrastructure necessary to maintain essential activities and services including hospitals, health centres, laboratories, paramedics, and police and fire stations," Honeywell said. Workers protested outside a manufacturing factory run by Regal Beloit, a Wisconsin-based company that produces electric motors for appliances, on Wednesday. A protester who identified himself as a Regal Beloit employee said a colleague who had been working at the plant died on Wednesday night. "There are infected workers and we are not being told," he told Reuters. A group of 25 migrant workers, who travelled around 62 km on foot amid the nationwide lockdown, were held at a check gate in North Garo Hills district of Meghalaya while they were trying to enter Assam, their home state, a police officer said on Friday. The group, which include four women and as many children, started their arduous journey from the coal-rich village of Shallang in West Khasi Hills district a few days ago in the hope of reaching home. "The workers hail from Goalpara district of Assam. They used internal routes and jungles to avoid being detected by policemen at various check points. But, the team were finally stopped at the Dainadubi check gate," North Garo Hills police chief Abraham T Sangma said. The district administration has taken them to a relief camp and provided food and shelter, officials said. The group will stay there till movement of people between states is allowed again, they said. Many such workers from West Khasi Hills and South Garo Hills have earlier been spotted at Dainadubi and they have been taken to various relief camps, officials said. "We will take a decision after April 20. For now, they will be sheltered in relief camps," North Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner S C Sadhu said. Lockdown norms are expected to be relaxed after April 20. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi on Friday donated Rs 5 lakh each to the Kerala and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Public Relief Funds to aid the fight against the novel coronavirus. The senior lawyer also donated Rs 5 lakh to the Supreme Court Advocate on Record Association for providing one-time non-refundable relief of Rs 10,000 to 50 needy lawyers. Dwivedi had earlier donated Rs 1 crore to the Prime Minister Citizens' Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situation (PM CARES) fund to aid the fight against COVID-19. He had said the problems being faced by poor people and migrant workers are grave and people should come forward to help them by donating to the prime minister's fund. The lawyer had also donated 15,000 N95 masks to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Social distancing is a big topic of conversation in Savannah Weir's kindergarten classroom. "Kids, they read adults pretty well, if they see you are OK with it, then they will just follow suit," she said. When the children have questions, "I just relate it to the book. 'We are trying not to be space invaders, we are staying safe, this is just temporary.'" Weir, 34, is a teacher and coordinator at the YMCA's Kidzlodge Early Learning Center in Clifton Park, one of the many child care facilities holding New York's fragile economy together and enabling front-line workers to battle the global coronavirus pandemic. Day care centers are exempt from the state's business and school closures in order to provide a critical support to emergency personnel and supermarket staff. Weir's competence and positive energy put families at ease despite the uncertainty, according to YMCA Kidzlodge director Deborah Round. "She is just a very positive person ... she just has a great way about her," Round said. "She is very comforting and parents absolutely adore her. She's really what our mission at the Y is all about." Want to read and share more positive stories during the coronavirus pandemic? Join our new Facebook group. Each child has an iPad and Weir helps them do their schoolwork remotely. While the children have some awareness of the COVID-19 outbreak, Weir tries to maintain a sense of normalcy and the smaller class sizes enable her to give each of them plenty of one-on-one time. "It relieves a lot for parents knowing that their kids are getting their kindergarten, just in a different setting," Weir said. Weir shows up while juggling a myriad of personal and parental responsibilities. Weir and her husband live on a farm in Schaghticoke with their two children, seven chickens and a cat. Her 2-year-old, Colton, goes to the the Y during the day, and her 8-year-old daughter, Emmalynn, spends time with cousins, since Weir's in-laws can no longer babysit due to the coronavirus risk. The second-grader at Hoosic Valley Elementary School often comes home with a lot of schoolwork. "It's actually starting to get really complicated," Weir said. "I get home and have to help her with her homework and then I do the same thing at work. Recently, I've started, being the educator that I am, thinking, did I made the right choice not being at home educating my child, relying on others to fill in that gap?" Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Knowing the challenges of remote learning first-hand, Weir pushed for electronics to be allowed in the classroom, so that parents can check one more task off their to-do list, she said. In addition to supporting essential workers, Weir is in regular contact with families whose kids are staying home due to the pandemic. She sends her cooped-up students books to read and provides reassurance to their parents. "My advice to parents is to keep a schedule," Weir said. "Even for my own daughter ... having the same schedule as school or day care, and even being able to check off where they are on their schedule, that helps a lot." While children are screened for symptoms daily, children can be silent carriers and Weir is well aware of the risks. Teachers at the Kidzlodge have spent hours breaking down and cleaning every part of the classroom, Weir said, and she feel totally comfortable and safe with "her kids." "It's just my kids, I know them," Weir said. " If something was different or off, I would be able to detect it." MANILA Troops on the trail of the leader of the Islamic State in the Philippines clashed Friday with his insurgents, setting off an hourlong firefight that left 11 soldiers dead, the military said. Philippine soldiers were on combat patrol in Patikul, a jungle-dense island in the extreme southern province of Sulu, when they came upon 40 heavily armed militants and touched off a fierce gun battle, said Marine Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, the armed forces spokesman. The militants belonged to Abu Sayyaf, an extremist group that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and that is notorious for kidnapping and beheading foreign hostages. Tragedy struck at the popular Muda Lawal market in Bauchi state as a 5-year-old boy was consumed in a wild inferno which broke out at the popular market on Thursday. The chairman of the market, Baba Magaji while giving an account of how the fire stated said, the fire started from a truck which was parked within the market premises. The fire started from a truck carrying mattresses that parked in the market since yesterday. Most of the eyewitnesses said that there a Keke Napep that parked closed to the truck, started the fire as a result of an electric spark Read Also: BREAKING: Fire Razes Dugbe Market In Ibadan We recorded huge losses in the fire outbreak. A five-year-old boy, who was sleeping in one of the shops in the market during the fire incident, died. So far, 17 shops, 8 cars, 11 motorcycles, and 1 Keke Napep were burnt in the inferno. Some of the youths threw stones at the vehicle of the fire service because they were angry they arrived late at the scene of incident. It took the intervention of the security agents to calm the situation.. Continuing his tirade against the World Health Organisation (WHO), US President Donald Trump on Friday, took to Twitter to question why the WHO ignored an email from Taiwanese health officials in late December about Coronavirus (COVID-19). He continued to question why WHO did not take decisive action in January and February, quoting yet another Fox News anchor. Trump himself has been criticised by all for halting funding to WHO amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has hit the US the hardest. New York extends COVID shutdown till May 15 after 10 states form pact to 'reopen states' Trump continues attacking WHO Why did the W.H.O. Ignore an email from Taiwanese health officials in late December alerting them to the possibility that CoronaVirus could be transmitted between humans? Why did the W.H.O. make several claims about the CoronaVirus that ere either inaccurate or misleading.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020 COVID-19: Donald Trump unveils 3-phase plan to reopen US economy Trump introduces 3-phase opening up plan for US Earlier in the day, the White House released a three-phase plan to re-open America for rejuvenation of economy, once states fulfill a particular set of conditions. Phase one included vulnerable individuals to remain at home and public gatherings will be restricted to 10 people, with employers encouraging to work remotely and allowing limited essential travel. While bars will remain shut, gyms will be allowed to open along with hospitals resuming the elective surgeries. In phase 2 states showing no evidence of a rebound", the number of people allowed will be increased to 50, keeping vulnerable people confined to their homes, but opening schools and youth activities, along with bars. In phase 3, states showing no cases of re-infections, vulnerable individuals will be allowed in public, staffing at full capacity and bars will be allowed to operate with a larger capacity. Currently, the US has 6,79,752 cases with around 34,705 deaths. COVID-19: China slams Trump's attack on WHO; reminds 'One-China' policy on Taiwan feud Trump and China-WHO Trump has claimed that WHO was very China-centric, before temporarily halting the US' funding of the World Health Organization (WHO) as it "failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable". In response, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged the United States to join with China in combating the disease rather than indulging in a blame game saying 'If you don't want many more body bags, then you refrain from politicising it'. Backing WHO, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Spokesperson said that the US State Department was speaking with political motives and neglecting facts. Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Virus' growth rate declines to 1.2 in April; cases at 13835 Trump and Coronavirus Trump who had earlier downplayed Coronavirus's effects - terming it a 'Chinese virus', has now called it the 'worst thing to hit the US'. The USA which has overtaken China in the number of positive cases has emerged as the epicenter of the pandemic. While initially, Trump claimed to have the country 'up and running by Easter', he extended its social distancing restrictions till April 30. The White House, which has forecasted over 1,00,000- 2,40,00 deaths in the US, stopped federal funding to states for testing but reversed it after facing a severe backlash. Niger State Police Command has arrested a mother, her son and an accomplice for allegedly attempting to sell a 4-year-old boy for N300,000 in Suleja area of the state. The state Commissioner of Police, Adamu Usman, said the supects identified as Stella Idris, 46, her son, Miracle, 16, and Ebube Ebuka, 18, were arrested for attempting to sell 4-year-old Abdulrahaman Bello. Usman said the suspects were arrested following a complaint lodged by the father of the boy, Bello Umar, on the 6th of April, 2020, that his son had been missing since the 2nd of April. The the three suspects were arrested while in an attempt to sell him at the rate of N300,000 in Suleja. The police said the victim was rescued unhurt and the alleged buyer is still on the run, while the case is under investigation. ALSO READ: Nigerian Police Officer And His Mum Comes Out Unhurt After Their Car Sommersaulted 3 Times By Sinead Cruise LONDON (Reuters) - Sherborne Investors said on Thursday it would withhold its vote to reappoint Barclays Chief Executive Jes Staley in the bank's annual general meeting to prevent fresh boardroom turmoil as the bank grapples with the COVID-19 fallout. The rebel shareholder said it still believed Staley "to be unsuitable to continue" as a director of the bank but it had chosen "with great reluctance" not to vote against him in recognition of the "complexity of the management situation" presented by the pandemic. "It can be tempting, especially during a crisis, to compromise ethical or moral standards on the basis that 'the trains must run on time'", Sherborne said. "Under the Stewardship Code, institutional shareholders should publicly disclose their rationale for voting decisions, and we believe that a 'withhold' vote would, in the current circumstances, stand up to any reasonable scrutiny." Sherborne, which controls a 5.8% stake in the bank and is its largest investor, also called on the board to announce an orderly succession timetable for Staley. It said ongoing regulatory probes into his relationship with U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein and historic misdeeds including the attempted unveiling of a whistleblower had tainted Barclays by association. A spokesman for Barclays referred Reuters to a Feb. 13 statement in which the bank's board said it was satisfied Staley has been "sufficiently transparent" about the nature and extent of his relationship with Epstein. "Mr. Staley retains the full confidence of the Board, and is being unanimously recommended for re-election at the Annual General Meeting," the statement read. Speaking to reporters in February, Staley said he deeply regretted having had any relationship with Epstein. Barclays is due to hold its AGM on May 7. (Reporting by Sinead Cruise; editing by Dhara Ranasinghe and Nick Macfie) The first stop Frankie Correa made on Monday afternoon was the Leone Funeral Home in the South Slope section of Brooklyn. His aunt, Eva Candelaria, had died that morning of the coronavirus. Everyone thought she would be leaving the hospital this week for assisted living. A daughter was even trying to get a word-search puzzle book to her, expecting her mother to move from one quarantined place to the next. Instead, Mr. Correa was shopping crematories for his aunt. We can take her in May, the man at Leone told him. That seemed like an impossibly long time away. Mr. Correa got back in his car to keep looking. After I left, I began to think about it well, May is only two weeks from now, he said, so he called Leone to find out what that meant. The Cambodian Peoples Party made a clean sweep of the National Assembly election on July 29, 2018, winning all 125 seats in parliament. The election was fought, as observers later put it, in the absence of a legitimate opposition party despite there being 19 other parties on the ballot. Weeks later, on August 23, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced the formation of the Supreme Council for Consultation and Recommendation to house all the small parties. In an instant, Sok Sovann Vathana Sabung was catapulted to the rank of senior minister and his four-month-old political party legitimized as an opposition entity, despite being rejected by the Cambodian electorate. Sok Sovann Vathana Sabung, who is better known for his social media presence as William Guang, created the Khmer Rise Party just 90 days before the general election and secured a total of 0.35 percent of all votes, with even invalid and spoiled ballots totaling more votes than his party received. The move was seen by analysts as a ploy by the CPP government to install smaller and generally lesser-known parties into an official forum that has little to no power and is not accountable to the Cambodian people. Vathana Sabung was mildly popular for Facebook live streams where he talked about topics like corruption, Vietnamese immigrants, injustice, and land disputes. Earlier this month, VOA Khmer met Vathana Sabung in his palatial office, covered in faux gilded furniture, a large chandelier, and scarlet red carpeting. A window in the back provides some respite from the gold glow emanating from shiny carvings and trim. The senior minister pushed back at suggestions that small parties were made to come onboard to legitimize the ruling partys assertion that Cambodia remained a multi-party democracy, despite having a one-party parliament. All Senate seats are all occupied by the CPP. I do not even know Mr. Hun Sen in person,'' Vathana Sabung said. Why would he have a business in helping me? The KRPs political activities are solely financed by the party members. Unperturbed by accusations that the Supreme Council for Consultation and Recommendation was not an independent and legitimate consultative body, Vathana Sabung is uncompromising in his belief that he is part of a functioning democracy. The most appreciative thing is that we can implement democracy to its fullest, Vathana Sabung said. The consultative body was seemingly required to fill the massive void left by the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which at its peak occupied 44 percent of the National Assembly, 20 percent of the Senate and 30 percent of commune chief positions, and was led by experienced politicians who spoke articulately about public policy. Following the CNRPs dissolution by government court order in 2017, both houses of parliament and all commune chief positions were occupied only by Hun Sens CPP, barring one commune chief position in Banteay Meanchey province. The decision to set up the government consultancy body potentially can be linked to Cambodias dramatic geopolitical swing towards China, which is now its chief patron and investor. It is not hard to see the similarities in the ad hoc Supreme Council in Cambodia and the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) made up of the mainland Chinas little-known political parties, academia and representatives of the private sector. There is little doubt over the inefficacy of the Chinese version of this council, with state-owned Xinhua calling it neither a body of state power nor a policymaking organ, but at the same time asserting it enables democratically participating in state affairs. If the CPPCC is like [the Supreme Council for Consultation and Recommendation], then it is just another tool by the ruling parties to neutralize all opposition, said Sophal Ear, an associate professor at the Occidental College in Los Angeles. Sad. But the reality is, this is a smokescreen for democracy, which was long-ago gutted. Another prominent member of the consultancy body is Kong Monika, who heads the Khmer Will Party. While himself new to politics, Kong Monikas family is deeply tied to Cambodia's rough-and-tumble political chess board of the past 25 years. His father, Kong Koam, is a veteran politician who defected from the CPP many years ago and then headed the Sam Rainsy Party. Kong Monikas brother, Kong Bora, was a former CNRP lawmaker and in early 2019 defected to the CPP taking up a position in the Agriculture Ministry, according to local media reports. This is in contrast to the third brother, Kong Saphea, who was brutally beaten in 2015 outside the National Assembly by a mob allegedly linked to Prime Minister Hun Sens Bodyguard Unit. Speaking at the Khmer Will Party headquarters, which previously housed Sam Rainsys nom de guerre party, Kong Monika viewed the new consultancy body as an incubator for fledgling political parties. He admitted, though, that he had to keep communicating with party supporters who were skeptical that he would turn into a sycophant of the ruling party. He said his party joined the ostensibly named Supreme Council to gain experience to challenge the bigger parties. My party is just like a fresh graduate seeking job opportunities, where we will be asked if we had previous professional experiences to be recruited, he said. Kong Monika does seem cognizant of the reasons behind the creation of the council, admitting that the ruling party was looking to soften the glaring image of a one-party parliament, while allowing for minimal checks and balances on the executive. But, he said that the existence of the consultancy body and the small parties participation was better than nothing. The legitimizing of smaller parties was critical to keeping any other opposition movement in check, said Astrid Noren-Nilsson, who studies Cambodian politics at Lund University in Sweden. It introduced a new-old formula for consensual politics, to counteract the reemergence of contentious politics - however unlikely that was and still is, Noren-Nilsson said. As Britain's most beloved vet, James Herriot's delightfully honest and at times hilarious reminiscences of a vet's life in 1930s Yorkshire charmed millions and were turned into a long-running hit BBC series. In the final part of our exclusive reprint there's blood-soaked drama in Darrowby in this last gloriously evocative extract from the James Herriot stories, as two crooks mistake a wagging tail for a sign of friendship... 'Nice dog,' I said, as I examined the big animal on the table. He was making a grumbling sound up front, but it was good to see the waving, friendly tail even though he couldn't have been enjoying my close attention to his rear end. 'I'm glad his tail is wagging.' 'Aye, but ' old Mrs Coates began, but she was too late. As I moved forward to look at his eyes, the dog, to my astonishment, turned on me, all teeth and snarling lips, and made a ferocious grab at my face. My evasive technique has become polished over the years, but I only just avoided a nasty wound. 'Stop it, Wolfie!' screamed his mistress. 'Just behave, or I'll give you such a smackin', that I will!' The big animal subsided under her scolding and I took a step back out of harm's way. 'You know, Wolfie is remarkable,' I said, looking at him, wide-eyed. 'His tail is still wagging like mad and yet he's growling and showing his teeth as if he'd like to tear me to bits.' 'Aye, that's t'trouble, Mr Herriot. He's allus givin' people the wrong impression. They think he's that good-natured when they see 'im waggin', then they get a shock.' 'Well, he certainly had me fooled, Mrs Coates. 'He's the only dog I've ever seen that wags and growls at the same time. Depends which end you look at, doesn't it?' The old lady had brought Wolfie in because she was concerned that he was dragging himself along on his backside. A few days later I happened to be passing her home in a row of council bungalows so I thought I'd check how his treatment was going. 'He's champion,' Mrs Coates said. 'Never shuffles round on 'is bottom now.' 'Oh, that's good,' I said. 'It's an unpleasant thing for a dog.' She caught my arm. 'Ah've got summat else to tell you. Ah've had thieves in!' 'Oh no, those two men?' I replied. I'd heard about the pair of con artists who'd been going into the homes of decent old folks and robbing them of their precious few pounds. James Herriot's books were transformed into a long-running BBC TV series and continue to entertain thousands of Britons 'Aye, but listen!' she said excitedly. 'One of them fellers was talkin' to me and t'other was in the kitchen with Wolfie. I heard 'im sayin', 'Nice doggie, nice doggie', then there was a terrible yell and a scuffle and the feller went past the parlour door screamin', with Wolfie hangin' on to 'is backside. 'The other 'un ran off, too, but Wolfie caught 'im just as he was goin' through the door and he didn't half holler out! Last thing I saw was the two of them runnin' for their lives down t'street with Wolfie after them.' She reached into the corner of the fireplace and handed me a jagged piece of blood-stained cloth, obviously from the seat of a man's trousers. 'Wolfie brought that back with 'im.' I laughed so much that I had to lean against the mantelpiece. 'Oh, what a lovely story. I bet we'll never see those two around here again.' 'Nay, nay, that we won't.' She put her head in her hands and giggled. 'Eee, I can't help laughin' when I think of that feller saying, 'Nice doggie, nice doggie.' James Herriot on his farm in Yorkshire. Pictured here with one of his beloved pups 'Yes, it's very funny,' I said. 'He must have been looking at the wrong end.' While Wolfie's benign appearance belied his fierce nature, the opposite was true of Jingo, a formidable-looking bull terrier who could hardly have been gentler with his beloved but sometimes trying companion, an ageing corgi named Skipper. At three years old, Jingo was at the height of his strength and power when his owner Jack Sanders brought him in. He had torn his skin on some barbed wire and looked stolidly ahead throughout the suturing, despite his inseparable friend, Skipper, gnawing gently at his hind leg. It was odd to see two dogs on the table at once, but I knew the relationship between them and had made no comment as their master hoisted them both up. 'Maybe this'll teach you to avoid barbed wire fences in future, Jing,' I said as I finished stitching. Jack laughed. 'I doubt if it will, Mr Herriot. I thought the coast was clear when I took him down the lane this morning, but he spotted a dog on the other side of the fence and he was through like a bullet. I'll just have to go on scanning the horizon every time I let him off the lead. No dog is safe from him.' 'Except this one, Jack.' I laughed and pointed to the little corgi who had tired of his companion's leg and was now chewing his ear. 'Yes, isn't it marvellous? I think he could bite Jing's ear off without reprisal.' It was indeed rather wonderful. Skipper was 11 years old and showing his age in stiffness of movement and impairment of sight, while the bull terrier was a squat, barrel-chested bundle of muscle. But all Jingo did when the earchewing became too violent was turn and gently engulf Skipper's head in his huge jaws till the little animal desisted. Those jaws could be as merciless as a steel-trap but they held the tiny head in a loving embrace. Ten days later their master brought both dogs back to the surgery for the removal of the stitches. Britain's most beloved vet, James Herriot charmed millions in his books which offered an honest and at times hilarious account of a vet's life in 1930s Yorkshire He looked worried as he lifted them on to the table. 'Jingo isn't at all well, Mr Herriot,' he said. 'He's been off his food for a couple of days and he looks miserable.' I stepped back and looked at the bull terrier. He was strangely disconsolate, tail tucked down, eyes gazing ahead with total lack of interest. Not even the busy nibbling of his friend at one of his paws relieved his apathy. I examined him thoroughly and concluded with sadness that his symptoms were down to leptospirosis, an often fatal disease caught from rats. I did my best to save him with an antileptospiral serum but a few days later Jack rang to tell me that Jingo had died in the night. 'I'm sorry,' I said. 'I did rather expect ...' 'Yes, I know. And thank you for what you did.' It made it worse when people were nice at these times. The Sanderses were a childless couple and devoted to their animals. I knew how he was feeling. 'Anyway, Jack, you've still got Skipper.' It sounded a bit lame, but it did help to have the comfort of one remaining dog, even though he was old. The vet and writer (pictured on his farm in Yorkshire in 1995) charmed millions in his books 'That's right,' he replied. 'We're very thankful for Skipper.' But this thing wasn't over. In the coming month there was a sudden decline in Skipper's health, too. The good news was that he was clear of leptospirosis but for some reason he was refusing to eat and becoming very thin. At first I thought he might be pining for his missing companion but when I heard that he had become incontinent it was like the tolling of a sad bell. Everything pointed to a dog in the last stages of senility. 'I'm sorry,' I told Jack after another visit to the house. 'But I don't think fretting could possibly cause all this. 'Old dogs often go this way at the end. Skipper has just cracked up... he's finished, I'm afraid and I can't think he's getting any pleasure out of his life now.' I could not bring myself to say the fateful words but Jack did it for me. 'I tell you what, Mr Herriot,' he said, taking a long breath. 'Let us think it over tonight and if you don't hear from me by eight o'clock tomorrow morning, please come and put him to sleep.' I had small hope of the call coming and it didn't. But the first thing I saw when I went into the Sanderses' kitchen the next morning was a fat little white puppy waddling across the floor. I looked down in astonishment. 'What's this ...?' Mrs Sanders gave me a strained smile. 'Jack and I had a talk yesterday. We couldn't bear the idea of not having a dog at all, so we went round to Mrs Palmer who bred Jing and found she had a litter for sale. It seemed like fate. We've called him Jingo, too.' 'What a splendid idea!' I lifted the pup which squirmed in my hand and tried to lick my face. This, I felt, would make my unpleasant task easier. I lifted the bottle of anaesthetic unobtrusively from my pocket and went over to the basket in the corner. Skipper was still curled up in the unheeding ball of yesterday and the comforting thought came to me that all I was going to do was push him a little further along the journey he had already begun. I pierced the rubber diaphragm on the bottle with my needle and was about to withdraw the barbiturate when I saw that Skipper had raised his head. Chin resting on the edge of the basket, he seemed to be watching the pup. Wearily his eyes followed the tiny creature as it made its way to a dish of milk and began to lap busily. And there was something in his intent expression which had not been there for a long time. I stood very still as the corgi made a couple of attempts then heaved himself to a standing position. He almost fell out of the basket and staggered on shaking legs across the floor. When he came alongside the pup he remained there, swaying, for some time, a gaunt caricature of his former self, but as I watched in disbelief, he reached forward and seized the little white ear in his mouth. Stoicism is not a characteristic of pups and Jingo the Second yelped shrilly as the teeth squeezed. Skipper, undeterred, continued to gnaw with rapt concentration. I dropped bottle and syringe back in my pocket. 'Bring him some food,' I said quietly. Mrs Sanders hurried to the pantry and came back with a few pieces of meat on a saucer. Skipper continued his ear-nibbling for a few moments then sniffed the pup unhurriedly from end to end before turning to the saucer. He hardly had the strength to chew but he lifted a portion of meat and his jaws moved slowly. 'Good heavens!' Jack burst out. 'That's the first thing he's eaten for days!' His wife seized my arm. 'What's happened, Mr Herriot? We only got the puppy because we couldn't have a house without a dog.' 'Well, it looks to me as though you've got two again.' About eight months later, Jack Sanders came into the surgery and put Jingo Two on the table. He was growing into a fine animal with the wide chest and muscular legs of the breed. His good-natured face and whipping tail reminded me strongly of his predecessor. 'He's got a bit of eczema between his pads,' Jack said, then he bent and lifted Skipper up. At that moment I had no eyes for my patient. All my attention was on the corgi, plump and brighteyed, nibbling at the big white dog's hind limbs with all his old bounce and vigour. 'Just look at that!' I murmured. 'It's like turning the clock back.' Jack laughed. 'Yes, isn't it. They're tremendous friends just like before.' 'Come here, Skipper.' I grabbed the little corgi and looked him over. When I had finished I held him for a moment as he tried to wriggle his way back to his friend. 'Do you know, I honestly think he'll go on for years yet.' 'Really?' Jack looked at me with a mischievous light in his eyes. 'But I seem to remember you saying quite a long time ago that his days were over he was finished.' I held up a hand. 'I know, I know. But sometimes it's lovely to be wrong.' Diddled by the tightest man in Yorkshire In a community where thrift was the norm, the name of a parsimonious poultry farmer named Bogg was a byword for tight-fistedness. One afternoon Mr Bogg approached me in the surgery for some tablets to treat blackhead, a condition frequently affecting his turkeys. 'Look,' he said. 'Ah keep comin' here for fifty or a hundred of them little tablets and it's a flippin' nuisance. I'd rather buy a whole tinful it 'ud save a lot of journeys.' 'Yes, Mr Bogg, you're right,' I replied. 'It would be a much better idea. I'll get you some now.' When I returned from the dispensary I held up the tin. 'This contains a thousand tablets and as it happens it's the only one we have in stock. It has been opened and a few have been taken out but it is virtually a new tin.' 'A few... taken out ...?' I could read the alarm in his eyes at the idea of paying for the full thousand when he was getting less than that. 'Oh, don't worry,' I said. 'There's maybe something like a dozen tablets short no more.' My words failed to reassure him and as he left the surgery he looked gloomy and preoccupied. He was back again that same evening. He rang the bell at about eight o'clock and I faced him on the front doorstep. 'I've just come in to tell ye,' he said. 'I've been counting them tablets and there's nine hundred and eighty-seven.' Some time later, I went to buy a dozen eggs from Mr Bogg. On returning home, I realised I was an egg short. 'Mr Bogg,' I said when I next saw him. 'There were only 11 eggs in last week's lot.' 'Aye, ah knaw,' he replied, fixing me with a steady eye. 'But one of 'em was a double-yolked 'un.' Advertisement ADAPTED from James Herriot's series All Creatures Great And Small, published by Pan Macmillan. James Herriot 1970. Photo credit: U.S. Navy From Popular Mechanics A small force of 11 armed boats belonging to Irans Revolutionary Guards ran circles around a much larger U.S. Navy task force. The tiny speed boats are part of a force designed to intimidate larger ships, or swarm them in combat. Neither side opened fire, but the U.S. ships would have made short work of the speedboats had shooting broke out. A flotilla of armed speed boats belonging to Irans Revolutionary Guards Corps harassed a convoy of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard warships at sea on Wednesday, darting between the larger ships and generally zipping around in an unsafe manner. The boats are part of Irans armed forces patrolling the Persian Gulf. The incident took place among a background of heightened tension between the two countries that included the assassination of a top Iranian general by the U.S. military and the bombardment of a U.S. military base in Iraq by Iranian missiles. Photo credit: U.S. Navy photo The incident took place on April 15 in what the U.S. Navy calls the North Arabian Gulf (and what Iran calls the Persian Gulf). Six U.S. ships, the expeditionary base Lewis B. Puller, guided missile destroyer Paul Hamilton, Patrol boats Firebolt and Sirocco, and the Coast Guard Cutters Wrangell and Maui were sailing in international waters when 11 heavily armed speed boats of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy (IRGCN) intercepted the American flotilla. Photo credit: U.S. Navy photo In a statement on the incident, the U.S. Navy reported: ...the IRGCN vessels repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the U.S. vessels at extremely close range and high speeds, including multiple crossings of the Puller with a 50 yard closest point of approach (CPA) and within 10 yards of Maui's bow. The U.S. 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 maneuvered away from the U.S. ships and opened distance between them. Story continues Video of the incident taken from U.S. ships appears to back the Navys claim. Several small Iranian boats, armed with machine guns, make unsafe passes near the American ships, causing them to blow their horns. Heres one video taken from one of the Cyclone-class patrol boats , either Firebolt or Sirocco. The crewman on the Iranian ship is standing behind an Iranian-manufactured copy of a 12.7 Russian heavy machine gun. One U.S. sailor remarks that the Iranian ships gun is unpinned, meaning it can swivel freely in its mount. Another video of the incident shows an Iranian boat passing the stern of the USS Lewis Puller. As the boat disappears from view, the camera catches two U.S. Army AH-64E Apache attack helicopters on the Puller's flight deck. The two Apaches, part of the Army's Task Force Saber, have spent the last several weeks training to fly from the Pullers large flight deck, using it as a mobile base of operations. The U.S. Navy called the actions dangerous and unprofessional. Irans government issued no official statement but the countrys Foreign Minister posted the following tweet a day after the incident: US Navy cant seem to find its way around our waters. Perhaps because it hasnt figured out its name: Persian Gulf, as it's been called for 2,000 yrs longer than US has existed. Or maybe it doesn't know what it's doing in our backyard, 7,000 miles from home. pic.twitter.com/g05yqSTisi Javad Zarif (@JZarif) August 3, 2018 The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy is a paramilitary organization responsible for both protecting Irans coastline within the Persian/North Arabian Gulf and projecting naval power into it. The IRGCN manages a motley assortment of hundreds, if not thousands of armed speedboats, Boston Whaler-type craft, and other small, fast watercraft. These boats are typically manned by two or three Revolutionary Guardsmen and equipped with 12.7-millimeter /.50 caliber machine guns, RPG rocket propelled grenade launchers, and 107-millimeter multiple rocket launchers. The IRGCN trains to swarm much larger boats, overwhelming them with sheer numbers while inflicting as much damage as possible. Photo credit: AFP - Getty Images The ships on the U.S. side are much larger and pack far greater firepower than their Iranian counterparts. The destroyer Paul Hamilton is equipped with one 5-inch rapid fire deck gun, one 25-millimeter deck gun, four .50 caliber machine guns, and a Phalanx 20-millimeter Gatling gun. Firebolt and Sirocco are at 288 tons the smallest surface combatants in the U.S. Navy, each armed with two 25-millimeter guns, two .50 caliber machine guns, and two Mk. 19 automatic grenade launchers. Even the two Island-class patrol boats mount a 25-millimeter gun and two heavy machine guns. And of course, lets not forget the two AH-64E attack helicopters on Pullers deck. Photo credit: U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric Cerami/DVIDS If shooting had started, the tiny Iranian fleet would have lasted about as long as a television commercial. Fortunately, the Iranians werent there to fight. Instead, they were there to remind the Americans their presence had not gone unnoticed. You Might Also Like AKRON, Ohio Police have arrested an 18-year-old male they believe used Facebook to set up the robbery of a woman who thought he was interested in buying a cell phone. Kevin Grant, of Akron, is being held in the Summit County Jail on two counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of felonious assault, according to jail records. He was arrested at 1 a.m. Thursday on the 1000 block of Wilbur Avenue in South Akron on outstanding warrants. Police believe Grant is one of two males involved in the robbery of a 20-year-old woman in the Firestone Park neighborhood on April 5. Police say the woman went to a Mini Mart on the 1400 block of Aster Avenue at 3:15 p.m. after arranging the meeting on Facebook when a teen male got into her car and pointed a gun at her. A second male approached from the drivers side and tried to get into the car. The woman tells police she gave the male in the car her wallet and two cell phones. The suspects ran from the scene, with one firing a shot, police say. No one was injured in the robbery. More crime-related content on cleveland.com: East Cleveland officer shot man after police say he pulled gun from waistband Cleveland cop accused of chasing, threatening man with gun U.S. marshals task force arrests Cleveland man wanted in deadly shooting Appeals court entertains arguments on whether Jimmy Dimora should receive new trial Huami Corporation, a biometric and activity data-driven company with significant expertise in smart wearable technology, has announced a collaboration with China National Clinical Research Center of Respiratory Disease (NCRCRD) and Guangdong Nanshan Medical Innovation Research Institute which is led by Dr. Nanshan Zhong to build up a smart wearable joint laboratory. Based on Huami smart wearable technology and powerful computing algorithms, the lab aims to help COVID-19 recover patients follow-up care and management through the NCRCRD big data platform. Moreover, the lab would jointly contribute to epidemics prediction and alert systems. With the collaboration among medical institutions, R&D institutions and enterprises, we are excited to leverage our expertise in smart wearable technology to promote applied research and transformation achievements of respiratory health, said Wang Huang, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Huami Technology. Driven by the mission of Connect Health with Technology, Huami is committed to establishing a global health ecosystem including device, data and service, while being the most trusted partner of its users. Since the coronavirus outbreak, Huami has continued the efforts of connecting Health with Technology. The company has donated medical supplies and devices worthy of 11.5million RMB since the COVID-19 Epidemic breakout. Huami also develops a smartwatch for medical staff, featuring easing psychological distress in Wuhan, where the epidemic was first monitored. India is one of the significant markets for Huami Amazfit. The company is making constant contributions here since the outbreak of a pandemic. The company has launched #WorkForDoctors campaign (https://workfordoctors.in) to help hospitals across India with the necessary hygiene essentials supply. The company earlier has announced a donation of high-quality N95 masks & protective suits to multiple Hospitals for helping people fighting against the coronavirus pandemic. Through #WorkForDoctors campaign, the company aims to reach out to hospitals and doctors who are facing a shortage of masks and hygiene essentials. Whatsapp Helpline 91-85954 38550 is receiving constant queries and requests from various doctors across India. Huami has recently donated N95 masks to AIIMS New Delhi, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital New Delhi, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital New Delhi, Human Care Medical Charitable Trust, Dwarka and SN Medical College Agra, CMO Ayodhya Govt Hospital, CMO Noida Hospital, Indian Army Hospital Bhopal, 45 Assam Rifles etc. Kenny Wesley Boyde-Jackson, aka Iman, was said to have received multiple gunshots. An Ottley Hall man became this countrys 9th homicide victim for the year. Police confirmed that they were investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Kenny Wesley Boyde-Jackson, better known as Iman, 49-year-old unemployed of Ottley Hall, and had initially taken up his ex-wife and their son for questioning. They have since been released. THE VINCENTIAN understands that on Thursday, April 9, 2020 about 7:00 pm, Boyde-Jackson was entering his yard when a masked man opened fire, hitting him several times about his body. He was rushed to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) where he later succumbed to his injuries there. At the time of the shooting, Jackson was said to be in the company of his girlfriend. Residents in Ottley Hall told THE VINCENTIAN that Boyde-Jackson was in an argument about two weeks ago with his ex-wife. According to a female who did not want to be identified, Kenny and his ex-wife were in a dispute over the property they once shared. "Dem use to dey and a run business good good in town. Den me na know way happen, dem break up, said the female, adding that about a month ago someone shot "Kenny, bu dis time dem kill um. The police are soliciting information from the general public that will aid with this investigation. Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact the Assistant Commissioner in-charge of Crime at 1784-456-1339, or the Officer in-charge Criminal Investigations Department at 1874-45-61810, or any Police Officer/Station with whom/which that person might be comfortable. All information will be treated confidentially. - Foreign Affairs Raychelle Omamo said the government was engaging China to address the claims of Kenyans being mistreated in Beijing - Africans in China were being blamed for importing coronavirus into Asian nation which reported first case in the world in 2019 - Those affected claimed their plight was aggravated by the fact Kenya's ambassador Sarah Serem was not returning their calls Kenya has expressed concerns over racial abuse meted on Kenyans and other black people living in China as the Asian nation struggles to recover from coronavirus pandemic. Without detailing what action it was mulling over, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had received complaints and was engaging Beijing to address the matter amicably. READ ALSO: Coronavirus update: Kenya records 10 more recoveries, 5 new positive cases President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing in 2019. Kenya has complained over mistreatment of its citizens in China. Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Picha za kuvutia za mrembo aliyeuawa na watoto wa mpango wa kando "The Ministry through its Embassy in Beijing is seized of this matter and has officially expressed concern about these developments and is working with the Chinese authorities to tackle the matter expeditiously,"the ministry said. The blacks were being blamed for importing coronavirus into China which reported first case in Wuhan city in 2019 becoming the epicentre of the global pandemic. Gatundu South MP Kuria asked government to deport all Chinese nationals. Photo: Moses Kuria. Source: Facebook Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo explained China had put in place very stringent measures including mandatory mass testing which resulted to unfair treatment of Africans. "Unfortunately, these measures have in some instances precipitated unfair responses against foreigners particularly of African origin, from some members of the local community in Guangzhou, especially landlords," she said. Foreign Affairs CS Omamo said Kenya was in engagement with China over claims Kenyans were being mistreated. Photo: Kenya Defense Forces. Source: Facebook Kenyans in China who spoke to Citizen TV on the night of Thursday, April 9, claimed their plight was aggravated by the fact Beijing ambassador Sarah Serem was not returning their calls. However, Omamo encouraged all Kenyans to remain in touch with the embassy either directly or through their community leaders. "Our embassy in Beijing remains available to attend to any challenges that may arise and to do so in liaison with the Chinese authorities," she urged. Following the allegations, various Kenyan leaders demanded immediate deportation of all Chinese nationals. "It is only fair that all Chinese nationals leave the country with immediate effect," the MP wrote on his Facebook page. How do you blame Africans for a virus you manufactured in a Wuhan laboratory? Go back home," Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria said. On his part, Bungoma senator Moses Wetang'ula said it was unfortunate that Kenyans were receiving callous treatment in China yet Kenya was home to many of its citizens. "As the government of Kenya allows its friends to airlift their nationals from Kenya, it must also evacuate Kenyans from those countries like China," added Wetang'ula. 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. Three kenyans great invention that will fight covid-19 | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Flash Dr. Yok Yee Chan, consul general of the Republic of Fiji in Shanghai, applauded the nationwide self-isolation efforts in China, as well as the Chinese people's adherence to the control and prevention measures, during a recent online interview with China.org.cn. "It is this solidarity and common commitment that resulted in China's effective containment of the spread of COVID-19," said Dr. Chan. "The effective leadership and governance structure across all levels of government, and the selfless devotion and sacrifice of the frontline medical staff, civil servants, volunteers and community leaders played a critical role in the successful fight against COVID-19 in China," Dr. Chan noted. Dr. Chan told China.org.cn that like most people in Shanghai, since the outbreak of COVID-19, she stayed home throughout February and most of March, using online shopping and video-conferencing apps to manage her living and working arrangements. "I only went outdoors when it was absolutely necessary, and wore a face mask all the time," Dr. Chan added. In addition to China's fight against COVID-19, Dr. Chan also introduced the containment efforts being made by Fijian authorities. Fiji confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus on March 19. Statistics from the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University show that, as of April 16, the number of COVID-19 cases in Fiji stands at 17. "Treated in isolation and under medical observation, all patients in Fiji are in a stable condition, and so far, there have been no deaths recorded," Dr. Chan explained. "Given the relatively small number of confirmed cases in Fiji, and that the Fijian government has implemented very effective containment measures nationwide, we have the capacity to cope with the situation." According to Dr. Chan, fever clinics have been set up by the Fijian government in major hospitals across the country, and a National COVID-19 Coordination Committee has been established to monitor the situation and make recommendations to the government. Other measures have also been implemented, such as contact tracing and a consequent 14-day quarantine; an extensive travel ban; lockdowns of specific affected areas; and the closure of schools, most businesses and non-essential services. In addition, a national curfew is currently in place in the country from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. "The various control measures are reviewed constantly and where necessary, adjusted to suit the changing situation," Dr. Chan said. Meanwhile, Dr. Chan noted that pandemics were a common enemy of mankind which require global solidarity, cooperation and collective effort. "During the current worldwide crisis, it is not right to engage in finger-pointing or playing blame games," Dr. Chan appealed. Likewise, as Fiji has become a popular destination for tourism and business in the eyes of many Chinese people, Dr. Chan also shed light on the multicultural nature of society of Fiji, especially during this current difficult time. "Foreigners, including Chinese nationals, who are in Fiji legally for business or tourism, are treated with respect and in accordance with Fijian laws with little difference from local residents," she added. As for her hopes for the future, Dr. Chan said she looked forward to the gradual return to normalcy in Shanghai and the rest of China. "I also sincerely hope the pandemic will end soon throughout the rest of the world," Dr. Chan said. "Then, we can rekindle our relationships and focus on rebuilding the global economy." April 17, 2020 POCATELLO Idaho State University business senior Sophia Perry, double majoring in marketing and management, has been honored as the ISU Outstanding Employee of the Year by the ISU Career Center and Scholarship Office. The award, commemorated during National Student Employment Week, recognizes outstanding student employees who go beyond their job requirements and provide exemplary service. The runners-up for the 2019-20 academic year were Brenna Miller, College of Education; Taylor Snyder, dental hygiene; and Hunter Harris, computer science. Perry works a great deal with current and prospective students in the College of Business and handles a variety of tasks in the background. Her position is fast paced and requires great customer service, stellar communication skills and superb attention to detail. Sophia is an outstanding example of what it means to be a leader in the Bengal community, said Kristine McCarty, College of Business director of graduate studies, one of Perrys supervisors. She very much sets the tone for the student employees at the College of Business, contributing greatly to the positive culture that we strive for. She is able to articulately interact with people at all levels of our organization, and I always trust her to meet or communicate with prospective students. In addition, McCarty said that Perry always volunteers to meet with students who walk-in without an appointment scheduled, even if its close to the end of her shift. Perry will reschedule her personal plans to make sure that she can give the prospective student a great experience. The senior also assists a College of Businesss administrative assistant and the college's director of professional development with updating Handshake, a popular career-services software platform, and updates the colleges newsletter with new internship/job opportunities. Perry began doing this time-consuming task without being asked. She regularly writes blog articles, conducts interviews and proofreads most of her offices recruiting materials and external communications with the colleges marketing director. Perry has provided informal training to other student employees as they enter. She is able to assist those new student employees with questions and concerns as they arise. Next year, shell formally assist with onboarding for all new student employees to the college, McCarty said. As part of her CPI position, Perry also has a major role in planning the Elevate Leadership Summit, a one-day leadership conference for business professionals in Southeast Idaho. She maintains the social media accounts and handles outreach for the summit. The summit is an important conference for the Southeast Idaho community because its proceeds support a youth leadership program (LEAP) in the high schools. Perry works with community members from Idaho Farm Bureau, Idaho Central Credit Union, Bannock Development, the Chamber of Commerce, and Leadership Pocatello-Chubbuck on this event and is always professional and hard-working. That planning group is consistently impressed with her organizational skills, maturity and professionalism. Last fall, Perry and a group of three other students in ISU Assistant Professor of Business Alex Bolingers Collaborative Creativity class wrote a book about the history of World War II in Idaho. The book, which is now in-press with Arcadia Publishing and will appear in print later this summer, required Perry and her colleagues to research and find historical photos from museums and archives throughout the state of Idaho and write captions telling the stories of those photos. Sophia emerged as a collaborative, team-oriented leader at every stage in the books development Bolinger said. She also fielded interview requests from local publications interested in the project. Bolinger said Perrys ability to articulate the importance of remembering World War II and honoring the greatest generation led documentary filmmakers from Idaho Public Television to feature her and her peers in an upcoming documentary, to appear statewide later this year or in 2021, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. The benefits of that book and documentary in publicizing the opportunities available at ISU will last for years to come, but they would not have been possible without Sophias steady leadership, talent as a communicator and determination to see the project through, Bolinger said. AFNI Call Center Under Fire for Allegedly Packing Trainees in Elbow-to-Elbow Amidst COVID-19 A Tuscon call center is the latest to come under fire for not practicing social distancing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Five current and former trainees for global contact center company AFNI told News 4 Tuscon that management had not been practicing social distancing. The workers said that until as recently as April 1 they had been sitting "elbow-to-elbow" in training classes. And when they complained to management, they said they were told they could resign if they didn't like the policy. The allegations follow complaints from call center workers from Oregon to Florida, who complain that they have been working in close quarters with hundreds of other workers in the same building and even on the same floor, with seemingly no accommodations for the social distancing guidelines mandated by the coronavirus crisis. And in all cases, the companies had either made no concessions for remote work, or only allowed some employees to work from home, while others were made to come to an office as usual. In the case of AFNI, trainees complained of feeling unsafe and being packed into training classes. One worker said that as of April 3 the company had moved them farther apart, but they were still not close to the 6-foot space recommended for social distancing. He added that his class had begun with around 25 trainees but about 10 had dropped out by the end, due to health concerns. We were about two-and-a-half feet away from each other, said the trainee, who preferred to remain anonymous. "I could reach out my arm and touch my neighbor. There were multiple people around me who were coughing and expressing the fact that they werent feeling well. That their family at home were not feeling well, that they had experienced fevers and dry coughs, and we were right up on top of each other practically and it made me fear for my health and what I was going to bring home to my own family. Like many businesses, we have been diligently working to navigate this global health crisis and government interventions taking place everywhere we do business," said Matt Pendergrass, director of global marketing & communications of AFNI, in a statement responding to the allegations. "We have done this with the safety and well-being of our employees as our highest priority as we deliver on our customer commitments around the world. If you enter any of our training rooms in that facility [Tuscon] today, you will see that social distancing provisions are in place; this includes but is not limited to allowing a maximum of only ten people in any one classroom, instead of 20-25 under normal circumstances, and all classrooms have been reconfigured to allow for social/physical distancing consistent with guidance issued by prominent health organizations. He added that 85 percent of the workforce at the Tuscon call center was working from home, and the company expected that number to reach 95 percent. He also said AFNI had reconfigured the entire 50,000 square-foot facility to help with social ands physical distancing efforts. The former trainees said they have filed complaints with the Arizona Industrial Commission due to the crowded training sessions. In Oregon, where employees at several Wells Fargo (News - Alert) call centers complained of cramped and unsafe conditions, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been overwhelmed with similar complaints of employers breaking state social distancing orders. Edited by Maurice Nagle Almost 40 sailors from the coronavirus-infected aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt who initially tested negative have since tested positive, the Navy told The Chronicle on Thursday. Some of those who tested negative were moved from the ship into hotels on the island a controversial move on the U.S. territory battling its own coronavirus outbreak and have since been sent to the naval base there, a sailor told The Chronicle. The Chronicle agreed to withhold the name of the sailor, who was not authorized to speak to the media, in accordance with its anonymous sources policy. The Navy on Thursday also identified the Roosevelt crew member who died from COVID-19 complications as Aviation Ordnanceman Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr., 41, of Fort Smith, Ark. Thacker, who is survived by his wife and two children, died Monday after being found unresponsive in a Guam base house where he had been quarantined with four other sailors since testing positive for the virus March 30. Thackers wife is an active-duty sailor stationed in San Diego, where the family lives. She was flown to Guam and was by her husbands side at the time of his passing, the Navy said. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time, said Capt. Carlos Sardiello, the Roosevelts commanding officer. Our No. 1 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. The development of previously healthy sailors later testing positive illustrates the difficulty the Navy and others have in combating the virus. A negative test doesnt eliminate the possibility of becoming infected and contagious later. It also explains why some Guam residents expressed concerns about allowing sailors from the ship off the base. If a sailor tests positive from a hotel, then they would be moved to isolation under medical supervision on base, said Cmdr. Clay Doss, Navy assistant chief of information, in an email. This is all part of getting the sailors through the testing/quarantine/retesting cycle and back on the ship. The Roosevelt, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, arrived on Guam on March 27 after an outbreak on the ship. It became national news after its commanding officer, Capt. Brett Crozier, wrote a candid letter to his superiors seeking help in stemming the spread aboard the cramped warship. The Santa Rosa native was ousted from command by acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly, who subsequently resigned after addressing the crew and disparaging Crozier. The Washington Post on Thursday published the text of the March 30 email Crozier sent containing the letter to Navy brass, which The Chronicle first published days later. 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 the email. ... I believe if there is ever a time to ask for help it is now regardless of the impact on my career. Modly said Crozier had been sloppy by sending the email to 20 to 30 people and allowing it to get outside the chain of command and undermine national security. He cited that as his reason for dismissing Crozier. But according to the Post, the email actually went to 10 fellow officers: three admirals and seven captains. The captains email said that there were not adequate facilities to offload his crew. 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. An investigation into Croziers letter and the Roosevelt ordeal has been completed and is in the hands of the Navys chief of naval operations, Adm. Michael Gilday, who will make recommendations to Defense Secretary Mark Esper. Croziers reinstatement is possible, said Gildays spokesman, Nate Christensen. As the Chief of Naval Operations has made clear, all options are on the table, Christensen said. Adm. Gilday has received, and is reviewing the preliminary inquiry. It will take time for the report to be reviewed and endorsed. ... No final decisions have been made. 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. Also on Thursday, a number of senators, including Californias Kamala Harris, sent acting Navy Secretary James McPherson a letter seeking answers about safety protocols. [T]he Navy must reconsider its current assumption that servicemembers are at low-risk for serious COVID-19 cases after alarming statements by multiple Pentagon leaders downplayed health hazards, the senators wrote. It is increasingly apparent that young and otherwise healthy people are not immune from serious complications after contracting COVID-19, and such assumptions could dangerously dissuade DoD personnel from seeking medical assistance, prevent medical professionals from responding appropriately to deteriorating health conditions, or compromise health outcomes for any servicemembers or civilians who contract COVID-19. After Croziers plea, the Navy secured thousands of hotel rooms in exchange for sending the Guam government personal protective gear to help medical staffs there fight the coronavirus problem on the island. As of Thursday, the small island has had 135 cases and five deaths. At the time, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero acknowledged her constituents had concerns about allowing the sailors off the base and into hotels, but she assured them that the crew members had tested negative. Requests for comment from Guerrero were not immediately returned. Having 39 sailors test positive after an initial negative test is not unusual. Earlier this week, Esper said only about a third of the infected sailors from the ship had shown symptoms. As of Thursday, 655 Roosevelt sailors had tested positive, and a sixth crew member had been hospitalized. Thackers is the only death so far; another sailor was moved to an intensive care unit with breathing difficulties. The tested portion of the crew remained at 94%. Inside the newsroom Anonymous sources: The Chronicle strives to attribute all information we report to credible, reliable, identifiable sources. Presenting information from an anonymous source occurs extremely rarely, and only when that information is considered crucially important and all other on-the-record options have been exhausted. In such cases, The Chronicle has complete knowledge of the unnamed person's identity and of how that person is in position to know the information. The Chronicle's detailed policy governing the use of such sources, including the use of pseudonyms, is available on SFChronicle.com. See More Collapse Matthias Gafni is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mgafni A federal judge on Thursday denied a bid for a new trial by President Donald Trump's longtime friend and adviser Roger Stone after the veteran Republican operative accused the jury forewoman of being tainted by anti-Trump political bias. US District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson rejected Stone's claim that the jury forewoman was biased against Trump and therefore could not be impartial in deciding Stone's guilt or innocence during the trial. The Republican president has assailed the judge and prosecutors in the case and has labeled the forewoman an 'anti-Trump activist.' Stones request for a new trial 'is a tower of indignation, but at the end of the day, there is little of substance holding it up,' Jackson said in an 81-page decision. Roger Stone (center), a friend and adviser to President Trump, is seen above in Washington, DC, on February 20 after he was sentenced to 40 months in prison Jackson sentenced Stone on February 20 to three years and four months in prison after a jury convicted him on November 15 on seven counts of obstruction of justice, witness tampering and lying to lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US election. The charges stemmed from former Special Counsel Robert Muellers inquiry that documented Moscows meddling to boost Trumps candidacy. Stone was convicted of lying to a House of Representative committee about his attempts to contact WikiLeaks, the website that released damaging emails about Hillary Clinton, Trumps 2016 Democratic election rival, that US intelligence officials have concluded were stolen by Russian hackers. With his motion for a new trial denied, Stone is expected to ask an appeals court to throw out his conviction. During a February hearing, Stones lawyers presented social media posts by the jury forewoman that they said showed that her lack of impartiality deprived their client of a fair trial. One of the jurors posts at issue was a Twitter post on the day of Stones arrest that linked to an article about Muellers investigation along with the words 'Brought to you by the lock her up peanut gallery,' referring to 'lock her up' chants by Trump supporters in 2016 about Clinton. Most of the jurors posts were not about Stone, instead making reference either to Trump or Muellers inquiry, two common subjects of political discussion among Americans at the time they were written. Stone was sentenced by US District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson (seen right while Stone testifies in this 2019 courtroom sketch) The jury forewoman made Twitter posts during the trial, but all were unrelated to the case. Trump, who has not ruled out a pardon for Stone, posted a Twitter attack on the forewoman during the February hearing. Jackson said in her decision that the jurors opinions about Trump did not translate into bias against Stone. 'The assumption underlying the motion - that one can infer from the jurors opinions about the president that she could not fairly consider the evidence against the defendantis not supported by any facts or data,' she wrote. ROGER STONE DID A LOT WRONG: WHAT HE WAS CONVICTED OF Roger Stone was found guilty on all charges of: 1. Obstruction of justice, lying to Congress and witness tampering by trying to get Randy Credico to lie to Congress. Sentenced to 40 months 2. Lying to Congress that he did not have emails or texts about Julian Assange. Sentenced to 12 months concurrent with the first count 3. Lying when he claimed his references to being in touch with Assange were actually about a 'go-between' - Randy Credico. Sentenced to 12 months concurrent with the first count 4. Lying that he didn't ask his 'go-between' to communicate with Assange. Sentenced to 12 months concurrent with the first count 5. Lying that he didn't text or email the 'go-between' about WikiLeaks. Sentenced to 12 months concurrent with the first count 6. Lying that he had never discussed conversation with his 'go-between' with anyone in the Trump campaign. Sentenced to 12 months concurrent with the first count Advertisement The 40-month sentence handed down by the judge in February was far below the nine years demanded by the prosecution before that was overruled in a political tumult and furious tweets by Trump. Trump sought to paint that as a win, but Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee, went out of her way to say she was not affected by the president. Stone himself had asked for probation. 'This case did not arise because Roger Stone was being prosecuted by his political enemies,' Berman Jackson said during his February sentencing. She said Stone told 'flat out lies,' and that his conviction had nothing to do with whether Russia interfered in the 2016 election. He was guilty of a 'corrupt, unlawful,' campaign to stop his lies being exposed when he threatened Randy Credico, who he named as his 'go-between' to Julian Assange, to stop Credico revealing the truth, that there was another go-between. Stone was also guilty of withholding texts and emails from Congress, prompting Berman Jackson to again lash out at the president. On February 20, Trump tweeted in rage against the prosecution accusing it of lacking 'FAIRNESS' as the hearing was under way in federal court in Washington D.C. ''They say Roger Stone lied to Congress.' OH, I see, but so did Comey (and he also leaked classified information, for which almost everyone, other than Crooked Hillary Clinton, goes to jail for a long time), and so did Andy McCabe, who also lied to the FBI! FAIRNESS?' the president tweeted. After Stone was sentenced, Trump criticized Stone's conviction, fueling speculation he may pardon his friend Department of Justice attorneys had originally requested a far harsher punishment of seven to nine years only to see their recommendation ripped up by Attorney General William Barr, who drew praise from Trump for labeling it 'excessive and unwarranted'. The intervention sparked accusations of political interference, forcing Barr on the defensive as he denied bowing to White House influence and appealed for Trump to curb his explosive Twitter criticisms of Judge Jackson and the supposedly 'tainted' case against Stone. More than 2,000 former justice department employees have since signed a petition calling on the Attorney General to resign. The original prosecution foursome of Aaron Zelinsky, Jonathan Kravis, Adam Jed and Michael Marando were replaced for today's proceedings at Washington, D.C. District Court, having all resigned in protest. Amnesty International has condemned a demolition exercise in one of the biggest slums in Ghana's capital in which thousands of people have been left homeless during lockdown. The demolition was carried out by the government at Old Fadama, popularly known as Sodom and Gomorrah, to pave way for the dredging of a nearby lagoon. The slum is home to the largest electronic waste dumpsite in Ghana where millions of discarded electronic gadgets are dismantled each year causing severe pollution of the nearby Korle Lagoon. Amnesty International has described the demolition exercise as "untimely and insensitive". They have urged the government to respect international human rights as they take measures to deal with the spread of the virus. They are also demanding an immediate stop to further demolition of parts of the slum and have called for alternative homes for those affected. The government has said that the exercise was done with the consent of the community leaders. Ghana's borders remain shut in an attempt to limit the spread of coronavirus. It is in the final stages of a one-week extended partial lockdown. Ghana has recorded 641 cases of the virus and eight deaths. Source: BBC 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 Bible reading 54 percent higher over Holy week this year: YouVersion Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Although large numbers of churches did not hold in-person services for Holy Week due to coronavirus shutdowns, Bible reading greatly increased compared to last year, according to YouVersion App. YouVersion reported this week that Bible reading on its app from Palm Sunday to Easter was 54 percent higher than it was for Holy Week of last year. During Holy Week of last year, YouVersion reported approximately 26.4 million Bible Plan days completed. This year, they reported a 54 percent increase to around 40.6 million Bible Plan days completed. YouVersion also reported that while last year's Holy Week had 10.8 million verse shares, for this year the total increased by 30 percent to 14.1 million verse shares. This Easter Sunday was the highest day in YouVersion Bible App history for verses shared and Bible Plan completions, stated Rachel Feuerborn, spokesperson for Life.Church, which launched the app. Easter looked different this year, but it didnt stop the global church from celebrating Jesus resurrection. YouVersion also reported that during Holy Week, users of the Bible App for Kids had 5.2 million Bible stories completed, also a record week for that app. All this on the heels of a record-breaking month, added Feuerborn. March 2020 was the number one month in Bible App history for the number of unique users, app shares, verse shares, Bible searches within the app, audio Bible plays, and video plays. March was also the number one month for Bible App for Kids installs and Bible App for Kids Bible story completions. Widely shared verses included Mark 16:6, Dont be alarmed, he said. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him, and Psalms 30:5, For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. The YouVersion report on Bible reading done on its app is not the only indicator of an increased interest in the Bible since the coronavirus was declared a pandemic. Earlier this month, multiple Bible publishers, among them Tyndale House Publishers of Carol Stream, Illinois, reported an increase in Bible sales compared to the same time last year. Tyndale reported that their Life Application Study Bible sales went up 44 percent and sales of the Immerse Bible went up 60 percent, compared to March of 2019. Jim Jewell, an executive at Tyndale, told The Christian Post in an earlier interview that he believes concerns over the pandemic has upended almost everyones lives in some way. It's not surprising that people turn to the comfort and clarity of the Bible in times of trouble and uncertainty, he said, explaining that social media engagement also grew. On [our Facebook page for the] New Living Translation, where we post Bible verse memes, engagement was triple what it was last March and up 72% from just last month. 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 issued 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. (Photo : Andrey Shelepin/GCTC/Russian space agency Roscosmos/Handout via REUTERS) The Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of Chris Cassidy of NASA, Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of the Russian space agency Roscosmos blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan April 9, 2020. Russia recently test-launched another anti-satellite missile from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on April 15. And the United States is not happy about their actions, to say the least, Russia launched its Nudol anti-satellite missile system on Wednesday, April 15. It had just completed a previous test on March 26. This missile is capable of wiping out essential US navigation, communications, and intelligence technology in orbit. Russia launches anti-satellite missile The US depends heavily on satellites to guide its ground movements. These include guiding munitions with space-based lasers and satellites, monitoring missile launches, and keeping an eye on its armed forces. This has prompted General John Raymond, commander of US Space Command, to confirm that America is geared to deter aggression and defend the nation, its allies, and interests "from hostile acts in space." In the past, the Russian government kept the Nudol project hidden and shrouded in secrecy. However, the state insisted it was for defense purposes only and that it does not have any particular target. In contrast, the missile's main task is to accelerate out of the Earth's atmosphere and to use kinetic energy to strike large objects. Like Russia, big players like the US and China have also been preparing to enhance their military strength in low-Earth orbit and near the moon, as both countries have carried out similar anti-satellite tests. Anti-satellite weapons shatter their targets, creating a cloud of fragments that can create a collision hazard in space. These collisions could potentially set off a chain reaction of projectiles through the Earth's orbit. Coronavirus in space? Meanwhile, concerns have been raised on whether astronauts in the International Space Station have contracted the coronavirus after a senior Russian official present tested positive. Evgeniy Mikrin, deputy head of Energia Rocket and Space Corporation, has tested positive for COVID-19 after he attended the launch of the Soyuz MS-16 at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Southern Kazakhstan on April 9. Mikrin shared a three-hour flight from Moscow to Kazakhstan with Dmitry Rogozin, head of Russia's State Corporation for Space Activities (Roscosmos). They also sat together in a meeting room separated by glass from the three astronauts shortly before blast off. Rogozin, who supervised the April 9 launch, broke social distancing by standing too close to the crew aboard the missile. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, as well as Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner, also did not cover their faces at the ceremony. Also, Rogozin was later pictured standing near to the Soyuz MS-16 crew during a farewell ceremony. In once instance, he wore a mask, but in another, he did not. And moments before the launch, he was seen not adhering to social distancing as pictured with the astronauts. While Mikrin was not seen close to the Soyuz MS-16 crew, concerns have been raised as he was in close contact with Rogozin. He later took two tests for coronavirus which both came back positive. Russian officials said they take strict measures to avoid contaminating the space station. However, Milkrin is among the 30 Russian space personnel who have tested positive for COVID-19. Mikrin, who is asymptomatic, is currently in home quarantine. Meanwhile, it is still unclear whether Rogozin has tested positive for coronavirus. The ISS has been trying to keep the space COVID-free following quarantine protocols before the launch. Read also: 'Dancing' Star Proves Einstein is Right: Star's Strange Movement Around Black Hole Discovered 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Small businesses in downtown Sydney, N.S., are feeling the crunch of COVID-19, but are finding ways to cope with what is described as the "new normal." Public health measures designed to help stop the spread of COVID-19 mean restaurants in Nova Scotia are restricted to takeout and delivery, while bars are shut down. "We're pretty much in a holding pattern trying to see what's going to happen," said Cory Blundon, a co-owner of Selkie's Neighbourhood Diner and The Mermaid Food Truck. Both operations have shut down. Blundon said the diner was in the final stages of renovations before opening and was set to open in late March on the same weekend the province declared a state of emergency. The food truck would also have been in operation soon. Blundon said he has been pleasantly surprised by the ease of applying for government programs and benefits. He said he and his partner have applied and received money through the Canada emergency response benefit and are taking part of the province's rent-deferral program. The next step for the new business is to apply for the small business loan guarantee program through the province. At the Island Folk Cider House, its tasting room was scheduled to be open by mid-May, but the business has been forced to pivot in another direction because of COVID-19, just as its first batch of cider nears completion. "We're looking at other ways to generate revenue like [selling through] the NSLC and also doing home delivery across Cape Breton," said co-founder Jill McPherson. She worries her business and many other startups are going to suffer. "Businesses just starting up are falling through the cracks," McPherson said. "The issue we're having is fixed costs are the same, but projections for revenue have decreased drastically." Blundon and McPherson say they have been comforted by community support, with many patrons asking for ways to help out and support them. Story continues Support options For local support, Nova Scotia Business Inc. has put together a section on its website that updates daily and shows available provincial and federal programs. NSBI president and CEO Laurel Broten said unique challenges are being presented to many businesses and several are finding ways to cope. "It is a very challenging time to plan," she said. Her best advice is to ask for help, adding business agencies, banks and government departments are eager to offer support. Broten said it's important for businesses to know the environment post-pandemic might be very different than the one before it, and everyone will need to learn new ways to cope in the coming months and years. After COVID-19 McPherson is hopeful Cape Breton hospitality will help all small businesses through the dark days. Blundon said he and his partner continue to look for ways to eventually get their two businesses up and running again, saying the best solution is for residents to support their local businesses. Once restrictions have been lifted and life returns to a new normal, Blundon suggests having what he calls a "support local frenzy." "I think we need to have an old fashioned Cape Breton party at every food establishment on this island as soon as we can safely do so," he said. MORE TOP STORIES Sandra Justine Paul, 71, of Great Mills, MD (formerly of Glasgow, KY) passed away April 15, 2020 at her home with her loving husband and son at her side. She was born on September 14, 1948 in Glasgow, KY to the late Herbert Junior Merideth and Betty Jean Vibbert Merideth. On August 7, 1970 Sandra married her beloved husband, Darrell Frederick Paul Sr. in Glasgow, KY, and together they celebrated over 49 wonderful years of marriage. In 1971 she graduated from Campbellsville University with a Bachelor's degree in Secondary Education; in 1975 she earned a Master's degree in Secondary Education from Western Kentucky University. She spent over 32 years as a dedicated and caring teacher in Bullitt County, Kentucky, and earned the commission of Kentucky Colonel, the highest title of honor bestowed by the Governor of Kentucky, in recognition of her noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to her community, state, and nation. She was an avid reader who particularly enjoyed mysteries and murders, and an excellent cook known her meatballs, lasagna, and cheesy tuna casserole. She was a proficient shopper who enjoyed buying things for her family, especially her grandson, who was the light of her life. She was family-oriented and enjoyed hosting family dinners, and moved to St. Mary's County 10 years ago so she could be close to her son and grandchildren. In addition to her husband, Sandra is also survived by her son, Darrell F. Paul, Jr (Kristen) of Lexington Park, MD, her brother, Steve Merideth (Wanda) of Hopkinsville, KY, her grandson, Noah Matthew Paul of Lexington Park, MD and her extended family and friends. In addition to her parents, she is also preceded in death by her brothers, Gary Merideth and Danny Merideth and her beloved grandson, William Edward Paul. All Services will be private. KAMPALA The U.S. Government has extended $3.6 million (about Shs14b) to Uganda to boost the fight against coronavirus pandemic. The $3.6m donation, which was announced by the US State Department on Friday, April 17, includes $2.3 million in health assistance to address the outbreak and nearly $1.3 million in humanitarian assistance will support refugees and their host communities in Uganda during the pandemic. This assistance is provided in addition to the nearly $8 billion in total U.S. assistance for Uganda over the last 20 years and $4.7 billion in health assistance alone, the State department said. The funding is part of $508m in emergency health, humanitarian, and economic assistance given to countries around the world to deal with the pandemic. Total U.S. government assistance in the global fight against COVID-19 provided to date includes nearly $200 million in emergency health assistance from USAIDs Global Health Emergency Reserve Fund for Contagious Infectious-Disease Outbreaks and Global Health Programs account, nearly $195 million in humanitarian assistance from USAIDs International Disaster Assistance (IDA) account, and $50 million from the Economic Support Funding (ESF), which will help governments and NGOs in more than 100 of the most affected and at-risk countries during this global pandemic. In addition, through the State Departments Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, which is responsible for the Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) account, we now have a country-by-country breakout of the previously announced $64 million in humanitarian assistance for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to address threats posed by the pandemic in existing humanitarian crisis situations for some of the worlds most vulnerable people as part of the UNs Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19. This funding will support critical activities to control the spread of this disease, such as rapid public-health information campaigns, water and sanitation, and preventing and controlling infections in health-care facilities, the US department said. Below is the breakdown of US funding to African countries Angola: $570,000 in health assistance is helping provide risk-communications and water and sanitation, and prevent and control infections in key health facilities in Angola. This assistance comes on top of long-term U.S. investments in Angola, which total $1.48 billion over the past 20 years, including $613 million in health assistance. Botswana: $1.5 million in health assistance to address the outbreak. This new assistance builds on nearly $1.2 billion in total assistance in Botswana over the last 20 years, $1.1 billion of which was for health. Burkina Faso: More than $6 million in health and humanitarian funding will go toward risk-communications, water and sanitation, preventing and controlling infections in health facilities, public-health messaging, and more. This includes $2.5 million in health assistance, $1.5 million in IDA humanitarian assistance, and more than $2.1 million in MRA humanitarian assistance, which will help protect the health of refugees, internally displaced persons, and their host communities in Burkina Faso during the pandemic. Over the past 20 years, the United States has invested more than more than $2.4 billion total in Burkina Faso, $222 million in health alone. Cameroon: Nearly $8 million in health and humanitarian assistance will help provide infection-control in key health facilities, strengthen laboratories and surveillance, prepare communities, and bolster local messaging. This includes $6.1 million in health and IDA humanitarian assistance from USAID, in addition to nearly $1.9 million in MRA humanitarian assistance to support refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and their host communities. This assistance builds upon more than $960 million in total U.S. investment in the country over the past 20 years, $390 million of which was in health. Central African Republic: $5.2 million in humanitarian assistance, including $3.5 million in IDA humanitarian assistance that will go toward risk-communications, preventing and controlling infections in health facilities, and safe water supply, and $1.7 million in MRA humanitarian assistance that will help protect the health of refugees, internally displaced persons, and their host communities in the Central African Republic during the pandemic. The U.S. Government has provided $822.6 million in total in the Central African Republic over the last 20 years, including $4.5 million in emergency health assistance in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. Republic of Congo (ROC): $250,000 in health assistance will address the outbreak. The United States has invested in the Republic of Congo for decades, with more than $171.2 million in total U.S. assistance for the ROC over the last 20 years, $36.8 million of which was for health assistance. Chad: More than $3 million in humanitarian assistance, including $1 million in IDA for preventing and controlling infections in health facilities, raising community awareness of COVID-19, and improving hygiene, and more than $2 million in MRA humanitarian assistance to help protect the health of refugees and their host communities in Chad during the pandemic. This new assistance builds upon the foundation of nearly $2 billion in total U.S. assistance over the last 20 years, including more than $30 million in health assistance. Cote dIvoire: $1.6 million in health assistance to address the outbreak. Over the past 20 years, the United States has invested more than $2.1 billion in long-term development and other assistance in Cote dIvoire. Democratic Republic of the Congo: $14.4 million, including $14.0 million in health assistance and IDA humanitarian assistance that will improve the prevention and control of infections in health facilities, and support improved awareness of COVID-19, including by working with religious leaders and journalists on risk-communication messaging. An additional $400,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance will help protect the health of refugees, internally displaced persons, and their host communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the pandemic. This builds upon more than $6.3 billion in total U.S. assistance over the past 20 years, including nearly $37 million in health. Djibouti: $500,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. The United States has already invested more than $338 million total in Djibouti over the last 20 years. Eswatini: $750,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. Funds will go to bolstering Eswatinis emergency health response, which may include commodity procurement, contact tracing, laboratory diagnostics, and raising public awareness. This assistance builds upon the foundation of U.S. assistance in Eswatini, which totals more than $529 million in total assistance over the last 20 years, including more than $490 million in health assistance. Ethiopia: More than $9 million in assistance to counter COVID-19, including $8.3 million in health and IDA humanitarian assistance for risk-communications, the prevention and control of infections in health facilities, disease-surveillance, contact-tracing, and coordination; and $789,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance for refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and their host communities. This assistance is in addition to the United States long-term investments in Ethiopia of more than $13 billion in total assistance, nearly $4 billion in health alone, over the past 20 years. Ghana: $1.6 million in health assistance to address the outbreak. This new assistance builds upon $3.8 billion in total U.S. assistance to Ghana over the last 20 years, including nearly $914 million in health assistance. Guinea: $500,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. The United States has invested nearly $1 billion in total assistance for Guinea over the last 20 years, including $365.5 million in health assistance. Kenya: Nearly $4.5 million in health and humanitarian assistance, including $3.5 million in health assistance to bolster risk communication, prepare health-communication networks and media for a possible case, and help provide public health messaging for media, health workers, and communities; and $947,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance for refugees and host communities. This COVID-19 specific assistance comes on top of long-term U.S. investment in Kenya, which totals $3.8 billion in total U.S. assistance to Kenya over the last 20 years, including $6.7 billion in health assistance alone. Madagascar: $2.5 million in health assistance to address the outbreak. The United States has invested more than $1.5 billion in total assistance for Madagascar over the last 20 years, including nearly $722 million in health assistance alone. Malawi: $4.5 million in health assistance to address the outbreak. The United States has provided more than $3.6 billion in total assistance for Malawi over the past 20 years, including more than $1.7 billion in health assistance. Mali: $5.7 million in assistance for COVID-19 response includes $4.4 million in health and IDA humanitarian assistance for risk communication, infection prevention and control, and coordination, and nearly $1.3 million in MRA humanitarian assistance to support refugees, internally displaced persons, and their host communities in Mali during the pandemic. This new assistance builds upon decades of U.S. investments in Mali, which totals more than $3.2 billion in total assistance over the last 20 years, including more than $807 million in health assistance. Mauritania: $250,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. The United States has provided more than $424 million in total assistance over the last 20 years for Mauritania, including more than $27 million in health, building a strong foundation for their pandemic response. Mauritius: $500,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. This new assistance builds upon the foundation of more than $13 million in total U.S. assistance over the past 20 years, including $838,000 in health assistance. Mozambique: $5.8 million in health and IDA humanitarian funding will help provide risk communication, water and sanitation, and infection prevention and control in key health facilities in Mozambique. The United States has invested nearly $6 billion total investment over the past 20 years, including development and other assistance, including more than $3.8 billion in health assistance. Lesotho: $750,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. This new assistance builds upon decades of U.S. investments in Lesotho, which totals more than $1 billion in total assistance over the last 20 years, including more than $834 million in health assistance. Liberia: $1 million in health assistance will provide critical aid for all 15 Liberian counties (emergency operation centers, training, contact tracing, hospitals, and community health services), support quarantine efforts, and provide community level support. The United States has helped lay a strong foundation for Liberias COVID-19 response through more than $4 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years, including more than $675 million in health assistance. Namibia: $750,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. This new assistance comes in addition to nearly $1.5 billion in total U.S. assistance to Namibia over the past 20 years, including more than $970.5 million in long-term health assistance. Niger: Nearly $4 million in assistance includes nearly $2.8 million in health and IDA humanitarian assistance for risk communication, infection prevention and control, and coordination, and $1.2 million in MRA humanitarian assistance will support refugees and their host communities in Niger during the pandemic. This assistance comes on top of more than $2 billion in total U.S. assistance for Niger in the past 20 years, nearly $233 million in health assistance alone. Nigeria: Approximately $21.4 million in assistance includes nearly $20 million in health and IDA humanitarian funding for risk communication, water and sanitation activities, infection prevention, and coordination, and more than $1.4 million in MRA humanitarian assistance for refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and their host communities. This assistance joins more than $8.1 billion in total assistance for Nigeria over the past 20 years, including more than $5.2 billion in U.S. health assistance. Rwanda: More than $2 million in assistance for Rwandas COVID-19 response includes $1.7 million in health assistance that will help with surveillance and case management efforts in response to COVID-19, and $474,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance to support UNHCRs COVID-19 response for refugees and host communities in Rwanda. This comes on top of long-term U.S. investment in Rwanda totaling more than $2.6 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years, including more than $1.5 billion in health. Senegal: $3.9 million in health assistance to support risk communication, water and sanitation, infection prevention and control, public health messaging, and more. In Senegal, the U.S. has invested nearly $2.8 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years, nearly $880 million in health alone. Sierra Leone: $400,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. This assistance joins decades of U.S. investments in Sierra Leone, totaling more than $5.2 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years, including nearly $260 million in health assistance. Somalia: Nearly $12.5 million in assistance for COVID-19 response includes $11.6 million in IDA humanitarian assistance to support risk communication, infection prevention and control, and case management, and more, as well as $892,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance to support UNHCRs COVID-19 response in Somalia. This assistance comes in addition to $5.3 billion in total assistance for Somalia over the last 20 years, including nearly $30 million in health alone. South Africa: Approximately $8.4 million in health assistance to counter COVID-19 will support risk communication, water and sanitation, infection prevention and control, public health messaging, and more. This assistance joins more than $8 billion in total assistance by the United States for South Africa in the past 20 years, nearly $6 billion invested in health alone. South Sudan: $13.1 million in assistance for South Sudans COVID-19 response includes $11.5 million in IDA humanitarian assistance for case management, infection prevention and control, logistics, coordination efforts, risk communication, and water, sanitation and hygiene programs, and nearly $1.6 million in MRA humanitarian assistance will support refugees, internally displaced persons, and their host communities in South Sudan during the pandemic. This funding builds upon past U.S. investments in South Sudan totaling $6.4 billion for South Sudan over the past 20 years, including more than $405 million in health. Sudan: Nearly $13.7 million in assistance includes $13 million in IDA humanitarian assistance for risk communication, case management, disease surveillance, infection prevention and control, and water, sanitation and hygiene programs, and $671,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance to support refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and their host communities. The United States has invested more than $3 million in health and more than $1.6 billion in total assistance for Sudan over the last 20 years. Tanzania: $1.4 million in health assistance supports risk communication, water and sanitation, infection prevention and control, public health messaging, and more. The United States has invested more than $7.5 billion total for Tanzania over the past 20 years, nearly $4.9 billion in health alone. Uganda: $3.6 million in assistance includes $2.3 million in health assistance to address the outbreak and nearly $1.3 million in MRA humanitarian assistance will support refugees and their host communities in Uganda during the pandemic. This assistance is provided in addition to the nearly $8 billion in total U.S. assistance for Uganda over the last 20 years and $4.7 billion in health assistance alone. Zambia: $3.4 million in health assistance supports risk communication, water and sanitation, infection prevention and control, public health messaging, and more. This new assistance joins $4.9 billion total U.S. assistance for Zambia over the past 20 years, nearly $3.9 billion in U.S. health assistance alone. Zimbabwe: Nearly $3 million in health and IDA humanitarian assistance will help to prepare laboratories for large-scale testing, support case-finding activities for influenza-like illnesses, implement a public-health emergency plan for points of entry, and more. This new assistance builds on a history of U.S. investments in Zimbabwe nearly $3 billion total over the past 20 years, nearly $1.2 billion in health assistance. Related WASHINGTON, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan returned to Earth Friday, along with Soyuz Commander Oleg Skripochka of the Russian space agency Roscosmos. The trio departed the International Space Station at 9:53 p.m. EDT Thursday and made a safe, parachute-assisted landing at 1:16 a.m. Friday in Kazakhstan (11:16 a.m. local time), southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan. During their first spaceflight, Morgan and Meir contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, Earth science, human research, physical sciences and technology development. Morgan's nine-month mission began July 20, 2019. His 272-day flight spanned Expeditions 60-62, encompassing a total of 4,352 Earth orbits and a journey of 115.3 million miles. Morgan's extended stay in space will increase knowledge about how the human body responds to longer-duration spaceflight, through the various investigations he supported, including the Fluid Shifts study. He also conducted seven spacewalks totaling 45 hours and 48 minutes four of which were to improve and extend the life of the station's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer as it looks for evidence of dark matter in the universe. Meir and Skripochka, who launched on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft Sept. 25, 2019, spent 205 days in space, making 3,280 orbits of Earth during a trip of 86.9 million miles. During her first spaceflight, Meir conducted the first three all-woman spacewalks with crewmate Christina Koch of NASA, totaling 21 hours and 44 minutes. Among the investigations to which she contributed is a study co-led by a former colleague of hers, examining how human heart tissue functions in space. Skripochka is completing his third spaceflight for a cumulative 536 days in orbit. After post-landing medical checks, the crew will return by Russian helicopters to the recovery staging city in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, where they will split up. Morgan and Meir will board a NASA plane located in the adjacent city of Kyzlorda, Kazakhstan, for a flight back to Houston. Skripochka will board a Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center aircraft in Baikonur to return to his home in Star City, Russia. Among the research experiments to which the Expedition 62 crew contributed was the Droplet Formation Study, which evaluates water droplet formation, water flow and, indirectly, the perceived pressure of current shower head technology as compared to the industry-standard use of jet nozzles. The study examines droplet size and speed and how they affect the feeling of increased pressure for the end user. Another experiment to which the crew contributed was Mochii, a miniature scanning electron microscope used to conduct real-time, on-site imaging and composition measurements of particles. Analysis of small and microscopic particles is a critical need for human space exploration beyond low-Earth orbit when samples cannot be returned to Earth immediately for analysis. When the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft with Meir, Morgan and Skripochka departed, Expedition 63 officially began aboard the station, with NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy serving as station commander and Roscosmos' Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner serving as flight engineers. The crew members of Expedition 63 are scheduled to be aboard the station to welcome NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, the first astronauts to launch from American soil to the space station since 2011, on NASA's upcoming SpaceX Demo-2 flight test. Get breaking news, images and features from the space station on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. SOURCE NASA Related Links http://www.nasa.gov Face masks are on display in a closed shop in Vienna on March 19, 2020. Leonhard Foeger/Reuters The University of Michigan was sent 22,000 face masks from the national stockpile. When they arrived, officials found that the surgical masks were "less than durable," so they were removed from the inventory. Other institutions in the state told the paper they've had no issues with supplies from the stockpile. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. About 22,000 surgical masks shipped from the federal government's strategic national stockpile to the University of Michigan were not usable, the Detroit Free Press reported. The masks had to be removed from the inventory of Michigan Medicine, the university's health system, according to the paper. About 2,000 of the masks were distributed to health care workers, a spokesman for the system told the Free Press. "We found them to be less durable and so have removed as many as possible from inventory and are not distributing the rest," he said. "We found enough problems with the shipment that we didn't want to use the remaining ones." The shipment isn't the first time supplies from the national stockpile have been an issue. Alabama received masks with dry rot. California received 170 broken ventilators. The Michigan hospital system has alerted officials at the strategic national stockpile about the problem with the masks, according to the Free Press. The stockpile shipments come at a time when hospitals around the country are struggling to supply their staff with protective gear because of the coronavirus pandemic. As of Thursday, there were 22,651 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Michigan, according to Johns Hopkins University. Reporters from the Free Press and Bridge Magazine surveyed other health systems in Michigan that received supplies from the national stockpile. The systems including Beaumont Health, Henry Ford Health System, and St. Joseph Mercy Health System reported no problems with their supplies. Read the original article on Business Insider The IMF has approved the disbursement of $1.386 billion as a financial assistance to cash-strapped Pakistan to meet its urgent balance of payment needs stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak Washington: The IMF has approved the disbursement of $1.386 billion as a financial assistance to cash-strapped Pakistan to meet its urgent balance of payment needs stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak. The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) decision comes at the request of Pakistan, which faces an urgent balance of payment crisis. This is in addition to the $6 billion bailout package that Islamabad signed with the IMF in July last year to stave off a balance of payment crisis. "The outbreak of COVID-19 is having a significant impact on the Pakistani economy," said Geoffrey Okamoto, the IMF's First Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair. The domestic containment measures coupled with the global downturn are severely affecting growth and straining external financing which has created an urgent balance of payments need, he said. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak "As the crisis abates, the authorities' renewed commitment to the reforms in the existing Extended Fund Facility -- in particular those related to fiscal consolidation strategy, energy sector, governance, and remaining AML/CFT deficiencies -- will be crucial to entrench resilience, boost Pakistan's growth potential, and deliver broad-based benefits for all Pakistanis," Okamoto said. Click here to follow LIVE news and updates on stock markets Expeditious donor support is needed to close the remaining balance of payments gap and ease the adjustment burden, he added. Okamoto said that in response to the crisis, the government of Pakistan has taken swift action to halt the community spread of the virus and introduced an economic stimulus package aimed at accommodating the spending needed to tackle the health emergency and supporting economic activity. "Crucially, the authorities are increasing public health spending and strengthening social safety net programs to provide immediate relief to the most vulnerable," he said. "Similarly, the State Bank of Pakistan has adopted a timely set of measures, including a lowering of the policy rate and new refinancing facilities, to support liquidity and credit conditions and safeguard financial stability. In this context, the authorities policies should be targeted and temporary," Okamoto said. The cash-strapped Pakistan government has been implementing austerity measures to improve the country's finances. In July last year, Pakistan registered a currency reserve of less than $8 billion -- enough to cover only 1.7 months of imports. Pakistan has so far received billions in financial aid from friendly countries like China, Saudi Arabia and the UAE during the current fiscal year. Aprio, LLP, a nationally-recognized top 50 CPA-led business advisory firm announced today that the firm has earned an overall top 20 spot on the 2021 Vault Accounting 50 and ranked in the top 10 on the most significant selection criteria to the hiring and retention of accounting professionals, including: Vacation Policies (No.2) Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives (No.3) Travel Requirements (No.3) Firm Leadership (No.4) Business Outlook (No. 5) Diversity Minorities (No.5) Hours (No. 6) Work/Life Balance (No.6) Culture (No.7) Overall Diversity (No. 7) Formal Training (No. 7) Satisfaction (No. 7) Hiring Process (No. 8) Informal Training and Mentoring (No. 9) Diversity Women (No. 9) Relationships with Supervisors (No. 9) In addition to the firms strong rankings, survey comments describe the firm as having great culture and colleagues the people are phenomenal and offering good opportunities to learn and grow professionally. Having a strong corporate culture has driven high retention rates and attracted new teams in North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama over the past three years. Our team is well cared for and treats our clients the same way. This has fostered innovation and is the single most important factor in the long-term success of our organization, said Richard Kopelman, CEO and Managing Partner at Aprio. Were honored to be recognized by Vault as a leading accounting firm in the U.S. in such a competitive marketplace. This was achieved through the passion, commitment and continuous feedback from the Aprio team. Since 1996, Vault has been providing in-depth intelligence on what its really like to work within an industry, company or profession. Vaults rankings and ratings are regularly featured and cited by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Forbes, Fortune, Money and countless other news outlets. This years rankings were based on a survey of more than 10,000 accounting professionals who were asked to rank their own firms in various workplace categories such as culture, compensation, hours and work/life balance, and peer firms in terms of prestige. Vault uses a weighted formula based on these internal and external ratings. For more information about how to join the Aprio team, visit https://www.careers.aprio.com/. About Aprio Aprio is a premier full-service, CPA-led business advisory firm based in Atlanta, Georgia, that advises clients and associates on how to achieve whats next. Aprios associates work as integrated teams across advisory, assurance, tax, outsourced accounting solutions and private client services, bringing the best thinking and personal commitment to each client. Across practices, Aprio brings together proven expertise, deep understanding and strategic foresight for industries including Manufacturing and Distribution; Non-Profit and Education; Professional Services; Real Estate and Construction; Retail, Franchise and Hospitality; and Technology and Blockchain. In 65 years, Aprio has grown to over 475 employees and nearly 80 partners. To serve clients wherever life or business may take them, Aprios teams speak more than 30 languages and work with clients in over 40 countries. In addition to its Atlanta headquarters, Aprio also operates in Birmingham, Ala. and Sarasota, Fla. and across the Carolinas. For more, visit https://www.aprio.com. WASHINGTON (AP) A federal judge on Thursday denied a request for a new trial made by Trump ally Roger Stone following his conviction on charges related to the Russia investigation. Stone claimed the jury forewoman was biased and petitioned for a new trial; his first such request was denied. It prompted Judge Amy Berman Jackson to call nearly all jurors back for a hearing, a highly unusual move, after Stone's attorneys also alleged misconduct after some jurors spoke out publicly following the case. During a trial, jurors are not allowed to read news accounts or social media posts about the case or discuss it with anyone until deliberations, but after their verdict is rendered, they are released from duty and can speak publicly if they wish. New trial requests are not uncommon, but this case was surprising in many ways including a barrage of tweets from President Donald Trump on the trial, threats by the attorney general to quit and the departure of the entire prosecution team following Justice Department leaderships decision to back off its sentencing request. In her 81-page memorandum, Judge Jackson said the lawyers had not proved the forewoman was biased or that any jurors acted inappropriately. She included details of their juror questionnaires in her explanation. "The assumption underlying the motion that one can infer from the jurors 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," she wrote in denying the new trial. The motion is a tower of indignation, but at the end of the day, there is little of substance holding it up. Stone was convicted on all seven counts of an indictment that accused him of lying to Congress, tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election. Story continues He was the sixth Trump aide or adviser to be convicted on charges brought as part of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Before his Feb. 20 sentencing, the Justice Department leadership backed away from its initial recommendation just hours after Trump tweeted his displeasure at the recommendation of up to nine years in prison, saying it had been too harsh. The move led to a brief flare-up between Attorney General Willam Barr and Trump. The decision on sentencing was Jacksons to make. She sentenced Stone to more than three years in prison plus two years probation and a $20,000 fine. [April 17, 2020] Method Communications Bolsters Global Enterprise Tech Practice SAN FRANCISCO, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Global tech PR firm Method Communications has bolstered its breadth of expertise in enterprise technology by hiring Executive Vice President Adrian Eyre, an experienced agency leader with previous roles at Edelman, Ogilvy Public Relations and Waggener Edstrom, and Josh Lefkowitz and Ruben Simpliciano as vice presidents. Eyre joins Method's San Francisco office, leading the agency's enterprise team, along with Simpliciano; Lefkowitz leads the company's growing New York office. "Enterprise technology is an economic powerhouse and building a differentiated practice there has always been a focus for Method," CEO David Parkinson said. "Adrian, Ruben and Josh enhance our culture of strong senior leadership that fosters deep relationships and impressive results for some of the most exciting names in tech. They immediately add to the incredibly talented team we have in place with expertise, ideas and counsel that will be invaluable to our growing list of global enterprise clients." Eyre brings over 15 years of global technology and corporate public relations experience. Before joining Method, he served as SVP and head of enterprise technology at Edelman, where he led client strategy and managed global teams to ensure optimization of programs across the U.S., EMEA and APAC, with a focus on driving organic growth of accounts in-market. He most recently served as team lead for the VMware corporate business, where he drove media, thought leadership, and executive visibility. In addition, Eyre held senior leadership roles across the agency's enterprise client portfolio that included Informatica, Infosys and ServiceNow aong others. Prior to that, he spent almost a decade at Ogilvy Public Relations, where he worked with major enterprise technology companies such as Dell, Intel, BMC Software and Brocade as well as consumer brands such as Virgin America. "Method has made a name for itself as a nimble and innovative agency focused on creating a standout culture which has been key to sustained growth. Like many in the industry, I've been impressed by how Method breaks from the traditional agency model by putting people first--from staff to clients to reporters," Eyre said. "I look forward to helping Method further expand its capabilities and increase our global enterprise tech presence." Lefkowitz joins Method to lead its New York office. Previously, he held senior positions at AxiCom, North of Nine and Burson-Marsteller. Lefkowitz brings extensive B2B and enterprise technology experience working with industry leaders such as Intel, Orange Business Services, Sony Mobile Communications, Secureworks, IBM, Alcatel and SAP. Simpliciano joins Method with experience in enterprise tech and venture capital PR. Before joining Method, he serviced brands such as Intel, HP and Epson in the U.S. and Asia-Pacific, across three WPP agencies: Burson-Marsteller, North of Nine and AxiCom. He's also led PR programs for Intel Capital, Intel corporation's venture capital arm, and has served as the technology practice lead for Singapore's Burson-Marsteller office. With offices in San Francisco, New York City, Salt Lake City and London, Method has established itself as an agency partnering with Fortune 500 companies as well as some of the biggest names in tech, including 1Password, Adyen, Confluent, Galileo, PagerDuty, Podium, SurveyMonkey and Vivint Smart Home. About Method Method is the PR and marketing partner for challenger brands shaking up the status quo and market leaders facing challenges of their own. Method is part of Chime Communications Group PLC and partners with award-winning European technology agency Harvard and customer advocacy specialists inEvidence. The firm was recently named a finalist for 2020 North American Technology PR firm of the year by PRovoke Media, formerly The Holmes Report. To learn more, visit methodcommunications.com or connect through LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/method-communications-bolsters-global-enterprise-tech-practice-301042878.html SOURCE Method Communications [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The "Greece Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband Statistics and Analyses" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report introduces the key aspects of the Greek fixed-line telecoms, wholesale and IT market, outlining the regulatory environment, assessing the major players and providing relevant operational data and financial statistics on both the operators and the market. The report also covers the fixed-line broadband segment, as also the mobile voice and data markets, covering regulatory and sector developments as well as reviews of the key players. The research includes the regulators market review and annual report for 2018, market data for 2019, telcos operating and financial data to Q4 2019, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market development. The report 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 may experience a downturn in mobile device and ICT equipment production and a decline in consumer spending on telecoms services. Overall progress towards 5G may also be postponed or slowed down in some countries. Please also note that industry forecasts contained in this report have not taken Coronavirus into consideration as it is yet largely unknown what the long-term impact will be. Key Developments Government extends fibre subsidy scheme to the business sector Regulator extends consultation for the 2020 multi-spectrum auction EC approves 223 million for Greece's Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFBB) project Vodafone closes down the MVNO Cyta Mobile, plans to repurpose 3G network assets for LTE and 5G by 2022 Cosmote, Vodafone and Wind Hellas pay 201.45 million to extend 1800MHz licences to end-2035 Cosmote trials carrier aggregation technology providing data at up to 1.2Gb/s, launches LTE-A Pro services OTE extends Smart City projects to Halkida and Patras Greece's telecom market continues to suffer from tough economic conditions, with long-term financial strain on the public still telling on telco revenue and investment. However, there are signs of recovery and renewed confidence. The dominant player OTE, which has experienced significant challenges but is supported by the organisational and financial clout of its parent Deutsche Telekom, reported a 2.9% increase in revenue for 2019, the first such growth since 2008. Broadband penetration in Greece is developing steadily despite the difficult economic conditions. The main operators are concentrating investment on fibre-based next generation networks, enabling them to reach the European broadband targets for 2025. Their work is also supported by government ultra-fast broadband projects, largely funded by the European Commission (EC), aimed at delivering a service of at least 100Mb/s to underserved areas. Some 233 million in funding was approved in February 2020. Greece's well-developed mobile market is dominated by the three mobile network operators Wind Hellas, Vodafone Greece and Cosmote. Operators continue to invest in LTE infrastructure and technologies to provide networks capable of meeting customer demand for data services. Although the MNOs have trialled 5G since 2019, commercial services await the auction of suitable spectrum: the regulator expects to auction spectrum in the 3.4-3.8GHz range later in 2020, followed by 700MHz spectrum in 2021. Companies Mentioned Vodafone Greece OTE (Cosmote) Wind Hellas Forthnet (Nova) On Telecoms Tellas Key Topics Covered 1 Key statistics 2 Regional Market Comparison 2.1 Europe Telecom Maturity Index by tier 2.2 TMI versus GDP 2.3 Mobile and mobile broadband penetration 2.4 Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration 3 Country overview 4 Telecommunications market 4.1 Market analysis 5 Regulatory environment 5.1 Background 5.2 Regulatory authority 5.3 Fixed-line developments 5.4 Mobile network developments 6 Mobile market 6.1 Mobile statistics 6.2 Mobile infrastructure 6.3 Mobile data 6.4 Mobile broadband 6.5 Major mobile operators 6.6 Mobile content and applications 7 Fixed-line broadband market 7.1 Market analysis 7.2 Broadband statistics 7.3 Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks 7.4 Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) 7.5 Other fixed broadband services 8 Digital economy 8.1 E-government 8.2 Infrastructure 9 Fixed network operators 9.1 Overview 9.2 OTE 9.3 Wind Hellas 9.4 Forthnet (Nova) 9.5 Vodafone Greece 9.6 Cyta Hellas 10 Telecommunications infrastructure 10.1 National telecom network 10.2 Smart infrastructure 11 Appendix Historic data For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/mdu1tq View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005243/en/ Contacts: 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 Cibolo Police Department With the coronavirus causing a shortage of hand sanitizer, Tito's Handmade Vodka donated its company-made hand cleanser to the Cibolo Police Department on Thursday, according to a Facebook post from the department. The Austin-based company began creating its product in March as a way to give back to the Texas community during the pandemic. Since then, Tito's has packaged and donated more than 24 tons of its sanitizer to critical front-line organizations in Austin and other local communities throughout Texas. A popular New Orleans inspired cocktail bar has launched a giant bucket of spiced chicken - and you can now have it delivered straight to your door. The Big Easy in Sydney has teamed up with Fireball Whisky to create a delicious boozy bucket and from Friday, April 17th, the meal can be ordered on Menulog and delivered to homes across Sydney. For $35, you'll get six large pieces of Fireball infused chicken and a bottle of flaming Fireball hot sauce, which has a 16 per cent alcohol content. You can see if your suburb is eligible for delivery here. Sydney bar, The Big Easy, have teamed up with Fireball Whisky to create a large spiced chicken bucket and a bottle of flaming Fireball hot sauce The Big Easy also have a delicious vegan Louisiana Fireball Fried Cauliflower version of the dish for $24. If you want a meal without the spice, you can also order a twice-fried Sweet Corn Hush Puppies served with Buffalo Trace butter. For dessert, they have a delicious Fireball Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake complete with a graham cracker base, layered classic baked cheesecake, pumpkin pie cheesecake, pumpkin spice and Fireball whisky. For $35, you'll get six large pieces of Fireball infused chicken and a bottle of flaming Fireball hot sauce, which has a 16 per cent alcohol content Hospitality group Merivale have also launched a service for Sydneysiders to enjoy menus from its popular restaurants including Mr. Wong, Tottis, Berts Bar & Brasserie, Freds and Vinnies Pizza, in the comfort of their own homes. The meals are delivered almost ready to eat, with just a few simple finishing touches needed to be done before the meal can be enjoyed. Merivale at Home offers five menus to choose from, each changing regularly and ranging from $70 to $95 for two people. Food is only delivered on Thursday and orders must be placed by Monday in order to receive it that week. NORTH CANTON, Ohio, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Diebold Nixdorf (NYSE: DBD) will release 2020 first quarter financial results on Tuesday, May 5 before trading begins on the New York Stock Exchange. Gerrard Schmid, president and chief executive officer, and Jeffrey Rutherford, senior vice president and chief financial officer, will discuss the results during a conference call and webcast beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET. Information about Diebold Nixdorf's financial results, including a complete press release, supplementary financial data and an earnings presentation, will be accessible by visiting the Investor Relations section of Diebold Nixdorf's website located at http://www.dieboldnixdorf.com/earnings on Tuesday, May 5. Live access to the conference call, as well as the replay, will also be available on this website. The conference call will last approximately one hour. Participants should plan to dial in 10 minutes prior to the session. Details on the call are as follows: Dial-in number Passcode Time/Date Conference Call US/Canada: 888-204-4368 6279600 8:30 a.m. ET, May 5, 2020 International: 323-994-2093 About Diebold Nixdorf Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated (NYSE: DBD) is a world leader in enabling connected commerce. We automate, digitize and transform the way people bank and shop. As a partner to the majority of the world's top 100 financial institutions and top 25 global retailers, our integrated solutions connect digital and physical channels conveniently, securely and efficiently for millions of consumers each day. The company has a presence in more than 100 countries with approximately 22,000 employees worldwide. Visit www.DieboldNixdorf.com for more information. Twitter: @DieboldNixdorf LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/diebold Facebook: www.facebook.com/DieboldNixdorf YouTube: www.youtube.com/dieboldnixdorf SOURCE Diebold Nixdorf Related Links http://www.dieboldnixdorf.com Actor and comedian Kiku Sharda has reacted to a point of criticism against the The Kapil Sharma Show. Kiku plays multiple characters on Kapils show, most famous of them being Baccha Yadav. The show and its actors are called out on social media for cracking demeaning jokes at the expense of the recurring special guest, actor Archana Puran Singh. Kiku, however, tells The Times of India that Archana always knows which jokes will be cracked on the show. Archana ji is as much as a co-star like any of us. One needs to understand that she is part of the team and we create jokes sitting with each other. She is very much aware of what jokes are going to be cracked and what the script is, he said. Archana Ji takes them very sportingly. It is like when a group of friends meet they pull each others leg and crack jokes and no one gets offended because thats the kind of bond they share. Our bond with Archana ji is the same and she doesnt mind it all. But with due respect if ever she has felt bad we would like to say sorry, Kiku added. Also read: Alia Bhatt-Ranbir Kapoor also hosting her sister Shaheen at his home? Mom Soni Razdan says the sisters are living apart Late last year, the shows team was criticised for commenting on her looks ad threatening to bring Navjot Singh Sidhu back to replace her. Later, Kapil shared a happy picture with Archana to put rumours of any disrespect or tiff with Archana to rest. Also last year, Archana had revealed on the show how she was paid half the amount that Navjot was paid. Follow @htshowbiz for more A Chinese medical team from Yunnan province compares notes on Myanmar shoppers whom they observed in markets for signs of the coronavirus in the central Myanmar city of Mandalay, April 15, 2020. A Myanmar doctor who treated a coronavirus patient has tested positive for the deadly pathogen, according to Myanmar's Health Ministry, raising concerns over the safety of health care workers who are exposed to COVID-19 amid its spread in the Southeast Asian country, As of Thursday, Myanmar registered a total 85 confirmed cases and four fatalities, the ministry's figures indicated. A 58-year-old anesthesiologist at Pyay General Hospital in central Myanmars Bago region has become the first doctor to catch COVID-19. She was part of a medical team that treated a man known as patient No. 17, who died on April 8. The man an administrator of Bagos Paukkhaung township had caught the virus from his wife, a nurse who works at an international medical center in the commercial capital Yangon, and who is known as coronavirus patient No. 15. The mans two children and a niece who lived with the couple also tested positive. The anesthesiologist, whose name has been withheld, is the only medical professional from the team who treated patient No. 17 to test positive for the virus. She was transferred to Waibargi Hospital, a Yangon medical facility that specializes in infectious diseases, on April 12, a day after she tested positive. It has become more risky for us now, said Dr. Naw Thandar Swe from Yangons Insein Township Public Health Department. We are going to work just for the benefit of many people, but we are at risk of infection. He urged all citizens to comply with safety measures, such as government-ordered lockdowns, frequent hand-washing, and the wearing of face masks in public to reduce the spread of the virus and the chance of infecting health care workers. All citizens should protect themselves so they do not burden public services, he said. They should take the rules seriously. We should help and support one another because this is a long-term commitment. Dr. Kyaw Htet Aung from Sinphyukyun Hospital in central Myanmars Magway region said there are concerns over the workloads of doctors and nurses amid the coronavirus pandemic because of the very low ratio of government-hired medical practitioners to the population in Myanmar. We already had expected that doctors from the front line could get infected sooner or later, he said. Who would take care of incoming patients if most of the front-line medical staff becomes infected and is gone? he asked. [This is] a pressing concern for all medical professionals. During a videoconference discussion with front-line medical personnel from Mon state on April 15, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi said that the prevention, protection, and treatment of the coronavirus would remain a challenge for many days to come. It will still be challenging for the next two, three, or four weeks, she said. I dont intend to scare you. You should all be prepared. [As] for the Ministry of Health, we will try our best to provide effective and correct medical treatments. [As] for the public, you should comply with the guidelines. A Myanmar food vendor wearing a protective face mask washes dishes at a public market in the central Myanmar city of Mandalay, April 2020. Credit: RFA Mandatory masks in markets Other parts of the country meanwhile are ramping up their efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. Authorities in the central Myanmar city of Mandalay have ordered residents to wear face masks at public markets as a further measure against the spread of COVID-19, with most vendors but not most shoppers complying with the directive, stall operators and a market manager said. The rule applies to all markets regulated by the Mandalay City Municipal Department (MCDC), and those who fail to comply banned from entering and doing business in the markets. The markets cannot be closed because they supply necessary commodities for the public, said Yu Yu Lwin, manager of the Aung Tharyar market in Chanmaythazi township, who posted notices about the regulation at market entrances. Were also giving free face masks to shoppers who dont know about the new rules, he said. So far, vendors are following the new rule because they must deal with market management staff, but shoppers are another story, Yu Yu Lwin said. Shoppers are not complying with the rules, he said. We have installed public sinks for handwashing. Most vendors use them to wash their hands. Mandalays mayor, Ye Lwi, posted a reminder to city dwellers about the mandatory face mask requirement on his Facebook account on Monday. Than Tin, another vendor, said those who violate the order are subject to fines. They have ordered us to wear the face masks and not to interact closely with shoppers, she said. They can fine us for violating the rule. Mandalay authorities have provided two cloth face masks to vendors for everyday use, while some local humanitarian groups are donating masks to others, market vendors said. We are wearing face masks and hand gloves now, said vendor Khin San Win. Face masks usually sell for around 100 kyats (seven U.S. cents) in Myanmar, but after the announcement of the first confirmed coronavirus case on March 23, the price shot up to 500 kyats (U.S. $0.35). In Mandalay, the masks currently sell for about 300 kyats (U.S. $0.21) each. The government has put in place another new nationwide measure that takes effect Friday to prevent the further spread of the virus, the Myanmar Times reported. It bans gatherings of five or more public servants, corporate employees, and factory workers when commuting to and from work, when shopping at permitted markets and malls, and when using delivery services and legal services. Those who fail to comply with the government directive can be charged under the countrys 1995 Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases Law, which carries a prison sentence up to six months, a fine of up to 50,000 kyats (U.S. $35), or both. A usually busy street in Myanmar's commercial hub Yangon is devoid of pedestrians and traffic amid a lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the Buddhist New Year, April 15, 2020. Credit: RFA An uneventful Thingyan The government has banned all public gatherings throughout Myanmar during April, including Thingyan Buddhist New Year celebrations, and has asked citizens to remain at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Thingyan, which officially fell on April 13-16, ended on a dry note Thursday because people were prohibited from going outside to toss water on passersby as they usually do during the beloved public holiday. The countrys busiest city, Yangon, came to a standstill with an absence of holiday street fairs, traditional song and dance performances, and crowded temple visits. No one was seen on Pyi Road, one of the busiest streets in Yangon during the Water Festival, said Yangon resident and engineer Bo Bo Zin, referring to Thingyan. Only ambulances are running elsewhere, he added. I just saw only one or two people at some bus stops. The capital Naypyidaw, usually dotted with colorful pavilions decorated by government ministries this time of year, was like a ghost town. Residents of other major cities in Myanmar also reported a dearth of activities during the holiday period. Its very different from the usual Thingyan this year, said Myo Chit Zaw, a member of the student union at Yadanabon University in Mandalay. Mandalays Thingyan is one of the most famous festivals, but this year theres nothing nothing at all. Myanmar writer Nyi Pulay reflected on the greater impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in Mandalay. The famous Mandalay Water Festival is dry this year, he said. People have stayed at home. It doesnt look like Thingyan. We dont know how long this will last, he said. There will be political, social, and economic impacts. We have many people who depend on daily wages, but all businesses are closed. Writer Shwegu May Hnin said most citizens understood the necessity of the governments ban on public gatherings during Thingyan. Life is the most important thing, she said. Although there have been religious and cultural impacts this year, we shouldnt celebrate this Water Festival because the virus is passed from person to person. Most people are OK with no Water Festival this year because they know staying at home not only protects them from death, but also saves others lives, she added. Reported by Phyu Phyu Khine, Khaymani Win, Thant Zin Oo, Khin Khin Ei, and Khet Mar for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung, Maung Maung Ny, and Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. A prominent businessman was on Friday booked after he left a locality here marked as a 'Red Zone' of coronavirus cases for Srinagar in violation of prohibitory orders during the countrywide lockdown, officials said. A case was registered against Mushtaq Ahmad Chaya who was staying at Bathindi in the outskirts of the city, the officials said. This area has witnessed the maximum number of positive coronavirus cases in Jammu. Bathindi along with over a dozen other localities in Jammu region were declared 'Red Zones' after many cases of COVID-19 were reported from there and strict restrictions were imposed on the inward and outward movement of residents. "Chaya, a resident of Zakoora locality of Srinagar, deliberately left for Srinagar along with other persons in his private vehicle from the 'Red Zone' Bathini and reached his residence," an official said. Taking strong notice of the incident, he said a case under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and section three of the Epidemic Diseases Act has been registered against the businessman at Trikuta Nagar police station. As the businessman reached his Srinagar residence, the official said a medical team was deputed for his immediate screening and of those who travelled with him. "They will be sent to quarantine if needed," the official said. As of now, occupants of the house have been put in quarantine and no one will be allowed to either go out or get in until the family clears the mandatory quarantine period, the officials said. Jammu and Kashmir has recorded a total of 328 cases of coronavirus, of whom five persons four in the Kashmir valley and one in Udhampur district of Jammu region have died. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After actor Shah Rukh Khan offered his office space as a quarantine facility for women, children and elderly , Ayesha Takia and her restaurateur husband Farhan Azmi have now given their hotel in South Mumbai to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to be used as a quarantine facility. A Spotboye report quoted Farhan as saying, Yes, we have given our Gulf Hotel for quarantine to the BMC. We are together during this time of crisis. We have handed over our hotel to BMC and the Mumbai Police as the quarantine centre. Ours is a small hotel. And we hope that in future, the government should support small businesses too. Earlier, Shah Rukh Khan, along with wife Gauri, offered their four-storey personal office space for quarantining Covid-19 patients. This is among his various initiatives to help the country during the crisis. BMC took to social media to thank Shah Rukh and Gauri for the help. We thank @iamsrk & @gaurikhan for offering their 4-storey personal office space to help expand our Quarantine capacity equipped with essentials for quarantined children, women & elderly. Indeed a thoughtful & timely gesture, BMCs official Twitter handle post read. When we say mybmc then its with a sense of ownership and pride in all the efforts your teams are putting up to fight covid 19. We both are thankful that we could be a part of your attempts to help and care for Mumbaikars. Mumbai BMC https://t.co/fm1aGpNylB Gauri Khan (@gaurikhan) April 4, 2020 When we say mybmc, then its with a sense of ownership and pride in all the efforts your teams are putting up to fight COVID-19. We both are thankful that we could be a part of your attempts to help and care for Mumbaikars, the couple wrote on their respective Twitter handles. Sonu Sood has also offered his hotel in the city for the healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses and the paramedical staff, as accommodation while they battle the coronavirus pandemic. The actor said its important for everyone to stand strongly with the medical staff across the country, who are the real heroes of the fight against Covid-19. Also read: Sara Ali Khan, brother Ibrahim agree mom Amrita Singh is most popular of them all. Watch their fun TikTok challenge Its my honour to be able to do my bit for the doctors, nurses and para medical staff of our country who have been working day and night to save the lives of millions in the country. Im really happy to open the doors of my hotel for these real time heroes, the actor said in a statement. Follow @htshowbiz for more Turkish university develops coronavirus testing kits If we can take a sample properly, we can detect the disease, Professor Oguz Karabay, one of the developers, said. Turkish scientists have developed a testing kit for coronavirus, a major step aimed at reducing the countrys reliance on imports. "KEY TO FIGHTING CORONAVIRUS IS ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS" "Today, we will add a new product to our export basket and reduce our imports. We will share with you testing kits for coronavirus, Professor Fatih Savasan told reporters in Turkeys northwestern province of Sakarya. The kits were developed by scientists at Sakarya University where Savasan is rector. Noting the profound contribution scientific advancement has had on the betterment of society, he said the testing kits came right when we needed them. The professor stressed the key to fighting coronavirus is accurate diagnosis and isolation. The testing kits will increase the number of tests carried out every day. He went on to say they could increase their production capacity to 50,000 units per day after two weeks from the current 10,000. Mehmet Koroglu, a professor and head of Clinical Microbiology Department at the university and also one of the developers, said that the product is shaped like a stick to take nasal and throat swabs from patients. More than 20 people identified to have come into contact with some confirmed Coronavirus patients have begun a 14-day quarantine at the Airport view hotel. The people were picked up at Newtown by some health workers and military officers involved in the contact tracing exercise on Wednesday and Thursday. According to the officers who spoke to GhanaWeb off-camera, they picked up 15 persons on Wednesday, 15th April 2020. Majority of these persons refused to cooperate with the officers and had to be forcefully taken to the Ayawaso North municipal health directorate where their samples were taken before being sent to the hotel. As at 12noon on Thursday, April 16, the contact tracers had picked up 7 more persons in the community. When GhanaWeb got to the health directorate, an old woman believed to be in her 60s and two young persons were waiting for an ambulance to transport them to the Airport view hotel after their samples had been taken by health workers. The team followed the ambulance to the hotel but couldn't go beyond since it is now an isolation centre. The contact tracers appealed to the general public to cooperate with them when the need arises for them to be sent into quarantine as the exercise is not meant to cause them harm. The officers are still carrying out contact tracing in the community and hope to identify more people by close of the day. Contact tracing is taking place across the country to help identify persons who might have contracted the virus through contacts with confirmed patients. This is part of measures to curb the spread of the pandemic in the country. Ghana has so far recorded 641 Coronavirus cases with 83 recoveries and 8 deaths. Majority of the patients, according to the Ghana Health Service, do not have any history of travel. 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. Featured Video Despite some optimism for new talks, antagonists in Yemens five-year-old war have basically ignored a Saudi-led unilateral ceasefire announced a week ago, UN 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 UN envoy for Yemen, told the Security Council in a video conference briefing shown on the UN website. Mark Lowcock, the UN humanitarian relief co-ordinator, 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 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. Political analysts said the Saudis saw the pandemic as an opportunity to start extricating themselves from a stalemated war that has become a quagmire and a public-relations nightmare for them. But the Houthis, who are backed by Saudi Arabias regional rival Iran, have shown little intent to stop fighting, despite laying out their own proposals for stopping the war. Griffiths told the Security Council he discussed with each side the phrasing of agreements on what would be the first nationwide ceasefire, new humanitarian measures and an urgent resumption of the political process to end the conflict. We expect them to agree on and formally adopt these agreements in the immediate future, he said. Nonetheless, both he and Lowcock said many areas of the country remained convulsed by attacks, just a few days after Yemen reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. In Yemen, the Houthi military command said through a spokesman the Saudis had launched 25 airstrikes within a six-hour stretch early Thursday, including seven in the Hamdan district northwest of the capital, Sanaa. The Houthi command promised appropriate measures in defence of our country and our people to deter this aggression and the Saudi-American arrogance and put an end to it. Lowcock painted a dire picture of Yemen, where the health system has basically collapsed, most of the people face hunger or starvation and diseases like cholera and diphtheria have periodically flourished as a direct result of the war. He said infectious-disease experts had warned COVID-19s foothold in Yemen could spread faster, more widely and with deadlier consequences than in many other countries. Moreover, Lowcock said, international contributions and pledges for Yemen humanitarian relief this year amount to less than a third of the $2.6 billion (U.S.) total at this time last year. Lowcock also said the collapse in global oil prices, an important source of Yemeni government revenue, threatened to devalue Yemens currency, the rial, severely and remittances home from expatriate Yemenis could fall by as much as 70 per cent in coming months. Yemenis abroad send more than $3 billion home each year to help their families. This places us in uncharted territory, he said. Read more about: Basma bint Saud, 56, is one of the daughters of King Saud, who fathered more than 100 children. For months she has been held in the Al-Ha'ir prison. In her appeal, she tells King Salman and MbS that she is being held arbitrarily and without charges. In the past, she fought for freedom and rights, and criticised the war in Yemen. Riyadh (AsiaNews/Agencies) After nine months of silence on social media and mystery surrounding her fate, Saudi princess Basma bint Saud suddenly resurfaced with a message on Twitter that found its way in mainstream media in the past 48 hours. "As you may be aware (?) I am currently being arbitrarily held at Al-Ha'ir prison without criminal, or otherwise any charges against my person," read one of the tweets posted on her account late on Wednesday. The latter goes on to say: "My health is deteriorating. The tweets are addressed to the kingdoms rulers, King Salman as well as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), who is the architect of the recent crackdown against his rivals and opponents. In her plea, in Arabic and English, she asks them to "review my case, and to release me as I have done no wrong. Located some 40 kilometres south of the capital, Al-Ha'ir is the country's largest maximum security prison. The Saudi women rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul has been held in the facility since February 2019. Princess Basma, 56, is the youngest of King Sauds one hundred and more children. Saud ruled the kingdom from 1953 to 1964. Over the years she has distinguished herself advocating rights and the countrys (at least partial) modernisation, like overhauling the countrys laws and institutions, from the constitution and the status of women (like male guardianship) to education and social services. In 2018 she strongly criticised the war in Yemen, whose architect and greatest supporter is none other than Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In a series of articles published last year, Deutsche Welle reported on her arrest, and that of her daughter, on charges of planning to leave Saudi Arabia without authorisation. In her twitter messages, deemed genuine, she complains that she has not received medical treatment and that recent her letters to members of the royal family have not received any reply. I was abducted without an explanation together with one my daughters, and thrown into prison, reads one of her tweets. For some observers, her advocacy for human rights is not the only reason for her arrest. It would appear that land property in Ta'if and two billion euros (US$ 2.2 billion) in Swiss bank accounts that belonged to her father are also involved. Saudi Arabia is a Sunni kingdom ruled in accordance with a rigid Wahhabi interpretation of Islam. The reforms introduced by the crown prince in recent years have touched the social sphere and some rights, like womens right to drive and attend stadiums (in reserved areas). However, the arrests of senior government officials and business people, the repression of activists and critical voices, like journalist Jamal Khashoggi, have cast a long shadow on the countrys process of change. Libya war opens new ground for Israeli-Arab connivance Iran Press TV Thursday, 16 April 2020 3:44 PM As the UN and international humanitarian organizations are urgently calling for a halt in violence in Libya, Israel is providing arms and training to loyalists of renegade General Khalifa Haftar. United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Thursday condemned Haftar's so-called Libyan National Army (LNA) for "indiscriminate bombardment of the capital Tripoli with rockets, many of which had landed on civilian neighborhoods, resulting in casualties". In Tripoli, heavy bombardment could be heard into the evening on Wednesday. Following an attack last Monday, water supply was cut to more than two million people in Tripoli and nearby towns. Now fierce battles are raging to the west of the Libyan capital. Since mid-2014, Libya has been mired in civil war, pitting the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli against a rival administration in Tobruk, which is allied with General Haftar. General Haftar led a deadly offensive to capture Tripoli in April last year, but his forces have been bogged down outside the city. The UN says hundreds have been killed and over 200,000 displaced since Haftar launched his battle for Tripoli. According to London-based Middle East Eye news outlet, the conflict is fueled by increased foreign intervention and a constant supply of weapons in blatant violation of UN sanctions and an arms embargo. In fact, the role played by Haftar is a result of the axis created in recent years, consisting of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Israel. The Israeli link is less well-known but still very important, because as the civil war stretches on, Tel Aviv is showing more interest in the war-torn North African country. A report on Saturday said the UAE has paid the Israeli regime to deliver an advanced anti-aircraft missile system to the Libyan rebels under the command of Haftar. It is the latest push to help Haftar's forces overrun the Libyan capital and unseat the internationally-recognized government there, the report said. Haftar and his forces have received backing from a host of regimes whose leaders view the Benghazi-based commander as Libya's only alternative to other actors in the war-torn country. In fact, the regimes in Israel, Egypt, France, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are trying to establish an Egyptian-style military dictatorship in Libya, years after the ouster of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Libya plunged into chaos in 2011, when a popular uprising and a NATO intervention led to Gaddafi's ouster. Haftar, who has American citizenship, was known to be very close to the CIA during his exile under Gaddafi. No wonder he is favored by the administration of President Donald Trump, even as it claims to be supporting international peace efforts. The Libyan "file" is reportedly held by Israeli spy agency Mossad, which coordinates its operations and policies with Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. Between 2017 and 2019, Mossad envoys met on numerous occasions with Haftar in Cairo, and trained some of his key officers in war tactics, intelligence gathering and analysis, as well as control and command measures. Mossad also helped Haftar's forces purchase night-vision equipment and sniper rifles. The collusion illustrates the changing geopolitical dynamics of the region which have led Arab states to find themselves on the same boat with Israel. In 2015 and 2016, Haftar met Mossad agents in Jordan in "strict secrecy." One military source told The New Arab that the Israeli military began carrying out air raids in Libya in support of Haftar's forces as they launched their Tripoli blitz in 2014. According to al-Araby al-Jadeed, Haftar held another meeting in Amman last year "to deepen security coordination between him and Israel" and that Haftar sought a stronger Israeli presence in southern Libya. Haftar reportedly promised Israel "safe centers" in Libya's desert. His connection with Israel is through Oren Hazan, a member of Israel's Likud party who has Libyan roots. In May, al-Jazeera Arabic published an investigation which uncovered Israeli support for Haftar's offensive on Tripoli in early April. A joint Emirati-Kazakh firm, Reem Travel, had an aircraft registered to its name which was flying between Egypt, Israel, and Jordan prior to arriving in LNA-controlled territory in Libya shortly before Haftar's westward assault began, according to the Qatari TV. Observers maintain that Israeli support for Haftar brings Israel into greater de facto alignment with the Arab states that have been backing the eastern commander for years. The opportunities to secure money through lucrative weapons sales also help explain Israel's interest in backing Haftar. As a leading arms dealer, Israel has made billions by selling arms and leasing Israeli military advisers to different conflict-plagued countries in Africa, such as South Sudan. Libya's natural resources are a factor too. Constantly looking for oil-rich allies to sell it oil, Israel may expect to secure access to Libya's petroleum after backing Haftar in the country's ongoing civil war. As the eastern commander's forces have demonstrated, their capacity to take control of virtually all onshore oil fields in Libya means Israel likely sees a tacit alliance with Haftar as a prudent move in regard to its energy needs. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Health Research Board - Trials Methodology Research Network, Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland based in the School of Nursing and Midwifery in NUI Galway, will help the public quickly and easily check the reliability of health claims being circulated by social media. The new website, www.iHealthFacts.ie, is funded by the Health Research Board in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has also brought with it an infodemic of misinformation and disinformation. The pandemic has meant the general public are faced with a constant stream of false information through a range of sources including social media and personal communication, for example messaging groups. Members of the public can submit any health claims they are curious about to the iHealthFacts website. A team of researchers in NUI Galway have established a process for assessing prioritised health claims by searching for evidence to support or refute the claim. The prepared responses are also reviewed by a team of Evidence Advisors from NUI Galway, UCD, TCD, UL, UCC and RCSI and by a panel of Public and Patient Advisors (PPI Ignite, NUI Galway). The result is a short, easy to read, clearly presented response to help the public make informed decisions about their own health. iHealthFacts is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and is intended for information purposes only. The website will be updated regularly in response to the submitted and prioritised claims so members of the public can quickly and easily check the reliability of a health claim circulated by social media. The researchers hope this information will help people think critically about health claims and make well-informed choices. Elaine Finucane, iHealthFacts.ie lead and Research Associate in the Health Research Board - Trials Methodology Research Network, said: Unreliable claims can lead to poorly informed choices, under- or over-use of things we do to improve or maintain health. Unreliable claims can also lead to unnecessary waste and human suffering. iHealthFacts.ie offers a platform to help tease out the reliability of health claims. We hope it also helps the public think critically about health claims. Dr Tom Conway, iHealthFacts.ie co-lead and Research Associate in the Health Research Board - Trials Methodology Research Network and HRB Clinical Research Facility Galway, said: Now more than ever people need access to open, trustworthy, information and iHealthFacts offers the public a simple way to take control and fact check health claims. Dr Sandra Galvin, HRB-TMRN Programme Manager at NUI Galway, said: Our team of researchers have already collected and addressed a number of claims which can be viewed on iHealthFacts.ie. Given the current COVID-19 pandemic. These include: Can spraying alcohol or chlorine on your body prevent you becoming infected with the new coronavirus? Does taking ibuprofen worsen the symptoms of COVID-19? Does the use of petrol pumps spread COVID-19 rapidly? iHealthFacts.ie is easy to use, and we welcome the publics help in submitting health claims to be prioritised for review. To learn more visit www.iHealthFacts.ie, email info@ihealthfacts.ie, or follow on Twitter @iHealthFacts1, Facebook, Instagram. (CNN) US intelligence and national security officials say the United States government is looking into the possibility that the novel coronavirus spread from a Chinese laboratory rather than a market, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter who caution it is premature to draw any conclusions. The theory is one of multiple being pursued by investigators as they attempt to determine the origin of the coronavirus that has resulted in a pandemic and killed hundreds of thousands. The US does not believe the virus was associated with bioweapons research and the sources indicated there is currently no indication the virus was man-made. Officials noted that the intelligence community is also exploring a range of other theories regarding the origination of the virus, as would typically be the case for high-profile incidents, according to an intelligence source. The theory has been pushed by supporters of the President, including some congressional Republicans, who are eager to deflect criticisms of Trump's handling of the pandemic. An intelligence official familiar with the government analysis said a theory US intelligence officials are investigating is that the virus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China, and was accidentally released to the public. Other sources told CNN that US intelligence hasn't been able to corroborate the theory but is trying to discern whether someone was infected in the lab through an accident or poor handling of materials and may have then infected others. US intelligence is reviewing sensitive intelligence collection aimed at the Chinese government, according to the intelligence source, as they pursue the theory. But some intelligence officials say it is possible the actual cause may never be known. Joint Chief of Staff Chairman Mark Milley acknowledged this week that US intelligence is taking "a hard look" at the question of whether the novel coronavirus originated in a lab. "I would just say, at this point, it's inconclusive although the weight of evidence seems to indicate natural (origin). But we don't know for certain," Milley told reporters on Tuesday. Milley's comments were echoed Thursday by Defense secretary Mark Esper, who told NBC News the government is looking closely at the issue of the origin of the virus, but it hasn't reached any concrete conclusions. "A majority of the views right now is that (the virus) is natural -- it was organic," Esper said, but noted additional investigative work needs to be done. Asked about the intelligence, which was first reported by Yahoo and Fox News, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the US is "doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation that happened" but refused to discuss what he had been told about the findings. The lab theory has been denied by the Chinese government and many outside experts have also cast doubt on the idea, CNN has previously reported. "China's position has been clear on the origin and transmission routes of the novel coronavirus," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Thursday. "The head of the World Health Organization has repeatedly stated that there hasn't been any evidence pointing to the virus being lab-created. Many renowned medical experts around the world have also described theories such as 'lab leaks' as lacking any scientific proof." A source close to the White House coronavirus task force also cautioned that "every time there is an outbreak someone proposes that the virus or other pathogen came out of a lab." One official called the way China has handled dealing with the virus "completely reprehensible" -- and intelligence investigators are determined to build a fuller picture of how it originated. The Washington Post has reported on State Department cables from 2018 demonstrating concerns about the safety and the management of the Wuhan Institute of Virology biolab. When asked about those cables, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- who has continued to call the coronavirus the "Wuhan virus" -- did not dismiss them, but neither did he say that they show any legitimate linkage to Covid-19. "The Chinese Communist Party didn't give Americans access when we needed it in that most timely point at the very beginning," Pompeo said earlier this week. "Then we know they have this lab. We know about the wet (fresh food) markets. We know that the virus itself did originate in Wuhan. So all those things come together. There's still a lot we don't know, and this is what the President was talking about today. We need to know answers to these things." Some of the officials said the US intends for China to pay a price, but recognize the US has to be careful not to inflict a cost on China before the pandemic is under control and until they have more information about its creation. CLARIFICATION: This story and its headline have been updated to more precisely describe that the US government is looking into the possibility the virus spread from a Chinese laboratory. It has also been updated with comments by Sec. Esper. This story was first published on CNN.com "US explores possibility that coronavirus spread started in Chinese lab, not a market." A Cork company behind the only breathing monitor of its kind in the world is seeing sales increase because of Covid-19. The breathing of 40 patients in Beaumont Hospitals Covid-19 wards in Dublin is being monitored with PMD Solutions RespiraSense device. It is now being adopted in three Dublin hospitals and one in Cork is evaluating it. As well as being gradually adopted in HSE hospitals, it has also been adopted by the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. There, it is expected to be installed on beds of at least 30 hospitals by the end of 2021. Hospitals in Canada, Belgium and Saudi Arabia are also taking it. The device, which its creator and PMD Solutions founder Myles Murray has been developing since 2011, will cost as little as 7 per patient per day. It consists of a wireless lobe which is attached to a single use removable sensor which is placed on a patients rib cage. It then monitors the patients breathing, sending the data to a bluetooth-enabled tablet. If their breathing rate goes above a certain threshold, an alarm goes off and alerts medics. Breathing is the only vital sign that is monitored manually in general hospital wards. But it is done by a nurse watching a patients chest rise and fall over a 60-second period and is not always the most accurate way of doing it. The RespiraSense, on the other hand, has an error rate of just plus or minus one breath. This is also the first device that can monitor breathing remotely. Anne Dorney, chief financial officer said: An increased rate of breathing is the first indicator that something is wrong. The sooner you can detect changes, the sooner medical staff can act. Our device, which has gone through numerous clinical trials, can warn about a change in the breathing rate and signs of deterioration up to 12 hours earlier than the standard monitoring method. One of the main advantages for medics of using the device is that they dont have to keep donning Personal Protective Equipment to monitor the breathing of Covid-19 patients. Meanwhile Aquila Bioscience has started delivery of its AntiBioAgent Decontamination Wipes (ABDs) to frontline services in Ireland, including the Defence Forces, the HSE and An Post. The ABDs will serve as a safe and effective decontamination wipe for first-responders, healthcare workers and postal workers to reduce the spread of Covid-19. ABDs contain components that bind to and decontaminate the surface, trapping the virus for safe disposal. Unlike other decontamination methods, which contain chemicals that can be harmful to skin, ABDs contain no harmful ingredients and can be used on skin and sensitive mucosal areas such as eyes, nose and mouth. NUI Galway-based Aquila says the concept for this technology was driven by the Irish Defence Forces and a need in the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear protection measures. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Maggy Donaldson (Agence France-Presse) New York, United States Fri, April 17, 2020 12:15 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd279600 2 World New-York-City,coronavirus,coronavirus-prevention,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,COVID-19-quarantine,pandemic Free New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Thursday extended his shutdown order in the US coronavirus outbreak epicenter until May 15, citing data showing improved conditions but insisting on the need to maintain vigilance. The governor pointed to falling rates of hospitalizations and intensive care admissions, but said infection rates would have to decrease significantly before the economy could begin re-opening. "I would like to see that infection rate get down even more," Cuomo said, reporting that 606 more people had died in the last day, the lowest daily toll in 10 days. "I don't want to project beyond that period," he said. "One month is a long time." The announcement came on the eve of the implementation of a directive mandating New Yorkers wear face coverings in public places where they cannot stay six feet (about two meters) apart. Jamie O'Reilly, owner of a dog-walking business, said the continued shutdown was "stressful" but "you just have to roll with the punches." "That's what New Yorkers do," the 31-year-old told AFP. Actress Christine Rowan agreed, saying she'd be "pleasantly surprised" if the city was up and running by September. "I'm keeping my expectations low and just trusting the process," she said. "It's a pain in the ass but it's sort of the new normal, for at least a little while." In a hopeful sign, Cuomo said New York state -- where more than 11,500 people have died from COVID-19, with more than 213,700 confirmed infections -- would donate 100 ventilators each to hard-hit New Jersey and Michigan and 50 to Maryland. Less than a month ago, the state of some 20 million people was sounding desperate appeals for the life-saving devices. "We understand about sharing resources like we've never understood before, and we understand about sharing among states and how good people were to New York when we needed it," Cuomo said. 'Health first' Also on Thursday New York Mayor Bill de Blasio issued a frank appeal to the White House for federal assistance, as he unveiled a shaved budget for the city where coronavirus has slashed revenue. His $89.3 billion budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 is $6 billion less than his initial proposal in January. De Blasio said the city estimates a massive drop in tax revenue due to the coronavirus shutdown: $7.4 billion over the current fiscal year and the next. "That is a horrifying figure," the mayor said. "No New Yorker is responsible for this horrible crisis, but New York has borne the brunt -- we are the epicenter," de Blasio continued "I made clear to the president his hometown needs him," the mayor of America's economic engine continued. "Anyone who wants that national recovery better take care of the places that will have to build this recovery." "If President Trump raises his voice, the Republican Senate will follow, period." The mayor's proposed budget cuts included keeping the city's outdoor pools closed for the summer, which he estimated could save New York $12 million. Job losses from the coronavirus pandemic in the United States hit 22 million Thursday, according to government data, and the president has vowed to lay out plans for re-opening the world's largest economy. But like Cuomo, de Blasio warned that "it would be a huge mistake" to re-open "too early" the city that has most of its more than 8 million residents sheltering at home. Both leaders have emphasized that mass testing is key to re-booting economic activity. O'Reilly, who owns the dog-walking business, said the coronavirus shutdown has been particularly painful for those in the city who have lost income, but that "I really trust in our governor for putting people's health first." "Why does the economy matter if we're not around to spend any money because we're all sick?" The U.S. Governments emergency small-business lending program is out of money, just as banks were able to begin processing PPP loan applications. Now, local small businesses are waiting and wondering whats next and if theyll get the aid they qualified for. Many banks were slow to process the new loans as a part of the CARES Act. I went to my banks website and on their page, it had a banner that said coming soon and to stay apprized of any breaking developments, said Paul McMahon, the owner of Grass Shack Cafe in Phoenix, that was about a week, week and a half ago. Then they opened it up but they had some problems with the feds and reserve requirements and such. McMahons situation is not unique, many other local small businesses are dealing with the same issues. We have the application but the bank is not taking any applications right now because they have too many, they said, said Javier Cruz, the owner of Simple Cafe in Ashland. McMahon even tried to apply for the PPP loan with a second bank to get the process moving as fast as possible. I went to the Small Business Association (SBA) cite initially and it said you should apply to two banks so I applied to another bank we do business with as well but I never heard from them, said McMahon. A few fortunate small businesses were able to get a jump on the process early and were able to get a PPP loan that has enabled them to continue critical actions, like paying employees. We actually had out application in before the deadline, on the first day it was going to open, said Pat Sahey, We have a very good relationship with our lender, Peoples Bank. Two weeks ago, today, we filed and we received the proceeds on Tuesday, so it took about a week and a half. We were very early in the process and at the top of the queue. In a statement released by Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River), more than 1,100,000 loans have been approved for small businesses and almost $270 billion loans have been processed. As of April 13th, Oregon had 9,508 approved loans and received $2,427,776,445 in approved dollars from the PPP. Unfortunately, that wasnt enough. I woke up this morning hearing on CNN that the program has expired. The funds are gone, said McMahon, so I dont know at this point if I, who actually moved expeditiously as possible to get this, will get the loan. Yesterday NewsWatch 12s Alicia Rubin spoke with Ken Trautman, the CEO of Peoples Bank about what would happen if PPP loan funding ran out. Surprisingly, its gone longer than I thought, said Trautman, A lot of banks were a little slower getting involved with the process, but it won't last much longer. Once it's done, then we can't get an authorization from SBA, so there'll be no funds guaranteed. Senator Jeff Merkley spoke with NewsWatch 12s Alicia Rubin last week after he called the PPP loan plan botched. According to Sen. Merkley, small businesses are not seeing fair treatment from banks. We're seeing one bank saying it's capitalization is insufficient to do more applications, that's Wells Fargo, said Merkley, we have others that said they're just going to focus on folks they have relationships with, so the door is closed. In fact, we called through the banks and credit unions that were eligible and found only four that said they would take applications from folks I don't have a relationship with. Some banks are doing all they can but are facing their own hurdles. They took a program that SBA used for 50 years and added the PPP program to it and then modified some of the rules, said Trautman, so what used to be ineligible is eligible under PPP. Weve been trying to learn the rules. In a statement released to NewsWatch 12, Umpqua Bank said, Over the past few weeks, Umpqua Banks top priority has been to help as many small businesses as possible survive this crisis and keep their workers employed. We worked around the clock to get a process in place for PPP by the April 3 go-live date and were the first bank on the West Coast ready to accept applications that morning. Thanks to our amazing team of bankers and associates, who have been working around the clock since the program went live, we have processed and approved nearly 7,000 SBA loans totaling more than $1.4 billion in funding for small businesses. Though all initial SBA funding has now been allocated, we are continuing to process applications so businesses still needing aid can get the relief they need if and when additional funding is made available by Congress. Lawmakers met today to try to reach an agreement on a package that will immediately increase program funding. If a deal isnt reached, not only will the program go without replenished funds through the weekend, but possibly through the rest of the month. Guwahati/Agartala, April 17 : With two more coronavirus positive cases reported in Meghalaya, taking the number of such cases in the northeastern region (excluding Sikkim) to 48, with 34 from Assam, where so far nine people have been discharged from hospitals, ministers said on Friday. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma tweeted that two more cases tested positive late on Thursday night and both are family members of the first patient, a senior 69-year-old doctor, who died on Wednesday, two days after he was tested positive. The deceased doctor, owner of a private hospital in Shillong, 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. With the latest two positive cases, the total number of active cases in Meghalaya rose to eight after one death. Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in a tweet on Friday afternoon said that from Golaghat Civil Hospital, four patients, including two women were discharged for 14-day home-quarantine, taking such number of people to nine. "The ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) has approved facility at Tezpur Medical College as an accredited laboratory for testing of COVID-19. Now we have six testing labs (in Assam)," Sarma said in a separate tweet. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu in a tweet on Friday evening said that the lone positive person of the state having been now labelled virus free has been discharged and sent to institutional quarantine for the next 14 days. Arunachal Pradesh's Director General of Police R.P. Upadhyaya said the state police has been using drones to monitor the ongoing lockdown. "Use of technology as force multiplier to serve the public better," the senior IPS officer said in a statement. After launching teaching through Aizawl Doordarshan Kendra television channel, the Mizoram Board of School Education (MBSE) has decided to conduct the remaining Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) examinations from April 22. An official release said the remaining HSSLC examinations of Arts, Science and Commerce streams would be held from April 22 to April 24 in all the (HSSLC) examination centres under the MBSE. A Defence Public Relations Officer said that due to ongoing COVID -19 outbreaks, an Army recruitment rally at Happy Valley in Shillong scheduled from May 4 to 6 has been postponed and it would be conducted on October 5-8 at the same venue. After one death in Assam, so far 34 positive novel coronavirus cases have been reported in Assam followed by eight in Meghalaya, two each in Manipur and Tripura, and one each in Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. Of the 48 people with positive cases, 34 had either attended the Tablighi Jamaat religious congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin area last month or their close contacts had. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) The first American patient with COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been put on the drug gimsilumab at Temple University Hospital, as part of the BREATHE clinical trial. The trial, sponsored by Roivant Sciences, will evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous gimsilumab in preventing death in patients with COVID-19 and ARDS. Several human coronavirus infections, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV), are associated with a high incidence of disease and death. The latest coronavirus infection is the so-called COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2, which has spread from China's Wuhan city to almost all regions of the world. Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (round gold objects) emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. SARS-CoV-2, also known as 2019-nCoV, is the virus that causes COVID-19. The virus shown was isolated from a patient in the U.S. Credit: NIAID-RML How does the coronavirus cause COVID-19 features? SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, triggers respiratory illness in patients, causing a cytokine storm - an exaggerated immune response - that spirals into lung injury, ARDS, and death. ARDS is a lethal lung complication associated with inadequate oxygenation of the lung tissues and stiffening of the lungs. It requires hospitalization and mechanical ventilation. Even with accepted standards of care, the condition is associated with a high overall mortality rate of 41.6%. Serious sequelae include scarring or a punctured lung. CD4+ T cells are one type of immune cell in the blood and tissues, that quickly become active after the onset of the COVID-19 infection. This activation is followed by their differentiation into pathogenic T helper cells, releasing a flood of cell signaling molecules such as GM-CSF (granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor). GM-CSF and acute lung injury This molecule is a growth factor that is known to play a critical role in producing inflammation in autoimmune diseases. It is also believed to be the reason for the excessive lung inflammation in ARDS. SARS-CoV-1 animal experiments and data from other trials suggest that GM-CSF influences the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in patients who have or are likely to develop ARDS, thus increasing inflammation in the respiratory system. GM-CSF levels are high in the serum of COVID-19 patients according to recent Chinese studies. This surge of GM-CSF and similarly inflammation-inducing cytokines cause the recruitment of inflammatory monocyte lineages that produce high levels of IL-6. Thus, many researchers suggest that GM-CSF could be the critical link between the capacity of the Th1 cells to trigger an acute lung injury syndrome, and the feedback loop of inflammatory monocytes, which releases still more GM-CSF and IL-6, to cause a vicious cycle. Investigators think these monocytes, that are produced at very high levels, enter the lung circulation by the thousands, and potentiate the lung damage, causing respiratory failure and death in short order. "Emerging evidence suggests that GM-CSF may contribute to clinical worsening in COVID-19," Dr. Criner said. The evidence that the illness is typically mild to moderate in children but more severe in elderly individuals supports the role of the mature immune response in the latter in inducing severe lung injury and organ failure. How is the trial being carried out? The enrollment criteria for the study include a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-29 and clinical evidence of acute lung injury or ARDS. The trial is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Patients are randomized to either gimsilumab or a placebo. With up to 270 patients being enrolled, the study aims to study the incidence of mortality by Day 43, as well as the number of patients who require to be put on mechanical ventilators, the duration of ventilation, the number of days in the intensive care unit, and the number of days of inpatient hospitalization, within the study period. The trial is being conducted at multiple sites. What is gimsilumab? Gimsilumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that is being evaluated for its potential to treat inflammatory diseases and cancer. It works by targeting The trial builds on earlier work, including several non-clinical studies and two clinical studies. One of these was a four-week Phase 1 study in healthy volunteers, which ended dosing in February 2020. All available data indicate that gemsilumab is both safe and well-tolerated. Pulmonary research specialist Dr. Elizabeth Volkmann says, "Targeting GM-CSF represents a promising strategy for curbing lung damage while allowing time for the virus to clear. It is my hope that gimsilumab will reduce mortality from COVID-19 and help improve the lives of those affected by this emerging public health crisis." Sadiq Khan is urging the British Government to change its advice to the public on wearing face masks to combat the spread of Covid-19. The London Mayor told BBC Breakfast on Thursday that wearing non-medical facial masks, such as a bandana, scarf or reusable mask, would add another layer of protection to the public. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said wearing masks could add another layer of protection for the public (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Britain's Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it is not the right moment to encourage people to wear masks adding that the Government needs to look at all of the evidence. Mr Khan, who wrote to Mr Shapps about the issue, said he is lobbying for masks to be worn in circumstances where people cannot keep two metres apart, such as on public transport or while shopping. Wearing a non-medical facial covering makes it less likely you may inadvertently give somebody else Covid-19, he told BBC Breakfast. I want a consistent approach across the country, we dont want mixed messaging. (PA Graphics) He said it is important that the UK is no longer an outlier as he referred to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in the US, which now recommends people wear cloth face masks when outside their homes. Mr Khan added that everyone may need to wear a facial covering once the current lockdown measures begin to ease. What Im lobbying for is, at the moment, when you cant keep your distance, wear a non-medical facial covering, he told the programme. But when it comes to exiting lockdown, we may need to have all of us wearing it as well. These would NOT be medical masks - which must be reserved for health and care workers who desperately need them - but scarves or reusable face coverings to reduce the risk of the virus spreading. It is time to act. Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) April 17, 2020 But Mr Shapps said the Government needs to consider all of the evidence on wearing face masks before issuing any new guidance. Speaking to LBC today, he said: So it is not the right moment to instruct people, as I saw the London Mayor do this morning, to wear them if we are not certain yet that they are going to be advantageous. A woman in a protective face mask walks through Brixton Market in south London (Victoria Jones/PA) The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended that, other than healthcare professionals, people should only wear masks if they display symptoms of coronavirus or are taking care of someone who does. At Thursdays press briefing, Englands chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said the Government is continuing to keep advice on wearing masks under review. He said it would be a very bad thing if demand from the public for masks led to shortages for healthcare staff. However, Prof. Whitty said the Governments Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) is considering whether there are circumstances in which if may be beneficial for the public to wear them. He told the briefing: The evidence is weak, but the evidence of a small effect is there under certain circumstances. What we are really trying to do is to work out under what circumstances, if any, should we extend the advice and under what circumstances should we not change that advice. [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] A young male grizzly bear named Mali, who had an encounter with the residents of Hanson Island in B.C.s Broughton Archipelago, has been safely relocated to a remote mainland habitat. The grizzly bears safety was ensured by the joint efforts of First Nations, the Conservation Officer Service, local ecotourism operators, the Grizzly Bear Foundation and the environment minister. In a statement, Environment Minister George Heyman praised the efforts of all involved, calling it a demonstration of the power of partnership and the desire for reconciliation. Working together with Indigenous nations and local residents, we have created an opportunity for this bear, and this iconic species, to continue to thrive in a wilderness habitat, he said. It is suspected that Mali, named after one of the first Mamalilikulla, ancestors Malilakala, swam to Hanson Island from the B.C. mainland in search of food after waking up from his denning period. In a statement released by the Grizzly Bear Foundation, it is stated that the grizzlys incredible sense of smell, up to 100 times stronger than a human, must have led him across this considerable distance in search of food after hibernation. This time of year, bears go in search of sedge grass, mussels and clams to fill their bellies. Conservation officers have long warned residents not to leave out attractants, and last year, it was legally enforced through the B.C. Wildlife Act. It states that people must not leave or place attractants in or about any land or premises where there are likely to be people in a manner in which the attractant can attract dangerous wildlife to the land or premises and be accessible to dangerous wildlife. Chief conservation officer Doug Forsdick said that while grizzly bear encounters in the Broughton Archipelago have increased in recent years, they were able to handle this particular situation well. We were very fortunate to achieve a positive outcome in what was quickly becoming a high-risk scenario for this grizzly bear and individuals in the area, Forsdick said. Indigenous Guardian Jake Smith and Tim McGrady of Farewell Harbour Lodge, who were on-site supporting the conservation officers efforts, pointed out that had it not been for the well-planned efforts of everyone involved, This situation could have easily ended up with the death of this grizzly bear. The success of the operation to save Mali was not just a logistical effort, but for many of the First Nations people, it was also ahighly emotional one, said Chief Richard Sumner of the Mamalilikulla Nation. The killing of grizzly bears in our traditional territory is not an option, which is why the whole operation of safely relocating the bear was very satisfying for them. Grizzly bears are important to our culture and the economics of the bear-viewing industry. Were looking to build collaborative decision-making with the B.C. government on grizzly bear conservation in our territory, said Mike Willie of Sea Wolf Adventures, a hereditary chief of the Kwikwasutinuxw Nation Over the years, grizzly bears have become a keystone species in the umbrella of conservation for other species as well. Therefore, collaborative efforts such as the one displayed in relocating Mali are extremely important to set an example of positive outcomes for future conservation efforts. When we protect grizzly bears, we protect so much more, said Nicholas Scapillati, executive director of the Grizzly Bear Foundation. Read more about: Facepalm: Facial recognition company Clearview AI continues to stir up controversy. This time, a lapse of proper security hygiene has exposed the source code of the company's app, secret keys, and cloud storage credentials. Dubai-based cybersecurity firm SpiderSilk recently uncovered a misconfigured Clearview server. Although the repository was password protected, it was setup to allow anyone to create a new account and log into the system, which is precisely what the company's security experts did. In addition to source code, private keys, and cloud storage credentials, SpiderSilk's Cheif Security Officer Mossab Hussein told TechCrunch the server contained working versions of its Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android apps free for the taking. What's more, once downloaded, the apps worked witout any security checks, meaning anyone could use the app out of the box to search the facial recognition database. "[We have] experienced a constant stream of cyber intrusion attempts, and have been investing heavily in augmenting our security," said Clearview CEO Hoan Ton-That in a statement. "We have set up a bug bounty program with HackerOne whereby computer security researchers can be rewarded for finding flaws in Clearview AI's systems. SpiderSilk, a firm that was not a part of our bug bounty program, found a flaw in Clearview AI and reached out to us. This flaw did not expose any personally identifiable information, search history, or biometric identifiers." Ton-That also told TechCrunch that SpiderSilk is attempting to extort his company. However, the security firm shared its email correspondence, and it appears that it reported the problem to Clearview and turned down a bug bounty reward. Hussain's reasoning for refusing the bounty was that it would have bound him to a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). He did not think that would have been in the best interest of the public. Perhaps even more concerning than the vulnerable company assets was the discovery of a cache of over 70,000 videos recorded from a security camera in a Manhattan residential building. The footage shows people entering and exiting the lobby. Ton-That claims the videos are from Clearview AI's Insight Camera prototype tests, a program that has since been abandoned. "As part of prototyping a security camera product, we collected some raw video strictly for debugging purposes, with the permission of the building management," explained the CEO. The real estate company representing the building did not return calls for comment. The security lapse is just the latest in a string of controversies involving Clearview AI. In January, NY Times journalists discovered that the company trained its facial recognition software using images from numerous internet sites. Several social media platforms demanded the company stop scraping their users' profiles. The following month, an "intruder" stole Clearview's entire client list from an unsecured database. Ton-That claimed there was "no compromise of servers, systems, or networks" during that attack. Then in March, Vermont's Attorney General filed a lawsuit against the startup for violating the state's Data Broker Law and Biometric Information Privacy Act. Image credit: SpiderSilk via TechCrunch TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As the nation and world continues to combat COVID-19, credit unions in Florida, Georgia and Alabama are thinking outside the box to advance the credit union motto of "people helping people." "While this pandemic is unprecedented, credit unions are always ready to assist their members and communities during times of trouble. 'People helping people,' this is what they do," explains Patrick La Pine, CEO of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions (LSCU). "We have heard from many of our credit unions about the extra miles they're going to assist their members by offering skip-a-pay programs, fee waivers, low-interest lending options and more." Credit unions are fundraising for food shelters, offering free financial wellness resources, donating meals to COVID-19 front-line workers and donating millions in other relief efforts. Several LSCU affiliated credit unions are giving back to their communities by providing their staff with $25 per employee to carry out a good deed in their community. This initiative was started by Tallahassee-based First Commerce Credit Union and others have now joined the cause. The Southeastern Credit Union Foundation (SECUF) has jumped on board to double the impact of this initiative through the #CreditUnionsCareChallenge. How does the #CreditUnionsCareChallenge work? "The request for participation was sent to all LSCU credit unions. The participating credit unions commit at least $25 per employee. The employee will use the $25 to carry out a good deed in their community while supporting a local business of their choice and this can be done while adhering to social distancing protocols," explains La Pine. "Then, to double the impact, the Foundation will match up to $25 per employee for participating credit unions and grant that sum to make an additional impact in their community by making a donation to a charitable cause." You can learn more about the #CreditUnionsCareChallenge here. For more details about what credit unions in Alabama, Florida and Georgia are doing to give back to their communities, click here. Contact: Ann Howard Director of Communications 850.212.5009 [email protected] SOURCE League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates A doctor from the Alabama Department of Public Health said Friday that while the state is inching toward restoring public activity, the threshold for lifting precautions has not yet been met. Dr. Karen Landers, ADPH Northern District medical officer, in remarks at a daily briefing in Huntsville, did not specifically address the recommendations issued earlier in the day by lawmakers on Gov. Kay Iveys state task force on reopening the economy. But her comments urged maintaining the current course spelled out by the shelter-at-home order issued by state Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris. While the task force recommends restaurants and many other businesses opening immediately, Landers had a different perspective. It is not time for us to say, OK, weve had an impact, lets stop what were doing, Landers said. But rather to continue all the processes that are in place. People need to continue to stay at home. Only go out for essential work and essential supplies. She also encouraged Alabamians to wear masks in public. "When we have to go out, we need to maintain our six-feet of distance between people. Voluntarily, people need to be wearing their cloth mask when they go out." Landers said she is frequently asked about what is needed to safely move beyond the shelter-at-home order. She outlined three requirements being looked at by the public health office: A steady decline in positive COVID-19 tests. More available COVID-19 testing. A drop in cases so that the burden is eased on hospitals. "The virus is not magically going to go away on April 30," said Landers, referring to the date the shelter-at-home order expires. Landers also said, "We are starting to see some decrease, but we are not seeing the level we need to see yet." Now-familiar protocols, such as increased hand washing, wearing masks and keeping frequently touched surfaces clean, will remain in place even as Alabama eventually meets the health departments criteria to relax the shelter-at-home order, Landers said. "As this goes along, we will probably have increased information about people just wearing masks when they are out in public to reduce the spread of this virus," she said. We cannot relax our standards on respiratory hygiene. As far as good handwashing, good hand sanitation, keeping surfaces clean these are all measures that appear to have had an impact. Thats my prescription as a doctor," she said. "These are the things I am prescribing to reduce spread of this virus. On Thursday, Huntsville Hospital CEO David Spillers said he wanted the state to require people to wear a mask in public. 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. Here are some related stories on Fridays recommendations: Alabama doctors offices open up in May, plan recommends Masks and temperature checks? Rules vary by business in Alabamas plan to reopen When will beaches reopen? Is it safe? Uncertainty looms despite proposal to reopen Alabama salons, tattoo shops Could youth sports really resume in Alabama on May 11? Small businesses optimistic with recommendations to re-open; caution urged Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Ivan Korcok assured in a phone conversation Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba that Slovakia would facilitate granting Ukraine NATO's Enhanced Opportunity Partner (EOP) status. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba congratulated Ivan Korcok on his appointment as the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. Ivan Korcok assured of Slovakias further support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as the European and Euro-Atlantic choices of Ukraine. According to him, Slovakia will facilitate granting Ukraine NATO's Enhanced Opportunity Partner status, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine informs. The Slovak minister also assured that Ukraine would be a priority of the policy of the newly-appointed Slovak Government. The parties exchanged views on the situation in eastern Ukraine, the ongoing Russian aggression, the dynamics of the peace process in the Normandy format and the negotiations in Minsk. Kuleba invited his Slovakian colleague to visit Ukraine as soon as the foreign trips become possible. Ivan Korcok gladly accepted the invitation. The Foreign Minister of Ukraine also thanked his colleague for the decision of Slovakia, along with other representatives of the Visegrad Group, to implement the V4EastSolidarity program to assist Ukraine and other Eastern Partnership member states. ol The state Department of Health, which has addresses for the majority of those tested and those who have died, has resisted calls to publish case and death counts that are more granular than county-level. Read more Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and PennLive/Patriot-News. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter. New figures released Thursday show black Pennsylvanians make up a disproportionate amount of coronavirus cases across the commonwealth. But public health officials who released the numbers amid pressure to share more demographic information about COVID-19 cases cautioned that the data represent only a quarter of confirmed cases. While other states and municipalities have publicized data on the race of COVID-19 patients for weeks, Pennsylvania has struggled to collect comprehensive demographics, which experts and some lawmakers say are vital to public health officials ability to target resources and begin to scale back social distancing. Though the states data on race is incomplete, the virus spread in minority communities can be tracked in other ways. Sharrelle Barber, an assistant research professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel University, said geographic data on cases down to the zip code or neighborhood can be linked with census indicators to help fill the gaps. But the state Department of Health, which has addresses for the majority of those tested and those who have died, has resisted calls to publish case and death counts that are more granular than county-level. Still, an outsize impact on African Americans can be gleaned from what information is available. Of the 26% of patients the Department of Health released race data on, about a third are black, though black Pennsylvanians make up just 12% of the population, according to 2019 census estimates. Conversely, the departments data show that 63% of those patients are white and whites make up about 80% of the population. But the state does not have reliable data on ethnicity, so that category could include some Hispanics and people of Middle Eastern descent, a Department of Health spokesperson said. The trend is consistent with numbers released by other states across the country and municipalities in Pennsylvania showing the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on black and brown people, who have higher rates of chronic disease and represent an outsize portion of workers deemed essential who are still interacting in person. The publication of the data on race came amid mounting pressure from public health experts and days after The Inquirer filed requests for the information under Pennsylvanias Right-to-Know Law. READ MORE: At first, most Philly coronavirus patients were white. New cases are now primarily African Americans. Public health experts say officials and providers cant wait until the pandemic recedes to better report, collect, and publish demographic information. Were not wanting data for the sake of data, Barber said. Were wanting data so we can mitigate this disproportionate impact in certain communities and come up with short- and long-term policy solutions to save lives. The Wolf administration has published the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths for every county in Pennsylvania and created a public dashboard of hospital preparedness data. It also this week began releasing county-by-county data on cases and deaths in elder-care facilities, as well as a breakdown of cases by sex. Department of Health spokesperson Nate Wardle said Thursday officials are working to provide more data to the public, and Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday announced a task force to be led by Lt. Gov. John Fetterman that will study health disparities in Pennsylvanias vulnerable communities. House Minority Leader Frank Dermody said reliable information is one of the best weapons for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and acknowledged the racial disparities already emerging, though data are limited. Having more information helps us determine where to put resources and, eventually, decide when some restrictions can be lifted, Dermody (D., Allegheny) said. The states working hard to get more information from all the private labs doing much of the testing. Counties without health departments rely on the state to be forthcoming with the data it has. Sen. Tim Kearney (D., Delaware) has pushed for more data concerning Delaware County, which doesnt have its own health department. Instead, officials there partnered with nearby Chester County, which does have a health department, to collect and share information. This is not a long-term fix, Kearney said, but it is providing enough information right now to guide our local response to prioritize antibody testing, protect long-term care facilities, and more. County-level figures without information on case numbers by zip code or municipality can be problematic, said Shiriki Kumanyika, emeritus professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania and chair of the Council on Black Health at Drexel. This is particularly true, she said, in counties that are primarily rural but have an urban area, like Lackawanna County, home to thousands of acres of farm and rural land and also the city of Scranton. Kumanyika said that without more granular geographic information, it would totally dilute the sense of whats going on. Wolfs administration said the state has provided necessary information to local emergency management and other officials. Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine said this week efforts to collect data on patients has been stymied by an outdated system that allows health-care workers to skip some fields when sending specimens to the states public health lab in Exton. The process starts with medical professionals, who in some cases dont ask patients for demographic information. In other cases, private laboratories have the information but dont report it to the state, even though the form submitted along with the sample includes fields for the patients address, date of birth, sex, ethnicity, and race. This week, Levine put new pressure on doctors and laboratories to report such information. It will be difficult to enforce, she said, so were going to rely on health-care providers and laboratories to do the right thing. Some counties with their own health departments have been more forthcoming. Philadelphia city officials earlier this month publicized some data on race, though it represented less than a third of confirmed cases in the city. Those figures showed while most early cases were among white patients, new cases overwhelmingly affected black residents. As of this week, the city health department now has data on race for two-thirds of its more than 7,000 cases. It has also published graphics showing cases and deaths by age, gender and zip code. Amie Downs, a spokesperson for Allegheny Countys health department which has begun releasing data on race and ethnicity said the department is monitoring cases by race because communities of color already have poorer health outcomes in Allegheny County, and it is critical to know if COVID-19 is affecting those communities to a greater degree. Last week, New Jersey released available data on race, noting it represented 21% of confirmed COVID-19 patients in the state. As of last Friday, the data showed the disease had an outsize presence among black New Jerseyans, who make up 13.6% of the population but 25% of the confirmed cases. Other states and municipalities have more comprehensive data and information-sharing capabilities. Consider New York City, the epicenter of the outbreak in America, which has publicized data points like testing and cases by zip code; case and death rates by race; and cases, hospitalizations, and deaths broken down by neighborhood, age, and gender. Advocacy organizations that work in minority communities need the information, too. Jennifer Clarke, executive director of the Philadelphia-based Public Interest Law Center, said the organization uses federal survey information to develop its programming all the time. For example, the law center started work on housing and evictions about five years ago, responding to data showing people evicted in Philadelphia were disproportionately women of color with children. That information allowed the group to lobby for targeted policy solutions. We know there are these inequalities, she said, and we cant even begin to address them if we cant see who is sick and where theyre sick. 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. Last week, British Columbia Premier John Horgan rolled out a tough new plan to ensure that those Canadians who arrive home via the Vancouver International Airport and land crossings would take the mandatory 14-day isolation period seriously. The hope is that new measures will prevent those Canadians being repatriated from other countries or cruise ships from undermining progress at flattening the curve here at home through social distancing and other measures such as shutting down schools. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/4/2020 (634 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Last week, British Columbia Premier John Horgan rolled out a tough new plan to ensure that those Canadians who arrive home via the Vancouver International Airport and land crossings would take the mandatory 14-day isolation period seriously. The hope is that new measures will prevent those Canadians being repatriated from other countries or cruise ships from undermining progress at "flattening the curve" here at home through social distancing and other measures such as shutting down schools. Under the new directive (with authority derived from the Quarantine Act), travellers landing in Vancouver must give provincial officials detailed information about how they will self-isolate for 14 days. This includes where they will isolate themselves, how they will get from the airport to the location, and any arrangements for obtaining groceries or drugs during their isolation period. Horgans new order has teeth: if officials reject travellers "isolation plans," those travellers will be dispatched to a provincial quarantine facility for 14 days. Similarly, travellers will be screened for flu-like symptoms at the border and people exhibiting any will be moved into isolation. Those whose self-isolation plans pass muster can expect provincial health officials to follow up to ensure they are abiding by the directives. We have come a long way since the federal government simply accepted the World Health Organizations recommendation that countries not close their borders or even screen travellers from coronavirus-stricken states. Which brings us to the most remarkable aspect of this news from British Columbia: that these tough new border control and screening measures were introduced by a province rather than the federal government. In his announcement, Horgan was at pains to emphasize that the federal government was in agreement with the proposal and that federal officials would join in the efforts roughly a week later. But the nature of the announcement and rollout leave little doubt that it was B.C.s NDP government, not the feds, that was pushing the plan. Indeed, Horgans health minister, Adrian Dix, had been expressing frustration about a lack of federal quarantine enforcement for some time prior to the announcement. For weeks into the pandemic, the federal government refused to impose border restrictions or any real screening on travellers arriving in Canada. Canadian airports became coronavirus sieves. Once the virus had well and truly arrived on our shores, the responsibility for grappling with COVID-19 fell largely to the provinces, which have responsibility for health care. Several premiers, including Horgan, have risen to the challenge. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has received praise from unexpected quarters for his sober, empathetic handling of the crisis. He has almost always deferred to public health officials and avoided partisan politics or bashing the federal government. While he is likely benefiting from low expectations, Ford has adapted his own brand of partisan politics to the crisis by, for example, showing up in a mask to help workers load medical supplies into trucks. Similarly, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney recently raised eyebrows when he announced the government of Alberta had excess personal protective equipment and so would be donating that equipment to provinces that were experiencing shortages. The temptation to hold on to that equipment must have been intense. Kenney has not held his partisan tongue as successfully as Ford, but he deserves credit for his contribution to the greater Canadian good. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Even with strong provincial leadership, the provinces are under intense pressure to cope with the skyrocketing costs of handling the epidemic with limited revenues. In some cases, provincial governments have responded with layoffs. This week, Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister announced he would seek a reduced work week for some public-sector workers in order to save money. While the federal government has provided some assistance to the provinces, it is unlikely to be of much help. The pandemic has exposed other flaws in how our federation works. Municipalities, which largely depend on property taxes for revenue, have essentially been hung out to dry. Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman has sounded the alarm on the drying up of municipal revenues. And, this week, Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart announced that B.C.s largest city is facing the prospect of bankruptcy if it does not receive assistance. Since cities exist under provincial jurisdiction, it will be up to the provinces to solve these problems, putting even greater pressure on provincial treasuries. In 1937, the Rowell-Sirois Commission was formed to consider changes to Canadas federal arrangements in light of failures during the Great Depression. In short, the problem the members of the commission confronted was that the federal government had all the revenue, but the provinces had all the problems that had to be paid for. Sound familiar? Hopefully, at the end of this pandemic, leaders at both the federal and provincial levels will agree that Canadian federalism was ill-prepared for this crisis and that new arrangements must be developed. Royce Koop is head of the political studies department at the University of Manitoba. - The new strain of coronavirus was first detected in China in December, 2019 - The highly contagious disease spread rapidly in the Asian nation before rolling its tentacles to other countries - As of Wednesday, April 15, the pandemic had affected 210 countries and territories around the world and two international conveyances Less than three months ago, the coronavirus pandemic was confined to one country; China. On Monday, January 13, COVID-19 became a global problem a case was recorded in Thailand followed by Japan, South Korea and the United States before it spread rapidly to other countries and territories. READ ALSO: Nairobi police officer found dead in girlfriend's Umoja house after a good time together A map showing the number of countries that have reported COVID-19 cases. Photo: EU. Source: UGC READ ALSO: David Murathe says govt will need Raila after coronavirus to help rebuild economy As of Wednesday, April 15, the disease had affected 210 countries and territories around the world and two international conveyances. In this, over 2 million cases had been recorded with at least 126,000 deaths and 484, 000 recoveries. However, a few other countries somehow managed to keep the deadly virus away. The nations that had not recorded any COVID-19 cases as of April 15 were as follows: Africa Lesotho Comoros An info-graphic showing the rising cases of COVID-19 cases and deaths globally. Photo: Worldometers. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Polisi Siaya wapinga madai mwili wa marehemu Oyugi umefukuliwa Asia Turkmenistan North Korea Tajikistan Oceania Solomon Islands Samoa Palau Tuvalu Nauru Kiribati Federated State of Micronesia Vanuatu Tonga Marshall Islands In Turkmenistan, however, there were reports the government has banned the use of the word "coronavirus" to minimise the panic around the pandemic according to Newshub. The New York Times reported North Korea which has been in lockdown since the end of January, had no case due to lack of testing kits. Africa was one of the last continents to be hit by coronavirus and had registered over 16,000 cases of COVID-19 with over 800 deaths as of Tuesday, April 14. Kenya had recorded 216 cases of the virus with 41 recoveries and nine deaths. 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. Mulamwa quits comedy over Cyber bullying by Kenyans on Twitter | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff named a panel of medical experts Thursday to advise when its safe to ease stay-at-home restrictions prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel, dubbed the COVID-19 Health Transition Team, will analyze projections showing the local trajectory of the disease to determine when the city and county can lift the restrictions or, if necessary, re-enact them if theres a spike in cases. Nirenberg and Wolff assembled the team amid a growing national debate about how and when to lift stay-at-home restrictions and restart the economy. President Donald Trump gave governors a three-phase plan to resume economic activity Thursday. On Friday, Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to unveil his own plan to reopen the economy. We want to get back to business, Nirenberg said. We also dont want to do it carelessly and find ourselves in an even worse condition than we are today. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases The local transition team headed by Dr. Barbara Taylor, infectious disease specialist at UT Health San Antonio will develop a health transition plan by April 27. The current stay-at-home orders are in effect until April 30. The panel will present the plan to five working groups already named by Nirenberg and Wolff to tackle food shortages, economic losses and other fallout from COVID-19. The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District has already semi-drafted its own plan showing what reopening the city would look like, but it needs more medical experts to weigh in, said Dr. Junda Woo, Metro Health medical director. The idea is to look at what we know and get expert opinion because we dont have a whole lot of evidence at this point, said Woo, who will also sit on the committee. District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval, chair of the councils Community Health and Equity committee, called on the city to convene such a transition panel last week when she voted against extending San Antonios current stay-at-home order. Nirenberg named Sandoval, who holds a masters degree in public health, to act as City Councils liaison to the transition team. Commissioner Justin Rodriguez will be the panels liaison to Bexar County Commissioners Court. Also on the committee are: Metro Health Director Dawn Emerick Dr. Ruth Berggren, infectious disease specialist at UT Health San Antonio Dr. Bryan Alsip, University Health System chief medical officer Cherise Rohr-Allegrini, public health consultant Dr. Tom Patterson, infectious disease chair at UT Health Science Center Carrie DeWitt, group manager and infectious disease physician Dr. Jason Morrow, medical director of inpatient palliative care services at University Health System 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 CLEVELAND -- Gov. Mike DeWine appropriately closed Ohios kindergarten-to-12th-grade school systems in mid-March to protect against the spread of COVID-19. In subsequent days, nonessential operative procedures were also canceled to preserve personal protective equipment. This was followed by closure of nonessential businesses and, ultimately, stay-at-home orders. Collectively, these measures have had a significant positive impact in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and have flattened the infection curve in Ohio. This has also prevented our hospitals from experiencing a significant surge. However, now a public health concern related to heart disease and heart attacks is emerging. Recent data published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology show that the rates of patients presenting with heart attacks across the United States have declined by about 38 percent. Other countries have shown similar data, with up to a 40 percent decline in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the most serious type of heart attack, in Spain and parts of Italy. Here in Northeast Ohio, we have seen similarly sharp reductions in STEMI and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), the procedure in which a stent is placed to open a clogged artery. Across our three institutions, we have seen a reduction of 10 percent to 20 percent in STEMI and a greater reduction in PCIs. This is somewhat contrary to an anticipated increase in the number of acute heart attacks due to the heightened environmental and psychosocial stressors and increased physiological stress from COVID-19 infection. Dr. Mehdi Shishehbor is system director, Cardiovascular Interventional Center, at University Hospitals. While the exact reasons for this decline are unclear, it is hypothesized that patients are fearful of contracting COVID-19 by coming to emergency departments or physician offices. Furthermore, some of the COVID-19 symptoms (chest tightness, shortness of breath, cough, and fatigue) are very similar to those of a heart attack. Because patients are encouraged to stay home with COVID-19 symptoms, many do not seek professional help, thinking their symptoms are COVID-19-related. Collectively, we are concerned that a significant number of patients are not seeking medical advice when this is essential. Common warning signs of a heart attack are chest pain, tightness, or pressure with or without shortness of breath, or weakness. Occasionally, patients may experience less common symptoms, such as arm pain or jaw pain. Some heart attack symptoms may be similar to those of COVID-19. Dr. Samir Kapadia is chairman of cardiovascular medicine at Cleveland Clinic. During a heart attack, seeking care quickly can prevent significant heart damage and it can save lives. Untreated heart attack can cause death, dangerous heart rhythms, and weakened heart muscles, which can lead to heart failure. Timely improvement in blood flow has been shown to prevent many of these consequences. Patients experiencing heart attack symptoms should call 911 or head to their nearest emergency room. Emergency departments and EMS professionals are taking precautions in order to protect patients and caregivers from the risk of COVID-19 infection. For those with non-urgent issues, we would like to encourage our patients to seek same-day virtual visits, which are offered by our respective institutions. Furthermore, we would like to assure our patients that all cardiac procedures are performed in facilities where many precautions are in place to minimize COVID-19 infection risk to caregivers and patients. Dr. Sanjay Gandhi is medical director, hospital strategy and innovation, at MetroHealth Hospital. Patients can easily access help at each of our respective institutions by calling University Hospitals at (216) 844-3800; Cleveland Clinic at (216) 444-6697; or MetroHealth at (216) 778-2328. Dr. Mehdi H. Shishehbor is system director of the Cardiovascular Interventional Center at University Hospitals of Cleveland. Dr. Samir Kapadia is chairman of cardiovascular medicine at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Sanjay Gandhi is medical director, hospital strategy and innovation, at MetroHealth Hospital. Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions, comments or corrections regarding this opinion article to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com. UNIONVILLE ACW-Unionville Fire Department Capt. Shawn Kish has adopted a new ritual in the past month when members of the department return from a call, he uses a modified paint-sprayer to disinfect the cabs and door handles of the departments trucks. His actions are an added safety precaution to guard against COVID-19. The department has adequate supplies of personal protection equipment, but the extra step of using a disinfectant helps to ensure the safety of the departments members and provides some peace of mind. Its also cost-efficient and saves time. In a matter of 10 minutes, I can do all of the trucks and our meeting room, Kish said. It was getting tedious and expensive to use Clorox wipes, which can be hard to come by right now. Kish uses a disinfectant named Neutral Fresh, which the department obtains from a firefighting supplies dealer. He said the department posted a video of the disinfecting routine on social media and has received inquiries from other departments about the process. Kish said the department also has modified some of its procedures in response to the pandemic, and the health department has limited the types of calls to which the department responds, so firefighters are put at a lower risk of exposure to someone who may be infected. Joey Sancrant, a lieutenant with the Caseville Fire Department, said his department has canceled its bi-monthly meetings to limit the risk of exposure for its firefighters. He said department members maintain proper social distancing when they do gather and always use personal protection equipment. Sancrant added the department has experienced a noticeable drop in calls so far in 2020 and have yet to deal with an incident involving COVID-19. He said his chief has advised him and his fellow firefighters to wait for instructions from medical personnel if they do encounter a potentially hazardous situation while responding to a call. I think firefighters have to be special people, and they have to be able to remain calm in very stressful situations, Sancrant said. Theres always an element in the back of your mind of your own safety. This is a unique situation. Were going to continue to serve our community in any way were called to do so. WOODSON TERRACE Carl Smith Sr. on Thursday was remembered outside of his church, New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church, as a former police detective, minister, husband, father and a man who could make gang members who wanted to kill each other sit down and shake hands. Smith died on April 9 due to complications from coronavirus, his daughter, Nia Smith said. His wife was also hospitalized after being diagnosed with COVID-19, but she is set to be released Friday, Nia Smith said. At Thursday's vigil, fellow ministers recalled fond memories of Smith outside of the reverends church. They were joined by several dozen people, many of whom listened from their cars. Others stood 6 feet apart, honoring the social distancing guidelines. He was a man who served God unapologetically, and I just want him to be remembered as someone who served his family, said Nia Smith. FILE PHOTO: A Goldman Sachs sign is displayed inside the company's post on the floor of the NYSE in New York By Joshua Franklin and Greg Roumeliotis (Reuters) - Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd has hired investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc to explore financing options that could include the sale of a stake in the company, people familiar with the matter said on Friday. Norwegian's attempt to bolster is finances comes as cruise operators have been forced to suspend their operations due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. They have been left out of a $2.3 trillion stimulus package that U.S. lawmakers have adopted to support the economy and provide aid to troubled companies. Among the options Norwegian Cruise is considering is a stake sale known as private investment in public equity (PIPE), the sources said. The company is in talks with several private equity firms about a PIPE deal, the sources added. The sources, who requested anonymity as the deliberations are confidential, cautioned that no deal is certain. Norwegian Cruise did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Goldman Sachs declined to comment. Several companies have turned to PIPE deals in recent weeks to bolster their finances, including car e-commerce platform Carvana Co , payment firm EVO Payments Inc , and online real estate broker Redfin Corp . Cruise lines have been rushing to bolster their cash coffers through equity and debt offerings following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to outbreaks on several ships. Earlier this month, Carnival Corp , the world's largest cruise operator, raised $6.25 billion by issuing new debt and equity to investors, while Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd clinched a $2.2 billion loan last month. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund disclosed earlier this month that it had amassed an 8.2% stake in Carnival. Norwegian Cruise, the world's third-largest cruise operator, has lost almost four-fifths of its market value this year, as it grounded its 28-ship fleet to help contain the spread of the virus. The Miami-headquartered company, which also operates Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, disclosed last month it had drawn down on $1.55 billion of new and existing credit lines. As of the end of December, Norwegian Cruise had disclosed long-term debt of close to $6.9 billion. Story continues "This liquidity is sufficient to cover expected cash needs over the balance of the year, but the cushion will be modest given any further deterioration in earnings," credit ratings agency Moody's Investors Service Inc analysts wrote about Norwegian Cruise's finances on March 31. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on April 9 extended its "no sail order" for all cruise ships for up to 100 days. The cruise industry is currently working on a proposal to submit to the CDC, which will include enhanced sanitization and health safety protocols, according to industry trade group CLIA. (Reporting by Joshua Franklin and Greg Roumeliotis in New York; Editing by Daniel Wallis) It's becoming more and more difficult to defend the WHO and now the UN. In other words, don't expect the UN to stand up to China anytime soon. This is from FOX: President Trump ignited a firestorm on Tuesday after announcing that the U.S. would temporarily cease funding the World Health Organization (WHO) after accusing the agency of dangerous "political correctness" in embracing China's cover-up, thus paving the way for the coronavirus pandemic. But WHO is only one patch of an increasingly fragile fabric that is the United Nations. "China is in a position to veto and stub out any effort by the U.S. to pass a resolution against it in the Security Council," Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, an Israel-based attorney who specializes in suing terrorist regimes and state sponsors who orchestrate human rights abuses on behalf of victims, told Fox News. "As an economic powerhouse with the ability to punish smaller countries that rely on its trade and markets, most of the 190 countries that are part of the General Assembly would be loath to join in a U.S.-sponsored resolution that would condemn China for its role in the pandemic. "Moreover, General Assembly resolutions, which might be embarrassing and humiliating to Beijing, are largely symbolic and do not have any actual bite and, as such, most of the world would be too fearful of Chinese retribution to join along in this gesture." It's time to recognize that these international organizations are basically useless. I will give the founders the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure that they meant for the UN to keep the peace and for the WHO to focus on science. Unfortunately, that's not what these organizations have turned into. They are anti-U.S. and use our money to do it. It reminds me of a story of a young man in college who spent his dad's money and then told the whole world horrible things about him. One day I got mad at him and said: "If I was your dad I'd stop sending you money". Maybe we should stop sending the UN money! P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. To the editor: As a medical social worker, I am so grateful for the work that Sarah Schulz's team is doing to make face masks for our community. She saw a need, and stepped up to be part of the solution. Her team of volunteers have sewn an amazing number of masks with more coming in each day. The masks have been given to food pantry volunteers, health care workers, grocery store employees, senior citizens and other people in and around Midland. It is inspiring to see the dedication these women and men have to making our friends and families safer by using their sewing skills. This is one example of how Sarah has put people over politics. It is not about votes or the election. She is focused on serving and doing good any way she can because that is who she is and who she always has been. I can't sew, but I can follow Sarah's lead and do what I can. One of my pet peeves is seeing drains that are clogged with debris and leaves during the spring rainy season. Look for me (and my family) to be out clearing the drains in my neighborhood. So if you are bored, go out and do the same thing in your area, but be sure to stay at least six feet away from any neighbors who come out to thank you. DANIELLE FERGIN Midland India is fighting on two fronts right now the global pandemic and an escalating humanitarian crisis of millions of migrant workers battling hunger and homelessness due to the lockdown. Historically, pandemics, wars, and famines have led to the expansion of powers of the state at the expense of democratic rights and freedoms. These freedoms once lost, are not easily regained. And when it comes to downgrading democracy, the right to free speech tends to be the proverbial canary in the coal mine. In 1897, during the outbreak of the bubonic plague in India, a prominent freedom fighter, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, became the first person to be convicted for an act of sedition by the colonial British government. He had been writing against the handling of the pandemic and in order to rein him in, the court significantly broadened the definition of sedition. The precedent thus set continued to endure long after the pandemic had passed. One hundred and twenty-three years later, the Indian states response to the twofold crisis in the country bears strong echoes of the past. Three states have issued notifications requiring media outlets to acquire prior clearance by the state before carrying any information or reportage about the pandemic. The central government sought to universalise this by petitioning the Supreme Court to issue a directive stating that no news on the subject could be printed or broadcast before facts were ascertained through a mechanism set up by the state. This draconian order would have had the effect of nullifying the guarantee of freedom of expression enshrined in Indias constitution in one fell swoop. The Supreme Court for its part refused to grant the petition, saying it will not interfere in the free discussion on the pandemic, but went on to instruct media houses to ensure they carried the official version. This is the first time such a diktat has been given a judicial stamp. The Supreme Courts rejection of the governments petition, however, can only go so far in protecting free speech. In order to combat the spread of the new coronavirus, the government has invoked the Epidemics Diseases Act of 1897, which gave the British colonial authorities the special powers that Tilak had written against. It allows the government to restrict the rights of private citizens, including curbing press freedom. This colonial-era act predates and therefore does not take cognizance of Indias constitutional guarantees. The Disaster Management Act 2005, which is also in force at the moment, has a similar provision. In addition to the increased scrutiny of media, the health emergency has led to widespread monitoring of social media accounts, with official handles of state police forces issuing ominous reminders to users that big brother is watching. Ostensibly, these measures are in place to stop the spread of misinformation but are prone to blatant misuse. Take for instance Vijay Vineet, a journalist in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh who wrote about the severely disenfranchised Musahar community that was reduced to eating grass for sustenance, in a village bordering Prime Minister Narendra Modis parliamentary constituency, as result of the ill-planned lockdown. The district administration immediately served him a notice alleging his report was spreading panic at a sensitive time. Days later, Siddharth Varadarajan, the editor of a prominent anti-establishment publication, The Wire, was booked for criticising Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, on Twitter. More than 200 prominent journalists, the Editors Guild, and opposition parties have condemned this as a political vendetta but the state went ahead and issued Varadarajan a summons to appear in a court in a small town some 700km from New Delhi in the midst of a strict lockdown when it would be impossible for him to travel. The intent of the state to misuse anti-free speech provisions to quell dissent is apparent from the manner in which they are being selectively applied. In recent weeks, the Muslim community has been vilified as a super spreader of the virus and faced harassment on this count. This blatant attempt by pro-government right-wing groups to communalise the pandemic has been widely criticised, including by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, the state has taken no penal action against those responsible for spreading hatred. Nor has the prime minister, who has been making regular televised speeches, condemned such behaviour. Worse still, Harshali Potdar, an activist from Maharashtra, who belongs to a group that has been systematically targeted for the last two years for their vigorous opposition to the countrys governing Bharatiya Janata Party, has been singled out and booked for sharing a post against the mistreatment of Indian Muslims. In hospitals around the country, doctors have also been warned against speaking with journalists about poor health infrastructure. Dr Indranil Khan, a hospital oncologist in Kolkata, says he was questioned by the police for 16 hours last month but let go after deleting online posts that showed doctors using raincoats as protective health gear. At least 10 other doctors have been similarly threatened by the police, transferred, or forced to resign following their criticism of the government. The state is not only coercing the sources journalists use but also media owners. Modi recently met with print media owners and discouraged them from carrying negative stories about the pandemic a move that is believed to have triggered self-censorship. Unchecked abuse and death threats on social media further add to the escalating costs of reporting on the poor management of both the disease and its repercussions. This repression of free speech is creeping in stealthily at a time when people are too distracted by fear and uncertainty to be vigilant about rights and liberty. With most other institutions weakened and ill-equipped to check executive power, the crippling of journalistic freedom is bound to have serious repercussions on the future of democracy in India. But more immediately, censorship of the truth puts every single citizen of the country, and eventually the whole world, at great risk because the global impact of the pandemic hinges not only on Indias ability to manage its spread and impact but also the countrys fourth estate being able to hold the government accountable to this effect. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. ALBANY Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Friday unleashed a torrent of criticism at President Donald J. Trump, accusing him of taking credit for merely doing his job and dismissing Trump's criticism that New York had called for more ventilators and hospital beds than were needed during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Cuomo said that his early estimates that New York would need more than 30,000 ventilators and up to 140,000 hospital beds to get through the peak of the health crisis were based on scientific projections, including work by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Trump's own coronavirus task force. "If you dont agree with your projection, fire the head of the CDC. Read your own report next time before you criticize me," Cuomo said in his daily briefing at the Capitol, at times staring straight into television cameras and addressing his remarks to the president. The barrage came after Cuomo was asked about a series of Tweets that Trump had posted midway through the briefing. "Gov. Cuomo should spend more time 'doing' and less time 'complaining,'" it read. "Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking! We built you thousands of hospital beds that you didnt need or use, gave large numbers of Ventilators that you should have had, and helped you with testing that you should be doing. ... Your numbers are not good." Cuomo was clearly prepared for the attack: He showed PowerPoint slides of federal projections from mid-March indicating more than half the U.S. population could be infected with COVID-19. Cuomo also showed an image of a January memo from Peter Navarro, Trump's economic adviser, indicating the pandemic could infect 100 million Americans and cause up to 2 million deaths. Trump has repeatedly noted that New York would not need as many hospital beds or ventilators as Cuomo had projected, a prediction that is proving to be accurate. The president also has repeatedly touted the federal government's response, which has included sending the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort to New York Harbor, as well as converting the Jacob K. Javits Center into an emergency hospital. "Thank you for doing your job and helping build Javits and sending the US Navy ship Comfort," Cuomo said in response to Trump. "Thank you for having the federal government participate in a federal emergency ... which, by the way, is just doing your job as president; it's not really thank you like you wrote a check yourself." Cuomo continued to push for the ventilators and increased hospital capacity after New York and nearly all other states implemented stay-at-home orders, including closing businesses and schools, that have flattened the rate of infections and deaths. New York remains the nation's epicenter of the pandemic, and Cuomo like Trump on the federal level has faced repeated questions about whether he should have acted sooner. California, where the rate of spread has been significantly lower, shut down its businesses and ordered people to stay home days before New York's order went into effect. Here's a timeline of the state's actions: As Cuomo spoke, Trump tweeted in apparent response to the governor's diatribe: "Cuomo ridiculously wanted '40 thousand Ventilators.' We gave him a small fraction of that number, and it was plenty. State should have had them in stockpile!" Cuomo, who countered that the federal stockpile had just 10,000 ventilators, contends that his estimates were based on scientific projections that did not estimate what could happen to the spread of the virus if the shutdown orders were put in place. Still, Cuomo had continued to lobby for tens of thousands of ventilators, and cited projections saying New York would need up to 140,000 hospital beds, at a time when Trump's administration said the state would not need that level of resources. The governor also lashed out at Trump's recent assertion that the president had the authority to reopen state economies a claim that has now shifted to an acknowledgment that the task will be handled by individual governors. Cuomo called it "a graceful 180." "The federal projections said they would need double the hospital capacity of this nation," Cuomo said, again citing models that projected worse-case scenarios without factoring in economic shutdowns. "The minimum projection was 2.4 million hospital beds. ... You know how many hospital beds we have in this nation? Nine hundred thousand." Cuomo again called on the federal government to provide aid to states in financial distress due to the coronavirus pandemic, and to "allocate the funding to where the COVID(-19) problem exists." "We have a terrible economic deficit; were spending money every day that we never dreamed of spending," he said. "You can't keep writing checks if you have no balance in your account. It doesnt work long-term." The governor again said that widespread testing for the virus and to verify if individuals have recovered and are carrying antibodies will be a key part of reopening state economies, but that the private laboratory system that would shoulder most of that work is not at the needed capacity. He said many of the chemicals used to conduct COVID-19 tests are made in China. "The federal government cannot wipe their hands of this and say 'Oh, the states are responsible for testing,' Cuomo said. "We cannot do it ... without federal help. I dont do China relations." Cuomo, who signed an order Thursday extending the state's stay-at-home orders to May 15, said the rate at which the infectious disease spreads from one person to another is critical to safely reopening businesses and schools. The current rate is one person with the disease infecting 0.9 persons, or less than one, but during the pandemic's apex in New York it had been a rate of 1.4 people. "Ive never met a .9 person, but the infection rate is less than one-to-one," he said. He added that New York has not done an analysis to determine whether the rate of spread in upstate New York is lower than in downstate, where most of the infections and deaths associated with COVID-19 have been documented. It remains unclear whether Cuomo would implement a reopening plan that allows upstate counties to restart before hard-hit areas of New York City, Long Island and other communities. Trump had outlined a plan on Thursday for states to reopen at the direction of their governors under a federal formula. Cuomo acknowledged that states with fewer cases will be able to reopen quicker. "The governors who have states that have fewer cases can reopen faster it has nothing to do with the president of federal policy," he said. "You have many states where the infection rate is de minimis, so the states that will open first by the data will have much lower infection rates than we do." The rate of deaths and hospitalizations in New York is steadily declining. Although roughly 2,000 people per day are still being hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms, there are more people being discharged who had entered hospitals for treatment at the peak of the crisis near the end of March. Coronavirus live updates: Former Siena player dies, Albany police officer tests positive There were 630 fatalities associated with COVID-19 on Thursday, up from 606 on Wednesday. "That is still breathtaking in its pain and grief and tragedy, and basically flat again like many of the other numbers," Cuomo said. Interactive map of the coronavirus across in New York On Wednesday night, Cuomo signed an executive order requiring anyone older than age 2, and who is able, to wear a mask or cloth face covering in situations where social distancing is not possible. The order went into effect at 8 p.m. Friday. There will be no penalty for violations. How to make your own face mask to stop the spread of coronavirus "Its going to be an incremental process between today and tomorrow. Youre not going to hear any day soon 'Its over,' the nightmare ends and we wake up," Cuomo said. "The testing-tracing is the guidepost through this." President Donald Trump. REUTERS/Tom Brenner President Donald Trump described his experience being tested for the novel coronavirus during a conversation with several governors on Thursday, The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey reported. "I was a victim of the first test, meaning I had to go through it," Trump said. "I didn't like what was happening ... I called it an operation, not a test." Trump's reported comments come as millions of people in the US are still unable to get tested for the virus, which causes a disease known as COVID-19. Public-health officials have said the country's failure to conduct early rigorous testing to identify and curb the spread of the virus was a key factor in strengthening its foothold in the US, which is now the global center of the outbreak. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump on Thursday lamented his experience of being tested for the novel coronavirus during a conversation with several governors, The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey reported. "I was a victim of the first test, meaning I had to go through it," Trump said. "I didn't like what was happening ... I called it an operation, not a test." The president went on to describe the test, saying, "They go up your nose and hang a right at your eye." Related Video: 5 Times Trump Praised Dr. Fauci Trump's reported comments come as millions of people in the US are still unable to get tested for the virus, which causes a disease known as COVID-19. Public-health officials have said the country's failure to conduct early rigorous testing to identify and curb the spread of the virus was a key factor in strengthening its foothold in the US, which is now the global center of the outbreak. Trump was tested for the coronavirus last month after several guests at Mar-a-Lago were confirmed to have the virus. He was also in contact with members of a Brazilian delegation that traveled to the US, some of whom later tested positive for the disease. The president's conversation with governors on Thursday came as he prepared to deliver a nationwide address announcing guidelines to reopen parts of the country. Story continues "Encouraging developments have put us in a very strong position to finalize guidelines for states on reopening the country," Trump said on Wednesday evening as the US death toll from the virus approached 30,000. Earlier this week, the president falsely said he had "total" authority to compel governors to reopen their respective states' economies. He later changed course and said he would "authorize" governors' plans to reopen their states. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have pointed to parts of the country with fewer cases to promote their push to reopen portions of the US. But public-health officials like the infectious-disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, and even some business leaders, have said that a dramatic increase in testing is required to convince the public to go back to work. Business Insider China on Friday raised its coronavirus death toll by 50 percent in Wuhan, the city where the outbreak first emerged, amid accusations that the government had concealed the extent of the epidemic. Officials placed the new tally at 3,869 deaths from the coronavirus in the central Chinese city, an increase of 1,290 from the previous figure. The number of cumulative confirmed infections in the city was also revised upward to 50,333, an increase of 325. The move appeared to be a response to growing questions about the accuracy of Chinas official numbers and calls to hold the country responsible for a global health crisis that has killed more than 142,000 people and caused a worldwide economic slowdown. China has been criticized as having initially mismanaged and concealed the extent of the epidemic, though it ultimately swung into action and seemingly tamed the virus. Recently, as other countries have grappled with their own outbreaks, Chinese officials have come under even greater pressure to explain how exactly the epidemic unfolded in Wuhan. As Indian solar industry is heavily dependent on Chinese imports and COVID-19 outbreak has severely impacted installations, it is necessary to focus on improving domestic manufacturing, a senior government official has said. As much as 80 per cent of the demand for solar cells and modules are being met by imports from Chinese companies. Therefore, the imposition of work restrictions by China in eight affected provinces, most of which are the hub of solar module manufacturers, have impacted Indian solar industry as developers are facing a shortfall of raw materials, which is going to affect the installations in the first half of the year. "India has a strong manufacturing base for wind equipment, but when it comes to solar, we import 85-87 per cent of our requirement from China and other countries. COVID-19 has given us a lesson that we must ensure energy security for our country and if we have to do that, then we must expand our manufacturing base," ministry of new and renewable energy secretary Anand Kumar said during a webinar organised by Mercom India. He said there is a need to facilitate manufacturing of not just modules or cells but there was a need to develop ancillary equipment as well. "Till now we have been manufacturing cells, modules, ingots and wafer. But now we need to go beyond that and also start manufacturing other ancillary equipment like backsheets, glass, inverters, transformers and cables among others so that we can cater to an entire ecosystem of renewable energy through the make in India initiative," Kumar added. To encourage solar-related manufacturing in the country, the government had come up with manufacturing-linked solar bids, which received a good response, he said. "Now, we plan to bring out new scheme which would further advance and aid manufacturing in India. We have sought suggestions from stakeholder and we have also written to state governments and ports to provide land for setting up the such manufacturer sites," the secretary said. Apart from manufacturing for domestic consumption, the government is also actively considering exports of its products as well as services. "India being a large country with huge technical manpower available, I am sure we can have manufacturing hubs that will not just be able to meet domestic but also export our equipment to other countries to meet their demand. Similarly, since we have rich experience in the sector, we can leverage it and export services at global competitive level," he added. Kumar further said that the ministry has written to the commerce secretary to allow MNRE to set up an export hub in Gift City in Gandhinagar Gujarat for the renewable energy sector. India has set a target of 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022 and 450 MW by 2030. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [Get the latest news and updates on the coronavirus in the New York region.] M.T.A. seeks $4 billion more in federal aid. New York Citys public transportation system is facing losses of up to $8.5 billion by years end as the coronavirus pandemic limits ridership and threatens the systems other revenues, officials said on Thursday. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the citys subway, buses and two commuter railroads, said the bleak forecast had prompted it to seek $3.9 billion in federal aid, on top of the $3.8 billion it received last month. The new financial analysis, which is based on ridership declines of about 95 percent on the subway and the commuter lines, projects up to $5.9 billion in lost fare and toll revenue, and nearly $2 billion in lost tax revenue. The two revenue streams make up 86 percent of the authoritys operating budget. In previous financial crises, the authority has typically raised fares, cut service or delayed capital projects. But this crisis has plunged the M.T.A. into uncharted territory. [Coronavirus in New York: A map and the case count.] Cuomo extends shutdown to May 15 as daily deaths dip. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Thursday that he would extend New York States shutdown until May 15, in coordination with other states. Mr. Cuomo said that New York continued to make progress in containing the coronavirus, and he cited encouraging statistics, but he also said that the rate of infection would have to slow much more before he would lift any restrictions. What happens after then? I dont know, Mr. Cuomo said of the new end date for the restrictions. We will see depending on what the data shows. Former Minister of Aviation in Nigeria, Osita Benjamin Chidoka who seems dissatisfied with the performance of the Buhari-led Regime, has highlighted some things Atiku Abubakar would have done differently as president of Nigeria. According to him, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate at the 2019 election, would have tapped into the tech industry to figure out how technology can be leveraged to help improve the educational sector, COVID-19 contact tracing, and empower local businesses. Osita Chidoka via his Twitter handle, said that to ensure Nigeria is economically resilient to withstand global shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the former Vice President would have declared economic emergency upon resumption of duty last year. He noted that such move would have reduced the countrys debt and enhanced the business environment through a more market-driven foreign exchange policy, amongst other things. See his tweet below. 2. Since last year He would have declared economic emergency to reduce our debt, enhance the business environment through a more market-driven foreign exchange policy. The subsidy levels are clearly unsustainable, he would have taken the difficult decision to reduce that outflow Osita Chidoka (@osita_chidoka) April 17, 2020 It was the reason PDP focused on debt relief, fiscal responsibility, excess crude account, sovereign wealth fund as a tool for capacity to withstand shocks, He concluded. Will the current administration take some clues from the hand book of the Waziri of Adamawa? That, we will find out before the end of their tenure in 2023. The number of reported coronavirus cases continues to rise in India and other parts of the world. While the government authorities and private labs are conducting swab tests on patients showing coronavirus symptoms, there might be a new tool that lets you know if you have COVID-19 simply through your voice. A team of computer science research at the Carnegie Mellon University has developed a tool using Artificial Intelligence (AI) that determines whether an individual is infected with coronavirus by analysing the sound of their cough, the way they speak or even breathe. The tool is currently at the data-gathering stage where researchers are collecting speech and cough recordings and pairing the information with an already-infected cases data. The compiled data is fed to the AI algorithm that uses 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, Rita Singh, computer science research professor at Carnegie Mellon University told Hindustan Times. COVID-19 pandemic LIVE 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 She further added that any condition affecting the lungs or the respiratory system has a palpable effect on voice and even the cough of the COVID patient is distinct from a healthy persons. 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. Researchers from the University of Cambridge have also launched a similar tool in the form of a Google Chrome and Firefox plugin called COVID-19 Sound app. Mumbai-based Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence is also asking users of its Cough Against COVID mobile app to record the sound of their cough and share the image of their test result if they are positive. Singh stressed upon the fact that the quality and the accuracy of data is crucial for such tools to work. 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. The Indian government has also launched the mobile-based contact tracing Aarogya Setu app that lets users take a test by answering a series of questions and use location data to determine the level of risk of being exposed to COVID-19. Reliance Jio has also launched a COVID-19 Symptom Checker Tool with similar features. Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Amid public health crisis, truth is a casualty, Downie finds in report for CPJ New York, April 16, 2020 Of the many ways in which the Trump administration has attacked the press, its most effective and dangerous ploy has been to try to destroy the medias credibility, undermining truth and consensus even as a pandemic threatens to kill tens of thousands of Americans, the Committee to Protect Journalists finds in a report released today. The report, The Trump Administration and the Media, examines stepped-up prosecutions of news sources, interference in the financial independence of some media owners, and the harassment of journalists, particularly at U.S. borders. It shows how the White Houses approach has emboldened authoritarian leaders to silence the press in their own countries. Leonard Downie, Jr., the Weil Family Professor of Journalism at Arizona State Universitys Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and former Washington Post executive editor, authored the report, with research from Stephanie Sugars, a reporter for the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. It includes interviews with over 40 journalists, media law experts, academics, and administration officials. Downie also authored CPJs 2013 report on the Obama administration. Journalists in the U.S. have been largely undeterred by the daily barrage of pressure, insults, and abuse emanating from President Trump, said Joel Simon, CPJ executive director. But the presidents attacks on the media have had an impact. They have undermined public trust in journalism as an institution, a dangerous place to find ourselves in the midst of a public health emergency. And they have empowered autocrats around the world who are cracking down on press freedom with unbridled ferocity at a time when truthful information is more than ever a precious commodity. CPJs report finds that the flow of information is chilled by the presidents threats of legal retaliation and boycotts for critical coverage, as well as by the aggressive prosecution of alleged leakers of sensitive information to the media. The administration has indicted eight government employees and contractors for alleged leaks, plus Julian Assange, whose case has alarming ramifications for the news industry. The report includes a set of recommendations for the administration, including standing up publicly for press freedom, refraining from actions discrediting the media, improving information accessibility, and ending the practice of bringing espionage charges against those accused of leaking sensitive information to journalists. CPJ today sent a letter to the White House with a copy of the report, recommendations, and a request for a meeting. Note to Editors: The Trump Administration and the Media is available on CPJs website. For questions or to arrange an interview with CPJ experts, email press@cpj.org. Contracted to China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), the Sri Lanka Southern Expressway Extension is a key transportation artery connecting the country's western and southern regions. Although the expressway extension officially opened to traffic on Feb. 23, the project is still in its defect liability period, and CSCEC is continuing to work on minor construction tasks to fulfill its obligations. Shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak, the project management department established an epidemic prevention and control leading group, as well as a working group, arranged contextually effective contingency plans, and established a three-level emergency response mechanism. The project management department took strict measures to prevent imported COVID-19 cases as work and production resumed. Returning employees were required to report their travel history for the past 14 days as well as the health status of themselves and their family members. All itineraries of returning employees were strictly carried out according to the plan, and dedicated staff were responsible for arranging every trip of the return journeyfrom airports in China to the destination airport in Sri Lanka, from the Sri Lanka airport to the project site, and finally to the quarantine area. The department checked and registered the body temperatures of employees in isolation twice a day, and had their meals prepared and delivered. In order to reduce the risk of infection caused by the movement of people, both Chinese and Sri Lankan employees on site are now managed in a unified manner, while the frequency and scale of on-site meetings are reduced and strictly controlled. Body temperatures of all staff are monitored constantly, and public areas, such as office and living areas, are disinfected on a regular basis. The project management stays in close contact with the local health authority, maintains effective communication with the project owner, the supervisor, and the community, while strengthening security at the construction site to ensure the safety of the project. Epidemic prevention information is displayed on posters and sent through online communication groups. Sinhala and English versions of the posters are available for the Sri Lankan employees, and the latest epidemic-related news released by the local government and media is forwarded and shared in a timely manner. Disinfectants and hand sanitizers are provided in public areas, while masks are distributed to employees every day and are required to be worn. Employees are advised to keep a distance of more than two meters when talking with each other. Individual meals are served in the canteen where diners are required to face the same direction and maintain a safe distance. On important local festivals, CSCEC has sent caring messages to employees, provided support to those in need, and conducted adequate psychological counseling to help to maintain a healthy and positive mindset. Friday, April 17th, 2020 (9:02 am) - Score 57,815 Cable TV and broadband ISP Virgin Media UK appears to be facing the prospect of a group litigation (class action) lawsuit from Your Laywers, which claims that the operators failure to protect the personal details belonging to 900,000 of their customers could result in each being able to claim 5,000 (c.4.5bn total). At the start of last month Virgin Media revealed that the personal details belonging to 900,000 of their customers had been exposed by an incorrectly configured marketing database (here), which had apparently been accessed on at least one occasion but they didnt know by whom or if any information had actually been used (the database is understood to have been accessible since 19th April 2019). Initially the operator announced that the database itself had contained the names, home addresses, email and phone numbers of both customers and potential customers alike, but NOT passwords or financial details. But it later transpired, via internet security firm TurgenSec, that the database also contained a lot of other data for some customers (e.g. IP addresses, requests to block or unblock various pornographic sites etc.). All of this information was in plaintext and unencrypted, which effectively meant that anyone browsing the internet could clearly view and potentially download all of it without needing any specialised equipment, tools, or hacking techniques. Anyone with a web-browser could access it, claimed TurgenSec after discovering the database. Virgin promptly closed the database and notified affected customers soon after becoming aware. Queue the Lawyers At present the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) is already known to be conducting an investigation, but in an unusual twist weve now learnt that law firm Your Laywers is collecting interest from those affected by the breach and appears set to launch a group action against Virgin Media. If youve been notified by Virgin Media that your data was exposed during the breach incident, then you could be entitled to claim thousands of pounds in compensation, says the firm (up to 5,000 per customer is one suggested figure). As you might expect this is one of those no win, no fee style firms, which will of course have a vested interest in making such things look as financially attractive as possible. Over the past couple of years a new wave of group litigation under UK data protection legislation has cropped up (weve seen cases started against data breaches at British Airways, Morrisons etc.), which have potentially placed additional liabilities upon businesses; as if the possibly huge fines under GDPR werent worry enough. According to the ICO, damages for breach of data protection legislation may be material (e.g. financial losses) or non-material (e.g. distress) and indeed previous cases have shown that damages may be awarded for a loss of control over personal data, even in the absence of pecuniary loss or distress. In this case it appears as if Your Laywers intend to claim compensation for both financial and emotional distress, although its unclear how theyve arrived at the 5,000 figure suggested in one article. Normally youd have to prove this (e.g. a start would be to show that somebody had actually abused the data) but, as above, damages could conceivably still be awarded for just a loss of control over the data itself. Aman Johal, Director at Your Lawyers, said: Your Lawyers has formally notified Virgin Media that we are taking action and our claimant base is growing daily. We urge anyone affected by the breach to make a claim as soon as possible. Virgin Media failed to take the steps required to keep customer data safe and it is vital for the company to understand the severity of this breach. Theres simply no excuse. This was an avoidable event, and we must hold Virgin Media to account. One key challenge here is that the case law around claims for the loss of control of data is still evolving and we have yet to see how any court will give effect to that in practice. Meanwhile the idea that Virgin Media could end up paying out billions of pounds does seem a touch unrealistic as few businesses could realistically survive such an outcome, especially when no financial details were exposed. As for that Morrisons case, the claim for compensation against them recently hit a problem after a ruling found that the company is not vicariously liable for the acts of the employee. Each case is different and a court will probably still need to see some demonstration of harm. If any money were to be awarded, such as for loss of control over the data, then we suspect it would be for a far more modest figure than 5k. Telecoms Lawyer, Neil Brown of decoded.legal, told ISPreview.co.uk: Unless there is some particularly unusual circumstance, it seems unlikely to me that a court would give 5,000 to someone simply because they were involved in a breach, without some actual demonstration of some kind of harm. While a court might make an award for loss of control of personal data, Id have thought it would be far more modest. Naturally Virgin Media has not commented, as is standard practice where lawsuits are concerned. Editor's Note: Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news stories and expert opinions that moved the precious metals and financial markets. Sign up here! (Kitco News) NASA is planning to make science fiction a reality this year as it attempts to make its own version of The Martians oxygenator that could make oxygen on Mars using a golden box called MOXIE (Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment). The experiment is part of NASAs Mars 2020 mission, which includes sending a state of the art Perseverance rover to Mars Jerero crater. The launch day is July 17 and the scheduled arrival is set for February 18, 2021. The rover is being manufactured by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The goal of the Perseverance rover is to probe the Martian rocks for evidence of past life. Throughout its investigation, it will collect samples of soil and rock, and cache them on the surface for potential return to Earth by a future mission, NASA wrote. Another part of the experiment will be turning CO2 into oxygen by using a golden box, which the rover is equipped with. The Martian atmosphere is about 95% carbon dioxide, 2% percent nitrogen and 2% argon. The experiment will attempt to see if it can liberate the oxygen from the atmospheres CO2. If successful, it will pave the way for future human exploration of Mars. When we send humans to Mars, we will want them to return safely, and to do that they need a rocket to lift off the planet. Liquid oxygen propellant is something we could make there and not have to bring with us. One idea would be to bring an empty oxygen tank and fill it up on Mars, said MOXIE's principle investigator Michael Hecht. Moxie uses solid oxide electrolysis, which is like a fuel cell in reverse. The idea is to take low pressure Martian gas from atmosphere and compresses it closer to Earths atmosphere pressure. This is a solid oxide electrolysis unit, what happens is we have Mars atmosphere enter in this line, goes into the unit, its then heated up to 800C, MOXIE engineer Jim Lewis said last year. We inject energy into the cathode and anode, then what happens is oxygen is separated from the CO2 and comes down this line over here. And gold is a key part of it because of its unique properties. [The box is made from gold] because we were concerned that Moxie itself would run hotter than anything else around it and we wanted to make sure we didnt impact any of the nearby electronics boxes inside the rover. Gold has very low emissivity, which means it doesnt radiate heat effectively, Asad Aboobaker, instrument systems engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told Seeker in March. MOXIE will be able to make six grams of oxygen per hour, which is just enough to keep a small dog alive, Aboobaker said. No one has ever done anything like this, he noted. The oxygen system will attempt to sample different conditions on Mars days versus night, dust storm versus clear weather, and summer versus winter. But it will likely only run once every two months in order to save the rovers energy for other science experiments. In order be used in future human Mars explorations, MOXIE will have to be scaled up by a factor of 200, according to NASA. Last year, a team from the California Institute of Technology found that molecular oxygen can be produced out of carbon dioxide reactions. The research team has successfully simulated this experiment by crashing carbon dioxide into gold foil. The idea of getting certain key elements from space has been reaching a broader audience this year, including the mining industry. During PDAC the worlds biggest mining convention in Toronto, Canada this March, space mining was a hot topic of discussion with key guests, including officials from Canadian government talking about the potential of space mining. The Kitco News team took advantage of this opportunity to talk to some PDAC attendees to see what they thought about space mining and whether we could see it in our lifetime. NHS testing is carried out as cases and the UK death toll continue to rise. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Hundreds of deaths will continue to be reported every day as the UK declines from the peak of its initial coronavirus outbreak, an expert has warned as the toll rose today to 14,576 people. The University of Oxfords professor James Naismith, director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute, said the decline will only be gradual and social distancing must continue to prevent more deaths. He said three conclusions could be made from todays increase of 847 deaths. Firstly, the UK is one of the hardest hit countries in the world from this first wave. Secondly, the UK seems to have passed the peak for the first wave. Finally, we will likely see only a gradual decrease from the peak and this means we will see several hundreds of announced deaths every day for some time ahead. Each one of which will have brought misery to families. 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 He added that a significant number of deaths needed to be added to the totals to account for those that happen outside of hospitals. If we do not continue to socially distance, there will be many more deaths. It seems highly likely that we and the world will face further waves of the virus until a vaccine is in use. Facing these future threats requires public support and total honesty about the trade offs that will be involved in government decisions. I think everyone now realises just how fast this pandemic can move and what the stakes are." It comes a day after the UKs lockdown was extended for a further three weeks amid warnings that easing up too early could result in a second outbreak. There are also 108,692 confirmed cases, up 5,599 from the amount published by the Department of Health yesterday. The case numbers are accurate to 9am today and the death toll is correct as of 5pm on 16 April. Story continues The rise is not as high at the daily tolls recorded between 8 April and 11 April, three of which were over 900, but it is the first time since 11 April that the toll exceeded 800. Focus is now on whether the trend in deaths and cases continues to decline in the long term, which would indicate the outbreak is passing its peak. The government has announced on Thursday that the lockdown restrictions will remain in place for at least another three weeks. The measures, which limit the reasons people can leave their home to exercise and essential trips, have slowed the viruss spread and stopped the NHS being overwhelmed with new cases but Dominic Raab, deputising for Boris Johnson, said it was too soon to ease up. The government believes that lifting restrictions too early would result in a second outbreak. The very clear advice we received is that any change to our social distancing measures now would risk a significant increase in the spread of the virus, Raab said. 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. The government will look at how it can make changes to restrictions based on five conditions, he said. He outlined those as ensuring the NHS can cope with demand, a sustained fall in daily death rates, rate of infection decreasing to manageable levels, ensuring testing capacity and personal protective equipment is available for future demand and being confident any action would not result in a second peak. Dominic Raab announced the lockdown extension on Thursday. (PA Images) There are also problems with infections in hospitals and care homes, and Raab added: 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 cant give a definitive timeframe, that would be to prejudge the evidence, that wouldnt 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. Health secretary Matt Hancock has said the government needs a comprehensive test,, track and trace system in place as soon as possible. His comments came as MPs questioned him in a virtual health select committee today. Chairman Jeremy Hunt the former health secretary referred to World Health Organization guidance that countries need to detect, test, isolate and treat to lift lockdowns. We do need to have comprehensive test, track and trace in place as soon as possible, Hancock said. And we need to get the technology right, we need to have the people and were building that resource and obviously we need to have the testing and were ramping that up as well. So we do need to have all three of those in place and were working incredibly hard to make sure that we are. Coronavirus: what happened today Local police officers aren't normally asked to scale the side of mountains, climbing thousands of feet in the air, to do their job, but two of Cheshire's finest did exactly that ... all for a great cause Cheshire Police Officer Michael Durkee and School Resource Officer David Maliar returned last month from spending 10 days halfway across the world in the African country of Tanzania, in order to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Special Olympics. When we returned home we had raised over $120,000 for the cause, explained Maliar. And the number is still risingits nowhere near over yet. As of now, the Cheshire Police Department alone has raised over $25,000 for the Special Olympics and, combined, the local police departments in Connecticut have raised over $150,000 for the cause. Twelve officers from various police departments from across the state, and two officers from New Jersey participated in this climb, all of the proceeds from the various police departments go to fundraising for the Special Olympics and its athletes. The Special Olympics and local Connecticut police departments have always had a special relationship, with the Special Olympics being their specific charity of choice. The Cheshire Police Department has hosted multiple town-wide events in order to raise money for the cause, such as Tip-A-Cop, Polar Plunge, and the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run. It was Daves idea I think to try to hike the mountains, recalls Durkee. He is always thinking of creative ways to get involved, and he came up with this idea because kids who participate in the Special Olympics have to climb hills every day to do normal things so were climbing mountains for them. The experience of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, according to both Durkee and Maliar, was one that both officers will never forget, including the comradery shared between the 12 group members. It was something that both officers admitted they will cherish forever. The connection we all had to do this together, and make sure that no matter what we all got to the top, was really what got me through everything, Durkee recalled. The altitude sickness really got to some of them, but they pushed through and we all made it. Both officers pointed to the need to adjust to high altitudesroughly 19,000 feet upas the most difficult part of the climb. We are hiking up there for like six hours a day, and were only moving a mile and a half, stated Durkee. Man, it gets to a point, when you cant take a full deep breath, that youre just like, I want to breathe! Nothing can really prepare you for that. Durkee and Maliar credit the support they received from the Town of Cheshire and its residents. WIthout that, the two men insist the trip never would have taken place. We really want everyone to know that without them we wouldnt have been able to do any of this, said Durkee. The people of Cheshire are so generous and supportive, and they have been with us since the beginning. The duo are now setting their sights for the next fundraising opportunity, which Maliar says he is already planning. We really want to put the challenge on the public to try and beat us, he stated. We really are trying to think about what is next for us, but we want people to begin to think out of the box when it comes to stuff like this. If you would like to donate to the Cheshire Police Departments Special Olympics fundraising page, visit https://www.classy.org/team/216079. China: Police arrest Christians participating in Zoom Easter worship service Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Several members of Chinas heavily persecuted Early Rain Covenant Church were arrested by communist authorities for participating in an online Easter worship service on Zoom and ordered to cease all religious activity. Persecution watchdog group International Christian Concern reports that the Christians were participating in a Zoom worship service from their homes on Easter Sunday when six leaders were arrested and detained by the Public Security Bureau. The 5,000-member Sichuan house church, led by pastor Wang Yi, has not been able to gather in person since the communist regime shut down the church in 2018 and arrested their pastor and other leaders. Since then, it has opted to gather online. A member of ERCC told ICC, At that time I was also in the Zoom call, but there was a long period of time where I did not hear a thing. I thought its the network connection issue at first, but I soon heard a quarrel erupt. Our co-worker Wang Jun was questioning some people, [saying], Who are you to do this [to us]? She added that in addition to Wang, other key church leaders including Guo Haigang, Wu Wuqing, Jia Xuewei, Zhang Jianqing and Zhang Xudong were also taken away. One members home had its electricity cut off, while others received phone calls that police [were] coming to visit them soon. A supporter of ERCC also shared on Twitter, Since 8:30 a.m., some security officials have entered these Christian families homes and pretended to be chatting with them casually. At 9:30 a.m., the worship began, and they were also invited to participate. Once they realized that the sermon was from ERCCs imprisoned pastor Wang Yi, they immediately shut it down. Her account was corroborated by Zhang Jiangqing, who was warned by the police at his house, saying, Dont participate in already banned [religious] activities anymore! Dont listen to pastor [Wang]s sermons anymore! If you do this again, we will deal with it seriously and take you away! The six Christians have since been released, and their electricity was restored in the afternoon. Early Rain Covenant Church was first raided during a Sunday evening service in December 2018 after authorities claimed it violated religious regulations because it was not registered with the government. Wang was detained along with his wife, Jiang Rong, and more than 100 members of his congregation. Pastor Wang was later sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of subversion of power and illegal business operations. Gina Goh, ICCs regional manager for Southeast Asia, condemned the governments actions, pointing out that local authorities have continued to monitor and harass ERCC members since 2018 with the hope that the church will disperse itself. In a time when the Chinese people are suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, the heartless regime chose to inflict more trouble on its citizens, she said. The U.N. should immediately suspend Chinas appointment to the Human Rights Council for its lack of respect for human rights. In China, where the novel coronavirus originated, isolating in place has presented an opportunity for communist authorities to ramp up its campaign against Christianity. On Ester Sunday, the state-sanctioned Donghu Church in Chinas Qinghai province was demolished. According to China Aid, a team from the Xining City Chengxi District Urban and Rural Construction Bureau demolished the church in just two hours, labeling it as illegal while citing safety concerns. On April 2, Bethel Church pastor Zhao Huaiguo was arrested after being criminally detained since March 14 for inciting subversion of state power. According to China Aid, a local Christian shared that the authorities have been hostile toward pastor Zhao since his church refused to join the state-sanctioned church and rejected government officials intervention. He was accused of proselytizing and distributing Gospel tracts, which were considered illegal acts. After the Lunar New Year last year, the religious bureau forced the church to disperse, to which it refused. The official ban arrived last April, said the local Christian. Religious liberty magazine Bitter Winter reported that in mid-March, crosses were removed from multiple churches in the eastern provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui and in the neighboring Shandong, the prefecture-level city of Linyi. In February, officials removed a cross from a government-approved Three-Self church in Hexi village. The church was built in 2007 and has complied with state regulations, implementing the four requirements of the governments religion sinicization campaign. Additionally, it had stopped all gatherings during the coronavirus epidemic. Nevertheless, it was not spared in the crackdown. The government does not provide enough help during the epidemic but instead demolishes crosses, a local believer said. China is ranked o Open Doors USAs World Watch List as one of the worst countries in the world when it comes to the persecution of Christians. China has also been labeled by the U.S. State Department as a country of particular concern for continuing to engage in particularly severe violations of religious freedom. Mayors of towns across Puerto Rico are facing uncertainty as they grapple with the fallout of a botched effort from the island's government to purchase at least 1 million coronavirus testing kits, worth $38 million, at a time when the U.S. territory has the lowest per-capita testing rate compared with any state. In the central mountainous town of Cayey, Mayor Rolando Ortiz told NBC News that his municipality is "not doing tests here because the government has them very limited." "I've found out about cases here because the people have my phone number and they call me up when they know something," he said in Spanish. "It has really been vital to just have direct contact with the people. According to Ortiz, Cayey has dealt with at least 20 coronavirus patients or people who have shown COVID-19 symptoms, four of whom have already recovered. Puerto Rico's Health Department still puts the number of coronavirus cases in Cayey at nine. Image: Rolando Ortiz, mayor of the mountainous town of Cayey, Puerto Rico. (Courtesy of the Municipality of Cayey) Rafael Surillo, mayor of the eastern coastal town of Yabucoa, said he has "not received a call from the Health Department, not even to ask me, 'Hey mayor, how are things over there?'" Surillo said he recruited local medical professionals and health care workers to create "our own local protocol" to monitor coronavirus cases and run some tests with the help of a community lab. But that's still not enough to track patients who have sought out help in nearby towns, he said. "That's the tug of war mayors here have with the health department. We need their help getting comprehensive information. If I don't know who is infected, I'm never going to be able to combat this and give people what they need to stay isolated or trace who may have been in contact with them,"Surillo said. The information gap highlights a concerning disconnect among local leaders, the health department and Gov. Wanda Vazquez in their efforts to respond to the coronavirus pandemic in Puerto Rico. Story continues Mayors are bracing for a possible peak of cases in May, based on projections made with the little data available on the island. Puerto Rico Health Secretary Lorenzo Gonzalez told El Nuevo Dia, the island's largest local newspaper, they "have a group of scientists who took the responsibility of generating a probabilistic model" to compensate for the lack of information. Puerto Rico has over 1,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and at least 58 deaths, with nearly 1,500 test results pending. About 10,400 tests have been done on an island of 3.2 million people, representing less than 1 percent of the population. All mayors agreed that hospitals in Puerto Rico have not been overwhelmed with cases in large part because the governor's early calls for a strict curfew and shutdowns have been considered effective. The worry is that the lack of testing creates uncertainty in an island already dealing with fewer medical resources and funds than mainland states. In addition, the business shutdowns are exacerbating the island's ongoing economic crisis. Image: Gov. Wanda Vazquez, wearing a protective face mask, announces the cancellation of all contracts awarded to people and companies whose names have been publicized as part of a local and federal investigation into the intended purchase of new coronavi (Carlos Giusti / AP) At least 700 tests have been done in Ponce, Puerto Rico's second largest municipality, through the city's drive-thru testing site. So far, the city has at least 14 confirmed cases. Ponce Mayor Maria Melendez has been meeting daily with the members of a task force she put together last month to monitor the spread of the coronavirus and tailor their response protocol. "But for Puerto Rico to overcome this, all levels of government need to work in coordination with each other involving the public and private sector, as well as the community," Melendez said in Spanish. Experts and scientists from the nonprofit CienciaPR and other entities have said the island's testing capacity needs to increase in order to have enough information to create accurate estimates of when Puerto Rico can see a peak in coronavirus cases. It is estimated that Puerto Rico needs to test at least 21,000 people to have enough data to draw factual estimates. News In an effort to ramp up testing, Vazquez recently defended her administration's decision to pay a $19 million deposit to Apex General Constructors, a small local construction firm with no medical experience, to acquire 1 million COVID-19 tests from an Australian company that manufactures medical devices. The tests were supposed to be delivered to the island by March 31. The tests never arrived, prompting local and federal authorities to investigate the purchase. Promedical, the Australian company, has publicly denied having reached any deals with Apex. The response prompted Vazquez to cancel all contracts awarded to people and companies involved in the purchase order that has since been annulled, allowing the government to recover its $19 million deposit. "We have our hands tied" "Unfortunately, we've seen a very disorganized effort from our main government," Rosachely Rivera, mayor of Gurabo, a town 30 minutes away from the capital city, said in Spanish. "It's time for them to take control." Image: Rosachely Rivera, mayor of Gurabo, a town 30 minutes away from the capital city (Courtesy of the Municipality of Gurabo) Unlike other municipalities, Rivera said she didn't buy COVID-19 tests of her own "out of precaution" because "countless number of people were selling and offering tests, but I never felt like I was getting the right information in order to feel confident making any purchases." Rivera has been monitoring how the island's main government leaders and the health department have been responding to the coronavirus pandemic in an effort to make decisions that are consistent with the islandwide response, but what Rivera has seen hasn't given her much reassurance. "We mayors sort of feel like we have our hands tied when we see that's there's no consistency on how we solve this islandwide," Rivera said. News Mayors are stocking up on personal protective equipment for essential workers and disinfectants such as alcohol. Others are expecting to set up temporary hospital rooms in upcoming days. Many are ramping up their cleaning efforts in public spaces as they continue to enforce Vazquez's strict curfew alongside the shutdown of all nonessential businesses. "But at some point, we need to start to regain some sense of normalcy," Ortiz said. "I think we need to bring together a team to come up with a plan to make that transition and see some human activity." Follow NBC Latino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Biden has often talked of how well, as vice president, he got to know Chinese President Xi Jinping. He was a chief point of contact for Xi in the two years before Xi became president in 2013 and worked on a range of policies on which the Obama administration sought Chinese cooperation, including the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal. Trump has pulled the United States out of both of those international agreements. With the Democratic presidential primary campaign all but officially over, Barack Obama finally endorsed Joe Biden this past week. The announcement reunites a wildly successful political partnership: Biden spent eight years reinventing the vice presidency with a single-minded focus on how he could push Obamas agenda. And now that Biden is in the market for his own vice-presidential pick, his understanding of the job and the way he served in it are likely to inform his judgment on how to fill it. His decision he has promised to choose a female running mate and perhaps a woman of color will be his most consequential act as the presumptive nominee. (All the more so in light of Bidens advanced age and the pandemic, which has already hospitalized one world leader and most severely attacks older victims.) But whoever gets the VP nod will immediately have to lose part of herself to the office. So the question is not just who should stand at Bidens side, but more fundamentally what kind of vice president she should be. Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has rejected the possibility of any uncoordinated actions with Ukraine's international partners in the investigation into the UIA plane crash near Tehran on January 8. "I have already explained that our position has not changed. We work towards a result in close collaboration with the colleagues from the International Coordination and Response Group for the Victims of Flight PS752 Crash. These are the foreign ministers of Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan and the UK all countries whose citizens died on January 8. On April 15, all five of us again spoke during a conference call, coordinating our next steps," Kuleba said in an interview with the Radio Liberty, commenting on some media reports about a "memorandum" from Iran. He emphasized that the purpose of all international group participants remains unchanged: establishing justice, paying compensation to families, conducting comprehensive, independent and transparent investigation, and holding perpetrators responsible for the aircraft crash in accordance with international law. "All of these things are done to somehow help family members and close ones of the deceased to overcome their pain and grief with which they have been living for a hundred days already. They deserve justice. I assure you that no one can even think about betraying these people or acting not in coordination with other partners. So may these media reports be discussed with the media outlets themselves," Kuleba stressed. Earlier, Radio Farda reported that the Iranian authorities had sent the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine a draft memorandum of understanding to prevent Kyiv from filing lawsuits over the UIA plane crash near Tehran on January 8. The Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) plane (Flight PS752) heading from Tehran to Kyiv crashed shortly after taking off from the Imam Khomeini International Airport at about 06:00 Tehran time (04:30 Kyiv time) on January 8. There were 176 people on board nine crew members (all Ukrainians) and 167 passengers (citizens of Ukraine, Iran, Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan, Germany, and the UK). They all died. On January 11, Iran admitted that its military had accidentally shot down the Ukrainian passenger jet. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accepted full responsibility for the downing of the Ukrainian airliner. It emerged later that the UIA plane had been shot down by two missiles of the Tor-M1 air defense system, which Iran received from Russia. The International Coordination and Response Group for the Victims of Flight PS752 Crash has insisted on the transfer of flight recorders to France which has the necessary technical capabilities for decoding them. ol The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will probe the alleged attack on the police by a group of local residents in Bhoopasandra recently. Following the incident, the police shot one of the accused allegedly in self-defence when they took him for spot inspection. Three FIRs had been filed after the police assault. Director General and Inspector General of Police Praveen Sood ordered the CID to probe the cases and file a report. A video had gone viral on social media challenging the polices claims that they shot the accused in self-defence. City-based human rights organisation Janadhikara Sangharsha Parishath filed a PIL in the high court, seeking a thorough probe into the incident, and the court had then asked the same of the police. Soods orders to the CID come in line with the court directions. After the lockdown in March, residents of Bhoopasandra accused of defying the stay-at-home orders assaulted the Sanjaynagar police. This prompted the police to file three FIRs against Tajuddin and his brothers Khutbuddin, Shahabuddin and mother Yasmin Sultana for allegedly attacking the police personnel. Manjunath G, a police constable, accused Tajuddin and his brothers of abusing and attacking the police personnel when they stopped their scooter for roaming during the lockdown on March 25. The men fled the spot. Another police constable, Basavaraju, accused them of stealing his gold chain and mobile phone when they attacked the police. The police said they took Tajuddin for spot inspection on March 26 to recover the scooter and he attacked PSI Roopa in a bid to escape. Police inspector Balaji V warned him and later shot him in the left leg in an effort to restrain him, the police added. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has begun distribution of PPEs and masks being prepared by its troops and their families, to a number of organisations at the frontline of the battle against coronavirus, officials said on Friday. Last week, the ITBP had launched a special stitching facility at its camp located at Saboli in Haryana's Sonipat district to prepare protective gear. A senior official said 200 PPEs and 200 masks have been provided to Haryana Urban Local Body (ULB), 50 PPEs to Rohtak Dental College, 20 PPE suits and 50 masks to Sarvodaya Vidyalaya in Rohini, Delhi and 20 PPEs and 50 masks to the Kondli (east Delhi) municipal corporation. "These COVID-19 protection gear are meant to be used by people working at quarantine facilities and rendering similar services. These are not meant for use by doctors at hospitals who are treating coronavirus patients," ITBP Director General (DG) S S Deswal told PTI. He said the force is ramping up its capacity to prepare more such medical equipment to cater to other organisations. "Some sister forces like the Central Industrial Security Force are also in touch with us and we will provide them PPEs and masks," the ITBP chief said. The senior official quoted above said all such equipment distributed till now has been given free and the force is managing the cost of production from its monetary reserves. The PPEs prepared by the ITBP cost about Rs 100, while the price of masks comes to less than Rs 5, he said. These products have also been analysed for use by the Northern Indian Textile Research Association (NITRA) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, the official said. "Till now, we have been fabricating these items for our own use in health and quarantine facility management centres but due to the increased demand, the force is planning to enhance the daily capacity to double the present volume," an ITBP spokesperson said. At present, 200 PPEs and 500 masks are being fabricated at the Saboli centre every day, he said. The Wives Welfare Association is also chipping in this task and it has prepared about 1,000 masks till now. Its members are stitching masks at home and sending it to the Saboli centre, he said. Some requests for supply of these items are also being made to us on social media and we are looking at their requirements to cater to them as quickly as possible, the spokesperson said. The ITBP is also running a quarantine facility in Delhi, one of the largest in the country with 1,000 beds, since January 28. About 1,200 Indians and foreigners, rescued from coronavirus-affected countries, have been catered to by this facility till now. The force is primarily tasked to guard the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China apart from rendering a variety of duties in the internal security domain of the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PHILIPSBURG:---The anxiously awaited second audio story in the Foresee Foundations Soualichi Stories series, The Salt Pond Goddess, will launch this coming Monday April 20 on five local radio stations, along with a social media release of its first release from this past week, One Tete Lohkay. Both stories are told by beloved local storyteller, Papa Umpo. This coming weeks story, the Salt Pond Goddess, is an original story that introduces us to the goddess of the title, who protects our great salt pond. When she sees that we are not treating it well, she gets angry. The story reminds us all of the beauty that we have on our island, and that we all are connected in taking care of it, and each other. The Foresee Foundation initiated the Soualichi Stories project during this period when we are isolated from each other in order to bring our Sint Maarten community a sense of connection through our shared heritage and culture. The Foundation will bring a new story to the community each week through over a dozen radio broadcasts, followed by a social media launch of that story the following week. Listen in coming weeks for additional storytellers and Sint Maarten legends. The broadcast schedule is below. For inquiries and to suggest additional St. Maarten folk stories and story tellers, please contact Soualichi Project Coordinator, Laura Hartman, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or contact the Foresee Foundation on Facebook. Programming Schedule (as of press time) for STORY #2: Smog over Kyiv poses no chemical and radiological threat. The radiation background in the capital and the region is within normal range and does not exceed natural background level, Interior Minister of Ukraine Arsen Avakov and Head of Ukraine's State Emergency Situations Service Mykola Chechotkin reported to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "Everything that is going on in Kyiv did not come from the Chornobyl zone. Some 90% of the dust was blown from Zhytomyr region. It is due to winds blowing in our direction and hitting Kyiv. Besides there was a windstorm around Kyiv yesterday," Avakov said during a meeting with the president on Friday, according to the presidential press service. Chechotkin also said that the smell of smoke in Kyiv is not connected with wildfires in the Chornobyl zone. He said that stormy wind broke trees and caused blackouts in Zhytomyr region yesterday. During the morning on April 17, three new wildfires broke out in the regions. Also, peat bogs are burning and smoke can be smelled for several days. "None of these spots pose threat either to the Confinement facility or the radioactive waste storage. The situation there is under control. Yes, we are facing difficulties, but we are looking for solutions to stop this," Chechotkin said. The MSC Anna, the largest container ship ever to visit the Port of Oakland, took a very scenic route through San Francisco Bay before making its arrival Thursday. Coming from Shanghai via Long Beach and following in the wake of tens of thousands of ships over the years, the Anna went under the Golden Gate Bridge, then under the Bay Bridge, right, before reaching the port. Its a hopeful sign for the regions future, even as traffic through the port has fallen sharply due to the coronavirus. The pandemic is weakening international trade, with the Port of Oakland reporting a 7.4% drop in loaded containers in March, compared with the previous year. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 23:31:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ROME, April 17 (Xinhua) -- A popular legend says that Italy's capital was founded in the year 753 BC by twin brothers who were abandoned by their mother and raised in part by a female wolf. Now, 2,773 years later, the city's close connection with canines is as strong as ever. Even during the five-week-long national coronavirus lockdown, Rome, like most of the country, has carved out a special place for dogs. The very first lockdown terms, in force since March 10, allowed dog owners to take their pets for a walk as long as they stayed close to home. That equated the activity with "vital" errands like food shopping and medical visits. Shops selling pet supplies are among the few still operating. "For Romans, for Italians in general, dogs are part of the family," Carla Rocchi, president of Italy's National Entity for the Protection of Animals, told Xinhua. "The right for a dog owner to take his or her dog for a walk has been built into the quarantine rules, and of everything I've heard and read, not a single person has complained about this provision," Rocchi said. "This kind of reverence is built into the culture," she added. Rocchi said current scientific tests show that the circulation of dogs has virtually no impact on the spread of the coronavirus, and dogs and most other pets cannot carry the virus or pass it on to humans. She also said the quarantine policies go beyond the well-being of the dogs, extending to the mental health of the owners and their families. "I am certain that households that have a pet at home are bearing the stress of this crisis better than most of those that do not," Rocchi said. Gianluca Felicetti, president of the Anti-Vivisection League, an animal rights group, said it would be "strange" if the quarantine rules did not include a provision that allowed owners to take their pooches out. "Italy has a law that's been in place since 2004 making the abuse of animals illegal," Felicetti said in an interview. "Clearly, forcing a dog to stay inside for weeks at a time would be considered a kind of animal abuse." Elisa Bonifazi, co-owner of a pet shop in Rome, said Italians would have complained loudly if the rules didn't allow dogs to be let out during the lockdown. "Telling Italians to keep their dogs inside 100 percent of the time would be like telling them they should keep their children in the closest," Bonifazi said. Felicetti estimated there are at least 6 million dogs in Italy, with around the same number of cats. But the provisions in the quarantine rules are only for dogs, which are dependent on their owners. Generally speaking, cats can come and go on their own. Italian newspapers have reported that some owners of other pets have discovered the hard way that their animal friends do not enjoy the same rights as dogs. There have been reports that pet owners have been fined for trying to skirt quarantine rules by walking less typical pets that include tortoises, rabbits, pigs, and sheep. Enditem Thornberry Wants $6 Billion to Deter Chinese Military Presence in Indo-Pacific Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) of the House Armed Services Committee wants the Department of Defense (DoD) to launch a new program to enhance the United States ability to limit the Chinese communist regimes military power in the Indo-Pacific region. As the committees ranking member, Thornberry released an updated proposal laying out the an Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative (IPDI), modeled after the European Deterrence Initiativea DoD program set up to counter Russian military aggression in Europe. Senior officials from both [political] parties, military commanders, and international security experts have told us for years that the Indo-Pacific must be this countrys priority theater, Thornberry said in a statement summarizing the proposal. They are absolutely correct, and it is time to put our money where our mouth is. The congressman, in draft legislation released Thursday, called for $6.09 billion in funding for FY2021 for the IPDI. The funding would strengthen activities that the United States and its allied and partner countries are already conducting in the Indo-Pacific theater, as well as build on the Indo-Pacific Commands investment plan that was delivered to Congress last month, he said. The money would be spent on enhancing missile defense, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance programs, infrastructure, prepositioned equipment and munitions, logistics, training and exercises, according to the statement. While the United States has been mired in the war on terror in the Middle East, Chinas military spending has increased around tenfold, according to many estimates. The Trump administrations 2018 National Defense strategy warned that China has already set the course for a renewed great power competition, sparking a modernization push for a depleted U.S. military. The strategy also outlined risks from Russia, which along with China, has been chipping away at the post-Cold War supremacy of the U.S. military for decades. While China has eroded the dominance of U.S. aircraft carriers in the Pacific by building up an array of long-range missiles and anti-aircraft measures over the last decade, the U.S. military under the Trump administration is now scrambling to play catch up in the new strategic landscape. Thornberry said the proposal would increase U.S. presence in the region, and improve joint force lethality, for example by funding a land-based combined air and missile defense system on Guam and allocating funding for a homeland defense radar in Hawaii. The proposal would also look to improve prepositioning and logistics, and increase funding for infrastructure in the region. These are not all new programs, but by pulling them together under one policy we will be better able to judge our own commitment here at home, demonstrate our resolve to our allies and partners, and deter China. We may not be able to cover all of these programs this year, but it is important that we make a start, and then use this legislation to measure our progress going forward, Thornberry said. Americas fortunes will be greatly influenced by what happens in the Indo-Pacific region. It would be fitting if we mark this milestone by implementing a new strategic approach to this vital part of the world. Simon Veazey Contributed to this report. >>> Vietnam presents medical equipment to Laos, Cambodia >>> COVID-19: Cambodian-Vietnamese families in Preah Sihanouk supported >>> Vietnam Airlines carries medical equipment to Laos, Cambodia >>> Cambodia thanks Vietnam for medical support in COVID-19 fight Speaking at the handover ceremony, Viet said that with the spirit of friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association had mobilised its chapters, businesses in the Vietnamese Enterprises Club in Cambodia and philanthropists to make donations to help the Cambodian people fight the disease. The donations included 12,500 face masks, 500 bottles of antibacterial solution and the cash amount of VND50 million (US$2,123). Cambodian Ambassador to Vietnam Chay Navuth expressed his deep gratitude to the Vietnamese people and the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association for their valuable sentiments toward the people of Cambodia. He voiced his belief in the efforts toward the prompt termination of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, Cambodia and the world, affirming that the two countries would continue developing their solidarity and traditional friendly relations which have been nurtured by many generations of their leaders and peoples. What happened Shares of Textron (NYSE:TXT) were up 12.2% today. No great mystery there. For one thing, most stocks were up Friday as investors cheered news that Gilead Sciences may have found a cure for the coronavirus. The S&P 500 as a whole was up close to 3% on that news. But there's also good reason for the gain in the stock of defense contractor Textron. So what Thursday night, the Pentagon's daily digest of military contract awards named Textron as the winner of a $386.3 million contract to build 15 landing craft, air cushion (LCAC) for the United States Navy. These LCACs, better known as hovercraft, are one of the means by which Marines conduct beach assaults from Navy warships. The contract in question, for construction of LCACs numbers 109 through 123, will be completed over the next roughly five years, with delivery of the final craft due January 2025. Now what That last detail could be key, however, to whether Textron stock will be able to hang on in the long term to the gains it's enjoying today. Even the full value of this contract modification, $386.3 million, represents just 2.8% of Textron's annual $13.6 billion revenue stream. That seems a rather thin reed upon which to be hanging a 12% gain in market cap. And considering that the annual increase in sales from this contract is closer to just half a percentage point averaged over five years, then investors' decision to bid up Textron shares by more than 12% today seems even less logical. Accordingly, while I applaud the sentiment, I have serious doubts investors will continue valuing Textron shares quite so highly once this realization sets in. Textron shares, which are up so strongly today, should subside and fall back in rather short order. A MAN who is charged in connection with a burglary in Askeaton during which a safe was taken from a shop is to be tried on indictment before the circuit court. Michael Harty, 35, who has an address at Rossmanagher Road, Sixmilebridge, County Clare faces a number of charges in connection with the break-in which occurred during the early hours of May 3, 2018. During a procedural hearing at Limerick District Court on Tuesday, Judge Marian OLeary was told the Director of Public Prosecutions had considered the garda file and that the matter to proceed on indictment. Earlier this year, Newcastle West Court was told it will be alleged the defendant was one of four masked men who forcibly entered the shop at Clounreask, Askeaton at around 1.45am. It was a planned and premeditated crime, said Detective Sergeant Mike Reidy during a contested bail application. He said extensive damage was caused to the shuttering and inside the premises and that a safe, containing a significant amount of cash, was removed from the shop and placed in the boot of a black Audi S4 Quattro. However, the safe fell onto the road and was left behind as the intruders took off at speed in the car. Judge Mary Larkin was told the vehicle, which had been stolen in the UK a number of weeks earlier, was located crashed at Fanningstown, Croom a short time after the burglary. Mr Harty had been accused of being a passenger in the Quattro but that charge has since been withdrawn on the instructions of the DPP. Noting the DPPs directions in relation to the remaining charges, Judge OLeary adjourned the matter to April 21, to facilitate the preparation of a book of evidence. Mr Harty was remanded in custody as he was previously refused bail following a garda objection. View this post on Instagram I am hearing stories of desperation from people all over the country, and we know our communities are suffering the most and urgently need help. Celebrating #JackieRobinsonDay with the launch of Thomas Tulls #Operation42, a donation of 4.2 million dollars in personal protective equipment (PPE) to hospitals that service the African American Communities who have been hit the hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic. Thank you, Jackie, for refusing to accept the world as it is, for showing us that we can make a difference. MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Everflow , the cloud-based Partner Marketing platform, today announced further enhancements to their already robust influencer tracking solutions with Coupon Code Tracking URLs, which released this week with their 2.8.0 update. "This functionality brings proven influencer marketing techniques from radio, outdoor and print media to digital marketing," says Jonathon Blais, Co-Founder & CTO at Everflow. "Coupling those with granular analytics throughout the conversion funnel, gives marketers unparalleled ability to track, test and improve their campaigns." With this addition, Everflow empowers influencer performance tracking in the following ways: Coupon Code Tracking URLs: Brands can create unique codes for each of their influencers that will automatically generate unique branded destination URLs. Influencers can easily tell their followers to visit this unique URL and Everflow will track any performance from that follower, back to the influencer. Direct Linking Clickless Tracking: With Direct Linking the user is tracked when they reach the brands website. This makes it easy to track performance channels (affiliate, influencer or media buying), while maximizing the SEO value of these relationships. QR Code: Influencers can promote brands through unique QR codes. When followers scan these codes, they are sent to the brand's website and the influencer receives credit for any performance that results. "80% of influencers have been asked by brands to include content amplification as part of an activation in 2020. The data shows that marketers have moved beyond partnering with influencers for just content and relying on organic reach. Brands are now treating influencer marketing as a scalable media channel," adds Paul Johnson, Co-Founder and VP of Growth at Lumanu. "Executing on this strategy demands a platform that tracks results at scale and Everflow continues to provide that." With some brands delivering almost all of their sales strictly through influencer marketing, tracking influencers has become critical. Max Hjelm, Director of Business Development at AspireIQ, includes, "Brands are leaning into their social media-savvy brand partners like influencers and brand ambassadors to tell real, relevant stories and build a true sense of community online. We're excited about Everflow's commitment to helping brands improve how they track these campaigns." If you are interested in learning more about Everflow please contact Michael Cole at [email protected] . About Everflow Everflow is the Smarter Partner Marketing Platform. Everflow handles the massive scale of Mobile and Digital environments through Google Cloud infrastructure, provides accessible analytics for drilling down into any datapoint, with powerful automated Anti-Fraud tools. Make managing your publishers, affiliates, influencers, and media buying channels easier. MEDIA CONTACTS: Michael Cole, Everflow: [email protected] SOURCE Everflow Related Links https://everflow.io/ Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 05:45:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on April 16, 2020 at the United Nations headquarters in New York shows UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths speaking via video teleconference at a virtual Security Council meeting. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths on Thursday asked the warring parties to seize the opportunity for peace. (Xinhua/Xie E) UNITED NATIONS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths on Thursday asked the warring parties to seize the opportunity for peace. An opportunity has emerged to bring peace to Yemen, said Griffiths, referring to the willingness of the Yemeni government and Houthi forces to forge a cease-fire. "All eyes are now on the parties to the conflict. This is the time for hard decisions. None of us should underestimate the demands that are placed upon the leadership of both parties. The decisions now needed from both parties are of existential importance for the future of the country," he told the Security Council in a briefing. "And I know that both the government of Yemen and Ansar Allah want to end this conflict on the basis of a fair and just peace," he said, using the official name of Houthi forces. The opportunity for peace has come as the country faces some of its toughest days. Military escalations have continued on several fronts for three months. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic to Yemen threatens to bring deeper and more widespread suffering to the people, he noted. "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," said the envoy. The threat of COVID-19 has galvanized the effort toward peace among Yemenis as well as the international community, he said. On March 25, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made an urgent appeal for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Yemen, and for the parties to focus on reaching a negotiated political settlement and doing everything possible to counter COVID-19. The Yemeni government immediately welcomed the call as did the Houthi leadership. In addition, there was an outpouring of support from other Yemeni political leaders and civil society, he noted. On April 8, the Saudi-led military coalition, which is fighting Houthis in Yemen, announced a unilateral cease-fire for an initial period of two weeks. The explicit aim of this cease-fire is to create a conducive environment for the success of UN-led efforts for peace, said Griffiths. In this context, the special envoy presented proposals to the Yemeni government and the Houthi forces: the first on a nationwide cease-fire agreement; the second on key humanitarian and economic measures, which may include releases of prisoners and detainees, opening Sanaa International Airport, paying civil servant salaries, opening access roads, and ensuring the entry of ships carrying essential commodities into Hodeidah ports; the third on the urgent resumption of the political process. Griffiths said he has been in constant negotiations over the past two weeks with the parties on the texts of these agreements. "We expect them to agree on and formally adopt these agreements in the immediate future." The pace of these negotiations has not been impeded by the need to conduct them virtually, according to the envoy. "I can report that we are making very good progress. We are moving toward a consensus over the proposals, particularly on the principle of a nationwide cease-fire. And we are redoubling our efforts to bridge the outstanding differences between the parties, before we convene them at a meeting where, because it will be virtual, agreements will be tabled, confirmed and published," he said. Griffiths regretted the fact that military activities continue on a number of fronts despite many calls from Yemenis and the international community for them to stop. "I fear it will continue until we get an agreement on our proposals, including a nationwide cease-fire. The governorate of Marib remains the center of gravity of this war, yet not the only theater. The sooner we can stop the fighting, the better." The heavy fighting has continued to take the lives of more innocent Yemeni civilians. An attack on the women's section of the Central Prison in Taiz city on April 5 killed and injured many, including children, he said. Griffiths condemned the horrific attack and underlined that all civilians and civilian objects, including prisons and prisoners, must be protected under international humanitarian law. Violations of the Hodeidah cease-fire agreement continue on a daily basis, said Griffiths. Following the shooting and serious injury of a government liaison officer by a sniper, the UN-led mechanisms to implement the Hodeidah Agreement have ceased to function, he said. "As we are all striving to maintain stability in Hodeidah and achieve, in parallel and as reinforcement, a nationwide cease-fire, it is important that the parties resume the work of the Redeployment Coordination Committee and the joint mechanisms that underpin it." Griffiths highlighted the threat of COVID-19 in Yemen. "Yemen cannot face two fronts at the same time: a war and a pandemic. The new battle that Yemen faces in confronting the virus will be all-consuming," he warned. "We can do no less than stop this war and turn all our attention to this new threat. We have heard the calls from Yemenis across the country asking all of us to make the virus our priority. I know that the leaders of both parties as well as those in the region understand this as well as anyone," he added. Yemen reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19 last week. 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 have warned that COVID-19 in Yemen could spread faster, more widely and with deadlier consequences than in many other countries, said UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock, who also briefed the Security Council on Yemen's humanitarian situation. "We are, in other words, running out of time," said Lowcock. Enditem PLANO, Texas, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) and Toyota Financial Services (TFS) announced executive changes that further strengthen the companies' leadership in key areas. Holly Walters, president and chief executive officer of Toyota Financial Savings Bank (TFSB) is promoted to chief information officer and group vice president of information systems for TMNA. In her new role, Walters will oversee the company's information systems, solutions and technology. Walters will report directly to Zack Hicks, chief digital officer and executive vice president of digital transformation and mobility. Walters joined Toyota in 2007 as TFSB chief technology officer, responsible for the bank's technology strategy and implementation. Prior to joining Toyota, Walters held a number of other senior roles focusing on the integration of technology and business operations, solution development and deployment, and IT risk and compliance. Mike Owens is promoted to group vice president and chief risk officer at TFS. In this expanded role, Owens will have the added responsibility of overseeing TFS' international affiliates in the Americas Oceania region. Owens will continue to serve as chairman of the board of directors for TFSB and report to Mark Templin, president and CEO of TFS. Owens joined Toyota in 2002 and has more than 25 years of experience in credit analysis, risk management, account management, and business development across the auto, home mortgage, commercial, and credit card lines of business. About Toyota Motor North America Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold 2.7 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019. Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society's most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com. TMNA Media Contact: Victor Vanov 469.292.1318 [email protected] About Toyota Financial Services Toyota Financial Services (TFS) is the finance and insurance brand for Toyota in the United States, offering retail auto financing and leasing through Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (TMCC) and Toyota Lease Trust. TFS also offers extended service contracts through Toyota Motor Insurance Services (TMIS). The company services Lexus dealers and customers using the Lexus Financial Services brand. TFS currently employs approximately 3,200 team members nationwide, and has assets totaling over $122 billion. It is part of a worldwide network of comprehensive financial services offered by Toyota Financial Services Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation. We announce material financial information using the investor relations section of our website (www.toyotafinancial.com) and SEC filings. We use these channels, press releases, and social media to communicate about our company, our services and other issues. While not all information we post on social media is of a material nature, some information could be material. Therefore, we encourage those interested in our company to review our posts on Twitter at www.twitter.com/toyotafinancial. TFS Media Contact: Vincent Bray 469.486.9065 [email protected] SOURCE Toyota Motor North America Related Links www.toyota.com The Supreme Court Friday upheld the decision to appoint and regularise teachers in Himachal Pradesh under various schemes saying they were done as per the polices and cannot be termed as illegal. The top court refused to interfere with the order of Himachal Pradesh High Court by which it had rejected the challenges made to the appointment of teachers under Primary Assistant Teachers (PAT) scheme, Para Teachers Policy and other schemes. A bench of Justices M M Shantanagoudar and R Subhas Reddy dealt with all the schemes for appointment of teachers in the state and said, Having regard to material placed before this Court and having regard to reasons recorded in the impugned order by the High Court, we are of the view that no case is made out to interfere with the impugned judgment of the High Court. The bench noted that the schemes in question were notified in 2001 and 2003 under which appointments were made for PAT and teachers in other categories while petitions challenging the appointments were filed in 2012-13. Such a writ petition which was filed by the petitioners who came to be qualified only in the year 2011 are not entitled for any relief on the ground of unexplained laches and inordinate delay of about more than 10 years in approaching the court for questioning the appointments, the bench said. Dealing with the PAT scheme, the bench said that it was notified on August 27, 2003 to compulsorily enrol children in schools for elementary and primary in the remote areas to achieve the goals as set by the government while enacting The Himachal Pradesh Compulsory Primary Act, 1997 for achieving 100 per cent enrolment. It noted that as per the regular Recruitment Rules the requisite qualification for the post of Junior Basic Training (JBT) teacher during the relevant time was 10+2 with 50 per cent marks and JBT certificate. Of the 3,294 candidates, who are still working, all have acquired the professional qualification of diploma in elementary or have undergone Professional Development Programme for Elementary Teachers. ...we are of the view that when the appointees appointed under the scheme have completed more than almost 15 years of service now and also have acquired the professional qualifications, they cannot be denied regularisation at this point of time," the bench said. "As the appointments were made as per the schemes notified by the Government such appointments cannot be treated as illegal, if at all they can be considered irregular, it said. The top court said it is difficult to disbelieve the submission of state in absence of any counter affidavit that in view of the hard topography, tribal areas, large number of vacancies, single-teacher schools and to achieve the object of the Act, such steps of appointments of teachers were taken. The bench further said that as per the materials placed on record, it is clear all the persons who were recruited as Para Teachers under the 2003 policy were fully qualified as per the Recruitment and Promotion Rules. The bench said it is true that in the initial schemes notified by the government there was a condition that such appointees should not seek regularisation or absorption but at the same time for no fault of theirs, they cannot be denied regularisation or absorption. It is in view of the requirement of the State, their services were extended from time to time and now all the appointees have completed more than 15 years of service. For majority of the appointed teachers under the various schemes benefit was already extended and some leftover candidates were denied on account of interim orders passed by this Court, it said. The bench also rejected the submission of petitioners that such scheme for appointments and regularization were formulated by the state to make back-door entries and said that all the appointed candidates are working for the meagre salaries pursuant to schemes notified by the government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Chinese regime is rewarding citizens for reporting anyone, including Chinese citizens, who cross over the closed border from Russia to China. As the situation inside the Heilongjiang province worsened, the Chinese regime temporarily closed that provinces border with Russia. One Chinese Lawyer says its a way for the regime to shift blame. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- While students have moved to remote learning due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Staten Island elected officials are calling on the city Department of Education (DOE) to set up programs for the boroughs most severely disabled students in District 75 schools and non-District 75 special needs schools. Borough President James Oddo sent a letter to Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza, signed by the Staten Island delegation, asking the DOE to consider setting up programs for severely disabled students at a stand-alone site, such as PS 37 in Great Kills, or to include this population of students to be eligible at the citys Regional Enrichment Centers (RECs), which provide child care to essential workers. Were hoping to instigate a discussion with parents and educators and the DOE leadership, because we dont see this on anyones radar and these children and these families, the D75 kids and D75 families, have a unique challenge within this global challenge of the education community space, Oddo told the Advance/SILive.com. Oddo said his staff, particularly Director of Education Rose Kerr and Deputy Director of Education Laura Timoney, have been communicating with Staten Island parents of severely disabled students who are experiencing regressive behaviors due to school closures. Those behaviors are becoming evident as, due to the nature of their disability, remote learning does not and cannot work for them, the letter stated. I was talking to a lot of parents and what theyre seeing is, all of the sudden, school just stopped dead in its tracks, said Timoney. These are kids who go to school 12 months out of the year and this is their routine. Theyve known it since they were babies and its just, they dont understand. You cant tell them, This is whats going on, we have a pandemic This population has not been considered in terms of what can we do for them. Because we really -- theyre not doing well in remote learning or tele-therapy. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** While parents are grateful to the teachers and therapists, parents say this is only a small fix on a bigger issue, Timoney said. The letter proposes very small class sizes, with a morning and an afternoon session. It would allow students to receive services and benefit from a routine, and give parents, caregivers and teachers much-needed peace of mind, according to the letter. SIMILAR TO SUMMER SCHOOL The program would be similar to summer school, and the routine would be familiar to these students. Due to the slowing rate of COVID-19, the letter proposes the timing is right for Staten Island to become a beta site for this plan. Student enrollment would be conditional, considering underlying medical conditions. I think this resonates with folks, said Oddo. Yet again, I think Staten Island needs to be the voice for the special needs community. Were working out the specifics...I dont know what path this takes, but clearly we need to go beyond talking about it, we need to start formulating a plan. Kerr said some may say there are provisions in place for children and that they are learning. But she said it must be emphasized that these children cant learn in this manner due to their disability, and no provisions have been made for these students. Theyve tried. No one is saying they didnt try, she said. This goes far beyond learning loss in our system. These are the most severely disabled, and we have to handle them in a special manner because they are special. The DOE said it is exploring ways to further support families of students with disabilities, including in-person and at-home services through teletherapy. In the 2018-2019 school year, there were 25,479 students in District 75 programs across the city -- and current capacity at RECs is 24,283. REC sites were chosen with accessibility as one of the main factors, and all sites are either fully or partially ADA-accessible. Students with disabilities whose parents or guardians are considered an essential worker that qualify for RECs have access to those sites. No one thought remote learning would be easy, especially for our District 75 students and students with disabilities, which is why we are focused on ensuring individualized instruction and services can continue during this time," said Katie OHanlon. "We have reached out to the Borough Presidents office to discuss any additional ways we can support each student and adapt to the specific needs of each family. Individualized instruction and services are continuing with students with disabilities, the DOE said. Its tailoring arrangements and adapting to meet specific needs of families. Every element of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) may not transfer to a remote learning setting, and arrangements have tailored to family and student needs. Providers are working with students, teachers, and families to determine how to best deliver services. The DOE said remote learning plans have been created for each student, which are intended to translate IEP services to a remote setting. They are a coordinated effort between the family, teacher, paraprofessional, and provider. The agency added that New York City was one of the few districts delivering special education services in week two of remote learning. REGIONAL ENRICHMENT CENTERS The DOE previously told the Advance/SILive.com that parents who are first responders and other essential workers who have children with disabilities will be accommodated at Regional Enrichment Centers (RECs). Students with disabilities will be in classrooms with special education teachers and, if needed, paraprofessionals, who will have access to important information like a students health, social-emotional and behavior needs. There are three borough REC locations: PS/I.S. 48 in Concord; PS 56 in Rossville; the District 31 Richmond Pre-K Center, located in Midland Beach. A DOE spokesperson previously told the Advance that the city will be opening four early childhood sites on Staten Island, but did not say where or when. The DOE didnt respond to multiple requests on where those four sites are located. And students who are in special education, but may not fall under the category of being severely disabled to qualify for the program Oddos office is proposing, are having a hard time during remote learning. One Staten Island parent, who requested anonymity, said she is having a hard time helping her kindergarten son in remote learning, as he is regressing, acting out and being defiant. She said its difficult to get her son to sit down for his speech or physical tele-therapy sessions and to complete school assignments. NOT REALLY WORKING I myself personally am having a hard time with remote learning with my son because he misses the routine, and now that hes not going to school every day, it seems like the virtual learning is not really working for us, she said. I know that there would be no way for us to possibly change the scenario, but I feel like the Department of Ed[ucation] didnt really look into what they could do virtually for the special needs kids. The DOE said last month it made arrangements to deliver special education programs and related services through remote learning to students with the Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). Families were given a template from their school to create specific remote learning plans for these students. Occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and counseling providers will provide appropriate tele-therapy services in conjunction with schools remote instructional plan. The DOE is holding IEP meetings by phone, and has been looking to conduct assessments remotely as much as possible. The Staten Island parent said she is considering a request to hold her son back to repeat kindergarten because he has regressed in learning. Since the IEP requires her son to go to school for 12 months out of the year, she said she hopes the city can open for students with special needs. If schools do not open by June, if things are clear and safe, could they at least open for special needs so they can at least get back somehow? she asked. Weve regressed. Weve definitely regressed and I know that its the inevitable because of what were facing right now - but is there a way they can put a better plan into place? I feel like they kind of forgot about us again, but I know the circumstances are difficult. 70 Coronavirus in NYC: Photos show the fight against the pandemic FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 21:17:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- China supports the action plan issued by the Group of 20 (G20) to deal with the impact of COVID-19 and will contribute to the G20 efforts to fight the pandemic through its own policy actions, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said Friday. G20 finance ministers and central bank governors agreed Wednesday to suspend debt service payments for the world's poorest countries from May 1 until the end of the year. China will implement more proactive fiscal policies with higher quality and efficiency, appropriately increase the fiscal deficit ratio, issue special government bonds, increase the scale of special bonds for local governments, and further cut taxes and fees, the MOF said. In the process, China will strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination with G20 members and jointly support the implementation of the G20 action plan, the MOF said. China will carry out specific work through bilateral consultations at the request of relevant poor borrowers in accordance with the G20 consensus, the MOF said. To achieve better results of the action plan, China calls on multilateral creditors and commercial creditors to take appropriate actions as soon as possible to jointly help the poorest countries tide over their difficulties, the MOF said. China has been providing support to the international community through other bilateral and multilateral channels, including donating 20 million U.S. dollars to the World Health Organization and earmarking 10 million U.S. dollars in its Poverty Reduction and Regional Cooperation Fund under the Asian Development Bank to support outbreak control programs in the region. Enditem Australian shares posted strong gains to end the week, supported by Donald Trumps plan to restart the US economy along with speculation over a potential treatment to successfully combat the coronavirus. Having been up over 2.5 per cent at one point in early trade, the local markets gains were trimmed towards the close with benchmark S&P/ASX 200 finishing the session up 71.2 points, or 1.3 per cent, at 5487.5. Mirroring the reaction to another raft of weak US economic data released on Thursday, investors looked through news that Chinas economy contracted by a record amount in the March quarter, along with weaker-than-expected retail sales and fixed asset investment data for March. For the week, the index gained 1.9 per cent, the fourth increase in a row. The benchmark has now rallied 24.7 per cent from the lows struck on March 23. Despite the sizeable rebound, not everyone is convinced it will be sustained given the likely deterioration in global economic data ahead. After a powerful rally from lows, shares are a bit vulnerable in the short term as the economic and profit news is likely to be pretty bleak over the next month, AMP Capitals head of investment strategy and chief economist Shane Oliver said. Economic data now looks like its falling off a cliff. All sectors except consumer staples finished higher, led by industrials and REITs which posted gains of more than 3.9 per cent. Both were among the hardest hit during the recent sell-off. Among the big names, aviation stocks enjoyed a strong session following news the federal government will cover the cost of Qantas and Virgin Australia maintaining a limited domestic schedule. Qantas shares rallied 7.2 per cent to $3.72 while Sydney Airports jumped 8.3 per cent to $6.28. Stockland led the charge higher for REITS, soaring 8.5 per cent to $3.05. Mayne Pharmaceuticals also jumped 9.1 per cent to $0.42 after submitting a new drug application to the US FDA. Despite the broader markets gains, there were some pockets of weakness. Coca-Cola Amatil was among the worst performers, sliding 6.1 per cent to $8.63 following its quarterly update. Newcrest Mining also eased 2.6 per cent to $28.57 on weakness in gold prices. Security forces on Friday eliminated two Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militants, who had hacked a special police officer (SPO) to death with an axe and critically injured another on April 13 in Dachhan area of Kishtwar district. With the killing of two militants in Kishtwar and as many in Shopian in South Kashmir, the ongoing operations concluded today and a total of four terrorists have been eliminated. Four weapons have also been recovered from the slain militants, said a senior police officer. Two weapons of the SPOs have also been recovered from them. After meticulous search and painstaking efforts for three continuous days, security forces zeroed in on Saunder village in a Nallah (rivulet). On observing the movement of forces, the militants fired at the search party and in the retaliatory action, both the militants were eliminated. One AK-74 rifle and one INSAS rifle were recovered from them, said inspector general of police Mukesh Singh. With timely and sustained effort, an attempt by the Hizbul Mujahideen to revive their terror activities in the Dachan and Marwah areas of Kishtwar has been nipped, he said and added that this action of security forces was a tribute to the police martyr Basit Iqbal. One of the two slain militants was a rape accused released 20 days ago in the wake of the spread of the novel coronavirus. He was identified as Ashiq Hussain and his associate as Basharat Hussain, both residents of Tander village in Dachhan. The deceased SPO was identified as Basit Iqbal and injured SPO as Vishal Singh. Terrorism had re-surfaced in Kishtwar region after senior BJP leader Anil Parihar and his brother Ajit Parihar were killed outside their house in Kishtwar town on November 1, 2018. The next year, RSS leader Chandrakant Sharma and his security guard Rajinder Kumar were killed in Kishtwar district. Mohammad Amin Bhat, alias Jehangir Saroori, the longest surviving militant commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, is believed to be the man behind revival of terrorism in the region. He had joined militancy in 1992. In October last year, Jammu and Kashmir Police had put up posters of Jehangir Saroori in Kishtwar region and had also announced a cash award of Rs 30 lakhs on information leading to his arrest. Seven governors from the Midwest will coordinate on reopening their state economies amid the coronavirus pandemic, after similar pacts were made in the Northeast and on the West Coast. The latest agreement includes Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kentucky. 'We look forward to working with experts and taking a fact-based, data-driven approach to reopening our economy in a way that protects families from the spread of COVID-19,' the governors said in a statement. 'Phasing in sectors of our economy will be most effective when we work together as a region,' said the governors. The state leaders include five Democrats Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, Wisconsin's Tony Evers, Illinois' J.B. Pritzker, Minnesota's Tim Walz, Kentucky's Andy Beshear and two Republicans, Ohio's Mike DeWine and Eric Holcomb of Indiana. Seven governors from the Midwest will coordinate on reopening their state economies amid the coronavirus pandemic. The top state leaders include Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer (pictured), one of five Democrats in the group Wisconsin's Tony Evers is among seven governors who have coordinated efforts to reopen their states amid the coronavirus pandemic. Evers is one of five Democrats in the group Illinois' JB Pritzker is among seven governors who have coordinated efforts to reopen their states amid the coronavirus pandemic. Pritzker is one of five Democrats in the group Minnesota's Tim Walz is among seven governors who have coordinated efforts to reopen their states amid the coronavirus pandemic. Walz is one of five Democrats in the group Kentucky's Andy Beshea is among seven governors who have coordinated efforts to reopen their states amid the coronavirus pandemic. Beshea is one of five Democrats in the group Ohio's Mike Dewine is among seven governors who have coordinated efforts to reopen their states amid the coronavirus pandemic. Dewine is one of two Republicans in the group Eric Holcomb of Indiana is among seven governors who have coordinated efforts to reopen their states amid the coronavirus pandemic. Holcomb is one of two Republicans in the group Their comments were made Thursday, just before President Donald Trump outlined to governors a phased approach to restoring normal commerce and services if there is strong testing and a decrease in cases. The Midwestern alliance joins pacts on the West Coast and in the Northeast that were announced this week. All together, the 17 states covered by the partnerships are home to nearly half of the country's population. So far, there have been 691,567 cases in the US of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for 36,185 deaths. How the number of new coronavirus infections in the US has escalated over time Despite their coordinated efforts, the Midwestern governors warned that that state economies won't all reopen all at once or take the same steps, 'but close coordination will ensure we get this right.' Factors they will weigh heavily include controlling the rate of new infections and hospitalizations, enhanced ability to test and trace for the virus, sufficient healthcare capacity to handle a potential resurgence and best practices for social distancing at work, the governors said. Governors to focus on four factors to reopen state economies Controlling the rate of new infections and hospitalizations Enhanced ability to test and trace for the virus Sufficient healthcare capacity to handle a potential resurgence Best practices for social distancing at work Advertisement '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 1st,' DeWine tweeted Thursday, as he announced his state's reopening date. DeWine said the state is planning to reopen some businesses when Trump's lockdown guidance ends in two weeks. The state currently has more than 9,100 infections and 418 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, warns that life would not resume as normal for some period of time. Protesters are pictured outside the Ohio Statehouse demanding the state be reopened. Governor Mike DeWine has since warned that life there would not resume as normal for some period of time Protesters stand outside the Ohio Statehouse on Monday ignoring social distancing guidelines put in place as they demanded the state reopen Holcomb, who could announce Friday whether he will extend or modify Indiana's stay-home order that is scheduled to end early next week, described the pact as a way of making sure that all of the state leaders know about the actions the others are taking. 'We're all thinking about that smart restart, opening of our states in a very gradual, methodical way if the numbers continue to hold and the trends continue to hold,' he said. Indiana has had 10,154 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for 522 deaths. 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. Thousands of demonstrators in cars with horns honking thronged around Michigan's state Capitol to protest Whitmer's order this week. Whitmer said on Friday that she 'hopes' to relax some of her state's lockdown orders after receiving backlash from four sheriffs who said they would not enforce it and after the protests. In an interview with Good Morning America, Whitmer responded to President Trump's May 1 reopening guidelines by saying they left much to be answered with regards to testing, but that she is hopeful she can adhere to them. 'I do hope to have some relaxing come May 1st but it's two weeks away, and the information, the data and our ability to test is changing so rapidly. Michigan has had more than 29,263 cases of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for 2,093 deaths. On Friday, protesters showed up outside Walz's residence in Minnesota, saying they, too, wanted to get back to work - despite widespread COVID-19 testing not being available yet. Minnesota has had 2,070 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for 111 deaths. Under Trump's guidelines, 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. Protesters have 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 Guy Fawkes 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 Bowseru 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. The number of deaths caused by coronavirus in Wuhan city has increased by 50 per cent after officials revised the figures to account for belated, missed and mistaken reporting. Figures for the total number of infections in the city, where Covid-19 was first identified in December last year, has also risen to 50,333. The figure accounts for around two-thirds of Chinas total of 82,367 cases. The death toll increased by 1,290 and now stands at 3,869. State-owned Xinhua news agency said the original figures were due to insufficient admission capabilities of overwhelmed medical facilities during the peak of the outbreak there. A notification issued by the Wuhan municipal government, published in Xinhua, said there were four main reasons for the data discrepancies Covid-19 patients who did not die in hospital, medical staff preoccupied with saving and treating patients, new coronavirus hospitals that were not linked to the epidemic information network failing to report data in time, and lastly, inaccurate information on patients who died. Every life lost in the epidemic is not only a loss to their family but also a grief for the city, added the municipal government. Our sincere condolences go to the families of those who deceased in the Covid-19 epidemic, and we express deep sorrow to the compatriots and medical workers who lost their lives in the epidemic. The accuracy of Chinas case reporting has been called into question numerous times, particularly with Wuhan going several days in January without reporting new cases or deaths. Accusations that Chinese officials sought to minimise the impact of the outbreak by misreporting the true numbers have been made by experts and officials from other governments, including the UK. Last month, Michael Gove blamed China for the failure to curb the spread of coronavirus. He said: The first case of coronavirus in China was established in December of last year, but it was also the case that some of the reporting from China was not clear about the scale, the nature, the infectiousness of this. Wuhans new figures on the death toll come as data shows that China has suffered its worst economic contraction in decades in the first quarter of 2020 because of the pandemic. The worlds second-largest economy shrank 6.8 per cent compared to the same period last year after numerous facilities and both domestic and international travel were shut down to mitigate the spread of the disease. Pep Boys: Going Further with Steps to Help Keep You Safe PHILADELPHIA & KENNESAW, Ga.--Pep Boys, one of the nations leading automotive aftermarket service and parts providers, has been servicing the vehicles on which communities deeply depend through good and bad for nearly a century. As the country has navigated a global pandemic, Pep Boys Service and Parts businesses have continued operating as an essential business. The Pep Boys team has remained hard at work to support the vehicles of first responders, healthcare professionals, suppliers and delivery drivers who are working tirelessly to treat patients and provide food, medicine and other critical items. As either the sole or primary provider for thousands of state and local governments and municipalities, Pep Boys serves fleets as well as individual drivers. The essential nature of the automotive business has made the changes Pep Boys put in place to continue to keep Team Members and customers safe even more important. In these uncertain times, one thing is certain the health and safety of our customers and our employees will always be our priority, said Brian Kaner, CEO-Service. As we make service safer, were also making it simpler and more convenient for our customers whose lives and daily routines have changed significantly. Pep Boys has worked to eliminate physical contact between customers and team members in the new service process which includes the sanitary handling of vehicles and keys. The updates, which include Touchless Drop Offs, Mobile Pay and Extra Mile Care & Cleaning, help to make sure the process is as safe as possible without sacrificing quality of the service. How it works: Touchless Drop-Offs Make an appointment online Park the vehicle at the Pep Boys Service & Tire Center Locate the key drop box outside of the building Place the key into the envelope with contact details on the front A Pep Boys Pro will be in touch to confirm service Mobile Pay After service, when the vehicle is ready, Mobile Pay is an easy, safe and secure option A Pep Boys Pro sends the customer a link to the work order via text Following the link, the customer enters credit card information A confirmation text is received when payment is complete Extra Mile Care & Cleaning In addition to sanitizing all high-touch surfaces after the vehicle arrives at Pep Boys and before it departs, a Pep Boys Pro will also use seat and steering wheel covers and floor mats, and personal protective equipment throughout the service. Making repairs possible Because sometimes repairs are unavoidable and its an economically uncertain time, Pep Boys has partnered with Synchrony to offer 12 Months special financing on purchases of just $499 or more1 on the Pep Boys Synchrony Car Care Credit Card through May 31, 2020. Customers can use the card on a qualifying parts or service purchase and there is no penalty for customers that pay in full before the promotional period is up. Connecting with our customers Over the past few weeks, Pep Boys stores around the country have lived out its vision to be the one communities can count on. To highlight good news during challenging times, Pep Boys has shared a video about its commitment to the community and daily social posts that inspire on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. Stories have emerged such as a nurse who needed her car battery replaced so she could get to work at the local hospital; a dialysis patient whose car was quickly repaired so he could get to and from his life-saving treatments; a police department who brought several cruisers to a shop that opened special hours just for the officers; and an elderly couple who needed food and couldnt find someone to help them get their vehicle running, until they called Pep Boys. Local community giving efforts have also started from food pantries to face mask donations. Pep Boys Parts CEO Chris Cox and Service CEO Brian Kaner said in a letter to customers recently, For almost 100 years, its been our privilege to serve you through good times and bad, and we will continue doing everything we can to meet the challenges that lie ahead of us. We are thankful for our hardworking Team Members and proud of their commitment to continue to serve you. For customers that rely on Pep Boys for parts, Curbside Pick-Up is available, in locations where permitted. Customers order and pay for the parts needed on www.pepboys.com. Pep Boys parts specialists will pull the order and prepare it for pickup. Once a customer arrives at the Pep Boys location, they will simply receive the part(s) without ever having to enter the store or have direct contact with an associate. In addition, all Pep Boys locations and distribution centers have implemented enhanced and more frequent cleaning and disinfecting practices and restrictions on the number of coworkers and customers inside, clearing waiting rooms and abiding by social distancing guidelines. Corporate office employees continue to work remotely to support the business. Although Pep Boys is an essential business, guidelines continue to evolve nationally, on a state by state basis and in some cases, individual cities have unique requirements essential businesses must meet. Because local curfews or limits might impact operations, customers should call their local store before visiting for the best possible service. About Pep Boys Since 1921, Pep Boys has been one of the nation's leading automotive aftermarket chains, providing premium tires; automotive maintenance and repair; premium-brand parts and expert advice for the do-it-yourselfer; commercial auto parts delivery; and fleet maintenance and repair to customers across the U.S. Pep Boys operates more than 9,000 service bays in approximately 1,000 locations in 35 states and Puerto Rico, and the Pep Boy Mobile Crew service trailer, which offers automotive maintenance on location. Customers can find the nearest location by calling 1-800-PEP BOYS (1-800-737-2697), by visiting www.pepboys.com, or following Pep Boys on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. About Icahn Automotive Icahn Automotive Group LLC (Icahn Automotive) was formed by its parent, Icahn Enterprises L.P. , to invest in and operate businesses involved in aftermarket parts distribution and service. Our businesses have a singular focus: provide premium automotive parts and services at a great value. Icahn Automotive today consists of Pep Boys automotive aftermarket retail and service chain, Auto Plus automotive aftermarket parts distributor, Precision Tune Auto Care owned and franchised automotive service centers, and AAMCO Total Auto Care franchised service centers. The Company also is the licensor of Cottman Transmission and operates under several local brands. The businesses of Icahn Automotive total over 22,000 employees, over 2,000 company-owned and franchise locations, and 25 distribution centers throughout the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit IcahnAutomotive.com. 1 Offer applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. No interest will be charged on the promo purchase if you pay it off, in full, within the promo period. If you do not, interest will be charged on the promo purchase from the purchase date. The required minimum monthly payments may or may not pay off the promo purchase by the end of the promo period. Regular account terms apply to non-promo purchases and, after promo period ends, to the remaining promo balance. For new accounts: Purchase APR is 29.99%. Minimum interest charge is $2. Existing cardholders: See your credit card agreement terms. Subject to credit approval. We reserve the right to discontinue or alter this promotion at any time. Offer expires 5/31/20. 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. A new report from STAT News on Gilead's experimental drug Remdesivir serves as an encouraging update on the drug's potential to fight Covid-19, however analysts argue it's largely anecdotal and should be interpreted with caution. Remdesivir was one of the first medicines identified as a contender to treat Covid-19 given it showed promise in the past in treating SARS and MERS, both caused by coronaviruses. According to the report from an ongoing phase three trial at a University of Chicago hospital, patients showing severe Covid-19 symptoms who were given the drug saw rapid recoveries in fever and respiratory symptoms, with nearly all patients discharged in less than one week. Gilead commented that, "the totality of the data need to be analysed in order to draw any conclusions from the trial," in a statement to Reuters. A statement from the University of Chicago Medicine said that "drawing any conclusions at this point is premature and scientifically unsound." Questions remain Jefferies equity analyst Michael J. Yee published in a research note that this Chicago report provides an "incremental positive" but he assumes this significant short-term move in Gilead's share price will probably pull back a bit given eventual broader awareness that this is not the actual phase three data and that this is overdone in the near term. JPMorgan biotechnology equity analysts wrote in a published research note Thursday that "this clinical trial experience appears to represent another encouraging, albeit largely anecdotal, data point for this high-profile drug candidate." Meanwhile, the Barclays health-care team called the update "encouraging" but note that questions persist. The report from the Chicago hospital comes amid mounting anecdotal evidence supporting the drug's potential effectiveness in treating the virus. Last week, the New England Journal of Medicine published an analysis showing that two thirds of a small group of severely ill patients saw their condition improve after taking the drug. These patients were given Remdesivir as part of a compassionate use program which allows doctors to provide patients with unauthorized treatments when no other treatment is available. There was no control group in the University of Chicago study. As CNBC's Meg Tirrell has highlighted, this is not controlled clinical trial data it is a glimpse into what one of the sites that is running the trial is seeing. The information reported by STAT News came from an internal discussion among faculty members at a University of Chicago hospital captured on video, it was not official data released by Gilead or any other trial leader. Furthermore, this data comes from a single trial site. The Barclays health-care equity research team wrote: "While these data are encouraging, they are uncontrolled and from a single center." Jefferies echoes this point: "Similar to the NEJM publication last week, yesterday's reports are based on one site and there is no placebo." There is also debate around the severity of the patients included in the study. This data is part of an ongoing phase three trial of patients with severe Covid-19 symptoms. However, the patients were not intubated to start the study. Barclays adds that there will be debate around the patient population and how they compare to past cohorts. Awaiting trial results Irish businesses are cutting investment and headcount as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and a substantial minority is worried that any economic recovery will take more than a year. A survey by consultancy PwC of 824 businesses globally, including 23 here, during the week of April 6 showed that three quarters of Irish respondents were considering cost containment measures, and six out of 10 were considering deferring or cancelling investments. "Over four out of 10 Irish CFOs believe that if the pandemic were to end today, their business would return to normal within three months, compared to 56pc globally. At the same time, almost a fifth of Irish respondents stated that they would not expect recovery for over a year," PwC said. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) this week forecast that the world economy would experience its sharpest contraction since the Great Depression as a result of the pandemic that has closed businesses across the globe and seen two billion people put under some form of lockdown. There are now 533,000 people claiming the Government's pandemic unemployment payments and 255,000 receiving pay through a wage subsidy scheme where the Exchequer tops up payments made by employers. The PwC survey said a quarter of the Irish firms it contacted expected further layoffs. The lockdown here has been extended to May 5 and the Government is now working on plans to reopen the economy, probably in stages. Alongside the mass unemployment caused by the closure of the economy, new data from the Central Bank showed spending had fallen off a cliff and was likely 2.6bn lower than in April last year. The Government has also stepped in to help businesses, although there are concerns, especially among small firms, that they might not survive long enough to last until meaningful sections of the economy are back at work. "I also encourage Government, who have already indicated this is on the agenda, to give priority to a broad-based approach to further working capital measures to be made available to support businesses through this crisis and for the recovery," said PwC Ireland's David McGee. The global scale of the pandemic was brought home by another surge in US jobless numbers released yesterday. In just four weeks, 22 million Americans have now filed for unemployment benefits. That number looks set to grow dramatically and the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis says that the unemployment rate could hit 32.1pc, surpassing the previous high of 24.9pc, reached in 1933. The health of the US economy is crucial to Ireland as it is a key market for chemicals and pharmaceuticals which are produced here and whose stellar export performance has driven most of our post-financial crisis recovery. Data released earlier this week by the Central Statistics Office revealed the degree to which the economy here depends on a narrow range of export lines, when exports for February showed sales to the US alone took a 700m hit from the same month last year. The IMF is forecasting that the economy here will shrink by 6.8pc this year, while the Central Bank of Ireland has pencilled in a contraction of 8.3pc, although both numbers could end up being underestimates if the lockdowns last into the second half of this year. A patient is discharged from the Ninh Binh General Hospital (Photo: VNA) 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. Famed for publishing and incubating writers of original childrens literature, Aurora Publishing House has been in the book business since 1985. It was known as Yunnan Juvenile Publishing House until 1993. We have published many authors, including Cao Wenxuan, Gerelchimeg Blackcrane, and Shen Shixi, and we have a long tradition of nurturing and promoting under-30 authors, says president Ji Tong, whose company stopped publishing teaching materials and textbooks in 2018 to focus solely on trade titles. To date, its catalogue offers about 400 titles, including picture books, puzzles/games, pop science titles, and reference books alongside its biggest category, childrens literature. Its bestsellers include Liao Xiaoqins Greening in Danxiang Village (from the Spring Tides and Childhood series) and Xu Lings Solve Little Troubles by Yourself (from the Come On, Xiaobugu! series), which have sold 72,000 and 60,000, respectively, last year. In many ways, the companys publishing program and activities are inspired by its geographical location in Yunnan, which is Chinas most diverse province, both biologically and culturally. It is home to at least 25 minority groups (including Yi, Bai, Hani, Miao, Mosuo, Hui, and Naxi) and borders Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. This is also where Chinas oldest and best-preserved ethnic village, belonging to the Wa tribe, is located. Given the rich history and culture of this mountainous province, Ji believes that there are many stories to be told, and life experiences to be shared through those stories. For this reason, Aurora Publishing House has always been focused on nurturing new talents from our own community, says Ji, whose company established the provinces first studio for Yunnan authors back in 2019. We publish fewer established authors since they have ample opportunities to showcase their works elsewhere. Our provinces uniqueness is also the main reason we launched a biennial 20-day experiential tour for childrens literature authors across the country in 2015. Ji says that the program includes tours of tribal villages and schools at the borders, as well as discussion panels. Through experiencing the situations faced by children and families in these areas, we hope to inspire new ideas for publishing as well as fostering exchanges with our neighboring countries. Such cultural and educational networking is also a crucial element in Chinas Belt and Road economic initiative, and we are playing our part here. Wu Rans Blooming with Happiness in the Dulong Area: Our Minzu Primary School, for instance, explores a remote high-altitude township near the border with Myanmar and its classroom experience. Another title, Wang Juchens A Letter to Shi Guang, relates the story of friendship between Chinese and Burmese children. In recent months, shifting market trends and demands have seen Ji bringing in imported titles to enrich her catalogue. Last Novembers Shanghai International Childrens Book Fair saw the launch of nine titles from Jim Smiths Barry Loser series. Two more titles have been signed, and we will translate about two per year, Ji says. We are now planning to invite the author to the fair next year. Ji adds that translations are meant to plug the gaps in the existing market. This series, which combines quick wit and lots of silliness, is great for encouraging reluctant readers to start reading. And cultivating a good reading habit is even more crucial now that our nations education reform is emphasizing language capabilities, reading comprehension, information analysis, and logical thinking. Children need to read to widen their knowledge and become a citizen of the world as well, and not just to pass examinations. Another shift within the company comes in the form of a partnership with Belgium-based Clavis Publishing and the Beijing Yutian Hanfeng Books Company, which are collaborators in the Key Colours Competition China. We signed a partnership agreement at the previous Frankfurt Book Fair, Ji says. So for the 2021 edition of the competition, for which workshops will start this August and culminate with prize giving the following year, we will publish five of the winning titles. Ji will also collaborate with Clavis on creating original titles. It will be our authors stories accompanied by their illustrators works, Ji says. The latter will bring high-quality illustrations into China while, at the same time, introducing Chinese stories to the rest of the world, since Clavis publishes in Europe and U.S. It marks a huge step in our going out initiativeexporting products to overseas marketsand going into different overseas markets with high-quality content. Return to the main feature. New research show that Beijings engineers appear to have directly caused the record low levels of water in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. A narrow section of water flowed through the dried-out riverbed of the Mekong near Sangkhom, Thailand, in January. Credit... Adam Dean for The New York Times As China was stricken by the coronavirus in late February, its foreign minister addressed a concerned crowd in Laos, where farmers and fishers across the Mekong River region were contending with the worst drought in living memory. His message: We feel your pain. The foreign minister, Wang Yi, said China was also suffering from arid conditions that were sucking water from one of the worlds most productive rivers. But new research from American climatologists shows for the first time that China, where the headwaters of the Mekong spring forth from the Tibetan Plateau, was not experiencing the same hardship at all. Instead, Beijings engineers appear to have directly caused the record low water levels by limiting the rivers flow. The satellite data doesnt lie, and there was plenty of water in the Tibetan Plateau, even as countries like Cambodia and Thailand were under extreme duress, said Alan Basist, who co-wrote the report, which was released on Monday, for Eyes on Earth, a water resources monitor. There was just a huge volume of water that was being held back in China, Mr. Basist added. The Mekong is one of the most fertile rivers on earth, nurturing tens of millions of people with its nutrient rich waters and fisheries. But a series of dams, mostly in China, have robbed the rivers riches. Those who depend on its inland fisheries say their catches have declined precipitously. Persistent droughts and sudden floods have buffeted farmers. Beijings control of the upstream Mekong, which provides as much as 70 percent of the downstream water in the dry season, has raised hackles, even though the Southeast Asian nations depend on trade with China. While the Chinese government has introduced a global development program that it says will benefit poorer trading partners, a backlash is growing among countries that feel they are losing out. The problem is that the Chinese elite see water as something for their use, not as a shared commodity, said Brian Eyler, director of the Stimson Centers Southeast Asia program and author of Last Days of the Mighty Mekong. As Chinas geopolitical weight has grown, its leaders have cast the nation as a different kind of superpower, one that is concerned, as the Chinese phrasing goes, with win-win relationships with other nations. But some countries, like Sri Lanka and Djibouti, have fallen into what critics fear are debt traps, as strategic projects end up in Chinese hands. Other African and Asian nations are worried that China is simply another imperial power eager to vacuum up natural resources without concern for the local populace. This is part of Chinas business development, said Chainarong Setthachua, a lecturer and Mekong expert at Mahasarakham University in northeastern Thailand. The lay people who depend on the resources of the Mekong River for their livelihoods and income are automatically excluded. The data modeling created by Mr. Basist and his colleague Claude Williams measures the various components of a rivers flow, from snow and glacial melt to rainfall and soil moisture. The scientists found that for most years, the natural, unimpeded flow of the upstream Mekong roughly tracked water levels measured downstream at a gauge in Thailand, with occasional exceptions when dam reservoirs in China were being filled or released. When there was a seasonal drought in China, the five downstream nations Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam would eventually feel it. When there was overabundant water in China, floods ensued in the Mekong basin. But during last years wet season, the fortunes of the rivers two parts diverged in dramatic fashion. As Chinas section of the Mekong welcomed an above average volume of water, downstream countries were stricken by a drought so crushing that parts of the river dried up entirely, leaving cracked riverbed exposed in a season when fishing should have been plentiful. At one gauge in Chiang Saen, in northern Thailand, such low water levels had never been recorded before. Overall, during the 28-year period they studied this gauge, Mr. Basist and his colleague calculated that dams in China had held back more than 410 feet of river height. While addressing regional foreign ministers in February, Mr. Wang, the Chinese foreign minister, contended that China, too, was suffering. He suggested that the Chinese leadership was being magnanimous by sending water downstream, especially at a time when Beijing was contending with a severe coronavirus outbreak. Though China itself has also been afflicted by the drought and a serious shortage of precipitation in the upper reaches, it has overcome various difficulties to increase the water discharge, he said. Mr. Basist disputed this take. You look at our mapping, and its bright blue with plenty of water in China and bright red from an extreme lack of water in Thailand and Cambodia, he said. China can regulate this rivers flow through dams, and that appears to be exactly what its doing. Adding to the downstream pain were sudden releases of water from China, which often came unannounced and drowned crops that had been planted near the banks because of the drought. The water release by China is political, said Mr. Chainarong, of Mahasarakham University. Its made out to be them doing a favor. They create damage, but they ask for gratitude. While the Mekong is a lifeline for residents of downstream nations, the river rushes through narrow gorges in China, making it impractical for economic activity other than hydropower. At the turn of this century, the Chinese government, whose leadership at the time was dominated by engineers, began accelerating plans to dam the Lancang, as the Mekong is known in China. Today, the Chinese section of the river in the nations southwest is punctuated by 11 major dams, which produce far more power than the region needs. Other great rivers that begin in the icy reaches of the Tibetan Plateau, like the Brahmaputra, a holy river to Hindus in India, have also been dammed in China. The existing energy glut was one reason Chinese environmentalists succeeded in persuading the government to shelve plans to dam another river in the region, the Nu, which becomes the Salween when it enters Myanmar. Yet even as Beijing began its hydropower push on the Mekong, it refused to join Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos in a regional group dedicated to the rivers health. In one survey commissioned by the group, the Mekong River Commission, scientists warned that a dam boom on the Mekong could rob the river of 97 percent of the sediment that flows to its mouth in Vietnam. The river will be dead, said Niwat Roykaew, a community organizer and conservationist in northern Thailand. Glaciers are bank accounts of water but with climate change theyre melting fast, Mr. Basist said. The Chinese are building safe deposit boxes on the upper Mekong because they know the bank account is going to be depleted eventually and they want to keep it in reserve. New York Times Mekong waters record low level threatens downstream countries The Mekong River Commission last month said the Mekong water levels during this early flood season from June to July are at historical low, wreaking havoc on hundreds of millions of inhabitants in downstream countries. Mekong Rivers falling water levels affect Delta livelihoods People in the Mekong Delta are worried about the absence of floods this year as the Mekong River Commission (MRC) has warned about the record 10-year low of the rivers water level. BEIRUT, Lebanon For years, she was a rare princess from Saudi Arabia who spoke her mind to the world, criticizing the kingdoms treatment of women, calling its religious teachings extremely dangerous and voicing support for a constitutional monarchy. And she got away with it until she disappeared last March. This week, the princess, Basmah bint Saud, a daughter of Saudi Arabias second king, confirmed what had long been suspected: A statement on her Twitter feed said that she was being held in a notorious prison in Saudi Arabia without charge, and that she was in urgent need of medical care. I was abducted without explanation together with one of my daughters and thrown into prison, she wrote. She begged Saudi Arabias king and the crown prince to release me as I have done no wrong. By Friday, that plea had been deleted. The reason for her arrest was not clear, but it appeared to fit a pattern of Saudi Arabias government punishing prominent citizens who had publicly deviated from the governments line. It seems like the whole world is suffering from the coronavirus pandemic and that it's hard to find a safe place to avoid the COVID-19 threat other than our homes. But, there's a small town in a peninsula connecting Canada to Vancouver that is now deemed as the "safest place" in America. The 'Safest Place' in America According to the New York Post, the little town is called Point Roberts that has a population of around 1,300 citizens, all of which are healthy and coronavirus-free. Point Roberts is part of the Washington state, but it is not directly connected to the U.S. mainland. It's located 135 miles northwest of Seattle. It can only be reached by boat, through two international border crossings situated at the southwestern part of Canada, or through a plane that lands on the town's single-runway airport. Although there are several ways to access the small town, their borders are currently closed. In a report by The Guardian, the United States and Canada agreed to close their borders for any non-essential travels, meaning food and supplies can still go in and out, but nothing more. Everyone is facing strict requirements and that residents can only travel out of the town for essential trips such as medical appointments and picking up prescriptions. Outsiders would have a much harder time getting past through border agents, especially if they are not residents and do not have any family members living in the town. "It's probably the safest place to be in the country. Because our borders are shut, we're like an island right now. We're like an island with no boats," said Pamala Sheppard, a 65-year-old citizen of the town. Read Also: Coronavirus Update: NHS Creates 'Score' System, Causing Elderly Patients Denial of Critical Care A Drop in Economy, But Necessary According to local fire chief Christopher Carleton, the town would see around 2,000 vehicles traveling over its border on a typical weekend last year--but now, the number has dropped to more than 95% as there are only less than a hundred vehicles now. "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," the chief said. In addition, Carleton said that the town remains free from COVID-19, but he did say that it's not impossible that a resident went out on their own to the mainland U.S. to get tested for coronavirus. However, there are still no cases so far. Why it's Essential to Stay COVID-19-Free In the event an outbreak occurs in the little town, it could be devastating for Point Roberts since 70% of their residents are 60 years old and above, people that are high-risk of getting severe coronavirus cases. When it comes to healthcare, the little town only has a clinic and a nurse practitioner and a physician's assistant. Point Roberts does have Emergency Medical Services (EMS) prepped in case a resident shows symptoms of the dreaded COVID-19 infection, but they would have to transport the patient to mainland U.S. to get the medical attention they need. To avoid any outbreak, Point Roberts is following the social distancing measures that Washington Governor Jay Inslee has put in place, but according to Sheppard, it's pretty easy seeing as everyone has enough space to spread out. Read Also: [BREAKING] Magnitude 4.2 Aftershock Rattles Salt Lake Valley, Second Big Aftershock This Week 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Berlin, April 17 : German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for more global cooperation to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and voiced support for the World Health Organization (WHO). Merkel told a video conference of leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) that the crisis can only be tackled with a strong and coordinated international response, according to a statement by the German Federal Government, Xinhua reported. The German chancellor on Thursday expressed her full support for the WHO, as well as numerous other partners, said the statement. Merkel also welcomed the initiative of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to host a virtual donor conference on COVID-19 in early May. As to the pandemic situation in Africa, the chancellor emphasized global responsibility and the need for rapid support. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, on the same day, said that the WHO remains "the backbone of international pandemic control." "Right now it makes no sense to question WHO, its functionality or its importance... To weaken it would be nothing more than throwing the pilot out of the plane while a flight is in progress, and we don't consider that to be responsible," said Maas. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The Lehigh Valley is included in a freeze warning in effect from midnight Thursday to 9 a.m. Friday, the National Weather Service says. "Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing," states the warning for an area that includes Lehigh, Northampton, Warren and Hunterdon counties and neighboring communities across east-central and southeastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey. "Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold," the weather service says. Hey everyone! Hope you got to enjoy the day today. Clouds should clear later this evening and temperatures will rapidly fall to below freezing overnight. As such, we've issue a Freeze Warning from midnight tonight through 9am tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/0e60A8DWvK NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) April 16, 2020 The warning does not apply to Carbon and Monroe counties where, even though freezing temperatures are forecast, the growing season doesn't begin until early May, according to the weather service. The forecast at Lehigh Valley International Airport calls for an overnight low of 30, with areas of frost forming after midnight. The normal low this time of year at Allentown is 39, with a normal daytime high of 62. Some snow moved through the area earlier in the day Thursday, with light flurries spotted in Bethlehem and steadier snow reported on Twitter by a weather watcher outside Palmerton in Carbon County. Visit lehighvalleylive.com/weather for the complete forecast. 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. Margit Feldman, 90, passed away Tuesday in a New Jersey hospital, several weeks after she contracted the coronavirus A Holocaust survivor has died from COVID-19 just one day before she was set to mark the 75th anniversary of her liberation from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Margit Feldman, 90, passed away Tuesday in a New Jersey hospital, several weeks after she contracted the contagious virus. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy paid tribute to Feldman Thursday, remembering her as a prominent advocate for Jewish causes and Holocaust education in the state. 'Margit gave us so much hope over her 90 years. Her legacy is best captured in her work to ensure that the world never forgets the horrors of the Holocaust,' Gov. Murphy stated. Feldman's husband, Harvey, is in hospital after also coming down with COVID-19. The couple's son is a doctor currently serving on the front lines of the crisis. Feldman (center) is pictured with members of her family in a recent photo Feldman was born in Hungary on June 12, 1929 - the exact same birth date as Anne Frank. At the age of 14, she was transported to Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland with her parents, who were both killed. Feldman managed to survive a series of concentration camps, where she endured labor and had 'AS23029 tattooed onto her arm. She was liberated from the Bergen Belsen camp in northern Germany on April 15, 1945. Soon after, Feldman emigrated to the United States, but did not publicly discuss the trauma of the Holocaust until she was asked to record her story by a high school student in the early 1990s. The moment marked a turn in Feldman's life, and she spent the following years spent the last decades of her life sharing her story with schoolchildren. Feldman helped to pass a bill that mandated a Holocaust curriculum in New Jersey public schools and also published a book about her experiences. Feldman was a prominent advocate for Jewish causes and Holocaust education in her home state of New Jersey. She is pictured as a child in Hungary at left, and during an interview about her experiences at Bergen Belsen at right Meanwhile, COVID-19 has also claimed the life of thousands of other remarkable Americans, including Lila Fenwick - the first African American woman to graduate from Harvard Law School. Fenwick, 87, succumbed to the coronavirus last week. She died at her home in Manhattan. The New York native attended Harvard Law at the same time as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Her graduation helped pave the way for other black women who went on to study at the prestigious law school - including former First Lady Michelle Obama. Fenwick went on to study at the London School of Economics, before becoming a human rights official at the United Nations. It is unclear how Fenwick, who has no immediate relatives, contracted the coronavirus. COVID-19 has also claimed the life of Lila Fenwick - the first African American woman to graduate from Harvard Law School. She is pictured a law school reunion several years ago The virus has also claimed the life of another prominent New York City resident - 92-year-old saxophonist Lee Konitz. He is pictured in 2002 The virus has also claimed the life of another prominent New York City resident - 92-year-old saxophonist Lee Konitz. Konitz died Wednesday in a Manhattan hospital. His son confirmed the cause of death was pneumonia related to COVID-19. The Chicago native famously collaborated with jazz icon Miles Davis in the 1950s. He was the last surviving musician who collaborated with Davis on his 'Birth of the Cool' record. Interest in the album has recently been revived following an acclaimed documentary about its recording process, which was released earlier this year. Konitz' career spanned seven decades, and his performances were reviewed in the New York Times. He continued playing the saxophone into his 90s. Elsewhere in America, COVID-19 tragically claimed the life a 22-year-old man from Oklahoma, just a month after he celebrated the birth of his first child. COVID-19 tragically claimed the life a 22-year-old Israel Sauz from Oklahoma, just a month after he celebrated the birth of his first child Israel Sauz died in a Tulsa hospital last Sunday after being put on a ventilator. He spent a week in intensive care. Sauz' heartbroken widow says she remains mystified as to how her husband contracted the disease, and how it hit him so hard. The gas station manager was young and healthy with no known pre-existing conditions. Relatives who have set up a GoFundMe account have remember Suaz as a 'sweet, loving, hard working husband, father and son. His only son, Josiah, was born just last month. The Congress on Friday urged Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to waive off fixed power charges and water bills for all establishments that have been closed because of the Covid-19 lockdown. In a 10-point charter of demands, the party also demanded the Delhi government shouldnt charge school fees from students, and pay salaries to teachers in aided schools and MSME workers. Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken insisted that migrants and daily wage workers should be given incentives and the government should proactively take steps to help those in distress in Delhi because of the Covid-19 crisis. Addressing a news conference through video conference, Maken sought standard operating procedures (SOPs) to be notified for delivery workers in the national capital to stop the spread of the virus through them. All 89 quarantined people who came in contact with a pizza delivery boy, feared to be infected with the coronavirus, should be immediately tested, he said. Maken pointed out the delivery boy was sent back by several hospitals without being tested. He said testing should be ramped up in the national capital, and asked if Delhi had entered the community transmission stage since 135 people have been kept under investigation. Migrants, being the backbone of any city, should immediately be given 7,500 a month to help them cope with the crisis and make them feel safe in Delhi and other towns, he added. Maken also demanded provision of free rations for two months to the poor and vulnerable, advance payment of pensions to senior citizens and widows, and risk allowance to sanitation and frontline health workers. He also sought an unemployment allowance of 5,000 for the unemployed in the national capital. Maken attacked the Delhi government for giving the go-ahead to private schools to charge one months tuition fee and said the state should bear a major part of expenses on the salaries of teachers. It is wrong to ask private schools to take a months fee. How will the parents pay the fee when there is a lockdown? The Delhi government should pay 75% of expenses borne on teachers salaries so that these schools get relief and waive three months fees, added Maken. Earlier in the day, Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia announced that no private school in the national capital could hike its fees or charge anything from parents other than one months tuition fee. Maken also claimed 55 health workers in Delhi had tested positive for the coronavirus so far. Two lawsuits have been filed against the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte claiming two boys were sexually abused in separate instances by the two priests they sought out for help with personal problems decades ago. One of the lawsuits filed Monday in Mecklenburg County Superior Court involves an unidentified Georgia man who was 14 in the 1970s when he sought help from a priest, Joseph Kelleher, to deal with a family move. The lawsuit says the diocese should have known Kelleher, who died in 2014, should have been thoroughly investigated before being allowed to spend time with children. A second lawsuit was filed on behalf of a North Carolina man who alleges he was abused at age 14 by a different priest, Richard B. Farwell. That lawsuit said the diocese should have known Farwell should also have been investigated before being allowed near children. The lawsuits, both signed by Charlotte attorney Sam McGee, each seek in excess of $25,000 in damages. The Diocese of Charlotte said in a statement Tuesday that it disagrees that it is liable and will respond in court at the appropriate time to the lawsuits. According to the lawsuit involving the plaintiff from Georgia, the then-teen was having problems with a family move in 1977 and sought counseling from the diocese at his grandmothers urging. The teen met with Kelleher at an Albemarle church and soon saw the priest as a grandfather figure, according to the suit. In their second counseling session, the lawsuit states, Kelleher had the plaintiff lie down on the floor and imagine he was floating in space. According to the suit, the priest rubbed the plaintiffs chest, legs and arms, and then pulled up his shirt to massage his chest before sexually assaulting the youth. The plaintiff was assaulted over several months in 1977 and 1978, the lawsuit said. In 2010, the Georgia man came forward to allege he was abused by Kelleher, leading to a civil lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese. A judge in Mecklenburg County threw out two lawsuits against the diocese, ruling that the claims of child sex abuse against Kelleher and another priest missed the states deadline for filing such complaints, according to The Charlotte Observer. A North Carolina judge dismissed a child sex abuse charge against Kelleher in 2014, saying his dementia prevented him from going to trial. Kelleher died in a retirement community in the state at the age of 86. In the other lawsuit, the plaintiff was described as having a strained relationship with his stepmother that led him to run away from home. The boys father encouraged him to seek out Farwell for counsel, that lawsuit said. Farwell began touching the boy inappropriately and used the contact to gain control over him, according to the suit. The abuse increased after the boy sought out Farwell for help after he was assaulted by a truck driver when he ran away from home, according to the suit. It added the boy was ultimately placed in a childrens home and that his condition worsened and that he attempted suicide. The diocese ultimately removed Farwell from ministry. In 2002, a second man claimed Farwell had sexually abused him as a teenager in 1984 in Charlotte and Salisbury. The diocese reported the claims to police and in 2004, Farwell pleaded no contest to contributing to the delinquency of a minor and was sentenced to probation. A lay review board found the allegations credible in 2005. Farwell declined comment when reached by phone in Florida on Wednesday. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Abuse Molestation Georgia North Carolina Though Illinois hospitals are, in many ways, busier than ever as they care for patients with the new coronavirus, theyre also taking a financial beating thats affecting their workers and raising questions about how the institutions will recover once the worst of the pandemic has passed. In Illinois, hospitals are trying a number of tactics to stanch the bleeding, including reaching into their reserves, halting improvement projects and sending workers home sometimes with pay and sometimes without. Hospitals are sidelining workers because, without elective surgeries and with declines in outpatient care, there may not be enough work for them, at the moment. They also want as few extra people in hospitals as possible, to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. The logo of Bentley carmaker is seen on a car at the Top Marques fair in Monaco LONDON (Reuters) - Luxury carmaker Bentley is extending its plant shutdown by three weeks and will begin gradually reopening from May 11, as coronavirus lockdown measures remain in place in Britain. The United Kingdom has the fifth highest official death toll from COVID-19 in the world and its health minister has said it is too early to ease the most stringent restrictions on people's movements in British peacetime history. The Volkswagen-owned brand, which builds around 11,000 luxury models at its northern English Crewe factory, will begin a ramp-up with limited staffing from May 11 with full output due to recommence on May 18. "As the threat persists, so must we with the robust safety measures put in place to ensure we protect as many people as we possibly can, now and when we return to full operations," said boss Adrian Hallmark. The announcement comes a day after Aston Martin said it would delay reopening its two production sites by a week. Some carmakers plan to resume certain operations on the continent next week but in Britain, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the biggest automaker, has yet to set a reopening date whilst Nissan's production is suspended "throughout April." Several new models are due out of British car factories over the next 12 months, including Aston Martin's first 4x4, crucial to a turnaround plan, and Nissan's new Qashqai sport utility vehicle. (Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Kate Holton/Guy Faulconbridge) Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 17, 2020) - SilverCrest Metals Inc. (TSX: SIL) (NYSE American: SILV) ("SilverCrest" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of its non-brokered private placement of common shares of the Company (the "Offering") which was originally announced on April 13, 2020 for C$75 million. The Company issued a total of 13,465,001 common shares at a price of C$7.50 per common share for gross proceeds of C$100,987,507.50, representing an over-subscription of approximately C$26 million. The Company plans to use the net proceeds of the Offering for continued exploration and development of the Company's Las Chispas Project located in Sonora, Mexico, and for general working capital and administrative purposes. N. Eric Fier, CEO of SilverCrest, commented, "We appreciate all the support we have received from investors in this non-brokered financing in challenging market conditions. We will strive to be good stewards of this capital with an updated bank balance of C$207 million or approximately 20% of our current market capitalization. With the close of this financing, we believe we are fully financed for the anticipated capital requirements to further develop and construct the high-grade silver-gold Las Chispas Project, putting us in a unique position to weather the current market instability and rapidly advance construction once it is safe for us to do so." Resale of the common shares of the Company distributed under the Offering are subject to a hold period in Canada until August 18, 2020. The Company paid finders' fees of 3% in cash totaling C$911,175 on subscriptions from certain subscribers introduced by brokers to the Company. Pursuant to an agreement between the Company and SSR Mining Inc. ("SSR Mining") dated November 28, 2018 (see news release dated November 29, 2018), SSR Mining has a right to maintain its pro rata ownership interest of up to 9.9% of the outstanding shares of SilverCrest. SSR Mining has until April 20, 2020 to exercise that right. Should SSR Mining exercise that right, the Company would issue up to an additional 3,597,291 common shares for proceeds of up to C$26,979,682.50. The common shares of the Company mentioned 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 in the United States absent an exemption from registration. ABOUT SILVERCREST METALS INC. SilverCrest is a Canadian precious metals exploration company headquartered in Vancouver, BC, that is focused on new discoveries, value-added acquisitions and targeting production in Mexico's historic precious metal districts. The Company's current focus is on the high-grade, historic Las Chispas mining district in Sonora, Mexico. The Las Chispas Project consists of 28 mineral concessions, of which the Company has 100% ownership of where all the known mineral resources are located. SilverCrest is the first company to successfully drill-test the historic Las Chispas Property resulting in numerous high-grade precious metal discoveries. The Company is led by a proven management team in all aspects of the precious metal mining sector, including taking projects through discovery, finance, on time and on budget construction, and production. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements concern the intended use of proceeds. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: conditions in general economic and financial markets; timing and amount of capital expenditures; development and construction of the Las Chispas Project, and effects of regulation by governmental agencies. The actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the risk factors including: the timing and content of work programs; results of exploration activities of mineral properties; the interpretation of drilling results and other geological data; the ability to develop the Las Chispas Project and general market and industry conditions. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law. N. Eric Fier, CPG, P.Eng Chief Executive Officer SilverCrest Metals Inc. For Further Information: SilverCrest Metals Inc. Contact: Jacy Zerb, Investor Relations Manager Telephone: +1 (604) 694-1730 Fax: +1 (604) 357-1313 Toll Free: 1-866-691-1730 (Canada & USA) Email: info@silvercrestmetals.com Website: www.silvercrestmetals.com 570 Granville Street, Suite 501 Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 3P1 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54556 The government on Friday permitted export of additional 745 tonne raw sugar under its tariff-rate quota (TRQ) to the US which enables shipments to enjoy relatively low tariff. TRQ is a quota for a volume of exports that enter the US at relatively low tariffs. After the quota is reached, a higher tariff applies on additional imports. "Additional quantity of 745 MTRV (metric tonne raw value) of raw cane sugar, for export to the USA, under TRQ, up to September 30, 2020 has been notified," Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a public notice. With this additional quantity, India has permitted exports of 9,169 tonne of raw sugar to the US under TRQ during US fiscal year 2020. 8,424 tonne was permitted up to September 3, 2019. US fiscal year runs from October to September. India enjoys duty-free sugar exports to the US for up to 10,000 tonnes annually under preferential quota arrangement. India, the world's second biggest producer and the largest consumer of sugar, has a preferential quota arrangement for sugar export with the European Union as well. According to Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) , the country has manufactured 21.58 million tonnes of sugar till March 15 of the ongoing 2019-20 season (October-September), lower than 27.36 million tonnes in the year-ago period. Sugar production in Maharashtra -- the country's largest sugar producing state -- fell to 5.58 million tonnes till March 15, as against 10.08 million tonnes in the same period last year. However, production in Uttar Pradesh, the country's second largest sugar producing state, rose to 8.71 million tonnes so far when compared to 8.41 million tonne a year ago. India has exported 28.68 lakh tonne of sugar so far in the current marketing year ending September on the back of assistance offered by the government to boost shipments, according to All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA). India exported sugar to 58 countries, but 65 per cent of the total shipments were to Iran, Somalia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The country had exported 38 lakh tonne during the 2018-19 marketing year. According to the food ministry, the sugar production is estimated at 273 lakh tonne in 2019-20 as against domestic consumption of 260 lakh tonnes. In the previous year, sugar output was 331 lakh tonne as compared to 259 lakh tonne domestic demand. A bunch of Kashmiri students who returned from Pakistan on March 18 via the Attari-Wagah Border is set to return home after completing a mandatory quarantine period. We were supposed to complete a quarantine period of 14-days but due to the national lockdown imposed, we had to stay here for a longer period, Majida, a Kashmiri student told ANI. With regards to her experience at the quarantine facility, she said that she had a good experience and added: We were treated very well here and it was a very nice accommodation. We are thankful to the Punjab Government for providing us with such a nice accommodation and good facilities. Asked about whether someone would be there to pick her up or not, she said that the administrations have decided that a bus at the Jammu and Kashmir border would pick them up and take them to their home. Zaira, another Kashmiri resident who came via the same route also expressed gratitude towards the Punjab government and said, The Punjab administration was very helpful and accommodating. They provided us with every facility possible and ensure that there was nothing lacking. With regards to finally having the chance to go back home, Zaira could not contain her excitement and said that it felt good to finally go back home. She added: I have been waiting to go back home for such a long time. DAR ES SALAAM Tanzania has on Friday April 17 recorded 53 new coronavirus infections bringing the total number of patients to 147. The announcement was made by the minister of health Ummy Mwalimu in a daily briefing on COVID-19. Mwalimu told reporters that Tanzania has recorded another death bringing the total number of deaths so far due to COVID-19 to five. Of all the cases reported since March 16, 11 have healed and have been discharged, four of the remaining cases are critical whereas 127 are under close monitoring but stable, she told local media. According to the minister all the cases are of Tanzanians with 38 of the patients from Dar es Salaam, with a single case each in Kilimanjaro, Mwanza and Kagera. In Zanzibar there are 10 new cases bringing the total number of patients to 35 out of which 4 have been discharged, one passed away on Saturday and 30 are receiving treatment at designated hospitals on the Isles. The new cases in Zanzibar today include four women and seven men. On Wednesday the ministry announced that 29 more cases had tested positive in Dar es Salaam, whereas six people tested positive in Zanzibar on Thursday. President John Magufuli has declared three days of prayer beginning today April 17 to April 19, 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. In his Twitter post, urged Tanzanians to turn to their respective religions in a bid to stop the spread of the disease. Fellow Tanzanians, following the coronavirus pandemic, I urge you to use three days from April 17-19 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) to pray to the Almighty Lord who has power over all things to save us from this disease. Let us all pray, each in their own faith, he will listen. Related Continue Reading By Helder Ferreira do Vale JAKARTA, April 16 (Reuters) - Indonesia's upstream oil and gas lifting fell in the first quarter, Dwi Soetjipto, chairman of upstream oil and gas regulator SKK Migas told reporters on Thursday. Indonesia's crude oil lifting from January to March stood at 701,600 barrels per day (bpd) versus 746,000 bpd in 2019. The country's gas lifting in the first quarter stood at 5,866 millions of cubic feet per day (mmcfd) compared to the 7,000 mmcfd last year. SKK Migas also cut this year's production outlook for both crude oil and gas to 725,000 bpd and 5,727 mmcfd respectively. (Reporting by Wilda Asmarini; Writing by Fathin Ungku; Editing by Toby Chopra) The Velvet Code Remix is faster in tempo than the original. The extra infusion of energy Velvet Code gives to his remix is exquisitely suited for a "stay at home" dance party during self-quarantine or outside under the sun when life ultimately returns to normal. Rich. Dynamic. Fierce. Lady Gagas Stupid Love is the emotional salve the world needs right now and Velvet Codes Remix takes the song in a vibrant new direction. Just in time for the April 18th, 2020, One World: Together At Home global broadcast and digital special to support frontline healthcare workers and the WHO curated in collaboration with Lady Gaga, Velvet Code unleashes his remix of Lady Gagas Stupid Love as an act of support. With an upbeat electro house spin and an instantly cheerful synthesizer intro, Velvet Code takes Lady Gagas Stupid Love and goes in a clubbier direction with a rich, muscular bassline and a thrilling 4/4 beat. The Velvet Code Remix is faster in tempo than the original. The extra infusion of energy Velvet Code gives to his remix is exquisitely suited for a "stay at home" dance party during self-quarantine or outside under the sun when life ultimately returns to normal. Demonstrating his skills as a musician, Velvet Code flashes his personality and adds artistic flourishes like a whimsical, soaring organ riff. The Velvet Code Remix has a lively buildup that gradually peaks in tension and excitement until a syncopated breakdown makes it impossible to stand still. Said Velvet Code, During these challenging times, we need to come together at home as one and take action. Whether it is to help our communities and first responders, to make sure refugees are not forgotten during this crisis, or to tell governments to act on the increase of domestic violence cases during this outbreak, now is the time to unite. Tune-in to watch the One World: Together At Home global broadcast and digital special to support frontline healthcare workers and the WHO curated in collaboration with Lady Gaga on Saturday, April 18th at 8:00pm EDT. For information visit: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/connect/togetherathome/?subPage=/en/content/one-world-together-at-home-covid-19-broadcast/ Stupid Love is the lead single off Lady Gagas sixth and latest studio album, Chromatica (Interscope). About Velvet Code Velvet Code is a Canadian Electronic Music DJ, producer and artist based in Toronto, Canada. As a DJ and music producer, Velvet Codes influences include Avicii, Daft Punk, David Guetta and Calvin Harris. His music can be described as 80s and 90s-influenced electronic dance music (EDM), most notably the sub-genres of EDM known as electro-house and progressive. Dreamer is Velvet Codes second full-length studio album and it was recorded in Toronto, Canada with additional production in New York and Los Angeles. On Dreamer, Velvet Code collaborated with songwriter Wendy Starland (Lady Gaga), with production contributions from Gavin Bradley, Joe Laporta (Sterling Sound NYC), Rob Bryton, Robi Banerji and Scott Kelly (Westlake Studios). Velvet Codes weekly radio mixshow, Rise To The Rhythm, can now be heard on more than 133 digital, FM and satellite radio stations around the world each week; the stations include Dash Radios ElectroCity, Jackd Up Radio Network and its affiliates, EDMSessions Radio and many others. Listen to the Velvet Code Remix of Lady Gagas Stupid Love, here: https://youtu.be/U2KuN0336i4 For more information contact: EMILY TAN Media Relations (U.S.), +1(917) 318-3758, EmilyEmilyTan@aol.com. EMILY TAN Media Relations is a full-service PR and radio promotions agency founded in 1990 specializing in EDM/pop music. EMILY TAN Media Relations partial roster, listed alphabetically: ALEX M.O.R.P.H., ALL LIVING THINGS, ALY&FILA, ANDAIN, ANDREW RAYEL, ARMIN ONLY INTENSE (ALDA EVENTS), ARMIN VAN BUUREN, ATB (KONTOR Records), AVIAN INVASION, BETSIE LARKIN, BRUSSELS AIRLINES (TOMORROWLAND), BT (BRIAN TRANSEAU), CEDRIC GERVAIS, CEVIN FISHER, COSMIC GATE, CRYSTAL WATERS, DASH BERLIN, DVRKO, ENFERNO (DJ for MADONNA), ESTEE LAUDER COMPANY, FATUM, FERRY CORSTEN, GATTUSO, GIORGIO ARMANI, GIUSEPPE OTTAVIANI, ICE-T, IVANO BELLINI, iZOTOPE INC, JES, JOHN DAHLBACK, KENZI SWAY, LODATO, MANUFACTURED SUPERSTARS, MARKUS SCHULZ, MaRLo, MARO MUSIC, MARQUEE NEW YORK, MARQUEE NIGHTCLUB & DAYCLUB (Las Vegas), MARTIN JENSEN, MATISSE & SADKO, NEW WORLD PUNX, NKRIOT, OSCAR DE LA RENTA, PAUL DAMIXIE, PAUL OAKENFOLD, PIONEER DJ ARTMIX, PIONEER SVJ-1000, QUEENPIN RECORDINGS (BLACK HOLE RECORDINGS), RedOne, RICHARD DURAND, ROBBIE RIVERA, RYAN FARISH, SEBASTIAN DOBRINCU, TASADI, THOMAS GOLD, TOMMY CAPRETTO, TOMMY LEE (Motley Crue) & DJ AERO, TRAVELER MUSIC, TRITONAL, ULTRA RECORDS, VELVET CODE. EMILY TAN is also the label chief of QUEENPIN RECORDINGS (BLACK HOLE RECORDINGS) and she heads EMILY TAN Music Publishing (ASCAP). Follow EMILY TAN Media Relations: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyemilytan/, https://www.facebook.com/EMILYTANMEDIARELATIONS, https://twitter.com/EmilyEmilyTan, https://www.instagram.com/emilytanmediarelations/. Respect for life is the basic logic behind revision of COVID-19 data The command centre for the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, capital of central Chinas Hubei province and the previous epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, released a notification regarding the revision of the numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths on Friday. (Photo/Pixabay.com) As of the end of April 16, the citys total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had been revised up by 325, and the number of deaths among the confirmed COVID-19 cases up by 1,290. Although this is a normal action, it has drawn a great deal of attention worldwide, prompting some to ask, Why there are discrepancies between the present data and the previously released data? Does it indicate that Wuhan had been concealing information? Such doubts are understandable, but the question is more complicated than it first appears. Anyone with any common sense should know that after major events such as a natural disaster, sudden accident or public health incident, it is a universal convention for authorities to rectify omissions, investigate doubts, and revise early statistics according to new leads and the emergence of concrete evidence. Wuhans command centre for the prevention and control of the novel COVID-19 has also followed this convention. It has set up a special investigation group for this task, and ordered multiple departments to compare the relevant data online so as to remove duplicates and rectify omissions. In addition, great efforts have been made to check and verify the relevant information on site from person to person in order to guarantee that the whole city has been covered and no case left out. Such efforts by Wuhan represent international convention, and they were made with the intention of respecting lives, facts, as well as history. Such basic logic and common sense is clear to all. A similar conclusion can also be reached by answering three questions. First, was there enough incentive for Wuhan to hide the real numbers of confirmed cases and deaths? Hiding this data means those involved must take the risk of being severely punished and condemned forever when the truth is finally revealed. What are the benefits of such an act? Would officials in Wuhan get promotions or make fortunes if the numbers were a little bit lower? Or could they dump stocks like certain U.S. senators to reap profits before information about the situation was released? There was never this kind of positive incentive in China. Instead, the world has seen how government officials in Hubei province and its capital Wuhan were held accountable and widely criticized for their inadequate response to the incident in its initial stages. Second, if they had concealed the real numbers, were those falsified figures small enough to get those who tampered with the data off the hook? As the worst-hit Chinese city in the pandemic, Wuhan examined tens of millions of people and reported tens of thousands of confirmed cases and thousands of deaths. In peacetime, these numbers would be alarming however you looked at it. In fact, in todays world where information spreads far and fast around the world in a variety of forms, a public health incident of this magnitude was quickly placed under a high-powered microscope. If some people in Wuhan could have mitigated their punishment by reducing some numbers regarding the pandemic, why didnt they just cut it more and make the data more appropriate so that they could shift the blame more easily? Furthermore, the difference between the two sets of data are within a reasonable range. According to the general principles of statistics, this should be attributed to unintentional omissions caused by differences in statistical methods rather than deliberate attempts to conceal. Third, how did the discrepancies between the two sets of data come about? The notification has, in fact, answered this question in detail. During the initial stage of the pandemic, when China, and Wuhan in particular, was suddenly stricken by the strange virus, there was an abysmal lack of nucleic acid testing capacity and extremely limited medical resources to treat severe and critical patients. At that time, Wuhan and Hubei were facing a huge gap between demand and their capacity for epidemic prevention and control measures. Under such circumstances, no country can ensure that no cases are missed and every single case is recorded in a timely manner. What has happened, and is happening, around the world shows that this is, in fact, inevitable. The pandemic thats currently ravaging the world has shown clearly how cunning a virus can be and how limited mans knowledge is. As various reports can verify, no country was fully prepared for the sudden pandemic. It has been proven that the practice of concentrating limited medical resources on the rescue and treatment of severe and critical patients was the most rational choice made during the early period of the pandemic. In fact, with the implementation of various measures stressing the need for raising hospital admission capacity to leave no one unattended to and large numbers of medical personnel and supplies being sent from various parts of China to Hubei to fight against the virus, the shortage of medical resources in the province was quickly addressed. During this major test, Chinese people have seen clearly and without doubt that the country always puts its people first and regards their health and safety as its top priority. China has long treasured the principle of seeking truth from facts, and has adhered to this very principle throughout its efforts to combat COVID-19. Revising the relevant data on the COVID-19 pandemic in the name of respecting life is precisely the result of the countrys practice of seeking truth from facts. Dubai: Bidding the final goodbye is always a difficult thing and for an Indian family in the UAE it became harder as they had to do it virtually due to travel restrictions amid the coronavirus outbreak, according to a media report. The family had to watch the funeral of their cancer-stricken son on Facebook as they could not accompany his body flown to Kerala due to travel restrictions, the Gulf News reported. Born on Easter in 2004, Jeuel G Jomay lost his seven-year-long battle with cancer this Good Friday, a day before he turned 16 on April 11. A grade 10 student of GEMS Millennium School in Sharjah, Jeuel breathed his last at a hospital in Dubai, where he was admitted two weeks earlier, the report said. His heartbroken family comprising his parents and two younger brothers wished to lay him to rest in their hometown in Pathanamthitta. After days of struggle, the family got approval for sending the mortal remains of the boy on a cargo plane on Wednesday, with support from social workers and government officials. However, none of them could fly along. "None of the flights was getting sanctioned soon. His father wanted to fly with him. But that was not possible. Finally, we managed to send him yesterday. We are grateful to everyone who supported us," the publication quoted Jeuel's cousin as saying. Due to the movement restrictions and social distancing rules, she said only the family members could attend a prayer held at the embalming centre in Muhaisnah before the body was flown to Kerala on an Emirates cargo flight, the family member said. Jeuel's cousin said the family also had to obtain special permission for holding the funeral service during the lockdown back home. She said his parents and brothers would take time to recover from the irreparable loss but are grateful that he was laid to rest in their hometown. Two research groups, assisted by a team of volunteers, sought to get a better sense of the true prevalence in Santa Clara County in Northern California, which was one of the first places in the U.S. where community spread was detected. They tested 3,300 people by asking the volunteers to show up to one of three testing sites locally. It's a difficult question to answer, given the lack of available tests and the fact that some people who have been exposed to the virus exhibit mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. In a study published Friday, the researchers, many of whom hailed from Stanford University, noted that the results suggest that Covid-19 could be far more widespread than the official counts suggest. Specifically, they estimate that between 2.5% and 4.2% of people in Santa Clara County may have antibodies. (The range is a result of different models used to extrapolate the test results to a representative population.) "These prevalence estimates represent a range between 48,000 and 81,000 people infected in Santa Clara County by early April, 50 (to) 85-fold more than the number of confirmed cases," the authors wrote. Antibody tests look for signs that a patient's immune system has had a response after being infected with the virus. Such tests are by no means perfect indicators that a person has truly been exposed, and studies show that there are varying levels of quality. Some of the tests are providing false reassurance, while others are offering false answers. As scientists have stressed, having a positive antibody result does not mean the person is immune to the virus. But such tests can be helpful to researchers looking to get a more accurate sense of how widespread the virus is. Still, experts warn that we should not draw broader assumptions about Covid-19 based on a study that's limited to the Bay Area. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Boston Children's Hospital, cautions that the study recruited the volunteers via Facebook ads and that might bias the results toward people who are more tech savvy. But he also said that there's a recognition in the filed that the numbers of people infected are far higher than the official numbers. Ultimately, he said, "It adds to growing body of work that suggests a huge amount of cases that went undetected." [April 17, 2020] Cobalt Blockchain Announcement Regarding Private Placements TORONTO, April 17, 2020 /CNW/ - Cobalt Blockchain Inc. ("COBC" or the "Company") (TSX-V: COBC; OTCQB: COBCF) announced today that pursuant to its previously announced private placement offering (the "Offering") through the issuance of units ("Units") at a price of $0.05 per Unit raising gross proceeds of $1,000,000, the Company has been granted an extension from the TSX Venture Exchange for the closing of the Private Placement until May 17, 2020. Each Unit issued pursuant to the Offering will consist of one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one additional Common Share at a price of $0.20 for a period of two years from the date of its issuance. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to fund for working capital and general corporate purposes. The securities to be issued in connection with the Offering are subject to a statutory four-month hold period from the date of issuance i.e. the hold periods expire four months and one day from their respective dates of issuance. The Company is also pleased to announce that pursuant to its previously announced additional non-brokered private placement offering (the "New Offering") through the issuance of an additional 50,000,000 Units at a price of $0.05 per Unit for a gross proceeds of up to $2,00,000, the Company expects to prepare a filing for submission to the TSXV in accordance with TSXV policies in the near term. Each Unit to be issued pursuant to the New Offering will consist of one Common Share and one Common Share purchase warrant. Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one additional Common Share at a price of $0.20 for a period of two years from the date of its issuance. The New Offering will be brokered. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the New Offering to fund i) exploration work on its joint venture properties and ii) for working capital and general corporate purposes. The securities to be issued in connection with the New Offering are subject to a statutory four-month hold period for the respective dates of issuance i.e. the hold periods expire four months and one day from their respective dates of issuance. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws. About Cobalt Blockchain Inc. Cobalt Blockchain Inc. (TSXV:COBC) is a Canadian resource company expanding its exploration and development business to include cobalt assets in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ("DRC"); it holds export trading licenses for 3T, copper and cobalt from the DRC. COBC is the first mining and mineral trade company set up specifically to procure cobalt in compliance with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ("OECD") due diligence framework. COBC has developed and is implementing a blockchain-based reporting platform to provide greater certainty of provenance and further assurance that all minerals procured are ethically-sourced. Senior management have over twelve years of experience working in the DRC and a proven international track record in exploration success and the trading of certified conflict-free, child-labour-free minerals. Forward-Looking Information This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future production, reserve potential, exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that the Company expects are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such 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 statements. There are certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. These include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company, investors should review registered filings 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 Cobalt Blockchain Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] WATCH - INSTAGRAM Zoom for One More @hamishblakeshotz Hamish Blake brings a bit of fun to video conferencing lockdown-style. One night recently I woke up at 3am. Its probably rather common, this late-night pandemic fret. But on this night I thought back to an episode of Hamish Blakes Instagram series Zoom for One More, and giggled for five minutes straight with not a care in the world. Presumably to amuse himself during lockdown, Blake, of comedic duo Hamish and Andy, has been sneaking into dozens of virtual meetings on Zoom, the app du jour that lets you see and talk to multiple people via video. A participant secretly sends him the meeting ID and he pops up in his little rectangle like a guerrilla Brady Buncher. Hes crashed meetings of fashion retailer Iconic in a tie (Head of finance here In all seriousness, Chris, I want your report by 4pm); a biology class that discusses cutting testicles in half (But we will not be cutting the testes in half in the exam, will we? says an alarmed Blake); and an air force flight log meeting (Attention! he says, wearing a gold bomber jacket. Just here to log my flight details. The Australian Defence Force has since banned Zoom.) Gino D'Acampo and Fred Sirieix delighted ITV viewers last night after getting high on cannabis tea during their American road trip with Gordon Ramsay. The Italian chef, 43, and French maitre'd 48, headed to San Francisco with their grumpy British counterpart, 53, in yesterday's episode of Gordon, Gino and Fred: American Road Trip. Since legalising cannabis in 2016, the California city has been a hotspot for CBD and THC (cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol, respectively, which are both derived from the cannabis plant) infused food and drink creations. The trio were keen to try out some of the dishes and headed to a restaurant where Gino tucked in enthusiastically and Fred appeared to have a sample, after a chef offered them tea and sandwiches with THC drops in them. But the Italian's amusing antics when under the influence - including slurred speech and sitting on a stranger's motorbike - left viewers in hysterics, with one person tweeting: 'Best show on TV.' Gino D'Acampo and Fred Sirieix delighted ITV viewers last night after getting high on cannabis tea during their American road trip with Gordon Ramsay (pictured) The Italian's amusing antics when under the influence - including slurred speech and sitting on a stranger's motorbike - left viewers (pictured) in hysterics, with one person tweeting: 'Best show on TV.' Another said: 'Watching Gino and Fred get high on their American road trip was so freaking funny, I couldn't stop laughing. One of the funniest moments I've seen in a long time!' A third impressed viewer added: 'Brilliant to watch, always guaranteed a laugh... love, love, love them.' A fourth wrote: 'Gordon Gino and Fred has to be one of the funniest shows on TV at the moment... great light hearted fun which is what we all need right now.' In the episode, the trio headed for a hippy high afternoon tea, which served cannabis infused tea and cakes. Gordon requested a cannabis-free cup of PG Tips, telling Gino: 'I get high on perfection, whereas you get high on leaves.' Social media users (pictured) just couldn't get enough of yesterday's episode of Gordon, Gino and Fred: American Road Trip The Italian chef, 43, and French maitre'd 48, headed to San Francisco with their grumpy British counterpart. Gino (pictured) was seen getting high on THC-infused tea A red-faced Gordon was left unimpressed during the show and stuck to just plain tea during the visit (pictured) But Gino continued to add more THC drops to his dishes, admitting: 'In for a penny, in for a pound. After leaving the San Francisco restaurant, Gino was seen being ushered down the stairs by both Gordon and Fred. 'Let's go, just steady, careful watch the stairs,' Gordon warned, as Gino insisted: 'No, I'm fine,' but the unimpressed chef was quick to question: 'You're not though, are you?' 'Yeah, but it's like "Hey, hey"', an inebriated Gino tried to explain, before getting distracted by a passing woman and shouting: 'Ciao bella, hello.' After leaving the San Francisco restaurant, Gino was seen being ushered down the stairs by both Gordon and Fred (pictured) An excited Gino couldn't resist hopping on a parked motorbike, after indulging in a cannabis-laced afternoon tea As Fred and Gordon try to lead their high friend along the California streets, Gino spotted an empty motorbike and quickly straddles it. A shocked Fred and Gordon rush to get their pal off the bike, with the British chef yelling: 'Gino! Get off that f****** bike. Get off that bike.' Following this, the amusing trio were seen trying out some goat yoga with Gino and Fred sporting pink spandex and a gold mankini respectively. Fred giggles as Gino tries to chat with his goats and an embarrassed Gordon comments: 'You two are as high as a kite.' Gordon, Gino and Fred: derican Road Trip airs Thursday nights at 9pm on ITV. Home Search ICH The Russia-Saudi Oil-Price War Is a Fraud and a Farce By Mike Whitney April 16, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - The Russia-Saudi oil-price war is a fabrication concocted by the media. Theres not a word of truth to any of it. Yes, there was a dust up at an OPEC meeting in early March that led to production increases and plunging prices. That part is true. But Saudi Arabias oil-dumping strategy wasnt aimed at Russia, it was aimed at US shale oil producers. But not for the reasons youve read about in the media. The Saudis arent trying to destroy the US shale oil business. Thats another fiction. They just want US producers to play by the rules and pitch in when prices need support. That might seem like a stretch, but its true. You see, US oil producers are not what-youd-call team players. They dont cooperate with foreign producers, theyre not willing to share the costs of flagging demand, and they never lift a finger to support prices. US oil producers are the next-door-neighbor that parks his beat-up Plymouth on the front lawn and then surrounds it with rusty appliances. They dont care about anyone but themselves. What Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman want is for US producers to share the pain of oil production cuts in order to stabilize prices. Its an entirely reasonable request. Heres a clip from an article at oilprice.com that helps to explain whats really going on: there was a sliver of hope that oil prices may rebound after Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia, Russia and allied oil producers will agree to deep cuts to their crude output at talks this week but only if the United States and several others join in with curbs to help prop up prices that have been hammered by the coronavirus crisis. However, in an attempt to have its cake and eat it too, the U.S. DOE said on Tuesday that U.S. output is already falling without government action, in line with the White Houses insistence that it would not intervene in the private markets. OPEC+ will require the United States to make cuts in order to come to an agreement: The EIA report today demonstrates that there are already projected cuts of 2 (million bpd), without any intervention from the federal government, the U.S. Energy Department said. That is not enough for OPEC+ however, and certainly not Russia, which on Wednesday made clear that market-driven declines in oil production shouldnt be considered as cuts intended to stabilize the market, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tells reporters on conference call. These are completely different cuts. You are comparing the overall demand drop with cuts to stabilize global markets. Its like comparing length and width, Peskov said..Moscows participation is highly contingent on the US, and is unlikely to agree to output cuts if the US does not join the effort. (Historic Oil Deal On The Verge Of Collapse As Russia Balks At U.S. Cuts', oilprice.com) Putin is being reasonable and fair. If everyone else is forced to cut supply, then US oil producers should have to cut supply too. But they dont want to share the pain, so theyve settled on a strategy for weaseling out of it. They want their reductions in output (from weak demand during the pandemic) to count as production cuts. They even have a name for this swindle, they call it organic production cuts, which means no cuts at all. This is the way hucksters do business not responsible adults. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter What does Putin want from this deal? Price stability. Yes, hed like to see prices settle somewhere north of $45 per barrel but thats not going to happen for a while. The combination of a weaker demand (due to the coronavirus) and oversupply (from the Saudis flooding the market) have ensured that prices will remain low for the foreseeable future. Even so, Putin understood what the Saudis were doing by flooding the market, and he knew it wasnt directed at Russia. The Saudis were trying to persuade US oil producers to stop freeloading and cut production like everyone else. Thats the long and short of it. Check out this excerpt from an article by oil expert, Simon Watkins at oilprice.com: Saudi Arabia was continually peeved (because) its efforts to keep oil prices up through various OPEC and OPEC+ agreements were allowing these very shale producers to make a lot more money than the Saudis, relatively speaking. The reason for this was that U.S. shale producers. were not bound in to the OPEC/OPEC+ production quotas so could fill the output gaps created by OPEC producers. (The Sad Truth About The OPEC+ Production Cut, Simon Watkins, oilprice.com) This is what the media fails to tell their readers, that US oil producers who dont participate in any collective effort to stabilize prices have been exploiting OPEC production quotas in order to fatten the bottom line at the expense of others. US producers figured out how to game the system and make a bundle in the process. Is it any wonder why the Saudis were pissed?? Heres more from the same article: This allowed the U.S. a rolling 3-4 million bpd advantage over Saudi in the oil exports game, meaning that it quickly became the worlds number one oil producer. Hence, Saudi Arabia decided initially to unilaterally announce its intention for the last OPEC+ deal to be much bigger than that which it had pre-agreed with Russia, hoping to ambush the Russians into agreeing. Russia, however, turned around and told Saudi Arabia to figuratively go and reproduce with itself. MbS, then decided to launch an all-out price war. (oilprice.com) So you can see that this really had nothing to do with Russian at all. The Crown Prince was simply frustrated at the way US oil producers were gaming the system, which is why he felt like he had to respond by flooding the market. The obvious target was the US shale oil industry that was taking advantage of the quotas, refusing to cooperate with fellow oil producers and generally freeloading off the existing quota system. And whats funny, is that as soon as the Saudis started putting the screws to the US fracking gang, they all scampered off to Washington en masse to beg for help from Papa Trump. Which is why Trump decided to make emergency calls to Moscow and Riyadh to see if he could hash out a deal. Its worth noting that domestic oil producers have been involved in other dodgy activities in the past. Check out this excerpt from an article in the Guardian in 2014, the last time oil prices crashed: After standing at well over $110 a barrel in the summer, the cost of crude has collapsed. Prices are down by a quarter in the past three months. Think about how the Obama administration sees the state of the world. It wants Tehran to come to heel over its nuclear programme. It wants Vladimir Putin to back off in eastern Ukraine. But after recent experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, the White House has no desire to put American boots on the ground. Instead, with the help of its Saudi ally, Washington is trying to drive down the oil price by flooding an already weak market with crude. As the Russians and the Iranians are heavily dependent on oil exports, the assumption is that they will become easier to deal with The Saudis did something similar in the mid-1980s. Then, the geopolitical motivation for a move that sent the oil price to below $10 a barrel was to destabilize Saddam Husseins regime. Washingtons willingness to play the oil card stems from the belief that domestic supplies of energy from fracking make it possible for the US to become the worlds biggest oil producer. In a speech last year, Tom Donilon, then Barack Obamas national security adviser, said the US was now less vulnerable to global oil shocks. The cushion provided by shale oil and gas affords us a stronger hand in pursuing and implementing our national security goals. (Stakes are high as US plays the oil card against Iran and Russia, The Guardian) This excerpt shows that Washington is more than willing to use the oil card if it helps to achieve its geopolitical objectives. Not surprisingly, good buddy, Saudi Arabia, has historically played a key role in helping to promote those goals. The current incident, however, is the exact opposite. The Saudis arent helping the US achieve its objectives, quite the contrary, theyre lashing out in frustration. They feel like theyre being squeezed by Washington (and US producers) and they want to prove that they have the means to fight back. Flooding the market was just MBSs way of letting off steam. Trump understands this, but he also understands who ultimately calls the shots, which is why he took the unusual step of explicitly warning the Saudis that theyd better shape up and step in line or thered be hell to pay. Heres a little background that will help to connect the dots: ..the deal made in 1945 between the U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Saudi King at the time, Abdulaziz, that has defined the relationship between the two countries ever since the deal that was struck between the two men on board the U.S. Navy cruiser Quincy was that the U.S. would receive all of the oil supplies it needed for as long as Saudi Arabia had oil in place, in return for which the U.S. would guarantee the security of the ruling House of Saud. The deal has altered slightly ever since the rise of the U.S. shale oil industry and Saudi Arabias attempt to destroy it from 2014 to 2016, in that the U.S. still guarantees the security of the House of Saud but it also expects Saudi Arabia not only to supply the U.S. with whatever oil it needs for as long as it can but also and this is key to everything that has followed it also allows the U.S. shale industry to continue to function and to grow. As far as the U.S. is concerned, if t his means that the Saudis lose out to U.S. shale producers by keeping oil prices up but losing out on export opportunities to these U.S. firms then tough.. As U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear whenever he has sensed a lack of understanding on the part of Saudi Arabia for the huge benefit that the U.S. is doing the ruling family: He [Saudi King Salman] would not last in power for two weeks without the backing of the U.S. military. (The Sad Truth About The OPEC+ Production Cut, Simon Watkins, Oil Price) Trump felt like he had to remind the Saudis how the system actually works: Washington gives the orders and the Saudis obey. Simple, right? In fact, the Crown Prince has already slashed oil production dramatically and is fully complying with Trumps directives, because he knows if he doesnt, hes going to wind up like Saddam Hussein or Muammar Gaddafi. Meanwhile, US shale oil producers wont be required to make any cuts at all or, as the New York Times puts it: It was not immediately clear if the Trump administration made a formal commitment to cut production in the United States. Got that? So everyone else cuts production, everyone else sees their revenues shrink, and everyone else pitches-in to put a floor under prices. Everyone except the exceptional American oil producers from the exceptional United States. They dont have to do a damn thing. Mike lives in Washington state. He can be reached at fergiewhitney@msn.com. - " Source " Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== U.S. Debt Clock Coronavirus cases in Haryana rose to 221 on Friday, with Nuh and Panchkula districts reporting fresh cases. While worst-hit Nuh reported five cases, Panchkula, which has seen a surge after nine members of a family earlier tested positive, reported two more cases, according to the state's health department bulletin. In another development, a private doctor in Panchkula was booked by the police under relevant provisions of law for allegedly failing to inform state health authorities that he had been treating a suspected coronavirus patient. The woman later tested positive. The 44-year-old woman, her husband and seven other members of their family, who reside in two houses in Panchkula's Sector 15, had tested positive for the virus, officials said. Earlier, Health Minister Anil Vij had directed that an FIR be filed against the erring doctor for negligence. The FIR will be filed under the provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act, he had said on Thursday. The total active COVID-19 patients in the state were 137, the state health department's daily bulletin said, adding 82 people have been discharged. The state has so far recorded two COVID-related deaths. The worst affected districts of the state are Nuh (55), Faridabad (33), Gurugram (32), Faridabad (33) and Palwal (30). Panchkula district has reported 16 coronavirus cases. Vij has said that out of total positive cases, 122 are Tablighi Jamaat members. Had there not been a spike in the number of cases due to the Tablighi Jamaat members, the state would have been in a much better position today as far as the fight against COVID-19 is concerned, he had said. As many as 8,796 samples have been tested so far, out of which 7,094 have tested negative. However, reports of 1,495 samples are awaited. Among the 24 foreign nationals who tested positive, 14 were Italian tourists 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 the 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. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The lifers organizations have compiled lists of their members that could serve as a starting point for identifying such people who are ripe for release. Please listen to them. Please move up the parole dates of those men and women who have their plans in place and have secured places to live, though we realize all congregate living facilities are facing special strains at the moment. We are particularly concerned about those persons who are at high risk of contracting a serious case of COVID-19 because of their age or health status. For the current emergency, we can identify prison residents who can be released without any harm to themselves or the rest of the state. Yes we do want the decarcerated to move in next door to us! Sentence lengths are not related to practical goals such as deterrence, rehabilitation or even punishment. U.S. sentences, even in Nebraska, are far heavier than those in any other Western democracy. 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. In a boxy, nondescript building tucked away in the corner of the Health Sciences Centre campus, staff at Cadham Provincial Laboratory are using cutting-edge machines to probe a microscopic killer. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In a boxy, nondescript building tucked away in the corner of the Health Sciences Centre campus, staff at Cadham Provincial Laboratory are using cutting-edge machines to probe a microscopic killer. Behind its doors, which only those with special clearances are allowed to enter, staff have tested more than 18,000 samples for COVID-19 in the past month, a number ramping up by hundreds every few days. Dr. Paul Van Caeseele, director of Cadham Provincial Laboratory, says staff have been working around the clock, but morale remains up. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) "Theres a team here that's always on watch for Manitobans," lab director Paul Van Caeseele told the Free Press. He explained by phone Thursday the daily process that had staff working around the clock. "The morale, strangely enough, is quite positive. This is what they came to work for Cadham for," he said. Testing sites around the province send samples to the lab in plastic tubes with a liquid that stabilizes the virus. Known as a viral transport medium, most are a nasopharyngeal swab taken from deep inside the nose, but Cadham also accepts throat swabs and vials of coughed-up sputum. The front-end staff check those samples for any leaks, such as when a cap was screwed on the wrong way, and if the name on the printed requisition document matches the one on the tube. A very small number are cancelled on those grounds, and a request is sent asking for the person to re-tested. The rest get a matching barcode sticker for the paperwork and the sample. As data-entry clerks type the requisitions into a database, the medical-laboratory technologists get a rack of test tubes, which are sorted by priority. Cadham gives and takes COVID-19 research Staff at the Cadham Provincial Laboratory are supporting national research efforts, while keeping abreast of constant developments through Winnipegs health network. Before Health Canada approved the portable Spartan testing kit this week, the National Microbiology Lab gave one of its four kits to Cadham staff, to verify if known results were replicated by the new device. click to read more Staff at the Cadham Provincial Laboratory are supporting national research efforts, while keeping abreast of constant developments through Winnipegs health network. Before Health Canada approved the portable Spartan testing kit this week, the National Microbiology Lab gave one of its four kits to Cadham staff, to verify if known results were replicated by the new device. Cadham lab will also soon help with testing for antibodies in the blood of people who have survived COVID-19, which might help treat infected people or even prevent transmission. There are a lot of products flooding the market which really do not look reliable. But a couple of the ones that do look more reliable we've arranged to get ahold of, said Cadham medical director Paul Van Caeseele. Of the labs roughly 120 employees, he estimated about a dozen Cadham staff are helping with those efforts on a part-time basis. Van Caeseele also said researchers at the University of Manitoba and the Health Sciences Centre are constantly exchanging information with Cadham staff on the latest global research on the coronavirus. Dylan Robertson Close Specimens from hospital patients and health-care workers get tested immediately, in individual tubes. Meanwhile, samples from specimens taken from the general public and returning travellers are combined into a single tube currently four at a time. If that tube tests positive, the remainders of those four original specimens are then tested individually. "It allows us to tell people they're negative faster. It's a little slower on the positive side, but now we know whom we need to focus on," said Van Caeseele. Cadham tests the samples through a mix of semi-manual and automated methods. Lab staff designed the manual method at the start of the year, based on instructions from the National Microbiology Laboratory and on advice from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. The first step is called extraction. Chemicals called reagents strip away mucus and external parts of the coronavirus, leaving just the "genetic fingerprint," called the RNA. Specimens from hospital patients and health-care workers get tested immediately, in individual tubes, while specimens taken from the general public are combined into a single tube. If that tube tests positive, the remainders of those original specimins are then tested individually. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) "That kind of peels away the garbage and leaves just the virus behind," he said. "The purer the sample, the less likely you run into the test not working, or invalid results." A device called a real-time thermocycler creates a polymerase chain reaction, which is when the genes are doubled about 40 times, creating roughly a trillion copies of the gene. A probe sits near the sample, coated with a reagent that creates trace amounts of light as the specific gene for COVID-19 is detected. This enzymatic reaction is detected by a device called a fluorometre, which measures the slightly yellow-green wavelengths. "Once we (measure) enough of that light, then we say it's positive," said Van Caeseele. Click to Expand False-positives explained Manitoba's Cadham lab has had some tests come back positive before they were confirmed as negative. Medical director Paul Van Caeseele believes these were caused by two situations. Trace amounts of RNA can show up so weak that tests cant actually confirm whether a patient contracted COVID-19, possibly because the patient had nearly recovered by the time the test was taken. Earlier on, Van Caeseele said there were a couple of instances where a sample came up inconclusive. The tube sat next to a very strong sample on the rack, suggesting a tiny bit of splash-over, which can happen with some viruses. We know how to investigate those now, and those false-positives don't happen anymore, he said. A few times, samples have shown no genetic material (neither DNA or RNA), suggesting the swab didnt go deep enough, at which point the lab asks the testing centre to get another sample from the patient. Dylan Robertson Much of that process has been expedited though machines called commercial platform kits; Cadham uses two machines that can handle nose swabs and runs about 96 samples at a time, putting the results directly into the lab software. Cadham gets results within 48 hours, often the same day. Last month, a reagent shortage capped testing at roughly 200 samples a day, but the lab now has enough chemicals and machines to process as many samples as it gets, Van Caeseele said. Cadham undergoes daily quality-control tests, which include running samples that are already known to be positive and negative, to make sure both machines and the scientists involved in the manual process are both giving accurate results. About two weeks ago, National Microbiology Lab staff certified Cadhams methodology, meaning samples no longer have to be sent around the corner to the federal lab for a confirmatory test. 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. After the testing, staff put the swabs and vials into a device resembling a washing machine, which renders the materials, heating them to the point of killing the virus. "An enormous autoclave cooks the baloney out of it," Van Caeseele said, adding that the material is then put in a hazardous-waste landfill. "COVID has put a spotlight on us, and I have to say everybody in this lab has stepped up and done their job above and beyond the expectations that I have had." He has led the lab since 2000, but rarely gets interview requests, which he takes as a sign of things running well. "We're like the silent firefighters of disease." dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh proposed four main measures to fight the COVID-19 pandemic while addressing the Ministerial Video-Conference of the Alliance for Multilateralism on COVID-19 on April 16. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh The first measure, Minh suggested, is to strengthen international solidarity and multilateral cooperation with the United Nations and the World Health Organisation (WHO) playing the central role, and improve the WHOs operation efficiency to support developing countries. Vietnam, within its capacity, will contribute to the joint efforts and is willing to provide Made-in-Vietnam medical equipment for others, he affirmed. Secondly, it is important to share information, experience and research achievements, to ensure everyone have access to vaccines and medicine. Thirdly, Minh called for stopping activities that affect disease response efforts, especially power politics and unilateral actions contrary to international law. Vietnam supports the UN Secretary-Generals call for a global ceasefire and his appeal to waive sanctions that can undermine countries capacity to respond to the pandemic, he added. The fourth measure the Vietnamese official proposed is to build post-COVID-19 development plans which include coordinated policies and measures to stimulate the economy, trade and investment, stabilise the financial market, and restore the confidence of businesses and people. He also shared Vietnams active and prompt response efforts with peoples life and health given the top priority. With high political determination and social unity, Vietnam has synchronously implemented such measures as compulsory quarantine, tracing people in contact with infected patients, and applying extensive testing and effective treatment methods. Therefore, Vietnam has to date basically controlled the disease with below 300 infections and no fatalities, Minh added. The Ministerial Video-Conference attracted the participation of Foreign Ministers from 26 European, Asian-Pacific, Latin American and African countries, seeking ways to promote international solidarity to overcome the pandemic and discussing measures to strengthen multilateral mechanisms, espcially the WHO, to help them well fulfil their missions. The Alliance for Multilateralism was created by Germany and France in April 2019. Vietnam has yet to enter the organisation./.VNA "We just know that boars go all up and down that creek all bears do," Kadie said of their motivation for saving the cubs. "That's the main traveling area, up and down that creek. Most likely that's why the mom had them up on the hillside. Our fear was that they would just get down there in that creek and either get killed by another bear, starve to death, or with the big storm coming in ... it just probably wasn't going to be a good scenario for them." Expectant Mothers Say They Cant Get CERB Nearly one month ago, Effie Pool was laid off from her job as a server when the restaurant she worked at in Burlington, Ont., closed due to COVID-19. The 35-year-old mother of one is still waiting to qualify for federal emergency aid and told the reason she hasnt gotten it is that shes pregnant. The Canadian Press has connected with multiple expectant mothers who tell a similar story: They were laid off from their jobs in March, qualified for employment insurance benefits, then stumbled during the promised crossover to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) when it became available this month. There are lots of us. Its not just me, said Amanda Hoedt of Comox, B.C. If you applied to the CERB, its fine. If you applied for EI first none of us has been paid. Expectant mother Jamie Chui, 33, poses in front of residential buildings near where she lives in Hong Kong, on March 31, 2020. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images) Poole said she doesnt think its anything malicious, perhaps an oversight, but its one that she and other women in her position are hoping is quickly fixed. Were just waiting, waiting, waiting, she said. When the CERB was unveiled this month, the Liberals said anyone who had previously applied for EI since March 15 would be moved to the new 16-week benefit, but needed to re-apply starting this week to continue receiving it. One of the stipulations is that anyone who receives maternity and parental benefits cant also receive the CERB, which for Jennifer Mitton isnt the case since shes not due to give birth to her first child until August. The 27-year-old was laid off from her job as a hairstylist on March 16, out of financial and health concerns. She and her coworkers immediately applied for EI. When the CERB rolled out, she was the only one among her colleagues not moved over the $2,000-a-month benefit. When she called Service Canada, she was told it was linked to her having identified herself as being pregnant in her online EI application. She was told instead of taking the CERB, she would have to start her maternity-leave claim now. This photo taken through a glass window at a maternity ward shows a nurse holding a newborn baby wearing a face shield, in an effort to halt the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at Praram 9 Hospital in Bangkok on April 9, 2020. (Lillian Suwanrympha/ AFP) via Getty Images) All I wanted to do was switch over to CERB and then switch to maternity leave once I gave birth so I could get my full year, but Im unable to do that and Im essentially taking my maternity leave now, said Mitton, who lives in Calgary. Anyone who was previously on EI would have their entitlement period paused while on the CERB. Expecting mothers then could get financial help and then not worry that they wouldnt be able to stay at home for a full year with their infant. Some, like Mallory MacKay of Fredericton, applied for federal sickness benefits because those could have been rolled over into her maternity benefit period. It took calls over the past few weeks for the 34-year-old to get moved from sickness benefits to regular benefits. On April 16, a Service Canada agent told her she would be moved to the CERB with payment expected by the weekend. But, she said, I shouldnt have had to make the phone call. Employment and Social Development Canada said mothers-to-be who are eligible for the CERB can receive the emergency help even if they expect to start an EI maternity or parental claim soon. There is no requirement to claim the CERB for the entire 16 weeks, the department said. Workers receiving the CERB can switch to EI maternity and parental benefits when appropriate to their situation as long as they meet the eligibility criteria for those benefits, the department said in response to questions. Ashley Esposito, who is pregnant with her first child due in July, stands outside her home in Baltimore, Md., on April 6, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Nothing in the regulations about the CERB published this week require someone to claim any other benefit under EI before the CERB, said Jennifer Robson, a professor of political management at Carleton University who has been closely tracking the federal governments COVID-19 relief measures. Nor, she said, is there anything that would require women to start their parental leaves now. It may be a mistake in the programming that was rushed, and where the focus was on speed of processing. If so, its a simple thing to fix, said Robson, who has created a widely shared plain-language benefits guide. There is another issue that officials are trying to figure out: How to help women get enough hours to qualify for maternity benefits if theyre going to fall short because of COVID-19 closures. Jacqueline Cronk was short about 120 of the 655 hours she needed to qualify for EI when she was laid off from her job at a familyowned restaurant in Saint John, N.B., on March 16, but qualified for the CERB. The 28-year-old is seven months pregnant with her second child, and has been told by her local MP, Liberal Wayne Long, the government is working on a solution to the hours requirement. In the meantime, she said she has applied to work at Costco, among other businesses still open, to get the minimum hours needed to qualify for EI. I know that seems a little silly, but Im taking the steps I can to secure my familys future if the government isnt, Cronk said. By Jordan Press Two men were charged with murder and related offenses Friday in the shooting death of Philadelphia Police SWAT Sgt. James OConnor IV in Frankford last month. Khalif Sears, 18, and Bilal Mitchell, 19, were also behind a second-floor door of a rowhouse on the 1600 block of Bridge Street, police said, when Hassan Elliott, 21, fired a rifle through it, striking OConnor in an arm and shoulder. In addition to the charge of killing OConnor, Sears and Mitchell, already in custody in other offenses, were charged after a month-long investigation with seven counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and conspiracy. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and his homicide chief, Anthony Voci, announced the charges during an online news conference Friday afternoon. OConnor, 46, died at Temple University Hospital shortly after he was shot about 5:40 a.m. March 13. He had climbed the rowhouse stairs with seven other SWAT team members as they tried to serve an arrest warrant on Elliott, who was wanted in a March 1, 2019, homicide. Elliott was arrested March 18 and arraigned the next morning on charges of murder, seven counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, and related offenses. He also has been charged with murder and gun and conspiracy charges in the 2019 shooting death of Tyrone Tyree Jr., 33, in Frankford. And he faces attempted-murder and related charges in a December 2019 shooting in Frankford. Voci said Friday that evidence shows that Elliott was the only shooter and that he fired a .22-caliber assault rifle, fatally wounding OConnor. Sears and Mitchell were charged with murder under the conspiracy act, and all three are believed to be part of a street gang, Voci said. Sears was one of two people shot and wounded as police returned fire through the door after OConnor was shot. Authorities have said 10 guns, eight cell phones, and drugs were found in the house. Sears last month also was charged with murder and related offenses in the killing of Tyree and has been held at the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center. Voci said that as part of the gang, Elliott, Sears, and Mitchell conducted a lot of illegal activity that supported each other, including hindering the arrests of Sears and Elliott while they were on the lam in Tyrees killing. Authorities believe this behavior culminated in OConnors death, Voci said. Mitchell, who allegedly was found possessing crack cocaine on March 13, was initially charged with two drug offenses and has been held at the Detention Center on $1 million bail. Marni Jo Snyder, an attorney for Sears, declined to comment Friday. An attorney for Mitchell did not immediately return a call. Elliott remains in custody at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility awaiting preliminary hearings. No attorney was listed on his court dockets. A fourth man who was in the room at the time of the shooting, Sherman Easterling, 24, has been in custody at SCI Phoenix since March 15. At the time of OConnors killing, Easterling was on parole in a 2016 gun-possession case for which he had served state prison time. Voci said Friday that there is an active arrest warrant for Easterling on weapons offenses in connection with the shooting, but that authorities have not been able to execute it because of the coronavirus pandemic. He said the investigation into OConnors death is continuing. John McNesby, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, said in a statement Friday: These defendants should have never been on the street, and that led to the murder of a Philadelphia hero, Sgt. Jim OConnor IV. OConnor, a 23-year veteran of the force, was a married father of two whose family has deep roots in the Police Department. His father is a retired city police officer and his son, James V, is an officer in the citys Sixth Police District. His daughter, Kelsey, serves in the Air Force. A week after OConnor was killed, police led a vehicle procession in Northeast Philadelphia, driving slowly in front of OConnors home as his wife, Terri, stood outside with their children and daughter-in-law. About 200 neighbors, some wearing Irish-green T-shirts with Philadelphia S.W.A.T. on the back, also gathered near the home with police officers and Fire Department personnel to watch. OConnor was posthumously promoted from corporal to sergeant. A memorial service at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Of lately, there were reports of Vijay's Son, Jason Sanjay being stranded in Canada amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Thalapathy was said to be upset regarding his son's health since many in Canada have been infected with the virus. According to the latest report by an online portal, Ajith, who shares a good camaraderie with Vijay, had enquired about Jason by calling him. But now, as per a reliable source, Thala, who is said to stay in contact with Vijay, has not yet enquired about Jason through call or any other media. Jason, who is studying filmmaking at a popular university in Canada, is living along with his grandfather (Vijay's father-in-law) at his residence and is very much safe. There was a rumour that director AR Murugadoss expressed his wish to launch Sanjay with his next project. But Vijay requested him to wait until he completes his studies. On a related note, during the recent audio launch of Master, Vijay had mentioned about Ajith when he was asked about the black suit he wore for the event. He said, "When I was wondering what to wear for the event, my designer asked me to change my style of dressing. I thought I'll dress like my friend Ajith for a change."(sic) There was also a buzz doing the rounds that Master will be released on May 1, 2020, on the special occasion of Ajith's birthday. Talking about their projects, Vijay will be releasing Master soon after the lockdown is lifted while Ajith will next be seen in action thriller Valimai, which marks his second collaboration with filmmaker H Vinoth. Master Release: Double Treat For Fans On Thalapathy Vijay's Birthday! Female NHS workers have taken to social media to criticise the government for providing PPE designed and made to fit men. A Scottish ICU nurse explained she and her female colleagues are forced to 'tighten' their protective equipment, such as masks and face guards, in order to make them fit their smaller faces and frames. The revelation was shared on Twitter by the unnamed nurse's friend. Other female frontline workers took to the platform to share their similar personal experiences and said it made them feel like the government prioritised the health and well-being of their male colleagues. A Scottish ICU nurse explained she and her female colleagues are forced to 'tighten' their protective equipment, such as masks and face guards, in order to make them fit their smaller faces and frames. Pictured, a nurse at a drive-through testing centre in England in March The anonymous woman explained that her friend who works with covid-19 patients, has asked for support in raising the issue to Scottish ministers One person wrote: 'Small still tends to fit incorrectly. It's simply designed for a smaller man. Women have a different face shape to men, tending to have smaller chins and noses, what is needed is a properly fitted item. Another said: 'Friend of mine who works at the GRI has to be in full hazmat because her face is to small for masks' A stream of responses to the post agreed women shouldn't be made to wear the same PPE as men, because they tend to have smaller features A third added: 'I find this really strange. The kit is made worldwide by multiple producers, sold globally. Amazed that no manufacturer has picked up on this literal gap in the market. I hope this is fixed, in the meanwhile my heart-felt thanks to all NHS workers' A user arguing that face masks aren't sexist, wrote: 'Sadly this can't change overnight. Face masks do come in small but ratio of production is about one to ten against larger size. The masks you wear just now sell to construction workers normally. It's not sexist, there just isn't a huge demand for the quantities needed right now.' One person argued it isn't sexist that women are being made to wear uncomfortable PPE, because there's a huge demand across all sizes at the moment The response was soon blasted as Twitter users continued to declare most nurses are female. 'It is sexism if the equipment that must be used for safety is not designed for half of the population and at least 70 per cent of the people needing it. Same way if airline sears and seat belts didn't fit most men. See the problem?' wrote one. Another said: 'Part of the issue is that woman are accustomed to making adjustments/ living with discomfort. Because we don't complain (as we think it's part of life) the issue goes unnoticed. Even scrubs, which are 'unisex' are uncomfortable, in a way they aren't for men.' Nigeria Police authorities have redeployed the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Mustapha Dandaura, to Abuja. Mr Dandaura is now to serve as the provost, Force Headquarters, Abuja, according to a statement issued on Friday by the spokesperson of the force headquarters, Frank Mba. A new commissioner of police has been posted to River state. He is Joseph Mukan. The deployment takes immediate effect, said Mr Mba, a deputy commissioner of police. The deployment of Mr Dandaura came amidst a row between the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, and oil companies in the state. Mr Wike on Thursday ordered the arrest of 22 employees of ExxonMobil who entered Rivers state from Akwa Ibom State. The oil workers were on their way to an oil facility in Port Harcourt when their convoy was intercepted by security officials led by Mr Dandaura. Governor Wike had signed an executive order barring vehicles and flights from entering Rivers state because of the new coronavirus. A few days ago, two pilots working with Caverton Helicopters were arrested, charged to court, and remanded in Port Harcourt prison for flying a helicopter into Port Harcourt. Their passengers 10 of them were also remanded in prison. Mr Wike accused them of entering the state illegally in violation of the lockdown order. READ ALSO: During the Caverton face-off, a statement from the Port Harcourt Government House quoted the former Rivers police commissioner, Mr Dandaura as saying that the police was surprised to receive intelligence report about the Caverton aircraft landing in Port Harcourt after Governor Wike had given an order that on no account should any aircraft land on Rivers State without clearance. Mr Dandaura said, Maybe they are coming here to sabotage the activities of the state and the security agencies that are putting efforts on ground to ensure that Rivers State enjoy peaceful atmosphere throughout this pandemic period. The governor has said his decisions on the lockdown are aimed at protecting the states residents from the deadly coronavirus, but critics accuse him of trying to disrupt oil production which the federal government considers an essential activity, since Nigeria depends significantly on oil for revenues. Villanelles clothes in season one were playful, but by season two they manned up. The new costume designer, Charlotte Mitchell, was inspired by the masculine nuances of '80s Yves Saint Laurent suit jackets, the power blouse and the striking silhouettes of Spanish matadors. Menswear power dressing was pre-meditated as Villanelle bumped off CEOs, ambassadors and tech tycoons in suits by designers Chloe and Dries van Noten. Villanelle channels university chic when she tracks down Eve's husband at Oxford in season two. Credit:BBC America I admit that I watched this show first for the clothes and secondly for fantasy of a life without consequences. Because lets face it, Villanelle can shag anyone, travel anywhere, buy anything and eat constantly without gaining a gram. But shes also appallingly cruel. Like a lobster placed in a pot of warm water that doesnt know its gradually boiling, the visual sizzle of Killing Eve helped me submit to its perversity. The first season established the sugary yet sick mechanics of the show. The humour is sardonic but often inane. No doubt its classy no one swears much on this show and thats rare. But Phoebe Waller-Bridge loves a sausage joke. Four out of the eight episodes in that first series feature sausages and one close-up of a snag comes straight after a castration scene. It was Waller-Bridge who set up the dichotomy between fluffy fashion and bleak sudden violence. The second season, written by Emerald Fennell, grew darker and even stickier. Fennell sharpened her writing claws, penning jaunty fiction about child sociopaths. Her dark 2015 young adult novel Monsters began with the lines: My parents got smashed to death in a boating accident when I was nine. Don't worry - Im not that sad about it. The kitsch of B-grade slasher films and the sangfroid of boarding school pranks are her signatures. As a result, season two can make you feel like you bit into the wrong chocolate and cracked your tooth on a bullet. Remember how Villanelle befriends a critically injured little boy called Gabriel whose parents have died in a car accident? Planning to use his onesie pyjamas as yet another disguise, she snaps his poor little neck and makes a neat get-away from a hospital. Heavy! Episode four goes further, with Villanelle dressing up as a milkmaid (with pig mask) to disembowel a man in a red light window in Amsterdam to an audience of gawping onlookers. The murder, based on The Corpses of the De Witt Brothers, a gruesome 17th century painting by Jan de Baen, looked like torture porn. At this moment, I almost gave up the guilty pleasure of Killing Eve.No amount of pulsing Euro-pop music or groovy labels can help me to ever un-see that scene. Villanelle's lace veil features in a scene in which she is dressed to simultaneously murder and mourn her nemesis. Credit:Parisa Taghizadeh/BBCAmerica Indeed after the credits rolled, I went to the bathroom and vomited. Perhaps this is exactly the sort of visceral response that the show runners wanted? Perhaps even in that moment, I was seduced into the tangled velocity of the plot line. Many of the key scenes in Killing Eve happen in bathrooms. The process of being desensitised to atrocity is cunningly embedded in the narrative arc of the series. The moral compass breaks early on a wheel of desire. Sandra Oh plays the straight man to Jodie Comers savage clown. As MI5 investigator Eve Polastri, she is initially bemused by Villanelle, then intrigued and then, as the bloodied bodies of her friends and cohorts heap in her wake, utterly subsumed. Villanelles spontaneous kills and her most elaborate and gory tableaus are all to impress Eve. At first this costly and messy courtship ritual is gripping, but after a while its just gross. Through it all, it is very tempting to focus almost solely on actor Jodie Comers face. Her range can twist from mannequin to maniac in a blink. Yet the more original ideas in Killing Eve are delivered by her polar opposite. The ethical ambivalence of this series is embodied in the character of Eve and her low-fi style. Does a fondness for raincoats make Eve Polastri a good person? Sandra Oh in season one. Credit:ABC We are set up to believe that Eve is a good person because she dresses in well cut but unassuming librarian/detective clobber. Her love of outer-wear is a cop show cliche reworked: sort of like Colombos raincoat re-cut by Agnes B. For subtle dullness, the costume department pulls out all the stops for Eve. Just when you think she is going to bust out of her micro-florals and hooded khaki parkas, she breaks under another crashing wave of puce, greige and other muddy colours that look like organ fluids. But heres the sting: usually, quiet tailoring, natural fibres and blouses with tiny collars signify the integrity of a character. You know her, that bookish woman who ends up saving the world. Echoing this trope, Eve dresses as if she is a quite nice really but her style is patently passive-aggressive. When we first encounter Eve she is toiling in a badly lit office. Well-worn trench coats and boring-as-bat-shit sweaters depict hard workers rather than women who are hard work. But by God is Eve hard work! Shes a hurricane chaser, a mercenary voyeur and every bit Bonnie to Villanelles Clyde. Fiona Shaw is stitched up in tweed as MI6's Carolyn Martens in series one. Such a contradiction is signature Phoebe Waller-Bridge. As in her seminal show Fleabag, the original writer, producer and architect of this show tends to layer her characters in paper-thin strata of persona and pitfall. Her preferred surface layer is always respectability. What you see is not what you get. A prime example of this paradox is MI6 agent Carolyn Martens (played so crisply by Fiona Shaw), whose look veers slowly from tweeds to chic and rather plunging leather as we see how complicated and kinky she really is. The sly humour of the show assumes we are confronted by out-and-proud lipstick lesbians, wannabe-psychopaths, poly-amorists and middle-aged women such as Carolyn with scores of ex-lovers. For a show trying to shock, Killing Eve can be annoyingly coy. Dressed to kill (again) in season three, episode 1: Jodie Comer as Villanelle. Credit:Des Willie/BBC Perhaps this is because many of the key relationships are so emotionally superficial. From almost the first yawn in bed, we really dont care about Eves marriage. Eves husband, Niko, is often tossed aside like a high-street cardigan. Male co-workers function as minor accessories. Most of the key players on this show are repressed. Given the choice between a hot label or a hot shag, the writers choose clothes every time. Think about it when Villanelle seduces her neighbour, Sebastian, she does so in a distractingly gorgeous cherry red Miu Miu dress. And, after several three-ways with gorgeous young lovers of both genders, Villanelle always favours the post-orgy kimono. Its PC with respect to female objectification, but it is also boringly prim. Perhaps the fact that no one takes their clothes off is because essentially, there is nothing to reveal. Comparing Killing Eve to our late '90s obsession Sex and the City (and there are abundant affinities), Villanelle is a psycho Samantha and Eve is Miranda: the linen and hemp frump. As if throwing her a bone, Villanelle sends Eve a skin-tight silk dress. When she unzips it, Villanelle mouths what the audience has been thinking all along: You have a really nice body but there will be none of that. So, after being stripped naked in her kitchen by the wicked Lady V, Eve, yet again reverts to the comfort of a natural fibre. Style-wise, its her safe house. Fashion, in this show, represents role-play and power struggle. In a weird way, Eves restrained clothes indicate her lack of control. Unlike Villanelle, who uses clothes as both disguise and provocation, Eve hides the flaws in her character in plain sight. Usually under a motherly trench. Killing Eve is heavy on seduction and low on bang. It's a like a Helmut Newton fashion shoot with mild BDSM accents. Ever the dominatrix, Villanelle encircles her prey (and her wasp waist) with belts. I did love the fact that she was dressing Eve even before they met, thoughtfully leaving a belt outside a change room to make a strange blue dress work. Loading In murder and in styling, Villanelle is brutally decisive. Later, when weirdo Steve Jobs look-alike Aaron Peel whisks Villanelle off to Rome, he has the audacity to steal her clothes and replace them with a wardrobe of staid couture. Bloody cheek. When she ventures to mash up his look, he bellows, Take that belt off! Oh dear, nobody puts this baby in the corner. The next morning, dressed in a tomato-red pantsuit by Lanvin, she adds a crystal encrusted Gucci belt, then slits his throat. What a dick, she snorts. Touche. By the blood-soaked finale of season two, I felt jaded; I just wanted more costume changes. I was pissed off that Villanelle stuck with the pantsuit while plugging Eve full of lead. Hanging by a thread the plot staggers on, probably punctuated by more belts. Does Eve die again? Honestly, do we care? The true cliff hanger is what will Villanelle wear next? The Villanelle dress by Susie Bick's label The Vampire's Wife. Credit:Des Willie/BBCA Straight up, season three delivers loads more It" dresses and power tuxedos. Villanelle is still slaying. Phew. The second episode stars a fabulous floral street sweeper by The Vampires Wife. Sam Perry, the costume designer for this season, is going for a La Double J Op Art tunic dress, Golden Goose cowboy boots and a green hairy coat by Charlotte Knowles reminscent of the Cookie Monster. Loading But what about Eve? She dresses norm-core whether she is in a murderous rage of humbly repentant. Her clothes are not symbolic; if anything, they frame the incredible range of Sandra Oh's acting and the power of her face. If we lost sympathy with her by the end of season two, she swiftly has our hearts at the start of season three. Suzanne Heathcote is canny enough as the third show runner to lure us back with a touch more empathy for Eve. In episode one she is drab but righteous. If she is still stuck with olive green, she's owning it. The United States has provided nearly USD5.9 million in health assistance to India to slow the spread of COVID-19, the State Department said Thursday. The amount is being used to help India hinder the spread of the disease by providing care for the affected, disseminating essential public health messages to communities and strengthen case-finding and surveillance, the State Department said. The assistance is also being used to mobilize innovative financing mechanisms for emergency preparedness and response to this pandemic. "This builds on a foundation of nearly USD2.8 billion in total assistance, which includes more than USD1.4 billion in health assistance, the United States has provided to India over the last 20 years," it said in a update of the US efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The State Department and the US Agency for International Development have now committed nearly USD508 million in emergency health, humanitarian, and economic assistance. This is on top of the funding the US has already provide to multilateral and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are helping communities around the world deal with the pandemic. In South Asia, America's COVID-19 assistance has gone to Afghanistan (USD18 million), Bangladesh (USD9.6 million), Bhutan (USD500,000), Nepal (USD1.8 million), Pakistan (USD9.4 million) and Sri Lanka (USD1.3 million). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior detectives investigating the murder of journalist Lyra McKee have issued a fresh appeal ahead of the first anniversary this weekend. Letters have been sent from the PSNI's Major Incident Team to people living in the Creggan in Londonderry directly appealing to them to think back to the tragic events of a year ago. Ms McKee (29) was shot dead by a dissident republican gunman during street disorder in Derry last April. Read More A man has since been charged in court with Ms McKee's murder and a number of other offences. He denies all charges. Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy, who is leading the investigation, said their plea for information into the connection of the killing was about getting justice for the late writer's loved ones. "(Tomorrow), 12 months will have passed since journalist Lyra McKee was shot dead during rioting at Fanad Drive in Creggan," he said. "Sadly, Lyra's mum died very recently without seeing justice for her daughter. 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. "The community as a whole was devastated by Lyra's murder. Condemnation of her killing was unequivocal. That condemnation brought support for the community's response from countries across the world." In his letter sent to Creggan residents, he says: "Since Lyra was killed, many of you may have spoken with my team of detectives. "We have strived to conduct the investigation with sensitivity and care. My investigation is being carried out with the community and this has enabled us to gather important evidence which has resulted in one man being charged with Lyra's murder and a second man being charged with offences connected to the rioting which preceded it. "My sincere thanks go to all those who have helped to date. "However, these charges do not signify the end of the investigation. For the police service, me and my team of detectives, it is only the beginning. "A huge amount of work has been done and massive amounts of community help has enabled us to piece together the events of 18 April 2019 and gain a clear understanding of the roles played by those who were involved." Mr Murphy adds: "Lyra's murder was not committed in isolation, nor did it involve only one person. "The events that led up to Lyra being shot, and the events afterwards, are equally important. I am asking the community to reach into its conscience and tell us what it knows. "Lyra's family cannot begin the grieving process without the information about Lyra's murder that they deserve. "One year on, I am still seeking the evidence to bring every single person who was involved that night to justice. I cannot deliver that without you." He goes on to state that investigating officers are specifically interested in gathering mobile phone footage or photographs from anyone who was present at the scene of the killing, as well as speaking to anyone who attended the riot and can identify those involved in the disorder. Mr Murphy said he is also interested in anyone who can provide first-hand evidence relating to the events which preceded or followed Lyra's murder. "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 revealed. "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." (Photo : Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay ) Advertisement Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Chinese state-owned energy firm State Grid Corp of China will be investing 2.7 billion yuan, or around $383 million, to establish a network of more than 78,000 charging piles across the nation. The company announced on Tuesday that the project is aimed to bolstering China's infrastructure to support the development of electric vehicles and other related sectors. According to the energy company, the network of 78,000 charging stations will be distributed throughout 24 Chinese provinces and municipalities. This will include stations placed in Beijing, Tianjin, and as far as northwestern China's Qinghai province. The majority of the charging stations, around 53,000, will be placed in highly urbanized areas, while the rest will be placed in rural areas. State Grid Corp spokesperson, Wang Yanfang, stated that the project should result in a boost in revenue and sales for electric car makers given that buyers will now have access to a much wider charging network. Wang added that the project should also foster the further development of EV technologies and products, benefiting companies throughout the supply chain. Following the announcement of the project, share prices of energy-related companies rose on Tuesday. Companies such as Kunming Yunnei Power Co Ltd and Guodian Nanjing Automation Co Ltd reached the maximum 10 percent daily limit during the trading day. State Grid Corp's project falls in line with the Chinese government's call for more investments to be made in the country's high-tech industry. The call includes further development in the nation's EV charging infrastructure, high-voltage grids, smart electric public transport, and 5G networking. According to the National Development and Reform Commission, China is aiming to invest more than 10 billion yuan in the development of the country's charging piles alone. The government's goal is to have at least 200,000 new charging stations available to EV users within the year. The Chinese Academy of Sciences had noted that the building more charging stations will provide EV users with more convenience for charging their vehicles. This will, in turn, get rid of some user's so-called range anxiety, one of the key factors that most consumers claim are preventing them from buying new energy vehicles. Apart from providing convenient and within-reach charging solutions for EV customers, EV companies can also use the stations to gather important user data. The massive network can offer companies important battery information, user habits, and other data, which can be used for processes such as secondhand vehicle evaluation and tailor-made user services. Advertisement TagsChina State Grid, $383 Million, EV Charging Network Nationwide The breakfast coronavirus intervention scheme of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has attracted N10 million donation from other prominent stakeholders in the state. The donors said they were encouraged by the Speakers personal assistance to the people at a time of economic distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The donors include Lagos businessman, Adebiyi Olalekan, who contributed N5 million, and another businessman, Taiwo Elegbede, who donated N200,000. Other donors include Sunday Babatunde, N1 million, Hon. Nureni Akinsoya and Afolabi who contributed N300,000 and N200,000, respectively. Hon. Rotimi Olowo, Gbolahan Yishawu and the Chairman of Agege Local Government Area, Ganiyu Egunjobi, supported the scheme with N1 million donation each while Hon. Fatai Mojeed contributed N300,000. Obasa, who had shared 10,000 re-packaged rice at the beginning of lockdown in Lagos State to contain the spread of COVID-19, started the breakfast intervention scheme with the distribution of 26,000 loafs of bread around the Agege area. Meanwhile, residents of neighbouring Local Government Areas as well as Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) have called on the Speaker to extend the gesture to their areas. The residents said the plea follows their understanding that Obasa is not just the Speaker of his constituency or Agege area, but the entire Lagos. PV: 0 EU aid helps vulnerable people who are exhausted by six years of conflict reach basic services, such as health and water, - Janez Lenarcic, the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Open source The European Commission has approved the allocation of 13 million U.S. dollars of humanitarian assistance for residents of the war-torn eastern Ukraine. The authority made such a decision, given the complicated conditions that the civilians are facing there. 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, said Janez Lenarcic, the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management. The European Commission's press department quoted him as saying. The EU authority reiterated that as the armed conflict in Donbas carries on, indeed, the civilians require humanitarian aid. "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", the Commission claimed. Dark web drug dealers have turned to selling face masks and unregistered testing kits amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Experts from security firm Digital Shadows have seen accounts better known for peddling illegal substances expand their range in a bid to cash in on rocketing global demand. They have also seen sellers offering discounts apparently to help entice people stuck in lockdown to buy drugs online. Threat research analyst Alex Guirakhoo said: Cyber criminals who typically engage in the sale of illicit drugs have seen the opportunity to diversify their listings to include sales of face masks, hand sanitiser, and now even chloroquine on popular cyber criminal marketplaces like Empire. A page from a dark web site that is selling surgical face masks alongside heroin, marijuana and cannabis seeds (Digital Shadows/PA) Listings which include terms like coronavirus sale! alongside heavy discounts are now common on all major cyber criminal forums and marketplaces. This is likely an attempt to keep their businesses going and attract customers who have been financially impacted by the pandemic. It is also realistically possible that cyber criminals are attempting to capitalise on customers impacted by shelter in place orders. A Covid-19 antibody test kit being offered online (Digital Shadows/PA) Britain's National Crime Agency has said the amount of illegal drugs being smuggled in to the UK has dropped in the face of international lockdown conditions, driving prices up. Dealers are disguising themselves as key workers to try to avoid detection when out on the street. Warnings have also been issued over an increased risk of fraud as more people shop online during lockdown. Digital Shadows analysts have seen users of Russian and English language forums pondering how to cash in, with one asking: Who thinks what about this? How to get the maximum benefit from quarantine? It will not be forever. Earlier this week, the NCA warned that there had been 1.8 million of fraud linked to the pandemic. It has shut down six domains since the outbreak of the virus to stop cyber attackers trying to steal personal data. Investigators also took down a website trying to lure customers into buying non-existent PPE, and arrested two men on suspicion of illegally selling Covid-19 testing kits and making false claims about their efficacy. The High Court has ordered former Youth and Gender Principal Secretary Lillian Omollo to surrender Sh33.6 million to the state. The court ruled that funds held in bank accounts in the name of Omollo, her three daughters and entities run by her husband were proceeds of crime and therefore liable for forfeiture to the state. Justice Mumbi Ngugi said the family failed to show a legitimate source of the funds deposited in the 10 accounts. The ex-PS had listed a greenhouse farm owned by Sahara consultants and her husband Dick Achieng in Uyoma, Siaya County as one of the sources of the funds. The second source of the funds was Achiengs consultancy fees allegedly paid for work done in South Sudan, the respondents submitted during the hearing. However, Justice Ngugi said documents by Omollo intended to prove that the Uyoma farm was a legitimate source of the funds showed that they comprised of what appeared to be photocopies of receipts issued by Onkeo Farm for relatively small amounts. The judge said none of those documents showed receipt of funds that could explain deposits of Sh500,000 or Sh900,000 on a single day. She also noted that the respondents did not produce any documents to show that they owned the farm. There was also no evidence of payment of income tax by the respondents. The court further noted that the total amount shown in the receipts annexed by Omollo was just Sh390,000. Regarding funds from Omollos consultancy business, Mumbi said an analysis showed that the account where consultancy fees were paid had received approximately Sh22 million and that the amount had been withdrawn. It also showed that there had been no deposit of funds in the account during the investigation period(2015-2019). The court found that Omollo opened numerous bank accounts in her name, her business name and in the names of limited liability companies in which she, her husband and daughters were the shareholders, and in the name of two of her underage children. She would deposit funds in the accounts, sometimes in all the accounts on the same day. This kind of conduct was anticipated by the law, hence the definition of politically exposed persons to include children and close relatives of persons in the position of the former PS, the judge said. Justice Ngugi said that for Omollo to deposit hundreds of thousands of shillings or dollars in different accounts on the same day, there must be a very clear source of such funds. Since she was not been able to show a legitimate source of the funds, the only conclusion that could be arrived at was that the funds were proceeds of crime. The Tamil asylum seeker family detained on Christmas Island have won a legal battle in the Federal Court, and will not face imminent deportation to Sri Lanka. In a landmark decision, the court ruled their two-year-old daughter had not been treated fairly - with the family's future depending on the little girl's visa status. A series of court orders have barred the Australian government from deporting parents Nadesalingam Murugappan, known as Nades, and Kokilapathmapriya Nadesalingam, known as Priya. They came to Australia by boat in 2012 and 2013 respectively, alleging they were escaping the Sri Lankan civil war. Their two daughters, Kopika, 4, and Tharunicaa, 2, were born in Australia. Priya and Nades Murugappan and their Australian-born daughters Kopika and Tharunicaa are fighting deportation Kopika (pictured, left), 4, and Tharunicaa (right), 2, were both born in Australia to parents from Sri Lanka The family were moved to Christmas Island in August, with the couple saying they feared persecution back in Sri Lanka, having fled during the civil war. On Friday, Federal Court Justice Mark Moshinsky found in favour of the family, with the matter resting on whether Tharunicaa has the right to apply for a protection visa. He ruled Immigration Minister David Coleman had lifted the bar to consider a visa application for Tharunicaa in May last year. This does not mean the government is required to issue the toddler with a visa, but marks an important point in their legal battle. They have been waiting for Federal Court Justice Mark Moshinsky to hand down his decision since a two-day hearing in February (pictured, a detention centre on Christmas Island) A court injunction last year prevented their deportation to Sri Lanka until legal proceedings were finalised. The family want to return to the Queensland town of Biloela, and have been waiting on Justice Moshinsky's decision since a two-day hearing in February. Toddler Tharunicaa is considered an 'unauthorised maritime arrival' by authorities, despite being born in Australia. Normally, holding this status means a person does not have the right to apply for a visa. The rest of her family has not been found to be legally due Australia's protection, and have exhausted any appeals process - meaning the family's fate rests with their two-year-old daughter. Kopika (pictured, left) and Tharunicaa (right) are pictured at the detention centre on Christmas Island on January 28 Having been moved to Christmas Island last year, the mother said her family had been separated from their home. 'My children have been separated from their world,' she said. The court found that Mr Coleman had ordered a full departmental briefing on handling the family's case, including the option that he exercise a power to allow them to apply for protection visas That prompted an assessment in August, during which Justice Moshinsky said Tharunicaa was 'not afforded procedural fairness'. Lawyers now have seven days to tell the Federal Court what should happen next. Tharunicaa (pictured, left) and her sister Kopika (right) are pictured on August 31 last year after being forced to leave their Queensland home The family's lawyers put forward two arguments in a two-day hearing in Melbourne in February. Angel Aleksov said both Mr Coleman and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton had taken procedural steps that required them to make a decision on granting a visa to Tharunicaa. Stephen Lloyd SC, representing the ministers, had claimed if Mr Coleman requested information on the family, he was saying 'tell me what I could do', rather than taking a formal procedural step. The family will remain in detention while the process continues. Representative Image Auto industry body SIAM on Friday said availability of labour and ensuring a fully operational supply chain will be some of the major challenges for partial resumption of economic activity from April 20. Despite various challenges, including closure of the sales network, the industry is preparing to commence operations with detailed safety protocols in place, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) President Rajan Wadhera said in a statement. His comments were in response to the recent guidelines issued by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for containment of COVID-19 pandemic in the country and partial opening of economic activities. "Many of our member original equipment manufacturer (OEMs) who are operating in rural areas outside municipal limits and those who are operating in industrial estates and industrial townships are in touch with the respective state/district administrations to explore how they can restart their operations from April 20," Wadhera said. Availability of labour and ensuring a fully operational supply chain would be major challenges which needs to be addressed by the individual companies before any decision is taken to open up, he added. Continued closure at dealerships would be another key challenge, Wadhera noted. "The industry in the meanwhile is getting fully prepared with detailed protocols for opening up which will ensure safety through social distancing at the workplace and factories," he said. SIAM has also prepared a recommended protocol based on inputs from its member original equipment manufacturer (OEMs), he added. On Wednesday, the ministry of home affairs came out with detailed guidelines for partial resumption of economic activity from April 20. In the battle to reopen their states, governors faced off against U.S. President Donald Trump with the law and public opinion on their side, and in the end, Trump deferred. Trump said Thursday the governors can "call their own shots" about when to reopen businesses and schools, and released new guidelines that allow states to phase in reopening, saying some states are in better position than others and could start right away. "Governors will be empowered to tailor an approach that meets the diverse circumstances of their own state. If they need to remain closed, we will allow them to do that," said Trump, who began the week saying he had total authority to force states to reopen. Critics say the announcement changes little since the governors already have that authority under the Constitution. "His directive today will be greeted with eye-rolls in governors' offices across the country, I suspect," said Democratic strategist Ian Russell. "For a lot of people there was never a question that they would actually be the ones in control." Cuomo vs. Trump After weeks of avoiding direct attacks on Trump, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo responded to Trump's announcement saying the president had abdicated responsibility by not providing funding for increased testing or state budgets. "Is there any funding so I can do these things that you want us to do? No. That is passing the buck without passing the bucks. Passing the buck, which is the opposite of 'The buck stops here,'" Cuomo said, referring to the phrase made famous by President Harry Truman signalling that presidents should take responsibility for the tough decisions they make. As the governor delivered his daily briefing Friday, Trump appeared to be watching live, tweeting criticism back at Cuomo. "Governor Cuomo should spend more time 'doing' and less time 'complaining.' Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking!'" Trump tweeted. Story continues Cuomo responded, "If he's sitting home watching TV, maybe he should get up and go to work." The New York governor also took umbrage with Trump saying he was giving states the authority to reopen. "What are you going to grant me, what the constitution gave me before you were born? It's called the Tenth Amendment. I didn't need the president of the United States to tell me that I'm governor." One step ahead Before Trump's pivot, states were already well ahead in the discussion of what comes next. On Thursday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, said he would begin slowly reopening on May 1, when current shutdown orders expire. Cuomo, on the other hand, extended his state's stay-at-home orders until May 15. Trump encouraged states to work together, though many had already formed alliances to co-ordinate their efforts on a regional basis. Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky said they would work "in close co-ordination" to reopen the Midwest's economy. California, Oregon and Washington said Monday they had formed a Western States Pact for a "shared vision" on how and when to open their states. The governors of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Delaware also announced a partnership Monday. People want reassurance Apart from having legal authority, governors have also built up the trust and credibility to reassure a nervous public, says Jai Chabria, who was a senior adviser to former Ohio governor John Kasich. "Because [Gov. DeWine] has been transparent the entire time, he will be a credible voice on that effort," said Chabria, who notes the governor's daily briefings have become known as "Wine with DeWine." Polls reflect the prominent place governors have taken in the public eye during the crisis. A Quinnipiac University poll last week found 74 per cent of respondents approved of their governor's response to the pandemic, compared to 46 per cent for the president. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images The White House's seemingly erratic response has further contributed to the rise in governors' popularity and credibility, said law professor Dick Howard. "The president's policies seem to change from day to day," said Howard, who teaches at the University of Virginia. "So when you look at that performance in Washington compared with a much more steady hand of at least some of the governors, then it's not surprising that the governors end up looking pretty good." Howard says the governors' daily briefings bring to mind the "fireside chats" of President Franklin Roosevelt, which offered comfort during unsettling times in the 1930s and '40s. "People want that kind of reassurance and frankly, they're not getting it from the president." Politics at play While Trump took a more deferential tone on Thursday, it may only a matter of time before he clashes with governors again. Previous battles have included issues over everything from testing to supplies. "Democratic governors may well feel that they will gain politically by being assertive," Howard said. "One notices that Republican governors in places like Texas and Florida are much more deferential to the president. Their political calculation is that they tend to be on the losing side if they differ with the president." Shifting responsibility for restarting the economy to the states also shifts potential blame to governors if something goes wrong. "Trump has demonstrated time and time again that he wants the trappings of power without the responsibility of power," said Russell, who notes Trump really only has influence over governors in Republican states. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican and the current chair of the National Governors Association, has been an exception. He penned a bipartisan op-ed with Michigan's Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer listing ways Washington has failed to help the states during the pandemic. Carolyn Cole/Getty Images) Looming fiscal crisis There is, however, a looming threat that may use up all the political capital and goodwill governors have accumulated during the crisis and put Trump back in the spotlight. Shutting down businesses also means state tax revenue will take a massive hit. "They have to put their thumb in the dam right now. But that is going to come gushing over and it's going to cause headaches," Chabria said. Cuomo says his state will have a $10-$15 billion budget hole because of the pandemic and says the federal government should provide federal bailout money. "Why don't you show as much consideration to states as you did to your big businesses and to your airlines?" Cuomo said at his Friday briefing. Howard said the looming fiscal crunch adds to the difficult dynamic governors have with the Trump administration, which they'll need to rely on for billions in bailout money. "All of the governors confront that quandary," he said. "Even if they're not very fond of the president, they realize there is federal aid they would like to see coming their way." Mexico's new oil regulator said state-owned petroleum company Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) could possibly seek for joint venture partnerships soon. The statement came despite Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's decision to stop "farming out" in the first year of his presidential term. Rogelio Hernandez, president of the National Hydrocarbons Commission, believes the partnership is coming soon. The 37-year-old official, who began his seven-year term in November of the previous year, clarified Pemex would ultimately make the decisions. Reviving farm-outs and signing joint ventures would contrast to the policies Lopez Obrador and his administration have so far pursued. Since taking over the office, the Mexican president has walked back on the previous government's plans. This includes opening the oil industry to private producers. He also canceled several planned Pemex tie-ups in 2019. Hernandez suggested the farm-outs could be taken up in the coming months. This is primarily due to the numerous projects the petroleum company has not been able to develop alone. Hernandez, who is known for working for Lopez Obrador's election campaign, estimated 100 of Pemex's portfolio of assigned projects---out of more than 350--- is likely to be chosen as candidates as they have yet to begin production. Pemex projects that do not meet the minimum work commitments will be returned to the state. Such partnerships are widespread in the industry. Joint ventures allow companies to share the risk. They will also be able to share costs and potential rewards for new discoveries. Pemex currently has three such tie-ups operating, all of which were authorized by the previous government. Former President Enrique Pena Nieto ended Pemex's monopoly in 2013, giving way to the first-ever oilfield auctions. Reviving Mexico's Oil Industry Lopez Obrador, however, has been very vocal about his criticism of the reform. He has instead focused his efforts on restoring the petroleum company. He hopes to end the oil company's crude output decline of 15 consecutive years. The National Hydrocarbons Commission oversees all oil contracts awarded to companies during Nieto's term. It also supervises auctions and Pemex projects assigned by the Mexican government. All permits, exploration, and development plans also have to be approved by the governing body. Rogelio Hernandez said he puts value in being a fair-minded and technical regulator. He also aims to promote the oil industry's growth. In 2019, he led Pemex's fertilizer unit. Hernandez emphasized Mexico's commitment to cutting 100,000 barrels per day in May and June will not be coming from Pemex's output alone. Foreign and private investors will not be required to cut. Should the state-owned oil company decide to shut down an entire field to make the cuts, regulators must be notified. However, if the decision will only reduce output across multiple fields, the company is not obligated to disclose oil regulators. According to company data, PEMEX's production costs an average of $14 per barrel. Various other oil companies have begun cutting production as the economic shutdown brought by COVID-19 caused oil prices to hit rock-bottom, severely affecting cash flow. Hernandez believes the recent cuts are reactions to the coronavirus. "But COVID-19 will pass," he said. The National Hydrocarbons Commission will begin conducting virtual sessions with oil companies to prevent project delays. Deadlines associated with permits and plan approvals will be extended until April 30. Three persons were dragged out of their car and beaten to death by a group of villagers in Palghar district of Maharashtra on suspicion that they were thieves, police said on Friday. An initial response team of the police could not save them as it was heavily outnumbered and the victims were beaten up even inside the police vehicle, a senior official said. Inspector Anandrao Kale of the Kasa police station said the gruesome incident took place between 9.30-10 pm on Thursday. The mob attack took place at a time when a nationwide lockdown is in force to curb the spread of coronavirus. The identity of the victims was not yet established, he said, adding more than 100 people have been detained by the police. The bodies of the three persons, who were traveling in a car from Mumbai, have been sent for post-mortem to the government hospital in Palghar, Kale said. Their vehicle was stopped on the Dhabadi-Khanvel road near village Gadchinchale by local residents, he said. They were pulled out of the car and attacked by villagers with stones and other objects on suspicion that they were thieves, he said. Additional Superintendent of Police Vijay Sagar told PTI that an initial response team of the police (which typically has three or four personnel) reached the spot and tried to rescue the victims by putting them in the police vehicle. But the mob attacked the victims even inside the police vehicle and the police personnel, who were heavily outnumbered, could not do anything, he said. Rumours of a gang of bandits being roaming around the district were circulating in the area, Sagar added. An offence under IPC section 302 (murder) along with other sections, including armed rioting and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), has been registered, inspector Kale said. IPC section 188 has been invoked in the case due to the coronavirus-enforced lockdown under which sweeping curbs have been imposed on movement and assembly of people, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NEW YORK, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ATAX, a year-round income tax preparation business serving the individual tax payer and business owner, remains open as an essential business operation amidst COVID-19 developments. ATAX continues to provide services and advice to the Hispanic community, encouraging those who have yet to file to e-file through ATAX Live. ATAX offers 24/7 tax support through its online tax filing service, ATAX Live, which allows the taxpayer to prepare taxes online, and walk through the documents via video chat with a professional prior to submitting. ATAX Live can be downloaded in the app store, and allows the taxpayer to follow their refund status in real time. Additionally, select ATAX locations will remain open for those looking to meet with a preparer face-to-face, but all open locations are following their statewide restrictions as it pertains to large gatherings, often being no larger than 10 people. "We are a community, not just another chain here to file your taxes therefore, we will continue to advise those who seek out our help in a safe and responsible manner," said ATAX President and Founder, Rafael Alvarez. "We are in existence to educate our Hispanic community on financial proceedings that may impact their personal or professional lives, and with the economy changing minute by minute, we need to make ourselves available to answer and act on their questions." All taxpayers will have an additional 90 days to file their taxes and make payments without interest or penalties. The additional three months were granted due to the uncertainty of COVID-19, but tax preparers see benefits in filing early, if the individual or business is financially able. A majority of Americans receive tax refunds, and if processed, the return could offer financial padding resulting in taxpayer peace of mind amid the uncertainty. According to the IRS, as of early April, over 97 million tax returns have been received, and of those, 93.5 million have already been processed. The average amount of time it takes to issue a tax refund is 21 days. Even if a person's tax returns don't bring an influx of cash, there are still reasons to file ahead of July 15. Taxpayers can choose when their payments are withdrawn one can file in April and not pay until the July 15 deadline. Filing proactively will allow for one-on-one time with a tax preparer if there are questions and will avoid backup in receiving Federal tax returns. "With the everchanging landscape, ATAX accountants are available to answer any questions, and help you figure out your next best step as relates to your business or personal finances," Alvarez said. "Our goal is to act in accordance with the government and offer an extension of our services in the safest and most comforting way." In tax services and beyond, ATAX has become a resource hub, available to meet the everchanging needs of the Hispanic community. For that reason, ATAX has chosen to remain operational, but urges its customers to utilize its premier online resources. For more information on the ATAX and its suite of services, please visit https://atax.com/ About ATAX Based in New York, ATAX is a year-round tax preparation and business services franchise that services clients in both Spanish and English. Founded in 1986 by Rafael Alvarez with $200, two computers, and a fax machine, ATAX has grown to operate 59 locations throughout the United States. Most recently, ATAX ranked #439 in Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500, the world's first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Placement in the Franchise 500 is a highly sought-after honor in the franchise industry, making it one of the most competitive rankings. Additionally, ATAX was named a 2020 Top Franchise by Franchise Business Review. For more information on ATAX, please visit https://atax.com/; to find out more about ATAX franchising, visit https://ataxfranchise.com/. About Loyalty Brands Headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Loyalty Brands is an umbrella franchise company founded in 2018 by serial entrepreneur John Hewitt. The Loyalty Brands consist of business brokerage, small business accounting, tax preparation and added services, networking and bartering. The company maintains a community first outlook, meaning that involvement in local communities and giving back is a core value. The multi-brand concept involves businesses that are synergistic and compatible, so potential franchisees could possibly own one or more of the brands for additional customer acquisition and co-marketing opportunities. To learn more about Loyalty Brands, please visit https://loyaltybrands.com/. Media Contact: Anna Jensen, Fishman Public Relations, 847-945-1300 or [email protected] SOURCE Loyalty Brands Related Links https://loyaltybrands.com The state moved over 1,000 deaths in the coronavirus pandemic on Friday. Sixty five new fatalities brought the total to 1,036, Gov. Ned Lamont announced, calling it a milestone, tragic day. Lamont said he was encouraged by a net increase of 20 hospitalizations. Thats a low number, Lamont said during his daily news conference in the State Capitol. That shows again that maybe, just maybe social distancing is working, lowering the infection rate, lowering the hospitalization rate. In the old days, doctors would make house calls; that rarely happens today. However, a new kind of "house call" is in the works: in many cities it's now possible to receive hospital care at home for certain conditions. Such "home hospital care" programs are gaining in popularity. A randomized controlled Harvard study published online Dec. 17, 2019, by Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that the home hospital model of care is less expensive and leads to fewer readmissions than in-hospital care. Researchers studied about 90 people who'd been diagnosed in the emergency room with infections or flares of heart failure or breathing problems. Half of the people were admitted to hospitals, and the other half were enrolled in home hospital care. The home hospital care group received visits from doctors and nurses, intravenous medications, and video monitoring. People in the home group had 38% lower hospital costs than those in the hospital group, they were more active during care, and they were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days after their care less frequently (7% vs. 23%) than those in the hospital group. Home hospital care is not appropriate for everyone. "If someone is too sick or is in need of advanced procedures, their care may be better delivered in a traditional hospital," says Dr. David M. Levine, the study's lead author and an internal medicine specialist with Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. However, if you have an illness that needs constant monitoring and treatment for several days in other words, it can't be done in a doctor's office yet it also doesn't require advanced procedures or constant and intensive nursing care, the home hospital care model may make sense. "If the home hospital model were offered to a member of my family, I'd encourage them to do it," says Dr. Levine. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 (Photo : Image by Kai Pilger from Pixabay ) Advertisement Image by Kai Pilger from Pixabay Like Us on Facebook Advertisement US investment bank Citigroup Inc reported a 46 percent decrease in its first-quarter profits on Wednesday. The bank stated that it is expecting worse results in the coming quarter given the coming deluge of defaults in customer loans and credit card debts. Banks across the US are currently preparing for a flood of loan and credit card defaults amid the millions of jobs lost and lack of cash caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses and economic activity across the nation have mostly screeched to a halt over the past few weeks as coronavirus cases continue to climb. Analysts have raised new concerns over continued losses in the coming months as the economic outlook worsens in the US. The country is one of the heaviest hit by the virus with over 644,000 confirmed cases and more than 28,000 dead. Like other major US banks, Citigroup is particularly susceptible to massive writedowns in the coming months given its high exposure to credit card loans. Credit card delinquencies are historically linked to unemployment. According to government data, unemployment beneficiaries in the country had skyrocketed by more than 388 percent to around 7.45 million. USB analyst, Saul Martinex, points out that Citigroup, unfortunately, doesn't have the same buffer as other banks such as JPMorgan to absorb the coming defaults. Citigroup heavily relies on its credit card business, which accounts for about 16 percent of its net income. Given the current situation, the bank will likely incur massive losses in the coming quarters. Citigroup did state that it has prepared an additional $4.9 billion in reserves, which can be used to cushion the blow of its expected loan losses. The additional expense had resulted in the bank reported an $837 million loss for its US business for the first quarter of this year. The company stated that it does expect further losses in the coming quarters given the rising unemployment rate and the US' falling gross domestic product. Citigroup's chief financial officers, Mark Mason, had told analysts that its grim forecast was within reason but the severity will still be dependent on the efficacy of government programs aimed at helping cash-strapped Americans. The bank did not give out any estimates of the losses it expects in the coming quarters. However, it did reveal some vital data about its business activity thus far. In March, the company experienced a 30 percent overall decline in credit card spending. Citigroup expects that number to decline further in the second quarter along with the company revenues from its spending and borrowing businesses. Advertisement TagsCitigroup, Credit Defaults, Quarterly Profits Decline Since Jan. 30, 2017, the Trump administrations approach to federal regulation has been defined by a simple requirement: one in, two out. The basic idea, set out in one of President Trumps first executive orders, is that whenever a federal agency issues one regulation, it has to take at least two regulations away and produce an incremental cost, on the private sector, of zero. The idea was absurd from the very start. It was profoundly demoralizing to experts in federal agencies, who know a lot about science and who have plenty of good ideas about how to protect public health and safety. But its absurdity has been put in a whole new light by the Covid-19 pandemic, which demonstrates that the regulatory state is no enemy of the people and that smart safeguards, designed by specialists, save lives. It is true that to many people, the one-in, two-out idea has a lot of intuitive appeal. For one thing, it instructs regulators at the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Health and Human Services and elsewhere to get rid of outmoded or dumb regulations. Leeds United great Norman Hunter has died aged 76 after contracting coronavirus, his former club announced Friday. "Norman was taken to hospital last week after being diagnosed with COVID-19 and despite continuing to battle and the best efforts of NHS (National Health Service) staff, he sadly lost his fight earlier this morning," the club said in a statement. The club said it was "devastated" at the A famously tough-tackling centre-half, England international Hunter made more than 700 appearances for Yorkshire club Leeds during their most successful era of the late 1960s through to the mid-1970s under manager Don Revie. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Five people were charged this week with starting a bonfire last year that ignited an out-of-control blaze that destroyed over 11,000 acres of New Jerseys Pinelands. The civil complaint, which was signed on March 20, charged five people with setting the bonfire without written permission and failure to extinguish it and notify authorities, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced Thursday. The five charged were; Zachary L. Staff, 19, of Hainesport, Jaffrey D. Wood Jr., 20, of Pemberton, Zachary W. Joseph, 21, of Pemberton, Cassidy H. Gregory, 19, of Mount Holly and a 17-year-old whose identity was not released Thursday evening. The fire, dubbed the Spring Hill Fire, burned in Penn State Forest, Woodland Township and was first reported on March 30, 2019 when embers from the illegal bonfire escaped private lands and set a nearby forest ablaze, authorities said. Windy conditions then fueled the spread of the blaze. The Forest Fire Services pursuit of those responsible for this devastating wildfire was necessary because they recklessly put lives and property at risk, McCabe said in a statement. The Spring Hill fire burned for a month, closed roads and required extensive resources to keep the public safe." The court filing seeks about $50,000 in restitution, but no other details about the charges were included in the statement from the DEP. Nobody was injured in the inferno and no personal property was damaged, officials said. This blaze was one of the larger forest fires New Jersey has seen in recent years. In 2015, Woodland Township experienced a 1,000-acre fire. Peak wildfire season in New Jersey typically is from late March through early May. Last week, the state saw another large blaze burn through about 1,500 acres in Cumberland County that was caused by a lightning strike. DEP officials warned people to be careful during this time of year and to not discard cigarettes or other smoking materials and to not leave outdoor fires unattended. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Here is a round-up of important articles on Covid-19 from across Indian publications from caring about the Indian migrant, to getting the containment strategy right, and when one could get infection from their food. Expert Speak Now is the time to show india cares about its migrants: Benoy Peter, an expert on internal migration, and executive director of Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development, a Kerala-based non-profit, says in this interview that this might be the time for India to show it cares about its migrant workers. He suggests the country should ... The Trump COVID-19 Deflection Game President Trump blames the WHO for his administrations COVID-19 debacle. In reality, the White House knew about the virus threat already on Jan 3 but chose not to mobilize until late March. In a recent interview with Fox News, President Trump said that the projections and pronouncements of the World Health Organization (WHO) about the coronavirus pandemic have been routinely wrong. "Literally, they called every shot wrong," the president added. "They didn't want to say where [coronavirus] came from. Threatening the WHO with the withdrawal of US funding, Trump charged WHO director-general Dr Tedros for siding with Communist China. On April 14, Trump instructed his administration to halt funding to the WHO, as it conducts a coronavirus review. It is not clear how he intends to withhold WHO funding, much of which is appropriated by Congress. But it is clear that the review will be conducted by the same administration that delayed the virus response, in the first place. That will virtually ensure a prejudiced outcome. Why did Trump target the WHO, its projections and its chief? And why did he do it now? Ignoring realities From early January, President Trump has dismissed the risk of the novel coronavirus, repeatedly. Two days after the first virus case was identified in the U.S., Trump said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that we have [the novel coronavirus] totally under control. Its one person coming in from China, and we have it under control, (Jan 22). After 10 days of national emergency in China and the WHOs international emergency alert, Trump repeated that we have it very well under control (Jan 30). Even weeks later, he repeated his statement (Feb 23). Soon thereafter, he declared in the White House that [coronavirus is] going to disappear. One day its like a miracle it will disappear (Feb 27). Then, Trump took the blame-game to another level accusing Democrats for politicizing coronavirus, which he proclaimed their new hoax (Feb 28). A day later, he announced again that his administration had the virus fully under control thanking his healthcare advisers (Feb 29) whose virus advice he had rejected as we today know - since the first week of January. In March, when the virus was about to have an almost free ride in New York City and the rest of America, Trump suggested that the WHOs estimate of the global death rate was false. He described the virus as very mild and suggested that the infected could get better by going to work (Mar 4) a suggestion that virus specialists considered idiotic. Barely a week later, Trump declared the common flu worse than COVID-19 (Mar 9). And yet, only a week later, Trump wanted Americans to believe he was taking the virus seriously. This is a pandemic, he told reporters. I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic Ive always viewed it as very serious (Mar 17). What changed the tone? Two and half months of delays The simple answer is a New York Times expose one day before (Mar 16) and the impending presidential election. As the Times reported, from the beginning, the Trump administrations attempts to forestall an outbreak of a virus now spreading rapidly across the globe was marked by a raging internal debate about how far to go in telling Americans the truth. What we know with certainty today is that, on January 3, Chinas CDC completed the virus gene sequencing, initiated emergency monitoring and notified the WHO and relevant countries and regions about the virus. As Hong Kong and Singapore began to prepare for the virus that same day, US CDC director Dr. Robert R. Redfield called Alex M. Azar II, Trumps secretary of health and human services, to tell him China had discovered a new coronavirus. Azar told his chief of staff to inform the National Security Council (NSC) about the matter. There was reason for hurry. When Trump arrived in the White House three years before, his administration had eliminated NSCs global health unit that had monitored such virus risks. Now, the administrations top health executive team began daily meetings in the basement of the West Wing. Yet, there was no proactive mobilization in the White House. Rather, a long debate began within the Trump administration over what to tell to the American public. Meanwhile, cabinet members projected its mishandling on China, which was blamed for not being transparent, faking the case counts and associated deaths. This odd state of affairs lasted two and a half months. Deflecting responsibility Faced with the Times expose, one of the greatest failures in U.S. pandemic preparedness and the impending fall election, President Trump declared that actually - he had always viewed the COVID-19 as very serious. After botching its virus response, the administration still would not disclose the full realities. Instead, Trump blamed the disastrous delay on China, the WHO, its chief and others who had been urging greater mobilization after mid- January. After Chinas CDC had alerted the WHO and its key members about the virus threat, WHO director-general Dr Tedros spoke about the potential risks in a series of international releases. On Jan 20, President Xi declared a national emergency in China. A day later, the WHO began daily situation reports about the virus spread. On January 30, the WHO declared the virus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). In the subsequent weeks, the WHO, its chief and his executives did whatever they could to alert the international community about the threats. And on March 11, the WHO proclaimed the virus a global pandemic. The net effect? Almost 2 million COVID-19 cases and over 100,000 deaths which will be followed by the worst global economic contraction since the Great Depression. And an impending carnage that may prove far worse in vulnerable emerging and developing economies. These nightmares were neither necessary nor inevitable. Most of them could have been avoided. Thats why President Trump ordered the coronavirus review to rewrite the history of how his White House failed America Dr. Dan Steinbock is the founder of Difference Group and has served at the India, China and America Institute (US), Shanghai Institute for International Studies (China) and the EU Center (Singapore). For more, see http://www.differencegroup.net/ 2020 Copyright Dan Steinbock - 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. Dan Steinbock Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. COLONIE Just how widespread COVID-19 is in long-term care facilities across the Capital Region remains unclear, as county officials cite privacy concerns as a reason for not revealing case and fatality figures. Counties are releasing some data, but they vary in how much and how specific they get. Albany County on Friday said that 13 residents at Shaker Place, the county-run nursing home in Colonie, have now tested positive for COVID-19, up from nine reported on Thursday in response to media requests for the information. Five staff members, meanwhile, have tested positive, with one recovered and back at work. At least three other nursing home facilities in the county Our Lady of Mercy Life Center in Guilderland, the Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Guilderland facility and the Hudson Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Albany have recorded cases, as well. Among them, 12 residents and 10 staff members had tested positive as of Thursday, the county said. Data for other long-term care facilities in the county was not provided. County officials admitted Friday that at least two nursing home residents in the county have died. They did not say where. At his daily news briefing, County Executive Dan McCoy said he wouldn't apologize for not revealing until this week that residents in the county-run nursing home had tested positive. The county has been working to protect nursing home residents, he said, including locking down the county nursing home before the state ordered all nursing homes to ban visitors. "The health and safety of the workers and the residents is our mission," he said. "We've been aggressively testing with the state to make sure we identify (cases) as quick as we can." In each case the county did notify the victims' families after a positive test, he said. County Health Commissioner Elizabeth Whalen said the state does widespread testing throughout a home when a positive case turns up in order to isolate infected residents as quickly as possible. "We have seen a couple of cases that have come back positive that have been asymptomatic," she said. "The concern is there. The efforts for prevention are real. Unfortunately, this is a very contagious virus." The county has also seen COVID-19 cases in state Office for People With Developmental Disabilities facilities. Warren County officials revealed for the first time Friday that two of its four COVID-19 deaths have been tied to long-term care facilities. The county Board of Supervisors and county Health Services said the most recent death was a resident of a nursing home in the southern part of the county, but did not specify which facility. The Pines home in Glens Falls is currently battling a large outbreak, according to the Post-Star. Also on Friday, Rensselaer County confirmed another resident of the Diamond Hill nursing home in Schaghticoke has tested positive, bringing the home's known infection count to nine. Three of the infected residents have died. Rensselaer County is one of few local counties that has released facility-specific data. Locally and nationwide, the effort to keep the highly contagious coronavirus out of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities has become increasingly futile. At least 11 facilities in the Capital Region have recorded cases of the virus. Spread has continued weeks after visitors were forbidden from entering the facilities and symptom screening among staff was established. Screening is unlikely to keep out someone who has the virus and is asymptomatic. After days of pressing by the media, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration on Friday released a list of fatality data for specific nursing homes in the state. The list only includes homes with six or more deaths in order to protect privacy, the state said. No Capital Region homes appear on the list, which contains data reported to the state as recently as Wednesday. 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 had tested positive as of Monday. Six have died, according to county public health director Jack Mabb. It's unclear why the facility didn't make the state's list. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The Long Term Care Community Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates for nursing home residents, slammed the state this week for not revealing the names of nursing homes earlier. The organization has long chastised the nursing home industry for not hiring enough staff to adequately staff nursing homes. "Sadly, rather than taking steps to mitigate this harm, New York and other states, as well as the federal government, have inexplicably acted in ways that will increase suffering and death," the organization wrote in a statement Friday morning. "These include: the refusal to provide information on every facility's infections and deaths, the failure to hold nursing homes accountable for safeguarding residents now and permitting (or requiring) facilities to take in COVID-19 patients without having adequate, equipment and other necessary safeguards." Schenectady County manager Rory Fluman, in the county's first Facebook Live event about coronavirus since the pandemic began, said Friday that no residents of the county-run Glendale home have tested positive for the virus. He did not respond to a question about whether staff there have. He also said he would leave it to private nursing homes to decide whether they want to publicly release case and fatality data. "If I have a family member in a nursing home and Ive just heard on the news that there is somebody thats positive there, I immediately as a family member am very, very scared," he said. "So we take the release of information from other nursing homes very seriously." Capital Region cases, new testing sites Albany County opened three new mobile testing sites on Friday at the Bleecker Terrace Apartments and the Whitney Young Health Center in Albany and the Watervliet Health Center in Watervliet. The sites are meant for residents who do not have transportation to get to the state test site at the University at Albany. Appointments are required. Residents should call 518-465-4771. Across the Capital Region, positive test results for COVID-19 climbed past 1,700 on Friday. The known death toll stood at 70. Below is a breakdown of known case counts, hospitalizations, recoveries and deaths across 11 counties in the region, as reported by local counties or the state. Albany 574 cases, 34 hospitalized, 6 adults in ICU, 282 recovered, 20 deaths Columbia 108 cases, 2 suspected, 10 hospitalized, 4 in ICU, 51 recovered, 10 deaths Fulton 27 cases, 2 deaths Greene 90 cases, 48 active, 42 resolved, 5 hospitalized, 3 deaths Montgomery 39 cases, 21 recovered, 2 under medical care, 1 death Rensselaer 174 cases, 64 recovered, 14 hospitalized, 3 in ICU, 6 deaths Saratoga 253 cases, 14 hospitalized, 122 recoveries, 7 deaths Schenectady 295 cases, 28* hospitalized, 89 recoveries, 14 deaths Schoharie 26 cases, 4 hospitalized, 21 recovered, 1 death Warren 84 cases, 4 hospitalized, 54 recovered, 4 deaths Washington 50 cases, 24 recovered, 2 deaths *includes all hospitalizations in county, regardless of patients county of residence Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Friday in wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. In the telephonic conversation, the two leaders discussed the evolving global situation while PM Modi also assured the Egyptian President that India would provide all possible support to ensure the availability of pharmaceutical supplies. Discussed on phone with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi @AlsisiOfficial about the COVID-19 situation in India and Egypt. India will extend all possible support to Egypts efforts to control the spread of the virus and its impact. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 17, 2020 READ | COVID-19 Doubling Rate Improves To 6.2 Days; Growth Rate Declines By 40%: Health Ministry Coronavirus crisis in India The Health Ministry, in its daily briefing on Friday, informed that there have been 1007 new COVID-19 cases and 23 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the tally of confirmed cases and deaths to 13,387 and 437 respectively. While, 1749 patients have recovered, 260 in one day. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi announced an extension of the lockdown on April 14 till May 3 and he also assured that all districts and states will be monitored closely till April 20 and restrictions will be lifted if deemed possible. The Prime Minister also met with the Finance Minister on Thursday and reportedly discussed another stimulus package after the previous package of Rs 1.75 lakh crores. READ | Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Virus' Growth Rate Declines To 1.2 In April; Cases At 13835 In a piece of good news, the Ministry of Health said on Friday also informed that the average growth rate of COVID-19 cases has declined by 40% from mid-March to now while the doubling rate of the disease has gone up to 6.2 days according to data of last seven days. The Ministry further informed that the doubling rate is lower than the national level in 19 States and Union Territories. The recovery rate of COVID-19 patients has also improved to 13.06%. "The average growth factor of cases has been 1.2 from April 1, while during March 15-31, the average growth factor was 2.1. This decline of 40% has occurred due to an increase in testing, including testing of SARI (severe acute respiratory illness) and ILI (influenza like illness) cases," Joint Secretary of Health Lav Agarwal said. He also said India has been doing better than others on outcome ratio the ratio of the number of COVID-19 recoveries vs. number of deaths. "We are making efforts to further improve this ratio," the official said. READ | Dharavi's COVID-19 Tally Crosses 100, 10 Dead Amid BMC's Wide-spread Screening READ | Uttar Pradesh Declares 3 Districts In State As COVID-free, Continues To Take Precautions Hind Shraydeh is very worried about her husband. Ubai Aboudi, an American-Palestinian researcher and director of the Ramallah-based nongovernmental organization Bisan Center for Research and Development, was arrested by Israeli forces at his house in Jerusalems Kufr Aqab neighborhood on Nov. 13, 2019. Aboudi was initially held in administrative detention at the Ofer detention center, and Amnesty International and Nobel Prize scientists around the world circulated a petition calling for his release. Shraydeh told Al-Monitor her husband had breathing problems before his imprisonment and expressed worry about the potential spread of the coronavirus in the overcrowded Israeli detention centers. Ubai is held in unit 22 at the Ofer detention center near Beitunia, where eight people are kept in a small room within an unhealthy prison environment and where at least one coronavirus case has been [confirmed]. Shraydeh said she is concerned about the dangers Palestinian prisoners face. Two Israeli prison guards have the virus, and a Palestinian prisoner released from Ofer has also tested positive. Yet there is little being done to release vulnerable prisoners or even to keep prisoners in touch with their families. Nour al-Deen Sarsour, a Palestinian detainee, was released on March 31 from the same prison where Aboudi is being held. On the same day, Palestinian health officials tested him, and he tested positive for the virus. As a result, nine prisoners who interacted with Sarsour were placed in isolation cells to be quarantined without being tested. According to prisoners in Ofer, other prisoners who interacted with Nour, some who have high temperatures, have not been tested. Shraydeh, who last visited her husband March 1, said that American consulate officials who were briefed on Aboudi's medical condition have not taken the cases of US citizens in Israeli jails seriously. The White House and State Department have called for the release of US citizens around the world due to the coronavirus, but the consular officials in Jerusalem have not followed up on these guidelines from Washington, Shraydeh said, adding that over a month has passed since a US consulate official last visited her husband March 3. "The Department of State takes seriously its responsibility to assist US citizens abroad. Whenever a US citizen is arrested or detained overseas, we stand ready to provide all appropriate consular services, a US Embassy official told Al-Monitor. Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch, told Al-Monitor Israel has an international obligation for the health of the prisoners, and with the coronavirus pandemic, releasing vulnerable prisoners is the right thing to do. Israeli authorities should consider releasing detainees, particularly those at high risk of suffering serious effects of COVID-19; ensure high-quality health care for those who remain detained; and aggressively guard against the threat of the spread in places of detention, he said. Jerusalem-based spokesman for the International Committee for the Red Cross Yehiya Masswadeh confirmed to Al-Monitor that the Geneva-based organization has indeed recommended to Israeli authorities that vulnerable prisoners be released because of the pandemic, including those who are older than 65 or those with serious health conditions. The coronavirus has further complicated the situation for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Military courts are not being held on a regular basis, leaving hundreds in waiting. Prison visits are not allowed because of the coronavirus, promises to allow prisoners to call their families have largely been ignored, and even simple things like sending money to prisoners so they can buy basic cleaning supplies or cigarettes are hampered due to the inability of families to reach a post office to make the needed transfer to the prisoners. Masswadeh said the humanitarian agency has been in talks with Israel about replacing the banned visits with the opportunity to make phone calls. This is a basic right to all and not just to women prisoners, and we will continue to insist on this right, as we have also increased our prison visits with the aim of ensuring that proper health protocols are [being] implemented. General director of Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association Sahar Francis told Al-Monitor that as of March 2020, there were over 5,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, among them 432 held administratively without trial or charge, 183 child prisoners, 43 female prisoners, six elected legislators, and 26 prisoners who had already served 25 years since before the 1993 Oslo Accords. Israel has reportedly put 500 Israeli criminal prisoners under house arrest due to the coronavirus but has not released a single Palestinian political prisoner, including some of the older prisoners, according to Francis. There are older and sick prisoners who are vulnerable and who should be released immediately, Francis said. Former Palestinian Minister of Prisoner Affairs Issa Qaraqe told Al-Monitor that on the occasion of Palestinian Prisoners Day on April 17, supporters around the world are calling for solidarity with Palestinian prisoners and pressing Israel to release some of the 100 prisoners who are over 60 years of age and the 700 sick prisoners as well as 200 child prisoners. Due to the unacceptable health conditions in Israeli jails and as part of Israels obligation for the health and well-being of the Palestinian prison population, releasing some of these vulnerable prisoners is the humane thing to do in order to save them for the real danger of death the coronavirus, Qaraqe said. One Palestinian official who asked not to be identified told Al-Monitor Israel is refusing to release any prisoners, even for humanitarian reasons, in order to use them as bargaining chips in the current prisoner exchange talks with Hamas. The Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council, which is made up of 17 Palestinian nongovernmental organizations, made an urgent request March 23 for the intervention of international organizations to ensure the health and safety of Palestinian prisoners held captive, particularly as many are minors, chronically ill, vulnerable populations or held under administrative detention in contravention of international law. Six Israeli rights organizations wrote to the minister of public security and to the Justice Ministry March 19, demanding that immediate steps be taken to reduce to the minimum number of prisoners and detainees held in Israel in order to protect their health during the pandemic. Shraydeh, forced to play the role of both parents in caring for her three young sons and locked down at home due to the coronavirus, is still hoping that Israel will respond to local US and international requests and free Palestinian prisoners, including her husband. But Israel, which is swamped with its own political problems and with a far right-wing minister of defense Naftali Bennett is highly unlikely to make such a humanitarian gesture, even with the pandemic threatening the lives of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, unless someone in Washington makes a call. That seems highly unlikely at this time. On Thursday, prayers and plea of many social media users were answered after Twitter suspended Kangana Ranaut's sister and manager Rangoli Chandel's account over a controversial tweet regarding the Moradabad stone-pelting incident. In the tweet, Chandel had written that people should be shot dead while referring to the incident wherein a medical team screening coronavirus suspects in Moradabad was attacked by some people. Twitter Chandel used the term "Nazi" in her tweet which was found to be objectionable by many of the users on the medium. According to the policy of the micro-blogging site, tweets that propagate or incite violence, hatred, terrorism, abuse or harassment are subjected to be reported following which Twitter account of the user gets suspended. Angelina Jolie Three people, including a doctor and pharmacist, suffered injuries when stones were pelted at the ambulance carrying a team of medical personnel and police in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad, said Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr SP Garg. Taking cognizance of the incident, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said that the National Security Act (NSA) would be slapped against those responsible for the act. Just one day after the Twitter account got suspended, now a police complaint has been filed against her. Rangoli Chandel/Twitter A Times of India report claims that an advocate, Ali Kaashif Khan has registered a written complaint against her at Amboli Police Station. In his complaint, the advocate has stated that she 'stooped very low' for 'a cheap publicity stunt'. The advocate that during the time when the entire world is battling the COVID 19 pandemic, Rangoli is stooping way too low in order to garner cheap publicity for herself by targeting a specific community on her social media. Earlier some celebs including ace jewelry designer Farah Khan Ali and Sacred Games Actor Kubbra Sait had 'reported' her. My reporting to @twitter @TwitterIndia and @jack against Rangoli Chandels tweet was NOT personal. She can say whatever she wants against me or my fly. I reported her bec she called out on killing Mullahs & liberal media &compared herself to the NAZIS. Contd 1(Next tweet) Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) April 17, 2020 The spread of deadly Covid-19 affects entire branches of economy and industry; the IT is among them Open source Just a few months ago, analysts predicted a 25% to 30% growth for Ukraine's IT industry in 2020. But now this projection is in question as, amidst the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and a global economic downturn caused by it, IT firms will have to focus on retaining their crews and customers who can still afford their services. Ukraine's IT sector accounts for 20% of all service exports and is the third top export industry. In 2019, Ukrainian IT exports amounted to $4.2bn. But repeating that performance this year is impossible. Working remotely The biggest impact of the lockdown restrictions introduced in Ukraine in mid-March was that most IT firms switched to working remotely. Konstantin Vasyuk, executive director of IT Ukraine, an association uniting over 50 companies that are responsible for roughly one half of the Ukrainian IT sector's revenue, told Ekonomichna Pravda that all personnel of the association's member companies were working remotely, except for employees in charge of maintaining the tech infrastructure. PAM Ukraine currently has 98% of employees working remotely, while another local major IT firm, SoftServe, has only 200 people in the office out of its total staff of 7,000. "We continue to provide services to our customers and we have beefed up our communications as openness and proper communications are vital at a time when everyone is isolated from each other," Yuri Antonyuk, head of EPAM in Central and Eastern Europe, was quoted as saying by nv.ua. Business as usual (for now) Industry insiders say they don't expect any short-term layoff or pay cuts, despite the wide-ranging coronavirus pandemic, Ekonomichna Pravda reported. "I can assure you that the remote work mode and flexibility of operation processes have always been typical for the IT sector," Antonyuk said. "An IT specialist works equally effectively remotely and in the office. This means that our customers will feel no difference in our operation processes." "We are constantly monitoring the market situation," added Yaroslav Lyubinets, chairman of the board of SoftServe. "So far, we haven't felt a decline in orders, but some customers are delaying [the] launch of their projects." According to Lyubinets, the head-hunting process at the company hasn't stopped. "A range of specialisations in the contemporary IT industry is broad, and a search for talent will be always needed," he explains. "However, now vacancies will be mostly filled internally or by optimisation of teams." Optimisation in progress Still, the global economic downturn is likely to take its toll on Ukraine's IT industry in the longer term, and companies are already beginning to find ways to cut their expenses. "We haven't yet felt ramifications of the pandemic," Vasyuk says. "Most likely, it will happen over the next two to three months. But companies are already revising and optimising their operations costs, focusing on strategically important goals." "We could estimate scenarios of the crisis' impact on Ukraine's IT industry in a few weeks' time," adds Lyubinets."The impact could be significant." EPAM is already working on cost optimisation, such as negotiating discounts on rent, as some of the company's offices are currently not used at all. Another Ukrainian tech major, Ciklum, is also looking at ways to save on overheads amidst the lockdown regime. "Our teams are re-distributing members between projects," the company's spokesman told nv.ua. While most companies are unwilling to say if they have cut employees' wages or plan to do that in the short term, they hint at possible cuts, as the volume of orders they receive is likely to decline against the backdrop of a global economic downturn. Strategy: survival As the global economy is projected to shrink as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Ukraine's IT companies are likely to face a decline in demand for their products and services, which, in turn, makes the segment's prospects uncertain. "The IT business could successfully cash in under three main scenarios, which are the development of new projects, maintenance of existing systems and resolving short-term urgent issues for their customers," IT entrepreneur Alexander Kardakov was quoted as saying by nv.ua, adding that many investment projects are being put on hold, which is anticipated to have a negative impact on the IT industry. The lockdown measures have also hit IT companies' component supply chains, and many are having trouble obtaining imported components for hardware. A massive switch to remote work may at first sight look like a major opportunity for IT firms, but potential customers are often too cash-strapped to invest in remote-work solutions. "True, the [Ukrainian] IT industry is facing fewer problems than other service industries, like tourism or restaurant business," Kardakov concluded. "But we have to understand that, by the end of the year, problems will imminently arise. The majority of investment projects linked to business development and automatisation have been put on hold already." Read the original article here. The government on Friday permitted export of additional 745 tonne raw sugar under its tariff-rate quota (TRQ) to the US which enables shipments to enjoy relatively low tariff. TRQ is a quota for a volume of exports that enter the US at relatively low tariffs. After the quota is reached, a higher tariff applies on additional imports. "Additional quantity of 745 MTRV (metric tonne raw value) of raw cane sugar, for export to the USA, under TRQ, up to September 30, 2020 has been notified," Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a public notice. With this additional quantity, India has permitted exports of 9,169 tonne of raw sugar to the US under TRQ during US fiscal year 2020. 8,424 tonne was permitted up to September 3, 2019. US fiscal year runs from October to September. India enjoys duty-free sugar exports to the US for up to 10,000 tonnes annually under preferential quota arrangement. India, the world's second biggest producer and the largest consumer of sugar, has a preferential quota arrangement for sugar export with the European Union as well. According to Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) , the country has manufactured 21.58 million tonnes of sugar till March 15 of the ongoing 2019-20 season (October-September), lower than 27.36 million tonnes in the year-ago period. Sugar production in Maharashtra -- the country's largest sugar producing state -- fell to 5.58 million tonnes till March 15, as against 10.08 million tonnes in the same period last year. However, production in Uttar Pradesh, the country's second largest sugar producing state, rose to 8.71 million tonnes so far when compared to 8.41 million tonne a year ago. India has exported 28.68 lakh tonne of sugar so far in the current marketing year ending September on the back of assistance offered by the government to boost shipments, according to All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA). India exported sugar to 58 countries, but 65 per cent of the total shipments were to Iran, Somalia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The country had exported 38 lakh tonne during the 2018-19 marketing year. According to the food ministry, the sugar production is estimated at 273 lakh tonne in 2019-20 as against domestic consumption of 260 lakh tonnes. In the previous year, sugar output was 331 lakh tonne as compared to 259 lakh tonne domestic demand. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Oklahoma woman has been accused of making a terrorist hoax after she pretended to cough and sneeze on an officer, telling him she had COVID-19. Ponca City police were called to the home of Cecilia Flores' after receiving calls that she was drunk on April 2. 'There was an intoxicated female that was trying to get in a vehicle and leave,' Ponca City Police Department Captain Randy Tyner explained to NBC 15. Scroll down for video Ponca City police were called to the home of Cecilia Flores' after receiving calls that she was drunk on April 2 Flores was charged with making a terroristic hoax As police resolved the issue and prepared to leave, Torres tried to shake officer's hand. 'I appreciate you sir,' Torres says to the officer. He quickly retorts: 'I'm not shaking your hand.' As the officer tries to explain to the woman that he can't shake her hand because of the coronavirus, the woman begins to mockingly sneeze and cough. 'Are you kidding me?' the officer asks. She asserts: 'I got it. What's up?' Officers were left speechless by the woman's actions. As the officer tries to explain to the woman that he can't shake her hand because of the coronavirus, the woman begins to mockingly sneeze and cough 'So do you actually have a positive diagnosis of COVID-19?' an officer asked. Flores denies having the disease and officers then discuss whether to detain her. She was then arrested for her actions. 'It's this threat of spreading this highly contagious virus,' Tyner said. 'It was an unfortunate incident, but it needed to be addressed.' Popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal popularity known as KWAM 1 De Ultimate, has denied having any sexual affair with Olori Badirat Ajoke, one of the wives of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III. There have been reports circulating the social media about the alleged affair between the music icon and the wife of the king. However, in a statement by Kunle Rasheed, KWAM 1s media adviser, the musician denied the allegation and promised to take legal actions against the mastermind of the allegation. Let me categorically state that the rumour is a lie concocted from the pit of hell by those whose aim is to drag into the mud, the name of K1 De Ultimate and ultimately that of the most revered kingdom in Yoruba land. These agents of Lucifer have continued in their warped delusions to see K1 go to the ground just for being conferred with the title of Mayegun of Yoruba land, Rasheed said. Rasheed in the statement also made it known that legal action could be taken against the author of the fake news. He said: New Delhi: Net leasing of office space fell 37 per cent during January-March period to nearly 7.4 million sq ft across eight major cities as corporates deferred their decision to hire workspace amid global economic slowdown caused by COVID-19, according to Cushman & Wakefield. According to the data, the net absorption of office space declined to 73,98,041 sq ft during the first three months of this year from 1,16,55,242 sq ft in the corresponding period of the last year. "The net absorption in Q1 2020 stands at 7.40 million sq ft, which is lower by 22.6 per cent on a quarterly basis and 36.5 per cent lower on a yearly basis as transaction slippage impacted the leasing momentum towards the end of the quarter," C&W said in its quarterly report. "The year started off with great momentum continuing from the last quarter of 2019. But by the end of Q1, the headwinds from global economic slowdown on the back of COVID-19 pandemic saw activity tapering off," said Anshul Jain, Managing Director South East Asia and India, C&W. However, he expected the leasing activities to pick up later this year. Office space leasing dropped in five cities out of eight covered in this report. As per the data, Bengaluru, the biggest commercial real estate market in India, saw 45 per cent decline in net office leasing at 26,26,452 sq ft during January-March 2020 from 47,95,916 sq ft in the year ago period. Office space demand in Hyderabad plunged 69 per cent to 8,91,613 sq ft from 28,55,480 sq ft. Pune, too, saw 49 per cent drop in leasing at 1,73,026 sq ft, while Chennai recorded 42 per cent lower leasing volume at 2,03,790 sq ft. Net office space leasing in Mumbai was down 26 per cent to 8,61,580 sq ft. However, Delhi-NCR market saw 18 per cent growth in net leasing of office space to 15,97,003 sq ft. Similarly, Kolkata and Ahmedabad reported 36 per cent and 29 per cent rise in office demand, respectively. While 4,77,638 sq ft of net office space was absorbed in Kolkata, the figure stood at 5,66,939 sq ft in Ahmedabad. Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest real estate services firms with approximately 53,000 employees in 400 offices and 60 countries. In 2019, the firm had revenue of USD 8.8 billion across core services of property, facilities and project management, leasing, capital markets, valuation and other services. US President Donald Trumps administration is urging an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, saying that the US doesnt rule out that it came from a laboratory researching bats in Wuhan. Chinas foreign ministry hit back saying the World Health Organization (WHO) has said there is no evidence that the coronavirus was made in a lab. The fresh row erupted a day after Trump announced a hold on US funding for the WHO as it had failed in its duties, after which China said it would make up for the lack of American financing to the global health body. Trump, asked about the laboratory theory on Wednesday, said that more and more, were hearing the story and that the US was doing a very thorough investigation. Trump has repeatedly blamed China and the WHO. Beijing has said that the virus was likely transmitted to humans late last year at a Wuhan wet market that butchered exotic animals . But The Washington Post and Fox News quoted anonymous sources who voiced concern that SARS-CoV-2 may have come accidentally from a sensitive bioresearch centre in the metropolis. Were 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, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo told Fox News. He did not reject the reports and said that the US 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 had happened in this place. 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 saying US troops may have brought it to Wuhan. Neither Fox News nor The Washington Post said 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. Fox News said that patient zero may have been infected by a bat at the laboratory and gone into the population in Wuhan. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian insisted that the WHOs officials have said multiple times there is no evidence the new coronavirus was created in a laboratory. As the coronavirus (COVID-19) physical distancing effort continues, more and more local organizations and groups are meeting online via Facebook and video conferencing applications to watch movies, network and hear music. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Prom 2020:All dressed up, nowhere to go April 22 Celebrate Earth Day with virtual community yoga Local yoga studio Shaka Power Yoga will present a free virtual yoga class online from 6-7 p.m. on April 22. Online registration is required via a link from the studios Facebook page. The class will start promptly on time, and participants are encouraged to exercise outdoors weather permitting. Attendees will receive a one-week free access to the studios online platforms. Learn more and register at https://www.facebook.com/shakapoweryogatx Sing along with a princess online The Boardwalk Towne Lake presents a free virtual sing-along event from 6:30-7 p.m. on April 22, presented by Texas Childrens Specialty Care. During the online event broadcast on the destinations Facebook page, Disney princesses Belle, Ariel and Rapunzel will encourage participants to sing along to hit Disney songs. Kids are encouraged to dress up as their favorite prince or princess. Learn more and tune in at https://www.facebook.com/BoardwalkTL. StoneBridge Church presents prayer nights online StoneBridge Church in The Woodlands presents a Live Stream Prayer Night every Wednesday including April 22 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Facebook Live. Each Wednesday, different pastors and staff from the church will lead the service for a night of prayer, short devotional, worship and an opportunity for everyone to check-in with each other. Learn more and tune in at www.facebook.com/gostonebridge. April 25 Shop Fur Paws presents live online tutorial craft Old Town Spring retailer Shop Fur Paws is offering a free live tutorial focused on a crafting activity you can do with your dog from 2 to 3 p.m. on April 25. The live tutorial will show how to use the shops home paw print kit (available for purchase from their website for $14.99) to make a treasured keepsake featuring your dogs paw print. Learn more and tune in at https://www.facebook.com/shopfurpaws. Tomball Farmers Market reopens with safety rules After closing for the first few Saturdays during the pandemic, the Tomball Farmers Market reopened April 11 and will continue to be open each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market will feature fewer vendors to allow for proper physical distancing between booths. A handwashing station will be on site and vendors will be sanitizing their stations at least every hour. Visitors are encouraged to wear masks and stay six feet apart, and to only send one family member from each household to the market. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/tomballfarmersmarket. April 26 Drive-in worship service offered in Magnolia Servanthood Fellowship in Magnolia will continue its drive-in worship service from 10 to 11:30 a.m. every Sunday including April 26. Attendees are encouraged to stay in their cars and crack their windows to hear worship songs and the message. Servanthood Fellowship is located at 14310 FM 1488 in Magnolia. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/ServanthoodFellowship. Church offers coffee hour for its community The Church of the Good Shepherd in Tomball is offering a virtual coffee hour from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on April 26. The virtual meeting will be through the app Zoom, and a link to the meeting is available on the churchs Facebook page. Learn more and tune in at https://www.facebook.com/GoodShepherdTomball. Church broadcasts its service on all its channels Local Church in Tomball presents an online Sunday Service from 10:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Sunday including April 26. The service will be broadcast on the churchs social media channels, its website and its app. Learn more and tune in at www.localchurch.tv. Salem Lutheran broadcasts service every Sunday Salem Lutheran Church in Tomball presents an online worship service every Sunday including April 26 beginning at 10:30 a.m. The service will begin with a message for kids followed by the churchs regular worship format beginning at 10:45 a.m. each broadcast. The services will be broadcast at www.salem4u.com. Unitarian Universalist church presents services on Zoom The Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Church in The Woodlands is broadcasting its church services on Zoom every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. including on April 26. The inclusive church online worship experience will be followed with time to check in and connect with each other. All ages welcome. Learn more and tune in at www.facebook.com/NorthwoodsUU. April 27 LEGO lovers gather for weekly challenge Every Monday at 10:30 a.m., including April 27, the Tomball Community Library presents an online LEGO challenge of the week for kids on the librarys Facebook page. Each week, a librarian shows off one of their LEGO builds and encourages the audience to post photos of their builds to the Facebook page. Learn more and tune in at www.facebook.com/tomballlibrary. Entertainment roundup is a weekly feature compiled by freelance writer Brandon Moeller. Send entertainment submissions to Brandon at moellerbrandon@gmail.com Tunisian President Kais Saied has underlined Tuniss unified position with UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli after his defense minister tagged the fragile Libyan government as militia, reports say. Tension has emerged this week between Tunisia and Libyan after Tunisian defense minister, Imed Hazgui, in comments to a local TV station, called forces aligned with the Tripoli government militias. The reaction to the comments, the GNA reportedly issued a statement condemning Hazgui. Saied and GNA leader Faiez Serraj both reportedly Wednesday a telephone conversation to dissipate any crisis that might arise from Hazguis remarks. Tunisia is committed as always to the respect of legitimacy and the law as our basis, in reference to the UN recognition of the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, Saieds office said April 15 following the telephone conversation. The statements in discordance with this stance have either been misinterpreted or were circulated with the aim of suggesting that the Tunisian position has changed, it added. Tunisia and Libya are two countries of one single people and who share a common future. The GNA since its establishment in Tripoli, in 2016, has been struggling to impose its rule as it faces opposition from east-based and Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia, France, Russia and U.S-backed retired Gen. Khalifa Haftar. Both sides have been embroiled in military fight after Haftar launched last year an offensive to ouster the UN-backed government that he accused of being controlled by Islamists and terrorists. Tunisia initially refused to take side after Turkey which backs the GNA, early this year sought to convince Saied to allow the use of his country as base for Turkish attacks against Haftar forces. 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. Health Minister Robin Swann has said staff must be supported with proper equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. Yesterday he visited Kircubbin Health Centre in Co Down to meet with staff delivering personal protective equipment (PPE) direct to domiciliary care workers. There has been criticism about the availability of PPE to key workers. Earlier this week GP leaders in Belfast said the system is now in crisis due to a shortfall in equipment, particularly masks and aprons. Yesterday Patricia McKeown from the health workers' union Unison said its members are still reporting inadequate supplies of PPE. The South Eastern Trust has established a PPE delivery service, travelling to various points across the trust area. Officials said the service makes it easier for domiciliary care workers to get the PPE they need. Mr Swann said: "Ensuring frontline staff get the right PPE is a priority. The establishment of this collection point by the South Eastern Trust on the Ards Peninsula means that domiciliary care workers can collect what they need, when they need it." Mr Swann added: "Domiciliary care workers play an important role in all our communities, looking after and caring for our most vulnerable. "It's important that they are supported to do their job throughout this pandemic." Alastair Fitzsimons, domiciliary care manager in the South Eastern Trust said: "We are committed to supporting vulnerable people in their homes, and to supporting our community teams in the valuable work they do to provide the care required." Neighbours spent a night behind bars and were fined in court after throwing an all-day house party during the coronavirus lockdown. Jamie Sparrow, 28, and Helen Bent, 32, were among six people, including a young child, who were found blaring music until 11pm at a semi-detached house in Bolton on Wednesday. Police were called to the house and found people from a number of different households enjoying a barbecue in breach of social distancing rules. Father-of-one Sparrow told officers he could 'do what he wants' when they tried to disperse the gathering and another row broke out when Bent launched a torrent of abuse at the nurse living nearby who reported them. Mother-of-three Bent defied orders to leave and shouted at the nurse, branding her a 'fat f***ing s***'. Both spent a night in the cells before appearing at Manchester Magistrates Court yesterday. Jamie Sparrow, 28, and Helen Bent, 32, (pictured together outside Manchester Magistrates Court on Thursday) were fined 250 and 120 respectively for throwing an all-day house party in Bolton The judge was told police had been called to the party earlier in the day, but despite a warning, the gathering continued late into the evening. When officers returned at 11pm, they found six people still inside the house including a young child. After being told to leave, Bent stormed back inside the house and turned up the volume on the music while shouting 'party'. Laura Keegan, prosecuting, said Sparrow, who works as a care worker at a children's home, then started behaving in an 'aggressive and argumentative' manner towards officers, who were forced to restrain him. The court heard the father-of-one did not 'seem to understand what social distancing is' even when officers tried to explain it to him. Ms Keegan added: 'He told police he would do whatever he wants, when he wants. He said he was allowed to have a house party.' Defending the pair, Joseph Foxler said Sparrow had consumed two glasses of rum, but was not a regular drinker. Bent (left) and Sparrow (right) are pictured outside Manchester Magistrates Court on Thursday holding their belongings after spending a night in police cells Bent (pictured) is a mother-of-three and a care worker at a children's home Bent had drunk eight cans of Carling in the build-up to the incident, but was said not to be drunk. The pair pleaded guilty to charges of a breach of peace and contravening a requirement as to restriction of movement. District Judge John McGarva lamented Sparrow and Bent for 'flagrantly ignoring' social distancing measures. He added: 'We have been given clear advice to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. 'These rules are there for a good reason. I find your conduct to be quite breathtaking and arrogant. 'You have put people's lives at risk by ignoring the government's guidance and wasted police time.' Bent and Sparrow were fined 120 and 250 respectively. Both were ordered to pay 119 in costs. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 21:36:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Prefectural governors in Japan on Friday called on the central government to pay compensation to businesses that will now have to halt their activities after the state of emergency declared over COVID-19 was expanded to cover the entire nation. The National Governors' Association, at a meeting convened online, suggested that as well as paying compensation, the central government should also provide subsidies to the tune of 1 trillion yen (9.3 billion U.S. dollars) for local governments. In turn, the governors said they would be able to provide fiscal support to companies complying with requests to shutter their operations through May 6, when the state of emergency is slated to end. The governors also urged the central government to do its utmost to try and ensure that the public do not travel to their hometowns or elsewhere during the upcoming Golden Week string of national holidays amid mounting concerns of the further spread of the coronavirus in Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency for the entire country on Thursday extending the order beyond the original seven prefectures covered by the initial declaration made on April 7. Due to the expanded emergency declaration, prefectural governors can now request people to work at home and refrain from going outside as much as possible, except to buy food and medicine, as well as visit hospitals if necessary. Under the nationwide declaration, places where people typically gather in large groups may be required to halt their activities. Enditem The Nature Institute sets winter events GODFREY The Nature Institutes (TNI) hiking trails at 2213 South Levis Lane in Godfrey may be... Snow possible this weekend, 3-6 inches predicted The National Weather Service says the chance of snow Friday night into Saturday is 60 to 70... Cruise liner Ruby Princess sits in the harbour in Port Kembla on April 6, 2020. (Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images) NSW Launches Ruby Princess Inquiry An inquiry has been established after weeks of calls by officials to answer questions about why passengers were allowed off the Ruby Princess cruise ship without completing health checks, despite an outbreak of the CCP virus onboard. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has pledged to do all that she can to get to the bottom of it. As I have said before, we will leave no stone unturned until we find out exactly what happened, Berejiklian said at a press conference. The Special Commissions inquiry will be led by senior counsel Bret Walker, who will be given extraordinary powers to probe all the NSW agencies involved. This will include state and federal departments like the NSW border force, NSW emergency services, and the Federal Department of Agriculture. [Walker] is an eminent barrister, he knows and is aware of the powers he has. Its a matter for him on how he proceeds, Berejiklian told reporters on April 15. Walker led the 2007 Special Commissions inquiry into the Sydney Ferry services. Most recently, he is known for representing Cardinal George Pell who was acquitted by the High Court of Australia of sexually assaulting two teenaged choirboys in the 1990s, freeing the 78-year-old cardinal after 404 days in jail. As well as investigating decisions made by medical staff, and communications between departments, the terms of reference state that Walker is free to look into any other related matters that he may deem appropriate. There are also ongoing police and state coroner investigations relating to the Ruby Princess. The Special Commissions inquiry will have four months to submit its report. Berejiklian said that the quickest path to answers is through a powerful and independent inquiry. The Ruby Princess cruise ship accounts for one-third of Australias confirmed national cases. Statistics show that at 2,897 confirmed cases (as of April 17), NSW accounts for about 45 percent of Australias confirmed cases of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus. The number of people testing positive for the coronavirus in South Dakota has surpassed 1,100 and more than half of those cases have some connection to the Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in Sioux Falls. Health officials said on April 15 that 180 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in the previous day, bringing the statewide total to 1,168 cases. A total of 934 cases were in Minnehaha County, the location of the Smithfield Foods plant. The plant is one of the largest known clusters of COVID-19 cases in the country. As of Wednesday, 644 people with connections to the plant were infected. That number includes 518 employees, including one who died on Tuesday morning. Agustin Rodriguezs pastor confirmed his death to The Associated Press. It appeared Rodriguezs death was not included in state figures released Wednesday: The state has said the number of deaths has held steady at six since April 7. Despite the growing number of cases, Gov. Kristi Noem said that the states efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus are working. Sioux Falls is expected to see its number of cases peak in mid-May, while the rest of the state is expected to see a peak in mid-June. We are going to continue to recommend all of our mitigation efforts, she said. What you are doing at home by staying at home and making sure you are practicing social distancing is making a difference. Noem said she has been talking with Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and officials from the Smithfield Foods plant to work on a plan for getting it up and running again. Officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control are in Sioux Falls and plan to walk through the plant Thursday. She said officials recognize the plants importance in the nations food supply, and getting it up and running is a national security issue. Meanwhile, absent a statewide stay-at-home order, the mayor of Sioux Falls is pursuing a city-wide shelter-in-place ordinance to try to curb the outbreak in his city. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are among those particularly susceptible to more severe illness, including pneumonia. A total of 329 people have recovered from the coronavirus statewide. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics COVID-19 South Dakota Ryan Jarvi 517-335-7666 Attorney General The following release has been updated to clarify that Sparrow Hospital has no relationship with the business being investigated by the Attorney Generals office. April 17, 2020 LANSING Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessels office sent a cease and desist letter to a Wyoming business for price-gouging and misrepresenting the types of face masks it was attempting to sell to an anesthesiologist working at a Lansing-area hospital, among other violations of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act (MCPA). Meanwhile, the number of price-gouging complaints reported to the Attorney Generals office as of 7 a.m. today was more than 3,500. The letter was sent Monday to Seek Everest LLC after the Attorney Generals office received a complaint from an anesthesiologist who is employed with an independent anesthesiology provider group. Though formed as a business entity in Wyoming, Seek Everest transacts business online and does not reveal its true base of operations. The business was attempting to sell the medical employee face masks advertised as having the N-95 designation, which is assigned by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC). However, the masks are actually being imported from China and might not offer the same protections as the N-95 versions. The company also indicated the masks were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are medically sterile, providing a false sense of security to the consumer. The sellers website interchangeably refers to the masks as N-95s and KN-95s, the latter of which are of particular concern due to the number of counterfeit face masks coming from China. The FDA has been reluctant to approve any masks coming from China and only just recently announced its willingness to consider such imports for approval. The Attorney Generals letter also explains it appears Seek Everest is operating a drop-shipping business, but is trying to make consumers believe it is a manufacturer of goods. Drop-shippers create websites to collect payments from consumers, and then simply order the product from another company to have it shipped to the consumer. Often, this is done at a substantial mark-up, which means the consumer is also being price-gouged. The Attorney Generals office has issued a consumer alert on ways people can protect themselves from drop-shipping scams. The Attorney Generals office attempted to contact the company for more information on its manufacturer and model of the face masks being sold, but no response has been offered. The anesthesiologists complaint was corroborated by 16 additional consumer complaints about Seek Everest that were obtained by the Attorney Generals office from the Better Business Bureau. A majority of those complaints focus on Chinese-manufactured ski pants that Seek Everest sold to consumers. Many of the ski pants were defective or did not match the sizes listed on the website, and Seek Everest denied refunds or other assistance when contacted by purchasers. Price-gouging, misrepresentation of goods and services, attempting to mislead or deceive customers, and failing to provide refunds appropriately this all adds up to illegal activity under Michigan law and I wont tolerate it, Nessel said. This business appears to have a poor track record, and now it is potentially putting Michiganders lives at risk by selling face masks under false pretenses. This type of behavior is not only unlawful, its morally reprehensible and it must stop. Seek Everest has 10 days to provide the Attorney Generals office with assurances of voluntary compliance. The company must agree to not sell or market any products to Michigan consumers, and provide the office with contact information for anyone in Michigan who purchased masks from the company. The Attorney Generals office could move forward with a formal investigation or take steps toward filing a civil lawsuit. Since it began tracking them in early March, the Attorney Generals office has received 3,541 price-gouging complaints related to COVID-19 as of Tuesday morning. That includes 1,638 complaints received through its website and 1,903 taken by phone through its Consumer Protection tip line. Consumers can file a complaint online or by calling the tip line at 877-765-8388. Hours of operation are between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Note: Sparrow Hospital, Lansings largest hospital, shows no prior or current record of doing business of any kind with the entity being investigated. South Africa: Gauteng calls on suppliers to register on PPE database In a bid to streamline and fast track COVID-19 related procurement processes, the Gauteng Health Department has urged suppliers of personal protective equipment (PPE) to register on its database. Through a portal by the provincial Health Department, suppliers can indicate to the department what items they can provide. Attention is drawn to the National Treasury Instruction Note 8 of 2019-2020, which suppliers must familiarise themselves with, as it gives a guide on prices. As a department, we remain committed to empowering local manufacturers, BEE compliant business and business owned by designated groups - women, youth, township-based, people with disability and military veterans, said Gauteng Health. The department said this forms part of an important vehicle to contribute towards rebuilding the provincial economy. It should be noted that registration on the database does not in any manner or form waive the requirements for compliance outlined in the Central Supplier Database (CSD) and this database is meant strictly for those who provide PPE material, said the provincial Department. When completing the form, suppliers must indicate the category of PPE they are able to supply. The main categories are as follows: Respiratory PPE (face masks / surgical masks, FFP2 masks box/pc, N95 masks); Hand washing PPE (sanitiser bottles, gloves box/pc); Face PPE (goggles units, visors); Body and other PPE (disposable gowns box/pc, caps box/pc, boots / overshoes, white plastic aprons, jumpsuit/coveralls) and Tools (Swabs units, Red Bags / Biohazard, Thermometer, ventilators, etc) Catering (meals at quarantine site). To register, interested parties can visit covid19.gauteng.gov.za and click on the PPE supplier menu to access the electronic form. It is important that all fields are completed. Should any difficulties be encountered, an enquiry can be send to covid19_ppe@gauteng.gov.za. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Three Missoula City Council members sent a letter Wednesday expressing strong opposition to a City of Missoula plan to purchase a motel on West Broadway, saying they were concerned that the city was overpaying and about meth contamination, among other things. Then on Thursday, the Missoula Redevelopment Agencys board of directors listened to city officials respond to most of the concerns brought up in the letter and voted unanimously to approve spending $1.1 million in Tax Increment Financing to buy the Sleepy Inn Motel for use as a "non-congregate" quarantine shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic. The city plans to use the motel to house people who need to isolate but don't have a place to do so. Mayor John Engen and city officials pushed back on the allegations and concerns raised by the three council members, saying they had negotiated a good price for the property. City officials said they looked at real estate market comparables and talked with an appraiser in determining a fair price. But the city did not pay for the property to be appraised. In the long run, the city intends to redevelop the site for use as low-income housing. The purchase will still have to be approved by the full council at its 7 p.m. meeting Monday, April 20. The criticism to date is we shouldnt be using TIF money for this project, but this is exactly what TIF should be used for, Engen told the MRA board. Another criticism of TIF is its corporate welfare, a notion with which I do not agree, but this benefits the lowest-income members of our community and will provide long-term benefits to our low-income community. City council member Jesse Ramos called the whole plan "half-baked." "We dont have a feasibility study," he said. "Were overpaying for it. This piggy-bank MRA fund needs to be used as a $1.1 million TIF remittance. Give it back to county schools, the fire department, give some property tax relief. We dont need a hotel. Ellen Leahy, the director of the Missoula City-County Public Health Department, has said the city sorely needs a non-congregate shelter as a place where people can quarantine if theyre homeless or in a high-risk health group or have families they dont want to infect. The citys plan is to temporarily operate the 34-room motel as a non-congregate shelter, have 75% of the operations reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Administration, then develop affordable housing when the time is right. On Wednesday, council members Ramos (Ward 4), John Contos (Ward 5) and Sandra Vasecka (Ward 6) penned a letter to the MRA, the mayor, the city council and the media saying they absolutely do not support this irresponsible decision to purchase the motel. We personally see this as an example of never letting a good crisis going to waste, they wrote. All signs point to COVID-19 hopefully ending in the next couple of months, meaning that the long-term effects and intentions of the Sleepy Inn Motel purchase are not that of COVID-19. Using this as an excuse to purchase something that would otherwise receive even more scrutiny is not acceptable The three council members first alleged that they have not yet seen any evidence of any municipality in the United States using the COVID-19 crisis to purchase a hotel/motel. Eran Pehan, the director of the citys Office of Housing and Community Development, said on Thursday that King County (Seattle) in Washington state and Travis County (Austin) Texas both have either purchased or are in the process of purchasing hotels for use as quarantine shelters. The purchase of hotels and motels is becoming more of a tool for communities, she said. When King County purchased a hotel, and this tool ended up being instrumental for managing community transmission (of COVID-19) within this (homeless) population." She said Seattle bought the 84-room motel for use as a quarantine shelter, much like Missoula plans to do. That early response was able to dramatically reduce community transmission amongst the homeless community, she said. So Missoula is in a good position. Ramos, Vasecka and Contos also said theyre concerned that the building might have meth contamination. Pehan also responded to that concern. The reality is youd be hard-pressed to find any motel or hotel (without some contamination), she said. Its on money, its on the soles of shoes. Its kind of permeated the community. Its kind of a regular aspect of property management. But in the absence of a clandestine lab, cleanup is uncomplicated. It involves removing contaminated items like carpet, and because each unit has independent heating and cooling units, exposure in one room doesnt expose them all. She said Missoula has access to federal grants that could help as well. Ellen Buchanan, the director of the MRA, said the local health department, fire department and building inspection department officials have looked at most of the rooms and determined that they were in better condition than we had dreamed. She said they havent inspected rooms that are still occupied by long-term tenants. Buchanan and the mayor defended their decision not to have the property appraised, saying it would have pushed the closing out a month and a half under the best of circumstances. The city hopes to close the deal on April 27 or sooner and get to work sanitizing the rooms. Ramos, Contos and Vasecka also said they enlisted the help of two real estate professionals whom they didnt name. They said the professionals determined that because a nearby property sold last year for $65 per square foot, the Sleepy Inn would be worth about $650,000 at that price. The city council members also noted that the Sleepy Inn was offered for sale six years ago for $675,000. Ramos said he found that the price was still being offered three years ago, and he believes the city had "more than enough time" for an appraisal. At the time the owner was so desperate to get rid of it they were willing to offer owner financing on it, the council members wrote. This price is close to half of what the city is now paying for it after six years of wear and tear in the middle of an economic recession. It is also worth noting that the taxable value of the hotel is roughly $400,000 less than the value the MRA plans to spend. It is our strong recommendation that the City gets at least two commercial appraisals. Mayor John Engen was curt when asked about that concern on Thursday. My response to that is it was six years ago, much has changed, he said. "Weve got a credible appraiser who gave it his best shot and credible real estate agent market comps. We're perfectly comfortable with the price. The Sleepy Inn is located right next to the Russell Street Bridge area, which is in the final phases of a $29 million upgrade. Weve arrived at a price we think is equitable for that property, Buchanan said. She said a conversation with a commercial real estate appraiser showed that the price the city is paying is comparable to what other small motels are selling for. But Ramos wasn't buying the city's arguments. "Name one other business value that has doubled in six years," he said. He also talked with the appraiser the MRA called and believes the city is overstating how long an appraisal would take. Ramos also took issue with the fact that the city's conversation with that appraiser was never specific to the Sleepy Inn property. The Missoulian also spoke with the appraiser, who noted that in theory, a commercial appraisal of a motel could be completed in "two weeks to a month." One concerned citizen, Jon Beal, commented to oppose the plan. He expressed concern that a property in a prime location that is currently paying $13,000 in annual property taxes will be taken off the tax rolls. He believed that money will have to be made up by other business owners. Ramos on Thursday sent Buchanan and the media an email saying she misrepresented the extent of her conversation with the appraiser. Buchanan responded by saying she did not misrepresent anything and will address the issue at Monday night's city council meeting. Ramos said he thinks the city should just rent the motel. We need to have a business plan, he said. Nobody would do this deal. Nobody at all. Its other peoples money (the city) is using. It doesnt come out of the sky. It comes out of peoples pockets. In Urban Renewal Districts in Missoula, the property taxes from new development are diverted away from the citys general fund and instead used by the MRA Board for projects inside those districts. The Sleepy Inn is located within Urban Renewal District II. The Tax Increment Financing dollars have been used for everything from sidewalks to affordable housing in the past, and have also been remitted back to the citys general fund during budget crunch years. Leahy said that the Health Department has rented motel/hotel rooms in Missoula over the past month, trying to isolate about 30 individuals who were awaiting COVID-19 test results, and had mixed results. She said a few people left their rooms and one person invited people into the room. Another person was not allowed in the hotel due to past behavior. She said the department is looking at ways to fund a security guard to make sure things like that dont happen. The City and the County are still hammering out an agreement on how to pay for the other 25% of the costs associated with running the non-congregate shelter. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 2 Sad 2 Angry 24 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The very next day, when we got to Iwo, there was no palace. The palace didnt even have a roof. There was no palace. We were staying in one Barrister Atandas home. Hes also based in the UK, he can attest to this. There was no palace, there was no royalty, there was nothing. 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. 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). 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. 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 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. 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 bodys immune system and ability to battle infections. 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 havent 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. LIMITS OF TESTING 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. 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. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe 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. Here's more fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic: To avoid further spread of the virus, the state prison system wants to disable CPAP machines used by inmates with sleep apnea and other conditions. But inmates who rely on the machines -- and a prominent expert -- say that's a bad idea. "The logic doesn't make sense," said Kerry Roberts, an inmate at the California Institution for Men in Chino who says he has severe obstructive sleep apnea. "I stop breathing in my sleep." The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) stresses that the program is voluntary, and that it will not disable CPAP's that are deemed "medically critical." In those cases, and in instances in which an inmate opts to keep using the device, the CDCR says it will take other precautionary steps, including moving the individual to single-cell housing. Despite the CDCR's insistence that inmates don't have to stop using their CPAP's if they don't want to, Roberts and two other current and former inmates told us staff at the prison gave inmates who use the devices a verbal ultimatum last week: either sign a form allowing staff to disable their CPAP or risk being transferred to another institution. icon DON'T MISS ANY L.A. CORONAVIRUS NEWS Get our daily newsletters for the latest on COVID-19 and other top local headlines. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy "It seemed [like] kind of a lightweight, veiled threat," said Roberts, who's been behind bars for 13 years for robbery and burglary. "Like if you want to stay here and continue your job and you're getting your credits and all that, you've got to sign off on this." After consulting with his wife, Roberts declined. He said so far he hasn't suffered any repercussions. The prison says there won't be any. "We are not punishing those who did not volunteer to assist in the reduction of potential COVID-19 spread," spokesman Lt. Tom Lopez said in a statement. 'UNDER DURESS, WE HAVE TO SIGN IT' John Blagg, another inmate at Chino, says he uses a CPAP because he has coronary artery disease and has had three heart attacks. He said staff told him he risked losing his job or being transferred to another prison if he didn't sign. "They said, oh we don't need them, it's not dangerous to take away," Blagg told us. "Well then, why did you give them to us? My cardiologist said it's very important." But faced with the possibility of losing his job and moving to an unknown prison, Blagg said, "of course, under duress, we have to sign it." Blagg, who's serving a four-and-a-half year sentence for a DUI that caused great bodily injury, said most of the prisoners in his dorm who use CPAPs signed away their use of the device. Prison staff came and removed the machines' power cords, rendering them inoperable. Joe Anderson, who was released from Chino on parole last week, told us he witnessed the staff interaction with Blagg. "There's a lot of guys here that have health problems," he said. 'Why are they doing this?" Neither prison spokesman Lopez nor CDCR spokeswoman Dana Simas answered our question as to whether inmates have been told they could be transferred or lose jobs or good time credits if they refused to disable their CPAPs. 'THE POTENTIAL TO EXPOSE A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE' A CPAP delivers a constant flow of pressurized air that allows the user to breathe normally as they sleep. Simas told us the state prison system is limiting the use of "aerosol-generating procedures" like CPAPs because of their potential to spray droplets into the air. That's especially risky in a dorm setting, "which has the potential to expose a large number of people," she said. That risk, Simas added, outweighs the risk of temporarily taking someone off a CPAP. After we first published this story, Simas noted in an email that the CPAP policy was "reviewed and agreed upon by multiple medical experts within our system and the Federal Receiver appointed to oversee healthcare within the institutions." She provided us with the form inmates are asked to sign that permits the prison to disable their CPAP by removing its electrical cords. The form says inmates can notify medical staff to request the return of the cords. As of Thursday, 81 state prison staffers and 69 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19, according to a live tracker maintained by the CDCR. The majority of these cases are at the prison in Chino. Nearly 600 inmates across the system have been tested for COVID-19. INCREASED ODDS OF A HEART ATTACK OR STROKE "It doesn't make sense to take everybody's machine away," said Dr. Richard Castriotta, a pulmonary critical care and sleep medicine specialist with Keck Medicine of USC. The prison system's concern about spreading COVID-19 through a CPAP is valid if the person using the machine tests positive for the virus and doesn't have a "good seal" on the device's oxygen mask, said Castriotta, who's an internationally-known pioneer in the field of sleep medicine, according to his USC bio. "Most of that evidence comes from the SARS epidemic," he said. But Castriotta said the increased odds of a heart attack or stroke for someone who stops using the machine is a greater risk. Seventy percent of people who have a stroke have sleep apnea, he said. "It's sort of like having people with high blood pressure and just taking their pills away," Castriotta said. "Missing a few days isn't going to make much difference, but if you take it away permanently, you'll put those people at risk for adverse consequences." Roberts, Blagg and Anderson told us the effort to disable CPAPs was especially troubling given the fact that at least 20 men were moved into their dorm from another dorm that was being converted into an area to quarantine exposed inmates. "They're crowding 200 people into a dorm," Anderson said. "There's no such thing as social distancing in these dorms. And a lot of guys are getting sick right now." CDCR spokeswoman Simas said she couldn't comment on the status of a particular housing unit within a specific institution. Castriotta acknowledged that prisons are in a "tough situation" as they try to contain the spread of COVID-19. But the risk of a CPAP machine is "negligible compared to the risk that they're all breathing each other's air all the time anyway," he told us. The best thing prisons can do, Castriotta said, is reduce crowding and separate dorms. Anderson, now staying in Northern California with John Blagg's family, said he's constantly worried for his friends on the inside. "I feel like I got out alive," he said. UPDATES: April 17 at 10:15 a.m.: This article was updated to include the information that inmates are allowed to request the return of the CPAP's power cord. That information was inadvertently left out of the original version. We regret the error. We have also included the new information provided by CDCR about the policy being approved by the agency's medical experts. Wagner Moura and Ana de Armas, right, in the movie "Sergio." (Netflix) Emmy-winning director Greg Barker, known for documentaries set in global hot spots, has not one but two films debuting this weekend. Sergio, Barkers dramatic reinterpretation of his 2009 nonfiction profile of the late United Nations diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello, launches Friday on Netflix, and The Longest War, a documentary chronicling U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, premieres Sunday on Showtime. Its no wonder that Barker was so intrigued by Vieira de Mello that he returned a decade later for a deeper dive into the life of the charismatic Brazilian. The documentary, also titled Sergio, illustrated Vieira de Mellos distinguished career carrying out the United Nations mission in Bangladesh, Sudan, Mozambique, Cambodia, Kosovo, East Timor and Iraq, expertly framed by a fraught rescue attempt following the 2003 bombing of the U.N.s offices in Baghdad. It originally aired on HBO and is also available on Netflix. Though extremely involving, the documentary left the impression that there was more to the dashing figure, who, like so many other powerful people, pursued his calling to the detriment of his family. It is that man whom Barker, in his narrative debut, and screenwriter Craig Borten, an Oscar nominee for Dallas Buyers Club, seek to reveal in the dramatized version of Sergio, meeting with mixed results. Cast as the titular diplomat, Wagner Moura, the Brazilian actor who starred as Pablo Escobar in the crime series Narcos, shares Vieira de Mellos good looks and embodies the intelligence and empathy that made the man so good at his job. But the real casting coup is "Knives Out" breakout Ana de Armas as Carolina Larriera, the younger U.N. economist with whom Vieira de Mello found love after marrying young and raising two sons in absentia. Fidelity was never his strong suit, and as he tells Carolina early in their relationship, Im not too good with indefinite assignments. His conflict over his desire to be with Carolina and his commitment to bring peace to places such as East Timor and Iraq is the center of what is, finally, a love story. Together, Moura and De Armas create the kind of chemistry that filmmakers and audiences dream about. There are enough sparks between the two that a later sex scene seems superfluous. Story continues Unfortunately, rather than fully embracing this conflicted interior view of Vieira de Mello, Barker and Borten have chosen to retain the documentarys framing device of the rescue attempt. In the nonfiction film, it served as a propulsive engine, carefully balanced against the interviews that told Vieira de Mellos story and its tragic conclusion. Here, it feels abstract, disjointed from the scenes with him and Carolina, thus weakening and muddying the story. It also necessitated the narrative choice to make Gil Loescher, the man trapped with the diplomat in the Baghdad rubble, into a composite character who serves as Vieira de Mellos chief aide. Irish actor Brian F. OByrne has a nice, understated tension opposite Moura in the role, but the characterization is disorienting to anyone who has seen the documentary. In The Longest War, Barker unpacks decades of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, predating the 2001 invasion to the present. The regions complicated history of strife, the Talibans oppression and human rights abuses of Afghan citizens (especially women), the CIAs pursuit of terrorist targets, and disastrous foreign policy are cataloged in dizzying detail. Barker utilizes a telescoping timeline to deftly lay out interviews with journalists, Afghan officials and students, U.S. intelligence officials, military personnel, NGO workers and others. Executive produced by Homeland creators Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon, the film airs as a companion piece to that long-running series penultimate episode. The Longest Wars stark, clear-eyed accounting of folly and chaos is disheartening. If theres a flaw, it's that the documentary covers so much information in its 81 minutes that its exhausting. The richness of these stories could easily have fed a docuseries. But given the frustration and anger they engender, and the current state of events, that just may have been too much. This article originally appeared in Issues in Science and Technology. COVID-19 has put science in a tricky spot. The good news, as National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt explains, is that scientific expertise is back in high demand: When the chips are down and everything is on the line and you can be the next person in the hospital bed, its the experts that you want to listen to. But theres a serious potential downside for science in having the publics ear: Todays high-profile expert assertions can be disproven by tomorrows events. For example, if public health interventions such as social distancing are effective, COVID-19-related deaths in the United States could stay well below predictions offered by epidemiological models. Successful policy interventions might seemingly prove early expert estimates wrong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This dilemma illustrates a much larger problem facing scientists, public health professionals, journalists, and science communication practitioners: A focus on accuracy and scientific facts is the wrong and even potentially misleading measure of good communication during this global pandemic. Scientific communication guidelines, such as those adopted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have always placed great emphasis on the imperative for accuracy and the resulting need to fight misinformation. Following their lead during the COVID-19 crisis, public health professionals, media organizations, government agencies, and even former President Barack Obama warned against the dangers of misinformation. And in an open letter in April, more than 160 journalists and journalism professors singled out Fox News for failing to fulfill its duty to provide clear and accurate information about COVID-19. Advertisement Advertisement This focus on misinformation and accuracy is understandable. Accurate scientific information is key for meaningful public debate and decision-making. And correctives to misinformation provide instant gratification during an otherwise unpredictable and potentially long-term crisis that so far has not provided scientists and policy-makers with a lot of success stories. Bodies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the World Health Organization can quickly implement myth-busting and rumor-control websites with the reasonable hope of staving off a more widespread problem down the road. Advertisement However, as the COVID-19 infodemic, as WHO calls it, escalates, those communicating scientific information are at risk not only of oversimplifying the misinformation problem itself but also of failing to recognize and address other factors that complicate efforts to communicate effectively about COVID-19. In particular, the seductively simple directive to be accurate, which lies at the heart of science communication, obscures the reality that accuracy is a tenuous notion during a crisis such as this, in which uncertainty reigns. Science that was considered correct at the outset will likely turn out to be incorrect or incomplete, making it difficult to draw a bright line between misinformation and science that is legitimately contested. Further, just as the public health questions that arise during a pandemic go far beyond numbers such as death rates to include matters of social inequity and ailing health care infrastructure, the communication issues that complicate an infodemic are much broader than the mere existence of falsehood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We therefore urge politicians, journalists, scientists, and communication practitioners who are part of the well-intentioned fight against COVID-19 misinformation to pay close attention to four major communication challenges. Challenge 1: Scientific facts and uncertainties are moving targets. The use of evidence in policy-making and public debate surrounding COVID-19 is complicated by a fast-changing landscape of scientific findings, facts, and uncertainties. Unfortunately, according to Retraction Watch, Much of the blitzkrieg of science that emerges in the coming days and weeks will turn out to be wrong, at least in part, and thats not a bad thing. Advertisement Advertisement Although changing degrees of confidence are an everyday reality of scientific practice, COVID-19 studies are being prepublished and publishedand then sometimes retracted or disprovenat such an accelerated pace that even experts struggle to separate signal from noise. Not only is there a lot the scientific community does not yet know, but much of what it thinks it knowswhat it now considers accuratecould turn out to be wrong. Advertisement Advertisement When todays facts can easily become tomorrows fictions, it is difficult to even define misinformation, much less to correct it. And as with any moving target, taking a shot at misinformation in these circumstances may lead to unintended consequences, especially when it comes to the publics trust in scientists or the scientific community. Challenge 2: The COVID-19 information environment is partisan. Even if the science around COVID-19 were more certain, communication strategies that focus narrowly on transmission of the facts would still be ill-advised. Indeed, there is ample scientific evidence that maintaining a heavy focus on accuracy in politically charged contexts is at best only partially effective and at worst counterproductive. Ideologically divergent social groups, motivated to defend their own identities and value systems, maintain radically different combinations of values and facts to sustain their worldviews. Liberals and conservatives have a hard time agreeing on even the characteristics of the viral pandemic, much less on what should be done to stop it. When a CBS News poll asked respondents how well they thought things were going for the U.S. in its efforts to deal with the outbreak of coronavirus, 81 percent of Democrats answered very badly or somewhat badly, while 73 percent of Republicans answered very well or somewhat well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is tempting to write off these differences as products of tribalism and cultural echo chambers in a sharply divided electorate, but perceived differences in potential COVID-19 threats and solutions also highlight just how difficult it is to identify the best available science for any given policy choice in the middle of an emerging crisis. For example, the CDCs recommendation that people should wear homemade cloth masks in grocery stores or pharmacies was lauded by medical professionals even as a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee of experts concluded independently that the current level of benefit, if any, is not possible to assess. Challenge 3: Science must get political without getting partisan. As a partial solution to Challenges 1 and 2, it might be argued that highly trustworthy, nonpartisan actors should play the key communication roles in the COVID-19 crisis. The obvious candidates to fill such roles are scientists. Not only has public trust in the scientific community remained fairly high and stable over time, but it has done so without serious partisan cleavage even as trust in many other institutions has suffered decline and polarization. The CDC, for example, enjoys high trust among Democrats (86 percent), independents (76 percent), and Republicans (74 percent) alike. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trying to bolster its own credibility in coronavirus matters, the White House has engaged in an aggressive campaign to cross-brand itself with CDC. Among other strategic communication tactics, for example, the White House has issued joint mailers with the CDC emblazoned with the title President Trumps Coronavirus Guidelines for America, as well as online PSA-style advertisements showing National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Faucis photo as part of the White Houses Coronavirus Task Force. Although such cross-branding might help the scientific community to credibly communicate with a wide audience, it is not without its pitfalls, especially during a public health crisis in which the best available science might contradict particular policy stances or politically motivated disinformation campaigns. Broad trust in science does not mean that people across the political divide trust the same science or scientists. Fauci, known for frequently contradicting the president, was recently forced to enhance his security detail after receiving death threats from conspiracy theorists holding that he is a Deep State operative seeking to overthrow Trump. Challenge 4: The accelerated wickedness of COVID-19. As difficult as it might be to look beyond the current crisis, COVID-19 will likely emerge in the long run as a straightforward public health problem with a fairly clear, science-informed pathway toward preventive and therapeutic interventions. Many of the resulting therapies are likely to have broad societal buy-in, including effective and safe vaccines, routine protocols for treatment, and possibly even established behavioral norms for seasonal flare-ups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the short-term reality is much more complicated. Safe vaccines are unlikely to be widely available until well into 2021, and therapeutic and social interventions are being developed by trial and error as the virus spreads. Meanwhile, societies are faced with difficult decisions that science alone cannot answer. As a case in point, Italian officials attributed their early missteps in responding to the contagion to tensions between protecting public health and respecting civil liberties or maintaining the countrys economy. Navigating these kinds of decisions will require wrenching trade-offs among values and group interests, and there will not be clear best-case scenarios. Although trade-offs are part of many science policy deliberations, the speed with which the pandemic has impacted society creates an urgency for difficult decision-making that is almost unprecedented outside of wartime. At least in the short term, COVID-19 therefore presents a perfect example of what the design theorists Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber in 1973 termed a wicked problem, where all proposed solutions seem to ignite intertwined, collateral effects that require real-time compromises among conflicting policies, values, and health concerns. Advertisement In the midst of this accelerated crisis, it is virtually impossible to determine which sets of facts are most relevant for making trade-offs required for effective action. Focusing narrowly on accuracy in COVID-19 communications can thus obscure the reality that many of the possible choices are rightfully guided not by utilitarian calculus but by values and relationships whose importance is independent of science altogether. In the scope of COVID-19, policy choices require myriad decisions likely to create both harms and benefits that are themselves unevenly distributed. For example, as society increasingly allows automated and intrusive surveillance measures to enforce social distancing protocol, how will it be determined whether such efforts have been worth it? Prevention by surveillance will cost a great deal in terms of civil liberties, but by acting in haste, society may overestimate its value or fail to ensure clear exit strategies after the pandemic. Sen. Ron Wydens pleas to include sunset clauses in the antiterrorism legislation proposed following the 9/11 attacks serve as a troubling reminder: The idea was that these provisions would be more thoughtfully debated at a later, less panicked time. Yet some of the most controversial sections of the Patriot Act, including Section 215, which authorizes the government to demand phone records and financial transaction data from companies without showing probable cause, remain in effect today. Implications for communicating science (policy) after COVID-19 Just as there is no clear solution to COVID-19, there is no magic bullet for the infodemic surrounding it. How can decision-makers navigate these four challenges to more effectively communicate about both COVID-19 and future crises? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A first step involves separating questions that science can answer from ones that science cannot (yet) answer. Yes, COVID-19 is partly a public health problem, with clear science-informed solutions. And yes, implementing these solutions will rely at least in part on an informed electorate and policy-makers, and the communication of accurate information remains a paramount goal. But scientists, policy-makers, journalists, and science communicators working together to inform public discourse will be largely ineffective unless they are able to meaningfully embed the best available scientific information within the amalgam of values and emotions that influence policy discourses surrounding COVID-19. This wont mean that policy decisions will always be perfectly in line with what the scientific community might recommend. The idea that presidents and administrations implement policies that scientists do not like is neither new nor tied to a particular political party. Nor does it mean such policies cannot succeed. Policy decisions, almost by definition, will go beyond the best available science, especially during times of crisis. This means that scientists will have to engage in political debates in which they are not the only authoritative voice. As we noted earlier, scientists need to walk the difficult balance of engaging in such debates without being partisan. Advertisement Advertisement Unfortunately, the current pandemic is also demonstrating daily how woefully unprepared society is to deliberate about the trade-offs that must be made due to the accelerated wickedness of COVID-19. The complex question of how soon to begin opening up the economy has already become hopelessly politicized, while the disproportionate economic and health costs of COVID-19 for minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups seem to be left out of discussions about the mitigation strategies the nation is putting in place. Ultimately, broader debates about technical solutions to viral pandemics andmore importantlytheir collateral long-term effects will need to involve a broad range of societal stakeholders, including policy-makers, industry, scientists, and the people most likely to be adversely affected by those interventions. Science communication that effectively informs those debates will have to attend as closely to the uncertainties, competing values, and trade-offs that society will face as to the accuracy of any particular set of facts. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. For our free coronavirus pandemic coverage, learn more here. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Donald Trumps political fortunes are tightly linked to his Twitter account. With 77 million followers, the US President has been able to use provocative posts, in a sometimes unrelenting volume, to shape what the public talks about in the realm of politics. But the coronavirus pandemic is a political issue like few others. In mere weeks, the virus has killed more than 33,000 Americans, a toll set to rise. What seemed to be a far-off outbreak in China has been revealed to be an existential threat to Trumps personal reputation and his electoral prospects. It challenges the bravado Trump has employed to great effect to win political support. A deadly pandemic requires a strong governmental response, with lots of attention to detail. This is the opposite of Trumps speciality for headline-grabbing words and actions. Advertisement So Trumps hunt for a way to explain the tens of thousands of American deaths without blaming himself has switched into high gear. Thanks to Twitter, the public can gain a view of his thinking in real time post by post. In late January, when this crisis seemed remote, Trump tweeted support for China, including its "transparency". "China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!" He noted only five people in the US had the virus. In early February, Trump bragged about "a long and very good conversation by phone with President Xi of China", calling him "strong, sharp and powerfully focused on leading the counterattack on the Coronavirus". Advertisement Through most of February, as the pandemic spread, he avoided the subject on Twitter. When Trump returned to the subject, his tone had changed. "The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me!" At the time, there were only 53 confirmed cases in the US, Italy had 445. US intelligence was likely telling Trump that the 77,262 cases in China were an understatement. The wave of disruption was headed squarely in the United States' direction. Advertisement Given the vulnerabilities in Americas open and globalised society with its social safety net dismantled over decades there was little to stop COVID-19 once it hit American shores. It turns out coronavirus could be Trumps problem. The previously robust US economy was to be a central motivation for his re-election effort. The remedy for the virus spread, however, has been economy-crushing lockdowns. The next day on Twitter, Trumps blame game was on. He singled out "Cryin Chuck Schumer" [the top Democrat in the Senate] for "complaining, for publicity purposes only, that I should be asking for more money than $2.5 Billion to prepare for Coronavirus". By late February, he settled on two other themes: his decision to block flights from China, which, while helpful, was only one measure needed. As for blame, the origin of the virus in China moved from talking point to preoccupation. Advertisement "The Do Nothing Democrats were busy wasting time on the Immigration Hoax, & anything else they could do to make the Republican Party look bad, while I was busy calling early BORDER & FLIGHT closings, putting us way ahead in our battle with Coronavirus. Dems called it VERY wrong!," he wrote. By mid-March, with the death toll at 118, Trump was attaching the word "China" to the word "virus" to make the connection in the mind of the public. "I always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously and have done a very good job from the beginning, including my very early decision to close the 'borders' from China " The "Chinese virus" was a theme he repeated in public appearances, meant to remind the world that the pandemic had its beginnings in Wuhan. From there, the blame game between Beijing and Washington flared. White House propaganda (with a kernel of truth) faced off against Chinese Communist Party propaganda machines. Advertisement In 1628 the Swedish warship Vasa set sail on its maiden voyageand promptly sank in Stockholm harbor. The ship was grotesquely top-heavy and foundered as soon as it began to take on water. American higher education is also grotesquely top-heavy. Deans and Provosts have multiplied like rabbits. In the past forty years, the growth rate in the number of administrative staff has been five times that of professors. For a generation and more, American higher education has been sinking slowly beneath the burden of administrative costs. Our colleges and universities, weighed down at the top, were never likely to do well in heavy weather. Now comes the coronavirus gale, wreaking economic devastation across America, and hundreds of colleges may go bankrupt. A decades worth of hard times may be compressed into the next two years. We must take emergency action to save our colleges. The absolute priority is to jettison as many administrators as necessary, lest they sink their host institutions. Since administrators make spending decisions, policymakers outside of higher education must set rules that create strong incentives for colleges to chuck the bureaucrats. The bureaucrats themselves will cling to their jobs and hope the colleges somehow survive despite their dead weight. They shouldnt be allowed to endanger the survival of our colleges and universities. Vast numbers of administrators cant be fired now, because colleges and universities are forced to employ them to satisfy regulatory requirements imposed by the Department of Education and the accrediting organizations. Ive argued elsewhere that the Department of Education should declare an immediate regulatory holiday, to free colleges and universities to fire any employee without worrying about these external regulatory requirements. The regulatory holiday should be fast-tracked for every college on the brink of bankruptcy. Any college that declares itself in financial distress should be allowed an emergency application for a regulatory holiday, and that application should be approved within five business days. If there are any legal challenges to the regulatory holiday, the Department of Education should also fast-track a resolution agreement with an individual college that provides an immediate plan to put the regulatory holiday into practice. This resolution agreement, which should allow maximum freedom to colleges and universities, would provide a model for every other college and university to follow. Large numbers of administrators, especially at the large research universities, also process research grants from other branches of the federal government the Defense Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, and more. The federal government needs to assemble an interdepartmental committee to devise a plan to relieve universities of as many as possible of the administrative requirements required for processing research grants. It makes no sense to limit the regulatory holiday to the Department of Education, when so large a proportion of higher education administration is tied to grants from other federal departments. Federal and state governments should consider providing substantial tax relief to all professors teaching full-time in the classroom but not to any higher education administrators. This targeted tax relief should allow colleges and universities to hire professors at a lower salary than administrators, and thus encourage colleges and universities to shed administrative jobs rather than professorial ones. State governments must also engage in immediate oversight to make sure that the public university systems target all necessary spending cuts so as to reduce the number of higher education administrators and preserve the number of teaching faculty. In recent years, states such as Alaska and Wyoming have responded to drastic economic downturns by imposing strict budget cuts on their higher education systems. State legislators and governors around the country should seek advice from their peers in Alaska and Wyoming about how to legislate such budget cuts. Boards of Regents, chancellors, university presidents, and deans in the public university systems should likewise seek advice from their Alaska and Wyoming peers about how to implement substantial cuts in state spending. The Department of Education, federal departments disbursing research dollars, accrediting agencies, and state governments have all tolerated or contributed to higher educations administrative bloat. All of them now must provide strong medicine to higher education to reduce its bloat. Our colleges and universities will not survive this crisis without a healing purge of their bureaucracies. Stevens Institute of Technology will be using a wind tunnel to measure speeds that would make it possible to travel from Los Angeles to Tokyo in an hour A day trip from Los Angeles to Tokyo could eventually be possible, but first, we need to be able to measure the flow of air at high speed - seven times the speed of sound (Mach 7), or higher - and understand the variables that impact them. Nick Parziale, assistant professor in mechanical engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology, has received two awards from the Office of Naval Research, totaling $1,223,000, to support his research measuring transitional and turbulent hypervelocity flows. They include a 2020 Young Investigator Award and a FY20 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program, or DURIP, Award. Parziale will use these awards to build upon his previous research that focused on developing measurement techniques to study hypersonic boundary layers, the thin gas or liquid layer near an object moving through a fluid. His group will measure how the boundary layer transitions from a well-ordered state to a chaotic one. Parziale will also study the structure of the chaotic state. A vehicle with a chaotic layer will have higher drag and heat transfer, slowing down the speed of an object and increasing the weight requirement of its heat shield. A vehicle with a boundary layer that remains in a well-ordered state can maintain a higher speed with less thermal protection. "Once we are able to better understand how to measure and assess how and why the boundary layer transitions at hypersonic speeds, the possibilities are endless," said Parziale. "That data can inform how we design aircraft and make it possible to take day trips across the world." Parziale will be conducting this research by taking photos a millionth of a second apart to show how the gas moves in a wind tunnel, by tagging and illuminating it with laser beams. This strategy is broadly called tagging velocimetry. A specific form of tagging velocimetry called krypton tagging velocimetry was developed in a collaborative effort between Arnold Engineering Development Complex and Parziale's group through the Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. "The concept is similar to if you took multiple photos of a stick moving down a creek," Parziale explained. "You will be able to calculate how the object has moved based on how it shifts between photos. To make the "stick" in our hypersonic flows, we zap or "tag" the gas with a specialized laser." He is currently building a Mach 6 wind tunnel on the Stevens campus this year with the support of an FY19 ONR-DURIP Award, totaling $301,000. The research that made this work possible was performed as part of an award from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, or AFOSR ,Young Investigator Research Program in 2016, an FY2015 AFOSR-DURIP and an FY2019 AFOSR-DURIP. ### NASHVILLE - Tennessees Supreme Court on Friday postponed the scheduled execution of a death row prisoner by eight months because of the coronavirus. Oscar Smith had been sentenced to die on June 4 for the murders of his estranged wife, Judy Lynn Smith, and her two sons from a previous marriage, Chad and Jason Burnett, in Nashville. On Friday, the court granted a motion requested by Smiths attorneys to delay his execution. Smiths new execution date is Feb. 4, 2021. In asking for the delay last month, Smiths attorneys said they had lost critical time to work on his case due to the restrictions put in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus. It would be irresponsible for attorneys to conduct interviews, travel, meet with Smith and carry out other tasks during the outbreak as they pursued clemency and court challenges, they argued. Attorney General Herbert Slaterys office argued that the clemency efforts and the existing appeals were not legitimate reasons to delay the execution. However, the attorneys wrote that the Tennessee Supreme Court is in the best position to determine whether a stay of execution should be granted in response to coronavirus-related issues affecting the courts of this State. Smiths lawyers also argued that holding an execution during a pandemic would require special safeguards to protect witnesses whose presence could risk transmitting the virus to staff and inmates at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. Texas has already delayed five executions due to the outbreak. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that usually clear up within weeks. For some, it can cause severe illness and be life-threatening. The courts Friday order was brief, simply granting the delay request without further comment. In an emailed response, Smiths attorney Kelley Henry wrote that the court made the right call. It makes no sense to bring execution witnesses and other people into the prison and possibly expose them to COVID-19 infection or introduce the virus into the prison population, Henry wrote. Mr. Smith, who has always maintained his innocence, needs to meet with his attorneys to prepare a clemency petition and investigators need to interview people to get information for the clemency petition. None of that face-to-face work can happen at this time without risking public health. The Attorney Generals Office had no comment on the order. ___ Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak 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. On April 13, the police in a small town in New Jersey received an anonymous tip about a body stored in a shed outside one of the largest nursing homes in the state. The body had been removed from the shed when the police arrived. However, they discovered 17 dead bodies piled inside the nursing home in a small morgue that is built to only hold four people. According to Eric C. Danielson, the police chief in Andover, New Jersey, the nursing home was overwhelmed by the number of people who died due to COVID-19. 17 Bodies Found at Nursing Home The 17 bodies found were among the 68 recent deaths connected to the long-term care facility, Andover Subacute, and Rehabilitation Center I and II. Among the dead bodies found were two nurses. Out of the 68 deaths in the nursing home, 26 were tested positive for the virus. As for the rest, the cause of death is still unknown. For the patients who remain at the homes and housed in two buildings, 76 of them tested positive for the virus and 41 staff members are positive with COVID-19, according to county health records that were shared on April 15 with a federal official. Also Read: Some European Countries Will Begin to Lift Their COVID-19 Restrictions, Here's How They'll Do It Aside from the nursing home in New Jersey, the virus has swept through numerous nursing homes in New York as well, killing thousands of residents at facilities that are struggling with staff shortages, increasingly sick patients and a lack of protective gear. Andover Subacute is New Jersey's largest licensed facility, and the risk of continued spread of the virus has terrified family members who have turned to social medial and their local congressmen as they are desperate for answers and extra personnel. Below average nursing home Even before the pandemic, the said nursing home had struggled. In fact, Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation II recently got a one-star rating of "much below average" from Medicare for staffing levels, inspections, and patient care. One woman started a group for family members, wrote her sentiments on Facebook on April 14. She stated how helpless she feels due to the situation. Staff members at the facility also expressed their dismay. A representative of Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center II asked for help on Facebook on April 13, but it was deleted on April 14. After the incident was reported by The New Jersey Herald, about the bodies found in the morgue, the fear in the community intensified. Mr. Josh Gottheimer, a lawyer, writer, and public policy adviser serving as the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 5th congressional district, stated that his office had fielded calls from staff members and worried relatives who are pleading for help. He had spoken to a representative of the Federal Emergency Management Agency about the possibility of sending National Guard medics. The Department of Health in the state had sent two shipments containing 1,400 N95 masks, 3,200 surgical masks and 10,000 gloves to the nursing homes. The first shipment went out last week and the second one was delivered on April 15. Aside from the help sent by the Department of Health, several women created Facebook pages and a website called Sparta Helps Healthcare Heroes, to gather needed gloves, gown, and masks. Related Article:Use of Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 May Result in Heart Concerns @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Hyderabad, April 17 : As many as 136 British nationals stranded in Hyderabad were Friday airlifted by a special flight of British Airways. The special relief flight landed at Hyderabad International Airport 04.59 p.m. from Bahrain and departed at 06:46 p.m. with 136 British nationals to Ahmedabad, from where few more British nationals were to be airlifted to Bahrain and then onwards to London. The airport officials said all the passengers were serviced through the fully-sanitized Interim International Departures Terminal (IIDT) of GMR Hyderabad International Airport, which has been kept ready for evacuation operations. In coordination with the British Deputy High Commission Hyderabad and the Telangana state government, the UK-bound passengers began arriving at the airport from 3.30 p.m. from various parts of Hyderabad. "Today, we have partnered with the British Deputy High Commission in Hyderabad and the government of Telangana to support the operation of a special flight to evacuate UK citizens stranded in this region," said ASGK Kishore, CEO, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL). "I am pleased to see over 130 British nationals and their close dependents from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on their way back home this evening. We are extremely grateful for the support provided by both state governments and police departments, British Airways, staff at the Hyderabad airport for their fantastic support in making today's operation possible. I am delighted we've so far been able to help more than 4,000 British travellers return home from across India," said Andrew Fleming, British Deputy High Commissioner to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Till April 17, Hyderabad International Airport has served over 600 foreign nationals who were repatriated by various special relief flights from Hyderabad to countries like Britain, the US and Germany. The airport's cargo terminal is also fully operational to keep the vital link of essential supplies completely alive. In custody: Nassar Ahmed has been charged with the murder of Eoin Boylan A 39-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murder of mature student Eoin Boylan. At Ennis District Court, Nassar Ahmed, of The Mews, Kilrush Road, Ennis, appeared after being charged with the murder of Mr Boylan (32) at Gordon Drive, Cloughleigh, Ennis, on April 14. Mr Boylan was rushed to hospital after an incident on Tuesday afternoon but died en route. Giving evidence of arrest, charge and caution, Detective Garda Noelle Bergin told the court she arrested Mr Ahmed for the purpose of charge at 11.45pm at Ennis garda station on Wednesday. Detective Bergin told the court Mr Ahmed replied "OK" after being charged with the murder offence. After reading the charge, Judge Mary Larkin told the court "this is a serious matter". Judge Larkin granted legal aid to local solicitor John Casey to represent the accused. Mr Casey said it was a suitable case for legal aid. Judge Larkin asked was there an application on behalf of Mr Ahmed to seek any medical or psychiatric assessment. Mr Casey said there was no requirement at this stage for any such direction. There was no application for bail as applications in murder cases are not made in the district court and are a matter for the High Court. Judge Larkin remanded Mr Ahmed in custody to appear via video link at Ennis District Court next Wednesday, April 22. Gardai yesterday delayed escorting Mr Ahmed from the courthouse building after a man began shouting at him in the foyer of the courthouse and had to be restrained and spoken to by gardai present. A Vinton man was arrested for possession of a stolen motorcycle in Glade Hill on April 11. The motorcycle, reported stolen from Roanoke, was spotted by deputies with the Franklin County Sheriffs Office at Glade Hill Minute Market on Virginia 40 in Glade Hill. Kenneth Michael Caron, 35, of Vinton was holding a helmet in his hand inside the store, according from a news release from Sgt. Megan Patterson. Deputies ordered Caron, who has multiple outstanding warrants, to place his hands behind his back. Upon approaching Caron, a physical altercation ensued between Caron and an officer, Patterson said. Caron was arrested on multiple charges, including two counts of probation violation, grand larceny auto theft, resisting arrest and two counts of possession of schedule I or II drugs, Patterson said. He was also arrested on an outstanding charge from Roanoke County for disobedience/resisting an officer from March, she added. He is currently being held without bond in the Western Virginia Regional Jail. - A popular Nigerian-based native doctor named Simon Odo aka Onu Uwa blames bad wives for the untimely deaths of many men in Nigeria - The native doctor states that only a few deaths of men in the country are not caused by bad wives - Odo who has 58 wives says he cannot stomach insolence and unruly behaviour from women A native doctor from Nigeria has finally decided to share his views on why most Nigerian men meet their untimely deaths. According to the healer, a lot of men in the West African country end up losing their lives thanks to stubborn and insolent wives. READ ALSO: HIV activist Phenny Awiti unveils handsome son's face week after delivery Simon Odo says only few deaths recorded by men in the country are not caused by bad wives Source: UGC READ ALSO: Ujumbe wa DP Ruto kwa Wakenya kuhusu tishio la Coronavirus Simon Odo aka Onu Uwa told Vanguard during an interview he is married to 58 women and would never allow them to defy him or be disrespectful. According to the native doctor, only a few male deaths in the country can be attributed to factors such as sickness or accidents. READ ALSO: Kind policeman shares lunch with homeless woman by the roadside The rest, to him, are as a result of being married to bad wives. Simon claimed a lot of women have bad attitudes, which affect their spouses and eventually kill them in the process. If there are 20 dead men in Nigeria for instance, only five of them died naturally. The other 15 were caused by heartbreaks and bad attitudes from their wives," he said. The native doctor said he always marries a new woman every time the last decides to be hard headed or defiant. The traditional doctor said he is sensitive and cannot stand when a woman stands up against him or insults him because of his actions. This has made it easy for him to move on whenever he feels lit is convenient. I marry anytime any of my new wives insult me. I cannot stand a woman insulting me, he said. 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. Where is our son? Our only child after six miscarriages is missing, help us find him |Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke A Maine police department has posted a warning on its Facebook page, alerting citizens of a text message scam thats currently circulating. NBC14 in Evansville, Indiana reports that along with that warning, the Thomaston, Maine Police Department posted a photo of a text message sent from an Indiana area code. The text message reads, Someone who came in contact with you tested positive or has shown symptoms for COVID-19 & recommends you self isolate/get tested. The message then provides a contact link for any unsuspecting person. SCAM ALERT If you receive a text message like the one pictured below, DO NOT click the link! It is not a message... Posted by Thomaston Police Department on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 Officers are warning the public that this is not a message from an official agency, and they should not click on the link if they get this text message. It most likely is a phishing scam that attempts to get ones personal information. The virus is not the only invisible enemy, the departments Facebook post read. Be vigilant against all threats! On its website, the Better Business Bureau reports that the two elements con artists thrive on are uncertainty and fear - and there has been no lack of those during the coronavirus pandemic. The BBB has made it convenient to research and report on scams by using its BBB Scam Tracker. The site encourages people to report if they spot a business or offer that sounds like an illegal scheme or fraud. What are the signs and how can we know that something is fraudulent? Here is a list compiled by the BBB of the top six coronavirus scams along with tips to help identify and avoid them. How can we avoid coronavirus scams? Heres the advice offered by the Butter Business Bureau on its website: Report price gouging. " Anyone who suspects price gouging during a declared state of emergency should report it to Anyone who suspects price gouging during a declared state of emergency should report it to BBB.org/AdTruth . " Think twice before you click. Anytime you receive an unsolicited text or email from someone you dont know asking you to click on a link, dont do it. Do your homework. Even if a call or message seems to come from an official source, research it before handing over sensitive information, such as your name, address, or banking information. Scammers often try to earn consumers trust by impersonating reputable, official institutions. Dont accept calls from strangers. Con artists may call your home claiming to work for the government or healthcare system. Remember, neither the government, nor any healthcare related agencies make unsolicited calls to individuals. Avoid any miracle cures . Some scammers have been advertising Some scammers have been advertising miraculous cures and secret government vaccines The claims are false as there are no U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccines or drugs to prevent coronavirus, and no approved vaccines, drugs, or products specifically for curing coronavirus available for purchase online or in stores. Watch out for employment and unemployment scams. If you are looking for work and find an online job offer that sounds too good to be true, beware. Con artists use job offers to steal your identity or banking information, or complete complex tasks for free as a trial. In addition, if you find yourself unemployed, only apply for If you are looking for work and find an online job offer that sounds too good to be true, beware. Con artists use job offers to steal your identity or banking information, or complete complex tasks for free as a trial. In addition, if you find yourself unemployed, only apply for unemployment benefits through official channels, otherwise, your personal information will be at risk. Research before you donate. If you feel compelled to support a coronavirus related cause with a financial donation, make sure the charity is legitimate. Check with If you feel compelled to support a coronavirus related cause with a financial donation, make sure the charity is legitimate. Check with Give.org to verify the trustworthiness of the soliciting charity. Be alert to stimulus payment scams. According to According to official sources , payments are expected to be issued automatically, with no action required from most people. No one will call, email or text you from the government about your check, and you should never pay any fees to receive your stimulus payment. Nor should you receive a message on how to find out the status of your stimulus payment. To get the latest updates on economic impact payments, check the official irs.gov website regularly. Again we repeat the Facebook warning posted by the the Thomaston, Maine Police Department: The virus is not the only invisible enemy, it said. Be vigilant against all threats! READ MORE: 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. (TNS) The Kennebunk Select Board in Maine held a troll-free meeting using Zoom technology Tuesday, a welcome reversal from last week, when intruders bombarded a special meeting with vulgar and prejudiced words and images.Board Chair Blake Baldwin apologized to the community."I apologize for the obscene and hateful language and images that were inadvertently part of last Wednesday's meeting," Baldwin said. "That is certainly not something we condone. It's our responsibility as a select board in town to make sure that the meetings are conducted in an appropriate fashion. Clearly, we didn't get there on the meeting last Wednesday, and I apologize for that."As various stay-at-home orders have been enacted across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, the online meeting platform Zoom has become popular for governments, businesses and other organizations to hold virtual meetings. Some have experienced disruptions like those that affected the Kennebunk Select Board last week.Baldwin said someone told him that he and his fellow selectpersons had looked "horrified" as one objectionable image after another appeared on screen throughout the meeting, including an image with nudity and a photo of Adolf Hitler.Baldwin said town officials gave Zoom a closer look following last week's meeting and determined how to use the platform better."We have gone to a webinar format, which we believe will secure the meeting in a more robust way," Baldwin said.Town staff have held more than a dozen Zoom meetings without difficulty, Baldwin noted."Those were private meetings and, apparently, when we went to the public format, we didn't get one of the security buttons checked off right," Baldwin said.Baldwin had a message for those who try to interrupt meetings in the future with offensive content."I will say this: the FBI has suggested, and we will follow the suggestion, that any hateful language or imagery will be reported to the FBI as a hate crime, or a possible hate crime," Baldwin said.The Kennebunk Select Board is not alone. Government proceedings in other states, online classes in Massachusetts and even an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in New York have all been among those disrupted by "malicious actors," as Baldwin described such individuals on Tuesday.In New Hampshire, a troll displayed sexually explicit images and yelled hateful language during a select board meeting in Exeter on Monday.Exeter Police Chief Stephan Poulin, who participated in that Zoom meeting, said police determined that one juvenile male appeared to be behind the intrusions in that town. Police have traced an IP address to Seattle, Washington, and are continuing efforts to pinpoint the juvenile's physical home address, according to Poulin. The individual could face several charges, he added."Anyone who hacks into a teleconference meeting can be charged at the state and federal level," Poulin said.A spokesperson for Zoom said in an email that the company condemns the harassment that has happened on its platform and that the company has been making changes in response to user complaints.Zoom changed the default settings for K-12 classrooms, for instance, so teachers are the only ones who can share content with the class, and also enabled passwords and virtual waiting rooms by default. Last week, the company began showing a new "Security" toolbar option, so hosts can quickly access security features during meetings.Locally, other communities have fared well so far with the technology.In Wells, town officials have been using Zoom's webinar option for their meetings. Meetings also have been broadcast on channel 1301 on cable television and livestreamed online via Facebook and Town Hall Streams.Town Manager Jonathan Carter said the town has had success with its virtual meetings so far."Our experience has been good because we have a dedicated, experienced moderator operating the Zoom broadcast," Carter said.Carter added that the town's social media consultant reviews public questions before they are asked during the virtual meeting.Kennebunkport Town Manager Laurie Smith said she works with audio-visual staffers David Powell and Michael Davis on learning and using best practices for Zoom meetings from other communities."Security requires us putting many safeguards in place, which can be challenging for allowing public participation," Smith said.To accommodate those who are challenged by technology, Smith said she has encouraged residents to submit written questions and comments to the town hall ahead of Zoom meetings. The submissions are addressed and read into the record during selectmen and other meetings."All in all, I think we have been balancing security with public process," Smith said.As for trolls intruding on the town's meetings?"Knock on wood, we have been okay so far," Smith said. CASS COUNTY, MI Two passengers were critically injured Thursday, April 16, when the vehicle they were riding in hit a train, sheriffs deputies said. Both were ejected. The driver, who said his brakes failed, was also injured. The crash happened around 6 p.m. on Savage Road near Waterstradt Street in Cass Countys Marcellus Township. Dustin Hooker, 44, of Battle Creek, was driving north on Savage Road. As he approached the railroad crossing, his brakes failed and his vehicle crashed into the train, he told sheriffs deputies. Passengers Gayland Campbell, 33, of Marcellus, and Paul Smith, 43, of Tekonsha, were thrown from the vehicle upon impact. Smith was airlifted to Bronson Methodist Hospital in critical condition, police said. Campbell, taken by ambulance to Bronson, was also in critical condition. Hooker, the driver, was in stable condition at Bronson. No one on the Canadian National Railway train, or CN, was hurt. The driver of the vehicle was the only one who used a seat belt, police said. Alcohol and drugs do not appear to be factors. Sheriffs deputies were assisted by firefighters from Marcellus, Newberg Township and Three Rivers, Pride Care EMS, Canadian National police and MedFlight, police said. Also on MLive: Family hopes 8-year-olds birthday celebration brings some joy while mom battles coronavirus Whitmers stay-at-home order to slow spread of coronavirus is draconian,' lawsuit says Michigans weekend forecast wont be depressing; see what youll feel when outside B-Line employee tests positive for coronavirus Butte County Public Health confirmed that an employee for the B-Line bus system has coronavirus. A spokesperson for the Butte County Association of governments says they can't give specifics about the employee, except that he is a transit employee and that passengers using the B-Line were not at risk. Enloe Medical Center launches Virtual Emergency Department Enloe Medical Center in Chico launched a Virtual Emergency Department. The initiative will add to the hospital's ability to take care of patients in emergency situations. A nurse or ER doctor can connect to patients who remain at home. Nurses can also answer questions about coronavirus symptoms. Community Action Agency of Butte County hosts food giveaway in Chico Happening today, the North State Food Bank is hosting another drive-through food giveaway. Food will be distributed at 20th street Community Park in Chico from 9 a.m. to noon - or until supplies run out. For a list of all food distribution events, Click Here. California man to appear in court after allegedly trying to sell COVID-19 cure A southern California physician is set to be in court today on charges of fraud - after the FBI said he tried to sell a 100% cure for the coronavirus to an undercover agent. The FBI is urging Americans to be vigilant of scams trying to capitalize on the coronavirus pandemic. California governor expects $7 billion in virus spending California's governor is outlining what the battle against the coronavirus could cost the state. Governor Newsom said the state plans to spend up to $7 billion this year to fight the spread of the virus. The governor is set to provide more details about how that money will be spent, next month when he updates his budget proposal. Trump unveils guidelines for 'Opening Up America Again' President Trump outlined his plan for America to reopen. The president said some states already meet the requirements to start phase one, which opens restaurants, gyms, and places of worship. The guidelines aren't mandatory. In a conference call with all 50 governors, President Trump told them to call their own shots. Congress and democratic Senators to discuss healthcare access Both chambers of Congress will hold a brief session with democratic Senators to discuss having congress expand healthcare access during the coronavirus pandemic. President Trump accused the house and senate of trying to prevent him from installing nominees to some federal positions and says he could exercise his constitutional authority to force them to adjourn. Buckley replied, I dont think anywhere is using a strategy yet for patients or the general public to try to control this by testing asymptomatic patents. The best advice right now is for everyone to try to shelter in place, stay at home as much as possible, wear a mask when you go out and frequent hand washing. 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. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 17, 2020) - GreenStar Biosciences Corp. (CSE: GSTR) ("GreenStar" or the "Company"), announced today the resignation of Faizaan Lalani from its Board of Directors for personal reasons. The Company wishes to thank Faizaan for his many years of service and contributions during his tenure as Director of the Company. The Company will immediately begin a search for a new independent board member to replace Faizaan. About GreenStar GreenStar is a growth-oriented technology and services company that provides real estate, financial, management, IP and branding support to licensed cannabis businesses in the United States. GreenStar operates a growing portfolio of tenant partner companies in the United States. GreenStar applies refined strategies tested in the Washington State market to help partner companies reach their full potential. Based in Vancouver, BC, GreenStar intends to facilitate growth through acquisitions and development of additional assets, products and technologies in legal cannabis markets by leveraging its capital markets, branding and operational expertise. For further information please contact: GreenStar Biosciences Corp. Tom Baird, CEO info@greenstarbiosciences.com Telephone: (604) 834-9499 THE CSE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54565 Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Payam Jarrah-Nejad, M.D., F.I.C.S., F.A.C.S., known to colleagues and patients simply as Dr. J. Individuals who are not directly impacted should be very grateful that they and their loved ones are well and that the news about California is mostly sounding a cautiously hopeful note An April 9 article in the Providence Journal looks at the impact of the indefinite nationwide pause on elective surgery, including plastic surgery, on both patients and doctors. Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Payam Jarrah-Nejad, M.D., F.I.C.S., F.A.C.S., known to colleagues and patients simply as Dr. J, says that this is an excellent time for reflection for everyone. Individuals who are not directly impacted should be very grateful that they and their loved ones are well and that the news about California is mostly sounding a cautiously hopeful note, he says. Dr. J says that the medical community is working to assure that essential healthcare is available to everyone, noting that he is performing emergency procedures during the coronavirus crisis. Even though he remains busy, the doctor who has worked pro-bono throughout his career for groups like Operation Smile-- notes that working on emergency procedures here in the Los Angeles area has given him a fresh perspective on the more cosmetically oriented work he does during normal times. He says that, as a plastic surgeon, his job is about making sure people have the best possible quality of life. Thats true, he adds, whether he is performing essential or elective procedures and that the work itself is about achieving the highest level of excellence at all times. For prospective patients considering plastic surgery, he suggests that people take extra time to learn more about the procedures they are considering and also spend some to research specific plastic surgeons. He notes that, when people ask him about a surgeon, he suggests two things in particular. Firstly, patients should only consider board-certified plastic surgeons to ensure safety and a positive outcome. He also suggests that people take a close look at a surgeons before-and-after pages online, such as his rhinoplasty gallery, to assess a doctors aesthetic skills. Finally, patients should consider their own feelings very strongly but worry less about what they assume others might think. The only opinion about a procedure that really matters is the patients, says Dr. J. Dr. J is offering virtual consultations for patients who want to start the process of getting a procedure. Interested readers can call (310) 228-3151 to learn more. Dr. Js qualifications as a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon double board certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery can be seen online along with testimonials and before-and-after photos. Britain may have to endure five or six waves of the coronavirus, with a total of 40,000 or more deaths, before the development of a vaccine permits a return to normal life, a leading expert has told MPs. Professor Anthony Costello, of University College London, told the House of Commons Health Committee that the harsh reality was that the UK had been too slow in a number of aspects of its response to the outbreak, and that system errors meant Britain will have probably the highest death rates in Europe. He called for a massive programme of community testing and contact tracing including the use of smartphone apps to identify those who may have been at risk, and incentives to keep those most at risk in lockdown to clamp down on the infection. He also challenged the governments decision to cease contact-tracing nationwide after Covid-19 became established, arguing that low-infection parts of the UK, such as Yorkshire, could have remained open while London and other hotspots went into lockdown. His call for community testing was echoed by the chairman of the committee, Jeremy Hunt, who urged a massive ramp-up not just in the testing but also the tracing of everyone who has been in contact with someone who has the virus. 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 The former health secretary told BBC Radio 4s World at One: If were going to be in a position where we can track and trace every single person who has Covid or might have had Covid in three weeks time because thats when we could next potentially end the lockdown well, that is a huge logistical undertaking. He added: If were going to copy the best in the world then that is what we now need to do ... We now need to see some very rapid decisions. In evidence given to the Health Committee by video link, Prof Costello, professor of global health at UCL and a former senior official of the World Health Organisation, said that a community protective shield will be needed when the UK comes out of lockdown in order to prevent another large-scale outbreak. This could involve placing in quarantine up to one in 10 of the population identified as most likely to be infected, while the rest of the country goes back to work, he said. Prof Costello said the harsh reality was that we were too slow with a number of things, adding: We can make sure in the second wave were not too slow. Despite the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, claiming on Thursday that a decline in the recorded number of new cases in the UK offers light at the end of the tunnel, Prof Costello warned that the end of the first wave of infections would not spell a return to normal life. He said Britain should emphatically reject the concept of herd immunity under which enough people are infected and recover to reduce the spread of cases to a trickle and instead focus on suppressing infections until a vaccine is available. After this wave and we could see 40,000 deaths by the time it is over we could only have 10-15 per cent of the population infected or covered. The idea of herd immunity would mean another five to six more waves to get to 60 per cent, he said. We have got to suppress this right down. He added: We are playing for time. We need to damp it right down, we need a community protective shield to keep it that way and then we have got to pray that the vaccinologists come up with something. Professor Sarah Gilbert from Oxford says she is 80 per cent confident she will have a vaccine by September, so we have got to be positive here. Prof Costello questioned the decision to simultaneously ditch contact tracing and move to social distancing measures across the UK last month. He told MPs: In the UK, this is not a single epidemic. It moves into cities like it did in Wuhan, and then went out to four cities in China, which they suppressed very quickly with partial lockdown; the same in Korea. In this country, it has been in London, Wolverhampton, maybe a bit in Liverpool and Glasgow. But the rest of the country was largely untouched up to 12 March. There were 50 local health authorities that had less than 10 cases. I was against the idea that we should stop contact tracing in these communities. It was right to stop it in London, because it was too difficult. Im in Yorkshire right now. They had less than 10 cases identified in a population of 300,000-400,000 around the time that we stopped all our community testing and contact tracing. I would have had a more nuanced view whereby in quieter areas you maintain that. Now we have got national lockdown, the aim must be to get all the logistics set up with digital apps and public health teams, maybe volunteers, and with primary care, to have an absolute plan to protect the community as soon as we lift the lockdown and then focus on the people we really want to lock down, which is cases and contacts. Then we can get the economy going again. With concern growing about the knock-on health impact of an economic slump, a programme of community testing and contact tracing would be much less disruptive to the economy, he said. Prof Costello told the committee: We have to get the economy going and if it means locking down 10% of our population, even giving them incentives to stay in quarantine and with digital apps to help monitor their symptoms and give them support, thats the way to really keep this going until we get a vaccine and safe herd immunity. The health secretary, Matt Hancock, revealed that ministers considered and rejected a proposal for a London-only lockdown in the middle of March. Mr Hancock told the committee: We did consider having a London-specific lockdown and decided it was better to do it across the country as a whole for two reasons. The first is that if you put a lockdown in one part of the country, then theres still travel from there to the rest of the country, so it isnt as easy as that, he said. And the second reason is that actually one of the really strong things thats come through this crisis is that the country is acting in lockstep ... To separate off one part of the country from the rest actually has downsides in terms of the national unity that weve seen. Jun Pan is the CEO of Fantasia Holdings Group Co., Limited (HKG:1777). This analysis aims first to contrast CEO compensation with other companies that have similar market capitalization. Next, we'll consider growth that the business demonstrates. And finally - as a second measure of performance - we will look at the returns shareholders have received over the last few years. The aim of all this is to consider the appropriateness of CEO pay levels. Check out our latest analysis for Fantasia Holdings Group How Does Jun Pan's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? At the time of writing, our data says that Fantasia Holdings Group Co., Limited has a market cap of HK$8.2b, and reported total annual CEO compensation of CN6.1m for the year to December 2018. We think total compensation is more important but we note that the CEO salary is lower, at CN4.9m. We looked at a group of companies with market capitalizations from CN2.8b to CN11b, and the median CEO total compensation was CN3.6m. Pay mix tells us a lot about how a company functions versus the wider industry, and it's no different in the case of Fantasia Holdings Group. On an industry level, roughly 72% of total compensation represents salary and 28% is other remuneration. Our data reveals that Fantasia Holdings Group allocates salary in line with the wider market. As you can see, Jun Pan is paid more than the median CEO pay at companies of a similar size, in the same market. However, this does not necessarily mean Fantasia Holdings Group Co., Limited is paying too much. We can get a better idea of how generous the pay is by looking at the performance of the underlying business. The graphic below shows how CEO compensation at Fantasia Holdings Group has changed from year to year. SEHK:1777 CEO Compensation April 16th 2020 Is Fantasia Holdings Group Co., Limited Growing? Over the last three years, Fantasia Holdings Group Co., Limited has not seen its earnings per share change much, though they have deteriorated slightly, according to a line of best fit. In the last year, its revenue is up 36%. Story continues Investors should note that, over three years, earnings per share are down. On the other hand, the strong revenue growth suggests the business is growing. It's hard to reach a conclusion about business performance right now. This may be one to watch. Although we don't have analyst forecasts you might want to assess this data-rich visualization of earnings, revenue and cash flow. Has Fantasia Holdings Group Co., Limited Been A Good Investment? Fantasia Holdings Group Co., Limited has served shareholders reasonably well, with a total return of 26% over three years. But they would probably prefer not to see CEO compensation far in excess of the median. In Summary... We compared total CEO remuneration at Fantasia Holdings Group Co., Limited with the amount paid at companies with a similar market capitalization. We found that it pays well over the median amount paid in the benchmark group. Over the last three years returns to investors have been uninspiring, and we would have liked to see stronger business growth. In conclusion we think the company should definitely focus on improving the business before awarding any large pay rises. Taking a breather from CEO compensation, we've spotted 5 warning signs for Fantasia Holdings Group (of which 2 can't be ignored!) you should know about in order to have a holistic understanding of the stock. 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. Amaravati: British national Culley Clive Bryant, will be returning to United Kingdom on Friday after being discharged from a quarantine centre in Andhra Pradesh's Tiruchanur. He was given permission by the UK embassy to travel back to his country. Bryant travelled to Ahmedabad from Hyderabad on Friday (April 17) morning and is scheduled to take the British Airways flight at 7 pm in the evening. Bryant, a geography professor, got stuck in Tirumala after his visit to the Lord Venkateshwara temple when the police sent him to the quarantine centre at Tiruchanur. He completed his 14-day quarantine and tested negative for COVID-19, twice. But he continued to stay at the quarantine cetre as there was neither any accommodation nor any transport facilities available to him due to the coronavirus lockdown. In a personal hand written note he thanked everyone for the facilities at the quarantine center. Bryant also thanked Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, district officials and staff members of the quarantine centre for their humble treatment towards him during his stay. before leaving for Hyderabad. He said that he will come back soon and worship Lord Balaji. Victims counting on PG&E Corp.s bankruptcy to compensate them for their losses in California wildfires are making a last-ditch effort for court protection against gyrations in the utilitys share price in the virus-infected stock market. Lawyers for a committee representing the victims want a guarantee that half of their $13.5 billion settlement with the bankrupt utility to be paid in stock is really worth $6.75 billion when they get the shares.Having failed to persuade the judge overseeing PG&Es bankruptcy to sanction their effort, the lawyers are scheduled Thursday to ask a different federal judge in San Francisco to carefully word his valuation of the settlement deal to prevent the victims from being outmaneuvered by PG&Es attorneys.The judges intervention is required to avoid subjecting the fire victims to a situation in which they obtain devalued stock during the coronavirus market downturn, the lawyers said in a filing. The epidemic is causing a devaluation of the PG&E shares intended for the fire victim trust, to a value that is lower than the required $6.75 billion value. U.S. District Judge James Donato is tasked with confirming that PG&Es damages to victims amount to $13.5 billion. The company argues in a filing that the committees request has no place in Donatos court, calling it an attempt to recut the deal that it agreed to in the bankruptcy case. Besides which, the utility says, it never agreed that the stock to be deposited into the trust would have a cash value or a market value of $6.75 billion on the day the bankruptcy plan is effective. PG&E has warned that investors who have pledged to backstop $9 billion in equity may back out of their agreements if the power company changes the terms of its settlement with fire victims. The victims committee may face a tough audience in Donato. In previous hearings the judge has been explicit that his role is circumscribed, in the way PG&E argues, to simply arriving at an amount of damages for which the company is liable. He concluded the parties had essentially done his work for him by reaching the $13.5 billion settlement.And the tens of thousands of victims are hardly a unified block. When the committee sought the bankruptcys court blessing to hold up victims votes on PG&Es Chapter 11 plan until it got assurances about the value of the shares, lawyers representing other victims objected. The committee does not speak for the majority of the wildfire victim claimants, lawyers who claim they represent more than 70% of the victims said in a filing this month. Voting on PG&Es bankruptcy plan started April 1, according to the filing, and tens of thousands of wildfire victim claimants have already voted. The case is In Re. PG&E Corp., 19-cv-05257, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco). About the photo: A burned-out property and vehicle stand in Sonoma County, California, in Oct. 2019. - The bar operators collected KSh 450,000 from 100 bars and restaurants across Uganda to assist the needy - They also donated milk, foodstuff and water to help pregnant mothers during the coronavirus pandemic - TUKO.co.ke has learnt other companies too jumped in and donated tonnes of goods Ugandan bar and restaurant operators on Tuesday, April 14, joined the list of groups extending a helping hand to citizens, specifically the most affected ones, even as the coronavirus pandemic keeps biting hard. TUKO.co.ke has learnt Uganda Bar Owners and Restaurants Association donated 560 boxes of milk, 200 boxes of water and 10 pieces of 100-litre water tanks to pregnant mothers. READ ALSO: Kenyan Reverend Evans Kariuki holds parking lot Easter Service in US amid coronavirus scare Apart from money, the bar owners also donated milk and foodstuff to help the pregnant mothers. Photo: UGC Source: Original READ ALSO: Tanasha Donna placed in forced quarantine after breaking curfew to attend party According to Sqoop, the association managed to collect KSh 450,000 from 100 restaurants and bars across the country. The whole process was coordinated by Uganda Bar Owners and Restaurants Association chairperson Tessfalem Gherativ. TUKO.co.ke has learnt other companies too jumped in and donated tonnes of goods. READ ALSO: Actress Kibibi Salim returns online, shares cute photo with daughter years after breakup with Susumila The bar owners donated a large amount of milk to feed the pregnant mothers during lockdown. Photo: UGC Source: UGC READ ALSO: Afisa wa polisi amiminiwa risasi na genge la wahalifu lililokuwa linasafirisha bangi The companies include Age-nior Club which donated 2,500 bags of maize flour, Lake Bounty group donated one pick-up truck, Eco Bank donated some cash, while Team Thorough YMK donated two tonnes of maize flour. The goods which were received by the State Minister for General Duties, Mary Karooro Okurut, was taken for quality tests before being distributed to intended groups. Okurut disclosed the money donated would be used to buy vehicles and other protective gear to help different health centres. 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. Couple names new born twins Corona and Covid | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke LOS ANGELES (RNS) The faithful stood in line for about two hours to receive Communion at Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Thousand Oaks. Some were in tears as they approached the Communion table. The church, which typically dispenses about 400 Communion cups on a regular Sunday, served over 700 that day. Pastors from other churches attended. Protesters and police were there. This was the scene pastor Rob McCoy witnessed April 5 when he decided to open his sanctuary for Communion on Palm Sunday, despite a statewide stay-at-home order that bans group gatherings and shut down businesses except for those deemed essential. People needed this, McCoy told Religion News Service. What they did was not an affront. They wanted the community to know that Christ is critical and essential and they wanted to testify that no matter what it would cost them, even if they were going to be berated and maligned. To McCoy, receiving Communion is just as essential as people needing to get food from the grocery store. That Sunday, he said, worshippers followed social distancing guidelines while they stood in line. Tape was cued 6 feet apart on the sidewalk. Only 10 people were permitted inside the sanctuary at a time. Communion elements were individually sealed. Lysol was sprayed on seats after those attending got up to leave. Why are we being scrutinized when we actually have the First Amendment on our side? said McCoy, who resigned from his City Council position when he planned to violate orders that don't consider churches as essential. Why is religion the scapegoat? While most houses of worship have shut down their in-person worship services a recent poll found only 3% of Americans who attend services planned to observe Easter at an in-person service some religious leaders argue that religion is essential, even during a pandemic. The new poll also found 77% of Americans oppose religious exemptions to stay-at-home orders. A group of Southern California pastors sued Gov. Gavin Newsom as well as Riverside and San Bernardino county officials, claiming social distancing orders violate the First Amendment that protects their right to assemble. The suit seeks to block the state and county orders that dont include churches among the essential infrastructure where people are allowed to meet in person. The lawsuit, filed Monday (April 13) in federal court for the Central District of California, names pastors and a church member of three Riverside and San Bernardino county congregations: Shield of Faith Family Church in Fontana, Church Unlimited in Indio and World of Life Ministries International, Inc. in Riverside. It was filed by the nonprofit Center for American Liberty. The governors office was not immediately reached for comment, while Riverside and San Bernardino County spokespeople said they were reviewing the lawsuit. Patrick Scales, head pastor of Shield of Faith Family, a Pentecostal church, said his congregation should be able to have in-person church services while adhering to social distancing measures, according to the lawsuit. The suit cites James 5:14: Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him. Scales believes that he must serve the needs of his churchs parishioners, especially right now in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, according to the suit. James Dean Moffatt, senior pastor of Church Unlimited, believes that scripture commands him as a pastor to lay hands on people and pray for them, this includes the sick, the suit reads. Moffatt was fined $1,000 for holding a Palm Sunday service, according to the suit. Moffatt said hes required by Scripture to baptize people, something that cannot be done at an online service, the suit reads. Brenda Wood, senior pastor at World of Life Ministries International, a nondenominational Christian church, said shed like to hold services in a way that protects attendees so that its parishioners may follow Hebrews 10:25 and encourage one another during these troubling times of COVID-19, the suit reads. Wood believes she can implement proper social distancing measures similar to those practiced by restaurants, auto mechanics, and abortion clinics, according to the suit. The suit takes issue with certain language in the county orders. The San Bernardino County order allows faith-based services through streaming or other technology while people remain in their homes, but does not allow individuals to leave their homes for driving parades or drive-up services. In the Riverside County order, all public or private gatherings are forbidden in spaces like stadiums, theaters and churches. It also bars the use of any indoor or outdoor space for nonessential purpose such as church services or swap meets. Harmeet K. Dhillon, chief executive officer for the Center for American Liberty, said in a statement that state and local officials have favored businesses and professions while targeting people of faith. Through these orders, Dhillon said, they are decreeing to religious institutions that it is good enough that they be allowed to offer streaming video services, said Dhillon, who is on the Republican National Committee that helps steer the partys platform and election strategy. The state does not get to dictate the method of worship to the faithful, Dhillon said. USC Gould School of Law professor Nomi Stolzenberg said the lawsuit fails to distinguish intentional from unintentional discrimination. Just because the state and county orders have a disproportionate impact or burden on some religious groups, it does not mean the measures are the product of cultural bias or discrimination of any kind, Stolzenberg said. Stolzenberg also said the suit does not recognize the need to distinguish emergency from nonemergency situations. "In other circumstances, the court has recognized that in situations where there is a need for split-second decision-making in order to respond to imminent threats to life or public safety, judicial deference is required, she said. Also, Stolzenberg questioned the suit's argument that churches should be treated the same as secular activities that are deemed essential. "They point to the secular activities that are deemed essential services and say they should be treated the same as those. But why those secular activities and not all the other secular activities such as going to school, or going to a restaurant, or a therapists office, or the legions of other secular activities that fall under the ban? Stolzenberg said. Across Southern California, many faith leaders and pastors have made the decision to close their churches to the public and have experimented with new forms of online ministry. Pastor Victor Cyrus-Franklin of Inglewood First United Methodist said congregants have learned to embrace new ways of doing church. Members, he said, can now point to the online ministry and say look at what our church is doing in the midst of all of this. Before, it may have been intimidating and unfamiliar, he said. The pandemic, Cyrus-Franklin said, created an opportunity for us to rediscover a sense of connection and a hope of new ways of being a church. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the nations largest with about 5 million Catholics, not only suspended in-person Masses, but ordered parishes be closed to the public until further notice. Our community of faith is fully committed to doing all we can to limit the spread of this global public health threat, said Archbishop Jose H. Gomez in a March 24 statement. The Rev. John H. Taylor, bishop of the six-county Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, addressed the issue on Facebook during Holy Week. Some say they need church more than ever these days. We all get that. But church isnt just about what I need. I also need to love, and protect, my neighbor as myself. ... Staying home might be one of the most consequential things you and I have ever done, he wrote. Taylor said Episcopalians also worry about the theological implications of taking Communion alone. Which is why the church has reassured us that if a priest says Holy Eucharist by herself with people participating on-line, shes not alone, he wrote. Back in Thousand Oaks, McCoy said his church, is only holding online worship services. However, McCoy said he plans on holding in-person Communion sometime in May. The church typically hosts Communion the first Sunday of the month, he said. But if social distancing continues, he said they'll hold off until the end of the month. For the sake of the police force, and all of those who serve that are already inundated and busy, we didnt want to add to their burden, he said. But we still will exercise our freedom of religion in a way that would not violate the CDC standards and practice social distancing. Thinking back to his decision to resign from the Thousand Oaks City Council, McCoy said there are no regrets. Ive lost a portion of my income and my health care and Im thinking that was a small price to pay to lift up Christ, to declare that he is essential, he said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. READ THIS STORY AT RELIGIONNEWS.COM. Article originally published by Religion News Service. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: RNS/Facebook China, Pakistan, Russia and the US were among the nine nations that participated in a virtual discussion convened by the UN Secretariat on regional efforts to support peace in Afghanistan. The discussions on Thursday focused on a "comprehensive peace process in Afghanistan through intra-Afghan negotiations and on the importance of regional cooperation in support to Afghanistan", Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said. "The UN Secretariat convened a discussion with Member States on regional efforts to support peace in Afghanistan. Afghanistan, China, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the United States and Uzbekistan all participated in this meeting, which was held virtually," Dujarric said at his daily press briefing on Thursday. He said the format brought together Afghanistan, its six neighbouring countries, Russia and the US "in recognition of the importance of the region to Afghanistan's stability and sustainable development". Dujarric said participants at the meeting expressed solidarity with Afghanistan in its quest for peace, security and prosperity and echoed Secretary General Antonio Guterres's call for a comprehensive ceasefire, especially in the wake of the urgent need to combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus. "The United Nations stands ready to deliver life saving assistance to people in need and is committed to the peaceful development of Afghanistan," he said. Peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban hit a roadblock earlier this month after the warring parties failed to finalise the terms of a prisoner swap, agreed to by the militants with the US in February. The US-Taliban deal did not involve the Afghanistan government. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has refused to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners under the terms of the peace deal, saying that his government had made no such agreement. Instead, he offered conditional release of 1,500 prisoners. Taliban leaders met with US negotiators in Doha last week and agreed to free 20 Afghan administration officials. Though, the Afghan government released a total of 200 Taliban prisoners earlier this month, the militant group walked away from the exchange process, saying its demand on who was to be released first was not met. The peace deal aims at ending 18 years of war in Afghanistan. Under the agreement, 5,000 US troops would leave the country by May. The US and NATO troops will withdraw from the country within 14 months, as long as the Taliban uphold their side of the deal. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 North American and European countries. The US also agreed to lift sanctions against the Taliban and work with the UN to lift its separate sanctions against the group. In return, the Taliban said they would not allow al-Qaeda or any other extremist group to operate in the areas they control. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cheyenne, WY, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- commUNITY! Blue Federal Credit Union and Blue Foundation have partnered to each contribute $100K totaling $200K in matching funds for nine important nonprofits. Its not what you have, but what you share. Im beyond blessed to be able to lead an organization of Do Gooders, coming together in a UNIFIED way that is critical to us all winning together, said Stephanie Teubner, Blue FCU President/CEO. In addition, Bruce Brady, Blue Foundation President of the Board said, I am proud of the Blue Foundation and Blue Federal Credit Union stepping up significantly to assist our communities in their greatest time of need. In each commUNITY they serve, Blue has aligned with several Do Gooders. The following Do Good partners now have an opportunity to turn the $200K from Blue and Blue Foundation into $400K when seeking their match from others in the community: Realities For Children Larimer County ASK After School for Kids United Way of Larimer County United Way of Albany County United Way of Laramie County Food Bank of the Rockies Mile-High United Way-Colorado COVID Relief Fund Denver Health Foundation COVID 19 Urgent Response Fund Mountain Family Center (Granby, Grand County) ### Blue Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial institution serving communities in Wyoming and Colorado, along with robust digital services to serve member/owners worldwide. Our purpose is to create a true cooperative, connected to, and inspired by the communities we serve, committed to building lifelong relationships with our members, and guided by the belief that their success is ours. Blue Federal Credit Union For You. For Life. Please visit www.bluefcu.com for more information. Blue Foundation is a 501C3 that is committed to supporting local organizations by stepping up to help our communities serve one another and provide financial education, volunteer opportunities and provide funding during difficult times. Doing Good is the fabric of who we are! Please visit www.bluefoundation.blue for more information. Attachment One Jewish Academy kindergartner can hold her Teddy bear and go to school via remote learning. Jewish Academy of Orlando continues to make improvements on remote learning based on parent survey results. The school began remote learning only a day after schools across the state nation were closed for weeks or more. The administration conducted a parent survey to determine areas of success and improvement toward its remote learning offering. Alan Rusonik, head of school stated, "We are grateful to all of our families for their participation in our remote learning survey. We had a tremendous response rate of over 50 percent of families." The survey indicated that 80 percent agree or completely agree that Remote Learning at JAO is going well. Rusonik added, "We know we can do even better and we are continuing to make changes to improve the learning and communication experience." JAO parents identified five areas of support they foresaw needing in the coming months: Academics, Financial, Community, Spiritual, and Parenting. The school is already taking steps to address these areas: Academic-The school's faculty is continuously reviewing and making improvements to its academic offering. A new school schedule will begin after Passover break. This schedule is designed to better serve JAO students academically by providing longer face-to-face instruction from teachers and needed structure for the students and families. Financial-The COVID-19 crisis has had a significant financial impact on some of the school's families. The school has three financial aid programs that the school's families can utilize upon qualification. Information about the programs can be found on the school's website http://jewishacademyorlando.org/admissions/ The third program, TAP, is a new offering that expands the school's aid to even more new families. The school is working with those individuals who have expressed concerns and is doing its best to address their needs. Community-The school continues to participate in its daily WJAO news program in the morning as well as its weekly Kabbalat Shabbat and Monday Morning Minyan. In addition, the school celebrated its first Remote Passover Model Seder. Spiritual-In addition to the school's Monday Morning Minyan, Kabbalat Shabbat, Passover Model Seder, last week, JAO also began to recite the "Mishaberach Prayer" (a prayer for healing) every morning. Parenting-Each Thursday, the school offers "Coffee and Conversation" to the community. The community is invited to attend Parenting Skills by Brenda Chappell and Parsha and Parenting by Head of School Alan Rusonik. These sessions will reconvene after Passover. The school's counselor, Danielle Glover, is available for consultation for school's children. Rusonik added, "While we are grateful for the overwhelming positive feedback, we will not rest on our laurels. Rather, we will continue to make our academic offering and remote learning experience the best that it can be." Jewish Academy of Orlando serves central Florida students of all faiths from transitional kindergarten through fifth grade. The school delivers a whole-child education fostering academic excellence and character education rooted in Jewish values. Jewish Academy of Orlando is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools. To learn more about Jewish Academy of Orlando, please visit: jewishacademyorlando.org or follow the school on Facebook facebook.com/JewishAcademyOrlando/ To learn more about Remote Learning at Jewish Academy of Orlando, please visit: https://www.jewishacademyorlando.org/remotelearning. Saudi-led coalition carries out 230 airstrikes in spite of truce claim: Yemen army Iran Press TV Thursday, 16 April 2020 4:20 PM The Spokesman for Yemen's Armed Forces has rejected a two-week ceasefire declared by the Saudi-led coalition, which is engaged in a brutal military campaign against the Arab country, saying the alliance has carried out over 200 airstrikes despite the truce announced last week. Brigadier General Yahya Saree wrote in a post published on his official Twitter page on Thursday that Saudi-led forces have carried out more than 32 offensives and infiltration attempts since April 9, and that the operations were performed in the northern province of al-Jawf, central provinces of Ma'rib and al-Bayda, and the southern coastal province of Ta'izz. Saree further noted that the Saudi-led coalition has mounted 230 airstrikes since last Thursday, and the aerial raids were launched in the provinces of Sana'a, Amran, Ma'rib, Bayda, Sa'ada as well as Hudaydah. He pointed out that Yemeni armed forces will take practical measures to defended the country and nation, and deter the Saudi-led coalition from its acts of aggression. Also on Thursday, several civilians, including women, sustained injuries when Saudi-led warplanes targeted a residential building at al-Qati' area in the al-Marawi'ah district of Hudaydah province. Elsewhere in the Razih district of Yemen's northwestern province of Sa'ada, Saudi forces fired barrages of artillery rounds and mortar shells at houses and farmlands, causing damage. There were no immediate reports of casualties. On Sunday, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the spokesman for Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement, roundly rejected as fraudulent the Saudi-led coalition's ceasefire, saying the declaration deceitfully targets the world public opinion. He said Yemen has seen an escalation in fighting and airstrikes carried out by the coalition at the same time that the siege of Yemen continues. "The declared ceasefire is deceitful and meant to mislead the world public opinion. If there were a serious intention and absolute willpower towards peace, the UN Security Council should have passed a formal resolution to stop the absurd war on Yemen and lift the unjust siege; rather it sufficed to a worthless statement in order to appease the [Saudi-led] alliance," Abdul-Salam added. 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President Moon Jae-in/Yonhap By Do Je-hae The leaders of Korea and the U.S. discussed cooperation on COVID-19 response and North Korea aid, Cheong Wa Dae said Saturday. During a phone call made late in the evening Korea time, Trump congratulated Moon on his parliamentary election victory and expressed his appreciation for Korea's help with COVID-19 test kit, the presidential office said in a statement. They also agreed on the need to push for humanitarian assistance for North Korea with regard to the COVID-19. Trump also reaffirmed his policy of engaging with North Korea. The Union Health Ministry said on Friday the rate at which the number of coronavirus cases in the country was doubling in the last one week was 6.2 days, as against three days before the nationwide lockdown was imposed. IMAGE: A security person conducts thermal screening of customers queued up at a store to buy essential items during the nationwide lockdown imposed in to contain the spread of novel coronavirus, in Guwahati, on Friday. Photograph: PTI Photo At a daily media briefing about updates on COVID-19 situation, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal claimed that India has been doing better than many other countries on the outcome ratio, which is the number of recoveries from coronavirus infection versus the number of deaths. "If 80 per cent of the patients in India are recovering and in 20 per cent cases deaths are being reported, then by that standard India has been doing a little better than many other nations on the outcome ratio," he said. "Before lockdown, the doubling rate of coronavirus cases was 3 days. Going by the number of cases in the last seven days, the doubling rate has been 6.2 days. In 19 states and Union Territories the doubling rate is less than the national average," he said. The health ministry official also said the average growth factor of cases from April 1 has been 1.2, whereas in the preceding two weeks -- between March 15 and 31 -- it was 2.1, that is a decline of about 40 per cent. This decline of 40 per cent was due to increase in testing, including that of cases with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI), Agarwal said. He also informed reporters that 1,919 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals with 1.73 lakh isolation beds and 21,800 ICU beds have been readied till now. Five lakh rapid antibody testing kits, which arrived from China on Thursday, are being distributed to states for districts with high burden of infection, he said, adding RT-PCR kits are being manufactured indigenously. "We are aiming to make 10 lakh kits by the month of May. We are also working on rapid antibody test kits and by next month we will be able to make 10 lakh such kits," Agarwal said. A capacity to manufacture 6,000 ventilators each month has been created at scientific institutes, he added. Head of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar said 3,19,400 COVID-19 tests have been conducted so far in the country. "Out of these, 28,340 tests were conducted on Thursday, of which 23,932 were done at 183 laboratories under ICMR network and the rest at 80 private labs," he said. Responding to a question about private hospitals doing pool tests and under what conditions such tests are allowed, Dr Gangakhedkar said the ICMR has issued guidelines and recommended it for surveillance purpose. "Wherever positivity rate is less than 2 per cent, five samples can be tested there together. Thus, by doing less tests we will get to know how much the infection is spreading," he said. "In private hospitals, it (pool tests) is being done for individual diagnosis. Wherever five patients come together, their samples are tested together. If it comes out positive, then each sample is tested again individually. "We had not recommended this for individual diagnosis since this may turn out to be costlier. Private hospitals should think over this," he said. Gangakhedkar was asked about researchers at the Gujarat government-run Biotechnology Research Centre claiming success in decoding the entire genome sequence of the novel coronavirus and in identifying its three new mutations. They claim the findings will help in developing medicines or vaccines. To this, Dr Gangakhedkar said decoding the whole genome sequence of the virus has not been done for the first time. "People from different countries bring various virus species while travelling. We have seen presence of various species of the virus in our country. "It will take some time for us to know the predominant quasi-species of novel coronavirus in the country. But mutations are not likely to make potential vaccines ineffective, as all sub-types of the virus have same enzymes and the virus does not mutate very fast," he said. The ICMR official further said his organisation will conduct a study to find out the potential effect of BCG vaccine against COVID-19. "Till the results of the study are out and evidence is obtained, we will not recommend the vaccine even to health workers," Dr Gangakhedkar said. Agarwal said the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Department of Biotechnology, Department of Science and Technology and Department of Atomic Energy are working to increase testing capacity. "Our focus is on developing new, rapid and accurate diagnostic testing kits which can give result in 30 minutes, innovative pooling strategies and indigenous synthesis of kits," he said. "We are also working on viral sequencing to identify epidemiology and potentially important mutations. On the vaccine development front, we are working on inactivated virus and antibodies to make antigens and RNA-based vaccines," the joint secretary in the health ministry said. He also informed reporters that India is working with global partners to develop effective vaccines. "Though these are time-consuming efforts we are trying to speed up these processes," Agarwal said. He further highlighted the need to work on developing effective drugs, saying there are several potential medicines, but no proven drug yet for the disease. A task force of scientists are re-evaluating existing drugs so that they can be re-purposed for COVID-19 treatment, the health ministry official said. The operators of the ill-fated Ruby Princess cruise ship are being investigated for criminal negligence. Thousands of passengers were allowed to disembark the vessel without health checks when it docked in Sydney on March 19. Several passengers were presenting with coronavirus-like symptoms 24 hours before the ship arrived. At least 700 passengers and crew have since tested positive for the virus and 18 passengers have died. New South Wales Police have been investigating the outbreak and are currently trying to determine whether there was criminal negligence by the company or crew relevant to the outbreak. NSW Police said they will also be looking at whether the actions or omissions by any other entity, including NSW or Commonwealth departments, may have directly or indirectly related to the death of a person from COVID-19. 'This would include the nature of and deficiencies in decision-making processes both on-board and on-shore surrounding the management of the vessel, and its crew and passengers,' police said. A criminal investigation has been launched into how the ship was allowed to dock, with 18 passengers since dying of coronavirus and at least 700 passengers and crew infected New South Wales Police have been investigating the outbreak and are currently trying to determine whether there was criminal negligence by the company or crew relevant to the outbreak Once the investigation is complete, information relevant to jurisdictional responsibilities will be handed over to the Special Commission of Inquiry. Information relevant to the circumstances surrounding the deaths of people who either contracted COVID-19 on board the vessel or through contact with a passenger will be reported to the NSW Coroner's Court. The State Coroner will not make a decision about whether an inquest will be held until after the criminal investigation and the Special Commission of Inquiry are completed. The vessel's voyage data recorder, which was was seized last week, is currently undergoing forensic examination. The recorded is believed to have voice recordings of ship-to-shore communications. Hundreds of holidaymakers can be seen crammed together applauding the staff from the gold-trimmed staircase on board the Ruby Princess, unaware of the fact coronavirus had already made its way onto the liner On Monday NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said a crew member serving food may have been responsible for the outbreak. 'At this stage we would think that it was probably a crew member working in probably the galley, someone who is serving food, someone who would get across a number of passengers for it to spread like it has,' he told reporters. 'But again, that is not proven as fact yet, but that would seem to be the most obvious point of transmission is someone who is handling food on behalf of multiple hundreds of people.' At least 664 passengers on the luxury liner, which departed Sydney on March 8 and returned on March 19, were infected with the virus, and 18 of Australia's coronavirus deaths are linked to the ship The coronial investigation was launched after passengers were allowed to disembark in Sydney without adequate health checks on March 19 The Ruby Princess has been docked in Port Kembla, near Wollongong south of Sydney, for the investigation. About 1,000 crew members remain quarantined on the ship. About 90 crew members have reported coronavirus-like symptoms, and 66 have tested positive for the illness. Health authorities confirmed that there have been 34 cases of secondary infection caused by Ruby Princess passengers across the country. Those big snowstorms, no one wants to move their car and youll have two, three, four weeks where nothing happens, he said. But this is a new one, where people are afraid to go out and do anything. But it always seems everything works out and we always seem to survive it. Confirmed cases in the country increased sharply in the last month to more than 8,600 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University statistics. Abe also said the government was mulling $930 cash payments to every citizen to try to limit the economic damage. Abe initially declared a one-month state of emergency on April 7 in Tokyo and in six other of Japan's 47 regions, covering 44 percent of the country's population. As signs showed the virus was spreading outside large cities into other areas of Japan, Abe extended the emergency after regional leaders and medical experts urged him to do so. The prime minister said the extended state of emergency would remain in effect until May 6, with the intent of reducing traffic during the Gold Week holiday season which begins in late April and extends into early May. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe extended a state of emergency Thursday to cover the entire country to help avoid further spread of the coronavirus and to limit its impact on the worlds third-largest economy. In Britain, Foreign Minister Dominic Raab, who is standing in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he recuperates from the effects of COVID-19, announced Thursday the country's nationwide lockdown has been extended by at least three weeks. "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," Raab told reporters. The United Kingdom has the world's fifth-highest official death toll, after the United States, Italy, Spain and France, although British figures only include hospital deaths, meaning the actual number is likely much higher, as they probably are throughout much of the world. The World Health Organization said Thursday it would issue guidelines to countries next week as to how they can ease restrictions that were imposed in response to the pandemic while containing the spread of the deadly virus. The announcement from the organization's European Region came as a number of European countries said they would slowly start lifting restrictions following signs of improvement, despite the continued rise of confirmed cases and deaths worldwide. "There is no fast way back to normal," warned the WHO's European Region Director Hans Kluge. "We (Europe) remain in the eye of the storm," and "it is imperative that we do not let down our guard." Denmark, Italy, Germany and Spain are among the countries that have indicated they would begin to lift restrictions to allow residents to begin a return to normalcy. The WHO guidelines will urge countries to maintain priorities such as controlling the spread of the virus, maintaining the capabilities of city health care systems and safeguarding at-risk segments of their populations. Europe has been among the hardest-hit areas in the world, with the number of cases almost doubling over the past 10 days to nearly 1 million, and fatalities topping 80,000. When and how people will emerge from stay-at-home orders, as well as the restarting of businesses around the world, is a huge question facing governments. Leaders have expressed a desire to get their economies moving again, and along with health experts they have cautioned there is a need to not move too early and risk a spike in infections in places that have started to bring the virus under control. Mexico announced Thursday that some areas of the country could resume regular activities as early as May 17, one of the first Latin American countries to disclose plans to reopen. A health ministry official said plans were underway for a phased reopening of the rest of the country on June 1. German Chancellor Angela Merkel plans to allow some schools to reopen beginning May 4, following similar plans in other European countries. She said some shops could reopen next week. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country is not yet ready to loosen restrictions. He urged Canadians to be patient, saying they still "a number of weeks away." U.S. President Donald Trump is among those who have been most vocal in pushing to restart the country's economy, which is the largest in the world. He is expected to announced Thursday new guidelines, though health officials have said dropping restrictions in early May would be too soon, and ultimately those decisions will be up to individual state governors. Trump participated Thursday in a videoconference with other G7 leaders to discuss a coordinated response to the pandemic. The White House said in a statement the leaders agreed to continue "taking every necessary measure to ensure a strong and coordinated global response and the associated humanitarian and economic calamity, and to launch a strong and sustainable recovery." Trump drew fresh criticism Wednesday from former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and U.S. billionaire Bill Gates about his decision to suspend funding for the WHO. Carter issued a statement saying the WHO "is the only international organization capable of leading the effort to control this virus." Gates, a major funder of the WHO, said the decision was "as dangerous as it sounds." The United States is the world's largest contributor to the WHO, with its more than $400 million contribution in 2019, amounting to about 15 percent of the organization's budget. Kluge, the head of the WHO's European operation, said his office had received some "commitments" from around the world after Trump's decision. He did not elaborate on the commitments but said, "We've been overwhelmed by the support of European countries." Trump accused the Geneva-based organization of failing to obtain independent reports about the coronavirus originating from China's central city of Wuhan and relying instead on China's official reports. Beijing officials initially tried to downplay the dangers of the new strain of the coronavirus. Trump said the funding will be suspended pending an investigation into the WHO's handling of the outbreak. The United States is now the worst-hit country, with more than 640,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Thursday, out of more than 2 million infected people worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins. A Brazilian tourist who hiked to an abandoned bus in Alaska made famous by the film 'Into the Wild' has been rescued after running out of food. Alaska State Troopers discovered the man at his campsite near the infamous 'Magic Bus', just outside of Denali National Park. The tourist, who has been named as 26-year-old Gabriel Dias Da Silva, activated his emergency beacon and was rescued by a trooper helicopter on Thursday. Da Silver had been able to cross the river on the way to the bus, where American hiker Christopher McCandless died of starvation in 1992, but conditions had worsened when he tried to return. The abandoned bus is on Stampede Road near Healy, Alaska and is a much sought-after tourist attraction (file photo) Trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters said: 'The river was open and raging. Apparently when he had headed out about a week ago, ice bridges were still up'. The abandoned and rusted bus was used by McCandless as his final campsite and has become a shrine for fans of both the book by Jon Krakauer and the 2007 movie based on its events. Both chronicled the life and death of McCandless who hiked into the Alaska wilderness with little food and equipment and spent the summer living in the bus. Denali Borough officials voted to ask the state to remove the Magic Bus, along the Stampede Trail, earlier this year though state officials have said they will not remove it His body was discovered an estimated two weeks after he died in 1992 by hunters looking for shelter. McCandless' diary was found alongside his body. A final diary entry titled 'Day 107' read 'Beautiful Blue Berries'. Days 108 through 112 were marked only with slashes, and there was no entry on day 113. Da Silva had been able to cross the Taklanika River (pictured above in file photo), but conditions worsened when he tried to return The granite memorial near the abandoned bus pays homage to hiker Christopher McCandless whose body was discovered there in 1992 Da Silva joins joins a long list of hikers to the bus who have had to be rescued. In February this year five Italian tourists, one with frostbitten feet, were rescued after hiking to the site. Two of the treks have been fatal. Last summer, a woman from Belarus died after being swept away in the Teklanika River on her return from the bus. In 2010, a woman from Switzerland also died in the river in a similar incident. In March this year frustrated Denali Borough officials voted to ask the state to remove the bus and rejected a bid from victims' relatives to build a bridge across the Teklanika, local media site Anchorage Daily News reported. State officials have said they wont remove the bus but will consider posting warning signs. In 1980, the Jamaican reggae superstar was invited to perform at the festivities for the birth of independent Zimbabwe. Harare, Zimbabwe Forty years ago, Bob Marley and his band, the Wailers, stepped onto the stage at Rufaro Stadium in Harare to help usher in Zimbabwes independence from British and local white minority rule. It was electrifying. The unmistakable reggae thump of the legendary Jamaican musician filled the air as chants of Viva Zimbabwe boomed out over the crowd in-between songs. It was a moment I fully savoured, Christopher Mutsvangwa, one of the fighters during the liberation struggle, known as Second Chimurenga (1966-1979), told Al Jazeera. Tears of pain-filled delight rolled down my cheeks, he recalled of the momentous occasion. Unfortunately, many of my beloved comrades were not there any more to watch the spectacle they paid the ultimate price of life for. Then-Prime Minister Robert Mugabe of newly independent Zimbabwe lights the Independence Flame on April 18, 1980, a monument to Black majority rule [File: AP/Matt Franjola] That night in April 1980, Zimbabwe became Africas newest independent country as Britains Union flag was brought down to be replaced by the banner of the nascent state. Months earlier, in December 1979, an agreement signed at Londons Lancaster House had paved the way for the countrys first free elections in February 1980. ZANU-PF, one of the liberation movement parties, won a landslide victory, with its leader, Robert Mugabe, becoming Zimbabwes first prime minister. Marley, one of the most politically and socially influential musicians of his time who also had a strong connection with Africa, was invited to perform during the ceremony celebrating majority rule and internationally-recognised independence for Zimbabwe. The reggae superstar not only accepted the invitation but also spent tens of thousands of dollars to fly in his band and its equipment to take part in the festivities that started on the evening of April 17. That night, Marley and the Wailers expressed solidarity with Zimbabwe, said Fred Zindi, 22 at the time and now a professor in the Education Department of the University of Zimbabwe. It was almost inevitable that a man so identified with the struggles against class and racial oppression should be invited to perform at the celebrations of the birth of a new nation, Zimbabwe, added Zindi, who had attended the show. Also among the 40,000-crowd at Rufaro Stadium were heads of government and dignitaries from around the world, including Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, and then-Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. While the band was playing inside the stadium, largely in front of people invited to attend the occasion, big crowds locked outside tried to enter the packed stadium. Police responded by firing tear gas but Marley remained on stage and the show went on. Thankfully for many unable to be at the concert on the 17th, Marley agreed to perform again the next day, with an estimated 100,000 people in attendance. Bob Marley holding the microphone, Gibson Mandishona playing the guitar and other UN jazz band members, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1978 [From the book Zimbabwe Township Music, edited by Gibson Mandishona] Among the highlights of Marleys Harare showing was Zimbabwe, a song from his 1979 Survival album. In it, Marley sings: Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny/And in this judgement there is no partiality/So arm in arms, with arms, well fight this little struggle/Cause thats the only way we can overcome our little trouble/ Brother, youre right, youre right, youre right, youre right, youre so right/We gonna fight, well have to fight, We gonna fight, fight for our rights. The song, an anthem for Zimbabwes freedom, took shape during one of the Rastafarian musicians visits to Addis Ababa in 1978, according to Gibson Mandishona, a Zimbabwean statistician working at the time for the United Nations in Ethiopia. Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia had given a vast piece of land to Rastafarians from Jamaica, to enable them to lead their dedicated lifestyle. Marley used to support and enjoy by being with the Rastafarians, and thus paid bi-annual visits to Addis Ababa, Mandishona told Al Jazeera. In one of his visits in 1978, a friend told me that Marley was asking about me and the UN jazz band of which I was leading. This was a leisure music band of some nine UN experts which played as hobby at social functions. Mandishona said when he met Marley, the international superstar told him: I can smell Zimbabwe becoming independent soon. Mandishona continued: He began sounding the Zimbabwe tune he had been experimenting on. It was typically a reggae total format. Being a Shona poet, I moderated the tune to have some Shona rhythm bits. Jamaican reggae star Bob Marley (1945 1981), circa 1980 [Keystone/Getty Images] Marley died of cancer in 1981 at the age of 36 but his music still lives on worldwide, including throughout Africa in Zimbabwe, several local reggae groups have over the years played concerts in Marleys honour. Through his music, he was fighting capitalism and oppression of the Black [people] by colonialists, said Victor Matemadanda, secretary-general of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association and also the countrys deputy defence minister. Himself being a product of slave trade, he connected much with his songs, added Matemadanda, stressing Marleys struggle for a united and free Africa. Mutsvangwa echoed the same view, highlighting the role of Marleys music in Zimbabwes liberation movement. The timely arrival of Marleys reggae music and its globalist Pan-African message changed political attitudes as the young freedom fighters marched to war, said Mutsvangwa, a former diplomat. Marleys music, along with that of Zimbabwean superstar Thomas Mapfumo, had become the battle cry of freedom fighters, added Mutsvangwa. Professor Nhamo Anthony Mhiripiri, a chairperson in the Media and Society Studies department at Midlands State University, described Marleys music aspolitically committed. He was an organic thinker who participated in the struggles against colonialism. Zimbabwe was a highly mediatised hotspot where many atrocities were committed and publicised. Marley played his part through highlighting the suffering of Zimbabweans and their aspirations for self-liberation. Forty years on, the independence anniversary on Saturday will be a low-key affair that will find Zimbabweans, the majority of whom struggle with a deepening economic crisis, under lockdown as the country tries to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. As of April 17, Zimbabwe had 24 confirmed cases, including three deaths. How soon is too soon? Thats the big question these days and one you dont want to be wrong on. In Michigan, thousands drove and marched to the capitol building on Wednesday in a protest organized by conservative groups demanding that the state be reopened for business. Michigan is fourth in the nation in COVID-19 cases and that tide shows no signs of ebbing. But the protesters would rather ignore health experts than protect each other and themselves from the deadly disease. And here, just as hospitals around the region are starting to think that maybe the surge of critically ill patients is about to peak and ebb, a potentially deadly combination of spring fever and conspiracy theories is also brewing. A duality unique to this crisis is feeding the brew. On one side of the crisis, hundreds of thousands of Americans are becoming sick with tens of thousands of them having already died horrible deaths. But legions of strained hospital workers -- followed too often by coroners and funeral home workers -- are the only ones truly witnessing the worst of the situation. On the other side of the crisis, social distancing and stay-at-home orders aim to keep us safe but insulate us from very grim realities. Even the media is mostly shielded and unable to give first-hand accounts. There are very few dispatches from this wars ICU battlegrounds. So, to some, continued stay-at-home orders and closures seem unwarranted, overreaching, unconstitutional even. Tell that to Dr. Lewis Nelson, chief of services of University Hospital in Newarks emergency department, hardly a quiet place before the coronavirus. Its devastating to see so many sick people," he told NJ Advance Media. "The number of sick people is overwhelming. As of yesterday, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in New Jersey stood at 75,317 with 3,518 deaths. In Hudson County, 9,174 cases have been confirmed with 504 deaths. Health and elected officials tell us these numbers would be much higher if it werent for social distancing, and they rightly congratulate us for helping the common cause. Being told to close our shops, stay home, keep out of parks, stop family gatherings is all very hard, and sacrificial, as Gov. Murphy said Wednesday. Most of us understand and, tough as it is, are doing our part as it is clearly too soon to hit the reset button. Do we really think our mayors and the governors in our region want to see their Main Streets closed and people out of work and struggling? Of course not. Tucker Carlsons baiting of the governor on Fox News Wednesday night over the difference between attending church services and buying liquor in a liquor store was especially ridiculous and deeply disturbing. In an ugly attempt to make the Democratic governor appear to be trampling on the Bill of Rights, Carlson kept asking why liquor stores are allowed to stay open while church services are called off -- as if it needs to be explained that individual shoppers go in and out quickly while church services last 40 minutes to several hours and are designed to be communal. And, oh, by the way, this isnt permanent. While there should always be room for discussion on individual mandates, language like draconian coming from Washington or our social media feeds is dangerous and distracting. There is a greater good here. We cant let restlessness, frustration or deniers put us all at risk. Submit letters to the editor and guest columns for The Jersey Journal to jjletters@jjournal.com. The government has banned spitting in public places and it is now a punishable offence under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19), which transmits through respiratory droplets released from nose and mouth. Spitting has been associated with spreading disease, particularly tuberculosis (TB), for over a century. In 1896, New York City passed the first anti-spitting legislation based on public health grounds. More recently, in 2011, a councillor in London said banning spitting (in the borough of) Enfield will help combat TB, which has been on the increase in London. Coronavirus outbreak: Full coverage Lately, it has been linked with the spread of HIV that causes AIDS, hepatitis B&C that cause jaundice and liver damage, or herpes, with hundreds of cases worldwide where prosecution for assault was brought, or partially so, on this basis. Several states such as Delhi, Goa, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Haryana, Nagaland and Assam, and cities like Mumbai have banned smokeless chewing tobacco like paan and gutka, and spitting in public places, with some introducing the ban to stop the spread of Covid-19. But does spitting really spread disease? Professor Ross Coomber, the head of department of sociology, social policy and criminology, University of Liverpool, the United Kingdom (UK), who has extensively studied spitting practices in Asia, including both India and China, believes that the promulgated public health risks are commonly exaggerated, relatively unproven and promote what in reality is a public nuisance but has become a public health hazard. Why do people spit? Is it a habit particular to Asia, or is it also prevalent in other regions of the world? Spitting varies in prevalence around the world, but historically it was extremely prevalent in most countries. The Asian region does appear to be where the greater levels of prevalence occur, as a region. People spit for many reasons but the normal reasons -- divorced from customs or a particular culture, sealing contracts, showing determination in sport, showing contempt, warding off evil, etc; -- would be to clear their throats/lungs in the same way that many people blow into their handkerchiefs in the West or to do so habitually. How are spitting behaviours different in India, than, say, China? In India, I observed two primary types - habitual functional spitting by men and women, young and old who just spat often not forcefully but just ridding of saliva but also spitting related to the widely-used chewed paan and gutka, which is a heady mix of cultural activities, fashion, need (if choosing not to swallow), and tradition. In China, it was almost exclusively functional but also louder and more forceful. Arguably, the everyday spitting in both countries is mostly accepted and largely unseen except by those that oppose it. In South Korea, it was almost exclusively combined with smoking and smokers would often draw on a cigarette, inhale and then spit. Does spitting spread disease? What do research studies say? Current research evidence shows that saliva, and thus spittle, although capable of containing viruses and other pathogens, is not considered a bodily fluid through which diseases such as HIV, hepatitis A, B and C are transmitted largely due to the low-level that pathogens are found in saliva. There is almost no evidence to show that public spitting is, in reality, a significant contributor to disease or virus spread as opposed to the assumption that it is because saliva can contain disease/or viruses. In terms of a hierarchy of risk for the transmission of TB, the disease most commonly associated with spitting, the strongest evidence for transmission, however, is elsewhere. As far as the available research suggests, direct close-range coughing or breathing; hand-to-hand touching; kissing (although even mouth-to-mouth resuscitation carries low risk); directly touching pathogen-contaminated surfaces such as handrails, doorknobs and so on; and close living and/or working with others in poorly ventilated rooms carry the most significant transmission risks. Are there any estimates for how many people spit? Has the subject been studied enough? Studies on spitting -- even epidemiological studies -- are rare/thin on the ground. Yes, more systematic studies would be helpful. There are only anecdotal estimates of people spitting and I think there is some Chinese reporting on counting from before the Olympics were held there. I would argue and the evidence suggests (in relation to TB, at least, as the size and virulence of transmittable pathogens vary between diseases) that the link between spitting and disease transmission is historically exaggerated and overstated, particularly with spitting downwards to the ground and is as much a morally/civility based concern as it is a health issue. The campaigns against spitting have a long history of being as much driven by morality as health. A zero-risk approach, of course, would suggest not spitting or sneezing or coughing or even breathing directly in the vicinity of others. The Sars-Cov-2 virus that causes Covid-19 is found in throat swabs and spreads through droplets. Do you believe stopping spitting will stop its spread? Social distancing and sensible all-round behaviour (washing hands etc.) are probably the most important. It seems sensible to suggest that not forcefully projecting bodily fluids into the air should be behaviour but I would suggest that spitting to the ground is not the same as spitting into the air, which happens rarely. It is probably best and sensible to stop all projectile bodily emissions in the current context, whenever possible. How difficult is it for people to change behaviours and stop after a lifetime of spitting? I would suggest it will be very difficult for some but not all. We are all being asked to change our behaviours in many ways. It might be more difficult for those that regularly or even compulsively chew paan or gutka that contain nicotine, tobacco and other addictive substances, such as stimulants. There will a desire and need to chew those substances that will be toughest to break and the spitting will then follow that continued behaviour. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Still, Kyiv officials say more than 140 monks and others at the monastery have tested positive for the virus, and at least three have died. By comparison, Kyiv has registered more than 700 cases and 12 fatalities, and Ukraine as a whole has more than 4,660 cases and 125 deaths. With the coronavirus pandemic driving up demand for protective gear, profiteers and unscrupulous middlemen have taken advantage. Now, one of the biggest manufacturers of the products is fighting back. 3M Co., the maker of the coveted N95 mask that drew criticism from United States President Donald Trump over their availability, has filed four lawsuits in the past week against alleged price-gougers in New York, California, Texas and Florida. The firms were seeking to sell 3M respirator masks to the Strategic National Stockpile, New York City government and a California medical centre at prices as much as six times the normal cost while 3M said it has not increased its prices. Despite 3Ms extensive efforts during COVID-19, unsavory characters continue their quests to take advantage of health care workers, first responders, and others in a time of need and trade off the fame of the 3M brand and marks, the company said in its complaints. In taking action, the company joins a number of states in going after firms trying to sell consumer goods at inflated prices. They have threatened fines and even jail time for anyone who jacks up prices beyond what the state has deemed appropriate. Several state attorneys general are working with online sales platforms like eBay Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Craigslist to shut down resellers who are charging obscenely high amounts. That 3M has had to rely on trademark law to police the matter has also fuelled calls for lawmakers to do something. There is no federal price-gouging statute, though Congress is considering legislation to address prices charged to consumers, businesses and governments during the pandemic, said Gretchen Jankowski, a lawyer with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney in Pittsburgh. Many state laws typically do not apply to state and hospital purchases, but rather focus on the sale of essential goods and services to consumers. The Maryland Attorney Generals Office has received more than 200 complaints from consumers and sent more than 100 letters to retailers suspected of price-gouging, said Raquel Coombs, director of communications for the agency. Among the complaints are gas stations selling toilet paper for $20 (U.S.) for a four-pack, face masks for $70 and bottles of hand sanitizer for $11 a bottle, she said. Elizabeth, N.J., officials have been going through the countys consumer affairs office and a state procurement program to make sure offers to sell masks and other protective gear are legitimate, said Mayor Christian Bollwage. While the city and local hospital have been able to fulfil their needs for now, in a week or two, theyre going to be in dire straits, Bollwage said. He joined with more than 100 mayors and county executives in a letter to the Trump administration calling for a more uniform federal supply plan. The system that is in place in this country is an abomination for a pandemic or an emergency, Bollwage said. Hes calling for a pricing mechanism through the federal government that would alleviate all this price-gouging. The state actions are designed to protect consumers, but many states dont have laws to protect themselves when they are the buyers paying the inflated prices. The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency last week announced a supply chain stabilization task force that wont eliminate the situation where states and health-care providers bid against each other for supplies. As we process orders through the supply chain, we are maintaining close coordination with governors to identify potential bidding conflicts, the agency said in a statement. If a bidding conflict does arise, we will work closely with the state to resolve it in a way that best serves their needs. The bidding wars have strained state and local government budgets. A ProPublica investigation found that New York state had paid almost $250,000 for a portable X-ray machine that normally cost as little as $30,000. Even FEMA is overpaying for the masks. The agency awarded a $55 million contract several multiples of the 3M prices to a company thats filed for bankruptcy and has no employees, the Washington Post reported. All 50 states are competing against each other, the hospitals are competing against each other and theyre all competing with the federal government, said Matt Wellington, public health campaign director at the Public Interest Research Group. The federal government needs to do something to remedy the conditions that have made this ripe for price-gouging and profiteering. 3M accuses the companies in its lawsuits of improper use of its trademarks, false advertising and undermining the value of the 3M brand. Use of trademark law is an interesting approach because the law is more designed to ensure consumers know the origin of goods, said Eric Moran, a trademark lawyer with McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff in Chicago. While 3M may not be able to stop all price-gouging, the firms putting themselves out as being affiliated with 3M gives the company the legal basis for its suits, he said. If there is consumer confusion in the sales of these price-gouged masks, thats a legitimate trademark suit, Moran said. Its clear they feel that such price-gouging has the potential to undermine the value of the 3M name. 3M is trying to ramp up production of the protective respirator masks amid a drastic shortage of gear needed to safeguard health-care workers against the coronavirus, and a global effort to get as many of the masks as possible. The lawsuits are as much about brand protection as they are an effort to fend off criticisms. Billionaire Mark Cuban is among the critics who accused the company of not doing enough to limit price-gouging among distributors. The company reached an agreement recently with the Trump administration to import 166.5 million masks from China after Trump had criticized it and tried to stop it from exporting products to neighbouring countries. In its suits and in public statements, 3M has said it may pursue criminal cases against some firms and is supporting legal efforts to go after counterfeits. 3M is working with national and international law enforcement, state Attorneys General, and the largest online retail and tech companies in the world to identify illegal activity and help punish criminals, the company said. The goal is to prevent fraud before it starts and stop it where it is happening. A Louisiana pastor has urged people to donate their coronavirus stimulus cheques to churches, amid extended stay-at-home orders. Pastor Tony Spell, of the Life Tabernacle Church, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, posted a video to his YouTube channel, where he asked his subscribers to donate their cheques to churches and evangelists. The stimulus package is intended to provide $1200 to every American who earns under $75,000 per year, as well as $500 to every family for every child under the age of 16, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this month, Louisiana extended its stay-at-home order until 30 April and governor John Bel Edwards banned gatherings of more than 10 people, effectively shutting churches. Mr Spell named the challenge, the #PastorSpellStimulusChallenge and told his followers that churches have been without donations for too long. Donate it to evangelists, North American evangelists who havent had an offering in a month; missionaries, who havent had an offering in a month; music ministers, who havent had an offering in a month, he said. He added that Im donating my entire stimulus, $1,200, and my wife is donating her stimulus, $1,200. My son is donating his stimulus, $600. He confirmed that people can donate to his challenge, via his website, from Saturday. Last week, Mr Spell said that he planned to hold his Easter service, saying that Satan and a virus will not stop us. He added that we are not afraid. We are called by God to stand against the Antichrist creeping into Americas borders. We will spread the Gospel. Mr Spell went ahead with the service, despite being arrested and charged on 31 March, with six misdemeanours for violating Louisiana social distancing measures. He criticised churches who held services via livestream, by saying that we cant do what God called us to do on livestream. Googles dedicated coronavirus page shows that Louisiana has upwards of 21,518 confirmed cases and at least 1,013 deaths. According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, nationally there are upwards of 671,493 people who have tested positive for coronavirus. The death toll has reached at least 33,288. GREENWICH The number of coronavirus patients at Greenwich Hospital has decreased slightly, but town and hospital officials are warning residents to keep up with social-distancing precautions. As of Friday afternoon, Greenwich Hospital was caring for 104 patients diagnosed with the virus down from the 115 patients reported there Thursday. This is the third day in a row that the number of hospitalizations has either held steady or decreased slightly. The hospital has also discharged 247 coronavirus patients to continue their recoveries at home since the start of the pandemic. Greenwich Hospital Chief Operating Officer Diane Kelly noted that the downward trend is based only on three days of data but said she was encouraged by the numbers. Some of the improvements were seeing are because of all the public social distancing, and its really important that people continue to do that, Kelly said. Of the 115 people hospitalized, 16 are in the intensive care unit and 15 are on ventilators, she said. First Selectman Fred Camillo, on his Friday call with the media, cautioned residents to continue practicing social distancing and wearing protective gear outside. This is not the time to take the foot off the pedal and ease up on our vigilance of maintaining physical and social distance, of wearing facial coverings and gloves when in public and washing our hands as much as possible, Camillo said. If we dont do all of these things, its certainly going to be a prescription for continued infection of our population. Were doing all this work to ensure that doesnt happen. The rate of increases in diagnosed cases in town slowed after a major surge in the beginning of the week. The towns Health Department reported Friday that 553 residents have tested positive for the coronavirus, an increase of 14 since Thursday. The town had reported surges of 70 cases from Monday to Tuesday and then 105 more from Tuesday to Wednesday, before slowing to an increase of 40 more cases from Wednesday to Thursday. That surge was attributed to a couple of factors, most specifically the time it took for positive test results to be inputted into the state database and then reported back to Greenwich. Town Director of Health Caroline Baisley said she believes the recent surge was from tests taken weeks ago. When patients are discharged from Greenwich Hospital, their care is turned over to each patients primary care doctor, Kelly said. It all depends on the patients specific situation, she said. I know the physicians from the hospital are also calling to make sure everything is going well with the patients. The individual treatments are based on that specific patient. Some are needing oxygen therapy. Some people are OK without having it. A lot depends on the individual. One risk is that a recovering patient could expose their family to the virus. But steps can be taken to mitigate that. What were encouraging people to do is be very mindful of as much personal distancing as they can when theyre in the home, Kelly said. You have to make sure theres really, really good hand washing, using masks when people are in the same room, ... making sure youre not using the kitchen at the same time and all the things you would remember about wiping down hard surfaces. That can be a challenge, she said. If youre able to separate out bathrooms, that would be best, but its not possible for everybody. And in those cases you have to stress good hand hygiene and wiping down hard surfaces. The spread of the coronavirus has hit especially hard in nursing homes throughout the country and in Connecticut where 375 people diagnosed with the virus have died. That includes seven fatalities in Greenwich, according to the state, with three reported at the municipally owned Nathaniel Witherell and four more at the privately owned Greenwich Woods. Town Emergency Operations Director Dan Warzoha makes a daily call to check in with these facilities, and Camillo said the senior population remains a major focus. Steps were taken early on to protect seniors by closing the towns Senior Center, he said. It was our first concern and we moved quickly on that, Camillo said. We continue to monitor it on a daily basis and when those facilities need supplies, we do our best to get them over there. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com ATHENS, Ga., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Susan Kreher, MD, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Top Cardiologist in the field of Medicine for her accomplishments as a Cardiologist. Backed by twenty-five years of professional successes, Dr. Kreher is one of the most skilled cardiologists in Athens, GA. Now retired, her areas of expertise include nuclear cardiology, echocardiography, and Enhanced External Counter Pulsation (EECP). She practiced at Classic City Cardiology and her private practice at 700 Sunset Dr, while holding hospital privileges at one of the top one-hundred hospitals in America, Athens Regional Medical Center. An academic scholar, Dr. Kreher attended Hamline University, earning a Bachelor of Arts (BA). She remained in Minnesota for medical studies, earning a Doctorate of Medicine (MD) from the University of Minnesota (UMN) in 1984. For post education training, she worked as a resident at Hennepin County Hospital and a cardiology fellow at UMN. She remains abreast of changes in the field by maintaining affiliations with the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACOC). Dr. Kreher dedicates this recognition in loving memory of her parents, John E. Kreher and Jean Kreher. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634 [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com LONDON, April 16 (Reuters) - The United Kingdom's 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 said on Thursday. "We think it is too early to make a change," Hancock said. "While we've 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." The United Kingdom's hospital death toll from COVID-19 rose by 761 to 12,868 as of 1600 on April 14, the health ministry said, 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 can't let that happen," Hancock said. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Kate Holton) BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17 Trend: Continuation of reforms in Azerbaijan is producing good results, said Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev while making an opening speech at the meeting on the socio-economic results of the first quarter of 2020 through videoconference, Trend reports. Today we will discuss the results of the first quarter of the year and talk about the upcoming work. I can say that 2020 got off to a good start. The indicators for the beginning of the year suggest that the continuation of reforms in Azerbaijan is producing good results. In particular, our economic and social indicators in January-February were very positive. However, we experienced a certain recession in March. And this is natural because coronavirus is a big disaster for the whole world and a major problem for the global economy. If we take three months of the year as a whole, we can see that there is still development and progress. But everyone should know that the world has entered a new stage today and even the most developed countries are faced with big problems, said President Ilham Aliyev. The head of state noted that coronavirus is a major scourge that has put an end to the lives of more than 100,000 people. We can say that all countries of the world are experiencing problems associated with coronavirus. Azerbaijan is also a part of the world. However, I can say that as a result of the preventive measures and a thought-out policy, we are keeping the situation under control. I believe that all steps taken so far have been in the right direction. Thanks to these actions, the situation in Azerbaijan is under control. If these steps had not been taken in a timely manner and we had not gradually tightened the restrictive regime as part of a sound strategy, there would be not a thousand, but perhaps 10,000, 20,000 patients today, said President Ilham Aliyev. He noted that the experience of the most developed countries shows that no country can consider itself fully insured. The health system of no country can withstand the growing dynamics of these patients. Therefore, this should serve as a lesson for us. I have already said this but want to say it again that we must learn a lesson. All our steps are balanced, it is no coincidence that several countries are taking advantage of our experience and taking similar actions. We are seeing that. Therefore, our further steps should be such that we can protect the health of the people, their lives. As I noted earlier, we will take action in accordance with the situation. All of us, of course, want the quarantine regime to end soon and citizens to return to normal life. But I want to say once again that the key thing for us is the health of our citizens, the lives of our people. The hundreds and thousands of letters, emails and messages addressed to me recently testify to the fact that people highly appreciate the steps we have taken, said President Ilham Aliyev. The head of state noted that no-one knows when the coronavirus pandemic will end, no-one can give a forecast. Therefore, we must simply keep the situation in the country under full control, conduct monitoring, as we are doing that now. At the same time, by carefully monitoring the processes taking place in the world, we must be fully convinced that the coronavirus pandemic is no longer a threat. I believe that only after that can mitigating actions be taken. It's too early to say this but the figures of recent days are encouraging. I do hope that the positive dynamics, i.e. the positive dynamics associated with the number of patients, will be continued. But let me repeat that we will take steps in accordance with the situation, said President Ilham Aliyev. City says 1,290 more people died than previously reported amid questions about the credibility of Chinas reporting. Chengdu, China Chinas central city of Wuhan, the first coronavirus-hit area, has revised its official death toll upward by 50 percent, raising more questions about the accuracy of its figures. Wuhan added 1,290 fatalities to the previously reported 2,579 on Friday, bringing the total toll to 3,869 nationwide. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian acknowledged the viruss rapid spread contributed to undercounting that resulted in China raising its death toll, but added there has never been any concealment, and well never allow any concealment. In a statement issued by Wuhans COVID-19 prevention and control taskforce, health officials explained the sharp uptick was a result of a lack of medical resources at the beginning of the outbreak, with patients dying at home and falling out of the official data, and some victims treated in a vast network of medical facilities having not been properly reported. Additionally, officials said the late and missed reporting during the mayhem of the peak of the outbreak in Wuhan in January also contributed to an undercount. Laying out the efforts by the taskforce to track every COVID-19 death toll, the authorities said they worked to collect full information from all epidemic-related locations, including places such as fever clinics, hospitals, makeshift hospitals, quarantine sites, communities with COVID-19 cases, in addition to special sites such as prisons, and detentions centres. Wuhan also revised its confirmed case tally to 50,333, an increase of 542 from the previous number. After the revision, the death rate among the infected in Wuhan reached 7.7 percent. Credibility dampened The adjustment came at a particularly troubling time for the Chinese government when the world is casting more doubt on Chinas reported COVID-19 outbreak scale, as the fastest-growing economy in the world saw the first contraction of gross domestic profit (GDP) on record. As the global pandemic has infected more than two million people and killed more than 146,000 worldwide, the index outbreak in China has reported relatively diminutive total deaths and confirmed cases, especially compared with other big outbreak hubs, such as Italy and the United States. That has attracted a growing sense of mistrust towards Chinas reported scale among the international community. US President Donald Trump said on April 2 he believed the number reported from China seem[ed] to be a little bit on the light side, likely due to a classified intelligence community report that, as reported by Bloomberg, suggested that China was concealing the extent of the outbreak in the country and under-reporting both total cases and deaths it has suffered as a result of the disease. Other state leaders joined Donald Trump in challenging Chinas reported scale of the outbreak. Both the United Kingdom and France have said the number was untrustworthy, and French President Emmanuel Macron even said in an interview with Financial Times that it was naive to believe China had handled the pandemic so well. Even within China, where speculation towards the government is heavily censored, there had been a growing sense of mistrust towards the officially reported number. So many medics were sent to Wuhan and you see the horrible footage coming out of the city, and now youre telling me there were only 2,000-ish deaths? It cant be! a Chengdu resident, who did not want to be named for fear of repercussions, said. The Chinese governments credibility was further dampened by a damning report by The Associated Press news agency that said Chinas central leadership had been aware of the risk of the emergence of a widespread outbreak for six days before the information was released to the public in January. No malicious manipulation In an apparent response to speculation over Chinas alleged cover-up or manipulation, the statement from the taskforce said the timely revision is a response to public concerns and more importantly, a respect for every single life. The adjustment shows that malicious manipulation never has soil in China some people conjectured that the government had covered up the real number, Hu Xijin, the editor in chief of Global Times, a state-sponsored English tabloid, wrote on Weibo, a popular social media platform. But in China, to come up with a lie that encompasses such a large scale of crisis isnt possible. This narrative has also been echoed by a number of social media users in China who desperately needed a sense of transparency in a misty news environment in China. Many Weibo users flocked to the social media platform and posted that acknowledging the dead is a necessary step the government needed to take to memorise those affected by the disease. However, some people are suspicious of Chinas decision to adjust the data at this point in time, saying the revision wasnt timely instead, it was a last resort. Its very interesting to understand why Wuhan decided to revise the number now, a Wuhan local told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. Probably the government never expected this to grow into a pandemic, and looking at other countries statistics, the government is realising it cant continue making up numbers anymore. For people who have lost their loved ones to the virus, however, the quarrel over the official number seems too distant yet too personal at the same time. My grandfather died on the way to the hospital and I dont know if his death was calculated, K, a Wuhan resident who asked to be only identified by the first letter of his last name, told Al Jazeera. As much as the government wants to say this is its way of paying respect to the dead, my grandfather wouldnt have died if they did a better job earlier. He said he still holds a grudge against the government and that can never be changed. They adjusted the number, which is long-expected, but also the government needs to make sure actual work goes into better governance to make sure such tragedies dont happen again. KYODO NEWS - Apr 16, 2020 - 09:55 | All, Japan, Coronavirus The Japanese government's cautious approach to broadening coronavirus testing has created a dilemma for people who suspect they have been exposed to the virus and are choosing to stay at a hotel at their own expense. Under government guidelines, those who suspect they are infected are asked to stay at home unless fever persists for at least four days. But people choosing to self-isolate in a hotel room out of fear of infecting family members are complaining of financial and emotional burdens. "I had no choice. As someone who is potentially infected with the virus, I would only have caused trouble to my wife and children if I stayed home," said a man in his 40s who self-isolated at a hotel in Osaka Prefecture where he works. The man was notified in early April that a client had contracted the virus. They had met twice at the end of March to discuss business for around an hour in a closed room without wearing face masks. Although he had no symptoms, he moved into the hotel the day after the notification. He switched to teleworking and confined himself to his room except to buy food. Local authorities in the neighboring prefecture of Hyogo where he lives refused his requests to be tested, since he did not have a fever of 37.5 C or higher. In cases where individuals believe they have symptoms but do not fulfill testing conditions, the government asks them to rest at home and isolate themselves from family members. But the man worried his children may be shunned by their friends if they learned that he had been in close contact with an infected person. "If you receive confirmation you've been infected, expenses for your stay at hospitals and hotels (designated for patients) are paid for from the public coffers. But as long as I'm not allowed to be tested, I'm forced to be burdened financially and emotionally. It's illogical," he said. The man checked out of the hotel after showing no signs of infection during his two-week stay. He did not tell the hotel about the purpose of his stay. Hotel operators say the government's testing policy poses problems for them as well. They are left in the dark if they continue to receive guests like the man in Hyogo. Once it is learned a guest has tested positive, hotels could face temporary shutdowns and revenue losses. In early April, a hotel in the southwestern city of Miyazaki closed for two weeks after discovering that one of its guests tested positive for the virus. The hotel began asking guests not to use its rooms for self-isolation as the infected person never told it he had symptoms of coronavirus and did not want to infect his family. A health care official of the municipal government said it will continue to ask residents who suspect they are infected with the coronavirus to self-isolate at home. If youve gone out to eat, basically, ever, then you have benefitted from the labor of undocumented immigrants. According to the Pew Center, 9 percent of workers in the leisure and hospitality industries are undocumented. They run restaurants. Build restaurants. Clean restaurants. Grow and harvest ingredients. Order, prep, cook, and plate those ingredients, then serve, clear, and wash those dishes. Following the mass shutdown of restaurants in response to COVID-19 and in the middle of one of the largest unemployment spikes in American history, undocumented workers have become some of the most vulnerable people living in the U.S. Theyre cut off from their source of income yet denied access to government benefits like unemployment, SNAP, or Medicaid despite, in many cases, having paid taxes to the government for years. To better understand whats at stake for undocumented restaurant workers amid the COVID-19 crisis, I spoke, separately and on the condition of anonymity, to an undocumented sous-chef through an interpreter as well as the chef-owner who employs him (and several other undocumented cooks at his restaurant). In their own words, they explain the open secret of undocumented immigrants in the restaurant world, how life has dramatically changed following the shutdowns, and what that means for them and the industry in the future. "I have this desire to createit comes from deep inside. But outside of work, you are not really free." Sous-chef, 27 years old, East Boston: In Colombia, it was hard to find work without an education. I grew up on my dads farm, helping milk cows and process coffee beans, trying to study and work at the same time. I only went to school through fifth grade. My dad ended up having to sell the farm because our family needed the money, so I worked as a mover in Medellin until my sister convinced me to come to Boston. I was 19 years old. My sisters husband introduced me to a chef, and the same day I arrived in Boston, he hired me to work at his restaurant a few days a week. I also got a second job at a car wash. It was hardI only worked there for nine months. My country is warm, but here the winter was wet and so cold that it hurt my bones. Id never worked with food before. Growing up, my mom was always the one who cooked. On my first day at the restaurant, I had to shuck oysters. Id never seen them before, and I kept cutting myself with the shucking knife. Still, it was a good experience, something new to learn. After a few months of doing this, I started to get into a routine, but I wanted to learn more. I moved to the salad station and, eventually, I left to go somewhere else with the chef. Story continues My boss was good to me. He gave me the chance to create dishes, and he helped me, answering my questions and bringing in books for me to look at recipes. Im now the sous-chef and I run the kitchen, you could say. Four of my dishes are on the menu. In my country, I never thought that I could do something like this, but here Ive had the freedom to do that. I have this desire to createit comes from deep inside. But outside of work, you are not really free. I live with my girlfriend and our 14-month-old daughter in a small studio apartment in East Boston. I was at home when I received the text from my boss that the restaurant would close until further notice. It was March 15th. The other cooks and I were expecting this. We could all see it was getting slower. We received our normal paychecks. I usually worked five days a week, double shifts from 9 a.m. until close, between 9 and 10:30 p.m. I made $6,400 a month, $4,800 after taxes. Its been eight years since Ive been here, and I havent received anything in return on those taxes. My boss gave us a little extra money, then told me that this would be the last payment and that he would let us know when we would reopen. It was very sad. Since the restaurant closed, Ive been in the apartment with my family. We havent left. Im worried. Weve always lived paycheck to paycheck but never needed any outside help. I have enough money, until rent is due next month. We pay $1,100 for rent, but with utilities, its about $1,500 a month. I dont have that money and I cant find work. Say I tried to get a job at a delivery company, dropping off meats, vegetables, things like that. I would need a drivers license and have to fill out lots of paperwork, which isnt possible in my situation. If there is no work, there is no way to survive here. So I may need help from WIC or the hospital to get my daughter diapers or some food. My friends and coworkers, we are all in the same situation. My boss just reached out to let us know that he was applying for a loan and would be able to pay us for a couple of months. Im not sure what that amount is exactly and Im not sure when wed get it, but its helpful so that we can support ourselves and survive this crisis. Would I work here legally if I could? Of course. My daughter was born here, and then I could visit my family in Colombia. Its been a long time. And I would still work in a restaurant, maybe even open my own restaurant, something just for me. The food would be American, and I would be able to give work to the neediest: people who share my experience. Cooking is important to me. Its what I have learned to do to support myself and make a life here. "If you went down a list of the top 50 restaurants in Boston, all 50 restaurants would have an undocumented employee." Chef-owner, 34 years old, Boston: I met my current sous-chef when I needed an oyster shucker. He had never worked at a restaurant before but picked it up very quickly. Somebody who is inquisitive and interested will stand out a lot. I watched him build his palate up, learning what raw fish tastes like, what soy sauce is. He went from having never worked in the kitchen to feeling comfortable on the line within about a year. So when I decided to open my own restaurant, I said to him, Why dont you come and step up into a more significant role? He was hesitant because he was young and didnt have any management experience. But he went with it, and now its gotten to the point where people just talk to him, and not me, if they have a question. Literally every restaurant kitchen Ive ever worked in had a fair share or majority of undocumented workers. I recognized that early on, from helping out as a dishwasher when I was 14 to working with a whole kitchen crew in a major hotel for a large restaurant group in New York City. Its that common and mainstream. If you went down a list of the top 50 restaurants in Boston, all 50 restaurants would have an undocumented employee. Every restaurant in Boston would be closed without them. Then there are restaurant-adjacent businesses: people who are working at the produce company, the seafood company, the linen company. The dirty rags from a restaurant that disappear and then come back cleanwho is washing those? Theres a huge amount of need for employees for these undesirable jobs that are hard labor and not great pay. For years, the whole industry has been screaming about a line-cook shortage. It wasnt that there werent any line cooks; its that no one wanted to train them. Ive been fully staffed for years. I probably have 35 or 40 undocumented employees. Of that, about 85 percent work in the kitchen. In my opinion, anybody can cook on the line. I dont think that a douchebag kid who went to culinary school and is probably going to leave after two weeks on the saute station is better than a hard-working Brazilian guy with no cooking experience and two kids to feed at home. Compensation-wise, we pay undocumented employees what we pay anybody. Per month, total back-of-house payroll for both of my restaurants is about $35,000 to $40,000 for about 20 people that are a mix of full- and part-time. 90 percent of that, maybe more, goes to undocumented workers, and somewhere between $7,000 to $8,000 of that is withheld from them each month for taxes. I try to pay well, but it's not great in general. Undocumented employees are usually happy to take the work, though, because theyre usually coming from an even worse environment. A farm worker in Colombia, for example, could make as little as $12 U.S. dollars for an 8-hour shift picking coffee beans. So if they work a double shift at a restaurant for $12 or $13 an hour and have a second job, they pull in almost what they make in a month in Colombia in one day. Thats what blows my mind. Thats why people will risk their lives to come here and do this. But there is no help for undocumented workers right now. They are just getting totally overlooked. We closed the restaurants on March 15th, which was a Sunday. Before that, I was calling other chefs and asking them what to do, then I talked to my partner and said Hey, we need to pull the plug. I had to tell my staff who has worked at the restaurant for several years, Were closing. I dont know when we are reopening. Im sorry. We told everyone to file for unemployment but obviously not everyone could. My server who has worked for me for two months, theyre collecting an unemployment check. But my line cook who has worked for me for five years, theyre getting nothing. Zero dollars. These people have been working for years and years and paying taxes for years and years, and they're getting fucking screwed. But they still had a paycheck coming the next Friday, so I told all of my kitchen staff Id bring their checks to East Boston and gave them some extra cash. Fundraising with GoFundMe has helped a little bit. Im allocating that to the back-of-house staff. The front-of-house staff is receptive to that. Theyve been asking me, How can I Venmo some money to X person in the kitchen? I want to send them a little bit of cash. This week, Im going to start paying everybody on Venmo. Ive never used GoFundMe before, but they pay you the funds in installments, so it will be staggered. It ends up breaking out to about $350 to $400 per person, which is not that much money when rent per person in Boston is $750 or more, even if you have three roommates. The Payroll Protection Program (PPP) thats part of the CARES Act is actually a win for undocumented workers, in theory, because it pulls people out of the unemployment system and puts them back on the payroll system. If your restaurant is closed and the only option is unemployment, undocumented workers get nothing. But if your restaurant is closed and this system is in play, then undocumented workers get their full payroll for two months. However, the PPP system is not functioning as advertised. (Ed Note: As of this morning, the PPP ran out of funding due to the overwhelming demand from small businesses.) We tried to apply for it at our main bank at first and they said they werent going to be ready for 30 days. So we went to our other bank and started going through the process with them. Its an insane amount of paperwork, a really tedious process. We found out recently we've been approved for the loans, but now we are waiting for the money. I don't know how long that will take. As it stands, I think the program right now is kind of a shit show. But if the program works, its stupid not to do it. Its essentially free money to give your staff for two months and some extras, like helping you pay for rent for the restaurant. But if its not ready soon, then undocumented employees are really in limbo. Even if it is, it doesnt change that the whole system is still unjust. We cant pretend that we dont need undocumented workers. The whole economy runs on them. And the people that end up getting screwed the worst during this time are the people who are actually doing the work. Its a complex thing. I dont want my employees to be undocumented, and they dont want to be either. They would be happy to pay more taxes and go through more paperwork to work here legally and get the benefits they should be getting. Sure, a lot of people are opposed to legalization, in my opinion, stupidly. Because, guess what? Youve benefited from undocumented employees all the years youve gone out to eat. Interviews have been condensed and edited. Originally Appeared on Bon Appetit Joe Biden won big endorsements this week from former President Barack Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders, but what he really needs is more support from the people of color and young voters who backed Obama and Sanders. Way To Win, a progressive donor group launched in San Francisco, is trying to help by spending $5 million on organizations aimed not only at turning out voters of color, but at dispelling what it calls disinformation about Biden in their communities, The Chronicle has learned. The expenditure from Way to Win, which already has dropped $37 million on key congressional and legislative races, is focused on boosting digital operations and thwarting online disinformation a nod to how the coronavirus is limiting face-to-face campaigning. It is also a nod to a lack of enthusiasm for Biden among parts of the Democratic base. African American voters may have propelled the former vice president to victory in the primaries, but the key in the general election will be whether they turn out in large numbers, like in 2008, or in not-so-large numbers, like in 2016. Its a real concern, said Jenifer Ancona, a co-founder of Way to Win and an Oakland resident. That is why, regardless of what happened in the primary, Democrats cannot take black voters for granted. We saw what happened with Hillary Clinton four years ago. Clinton rode the support of African American voters to defeat Sanders in the Democratic primaries in 2016, Ancona said, but in the general election, she didnt do the investment she needed to do. Biden has other problems. Young voters overwhelmingly lined up behind Sanders in this years primaries, as did Latinos. An ABC News-Washington Post poll last month found only 24% of Bidens supporters backed him very enthusiastically, which would be the lowest mark for a Democratic nominee since Al Gore in 2000. Twice as many of President Trumps supporters were very enthusiastic about him. Bidens challenge is that one of the best ways to engage with young voters is face-to-face contact and in-person events, said Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine, who endorsed Biden this month after supporting Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the primaries. This pandemic is going to be a challenge to reach those people, Porter said on The Chronicles Its All Political podcast. I think Joe Biden has potential to connect with young people, but it will take a real effort to do so. It also will take a real effort for Biden to reach other voters who backed his rivals. Its clear that the challenge for Biden will be among Latinos, said Maya Gomez-OCadiz, deputy director of research for Hispanas Organized for Political Equality, which focuses on Latinas. Theres little likelihood that young Latinos would vote for Trump, but the question remains whether they would come out and vote. One reason for the dampened enthusiasm is the amount of disinformation online aimed at African American, Latino and other non-Anglo voters, Ancona said. That is what Way to Win hopes to change by investing in grassroots organizations led by people of color. One of the organizations Way to Win has been funding since last fall is Fight for the Base, which tries to counter online disinformation aimed at communities of color. Paul Chinn/The Chronicle Those campaigns dampen potential voters enthusiasm by expressing support for a sympathetic issue while simultaneously stoking their cynicism about the electoral process, said Fight for the Base founder Andre Banks. For example, Banks said, he often sees social-media posts about the evils of mass incarceration, but then they will say something like, Since the system is broken, voting wont do anything to change it, he said. This is digital voter suppression, Banks said. We saw that strategy in 2016, and the tactic is alive and well today. In 2016, we reacted too late. Were not going to do that this time. Four years ago, Trumps campaign ran online ads recalling that Clinton used the term super-predators to describe young, mostly African American criminals in the 1990s. His strategy was to depress support for the Democratic nominee among African Americans, who are normally among the partys most loyal voters. Instead of buying a zillion dollars worth of Facebook ads to counter those messages, Banks said, Fight for the Base is working with organizations led by people of color and young people. The goal is for those grassroots groups to counter the misinformation through their own online networks in their own voices. The best way to fight disinformation is to have culturally competent content coming from trusted messengers, Ancona said. Still, countering that misinformation will take time and a sustained effort, said Michael Lawson, president of the Urban League of Los Angeles. We have to make sure that everyone in our communities understands the importance of this, Lawson said. Suppressing the African American vote has been been a part of the American landscape since the emancipation, he said. This is just the 21st century version of it. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 17, 2020 | 01:40 PM | MURRAY On Friday morning, the Murray Police Department said 41-year-old Jermie Olive of Murray told officers that he had been driving on 12th Street when his vehicle was struck by another vehicle traveling in the same direction. Olive said a trailer he was towing was dislodged from his vehicle. The trailer entered into a parking lot where it hit a van and a motorcycle. Officers said that 68-year-old Don Carlton, who was the driver of the vehicle that struck Olive's vehicle, was taken to the emergency room for treatment of possible injuries. A Tennessee man was taken to the emergency room after a four-vehicle collision in Murray. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 17, 2020 14:22 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd283050 1 Business Indonesia,CreativeEconomy,freelance-workers,layoffs,relief-aid,Sindikasi,Manpower-Ministry Free Freelance workers in the creative industry are resorting to loans to survive the economic downturn brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, as they lack health insurance and other social safety nets, a survey indicates. According to a recent survey conducted by Sindikasi, a media and creative workers union, about 22.3 percent of freelance workers who have reported a loss of income are taking loans to survive, while 20.6 percent of them have sold some of their belongings to make ends meet. If the condition continues, freelance workers have to choose whether to die because of COVID-19 or to die from starvation, Sindikasi chairwoman Ellena Ekarahendy told journalists during an online press conference on Thursday. Ellena said freelance workers in general were extremely vulnerable during economic downturns, as they had no social security from their clients and client could cut off their contracts without any compensation. More than 87 percent of the respondents in Sindikasis survey said they had not received any compensation for canceled projects. Meanwhile, 79.1 percent of the respondents said they relied on their freelance work to earn a living. In the creative industry, filmmakers and videographers are the most affected subsector, followed by those working in performing arts. Many of the freelance workers are losing their income as their jobs require them to be in the field. For instance, art performers would have to perform in theaters with large audiences to earn their income, Sindikasi researcher Fathimah Fildzah Izzati said. In addition, the economic downturn has prompted companies to tighten their expenditure, which includes reducing their marketing budgets for advertisement. Market research firm eMarketer previously revised down its forecast for global advertising growth by $20 billion as advertisers shy away from marketing their products amid a humanitarian crisis. Sindikasis data projects that the majority, or around 65 percent, of potential contract cancellations in the first half of 2020 would come from small projects worth between Rp1 million (US$53) to Rp15 million. To reduce the freelance workers financial burden, Ellena urged the Tourism and Creative Economic Ministry to hire the creative industry freelancers to create content for the government. The ministry budget could be reallocated as a creative workers emergency fund to hire the workers for producing content, she said. She also urged the Education and Culture Ministry to coordinate with the Manpower Ministry to start recording data on the economic impact of COVID-19 on the creative industry, which would provide the government with a clear view on the industrys condition. The COVID-19 induced economic downturn has threatened millions of workers worldwide, including in Indonesia, as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects the worst global recession since the Great Depression. The IMF also projects that Indonesias unemployment rate will rise to 7.5 percent this year from last years 5.3 percent as the pandemic has upended supply chains, forcing companies to lay off employees and crushing demand for goods as consumers stay at home. According to data from the Manpower Ministry and the Workers Social Security Agency (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan), as many as 2.8 million people have already lost their jobs as of April 13 or were sent on paid or unpaid leave. He said there was no set number of layoffs of USW members at the East Chicago mill at this time, as the union is countering the companys plan to lay off about 200 workers at that plant. He said the company plan targets employees with less than two years of service. The union is proposing voluntary layoffs taken by senior workers who are more vulnerable to the pandemic. A total of 116 demands have reached authorities over the course of the previous month. The ministry of foreign affairs has released the newest numbers surrounding demands for international protection. 116 such demands have been counted over the month of March. In the year 2019, the number of applications in March had been 220. During the first three months of the year 2020, a total of 376 demands for international protection have been addressed at the Luxembourgish authorities. Most have been made by people coming from Syria and Eritrea. James Durbin / James Durbin The number of operating U.S. oil and gas rigs continued to nosedive this week, plunging by 73, according to Baker Hughes. The count is a leading indicator of oil and gas production activity in the U.S. The number of operating rigs in the U.S. is now 529, a level not seen since the last energy downturn in 2016. Indias doubling rate of Covid-19 positive cases has taken a dip and currently stands at 6.2 days instead of the earlier three days, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday. Before lockdown, the doubling rate of Covid-19 cases was about 3 days, but according to data in the past 7 days, the doubling rate of cases now stands at 6.2 days. Doubling rate in 19 states and union territories are even lower than average doubling rate, Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said at the daily news briefing. ALSO READ | Covid-19 cases in India climb to 13,387, death toll at 437 The doubling rate is lower than the national level in 19 states and union territories. Kerala, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Ladakh, Puducherry, Delhi, Bihar, Odisha, TN, Andhra Pradesh, UP, Punjab, Assam, Tripura all have low doubling rates of coronavirus cases, Aggarwal added. After the nationwide lockdown of 21 days and the subsequent extension, the doubling rate has gone from 3 to 6.2 days at the national level, according to health ministry data. The ratio between Covid-19 patients who have recovered and deaths stands at 80:20 in the country, which is higher than that of several other countries suffering due to the health crisis, the health ministry official said. The health ministry official said that 13.6 per cent of those infected have recovered so far from the highly contagious disease. A total of 1,749 people have been cured, which is equal to 13.6 per cent of the total number of cases. With 1,007 fresh cases of coronavirus reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the country has reached 13,835. A total of 23 new deaths have been recorded in the last 24 hours, he added.. We have been witnessing an average growth factor of 1.2 since April 1, which stood at 2.1 (average) between March 15 to March 31. So there is a 40% decline in average growth factor as we increased our Covid-19 testing, Aggarwal said. According to ministry officials, the decline is the result of increased testing, including that of patients suffering from severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI). India has so far reported 1,007 fresh cases of coronavirus and 23 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to Union health ministry data on Friday. "Radio remains to be among the most immediate of mediums," said CapeTalk station manager, Tessa van Staden in a recent press release sent to Bizcommunity. She explained that talk radio not only reports what is happening but reflects on the impact of developments by airing calls, WhatsApp messages and emails from audience members describing their circumstances, challenges and views. Elaborate on the impact of the coronavirus/Covid-19 on radio and the industry as a whole? If you hear about the mom down the road whos sewing masks, or the dad in Khayelitsha whos working from home with his 3-month-old strapped to his back, you feel encouraged and less alone. In a world of Netflix and Spotify, why do you think radio still has such strong staying power as a mass medium and as a channel for advertising? What do you think is key for brands to remember when connecting with audiences via audio? How do you think the fourth industrial revolution will influence jobs in radio? List a few things 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? Van Staden shared that interaction on all their platforms has increased noticeably since they started reporting on Covid-19. "Our audiences want to know more and, at the same time, seem to need to share more."As part of our April feature on radio and podcasting, we asked her to elaborate on the impact of the coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic on radio and the industry as a whole, and why storytelling remains key.At times of crises like the unusual circumstances were experiencing as a result of the pandemic people tune in both for information and companionship. Listenership trends in the UK show a definite hike in listening to talk and news stations in particular. Nielsen says in the United States that 8 in 10 Americans report spending the same or more time on radio as a result of Covid-19 to receive the latest news and information.The CapeTalk website has seen a 330% year-on-year increase in traffic and the most dominant or most popular articles have all been about the coronavirus. In March the site recorded 1.7 million unique users, making it the most popular of all radio station websites in the country that month. People may be listening at different times than usual as theyre working from home, but theyre definitely tuning in and even more so.I think its been a good reminder to everyone working in radio that we serve an important purpose. Its our jobs to ensure were keeping our audiences updated throughout while also giving them a platform to share their anxiety, questions and concerns. At the same time, the industry can be a source of inspiration and hope.Radio is both immediate and intimate. Listeners have strong bonds with their favourite stations and presenters because those have been built over time. They trust the medium. We often hear from our listeners, who say they tune in because doing so gives them a sense of whats happening in their city and beyond. Nielsen stats for the USA confirm this sentiment; there 46% of adults are quoted as saying local radio makes them feel connected to their community.Storytelling remains key. Humans want to feel connected and wanted to be heard and even more so when theyre isolated as a result of the lockdown. Listening is an intimate experience so we need to ensure the audience feels as though theyre being spoken to directly. Sometimes we tend to overthink a particular campaign or idea and neglect the storytelling aspect.Radio producers and hosts are expected to do more and more on an increasing number of platforms, using different types of technology. Sometimes this informal upskilling happens on the job and on other occasions radio employees are expected to do so on their own, afterhours. Flexibility and a desire to learn are crucial qualities you wont manage without them. Its not just a matter of preparing for a show and switching on the microphone.Hosts are doing selfie videos ahead of programmes to pre-promote interviews. Increasingly radio stations are relying on social media and video to expand their reach. LBC in London, for example, is sharing daily FB live videos of radio shows. Everyone in the industry is increasingly thinking of themselves as multimedia practitioners.Theres room to be more supportive of each other. But whats been encouraging to see is stations across the country collaborating as a result of Covid-19 under the auspices of the National Association of Broadcasters. As an example, when the lockdown period started, all member stations agreed to play the national anthem at noon for several consecutive Fridays to rally everyone together and to show solidarity.I love radio. I always have. Talk radio is fulfilling because we can engage with our audience in real-time and give them feedback almost immediately after. That is satisfying. Ive always been quite purpose-focused and CapeTalk has an important role to play, particularly in the Mother City, when it comes to reflecting our society, challenging those in power and airing both stimulating and stereotype-shattering conversations.Its a privilege to work with a team of highly talented, engaged, opinionated and compassionate hosts, producers, technical producers, online writers and editors who are all dedicated and quirky. Im lucky to get to work with them and I (usually) dont take it for granted.CapeTalk is always experimenting. Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page watch this space.Click here to connect with Van Staden on LinkedIn and you can also visit the Primedia Broadcasting press office for more news and updates from the CapeTalk team. The result came back from the prison official's coronavirus test: positive. But it was already too late. The virus had already invaded her workplace, and was cutting a swathe through prisoners and staff alike. In the past two weeks, more than 55 inmates and 29 workers at the correctional facility in East London have been diagnosed with the potentially deadly disease. "This is a ticking time bomb," said Ayanda Botha, whose nephew is serving a 10-year term at the overcrowded jail in eastern South Africa. "There is no physical distances in prisons, none at all," he told AFP. "So how do you expect to contain the spread?" The tale encapsulates the problem facing the world's jails, where close confinement is a red-carpet invitation to a respiratory virus. Overcrowding and poor sanitation have prompted a growing number of countries to release low-risk prisoners after coronavirus was detected among inmates. Botha hoped South African authorities would follow suit. The country has registered the highest number of coronavirus cases in Africa, with 2,605 infections, including 48 deaths. Its 242 jails house around 160,000 inmates, according to official figures, although data on overcrowding is not available. So far, only four prisons say they have detected the disease, prompting government to opt for prevention rather than release. The authorities are taking steps to disinfect facilities, reduce cell numbers and ensure infected inmates can isolate. Some of the East London cases -- which has more than 300 inmates and employs some 80 staff -- will be treated in hospital. Precaution: Justice Minister Ronald Lamola gets his temperature checked at the entrance of Sun City Prison. By Michele Spatari (AFP) Justice Minister Ronald Lamola assured that all infected prisoners had been put in single cells on a separate quarantine site. "We have absolute confidence in our Covid-19 measures and we are confident that they will lead to recoveries that will 'give birth' to a correctional services free of the virus," Lamola told reporters earlier this week. Family visits have also been restricted and testing ramped up in all detention centres. "Even with the testing, I am not convinced that the net will catch each and every prisoner," said Botha, who remained worried. 'Not taking it likely' Coronavirus outbreaks in detention centres are often traced back to prison officials who contracted the disease outside office hours. The first case at the East London facility was a staff member who fell ill after attending a funeral in the nearly city of Port Elizabeth. South Africa's correctional services department said it was considering how best to deal with "officials attending gatherings and movements from their residences to places of work". Two suspected coronavirus cases were meanwhile reported by the St Albans correctional centre, on the outskirts of the city of Port Elizabeth in the same Eastern Cape province. Testing on Friday revealed that all inmates were negative. But a prisons social counsellor told AFP inmates had panicked at prospect of a Covid-19 outbreak. "They are not taking it lightly, they are afraid," said the counsellor, who did not wish to disclose her name for fear of being reprimanded. A cell in the female section of Sun City Prison. By Michele Spatari (AFP) "With the overcrowding the spread can be very fast," she added. "But prison officials are putting numerous measures in place to curb the unthinkable." The counsellor confirmed inmates were given gloves and face masks and that "recommended hygiene protocols" had been set up. Mavuyi Themba's brother was one of the St Albans inmates suspected of carrying the virus. Despite his concern, Themba told AFP the government's response to the pandemic was "commendable". "I see the work which is being put in the fight against this disease and I'm hopeful," said Themba. "It is crowded there," he added. "But the prison officials try their level best to separate those affected and apply the recommended hygiene protocols." Karnataka-based IT-BT companies may resort to employee pay adjustments amid Covid lockdown than laying off, said Deputy Chief Minister C. N. Ashwathnarayana on Friday in Bengaluru after a virtual meeting with industry heads. Image Source: IANS News Karnataka-based IT-BT companies may resort to employee pay adjustments amid Covid lockdown than laying off, said Deputy Chief Minister C. N. Ashwathnarayana on Friday in Bengaluru after a virtual meeting with industry heads. Image Source: IANS News Bengaluru, April 17 : Karnataka-based Information Technology and Biotechnology (IT-BT) companies may resume work at offices deploying up to 50 per cent workforce after April 20 amid Covid lockdown, Deputy Chief Minister C. N. Ashwathnaraya said on Friday. "Up to 50 per cent of the IT-BT workforce will have the opportunity to function from their office premises after April 20," said Ashwathnarayana after a virtual meeting with industry heads. He said the government is arranging passes, public transportation, Covid screening facilities, internet and others in the work resumption efforts. Despite the plans to resume work, Ashwathnarayana pointed out that some companies expressed concerns on how to handle a scenario when a techie is diagnosed with the virus after resuming work, soliciting guidelines for such and exigency. "They (companies) have been promised that appropriate guidelines would be provided in consultation with the Department of Health and Family Welfare," he said. The Deputy Chief Minister, however, has highlighted that the risk of infection rises as soon as restrictions are relaxed. "Precautions were taken and early efforts were made to prevent infections. But we will have to learn to live in precaution against corona in the coming days," he observed. Meanwhile, the IT-BT companies agreed to maintain cleanliness, social distancing and Covid screening facilities at their premises. Former Infosys Chief Executive Kris Gopalakrishnana and Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw were among the executives who participated in the virtual conference. Eom/232 words Joaquin Phoenix poses with his award for Leading Actor for 'Joker' at the British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Britain, February 2, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Alongside Tim Burtons Superman and Stanley Kubricks Napoleon, Darren Aronofkys Batman is one of the most famous films to never be made. The Wrestler and Requiem For A Dream director was approached by Warner Bros to over-see the potential blockbuster in the early 00s, only for the film to fall apart due to creative differences. Read More: Ben Affleck says Robert Pattinson is going to be a great Batman Aronofsky has now opened up about these disputes, admitting that he knew the writing was on the wall for his Batman film when it turned out that he wanted to cast Joaquin Phoenix as the Caped Crusader, and the studio wanted Freddie Prinze Jr. Aronofksy told Empire Magazine, I remember thinking, 'Uh oh, we're making two different films here.' That's a true story. It was a different time. The Batman I wrote was definitely a way different type of take than they ended up making. Director Darren Aronofsky arrives for the UK premiere of "Mother" in London, Britain September 6, 2017. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls The film that Aronofsky planned to make was in the mould of Death Wish, The French Connection and Taxi Driver, and was heavily influenced by Frank Millers Batman: Year One comic series. So much so that Miller actually wrote the script for the film. It was an amazing thing because I was a big fan of his graphic novel work, so just getting to meet him was exciting back then, says Aronofsky, who says that even Miller was shocked by how far the filmmaker wanted to go. Especially since he wanted to show Batman torturing his adversaries. Read More: Darren Aronofsky wants to direct a Superman film The Batman that was out before me was Batman & Robin, the famous one with the nipples on the Batsuit, so I was really trying to undermine that, and reinvent it, he explains. That's where my head went. Warner Bros ultimately decided enough was enough, and replaced Aronofsky with Christopher Nolan. That proved to be a rather smart decision, as Nolans Dark Knight trilogy was a huge financial and critical success, and also reinvented the comic-book genre. Technavio has been monitoring the coal gasification market and it is poised to grow by USD 11.32 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of almost 24% 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/20200417005298/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Coal Gasification 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. Air Products and Chemicals Inc., KBR Inc., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Sasol Ltd., and Siemens AG are some of the major market participants. The environmental benefits 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. Environmental benefits have been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Coal Gasification Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Coal gasification market is segmented as below: Application Chemicals Fuels Power Geographic Landscape APAC EMEA The Americas 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=IRTNTR31395 Coal Gasification 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 coal gasification market report covers the following areas: Coal Gasification Market Size Coal Gasification Market Trends Coal Gasification Market Industry Analysis This study identifies rise in the adoption of clean energy technologies as one of the prime reasons driving the coal gasification market growth during the next few years. Coal Gasification Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the coal gasification market, including some of the vendors such as Air Products and Chemicals Inc., KBR Inc., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Sasol Ltd., and Siemens AG. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the coal gasification 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 Coal Gasification Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist coal gasification market growth during the next five years Estimation of the coal gasification market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the coal gasification market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of coal gasification 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 Chemicals Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Fuels Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Power 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 EMEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Americas 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 Rise in global coal production Rise in adoption of clean energy technologies Rising collaborations in the coal gasification market PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. KBR Inc. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Sasol Ltd. Siemens AG PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors 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/20200417005298/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/ South Africa: Alcohol sale ban to remain in force The Presidency says it has declined the request of the Gauteng Liquor Forum for its members to sell alcohol during the declared National State of Disaster and lockdown. The restriction on the sale of liquor will remain, said the Presidency on Friday. The decision was communicated to the forums attorneys on Friday via the offices of the State Attorney. The President [Cyril Ramaphosa] and government as a whole remain committed to financially supporting businesses in distress during this period. The President has carefully considered the representations made by the Gauteng Liquor Forum. These, however, have had to be weighed up against the imperative of all South African businesses and citizens to comply with the lockdown regulations, the health implications of consumption of alcohol and the priority to ensure social distancing during this principle. As such, alcohol is not considered an essential good or item. It is in fact considered a hindrance to the fight against the Coronavirus, said the Presidents office. The representations from other stakeholders who have pointed to the causal relationship between alcohol intoxication and abuse, and risky behaviour, was also considered by President Ramaphosa. There are proven links between the sale and consumption of alcohol and violent crime, motor vehicle accidents and other medical emergencies at a time when all private and public resources should be preparing to receive and treat vast number of COVID-19 patients. The President has further noted that the Gauteng Liquor Forums position is not shared by all industry stakeholders; and that a number of other organisations in the liquor industry have rejected the call for the restrictions to be lifted, said the Presidency. In response to concerns raised by the Gauteng Liquor Forum that small business in the liquor trade may suffer financial loss during this period, the Presidency has drawn the forums attention to the assistance provided by the Tourism Relief Fund, the Department of Small Business Development, the Unemployment Insurance Fund and private endeavours such as the South African Future Trust, among others. These funds and institutions provide capped grant assistance to small, micro and medium enterprises, to ensure sustainability during this period, as well as support to employees of these enterprises. It is common cause that the containment of the Coronavirus has resulted in financial strain for many businesses across all sectors, and not just those in the liquor industry. Government stands ready to assist them within the available means to alleviate this hardship, said the Presidency. The Presidency further communicated to the Gauteng Liquor Forum the factors weighed by the National Coronavirus Command Council, the Cabinet and the President himself following communication earlier in the week that these measures would be considered during various engagements. The Presidency re-iterated that the decision to impose a nationwide lockdown was not taken lightly by the Executive, but based on the preponderance of all relevant factors and advice. The overarching consideration has always been and remains the safety of South Africans. The government remains willing to engage with all concrete constructive proposals to ease both the threat to life and the economic challenges occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Maarat Masrin, Syria Fri, April 17, 2020 08:04 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd267937 2 Art & Culture Syria,Puppet,puppet-theater,puppetry,children,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free Standing in colorful hula hoops carefully spaced to illustrate social distancing, young children in a camp in war-torn Syria give an enthusiastic welcome to a puppet show staged to teach them about the coronavirus. Volunteers visited the camp for displaced Syrians in the northwestern town of Maarat Masrin, where they aim to teach the children how the coronavirus is spread and how to prevent infection. Activities included a puppet show and painting on tents, with the emphasis on social distancing rules and the correct way for the children to wash their hands. The children were given soap, sanitizer and towels. "As you saw today, we tried to spread awareness among the most fragile group, the children, through painting a mural on one of the tents in the camp as well as a puppet show that summarizes the global catastrophe in three minutes," said volunteer Samir Gohary. "They talked to us about coronavirus and they gave us sanitizers, towels, soap," said Raghad, one of the children. Read also: Wayang suket, an almost extinct children's toy "They educated us about coronavirus, how it infects people. A lot of people died because of coronavirus." Northwest Syria is the last part of the country still held by fighters trying to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. It is home to more than three million people, most of whom fled other parts of Syria in a civil war that began nine years ago. In recent days, thousands of Syrians have begun to leave camps near the Turkish border, some fearful of the virus and choosing to return to Idlib after a ceasefire last month restored calm. While no coronavirus cases have yet been detected in the rebel-held region, health workers fear a possible outbreak would take a severe toll on a vulnerable population. This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here. When Leilani Jordan went to work as a supermarket greeter in Largo, Md., during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, she did it from her heart, not for the money, her mother said. Ms. Jordan helped older shoppers make their purchases, wheeled their carts to cars and even accompanied some to the restroom when necessary. She said, Mommy, Im going to work because no one else is coming in early to help the senior citizens, her mother, Zenobia Shepherd, said in an interview. She wanted to help anybody she came in contact with. And, her customers have been calling me to tell me, thank you. A truck driver has been charged after police allegedly found more than $2.75 million stuffed into Woolworths shopping bags in his vehicle. The Australian Border Force and NSW Police stopped Stephen John Molloy, 52, at a Yass service station on Thursday night and searched his prime mover truck. They allegedly found five Woolworths esky bags brimming with more than $2.75 million in cash. A truck driver has been charged after police allegedly found more than $2.75 million stuffed into Woolworths shopping bags in his vehicle Police say they also found a supply of cannabis, a mobile phone and some electronic equipment. South Australian man is accused of transporting the money between Adelaide and Sydney. Molloy has been charged with recklessly dealing with the proceeds of crime and possessing a prohibited drug. His matter was briefly mentioned at Goulburn Local Court on Friday where he was refused bail to appear in the same court on June 10. The Coalition of University Students has called on the government to heed calls by the flag bearer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, to negotiate with the telcos to reduce the cost of internet data and airtime for students and customers in general in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. Mr Mahama asked the government of Ghana to reach some agreement with the telecom companies which would result in the cutting of the cost of internet during the COVID-19 crisis. While presenting some food items meant for distribution to vulnerable households in locked-down areas such as Accra, Tema, Kumasi and Kasoa, Mr Mahama said it was imperative for the government to ensure that the cost of internet falls since a lot of people are working from home while students are also accessing lectures and education resources online. At this point, the government has not yet addressed the need to negotiate with the telcos for a reduction in their tariffs to benefit the millions spending longer hours online and making calls, he said. As I speak, several students and pupils are having lectures and school sessions online because of the Coronavirus disease. This has drastically increased their expenditure on internet usage to the extent that some can no longer cope. Indeed, there have been reports of several students who are unable to complete online lectures before their 'data' run out. Several people are also working from home. Due to these pressing needs, I wish to bring the issue of cost of internet and voice services back as another priority policy agenda. I have already suggested that the government can assure the telcos of a free six-month extension of licences some of which are to expire very soon. This value can be applied to cushion consumers during this 3-month period, Mr Mahama noted. Additionally, he suggested the 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. Adding their voice to Mr Mahamas call, the students coalition on Thursday, 16 April 2020, said the call could not have come at any better time, as the deadly virus has compelled students to undertake lectures online while at home, reiterating that this has greatly increased the hours we spend on the internet and its accompanying high cost. The coalition, however, commended the government and the African Business Centre 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. It continued that: E-learning platforms such as Zoom, Google Classroom, etc., are very much data-consuming, and we, as a result of being dependents, put 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, the statement added. It further continued that: 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 Mr Mahamas advocacy for a suppression in call rates and data charges, as part of its COVID-19 freebies. Source: classfmonline.com 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 South Africa: COVID-19 regulations partially eased to allow urgent services If you are stuck at home with a burst pipe, you can now call your plumber to come fix it. This is just one of the changes made to regulations governing the extended COVID-19 lockdown. The announcement was made by the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who was addressing the country on Thursday. Today, were not coming with many new regulations. Were extending the regulations that exist because the lockdown was extended, she explained. This comes after President Ramaphosa extended the 21-day lockdown until the end of April to contain the spread of the virus. When we do stop the lockdown, we cant do it abruptly. We have to phase it in so that theres an orderly move towards what would be normality, said Dlamini-Zuma. She, however, stressed that precautionary measures will remain beyond the lockdown to safeguard the health of the nation. It doesnt mean that after the lockdown, everything will go back to normal. While some liquor associations have been calling for the President to lift the total ban on alcohol sales, Dlamini-Zuma said the only alcohol thats permitted to be transported is the one that is used for commercial use, such as sanitisers, and health and related-issues. But the liquor that we drink is not allowed to be exported, in the same way that its not allowed to be sold, she told the nation. Government has now also given the country's export terminals, which were shutdown, the green light to start exporting goods. Before that, we were saying that all goods that come from high-risk countries must be sanitised... We have now learnt that actually, if goods have been at sea for many days, the virus wouldnt survive, she said. The relaxation at these terminals is a way of decongesting the ports, as the country prepares to ease the lockdown, said Dlamini-Zuma. Social regulations: co-parenting, funerals As far as co-parenting goes, the Minister said a parent would need to be in possession of either a court order or papers from a family advocate in order to be able to move a child or children from one parents house to another. If you dont have these, you must at least have a birth certificate that shows the connection between you and the child/children youre fetching or moving. In addition to that, plumbers and electricians are now considered essential service providers. If you have a burst pipe or something goes wrong with your electricity, you should be able to call a professional plumber or electrician to come to sort that out. While there have been a few amendments, the Cogta Minister told the nation that the funeral guidelines remain the same. You still need a death certificate or a copy, and you go to a magistrates court or a police station to get permission to travel to another province. For those who may not have sufficient time to obtain a death certificate, an affidavit is good enough for them to go bury their loved one. However, she emphasised that the number of mourners at a funeral still remains at 50. That has not changed, she stressed. Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola raised concerns about funerals, which are becoming the epicentre of the spread of the virus. We want the nation to comply with the regulations that are put in place. People from all walks of life converge to a place. Even if the number is 50, it still does cause some difficulty for us. He called on communities to start a debate and engage on how this will be addressed going forward, and also to learn from other countries on how they conduct their funerals, to flatten the curve. - SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Solving an issue that Democrats have been at loggerheads over for weeks, the Supreme Judicial Court made clear Friday that the inaction of the Legislature left them with little choice but to intervene and reduce the signature-gathering requirements for candidates running in 2020. The state's highest court issued its ruling one day after hearing oral arguments in a lawsuit brought by three candidates running for offices with the highest and lowest requirements for collecting the signatures of voters. The decision, written by Chief Justice Ralph Gants, ordered that requirements for all candidates seeking to appear on the Sept. 1 primary ballot be reduced by 50 percent in order to ensure easier access to the political process for office-seekers struggling to collect signatures from voters during the coronavirus pandemic. The court also extended the deadline for candidates for state and county offices to submit signatures to local election clerks from April 28 until May 5, and will allow for some use of electronic signatures. The new May 5 deadline is consistent with the deadlines for candidates running for federal office. We emphasize that the declaration we make and the equitable relief we provide is limited to the primary election in these extraordinary circumstances, which is the sole subject of the case before us, and does not affect the minimum signature requirements for the general election this year or for the primary elections in any other year, Gants wrote in the courts decision. Many candidates have been clamoring for weeks for relief from the signatures requirements, while others have said they've found ways around social distancing precautions by leaving nomination papers on unmanned tables with pens, or using the mail to send and retrieve papers. After a few snags, the Senate on Thursday passed a bill to reduce the requirement by 50 percent for all candidates needing 1,000 or more signatures, which would have excluded itself and candidates for the House. House officials, however, told the News Service that bill was unlikely to pass that chamber. That left the decision to the court. "Here, where the filing deadline for nomination papers fast approaches, and the Legislature has yet to take decisive action, we have little choice but to provide equitable relief," Gants wrote. In the decision, he added: "No fair-minded person can dispute that the fundamental right to run for elective office has been unconstitutionally burdened or interfered with by the need to obtain the required 'wet' signatures in the midst of this pandemic." The lawsuit was brought by U.S. Senate candidates Kevin O'Connor, a Republican, U.S. House candidates Robbie Goldstein, a Democrat running the Eighth Congressional District, and Melissa Bower Smith, a Democrat running for the state House on the South Shore. The candidate's attorney Robert Jones, of Ropes and Gray, asked the SJC on Thursday to either waive signature requirements altogether, or reduce the totals by two-thirds. The plaintiffs were also seeking the extension and the use of electronic signatures. The ruling allows for a limited use of electronic signatures, consistent with the recommendation of Secretary of State William Galvin, who had recommended to the court a remedy very similar to the one provided. In order to meet their reduced requirements, the court said candidates can 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. In a concurring opinion, Justice Scott Kafker said he worried the court was being forced to "stray into territory reserved for the Legislature," and his preferred remedy might have been to simply allow the full use of electronic signatures for campaigns to meet their statutory signature gathering requirements. "In sum, while I agree with the court that the technological limitations described by the Secretary prevent us from replacing the in-person requirement with electronic signatures alone in the short time before the signatures are due, and require the multifaceted remedy the court proposes, I feel compelled to emphasize that those responsible for our election process must have the necessary tools to quickly adapt to the current pandemic and the future crises to follow," Kafker wrote in his own opinion. The court agreed with the plaintiffs that relief provided to candidates for all offices, not just federal and county candidates, and said it found a "rational connection" to reducing the totals by half. Gants wrote that candidates had 41 days from Feb. 11 until March 23 when the governor issued an order limiting gatherings to no more than 10 people, which is "almost exactly fifty percent" of the time between Feb. 11 and the new May 5 deadline. The decision was cheered not just by the plaintiffs, but other candidates seeking office and struggling to meet their requirements. Dave Cavell, a candidate for Congress in the Fourth District, Tweeted, "BREAKING: We won the signature gathering case!!! Signature requirement cut in half, electronic signatures allowed. This is a victory not just for campaigns, but for public safety and for democracy." O'Connor's campaign said it was "satisfied" with the reduction by one half, and not two-thirds. The Republican started to make a big push for the change after his father contracted COVID-19 and he shared that his mother had been gathering signatures for his campaign until he ceased all collection activity. "Todays decision marks a victory for the people of Massachusetts, and is a rebuke to the legislature, which for weeks has failed to act to address this dangerous public policy conflict. The ruling serves the interests of public health and democracy. Of equal importance, it reinforces the fundamental principle that no one not even entrenched political incumbents are above our federal and state constitutions," O'Connor said in a statement. Goldstein, the lead plaintiff who is attempting to run in the primary against U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, also said he was "pleased" with the outcome. "As an infectious disease physician, I could not in good conscience put my campaign above the health and safety of countless volunteers and election clerks. I'm also proud to have had the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with the other brave candidates as we led an important fight that could very well ripple across generations yet to come," Goldstein said. U.S. Sen. Edward Markey was among the candidates who had not yet gathered the 10,000 signatures required of him to qualify for the ballot. After telling the Boston Globe 10 days ago that it had about 7,000 signatures, campaign manager John Walsh said Friday said the incumbent now had requests for 20,896 additional nomination sheets, putting it on pace to collect more than 20,000 certified signatures by the deadline. The campaign turned to its 4,500 volunteers, and asked supporters to get 10 of their friends to sign his papers, Walsh said. "We recognize and applaud that the Supreme Judicial Court ruled today to alter signature requirements with the health and safety of the voters of Massachusetts in mind. Our campaign will continue to operate with this same commitment - to the best interests of Massachusetts families," Walsh said in a statement. U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III had already announced this week that he had gathered 15,000 signatures to qualify for the primary ballot to run against Markey before the SJC's decision. And in the Sixth District, Democrat Angus McQuilken said he "still has work to do" to collect the reduced requirement of 1,000 signatures to run in the primary against U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, but is now confident he can get there. This is an important decision that protects ballot access and voter choice while recognizing the public health crisis that were in, McQuilken said. Our campaign still has work to do in collecting the necessary signatures, but with this issue resolved I am one hundred percent confident that we will get the signatures we need, make the primary ballot, and give voters in the 6th District a real choice for who should represent them in Congress. Related Content: Chahid El-Hafed (Dignity Camps), April 16, 2020 (SPS) - The President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic , General Secretary of the Frente POLISARIO, Brahim Gali, has addressed a message to the nation on the occasion of the international health crisis caused by COVID 19 and the measures implemented by the Saharawi State to face the pandemic. In a speech broadcast live on National Television (http://rasd.tv/) and National Radio, the Saharawi president has warned that the peoples of the world are currently going through one of their worst periods in history as a result of the spread of the COVID 19 virus, which has internationally caused regrettable human and economic losses. "We are facing a danger that requires everyone, without exception, full collaboration to face this pandemic and prevent its catastrophic spread within our people," said the Saharawi president, while recalling the early and necessary measures promoted by the Government taking into account the regional and international scenario. Recalling the absence of positive cases in the liberated areas of the Democratic Saharawi Arab Republic and the refugee camps, Brahim Gali highlighted the effort carried out by the National Committee for Monitoring and Prevention of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the full citizen collaboration with the announced measures. For the Saharawi president, the current situation deserves a special mention to the health teams and the security forces for their discipline and dedication in these difficult times. "The crucial battle of our people for their existence can only end with the victory and full sovereignty of the Saharawi State over the entire national territory, which requires full and permanent preparation to face all obstacles." He also warned that "in the face of the atrocious occupation of the Moroccan regime, which has caused exile and the absence of resources, we are called to redouble our efforts, within the framework of national unity, and to be attentive to the purposes of the enemy. In line, Brahim Gali has emphasized the responsibility of the UN and its obligation towards the population living in the occupied areas of Western Sahara and the Saharawi political prisoners imprisoned by the Moroccan occupation regime. It has also blamed the Moroccan regime on the lives of illegally convicted activists. Under the leadership of the POLISARIO, the Sahrawi people have known how to overcome all challenges and face adversity, whatever its magnitude. He will face this global epidemic with conscience, responsibility, discipline and commitment , he highlighted. Given the inability of the great powers to cope with the pandemic, Brahim Gali has warned that the only effective measures to deal with the virus are "confinement and social distancing." So it has demanded that all citizens respect confinement and minimize mobility in refugee camps and liberated areas. "I take this opportunity to appeal to you, for the benefit of national interests, to protect your lives and the lives of all the people against a cruel enemy," added the Saharawi president. Finally, the head of state has indicated that we face a great challenge that requires an understanding of the situation and its risks. And it has once again emphasized prevention as one of the main pillars of the Saharawi health system and its successes.SPS 125/090/TRA 'I set out really early because it gets very hot.' 'The soles of my feet burn by the time I have finished going house to house on foot.' Every morning, Chinta Devi leaves her home at 6 am to go house to house in the village. She wears a mask and gloves -- one set for each day -- given to her by the district health department -- and knocks on doors, asking families if they have a cough, fever, sore throat or headache. She notes down the details provided by each house. She also tells men, women and children to wash their hands and maintain good hygiene. For five days, she does the rounds in the ward assigned to her in the village and returns to the same houses three days later to check and re-check if any symptoms have appeared. "I set out really early because it gets very hot. The soles of my feet burn by the time I have finished going house to house on foot," she tells Archana Masih/Rediff.com over the telephone from Siwan district in north Bihar as she makes tea, the universal soothing remedy for fatigue. Tomorrow morning, she will once again go out in the village checking on people for any COVID-19 symptoms. Chinta Devi is an ASHA or a community health worker in Panjaur village, Raghunathpur block, which recorded the most number of COVID-19 cases in Bihar. 29 people tested positive in the district, 23 from one family alone when a native who had returned from Oman on April flouted self-quarantine and mingled freely in the community. The positive patients were sent in ambulance and buses to the nearest medical college hospital which is in Patna. 12 patients have been cured and the others are getting treatment. The village and the district borders were sealed off and residents were screened and tested. "No new case has come up after that. All test reports were negative," says Chinta Devi who draws a salary of Rs 5,600 per month, but complains that she has not been paid her arrears from 2016. ASHAs and Anganwadi workers are the frontline warriors in the government's health care system at the village level. They are the ones going out and conducting surveys, identifying suspected cases and contacts at the grassroot level. An anganwadi is the basic block of the public healthcare system. One anganwadi broadly has a catchment of a population of 1,000 people. Bihar has identified 13 of its 38 districts as coronavirus infected and has 83 positive cases (as of April 17). It has only one death. 37 COVID-19 patients have recovered, according to Bihar's Principal Secretary (Health) Sanjay Kumar. At 51.39%, it has the third-best recovery rate in the country and the fifth state to have the lowest fatality rate. In the four districts of Siwan, Begusarai, Nawada and Nalanda which had positive cases, 100% house to house screening of symptomatic patients is being conducted based on the WHO model for the pulse polio mission. "Bihar has adopted the right strategy and this is why the infection has been contained," says a healthcare professional working for an NGO. In other areas where positive cases have been identified, all households within a 3 km radius are being screened. 8,000 teams are involved in this effort. A team of two -- one anganwadi and ASHA worker -- conduct the house to house survey and mark their progress by an arrow to indicate the homes that have been surveyed. They give the report to a supervisor, who submits it to the public health centre and is forwarded to the district headquarters and further to the state headquarters. There are six testing centres in the state where the samples are transported in 24 hours. Medical shops and private clinics have also been asked to inform the administration about symptomatic cases. Isolation centres have been established in all districts. The state has also created a portal for COVID-19 infections where every person whose sample is taken is registered. The time when the sample is dispatched from the district and when it is received at the testing centre is logged in. The result is then updated so that all district health departments have the required information. "The system has been streamlined and the portal has helped the district administrations to know the test results as soon as they come," says a healthcare professional. In Raghunathpur block, with its borders sealed, grains and vegetables are brought to the village in a vehicle and people are told to cover their faces with masks or a cloth when they make purchases. "Palak, which is sold at Rs 8, is selling at Rs 20," says China Devi. "Many don't have money in their homes and are complaining." Theoretical model and verification of capillary force balance at the three-phase contact line. Credit: FAN Jingcun et al. 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 has 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, 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, the group from USTC proposed a theoretical model 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. Explore further Physicists experimentally verify 40-year-old fluid equations More information: JingCun Fan et al, Microscopic Origin of Capillary Force Balance at Contact Line, Physical Review Letters (2020). Journal information: Physical Review Letters JingCun Fan et al, Microscopic Origin of Capillary Force Balance at Contact Line,(2020). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.125502 Provided by University of Science and Technology of China The Muslim community has more than stepped up during the coronavirus crisis, but still receives far right abuse. Muslim-led charities in the UK, long recognised by parliamentary reports as the fourth emergency service are even more important now that the first three are so severely overstretched. The Muslim community has more than stepped up during the coronavirus crisis. Many of those National Health Service (NHS) staff who have lost their lives to COVID-19 have been of immigrant often Muslim background, and mosques took the step of closing their doors well in advance of government advice. None of this has prevented far-right figures as well as some mainstream tabloid journalists from stigmatising Britains minorities, especially the Muslim community. The usual peddlers of Islamophobia are continuing to push dangerous conspiracy theories. Tommy Robinson, one of the UKs most notorious online provocateurs, has been quick to seize the opportunity do so. Robinson recently shared a video of Muslim men allegedly flouting social distancing rules by attending a secret mosque in Birmingham fake news which was quickly dismissed by West Midlands police. It is a particularly trying time for Britains faith communities. Many of them hail from minority backgrounds, and are disproportionately affected by the virus particularly when it comes to those who need intensive care or lose their lives. As places of worship are shut down during the lockdown, some of those mosques, dependent on weekly congregational donations, may not survive the pandemic. This is a huge worry for all charities in the Muslim philanthropy space a sector where well over 100 million pounds ($125 million) is raised every year in the UK during the month of Ramadan alone (which will start next week). Without the physical space to hold fundraising events and solicit much-needed donations, some Muslim civil society institutions may find their operations are no longer sustainable after the outbreak. In spite of this, and without clarity from Chancellor Rishi Sunak about how much of his 750-million-pound support fund for charities will reach them, Muslim-led charities have stepped up their work in serving the most vulnerable across the country, distributing millions of pounds worth of aid and welfare in response to COVID-19. At my charity, Penny Appeal, we have established a hardship fund, distributed food and hygiene packs and set up a bespoke Coronavirus Listening Line, a service which offers support to people who are under particular strain at the moment. We are not alone. Islamic Relief has already committed half a million pounds to partner organisations, particularly food banks. The National Zakat Foundation is offering cash grants to those under financial stress, while others are working with members of Parliament, councils and even directly supporting front-line NHS staff in hospitals. The Ummah Welfare Trust is donating a staggering one million pounds worth of personal protective equipment to front-line healthcare workers. These contributions are just the tip of the iceberg. So much more is under way, most of which will remain under the radar of any media reporting, since many Muslims are reluctant to advertise what they see as a spiritual, rather than a public, duty. All this flies in the face of what the far right in the UK are spouting sentiments which sadly do not exist in a vacuum. The You Clap For Me Now viral campaign seeks to highlight the fears of ethnic minority communities in the UK whose contributions to society are being celebrated in this moment of national need but worry that when the dust settles the post-Brexit climate of racism and bigotry which has more than doubled since 2013 will return. Minorities should not only be welcomed in the UK at a time of need or when they are providing essential services. They should be as much a part of the countrys fabric as anyone else. Not least given how Muslim-led charities like ours play such an integral role in how Britain functions during crises. Those who racialise British Muslims when they are linked with something negative should not make their faith and ethnicity invisible when they are such a crucial part of a national effort to survive a once-in-a-generation global emergency. During World War I, 2.5 million Muslims travelled to Europe to fight for the UK. Similarly, after World War II, as part of the effort to rebuild the country, tens of thousands of Windrush immigrants were welcomed to Britain alongside subjects from across the former colonies in the Indian subcontinent and Africa, just because the country needed them. Generations later, they are still all-too-often treated as alien, and their culture as inferior. The war against coronavirus must be different. This time, we must remember all the soldiers whether they are charity volunteers wearing Team Orange t-shirts or medical doctors donning blue medical scrubs and we must keep clapping for them when the war is over. A time of upheaval creates unprecedented instability and fear, and history shows us how this can drive countries to lurch politically either to the right or to the left. After the last world war, the welfare state was established. A welfare state that for years has been shrinking away and is now at breaking point, with the website for applying for Universal Credit (income support in the UK) crashing under the stress of new claimants. Luckily for Brits, our welfare is protected not only by the governments welfare system but also by the fourth emergency service British Muslim-led charities. This is a duty mandated by our faith; to serve those in need regardless of who they are or what their background might be. In return, we do not ask for special treatment or consideration. All we want is to be treated as equals when the dust settles. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Spain has today launched criminal investigations into 37 care homes after grieving relatives of thousands of elderly coronavirus victims claimed 'they were left to die'. The Public Prosecutor is also looking into 124 private cases whilst the country's 'Patient Ombudsman' is investigating another 200 complaints. These claim that the elderly in care and nursing homes were not tested for COVID-19, were not provided with health care and their families were not allowed to take them home. A resident of the Hospital Sant Miquel care home for the elderly is tested during a COVID-19 coronavirus testing campaign in Barcelona on April 15 One relative told the Spanish press: 'They have been left to die.' If negligence is found, charges of manslaughter or criminal neglect could be filed against owners, local authorities or staff. However, health chiefs say the prosecutor would have to take into account the exceptional circumstances of the coronavirus health crisis, the lack of previous experience and the pressures staff were under before deciding to take any court action. Healthcare workers take a swab sample from a resident of the Hospital Sant Miquel care home for the elderly during a COVID-19 coronavirus testing campaign in Barcelona on April 15 More than 19,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Spain. It is being estimated that at least 11,000 old folk in care, nursing or residential homes have been victims but it is not known how many of these are included in Spain's official death toll. The Ministry of Health has asked all regions to supply precise details of how many people have died in nursing homes but admits that not all of the information has yet been supplied. Dolores Delgado, Spain's attorney general, says the investigations are being carried out in eight autonomous communities, including Madrid (19 investigations). The others are Catalonia (seven) with five in Castilla-La Mancha, two in Castilla y Leon and Murcia; and one each in the Canarias, Valencia and Cantabria. A doctor attends to a woman at the Las Praderas care home for the elderly in Pozuelo de Alarcon near Madrid on April 15 The probe follows confirmation that the Military Emergency Unit had found the abandoned corpses of elderly residents when disinfecting care homes. The establishments under investigation have not been named. The shocking toll of deaths in nursing homes has included more than 20 in one centre alone in Madrid. The Ministry of Defence says it has so far disinfected 3,800 care homes across Spain. The Treasury is finally set to extend its package of coronavirus rescue loans today, which will come as a relief for hundreds of businesses that had fallen through the cracks. Firms which make more than 45m were denied access to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) launched last month. Help was on offer to larger businesses through the Bank of England's Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF), though this came with its own drawbacks because few UK businesses met the stringent criteria on how likely they were to be able to pay back the debt. Making a move: Final details of the scheme will be unveiled by Chancellor Rishi Sunak While many small firms struggled to get hold of CBILS, MPs and business lobby groups reported a huge unmet demand for loans among medium-sized to larger businesses. Those companies will be hoping the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) will act as a sticking-plaster until the Covid-19 lockdown ends and they can get back up and running. Final details of the scheme will be unveiled today by Chancellor Rishi Sunak ahead of its launch on Monday. All firms with a turnover of more than 45m will now be able to borrow up to 25m through the low-interest Government-guaranteed scheme, while those which make more than 250m can borrow up to 50m. Though the introduction of CLBILS will come as a relief for larger companies, it will not address much of the criticism which has already been levelled at the Government's coronavirus business bailout schemes. The existing smaller CBILS is designed to help small and medium-sized firms borrow up to 5m, where their operations or cash flow has been disrupted by the Covid-19 lockdown and they desperately need money. These loans, doled out by High Street lenders, were designed to prevent the smaller businesses which form the backbone of Britain's economy from falling apart. And as an incentive to banks to make the loans, t h e Government announced it would guarantee 80 per cent of any losses the banks suffered under CBILS. But the launch of the scheme has been beset by controversy and confusion. by Lucy White Only 1.1 billion has been handed out so far, a far cry from the 330 billion which Sunak envisioned when launching his string of business bailouts. And only one in five of the 28,460 formal applications for a CBILS loan has been approved by banks or 6,020 meaning many cash-strapped businesses are still clambering to make ends meet. Mike Cherry, chairman of the Federation of Small Business, said feedback had been that the process was 'very demanding'. Sunak has already had to modify the scheme to ensure banks weren't prioritising their own high-interest commercial loans. And even the Financial Conduct Authority has stepped in, writing a letter to lenders this week urging them to get money out of the door faster. For larger firms, the Bank of England's Covid-19 Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) has not been as successful as hoped. The CCFF is designed to take the pressure off bigger companies by buying their newly issued short-term debt, giving them money so they can pay for urgent outgoings such as wages and supplier invoices. And although the facility is potentially unlimited, with Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey promising to do 'whatever it takes' to keep the economy on track, only 7.6 billion has been lent so far. Part of the problem is that the business needs to be categorised by a credit ratings agency as 'investment grade', meaning it should easily be able to pay back the Bank of England's loan. But analysis by ratings agency Fitch showed only around 100 companies in the whole of the UK are in this bracket. So if businesses were already struggling at the beginning of March as many were especially, after a torrid time on the High Street they will have little luck in getting relief under the CCFF. A grant system announced by Sunak for all small businesses sounded like it would be more simple to administer. Any firm which receives small business rates relief, because its property has a rateable value of under 15,000, is automatically eligible for a 10,000 grant. But property adviser Altus Group claims just 9 per cent of the 11 billion earmarked by the Government under this scheme has reached struggling small companies, most of which can no longer operate under lockdown rules. Firms should not need to apply for the grants, which are being doled out by local councils. But many have been inundated by the work. Altus's Robert Hayton branded the delays 'unacceptable', adding: 'The money needs to get to those most in need far quicker.' Companies in the retail, hospitality and leisure sector which has been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus lockdown can claim a little more, and are eligible for a 25,000 grant if their property's rateable value is between 15,001 and 51,000. But this scheme too has been beset by delays. Australian flights will have social distancing measures to ensure passengers are sitting away from each other to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Passengers travelling on domestic Virgin Australia flights will have the seat next to them blocked as part of a new social distancing policy. The new measures will be applied through the airline's reservation system which can cap flights and block seats between people travelling together. Virgin Australia made the announcement on Friday and will operate 64 return domestic flights, underwritten by the federal government, for eight weeks. Scroll down for video Passengers travelling on domestic Virgin Australia flights will have the seat next to them blocked as part of a new social distancing policy French nationals queue to enter Sydney's international airport to be repatriated back to France amid the coronavirus pandemic The social distancing policy also includes a simplified onboard menu which is aimed at reducing contact between passengers and airline crew. All guests will receive complimentary water and a snack but food and beverages will no longer be available to buy throughout the flight. Virgin Australia General Manager Customer Service Delivery, Paul Woosnam, said the airline was excited to formally announce the social distancing policy. 'While the risk of contracting coronavirus on an aircraft is deemed low we have put in place social distancing measures on our flights for the health and safety of our passengers and crew who are always our number one priority,' Mr Woosnam said in a statement. 'We hope this new policy, along with the flexible booking options we are already giving travellers, instills confidence in people who are required to travel for essential reasons,' he said. Virgin hopes the minimal domestic schedule will allow Australians to get home safely and enable essential travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline will be able to reinstate some of its staff as it resumes limited domestic flights at the federal government's request but may have to raise the price of domestic flights in order to make a profit. Virgin Australia made the announcement on Friday and will operate 64 return domestic flights, underwritten by the federal government, for eight weeks Virgin will reinstate some of the flight, cabin and ground crew and other operational staff it stood down during the COVID-19 fallout. '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. 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 flights will service most Australian capital cities and a number of regional airports including Broome, Kalgoorlie, the Gold Coast, Mackay, Cairns and Townsville. 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. The news comes as the federal government holds firm against Virgin's pleas for a $1.4 billion bailout despite the airline being on the brink of collapse. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is instead putting pressure on the company's shareholders, telling ABC radio on Thursday: 'They've got deep pockets'. '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,' Mr Frydenberg said. 'Where our focus has been is on providing industry-wide support.' 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. Los Angeles, April 17 : Actor Hugh Jackman has revealed that his long-running feud with actor Ryan Reynolds started because of Scarlett Johansson. The Jackman-Reynolds feud is one of Hollywood's most popular ones. For years, Jackman and Reynolds have been jokingly slamming and trolling each other on social media, in interviews and many other ways. Now, in an interview with The Daily Beast, Jackman recalled the beginning of their funny feud, reports people.com. When asked, Jackman, 51, initially couldn't even remember how it all started. "How did it start? It's gone back so long now... God, this is a classic sign where your feud has gone too long, where you don't even know why or how it started!" Jackman joked. The actor then went on to explain how he started teasing Reynolds, 43, about his marriage to actress Scarlett Johansson. The two were married from 2008 to 2011 before Reynolds married wife Blake Lively in 2012. "I met him back on 'Wolverine', and I used to ream him because I was very close friends with Scarlett, and Scarlett had just married Ryan, so when he came on set I was like, 'Hey, you better be on your best behaviour here, pal, because I'm watching,' and we started ribbing each other that way, and then it all escalated with the 'Deadpool' thing and him calling me out, and trying to manipulate me through social media to do what he wanted," Jackman said. Now, the actors take swipes at each other frequently. Recently, Reynolds told Jackman's wife Deborra-Lee Furness to "hang in there" when Jackman celebrated their 24th anniversary. Jackman is now planning on how to get back at Reynolds. "I try to limit it to five hours a day, planning retribution. I've found in the past that it just gets unhealthy if it's more than five hours of obsessing over how to get Ryan Reynolds. But five hours is good and healthy and keeps me strong and ready," Jackman joked. WASHINGTON, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) ("Danaher" or "the Company") announced today that, due to the public health impact of COVID-19, the Company will hold its 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders in a virtual meeting format only, via audio webcast. The date and time of the meeting and the proposals to be presented to shareholders at the meeting are unchanged. The meeting webcast will be held on Tuesday, May 5, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Attending the Virtual Meeting as a Shareholder of Record If you were a shareholder of record as of March 9, 2020, you can attend the meeting by accessing the meeting center site at www.meetingcenter.io/277601749 and entering the control number found on the Proxy Card or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials you previously received and the meeting password, DHR2020. Registering to Attend the Virtual Meeting as a Beneficial Owner If you were a beneficial owner of record as of March 9, 2020 (i.e., you held your shares in an account at a brokerage firm, bank or other similar agent), you will need to obtain a legal proxy from your broker, bank or other agent. Once you have received a legal proxy from your broker, bank or other agent, please email a scan or image of it to our transfer agent, Computershare, at [email protected], with "Legal Proxy" noted in the subject line. Requests for registration must be received by Computershare no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on April 30, 2020. You will then receive a confirmation of your registration, with a control number, by email from Computershare. At the time of the meeting, go to the meeting center site at www.meetingcenter.io/277601749 and enter your control number and the meeting password, DHR2020. Meeting Rules, Asking Questions and Shareholder List The rules and procedures applicable to the meeting will be available during the meeting at the meeting center site, www.meetingcenter.io/277601749. If you are attending the meeting as a shareholder of record or registered beneficial owner, questions can be submitted during the meeting by clicking on the message icon in the upper right-hand corner of the meeting center site. A list of shareholders of record will be available during the meeting for inspection by shareholders of record for any legally valid purpose related to the annual meeting at the meeting center site at www.meetingcenter.io/277601749. Voting Shares If you are attending the meeting as a shareholder of record or registered beneficial owner and have not already voted your shares in advance, you will be able to vote your shares electronically during the annual meeting by clicking on the "Cast Your Vote" link on the meeting center site. Whether or not you plan to attend the annual meeting, we urge you to vote and submit your proxy in advance of the meeting by one of the methods described in the proxy materials for the annual meeting. The proxy card included with the proxy materials previously distributed will not be updated to reflect the change in location and may continue to be used to vote your shares. Attending the Annual Meeting as a Guest If you would like to attend the meeting as a guest in listen-only mode, click on the "I am a guest" button after entering the meeting center at www.meetingcenter.io/277601749 and enter the information requested on the following screen. Please note you will not have the ability to ask questions or vote during the meeting if you participate as a guest. If you experience technical or logistical issues in accessing the meeting center site, please go to https://support.vevent.com/. ABOUT DANAHER Danaher is a global science and technology innovator committed to helping its customers solve complex challenges and improving quality of life around the world. Its family of world class brands has leadership positions in the demanding and attractive health care, environmental and applied end-markets. With more than 20 operating companies, Danaher's globally diverse team of approximately 67,000 associates is united by a common culture and operating system, the Danaher Business System, and its Shared Purpose, Helping Realize Life's Potential. For more information, please visit www.danaher.com. SOURCE Danaher Corporation Related Links http://www.danaher.com Rochester Public Schools Superintendent Michael Munoz said Thursday that theres a likelihood that students will not return to regular classrooms before the end of the year. "I could be wrong -- I just don't think we're going to finish the school year in the buildings; I think we'll finish the school year with distance learning," Munoz said during a Facebook Live interview with the Post Bulletin. Using an executive order intended to help "flatten the curve" of COVID-19 infections, Gov. Tim Walz has shut down schools until at least May 4. Munoz said the districts administration is talking about the different scenarios that could play out to finish the school year and how they could honor graduates in the event that schools dont return from distance learning. In a separate interview with the Post Bulletin, Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker deferred questions about the reopening of school buildings to Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. ADVERTISEMENT She did say that distance learning has taught school districts some things that may be continued whenever students return to classrooms. Munoz too said there ar things to be learned from the different format. "This is a different way of doing education," he said. "We're all used to the traditional "seat time" -- you have to spend so many minutes in that desk to really get that education. I dont think thats the case anymore. Even if we weren't in distance learning, I think we have to move away from that type of teaching." In the meantime, students and teachers have been working to continue their lessons from home offices and kitchen tables while the district continues to provide lunches to students at various locations. Munoz said theyve been distributing over 4,000 meals a day. Ricker also commented on the school lunch programs throughout the state. "The other way the federal government has been supporting us is through the school lunch program and providing a number of waivers to make sure that we can be as flexible as possible in delivering school meals to students while they are out in a distance learning setting," Ricker said. Both officials also spoke about supporting parents and families during the pandemic. "Were really talking about less being more, and not piling on the work," Willman said. "I know our teachers are thinking really hard about how they can provide really good high-quality reading and writing and reflective activities and make sure theres a good balance of things that students have to do online and also some things they can do (offline)." ADVERTISEMENT Ricker said parents shouldnt feel like they have to be the "at-home educator" for their children and know all the answers to their schoolwork. Parents can have an impact and play a supportive role simply by asking the right questions. "I know theres a lot of pressure on families," Ricker said. "Parents shouldnt feel like they have to be the experts. By asking questions like what are you working on? What is interesting about that? What questions do you have about it?' theyre engaging their child in a very powerful and meaningful way." See the interview on the Post Bulletin's Facebook page. ADVERTISEMENT Case Agricultural workers from Eastern Europe are being flown to the UK to plug the labour shortfall on British farms caused by the Covid-19 crisis. The first flight will land today (16 April) in London Stansted carrying 150 Romanian crop pickers, Air Charter Service told the BBC. Up to six charter planes will land in the United Kingdom between now and the end of June, the firm confirmed. Cambridgeshire-based G's Fresh, one of the UK's biggest vegetable producers, confirmed it had chartered two of the flights. The firm needs 3,000 farm workers next month at the start of the spring onion harvest, followed by the pea and bean crop in June. It comes as British farmers warn that the Covid-19 restrictions set up last month could leave crops being left unpicked and higher prices. Most seasonal workers who come to the UK arrive from countries such as Poland, Bulgaria and Romania. But recent estimates by the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) show that there could be a shortage of 80,000 workers due to the coronavirus crisis. The substantial shortfall comes despite a farm labour campaign successfully signing up over 27,000 British people to help pick fruit and vegetables. However, only around 4,300 of the applicants have taken up the offer of an interview so far. The Romanian passengers leaving the flight from Stansted today will be transported to farms around East Anglia. The pickers will observe social distancing regulations and will not be allowed to leave Romania if they show symptoms of the virus. A Defra spokesperson said it was 'working hard' to give farming businesses the support they need. "We are encouraging as many people as possible to take part in seasonal working opportunities across the country to help bring the harvest in, and recruitment efforts by industry are well underway," the spokesperson said. Cleavon Gilman is an emergency medicine doctor in New York. Cleavon Gilman ER doctor Cleavon Gilman works at a New York City hospital, where "everyone's COVID" right now. Gilman, who was previously a marine medic in Iraq, says being surrounded by death in the city feels "a lot harder" than being in Iraq because "there are no boundaries of a war zone" for COVID-19. Gilman said it's fairly common for two or three patients to die on every shift he works right now. "It's really hard to be that person who gives that bad news over and over and over again," he said. Here's what a typical day in the ER is like for Gilman right now. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Dr. Cleavon Gilman knows what it feels like to work in a war zone. He was dispatched to Iraq as a marine medic in 2004, treating battle-wounded soldiers. But now, he has been dispatched to the front lines of a different war, one he says has "no boundaries." Gilman is a doctor of emergency medicine in New York City, where more than 29,500 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 so far. "When I was was in Iraq, I knew I was in Iraq, I was on a cot, it was 140 degrees, I had a flack jacket, I had a pistol," Gilman told Business Insider on a recent Saturday, while resting at home. "Here, I'm in my house, I have my family in the other room, and I actually walk into the war zone." Working in a crowded ER, Gilman faces constant reminders that 'I'm in a war zone' It doesn't take long for Gilman to walk to the battlefield. His apartment is a block away from the hospital where he works, "in the Heights" of upper Manhattan. Arriving for his shift, which may range anywhere from eight to 12 hours a day, he puts on a fresh N95 mask, goggles, and a face shield. "It used to be hard to breathe with those on, however it's not anymore, it's almost a piece of me," he said. Story continues Now, he's ready to meet some patients. And there are a lot of patients. "Usually, I'm walking into a very crowded ED," he said. "There's probably a patient who's being intubated at that time, and it's just high volume, high acuity. We have lots of ambulances that line up outside." A patient with a face mask is being carried to an ambulance at the Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, United States on March 25, 2020. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Operating rooms in the ED have been transformed into makeshift intensive care units to make room for more critical COVID-19 patients, but it's still not enough space for everyone who arrives. Gilman walks past gurneys lining the hallways, stretchers parked "back to back to back," and hooked up to monitors beeping "endlessly, over and over again." The patients on these beds, whether 20 or 80 years old, are the most fragile cases in the city, and many have severe pneumonia. Gilman often tries to get some of the younger patients up to walk around, and see if they might be ready to be discharged, but usually "they're just very short of breath, and they crash." They're "too sick to even talk," he said. "I used to walk in, and patients would be like, 'Where's my sandwich at? Where's my doctor?' And they don't even talk now. They're just laying there, ill, looking up at the ceiling." Everyone in the ER right now is COVID It's a frustrating scenario and, often, Gilman can't help but feel a little helpless. "We really don't have a great drug to treat this, we don't have a vaccine, we're just treating patients with oxygen," he said. As new critical patients stream into the hospital, other bodies prepare to leave. "It's not unusual to walk into a shift and there's a corpse or something like that from an hour prior that has tags on the sheets," Gilman said. "That's just a constant reminder that I'm in a war zone." There's no room to deal with any other crises right now. "Everyone's COVID," Gilman said. "Everyone. Even if you're not, if you come to the hospital, you are COVID." Such was the case with one 93-year-old "sweet gentleman" Gilman met recently in the ER, who did not have COVID-19 when he arrived, but "he ended up getting it in the hospital, and died a week later." "That's what's very hard about it," Gilman said. "It's a very predatory virus. If you seek treatment, it will attack you, and it attacks the vulnerable populations." Calling families of the dead every day is heartbreaking A makeshift morgue being built behind Bellevue Hospital amid the coronavirus outbreak in New York City on March 26, 2020. John Nacion/NurPhoto/Getty Images Gilman is used to dealing with death and devastation in the ER, but not on this scale. "We see drug overdoses, we see suicides," he said, but the volume of death is now completely staggering. "I'm calling two to three families a day now, whereas it would be common to call them like once or twice a month." Younger patients are often outfitted with a non-rebreather mask in the ER, and "just oxygen and oxygen and oxygen," Cleavon said, with most recovering and leaving the hospital in four to five days. Other cases are not so simple, requiring invasive intubation, and weeks of care. "People are under the impression that, if I put you on a breathing machine, it's going to do everything for you," he said. "That's not true, you have to tell the machine how many times to breathe, how large are the breaths going to be, how much oxygen? Even putting in a breathing tube is hard, you've gotta paralyze a person." One day, as Gilman was intubating a man in his 60s, he listened in horror as a woman lying nearby shouted out: "That's my husband! Oh my God. What are you doing? What are you doing!?" "She saw the whole thing," Gilman said. Many patients in that couple's age group, 60-plus, are "just not doing very well on the ventilator at all," he said, and a large majority of the deaths he sees right now are among the elderly, a trend that's being mirrored around his city, and around the world. "I get very attached to the patients," he said. "I'm not sure if that's really a good thing to do, but I do it. I have to, I'm a human being, I tuck them in, I'll get them a blanket. I get them something to drink if they ask for it, and when they crash and when they die, you know, I take it very, very hard." Making things even more emotionally taxing, families can no longer be in the emergency room with their loved ones in their last moments of life. "I'm trying to honor their wishes," Gilman said. "I try to do these small gestures, as much as I can." In what's become a bit of a trend among healthcare workers, he's been sharing messages families relay over text, sending one grandmother a message from her grandson about barbecuing and watching birds again, moments before she died, at other moments pressing his phone up to the face of sick patients, so they can hear from their next of kin just one more time. "I've done that with three patients, and they've all passed away," he said. "Even the younger patients, who were pretty healthy." 'It's really hard to be that person who gives that bad news over and over and over again' After six weeks of battling the coronavirus in the ER, Gilman's developed a sense of when things aren't going to turn out so well. "I can see into the future," he said. "It's just like, 'I don't think they're gonna make it.' And they don't make it. And it still hurts every time." After each shift, the doctor walks the single block back to his home, where, standing alone, he pauses before stepping through the door of his apartment. Here, he must be careful to place his scrubs and his sneakers from the hospital in a special bag, to keep any virus particles that may be on those items away from his fiancee and his two girls, aged 10 and 12. He's also started journaling after every shift, using his Facebook page and his website to process some of the grief. The doctor is also a musician, and he's written before about the pain of resident burnout. He even created a rap song about the COVID-19 pandemic, and says he might write another yet, about what it's like dealing with so much coronavirus bad news, day in and day out. "I was in Iraq, I've seen people die, you know, 18-year-olds, very traumatic out there," he said. "But this is harder in the sense that it's people in my own community. These are people that I see on the streets. These are people that work in the grocery stores, and I'm doing this on a daily basis, and it's really hard to be that person who gives that bad news over and over and over again." Read the original article on Business Insider PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-17 03:31:05 Superfanz and top Thai Creators with combined reach of 25 million fans pivoted its Thailand launch into campaign to help fight COVID-19 Superfanz Added a Twist to Its Thailand Launch Reaching 25 Million Potential Fans PR Name of Contact Person: Dolly Hoang Email: media@superfanz.co Phone number: +6687.706.2002 Company Headquarter: Superfanz Pte Ltd, 68 Circular Road #02-01, Singapore Superfanz and top Thai Creators with combined reach of 25 million fans pivoted its Thailand launch into campaign to help fight COVID-19. Superfanz is the social fan club platform that helps Asian Creators generate additional revenue streams on top of their existing income. The company initially planned to launch its platform in Thailand during the month of April. However, with Thailand hit hard by the pandemic like many of its neighboring countries, Superfanz and its anchor Thai Creators agreed that the need of the community comes before business need. Instead, Superfanz and these Thai Creators agreed to use the platform to create Thai Creators Together to Prevent COVID-19 campaign. Each creator will create 159 VIP Fan Packages in their Super Fan Personal Page. For 159 THB (about $5 USD), 100% of the proceed will go toward purchase of the COVID-19 Self-Care Kit. Each kit contains 1 hand sanitizer, 1 hand spray, and pack of medical grade mask. Superfanz is working with Ruth Center, the foundation which care for the elderly. All the sourced items have proper medical certifications. The campaign will run from now until April 28, 2020. Superfanz and the participated Creators will bring the COVID-19 Self-Care Kit to Ruth Center one week after while observing proper social distancing protocol. KayKaiSalaider, Thailand #1 Creator with 12.8 million fans, said As a Content Creator, I want to find a way to mobilize my audience to help fight this pandemic. This is why Im joining hands with the other top creators on Superfanz to bring attention and help to the under-the-radar foundations to help the elderly. Ruth Center (www.projlife.com/ruthcenter), the foundation that Superfanz is working with for this campaign, is a good example. You can go to my Superfanz Personal Page to purchase the kit (www.superfanz.co/kaykaisalaider). Keng Tachaya, Thailand Creator/Artist with 10 million fans, said When Superfanz team first told me about this campaign, I immediately agreed to join this worthwhile cause. I like that 100% of the proceeds will go to Ruth Center. I want to call on all my fans along with fans of other Thai Creators to pitch in. Together we can make a difference. You can go purchase the kit at (www.superfanz.co/kengtachaya). For this campaign, I want to be one of the Thai Creators to do what we can to help our community get through the COVID-19 crisis, said Bie the Ska, Thai Creators with 11 million fans. He added, I have faith in my fans, Thai people and our charitable nature. The elderly is one of the highest risk groups and have the most need. There are many foundations doing positive things for society and I want to do my part to bring this awareness. I want to call on my fans to help donate through my page (www.superfanz.co/bietheska). We are fortunate that we closed our SEED round in January before the pandemic hit the hardest. Seeing whats happening around us, we realized that we can expand Superfanzs platform to do our part during this crisis, said Oh Thongsrinoon, Superfanz CEO/Founder. This is about paying it forward. Im personally partial to underdogs (being one ourself) and this campaign will bring much needed attention to all the undeserved groups that foundations like Ruth Center helps. We are proud that we can combine the power of technology and influencers into actionable and immediate contribution. About Superfanz Pte Ltd (https://web.superfanz.co) Superfanz is the social fan club platform for Creators (KOL, Influencers, YouTubers) and their most loyal followers. Superfanz addresses the pain point that over 90% of the Creators do not earn enough money from their social media accounts to make a living. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005 A view of the USNS Comfort at the Pier 90 on April 1, 2020 in New York City. The Comfort, a naval hospital ship, is equipped to take in patients within 24 hours but will not be treating patients with COVID-19. The ship's 1,000 beds and 12 operation rooms will help ease the pressure on New York hospitals, many of which are now overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. WASHINGTON The Pentagon announced Thursday that it will begin to receive patients from the greater Philadelphia area on the USNS Comfort hospital ship amid the coronavirus pandemic. "In anticipation of medical support needed in the greater Philadelphia area, the USNS Comfort is prepared to admit patients within a one-hour traveling radius from the ship," according to a statement by Northern Command, the Pentagon's lead for Covid-19 operations in the United States. The Pentagon deployed the USNS Comfort and the USNS Mercy hospital ships in March to help with the surging coronavirus cases. The USNS Comfort, which arrived in New York City on March 30, from its home port in Norfolk, Virginia, received its first patient earlier this month. The hospital ship was transitioned to receive coronavirus patients and has a maximum capacity of 500 beds. More than 300,000 Africans could lose their life to Covid-19 if the continent does not receive the adequate protection, warns the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). In a report released this Friday, the ECA says Africas fragile health systems could see additional costs being imposed on them because of the coronavirus pandemic, which so far infected over 18,740 Africans and claimed nearly 1,000 lives. To protect and build towards the Continents shared prosperity, $100 billion is needed to urgently and immediately provide fiscal space to all countries to help address the immediate safety net needs of the populations, says Vera Songwe, ECA Executive Secretary. The Coronavirus pandemic will hit hard the Continents struggling economies whose growth is expected to slow down from 3.2 pc to 1.8 pc in a best-case scenario, pushing close to 27 million people into extreme poverty, adds Ms. Songwe. The economic costs of the Pandemic have been harsher than the direct impact of the COVID-19. Across the continent, all economies are suffering from the sudden shock to the economies, stresses the ECA Chief. In a bid to unify African covid-19 response, Moroccos King Mohammed VI has proposed lately the launch of an initiative by African Heads of State aimed at supporting African countries in their fight against coronavirus pandemic. The Moroccan Sovereign made the proposal during phone talks he held lately with presidents of Cote dIvoire Alassane Dramane Ouattara, and of Senegal Macky Sall. The royal initiative, which seeks to bring Africans together against this global health crisis, will enhance the exchange of experiences and good practices to cope with the health, economic and social impact of the pandemic. Good day, Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top Coronavirus news headlines for today Friday, April 17th, 2020. Below is a roundup of top stories on the COVID-19 disease 35 new cases of the coronavirus infection have been confirmed in Nigeria by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control on Thursday. The NCDC in a tweet late on Thursday, gave the breakdown of the new cases as 19 in Lagos, 9 in FCT, 5 in Kano and 2 in Oyo. With the latest report, as at 10:20 pm 16th April there are 442 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Nigeria. 152 have been discharged with 13 deaths. The index case of the coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in Nigeria was confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Health on Friday, February 28, 2020. Naija News recalls the case was recorded in Lagos, Nigerias commercial city. The case involved an Italian citizen who works in Nigeria and just returned from Milan, Italy on the 25th of February 2020. He has since been treated and discharged after testing negative to the virus. However since the first case was recorded, the coronavirus infection has now spread to nineteen states in the country including Abuja, the FCT. This is based on data obtained by this online news medium from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). As at 10:20 pm 16th April, 442 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Nigeria. Of this figure, 152 have been discharged with 13 deaths recorded. The controversial prophecy of Prophet T.B Joshua that the coronavirus outbreak would end in Wuhan, China by 27th March 2020 has attracted reaction from citizens and residents of China. The video of their reactions was spotted on Youtube showing citizens reacting to the controversial prophecy. One of the residents of China in the statement said, I had been hearing about TB Joshua since I was a kid but I never believed in him. He noted that he dismissed the prophecy of the prophet but was surprised when heavy rain fell across the region from 23rd to 26th March 2020 which was stated in TB Joshuas prophecy. Following the rainfall in Wuhan, the region declared it had no new confirmed cases, leading the resident to change his perception of Joshuas authenticity. Share this post with your Friends on Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer for President Donald Trump, will be released from his three-year prison sentence early because of concerns of the coronavirus continuing to spread behind bars, his lawyer said Thursday night. Image: Michael Cohen arrives to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill on Feb. 27, 2019. (Mandel Ngan / AFP - Getty Images file) Attorney Roger Bennett Adler said that Cohen, 53, will be allowed to serve the rest of his sentence in home confinement. He'll be released May 1 after a two-week quarantine at the prison, Adler said. Cohen was initially set to be released in November 2021. The federal Bureau of Prisons approved the early release after Cohen's lawyers requested that he have his sentence cut short or serve the remainder at home because of unsafe prison conditions. A March 30 statement on Cohen's Twitter page pointed out that infections had been confirmed at the upstate New York facility where he was being held. Confirmed... Inmate tests positive for #coronavirus at FCI Otisville Satellite Camp. Its time for the Federal Government to act responsibly! Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) March 31, 2020 On March 24, a federal judge had denied his request, calling it "just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle." After that denial, Cohen had an "altercation" with another inmate and was put in solitary confinement, Adler said in an April 10 statement. Cohen, 53, was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 after pleading guilty to making secret payments to women who claimed they had affairs with Trump, and lying to Congress about the president's business relationships in Russia. He was being held at the Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville, in upstate New York. The Bureau of Prisons has so far released 1,000 inmates nationwide to prevent the development of COVID-19 behind bars. It also suspended social visitation and limited inmates' movement. Story continues As of Wednesday 451 federal inmates and 280 staff members have contracted the virus. Sixteen inmates have died, according to the bureau. Related Video: First Federal Inmate Tested Positive for COVID-19 in March Jemima Westcott is shown in a family handout photo from last year at her personal care home in Brandon, Man. There was no social distancing in Jemima Westcott's small farm community in Lauder, Man., when the Spanish Flu hit over a century ago. By Express News Service BENGALURU: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) questioned former underworld don Muthappa Rai as part of an ongoing investigation into gangster Ravi Pujari, who was extradited from Senegal recently. Police said the questioning of Rai, the founder of pro-Kannada organisation Jaya Karnataka, took place at his home near Bidadi on the outskirts of the city because of his health condition. ACP Venugopal and inspector MB Bolethin questioned him for over two hours on Wednesday, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Patil, who is heading the team investigating the cases against Pujari, said. Rai, who is facing serious health problems, had been deported to India in 2002. Both Rai and Pujari had allegedly been associated with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, before parting ways with him. The duo was accused in the sensational murder of Subbaraju, a builder, in Vyalikaval police station limits in 2001 and a court had acquitted Rai in the case. Sources said that the questioning was related to cases in which Rais associates had allegedly helped Pujari carry out his operations. Pujari had been extradited from Senegal in January this year. Two Houston restaurants, Kata Robata and FM Kitchen and Bar, are back in the takeout game after temporarily closing amid the coronavirus pandemic. Kata Robata, which temporarily closed on March 28, annunced on Friday that it resume curbside service on Tuesday, April 21, with pick-up hours daily from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Celebrity chef Jose Andres and Houston Texans star J.J. Watt are among the fans of this sushi spot at 3600 Kirby Dr. SIXTEEN customs officers have been recruited to help police to enforce the lockdown throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands. They join ten officers from the Immigration Department and Department of Environment and Coastal Resources as special constables. The initiative aims to strengthen an already established partnership and help tighten the monitoring of the curfew restrictions set to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Commissioner of Police Trevor Botting swore the officers in as special constables on Saturday (April 11), and gave a speech to the new recruits. "The additional staffing is critical at this time to support my police officers as we work around the clock to enforce the curfew given under the Emergency Powers Covid-19 Regulations 2020. "I am a firm believer in partners coming together to achieve a common goal and the last couple of weeks we have seen this demonstrated. "This is a multi-agency response from all law enforcement agencies to keep the Turks and Caicos Islands communities safe. "I am grateful to everyone involved. A special welcome on board to the special constables let us all continue to make the TCI proud. The customs officers are Alton Scott, Brandy Garland, Dacach Capron, Donnell Hall, Glodeeka Moultrie, Erica Carter, Hayanna Williams, Eustace Fulford Junior, Lyle Simmons, Marie-Belle Williams, Marylee Wilson, Hazel Prospere, Quita Jennings, Gregston Been, Savanna Missick and Standella Smith. The 16 new special constables will be supporting the curfew checkpoints as well as working with the Royal TCI Police Forces Marine Branch Unit. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das (PTI) The real estate sector has welcomed the Reserve Bank of Indias liquidity boost but said a comprehensive package for the industry was the need of the hour. The central bank on April 17 came up with the second tranche of liquidity-easing measures that will also facilitate credit flow to the real estate sector, which has come to a standstill as the country hunkers down to break the chain of coronavirus infections. We welcome RBIS decision for providing the liquidity boost to the realty sector. One years extension of DCCO will provide relief to NBFCs and HFCs and to the sector at large, CREDAI chairman Jaxay Shah said. He was hopeful that the government would come up with an economic package for the sector, Shah said. RBI governor Shaktikanta Das announced TLTRO of 50,000 crore, saying the funds availed by banks should be put in investment grade bonds companies and at least half of the funds should go to small non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs). 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 RBIs measures were aimed at maintaining adequate liquidity in the system, facilitate bank credit flow and ease financial stress, Naredco president Niranjan Hiranandani said. These are absolutely welcome, given that economic activity has come to a standstill during the lockdown, he said. Also read: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das launches Round 2 of liquidity bonanza; this time for small NBFCs, MFIs The central banks decisions were an acknowledgement of the liquidity concerns facing the countrys financial system as well as the industry, said Ramesh Nair, CEO and country head, JLL India. The announcements will give an initial fillip to the real estate sector. The central banks focus to provide credit flow to NBFCs is a key step. This will provide a boost to various real estate activities, Nair said. Here are key RBI decisions and their implications for the sector: Rs 10,000 crore for National Housing Bank The central bank decided to allot Rs 10,000 crore to National Housing Bank, which is a big relief for the real estate sector reeling under a liquidity crisis. It will help provide capital to HFCs and eventually provide major relief to developers battling liquidity issues in COVID-19 times, said Anuj Puri, chairman, ANAROCK Property Consultants. Reverse repo rate cut The RBI reduced the reverse repo rate by 25 bps, which now stands at 3.75%. The rate cut will send a positive signal and will enable banks to lend even more. The RBI has essentially tried disintensivising banks for not deploying their capital. This means that the banks should now be motivated to engage in lending activities instead of just taking a risk-averse approach to the economy that may include the real estate sector, Anckur Srivasttava of GenReal Advisers said. The cut was a clear indication that the RBI wanted the banks to step up lending rather than park excess funds with the central bank, said Satish Magar, president, CREDAI National. Loans given by NBFCs to real estate companies will get similar benefit as given by scheduled commercial banks, thus ease the financial burden on developers. We are hopeful that the government will soon announce specific fiscal measures to give much required stimulus to the sector, Magar said. DCCO relief The RBI extended the date of commencement of commercial operations (DCCO) of project loans for commercial real estate projects that are delayed for reasons beyond the control of promoters. This is indeed a big move and will bring much-needed relief to cash-starved developers. Classification standstill The RBI has decided to extend by one year the moratorium on NBFC loans to commercial real estate projects but there will be no change in classification. We recognise that COVID-19 has challenged the ability of borrowers to repay. Thus the NPA count shall not include the 90-day moratorium period, Das said. Commercial real estate borrowers regular with their loan repayments till February 29 now have a six-month window before their defaults are recognised as NPA. This includes the three- month RBI moratorium and the 90-day window the banks provide for recognising a non-performing asset, said Srivasttava. The realtors status as on February 29 will be deemed as the current classification from a banks risk perspective. If a builder were to approach a bank on, say May 15, banks may still provide a loan, despite the developer being unable to pay his instalment in the month of April and his account being classified as a special mention account. The RBI had earlier permitted extension by one year without asset classification downgrade, if DCCO was delayed for reasons beyond control of promoters. This relief is now also allowed for NBFCs; loans by NBFCs to commercial real estate will get the same relief. This move will positively impact NBFCs and real estate, said Hiranandani. As per the RBIs latest data, NBFCs outstanding credit to the commercial real estate stands at Rs 1,29,359 crore as of September 2019. Developers now have additional one year to repay lenders which is over and above one year available so this will help management of cash flows and reduce asset classification stress of real estate focused NBFCs, said Piyush Gupta, managing director, Capital Markets (India), Colliers International. TLTRO A window of Rs 50,000 crore under TLTRO will provide incremental liquidity to NBFCs, MFIs which could be utilised for onward lending to the real estate sector. Das also announced a re-financing window of Rs 50,000 crore for financial institutions like Nabard, National Housing Bank and Sidbi. The Rs 50,000 crore special refinance facilities to NHB, SIDBI and NABARD would also play a constructive role, Hiranandani said. The central bank has created a special pool for supporting the NBFCs and the HFCs for refinancing their assets and in the process provided liquidity to them to tide over the crisis and also for incremental onward lending to the real estate industry, said Srivasttava. Two Cameroonian refugees are volunteers in Ukende refugee settlement, Nigeria. They are helping to raise awareness on COVID-19 prevention among refugees and the host community. UNHCR/Tony Aseh UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has stepped up efforts across West and Central Africa to protect millions of vulnerable people who are facing a renewed risk from the combined effects of conflict and the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 has exacerbated challenges in a region already dealing with one of the worlds largest humanitarian crises, involving over nine million forcibly displaced people. The pandemic has led to border closures and added an increased strain on fragile health systems and weak economies. UNHCR has stepped up support to governments to help address the deteriorating humanitarian crisis. Our focus is on ensuring access to safety and trying to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. West and Central Africa has one of Africas largest displaced population with some 5.6 million internally displaced, 1.3 million refugees, 1.4 million returnees who still need assistance, and 1.6 million Stateless. So far, all the 21 countries of the region have reported a total of over 5,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 100 deaths since the first detection on February 28, 2020. So far, only host populations appear to have been affected with no coronavirus cases so far reported among the displaced. However, a lack of concerted and coordinated efforts to prevent an outbreak could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe with a sharp increase in the number of those affected. In West Africas Sahel region, armed conflict and attacks on civilians have displaced nearly 3 million people, nearly one million of whom since January 2019, and more than 5 million people are now facing food shortages. Countries have officially imposed various levels of restriction on international movements from complete to partial border closures and mandatory self-quarantine on travellers arriving in-country. Although, COVID-19 related restrictions are not targeted at refugees and asylum-seekers specifically, UNHCR has expressed concern that measures in the region could see people in need of international protection attempting even more risky and dangerous border crossings. The restriction on movement, a slowdown or even halt in economic activity will likely have a greater impact on refugees and the internally displaced people since the majority are involved in the informal sector which historically is one of the most affected during public health outbreaks. We are also worried over the possibility of people seeking safety being sent back to danger as potential movements of Malians, Nigerians, Nigeriens, Cameroonians and Sudanese seeking international protection may be hindered by these restrictions. In addition to the precarious security (especially in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin), the restrictions by COVID-19 are also hindering humanitarian efforts to support and assist people in need. In Burkina Faso, Malian refugees fled attacks by armed groups on their camp in Goudoubo. Some took refuge in the overcrowded internal displacement sites inside Burkina Faso. The whereabouts of others are unknown. UNHCR activities, including the delivery of identity cards and other administrative procedures, are currently on hold as well. In the Central African Republic, UNHCR staff report armed groups forcing displaced people to return to their places of origins in some localities, blaming them for the potential spread of COVID-19. In Mali, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV), human rights and social cohesion campaigns, implemented by UNHCR and its partners are temporarily suspended in order to limit public gatherings. In Niger, humanitarian access, already limited in the northern Tahoua, Tillabery and Diffa regions due to increasing violence is now further restrained due to the pandemic. Resettlement of vulnerable refugees evacuated from Libya and currently in transit is temporarily suspended due to severe travel restriction across the world. Despite challenges in the whole region, work continues for UNHCR and many of its frontline staff. Under the banner of Stay and Deliver operations are adapting to reach desperate people. Field teams are introducing remote assistance and integrating cash assistance to support displaced populations including people affected by SGBV and women at risk. Measures include online phone consultations in line with recommended social distancing measures to reduce contamination risks. We are adjusting education activities in response to widespread school closures, which have impacted over 140 million children across the region. These figures include displaced children who are integrated into national education systems. In Burkina Faso, the situation is particularly dramatic due to the unprecedently high displacement levels there. UNHCR is now exploring the possibility of relocating of some of those living in Dori to the Goudoubo refugee camp, which is currently empty but has water, sanitation and health facilities. In Cameroon, registration teams in the East and Adamawa have developed tools that enable them to resume registration of the displaced after a week of suspension. Since urban refugees are currently among the most affected by movement restrictions, UNHCR has set up a free phone line to organize the reception of refugees and asylum seekers by appointment for the registration of new-borns and documentation. In Chad, a home visit registration approach is being considered for the new Kouchaguine camp in Farchana town/city at the request of the government. Information and awareness-raising materials are regularly shared with community leaders. UNHCR is also establishing a service to ensure the continuity of child protection activities. In the Central African Republic (CAR), some 30 protection focal points are helping to ensure continued monitoring despite the COVID-19 pandemic. A hotline has also been set-up alongside a community alert mechanism to keep an eye on the main areas where displaced people have returned. UNHCR is planning to distribute additional plastic sheeting and relief kits to decongest displaced sites and increase opportunities for social and physical distancing within those locations. In Mali, activities continue in Timbuktu and other locations to raise awareness on children rights and prevention against COVID-19 targeting girls and boys. In Niger, UNHCR is working with the authorities to purchase and distribute equipment - pencils and notebooks, as well as radios. A partnership has been set up with a local radio station to continue education programs through over community radios in the whole country. Self-learning programs and booklets are being produced for students in their final years and for Nigerian refugees attending the Distance Education Centers in the Diffa region. Also in Niger, UNHCR is identifying overcrowded sites and has initiated site planning to respect the necessary distance between shelters. In Sayam Forage camp, the only official refugee camp in the country, an additional transit area is being built. In Northeast Nigeria, refugee returnees and asylum-seekers from neighbouring countries are still arriving, even if borders are closed. UHNCR is following up with the government to guarantee medical screening in addition to access to the territory. Internally displaced camps in Borno state are overcrowded, making social distancing impossible. UNHCR is working with the UN Development Programme to help with the expansion of camps and fences in Banki, Ngala and Bama. Urgent support is needed to fill major gaps in the region, needing more trained health personnel in emergency response and adequate treatment units, particularly in remote areas hosting refugees and displaced people. As part of the broader UN Global Humanitarian Response Plan, UNHCR has issued an Emergency Appeal requesting US$255 million for life-saving interventions and preparations in response to COVID-19. UNHCRs Bureau for West & Central Africa covers 21 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote dIvoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. B-roll available: https://media.unhcr.org/Share/fn4sl405yj8rd3s46qg8g462boop2c1v For more information on this topic, please contact: In Dakar, Romain Desclous, [email protected] , +221 786 396 385 , +221 786 396 385 In Geneva, Charlie Yaxley, [email protected] , +41 795 808 702 , +41 795 808 702 In Geneva, Babar Baloch, [email protected] , +41 79 513 9549 , +41 79 513 9549 In New York, Kathryn Mahoney, [email protected] , +1 347 443 7646 To contact our national spokespersons, please check https://www.unhcr.org/afr/international-media-contacts.html Domestic abuse reports sent to British police forces by Crimestoppers have surged by nearly 50% during the coronavirus lockdown. Figures show the charity sent 120 reports to forces in the week beginning April 6 - after restriction of movement rules came into force. This represents an increase of 49.3% from the average of 80.4 per week across a five-week period in January and February, before the lockdown. Crimestoppers is now urging people to come forward if they think a friend, family member, colleague or neighbour is a victim. Alexa Loukas, London regional manager at the charity, said: 'With the Covid-19 pandemic forcing people to stay in their homes, we have seen a rise of nearly 50% in domestic abuse reports that are sent to law enforcement nationally. Domestic abuse reports sent to British police forces by Crimestoppers have surged by nearly 50% during the coronavirus lockdown (stock image) 'To be isolated during this lockdown in an abusive household must be terrifying, and you must feel so alone, that there is no one to help you. 'This is where we can step forward if we know of someone suffering in silence. 'Often in cases of domestic abuse, people are aware but struggle to know what to do to help.' Fears have been raised of an increase in domestic violence amid enforced isolation at home. Earlier this week, Victims Commissioner Dame Vera Baird said the counting dead women project had recorded 16 suspected domestic abuse killings in the last three weeks, around five a week, up from the usual average of two. Fears have been raised of an increase in domestic violence amid enforced isolation at home (stock image) Chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council Martin Hewitt revealed police have seen an increase of 3% in recorded domestic violence offences in England and Wales in the four weeks to April 12 compared to the same period last year. Commander Sue Williams, who leads on safeguarding for the Metropolitan Police, said: 'The restrictions necessary to combat Covid-19 mean that some people may feel trapped in their homes with an abuser and isolated from support. 'The Met is absolutely committed to protecting those at risk and our officers are out every day, arresting perpetrators and supporting victims. 'It is more important than ever for people to look out for one another. 'If you know or suspect that a friend, neighbour or relative is a victim of domestic abuse, we urge you to speak up and tell someone.' Crimestoppers is asking those with concerns to pass on information anonymously at the charity's UK contact centre on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org. BATON ROUGE, LA / ACCESSWIRE / April 17, 2020 / Top Realtor and owner of Landry Team Real Estate, LLC, Amanda Gaye Landry announces Realtor Conrad McVea Green as a new member of the Landry Team as she celebrates 27 years in real estate. In addition to welcoming Green to the team, the Landry Team Real Estate company is seeing record sales this year and consists of eight realtors ranking in the top 14% of producing companies in the Greater Baton Rouge area. "As a resident of West Feliciana Parish, I'm honored to be a realtor with a new opportunity to serve my community," said Green. Conrad McVea Green's family first came to West Feliciana 200 years ago when his great grandfather John McVea arrived from Ireland and opened a general store and it's the place he and his family have also chosen to call home. "As a small business owner for over a decade, Conrad has the knowledge, grit, and determination needed for success and will bring these tools into the world of real estate to better serve his community," said Landry. "No doubt his entrepreneurial spirit will serve him well to bring buyers and sellers together to experience West Feliciana and the surrounding parishes." Amanda Gaye Landry began her career in real estate in 1993 and learned the ins and outs of business and more importantly people when she and husband, Cecil, bought and ran Lake Rosemound Country Store. "My goal for the Landry Team is to help guide people through one of the largest transactions of their lives," added Landry. "Equipped with a full time team, the latest technology and knowledge, we have all the benefits of a big brokerage with the personal touch of a boutique brokerage." About Landry Team Real Estate, LLC Landry Team Real Estate LLC is a full-service Real Estate Company established with the desire to furnish our customers and clients with superior Real Estate Service. With over 37 years of combined real estate experience, we know the ins and outs and whereabouts of West Feliciana Parish. It is our commitment to excellence that sets us apart. Landry Team Real Estate, LLC is located at 12216 Jackson Rd. Saint Francisville, Louisiana 70775. For more information, please call (225) 784-2000 or visit www.landryteamrealestate.com. For media inquiries, please call THE NALA at 805.650.6121, ext. 361. SOURCE: Landry Team Real Estate, LLC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/585591/Realtor-Amanda-Gaye-Landry-Celebrates-Milestone-and-Welcomes-New-Team-Member Not so fast For a couple of weeks, the agenda for the State Bond Commission had a $300 million item for 60 new rail cars for the Shoreline East, CTRail (New Haven-Hartford-Springfield) and the Danbury and Waterbury branch lines. But when Thursdays disembodied, phone-in meeting took place for the 10 members, after being delayed last week in a cascade of technology challenges, the Danbury and Waterbury money had disappeared. This miffed the two Republicans on the Democratic-dominated panel led by Gov. Ned Lamont that allocates money for long-term capital projects that add to the states debt service. Melissa McCaw, the secretary of the Office of Policy and Management who is the governors budget chief, said that Danbury and Waterbury cars were postponed for now because the protracted squabbling over how to pay for transit improvements (the debate over tolls) has led to reduced funding availability. The Waterbury line has a stop in the hometown represented by House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, of Derby, a vehement opponent to highway tolls. These additional rail cars were contemplated as part of our broader enhancement plan, obviously a plan that has not been resolved, McCaw said in a reference to the legislative opposition to Lamonts trucks-only tolling plan. The department had to make the decision as to what is most-critical, she said. DOT Commissioner Joe Giulietti said the cost per car is about $5 million, so the cutting of the Danbury and Waterbury money, which would have purchased another dozen cars, saved about $60 million. He said that rail cars along the Hartford line have been leased from Massachusetts and the state needs to replace them. The Shoreline East cars are the oldest in the system, Lamont said. State Rep. Chris Davis, R-Ellington, who as ranking member of the legislative committee on finance is a member of the bond commission, asked why some of the new cars cannot also be used on the Danbury and Waterbury branches. I would love to give you an answer that we could do that, but right now they need the cars because theyre short on cars, Giulietti responded, stressing the need is on the two other lines, noting that the lead time for new cars is four to five years. So, going forward whats going to happen with the Danbury and Waterbury lines if they dont have these cars purchased for them? Davis asked. Let me assure you that we continue to do the modernization on the Danbury line and in fact weve taken advantage of the fact that with ridership down, we can actually go and get more work done on that line, to further the Positive Train Control, further the signalization project, Giulietti said. So, the line will continue to be developed. Both those lines will have the ability to continue services as we now have them. And were going to hope that as this goes in, what we had originally planned was that there was a day when we could expand service and put more in. Chris, we dont have an endless supply of bonding money, especially in the Special Transportation Fund, Lamont added. Weve had to set some priorities on what we spend on. 2.9 Million CCP Virus (coronavirus) Cases In ChinaUK Warns China Exploiting the Crisis A report from AEI placed the estimated virus cases in China at 2.9 million, which far exceeds claims from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The report describes the criteria used to arrive at the assessment, and notes it rounds down on each pointmeaning the likely cases could still be higher. The CCP has also been taking advantage of the pandemic for mask diplomacy, information campaigns, and to launch business takeovers as markets struggle. A senior British lawmaker has called out the regime for its actions, and warns the government has been seeing actions by the CCP and state-owned companies to exploit global conditions caused by the virus. And The Epoch Times interviewed the mother in a family of four who left Wuhan for the United States in February, and told her account of the situation on the groundclaiming the situation was much worse than the world was being told. These stories and more in this episode of Crossroads. Crossroads is an Epoch Times show available on Facebook and YouTube. Our Divisions Copyright 2021-22 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 17, 2020 | TRIGG COUNTY By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 17, 2020 | 11:08 AM | TRIGG COUNTY The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says a contractor has ramped up asphalt paving along the main line of new U.S. 68 Construction Corridor in Trigg County this week. Drivers traveling on the existing U.S. 68/KY 80 between Canton and Cadiz are advised to watch for increased truck traffic hauling asphalt into the work zone. This asphalt paving is part of the ongoing reconstruction of about 9.5 miles of U.S. 68 between Boyds Landing Road near Canton, extending eastward to near the intersection with U.S. 68-Business at west edge of Cadiz. Some sections of the new highway are open with 2-way traffic running on base courses of pavement. Initial paving along the newly constructed westbound lanes of U.S. 68 started near U.S. 68-Business at Cadiz the paving crew working westward to the KY 1489/Park Road intersection at the Lake Barkley State Park entrance. This paving activity along the construction corridor is expected to continue for about two weeks anytime weather allows. The Jigawa State Government on Friday confirmed a first case of COVID-19. An official said the patient was transferred from Kano where he had tested positive and was in isolation. The patient, 26 year old, a Lagos returnee, is a resident of Kaugama Local Government Area of Jigawa State. Upon arrival, he was detected at Kano, Jigawa land border by health officials from Kano State where his sample was taken. He tested positive. Jigawa commissioner for health, Abba Zakari, told reporters that the case is currently at Jigawa isolation centre and is responding to treatment. They were two migrant persons, both of whom are indigenes of Jigawa State returning from Lagos. Their samples were taken, one positive, the other negative, they are now at one of Jigawa isolation centres, Mr Zakari said. However, Mr Zakari, who is also the chairman of Jigawas taskforce on COVID-19, said the case was earlier recorded by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Kano and cannot be consider a new case in Nigeria. Nigeria has about 442 COVID-19 cases as of the time of this report. Measures taken Earlier, the Jigawa State Government stated that all mosque goers for Friday congressional prayer must use face masks and ensure two metres distance between one another to avoid the spread of the disease. The state governor, Muhammad Badaru, on Thursday, stated this after an emergency meeting with the states emirs and other stakeholders following the increase in numbers of the COVID-19 confirmed cases in neighbouring Kano State. Mr Badaru said, So, seeing what is happening in Kano, we called our emirs and Council of Ulama to review our strategies and see how best we can protect our people without causing too much hardship for them. And the resolution is that for now, we will continue to observe Friday prayers, but with an agreement that we practice social distancing of at least two metres in all the mosques in the state, Mr Badaru said. It was also agreed that people will wear face masks or use their Hiram (Turban) to cover their nose and mouth, and we will monitor compliance with the directive, he added. 17.04.2020 LISTEN Members of Parliament from both sides of the House were full of praise for the Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye as Parliament unanimously approves his nomination as Deputy Minister for Health in the wake of the coronavirus scare. First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Chairman of the Appointments Committee , Joseph Osei-Owusu in moving the Motion for the adoption of the Committee's Report observed the nominee has discharged himself well during his vetting and urged the House to approve him by consensus. Contributing to the motion, Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noted Dr Bernard Okoe Boye has gone through the mill will be up to the task ahead of him as Deputy Health Minister. Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu on his part said the Ledzokuku MP has distinguished himself well and holds a great promise for the future. According to MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa noted with admiration the valuable insights of the nominee on health related issued on the floor of Parliament. The entire nation he said looks up to the young medical doctor to exhibit his expertise to help manage and contain the coronavirus pandemic which the World Health Organisation (WHO) warns Africa against since the continent could become its next epicenter. Mr Ablakwa believes Dr Okoe Boye will be a worthy addition to the myriad of health workers fighting the pandemic. In his contribution, Minister for Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea described Dr Okoe Boye as able with a remarkable record during his working at the Kyebi Government hospital. He noted his industrious nature which enabled him to write two books, the "Audacity of Ambition" and "Blood Pressure In Black People" to promote healthcare in the country. The Member for Odododiodio, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye said the nominees disclosure during his vetting concerning government communication management approach on COVID 19 enforces the urgent need for a workable communication strategy on the coronavirus pandemic. He assured of Parliament support to succeed in his additional responsibility. Minister for Communication, Ursula Owusu Akufo said the young lawmaker is knowledgeable on health issues and is a valuable addition to the President's team to help deal with the covid 19 pandemic. MP for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini also noted Dr Okoe Boye's appointment attests to his quality, character and likely contributions to the health needs of the country. The Former Roads and Highways Minister also commended Dr Okoe Boye for his foresight in writing a book, "Blood Pressure In Black People" which is a useful addition to Ghana's healthcare system. Deputy Minister for Transport and Member for Tema East, Daniel Titus-Glover on his part described the nominee as an excellent communicator who will effectively complement his Minister to succeed. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo on April 8, 2020 in accordance with article 79(1) of the 1992 constitution nominated Dr Bernard Okoe Boye,38 for appointment as Deputy Minister for Health. The Speaker of Parliament consequently referred his nomination to the Appointment Committee for urgent consideration due to the emergency public health issues confronting the State and report to the Plenary pursuant to Order 172 of the Standing Orders of Parliament. Dr Bernard Okoe Boye was born on January 25, 1982 in Accra. He attended the Field Engineers Junior High School for his Basic Education Certificate, Presbyterian Boys Secondary School, Legon for his SSSCE. He obtained a Bsc Degree in Human Biology from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi in 2009 and later that same year awarded a Bachelors degree in Medicine and Surgery. Dr Okoe Boye also obtained an A1 Certificate in German from the Goethe Institute, Accra in 2012 whiles obtaining his Masters in Public Health from Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany. The in-coming Deputy Health Minister did his Housemanship at the Central Regional Hospital,,Department of Surgery, Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cape Coast from 2009 to 2011. He worked variously at the Department of Internal Medicine, Tema General Hospital as a House Officer, Medical Officer, Kibi Government Hospital, Medical Officer, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, La General Hospital. Dr Okoe Boye was elected MP for Ledzokuku on December 7, 2016 and has since January 7, 2017 been representing his people. He is a member of the Health and Government Assurances Committees of Parliament. Dr Okoe Boye is slso the Board Chairman of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. A special court here has rejected the plea of DHFL promoter Kapil Wadhawan and his brother Dheeraj, seeking inspection and certified copies of the FIR registered against them in connection with the Yes Bank scam Mumbai: A special court here has rejected the plea of DHFL promoter Kapil Wadhawan and his brother Dheeraj, seeking inspection and certified copies of the FIR registered against them in connection with the Yes Bank scam. The plea was rejected by the court on the grounds that the matter is not urgent and the accused has the liberty to apply after the lockdown is lifted, Wadhawans' lawyer said on Friday. The Wadhawan brothers are named as accused in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR pertaining to the swindling of money by Yes Bank promoter Rana Kapoor and others. Both Kapil and Dheeraj were absconding since the case was registered against them on 7 March, prompting the CBI to get non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against them from a special court. The agency has alleged that Kapoor, 62, entered into a criminal conspiracy with the Wadhawans for extending the financial assistance to DHFL through Yes Bank in return of substantial undue benefits to himself and his family members through companies held by them. According to the CBI FIR, the scam started taking shape between April and June 2018 when Yes Bank invested Rs 3,700 crore in short-term debentures of the scam-hit Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL). In return, the Wadhawans allegedly "paid kickback of Rs 600 crore" to Kapoor and his family members in the form of loan to DoIT Urban Ventures (India) Pvt Ltd, a firm linked to the Kapoor family, the agency has said. The CBI's FIR came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Kapoor in connection with the scam last month. He is currently in judicial custody. Employees should sit next to a colleague 'they dislike the most' to keep social distancing when they return to work after the coronavirus lockdown, a medical expert has suggested. Zhang Wenhong, head of the COVID-19 expert team in Shanghai, said on Wednesday that office workers should sit next to people they don't get along with to avoid chatting as a way to prevent the spread of the virus. It comes as people in China have slowly returned to work and their normal lives after cities across the country eased travel restrictions. The former epicentre Wuhan, where the outbreak began, lifted its 76-day lockdown on April 8. But officials fear that the spike of 'imported cases' from inbound travellers and regional outbreaks could spoil the country's progress to post-virus recovery. Employees should sit next to a colleague 'they dislike the most' to keep social distancing after China removes the coronavirus lockdown, a medical expert has suggested. Health doctors use computers to chat online as they consult with patients at the JD.com headquarters in Beijing Zhang Wenhong (pictured), head of the COVID-19 expert team in Shanghai, said on Wednesday that office workers should sit next to people they don't get along with to avoid chatting at work and prevent the spread of the virus The infectious disease expert made the remarks while attending a video conference with Europe-based Chinese companies and overseas students on Wednesday. The meeting was held to discuss the current epidemic in Europe and answer questions about personal protection against the bug, according to the press. Mr Zhang said that the pandemic, which has infected over two million people globally, is unlikely to end within a short period of time. It would become a common practice for people to keep social distancing after they return to work. He advised office workers to 'listen more and talk less' during work meetings to reduce the risk of spreading the contagion. Mr Zhang said that it would become a common practise for people to adopt preventative cautions against the virus spread after they return to work. FILE: Employees are pictured eating during lunch break at an auto plant of Dongfeng Honda in Wuhan The chief medic from the Huashan Hospital, Zhang Wenhong, also recommended people to 'avoid doing mediocre work so that the boss wouldn't talk to you'. Passengers are pictured following the social distancing on subway in Beijing on April 15 'You should sit with people who don't talk much [in meetings],' Mr Zhang suggested. 'Or you can find people you dislike the most to sit with,' Mr Zhang added. 'You would only chat with people you're friendly with, you know what I mean? 'You see this person that you've never spoken to since you came into the company, try to sit next to them. 'You leave straight after the meeting, run as fast as you can,' said the doctor. The chief medic from the Huashan Hospital also recommended people to 'avoid doing mediocre work so that the boss wouldn't talk to you'. Mr Zhang continued: 'When you do an amazing job, the boss would think 'there is no point talking to you since you've finished all of the work'. 'If you are too terrible at your job, your boss couldn't bother speaking to you either. When you are doing mediocre work, the director would keep their eyes on you.' The 51-year-old medic has gained tens of millions of followers on social media for his down-to-earth style of speech during the coronavirus outbreak, according to the press. Chinese web users even dubbed him as 'Dad Zhang'. Employees wearing face masks are pictured assembling liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) at a workshop of TPV Display Technology in Xianyang, Shaanxi Province of China Mr Zhang comment comes as China has been encouraging residents to resume work following the ease of lockdown across the country. A medical worker collects sample from a migrant worker for a nucleic acid test at a construction site of Wanda in Wuhan Mr Zhang comment comes as China has been encouraging residents to resume work following the ease of lockdown across the country. Hubei Province has allowed people to travel in and out of the former ground zero since late March. Wuhan also lifted its draconian clampdown on April 8. Officials said at least 2.8million migrant workers left Hubei to resume work after the province lifted its travel restrictions on March 25. 55,000 Wuhan residents reportedly left the city on its first day of reopening. But experts fear that the spike of 'imported cases' from inbound travellers and regional outbreaks could hold back the nation from returning to normal. China also revised the death toll in coronavirus ground-zero Wuhan today, revealing that nearly 4,000 people have died from the illness in the area. In a social media post, the city government added 1,290 deaths to the tally in Wuhan, bringing the toll to 3,869. Officials said many fatal cases were 'mistakenly reported' or missed entirely in an admission that comes amid growing global doubts about Chinese transparency. The infection tally in China now stands at 85,000 and the death toll has risen to 4,632. Globally, more than two million people have contracted the killer bug and at least 145,054 people have died. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) The State Bar of California announced Thursday that its Board of Trustees has recommended that the California Supreme Court either postpone the state's bar exam from July to September or cancel it. About 9,000 law school graduates were expected to take the two-day exam, needed to gain a license to practice law, on July 28 and 29. In a letter sent to the state high court on Wednesday, the trustees said it is "not feasible to administer an in-person exam" in July in the situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The San Francisco-based bar, which licenses and regulates the state's more than 250,000 lawyers, is an arm of the California Supreme Court, and thus the court will decide on what action to take. The trustees told the court their preferred option would be to postpone the exam to September 9 and 10 while making preparations to administer it online, in person or both, as needed by whatever social distancing requirements are in effect then. The other option suggested is to cancel the exam, while convening a working group to make recommendations for the provisional certification of law school graduates to work as lawyers while under the supervision of an experienced attorney. The working group would propose criteria for eligibility for provisional certification and the conditions under which the provisional certification would terminate. Other requirements for a law license, including moral character screening, would remain in place. The trustees said the recommendations sought to balance the needs to be fair to applicants, protect the public by verifying that lawyers are competent and make sure that attorneys are available to the public. "Access to justice is even more critical now, as Californians are losing jobs, homes and educational opportunities and are being subject to predatory behavior of unscrupulous individuals. This is not the time to slow the numbers of qualified lawyers entering the profession," the trustees wrote. At least 10 other states, including New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut, have also postponed bar exams until the fall or indefinitely, and other states are considering similar measures, according to the National Conference of Bar Examiners. On April 7, the American Bar Association Board of Governors adopted a resolution urging states to adopt emergency rules allowing law school graduates who can't take a July bar exam to engage in the limited practice of law under supervision of an attorney. 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. In search of the Z boson 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 KIT's 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 KIT's 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 ORIGINS": EXC-2094 - 390783311 Quantum Universe": EXC-2121- 390833306 European Research Council European Union's Horizon 2020 - grant agreement No 822070 Helmholtz Association JENNIFER under the European Union's 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 Press contact: Dr. Joachim Hoffmann, Press Officer, Tel.: +49 721 608-21151, joachim hoffmann?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. This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Advertisement The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge revealed today that they home schooled their children during the Easter holidays without telling them - as they also spoke of their fears for Prince Charles over his coronavirus diagnosis. Prince William and Kate said it had been 'challenging' to teach their three children - who they said had 'got such stamina', although it 'hasn't been all hardcore' - but also told how they have been staying in touch with other Royal Family members using online video calls, in an interview with BBC Breakfast broadcast this morning. Kate said of home schooling: 'Don't tell the children, we've actually kept it going through the holidays. I feel very mean. The children have got such stamina, I don't know how. Honestly, you get to the end of the day and you write down the list of all the things that you've done in that day.' She added: 'It's just having that bit of structure actually. And it's great, there's so many great tips online and fun activities that you can do with the children, so it hasn't been all hardcore.' William admitted he was 'quite concerned' for Charles after his 71-year-old father tested positive for coronavirus after having mild symptoms last month - but the Duke had been optimistic he would make a full recovery. He also revealed he is worried about the health of his elderly grandparents, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, although they have both been doing all they can to ensure they are protected and isolated at Windsor Castle. William also said the lesser environmental impact of people not flying around the world for business had been a 'positive' of the pandemic, and said he hopes people will now choose to work from home more in the future. And the couple told of their fears for the mental health of NHS staff who will be carrying some of the 'pain, fear and loneliness' suffered by patients, adding: 'They're the ones who absorb that and take it home to their families.' Also during the interview with the BBC's Tina Daheley: William, whose mother Diana died in 1997, told how grieving people will feel 'angry, confused and scared'; Kate admitted online video calls with the rest of the Royal Family had been 'a bit hectic, I'm not going to lie'; The Duchess hinted that they might call Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to celebrate Archie's first birthday; William said he had been positive about Charles beating the virus because of his many previous ailments; The Duke said the three-week lockdown has been 'frustrating' as 'pressure, stress and isolation' builds up; Kate praised the 'extraordinary job' NHS staff and other frontline workers are doing during the pandemic. The Duchess also talked about how the couple had kept a strict regime while home schooling their children Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, four, and Prince Louis, who is two next week, in the past month. William tells how grief leaves people 'angry, confused and scared' in context of his suffering after Diana's death Prince William spoke about the complex nature of dealing with grief, after asked about it in the context of what he went through following his mother Diana's death in 1997. He was asked by BBC interviewer Tina Daheley: 'As someone who's experienced that trauma, what advice would you give to families who are grieving and who right now have the additional challenge of not being able to see friends and family?' And William replied: 'Trauma comes in all sorts of shapes and forms and we can never know, or be prepared, for when it's going to happen to us. 'People are going to feel angry, they're going to feel confused, they're going to feel scared. That is all normal feelings and that is unfortunately all part of the grieving process.' Advertisement The couple said it was also important to avoid scaring their children and making it 'too overwhelming', but added that home schooling was 'fun' and the children had been pitching tents, cooking and baking. And speaking about continuing the home schooling throughout the Easter holidays this month, the Duchess said: 'We don't tell the children we've actually kept going through the holidays. I feel very mean.' Kate also said the family had been through 'ups and downs' during the lockdown 'like lots of families' since it was imposed on March 23, but they had stayed in touch with other family members using video conferencing apps. She said the family were getting used to contacting each other in a different way - and trying to avoid dropping the computer halfway through, adding: 'It gets a bit hectic, I'm not going to lie. 'With a two-year-old you have to take the phone away. It's quite hectic for them all to say the right thing at the right time without pressing the wrong buttons. But it's great and it's nice to keep in touch with everybody.' They said Charles, Kate's parents Carole and Michael Middleton and 'our familes' have all enjoyed keeping in touch, but added of Louis: 'For some reason he sees the red button and he always wants to press the red button.' The Duchess also indicated that they might call Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Los Angeles next month to celebrate Archie's first birthday on May 6. Kate told how the Cambridges are using video apps to 'share in on birthday calls and things like that' to ensure they keep in touch with the rest of the royals. William admits he was 'quite concerned' for his father Prince Charles Prince William told of his fears for his father Prince Charles after he was diagnosed with coronavirus and had to self-isolated at his Scottish home of Birkhall. He said: 'I have to admit at first I was quite concerned, he fits the profile of somebody, at the age he's at, which is, you know, fairly risky, and so I was a little bit worried. 'But my father has had many chest infections, colds and things like that over the years and so I thought to myself (if) anybody's going to be able to beat this it's going to be him.' Prince Charles and Camilla at Marlborough House in London at a reception to mark Commonwealth Day on March 9 William added that Charles was 'very lucky he had mild symptoms' and told how he ''got a lot of good reassurance from doctors and friends of mine who said 'listen, the days he's on when we found out about it, he's probably passed the worst of it'.' The Duke continued: 'And obviously speaking to him made me feel more reassured that he was OK, but again at that age you do worry a bit more.' A fornight ago, Prince Charles opened the new NHS Nightingale hospital at the ExCeL centre in London, built to deal with the many seriously ill virus patients expected in the coming weeks. He has also offered a message of hope when he recorded a video after coming out of isolation following his positive test for the infection, which also saw his wife Camilla have to self-isolate in a different part of Birkhall. Advertisement She said: 'I think your father and my parents and our families and things like that have really loved keeping in touch with the children because it's really hard, particularly over family times like Easter and things like that, and not seeing each other. So we have been making sure we share in on birthday calls and things like that just to make sure we keep in touch with each other.' Speaking about how they are coping during the lockdown, Kate said: 'It's been ups and downs, like a lot of families self-isolating. George is much older than Louis is and things but they are aware, I'm always surprised. 'And although you don't want to scare them and make it too overwhelming. I think it is appropriate to acknowledge it in the simple ways and age appropriate ways.' And on home schooling, she added: 'You pitch a tent take the tent down again, cook, bake. 'You get to the end of the day - they have had a lovely time - but it is amazing how much you can cram into one day, that's for sure.' William also spoke about his concern for his 71-year-old father Charles after he tested positive for coronavirus last month and suffering mild symptoms, having to self-isolate at his Scottish residence of Birkhall. He said: 'I have to admit, at first I was quite concerned, he fits the profile of somebody, at the age he is at, which is fairly risky.' But he added that he was optimistic Charles would recover. William said: 'My father has had many chest infections, colds, and things like that over the years. And so, I thought to myself, if anybody is going to be able to beat this, it's going to be him. 'And actually he was very lucky, he had mild symptoms. I think the hardest thing he found was having to stop. And not being able to go and get a bit of fresh air and a walk. 'He's a mad walker and just loves walking so I think he found it quite difficult. Especially, also I think with his mental health, being stuck inside and not being able to go for walks.' The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge talked about the coronavirus pandemic as they appeared on BBC Breakfast this morning Kate reveals how royals have been keeping in touch with video calls The Duchess of Cambridge revealed today that members of the Royal Family have been keeping in touch using video conferencing calls. She said the royals have een getting used to contacting each other using the format - and trying to avoid dropping the computer halfway through. Kate said: 'It gets a bit hectic, I'm not going to lie, with a two-year-old you have to take the phone away. 'It's quite hectic for them all to say the right thing at the right time without pressing the wrong buttons. But it's great and it's nice to keep in touch with everybody.' The Duke and Duchess have been using apps such as Zoom for a variety of remote engagements recently, including a round-table on mental health last week on April 8 - and William opening the new NHS Nightingale Hospital in Birmingham yesterday. Advertisement William also said of his father: 'Actually he was very lucky he had mild symptoms and I got a lot of good reassurance from doctors and friends of mine who said 'listen, the days he's on when we found out about it, he's probably passed the worst of it'. 'And obviously speaking to him made me feel more reassured that he was OK, but again at that age you do worry a bit more.' The Queen, 93, has been staying at Windsor Castle, with the Duke of Edinburgh, 98, as a precaution for a number of weeks and the duke said he also has concerns for his grandparents. William said: 'And obviously I think very carefully about my grandparents - who are the age they're at, we're doing everything we can to make sure that they're isolated away and protected from this.' William also spoke about how the huge reduction in travel in recent weeks had been a 'positive' that has come out of the pandemic, and could change the way people work in future. He said: 'The environmental impact of no one travelling around all the place has made a huge difference, I think, all around the world. I always thought that was lunacy really as to why on Earth we do that, when we've got technology nowadays to do this. 'Why don't we conduct more business from home? Obviously of course there are plenty of businesses that rely heavily on face-to-face and that should continue. But I do hope post this that there's a new way of working and people are sensible and a bit more challenging in terms of how they travel and when they need to.' How George, Charlotte and Louis have been pitching tents, cooking and baking while at home Prince William and Kate revealed today that their children had been pitching tents, cooking and baking while they home school them during the pandemic. The Duchess added that it had been 'challenging' to home school their Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, but they had kept a strict regime - and continued throughout the Easter holidays. Princes George (right), Louis (centre) and Princess Charlotte joining in a national applause for the NHS on March 26 The couple said it was also important to avoid scaring their children and making it 'too overwhelming'. But they added that home schooling had been 'fun' and their three children were full of 'stamina'. Kate added: 'We don't tell the children we've actually kept going through the holidays. I feel very mean.' Schools and nurseries across Britain closed on March 20, three days before the country went into lockdown. Advertisement William, whose mother Princess Diana died in 1997, also talked about the stages of grief, saying: 'Trauma comes in all sorts of shapes and forms and we can never know, or be prepared, for when it's going to happen to us. 'People are going to feel angry, they're going to feel confused, they're going to feel scared. That is all normal feelings and that is unfortunately all part of the grieving process.' The Duke of Cambridge also described how the three-week lockdown has been 'frustrating' for many people as 'pressure, stress and isolation' has been building up. In a recording on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, William said: 'If we are going to go forward with more time spent in lockdown, then there is going to be an ever-increasing need for people to look after their mental health and take it seriously and also know where to go to get the support they might need.' Kate also said that the 'extraordinary job' NHS staff and other frontline workers are doing during the coronavirus pandemic will 'dramatically change' how we value them in the future. She said the higher status of doctors, nurses, care home workers and others will be 'one of the main positives' to come out of the crisis which has so far resulted in more than 103,000 cases and 13,700 deaths in Britain. William added: 'This is so new. We've never seen anything like this since the Spanish flu. You know, 1918. I think it has caught all of us off guard, but I do really hope that people start valuing things that really matter in life. 'And forget about some of the materialism that's been out there in the past. And this re-centres, re-focuses and brings us all together as a world. We need to be brought together a lot more. 'There's a lot of divisiveness out there and I really hope at the end of all this that we are a bigger global community than we've ever been before.' And William offered advice about maintaining good mental health saying 'staying connected, staying positive and being able to talk to friends and family is so crucial'. On April 8, William and Kate chaired a roundtable call in which they thanked mental health workers for supporting those who are struggling. Those who joined the roundtable included: Paul Farmer, CEO of Mind; Simon Gunning, CEO of CALM; Alison Baum, CEO of Best Beginnings; Dr Charles Winstanley, Chair of Contact Group; Emma Thomas, CEO of Young Minds; Chris Martin, CEO of The Mix; Graham Beech, CEO of Action on Addiction; Victoria Hornby, CEO of Mental Health Innovations; Catherine Roche, CEO of Place2Be; and Peter Fonagy, CEO of the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families The Duke said: The experiences the frontline workers are going through now is like nothing that anyone has ever seen. How William is also concerned for his grandmother the Queen The Duke of Cambridge also said he has concerns for his grandmother the Queen, 93, who has been staying at Windsor Castle, with the Duke of Edinburgh, 98, as a precaution for a number of weeks. William said: 'Obviously I think very carefully about my grandparents - who are the age they're at, we're doing everything we can to make sure that they're isolated away and protected from this.' The Queen and Prince Philip at Princess Eugenie's wedding to Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle in October 2018 On April 5, the Queen urged the country to pull together to fight coronavirus in a TV message, saying: 'If we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it.' Her historic and emotional intervention was only the fifth time she has addressed the nation in a TV broadcast, apart from at Christmas, in her 67-year reign. Advertisement 'I believe a lot of them are getting on with the job and making us all very proud by how they're just they're stoicism and the determination to beat this. A lot of them are putting their lives and health on the line for all of us. 'And I think that is coming across, I think the nation is appreciating and understanding the sacrifices that many of these people are making. But I've also been hearing that there are those who are working in the NHS, who, understandably, are nervous, are anxious. 'And this hero tag that we're attaching to the NHS workers, albeit is totally valid. We've got to be careful that we don't, you know, alienate some of the other NHS workers who do really generally worry and are scared going to work every single day.' When the duchess was asked whether the Covid-19 outbreak would fundamentally change who we are and what we value, she replied: 'Yes absolutely. 'I think what we're seeing now is the NHS and the frontline workers are doing the most extraordinary job and that's really come to the forefront in the last few weeks. 'And I think it's going to dramatically change how we all value and see our frontline workers and I think that is one of the main positives that you can take from this. 'They do an extraordinary job, it goes unrecognised daily and now I think all of us as a nation can really see how hard they work and how vital their work is.' The Cambridges have provided the narration for a video which will highlight new advice on Public Health England's (PHE) Every Mind Matters website. In the video, due to be released on Monday - which is aimed at supporting the country's mental wellbeing during the coronavirus outbreak, the couple will tell the nation 'we're in this together'. Speaking about what can help people cope with the lockdown, William told the BBC: 'I think again staying connected, staying positive and being able to talk to friends and family is so crucial. Could William and Kate speak to Harry and Meghan on Archie's first birthday next month? The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge indicated that they might call Prince Harry and Meghan Markle next month to celebrate Archie's first birthday. Harry and Meghan are now living in Los Angeles with their son who turns one on May 6 - after leaving Britain and stepping down as senior royals at the end of March. But Kate told how the Cambridges are using video apps to 'share in on birthday calls and things like that' to ensure they keep in touch with the rest of the royals. She said: 'I think your father and my parents and our families and things like that have really loved keeping in touch with the children because it's really hard, particularly over family times like Easter and things like that, and not seeing each other. So we have been making sure we share in on birthday calls and things like that just to make sure we keep in touch with each other.' It comes after a source told US Weekly earlier this month that William and Harry are still in touch, saying: 'They speak, but it's awkward.' Before Archie's birthday, the Cambridges' youngest son Prince Louis will turn two on April 23. A Kensington Palace spokesman declined to tell MailOnline on whether the Cambridges and Sussexes have spoken in a video call. Advertisement 'And having just some tips and some ideas as to how to tackle some of these strange feelings and difficult circumstances we're finding ourselves in is really important, just to nudge us through these next few weeks.' The duke worked as an air ambulance helicopter pilot and has talked in the past about the importance of emergency service workers off-loading their work experiences to preserve good mental health. He spoke about similar concerns for NHS staff looking after critically ill Covid-19 patients. He said: '...I think they take away that pain and that sometimes that fear and loneliness that these patients have to go through, they're the ones who absorb that and take it home to their families. 'And I think again, I've spoken about the attrition and the daily attrition rate of that happening to somebody is not normal and we're not super human any of us, so to be able to manage those emotions and that feeling is going to take some time after all this is over as well.' The PHE's Every Mind Matters platform has launched new advice, focused on looking after people's mental wellbeing during the coronavirus pandemic. It has been updated after new data shows over four in five Britons are worried about the effect that coronavirus is having on their life, with over half saying it was affecting their well-being and nearly half reporting high levels of anxiety. To help get the message out there, William and Kate, both 37, narrated a clip which is set to be broadcast across national TV channels from Monday. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (right) on a video call with staff and teachers from Casterton Primary Academy in Burnley, which has remained open to teach children of key workers and other vulnerable youngsters, on April 8 The film portrays a range of people whose lives have been affected by the pandemic and aims to reassure people that support is available and encourages everyone to take care of their mental wellbeing. William says the need to travel for business could now change for the better William also spoke about how the huge reduction in travel in recent weeks had been a 'positive' that has come out of the pandemic, and could change the way people work in future. He said: 'The environmental impact of no one travelling around all the place has made a huge difference, I think, all around the world. I always thought that was lunacy really as to why on Earth we do that, when we've got technology nowadays to do this. 'Why don't we conduct more business from home? Obviously of course there are plenty of businesses that rely heavily on face-to-face and that should continue. 'But I do hope post this that there's a new way of working and people are sensible and a bit more challenging in terms of how they travel and when they need to. Advertisement In the video, the royals can be heard saying: 'All over the country people are staying at home to protect the NHS and save lives. It's not always easy. We can feel frustrated, miss loved ones or get anxious. 'So now, more than ever, Every Mind Matters. There are things we can all do to look after our mental wellbeing at this time.' 'Every Mind Matters can help get you started with your NHS online plan. Showing you simple steps to help deal with stress, boost your mood and feel on top of things. 'Search Every Mind Matters to get your action plan today. We're in this together.' With many feeling worried, anxious or isolated, Every Mind Matters aims to highlight that there are lots of things people can all do to look after their mental wellbeing and help others to prevent these concerns from becoming more serious. The range of new resources, designed to help manage mental wellbeing during coronavirus, include a tailored COVID-19 Mind Plan, coronavirus-specific content for individuals and their loved ones, and support for specific mental wellbeing issues such as anxiety, stress, low mood and trouble sleeping. Prince William praises 'absolutely legend' Captain Tom Moore and makes undisclosed donation to his appeal The Duke of Cambridge praised Captain Tom Moore, who has raised more than 17million for the NHS by walking lengths of his garden. William described the 99-year-old Second World War veteran as an 'absolute legend' and has written to him and made an undisclosed donation to his appeal. The duke added: 'It's incredible, I did see it on the news the other night and I thought 'Good on him'. War veteran Captain Tom Moore at his home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, after he achieved his goal of 100 laps yesterday 'It's amazing and what I love also is that he's a 99-year-old war vet who's been around a long time, knows everything, and it's wonderful that everyone kind of has been inspired by his story and his determination.' Captain Moore has been walking lengths of his garden and originally set himself the target of 100 laps before his 100th birthday on April 30, reaching his goal yesterday. But he has kept striding, at the Bedfordshire home where he lives with his family, and plans to carry on as donations continue to pour in. His actions have won him plaudits from all areas with Boris Johnson, convalescing after spending a period in intensive care with Covid-19, looking at ways to honour the former Second World War veteran. Captain Moore with (from left) his grandson Benji, daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and granddaughter Georgia at home yesterday Originally from Keighley in West Yorkshire, Captain Moore trained as a civil engineer before enlisting in the Army for the Second World War, rising to captain and serving in India and Burma. The Prime Minister's spokesman told a Westminster briefing yesteday: 'From his military contributions to his support for NHS staff, Tom has demonstrated a lifetime of bravery and compassion. 'The Prime Minister will certainly be looking at ways to recognise Tom's heroic efforts.' William, has followed in the footsteps of his father the Prince of Wales, who is a well known letter writer, and penned a note to Mr Moore. Its contents are not known, but it is likely he wrote to praise the 99-year-old who, speaking at the finish line, said he felt 'fine' and that he was 'surrounded by the right sort of people'. Advertisement Prince William and Kate Middleton chair a virtual roundtable with mental health charity chiefs from their Norfolk home after narrating a powerful campaign video encouraging people to seek support By Chloe Morgan For MailOnline The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hosted a virtual roundtable talk with mental health charity chiefs as they encourage people to take care of their mental and physical wellbeing in lockdown. The royal couple shared a photo from the 12-way talk with representatives from MIND, Calm and Action Against Addiction, among others, which they chaired from their home in Norfolk where they are in isolation with their three children. They expressed their thanks to mental health workers for supporting those who are struggling, and discussed the sector's view on the specific mental health support needed to deal with the challenges sparked by the pandemic. It comes after William, 37, and Kate, 38, narrated a video to promote Public Health England's Every Mind Matters platform, which offers support and advice on how to take care of your mental health during the pandemic. The video is set to be broadcast across national TV channels from Monday. The royal couple shared a photo from the nine-way talk with representatives from MIND, Calm and Action Against Addiction, among others, which they chaired from their home in Norfolk Prince William and Kate Middleton, both 37, are backing a mental health campaign which will launch to support people during coronavirus pandemic. Pictured, during their visit to the London Ambulance Service 111 control room in Croydon The powerful film, supported by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, portrays a range of people whose lives have been affected by the pandemic. Pictured, children clapping Speaking in the short clip, the royals can be heard saying: 'So now, more than ever, Every Mind Matters. There are things we can all do to look after our mental wellbeing at this time.' Pictured, couple holding hands in the short film Everyone in the country has been affected by coronavirus in some way, be it through staying at home and being separated from friends and family, uncertainty about work or education, or knowing someone with the virus. The film portrays a range of people whose lives have been affected by the pandemic and aims to reassure people that support is available and encourages everyone to take care of their mental wellbeing at this difficult time. In the video, the royals can be heard saying: 'All over the country people are staying at home to protect the NHS and save lives. It's not always easy. We can feel frustrated, miss loved ones or get anxious. 'So now, more than ever, Every Mind Matters. There are things we can all do to look after our mental wellbeing at this time.' Every Mind Matters reveals simple steps to help deal with stress, boost your mood and feel on top of things. Pictured, people exercising in the short film Public Health England's Every Mind Matters platform has launched new advice, focused on looking after people's mental wellbeing during the coronavirus pandemic Every Mind Matters can help get you started with your NHS online plan. Showing you simple steps to help deal with stress, boost your mood and feel on top of things. NHS's Top 5 Tips for maintaining mental wellbeing during the Coronavirus outbreak Talk about your worries: it is normal to feel worried, scared or helpless about the current situation. Maintain contact with friends and family via phone and video calls to share how you are feeling. Keep a regular routine and set goals: you may need to set a new routine for now. Try writing a plan for your day with the things you can still do at home, like watching a film, reading a book or completing a puzzle. Setting goals and achieving them gives a sense of control and purpose. Maintaining good-quality sleep makes a big difference to how you feel mentally and physically too, so it's important to get enough (the Every Mind Matters sleep page provides practical advice on how to improve your sleep). Manage your media and information intake: if 24-hour news and constant social media updates are making you worried, try to limit the time you spend watching, reading, or listening to coverage of the outbreak to once or twice a day. Do things you enjoy and try something new: focussing on your favourite hobby, learning something new, or simply taking time to relax indoors should give you some relief from anxious thoughts and feelings and can help boost your mood. Look online for lots of free tutorials and courses. Look after your body: our physical health has a big impact on how we feel. At times like these it can be easy to fall into unhealthy patterns of behaviour that end up making you feel worse. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, drink enough water and exercise regularly. You can leave your house, alone or with members of your household, for one form of exercise a day like a walk, run or bike ride. But make you keep a safe 2-metre distance from others. Advertisement Search Every Mind Matters to get your action plan today. We're in this together.' With many feeling worried, anxious or isolated during these challenging times, Every Mind Matters highlights that there are lots of things we can all do to look after our mental wellbeing and help others to prevent these concerns from becoming more serious. The range of new resources, designed specifically to help manage our mental wellbeing during coronavirus, include a tailored COVID-19 Mind Plan, coronavirus-specific content for individuals and their loved ones, and support for specific mental wellbeing issues such as anxiety, stress, low mood and trouble sleeping. The website signposts people to activities such as mindful breathing exercises, help reframing unhelpful thoughts, and muscle relaxation. Alongside the new coronavirus mental health support, Every Mind Matters encourages people to complete a personal 'Mind Plan' - a quick and free interactive tool offering tailored mental well-being advice. More than 1.9 million 'Mind Plans' have been completed since the launch in October. The NHS-endorsed content has been developed in partnership with clinicians, academics and leading mental health charities and social enterprises - including Mind, Mental Health Foundation, Samaritans, Rethink, Mental Health First Aid England. It offers authoritative, evidence based and practical support to the general public, as well as people with specific mental health concerns. 'During the coronavirus outbreak, it is natural for many of us to feel worried or anxious,' said Professor Paul Cosford, Emeritus Medical Director at Public Health England. 'There are things we can do to help ourselves and others, to prevent these feelings from becoming more serious. Every Mind Matters offers NHS-endorsed guidance on the simple actions we can take to maintain good mental wellbeing.' Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock commented: 'We have asked people to make unprecedented changes to their day-to-day lives as part of our national effort to respond to this global pandemic.' 'Staying at home and not seeing friends and loved ones can take its toll and it is completely understandable to feel overwhelmed or anxious. 'It's vital that we all look after our mental health in these challenging times, so today we are launching new guidance on the NHS Every Mind Matters website which is tailored to help people deal with this outbreak through practical tips and advice. Claire Murdoch, National Director for mental health and NHS England and Improvement, added: 'At a time when as a country we face significant uncertainty which can be worrying and stressful, it has never been more important to keep well and look after our mental health. 'While we stay indoors to protect our loved ones and save lives, we must also think about ourselves and how we can protect our mental wellbeing which is why I am pleased Every Mind Matters reflects current pressures and am encouraging everyone who needs it to visit the website which includes advice on dealing with stress and anxiety.' Advertisement 'Whether it's through exercise, keeping to a routine, or trying something new there is so much we can do to keep our minds healthy and prevent issues becoming more serious - and I'd encourage everyone to take advantage of this brilliant resource.' Minister for Mental Health, Nadine Dorries commented: 'I know how scary a time this must be for many.' 'We are all feeling something over Coronavirus anxiety, fear of the unknown, or even just frustration at not being in control. It's easy to forget that this is an unprecedented situation which is both physically and mentally draining. 'The new guidance that has been launched on the NHS Every Mind Matters website has been adapted, providing top tips for maintaining our mental well-being. 'We must all remember during these challenging times that while we are practicing social distancing for the physical health of ourselves and others, there is help out there to make sure we are taking care of ourselves mentally.' The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to make India an alternative to other countries for procuring finished goods, said Nevil Patel, MD, Ajanta-Orpat Group. In an interaction with Moneycontrol, Patel said that the company has now started receiving enquiries from other countries as they are reluctant to buy from China. Ajanta-Orpat exports to 45 countries. "While we are not being able to service these requests currently, I am sure there is going to be a separate market that opens up for India for countries that are going against buying from China. This depends on when things get to normal. But there will be an export benefit for India," said Patel. Ajanta-Orpat manufacturers an array of products under the Orpat brand, ranging from wall clocks, calculators to home appliances like fans, heaters, iron, mixer grinders and sandwich toasters. The company has a staff strength of 5,000 of which 95 percent are women. It is part of the Ajanta Group. Revenue growth 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 Patel said the company had a revenue of Rs 1,200 crore in FY19 and saw a 20 percent growth in FY20, with product categories like room heaters powering growth. In Charts | Economic impact of lockdown on Centre and states At present, home appliances contribute 20-30 percent of the companys revenue explained that by FY25 home appliances would contribute 50 percent of the companys revenue. Ajanta-Orpat Group is eyeing revenue of Rs 2,400 crore by FY25. Product expansion As far as products are concerned, Patel said that the company is looking to add newer devices in the home appliance category. "We have a prototype ready of a device which have now taken into manufacturing. This appliance will enable Indian homes to make ice creams, smoothies an soups. No Indian manufacturer is offering this product and the ones imported from abroad cost almost Rs 50,000, he added. While Patel did not specify the price of this product, he added that it would be affordable for Indian customers. Track this blog for latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak Similarly, he added that the company is also looking to launch smart home appliances. Smart appliances have technology like artificial intelligence being used to enable lesser manual intervention in the device. We have a fan with technology that will enable customers to save 80-85 percent of the energy consumption. The idea is to add more unique products in the home appliances category and thereby expand the revenue pie, he added. The company distributes 97 percent of its products through its offline partners. While Ajanta-Orpat has launched an e-commerce platform for its products three months back, Patel added that physical distribution would still rule. While the government has allowed manufacturing units in non-containment zones to begun production activities from April 20 with adequate safety precautions, Patel said that normalcy will take time in areas like workers coming back to manufacturing units and distributors getting back to business. I am of the view that it is only by the first week of June 2020 when things could get normal. There will be a lot of these phase-wise recovery and it would take time for our distributors to settle down and place new orders, he explained. Currently, the company is in discussions with Indian startups who want to make use of their manufacturing facilities for products related to COVID-19. "These startups have the designs approved but dont have production capacities. Hence, they are seeking access to our manufacturing facilities so that they can achieve scale. We are open to helping to offering our help in making products that could help battle COVID-19," he added. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riska Rahman and Marchio Irfan Gorbiano (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 17, 2020 15:38 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd288875 1 Business SMEs,MSMEs,stimulus,government-aid,COVID-19,coronavirus,tax-waiver,cash-transfer,loan-relaxation Free Some 37,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have reported difficulties to the government, crying for help as government aid has yet to reach their bleeding operations, with some forced to close shop amid the pandemic. According to the Cooperatives and SME Ministry, most of the reports came from micro businesses, related to declining sales, funding, goods distribution and access to raw materials. The government is reviewing these reports to better target incentives as it is preparing economic stimuli for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The stimuli would include tax waivers for six months and loan relaxation even for borrowings of less than Rp 10 million (US$645), said Cooperatives and SMEs Minister Teten Masduki on Wednesday. They would also cover cash transfers for micro-scale businesses and easing MSMEs access to new loans for survival. The president requested for this loan relaxation to be applied as wide as possible, especially for micro businesses, Teten said after a virtual meeting with President Joko Jokowi Widodo. We have also agreed to integrate the cash transfer program and the food card program with micro businesses like warung [traditional eateries], so they can still survive and have an income. SMEs contribute more than 60 percent to Indonesias gross domestic product (GDP), ranging from small shops and warung to distributors of consumer products, batik workshops and craft makers. There are 70 million SMEs with outstanding loans to financial institutions. Read also: 37,000 SMEs hit by COVID-19 crisis as government prepares aid Jokowi said he wanted the loan relaxation for all SMEs as soon as possible. Dont wait until the businesses are closed. Dont wait until its too late and create disruption among the public, he said. Not all would be supported, however, as the Cooperatives and SMEs Ministry is reviewing eligibility of the micro and small businesses to receive aid, said the ministrys special staffer on creative economy empowerment, Fiki Satari. The ministry will be coordinating with the Finance Ministry, the Coordinating Economic Ministry and the Financial Services Authority (OJK) to finalize the stimuli. Indonesia SME Association chairman Ikhsan Ingratubun said he appreciated the governments plan to support SMEs; however, most small and medium businesses had already temporarily closed or seen a steep decline in revenues. Such a condition had limited their daily cash flow which they relied upon heavily to finance their daily operations and pay for their liabilities. The government must relieve us from paying taxes, because where are we supposed to get the cash from in times when our daily operation is limited? he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. Ikhsan still deemed the stimulus insufficient to keep small and medium businesses from succumbing to the COVID-19 crisis and called for broader incentives for electricity that still burdens them. Read also: Jokowi announces free electricity, discounts for households hardest hit by COVID-19 impacts The government announced free electricity for three months starting April for 24 million households in the 450-volt ampere (VA) category, the lowest of six categories listed under existing regulations. It will also provide a 50 percent discount for 7 million households in the 900 VA category, the second-lowest category, for the same three months. The government should broaden the incentives to other categories as well, because bigger businesses are in a cash crunch, said Ikhsan. The Cooperatives and SMEs Ministry suggested that SMEs convert their businesses to meet current demand, such as making masks and coveralls, as the governments large-scale social distancing (PSBB) policy had forced business owners to close shops and as demand weakens with people staying at home. This effort could help fulfill the domestic demand for personal protective equipment [PPE] and masks, as well as help them fulfill their daily needs during this pandemic, said Victoria Simanungkalit, the ministrys undersecretary for production and marketing. The ministry is also working with industrial goods supplier PT Daruma Adira Pratama to help SMEs produce appropriate PPE that correspond to the Health Ministrys medical equipment standards. Currently, around 330 SMEs from 16 provinces have joined the program and around 80 have been included in the ministrys catalog, Victoria said. The SMEs have also received a total of Rp 127.8 million (US$8,145) worth of orders from potential buyers consisting of 10,276 masks, 962 hazmat suits and 25 pairs of shoe covers, she added. West Texas Intermediate crude dropped at $19.87 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the lowest level since Januaury 31, 2002. Brent crude rose by 0.86% to $28.07 per barrel on the ICE Exchange in London. Oil has plunged about 20% in New York since the group on Sunday agreed to trim worldwide production by an unprecedented 9.7 million barrels a day, as lockdowns aimed at containing the coronavirus cause the biggest demand slump in history. Prices hit a fresh 18-year low below $19 a barrel on Friday, Bloomberg reported. A leading analyst of the National Energy Security Fund, a lecturer at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Igor Yushkov, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that the drop in the WTI price with the relative stability of the Brent price can be explained by different expectations of traders from the European and American oil markets. "This is primarily about assessments of quarantine cancellation in different regions of the world. China has already dropped the strict regime, followed by other Asian countries. The acute phase of the pandemic is on the decline in Europe, which means that they will begin to ease restrictions and allow transport links, which, in turn, means an increase in demand for oil products," he explained. "Now, thanks to the new OPEC + deal, there will be no price war, since all countries, including Saudi Arabia, will limit the oil output. Saudi Arabia will reduce supplies to other regions where, for example, Russia can sell oil. And this also helps the Brent price to remain more or less stable, while WTI is falling due to uncertainties with the terms of quarantine cancellation in the U.S. and the higher speed of filling American storages," Igor Yushkov pointed out. A 20-year-old Bangladeshi woman reportedly gave birth to twins, 26 days after giving birth to her first child. As per reports, Arifa Sultana has two wombs instead of one, which means that she was having two pregnancies concurrently. Her first child was a son and was delivered in late February and 26 days after, she delivered twins, a boy and a girl. While speaking to an international media outlet, Dr Sheila Poddar, who is a gynaecologist at Ad-Din Hospital in Dhaka, said the mother and the three children were healthy. Poddar said that Arifa came to the hospital complaining of lower abdominal pain and after the doctors performed an ultrasound they realised that Sultana was pregnant with twins. After diagnosis, the doctors discovered that Arifa had two uteruses, which is a condition called uterus didelphys. The doctors also informed that the first baby and the twins were conceived and grown in separate wombs. READ: ISS Crew Lands In Kazakhstan After More Than 200 Days One in a million Poddar also said that the Arifa did not get an ultrasound before the first delivery, therefore, her condition was missed. Dr S.N. Basu, head of obstetrics and gynaecology at Max Healthcare hospital in New Delhi, reportedly said that the having two uteruses is not very common. While speaking to the media outlet, Basu said that when the uteruses develop, it comes from two tubes, and those tube fuse together. He added that for some women, the fusion does not occur and the dividing wall does not dissolve. READ: COVID-19 Pandemic Could Cost Millions Of Jobs In Global Tourism Industry: UN Body Because of the complexities, Poddar was reportedly able to perform a quick C-section to deliver the twins. Poddar also informed that the mother and the babies were doing just fine and were in healthy condition. She went on to explain that a uterus didelphys is a rare congenital abnormality, and the occurrence of twin gestation has an overall incidence rate of one in a million. Furthermore, according to the National Institutes of Health, the abnormality to be discovered before birth is even less common. Basu reportedly said that from rural areas, people dont know what is wrong with them. He added that they dont know how many children they are pregnant with and sometimes whether they are pregnant also. (Image source: Representative/Pixabay) READ: Peru Tests Patients At Home In Large Campaign READ: Sacred Venezuelan Stone Back Home After Hiatus In Berlin STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- By the end of March, as the coronavirus crisis continued, Zane Tankel, chairman and CEO of Apple-Metro, closed the boroughs Applebees except for the New Dorp location. This week Tankel updated the New York franchises business situation. Heres where we are: Three weeks ago we had a company with 2,000-plus employees and 31 restaurants. Now we have 14 restaurants and 85 people and six people at our support center in Westchester, where we once had 40." In the meantime hes worried about his furloughed staff, especially with unemployment benefits dragging. He feeds employees at the open restaurants: they are all welcome to a meal anytime, he says. Tankel also gives 50 percent off to all first responders. Were trying to be a good corporate citizen. If we do good it has a long ripple effect through this Armageddon, said Tankel. Going forward, he has started to reopen various restaurants in the region for pickup and third-party delivery with UberEats, Grubhub, DoorDash and the Applebees online service through its website. The next location to rev back up again will be on Staten Island. Expressway Plaza is next, said Tankel. He picked this Applebees because of its high visibility on Richmond Avenue. He can use the building for signage to broadcast their to-go orders and first responder discount program. Tankel is cautiously optimistic. Getting back into business will be a gradual process, said Tankel, likening the experience to a groundhog coming out of hibernation after winter. It may take a year, he said. Tankel predicts a future shaped by new guidelines by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Buildings. New sanitation rules might include servers wearing gloves and masks. Occupancy might be slashed. Because of table spacing and safe distancing you may no longer have 30 tables in a restaurant, you may have 15. What does do that your overhead? Your rent? The cost of buying food? he asked, adding that the world of service will be dramatically different. Perhaps eateries will have to sanitize thoroughly daily. There will be tremendous changes in the restaurant industry and few businesses will survive, said Tankel. But hes confident things will get back into a groove in time. [Customers] will slowly morph back in to restaurants. Its such a core part of our society and the world. It will happen gingerly. Gradually. Tiptoeing, he said, adding that it will be a while before people start feeling comfortable again sitting next to each other. Tankel pointed out that the Chinese word for crisis blends the notions of risk and opportunity. He bears the risk very personally with supporting employees livelihoods, communities in which they work and the hundreds of thousands of guests who patronize Applebees in the region. Applebee's whiskey bacon burger with fries available to go. (Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com) Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com Good things can come of this -- crisis brings out the best and worst in time, he said. For instance his daughter, Nikki, recently recovered from COVID-19 and now she wants to donate blood because she has the antibodies. She was inspired by news of deaths around New York City. It happens its my daughter but those stories that come out are bittersweet. People step up to fill the gap to help other people. If we do our teeny bit we can do a lot, said Tankel. For now, he and his crews will make the best of the new pickup programs, especially with alcohol now allowed to be sold with meals. Were not a to-go bar but you can order a beer and a burger. Maybe in this environment you can order a martini. Before it was illegal, he said, suggesting, Having a good stiff drink in this environment might be necessary. Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com. **** FULL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE IN NEW YORK ***** In midst of pandemic Gerardis reopens, Greenmarkets soon include Snugs produce Celebrating milestones in a pandemic | Pamelas Food Service Diary Adapt and streamline: How S.I. food businesses keep evolving | Pamelas Food Service Diary Carolyn Benfante, salad maker of Dicks Delicatessen fame, dies. She was 80. Applebees Dollar Vampire: Dare to take a sip on Staten Island The future of food and restaurants after the coronavirus mess | Pamelas Food Service Diary Open restaurants on Staten Island as of April 10, 2020 News from Kills Boro Brewing Co. in Tompkinsville How markets and restaurants are punching back against coronavirus | Pamelas food service diary Passover in the COVID-19 crisis: A virtual Seder with a special prayer from a Staten Island rabbi Kings Arms Diner offers pickup and delivery during coronavirus outbreak | Yes, Theyre Open Pamelas Food Service Diary: Wednesday, April 8, 2020. Staten Island, NY. Novellis cancels the mozzarella bunny for Easter 2020 Coronavirus and kids: The ice cream truck still cometh . . . but is it welcome? Toilet paper apocalypse cakes and doughnut kits: Custom bakers stay busy during pandemic Pastosa Ravioli in Eltingville to close April 13 Ordering Chinese food on Staten Island? Little luck in this pandemic Easter 2020: Grocery stores hours on Staten Island Pamelas Food Service Diary: Sunday, April 5, 2020. Staten Island, NY. Pamelas Food Service Diary: Saturday, April 4, 2020. Staten Island, NY. Pamelas Food Service Diary: Friday, April 3, 2020. Staten Island, NY. Florencio Almazo Moran, 65, New Dorp bakery worker claimed by COVID-19, a one-man army Andreas Koutsoudakis, beloved Tribeca restaurateur lost to coronavirus, is family of Andrews Diner owners Anthony Fauci has roots in a Staten Island restaurant ShopRite: New store hours in coronavirus crisis starting April 1 Some good news: Owner of Jimmy Max receives Outstanding Community Service Award Pamelas Food Service Diary: Sunday, March 29, 2020. Staten Island, NY. Pamelas Food Service Diary: Saturday, March 28, 2020. Staten Island, NY. What Stop & Shop looked like in Port Richmond on Saturday, March 28, 2020 Coronavirus crisis on the restaurant business: Where has all the Chinese food and sushi gone? Pamelas Food Service Diary, Friday March 27, 2020 Cake Chef bakes for a world without parties Partys cancelled: Does this mean the deposit is, too? Health Department suspends restaurant inspections, and thats A-OK with a lot of restaurateurs The total number of registered coronavirus cases in Turkey rose to 74,193 as 4,801 more people tested positive for the virus, Turkeys Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced on Thursday. So far, a total of 7,089 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. 125 more deaths from the novel coronavirus, brings the total number of fatalities to 1,643. It added that 40,427 tests were conducted over the past day, with the overall number of tests reaching 518,143. We have two strengths: Precaution and treatment. Lets use them, Koca added. READ: Turkey sees 125 more coronavirus deaths as toll rises to 1,643, cases near 75,000 Spider-Man true hero in Turkeys Antalya amid coronavirus pandemic Burak Soylu, wearing the Spiderman costume, poses for a photo on a balcony fence after bringing groceries for a couple, who are staying at home due the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Antalya, Turkey, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. (AA Photo) With his Spider-man costume, Burak Soylu helps citizens with their groceries and boost morale as the Stay Home advisory continues in coronavirus-hit Turkey. Burak Soylu, wearing the Spiderman costume, picks groceries for citizens, who are staying at home due the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Antalya, Turkey, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. (AA Photo) READ: https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/spider-man-true-hero-in-turkeys-antalya-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/news Guidelines for the safe disposal of masks and gloves Government circular Covid-19 Precautions in the Management of Personal Hygiene Material Wastes such as Disposable Masks and Gloves published by the General Directorate of Environmental Management of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. As a result of the above circular, Fethiye Municipality have issued guidelines for the safe disposal of masks and gloves and have provided plastic containers for disposing of used masks and gloves in public institutions, municipal service buildings, disinfectant points and populated areas. After a three-day waiting period, this waste is classified as domestic waste for disposal. Please follow the rules below: Store your mask, gloves, handkerchiefs and other personal hygiene waste products separately on the balcony in tightly-tied, tear-resistant plastic garbage bags. Store this waste in small quantities, preferably on a separate balcony for at least 72 hours After 72 hours, you can dispose of these waste bags together with your normal daily garbage. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds every you come into contact with this waste Source: Fethiye Belediyesi No problems with bread during the curfew this weekend President of Fethiye Chamber of Merchants and Craftsmen, Mehmet Soydemir, has promised there will be no shortage of bread when the town goes into lockdown for a second weekend from midnight tonight. Short notice of a strict curfew last weekend prompted some last-minute panic buying but, following a meeting between bakeries, traders and senior police officers, registered vehicles will be allowed to tour the streets distributing bread to those who need it. Source: https://gercekfethiye.com/haftasonunda-ekmek-sorunu-yasanmayacak/26751/ 400 people fined for ignoring coronavirus measures Police and Jandarma teams across Fethiye have warned a period of grace has ended and those found flouting measures introduced to fight the spread of the coronavirus can expect to be fined. Fethiye Gercek reports almost 400 people across the area have already been given financial penalties for not wearing masks, ignoring curfews or guidelines on social distancing. The stricter stance will continue as the Fethiye region goes into lockdown for a second 48-hour period this weekend. Source: https://gercekfethiye.com/400e-yakin-vatandasa-covid19-cezasi/26749/ Extra police on streets from 3pm to midnight Meanwhile, Haber 48 reports extra patrols will be on the streets from 3pm this afternoon to ensure there is no repeat of the panic-buying which swept the country when the first lockdown was announced a week ago. Source: https://www.haber48.com.tr/ulusal-gundem/sokaga-cikma-yasagi-oncesi-denetimler-yapilacak-h32454.html The Mobile Grocer Fethiye Municipality are launching a new project the Mobile Grocer The Mobile Grocer will minimise the possible risks associated with buying fruit and vegetables from the local markets, where social distancing is more difficult to manage. Any greengrocers who would like to be involved are invited to contact Fethiye Municipality on 444 90 82 or ALO 153 Please note, this project is only open to greengrocers and NOT supermarkets. Source: Fethiye Belediyesi NATIONAL SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN how to make a donation On Monday 30 March, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched a National Solidarity Campaign to aid the fight against the novel coronavirus, donating his salary for seven months to the initiative. The aim of the campaign is to provide additional support to low-income people suffering economically due to the measures taken against the spread of the disease. The first phase of support for 1663 families in Fethiye arrived last week with each receiving 1000TL. The second phase of support for 2500 families was scheduled to arrive this week. People with Turkish mobiles will receive an SMS asking them to make a donation of 10TL. If you havent received an SMS and would like make a donation, TEXT KORONA to 8119. If you would like to make a larger donation you can do so via bank transfer. Below are the bank account details for donations in TL, Euros, USD (ABD Dolar) via IBAN or Swift Code. Global statistics The number of global coronavirus cases surpassed 2 million on Wednesday. There are now 2,207,489 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, of which 558,440 have recovered. The number of fatalities stands at 148,696. Source: Worldometer. Follow Fethiye Times on social media for regular updates. Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Twitter Todays featured image: Turquoise on a lonely shore by Lyn Ward U.S. President Donald Trump participates at the Coronavirus Task Force briefing where the guidelines to opening up the United States to business were presented in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday, April 16, 2020. Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI/ U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday 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. 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. 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. 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. (Xie Huanchi/Xinhua via AP) 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. The republican funeral of former Sinn Fein councillor Francie McNally takes place in Ballinderry DUP MLA Tom Buchanan has said police must act after more than 200 people turned out to attend the funeral of a former Sinn Fein councillor in Co Tyrone last week. He was speaking after the DUPs representatives on the Policing Board met with Chief Constable Simon Byrne to discuss a range of issues relating to the PSNIs response over Covid-19 on Friday. Police are preparing a file for prosecutors after over 200 people attended the funeral of Francie McNally in Ballinderry on Wednesday, April 8. Read More Those paying their respects as the funeral procession made its way to St Patrick's Church were accused of putting lives at risk by failing to observe strict social distancing guidelines. Two of Mr McNally's brothers were killed during the Troubles. West Tyrone MLA Mr Buchanan said the PSNI must act over the funeral and other reckless and irresponsible breaches of social distancing. We recognise that enforcement powers should be used in a fair and proportionate manner, however at this time of uncertainty the public expectation is that those who risk their own health and that of others will face the full rigour of the law, he stated after the meeting with Mr Byrne. I also stressed the need for more effective communication between PSNI team and local communities. We need to prevent future confusion particularly around the opening of caravan parks in order to ensure public support for the current restrictions is maintained. The DUP representatives also discussed the role of part-time reserves, as well as the need to address concerns about levels of domestic violence. East Belfast MLA Joanne Bunting raised the issue of custody in Musgrave Police Station and sought reassurance that all appropriate steps were being taken to ensure the safety officers and those in custody. It is important that justice continues to be served, she added. Provision for live-link court appearances will ensure the criminal justice system can continue to operate. Meanwhile, South Antrim MLA Trevor Clarke said the rise in domestic abuse incidents reported since social distancing regulations came into effect is a startling statistic. Behind each of these incidents is a victim whose wellbeing we have a duty to promote and protect and even more so in the current environment in which people may find it harder to leave their homes or reach out for help, stated Mr Clarke. Despite gaining unprecedented authority over local courts during the coronavirus outbreak, Californias chief justice says she and other judicial leaders still lack information on conditions in county jails and the impact of the virus on everyone in the justice system defendants, victims and the public. The biggest piece of data we need is our in-custody defendants, what is happening in real time in the jails ... what is the contagion in the jails, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye said Thursday in a national teleconference organized by the nonprofit Council on Criminal Justice. After Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, Cantil-Sakauye ordered jury trials suspended statewide for 60 days on March 23. On April 6, the state Judicial Council, which she chairs, voted to eliminate bail for defendants accused of misdemeanors and less-serious felonies, an action designed to reduce overcrowding and the chance of spreading the virus. The council also voted to extend deadlines for pretrial proceedings, such as arraignments and preliminary hearings, and conduct them by remote teleconference if the defendant waives the right to appear in person. We were hoping we were balancing a defendants right to justice and public safety, Cantil-Sakauye said at Thursdays conference. Were doing everything we could possibly do remotely. That question (of the proper balance) remains to be answered. We continue to tweak and massage and change these rules. She said she and the Judicial Council are hearing from presiding judges in each of Californias 58 counties, and from some of the more than 2,000 judges in the state. But we need to hear from all the people who are affected by the criminal justice system, the chief justice said. Were not hearing from them. Most Bay Area jails have reported only a handful of coronavirus cases. But at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, the Alameda County Sheriffs Office said 27 inmates had tested positive as of Thursday, though 13 of them had fully recovered. 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 teleconference also heard sharply contrasting reports of the apparent impact of the coronavirus on crime rates in different states. In Kentucky, the jail population has dropped by more than 36% during the outbreak, and the average daily arrest total statewide has fallen from 700 to 175, said Laurie Dudgeon, director of the Administrative Office of the Kentucky Courts. A lot of folks truly are staying home, Dudgeon said. Im not saying crime is not occurring, just that it has dramatically reduced in Kentucky. She also said fears that stay-at-home orders would lead to an increase in reports of domestic violence have not been realized so far. The situation is more grim in Jacksonville, Fla., said State Attorney Melissa Nelson, chief prosecutor for a four-county region based in Jacksonville. Violent crime, specifically gun crime, has increased dramatically, Nelson told the conference. People unfortunately in certain areas of our city arent staying at home. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko 149 migrants rescued by Alan Kurdi moved to ferry Biocontainment chamber installed for quarantine (ANSAmed) - PALERMO, APRIL 17 - The 149 migrants still onboard the Alan Kurdi NGO migrant rescue ship on Friday were moved to the Rubattino ferry run by Tirrenia. The migrants will be tested for COVID-19 by Red Cross personnel and will remain in quarantine while waiting to be redistributed among EU countries. The two ships are currently about a mile from the Palermo port. The operation was planned during a meeting between the prefect of Palermo, the mayor, and directors of the Red Cross, the ASP healthcare services and the civil protection. The local healthcare authority has alerted hospital facilities ahead of possible hospitalisations and found laboratories to analyse the tests that will be done on the migrants and personnel onboard. The Red Cross has made healthcare personnel available as well as a biocontainment chamber received from the health ministry to install on the Rubattino for immediate isolation of any suspected COVID-19 cases. The migrants were rescued about two weeks ago in the Mediterranean by the ship run by the German NGO Sea Eye. The vessel had in recent days continued to sail off the Sicilian coast while awaiting the Italian government decision on the case. On Thursday, on the request of Infrastructure and Transport Minister Paola De Micheli, Civil Protection chief Angelo Borrelli signed an order with which the Red Cross was named implementing body for the lodging assistance and health monitoring of the refugees that will now be put into quarantine on the Rubattino. A solution able to meet the public health requirements linked to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as humanitarian needs and had been urged in recent days by several political and government figures. Palermo mayor Leoluca Orlando had maintained contact with the Alan Kurdi, which flies the flag of the city of Palermo as a symbol of welcome, through NGO spokesperson Jean Ribbeck. (ANSAmed). As we are all only too well aware, we find ourselves living in chaotic times at the moment. There's a lot of fear and negativity out there and it can be hard to find a few moments of calm to soothe a restless mind. Enter Don Conroy. A man with many strings to his bow - environmentalist, artist, broadcaster, author - he brings a palpable positivity and calm to everything he does. As calls regarding Covid-19 and it's frightening impact on our lives stack up on a daily basis, even hearing the dulcet tones of 'Uncle Don' on the other end of the phone has a calming effect. 'It's really great to talk to you,' he beams. 'It's amazing how this whole thing has taken off.' He is referring of course to his newly launched YouTube channel, sparking a return for 'Draw With Don' - a segment which was a staple of RTE's 'The Den' and was a real favourite for kids across the country in the '90s as they tuned in and attempted to copy Don's drawing of some magnificent animal or other. Of course a lot of the children who tuned in with their pieces of paper and pencils at the ready in those halcyon days now have children of their own and Don's return is spreading a little bit of joy to a new generation, as well as a healthy dose of nostalgia for his fans from the past. While it's been a busy year for Don, you get the impression that he's a man who doesn't stress. Life moves at it's own pace and we all must adapt accordingly. Having lived in Monart, just outside Enniscorthy, for many years, earning honorary Wexfordian status in the process, he spent a few months living in Greece recently before moving into his new home in Wicklow town. 'We're not that long living here actually,' he explains. 'Recently I spent a couple of months away in Greece. We have friends there and decided to spend some time there. It was wonderful. We were in a very remote area near this little fishing village. It was like walking into one of those wonderful impressionist paintings in spring time with all the lovely wild-flowers blooming. So I spent a bit of time there doing some painting and drawing and it was lovely.' Although a fond one, that's now very much a distant memory for Don as the Ireland he has returned to is now one battling a crisis the likes of which we've never seen. Characteristically though, Don is upbeat. 'It's like everything, you have to turn a disadvantage into an advantage,' he said. 'It's a good time to be reflective and value each other and maybe be a bit creative. I'm trying to help with that a little with the YouTube channel.' 'I've been on, what I'd call, a creative journey since I was four years old. I would love to see more people looking at the world with creative eyes. When you start to look and understand the shapes and forms of things, it gives you a different perspective. You look at the world in a different way with fresh eyes.' For Don, there isn't likely to be any boredom arising from spending more time at home. 'Well I'm busy making these shows and then I've been doing a lot of interviews about it like this one,' he laughs. 'I really am surprised by the amazing reaction it's received. People are really lovely. Over the years I've had people come up to me and say that I was the reason they passed their Leaving Cert art exams or what happened quite a bit was that I had young mothers coming up and asking me why I wasn't drawing on TV any more. A lot of them wanted their children to have the same experience that they had when they were children.' It was here that the seeds for Don's new YouTube channel were sown. With more than a gentle prod from his daughter Justine, he had been seeking to make some videos anyway and with more people stuck at home and looking for something to do, the timing was perfect. 'This wasn't planned at all,' he says. 'I'm delighted people are taking a bit of pleasure from it at a difficult time. People are worrying about life. I would say to them, take in the information, because it's important. But don't overwhelm yourself with fear because eventually you'll implode. Try to stay positive about the situation. Read the book you've been meaning to read. Write some poetry or maybe do some drawing.' With Don's first video 'Let's Draw a Clown' rocketing to nearly 45,000 views in just a couple of days, it's fair to say that the appetite is certainly out there among the general public, kids and adults alike. A second video was added inviting young and old to join in and draw a Barn Owl - giving all the nostalgic feels for rainy afternoons sat in front of 'The Den'. 'The painter Juan Miro said that we should all try to draw like children again,' Don says, reflecting on the enjoyment the kids get from his videos. 'I always liked that. The reason is that when children draw, they are telling a story. It's the joy of drawing. Miro believed that the joy was not in the result, but in the action.' Don has some big ideas for the YouTube channel too. He hopes to add new videos every couple of days and he also hopes to add storytelling for the children, as well as workshops for adults too. When he's not doing that, he's putting the finishing touches to paintings and portraits that had been left to one side - heeding his own advice and turning disadvantage to advantage and taking stock. Within a couple of days, the Don Conroy YouTube channel had over 8,000 subscribers and one would suspect that this will increase even further in the coming days as homes across the country welcome a familiar favourite back into their sitting rooms. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie and Sausan Atika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 17, 2020 16:21 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd28effb 1 City COVID-19,anies-baswedan,Jakarta-administration,coronavirus,PSBB Free Jakarta is likely to extend the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), as 14 days is not long enough to bring COVID-19 transmission in the Indonesian capital under control, its governor has said. The PSBB was to be in effect for 14 days, but in reality, this kind of outbreak is not going to be over in 14 days, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said by video link on Thursday, during a meeting with the COVID-19 mitigation supervisory team of the House of Representatives. Jakarta, the epicenter of the Indonesian outbreak, is the first region to impose the PSBB, which is in effect from April 10 to 23. The city's implementing regulation on the PSBB conforms to the guidelines issued in a Health Ministry regulation, which requires regions to apply for the PSBB before they may install localized measures aimed to contain the spread of the viral respiratory disease. It is better to assume that this outbreak is going to last longer, so we can be better prepared, said Anies. The governor also urged the House supervisory team to consult with epidemiologists on the projected duration of the outbreak. Anies said that many countries in the world were still fighting their own outbreaks, pointing to Wuhan the city in Hubei, China, where the virus was first detected in December 2019 where mitigation measures were still in place, even after months of a city-wide lockdown. Read also: COVID-19: Vacant roads, little activity mark first day of PSBB implementation in Jakarta In compliance with the Health Ministry's PSBB guidelines, Jakarta has also restricted public transportation. Jakarta's mass transit system had already seen a slump in passenger numbers as a result of the governor's stay-at-home and work/study from home polices, which had been implemented prior to the PSBB. City-owned BRT operator Transjakarta recorded a 91 percent fall in the number of daily passengers to 91,000 from 1 million, while MRT Jakarta recorded a 95 percent fall in daily passengers to 5,000 from 100,000. Anies said that he had also urged Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI), a subsidiary of national railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia, to cease operating its Commuter Line train service while the PSBB was in effect. Commuter Line operates a city-wide rail network that also connects Jakarta with the satellite cities of Bekasi, Depok and Bogor in West Java, and Tangerang in Banten. The rail service has already cut its passenger per car capacity to comply with Jakarta's PSBB policy. The capital is also planning to expand its testing capacity from the present rate of 4,524 tests per day at 23 laboratories to 8,000 tests per day, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing method. Anies said that Jakarta's testing capacity would soon be expanded with the help of Kalbe Farma, a publicly listed pharmaceutical company. But the number [of tests] is still very small compared to what we need, thats why we are focusing on PCR tests rather than rapid tests, he said. Rapid tests, while faster and more affordable, have been deemed less accurate than the PCR swab tests. As of Thursday, Indonesia had recorded 5,516 confirmed cases and 496 deaths, with 548 recovered cases the first time the number of recovered cases had overtaken the death toll. Meanwhile, Jakarta recorded 2,670 confirmed cases and 244 deaths, with 202 recovered cases. The 30th annual Supercomputing Challenge in New Mexico has moved student final presentations to a remote, virtual platform. This will allow the students to be honored for their work over the past year and give them an opportunity to practice remote collaboration, organizers said in a news release. The program is open to elementary, middle and high schools students, challenging them to design a computational science project and work on it all year. The first-round New Mexico finalists are Team 16, from Eldorado High; Team 17, from Grady High; Team 20, from Los Alamos High; Team 59, from the New Mexico School for the Arts; Team 66, from Socorro High; and Team 1003, from Los Alamos High. Participating students are using telecommuting tools to prepare them for: Colleges and universities where online learning is becoming more common. Future jobs in which professionals have teams of researchers across the globe working on the same project. Videoconferencing software will be used by the teams and judges across the state. Individual team meetings are scheduled for April 27, and an online awards ceremony for April 28. For more information and to view all the current and final proposals, visit supercomputingchallenge.org/19-20/. We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com. Infrastructure consultancy and engineering company RITES on Friday said it has taken a number of initiatives to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on its functioning, and has finalised a Rs 678-crore export order from Africa. To the extent possible, company has tried to negate the impact of COVID-19 on its functioning through remote working, the company said in a statement. "In a major export order from Africa in which RITES had emerged as successful bidder in February 2020, final price negotiations for export value of USD 89.2 million (Rs 678 crore approx) have been concluded during lockdown period through video conferencing. "The contract documentation is likely to be completed soon. Besides this, our order book is sufficient for execution in next 1-2 years," the company said. The 2019-20 financial year started well with strong business momentum and key project wins besides focus on timely execution, it said, adding that while the impact of COVID-19 on numbers for January-March period of FY20 is yet to be quantified, any significant impact is not likely on the topline for the financial year. RITES Chairman and Managing Director Rajeev Mehrotra said, "We are trying our best to minimize COVID-19 impact on the company. Employees are being encouraged to work-from-home on pan-India basis except those handling essential services. "Our investments in digitisation through ERP, e-office, e-tendering etc. are helping us to shift some of our operations to remote working environment, thus, keeping employees safety as top priority during this crisis," he added. The company said it is confident of achieving the outlook given for financial performance for FY'20, but some impact can be felt on new orders and collection performance, as last month of the financial year plays an important role towards improving collections. "Soon after normal working is possible in our operations, we will attempt to reach full capacity at the earliest, as most of the engineering work by the company is done by in-house teams. "We are also hopeful that fixed cost during lockdown period can be largely recovered in remaining part of the year and savings through cost reduction wherever possible," it said. RITES is committed to welfare of the society and in this emergency situation has contributed Rs 16 crore to PM-CARES Fund, it said. Its employees have also volunteered to contribute two days' pay for April 2020. "Given the uncertainty, the overall impact in future on the operations of the company and on our clients, which may also affect us in turn, is not immediately assessable. Our business model will help us to navigate through these difficult times and gives us confidence to emerge stronger soon," it added. RITES Ltd is a miniratna public sector enterprise and a leading player in transport consultancy and engineering sector in India. It is the only export arm of Indian Railways for providing rolling stock overseas (other than Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistani journalists and activists have staged protests in several cities to demand the owner and editor in chief of the countrys biggest independent media group is released from pretrial detention. Mir Shakilur Rehman of the Jang group of newspapers and TV stations was arrested in the eastern city of Lahore on March 12 by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with allegations of tax evasion in a real-estate purchase 34 years ago. The Jang group, which has been critical of the government and the activities of NAB, has rejected the allegations against Rehman and described his arrest as an attack on the freedom of expression. Protesters holding banners and placards staged sit-ins on April 17 in Lahore, the capital Islamabad, the northwestern city of Peshawar, capping a week of rallies in cities across the South Asian nation of 220 million. International human rights and media-freedom watchdogs have urged Pakistani authorities to release Rehman. Daniel Bastard, the head of Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Asia-Pacific desk, said on March 12 that Rehmans arrest is not based on anything legal, and is clearly harassment in order to bring the Jang group into line. The Pakistani authorities have shown tremendous creativity in intimidating journalists who try to do their jobs independently, Bastard said in a statement. Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), on March 12 called Rehmans detention just the latest case of harassment against Pakistans beleaguered media. The space for dissent in Pakistan is shrinking fast, and anyone who criticizes government actions can become a target, Adams added. Pakistans media operates in a climate of fear, the New York-based watchdog said, adding: Media outlets are under pressure from authorities not to criticize the government. The statement also said that the NAB has been widely criticized for being used for political purposes. Pakistan is ranked 142nd out of 180 countries in RSFs 2019 World Press Freedom Index. With reporting by Geo TV and The News When the Balearic Minister for Tourism, Employment and Economy, Iago Negueruela announced that there were going to be strict restrictions on all inclusive alcohol served in certain black spot resorts this summer - Magalluf, the Playa de Palma and San Antonio in Ibiza - he sparked an international debate with a mixed response from certain sectors of the tourist industries here in the Balearics and in the United Kingdom and Germany. His new plan was dubbed the Balearic booze ban with threats of people turning their backs on the targeted resorts, even the Balearics in general, because six alcoholic drinks with meals was considered not enough. Some people are still upset over the tourist tax, but I am not going down that road, my colleague Andrew Ede dealt with that yesterday. However, in hindsight, looking at the current challenges the local tourist industry is having to confront, it could prove beneficial for resort businesses. There is no question that it is going to be a late and probably rather short tourist season this year for those hotels and resort business which do open. But, the all inclusive restrictions will no doubt prompt clients in the affected hotels to venture out to local bars and supermarkets, not to mention the odd restaurant, therefore generating extra revenue many establishments have been missing out on for years because of the all inclusive boom and will need this year. Agents said the smugglers have learned to disguise the breaches with putty, potentially allowing them to return to the same breach and use it again and again until agents discover it. Some of the crews were so proficient in the technique that agents have learned to scan the surface of the bollards for cosmetic defects, dismounting from their vehicles to kick at the base of any bollards that appear they might have been sawed through. Remember how annoying it was when you were in the middle of an epic killstreak on Halo, only for your mom to disconnect the router and say it's time for bed. Well, imagine that feeling, but on a much scarier, national scale. And except, instead of playing Halo, it applies to all online games in general, and instead of your mom, it's the Chinese government, and instead of whining and going to your room, you've shit your pants because you're living in an actual totalitarian regime. China has banned online gaming with foreigners after 23-year old activist Joshua Wong used Animal Crossing to criticize the Chinese government and write "Free Hong Kong." It's an astounding display of censorship and authority, and much like a pro player owning you in Super Smash Bros., the Chinese government is layering in more hits to the people before they even have time to react. Zombies, plagues, map editing, roleplaying, and organizing a union in games has also been made illegal, as well as playing games from 10 pm-to-9 am if you are under 18 years old. Continue Reading Below Advertisement Even more incredible, it turns out that the memers and trolls of the Internet's darkest and lamest corners were right (At least in this very specific instance.). Gamers are actually being oppressed, but instead of not having access to dates, it's about not having access to free speech and privacy. So, and I can't believe I'm saying this un-ironically, it might be time to rise up, gamers. Because if people aren't allowed to interact in a game where cute, talking animals collect bells and go fishing, then eventually they won't be allowed to interact with anyone on anything at all. Top Image: Joshua Wong/Twitter Via Nintendo Crisis is seemingly brewing in the Boko Haram camp as sources have confirmed that the leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau, has been making frantic efforts to seek a soft landing as he prepares to surrender. This much was gathered from top intelligence sources in the Theatre of Operations in North-East Nigeria. According to a source who pleaded anonymity, he stated that Abubakar Shekau is desperately looking for an avenue to surrender. I think the end of Boko Haram is coming close as Abubakar Shekau has been making overtures through proxies for a soft landing for him to surrender to the Nigerian authorities. He has been desperate about it, and the intensity is occasioned with the avalanche of coordinated operations launched in recent times against the group, especially in the Timbuktu triangle. The source further added that in recent times the Boko Haram group had suffered casualties that put the group in a tight corner. The gap is closing in on Abubakar Shekau as it stands. The series of coordinated attacks on their hideouts has made it impossible for any escape as the military has been attacking from several flanks, and any attempt to escape now is virtually impossible. The Chief of Army Staff has given an order that Abubakar Shekau is captured alive. The Chief has been in Borno State and there is a likelihood that he is going to be around for a long period given his body language of not leaving anything to chance in this critical operation. As a fact, he has joined several reconnaissance operations around the Timbuktu triangle, after which he issued specific directives with the Intel gathered from the reconnaissance operations. He has also been in the trenches with some commanders holding meetings and analyzing Intel. I can tell you that everyone is on top of their game as the strategy is clear for all to understand. It was also gathered that the past weeks had witnessed a renewed onslaught against Abubakar Shekau and his group, which was led by the Chief of Army Staff. A top source was quoted as saying that the Chief of Army Staff is virtually visible in all locations within the theatre of operations. I can confirm that the Chief of Army Staff is personally coordinating the renewed onslaught against the Boko Haram group. He has been visiting troops in areas where the terrorists kingpin is said to be hiding. This act by the Chief of Army Staff has seen a massive boost to the morale of the fighting troops. The results coming in have been tremendous, and it is a source of joy at the Army headquarters. The source also stated that there had been orders from the Chief of Army Staff that utmost care must be observed to ensure that women and children are not caught in the crossfire during operations. As we speak, the troops are strictly carrying out the orders of the Chief of Army Staff towards ensuring that civilians within these territories are not hurt during any of the operations. This might slow things down a bit as the Boko Haram group is now using women and children as shields to buy time. So far, I can say that the troops have been careful in this regard as efforts are being made to ensure that the operation as much as possible does not lead to the death of unarmed civilians. The various commanders have been mandated to ensure that as many unarmed civilians, mostly women and children are rescued unhurt. He is been briefed on a minute by minute basis as the troops closes in on the triangle. It was also gathered that there had been active cooperation from countries like Chad, Cameroon, and Niger, and this has made any form of escape for Abubakar Shekau and his group to neighboring countries impossible. I can tell you now that troops have blocked the usual escape routes for the Boko Haram terrorist group into Chad, Niger, and Cameroon. The level of cooperation experienced now has been quite phenomenal. The routes through which they bring their arms and ammunitions have been taken over by troops from the Multinational Joint Task Force. This action has placed the Boko Haram group in disarray hence their inability to launch attacks anymore. In a similar vein, it was gathered that the Boko Haram group has also reached out to some International Non-Governmental Organizations to seek a deal with the Nigerian government towards granting amnesty to it. A top staffer of one of the NGOs ( name withheld) confirmed that on several occasions, Abubakar Shekau had sent emissaries to their organization to help secure an amnesty deal with the government of Nigeria. We were shocked in the initial stages, thinking it was a hoax. But this continued, and we were left with no choice than to inform the security agencies in a bid to protect ourselves. When asked why Abubakar Shekau singled out their NGO for this task, he stated that it was probably due to the international recognition the organization has in the area of providing humanitarian services across the globe. We are an international organization, and over time we have been actively involved in providing humanitarian services in North-East, Nigeria. I believe they are trying to take advantage of our platform to seek a way out of their predicament. We are also conscious of the fact that this is a security issue, and it is outside our mandate. So we have elected not to be a part of whatever negotiations the Boko Haram group wants with the government of Nigeria. It is indeed obvious that the tide has turned against the Boko Haram group so much that they want to end the insurgency, which we think would be good for all concerned. However, as I said, it is not in our place to decide if that would happen or not. We are concerned about fulfilling our core mandate. It would be recalled that the Chief of Army Staff recently relocated to North-East Nigeria in a bid to coordinate the operations of Operation Lafiya Dole. After bombs, drugs and suspicious activity, dogs can now potentially help detect the new novel Coronavirus. Dogs' keen sense of smell might help them detect the most complicated kind of coronavirus patient - the asymptomatic carriers, who can turn into super spreaders. A British charity has teamed up with scientists to see whether dogs could help detect COVID-19 through their keen sense of smell. Medical Detection Dogs will work with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Durham University in northeast England to determine whether canines could help diagnoses. It follows previous research into dogs' ability to sniff out malaria and is based on a belief that each disease triggers a distinct odour. The organisations said they had begun preparations to train dogs in six weeks "to help provide a rapid, non-invasive diagnosis towards the tail end of the epidemic". The charity has previously trained dogs to detect diseases such as cancer, Parkinson's and bacterial infections by sniffing samples taken from patients. They can also detect subtle changes in skin temperature, potentially making them useful to determining if a person has a fever. "In principle, we're sure that dogs could detect COVID-19," said Claire Guest, founder and chief executive of Medical Detection Dogs. "We are now looking into how we can safely catch the odour of the virus from patients and present it to the dogs. "The aim is that dogs will be able to screen anyone, including those who are asymptomatic, and tell us whether they need to be tested. "This would be fast, effective and non-invasive and make sure the limited NHS (National Health Service) testing resources are only used where they are really needed." The head of disease control at the LSHTM said dogs could detect malaria with "extremely high accuracy" and, as other respiratory diseases changed body odour, there was a "very high chance" it could also work with COVID-19. Its very early stages, says James Logan, head of LSHTMs Department of Disease Control. We know diseases have odors including respiratory diseases such as influenza and that those odors are in fact quite distinct. There is a very, very good chance that Covid-19 has a specific odor, and if it does I am really confident that the dogs would be able to learn that smell and detect it. Detection dogs could be deployed at airports at the end of the epidemic to rapidly identify people carrying the virus, helping prevent the re-emergence of the disease, according to Steve Lindsay from Durham University. If the project is successful, dogs will be able supplement ongoing testing by screening for the virus accurately and could triage 250 people per hour by the summer in England. 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The decision has been taken to help news partners during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most news publishers around the world use Google Ad Manager to support their digital businesses with advertising. As the coronavirus pandemic takes a toll on our global economy, the Google News Initiative is working to identify ways to provide immediate financial support to those news organisations around the world producing original journalism, said Jason Washing, Director of Global Partnerships News. Washing added that over the coming days, Google will inform its news partners that meet the requirements about the programme details and what they can expect to see in their account statements. Google said that its News Initiatives Journalism Emergency Relief Fund that has been delivering aid to thousands of small and local news publishers across the globe will also support the industry. On 15 April, Google News Initiative has launched Journalism Emergency Fund to provide urgent aid to small, medium and local news publishers during the pandemic. Googles Vice President News Richard Gingras said the funding is open to news organisations generating original news for local communities during the 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. He added that publishers from any part of the world can apply for funds via a simple application form. The Application will close on 29 April 2020. When Susan Dorety's husband, Michael, began developing coronavirus symptoms on the Grand Princess cruise ship in February, she immediately called the vessel's emergency number, but it took multiple calls until a doctor finally came to see him, according to a federal lawsuit seeking more than $1 million. Princess Cruise Lines operated two ill-fated cruise ships that sparked international headlines as more than 800 passengers were infected with the coronavirus, resulting in at least 10 deaths. Some passengers of the company's Diamond Princess and Grand Princess are now taking the cruise line to court, although experts warn that complex and longstanding maritime laws create unique obstacles. Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak Michael Dorety's condition worsened and he became unresponsive, even after a ship's doctor gave him doses of Tylenol and Tamiflu, according to the lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. His wife spent two days trying to persuade the cruise line to let him off the ship to get better care, it says. "When she finally got Michael Dorety off the ship, almost three days after his symptoms developed, the CDC looked at him alarmed and asked why she did not bring him sooner," the lawsuit said. He was eventually taken to a hospital, where he tested positive for COVID-19, the disease associated with the coronavirus, and he died days later with his wife and children listening on the other end of a phone line. Image: Michael and Susan Dorety (Family photo) Susan Dorety claims Princess Cruise Lines was negligent in its response to the outbreak and did not test more than 60 passengers from the previous Diamond Princess voyage who were exposed to the coronavirus and had stayed on board. Nor did it alert the Doretys of the previous passengers' conditions before the cruise began on Feb. 12, the suit alleges. Susan Dorety is not alone. Ronald and Eva Weissberger sued the cruise line last month, claiming it potentially exposed them to the disease, which can be fatal. At least nine Northern California passengers filed similar suits last week in federal court in San Francisco, according to NBC Bay Area. Story continues Princess Cruise Lines said that it does not comment on ongoing litigation but that it was sensitive to the difficulties experienced by passengers and crew members because of the outbreak. "Our response throughout this process has focused on the well-being of our guests and crew within the parameters dictated to us by the government agencies involved and the evolving medical understanding of this new illness," the company said in a statement. Passengers who are seeking damages from cruise lines may have a difficult time proving companies failed to meet the "reasonable care" standard the Supreme Court set forth in Kermarec v. Compagnie General Transatlantique, said Martin Davies, director of Tulane University School of Law's Maritime Law Center. "What 'reasonable care' means is what a reasonable person in that position would do in light of what they knew at the time," Davies said Thursday. "So hindsight, things that they discovered after the event, should not be relevant to what constitutes reasonable care at the time of the alleged negligence." At the time of the Grand Princess' departure, U.S. authorities were still assuring Americans the coronavirus was under control and that domestic travel should continue as usual. It wasn't until March that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began issuing social distancing guidelines and states began stay-at-home orders. It will be hard to prove that a cruise line failed to take reasonable care until more is known about how the virus is spreading, Davies said. There's also the issue of asymptomatic carriers of the virus, compounded by a lack of available testing. "If it is passengers breathing on each other that is the problem, there's not much you can do about that other than not have a cruise at all, which, of course, is the position they're now in," Davies said. Even if attorneys for the passengers were able to prove negligence, cruise lines could use laws from the 1800s and the 1920s to downsize how much they would have to pay in damages. The Limitation of Liability Act, passed in 1851, for instance, allows a cruise line to limit its liability to the total cost of the vessel and forces all claims to be fought in the same federal court. "It's an advantage to the ship owner, because it means it gets to fight the case once, where it chooses to be, rather than lots of times wherever the plaintiffs choose to be," Davies said. Another hurdle is the 1920 Death on the High Seas Act, which limits financial damages to families if a loved one dies because of an injury on a ship. The 100-year-old law was passed to allow widows of seamen to recover wages, maritime lawyer Jim Walker of Miami said Thursday. "That law is still in the books. You can't file pursuant to a state wrongful death statute, which allows recovery for pain and suffering and grief and so forth and so on," Walker said. "You're entitled only to recover these limited pecuniary damages." But Walker said the lawsuits should be filed despite the obstacles. An easier case to make would be that cruise lines were being unreasonably negligent in not allowing passengers to cancel their trips or that companies failed to notify them of the possible danger, Walker said. Download the NBC News app for full coverage and alerts about the coronavirus outbreak Despite President Donald Trump's reassurances that Americans were at low risk from the coronavirus earlier this year, the World Health Organization had issued a warning in January about the global risk, Walker said. His office fielded a number of complaints from passengers who were unable to get refunds for their cruises, he said. "On the one hand, they weren't letting people make their own decisions about what was best for their safety and health and forcing these people to go on these cruises," he said. "And then they clearly were behind the ball. They were very, very slow in reacting." Health Charles Naylor, a maritime lawyer in Long Beach, California, who has practiced for more than 40 years, said he has turned down the opportunity to represent passengers because of the limitations. Conditions on the tickets restrict class-action lawsuits, forcing each person to prove that he or she contracted the virus on the cruise, Naylor said. "When you think of what it might cost to prove that, what does your case have to be worth to justify the time and expense involved?" Naylor said. Naylor said such lawsuits are not easy on people, requiring plaintiffs to invest large amounts of time, energy and money in court battles that could result in little reward because of 100-year-old laws. "This happens all the time in maritime law and in maritime cases," Naylor said. "Maybe it creates an opportunity for Congress to set right what should have been set right a long time ago." New York, April 17 : A potential drug from pharmaceutical major Gilead Sciences has shown tremendous promise in an ongoing clinical trial at the University of Chicago Medical Center where 36 of 53 severe COVID-19 patients who were treated with anti-viral medicine remdesivir have shown clinical improvement. According to a report in The STAT, the researchers saw rapid recoveries in fever and respiratory symptoms, with nearly all patients discharged in less than a week. Gilead's shares jumped more than 15 per cent in after-hours trading and Dow futures surged more than 800 points on Thursday following the report. "The best news is that most of our patients have already been discharged, which is great. We've only had two patients perish," Kathleen Mullane, the University of Chicago infectious disease specialist overseeing the remdesivir studies for the hospital, was quoted as saying. Gilead said in a statement: "What we can say at this stage is that we look forward to data from ongoing studies becoming available". Gilead's severe Covid-19 study includes 2,400 participants from 152 different clinical trial sites all over the world. Remdesivir by Gilead Sciences is one of several drugs being fast-tracked into trials by the World Health Organization, comparing potential treatments in hospitalised COVID-19 patients in a dozen countries, including Canada. Treatment with Gilead Sciences's experimental drug remdesivir led to clinical improvement in 68 per cent of 53 patients hospitalised with severe complications of COVID-19, another study said this week. The drug was provided on an individual compassionate use basis. Nearly two thirds of patients in this cohort were on mechanical ventilation at baseline, including four patients also on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Treatment with remdesivir resulted in an improvement in oxygen support class for 36 of patients over a median follow-up of 18 days from the first dose of remdesivir, according to the findings published in The New England Journal of Medicine. More than half of patients on mechanical ventilation were extubated and nearly half of all patients were discharged from the hospital following treatment with remdesivir. "Currently there is no proven treatment for COVID-19. We cannot draw definitive conclusions from these data, but the observations from this group of hospitalized patients who received remdesivir are hopeful," said Jonathan D. Grein, Director of Hospital Epidemiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and lead author of the journal article. Since January 25, 2020, Gilead has been providing emergency access to remdesivir for qualifying patients with severe complications of COVID-19 who are unable to enroll in ongoing clinical trials. Remdesivir is not yet licensed or approved anywhere globally. The Social Democrats have written to the leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail looking for economic projections as they consider the offer to enter government. They want to assess how realistic many of the promises in a framework document published this week are. The three smaller political parties that Fine Gael and Fianna Fail want to entice into government are all holding meetings today. Labour will discuss it briefly on a Zoom conference call this morning but their position is unchanged. The Greens have looked for more information on housing and the climate promises. While the Social Democrats have written to the leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail as well as the Finance Minister looking for economic projections. They want up-to-date assessments of the economy and projections for the impact of Covid-19 and Brexit so they can properly assess how realistic the goals and promises in the framework document are. Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern says it will not be an easy task to attract other parties to sign up to the framework coalition document. Mr Ahern says he would ideally like to see two other parties come on board with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. "For Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to get a framework document together in itself is not easy and to pull in some of the other parties is not going to be easy but I think what people need to think about is that the next few years are going to be challenging. "You need a clear majority, you need at least one other party. Personally, I would love to see two because then you have people working together." Mr Ahern said that Micheal Martin will want to be Taoiseach first in any arrangement. "Micheal will say that he is the biggest party but if I was Micheal I would probably also say that I'm over 60 and as Fianna Fail members as Taoiseach go, that's old. "So I'm sure he will want to go first and I don't blame him for that and I think he has the argument that." Mr Ahern said he believes Leo Varadkar will remain in the position of Taoiseach during the current coronavirus crisis - and praised the Fine Gael leader for "doing a good job in bringing us through that". It would also make sense for Simon Harris to remain in his current role as Minister for Health, said Mr Ahern as the Minister has been doing a "really good job" during the pandemic. "It is ironic that the reason we ended up with a February 8th election is because a confidence motion in Simon was put down pre-Christmas, and because the Government couldn't get through they opted to go for an early election. "The person who that confidence motion was in is the person whos been doing a really good job in the last few months, but that's how politics flips around." Anahita Mukherji By Home to the largest tech companies in the world, Silicon Valley has long been called the cradle of innovation, a place where Steve Jobs observed the beehive effectthe exchange of talent between clustered industries making them all innovate better. And so, as the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus spread throughout the globe over the last couple of months, all eyes were on Silicon Valley for how it dealt with the scourge. The pandemic brought to the fore both Big Techs strengths and its weaknesses. Heres a look at nine lessons the world can learn from Silicon Valleys response to COVID-19. 1) Social distancing at an early stage: The San Francisco Bay Area was the first region in the US to call for a near-complete lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19. Days later, the entire state of California adopted a similar measure, followed by other states in America. However, a week before the shelter-in-place orders in the Bay Area, tech companies had already begun asking their employees to work from home. While its too early to say for sure, this early tryst with social distancing may well be credited for what might just be a flattening of the curve. 2) Battling misinformation: COVID-19 isnt the only thing going viral these days. Misinformation about the virus is spreading across the globe. While tech firms have long been criticised for the sheer volume of misinformation shared on their platforms, Big Tech is now being widely praised for its efforts in combating fake news. A whole host of large tech companies signed a joint statement on their commitment to come together and battle misinformation about COVID-19 on their platforms, from pulling down spurious ads to flagging fake content. 3) Gathering data to map social distancing: Large tech platforms could share data gathered from the phones of Americans with the US government to track peoples movements and see whether theyre practising social distancing. This data could be used to predict the next COVID-19 hotspot. Companies insist the data will be aggregated and anonymised so that it cannot be traced to an individual. Though valuable in saving lives, it raises major privacy concerns about the threat of overreach. 4) Corporate philanthropy: Even the biggest critics of the tech industry have acknowledged the importance of corporate philanthropy to battle COVID-19 at a time when the US government was seen falling short. Billions have been donated by Silicon Valley tycoons, both locally and globally, for research on vaccines, to help those who are already sick with their bills along with donations to help small businesses stay afloat in times of crisis, including allowing them free ad space on their platforms. While the money is crucial at this moment, sceptics have questioned the over-reliance on corporate philanthropy and asked why billionaires have so much money in the first place. Some point to how tax evasions could have helped them grow rich at the expense of a strong public sector that should have been handling the crisis. None of these concerns should, in the short-term, take away from the benefits of their contributions to society now. 5) Perks that ease the drudgery of #WFH: Working from home can be a trifle tedious. Employees miss their regular desks, standing desks and ergonomic chairs as they struggle with sitting for hours at a dining table or hunched in bed with a laptop. Companies are now giving their workforce allowances for office furniture at home. Many employees also miss the lavish cuisines available each day on tech campuses. Some tech companies are giving their employees money to order a meal from a restaurant every week. This helps a floundering restaurant industry too. 6) Recreating social spaces online: Possibly the most painful part of working from home involves the sheer absence of casual social interactions with colleagues. Many tech firms provide recreational activities on campus, like carpentry and gaming zones, that employees now miss. Colleagues at tech offices are now trying to recreate social interactions using the web. Some are doing yoga and high-intensity interval training together online. 7) Paid leave for parents: With schools closed and parents juggling jobs and childcare, firms are offering employees paid time off to take care of their children. 8) Battling inequality: A rising number of Silicon Valley tech companies run due to gig workers, like drivers and delivery workers, many of whom risk contracting COVID-19 if they go to work, but cant afford leave. As labour organisations in Silicon Valley, the heart of free-market capitalism, raise their voices on behalf of this vulnerable section of society, the region holds important lessons on combating rising inequality. Take, for instance, drivers who work for ride-share apps and are supposed to receive sick leave if they contract COVID-19 or need to quarantine themselves. Some complain that they received no compensation when they fell sick, and were, instead, thrown off the app. These gig workers cannot, as yet, apply for unemployment benefits in California. The land of tech billionaires has long been plagued with inequality. The pandemic is forcing some companies to pay their dues. 9) Confronting unfair labour practices: Silicon Valley has long been criticised for creating a shadow workforce of contract workers, who perform the same function as regular employees but with less pay and perks. This crisis is forcing tech to take a long, hard look at this undesirable labour practice. Many contract workers were in limbo when the pandemic hit, unsure if theyd still have a job or be able to access the workplace from laptops at home. Some did not even know whether they were eligible to work from home and went to the office when others were home. Many firms, under scrutiny for their treatment of contract workers, are now committing to paying them, even if theyre unable to work at the moment. The crisis is forcing firms to re-evaluate the benefits that they receive. Anahita Mukherji An independent journalist based in the San Francisco Bay Area Tweets @newspaperwalli BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr.17 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Kazakhstan will send 5,000 tons of flour to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan each as humanitarian aid amid coronavirus pandemic, Trend reports with reference to Kazakhstans Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Humanitarian aid is a commonly accepted international practice aimed at providing mutual support to members of the world community. Many countries are currently providing various types of assistance to enhance global capabilities to combat and overcome the global Covid-19 pandemic. Kazakhstan is also actively participating in this endeavor, the ministry said. Kazakhstans President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in an effort to provide economic support to the countrys neighbors amid the fight against the pandemic, has taken a decision to provide humanitarian assistance to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. This includes 5,000 tons of Kazakhstans flour for each country worth more than $3 million. The decision was made following the official appeals of the Kyrgyz and Tajik sides to ensure uninterrupted supply of food to the population, the ministry said. The goods will arrive in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in the nearest future. In a telephone conversation with Tokayev, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon expressed his gratitude for the humanitarian assistance and for supporting the Tajik people during these challenging times. He also expressed his gratitude for the assistance in the evacuation of Tajik citizens to their homeland, and in the transit of goods through the territory of Kazakhstan. In turn, Kyrgyz side expressed sincere gratitude to Kazakhstan for the decision to provide humanitarian assistance. Kazakhstan, as a responsible member of the international community, is actively contributing to combating the global coronavirus pandemic and continues to provide the necessary humanitarian aid to partner countries. Kazakhstan was one of the first states to provide partnership support to China in February amid the COVID-19 pandemic, carrying out several deliveries of medical protective equipment, the ministry said. The ministry noted that overall, the provision of humanitarian aid is an important area of Kazakhstans foreign policy. On March 15, 2020, Kazakhstans President Kassym Jomart Tokayev signed a decree introducing an emergency state in Kazakhstan due to the coronavirus outbreak, which came in force from 08:00 (GMT +6) on March 16 till 08:00 April 15, 2020. On Apr. 14, 2020, by a decree of Kazakhstan's president, the emergency state period in Kazakhstan was extended till May 1, 2020. The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kazakhstan has reached 1,480. The first two cases of coronavirus infection were detected in Kazakhstan among those who arrived in Almaty city from Germany on March 13, 2020. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh Air Canada has ripped out the seats from this plane's economy sections. Air Canada; Rachel Premack/Business Insider Airlines are flying "ghost planes" where the jets are actually stuffed with cargo instead of passengers. As airports report drops in passenger traffic by up to 90%, even airlines that have never flown cargo only, like Southwest, are getting into the mix. That may be one of the few business opportunities as much of the economy crumbles and airlines, in particular, get whacked. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. As airports report passenger traffic drops by up to 90%, airlines are scrambling for a way to keep solvent. They're also finding an elegant solution: stuffing their jets with packages instead of people. Typically, American, United, Southwest, and Delta count cargo as a sliver of their revenues as low as 0.7% for Southwest and as high as 2.7% for United. It's now becoming the only source of growth as travel restrictions and coronavirus fears leave passenger cabins largely empty. Cargo flying has become a suddenly lucrative business since the coronavirus pandemic halted passenger travel. According to freight data and media company FreightWaves, the air-cargo price index for flying from Shanghai to North America has increased by nearly 80% to the first week of April 2020 from the same period last year. Rates to fly cargo from Hong Kong to North America cargo are up nearly 40% over the same period, according to FreightWaves data, and Frankfort to North America rates increased by around 61%. The reason for these sky-high rates actually connects back to passenger flights. Some 80% of cargo between Europe and North America flies in the "belly" of a passenger jet. But with these flights canceled, retailers are scrambling for new ways to get their goods in stores. Their increased demand has driven up prices, and it's ticked up the overall travel time which is part of the reason that, say, your Amazon order is scheduled to come in a few weeks rather than a few days. Last month, Neel Jones Shah, who is the head of air-freight operations for freight startup Flexport, told Wired that Hong Kong to Chicago cargo-transit times are up to five to eight days, up from the typical wait of three to five days. Story continues On top of that, retailers and hospitals are demanding quick restocking of essential goods like masks and hand sanitizers. To keep planes from rotting, airlines are stuffing jets' bellies with cargo. Reuters As a result, airlines are racing to fly "ghost planes" with just cargo in the belly, operating them as charters without even trying to sell passenger tickets. Another popular option is to send their excess jets to temporary storage. These companies are flying cargo-only for the first time in decades and, for some, the first time ever. Delta Air Lines began flying cargo-only flights to Europe, Asia, and Australia in March with its largest jets. Starting April 14, Delta is expanding the service and flying daily cargo-only services between Asia and Detroit. It's the first time since 2009 that Delta has operated cargo-only flights. American Airlines is similarly began operating cargo-only flights in March, including locations across North America, Europe, Asia, and South America. This is American's first regular cargo-only operation since 1984, when it operated a dedicated cargo fleet. Meanwhile, United is operating 40 cargo-only charter flights per week starting with flights between Chicago and Frankfurt on its largest jets, and Southwest is flying its first cargo-only services in company history. Southwest hasn't revealed the details on its cargo-only services, the first in its 50-year operations. Its Boeing 737 series aircraft have a lower cargo capacity than the larger jets and are limited to North America, unlike the other big airliners, but are still seeing a demand. The trend is being replicated around the world, with Air Canada taking an extra leap and converting three of its largest planes to be truly cargo only by removing the economy and premium passenger seats to hold additional light-weight boxes. This won't be a full conversion to cargo, which can take as long as a year. It's a lengthy process but Air Canada's investment into converting planes, along with the uptick in cargo flights across the rest of the industry, shows how certain airlines are that passengers aren't coming back anytime soon. Tom Pallini contributed to reporting. Read the original article on Business Insider Lyft driver Steven Smith uses a sanitizing wipe to disinfect his vehicle as he waits to get a call from a passenger in San Francisco, Calif. on Thursday, March 19, 2020. Smith and other Lyft drivers have seen a decline in ridership amidst the Bay Area's shelter-in-place in response to the global outbreak of the Coronavirus. (Jessica Christian/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images) San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images Americans filing for unemployment benefits have been stymied by an overloaded system strained by record volume amid the coronavirus pandemic. But the process has been especially fraught for self-employed workers and others, like those in the so-called gig economy, who are newly eligible to collect unemployment benefits. While applying for unemployment benefits is generally a one-step process for traditional salaried workers receiving a W-2, it's become a two-step process for the self-employed, gig and other workers in most states, according to experts. "It's a bit of a mess," said Stephen Wandner, a labor economist and senior fellow at the National Academy of Social Insurance. "Congress was trying to do the right thing for this population," he said of the expanded pool of workers. "But there was no simple way to do it. "This is a complex system and people will have great difficulty with it." Expanded unemployment benefits The $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package enacted last month significantly expanded unemployment benefits. The law raised weekly pay for jobless workers, increased the duration of those payments and extended benefits to previously ineligible workers. The latter group includes self-employed individuals, gig workers like Lyft and Uber drivers, independent contractors, people seeking part-time employment and others whose work or ability to work has been impacted by Covid-19. They can expect to get up to 39 weeks of unemployment benefits, the level of which varies drastically by state. At a minimum, they'll collect half their state's average weekly benefit. They'll also get an additional $600 a week through July. The benefit expansion came as Americans began filing for unemployment in record numbers. Roughly 22 million people have filed claims in the four weeks through April 11. However, the challenges of implementing the new law prevented states from accepting and processing applications from gig and other newly eligible workers. Two-step process Many states have since begun fielding applications from this group, but administrative hurdles have made the process roundabout and confusing, experts said. That's because the coronavirus relief law pays benefits to them via something called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. PUA isn't technically part of a state's unemployment insurance framework, according to experts. Based on the way the coronavirus relief law is written, many (if not all) states will require this expanded group of workers to file for traditional unemployment insurance similar to how a jobless W-2 worker would and get denied for benefits, said Wandner, a former actuary with the U.S. Department of Labor. After that denial, workers would be eligible to file for benefits under the new PUA system. "I think every state will require that," Wandner said. Robert Asaro-Angelo, the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, alluded to that perhaps counterintuitive process. "The first step is they have to be denied for unemployment first," he told NJ.com. "The law clearly says this is for individuals who would otherwise have been ineligible. "No matter what, the first step is doing to be to go through the denial process." More from Personal Finance Scammers are defrauding unemployed Americans How to prepare for unemployment Some small businesses locked out of loan program Night Curfew in Maharashtra: Check guidelines, rules; what is allowed, what is not allowed COVID-19 cases in Mumbai's Dharavi cross 100 mark; 10 deaths so far India oi-Deepika S Mumbai, Apr 17: The number of positive coronavirus cases in Mumbai's Dharavi on Friday crossed the one hundred-mark after it reported 15 new cases today. Its toll now stands at 101, with 10 deaths. A 62-year-old patient died because of the virus at a hospital, news agency PTI reported. Three new cases each were found in Matunga labour camp, Muslim Nagarand Indira Nagar, two at Social Nagar and one each at Dr Baliga Nagar, Laxmi Chawl, Janata society and Sarvoday Society. The area has been categorised as a hotspot. Last week the civic authorities had said that nine containment zones were identified in Dharavi to check the spread of the virus in the slums. Covid-19: Mumbai police deploys drones in Dharavi and Worli Dharavi is one of the largest slum areas in Asia. Nearly 15 lakh people live in shanties located in this highly congested area. Mumbai with 2,073 coronavirus cases is the worst affected city in the country; Maharashtra the worst hit state. The city of 1.2 crore has been under complete lockdown since last month. Security forces on Friday killed two terrorists who fatally attacked a special police officer and critically injured another in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district early this week, officials said. IMAGE: Army soldiers leave after an encounter with terrorists in Shopian district of south Kashmir, on Friday. Photograph: PTI Photo On Monday, the terrorists attacked the SPOs with axes in Tander village and escaped into the jungle with their service rifles. The police and the Army had been on their trail since and located them on Friday. Jammu Zone IGP Mukesh Singh said the terrorists were killed after a gunbattle. The terrorists have been identified as local residents Ashiq Hussain, a rape accused who was released on bail from Kishtwar Central Jail three weeks ago, and Basharat Hussain. They are believed to have joined the terrorist ranks and carried out the attack to lay their hands on the weapons. This was the first terror attack in Kishtwar district this year. Kishtwar has been rocked by a series of terrorist attacks since November 2018, when it saw its first terror attack in over a decade. That month, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Anil Parihar and his brother Ajit Parihar were killed outside their home in Kishtwar town. In April last year, RSS functionary Chanderkant Sharma and his SO were killed inside the district hospital. In September last year, security forces achieved a major breakthrough against terrorists active in the district and killed three terrorists, including the most wanted Osama Bin Javed in an encounter in Ramban when they were trying to escape an offensive which saw dozens of Hizbul Mujahideen members and overground workers arrested and their hideouts busted. The terrorists also struck on two more occasions last year and decamped with service rifles of two policemen. Jawan injured in attack by terrorists in Pulwama A jawan was injured in an attack by terrorists on Friday in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said. The terrorists opened firing on a mobile checkpoint established by security forces at the Newa area in Pulwama and a jawan was injured, a police official said. The area has been cordoned off and a hunt launched for the assailants. (JTA)A British lawmaker who has said that he supports Zionism will replace Jeremy Corbyn as the head of Britains Labour Party. Keir Starmer, who managed the partys Brexit approach under Corbyn, won 52 percent of the vote in the Labour leadership election, whose results were announced Saturday. His share of the votes was almost double that of the runner-up, Rebecca Long-Bailey, a close ally of Corbyn. In his victory speech Saturday, Starmer apologized for how the party has handled anti-Semitism within its ranks and committed to making change. Anti-Semitism has been a stain on our party, he said, vowing to tear out this poison by its roots and judge success by the return of Jewish members and those who felt that they could no longer support us. In February, Starmer, a 57-year-old human rights lawyer, told The Jewish News that he would tackle anti-Semitism within the Labour Party from day one if elected the partys leader. He told the news organization that his wife, attorney Victoria Alexander, comes from a Jewish family and has family in Israel, where he said he hoped to travel soon with his two children. I absolutely support the right of Israel to exist as a homeland, Starmer told the magazine. He added, I support Zionism without qualification. Those comments set him apart from Corbyn, who in 2016 said Israel has the right to exist in what he called the original borders of 1948 but never publicly supported Zionism and had a long involvement in anti-Israel activism. Under Corbyns leadership, Labour had perceived delays and inconsistencies in its handling of thousands of complaints about anti-Semitic speech or actions by its members, and in 2018 it became the first mainstream British party to be investigated for anti-Semitism by the governments equality watchdog. That probe is still pending. Corbyn apologized multiple times for Labour anti-Semitism, most recently in December, and pledged to root it out. But on Saturday, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, a community leadership umbrella group, said that under Corbyn, anti-Jewish racism has been allowed to run amok. The group reacted with cautious optimism to Starmers election as party leader. We have always said that the Labour Party leader will be judged on his actions rather than his words and this remains the case today, Marie van der Zyl, the Boards president, said in a statement congratulating Starmer. Starmer shares many of Corbyns left-of-center positions, including seeking tax increases for the United Kingdoms wealthiest and pushing for tuition to be abolished at public universities. But Starmer strongly opposed Brexit, an issue on which Corbyn had remained noncommittal in what critics said reflected the radical anti-globalist politics of his base. Corbyn said he would not stand for reelection after Labour lost by a large margin the general elections to Prime Minister Boris Johnsons Conservative Party. Now, Starmer will preside over the party at a time when none of those issues can take center stage, as the coronavirus pandemic occupies the government. Starmer has criticized Johnsons early response to the pandemic but vowed to work with the prime minister, who has tested positive for the disease, to manage its spread within Britain. Ontarios chief coroner and its funeral regulator adopted an expedited death response protocol this week, a plan to transfer the dead from long-term-care homes and hospitals to their final resting place more efficiently. Its a proactive attempt to avoid the undignified mass storage of bodies seen in other jurisdictions overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to be sure that were ready so that the current service that we provide to people when they pass, and the thoughtful, respectful approach, is maintained, said Dr. Dirk Huyer, Chief Coroner for Ontario. The new protocol reduces waiting periods and transfers, and allows a certificate of death to be filed electronically, a change that required updates to provincial legislation. While Ontarios hospitals have so far avoided a catastrophic surge of COVID-19 patients, more than 100 long-term-care homes institutions that house the population most vulnerable to the virus are battling outbreaks. A small handful, including two in Toronto, have seen more than 20 deaths each, with dozens more testing positive. Police in New Jersey were called to a retirement home Monday after receiving a tip about a body in an outdoor shed, U.S. media reported. The police found the shed empty, but discovered 17 deceased residents piled inside a small morgue built for only four. In Spain, one of Europes hardest-hit countries, authorities converted an Olympic-sized ice rink into a temporary morgue. In New York City, refrigerated trucks were deployed to stricken hospitals. Those are the grim examples that by putting our foot to the floor, and getting things expedited, we can avoid, and avoid extra grief for families, says David Brazeau, communications manager for the Bereavement Authority of Ontario, the provinces funeral, burial and cremation regulator. Theyre going through enough right now. According to the Stars tally as of Thursday evening, a total of 500 people have died of COVID-19 in Ontario. Some of the changes to transferring deceased loved ones will be invisible to families, like a new requirement that funeral home staff wait in a dedicated staging area outside the hospital or long-term-care home and pass their stretcher over to health-care workers to bring inside. This change is also meant to reduce infection risk for bereavement professionals and save precious personal protective equipment like masks and gloves. If funeral home staff start becoming sick in large numbers, it could also slow down the system, making the mass-storage scenario more likely. But other changes will be obvious to families and potentially a source of hardship, Brazeau acknowledges. In the new expedited plan, when a patient dies, the family of the deceased will be instructed by hospital staff to contact a funeral or transfer service provider within an hour of death, or for long-term-care homes, within three hours. That rushed timeline, along with a directive to limit the number of people attending a funeral home to a maximum of 10, has upended closely held death rituals, Brazeau says. Theyre pretty big changes, Brazeau says. If you had someone in your family or close to you die last week or this week, your normal, regular expectations that youd have for a funeral or visitation are just gone right now, and thats really tough on people. All of the people who work in the bereavement sector are certainly used to dealing with grief, but this is a new and harsh reality, Brazeau says. Were very aware of it, but it has to be done. We want to avoid what has happened elsewhere. Huyer, the chief coroner, says the expedited protocol was planned in recent weeks and took effect Tuesday. The provinces bereavement sector does, however, have the capacity to store large numbers of bodies if necessary, Huyer says a function of the fact that some people who die in winter in Ontario may not be buried until spring. Huyer also acknowledged that some of the new practices will be difficult for families that have lost a loved one. Everything has changed. Some of the real challenges will be that these things are moving much more quickly than they would typically in a normal funeral situation and that will be potentially challenging for families. We understand that were trying to balance everybody doing things a little bit differently to make the system move as efficiently as possible. Auburn Community Hospital nurses are heading to the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic in New York. Two registered nurses Beth O'Hara and Franci Vanwie left Auburn Thursday for the New York City area. They won't know until they go through orientation which hospital they will be assigned to for the next three weeks. A third nurse, Jennifer Socci, is already at a New York City hospital. She is working at Jacobi Hospital, a 457-bed medical center in the Bronx. Staff at Auburn hospital held a send-off for O'Hara and Vanwie before they departed. O'Hara has worked at the hospital for 12 years. Vanwie is a five-year veteran at the hospital. "I am so proud of these nurses and all the health care workers who have volunteered to take on this fight," Auburn Community Hospital President and CEO Scott Berlucchi said. "I am also grateful to everyone at ACH and in our physician practices that have been working every day in Auburn on behalf of our patients and community." The nurses volunteered for deployments to New York City, which has been the hardest-hit area in the state. According to the state Department of Health, 55% of the positive COVID-19 cases are in New York City's five boroughs. Nearly two-thirds of the hospitalizations are in the city. With New York City-area hospitals overwhelmed, health care workers from across the country have volunteered to help. One Auburn nurse, Michele Andreassen, left for New York City last week. Connor Kate Clifford, a nurse and Auburn native, was assigned to a hospital in New Jersey. Clifford's experience is similar to what Socci described in a video she posted on YouTube. Socci has been documenting her experience since arriving in New York five days ago. In her most recent video, Socci said her shift was "probably the longest night of my life." While she didn't work in a COVID-19 unit she was assigned to a post-anesthesia care unit she described the hospital as chaotic. "It's just a weird feeling in a hospital," she said. "Hospitals are generally so organized and methodical and that's not the way it is at all." There was one suspected COVID-19 patient in her unit, but Socci said staff only went in there when it was necessary due to the personal protective equipment shortage. She also learned that the hospital has limited supplies available. At one point during the night, the hospital staff needed a sodium bicarbonate bag. With dwindling supplies, they had to make their own. "It's just something that I haven't experienced," she said. On a bus from the hospital to her hotel, Socci said she heard stories from other health care workers who treated COVID-19 patients. Some of the patients died during their shifts. Since no visitors are allowed at New York hospitals, family members couldn't be there with the patients. And with nurses dealing with numerous cases, Socci said they don't have the time to provide compassionate care. "It's really just a tough situation to be in," she said. More nurses from Auburn are volunteering to help at New York City hospitals. Auburn Community Hospital confirmed that it received notification additional nurses will be heading to downstate hospitals "in the near future." "These nurses have chosen to put themselves on the front lines, which really exemplifies the spirit of community that is one of the key tenets of our mission at Auburn Community Hospital," said Dr. John Riccio, chief medical officer at Auburn Community Hospital. Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Mexicos dependence on tourism and complex supply chains makes its economy especially vulnerable to coronavirus shocks. Mexico City, Mexico As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Mexico rises, an economic crisis experts warn will be worse than any downturn since World War II is showing signs of arrival. Mexico, which now has more than 6,200 confirmed coronavirus cases, declared a health emergency on March 30 to contain the spread of the disease, ordering people to stay home and suspending all non-essential businesses. The government predicts a sharp rise in cases in the coming weeks. The stay-at-home measure has ground bustling city centres and towns to a halt. Businesses have sent employees home. Restaurants, shops, and shopping centres have closed. And, while a vast sector of informal workers who live day-to-day continue to peddle goods and food in markets and roadside stalls, sales have plummeted. But the sudden drop in demand within Mexico where the IMF predicts an economic contraction of 6.6 percent in 2020 is just part of the coming crisis. Global crude oil prices and remittances from Mexican workers abroad which totalled an estimated $36bn last year are down. And Mexicos dependence on tourism and manufacturing means that lower US demand for everything from cars and refrigerators to beach holidays will further strain Latin Americas second-biggest economy. Its going to be a period of severe recession and a lot of social pain, said Alberto Ramos, chief Latin America economist at Goldman Sachs. Between March 13 and April 6, more than 346,000 formal private-sector jobs were lost in Mexico, according to the Labor Ministry. This is not just about numbers or dollars or figures of contraction, Ramos said. Its about intense social impact. Auto sector grinds to a halt Mexicos auto industry, which generally benefits from integration with US and Canadian supply chains, is feeling the blow. Auto production in March dropped 24.6 percent compared with the same month a year earlier, while exports fell 11.9 percent, according to Mexicos national statistics institute, INEGI. Several carmakers, including Toyota Motor Co and Honda Motor Co, extended closures at manufacturing plants across North American countries because of the global pandemic and related sharp drop in demand. Many manufacturing businesses in Mexico, the USs largest trading partner according to Census Board data, operate with thin inventories. Their relatively limited stock makes them especially sensitive to supply-chain disruptions in the US and elsewhere, economists say. The transmission or spillover to Mexico happens within days, Ramos said. A drop in manufacturing For Manuel Sotelo, the owner of a transport company that trucks goods over the US-Mexico border, a slowdown in manufacturing will mean making difficult decisions in the coming weeks. His company, Fletes Sotelo, employs 315 people in the Mexican border city of Juarez. So far in April, revenue has dropped 60 percent, Sotelo says, due to closures at Mexican car manufacturing plants. Last month, the US Department of Homeland Security deemed auto manufacturing a critical sector. But Mexicos industry has not received the same status, a designation for which some US manufacturers are lobbying the Mexican government. Mexicos auto industry makes up almost 4 percent of gross domestic product, according to the Mexican Automotive Industry Association. The sector was the primary driver of modest growth in the countrys exports last year, while the economy contracted by 0.1 percent and foreign investment fell. Sotelo says more than half the goods his trucks normally carry over the border are auto components such as engines and seats produced in hundreds of now-closed Juarez plants. He estimates that approximately half of the states 600 manufacturing plants, which assemble auto parts as well as refrigerators, washing machines, calculators, televisions, and computers for export to the US have closed. If auto plants remain shuttered into May, Sotelo said he will have to let employees go as the company is facing cash flow problems. About 60 percent of Fletes Sotelos employees are still working, many from home, he said. The company has sent home workers over the age of 60 and those with underlying health problems, Sotelo said. Other workers have accepted reduced shifts and paychecks. The companys drivers work in alternate shifts, according to Sotelo, and those coming into the office follow safety measures like physical distancing, regular temperature checks, and hand-washing. Eight factory workers in Juarez who tested positive for COVID-19 have died from the virus, Mexicos public health service IMSS said in a press conference. Unfortunately, for a trucking company, its tough to work from home, Sotelo said. Businesses given the cold shoulder Business leaders in Mexico have repeatedly asked the government for tax relief and other stimulus measures to offset losses private-sector companies face because of virus-induced shutdowns. What we are trying to prevent are mass lay-offs, said Luis Aguirre, the head of INDEX, Mexicos national maquila association, who, along with other business chambers, wrote to Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador last month asking for fiscal relief. INDEX represents more than 6,000 manufacturing companies. Similarly, the tourism industry is asking for payment deferrals, said Quintana Roo Minister of Tourism Marisol Vanegas, so companies have enough liquidity for payroll and to pay suppliers. The sun-drenched Caribbean state in which she works has been hit particularly hard by the drop in demand. So far, Lopez Obrador has authorized no extra borrowing, tax relief, or bailouts. He has pledged millions of loans worth about $1,000 to individuals, households, and small businesses that employ fewer than 10 people. Economists warn that how Mexico handles its twin health and economic crises will have important implications for investor confidence in the future. The shock provides an opportunity to make policies more consistent to attract investment, says Martin Castellano, an economist at the Institute of International Finance in Washington, DC. Thats something we havent seen so far in Mexico, he said. A bruised tourist industry In few places is the pandemics economic damage as visible as resort cities like Cancun and Tulum. Local shutdown measures and a steep drop in travellers, many from the US, have dealt a devastating blow to tourism. The sector accounts for 8.5 percent of Mexicos GDP. Scores of hotels have closed. Nearly 64,000 jobs were lost between March 13 and April 6 in Quintana Roo. Hotel occupancy is now below 4 percent, according to state tourism minister Vanegas. To make matters worse, tourism is among Mexicos most significant sources of foreign exchange income alongside manufactured exports, remittances, and oil revenue. As the USs economic crisis deepens, Mexicos tourism sector may face prolonged loss. Last year, more than 32 million US citizens visited Mexico by land and air, making it the top foreign travel destination for people living in the US. The recovery will not be quick, said Vanegas. What we conceive of now as tourism may not recover in its entirety. Many individuals in the trans community, such as the hijras, have lost all sources of income due to the nation-wide lockdown. Social stigma makes it difficult for them to access essential items like food, and many are struggling to pay rent Since a 21-day official lockdown was imposed in India beginning 23 March to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, the lives of its citizens have been impacted in varying degrees. Though the notion that the country is coming together to fight this pandemic is being espoused and celebrated, the truth is that such a notion stems from both a place of privilege and a myopic perspective of the world. A roof above one's head, adequate food and money, access to information and basic safety measures though they may seem essential are not within the reach of all citizens. The worst affected are those who belong to the lower socio-economic strata of society, daily-wage earners and migrant workers, and the homeless. Also part of this group is India's transgender community, which continues to exist on the margins of society and is vulnerable to poverty and ill-health. To understand how COVID-19 has affected the community, one needs to understand the socio-economic profile of trans people in India, says Abhina Aher, Associate Director of India HIV/AIDS, Alliance, and a global trans activist from New Delhi. "Data shows that in any developing country, one percent of the population in the sexually reproductive age group (18-40) identify themselves as transgender. 65 percent of India's population falls within this age group, so there is a significantly large number of trans people in the country," Aher points out. Those who depend on traditional livelihoods, such as sex work, badhai (offering blessings at weddings and other festivities), and begging, are the worst hit by the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. Pune-based trans activist Sonali Dalvi says, "The red light areas are already closed, shops are shut, weddings and other forms of celebration stand cancelled. All their sources of incomes have shut down." Aher explains that within the hijra community, there are two categories: those who are at prominent positions in the community and have earned money over the years (those who go for badhais are usually middle-aged or older and are called tolis; they are ilaaka or area-specific.) and those who are younger (aged 18-40) who are engaged in sex work. Having left their homes and migrated to the cities, the lives of those who fall in the second category are in disarray. "They are trapped in the multiple loaning systems, either for their daily needs or for gender transition procedures etc. The money is usually borrowed not from banks but private money lenders," Aher says, "Now, the money they would use to pay back these loans has stopped coming in." LIVING CONDITIONS One of the current concerns facing the community one that has been an issue for centuries now is discrimination as well as being denied basic rights by both the government and society at large. Mumbai-based hijra activist and the founder of India's first trans dance troupe, Dancing Queen, Urmi Jadhav says that the effects of ostracisation are exacerbated during a pandemic. The risk of the virus spreading and being exposed to it is increased because of their living conditions. "Mostly, hijras live in groups of three to four in cramped spaces, in close proximity," Jadhav adds. "Landlords dont rent their homes out to trans people because nobody wants a trans person living in their neighbourhood," Abhina Aher points out. As a result, when they do eventually find accommodation, they end up paying a much higher cost than cis-gendered people on average, about Rs 5,000 - 6,000 more. "They can't afford to pay such high rent. Moreover, their landlords are nagging them because they too need the money." As migrants, many find themselves trapped in the city. "Many individuals' families are concerned, but they have not been able to communicate with them. Some say, 'If we have to die, we would prefer to be at our parents' homes," Aher laments. Jadhav explains that those who live in slums don't even have proper rent agreements, which means that their daily existence is like walking a tightrope. Added to this is the poor infrastructure of such spaces. "They are restricted to being in small, dingy rooms with no proper ventilation. They can't use fans or air conditioners during the summer, because they can't afford them. Many don't have smartphones and are cut off from the outside world," Jadhav explains, stressing on how this affects their health and wellness. She says she fears their lives going down a spiral, and that the chances of them taking to addiction or becoming depressed have increased. LACK OF ACCESS TO FOOD AND HEALTHCARE FACILITIES Bittu Kondaiah, a scientist based in Sonipat, Haryana and a member of the Telangana Hijra Intersex Trans Samiti (THITS), says that the main source of distress at this time for the community is the lack of food. "If the government had considered the plight of poor people, then a bulk of the trans community would have fared better. The new measures prohibiting employers from firing their employees don't take into consideration the fact that most people in the country work in the informal sector or are self-employed. What are they supposed to do for food?" Kondaiah asks. Many members of the hijra community residing in rural areas are starved and there is no way to deliver food to them, Kondaiah says. Sonali Dalvi points out that many don't have documents like a ration or Aadhaar card. She says that since the passing of the Transgender Persons Bill (2019) in Parliament, the community has faced many hurdles in the process of obtaining identity proof for themselves. "When there is the NALSA judgment and the right to self-identify, why is there no policy from the government? We're being asked for our Aadhaar cards and bank account numbers, which many in the community don't possess. How will these individuals get through the lockdown?" Even reaching out for help is often difficult, because they are looked at with fear and derision, Aher says. "There are a lot of mohalla lunches being organised in cities, but hijras are very hesitant to attend them because they fear they wont be treated properly," she says. Their living conditions and the nature of their profession exposes hijras to conditions like tuberculosis, HIV, among others. While some cannot travel to buy medicines for these conditions, others simply don't have the money to afford them. Those who are HIV+ need to get their ART (antiretroviral therapy) medication every month, but doctors and medical experts aren't available to address their healthcare concerns. Aher says, "There is stigma and discrimination in the healthcare system as well. There are no specialised beds for trans people, they are either put into a male or female ward. Even if they do think they have symptoms of COVID-19, they know they have nowhere to go." Transmen, too, suffer a similar fate. Aher says that she knows of transmen who were admitted in hospitals before the outbreak, who are now trapped there where they are at risk and there is no one to take care of them. HOPE, FROM WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY A number of non-governmental organisations and foundations have come forward to help and provide the trans community with the bare essentials. Mumbai-based Essar Foundation's flagship transgender sensitisation umbrella programme called The Rainbow Project has been undertaking initiatives in collaboration with NGOs and Self Help Groups (SHG) such as Tweet Foundation and Kineer Services, to ensure that the community has avenues to earn money through corporate jobs or self-employment opportunities. Kaustubh Sonalkar, Group President Human Resources, Essar and CEO of Essar Foundation tells Firstpost, "Essar Foundation has reached out to over 2000 members of the transgender community, mainly targeting the pockets of Noida (Delhi), Govandi and Dharavi (Mumbai), as well as Thotukoodi (Tamil Nadu). This includes taking care of the communitys food requirements, rescuing stranded transpeople after the lockdown announcement, mobilising resources to ensure the supply of medical essentials, as well as providing entrepreneurship platforms." Project Mumbai.org, which has been working tirelessly with elders, the homeless, parents who have children with special needs and doctors and frontline medical workers, is now currently identifying trans people residing in Mumbai, to provide them with the essentials. "We are communicating with various transgender groups and associations across the city to identify community pockets and list down all their requirements. Then we will map these pockets and assign volunteers zone-wise who can attend to them at the earliest," Shishir Joshi, Project Mumbai founder and CEO says. More than 2000 volunteers associated with Project Mumbai right now are providing grocery packets or a week's ration to people who can't go out, but have a kitchen set up in their homes. And for those who can't cook food, Project Mumbai is providing 8000-10000 packed meals every day. "While initially it was mainly targetted towards the senior citizens and people living on the streets, we are now in the process of providing our outreach services to the transgender community and also those from the North East, given the way they are being singled out and harassed," Joshi adds. Many within the community, too, who have the resources and influence, have taken it upon themselves to reach out to fellow members and support them. There have been great displays of comradeship through outreach initiatives and awareness programmes. In many parts of the country, trans groups have also funded relief and food supply programmes targetted at the cis-gendered population mainly the poor and downtrodden. Abhina Aher says that while it is difficult to articulate 'social distancing' to the community, they do understand the basics stay home and stay safe. "Our trans volunteers are educated and well informed. They wear masks and also inform others as to why it is important. The supremos of the hijra community, called nayaks, are providing monthly ration to the community," she says. Sonali Dalvi says that many trans groups have started donating masks and medicines to the underprivileged and elderly trans people. "We care for the lives of our trans brothers and sisters," Dalvi says. As for what the trans community hopes for in a post-coronavirus world, Urmi Jadhav says, "We can only think of a future if we have one, if we survive this." The Duchess of Sussex donned a $228 relaxed boyfriend shirt from an LA-based brand and a pair of trendy Adidas Stan Smith trainers as she delivered food to vulnerable people in the city this week. Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, who moved to Los Angeles 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. The Duchess selected a relaxed outfit for the volunteering, opting for an oversized white shirt from one of her favourite brands Frank&Eileen, black skinny jeans, as well as a pair of trendy trainers. The royal also slung a pair of $48 La Specs sunglasses across her shirt and added a bold blue volunteering cap to her outfit, which was pulled low across her face. Meghan Markle, 38, donned a relaxed boyfriend shirt from LA-based brand Frank&Eileen as she stepped out to volunteer with Prince Harry, 35, in their new hometown this week The LA-based Frank&Eileen is believed to be a favourite of Meghans, with the royal previously wearing the relaxed shirt as she travelled from Australia's Fraser Island to Fiji during the couple's 2018 tour of the countries. Meanwhile she also gave a subtle nod to her wedding with the outfit, opting for the Le Specs sunglasses she donned while en-route to her rehearsal dinner in May 2018. During their volunteering stint, the Duchess was also believed to have been wearing her Suetables horoscope necklace. The delicate gold pendant features a Taurus charm, giving a gentle nod to her son Archie's horoscope ahead of his upcoming first birthday on 6 May. The Duchess of Sussex paired the shirt with black skinny jeans and trendy Adidas Stan Smith trainers, as well as a bold blue Project Angel Food cap Harry and Meghan were captured on surveillance cameras arriving at the Sierra Bonita Community Apartments in West Hollywood in their SUV at 10:55am. A security team accompanied the couple in a separate SUV that followed closely behind, but they opted to walk up to the apartment to deliver the food alone. While Harry elected to cover his face with a blue bandana, Meghan sported what appeared to be a white surgical mask. The couple also both wore a single glove on their right hand. Meghan and Harry spent two days volunteering with the non-profit this week, who cook and deliver meals to people with critical illness who are at a greater risk amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Meghan appeared relaxed in the laid-back and trendy outfit, storing her sunglasses on the front of her top during the volunteering trip None of the charity's clients knew the Duke and Duchess were going to be delivering the food, nor had any been forewarned about their arrival. 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 appearance from the couple is their first publicly since they moved to Los Angeles last month 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. Before recording a single coronavirus death, New Zealand set out a response strategy much tougher than most of the world: a Level 4 lockdown was imposed, closing off the countrys borders, schools and businesses, confining millions of people to their homes. At the time, some questioned if it was too severe. But at a press conference on Thursday, prime minister Jacinda Ardern outlined details of potentially loosening restrictions in the country a signal that some say shows her plan of complete eradication of Covid-19 is on track. To date, New Zealand, a country of five million people, has had just 1,239 cases and only nine deaths. Ms Arderns approach has been praised as swift and transparent, much like her handling of the Christchurch massacre in March 2019. And it has once again propelled her to global prominence. But how exactly has she thrived when so many world leaders have faltered? Elimination policy Key to New Zealands success has been the so-called elimination policy. Most countries were, and still are, trying to contain the virus via social distancing until a vaccine is produced. But in March, the prime minister detailed an articulated plan with the goal of completely ending transmission of Covid-19 within New Zealands borders. A State of National Emergency was announced. Central and local government, emergency services and the defence force were automatically handed new powers to stop any activity that contributed to the spreading of Covid-19 in the community. New Zealand had closed its border to foreigners by 19 March, despite being a country that relies heavily on tourism with four million international visitors a year. On 21 March, Ms Arden outlined her plans for a full lockdown: We go hard, we go early. At this point, Boris Johnson was still resisting the same measures for the UK. Two days later, moving from Level 2 to 3, she gave the country a further two days to prepare for the lockdown of level 4. We currently have 102 cases, she said. But so did Italy once. Supermarket and chemists were the only businesses to remain open: Stay home, save lives, she said. Those who flouted would be imprisoned for six months under the Health Act Order. It took just 10 days for the number of new cases to start falling, even with a huge increase in testing. Nevertheless, Ms Arden said New Zealand would complete four weeks of lockdown two full 14-day incubation cycles before easing measures. Shaun Hendy, the head of the Auckland University scientific group advising the government, told The Independent that without Ms Arderns quick thinking the country would undoubtedly be facing the same situation as the UK, Italy and Spain right now. Although New Zealand was initially less prepared for a pandemic than many other countries, Ardern was able to quickly bring in the right team of advisers and act on their advice with confidence and speed, explains Mr Hendy. Easy access to funds Before New Zealand went into lockdown, the government announced a NZ$12.1bn coronavirus package to support businesses, increase benefits for seniors and low-income families, pay people who cant work because of self-isolation, and boost virus testing and intensive care capacity. It initially dwarfed the coronavirus response from neighbouring Australia, which has since been inflated to AU$320bn. And in the US, the majority of eligible Americans are still waiting for their share of the US$2 trillion stimulus package passed by the Senate in late March. But in New Zealand, NZ$5.3bn was released to those affected by Covid-19 in less than a week. Businesses were eligible for 12 weeks of wage subsidies ($585.80 per week for full-time staff, $350 per week for part-time staff) if they could show a 30 per cent decline in revenue, attributable to coronavirus. Many New Zealanders reported that they had the lump-sum payment in their bank less than two days after applying online in a simple one-page application form. Everyone that is shut down is eligible for this scheme, the PM promised. Ms Ardern also urged the nation to avoid releasing funds from their retirement packages. Before going down that track, you really want to make sure that youve accessed all of the support that may be available to you already from the government, she added. Mental health schemes Ms Arderns eye has been firmly on the mental health of her nation, with the New Zealand government using part of its NZ$500m Covid-19 response health package to fund three new mental health apps that were released to the nation in mid-April. The first was Mentemia, created by All Blacks legend and mental health advocate Sir John Kirwan and an expert team of mental health advisors. It provides users with practical tips and techniques to help them take control of their mental wellbeing. The second app, Melon, provides users with a health journal, resources and self-awareness tools, aimed at the 13- to 24-year-old age group. And finally, Staying on Track is an e-therapy tool that teaches practical strategies to cope with the stress and disruption to everyday life. Ms Ardern also urged the nation to check in with new mums, stating they were now a high-risk group when it came to mental health issues. I know many new mums will of course stay at home for a long period after having a newborn, but they usually get visits, extra contacts, extra support, Ms Ardern said. I just ask people in their wider circle to stay in contact, reach out, check in on those families, see how theyre doing. Solidarity in real terms On 15 April, Ms Ardern announced that she and other ministers would take a 20 per cent pay cut lasting six months to show solidarity with those affected by the coronavirus outbreak. If there was ever a time to close the gap between groups of people across New Zealand in different positions, it is now, the PM explained during a press conference. The pay cut will reduce Ms Arderns salary by NZ$47,104. Cabinet ministers would take a cut of NZ$26,900 each, while deputy prime minister Winston Peters salary would be cut by NZ$33,473. In Australia, prime minister Scott Morrison was quick to state that he would not be following suit, keeping his complete annual salary of AU$549,250. Its not something thats being considered, he said during a radio interview on the same day. Constant transparency and humour During the four weeks of lockdown, which looks set to be scaled down in the coming weeks, Ms Ardern gave daily updates from either the podium of a news conference, or in a casual sweatshirt in her home via Facebook. As well as continuously keeping the public informed, many noted that the language she used was simple. The nation should stay home; have no contact with anyone outside of their household bubble; and be kind. There was no room for interpretation. Be strong, be kind, and unite against Covid-19, she urged, appealing to the countrys creative, practical, country-minded culture. But with rising anxiety over the pandemic, she was also sure to inject some humour and light relief into peoples lives, assuring younger citizens that the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy were considered essential workers and would be visiting. When a journalist asked her if she was scared, her response was straightforward: No. Because we have a plan. Pastor Matt Johnson speaks with a woman who came to collect a food donation, during the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at One1Seven evangelical Anglican church in Sydney, Australia, April 17, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott Contact tracing is detective work for infectious diseases: when a person is confirmed sick, it's used to determine who else might be at risk. Some US states are contact tracing all their confirmed COVID-19 cases, and some aren't. Here's what it might sound like if a contact tracer called you up, to let you know you'd been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. What does it sound like when a disease detective comes calling, telling you that you might have caught someone else's COVID-19 infection, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus? "Hello, Hilary. My name is Daniel. I work at the Vermont Department of Health. Do you have about five to 10 minutes that we could talk? Is now a good time?" This is how Daniel Daltry, a public health contact tracer and program chief at Vermont's health department, starts a lot of his contact tracing phone calls these days. "Is anyone around that you wouldn't want to be speaking in front of?" he asks me. "Can I take just five minutes of your time, maybe?" "Sure," I reply. Daltry's working quickly, and as a contact tracer, his task is two-fold. "I work here at the Vermont Department of Health and I get a chance to interview people, talk with people that have just been diagnosed with COVID," he says. "After talking with those individuals about what they've experienced, I help them to think about who might be most at-risk for contracting this, because they've come in contact with them. During this conversation that I had, you were identified potentially as somebody that has been put at risk for having been exposed to COVID." There's a long pause on the line, as Daltry waits for me to process what's just been said. It can be scary, shocking, or confusing to be on the receiving end of his call. Story continues I feel my heart racing. "I want to come up for air at that moment, because I've just put a lot of information on their plate," he says. "I have to be responsive, I have to try to feel or empathize with what it is they might be feeling. And I don't have a 'catch feeling' to have. I've got to be open and present to each and every individual that I serve, because everyone's gonna have their own reaction." Contact tracers work quickly to notify people that they might've been exposed to COVID-19 Daltry says the opening three minutes of the call are "make or break time" to connect with a contact. Usually, things go well. A health emergency call center in Bogota, Colombia, April 1, 2020. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez "I don't want to say too much, I don't want to say too little, but I also want to get to the top agenda item while I have their chance," he says. Time is of the essence, because the first 48 hours after an infected person develops symptoms are crucial for halting the spread of the virus, preventing more people from getting sick by putting any potentially exposed contacts (like me) in quarantine, preventing me from infecting even more people in the community. Daltry says because of this time crunch, once a patient is identified as COVID-19 positive, anyone who they've had sustained contact with in the two days before they developed symptoms and got tested should be notified immediately by contact tracers, that same day. Sometimes, an infected person's contacts number in the dozens, and notifying everyone becomes a massive undertaking, requiring multiple tracers on the phone. If a contact is already feeling ill, especially if they're older or medically high risk, Daltry would recommend they go get tested swiftly. On our call, I say I'm feeling alright, and we wrap up the chat. If this were a real life scenario in Vermont, however, I'd now be one of the 30 people being "monitored" for COVID-19, and would be asked to stay home, isolate, and monitor myself for symptoms for 14 days, starting the countdown from when I last had contact with the now-sick person. (In places with widespread disease transmission, this kind of tracing work isn't as useful, because everyone could reasonably assume they might've been exposed to the virus, and everyone is already being urged to stay home and isolate themselves.) "Hilary, the information that I've given to you today, it's in relation to your risk of potentially contracting [COVID]," Daltry says, readying to end the call. "At this point, I wouldn't tell you that you now have to go out and tell anyone that you might ... we don't know if you've had this. You and I had a little bit of a chance to talk about your symptoms. Right now, you are not feeling anything, and hopefully you're going to continue not to feel anything, but until you either have symptoms that are suggestive of, or until you have a positive test, I would not encourage you to go around in telling people that you have it." Read the original article on Business Insider Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Fri, April 17, 2020 21:05 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2a2665 2 Entertainment Capone,Al-Capone,trailer,Tom-Hardy,Movie Free Tom Hardy, the star of "Venom," plays the notorious American gangster in the forthcoming biographical crime film "Capone" directed by Josh Trank of "Fantastic Four" and "Chronicle" fame. On April 15, filmmaker Josh Trank posted the first images of his film "Capone" on his Twitter account. In response to the coronavirus pandemic that has led to the closure of most of the world's film theaters, the feature will launch on download services on May 12 in the United States. A theater release this summer is also planned if the situation improves. When I respawn in CoD shipment pic.twitter.com/MxG8vMshkX Josh Trank (@joshuatrank) April 16, 2020 Read also: Netflix has unveiled a trailer for Damien Chazelle's 'The Eddy' "Capone," which was initially developed under the working title "Fonzo," centers on Al Capone (Tom Hardy) at age 47. Having recently been released after almost a decade in prison, the gangster is suffering from dementia caused by syphilis and is haunted by his violent past. The boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1925 to 1931, the gangster was finally charged with tax evasion and convicted in 1932. The trailer shows an aging Al Capone looking back on his life of crime. Kyle MacLachlan, Linda Cardellini, Jack Lowden, Matt Dillon and Neal Brennan also feature in the cast. But, at its core, the Talibans move to curtail the agencys operations is centered around its income stream, specifically the Haqqanis network of illicit and legal operations that make up a significant chuck of the insurgent groups coffers, the officials said. The Haqqani Taliban is known to run mob-like extortion rings as well as smuggling drugs, people and weapons over the Afghan-Pakistan border. The notion of reduced violence in Afghanistan has been a moving target for American officials for weeks, as the Taliban claim to be upholding the signed agreement while killing Afghan forces in the countrys hinterlands at a level that military officials see as unacceptable. On Wednesday, at least 13 Afghan soldiers were killed in Logar Province when Taliban fighters attacked their checkpoint, and more than 30 pro-government forces have been killed in the last week, according to data compiled by The New York Times. The Taliban have accused the Americans of violating the deal when U.S. air support is called to help beleaguered Afghan units or Afghan units attack Taliban forces. The insurgent group has also refused to consider a cease-fire without the release of 5,000 prisoners held by the Afghan government. American officials have plainly rejected the Taliban assertions, saying that the United States has upheld its end of the agreement. The initial reduction in violence, a seven-day period at the end of February agreed upon by both the United States and the Taliban as a precursor to the agreement, was expected to continue following the signing on Feb. 29 in Doha, Qatar. But shortly afterward, the Taliban stepped up attacks throughout the country almost simultaneously as the government in Kabul dealt with the initial novel coronavirus cases that had flooded over the western border with Iran. One of the best known agency-advised militia groups is the Khost Protection Force, operating in eastern Afghanistan. As the main Afghan unit commanded by the Afghan National Directorate of Security the countrys C.I.A. equivalent and supported by agency personnel and American military advisers, the Khost Protection Force has been championed by many U.S. officials as one of the most effective military forces in Afghanistan. A prominent Saudi princess jailed without charges made a rare public appeal to the king and crown prince on Thursday for her release from a high-security prison, citing her 'deteriorating' health. Princess Basmah bint Saud, a 56-year-old businesswoman and an outspoken royal family member, was detained in March last year just before she was due to travel to Switzerland for medical treatment, according to a source close to her family. The public plea for her release is the latest sign of turmoil within the kingdom's secretive royal family following the detention last month of King Salman's brother and nephew in an apparent attempt to stamp out internal dissent. 'As you may be aware (?) I am currently being arbitrarily held at Al-Ha'ir prison without criminal, or otherwise any charges,' the princess wrote in a letter published on her verified Twitter account. Princess Basmah Bint Saud issued a plea for her release from jail via her official Twitter account on Friday, more than a year after she was last seen in public Posting in English, she said her health is deteriorating and could lead to her death. She did not say what is causing her illness, but it comes amid a coronavirus outbreak in Saudi Arabia 'My health is deteriorating to an extent that is (severe), and that could lead to my death. 'I have not received medical care or even (a) response to the letters I dispatched from jail to the Royal Court.' Saudi authorities have not disclosed the reasons for her detention. The princess claimed she was 'thrown into prison' after being 'abducted without an explanation' along with one of her daughters. She appealed to her uncle King Salman and her cousin - de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - for her release as she had 'done no wrong' and added that her health status was 'very critical'. The princess did not specify her ailment but her letter comes as the kingdom grapples with the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic. The government has imposed round-the-clock curfew across much of the country to limit the spread of the virus. Saudi Arabia has reported 6,380 infections and 83 deaths from the disease so far. It was unclear how the princess was able to tweet from inside Al-Ha'ir, a high-security prison close to Riyadh known for holding political prisoners. Her public plea represents an unusually bold move by someone from the kingdom's sprawling royal family, comprising thousands of members, who typically refrain from publicly raising internal grievances. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has orchestrated a crackdown on critics of the regime with detentions and others mysteriously disappearing Princess Basmah called for an end to the Saudi war in Yeman as well as reform of the kingdom's monarchy, but she has not made any major media appearances since speaking to the BBC in January 2018 CCTV images showed the moment Saudi journalist and regime critic Jamal Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October. He was never seen leaving the building. Saudi Arabia has denies being behind his death It comes after the detention last month of Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, the king's brother, and the monarch's nephew Prince Mohammed bin Nayef who was previously crown prince. The government has yet to officially comment on the crackdown, which raised fears of government instability. But one source close to the royal court dismissed such concerns and said the detentions were meant to send a stern warning within the royal family not to oppose the crown prince. Prince Mohammed, heir to the Arab world's most powerful throne, has pursued a broad crackdown on dissent since his meteoric rise to the position of crown prince in 2017. Multiple women activists, clerics, bloggers and journalists have been jailed in what observers call increasing repression and authoritarianism under the prince's de facto rule as he consolidates his grip on power. In 2013, Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz al Saud, as she is known in full, claimed she was being blackmailed out of 320,000 for criticising the the Saudi regime. She said a video of her blowing a kiss and smoking with her head uncovered - taboos in the strict Islamic kingdom - would have released by a 'sheikh in his 30s from the UAE' if she did not pay up. Princess Basmah and Baron Henri Estramant during the Semper Opera Ball in Dresden, Germany in 2017 Since an interview with BBC Arabic last January in which she called for an end to the Saudi war in Yemen, Princess Basmah has made no major media appearances. After her divorce in around 2010 she relocated to London, where she became outspoken about Saudi policies and attacks on critics. In 2012, the princess told the BBC she was saddened that Saudi Arabia had not followed through with her father's plans to reform the monarchy and separate the role of king from that of the prime minister. Mohammed bin Salman has been accused of being behind the order to murder Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Turkish consulate last October. He denies being involved and claims the killing was carried out but rogue forces in the country's secret services. A United Nations report earlier this year said that Saudi Arabia bore responsibility for Khashoggi's death and said the crown prince's possible role in it should be investigated. In Washington, Congress has said it believes the crown prince is 'responsible for the murder'. Tauranga students are relieved to be getting back into learning this week as term-two kicks off across the country. But the first week of this term has been very different from most. Pupils in lockdown are learning from at-home classrooms, connecting with teachers and classmates through videoconference. Mount Maunganui College year nine student Luca Ririnui says getting stuck into remote learning this week had its challenges, but overall was really enjoyable. He and his three other siblings have been juggling rooms in the house to find privacy when participating in lessons over Zoom. "I am relieved to be back - it gives us more things to occupy our time with rather than just sitting around." He says his teachers have different ways of connecting with students. "Some of them check in more often with a Zoom call, and others set work over a longer period. "We also can e-mail them whenever, and some teachers have set up online chats for us to reach out when we need to." Science, maths, english, physical education, social studies, drama and food technology are Luca's set subjects this term. For hands-on classes like food technology, most of the work assigned in lockdown will be theory-based, he says. "We have just been given a project on the ANZAC biscuit, - we have to find out about the history of it and the original recipe. "At the end, there is an option to make the recipe if you have the supplies to do baking at home." In his eyes, there are some real benefits to doing schoolwork remotely. "It allows you to work at your own pace. If you are a bit behind you can take some extra time to catch-up, or if you are ahead there are resources for you to extend yourself." Luca's mum Lee Martin says Mount Maunganui College is prioritising their students staying healthy and connected, rather than pushing academic work. "However, the teachers have been great in setting specific tasks which can be submitted online. They have been making themselves available for whole group and small class instruction through online video chats which are providing the kids with some structure." Luca says he doesn't have one designated learning space. "It's all over the place - if I have a call then I go to a room by myself but otherwise I am at the dining table or sitting in a chair in the lounge." During his two week break in lockdown, he filled his time reading, eating, chatting with friends online and sleeping. Partial reopening of education Early childhood centres and schools will be available up to Year 10 only, but attendance is purely voluntary. For children who are able, distance learning is still the best option. Tertiary education will mostly be through distance learning. Yesterday Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced schools will be open up to Year 10 only under level 3 restrictions, reiterating that attendance is purely voluntary. Donald Trumps former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen will be released from prison to serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement because of the coronavirus pandemic. Cohen is currently locked up at Otisville prison in New York after pleading guilty to charges including campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress. He will remain under quarantine for 14 days before he is released. Federal statistics show 14 inmates and seven staff members at the prison have tested positive for coronavirus. After he is released, 53-year-old Cohen will serve the rest of his sentence at home, according to a Justice Department official. Expand Close Donald Trump (Alex Brandon/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Donald Trump (Alex Brandon/AP) Cohens release comes as prison advocates and congressional leaders have been pressing the Justice Department for weeks to release at-risk inmates ahead of a potential outbreak, arguing that public health guidance to stay 6ft away from other people is nearly impossible behind bars. Attorney general William Barr ordered the Bureau of Prisons earlier this month to increase the use of home confinement and expedite the release of eligible inmates, beginning at three prisons identified as coronavirus hot spots. Otisville is not one of those facilities. As of Thursday, 473 federal inmates and 279 Bureau of Prisons staff members had tested positive for coronavirus at facilities across the US. Eighteen inmates have died since late March. Many federal inmates have been seeking home confinement as the number of cases grows in the federal prison system, but advocates have accused the Bureau of Prisons of moving too slowly to release them. The Bureau of Prisons said it had moved more than 1,000 inmates to home confinement since March 26, when Mr Barr first issued a directive to increase its use in late March. The agency said it is a tremendous logistical lift that was accomplished through the marshalling of all of BOPs resources. A federal judge had denied Cohens attempt for an early release to home confinement after serving 10 months in prison and said in a ruling earlier this month that it appeared to be just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle. But the Bureau of Prisons can take action to move him to home confinement without a judicial order. Cohen began his sentence last May and was scheduled to be released from prison in November 2021. Other high-profile inmates have also been released as the number of coronavirus cases soars. Last week, a judge ordered Michael Avenatti the lawyer who rose to fame representing porn star Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against Mr Trump to be temporarily freed from a federal jail in New York City and stay at a friends house in Los Angeles. Avenatti said he was at high risk of getting coronavirus because he had had a recent bout of pneumonia and his cellmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in Manhattan was removed due to flu-like symptoms. Former New York state Senate leader Dean Skelos, 72, who was also serving a sentence at Otisville, is also expected to be released soon from prison to home confinement after testing positive for coronavirus, prosecutors told a judge on Wednesday. The spread of COVID-19 and the accompanying mayhem caused the S&P BSE Sensex to drop over 38.5 per cent from its all-time high of 42,273.9 to a low of 25,981.2 on March 23. Those in the astrology and even numerology segments received more calls than before during the time. Isaac Newton is famously believed to have said that he could predict the motions of heavenly bodies but not the madness of crowds that had lost a fortune in the stock market. But now investors are increasingly turning to astrologers in the motions of planets to help them with their trading strategies amid a see-sawing market. The spread of COVID-19 and the accompanying mayhem caused the S&P BSE Sensex to drop over 38.5 per cent from its all-time high of 42,273.9 to a low of 25,981.2 on March 23. Those in the astrology and even numerology segments received more calls than before during the time. Anant Acharya, independent trader and advisor, says he is receiving hundreds of calls, asking for advice on the market. So much so that he skips some calls. He offers views based on a mix of astrology and astronomy, with technical analysis thrown in, to predict where the markets will go. His clients include high net-worth individuals and traders looking to understand whats happening. There is no dearth of such people now. In the past one month, there has been a large increase, he said. Sanjay B Jumaani, who describes himself as an astro-numerologist, says he has seen a 25-30 per cent increase in the number of calls in spite of the fact that he had to keep his office shut because of COVID-19. A lot of his meetings now happen through video-conferencing. Demand suggests he would have more clients coming in if the illness did not exclude public movement. The numbers would be even higher, he said. Those who have approached him include people from the fund management industry too, he said. He typically asks people to buy different asset classes based on what might suit them astrologically (for example, someone who is associated with earth astrologically may do better with property than others, according to him). So a family looking to buy property is asked to purchase it in the name of the family member who is astrologically better suited to owning the asset. Such advice is not for fund managers since they can have hundreds of clients per scheme with as many different dates of birth. Those in the fund management industry are therefore offered more generic advice such as which sector may do well, and the general market direction, he said. Deven Choksey is managing director of KRChoksey Investment Managers and a market veteran. He says people may be turning to such advice because of the prevailing atmosphere of fear about what is happening. While everything has its place, he believes that investing success may depend more on better understanding the tangible issues surrounding the operations of a firm. I think what prevails is the fundamental aspect of the company and the business, he said. The search for answers through astrology does not seem restricted to the market. There seems an increasing attempt to seek it out in India, shows the data from Google Trends, which tracks what people are searching for on the internet. The search term astrology has seen a surge in India since the middle of March. The last available data for the week ended April 12 shows a value of 100, suggesting that Indias searches for astrology have peaked compared to the period under consideration. It was at 59 for the week ended March 1. A shocking video of high school seniors making racist stereotypes about black people has gone viral on social media, prompting their expulsion after an investigation from school administrators. The shocking TikTok video began making rounds on Twitter after a student from Carrollton High School in Georgia posted it on Thursday. 'Okay I know this probably isn't going to get a lot of views but I just thought I'd show everyone how racist the kids at my school are,' the student said. Scroll down for video Two students from Carrollton High School in Georgia have been expelled from the school after they were filmed in a TikTok video making racist stereotypes about black people In the post, the student claims the girl in the video is a senior at the high school. The other person in the clip is also named. The TikTok shows the two students standing in the bathroom as they mix several racist stereotypes to make 'n*****s.' 'First we add black,' the pair state, as they pour a cup of water before adding 'don't have a dad' and repeating the process with another cup of water. The girl then takes a different cup, labeled 'eats watermelon and fried chicken,' and pours that. When the pair get to a cup that says 'makes good choices,' nothing is found to be inside. They then pour a cup for 'robbing people,' with the man adding specifically 'white people'. The TikTok shows the two students standing in the bathroom as they mix several racist stereotypes to make 'n*****s' The pair add an assortment of racist stereotypes to the mix while laughing at their sick joke The duo cheekily claim that black people don't make good choices As they get to the 'jail' section, they allow the cup to refill and pour it out quickly again. The video was quickly labeled racist on Twitter, with many pointing out the systematic racism that contributes to why black people are disproportionately incarcerated. Mark Albertus, superintendent of Carrollton City Schools, slammed the video as being inappropriate in a statement Thursday night. By Friday, the students were expelled. 'The racist behavior observed in the video easily violates this standard,' he said in a Friday statement. 'They are no longer students at Carrollton High School.' The statement said that CHS Principal David Brooks began investigating the incident on Thursday night. His sentiments were while the incident may have happened after school hours, it didn't uphold a high standard of behavior expected of students. The video was quickly labeled racist on Twitter and folks called for the pair to be expelled from the school, including Lauren Jauregui Tyker Oakley also demanded that the students be expelled for their video 'It is our priority to keep our schools safe, and there is no doubt this incident has caused significant tension at Carrollton High School, across the district, state and nation even the world,' he said. The superintendent prided the district diverse student population. 'This incident does not reflect the culture of Carrollton City Schools,' said Albertus. 'We are very proud of our diversity and so is our entire community. We don't need to lose sight of this important attribute because of the actions of a few.' With $349 billion in federal relief exhausted in less than two weeks, thousands of small business owners in Louisiana and across the country are awaiting action on a $250 billion add-on to a program to help them survive the coronavirus pandemic. "My guess is that the people who were left out are going to be pretty loud and the politicians will have to get it done," said Gary Blossman, CEO of First Bank & Trust, a community bank based on New Orleans. The bank processed 418 applications totaling just under $78 million before the federal funds ran out Thursday morning. Now the Paycheck Protection Program administered by the Small Business Administration through participating banks is on hold and waiting for Congress to act. The $349 billion program is a centerpiece of last months $2.3 trillion massive rescue bill for individuals and businesses. The program gives grants and loans to businesses with fewer than 500 workers so that they can maintain payroll and pay rent while shutting down their businesses during social distancing edicts. Lawmakers have been haggling over whether to extend the program as it stands now, or whether to add other provisions. Its unclear when they might reach an agreement that would allow loan approvals to continue. "There were a lot of disappointed small businesses that didn't get through," Blossman said. "We have an 'Apply Now' button still active on our website. We're going to continue to take these loan applications and process them," he said. "We're encouraging people to get the work done now so that if there is a second round and once it gets set up we'll be able to process them and get it approved by the SBA within seconds, that is unless they change the system again." In Louisiana, more than $3.7 billion in loans from more than 17,000 applicants were approved as of Monday, SBA officials said. Banks across the state were inundated with loan application from the start, but many had issues submitting applications to the SBA for customers when the program began due to high demand and changing requirements. Some businesses are still waiting for the payroll protection loans to be funded even after being approved by the SBA. Fidelity Bank in New Orleans has been getting about 100 applications per day since the program launched and been able to approve more than 800 totaling over $120 million in funding for companies employing 14,200 people. "We still have a good bit in the pipeline for requested funding. It is disappointing that we cannot complete the process, but we are hopeful Congress will act immediately and add more supplemental funds. If that happens we are ready and prepared to continue processing and approving on behalf of the SBA, said President Chris Ferris. 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 IberiaBank, a multistate bank based in Lafayette, has processed about 9,000 loan applications companywide in the past two weeks, representing nearly $1.9 billion, covering payroll for 200,000 people. For Louisiana-based companies, applications total $456 million, which is 27% of total funding for the state, with more than half the funding requests coming from the New Orleans area. The bank said it has secured funding for 92% of the funds clients applied for and put more than $500 million in clients checking accounts. Nationwide, more than 1.6 million loans were approved before the $349 billion in funding ran out. About 70% of all loans were for $150,000 or less and the average loan size is $239,152, according to the SBA. Lawmakers struggled Thursday to break a stalemate over President Donald Trumps $250 billion emergency request for the small-business program. The Capitol is largely shuttered, requiring consensus from all sides for any legislation to pass, and top GOP leaders are vowing to stick closely to Trumps request despite Democrats' additional demands. Democrats want money for hospitals burdened under COVID-19 caseloads and additional funding for states and local governments straining as the economy slides into recession. They also want to make sure the Paycheck Protection Program is opened up more to businesses that dont have established relationships with banks that have been accepting applications for rescue funding. A Senate session quickly adjourned without any progress, though staff aides to House and Senate Democrats and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin convened another conference. GOP aides said that Mnuchin is prepared to accept additional funding sought by Democrats for hospitals, but that additional aid to state and local governments couldn't get approval in the current round. The aides spoke on condition of anonymity to characterize internal party deliberations. The Senate is away from Washington through May 4, but it convenes twice each week for pro forma sessions that could be used to pass more coronavirus aid though only if no senator objects. The next Senate pro forma is Monday afternoon; no action is expected at a brief Friday House session. "Sadly, in two weeks, three treasured national assets have been gutted by fire- Accountant General's office, CAC headquarters and INEC headquarters. Is COVID-19 this highly inflammable? *Jiti Ogunye. "Daddy, look at fire on the television", shouted my five year old Son NaetoChukwu Nnadozie Onwubiko about noon today as he played around the parlour. With this unusual alarm from my Son who apparently looked at the television and saw the breaking news been relayed, he called my reportorial attention to the burning flames at the imposing complex of the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) located in the upscale business district of the nation's Federal Capital Territory in Maitama. The irony is that the Independent National Electoral commission is just a walking distance to the significantly huge exotic headquarters of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) that also went up in flames only a little above 48 hours ago even amidst the curfew imposed on the nation's Capital by President Muhammadu Buhari as a way to contain the spread of the CORONAVIRUS ailment in Nigeria. I then wondered how on Earth such catastrophic occurances are becoming the norm rather than exception at this period of emergency in which workers are at home just LIKE most other residents of the nation's capital, Lagos and Ogun that came under total LOCKDOWN as announced by the President. These complexes going up in flames are located strategically not far from the police FCT headquarters and INEC as well as the CAC are about five minutes drive to the seat of power known as AsoRock. A little away from INEC is the Abuja Water Fountains whereby demonstrators and Nigerians wishing to express their demicratic outrage used to gather before President Muhammadu Buhari deployed battalions of armed police operative who loiter around that environment 24/7. So my Son's clarion call also quickly reminded me of the Song by the Ajegunle Lagos born Musician Daddy Showkey titled aptly as 'Fire in our country' with the following lyrics: "Fire dem burn wall no run Comot from road for ram o Give am chance e get brake o Hehehehe" and then "Fire fire, e no won quench the country Give me plenty water make i quench the fire Na hear me against people Quench fire u can quench the fire Quench fire u can quench the fire Fire burn, fire burn, fire burn fire burn, daddy showkey don come back again x2 Shine your eye shine am well well". Daddy Showkey's warning that Nigerians should shine their eyes may have informed the reason why there is an avalanche of deep rooted suspicions amongst millions of Nigeria who think that the fires at those federal government are linked to acts of sabotage by some top government officials who must have siphoned public fund and are trying to hide the documents that could triggar their arrests. Nigerians ate also shocked that these fires broke out when there is supposed to be tight security. Some are of the opinion that there can be no smokes without fires meaning that these outbreaks are well coordinated. The same interrogatory is what some leading commentators are asking. One of those asking question included the aforementioned opening quote formulated by by the Lagos based legal practitioner Mr. Jiti Ogunye who expressed dismay that the fire at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral commission(INEC) today is one too many that our national strategic assets are threatened by INFERNO which sources are yet to be uncovered. The fire incident that triggered off national conspiracy theories on the possibility that some powerful persons working for the current administration headed by President Muhammadu Buhari were responsible for the inferno at the headquarters of the offices of the nation's number one Accountant- the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation symbolically named Treasury House. Mind you the office got burnt barely 24 hours after the Senate disvovered mind boggling financial scam at the Social investment Programme which is domiciled at the office of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration. However, the media office of the office of the Accountant General of the Federation did not waste a minute before coming up with a robust presentation of the official angle of what actually transpired. The statement was dated April 9th 2020 and was signed by a Director in the office of the Accountant General of the Federation who is a journalist and a lawyer Mr. Henshaw Ogubike. In his presentation he explained that within twenty four hours of the incident the office of the Accountant General of the Federation has in his words "RESTORED SERVICE ON GIFMIS PLATFORM LESS THAN 24 HOURS AFTER FIRE OUTBREAK". Ogubike a Federal Director stated that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has announced the successful restoration of service on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform. The OAGF said the shut down of the GIFMIS platform was caused by the fire out break at the Treasury House on Wednesday, 8th April 2020, which was successfully contained. The fire had affected the outdoor panels of the cooling system of the Server, and as a result, the Server automatically shut itself down. Repair work was immediately carried out on the affected equipment and at 12:30pm on Thursday, 9th April 2020, the Server was successfully restarted. According to the OAGF, "presently, service has been restored and payments can be made and received through the GIFMIS Platform". For the purposes of offering explanation to Nigerians not experienced with information technology jargons, Mr. Ogubike stated that GIFMIS is an IT based system for budget management and accounting that is meant improve Public Expenditure Management processes, enhance greater accountability and transparency across Ministries and Agencies. It was whilst the nation was still waiting for the reports of the investigation into the fire incident at the office of the Accountant General of the Federation that the suspicious fire incident occurred at the Corporate Affairs Commission. Gentlemen/ladies, the Corporate Affairs Commission is not your everyday local office but this institution is the custodian of all vital company registration documents and this institution is key if there is any criminal PROBE of procurement corruption in any public institution in Nigeria. This is because the fastest way to catch a thief who has defrauded the Nigerian people is to get the facts and figures ABOUT the corporate business company of such an accused and to even ascertain if the offending person or company is a validly registered entity in Nigeria. This is an institution that is administered like a cash cow of some powerful cliques with connections to the powers that be. It must be noted that some government officials who steal public fund sometimes rely on unregistered and fake companies to draw out these huge sums of money and so the forensic financial crimes investigations at the Office of the Corporate Affairs Commission will usually show the validity or otherwise of any registration documents tendered by such persons in conflict with the law. Mind you, over eighty percent of cases of corruption running into tons of billions of United States denominated Dollars in Nigeria happen through PROCUREMENT RELATED CRIMES and the Corporate Affairs Commission is the gate way for any sort of registration of contractors in NIGERIA. The Corporate Affairs Commission is such a strategic national institution that must be preserved and protected from sabotage of any kind. Knowing that Nigerians are already asking questions, the management has also issued a statement exonerating itself of any blames. This statement must be taken with a pinch of salt. There has to be a clear determination through a carefully conducted investigation by an independent body of forensic crimes investigators to ascertain whether there is more to the fire at the CAC than meets the eyes. Nigerians must not take hook line and sinker the following explanation by the management of the Corporate Affairs Commission because as far as we are concerned they are an interested party in this fire incident. They therefore must not be allowed to be the judge and prosecutors in their own case. This is what the management of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) headquarters in Abuja in its defence sort to debunk what it has already termed as rumour making round to the effect that some of these rumour mongers according to the CAC management have gone to town to claim that there was casualty and some documents at the seventh and sixth floors of the building has been badly damaged as a result of the fire outbreak Wednesday. This affirmation was contained in a statement signed by the Head of Public Relations, Mr. Adams and made available to the media stating clearly that no vital document was burnt by the fire incident. The statement reads as at 10:20am on Wednesday one of the outer units of splits air conditioner on the 6th floor in the main building exploded due to power surge. The sound attracted the attention of some personnel within the premises and immediately they mobilized to quench the fire using the extinguishers and fire hose reels within the building. The fire had descended through the outer 5th and 4th floors Air conditioners duct which necessitated the call for the federal capital Territory fire service and they promptly responded. According to the statement the incident has since been contained as only one unit of two horse powered split air conditioners and the electric cabling that leads to it has been affected and no casualty from the incident. CAC added that all documents and records from the commission headquarters are intact as normal activities resumed immediately. But as i said earlier, the fire at the CAC should and must be probed. Then came the fire at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) which was confirmed officially as only affecting the media unit of the electoral commission. Whilst the debates about the remote and immediate circumstances behind the fire incidents in those major national housing assets were raging, the fire outbreak at one of the biggest markets in the South West of Nigeria in Ibadan Oyo State has perhaps made critical observers to pause for a while and to ask the question of who exactly is setting Nigeria on fire? This question was prophetically echoed by Daddy Showky in his song that Nigeria is on fire. The Oyo state government is said to have sprang on their feet and are promising to help set up the distraught traders in the burnt down market known as Dugbe market. Already, Tribune newspaper reported that succour may be on the way for victims of Wednesdays fire disaster in Ibadan, as the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Governor Seyi Makinde gave assurances of assistance on Thursday. This assurance came when both Makinde and South-West director, NEMA, Slaku Luggard, paid an on-the-spot assessment visit to the scene of the Dugbe Alawo fire incident. Fridges, mattresses, beddings, bags, shoes, electronics and various wares were burnt in the inferno which torched about 20 shops. Speaking after looking at the damage, Makinde said though the state is facing the challenge of fighting COVID-19, the government will still come in with a necessary intervention. While sympathising with the victims, he said the state would be looking at establishing an emergency endowment fund for management of disasters. One of the victims of the incident, Mr Dapo Davies averred that the governments assistance will go a long way in helping them to come back from the loss. He recounted that the inferno brought down a business he had grown for thirty years. Whether these are fires from accidental sources are to be subject to the findings that may emerge from the different investigative panels that would have to be constituted by the relevant authorities to ascertain why each of these fires occurred when the nation is on the frontlines of the battles against the spread of the CORONAVIRUS disease in Nigeria. These investigations must cover whether these are cases of arson. By way of advocating for a solution I would say that in the earlier suspected bomb explosions or pipeline explosions in Lagos which last Month destroyed a Roman Catholic school and killed over a dozen residents, there was a clear evidence that the relevant first responders such as the Federal Fire Service, the Lagos Fire service, the National Emergency Management Agency and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) spectacularly failed to respond as rapidly and professionally as their mandates demand. The fire in the Dugbe market in Ibadan and that of the IDP camps in Borno state were also not contained on time thereby exposing the lack of capacity of these vital first responders to carry out their primary duties. This poor show of these key disaster combating institutions is a very big problem that needs to be fixed because any nation that lacks effective emergency response system is in a big mess. The fires in these other key government institutions is a disturbing phenomenon that requires critical and determined forensic investigations to unravel if there is a syndicate that has set out to set fire on government offices using the curfew period as their most convenient operational time since they are aware that security forces can either be bribed or compromised or even not be at work even when they have a clear instructions from the commander in chief to provide the essential services of safeguarding these strategic national infrastructures. Could it be a case of sabotage by external or internal elements who are bent on causing maximum damage and to help some thieves in government to get away with their crimes since if there are no documentary traces they may never be traced and prosecuted. There is a heightened sense of foreboding about the burning flames all around these treasured national housing assets. Ogubike Henshaw however maintained that the Accountant General of the Federation has nothing to hide. Emmanuel Onwubiko is the Head of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria and [email protected] ; www.emmanuelonwubikocom; www.thenigerianinsidernews.com ; [email protected] BOLTON The bell at the Bolton Community Church usually rings on Sundays to let people in the lakeside hamlet know that church is open. The church is closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the Rev. Scotty Matthews has started ringing the 1825 bell every evening at 7 p.m., inspired by a video he saw of people in New York City who cheer every night at 7 p.m. for essential employees. Everybody in the city, Matthews said, they open up their windows, and go out on their balconies, some go on rooftops, you can hear cars beeping, but they all just beat pans and beep horns and scream and holler every night at 7 oclock to show their appreciation for all the medical workers that are down there fighting this invisible enemy that we have right now. He was so moved by the gesture, he started ringing the 3,500-pound bell 50 times every night, once for every state. Unlike the automated bells many churches have today, the old bell that sits in the tower at the Bolton Community Church can only be rung by pulling a thick braided rope in the main entrance of the church. When church services were still happening, he would let congregation kids pull the rope. Sometimes they forget to let go of the rope and they go flying up into the air, he said. Matthews twin sons, Brady and Brody, and toddler Jackson have been helping their dad pull the bell at night. Matthews expects the bell can be heard clear across the lake. His wifes sister is a cardiac nurse in Iowa. We know so many people that are nurses that do so many things, that take exceptional care for people, Matthews said. Its just a way of bringing appreciation to it. Matthews livestreamed the bell-ringing for several nights on the churchs Facebook page. He is hoping to bring some positivity and light to this dark time. When you turn on the news, everything is negative. Its always this party bashing this party, and I get it, its part of our life, he said, but we need to move on past this and say listen, forget political affiliations. We need to fix this and we need to move forward, because there are people involved. Hes hoping other churches in the area will follow suit and start ringing their bells whether automated or not at 7 p.m. each night. How awesome would that be, he said, if all the churches in Glens Falls, Queensbury that have bells, at 7 oclock we all ring it in unity. Gretta Hochsprung writes hometown news. You can reach her at ghochsprung@poststar.com or 518-742-3206. Love 19 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. While in Singapore in mid-December 2019 at a private event on leadership, former United States president Barack Obama said he always wondered what a world led by women would look like. A few months after Obama's remarks, COVID-19 pandemic rocked the world and coincidentally, his question on what a world led by women would look like would be answered by the outbreak. READ ALSO: Ken Walibora: Siku Njema author dies after being hit by matatu File photo. Coronavirus pandemic has rocked almost every nation in the world. Photo: New York Times. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Murang'a: Police arrest 53 passengers for not wearing face masks A report by Forbes on the best countries with the best coronavirus responses have emerged and the common denominator in these nations is one; they all have female leaders. From Angela Markel-led Germany which is at the heart of Europe to Taiwan in Asia, the countries led by women leaders have managed to flatten the curve. Here are the seven powerful women leaders who have been feted for an impressive fight against coronavirus. 1. Angela Markel - Germany Sitting at the heart of Europe which was largely hit by COVID-19, Germany has recorded far lower number of deaths and cases compared to its neighbours. German Chancellor Angela Markel embraced truth in handling the menace and did not sugar-coat the severity of the pandemic to the public. The country also did robust testing to its population of up to 350,000 tests weekly. This made it easier to identify the patients, quarantine them and treat them effectively. Through the leadership of Merkel, Germany was able to record lower number of deaths and cases than their neighbours. Photo: CNN. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Gavana Mwangi Wa Iria adai madereva wa matrela wanasafirisha watu Nairobi kisiri 2. Tsai Ing-wen - Taiwan Taiwan is a country of 24 million off China's East Coast and it's proximity to China, the initial epicentre of the disease, made it very vulnerable to coronavirus. However, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen was swift to impose 124 measures to scuttle the spread of the disease and among them was inspection of planes arriving from Wuhan. Tsai Ing-wen's early, aggressive intervention measures limited the number of cases to 393 with only six deaths. Taiwan President(r) came up with 124 measures to control the disease. Photo: BBC. Source: UGC 3. Jacinda Ardern - New Zealand New Zealand President Jacinda Ardern was quick to impose a lockdown and a mandatory self-quarantine to all returnees when the country recorded six cases and also banned all flights soon after. Her drastic measures lowered the number of fatalities to just four deaths. New Zealand President imposed measures that have enabled the country to record only four deaths. Photo: CNN. Source: UGC 4. Katrin Jakobsdottir - Iceland Under the leadership of Katrin, all citizens were offered free testing of the virus in contrast to many countries which were only testing people with symptoms. Iceland tested five times more people than South Korea and used a tracking system avoiding a lockdown. Iceland is testing all its citizens for coronavirus. Photo: CNN. Source: UGC 5. Sanna Marin - Finland The world's youngest head of state, Sanna Marin, now has an 85% approval rating for managing the global pandemic. She has also been using social media influencers to educate the public on the pandemic. Sanna Marin has been using social media influencers to educate the public about the pandemic. Photo: BBC. Source: UGC 6. Erna Solberg - Norway Norway Prime Minister Erna Solberg's innovative use of love and compassion in handling the global crisis will take your breathe away Solberg used television to talk directly to her countrys children to allay their coronavirus fear. She encouraged them, answered their questions and told them it was okay to feel scared. Norway's Prime Minister Erna directly addressed her country's children and told them it was okay to be scared. Photo: The Independent. Source: UGC 7. Mette Frederiksen - Denmark Denmark is on its way in easing the lockdown after the country, through the leadership of Mette Frederiksen, managed to keep the pandemic under control. Compared to other European countries, the country's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was swift to impose measures to control COVID-19. Denmark Prime Minister Frederiksen was an early mover and this helped recorded lower numbers than her European neighbours. Photo: BBC. 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 Behind the scenes during Sonko's in court | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Mr Patrick K. B. Kumor, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Weija-Gbawe said, residents in the Municipality are cooperative and complying with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic protocols. He said though there were some recalcitrant ones, who violated some of the directives, majority of them adhered to the safety protocols. Mr Kumor said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Thursday. He said the cooperation of the residents was due to an earlier sensitization programmes by the Municipal Assembly on COVID-19 even before the announcement of the lockdown by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The MCE noted that the sensitisation exercise which was carried on by the assembly was one of the comprehensive exercises carried out to educate the citizenry on the prevention of the spread of the virus and to ensure that the precautionary measures were adhered to. He mentioned that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development supported the assembly with some Veronica buckets, Hand sanitizers, Tissue roll and Liquid soap to complement their effort in the fight against the pandemic. Mr Kumor said these items received from the ministry were distributed among some health Centers, markets, lorry stations, Chiefs palace and other Public places. He said the assembly received 2,000 packs of meals daily through the government intervention of helping the vulnerable during this hard time, adding that the food was being shared by officials of the National Disaster Management Organization and some religious bodies in the municipality. "We are also helped by an NGO with another 1,000 packs of food to support the government's effort". The MCE mentioned that the National Food Buffer Stock through the government would also supply the assembly with raw food items to be distributed among the vulnerable households. He said per the announcement of the absorption of water and electricity by the President, the assembly put in place a taskforce to ensure that residents did not misuse the opportunity. My Kumor also mentioned the arrest of some recalcitrant people by the joint police and military patrols, who were in cells, with their statements taken for due process. He called on the residents to stay at home, ensure precautionary measures of frequent hand washing and sanitizing and observation of social distancing protocols. 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 The government has been threatened with legal action from two leading prison reform groups over its failure to respond effectively to the coronavirus pandemic in jails in England and Wales. A letter to the justice secretary, Robert Buckland, from lawyers acting for the Howard League for Penal Reform and the Prison Reform Trust, gives details of a proposed court challenge over his response to the need to reduce the prison population to save lives and avoid a public health catastrophe. It states that in spite of government announcements including introducing a temporary release scheme the rate of releases from jail had been too slow and too limited to make any substantial difference to the prison population, and that this made the response unlawful. The number of confirmed cases has more than doubled in the space of 10 days. As of 5pm on Thursday, 255 prisoners had tested positive for Covid-19 across 62 prisons, along with 138 prison staff working in 49 prisons and seven officers in prisoner escorts and custody services. Sixteen people 13 prisoners and three prison officers have reportedly died. The letter to Mr Buckland follows weeks of urgent correspondence between the Howard League and Prison Reform Trust and the government about the spread of coronavirus behind bars. Last week, the charities urged ministers to move further and faster to reduce the prison population and avoid an intolerable human cost in terms of the lives of both staff and prisoners. As of Tuesday 14 April, however, only 18 people had been released under the two schemes announced by the government in response to the crisis. Earlier this week, prisons minister Lucy Frazer said hundreds more prisoners were to be released on Wednesday, but when The Independent approached the department they would not provide updated figures. In the letter, the charities suggest a range of actions the government could take to address the problem, including expanding the scope of the temporary scheme, expediting the consideration of release of pregnant women and mothers, and considering the release of all children in custody in line with international guidance and law. The Prison Governors Association has called for the prison population to be reduced by 15,000, which is understood to be in line with advice provided to the government by public health experts. The charities handed ministers a report by Professor Richard Coker at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which they said sets out the most up-to-date evidence concerning the nature, spread and transmission of coronavirus as it applies to prisons. The report states the risk of exposure to the virus to prisoners and staff is far, far greater than the risks to individuals in the wider community, adding that social distancing and personal infection control measures are almost impossible in prisons. Recommended Prisoners to be released to halt spread of coronavirus in jails It recommends that authorities should consider alternative options to incarceration where feasible. Professor Cokers report reveals that, as large shared spaces, prisons act as epidemiological pumps which can drive the spread of disease among the wider community, suggesting the consequences of further delay will be felt far beyond prison walls. The charities argued England and Wales are out of step with many other countries that have taken decisive action to protect health and life. Northern Ireland is to release 200 of its 1,500 prisoners, while Ireland has released prisoners who had already been determined suitable for early release and France has released almost 10,000 people from prison in the past month. Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said ministers must rise to this challenge and act immediately to avert a public health catastrophe, warning the rate of infection is accelerating, and the window of opportunity to protect people is vanishing. She added: The secretary of state has accepted publicly that the number of people in prison must be reduced significantly in order to save lives. However, this has not and cannot be achieved by the measures that the government currently has in place. Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: Everything good about government action in tackling this emergency has been characterised by being early and decisive. On prisons, by contrast, it is a story of too little, too late. The scientific and operational advice couldnt be clearer if ministers are serious about following it, they must go much further, and do it now. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: We have robust and flexible plans in place keep prisoners, staff and the wider public safe based on the latest advice from Public Health England. As part of the national plan to protect the NHS and save lives, we have already announced up to 4,000 risk-assessed prisoners who are within two months of their release date will be temporarily released from jail, along with pregnant women. The care for others, without counting the cost is the hallmark of Christian leadership. Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna in Nigeria, Archbishop Matthew Ndagoso has said. Catholic News Service of Nigeria Jos, Nigeria Archbishop Ndagoso made the remarks recently at Our Lady of Fatima Cathedral, Jos, Plateau State in Nigeria. The Archbishop was speaking at the installation of Archbishop Matthew Ishaya Audu as the third indigenous Archbishop of Jos. From the Church, within the Church and for the Church The first mark of authentic Christian leadership is the care for others no matter what they say about the leader or even do to him. In other words, the loyalty of a Christian leader to Christ defies circumstances. Jesus is the yardstick or model of Christian leadership and not anyone out there. Consequently, and strictly speaking, a Christian leader does not have, so to speak, a personal business. The Church is his business. His commission comes from the Church, within the Church and for the Church. The love of Christ inspires Christian leadership Archbishop Ndagoso exhorted all leaders in the Church and at every level to espouse the love of Christ. For us Christians, love is the greatest privilege we have which also brings the greatest task and responsibility. It brought Peter a task and a Cross. Peter may not have had the intellectual capacity of John, who had the gift of deep thought. He may not have had the gift of Paul, who travelled to the ends of the earth to spread the Gospel. He, however, had the lovely honour and task of being the shepherd of the sheep of Christ, Archbishop Ndagoso said. Religious leaders are not called to success but to faithfulness Our leadership role must serve the common good and not a select few, even when our kith and kin are involved. He added, our success as religious leaders in whatever we do depends to a very large extent on our faithfulness to the will of God because, as priests, we are called not to success but to faithfulness. A Bishop for all regardless of tribe or even religion Archbishop Ndagoso also reminded the new Archbishop of the social responsibilities of his episcopate. You are Archbishop for all regardless of tribe, religion, political affiliation. Every Christian religious leader must be mindful of the fact that there are other sheep of Jesus that do not belong to the fold which must also be brought in (cf. John 10: 16) and this can only happen when the Gospel is offered in a respectful manner and open dialogue, emphasised the prelate of Kaduna. Amid mounting pressure for transparency, state officials on Thursday released detailed information on the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in each Connecticut nursing home. There are 375 reported deaths in nursing homes to date accounting for nearly 40 percent of the states total deaths. The number of cases recorded is 1,713 - which represents about 11 percent of all coronavirus cases here. Family members with loved ones in nursing facilities have called on Gov. Ned Lamonts administration to release the numbers. Several people told the CT Mirror earlier this month that with visitations restricted, they were in the dark about what was happening inside the homes. Lawmakers and advocates have also pressed for the data to be published. The figures released Thursday show 108 facilities just over half of the states nursing homes with at least one COVID-19-positive resident. The number of cases at many facilities was in the double digits. The Abbott Terrace Health Center in Waterbury recorded the most confirmed cases among residents, with 69. The Golden Hill Rehab Pavilion in Milford had 67 cases, and the Grimes Center in New Haven had 58. Other nursing homes with a high number of cases include the Parkway Pavilion Health and Rehabilitation Center in Enfield (45), The Willows in Woodbridge (43), Gardner Heights Health Care Center in Shelton (42), and Apple Shelton Lakes in Shelton (40). Abbott Terrace and Gardner Heights reported the most coronavirus-related deaths among residents and former residents, with 15 each. Whispering Pines in East Haven reported 14 deaths, Apple Shelton Lakes reported 13, and Bishop-Wicke Health and Rehabilitation in Shelton and Litchfield Woods in Torrington each reported 12. The state did not disclose the total number of residents at each facility, so it was not clear what percentage of residents were sick at each home. State officials released the number of licensed beds at each facility, but not the number of occupied beds. Timothy Brown, a spokesman for Athena Health Care Systems, which owns Abbott Terrace, said in a statement late Thursday that he was not confident the states numbers offered an accurate picture of cases at the nursing home. Abbott Terrace has accepted COVID-19 positive residents from area assisted livings and other nursing homes who were unable to be cared for in those settings, he said. Brown said the numbers also appeared to include cases in which test results were pending and deaths of residents who were receiving hospice care prior to contracting COVID-19. Matthew Barrett, president and CEO of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities, defended nursing home operators and staff. The data continues to show that COVID-19 is making its way indiscriminately into nursing homes in Connecticut and across the nation, he said. This means that nursing home operators and employees who are doing all the right things will have to battle the virus through no fault of their own. A full list of cases and deaths per facility is available here. COVID-19-positive nursing homes begin admitting residents A nursing home in Sharon has begun accepting COVID-19-positive residents and a second facility - in Bridgeport - will begin welcoming those residents Monday, officials said. The facilities are part of a plan by nursing home leaders and the state to separate residents felled by the disease from healthy ones. The state designated four sites for the sick residents. Two are existing nursing homes - the Sharon Health Care Center in Sharon and the Northbridge Health Care Center in Bridgeport - and two are defunct facilities that are being cleaned in reopened. The reopened buildings are in Meriden and Torrington. Athena Health Care Systems, which owns the Sharon and Bridgeport nursing homes and is managing the two formerly vacant buildings, said COVID-19-positive residents began arriving at the Sharon location Thursday. Healthy residents have been transferred out of that facility this week and are continuing to be moved out. The Covid-19 pandemic has presented incredible and unprecedented challenges to the state. I am glad that Athena Health Care Systems is in a position to answer the states call for assistance at this critical time, Larry Santilli, Athenas president, said in a statement. Northbridge will begin accepting sick residents on Monday. Managers there have already started moving healthy residents out. The Torrington facility is staffed, but new employees still must attend an orientation and supervisors are waiting on equipment. It is expected to begin accepting sick residents on Tuesday. There was no timetable for the Meriden building. Asked Thursday why it took more than month to get the facilities ready, Josh Geballe, Lamonts chief operating officer, pointed to the complexity of arranging separate nursing homes and said a shift in guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also delayed efforts. There are a lot of stakeholders involved and this is a very complicated environment very at-risk patients; getting all the right frameworks in place, the right financial models in place, he said. Also were still learning new things. We had to take a change of direction about a week or week and a half ago, when the CDC updated their guidance to indicate that COVID-19 could be transmitted up to 48 hours before someone starts exhibiting symptoms. That changed the plan significantly in terms of what we can assume and what we should not assume relative to our existing population. Financial concerns Earlier this week, nursing home leaders warned in a letter to Lamont and top administration officials that facilities across the state are struggling to care for residents amid the pandemic, saying Lamonts 10 percent Medicaid rate hike is inadequate to cover an unprecedented staffing crisis and skyrocketing equipment costs. While the special buildings have been arranged for sick residents, many other nursing homes will continue caring for people who tested positive for COVID-19. Lamonts Medicaid rate increase translated into an $11.6 million payment to nursing homes by April 7, with projections that by the end of June facilities would have received an extra $35.3 million. The four facilities dedicated to COVID-19-positive residents are eligible for a $600-per-day payment for each person served, more than double the average daily rate. So far, the financial concerns raised by nursing home leaders have not disrupted the plans for those facilities. [April 17, 2020] MEDIA ADVISORY: Miss America to Give Science Lesson to Virginia Students Online K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN): WHAT: Virtual Science Lesson WHO: Camille Schrier, Miss America 2020 WHERE: Virginia Virtual Academy - Middle School Science Class WHEN: Monday, April 20, 2020, 1-2 p.m. EST / Contact Dana Still for a link to the session. WHY: Students at Virginia Virtual Academy attend classes online, and virtual lessons such as this provide the opportunity to connect with one another and celebrate a shared love of learning. Last year, Camille was named Miss Virginia after breaking from tradition to perform the "catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide" as her onstage talent. Her focus on women in STEM has raised awareness about inclusivity in the growing, in-demand career fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Camille graduated with honors from Virginia Tech with dual bachelor of science degrees in biochemistry and systems biology and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in pharmacy at Virginia Commonwealth University. About K12 K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN) helps students of all ages reach their full potential through inspired teaching and personalized learning. The company provides innovative, high-quality online and blended education solutions, curriculum, and programs to students, schools and enterprises in primary, secondary and post-secondary settings. K12 is a premier provider of career readiness education services and a leader in skills training, technology staffing and talent development. The company provides programs which combine traditional high school academics with career technical education through its Destinations Career Academies. Adult learning is delivered through K12's subsidiary, Galvanize, a leader in developing capabilities for individuals and corporations in technical fields such as software engineering and data science. K12 has delivered millions of courses over the past decade and serves students in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. The company is a proud sponsor of the Future of School, a nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the gap between the pace of technology in daily life and the pace of change in education. More information can be found at K12.com, destinationsacademy.com, jobshadowweek.com, and galvanize.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005025/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Hailing the Reserve Bank's measures to aid the economy, the engineering exports body EEPC on Friday said the sector needs a special package to meet the unprecedented challenges. Relaxations and forbearance given by the RBI on loans would help the industry and the exporting units, particularly in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) segments, EEPC Chairman Ravi Sehgal said. However, as RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has cited the report of the World Trade Organisation, the global trade is expected to decline up to 32 per cent in 2020 in the face of coronavirus forcing major economies to lock down. "Under these circumstances, the merchandise exporters face the gravest of threats and would need a special package from the RBI and government," he said. As China is recovering from the impact of pandemic, it would flood the desperate global markets with essential supplies, India needs to have a specific strategy which should ride on empowering exporters to deal with this unprecedented challenge, the exporters body said in a statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) While many Netflix viewers have fallen down the Tiger King rabbit hole, others have found themselves captivated by How to Fix a Drug Scandal. The four-part documentary series, released this month, focuses on the 2013 arrest and ensuing court case of Sonja Farak, a then-35-year-old crime lab chemist accused of tampering with evidence, impacting thousands of drug convictions in Massachusetts. While the programme centres around Farak, it references another key player: Annie Dookhan, a chemist involved in a similar scandal in the same state. How to Fix a Drug Scandal aims not only to tell the story of Faraks case, but also to cast a critical eye on Massachusettss criminal justice system. Here is where the documentarys two protagonists are now: Sonja Farak Farak pleaded guilty in January 2014 to stealing drugs from the lab she worked for. Specifically, she pleaded guilty to four counts of tampering with evidence, four counts of theft of a controlled substance from an authorised dispensary, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance, according to MassLives reporting at the time. She was sentenced to 18 months in jail and was released in 2015. Farak has since kept a low profile, staying largely out of the public eye, but the repercussions of the case are still making headlines. In September last year, a report filed with the state Supreme Judicial Court stated that more than 24,000 convictions in more than 16,000 cases had been tossed in connection with the scandal. Annie Dookhan Dookhan was arrested in 2012 under suspicion of tampering with evidence and falsifying test results in criminal cases. In November 2013, Dookhan pleaded guilty to 27 counts, including obstruction of justice, tampering with evidence, and perjury, The New York Times reported at the time. She was sentenced to three to five years behind bars, walking free in 2016. Dookhans case, too, remained in the news following her release: in April 2017, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court dismissed more than 21,000 drug convictions called into question by her conduct. As if the medical, economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic werent already enough, another toll may follow like a black shadow: suicide. Chris Vognar (A10, April 2) wrote a courageous and inspiring message about managing suicidal thoughts related to his struggle with depression and loss. The ability of human beings to cope with adversity is truly remarkable; yet circumstance sometimes take adversity to unforeseen levels. Suicide has increased more than 33 percent since 2000, now taking the lives of over 47,000 Americans per year. To make matters worse, the current pandemic carries with it a toxic mix of ingredients known to increase suicides: severe stress, loss of loved ones, economic insecurity, disconnection from others (social distancing) and guns. It is said that the only thing worse than severe emotional pain is to feel alone in that pain. Add a highly lethal means of self-destruction to the mix guns have been selling lately at record pace and the stage is set for the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. to become even more severe. Almost 10 million Americans per year strongly consider suicide. If suicide is on your mind, you might start by reminding yourself that almost everyone living through this pandemic shares your sorrow over loss and fears regarding what might lie ahead. The current situation is nothing short of catastrophic, including not only thousands of deaths and overwhelmed care providers, but also severe damage to the world economy that will likely take years to repair. The message you are not alone resonates on many levels. At the same time, as we learned during Hurricane Harvey and other disasters, Texans, whether a family member, neighbor, crisis worker or clergy member, are always eager to help. Above all, remember that this will pass, and that we as individuals and a collective will emerge the stronger for it. If you are suicidal and own firearms, please ask a friend or relative to hold them until brighter days arrive. This is not a gun rights issue, but a safety issue. Suicidal urges tend to come and go in waves over relatively brief time periods; but a gun can forever extinguish any opportunity for a such a wave to recede. Simply delaying a suicidal impulse (say, until the sun comes up) can be life-saving. Distractions such as video games, engrossing movies and phone conversations all can help one to buy time. Physical activity in particular is both a great distraction and a proven way of both maintaining physical health and boosting mood. You might also Google self-compassion, where you can learn proven methods to counter self-criticism with kindness and self-nurturing activities. Also know that, in addition to steadfastly hanging on during difficult periods (sometimes referred to as white-knuckling), the wish to live is greatly enhanced by actively pursuing a life worth living. Just as there is no panacea for suicide, there is also no one-size-fits-all guide for a life worth living, except to pursue ones own cherished values. Values vary tremendously from one person to another; examples include family connection, creative pursuits such as music or art, physical fitness, spiritual connection, sports, communing with nature or helping others. The last of these is a particular opportunity for a rich win-win experience. If you have trouble naming your values, dont despair; this sometimes is easier said than done. However, talking with a wise and caring other can be tremendously helpful. Counseling or psychotherapy literally can mean the difference between life and death. In addition, your medical doctor can discuss with you medications that might stabilize or improve your emotional state. If these are not available to you, there are many other opportunities for connection. For example, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-TALK) is available 24/7 free of charge; highly trained operators will listen and connect you with local helpers and resources. If you prefer texting, text HOME to 741741. If you are doing well during this crisis, there is much that you can do for others, in the same spirit as checking on a neighbor during a national disaster. If someone you care about is noticeably struggling, whether directly expressing wishes to be dead or showing less direct signs, such as increased drinking or uncharacteristic social withdrawal, ask how they are getting along. Willingness to ask this question sincerely and to listen fully to the answer can bring great comfort, even in absence of solutions to problems. You can also share the above information, so that your friend or loved one can follow up with trained professionals, if appropriate. Throughout, maintain the mantra that we truly are all in this together. Ellis, Psy.D., ABPP, is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine and former Director of Psychology at The Menninger Clinic. He is author with Cory Newman of Choosing to Live: How to Defeat Suicide through Cognitive Therapy. [The stream is slated to start at 12:30 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] World Health Organization officials are holding a press conference to update the public on the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 2.1 million people worldwide killed at least 147,384. Earlier this week, WHO's top official expressed "regret" after U.S. President Donald Trump said that the U.S. will suspend funding to WHO while it reviews the agency's response to the Covid-19 pandemic. "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," WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference on Wednesday. "We regret the decision of the President of the United States to order a hold in funding to the World Health Organization." The WHO's funding runs in two-year budget cycles. For the 2018 and 2019 funding cycle, the U.S. paid a $237 million required assessment as well as an additional $656 million in voluntary contributions to the agency, averaging $446 million a year and representing about 14.67% of its total budget, according to spokesman Tarik Jasarevic. Read CNBC's live updates to see the latest news on the Covid -19 outbreak. By Ilkin Seyfaddini Trend: BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17 A group of doctors and experts from China is to visit Uzbekistan to help the country fight the spread of COVID-19, Trend reports citing the press service of the Chinese Embassy in Tashkent. Fifteen consultants and medical experts departed from China to Uzbekistan on April 17, the message said. The diplomatic mission also posted a video showing the departure of the Chinese delegation and a banner reading "A joint working team from China in Uzbekistan" deployed by the participants of the farewell ceremony. The situation with the coronavirus is relatively stable in China. A total of 1,549 imported cases of coronavirus infection have now been detected in the country, 879 people are still ill, 45 are in serious condition, 670 people have recovered, not a single person who entered China infected from abroad has died. In late March and early April, quarantine restrictions were lifted from the Chinese province of Hubei and its Wuhan administrative center, which became the focus of the novel coronavirus disease in December 2019. 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. According to Uzbek Health Ministry, as of April 17, 2020, the total number of coronavirus infected people in Uzbekistan has risen to 1,390. To date, 140 people in the country have fully recovered from the coronavirus infection, four have died. 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. The Iraqi health ministry on Friday confirmed 48 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number in the country to 1,482, Trend reports citing Xinhua. The 48 new cases during the past 24 hours were 14 in the capital Baghdad, 17 in Basra, 14 in Najaf, two in Sulaimaniyah and one in Karbala, the ministry said in a statement. So far, 81 have died from the disease while 906 recovered, according to the statement. The ministry's figures showed a noticeable increase in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 during the day, Ehsan Hameed, a physician from al-Karkh health department in Baghdad, told Xinhua. The latest increase means that the citizens must continue following the precautionary health measures to prevent infection with coronavirus, including abiding by the curfew imposed earlier by the health authority, Hameed said. "The infection rate in Iraq is within acceptable limits compared to other countries, but efforts must be made to continue preventive measures to contain the further spread of the virus," he concluded. The Iraqi authorities have taken several measures to contain the outbreak of COVID-19, including imposing a nationwide curfew until the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to start on April 24 or 25 according to the Islamic lunar calendar. A 40-year-old truck driver was arrested after his speeding vehicle crashed into a barricade in southeast Delhi's Sunlight Colony area, injuring a policeman, officials said on Friday. The accused has been identified as Danish, a resident of Dhouj village in Faridabad district, they said. The incident took place on Thursday when Sub-Inspector Prakash Chand of Lajpat Nagar traffic circle along with his staff were on duty at Maharani Bagh picket, police said. At about 9.30 PM, a truck bearing Haryana registration number was spotted driving in a rash manner. The vehicle hit the barricade and fled the spot, police said. Chand was injured in the accident. He was initially given first aid at Jeevan Hospital and later shifted to the AIIMS Trauma centre, said RP Meena, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast). A constable patrolling on motorcycle later chased the truck and seized the vehicle. Although the driver managed to escape initially but was later arrested, the DCP said. A case has been registered against the truck driver at Sunlight Colony police station, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Storyful An affable deer created somewhat of a buzz in a neighborhood near Salt Lake City, Utah, he regularly visited over the holiday period.The deer, nicknamed Cooper by local residents, has been playing with children in the neighborhood of Herriman and was even spotted posing for photos, reports said.Herriman resident Angelica Lujan recorded footage of the tame deer interacting with her children outside of her home on South Rowell Drive.Speaking to KSTU, a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources representative said despite the deers friendly attitude, the best thing for the animal is for people to leave him alone.People dont realize these beautiful, cute deer can be aggressive as they get older. Weve had times in the past where these friendly deer, they do get aggressive, said Scott Root, Conservation Outreach Manager, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.Weve had kids hurt at bus stops. Bad things happen when we feed deer in a residential area, Root added. Credit: Angelica Lujan via Storyful JEFF KOWALSKY, Contributor / AFP via Getty Images Texas employers shed 51,000 jobs in March, the biggest single-month decline since the Great Recession of 2007-09, the U.S. Labor Department said Friday. Beginning in early March, large conferences and other events in Texas were called off as the coronavirus pandemic took hold. As infections increased, local officials shut down bars, restaurants and other non-essential businesses, and ordered residents to stay at home. Nigerian security forces have reportedly killed 18 people while attempting to enforce coronavirus rules while the disease has only claimed 12 lives so far. The country's very own National Human Rights Commission has said that 18 people have already died in 'extra-judicial killings' in over eight separate incidents. According to the commission, this movement is a sheer display of impunity and is nothing but a "reckless disregard for human life in law enforcement by security personnel." The coronavirus has so far only claimed the lives of 12 people out of the total 407 confirmed cases. The outbreak has already sent the capital Abuja as well as the megacity of Lagos into lockdown. Social media is outraged with the death ratio from authorities versus the death ratio from the coronavirus itself. While Covid-19 has so far killed 12 persons in Nigeria, according to data from the NCDC, security operatives meant to enforce the lockdown have killed 18 people in Nigeria, NHRC said in a report. So is the medicine not killing the patient? I believe we can do better as a Nation. Dr Charles Omole (@DrCOmole) April 16, 2020 The human rights commission on this matter The human rights commission allegedly claims that the very Nigeria Correctional Service was responsible for eight of the separate killings while the Nigeria Police Force was responsible for seven. The Nigerian Army was reported to be behind two while the Ebonyi State Task Force was responsible for one. Further details were not released as to the circumstances in which the 18 people were killed. The other 'violations' include about 33 alleged incidents of torture or other inhumane and also degrading treatment according to the report. Reports of unlawful arrests also started to surface along with 19 incidents of seizure of property as well as 13 examples of extortion according to the allegations. The commission then accused the security forces for violating human rights by saying they used "excessive or disproportionate use of force, abuse of power, corruption and [no] adherence to international and national human rights laws." The National police on the matter Frank Mba, the National police spokesperson, said that these allegations were "too general" stating that the commission should have given substantial details as to the killings and other inappropriate actions in order for them to take appropriate actions. The spokesperson assured that the police will enforce the lockdown measures "professionally and in line with international best practices," continuing that the police authorities themselves do not condone this type of behavior. It was also stated that they have recently punished an officer for extorting money from a civilian and the money was refunded. The lockdown in Lagos, Abuja, and also the state of Ogun have all began last two weeks on March 30 due to the growing coronavirus cases. Along with the announcement of the extension, President Muhammadu Buhari has said that there have been an increase in cases. The president then explained that the results of prematurely ending the lockdown are unimaginable. Nigeria's situation and social media's reaction Nigeria is populated with over 200 million people and is considered Africa's most populous nation. In the megacity of Lagos alone, there are already about 20 million residents. The government of Lagos has already been distributing food packages to about 200,000 of the most vulnerable state households and also plans to double the aid. Reports of fires, small riots, and even armed robberies have been surfacing as people are left without work. Reports from different parts of Lagos about attacks on citizens & them turning to vigilantes during this lockdown...there are whispers of an extension...things are getting dire even as this virus is yet to peak in Nigeria. Pls look into it Governor @jidesanwoolu . God bless you. pic.twitter.com/PV6IslZsj3 April 12, 2020 There have been multiple tweets that show the distaste of concerned individuals regarding the situation. Amid brutal Nordic winters, Swedes Anders, left, and Rosemary Solvarm enjoy a Northern Italian climate year round thanks to their greenhouse-encased house, featured on Apple TV+'s new nine-part docu-series, "Home." (Apple) In a bit of fated synchronicity, Apple TV+s docu-series Home premieres just as everyones been spending a lot more time there. The nine-episode lineup, a South by Southwest Film Festival selection, debuts in its entirety April 17. The short take: The series is exceptional. Surprisingly varied as well as profound, the half-hour segments document nine international iconoclasts and their bold domestic visions. What might have been just another "OMG" take on outre luxury digs, or a breezy riff on ways to make homes sustainable, is actually a deep dive into the very meaning of home. Dont be surprised if the series transforms the way you consider your own residence whether you inhabit a six-bedroom manse with jetliner views or a 344-square-foot studio apartment. Encasing a log cabin in a greenhouse is one creator's solution to brutal Swedish winters, featured on Apple TV+'s 9-part docu-series, "Home." (Apple) In fact, lets start with that 344-square-foot flat. You might already be familiar with architect Gary Changs tiny Hong Kong apartment termed the Domestic Transformer, given its widespread news coverage. Toying with those 344 square feet as one would a Rubiks Cube, Chang has devised 24 room layouts and endless permutations, using sliding wall units and a design genius reminiscent of origami or a Swiss Army knife. Home takes you inside the protean wonder. A mere push on a wall reveals a kitchen with a stocked minibar or a full bath, walk-in closet, CEO-worthy desk, home cinema The episode examines the very perception of space and Chang commands it like a shaman, inspired by the manic pulse that is Hong Kong, where 7.4 million people share limited resources. All of these homes stem from some kind of problem, limit or challenge that results in a series of decisions to solve that problem, said Home executive producer Doug Pray, who directed episodes based in Austin, Texas, and Sikhall, Sweden. Elora Hardy creates fanciful nearly Seussian homes in Bali from bamboo. She's one of nine iconoclasts featured on Apple TV+'s nine-part docu-series, "Home." (Apple) Rejuvenation is another recurrent theme among all the intrepid mavericks, whose personal journeys are also explored. An Austin science fiction writer removes a toxic pipeline, using the gash in the land as a footprint for a partly buried home, its roof a restored prairie speckled with wildflowers. Story continues A Toronto-born woman raised in Bali moves to New York City, where she designs fashion for Donna Karan, only to return to Bali. There she becomes a kind of bamboo whisperer, creating fanciful, Seussian homes out of the fast-growing plant. In Sweden, engineer Andres Solvarm builds a log cabin and encases it in a lush greenhouse, creating a sustainable bio-environment. Its like living in northern Italy year-round, while surrounded by brutal Nordic winters. Youre just overwhelmed with how its filled with oxygen and the lush feeling of life the equivalent of being in a deep forest, Pray said of the leafy home, part of the Naturhus movement created by Swede Bengt Warne. In Chicago, the indefatigable Theaster Gates rejuvenates a decaying South Side neighborhood, its centerpiece the restored 1923 Stony Island Bank, now a space for art exhibitions and archives. Theres deep grace in the way Gates enlivens rather than gentrifies his surroundings as he identifies value (his love investment) in abandoned objects, buildings and, indeed, his community. As Gates terms it, he reveals the life within things. If theres a takeaway from the series, its that the solution is right in front of you, said Pray, who lives in Mount Washington. In Bali, bamboo is considered a substandard building material but creator Elora Hardy has changed that perception with her fantastical and durable bamboo-built homes. (Apple) Thats exactly the genius behind Home all nine domestic dreamers have their feet solidly on the ground and, like wizards, seem to conjure a kind of clear beauty from empty air. Case in point: design visionary Tony Duquette, whose oddball-opulent aesthetic graced the homes of the Duchess of Windsor and J. Paul Getty. Among other creations realized before his death in 1999, Duquette built Malibus mystical Xanabu, a kind of bohemian Shangri-La. Now stewarded by architect David Hertz and his wife, Laura Doss-Hertz, the 42-acre property featured on Home includes an East Asian-influenced village built from such repurposed finds as Duquettes movie sets. All of the series pioneer creators have developed and promoted their concepts in hopes of widespread adoption. Witness the Mexico segment, in which innovators extrude two 3-D-printed homes for the worlds first 3-D community of 50 residences located in poverty-crushed Nacajuca, Tabasco. The revelatory light that passes over the families faces as they view their new homes they previously lived in leaky, corrugated-metal shacks is priceless. Rounding out the lineup are Indias artisan-built Wall House and Maines Soot House, which employs the ancient Japanese wood-burning technique yakisugi. The family-centric Maine episode arguably lends the series its most deeply felt moments. Scenes of the couples sons being born in their handcrafted home, set deep in the forest, are exquisite. Such payoffs from emotional investments are well known by anyone who infuses their home with care. Chang, the Hong Kong architect, summed it up: Not only did I transform my home it transformed me. The Paycheck Protection Program has run out of cash. This week, in the final weekly episode of Inc. Uncensored, reporter Cameron Albert-Deitch discusses what that means for small businesses who are still waiting for their PPP loans. He also checks in on some companies that have gotten their funds. Plus, staff writer Emily Canal talks about Qwick, an Arizona-based staffing agency for the restaurant and hospitality industries. In the age of coronavirus, the company has pivoted to help connect hospitals and supermarkets with people looking for work. Check out the 267th episode of Inc. Uncensored below. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Megaphone, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 145,000 with over 2.1 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. Central Asia Uzbek authorities have temporarily banned the use of bicycles in the country except as transportation for workers between their jobs and their homes. Interior Ministry spokesman Shohrukh Ghiyosov told reporters on April 17 that individuals traveling to their jobs on bicycles must carry three documents -- their Uzbek identification card, a document confirming their employment, and a letter from their employer confirming that their presence at work during the coronavirus lockdown is essential. Uzbek health authorities said early on April 17 that the number of coronavirus infections in the country was 1,390, with four deaths. In neighboring Tajikistan, religious leaders announced on April 17 that no daily "tarawih" prayers will be performed in mosques during the month of Ramadan, which starts next week. Religious leaders in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan announced similar fatwas days earlier. Tajikistan and Turkmenistan have not officially declared any coronavirus cases. But experts are skeptical of the claims, given the lack of transparency within those governments and a lack of independent media. In Kazakhstan, health officials said on April 17 that 1,498 people had tested positive for coronavirus and that 17 had died. Those infected in Kazakhstan include 423 medical personnel. In Kyrgyzstan, the latest coronavirus tally on April 17 was 489 infections, including five deaths. Pakistan The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) executive board has approved $1.39 billion in emergency financing to Pakistan to help it address the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The funds will help Pakistan meet the "urgent balance-of-payment needs" stemming from the outbreak, the IMF said in a news release. Geoffrey Okamoto, first deputy managing director, said the outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, is having a significant impact on the Pakistani economy. The urgent balance-of-payments needs have been created by domestic containment measures coupled with the global economic downturn, Okamoto said. These are severely affecting growth and straining external financing, he said. The funds will help Pakistan deal with a decline in international reserves and allow it to fund temporary spending aimed at containing the pandemic and mitigating its economic impact, the IMF said. With the near-term outlook deteriorating sharply, the authorities have swiftly put in place measures to contain the impact of the shock and support economic activity, the IMF said. Crucially, health spending has been increased and social support strengthened. Pakistan's government on April 14 announced an extension of the nationwide shutdown and restrictions on public gatherings for another two weeks. Educational institutions will also remain shut during that period. The government has said, however, that a number of industries would be allowed to operate if they adhere to safety guidelines. Among them is the construction industry. Pakistan has already been in lockdown for three weeks, prompting warnings that a prolonged economic halt could push half of the countrys population into poverty. Pakistan has reported about 7,000 coronavirus cases and 128 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Serbia/Kosovo Health officials in Belgrade and Pristina have confirmed that Serbia has delivered 1,000 coronavirus test kits to Kosovo. A Serbian health official described the April 17 delivery as a sign of "solidarity" -- despite trade frictions, a recent history of conflict, and Belgrade's refusal to recognize Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia. A Serbian official familiar with the test-kit delivery said Belgrade dispatched the kits without any political conditions. He said the reason for the delivery was "solely the desire to help overcome this virus problem." The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the coronavirus pandemic had been "a stark reminder that we can only resolve many problems together." Meanwhile, Kosovar Health Ministry spokesman Faik Hoti confirmed that Serbia had made the donation. Hoti said on Facebook that the donation would be added to about 3,100 test kits in stock. Pristina is also expected to soon announce the winner of a tender for 13,000 more test kits, Hoti said. Kosovo has reported 449 infections, including of 17 health workers, and 11 deaths. Serbia has so far reported 5,790 confirmed cases and 110 deaths from the coronavirus infection. Bulgaria Bulgaria has banned traffic entering and leaving Sofia starting on April 17 and lasting through the Orthodox Easter holiday in a move to strengthen measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The ban is necessary because of a massive departure of Bulgarians from the capital in cars earlier this week ahead of the four-day holiday weekend, according to Interior Minister Mladen Marinov. RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region. General Ventsislav Mutafchiiski, the chief of Bulgaria's National Operations Headquarters, said the departures were very worrying because Sofia is the center of the outbreak in the country and the movement will lead to a worsening of the coronavirus spread. Mutafchiiski did not rule out even stricter measures to crack down on the movements of some Bulgarians. The order was issued by Health Minister Kiril Ananiev late on April 16 at an extraordinary briefing of the Council of Ministers. Ananiev said exceptions are allowed for police cars, ambulances, delivery trucks, and telecommunications company vehicles. Traffic inside the city will not be restricted. The number of coronavirus infections in Bulgaria jumped to 800 on April 16, with 38 deaths recorded in the country, according to a database maintained by Johns Hopkins University. Around 4,000 churches in Bulgaria will remain open during the Orthodox Easter weekend, but the parishioners have been asked not to go out and instead to pray at home because of the infection risk. Supermarkets, pharmacies, and petrol stations are the only businesses open in Bulgaria. The countrys state of emergency has been extended until May 13. With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan, Bulgarian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik and Uzbek services, Reuters, and dpa 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 said on Thursday. He was 70. "The writer Luis Sepulveda has died in Oviedo," said a statement by Barcelona-based Tusquets, adding it "deeply regretted his loss". Best known for "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories", Sepulveda was exiled from Chile in 1977 by the Pinochet dictatorship and travelled extensively before settling in Europe in the 1980s. He first began showing symptoms of COVID-19 on February 25 after returning from a festival in northern Portugal and was taken to hospital in Oviedo in the northern Asturias region where he had lived for more than 20 years. By March 10, local newspapers reported he was in critical condition, but since then, no further details have been made public at the family's request. "Health workers gave everything to save his life but he never got over the illness. My condolences to his wife and family," tweeted Adrian Barbon, president of the Asturias region. Born on October 1949 in Ovalle, north of the Chilean capital Santiago, Sepulveda became a political activist when he was young, first with Chile's Communist Youth, and then with the Socialists. In 1973, he was arrested by the Pinochet regime and jailed for treason for two-and-a-half years, but was freed after Amnesty International intervened, then spending time on the run before his exile in 1977. He wrote some 20 novels, chronicles, stories and children's books which are known for their simple humour and depictions of life in Latin America and been translated into multiple languages. The Long Overdue Reform of the FISA Court Commentary Reflection on the constitutional wreckage that has resulted from the misuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) during the course of the 2016 presidential campaign has been unfortunately deflected by the tsunami of coverage and discussion pertaining to the global health vicissitudes. Yet, the use of unsubstantiated and materially false affidavits, attested to by senior Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI managers, requires review and reform. The investigation into both the particulars of the Carter Page FISA warrants and the FBIs FISA warrant procedures overall by DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz has revealed large scale misfeasance requiring retooling of procedures and safeguards. Its time to assess and examine the damage. In times of serious threats to national security, the populace at large is often all too willing to sacrifice personal freedoms in search of quick fixes that will reduce security concerns and the resulting fears and anxiety. And politicians are quick to take advantage of the populaces diminished concerns for personal liberties. Subsequent to the World Trade Center attacks, the USA Patriot Act was promulgated, and, used in conjunction with the preexisting Foreign Surveillance Act, provided the nations security and intelligence services with broad powers that under normal circumstances would never have been tolerated. Now, we see the same forces at play as the pandemic begets widespread fear, with legislators shifting control of the economy from the private sector to the central bank, the Federal Reserve. Just as the Patriot Act diminished the publics privacy and civil liberty rights, these new financial processes will reduce the economic and financial independence of the public at large, reducing the role of private banks, while consolidating and increasing the power of government-controlled financial institutions. Defective As reported by Ivan Pentchoukov in The Epoch Times on March 31, The inspector general reviewed the internal audits the FBI conducted on 42 FISA applications and similarly found that these oversight mechanisms routinely identified deficiencies in documentation supporting FISA applications. Thus, the Bureaus own inspectors exercised their self-policing duties as required and found the FISA warrant applications to be defective. Furthermore, these findings were appropriately documented, otherwise, they would not have come to light in the course of the inspector generals investigation. Consequently, claims by FBI upper managers that they were unaware of the abuses defy credibility. Worse yet are former Deputy Director Andrew McCabes often repeated public statements shifting of all blame for FISA abuses downward onto the shoulders of supposedly rogue field agentsabsolving upper management while seemingly unaware of the implied dereliction of his managerial functions. With leaders such as McCabe, the buck always stops long before reaching his desk. Pentchoukov noted that House Intelligence Committee ranking member Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) said in a statement to The Epoch Times that its clear [the FBIs] operations require close oversight by congressional leaders who actually care about Americans civil liberties. As well-intentioned as Nuness recommendations may be, it is hardly clear that legislators uniformly hold civil liberties, as enumerated in the Bill of Rights, sacrosanct. To the contrary, many Democratic Party luminaries, including Hillary Clinton, Robert Beto ORourke, and The Squad, have disparaged the Constitution as outdated and no longer relevant. Additionally, Congress is a notably porous institution where classified information is concerned. The defects in the FISA systeminvolving as it does both the judiciary and the executive branchare not to be solved by adding yet another branch of government into the process. Reform A careful review will provide insight as to procedural changes that can be initiated in order to mitigate future damage. One area in need of immediate reform is the process for obtaining a FISA warrant (as distinguished from warrant execution and target selection). However, on March 15, reform of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was postponed, with the Act being extended as is to the end of May. Extensive discord exists as to what if any changes need to be enacted in order to allow for effective investigation of terrorist and hostile intelligence threats, while simultaneously protecting the privacy rights of both investigative targets and those with whom the targets may interact in the course of the authorized surveillance. To reform the FISA application process, the focus on changing procedures was initially based on an erroneous assumption. The assumption was that there were only procedural errors, which were perhaps inadvertently committed. The IGs reports have disproved these assumptions. The essence of reform isnt solely a change in procedures. Rather, it is initially a change in personnel. If principled men and women with high standards of integrity are appointed to positions of leadership in the FBI and the DOJ, the need for concern with abuse and with procedures can be mitigated. Additionally, it is necessary to align the FISA procedure with the adversarial legal system, which is the basis of our jurisprudence. Ours is an adversarial system of justice, based on the British model. The system relies upon two or more adversaries taking opposing points of view so as to arrive at the truth, or something close to it. The FISA court is structured so as to be the adversarial model, with one adversary missing. So, its logical and predictable that the truth will not be arrived at. Thus, we are faced with two potential alternatives. One is to introduce an adversary to review and litigate all applications. This adversary, drawn from a pool of appointed federal public defenders with top-secret clearances and access to classified materials, will assume the role of defense attorney, acting in an adversarial capacity, opposing the prosecuting attorney and presenting alternative points of view to the FISA judges. They would act as defenders of the rights of those who are the targets of the clandestine surveillance activity. Thus, the civil rights of those whose Constitutional privacy rights are to be infringed are unwittingly protected, and the potential for abuse by prosecutors is mitigated. In such a manner, there will be a stronger likelihood that a truth can be arrived at, allowing the FISA judge to make an informed and just decision. The other option, equally viable and reliable, would be to model the FISA court system on the European criminal judicial system and utilize an Investigating Magistrate in lieu of two or more adversaries. Under such a model, the government would formally submit a fully documented request for a FISA warrant, and an investigating magistrate would be assigned to the case who would conduct a neutral, unbiased, and unfettered investigation, obtaining documents both pro and con, and then would arrive at an independent decision as to whether or not to grant a warrant, and imposing such restrictions as he or she would deem appropriate. The House compromise bill renewing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, kicked down the road for future consideration, would limit the authority to use FISA to obtain intelligence pertaining to investigative targets. But the focus should not be on limiting the scope of investigative activity, but rather on assuring that the underlying warrant has been obtained fairly, using bona fide probable cause and procedures designed to protect the rights of individuals targeted for official scrutiny. Once a warrant has been obtained pursuant to the procedures proposed above, there is then no rational basis for further limiting the investigative techniques available under the act. Marc Ruskin, a 27-year veteran of the FBI, is a regular contributor and the author of The Pretender: My Life Undercover for the FBI. He served on the legislative staff of U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan and as an assistant district attorney in Brooklyn, N.Y. Follow Marc on Twitter @mhruskin. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. After careful consideration, the Midland-Handa Sister City Committee and Handa City, Japan Sister City Committee have cancelled the 2020 Sister City Student Exchange amid ongoing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will resume in summer 2021, at which time the committee will welcome students from Handa, Japan to Midland for a three-week stay. Families interested in hosting a Japanese student for the 2021 Student Exchange should look for more information in early 2021 or contact the Sister City Committee via email at midlandhanda@gmail.com. DUBLIN, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Smart Hospitality Market - Forecasts from 2020 to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Smart Hospitality Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.14% during the forecast period, reaching a total market size of US$12.727 billion in 2025 from US$6.067 billion in 2019. The market is driven by the rising internet penetration and growing inclination towards IoT which are encouraging the hospitality segment to offer smart solutions to their customers with the use of digital technology. The growing use of cloud computing across the hospitality sector is another contributing factor to the market growth of smart hospitality. The increasing number of contractors are teaming up with different tech firms to build smarter hotels with low cost and less time which, in turn, is positively impacting the smart hospitality market growth. The demand for smart hospitality is boosting in order to serve an excellent customer service. As such, the demand for real-time optimized guest experience management is increasing which is bolstering the market growth of smart hospitality. For example, in some hotel, customers can use their smartphones to control the room's environment by way of allowing remotely open and close the window blinds and regulating the room temperature. Booming travel and tourism industry is significantly surging the smart hospitality market growth worldwide. According to the World Bank Data, the number of arrivals of international tourists across the world has increased from 911.85 million in 2009 to 1,442 million in 2018. As such, market players in the hospitality sector are using smart hospitality solutions in order to provide their guests with better hospitality services. Global hotel chains are increasingly investing heavily in smart hospitality solutions including in order to improve customers' impressions and satisfaction. Moreover, hotel companies are also adopting smart hospitality solutions as they help to save operational costs and generate more revenue while enhancing their hospitality services to customers. In addition to this, smart hospitality solutions allow energy-efficient management system. As such, growing environmental concerns and rising focus on CSR among hotel companies is also ramping up the demand for smart hospitality solutions. Market players in the global smart hospitality market are increasingly following various growth strategies in order to stay ahead while maintaining their market share. For example, in April 2019, InterContinental Shenzhen signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Huawei and Telecom to create the world's first 5G smart hotel. Viggo Smart Hotel is delivering the first true cloud-based smart hotel TV solutions for the global hospitality industry. In December 2018, Shangri-La Group and Tencent signed a strategic partnership for developing and deploying smart hotel solutions to enhance the hotel operations and services for Shangri-La. However, factors such as high initial cost of deployment and lack of technically skilled professionals are hindering the smart hospitality market growth. Services are used for providing insights about hotel management The rise in the number of smart hotels is driving the segment of software and services smart hospitality. The services are increasingly been used for integration, maintenance, and training. The software helps in facility & emergency management response systems, building energy management, water management, security management, and parking management which will further reduce cost and save time on these services. This, in turn, will increase the demand for smart hospitality services, thereby positively impacting the overall market growth. Increase in the number of Smart Hotels is driving the market of Smart hospitality The increasing number of smart hotels around the world with the advancement of technology is highly driving the market for smart hospitality solutions. These hotels have increased the demand for smart hospitality services by using more of on-premise and cloud for better management of hotel resources and improved hospitality services. It even helps in reducing operating costs by providing energy-efficient solutions and increases revenue. The smart hospitality solutions help in serving the guest with advanced communications technologies that assist them in conducting meetings, conferences, and connecting with associates around the world without any hindrances. The innovative smart hospitality provides easy check-in options for hoteliers, room selection, room services, and comfortable stay which in return help hotels to retain guest and earning them more revenue. The increase in demand for resorts and spas is also gaining momentum due to the increasing disposable income of people and improvement in lifestyle. By geography, the APAC will witness a substantial regional market growth Regionally, the global smart hospitality market is classified into North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. The APAC Smart Hospitality market will witness substantial market growth during the forecast period owing to the growing investments by international hotel chains in countries like India and China in smart hospitality solutions. Furthermore, favorable government initiatives and policies to fuel the growth of the hospitality sector will also support the market growth of smart hospitality in this region during the next five years. Factors such as the increase in technological developments, internet infrastructure, increasing applications of IoT, and efficient energy consumption are also growing the market for smart hospitality in the region. North America and Europe have a significant amount of market share in the smart hospitality market due to presence of big hospitality companies which are focusing on moving towards the use of advanced technologies and smart building management systems for efficient energy consumption, reducing operational cost, and providing guests with modern amenities for better services. Market Players and Competitive Intelligence The competitive intelligence section deals with major players in the market, their market shares, growth strategies, products, financials, and recent investments among others. Key industry participants profiled as part of this section are Schneider Electric, Siemens, Honeywell International Inc., NEC Corporation of America, Oracle, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Cisco Systems, Inc., and Mitel Networks Corp. Key Topics Covered 1. Introduction 1.1. Market Definition 1.2. Market Segmentation 2. Research Methodology 2.1. Research Data 2.2. Assumptions 3. Executive Summary 3.1. Research Highlights 4. Market Dynamics 4.1. Market Drivers 4.2. Market Restraints 4.3. Porters Five Forces Analysis 4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis 5. Global Smart Hospitality Market Analysis, By Offering 5.1. Introduction 5.2. Software 5.3. Services 6. Global Smart Hospitality Market Analysis, By Deployment Model 6.1. Introduction 6.2. On-Premise 6.3. Cloud 7. Global Smart Hospitality Market Analysis, By End-User 7.1. Introduction 7.2. Hotels 7.3. Resorts & Spas 7.4. Restaurants 8. Global Smart Hospitality Market Analysis, By Geography 8.1. Introduction 8.2. North America 8.3. South America 8.4. Europe 8.5. Middle East & Africa 8.6. Asia-Pacific 9. Competitive Environment and Analysis 9.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis 9.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrativeness 9.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations 9.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix 10. Company Profiles 10.1. Schneider Electric 10.2. Siemens 10.3. Honeywell International Inc. 10.4. NEC Corporation of America 10.5. Oracle 10.6. Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. 10.7. Cisco Systems Inc. 10.8. Mitel Networks Corp. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/clb8o 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] 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 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Passengers will be allowed to board Londons buses for free and banned from using the front door as part of new pandemic measures announced by Transport for London (TfL). Free travel and middle door-only boarding will be temporarily introduced from Monday to protect drivers and keep passengers safe from the coronavirus, the operator said in a statement. Earlier this week, TfL announced that 26 members of staff across the transport network had died from Covid-19. London mayor Sadiq Khan said on Friday the total included 20 bus drivers who had lost their lives. It breaks my heart, he said. I will continue to do whatever it takes to keep our heroic transport workers as safe as possible, said Mr Khan, who said middle-door boarding would further protect drivers. He added: I would like to remind Londoners that you shouldnt be travelling by any mode of transport unless it is absolutely necessary, and public transport is only open for critical workers. Mr Khan also urged the government to change its advice to the public on wearing face masks to help combat the spread of the virus. The London mayor told BBC Breakfast on Friday that wearing non-medical facial masks, such as a bandana, scarf or reusable mask, would add another layer of protection to the public. Mr Khan, who wrote to transport secretary Grant Shapps about the issue, said he is lobbying for masks to be worn in circumstances where people cannot keep two metres apart, such as on public transport. TfL trialled the boarding change on 140 buses across nine routes, with the operator saying it was confident that the low number of people travelling meant people could keep a safe distance between each other. London bus driver on number twelve route in central London (EPA) Limited use of Londons buses by essential workers had led the number of people travelling to plummet by about 85 per cent. Bus travel in the capital normally costs 1.50 for unlimited journeys within an hour, up to a maximum of 4.50 per day. Passengers will not need to touch in after middle-door boarding and are asked not to approach the driver. TfL has already include signage directing people away from seats near drivers, and has placed a protective film over drivers screens. Pete Kavanagh, the Unite unions London and eastern regional secretary, said the middle-door only boarding was a very welcome move. He added: We are very relieved that TfL is listening to Unite and its members. We have lost members of our bus family in recent days and we refuse to lose any more. Unite organised a minute silence at 11am on Friday in tribute to bus and transport workers in London who have died. TfL said it was also still considering creating a completely sealed partition between drivers and passengers. One south London bus driver identified only as Lorraine, 62, said last week in an online video she was proud to do her job but frightened to die as she begged the government to do more to help protect transport staff. 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." Technavio has been monitoring the direct carrier billing platform market and it is poised to grow by USD 20.14 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of almost 13% 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/20200417005252/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Direct Carrier Billing Platform 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. Bango Plc, Boku Inc., DIMOCO Europe GmbH, DOCOMO Digital Ltd., and Fortumo OU are some of the major market participants. The increased use of credit card 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. Increased use of credit card has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Direct carrier billing platform market is segmented as below: End-user Apps and games Online media Others Geography 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=IRTNTR31334 Direct Carrier Billing Platform 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 direct carrier billing platform market report covers the following areas: Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market Size Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market Trends Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market Industry Analysis This study identifies rising demand for OTT content as one of the prime reasons driving the direct carrier billing platform market growth during the next few years. Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the direct carrier billing platform market, including some of the vendors such as Bango Plc, Boku Inc., DIMOCO Europe GmbH, DOCOMO Digital Ltd., and Fortumo OU. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the direct carrier billing platform 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 Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist direct carrier billing platform market growth during the next five years Estimation of the direct carrier billing platform market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the direct carrier billing platform market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of direct carrier billing platform 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 Apps and games Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Online media Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Others Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by end-user 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 South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 North 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 Rising demand for OTT content Blockchain-based transaction strengthening direct carrier billing Purchase of physical goods through direct carrier billing PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Bango Plc Boku Inc. DIMOCO Europe GmbH DOCOMO Digital Ltd. Fortumo OU PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors 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/20200417005252/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 spoke cautiously about the theory that the coronavirus was accidentally released from a Wuhan virology lab. NBC Defense Secretary Mark Esper has said "a majority of the views" on the origins of the coronavirus are still that it naturally emerged in Wuhan, in an interview on NBC's Today show. On Tuesday, the Trump administration confirmed it is looking into the possibility the virus was accidentally released from a Wuhan virology lab. It followed news that in 2018, US scientific diplomats sent back safety warnings about the lab, which had been researching coronaviruses in bats and humans. Although Esper said it was now hard to trust the Chinese government, but that results are as yet "inconclusive" about the origins of the virus. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Defense Secretary Mark Esper took a cautious line on the theory that the coronavirus was released from a Wuhan virology lab, after the Trump administration confirmed that it was investigating that possibility. Esper said that "a majority of the views right now is that it is natural, it is organic," in an interview on NBC's Today show on Thursday night. His comments echoed Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, who said in a Tuesday press briefing that evidence otherwise is "inconclusive," according to Politico. The comments came after it emerged on Tuesday that scientific diplomats who visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology numerous times in 2018 had sent two warnings back to the US government alleging poor safety practices . The lab had been studying novel coronaviruses and their possible transfer between bats and humans. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in January 2020. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin After this, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed that the government was investigating the possibility the lab accidentally released the virus. China denies this. It, and most scientists, favour the theory that the virus emerged in bats and was transmitted to humans in one of the city's wet markets, as Business Insider's Aylin Woodward reported. Story continues Speaking to NBC on Thursday, Esper said it was hard to trust the Chinese state on this matter. "We do know one thing: If the Chinese government, the party, had been more transparent earlier, it would have helped us in terms of staying ahead of this virus ... To this day, they need to be far more forthright than what they've been." On Wednesday, it emerged that the Chinese state had learned in mid-January that the virus could spread between humans, but sat on the information for six days. At the same time it said that it did not believe human-to-human transmission was possible. Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, left, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper on February 26, 2020. REUTERS/Amanda Voisard On NBC Esper, like Milley, did not fuel further speculation about the origins of the virus, saying the Pentagon had been "looking closely" at it but that he couldn't comment much on intelligence matters. He said: "The results are inconclusive ... a majority of the views right now is that it is natural, that it is organic. "I think we need to continue to work this, and once we get beyond the pandemic we'll have a chance to look back and really find out what happened." Read the original article on Business Insider DES MOINES School is out for the year, the state reported its first case of COVID-19 in an inmate and 10 more people died in another grim day for Iowa. The state reported 181 new cases Saturday, a day after reporting the highest single-day total of the pandemic so far, 191. The death toll grew to 74 Iowans on Saturday, and the number of new cases climbed 7.8% to 2,513. The largest influx of new illnesses came from Black Hawk and Linn counties, which saw 28 new cases each. Linn, home to Cedar Rapids and the states second most populous county, has the most confirmed coronavirus cases with 332. The county has refrigeration trucks ready to serve as makeshift morgues for an increase in COVID-19-related deaths, KCRG-TV reported. Many Black Hawk County officials have pointed to an outbreak at Tyson Fresh Meats pork processing plant as a source of a surge in new cases and have called on the meatpacker to temporarily close for deep cleaning and to allow testing to catch up. Black Hawk County now has 166 confirmed cases of the disease but just one death, an individual between the ages of 61-80. IDPH noted 193 Iowans are currently hospitalized, while 1,095 have recovered from COVID-19. There have been 20,434 negative tests to date, which includes testing reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs. The additional deaths reported Saturday include an older adult in Appanoose County, two elderly and a middle-aged adult in Linn County, an older adult in Louisa County, an elderly adult in Muscatine County, an elderly and two older adults in Polk County, and a middle-aged adult in Tama County. Tama County is among the hardest hit in the state, with 123 positive cases and five deaths. The reported deaths to date include 35 adults ages 61 to 80; 32 elderly residents over age 80; five middle-aged adults ages 41 to 60; and two adults under age 40. The latest statistics dovetail with outbreaks confirmed at least nine long-term care facilities including Heritage Specialty Care in Cedar Rapids and Bickford Senior Living in Iowa City. Meat processing plants also have factored in. Besides Waterloo, 86 cases are tied to the Tyson Foods pork processing plant in Louisa County, and several cases to the now-closed Iowa Premium beef plant in Tama. Schools out Students wont return to Iowa classrooms this academic year, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Friday in extending her order closing schools. Schools have not held in-person classes since mid-March when Reynolds first recommended they close to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. On April 2, she ordered schools closed until April 30 and said she would give districts notice before then if that were to change. Believe me, I would like nothing more than to stand before you today and announce that Iowa will be open for school in May, Reynolds said Friday during a news conference at the states emergency operations center. Iowa high school spring sports are canceled as well, and summer sports will be re-evaluated later. Reynolds will continue to waive instructional time requirements for schools that provide remote learning opportunities. She said schools will be allowed to begin the 2020-2021 school year before Aug. 23. Inmate positive The first state prison inmate to test positive for coronavirus had been transferred Thursday from Henry County to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville. The inmate was between 18 and 40 years old and was sentenced to prison for a drug crime. The inmate is in stable condition and in isolation while staff traces the inmates contacts, KWQC-TV reported. Newly admitted inmates at the center are being quarantined as a group for two weeks of observation. A correctional officer at the center had tested positive for the coronavirus, the department reported earlier this month. Spread slowing A team of Iowa State University researchers said the rate of the coronavirus spread has slowed but the state hasnt fully controlled it yet. Thats based on a computer model the team developed, the Ames Tribune reported. Yumou Qiu, an assistant professor of statistics and a team member, said the slowdown indicates the social distancing measures the state has taken are having an effect, but the continued spread of the virus means the pandemics effects are far from over. He said the model relies on the coronavirus effective reproduction number, or average number of secondary cases for each infectious case. A figure of 1.0 one secondary case for every infectious case indicates the disease is spreading, and a value below that suggests the spread is decreasing. Qiu said the value reached a peak of 3.91 on March 16. As of Friday, it was 1.65. A peak of the COVID-19 cases is expected at the end of the month. Opening up Reynolds on Friday encouraged state residents to continue efforts to flatten the curve, including remaining at home except for essential trips and maintaining social distancing. Reynolds said state officials are determining specifics for how Iowa will stabilize and grow its economy, likely in phases based on health and testing metrics, though they just dont have the data to start reopening the state at this time. She said more testing will be the key to determining when to loosen restrictions. So it really is a critical piece of us talking about how we start to reopen the state of Iowa back up. Tim Jamison of The Courier, Molly Duff of The Gazette and The Associated Press contributed to this report. (Photo : Macau Photo Agency on Unsplash) ROKID T1: Crazy New Glasses Can Track Down People With COVID-19! Here's What You Need To Know! As the world continues to be battered by the coronavirus, many groups have been trying to do their part in preventing further infections, finding a vaccine, developing a cure, and implementing lasting changes to the healthcare industry. According to a BGR report, currently, there are still no specialized treatments that can help the human body cure COVID-19. Also, there is no effective way to track an infected person to avoid the further spread of the virus. Different measures are being conducted by researchers and scientists to respond to these outbreaks. Coronavirus antibody tests, for example, could locate the immunity of an individual against the coronavirus. Meanwhile, contact-tracing gadgets, such as smartphones, can identify a person infected by COVID-19 and prevent further community-based infections. And now, a pair of glasses may help people avoid being infected by possibly sick individuals. According to a Techcrunch report, China, the country where the virus originated, is using thermal imaging wearables to detect coronavirus infections. And these gadgets could soon be shipped to the US. According to US Director Liang Guan, Rokid, a Hangzhou-based AI startup company, is negotiating with several companies in the US to sell their T1 glasses. Could this be the solution to prevent further infections caused by the coronavirus? ROKID T1: Glasses that can track down people with COVID-19; Here are the things you need to know According to the Techcrunch report, Rokid is one of the Chinese companies that are trying to address the ongoing pandemic caused by COVID-19. Lian Guan explained that Rokid's special glasses called T1 is capable of detecting the temperatures of 200 individuals within two minutes from the distance of 3 meters using an infrared sensor. The device uses a Qualcomm CPU, 12-megapixel camera, and provides augmented reality features allowing hands-free voice controls and recording live videos and photos at high definition. Rokid is also offering software solutions and Internet of Things (IoT) for facial detection and data management in its T1 glasses packages. The Rokid T1 glasses can be set up for IoT capabilities for commercial clients to sync the device to their platforms via USB connection. US regulators, however, are cautious with the Chinese tech firms. Issues of data privacy, spying, and weak security measures have been hounding many China-based tech firms and their products. However, Rokid clarified that it doesn't collect data and sensitive information from their T1 glasses. The Chinese company plans to support businesses, hospitals and law enforcement agencies in the US by offering B2B sales of their T1 glasses. Rokid is currently working on arrangements with local US municipalities and hospitals for future shipments of their smart glasses. However, the names of the hospitals and local municipalities could not be disclosed because of confidentiality agreements between them and the Chinese company. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Volkswagen factory during twilight following a halt to car production on March 31, 2020 in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen extended the shutdown of factories in Germany until April 19 amid COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. Photo: Maja Hitij/Getty Images The Volkswagen Group (VOW3.DE) reported on Friday that sales for the first quarter shrunk by 23% from the same time period last year to two million vehicles. Sales in the month of March took a 37.6% nosedive overall, as demand shrivelled, plants and dealerships were shuttered as part of coronavirus lockdowns, the worlds biggest carmaker said. Sales in the group, which includes Porsche, Audi, and Seat, fell by nearly 45% in Western Europe and 42% in North America last month, from March 2019. Sales in China were down 35%. However, Volkswagen has said is expecting that important market to start picking up again, as the majority of its Chinese plants are back online again. Volkswagen announced Thursday (16 April) that it was ditching its 2020 forecast, saying it can no longer be achieved due to the difficulty of assessing the impact of the pandemic on supply chains, sales, and demand. READ MORE: Carmakers slowly reboot plants in Europe after COVID-19 shutdown The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has also had a significant impact on Volkswagen Groups business, VW said in a statement. As a result, the automobile retail network has largely came to a standstill. The resulting decline in customer demand and supplier bottlenecks led to production stops within the Volkswagen Group. Volkswagen, like most other global carmakers, had to shut down it plants in the middle of March. Many of the companies are eyeing a slow, staggered return to production from next week onwards in Europe. The company said it expects first-quarter sales revenue to be around 55bn (47.8bn, $59.5bn). Its operating profit is expected to be 900m, a 81% drop from the same period last year, while its net cash flow plunged to negative 2.5m in the quarter. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association said today that new car registrations had fallen by 55% in March, compared to the same month last year. New car registrations were down 25% across the European Union in the first quarter. All these 19 people are now on self-isolation in the academy's dormitory under the supervision of doctors. Kyiv Theological Academy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) has reported 19 laboratory-confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus. According to the order of Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko, PCR testing for COVID-19 was carried out in the Academy's dormitories on April 14. "At about 21:00 on April 16, the Academy was informed from Health Ministry's Kyiv City Laboratory Center that, according to the test results, 19 people (three teachers and 16 students) received laboratory confirmation of coronavirus," the academy wrote on Facebook. Read alsoUkraine's coronavirus pace rises with 501 new cases reported in past 24 hours It is noted the written confirmation is expected to be released today, April 17. "All these 19 people are now in self-isolation in the academy's dormitory under the supervision of doctors," the report says. In addition, PCR testing was carried out at the Academy on April 15, but the results have not come back. *** Kyiv Theological Academy is the higher theological educational institution of the UOC-MP, which provides training for clergy, teachers of theological educational institutions, and church scholars. The academy trains specialists of educational qualification level: candidate of theology, master of theology. Corporate security teams have a harder time protecting data when it is dispersed on home computers with varying setups. Hacking activity against corporations in the United States and other countries more than doubled by some measures last month as digital thieves took advantage of security weakened by pandemic work-from-home policies, researchers said. Corporate security teams have a harder time protecting data when it is dispersed on home computers with widely varying setups and on company machines connecting remotely, experts said. Even those remote workers using virtual private networks (VPNs), which establish secure tunnels for digital traffic, are adding to the problem, officials and researchers said. Software and security company VMware Carbon Black said this week that ransomware attacks it monitored jumped 148 percent in March from the previous month, as governments worldwide curbed movement to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 140,000. There is a digitally historic event occurring in the background of this pandemic, and that is there is a cybercrime pandemic that is occurring, said VMware cybersecurity strategist Tom Kellermann. Its just easier, frankly, to hack a remote user than it is someone sitting inside their corporate environment. Several others echoed the finding. Tonya Ugoretz, a senior cyber official with the FBI, told an online audience on Thursday that incoming reports about hacking had multiplied three- or fourfold during the outbreak. Rob Lefferts, a cybersecurity executive with Microsoft, said his company was seeing an upswing in the volume of digital breaches in the same places the disease was spreading the most quickly. The volume of successful attacks is correlated with the volume of virus impact, he said, adding that many malicious actors seemed to be piggybacking on confusion and anxiety to trick users into parting with their credentials. Those attacks are more successful because people are more afraid, he said. Changes to corporate networks being scrambled by work-from-home policies may also be making life easier for attackers. Using data from US-based Team Cymru, which has sensors with access to millions of networks, researchers at Finlands Arctic Security found that the number of networks experiencing malicious activity was more than double in March in the US and many European countries compared with January, soon after the virus was first reported in China. The biggest jump in volume came as computers responded to scans when they should not have. Such scans often look for vulnerable software that would enable deeper attacks. The researchers plan to release their country-by-country findings next week. Rules for safe communication, such as barring connections to disreputable web addresses, tend to be enforced less when users take computers home, said analyst Lari Huttunen at Arctic Security. That means previously safe networks can become exposed. In many cases, corporate firewalls and security policies had protected machines that had been infected by viruses or targeted malware, he said. Outside of the office, that protection can fall off sharply, allowing the infected machines to communicate again with the original hackers. That has been exacerbated because the sharp increase in VPN volume led some stressed technology departments to permit less rigorous security policies. Everybody is trying to keep these connections up, and security controls or filtering are not keeping up at these levels, Huttunen said. The US Department of Homeland Securitys (DHS) cybersecurity agency agreed this week that VPNs bring with them a host of new problems. As organizations use VPNs for telework, more vulnerabilities are being found and targeted by malicious cyber actors, wrote DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The agency said it is harder to keep VPNs updated with security fixes because they are used at all hours, instead of on a schedule that allows for routine installations during daily boot-ups or shutdowns. Even vigilant home users may have problems with VPNs. The DHS agency on Thursday said some hackers who broke into VPNs provided by San Jose-based Pulse Secure before patches were available a year ago had used other programmes to maintain that access. Other security experts said financially motivated hackers were using pandemic fears as bait and retooling existing malicious programmes such as ransomware, which encrypts a targets data and demands payment for its release. The global coronavirus pandemic has now infected more than two million people worldwide and an estimated 144,000 deaths have been recorded. In the UK, more than 103,093 people have been confirmed to have caught Covid-19 and 13,729 people have died in hospital after contracting the disease. As the virus continues to cause an impact around the world, heres your daily briefing of recent news items you may have missed. UK lockdown to be extended until May at earliest, government announces Dominic Raab announced the nationwide coronavirus lockdown will be extended for at least another three weeks to 7 May. The first secretary of state told the daily Downing Street press briefing any change in social distancing measures would risk damage to both public health and our economy. Mr Raab, who is deputising for Boris Johnson while the prime minister recuperates from Covid-19, said the governments scientific advisers had found indications the spread of the virus had slowed but that it was a mixed and inconsistent picture. Firefighters begin moving bodies after considerable number of coronavirus deaths in Midlands 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 crews have begun to retrieve bodies from hospitals, care homes and homes. Andrew Scattergood, regional secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, 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. Trump announces guidelines for reopening states when coronavirus outbreak ends Donald Trump has announced guidelines he wants governors to use to craft their own plans to reopen their states when the coronavirus outbreak ends. The president even suggested that some states like Montana and Wyoming could start the process as early as Friday. Stating that the country could open one careful step at a time, he claimed the peak in cases is behind us, hailing his own quick action amid Democrats claims of a slow and ineffective US response. Picnics are legal, but no repainting the kitchen: Police issue new coronavirus lockdown guidelines Picnics during long walks are legal but sitting on a park bench for lengthy periods may violate the coronavirus lockdown, according to new police guidance. It confirms that people can buy non-essential items from supermarkets, but cautions against leaving the home for DIY supplies. The document states that the Health Protection Regulations 2020 specify maintenance and upkeep, and that going out and buying paint and brushes, simply to redecorate a kitchen would be illegal. The Legal Practice Council (LPC), which governs all lawyers in South Africa, says the administration of justice has largely ground to a halt and firms have been hit financially. The Legal Practice Council says lawyers are in a catch-22 situation under lockdown. Photo: Brian Turner via Flickr (CC BY 2.0) The LPC has proposed: That all government departments and state-owned entities which owe money to any lawyer as at March 31 this year, make immediate payment. That legal services be declared essential services. That courts be opened, not only to deal with urgent matters, but also with normal civil opposed and trial matters which can be heard via video conferencing. That the masters office, registrar of deeds and sheriff services be opened. That Commissioning of affidavits be allowed via video call or teleconference through the relaxation of the Justices of the Peace Act. That social justice law clinics and legal aid clinics be allowed to operate. That there should be rental subsidies for deserving junior advocates and sole practitioners or medium-sized attorneys firms. That the Attorneys Development Fund be used to assist the most vulnerable lawyers. That all civil actions set down for hearing should proceed as arbitrations, with the award subject to an automatic right of appeal. In a nine-page letter addressed to all stakeholders, the council said the Minister of Justice had requested an assessment of the business and economic impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on the profession as a whole.The LPC report says there is a catch-22 situation regarding essential service worker permits for the profession: In terms of the directions, the permit can only be granted where there is urgency and the case is enrolled. But consultation is not deemed essential so the legal practitioner cannot consult properly in the first place.Affidavit commissioning was another problem. During lockdown it can only be done by the police. Indigent clients who have no access to computers are unable to forward these to their attorney.A criminal attorney, who did not wish to be named, toldthat as a sole practitioner who employs one secretary, his financial situation is not that dire, for now. I have had a couple of cases relating to the lockdown. But more worrying is that I have clients awaiting trial in prison whose cases should have, but have not, been heard because of the lockdown. And their cases will become part of a massive bottle-neck once courts re-open, he said.The report said most law firms had experienced a downturn in revenue because clients cannot afford to pay their bills. The cost of equipping staff members to work from home was also prohibitive, especially to smaller firms.Also at risk were the social development payments, pro bono and bursary funds paid out by larger firms which would now be redirected to offset their fixed financial expenses.Advocates reported that they had not been paid for invoices submitted to briefing attorneys before the lockdown, but they still had to pay their own staff, rents, professional insurance and group fees.The most vulnerable are the young and newly admitted who are not yet known in the market and have effectively ceased practice, the council said.It said the role of advocates to the administration of justice was indispensable and the civil and criminal justice systems would be dysfunctional if the number of practicing advocates is suddenly and drastically reduced.Many young advocates who are owed outstanding fees by state departments are black and women. Transformation in the legal profession is nowhere near where it should be and will be set back further by the lockdown. International Jet Interiors fabricates masks to donate to hospitals and first responders In the beginning phases of the pandemic, my wife Adrianne and I knew we needed to utilize the upholstery department of the company to make masks to donate to essential workers - Eric H. Roth, President, International Jet Interiors The team at International Jet Interiors in Ronkonkoma, New York is lending their expertise to first responders in New York during the Covid-19 pandemic. Like so many states throughout the country, New York's need for masks for essential workers on the front line has been both overwhelming and dire. The IJI Design Team enlisted the help of Pollack, which generously donated 100 percent cotton material that International Jet Interiors used to fabricate protective masks. To date, 1500 masks have been produced by the IJI team and donated to local NY and surrounding state hospitals including Huntington Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital, Syosset Hospital/Northwell Health, Plainview Hospital/Northwell Health, Brockton Hospital, St. Catherine's Hospital, Baystate Medical Center, Ronald McDonald House Charities facility in New Hyde Park, Hauppauge Fire Department - Sub Station 1, Oyster Bay Fire Department and other essential workers who have expressed a need for personal protection. Fortunate to be able to share their craft in a unique and transformative way during this unprecedented time, International Jet Interiors is immeasurably thankful to all of the essential workers, doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and first responders for their dedication and best efforts in this challenging environment. A member of NBAA and IADA and other professional organizations, International Jet Interiors is an innovative leader in the aviation industry, known for their creative cabin solutions and one-of-a-kind private aircraft refurbishment. International Jet Interiors President, Eric H. Roth shares, "my wife Adrianne and I were watching the news early one morning in the beginning phases of the pandemic, and we knew immediately we needed to utilize the upholstery department of the company to make masks. The sentiment was shared by all of our employees, and we join together as a big family to thank all essential workers for keeping our communities well cared for during this unprecedented and difficult time." Two police officers have marked what should have been their wedding day with a ceremony while on shift. Sergeant Marie McNulty and Pc Jay McGreavy, from Greater Manchester Police, should have tied the knot on Thursday but instead spent the day working to help keep communities safe. However, colleagues in the Bury police team did not let the day pass without some celebrations. Sgt McNulty arrived at the office to the song Here Comes The Bride and the couple, who wore corsages throughout the day, found flowers and champagne waiting for them. Colleague Inspector Rob Findlow, an ordained Anglican priest, blessed the couples rings in a ceremony. Sgt McNulty said: I would like to thank my team for all that they did for us, we are so grateful and had a lovely day. The little touches were really appreciated, and team really did make it a day to remember, in our own way. We have rescheduled our day for April next year, so we have started our countdown again and are looking forward to the double celebrations when the time is right. For now, we are grateful for the celebrations we have had, and are glad we can play our part in helping support our local communities during these uncertain times. Three whistleblowers in China courageously revealed what they know about coronavirus. However, the payback for their revelation is risking their own lives. Said whistleblowers are currently missing and there's still a big question about their whereabouts. Their efforts to reveal the truth has placed doubt in the facade presented by the mainland government of Xi Jinping. Mysteriously, they have gone silent with no trace of activity or records if they perished from the coronavirus like Li Wenliang. It's like the earth swallowed them in the past two months. The three whistleblowers may never be seen again. Let's get to know who these heroes are so the world will never forget them as thorns to the current ruling party in China. Three whistleblowers Chen Qiushu, Fang Bing, and Ken Zehua have no traces since February when Chinese officials cracked down on them and deemed their activities treasonous. Upon their disappearance, officials from Xi Jinping and other Chinese official have been silenced despite cries to inform of their whereabouts by Chinese citizens. Many references online and from social media are scrubbed by Chinese watchdogs. These three journalists worked from coronavirus ground zero, Wuhan, with materials considered seditious on YouTube and Twitter. There is no access since both websites are blocked in China. But the Chinese cry freedom with still more evidence that Beijing is concealing many facts as state media tailors the narrative. Chen, aged 34 has disappeared at 7 pm local time att last February 6. He angered officials for his exposes. Before the lockdown, he was in Wuhan when the Chinese government revealed the epidemic. He reported the turmoil and terror as Wuhan citizens saw relatives die, and the overloaded hospitals struggling to contain the first wave of the coronavirus in Wuhan. Images that ignited world indignation in China were shared online. Also read: Fang Fang's Wuhan Diary May Shed Light on What Really Happened During Coronavirus Lockdown His last report should have been about a '"fang cang" makeshift hospital. But local officials were giving hostile overtures before he evaporated. Later many urns were spotted by the western media. An excerpt of a post on his Twitter says, "Chen Qiushi has been out of contact for 68 days after covering coronavirus in Wuhan. Please save him!!!, where is he now?" Fang Bin another Wuhan resident who was never seen in public after Februar 9, has raised the red flag on China's severe crackdown on those like him, ignoring his human right. China was given a seat in the UN's human rights committee later. Bin had several videos posted, but his video showing pathetic corpses thrown like mess into a bus was shocking. His arrest came later as a video showing him, getting manhandled by hazmat-wearing officers getting his temperature. Later, he was collected by the officers according to Radio Free Asia (RFA), that was not normal for most suspected corona-positives. He is gone with no trace while the crematoriums continue burning in Wuhan. Li Zehua, 25, a well-known reporter, has disappeared as well. She worked as a state broadcaster and CCTV employee. Li reported from Wuhan as an independent journalist. He vanished on February 26 as the government cracked down on what they considered as seditious news. Claim to fame is going to classified areas in Wuhan, and a huge banquet held in the center of the epidemic, with more hires needed to burn the Wuhanese in crematoriums reported by Radio Free Asia (RFA). Li later added that RFA was going to be the target of Beijing's secret police. With the disappearance of the three whistleblowers, many are asking where they are while urging China to reveal the truth about coronavirus. Related article: Wuhan Whistleblower Who Regrets Not Revealing Coronavirus Info Early, Disappears @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. SAGINAW, MI Organizers of the annual Fourth of July fireworks displays in Saginaw and Bay City say the 2020 events are still a go for now, though final decisions could come in June. The coronavirus pandemic has forced the cancellation or postponement of many spring and summer events in Michigan, including the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City and the Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival. Fireworks committees in Bay City and Saginaw are collecting empty pop cans and bottles as fundraisers in hopes their shows can go on this year. Citizens can drop off their unwanted returnables at any time to dump trucks parked at Warwick and Davenport streets in Saginaw Township, according to Saginaw Area Fireworks President Thomas Roy. As for Bay City, trailers are located at the Coco Loco parking lot on Euclid Avenue as well as Stans Goldmine on Wilder Road. It is such a great outpouring, said Roy of the cans and pop bottles collected so far in Saginaw. Raising money for the annual Saginaw show is a year-round effort and costs about $150,000 to put on each year. The Bay Citys Fireworks Festival group has also been seeing an outpouring of support from the community. Bay City Fireworks Festival President Doug Clark explained that the group has been busy collecting bags of cans from the trailers. The trailers would be overflowing if we just let them sit there, we have dozens and dozens of bags already," Clark said. "Our pile of cans is approximately 10 feet wide by approximately 30 feet long by 5 feet high. We are very appreciative of the community support. Clark explained that the organization is taking the utmost care in making sure that they minimize any risk while collecting donations. We ask that people bring cans and bottles in bags to make for easier pick up. We are emptying the trailers daily, each volunteer is wearing gloves to grab the bags of cans and we are storing them in our warehouse until a later date when we can cash them in. They will be sitting there for weeks so at the time when we can cash them in the virus should not be a problem with the CDC guidelines of the sustainability of the virus only being days," he said. The Saginaw committee plans to hold onto the cans and bottles also until returnable centers are open again. Clark expects Bay Citys trailers will be out until May 1. Some of the major ways the Saginaw fireworks committee collects money for the show are bingo games and other fundraisers. Since Gov. Gretchen Whitmers stay home, stay safe order, those fundraising efforts have been put on hold. However, Roy is still optimistic that this years show will go on. The annual show takes place on the Fourth of July at Ojibway Island. As for Bay Citys Festival, which is scheduled to take place over three nights from July 2- 4, the story is very much the same. The Bay City Fireworks Festival organization is optimistic about holding the event and is waiting to see how the COVID-19 pandemic will look in the next couple weeks before making any other decision. Our board has discussed the festival and we are of the opinion that we will wait for at least another 4-6 weeks to make a decision regarding cancellation or not," said Clark. By late May, early June, we are hoping that the country has a good handle on the virus and we can resume our normal activities. Clark said that the Bay City Fireworks Festival board will continue to monitor the medical communitys advice and make an informed decision. For now, Clark said that its a bit too early. I think now is way too early to make a decision for an event that is still over two months away, he said. The Bay City Fireworks Festival is still taking RV and vendor reservations at this time. But Clark said that plans are starting to form for a backup plan if the event ends up being canceled. If we are forced to cancel we will honor all reservations and sponsorships for either a later date or 2021," he said. Related news: Saginaw Public Schools rolls out new learning plan during coronavirus Bay County tosses pickleball court funding back and forth, sends request to committee Physical therapy firm offering free e-visits to mid-Michigan health care workers, first responders Bay County extends local state of emergency to May 12 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... Photo: The Canadian Press 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 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. Manvi Pant On March 22, 2016, three suicide bombings left Belgium shut, shaken and displaced: Two at Brussels Airport, and one at Maalbeek metro station in central Brussels. Thirty-five people were killed, and over 300 injured. One of those 300 was Jet Airways flight attendant Nidhi Chaphekar, lying on the floor of the airport in Zaventem. Unsure of being alive, her body slipped into a slump as she struggled to make sense of the world around her from a haze of thick black smoke. Recounting the horror, Nidhi tells eShe, I saw what was happening around me, for sure I was trying to collect myself, but my body wasnt responding. I was unable to move my legs. The first thought that struck me was, Thank God, I am alive. I need to get up and inform my family. In the aftermath of the explosions, Nidhi suffered from 25 percent burns, ruptured eardrums, lost a heel bone on the right side, and underwent seven grafts and 22 surgeries. I was broken into pieces, but I wasnt shattered, she says. Four years later, healing from the pain, hopelessness and anguish, Nidhi has written a book, Unbroken: The Brussels Terror Attack Survivor (Amaryllis), a chilling account of how the devastating experience overturned her life, and how she picked herself up piece by piece. April 17 marks the first anniversary of the demise of Jet Airways. When the airline was grounded due to financial problems, Nidhi was among those leading the efforts of a group of employees to revive the airline. They have been meeting people concerned, keeping track of the companys insolvency resolution process and counselling dejected employees living without salaries for months. Nidhi's book draws an interesting parallel of how her life was before and after the attack. In some parts, one can see an inspiring demonstration of human resilience. Nidhi displays intense clarity as she expresses her inner turmoil and psychological exhaustion. Insightful anecdotes give a specific form to emotions that might have otherwise remained elusive. The memoir also illustrates Nidhis unwavering faith in the divine power. She calls it positive energy that comes to us through different channels. For me, writing this memoir was like Gods calling. After I returned to India, people asked me a lot of questions that left me wondering. I did not know the answers to any as a result of the induced coma I was put into. I started fixing the puzzle by questioning my family, calling my doctors, or the nurses, and noted everything in the form of diary entries. Then one day, my mother prodded me, Why dont you write a book on your life? Tomorrow when you look back, you would be proud to see how far you have come. Incidentally, around that time, a news reporter asked me the same question. I said, Yes, I will try writing about it. The following day, the reporters newspaper headline was that Nidhi Chaphekar would be penning down her story. Nidhi was born the fourth girl child of her parents in a small town called Rajasansi in Amritsar district, Punjab. Growing up amidst stark gender inequalities in her town, she always questioned what it is that girls cant do. Despite her limited resources, she wanted to do something different with her life, and her mother, a teacher, lent her unwavering support. In class six, I changed schools and faced a lot of trouble. At that time, my mother told me: Its just your fear, dont let it overpower you, she recounts. And I never did, even at the time of the attack. When the explosions hit Brussels airport, I was lifted off the ground. When I opened my eyes, everything had turned into debris. People were lying in pools of blood. At that moment, I had a choice either I lost to the debilitating fear, or gathered strength to help others. I chose the latter. With torn clothes, burnt skin, crushed legs, and coming face-to-face with the worst of humanity yet fearlessly helping people, Nidhi displayed the power of her mothers words. After a few hours, paramedics took her to the hospital. Nidhis book gives one a better understanding of humankind, the way we see the world and our idea of being safe. It turns us inward, generates empathy. This thoughtful and inspiring memoir tells us that victims are a weapon to wound society by those deeply wounded themselves. It makes one realise that what happened that day in Belgium can happen anywhere if we fail to understand each other and dont stop discriminating. Lead image: This post-attack photo of Nidhi, shot by Ketevan Kardava, made it to the front page of The Guardian and New York Times. As governments in the Middle East isolate their populations to prevent the spread of coronavirus, attention is turning to the region's jails, where detainees face a more punishing form of lockdown. "Because of the pandemic, confinement is an additional punishment for the prisoners," said Kaddour Chouicha, 63, an engineering professor at Algeria's University of Oran and a human rights activist. Chouicha was detained in December. He is part of an anti-regime protest movement that toppled longtime autocrat Abdelaziz Bouteflika more than a year ago. Some Middle Eastern governments have released prisoners as part of their response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, while others have ignored pressure to do so. Iran has temporarily released 100,000 detainees, while Bahrain freed hundreds last month and Morocco and Tunisia have announced pardons that affect thousands of prisoners. Algeria too has pardoned some 5,000 inmates. But for those still languishing in jails, incarceration is a brutal experience. "You have to plan for the future," Chouicha said of surviving the prison time. "It's the only way." - 'Catastrophe brewing' - Egyptian authorities have rejected pleas to free up overcrowded jails, continuing to imprison dissidents even as COVID-19 infections in the country rise. Rights group Amnesty International last month urged Egypt to release "all activists and human rights defenders detained solely for peacefully expressing their views", along with pre-trial detainees and vulnerable prisoners. One former detainee, who preferred not to be identified out of fear of repercussions, said there was a "catastrophe brewing in prisons" in the country because of unsanitary conditions and overcrowding. "We used to dream of having the metal door to the cell opened even though it led to a hallway with a prison guard. Psychologically, that meant a lot to us," the ex-detainee and writer told AFP. He spent around two years in a cramped cell with some 25 other men in the Borg al-Arab prison, near the northern city of Alexandria, and recounted how a hole in the ground functioned as a rudimentary bathroom for showering and as a latrine. "We had a tattered blanket that we used as a door for privacy, and the little running water we had... would wash away all the filth on an already dirty cement floor," said the former inmate, who was released in late 2015. "We slept on our 'swords', meaning we lay on the floor next to each other on our sides. You couldn't sleep on your back, that was out of the question because of the lack of space," he added. He expressed fear that the fragile health of some prisoners would have been further strained by the authorities' decision to suspend family visits from last month, as many depend on such visits for medication supplies. The move would be taking a psychological toll too, he added. "Imagine you're in a room all by yourself with no access to the outside world," he said. "That's the feeling of a detainee... and it destroys you psychologically." - Not a priority - In war-torn Syria, the pandemic has put a spotlight back on the plight of political prisoners and long-term detainees. Syrian activist Wafa Mustafa is part of a group that wants the United Nations to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to free detainees. Last month, on Twitter she said it had been "2,464 days for my dad in #Assad prisons. Almost 7 years in fear, sadness, anger, and hope. I've always tried to avoid thinking: is he alive? Is he fine? Is he hungry? Will I ever see him again? "With the #Covid_19 disaster now, it's more difficult than ever to resist the pain," she wrote in English, posting an old photo of herself with her father. In Iran, Reza Khandan, husband of jailed human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, described on Facebook the situation in Tehran's Evin prison, where family phone calls have been limited. "The crowded meeting room is an ideal place for the virus to spread," he wrote, since many families have been forced to visit in person. Khandan said that according to his wife, there was an acute shortage of face masks and gloves to prevent the spread of the virus in the facility. Laleh Khalili, a political science professor at Queen Mary University of London who has written about jails in the region, was pessimistic about authoritarian regimes safeguarding the health of their populations, let alone detainees. In her view, some governments have been able to exploit the pandemic to exert further social control because their concerns about security "are far more important than... the public health of citizens". "The very threat of the illness can serve as a means of terrorising prisoners," she said. "Unfortunately the plight of prisoners will not be prioritised." burs/ff/lg/sw/je Egyptian authorities have rejected pleas to free up overcrowded jails Algerian policemen stand outside the El Harrach prison in a suburb of the capital Algiers One former detainee said there was a 'catastrophe brewing' in Egypt's prisons PORT SULPHUR, La. Residents of this small town of fishermen and offshore oil workers always have an eye toward disaster. Exposed on a remote peninsula where the Mississippi River enters the Gulf of Mexico and powerful hurricanes sweep in from the Atlantic, they live their lives in a cycle of dread and destruction, hope and recovery. Storms pass. Communities get rebuilt. Paychecks resume. Fish come back. But that has not been the case with the disaster that began on April 20, 2010. A decade after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, killing 11 men and releasing 3.2 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, the natural resources that sustained generations of fishermen and family businesses have yet to recover. The spill accelerated and intensified problems along this part of the Gulf Coast, including wetland loss, environmental degradation and poverty. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey and NASA found evidence that oil dramatically accelerated coastal erosion in some areas. Scientists also observed that fish populations sharply declined after the spill. Shawn Thompson, 47, used to harvest oysters and fish for shrimp in Barataria Bay. He struggled for years after oil and the chemicals used to disperse it fouled the Gulf until he could no longer support his four sons, giving up the work for a job running a local restaurant. Somethings not right with the water, he said. When youve been fishing all your life, and you lack an education, you dont have skills no trades, nothing just fishing. To go punch a clock, its hard. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Oil and oysters In the aftermath of the oil spill, residents clashed with government officials, BP representatives and nonprofits over the best way to clean up the area. The use of a toxic chemical dispersant in unprecedented quantities and the release of freshwater from the Mississippi River to push oil from the shore turned the Gulf of Mexico into what some residents describe as one big chemical experiment. The consequences: The oil and chemicals killed off plants and vegetation while the freshwater killed oysters and forced fish to migrate. As the vegetation died, the land eroded, leading to more frequent flooding. Neighbors packed up to leave. It had finally become too difficult to rebuild. BP said in a statement that it has helped the Gulf recover and remains proud of its progress. A spokesman defended the use of dispersants, which he said was coordinated with, and approved by, the federal government including the (Environmental Protection Agency) and U.S. Coast Guard. TEN YEARS AFTER: The tragedy of Deepwater Horizon Those who relied on the Gulf for their livelihoods took steep losses in the decade that followed the spill. The ones that remained say they are barely hanging on. Outside of oil fields and oysters, there isnt a whole lot else, said Toby Voisin, owner of Wilsons Oysters, a wholesale oyster processing company in Houma, on the other side of Barataria Bay, farther inland. Everything depends on those two. Voisin, who comes from a long line of oyster harvesters, said its difficult to point his finger at one specific cause of oyster population declines. But what he knows for sure is that his oysters are struggling to spawn 10 years after the oil spill. Its a scary outlook, he said. The river diversions that occurred in the aftermath of the spill were a factor, Voisin and other oyster harvesters say. The estuaries, accustomed to saltwater due to dams that prevent the Mississippi from flooding river towns, were inundated with freshwater, killing hundreds of thousands of acres of oyster beds and forcing fish that rely on high salinity water, such as shrimp and speckled trout, to abandon the area. A decade later, the oyster harvest is down 50 percent, according to data from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Reports issued by the agency attribute declines to the aftermath of the spill as well as recent flooding. Docks that used to bustle with more than two dozen boats to fish oyster beds now stand empty. Just a handful of fishermen go out every day. They come back with smaller catches. Its why Voisin, an eighth-generation oysterman, isnt advising any of his three children to become the ninth. The oyster industry is on the ropes big time, he said. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Tourists forget, water doesnt On the west side of Barataria Bay, about 30 miles down a toll bridge that crosses more water than land, Grand Isle has long beckoned fishermen with promises of bounty and beauty. Since the oil washed up on their beaches 10 years ago, commercial and recreational fishermen take boats farther and farther offshore to find fewer fish. Business has never fully recovered for Dean Blanchard, who owns one of the largest commercial shrimping businesses in the United States. In 2009, Blanchards business hauled 11 million pounds of shrimp and fish. In 2019, his catch is down by nearly half, to 6.6 million pounds. Revenues are down 30 percent from a decade ago. Blanchard is well-known for his hyperbolic political testimonies on behalf of the commercial fishing industry. In the aftermath of Deepwater Horizon, Blanchard, whose business accounts for about 10 percent of the shrimp caught in the United States, was a key character in the regions post-Deepwater Horizon narrative, appearing before Congress and on TV, and ultimately obtaining a significant, undisclosed settlement from BP six years after the spill. Blanchard and many other people in the region say they feel lied to: The offshore oil industry promised to operate safely before the spill. The government promised to clean up after the spill. Residents say oil still washes on shore as tar balls. I wouldve never took that settlement if I had known the truth, Blanchard said. We ought to be able to go back and sue BP again. Who ever thought this wouldve lasted 10 years? FUEL FIX: Get energy news sent directly to your inbox The tourism industry suffered from perceptions that the area was polluted after the spill, but the tourists eventually came back. Real estate values and restaurant traffic rebounded as the memory of pelicans covered in oil gradually faded. Carolyn Angelette, who runs a real estate firm on the island, moved to Grand Isle with her husband in 1993. Angelette, whose company markets second homes, hesitates to call herself a local (theres a 30-year minimum, at least, she jokes) but speaks authoritatively about the oil spill. Before the spill, oceanfront property on the island cost around $3,000 per linear foot. Today, it runs between $2,400 and $2,800, she said. What hurt us the most, she said, was the 2010 oil spill. It knocked us down, and we are still recovering. It was worse than the Great Recession, she said. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Living good back then Offshore oil workers didnt escape the economic impact of the spill, either. Rocky Moore, a crane operator who works in the industry in Houma, about 60 miles southwest of New Orleans, said the spill didnt dissuade him from working offshore he continued to do so for nearly another 10 years but the money was never the same. Before the spill, when Moore worked offshore for Cal Dive International, a Houston pipeline company, his six-figure salary was well beyond what he ever dreamed of when he first headed offshore at 19. I was living good back then, he said. A motor home, motorcycles, a boat he had all the toys. But troubles began for his company when the Obama administration temporarily halted offshore drilling following Deepwater Horizon, and they ended in 2015 when an oil bust drove Cal Dive International into bankruptcy. Moore found another job offshore, but for just more than half of what he made before the Deepwater Horizon disaster. He sold his recreational vehicles to keep his house. Two years ago, he took his first job on land. The money isnt the same, but its paying the bills, he said. Attitudes toward the energy industry changed after Deepwater Horizon, not so much that the community rejected oil and gas, but that fewer young people became interested in working offshore and fewer families encouraged them to do so. Dee Price, a recreational fishing guide in Grand Isle, said his 25-year-old son works in the oil industry as a commercial welder. When his son was younger, he idolized working offshore good money and exciting, hard work. But after Deepwater Horizon, he changed his mind and took a land job, Price said. His sons decision, he explained, was a safety issue. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer A future funded by BP Deepwater Horizon continues to have major implications not only culturally and economically, but also politically. As Louisianas wetlands disappear at an alarming rate the state has lost about 2,000 square miles of wetlands since 1932, according to the Geological Survey the state government for years has debated the best way to address the problem, which will be funded by a $7.2 billion BP settlement dedicated to coastal restoration. On both sides of the Barataria Bay, what to do with the BP money is a topic of constant conversation. Spending the money requires federal approval, and much of the work, which would include dredging the bay and restoring eroded land, hasnt started. A master plan is still in the works. The most controversial project among shrimpers and oyster harvesters is a proposed $2 billion plan to divert freshwater and sediment from the Mississippi River into Barataria Bay. Environmentalists largely support the diversions as a sustainable way to rebuild land from the sediment long into the future. Diverting the river to estuaries, proponents argue, would simply return the river to what it did naturally more than 100 years ago, before the Army Corps of Engineers corralled it with dams, increasing the salinity of marshes and creating an artificial environment in which oysters thrived. The Mississippi River cant freshen the whole Gulf, said David Muth, a director at Restore the Mississippi River Delta, a coalition of environmental groups advocating for the river diversions. Theres always going to be appropriate habitat. TEXAS INC: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox The commercial and recreational fishing industry opposes the river diversion because it would, as it did 10 years ago, drive fish and oysters away. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Mitch Jurisich, a third-generation oyster harvester in Empire, a town on the east side of Barataria Bay, argues that flooding marshes with freshwater would mean giving up the legacy of his family, which emigrated from Croatia and started in the oyster industry 100 years ago. Jurisich, one of the largest oyster suppliers in Louisiana and a member of the Louisiana Oyster Task Force, which advocates for the industry, received a settlement from BP of around $30 million for the damage to his 15,000 acres of oyster grounds. People think BP made us rich, he said. My family was rich in the oyster industry. It doesnt replace what my normal oyster practices can produce. His son, Nathan, 29, wants to continue the family business into a fourth generation. Steering a boat into the bays open water, the younger Jurisich pointed to patch of water, where his family owns an oyster lease. His grandparents house once stood there before coastal erosion and the encroaching bay claimed it. You cant be negative and be in this business, Nathan Jurisich said after harvesting a few oysters. Otherwise, with oysters dying and everything else, itll take a toll on you. erin.douglas@chron.com twitter.com/erinmdouglas23 Winnipeg will broaden its 311 service to help elderly residents during 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. Winnipeg will broaden its 311 service to help elderly residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting immediately, seniors can call 311 to be connected with A & O: Support Services for Older Adults, which has partnered with several organizations to help deliver groceries, medications and some social services. "I know of some very, very heartbreaking circumstances that seniors (now) find themselves in. They cant get out, they cant get to the pharmacy or the store and they are isolated even more than usual during these difficult times," said Liberal MP Terry Duguid, who represents Winnipeg South. Health Canada has warned that older adults are among those most at risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19 and has advised them to stay home as much as possible. The federal government will provide $170,000 for the 311 initiative, which will also be supported by the Winnipeg Foundation. Skip the Dishes, Winnipeg Harvest and the local branch of the Canadian Automobile Association will also participate. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman. While other resource centres may only have the capacity to answer phones during weekday business hours, Mayor Brian Bowman said the connection through 311 will allow seniors to ask for help 24/7. 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. "This is a temporary initiative during this (COVID-19) battle. Its a way that we can leverage our existing resources to better connect them with people in our community," said Bowman. Connie Walker, president and chief executive officer of United Way Winnipeg, said there appears to be a clear need for this type of support. Walker said her office has received many calls for help from older adults in recent days, including one from an isolated military veteran whose family doesnt live close by. "(He) had no idea how he was going to make it through the coming weeks and months. His last words to one of our staff people (were) pray for me. We connected him with resources but Im so glad so many other older adults will now be able to access the kind of support they need," said Walker. Amanda Macrae, chief executive officer of A & O Support Services for Older Adults, said the program will fill "a huge void" for Winnipeggers who are doing their best to follow advice to stay home. Joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga (Photo : Webaroo on Unsplash ) Coronavirus Infects Computers Too: Google Discovers COVID-19 Malicious Emails Sent Worldwide (Photo : Google ) Coronavirus Infects Computers Too: Google Discovers COVID-19 Malicious Emails Sent Worldwide (Photo : Google ) Coronavirus Infects Computers Too: Google Discovers COVID-19 Malicious Emails Sent Worldwide Google has recently revealed that out of the 100 million phishing emails sent to various Gmail accounts every day, 18 million of them were posed as Coronavirus emails. This means that not all emails referring to COVID-19 must be open right away by users. If you can, delete it instantly. Google: Out of 100 million phishing emails; 18 million have COVID-19 info inside it On Thursday, Apr. 16, Google recorded a huge number of malicious emails sent to people worldwide. These emails were posed as Coronavirus messages-- most refer to the United States stimulus package and others explain work-from-home setup from fake employers. Once you received these kinds of emails, make sure to delete it right away and do not send any forms of money from the provided accounts. As explained in the blog post, out of the 100 million phishing emails discovered by Google from the past weeks, 18 million from these refer to COVID-19. "Security is at the top of the priority list, and phishing is still one of the most effective methods that attackers use to compromise accounts and gain access to company data and resources. In fact, bad actors are creating new attacks and scams every day that attempt to take advantage of the fear and uncertainty surrounding the pandemic," written by Google. Some of the COVID-19 phishing emails that were circulated worldwide pose as government emails such as the World Health Organization (WHO). One example shows that the fake agency was making a donation box for others affected by the virus. These emails tend to make users donate money from their bank accounts. Other scams involve the stimulus package directly sent to small business owners. Hackers ask personal info from owners, such as bank accounts. Once you've sent your info, the hackers will now deduct and steal money from your account. Don't download any files from any COVID-19 emails Aside from phishing purposes, Google has also discovered that some of the COVID-19 emails sent were made to hack the device you're using. Just like the above picture, the hacker wants the user to download a certain attached file from the email. Most people tend to fall to this trap since the amount of panic surrounding the virus increased compared to before. If you happen to receive these kinds of emails, Google said that it is safer for users to delete these emails right away, or don't ever download any COVID-19 files being sent by unknown senders. Google blocks phishing emails 99.9% all the time For your safety, Google has explained that their company has now implemented stricter monitoring of all emails sent worldwide. "Our [machine learning] models have evolved to understand and filter these threats, and we continue to block more than 99.9% of spam, phishing, and malware from reaching our users," Google said. Still, it is up to you. ALSO READ: [BEWARE] ACSC Advices the Public to Ignore the Suspicious Coronavirus-Related SMS Urging to Click Malicious Link 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. More than 8,000 hospital admissions - both in-patient and day-case procedures - have been cancelled in Northern Ireland over the past month. Since the start of April alone some 2,733 elective admissions have not taken place here. Over the past fortnight, this consisted of 220 inpatient admissions, 2,377 day-case admissions, and 136 regular attenders. The figures highlight the impact of coronavirus on the wider health system. Many routine procedures and appointments have had to be postponed. Since March 18, a total of 8,365 elective admissions have not taken place. Broken down by category, it means 7,303 elective day-care admissions, 776 elective in-patient admissions, and 286 appointments by regular attenders have all been cancelled. The Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) yesterday apologised to patients, insisting it is the result of emergency planning for the pandemic. In a statement to this newspaper, the board said: "As part of HSC-wide 'surge' planning in relation to coronavirus (Covid-19), routine appointments, tests, and surgeries across Northern Ireland were cancelled. "This was to free up much-needed capacity and resources to allow our dedicated, skilled and professional staff to care for the most seriously ill Covid-19 patients, whilst at the same time ensuring that other patients could continue to access a wide range of urgent health and social care services." Apologising to patients, the HSCB acknowledged their patience and understanding in what it described as "these exceptional circumstances". It added: "Every effort will be made to undertake additional activity in elective specialties after the pandemic to ensure patients whose procedures have been postponed are seen in a timely way. "However, this will be heavily dependent on the availability of additional non-recurrent funding to address the gap between normal funded health service capacity and the additional demand for assessment and/or treatment." Across the UK it is estimated that 2.1 million routine operations have been cancelled from this week for at least three months, as hospitals in all four regions prepare for the coronavirus peak to hit services. Joint replacements, cataract removals and hernia repairs are among the elective surgeries postponed until "further notice". This action will, according to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, free up around 12,000 beds for Covid-19 patients. With the country again seized by a global health epidemic and economic turmoil, Biden is leaning on this record as voters determine whom they can best trust in a crisis, a judgment both Democrats and Republicans believe will be at the forefront of voters minds in November. As President Trump tries to portray the former vice president as a bumbling bureaucrat, Biden is touting his experience and the Obama administrations approach to handling crisis and directly contrasting it with the response to the novel coronavirus by Trump and his federal team. Police in Warwickshire are urging the public to stay vigilant of fraud during the coronavirus pandemic. During the pandemic criminals have been exploiting the countrys lockdown by taking advantage of innocent people, in particular the elderly and the vulnerable. Fraudsters purporting to be from the police or a bank are targeting elderly and vulnerable people to try and steal money from their accounts. This type of scam is known as courier fraud, where criminals call victims pretending to be from the police, their bank or another organisation. They will try to establish trust with the victim by confirming basic details such as the victims name and address and ask the victim to call back on a number to check if the call is genuine. The fraudster may advise the victim that their bank account is the subject of a fraud investigation and money has to be transferred or withdrawn, or they may say that police require a sum of money by way of evidence. Either way, they are providing a false story in the hope of stealing the victims money. This week a 21-year-old man from London has been charged with an offence of fraud following an operation by Warwickshire Police. Detective Chief Inspector Jon Belcher from Warwickshire Police said: Courier fraud is a crime that preys on some of the most vulnerable in society, with those who fall victim often losing substantial amounts of money. If you receive a call from someone out of the blue claiming to be from the police and asking for your personal information, banking details and/or money, I would urge you to hang up the phone and report it. It is vitally important you dont give out any personal information to the caller. When you do report an incident of this nature, the more information you provide, any small detail that may seem insignificant at the time, can go a long way in helping us to identify the offender(s), as was shown by the arrest made on Wednesday. I would also encourage people to think about their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or any other elderly friends or relatives to make sure they know how to avoid scams such as these and what they can do if they have been a victim of a scam. These are despicable crimes that are understandably very upsetting for victims who are often left feeling that their security at home has been violated, and we will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice. The police or your bank will never: Contact you out of the blue and ask for your personal details, including your PIN number, password or account details Ask you to transfer money into another account for fraud reasons Ask you to withdraw cash and hand to someone for safe keeping Send someone to your home to collect cash, bank cards, account details or PIN numbers Protect yourself If you are unsure whether someone on the phone is genuine, hang up and then use a different line to call the organisation they are purporting to be from using a number from the phonebook or internet to verify their identity Dont give out your personal information to anyone over the phone, including your PIN number and bank account or card details If you have given out your personal banking details to someone over the phone or have given someone your card details, contact your bank immediately to cancel your card Where to go for help Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das on Friday said the central bank will ensure adequate liquidity in the system to ease the financial stress caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The central bank reduced the reverse repo rate the rate at which banks park their fund with the central bank by 25 basis points to 3.75 per cent. This will encourage banks to lend to the productive sectors of the economy. With regard to other measures, Das said RBI will begin with giving an additional Rs 50,000 crore through targeted long-term repo operation (TLTRO) to be undertaken in tranches. Besides, he announced a re-financing window of Rs 50,000 crore for financial institutions like Nabard, National Housing Bank and Sidbi. He further said surplus liquidity in the banking system has increased substantially as result of central bank's actions. CPI infaltion for March declined by 70 bps to 5.9 percent. This is however, based on data gathered up to March 19. The data showed softening of food inflation by around 160 bps on account of easing of prices of vegetables, eggs, pulses, meat, fish, etc. In other categories of CPI inflation pressure remain firm said RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das RBI has injected 3.2 percent of GDP into the economy to tackle liquidity situation, Das said This is the second time that the governor addressed the media since the nationwide lockdown was imposed from March 25. People online have reacted with outrage to a video of an allegedly racially-motivated attack on a Chinese restaurant in Galway. The video, which appeared online earlier this evening, shows a small group of two men and two women shouting expletives and threatening staff members inside the restaurant. An Israeli Coronavirus treatment that successfully cured seven severely ill patients in Israel tested the first US patient. The US treatment was authorized under the US Food and Drug Administration's Single Patient Expanded Access Program, which is part of the US Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program. This is an emergency program dedicated to treating coronavirus patients as quickly as possible The US patient was treated at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey with the company's PLX cell therapy. Pluristem is already running a Phase III critical limb ischemia study. Similar to patients treated in Israel, this patient was critically ill with respiratory failure due to acute respiratory distress syndrome and was intubated in an intensive care unit for three weeks. Pluristem Therapeutics uses placentas to grow smart cells, and programs them to secrete therapeutic proteins in the bodies of sick patients. Pluristem Therapeutics Inc, a biotech company, based in Haifa, reported that they applied their treatment to seven Israeli patients who had a severe respiratory failure, and they have survived. According to the Jerusalem Post, "The patients were approved for treatment under the compassionate use program and exhibited respiratory failure requiring intubation in the ICU. Four of the patients had multi-system organ failure, including heart and kidney failure." "The seven patients were treated with Pluristem's allogeneic placental expanded (PLX) cells. Essentially, these cells can potentially suppress or reverse the dangerous over-activation of the immune system that causes death in many coronavirus patients. All seven of the patients who received the drug survived and four patients saw an improvement in respiration. One patient is still alive but saw a continued deterioration of their respiratory system." Pluristem is concentrating on conducting a multinational clinical study and on expanding compassionate use in other countries as well. Pluristem CEO and President, Yaky Yanay, stated, "We are pleased with this initial outcome of the compassionate use program, and committed to harnessing PLX cells for the benefit of patients and healthcare systems. In order to maximize PLX cells' impact on patient recovery and to work towards making our treatment widely available, we plan to quickly move forward into a clinical development program." Meanwhile, the company's stock price skyrocketed; the price has more than doubled in a short time. Which presents high expectations for this Israeli COVID-19 treatment. A female motorist has been arrested by the East Legon Police for refusing to stop at a COVID-19 snap checkpoint, ended up knocking down a police officer yesterday in Accra. Trudy Boatemaa, the suspect was said to be driving a Hyundai Santa Fe with registration number GE 2309-18 from the direction of American House along Boundary Road when she was hailed to stop at a place called Under Bridge. According to DSP Afia Tenge Accra Regional Police Command PRO the suspect hit the police officer who sustained injuries on both legs and was rushed to the Police Hospital where he was treated. The suspect reportedly rained insults on the police officers and threatened to deal with them. ---Daily Guide Black people in New York City are twice as likely to die from coronavirus as white people, shocking new data has revealed. Grim figures released Friday by the city's Health Department show the devastating impact the pandemic is wreaking on New York's African American communities, where residents are dying from the virus more than any other racial group. Fears have been mounting for black communities all across the US as state officials and lawmakers warn the outbreak is hitting African Americans hardest, highlighting the systemic racial inequality that continues to exist. The CDC has been urged to be more transparent about the virus' toll on communities of color, while Oprah Winfrey made an impassioned plea to black people to take the outbreak seriously because it is 'taking us out'. In the virus epicenter New York, 1,999 black or African American people have been killed by coronavirus across the five boroughs as of April 16, according to the NYC Health Department data. Grim figures released Friday by the city's Health Department show the devastating impact the pandemic is wreaking on New York's black communities This means their deaths make up a third (33.2 percent) of the city's total death toll, despite accounting for just 22 percent of the city's population. White people make up the next highest number of deaths (1,861) and 30.9 percent of the city's death toll - however white people account for at least 43 percent of all residents. Fatalities among Hispanic or Latino people stood at 1,696 deaths and 463 Asian people have died. The stark data also shows that black residents are twice as likely as white people to die if they contract the virus, with 92.3 people in every 100,000 cases dying compared to 45.2 deaths per every 100,000 cases in white people. Hispanic and Latino residents also have a higher risk of fatality from the virus than white people, with 74.3 in every 100,000 cases resulting in death. Black residents are also more than twice as likely as white people to have a non-fatal hospitalization, showing that this group is more severely impacted by symptoms. The stark data also shows that black residents are twice as likely as white people to die if they contract the virus, with 92.3 people in every 100,000 cases dying compared to 45.2 deaths per every 100,000 cases in white people The worrying trend comes hot on the heels of equally dire preliminary figures released by City Hall last week that showed African Americans made up 28 percent of coronavirus deaths and Hispanic residents 34 percent. The stats were even more harrowing outside the city into the wider state of New York, where black New Yorkers made up 18 percent of coronavirus deaths and yet only 9 percent of the population. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio blasted what he described as 'profound healthcare disparities' 'sick' and 'troubling'. 'The disparities that have plagued this city, this nation that are all about fundamental inequality are once again causing such pain and causing innocent people to lose their lives,' he said in a press briefing on April 8. People line up for a testing center in Queens Tuesday. 1,999 black or African American people have been killed by coronavirus across the five boroughs of NYC as of April 16 'It's sick. It's troubling. It's wrong. The pain it's causing, the death it's causing, tracks with other profound health care disparities that we have seen for decades in this city.' Governor Andrew Cuomo last week vowed to investigate the racial disparities in coronavirus deaths and to ramp up testing in minority communities. 'Why are more African Americans and Latinos affected?' Cuomo said at his daily press briefing Wednesday. 'We're seeing this around the country. Comorbidity, I understand that, but I think there's something more to it. You know, it always seems that the poorest people pay the highest price. Why is that? Whatever the situation is.' Cuomo compared the disparities in the virus deaths to the inequality seen after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. 'The people standing on those rooftops were not rich white people,' he said. 'Let's figure it out. Let's do the work. Let's do the research. Let's learn from these moment and let's learn these lessons and let's do it now.' New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (right) last week vowed to investigate the racial disparities in coronavirus deaths and to ramp up testing in minority communities, while NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio (left) has blasted what he described as 'profound health care disparities' 'sick' and 'troubling' Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has repeatedly voiced concerns over the disparity between the outbreak in her district of New York which includes parts of the Bronx and Queens - home to many communities of color - and other wealthier and more white areas. 'Ultimately, it's inequality that's the preexisting condition. You can't just go to someone and tell them, 'Hey. You should have had health care this whole time when you're working an hourly job and your employer doesn't give it to you',' AOC said on The View on Wednesday. 'When a pandemic like this hits or even any natural disaster like a hurricane, like what we saw in hurricane Katrina or hurricane Maria, they don't happen in a vacuum, they happen when communities are disproportionately located on the front line. 'Here in New York City, about 55 per cent of our front line workers, including grocery store workers, delivery workers and more, are black and brown. 'It's tragic, but it is also no surprise that it's impacting the vulnerable the most.' A map of coronavirus cases by NYC zip code revealed that the city's poorest neighborhoods are being hardest hit by the pandemic AOC last week called for black and brown communities to get coronavirus reparations, saying that a history of inequality has left them at higher risk of suffering from the deadly virus. New York is by no means alone with this worrying issue, as data across several states shows African Americans are being disproportionately hit by the deadly virus. Several lawmakers and community leaders have started sounding the alarm over the disturbing trend for the virus killing African American communities. Among the cities where black residents have been hard-hit include Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans and Milwaukee. In Chicago, 72 percent of the deaths have been black residents despite them only making up 30 percent of the city's population. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday that the coronavirus was 'devastating' African American communities. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, left, said Wednesday 'inequality is a pre-existing condition' as she appeared on The View, telling the panel it's 'no surprise' the vulnerable are being worst hit 'The answer that we believe is right is because of the underlying conditions that people of color and particularly black folks suffer from, whether it's diabetes, heart disease, upper respiratory illnesses, the kind of things that we've been talking about for a long time that plague black Chicago, that lead to life expectancy gaps,' Lightfoot said. 'This virus attacks those underlying conditions with a vengeance.' In Louisiana, where New Orleans is a major hot spot for the virus, about 70 per cent of those who have died were black. Black people only make up 32 per cent of residents in the state. A history of systemic racism and inequity in access to healthcare and economic opportunity has made many African Americans far more vulnerable to the virus. Black adults suffer from higher rates of obesity, diabetes and asthma, which make them more susceptible, and also are more likely to be uninsured. They also often report that medical professionals take their ailments less seriously when they seek treatment. Many African Americans have service jobs such as bus drivers, pharmacy workers and grocery store employees, which have become essential during the lockdown. CHICAGO: 72 percent of the deaths in Chicago have been black residents. They account for 30 percent of the city's population ILLINOIS: In Illinois, the majority of deaths - 42.8 percent - have been linked to black residents It prevents them from staying at home and increases their exposure to the virus through contact with the public - while white people across the US are more likely to have jobs where they can work from home. OPRAH WINFREY WARNS VIRUS IS 'RAVAGING' BLACK COMMUNITIES Oprah Winfrey issued a public plea to African Americans to take the coronavirus outbreak seriously, in an interview with CBS This Morning on Tuesday. The TV mogul said the outbreak continued to have a devastating impact on black communities across the United States but that people weren't getting the message about the risk of asymptomatic carriers. Winfrey said it was important for black people to understand that pre-existing conditions including diabetes and asthma put them at greater risk if they contract the virus. 'It's not only ravaging our community, but people who have preexisting conditions, which I think people didn't hear that,' she said, adding the pandemic is 'taking us out'. Oprah Winfrey told how coronavirus is having a devastating impact on the black community Advertisement President Donald Trump and the government's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, acknowledged the issue during a White House briefing earlier this month, with Trump calling it a 'tremendous challenge', but the president is yet to launch efforts to solve it. Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday introduced legislation to compel federal health officials to post data daily that breaks down COVID-19 cases and deaths by race and ethnicity. The lawmakers say the demographic data is needed to address any disparities in the national response to the coronavirus outbreak. 'Because of government-sponsored discrimination and systemic racism, communities of color are on the frontlines of this pandemic,' Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, one of several sponsors of the legislation in the Senate, said in a statement. 'To effectively slow the spread of the virus and ensure our response is robust and equitable, we need comprehensive national data on who is getting infected, who is getting treatment, and who is dying.' The CDC is facing increasing pressure to be more transparent about the toll of the virus on communities of color. The agency has not publicly reported racial or ethnic demographic data for coronavirus tests performed across the country, though its own standardized form required for reporting tests and cases includes a section for indicating the race or ethnicity of those tested. CDC data revealed last week that African Americans have made up 33 percent of US hospitalizations from coronavirus despite being just 13 percent of the population, but the data was criticized for being limited. Siaya Catholic priest Richard Oduor was on Thursday charged before a Milimani court with spreading the coronavirus. Fr Oduor was first arraigned at the Nairobi court Tuesday where the prosecution asked the court to remand him for five days to allow the police to complete investigations. However, Magistrate Martha Nanzushi granted orders to have him detained for two more days at the Kileleshwa Police Station. On Thursday, Oduor denied knowingly spreading the coronavirus and asked the court to free him on reasonable bail terms. Magistrate Martha released him on Sh500,000 cash bail. The Senior resident magistrate further directed that the priest goes into a 14-day self-quarantine at Assisi house on Adams Arcade which is run by the Franciscan Sisters of St. Josephs. His lawyer had objected to the additional 14 days quarantine arguing that the accused was discharged after testing negative. However, the court said he must self-quarantine, adding the priest does not know what self-quarantine is and that is why the courts are there. Oduor returned to the country from Rome on March 11 and spent a day at Utawala in Nairobi before travelling home(Ambira) on March 13 where he conducted the burial of a close relative. He later returned to Nairobi and exhibited symptoms of COVID-19 prompting his admission to hospital where he tested positive and was placed under mandatory quarantine. A Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Edward Van Gyampo, has called for broader consultation among the government, political parties and other stakeholders to build consensus on whether to hold the December 7, 2020 elections or not. He said the devastation caused by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) required actors in the political space to work closely with public health officials, security and governance experts to carefully consider the health, public safety, security risks, democratic and constitutional imperatives and implications of the decision to go ahead with the elections. Prof. Gyampo made the call in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday. The outbreak of COVID-19 has caused a global scare and brought businesses and other activities to a standstill. In Ghana, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo imposed restrictions on all forms of public gatherings, including political activities, funerals, service in churches and mosques. Following those restrictions, the Electoral Commission (EC) has put on hold its processes to compile a new voters register for the elections. Political parties have also suspended their activities and internal preparations towards the 2020 elections. With the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 increasing by the day, there are concerns that the development could affect the conduct of this years elections. Postponement In that regard, Prof. Gyampo said the elections risked being postponed because of the pandemic, but stressed that dealing with such a situation required deeper engagements by the key actors. He said even if the stakeholders agreed to go ahead with the elections, it would require putting in place drastic measures to allay the fears of the electorate about getting infected in the voting process. He noted that anything short of that could affect voter turnout due to the fear of infection, a situation that might compromise the legitimacy of the elections and acceptability of its outcomes. Given the timing of COVID-19 on the political calendar of Ghana, there is no longer the need for protracted debate as to whether we need a new voters register or not. The EC must work with its key stakeholders to decide on the modalities to carry out its intention in the wake of the pandemic. On the other hand, if COVID-19 constitutes enough force majeure that makes a compelling case for abandoning the intention to compile a new register, the EC must quickly think through a contingency plan that re-psyches public confidence in the old register which has been bastardised by previous utterances, he suggested. The EC, political parties, NCCE, civil society and all the agencies of civic and political socialisation and education may be required to fashion a novel educational drive that prepares the citizenry for the elections and enjoins them to be calm and very cautious in walking the tightrope of exercising their franchise without necessarily spreading or contracting the COVID-19, he said. Special voting In view of the pandemic, Prof. Gyampo recommended that if there was the need to go ahead with the elections, the country ought to adopt a special voting module. Given our social distance protocols, the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) recommends special voting that allows citizens to remotely cast their votes through postal, internet and mobile technology to reduce the health hazards of voting in person, he said. He, however, observed that the challenge with that module for Ghana was that it looked non-feasible because of the countrys logistical constraints. The adoption of alternative methods for voting would require swift public education. Unfortunately, common public education and reception to public learning are quite problematic in Ghana. Indeed, recent evidence in enforcing basic partial lockdown rules and social distance protocols supports this assertion. Background Articles 63 and 112 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana sets the timelines for holding Presidential and Parliamentary Elections. Article 63(2)(a) requires the presidential election to take place not earlier than four months nor later than a month before the term of office expires. Per Article 112 (4), parliamentary elections must be held within thirty days before the expiration of a Session of Parliament. Furthermore, Ghanas presidential and parliamentary elections have been held together since 1996, hence putting the time for organising both elections some time during the month of December 2020. Source: Daily Graphic 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 19:43:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's flagship airline Cathay Pacific will close its cabin crew bases in the United States involving near 300 flight attendants due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company Friday told Xinhua. A spokesperson for Cathy Pacific said that the COVID-19 pandemic has virtually halted global travel, and the company decided to close all three cabin crew bases in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. "A total of 286 staff are working across these three bases in the United States, and we are now negotiating with these workers and the labor union about the closure," the spokesperson said. Apart from its U.S. bases, Cathay Pacific also has cabin crew based outside Hong Kong in cities including London, Singapore and Vancouver. And according to Hong Kong local newspapers, the company also announced in March to close its cabin crew base in Vancouver, which involved about 150 staff. With the spreading of the COVID-19, many countries and regions have banned entry of tourists, and airlines worldwide have cut flights drastically. Cathay Pacific Thursday released a report on its passenger and cargo volume in March, showing that the company carried 90 percent fewer passengers in March and 52 percent fewer passengers in the first quarter than it did in the same periods last year. "Passenger demand dropped rapidly and tremendously in late March following the introduction of arrival restrictions on all non-resident visitors to Hong Kong, including transit passengers. On each of the last two days of March we carried fewer than 1,000 passengers only," the company's chief customer and commercial officer Ronald Lam said in the report. While seeing a reduction on passenger flights, Cathay Pacific continues to operate a full freighter schedule. "Our cargo volumes were down, but load factors and yield were up due to air cargo capacity reduction in the global market," Lam said. To support global supply chains, the company has increased cargo capacity in the form of more freighter flights as well as of a total of 257 pairs of cargo-only passenger flights in March. Although the global market is reeling from the effects of the pandemic, Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland witness a rebound in exports following a weaker February after the resumption of production in the mainland. Lam said the company saw a surge in demand for medical supplies, ranging from face masks to protective clothing, hand sanitizer and other pharmaceutical products, while the volume of consumer goods such as garments and automobile parts declined. Lam said it's hard to predict a recovery timeline in the customer demand as there is still no improvement in the advance passenger bookings. Looking at the prospects for April and May, Lam said Cathy Pacific will be operating a bare skeleton passenger flight schedule. "We are exploring all options to ensure that the Cathay Pacific Group rides out this current storm, and is able to compete vigorously and to help Hong Kong recover when we emerge from this crisis." Lam said. Enditem JOHANNESBURG (AP) The worlds richest countries agreed Wednesday to freeze poor nations debt obligations, shortly after nearly 20 European and African leaders made a joint appeal for a massive international effort to boost Africas coronavirus response, saying that only a global victory that fully includes Africa can bring this pandemic to an end. Finance ministers of the G-20 group of major economies, which includes the U.S., China, India and others, said they will immediately put on hold poor countries obligations to service debt they owe. The statement issued after a videoconference put to rest concerns that China would block such a measure, which is aimed at helping the poorest nations focus their spending on healthcare and assistance to vulnerable people to contain the outbreak and its fallout. The joint appeal signed by the leaders of France, Ethiopia, Germany, South Africa and other nations, published in the Financial Times, had called for dramatic measures that include an immediate moratorium on all debt payments, public and private, until the pandemic is over. While the G-20 did not specify how many countries would benefit, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said 76 countries were eligible for the moratorium, including about 40 in sub-Saharan Africa. Debt payments worth $20 billion will be suspended including $8 billion owed to private creditors and $12 billion owed to other countries, he said. An additional $12 billion in debt payments to multilateral institutions like the World Bank are also under consideration for a debt freeze. The freeze on debt repayments will last through the end of this year and could be extended. This is a powerful, fast-acting initiative that will do much to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of millions of the most vulnerable people, said World Bank Group President David Malpass and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in a joint statement. African officials have joined forces to appeal for billions of dollars in financial assistance and improve their position in the global competition with richer countries for badly needed medical equipment. The African Union appointed four special envoys to mobilize support and created a platform to help the continents 54 countries bulk-buy medical goods at more accessible prices. While virus cases among Africas 1.3 billion people total more than 16,000, health experts have said the continent is weeks behind the U.S. and Europe in the pandemic and the rise in cases looks alarmingly similar to Europes. Story continues As the world braces for potential waves of the virus, the joint appeal said no region will be safe if Africa, with largely weak health systems, is left to fend for itself. An unprecedented effort is required, the joint appeal said, directly addressing the World Bank and IMF. We must deploy a huge economic stimulus package of at least $100 billion to give Africa the resources it needs to fight the virus. The continent risks falling into its first recession in a quarter-century, the World Bank has said. The IMF on Monday approved $500 million to cancel six months of debt payments for 25 of the worlds most impoverished countries, including 19 African ones, so they can help tackle the pandemic. On Wednesday, the IMF said sub-Saharan Africa could see minus-1.6% growth this year, the lowest level on record. Recent strides in development could be reversed, it said, and no country will be spared. Calls for assistance have been growing at the highest levels. In his Easter message, Pope Francis called for debt forgiveness for the worlds poorest countries, saying they are being hardest hit by the pandemic and must not be abandoned. Africas debt-to-GDP ratio has climbed from 30% in 2012 to 95% today, said French President Emmanuel Macron in an interview posted Wednesday with Radio France Internationale. So we absolutely must help Africa to strengthen its capacities, he said. It is a moral, human duty, Macron added, calling on China, a major lender to African nations, to help. He's also pushing for debt rescheduling and, in some cases, debt cancellation. Oxfam and more than 200 other groups have called for cancellation of all debt payments from developing countries so that suspended debt payments don't accrue into the future. Livelihoods will be wiped out in a way we have never seen before, Ahunna Eziakonwa, the United Nations Development Program regional director for Africa, has said. The U.N. Economic Commission for Africa has said oil-exporting nations like Nigeria and Angola, two of Africas largest economies, could lose up to $65 billion in revenue as prices fall. The new appeal, signed by all European leaders of the G-20, welcomed a European Union plan for a pledging conference in May. No region can win the battle against COVID-19 alone, it said. If it is not beaten in Africa, it will return to haunt us all. ___ Batrawy reported from Dubai. Angela Charlton and Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Nicole Winfield in Rome also contributed. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI After 14 days and nights together, 85 Consumers Energy workers left work and quarantine. Another group started its own two-week assignment on Friday, April 16. The idea is to keep groups of workers isolated from the outside world for two weeks at a time, lowering their risk of exposure to the coronavirus, and to keep J.H. Campbell Generating Complex - as well as other utilities around the state - running smoothly. Help us salute Consumers Energy employees off a 14-day sequester Help us salute the 85 Consumers Energy employees who just came off a 14-day sequester at the JH Campbell Generating Complex. We were there, along with the @Port Sheldon Fire Department, to thank them as they left. Today, a second group of personnel began their sequester. During the sequester, employees are isolated from the outside world - even their families to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Personnel eat, sleep and work onsite,12 hours on and 12 hours off, never leaving the property. Why? To keep the power on for all of us. We cannot thank these Consumers Energy employees enough for their sacrifices and hope this inspires you to stay home and stay safe. We all want to get back to normal as soon as possible. #OttawaStaysHome Posted by Ottawa County on Friday, April 17, 2020 Co-workers, Port Sheldon Township firefighters and Ottawa County sheriffs deputies saluted the first group Thursday night as its assignment ended. The group included workers in maintenance, operations, fuel handling, instrumentation and controls, chemistry-technician, supply-chain and engineering. They worked two 12-hour shifts, a day shift and night shift. Most of the workers, when not working, stayed at a nearby hotel. Others had company approval to put their own campers on site. During off hours, workers took long walks around the area, rode bikes and exercised. Consumers Energy is using the same strategy at natural-gas plants in Jackson and Zeeland and its coal-fired plant in Bay County, along with seven natural-gas compression and storage facilities around Michigan, spokesman Roger Morgenstern said. Consumers is the natural-gas utility for much of southwest, central and eastern Michigan, he said. The company brought in four meals a day and snacks. Shannon Felgner, the Ottawa County communications manager, said the county wanted to show appreciation so she put the video together. Also on MLive: West Michigan fishermen challenge Gov. Whitmers stay-at-home order Gov. Whitmer hints at how Michigan will start reopening, come May 1 Michigan sheriff tells Fox News that some of Gov. Whitmers expanded stay-at-home order is 'a bridge too far The Swedish government is planning to carry out 100,000 coronavirus tests a week as the number of cases in the country continues to rise. There were 676 cases yesterday, bringing the total to 13,216 with 1,400 deaths, but there were no signs that the current softer stance towards curbing COVID-19 will be dropped. Sweden is continuing to hold out against a national lockdown despite growing criticism and calls for 'rapid and radical measures' to contain the outbreak. The Swedish government is planning to carry out 100,000 coronavirus tests a week as the number of cases in the country continues to rise The new testing regime will be rolled out over coming weeks and primarily target those in key roles, such as police and firefighters. Patients with severe symptoms and healthcare personnel who are already prioritised will also be tested, to allow them to return to work faster after showing symptoms. 'We are talking about testing and analysis capacity of 50,000, perhaps as many as 100,000, a week,' health minister Lena Hallengren told a press conference. So far almost 75,000 people have been tested in Sweden, Hallengren said. The latest case total marks the biggest 24-hour jump since 722 new infections were added to the tally a week ago. There were also 67 new deaths on Friday, down from 130 yesterday. Yesterday's was the second highest after Wednesday's figure of 170. The Public Health Agency said it had looked at the whole testing chain and would involve others, such as employers, to collect samples via take-home kits and private sector companies to help analysis. On Thursday, Sweden reported 12,540 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,333 deaths. There were 676 cases yesterday, bringing the total to 13,216 with 1,400 deaths, but there were no signs that the current softer stance towards curbing COVID-19 will be dropped Sweden has not imposed the extraordinary lockdown measures seen across Europe, instead urging people to take responsibility and follow official recommendations. The government has banned gatherings of more than 50 people and barred visits to nursing homes. Bars, restaurants and shops are still open, along with primary schools 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.' Sweden has not imposed the extraordinary lockdown measures seen across Europe, instead urging people to take responsibility and follow official recommendations 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. People sit outdoors in Stockholm at the weekend, with Swedish authorities still holding out against imposing a lockdown 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. The former Irish army soldier was due to have the book served on her but Dublin District Court heard her lawyers had sought an adjournment (Brian Lawless/PA) A BOOK of evidence has been completed in the case against ISIS suspect Lisa Smith - but she did not come to court to be sent for trial today due to the Coronavirus crisis. The former Irish army soldier was due to have the book served on her but Dublin District Court heard her lawyers had sought an adjournment. Judge Grainne Malone said there was "no difficulty" with Ms Smith not attending and remanded her on continuing bail in her absence, to appear in court again on July 17. The Co Louth mother-of-one, who left Ireland and married after converting to Islam, was returned here from Turkey last December after spending time in a Syrian refugee camp. She is charged with being a member of a terrorist group outside the state between October 28, 2015 and December 1 last year. The charge alleges she was "a member of a terrorist group styling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) also known as Dawlat al-Iraq al-Islamiyya, Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Dawlat al Islamiya fi Iraq wa al Sham, otherwise known as 'Daesh' and the Islamic State in Iraq and Sham. She is denying the allegations. The case was before the court today for the service of a book of evidence, which is required before the accused can be sent for trial to a higher court. Neither Ms Smith nor her Belfast-based lawyers were present when the case was called. A state solicitor said the book was ready but Ms Smith's defence had indicated that they were writing to the courts service to seek an adjournment. The prosecution had "no difficulty with that", he said and asked the judge to extend the time required for the service of the book. "They are looking to have it adjourned, to save them coming down, and the client attending court, in light of the Covid restrictions," the sate solicitor said. The prosecution had "no issues with the accused not being present." Judge Malone said the book could not be served in the accused's absence and she had no note of any correspondence from the defence lawyers seeking an adjournment. However, the judge said there was no difficulty with Ms Smith not being present in light of court directions that people were not required to attend. The state solicitor said he would notify the defence of the next court date. Ms Smith was arrested at Dublin Airport on December 1 last year, charged on December 4 and denied bail at the district court before being granted it later in the High Court. She remained in custody before taking up bail on December 31. She has since been before the district court several times, and on previous occasions the court heard it was a "complicated, substantial case." Her lawyer has previously asked for the case against her to be reviewed and for the charge to be discontinued, but a judge has said this was a matter for the DPP and not the courts. Ms Smith is also anxious to "prove her innocence," her lawyer has said. ENDS Britain on Thursday extended its lockdown to tackle the coronavirus for at least the next three weeks, as it remains among the countries worst-hit by the pandemic with hundreds dying daily from the disease. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is deputising for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he recuperates from COVID-19, said it was too soon to lift the stringent social distancing regime rolled out last month. The government has decided that the current measures must remain in place for at least the next three weeks, he said at the daily Downing Street press conference. The worst thing we could do right now is ease up too soon, added Raab, who chaired an earlier cabinet meeting to sign off the decision. Johnson ordered the initial three-week lockdown on March 23, shutting non-essential shops and services, banning gatherings of more than two people and giving police powers to fine those flouting the rules. Since then, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 and deaths has climbed dramatically in Britain, with more than 100,000 people now infected and nearly 14,000 fatalities among those hospitalised. Guided by the scientific evidence The daily death toll from the virus hit nearly 1,000 over the Easter weekend and, after falling for several days this week, spiked back up to 861 on Thursday, according to health ministry figures. Johnson himself spent a week in hospital, with three days in intensive care, battling the disease. He is now off work and recovering at Chequers, the country estate of prime ministers. The government has insisted the lockdown is working and there are signs the pandemic is peaking in Britain, with Raab noting the infection rate is thought to have markedly reduced. But he would not be drawn on when and how the country might eventually begin to relax the lockdown. We will only do it when the evidence demonstrates that it is safe to do it, Raab said. Now is not the moment to give the coronavirus a second chance. he added. Testing times The government has said the vast majority of Britons have followed the rules not to go out except for exercise and to buy essential items. The law governing the measures must be reviewed every 21 days, which meant an extension decision was needed by the end of Thursday. The main opposition Labour party supports extending the lockdown, but has called for the government to set out its exit strategy. There are also concerns over the slow expansion of testing for coronavirus, something many people believe is crucial to easing the confinement measures. Professor Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London and a government adviser, said Thursday there must be a single-minded emphasis in government on scaling up testing and contact tracing. Speaking to BBC radio, he added that even then, its not going to be going back to normal. The government says it currently has capacity to test 35,000 people a day, but wants to reach 100,000 by the end of the month. Meanwhile, Raab said Britain and its allies would ask hard questions of China where COVID-19 first emerged in December amid calls from fellow Conservative MPs for a reckoning with Beijing over its early role in the pandemic. 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 couldnt have been stopped earlier, he said. SOURCE: AFP Thursday's figures from the Turkish Health Ministry show that Turkey has the second-highest number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world, Ahval reports. The country has diagnosed 4,801 new cases in the last 24 hours, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said at his daily briefing, a figure surpassed only by the United States' 5,603 new cases. The minister reported 125 new deaths after contracting coronavirus, bringing the toll to 1,643. A total of 1,415 patients have recovered since Kocas last announcement. Koca had said on Wednesday that Turkeys infection rate was stabilising, suggesting that the outbreak could be under control. But Sinan Adyaman, head of the Turkish Medical Association (TBB), warned that, in contrast to the ministrys claims, the scale of the outbreak remained unclear because diagnostic tests only had 55-60 percent accuracy rates and many patients had died with COVID-19 symptoms, but had been excluded from the death toll. We receive information based on our members observations from across the country that the figures for cases and deaths are far higher, Adyaman said. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had said on Tuesday that outbreaks were growing in Britain and Turkey. "In fact, the WHO prediction is more accurate for Turkey. Because it is too early to say that we have taken control yet, even though healthcare professionals are working devotedly," Adyaman said. Aijaz Ahmad Ahangar from downtown Srinagars Nawa Kadal had been a wanted man in Jammu and Kashmir for more than two decades. He had been arrested once for terror links, and released. This was sometime in the mid-nineties. Aijaz Ahangar aka Abu Usman Al Kashmiri disappeared soon after his release from central jail, travelling to Bangladesh from where they took a flight to Pakistan. Nearly 25 years later, he was arrested early this month by Afghanistans National Directorate of Security (NDS) in Kandahar, some 500 km from capital Kabul. No one really paid much attention. No one knew. Was a surprise The NDS had been far too focussed on their prize catch, Aslam Farooqui, the chief of the Islamic State Khorasan Province who had claimed responsibility for the 25 March Kabul Gurdwara attack that killed nearly 27 worshippers. In the early rounds of his questioning, Ahangar identified himself as Ali Mohammed from Islamabad. And it was taken at its face value. The sequence of events that blew up his carefully-crafted cover is still not clear. Counter-terror operatives in Delhi and Kabul, however, told Hindustan Times that it was only much later that they discovered that the April 4 raid had also netted Aijaz Ahmad Ahangar, the 55-year-old chief recruiter of the Islamic State Jammu & Kashmir. It was a surprise, acknowledged an Afghan watcher. Terror links in the Family Aijaz Ahangar, born in Bugam on the outskirts of Srinagar city, wasnt the only one in his extended family to pick up the gun. According to security agencies, his father-in-law Abdullah Ghazali aka Abdul Ghani Dar had been a Lashkar-e-Taiba commander and had played a role in the formation of the Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen in 1990, a group that was dominated by foreign mercenaries recruited from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Ghazali was then 50. Aijaz Ahangar married Ghazalis daughter Rukshsana much later. Abdullah Ghazali, now 80, was found murdered in February this year inside Jamia Masjid Ahl-e-Hadith at Maisuma near Lal Chowk, Srinagars business hub. His murder has been attributed to a factional clash within the local leadership of the Islamic religious movement Ahl-e-Hadith. That Aijaz Ahangar went to Pakistan via Bangladesh rather than undertake the treacherous and risky journey across the Line of Control, said one counter-terror official, reflected the familys links with the Pakistani deep state. And the terror links continue Once in Pakistan, Aijaz Ahangar was initially settled in Islamabad by Pakistans Inter Services Intelligence. In 2008, according to intelligence reports, he also married Aiysha, a resident of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. At some point, the Aijaz Ahangar family was relocated to Miranshah area of Waziristan near the Afghan border. After a brief association with Al Qaeda, he joined ISIS. Aijaz Ahangar later joined the Islamic State-Khorasan Province. Aijaz Ahangars son Abdullah Umais also joined the fighting in Afghanistans Nangarhar and was killed a few years ago. His son-in-law, Huzafa-al-Bakistani, a top online recruiter of ISKP and later the IS affiliate in Jammu and Kashmir, was killed in a US drone attack in Afghanistans Nangarhar province on July 18 2019. A Kerala man, Muhammed Muhasin, was killed in the same bombing. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Ghana Police Service is supplying water to deprived communities especially on the outskirts of Accra. The gesture, according to Chief Supt. Dr. Baba Iddrisu, the Director for Transport at the Ghana Police Service, is in response to President Nana Akufo-Addos call for water supply services to be made free to all Ghanaians. He said the IGP, James Oppong Boanuh has tasked his team to identify communities that need water and supply them accordingly. Chief Supt. Dr. Baba Iddrisu, Director of Police Transport The President [Nana Akufo-Addo] announced that due to the lockdown, we need water in some communities without water. He appealed to organizations and individuals to provide free water service. We as the police, we have three water tankers which we feel we can use to help communities. The IGP has asked us to identify areas without water especially those on the outskirts and we are serving them with water, he said. The Police have so far supplied water to communities such as Oyibi, Adamrobe and some communities in the Ga West Municipality. Dr. Baba Iddrisu said local assemblies that need water can call the police to make a request so that the water is supplied to them. We engage the Assemblymen and women and District Chief Executives to identify specific areas in need of water so we serve them. For those without tap water, we will do our best to serve them, he said. Some residents of Kwabenya who received water earlier this week commended the police and asked that the gesture is repeated since the area is deprived of water from the Ghana Water Company Limited. There is no water in this area. We usually go and buy water from other places. We really suffer here. The police have assured us that they will bring more water to help us and we really appreciate them for helping us, a resident said. Another resident at Kwabenya also indicated that the gesture by the police is helpful and will ease their burden of buying from elsewhere. The police have really done well. We in Kwabenya, we dont have pipe-borne water. We all buy from outside. They have seen that we dont have taps here so they are serving us with water. They are discharging their water into big tanks here so that we can all go subsequently to fetch for free. ---citinewsroom The coronavirus pandemic could erase two decades of progress in eradicating poverty in the Asia-Pacific region as it threatens to send the global economy into a deep recession, according to the International Finance Corporation, which provides financing for private sector companies in developing markets. The sister organisation of the World Bank plans to pump US$8 billion into a broad series of programmes designed to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging market economies, which have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Vivek Pathak, the IFC's regional director for East Asia and the Pacific, said about US$96 billion has flowed out of emerging markets since late January, and tourism " a major driver of the economies in Cambodia, Fiji and other parts of the region " is "close to dead" right now. "Our biggest concern is the loss of jobs," Pathak told the South China Morning Post. "If the situation were to continue to deteriorate, we would have close to 11 million people going back into poverty." That 11 million would be on top of the 24 million people the World Bank estimates will not be able to escape poverty in the East Asia and Pacific region this year because of the pandemic. The coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, has infected more than 2 million people and forced broad shutdowns of cities from New York to Singapore to stem the spread of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. More than 137,000 people have died worldwide. On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund said the global economy is "very likely" to experience its worst recession since the Great Depression and surpass the contraction and job losses seen during the global financial crisis in 2008. "A partial recovery is projected for 2021, with above-trend growth rates, but the level of [gross domestic product] will remain below the pre-virus trend, with considerable uncertainty about the strength of the rebound," Gita Gopinath, the IMF's chief economist, said in its latest World Economic Outlook. "Much worse growth outcomes are possible and maybe even likely." Story continues In the United States alone, about 22 million people have applied for unemployment benefits in the past four weeks. Charles Dumas, chief economist at independent research firm TS Lombard, said the status of the pandemic in emerging market countries other than China " where the first reports of infections emerged late last year " is lagging behind developed countries by three weeks or more. "The key prerequisite of defeating the virus in EMs is still some weeks " maybe months even " away," Dumas said in a research report on Wednesday. "The big unknown is how these countries will manage during that period." Pathak, the IFC regional director, said manufacturers in Asia have been hit particularly hard. "The complex and diverse supply chains in manufacturing have led to hits in almost every sector," Pathak said. He described the coronavirus pandemic disrupting the delivery of zips to garment manufacturers, leaving them sitting on huge inventories. First unveiled in March, IFC's programme will supply about US$6 billion to banks and financial intermediaries to support trade financing and working capital for SMEs. "Typically, these are small outfits. They don't have a lot of cushion," Pathak said. "A few days, a few weeks of disruption means it's hard for them to operate. They've been hit very hard from what we're hearing. Our prime objective is how do we keep the financial sector continuing to operate and provide liquidity to them." For example, IFC expanded trade-financing limits by US$294 million for four banks in Vietnam last month to allow them to continue to lend to companies in need. "We have been working with a lot of new clients in the past few months," Pathak said. "We're accelerating our push to move faster to work with these clients because almost anybody and everybody has been affected by the virus." Pathek said businesses are having to adjust to a "new normal" and it could be some time before the world economy recovers. "As countries start to recover, it's going to be different across the region. I think some countries are going to go faster and some are going to take longer," Pathek said. "Similarly with sectors, I do see our support going well into 2021." This article has been corrected from the original which stated that US$96 billion flowed out of Emerging Asia 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. On April 16, Disney and ABC hosted a special sing-along program starring many Disney celebrities and more. They all came together to sing some fan-favorite songs and lift the spirits of America and those working on the frontlines during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A very special High School Musical reunion took place that also included the cast of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, along so many more wonderful performances. Whether you missed it or caught the karaoke bug, there are so many Disney movies you can watch on Disney+ thatll be perfect for your own sing-alongs. While none of them have a dancing Mickey head to show you the words (except for one), you can add subtitles and become pros. Nini (Olivia Rodrigo) and Ashlyn (Julia Lester) sing Wondering on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series | Disney+ High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: The Sing-Along Despite Disney being masters at musicals, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is the only program to have their own sing-along version at home. Its in a different spot than the regular series, but it allows you to sing to some classic High School Musical faves and the fabulous new ones too. Like All I Want, Just for a Moment, or Wondering. Clear those pipes, because some belting is about to commence. Hercules If youre ready to go the distance, Hercules is for you. While Ariana Grande sang I Wont Say Im In Love during the Disney Family Singalong, you can too. There are also great hits like Gospel Truth and One Last Hope. Frozen and Frozen II Not much needs to be said about the Frozen movies, other than you and your family certainly know all the words to the songs by now. Let It Go is a classic, and now with the second movie you can also burst out Into The Unknown, Show Yourself, and Into The Woods. Moana Moana has some really great visuals and songs, and How Far Ill Go is, of course, a showstopper. Youll probably want to rewind the film to sing Youre Welcome over and over again too. The movie also has such profound, beautiful messages. This is a good one to sit back and watch, too. Mary Poppins Youve been ready to perform A Spoonful of Sugar since you were born, for sure. And now you can from your living room. Disney+ has both the original film starring Julie Andrews and new sequel starring Emily Blunt. So if youre more of a Trip a Little Light Fantastic or A Cover is Not the Book fan, theyve got you too. Aladdin Whether you want to watch the original Aladdin or the live-action remake from 2019, theyre both chock-full of great songs. Theres barely any time to rest during this one. Theres One Jump Ahead, Friend Like Me, Prince Ali, and A Whole New World to keep the whole apartment or house entertained. Beauty and The Beast While only the original Beauty and The Beast is available on Disney+ right now, thats more than enough for you to get your sing-along on. The movie has a lot of heart, and show the true power of love over everything else. So while youre wiping away tears, you can also sing the songs Be Our Guest, Belle, Theres Something There, or the title song, youre in good hands. 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. Here are the NHS workers MailOnline understands to be among those who have died during the coronavirus pandemic so far: Dr Krishan Arora, general practitioner Dr Krishan Arora is the latest medical worker to die of Covid-19 bringing the total to 54 Dr Krishan Arora is a doctor who is believed to have died after contracting the virus, as announced by the South West London Clinical Commissioning Group. The 57-year-old was a senior partner at Violet Lane Medical Practice, and had been a GP in Croydon for 27 years. He died on April 15 after testing positive for the virus. He had followed national guidance and self-isolated at home when he developed symptoms, and was not in work at the time of his death. Colleague Dr Agnelo Fernandes said: 'We are all greatly saddened by the death of Dr Krishan Arora. Krish was extremely well-liked and worked tirelessly to care for his patients and improve services for everyone in Croydon. 'Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Krish's family, friends and close colleagues at this difficult time. We will miss him.' Amrik Bamotra, radiology support worker Amrik Bamotra, pictured, a radiology support worker at the King George Hospital in Ilford, east London, has died aged 63 The 63-year-old worked at the King George Hospital in Ilford, east London, before his death from the virus. Mr Bamotra, known to colleagues as 'Bob', was said to have treated everyone 'like his own family', and leaves a wife, daughter and son. Several of his relatives, including his wife and son, also work for Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT). His family shared a message in his memory which said: 'Dad was one of those people that, if he saw you in the corridor at work, he would stop and make sure he had a chat with you. 'He was always positive about everything he did. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and loved and cared for all his family and friends. 'There's not a time when we can say he wouldn't go that extra mile to do something for anyone to make sure they were happy. 'He had always been a hard worker. He had touched so many people's hearts with his personality, which has been shown to us through messages we have received. 'On that note, we would just like to say thank you to all our family and friends for their love and support through this difficult time.' Gladys Mujajati, mental health nurse Gladys Mujajati, pictured, who had an underlying health condition and had stepped away from work in recent weeks, died in hospital earlier this week The 46-year-old mental health nurse had an underlying health condition and had stepped away from work in recent weeks, died in hospital earlier this week, the Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said. The 46-year-old, from Littleover, Derby, worked to support people through the Derby City Community Mental Health Team. Science minister and MP for Derby North Amanda Solloway described Ms Mujajati's death as 'absolutely heartbreaking'. In a tweet, Ms Solloway said: 'Absolutely heartbreaking to hear about the loss of Gladys Mujajati, one of our precious NHS workers and constituent. 'Gladys, was a well loved and caring colleague at Derby City Community Mental Health Team. 'My thoughts and prayers go out to her family, friends & colleagues.' The Trust also paid tribute to the nurse, describing her as a 'warm and caring individual'. Jane Murphy, clinical support worker, died on April 16 Jane Murphy, pictured, was a clinical support worker at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary before she died of coronavirus A clinical support worker who was employed in the A&E department at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Jane Murphy 'refused to retire'. The 73-year-old, known to co-workers as Ma Murphy, lost her fight for life on April 16 after falling ill with the virus as those who worked with her hailed her dedication to the health service. A tribute to Jane, who lived in Bonnyrigg, said: 'Today NHS Lothian lost one of the funniest, straight talking, hard working support workers it will ever likely to have. 'The emergency department has lost a friend, a family member and most of all a wonderful human being. 'Jane the ED will never be the same without you and cannot believe Covid-19 is what got you out of the department after all these years. 'Thinking of all your family, friends and colleagues. RIP Jane.' Saxophonist Saxingh shared a video of him playing and added: 'Dedicating this one to Jane Murphy (73) who sadly passed away this morning due to Covid-19 - she was a clinical support worker at the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh. 'She was an ace worker and a much loved member of staff. 'She continued to work and refused to retire from the NHS and she's been there as a mentor for nurses and doctors who are now consultants and senior charge nurses everywhere.' Julianne Cadby, business manager, died on April 15 Julianne Cadby, pictured, was a business manager for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board's specialist child and adolescent mental health services The 49-year-old mother, from 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. 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.' Brian Darlington, hospital porter Long-serving porter Brian Darlington who worked for Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has also died from the virus A hospital porter, 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.' Lourdes Campbell, healthcare assistant Healthcare assistant Lourdes Campbell (pictured above) died from the coronavirus The healthcare assistance died on the critical care ward for Bolton NHS Foundation Trust. Chiex executive 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, 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.' Andy Treble, theatre assistant, died on April 15 Andy Treble, pictured was a theatre assistant at Wrexham Maelor Hospital The 57-year-old returned to the frontline during the crisis but died on April 15 after a battle with the virus in intensive care. 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. Ade Raymond, student nurse Another victim, Ade Raymond, 48, (pictured) had been working as a healthcare assistant The 48-year-old had been working as a healthcare assistant for the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust before he died. Chief Executive Jinjer Kandola tweeted: 'It is with great sadness that we confirm the loss of our colleague & friend Ade Raymond due to coronavirus. 'A much-valued member of the team who was studying for a nursing degree. Ade was a highly respected & much missed by all. RIP Ade.' Linnette Cruz, dental nurse, died on April 14 Mother-of-one Linnette Cruz, 51, (pictured) was also confirmed to have died after being treated for coronavirus for a month The 51-year-old senior head nurse at the Brynteg dental practice in Sketty died on April 14 having been admitted with Covid-19 in March, according to NHS Wales. Brynteg practice owner Nik Patel said: 'She brought love, light and joy to everyone around her and will be sadly missed by all.' Karl Bishop, dental director for Swansea Bay University Health Board said: '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.' Friends have already raised more than 1,500 to pay for her funeral. Josiane Zauma Ebonja Ekoli, nurse, died on April 13 Aged 55, mother-of-five Josiane Zauma Ebonja Ekoli was an agency nurse who lived in Leeds and worked at Harrogate Hospital. She died on April 13 Aged 55, the mother-of-five was an agency nurse who lived in Leeds and worked at Harrogate Hospital. She died on April 13. In a tribute, her daughter Naomie said she wanted her mother to be remembered as 'God-fearing, strong, beautiful and caring'. 'It meant everything to be a nurse, she's being doing it for as long as I remember, more than 30 years,' she said. Naomie said her mother, who had worked on a coronavirus ward, called the provisions of personal protective equipment (PPE) available 'poor'. 'If they don't work, then we won't be treated, so the least they could do is up the PPE so they can make sure it doesn't happen to another family,' she said. Jill Foster, chief nurse at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said Ms Ekoli, known as Josie, was a 'much-valued' member of staff. 'Zauma Ekoli, known as Josie, was a much-valued agency nurse who has worked with the Trust for the past two years,' she said in a statement. 'She worked a range of shifts in a number of wards and departments. 'Josie will be sadly missed by all her friends and colleagues at Harrogate District Hospital and our thoughts are with her family at this difficult time.' Dr Peter Tun, associate specialist, died on April 12 Father-of-two Dr Peter Tun worked as an associate specialist in neurorehabilitation at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading for more than 21 years The father-of-two worked as an associate specialist in neurorehabilitation at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading for more than 21 years. Father-of-two Dr Peter Tun worked as an associate specialist in neurorehabilitation at the Royal Berkshire Hospital for more than 21 years. The 62-year-old died in the intensive care unit at the hospital in Reading on Monday. 'Our family is immensely proud of our superhero dad,' his sons said in a statement. '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.' The specialist's colleagues have also paid tribute to him, with one calling him 'a mentor, a father, and a friend'. Dr Jonathan Mamo, who worked alongside Dr Tun in the hospital's neurorehabilitation unit, said: 'Peter was like a father to all of us in our department in Reading. 'Despite being a calm and soft-spoken individual he always knew what to say and when to say it.' He said Dr Tun, who cared for patients with complex neurological conditions, was a 'great believer in the power of love' who 'loved to help people'. Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, nurse, died on April 12 Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, 28, (pictured) died on Sunday after undergoing an emergency caesarean to deliver and save her baby daughter Pregnant Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong died on April 12 after testing positive for Covid-19 earlier in the month. David Carter, CEO at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: '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.' 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. 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.' Cheryl Williams, ward housekeeper, died on April 12 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 North Middlesex University Hospital said Ms Williams would be remembered as a 'much-loved colleague'. Ms Williams, who worked as a housekeeper on an elderly patient ward at the hospital in Edmonton, north London, died on April 12. Tributes for Ms Williams have also poured in. Sharing a picture of Ms Williams to Facebook, the NHS trust said her contribution to patient care at the hospital was 'irreplaceable'. North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust said: 'With greatest sadness, we can confirm the death of our much-loved colleague Cheryl Williams. 'As a ward housekeeper on one of our care of the elderly wards, Cheryl was a lynchpin of the care, comfort, and compassion that our patients and local people value so highly, and her personal contribution to patient care is irreplaceable. 'Her family, friends and colleagues at North Middlesex University Hospital will miss her more than words can describe. 'We would kindly ask for you to respect the family's privacy at this difficult time.' NHS housekeepers are responsible for non-clinical services such as catering, cleaning, equipment and supplies as part of a ward team in a hospital department. Their duties include talking to and reassuring patients, receiving visitors, keeping the ward clean and tidy and serving meals to those under their care. Housekeepers also order supplies and undertake clerical and admin tasks. In a tribute on Twitter, colleague Omodele Olowokere said the death of Ms Williams had 'left a vacuum' on the ward. 'It is with great sadness and heavy heart to share the news that our colleague Cheryl passed away last night,' she said. 'The entire Charles Coward team are devastated about the loss. You have left a vacuum for us. 'Our heartfelt condolences to your family and friends.' Maureen Ellington, healthcare assistant, died on April 12 Grandmother Mrs Ellington, who was in her early 60s, worked at Southmead Hospital in Bristol and passed away on April 12. She had worked for the NHS for over 25 years at both Frenchay and Southmead hospitals. Her family said: 'She would light up any room she entered. She will always be in our hearts.' Leilani Medel, nurse Leilani Medel died after contracting coronavirus and her husband Johnny Medel Jnr is in a critical condition after catching the virus Mrs Medel, who worked as an agency nurse in south Wales, was described as a 'wonderful and caring person'. Her employers, Cardiff-based Hoop Recruitment, said: 'The nursing profession has lost a warm-natured and beautiful nurse who cared for so many vulnerable people during her nursing career.' A fundraising appeal to help Mrs Medel's family in the Philippines has also been launched, with donations reaching over 8,000. Her husband Johnny Medel Jnr, 42, is in a critical condition after also contracting the virus. Her 35-year-old aunt Shiela Ancheta, who lives in the Philippines, said: 'We are very sad because we can't go there to visit her family because of the travel ban. 'Although she was my niece, she is six years older than me. She was like my older sister.' Leilani and Johnny, of Coychurch, Bridgend, both worked in healthcare. Amarante Dias, medical director, death announced on April 13 The hospital in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, confirmed yesterday its employee Amarante Dias passed away after testing positive for covid-19 Amarante Dias, who worked at the Weston General Hospital in north Somerset, was described as a 'valued and much-loved colleague' and would be 'greatly missed'. Dr William Oldfield, medical director at the University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS trust, said: 'We are deeply saddened at losing 'Amarante Dias who was such a valued and much-loved colleague. 'On behalf of everyone at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, including our patients and the communities we serve, I would like to offer my sincerest condolences to his family. 'Amarante will be greatly missed and we are ensuring that staff have access to support to help them at this difficult time. 'We will not be commenting further and ask that everybody respects the privacy of the family at their request.' The Weston Super Mare Association of Malayalees posted a tribute on social media: 'Our deepest sympathy and prayers to you and your family, (Amarante Dias) will deeply be missed.' Melujean Ballesteros, 60, nurse, died on April 12 The 'dedicated and very caring' Filipino nurse, 60, died at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, on Sunday, April 12, just two days after being admitted The 'dedicated and very caring' Filipino nurse, 60, died at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, on Sunday, April 12, just two days after being admitted. Her son, Rainier, 37, said: 'My mum is a dedicated and very caring nurse. 'She started her career in the UK in 2003, she loved her work as a nurse.' Rainier, who lives in Calauag in the Philippines, said Mrs Ballesteros had a fever and cough in mid-March and self-isolated for nine days. But on Friday Rainier said the family convinced her to visit the hospital due to her worsening condition, and so she was picked up by ambulance and was admitted. She died two days later. Mrs Ballesteros is survived by her two sons, Rainier and Bryan, 38, who also lives in the Philippines, and husband Luis, 64, who lives in the UK. Kevin Smith, plaster technician, died on April 12 Kevin Smith, who worked putting plaster casts on patients at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, died after catching coronavirus. Colleagues paid tribute to him as an 'incredible person' who 'loved his job' and as a man who was 'renowned for his warm personality' Doncaster Royal Infirmary confirmed the death of plaster technician Kevin Smith on April 12, following a 'brief, but courageous, battle with Covid-19'. He worked at the hospital for more than 35 years and was 'renowned for his warm personality, diligence and compassion', the trust said. His heartbroken daughter Ellie Whitley wrote on social media: 'It's so overwhelming to see so many amazing comments for such an incredible person who loved his job and everyone he worked with for many years. 'Thank you everyone. We will all miss him greatly but never forget him, ever!' The chief executive at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals, Richard Parker OBE, said: 'I am utterly heartbroken to share the news that Kevin Smith, a well-respected and hugely popular member of our team, has sadly passed away following a brief but courageous battle with Covid-19. 'A plaster technician and valued member of the team for over 35 years, Kev, as he was known to friends and colleagues, was renowned for his warm personality, diligence and compassion.' Gareth Roberts, 65, nurse, died on April 11 Grandfather Gareth Roberts, 65, (pictured) had come out of retirement to work at Llandough Hospital in Cardiff and was doing extra shifts to cope with the crisis Grandfather Gareth Roberts, 65, 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 family have now hit out at the lack of protective equipment after the death of the 'much-loved and dedicated' member of the health team. Family friend Janette Leonard said: 'He didn't have PPE. In the beginning he said he didn't have anything. 'For Gareth, he paid the ultimate price. Yeah we're angry. 'Why would you send a soldier on to the front line without combat gear? It's unthinkable.' Mr Roberts devoted 40 years of his life to caring for people in hospitals around Cardiff and spent his last shift at Llandough Hospital in the Welsh capital. He worked as a nurse across the Cardiff and Vale health board area since the 1980s, coming out of retirement in January 2015. His wife Linda was told to attend his bedside at 3am when it became clear he would pass away. Oscar King Jr, 45, hospital porter, died on April 11 Mr King Jr, believed to have worked at the hospital for 10 years, was described as a 'beloved friend, loving husband, and devoted father' to his 10-year-old daughter Aged 45, Oscar King Jr, a Filipino porter at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, passed away on April 11. He was said to have worked for the hospital for more than a decade, 'always doing his job with great enthusiasm and joy'. Mr King Jr, believed to have worked at the hospital for 10 years, was described as a 'beloved friend, loving husband, and devoted father' to his 10-year-old daughter. His wife had also been taken to hospital after suffering severe symptoms, according to the GoFundMe page. A Commons library report published last year found that more than 18,000 Filipinos work in the NHS, third only to the numbers from Britain and India. The Philippines also provided more nurses and clinical support staff than any other country outside of the UK, the study found. Lola McEvoy, NHS organiser for the GMB union, said the porters' deaths was 'awful, awful news'. 'Support staff in our NHS are risking their lives to protect us. The sacrifice to our country of those who have lost their lives must never be forgotten,' she added. Elbert Rico, hospital porter, died on April 10 Mr Rico worked as a porter there since moving to the UK from the Philippines in 2004 'and loved the work that he did' A colleague of Mr King Jr at John Radcliffe, Mr Rico worked as a porter there since moving to the UK from the Philippines in 2004 'and loved the work that he did', according to a fundraising page published by his family. Both men were married to members of the nursing team at the hospital, the trust said. Fundraising pages were set up in the names of both workers following their deaths. A page set up for Mr Rico said he had worked for the hospital since coming to the UK in 2004, adding that he 'loved the work that he did'. 'He was always hard working and would prioritise others' needs firsts. He would walk around the hospital with a smile on his face and very rarely would he call in sick from work.' Donna Campbell, healthcare support worker, died on April 10 Donna Campbell, 54, tested positive for coronavirus after being admitted into intensive care at University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. She has been described as a bubbly personality Donna Campbell, 54, worked as a nurse at the Velindre cancer hospital, Cardiff, where she was known for singing and dancing with patients. She had been at the hospital for 20 years after getting her first position there as a volunteer, and was known among staff and patients for her bright and bubbly personality. Ms Campbell was treated in intensive care at University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, after she tested positive for the virus. The Velindre University NHS Trust paid tribute to the nurse who will 'always have a special place in our hearts'. 'She was often found singing and dancing, entertaining patients and staff, making everyone smile,' they said. 'Donna will always have a special place in our hearts and we will all want to send our heartfelt sympathy and love to her family at this very difficult time.' 'Our staff and particularly Donna's team on First Floor Ward, are completely heartbroken that their beautiful, kind-hearted friend and colleague has died'. 'She was without doubt a treasured member of our work family who could light up a room with her infectious laugh and bubbly personality. 'But at the same time she had the most wonderful ability to comfort and care for people.' Sara Trollope, 51, nurse, died on April 10 Sara Trollope (pictured with the PM last year), 51, was just months away from retiring when she became yet another hero to been named a victim of the deadly bug on Saturday A 51-year-old matron for older adult mental health services in Hillingdon, west London, Ms Trollope died at Watford General hospital on April 10 after testing positive for the virus. She was just months away from retiring when she became yet another hero to be struck down by the deadly bug. Ms Trollope, who worked at Hillingdon Hospital - where she was pictured next to he PM last year - has been praised for her support for older people with dementia. Medical director Dr Paul Hopper said: 'Sara had that unbeatable combination of kindness, selflessness and total determination to get things right for patients. She was an example to every one of us.' News of Ms Trollope's death came as it emerged that Mr Johnson came close to death as he desperately fought coronavirus in an intensive care unit. He has now been released and is recovering. Julie Omar, 52, nurse, died on April 10 Aged 52, the trauma and orthopaedics nurse at Redditch's Alexandra Hospital, in Worcestershire, died at home while self-isolating with symptoms on April 10 Aged 52, the trauma and orthopaedics nurse at Redditch's Alexandra Hospital, in Worcestershire, died at home while self-isolating with symptoms on April 10. She was an experienced trauma and orthopaedics nurse who had most recently been working at Redditch's Alexandra Hospital. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust Chief Executive Matthew Hopkin issued a statement which read: 'It is with great sorrow that I have to share with you the sad news that a much-loved member of our nursing team - Julie Omar - has died. Julie had been self-isolating at home after developing symptoms of Covid-19, but sadly her condition deteriorated and she died at home. 'We have been asked by her family not to share any more details at this stage and we will of course respect those wishes.' Amor Gatinao, 50, nurse, died on April 10 Another nurse, Amor Padilla Gatinao, 50, (pictured) who worked as a nurse at St Charles Hospital, Ladbroke Grove, West London, died after falling ill on Mother's Day The nurse is reported to have died on the morning of April 10, having worked at St Charles Hospital, west London. Amor Padilla Gatinao, 50, who worked as a nurse at St Charles Hospital, Ladbroke Grove, West London, died after falling ill on Mother's Day. Her family suspect Ms Padilla-Gatinao, who suffered from asthma, type-2 diabetes and hyperthyroidism, caught the virus at work where she did not have the right protective clothing. Her daughter Allysa Gatinao, 24, said: 'There is a shortage of PPE in hospitals. Matt Hancock can't deny this as the evidence is there.' Aimee O'Rourke, 39, nurse, died on April 9 Aimee O'Rourke, 39, passed away last night at the QEQM Hospital in Margate, Kent, following the surfacing of symptoms two weeks ago Aged 39, the nurse and mother died at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (QEQMH) in Margate, Kent, where she worked, on Thursday, April 9. Ms O'Rourke had three daughters, Maddie, Mollie and Meghan, who described her mother as an 'angel' who will 'wear [her] NHS crown forever more'. Friends of Ms O'Rourke paid tribute to the 'one in a million' nurse. Friend Hannah Walden wrote on Facebook: 'Yesterday heaven gained a beautiful young lady. 'I was lucky to know her and work with her when I worked for CDU (clinical decision unit) QEQM. You were an amazing nurse and mum sleep tight Aimee O'Rourke God bless.' Lucy Page said: 'Every now and again special people come in to your life and they have the highest impact. 'Aimee O'Rourke taught to me fight for what I believe in and gave me courage so many times to do it. '...Aimee I love you and not a single day will go by when I don't think.about you. You were one in a million and you are going to leave such an empty space in all our hearts forever. Miss you already.' Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, consultant urologist, died on April 8 The doctor, pictured with his wife, worked as a Consultant Urologist at Homerton Hospital in east London The 53-year-old wrote a Facebook post asking Prime Minister Boris Johnson to urgently provide every NHS worker with PPE just five days before he died on the night of Wednesday April 8. Abdul Mabud Chowdhury passed away in hospital after a 15-day battle against the virus. Just three weeks ago, he wrote to the Prime Minister, asking him to 'urgently' ensure PPE was available for 'each and every NHS worker in the UK'. The doctor, known to friends and family as Faisal, worked as a consultant urologist in east London and leaves behind a wife, with whom he only recently celebrated a 25th wedding anniversary, and two children. He died at 1am at Queens Hospital in Romford, according to his brother, who wrote: 'I ask you humbly my dear brothers and sisters to please keep my brother in your prayers.' The Muslim Doctors Association paid tribute to him in a statement, which reads: 'We are deeply saddened by the death of Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, Consultant Urologist at Homerton Hospital, after fighting for his life from Covid-19. 'He leaves behind his wife and two children. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. 'Two weeks before his admission to hospital he wrote a message to the Prime Minister urging for better PPE. May he rest in peace.' Dr Edmond Adedeji, 62, doctor, died on April 8 Dr Edmond Adedeji (pictured), 62, who worked as a locum registrar in the emergency department of Great Western Hospital in Swindon, Wiltshire, died on April 8 The 62-year-old worked as a locum registrar in the emergency department of Great Western Hospital in Swindon, Wiltshire, and died 'doing a job he loved' on April 8. 'He died doing a job he loved, serving others before himself,' his family said in a statement to the BBC. The hospital's chief executive added he was a 'respected and well-liked member of the team'. Dr Fayez Ayache, GP, died on April 8 Dr Fayez Ayache, who lived in Raydon in Suffolk, had been diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia and coronavirus The 76-year-old general practitioner and grandfather died in Ipswich Hospital on April 8, having been diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia and coronavirus. The grandfather, who lived in Raydon in Suffolk, had been diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia and coronavirus. His family said he stopped working nearly a month ago but may have continued to visit patients at home. Dr Ayache retired two years ago but quickly returned to work 'a couple of days a week', his eldest daughter Layla Ayache, 35. He worked as a GP with North Clacton Medical Group and also ran an ear, nose and throat clinic at Ipswich Hospital. Dr Ayache stopped working again three-and-a-half weeks ago because of the risk of coronavirus, his daughter said. She said she did not know where he had contracted the virus, but believed he may still have been seeing people to give medical advice. Elsie Sazuze, care home nurse, died on April 7 Mrs Sazuze, who worked for Wolverhampton-based agency Totallycare, died on April 7 at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield Mrs Sazuze, who worked for Wolverhampton-based agency Totallycare, died on April 7 at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, according to the BBC, who spoke with her husband Ken. Ms Sazuze fell ill at home in Erdington, Birmingham. Her husband, Ken Sazuze, said his wife called him at home before being put on a ventilator. He said: 'She started telling me, 'Ken, if I don't come back, be strong, I love you, be strong for the kids. Her childhood friend William Fungatira paid tribute as he released an album of pictures on behalf of her family. Mr Fungatira said: 'I have known her all my life. Elsie was as a naturally quiet person but very caring, friendly, cheerful and resilient. She had a passion to always help others. 'She was dedicated to helping people. I remember every time we visited their home she always welcomed us with great hospitality. 'It's a great loss to all of us who knew her and indeed to the wider community because she lost her life doing the job she loved. She will be greatly missed.' Leilani Dayrit, 47, nurse, died on April 7 Leilani Dayrit, 47, worked as a nurse at St Cross Hospital in Rugby, Warwickshire, and died on April 7 Described as a 'ray of sunshine', Ms Dayrit, a Filipino nurse who worked at St Cross Hospital in Rugby, died on April 7. The 47-year-old worked as a nurse at St Cross Hospital in Rugby, Warwickshire, and died on April 7. She leaves behind her husband a daughter, who described her as 'selfless until the very end' and a 'truly special and beautiful person inside and out'. A crowdfunding page set up to fund funeral costs has already raised more than 11,000. It reads: 'She was a ray of sunshine to those people who were fortunate to meet her. 'Her beautiful smile mirrors her beautiful heart full of love. Her strong will power to surpass any trial in life and her optimism resonates to everyone.' Mrs Dayrit had worked for the NHS for 16 years after training in her native Philippines. She was described as a 'very dedicated worker' who was often referred to by children of her friends as 'Mummy Lei' or 'second mother'. She grew up with seven siblings in Vigan City, going on to become a community youth leader, student and even a beauty queen. She got her degree in nursing from the University of North Philippines before moving to the UK. Donald Suelto, 51, nurse, died on April 7 Donald Suelto who worked at Hammersmith Hospital in west London, died on April 7 The 51-year-old, who worked at Hammersmith Hospital in west London, died on April 7 after going into self-isolation with coronavirus symptoms. Nurse Alejandro Fernandez said Mr Suelto, originally from the Philippines, was a 'spirited friend' who was 'friendly to everyone' and said he was struggling to get over the shock of the news. In a tribute to his friend, Mr Fernandez said: 'I still can't believe it. You were never alone. As I said, you are a hero, everyone knows that. So proud of you. 'He was an enthusiastic nurse, full of life, loved his NHS job and a spirited friend with a loving heart. Our prayers and thoughts go out to his family. Rest in Peace Donds.' Alice Kit Tak Ong, 70, nurse, died on April 7 NHS nurse Alice Kit Tak Ong died from the coronavirus, she moved to the UK when she was 23-years-old to study nursing The 70-year-old, originally from Hong Kong, died on April 7 after 44 years of working for the NHS. She was described by her daughter Melissa as 'generous to everyone else before herself'. Speaking to The Guardian, Ms Ong's daughter said her mother had spent her life helping others. Melissa Ong said her mother 'loved her job and she loved her patients'. 'She was completely dedicated to her work, that's what she was doing until the moment she was taken ill', she said. It is believed that she may have contracted the disease while working at a hospital without protective equipment. She had first come to the UK at just 23-year-old to study nursing. Janice Graham, 58, nurse, died on April 6 Janice Graham, 58, became the first nurse in Scotland to die as a result of the coronavirus pandemic on April 6 The 58-year-old healthcare support worker from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) became the first nurse in Scotland to die as a result of the coronavirus pandemic on April 6. Louise Long, chief officer of Inverclyde Health and Social Care Partnership, said: 'We are saddened to confirm a member of staff has passed away due to Covid-19. 'Our thoughts are with Janice's loved ones at this difficult time. 'Janice was a valued team member in our District Nursing and Evening Services team and brought kindness and compassion to patients and colleagues. 'Her bright and engaging personality and razor-sharp wit will be sorely missed. 'A memorial book will be open at Port Glasgow Health Centre to staff who wish to pay tribute to Janice. 'We are incredibly thankful to our staff for their tireless efforts during this crisis. We are here to support them as much as possible during this challenging time.' Syed Haider, GP, died on April 6 The family doctor worked in Dagenham, east London, and died in hospital on April 6 after it is believed he developed coronavirus symptoms. Barbara Moore, 54, patient discharge planner, died on April 6 Described as an 'unsung hero', the 54-year-old grandmother died on April 6, the Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said. A staff member at the Valence Medical Centre in Dagenham, east London where Dr Haider worked confirmed the tragic news. The News International, a Pakistani newspaper, spoke to his son, who described him as a 'selfless man driven by his passion for his profession'. He added: 'Even whilst in hospital breathing his last, he was urging doctors and nurses to pay attention to other patients rather than him. 'Many at his age would have retired yet his dedication to his profession was immeasurable.' Dr Alfa Saadu, 68, doctor, died on April 6 Dr Saadu had been working at Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital in Welwyn, Hertfordshire The 68-year-old, who had returned to work from retirement, died on April 6 at the Whittington Hospital in north London. He died after fighting the virus for two weeks, had been working at Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. His son Dani told HuffPost UK: 'He was a very passionate man, who cared about saving people. As soon you spoke to him about medicine his face would light up. 'He worked for the NHS for nearly 40 years in different hospitals across London. He loved to lecture people in the world of medicine he did so in the UK and Africa.' He also described his father as a 'massive family man', adding that he leaves behind two sons and a wife who is also a retired doctor, in occupational health. Dr Saadu, who was originally from Nigeria, was a former clinical director of the care of the elderly department at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust. He was also medical director of Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, and medical director and consultant physician at Ealing Hospital in West London. Jitendra Rathod, surgeon, died on April 6 Jitendra Rathod, 58, was admitted to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, where he first started working in the 1990s, but died from coronavirus A 'highly regarded' associate specialist in cardio-thoracic surgery at the University Hospital of Wales, Mr Rathod died on the morning of April 6. Mr Rathod, who was from India, had been working in the hospital since the 1990s. A statement by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: 'It is with profound sadness that we must inform you that Mr Jitendra Rathod, associate specialist in cardiothoracic surgery, has passed away. 'He died early this morning on our general intensive care unit after testing positive for Covid-19.' The father-of-two was described as an 'incredibly dedicated surgeon' who cared deeply for his patients and was highly regarded in the medical profession in Wales. A cardiothoracic surgeon is a specialist who operates on the heart, lungs and other thoracic (chest) organs. 'He was well-liked and and greatly respected by one and all,' the health board statement added. 'He was very compassionate and a wonderful human being. His commitment to the speciality was exemplary. He is survived by his wife and two sons.' Mr Rathod worked in the department of cardio-throacic surgery since the mid 1990s. He later had a brief stint abroad before returning to UHW in 2006. Lynsay Coventry, 54, midwife, died on April 6 In a touching tribute, face mask-wearing medics at Prices Alexandra lined the corridors and fell silent to remember their colleague Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex announced the death of 54-year-old - the first involving a serving NHS midwife after testing positive for the virus - on April 5. Ms Coventry passed away at neighbouring Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust after initially self-isolating at home and was not at work before her death. In a touching tribute, face mask-wearing medics at Prices Alexandra lined the corridors and fell silent to remember their colleague. With 'great sadness', the chief executive of the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust Lance McCarthy, announced her death and paid tribute to her 'professionalism and commitment'. In a statement, Ms Coventry's family said: 'As a family, our hearts are broken at the loss of our loving, wonderful and caring mum, sister, daughter and grandmother. 'We each know how much she loved and cherished us. Her love for us all was unfailing and her strength in the way she cared and supported us will fill our memories. 'What we also know is how proud she was to be an NHS midwife. Lynsay followed her dream and trained as a midwife later in life. 'It was a role she committed herself to and saw the midwifery team at the Princess Alexandra Hospital as her other family. 'She was a very well-respected midwife who supported many hundreds of women as they welcomed their babies into the world.' Glen Corbin, 59, nurse, died on April 4 The 59-year-old had worked at the Park Royal Centre for Mental Health in Harlesden, north-west London, for more than 25 years and his Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust announced his death on April 4. His colleagues have paid tribute to him after he died of the disease, saying he was looking forward to his 60th birthday this year. They said: 'Glen was a much loved colleague and will be sorely missed. Our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones at this sad and difficult time.' It was revealed last week that 20,000 former NHS staff have come back to the profession to help combat the deadly disease. Rebecca Mack, 29, nurse, died on April 5 Tributes have poured in for Rebecca Mack (pictured), a child cancer nurse from Newcastle who's died from coronavirus The 29-year-old died on April 5, after going into self-isolation with symptoms. Her friend Sarah Bredin-Kemp said she was an 'incredible nurse'. Her heartbroken best friend, Sarah Bredin-Kemp, revealed her sorrow in a touching Facebook post about the medic, who most recently worked as a 111 operator She wrote: 'Becca was one of the best friends I've ever had. She was a devoted friend, an incredible nurse and a unapologetically imperfect person: She was the most accident-prone, stubborn, chatterbox with a bizarre catchphrase and inappropriate joke for every occasion. 'Her iconic love of leopard print and statement earrings was rivaled only by Pat Butcher herself. 'She would never take 'I'm busy, I'm not coming to the pub' as an answer. She was useless at hiding her emotions: she would just describe things she didn't like as as 'interesting' or 'alternative', with an expression of pure loathing. 'She was a high maintenance, foot-in-mouth oversharer with a love of cheesy music, crappy tv and an inexplicable hatred of small animals. 'But she would be the first in line to tell you off when you were doubting yourself. 'She was honest, warm and charismatic. She worked hard and made her family proud every single day.' Dr Anton Sebastianpillai, consultant, died on April 4 Dr Anton Sebastianpillai became the thirteenth frontline medic to die from the virus on Saturday The consultant geriatrician died on April 4, four days after being admitted to the intensive care unit and two weeks after completing his final shift on March 20, according to Kingston Hospital in south-west London. In a statement, a spokesman for the hospital said Dr Anton had completed his last shift with the hospital on March 20. 'It is with great sadness that I confirm the death of a consultant geriatrician who was part of the teamDr Anton Sebastianpillai died on Saturday 4 April 2020 having been cared for in the hospital's intensive care unit since March 31. 'Dr Sebastianpillai completed his last shift with us on March 20 and we would like to extend our sincere condolences to his family.' The Peradeniya Medical School Alumni Association of the United Kingdom said the doctor had retired from his career and had volunteered to work with Covid-19 patients. Liz Glanister, nurse, died on April 3 On April 6, Aintree University Hospital confirmed that they had lost long-serving staff nurse Liz Glanister, 68, after she contracted Covid-19 Aintree University Hospital said the staff nurse died on Friday April 3, with her family describing the loss as 'simply beyond words'. In a statement on social media, the hospital said: 'All our thoughts are with Liz's family at this time and we offer them our sincere condolences. Liz will be sadly missed by all those who knew and worked with her. 'I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to Liz for her dedication to her patients, colleagues and friends over many years.' At Liverpool Town Hall, St George's Hall and The Cunard Building the Union flag was flown at half mast in honour of Ms Glanister. John Alagos, 27, nurse, died on April 3 John Alagos, a London nurse of 27 who treated covid-19 patients, fell ill at work The Mail On Sunday reported that the 27-year-old nurse - who treated coronavirus patients at Watford General Hospital - died after a shift on Friday April 3. His mother, Gina Gustilo, 50, told The Mail on Sunday her son had not been wearing the right protective clothing at work. He returned home on Friday following a night shift, after complaining of suffering a headache and high temperature throughout the night. A tearful Mrs Gustilo said: 'I asked 'Why didn't you come home?' He said he had asked other staff but they said they were short of staff and they did not let him go. I said, 'OK, take some paracetamol.' After a few minutes, I found him turning blue in his bed.' After finding her son unconscious in his bedroom, Ms Gustilo immediately called 999 but paramedics were unable to resuscitate him. Watford General Hospital said in a statement: 'Our staff are fully briefed on the symptoms of Covid-19 and we would never expect anyone to remain at work if they were showing these symptoms or indeed were unwell in any way. 'We have always kept our staff updated on the latest PPE guidance to make sure they have the right level of protection.' A spokeswoman added: 'John was very popular and will be missed greatly.' Mr Alagos, from Watford, was born in the Philippines, but moved to Britain as a youngster and had become a British citizen. Ms Gustilo said her son did not have any underlying medical conditions. Areema Nasreen, 36, nurse, died on April 2 Areema Nasreen, 36, a Walsall staff nurse and mother-of-three, has died from coronavirus, becoming the country's youngest health worker to be killed by the disease Aged 36, Ms Nasreen died on April 2 in intensive care at Walsall Manor Hospital in the West Midlands - where she had worked for 16 years. The NHS employee of 16 years, who started in housekeeping before training as a nurse, was diagnosed with the infection in late March after developing a soaring temperature, body aches and a cough. A heartbroken relative of Ms Nasreen paid tribute to the mother-of-three and said: 'The immediate family are devastated. Everyone is in shock this morning. 'She was always so full of life. She was devoted to her job as a nurse, she absolutely loved it. She passed away doing what she loved. 'I'm really sad for the rest of the family, she was a fantastic person.' Nurse Rubi Aktar paid tribute to her 'best friend', who she described as the 'most loveliest, genuine person you could ever meet'. In an emotional Facebook post, she wrote: 'I am so broken that words can't explain. I can't believe I will not see your smile again. 'You made me the nurse that I am today, with your support, motivation and inspiration I am the nurse that I am today and I hope I can do you proud Areema. 'I love you so much and I will never forget you. You had so much to live for, I am sorry you didn't get to see your kids grow up and I'm sorry that you didn't get to complete your career.' Sami Shousha, 79, researcher, died on April 2 Professor Mohamed Sami Shousha was from Egypt and had worked at UK cancer research laboratories since 1978 and was an honorary professor of histopathology at Imperial College London The professor, 79, who had worked at UK cancer research laboratories at London's Hammersmith and Charing Cross hospitals since 1978, died on April 2. He had worked at UK cancer research laboratories since 1978 and was an honorary professor of histopathology at Imperial College London. His nephew, Abdelrahman Shousha, told The Sun: 'He was very keen on going to work on his final days despite the health hazards. 'However, most likely, his work did not involve direct contact with Covid-19 patients. 'He had been hospitalised since March 23, after contracting the virus, before he succumbed to the illness on Thursday April 2. We will all miss him dearly.' One of his former pupils, Dr Neha Tabassum, tweeted: 'My prayers and thoughts are with his family. It's so sad to hear this news, I am in tears!! 'Professor Sami Shousha was one of my mentor. Without his support, my PhD would not have been possible. He was such an amazing human being.' Thomas Harvey, 57, nurse, died on March 29 Thomas Harvey, 57, picked up coronavirus when treating a patient in London and has now died of the virus The healthcare assistant, 57, a father-of-seven who worked at Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford, east London, died at home on March 29. The father-of-seven, died 'gasping for air' at the family home in east London, having collapsed in the bathroom. His son, also named Thomas, described having to punch a hole in the door as he and other family members made desperate attempts to get to the 57-year-old. He said efforts to provide protective equipment to healthcare staff and to roll out Covid-19 testing were much too slow. Mr Harvey, 24, said: 'Why has it taken so long? Why have we had to lose my dad, and similar situations, for you (the Government) to take action? 'It is frustrating to think that a situation like this could have been prevented with the correct care from the Government.' He said the grandfather-of-three had been given only 'gloves and a flimsy apron' to protect himself from infection, and had isolated himself at home after beginning to show symptoms of the virus a few weeks ago. Despite paramedics being called out when his condition worsened around a week before his death, he was not admitted to hospital or tested for the virus, a decision the family were surprised by. Dr Amged El-Hawrani, 55, consultant, died on March 28 Mr El-Hawrani was primarily an ear, nose and throat consultant and surgeon but before he became unwell, he had also been volunteering in A&E An ear, nose and throat consultant with University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB), the 55-year-old died at the Glenfield Hospital in Leicester on March 28. The 'dedicated' consulant, who was an ear, nose and throat specialist at Queen's Hospital in Burton, was known for being 'extremely hard-working' and deeply committed to his patients. He died on March 28 at the Glenfield Hospital in Leicester the first UK death of a full-time hospital doctor from the virus since the crisis began. Mr El-Hawrani was born in Sudan and served primarily an ear, nose and throat consultant and surgeon but before he became unwell, he had also been volunteering in A&E. His family said they were devastated but 'immensely proud', and staff at his hospital said they were 'desperately saddened'. But the British Medical Association warned that his death would reverberate amongst NHS staff, who are becoming increasingly concerned over the lack of protective equipment. Pooja Sharma, pharmacist, died on March 26 Pooja, 32, (pictured) worked as a pharmacist in East Sussex and is thought to have received three days of care and treatment for the virus before her death Ms Sharma, a pharmacist at Eastbourne District General Hospital, died unexpectedly on March 26 according to a JustGiving page created in her memory. Her father Sudhir Sharma, an immigration officer at Heathrow Airport, had died the previous day. Sudhir Sharma, who worked at Terminal 3, passed away on Wednesday before pharmacist Pooja suffered the same tragic fate the following day, The Sun reports. The father, 61, from Hounslow in west London, last worked on January 7, therefore officials don't believe he contracted Covid-19 on duty and likely picked it up elsewhere. A friend of Pooja's posted online: 'May their souls rest in peace. Sending my heartiest condolences, prayers and love to their family.' They added: 'Please, please, please inform family and friends to take this very seriously and to self-isolate, socially distance themselves as much as possible, for their families if not for themselves. Dr Habib Zaidi, 76, doctor, died on March 25 Dr Habib Zaidi worked as a GP at Eastwood Group Practice in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex The GP in Leigh-on-Sea died in intensive care at Southend Hospital, Essex, on March 25, aged 76. He became ill on March 24 and died just 24 hours later in hospital. Test results for Covid-19 came back positive yesteday - and his daughter Sarah, a GP at his practice in Essex, had earlier said he had 'textbook symptoms'. Dr Zaidi, who came to the UK from Pakistan in the early 1970s and worked at Eastwood Group Practice in Leigh-on-Sea, had been self-isolating for a week before he became ill. His death raised concerns among the medical community about being exposed to the deadly virus without sufficient protective equipment. Dr Zaidi's family said: 'For him to be snatched away from us in this way, in these desperately troubling times for the whole world, has left us truly heartbroken. 'But we are overwhelmed, touched and comforted by the many kind tributes and love we have received. The name Habib means beloved and beloved he truly was. 'We know that not only has he left a gaping hole in our hearts but a loss that is also felt within the community that he devoted almost his entire life to.' His daughter Sarah told the BBC: 'For that to be the thing that took him is too much to bear. It is reflective of his sacrifice.' Dr Jose Garcia-Lobera, GP chair at Southend Clinical Commissioning Group, said he was a 'hugely respected, selfless man who dedicated his life to helping others'. He added: 'Dr Zaidi will always be remembered for his significant contribution to local health services through his long career as a GP. Dr Adil El Tayar, 63, transplant surgeon, died on March 25 Mr Adil El Tayar, 63, an organ transplant consultant, developed symptoms after he volunteered to help treat patients The 63-year-old died at West Middlesex University Hospital in Isleworth, west London, on March 25, working as a locum surgeon before his death.His grieving family warned NHS staff were 'sitting ducks' and called for them to be given better protective kit and disease testing. Cousin Dr Hisham El-Khider said he believed Dr El Tayar's death was preventable, saying: 'If we don't improve protection for staff across the board then more of us will die. 'The brunt of this disease is only going to get bigger and bigger, and more needs to be done. 'If we don't, there will be more doctors and nurses who fall seriously ill and are unable to treat patients who desperately require their care.' Mr El Tayar, a father-of-four, self-isolated once he developed symptoms but had to be taken to hospital with breathing difficulties and died last Wednesday at the West Middlesex University Hospital in Isleworth, West London. His cousin, BBC journalist Zeinab Badawi, said: 'He'd wanted to be deployed where he would be most useful during the crisis. 'That was typical of my cousin Adil, always willing to help, always with a willing smile.' She added: 'It had taken just 12 days for Adil to go from a seemingly fit and capable doctor working in a busy hospital to lying in a hospital morgue.' Thick smoke hung over Ukraine's capital Kiev on Friday as forest fires smouldered on in the Chernobyl nuclear zone, while city officials said no radiation spike had been detected. The acrid haze hindered visibility all over the city of three million and the smell of smoke was noticeable even inside homes. The city on Friday topped the global ranking for high air pollution compiled by IQAir Group, outdoing places in China including Shanghai, as the coronavirus pandemic has led to cleaner air worldwide. The smog came with strong winds blowing in smoke from dozens of forest fires in surrounding regions, including the nuclear exclusion zone around Chernobyl power plant. A fire broke out almost two weeks ago close to the reactor that exploded in 1986 in the world's worst nuclear accident. On Tuesday, Ukrainian authorities said the blaze had been largely extinguished thanks to heavy rain. But on Friday a thousand firefighters with two planes and three helicopters were still battling a number of small fires in the wooded area some 80 kilometres north of Kiev, the emergency service said. Kiev authorities assured residents there was no danger of radiation. "In Kiev, smoke and air pollution are being observed as a result of fires... but there is no radiation," Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a video address. Officials nevertheless urged locals not to go out without urgent need and to keep their windows shut. The air pollution hit a city already under lockdown due to the coronavirus epidemic, with 4,662 confirmed cases in Ukraine and 125 deaths. In Kiev, people are allowed to walk outside but only wearing masks and not in groups of more than two. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The mayor of Las Vegas said that the ongoing lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak is 'total insanity'. Carolyn Goodman on Wednesday called on Nevada's Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak, to lift the closures imposed on nonessential businesses. 'This shutdown has become one of total insanity in my opinion, for there is no backup of data as to why we are shut down from the start,' Goodman told a City Council meeting on Wednesday. 'No plan in place how to move through the shutdown or how even to come out of it.' The mayor, who self-identifies as a political independent, said she spoke with experts who told her that the coronavirus or something similar will 'be part of what we work through going forward.' Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman told a city council meeting on Wednesday that the closure of nonessential businesses during the coronavirus lockdown is 'total insanity' 'We cannot keep our heads in the sand and think it's going to go away,' she said. 'We're adults with brains who can know what to do to wash our hands, to take all precautions not to spread this disease.' Goodman said that the ongoing lockdown is 'killing us already' in that it has strangled the city's convention and tourism industry. 'The longer we wait to do this the more impossible it will become to recover and return to the home we all know and love,' she said. On April 1, Sisolak issued stay-at-home orders for all residents of Nevada. The governor also extended closures of schools and nonessential private businesses until the end of the month. Sisolak said on Thursday he intends to detail next week some of the criteria he'll use to determine how soon it's safe to slowly start reopening businesses and relax other restrictions as coronavirus trends continue to improve in Nevada. But he said any changes will be incremental and insisted he won't succumb to pressure from critics demanding reopening of casinos and nonessential businesses for short-term economic gain or provide a specific timeline of when that might happen. 'I'm putting the lives of my fellow Nevadans ahead of dollars,' Sisolak said as the mayor of Las Vegas and others continued their criticism of the extended closures that began in mid-March. 'We will reopen when the time is right,' he said Thursday night at the state capitol building in Carson City. 'It's not as easy as flipping a switch.' Nevada's Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak said on Thursday that he will reopen the state 'when the time is right' The Las Vegas Strip is empty on April 3 after the governor ordered a mandatory lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic People check in prior to entering a temporary homeless shelter set up in a parking lot at Cashman Center amid the coronavirus pandemic in Las Vegas on April 1 Sisolak said the good news is that most Nevadans are heeding his call to stay at home and practicing social distancing. 'It's working. On many metrics we are doing a good job,' he said. More than 3,300 people have tested positive for COVID-19 and 137 have died in Nevada. But the rate of increase in those numbers has slowed this week and the percentage of hospital beds filled with patients has steadied over the past 10 days. About four out of 10 acute care beds statewide remain empty, as do about three out of 10 in ICU units. Washoe County's joint response team announced Thursday it was putting on hold plans to open a temporary facility in the days ahead with 500 to 750 beds at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in preparation for a potential surge of coronavrius patients. Reno Regional Medical Center says it already has 700 beds ready in a makeshift facility in its parking garage, with another 700 ready to go if needed in the coming days. But concerns about the economy continue. Federal officials reported that a whopping 60,180 more Nevadans filed for unemployment benefits last week, and state Senate GOP Leader James Settelmeyer said Sisolak had a duty to share with Nevadans whether he'll extend the existing closure order past April 30. 'I don't have a benchmark date yet,' Sisolak said Thursday night. He said prematurely reopening businesses runs the risk of hurting the economy more in the long run. 'It would be a very gradual manner. Restrictions would slowly be released or relieved a little bit,' he said. Tributes are pouring in from punk rock luminaries and Lower East Side neighbors for Jimmy Webb. The owner of I Need More at 75 Orchard St. and the longtime buyer for Trash & Vaudeville died of cancer earlier this week at the age of 62. Webb was for years a fixture on St. Marks Place, where he went to work at Trash & Vaudeville in 1999, and later became manager. With an eye for the perfect-fitting skintight jeans and authentic style, wrote Rolling Stone, he pulled together looks for punk rockers and pop stars alike, including outfitting everyone from the Ramones to Beyonce and Justin Bieber. Debbie Harry told the New York Post, There goes a lovely unique NYC character. I feel lucky to have known him. Henry Rollins added, Jimmy Webb was one of the sweetest human beings I ever met. Webb opened his own store on lower Orchard Street in the fall of 2017, instantly making the block more interesting. The one-of-a-kind shop was a breath of fresh air in a gentrified neighborhood, where the cutting edge creative culture of the 80s and 90s is mostly just a memory. Earlier this year, Webb hosted an event Footprints in February, inside the store where Debbie Harry and Iggy Pop put their handprints and footprints in concrete. In response to his passing, Iggy Pop said, Jimmy was a ragged ray of sunshine in a world thats getting darker. In recent years, he noted, Webb, dedicated his life to his store, I Need More, and to the people he collected through that theatre and he was its star, gossiping, laughing, cackling but always encouraging and spotlighting what he thought was beautiful about the people and world around him. A detained immigrant who said he tested positive for COVID-19 was required to call in for a court hearing even after a guard said he was too weak to talk, his attorney said Thursday. When the judge asked Salomon Diego Alonzo to say his name, the guard responded that Alonzo does not have the lung capacity, said his lawyer, Veronica Semino, who was listening by phone. The call lasted about two hours, though Judge Mary Baumgarten eventually agreed to delay Alonzo's final asylum hearing, the attorney said. Speaking to The Associated Press on Wednesday, the 26-year-old from Guatemala responded to most questions with one- or two-sentence answers, often interrupted by coughing. Alonzo says he has headaches, diarrhea and severe exhaustion that made it difficult for him to get out of bed. He's confined with one other person in a dorm at an immigration detention center in rural Louisiana, where medical staff check his vital signs twice a day. I can barely walk, Alonzo said. I'm not safe here. His case provides new insight into how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is dealing with a steadily rising number of coronavirus cases among its roughly 32,000 detainees. ICE said Thursday that 100 detainees are confirmed to have COVID-19. Public health experts have warned that the virus could do particular harm in U.S. jails and prisons because there's little space for social distancing. Immigration detainees in several states have pleaded for masks and expressed fear of getting the virus, which causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people but can cause more severe illness for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems. To combat the pandemic, ICE has released about 700 detainees so far, primarily people with known medical conditions. But it has resisted large-scale releases of detainees. Alonzo's requests to be freed have been denied, said Semino, his attorney. Alonzo said officials at Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, Louisiana, where he's held, have told him that he tested positive for COVID-19. ICE would not confirm that to Semino, and spokesman Bryan Cox declined to comment. Semino says Alonzo was one of nearly 700 people arrested in ICE raids last year on chicken plants in Mississippi, the largest immigration worksite enforcement operation in at least a decade. He has been in the U.S. since 2012, living in an apartment in a small Mississippi town with his wife, teenage brother and daughter, now 8. Alonzo doesn't remember being around anyone who looked ill before he started to feel sick himself. He thinks he could have been exposed to the coronavirus in the jail yard, cafeteria or dormitory where he and dozens of others sleep. Alonzo said he started feeling very tired on April 8, describing it as a pain in his bones. The next morning, he went to the nurse. He was found to have a fever, taken to a solitary confinement cell and given medicine to reduce his temperature. After a few days, someone came to administer a test, he said. Jail officials told him this week that he had the virus and took him to a dormitory with one other person, a man from South Asia who Alonzo believes is also sick. They don't talk to each other because they don't speak English, he said. ICE's website says Richwood Correctional Center has two confirmed coronavirus cases. The jail started to detain immigrants last year as part of a broader trend among rural Louisiana prisons. A Cuban man killed himself last year in a Richwood solitary confinement cell, and an Associated Press investigation found jail guards had not checked on him as federal standards require and disregarded warning signs before his death. On Thursday, Alonzo was scheduled for what's known as a merits hearing, typically an hourslong presentation to explain why he should get asylum. Semino, his attorney, said she requested Tuesday that the hearing be delayed and followed up with the court the next day. Only at the end of the hearing did the judge postpone until April 26. For somebody who is potentially dying to have to sit there for two hours, it's really cruel and inhumane," Semino said. A staff member for the judge referred questions to the media relations office for the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees U.S. immigration courts. A spokeswoman said she could not comment on Alonzo's medical status. Amid the pandemic, the office has postponed all hearings for immigrants not in detention but is holding many hearings for detainees. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By PTI CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police has deployed mobile clinics for health examination of its personnel who are managing the COVID-19 crisis on ground, a statement on Friday said. Around 30,00 of the total 43,000 police personnel have been given one round of thorough medical check-up, it said. Besides, the police personnel who are suffering from blood pressure related problems, diabetes and other health issues are being given multi-vitamins at the place of duty, Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta said in the statement. ALSO READ | 58-year-old COVID-19 positive man dies in Punjab; 14 fresh cases reported, total tally at 211 The "Mobile Police Clinics" are working in all the seven police ranges and commissionerates of the state, he said. In some of the districts, help is being taken from the civil hospital doctors to get the police personnel checked for symptoms of flu or other illnesses, the director general of police said. All personnel will be checked repeatedly, every second day, to ensure that there is no health issue among them as a result of possible exposure to the coronavirus, Gupta said. CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES He said detailed instructions have been issued by the district SSPs to ensure that all police personnel, performing duties at the forefront in enforcing the ongoing lockdown, remain healthy and safe. So far 2.5 lakh masks, 788 PPE kits and nearly 2.5 lakh hand sanitisers have been distributed to all the ranges and CPs to protect the police personnel, the DGP said. Tents and outdoor umbrellas have been installed along barricades to protect the police personnel from extreme hot temperatures, he added. To ensure sanitization of barricades, chairs, and other items which are used by the police force on front line duty, a special Japanese machine is being used in Ludhiana and Patiala, Gupta said in the statement. Food-related and delivery tech businesses have been seeing a huge wave of customer demand in the last few weeks as people on lockdown turn to them to buy necessary supplies (see also: the big funding round for meal kit delivery service Gousto announced earlier today). But that rising tide has not lifted all boats. Many restaurants have had to shut down, and those trying to stay open have had to reconsider how they run their businesses (and if it's even worth the effort at all). And that's having a subsequent impact in turn on those who supply restaurants, which are also finding out that they need to reconsider and adapt what they do, too. Today, a Berlin-based startup called Choco, which has built ordering software for restaurants and their suppliers, is announcing $30.2 million in fresh funding led by Coatue Management, with participation also from Bessemer Venture Partners, Atlantic Labs, Target Global and Greyhound. The funding puts Choco's valuation at just under $250 million, Daniel Khachab, Choco's CEO and founder, said in an interview. He added that the startup plans to use the funds to continue building out its technology and customer base, as well as to adapt to the current market with more initiatives to help its customers stay in business (more on that below) across the 17 markets where it operates, which include Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, and the United States. The funding is notable not just because of the big names of the backers. Coatue is a prolific investor that has put money into the the biggest startups of our time, including Uber, Instacart, DoorDash and RebelFoods (and that's just looking at a small selection of startups adjacent to Choco's business; the wider list has a lot of breadth). It's also notable because of the timing. It was less than six months ago that Choco raised its Series A of $33.5 million, and even though it is only getting officially announced today, Khachab said this round actually "shortly before all this hit," he said, referring to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Story continues "This was an opportunistic raise because we wanted to work with Coatue and Dan Rose," the former Amazon and Facebook exec who is now chairman of Coatue. "We were able to partner on great terms." Indeed, the company was valued at just over $100 million in its Series A according to PitchBook data, representing a doubling of its valuation. While it wasn't strictly needed for the company, "it enables us to expand more geographically, to focus on Europe and the US, and offer more functionality," he added. "it also means that we have more financial stability in a crisis." That crisis has indeed hit the restaurant industry that Choco serves with its food tech hard. While those that were already running strong delivery or takeout businesses are likely forging ahead, others have had to rethink and consider how they could fit their services into that model. More generally, however, there's been a large shift in the wider economy: many people are losing their jobs, or are worried about losing them; others are worried about catching the virus. All of this means that while some delivery of food is thriving, there is a counterbalance of belt tightening and considerably less take-out, ready-made food. In normal times, Choco's mission was to build a platform that cut down on the time and effort it takes for a restaurant to liaise with suppliers to order food for service. Typically, it's an area that was ripe for disruption since even these days a lot of kitchens spend hours on the phone with suppliers, or visiting markets, to amass their stocks. That inefficiency also created a different kind of inefficiency: that of food waste. Khachab said that in the wider global problem of food waste, restaurants are actually much bigger transgressors that individuals. The ordering platform that Choco has built aims to help restaurants better plan what they need, how much of what they need, and when, to narrow that gap. (The name Choco, in fact, is a reference to the South American rainforest region that is considered a biodiversity hotspot. Khachab said that the company's mission and subsequent platform were created with the idea of minimising production and preserving places like these.) All this was, of course, created in "normal" times before the pandemic outbreak threw many of those restaurants and their suppliers' business models into disarray. One of Choco's solutions has been an interesting twist on its business model: it's recently started to make it possible for the restaurants that normally order supplies to now continue doing so -- giving the suppliers business -- while also selling on those supplies direct to their customers -- thereby continuing to give themselves some income to supplement whatever takeout business they are also running. "Restaurants and suppliers are in trouble and consumers are in trouble," Khachab said. "We are doing this to give them some revenue and consumers can get next-day delivery and restaurant-quality ingredients and other food." Notably, this is also about keeping Choco's own sales channels from collapsing: all the profits it makes on this are going back to the restaurants themselves. The plan will be to keep this in place for as long as our lockdowns continue, although if there is a big enough business out of it, Choco might look to see how to continue it. "For us this is now a response to the current situation," he said. "But if we see that suppliers and consumers benefit from it well keep it up." "I believe every chef is an artist - the kitchen is their studio and the restaurant is their gallery. Chocos app removes friction for chefs so they can spend more time on their craft and operate their business more efficiently, said Rose in a statement. Especially now in the midst of an existential crisis for restaurants around the world, we need Choco more than ever to rethink the global food supply chain and provide new business models for food suppliers and restaurants alike." LONDON It started off as a bit of encouragement, a nudge to her World War II veteran father to keep active in lockdown after breaking his hip 18 months ago. Less than two weeks later, 99-year-old Capt. Tom Moore and his daughter have helped raise more than 18 million pounds, or $22 million, to support the staff and volunteers of the U.K.s beloved National Health Service. I told him, Ill give you a pound for every length that you do and if you do 100 by your 100th birthday thatll be 100 pounds, said Tom Moore's daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore, who lives with her father in Marston Moretaine, around 50 miles north of London. Image: British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore, 99, poses with his walking frame in the village of Marston Moretaine on Thursday. (Justin Tallis / AFP - Getty Images) Each day, Moore, armed with his walker, aimed to do enough lengths of the path in his 50-yard-long yard to finish the challenge in time for his birthday at the end of the month. They started a JustGiving page, and aimed to raise 1,000 pounds, or $1,244, by the end of the month. Local media then picked up the story and the donations started rolling in. They smashed the initial target and the Moores then set a goal of 5,000 pounds. They soon upped it to 50,000 pounds, and then 250,000 pounds. In the end, it took just 11 days to raise 18 million pounds, with the number continuing to rise by hundreds of thousands on Friday morning. This is unbelievable, it really is. You cant believe when you see these sums of money come along, said Moore in a video interview, sitting in an arm chair and dressed in a shirt and tie. During the war, he served with the British army India and Burma, now known as Myanmar, and went on to become an instructor at The Armoured Fighting Vehicle School. Today I completed my final 10 laps, and although the mission is complete - I am going to keep on going. The donations stand at 15.5 MILLION pounds - wow. Thank you all - now let's continue to support our NHS! Images by Emma Sohl - Capture The Light Photography#walkwithtom pic.twitter.com/UhDmUD3HCO Captain Tom Moore (@captaintommoore) April 16, 2020 In total, more than 900,000 people have donated, bringing record traffic to the JustGiving website. The numbers were so large that JustGiving had to ask donors to bear with them as they processed donations from thousands of Moores supporters. Story continues He even caught the eye of Prince William, who called him a one-man fundraising machine. While the image of the WWII vet in a suit jacket emblazoned with medals has in itself inspired many, so has the effort to help the country's socialized health service. The NHS is under unprecedented strain from coronavirus and workers facing similar equipment shortages as in the U.S., and Moore's challenge struck a chord. Since the lockdown began, Britons have stood outside their homes every Thursday evening, clapping for health care workers. Meanwhile, landlords have offered free places to stay for those who want to steer clear of their families while treating COVID-19 patients. The government's mantra throughout the crisis has been, Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives, repeated often by ministers in interviews, plastered on billboards and featured in newspaper ads. Moore's effort on behalf of health workers has also inspired nearly half a million people to sign a petition for him to receive a knighthood, with the midwife who started it calling him an amazing motivational hero. We created this little gem and he became a picture of hope in the United Kingdom in all this adversity, said Ingram-Moore of her father. Buoyed by the tremendous support, he completed his task on Thursday dressed in a suit and tie, with service medals on his lapel well ahead of schedule. Standing on either side of him as he finished his last lengths was a guard of honor in uniform, with health care workers cheering him on at the end of the path. It isnt for me, its for all the people, the doctors and the nurses, whichever country you are in, its for them because they are doing so well, he said of the funds he raised. They are the front line and we're all behind giving them back up, providing the goods they need, and a little pat on the back to tell them how well they are doing. Police constable Emmanuel Ambunya Oyombe, who is accused of killing University of Leeds student Carilton David Maina on December 22, 2018, was arraigned in court Thursday but he did not take a plea. The cop will remain in police custody for seven more days, during which time a mental assessment will be conducted. Justice Grace Ngenye Macharia directed that the test be done at Mathare hospital ahead of his plea-taking on April 23. The accused, through lawyer Haron Ndubi, pleaded with the court to release him on bail saying that hes not a flight risk and that he has a young family and two other dependents. Mr Ndubi told the court that he visited his client at Kilimani Police Station and found that the station was overcrowded. He argued that detaining constable Oyombe was exposing him to the risk of contracting COVID 19. The prosecution, however, refuted the claims saying that there are adequate facilities to detain suspects. Oyombe, who is based at Kenyatta National Hospital police post, was arrested by DCI detectives on Wednesday after the office of the Director of Public Prosecution concurred with the Independent Policing Oversight Authoritys recommendation for murder charges against him. Advertisement Devon Windsor has been modeling for 10 years which has expanded her bank account nicely. So it's no wonder the 26-year-old supermodel from Missouri has a very posh home in Miami that she shares with her new husband Johnny Barbara. On Friday the blonde bombshell, who is best known for her work with Victoria's Secret as well as her Marie Claire magazine covers, shared a tour of her home that includes large rooms, a walk-in closet full of designer duds - all organized by color - and a lap swimming pool. Her first home tour: Devon Windsor has been modeling for 10 years which has expanded her bank account nicely. So it's no wonder the 26-year-old supermodel from Missouri has a very posh home in Miami that she shares with her new husband Johnny Barbara Stunning: On Friday the blonde bombshell, who is best known for her work with Victoria's Secret as well as her Marie Claire magazine covers, shared a tour of her home that includes large rooms, a walk-in closet full of designer duds - all organized by color - and a lap swimming pool The clip can be viewed on her YouTube channel. Her Instagram caption for the clip read: 'I finally got around to doing this highly requested vlog for you guys! A house tour! Welcome to my home in Miami! Im no @archdigest and tbh this was all self-filmed, so it was a bit difficult, BUT I hope you enjoy a sneak peak into my home!' Devon wore a plunging beige sleeveless onesie that exposed her black bra. She wore her bleach blonde hair with exposed dark roots (no one can go to the hair dresser these days) downand stick straight. The tanned and toned cover girl started with the kitchen where she said she loves to cook up a storm. There were three bowls of candies out. We're shaken and stirred! Then it was on to her bar section, which was a shelf of glasses mixed with books - one was her wedding album and another was about iconic supermodel Kate Moss - and framed pictures She forgot to add the alcohol to this bar: Oddly there were no bottle of vodka or tequila - not even a can of Coors Lite And the catwalk queen also said she had just baked chocolate chip cookies. The cabinets were a beige washed woods and the counter tops looked to be marble quartz. At the end there were beige and gold bar stools. Then it was on to her bar section, which was a shelf of glasses mixed with books - one was her wedding album and another was about iconic supermodel Kate Moss - and framed pictures. Oddly there were no bottle of vodka or tequila - not even a can of Coors Lite. She must have to stock up on Windex: The living room was roomy with floor to ceiling windows that gave a generous view of the lush back yard; she says she loved to open the doors for an 'indoor/outdoor vibe' A great place to watch DailyMail TV! There was an L-shaped white sofa and an egg shaped coffee table The living room was roomy with floor to ceiling windows that gave a generous view of the lush back yard. An L shaped sofa filled the room and there was a coffee table with a big TV on the wall. The bedroom looked inviting with a four post bed Devon said they had custom made with the perfect fabric. 'I love it because it's a super minimalistic vibe,' she said. And she also hand picked the night stand tables that were large and made of wood. A great place to have fellow supermodels over: The outdoor patio had a living room set up with sofas and chairs Fancy a swim? And there was a lap pool with white lounge chairs to the side as well as a row of hedges and a mature tree There were also two chairs that she said were comfortable. Next to them was a little bed for her dog, who kept photo bombing the shoot. There was a photo of a nude woman on the wall with a shadow of a man taking her photo. Her walk-in closet offered plenty of space for her designer duds. 'Definitely my favorite room,' she said of her walk in closet. Windsor explained she shared it with her husband and there seemed to be mostly her togs. 'I organize by color,' said the blonde. And she also was happy to show off her dresses, pants, skirts and shorts. Table for 10? Devon said that they don't often dine at this table and prefer to eat in the kitchen. But when pals come over, they do the table up How convenient for her friends: The bar was located right next to the dining room in case someone needed a drink quick Her husband's clothes were mainly black and white. 'Much more easy to organize,' said the star. Lastly there was the bathroom, which looked very modern with a stand alone bathtub and large vanity with two sinks. Devon even opened her drawers to show off her products. 'I love makeup,' cooed the fashion queen. She also noted in her video that she usually has fresh flowers in her home but was not able to for her video tour due to self-isolation. Also on Friday the leggy wonder was seen walking her canine in Miami. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail and minimal makeup on, the 5ft11in star looked ready for a long walk with her beloved pooch. Where she sleeps: The bedroom looked inviting with a four post bed Devon said they had custom made with the perfect fabric. 'I love it because it's a super minimalistic vibe,' she said Her little pooch followed her around: Devon had her dog in tow the entire time as he begged to be picked up NSFW! On the wall was a photo of a naked woman with a photographer's shadow over the privates And she even had a little 'bed' for her dog: A pillow was thrown on the floor and there was a basket of toys for her canine She also flashed her toned tummy with a black bra top that crossed in the back and matching leggings that revealed toned legs. Black shoes and socks filled out her look. Devon looked at her cell phone many times and made sure she did not get within six feet of anyone else. Last week she took part in the viral 'quarantine challenge' with her husband amid the growing coronavirus crisis. Her own mirror too! Lastly there was the bathroom, which looked very modern with a stand alone bathtub and large vanity with two sinks Rub a dub dub: The bathtub had an oval shape and was placed near the steam shower She loves to play with paint: And Devon generously showed off her makeup drawer that had dozens of lipsticks To help pass the time while in self-sequester, Devon took to social media once again and flaunted her statuesque figure in a few other revealing ensembles. The highlight of those outfits was a skimpy black and white-patterned bikini that left little to the imagination. The looker appeared to be basking in the the sun outside a home when she shot the selfie video. Shoes for any day of the week: The runway favorite had several rows of shoes in white, black and red; there were also gold sandals and on the left were her husband's shoes She likes to be organized: Windsor said that her clothes were arranged by color; her purses are on the top shelf Gucci, Pucci and Fiorucci! She seemed to have ever different type of designer shorts along with a pair of Daisy Dukes Fendi and Hermes made the cut too: On the shelves were many different types of purses all lined up Along with the tiny bikini, Windsor also donned black sunglasses and had her long blonde tresses pulled back in a ponytail, withe the exception of some strands of hair that stylishly laid around the frame of her face. A few hours later, the Missouri native moved indoors and changed into a pair of Daisy Duke's with a white bikini top and a white sweater that was left mostly unbutton to showcase her toned midriff. She also gave a glimpse into the wide-ranging emotions many people are feeling in the quick video clip. 'How I am starting to feel....,' she wrote along with two crying emojis. Take a break from staying at home: Also on Friday the leggy wonder was seen walking her canine in Miami. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail and minimal makeup on, the 5ft11in star looked ready for a long walk with her beloved pooch Her best friend: With her hair pulled back in a ponytail and minimal makeup on, the 5ft11in star looked ready for a long walk with her beloved pooch There's another selfie video where she sounded and looked subdued and confessed: 'I find that the less I do during the day, the more tired I am all day.' And then, after a brief pause, she added, 'I feel like I need to go back to bed.' During her home sequester, Windsor showcased her tanned and toned figure as she performed a pike exercise on top of husband Johnny Barbara while he moved into a sit up. The moves were part of the Quarantine Challenge, which sees social media users take on different tasks whilst isolating at home, The model has also been sharing a number of photos and video clips of some of the healthy meals she's been preparing while in sequester; something she has regularly done on social media and YouTube before the COVID-19 outbreak. She can fish: In March she shared this post with the caption, 'When the supermarkets all have very little meat..when in doubt, catch it yourself! See my #chefdev highlight to see my all time favorite way to cook fish!' The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on Friday withdrew the specifications for coveralls one of the components of the personal protective equipment (PPE) just three days after they were released because they were found to be too stringent. The new specifications said that in addition to being fluid-resistant, the coveralls or body suits also had to be viral resistant. They were part of a set of specifications put together by the national standards body for PPE including gloves, masks, and eye protectors to be used by health care workers while treating Covid-19 patients. The specifications were first put up on the BIS website three days ago and were removed on Thursday. On Friday, the organisation tweeted: As per some media reports, confusion has arisen about standards of coveralls in the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). As of now standards specified by the ministry of health and family (welfare) are applicable. It is clarified that BIS has not notified any standard for coveralls. A senior official from BIS said on condition of anonymity hat while the specifications were released, there were administrative and inter-ministerial issues. For the time being, manufacturers have to keep following the specifications as released by the health ministry. The reason for the withdrawal is that none of the manufacturers in India are currently geared up to make coveralls as per these specifications, not even the ones that have been approved by the textile ministry, according to an industry expert who asked not to be named. The industry expert, who was part of the discussions regarding the specifications, said, The specifications must have been withdrawn after requests from the textile ministry. Although companies are working towards developing breathable viral-barrier materials and technology that can be used for sealing the seams, it is not available for now. The textile ministry knows this and they cannot afford to stop the production of the much-needed PPEs. Indian manufacturers could not meet the new standards that required the coverall be made from viral-barrier materials that are not available in India, which is also short on machines needed for sealing the seams to prevent leakage. While the specifications have been withdrawn, most manufacturers agree that some standard ones are necessary. What the ministry of health had released were buyer specifications, but not national standards that were to be followed by all manufacturers. These BIS standards are a very important first step towards creating uniformity in products that are being manufactured across the country. So far, the procurer for central government, HLL, institutes such as AIIMS, and different state governments all have different specifications for procurement, said Rajiv Nath, founder and forum coordinator of the Association of Indian Medical Devices Industry (AiMeD). BIS organised a meeting on April 3 with manufacturers and industry bodies to seek feedback on the draft of the specifications that were uploaded to its website earlier this week after the organisation decided to fast-track the adoption of the specifications. The committee decided that due to novel coronavirus pandemic and for uniform product requirements and test methods to be followed by stakeholders, the wide circulation of the draft standard be waived off and draft standard be held to have been finalised for publication, read the minutes of the meeting, a copy of which has been seen by HT. We were initially about to start our production with fluid-resistant material, 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 dampeners when it comes to scaling up production in the country. Now, we have finally managed to source some material for the viral-barrier suits, but our product is yet to be certified. . Our PPE kits should reach the market next week, said Dr GSK Velu, Chairman and Managing Director, Trivitron Group. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 10:50:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SEOUL, April 17 (Xinhua) -- South Koreas employment reduced 195,000 in March from a year earlier, marking the first decline in over 10 years, statistical office data showed Friday. The number of those employed was 26,609,000 in March, down 195,000 from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea. It was the first reduction since January 2010, posting the biggest slide since the global financial crisis hit the global economy in May 2009. The services industry was hit hard as the COVID-19 outbreak discouraged people from shopping and traveling. The number of jobs in the wholesale and retail industry declined 168,000 in March from a year ago, with the figure in the lodging and eatery sector skidding 109,000. Employment among manufacturers slipped 23,000 in the month, marking the first fall in three months. Jobless rate fell 0.1 percentage point over the year to 4.2 percent in March. The number of those unemployed was 1,180,000 in March, down 17,000 from a year earlier. It was attributed to the weakened activity to seek jobs amid the fear of infections. Enditem On April 14, New York Citys Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA) Chairman Pat Foye announced that the families of workers dying from the coronavirus pandemic would each receive $500,000 in death benefits. Two days later the MTA requested an additional $3.9 billion in federal aid, on top of an initial bailout of $4 billion, as the pandemic has slashed ridership by 90 percent and intensified the agencys preexisting debt crisis. Transit workers continue to pay the price for the authoritys criminal response to the crisis. On Tuesday, the MTAs official death toll stood at 59. At least 2,269 transit workers have tested positive for the virus. These developments came as the Socialist Equality Party and World Socialist Web Site hosted an online meeting on Wednesday night entitled, Transit workers and the pandemic: A program of action for the working class. The meeting was attended by transit workers in New York, as well as other essential workers from across the country, many of whom voiced their solidarity with the transit workers and expressed the need for workers to unite their struggles. One transit worker told attendees that he and fellow workers believed the true number of deaths had already exceeded 80. The call was also joined by a transit worker from Berlin, who expressed solidarity with transit workers in the US and across the globe. He went on to detail how he and his colleagues faced the same conditions and had also been abandoned by their union. From April 17, following New York Governor Andrew Cuomos order, MTA riders will be required to cover their faces with surgical masks, scarves or bandanas. This measure is a fig leaf to distract workers from the need for the radical reorganization of society in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including shutting down the subway systems, allocating unused vehicles to essential workers, housing essential workers so that they do not need mass transit to get to their jobs and ensuring full pay to all workers affected by the crisis. This announcement came as the first scientific studies analyzing the role of mass transit in the spread of COVID-19 were released. Jeffrey Harris, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, stated in a study released on April 13 that New York Citys multitentacled subway system was a major disseminatorif not the principal transmission vehicleof coronavirus infection during the initial takeoff of the massive epidemic that became evident throughout the city during March 2020. The decision to keep the subways open as well as riders and workers unprotected seems to have been one of the major driving factors behind the rapid spread of the disease in the city. On Thursday, the death toll in New York City stood at 11,477. The $500,000 benefit was agreed to between MTA Chairman Foye and Transport Workers Union (TWU) Locals 100, 106, 2001 and 2055. Reluctant to call the sum a line-of-duty benefit, Foye described it as a family benefit program given the tragic loss of life in a horrific pandemic. This reluctance exposes the true purpose of the program: to deter families of the deceased from pursing litigation over the criminally negligent response of both the MTA and TWU to this crisis, for which their loved ones have paid the ultimate price. The promise of this blood money is a cynical ploy undertaken by the MTA with full support from the TWU to pacify its outraged workforce. Significantly, it has yet to be approved by the MTAs board and will cease to be available when COVID-19 is no longer a major issue. Given the ambiguity of the announcement and the MTAs record of continuously breaking its promises to workers (especially in the past six weeks) it remains to be seen if families ever get this money. Before the announced delivery of N95 masks on April 4, and inspite of the MTAs own 2012 pandemic plan that ordered the stockpiling of such masks, workers were forced to go without adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for weeks. For days following the announcement, many workers complained on social media that they had yet to receive the masks. Despite continuous reassurances that cars and crew rooms were being disinfected daily since the beginning of March, one worker, Eddie Muniz, revealed on Twitter on April 16 that the crew room at the 179th Street station was last cleaned on March 29. He added, Eighteen days is unacceptable by your employees standards, how about yours? Another worker, Helena, commented on Facebook that face shields promised by interim MTA President Sarah Feinburg on April 15 were not at her station. At the SEP-WSWS online meeting, Wilson, a New York transit worker, described his own situation in the midst of the crisis. I have been quarantined for two weeks, he said. In that time I havent even been paid! I spoke to my union secretary, and he claimed the payroll guy was also out. So, today was pay day, and I didnt get my paycheck. Many of us live paycheck-to-paycheck; we should get paid when we are out of work. I am due to return against my doctors wishes. I have COPD, and my doctor says my chances will be slim to none if I contract the coronavirus. The MTAs failure to pay its workers, which is widespread, runs contrary to the New York state COVID-19 sick leave law, applicable to transit employees from April 1, which ensures 14 days of fully paid leave for workers forced into quarantine. In yet another PR stunt, on Wednesday the MTA announced a partnership with Northwell Health, New York States largest healthcare provider, to deliver rapid COVID-19 testing to workers. The agreement will allow priority testing for up to 50 MTA employees a day. At this rate it would take four years for the MTAs 72,000 workers to be tested! The record of the MTAs response is one of deceit and inaction. This has culminated in dozens of preventable deaths whose number will only increase in the coming weeks. Wayne, another transit worker who attended the online meeting, stated, Theres no respect for employees. They are letting us interact with the public and causing us to get infected with the virus. As of today, 81 active members have passed on from the virus. They raised the death benefit, but what about those of us that are living? We are going out every day and getting the virus. I know my colleagues are working together to help each other feeding their families and children. All workers on the frontlines are in this together. Another worker, Jamal, said that track workers were laboring in close proximity, while forced to shout at each other to make themselves heard, creating ideal conditions for spreading the virus. He added, The subway should have been shut down for two or three weeks at the beginning of this crisis. Period. We could have had a fleet of taxis driving essential workers around. This disease is spreading around by mass transit. You can get on the train in Coney Island, and two hours later you are spreading the disease in the Bronx. I dont have a college degree, and even I can see that. Why cant the president? The answer to that question lies in the stark contrast between the MTAs malign neglect of its workforce and its solicitous treatment of its bondholders. On March 31, Pat Foye appeared on the Brian Lehrer Show to reassure investors, We expect to make every principal and interest paymentwere not asking for forgiveness from our creditors. Trying to help the transit authoritys billionaire and multimillionaire creditors cash in on the White Houses corporate bailout, Foye continued, To be able to do that, were going to need additional support from the federal government. While refusing to ask his creditors for forgiveness, Foye is quite willing to demand workers sacrifice their lives. If the aid requested by Foye is granted, the money will not go toward the acquisition of test kits, PPE or to pay for workers on leave, but straight into the pockets of the bondholders on Wall Street. To achieve the same purpose of meeting payments to its creditors, the MTA will inevitably use the crisis as an excuse to cut costs by laying off workers it deems unnecessary. Jey, a station agent who attended Wednesdays online meeting, reported, Theyre taking all the cash out of the booths. It may be the beginning of a shift in the system for the station agent job. This job is my only protection right now. The MTAs response is only a continuation of its pre-pandemic policy of squeezing transit workers to their limits while siphoning off ever increasing sums to the bondholders. Last year, the MTA spent $2.9 billion on bond repayments (16 percent of its total expenditures). This policy has been supported by the bought-and-paid-for TWU every step of the way. Their criminal response to the COVID-19 pandemic is the direct product of the subordination of New Yorks transit systemand the very lives of transit workersto the profit interests of finance capital. Herzeliya, Israel and Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 17, 2020) - InnoCan Pharma Corporation (CSE: INNO) ("InnoCan" or the "Company") announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, InnoCan Pharma Ltd. of Herzliya Israel, has entered into a sponsored research agreement dated April 17, 2020 (the "Research Agreement") with Ramot at Tel Aviv University ("Ramot") to collaborate with Tel Aviv university to develop a novel, revolutionary approach to treat COVID-19 by using Cannabidiol (CBD) loaded Exosomes ("ICLX"). Under the terms of the Research Agreement, InnoCan and a team led by Prof. Daniel Offen, a leading researcher specializing in Neuroscience and Exosome technology at Tel Aviv University, will collaborate to develop the cell therapy product, based on Prof. Offen's work in the field. Innocan has agreed to fund the research based on agreed milestones, in the aggregate amount of approximately US $450,000 for the first stage. InnoCan and Ramot are collaborating on a new, revolutionary exosome-based technology that targets both central nervous system (CNS) indications and the Covid-19 Corona Virus. CBD-Loaded Exosomes hold the potential to provide a highly synergistic effect of anti-inflammatory properties and help in the recovery of infected lung cells. This product, which is expected to be administrated by inhalation, will be tested against a variety of lung infections. Exosomes are small particles created when stem cells are multiplied. Exosomes can act as "homing missiles", targeting specific damaged organs and have an important role in cell-to-cell communication. When the cell healing properties of the exosomes are combined with the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD, it is expected to reach high synergetic effect. The research results may be beneficial to additional treatments for Central Nerve System ( CNS ) indications such as epilepsy and Alzheimer's Disease. The Research Agreement also gives InnoCan Pharma the exclusive option to receive an exclusive worldwide royalty-bearing license to Ramot's background technology and the research results to allow InnoCan to develop and manufacture ICLX for the treatment of COVID-19 and potentially for other types of lung inflammations and additional respiratory related illnesses. Once InnoCan Pharma provides notice of intent to exercise the option, InnoCan Pharma and Ramot have agreed to negotiate the license agreement in good faith according to predefined commercial terms annexed to the Research Agreement. Ramot Logo To view an enhanced version of this logo, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6922/54575_944f77a4e4e55a4d_002full.jpg Background The world is suffering from a rapid rise in illness due to the fast growing spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lungs are the organ most affected by COVID-19, causing pneumonia that rapidly progresses to acute respiratory distress syndrome and can further result in respiratory failure, septic shock, or multi-organ failure, and in the most severe cases death. Recent in-vivo and in-vitro studies have demonstrated that exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) can promote regeneration and improve immune reaction processes in damaged tissues. Exosomes contain anti-inflammatory agents that can target inflamed organs. Prof. Offen and his team have already successfully loaded exosomes with various molecules. They have also succeeded in treating different tissue injuries in animal models, while significantly reducing inflammation and pathological impairment. To date, there have been hundreds of publications and several clinical studies using exosomes globally, demonstrating their therapeutic potential at different applications. Animal studies have also demonstrated CBD as effective in reducing lung inflammation. Based on these findings and the capability of attaching molecules to Exosomes as was shown at Prof. Offen studies, InnoCan believes that its ICLX therapy has the potential to treat the COVID-19 virus by combining CBD with exosomes, thereby creating therapeutic synergies. The suggested combination may have strong synergetic effects, thereby increasing the potential efficacy of planned treatments. Prof. Dani Offen, of the Sackler School of Medicine, Sagol School of Neuroscience at Tel Aviv University, said, "I am pleased to work with the InnoCan team on this exciting ICLX development project. We are facing a challenging time, and I believe our unique approach holds a promise to offer a treatment for COVID-19, pneumonia and perhaps for other lung inflammations as well." Iris Bincovich, CEO of InnoCan's CEO, also commented, "COVID-19 has quickly become one of the largest challenges in healthcare today. With the development of ICLX, we are creating a new treatment, to join the global mission to combat the effects of COVID-19. We are determined to make a difference as quickly as possible to assist patients worldwide." Keren Primor Cohen, CEO of Ramot at Tel Aviv University, summarized, "We hope that this collaboration with Innocan Pharma will assist in transforming Prof. Offen's promising technology into a real treatment for the global threat of COVID-19." The Company is not making any express or implied claims that the research to be conducted under the Research Agreement will be successful or that any products developed from the research will have the ability to eliminate, cure, treat or contain the Covid-19 Coronavirus or other lung conditions. Innocan Pharma has also been approved for listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE) under the trading symbol: FRA: IP4. About InnoCan Pharma Corporation The Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Innocan Pharma Ltd. ("Innocan Pharma Israel"), is a pharmaceutical tech company that focuses on the development of several drug delivery platforms combining cannabidiol ("CBD"). The Company signed on a worldwide exclusive license agreement with Yissum, the commercial arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to develop CBD drug delivery platform based on a unique-controlled release Liposome to be administrated by Injection. The company planes, together with Prof. Berenholtz, Head of the Laboratory of Membrane and Liposome Research of the Hebrew University to test the Liposome platform on several potential indications. -The company is also working on dermal product integrating CBD with other pharmaceutical ingredients as well as the development and sale of CBD-integrated pharmaceuticals. include, but are not limited to, topical treatments for relief of psoriasis symptoms as well as the treatment of muscle pain and rheumatic pain.The founders and officers of InnoCan have commercially successful track records in the pharmaceutical and technology sectors in Israel and globally. About Ramot Ramot is the technology transfer company of Tel Aviv University, one of Israel's foremost research and teaching universities. It is one of the major hubs that has contributed to Israel's global reputation as the "Startup Nation". Founded in 1956, Tel Aviv University is located in Israel's cultural, financial and industrial center. Rooted in both academic and corporate arenas, Ramot is uniquely positioned to cultivate the special relationships between these two compelling worlds, creating win-win connections that support fertile, groundbreaking research while providing companies with discoveries that give them a crucial competitive edge. So far, these collaborations have produced more than 60 active start-up companies and the registration of over 70 patents a year. Around 300 additional patents are currently commercially available while awaiting the finalization of the patenting process. Dry eye therapy with Tubilux Pharma, Circadin, a treatment for sleeping disorders with Neurim Pharmaceuticals Blistex Inc., improved flash memory with SanDisk and others have proven that the industry can benefit greatly from the talent pool Tel Aviv University has to offer, and that rigorous research and out-of-the-box thinking can create a product that answers a consumer's everyday needs. For further information, please contact: For InnoCan Pharma Corporation: Iris Bincovich, CEO +972-54-3012842 info@innocanpharma.com NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Caution regarding forward-looking information Certain information set forth in this news release, including, without limitation, information regarding the markets, requisite regulatory approvals and the anticipated timing for market entry, is forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond InnoCan's control. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by InnoCan, including expectations and assumptions concerning the anticipated benefits of the product markets, satisfaction of regulatory requirements in various jurisdictions and satisfactory completion of requisite production and distribution arrangements. Forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this news release. The key risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: general global and local (national) economic, market and business conditions; governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities; and relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, customers, business partners and competitors. There are also risks that are inherent in the nature of product distribution, including failure to obtain any required regulatory and other approvals (or to do so in a timely manner) and availability in each market of product inputs and finished products. The anticipated timeline for entry to markets may change for a number of reasons, including the inability to secure necessary regulatory requirements, or the need for additional time to conclude and/or satisfy the manufacturing and distribution arrangements. As a result of the foregoing, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this news release concerning the timing of launch of product distribution. A comprehensive discussion of other risks that impact InnoCan can also be found in InnoCan's public reports and filings which are available under InnoCan's profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information as actual results may vary materially from the forward-looking information. InnoCan Pharma does not undertake to update, correct or revise any forward-looking information as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. . To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54575 A villager was killed and another injured when they were allegedly caught in a crossfire between security forces and Maoists in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bijapur district on Friday. While the police said the security forces opened fire after noticing suspicious movement, locals denied that naxals were present at the spot. The incident took place around 4 am near Pusgudi village under Modakpal police station area when a team of CRPF's 229th battalion was out on an area domination operation, said Superintendent of Police Kamlochan Kashyap. "The patrolling team had laid an ambush in the forest, around 4 km away from Murkinar. Around 3 am to 4 am on Friday, when security forces noticed suspicious movement, they shouted, demanding to know the identity," the SP said. "But they tried to flee from the spot following which security forces fired," he said. Later, during a search of the spot, security forces spotted two men with bullet injuries and shifted them to a hospital in Bijapur. One of them succumbed to his injuries while another is undergoing treatment, Kashyap said. According to police officials, the deceased was identified as Dubba Kanhaiya, a native of Pusgudi while the injured was Yalam Dharmaiyya, a resident of the same village. But another villager, claiming that he was at the same spot, said the security forces unilaterally opened fire and there were no naxals. "I and three other villagers had gone to the forest adjacent to our village around 3 am to guard Mahua flowers from cattle. We were returning to the village while hunting birds (a customary practice among tribals) when suddenly we were fired upon. "While I and another villager managed to escape, two others were hit by bullets," he said. "There were no naxals. Security forces fired upon us from a close range," he alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An online fundraising drive to cover the funeral expenses of an Indian-origin woman, who died of COVID-19 while her daughter is battling the deadly virus, attracted over 6,000 pounds within a day. Anusuya Chandra Mohan, in her 60s, passed away recently and her family in the UK and India were keen for her daughter, Jennifer, to be able to see her mother one last time before her last rites. Jennifer, who is a staff nurse at the National Health Service (NHS) Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, Norfolk, in the east of England, remains on ventilator support. 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 Jennifer and wishing her a speedy recovery, says Evelyn Nadar, who launched the fundraiser on the Go Fund Me page earlier this week. We want the family in the 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 family's wishes are for Jenifer to see her mum before she is finally laid to rest, she said. However, the hospital confirmed on Friday that considering several factors due to the coronavirus pandemic situation, the funeral plans have now been finalised. I would like to inform on behalf of the family that they are overwhelmed by the response of each and everyone of you in supporting them. And they are grateful that they have received enough donations for the funeral, said Nadar. Meanwhile, Chandra Mohan's daughter remains on extra corporeal membrane oxygenation support at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge. The situation is very grim and hence please continue to uphold her in your prayers for speedy recovery," added her colleague Nadar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has finally granted approval for the merger of wireless carriers T-Mobile and Sprint. Earlier this month, the CPUC had issued a proposal to approve the merger with conditions. The two companies have agreed to abide by those conditions. After a prolonged legal battle with state attorneys general (AG), T-Mobile and Sprint finally completed their merger on April 1. The AGs were of the opinion that the merger would mean higher prices for consumers. However, the $23-billion deal, originally valued at $26 billion, went ahead without the California regulators vote. Now that approval has come as well, clearing the way for the two wireless carriers to merge their operations in the nations most populous state. Advertisement The CPUC says that the anti-competitive effects of the merger outweighed its potential benefits in the state of California. However, those potential adverse effects are mitigated by the conditions it has placed in front of the new company. T-Mobile and Sprint merger approved by CPUC The CPUC on Thursday unanimously voted to approve the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint. The deal was approved with several conditions, though. The new T-Mobile will have to provide 5G connectivity to 93 percent of Californias population by the end of 2024, with at least 300Mbps speed. Advertisement The coverage should extend to 99 percent of the states population by the end of 2024. The company will have to offer a minimum speed of 100Mbps throughout the state. For rural areas, the California regulators have ordered the company to cover 85 percent of the rural population with 5G connectivity by 2024, while offering a minimum speed of 100Mbps. Furthermore, the company will have to offer at least 50Mbps speed to 94 percent of the rural population by 2026. The new T-Mobile will also have to offer fixed home internet to at least 2.3 million households in California within six years. Advertisement A minimum of 123,000 households should be from rural localities. The company also needs to maintain or improve current 4G LTE service quality while it makes the transition to 5G. The California regulators have asked the new company to boost jobs in the state by at least 1,000. It will also have to continue the LifeLine service in California and enroll at least 300,000 new LifeLine program customers. The CPUC says it will appoint an independent monitor within the next 120 days to review T-Mobiles compliance with the approval. Both the CPUC and the California Attorney General may take enforcement actions if the company fails to comply with any of the conditions. Those holding COSCO Shipping International (Singapore) (SGX:F83) shares must be pleased that the share price has rebounded 31% in the last thirty days. But unfortunately, the stock is still down by 27% over a quarter. But shareholders may not all be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down 34% in the last year. Assuming no other changes, a sharply higher share price makes a stock less attractive to potential buyers. While the market sentiment towards a stock is very changeable, in the long run, the share price will tend to move in the same direction as earnings per share. The implication here is that deep value investors might steer clear when expectations of a company are too high. 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 COSCO Shipping International (Singapore) How Does COSCO Shipping International (Singapore)'s P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers? We can tell from its P/E ratio of 68.29 that there is some investor optimism about COSCO Shipping International (Singapore). You can see in the image below that the average P/E (13.7) for companies in the logistics industry is a lot lower than COSCO Shipping International (Singapore)'s P/E. SGX:F83 Price Estimation Relative to Market April 16th 2020 COSCO Shipping International (Singapore)'s P/E tells us that market participants think the company will perform better than its industry peers, going forward. Shareholders are clearly optimistic, but the future is always uncertain. So further research is always essential. I often monitor director buying and selling. How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios If earnings fall then in the future the 'E' will be lower. Therefore, even if you pay a low multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become higher in the future. A higher P/E should indicate the stock is expensive relative to others -- and that may encourage shareholders to sell. Story continues COSCO Shipping International (Singapore) saw earnings per share decrease by 43% last year. And EPS is down 19% a year, over the last 5 years. This might lead to muted expectations. Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future) by investing in growth. That means taking on debt (or spending its cash). While growth expenditure doesn't always pay off, the point is that it is a good option to have; but one that the P/E ratio ignores. Is Debt Impacting COSCO Shipping International (Singapore)'s P/E? COSCO Shipping International (Singapore)'s net debt equates to 30% of its market capitalization. You'd want to be aware of this fact, but it doesn't bother us. The Verdict On COSCO Shipping International (Singapore)'s P/E Ratio COSCO Shipping International (Singapore)'s P/E is 68.3 which suggests the market is more focussed on the future opportunity rather than the current level of earnings. With some debt but no EPS growth last year, the market has high expectations of future profits. What we know for sure is that investors have become much more excited about COSCO Shipping International (Singapore) recently, since they have pushed its P/E ratio from 52.2 to 68.3 over the last month. If you like to buy stocks that have recently impressed the market, then this one might be a candidate; but if you prefer to invest when there is 'blood in the streets', then you may feel the opportunity has passed. When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. If the reality for a company is better than it expects, you can make money by buying and holding for the long term. Although we don't have analyst forecasts shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow. Of course you might be able to find a better stock than COSCO Shipping International (Singapore). 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. Stay-at-home orders aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus have made it impossible for millions of women in Africa, Asia and elsewhere to get birth control. The women have no idea when they will be permitted to go out again to get access to birth control or other reproductive health needs. With population movements restricted across the world, women are being forced to lock down their uterus, Abebe Shibru told the Associated Press. He is the Zimbabwe country director for Marie Stopes International, an organization that helps women learn about birth control. But there is no way in a rural area, he added. Eighteen countries in Africa have national stay-at-home orders, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. All but important workers or those seeking food or health care must stay home for weeks, maybe longer. Rwanda was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to put such an order in place. It has extended it for two weeks, a sign of possible things to come. Even where birth control remains available, many women fear going out and being beaten by security forces and accused of breaking the rules. Also, services that help rural women have mostly stopped travelling to avoid spreading the virus from one community to another. The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) says in a new report that more than 20 percent of its small medical stations around the world have closed because of the pandemic and restrictions. More than 5,000 mobile medical stations across 64 countries have closed. Most are in South Asia and Africa, but Latin America and Europe have seen hundreds of closures as well. From Pakistan to Germany to Colombia, IPPF members say they have decreased services such as HIV testing and trips to investigate gender-based violence reports. Many countries also have a shortage of birth control medication and devices. They have needs that cannot wait, IPPF director-general Alvaro Bermejo said of women in a statement. He asked national governments to help provide birth control to women. In Europe, 100 non-governmental groups have called on governments to make some reproductive health services available during the pandemic. The French government said last month that pharmacies could take birth control medication to women unable to see a doctor while ordered to stay at home. The result is predicted to produce a baby boom of population growth in Africa. Some experts have said they believe Africas 1.3 billion population could increase 100 percent by 2050. In Zimbabwe last year, Marie Stopes gave more than 400,000 women family planning services, Abebe Shibru said. That included preventing nearly 50,000 unsafe abortions. But now the organizations services for rural women have stopped. Even at the few, small medical stations still open, the number of visitors has dropped by 70 percent. Future Gwena works with people in the community for Marie Stopes. She told the AP the situation leaves many men and women trapped inside their homes with little to do. Husband and wife, what else can they be doing in that house? she asks. I think were going to have a lot of pregnancies most will result in unsafe abortionsviolence. Another problem has been virus-related shutdowns in countries that manufacture birth control. This has led to supply shortages across Africa. Birth control devices and medication were supposed to come today to serve us for the coming six months, Shibru said. But the arrivals were cancelled. In Uganda, Marie Stopes country director Carole Sekimpi said it is not known when emergency birth control devices and medication sent from India will arrive. There have been no new shipments for a month. Yesterday when I heard (neighboring) Kenya talking about a lockdown in Nairobi and (the port of) Mombasa, I thought, My god, whats going to happen? she said. Overall, theres definitely going to be a problem. She expects not only an increase in births, but a rise in unsafe abortion and post-abortion care as well. She also believes some women may try to remove birth control devices they have in their bodies because they are afraid no family planning worker will be available to help them later. I'm Jill Robbins. The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story access n. to be able to find or get uterus n. the organ in women and most females mammals in which a child develops before it is born pandemic n. a disease that spread internationally mobile adj. on wheels, something that can go from one place to another place pharmacy n. a place where people go to get medicine abortion n. the termination of a pregnancy baby boom n. a time when many women have babies The UK government on Friday announced an additional 17 charter flights next week, with a total capacity of around 4,000 passengers, to bring home British nationals stranded in India since last month amidst the international travel lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic. The latest flights are scheduled for London from Ahmedabad on April 20, 22, 24, 26; from Amritsar on April 21, 23, 25 and 27; from Bangalore (via Ahmedabad) on April 23; from Delhi on April 21, 23, 25 and 27; from Goa on April 20, 22 and 24; and from Mumbai on April 26. The new set of flights takes the total number of repatriation flights from India to the UK to 38. "We know this is a difficult time for British travellers and there is great demand for these flights, said Lord Tariq Ahmad, the Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth in the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). This is a huge and logistically-complex operation, and we are working tirelessly with the Indian Government and state authorities to help more British travellers get home, he said. The FCO said that people who are deemed most vulnerable will be prioritised for seats on these flights and that the majority of seats are likely to be allocated to people who are already on the waitlists, given the number of people who have registered for a flight back. Jan Thompson, Acting High Commissioner to India, said: There will be 17 more charter flights next week to take British travellers back to the UK on top of the 21 flights announced previously. We are working around the clock to arrange additional flights from locations where we know large numbers are still stranded and are extremely grateful for the support we are receiving from the government of India and local authorities. The British High Commission in New Delhi said that British residents who have already registered for the flights do not need to take any further action at this stage. If they have secured a seat, they will be contacted directly with further information about their flight. Those who wish to register for a flight but have not already done so are directed to visit the FCO's India travel advisory. The initial 21 UK government charter flights that were announced previously have been operating since last week and are expected to help over 5,000 British nationals return home. An estimated 35,000 British nationals are currently in India. These charter flights, part of the UK government 75-million pounds COVID-19 repatriation programme, are for UK travellers who normally reside in the UK and their direct dependants. As movement within India is currently very restricted, those who are eligible to fly are sent information on how to get to airports and flight itineraries directly when their seat is confirmed. India is under a 40-day lockdown as part of larger efforts to curb spreading of the coronavirus infections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it Karnataka caps COVID-19 sample test cost at Rs 2,250 India oi-Deepika S Bengaluru, Apr 18: The Karnataka government has restricted the cost of testing COVID-19 samples to Rs 2,250. The ICMR had fixed the pricing of COVID-19 RT-PCR tests at private laboratories at Rs 4,500. Private labs were asked by the Supreme Court to offer free COVID-19 testing free for those eligible under the Ayushman Bharat. "There is an urgent need to bring in more and more private laboratories for testing samples," the government said in a notification. Karnataka has reported 353 cases as on April 17. The state is planning to increase RT-PCR testing to about 1,500 tests per day from 200-300 at present. Earlier, the Supreme Court ordered that all private labs should conduct free tests for all Indians after private labs raised concerns over whether or not they would be reimbursed for the same by the government. Modifying its order, the SC said on 13 April that only beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat scheme would be eligible for the tests, being 'poorest of the poor'. MOSCOW -- In February, Irina's son -- who is serving a term in a prison in Novosibirsk Oblast -- fell seriously ill. Despite a persistent cough and a steady fever, he was unable to see a doctor for days. And when he did, the prison pharmacy was empty and the doctor was unable to give him anything. "I went through a circle of hell to get him some medicine," Irina -- who asked that her real name not be used -- told RFE/RL. "He became ill on a Friday. He managed to see a doctor on Wednesday, and the doctor gave him a prescription. I took him the medicines, and he got them several days later, but only after I called the doctor to find out what had happened to them." Now that Russia -- like much of the rest of the world -- is battling against the spread of the coronavirus, activists warn the roughly 875,000 people being held in Russian prisons and pretrial-detention facilities -- and the hundreds of thousands of people who work in them -- could be in particular danger. "My son says that little has changed at his prison because of the coronavirus," Irina said, adding that a general disinfection was carried out in communal areas, but not in the prisoners' barracks. Yulia Kirkach, whose husband is serving a sentence in prison in the Komi region, says his situation is practically the same. "Prisoners were given a packet, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, a small piece of soap, and a small roll of toilet paper," she said. "The soap doesn't last long, and my husband has to buy more at the prison store. The doctor's office works as usual -- long lines and no medicine. No one is measuring the prisoners' temperatures regularly." Chronic Illnesses Although Russia has significantly reduced the number of prisoners in recent years, many facilities remain overcrowded. Disproportionate numbers of prisoners suffer from chronic illnesses, including tuberculosis, hepatitis, and HIV infection. They sleep in open barracks and eat together in large dining halls. A prison with 1,000-1,500 prisoners generally has a single doctor overseeing a ward with about 20 beds, said activist Leonid Agafonov, initiator of the Women In Prison project. "How might the virus spread in pretrial-detention facilities and prisons," speculates epidemiologist Anna Klimenko, who works with the Charitable Fund for Prisoners and their Families. "We can only guess it could be 0 percent or 100 percent. If there are no cases, there are no cases. But if there is an outbreak, everyone will get it." Agafonov agreed. "One major problem is that all the prisoners go to the dining hall at about the same time to eat," he told RFE/RL. "Any infection that gets in there will run through the entire prison." As of April 16, Russia had officially registered 27,938 cases of coronavirus infection nationally and 232 fatalities. On March 31, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin ordered the government to immediately provide the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) with coronavirus tests, necessary medical equipment, and personal protective equipment (PPE). On April 3, the FSIN reported that it had organized "constant monitoring and control" over the epidemiological situation in Russia's prisons. In addition, prison authorities said all prisons had stockpiled the medicines recommended for the treatment of coronavirus infections, as well as all needed disinfectants, thermometers, and PPE. 'High Fevers' A few days later, the agency reported that a "sanitary day" had been held at all prisons. But on April 1, activists relayed unconfirmed reports that an undetermined number of prisoners at Moscow's Matrosskaya Tishina remand prison were suffering from "high fevers and symptoms like pneumonia." Activist Klimenko told RFE/RL that the situation there is "similar to a catastrophe," although officials have not reported anything and independent monitors have not been able to investigate. On April 5, activists published a report from the IK-5 prison in Ryazan Oblast. Former Ryazan Mayor Valery Ryumin, who is serving a seven-year term on a bribery conviction, said a prison official with the surname Barinov returned from a vacation in Thailand on March 15 and worked at the prison from March 17 to March 30, before he tested positive for the coronavirus. "He was twice on 24-hour shifts, during which he was responsible for everything," Ryumin claimed. "During those shifts, he inspected every facility at the prison, including the dining room, the kitchen, the library, and the barracks.... He is now in an infectious-disease hospital in Ryazan and his wife and children are quarantined at home." Ryumin reported that he and former Kirov Oblast Governor Nikita Belykh, who is also serving time at the prison, were tested for the coronavirus on April 3, but their results were unknown. He reported that 16 prisoners had been hospitalized with "flu-like symptoms." On April 4, at least one seriously ill prisoner was moved to the nearby IK-2 prison. "In Ryazan, they moved sick prisoners from IK-5 to IK-2," Klimenko said. "We've been told the guards who transported them simply disappeared afterward. Of course, this needs to be verified, but the general picture is alarming. The situation is made worse by the fact that many prisons have simply gone silent -- letters from them don't come regularly and phone calls are rare." Epidemic 'Practically Inevitable' Shortly after Ryumin's statement was made public, prison officials in Ryazan issued a statement acknowledging that one prison worker had tested positive for the virus. Earlier this month, the Moscow Helsinki Group launched an online petition calling for a quick and broad amnesty because a COVID-19 epidemic in the country's prisons is "practically inevitable." "This is a major risk group," Institute of Human Rights Director Valentin Gefter told the BBC. "And we need to think about how we can reduce this risk -- most importantly, in pretrial-detention facilities." For rape survivors in Tennessee, the criminal justice system is broken. For those victims, a rape kit is often the only thing that can bring about prosecution against their rapist. So if this crucial item is lost, their single chance at receiving justice can be lost with it. When a survivor seeks medical attention within about 72 hours* of their experience, they are entitled to a forensic medical examination. The health care provider is then to notify the applicable law enforcement agency that a Sexual Assault Forensics Examination (S.A.F.E.) kit, also known as rape kit, is ready for release. There are two kids of S.A.F.E. kits. One is a reporting kit, the other a hold kit, and both come with a series of problems for the victim. Atop the mile-high list of issues, however, is the complete absence of a tracking system for either type of kit Jordan Kimmel, a 20-year-old pre-law student at Vanderbilt and a native of Sumner County, experienced the horror of losing her rape kit firsthand. I received a hold kit for my rape, and they did not provide me with the hold kit number, said Ms. Kimmel. Which if you get that option, that is the one piece of identifying information that you have to be able to locate your kit. If you dont have that number when you go to file a police report, the police arent going to know whose kit is what because its not attached to your social security number or name. While she was eventually able to locate her kit with the help of a legislator, many other victims are not so fortunate. Jordan Kimmel had already become involved in activism for the rights of sexual assault survivors, and this event showed just one of a multitude of issues with the criminal justice system. And so she became involved with Rise, a nonprofit that has successfully passed 29 laws in 23 states. Most of these laws are parts of the larger piece of legislation known as the Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights Act, which was passed through the federal government and signed into law by former President Barack Obama in 2016. However, this act only covers federal crimes, not state crimes. What we are currently passing in Tennessee is a portion of the bill that is not in state law, said Ms. Kimmel. Aside from creating a tracking system, one law introduced by the proposed bill would be to allow the victim to be interviewed by a law enforcement officer of the gender of the victims choosing. The most vital aspect of the bill is the tracking system, and Ms. Kimmel said Rise has worked with the TBI and the Chiefs/Sheriffs Association in order to get their opinion on what the bill will need to look like in order to be satisfactory. She pointed out the TBI is responsible for implementing the system. TBI and the Tennessee Coalition actually just got confirmation that we can get free software for a tracking system in Portland, said Ms. Kimmel. They have the software and they use it, and so we, free of cost, are getting the software that the tracking system is based off of. In the event the bill is passed, each agency would be given a set of briefs on how they should use the system, and how they should inform victims about how to use said system. Ms. Kimmel has good reason to believe the bill will be passed, due to bipartisan support in the Tennessee legislature. This unilateral support began to take form after Jordan Kimmel was pointed toward Tennessee Coalition and their executive director Kathy Walsh. While Ms. Kimmel has been the face of the bill titled SB2121/HB2191, Ms. Walsh has been a crucial figure in the fight to create and pass the bill. I ran into some issues with gaining sponsorship because I am a college student, said Ms. Kimmel. So adults look at us like Oh theyre just kids. A representative and a senator told me to reach out to Kathy Walsh, the executive director for the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. And she has since come forward to champion the bill. And a lot of the progress we have made in Tennessee I can attribute to her. With Mrs. Walsh and the Tennessee coalition in-tow for the process, the bill began to materialize. While Ms. Walshs years of experience has been invaluable for the bills progress, the executive director gave props to Ms. Kimmel for filling an equally vital, and more visible, role in the process. I believe that survivors are very important in this process. You want to talk to people who have been impacted by this crime in order to find out what would have made things better when you went through the legal process, said Ms. Walsh. So part of it is her voice as a survivor, and then two, she has been willing to talk with individual legislators and share her story, so that helps them better understand why we need this bill. As the face of the bill, Ms. Kimmel has testified in front of the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee. After testifying, several members of the committee from across the political spectrum expressed their sympathy and support for the bill. It's incredibly cool to be a part of something that actually has bipartisan roots, because everything you see in politics in the media is very one side or the other, said Ms. Kimmel. Our main sponsors are republican, but that is due to the nature of us being in a Republican super majority red state. One of the main sponsors is Rep. Jim Coley, who is retiring after the legislature meets this summer. The Memphis native said he has a history of working with legislators who sit across the political aisle, and echoed Ms. Kimmel in saying that the topic of sexual violence is a nonpartisan one. I want to give them praise for the bill, and to know that things are not as partisan and toxic as they are in Washington, D.C., said Rep. Coley. Both of them have been good people to work with. Quite frankly I dont care who carries the bill, as long as the bill is passed. It is extremely bipartisan because the issue of sexual violence is not one party or the other, said Ms. Kimmel. You can become a victim of sexual violence even if you identify as a republican or a democrat. We try to stress that because we will work with anyone regardless of political ideologies and differences because what we are fighting for has nothing to do with the party system. As the state director for Rises Tennessee branch, Ms. Kimmels job includes spreading awareness of the issue and the bill, which she hopes will pass when the legislature meets again in June. She said her responsibilities include email blasts, meetings, lobby days, networking, and media events. However, covering an entire state is too large a job for any one person. Because of this, she enlists the help of UT-Chattanooga alum Jacquelyn Carter as her East Tennessee liaison. After majoring in political science, she began assisting Ms. Kimmel and Rise in January. I am helping her in any capacity that she may not have at the time, since she is a full-time college student, said Ms. Carter. My responsibility is to look into the legal system of Tennessee, and learn about what rights do or dont exist in Tennessee, and once the legislature picks up, Ill be Jordans assistant and be there to support her in her journey to pass the bill. Ms. Kimmel and Rise were hoping the bill would pass into law during March, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the legislature will not meet until June 1, which is a tentative date. Even if the bill passes, Ms. Kimmels work is not yet finished. Ms. Kimmel hopes to one day get into work with the judicial system. She hopes to assist in reforming it in order to give survivors of sexual violence a stronger avenue to justice. One example she gave was the way questioning sexual violence survivors is handled by investigators. Increased education on sexual trauma is a necessity for detectives doing this work, said Ms. Kimmel. The process is, when you get a rape kit and go through the interview process, whenever you decide to report, the DA ultimately has the authority to decide whether he or she is going to take the case. One misunderstanding many investigators have is when a victim cries during an interview. Ms. Kimmel said this act does not signify guilt from the victim, rather, it is often a sign the victim is processing the worst experience of their life and baring their soul to the investigator. If a detective is not properly trained on rape trauma, that individual will interpret the victims interview differently. This becomes vital when the detective is responsible for typing the case report to give to the DA explaining whether there is enough evidence to charge the perpetrator with the offense. The victims avenue of obtaining justice rests upon the interactions the victim has with the detective. Of all the stories I have heard, I have not heard a single story of a victim having positive feedback from the criminal justice system, said Ms. Kimmel. Even if the DA takes the case and the perpetrator is prosecuted, the consequence is rarely incarceration. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Networks (RAINN) statistics on sexual violence, only six out of every 1000 perpetrators end up in prison. According to the Department of Justice, only 23 percent* of sexual assaults are even reported to law enforcement, making it one of the most under-reported crimes. That is just one of the aspects of the criminal justice system Ms. Kimmel would like to see reformed. Perhaps, through more advocacy work in the future, the broken system can be mended. I would love to write more laws. I love advocacy work, so I would love to write more laws for victims in any way that I can, she said. * * * *Source: Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network Statistics (RAINN) **Source: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2010-2016 (2017); ii. Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Incident-Based Reporting System, 2012-2016 (2017); iii. Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Incident-Based Reporting System, 2012-2016 (2017); iv. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Felony Defendants in Large Urban Counties, 2009 (2013). (This statistic combines information from several federal government reports. Because it combines data from studies with different methodologies, it is an approximation, not a scientific estimate. Please see the original sources for more detailed information. These statistics are updated annually and as new information is published.) With a deep sense of sadness and on behalf of the state government, I hereby announce that the co-chairman and some members of Kano State Task Force on COVID-19 were tested and three of the results came out positive for coronavirus, he said. 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. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Restock the drinks cabinet. Break out the emergency hair dye. Joe Wicks, if youre listening, dont let up on those burpees... yet. Fellow citizens, you aint going anywhere. Its official, people. Three more weeks of lockdown. Yup, thats nearly another month of this carry-on and still no end in sight. To be fair, Raab had endured a breakneck day. There had a been a Cabinet meeting that morning followed by a virtual summit with G7 leaders Dominic Raab announced the news at yesterdays Downing Street press briefing. It was a gloomy, fun-free affair. We still dont have the infection down as far as we need to, Raab said to collective grumbles up and down the land. But this was never going to be a decision for a mere acting Prime Minister to make. Lifting the lockdown will be Boriss call. Still, what we could have done with was hearing a bit of sunny uplands stuff, not least as the mood is that we might just be turning a corner. The NHS, we are told, is coping, the boffins acknowledge a levelling-off in infection. And so it might have been an idea to have been tossed a few sweeties, a glimpse into what relaxing current restrictions might entail. Instead, we got the usual spiel. The worst thing we could do right now would be to ease up too soon, said Raab. The NHS, we are told, is coping, the boffins acknowledge a levelling-off in infection. And so it might have been an idea to have been tossed a few sweeties, a glimpse into what relaxing current restrictions might entail. Instead, we got the usual spiel. A stock image is used above [File photo] There was plenty of tea and sympathy, of course. He mentioned the elderly having to endure difficult conversations with their grandchildren, the parents struggling to manage home schooling and the millions who were anxious about their finances. I get it, Raab assured us. Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance flashed an encouraging slide that showed how the number of people occupying hospital beds with coronavirus was on the wane. This pleased him and us momentarily... until up popped another slide showing the number of deaths was still on the up. Questions from the media focused on lifting lockdown restrictions. We didnt learn much. The BBC asked why the Government couldnt just share its thinking as to what comes next. Dominic Raab announced the news at yesterdays Downing Street press briefing. It was a gloomy, fun-free affair. We still dont have the infection down as far as we need to, Raab said to collective grumbles up and down the land Another man from Sky accused Raab and his Cabinet colleagues of absenting themselves from the debate. Naturally, the acting PM felt both points were unfair. At one point his voice prickled a tad, as if desperate to impart he was merely minding the shop while the boss was away. To be fair, Raab had endured a breakneck day. There had a been a Cabinet meeting that morning followed by a virtual summit with G7 leaders. Moments before this briefing, he had overseen a meeting of Cobra. Considering his schedule, he was holding up pretty well. Not so Matt Hancock, during a grumpy appearance on Radio 4s Today programme. His mood soured when presenter Nick Robinson repeated some disparaging remarks that Government adviser Professor Neil Ferguson had made about the Governments slow progress in decision-making. Well, hes advising government, hes not IN government, huffed Hancock pulling rank. Later, when Robinson deigned to interrupt, Hancock bit his head off. Let me pleeeaaaase! Let me finish this answer! he hollered, his voice straining like a maths teacher lumbered with the thickos. Being radio, Robinsons facial expression went unrecorded but, in these depressing times, I wouldnt have begrudged him a faint smirk. The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has issued a statement describing as false the report that Maryam Sanda, a murder convict also benefitted from the presidential pardon recently granted to inmates by president Muhammadu Buhari. According to a statement by the NCoSs spokesperson, Austin Njoku, the convict is still in prison custody. Read Also: The Maryam Sanda I Knew Back Then Was Calm Ex-Classmate Says 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 alongside some 70 other inmates at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje. 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. Kate Garraway has revealed that her husband Derek Draper is still in a 'deeply critical condition' after contracting coronavirus. The Good Morning Britain presenter, 52, took to Instagram to update fans on her husband's health as she joined the nation in clapping for NHS staff. Kate went onto praise NHS workers for 'keeping her husband alive' during the pandemic, and also thanked her neighbours for their own kind gestures, which included delivering meals for her family. 'He is still here': Kate Garraway has revealed that her husband Derek Draper is still in a 'deeply critical condition' after contracting coronavirus (pictured in December 2019) Kate took to Instagram to share a video of the fireworks set off by her neighbours in honour of NHS staff, as the nation came together once again to 'Clap For Carers.' The star - who has daughter Darcey, 14, and son William, 10 - explained her husband was still battling the deadly virus COVID-19, and also praised neighbours for their own offers of help. She wrote: 'From the bottom of my heart a billion thank yous to the extraordinary #nhsworkers whose skills, dedication and downright guts in the face of so much personal risk, are keeping my Derek alive, just as they are doing for thousands of covid patients. Hard times: The Good Morning Britain presenter, 52, took to Instagram to update fans on her husband's health as she joined the nation in clapping for NHS staff on Thursday 'I'm afraid he is still in a deeply critical condition, but he is still here, which means there is hope. Sending so much love and support to the thousands who have had that hope for their loved ones stolen by this hideous disease. 'You are not alone and I hope that helps give you strength to withstand the torture of grief. 'Thank you, too, to my own little band of 'key workers', the neighbours who let off fireworks tonight for the #nhs, gave the Easter bunny a helping hand to make life feel a bit more normal for Darcey & Billy, those who have dropped off food, and friends family and all of you who have sent messages of love and support. It's such a comfort.' Important: In her post Kate shared a video of fireworks set off by her neighbours during the applause for NHS staff, as she praised them for their own offers of help during the crisis Kate then affirmed that the nation must remain united to make it through the devastating pandemic, saying: 'We must all stand together.' Last week a spokesperson for Kate confirmed to MailOnline that Derek had been rushed to intensive care after contracting coronavirus. They told MailOnline: 'Kate's husband, Derek Draper, has been taken to hospital and is being treated in intensive care with a confirmed case of COVID-19. He was admitted on Monday and has since tested positive for the virus. 'Kate, hasn't been tested, however she has also been displaying mild symptoms, also since Monday, and as a result has been on strict isolation with her children at home.' Worrying: Last week a spokesperson for Kate confirmed to MailOnline that Derek had been admitted to hospital after contracting COVID-19 On Friday's Good Morning Britain, host Ben Shephard read out a message from Kate on her husband's condition, saying it continued to be an 'excruciatingly worrying time,' as he battled the 'horrific' virus. It said: 'Derek remains in intensive care and is still very ill. I'm afraid it remains an excruciatingly worrying time. 'The NHS team that have been working on him have been extraordinary and I know its only their professionalism, dedication and bravery that has kept Derek with us so far. I also know that they are working just as hard on all the patients in their care. 'It's hard to find the right words because thank you alone just doesn't seem enough but I do thank them with all my heart as I know Derek would if he could. 'I would like to thank everyone who has sent messages of support. I'm sorry I haven't been able to respond to them, but I'm sure you'll understand I'm doing everything I can to focus on Derek right now. Scary: In a statement read on Good Morning Britain, Kate said last week it continued to be an 'excruciatingly worrying time,' as Derek battled the 'horrific' virus 'However in quieter moments I'm seeing them and they are so comforting and wonderful to read. 'I'm very aware I'm not the only one going through this torture, there are thousands of families everywhere are worried about their loved ones and hundreds more every day too that are having to deal with the worst news that their loved ones have been taken by this horrific virus. 'I want to send a message of love and support to all of you going through this you are not alone we must all stand together and support one another and I'm praying to be able to talk with you with some positive news shortly. Lots of love, Kate.' On Thursday the number of UK deaths of coronavirus rose by 861 to 13,729, as foreign secretary Dominic Raab confirmed lockdown measures would continue for 'at least three more weeks.' 17.04.2020 LISTEN As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to spread across Africa, countries are ramping up efforts to contain it. World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti spoke with Africa Renewal about the continents preparedness and response to the global pandemic: This is part 2 of a 3-part interview with WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti covering Africas preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, what WHO is doing in support of countries, lessons learned from the Ebola response and solidarity efforts underway to fight the spread of the virus. What is WHO Africa doing to support countries and communities in the fight against this virus? We have worked hard, with the support of our headquarters and in partnership with many other organizations, including the African Union, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and other UN agencies, to support [African] countries. First, early on in preparation we carried out a significant amount of training for healthcare workers in surveillance, case management and laboratory diagnostics. Some capacity has also been built through WHO training. We have also helped our member states develop national response plans. I believe almost all member states have now developed a plan, which is central to their being able to mobilize the resources needed for a good state of readiness and to enable them to respond should they have COVID-19 cases. We have sent about 80 experts from WHO to 30 countries. We have also mobilized experts among countries to exchange expertise and help carry out such functions such as establishing an incident management system one of the most critical [elements] because it is where all the data is put together and [through which] actions to be taken are coordinated. We have helped many countries set up rapid response teams so that they know exactly who has to go where, to do what in order to make sure they are [fully prepared]. We have worked with partners and with other UN agencies to help countries prepare, recognizing that the response to this pandemic does not lie in the actions of the health sector only. We need all governments to respond and a multi-sectoral response among the UN agencies. For example, we are expecting our colleagues at UNICEF to help in risk communication and community engagement so that people get the information that they need. Then we follow up with what people are hearing and believing to make sure they take the correct measures to protect themselves. Another example is our strong promotion of hand hygiene: hand-washing. We know that in many of our countries, water is simply not easily available you don't just reach out and turn on a tap. Many households don't have running water and others may be using communal taps. We will be working with our partners to make sure that water is available. Some UN agencies, particularly now in the context of [people's] reduced movement, have the capacity to support these logistics. They have aeroplanes and ways of moving people, equipment and supplies around. These are the partnerships that we are setting up within the UN and with bilateral agencies to support action within countries. At the start of the preparedness activities, we procured some supplies to this work. For example, laboratory kits and equipment, as well as supplies for personal protection, including masks and gloves, and other kits meant to help protect healthcare workers and ensure they do not get infected in the course of their work on this outbreak. How is WHO Africa working with Africa CDC on continental COVID-19 preparedness and response? We are working a great deal with Africa CDC and with the African Union Commission, of which the Africa CDC is a technical body. We have carried out a lot of training together on the different aspects of preparedness and response; on laboratory capacity-building, testing, case management and surveillance. So, we have really worked hand-in-hand with Africa CDC. At the political level, they have organized, and we have participated in, ministerial meetings attended by all African countries. We briefed them on the most important interventions to put in place and how to work with WHO, Africa CDC and other partners. We, in turn, organized sub-regional meetings of partners in Nairobi and Dakar for the West, Central, East and Southern African regions. Africa CDC was a very active participant in those meetings, at which we agreed how they would work with us and other UN agencies, bilateral partners and technical agencies so that we synergize our efforts. We are working very closely with them and, in fact, the director of Africa CDC [Dr. John Nkengasong] was nominated as a WHO Goodwill Ambassador for this work. How close are we to a COVID-19 vaccine and what can be done to ensure that it is accessible to all? A great deal of work is going on to identify a candidate vaccine that might be viable against this virus. I believe there are about 20 vaccines being tested at the moment by different researchers. Some of our experience in developing a vaccine for the Ebola virus, for example, is being used now to promote partnership and sharing of information around the development of a [coronavirus] vaccine. Developing a vaccine, even in this fast-track mode of working, takes some time, so we don't expect there to be a vaccine available this year, at least. But we are encouraged by the determination and the efforts being put into finding a vaccine. We need to work with the partners that traditionally ensure access to vaccines to prepare African countries to receive and use any vaccine. We work closely with the regulatory authorities in these countries, so what we can offer is linking up with them early on to make sure that there are no obstacles and delays in making the vaccine in the countries. For more information on COVID-19, visit www.un.org/coronavirus Africa Renewal In a 2015 speech, Bill Gates warned that the greatest risk to humanity was not nuclear war but an infectious virus that could threaten the lives of millions of people. That speech has resurfaced in recent weeks with 25 million new views on YouTube but not in the way that Gates probably intended. Anti-vaccinators, members of the conspiracy group QAnon and right-wing pundits have instead seized on the video as evidence that one of the worlds richest men planned to use a pandemic to wrest control of the global health system. Gates, 64, the Microsoft co-founder turned philanthropist, has become the star of an explosion of conspiracy theories about the coronavirus outbreak. In posts on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, he is being falsely portrayed as the creator of COVID-19, as a profiteer from a virus vaccine, and as part of a dastardly plot to use the illness to cull or surveil the global population. To track all live updates from the coronavirus pandemic, click here The wild claims have gained traction with conservative pundits like Laura Ingraham and anti-vaccinators such as Robert F Kennedy Jr as Gates has emerged as a vocal counterweight to President Donald Trump on the coronavirus. For weeks, Gates has appeared on TV, on op-ed pages and in Reddit forums calling for stay-at-home policies, expanded testing and vaccine development. And without naming Trump, he has criticised the presidents policies, including this weeks move to cut funding to the World Health Organisation. 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 Misinformation about Gates is now the most widespread of all coronavirus falsehoods tracked by Zignal Labs, a media analysis company. The misinformation includes more than 16,000 posts on Facebook this year about Gates and the virus that were liked and commented on nearly 900,000 times, according to a New York Times analysis. On YouTube, the 10 most popular videos spreading lies about Gates posted in March and April were viewed almost 5 million times. Gates, who is worth more than $100 billion, has effectively assumed the role occupied by George Soros, the billionaire financier and Democratic donor who has been a villain for the right. That makes Gates the latest individual along with Dr Anthony Fauci, the leading US infectious disease expert to be ensnared in the flow of right-wing punditry that has denigrated those who appear at odds with Trump on the virus. Bill Gates is easily transformed into a health-related meme and figure because hes so well known, said Whitney Phillips, an assistant professor at Syracuse University who teaches digital ethics. Hes able to function as kind of an abstract boogeyman. Especially since Gates has sharpened his comments about the White Houses handling of the coronavirus in recent weeks. Theres no question the United States missed the opportunity to get ahead of the novel coronavirus, he wrote in an opinion column in The Washington Post on March 31. The choices we and our leaders make now will have an enormous impact on how soon case numbers start to go down, how long the economy remains shut down and how many Americans will have to bury a loved one because of COVID-19. Mark Suzman, Chief Executive of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates main philanthropic vehicle, said it was distressing that there are people spreading misinformation when we should all be looking for ways to collaborate and save lives. Through a representative, Gates declined to be interviewed. Gates, who founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975 and built it into a software behemoth, has largely devoted his time to philanthropic endeavours since he stepped back from the company in 2008. As of 2018, the Gates Foundation had a $46.8 billion endowment, making it one of the worlds largest private charitable organisations. The foundation has worked to distribute vaccines in developing countries, advocated family planning through greater use of contraceptives and funded the development of genetically modified crops. Those efforts have prompted unfounded accusations that Gates was hurting the worlds poor with unnecessary drugs and harmful crops while trying to suppress the global population. His disdain for Trump, whom he has met several times, has also become public. In 2018, footage surfaced of Gates recounting how Trump needed help distinguishing HIV, which refers to the human immunodeficiency virus and causes AIDS, from HPV, which is the human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted infection. Both times he wanted to know if there was a difference between HIV and HPV, so I was able to explain that those are rarely confused with each other, Gates said to laughter in comments to his foundation. In January, when the coronavirus began spreading, the Gates Foundation committed $10 million to helping medical workers in China and Africa. In February, Gates weighed in on the illness, warning in The New England Journal of Medicine that COVID-19 was behaving like a once-a-century pathogen. In addition to writing the Washington Post op-ed, he called for more and equitable testing in a Reddit Ask Me Anything session last month. This month, Gates appeared on The Daily Show and said his foundation would fund factories for the seven most promising potential vaccines. Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here On April 15, the Gates Foundation said it would commit $250 million up from an earlier pledge of $100 million to slow the diseases spread. By then, falsehoods about Gates had taken off. The first mention of a baseless conspiracy connecting him to the outbreak was on January 21, according to the Times analysis. That was when a YouTube personality linked to QAnon suggested on Twitter that Gates had foreknowledge of the pandemic. The tweet was based on a coronavirus-related patent from the Pirbright Institute, a British group that received funding from the Gates Foundation. The patent was not for COVID-19; it was connected to a potential vaccine for a different coronavirus that affects poultry. But two days later, the conspiracy website InfoWars inaccurately said the patent was for the deadly virus. The idea spread. From February to April, conspiracy theories involving Gates and the virus were mentioned 1.2 million times on social media and television broadcasts, according to Zignal Labs. That was 33 percent more often, the company said, than the next-largest conspiracy theory: that 5G radio waves cause people to succumb to COVID-19. Some of the theories tapped into Gates acquaintance with Jeffrey Epstein, the financier who was convicted of sex trafficking and killed himself, saying a global elite had banded together to create the coronavirus. In other theories, internet trolls twisted comments that Gates had made. In one, trolls said Gates, who had raised the idea of digital certificates to confirm who had the virus, wanted to surveil the population with microchip vaccination implants. By April, false Gates conspiracy theories peaked at 18,000 mentions a day, Zignal Labs said. The theories were amplified by people such as Kennedy, a son of former Senator Robert F Kennedy, who campaigns against vaccines as a director of the Childrens Health Defence network. On his Instagram page, Kennedy has said Gates pushes vaccines to feed his other business interests. On April 14, Kennedy posted a cartoon of a smiling Gates with a syringe and a caption: Your Body, my choice. Kennedy, whose Instagram followers have doubled to more than 285,000 since March, said in an interview that he was telling the truth about the terrible damage that Gates had inflicted on the world with vaccines. In an April 7 tweet, Ingraham, a Fox News host, shared a conspiracy theory about nefarious motives behind Gates call to track and identify who had received a COVID-19 vaccine. Digitally tracking Americans every move has been a dream of the globalists for years, she wrote. On April 15, after Gates said pulling funding from the World Health Organisation was ill advised, the online reaction was swift. (The Gates Foundation funds the organisation.) One anti-vaccinator posted a poster of the movie Kill Bill on Instagram that read Kill Bill Gates and called for people to flood the comments on Gates Instagram account. That same day, when Gates posted his thanks to health care workers, it received over 14,000 comments. One read: This virus is a big, big lie. c.2020 The New York Times Company (Photo : Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash) Woman sitting beside table using laptop IT company VMWare Carbon Black warned that a 'cybercrime pandemic' is occurring on a global scale as the company observed a massive increase in ransomware attacks in March. VMWare Carbon Black monitored that ransomware attacks worldwide skyrocketed to 148% in March as governments are busy dealing with the deadly novel coronavirus. The company's cybersecurity strategist Tom Kellerman said that there is a cybercrime pandemic that is occurring in the background of the coronavirus pandemic. The researchers disclosed that hacking activity against corporations in the United States and other parts of the world has more than doubled last month. IT security has been weakened by the pandemic as companies implement work-from-home arrangements. As a result, digital thieves are taking advantage of this weakness. READ ALSO: TOTAL BAN: China Wants to Ban ALL Online Gaming and Chats After Animal Crossing Mishap? 'VPNs Are Not Bullet-Proof' IT experts admitted that the current setup is making it difficult for corporate security teams to protect data as it is dispersed on home computers with different arrangements and corporate computers connecting remotely. They continued that even those workers working remotely and using virtual private networks (VPNs) with establishing secure tunnels for digital traffic are adding to this difficult situation. Keller shared that VPNs are not bullet-proof. "It's just easier, frankly, to hack a remote user than it is someone sitting inside their corporate," he added. Researchers from Finland's Arctic Security studied data from U.S.-based Team Cymru, which has sensors with access to millions of networks worldwide. Soon after the first coronavirus emerged in China, they discovered that s, United States and many European countries experienced a significant increase in malicious activity. There was twice the number of networks experiencing malicious activity in March compared to January. Experts noted that the most significant increase happened when computers responded to scans when they should not have. They explained that such scans frequently look for vulnerable software that would enable deeper attacks. The team will release the country-by-country findings next week. Use a VPN A VPN (Virtual Private Network) defend your data from hackers, government officials, and rogue internet service providers. VPN hides your IP address so that any surveillance can not detect your web traffic. After some research we found AVG VPN to be the most suitable provider for the said purpose. To know why it is better than the rest, you have to read the Avg VPN review in detail. Security Regulations Less Effective Outside The Office Arctic analyst Lari Huttunen said that rules for safe communication, such as prohibiting connections to disreputable web addresses, incline to be implemented less when users take computers home. It indicates that previously secure networks can become exposed. In many cases, Huttunen said that corporate firewalls and security regulations had protected machines that had been infected by viruses or targeted malware. Outside of the office, that protection can plummet, allowing the infected computers to speak again with the first hackers. The rise in VPN volume further aggravates it led some stressed technology departments to permit less strict security regulations. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) cybersecurity agency, VPNs bring with them a host of new problems. "As organizations use VPNs for telework, more vulnerabilities are being found and targeted by malicious cyber actors," DHS' Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency explained. It is challenging to keep VPNs updated with security fixes because they are used at all hours, instead of on a schedule that allows for routine installations during daily boot-ups or shutdowns. The agency disclosed that even vigilant home users might have problems with VPNs because some hackers used other programs to take care of that access. Other IT experts reminded that financially motivated hackers were using the fear generated from the current health crisis as bait and retooling existing malicious programs like ransomware, which encrypts a target's data and demands payment for its release. READ ALSO: Travelex Paid $2.3M to Ransomware Hackers Before Hitting New Obstacles 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) makes a statement after meetings to wrap up work on coronavirus economic aid legislation, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Washington, U.S., March 22, 2020. Congressional Democrats and the Trump administration will talk through the weekend to try to strike a deal on an emergency bill to replenish a program to buoy small businesses pummeled by the coronavirus, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Friday. The New York Democrat sounded optimistic about reaching an agreement a day after the Small Business Administration said the $349 billion loan program approved last month had reached its cap of commitments. Senate Republicans tried to pass a plan last week to inject $250 billion more into it, but Democrats blocked it as they pushed for tweaks to the program along with funding for hospitals and state and local governments. It is unclear how many small businesses have received money from the program. Staff from Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's offices have held discussions with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin this week on an interim rescue bill which Senate Republicans may or may not choose to support. "We've had constructive talks. They're going to continue through the weekend, and I don't see any reason why we can't come to an agreement soon," Schumer told the MSNBC program "Morning Joe." Schumer has faced criticism for delaying more funding for the program, which is designed to keep workers on small business payrolls. On Friday, he said, "it's vital we help small business, but if we don't deal with the testing and health-care problems, if we don't deal with local government problems, small business may have enough money to get back, although we've got to fix that program, but people won't go out on the streets." The senator noted that President Donald Trump sounded more hopeful about talks on Thursday night. At a White House coronavirus briefing, the president said he expected "something's going to be happening." Democrats pushed for at least another $250 billion for hospitals, states and municipalities fighting the pandemic, along with food assistance programs. They also wanted to put only $125 billion directly into the existing small business loan program, and direct another $125 billion to community-based lenders and SBA disaster assistance loans and grants. The party's leaders have said the structure of the relief in the $2 trillion package passed last month left out businesses who do not already have a banking relationship. Jammu, April 17 : Fourteen more tested positive in J&K on Friday taking the number of Covid-19 patients to 328 while one patient succumbed. The J&K Information Department said 14 more -- all in the Kashmir division -- tested positive for the virus today while one patient being treated in a Srinagar hospital succumbed. Of 328 total positive cases, 274 are in Kashmir division while 54 are in Jammu division. So far, 42 patients have completely recovered while 5 have died, taking the number of active cases to 281 of whom 241 are in Kashmir division while 40 are in Jammu division. In seeking to understand the reach and scope of COVID-19 in our communities, we all require accurate, reliable and up-to-date data those daily numbers that track the rise and deadliness of this disease. On this imperative, some Star readers have asked a reasonable question: Why do the Stars daily reports of Ontario COVID-19 numbers differ somewhat from the numbers released by the provincial government? Indeed, because of this discrepancy, some have questioned the accuracy of the Stars reporting. Why are you reporting COVID-19 numbers incorrectly? one reader inquired this week. In fact, the Stars daily reports are more accurate and up-to date than those released officially by the province. Considerable care, thought and diligent work goes into these every day to ensure the Star gives you the most reliable numbers it can. Let me explain: Instead of using the provincial updates given each day as the official confirmed number of cases and the number of deaths, the Star uses the numbers it collects from public health units. These include confirmed and probable cases, along with deaths, as reported by local public health units across Ontario. For those who dont know, public health units have proven to be way ahead of the province in reporting cases and deaths. By using this number, we are giving people the latest information we can, senior editor Angela Mullins said in a recent memo to the newsroom. Much of the credit for determining the most reliable numbers goes to one smart newsroom journalist Ed Tubb, a team editor and reporter who began counting rigorously on March 20, upon realizing the shortfalls in Ontarios official data. Tubbs diligence provides a strong example of the extensive efforts the Stars newsroom is taking to report responsibly on this unprecedented news story. As Mullins told the newsroom, Tubb, has been a leader in wrangling the way we are able to report despite poor provincial data practices. Ill let Tubb explain further: Do you actually compile these numbers every day? Yes. Three times a day. I do the count at 11 a.m. shortly after the provinces daily morning update, again at 5 p.m. and last around 10:30 p.m. The Star regularly publishes my short summary of the count twice a day in the morning and the evening, but I keep doing that last one so that I have a consistent end-of-day count that maintains good data integrity. How many public health units must be consulted? All 34 of them. Its not as difficult as it sounds, since the units all post the most essential data to the same page on their websites every day, and over time theyve got better at putting it out in an easy to parse format. Coffee in hand, I can go through them it all in about 10 minutes. It takes a few more minutes to do a check against the database the province puts out daily, and another 15 minutes to write a few hundred words for the website on the days most notable changes. How did you come to realize this was necessary? I started counting rigorously on March 20. That day I noticed that four COVID-19 cases reported the previous day at an Oshawa care home were not in the data the province released in the morning. That told me that the provinces daily update which was being quoted everywhere, including in the Star wasnt correct, or at least, that it was out of date. At that point, I figured it was at least worth checking whether I could see what the primary sources collecting this information the local health units were saying. When I did that first count, I reached a total that was 11 cases higher than the provinces official tally. Over time, the main reason Ive kept at it is that it felt wrong to see deaths that were being widely reported not end up in the official count the province put out the next day. On April 1, the province said 37 people had died of COVID-19. But I had already counted 61 deaths. It was a huge difference; by the end of that day, I had counted 82. At that point, it made no sense to keep using a number I knew was wrong. The provinces data became better over time. Its now closer to 24 hours behind what I count, but it still has large, confusing gaps. What else should Star readers know about this? That the province is open about the fact its data is incomplete, especially on deaths. The province says it knows there are problems with the data, and that there may be delays between when a local unit publishes information to its website and when it reports to the central reporting system. Indeed, the province tells us that in the event of a discrepancy between the number of deaths reported in its data and those publicly reported by the health units, the health units data should be considered the most up to date. Really, thats all the Star is doing. In a decentralized system like Ontarios health system, its the health units responsibility to collect and verify this data. Im just going to the primary source. And that, readers, is responsible reporting. JOHANNESBURG (AP) The callers were in tears. One by one, women in homes across rural Zimbabwe had a pleading question: When would family planning services return? Lockdowns imposed to curb the coronavirus spread have put millions of women in Africa, Latin America and elsewhere out of reach of birth control and other sexual and reproductive health needs. Confined to their homes with their husbands and others, they face unwanted pregnancies and little idea of when they can reach the outside world again. In these uncertain times, women have to lock down their uterus, Abebe Shibru, Zimbabwe country director for Marie Stopes International, told The Associated Press. But there is no way in a rural area. Eighteen countries in Africa have imposed national lockdowns, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rwanda, the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to impose one, has extended it in a possible sign of things to come. Even where family planning remains available, providers say women fear venturing out and being beaten by security forces and accused of defying the restrictions. Meanwhile, outreach services, key to reaching rural women, have largely stopped to avoid drawing crowds and the risk of workers spreading the virus. The International Planned Parenthood Federation, or IPPF, in a new report Thursday says more than one in five member clinics have closed because of the pandemic and related restrictions, including more than 5,000 mobile clinics across 64 countries. Most are in South Asia and Africa, but Latin America and Europe have seen hundreds of closures as well. From Pakistan to Germany to Colombia, IPPF members say they have scaled down HIV testing and gender-based violence response work and face shortages of contraceptives. They have needs that cannot wait, IPPF director-general Alvaro Bermejo said of women in a statement, pleading for governments' help to provide protective equipment to allow for intimate care. Story continues For most people, the coronavirus causes mild to moderate symptoms such as fever and cough. But for some, especially older adults and the infirm, it can cause pneumonia and death. In Europe, 100 non-governmental groups on Wednesday called on governments to ensure reproductive health services, saying many facilities have sharply reduced them or shut down. The predicted baby boom in Africa alone, even as birth rates have dropped in many countries as more girls are educated, will add to the growth that already is projected to see the continent of 1.3 billion people double in population by 2050. In Zimbabwe, Marie Stopes provided more than 400,000 women last year with family planning services, Shibru said, including averting nearly 50,000 unsafe abortions. But now outreach services, which reach more than 60% of clients, are suspended. Even at clinics that remain open, clients have dropped by 70%. That leaves a country of men, no longer free to work in the fields or elsewhere, confined with their wives for weeks on end. Husband and wife, what else can they be doing in that house? asked Future Gwena, a Marie Stopes outreach worker. I think were going to have a lot of pregnancies and, unfortunately, unintended. And most will result in unsafe abortions, domestic violence. Our community is paternalistic. If something goes wrong in the home, its the mothers fault, even if the man initiated it. In Venezuela, thousands of women who once turned to neighboring Colombia for birth control or other reproductive health support are blocked after the border closed to help reduce the virus' spread. Marianne Menjivar, Colombia country director for the International Rescue Committee, said her group anticipated the difficulties and gave some women a three-month supply of birth control pills. Devastating, she said of the disruption. Women dont stop giving birth just because there is a pandemic." Meanwhile, travel restrictions and manufacturing slowdowns in Asia mean that some family planning providers are waiting for shipments of emergency contraceptives and other items as stocks run short at home. Today I expected a shipment from Asia, but its suspended, Shibru said. I dont know how to fill that gap. It was supposed to come today to serve us for the coming six months. So this is one of the tragedies. ... Were expecting a huge shortage of contraceptives in African countries. Absolutely, condoms also. In Uganda, Marie Stopes country director Carole Sekimpi said they dont know when a shipment of emergency contraceptives will arrive because India, their source, has also locked down. Theyve been out of stock for a month and need oral contraceptive pills as well, she said. Yesterday when I heard (neighboring) Kenya talking about a lockdown in Nairobi and (the port of) Mombasa I thought, My god, whats going to happen to all of our shipments? she said. Overall, theres definitely going to be a problem. She worried about the girls and women confined in homes with potential assailants, even uncles or cousins. Her organization has suspended outreach, which provides about 40% of services, and clinics have seen a drop in client traffic of about 20%. We dont see you anymore, anxious callers say. Whats happening? Even the capital, Kampala, has been affected. Sekimpi said she visited a large government-run hospital there on Monday, but when I got there my heart was broken because the one service suspended was family planning. With good reason, because its usually crowded. She expects not only a baby boom but a rise in unsafe abortions and post-abortion care, along with panicky women seeking to remove their IUD (intrauterine device) or birth control implant earlier than expected as they fear no family planning worker will be around to help them later. Even the U.S. Embassy in Uganda has taken note of the challenges women face, tweeting that Periods dont pause for pandemics and sharing advice on how to make washable sanitary pads at home. The range of issues is similar across Africa, Shibru in Zimbabwe said, citing a daily call with country directors in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar and elsewhere. Look, everything has been diverted to COVID, he said of the disease caused by the coronavirus. But after COVID, another catastrophe will be womens health, unless something is done right now. ___ Christine Armario in Bogota, Colombia contributed. ___ Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak Support plan boosts confidence of military spouses 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." ### This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A Muslim-led U.S. fundraising campaign has raised nearly $500,000 to offer small grants to low-income American families whose livelihoods have been battered by the pandemic. Checks of $250 to $1,000 have been sent to more than 660 U.S. households, benefiting 2,100 individuals of all religions and those with no religious belief at all. The initiative began March 14 on the Muslim fundraising site LaunchGood.com organized by Islamic nonprofit CelebrateMercy, Penny Appeal USA and the Islamic Center at New York University. "We want the country to know that we are a vital organ to society, even though often Muslims are being portrayed as somewhat of a tumor to society," said Tarek El-Messidi, director of CelebrateMercy, a nonprofit that teaches about the Prophet Muhammad's life and is known for raising money for vandalized Jewish cemeteries, Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victims and parents detained in immigrant jails. "The Prophet Mohammed said the most beloved people to God are those who benefit others most," El-Messidi explained. "Knowing that so many millions were going to lose jobs, to struggle to make ends meet, to pay for childcare, rent, bills, we felt it was an immediate need and we wanted to help as many people as possible." In the past two weeks, nearly 10 million people filed for unemployment benefits, overwhelming states' employment systems. With unemployment checks still weeks away, Muslim organizers rushed LaunchGood checks to applicants prioritized based on a need-based point system within days of receiving applicants' requests. El-Messidi said donations came from more than 3,700 individual donors after receiving 2,000 requests from families all over America more than 100 applications a day. New York City has felt that need acutely, said Imam Khalid Latif of ICNYU which, along with PennyAppeal, distributed 5,000 face masks to New York City hospitals. "Funeral homes are running on empty, and some are contacting us to ask if we can help purchase more vehicles or send volunteers to help prepare the bodies for the funeral," Latif said. In New York City, members of Muslims Giving Back are bringing meals, donated by Muslim-owned food trucks and restaurants. American Muslims' generosity is even more striking since many mosques and Muslim families have suffered from the pandemic. Ramadan, Muslims' holy month of fasting and charity work, begins Thursday. Traditionally, money raised at Ramadan Friday prayer services and celebratory suppers help pay for mosque salaries and micro-loans to aid struggling congregation members. Muslims often pay their annual zakat, an obligatory tithe in proportion to one's wealth, in Ramadan. With Ramadan offerings jeopardized, four prominent Muslim American leaders raised $155,000 as an emergency stopgap to maintain mosque staffers' income. Mosques and Islamic centers can apply for one-time grants ranging from $5,000-$10,000. The initiative is spearheaded by Muslim crowdfunding platform LaunchGood, the American Muslim Community Foundation and four of America's most renowned Muslim leaders: Imams Zaid Shakir, Omar Suleiman, Yasir Qadhi and Suhaib Webb. "We started hearing that some of our colleagues were being let go or furloughed, and that some of these masjids (mosques) may even shut down," the Islamic Center at NYU's Webb said. "The masjid and imam are central to Muslim life... providing valuable leadership and religious instruction." Organizers also encourage all qualifying mosques and Islamic centers to apply for the Small Business Administration's forgivable loans, part of the Paycheck Protection Program to incentivize businesses to keep their staff employed. The agency says nonprofit and faith-based organizations are eligible for the funds. Sinn Fein and the DUP spent around 115,000 each on contesting last Decembers general election, the Electoral Commission said. The DUP won eight seats and Sinn Fein seven. North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds was the unionist partys most high-profile casualty as he was toppled by murdered solicitor Pat Finucanes son John. Sinn Fein spent 110,017, almost all accounted for by donations to candidates, data from the Electoral Commission showed. The party spent 40,411 on unsolicited material sent to electors like leaflets. The DUP spent 120,530. A total of 85,760 involved donations to candidates. The party spent 87,871 on unsolicited material sent to electors like leaflets. Following the poll the DUP lost two MPs including its Westminster leader Mr Dodds. Mr Dodds was a high-profile supporter of Brexit and Sinn Fein labelled him the architect of a process which was deeply unpopular amongst many nationalists. Emma Little-Pengelly was defeated by Claire Hanna of the SDLP in South Belfast. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood won Foyle with a massive majority. The cross-community Alliance Party made gains and took the North Down seat. The DUPs Alex Easton had hoped to win the seat but lost out to Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry. The DUP and Sinn Fein saw their share of the vote drop significantly compared with the 2017 general election, by 5.4% and 6.7% respectively. They reopened negotiations on Stormont powersharing immediately after the election and that led to a resurrection of the devolved institutions in January. A 33-year-old man was killed in a three-vehicle crash Friday on the South Side. San Antonio police said Levi David Anderton was driving a 2018 Dodge Challenger and was trying to follow friends across Texas 16 near Mission Gate at around midnight, when the crash occurred. As he attempted to cross the highway, he was T-boned by a Dodge Ram and then again on the driver's side by a Toyota Camry, police said. Both vehicles were travelling southbound. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Police said the Challenger's driver's side door was badly crushed and had to be cut open by the San Antonio Fire Department. Police said Anderton died less than 30 minutes after they arrived. No criminal charges are pending for the other drivers, police said. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has defended her decision to not issue stay-at-home orders, while saying Americans have given up "liberties for a little bit of security" during the coronavirus pandemic. The Republican governor was in charge of one of the seven states - which include North Dakota, Nebraska, Arkansas, Wyoming, Utah, and Iowa - to avoid ordering residents to stay home statewide as the novel virus spreads through the US. The other governors are also Republican. When defending her decision to not lockdown the state, Ms Noem said South Dakota was not New York, so it therefore did not need similar restrictions. But in the last week the state has found its own hotspot of coronavirus infections after a pork-processing plant, Smithfield Foods, in Sioux Falls shut down indefinitely after more than 300 employees fell ill from the virus. "I took an oath when I was in Congress, obviously to uphold the constitution of the United States. I believe in our freedoms and liberties," Ms Noem said in an interview with Fox News. "What I've seen across the country is so many people give up their liberties for just a little bit of security. And I don't have to do that." She claimed other leaders with "too much power" during a crisis could lead to "how we lose our country". "So I felt like I've had to use every single opportunity to talk about why we slow things down, we make decisions based on science and facts and make sure that we are not letting emotion grab a hold of the situation," Ms Noem added. Although there was the one area of concern at the Smithfield processing plant, the governor said about two-thirds of the state had only one or now coronavirus cases. Ignoring calls to issue stay-at-home orders also allowed the governor to keep businesses open, she claimed "We are addressing the one hotspot that we do have an aggressively testing in that area," Ms Noem said. "And South Dakotans are doing a fantastic job following my recommendations." Sioux Fall Mayor Paul TenHaken asked South Dakota's governor to issue stay-at-home orders for two counties in the state, which are the most populous and include the Covid-19 hotspot. But Ms Noem denied the request, and the mayor instead issued a "no lingering" ordinance for residents. When speaking to CBS This Morning on Wednesday, the Republican mayor explained why he wanted a stay-at-home order. "The virus doesn't know boundaries. The virus doesn't know city limits," Mr TenHaken said. "We're responding the best we can at the local level but quite honestly with a limited tool set." "The growth that we've seen in our Covid cases, really in the last week, has been a bit staggering," he added."We're doubling and we've been doubling every four days for the last 18 days." Amid the governor refusing to issue stay-at-home orders, Mr TenHaken said he would rather be "chastised for being over-cautious" than for not acting enough. The South Dakota State Medical Association also asked the governor to issue stay-at-home orders in a letter. "A stay-at-home order would give our health professionals the necessary time and resources to manage this pandemic," the association wrote. "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." South Dakota has more than 1,300 confirmed cases and seven people have died from the novel virus. This article is part of Privacy in the Pandemic, a new series from Future Tense. The coronavirus pandemic has crippled the world, and drone users have spent the past two months trying to figure out their technology can help battle the virus. Theres lots of talk of using drones to deliver medical supplies and to sanitize streets, but not much of this is happening in the wild. Mostly, were using speaker-carrying drones to yell at people. The pandemic shout drone first hit the internet in early February, when Chinese authorities used some to startle grandmothers. Police would speak through the drone and tell people to wear masks or to go home. Soon after, Italian, Spanish, and French authorities all fielded their own shout drones for quarantine enforcement, and the rest of the world followed suit. In the United States, authorities have used them in Daytona Beach, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; and Honolulu. In Wyckoff, New Jersey, police used one to sing Happy Birthday to socially distanced children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most speaker-carrying shout drones appear to be DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise models. Its a nifty, foldable drone first released in 2018 by the ubiquitous Chinese drone maker DJI, and its used by both pros and consumers. The Mavic 2 Enterprise comes equipped with a one-way, 100-decibel speaker capable of playing custom voice recordings, which allows the drone pilot to talk to someone on the ground (or play a series of recordings). This is quite useful for people like firefighters and search and rescue workers, who can use the drone to issue instructions and orders from afar. Drone pilots also like to use it to scare the snot out of friends with their backs turned. In one light, I welcome the shout drone, because it is evidence that small drones will not actually bring about total world surveillance. Authorities largely arent using drones to actively track and punish people who break quarantine, in the sort of terrifying and pervasive ways depicted in science fiction and particularly breathless YouTube videos. Instead of using drones to persistently monitor people, authorities are largely using them to periodically yell at rule-breaking people in a gimmicky way, as a form of coronavirus surveillance theater. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The coronavirus epidemic is demonstrating that small drones are lousy at doing the type of nightmarish, persistent surveillance at scale needed to enforce a quarantine. While I certainly could track a naughty quarantine breaker with my drone for a bit, I would only be able to do so for about 25 or 30 minutes. The quarantine breaker in question would almost certainly notice I was doing it (drones are loud and covered in blinking lights) and respond accordingly. It is also very difficult to ID individuals from even rather low-altitude aerial imagery, so Id still probably need to follow the person to their house (and then Id be stuck, since I cant fly the thing inside). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To effectively do this type of persistent surveillance, you need a lot of skilled drone pilots, a lot of drones, and a lot of batteries, all of which cost money and time. If youre trying to track people, there are simpler and more effective ways to do it, like monitoring mobile phone use to simply tasking someone to drive around in a car. Yelling at people with a drone occasionally for dramatic effectwith the implication, perhaps, that youre monitoring the situation with a drone much more often than you actually areis much cheaper and easier to do. It would be even cheaper and more practical to just have a guy drive around with a car and a megaphonebut thats not the sort of thing that inspires upbeat news reports about how were using technology to beat the coronavirus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are, perhaps, some practical uses for shout drones. Police in Chula Vista, a California city near San Diego, recently announced that they would consider using their speaker-equipped drones to inform homeless people residing in remote canyons about the coronavirus situation and the services that they may be able to access. (As of this writing, they have not actually used drones in this way.) According to a police spokesperson who I spoke with, the Chula Vista PD believes that sending an officer on foot into these regions, as is their usual habit, would be dangerous and time-consuming for their officers. They think that a speaker-carrying drone can convey the message inexpensively and safely. While this is not an unreasonable idea, there is still a central problem here: Shout drones are creepy, and creepy in a way that is alienating, in the midst of a crisis in which human connection is both dangerous and critical. While I dont doubt that most shout-drone users have good and public healthminded intentions, they must admit that they are still yelling at people with a flying, faceless mechanical helicopter that looks like a weird bug. Advertisement Advertisement The visual creepiness of shout drones is compounded by the fact that disembodied voices are deeply disconcerting. The French critic and composer Michel Chion has written extensively on the power and strangeness of disembodied voices, which he dubs acousmatic a sound hat is heard without its cause or source being seen (which can describe mechanical objects, like radios or telephones or drones). The voice itself he calls the acousmetre, an invisible being that is a sort of talking and acting shadow: a voice that you cannot attach to a face. Advertisement A casual telephone conversation with a stranger isnt creepy because you are expecting it the disembodied voice. But its different when the faceless voice appears to have power over us or, even worse, seems like it can see us when we cant see it. Think of the inherent creepiness of speakers in public places that issue commands but give us no visual information on who is doing the talkinga concept that Aldous Huxley illustrated in Brave New World, in which the heroes navigate a dystopia full of whispering, imploring, electronic speakers that issue directions and subliminal suggestions. Advertisement While the police may reassure people on Twitter that their shout drones arent actually capturing video, or stalking people, the public has no way of knowing that this is actually true. All the public sees is a creepy robotic helicopter that may be capable of doing or seeing anything and is speaking with a voice that cannot be attached to a human being. It is not a recipe for fostering public trust. During times of fear and uncertainty, human beings become even more reliant upon personal relationships and trustand more likely to lose that trust, over time, in institutions that they believe have failed them during their time of need. This is particularly important for especially vulnerable populations, like homeless people and the undocumented, who are often already disinclined to trust what authorities tell them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The person-to-person approach, rather than an impersonal drone, is much more likely to elicit the kind of outcomes that I think people would be hoping for in this situation, says Eric Tars, the legal director of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, of efforts to communicate with the public in this way. And it does require more of an investment of people and it does require putting some of them at risk, but if you are choosing to send out a drone instead of a person, then you have to questionis that just transferring the risk to the people experiencing homelessness? And is that a fair or an ethical thing to do? While shout drones may seem like a useful tool for public communication, I am worried that this trend (and that is what it is) will actually do more harm to the publics willingness to comply with quarantine regulations than good. We have ample evidence that community-based approaches to policing and law enforcement achieve better results than more hands-off and detached methods. Police in the U.K. received harsh criticism recently for using a drone to shame people for walking outside, on the grounds that it was a police statelike overreach of their power. Authorities in New Jersey have recently received the same criticism over using a drone to shout warnings at people in cities. Advertisement Advertisement Ultimately, shout drones are tools of distance, a way for authorities and others to, in essence, project their voices into a moving mechanical object in a way that minimizes the risk to themselves and their physical bodies. While authorities may understandably not want to risk getting the coronavirus, from an ethical perspective, that fear does not necessarily outweigh the importance of getting lifesaving information to people using a method that they can trust. The shout drone is an interesting trick in the coronavirus playbook, but it is no substitute for the harder, riskier work of helping the public survive the pandemic. Sometimes, we must face our fearsand the publicin person. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. As unemployment skyrockets during the COVID-19 pandemic, tax revenue in Michigan is taking a big hit - and state officials are anticipating a loss of billions of dollars in the current budget and next fiscal year. The latest estimates from the Michigan Department of Treasury show the state stands to lose between $1 and $3 billion in revenue in the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, and between $1 and $4 billion in fiscal year 2021, State Budget Director Chris Kolb said. That estimate doesnt account for federal aid from the CARES Act and from FEMA, which Kolb said has helped the state respond to immediate emergency needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of last week, about $200 million has been spent so far on masks, ventilators and other medical supplies needed to cope with the outbreak, and Kolb said FEMA will likely cover most of those costs. But the state is still facing a major economic conundrum. With most of the state subject to a stay-at-home order, people are spending less money, and sales tax revenue is way down. And with more than a quarter of the states workforce filing for unemployment, income tax revenue is tanking, too. In March, the Senate Fiscal Agency also noted declines in state revenue from gas tax (down 22.6% from March 2019), diesel tax (down 21.6%) and casino revenue (down 59%). The actions that have to be taken to really stop the COVID-19 outbreak...has caused immediate economic slowdown like weve never seen in such a short period of time, Kolb said. Weve never gone through something like what were going through today. Michigans not alone. A new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan research institute, concluded states could be facing more than $500 billion in shortfalls nationwide due to the coronavirus pandemic. When taking federal aid provided so far and possible use of state rainy day funds into account, states are still looking at a shortfall of as much as $360 billion, not counting any additional costs of combating COVID-19, according to the report. If states dont get additional federal help to balance their budgets, their only remaining options are to cut spending or raise taxes, Elizabeth McNichol, the centers senior fellow of state fiscal policy, said in a Tuesday press call. Deep spending cuts in state budgets could lengthen and deepen the recession, cause long term harm to fam and communities and worsen racial and class inequities, she said. Michigan residents will get a clearer picture of exactly how much COVID-19 has impacted the states economy and budget at the May Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference, a biannual meeting of the Michigan Department of Treasury and state fiscal experts hash out revenue projects. The University of Michigans Research Center in Quantitative Economics, whose analyses help inform the overall economic outlook, projected combined general fund and school aid fund revenues would be $2.6 billion lower than previous estimates in the current fiscal year, $3.2 billion lower in fiscal year 2021 and $2.2 billion lower in fiscal year 2022. Lawmakers and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have a few months left to figure out how to make up the difference. Although the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, Whitmer and the Republican-led legislature agreed last year to a law requiring lawmakers to get a budget to her desk by July 1 after a tumultuous budget process. Legislators tasked with overseeing the appropriations process are already looking at ways to address the shortfall. Senate Appropriations Chair Jim Stamas, R-Midland, recently suggested laying off non-essential state employees in the administration and legislature and shifting some to becoming call takers for unemployment claims instead of hiring on new ones. Michigans unemployment system has been strained by the more than 828,000 unemployment claims filed in Michigan since March 8. The state has hired hundreds of call-takers to deal with the rapid uptick in claims. Last week, Stamas said in an interview hes been in near-constant communication with experts and fellow lawmakers about how the coronavirus could impact the state budget, and said the biggest questions will be how long it lasts and how hard of an impact it will ultimately have on the states jobs and working families. Its a priority to continue to make sure that were prepared to make those adjustments as we move forward, he said. This week, House Appropriations Chair Shane Hernandez, R-Port Huron, sent letters to state department heads to learn more about how they are managing workloads and evaluating staffing needs during the stay-at-home order. Tough state budget decisions must begin now, and the administration must begin determining who is essential, he said in a statement. Many state employees are working hard, putting in overtime and making great sacrifices to fight COVID-19 and its repercussions. We are grateful and thank them for their incredible efforts," he said. We also know not every state department is directly involved in the fight against COVID-19, and that is where tough decisions must be made. In the immediate future, Kolb said the state has put freezes on hiring and discretionary spending unless the funding is for COVID-19 response. The budget office is in the beginning stages of working with departments to find areas where reductions are possible, and looking at all revenue streams the state has to see where adjustments could be made. Weve really tried to tighten their belts, he said. Well be making recommendations as we go forward to the governor and working with our departments to make sure that all essential services are maintained, but looking for areas that we may have to move back on. The state is also waiting for additional word from the federal government on guidance about how federal funds can be used to address revenue shortfalls, Budget Office spokesperson Kurt Weiss said in an email to MLive. One possible option available to state officials is tapping into the states rainy day fund, which was begun during Gov. Rick Snyders administration to provide a buffer in the event of a deep economic recession. The fund currently contains a little over $1 billion. Stamas said using the rainy day fund needs to be a last resort option, as theres a possibility that ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic could stretch into future fiscal years. But some lawmakers, including state Rep. Julie Brixie, D-Meridian Township, believe the time is now to start looking at working that money into the budget. Ive been involved in budgets for local government, and now state government, for 20 years, she said. Ive never seen it raining this hard before. The states most recent appropriation was the March signing of two supplemental budget bills to secure $150 million in new funding to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. When approving the spending, Whitmer vetoed $80 million in other planned budget items. House Bill 4729 included $125 million for coronavirus response, including sending $50 million to the Department of Health and Human Services to be distributed to critical health care providers and putting $35 million in a specially-designated coronavirus response fund. Senate Bill 151 included $25 million for coronavirus response, which the governor approved. Of that, $10 million will go to state departments responding to coronavirus and $15 million will be set aside to address additional coronavirus needs as they arise. 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: Yes, Michigan is in a recession, and a quick recovery is unlikely Republicans, Democrats at odds about who should return to work and when When and how will it end? Considering the end-game for Michigans coronavirus crisis All but one county in Michigans Lower Peninsula have a reported coronavirus case; 153 more deaths 6 reasons Michigan has four times more coronavirus cases than Ohio Michigans deadliest year: Look back at 1918 flu pandemic Peek Through Time: Flu epidemic of 1918-19 ravaged Jackson, Michigan and world A mother-of-one with coronavirus, who ended up being placed in coma, said she was initially told by 111 that her breathing difficulties were caused by a panic attack. Sarah Wood, 34, from Darlington, County Durham, and her fiance Chris called 111 after she became short of breath and said they were told her breathing difficulties were probably caused by anxiety. Ms Wood was hospitalised a day later, tested positive for coronavirus, spent two weeks in a coma, and ended up undergoing a tracheostomy, a procedure where an opening is created at the front of the neck so a tube can be inserted into the windpipe. Sarah Wood, 34, from Darlington, County Durham, called 111 after she became short of breath and said she was told her breathing difficulties were probably caused by anxiety 'The ambulance driver phoned and did an assessment over the phone and said it was likely a panic attack,' Sarah told The Sun. 'It was because I couldn't catch my breath - but that was because of coronavirus.' Her fiance Chris added. 'We called 111 and told them Sarah's symptoms a number of times. We called them Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. 'On Friday she was admitted to hospital and the 111 operator called for an emergency ambulance. 'But on the Thursday they advised it was a panic attack.' The day after Ms Wood said she was told she was having a panic attack, she was admitted to hospital. (Ms Wood pictured with her fiance Chris and daughter Amber) A spokesperson for The North East Ambulance Service said: 'This case is currently under investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment at this time. Any findings will be reported back directly to the patient.' Ms Wood had been experiencing symptoms at home including a cough, severe headaches and breathing problems. On March 27 her condition deteriorated drastically and she started to become unresponsive with chronic sickness and was gasping for air. After being admitted to Darlington Memorial Hospital, she was x-rayed and tested positive for coronavirus and doctors discovered her lungs had become infected. Doctors ended up carrying out a tracheostomy so Ms Wood (pictured) could breathe on her own, which ended up being a success She was then ventilated and put in a coma. Ms Wood stayed in the medically-induced coma for almost two weeks and her fiance was told to prepare for the worst. Doctors ended up carrying out a tracheostomy so Ms Wood could breathe on her own, which ended up being a success. Medics at Darlington Memorial Hospital gave Sarah Wood a standing ovation and applauded as she was wheeled out of the intensive care Ms Wood's condition has continued to improve and has now had the tracheostomy taken out of her throat. After leaving intensive care she was videoed as she was given a standing ovation and applauded by NHS staff, who she's praised for their fantastic work, on the way to a respiratory ward to continue her recovery. Yesterday the UK announced 861 more deaths from coronavirus, taking the total number of victims to 13,729. T aylor Swift has announced she has cancelled all upcoming appearances and live performances for 2020 in response to the coronavirus crisis. The popstar, 30, was scheduled to tour in the US, Europe and South America to promote her seventh album Lover. She was also scheduled to headline the now-cancelled Glastonbury Festival for the first time, and return to the British Summer Time festival which has also been cancelled. Confirming the news on Twitter, Swift said in a statement: Fighting Covid-19 is an unprecedented challenge for our global community and the safety and wellbeing of fans should always be the top priority. Health organisations and governments around the world have strongly discouraged large public gatherings for an undetermined period of time. With many events around the world already cancelled, and upon direction from health officials in an effort to keep fans safe and help prevent the spread of Covid-19, sadly the decision has been made to cancel all of Taylor Swifts live appearances and performances this year. The statement continued to say that shows in the States and Brazil will be rescheduled to take place in 2021, with dates confirmed later in the year, alongside refund details. Free NHS concerts: From Liam Gallagher to Rick Astley 1 /9 Free NHS concerts: From Liam Gallagher to Rick Astley JLS November 28 (matinee), Birmingham Resorts World Arena Getty Images Liam Gallagher October 29, The O2, London APA/AFP via Getty Images Fatboy Slim October 28, Brighton Centre Getty Images The Script February 8 and 9, 2020, 3Arena, Dublin AFP via Getty Images Rick Astley October 28, Manchester Arena Getty Images Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbot October 13, Nottingham Motorpoint Arena PA Manic Street Preachers December 4 and 5, Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images Swift added: I'm so sad I won't be able to see you guys in concert this year, but I know this is the right decision. Please, please stay healthy and safe. Ill see you on stage as soon as I can but right now whats important is committing to this quarantine, for the sake of all of us. Cancelled: Taylor Swift has postponed her gigs until 2021 / Getty Images Swift is not the only celebrity who has seen their touring schedule cancelled due to the worldwide lockdown see a full list of affected events here. Currently, the United States is the epicentre of the coronavirus crisis. At the time of writing, America has over 677,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with the virus having killed over 35,000. Figure out your current cash flow If you or someone in your family has been laid off because of the coronavirus, your first step is to see how much money if any you have coming in. If you have applied for unemployment benefits, for example, you should be aware that if your employer laid you off because of the coronavirus, you can get an additional $600 per week on top of the unemployment benefits your state offers. Gig workers and the self-employed are also eligible for these benefits. If you haven't contacted your state unemployment office, now is the time to do so. You may also be eligible for federal stimulus payments, which are already landing in some bank accounts. Individuals can get up to $1,200, and couples filing federal income taxes jointly can get up to $2,400. Those with dependent children under 17 can get up to $500 per eligible child. You can check with the IRS to see if your check is on the way, add information about dependents, or register for a stimulus check if you haven't filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return. As a last resort, you can consider tapping your savings. If you have an emergency fund, well, this is what emergency funds are made for. The CARES Act also allows you to take up to $100,000 from retirement funds penalty-free, if you're younger than 59 1/2. You'll still have to pay taxes on your withdrawals, but you'll have three years to pay those taxes, as well as three years to pay the plan back and avoid the taxes. Also, the limit on loans from retirement accounts has been increased to $100,000, from $50,000, and payments on both new and existing loans can be deferred for a year. Prioritize your spending Obviously, you need shelter and electricity, as well as food and water. And at least at the moment, corporations, lenders and landlords are in a forgiving mood, and many are allowing you a break on monthly bills. Shelter For most people, the largest monthly bill is their rent or mortgage. If you're worried about making that mortgage payment, it's time to reach for the phone and see if you can get what's called forbearance: You and the lender agree to temporarily reduced or deferred mortgage payments, and the lender agrees not to foreclose during that time. For example, if the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. (Freddie Mac) or the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) backs your mortgage and they do for about 80 percent of mortgages the mortgage giants may offer forbearance for up to 12 months. Both companies have also agreed to suspend evictions and foreclosure sales for 60 days, through mid-May. You can check online to see if one of the mortgage giants owns your mortgage: Fannie Mae: knowyouroptions.com/loanlookup Search Freddie Mac: ww3.freddiemac.com/loanlookup/ If you're a renter, you may also get some relief. If you live in an apartment and your landlord gets mortgage relief because of the coronavirus outbreak, you can't be evicted for 90 days if you can't pay rent due to your own coronavirus hardship. Some cities, such as Los Angeles, Boston and New York, are putting halts on evictions. But if you're not covered by a state or municipal ban on evictions, talk to your landlord as soon as possible to discuss your options. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- All members of the New York Police department will wear black mourning bands across their shields to remembers their colleagues lost to complications of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Police Commissioner Dermot Shea announced Thursday. I am directing all NYPD members, effective immediately and for the duration of the COVID-19 Pandemic, to wear authorized, black mourning bands across your shields and across your hearts in quiet commemoration of our 27 fallen brothers and sisters who have been lost to the disease, Shea said in an announcement. The department top brass also ordered all NYPD, New York City and American flags to be lowered to half-mast at all police facilities throughout the city. This unprecedented crisis has already taken a significant toll on our NYPD family,'' Shea said. "We do not know how long it will last, so we will continue to honor our colleagues in this way for the foreseeable future. "We do know we will emerge stronger on the other side together,'' he said. "And we vow to never forget our heroes service and sacrifice. Thank you for everything you do every day, and please stay safe. 70 Coronavirus in NYC: Photos show the fight against the pandemic Overall, the number of NYPD members out sick continues to decline for the seventh day in a row, the department announced. On Thursday, there were 6,052 members on sick report, accounting for 16.7% of the departments uniformed workforce. That represents a drop of 222 NYPD members out sick from yesterday, when the total tallied 6,274, according to the department. The number of members still out sick and positive for the coronavirus also dropped since yesterday. On Thursday, the department had 2,713 positive members, 36 fewer than Wednesday, when the total was 2,749, the Advance/SILIve.com previously reported. Of those 2,713 members, 2,104 are uniformed members and 609 are civilian members, the NYPD said. Officers continue to conduct citywide patrol to ensure social distancing measures are being followed, according to the department. Between 8 a.m. on Wednesday, April 15, and 8 a.m. on Thursday, April 16, officers visited 2,495 supermarkets and pharmacies and found 1,273 to be closed. The NYPD visited 6,558 bars and restaurants and observed that 5,081 were closed. According to the department, 1,205 public places were patrolled and 790 were found to be closed. NYPD officers visited 2,967 personal care facilities and reported that 2,966 were closed. No arrests took place during these visits, but the NYPD issued a criminal court summons in the 60th Precinct to a food vendor after a 311 call came in regarding social distancing at 1055 Brighton Beach Ave. in Brooklyn, the NYPD announcement said. Security forces on Friday killed two terrorists who fatally attacked a special police officer and critically injured another in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district early this week, officials said. On Monday, the terrorists attacked the SPOs with axes in Tander village and escaped into the jungle with their service rifles. The police and the Army had been on their trail since and located them on Friday. Jammu Zone IGP Mukesh Singh said the terrorists were killed after a gunbattle. The terrorists have been identified as local residents Ashiq Hussain, a rape accused who was released on bail from Kishtwar Central Jail three weeks ago, and Basharat Hussain. They are believed to have joined the terrorist ranks and carried out the attack to lay their hands on the weapons. This was the first terror attack in Kishtwar district this year. Kishtwar has been rocked by a series of terrorist attacks since November 2018, when it saw its first terror attack in over a decade. That month, senior BJP leader Anil Parihar and his brother Ajit Parihar were killed outside their home in Kishtwar town. In April last year, RSS functionary Chanderkant Sharma and his SO were killed inside the district hospital. In September last year, security forces achieved a major breakthrough against terrorists active in the district and killed three militants, including the most wanted Osama Bin Javed in an encounter in Ramban when they were trying to escape an offensive which saw dozens of Hizbul Mujahideen members and overground workers arrested and their hideouts busted. The terrorists also struck on two more occasions last year and decamped with service rifles of two policemen. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least one Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel was injured on Friday when terrorists launched an attack on a joint camp of the CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir police in Pulwama district. The unknown terrorists fired upon the troops of B/183 battalion of the CRPF on a mobile checkpoint established by security forces at the Newa area in Pulwamaat around 7.45 pm. One Ct/GD of CRPF sustained bullet injury on his ankle and was evacuated to the hospital. His condition is reportedly stable. The troops are carrying out a search in the nearby areas. The entire area has been cordoned off. This is a developing story. More details are awaited. Recent studies show that people infected with the new coronavirus could be spreading "aerosolized" viral particles as they cough, breathe or talk in a 13-foot radius, and viral particles can also move around on people's shoes. But there was also good news from the studies: Standard protective gear appears to effectively shield health care workers from these aerosolized droplets and infection, and even cloth face masks could curb the spread of exhaled droplets. Reading over the findings, emergency medicine physician Dr. Robert Glatter said they are a reminder that any form of social distancing should help curb new cases of COVID-19. "The bottom line is that maintaining some distance from others is better than none," said Glatter, who works at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "Six feet is better than 5 feet. In the age of coronavirus, the more the better. It really comes down to the likelihood of viral transmission." In one study, Chinese researchers tracked viral "distribution" in hospital wards in Wuhan, the city where the coronavirus pandemic emerged. From February 19 to March 2, "we collected swab samples from potentially contaminated objects in the ICU and general ward," said a team led by Dr. Zhen-Dong Guo, of the Academy of Military Medical Sciences in Beijing. "We also sampled indoor air and the air outlets to detect aerosol exposure," the researchers explained. As the doctors noted, when people exhale, heavier droplets (potentially containing virus) tend to drop to the ground because of gravity, whereas lighter droplets can remain suspended in breathable air. Their tests found that 70% of swab samples from the hospital floor came up positive for coronavirus, "perhaps because of gravity and air flow causing most virus droplets to float to the ground," the study authors said. "In addition, as medical staff walk around the ward, the virus can be tracked all over the floor, as indicated by the 100% rate of positivity from the floor in the [hospital] pharmacy, where there were no patients," the researchers said. "Therefore, the soles of medical staff shoes might function as carriers." Not surprisingly, swabs taken of often-touched surfacesdoorknobs, bed rails, trash cans and computer micetypically came up positive for coronavirus. And what about the air people breathe? The closer to an infected patient, the more likely an air sample was to come up positive, Guo's group said. "Virus-laden aerosols were mainly concentrated near and downstream from the patients," the team reported. But tiny airborne aerosols could travel farther than the 6 feet now recommended in most social distancing advisories. In fact, "the maximum transmission distance of [coronavirus] aerosol might be 4 meters (13 feet)," Guo's group reported. They published their findings online April 10 in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. The Chinese study did have one good piece of news: Protective gear worn by hospital staff appears to thwart viral infection. "As of March 30, no staff members at Huoshenshan Hospital had been infected," despite widespread contamination of air and surfaces, the team noted. Another study of the aerosolization of exhaled droplets was published online April 15 in the New England Journal of Medicine. In that study, a team from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the University of Pennsylvania used "laser light scattering" technology to track the dispersion of droplets from the mouth during normal speech. The researchers found that droplets were dispersed into the air, but wearing a "slightly damp washcloth over the speaker's mouth" effectively stopped most of the dispersion. In a related commentary on that study, Harvard University molecular biologist Matthew Meselson said it "suggests the advisability of wearing a suitable mask whenever it is thought that infected persons may be nearby." For his part, Glatter said that "while 6 feet is certainly ideal based on recommendations by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we are now learning that aerosolized droplets from coughing or sneezing, which may then be carried by currents indoors and outside, may make this distance less than ideal." Still, he said, the science on all of this continues to evolve. "The truth is this: We don't know what it truly takes to get infected with the virus, including the amount of virus necessary to actually initiate an infection," Glatter said. "In fact, it may not require infected surfaces or droplets after all, just aerosols. We just don't know. Research on this concept continues to expand and evolve." Glatter stressed that other factorsincluding how deeply into the lungs viral particles penetrate, and the strength of a person's immune systemare also involved in the infection process. Dr. Eric Cioe Pena directs global health at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, N.Y. Reading over the Chinese study, he agreed that "the potential for this virus to spread via aerosols is particularly scary, because it's essentially a hybrid between an airborne and a droplet virus, and that the droplets are able to hang out in the air for an extensive period of time and potentially infect other people." Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 17:39:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GABORONE, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Researchers with the University of Botswana (UB) have developed computer software tools to help deal with the southern African country's COVID-19 situation, authorities have announced. The software tools include a dashboard of novel coronavirus infection cases, as well as applications for remotely monitoring the status of patients in quarantine. University Vice Chancellor David Norris said on Thursday that the three software tools were worked out by researchers from the departments of engineering and technology, computer science and medicine. "The faculty of engineering and technology has developed a web map visualization and live tracking dashboard that records data and shows real time trends of information on COVID-19 cases in Botswana," said Norris. He said the dashboard was developed in collaboration with the Botswana Institute of Geomatics (BIG) and is manned by university personnel. The two self-assessment applications are for remote monitoring of those in and out of quarantine and also for frontline health workers. "The self-assessment applications will drive data received from the Ministry of Health and Wellness Department of Monitoring and Evaluation for assessment and analysis to assist in real time decision making," said Norris. The developed systems have been set up to interface with the health ministry's information system, Norris added. Enditem Ministers were under mounting pressure on Friday night to encourage Britons to wear face masks as part of a staged plan to get the country back to work. London mayor Sadiq Khan urged the Government to change its advice on masks to combat the spread of the virus. He was supported by former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who said such a move would be sensible given how social distancing can be impossible on trains and buses. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was inevitable that the Government would have to change its advice, which at present states that masks are only needed in hospitals. And former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said encouraging people to wear masks would build the confidence necessary to return to work a vital step to save the economy. Ministers are now mounting pressure to encourage Britons to wear face masks as part of a staged plan to get the country back to work. Pictured: A commuter wears a mask in London Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has branded such a move sensible given how social distancing can be impossible on trains and buses. In Fridays Daily Mail, five medical experts agreed they could slow the spread. The Governments chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, said experts would be meeting on Tuesday to examine evidence on how effective it would be for everyone to wear masks in public. He said an announcement on whether the guidance has been changed would soon follow. He added the evidence was quite variable. On Thursday the Royal Society announced an urgent investigation into how to end the lockdown including a review of the benefit of face masks. One German state has made the wearing of masks compulsory on public transport and in shops, as the country slowly eases lockdown measures. On Thursday night droves of people gathered on Westminster bridge alongside police and emergency services to applaud the NHS, with a lack of social distancing since criticised An ambulance worker joins a 'Clap For Our Carers' in Westminster Bridge on Thursday night WUHAN DEATH TOLL UP The total number of coronavirus deaths in Wuhan was 50 per cent higher than previously reported, China admitted on Friday night. The number of fatalities in the city, believed to be the epicentre of the pandemic, is now put at 3,869 an increase of 1,290. Earlier this month, Wuhan lifted a lockdown that brought the city of 11million to a standstill for almost ten weeks. Observers are now watching closely to see whether infection rates begin rising again. Chinas state-run Xinhua News Agency said last night that an unidentified official blamed insufficiency in admission and treatment capability for the discrepancy in figures. US President Donald Trump said the revised death figures were still inaccurate. It is far higher, he tweeted. Advertisement Saxonys premier Michael Kretschmer said it could be as simple as an improvised scarf or handkerchief. However, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it is not the right moment to encourage masks adding that the Government has to look at all of the evidence. One Government source added that it was important they did not rush into the decision. They said: If the decision is made, it is going to be in place for a very long time and cover a lot of people so we need to be sure of the impact. They said there is not yet enough scientific evidence that masks make a difference. However, masks have been proven effective at preventing infectious people transmitting the virus. On Friday Mr Khan told BBC Breakfast that wearing non-medical facial masks such as a bandana, scarf or reusable covering would add another layer of protection. The mayor, who wrote to Mr Shapps about the issue, said he is lobbying for masks to be worn in circumstances where people cannot keep a safe distance apart, such as on public transport or while shopping. The gesture was carried out after the nation's lockdown restrictions were extended Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick joined London's emergency workers, including firefighters and the police, on Westminster Bridge for the applause 50BN FURLOUGH SCHEME NOW EXTENDED The job retention scheme for furloughed workers is being extended to the end of June. The 10billion-a-month initiative unveiled by Chancellor Rishi Sunak last month was intended to run only until the end of May. But amid uncertainty as to when lockdown restrictions will be lifted, the Treasury announced on Friday an extension in an attempt to prevent mass job losses. The scheme allows employers to hold on to workers who might otherwise be let go by paying 80 per cent of their wages. The move came ahead of todays deadline for employers to issue redundancy notices for staff being laid off at the end of next month. Mr Sunak said: It is vital for peoples livelihoods that the UK economy gets up and running again when it is safe to do so, and I will continue to review the scheme so it is supporting our recovery. Blick Rothenberg, a tax advisory firm, said the scheme would now cost 50billion. Advertisement Wearing a non-medical facial covering makes it less likely you may inadvertently give somebody else Covid-19, he said. I want a consistent approach across the country, we dont want mixed messaging. When it comes to exiting lockdown, we may need to have all of us wearing it as well. Mr Hunt said he agreed, telling the Mail: As we know you can pass on the virus when you dont have symptoms, it seems sensible to ask people to wear masks on tubes and buses where social distancing is not possible. Meanwhile, bus passengers in London will not have to pay under new measures to protect drivers. Mr Khan announced this week that 21 transport staff, including 15 bus workers, have died in London after testing positive for Covid-19. John Illman - Why I'm sure this is what we have to do I welcome the news that London mayor Sadiq Khan is campaigning to make face mask wearing compulsory for people travelling in the capital during the coronavirus crisis. I hope other mayors and local councils will follow suit. I hope that Government proposals, now being discussed, to make mask wearing a plank of lifting lockdown will prevail. This revolutionary but common sense proposal may be ridiculed by those who would insist that there was insufficient medical evidence for such action. But these are not normal times. We do not have time to carry out a mass of scientific studies. We need to act now. The number of deaths due to Covid-19 each day continues to shock and the NHS, while coping, is under pressure. So I endorse the idea put forward this week in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) that we should adopt what is known as the Precautionary Principle. This states that we should sometimes act without conclusive evidence if this is likely to do good and, having made a study of the evidence for and against, I believe that is exactly what face masks could do. London mayor Sadiq Khan is campaigning to make face mask wearing compulsory for people travelling in the capital during the COVID-19 crisis Written by a team led by Professor Trisha Greenhalgh, of Oxford University, the BMJ article warns: In the face of a pandemic the search for perfect evidence may be the enemy of good policy. In more than 40 years as a medical journalist much of it working for this paper I understand absolutely the value of evidence-based medicine. The Index Medicus, the bible of medical research, lists more than 9,000 articles and studies about the potential benefits and hazards of surgical masks I have always believed there was logic behind the idea that face masks might protect us against infection, but my experience of wearing one last month in Vietnam was revelatory. When we arrived in the country before the widespread international lockdown my wife and I werent wearing masks. Indeed, we were surprised when booking into our hotel in Saigon to see all the reception staff in masks. This had a powerful symbolic impact in addition to any protective effect. If everyone around you is wearing masks, you become increasingly hygiene conscious and cautious about what you do. 50R & 50S with Mesh 2.0 Intercom Sena's Mesh 2.0 Intercom brings robust, reliable connections and flexible network message routing to the 50S and 50R thanks to significant technical enhancements made to the original Sena Mesh Intercom algorithm. Mesh 2.0 transfers up to 80% more data between headsets, even in harsh environments, resulting in clear and crisp conversation. 50R and 50S users will benefit from two innovative Mesh 2.0 Intercom modes: Multi-Channel Open Mesh Intercom and Group Mesh Intercom. 50R & 50S Highlights: Redesigned HD Speakers with more power, clarity, and comfort Bluetooth 5.0 enabled Voice-activated digital assistant access ('Hey Google'/'Hey Siri') 30% faster Rapid Charging Automatic firmware updates via included WiFi Adapter Multi-language Voice Command support 4-way Bluetooth Intercom Global Mesh 2.0 Upgrade On May 1st, Sena will launch a global firmware update providing new Mesh 2.0, found in the 50R and 50S devices, to all Sena Mesh Intercom products! Sena 30K, Momentum EVO, and +Mesh users will receive the new features found within the Sena Mesh 2.0 Intercom network and have the ability to seamlessly communicate with the 50R and 50S. Trade-Up to the 50R & 50S Sena will be offering a limited time Trade-Up program in North America. Current 30K users will qualify to trade-up to the 50R or 50S at a reduced price. More details about the trade-up program coming soon. AVAILABLE NOW The 50S and 50R are available in North America on BuySena.com , and through preferred Sena dealers . The 50R and 50S will retail for $339 USD / 359 EUR (Incl. VAT). Like all Sena products, the 50S and 50R are firmware upgradeable and come with Sena's industry-leading two-year warranty . SOURCE Sena Technologies, Inc. Related Links http://www.sena.com Abdul Rahim al-Hwaiti was shot dead by security forces after refusing to give up his property for a mega-project. Saudi activists and dissidents have disputed an official narrative alleging a Saudi citizen who refused government orders to give up his home to make way for a new mega-project was killed after he shot at security forces. In a report published by Saudi TV on Wednesday, Saudi authorities said Abdul Rahim Ahmad al-Hwaiti from Tabuk province was a wanted terrorist who was killed in a shoot-out with security forces. He started shooting at the security forces from on top of a building, said the report. When he refused to hand himself over and continued shooting and throwing Molotov cocktails at the security forces, the situation had to be dealt with. This led to his death and the injury of two security forces, it said. 200414114842469 Al-Hwaiti, a Saudi citizen from the town of Khraybah in the northwest Red Sea region of the country, published a video of himself on Monday saying he and other citizens were being pressured by the government to give up their property and accept financial compensation. Al-Hwaiti hails from the powerful al-Huwaitat tribe who are based in three countries: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the Sinai in Egypt. The al-Huwaitat have resided in the region for more than 800 years, predating the Saudi state itself by many centuries over. Anyone who refuses to leave the area would be arrested by government agents, a l-Hwaiti said in the video uploaded on YouTube. He called the governments move forced displacement. Al-Hwaiti said residents of the area did not want to be uprooted but are now living in fear because of what security forces might do to them. Flawed narrative But Saudi activists said the official narrative was flawed and al-Hwaiti was shot dead after recording a video documenting security forces storming his property. London-based Saudi dissident Saad al-Faqih disputed the Saudi TV report in a video published on Thursday, saying anyone who believed it was completely ignorant and backward. Theres no way that someone who has been following this story can possibly believe the authorities narrative, he said. In a video published days before, al-Faqih called on other Saudis to support the al- Huwaitat tribe in resisting government efforts to push them out of their homes. What is happening to the Hwaitats is a crime. Everyone who is taking part in this, whether directly or indirectly, is a criminal, he said in a video on Monday. Aliaa Abutayah, a London-based Saudi political activist, told Al Jazeera on Wednesday she received several videos including one showing the shooting of al-Hwaiti by Saudi security forces from witnesses and posted them on her Twitter account. Abutayahs account has since been deactivated. She alleged she received death threats from Saudi agents because of her opposition to the government. Known as NEOM, the Red Sea development will be close to the size of Belgium, and is to become a hub for tourism, innovation and technology as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS)s Vision 2030 to transform Saudi Arabia and diversify its oil-based economy. Ali Younes contributed to this report One thing is quite clear - in these tough times when world is facing the biggest fight in decades, healthcare workers are the heroes leading the battle against the coronavirus pandemic. Selflessly serving mankind and risking their lives. In doing their duty, many healthcare workers have lost their lives due to COVID-19. Now, in another heartbreaking incident, a pregnant nurse has died in the United Kingdom, but her baby has survived. Representational Image/Reuters According to BBC, Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong worked at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital, northwest of London, and was admitted to the hospital on April 7 after testing positive for the virus two days earlier. The 28-year-old died on Sunday, at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust confirmed in a statement on Wednesday. She had worked for the hospital system for five years. It was also revealed that the nurse's "child was doing very well" but no further information was provided. More than 117,000 (about $146,000) has been donated to a GoFundMe page, which was set up to support Agyapong's husband and baby, just 24 hours after the page was published with an original goal of raising 2,000 (about $2,500). Reuters At least 27 NHS workers have now died from coronavirus, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Thursday in an interview with the BBC. According to latest reports, more than 13,700 people have died of coronavirus in the UK and more than 100,000 have tested positive. There appears to be a ray of light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel but Manitobans will play a vital role in determining how quickly we reach it. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. There appears to be a ray of light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel but Manitobans will play a vital role in determining how quickly we reach it. The provinces public-health officials have raised the possibility that coronavirus restrictions could be eased in the not-too-distant future, but warn we have to remain vigilant for several more weeks, if not longer. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin reiterated Wednesday this is not the time to become complacent. With warmer weather (finally, hopefully, possibly) right around the corner, Manitobans who have been hunkered down to stem the spread of COVID-19 will be sorely tempted to shake off the quarantine cobwebs and visit cottage country or swarm outdoor green spaces. That could have serious consequences. Although the number of infected Manitobans has not risen sharply for the last two weeks, this is not a time to let down our guard. For those who enjoy cliches, this is the time to keep our eyes on the prize, stay the course and put the pedal to the metal. Yes, the low number of new cases in the province is fuelling hope, but Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitobas chief public health officer, reiterated Wednesday this is not the time to become complacent. "Were at the critical stage ... and we might be able to see a time relatively soon when we can start loosening some of these restrictions," Dr. Roussin said. "We should be optimistic, but we should not loosen our grip right now on these measures." We should be optimistic, but we should not loosen our grip right now on these measures. Dr. Brent Roussin To date, Manitobans adherence to Dr. Roussins orders has largely been a matter of trust. But as springtimes activities beckon and the daily sameness of the chief public health officers message threatens to lessen its impact, it might be helpful if provincial officials were less reluctant to share the models and probabilities that underpin the urgency of physical-distancing measures and forced business closures. Clear, factual, detailed information regarding the effectiveness of these measures and the consequences of relaxing too soon would reinforce for Manitobans the importance of maintaining safe practices through the crucial coming weeks. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Heading to cottages is a rite of spring, but cottage country isnt throwing out the welcome mat. Kenora Mayor Dan Reynard made headlines last week when he suggested closing the border between Ontario and Manitoba to residential travel. "Were imploring people, stay home," he said. "We welcome you back once this is all over ... but right now, we need our Manitoba residents and summer residents to stay home. You cannot come into Kenora. It just puts too much pressure on our health-care system, and it increases the odds of bringing the virus into our community." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week spoke of a phased-in approach to reopening Canadas economy, but warned any return to normalcy will take time and hinges on obeying public-health orders. Re-starting the economy will be a crucial exercise, but must be carried out cautiously and deliberately; the final "all clear" cannot be sounded until a vaccine against COVID-19 is developed and ready for distribution. It may not be what they want to hear as spring unfolds, but Canadians seem to be getting the message. A poll released this week found most Canadians want to see significant progress in the fight against COVID-19 before people are allowed to return to work and leisure activities. For the most part, Manitobans have done an admirable job of sticking to the rules. And they need to continue doing that for these next critical weeks, or that long-awaited light at the end of the tunnel will quickly fade. Even as Karnataka battles coronavirus COVID-19, former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy proceeded with the wedding ceremony of his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy on Friday. The wedding was held in Ramanagara on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The media was not allowed entry to cover the wedding. But the ceremoney saw several VIP guests in attendence. Photos and vidoes of the lavish wedding ceremony show clear violation of social distancing norms when the state of battling to contains coronavirus. Earlier, the former chief minister had assured that the wedding will be a simple one. He appealed to the party workers to not to attend this ceremony. Meanwhile, 38 new cases of coronavirus was reported for the state which is the largest single-day spike for Karnataka. The total number of cases in the state has risen to 353 which includes 82 patients who were discharged after recovery, the death toll is at 13. The COVID-19 is an infection caused by a new strain of the coronavirus, its symptom includes fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and may even result in death. The period within which the symptoms would appear is between 2 to 14 days. People with underlying medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more susceptible to COVID-19. The disease can spread through touch hence measures like isolation and social distancing are being suggested as a method to slow the spread of the pandemic. As a protection measure washing hands or using an alcohol based sanitiser is also suggested and to avoid touching your face. While globally the total number of infected cases reached 22 lakh the death toll stood at 1.5 lakh on Friday. In India, 13,387 cases have been reported out of which 11,201 are active cases and as many as 1,748 people have been cured and discharged, the death toll is 437. One day the great European war will come out of some damned foolish thing in the Balkans. Otto von Bismarck, 1888 On July 4, 1914, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian throne, and his wife, the Countess Sophia, were buried at Artstetten, about 50-miles west of Vienna. The Archduke had never been particularly popular in Austria-Hungary. His uncle, the Emperor Franz Joseph, had chosen him only reluctantly as his heir following the suicide of his only son, the Crown Prince Rudolph. His disdain for his heir was so great, that, even though he was in residence in Vienna at the time, he did not even bother to attend his nephew's funeral. The funeral occurred a week after the assassination of the Archduke and his wife, on June 28, while they were on an official visit to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. A Serbian "paramilitary organization," today we would call them terrorists, committed to the unification of Bosnian Serbs with the Kingdom of Serbia had organized an assassination attempt while the Archduke's motorcade traveled along the Apple Quay in Sarajevo. The plot failed, resulting in the injury, from a bomb blast, to several of the Archduke's aides. While attempting to find the hospital where his aides were being treated, the Archduke's driver mistakenly turned into Franz Joseph Strasse. Attempting to reverse, he stopped directly in front of Schiller's Delicatessen. Inside, one of the six Serbian conspirators, a 19-year-old student named Gavrilo Princip, was buying a sandwich. Seizing the opportunity, Princip rushed out and fired two fatal bullets at Franz Ferdinand and his wife. The murder set off an avalanche of events that would culminate in a few short weeks with the start of World War I. What if Franz Ferdinand had lived? Would World War I have been avoided? He did in fact survive the first assassination attempt. Only an unfortunate driver's error gave the Serbian conspirators a second chance to assassinate him. Without that error, or even if the timing had been off by just a few minutes, it is likely that the Archduke would have lived. What then? Without such a dramatic casus belli, would the Austrian government have had less reason to confront Serbia? Or would the attempt itself still have given them enough of a pretext? Is it possible that one of the most destructive wars in human history was the result of a teenager's lunch choice? Probably not. While it is tempting to speculate that the occurrence, or lack thereof, of such a chance event could have inexorably altered the timeline of 20th century history, such speculations properly belong to authors of historical fiction and not the professional historian. The Serbian group that organized the assassination attempt went by the name "Unification or Death." They were also known unofficially by the moniker "The Black Hand." It was the paramilitary wing of a secret society called Narodna Obrana (National Defense), which was committed to the creation of a "Great Serbia" that would encompass all the Serbians in the Balkans. There is no question that this organization enjoyed broad support and received funding from elements of the Serbian government, including Prince Alexander, the heir to the Serbian throne and commander of Serbia's military forces. Several years earlier they had attempted to assassinate the Austrian emperor, Franz Joseph. They had also been implicated in other assassination attempts against other Austrian officials. Regardless of the outcome of the plot against the Archduke, it is likely that Serbian nationalists would have continued their attacks against Austrian officials, choosing whatever targets of opportunity presented themselves, in their quest for Serbian unification. In the summer of 1914, the Balkans was a powder keg primed to explode. Gavrilo Princip and the Black Hand merely provided the spark that would detonate it. Had it not been that spark, it is likely it would have been another. The July Crisis The assassination of the Archduke marked the beginning of a period between June 29 and August 1, which has been called the "July Crisis." During this period, and especially in the two weeks from July 5 through 19, the Austrian government formulated its reply to the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand. On July 5, the German government pledged its unconditional support for whatever action Austria took against Serbia in reprisal. On July 23, the Austrian government presented the Serbian government with a 10-point ultimatum and gave it just 48 hours to accept them. The 10 demands had been specifically chosen to be so intrusive of Serbian sovereignty, so humiliating to the Serbian government, that Serbia would have no option but to reject them out of hand. Armed with the political cover that its attempt at a political solution had failed, Vienna would then be free to launch an attack on Serbia. Within a week of its ultimatum, Europe had begun an all-out mobilization. In less than two weeks the "great European war" predicted by Bismarck had begun. If only the Austrian government had been less vengeful, if only the German government had acted to constrain its Austrian ally, if only Serbia had been more willing to support the Austrian investigation into the assassination, or had initiated its own investigation and moved to arrest the conspirators. If only Russia had been less adamant in its support of Serbia, if only diplomacy had been given more time to craft a peaceful solution. The list of "if only(s)" is endless. But would any of these "if only(s)" have made a difference in the end? To answer that question, we need to consider the underlying factors that shaped the actions and positions of the principal actors in the July crisis. The Austrian government was convinced that Serbian aspirations to unify the Serb people, both those inside the Austro-Hungarian Empire and those in the surrounding area, would prove destabilizing to the empire and could trigger a revolt of other minorities and ultimately the collapse of Austria-Hungary. Russian diplomatic initiatives to organize, under Russian leadership, an alliance that consisted of Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro, were equally worrisome. Though it would be difficult to maintain, much less organize, such an alliance would, in Austrian eyes, have only one purposeto roll back or dismember the Austro-Hungarian Empire. On June 14, two weeks before the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand, the Austrian Foreign Minister, Count Leopold Berthold, circulated a memorandum in which he called for the destruction of Serbia. That memorandum, along with an accompanying letter by the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, was presented to Kaiser Wilhelm on July 5. In his letter the Austrian emperor declared that the only way of preventing the disintegration of Austria-Hungary was "to eliminate Serbia as a state." He also stated unequivocally that the decision to invade Serbia had already been made even before the assassination of the Archduke. This was the fourth time since 1912 that the Austrian government had sought Berlin's support for an invasion of Serbia. Germany had declined on the previous three occasions, citing the fact that the German military was not yet ready for a general war. This time, the Kaiser assured the Austrian government that Berlin would unequivocally back whatever action Vienna took towards Serbia. It was generally accepted by everyone, including Serbia's Russian and French allies, that the Serbian government had been complicit in the assassination plot. The weapons used by the six conspirators had all come from a Serbian military depot in Belgrade. Five of the conspirators were 19-years of age or younger and lacked the experience to organize an assassination attempt or procure the needed weapons. They had, in fact, been recruited and assisted by several Serbian military officers and government officials. On July 13, however, the Austrian investigators of the assassination plot advised Count Berchtold: There is nothing to prove or even to suppose that the Serbian government is accessory to the inducement for the crime, its preparations, or the furnishing of weapons. On the contrary, there are reasons to believe that this (is) altogether out of the question. Moreover, it was later disclosed that Serbian Prime Minister Nikola Pasic had instructed the Serbian ambassador to Vienna to advise the Austrian government of a potential plot against the Archduke during his visit to Sarajevo. It is possible that the Austrian government sent the Archduke to Sarajevo knowing that an attempt would be made on his life. Why then did the Serbian government refuse all requests by Austrian authorities to assist with their investigation or to launch their own investigation into the assassination and move to arrest any of the conspirators? Why did the Serbian government make no attempt to clear itself of the charges that it had been complicit in the plot to assassinate the Archduke? The answer was politics. Serbia was scheduled to hold a general election on August 14. The death of the Archduke had been met by wide spread rejoicing in Serbia, notwithstanding the fact he had been considered sympathetic to the aspirations of the Bosnian Serbs. Any action that would have appeared as bowing to Austrian pressure would have been political suicide for the Serbian government. The German response to the July crisis was shaped by three principal considerations: fear of Austrian instability, concern for the growth of Russian military power and a desire to remain in the background while still encouraging a quick and decisive Austrian response. The result was policies that were often contradictory and at times incoherent. First, Berlin wanted to ensure the stability of its key ally. The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire would create a bevy of small, Russian influenced, states whose interests would likely run counter to those of Germany. On prior occasions, Berlin had declined to support an Austrian invasion of Serbia arguing that certain preconditions had to be met before it could risk igniting an all-out war. By the summer of 1914, the last of those preconditions, the widening of the Kiel Canal to permit the unhindered transfer of the German High Seas Fleet between the Baltic and the North Sea, had been completed. Secondly, the German government was increasingly concerned by what it saw as the growing power of the Russian military. The Great Military Program launched in 1912, planned for a 39 percent increase in Russian military forces by 1918, and a significant increase in Russian artillery forces as well. Concurrent with the military expansion, Russia launched a major railroad building campaign in the areas of western Russia immediately adjacent to Germany and Austria-Hungary. There was a vocal group within the German General Staff that believed that a conflict between Russia and Germany was inevitablein their view, better to fight Russia now than to fight a stronger Russia in the future. Finally, the German government was urging swift action on the part of Austrian authorities so it could present Serbia's allies with a fait accompli before they would have a chance to formulate a response. During the Bosnian annexation crisis of 1908, German declaration of support for Austria-Hungary combined with rapid Austrian action had been sufficient to keep Russia on the sidelines. Kaiser Wilhelm believed that a similar show of unconditional German support would again keep Russia from intervening on Serbia's behalf. When it became clear that neither Germany's threat to mobilize its armed forces nor Kaiser Wilhelm's appeals to his "cousin Nicky" to forestall Russian mobilization were effective, the German government switched tack, insisting that any potential conflict could be "kept local." Kaiser Wilhelm was certain that even in the event of a war with Russia he could persuade Great Britain, and possibly even France, to remain neutral. At the same time, Berlin was signaling that it was open to finding a diplomatic solution, while still insisting that the issue of any Austrian reprisals against Serbia was strictly an internal Austrian matter and should not be subject to arbitration by third parties. Between 1905 and 1913, Russia had suffered a succession of military and diplomatic humiliations. Beginning with its defeat by Japan in the Russo-Japanese war of 1905, Russia had been forced to stand aside during the Bosnian annexation crisis and it had been unable to come to the aid of Serbia in either of the Balkan wars of 1912 or 1913. In response, Russia had begun a program to dramatically expand and modernize its military. As the July crisis unfolded Russia was determined to exercise its prerogatives as a "great power" and restore the diplomatic and military prestige that had been tarnished in the preceding decade. There was a second factor that also shaped the Russian response. Beginning in 1912, miners at the Lena Gold Mines had gone on strike to protest the provisioning of substandard meat in the company's commissaries. That meat had been described as either rotten or consisting largely of offal from a local renderer. The miners claimed it was horse penises. Either way, it was hardly appetizing. The strike sparked a rising tide of labor unrest that gripped Russia for the following two years. On July 20, during the middle of the July crisis, in an impassioned speech from a balcony at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Nicholas II rallied his Russian subject with appeals to their patriotism and pan-Slavic aspirations. The resulting tide of patriotic fervor united Russia, as it had not been since 1905, and put an end to most of the labor unrest. As the July crisis unfolded, Nicholas II was determined to avoid a war with Germany and Austria-Hungary, but he was equally adamant that Russia's desire to retain the prerogatives of a great power, and the need to maintain domestic political stability, would not allow him to back down. In brief, as the Serbian crisis progressed in the weeks between the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand and the commencement of general hostilities on August 3, the positions of the four principal antagonists had quickly gelled into inflexibility. Austria was determined to destroy Serbia, seeing it as an existential threat to the survival of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Indeed, that decision had been made before the assassination of the Archduke. Domestic political considerations would not allow Serbia the flexibility of being conciliatory. Its intransigence only served to aggravate the crisis further. Bristling from a long series of political and military humiliations, Russia was determined to exercise its prerogatives as a great power. German policy was inconsistent and at times incoherent. On the one hand, Germany was pushing Austria to invade Serbia, while at the same time trying to neutralize Russia to prevent the outbreak of a wider conflict. On the other hand, elements in the German government and military were in favor of a broader war, convinced that Germany would win it and that the odds with respect to Russia would be less favorable in the future. Diplomatically Germany seemed to signal that it was open to a diplomatic solution while at the same time insisting that as an internal Austrian matter, outside arbitration by the "Four Powers" was not appropriate. By the time, Sir Edward Grey, the British Foreign Secretary, attempted to organize the other European powers to craft a diplomatic solution, the situation was already hurtling toward the abyss of war. Alea iacta est: The Eastern Front On July 25, two days after receiving an ultimatum from Austria, the Serbian government ordered a full mobilization of the Serbian army. On July 28, barely a month after the assassination of the Archduke and his wife, the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia and ordered a partial mobilization of its army. The guns of August had started to rumble. It could have ended therea short nasty war that pitted a small Balkan nation against a European superpower. The sort of war that had gripped the Balkans for centuries, a few bloody battles, then a long drawn out peace conference at some stylish European capital. Perhaps a redrawing of a national boundary or two to satisfy wounded pride and Europe would have returned to enjoying an idyllic summer. Indeed, barring any further intervention by another great power, it was hard to see how any other outcome was possible. Austria-Hungary had the third largest army in Europe and twelve times the population of Serbia. Along its frontier with Serbia it already had a three to two advantage in manpower, and it had many more troops it could call up if needed. The week that followed Austria's declaration of war against Serbia prompted a blizzard of diplomatic activity. Diplomatic cables crisscrossed the continent as foreign offices tried to head off the impending catastrophe. A few days earlier Sir Edward Grey, the British Foreign Minister, speaking on behalf of his majesty's government, implored Germany, France and Italy to act in concert with Great Britain, "four nations who had no direct interest in Serbia," for the sake of peace. On July 29, one day after the Austrian declaration, Britain once again made an urgent plea to Germany to intervene with Austria to maintain the peace. Russia, styling itself the protector of the Slavic peoples, of which the Serbs were part, demanded immediate military support for Serbia. On July 29, in St. Petersburg, Tsar Nicholas II, urged on by his generals to show his resolve, ordered the full mobilization of the Russian army in all six of the military districts in western Russia. Then, hesitating, he withdrew his order and opted instead for a "partial" mobilization. In practice this meant a full mobilization in the three military districts that bordered the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Balkans. In a desperate plea to the German Kaiser, his cousin, he wrote, "I shall be overwhelmed by the pressure, do what you can, your loving Nicky." The Kaiser, at the request of his government and his generals, had cut short his summer Baltic cruise and returned to Berlin. Responding to Nicholas, he replied, "I am exerting my utmost influence. Your devoted friend and cousin, Willy." Appealing to their family ties, he urged Nicholas to halt the partial mobilization of the Russian Army. Truthfully, no one in the Russian General Staff had ever contemplated reversing a mobilization in midstream. Even if they had wanted too, they didn't know how to stop, much less reverse the process without leaving the Russian army in a state of complete disarray. Faced with mounting German pressure to stand down, on July 30, Nicholas ordered a full mobilization of the Russian army. The same day, Germany issued an ultimatum to Russia to halt its mobilization within twelve hours or face war with Germany. The next day, August 1, citing the ongoing Russian mobilization, Germany declared war on Russia. All along the one-thousand-mile border shared by Russia with Germany and Austria, from the Baltic to the Balkans, the machinery of war slowly and inexorably groaned forward. On the Eastern Front, the die had now been cast. Joseph V. Micallef is a military historian, bestselling author, keynote speaker, syndicated columnist and commentator on international politics and the future. No private school will be allowed to increase fees during the coronavirus lockdown and only the tuition fee can be charged till the time schools reopen, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced on Friday. "We have got several complaints about schools hiking fees and also levying charges like transport fee, which is not even being utilised during the lockdown. No private school will be allowed to hike fees without seeking permission from the government. Schools also cannot charge beyond the tuition fee," Sisodia said at a press conference. Sisodia, who is also the minister of Delhi, clarified that charges such as transport fee, annual fee or any other miscellaneous head cannot be levied during the lockdown, which will continue till May 3. "No school can charge three months' tuition fee (at a time), the fee has to be collected monthly. Schools are mandated to pay salaries to their staff including the contractual ones. If they are short of funds, they can reach out to their parent organisation for funds. "No student's access to online classes should be restricted, irrespective of fee payment," Sisodia said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) File Photo: Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia. REUTERS/Czar Dancel MANILA, April 17 (Reuters) - Philippine Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said on Friday that he had resigned, citing personal reasons and "differences" with some cabinet officials. His resignation comes as the Philippines economy, usually among Asia's fastest-growing nations, is expected to slow sharply or contract this year due to economic and health impact of coronavirus pandemic. There was no immediate comment from the president's office. (Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Toby Chopra) The following is a list of those booked at the Iredell County Detention Center on felony and driving while impaired charges from April 9-15. Listed information, including addresses, has been gathered from reports publicly available at local law enforcement agencies. All individuals listed are innocent until found guilty in a court of law. As the world is coping with the outbreak of COVID-19, We must not forget those without a voice. Let's make sure stray & abandoned animals are treated with care and compassion. Help @amtmindia via https://t.co/IoZC3Y1mcI Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) April 17, 2020 Shah Rukh Khan is one Bollywood star whos always been at the forefront when it comes to helping people of our country. With the coronavirus pandemic taking over the world, King Khan decide to give up his four storey office building to be served as a quarantine centre and utilised by the BMC and Mumbai police. The actor also contributed to Narendra Modis PM CARES fund along with six other Non profit organisations. aAAToday, Shah Rukh Khan took to social media and shared a message to raise awareness about yet another important issue amid the coronavirus pandemic. Taking to Twitter, he wrote "As the world is coping with the outbreak of COVID-19, We must not forget those without a voice. Let's make sure stray & abandoned animals are treated with care and compassion. Take a look at the tweet below.With everyone locked up in their own homes, we must realise that the stray animals are left without anyone to look after them. Were sure that King Khans this gesture will get people to chip in for this cause.Shah Rukh Khan has also agreed to a take part in WHO's global fundraising concert which also features the likes of Billie Eilish, Jennifer Lopez, Priyanka Chopra, Elton John amongst others. India's fuel consumption slumped by a record 50 percent in April as all petroleum products except LPG saw massive demand erosion following a nationwide lockdown halted economic activity and travel New Delhi: India's fuel consumption slumped by a record 50 percent in April as all petroleum products except LPG saw massive demand erosion following a nationwide lockdown halted economic activity and travel. According to provisional industry data for fuel consumption in the first half of April, petrol sales were down 64 percent, while diesel slumped by 61 percent. Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) consumption collapsed by 94 percent as most airlines have stopped flying. The only fuel that showed growth was LPG as the government dole of free cooking gas cylinders to poor households fired up consumption by 21 percent during 1 to 15 April, the data showed. Overall the decline in petroleum product sales was 50 percent, it said. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak The data pertains to sales made by three public sector (PSU) oil marketing companies. Private firms such as Nayara Energy do not share mid-month sales trend and their numbers get reflected only in the monthly consumption numbers released by the oil ministry in the second week of every month. Industry officials said this is the biggest ever drop in sales and the first data for the complete lockdown period. March sales numbers were released last week but this included consumption in the pre-lockdown period as well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a 21-day lockdown beginning March 25, shutting offices and factories, barring those involved in essential services. Also, flights were suspended, trains stopped plying, vehicles went off the road and cargo movement stopped as most people were asked to stay home to help check the spread of coronavirus. The lockdown was earlier this week extended till 3 May. India had consumed 2.4 million tonnes of petrol and 7.3 million tonnes of diesel in April 2019. As much as 6,45,000 tonnes of ATF was used in that month last year. In March 2020, the country's petroleum product consumption fell 17.79 percent to 16.08 million tonnes. Diesel, the most consumed fuel in the country, saw demand contract by 24.23 percent to 5.65 million tonnes. This is the biggest fall in diesel consumption the country has recorded as most trucks went off-road and railways stopped plying trains. Petrol sales dropped 16.37 percent to 2.15 million tonnes, while ATF consumption fell 32.4 percent to 4,84,000 tonnes. However, LPG sales rose 1.9 percent to 2.3 million tonnes in March. Officials said petrol and diesel consumption is likely to pick up in the second half of the month as the government has allowed trucks to ply as well as farmers and industries in rural areas to resume operations after 20 April. Besides inter and intra-state movement of goods traffic by road as well as rail, vehicles used by e-commerce operators will also be on-road from 20 April. Also, farming operations, as well as industries outside municipal limits, have also been allowed to operate from April 20. Besides, road construction and resumption of work on projects in industrial clusters have been allowed. All these will involve fuel consumption, they said. As part of a plan to exit the world's biggest lockdown and revive stalled economic activity, the government on Wednesday allowed makers of information technology hardware, farmers and industries in rural areas to resume operations after 20 April. From 20 April, the government will lift restrictions on e-commerce companies, goods movement by roads and restart port and air cargo operations. Factories beyond municipal limits, including those in the food processing industry, mining, packaging material, oil and gas exploration, and refineries will be allowed to operate. Road construction, irrigation projects, construction work and projects in industrial areas such as SEZ and EoUs will be allowed to function. ROADRUNNERS YOU SHOULD KNOW APRIL 17, 2020 From the time she was singing Selena tunes into a hairbrush as a child, Stephanie Bergara imagined herself pursuing a career in music. What she couldnt have imagined, however, was the path she would take in the industry and the amazing bond she would forge with Selenas biggest fans. Bergara may have been born and raised in Longhorn Country, but the Austinite is a Roadrunner for life. She had musical aspirations from a young age, and chose UTSA for its prime location, she says, in the Tejano capital of the world. From 2004 to 2006 she split her studies at UTSA between music theory and political science because she wanted to learn more about how governments operate. After studying at UTSA, Bergara returned to her hometown of Austin and worked in artist relations and stage management. From 2008 to 2012 she was an agent assistant for High Road Touring, a manager for the kid-friendly stages at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits while at C3, an event manager for Giant Noise, and a talent coordinator for the Pachanga Latino Music Festival. She sought change, though, and found it as the music tourism and audience development program coordinator for the City of Austin in 2012. Honestly, my grandparents and parents didnt think I had a real job until I went to work for the city, Bergara says with a big laugh. They were all telling me to stay there and never quit. Bergara continues to manage finances for city programs that benefit Austins music community, and its a job she loves. What I do now for the City [of Austin] is the perfect marriage of what I studied, she says. Her offices programming has made great strides in providing better compensation for the citys 10,000-plus musicians. We cant write a paycheck to all of them, she says, but we can provide a curriculum that helps them continue their music careers in a way that will make them money for as long as they want. Bergara has successfully executed those game plans as the front woman of her own band, Bidi Bidi Banda, one of the nations most popular Selena tribute acts. Bergaras connections have also aided Bidi Bidi Banda, which has evolved from a ragtag group playing five Selena songs at a festival kickoff party to a masterly tuned celebration of Selena that has opened for Taylor Swift at the Formula 1 fan festival. The group has also performed on the campaign trail with Beto ORourke, sold out venues like Austins Empire Control Room and San Antonios The Rustic, and has even built solid followings outside of Texas in cities such as Phoenix and New Orleans. Last fall, Bidi Bidi Banda wrapped up a Texas tour with electronic pop acts Neon Indian and Empress Of. Read about Bergara and other alumni musicians in Meet the Runners in Sombrilla Magazine. Explore Begaras work with Bidi Bidi Banda. Bergara would be the first to admit that she doesnt look like Selena or sing quite like her either, but she does try to capture her iconic energy and essence every time she takes the stage. Her personality was as big and enchanting as her music was, she says. More than anything she loves connecting with Selenas fans. They often tell her stories about seeing Selenas final concert at the Astrodome in 1995 or spotting her at Whataburger before she became a superstar. The band is giving me so much life, so much fulfillment, Bergara says. Industrivardens 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 Industrivardens 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 Industrivardens 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. Story continues Industrivarden is monitoring developments, and updated information on the Annual General Meeting will be published on a regular basis on Industrivardens 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 [April 17, 2020] Greg Horn Joins PartsTrader as Chief Innovation Officer PartsTrader, the industry-leading online collision parts marketplace, welcomes Greg Horn as the company's new Chief Innovation Officer. Greg brings over 25 years of industry experience to the PartsTrader team, previously serving in a number of Insurance Executive capacities, including most recently as the Assistant Vice President of Auto and Property Claims Strategy at The Hartford. In his new role as CIO at PartsTrader, Greg will help shape PartsTrader's vision on products and services, lead efforts on big data strategy and serve as the industry relations lead for the organization. "Greg is one of the most highly respected individuals in our Industry today. With his vast knowledge of the Insurance landscape, his credibility as a trusted advisor with leaders in our space and unparalleled expertise in achieving optimal value to clients, this is the right time and place to leverage Greg's thought leadership and help guide PartsTrader's future. We are thrilled to have Greg join our leadership team and play an instrumental role in our continued success," said Steve Messenger, PartsTrader CEO You may recall Greg's name from Mitchell International, where he served as Vice President of Industry Relations and Data Analytics for nearly a decade. His background includes leadership positions at GMAC Insurance, National Grange Mutual and Leader/Transport Insurance Companies. Over the course of his distinguished career, Greg has served on the I-CAR Education Foundation, the General Motors (News - Alert) Safety Council and GM Fixed Operations Advisory Committee. Most recently, Greg has contributed two years as trustee for the Collision Industry Foundation. "When you think about innovation in the collision repair industry, you often think about the individual segments of business, but in a time where the world is highly networked, this industry needs to evolve," says Horn. "PartsTrader's innovative online marketplace and ecosystem is bridging the gap between repairers, suppliers, and carriers and I look forward to being part of this talented team, bringing innovative solutions to every corner of the industry." About PartsTrader As the world's leading collision parts marketplace, PartsTrader brings together repair shops, parts suppliers and insurance carriers into one efficient, intuitive platform. We allow repair shops to make more accurate decisions regarding part-type, price, and availability in order to best serve their customers. Suppliers can better serve their existing customers while rapidly expanding their market presence to reach thousands of new markets. Insurance carriers gain highly-valued visibility into the parts procurement process, allowing them to increase accuracy and efficiency on every claim. Let our team show you the difference that PartsTrader can make. PartsTrader LLC, based in Chicago, is privately held. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005024/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Islamic State-linked militants killed 11 Philippine soldiers and wounded 14 others Friday in the group's deadliest attack in over a year, the military said. The extremists belong to Abu Sayyaf -- a group based in the southern Philippines that has engaged in bombings as well as kidnappings of Western tourists and missionaries for ransom since the early 1990s. They also have ties to Islamic State militants seeking to set up a caliphate in Southeast Asia. The attack occurred on a remote island in the country's south. Regional military commander Lieutenant-General Cirilito Sobejana told reporters Abu Sayyaf carried out the attack, adding the soldiers were ambushed and had been pursuing security operations against the militants in Sulu province. Most of the Philippines is under quarantine to stem the spread of coronavirus that has infected nearly 6,000 people and killed more than 380 nationwide. Friday's attack is the deadliest involving Abu Sayyaf militants since two suicide bombers blew themselves up at the Catholic cathedral in Sulu province in January last year, killing 21 people. The military have since mounted operations to free hostages held by Abu Sayyaf, including crew members of foreign cargo vessels abducted in Sulu waters. An Abu Sayyaf faction took part in the May 2017 seizure by IS-linked gunmen of the southern Philippine city of Marawi. Philippine troops recaptured the bombed out city after a five-month campaign that claimed more than a thousand lives. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion curated for you. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. How the Covid-19 crisis may be delaying 5 key cases in Supreme Court The Covid-19 lockdown has affected the functioning of courts across the country. Most courts are only taking up extremely urgent cases (which directly and immediately impact liberty and livelihood of people) and these are heard through video conference. Read more. India spends $1.7 million from Saarc Covid-19 Fund, Imran Khan is again AWOL India, which had pledged $10 million to help other South Asian countries tackle the Covid-19 pandemic last month, has already delivered medicines and other relief material worth $1.7 million, people familiar with the development told Hindustan Times. Read more. Community transmission threat looms, no crowding in markets: Bengal CM Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, apprehending community transmission in the state, on Friday urged people to avoid crowding the markets and hinted at stricter implementation of lockdown rules to combat coronavirus. Read more. To drop red zone tag, Bhubaneswar begins collecting 5000 samples for Covid-19 tests Keen to get Bhubaneswar out of the Red Zone by April 20, the Odisha government on Friday announced that 5000 samples would be collected from the Covid-19 hotspots of Bhubaneswar beginning today.Bhubaneswar has accounted for 46 of the 60 positive cases in Odisha resulting in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare tagging Khurda district among the 170 Covid-19 hotspot districts. Read more. Private schools should rethink on hiking fees, demanding quarterly payements: HRD minister Faced with requests from troubled parents from across the country, HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on Friday appealed to private schools to not hike fees or demand quarterly payments as the world was going though a crisis. Read more. Tic tac toe challenge has taken over TikTok and the fluffy, feathery participants are killing it. Watch The #tictactoe challenge has gained quite the popularity on the video-sharing app. The videos work this way. A checkerboard is drawn on a sheet of paper and the boxes are filled with treats. And then the participants are introduced - they are none other than pets. Read more. The new social distancing look is not just an outfit anymore. It is a strong message to fashion The idea of social distancing has raised as many trends as the questions around it. This new buzzword has its shadow cast upon everything under the sun. The struggles are surely different depending upon where we are, what we think, what we have and what we are going to do with it. Read more. How Apple and Googles joint technology to combat Covid-19 is going to work We have reported about Apple and Google joining hands to create an operating system-level technology that will help speed up contact tracing. In case you have been terribly out of sync, you can read the report here.Contact tracing is a recommended procedure to slow the spread of Covid-19 with more than two million people infected worldwide. Read more. Covid-19 | Pool testing: Method, effectiveness, ICMR guidelines explained With testing for Covid-19 going up in India, pool testing can turn out to be an effective way. In pool testing, throat swabs from two to five people are mixed together and tested in a single unit. All individual samples in a negative pool are regarded as negative while if a pooled sample tests positive, each person in the pool is tested individually to find out who is affected. Pool testing increases the testing capacities of labs and saves time, reduces cost and lowers manpower.Watch here. As the coronavirus ravages nursing homes across New Jersey, the virus has overrun a home in Wayne, leaving 25 dead and another 105 residents with symptoms nearly 90% of all people housed at the North Jersey facility. Of those showing symptoms at Atrium Post Acute Care of Wayne, 80 have tested positive so far, according to Hope Horwitz, a spokeswoman for Atrium Health & Senior Living, also in Wayne. We are working hard to contain the spread of COVID-19 and have many plans to keep the virus at bay, Horwitz said in an email Thursday. Horwitz also confirmed that 47 staff members are symptomatic and 17 of them have tested positive for COVID-19. Experts predicted that the coronavirus would be especially deadly if it infiltrated nursing homes, and that prediction has held true in New Jersey, New York and other states hit hard by the virus. State and federal authorities have advised facilities to block visitors and to require universal masking and screen employees for symptoms to prevent them unwittingly spreading the virus among residents. But that has not stopped the virus from taking hold at 394 long-term care facilities. Some are dealing with staff shortages as workers get sick or are afraid to come to work. Several workers told NJ Advance Media they dont have the proper protective gear. State officials said Friday that over 9,000 cases have been reported at the facilities across the state, or more than 15% of the states 60,000 nursing home residents. The Department of Health reported 1,530 deaths at long-term care facilities as of Friday. Other Atrium facilities in the state have not escaped the virus either, reporting double-digit deaths at post acute care facilities in Park Ridge and Princeton, in addition to Wayne. But Horwitz said that all its facilities have taken numerous steps to stop the spread, including stopping all communal activities, switching to disposable utensils and napkins and requiring staff and residents to practice social distancing. To continue providing top-notch care, we are taking the temperature of all staff every four hours (twice a shift), Horwitz said. We are working closely with the Department of Health and will continue to grow our precautions as needed and as recommended. A banner honoring staff at Atrium Post Acute Care of Livingston Thursday, Apr. 16, 2020.Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media A few miles away at Atrium Post Acute Care of Wayneview, there have been 26 positive residents, eight of whom died, Horwitz said. Atrium Post Acute Care of Princeton, which first reported a coronavirus outbreak in the end of March, has seen 82 of its 103 residents develop coronavirus symptoms. Horwitz said 41 of them tested positive and 13 have died. Of the staff at the facility, 35 were symptomatic and were ordered to quarantine, with 11 of them testing positive for the virus. At Atrium Post Acute Care of Park Ridge, a total of 33 deaths were reported but only 19 have been due to COVID-19, Horwitz said. Eighty of the facilitys 101 residents are symptomatic, including 12 who tested positive and 11 who have been hospitalized. The Atrium Senior Living facility in Park Ridge, an assisted living facility, has had 17 positive cases, including four who died, four who are hospitalized and nine who were transferred to Atrium facilities in Woodbury and Livingston to be treated. There are no active cases as of Friday, Horwitz said. The nursing home chain has started to accept positive patients into two of its facilities in Woodbury and Livingston, as part of a Department of Health plan to move infected residents to facilities that have the space, staff and protective equipment to care for them in isolated units away from healthy residents. The Woodbury and Livingston homes each have special COVID-19 units with staff that work there exclusively. Those associates do not mingle to the other floors, owner Alex Markowits told NJ Advance Media. From nurses all the way down to housekeepers. Thats been the policy from day one." The 62-bed COVID-19 wing in the Woodbury facility has 52 patients some of whom were transferred from Park Ridge and Horwitz said many are improving. Forty-eight residents who already lived at the home have tested positive, and another four are symptomatic, she said. Three have died, Horwitz said. One staff member has tested positive and another one is symptomatic, she said. In Livingston, Horwitz said, the floor designated for positive patients is about half full with 32 residents. Of the residents who already lived in the facility, she said 25 tested positive for the virus and six have died. Of the staff in Livingston, eight tested positive another 13 are symptomatic and quarantined. Texts: Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Another 20 migrants are believed to have reached the UK after crossing the Channel on Friday. It comes after it was revealed a staggering 802 migrants have already reached the UK this year - four times the number for the same period last year, despite Home Secretary Priti Patel's promise of a clampdown on crossings. They were brought into Dover, Kent, around 7am and it is thought they may have all been crammed on one small boat despite the coronavirus crisis. A Border Force officer fits a mask to a man thought to be a migrant after being brought into Dover, Kent Around 20 migrants are believed to have reached the UK after crossing the Channel on Friday. Some of the migrants are brought to shore Border Force officers were seen fitting face masks to the migrants. Last week MailOnline confirmed that none of the migrants stopped since the outbreak of coronavirus have been tested. Instead, the Home Office said it will observe asylum seekers for symptoms of the virus and isolate those were necessary. Any person showing symptoms will be isolated, including those in detention centres, where special isolation areas have been set up, the Home Office say. A spokesperson said the policy is in line with guidance from Public Health England (PHE). It has sparked Dover MP, Natalie Elphicke, to call for those attempting to enter the country illegally to be sent back to France or be put in an immediate 14 day quarantine. Border Force officers process men thought to be migrants after they were brought into Dover, Kent She said: 'France's lockdown means people need permission just to walk the dog. So how come hundreds of migrants can still pile into small boats and illegally motor into Britain? 'We know that the coronavirus has infected the French camps. 'The French have been paid tens of millions of pounds to stop these dangerous journeys being made - it's vital the Home Office make the French honour their obligations in order to stop the further spread of the virus into Britain. 'I have long said that anyone seeking to break into Britain should be immediately returned to France.' How are migrants dealt with when they arrive in the UK? The Home Office say that when migrants are stopped in the Channel and brought into the UK they are first assessed to see if they have any medical need. Those who arrive in Dover are taken to a special intake unit near the Kent town, where officers make immigration checks on those claiming asylum. To be eligible for asylum, the person must have left their country and be unable to go back because of fear of persecution. Those who are likely to be eligible are moved into asylum accommodation, while those who are not, or are deemed a security risk, are moved to a detention centre, where immigration officers explore grounds for removing them from the UK. Advertisement She added: 'Given the public health risk, anyone arriving who is not returned must be immediately quarantined for 14 days to protect public health - and safeguard the Port of Dover's vital role in supplying the nation with food and medicines.' Tony Eastaugh, Home Office director for crime and enforcement, said: 'These crossings are facilitated by criminals. We are doing everything in our power to bring them to justice and stop this illegal activity. 'We are working around the clock with the NCA and French law enforcement agencies to arrest and dismantle organised crime gangs. Since January 2019, 110 people smugglers have been convicted and imprisoned and over 155 people who arrived on small boats have been returned. 'And that's not all, there are now extra patrols on French beaches, drones, specialist vehicles and detection equipment to stop small boats leaving European shores.' The new arrivals join at least 336 who crossed the channel in April alone. This year's figure is approaching half of the 1,850-odd who made it to Britain throughout the whole of 2019. Meanwhile charity workers in Calais revealed nine migrants at camps across the French city have come down with symptoms of coronavirus, as it is feared the bug is starting to 'rampage' through the settlements. Two migrants in Calais and one in Dunkirk tested positive for Covid-19 over four squalid camps at the start of the month. Around 1,500 are currently living in cramped conditions with barely any running water to wash. Two migrants in Calais and one in Dunkirk tested positive for Covid-19 over four squalid camps at the start of the month. (Migrants are brought ashore on Friday in Dover, Kent) Temperatures at the Kent port on Friday morning were a chilly 8C with winds picking up to 21mph. A moderate breeze at sea meant it would have been very cold for the migrants making the life-risking trip across the Dover Strait shipping lane through the night. Dover's Conservative MP, Natalie Elphicke, is one of those to raise concern about the spread of coronavirus among migrant camps in France The Border Force cutter HMC Vigilant has been active in the English Channel this morning, the PA news agency understands. Pictures taken in Dover show the suspected migrants being processed by UK personnel wearing fluorescent jackets. The latest incidents come as the growing Covid-19 threat, a lack of food and the mass exodus of volunteers has left migrants in northern France in a perilous position, according to a humanitarian charity. Nearly 400 migrants are known to have risked their lives in small boats to try to cross the English Channel since lockdown measures were put in place in the UK on March 23. Following crossing attempts on Sunday, the Home Office reiterated that the pandemic has had 'no impact' on its ability to respond to migrant activity. It said: 'Border Force and Immigration Enforcement will always have the resources needed to tackle these illegal and dangerous crossings.' The Coronavirus Chronicle podcast features daily insights from Houston Chronicle journalists and local experts about the pandemics impact on Texas health, business, politics, education, religion, lifestyle, culture and more. Listen to the latest episode and check out the entire playlist below. Host and producer Ferrill Gibbs is veteran podcaster, songwriter and author. Longtime Houston Chronicle columnist Lisa Gray is also a regular contributor, leading Q&As with local experts one day a week. A different Chadwick Boseman a.k.a "King T'Challa" surprised his 7.3 million Instagram followers with a shocking transformation. In his recent post, it showed the 42-year-old actor in a notably skinnier physique as compared to his Marvel Cinematic Universe days -- when he was sporting a muscular shape in his role as an Avenger. Right after Boseman filmed his titular role in "Black Panther," he spent constant training in martial arts for over a year, with MCU deciding to shoot "Infinity War" and "Endgame" back-to-back. With that said, he was able to gain an admirable body. However, such body is gone. Wakanda Not Forever Donning a cap and a sweatshirt, Boseman took to Instagram to promote the Jackie Robinson-inspired Operation 42 to help communities suffering from COVID-19. He used his platform to spread awareness about the ongoing health crisis that is also affecting African-American communities. "I am hearing stories of desperation from people all over the country, and we know our communities are suffering the most and urgently need help. Celebrating #JackieRobinsonDay with the launch of Thomas Tull's #Operation42, a donation of 4.2 million dollars in personal protective equipment (PPE) to hospitals that service the African American communities who have been hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic," he wrote in the caption of the video.. However, instead of acknowledging his heartfelt post, fans were left concerned his dramatic weight loss. One user wrote: "T'Challa, you need to eat more Jollof oh," while another one commented: "Praying for your healing. It looks like cancer." A third user the clarified the position of fans and responded: "I think people are asking out of concern not to be negative." Actors Undergoing Film Transformations Some fans, on the other hand, speculated that the transformation was for a movie. Several Hollywood stars were forced to undergo an extreme change in their appearance to fit for a certain role. This includes Christian Bale, who lost 63 pounds to play the role of an insomniac machine worker Trevor Reznik in the 2004 movie "The Machinist." Oscar-winner Tom Hanks had to grow a beard and lose a lot of weight for his "Cast Away" film. Actress Natalie Portman was forced to look excessively thin for her role as a ballet dancer in "Black Swan." As for Boseman, the "Get on Up" actor lost a lot of weight for Spike Lee's latest project "Da 5 Bloods." The upcoming epic war drama film follows four Vietnam War veterans returning to the jungle in an attempt to find the remains of their fallen squad leader and a buried treasure. 2020 must be a jam-packed year for the South Carolina-born actor, as he is also set to star in another movie adaptation of the play "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" for Netflix. Based on the award-winning play by August Wilson, the drama film will be directed by George Wolfe and will star Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis. Produced by Denzel Washington, the movie depicts the tension between "Queen of the Blues" Ma Rainey, her bandmates, producer, and agent, while recording an album in 1927. A member of a group sourcing personal protective equipment for some NHS trusts has attempted to contact fashion brands for support amid shortages during the coronavirus outbreak. The man, said to be from a network of organisations looking to help with the supply, reportedly asked a BBC reporter for the factory phone number of Burberry, which has turned over its production to make Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers. The man, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke of a trust having "less than 24 hours supply" and that he was concerned about stock "[with the] weekend coming up". As reported on BBC Radio 4, the man described Health Secretary Matt Hancocks denial of a PPE shortage across the UK as a fantasy. At the end of March, Burberry said it would repurpose its trenchcoat factory in Castleford, West Yorkshire, to produce non-surgical gowns and masks for hospital patients. Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for health workers / Press Association Images The crisis over shortages of vital protective clothing for doctors and nurses was recently laid bare with the leak of plans to start re-using disposable equipment. A leaked document seen by the BBC revealed that some hospitals have begun laundering single-use gowns to preserve dwindling stocks. Gowns and masks that are designed to be thrown away would be cleaned and reissued under last resort plans being drawn up by Public Health England. Last week, Mr Hancock announced his plan to tackle the PPE shortage. Matt Hancock: Only use the PPE you need He said there is enough PPE to go around if it is used in line with official guidance , and his goal is that "everyone" working in a critical role gets what they need. However, he acknowledged distributing masks, gloves, aprons and hand sanitiser to frontline workers is requiring a "Herculean logistical effort". Mr Hancock will face questions from MPs today over the Governments coronavirus response, a day after lockdown measures were extended for at least another three weeks. The Health Secretary is expected to be quizzed on PPE and an exit strategy as he appears before a virtual session of the Commons Health Committee. Burberry is just one manufacturer ordered to make equipment crucial to fighting Covid-19. Derbyshire-based firm David Nieper has begun its production of NHS scrubs / PA Louis Vuitton, Derbyshire-based David Nieper and Philip Treacy have also offered their services to make PPE for hospitals. Asked why her company had decided to start making the garments, Dame Margaret Barbour told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Ive always had a very good relationship with the Royal Infirmary in Newcastle and they were one of the first hospitals to treat coronavirus patients. I contacted them and they were delighted when I offered to see how we could help because I have a lot of machinists. They did ask me if I could make gowns this was the middle of last week and by Friday I had nearly 300 gowns for them. Ms Barbour said she hoped her company could provide around 23,000 gowns over a three-week period. TDs are still collectively entitled to about 250,000 a month in travel and accommodation expenses from the taxpayer - despite limits on the numbers attending the Dail. The sums involved come to an average of more than 1,900 a month for eligible TDs, although they get greater or lesser amounts depending on how far they live from Leinster House. The clock-in system has been suspended for the duration of the crisis, meaning there is no way of knowing whether a TD has travelled to Leinster House. The continued payment of the Travel and Accommodation Allowance (TAA) despite the coronavirus lockdown has prompted calls for it to be cut back during the crisis. The Dail has met only six times since the election and in reduced numbers for most of those sittings due to social distancing rules. The TAA has annual rates based on the distance between a TD's home and the Dail and is paid in monthly instalments. It is designed to cover costs of travel to and from Leinster House, overnight stays and other travel expenses, including in constituencies. An analysis of the payments made to TDs in February suggests eligible TDs are entitled to more than 250,000 between them for a full month. Cork-based Solidarity TD Mick Barry - entitled to 2,614 a month under the scheme -said: "Although some TDs pay round-the-year rent on accommodation, I think the case for cutting travel and accommodation expenses during the lockdown is unanswerable." Dublin-based Rise TD Paul Murphy is entitled to 750 a month. He said: "There's a serious case to either suspend the payment altogether while the crisis is going on and the Dail is barely sitting, or to cut it back substantially." Both Mr Barry and Mr Murphy said they had paid back any unused TAA funds to the Exchequer in previous years and expected the sums they pay back this year to be greater. The Ceann Comhairle and ministers, including the Taoiseach, are not entitled to make claims under the TAA. TDs are usually required to clock into the Dail on at least 120 days in a year to get the full allowance. For every day short of this, they must pay back 1pc. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the suspension of the clock-in system but as the annual TAA is in legislation, it will continue to be paid each month to TDs. The next House of the Oireachtas Commission, made up of TDs and civil servants, is expected to examine the issue when the Dail is fully functional. The number of days needed to clock in are likely to be reduced to ensure TDs can claim a full annual allowance. But the commission may also examine whether other mechanisms can be used to reflect how monthly payments were paid to TDs during the lockdown. This could involve a percentage of the allowance being deducted from the overall rate later in the year. An Oireachtas spokesperson said: "This is an annual allowance which we pay monthly and members then certify at the end of the year [the] amounts they receive." Politics has found a backburner as we make our way through the pandemic in Nebraska. Yet, this is also the perfect time to consider the individuals we send to the Legislature, those who will help make decisions that influence so many aspects of our lives. I've known Helen Raikes, the independent candidate for Legislative District 23, for nearly 40 years and encourage voters to learn more about her life experience and commitment that make her an extraordinary candidate. Helen grew up on an Iowa farm and lives in rural Ashland, where her late husband, Ron, also a state senator, managed the multigenerational family farm. Her life's work has been devoted to the health, education and well-being of children and families across the country. She's a retiring professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies, a nationally known researcher in her field and a board member of several community foundations. Advisor to the President of Ukraine on Economics Oleh Ustenko took part in an online meeting with leading businessmen belonging to the CEO Club Ukraine, during which issues related to the development of the Ukrainian economy during the quarantine and the global economic crisis, as well as measures to minimize its negative impact for Ukraine were addressed. "The presidential advisor answered questions of Ukrainian business, shared his forecasts and scenarios for the development of the economic situation in the country, noting that Ukraine has a good basis for rapid stabilization and growth after the coronavirus epidemic," the presidential office's press service said on Thursday. Ustenko separately dwelt on the issue of adapting the economic strategy of Ukraine to the new operating conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, assuring the business community that the economic system of the state is now under full control. "Within the framework of the presidential anti-crisis policy, the government and parliament have already adopted two packages of anti-crisis measures, and now the third is being developed, which will include measures to protect businesses from the effects of the epidemic and the global crisis," the report says. Ustenko noted the need for everyone to remain, above all, humane during the crisis and not fall into despair. "We are living in such a difficult time, but we must always remember that there is someone for whom it is much more difficult now. If you helped the weak, please continue to do so. Our financial opportunities during the crisis are reduced. However, it's important to withdraw from this crisis cleaner and better, more humane and socially responsible," he stressed. The new governor of the Bank of England has said the UK's banks need to 'get on with it' and be faster in approving emergency rescue loans to businesses struggling to survive during the coronavirus crisis. 'Notwithstanding the stress that we're all operating under in terms of the current working environment, they have got to put their backs into it and get on with it, frankly,' Bailey told reporters during a virtual press conference. Bailey's call adds to concerns voiced by Ministers and industry bodies that the new business interruption loans introduced by the Government to help firms survive the crisis are not being approved quickly enough. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said banks need to be faster in approving emergency rescue loans to businesses struggling to survive during the coronavirus crisis Under the coronavirus loan scheme launched last month, small and medium-sized firms borrow up to 5million, where their operations or cash flow has been disrupted by the Covid-19 lockdown and they desperately need money. This week, the Treasury said the scheme would be extended also to firms which make more than 45million, which were previously denied access to the scheme. Banks and building societies have received 28,461 applications to the scheme from businesses. They approved 6,016 to date, handing out a total of 1.115billion, according to data by industry body UK Finance released on Wednesday this week. It said more requests were still being processed and were 'expected to be approved over the coming days' as they faced pressure to be faster. Total lending under the coronavirus business interruption loan scheme has grown by 700million in the past week, UK Finance said. Banks have approved 6,016 emergency loans, according to UK Finance data from Wednesday However, many companies have complained that they were being routinely turned down for the loans, which are interest-free in the first year, and offered the banks own, more expensive loans instead. Bailey said banks had to address the 'serious strain' on their ability to process a surge in demand for loans and he suggested they were sticking to risk assessment processes that were too slow. He also said that the Office for Budget's responsibility's projection of a 35 per cent decline in GDP this quarter was 'not implausible'. According to the OBR's projections, unemployment could soar to 10 per cent and the government's deficit could hit 273billion - the highest level since the Second World War - if the lockdown stays in place for three months. Earlier this month, you probably heard that a tiger named Nadia at the Bronx Zoo tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 in people. Ever since an animal tested positive for the virus in China, researchers have been investigating whether dogs and cats can get the virus and whether they can pass it on to humans if they do. Whenever I hear a story about an animal and the coronavirus, I investigate and seek the advice of those veterinarians and researchers who are staying on top of this issue. These experts agree that while humans may be able to transmit the disease to dogs and cats, our pets cannot pass the disease on to us. Oscar Chavez, chief medical officer for JustFoodforDogs.com, put it best when he said that dogs and cats appear to be dead-end hosts, which means if exposed and testing positive for the virus, they wont be passing it back to humans. During an interview with the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, Sandra Newbury, director of the shelter medicine program at the University of Wisconsin, expressed the same sentiment. There is no sign at all that animals are playing a role in the epidemiology of this disease, she said. We can always trace the transmission of this disease to human travel. In the rare few instances in which an animal has tested positive for the virus, it is believed to be the result of contact with a human who has the virus. So, while there is no reason to be concerned about catching the virus from our pets, if someone in your house has the virus, you should keep your pets away from them and make sure everyone washes their hands before touching the animals. Also, Newbury advises safe social distancing with your pets, which means if you are walking your dog, dont let your dog extend his 12-foot retractable lead to greet the neighbor dog. Protect yourself and your pet from exposure during this time. What I want you to think about, though, is what will happen to your pet should you get the virus and have to be hospitalized? Ask friends, family, a local kennel or pet sitter if they are willing to take care of your pet until you are well again. If nothing else, this pandemic has shown us how we are all connected and that we need to respect and take care of each other, the animals and the planet. Send your pet questions, tips and stories to cathy@petpundit.com. You can read the Animals Matter blog at http://blog.mysanantonio.com/animals and follow her at @cathymrosenthal. The worlds biggest trial of drugs to treat Coronavirus patients has begun in the United Kingdom at unprecedented speed, and hopes to have some answers within weeks. According to The Guardian, the Recovery trial has recruited more than 5,000 patients in 165 NHS hospitals around the UK in a month, ahead of similar trials in the US and Europe, which have a few hundred. This is by far the largest trial in the world, said Peter Horby, professor of emerging infectious diseases and global health at Oxford University, who is leading it. He has previously led Ebola drug trials in west Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Recovery team expects to be the first to have definitive data. Were guessing some time in June we may get the results, said Horby. If it is really clear that there are benefits, an answer will be available quicker. But he warned that in the case of Covid-19, there would be no magic bullet. A British national is all set to return to the United Kingdom after being discharged from a quarantine facility at Sri Padmavathi Nilayam in Andhra Pradesh. Culley Clive Bryant, who was discharged on Thursday, will depart from Hyderabad and reach Ahmedabad, where he is scheduled to board the British Airways flight at 7 pm. Bryant, a geography professor, was permitted permission to return to his country by the UK embassy. READ | Andhra Pradesh Govt Sets Up 471 New Rythu Bazars For Farmers Amid COVID-19 Lockdown Expresses gratitude He thanked the local administration in AP for providing excellent services during the lockdown period. Bryant was in Tirumala when the police sent him to the quarantine center at Tiruchanur. After spending three weeks at the quarantine facility, he tested negative for COVID-19 twice. Even after the quarantine period, the British national continued to stay in the facility for a few days due to the nationwide lockdown. The District Collector and SP sent him in a cab to Hyderabad and he was given a discharge summary by Laxmi, who is in-charge at the quarantine center. Before leaving for Hyderabad, Bryant expressed his gratitude in a letter. He said that he will soon return to AP, and worship Lord Balaji. He had visited India in October last year. READ | 5 COVID-19 Patients Die In Andhra Pradesh In Last 26 Hrs: Toll Now 14 AP to double the number of COVID-19 tests In the thick of Coronavirus, the Andhra Pradesh government is gearing up to double the number of COVID-19 tests being carried out in the state. The state is planning to conduct 4,000 COVID-19 tests every day which is double the number of the present 2,100 COVID-19 tests being conducted. According to a release by the Andhra Pradesh CMO, the decision to double the number of COVID-19 tests was announced during a meeting held by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday. CM Reddy has instructed officials to conduct rapid testing taking every Mandal as a unit in the state. He also ordered the officials to provide financial assistance to the poor returning to their homes from the quarantine facility. READ | 3-year Old To 80-year Old Among 483 COVID-19 Patients In Andhra Pradesh READ | Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy Assures Support To PM Modi's Decision On Extension Of Lockdown (With inputs from ANI) DENVER, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: RMAX), parent company of RE/MAX, one of the world's leading franchisors of real estate brokerage services, and Motto Franchising, ("Motto Mortgage"), an innovative mortgage brokerage franchisor, announced today the appointment of Stephen P. Joyce to its Board of Directors. "We are very pleased to welcome Steve to the board," said Dave Liniger, Co-Founder and Chairman of RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. "A financial expert turned general manager, Steve has responded to industry disruptors and used technology to stay nimble and relevant. With more than four decades of multi-brand and franchise experience, Steve is an invaluable addition to the board of directors." Joyce is currently the CEO of Dine Brands, the full-service dining company and franchisor of Applebee's Grill + Bar and IHOP. Previously, he was the CEO of Choice Hotels where he grew the business from five to 13 brands and expanded internationally to more than 6,700 hotels in more than 45 countries. Joyce began his career at Marriott where he spent 25 years and was credited for creating the first franchise program for the brand, growing from 40 to 2,500 franchised hotels. "Disruptive technology has been a theme throughout my career and joining the RE/MAX Board of Directors is a unique and exciting opportunity to apply the lessons and strategies I've learned," said Joyce. "I look forward to contributing to the growth of this great global real estate franchisor." Joyce is a graduate of the University of Virginia. In addition to being CEO of Dine Brands, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of Dine Brands Global since 2012. In addition to Joyce's appointment, Laura G. Kelly has been nominated for election to the RE/MAX Holdings Board of Directors. A vote will take place at the company's annual meeting of stockholders on May 27, 2020. Kelly, a proven change agent, successful mergers and acquisitions professional, and public company board member, has 30 years of executive experience in financial technology services, data solutions, and real estate valuation. Kelly is currently President, Managing Director at CoreLogic, Inc., and serves as a board member for both Jack Henry & Associates and USAA Savings Bank. About RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: RMAX) is one of the world's leading franchisors in the real estate industry, franchising real estate brokerages globally under the RE/MAX brand, and mortgage brokerages within the U.S. under the Motto Mortgage brand. RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by David and Gail Liniger, with an innovative, entrepreneurial culture affording its agents and franchisees the flexibility to operate their businesses with great independence. Now with more than 130,000 agents across over 110 countries and territories, nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX, as measured by total residential transaction sides. Dedicated to innovation and change in the real estate industry, RE/MAX launched Motto Franchising, LLC, a ground-breaking mortgage brokerage franchisor, in 2016. SOURCE RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. The Oyo State Government on Friday said it will begin airing lessons in English Language and Mathematics on the radio for primary school pupils in the state from Monday. The Executive Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Nureni Adeniran, said the step fulfils a promise by the state government to reduce the negative impact of school closure on pupils as a result of COVID-19. The state had earlier ordered the closure of all schools until after Easter. Governor Seyi Makinde, however, on Saturday announced that the schools will remain closed for another two weeks. Mr Adeniran said there would be a broadcast of the interactive radio instruction initiative tagged OyoSUBEB Learning-on-air on Oluyole 98.5 f.m, while a simulcast would be aired on Oke-Ogun 96.3 f.m and Ajilete 92.1 f.m. He said the programme, which covers Basic 1-6, is part of the strategic efforts of the Makinde administration to keep pupils busy during the ongoing sit-at-home period. The programme is designed to start with the teaching of English Language and Mathematics, while we may include other subjects subsequently. READ ALSO: The Programme would be on air from Monday, April 20, 2020 and would run every day, except on Sundays. According to the schedule made available by the Board, the lessons would air twice every-day from Monday to Saturday. Details of the programme revealed that it would be broadcast on Mondays at 10 a.m and 4.05 p.m; Tuesdays 10.00a.m. and 4.30 p.m; Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and 4.05 p.m. Other days are Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; Fridays at 10 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., while on Saturdays pupils would enjoy the interactive programme at 12 noon and 5:00 p.m. Mr Adeniran urged parents and guardians to ensure their children and wards pay attention to the educational programme and participate actively in the learning process. KEY HIGHLIGHTS Rajiv Gauba has asked secretaries of various ministries to appeal to employees for voluntary contribution to PM CARES Fund Cabinet Secretary notes the government officials have also contributed a day's salary in national emergencies in the past FinMin's Revenue Department has asked employees to contribute a day's salary per month until March 2021 Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata and filmstar Akshay Kumar among big names who have announced their contributions Seeking a 'noble gesture' from government of India employees, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has written to secretaries in various ministries, asking them to urge employees -- as well as those in PSUs under various ministries -- to make voluntary contribution to PM CARES Fund. The letter was sent on April 16. On April 17, Ministry Of Finance's Revenue Department issued a circular, asking employees to contribute voluntarily to the PM CARES Fund with an opt-out clause. "It has been decided to appeal (to) all officers and staff of Department of Revenue to contribute their one day's salary every month till March 2021..." Any officer or staff objecting to the donation is required to inform the department with his/her employee code by April 20. "Any officer or staff having objection to it may intimate Drawing & Disbursing officer, Department of Revenue in writing mentioning his/her employee code latest by April 20, 2020," the Revenue Department circular said. The Ministry of Finance's Department of Revenue is led by Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey. Gauba's letter noted that in the past, government officials had contributed minimum one day's salary during national emergencies. "Hence, it will be appreciated if an appeal is issued at your level to all officials working in your ministry/department as well as in the attached/subordinate offices and public sector undertakings (PSUs) to contribute to government's efforts to deal with this unprecedented situation. The voluntary contribution of all the willing officials in the Ministry/Department, deducted at sources, may be sent to Prime Minister's Citizens' Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situation Fund (PM CARES Fund) through the PFMS mechanism," the top bureaucrat wrote. Also read: Coronavirus: Independent auditors to audit PM-CARES Fund, foreign donations allowed It may be noted that a large number of government employees as well as those working with various PSUs have also contributed to the PM CARES Fund. A minimum of one day's salary has been given to the Fund. Employees of many PSUs such as Steel Authority of India (SAIL) and NMDC have donated a minimum of one day's salaries to the newly-created fund to fight the menace of coronavirus. Steel PSUs alone have contributed over Rs 260 crore to the PM CARES Fund. Ever since the relief fund was set up and Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed citizens for donations, industrialists like Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata and filmstars like Akshay Kumar have announced their contributions. The central government employees of various cadres have also supported the noble initiative. All the resources pooled together would be used to fight coronavirus, which has thrown the entire economy out of gear. Also read: PM CARES Fund better suited to deal with coronavirus crisis, say legal experts US Medical Intelligence warned the US government that the coronavirus pandemic was 'imminent' 15 days before it was declared by the WHO, it has been revealed. 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 February 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 US official. US Medical Intelligence warned the US government that the coronavirus pandemic was 'imminent' 15 days before the WHO declared it was. Pictured: medics move a patient from a nursing home in Brooklyn, New York, yesterday A picture uploaded to social media on January 25, 2020 by the Central Hospital of Wuhan show medical staff attending to patients, in Wuhan, China 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 two 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. 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' 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. The warning came 15 days before the World Health Organization declared the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic '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 jaundiced 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 news 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. Kaufman said massive amounts of information come out of China, where the first reports of the new coronavirus surfaced in the city of Wuhan. But because the country is run by an authoritarian government, the medical intelligence researchers glean information from the local level, not Beijing. 'Researchers, in some cases, have more success in learning information from the bottom up not from the central communist government, but from localities,' he said. 'That's where some guy in Wuhan might be saying 'I can't report this because I don't want to look bad to my boss' or there's a guy who says he can't talk about avian flu because his cousin runs the bird market and doesn't want to hurt his business.' Advertisement Crowds of beachgoers have charged on to the beaches in Jacksonville, Florida after the shores reopened to the public despite the coronavirus pandemic. Jacksonville beaches reopened at 5pm on Friday under limited hours and use restrictions, even as Florida recorded its highest single-day increase in confirmed coronavirus cases. Photos and video from the scene show enthusiastic residents cheering as they ran out onto the sand after weeks of closures. Florida Department of Health said confirmed cases in the state rose by 1,421 Friday, the highest one-day number yet. The total number of cases in Florida is now 24,753. The number of deaths has reached 726, an increase of 58 in the last 24 hours. Jacksonville's beaches will be open daily from 6am to 11am and 5pm to 8pm for exercise such as walking and swimming only. Banned are sunbathing, chairs, towels, or loitering on the shore, and beachgoers are required to remain six feet apart. By 8pm on Friday night, many had already left the beach - adhering to the curfew. 'If for some reason it turns to helter skelter, we're going to pull the plug again,' Mayor Lenny Curry warned on Friday. Jacksonville's beaches will be open daily from 6am to 11am and 5pm to 8pm for exercise such as walking and swimming only. Thousands of people dashed to the beach within 26 minutes of it opening Thousands of Jacksonville residents poured onto the beaches on Friday as they reopened for the first time in weeks 'If for some reason it turns to helter skelter, we're going to pull the plug again,' Mayor Lenny Curry warned People are seen at the beach on Friday in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. The beaches reopened but only for restricted hours and can only be used for swimming, running, surfing, walking, biking, fishing, and taking care of pets A person caries a sign at the beach on Friday in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry announced Thursday that Duval County's beaches would open at 5pm Friday Enthusiastic residents cheered as they ran out onto the sand in Jacksonville after weeks of closures Over the past 14 days, the number of positive coronavirus cases in Florida has risen to 24,759. Its highest daily increase in positive cases was on Friday, with 1,421 Over the past 14 days, the number of deaths in Florida have risen to 725. On Friday, the daily death toll increased by 57 cases Jacksonville beach rules under reopening What is allowed: Beaches are only open from 6am to 11am and 5pm to 8pm Walking and running Biking Fishing Dog walking Swimming Surfing What is prohibited: Sunbathing Towels and blankets Chairs, coolers or grills Loitering on the beach Groups larger than 10 people Organized sports or picnics Overnight camping Bathrooms remain closed Advertisement Curry said he is letting the public back onto Duval County beaches because he is 'encouraged' by the rate of infections and hospitalizations and said there is evidence they are flattening the curve. 'This can be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life,' he said on Thursday. 'Please respect and follow these limitations. Stay within the guidelines for your safety as well as for the safety of your neighbors.' On Thursday, Trump laid out his three-phase plan for re-opening states one by one if they show falling case numbers. However, the guidelines did not specifically address how to handle outdoor spaces such as parks and beaches. Florida officials, including Governor Ron De Santis, were criticized early on in the pandemic for not closing the beaches during spring break. Shocking photos from March show huge crowds frolicking on the sand and ignoring social distancing advice. Mayor Curry's move means residents can go for a walk, swim, surf, run or fish, as long as they adhering to social distancing guidelines. However, sunbathing, camping overnight and gatherings of more than 10 people will be banned. People have also been warned to enter the water at their own risk as lifeguards will not be on duty. Jacksonville is one of the first major metropolitan areas to open their beaches. Santa Cruz in California also lifted restrictions to allow surfing for the first time since a lockdown was implemented. People walk a dog at the beach on Friday in Jacksonville Beach, Florida after the shore reopened for exercise Jacksonville beaches can only be used for swimming, running, surfing, walking, biking, fishing, and taking care of pets A woman takes a photo with her phone as Jacksonville residents were allowed back onto the beaches on Friday Walking dogs is allowed while the beach is open, as is jogging, swimming and fishing Jacksonville Beach Mayor Charlie Latham said: 'If we have to close the beach again, we'll do it. Safety is still our top priority.' 'This not a time to lounge. This is not a time to party. This is a time to exercise and keep moving,' Atlantic Beach Mayor Ellen Glasser added. Neighboring St Johns County announced that its beaches will also be open from 6am to 12pm, seven days a week, under similar restrictions that only allow exercise. Most other Florida counties have kept their beaches closed in a bid to stop the spread of the virus. Beaches in Glynn County over the state line in Georgia have been open since April 3 for exercise only. It follows statements from the Trump administration, alongside the president's three-phase plan, outlining how re-openings will begin at a local rather than national level. Among the first states to push to reopen appear to be states that Trump carried in 2016 that are led by Republican governors, while a number of urban centers including New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C. continue to be hit hard. Axios reported that Texas and Florida, both critical parts of coalition, would 'set the standard' for reopening. Alabama, and Mississippi are 'expected to move quickly,' sources told the publication. On Friday morning, the head of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Robert Redfield, indicated that the first openings might come at a local level rather than a state level. Nationwide, a total of 4,951 Americans died in the 24-hour period ending at 8pm Thursday, an announcement which came just minutes after the president delivered remarks to the nation about the need to reopen as quickly as possible. Trump declared the nation is in the 'process' of winning the war against the coronavirus, and announced the new phased return toward normalcy last night, even as deaths and infections in the nation continued to rise. The reopening of the beaches in Jackson were deemed as premature by some. 'This is really a crazy bad idea,' Jacksonville resident Deborah Melvin told ABC News. 'I'm afraid. I'm afraid for myself. I'm afraid for my family. Everybody should use their common sense.' Trump last night further backed away from his claim of having 'total' authority on when to reopen the country and told Americans 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. In this March 21, 2020 photo, signs and red flags are seen at an entrance to Jacksonville Beach while it was closed The number of new cases in 24 hours in Duval County dropped from 43 on April 13 to 17 on April 15, however hospitalizations remained the same with 63 over the last two days. Neither have dropped consistently in two weeks President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Thursday, April 16. Nationwide, a total of 4,951 Americans died in the 24-hour period ending at 8pm Thursday, an announcement which came just minutes after the president delivered remarks to the nation about the need to reopen as quickly as possible 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. There was ongoing confusion Friday about which parts of the country would reopen first and under what conditions. A total of 4,951 Americans died in the 24-hour period ending at 8pm Thursday, which came just minutes after the president delivered remarks to the nation about the need to reopen as quickly as possible. The head of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Robert Redfield, indicated that the first openings might come not on a state-by-state basis but county-by-county. 'There's a number of jurisdictions that are very close to having that capability,' he said. The guidelines state that an area must show declining infection over 14 days. Redfield added Friday that it must be declining 'consistently.' Santa Cruz in California also lifted restrictions to allow surfing for the first time since a lockdown was implemented The head of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Robert Redfield, indicated that the first openings might come not on a state-by-state basis but county-by-county He said it was 'really, really important that the outbreak in these jurisdictions is really declining consistently over a two-week period' for reopening to occur. But he said there are currently a number of jurisdictions with 'have limited activity' for spread of the disease. Redfield pointed to the ability to conduct rapid testing and contact-tracing, as well as being able to test individuals who present a 'flu-like' illness. It was not immediately clear which jurisdictions, if any, have that capability now. Among the first states to move to Phase One appear to be states that Trump carried in 2016 that are led by Republican governors, while a number of urban centers including New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C. continue to be hit hard. Axios reported that Texas and Florida, both critical parts of coalition, would 'set the standard' for reopening. 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 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." 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." Story continues 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) Two people linked to the Tablighi Jamaat allegedly tried to escape from a quarantine centre by breaking open the lock of the bathroom, officials said on Friday. Twelve people from the Tajwapur locality here who had returned from Delhi were kept in a women's hospital of the district hospital which was converted into a quarantine centre. Two among them tried to escape by breaking open the lock of the bathroom on Thursday, Chief Medical Superintendent Dr DK Singh said. However, the alert hospital staff caught hold of them and brought them back, Singh said, adding they have been put in quarantine after a warning. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four persons, including two COVID-19 patients, who had escaped from an isolation facility in Madhya Pradesh's Indore city in a truck, were nabbed at Morena district, police said on Friday. Eight people, including six coronavirus patients and two suspects, had escaped from an isolation facility set up at a hotel in Indore on Wednesday, of which three COVID-19 patients were later traced and hospitalised. The remaining four, who wanted to return to their home state Uttar Pradesh, were caught on Thursday night at the border district of Morena, additional city superintendent of police (CSP) Puneet Gehlot said. All occupants of the truck, including the four escapees, the driver and cleaner of the Uttar Pradesh- registered vehicle, were placed under medical watch and tested, he said. The four escapees were booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, he said, adding that a manhunt was launched to nab the last coronavirus patient who is still at large. Meanwhile, Central Kotwali police station in-charge B D Tripathi had earlier said six of the escapees were staying at a lodge near Ranipura area of Indore, while two were residing at a 'musafirkhana' (kind of a lodge). "Since the local administration declared Ranipura as the epicentre of coronavirus in Indore, we had sent several people, including these eight, from the area and adjoining localities to the isolation facility," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Islamabad: Coronavirus infection has spread in terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), due to which terrorists living in these camps are in panic. The terrorists from the Coronavirus are so in awe that they want to leave the camp and run away. But the Pakistani army is keeping a close watch on them and is constantly pressurizing the terrorists to infiltrate Kashmir. An audio of the terrorists has revealed that the terrorists are in awe of the coronavirus infection. Security agencies have intercepted what a terrorist named Shahid, who was living in a terrorist camp in Pakistan, spoke to his father on the phone in Kashmir. In this conversation, it is revealed that the other terrorists with whom Shahid is staying in the camp are all suffering from corona. The martyr tells his father that 'Abbu has spread the Korana virus among our three four companions, but they are not being treated, I am not feeling well. We are being given weapons and gunpowder instead of medicine, and plans are being made to infiltrate Kashmir. Let us tell you that according to a report in the media report, Pakistan is trying to get terrorists infected with Coronavirus into Kashmir so that its infection can be spread in Kashmir. Also Read: Why Donald Trump wants to open America amidst corona crisis China's GDP growth falls 44 years low due to coronavirus China made a big change in the figure of casualties due to corona 21 lakh people infected with corona worldwide, nearly 1.5 lakh died so far POINT PLEASANT BORO A woman in Point Pleasant Boro was arrested this week after she implied she has the coronavirus and even repeated the words "corona" and "virus" when she attacked officers, police said. The woman was identified as 22-year-old Kayla Kraus of Mays Landing, who was residing at the Point Pleasant Inn at the time of the incident. Kraus was charged with two counts of terroristic threats and aggravated assault by Lt. David Radsniak. The incident happened at 7:29 p.m. on Tuesday when officers responded to the Point Pleasant Inn for a well-being check, police said. Upon arrival, a woman came to the door of her room very agitated and aggressive towards the responding officers, police said. The woman continued to advance towards the officers while repeating the words corona" and "virus, implying that she was infected with the disease, police said. The woman refused to comply with the directions of the officers and continued her advance, striking Radsniaks arm during the incident, police said. Kraus was released on a complaint-summons pending her first appearance in Superior Court, in accordance with the New Jersey bail reform law. Kraus was transported to Ocean Medical Center for an evaluation, police said. This article originally appeared on the Point Pleasant Patch FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Volvo Cars will reopen its Torslanda factory and offices in Sweden next week after overhauling its production processes to help prevent coronavirus infections, following a three week shutdown caused by the pandemic, the carmaker said on Friday. Volvo's factory in Ghent, Belgium, will reopen on 20 April, but at reduced production output and the carmaker plans to reopen its South Carolina plant in the United States on Monday 11 May after adapting sanitation and cleaning routines. "We have introduced new health measures. We will work with gloves and masks in the areas where we come too close. The production rate will depend on the market. We can produce at full speed, but this depends on the orders," Chief Executive Hakan Samuelsson told Reuters. The Swedish carmaker, which is owned by China's Geely [GEELY.UL], has a good order intake, but three weeks' worth of production has been lost, Samuelsson said. Because the European economy has ground to a halt, Volvo will continue to make use of shortened working hours, Samuelsson added. In Sweden, the layout in all meeting rooms, office spaces and restaurants has been adjusted to allow for social distancing, ensuring that desks are spaced out and limiting the number of people allowed in meeting rooms and restaurants. Employees in Sweden can also take voluntary temperature tests and measure their blood oxygen levels. Office workers in other markets will continue to follow local guidelines. The engine plant in Skoevde, Sweden, and the body component manufacturing site in Olofstroem, Sweden will continue to plan their production on a weekly basis and adapt according to needs in the other plants, Volvo said. (Reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by Michelle Martin) Bailey said he worked with the Trotter Project named after famed Chicago chef Charlie Trotter to provide 2,000 meals that could be picked up at Montessori School of Englewood or delivered to homes. We follow all the guidelines mapped out by health authorities, he said. We are helping contain the spread of COVID-19 while making sure people are being fed. Former Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamaamra acknowledged officially that he had to backtrack on his bid to become a UN special envoy for Libya after he was vetoed by the US. In an official response, he said he was asked to take the position by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and that he accepted the role pending the approval of the UN Security Council. He said he had to withdrew from the race after learning about the US opposition to his candidacy, dealing another blow to the Algerian diplomacy in the region. Lamaamra is perceived as one of the figures of the era of Bouteflika and an ardent defender of the Algerian regimes foreign policy and plans in the region. His mandate as Algerian Foreign Minister was marred by under the table interventions in the Libyan mayhem casting a shadow on his neutrality. Algeria has tried desperately to project its power in the region by hosting talks between the Libyan warring governments, which so far stalled in an impasse. Lamaamra was spared the purge of pro-Bouteflika figures as the Algerian military regime recycles itself and seeks desperately to make its voice heard in its immediate neighborhood, but to no avail. Algiers needs to come to terms with the reality that its diplomatic influence is intricately linked to the price of oil revenues, which have dwindled in recent years under the impact of low demand, abundant offer and the consequences of the coronavirus. Cape Lookout National Seashore in North Carolina on Monday posted a video called a day at the beach taken by a park ranger. With most of the country on lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, there are no tourists. With no tourists searching for that perfect seashell to take home, the seashells are piling up. And those watching the video could hardly contain themselves. OH! The wind, the waves, BUT.........THE SHELLS!!!!! That was just plain MEAN to tease us with THE SHELLS!!! When we can do NOTHING about them," said Marla Brown. Kim Patterson Kelly said, Wow! My daughter and I collected over 50 large conchs last September at Cape Lookout. I cant even imagine whats there since the quarantine!! Drooling and cant wait to get back there sometime soon! Laura Dixon said, I cant believe all those shells!!!! I need to come and pick them up. According to The News & Observer, "Such treasures are normally snapped up by families on spring break, but North Carolinas coastal counties have banned non-residents from the barrier islands, using road blocks and license checks in Dare County. The Outer Banks are considered to have some of the nations best beaches or shell collecting, including a mix of large, rare and even prehistoric fossil shells. Beaches at Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras national seashores remain open during the pandemic, but park facilities are closed, including cabins, camps and restrooms." MORE CORONAVIRUS NEWS ON PENNLIVE 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. Ministers have announced a 10 million bailout for England's fishing industry to keep firms afloat during the coronavirus crisis. The industry has been hammered by the current outbreak with demand from restaurants having collapsed because they have been forced to close during lockdown. Meanwhile, the international fish market has also taken a massive hit with UK trawlers struggling to export what they catch. The government's bailout will see direct cash grants awarded to more than 1,000 fishing and aquaculture businesses with a total of 9 million available. A further 1 million is also being put up by ministers to help fishing operators sell their catch locally. Ministers have announced a 10m bailout for England's fishing industry. Pictured are fishing boats at North Shields Fish Quay on the bank of the River Tyne in northeast England today The money, announced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), will be used to assist with firms' fixed business costs for up to three months. The funding will be available to owners of vessels which are under 24 metres and which have an English fishing licence. They must also have recorded sales of at least 10,000 last year in order to be eligible. Steve Barclay, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: 'Fishing is at the heart of many of England's coastal communities providing local jobs as well as valued produce to their communities and through exports around the world. 'Given the loss of trade particularly to restaurants as a result of Covid-19, this support will help fishing businesses weather the current challenges they face, and facilitate new growth in retail markets through innovative local distribution.' The reason the bailout only relates to fishing firms in England is that fishing is a devolved issue. The cash handout was welcomed by the National Federation of Fisherman's Organisations. Chief executive Barrie Deas said in a statement: 'We asked the government for specific support for fishing businesses, they have responded and we appreciate it. 'It is vital now that the promised 10m of assistance flows quickly to help fishing businesses survive and that the government continues to listen and support the industry beyond the immediate crisis.' The demand for seafood from the restaurant trade and in exports to EU countries has dried up because of the Covid-19 crisis. There have also been reports of falling prices as fishermen struggle to find buyers for their catch, with alternatives like fish to your door schemes not as lucrative. Defra said in a statement the government was also 'exploring methods to reduce the regulatory burden on the fishing fleet'. 'These measures will be agreed jointly by the fisheries administrations and announced in due course,' it added. Honeywells 17 years in Pudong By:Wu Qiong | From:english.eastday.com | 2020-04-17 09:31 As a multinational company with its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Pudong, Honeywell has been a witness to the thriving development of the area whose opening-up and development plan was first announced on April 18, 1990. Honeywells China strategy has been serving both Pudong and the entire country since 2003 when the APAC headquarters settled down in Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park. Pudong has become the brain of Honeywell's operation in China, navigating the companys success in the Chinese market. The history of Honeywell in China dates back to 1935, when the company set up its first sales franchise in Shanghai. From 2004 to 2020, the US companys employees in China increased from 4,000 to 11,000, and nearly 3,000 are in Shanghai. Now the company has more than 50 wholly-owned companies and joint ventures in more than 30 cities across China, including 20 plus manufacturing sites, building a well-connected, smarter, safer and more sustainable world. Our strategy layout in Pudong has pushed forward our long-term development in China. Nowadays, China has become Honeywells largest market beyond the US. Such development is related to the support of the local government and the trust of our clients. By leveraging the solid foundation in Pudong, Honeywell will keep pushing forward its business in China, and in particular, integrate into Chinas booming digital economy, said Scott Zhang, president of Honeywell China. A participant in Pudongs development The headquarters economy of Pudong, a pilot of Chinas reform and opening up, has been booming over recent years. In 2015, Honeywell was honored as being one of the top 10 model examples of Pudongs headquarters economy by Shanghai Pudong New Area. In May 2017, Chinas first indigenously-designed large passenger aircraft, the C919, completed its maiden flight. This was not only a milestone for the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), but also for China and even the worlds aviation development. Honeywell is one of the major international suppliers for the C919 and provided a comprehensive package of four solutions, including the auxiliary power system, wheels and brakes, flight control package, and navigation package. Moreover, the company has supplied the primary flight control system for the ARJ21 airliner. We hope to continue expanding our cooperation with COMAC, which is also in Pudong, said Scott Zhang. As one of the areas piloting the smart district idea, Pudong has made great strides in smart district construction. In 2019, its rank in Shanghai jumped to number four. Behind that, Honeywell has supported the construction of many landmark projects in Pudong with customized smart technologies, such as the integrated solution of smart architecture deployed by Jin Mao Tower, and the electrostatic filtration system deployed by Chinas tallest skyscraper Shanghai Tower. In addition, Honeywells fire protection solutions have been utilized in many World Expo 2010 venues. In April 2017, the new building of Honeywells APAC headquarters was officially put into use in Zhangjiang, which is equipped with the companys own building solutions like Enterprise Building Integration (EBI) to save more electric power and improve the connectivity of the building. With the development of Pudong, Zhangjiang has become a microelectronics base with huge development potential in chip manufacturing. Based on the concept of high efficiency, safety, reliability and sustainable development, Honeywell has provided professional gas detection solutions for chip manufacturers and producers in Pudong, thus creating a safe and reliable working environment for enterprises and operators. Leveraging its experience in sustainable development and energy saving, Honeywell has been making contributions to Chinas environment. Since 2006, when it was established in the Nanhui area of Pudong, UOP Callidus under Honeywell has produced nearly 30,000 combustion units, helping its clients meet environmental protection regulations with innovative combustion technologies. A supporter of Shanghais innovation center building Shanghai is accelerating its steps to build itself into a science and technology innovation center with global influence. As a firm supporter of the citys aim, Honeywell Chinas R&D team has contributed 1,364 patents and patent applications from 2006 to the end of 2019. In 2019 alone, 134 new patent applications were filed. In 2016, the company invested US$100 million expanding its Asia Pacific regional headquarters and R&D facilities in Shanghai by 50%. 20% of its people are engineers and half of them work in the field of software. Honeywell is advancing itself into a new digital era by improving software, data and services. We are willing to use our digital technology in support of Shanghais science and technology innovation center building, added Scott Zhang. As the restructuring of Chinese industry, skilled and engineering professionals are becoming pillars for both corporate and economic development. STEM education and associated professionals are thus in high demand. Honeywell has been promoting the development of science and engineering education, while cultivating technical and engineering people, which it deems as key to its Corporate Social Responsibility in China. At the 2019 Shanghai Science Festival, for instance, Honeywell invited university students to its science and technology experience center to attract more youngsters to the cause of Shanghais science and technology development. To maintain its strong drive for innovation, Honeywell has been working with higher education institutions (like the East China University of Science and Technology) enterprises and incubators to push forward R&D projects and boost the cultivation of high-tech professionals. It strives to lead the technological cooperation and R&D in the industry in the digital economy. It hasnt been an easy road for Colton Underwood. Bachelor Nation fans know him as the Bachelor star who jumped the fence for the winner of his season and current girlfriend, Cassie Randolph. But now, hes watched by the public due to coronavirus (COVID-19). Underwood was one of the early celebrities to contract the disease, and hes been vocal about his symptoms, his treatment, and his recovery ever since. Thanks to Instagram, weve heard all about how coronavirus has affected him from his account and Randolphs. And hes now coming forward with even more information now that hes totally beaten the virus. While he stayed in Randolphs parents home to ride it out, he just stated no one else in the house got it. Colton Underwood believes he contracted coronavirus while on a ski trip Underwood is young, healthy, and fit but even he was scared of the severity of the symptoms when he contracted coronavirus. As for where he got it, he believes he was infected while on a celebrity ski trip in Colorado. I returned to LA after attending a weekend celebrity ski event in Beaver Creek, Colorado, which turned out to be a hotbed for infections, the star told Cosmopolitan. While he felt great upon his return from the trip with Randolph, it was around eight days later when the symptoms arrived. That night, I stayed at Cassies place and thats when it hit me: My fever rocketed up and I had serious night sweats, Underwood wrote. When I woke up in the middle of the night, the bed was soaked. I instinctively assumed I had the coronavirus and panicked. Sure enough, his test came back positive and he noted he had severe breathing difficulties and fatigue while he battled it out at home. Cassie Randolph kept her followers informed with what was going on in her home Underwood got frequent updates regarding his condition via his Instagram but Randolph also kept fans apprised of whats going on in her home. While Underwood was sick, he stayed on the third floor of Randolphs parents home and Randolph was the one responsible for bringing him food, water, and any other necessities. This, of course, put her at risk but she did her best to avoid contracting the virus by wearing a mask and gloves upon entrance every time. The last couple weeks have been very strange. Everyone has gone a little crazy, Randolph explained in an Instagram vlog on March 29. And she went on to explain that theres been quite a bit of quarreling amongst her siblings and parents, as theyre all in the same home. Now, it looks like Underwood has emerged from the third floor and has rejoined the rest of the Randolph family. Randolph posted another quarantine video on April 13, and Underwood appears to have completely recovered. Underwood said he didnt infect anyone in Randolphs family Colton Underwood and Cassie Randolph attend the 53rd annual CMA Awards | Taylor Hill/Getty Images Underwood spoke with Build about his experience dealing with coronavirus. I thought I had the flu at first, Underwood reiterated. But his night sweats, fever, and exhaustion were an indication that he had coronavirus. I was like, yeah, Im pretty much checking every box off for this thing. We know Underwood was in close contact with all of Randolphs family throughout his entire ordeal. Miraculously, he didnt get anyone else in the household sick and he thinks practicing proper social distancing measures is to thank. Thats the strange thing is nobody got it. I think it was due to practicing social distancing, Underwood said. We followed the guidelines from the local health department and the doctor as soon as I tested positive as far as gloves, masks, dropping food off, water up, when I was in self-isolation within the house. So I think that was probably a lot to do with them testing negative the next couple weeks. Now, Underwood feels great and hes even back to going for runs in the morning. Were glad hes fully recovered and he was able to keep the Randolphs safe through social distancing! Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Teachers across the country report their attempts at distance learning are failing to reach large numbers of students. During the first week that her San Diego public school was shuttered to slow the spread of the coronavirus, not one of Elise Samaniegos students logged on to her virtual classroom. Three weeks in, the teacher still had not connected online with roughly two-thirds of the students in her third- and fourth-grade combo class at Paradise Hills Elementary. She fears the pandemic will exact a devastating toll on education in the United States, especially at low-income schools like hers. I do have several students below grade level, and this is just going to make it worse, said Samaniego, who has been emailing and calling families to get her 22 students to participate. Teachers across the country report their attempts at distance learning are failing to reach large numbers of students. Hundreds of thousands of students are still without computers or internet access. Those who do log on have countless distractions: They are babysitting siblings, sharing laptops, lying in bed during lessons. Others log on only to walk away. With schools closed for the rest of the year in at least 23 states, the uneven progress with remote learning is raising concerns that those who already were struggling will be left further behind. The pandemic is an educational equity crisis for vulnerable students who were too often underserved by our education system in normal times, said Ian Rosenblum, executive director of The Education Trust-New York. Not all schools are struggling. Those accustomed to technology transitioned smoothly. Derek Blunt, a math teacher at Making Community Connections Charter School in Keene, New Hampshire, said students are issued iPads in normal times and regularly use Google Classroom and other platforms. A week after the school closed, nearly all of his 65 students were doing their work. In contrast, students at Samaniegos school faced several hurdles before learning could begin. Some only had internet access through their parents phones. I cant tell them even where to start, she said. Do you have a computer? Thats step 1. Then you have to download Chrome. Thats step 2. Kelly Dighero, a 3rd-grade teacher at Phoebe Hearst Elementary School, holds up her laptop to block the sun during her first online meeting with students and parents on the front lawn of her home in Sacramento, California [Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo] In New York City, the nations largest school district, tens of thousands of tablets and laptops have been lent to students, and the plan is for everyone to have a device by the end of April. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the district was still gathering data, but theres clearly an issue with attendance. That is true in many places. In the Los Angeles Unified School District, the countrys second-largest, as many as 40 percent of elementary school students had not logged on even once as of the first week of April three weeks after the system closed. As for those who have made an appearance, superintendent Austin Beutner, cautioned that merely logging in does not tell us anything more than the student turned on their computer. In ordinary times, some 16 percent of public school students nationally are chronically absent, with higher rates among high school, Black and Hispanic students, according to the US Education Department. Many districts are now not tracking attendance because it tells them so little. But attendance is usually critical: Absenteeism is linked to a significant increase in the risk of dropping out of school. And attendance is only one part of the puzzle. Michelle Katz, a math teacher at the public Northridge Academy High School in the Los Angeles area, revamped lessons so they would work online. Most students in her Algebra II and pre-Calculus classes are doing their work. But only about half of her 10th-grade geometry students are logging on, and even some of them are not handing in assignments. When they were in class, you could get on their back and ask them about what was going on, where is the work? Katz said. Its hard from a distance. Adding to her frustration was a student who interrupted a virtual class with yelling and profanity five times. Schools are responding by making accommodations. San Diego Unified School District said this month is for working out the kinks, and instruction officially starts April 27. Some schools are adopting pass or fail systems or no harm grading, in which grades will not be lowered during distance learning but can go up. Given the difficulties of conceiving lessons and science labs that are effective virtually, some assignments feel like busywork to Emily Weinberg, a senior at Lexington High School, a public school in Massachusetts. I had to try to figure out what the kinetic energy of a dime was when I pushed it, she said. I felt like this is wasting my time. Even so, she is completing all her work. Michelle Hansen, principal at Phoebe A. Hearst Elementary School, hands a laptop computer to the parent of a student that attends the school in Sacramento, California [Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo] But others are not and, in light of the challenges, some districts are ending the school year early, rather than leave many students behind. Many states are waiving the day requirements they set for this year. Officials have not said what will happen in the fall, though there have been some calls to have certain kids who already were struggling repeat the year. Dan Gannon, who teaches history at Bronx Leadership Academy, a public school in the nations poorest congressional district, agrees lessons have suffered in shortened periods without teacher aides. Participation in his classes has vacillated between 50 percent and 80 percent. Still, some learning is better than none, he said. Expectations need to be adjusted, but that shouldnt stop us from trying to do some kind of teaching and some kind of learning. This disruption is the second since 2018 for Achieve Charter School, which burned down in Californias deadliest wildfire that devastated the town of Paradise. Immediately after the fire, principal Steven Wright held morning assemblies via Facebook. He started them again after his school closed in March. What are we really hoping to teach kids? Wright asked during one recent online assembly. I dont think that those things that we talked about in life, and entrepreneurship and how to be a better person and lead our world and be world changers I dont think that teaching those things is limited at all by not gathering together for a while. Google said Friday it would waive fees for publishers using its Ad Manager platform for the next five months as part of its efforts to support news organizations reeling from the coronavirus pandemic. The move comes in addition to Google's "journalism relief fund" announced this week, which will include emergency grants to news outlets. Jason Washing, head of global news partnerships at Google, said details would be announced in the coming days and disclosed to news outlets that meet certain requirements. "During times of global crisis, people rely on quality journalism to stay informed and safe," Washing said in a blog post. "And the ads that appear alongside news coverage help fund the journalists who write breaking news stories, and keep news sites and apps running. " Washing said ad serving fees for qualifying news publishers globally would be waived for the next five months. Google's Ad Manager is an automated platform which may be used by news outlets for marketing messages on websites. The move by Google comes with news organizations getting hammered by a weak economy and downturn in advertising even as they ramp up coverage of the global health crisis. Google said this week it would offer grants as part of its relief efforts ranging from the "low thousands of dollars" for the smallest operations to "low tens of thousands for larger newsrooms." It did not set an aggregate figure for the fund. 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. Google said it would waive ad serving fees to certain news publishers as part of its efforts to support journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic T wo leading prison reform charities are suing the Government over its unlawful response to the coronavirus crisis in British prisons. It comes as the Ministry of Justice confirmed total of 255 prisoners have tested positive for coronavirus in 62 prisons as of 5pm on Thursday. Some 138 prison staff have also contracted the virus in 49 prisons as well as seven prisoner escort and custody services staff. Lawyers for the Howard League for Penal Reform and the Prison Reform Trust have now sent a formal legal letter to the Justice Secretary Robert Buckland warning of a public health catastrophe if he does not substantially reduce the prison population. The groups say they plan to apply for a judicial review of the current response, which they call contrary to the common law duty and human rights duties to protect life and health. Ministers announced earlier this month that risk-assessed UK inmates within two months of their release date would be temporarily freed to relieve pressure on the prison system. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland / PA But the Prison Reform Trust claims only 18 prisoners have so far been released from jails in England and Wales under the scheme, while 16 are reported to have died, three of them prison officers. The legal letter calls for the Government to act before legal action is launched, including considering the release of pregnant women and mothers and all children in custody. The Government previously said it had already freed 69 pregnant women from prison early, but had stopped short of other inmates. Frances Crook, Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "The Secretary of State has accepted publicly that the number of people in prison must be reduced significantly in order to save lives. However, this has not and cannot be achieved by the measures that the government currently has in place. Coronavirus has been reported in multiple jails / PA The rate of infection is accelerating, and the window of opportunity to protect people is vanishing. Ministers must rise to this challenge and act immediately to avert a public health catastrophe. The two charities have also published 59 pages of correspondence between them and Mr Buckland over the past month. The Prison Governors Association has called for the prison population to be reduced by 15,000. This is understood to be in line with advice provided to the government by public health experts. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: We have robust and flexible plans in place keep prisoners, staff and the wider public safe based on the latest advice from Public Health England. With close to 26,000 members and contacts of Tablighi Jamaat already under quarantine across the country, the ministry of home affairs has now found that Rohingya Muslims spread in different regions too attended its activities last month and several of them are missing. The union ministry has asked all the state governments and chiefs of police to trace the Rohingya Muslims who attended the Tabhlighi Jamaat activities as well as their contacts on priority. In a letter sent to all state chief secretaries, Director Generals of Police and Delhi Police Commissioner, reviewed by HT, the MHA stated It has been reported that Rohingya Muslis have attended ijtemas (largest annual Islamic congregation organized by Tablighi Jamaat March 13 to 15) and other religious congregations of Tablighi Jamaat and there is a possibility of their contracting Covid-19. The ministry informed the states that Rohingyas residing in camps in Hyderabad, Telangana had attended Tablighi Jamaat ijtema at Mewat, Haryana and had visited Nizamuddin Markaz at New Delhi. Similarly, Rohingyas living in Shram Vihar, Shaheen Bagh, Delhi who had gone for TJ activities, have not returned to their camps. It further stated that presence of Rohingya Muslims after attending Tablighi Jamaat work has also been reported from Derabassi, Punjab and Jammu area. According to an estimate by the government, there are around 40,000 Rohingyas living in camps across several states in India while 17,500 of them are registered as refugees with the office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The MHA, in its notification dated April 15, asked states that Rohingya Muslims and their contacts need to be screened for Covid-19. Accordingly, necessary measures may be taken in this regard on priority. A senior official who didnt wish to be named said Tablighi Jamaat has already been the biggest hotspot for Covid-19 in India so far and if Rohingyas who attended it living in camps across states are also affected, then it will be a bigger problem. According to a reply by the MHA in Lok Sabha in June last year, The MHA has held a number of meetings and video conferences at various levels and has impressed upon the state governments and other stakeholders to identify illegal migrants including Rohingyas, watch their movements and cancel any Indian documents such as PAN cards, aadhar cards, driving licenses, ration cards etc. fraudulently obtained by them. The government has officially taken a stand, even before the Supreme Court, that Rohingyas pose a security threat. Chen Jiaping, a Beijing-based documentary filmmaker, was arrested by Chinese authorities and charged for allegedly subverting the state after covering a story on a Chinese activist. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on the Chinese authorities to respect the medias right to report and call for his release. On March 5, Jiaping was arrested by police in Beijing on charges related to his unreleased film featuring Chinese civil rights activist Xu Zhiyong. A letter written by Jiapings wife on April 12, said Jiaping was detained in a "surveillance residence" in Beijings Haidian Public Security Bureau for criminal incitement to subvert state power after shooting the documentary on the activist. According to a Facebook group that published the letter, Jiaping is barred from seeing any legal representation and his family. The subject of Jiapings film, Xu Zhiyong was arrested in February this year for allegedly critcising the general secretary of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping. Police earlier confiscated Chens documentary footage at the time of Zhiyongs arrest on February 15. The IFJ said: Chen Jiapings arrest reflects the methods of control used to curtail freedom of expression for journalists and citizens in China. The IFJ urges the Chinese authorities to release Jiaping and drop all charges against him. By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 28 times, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on April 17. The Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns. 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 the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Supply scarcity and accelerating demand characterized Ottawas housing market during the first quarter of the year, but these were not enough to ensure the segments strength during the coronavirus pandemic. Until mid-March, about 60% of our listings were seeing multiple offers. The first quarter of 2020 was the extension of a sellers market that began 18 months ago, said John Rogan, Royal LePage Performance Realty broker of record. The impact of the coronavirus on Ottawas real estate market was quick and only those who had to buy and sell remain active. A recent analysis by Royal LePage said that the aggregate housing price in Ottawa stood at $502,808 as of the end of Q1, having increased by 8% annually. More than two weeks after former Theodore Roosevelt commanding officer Capt. Brett Crozier was removed from his post and tested positive for coronavirus, the Santa Rosa native remains quarantined in a Guam residence in good health, according to a source. Crozier, 50, is well physically, and in relatively good spirits and has never lost his sense of humor, according to someone close to Crozier who has been in touch with him. The Chronicle agreed to withhold the name of the source due to the sensitive nature of the subject, in accordance with its anonymous sources policy. Efforts to reach Crozier for comment have been unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the Navy was poised to decide whats next for Crozier, as it completes its evaluation of an internal investigation into the recent events involving the Roosevelt. The aircraft carrier had an outbreak of coronavirus, and after it made port in Guam on March 27, Crozier sent a letter to Navy officials, warning of dire consequences if the ships crew wasnt quickly evacuated. The letter became public after a copy was obtained by The Chronicle. Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly criticized Crozier and relieved him of command, but soon after apologized and resigned. The internal investigation has been completed and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday will make recommendations to Defense Secretary Mark Esper about Croziers fate and other findings from the ordeal. Gildays office has said Croziers reinstatement is not off the table. In an interview on The Chronicles Its All Political podcast Friday, Sen. Kamala Harris said she admired Croziers candid actions. Look, this is a moment where we need leaders who are transparent and speak the truth and not face any political repercussion because they embarrassed somebody, she said. I do believe that he spoke out of the spirit of concern and protecting his people. Nearly 500,000 people have signed an online petition to reinstate Crozier. The information about Croziers health comes a day after the Navy identified the first Roosevelt sailor to die. Aviation Ordnanceman Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr., 41, of Fort Smith, Ark., died Monday at a military hospital in Guam, four days after he was found unresponsive during a medical check in quarantine housing on the island. On Friday, the number of sailors who have tested positive for coronavirus rose by five, with 660 now infected and 3,920 testing negative, the Navy said. A seventh sailor was hospitalized at U.S. Naval Hospital Guam and one remained in intensive care with breathing problems. A Navy official said Friday that the first two positive tests aboard the Roosevelt were from two members of the ships air wing. Members of the carriers air group routinely fly off and on the ship and there are regular supply loads that come from other mainlands. Also Friday, Navy Surgeon General Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham announced that a public health investigation on Guam involving the Roosevelt will begin Monday. 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. Gillingham said investigators will ask for volunteers from Roosevelt sailors still on the ship and those at a Guam naval base to get another swab test, a blood test to check for antibodies and possible exposure, and to fill out a short survey. He said researchers hope to get about 1,000 volunteers. Findings from this outbreak investigation will help our Navy plan for avoiding or minimizing future outbreaks and improve fleet surgeons understanding of this disease and how its transmitted aboard ship, Gillingham said. Gillingham said presymptomatic transmission was a significant factor in the spread of the illness aboard the ship, calling that dynamic the secret weapon of this virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will collect the tests and data and expects to conclude the probe in about a month, Gillingham said. Matthias Gafni is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer and Joe Garofoli is The Chronicles senior political writer. Email: matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mgafni @joegarofoli The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday issued an order permitting non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), including housing finance companies (HFCs), microfinance institutions (NBFC-MFIs) as well as cooperative credit societies from the financial sector to be operational during the extended lockdown period, with minimal personnel. The development comes after NBFCs and MFIs made repeated requests to the government seeking permission to function. In the initial 14-day phase of the nationwide lockdown, from the financial sector, only banks were allowed to operate. The order is applicable for the said financial institutions across all states and union territories. The order was issued in accordance with the revised guidelines for the extended lockdown period, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus disease. The order also says that all operations related to agriculture and horticulture, including procuring, harvesting and processing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) by scheduled tribes and other forest dwellers in forest areas is allowed. The list of activities permitted includes plantation and harvesting, packaging, selling and marketing of plantations such as bamboo, coconut, cocoa, and spices. Besides this, the fresh order grants permission to construction activities in rural areas related to water supply and sanitation, setting up of power transmission lines and placing telecom optical fibre and cable lines. Rashmi Saluja, Executive Chairperson of Religare Enterprises Ltd, said the announcements by the RBI were a welcome move and will go a long way in mitigating some of the working capital and cash flow issues of the NBFC sector. "The exclusion of the moratorium period in evaluating NPAs/asset classification will also help the NBFC immensely. Overall, the 25 BPS in the reverse repo rate and the other liquidity injection measures are a much needed positive move," said Saluja. The public thats who you serve they should know whats going on in the public safety agencies, particularly at a time of a crisis, like this pandemic, Statter said. The public does interact with you. They want to know, if you have people infected, how you are dealing with it. And most are dealing with it responsibly. JOHANNESBURGAfrica could see 300,000 deaths from the coronavirus this year even under the best-case scenario, according to a new report released Friday that cites modelling from Imperial College London. Under the worst-case scenario with no interventions against the virus, Africa could see 3.3 million deaths and 1.2 billion infections, the report by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) said. Even with intense social distancing. under the best-case scenario, the continent could see more than 122 million infections, the report said. Any of the scenarios would overwhelm Africas largely fragile and underfunded health systems, experts have warned. Under the best-case scenario, $44 billion (U.S.) would be needed for testing, personal protective equipment and treatment, the report said, citing UNECA estimates. The worst-case scenario would cost $446 billion. The continent as of Friday had more than 18,000 confirmed virus cases, but experts have said Africa is weeks behind Europe in the pandemic and the rate of increase has looked alarmingly similar. The new report is the most detailed public projection yet for coronavirus infections and deaths in Africa, where more than 1.3 billion people are bracing for the pandemic. Poverty, crowded urban conditions and widespread health problems make Africa particularly susceptible to the virus, the UN report said. Of all the continents, Africa has the highest prevalence of certain underlying conditions, like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. On Thursday, a World Health Organization official said one projection over the next six months shows more than 10 million severe cases of the virus. But these are still to be fine-tuned, said Michel Yao, the WHOs emergency operations manager in Africa, adding that public health measures could have an impact in limiting cases. He did not give the source of the projection. The new report also warns of severe economic pain across Africa amid the pandemic, with growth contracting 2.6 per cent in the worst-case scenario and an estimated 27 million people pushed into extreme poverty. The World Bank has said sub-Saharan Africa could fall into its first recession in a quarter-century. Collapsed businesses may never recover, the new report said. Without a rapid response, governments risk losing control and facing unrest. Nearly 20 European and African leaders called this week for an immediate moratorium on all African debt payments public and private until the pandemic is over, as well as at least $100 billion in immediate financial help so countries can focus on fighting the virus. The UN report said the continent has no fiscal space to deal with shocks from the pandemic and recommended a complete temporary debt standstill for two years for all African countries, low and middle income included. The report comes days before African officials launch a new initiative to dramatically accelerate testing for the new virus. More than one million coronavirus tests are being rolled out starting next week to address a major gap in assessing the true number of cases on the continent. Its possible that 15 million tests will be required in Africa over the next three months, the head of the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, John Nkengasong, told reporters Thursday. Africa has suffered in the global competition for badly needed medical equipment, but in recent days created a continental platform so its 54 countries can team up to bulk-buy items at more reasonable prices. One major shipment of equipment, including more than 400 ventilators, arrived this week for sharing among all 54 countries. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild to moderate symptoms such as fever and cough. But for some, especially older adults and those with other health problems, it can cause pneumonia and death. COLUMBUS, OhioThe Ohio Federation of Teachers and the Cleveland Teachers Union have asked state officials to cancel in-person K-12 classes for the rest of the school year because of the coronavirus crisis, the respective leaders of the two unions said Friday. Well be contacting the governors office with a checklist of what we would need in schools for conditions to be safe for students and teachers to return," said OFT president Melissa Cropper in a statement. "It does not seem practical that we can have a safe return to physical classrooms this school year. CTU president Shari Obrenski, speaking on a conference call with reporters organized by the Ohio House Democrats, said that Keeping schools closed for the remainder of the school year would probably be, in our estimation, the best course of action." Gov. Mike DeWine has closed K-12 schools across the state since March 16; his current closure order runs through May 1. The governor has raised the prospect that he will keep schools shut through the end of the school year, but so far he hasnt taken such action. Obrenski said she and other union officials were taken a little aback by DeWines comments on Thursday that he intends to reopen Ohios economy after May 1. We're also anxious to get our state moving back to a more normal everyday existence, she said. We understand that opening the economy, however, is going to present some real and new challenges. When in-person classes resume be it this school year or next Obrenski said it will be a vastly different experience for students and educators alike, and that precautions need to be taken. We have serious concerns about the health and safety of the children and the educators who will be working with them, she said. We have students who are medically fragile, who have diabetes, asthma, hypertension, other chronic conditions that would make them particularly vulnerable to infection under this disease. We have adults that are serving our children who also have these conditions. Read more Ohio coronavirus coverage: Ohio Houses economic recovery task force slammed by panels top Democrat BOP says sixth inmate dies of coronavirus at Elkton federal prison in Ohio Ohioans describe common glitches, frustrations with state unemployment filing system JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels stores can remain open during coronavirus emergency, AG Dave Yosts office says Midwest governors announce coordinated reopening effort, but Gov. DeWine calls it informal On Tuesday, the World Socialist Web Site published a letter from a nurse in the south-west of England, titled A letter from a frontline nurse at the UKs Royal Bournemouth Hospital. The nurse describes the appalling conditions in the COVID-19 Red Zone ward and the angershared by many other health care workersat management and the governments failure to provide adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The nurse denounced Prime Minister Boris Johnsons hypocritical praise for National Health Service (NHS) workers, after decades of Conservative and Labour governments cutting the service to the bone. I was gobsmacked listening to Prime Minister Boris Johnson after a challenging day at work, the nurse writes. He was discharged from St. Thomass Hospital on Sunday but at the same time we saw the deaths of nearly 11,000 people, including 40 NHS workers, because of his governments criminal herd immunity policy and lack of preparation to face the pandemic National Health Service (Source: Wikipedia Commons) Our lives are at risk because of wrong PPE policies of the government and our [NHS] Trust, the nurse continues. Regardless of the fact that we are dealing with a virulent and highly contagious virus, management is not allowing us to wear proper and safe PPEs. The letter was the most read article on the WSWS over the past two days, viewed more than 80,000 times and has been shared widely across social media platforms. Health care workers are bearing the brunt of the Conservative governments criminal indifference to the lives of working people. So far, 56 health workers have lost their lives to COVID-19 in the UK. The letter met with an outpouring of anger and indignation at government policy on social media and on the WSWSs Disqus comment section. Many of those commenting were health care professionals. Dozens of Twitter and Facebook users posted the letter on their own social media accounts, with over 400 people sharing it from the NHS Fightback Facebook pageset up by the Socialist Equality Party to fight for the building of rank-and-file committees in defence of a free, comprehensive and universal health care service. Ian J posted the letter on his own Facebook page to say that this isnt a failure of government, its wilful negligence leading to needless deaths. This is corporate manslaughter. There needs to be a public enquiry and prosecutions. A nursing assistant wrote, Best letter Ive ever read ... we get treated like trash in the hospital [and they] dont care about us or our families ... NHS AT ITS BEST. Sandra, from Boston, Lancashire, commented: A very emotive read. Our colleagues in the NHS are not adequately protected or supported ... we ask so much of our frontline workers they ask only that they are correctly and adequately protected for that role! Elaine, a nursing professional from Suffolk, wrote, A must read letter from a nursing professional well done for speaking out. This is a very different picture than is being portrayed at the daily pointless [government] Press Briefing. They are lying to you, how many more Health Professionals have to die before anyone takes notice? ... Again, I beg my colleagues to refuse to care for COVID-19 patients if you do not have the correct protection. Your lives matter too! Ellie, who studied at Bournemouth University, posted the letter on Facebook: This makes my blood boil with anger! You [the government] asked us to stay at home, yet you are not doing your job to protect all of frontline workers, especially NHS staff!!! Still making empty promises to do more tests! When are you going to learn your lesson!!! Precious lives lost and still losing ... We will do our best to stay at home and keeping social distance to help NHS! DO YOUR JOB PROPERLY! ... Steve M commented, NHS you are doing an astounding job [,] my heart bleeds that you are not being supported in the way you should by this govt. When the dust settles big changes have to happen. Danielle, a nurse, commented, This is why Im scared to go to work!!! Government is a shambles and Im not giving my workplace a bad name. Its this government. Not written by me but we all feel this way!!! Ann Hemingway, professor of Public Health and Wellbeing at Bournemouth University, posted the WSWS article on Twitter and condemned politicians and NHS management for putting health care workers lives at risk. She tweeted: Fantastic letter about PPE problems. [W]hy is this happening where is the challenge to the politicians and NHS managers who are colluding with this putting peoples lives on the line[?] Daniel from Bournemouth expressed his anger at the conditions faced by NHS workers, and demanded that the government be held accountable: This is an account given by a Nurse at Bournemouth Hospital. You need to read it. This government is going to pay for what they have put our NHS staff through. Marky tweeted, The truth about PPE, from a nurse in a major hospital. Steve C tweeted, Please read. My sister is a nurse on the frontline and shared this with me. Shame on those people who clapped Boris Johnson and his regime last week. Many people posted this letter in replies to tweets from their local Members of Parliament (MPs), as well as tagging Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Matt Hancock. They condemned the governments failure to provide NHS workers with adequate PPE and their complicity in the avoidable deaths of healthcare workers and thousands of others. Some shared the nurses letter in response to a tweet from Tobias Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth Eastwhere the Royal Bournemouth Hospital is locatedin which he had xenophobically attempted to divert the blame for the COVID-19 pandemic towards China. Ellwood said, With no lessons learnt from SARSother than attempting to hide outbreak from the world, China must change. Ben Jernes responded to Ellwood by posting the WSWS article with the following comment: Look at whats happening here first due to your own government Tories have blood on their hands. You are culpable. Justice will be done. The fear of senior management of the truth being made public about the real state of affairs in hospitals was expressed in an anonymous Disqus comment sent to the WSWS, claiming that the nurses letter was not representative of my own experience and that of the vast majority. Claiming to work on the front line at Bournemouth hospital, Anonymous wrote, Appropriate PPE has been available at all times The hospital preparedness for this virus has been excellent. Replying to Anonymous, WSWS writer Laura Tiernan said, If its description was not representative of the experience of frontline nurses, it would not have been liked and shared so widely. The experience recounted is sadly representative for thousands of frontline staff. WSWS readers wrote in support of the nurses letter. One wrote, The wording of this message [from Anonymous] sounds far more likely to be from the mouth (press release) of management than a frontline worker. Another wrote, No wonder youre anonymous ... I dont know who youre kidding when the majority of ppl know the true state of affairs in the country regarding unsafe practices and not enough pressure from NHS bosses and their Union on the government. Another responded to the assertion by Anonymous that the exposure made by the Bournemouth nurse was unprofessional and potentially damaging, with the comment, Id say risking the lives of your colleagues is more damaging, wouldnt you? Another commented, Shocked by this article. We all have friends, family in NHS, some at Bournemouth (which is a complete shambles). I would urge any workers in the NHS or care sector who are facing death because of lack of PPE to take courage from employment law and to STAND UP FOR THE PROTECTION OF THEIR LIVES. One of the nurses refused to work in a particular situation because it was so incredibly dangerous. He was threatened with disciplinary action. Unsurprisingly there is employment law to protect workerswhatever their jobfrom dangers. S. 100 Employment Rights Act 1996 says its automatically unfair for an employer to dismiss an employee where an employee left, or said he was going to leave, a situation where DANGER was SERIOUS AND IMMINENT. I would hope this would give any employeewhether in the NHS or in the care sectorcourage to stand up for the protection of their lives. Another reader stated, This is just horrific. Surely the clinical staff know when they need full PPE, not the managers? Threatening staff during this pandemic is obscene. If anyone needs sacking its those doing the threatening, not those risking their lives daily. A reader replied, Sadly, many clinical staff are gagged from speaking out on the social media or press, and threatened with disciplinary actions. At Bournemouth Hospital, the letter was warmly received by doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers. It was shared in private Facebook groups and other social media accounts by staff. Nurses said they agreed with every word, with one writing, it should be front page news! The response to the letter shows the critical role of the WSWS in providing a conscious voice for the concerns and mounting opposition of workers around the world. Against the censorship and lies of the mass media, capitalist governments and pro-capitalist trade unions, the WSWS fights irreconcilably for the social rights and interests of the working class, scientific knowledge and the truth. A 46-year-old Nigerian man who miraculously vanished after testing positive for the novel Coronavirus, Simon Okafor Chukudi has been arrested by personnel of the Upper West Regional Police Command. Citi News Upper West Regional Correspondent, Latif Mahama said Simon Okafor Chukudi was busted in a compound house near the Wa polytechnic. He has since been handed over to the COVID-19 team led by the Upper West Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih. The Upper West Regional Police Commander, DCOP Francis Aboagye Nyarko confirmed the arrest. Seven other people he came into contact with have also been picked up and placed under quarantine at the Upper West regional hospital. The Nigerian national was 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. He was however nowhere to be found when health officials followed up to his residence at Wapaani, a suburb of Wa to transport him to the isolation centre at the Upper West Regional Hospital. Guinean arrested for escaping A few weeks ago, a Guinean who had contracted COVID-19 also escaped from a quarantine facility at Tamale in the Northern Region. He was subsequently arrested in Accra. A Deputy Health Minister at the time, Alexander Abban said it was surprising how the Guinean was able to bypass the security barriers in the locked-down areas in the Ashanti Region and ended up in Accra. ---citinewsroom (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo traded blows in real time during Cuomos daily virus briefing, with the president tweeting that the governor should Stop talking! and Cuomo mockingly telling Trump to use his signature line from The Apprentice and fire his aides working on the pandemic response. The exchange on Friday was the sharpest yet between the two Queens, N.Y., natives, who for weeks in the initial phase of the crisis had worked hard not to publicly criticize each other. New York is the epicenter of the nations coronavirus outbreak, with nearly 13,000 fatalities so far. Cuomo has previously praised Trumps assistance and thanked him for aid. Even after Trump said that New York was asking for too much, Cuomo kept criticizing the federal response but didnt attack Trump personally. Cuomos broadside against Trump -- with one soliloquy lasting 17 minutes without interruption -- showcased a side of the governors personality that is talked about in political circles but rarely displayed in public: bristling, pugnacious, abrasive. Minutes earlier, Cuomo had been delivering his standard daily assessment of the outbreak, in a routine that has been a balm of sorts for anxious New Yorkers. He reflected on the emotional toll of the pandemic, talking about how he was using the downtime to deepen family bonds. Suddenly, here he was, lecturing Trump on live television about the Constitution and the founding fathers. While it may have cheered New Yorkers to see their governor calling out Trump and the federal handling of the crisis, it also risked alienating a president who rarely hesitates to undermine and attack perceived enemies and critics. Clips of the diatribe have been carried on national television networks. You dont want federal disaster response contingent upon whether the President likes you, said Bob Griffin, a former U.S. Homeland Security official in the Obama and Trump administrations who is now dean of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at State University at Albany. The frustration that youre seeing from Governor Cuomo reflects a level of frustration, candidly, that most of the governors are feeling in the sense that Trump decides when he wants to get involved and take credit, and then deflects blame. Story continues Trumps Twitter attack on Friday, posted about a half-hour into Cuomos briefing, came in response to Cuomos suggestion that the federal government was falling short on coronavirus testing. Governor Cuomo should spend more time doing and less time complaining, Trump tweeted. Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking! He went on: We have given New York far more money, help and equipment than any other state, by far, & these great men & women who did the job never hear you say thanks. Your numbers are not good. Less talk and more action! After a reporter read the presidents tweets aloud, Cuomo fired back with a thinly veiled dig at Trumps TV-viewing, famously listed on his schedule as executive time: First of all, if hes sitting home watching TV, maybe he should get up and go to work. The governor delivered a stream of zingers, saying the president cared more about helping big businesses than states, and, responding to Trumps comment about different states making their own policy, he said: No, no, no, thats called a map of the United States. Its not a puzzle. The exchange overshadowed another day of encouraging evidence that the crisis is ebbing, with hospitalizations, intensive-care admissions, intubations and deaths all ticking down, though they remain at elevated levels. Cuomo said 630 New Yorkers died in the prior 24-hour period. Fatalities have declined steadily in recent days from a peak of 799 on April 9. Even after he had moved on to addressing other subjects, Cuomo returned to throw more insults at Trump, making fun of his TV career and asking that a data slide be shown on the screen so the president can see what he said. Cuomo had been smart to go out of his way to nurture a productive relationship with Trump to maximize aid for the state, in the form of FEMA help with Javits, use of the navy ship, and in procuring ventilators, said Bruce Gyory, senior adviser of government and regulatory affairs at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP. But now theres not much left to do outside of testing, said Gyory, a New York-based Democratic political consultant. Cuomo may still need the President but he needs him less -- and apparently could not let the taunts go unanswered. In effect, the governor had to join the argument, Gyory said. On the conflict between the president and some of the nations governors over the timing of reopening schools and businesses the states: All he is doing is walking in front of the parade, he has nothing to do with the timing of the parade, Cuomo said of Trump. On Trump saying that some governors showed a lack of appreciation for federal help: What am I supposed to do, send a bouquet of flowers? On federal projections about the scope of the pandemic: Our only mistake then was believing your numbers and believing your projections, he said, addressing Trump. If that was a mistake, then Im guilty. But I thought New York State relying on what you said would have been a safe assumption. I wont make that mistake again. And it was your CDC and your White House Coronavirus Task Force that made those projections. And on the separation of powers between the federal government and the states: What are you going to do? Grant me with what the Constitution granted me before you were born? Its called the Tenth Amendment. I didnt need the president of the United States to tell me that Im governor. Cuomo said the president was wrong to insist on personal gratitude for federal assistance: Thank you for Javits, thank you for the U.S. Navy Ship Comfort. By the way its just doing your job as president, its not thank you like you wrote a check yourself. (Adds outside analysis of dispute ramificaitons.) 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. The Montgomery Independent School District is seeking to hire a search firm to help with the hunt for its new superintendent. The school district is searching to replace its longtime Superintendent Beau Rees, who has served the district for eight years. Rees has been selected by the Weatherford Independent School District as the lone finalist in its search for a new superintendent. He is expected to begin in his new role in June. The school board held a special meeting on Monday, which was broadcast over video and audio due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. During the meeting, board member Matt Fuller made the motion to find a search firm to help with the hunt, which was seconded by Adam Simmons and approved unanimously. The school boards president Jim Dossey posted on social media Tuesday morning that the request for proposals will be based on the standard used and promoted by Texas Association of School Boards. He stated in the post that the goal is to have a new superintendent in place by Aug. 1 This is an aggressive timeline, but certainly doable as long as the Board moves forward with good speed, Dossey stated in the post. We will provide further details in the coming weeks and months. Regarding the timeline and plan for a search firm, Montgomery ISD Superintendent of Human Resources Sonja Lopez stated in an email to The Courier on Thursday that the school board intends to review proposals from search firms at its meeting on Tuesday and select one as soon as possible. The school district does not currently have an interim superintendent selected at this time, but she confirmed the district does intend to have an interim selected by June 1, when Rees is expected to begin working for Weatherford ISD. Lopez said the district will prioritize selecting the right candidate over having a superintendent in place by Aug. 1 and that starting the search for a new superintendent during a pandemic has been no challenge at all. We wish Dr. Rees, Billie, and his children all the best and appreciate their service to Montgomery ISD, Dossey said in a starement released Thursday. The board of trustees is committed to selecting an outstanding superintendent to lead the district to new heights. Montgomery ISD has a strong tradition of excellence in academics and extracurricular activities and is well known throughout the state as a top tier school district. mellsworth@hcnonline.com RICHMOND, Va., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Private Advisors, LLC (or "PA") a leading Low Mid Market platform, held a final close for PA Real Assets Fund II ("Fund II") at $242 million, approximately 20% larger than the predecessor fund. PA believes the current structural change across the energy and natural resource landscape will cause significant dislocations and lead to numerous attractive, risk-adjusted opportunities for Fund II. Fund II invests in a diverse set of natural resources opportunities across the Low Mid Market by focusing on direct co-investments, opportunistic secondary transactions and small specialist managers. We believe the supply and demand shocks currently being experienced will create a very compelling investment opportunity in the months and years ahead. Zac McCarroll, Head of Private Real Assets, commented, "The entire PA platform and network continues to be additive to our sourcing process and enables the Fund to commit to what we believe are the highest quality opportunities in the space. We believe our investment approach, which is premised on investing (a) alongside specialist management teams who maintain control, and (b) in companies that are conservatively capitalized, is well suited to take advantage of the current market environment." Chip Moelchert, CEO of PA said, "We are extremely appreciative of our dedicated limited partners and their continued support of our real assets program. Over 70% of Fund II commitments came from existing relationships and approximately 15% of commitments came from non-US investors. We are also very excited to have gained several new investors and further expanded our global LP base." Limited partners consist of global institutional investors such as pension plans, foundations, endowments, insurance companies, corporations and single and multi-family offices. PA employees and the firm's parent organization, New York Life, made meaningful commitments, underscoring a strong alignment of interests with investors. About Private Advisors PA is a leading alternative investment firm managing over $5 billion in assets as of March 31, 2020. PA sources, underwrites, structures, and manages investments in small to mid-sized managers and direct transactions across the liquidity spectrum. PA's integrated Low Mid Market platform has expertise in Private Equity, Private Real Assets and Long/Short Equity. PA believes the long-term nature of the firm's capital and range of expertise provides origination and diligence advantages that benefit its investors. PA builds commingled and customized portfolios on behalf of investors that seek to preserve and grow capital. PA is an affiliate of New York Life Investment Management LLC, an indirect subsidiary of New York Life Insurance Company. www.privateadvisors.com Media Contacts: Allison Scott New York Life [email protected] SOURCE Private Advisors, LLC New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (April 17) hailed that steps takes by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and said it will greatly enhance liquidity and improve credit supply. "Todays announcements by @RBIwill 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 limits," PM Modi wrote on Twitter, shortly after RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das adressed media today. Todays 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 limits. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 17, 2020 During his address today, the RBI Governor announced a slew of measures to maintain adequate liquidity in system, facilitate bank credit flow and ease financial stress. The Bank cut the reverse repo rate and announced a slew of measures including re-finance window of Rs 50,000 crore and targeted long term repo auction of similar amount to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reverse repo rate cut will discourage banks from parking cash with the RBI and encourage them to lend to the economy. Das assured that the RBI will use all instruments at its disposal to deal with the challenges posed by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, depending on the evolving situation. He said there are a few slivers of brightness amidst the encircling gloom and hoped that India will stage a sharp V-shaped recovery in 2021-22 as projected by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The central bank also allowed states to borrow 60 per cent more via ways and means advance facility available and extended the increased limit until September 30. To preserve capital, RBI asked banks not to pay any further dividends for the fiscal year ended March 31. The dividend curbs will be reviewed in the quarter ending September 30. The RBI had on March 27 announced a steep 75 basis points cut in the repo rate, slashed cash reserve ratio and permitted a three-month moratorium on all loans, including home loans, extended by commercial banks and lending institutions. Underwater explorers found the 150 foot (46 metre) long UFO-like creature, known as a siphonophore, in the deep sea canyons near Ningaloo reef in Western Australia. (SWNS) The longest creature to have ever lived has been discovered in ocean depths off the coast of Western Australia. Underwater explorers found the 150 foot (46 metre) long UFO-like creature, known as a siphonophore, in the deep sea canyons near the Ningaloo reef. Researchers used ROV SuBastian, an underwater robot, to complete 20 dives at depths of 14,764 feet (4.5 km) over a period of 181 hours. Scientists spotted the swirling siphonophore a floating stringy creature made up of tiny zooids deep in the Indian Ocean. Researchers used an underwater robot called ROV SuBastian to complete 20 dives at depths of 14,764 feet (4,500 metres) over a 181-hour period. (Getty) The creature is said to be well over the length of blue whales, which themselves can reach up to 100 feet (30 metres) in length The Schmidt Ocean Institute tweeted a video of the creature describing it as beautiful and UFO-like. But the discovery of the giant gelatinous string wasnt the only unique find. Experts also discovering 30 new underwater species of some of the deepest fish and marine invertebrates ever documented in the region. They found large communities of glass sponges in Cape Range Canyon and collected the first giant hydroids enormously long feathery colonies in Australia. And for the first time in Western Australia, scientists found the bioluminescent Tanings octopus squid, long-tailed sea cucumber and other molluscs, barnacle and squat lobster species. Story continues Chief scientist Dr Nerida Wilson, from the Western Australia Museum, said: We suspected these deep sea areas would be diverse but we have been blown away by the significance of what we have seen. The research was a collaboration between the Western Australia Museum, Curtin University in Perth, Geoscience Australia, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Schmidt Ocean Institute. And the expedition was part of a year-long initiative in Australia to explore the area with a team of international experts. Branchiocerianthus is a giant hydroid that consists of a single polyp on a long stem living on a sandy bed. (SWNS) Using the underwater robot SuBastian scientists are able to explore deep sea canyons and coral reefs that have never been seen before. Schmidt Ocean Institute co-founder Wendy Schmidt said: There is so much we don't know about the deep sea, and there are countless species never before seen. Our planet is deeply interconnected what happens in the deep sea impacts life on land and vice versa. This research is vital to advance our understanding of that connection and the importance of protecting these fragile ecosystems. The Ningaloo Canyons are just one of many vast underwater wonders we are about to discover that can help us better understand our planet. Watch the latest video from Yahoo News UK Sari Salem Wardat, 46, was shot in the back of the head by his cousin in an apparent accident. A man has been shot dead by his cousin in an apparent accident in northern Jordan on the day the victim was released from prison. A video that circulated on social media on Tuesday showed Sari Salem Wardat, 46, being shot in the head as he was walking towards his house as a crowd of family members and neighbours had gathered to welcome him. Police and family members confirmed that the incident took place on Monday and the shooter has been identified as the victims distant cousin Ahmad Salamah Wardat. In the video, Sari arrives in a blue car amid a hail of off-screen celebratory gunfire. Sari exits the car and is approached by Ahmad, who points a handgun skywards. The weapon appears to jam twice before Ahmad fires a shot, after which it appears to jam again before he fires six shots into the air. Then as the two men walk along the road, Ahmad appears to fiddle with the gun and fires one more shot at Sari, who immediately drops to the road. The incident took place in the town of Amrawah, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of the capital, Amman, close to the countrys border with Syria. The roughly 9,000 residents of the town are mostly from the same Wardat clan. Sari, a father of five, had been serving an eight-month prison sentence for carrying an unlicensed weapon and resisting arrest, according to police and relatives, and was released two weeks early in line with special government measures to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus in Jordan. In addition to imposing a tight lockdown last month in an attempt to contain the coronavirus outbreak in the country, the government has ordered the early release of some prisoners. All public gatherings are prohibited under the measures. Police sources told Al Jazeera that Sari was a drug dealer and smuggler, an account that was confirmed by family members on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Ahmad Wardat is a member of Jordanian Armed Forces. Relatives who witnessed the shooting said he was using a seven-millimetre modified gun that frequently jammed. The relatives said that Ahmad was not very bright. They described a separate occasion several years ago when he fired a pump-action pellet shotgun during a wedding, wounding six people. Relatives said the shooter said he thought he had fired all of his bullets not knowing that the last bullet had jammed in the magazine that killed Sari. Tribal peace deal Hassan Wardat, a distant relative of both men and a local imam, told Al Jazeera by phone from Amrawah that the families of both men struck an Atwa or a tribal peace agreement, after the shooting to prevent a potential revenge killing against the family of the shooter. Immediately after the shooting, Awad, Saris brother, stood among the gathered crowd and said he forgave the shooter and his family for his brothers blood, Hassan said. This was done in the interests of peace between the different branches of the clan especially during this time. Jawdat Darabseh, a member of parliament who represents Irbid province and is familiar with the clans of Amrawah, told Al Jazeera that he intervened to formalise the agreement between the family branches of the victim and the shooter, in order stop potential further disputes in the town. Upon hearing of what happened I immediately contacted the security officials in the area and got permission to have limited meetings between the families, he said. The shooter has been detained and will likely face a murder charge, the police said. Follow Ali Younes on Twitter: @ali_reports SHELTON The city could soon be adding some $4.4 million to its coffers. The Board of Education, during a special virtual meeting Thursday unanimously voted to authorize interim Superintendent Beth Smith to prepare closeout paperwork for state reimbursement on four completed school construction projects, one of which was finished in 2008. Facilities Director John Calhoun, who was on the virtual meeting, told board members that all projects are complete, and the paperwork could now be filed to obtain the state reimbursements. The figures are based on the state reimbursing an estimated 40 percent of the project cost. The largest estimated return will come from the nearly $24 million Shelton High School renovation finished in 2008. Smith said the renovation included upgrades to the locker rooms and library as well as science labs on the fourth floor. The return is estimated at $3,185,600. The city has already received $5.8 million of the overall anticipated $9 million reimbursement. The other projects are the Sunnyside School roof, done last year for $1.2 million with an estimated reimbursement of $335,815; the high school sprinkler system, finished in 2017 at $1.6 million, with an estimated return of $640,000; and the Elizabeth Shelton School windows, finished last year at $1.6 million, with some $264,779 coming back to the city. The city has already received state reimbursements of $149,985 for the Sunnyside School roof and $373,343 for the Elizabeth Shelton School windows. Filing the closeout paperwork allows the city to recoup the remaining reimbursements. While the projects were done at school buildings, the city covered the costs, said school Finance Director Rick Belden, so all reimbursements are paid to the city. The Board of Education also formally approved a graduation commencement date of June 18 for the sole purpose of printing diplomas. By order of Gov. Ned Lamont in response to the coronavirus pandemic, schools are closed until at least May 20. In other business, the board voted to revise the districts grading calculation regulations, waiving year-end exams. The board also unanimously revised graduation requirements for the Shelton High School classes of 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The community service graduation requirement will be revised to .3 and total credits for graduation revised to 25.3. This waives the .1 community service graduation requirement for this year for each class and removes it from the community service and total credits for graduation. The original graduation requirement for those classes was 25.4 credits. The board also approved a revision to the promotion requirement for each of the high school classes. For the Class of 2021, current juniors, promotion to grade 12 students must earn 17.2 credits through coursework. Students must pass English III. In addition, students promoted to grade 12 must have fulfilled enough of the graduation requirements to allow the student to graduate in June. This waives the .1 community service promotion requirement for this year and removes it from total credits earned through coursework. It was 17.3 credits and included community service for promotion. For the Class of 2022, current sophomores, promotion to grade 11 students must earn 11.1 credits through coursework. Students must pass English II. This waives the .1 community service promotion requirement for this year and removes it from total credits earned through coursework. It was 11.2 credits and included community service for promotion. The Class of 2023, current freshmen, will be promoted to grade 10 students must earn 4.5 credits through coursework. This waives the .1 community service promotion requirement for this year and removes it from total credits earned through coursework. It was 4.6 credits and included community service for promotion. Those students who have completed their 10 hours of community service will earn it this year, said Smith. The Capstone requirement will remain. (Interim SHS Principal) Kathy Riddle has worked out a plan for seniors to finish it virtually. Current juniors will finish it next year. brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com Boris Johnson is still recovering from coronavirus and not doing government work after being discharged from St Thomas Hospital at the weekend, No 10 has said. Downing Street added the prime minister remains at his countryside residence of Chequers and is not receiving his ministerial red box with official government papers, but had spoken to Dominic Raab on Thursday. Mr Johnson left the central London hospital where he had spent time in intensive care on Sunday afternoon, after testing positive for covid-19 in late March. Mr Raab, the first secretary of state and foreign secretary, has been deputising for the prime minister in his absence, and yesterday announced a three-week extension to the UK-wide lockdown. He warned the country could experience a second deadly spike in infections if stringent government orders on social distancing are relaxed too early, but insisted there was light at the end of the tunnel. 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 Providing an update on Mr Johnsons health, the prime ministers official spokesperson said on Friday: He continues his recovery at Chequers and he is not doing government work. Pressed on whether he had spoken to Mr Raab since leaving hospital on Sunday, they added: The PM had a discussion with the first secretary of state yesterday. He is not doing [red] box work. He is focused on his recovery and not doing government work. In a recorded message after leaving St Thomas Hospital on Sunday, the prime minister said the NHS saved my life, no question and singled out two nurses for praise who were at his bedside when things could have gone either way. Mr Johnson said: The reason my body started to get enough oxygen was because for every second of the night they were watching and they were thinking and they were caring and making the interventions I needed. He also praised the public for forming a human shield around the NHS by following government advice to stay at home to prevent the spread of the virus. On Thursday, the first lady of the United States Melania Trump also contacted Mr Johnsons fiancee Carrie Symonds to share well wishes for her and the prime minister. Ms Symonds, who is with Mr Johnson at Chequers, and is expecting the couples first child in the summer, had also showed symptoms of the virus earlier this month, but was not tested. 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. A minutes silence will be held to remember the 20 London bus staff who have died after contracting coronavirus. The mark of respect, organised by the trade union Unite, will take place at 11am today. The union said far too many bus workers have died during the crisis and the danger has still not passed. Pete Kavanagh, Unite regional secretary for London, said: Unite pays tribute to those bus workers who have died during the coronavirus pandemic and our thoughts are with their loved ones at this incredibly painful time. "Their heart-breaking sacrifice, at a time of critical need, will never be forgotten." A total of 26 transport workers in the capital have passed away from confirmed Covid-19 during the pandemic, Transport for London said, a rise from 21 - including 15 bus staff - earlier this week. Bus use has dropped significantly across the capital during lockdown / PA Twenty of these were bus staff, four from Tube and TfL railways, one from head office and one from a partner service. Bus use across the capital has plummeted in line with the rest of the country during the pandemic. Enhanced anti-viral cleaning is in force across the network, the mayor said, and protective film has been applied on top of the screens separating bus drivers from passengers to seal off holes. On nine routes a trial is taking place of passengers only boarding from the middle doors. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said earlier this week that he was "heartbroken" by the deaths. My thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones at this very difficult time," he said. "This is deeply personal - I cant help but think that this could have been my dad or his colleagues and friends. Mike Brown MVO, Transport for Londons Commissioner, said he was utterly devastated. It is an absolute tragedy and I cant imagine the pain and suffering that their families and friends are going through, he said. My thoughts and condolences are with them all, and we are doing everything we can to provide support." (Newser) On the 50th anniversary of a crisis in space, three astronauts returned to a planet in the midst of a crisis all its own. It had been 205 days since NASA's Jessica Meir and Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka stepped foot on Earth, and 272 days for NASA's Andrew Morgan. All three landed "safe and sound" Friday morning near Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, NASA said in a tweet. The Soyuz MS-15 crew landing marked 50 years since the Apollo 13 crew landed safely back on Earth after aborting a lunar landing made impossible by an oxygen tank explosion. During a press conference last week, Morgan said the astronauts were keeping up with news reports and "talking to friends and families to try to paint a picture" of a world in isolation as a result of the novel coronavirus, per CNN. story continues below "But from up here, it's hard to understand what has transpired and how life will be different when we return," said Morgan. With the astronauts' immune systems weakened after such a long time in space, precautions were taken. Both NASA and Roscosmos officials wore face masks while tending to the astronauts Friday, and others on site looked to be following social distancing guidelines, per Space.com. Skripochka will now return to Russia, while Morgan and Meir will board a flight back to Houston. "It certainly will be very difficult for me to not be able to give some hugs to my family and friends," Morgan said last week. "I think I will feel even more isolated on Earth." (Read more space stories.) At 7:05 Friday night, or shortly thereafter, Brandon Shipley's job loss and divorce didn't seem quite as awful as it had just minutes before. Mackenzie Ralston, not working due to coronavirus and still grieving the recent loss of her father, smiled just a little bit. Stacey Heiden, both her and her husband's hours cut back, her 72-year-old mom living on a fixed income, just sat staring at the screen and said "Wow." As the residents of Fortville opened up the town's Facebook page Friday night, they saw that 7:05 p.m. post. And they were overwhelmed. Don't worry about paying your April water and sewer bill. Every resident's has been paid in full by an anonymous donor, the town said. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart," Chasity Despain wrote back. "Knowing at least one bill is going to be paid literally just brought me to tears." Heiden told the IndyStar she saw that post and "I thought, 'Wow, what an incredibly selfless thing to do for our town,'" she said. "This was a nice surprise to know we have one less thing to worry over this month." The donors giving anonymously, without any wish for notoriety, also made it feel a bit sweeter, Heiden said. "Although I'm safe in saying we all wish we knew who it was so we could thank them," she said. "But even though we don't, we are still very grateful and hope that this company is blessed, too." Officials made it clear the donor wanted to stay anonymous in its Facebook announcement. "The town has received a gracious donation with the stipulation that it be used to pay for April water/sewer bills. If you have already paid your April bill, you will see a credit on the May billing," Fortville's Friday Facebook post read. The town went on to share the note it received from the donor: "This gift was made by local businesses as an encouragement that we all might look out for one another, find the needs of our neighbors, neighborhoods and do our part in helping them through this uncertain and unprecedented difficult time...and the good times that will soon follow," the donor wrote. "Thank you and God bless our people and our nation." Story continues Thank you isn't enough Rumors started swirling in Fortville -- which according to the 2018 U.S. Census had a population of 4,077. Some residents said their bills are as high as $100 a month. Town manager Joe Renner said the total donation was more than $210,000. I thought that was pretty great," Renner said, "for a town thats no bigger than what Fortville is, to have such caring people. "Whoever did this probably took a whole lot of stress off a whole lot of families," wrote Jenn Davis, one of nearly 200 people who commented. Many on the post just wanted to say thank you. Others said they would pay it forward. Some said they would take the money they would have used to pay their April bills and donate it. Residents of Fortville in Hancock County will not have to pay their April sewer and water bills thanks to an anonymous donor. "Seems like thank you just isnt enough to say to this wonderful human being," said Wanda Holt. "God bless you." Shipley, a heavy machine operator, had been been out of work since December. He went through a divorce in January and has been struggling financially. He had to sell one of his vehicles to make mortgage payments. The stress, he said, was unreal. "When I (saw) my water bill had been paid for this month that was a huge weight off my shoulders," he told the IndyStar. "Times are hard. It's great to know there are wonderful people in this world. It gives me hope." After learning of the donation, Shipley got a call to start work this week. It was like that donor set good things in motion, he said. "We hope this makes your day a bit brighter," Fortville said in its Facebook post. "Stay safe." IndyStar's Hoosiers United reporting project is made possible through the support of the Lilly Endowment Inc. and United Way of Central Indiana. Support journalism: Stories like this are possible because of subscribers This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Donation pays all residents' water, sewer bills in Fortville, Indiana Institutional investors in 15 major pharmaceutical companies have called on the drugmakers to set aside rivalries and short-term interests and cooperate on finding solutions to the coronavirus. The investor group - which holds more than 1.9 trillion euros ($2.1 trillion) in assets and includes Nordea, Nomura, Boston Common Asset Management and Dutch pension fund PGGM - said it will send drugmakers including Roche, Johnson & Johnson and Gilead, a list of principles it wants them to abide by for the coming year. The list includes prioritising the development of tests, medicines and vaccines, working together on data-sharing, paying suppliers on time, understanding if customers have financial hardship and ensuring supply lines are working. The group said in a statement dated April 16 that it had "unfortunately... seen some examples of priority being given to short-term financial and competitive considerations". Frank Wagemans, representing Achmea Investment Management, which has 147 billion euros in assets under management, told Reuters that the investors have "a range of opinions" on whether they might disinvest or what other actions they might take if a company is perceived to not be following the principles. 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 While drugmakers have sprung into action to try and come up with vaccines to treat the coronavirus and test for the presence of COVID-19 and other measures, investors say they need to do more. "The negative societal and financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis is unprecedented and needs to be resolved soon," the investor group said in its April 16 statement. "Enforcing patents, excessive price setting, not disclosing relevant findings or securing extended market exclusivity through, for example, orphan drug designation should not run counter to this responsibility." Wagemans said that several additional investors intend to join the group, which will bring its collective investing power to 2.5-3 trillion euros. He said companies would be receiving both general letters containing the principles, as well as tailored remarks discussing individual behaviour. "This will be a primary subject in our conversations with companies over the coming two years," he said. "We will be following shareholders' meetings with great interest." Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here. Syracuse, N.Y. Lindsey and Jamie Pienkowski have their hands full. Its not enough to be parents to three children ranging from ages two to 12 in a raging coronavirus pandemic. Both risk their lives daily thrust in a high stakes game of roulette with the deadly virus, answering calls of distress in the DeWitt community with Lindsey, a police officer, and Jamie, a firefighter. Lindsey is no stranger to catastrophe. Her 19 years of service in law enforcement started in New York City during 9/11. She compares the drawn-out stress of the current COVID-19 pandemic as far more uncertain, and worries the outcome is too unclear for now. As we continue to grapple with the spread of coronavirus in Central New York, we turn to our frontline defenders the doctors, hospital staff, first responders, grocery store workers for insight into this new threat that has so dramatically changed our lives. Syracuse.com is regularly checking in with several of these folks to hear their experiences, their concerns, and their hope for the coming weeks. This chapter introduces the Pienkowskis and continues with Michelle, Rich and Dara. When we last left respiratory therapist Michele Pedicone, she was still being indoctrinated into fieldwork again after years of teaching to provide ventilator assistance to patients at Crouse Hospital. This week sees her settling in, and feeling much safer at the hospital than even a trip to the grocery store, where she worries about the groups of people she sees shopping and wearing masks incorrectly. Rich Nojaim works hard to keep his grocery employees safe, and even had to prevent his frail father from coming to the store and endangering his own safety. New disruptions in the food supply to grocery stores add to his concerns. Yet he pivots to help supply not only individual customers but also nearby restaurants that are having trouble getting food through their own supply chains. When he talks to his customers, more often than not he doesnt hear complaints. They ask how he is first, and thank him for being there open and available. Dara Kibby was rocked this week with news from the medical group where she works as an orthopedic surgical nurse; layoffs and redeployments have disrupted her team. She continues to stay at home with her children while her husband, an orthopedic physicians assistant, assists with orthopedic and emergency cases. Check back for regular updates as Syracuse.com follows along. 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 CARACAS, Venezuela - A massive stone considered sacred by an indigenous community in Venezuela returned home Thursday resolving simmering international tension after a German artist shipped it to Berlin over two decades ago as part of a public exhibition symbolizing peace. Artist Wolfgang Kraker von Schwarzenfeld took the stone in 1998, saying he had permission from Venezuelas government at the time and only later learned that members of the nations Pemon community were upset. It had been displayed among five large stones in Tiergarten Park in Berlin near the Brandenburg Gate and Holocaust Memorial. The so-called Kueka stone from Venezuela represented love, according to the artists webpage. Other hulking stones collected from around the world in the Global Stones Project symbolized awakening, hope, forgiveness and peace. The Pemons believe it represents the story of star-cross lovers, each turned to stone by a deity as punishment for marrying a member of another tribe. Images on Venezuelan state TV Thursday showed a large crate containing the 30-ton stone being lifted by crane from an ocean freighter at a Venezuelan port. It originated from the grasslands region known as the Gran Sabana, also famous for dramatic flat-top mountains and the worlds tallest waterfall. The stones removal stirred strain between Germany and Venezuela, including protests by tribal members outside the German embassy in Caracas. President Nicolas Maduro in a nightly TV broadcast welcomed it home, calling it a spiritual and cultural treasure at a time when Venezuela and the world battle the coronavirus pandemic. He said the stone will next be trucked to the remote corner of southern Venezuela where it originated. The Kueka stone begins its its journey back to the place it had always been for thousands of years, Maduro said. Venezuelan officials said Germany returned it in a friendly agreement, as a sign of goodwill and willingness to respect the peoples cultural rights. Von Schwarzenfelds website recounts embarking on a journey to circumnavigate the globe, setting sail from Europe to across the Atlantic Ocean. He eventually landed in Venezuela. I spoke with ministers, indigenous people, managers and the man on the street, and learned about Venezuelans ambitions and problems, he wrote. I filed an application and started the project. South of the Orinoco River I found a red granite boulder to be the first stone for my project. The AP did not receive an immediate response to a request for comment emailed to the website. It says he respects those who believe the stone would have been better if the stone had stayed in Venezuela. But he added that There will always be a special place in my heart for all of them! Leaving Venezuela, von Schwarzenfeld said he continued his journey, sailing more than 10,000 miles to find the other stones. ___ Associated Press writer Jorge Rueda contributed to this story. By Libby George and Katharine Houreld LAGOS/NAIROBI (Reuters) - 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. By Libby George and Katharine Houreld LAGOS/NAIROBI (Reuters) - 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. (Reporting by Libby George in Lagos and Katharine Houreld in Nairobi; Additional reporting by Tim Cocks in Johannesburg; Editing by Alexis Akwagyiram, Alexandra Zavis and Giles Elgood) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are one of our favorite love stories. After a brief meeting in the early aughts, they reconnected in early 2017 and instantly clicked. In March of that year, they began dating and got engaged two years later during a romantic beach getaway in celebration of their second anniversary. Ever since then, the couple has been actively planning the rest of their lives together. While they have mostly stayed tight-lipped about their upcoming wedding, insiders have shared many of the alleged details. Heres what sources most recently said about the celebration. Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez on the red carpet at an event in September 2017 | Rich Fury/Getty Images Sources reveal Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguezs alleged wedding destination At the time of this writing, neither of them has said where they intend to marry. However, a source told Us Weekly in a report published on April 14 that the pair allegedly plan on exchanging vows in Italy. Unfortunately, they have reportedly been forced to delay the wedding as a result of the coronavirus crisis, which has led to many travel restrictions around the world. It was all planned out and paid for, the source shared. They obviously had to postpone it due to coronavirus, but J.Lo wants to marry A-Rod shortly after things go back to normal. Lopez previously admitted in a April 7 interview with Ellen DeGeneres that the coronavirus had affected her wedding plans. As it continued to spread, Lopez said she had no idea of when they would tie the knot and that they were just taking it day by day. We will see what happens now. Honestly, I really dont know whats going to happen now as far as dates of anything like that, Lopez explained. Were kinda of just in a holding pattern like the rest of the world. Again, its just something were going to have to wait and see in a few months how this all pans out. What Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have been doing instead With all thats going on, Lopez and Rodriguez have been kicking back and enjoying time at home with their family. In a recent Instagram post, she encouraged viewers to follow suit to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has affected more than 2 million people globally. Hey everyone, we want you to please stay at home to stop the spread of COVID-19, she said while sitting alongside Rodriguez. You know, were staying home to protect those on the front lines, the doctors, the nurses and technicians that are working so hard to save lives at our hospitals. When things get boring, she and Rodriguez tend to partake in Tik Tok challenges and battles on Instagram. Most recently, the pair got on Instagram Live with Diddy to participate in a dance competition meant to raise money for frontline workers. More than 100,000 people were tuned in as the trio danced to songs like Elvis Crespos Suavemente. Since theres no end in sight to the crisis, Lopez has teased that she and Rodriguez might even get married on social media. But the ceremony sounds like it might be worth waiting out for. Read more: How Alex Rodriguez Reportedly Feels About Jennifer Lopezs Reunion with Diddy TDT | Manama His Royal Highness the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa delivered a message of love and gratitude yesterday to Bahraini citizens for their contributions to the battle against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. HRH the Premier said that Bahrainis are heroes in the ongoing world war against COVID-19, as they contribute to all matters related to the interest and safety of the homeland and its people. Medical and nursing staff work day and night, exposing themselves to danger every single minute for the sake of the citizens safety, HRH the Prime Minister said. 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 Defence Force, education, transport, communications, industry, trade and other official and national bodies. Together, they embody an impressive visualisation of our war against the coronavirus in order to prevent its spread. To all of them, we express our love and appreciation. HRH the Prime Minister called on everyone to shoulder their national responsibilities through commitment to government instructions on how to alleviate the burden on those facing the virus in their professions. 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, HRH the Premier explained. Commitment to preventive measures is a must for everyone to eliminate the pandemic peacefully for Bahrain and the entire world. 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. He affirmed that Bahrainis have proven 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. It 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 this people, HRH the Prime Minister said. 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. 'World's Biggest Lockdown' Enters Critical Phase Amid Starvation Fears, Says Gospel for Asia GFA World's humanitarian efforts continue as 'commendable' Indian prime minister extends COVID-19 stay-at-home orders; 1.3 billion people 'in hands of God' COVID-19: INDIA 'IN HANDS OF GOD:' The world's biggest coronavirus lockdown has been extended -- leaving more than a billion people in India on the edge of survival amid fears of mass starvation, Gospel for Asia (GFA World, www.gfa.org) reports today, as the mission agency distributes food packages. NEWS PROVIDED BY Gospel for Asia (GFA World) April 17, 2020 WILLS POINT, Texas, April 17, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- The world's biggest coronavirus lockdown has been extended -- leaving more than a billion people in India on the edge of survival amid fears of mass starvation, mission agency Gospel for Asia (GFA World, www.gfa.org) reported today. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the strict nationwide lockdown until May 3, essentially placing India's 1.3 billion people -- one out of every six people in the world -- under stay-at-home orders. The latest order means the entire nation -- soon to overtake China as the world's most populous -- faces a six-week shutdown in total. In a televised address to the nation, Modi said the next few days would be decisive, as India braces itself for a spike in COVID-19 cases. So far, the nation has officially reported nearly 13,000 confirmed cases and more than 400 deaths, but numbers could be much higher, and the country is now entering a critical phase. "GFA World staff are actively praying for the honorable prime minister and his commendable efforts to protect the Indian people from this virus," said GFA World founder Dr. K.P. Yohannan. The lockdown, which began March 24, bans all non-essential activities and has brought the economies of several southeast Asia nations to a grinding halt, instantly plunging hundreds of millions of families into fear and chaos. At the grassroots level, millions of furloughed day laborers and agricultural workers -- the backbone of the workforce -- face the grim threat of starvation. Nations 'In God's Hands' "These nations are in the hands of God right now," said Yohannan. "There is a real danger that millions could starve to death." In southeast Asia, hundreds of millions of children are especially at risk, as the lockdown paralyzes entire nations. Huge numbers of street children -- estimated at 70,000-plus in Delhi, India, alone -- have no one to beg from and no one to turn to. "When a crisis hits, the children are always hit the hardest," said Yohannan, whose Texas-based organization directly supports and feeds more than 70,000 children in southeast Asia. "Right now, we're working alongside the government in India to do all we can to bring relief to the most needy." Immediate relief includes "food-to-go" bags, like those distributed by church workers in a community where the local brick factory has shut down, putting everyone out of work. In one community, teams have been working with local authorities to feed 500 people a day, and elsewhere teams have been taking food to people living in the open, who've been reduced to begging. "Unlike many in the West, the poor in southeast Asia do not have a social safety net or stimulus checks to fall back on," said Yohannan. 'You Were Sent By God' On April 13, as church workers distributed food to out-of-work day laborers facing starvation, a widow called Majili told them: "I've been suffering from a headache for a week. There was no one to help me, and I was crying inside. You were sent by God." Sadhna, one of thousands of people helped by the food distributions, was grateful that workers taught her community about social distancing and hand-washing with soap to prevent the transmission of coronavirus and other diseases--simple practices she'd never heard about. Shutdowns have crippled manufacturing industries and pummeled stock markets, leading to fears of a potential economic train wreck that could have a ripple effect on the U.S. economy. Meanwhile, reports of coronavirus-related violence in India are on the rise as fearful residents target individuals they blame for the spread of the virus. Many organizations like GFA World are working with grassroots networks, including churches, to help stop rumors and misinformation from spreading and to combat stigma. "As followers of Christ, we need not be afraid because we have a living hope," Yohannan said. "In times of crisis, it is the body of Christ, the holy church, that rises to the challenge for the sake of others because of the love of Christ." Those interested in supporting GFA World's hunger relief efforts in Asia, should go to: www.gfa.org/press/covid-19. Gospel for Asia (GFA World, www.gfa.org) is a leading faith-based mission agency, helping national workers to bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across Asia, especially to those who have yet to hear about the love of God. In GFA's latest yearly report, this included more than 70,000 sponsored children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,200 villages and remote communities, over 4,000 clean water wells drilled, over 11,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 200,000 needy families, and spiritual teaching available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://press.gfa.org/news. SOURCE Gospel for Asia (GFA World) CONTACT: Gregg Wooding, 972-567-7660, gwooding@inchristcommunications.com Related Links www.gfa.org Share Tweet A woman has been sexually assaulted in broad daylight just 2kms from where Melbourne comedian Eurydice Dixon was raped and murdered. The woman was attacked in an area of Carlton, just outside of Melbourne's CBD, that is usually packed with students. The brazen assault happened on Tuesday at the corner of Pelham and Berkeley streets about 4.20pm. Police have released an image of a man they believe can help them in their investigation of the brazen Melbourne attack The area where a young woman was sexually assaulted on Tuesday. It is just down the road from where two other women were murdered The area is just a short stroll from Melbourne University and Melbourne's usually bustling hospital district. Detectives have released an image and CCTV video of a man they believe can help solve the investigation. Footage shows what appears to be a frantic and disheveled man wearing sandals and a hoodie on his head as he bolts into an alleyway before shuffling back out onto the street. The 20-year victim had been walking along Pelham Street when she was approached from behind by a man that was unknown to her. She has told police the man picked her up off the footpath and sexually assaulted her before the pair fell to the ground. Sources have told Daily Mail Australia the brave victim was able to fight her attacker off and unsuccessfully attempted to chase the pervert down on foot. The attacker had followed his prey east along Pelham before 'nervously' making his move as they passed a laneway near Berkeley Street. The attack happened just out of shot of CCTV cameras that otherwise flood the busy area. CCTV images of a man police hope can help with their investigation A close-up image of the face police wish to speak with over a shocking daylight sexual assault in Melbourne Daily Mail Australia has been told the woman chased her attacker towards Elizabeth Street before losing sight of him. The offender was perceived to be Caucasian in appearance and was described as having a solid build, about 180cm tall with short or shaved hair and a red coloured beard. He was wearing dark coloured clothing and a red hoodie, with dark, open toe sandals. Police have appealed to the public for anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who recognise the man to come forward. The assault happened a short stroll from where Ms Dixon was murdered in June 2018. Tje body of Courtney Herron was found a stone's throw away from where this latest sexual assault took place Eurydice Dixon was raped and murdered in a park just down the road from where Courtney Herron was allegedly murdered A man lays the first flowers at the site where Courtney Herron's body was found in Royal Park in May last year The comedian and actress had been on her way home from a comedy show. She was found murdered at Melbourne's Princes Park - just down the road from Tuesday's attack. Courtney Herron's murder in May last year was even closer. Ms Herron's body was found battered and bruised under logs at Royal Park. She was just 25. The Counting Dead Women project claimed Ms Herron's alleged murder was the 20th woman on their list in 2019. Police said the crime showed attitudes toward women needed to change. 'What is it in our community that allows some men to think that it's still OK to attack women or take from women what they want?' Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said at the time. 'Violence against women is absolutely about men's behaviour.' Anyone with any information in relation to this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au. The Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri on Thursday said he was saddened by the sudden passing of Keniebi Okoko , a former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state. In a statement by his acting Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabra, the Bayelsa State Governor described the late Okoko as an Ijaw icon, pillar and astute businessman. Diri said Bayelsa State and the country had lost a man with great potential, whose philanthropy and impact as a young politician would be greatly missed. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Okoko, who died at age 42, contested the September 4, 2019 PDP governorship primaries alongside 21 other aspirants and came third in the contest that Diri won. The late politician, a son of the former President of the Ijaw National Congress and former lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Kimse Okoko, died on Tuesday at a private hospital in Lagos after an illness. The governor commiserated with the deceased family, his aged parents, and the Obunagha community of Gbarain Clan in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state. Diri said: As a fellow aspirant in the course of the PDP governorship primary, I got to know him quite well. He always presented himself as a patriotic, intelligent, gentlemanly, courteous, and devoted Christian. He was always passionate about the prosperity of our state. I was, therefore, not surprised when I emerged winner of the primary election, Keniebi showed great sportsmanship by immediately congratulating me and collapsing his political structure into mine. He worked energetically to ensure our victory. Diri noted that Okokos death was a huge loss to the PDP family in Bayelsa State, coming at a time the party had great hopes in him to contribute to furthering the frontiers of development of the state. The governor prayed God to comfort and grant his parents and immediate family the grace to bear the painful loss. He added: The sudden passing of Okoko came as a rude shock to me. It is equally painful just as it is tragic. A new study published in Chemrxiv in April 2020 describes the identification of 64 compounds that could potentially be inhibitors of replication of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that is causing the current COVID-19 disease pandemic. The research was carried out using a pharmacophore model of an essential viral enzyme, mining data from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) database of conformations of approved drugs. The viral pneumonic illness called COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has created hotspots of death and severe or critical illness throughout the world. At present, it has claimed over 2.14 million victims, of whom over 143,000 have died. Many of them have been healthcare workers serving in the line of duty. There is no vaccine, obviously, at present, since the virus was identified only at the end of December 2019. Neither is there any currently known cure. The hope of containing the pandemic rests on the effectiveness of social distancing and lockdown measures, as well as contact tracing and quarantine. These measures are designed to prevent the movement of people who could potentially be carrying the virus with or without symptoms, and who could infect other people through respiratory droplets or other modes of transmission. While these are meant to flatten the curve or reduce the rate at which new cases occur, the only way to actually contain the epidemic would be to find an effective vaccine or therapeutic drug that inhibits viral replication. Enter the supercomputer center Researchers at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) have recently created a pharmacophore model to help find the potential drugs that could bind the viral protease, the key to the process of viral replication and, therefore, essential for ongoing viral infection. A pharmacophore is an abstract concept, a precise arrangement of common electronic and steric features in the form of atoms, groups or functional groups, that must be present to allow a small molecule to interact specifically with a selected biological target, in order to either stimulate or inhibit the biological response by this binding. This is one of the chief requirements for a small molecule to be considered a potential drug candidate. How to find a pharmacophore Pharmacophore modeling is an application of modern computational chemistry. It enables the investigator to define the core features of different molecules that have the same biological activity. To create a pharmacophore, the scientists look for multiple ligands (molecules with different types of structures) that are bound to the same binding site of the same protein. For each ligand, the set of 3D low-energy or stable conformational structures that probably includes the bioactive conformation is identified. The ligands are then superimposed or fitted, such that they are aligned by a common feature. The most extensive arrangement that is common to all the ligands is called the common pharmacophore. This image illustrates azithromycin in the pharmacophore model of a potential protease inhibitor. The model contains nine functional centers: two donors, two acceptors, one donor/acceptor center, and three hydrophobic centers. Credit: V. Kouznetsova, I. Tsigelny, D. Huang, San Diego Supercomputer Center/UC San Diego What protease inhibitors do The investigators explain the principle of the current approach. Likening the host cell to a fortress under siege, scientist Valentina Kouznetsova says multiple lines of defense are available to the cell. For one, the cell surface receptor called ACE2 turns out to be the point of attachment of the virus to the cell. The scientists explain that there could be inhibitors or antibodies which prevent such binding. Kouznetsova says these are the first line of defense, but the second line of defense is represented by protease inhibitors drugs that inhibit the key viral enzyme RNA polymerase. Without this enzyme, the virus cannot replicate. She explains, To help visualize this, it is as if people on the fortress moor are throwing cobblestones and pouring hot tar on the heads of enemies. The second line of defense is when the enemies arrive, and hand-to-hand combat begins. This latter line is what protease inhibitors do they dont allow the virus to produce needed viral proteins for a further attack. What did the study do? The pharmacophore model allows researchers to search a database of many different chemicals, looking for a common set of electronic and steric features with the same orientation relative to each other. The aim of the current study was to identify which of the FDA-approved drugs are suitable for immediate clinical trials on human patients. This approach has been validated by other human research involving COVID-19, as it cuts the time required for drug approvals by seeking to repurpose already approved drugs. Professor Roberto Burioni, virologist and author of the new book Virus: The Great Challenge: From Coronavirus to the Plague: How Science Can Save Mankind, says regarding this approach: To fight an epidemic, you need speed and strategy. The later the reaction, the more likely the defeat. In the current scenario, the researchers took the molecular conformations of potential inhibitors and put them through a similarity cluster test, using 3D fingerprints of the molecule. They also allowed several possible binding or conforming molecules to dock to the binding pocket of the protease, and then repeated the docking with any given compound. Describing the results, researcher Igor Tsigelny says, This cocktail of inhibitors could help save thousands of lives, said Tsigelny. We have now published our findings with Chemrxiv so that we can move on with proper testing that would next allow this concept to be utilized during the current pandemic crisis. Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is famed globally as a man who saw tomorrow. He was a great political seer, whom God endowed with unbeatable clairvoyance. He could predict the future events with amazing precision. He was venerated world wide because his futuristic and visionary leadership skills. His Excellency John Dramani Mahama can be likened to the Great Osayefo. He is imbued with such telepathy.He met serious challenges when took over the administration of the country. The decades old power crisis (dumsor) had worsened, prices of our export commodities had plummeted, the single spine salary headache rocked his administration, the 2007/8 global economic recession was still haunting the economy, the country was wholly dependent on other nations for survival, the huge infrastructure deficit was affecting economic activities and was in court for eight months over the 2012 election petition. He had a sound vision about tomorrow and the future, which told him embarking on massive infrastructure development, implementing prudent homegrown economic measures, getting all Ghanaians on board the reconstruction agenda, improving our revenue generation system and repositioning Ghana on the path of self-reliance were the only worthwhile steps of redemption of the country. Because he is futuristic, he is great at forecasting. He can anticipate and think about what is coming. One of the muscles you should flex as a leader with futuristic is getting your vision out of your head and that was exactly what John Mahama did. He prudently planted those seeds that he saw so vividly to really speak to others and ultimately, benefit the people he led. He always tried to build trust by sharing what he saw and was bold enough to explain his idea. But his opponents mischievously misinterpreted his honesty and boldness and successfully gave different meanings to his wonderful ideas just to incite Ghanaians against his administration. He was very pragmatic and very black and white about what he was doing. His ability to exploit his inner drive to build and grow things, as well as connect with others including his opponents in the making was amazing. He brought people from divergent ideological cultures toward constructive engagement. He invited all the political parties to the Senchi Economic Forum to discuss the economy and develop a comprehensive policy for the country's economic transformation. Strategic leaders take a broad, long range approach to problem-solving and decision-making that involves objective analysis, thinking ahead, and planning. When Nkrumah embarked on his industrialisation policy, building factories, harbours, schools etc, his opponents ridiculed and undermined his initiatives. Chiefs and opinion leaders were bribed by his political opponents to frustrate his efforts with legal suits and demonstrations. The projects he implemented including the Tema Harbour, the factories became the mainstay of the Ghanaian economy. Mahama, just like his political godfather Nkrumah, reasoned in multiple time frames and planned systematically. He always identified the impact of his decisions on various sectors. Strategic thinking is a difficult leadership skill to acquire because it is as much a mindset as a set of techniques. His opponents found it extremely difficult understanding the web-Ghana he was weaving so resorted to all manner of baseless attacks and propaganda theories. The Covid-19 pandemic has vindicated Mr Mahama and raised his image further. The policies and projects he implemented that would pull back Ghana from the claws of dependence, huge infrastructure deficit to self sufficiency are is sustaining the system in this difficult times. That special thinking ability and wisdom gave Mahama the foresight of what was to come in the nearest future. He was unjustly lampooned by his political opponents but stayed focused. The Ebola epidemic thought him huge lessons. He embarked on an unprecedented transformation of the health sector against future health crisis. He built ultramodern hospitals across the country, rehabilitated some existing ones, fixed temperature testing devices at our ports, furnished our hospitals with modern medical equipments and trained more health personnel. These projects are the mainstay for the government's response to covid-19 pandemic. The President announced certain lockdown relief measures including free water and electricity supply for three months. These measures would have been meaningless if Mahama had not constructed more water projects and fixed that decades old power crisis. Ghana is today a net exporter of power because of the huge investments the Mahama administration made in the energy sector rated the best in the history of Ghana. The manageable stabilization Ghana has achieved, in the face of this global threat fuelled by the Covid-19 pandemic is attributed to impressive investments Mr Mahama made in the health sector. Ghana would have been in deep mess had Mr Mahama spent the nation's resources in unprofitable ventures or sustained the low capital expenditure culture. The reality of the Covid-19 has exposed the wisdom in his massive infrastructure development. Mr Mahama's ardent critics now acknowledge him in their reflective moments, except that the damning things and wicked lies they said about him restrains some of them from making public confession. When the Foreign Minister of Nigeria said that the first time he had the opportunity of listening to Mr Mahama, he told himself that Ghana is blessed, his opponents in Ghana did not get the import of that message. When the former Liberian President told Mr Mahama that Africa will surely need his visionary leadership his successor took that statement lightly. Today, his suggestions are what Mr Akufo-Addo adopts to mitigate the lockdown effect on Ghanaians. His support for the Covid-19 fight has been phenomenal and being commended across the world. Revenue from the oil sector has increased significantly because of the investment he made in the oil and gas sector. The Finance Minister was in Parliament to seek for parliamentary approval to enable government touch the heritage and other oil funds. What would we have done if Mahama wasted our loans and loans on unprofitable ventures, distributed our monies to friends and families or used all to pay our debts. #GodBlessJM #ThankYouJM #HappyEasterJM Author: Andrews Krow As the death toll from Covid-19 in the UK rose to 13,729 on Thursday, the British government extended the lockdown by at least three more weeks in the hope that social distancing and other restrictions will continue to have impact. Also, the number of coronavirus cases in the UK rose to 103,093, while 861 new fatalities were reported. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab announced the extension amid 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 the coronavirus, with one in the University of Oxford promising that it could be available by September. Raab said, Now is not the moment to give the coronavirus a second chance We still dont have infection rates down as much as we need to. Any change to social distancing measures now would risk a significant increase in infections. Health minister Nadine Dorries said, There is only one way we can exit a 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, who is advising the government, said some level of social distancing would need to be retained, until a vaccine is available, calling for an emphasis on scaling up testing and contact tracing. He called for more action at the official level, noting that more preparation had been done for Brexit than to deal with the pandemic. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The light in the lab of the Hanoi Centre for Disease Control (CDC) hasnt been off for a second since March 6. CDC Hanoi staff taking samples for quick COVID-19 tests. VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Tung Thats when Vietnam discovered the 17th COVID-19 patient after twenty days of no new cases. In the following month, the number of cases in Hanoi rose to 123. Tens of thousands of people connected to the positive cases in the city had to have their health checked and monitored, meaning a huge workload for the health workers at CDC, which is tasked with disease prevention and health risk reduction. Each day, thousands of samples were taken to the headquarters of the centre for testing. Lab workers of the centre have been working round the clock for the past month, with four shifts a day, said Nguyen Thi Kieu Anh, Deputy Director of Hanoi CDC. Timely tests for the virus play a critical role in helping frontline healthcare workers detect patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and promptly treat them, as well as reducing the risk of further human-to-human transmission in the city, she said. These samples are taken by the centres 65 flash teams, also working around the clock amid the COVID-19 pandemic: checking, taking samples and isolating suspected cases. Ha Tan Dung, Head of flash team number 3, hasnt been able to visit his mother since the Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays. He has been staying at the medical centre to be ready whenever a new suspect is reported. Our work schedule is no schedule at all. We take command at any time and can be at the spot in only 15 minutes, Dung said. We understand that if were one minute faster, we can prevent the infected case from having close contact with one healthy person, he said. Dung said all members of the quick response teams are working 200 per cent. Epidemiology work is an important job and it has to be very accurate and meticulous. Apart from identifying the infected cases and taking samples, we have to get information like their movement history, who did they have contact with, what kind of transport they used, he said. Kieu Anh, the CDC deputy director said her colleagues are potentially at risk of infections from handling specimens from patients with possible SARS-CoV-2 infection. The test detects the genetic signature (RNA) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in swab samples which are collected deep in the back of the patients throat or nose, and during the process of taking samples, health workers might get infected simply by breathing, she said. But they dont quit just because of the fear. If you asked whether we feel worried about potentially being infected, the answer is we do. But so what? If we dont do these jobs, who else will? If were afraid, someone else has to do it anyway, said Hung, head of CDCs testing department. Each team member of the flash teams has worked from 13 to 15 hours a day in the past month, Hung said. We have no time to lose since the sample testing results must be done as quick as possible so that positive cases are detected, isolated and treated quickly, he said. The lab workers are under no less time pressure. Kieu Anh said most lab workers at the centre are women and they are conducting testing with the samples brought back by the flash team days and night. Each shift lasts six hours, and they often have lunch at 3pm and dinner at 9pm. They work with a wonderful and responsible spirit. After each shift, their cheeks would go red and swollen, and I often feel like almost crying whenever I see them, Kieu Anh said. One day, when the power was off for three hours, all lab workers kept the N95 mask on their faces though it was really hard to breath. They'd rather keep the mask on all the time, not wanting to waste one as once they remove the mask it can no longer be re-used, she said. The workers can't scratch even if they feel itchy, they dont even go to the toilet during their six-hour long shift, since the medical suit would easily be torn. It would be a waste, since each suit must be thrown away after each use. There is a shortage of all medical equipment, including suits, masks, and even biological testing products. What do I wish for the most now? That we have adequate equipment so we can conduct all the tests needed, she said. CDC Vietnam: a special case Deputy Director of the Hanoi CDC, Khong Minh Tuan, said although the centre has much to learn from the disease control models in other countries like the US, China, or Thailand, it has its own specialities. In each locality of Vietnam, the CDC is a world full of initiatives, experience and sensitivity in disease monitoring and control, he said. While CDCs in other countries largely focus on the national scale, we have our ears and eyes working rather effectively at grassroots levels, Tuan said. If the CDC at the national level is working well, it will help to have good, deep research. But in cases like this, if you have teams working at ward level, communal level, village level, youll be able to control and monitor the situation rather well. And thats our success, he said. Doctors, nurses, and other frontline healthcare workers have been the unsung heroes of the novel coronavirus pandemic. We honour those who have stepped up to lead at all levels. They have helped us avert an even more daunting future and they continue to inspire us with their courage to make hard choices and do the right thing. VNS Thanh An Hanoi plans more mobile COVID-19 testing stations to meet high demand Hanoi intends to expand existing quick COVID-19 testing sites and set up new mobile testing stations to meet high demand of people suspected of carrying the novel coronavirus. Barking Legs will soon, separately, welcome four local artists into its space for a residency, Confined Creations / Isolated Incidents, that will culminate in installations in the theater. "We strive to support Chattanoogas artist community and stimulate conversation that provokes a deeper engagement and reflection of the consequential domino of isolation," said Shea Brill, facility and visual art coordinator at Barking Legs. "Being quarantined impacts our most valuable resource--our connection to each other and support systems. How does this shift our understanding of social constructs? How can we use this time as a community to combat the toxic media, charged political environment, and social distancing that has arisen? How can we virtually support one another while maintaining social distance?" Artists Alecia Buckles, Justin Butts, Briah Gober and Sara-Anne Waggoner will separately spend time considering how this time period will affect their livelihood, their creative process, and the community at large. Each artist will consider the emotions that the community may be experiencing during the period of being quarantined and the resulting feelings of isolation and confinement. The theater will be relying on the generosity of the community to help in supporting this group of artists and aims to raise $2,500 to cover the cost of supplies and artist stipends. Donors will be invited to a special reception and be the first to view the new creations. For more information visit the Barking Legs website. Bola Tinubus son, Seyi Tinubu has kicked of the deliverybof relief materials to Nigerians who are in lack of food due to the coronavirus lockdown. Seyi joined other Nigerians delivering relief packages to those feeling the effect of coronavirus lockdown in Lagos state. Seyi, who is the founder of Noella Foundation, partnered with music label YBNL to deliver emergency food relief items to over 1,000 people across the state. He said: This is the first week of such an initiative, and @noellafoundation and YBNL will be actively doing its best to support Lagosians and Mr Governors formidable Team weekly. Remember, you can also do your own little part in your immediate community. . Show up for those in need; show a little kindness and together, we shall get through this. The post Seyi Tinubu gives free food to 1,000 Lagosians as Coronavirus relief appeared first on . Share this post with your Friends on China on Thursday came under mounting pressure over the coronavirus pandemic from Western powers led by the United States, which said it was probing whether the virus that has infected more than 2.1 million people actually originated in a Wuhan laboratory. The new focus on China's role came as the world wrestles with a crisis that has killed more than 140,000 people and created historic jobless numbers, with Britain, Japan and New York extending lockdown measures. Global spread of the coronavirus. By Simon MALFATTO (AFP) President Donald Trump, who initially downplayed the illness whose US death toll has shot past 30,000, has been attacking China for weeks and appeared to gain support after a videoconference 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. A Palestinian mother entertains her children with makeshift masks made of cabbage in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 16, 2020. By MOHAMMED ABED (AFP) "There are clearly things that have happened that we don't know about," he said in an interview with the Financial Times. COVID-19 first emerged late last year in Wuhan, with China saying it was suspected to have been transmitted to humans at a meat market 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. A group of Fulani men at a camp for Internal Displaced People in Bamako. More than 1,200 people who fled their villages in central Mali live at the camp, where conditions don't allow for social distancing or other preventative measures. By MICHELE CATTANI (AFP) 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 was produced in 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. French President Emmanuel Macron speaks by videoconference with World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the Elysee Palace on April 8, 2020. By Ludovic MARIN (POOL/AFP/File) 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 in the Group of Seven talks. Merkel "emphasized that the pandemic can only be defeated with a strong and coordinated international response," said her spokesman, Steffen Seibert. Europe still 'in eye of storm' The WHO has been in the forefront of international efforts to fight the virus and is seen as especially vital for developing nations with creaky health systems. An elderly home worker is tested for novel coronavirus near Paris. By ALAIN JOCARD (AFP) In an assessment Thursday for Europe, the WHO said positive signs in Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland were overshadowed by sustained or increased levels of infections in other countries such as Britain, Turkey, Ukraine and Russia. "We remain in the eye of the storm," said Hans Kluge, the WHO's regional director for Europe. "It is imperative that we do not let down our guard." Britain, whose daily death toll spiked to 861 on Thursday, will extend its lockdown for "at least the next few weeks," Raab said. Trump has voiced growing impatience to reopen the United States. He faces re-election in November and had hoped to campaign on a booming economy. New data showed the United States shedding an incredible 22 million jobs in the last month, with 5.2 million workers seeking unemployment benefits last week. But Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, the US epicenter of the virus, said he was extending the shutdown 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. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expanded his state of emergency until May 6, allowing local leaders to urge people to stay at home but with no legal force. Japan has seen a relatively small outbreak, with 136 deaths, and Abe is also worried about the impact on the world's third-largest economy which was already on the brink of recession. Slow return to normal After weeks on strict lockdowns, hard-hit Spain and Italy have begun to ease restrictions. Italy has started to ease some its lockdown restrictions, allowing bookstores and stationery and kid's clothing stores to reopen this week. By Filippo MONTEFORTE (AFP) 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." A healthcare worker cleans under the bed of an intensive care coronavirus patient in a hospital in Spain. By MIGUEL RIOPA (AFP) 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 after a month-long closure 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 said only a "safe and effective vaccine" can return the world to normal and hoped it would be available by year-end. He also 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 DUBLIN, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Online Language Learning Market - Analysis By Product (Courses, Solutions, Support), Language, By Region, By Country: Opportunities and Forecast (2020-2025)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Online Language Learning Market was valued at USD 11,893.8 million during the year 2019. Over the recent years, online language Learning market has been witnessing considerable growth owing to a number of factors that includes changing and growing need of the candidates to speak different languages to access various opportunities, growing economic diversification, increasing globalization, increasing demand of multilingual employees by the multinational companies. These factors are anticipated to provide higher momentum to the market growth in the forecast period. Further, rise in disposable income, urbanization, and gamut of other socio-economic factors supporting the global market for Online Language Learning. The major types of Online Language Learning include courses, solutions and support. Among them, Courses type Online Language Learning holds the highest market share in the Online Language Learning Market owing to the demand for multilingual candidates by the corporates and rise in the global business activities which lead to interaction with clients from different nations. Among the regions, Asia Pacific Online Language Learning Market will continue to be the largest market in the forecast period, majorly driven through spending on the courses. Additionally, there has been a growing need of learning languages for businesses to communicate with customers, employees, and officials. Scope of the Report The report analyses Online Language Learning Market by Value. The report analyses the Online Language Learning market by Product Type (Courses, Solution, Support). The report assesses the Online Language Learning market by Language (English, Spanish, Mandarin, Others). The Global Online Language Learning Market has been analysed by Region ( North America , Europe & Asia Pacific ) and by Country (U.S., U.K., Germany , China & India ) , & ) and by Country (U.S., U.K., , & ) The attractiveness of the market has been presented by Region, Product Type and Language. Also, the major opportunities, trends, drivers and challenges of the industry has been analysed in the report. The report tracks competitive developments, strategies, key developments in the market, policy regulation and product chain analysis. The companies analysed in the report include Pearson PLC, Duolingo, Rosetta Stone , Sanako, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, EF Education First. , Sanako, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, EF Education First. The report presents the analysis of Online Language Learning market for the historical period of 2015-2019 and the forecast period of 2020-2025. Key Topics Covered 1. Report Scope and Methodology 1.1 Scope of the Report 1.2 Research Methodology 1.3 Executive Summary 2. Strategic Recommendations 3. Global Online Language Learning Market: Product Outlook 4. Global Online Language Learning Market: Sizing and Forecast 4.1 Market Size, By Value, Year 2015-2025 5. Global Online Language Learning Market Segmentation By Product Type (By Value) 5.1 Competitive Scenario of Global Online Language Learning Market - By Product Type 5.2 Courses- Market Size and Forecast (2020-2025) 5.3 Solutions- Market Size and Forecast (2020-2025) 5.4 Support- Market Size and Forecast (2020-2025) 6. Global Online Language Learning Market Segmentation By Language (By Value) 6.1 Competitive Scenario of Global Online Language Learning By Language 6.2 English- Market Size and Forecast (2020-2025) 6.3 Mandarin-Market Size and Forecast (2020-2025) 6.4 Spanish- Market Size and Forecast (2020-2025) 6.5 Others- Market Size and Forecast (2020-2025) 7. Global Online Language Learning Market: Regional Analysis 7.1 Competitive Scenario of Global Online Language Learning: By Region 8. North America Online Language Learning Market: Segmentation By Product Type, Language (2020-2025) 8.1 North America Online Language Learning Market: Size and Forecast (2020-2025) 8.2 Market Segmentation By Product Type (Courses, Solution & Support) 8.3 Market Segmentation By Language (English, Mandarin, Spanish & Others) 8.5 North America Online Language Learning Market: Country Analysis 8.6 Market Opportunity Chart of North America Online Language Learning Market - By Country, By Value (Year-2025) 8.7 Competitive Scenario of North America Online Language Learning: By Country, 2019 & 2025 8.8 United States Online Language Learning Market: Size and Forecast (2020-2025) 8.9 United States Online Language Learning Market Segmentation By Product Type, Language 9. Europe Online Language Learning Market: Segmentation By Product Type, Language (2020-2025) 10. APAC Online Language Learning Market: Segmentation By Product Type, Language (2020-2025) 11. Global Online Language Learning Market Dynamics 11.1 Global Online Language Learning Market Drivers 11.2 Global Online Language Learning Market Restraints 11.3 Global Online Language Learning Market Trends 12. Market Attractiveness 12.1 Market Attractiveness Chart of Global Online Language Learning Market - By Product Type (Year 2025) 12.2 Market Attractiveness Chart of Global Online Language Learning Market - By Language (Year-2025) 12.3 Market Attractiveness Chart of Global Online Language Learning Market - By Region, By Value, (Year-2025) 13. Competitive Landscape 13.1 Market Share Analysis 14. Company Profiles (Business Description, Financial Analysis, Business Strategy) 14.1 Pearson PLC 14.2 Duolingo 14.3 Rosetta Stone 14.4 Sanako 14.5 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 14.6 EF Education First For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ivb7ts 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] 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 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com MPs specify income support payment provisions due to COVID-19 spread in Russia RAPSI collage 13:51 17/04/2020 MOSCOW, April 17 (RAPSI) The State Duma on Friday adopted a bill specifying income support payments to families with unemployed members, according to a statement of the lower house of parliament. Currently, when such payments are appointed, a family income for a previous period is taken into account. However, due to the complicated economic and epidemiologic situation, familes with the unemployed would be subject to targeted payments without consideration of previous incomes. The payments in particular include child benefits, the bill reads. S hould we be required to wear face masks when we go outdoors? Yes, says the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. This morning he called on people to wear a non-medical facial covering on public transport. Yes, say many governments around the world. Yes, say leaders in America, where the need to wear masks is one of the few things President Trump and Democrats seem to agree on. In parts of China you can be arrested for not wearing one. No, says the World Health Organisation: Wear a mask only if you are taking care of a person with suspected 2019-nCov infection. No, says Transport Secretary Grant Schapps, who was the minister chosen by the Government to give medical advice this morning. It is possible that wearing masks could do more harm than good in certain situations, he said. Masks, he added, could be counterproductive it isnt a message that we are going to be sending. To add to the confusion, he called for us to wait for scientific advice, only to conclude with his own view anyway: it is quite a marginal case. This is a mess. Masks are either a route out of lockdown which will keep us safe, or a distraction, or might even do more harm than good. Which is right? The Mayor of Londons intervention is likely to be ahead of the curve. We agree: its a step towards the inevitable and necessary requirement to use masks in places which might be crowded, such as a Tube train. They may not stop you getting infected. But they can reduce the risk of someone with coronavirus spreading the disease to others. In the battle to get on top of infection rates, that counts. So why are ministers not recommending them? The answer is that there are not enough masks. The Dutch health minister explained it openly this week: At a time of scarcity, this would not be sensible. There is a shortage of personal protection equipment and our experts say they are most needed in healthcare. Mr Schapps would have been better to say the same thing here this morning rather than hiding behind mysterious scientific advice. But if masks can help, and there arent enough, the obvious question is: how do we get more? The Mayor was careful this morning to say people should not use scarce medical supplies. But does that mean we should make our own from bits of T-shirts, or wrap scarves around our faces? How can they be reused and kept clean? Desperate measures like these are not a replacement for a stock of affordable, reliable masks. The NHS is the place that needs them most, but even here there have been shortages. Yet it seems that private clothing companies which have offered to make and supply them have been left hanging on in the middle of a British Government bureaucratic muddle. This needs to be sorted out. The widespread use of masks is inevitable. So we need clear advice from the Government about when and where to wear them. We also need them to be available. Masks matter. We cant leave them to guesswork. Success for our appeal Thats raised almost 100,000 more for the Evening Standards Food for London Now appeal. Were delighted that the Duchess of Sussex has given her backing to the appeal, too. Im moved by the many people who are contributing to the Evening Standards campaign, she says today. Thank you to everyone for their vital support. Donate at virginmoneygiving.com/fund/FoodforLondonNOW Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast 180 ways to keep scoring Live sport is back: sort of. Next will we see Andy Murray hitting a ball against a wall or Ben Stokes alone against a bowling machine? President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has commiserated with victims of the fire incident that occurred on Thursday at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Ngala, Borno State. Mr Lawan, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi, in Abuja on Friday, mourned the 14 people who lost their lives and sympathised with those injured in the inferno. The Senate President also commiserated with the government and people of Borno over the tragic incident. He called on relevant authorities to investigate the incident with a view to averting a re-occurrence. In another development, Mr Lawan has decried the alleged case of extra-judicial killings by security agents, in the process of enforcing the lockdown in parts of the country, as reported by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). He said he was saddened by the NHRC report that 18 people were killed by high-handed security officers tasked to enforce the stay at home directives. READ ALSO: Mr Lawan said that extra-judicial killings, in whatever guise, should be discouraged in the society. He called for a thorough investigation of the cases, adding that those indicted should be promptly brought to account. Life is sacred; it is a tragedy that those asked to enforce compliance with emergency measures adopted for public safety are now being accused of responsibility for needless and totally avoidable deaths of citizens, Mr Lawan said. The Senate President said any officer found culpable of unprofessional use of weapons should, as standard practice, be made to face prosecution. He urged citizens to continue to cooperate with the authorities as they strive to defend the country against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. (NAN) Hatch Mansfield and Villa Maria donate to The Drinks Trust Hatch Mansfield, and the Villa Maria family of wineries, which Hatch Mansfield distributes in the UK, have contributed to The Drinks Trust with donations and fundraising initiatives. Karen Fistonich, director at Villa Maria, said: Everyone in the Villa Maria family here in New Zealand is thinking of their colleagues in the UK and hearing how difficult it is for on-premise and independent wine merchants during these challenging times. In order to give assistance to those most in need we have decided to make a donation to The Drinks Trust who are working so hard to help the trade. The teams at Villa Maria, Esk Valley, Vidal and Leftfield have a close connection to the UK market and wanted to show some support. As we all work together, we will be stronger. The Drinks Trust launched the Covid-19 Relief Fund to help drinks businesses and people in the UK who are having a particularly difficult time during the current crisis. Hatch Mansfield run regular promotional activity for its independent customers and it will contribute 10 to The Drinks Trust to assist those impacted by Covid-19, for every order placed throughout the May and June promotions. The team has also pledged to raise money for The Drinks Trust with a future fundraising effort as well as the contributed support of the Trusts own fundraising activities. Patrick McGrath, managing director at Hatch Mansfield, said: The Drinks Trust is an important support to our industry. It is there for anyone to turn to in a time of difficulty and no more so than now. We need to support them as much as we can in our own small way, now and also in the future. Besides these initiatives we are also looking at how Hatch Mansfield might provide practical assistance with the charitys future vocational plans. Related articles: A nursing home in New York City has recorded 29 coronavirus deaths amid fears that elderly care providers are hidden hotbeds for the disease. But the Sapphire Center in Flushing, Queens, has come under fire for allegedly downplaying the true fatality figures while stonewalling questions from worried families. Ron Kim, who represents the constituency on the New York State Assembly, said the reported 29 deaths did not match the higher figure he was being told by insiders. He said care workers revealed as many as 60 had died and demanded the home told residents' loved ones 'what the hell is going on'. The lawmaker's angry demand for answers came after a report last week revealed nearly 4,000 people had lost their lives in nursing home-related virus outbreaks, according to the Associated Press which has been keeping its own tally in the absence of such data published by the federal government. In New York state, which has suffered the brunt of the country's epidemic, the state government revealed 2,722 had died in care homes, including 663 from Queens. Covid-19 cases continue to climb in the US, with infections at 677,824 and deaths at 34,846. Berna Lee, whose 77-year-old mother (pictured together) has come down with a fever, said she was exhasperated at trying to squeeze information from the home The Sapphire Center in Flushing, Queens, has come under fire for allegedly downplaying the true fatality figures while stonewalling questions from worried families Wearing a face-mask outside the Sapphire Center in New York - the epicenter of the country's epidemic - Kim said: 'One of my constituent's daughter has reached out to me as she's been stuck in this nursing home without any ability to communicate with her. 'And she still can't get in and figure out what's going on with her mother. 'After we discovered that there are possibly 30 to 60 people who might have passed away from the coronavirus at this nursing home we still don't have any answers from the state or from the nursing director. 'There are many families, like my constituents here, who deserve answers. They deserve to know their families are being kept safe and they are practicing social distance, being tested. 'These are lives where every second counts for them in this nursing home.' Ron Kim, who represents the constituency on the New York State Assembly, said the reported 29 deaths did not match the higher figure he was being told by insiders He said care workers revealed as many as 60 had died and demanded the home told residents' loved ones 'what the hell is going on' But despite the lawmaker tearing into the home, the director of the Greater New York Health Care Facilities Association insisted 29 residents had sadly lost their lives between March 1 and April 15. Michael Balboni told NBC: 'Within that timetable if it is 29 dead it is a tragedy and everyone is a life but during a pandemic like this it would not be an aberration.' Families of Sapphire Center residents have claimed a harrowing situation is unfolding within the 227-bed facility. Berna Lee, whose 77-year-old mother has come down with a fever, said she was exasperated at trying to squeeze information from the home. She told ABC: 'I'm feeling tremendous frustration, and anger and panic and fear. I'm really afraid for my mom. Lee said that workers at the home had painted a grim picture, and told the New York Times: 'One said, "girl, let me tell you, its crazy here. Six people died today".' She added: 'I didnt know how bad it was. People told me bodies were dropping.' Sapphire Center did not immediately respond to MailOnline's request for comment. Medical workers load a patient from Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center into an ambulance while wearing masks and personal protective equipment The emergencies in the nation's care homes was laid bare on Thursday when police found 17 bodies piled up in a nursing home morgue in New Jersey. 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. 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. 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. This story was originally published on Nov. 21, 2019 in NYT Parenting. The sweet melody of baby laughter fills my apartment, making it impossible not to smile. My year-old daughter is chortling, making silly faces with my mom. Shes happy, confident and completely at ease with her maternal grandmother, who is a familiar presence in her young life. My daughter was only a few hours old when my parents braved the I-95 traffic from Connecticut to New York to meet her, and now she has never gone more than a month without seeing at least one of them. I love seeing their relationships grow, but watching them together, I cant help but also feel a little sad for my daughter, husband and in-laws. We live across the country from my in-laws, and they havent met my daughter yet. We have extended invitations Come for her first Christmas, we asked, followed by Come during the summer and Come for her first birthday but they have put us off. Neither likes to travel, and my father-in-law worries about who would take care of the cows on his farm in his absence. They would love it if we visited, but between our hesitancy to travel a long distance in the early months of new parenthood and now work obligations, it hasnt happened. My husband has not gotten to experience the joy Ive felt watching my parents become grandparents. [Read about how to deal with interfering grandparents.] Whether it is because of distance, health problems, work, financial considerations, maternal advantage or past family issues, there is much that is lost when grandparents cant or dont visit. From a practical standpoint, new parents miss out on family support, and possible financial support and help in caretaking. Grandparents and grandkids miss out on building a relationship in which grandparents not only share family history but also become a trusted source for advice and emotional support. Piaggio Vehicles India on Friday said it will set up an isolation centre in Baramati of Maharshtra, besides providing safety gears and installing sanitisation infrastructure at the government-run Sasoon Hospital in Pune as part of its multiple initiatives for the fight against COVID-19. Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd (PVPL), which is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Italian auto major, Piaggio Group, has its manufacturing facility in Baramati district. For the safety of the health workers and to create awareness about how to fight against COVID-19, PVPL in association with an NGO is providing infrastructure support to Pune's Sassoon Government hospital. Under this initiative, PVPL is providing personal protective equipment (PPE) kits and installing sanitisation infrastructure at the hospital, the company said in a release. Besides, the company is also arranging free supplies of ration kits to nearly 1,000 migrant labourers in the Baramati MIDC area through the local administration and also to the migrants in the construction sector, to ensure basic food security for a month. The company is also closely working with the local government authorities of Baramati and supporting them to fight coronavirus pandemic, the release said adding PVPL is also setting up an isolation centre. PVPL has also started procuring medical equipment like ECG machines, ICY beds, Pulse Oximeter, and PPE kits required for the isolation center, it added. "In these exceptionally difficult times we stand with the government to provide our relentless support. This is an unparalleled crisis that needs cooperation and support from all of us as a community," Diego Graffi, MD & CEO, Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd, said in the release. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) by Wang Zhicheng The Diocese of Shanghai has decided to cancel all pilgrimages in May, including the feast day of Mary help of Christians (24 May). The decision was agreed with the local authorities to prevent gatherings of people that might cause the return of the virus. Small groups or individual pilgrims will not be accepted. Believers are urged to pray to Our Lady at home for an end the pandemic. Shanghai (AsiaNews) Due to the coronavirus epidemic, all pilgrimages to the shrine of Our Lady of Sheshan (Shanghai) have been cancelled this year, the Diocese of Shanghai announced. The latter also cancelled all pilgrimages scheduled for May. The Sheshan shrine, which is located only a few tens of kilometres from Shanghai, is Chinas national Marian shrine, dedicated to Mary, help of Christians. On her feast day, 24 May, hundreds of thousands of Chinese Catholics come on a pilgrimage from different Chinese provinces, as well as abroad. The diocese's note, issued last Monday, explains that "the coronavirus epidemic is spreading to all parts of the world. In order to cooperate with local authorities in containing the pandemic, gatherings of people that could may cause a possible return of the virus must be avoided, in particular people coming from abroad. To ensure the health and safety of the faithful, the diocese has decided after long meetings to cancel the pilgrimages scheduled for May. "This is the first year that the shrine has been closed on reasonable grounds," a Shanghai Catholic told AsiaNews. On other years there were political closures and restrictions. With his 2007 Letter to Chinese Catholics, Benedict XVI chose 24 May as the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China to ask Our Lady of Sheshan for strength in the face of persecution, unity among Catholic communities, and commitment to the good of Chinese society. The pontiff also wrote a special prayer for the occasion. Since 2008, the Shanghai Religious Affairs Office and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association have tried to make it harder for Chinese Catholics to visit Sheshan, which draws members of both the underground and official Church, united by the same faith and devotion. The Diocese of Shanghai announced not only that mass pilgrimages and large-scale religious activities" have been cancelled, but that small groups or individual pilgrims will not be accepted. China was the first country affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, centred in Wuhan (Hubei), with, so far, 85,149 confirmed cases and 4,642 deaths. Yesterday 26 new cases reported, 15 of which were "imported", i.e. brought in by Chinese coming from abroad. No new deaths have been recorded, although the authorities in Wuhan "corrected" the citys death toll, which now stands at 3,869, with 1,454 added and 164 subtracted. Since 23 January, when China first declared an emergency, all churches have been closed. They remain closed even now, despite the fact that the worse of the emergency is over. The Diocese of Shanghai is asking the faithful to "follow Easters example and pray at home. At home, our thoughts on Our Lady of Sheshan, let us pray to our Mother: turn your merciful eyes on us, put an end to this pandemic. Amen! TDT | Manama The number of active coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the Kingdom dropped back to below the 1,000-mark last night, just a day after the total went into the four-digit territory. The number of active cases decreased to 990 yesterday after it had gone as high as 1,003 only 24 hours before. This is according to the summary of cases available on the Ministry of Healths website. The Health Ministry reported yesterday afternoon that 40 patients had recovered and were discharged, bringing the total number of recoveries to 703. There were then 27 new registered cases, which resulted in the 990 active cases. Of those, three were critical. The Ministry of Health also announced that 18 additional individuals were released from preventive quarantine. The Ministry said that their release came after they had completed the required quarantine period, and following the completion of all laboratory tests that ensured their safety and that they were free from the coronavirus. The total tested as of last night reached 76,944, according to the Health Ministrys website. Meanwhile, the Ministry announced yesterday that another flight of Bahraini citizens repatriated from Iran arrived yesterday. Upon their return to the Kingdom, the Bahrainis were subjected to all the precautionary measures necessary to ensure their safety and that of the community. In a remote strip of land along the Jordan-Syria border just miles away from a US military base, thousands of trapped civilians are bracing for a coronavirus outbreak they fear will cripple their isolated community. It would be a disaster, said Um Mohammed, a midwife at Rukban camp in southeastern Syria. It would be the end of the people who are living in Rukban. Reached by phone, Um Mohammed requested Al-Monitor use a pseudonym for security reasons. We dont have the right medicine or the appropriate place to quarantine the patients, she said. There is nothing we could offer to them. In recent weeks, Um Mohammed and other organizers in the camp have carried out an awareness campaign, warning fellow Rukban inhabitants that poor hygiene could hasten the spread of the disease. Children have been told not to play in the mud, and adults were cautioned against kissing and shaking hands. But Um Mohammed has no way of knowing for sure if her campaign is working there are no tests in the camp. No testing is available inside the settlement. COVID-19 testing samples from Al-Rukban, as well as all other parts of the country, should be referred to the Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL) in Damascus, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Yayha Bouzo told Al-Monitor by email. Bouzo noted that accessing Rukban is difficult and requires pre-coordination and deconfliction between parties to the conflict. To that end, the United Nations says WHO, the Syrian governments Ministry of Health and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent are working to get coronavirus tests to the 34-mile point at the edge of the deconfliction zone set up by nearby US troops at the al-Tanf outpost. The COVID-19 testing supplies are for those who leave the camp to ensure their and the communities safety before they proceed to the designated Homs collective shelter in government-controlled territory in Syria, the UN wrote. This would, by definition, mean those accessing the tests had to return to government control in order to do so, said analyst and author of the Syria in Context newsletter Emma Beals. Leaving the camp to access the tests at the edge of the Tanf area would put those residents at risk, said Beals. The majority of those still living at Rukban have stated that they don't wish to return to government-controlled areas of the country because they have security fears. Most residents of Rukban are originally from Homs province, which spans from the Lebanese border to Syrias eastern desert region, and fled to the tented settlement after escaping Islamic State violence. The estimated 12,000 who remain in the camp have chosen life in total squalor over the risk of forced military conscription and reprisals from the Syrian regime, which has offered safe passage for those wanting to return home. It would be a way to prison, not to home, said Abu Saeed, a resident of Rukban who fled Homs province in 2015. If I go to the regime to take a test, I will not be able to return here. The situation in Rukban was dire well before the novel coronavirus began spreading in Syria. Just a handful of humanitarian aid convoys have reached the camp in recent years, the last of which was in February 2019. Nobody gets into the camp. Nobody, said Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of Syrian Emergency Task Force, a Washington-based nonprofit. The only people that come in are Damascus, the [Syrian Arab Red Crescent] and UN offices that are considered by the residents of Rukban as intelligence agents for the regime, he said. Without a proper medical facility for the camps one doctor to work in, diseases that are treatable elsewhere can be life-threatening in Rukban, where a majority of residents are women and children. Last year, at least a dozen children in the camp died from hypothermia, including five newborns. For residents to access a United Nations-supported health clinic on the Jordanian side of the border, authorities are now requiring they prove they have been first screened for COVID-19. No testing at the camp has meant no access to the desperately needed clinic. The yearslong humanitarian crisis in Rukban is entirely man-made. Neither Jordan, which sealed its border after a deadly suicide bombing in 2016, nor the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and its ally Russia, will take responsibility for feeding the camp. Just over 10 miles down the road, American troops operate a small military base where they are training their local Syrian partners, the Maghawir al-Thawra, to quash the Islamic State and Iranian influence in the region. Despite its proximity, the US hasnt stepped in to provide humanitarian aid to the civilians at Rukban many of whom are the families of its partner forces. US officials have expressed concerns that doing so would open the door to a long-term commitment. I understand there is the fear that if we feed them once, we own them. Thats simply not true, said Moustafa. The Russians, Assad regime, ISIS [Islamic State] all use the horrible humanitarian situation in Rukban to undermine the United States presence at al-Tanf because they want to see us leave. Just last month, Russia and Syrias so-called reconciliation center issued a statement accusing the Americans of using Rukban as an assembly line for training extremists while at the same time preventing the civilians there from receiving coronavirus treatment. Displaced people living in camps across Syria, who lack the luxury of social distancing and the soap and water needed for safe hygiene practices, are among the most vulnerable to a coronavirus outbreak. In opposition-held Idlib province, home to more than 1 million displaced Syrians, there is just a single machine to test for the virus. The situation isnt much better in the Kurdish-held northeast, where the only testing facility was rendered out of service during Turkeys military operation in October. Government-held areas have reported 33 cases and two deaths tied to the coronavirus, though experts say the number is probably far higher than the Syrian regime knows or will acknowledge. Without disinfectants on hand, residents in Rukban have resorted to using chlorine and apple cider vinegar to clean their tents while praying that their extreme isolation will prevent the virus from reaching them. We are far from people and from the outside world and deprived of everything, Abu Saeed said. Nobody cares or even thinks about us. Seeking to send a message that coronavirus screening is nothing to be afraid of, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday volunteered for a test, with his result returning negative. The Chief Ministers blood was tested using the Rapid Testing Kit (RTK) that was imported from South Korea earlier in the day. The RTK, which delivers the result in ten minutes, confirmed negative for Jagan in the test, according to a CMO release here. The Chief Minister wanted to give a message that nobody should hesitate or have any apprehensions about getting tested. Hence, he got tested himself, the release quoted Dr K Rambabu, the state coordinator at the COVID-19 Command Control Centre, as saying after he conducted the examination. Jagan had earlier received the consignment of one lakh RTKs that landed in Vijayawada by a chartered flight from Seoul. The number of active COVID-19 cases in the state stood at 523 on Friday with 38 more people testing positive. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Photo from Getty Images. SINGAPORE Frustrated that her husband was having an affair back home, a Filipino domestic helper took her anger out on a three-year-old boy that she was caring for in Singapore. Mesias Richel Rizadas actions, including slapping the boy, pulling his leg, and hitting him on the head, was captured by CCTV cameras. The 31-year-old was jailed for eight months on Friday (17 April) after she pleaded guilty to one count of ill-treating the child by causing him unnecessary physical pain on 22 August last year between 9pm and 10pm. Mesias, who has a two-year-old daughter in the Philippines, had been employed as a helper since December 2018 and part of her duties included caring for the boy. The boy was supposed to sleep with her on weekday nights. On the night of the incident, the boy, Mesias and the boys grandmother read a story book and played inside a room. The maid then brought the boy to sleep at their shared bed at about 9pm. For one hour after that, the maid slapped, pushed and hit the boy several times. She handled him aggressively by tossing him from the lower part of the bed to the top of the bed. Mesias then forcefully pushed the boys head away when he rested it against her. She slapped his back, pulled his leg and also pushed his face into the bed. As the victim moved around the bed, Mesias continued her violent acts, hitting him with her leg, hand and elbow. Even as she patted the victim to lull him to sleep, Mesias would slap his cheek and head. The boy began crying. As his parents had just returned home, Mesias slapped him and asked him to quieten down, for fear that his parents would hear him. She then elbowed and slammed his head onto the bed. The boys grandmother checked the CCTV camera and noticed Mesias hitting the boy. She informed the parents when they returned home. The boys family later entered the room to pick him up. Unsure of what to do, the parents consulted their friend and the maid agency. The boys father called the police on 24 August last year. Story continues Confronted by the parents, Mesias claimed that she was merely using her leg to stop the victim from falling off the bed. She later admitted she lost patience with the boy and assaulted him as she was frustrated by her husband who was having an affair in the Philippines. The victim was examined at a hospital but no obvious bruises were found. Unrepresented in court, the maid apologised to the victim and her employer. She said she wished to return to her home country to take her two-year-old daughter back from her husband, since he already went to another woman. She added tearfully that she wanted to care for her child and her ailing mother. For ill-treating a child, Mesias can be jailed up to four years and/or fined up to $4,000 under the Children and Young Persons Act. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Other Singapore stories Award-winning Singaporean artist Sonny Liew pens COVID-19 comic COVID-19: 150 people fined for breaching safe-distancing measures; 50 caught without masks COVID-19: Three more dormitories gazetted as isolation areas, total at 12 COVID-19: S'pore confirms record 728 more cases, 5 new clusters; total at 4,427 COVID-19: Infected Bangladeshi man out of ICU after more than 2 months The number of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra reached 3,320 on Friday with 118 persons testing positive, a health official said. Seven COVID-19 patients died, taking the death toll to 201 in the state. At the same time, 31 patients recovered and were discharged from hospitals, the official said. Of the seven patients who died, five were from Mumbai and suffering from ailments such as diabetes, high BP and heart disease, he said. So far, 331 patients haverecovered while 201 patients have died in the state. Of 3,320 coronavirus cases, 2,085 were found in Mumbai. The state capital also accounted for 122 of the 201 deaths due to the pandemic in the state. As many as 61,740 tests have been carried out in the state so far. There are 330 containment zones and 5,850 survey squadshave screened more than 20 lakh people. After the first COVID-19 patient was found in Parbhani district, his contacts were traced and so far nine high-risk persons have been admitted to the district hospital while four contacts have been traced in Pune and admitted to isolation wards. As many as 74,587 persons have been home quarantined till now while 63,76 are in institutional quarantine. In Buldhana district, three COVID-19 patients, who were contacts of a person who died due to virus infection, were discharged on recovery. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the country, like others, struggles to find a way out of a lockdown that is now entering its second month and has kept a population of 67 million confined to their homes and paralyzed its economy, options that once seemed unfathomable have steadily become more palatable. We gave up an absolutely fundamental freedom, that of movement, while most of the Asian countries chose instead to be much more coercive on the individuals, said Gilles Babinet, vice president of the French Digital Council, a commission that advises the French government. Mr. Babinet said there was more to learn from Asian democracies, like South Korea, whose use of intrusive digital tracking has helped it avoid imposing the kind of strict lockdowns experienced in Europe. You must have a device that is both coercive to those infected and as gentle as possible to the others, Mr. Babinet said. So far, many Asian governments have handled the crisis by limiting deaths to a fraction of those suffered in the West. In most cases, that was done not by resorting to debilitating nationwide lockdowns, but rather in part by employing digital tracking, a practice embraced even by strong democracies like South Korea and Taiwan. In Europe, the possibility conjures up images of Chinas authoritarian rulers. An app created by the semi-authoritarian government of Singapore, the longtime proponent of Asian values, is the inspiration for versions being developed by the French, Germans and other Europeans. The National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, has released funds for payment of three months capitation and fee-for-service for all enrollees of the scheme. Executive Secretary of NHIS, Mohammed Sambo, who made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, advised Nigerians not to panic, assuring that Coronavirus was beatable. Mr Sambo explained that from April to June, 2020, all NHIS enrollees could visit their health centres and demand for services without any hitch. He said the payment was made to ensure enrollees enjoyed stable health services during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Mr Sambo disclosed that NHIS was working with the Federal Ministry of Health and State Health Insurance Agencies with the support of the World Health Organisation, the Department for International Development and other international agencies to develop a social insurance response against the Coronavirus epidemic. He said the move became necessary in order to see the end of the global catastrophe. He said in line with the core mandate of NHIS, it has been integrated into joining hands with the Federal Ministry of Health to fight COVID-19 pandemic from spreading in Nigeria. READ ALSO: The executive secretary also enjoined Nigerians to only obtain information on COVID-19 from a credible source like WHO platform, Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Federal Ministry of Health and Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) information portal. Mr Sambo also called on Nigerians to adhere to the safety rules and advice as laid down or thought out by professionals during this Coronavirus pandemic period He noted that the lockdown order by the government was not intended to punish anybody but a measure that would enable all Nigerians to stay safe and alive. (NAN) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 24) President Rodrigo Duterte said 12 helicopters from Russia will soon be added to the Philippines' military arsenal. In an interview with a Russian television network that aired Friday, Duterte explained that the plan to purchase military equipment from Russia has been delayed due to budget constraints. "There's always not enough to go around with... Just because Russia is a friend, it doesnt follow that we abscond or do not pay our debts," Duterte said. "But we have placed the orders now 12 military helicopters, cargo choppers," he said. Last year, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said it was considering buying 16 chopper units as well as arms from Russia as part of its modernization program, which Duterte wants completed before his term ends in 2023. Duterte's foreign policy has been described as a pivot towards Russia and China and away from the US, a longstanding ally whose government officials have criticized some of his policies. In several speeches, Duterte has credited Russia for giving the Philippines arms, while chiding the US for holding off an arms deal amid human rights concerns surrounding his drug war. READ: PH-Russia work towards stronger defense ties The United States had been the Philippines' biggest supplier of weapons until it stopped the planned sale of 20,000 assault rifles to the Philippine National Police in 2016 after an American senator raised concerns over alleged extrajudicial killings in Duterte's drug war. Duterte has since criticized weapons from the US, saying some of them were of bad quality. In June last year, he said he would reconsider buying from the US again because he was fond of its President, Donald Trump. Russia, the worlds second largest arms exporter, has donated defense gear to the Philippines in a bid to expand its arms market in Southeast Asia. Several medical bodies and doctors' associations on Friday sought reinstatement of a doctor -- a Diplomateof National Board (DNB) trainee at a civic hospital here -- who was terminated from his services for an alleged misconduct. Piyush Pushkar Singh, a doctor, who was terminated by authorities at the NDMC's Hindu Rao Hospital on April 15 with immediate effect, has denied the allegation, saying, "if I have done anythingwrong, let them prove it". North Delhi Municipal Commissioner Varsha Joshi on Thursday claimed he was terminated for allegedly divertingdonated materials which were to be entered in the stock of the facility. Doctors' groups including the Delhi Medical Association (DMA) and the Medicos and Scientists Forum (PMSF) have demanded that Singh be reinstated and a "proper inquiry be conducted" into the alleged incident. Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Twitter said he has spoken to the NDMC Commissioner on the phone in connection with the issue. "I have just spoken to Varsha Joshi Ji @suraiya95on the phone & asked her to call the aggrieved doctor & resolve the issue. Pl wait for her action. I'm sure she will take appropriate redressal steps," he wrote in response to a tweet in connection with the alleged incident. "I appreciate your concern for the medical community. I shall ascertain the facts tomorrow and take adequate steps," he tweeted. Joshi had said on Thursday that Singh was only a DNB student under a senior doctor in the orthopaedic department. A probe was not required because "all the facts are established on record," she had claimed. DNB is the title awarded by the National Board of Examinations (NBE), an autonomous academic body under the Union Health Ministry. The NBE in a letter to the medical superintendent of the hospital on Friday said "disciplinary proceedings against him (Singh) have not been been taken up before the Grievance Redressal Committee, which is essential requirement for NBE to address such issues, thereby, resulting in a serious procedural lapse". It also said that it seems the principles of "natural justice have been ignored" in arriving at the decision of his termination. Also, the penalty of termination levied upon Singh "does not appear to be commensurate with the alleged misconduct on his part," the NBE letter said. "It is hereby directed to cancel the termination order with immediate effect" and allow him to resume his DNB training, and intimate to NBE latest by April 20, the letter added. The DMA in a statement on Friday, while seeking revocation of the termination order, also said it has written letters to the Delhi chief minister, health minister and the Lt Governor, requesting to constitute an inquiry. The official order issued by the Medical Superintendent of the Hindu Rao Hospital on Wednesday had said the doctor had been "terminated from his services with immediateeffect for bringing disrepute to the institution". AIIMS Resident Doctors' Association in a statement on Friday said it has written to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan telling him that suchactions against healthcareworkers wouldonly"demoralisethemespecially in asituation where thereis a scarcity of professionals" in the time of coronavirus pandemic. Hindu Rao Hospital administration should "exercise restraint and conduct a genuine enquiry into this issue and let the justice prevail," it said. In a series of tweets on Thursday, 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. The PMSF demandedthat Singh should be reinstated forthwithwithout any adverse consequences to his service record. "An inquiry be constituted into the circumstances of action taken by the Commissioner of NorthDelhi Municipal Corporation and responsibility be fixed for the same," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China donates COVID-19 test kits to Syria Global Times Source:Xinhua Published: 2020/4/16 8:20:42 China on Wednesday donated 2,016 COVID-19 test kits to the Syria to help its fight against the novel coronavirus. An aircraft carrying the detection kits landed in Damascus' International airport on Wednesday night and was received by Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad and China's Ambassador to Syria Feng Biao. At a handover ceremony, Feng told reporters that more Chinese aid will be sent to Syria in batches. Addressing the Syrian people, the Chinese envoy said that "there is no need for fear or panic as this pandemic is curable and preventable and the Chinese people are with you." Feng said that the coronavirus is a common enemy to the mankind, and international cooperation is the way to defeat the pandemic. "We will work together with Syria and the international community and cooperate to face this pandemic, and I think that through our cooperation, we will finally win over this pandemic," he said. For his part, Mekdad said that the Chinese aid reflects the genuine Chinese keenness to help Syria and other countries. "The international community must work together to fight against the pandemic. Without real international cooperation, the countries cannot overcome the catastrophe of this pandemic," he said. This is the first batch of China's donation to Syria since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country. The Syrian Health Ministry said in a statement that four new COVID-19 cases were confirmed on Wednesday, bringing the total number of the confirmed cases to 33, including five recoveries and two deaths. The Syrian government has taken several measures such as imposing a partial curfew, suspending schools and universities, and shuttering non-essential businesses, to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address HOLYOKE When a new clinical team came into the Soldiers Home in Holyoke on March 30 after hearing at least eight residents had died of COVID-19 in less than a week, they found the coronavirus had already spread throughout the building. In addition, many staff had called in sick with the disease and units had been combined, creating a perfect storm to spread the virus even further among the residents, who are mostly elderly and infirm and vulnerable to the disease. As of Thursday, at least 44 veterans have died and another 86 are infected. A total of 46 veterans now test negative for coronavirus, said Val Liptak, a registered nurse and CEO of Western Massachusetts Hospital in Westfield, who has taken over as the superintendent. Liptak and others shared details of the response Thursday during a meeting of the Soldiers Home board of trustees. The meeting, trustees first since the crisis began, was conducted by telephone. After hearing that so many people had died of the virus from union officials and Mayor Alex B. Morse on March 29, officials for the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services sent a team to evaluate the problems the next day. By late morning they had placed Superintendent Bennett Walsh on paid administrative leave and asked Liptak to take over. The state also formed a clinical command team, headed by Lisa Colombo, a registered nurse the executive vice chancellor for Commonwealth Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. The included a variety of experts in areas such as infection control, logistics, finance and operations. The Massachusetts National Guard also deployed 160 members who had medical, operations and logistics backgrounds to assist, said Daniel Tsai, deputy secretary for Health and Human Services. There were COVID patients throughout the home, Colombo said, describing what officials found when they arrived March 30. Many residents were infected in one unit that she called very hot because of the number of people suffering from COVID-19. The majority of remaining units had veterans who had tested positive or showed symptoms of the disease, and there were two units where residents were not presumed to be infected but had been exposed to the virus, Colombo said. The home has 10 inpatient units, and because there had been a significant number of people out of work they were down to 40 people in a staff that was already small, Colombo said. They had consolidated it down to seven units and that resulted in overcrowding. The first thing the clinical command team did is have all staff and residents tested for COVID-19 and started moving residents to different units to try to prevent more people from being infected. Those who were confirmed positive were separated from those who tested negative. Residents who tested negative but were known to have contact with anyone who was positive were also separated, Liptak said. Residents who are negative are continually tested and moved if they test positive, Liptak said. Unfortunately we are seeing new patients arrive and sadly more deaths. By the end of the week officials also contacted the head of Holyoke Medical Center, who offered his assistance. In less than a day, staff prepared a unit for 44 residents who were believed to be negative and not directly exposed to the virus. Fifteen of those residents have since tested positive and three have died, she said. Tsai said he especially appreciates how quickly Holyoke Medical Center staff reacted, saying they started preparing the unit within 90 minutes after he called, and praised the ongoing care they have provided to those veterans. The primary focus is to stabilize the home and patient and staff safety, he said. Staff-to-resident ratios now meet national standards, all staff have received extra education on infection control and additional housecleaning staff has been hired, Liptak said. Major changes have been made in the home including closing communal spaces, changing food service, adding treatment carts and even increasing the number of trash cans. Officials have also cleaned out one area of the home to prepare for the return of some veterans now in the hospital, she said. Multiple social workers and caseworkers have been added through different agencies to assist in helping the veterans contact families and ensure the residents and families receive services they need, she said. We are still managing through this crisis and we are not yet in the clear, Liptak said. The seven trustees asked questions about staffing and long-term plans for the home. We want to thank you for your valiant efforts to lead us through this difficult hour, said Kevin Jourdain, chairman of the board. Trustees also asked about the well-being of the staff, 81 of whom have tested positive and many of whom have to deal with the day-to-day impact of the pandemic. Colombo said the clinical team is following federal protocols for making sure they are not ill when they come to work and that infected employees have fully recovered before they return to work. The emotional health of the staff have been a primary focus for us. You can imagine how difficult this has been for them, she said. We go and talk to staff, they have a very deep and ongoing connection with the residents. The trustees did not discuss the employment status of Walsh. They were originally scheduled to meet on Saturday and hold a hearing in closed session, presumably to discuss firing him. That meeting was canceled after a Hampden Superior Court judge granted a temporary restraining order after Walshs lawyer and uncle, former Hampden District Attorney William Bennett, filed a complaint for injunctive relief. Related Content: WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Walgreens is offering additional discounts to 'Frontline Heroes,' including all medical personnel and first responders and police, on April 25. In appreciation and recognition of all medical personnel, first responders and police, and the critical role they're playing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Walgreens is offering an extra 30 percent off regularly-priced Walgreens brands and 20 percent off regularly priced national brand products. Walgreens has named April 25 'Frontline Heroes Discount Day,' and the first responders will be able to get access to the discount at any of the chain's 9,200 stores. 'At Walgreens, we would like to thank all of the physicians, nurses, paramedics, police officers, fire fighters, and other health care and frontline professionals working to support and care for our neighbors and communities,' said Richard Ashworth, president, Walgreens. 'We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing work they continue to perform during these extraordinary times and hope that this serves as a small token of our appreciation for their ongoing service.' The store brands included for the 30%-off savings were listed by Walgreens as-- A Little Something, Big Roll, Complete Home, Dashing Fine Gifts, Finest Nutrition, Infinitive, Living Solutions, Modern Expressions, Nice!, Patriot Candles, PetShoppe, Play Right, Smith & Save, Walgreens, Walgreens seasonal brands, Well Beginnings, West Loop, and Wexford. 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. Heather Dubrow marked her Thursday afternoon with a series of '80s throwback photos, reminiscing on her younger days. The 51-year-old Real Housewives of Orange County alum shared the priceless snaps of herself on Instagram, while encouraging her followers to listen to her podcast Heather Dubrow's World. 'OH the 80's,' she captioned her 'fun walk down memory lane,' which included pictures with her sorority sisters and as Miss Syracuse. Statement hair: Heather Dubrow marked her Thursday afternoon with a series of Eighties throwback photos, reminiscing on her college days 'We talk about pledging, what I was like in college, being Miss Syracuse,' she said of her conversation with Jenn Sherman, who she met in Sigma Delta Tau. In the post, she encourages her followers to look closely at her multiple cartilage piercings, which she described as the 'most painful thing ever!' 'Too bad you can't see my ear cuff in the photo,' she joked of her first picture, which was a glamorous headshot straight out of the Eighties. 'OH the 80's,' she captioned her 'fun walk down memory lane,' which included pictures with her sorority sisters and as Miss Syracuse Memories: The 51-year-old Real Housewives of Orange County alum shared the priceless snaps of herself on Instagram, while encouraging her followers to listen to her podcast Heather Dubrow's World 'I apologize to my @sigmadeltatausu sisters for including them in these photos,' Heather said of some of the images, surrounded by old friends. Before talking to Sherman about her statement hair, she discussed their mutual love for Peloton bikes and finding success. The television personality, who is married to Terry Dubrow, 61, gushed about reconnecting with her friend, who she described as looking fantastic. 'We talk about pledging, what I was like in college, being Miss Syracuse,' she said of her conversation with Jenn Sherman, who she met in Sigma Delta Tau 'I apologize to my @sigmadeltatausu sisters for including them in these photos,' she said of some of the images, surrounded by old friends While Sherman said her memories are 'cloudy' from college, she admitted watching Heather on The Real Housewives franchise, from 2012 to 2016, was 'fascinating.' Sherman also added that in college, Heather had an amazing voice and was a 'performer at heart.' 'When you walked into a room, you walked into a freaking room,' she recalled. 'You didn't do so quietly, you were there.' Heather and Sherman also joked their college classmates have become better looking better and their high school peers looking worse. FORT WORTH, Texas More than 100 Texas mayors are urging the states Congressional delegation to give all cities the same access to federal coronavirus relief funds, regardless of size. President Donald Trump signed a coronavirus aid bill into law last month that allocates $150 billion to states and local governments as part of a $2.2 trillion package. The funds are intended to support families, businesses and health care providers during the public health crisis. But the package limits how cities with populations fewer than 500,000 people receive their funds. While larger cities are eligible to apply for money directly from the federal government, the smaller ones must request money from the governor. This language leaves out hundreds of Texas cities with millions of residents. We simply do not understand the population cutoff in the CARES Act, the mayors said in a letter sent Wednesday. Simply put, there is no magic force that will protect local governments under 500,000 population from revenue losses during this crisis. Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, of Arlington, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in a phone interview that its pretty ridiculous for a city the size of Arlington to be left out. Arlington is the seventh-largest city in Texas with a population of roughly 398,000, according to 2018 census estimate data. The city isnt expected to meet the qualification for direct funding. This is what happens when you move something that large that quickly, Wright said of the bill. Its arbitrary, its unfair, its unreasonable. Arlington faces a $20 million budget shortage because the city had to shut down businesses that had generated a lot of revenue, Mayor Jeff Williams said. Without help from the federal government, Williams warned that his city would be forced to make cuts in the police and fire departments and other city workers. The letter was signed by 111 Texas mayors, including Williams, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Austin Mayor Steve Adler, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. Wright noted that theres support for the change because Congress members across the aisle have smaller cities in their districts. Theres a number of us in Congress who are very unhappy about it and are trying to get it changed, Wright said. Wright said he and six other Republican congressmen wrote to Gov. Greg Abbott this month asking him to distribute federal funds to large and small cities alike. Abbotts spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. If your local beach is open you can swim, but don't hang around. That's the message from New South Wales Police on Friday who took to social media to remind beachgoers not to break the rules during the coronavirus pandemic. 'Firstly, please check with your council if your local beach is open. If it's closed, don't go,' New South Wales Police wrote on their Facebook page. 'If your local beach is open, it doesn't mean you can go down for a tanning session. 'You must ONLY be at the beach for essential exercise. DO NOT HANG AROUND,' they stressed. A police officer cautions a woman from on Bondi Beach in Sydney on April 11, 2020. All activities other than essential exercise are banned as a measure to slow the spread of COVID-19 A surf life saver brings down a red and yellow flag on Bondi Beach, following its closure to the public by authorities, in Sydney, Australia, 21 March 2020 New South Wales Police insist those who are at the shore line for essential exercise are welcome, but they warn everyone outdoors must abide by the restrictions surrounding social distancing and public gatherings. There can be no gathering over two people and everyone must be 1.5 metres apart. 'We know it's difficult, especially when the weather is nice, but if we all work together we can help stop the spread,' they said. Some Facebook users welcomed the efforts being made by police. 'Just stay home idiots. Stop looking for loopholes,' one person wrote. Others see the convoluted restrictions imposed by federal and state Governments as draconian. 'Yes.... Don't go sit in the open air like a park, or the beach, but we can walk into Coles, Woolies, Bunnings, Centrelink, with 100 other people in the same closed area. Makes heaps of sense,' another person said in response to the police instruction. Officers at Parramatta Police Station urge the public to stay indoors during the coronavirus crisis A defiant surfers is pictured on a wave after climbing the fences at Bronte Beach in Sydney. The beach has been close since March 22 as a measure to slow the spread of COVID-19 Similar rules apply across the state's national parks with exercise permitted but barbecues and outdoor playgrounds banned. Camping is also out of the question. 'No camping is permitted in national parks from 26 March 2020, including wild and backcountry camping,' New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service said. 'All New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service managed cabins, cottages and accommodation are closed to the public. 'Most visitor centres and historic sites are closed.' The tough coronavirus restrictions even extends to visiting grave sites. 'Although no one would be forbidden from going to a cemetery, we would ask people to keep visits to a minimum and keep in mind that seniors are at an increased risk of contracting the virus,' the police said. About 30 patients and staff members at a Tampa Bay area nursing home have tested positive for the coronavirus and some patients have been taken to three hospitals for treatment, officials said. Other residents at the Freedom Square Seminole Nursing Pavilion will be tested and the facility is being cleaned, Pinellas County Assistant Administrator Lourdes Benedict told the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday. Statewide, there are 1,332 cases in Florida long-term care facilities, according to the latest state data released Wednesday. Pinellas County Commissioner Pat Gerard told the Times that she was told the facility had been reluctant to transfer the patients to hospitals, but did so when they became overwhelmed by the outbreak. The company is working to share information with patients families, employees and health officials, the nursing homes executive director, Michael Mason, told the newspaper. He said additional information would be released on Thursday. We recognize this is a difficult situation, Mason said. Our commitment is to first share information with our families and employees. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced more aggressive state efforts to inspect nursing homes to detect infected patients and staff on Monday. He ordered the Florida National Guard to create 10 teams that will visit long-term care facilities to test employees and residents, with a focus on hard-hit Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. DeSantis said Monday that the virus has caused known infections at 94 of the states 4,000 homes. In Clay County, in the Jacksonville area, 49 cases have been reported at long-term care facilities, and 51 cases among residents and staff have been reported at a nursing home in Suwannee County, located halfway between Jacksonville and Tallahassee. In South Florida, the virus killed a third resident at a Pompano Beach assisted-living facility, the South Florida SunSentinel reported. The three residents were part of the skilled nursing program at the Court at Palm Aire, a 90-bed assisted-living center, according to a statement issued by Five Star Senior Living Faciltiy, which runs the home. The statement said another six resident from the program have also tested positive. Topics COVID-19 Florida Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced on Thursday that his health minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta would leave his position following disagreements between the two over how to address the CCP virus situation in the country. In televised remarks, Bolsonaro said that Mandetta did not fully appreciate the need to protect jobs. Bolsonaro also called for business to resume in Brazil, Latin Americas most populous country, and also its largest economy. Bolsonaro said that shutting down the countrys economy would cause more damage than quarantining only high-risk Brazilians. Life is priceless, but the economy and employment need to return to normality, Bolsonaro said at a press conference on Thursday, reported The Associated Press. He added that he would not condemn or criticize Mandetta. It was a consensual divorce because more important than me and more important than him as a minister is the health of the Brazilian people, Bolsonaro said. We need to return to normal, not as fast as possible, but we need to start having some flexibility, he also said, adding that the government cannot afford emergency aid to the poor for much longer, Reuters reported. In an interview with CNN Brasil, Bolsonaro warned that Brazil risked going broke and ending up the same as Venezuela, and appealed to the countrys governors to reconsider their quarantine restrictions. At his press conference, Mandetta, an orthopedist, thanked his colleagues and Bolsonaro. I leave the health ministry with a lot of gratitude to the president for having nominated me and allowing me to nominate each of you, Mandetta said, according to The Associated Press. I know I am leaving the best team. Work for the next minister like you worked for me. Dont spare any effort. Brazil saw its first case of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the novel coronavirus, on Feb. 26. The country now has at least 30,683 confirmed cases and 1,947 CCP virus deaths. You should have absolute certainty that we fought a good fight until here, Mandetta told fellow ministry workers. But were at the start of the battle. Do not think we are past a peak in growth of the virus, Mandetta warned, Reuters reported. The health system is still not prepared for an acceleration. Incoming health minister Nelson Teich, when asked about the ministrys position now that he was in charge, said there would not be any sudden changes in policy, and that health and the economy are complementary. In regards to keeping distance and isolation, what is to happen, you will not see a radical and dramatic shift [in policy] on what is to happen, Teich said at a news conference. What is important today is the information about what happens to people and the corresponding action to take. He added that there is complete alignment between his and the presidents position on the CCP virus crisis. Teich is an oncologist and senior consultant at Teich Health Care, a medical services company. He also has a Masters in Business Administration, according to his LinkedIn page. Senator Major Olimpio, Bolsonaros former right-hand man in Congress, urged Teich to continue with the current restrictions. Teich has defended social distancing. If he persists in this, he will have serious problems with President Bolsonaro and wont last 30 days in office, or he will have to tear up his degree and contradict the entire global scientific community, the senator said in a video posted on social media. From The Epoch Times Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. The UK surpassed 13,000 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday. The UKs coronavirus lockdown has been extended for at least another three weeks. The restrictions, which have totally changed day-to-day life since being implemented last month, will stay in place as hundreds of COVID-19 deaths continue to be reported daily. Dominic Raab, deputising for Boris Johnson, confirmed they would remain following Thursdays Cobra meeting. Any change to our social distancing measures now would risk a significant increase in the spread of the virus, the foreign secretary warned, outlining fears that easing up too early would risk a second big outbreak, risking lives and the economy. He added that that too much had been sacrificed... especially when we are beginning to see that our efforts are starting to pay off. 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 The rate of infection how many people with the coronavirus are expected to go on to infect someone else had not yet been reduced to the level the government wanted, he said. There are still issues with the virus spreading in some hospitals and in care homes, he explained. The very clear advice we 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. A woman in a protective mask walks past other people walking and cycling along Worthing promenade as the UK coronavirus lockdown continues. (PA) A total of 861 more deaths announced by the Department of Health on Thursday brought the UKs total up to 13,729, with the number of published infections reaching six figures for the first time as 103,093 cases were confirmed. When the lockdown was first set last month, Britons were told to only leave the house for essential purposes, like shopping for necessities, picking up medicine or exercise. Story continues The restrictions are designed to slow the spread of the virus and stop the NHS getting overwhelmed with cases and it was anticipated they would remain in place until the outbreak went into decline. Despite the need for an extension to the lockdown, which was expected, Raab who is also first secretary of state said the lockdown had been a success. 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. Earlier today, Northern Irelands first minister Arlene Foster tweeted the message was simple. Just finished COBR call with colleagues from across the UK. Simple message - what we are doing is having a clear impact - flattening curve, saving lives and protecting our NHS. Arlene Foster #WellMeetAgain (@DUPleader) April 16, 2020 There are fears that relaxing measures without taking steps to control the viruss spread will lead to another large outbreak and it is unclear if the country has yet passed the peak of this one. Raab said measures could be changed when the government is confident it can, based on five tests. These are ensuring the NHS can cope with demand, seeing a sustained fall in daily death rates to show the UK is past the peak, seeing data that the rate of infection is decreasing to manageable levels, ensuring testing capacity and personal protective equipment is available for future demand and being confident any action would not result in a second peak. 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. 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. Labour has called on the government to release an exit strategy, though leader Keir Starmer has said the party backed an extension of the lockdown. Health secretary Matt Hancock has also advised normality would not resume in the short term and an expert who has been advising the government on its coronavirus response said more testing will be needed as measures are relaxed. Because without that, our estimates show we have relatively little leeway, Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. If we relax measures too much then well 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, its 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. Some European countries have eased their lockdown restrictions, although this includes those which has had more severe restrictions. Italy and Spain have allowed some industries to resume work while Austria planned to reopen kindergartens and schools and shops under 400 square metres. Denmark was also due to reopen schools. Coronavirus: what happened today A 35-year-old motorcyclist has died after a crash in east London. Police scrambled to reports of a crash between a Mercedes and a motorcycle in Hackney at around 8.30am on Friday. Officers and paramedics found a male motorcyclist, 35, suffering serious injuries in Pembury Road. He was treated at the scene before he was rushed to a central London hospital, where he was pronounced dead soon after. His next of kin have been informed, Scotland Yard said. No arrests have been made and enquiries into the crash are ongoing. Police said the driver stopped at the scene and is assisting the force with their enquiries. Scotland Yard is now appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage of the fatal crash. By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijan Ministry of Culture has announced a new project "Evim - yeni is yerim" (My home is my new place of work). The main goal of the project is to organize remote work and encourage people to work from home during coronavirus pandemic. First of all, departments and institutions subordinate to the Ministry of Culture will demonstrate their principles of work and achievements on Facebook under the hashtag # evimyeniisyerim. The project organizers are also calling members of various organizations to prepare videos on the principles of work during the quarantine regime and post them on social networks. Those who organize their workflow with the help of innovations, as well as authors of the most popular videos twill be awarded by the Ministry after online monitoring on May 25-30. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The Washington Post is providing this news free to all readers as a public service. Follow this story and more by signing up for national breaking news email alerts. Elon Musks SpaceX will fly American astronauts to the International Space Station on May 27, according to National Aeronautics and Space Administration Administrator Jim Bridenstine, setting an official launch date for the mission. The launch, which Bridenstine announced in a tweet on Friday, will mark the first for NASA astronauts from American soil to the orbiting lab since the Space Shuttle was retired in 2011. Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will be the first to fly on SpaceXs Crew Dragon spacecraft as part of whats known as the Demo-2 mission. Musk, the chief executive officer of Space Exploration Technologies Corp., founded the company in 2002 with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets, but the company has never flown humans before. The historic flight, from launch complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is the final test for SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft to be certified by the space agency to conduct regular flights to the station with crew on board. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwes President Emmerson Mnangagwa this week threatened 20 years in jail to the author of a statement purporting to bear his signature that said the lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak had been extended. Mnangagwa, who was speaking at his farm after touring Gweru city in central Zimbabwe, told state broadcaster ZBC he had not extended the 21-day lockdown. The statement that claimed the restrictions were extended was circulated on social media last week and was immediately denied by the government. If we catch this person it must be exemplary and they must go in for at least a level 14, which is 20 years imprisonment .... I think we need to demonstrate that we dont want false news to be circulated, Mnangagwa said. The southern African nation last month published lockdown regulations, which included jail terms of up to 20 years for people who spread falsehoods regarding the outbreak. National police spokesman Paul Nyathi said more than 5,000 people had been arrested for venturing outside their homes without permission but denied security forces had abused residents. Rights groups say there have been a growing number of cases of abuse after the army was deployed to help police enforce the lockdown. Security forces in Zimbabwe have a history of brutality when enforcing the law. Mnangagwa said his cabinet would meet this week to decide whether to end, adjust or extend the lockdown. The authorities have said three people have died from the new coronavirus and 17 people have been infected in the country of 15 million people. Just over 600 people had been tested by Monday night. Police spokesman Nyathi said police had not received any official complaints of abuse from residents. But in a ruling, the High Court issued a warning to police after a petition by some citizens. It is unlawful for law enforcement officers or any other person purporting to be enforcing the regulations to affront the dignity of persons by assaulting them or ordering persons to carry out humiliating acts, the court said. In an editorial on Monday, the state-owned Herald newspaper criticised the police for harassing journalists doing their work during the lockdown, including forcing some to delete pictures and video that captured abuses by security forces. Nyathi said he was not aware of the incidents. In a separate case, the High Court ordered the government to provide enough protective clothing to frontline health workers fighting the coronavirus outbreak at state hospitals after some doctors sued the government. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Alison Williams and Mark Potter) AMD has introduced three new processors in its second-generation EPYC 7Fx2 series, which is optimized for frequency and delivers what AMD claims is the fastest per-core performance in the x86 server market. In the server space, AMD is besting Intel when it comes to core count. AMD has the 64-core EPYC line. Intel, which currently tops out at 28 cores, has 38- and 48-core parts due later this year. But it's the individual core performances that matter, and in some benchmarks, Intel wins. READ MORE: How to dispose of IT hardware without hurting the environment AMD's three new processors, however, have rather modest core counts. The EPYC 7F32 has 8 cores, the EPYC 7F52 has 16 cores, and the EPYC 7F72 has 24 cores. But they also have a speed boost of up to 500Mhz over previous generation EPYCs, as well as greatly expanded L3 cache to unify the cores. They don't replace existing models, according to AMD. The CPUs are based on AMD's current Zen 2 architecture and use PCIe 4 and DDR4-3200 memory and the AMD Infinity architecture, all of which provide optimum system performance. The increased L3 cache plays a part in the per-core performance as much as the clock bump. The 16-core unit doubles its L3 cache over the previous generation of 16-core processors to 256MB, while the 24-core model sees its cache increased 128MB over the 7400 line to 192MB. AMD claims the EPYC 7Fx2 processors provide up to 17% higher SQL Server performance compared to the competition (Intel Xeon Gold 6244), up to 47% higher VMmark 3.1 score using vSAN as the storage tier in a 4-node cluster compared to the competition (Xeon Platinum 8276L), and up to 94% higher per core computational fluid dynamics individual application performance compared to the competition (Xeon Gold 6242). The one tradeoff is the CPUs do come with a higher TDP (thermal design power) draw thanks to the 500Mhz clock boost, pushing them up from 155/180 watts in comparable older models to as high as 240 watts. The 7F32 is priced at $2,100, the 7F52 at $3,100, and the 7F72 at $2,450. These prices are higher than the older generation EPYCs with similar core counts but still cheaper than the Xeon Gold and Platinums they compete against. AMD sure got the industry behind it. Many of the heavyweights in IT hardware and software are supporting the new EPYCs: Dell Technologies announced it will support all three processors across its entire lineup Dell EMC PowerEdge servers. HPE will support all three AMD EPYC 7Fx2 processors on the recently announced HPE Apollo 2000 Gen10 Plus system, HPE ProLiant DL385 Gen10 Plus server, and HPE ProLiant DX servers. Lenovo will support the new AMD EPYC 7Fx2 processors on its ThinkSystem SR635 and SR655 platforms. IBM Cloud is the first cloud provider to offer its clients the AMD EPYC 7F72 processors in their bare metal offering. Nutanix, in conjunction with HP Enterprise, announced that it expects that Nutanix HCI software will be supported on select AMD EPYC based HPE ProLiant servers by May. Supermicro is launching the industry's first blade platform built for the new AMD EPYC 7Fx2 processors combined with integrated 25G Ethernet and optional 100G EDR InfiniBand support with 200G HDR in the near future. VMware said it would add support for the new EPYC 7Fx2 processors. andresr/Getty Images This week was supposed to include Tax Day, when personal income taxes are traditionally due. Instead, it marked a different big milestone: the beginning of the coronavirus stimulus payments. Now, Congress has updated its timeline on when subsequent rounds of payments can be expected. Here's the latest, according to the House Ways and Means Committee. Who gets paid first This week, more than 80 million Americans are expected to receive payments via direct deposit into their bank accounts, according to the Treasury Department. That direct deposit information will come from either their 2018 or 2019 tax returns. People who receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits who filed returns that included their direct deposit information should receive their payments at this time. Who's next in line From there, the government will send out more money, first via direct deposits and then by mailed paper checks. Individuals who have direct deposit information on file will get priority. It is not too late to submit that information, if you haven't done so already. If you submit your direct deposit information online by next Thursday, you should receive the funds the following week. More from Personal Finance: Will your stimulus check get seized? It depends on where you live Stimulus checks delayed for those who got advances on tax refunds IRS sends coronavirus stimulus checks to dead people The government has launched two new websites where you can do just that. The Get My Payment web app lets you put in your direct deposit information if it was not already included on your tax returns for the past two years. If you typically don't file taxes, there is another tool where you can enter that information. Additionally, if you are expecting a tax refund for 2019, you can file your return now and include your current bank account information. Who will get paid starting next week Mailed paper checks will start going out April 20 for Americans who do not have their direct deposit information on file. About 5 million checks are expected to be mailed per week. It could take up to 20 weeks five months for all of the checks to be sent. The payments will be sent out in order of lowest to highest income, so Americans with the smallest incomes will receive their checks first. Who's next in late April, early May A violent clash between residents of a community in Abia State and security officials, on Friday, left one person dead. The incident occurred at Uratta Junction of Enugu-Port Harcourt Highway in Aba, the commercial hub of the South-east state, when a commercial tricycle rider, otherwise known as keke, was arrested by the police for allegedly violating the lockdown order in the state. The Commissioner for Information in Abia State, John Kalu, said in a statement that the violent clash was caused by the spread of fake information that the keke rider was shot dead by security officers mounting roadblocks in Aba. Unidentified persons quickly mobilised a mob under the false guise that the tricycle operator was dead and attacked security agents and innocent people around the area. Reports reaching us has it that a security patrol team was attacked by the same mob, and in response, one person was shot dead, Mr Kalu said. The keke rider is alive and in police custody, Mr Kalu said. READ ALSO: The commissioner said Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has directed the police in the state to investigate the circumstances leading to the loss of life and ensure that those found culpable are brought to justice. While we continue to call on security agents enforcing the current lockdown in the state to ensure they follow all service regulations regarding use of firearms in internal security operations and, indeed, condemn all extra-judicial killing of unarmed citizens, it is also unacceptable for hoodlums to organize themselves into mobs to try to burst the necessary lockdown or overawe armed security agents that are performing their lawful duties. Nobody needs to die if we all do what is expected of us at this time and always. The decision to lockdown our state is one made to save the lives of our people, the commissioner said. Three persons are said to have been killed in the past two weeks in Abia state by security agencies enforcing the lockdown order in the state. Abia state has no confirmed case of the new coronavirus. Popular culture often portrays landlords as villains, and not long ago, I criticized a flyer circulated at the Ashford Westchase apartment complex for stridently demanding rent amid the COVID-19 pandemic and massive job losses. A few days later, I received a remarkable email from the leadership team at Ashford Communities. Chief Operating Officer Naushad Ramoly agreed that his Westchase complex manager took the wrong tone and said he respected the media's watchdog role. Ramoly shared with me a revised letter to his 5,000 customers in which he promised that managers would assist tenants who have lost jobs due to the stay-at-home order. He reminded other tenants, though, that a 60-day suspension of eviction proceedings was not a rent holiday. They still needed to pay. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Rules for restarting the Texas economy once COVID-19 peaks Balancing compassion for those suffering during the Coronavirus Recession and maintaining a viable multi-family housing business is difficult. Ramoly agreed to an interview about walking that tightrope. Who says that we struck the balance? Is it us, or is it the tenants? It's a hard sell, he admitted. Last month, Ramoly offered tenants a $50 discount if they paid their April rent early. Typical rents in Ashford complexes range from $750 to $1,300 a month, so the amount is significant. Early-payers benefitted from lower rent, while Ashford hoped to collect more rent in anticipation of a spike in missed payments. Ramoly said halfway through the month, Ashford is experiencing a 10 percent to 20 percent delinquency rate compared to a 0.1 percent rate before COVID-19. This is a staggering figure for us, which of course, will have deep consequences, he added. We're looking at huge delinquency numbers above half a million dollars, and we think May is going to be worse than April. For the U.S. apartment business, a 10 percent loss in revenue wipes out profits and takes money from landlords pockets. From every dollar collected in rent, 39 cents goes to pay the landlord's mortgage, 27 cents pays employees, 14 cents is for property taxes, 10 cents pays for maintenance, and nine cents goes to building owners and investors, according to the National Apartment Association. There is a one percent rounding error. Most economists predict May collections will be even worse as the unemployment rate climbs at an unimaginable pace. Ramoly expects a disproportional impact because his properties are Class B and C, the kinds of places where construction, restaurant and low-income service workers live. Many of the renters are also immigrants who may not qualify for government assistance. Ramoly has assigned his corporate affairs manager, Madufuro Eze, to help 100 families access private charities, and so far, he has raised $18,000 and hopes to obtain more. One reason for the initial harsh letter is that less-informed tenants are confused about COVID-19 relief. To minimize homelessness, counties across the state have placed a moratorium on eviction proceedings until the crisis subsides, but people must still pay. Some of our residents have come in and said the government had given them a rent holiday, Ramoly said. We have to explain to them it is not a rent holiday; it's just a moratorium. Along with other apartment building owners, Ramoly is frustrated that the government is protecting tenants but doing little to aid property owners, most of whom must still pay their mortgages. The National Multifamily Housing Council and the National Apartment Association are pressing Congress for help in a fourth stimulus bill. Building owners want an emergency assistance fund for renters, mortgage protections that are synchronized with protections against evictions, financial assistance for property owners and mortgage servicers, and property tax relief. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Time for some kind bargaining in commercial real estate These are reasonable requests if the government is serious about keeping people in their homes. With 25 million jobs lost, missed rents will be far worse over the next few months. Companies like Ashford will need to dip into reserves, default on loans or begin laying people off. Evictions will eventually resume, but to what purpose if 20 percent of the workforce has no income. Any financial relief for rental housing, though, must ensure that everyone benefits. Banks should not pocket stimulus checks unless they provide assistance to property owners. Landlords should not save on property taxes unless tenants see a discount in rent. Making sure everyone shares in the sacrifices is perhaps the second biggest challenge after finding a coronavirus vaccine. Whether Americans believe the pain was evenly distributed will determine whether we think the government responded properly. Landlords who offer safe, affordable housing provide an essential public service. If we don't want them to behave like villains, we need to offer them some relief too. Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and policy. twitter.com/cltomlinson chris.tomlinson@chron.com Army Chief General MM Naravane on Friday slammed Pakistan for "exporting terror" at a time when India and the world were fighting the coronavirus pandemic. "While we are busy not only helping our own citizens but the rest of the world too by sending medical teams and exporting medicines. On the other hand, Pakistan is only exporting terror. This doesn't auger well," the Army Chief told ANI here. The Army Chief , who is on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir, to review LoC operations, said, "It is very unfortunate that at a time when the whole world and India is fighting the pandemic, our neighbour continues to foment trouble for us. The LoC in recent days has seen several ceasefire violations by PakistanRecently, the Indian Army carried out precision strikes against terrorist launchpads in the Dudhniyal area inPakistan-occupied Kashmir. Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' on Friday urged private schools to reconsider their decisions on annual fee hike and collecting fee quarterly during the COVID-19 lockdown, and asked states to work in best interest of both schools and parents. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) also wrote to states and union territories to examine the issues of school fee payment and salaries to teachers 'sensitively and holistically' keeping in mind the interest of all stakeholders. The nationwide lockdown, which was from March 25 to April 14, has now been extended to May 3 by the central government to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. While the Delhi government announced that schools will not be allowed to hike fees during the lockdown period and only tuition fee will have to be paid, Maharashtra has said parents can lodge complaints with district education officers if schools demanded fees. The Gujarat government had on Monday announced that private schools will not hike fees for an year. The West Bengal government has appealed to schools to refrain from hiking fees. 'It has been brought to my notice by many parents from all across the country that even in this time of crisis many schools are increasing their annual fee. 'A lot of schools are also asking the parents to deposit the school fee for 3 months together,' the Union human resource development minister said in a series of tweets. Pokhriyal request all schools to join hands in the fight against the coronavirus, empathise with parents amid this 'global disaster' and reconsider their decision. 'I also hope that the education departments of all states will work together towards the best interests of parents and schools. I am happy that some states have already taken positive steps on this, I appreciate their initiative and hope that all other states will reconsider my request,' he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also urged the people to give priority to human values in the time of this pandemic, Pokhriyal said. He also hoped that all schools will provide timely salary to their teachers and staff. CBSE secretary Anurag Tripathi in a letter to chief secretaries of states and union territories said, 'Keeping in view the present situation of the countrywide lockdown, and difficulties being face by all stakeholders in the school education system due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, it is requested that the state governments may examine the issue of lumpsum payment of school fees and teacher's salaries sensitively and holistically considering the interest of all stakeholders concerned.' 'The states and UTs may consider issuing suitable instructions on periodicity of payment of school fees and payment of salaries to the teaching and non-teaching staff to be applicable during the period of the pandemic,' he said. Tripathi said that action taken at 'your end may kindly be informed to the board to enable us to respond to the queries of our stakeholders.' As per CBSE affiliation byelaws, fees is supposed to be be charged under the heads prescribed by the Department of Education of the states and Union Territories. The admission fee charged under any other head are also charged only as per the regulations of the appropriate government, the byelaws state. The affiliation byelaws also empower the education department of states and union territories concerned to decide the manner in which fee can be collected. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced at a press conference that private schools in the national capital will not be allowed to increase fees during the coronavirus lockdown without government approval and only the tuition fee can be charged till the time schools reopen. Also, schools cannot withhold salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff or collect fee quarterly, Sisodia said, adding schools found not following the directive have been warned of action under the Delhi School Education Act and National Disaster Management Act. "We are receiving complaints from many parents that private schools have increased their fees. These schools have also not notified the Delhi government. Costs like transportation fees are being added and demanded by the schools. "And those students who are failing to pay the fees on time are being dropped from online classes. Private schools should not stoop down to this level," Sisodia said addressing a digital press conference. "Only tuition fee can be charged from students on monthly basis. No other fee like annual or transportation fee or under any other head should be charged in wake of the pandemic COVID 19. Schools cannot ask for three months' fee at a time," he added. Maharashtra School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad said parents can complain to district education officers if schools demanded fees during lockdown period. In a statement, Gaikwad said the government had issued an order on March 30 that schools and other educational institutions should not demand fees during lockdown. The directive said that they can start fee collection after the lockdown is lifted, she pointed out. "I have got complaints that demand for fees is still being made and parents are being pressurized to pay fees now even though the lockdown period is till May 3. Parents can complain about this to the district education officer who will ensure implementation of the order," she said. Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments have announced that schools should not force parents to pay fees during the lockdown. On Wednesdays "Tucker Carlson Show," the clueless Phil Murphy, governor of New Jersey, announced that he had not considered the Bill of Rights when decreeing draconian limits on New Jersians mobility and, even more concerning, that gathering for church was verboten. (Hint, Governor, these are rights for every U.S. citizen, not suggestions or advisories). Carlsons incredulity was understandably palpable, and he skillfully got to his main point: Why are people being denied their right to assemble in houses of worship? The best Phil Never heard of the Bill of Rights Murphy could muster was that he had consulted with religious leaders, implying that they had all fallen in line with his atrocious diktat. Oh, and he also ran things by some lawyers, who apparently had also never heard of the Bill of Rights. But Carlson missed the point -- and a golden opportunity to do something that I wish more in the media would do: Ask the Guv the kind of questions that would elicit answers outside of the stick-to-the-script monologue the left so often uses: Governor, why did you arrest Jews in their Synagogue? I think its a fair question. Jews were indeed arrested in their synagogue -- for gathering for religious purposes, a right guaranteed since the founding of the country. Id have had some follow-ups: Governor, are you planning on arresting more Jews? Why are you only arresting Jews? What do Jews have to do to avoid being arrested? Do you consider Jews worshipping in their synagogue to be criminals? Have you arrested, or are you planning on arresting, Muslims or Buddhists or any other religious group if they exercise their absolute right to gather for a religious ceremony? Governor, we know that Christians are being arrested, fined, and even jailed by the authorities across the country for exercising the same rights as the Jews you arrested. Are you planning on arresting Christians as well? Or is it only the Jews you are after? Im not holding my breath, but I think we need more of this line of questioning. Another example: Its clear as day that the Democrats are fighting the President tooth and nail over the Wuhan virus, despite their own staggering smugness and ingrained illogic. Theyre smug, in part, because people dont ask them some tough questions. How about somebody asking the following: Senator Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, do you agree that COVID-19 is a national challenge in the U.S.? Do you agree that we all need to do our part to pull together to get through this trying time? Do you think this is a time to put partisanship aside to get the job done? Why, then, are you not at the Presidents shoulder at every daily briefing expressing your support for the process and the American people, even if you do not personally agree with everything the President says? Has the President forbidden you or any other Democrat from attending his daily briefings? What, exactly, have you and the Democrat Party done to support U.S. efforts to combat the virus? Could you point me to the DNC statement which describes how the Democrat Party is supporting and working with the President and the American people as millions are thrust into unemployment and misery? I might have missed something, but I don't see anyone asking these kinds of questions -- and they need to be asked. The point is strategy, and on that front the left certainly has the edge. Time to respond in kind. Whatever the circumstance, its very clear that the left gets a pass when it comes to marginal and leading questions, the very tactic they use against the rest of us. Thats why the White House Press Corps went mad when the President showed them a montage video of their unbelievable hypocrisy and hubris. They couldnt take the punch, and Im sure that collectively, their terminal navel-gazing prevented them from even questioning whether what the montage video showed was their virulently terminal narcissism. Lets start asking the tough questions. Ill bet legitimate answers will be in short supply -- unless you call character assassination, intellectual dishonesty, and more lies a response to anything. The Hearst Foundations will issue emergency grants to more than 100 U.S. medical, humanitarian and cultural organizations severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement of grants, which will total more than $50 million, was made Thursday by William Randolph Hearst III and Virginia Hearst Randt, presidents of the William Randolph Hearst Foundation of California and the Hearst Foundation of New York, along with Frank A. Bennack Jr., chair of the gift committees of the two foundations. These grants are in addition to the regular support the two foundations make annually to hundreds of worthy nonprofit organizations, they said in an announcement. These actions are being taken early in the crisis and in recognition of the critical and immediate need for the funds which are expected to be received by the organizations within the next 10 days. Grants totaling $2.5 million were made to Houston-area organizations and $500,000 will go to a pair of San Antonio institutions. The local recipients are: Harris County Hospital District Foundation: $500,000 Houston Ballet Foundation: $250,000 Houston Food Bank: $250,000 Houston Symphony Society: $250,000 Memorial Hermann Foundation: $500,000 Methodist Hospital Foundation: $500,000 Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: $250,000 Haven for Hope of Bexar County (San Antonio): $250,000 San Antonio Food Bank: $250,000 This significant donation from the Hearst Foundation will add critically needed funds to our $42 million budget, said Amy Ragan, chief development officer of the Houston Food Bank. With our distribution up 150 percent over pre-COVID figures and demand continuing to grow, our need for funding and volunteers increases daily. With thousands of people out of work - for many this is the first time they need assistance - support from donors like The Hearst Foundation make a significant impact on what we can do for our many neighbors in need. The Hearst Foundations are national philanthropic resources for organizations working in the fields of culture, education, health and social services. The foundations have made more than 21,000 grants totaling more than $1.2 billion to nearly 6,000 organizations since inception. In 2019, the foundations made more than 300 grants totaling more than $45 million. The foundations are independent of Hearst Corp., a privately owned, diversified media, information and services company with more than 360 businesses, including the parent company of the Houston Chronicle. katherine.feser@chron.com twitter.com/kfeser CLEVELAND, Ohio Officials said a sixth inmate has died at the sole federal prison in Ohio, where the coronavirus is spreading among inmates and staff. William Hutsell, 62, visited the health staff at Federal Correctional Institution Elkton on April 7, and they moved him to a hospital because he had a fever and wasnt getting enough oxygen. He tested positive for the coronavirus while hospitalized, according to a news release from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. His condition declined while he was in the hospital. Federal Bureau of Prisons says Hutsell had pre-existing medical conditions that put him at an increased risk of severe illness associated with the coronavirus. Hutsell was serving a nearly 20-year sentence after his 2013 conviction for distribution of child pornography in Indiana. He had been at Elkton since 2013. He is the sixth inmate to die at the federal prison located in Columbiana County, about 100 miles southeast of Cleveland, according to the prisons bureau. Five others between the ages of 43 and 76 have died since April 2. Thirty-nine inmates at the prison have tested positive as of Friday, as well as 37 staff members, according to the prisons bureau. The low-security prison, which currently houses more than 2,000 male inmates at its main facility and 418 at an adjacent lockup, has been a prime example for advocates who have urged county, state and federal officials to reduce the number of inmates. They say the inability to social distance, as well as a lack of quality health care, means the people inside are more at risk of contracting the virus. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio and the Ohio Justice and Policy Center sued in federal court Monday in an attempt to force officials to release people at risk of severe illness associated with the virus and belief hundreds of inmates could be affected. Read more: Fifth inmate dies of coronavirus at Elkton federal prison in Ohio Fourth inmate dies at sole federal prison in Ohio as coronavirus spreads among inmates, staff Groups seek release of hundreds of inmates from Ohio federal prison where 3 inmates died from coronavirus Third inmate dies at Ohio federal prison as fallout from coronavirus outbreak continues 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 Two countries, Vietnam and Mexico, which swiftly rose in the production calculus of the US companies during 2019, may well offer a clue to the future as the coronavirus pandemic pushes companies and countries to rethink their priorities. From 2018 to 2019, US manufacturing imports from China declined by 17 percent, a total drop of roughly $90 billion. However, China's loss wasn't entirely a gain for its Asian competitors. "US manufacturing imports from other Asian low cost countries (LCCs) increased by $31 billion in 2019. Similarly, manufacturing imports from Mexico rose $13 billion," points out one of the recent reports by Kearney on reshoring by US companies. Buried in the report was an even more significant clue -- the second installment of the Kearney China diversification index (CDI), which tracks the rebalancing of US manufacturing imports from Asia away from China to other Asian LCCs. While China's loss was certainly accelerated in 2019 due to the trade war, it was part of a longer term trend. Though still the factory of the world and the US economy, this was the sixth year in a row that it lost market share to its Asian neighbours. 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 fine print reveals that of the $31 billion that shifted away from China in 2019 versus 2018, almost half ($14 billion) was retained by Vietnam. The report, however, adds a caveat: not all Vietnam's gains are a true, permanent or strategic relocation of production. "There is ample evidence of the practice of transshipment, where Chinese producers, seeking to dodge tariffs, ship goods to Vietnam with the intention of then reshipping these same or slightly modified goods to the US as ?Vietnamese? products," the report says. Mexico, the nearshore destination for the US, too may have also gained from a similar transshipment strategy but that is only part of the story. These transhipment gains for Vietnam and Mexico may well be reduced over time as oversight increases. The recently ratified United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) appears to have quickened the manufacturing shift to Mexico of some goods especially those with relatively simple supply chains and lower technical content. The case for Mexico is really strong for US manufacturers due to its geographical proximity (75 percent less time to market as compared to Asia) and very competitive wages (just 14 percent of US wages). Even with assembly of components sourced from the US, Mexico can save US companies 20-30% of their manufacturing cost in the US. The report shrugs off a resurgence of US manufacturing as highly unlikely due to structural impediments such as dearth of skilled labour and high productivity costs. The authors of the report, believe that "Asia will settle on a new steady-state equilibrium in which the production mix across the Asian LCC countries is akin to the 2019 distribution." Against this backdrop, the Covid-19 shock to the global supply chains comes at a unique time. India has, in the past few years, tried to up its game. It climbed up the ladder on ease of doing business rankings, introduced a nationwide Goods and Services Tax, cleaned up its insolvency regime and then added the icing on the cake by slashing its effective corporate tax rates to a simple and transparent 25.17% and even lower (around 17%) for new manufacturing companies. As the authors of the Kearney report say, the crisis will push companies to fundamentally rethink the criteria they use to shape their supply chains. Countries too are seeking alternatives. Japan is offering its companies $2.2 billion to move out of China and back to Japan and a tenth of the amount to move to other countries. It is a narrow window of opportunity before new supply chains get forged. Low-cost and diversification of risk do not remain the only criteria. Resilience has now been added to the decision matrix. Vietnam and Mexico offered the first two. Perhaps India can offer resilience too. WASHINGTON China is pushing back against President Donald Trump and some of his officials, whove flirted in recent days with an outlier theory that the coronavirus was set loose by a Chinese lab that let it escape. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Friday accused the U.S. administration of attempting to shift the focus from its own missteps in dealing with the pandemic by talking up a theory that it was started by a pathogen from a laboratory in Wuhan, the city where the global outbreak began. But that spokesman, Zhao Lijian, has demonstrated that China, too, is not above sowing confusion in the face of the pandemic. He tweeted in March the falsehood that the virus might have come from the U.S. Army. A scientific consensus is still evolving, but the leading theory is that infection among humans began at an animal market in Wuhan, probably from an animal that got the virus from a bat. Without the weight of evidence, Trump and some administration officials are trying to blame China for sickness and death from COVID-19 in the United States. More and more, were hearing the story, Trump says. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo adds, The mere fact that we dont know the answers that China hasnt shared the answers I think is very, very telling. On Friday, Pompeo said the U.S. is pressing China to let outside experts into the lab so that we can determine precisely where this virus began. Asked on Fox Business Network about whether China might have manipulated the virus for sinister purposes, he said, It is completely appropriate that the world ask the right questions, then diverted to another subject. Trump officials have largely been steering clear of baseless conspiracy theories in circulation that the virus was intentionally set loose by China, even as some give weight to the unsubstantiated idea the virus mistakenly spread from a negligent lab in Wuhan. Experts overwhelmingly say analysis of the new coronaviruss genome rules out the possibility that it was engineered by humans, as some commentators have suggested. Nor is it likely that the virus emerged from a negligent laboratory in Wuhan, they say. I would put it on a list of 1,000 different scenarios, said Nathan Grubaugh of Yale University, who studies the epidemiology of microbial disease. Scientists say the virus arose naturally in bats. Even so, Pompeo and others are pointing fingers at an institute that is run by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and has done groundbreaking research tracing the likely origins of the SARS virus, finding new bat viruses and discovering how they could jump to people. We know that there is the Wuhan Institute of Virology just a handful of miles away from where the wet market was, Pompeo said. The institute has an address 8 miles, or 13 kilometers, from the market. U.S. officials say the American Embassy in Beijing flagged concerns about potential safety issues at the lab in Wuhan in 2018, but stressed theres no evidence the virus originated there nearly two years later. The episode shows that both world powers the country where the virus originally spread and the country with the most sickness and deaths from it are willing to use shaky theories and propaganda to divert attention from problems in their pandemic response. At a briefing Friday, Zhao asserted that suspicions about the lab were generated by the U.S. simply to confuse the public, divert attention and shirk responsibility. He added: We have said many times that tracing of the viruss origin is a serious scientific issue and requires scientific and professional assessment. Yet on March 12, he tweeted: It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan.. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation! Lea Gabrielle, head of the State Departments Global Engagement Center, said in late March that China was heavily pushing the fabrication that the virus came from the U.S., especially to its online audiences in Africa. China dropped the claim late that month because people werent buying it. China and the U.S. both wasted crucial time responding to the outbreak. More than 3,000 people had been infected before Chinas government told the public what it had concluded six days earlier that a pandemic was probably coming. Beijing muffled early warnings, such that the Chinese were assured the risk of sustained human-to-human transmission was low even as infected people entered hospitals across the country and the first case outside China was found, in Thailand. The United States, also late to take the threat seriously, has lagged a number of other countries in the thick of the pandemic when it comes to its response. Trump failed to live up to his early promises to have ample testing, a key factor in containing disease. The U.S. still struggles to supply hospitals, front-line workers and patients with necessities in a climate of confusion spilling into chaos. More than 670,000 people in the U.S. have been sickened with COVID-19, not counting large numbers whose illnesses are not being registered, and more than 33,000 have died, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Against that backdrop, the pressure for scapegoats is strong. After weeks of elaborate praise of Chinese President Xi Jinpings performance in the pandemic, Trump has turned to blaming China and halting U.S. contributions to the World Health Organization, accusing it of parroting misinformation from Beijing. In the U.S., claims that the virus was created in or released from a Chinese lab emerged just weeks after the outbreak began and quickly spread from fringe internet sites to the wider public. The reality is more mundane, said Dr. Gregory Poland, head of vaccine research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. This virus is a typical bat coronavirus that has developed the capacity to infect other mammals, and bats are mammals, too, he said. Whats becoming evident is that the natural origin of this fits with the transmission dynamics and biology of it all. ___ This story has been corrected to reflect that comments on Fox Business Network were by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, not Vice President Mike Pence. ___ Associated Press writers Dake Kang in Beijing, Matthew Lee in Washington, David Klepper in Providence, Rhode Island, Amanda Seitz in Chicago and Malcolm Ritter and Beatrice Dupuy in New York contributed. Credit: CC0 Public Domain A new study by researchers from McGill University has uncovered that minerals causing aortic heart valve blockage in men and women are different, a discovery that could change how heart disease is diagnosed and treated. Using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, Marta Cerruti, an Associate Professor in McGill's Department of Materials Engineering, and her team analyzed damaged heart valves from patients who had undergone transplants. Their findings, recently published in Acta Biomaterialia, show considerable differences in the mineral deposits found in aortic valves of men and women who suffer from stenosis, a life-threatening heart condition caused by a narrowing of the aortic valve opening. "What we showed, which was a surprise to us, is that the type of minerals in the heart valves is different between the sexes," said Cerruti. "We unexpectedly found that the minerals are different in composition and shape, and that they grow slower in women." Mineral composition analysis performed at the Soft X-Ray Mischaracterization Beamline, which is housed within the CLS, also determined that a type of mineral deposit was found almost exclusively in samples from female patients. Taking diversity into consideration Cerruti says that her findings demonstrate the importance of thinking about diversity in the context of research, a concept that has historically been a blind spot for the scientific community. For example, using only male mice in experiments used to be a standard practice. "Our study is the perfect illustration that by only looking at a specific population, you will skew your data," she says. "Having a more diverse data set improves your science." Heart disease remains the global leading cause of death in both men and women. With 280,000 heart valves being replaced every year in Canada due to stenosis, Cerruti says her work demonstrates the need to develop different diagnostic and therapeutic approaches when treating aortic stenosis in men or women. In order to make that happen, Cerruti's group will return to the CLS to further investigate this cardiovascular phenomenon and understand the precise composition of the mineral deposits they found in women. "Understanding what the minerals are could definitely help to develop a cure," she says. "It's possible that there could be easier ways to target these minerals and dissolve them for women." "Differences in mineral composition and morphology between men and women in aortic valve calcification," by Marta Cerruti et al., was published in Acta Biomaterialia. Explore further Promising findings for treating damaged heart valves More information: Ophelie Gourgas et al. Differences in mineral composition and morphology between men and women in aortic valve calcification, Acta Biomaterialia (2020). Journal information: Acta Biomaterialia Ophelie Gourgas et al. Differences in mineral composition and morphology between men and women in aortic valve calcification,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.02.030 A day after the Centre stated that air passengers can ask for full refunds for tickets booked during the first phase of lockdown for travel up to May 3, Vistara said it is "reviewing" the order and will comply once the government clarifies some of its aspects. Several passengers have complained on social media against Indian airlines for giving refunds for flights cancelled due to the coronavirus lockdown and instead issuing credit vouchers for future travel. "We are reviewing the ministry's notification on refunds for bookings affected in the lockdown and will comply once the authorities have clarified some aspects of it, Vistara spokesperson said. India imposed a lockdown for 21 days on March 25 and then extended it till May 3. All domestic and international commercial passenger flights have been suspended during the lockdown. On Thursday, the Civil Aviation Ministry ordered that if a passenger has booked tickets during the first phase of lockdown for travel up to May 3, and if the airline has received the payment during the first phase of lockdown itself, the passenger can ask the airline to issue a full refund. The refund must be given within three weeks from the date of the request for cancellation, the ministry said. The US government earlier this month asked its airlines to issue refunds to passengers for ticket cancellations. India has been locked down to curb the spread of coronavirus, which has infected more than 12,700 people and killed over 400 in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on April 17, 2020 2020/04/17 Xinhua News Agency: The spread of COVID-19 is prompting food insecurity fears again across the globe. Saudi Arabia proposed to hold an extraordinary virtual meeting of the G20 Agriculture Ministers on April 21. Who will represent China at the meeting? What is China's expectation for it? Zhao Lijian: The Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit on COVID-19 on March 26 reached important consensus on enhancing global cooperation to cope with the pandemic and stabilize the global economy. China commends Saudi Arabia's proposal to hold an extraordinary virtual meeting of the G20 Agriculture Ministers to address food and agricultural security concerns against the backdrop of the spreading COVID-19. We have learned that Minister Han Changfu of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will attend the meeting. China always attaches great importance to food security. We hope that this meeting will send out positive messages on making concerted efforts to counter the pandemic and maintain stability and security of the global food supply. The Paper: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview on April 15 that, "What we do know is that this virus originated in Wuhan, China. 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. You should know that the United States government is working diligently to figure it out." I wonder if you have a comment? Zhao Lijian: Just the other day some in the US accused China of failing to provide it with timely information on COVID-19. Now they are again hyping up the issue of origins, insinuating that the virus had something to do with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. It's not difficult to see through their tricks which intend to muddy the waters, deflect attention and shift the blame to others. As we've stated repeatedly, tracing the origins of the virus is a serious matter of science, where we need to heed and respect science-based and professional views. China News Service: Russian President Vladimir Putin last night announced to postpone the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the Victory Day on 9 May. What is your comment? Zhao Lijian: China and Russia both emerged victorious from WWII. To that final victory, we both made significant contributions and tremendous sacrifices. China supports Russia in holding celebration activities for the 75th anniversary of the Victory Day and understands its decision to postpone the event. China and Russia will continue to work with the international community to safeguard outcomes of the WWII victory, practice multilateralism and oppose attempts to distort history and whitewash aggression. AFP: French president Emmanuel Macron criticized China's handling of the outbreak, saying there was no comparison between open societies and those where truth was suppressed. British foreign minister Raab also questioned China about the origin of the outbreak. Is China concerned by the criticism from Western countries? And what do you plan to do to address these problems? Zhao Lijian: Major infectious diseases are the common enemies of all mankind. COVID-19 epidemic is still ravaging all over the world, posing a grave threat to people's safety and health. When people's lives are at stake, nothing matters more than saving lives. It is useless to argue over the merits of different social systems or models. The pressing task for all countries is to unite, fight and defeat it together. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the heads of state of China and France have spoken on the phone three times to express mutual support and condolences. They have commended each other's anti-epidemic efforts and reached important consensus on carrying out anti-epidemic cooperation and strengthening multilateral coordination at the UN and G20. As I recall clearly, in their phone call on February 18, President Macron expressed his admiration for China's vigorous measures and open and transparent cooperation with other countries, and stressed that China's effective efforts should be recognized by the international community. In their phone call on March 23, President Macron reiterated the above position, hailed the tremendous courage of the Chinese government and people and the decisive measures they have taken, which led to effective containment of the outbreak within a short span of time, and expressed thanks for China's support and assistance to France. Recently, leaders and foreign ministers of China and the UK have held phone calls on anti-epidemic cooperation. During the call, the British side highly appreciated China's comprehensive and forceful measures, timely sharing of information with the international community and efforts to prevent the spread of the epidemic in the world. Foreign Secretary Raab made it clear that he did not agree with the politicization of the outbreak, calling it irresponsible. The international community should build consensus and strengthen cooperation. Prime Minister Boris Johnson wishes to visit China at the earliest time possible after the pandemic passes to move forward bilateral relations. In the era of economic globalization, there will naturally be more conventional and unconventional security threats. Solidarity and cooperation is the most powerful weapon to defeat the epidemic. I would like to reiterate that China is ready to work with the international community, including France and the UK, to uphold multilateralism, strengthen solidarity and cooperation and jointly safeguard the health and safety of all mankind. China Review News: According to reports, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on April 16 in an interview that he finds it difficult to believe information from the Chinese Communist Party. "They have been misleading us and opaque from the early days of this virus." What's your comment? Zhao Lijian: As we stated time and again, since the epidemic broke out, China has taken the most comprehensive, thorough and rigorous measures in an open, transparent and responsible manner and made efforts to stem the spread of the epidemic and proactively conducted international cooperation on COVID-19. If the US side was misled or didn't get sufficient information in the early days of the outbreak, why did the US CDC issue a warning about COVID-19 on January 15? Why did the US announce on January 25 that it would close its Consulate-General in Wuhan and withdraw its personnel? Why did it close the border to all Chinese citizens and foreigners who had been in China for the past 14 days on February 2? Smear and stigmatization can never cover up the truth and blame-shifting will not make oneself immune to the virus. Unity and cooperation is the only right way forward. We urge the US to stop political manipulation, get its own house in order and focus more on fighting the epidemic and boosting the economy. CNR: Nigerian foreign minister reportedly spoke positively about China's progress in fighting COVID-19 to the press and expressed appreciation for the measures China has taken to properly address issues concerning African citizens in Guangzhou. Could you comment on this and update us on China-Africa anti-epidemic cooperation? Zhao Lijian: When meeting with the press recently, Nigerian foreign minister Geoffrey Onyeama commended China's epidemic response, thanked China for its support for Nigeria, called on the Nigerian people to take an objective and rational view on the situation of some African nationals in Guangdong, and made some clarifications. We have noted that many African foreign ministers, ambassadors to China, and consuls-general in Guangzhou have shown understanding to Guangdong's anti-epidemic measures, acknowledged China's prompt action to address concerns raised by the African side, and asked their nationals to comply with local anti-epidemic rules. China and Africa are a community with a shared future through thick and thin. At the critical moments in our battle against the virus, African brothers offered us strong support. Now we are closely following the spread of the epidemic in Africa. The two medical teams sent by the Chinese government to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso have both arrived yesterday. Going forward, we will send out more medical experts to Africa and provide urgently-needed medical supplies to the best of our ability in support of Africa's epidemic response efforts. We are convinced that the China-Africa friendship will be further cemented as we work hand in hand to overcome the virus. CRI: China and Andean states recently held a video conference to exchange experience on COVID-19 prevention and control. Could you share more information about it? Zhao Lijian: Thanks for your question. On the night of April 13 Beijing time, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Hubei Provincial authorities held a video conference with Andean states to share experience on COVID-19 prevention, control and treatment. Over 50 delegates attended the conference, including officials from foreign affairs, science and technology and health ministries and medical experts from China, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia. The over 1.5-hour-long meeting produced good results. Chinese experts from the Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Hubei Center for Disease Control and Prevention held in-depth exchange with their Andean counterparts over such issues as containment measures, diagnostic solutions and clinical treatment. The foreign delegates spoke highly of China's anti-epidemic measures and expressed appreciation to the Chinese medical workers for their thorough experience-sharing. They said the exchange session provided meaningful reference and experience and would help their countries achieve an early victory. The merciless virus brings out the warmth of humanity. With the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, the Chinese government will continue to share experience through various means with the world including Latin American countries, provide technical assistance to those in need and strengthen global pandemic response to safeguard the life and health of all. AFP: There are suspicions that the new coronavirus came from Wuhan. Would China accept a visit from the WHO officials to investigate the authenticity of epidemic-related figures and the origin of the virus? Zhao Lijian: Regarding the authenticity of the data, this morning, Wuhan municipality reported the revised number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and fatalities. There are clear provisions in Chinese laws concerning the release and revision of information on infectious diseases. As the COVID-19 situation is by and large brought under control, to make sure that open, transparent and accurate information is released, the Wuhan Municipal Command for COVID-19 response has set up a big data and epidemiological task force, and conducted detailed and case-by-case statistical investigation and verification to revise the number of confirmed cases and fatalities. Data revision in the case of highly infectious diseases is a common international practice. At the early stage of an epidemic, a small number of medical facilities might be saddled with a flood of new cases and might not promptly link up with the information system for disease prevention and control. And, medical workers at some facilities might be preoccupied with saving lives that there existed delayed reporting, under-reporting or misreporting. But there has never been any cover-up; nor was a cover-up ever allowed. In fact, as we have noticed, data revision has been conducted in some other countries and regions. What I want to stress is that life and health are the most basic needs and commonest aspirations of the people. Behind the epidemic data are people's lives and health, as well as the government's credibility. The timely revision of the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and fatalities by Wuhan municipality is conducive to safeguarding the rights and interests of the people and science-based decision-making in the prevention and control of the epidemic. It is also a response to social concerns and shows respect for every life. The data released by Wuhan municipality precisely reflects an open, transparent and realistic attitude, and observance of the principle of being responsible to history, to our people and to the lives lost to the virus. On the issue of the origin of the virus, China has expounded its position on many occasions. Beijing Daily: Ron Nirenberg, Chairman of Sister Cities International, issued a statement the other day, calling on sister cities around the world to strengthen cooperation to jointly tackle COVID-19. He particularly mentioned the US-China sister cities anti-epidemic cooperation and expressed appreciation. What is China's comment? Zhao Lijian: We have taken note of the above-mentioned statement and welcome it. There are 277 pairs of sister provinces, states and cities between China and the United States acting as important bridges to promote the development of China-US relations and sub-national exchanges and cooperation between the two sides. When the epidemic situation was severe in China, many American businesses, civil groups and people rushed to help. With the spread of the epidemic in the United States, all parts of China have also provided prevention materials to the US to support the American people's efforts against the epidemic. Medical and health experts from the two sides have exchanged anti-epidemic experience and treatment plans. Chinese and American sister provinces and cities such as Shandong Province and Texas, Guangzhou City and Los Angeles have held video conferences on epidemic prevention cooperation. The outbreak once again shows that we all live in a community of shared future. We are ready to continue to work with the international community, including the US, to strengthen cooperation to jointly meet challenges and safeguard the health and well-being of people in all countries and global public health security. Bloomberg: In a report we noted that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to let Huawei Technologies help build the UK's 5G mobile network is under threat from mounting opposition to the Chinese company in his ruling Conservative Party. We are wondering if you have any comment on this? Zhao Lijian: We note relevant reports and hope the UK will stay committed to free trade and openness, maintain policy independence and ensure an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies. This will help keep up Chinese enterprises' confidence and expectations in the UK market. AFP: Some western diplomats from the United States, France and other countries have recently criticized China for using the outbreak to exert "influence" on the WHO and others, accusing China of only considering its own interests rather than those of international organizations and the international community. What is China's comment? Zhao Lijian: This is totally smear and rumor-mongering against China. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the UN, WHO and other international organizations have made efforts to mobilize the international community to strengthen policy coordination and increase resource input, especially to help developing countries with weak public health systems to prepare for and respond to the outbreak. As the most authoritative and professional international organization in the field of global public health security, WHO has actively fulfilled its duties with objective, science-based and fair position, and played an important coordinating and leading role in assisting countries respond to the outbreak and boost international cooperation on COVID-19. It has been well recognized and commended by the international community. The G20 held a special summit on COVID-19 and reached important consensus on jointly combating the pandemic and stabilizing the world economy, sending a positive signal to the world. In conclusion, I would like to stress that the international community should work together to fight the epidemic. We hope all parties of the international community can take concrete actions to uphold multilateralism, strengthen and improve the global governance system with the UN as the core, support WHO's leading role in global anti-pandemic cooperation, support the G20's role in communication and coordination, strengthen anti-pandemic assistance and cooperation, and jointly build a community of health for all. T ommy Corbyn's hemp shop is back as an online outfit, just months after it looked to have gone up in smoke. The National Hemp Service brainchild of Corbyn, son of former Labour leader Jeremy, and his girlfriend Chloe Kerslake-Smith is offering a range of products made from hemp, a strain of the cannabis plant family, and a 10 per cent discount for NHS workers. Corbyn and Kerslake-Smith ran into problems in November when a planned opening of a shop in Finsbury Park fell through. It was reported that liquidators were appointed. At the time, investor Jeremy Ditchfield, sole director of UK National Hemp Service Ltd, told media: Im 30,000 out of pocket. Now Corbyn and Kerslake-Smith are back. Companies House records show in February that a company called Dina Camden Ltd changed its name to National Hemp Service Ltd, a month after Corbyn and Kerslake-Smith became directors. Were over the moon to have launched an online offering, they told the Islington Gazette, promising the cafe will be opening its door once its safe to do so. They added they had a new appreciation for what it takes to bring an idea into being. Will they get the rub of the green this time? --- Staircase loo: St Paul's Cathedral (Photo: GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images) / AFP via Getty Images After spying an intriguing photo of a loo in St Pauls Cathedral at the bottom of a spiral staircase, posted by broadcasting vicar Richard Coles, The Londoner set out to investigate why the lavatory was there. You only have to ask yourself, a spokesperson for the Cathedral said, what it might be like heavily robed in ceremonial clothing and preparing for a punctual start for a major service, perhaps feeling a bit nervous, and then finding nature calls the next nearest WC is in the Crypt! The toilet is in the Deans vestry, where robes are kept ahead of services. And the spokesperson pointed out that spiral staircases are a feature of St Pauls, including the famous Geometric Stair. Its not just the dean who has the chance to spend a penny in an auspicious spot, but Chapter Members and senior clergy may use it too. There is, luckily, a system in place to avoid any awkward interruptions. The spokesperson explained, the cathedral staff who are in the know, if descending the spiral stair, are expected to whistle or sing just in case they unexpectedly find the WC is occupied. Does the occupant sing back? --- Lines drawn: Michael Sheen (Photo: Dominik Bindl/Getty Images) / Getty Images MICHAEL SHEEN, who played Chris Tarrant in ITVs hit drama Quiz, broadcast this week, tells us he wasnt on set when the shows real-life subjects Charles and Diana Ingram visited. Ive always resisted actually meeting the people if its possible, he explains, adding Ive always been worried that it might compromise what Im doing. Theatrical distancing. SW1A Captain Tom Moore, 99, poses doing a lap of his garden in the village of Marston Moretaine / AFP via Getty Images MPs have been quick to link themselves to Captain Tom Moore (above), who has won the nations hearts. Rishi Sunak says: As an adopted Yorkshireman, Ive come to recognise true Yorkshire grit. Nadine Dorries is proud hes a Mid Bedfordshire constituent. Labours Virendra Sharma is asking the Chief of the General Staff for an honourary commission. Form an orderly queue. Balaclava lovas and furry friends in a giving mood Pals: Martin Clunes with a bevy of pooches Martin Clunes and his furry pals led the way in efforts to break a record for the worlds biggest virtual tea party in aid of charity Guide Dogs, taking place next Tuesday. Meanwhile model Jourdan Dunn thanked NHS workers for risking their lives to save ours, saying shed donated to the Masks for Heroes campaign. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, says the number of Nigerians willing to return from abroad is so high that they cannot be accommodated in the available isolation centres in the country. He said this in Abuja yesterday at a briefing of the Presidential Taskforce Force on COVID-19. Weve received all the numbers from our various embassies around the world and were collating them. Then weve now selected two airlines that would be responsible to fetch them. The numbers are high and the places where we can isolate them are not enough for those numbers. So, we wouldve to do it in a staggered fashion and together with the NEMA and the Ministry of Health, we wouldve to come to an agreement to be bringing (them) back according to the numbers of beds and so forth that are available. Weve now identified and we can go on with process. We are almost ready to go, Onyeama said. The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, urged Nigerians to report any perceived illegal entry into the country through the nations borders, to the Nigeria Immigration Service. He also urged the states sharing borders with other countries like Lagos, Sokoto, Cross Rivers, Zamfara, Taraba, Kebbi, Niger and others to ensure that the boarders were closely monitored so as not to allow any aliens into the country at this period to stem the spread of the COVID-19 in the country. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Kalkomey Enterprises is offering an entirely online New York Hunter Education certification course through Hunter-ed from April 15 until June 30. For the first time, New York is waiving the in-person component required for students to earn their hunter education certificate. New York states traditional certification process includes online coursework followed by an in-person component. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the state has canceled all in-person hunter education classes. To ensure that hunters do not miss the opportunity to participate in the May 1-May 31 turkey hunting season, the state of New York has made the certification process fully online for a limited time. Kalkomey is a longtime partner of the State of New York, offering the online component of the traditional course. Our New York State Department of Environmental Conservation approved course offers live-action, high definition videos, comprehensive instruction, and is designed to work on any device. We are proud to provide the state of New York the ability to certify their students during this challenging time. This limited-time, fully online certification consists of an online course, a virtual field day, and a final exam. Upon satisfactory completion of the final exam, students will earn their hunter education certificate and be able to purchase their hunting license through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Online Learning We are glad to see that, during this stressful period, our students are able to stay on course, build a strong foundation, learn the necessary skills, and get prepared for the next academic year. - Dr. Jiayuan Fang, Founder & CEO, Afficient Academy. Past News Releases RSS Afficient Academy Inc., an ed-tech startup in Silicon Valley, California, announced that all its learning centers have transitioned online to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-March, a 'shelter-in-place' order came into effect in Santa Clara County, where a majority of Afficient Academys physical learning centers are located. We promptly decided to offer online support to our learning center students during this complete lockdown period, converting our physical learning centers to virtual learning centers, said Dr. Jiayuan Fang, Afficient Academys founder & CEO. Since then, corporate learning centers have been conducting virtual classes during their regular open hours using Zoom online conferencing tool. Instructors are available online during the class period to assist students and are also offering support through email and phone call. All Afficient Academys franchise learning centers are also now offering online support. Since over half of Afficient Academys students were remote learners supported by online teachers before COVID-19 shutdowns, there is no change for our remote students. What makes Afficient Academy especially effective during this complete lockdown period? 1. Curriculum aligned to US Common Core Curriculum: Unlike many after-school learning programs, Afficient Academys math & English programs are based on US Common Core standards, making them directly relevant to what students learn at school. During the shutdown period, student can use Afficient Academys programs to keep up with school material and do well in their classes. 2. Leveraging AI-Based Technology for Excellent Results: Afficient Academys AI-based program identifies skill gaps, ensures that all skills are mastered, and leads students to complete each grade with an A or A+. Rather than impeding students learning, this closure period offers an opportunity for students to use Afficient Academys programs to work on gaps in their skills. 3. Remote Online Support by Instructors: Parents are busier than ever during this stressful period, balancing working from home and managing the house. Afficient Academys programs automatically give students weekly assignments at the beginning of each week that are individually tailored to students unique learning situations. Students can conveniently review learned material and learn new content. After a student signs up for our online program, a designated online teacher is assigned to the student. The online teacher continuously monitors the students progress and provides supervision and support. 4. Regular Parent/Teacher/Student Communication: Teachers communicate regularly with parents and fully inform them of students progress. Parents also receive updates and have their questions answered via email, phone calls, online conference tools, WeChat, etc. Finally, Afficient Academys iOS and Android App helps parents stay updated about their kids progress real-time. Students have already missed school for nearly a month, and they most likely will not be able to return for the remainder of this academic year. At Afficient Academy, we are sincerely committed to ensuring that our students are on the path to achieving excellent results, says Dr. Fang, We are glad to see that, during this stressful period, our students are able to stay on course, build a strong foundation, learn the necessary skills, and get prepared for the next academic year. About Afficient Academy Afficient Academy, Inc. was founded in 2014 in Silicon Valley, California. The patented Afficient Methodology significantly improves learning experiences and effectiveness. With its state-of-the-art approach to building a solid academic foundation, Afficient Academys intelligent personalized programs ensure students achieve efficient, outstanding results. To learn more about Afficient Academy visit: http://www.afficienta.com For more information about available franchise opportunities, please email: franchise@afficienta.com Afficient Academy, Inc. 1054 S. De Anza Blvd. Ste 201, San Jose, CA 95129 BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17 Trend: As for those who rejected the dialogue idea, it would be wrong to call them a political force. Because the people gathered in this camp have for many years been struggling not with the authorities, but with our state and people, said Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev while making an opening speech at the meeting on the socio-economic results of the first quarter of 2020 through videoconference, Trend reports. I believe that the steps taken by the authorities, the beginning of political dialogue and the positive reaction of the opposition parties to this have led to the emergence of a completely new situation during the period of independence. Never before has there been such a positive picture in the period of independence. Of course, perhaps I am somewhat ahead of the curve because this process is only beginning. But I am ahead probably because I want this process to go quickly. I am glad that all opposition parties have responded positively to our proposal for dialogue and the political dialogue is already beginning. I am sure that this will bring great benefits to our country, said the head of state. He noted that as for those who rejected the dialogue idea, it would be wrong to call them a political force. Because the people gathered in this camp have for many years been struggling not with the authorities, but with our state and people. Their main goal is to aggravate the situation. The worse it is for our country and people, the better for them. This is confirmed by the history of their activities. We have not forgotten this history. In the early 1990s, these forces put Azerbaijan in a difficult situation, committed treason and preconditioned the occupation of our lands. And after that they cowardly fled and went into hiding. These people dealt a serious blow to Azerbaijan, unleashed a civil war. When our lands were under occupation, brotherly blood was shed here. This group created chaos and anarchy in our country, corruption became state policy, incompetence, bad manners, lack of culture turned into a symbol of the PFPA-Musavat government. As a result of the negligent and treacherous activities of the people who represented that government, the country was actually on the verge of collapse, said the head of state. President Ilham Aliyev pointed out that therefore, this grouping cannot be described as a political force in the current conditions. I must say that they are always waiting for something, always hoping for an external factor. Remember 2005, when revolutions were taking place in post-Soviet republics. Inspired by this, they decided to stage an Orange Revolution in Azerbaijan. They did not even bother to choose a different color for themselves, they wanted to adopt the orange color from Ukraine and applied it here. They ordered and imported orange T-shirts and ribbons into the country. But they did not take into account one thing: at that time, in 2005, parliamentary elections were held in November, when it was already getting cold. I remember this funny picture when they took to the streets wearing orange shirts over their jackets and coats. Some wore them around the neck, others tied them around their heads. This created a comical picture. That's what they are capable of. And it didnt work out. After that, when the Arab spring began, they were inspired again, believing that they had the opportunity. In 2011-2012, they wanted a repeat of the Arab spring in Azerbaijan. It didnt work either. Everyone remembers what ugly steps they took on the eve of the 2013 presidential election. Coronavirus for them is a gift from the skies, said the head of state. President Ilham Aliyev noted that today, only this anti-national group is happy about coronavirus. I am certainly aware of current events and know that their dirty intentions create a monstrous picture. They want an increase in the number of the dead, they want an increase in the number of patients, they are glad that people are dying. So this is a hostility not against the government, but against the state. I call things by their proper names. If someone is hostile to our people and state, then he has only one name an enemy. Everyone should call them that. Their current dreams will not come true either. But I am not talking about that. I want to say that political reforms have created a completely new configuration. I am sure that there is no and should not be a place for any marginal groups in the new configuration. The people of Azerbaijan threw them into the dustbin of history 27 years ago, said the head of state. A US -Russian space crew landed safely Friday in the steppes of Kazakhstan, greeted with extra precautions amid the coronavirus pandemic. Following a stint on the International Space Station, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan and Russian Oleg Skripochka touched down as scheduled at 11:16 a.m. (0516 GMT) Friday. Their Soyuz landing capsule landed under a striped orange-and-white parachute about 150 kilometers (93 miles) southeast of Dzhezkazgan in central Kazakhstan. Russian officials said they took stringent measures to protect the crew amid the pandemic. The recovery team and medical personnel assigned to help the crew out of the capsule and for post-flight checks had been under close medical observation for nearly a month, including tests for the coronavirus. The space crew smiled as they talked to medical experts wearing masks. Following a quick checkup, the crew will be flown by helicopters to Baikonur, from where Skripochka will be taken to Moscow, said Vyacheslav Rogozhnikov, a Russian medical official who oversaw the crews return. Morgan and Meir will have to be driven from Baikonur to Kyzyl-Orda, 300 kilometers (190 miles) away, to board a flight to the US a strenuous journey made necessary by Kazakhstans quarantine measures. On Thursday, the Russian government coronavirus headquarters reported the first contagion at the Star City, which serves as the main hub for pre-flight training of U.S., Russian and other international crew members of the International Space Station. The Star City also has residential quarters for cosmonauts and support staff. Roscosmos Director Dmitry Rogozin said Wednesday that the Russian space corporation had 30 coronavirus cases. The crew returned to Earth exactly 50 years after the Apollo 13 astronauts splashed down in the Pacific after an oxygen tank explosion aborted the moon-landing mission. Morgan wrapped up a 272-day mission on his first flight into space. He conducted seven space walks, four of which were to improve and extend the life of the stations Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, which looks for evidence of dark matter in the universe. Meir and Skripochka spent 205 days in space, with Meir carrying out the first three all-women spacewalks with her crewmate Christina Koch, who returned from space in February. Speaking from the orbiting outpost before the return to Earth, the crew said that coming back to the world drastically changed by the pandemic will be challenging. Morgan said the crew has tried to keep atop the coronavirus news, but added that its hard to comprehend whats really going on. It is quite surreal for us to see this whole situation unfolding on the planet below, said Meir. We can tell you that the Earth still looks just as stunning as always from up here, so its difficult to believe all the changes that have taken place since both of us have been up here. A new crew comprising NASAs Chris Cassidy and Russians Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner arrived at the station on April 9. They said before blastoff that they had been under a very strict quarantine for a month before the flight and were feeling good. MiG-31 Crashes in Kazakhstan's Karaganda Region Due to Fire in One of Engines - Defence Ministry Sputnik News 14:44 GMT 16.04.2020(updated 15:17 GMT 16.04.2020) The incident took place on 16 April during a scheduled flight preparing for combat duty in the vicinity of the Kazakhstan's city of Karaganda. A MiG-31 military aircraft has crashed in Kazakhstan's Karaganda region due to a fire in one of its engines, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. "The accident occurred south of the airfield in Karaganda. After takeoff, one of the engines caught fire. After receiving an order to eject, military pilots directed the aircraft into a field, away from the settlement, making sure that nothing threatened the civilian population, and ejected. The pilots are alive", the ministry said. The Kazakh minister of defence has ordered an investigation into the incident. A search and rescue squad from Kazakhstan's Air Force has promptly arrived at the site. In December last year, a Bek Air Fokker 100 plane, heading to the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan with 98 people on board, crashed soon after takeoff. It lost altitude, broke through a concrete fence, and hit an empty two-story building. 12 people were killed and 69 others were injured in the crash. The Kazakhstan Aviation Administration (AAK) launched an investigation into the incident. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das will address the media at 10 am on April 17. This would be the RBI Governor's second press briefing since the COVID-19 outbreak began in India. In his previous address on March 27, Das had announced a rate cut of 75 basis points. Follow LIVE coverage of the RBI Governor's press conference here The RBI Governor had also announced a three-month moratorium on term loans whose installments are due between March 1 and May 31. On April 17, the RBI Governor may announce further liquidity measures to help the economy. The central bank may also clarify if the three-moratorium applies to non-banking finance companies as well. Also read: COVID-19 lockdown | NBFC-MFIs stare at liquidity shock: Will RBI step in? On April 17, the central bank announced the fourth targeted long-term repo operation (TLTRO) for Rs 25,000 crore, which will be conducted on April 17. Follow LIVE updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on April 17 issued an order allowing NBFCs - including housing finance companies (HFCs), microfinance institutions (NBFC-MFIs) - to operate during the nationwide lockdown. Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here French President Emmanuel Macron has said there are 'things that we don't know about' in China's handling of the coronavirus crisis, joining a growing chorus of doubts about the accuracy of China's claims. Macron said in an interview published in today's Financial Times that China's figures could not be compared to those in free countries. 'Given these differences, the choices made and what China is today, which I respect, let's not be so naive as to say it's been much better at handling this,' he said. 'We don't know. There are clearly things that have happened that we don't know about.' French president Emmanuel Macron (pictured at the Elysee Palace yesterday) has said there are 'things we don't know about' in China's handling of the coronavirus crisis China's official figures paint a picture of astonishing success in slowing the outbreak, but there has been widespread scepticism about their accuracy. To add to the growing doubts, China this week revised the death toll in Wuhan upwards by more than 50 per cent. In a social media post, the city government added 1,290 deaths to the tally in Wuhan, bringing the toll to 3,869. Officials claimed that many fatal cases were 'mistakenly reported' or missed entirely. The revision means that China's total death toll has also increased sharply, because Wuhan was by far the hardest-hit city. The new figure is 4,632 rather than 3,342. Macron said there could be no comparison between countries where the truth was suppressed and nations where information flowed freely and citizens could criticise their governments. Frictions between China and France came to light earlier this week when the Chinese ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry over a provocative article on the embassy website. The article quoted an unnamed diplomat criticising the West's response to the coronavirus outbreak. The diplomat accused workers at nursing homes of 'abandoning their posts overnight... and leaving their residents to die of hunger and disease'. That comment sparked fury across the political spectrum in France, with people leaping to the defence of nursing home workers. Medical staff in Wuhan are seen removing the body of a person suspected to have died from coronavirus. China has increased the death toll in Wuhan by more than 1,000 Foreign ministry officials summoned the Chinese ambassador in Paris over the article, which French lawmakers have called 'fake news'. China has since denied criticising France, saying there had been 'misunderstandings'. 'China has never issued negative comments on the way France has handled the epidemic,' foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular press briefing. 'To the contrary, we share the concerns of France, which today faces the serious challenges brought by this epidemic.' Britain and the United States have also declined to hail China's apparent success in containing the outbreak. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said today there would be 'hard questions about how it came about and how it couldn't have been stopped earlier'. Donald Trump's administration says it does not rule out that the virus could have come from a laboratory researching bats in China. Trump says the US is 'doing a very thorough investigation' after hearing 'more and more' rumours of a laboratory accident. Chinese scientists have said the virus was likely transmitted to humans late last year at a Wuhan 'wet market'. Trump also regards the World Health Organization as too close to China, accusing it of initially advising against travel bans out of 'political correctness'. The Duchess of Cambridge praises the efforts of frontline workers during the coronavirus outbreak (Peter Morrison/PA) The Duchess of Cambridge has said the extraordinary job NHS staff and other frontline workers are doing will dramatically change how we value them in the future. Kate said the higher status of doctors, nurses, care home workers, and others will be one of the main positives to come out of the coronavirus crisis. Her comments came during an interview with the BBC, and William offered advice about maintaining good mental health saying staying connected, staying positive and being able to talk to friends and family is so crucial. When the duchess was asked whether the Covid-19 outbreak would fundamentally change who we are and what we value, she replied: Yes absolutely. Expand Close Kate and William have narrated a new video to support the mental wellbeing of the nation (Brian Lawless/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kate and William have narrated a new video to support the mental wellbeing of the nation (Brian Lawless/PA) I think what were seeing now is the NHS and the frontline workers are doing the most extraordinary job and thats really come to the forefront in the last few weeks. And I think its going to dramatically change how we all value and see our frontline workers and I think that is one of the main positives that you can take from this. They do an extraordinary job, it goes unrecognised daily and now I think all of us as a nation can really see how hard they work and how vital their work is. The Cambridges have provided the narration for a video which will highlight new advice on Public Health Englands (PHE) Every Mind Matters website. In the video, due to be released on Monday which is aimed at supporting the countrys mental wellbeing during the coronavirus outbreak, the couple will tell the nation were in this together. Expand Close William has experience of being a frontline worker as he flew air ambulance helicopters (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp William has experience of being a frontline worker as he flew air ambulance helicopters (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Speaking about what can help people cope with the lockdown, William told the BBC: I think again staying connected, staying positive and being able to talk to friends and family is so crucial and having just some tips and some ideas as to how to tackle some of these strange feelings and difficult circumstances were finding ourselves in is really important, just to nudge us through these next few weeks. The duke worked as an air ambulance helicopter pilot and has talked in the past about the importance of emergency service workers off-loading their work experiences to preserve good mental health. He spoke about similar concerns for NHS staff looking after critically ill Covid-19 patients. He said: I think they take away that pain and that sometimes that fear and loneliness that these patients have to go through, theyre the ones who absorb that and take it home to their families. And I think again, Ive spoken about the attrition and the daily attrition rate of that happening to somebody is not normal and were not super human any of us, so to be able to manage those emotions and that feeling is going to take some time after all this is over as well. Although some have opened, there are problems in some areas getting enough senior GPs to work in them. Photo: REUTERS The roll-out of community GP hubs - where people who may have deteriorated with symptoms of the coronavirus can be medically examined - has been slowed. Although some have opened, there are problems in some areas getting enough senior GPs to work in them. As the growth in new infections falls, there are also question marks over whether the national network of hubs will be needed. It was originally planned they would be confined to patients who had been diagnosed with the virus who were referred for medical examination by their own GP. However, they have now been expanded to include people who are symptomatic of the coronavirus but do not have a confirmed diagnosis. The GPs will assess the patient and decide whether they should go to hospital or can return home. The hubs are not open to taking nursing home residents who, instead, must be assessed remotely by their GP or sent straight to the hospital emergency department. The hubs, to be located in primary-care centres, will be subject to strict infection control, according to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre. It said that, as far as possible, the facility should allow all surfaces, particularly all contact surfaces, to be readily cleaned and disinfected. There should be minimum equipment in the clinical room to allow for all horizontal surfaces to be cleaned and disinfected easily between each patient. Rooms may be cleaned immediately after a patient leaves and reused once surfaces are dry. The computer in the clinical examination room should be at the farthest point from the patient. The keyboard should have an impermeable and cleanable cover to facilitate cleaning and disinfection between each patient. It warns that people attending for assessment should be only by appointment to avoid people congregating. Where possible, people who arrive for testing by private car should remain in their car until called for assessment. Signage should indicate that people waiting for assessment should not eat, drink, smoke or vape and should not have contact with or speak with others who are waiting. They must leave promptly after being seen. Where possible, patient flow should avoid overlap between those arriving for assessment and those leaving. A positive outcome of the COVID-19 crisis, hopefully, is that Generation Z those aged 22 and under end up being viewed not with the disdain once directed towards their Gen Y elders but with care and compassion, especially from an employment perspective. Coronavirus has brought their plight to light with the "generational bargain" theyve signed. This implicit agreement requires them to "put their dreams on hold" so that senior Australians arent as harshly impacted, though this is an issue that extends further to encompass their status as Generation Less, one thats experiencing "declining health, rising financial pressures and a restricted and uncertain career future", particularly among those enrolled at university. Generation Z are facing decades-long challenges after the coronavirus pandemic is over. Credit:Cole Bennetts Its that downhill slide, which in a society like ours should be heading in the opposite direction, that prompted researchers from Australian National University to investigate why health indicators physical as well as psychological are deteriorating in comparison to the rest of the population. Their findings, which have been published in the Health Promotion International journal, reveal the debilitating side effects when students simultaneously work and study. Thats because when needing to decide how to allocate their time between three imperatives work, study and health its health that almost always gets sacrificed in their constant struggle with time. It was a fine April day but Sarah Pezzino was worried about the pigeons and seagulls in the usually crowded but now almost empty forecourt of the State Library of Victoria. I was thinking theyre probably starving because no one is feeding them, she said. Crowds missing: Flinders Street Station on Thursday morning. Credit:Joe Armao For the birds, as for Ms Pezzino and millions of other people, life is not the same as it was a mere month ago. A provincial recommendation to limit prescriptions to a 30-day supply during the coronavirus pandemic has Ontario seniors demanding relief from dispensing fees that have, for some, tripled in cost. CARP, a national advocacy group for the rights of aging Canadians, is being inundated with emails from seniors, who worry about being hit with multiple dispensing fees now that pharmacists are filling prescriptions monthly instead of every 90 days, said chief policy officer Marissa Lennox. CARP is calling on the Ontario government to help cover the added costs associated with limiting prescription refills, which is intended to guard against the stockpiling of medications and prevent shortages during the pandemic. Lennox said this is causing undue financial hardship for Ontario seniors. We have received so many inquiries, complaints, concerns. A lot of seniors are already feeling the hit of COVID-19 on their pocketbook, whether it was in their retirement savings, whether they lost their jobs. It makes for really difficult decisions between having to pay for medications and maybe food. Governments across Canada have moved to limit prescription refills during COVID-19. Some other provinces, including Alberta, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island, have taken steps to either waive the fee or have it subsidized, Lennox said. But Ontario is not mitigating costs for seniors and other members of the provinces public drug plan who are now facing multiple dispensing fees. However, that could soon change. On Thursday, Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said the province is ready to move very quickly to ease the strain related to limits on prescription refills. We had some discussions about it yesterday and we expect to be making that available to the public very soon, because we know that this is a difficulty for a number of people, she said. You can expect something from us very shortly on that issue. Ed Sikora, 86, who lives in Burlington, Ont., said he didnt realize that hed only been issued a 30-day refill on his prescriptions, instead of his usual three-month supply, until he got home from the drugstore earlier this week. When he called the pharmacist to inquire, he was stunned to learn that hed have to pay the dispensing fee two more times. Its ridiculous that theyre charging you the full amount and only giving you one third of the quantity, he said, adding that his retirement savings have taken a hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Every dollar counts, he said. Dispensing fees for medications eligible under the Ontario Drug Benefit plan at most pharmacies range between $8.83 and $13.25, depending on location. Seniors and others covered under the public drug plan are responsible for part of these dispensing fees a co-payment which can be up to $6.11. In recommending pharmacists limit prescription refills last month, Ontarios Health Ministry said, Dispensers may use professional judgment to provide a longer days supply in exceptional cases with appropriate documentation. Justin Bates, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association, said pharmacists across Canada urged governments to impose limits on refills because of concerns about the global supply chain of medications and to stop the panic buying that occurred in the early days of the pandemic. We cant be reactive in these situations because once a drug shortage occurs its really difficult to fix that situation, Bates said. We wanted to avoid any scenario where a patient couldnt get their medications. However, Bates said it was the associations understanding that no patient should experience any additional cost related to the policy. The association is urging government to cover the second and third co-payments for prescriptions covered under the public drug plan, which covers the most vulnerable, he said. Were working collaboratively with the Ford government to hopefully bring a solution forward. Our hope is that they understand the necessity here. Lennox is also hearing from seniors across the country who are fearful that added trips to pharmacies to fill prescriptions could put them at greater risk of exposure to COVID-19. To address these concerns, Bates said pharmacies are increasing delivery services and curbside pickup options, as well as limiting the number of customers in stores and introducing dedicated hours for seniors to shop. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. There is a broad spectrum of studies and statistics that attempt to explain why even today sexual assault continues to be a threat to society, not just to women, but to all people. In looking at the issue, every gender, every race and at every age, the threat of sexual violence exists every minute of every day. Around the world, Indigenous peoples have been and still are being victimized by predominant civilizations. Beginning with colonization, Native Americans and Alaska Natives suffered at the hands of non-Natives and rape was frequently used as a tool of colonization and oppression. The impacts of colonization, and specifically rape still impact Native communities to this day. Nationwide, an American is sexually assaulted every 73 seconds and every nine minutes that victim is a child. Meanwhile, only five out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison, according to Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). That means 995 out of 1,000 perpetrators are free to assault again. For Native Americans, the picture is even bleaker. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, American Indians and Crime (1992-2002, 2004): Native Americans and Alaska Natives are twice as likely to experience a rape/sexual assault compared to all races. 41 percent of sexual assaults against American Indians are committed by a stranger; 34 percent by an acquaintance; and 25% by an intimate or family member. 41 percent of sexual assaults against American Indians are committed by a stranger; 34 percent by an acquaintance; and 25% by an intimate or family member. Beyond those statistics remain the innumerable victims who do not report or cannot report sexual assault for any variety of reasons. One of the more common reasons a victim may not report an assault is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). If you know someone who may be isolated with an abuser during this #covid-19 self-distancing time, check in on them. Make sure our relatives feel connected and cared for by their community is crucial in these trying times.#native #relatives #DV #isolation #socialdistancing pic.twitter.com/HzUVX47qpF strongheartsdv (@strongheartsdv) April 14, 2020 The Effects of Sexual Assault Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious psychological disease suffered by millions of people who have been exposed to extreme stress, violence or loss. PTSD can cause many trauma responses, from rendering a victim mute to living in a heightened state of panic. However, unless and until the survivor can speak about the assault, silence itself serves to protect the perpetrator. Possible Feelings and Reactions After a sexual assault has occurred, the victim can experience a multitude of debilitating emotions, including: fear, guilty feelings, embarrassment, shame, shock and depression). Processing trauma is never easy, but putting labels on the emotions can help put things into perspective. Understanding Consent Consent is expressed when one person voluntarily agrees to the proposal of another. It is best to know that consent is legally required at every stage of sexual activity. Sexual assault is pervasive in every corner of the world. It is very important to remember that the perpetrator is at fault, not the victim. It will take time and effort for a victim of sexual assault to heal and to move forward, but it can be done. It must be done. There are so many people that not only need help but who want to help. For the victim, the helper and/or a concerned family or friend, help is available. SANE A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) is a nurse specifically trained to conduct a forensic exam to include evaluation and collection of evidence. They are sensitive to survivors of sexual assault and use their expertise to provide effective courtroom testimony. RAINN Sexual assault service providers may also be accessed through the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. You can also reach RAINN by calling the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) or visit their website at rainn.org StrongHearts Can Help Help is available for victims of sexual assault. StrongHearts Native Helpline advocates are trained to take a Native-centered, empowerment-based approach to every call and offer peer-to-peer support, crisis intervention, assistance with safety planning, referrals to local resources and education and information. Services are completely free, anonymous and confidential. To explore your options for safety and healing, call StrongHearts Native Helpline at 1-844-7NATIVE (1-844-762-8483) daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CST. Callers reaching out after hours may connect with the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) by selecting option one. Join the Conversation Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Sadananda Gowda on Friday said that India has sufficient stock of medicine and fertilizers and the citizens need not panic. He said that the government assesses the domestic requirements of medicines and fertilizers on a daily basis. 'There is no problem of Hydroxychloroquine' While speaking to news agency ANI, he said, "As of now, there is no problem of Hydroxychloroquine. Every day we assess what is the requirement for domestic consumption and what is in excess that can be exported. We always maintain stock for 10 days with us. We have sufficient Hydroxychloroquine tablets. People of the country need not to panic... All medicines, personal protection equipment (PPE), masks and sanitiser are in sufficient quantity, so there is no need to panic." "There is no problem with fertilizers. State governments have sufficient stock of fertilizers. All the factories have started production. We are in touch with the agricultural ministries of the states. We are providing sufficient fertilizer to the farmers of the country," he added. The minister said that there were some transportation problems in the early days of lockdown but things have become normal now. He further said that the government has plans to tackle any situation. He added that only those items are being exported which are in excess of domestic consumption. Coronavirus pandemic in India READ | Zoom rolls out new measures to tackle security breach as MHA warns against its use India will receive 5.5 lakh rapid antibody testing kits and one lakh RNA extraction kits from China as it ramps up it's testing for coronavirus. India has also engaged South Korea for procurement of testing kits and the consignment will reach India very soon, according to ANI sources. READ | RBI governor announces reverse repo rate cut from 4% to 3.75%; FULL address here Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex medical body monitoring the spread of COVID-19 in India, on Friday in a statement said that a total of 3,02,956 samples from 2,86,714 individuals have been tested till 9 pm on April 15. It said that 12,581 individuals have been confirmed positive among suspected cases and contacts of known positive cases in India. The statement added that until 9 pm, 27,256 samples were reported in the past 24 hours out of which over 1200 were positive for COVID-19. READ | Over 50,000 Chinese PPE kits fail quality test in India, domestic production ramped up The total number of Coronavirus cases in India has risen to 13,387. As many as 23 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, as per data provided by the Health ministry. Out of the total count, 11,201 cases are active, while 1,749 people have been cured/discharged/migrated and 437 deaths have been reported till Friday morning. READ | COVID-19 scare: Cancer patient, family members denied entry at home by landlord in Odisha This is the frightening moment a group of pirates held a crew member hostage after raiding a ship in Mexican waters. The incident took place last Thursday off the coast of the Mexican Gulf state of Tabasco when at least three men boarded the REMAS, an Italian vessel. Surveillance video from the REMAS showed three masked suspects pointing and waving their gun at the vessel's crew. A gunman points his weapon at an Italian vessel member after at least three pirates hijacked the REMAS 76 miles off Mexico's port of Dos Bocas last Thursday The hijackers gestured with their hands and obligated the sailors to kneel and crouch. Two ship crew members were repeatedly beaten and suffered head wounds, and equipment and personal belongings were stolen. The assault, however, was not visible on the video that disseminated on social media. It was the second time in six months that the REMAS was attacked by pirates. The attack, which took place 76 miles from the port of Dos Bocas, was among five that were reported in a span of a week. On Thursday morning, at least five armed pirates boarded the Mexican-based Campeche Maritime Service's Buccaneer vessel and subdued the crew of 75 before escaping with their personal belongings and equipment. Hijackers board an Italian vessel REMAS off the Gulf of Mexico last Thursday and injured two crew members during a robbery Dubai-based Telford Offshore said one of its ships, the offshore accommodation and hook-up unit Telford 28, was assaulted by pirates on Tuesday Five ships were attacked in Mexican waters dating back to April 8. At least three pirates hijacked the REMAS (pictured bottom left) and left two crew members with head wounds A Dubai-owned vessel, the offshore accommodation and hook-up unit Telford 28, was hijacked by pirates Tuesday while it was anchored in Ciudad del Carmen. At least one crew member was hospitalized as a result of injuries suffered in the attack. 'Our main concern and always will be is ensuring the continued safety and wellbeing of all personnel onboard our vessels,' Telford Offshore said in a statement, according to Offshore Engineer. 'Telford Offshore will co-operate with the relevant authorities in the follow-up of this incident to prevent any further attacks on other vessels in the area.' Denmark's Maersk Supply Service reported that one of its ships, the Maersk Transporter, was attacked by an armed gang on Sunday off the coast of Ciudad del Carmen. The pirates made off with several items during the robbery. The Panamanian pipeline-laying ship Sapura 3500 was also attacked April 8. It is unknown if all of the attackers are from the same gang. In Greek mythology, Atlas was a titan condemned to hold up the celestial heavens for eternity after losing the series of battles known as the Titanomachy. Unlike the Greek mythical gods that changed the world with their own power, individuals are flawed, meaning the human race must count on its collective wisdom to thrive. Environments where wisdom is shared have generated great feats such as the computer, the Internet, and artificial intelligence (AI), which have all lifted the human society to a new height. In Greek mythology, Atlas protects the world by holding the sky on his shoulders. Tens of thousands of years later in 2019, the Huawei-developed Atlas AI computing platform was launched, which carries on the mission to push us into the cloud digital era. Huawei Lets take a deeper look at the Huawei Atlas platform and its position in the marketplace. The Huawei Atlas AI computing platform provides diverse product formssuch as modules, accelerator cards, edge stations, servers, and clustersto help you build an all-scenario AI infrastructure solution across cloud-edge-device. Running on Huaweis Ascend series AI processors and mainstream heterogeneous computing components, the platform is designed to help supercharge the industries of tomorrow, such as Safe City, Intelligent Transportation, Smart Healthcare, and AI inference. The Atlas AI computing platform provides powerful AI computing for customers to handle massive data volumes. It plays an important role in the Huawei full-stack, all-scenario AI solution. One of the highlights of the Atlas AI computing platform is the collaboration across edge-device-cloud. The cloud is the core of the entire platform for computing and massive data processing. The Atlas 800 AI server provides a high-density, cloud-based AI inference solution that achieves better processing performance with fewer servers. A typical application scenario of the Atlas 800 server is the urban governance system. For example, in a city with a population of over 20 million people and more than 3 million vehicles, approximately 43 million images of passing vehicles will be generated every day. This makes real-time traffic analysis a must for traffic governance. The data analytics of vehicles, traffic violations, and traffic flow requires powerful computing in the cloud. To meet such requirements, either 3,000 servers equipped with general-purpose processors are needed, or 72 to 144 GPU-based servers. However, thanks to the neural processing unit (NPU) processors optimized for AI deep learning, only 60 Atlas 800 servers are required to do the same, greatly simplifying deployment and slashing power consumption. This is the advantage that the NPU-powered Atlas 800 AI server yields over its counterparts in intelligent traffic governance scenario. Edge computing is a supplement to cloud computing. An open platform that integrates the capabilities of network, computing, storage, and application is deployed at the edge to provide services closer to end users. The proprietary Atlas 500 AI edge station and the Atlas 300 AI accelerator card boost the efficiency of edge AI inference, making it an ideal option for industrial quality inspection. Enterprises in the manufacturing industry invest huge manpower in quality inspection. However, due to the intense workload and the dangerous work environments of some special manufacturing processes, the highest accuracy rate of quality inspection can reach only 90% with conventional infrastructure. In recent years, machine-vision quality inspection in the manufacturing industry has increased the accuracy rate to about 95%, but a higher accuracy rate is still required. Many enterprises have purchased expensive equipment for fully automated quality inspection, but human labor is still needed for secondary quality inspection. In response to the industry requirements, Huawei has risen to the occasion to provide an AI industrial quality inspection solution. Huawei collaborates with ADLINK Technology to integrate the Atlas 300 AI accelerator card into an industrial computer, providing AI capabilities for each sensor of the industrial computer. The supply chain application team at Huawei has developed cutting-edge AI algorithms based on neural networks such as SSD and U-Net, designed to offer an average quality inspection accuracy of 99%, and even up to 99.9% for some processes. Simple yet effective, this is the exciting achievement that will supercharge the manufacturing industry. Devices such as drones, intelligent robots, and robotic arms in factories are more familiar to users. In a competitive market where vendors aim to make the fastest, most intelligent device, even the smallest improvements can help an enterprise make huge strides in the marketplace. The Huawei Atlas 200 AI accelerator module is specifically built to improve the performance of the most demanding device workloads. In addition to the AI module that benefits terminal users, Huawei also empowers AI developers by launching the Atlas 200 DK AI Developer Kit (also known as Atlas 200 DK), which can be used by scientific researchers, universities, and individual developers. With the Atlas 200 DK, it takes developers only 30 minutes to quickly set up a development environment. The Atlas 200 DK provides user-friendly GUIs and allows for all-scenario deployment after one-time development. Another highlight of the Atlas 200 DK is Tensor Boost Engine (TBE), an efficient operator development tool that features easy development and high performance. Pre-configured with various APIs, TBE simplifies development and supports the tuning of different custom operators. The in-depth software/hardware collaboration and optimization help TBE improve performance by 10%. The Huawei Atlas series covers scenarios across device-cloud-edge, providing the most demanding AI specifications. Next, lets talk about how to develop AI applications based on the Atlas 200. The process is simple. First, you need to download Mind Studio, which is an AI full-stack development platform based on the IntelliJ framework. It enables the development, debugging, and tuning of custom operators, and provides features such as network porting, optimization, and analysis, greatly simplifying application development. Thanks to diverse APIs, the Atlas 200 DK facilitates AI development for developers in an easy-to-use environment. Talk is cheap, show me the code. The following C++ code is listed to illustrate the development process based on the Atlas 200 DK. In addition to advanced technologies, Atlas also provides a developer-friendly platform. A critical part of this platform is the Ascend Developer Zone, a developer-centric enablement community built by Huawei. In the Ascend Developer Zone, technical documents, development tools (such as the TBE operator development tool), and code samples (such as the manufacturing quality inspection model) are available for download under Resources. Theoretical courses, practical training, and application cases of AI are provided under Ascend Institute, and the support center provides convenient technical support in the form of online Q&A, remote support, and experience sharing, helping developers quickly get started. We have ushered in a digital age where AI is increasingly pervasive and available. The all-digital world would be impossible without the innovation of developers across the globe. While Zeus sentenced Atlas for eternity, Huawei Atlas AI is a perfect gift to the developer community, and only a few clicks away. We call on all developers to share your collective wisdom and unleash your creativity. To learn more about Atlas, please click here. (Photo : Pixabay) A Florida couple was in for a startling surprise when a group of men attempted to rescue a rogue alligator trying to pay a visit to the homeowners. Miranda and Brandon Taylor, 22 and 23, said they were on a drive somewhere when the ring doorbell alerted them regarding these unexpected visitors waiting outside their residence. The couple thought their empty home was being burgled. The weird footage below suggests three guys standing on the front porch of the young couple's residence searching intently at something close to their door and creeping closer to it. 'We're not trying to steal anything; there's an alligator at your door!' The group knew the house has a video doorbell and worry that what they're doing can also look suspicious. According to DailyMail, one man gets close to the door, explaining there's an alligator at their door and apologized to the homeowners before lunging down to catch it. He disappears from view, and some seconds later returned, embracing the reptile on his arms and walked away from the couples' house. ALSO READ: Best Home Cameras 2020: Here Are The Surveillance Cameras To Help Keep An Eye of Your Home We thought our house would be barged in - homeowner Mrs. Taylor, who works in financial services, told DailyMail she and her husband freaked out since they assumed some stranger broke into their home. "We turned off the music in the car and listened to the sound intently to see what was happening, which is when we heard them explain about the alligator," Miranda added. She said they "relaxed a little bit" and watched all of the scenes unfold when they heard their explanation. Before the couple left the house, Miranda said they moved some of their packages inside the home from the doorstep --- otherwise, the gator could have grabbed them. She said she'd still be anxious when getting a lot of notifications from Ring because the wind blows the tree out front. They thought this was another, Miranda added. Miranda said there's a pond in the neighborhood. She assumed the alligator came from there and walked just on foot along the sidewalks, which made other residents worried. ALSO READ: Ring Doorbell Users, Watch Out: New Flaws Lets Others Spy On You Even After Changing Passwords "This [incident might] be the most Florida thing ever to happen to us," according to Taylor's Facebook post. Living with Alligators: A Florida Reality Living in Florida means locals share the state with an estimated 1.3 million alligators. According to Tampa Bay's 10 News, alligators mating season begins in April then continues through May or June. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says warm spring weather means alligators are more active and more visible in the area. The FWC said people should leave alligators alone, especially during the mating season. It also encouraged the public not to feed the alligators and to keep their distance if they see one. "Handling even small alligators can result in injury," according to FWC's brochure called A Guide to Living with Alligators. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The highest percentage of positive tests for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on Staten Island have occurred across a large swath of the North Shore and parts of the East Shore, zip code data shows. Collectively, nearly 53% of those residents examined for the coronavirus in zip codes 10301, 10302, 10303 and 10304, have tested positive for the disease, data compiled by GitHub linked to the city Heath Departments web site said. Overall, 9,108 of 19,174 Staten Islanders checked for the coronavirus, or 47.5%, received positive results as of Thursday afternoon, according to the data. The highest percentage of positive tests, 54.25%, (555 of 1,023 persons examined) occurred in the zip code 10303, which is comprised primarily of Mariners Harbor. Zip code 10301, which slices through parts of the North and East shores, including New Brighton, St. George, Emerson Hill and Sunnyside, had the next highest positive results with 52.96%, or 716 of the 1,352 residents tested. Zip codes 10302 and 10304, displayed positive results of 52.41% (380 of 725 ) and 51.59% (911 of 1,766), respectively, for those individuals tested. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** Yet, the highest numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases based on the patients zip code, remain in two of the boroughs largest zip code areas, 10312 and 10314. Residents in those two zip codes have also been tested the most. Of the 3,742 individuals living in zip code 10314 who were checked, 1,783, or 47.65%, had positive results. Zip code 10314 includes such communities as Bulls Head, Castleton Corners, Graniteville, Meiers Corners, New Springville, Travis, Westerleigh and Willowbrook. In zip code 10312, 1,118 of 2,387 residents, or 46.84%, tested positive for the virus. Zip code 10312 includes Annadale, Arden Heights, Eltingville, Greenridge and Huguenot. Residents tested in the remaining zip codes - 10305, 10306, 10307, 10308, 10309 and 10310 showed slightly lower positive rates. Those percentages ranged from 42.56% in zip code 10308 to 46.74% in zip code 10310. Zip code 10308, whose residents had 478 positive results in 1,123 tests, includes Great Kills, while zip code 10310, with 452 positive results in 967 tests, includes West Brighton and Livingston. Following zip codes 10314 and 10312, the highest number of total confirmed coronavirus cases have occurred in residents in zip codes 10306 (1,001 of 2,285 tested), 10304, 10305 (801 of 1,739 tested), 10301 and 10309 (639 of 1,466). Residents in zip code 10307 have had the fewest total number of positive tests at 274. In that zip code, which consists of Tottenville, 599 residents have been tested. Staten Islanders, per capita, have been checked for the virus most frequently among the five boroughs, according to a report in the New York Post. About four out of every 100 Staten Island residents 3.8 have been tested, the report said. The Bronx has the next highest rate, with 2.9 of every 100 residents having been examined, said the report. Adrian Farrer came to Trinity Grammar School at the tail end of the most traumatic period in the Anglican boys schools 117-year history. The previous headmaster, Michael Davies, had resigned two months after his deputy, Rohan Brown, was sacked for cutting a students hair. Trinity Grammar principal Adrian Farrer with school captain Jack Stewart and junior school captain Wes Collins. Credit:Eddie Jim Students and old boys gathered in their hundreds to protest, plunging the school into a very public crisis. The public show of anger was in part an expression of resentment in the school community about a perceived narrowing of focus onto students getting high ATARs instead of their broader personal growth. T he UK fell silent on Friday morning to remember the 20 London bus workers who have died after contracting coronavirus. The mark of respect, organised by the trade union Unite, took place at 11am. The union said far too many bus workers have died during the crisis and the danger has still not passed. A total of 26 transport workers in the capital have died from Covid-19, Transport for London said. Twenty of these were bus staff, four from Tube and TfL railways, one from head office and one from a partner service. Pete Kavanagh, Unite regional secretary for London, said: Unite pays tribute to those bus workers who have died during the coronavirus pandemic and our thoughts are with their loved ones at this incredibly painful time. "Their heart-breaking sacrifice, at a time of critical need, will never be forgotten." Bus drivers and members of the public across the UK, from London to Belfast, paused at 11am to pay their respects to those who have died. Staff at the NHS Nightingale Hospital in London remembered the fallen workers, while bus workers in Cardiff joined the minute's silence and drivers in Belfast stopped their buses. Labour leader Keir Starmer wrote on Twitter: "Thank you to everyone who observed a minutes silence to remember our transport workers who lost their lives to coronavirus." Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said earlier this week that he was "heartbroken" by the deaths. My thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones at this very difficult time," he said. "This is deeply personal - I cant help but think that this could have been my dad or his colleagues and friends. The mayor said enhanced anti-viral cleaning is in force across the network and protective film has been applied on top of the screens separating bus drivers from passengers to seal off holes. A trial is taking place on nine routes where passengers will only board from the middle doors. Mr Khan also announced that bus passengers will not have to pay to travel under new measures to protect drivers. Mike Brown, Transport for Londons Commissioner, said he was utterly devastated by the deaths of bus workers. It is an absolute tragedy and I cant imagine the pain and suffering that their families and friends are going through, he said. My thoughts and condolences are with them all, and we are doing everything we can to provide support." MPs across the country also paused to remember those who had died during the minute's silence. Putney bus garage in London joined to remember "lost colleagues and friends". Book shops even took the opportunity to spread the word and encourage passersby to pause and remember the workers. Bus staff in Plymouth also joined to pay their respects to transport workers who have lost their lives to the virus. Last week, Mr Khan said it is "really important we treat public transport workers as heroes". Outlining the new safety measures of bus workers, he told the BBC: "What we've done with our buses in London are the most enhanced measures of any buses across the country. "We're using anti-viral disinfectant, the sort of stuff they use in hospitals to make sure everything is clean including the touchpoints, steering wheels, handles, garages, restrooms. "We've also made sure there is a perspex barrier between the driver and the passengers with a protective film to avoid particles or droplets coming from people's mouth on the driver. "We've also made sure no passenger can sit near a driver." Bus use in London has fallen by around 85 per cent due to the coronavirus pandemic. NEW HAVEN New Haven has a growing network of volunteers who are reaching out to persons who have been in contact with others who have tested positive for COVID-19 as a major step in addition to social distancing to break the hold of the virus. Dr. Mehul Dalal, who heads the Community Services Administration, also gave an outline of what the city is thinking as Connecticut gets closer to a peak infection rate in about three weeks and cases start to fall. He painted a picture of fluctuating between easing and tightening social distancing rules depending on how the virus is behaving, using the image of tightening and loosening a faucet. Dulal and Director of Public Health Maritiza Bond both spoke Thursday at Mayor Justin Elickers daily virtual press conference on the coronavirus, where the mayor said he number of positive cases in New Haven is now 859 with 23 fatalities. On contact tracing, Bond said she has a total of 70 people, including some public health nursing staff, who are working the phones informing individuals that they have been exposed to the virus and recommending that they self isolate for two weeks. She said another 90 have just been trained and they are looking for more individuals, preferably persons with some medical training. Bond said the response has been positive. The mayor said soon there is likely to be a large jump in the number of positive cases as opportunities for testing increase locally. On contact tracing, Elicker said he has been touching base with other municipalities and the state on forging a concerted effort. He pointed to the state of Massachusetts, which has 1,000 people tracing those unknowingly exposed to the virus. A report in the New York Times said that state has budgeted $44 million for a contact tracing effort it hopes will tamp down hot spots before the virus spreads again. Dalal made his presentation in the context of local, state and regional governments looking to a time when restrictions can be eased to help the economy. He put up a graphic that shows how the number of cases in Italy and now in New York City hit sharp peaks of infection as compared to the experience of Singapore where aggressive measures were put in place early to the contain the virus. Unfortunately in the U.S. we missed that boat ... but now that we are plateauing and probably coming down in some cases, how do we put together an aggressive framework that helps us surpress the disease from recurring and surging? Dalal asked. The CSA official said there may be other peaks and the country may be in a scenario where we get used to the idea of loosening restrictions when the epidemic is at bay but then we tighten them back up with respect to our social distancing policies when we sense the epidemic is back in an upswing. This might be what they talk about as the new normal with respect to how we are going to be operating our businesses and our society in general, Dalal said. He said public health officials believe that if the country does the loosing of restrictions too quickly, there will be a resurgence and we will be back where we started. Dalal said there may be a secondary peak in the fall, maybe something before that. He said it was important to remember that just because we might be close to being over the hill, it does not mean we are out of the woods. As to how the city decides when to loosen the rules, Dalal said it must be data driven, which the local Department of Public Health and partners at the state are gathering. He said the four pillars of a core public health approach start with very widely ramped up testing. The second point is to have a very robust system to isolate people. He said there needs to be a positive approach to isolation where there is support to help them recover in their own homes so the dont feel they have to go out to meet basic needs. He said the last point is the contact tracing where others unknowingly exposed voluntarily self-isolate for two weeks. Dalal said this is the core strategy recommended by major health organizations that have developed consensus among a number of experts. Elicker said if all the steps are done quickly the testing, the contact tracing and isolation the scope of the outbreak will be much smaller. mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577 Brazil's president it seems has sparked another wave of protests following his recent unexpected decision in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis. According to AP, Jair Bolsonaro stoked public anger after he sacked his popular health minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, after the two clashed over the government's highly controversial response to the coronavirus pandemic. AP Luiz Henrique Mandetta posted on his verified Twitter profile, "I just heard from President Jair Bolsonaro the news of my dismissal from the health ministry." Acabo de ouvir do presidente Jair Bolsonaro o aviso da minha demissao do Ministerio da Saude. Quero agradecer a oportunidade que me foi dada, de ser gerente do nosso SUS, de por de pe o projeto de melhoria da saude dos brasileiros e Henrique Mandetta (@lhmandetta) April 16, 2020 I would like to say thank you for the opportunity that was given to me, to manage our health service and to plan our fight against the coronavirus epidemic, this great challenge that our health system is about to face, Mandetta said. According to a Guardian report, Mandettas sacking had been anticipated for weeks as Bolsonaro repeatedly downplayed coronavirus and urged the relaxation of social distancing measures while Mandetta defended such policies. Luiz Henrique Mandetta, an orthopedist, had garnered support for his handling of the pandemic that included the promotion of broad isolation measures enacted by state governors, even drawing comparisons to Dr Anthony Fauci, U.S. President Donald Trump's top virus expert. His dismissal comes at a time when experts are apparently saying that the coronavirus outbreak in Brazil is expected to peak in the coming weeks. "You should have absolute certainty that we fought a good fight until here," Mandetta told fellow ministry workers in a televised press conference Thursday after announcing his departure. "But we're at the start of the battle." Reuters Bolsonaro, for his part, has apparently always characterised the virus as a 'little flu,' reportedly adding that shutting down the economy would cause more damage than confining only high-risk Brazilians, and touted the yet-unproven efficacy of an anti-malarial drug. "Life is priceless, but the economy and employment need to return to normality," Bolsonaro said at a press conference on Thursday. He also said he would neither condemn nor criticise Mandetta. "It was a consensual divorce because more important than me and more important than him as a minister is the health of the Brazilian people." Bolsonaro named Nelson Teich, an oncologist and senior consultant at medical services company Teich Health Care, as Mandetta's replacement. He also has a Master's in Business Administration, according to his LinkedIn page. Speaking alongside Bolsonaro, Teich said he didn't want to announce any changes abruptly, as little is known about the virus. He added that he and the president are 'completely aligned'. "Health and the economy are complementary," Teich said. AFP While rising quickly, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Brazil is still relatively low in relation to the country's massive population of 211 million, though it does have the most cases in Latin America. There have been almost 2,000 deaths. Its peak is expected in May. Reportedly, following Mandetta's announcement of his firing, people in apartment buildings in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro could be heard yelling insults at Bolsonaro from their windows. All Inputs PTI States, jealous of their power and prerogatives when it suits, have been furious over what some governors call federal inaction on COVID-19, deliberate or not. But equally, each state has a department of public health, a director of that department and staff. Each state is presumed to have a plan for emergencies: floods, forest fires, airliner crashes (the last fatal crash in the U.S. occurred in 2009, but it used to be on the prepare for list) or pandemics. Closing schools and parks is not handled in Washington. Calling out the state National Guard is, as its name suggests, a state prerogative. Emergency plans are expensive, and states are often strapped for cash; so is Washington. And, now that the feds and the states are beginning to plan for reopening, each will look for a way to take credit and lay blame. President Donald Trump has pre-empted some of this with his announcement that the White House will work with all 50 governors to create reopening plans. Governor Andrew Cuomo conceded that New York cannot manage without Washington when he announced that he wont fight with the President. If he wont, no one outside the media will. This is, then, an opportune moment to consider federalism as a key American operating principle both in general and as it relates to the next big fight -- the Electoral College. (Think its too early? It isnt.) Federalism is how states and municipalities exercise their authority separate from the federal government. For decades, liberals have sought more federal power over states (abortion, marriage, health insurance, and bathrooms), while conservatives have argued for less (school choice, Medicaid, abortion). In 2017, however, the tables turned. President Trump withdrew the United States from the UN-sponsored Paris Climate Accord. The pact, which resembled an international treaty, was not ratified -- or even discussed -- by the U.S. Senate, although the Obama administration put $1 billion of a $3 billion pledge into the pot. Apparently not upset by a president spending money not appropriated by Congress, both domestic and international redistributionists denounced President Trump for withdrawing and he was pilloried in the press. E nter federalism. A dozen American states and more than 200 cities committed themselves (or their constituents) to maintaining the principles and goals of the Paris pact. More than 1,000 companies and institutions, including more than a dozen Fortune 500 businesses, signed a statement joining them in adhering to international standards in a way that did not require the federal government and did not to run afoul of federal law (unlike, for example, sanctuary cities). There were only two questions: Who will do the heavy lifting for what we all consider benefits? What constitutes the best use of American money in pursuit of those aims? Both the states and the President agreed that the United Nations bureaucracy was not the answer to either question. Both were believers in the market for innovation in emerging and adaptive technologies. Neither was particularly interested in sending money abroad. Beyond that, certain states made certain investments and worked with various companies. Other states did other things. The federal government didnt interfere. Which brings us to 2020, COVID-19 and the Electoral College. The conversation isnt just between the states and Washington, it is among the 50 states. NY City Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot told people in February that casual contact would not transmit the virus and to participate in the Lunar New Year parade. The mayor of New Orleans said she saw no reason to cancel Mardi Gras. On the other hand, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine closed a major festival before the first case was reported there. Different strokes. In the reopening phase, the governors in a swath of states from the Dakotas to Texas view their needs as different from the group of governors in the hard-hit northeast who have banded together with their own plan. The governor of Nevada doesnt want to be ruled by the needs of the governor of New York. And so, the Electoral College -- the needs and votes of the people of New York and California cant swamp the votes of the people of Delaware and Oklahoma. Montana has a say and so does Maine. Every state -- as a state -- is equal, and it is 50 states that make up the republic we cherish. The chief constitutional responsibilities of the federal government are national security, international diplomacy, and international trade. It can and should be argued that the feds have been short-sighted in every one of those areas. You can choose anything from the 1972 opening to China to the spending of the peace dividend, or the Iran deal. Much of what Washington did during the Great Depression didnt help and Roosevelts internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII has been regretted by Washington until now. Each was problematic, but all had their roots in legitimate federal responsibilities. Elections, and electors, are a function of states. Much will come from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most useful would be a better understanding of the role of Washington and of the states in managing the welfare of the American people in a crisis -- whether that crisis is state-wide or national -- and governors stepping up to follow through. Gaithersburg, MD, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Associa Community Management Corporation (CMC) is proud to announce that its managed communities, Hidden Creek Homeowners Association and Kentlands Citizen Assembly, were selected to work with Sustainable Maryland on new green initiatives. Founded in 2011 at the University of Maryland, the Sustainable Maryland program has been funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust to work with three homeowners associations to create a Residential Sustainability Action Framework that will help municipalities guide their sustainability efforts. Hidden Creek Homeowners Association and Kentlands Citizen Assembly, along with Saybrooke HOA, will form Green Teams within their communities that will coordinate with Gaithersburgs Environmental Action Committee. Both Hidden Creek Homeowners Association and Kentlands Citizen Assembly continue to make positive environmental progress through their dedication to green initiatives, stated John Tsitos, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, CMC president. We are proud of this recognition and are excited to see how both will work with Sustainable Maryland to make an impact on the environment, their residents, and their respective communities for years to come. With more than 200 branch offices across North America, Associa delivers unsurpassed management and lifestyle services to nearly five million residents worldwide. Our 10,000+ team members lead the industry with unrivaled education, expertise and trailblazing innovation. For more than 40 years, Associa has provided solutions designed to help communities achieve their vision. Stay Connected: Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associa Subscribe to the Blog: https://hub.associaonline.com/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/associa Join us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/associa New Delhi, April 17 : At a time when the whole country is facing the wrath of deadly coronavirus and has come to a standstill, humanitarian organisation Indian Red Cross Society is tirelessly working in tandem with the local authorities for the aid of needy, remotely-placed and stranded people. Talking to IANS, Indian Red Cross Society's Secretary General R.K. Jain said: "We are an auxiliary to the government and armed forces medical services. Our volunteers are working with local administration to provide masks, food packages and dry ration to people." Jain said that some state branches of the organisation are running shelter homes, providing pick-up and drop facility for blood donors, imparting psychosocial support and door-to-door delivery of medicines to people suffering from chronic diseases. Red Cross's branch in Gujarat has prepared a database of 12 recovered Covid-19 patients who have consented to donate their blood for convalescent plasma therapy, he said. In this therapy, the antibodies of a person who has recovered from the virus are taken and transfused into a person sick with the virus to help boost a person's immune system. For people stranded in different cities, food and ration is being provided by the society. They have also started Family News Service (FNS), which establishes communication between those who are stranded and their families in different states. Red Cross Deputy Secretary Neel Kamal Singh told IANS that the organization is set to work on a war-footing to abolish stigma attached with the viral disease. "There is a stigma attached with positive patients, their family and the community. When the government seals an area, it becomes stigmatised. People need to know that it is a disease like any other communicable disease," he added. As stringent restrictions on movement of people are in force across the country, blood donors are being issued travel passes by the organization, which are racing against time to meet the ever-expanding requirement of blood. Meanwhile, Dr. Vanshree Singh, who is the director of Indian Red Cross Society's blood bank said: "We send out vehicles to pick and drop whosoever wants to donate blood. If anyone decides to come by themselves, we send them travel passes on WhatsApp which they can show to the police and come to the blood bank." The Red Cross also sends out their vehicle at places where at least 25 people are willing to donate their blood and have a small room available for the same. The norms of social distancing are followed diligently, and donors are called inside the room one at a time. Since thalassemic patients are regular recipients of blood, they are encouraged to motivate their relatives and friends to donate voluntarily to the blood bank. (Aakanksha Khajuria can be contacted at aakanksha.k@ians.in) Mayor London Breed announced her new pick for San Franciscos transportation board on Thursday a pro-housing trans woman who represents a new generation of urbanists in the city. Jane Natoli emerged from the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, which has become a bridge into politics. Its advocacy director, Janice Li, was elected to the BART board in 2018, and is now among the most prominent voices in regional transit. Im coming to this as an advocate, Natoli said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon. Im a regular bike rider and a regular Muni rider. Hailing from the Richmond district, Natoli rides the 5-Fulton to her job as a financial crimes analyst at Stripe. Shes an organizer with Grow the Richmond, a group pressing for more housing in San Franciscos west-side neighborhoods. She also serves on boards for the San Francisco LGBT Center and Yimby Action, another group agitating for housing at all income levels. If confirmed by the Board of Supervisors, she would be the first trans person to serve on the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agencys board of directors. Natoli shares some philosophical ideals with board chair Malcolm Heinicke, who she would replace if confirmed by San Franciscos Board of Supervisors. Heinicke is termed out after serving on the board for 12 years. Both he and Natoli envision a future in which cars no longer reign over the streets of San Francisco. Heinicke joined with the bicycle coalition to push for car-free Market Street, and then suggested banishing automobiles from Valencia Street, as well. Natoli pointed to other roadways. Why not try stretches of Columbus Avenue in North Beach, she mused? Or Clement Street in the Richmond, where a farmers market closes a few blocks to automobile traffic every Sunday? Breed elevated transportation as a priority after taking office in 2018. Shes pressed bold but controversial strategies, calling for congestion pricing tolls on the busiest streets during rush hour and exhorting the SFMTA to double its production of protected bike lanes. When bureaucracy and politics seemed to get in the way, Breed and the agency came up with a quick-build policy that enabled them to approve projects faster. 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. Natoli said she supports many of these ideas, particularly the barriers to shield bicyclists from traffic, as well as congestion pricing. At the same time, shes cognizant of the loud opposition in San Francisco, much of it coming from merchants, churches and residents who dont want to see parking or traffic lanes stripped away. She acknowledged that these arguments will evolve as San Francisco emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused many businesses to suffer. We really need to make sure theyre part of the conversation, Natoli said. During her first term as mayor, Breed appointed two other board directors for the SFMTA Amanda Eakin and Steve Heminger. She also helped pick Jeffrey Tumlin to replace the citys previous transportation director, Ed Reiskin. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan But the welfare queen story stood out in large part because Taylor was an unusually flamboyant criminal and an anomalous one for whom welfare fraud was just one offense among many, as Josh Levin showed in his recent book The Queen. The truth is that such welfare abuse is highly unusual. While hard data on the extent of welfare fraud are difficult to come by, the Atlantic suggests that fraud accounts for less than 2 percent of unemployment insurance payments. The Congressional Research Service reports that SNAP fraud is relatively rare, finding that for every $10,000 in benefits issued to households participating in SNAP the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program about $11 were determined by state agencies to have been overpaid due to recipient fraud. To put this into perspective, the IRS estimates that about $1 out of every $6 owed in federal taxes is not paid because of tax evasion or fraud. Haiti - FLASH : Recall of drugs containing Ranitidin The Ministry of Public Health informs distributors of pharmaceutical products, health professionals and the general public that a recall of drugs containing Ranitidine is launched across the country. Recall that ranitidine is used in the treatment and prevention of various conditions such as stomach ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux. This recall is being carried out in several countries as a precaution following the presence of a nitrosamine impurity called N-nitrosodimethylamine at low concentrations in the active substance used in the composition of batches based on ranitidine. Current evidence suggests that impurity may be present in ranitidine, regardless of the manufacturer or the commercial formulation. As such, the Ministry of Health advises all importers that no new application for import authorization will be granted for ranitidine-based products and requests holders of the Marketing Authorization to proceed with the immediate recall of these products to the market. Patients currently taking ranitidine containing medicines should refer to their doctor or pharmacist for other treatment options available. This measure is provisional and preventive and investigations are underway in collaboration with other international regulatory bodies. The Ministry of Public Health counts on the collaboration of all for the strict application of this measure which aims to guarantee consumer safety. HL/ HaitiLibre Chubb Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Evan Greenberg has a stark warning for policy makers pushing insurers to pay out some uncovered business-interruption losses. The insurance industry is a fundamental part of the economic plumbing of this country, Greenberg said in an interview Thursday. Forcing insurers to foot the bill for losses not covered by policies would do great damage. It would bankrupt the industry. The coronavirus pandemic has stirred up a debate among insurers, policyholders and other stakeholders about who will be responsible for the estimated billions of dollars in losses that companies face from widespread shutdowns across the country. Insurance companies have warned that many business-interruption policies arent designed to cover pandemics, which create catastrophic losses. Pandemics, unlike other catastrophes such as a hurricane or an earthquake, are not limited by geography or time, Greenberg said. The loss potential from a pandemic, in practical terms, is infinite, and insurance companies have only finite balance sheets. Lawmakers in states including New Jersey have considered legislation forcing insurers to pay out certain interruption losses for small businesses, with some bills requiring insurers to pay out even if policies explicitly excluded losses from viruses. The American Property Casualty Insurance Association has estimated that companies with 100 employees or fewer could see business continuity losses of as much as $431 billion a month, compared with the $800 billion in total surplus for all U.S. home, auto and business insurers. The industry would be damaged by any measures to retroactively force insurers to pay out for losses that policies didnt cover and werent priced for, Greenberg said. He argued that the insurers would fight back, and called it unconstitutional to try to rewrite contracts. The only entity that has the financial resources to deal with the tail risk of a pandemic is the government itself, he said. Greenberg said that a potential way to handle pandemic risks in the future would be to create a public-private partnership, where insurers could start covering that risk for a proper price and the government could take on the tail-risk exposure. That model would echo efforts by the government and insurance industry to deal with terrorism risks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He cautioned, however, that affordability would become a major question. Insurers will need to set prices to appropriately account for the heightened risk, but that could mean policyholders might shy away from coverage because of the higher cost. Greenberg has built Chubb into a huge insurer, with a market capitalization more than double that of rival American International Group Inc., once run by his father, Maurice Hank Greenberg. Chubb insures high-net-worth individuals and corporations across the globe, offering companies coverage for risks such as cyber, environmental and professional liability. President Donald Trump recently named Greenberg to the economic revival industry groups as the government tries to figure out how to restart the economy. Chubbs CEO said that executives hes spoken with are thoughtful about prioritizing the safety of workers. It will be key that theres the ability to test for the coronavirus in a rapid and accurate manner to help contain it, he said. Certainty Needed Also necessary for getting the economy back on track will be giving businesses certainty around legal risks that could crop up from Covid-19, he said. He urged Congress to consider granting limited immunity from litigation that arises from coronavirus-related issues, except in cases of gross negligence. While his company offers some coverage for corporate liability risks, the threat of litigation affects a wider swath of businesses, he said. There are things that we can and should do to provide a greater degree of certainty, and relieve the economy and business of unnecessary financial burden in the short and medium term, Greenberg said. Im not talking about giving immunity to insurance companies. Im talking about business and corporate America and nonprofits. Greenberg warned that the economy will likely face a deep recession, with some companies and industries faring better than others, and cautioned that a timeline for reopening businesses is uncertain. But if the economy starts opening in a prudent way in the near future, some meaningful economic activity could return by the third quarter with more normalcy in the fourth, he said. The countrys ingenuity and ability to innovate offers hope for a way back, he said. In that regard, Im optimistic and I dont count Americans out, Greenberg said. I think we can have a pretty darn good 2021. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. The 54 farmworkers who were arrested after they were caught travelling in a lorry and a pickup were Wednesday placed under mandatory quarantine. Chief county health officer Dr Kanyi Gitau said the 23 men and 31 women will serve as an example to others who have been flouting the governments directives meant to contain Covid-19. The farmworkers will be quarantined at the Chania Boys and Girls high schools for 14 days at their own expense. They were crammed in the lorry without masks and had no sanitiser, exposing themselves to risk. They will have to cater for their quarantine costs, Gitau said. He urged residents to stay at home and if they have to travel, to use vehicles that allow social distancing. Muranga Deputy County Commissioner Mawira Mungania said the farm owner will also be arrested for flouting government directive on social distancing. The workers are said to have been travelling from Mugoiri to Maragua Ridge when the two vehicles were intercepted by the police on the Muranga-Kenol road and the passengers taken to the Muranga Teachers Training College. We have officially opened a quarantine centre at the college and any other person who will be found flouting the governments guidelines will be quarantined there, he said. CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday alleged that the Narendra Modi government delayed announcement of the COVID-19 lockdown so that the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh can be sworn in. Just 15 months after losing power, BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan took oath as chief minister of Madhya Pradesh on March 23, a day before PM Modi announced a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the pandemic. "Knowing full well that the pandemic is galloping, Modi delayed the lockdown for swearing in its govt in MP (Madhya Pradesh). BJP's lust for power has exposed millions to become victims. Its insatiable, unprincipled greed is directly responsible for this worsening public health emergency," Yechury tweeted. He also appealed to the government to conduct more tests for COVID-19. In another tweet, the CPI(M) leader said, "Eighty-nine days after the first case was detected in India, we are still not testing enough. Govt must stop making excuses, for it is clear that a lockdown will only work with much higher and aggressive testing, especially in some of our most populous states." Yechury also slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal, saying transparency was needed while addressing a public health emergency. "A public health emergency needs transparency and honest communication. By abandoning these fundamental principles, the TMC govt in Bengal has put lives of millions at risk," he said in a tweet. CPI(M) leader Fuad Hakim has moved court seeking data on the number of coronavirus cases and fatalities in West Bengal. According to the Union Health Ministry, the death toll due to coronavirus rose to 437 and the number of cases to 13,387 in the country on Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Advertisement Huge crowds ignored social distancing by packing close together to attend Friday prayers in Indonesia, as the country surpassed the Philippines for the most coronavirus infections in South-East Asia. The worshippers were pictured at the Islamic Center mosque in Lhokseumawe, Aceh province, the northernmost part of the island of Sumatra. The Acehnese Muslims - who are native to Aceh- were seen close together as they stood alongside each other before kneeling down to pray. Very few were wearing masks, despite the infection fears. On Friday, officials in the country reported 407 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number to 5,923. A total of 420 people have died in the country, with the country's health ministry saying 42,000 people have been tested. Hundreds of Muslims ignored social distancing by packing close together to attend Friday prayers in Indonesia, as the country surpassed the Philippines for the most coronavirus infections in South-East Asia The worshippers were pictured at the Islamic Center mosque in Lhokseumawe, Aceh province, the northernmost part of the island of Sumatra The Acehnese Muslims - who are native to Aceh- were seen close together as they prayed on their knees side by side. Very few were wearing masks, despite the infection fears The infection rate in Indonesia has now surpassed that of the Philippines, which has seen 5,878 confirmed cases and 387 deaths. The country's Government announced on Friday plans to expand tax incentives to manufacturing industries to prevent 'massive bankruptcy' due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said Indonesia's economy faces a 'huge shock' due to an expected global recession, in addition to the hit it will take from the restrictions on people's mobility that will hurt domestic demand for products, services and fuels. On Friday, officials in the country reported 407 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number to 5,923. A total of 420 people have died in the country, with the country's health ministry saying 42,000 people have been tested The infection rate in Indonesia has now surpassed that of the Philippines, which has seen 5,878 confirmed cases and 387 deaths Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti tells worshippers to stay home for Ramadan prayers Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh, the highest religious authority in the country, said that Muslim prayers during Ramadan and for the subsequent Eid al-Fitr feast should be performed at home if the coronavirus outbreak continues, Saudi's Okaz newspaper reported on Friday. 'Ramadan's Taraweeh (evening) prayer can be performed at home if it cannot be performed at mosques due to the preventive measures taken to fight the spread of coronavirus,' he said in response to a question, adding that the same applies for Eid prayers, according to the paper. The holy fasting month of Ramadan begins next week. Saudi Arabia in mid-March stopped people performing their five daily prayers and the weekly Friday prayer inside mosques as part of efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus. On Thursday, the Prophet's Mosque in the holy city of Medina said it was banning events which dispense evening meals in the mosque to those in need during Ramadan to break their daily fast. The kingdom has reported 6,380 cases of COVID-19, the highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, and 83 deaths so far. Advertisement 'The state budget will try to provide support so that the shock does not disrupt or does not cause massive bankruptcy,' Indrawati told an online news conference. Indonesia, the largest economy in South-East Asia, may face a recession due to the virus outbreak, but the government is still assuming 2020 GDP growth of 2.3 per cent as its baseline scenario, Indrawati said. The tax incentives Indonesia currently gives to some manufacturing industries will be extended to sectors such as food, trade, telecommunication, forestry, logistics, construction, tourism, transportation and renewable energy, the finance ministry's tax chief, Suryo Utomo, said. Sectors that are affected by depressed global prices such as plantations, mineral and coal mining, and oil and gas will also be included, Utomo said. Earlier this month, panic-stricken passengers on a ferry preparing to dock in the city of Maumere, were seen diving overboard after word got out that coronavirus carriers were on the ship. Footage showed passengers taking the extreme action of hurling themselves overboard as people were preparing to disembark the vessel. Passengers swam ashore after authorities sought to block the vessel docking due to fears of suspected coronavirus cases. Crowds had gathered on the deck of the ship and passengers began to film as individuals clambered for orange life jackets and flung themselves into the sea below, before swimming ashore. Authorities then debated whether the ship, the Lambelu, would be permitted to dock, an official said. 'We ask for the passengers to cooperate with health protocols before disembarking from the ship and refrain from any actions that could be harmful,' Wisnu Handoko, an official at the transport ministry, said in a statement. Other videos later shared on social media showed medical workers in protective gear carrying out tests on board the Lambelu after it was allowed to dock, before passengers were moved into quarantine on land. The ferry was carrying 255 passengers, mostly migrant workers returning home from Malaysia, after the neighbouring country imposed a coronavirus lockdown. The country's Government announced on Friday plans to expand tax incentives to manufacturing industries to prevent 'massive bankruptcy' due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Pictured: Worshippers in Aceh sit on their knees as they pray on Friday The worshippers had gathered despite fears about the spread of coronavirus, which has claimed 387 lives so far Indonesia has been hit hard by coronavirus and has the most cases in South-East Asia In Karachi, Pakistan, worshippers were seen keeping more of a distance from each other as they prayed San Francisco City Hall in purple light to honor hospitality workers. San Francisco Starts Purple Lighting Trend to Honor Hospitality Workers What began at San Franciscos iconic City Hall has grown to become a regional tribute to hospitality industry workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Almost immediately after City Hall announced that the building would be lighted in purple on three Mondays (April 6,13 and 20), hotels and major tourism-related locations throughout the city committed to doing the same. By the second Monday, the list of participants had grown to a total of 24 buildings including (alphabetically) the California Academy of Sciences, Chase Center, City Hall, Coit Tower, the Conservatory of Flowers, the Exploratorium, the Ferry Building, Fort Mason Center, Ghirardelli Square, the Moscone Center, Oracle Park, San Francisco International Airport, SFMOMA and 11 hotels in San Francisco. The trend grew beyond San Francisco to include the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn, the Claremont Club & Spa (a Fairmont hotel) in Berkeley, the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, The Wave in Dublin, a park fountain in Livermore, and as far south as the California Bank & Trust in Torrance. Statewide, a total of 30 buildings are glowing in purple lights in tribute to those who welcome visitors from around the world and have now experienced personal and economic hardships as the city, state and nation work to stop the spread of COVID-19. The color purple was selected to represent hospitality because of its blend of luxurious, confident red and relaxing, comforting blue. At least seven San Francisco hotels displayed heart shapes made of the lights in empty hotel rooms, also in honor of their workforce. "Thousands of employees in our hospitality and tourism industry have been heavily impacted by the ongoing coronavirus crisis," said San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed. "We know this is an incredibly difficult time for hospitality workers and that many are experiencing uncertainty and financial hardships. Were committed to helping them through this time because of all theyve done for San Francisco. Lighting buildings throughout the city in purple is a symbol of that commitment and our gratitude for their work." This tribute to hospitality workers is a testament to the power of travel, said Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California. As the hospitality industry looks to the future, these dedicated workers will help light the way toward re-establishing travel as an engine of Californias economy. This colorful tribute makes me proud that San Franciscos leaders, landmarks and hotels and others throughout the state have stepped up in the midst of this crisis to show our hospitality professionals how much we appreciate them, said Joe DAlessandro, President and CEO of San Francisco Travel Association. The smiles and heart of our hotel workers are being translated into purple lighted windows and landmarks all over San Francisco, said Kevin Carroll, president and CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco. "San Francisco can be proud that the curve is bending. When the current health crisis is past, San Francisco's hospitality professionals look forward to smiling again in person." Tourism is San Franciscos largest industry. The San Francisco Travel Association reported a total of 26.2 million visitors to the city in 2019, spending $10.2 billion. The industry supported 86,111 jobs and generated $819.7 million in taxes and fees for the City of San Francisco in 2019. San Francisco Travel is the official destination marketing organization for the City and County of San Francisco. For information on reservations, activities and more, visit http://www.sftravel.com or call 415-391-2000. For more about San Francisco, follow http://www.facebook.com/onlyinSF, http://www.instagram.com/onlyinsf and https://twitter.com/onlyinsf. Please use hashtags #sftravel and #AlwaysSF. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) offers non-stop flights to more than 50 international cities on 44 international carriers. The Bay Area's largest airport connects non-stop with 85 cities in the U.S. on 12 domestic airlines. SFO offers upgraded free Wi-Fi with no advertising. For up-to-the-minute departure and arrival information, airport maps and details on shopping, dining, cultural exhibitions, ground transportation and more, visit http://www.flysfo.com. Follow SFO on http://www.twitter.com/flysfo and http://www.facebook.com/flysfo. United Airlines is the preferred airline of the San Francisco Travel Association. NEWS PROVIDED BY Alveda King Ministries April 16, 2020 ATLANTA, April 16, 2020 /Standard Newswire/ -- Evangelist Alveda King submits the following and is available for comment: In a recent announcement President Donald John Trump expressed concern and promises hope for America's Black community. He is praying for and listen to Black and Brown voices. Why are Blacks at high risk from COVID-19? A threefold reason; intentional targeting from the population control community, dependency on human systems rather than God, and lack of knowledge. "But when Moses delivered this message to the Israelites, they didn't even hear himthey were that beaten down in spirit by the harsh slave conditions." Exodus 6:9 MSG We, as Black and Brown Americans, are often in a position of not receiving certain life affirming resources because we are lacking the knowledge required to access them. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." Hosea 4:6 KJV As a 70 year old African-American woman, I am very interested in what is going on in America and around the world today; and not just in the Black community. Consider this; religion, philosophy and science agree that the concept of separate human races is socially engineered. See: Black and Brown Americans In Search of the American Dream We are one blood, one human race. (Acts 17:26-28) "We all bleed the same." -- President Donald John Trump Over the last several hours I have received urgent messages and questions from colleagues. One of the messages is that black businesses are being denied COVID-19 CARES Act funding by banks. Another message explained that submitting an application is a barrier in the qualifications which requires reading comprehension to qualification requirements that are unreasonable for target market. Lack of education; someone needs to do a webinar for us. I couldn't agree more with the webinar route. I'm involved in several such sessions. In fact, as an advisor to Black Voices for Trump, I participate in offering information and training sessions. Also, there are local banks and SBA officials that can help applicants. The challenge is, if some of these sources or any leaders seem connected or favorable towards the current POTUS administration, they become suspect, enemies to those in need. One very necessary approach is to continue enlarging the diversity of ethnic communities that are praying for and advising our leaders. While the Trump administration has done more for the Black community than previous administrations have done in decades, we are praying that this trajectory continues to soar. The new advisory group on reopening the economy is a good example. When included, small business advisors can help with insight on diversity, and help to navigate the 30,000,000 plus small businesses, many of which are owned by Black and Brown entrepreneurs. While some people may not agree with the sources of viable information, may I remind you; please don't shoot the messenger. There are serious questions abroad for which we must seek answers. For instance, why, in the Black community, are there such high mortality rates for abortion, hypertension, diabetes, breast cancer, and other human conditions? Again: There is a threefold reason; intentional targeting from the population control community, dependency on human systems rather than God, and lack of knowledge. Please people, wake up and connect the dots! We are dealing with a three-headed monster. Blacks are often suspicious of sources that have been maligned by swamp creatures. For example, ask wary Blacks to visit www.whitehouse.gov and they may say "No. That's Trump. He's a racist." This type of reaction fodders "lack of knowledge." Some news outlets even refuse to air daily updates, an act which denies the public access to necessary information. For example, today, April 16, 2020, some news sources are broadcasting that the COVID-19 CARES Act are depleted, without including the truth that more help is on the way. We must learn to examine information from multiple sources. Lack of knowledge is a common enemy. "We must learn to live together as brothers [and sisters], or perish together as fools." Prophet Martin Luther King, Jr. My friends, wherever we live in the world, for me living here in America, where "In God We Trust," we are one human race. We are not colorblind. We see, realize and celebrate our ethnic uniqueness and distinctions. God is merciful, loving us all. "Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. Don't forget to pray for us." Colossians 4:2 MSG Unbelievably, on a call with Black Voices for Trump today, Keenan Williams, Trump Texas Field Organizer, shared his spiritual redemption testimony. Remarkably, his spiritual awakening coincided with his world view. He spoke of having been a Democrat and is now supporting President Trump. Suddenly, on the webinar, messages deriding him with profanity for making his transition popped up. Again, they are ignoring the life affirming message, despising the messenger. However Keenan correctly advises us to share truth with intent to liberate, not to argue. "You can't win if you offend." Keenan Williams, Texas Field Organizer "Have I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?" -- Galatians 4:16 KJV We must pray and move ahead preaching, teaching and proclaiming truth. "My people are being destroyed because they don't know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children." Hosea 4:6 NLT New Delhi, April 17 : With novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases growing rapidly in India, overburdened doctors, nurses and healthcare personnel at the frontline are facing immense pressure from the society at large. While fighting against the deadly virus, they are continuously facing threats and abuses from the society, affecting their mental health as they battle it out in the ICUs as well as inside the corona patients wards. According to Sujith, Chief of Nursing Services, Columbia Asia Hospital in Pune, itaAs disheartening to see that people, for whom the fraternity has been taking so much risk to ensure their health and safety, have failed them. "This is sad when we watch on television that healthcare workers have been facing threats, attacks and abuses as we work on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic. It has been observed that many of these attacks are allegedly sparked by the fear that healthcare workers are exposing others to the virus. We are really going through a stressful time," Sujith told IANS. The frontline health workers want a little sympathy and respect as they are working non-stop, without thinking about their own families and lives. Dr Sachin Nayak working at JP Hospital in Bhopal has been living in his car to prevent passing on the virus to anyone else, including his wife and child. He has stocked up daily use items and books in the car. "We completely understand public health emergencies are stressful times for people and communities but that doesn't mean we should be at the receiving end," said Sujith. On Wednesday, a mob tried to stop a medical team from taking a coronavirus-infected man into isolation. They hurled stones at an ambulance that left four injured. The incident took place in Uttar Pradesh's Nawabpura area. The injured included one doctor and three paramedics. A police vehicle was also damaged. After the attacks on doctors, the Union Home Ministry said that it is ascertaining cases of violence against healthcare workers engaged in surveillance and quarantine measures. Savitha Kuttan, CEO of Omnicuris, an online medical education platform, said that operating under severe resource constraints, healthcare workers are bearing the brunt of a hostile external environment. Healthcare professionals have taken to social media to describe in painful detail the growing stigma they are facing with each passing day. "From working long, gruelling shifts without adequate protective gear and facing attacks from patients to getting booted out of their homes and feeling afraid for their families, the mental strain our medical professionals are going through is immense. All of them are going through severe anxiety and many are having difficulties sleeping," Kuttan said. She added that doctors are professionally obligated to take care of their mental health so that they can provide good quality care to their patients. "Considering the enormity of what they are going through, we cannot expect them to go looking for mental health support. In fact, they should get unlimited access to mental health services during this time of crisis," Kuttan, told IANS. A recent study, published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry, revealed that front-line medical staff must be prioritised for rapid mental health support. According to Ekta Soni, Chief Clinical Psychologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in New Delhi, healthcare workers don't have the luxury of living inside their homes to shield themselves from the coronavirus. They have to expose themselves to the risk, and some are separating themselves from their families for weeks to avoid transmitting the virus to them. "Healthcare workers working with COVID-19 patients reported symptoms of depression, symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, and reported distress. The risk of infection, especially if it is asymptomatic, instils fear of spreading the virus to their patients and families," said Soni. "They're deeply sad for their dying patients, many of whom are slipping away without their loved ones at their side. Many admitted to harbouring darker feelings," she added. However, some corona warriors are receiving utmost support from their neighbours. Sharing his own experience, Manoj Goel, Director, Pulmonology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram, said: "People are very cooperative in my society and keep asking about my wellbeing through calls and messages". "My neighbours are putting cards outside my house as a thank you note and consider me a corona warrior. While I am working in the hospital they enquire about my families health and wellbeing and if they need any help in my absence. I am greeted with a smile by our society security guard whenever I leave or enter my society". According to experts, having an open channel of communication to assess what they are going through is a need of the hour. Not only will it help them readjust to everything once the situation starts to improve, but also keep them from developing post-traumatic stress. (Bharat Upadhyay can be reached at bharat.u@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text OTTAWA - Canada and Ukraine flatly rejected a report suggesting the Iranian regime was seeking immunity from future legal action after shooting down a passenger jet in January. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. People pause at a memorial prior to a ceremony in Montreal, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, to remember those who lost their lives in Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 which was shot down shortly after takeoff in Iran on January 8, 2020. Canada and Ukraine flatly rejected a report out of Iran that suggested the regime was seeking immunity from future legal action in its January shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger plane that killed everyone on board. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes OTTAWA - Canada and Ukraine flatly rejected a report suggesting the Iranian regime was seeking immunity from future legal action after shooting down a passenger jet in January. The Iranian military shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 on Jan. 8 shortly after it took off from Tehran, killing all 176 people aboard, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents. Iran has yet to deliver on its promise to surrender the flight recorders from the downed airliner to the Ukrainian government, a pledge that came during the March 11 meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal. Earlier this week, a report from Radio Farda said Iran wants Ukraine to sign a memorandum of understanding in which the families of the crash victims would sign away their future rights for legal compensation. Iran's Revolutionary Guard fired two missiles at the commercial airliner, but Radio Farda says Iran wants Ukraine to accept that "human error" was the cause of the plane's downing. Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says he has not seen the proposed Iranian memo, and that there is no chance that Canada, Ukraine or any of the other countries that lost citizens would ever agree to waive their rights to hold Iran to account. "That would not be in line with the discussion we have had so far and the resolve we have shown to stand up for justice for the families," Champagne said Thursday in an interview with The Canadian Press. "Some entities may want to spread some information that may not be accurate," the minister added. "I would be a little bit careful at this time that there might be actors that might want to spread rumours, at a time where the grieving families are looking for facts. They are grieving, and they want to be reassured that we are all working in a similar fashion to achieve that." Radio Farda is a Persian-language broadcaster that is part of the independent Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty network funded by the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Thursday marked 100 days since the crash, and Ukraine's ambassador to Canada said his country is losing patience with Iran, regardless of the formidable challenges the country has faced in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Andriy Shevchenko, the Ukrainian envoy, said his government may consider other "mechanisms" to force Iran to hand over the black boxes but he declined to say what those might be. "We are very dissatisfied with the non-progress on this," he said in an interview Thursday. "We've had more than enough time to have some action and some concrete steps on this." Shevchenko confirmed that his government received a memo from Iran that he called "a working document that does not address all the issues we want to be covered." He said the memo deals with the issue of compensation. Shevchenko said Thursday's anniversary of the incident was significant. "It's 100 days today. We have had too much grief, too few answers and too little action." On Wednesday, the international group comprised of the countries that lost nationals in the crash Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan and Britain held a teleconference during which they discussed another avenue of compensation for the grieving families. Champagne said the group received an update from the lawyer representing Ukraine International Airlines and its insurance company to check on the progress of the statutory compensation that the airline is required to pay to the families of the victims under international civil aviation rules. 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's a private matter between the families and the airline. But since the beginning I've paid a particular interest," Champagne explained. He said he and his fellow foreign ministers want to do what they can to help the process along. "We got a status report from the law firm," said Champagne, but he had no timeline on when that process might bring results for grieving families. Last month, the government appointed former Liberal cabinet minister Ralph Goodale as its special adviser to the Ukraine plane crash investigation. The former Saskatchewan MP held many portfolios, including Public Safety, which oversees the RCMP. Champagne said Goodale has been talking to the victims' families "for a good part of the week." Grieving families have previously complained the government became too preoccupied with the pandemic to deal with them. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2020. On 17 April 1492, Christopher Columbus achieved the first step towards his dream of setting off westwards to find a quicker route to the Maluku Islands, a trading centre for spices, when the voyage for which the Portuguese king had refused funding was approved by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella. Columbus had approached the Spanish monarchs in 1486, and they finally signed the contract, known as the 'Capitulaciones', in the town of Santa Fe, near Granada, nearly six years later. Under it, he was appointed admiral, viceroy and governor of the lands he discovered and was entitled to ten per cent of profits from "every kind of merchandise, whether pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise whatsoever, of whatever kind, name and sort, which may be bought, bartered, discovered, acquired and obtained within the limits of the said Admiralty". The Capitulaciones also stated that he would spread the word of God in his travels. Columbus didn't waste any time. He set off on this voyage from Palos de la Frontera, in Huelva province, on 3 August. There were 90 men on three ships: the Pinta and the Nina, both small caravels, and the larger Santa Maria. He didn't achieve his aim of reaching the spice islands on this unusual route, but arrived instead on an island in the Bahamas that he called San Salvador; the natives had called it Guanahani. The land was first sighted on 12 October, reportedly by a sailor on board the Pinta, although Columbus apparently claimed he had done it, to avoid having to pay the reward he had promised the crew for being the first to do so. After reaching Cuba on 26 October, which Columbus thought was China, the ships arrived at the island of La Espanola (the natives called it Haiti) on 5 December. On the 25th, the Santa Maria ran aground and had to be abandoned, and the others set sail for Spain on 16 January, finally arriving back via Portugal in early March. SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA / ACCESSWIRE / April 17, 2020 / Lake Resources (ASX:LKE)(OTCQB:LLKKF) a lithium development company with projects in Argentina, today announced that it will be presenting at the Planet MicroCap Showcase 2020 on Wednesday, April 22 at 6.00PM EST. Mr Stephen Promnitz (CEO/MD of Lake Resources NL) will be hosting the presentation and answering questions from investors. To access the live presentation, please use the following information: Planet MicroCap Showcase Virtual Investor Conference 2020 Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2020 Time: 6.00PM Eastern Time (3.00PM Pacific Time) Webcast: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2059/34283 If you would like to book 1on1 investor meetings with Lake Resources, please make sure you are registered for the virtual event here: https://www.planetmicrocapshowcase.com/signup 1on1 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 News Compliments of Accesswire About Lake Resources NL: Lake Resources (ASX:LKE) is an Australian public company focused on the development of five lithium projects in Argentina's Lithium Triangle, a recognised province that produces around 50% of the world's lithium resources at the lowest cost. Lake has one of the largest lithium lease holdings in Argentina. Our acreage totals close to 2,000 sq km and is 100% owned and operated by the company.At a time when lithium demand is forecast to dramatically outpace supply in response to growing electric vehicle and energy storage, our portfolio offers exposure to both brines and pegamatites and is located in close proximity to some of the world's leading lithium companies, including SQM, Lithium Americas, Orocobre and Advantage Lithium. In November 2018, Lake announced a maiden JORC resource at its Kachi Project of 4.4 million tonnes (Mt) of contained lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE), and an exploration target ranging between 8-17Mt of LCE. This ranks Kachi as one of the world's top 10 brine resources.The project is located in Catamarca Province, approximately 100km south of FMC's Hombre Muerto, a producing lithium brine operation. General Statement and Cautionary Statement This presentation has been prepared by Lake Resources N.L (Lake) for information purposes and meetings with sophisticated and professional investors, institutional investors and brokers and not any particular party. The information in this presentation is based upon public information and internally developed data and reflects prevailing conditions and views as of this date, all of which are accordingly subject to change. The information contained in this presentation is of general nature and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. There is no guarantee that the information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No warranties or representations can be made as to the origin, validity, accuracy, completeness, currency or reliability of the information. No one should act upon such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation. Lake Resources NL accepts no responsibility or liability to any party in connection with this information or views and Lake disclaims and excludes all liability (to the extent permitted by law) for losses, claims, damages, demands, costs and expenses of whatever nature arising in any way out of or in connection with the information, its accuracy, completeness or by reason of reliance by any person on any of it. The information regarding projects described in this presentation are based on exploration targets, apart from Kachi project's resource statement. The potential quantity and grade of an exploration target is conceptual in nature, with insufficient exploration to determine a mineral resource and there is no certainty that further exploration work will result in the determination of mineral resources or that potentially economic quantities of lithium will be discovered. Some leases are located within and around the Orocobre, Orocobre/Advantage Lithium and Ganfeng/Lithium Americas projects and although data is limited within the properties, the leases may cover potential extensions to the Cauchari/Olaroz projects with potential extensions to aquifers, although this provides no assurance that any resource will be identified on the Lake leases. The lithium pegmatite leases occur adjacent to past producers of spodumene but no potential extension to any mineralisation can be assured. Forward Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this presentation, including information as to the future financial performance of the projects, are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Lake Resources N.L. are inherently subject to significant technical, business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies; involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results, expressed or implied, reflected in such forward-looking statements; and may include, among other things, statements regarding targets, estimates and assumptions in respect of production and prices, operating costs and results, capital expenditures, reserves and resources and anticipated flow rates, and are or may be based on assumptions and estimates related to future technical, economic, market, political, social and other conditions and affected by the risk of further changes in government regulations, policies or legislation and that further funding may be required, but unavailable, for the ongoing development of Lake's projects. Lake Resources N.L. disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. The words "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "indicate", "contemplate", "target", "plan", "intends", "continue", "budget", "estimate", "may", "will", "schedule" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements made in this presentation are qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Lake does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. 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 Contact: Name: Stu Crow Phone: +61292999690 Email: stu@lakeresources.com.au SOURCE: Lake Resources NL via Planet MicroCap Showcase View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/585521/Lake-Resources-NL-to-Present-at-the-Planet-MicroCap-Showcase-Virtual-Investor-Conference-2020 The real estate industry on Friday hailed RBI's decision to boost liquidity into the system and provide relief to loans taken from NBFCs for commercial projects, but sought one-time restructuring of their loans and a stimulus package to help the sector in battling the crisis caused by the lockdown to control COVID-19 New Delhi: The real estate industry on Friday hailed RBI's decision to boost liquidity into the system and provide relief to loans taken from NBFCs for commercial projects, but sought one-time restructuring of their loans and a stimulus package to help the sector in battling the crisis caused by the lockdown to control COVID-19. The RBI on Friday reduced the reverse repo rate - the rate at which banks park their fund with the central bank - by 25 basis points to encourage banks to lend to the productive sectors of the economy. It also announced an additional Rs 50,000 crore through targeted long-term repo operation (TLTRO) and another re-financing window of Rs 50,000 crore for institutions like NABARD, National Housing Bank and SIDBI. CREDAI Chairman Jaxay Shah said: " We welcome the RBIs decision of providing the liquidity boost to the realty sector. We are hopeful that the government will soon aid the sector with the announcement of the much needed economic package." Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak The RBI has allowed NBFCs to extend the date for commencement for commercial operations (DCCO) in respect of loans to commercial real estate projects by an additional one year if the projects got delayed for reasons beyond the control of promoters. CREDAI President Satish Magar said, measures such as the extension of DCCO, fresh LTRO and reverse repo rate cut will help uplift the economic slowdown. "Loans given by NBFCs to real estate companies will get similar benefits as given by scheduled commercial banks, thus easing the financial burden on developers," he said. NAREDCO President Niranjan Hiranandani said: From the perspective of regulatory norms to spur an economic revival, the measures announced aim to maintain adequate liquidity in the system, facilitate bank credit flow and ease financial stress. These are absolutely welcome, given that economic activity has come to a standstill during the lockdown." He said the announcement that loans given by NBFCs to real estate companies would get similar benefits as given by the scheduled commercial banks was positive. Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO - India, South East Asia, Middle East & Africa said NHB has been provided with a refinance facility of Rs 10,000 crore for HFCs as additional liquidity for individual housing loans, which is a much-needed boost at this time. Anarock Chairman Anuj Puri said: "Among the various measures announced, commendably its allotment of Rs 10,000 crore to NHB is a big move for the real estate sector reeling under the liquidity crisis. It will help provide capital to HFCs and eventually provide major relief to developers battling liquidity issues in COVID-19 times." Tata Realty and Infrastructure MD & CEO Sanjay Dutt said the RBIs measures will provide some relief to the sector, which had already been dealing with its own set of issues prior to the pandemic. "These measures...are bound to encourage banks to lend more, thereby improving the credit flow and giving more purchasing power to homebuyers and investors," Dutt said. JLL India CEO and Country Head Ramesh Nair said, "Todays announcement will give an initial fillip to the real estate sector. The central banks focus to provide credit flow to NBFCs is a key step. This will provide a boost to various real estate activities." As per the RBI data, NBFCs outstanding credit to the commercial real estate stood at Rs 1,29,359 crore as of September-end 2019, he said. "The relaxation of NPA classification norms and extension of one year for commencement of projects to real estate developers by NBFCs will provide the much-needed relief to the sector," Nair said. Dhruv Agarwala, Group CEO, Housing.com, and PropTiger, said the RBI move will help ease some financial stress in the system. This move will hopefully nudge banks to increase lending to various sectors of the economy, which is the need of the hour. "We are extremely delighted and find a great sense of reassurance with the central bank taking cognizance of specific problems faced by the real estate sector and proactively taking targeted measures to address those issues," Knight Frank India CMD Shishir Baijal said. Savills India CEO Anurag Mathur said:" The central banks decision to pump in Rs 10,000 crore to NHB for refinancing companies is expected to address some of the liquidity concerns in the residential segment." Ashish Jain, Partner at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, said lack of liquidity has been one of the most critical issues facing the real estate sector, even before the pandemic. Any measure to boost liquidity is, therefore, a welcome move. Reliance Home Finance CEO Ravindra Sudhalkar said, "RBI has provided a welcome relief to NBFcs and HFCs in the form of liquidity boosters, which will benefit both housing and commercial real estate." "With relaxation offered to NBFCs to extend the realty loans by a year, the real estate sector will have greater support in these difficult times," said Ankush Kaul, President (Sales & Marketing) - Ambience Group. Pradeep Aggarwal, Founder & Chairman, Signature Global said the infusion of liquidity in the market is of utmost importance and the latest announcement will definitely help the economy. Gaurs group MD Manoj Gaur said the banks and the NBFCs should pass on the benefits announced by the RBI. Supertech Chairman R K Arora said one-time restructuring of loans was not allowed which is a primary requirement of the real estate sector." Sushma group ED Prateek Mittal said the RBI's move will boost liquidity but sought a stimulus package to revive the property market and the economy. Study finds record melting fuelled by high-pressure weather systems that are result of global warming. The kilometres-thick ice sheet that covers Greenland shrank by a record amount in 2019, and contributed about 40 percent of the rise in global sea levels, according to a new scientific study. The huge melt was due not only to warm temperatures but also atmospheric circulation patterns that have become more frequent due to climate change, suggesting scientists may be underestimating the threat to the ice, the authors found. Were destroying ice in decades that was built over thousands of years, Marco Tedesco, a research professor at Columbia Universitys Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, who led the study, told Reuters news agency. What we do here has huge implications for everywhere else in the world. Greenland records the biggest outright drop in what scientists call surface mass since record-keeping began in 1948, according to the study. The sheet lost about 600 billion tonnes of water last year, an amount that would contribute about 1.5 millimetres (0.05 inches) of sea-level rise, according to the study from Columbia and Belgiums Liege university, published in The Cryosphere, a scientific journal. Greenlands ice sheet covers 80 percent of the island and could raise global sea levels by up to seven metres (23 feet) if it melted entirely. More than half the dramatic loss in 2019 was due not to warmer-than-average air temperatures but unusual high-pressure weather systems linked to global warming. These anti-cyclone conditions blocked the formation of clouds over southern Greenland, causing unfiltered sunlight to melt the ice sheet surface. Fewer clouds also meant less snow, which exposed darkened, soot-covered ice which absorbs heat rather than reflecting it. 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 towards the sea. These atmospheric conditions are becoming more and more frequent over the past few decades, Tedesco said. Missing half the melting Greenland contributed between 20 and 25 percent of global sea level rise over the last few decades, Tedesco said. If carbon emissions continue to grow, this share could rise to around 40 percent by 2100, he added, although there is considerable uncertainty about how ice melt will develop in Antarctica the largest ice sheet on Earth. Most models used by scientists to project Greenlands future ice loss do not capture the effect of changing atmospheric circulation patterns meaning such models may be significantly underestimating future melting, the authors said. Its almost like missing half of the melting, said Tedesco. With climate change impacts from enormous bushfires in Australia to thawing permafrost in the Arctic unfolding faster than many scientists had once anticipated, the study underscored the risks associated with burning fossil fuels. A report by the United Nations-backed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published in September projected that sea levels could rise by one metre by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions keep climbing. The disruption of the jet streams 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. Millions of people across Southern Africa face hunger as lockdowns imposed in the region to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic mean they are unable to access food, Amnesty International said today. The organization is calling on governments to urgently put in place social protection measures to uphold the right to food. The measures to address food insecurity could include food subsidies for those living in poverty, and directly providing food to those who are unable to provide for themselves. With inequality and unemployment so high across Southern Africa, the majority of people live hand to mouth meaning that they cannot afford to remain in lockdown for a week, let alone for a month, because they have no financial means to stockpile, said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty Internationals Director for East and Southern Africa. Without support from the government, the lock down could become a matter of life and death for those living in poverty. Currently, many are being forced to choose between complying with lock down measures and going hungry, or stepping out to access food and being penalized for it. The vast majority of people in the region make their living in the informal economy, for example as street vendors or manual labourers. Under the current lockdown regime these are considered non-essential roles and people in this sector are prohibited from working. As a result, many people cannot earn money to buy food. While supermarket trips are permitted under lockdown rules because food is deemed essential, those who are found on the streets in townships trying to go and buy food with whatever money they can find, or those hustling for food, are often criminalized and sometimes attacked by the security forces. Unlawful use of force Across the region, a combination of civilian police and soldiers have been deployed to the streets to monitor the movement of people and ensure they comply with lockdown measures implemented by governments. However, security personnel are using disproportionate force in dealing with members of the public, including beatings and other forms of public humiliation such as making people crawl on the ground. In some instances, police are accused of entering peoples homes and assaulting them. In Zambia, police were seen indiscriminately beating up people on the streets, including in pubs, after they were found in public. The national police spokesperson, Esther Katongo, later said on national television that police in Zambia had adopted a strategy to hit and detain anyone found on the streets. We hammer you, we hit you, then we do detention. If you escape, you are lucky, she said in a media interview. In Zimbabwe, police officers raided Sakubva vegetable market in Mutare at dawn on 3 April, causing more than 300 vegetable vendors to flee and leave behind their produce. Police carried out the raid despite the agriculture sector being flagged as an essential service during the 21-day lockdown, which meant that the market could continue to service people who needed it to buy food. Police later burnt the vegetables and the vendors are yet to be compensated for their loss. According to the World Food Programme, some 4.3 million people were in urgent need of food aid in the country before the pandemic. In Mozambique the local television station STV has reported cases of police accused of taking advantage of the state of emergency to raid informal vendors tuckshops and steal their goods, even when the tuckshops are closed. One informal trader said: We are dying of hunger [because we are not allowed to trade]. [It] is unbearable. I cant take it anymore. Who should solve this problem? In Angola, several incidents of police violence have been reported since security forces were deployed to the streets to ensure public compliance to the national response against COVID-19 on 27 March. Seven men were arrested while on their way to buy food in the market in Cabinda on 4 April. The men were progressively released from 5 April and the last two men were released on 7 April. Livelihoods under threat Media reports in different countries across Southern Africa have highlighted the problems that lock down measures in the absence of adequate support from the government, have created for those living in poverty. Women, children and other vulnerable groups such as those with disabilities are especially impacted. In Alexandra, a township north of Johannesburg, residents took to the streets on 14 April, saying that they were hungry. Residents queued on the streets after they were promised food by some non-governmental organizations. Some of the residents told eNCA, a local 24-hour television news station, that they fear dying of hunger more than COVID-19. One woman said: We want food. We are not going anywhere. We will stand here until midday. Corona can be here, we dont care. Another woman said: We want to eat. We are hungry. The corona (lockdown) must be suspended. We want to go back to work. We sell tomatoes and potatoes (on the streets), now we cannot sell and we are unable to make a living. We want food, we want to eat. In Madagascar, one of the worlds poorest countries, there are growing concerns regarding peoples access to food. There has been a sharp increase in the price of basic food commodities following the lockdown. There are also fears of growing tension on the streets as people are increasingly anxious about sources of livelihoods. For example, rickshaw workers have protested against the lockdown in the north-eastern town of Tamatave which has led to clashes with the police. They claim they are unable to obey the lockdown as they live on their daily wages. According to media reports, in Botswana informal sector workers and small businesses are facing devastating economic consequences as the lockdown means that bus drivers, car washers, hawkers and street vendors are no longer able to earn a living. Approximately 20% of people are unemployed and without much needed social protection, are struggling to access food, health care and other essential services. Lockdown measures in place across the region, intended to lessen the catastrophic consequence of COVID-19, must be accompanied with social protection measures for those living in poverty and facing unemployment in order to mitigate the impact of this double jeopardy of lock down and hunger. Governments cannot criminalize people for leaving their homes to look for food or because they need to work in order to make a basic livelihood, said Deprose Muchena. Governments must ensure that no one faces hunger and should put social protection measures in place to uphold human rights. No one should be left behind. Governments must assess their capacity to protect peoples health, livelihoods, and human rights and request assistance from the international community for where they see gaps or are unable to guarantee necessary protections. Activist Kim Jong-sul speaks during an interview with a local news media outlet about the four-river project in Seoul, last year. Courtesy of Kim Jong-sul By Kim Se-jeong Former President Lee Myung-bak's four-river project changed the life of Kim Jong-sul, an environmental activist, forever. As the owner of a small newspaper company in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province at the time the project was being widely promoted, Kim, 54, wrote extensively about it, which eventually cost him his company. Started in 2008 and completed in 2012, the four-river project saw sand from the riverbanks scooped up, loaded and taken away by trucks and 16 barrages installed in a bid to control water flow in the four major rivers the Nakdong, the Han, the Geum and the Youngsan. Kim lives close to the Geum River. "President Lee claimed keeping the water behind the barrages would make the rivers cleaner. To my knowledge, that couldn't be true," Kim said. As the construction began, he and his colleagues went out to the construction sites to try to talk to people, but they weren't welcome. "They threatened me and sometimes beat me up. I felt that something was wrong," Kim recalled. His paper carried many stories critical of the project which drew negativity from others in his community. "People around me said I was being too sensitive. They tried to convince me by saying the project would bring in money to the area. Some were angry and told me to leave town." His stance led to his company's revenue drying up and in 2011, he had to shut down the business. He said he could have made compromises to save the company but "didn't feel right doing that." A story of his parents was the motivation for his reluctance to make compromises "I had a big mountain in the back of my village when I was growing up. A local cement company had quarried the mountain, generating a huge amount of dust. I was too young to know what that meant, but after I lost my lovely dad to lung cancer and my mom to a respiratory illness, I realize the quarrying slowly killed my parents," Kim said. "By the same token, if people drink polluted water or if farmers use polluted water to grow vegetables, what would happen to people in the long run?" By the time the four-river project was completed its total cost came to 22 trillion won of taxpayers' money. He said it didn't take long to prove the fallacy of the claims made about the four-river project. All four rivers began seeing rampant algae bloom, a common phenomenon seen in stagnating water. For people near the Nakdong, it was particularly harmful because it was their source of drinking water. "Also I found so many Tubifex worms in sediments in the Geum River. Same for the Nakdong River. Tubifex is a yardstick for water pollution. If you see them a lot as I did in the Geum, that means the water is undrinkable." Things changed since President Moon Jae-in was sworn in in 2017. So far, four barrages have either been opened or lowered. Discussions are underway on what to do with the 12 remaining barrages. Since his company closed, he dedicated his life to monitoring the rivers. He makes money by contributing stories to Ohmynews. "My real dream is to see all the barrages removed from the rivers. But I know it's unrealistic. At least, I would like to see more barrages open so that the rivers' ecosystems can recover," he said. The United Nations said on Thursday that it was being forced to close down several humanitarian programmes in Yemen amid a a funding shortage, leaving the impoverished country in dire straits as it attempts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Middle East Eye reports. "Of the UN's 41 major programmes, 31 will start closing down in the next few weeks if we cannot secure additional funds," the UN's emergency relief coordinator Mark Lowcock told the Security Council. "This means we will have to start eliminating many of the activities that may offer Yemenis their best chance to avoid Covid-19." He added that the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) will have to stop immediate assistance for families displaced by conflict or natural disasters. This means that "up to 1 million displaced people will not receive critical supplies", including hygiene kits to help protect against both the coronavirus and cholera. Nutrition programmes for Yemeni children will also be cut, according to Lowcock, affecting 260,000 severely malnourished children and 2 million other children who are moderately malnourished in the war-torn country. State-owned Coal India has distributed 1.2 lakh cooked food packets as well as more than 50,000 packets of ration to the needy, besides donating funds to run a community kitchen amid the coronavirus lockdown. "Coal India (CIL) and its subsidiaries are working full throttle to combat the effects of Covid-19," an official said. The PSU has distributed 1.2 lakh cooked food packets to the needy. "More than 50,000 packets of ration have been distributed to the underprivileged by the Maharatna firm," the official added. CIL arm Bharat Coking Coal Ltd has donated Rs 2.88 crore to the Dhanbad administration in Jharkhand for running a community kitchen and distributing food to the needy. In its fight against the pandemic, the PSU is working together with state authorities to make food and healthcare accessible to all. Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi had on Wednesday tweeted, "Proud of our #CoalWarriors who are not only mining coal 247, but also doubling up as #CoronaWarriors. @CoalIndiaHQ & its subsidiaries are carrying all-out efforts to distribute cooked food & rations to poor & needy living around its coalfields. #IndiaFightsCorona." CIL subsidiaries have distributed more than 3.3 lakh face masks to the people in and around coal mines as the country battles the coronavirus crisis. The PSU has also set up 1,509 isolation beds in eight states. CIL had earlier pledged Rs 220 crore to the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situation (PM-CARES) Fund in its battle against the deadly virus. Coal India accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Photo : Image by Wokandapix from Pixabay ) Advertisement Image by Wokandapix from Pixabay Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The United States has been a longtime friend who was generous to the World Health Organization but the organization could only hope that the country will remain to be a friend. This was how WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus started his address of the funding halt decided by President Donald Trump. Ghebreysus said WHO regrets the decision and will, therefore, review the impact of the withdrawal on the organization. He hopes that other partners can fill the financial gaps so everyone can continue with programs aimed at securing the world's public health. He highlighted that the organization is helping all nations equally, whether rich or poor nations, in the same way, that COVID-19 does not discriminate. The virus infects regardless of whether the country is poor or rich, large or small. It does not choose nationalities, ethnicities or ideologies. WHO mentioned that even with the pandemic at present, the organization is not stopping aid for other health problems around the world. It still needs to address polio, measles, malaria, Ebola, HIV, tuberculosis, malnutrition, cancer, diabetes, mental health, and many other diseases and conditions. The international community has also condemned Trump's decision that coincided as the global COVID-19 confirmed cases reached 2 million. As of Wednesday night, there are already 2,063,161 people infected worldwide, according to the real-time tracker from Johns Hopkins University. Trump accused WHO of helping China in alleged disinformation about the virus. As for its contribution to WHO, the country has given more than $400 million to the organization in 2019. That amount accounted for 15% of WHO's full budget. The US said it will no longer give WHO the supposed $50 million for 2020. The US has 638,111 confirmed cases as of Wednesday night, the highest in the world. Also, 30,000 Americans have already died. Of that, new York City accounted for 10,899 deaths. As per Reuters tally, the US is seeing about 25,000 a day of confirmed cases. This was actually down from the average 35,000 a day previously. Worldwide, deaths are now at 136,938 with Italy registering the highest number of fatalities at 21,645. Meanwhile, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced an extra $150 million of funding for WHO following Trump's withdrawal. The foundation said this should speed programs for treatments and vaccines for the treatment of COVID-19. Melinda Gates said Trump's decision to withdraw funding is a "dangerous and nonsensical move." She added that WHO is "exactly the organization that can deal with this pandemic." Advertisement TagsWHO, Trumps Budget Halt, pandemic New Delhi: The Delhi government on Friday (April 17) prohibited all private schools in the national capital from hiking their fees and charging transportation fees from the students amid the coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown period. The government also directed schools to charge fees only on a monthly basis and not quarterly. Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia made the announcements at a press conference today, stating that the government has received multiple complaints from parents about schools revising fee structure and also levying changes like transport fee without taking prior approval from the government. He clarified that schools cannot levy charges like transport fee, annual fee or another miscellaneous fee during the lockdown period, which will continue till May 3. "All private schools in Delhi are operated by trusts and their basic mandate is to serve the society. They cannot harass parents like this. The government has decided not to allow any private school to hike fees without taking prior approval from the government. The rule is applicable for all schools irrespective of the fact if the school is built on government or private land," he said. He also made it clear that no student's access to online classes should be restricted, irrespective of fee payment. Sisodia warned the schools of action under the Disaster Management Act presently enforced in the city in view of the coronavirus outbreak. A Zimbabwean mother wrestled her three-year-old son from the jaws of a crocodile - by jamming her fingers in the reptile's nostrils. Maurina Musisinyana's two sons were playing in the shade of Runde River's banks near Gonarezhou National Park in the country's south east when she heard a scream. The 30-year-old, who had been fishing, then watched in horror as little Gideon was captured by the reptile and dragged to the water's edge. Maurina Musisinyana's three-year-old son was attacked by a crocodile in Runde River near Gonarezhou National Park in south-east Zimbabwe Maurina Musisinyana's two sons were playing in the shade of Runde River's banks near Gonarezhou National Park in south-east Zimbabwe Ms Musisinyana had learned from her elders to press the crocodiles nose hard because suffocating a crocodile from its nose makes it lose its strength. She used her other arm to free her son's head from its mouth. The crocodile bit Ms Musisinyana, from Chihosi Village, Chiredzi, on the hand after releasing the boy from its grip and swinging away towards the safety of the water. Gideon suffered injuries to his face which were making it hard for him to breathe. He and his mother were rushed to hospital. Ms Musisinyana told ZBC News: 'Even to this day, I still do not believe that I rescued my son.' Dr Misheck Chibwe said that Gideon is responding well to medication. The incident is one among many in Chiredzi east and south where people have been killed while fishing or trying to cross the crocodile-infested Runde River, ZBC News reported. It is estimated the 200 people die in the jaws of a Nile crocodile every year. The Runde River in eastern Zimbabwe is known to be populated by Nile crocodiles Ms Musisinyana was bitten by the crocodile after she jammed her fingers in its nostrils to save her son. They were both rushed to hospital The Runde River is populated by Nile crocodiles which are known to be vicious man-eaters, according to National Geographic. It mainly eats fish but 'will attack almost anything unfortunate enough to cross its path', including zebras, small hippos and other crocodiles. It is estimated that up to 200 people die each year in its jaws. On average they grow up to 16 feet long and weigh 500 pounds. However, they can reach up to 20 feet and 1,650 pounds. It can eat up to half its body weight at once. Last year a schoolgirl, 11, in Zimbabwe saved her friend, 9, from the a large crocodile by jumping on its back and gouging its eyes until it loosened its grip. Latoya Muwani was reportedly attacked while swimming with friends in Sinderela Village. Rebecca Munkombwe was getting in the stream herself when she heard screams of help coming from the water. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 04:06:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close File photo taken on Feb. 15, 2020 shows the Bichat Hospital in Paris, France. 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. (Xinhua/Gao Jing) PARIS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- 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. "It is a decrease. It is an important indicator that needs to be confirmed in the coming days," Salomon said, warning that "there is still tension in certain regions." A decrease of 209 patients requiring life support were registered on Thursday, taking the total number of patients in ICUs down to 6,248. It is the 8th consecutive daily fall, providing some relief to strained hospitals. However, admission to ICUs remain higher than the initial capacity of resuscitation in France -- 5,000 beds, the health official said. Salomon reiterated calls to strictly respect confinement measures and apply gesture barriers and social distancing to help contain the epidemic. President Emmanuel Macron on Monday announced that the lockdown, imposed on March 17, was prolonged by four weeks to May 11. Earlier on Thursday, Minister of Labor Muriel Penicaud said anti-coronavirus measures had forced more than 700,000 companies to put 9 million workers under the partial unemployment scheme. That is to say, "one employee in two in France is paid by the state." Under the scheme, employer pays its employees on temporary leave most of their salary. The state will then reimburse businesses in full for salaries up to 4.5 times the minimum wage. The mechanism to avoid dismissals might cost the French state coffer billions of euros. Enditem (1 euro = 1.084 U.S. dollars) The coronavirus lockdown is to be extended for at least another three weeks in the UK, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said as he warned that lifting restrictions now would risk a dangerous second peak of Covid-19. Mr Raab, deputising for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he recovers from the virus, said the original three-month timeline set down by Mr Johnson to come through the peak of the virus was broadly "still the outline". Mr Raab said there is "light at the end of the tunnel" but refused to set out a "definitive timeframe" for easing the lockdown measures, stressing that lifting them now would only lead to a "second lockdown". 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 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." Mr Raab said ministers and scientists must be confident there will be no second wave of infections, and more widespread testing had to be put in place alongside solid evidence infections were falling. "The worst thing we could do right now is to ease up too soon, allow a second peak of the virus to hit the NHS and to hit the British people," he said. Mr Raab said there were still "issues with the virus spreading in some hospitals and in care homes", adding: "The very clear advice we received is that any change to our social distancing measures now would risk a significant increase in the spread of the virus." All senior and mid-rank officers in the Uttar Pradesh government have been asked to resume office from April 20, nearly a month after working from home due to the coronavirus outbreak, an official said on Friday. "All additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, secretaries, special/joint/deputy/under secretaries and section officers will attend office from April 20, Monday," Additional Chief Secretary (Secretariat Administration) Mahesh Kumar Gupta told PTI. Officers living in COVID-19 hotspots will follow directives from the district magistrate or police commissioner, Lucknow, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Till Sunday, Meghalaya was a rare state with no Covid-19 cases. However, in the next four days, the state recorded nine cases, including one death. Strikingly, all the cases were from one family. The first case surfaced on Monday evening when a prominent doctor, John L Sailo Ryntathiang, was found positive. The news of the 69-year-old founder of Shillong-based Bethany Hospitals surprised many as the doctor didnt have any recent travel history. It was quickly surmised that he could have got infected from his son-in-law, a pilot with Air India who had returned from New York to Delhi on March 16 and reached Shillong on March 24. He spent the next 14 days in home quarantine under observation and was asymptomatic. The initial suspicions couldnt be substantiated as two tests on the son-in-law came out negative. The state administration quickly sealed Bethany Hospital, placed nearly 2,000 primary and secondary contacts of the first patient in quarantine and started tests on them. But even before the results could arrive, Ryntathiang passed away in the early hours of Wednesday. Later in the day, six others, family members and helpers of the doctor, were found positive. The state administration grappling with the fast changing situation faced another one related to last rites of the doctorthe first Covid-19 fatality in the state. Worried that the virus could spread, residents in Jhalupara refused to allow use of the electric crematorium there. Residents in Nongpoh, where Bethany Hospital has a branch and the doctor had a house, also denied permission to bury the body. Finally, the state government was able to bury the doctors body at the cemetery of Riatsamthiah Presbyterian Church in the Lawmali area of Shillong on Thursday afternoon---after a days delay. Such incidents are a blot on the societys consciousness and of great concern to all of us irrespective of party, religion and region. There is an urgent need to educate the people and remove misconceptions on Covid-19, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said in a Facebook post about the Shillong incident. The state government is also facing flak for its handling of the situation related to the first patient. 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, chief minister Conrad Sangma tweeted after the burial. Later on Thursday night, two more Covid-19 positive cases were reported in the stateboth patients were family members of the first patient. According to a release issued by the Sampath Kumar, commissioner and secretary (health) on Thursday night, 50 medical staff members of the Bethany Hospital have been identified as high-risk contacts and tests would be conducted on them. The Meghalaya government is yet to zero in on the person who is responsible for infecting the first patient. We tried to establish if the deceased doctor had contracted the virus from his son-in-law. But there is nothing to indicate that since the sample tests of the son-in-law have come out negative thrice, health minister AL Hek said in Shillong. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Im hearing questions like these virtually every day from concerned Christians. Do you think the world's reaction to the coronavirus is preparing the way for the antichrist? Will there be a mandatory vaccine that will include a microchip? Could this be the mark of the beast? To be sure, Im not a friend of globalism. And Im certainly not keen on the government having the right to insert a chip in our bodies. But, to be perfectly candid, Im not thinking much about the antichrist or the mark of the beast. There are far more pressing (and practical) issues that demand my (and our) attention. Like loving God. And loving our neighbors. And being decent human beings. And sharing our faith. And walking in moral purity. And keeping our marriages healthy. And spending quality time with our kids. Yes, everyday stuff like that. It may not be as exciting as studying end-time prophecy (this is called eschatology). It may not be as exotic as the visions in the Book of Revelation. But on a daily basis, all this is far more relevant than speculation about the mark of the beast. For those not familiar with some of these concepts, they come from the Book of Revelation, which speaks of a Satan-empowered world leader, described as a 7-headed beast wearing 10 crowns on its heads. This end-time world leader, also called the antichrist, will be worshiped by everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain (Rev 13:8; again, for those not familiar with this imagery, the Lamb refers to Jesus). Revelation also describes another demonic figure who causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name (Rev 13:16-17). This all sounds frightfully serious, which is why many Christians ask: What, exactly, is this mark? And are we unwittingly paving the way towards a one-world government in other words, towards an antichrist system? But there are several problems with this line of thinking (although, to repeat, I am no friend of globalism). First, Revelation belongs to the genre of apocalyptic, which describes world events in visionary terms which are not meant to be taken literally. Or do you actually believe that the antichrist will be 7-headed human being who looks like a leopard and has feet like a bears and a mouth like a lions (see Rev 13:2)? To rightly understand Revelation, we need to rightly understand its literary genre. Perhaps one day there will be a literal mark put on the right hand and the forehead. Or perhaps this is symbolic of something else. In my view, it is this something else which should have our attention. (Ill explain this more in a moment.) Second, while Revelation does describe future events, including the Lords return, the final judgment, and the New Heavens and New Earth, it is also relevant to every generation of readers. This would be especially true for the first recipients of the book more than 1,900 years ago. What did Revelation mean to them? As many commentators have pointed out, these early Christian readers would have likely seen the beast as a figure in their day, namely, the tyrannical Roman emperor. It was he who demanded to be worshiped as a god under penalty of death. And it was he who often brutally persecuted the Christians. So, the first readers of Revelation would not have been as concerned with a future, theoretical antichrist as they were with the very real antichrist before them. In their minds, todays very present evil was more than enough to deal with. Tomorrows prophesied evil could wait until then. As for the reference to the mark of the beast, Prof. G. K. Beale notes that it enforces the metaphorical idea that the mark alludes to the states political and economic stamp of approval, given only to those who go along with its religious demands. In other words, you bow to the godless demands of the state or you dont get to enjoy the benefits of the state. As explained by Robert H. Mounce in his Revelation commentary, the ultimate focus is on the deification of the secular government. At all points, that must be resisted. For us, as followers of Jesus in any age, that is where the rubber meets the road. Will we compromise our convictions for the sake of our convenience? Will we refuse to take a stand for what is right because of the negative consequences? Will we give to Caesar what belongs to God? Again, it could be that one day, there will be a literal mark demanded by the antichrist himself. Perhaps, at that time, those who refuse to receive that mark will pay with their own lives. But around the world, even as I write, Christians are refusing to take the mark in other ways. In Nigeria, they are refusing to convert to Islam. As a result, they are (quite literally) losing their heads for their faith. In China, they are refusing to conform to the communist states godless demands. This forces them to go underground with their faith and often results in prison and even torture. In America, we can refuse to take the mark figuratively speaking when we say no to pornographic sex-ed curricula for our children. Or when we hold to our religious convictions, even when it costs us our jobs. It can even happen, on the most basic level, when a Christian high school student takes a pro-life stance while the rest of her classmates (and teachers) ridicule her. This is where our focus needs to be, on everyday obedience to the Lord and His commission. If we obey in the here and now, tomorrow will take care of itself. I focus on issues like this in my new book When the World Stops: Words of Faith, Hope, and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis. Thats why one of the chapters is titled, The Gospel Is Made for the Hard Times and another chapter is titled, A Little Wisdom Goes a Long Way. So, rather than wondering about the future antichrist and the mark of the beast, be sure not to sell your soul for a godless system today. As followers of Jesus, we bow the knee to one Lord and one Lord only. According to Dmytro Kuleba, the COVID-19 pandemic is now making it more complicated Ukraine will continue co-ordinating with the partners in the case of the Boeing 737 crash (flight PS752) in Tehran, Iran. Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told this in an exclusive interview with Radio Svoboda. The head of the Foreign Ministry commented on the message that Ukraine could discuss a signing of the memorandum of understanding with Iran, which provided payment of compensation and granting access to the on-board recorders in exchange for the refusal of relatives of the victims to bring an action to court. "Our position has not changed. We are working on the result in close collaboration with colleagues from the International Disaster Relief Coordination Group. These are the Foreign Ministers of Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan and the United Kingdom - all of those countries whose citizens died on January 8. Only yesterday we all five spoke at a conference call again, coordinating our next steps. The goal remains unchanged: establishing justice, paying compensation to families, conducting full, independent and transparent investigation and bringing those to justice for shooting aircraft down in accordance with the international law ... No one even thought of not saving these people, somehow betraying them or acting uncoordinately with other partners, Kuleba said. He also added that the COVID-19 pandemic was making it more complicated. As we reported earlier, Iran postponed the process of downloading and decryption of the data from black boxes of downed PS752 flight of Ukrainian International Airlines. China's economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic will partly depend on how other countries fare in the global recession and the impact on the demand for Chinese goods, former Australia Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said on Friday. The synchronous nature of the global recession is affecting external demands for Chinese goods, he told CNBC's "Squawk Box," a little over an hour before China reported its economy shrank by 6.8% in the first quarter. "So, the compounding effect of other countries and economies in the world suppressing their own imports from China, for the simple reason that they themselves are experiencing demand-side crises as well," is affecting the Chinese economy, according to Rudd, who's currently the president at think tank, Asia Society Policy Institute. The virus was first reported in the Hubei province late last year and its spread in mainland China appears to have slowed in recent weeks, with new daily reported cases comparatively lower than other parts of the world. Recently, Beijing lifted an 11-week lockdown of Wuhan, the city at the epicenter of the country's outbreak. The return-to-work rate in China has crept higher as more companies resumed production, but the landscape remains drastically altered. However, that metric is different from returning to previous production levels, Rudd pointed out. At this point, remarking that people now are more concerned about online privacy than ever before is not a novel observation. Whats fascinating, though, is that interest in personal digital security has remained high since the issue exploded about seven years ago. In other words, instead of experiencing a short-lived spike, digital privacy awareness has been sustained. This is especially encouraging to me, since I gained my background in technology precisely out of the desire to secure my own digital autonomy. I know as well as anyone that its not always clear where to turn to improve ones digital security. Getting a handle on the subject can seem like trying to jump onto a moving train. To extend the metaphor, this article may give you a running start. My hope is that a guide from the perspective of someone who not long ago probably knew less than you do now, you will develop enough of a foundation to journey forth on your own. Gluing Together Your Threat Model So where do you start? Quite simply, with yourself. The whole purpose of security is to protect what is valuable, and what is valuable is different for everyone. Consequently, security is possible only after you determine the object of value. Only then can you assess how far to go to safeguard it. Before you can think about the means, you must select the end. In the case of digital security, you need to figure out what it is you are trying to protect. This could be as straightforward as certain files on your devices, or the contents of your communications with associates. It could be more abstract. For example, as a consequence of your behavior, certain personal details about you while not contained in files as such can be inferred and automatically captured as data streams akin to files, called metadata. In the context of digital security, everything essentially takes the form of information, so you need to think long and hard about what information youre guarding, and all the forms it can take or ways it can be accessed. This can be quite a task at first, but it gets easier with practice. Defining the information you want to protect gives you the first component that comprises what is called a threat model basically your high-level strategic view of how to keep your information safe. In the context of your threat model, your valued information goes by the more succinct name of asset. Once you have defined your asset, its time to identify your adversary, which is the glorified name for entities who want to take your asset. This exerts a strong influence on what your threat model ultimately will look like your strategy for holding onto your asset will look very different depending on whether your adversary is your nosy neighbor or a hostile government. When contemplating your adversary, it is critical to enumerate realistic threats. It may seem counterintuitive but, as you will see by the end of this primer, it actually doesnt help to overestimate your enemy. A D V E R T I S E M E N T The word adversary may evoke a diabolical nemesis, but that doesnt have to be the case. Though you shouldnt inflate your antagonist, neither should you overlook it. While its very easy to single out an adversary like a criminal hacking collective (if that is indeed yours) for its overt ill intent, your adversary could be a service you willingly use but do not fully trust. The point is, you need to catalog every player that wants your asset, no matter the reason. With those two pillars in place, its time to finish the tripod: Accounting for your asset and adversary, you need to size up the means the adversary has at its disposal and, most importantly, the means you have and lengths you are willing to go to protect your asset. These last two things are not always the same hence the distinction. Fortunately an abundance of tools are available to keep your asset secure, if you know how to use them. Even better, the most effective ones are all free. The real limit in practice is that of self-discipline. Keep in mind that a powerful safeguard is useless without the resolve to utilize it consistently without relenting. Categorize and Prioritize I like to think of adversaries as occupying one of three categories: Category 1 adversaries are entities engaging in what is popularly called surveillance capitalism, but technically referred to as data mining. Operating predominantly in the private sector, category 1 actors are those that passively collect information from you as a consequence of your use of their services. However, in recent years we have learned that companies overstep this implicit covenant to collect data on individuals even when those individuals dont explicitly do business with them. Generally, these adversaries dont seek out your data directly. Instead of coming to you, they wait for you to come to them. Therefore, they can be thwarted by shrewder consumer choices. Category 2 adversaries are those that employ primarily offensive techniques to execute both targeted and untargeted (i.e. indiscriminate) attacks on users. This category includes a diverse spectrum of attackers, from lone black hats to sophisticated criminal enterprises. What they all have in common is that their methods are intrusive, actively breaching ones defenses, and definitely not legally sanctioned. Category 3 encompasses the most formidable adversaries foes that can leverage state resources. In point of fact, the actors in this category are the only ones that qualify for the information security consensus term advanced persistent threats or APTs. Like category 2 opponents, they conduct invasive offensive operations, but they do so with the financial resources of a political faction or government behind them, and in many cases, the legal immunity of one as well. This is my own taxonomy, rather than accepted industry terms, but my hope is that it illustrates the kinds of adversaries you may face vividly enough to help in your threat modeling. You will have to judge for yourself which of these categories describes your adversaries most aptly, but there are some quick diagnostics you can run to characterize what you need to look out for, based on your assets as well as the adversaries themselves. If you dont consider your work particularly sensitive and just want to mitigate the creepiness factor of intimate personal details constantly and mercilessly being stored and analyzed, you are facing a category 1 scenario. Most of you likely will find yourselves in this boat, especially if you rely to any degree on social networks or communication services operated by ad revenue-driven tech companies. For those of you in possession of highly valuable information, like six-figure-plus financial data, theres a good chance you need to arm yourself against category 2 attackers. The lucrative nature of the information you handle means you likely will attract actors that specifically and actively will work to breach your defenses to steal it from you. Dealing in truly sensitive data, the kind that could spell life or death to certain people, exposes you to category 3 adversaries. If youre the kind of person who risks attack from a state-level actor, like a national security journalist or defense sector professional, you already know it. If fending off category 3 attackers is your reality, you need way more operational security than I possibly could provide you. My treatment of category 3 actors will be more for the sake of painting a complete picture for readers in general, and to convey a sense of scale of possible countermeasures. Next Steps By now, you should have a sense of what your asset is, and what adversary it attracts. This aligns with my roadmap for this four-part series. Subsequent installments will focus on determining which tools and practices your asset and adversaries necessitate. A D V E R T I S E M E N T The next three articles in this series will equip you with some tools for countering each of the adversary categories. In the next installment, which delineates threats from category 1, you will learn the digital hygiene that is beneficial for everyone and sufficient for most, but inadequate for those squaring off against foes in categories 2 and 3. The article that follows, along with educating those anticipating threats from category 2, might draw in those who want to get ahead of the pack fending off category 1. It also will build a bridge for those bound for the hard road of resisting category 3 attacks, but it wont be enough in itself. Instead of focusing on software tools themselves, the last piece will strive to outline the thought patterns needed to combat the most daunting opponents one can face in information security. Considering the inherently vast capability of category 3 threats, the goal is to describe the evaluative mindset of those who need to defend against them. You Cant Have It All but You Should Try to Have Some Ill leave you with one parting thought to set the tone for this series: No matter how your threat model shapes up, you will face a tradeoff between security and convenience. You will never have both, and their inverse relationship means an increase in one decreases the other. A viable threat model is one that finds the balance between the two that you can stick with, but that still addresses the threat at hand. The only way to keep that balance is through discipline. This is exactly why plans that overkill your adversary dont work. All they do is trade away more convenience than you can tolerate for security you dont need, which leads to abandonment of the threat model entirely more often than to a revision of it. Instead, if you find your equilibrium and have the will to maintain it, you will set yourself on the path to success. That path, as you will see, is challenging and long possibly endless but there is a reward purely in traveling it. The only thing more satisfying than setting out on its winding way is to bring new company along. So, Ill see you next time, when we hit the trail. Mosque buildings in the UK will remain closed to the public during Ramadan following the British Governments decision on extending the lockdown, according to the Mosque and Imams National Advisory Board (Minab). The board said in a statement that it is going to be extremely painful and emotionally challenging not to be able to pray together in mosques or hold iftar events in the spirit of Ramadan. But we have a religious and moral obligation to protect life and follow the medical advice to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. Imam Qari Asim, chairman of Minab, said: It would be deemed extremely irresponsible to congregate for night prayers (tarawih prayer) or hold religious gatherings during this Ramadan in any mosque or houses with people who are not members of the immediate household. During the epidemic, the desire to perform prayers with a congregation in a mosque comes second to saving lives. We applaud the efforts of imams and mosques, across the country, that have continued to provide religious and spiritual guidance through online and creative ways, whilst the doors of mosques sadly remain closed during this period. The beginning of the month of Ramadan will be confirmed upon sighting of the new moon, which is expected on April 23. File picture of thousands of people attending Birminghams Eid celebration of the end of Ramadan (Joe Giddens/PA) It said funds from the this years appeal will prioritise projects that support communities with water, food and healthcare and those facing emergencies such as natural disasters or conflict. Islamic Relief said it will also distribute food parcels in 31 of the worlds poorest countries including Syria, Yemen, Bangladesh and Somalia, following social distancing guidelines, as well as support vulnerable communities in the UK. Tufail Hussain, director of Islamic Relief UK, said: Ramadan is a time for British Muslims to thank Allah for our good fortune and to reflect on those less fortunate than ourselves. In this current crisis with so many communities coming together to help one another, your Zakat will help make a difference to the most needy, and is safe with Islamic Relief. Visitors from Dublin and Meath who attended a wedding in Cork suffered break-ins to their cars as the celebrations went on in the hotel, a court has heard. A 16-year-old has now been charged with criminal damage to 22 cars. Inspector Brian ODonovan said at the juvenile court of Cork District Court that some property such as designer sunglasses was stolen from several of the cars. In one case the 152-registered silver Hyundai i4 was driven from the scene and later found crashed. The inspector said the insurance company declared the car a write-off. Judge Mary Dorgan accepted jurisdiction to deal with 21 charges related to the alleged causing of criminal damage to the cars. However, the judge said she would need to be told of the value of the Hyundai that was written off before deciding if that case could be dealt with at district court level or by judge and jury at the circuit court. Insp. ODonovan said that information would be before the court in a fortnight, and the judge adjourned it until then. Emma Leahy said the prosecution had already supplied the defence with a summary of the evidence against the accused and this would be considered before May 1. The young defendant was remanded on bail on condition that he would keep a curfew to be home every night by 10pm until 8am, be of good behaviour and abstain from all intoxicants. Judge Dorgan warned the youth that he would be going to Oberstown detention centre if there was any breach of bail conditions. Insp. ODonovan said gardai could be calling to his home more than once every night to make sure he is keeping his curfew. Judge Dorgan said: These are serious bail conditions and he has to take the matter very very seriously. The 22 charges relate to an alleged crime spree on Saturday, January 11, last when visitors from Dublin and Meath had parked their cars near the hotel at Silver Springs in Cork city. Reference was also made to a number of young people being involved in the crime spree but the 16-year-old who was charged with 22 offences was the first to appear in court on the matter. 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. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday said 4,000 COVID-19 rapid test kits have been allocated to Meghalaya as the health authorities are battling to zero in on the carrier into the state. The wife of the first COVID-19 patient and six others of her family members are under home quarantine, while their maid who also tested positive is undergoing treatment at a hospital, he said, adding that they all are stable. The state has been allocated 4,000 rapid test kits. We are trying to get more, he said in an address to the press. The chief minister said that 140 primary contacts of John L Sailo Ryntathiangs family and those at Bethany Hospital have been identified, and 4,755 secondary contacts have also been traced. Sailo, 69, died on Wednesday of the infection. Sangma said samples collected from 541 persons have so far tested negative and the reports of 67 persons are awaited. A total of 23,382 persons have been screened till date and 2,557 are observing quarantine, he said. In his address, the chief minister said that over 9,300 labourers were provided Rs 3,000 each under the Building and Other Construction Workers Act and over 25,800 farmers in the state have been given Rs 2,000 each under the PM Kisan Yojana since the lockdown began. Over 1.36 lakh labourers have registered for special assistance grant of Rs 2,100 and 1.16 lakh labourers have been verified for the same, he said. Over 6,000 persons from the state stranded across the country have registered for the CM's special grant and the authorities have verified 458 persons so far, he said. Sangma said that the state has received 3.65 lakh reusable masks, 15,072 N95 masks and 29,084 PPEs for the frontline health workers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) FILE PHOTO: A passenger walks to the First Class counter of Cathay Pacific Airways at Hong Kong Airport in Hong Kong By Jamie Freed SYDNEY (Reuters) - Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd <0293.HK> will lay off 286 cabin crew based in the United States and furlough 201 pilots based in Australia and Britain, it said on Friday, as the coronavirus pandemic has virtually halted global travel. The carrier has grounded most of its planes because of falling demand, flying only a skeleton network in April and May to major destinations such as Beijing, Los Angeles, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Vancouver that makes up 3% of normal capacity. In a statement, Cathay said it was communicating with the affected cabin crew based in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles as well as their union. The airline said it was standing down 129 Airbus SE pilots in Australia from May 1 until around June 30, although the end date could change. "Australia-based pilots are encouraged to bring forward their leave or apply for Cathay Pacific's reduced salary scheme," it added. Its 72 London-based Boeing Co 777 pilots will be furloughed and receive government assistance, if eligible, while pilots based in the United States and Canada are voting on a reduced salary scheme, the airline said. Last month Cathay announced the closure of its Vancouver cabin crew base, with 147 crew, as part of a business review. On Thursday, it said it was exploring options to ride out the storm and doing all it could to preserve cash. One day this week, it had carried just 302 passengers, compared to around 100,000 on a typical day. (Reporting by Jamie Freed; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) When California officials wanted to see how closely people were following social distancing guidelines last month, they tapped a powerful new data set - a map that Facebook provided to state authorities derived from the location coordinates of tens of millions of smartphones. The map showed with alarming clarity that large numbers of people were still gathering on beaches and in public parks. Soon after, Gov. Gavin Newsom, D, ordered them closed to vehicles, sharply restricting access. Newsom's move to blunt the spread of the coronavirus was just one sign of the increasingly close cooperation between government authorities and technology companies in fighting a dangerous common enemy. This global wave of experimentation has involved data sets long considered so personal and sensitive - capable of revealing how smartphone users spent their days, and with whom - that many government officials shied away from their use out of fear of public backlash. But health experts say such new tactics, while testing traditional privacy boundaries in the United States and elsewhere, could play a central role in the battle against the coronavirus as nations try to reopen their economies. Key will be expanded disease surveillance with the help of emerging technologies to identify new infections before they create major hot spots. Experts say that old-fashioned public health approaches, such as widespread testing and manually tracing the contacts of people with newly discovered infections, probably will remain the most effective way to control the pandemic. But with few signs that the United States is assembling the army of health workers needed to track coronavirus infections, technology may be called on to fill the gaps. Already technological tools are helping authorities fine-tune their public directives, and data derived from individual smartphones may soon play an important role in mapping webs of potential new infections and alerting people at particularly high risk of developing covid-19 that they need to be tested immediately. "You need most [exposed] people to go and get tested," said Ashish Jha, faculty director of the Harvard Global Health Institute. "If we can do this and keep it going, I think we have a shot - just a shot - at keeping our economy going." There is some evidence of public acceptance of technological surveillance tools. A Pew Research Center study published Thursday found that slightly over half of those surveyed say it is at least "somewhat acceptable" for the government to use people's cellphones to track those who've tested positive for the virus to understand how it is spreading. Forty-five percent said it is acceptable for the government to do so for people who may have had contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus. There is less support for monitoring mobile devices to ensure that people are following social distancing orders, however. Just 37 percent of respondents said it was "somewhat acceptable" for the government to track people's locations to monitor compliance. Privacy advocates caution that the rush to deploy possible technological solutions to a devastating pandemic may be outrunning the public's understanding of how their data is being collected and used. They warn that the apps and other services developed to fight the coronavirus might someday be used by different government authorities to fight crime or monitor political activity. In part because of these concerns, most of the technological tools being deployed - such as the activity map Facebook provided to California authorities - rely on what is known as aggregated and anonymized data, meaning they are compilations of data that have been stripped of information that could be used to identify an individual. New Mexico officials are using such anonymous smartphone data to help anticipate surging hospital demand, and Colorado officials have used similar data to determine whether residents are traveling less, in compliance with the stay-at-home order the state's Democratic governor, Jared Polis, issued March 25. But officials in other nations, mainly in Europe and Asia, have gone farther, harnessing smartphone data to identify infected people and warn others that they are at risk and, in some cases, must quarantine themselves. Many Israelis, for example, have received texts from public health officials alerting them that, based on cellphone location records collected by the government, they had been near an infected person and needed to go into isolation for 14 days. Momentum is building for similar - though less draconian - approaches in the United States. Longtime Silicon Valley rivals Google and Apple announced last week that they will build new features into their widely used smartphone operating systems to assist authorities in investigating new cases of coronavirus infection. The companies say that their detection system, unlike the ones used in Israel and some other nations, would be completely anonymous, voluntary and designed with safeguards for people's privacy. As technologists seek to balance public health benefits with privacy concerns, there remains uncertainty about how effective any of these tools might be, and whether the time, money and energy spent on them would be better used expanding virus testing or hiring more people to conduct contact-tracing investigations. "Before we rush off and do [the technological initiatives] at huge scale, we should know they work. We don't randomly go popping pills," said Daniel Weitzner, a former White House official now developing contact-tracing technology for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he is a researcher. "You don't want to trade off any privacy risk at all for no benefit. We want to make sure there's clear evidence of effectiveness before we suggest hundreds of millions of people start doing this." - - - Smartphones are a continuous fountain of revealing data: Telephone companies know where a cellphone user is by tracking what cell towers the customer's phone is communicating through, and many types of smartphone software, including for apps such as Facebook and Waze, collect user information such as GPS coordinates or proximity to known WiFi signals. Most smartphones also can register how close they are to other devices, using Bluetooth radios that search for nearby speakers or wireless headphones. All of that information is potentially useful to public health officials as they seek to track both the broad movements of populations in regions infected by the coronavirus and the more specific risks posed by infected individuals. South Korea has used cellphone location data to reconstruct the movements of infected people and alert nearby residents that they may have been exposed. Such information is behind Israel's ability to identify people at risk of infection and send them texts ordering them to quarantine themselves. Hong Kong has deployed "geofencing" - a technology marketers use to deliver coffee shop ads when potential customers walk nearby - to determine whether people with confirmed infections stayed home during their quarantines. Violators faced jail time or fines. Singapore has harnessed Bluetooth technology to identify potential new infections by seeing whether the devices of people known to have the coronavirus have been within six feet of the devices of other people for prolonged periods of time. Government health officials can then request those logs as they investigate the virus's spread. Such approaches also are gaining ground in Europe, where a cross-continental group of researchers has designed a system for "Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing" that Germany and other nations plan to adopt. In the United Kingdom, health authorities are working on a contact-tracing app that would send people color-coded warnings about people with whom they had crossed paths over the previous two weeks: yellow alerts for people with unverified self-diagnoses; red alerts for infections confirmed by medical staff. Other countries are going farther in using location data to police social interactions and combat the virus's spread. New Zealand, Taiwan and Thailand have used phone-location tracking to monitor quarantined people's movements, and issue heavy fines to people found to have violated the orders. In China, Poland and Russia, health officials have used facial-recognition software to confirm whether someone has obeyed lockdown orders. The experimentation in the United States has been less aggressive, relying mainly on collected sets of anonymous user data, provided voluntarily by companies. California's decision to limit access to beaches and parks, for example, drew on data not only from Facebook but from Google. In Colorado, a team of investors and engineers has used smartphone data to determine that traffic in the state has decreased substantially, said Brad Feld, a technology investor in that state. Like officials elsewhere, those in Colorado have sought to avoid triggering a privacy backlash by working with data sets stripped of personally identifiable information. "I'm not sure we're going to tolerate as a culture the federal government knowing all of our movements. I'm not sure we're going to tolerate phone companies retroactively providing our location information," said Sarah Tuneberg, the director of the Colorado response team for developing technological tools to aid in the coronavirus pandemic. "In the absence of those, we're going to have to create other innovations." Some of the data tapped by Colorado and other states comes from Descartes Labs, an analytics firm based in Santa Fe, N.M. It used location data gathered from 10 million mobile devices to help public health authorities determine how far people are traveling on a given day, issuing an aggregated score for each county. The lower the score, the more likely that people in a given spot are following government guidelines and staying home. In Descartes Labs's home state, officials have been using its technology for weeks to try to determine which hospitals faced looming crushes of new infections, and the information on travel helped Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) measure the effectiveness of social distancing guidelines and contributed to her order last week to close more businesses, said Tripp Baird, a spokesman for the governor. - - - Far more sensitive - and also potentially more useful - are individualized indicators of infection risk detectable through smartphone data. The initiative announced last week by Google and Apple seeks to achieve that goal while protecting people's privacy, the companies say. They are updating their dominant mobile operating systems to allow the Bluetooth radios built into billions of smartphones worldwide to assist public health officials in conducting contact tracing, the laborious process of identifying who may have been exposed to people who tested positive for the coronavirus. Such approaches do not rely on precise geographic location and would not create a central repository of information about people's individual health information, the companies say. The system would work like this: Health authorities would give a person who tested positive for the coronavirus a special code that would allow them to tell the app on their phone that they had a confirmed infection. The system would then send an alert to the smartphone of anyone who has come in contact with the infected person over the past two weeks. The alert would include guidance on how to reach their local health department and an admonition to quarantine themselves. The system would use numeric codes, not personal information, to log the interactions, and that data would remain on people's phones, not shared with authorities, and be erased after a few weeks, company planning documents show. Health authorities also would not have access to potentially exposed people's names or phone numbers - a concession to privacy concerns that potentially could limit the effectiveness of the Google and Apple approach, which could become available next month. Such a Bluetooth-based system, if widely adopted, could help reduce the guesswork of contact-tracing investigations and alert unsuspecting people to potential infection. Google and Apple have said their systems at first would rely on new and experimental apps developed by health departments or third-party developers, and that users would have to download and install on their phones. But eventually, the companies said, the contact-tracing features would be built into smartphone operating systems, making them more easily available for widespread use. Whether that will be enough to make the system truly effective for contact tracing is uncertain. Researchers suggest that for such a system to be effective, perhaps as much as 60 percent of the U.S. population would have to participate. But even if it's built into every new phone, users would still have to enable it in the same way they enable other smartphone features, and people with older phones, spotty Internet connections or confusion over their Bluetooth settings could be left behind. In Singapore, where a similar system has been used for weeks, about 1 in 6 people have downloaded the app. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said in an interview on Snapchat that the privacy concerns about the use of personal smartphone data create "sticky, sticky issues." "Even though from a purely public health standpoint, that makes sense," Fauci said. "You know, you could look at somebody's cellphone, and say, 'You were next to these 25 people over the last 24 hours.' Boy, I gotta tell you, the civil liberties-type pushback on that would be considerable." - - - Aside from privacy concerns, public health experts wonder whether these new technological approaches will prove effective against an unpredictable, fast-moving pandemic - especially at a time when more established public health priorities, such as providing enough testing and medical protective gear, have fallen disastrously behind. Ashkan Soltani, a security researcher and former Federal Trade Commission chief technologist, said he and other researchers had counted more than 50 contact-tracing projects that have been launched by engineers over the past few weeks. Some use WiFi and Bluetooth to pinpoint people's locations, while one project uses the audio frequencies from a smartphone's microphone to attempt to detect it with more precision. The smartphone emits ultrasonic waves that can be picked up by the microphone of another device if it's close. Some of the projects are better at protecting privacy than others, Soltani said, and some, he cautioned, don't have any public health experts involved. He said the risk of error is high. If a person goes downstairs to pick up a pizza delivery and doesn't take their phone with them, it won't pick up the infection status of the person at the door. Bluetooth, meanwhile, will register a device as nearby even if it's on the other side of a wall, raising the possibility of triggering false warnings that could distract health-care workers from real infection risks and cause needless worry and disruption. To minimize false positives, the Google and Apple system will indicate a contact only when two people are nearby for a matter of several minutes, the companies say. But that timing mechanism likely would miss brief but risky exposures, such as from coughs or sneezes that can spread the virus widely in a matter of seconds. The system also will lack the ability to detect transmission risks from an object or a location harboring the virus, such as an elevator button or grocery store checkout aisle. Cyrus Shahabi, a University of Southern California computer science professor working on a contact-tracing app that would use location data to provide "risk" scores for public areas, said that challenge is a critical one that the system will struggle to overcome. "It could potentially give so many false positives that it renders the approach effectively useless," Shahabi said. Jason Bay, the product lead of Singapore's TraceTogether, still the most prominent real-world example of a Bluetooth contact-tracing system, has also pushed to adjust expectations about how useful the system will be. "If you ask me whether any Bluetooth contact tracing system deployed or under development, anywhere in the world, is ready to replace manual contact tracing, I will say without qualification that the answer is, No," he wrote in a Medium post last week. "You cannot 'big data' your way out of a 'no data' situation. Period. Any attempt to believe otherwise, is an exercise in hubris, and technology triumphalism. There are lives at stake." But many government officials on the front lines of the pandemic have been emboldened by the stakes involved and by their sense, still untested, that the public may be more accepting of using personal data than in the past - if the purpose is worthy. "Many companies that are collecting voluminous data about us, often without our knowledge or consent, are using the data for social good," said Beth Noveck, chief innovation officer in New Jersey, which is using Zip codes submitted during Web queries to predict future virus hot spots. "There are many legal and ethical dilemmas that arise from collection of data without our consent. But on the bright side, if there is a silver lining, it's the ability to do some good with that data." - - - Dwoskin reported from Oakland. Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler on Friday called the criticism of her stock sales a socialist attack as she fights off a tough primary challenger in her bid for re-election. This is a socialist attack, she told Fox News channel on Friday. This is a political attack that is designed to distract from the issue at. Loeffler and her CEO husband were criticized after it came to light they sold around $2 million in stock ahead of the coronavirus pandemic, after she received a closed-door Senate briefing on the virus. She has maintained she did nothing wrong and said their stocks are handled by an investment company. This is a socialist attack, Sen. Kelly Loeffler told Fox News channel on Friday when asked about her stock sales after getting a closed briefing on the coronavirus The senator refused to address the issue further, telling Fox News: Weve taken extraordinary measures to take that off the table as an attack area, and were done with it and were moving on. Republican Congressman Doug Collins, who is challenging Loeffler in the June 9 GOP primary, said last month he was sicken over the fact she sold off stock in the days before the coronavirus outbreak. People are losing their jobs, their businesses, their retirements, and even their lives and Kelly Loeffler is profiting off their pain? I'm sickened just thinking about it, he tweeted on March 20. Collins, who is close to President Donald Trump, has led the charge in criticizing Loeffler for the move. He was one of the presidents most prominent defenders during the impeachment inquiry. Loeffler is pictured here with President Trump 'Socialist attack': Primary challenger Rep. Doug Collins, a conservative firebrand, has blasted Loeffler for the stock sales Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., greets President Donald Trump as he steps off Air Force One during arrival, Friday, March 6, 2020, at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Ga. A pro-Trump super PAC has donated to Collins' campaign, but the president has not taken sides Senator Kelly Loeffler & husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, who is the chairman and CEO of Intercontinental Exchange, the company that owns the New York Stock Exchange Using your public office to make private profits while families lose everything is not the American Dream. Shame on you for saying it is, he tweeted on Friday in response to her claiming to be a victim of a socialist attack. Earlier this month, Loeffler said she and her CEO husband Jeffrey Sprecher were liquidating their stocks after weeks of criticisms for the sales. Loeffler, in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, argued she has done nothing wrong and is not required to sell but is doing it to end the 'distraction' it is causing. 'Although Senate ethics rules don't require it, my husband and I are liquidating our holdings in managed accounts and moving into exchange-traded funds and mutual funds. I will report these exiting transactions in the periodic transaction report I file later this month,' she wrote. Sprecher is the chairman and CEO of Intercontinental Exchange, the company that owns the New York Stock Exchange. Loeffler is the wealthiest member of Congress. She was appointed to the Georgia Senate seat at the beginning of January after then-Sen. Johnny Isakson said he was resigning for health reasons. It is her first time holding political office. In her op-ed, Loeffler said her investments are handled by a third-party and noted she and her husband had that arrangement in place long before she was appointed to the Senate as part of their roles as fortune 500 company executives. 'In financial services, there is always a risk of coming into contact with nonpublic material information, so the decision to separate ourselves from directing our investmentslong before I was appointed to the Senate in Januarywas an easy one. It is part of what has enabled us to operate throughout our careers with the highest level of integrity and transparency,' she wrote. She said her advisers would liquidate their holdings and the proceeds would be 'reinvested into ETFs and mutual funds.' Her decision comes as the Justice Department is investigating stock sales by her and three other lawmakers: Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California. All four senators have denied any wrong-doing but all came under fire for massive stock sell offs that came as the lawmakers were getting private briefings on the coronavirus. Loeffler and Sprecher, sold $1 million to $2.49 million in February, according to disclosure statements, after a closed Senate briefing on the coronavirus. Additionally, they dumped holdings in retail stores that have been battered by the pandemic. The revelation of the sell-off ignited calls for her resignation and potentially tanked her chances for re-election. Lawmakers are prevented from using information they glean on Capitol Hill to buy and sell stocks, as outlined in the STOCK Act. DALLAS, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc. ("NXRT" or the "Company") (NYSE: NXRT) provided an update today on its response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis and provided the results of April rent collections through April 15, 2020. Resident Update NXRT's primary focus is on the safety and health of our residents and employees. Our residents now more than ever need a safe, clean and affordable place to live given the shelter-in-place orders issued in all of our markets. To help our residents through potential hardships, NXRT has proactively reached out to residents to offer need-based flexible payment plans. Additionally, NXRT has temporarily ceased processing eviction notices and assessing late fees in compliance with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (commonly referred to as the "CARES Act"). Although many are experiencing financial hardships during this crisis, we believe our residents are generally well situated to weather this storm. We complete extensive credit underwriting on our residents before offering a lease in order to attract the most creditworthy residents. The average income of our residents based on our underwriting is $4,558 per month, as compared to an average rental rate of $1,112 per month, meaning on average our tenants pay only 24% of their income toward rent. For our residents that have unfortunately lost their jobs, based on our calculations we believe they are eligible to receive $4,204 per month of unemployment on average across our markets (total unemployment benefits vary by state), inclusive of the expanded benefits under the CARES Act of $600 per week or approximately $2,400 per month. Therefore, even if a tenant has lost their job during this crisis, the combination of expanded unemployment benefits and our flexible payment plans, should allow them to meet their rental obligations as they will receive on average 92% of their prior income. In regard to the one-time stimulus payment enacted by the CARES Act, we estimate that 92% of our residents are eligible for 100% of the stimulus of $1,200 per person, $2,400 for joint filers and $500 for each child (full payments phase out between $75,000 and $99,000 for individuals and $150,000 and $199,000 for joint filers). Operations and Rent Collections Update The National Multifamily Housing Council ("NMHC") released collection data yesterday for 11.5 million units across the US. According to NMHC, 84% of tenants paid April 2020 rent by the 12th, which was 93% of the collections through the same date in March 2020. NXRT is pleased to report that April rent collections as of April 15th, inclusive of payment plans to pay rent in the month of April, were 93.6% of March 2020 collections and 94.4% of April 2019 collections through March 12, 2020 and April 12, 2019, respectively. For the safety of our residents and employees, NXRT has closed all leasing offices, closed or limited access to common areas and instituted new protocols regarding interactions with residents. Despite these changes, our operations remain fully functional and we continue to provide the same high quality service and support for our residents as before the crisis. Although we have reduced costs across our operations, we have not sacrificed service to our residents by reducing our staff in an effort to reduce costs. With our leasing offices closed, we have transitioned to virtual tours to limit the risk of exposure of our onsite staff. Despite reduced leasing traffic, NXRT is 95.9% leased across the portfolio, with retention rates for residents with expiring leases reaching strongly elevated levels of 56.8% month-to-date in April, on track to set a new all-time high. Based on 30 and 60-day leasing and renewal trends, we expect to maintain our current occupancy during the second quarter. About NXRT NexPoint Residential Trust is a publicly traded REIT, with its shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NXRT," primarily focused on acquiring, owning and operating well-located middle-income multifamily properties with "value-add" potential in large cities and suburban submarkets of large cities, primarily in the Southeastern and Southwestern United States. NXRT is externally advised by NexPoint Real Estate Advisors, L.P., an affiliate of NexPoint Advisors, L.P., an SEC-registered investment advisor, which has extensive real estate experience. Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are based on management's current expectations, assumptions and beliefs. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "expect," "believe," "intend," "prepared" and similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future rent collections, occupancy rates and the COVID-19 crisis. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement, including risks related to the COVID-19 crisis. Readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements and are encouraged to review the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of the risks and other factors that could affect any forward-looking statement. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changing circumstances or any other reason after the date of this press release. Contact: Jackie Graham Investor Relations 972-628-4024 [email protected] Media Inquiries [email protected] SOURCE NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc. Related Links http://www.nexpointliving.com New Delhi, April 17 : While the country is battling the outbreak of the COVID-19, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director has suggested that India's trajectory is satisfactory as compared to the other countries as "the doubling time has decreased." Speaking to IANS, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria said, "In my opinion, the trajectory in our country is satisfying, if you see, the doubling time has slowed down and we haven't seen a steep rise in the number of cases as we saw in Italy, US, Spain and other countries. In some parts of the country the cases have started to decline." Untill Friday morning, the total number of coronavirus cases in India reached 13,387 on Friday morning, including 76 foreign nationals, with 11,201 active cases, the Union Health Ministry said. When asked if anti-malarial drug HCQ is capable enough, Guleria said, "There are a few studies that show that HCQ has capabilities to decrease the viral load." "Based on a risk-benefit analysis, it was decided that doctors who are dealing with high-risk patients could take this drug under correct supervision to reduce the viral load. The use of HCQ is safe and it may help in decreasing the viral load," he added. Since Guleria is one of the key members of India's task force against COVID-19. About the next big step in dealing with the pandemic, he said, "Currently the biggest step we need to take is the aggressive lockdown in the hotspots so that we prevent large number of cases. "At the same time we should strengthen our medical infrastructure. Also, we should be prepared in case the number of cases increases, we make these facilities available," he said. Reacting to the death of doctors treating COVID patients, he said, "Doctors are always at a higher risk as they are in close contact with the patients. The virus load increases when the patient reaches the ICUs." "Though the doctors take up all possible measures, there are times when immediate steps are required. For example, if you have a sick patient who crashes, the doctors don't get time to be prepared and that's where such things happen. For doctors, patients and their well-being are most important." Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text LANSING, MICH. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency has developed new resources to help Michigan workers certify their unemployment claims. Also, in order to avoid slowdowns and keep the UIAs online system functioning properly, the agency is directing claimants who need to certify next week to avoid doing so on Monday, April 20 and instead wait to certify throughout the week and during off-peak hours. Mondays generally have the highest number of logins and web interactions Under federal law, unemployed workers must certify that they are still unemployed two weeks after their initial claim is approved and every two weeks after. Once the claim is certified, benefit payments are disbursed. Claimants can certify their claim by visiting Michigan.gov/UIA and signing into their MiWAM account. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI Two Casnovia Township officials are facing a recall election next month over their voting records on a controversial wind farm project that divided township residents and their elected officials for over a year. After residents filed a petition for their recall, Casnovia Township Clerk Jennie Powell and Trustee Daniel Winell, both Republicans, will be vying to keep their positions for the next seven months when voters cast ballots in the May 5 election. Voters, casting primarily absentee ballots, will decide whether to elect them, or challengers Carrie Schuman, who is seeking the clerks position, and Steven Sower Jr., who is running for Winells trustee seat. Both challengers are running as nonpartisan candidates. The controversial wind farm project sparked division within the township over a litany of complaints by residents. During 2018-19, Casnovia residents expressed concern to officials that the project would produce excessive noise and could create hazards for local wildlife. Proposed wind farm east of Muskegon sparks anger from residents The proposed wind farm, dubbed the Kenowa Ridge Wind Farm Project, would have built 31 wind turbines across portions of Casnovia Township in Muskegon County and Tyrone Township in Kent County. It was first proposed in 2018 and would have been completed this year. After township officials approved a special use permit for the project in August 2019, residents filed a lawsuit in Muskegon County Circuit Court against Casnovia Township, claiming that ongoing health issues could be negatively impacted or exacerbated if the wind farm was erected. A second lawsuit was filed last year against the township by American Electric Power, the projects developer, who claimed the conditions of the special use permit were capricious and arbitrary." AEP has since dropped the lawsuit and decided not to move forward with the wind farm project, Casnovia Township Supervisor Kelli Ashbaugh told MLive. But township residents say they have lost trust in their elected officials over the handling of the controversial project. Ravenna resident Daniel Kosheba filed recall petitions last summer against the three township officials who voted in favor of the project Powell, Winell and Treasurer Gayle Brock. Brock has since resigned from his position, township officials said. These (officials) voted against the will of the township residents in the first place, and we dont trust them in the future to do the right thing, Kosheba told MLive. Theyve proven that they cant be trusted, and so wed like to see them removed. Kosheba said his recall petitions against Powell and Winell received over 400 signatures from township residents. Winell told MLive that he was surprised that the petition was approved by the county clerk in the first place. Winell said the petition, which lists reasons why the officials should be recalled, is incorrect because it implies that township officials should have voted based on how an attorney told them to vote. Under the reason why the officials should be recalled, the petition states: On April 23, 2019, (Powell and Winell) ignored the legal advice and counsel of the Casnovia Township attorney and voted to unlawfully approve a Special Land Use Permit" for the wind farm project. Winell argued that it wasnt his job to vote based on how the attorney advised him to vote, which is what he said the petition implies. The grounds (the petition) was filed on says that we did not listen to our lawyers advice. And anybody knows that your lawyer cannot tell you how to vote, he said. The lawyers only purpose was to make sure things were done right. Winell said he doesnt know yet if he plans to run for re-election once his term is up in November. Powell did not respond to multiple requests for comment from MLive. The recall election process was changed in 2012 from a two-election process to a single recall election, according to the Michigan Bureau of Elections. While there used to be two elections one to recall the official and one to fill the vacancy there is now a single recall election to fill the remainder of the officials term, and the incumbent is automatically made a candidate in the election. The candidate who receives the most votes wins and fills the remainder of the term. In this case, the terms of the potentially-recalled Casnovia officials will end in November of this year, meaning whoever wins this election will hold the position for only seven months. Muskegon County Elections Coordinator Jeanne Pezet said so far, no one has filed to appear on the Aug. 4 ballot to take over the township positions in November. The deadline to file is 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, she said. Read more on MLive: Wind farm proposed for Muskegon/Kent counties border gets key approval Wind farm east of Muskegon met with lawsuits, recall attempts Energy company nixes planned wind farm east of Muskegon Jammu, April 17 : The Jammu and Kashmir Police have registered an FIR against a prominent hotelier of Kashmir who "deliberately left for his residence in Srinagar along with other persons" from the red zone area of Bathindi in Jammu on Friday. In a letter to the DC, Srinagar, the police have requested that a medical team be sent to his residence in Srinagar for screening and quarantine. "The subject has reportedly reached his residence at Zakoora in Srinagar, and it is requested that a medical team may kindly be deputed to his residence for immediate medical screening and required quarantine," the letter read. Pertinently, the Jammu-Srinagar highway continues to remain closed for traffic in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Campus News Seven UB students win NSF Graduate Research Fellowships By CHARLOTTE HSU Fellowships like the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship recognize our students achievements and will help them succeed in their education and beyond. Graham Hammill,, vice provost for academic affairs and dean of the Graduate School Seven UB students have been awarded the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. The highly sought-after award provides a three-year annual stipend of $34,000 and a $12,000 cost of education allowance for tuition and fees paid to students institution. The fellowship provides recipients with the freedom to conduct the research of their choice, a valuable incentive that has helped make the program one of the most competitive and prestigious for U.S. students in the sciences. Inspired by life experiences that range from laboratory research to volunteering abroad, this years UB fellowship winners plan to pursue research in areas that range from designing low-cost water desalination systems to developing technologies for plasma propulsion engines in space vehicles. It is deeply gratifying to see so many students from UB win this prestigious award. It confirms what we already know about our students immense potential and talent, says Graham Hammill, vice provost for academic affairs and dean of the Graduate School. Fellowships like the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship recognize our students achievements and will help them succeed in their education and beyond. UB students are applying for these programs at higher rates and winning at higher rates, says Elizabeth Colucci, director of UBs Office of Fellowships and Scholarships. We had 35 students apply this fall, and we mentor many of those students. Even the ones who dont win find the experience rewarding. They learn how to write about themselves and to write about science things they will be doing for the rest of their careers. Chris Gnam, a first-year PhD student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, is among NSF fellowship winners who benefited from an applicants workshop run by Coluccis office. He says Colucci, faculty mentors and others helped him develop a higher-quality application, working with him through multiple revisions. Gnam grew up in a rural area of upstate New York, where wide-open night skies inspired his ambition to study aerospace engineering. You look out my back window, and you can see for 30 miles, he says. Because the sky is so clear out there, you dont have any lights. You can see the Milky Way and satellites and all of that extremely easily. Of this years seven awardees, Gnam and two others are members of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences' Nanosatellite Laboratory (Nanosat Lab), in which students work with the Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA and Moog Inc. to build satellites from concept to launch with guidance from John Crassidis, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Samuel P. Capen Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The UB Nanosat students are all volunteers who put in a tremendous amount of effort to build, test and deliver real satellites, Crassidis says. The students typify the best-of-the-best in the country, as evidenced by three of them being given this highly prestigious award. Congratulations to our Nanosat team members, and to all the UB students who have earned the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship this year through their impressive achievements. UBs seven NSF Graduate Research Fellowship winners: Nicholas Bartelo, from Williamsville, New York, is a senior in the Department of Physics. He will pursue an MS in computational biology from Cornell University. His research interests involve using machine learning to make more reliable predictions about whether a drug will cause harmful side effects in patients. An Honors College student in mathematical physics, Bartelo is a two-time recipient of the UB physics departments Dr. Stanley T. Sekula Memorial Scholarship. He is a member of Sigma Pi Sigma, the national physics honor society. He has conducted research at UB and at Cambridge University on topics that connect data science with medicine and health. He has engaged in teaching activities that include tutoring university athletes in mathematics, and volunteering at an afterschool program for K-12 children in Buffalo. Jonathan Bessette, from Johnson City, New York, is a senior in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He will pursue a PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Bessettes research interests involve designing low-cost desalination systems that aid in the mitigation of global water shortages. Bessette, a UB Honors College student, was a recipient of the U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Scholarship, which enabled him to spend a summer in Scotland studying art and technology. Separately, he traveled to India to study architecture, including water distribution systems, and led a trip to the Dominican Republic to teach English. He has conducted research in settings that include the Design of Open Engineering Systems Lab at UB, Corning Inc. and Stanford Geophysics. Bessettes diverse research and service experiences in Buffalo, the U.S. and abroad have inspired his interest in developing affordable technologies for underserved communities. Ian DesJardin, from Williamsville, New York, a senior in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, will pursue a PhD in aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland College Park. DesJardins research interests involve developing control and system identification schemes for plasma propulsion systems, which could be used to produce engines for space vehicles. DesJardin has conducted research in the UB Center for Computational Research, the Control and Automation Laboratory, and the Nanosat Lab, where he managed teams that designed, built and tested components of student-made satellites. He took part in an NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at Texas A&M University, and later spent a summer working on the Orion space capsule as a contractor at NASAs Johnson Space Center. DesJardin has volunteered as a mentor to middle and high school students through a number of science programs, including the Science Olympiad and summer camps tied to the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Chris Gnam, from the Town of Penfield in Monroe County, New York, is a PhD student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Gnams research interests involve developing new techniques for spacecraft optical navigation. He earned a BS in aerospace engineering and a BA in mathematics from UB, where he conducted engineering research in labs including the Nanosat Lab, where he has also served as a mentor to undergraduate leaders. He was a Daniel Acker Scholar, a member of the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) and a Presidential Fellowship recipient at UB. Outside the university, Gnam served as a student trainee at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and interned for NASAs Goddard Spaceflight Center and Johnson Space Center. In addition, Gnam worked as an instructor in the University of Rochesters Science and Technology Entry Program and in UBs Educational Opportunity Program, both of which help students including many from disadvantaged or underrepresented groups advance their educational goals. In the personal essay he sent to the NSF as part of his fellowship application, Gnam wrote that, As a Hispanic male, I was able to connect with many of (the EOP students) on a personal level, allowing me to provide more individual guidance. Especially for a country like the United States that has such a diverse population, adequately reflecting that population in academia is important, Gnam says. Joshua Hazelnis, from Fallsburg, New York, is a senior in the Department of Chemistry and Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. He will pursue a PhD in chemistry at the University of Michigan. Hazelnis research interests involve understanding molecular interactions that could improve the performance of redox flow batteries, a promising technology for storing energy produced by renewable sources such as wind and solar. Hazelnis, a Provost Scholarship recipient at UB, conducted research in UB chemistry and chemical engineering labs, with a focus on optimizing the performance of redox flow batteries. His presentation on this technology won first place in the 2019 Transforming Our Tomorrow competition at UB. Hazelnis chose to attend UB as an undergraduate in part because he wanted to be in a diverse environment. He hopes to pursue a career as a research professor, and has shared his passion for science with other young people by volunteering at a UB sustainability camp for middle school students, developing demos for science classrooms, and mentoring fellow UB undergraduates, including students he tutored while serving as a resident adviser. Grant Iraci, from Phelps, New York, is a PhD student in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. His research interests involve improving the design of programming languages used in embedded computers, found in technologies that range from coffee makers to medical devices. Iraci graduated summa cum laude with a BS in computer science and a BA in mathematics from UB, where he conducted engineering research in the Nanosat Lab and did hands-on work with students in Buffalo Public Schools science classes through the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Partnership led by UB. Iraci was a Presidential Fellowship and Presidential Scholarship recipient and Honors College student at UB. He spent a summer at the Institute for Software Research at Carnegie Mellon University, where he took part in an NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. Iraci has also volunteered in STEM outreach programs through local libraries in the rural area where he grew up. An intellectually impaired man who convinced several women to perform sex acts on children over social media has avoided prison in favour of rehabilitation. Mathew David Taylor, 32, from Western Australia, pleaded guilty to a string of child exploitation charges in 2018 after years of manipulating strangers to abuse their children online. He was initially put on an 18-month pre-sentence order to encourage treatment and rehabilitation in Western Australia. But after returning to the WA District Court on Friday he was spared a prison sentence because the judge deemed he had shown good progress in rehabilitation. An intellectually impaired man who convinced several women to perform sex acts on children over social media has avoided prison in favour of rehabilitation (pictured: stock image of a frightened child) Taylor's first known offences date back to 2015 when he used Skype to chat to two separate women who performed sexual acts on a baby boy and a five-year-old girl, the court heard. He later used a fake social media account to connect with a different woman and sent her some child exploitation images. Police searched his home in February 2016 and found discs containing more than 30 videos. Taylor's first known offences date back to 2015 when he used Skype (pictured) to chat to two separate women who performed sexual acts on a baby boy and a five-year-old girl, the court heard (stock image) He was granted bail but his behaviour escalated between 2016 to 2017 to involve threatening to show a woman child exploitation materials he had received if she did not send more, the court heard. He paid her for the material. In 2018 Taylor pleaded guilty to pleaded guilty in 2018 to eight charges, including possessing, producing and distributing child exploitation material, attempting to indecently record a child and involving a child in exploitation. Judge Ronald Birmingham acknowledged Taylor had already spent 15 months in prison before he was placed on the pre-sentence order and had since made gains with his rehabilitation. 'The gravity of the sexual activity portrayed is both depraved and disturbing ... the quantity of materials that you had is extraordinary,' he said. After returning to the WA District Court (pictured) on Friday Taylor was spared a prison sentence because the Judge deemed he had shown good progress in rehabilitation 'That you shared the material with others, again, just simply spreads the hurt and spreads the abuse into the community.' Taylor was given a two-and-half year suspended prison sentence at the WA District Court on Friday. The suspended prison term includes a program and supervision requirement. China medical supplies provided by Mexico federal government for coronavirus patients, rejected Cancun, Q.R. Governor Carlos Joaquin Gonzalez confirmed he is part of the group returning the recently acquired medical equipment to the federal government for its lack of quality. During an interview with el Sistema Quintanarroense de Comunicacion Social (SQCS), the state governor confirmed he supports the Asociacion de Gobernadores de Accion Nacional (GOAN) in returning the China medical supplies provided by the federal government. The supplies, which consisted of gloves, masks and gowns, were deemed to be of exceptionally poor quality and unable to be used by medical personnel for coronavirus patients. He said the materials do not meet expectations and will be returned to the federal government. During the interview, he also stated that he does not know about additional money from the federation to combat the coronavirus. There are no extraordinary resources yet. We do not know of any yet. We are going to keep moving forward. We cannot stop and wait, we are going to look for ways to get ahead in this situation which we are in today to be able to quickly stop and recover, he said explaining it is not special funding but an advance on the states public health care resources. In recent days, president AMLO announced the delivery of extraordinary economic resources for those states in need in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Across social media, numerous agencies have denounced the medical supplies from the federal government as painful and unacceptable with transparent gowns and masks of substandard quality. One agency wrote Of all the material sent by the government, the gloves are the best quality, but they are not sterile. The Asociacion de Gobernadores de Accion Nacional (GOAN) has announced that the supplies, which were delivered from China last week by Instituto de Salud para el Bienestar (INSABI), will be returned to the federal government. Spain saw 585 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, according to figures supplied on Friday morning by the Spanish Health Ministry. This was a slight rise on yesterdays figure, which came in at 551. So far during the coronavirus epidemic in Spain, there have been a total of 19,478 official fatalities related to the Covid-19 disease, with 188,068 confirmed infections and 74,797 patients who have recovered and have been discharged from hospital. There are, however, inconsistencies in the official death tally. The Health Ministry reported yesterday a total of 19,310 fatalities and put that figure today at 19,487, which would indicate a rise of 348 not 585. Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts, explained at the governments daily press conference on Friday, that this was due to a discrepancy in the figures provided by one of Spains 17 regions, which he did not identify. New cases have increased by 2.8%, a figure which has been falling since the beginning of the state of alarm Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts According to the Health Ministry, there were 5,252 new registered infections in the past 24 hours, a rise of 2.8% of the total, something that Simon attributed to increased testing. On Thursday, Health Minister Salvador Illa announced that Spain had carried out between 40,000 and 47,000 PCR tests every day over the past three weeks more than double the earlier figure of 20,000 daily tests. Since the beginning of the crisis, there have been a total of 930,230 tests, according to the health minister. Despite todays slight rise in daily fatalities, the Spanish health authorities said on Friday 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 have been in place in Spain since a state of alarm was implemented by the Spanish government on March 14. It is Friday of the fifth week of drastic measures, said Health Minister Salvador Illa at a press conference on Friday. The average increase in infections from Friday to Friday was 25.1% in the first week, 18.2% in the second, 9.1% in the third, 4.2% in the fourth and this week 2.6% despite the increase in the number of tests. [...] This leads us to conclude that the measures adopted by the government are working. Speaking at the governments daily coronavirus press conference earlier on Friday, Simon said new cases have increased by 2.8%, a figure that has been falling since the beginning of the state of alarm. The health expert added that the number of new intensive care admissions had risen by 1.5% of the total, while fatalities had increased by 3%, which are both below the figures reported last week. Simon warned that the number of coronavirus cases in Spain is likely to rise as more testing is rolled out. We know that there are asymptomatic cases. Apparently it is not an excessive number. There are also many people with mild symptoms who do not contact the system and are not tested. With the increase in testing, the [number of] infections is going to increase, but I couldnt say by how many, he explained. Simon also spoke on the coronavirus death rate, which is at 10.5% compared to 13% in Italy. Our figures are very coherent with what is happening in other countries, he said. Nobody has escaped the pandemic yet. In Europe, there are five countries with more than 100,000 cases, with Spain in the lead, but other countries are coming close. The number of daily fatalities came in at 523 on Wednesday, 567 on Tuesday and 517 on Monday. 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. Reporting criteria Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts, at a press conference on Tuesday JM CUADRADO (EFE) On Friday, the Spanish government published an order in the Official State Gazette (BOE) to unify the criteria used by the regions to count coronavirus deaths and intensive care admissions. Since the Spanish government declared a state of alarm on March 14 in a bid to slow the coronavirus outbreak, each of Spains 17 regions has been providing coronavirus figures using their own reporting methods. For instance, some regions count the number of patients admitted into the intensive care unit (ICU) since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, while others report how many are currently in the ward. This has made it difficult to grasp the true scale of the outbreak in Spain. To address this problem, the government has ordered the regions to report deaths and ICU admissions in the same way. Under the new guidelines, a victim can only be counted in the death tally if they have tested positive for Covid-19 via a PCR or rapid test. The same criteria applies to confirmed infections. The government has also asked for the following information: the total number of infections, divided into symptomatic and asymptomatic cases; the number of PCR tests carried out, total hospitalizations including ICU admissions; total ICU admissions, total number of coronavirus patients who have been discharged, and the total number of health workers who have contracted the virus. The regions have also been asked to provide figures every Friday on material resources, such as personal protective equipment and PCR testing kits, as well as the number of health workers. Simon said on Friday that the new process will take some days to be implemented. The new order looks to obtain more detailed information given the very substantial increase in the capacity to perform PCR tests [...] The information will be given gradually according to our ability to provide it correctly, he explained. Impact on the courts Security guards ask for documents from people seeking to enter a courtroom in Madrid. DAVID EXPOSITO The Justice Ministry is considering the approval of an emergency law to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the courts. The law, which could be ready before summer, would allow the justice system to adapt to new technologies in a bid to speed up legal processes and help clear the backlog of court activity, which has been suspended for a month due to the nationwide lockdown. Political talks Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday continued 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. The Socialist Party (PSOE) chief will talk today with the spokespersons from the Catalan Republican Left (ERC), which was key to securing Sanchezs investiture as prime minister, the Basque group EH-Bildu, and smaller regional parties such as Teruel Existe and the Canary Coalition. Pablo Casado, the leader of the Popular Party (PP), who has been highly critical of the governments handling of the crisis, announced on Friday that he will meet with Sanchez via video conference on Monday morning. Far-right Vox, meanwhile, the third-largest group in Congress, and the anti-capitalist Catalan party CUP, have refused to take part in any meetings with the prime minister. English version by Melissa Kitson. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 17, 2020) - Graph Blockchain Inc. (CSE: GBLC) ("Graph" or "Company") applauds Datametrex Limited (TSXV: DM) (FSE: D4G) (minority interest shareholder of 26% of the Company) for securing the rights to import COVID-19 detection kit into Canada and other countries around the globe. See Press Release dated April 16, 2020 Health Canada must approve these COVID-19 test kits before they can be used in Canada. Datametrex is currently working with Health Canada to have the approval of these kits fast-tracked. President & COO, Christian Scovenna added: "On behalf of the executive team and our Board of Directors of the company, we commend and applaud our minority shareholder Datametrex and their entire team for securing the rights globally to import COVID-19 test kits. For many businesses and sectors facing unprecedent times, Datametrex has stepped up as a business leader in helping Canadians during this crisis." "We strongly believe these kits will assist Canada in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and ultimately save lives. It's incredibly rewarding for us to be able to help Canada combat the spread of COVID-19," said Andrew Ryu, chairman of the company. These test kits are currently in use in some European and Asian countries outside of South Korea. Approval work has commenced with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States to obtain FDA approval and to authorize the tests under the emergency use authorization program run by U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC). The Company will be updating the market and its shareholders over the next week(s) with a corporate update. The Company is not making any express or implied claims that it has the ability to treat the Covid-19 virus at this time. About Graph Blockchain Inc. The Company develops leading-edge private blockchain business intelligence and data management solutions that it will implement into a blockchain supported e-commerce marketplace for the sale of psychedelic and ancillary products in legal jurisdictions. Additional Information on the Company is available at: www.graphblockchain.com About Datametrex AI Limited. Datametrex AI Limited is a technology-focused company with exposure to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Nexalogy (www.nexalogy.com). Additional information on Datametrex is available at www.datametrex.com For further information, please contact: Govinda Butcher - CEO Phone: (416) 522-6688 Email: govinda@graphblockchain.com OR Christian Scovenna - President & COO Phone: (416) 453-4708 Email: cscovenna@graphblockchain.com Forward Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "likely", "should", "would", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "proposed", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Such statements may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54559 US President Joe Biden says he wants to close the controversial facility in Cuba, but expansion plans are in the works. Superbottoms, a reusable diaper brand in India, is manufacturing cotton face masks in view of the face mask shortage on account of the coronavirus pandemic. Covid-19 has resulted in a lack of face masks, which are essential in ensuring that one does not come in direct contact with the virus. The masks made by Superbottoms are reusable cloth face masks, are made with 100 percent cotton and have a pocket where one can insert a non-woven fabric as a filler. Around the world fashion brands like Dior, Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, to name a few have been manufacturing masks at their facilities, while closer home designers Anita Dongre and Masaba Gupta are playing their part in stopping the spread of the novel coronavirus via funds, donations and masks. And Superbottoms is a welcome addition to this list as they ensure the masks are delivered to hospitals and other essential service providers in Mumbai on a no-profit basis. These masks have been supplied to patients in the critical care segment and to healthcare staff working in hospitals. Before the coronavirus cases in India skyrocketed, the founder of Superbottoms, Pallavi Utagi was contacted by a doctor in a Kerala hospital, Dr Neelima CK, who seeing that there would be a shortage of masks in the market decided to contact Pallavi appealing to her to make cloth masks. Commenting on the initiative, a Mumbai based doctor said, There are some patients who are more vulnerable to catch the virus since they have head neck cancers and are usually on tracheostomies or orinasal feeding tubes. However, these masks will provide some kind of protection as these patients travel to hospitals for treatment. These reusable masks are not a replacement for N95 masks, which are used by medical professionals but are effective in preventing those who are suffering from cough and cold from spreading the same. According to an advisory issued by the health ministry of India, people who are not suffering from the medical conditions associated with coronavirus or having breathing difficulties have been advised to use the handmade reusable face masks, which have been proven as effective in reducing the spread of coronavirus. If one is wondering how to maintain and clean these masks, microbiologist, Dr Nita Gangurde has recommended that these masks be washed in hot water every 24 hours. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Syracuse, N.Y. About 8,000 people in Central New York likely have had the novel coronavirus and didnt even know it, according to new estimates from Upstate Medical University. The universitys updated model estimates that 8,600 people in Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties have been infected since the virus showed up this winter. Thats nearly 12 times higher than the 742 confirmed cases those counties have reported. Those 8,600 cases represent 1.3% of the population of the three counties. The number could have been much higher if local residents hadnt embraced social distancing, said Dr. Kathryn Anderson, one of the professors who put together the model. With no social distancing, she said, 7.9% of the 660,000 people in the region would likely have been infected by now, or more than 50,000. Anderson said social distancing has reduced the average number of people who catch the virus from an infected person from 2.6 to 1.3. That means spreading of the virus has slowed dramatically. The fact that we went from 2.6 to 1.3 is remarkable and has had effects," she said. Were not seeing an overwhelming number of cases, and thats thanks to our community members. Most of the people who have had the virus have already recovered, she said. The battle is far from over, Anderson said, and warned people not to get complacent. Keeping the rate this low requires all social distancing measures in place now to continue through summer, and it could still overwhelm hospitals in the summer. We are only one giant pool party away from having an increase in cases, she said. Anderson said keeping the numbers low will protect Central New Yorkers until better treatments or a vaccine are developed. A vaccine could take 12 to 18 months. A revised model by Upstate Medical University shows how few cases of COVID-19 there have been in the Syracuse area. Strong social distancing has helped us avoid the red curve and put us on the yellow curve; even more stringent controls could drop us to the purple line at the bottom. The "R" values are how many people are on average infected from one person carrying the virus. Upstate Medical UniversityUpstate Medical University There are several reasons for the big disconnect between the numbers announced daily and the estimates of people whove contracted the virus, which causes an illness known as COVID-19. Cases are confirmed by testing, which has been limited by the supply of testing kits. Patients are generally tested only if they have symptoms bad enough to seek medical attention. Many patients with mild symptoms never go to the doctor and never get tested. About 80% of people get better without ending up in a hospital. As many as half of people infected with the virus have no symptoms at all and never seek medical care. All of those people, though, with mild or no symptoms, could still pass the virus to an average of two to three people, which makes epidemiologists nervous. Not knowing how widespread the disease is hampers the ability to relax social distancing measures and start up the economy again. When you dont have the right data to input into your model, you cant even project how many cases you have and how far this might go out, said Shannon Monnat, a public health professor at Syracuse University. In addition, many people might have had the illness before the first reported case in Onondaga County on March 16, Anderson said. The virus likely reached Central New York in late January or February, she said. Upstate saw an increase in late February of patients with symptoms similar to COVID-19, she said. People began presenting with upper respiratory illnesses right around the time when influenza cases went down, she said. Well never know for sure, but we think that was a sign of an uptick in (COVID-19) cases. COVID-19 isnt unique in being underreported. Thats common with infectious diseases, especially those where symptoms can be mild, like the flu. Others, like Lyme disease, are more common than reports indicate for a variety of reasons: the symptoms mimic other diseases, medical professionals are still learning how to diagnose it, and tests are far from perfect. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention receives reports of about 30,000 cases of Lyme disease each year, but two CDC-funded studies said the real number could be 10 times higher. Confirmed cases of diseases are what epidemiologists call the tip of the iceberg; or, in a more colorful analogy offered by Syracuse University public health professor David Larsen, the ears and eyes of a hippo visible above the water. Most of the cases of many diseases lie beneath the surface of testing and are never detected. Diseases with near total fatality rates, such as rabies and Ebola, are the only ones where observed cases almost always equal real cases, said Brian Leydet, a professor of epidemiology and infectious disease at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Epidemiologists try to estimate the actual number of cases of a disease, called the prevalence, in a variety of ways based on previous studies, current data and assumptions of how the disease moves. Thats particularly difficult with COVID-19 because its so new: The virus emerged just six months ago in China and burned a rapid path across the world. More than 2 million cases have been confirmed so far across dozens of countries, with at least 138,000 deaths. One way to estimate a diseases spread is to work backward from the number of deaths among the people who were infected. Thats called the case fatality rate, and it can help scientists estimate the total number of infections. With COVID-19, Upstate uses a case fatality rate of six deaths for every 1,000 cases. Central New York has had 24 deaths, so that math would suggest about 4,000 cases. Even that likely undercounts COVID-19 cases. New research suggests that the number of confirmed deaths from COVID-19, like the number of cases, might be lower than reality because people die without being tested. In addition, it takes a COVID-19 patient about three weeks from the time of infection to death, Leydet said. Therefore, working backward from a single death estimates how many cases there were three weeks ago, not on the day the person died. 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 After communicating with people in business circles recently, I found that, aside from economic recovery, their biggest concern was whether the COVID-19 pandemic would become a turning point in globalization. In other words, will the world go down the path of "deglobalization"? Will the major economies move toward isolation instead of openness, or will they tend toward separation as opposed to cooperation? Will they tend to rebuild the whole industrial chain behind closed doors? In my opinion, the COVID-19 pandemic does pose a serious challenge to globalization. On the one hand, the outbreak of the pandemic is to some extent a force of "anti-globalization"; on the other, some major economies began to pay attention to the so-called industrial "weak link" created by the shortage of medical supplies used in pandemic prevention and control. The outbreak of the pandemic severely thwarted the close interdependence that existed among all economies. And it has had a significant impact on the world economy. I have noticed that some countries, including the U.S., have self-examined a lot since the outbreak of the pandemic. Some American experts expect to be bypassing China in the future, as they are worrying about the over-dependence on medical supplies made in China. Another example is that the automobile industry, which relies on a global sales network and parts procurement worldwide, has been severely affected by the pandemic; thus, some experts have advised building the whole industrial chain in their own countries. These events reflect the rise of protectionism and populism in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the above-mentioned aspects and the impact of the pandemic, the global economy will enter a recession, and even the interruption and reconstruction of supply chains may occur. However, the COVID-19 pandemic is a global crisis but not a crisis in terms of globalization. Globalization will surely adjust and slow down, and investment and trade may regress back to the stage of "limited globalization." In my view, no one major economy is an isolated island; every major economy is part of the industrial chain, supply chain and value chain. Under the background of the rapid development of new infrastructure, such as a new generation of information technology and artificial intelligence, globalization is more in line with the needs of comparative advantages, industrial division, and the optimal allocation of resources. Therefore, "beggar-thy-neighbor" policy comes to a dead end. Only cooperation can bring common interests. If the U.S. plans to reshape its industrial chain, only relying on raising trade barriers and punitive tariffs cannot work. Two simple questions arise: Would American people like to pay $25 to buy a pair of socks? Would they like to pay more than $2,000 for an iPhone? For American people buying socks of the same quality that are made in China at a lower price, or using an iPhone assembled from various parts produced in China and for American enterprises gaining huge profits from the Chinese market this is thanks to the industrial chain and supply chain in China. China's industrial chain and supply chain have formed over a long period of time, and they are the results of domestic integrated factors, including a series of policies and supporting measures of both central and local governments, the government's large investment in infrastructure, the special role played by the advantages of the system and efficient workers. China's ability to provide an industrial chain and supply chain to serve the world economy has accumulated in the past four decades, which cannot be accomplished overnight. Then, what should China do? China's modernization process has benefited from globalization, and its future development still depends on globalization. First, we need to advance reform and opening-up to a higher level and continue to optimize business environments. Second, we need to make great efforts to expand domestic demand, in turn increasing people's willingness and ability to consume. In my point of view, the most important and lasting measure to expand domestic demand is to increase the income of the middle-income group. In the next 10 to 15 years, the number of middle-income citizens in the country should be doubled. Third, we need to adjust the layout of the industrial chain and supply chain, and we need to speed up the digital upgrade. The export-oriented industrial chain should integrate with the new generation of information technology, such as digital transformation, core technology innovation, and business model innovation. Enterprises should actively adapt to the upgrading of both industry and consumption and satisfy consumers' expectations when it comes to products and service innovations. Since the added value of China's manufacturing industry surpassed that of the U.S. in 2010, the size and integrity of China's industrial chain and supply chain have been leading the world. At present, the added value of China's manufacturing industry accounts for around 30% of the total value in the world almost the sum of that of the U.S., Japan and Germany. Thinking about the industrial chain, supply chain and value chain from a global perspective, we must remain prudent and alert and give play to our differentiated competitive advantages in infrastructure, supporting efficiency, business environments, investment in human capital and tax and fee reduction. We must uphold the bottom-line thinking, maintain focus, follow the trend, take precise measures, and rely on ourselves to promote development. Depending on a huge market of 1.4 billion population, the world-leading supply chain, and a digital economic platform, China's industrial chain still contains huge development space and innovation opportunities. These give us the confidence needed to play our important role in the process of globalization. Zhang Lianqi is a member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee and an economic, accounting and auditing expert. The article was first published in Chinese and translated by Lin Liyao. Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. The Toddler in Chief By Daniel W. Drezner Chicago. 274 pp. $15 paperback --- Our nation's founders knew a lot about unbalanced leaders. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and others read deeply in the history of Rome's many mad emperors: the countless murders ordered by Caligula, the burning of Rome by Nero and the gladiatorial bloodbaths performed personally by Commodus. The founders also lived under a British monarch, George III, who suffered recurring mental breakdowns. These unbalanced leaders had all inherited their power. For this reason, among others, the founders rejected hereditary authority. They embraced a republican vision of government that sought to place power in the hands of what Thomas Jefferson called an "aristocracy of talent and virtue," carefully elected by educated, property-holding citizens. The founders designed many limits on who could vote, but they believed that voters were more reliable than genetics in choosing qualified leaders. If anything, the children of wealth and power appeared most likely to become corrupt and foolish because of their privileged upbringing. Revolutionary leader Samuel Adams put it well: "The cottager may beget a wise son; the noble, a fool. The one is capable of great improvement; the other, not." Over two centuries the United States has diversified the range of candidates and voters, and the founders' vision has largely borne out. Americans have generally chosen competent people for higher office, especially when it comes to the White House. There has obviously been wide variation in talent and virtue, but all presidents, before the current one, strove to meet the challenges of the nation's highest office, using the power they held to serve the national interest, as they understood it. Many presidents rose to the challenge. Most presidents surrounded themselves with highly qualified, hard-working advisers, even as they adhered to partisan prejudices. Donald Trump breaks the mold, according to Daniel Drezner. He is the first elected American Caligula, Nero or Commodus, proving that the founders' reliance on voters could mimic the worst effects of hereditary corruption. In his book "The Toddler in Chief," Drezner does not simply argue that Trump is ill-suited for the presidency; he contends that Trump is incapable of adult behavior. "Across a range of behavioral and cognitive traits - temper tantrums, a short attention span, impulse control, oppositional behavior, and knowledge deficits - Trump has much more in common with small children than with the 43 men who preceded him."Edward Gibbon wrote similar things about the mad Roman emperors and the serious statesmen who had built the empire that they destroyed. The power of "The Toddler in Chief" comes from the overwhelming evidence that Drezner presents. As he explains in the introduction, he began by collecting tweets, interviews and articles where Trump's allies - not critics - commented on his childlike behavior. By late 2019 Drezner had amassed more than 1,000 documented reports. These are sourced from people who are trying to help the president and promote his agenda. They are credible witnesses to his actions. The list includes Cabinet members, Oval Office advisers, Republican Party officials and, most startling, the president himself. Drezner reprints the words attesting to Trump's infantile behavior. My personal favorite: When inspecting a firetruck at the White House, Trump entered the truck, honked the horn and stated: "Where's the fire? I'll put it out fast." The firetruck story would be harmless if it weren't so representative. Unlike any previous president, Trump disdains intelligence briefings, preferring to watch four to eight hours of television each day, often during meetings with his advisers. He reads little, and many of his supporters question how much he listens. Trump rarely focuses on an issue for more than a few minutes (or seconds). He acts almost always out of impulse, leaving his staff unprepared for his rapid shifts of direction. Frequently, Drezner shows, the implementers of Trump's impulses do not even understand what he is trying to do. And most frightening of all, Trump does not care about facts or truth or even results. All that matters is that he looks strong, like a winner. From negotiations with North Korea (which have failed to limit Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal) to the coronavirus crisis (which the president initially ignored), the facts are rewritten on the fly to affirm the president's self-image. We knew most of these things about Trump before Drezner published his book, but he presents a smothering avalanche of repeated presidential absurdity. The reader realizes that this pattern is not part of the Trump presidency; it is the whole thing. There is nothing more. Every day, every issue, every presidential decision is driven by the same impulses. There is no executive leadership or attention to the national interest. As Drezner shows, Trump has worn down and chased away all the "care-givers" who tried to protect some semblance of sanity. Reading Drezner's book in the context of the coronavirus pandemic has convinced me that American citizens really must take the absurdity of Trump's childishness seriously. It is not a joke or a strategy, and it is not something imagined by his adversaries. Again, Trump's closest advisers and supporters are the evidence for Drezner's descriptions. "The Toddler in Chief" closes with an analysis of how the historical growth of presidential power over military affairs, foreign policy, immigration and the basic welfare of citizens increases the damage from an incompetent president. If an imperial presidency threatens democracy, a childlike presidency can be apocalyptic. Writing in December 2019, Drezner's worst fears have come to fruition: "The idea of Trump coping with a true crisis - a terrorist attack, a global pandemic, a great power clash with China - is truly frightening." Indeed. Drezner's call to action is obvious. Americans, and the rest of the world, cannot afford to have a toddler in charge much longer. This must be a one-time mistake, an exception to the pattern of presidential selection begun more than two centuries ago. Above all, Americans must double down on competence, intelligence and maturity in electing leaders. That means abandoning partisanship and apathy to act like "adults," in Drezner's words. Can we do this as a society? That remains to be seen. The willingness of millions of Americans to self-quarantine for public safety is encouraging. But we still need a sustained commitment to competent leadership at all levels of government. American democracy can probably awake from four years of childishness; more contemporary echoes of Caligula, Nero or Commodus might repeat the Roman nightmare. --- Suri is a professor of history and public affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. His most recent book is "The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office." He hosts a weekly podcast, "This Is Democracy." System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
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From the UK to South Africa and Canada, I was exposed to a number of different cultures in my day-to-day life, especially in school. But it wasnt until middle school, where acquaintances would casually use two distinct terms to define either affluent or poorer areas of the city, that I really began to take notice of the significance of the language of immigration. Based on what I observed, it was clear that whenever someone referred to a person as an expat, they generally tended to be middle to upper-class native English speakers, working in professions such as banking, tech, education or creative roles. When it came to the word immigrant, the term tended to apply loosely to both blue-collar workers, and those desperate to flee their birth country in order to make a better life for themselves. Around a month ago, while FaceTiming a friend who had just moved back to Singapore from London, the extent of those differences became even more pronounced. In the middle of our chat, he mentioned a print magazine called Expat Living, and how bizarre it was that among other publications, it was still considered a best-seller in the country despite the dying print media industry. It led me to think about the marketing power of the word expat clearly a symbol of financial value in society. It placed them on a uniquely aspirational pedestal. Expats are praised for daring to move to a new country, while immigrants feel pressured to get approval from citizens and assimilate for survival. Whether its a conscious or subconscious decision, theres no denying that these terms represent the double standards in societys view on immigration. Its not so different here in London, where even after seven years of living here, I'm still confronted by the same forms of hypocrisy, especially in the language the media uses in stories about immigration. Prior to this pandemic, for example, a simple search for the terms "immigrant" would typically pull up more divisive and sensationalist headlines. In popular media, the word immigrant often showcases individual storylines of struggle, hard work and overcoming hardships. On Instagram, a search for accounts and posts hashtagged with immigrant reveal feeds of documentary-style visuals and text about sacrifice and injustice. Clearly, theres a heavy sense of activism connected to the immigrant experience in the media, in contrast to the image of luxury and privilege that is seen to come with being an expat. Why? When it comes to the way people treat both groups, the narratives the words we use to describe create an unconscious bias. Theres a general feeling that immigrants are associated with negative qualities about their birthplace, whereas expats are commended for living in a country outside of their own. The meanings weve ascribed to these words have a lot to do with connotations about certain races and class systems. Look at the etymology of the word "expat" (the short form of "Expatriate"), for example. It derives from the Latin terms "ex" (out of) and "patria" (fatherland). By definition, an expat is just someone who moves to live in a country they werent born in. Interestingly, the term was most commonly used in the 20th century to describe British servants who were often sent to work abroad against their will. According to Sophie Cranston, a lecturer in human geography at Loughborough University, who spoke to The Atlantic about the changing meaning of terms like expat, it was only in the early 90s, that it came to mean what it does now: a descriptor for (typically wealthy) westerners living abroad. With immigration being brought up more on social and mainstream media, its also important to note that these terms are being reclaimed. The term migrant, which is sometimes used in place of immigrant and often bears the same connotations (although the definitions vary from place to place), seems to have been reclaimed. In 2015-16, immigration became the hottest political topic in the UK due to the European migrant crisis and Brexit. The Leave campaign heavily focused on villainising immigrants in the media, using anti-migrant propaganda and anti-migrant sentiments to create fear towards them, which subsequently led to their unfortunate victory. The negativity has since inspired a rise of people from immigrant backgrounds to create movements reclaiming and redefining the meaning of being an immigrant. Groups like Migrants in Culture and Migration Collective are both optimistic examples of how immigrants have used the power of art, statistics, and culture to express different realities and examine issues regarding immigration in the UK. Migrant Journal, a monthly print and digital magazine with a social media platform that focuses on the experiences of people, goods, and information around the world and the positive impact they have on various spaces, has also embraced the word migrant. The design of their issues are illustrative, with cerebral stories and minimal details that bring a smart and thoughtful impression to migrant labels. Theyve shown that beyond the stories of people, other things such as objects, spaces and fine art can express the immigrant experience in media in a highbrow manner. Contrastingly, theres a rise in using social media to poke fun at expat realities and stereotypes. For instance, the popular meme Instagram account @hkmehmeh was founded by a Korean woman who identifies as an expat living in Hong Kong. Her account uses popular internet culture with a mix of Cantonese slang and relatable "Hong Kong" sayings to create humorous memes that put a light-hearted spin on living in the city from an expat perspective. The accounts satirical integration of expatriate stereotypes and local culture makes it entertaining for all people who reside in the city theres no discrimination with her memes. As a Korean expat, her presence is inadvertently broadening the image of expat and diminishing the assumption that expats can only be white people. An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Show all 20 1 /20 An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria, 31, holds her daughters, Elena, two, and baby Ioana, weeks old, in her London home A few months after Britain voted to leave the European Union, Maria was told her to go back to her native Romania whilst in hospital by an elderly English woman. You are a foreigner, your place is not here recalls Maria, who was stunned Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria and her husband Adi, 37, take their daughters for a walk in Hampstead Heath near their home The couple are preparing to leave Britain later this year with their two children, fed up with what Maria says is xenophobia and the rising cost of living in London Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Elena holds up British passports belonging to her and her sister. Both children have dual citizenship, but their parents do not want to apply for this despite having permanent residency in Britain Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria holds daughter Ioana, who is less than a week old, while Elena wipes a table Maria had never faced direct abuse over her nationality in her 10 years in the country until that moment at the hospital Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi spends time with his daughters Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi plays hide and seek with his daughter Elena Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Food is served Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi takes his daughter, Elena, to nursery Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi's sister, Nicoleta, 34, carries her niece Elena in a restaurant after a trip out Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi and Maria cook together at their home Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi holds his baby daughter, Ioana Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi and wife Maria take their daughters for a walk in Hampstead Heath Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Berwyn, a neighbour of the couple, who moved to the UK in the 1980s from Australia, says goodbye to Maria after a visit at her home. Berwyn has dual citizenship - Australian and Irish as she lived in Ireland for a few years before moving to Britain. She calls the family her 'dearest Christian Romanian friends' Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Religious pictures including a portrait of Arsenie Boca, a Romanian Orthodox monk, theologian and artist (top), hang on the wall at the home of Adi and Maria Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria dries Elena after giving her a bath after nursery Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria holds her baby daughter Ioana Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi works with his colleague Alexandru, who is also from Romania, for a removal company Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria holds her daughter Elena Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Neighbour, Berwyn, holds baby Ioana Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi and Maria, along with their daughters, leave St Andrews church in Kingsbury after attending a service Reuters While these labels once showed the double standards of the language of migration, they're beginning to break away from strict definitions. By forging cultural visibility for terms like these, we create opportunities for more open conversations about questioning the need for labels, their effect on our unconscious bias and reclaiming these terms in a positive way. Platforms that enable positive outlooks on reclaiming negative labels can unite people rather than split them apart. Hopefully, more of this kind of action will allow people to see that regardless of your identity, anyone who immigrates to another country shares more similarities than differences and that labels shouldnt limit or define anyone in what they want to achieve. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 18:09:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin (C) attends the opening of a new infectious disease hospital for COVID-19 patients in the village of Voronovskoye, outside Moscow, Russia, on April 17, 2020. Russia has registered a daily record of 4,070 COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours, with the total number reaching 32,008 as of Friday, official data showed. (Sputnik via Xinhua) MOSCOW, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Russia has registered a daily record of 4,070 COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours, with the total number reaching 32,008 as of Friday, official data showed. The death toll climbed to 273 from 232 the previous day, while 2,590 people have recovered, including 286 in the last 24 hours, Russia's coronavirus response center said in a statement. The Altai Republic confirmed its first case, meaning the pandemic has now spread to all of Russia's 85 regions. Moscow, the worst-hit city across the country, confirmed 1,959 new cases over the last 24 hours, reporting 18,105 cases so far. The peak of infections in Moscow is expected to occur in the next two or three weeks, the city's deputy mayor Anastasia Rakova said in a video address to medical workers. She also said that the number of people recovering from the coronavirus is rising and she hopes the positive trend will strengthen. 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 and 20,000 on April 14. 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 virus. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 18:19:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Demand for new automobiles in the European Union declined by 25.6 percent in the first quarter of this year, with a dramatic drop of 55.1 percent in March alone, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association said on Thursday. The trade association representing Europe's car, van, truck and bus manufacturers said the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is weighing heavily across the continent, with Italy, France, Spain and Germany recording a contraction of 35.5 percent, 34.1 percent, 31 percent and 20.3 percent respectively. The most heavily hit month was March, when containment and lockdown measures took hold in most markets around the middle of the month, since the vast majority of European dealerships were closed. Enditem President Donald Trump speaks during the daily briefing of the White House Coronavirus Task Force in the briefing room at the White House in Washington on April 16, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Trump: Liberate Virginia, Michigan, and Minnesota President Donald Trump called for freeing three states from allegedly excessive restrictions put into place by Democratic governors amid efforts to slow the spread of the CCP virus. LIBERATE MINNESOTA! Trump wrote in a missive posted on social media. LIBERATE MICHIGAN! LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege! the Republican added. Protests were planned or happening on Friday against the mandates issued by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. Whitmers recent orders including unusual provisions like banning the sale of seeds in some stores and triggered widespread protests in the state capitol this week, in addition at least one lawsuit. Some sheriffs said they wouldnt strictly enforce the orders because they were ambiguous. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during a speech in Lansing on April 13, 2020. (Michigan Office of the Governor via AP, Pool) Protesters gathered in Richmond to oppose Northams stay at home order. While most governors are issuing restrictions for two weeks and extending them as needed, Northams mandate is in place until June. People began gathering Thursday night ahead of a planned planned protest outside Walzs house. They are upset that Walz hasnt transitioned the state to reopening despite it reporting few new cases and, on some days, no new deaths from COVID-19. Northam, who weathered criticism after admitting he appeared in a picture either dressed in a Ku Klux Klan outfit or in blackface, signed a batch of gun control bills last week as people were forced to stay indoors or chance being arrested or fined. The legislation drew a rally of more than 22,000 people at the states capitol earlier in 2020. Whitmer, Northam, and Walz have defended their actions as being guided by scientists and public health officials. A demonstrator holds a sign at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Virginia on April 16, 2020. ReOpen Virginia, End The Lockdown VA and Virginians Against Excessive Quarantine gathered to protest continuing Virginia Gov. Ralph Northams lengthy Stay at Home order. (Zach Gibson/Getty Images) Asked to send a message to protesters during a press conference on Thursday night, Trump said Americans have been going through it a long time and its been a tough process for people. Theres death and theres problems in staying at home too. Its not just, Isnt it wonderful to stay at home? Theyre havingtheyre suffering. This country wasnt built on that principle; it was built on an exact opposite principle, actually, he said. And I watched, in one particular state, where they werethey want to get back. They want to get back. They were very strict sanctions that were put on people; that was probably the most strict of all. The American people have been incredible through the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. When a reporter wondered whether Trump would urge those protesters to listen to local authorities, the president said he believes they are listening to those in power. I think theyre listening. I think they listen to me. They seem to be protesters that like me and respect this opinion. And my opinion is the same as just about all of the governors. They all want to open. Nobody wants to stay shut, but they want to open safely. So do I. But we have large sections of the country right now that can start thinking about opening. Therell be some mitigation and theyll keep it going for a period of timeincluding masks, by the wayin areas that you wouldnt even think, he said. In New York, a man is accused of stabbing his father to death and partially eating him at their home on April 15. A law enforcement source told amNY.com that the victim, named Imad Ahmad, had some of his body parts unaccounted for. Another source stated that after the horrifying murder, Khaled Ahmad, 25, walked into a bagel shop and told two officers about how he killed his father at their Brooklyn home. After Khaled Ahmad's admission of the crime, police officers performed a wellness check at his home and they discovered the crime scene. The police stated that the found the body of Imad Ahmad, 57, on the flood, mutilated and with multiple stab wounds. Son dismembers and eats father The police in the crime scene immediately pronounced Imad Ahmad dead on the spot. The report described the victim's body as dismembered and eviscerated. Some sources told the New York Post that Khaled Ahmad severed his father's arms and some parts of his head and he also disemboweled him. A large and sharp kitchen knife was recovered from the crime scene and is said to be the weapon used to commit the crime. Khaled Ahmad is said to be unemployed and he had been living in a place at the Brooklyn home, and the law enforcement stated on their report that he has a history of mental illness. Khaled Ahmad was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and murder. Accounts suggest that he may have been sent to a psychiatric hospital before his arraignment. Also Read: Crisis Hotline in U.S Has Seen 891% Spike in Calls Similar Incident A similar incident happened in India when a man in Chhattisgarh's Raigad murdered his mother because she refused to give him money for his vices. The suspect, Sitaram Oraon, killed his mother in a fit of rage by cracking her skull open and taking her brains out, he then tried to cook it and eat it. Oraon's mother's brain was removed and fried in a pan. The horrifying incident took place in Botalda village of the Kharsia district of Raigarh. The suspect used to live with his mother and he was addicted to alcohol. Neighbors say that he often asks his mother to give him money to sustain his alcohol addiction. But Phulo Bai, Oraon's mother, grew tired of her son's addiction and refused to lend him any more money. Due to his anger, the suspect took a sharp weapon and struck his mother in the head, cracking her skull open. He then debrained her and put her brain in a frying pan. Before he could eat the brains, his sister-in-law, saw him. He then left home and ran. The woman informed her husband, the suspect's younger brother, about murder and they called the police. The police found the suspect hiding in the locality, wearing blood-stained clothes. The suspect was interrogated and he admitted to his crime. A formal case is filed against Oraon under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and has stated that he is mentally unstable. According to Oraon's brother, he tried to convince his brother to stop drinking but they would just end up fighting. Fed up with his brother's attitude, he moved out and left his brother with his mother. Related Article: Fact Check: Did A Funeral Home Employee Get Cremated By Mistake? @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A 50-year-old coronavirus patient succumbed to the infection in state-run Sassoon Hospital here in Maharashtra on Friday morning, taking the toll in Pune district to 48, an official said. The man suffered from pre-existing illnesses and was under treatment for the last two days, he said. With this, the death count in Pune district, the second worst affected by coronavirus after Mumbai, has gone up to 48, according to health authorities. As many as 39 of these COVID-19 patients have died in the state-run hospital, whose dean, Dr Ajay Chandanwale, was transferred on Thursday evening by the government. "The man with co-morbid conditions such as diabetes and hypertension was admitted to the hospital on April 15 and died on Friday during treatment," said an official from the medical facility. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Petrol pumps across West Bengal have decided not to sell fuel to those visiting without a mask, an official of the dealers' association said on Friday. To create awareness about the measures to contain the spread of coronavirus, it has been decided not to sell petrol or diesel to those drivers and bike owners who are not wearing masks, said S Koley, general secretary of the West Bengal Petroleum Dealers Association. The decision was taken on Thursday evening and has since come into effect, he said, adding that the pumps are now putting up placards saying "no mask, no oil". "Many are coming to the pumps without masks, but when told about the decision, they are taking them out from their pockets," Koley told PTI. He said that the response so far has been satisfactory and those not having masks are being turned away. The exercise will continue till the lockdown is lifted or the scourge subsides, Koley said. The association, which has oil marketing companies Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum as its members, has nearly 2,000 retail outlets under its fold across the state. An IOC spokesperson said, "This is a welcome move by the petroleum dealers' association. This personal protection measures should continue till the disease is contained or fully eliminated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dr. Julianna Batizy says she initially didnt think of the coronavirus when she began to develop muscle pains and a headache one Saturday in March. She attributed it to her workout routine or the demands of her job as an emergency room physician in Denver. But as her symptoms worsened, Batizy and her employer decided she should get tested for the coronavirus. The test came back positive. I cried quite a bit the first day that I found out. Partly because I didnt feel well, but partly because I had a lot of anxiety about how this was going to play out, Batizy told Yahoo News. I wasnt thinking about the 80 percent of people that do fine; I was thinking about all of the terrible what ifs and feeling incredibly vulnerable. While self-isolating in a room at her home, Batizy decided to write letters to her children, stepchildren and husband. Theres a lot of milestones ahead in their lives that if something were to happen to me now I wouldnt be there for, and I had a lot on my mind that I wanted to share with them, Batizy said. I just felt that in the event this thing took a turn and there was no way to know whether it would or not there were some things I felt I needed to say. Batizy is one of many hospital employees who are now reckoning with their own mortality as they face the pandemic head-on, seeing patients with COVID-19 and sometimes going from caregiver to patient when they contract the disease themselves. I know that a lot of my physician friends have drafted their wills for their first time, Dr. Dara Kass, a New York City-based emergency room physician and associate professor of emergency medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, told Yahoo News. I think anyone that works in a hospital has realized for the first time ever that their job maybe also risks their life. And were not firemen. Were not soldiers. This isnt what we agreed to, and were doing it, but it wasnt part of the decision-making process. Story continues Kass had been treating patients by telemedicine as well as in the emergency room when in mid-March she began to notice herself exhibiting some of the same symptoms as her patients. So she decided to schedule a telemedicine appointment for herself. A test at a drive-through center confirmed that she was positive for the coronavirus. Kass says the diagnosis was a relief because it ended the uncertainty about whether she had the virus. Dr. Dara Kass takes a selfie on her way to her first day back to work in the emergency room. Kass self-isolated at home when she tested positive for the coronavirus. (Dr. Dara Kass via Twitter) But Kass also felt apprehensive about what lay ahead. For health care professionals who are diagnosed with the coronavirus, the knowledge and experience theyve accumulated from treating patients can bring with it additional anxiety. I had seen patients who had done well for the first four days, even the first six days, and they started to feel better and then all of a sudden they got sicker, Kass said. The same time that I got infected, I had friends that had to go to the hospital because their oxygen numbers dropped and they needed oxygen through the nose. They needed to even be intubated. And theres nothing scarier than watching your friends get sicker and youre sitting there waiting to find out if thats going to be you too. Because I knew how the disease can progress, in addition to not feeling well I had a lot of anxiety as I entered day 7, day 8, day 9, because I know that thats when the cytokine storm starts to happen, if youre going to have it happen, Batizy said, referring to a phenomenon that can occur when the bodys immune becomes overactive and starts attacking healthy cells. And sometimes the fear of it is as bad as the thing itself. Being in self-isolation can also present other frustrations for health care workers who feel sidelined as their colleagues battle a pandemic, with resources, personal protective equipment and manpower already in short supply. I longed to go back, Dr. Yale Tung Chen, an emergency room physician at the Hospital Universitario La Paz in Madrid, told Yahoo News. Because I received so many support messages and messages from my friends and colleagues from the hospital that they were struggling to see so many patients like never before. Spain has been hit hard by the pandemic. With over 180,000 cases and more than 19,000 deaths, the country is second only to the United States in casualty numbers. Chen tested positive for the coronavirus in early March after exhibiting what he describes as mild, cold-like symptoms that eventually worsened with inflammation in his lungs and a bacterial infection. Chen never needed to be hospitalized, though he was prescribed an antibiotic and hydroxychloroquine an antimalarial drug that has been floated as a possible therapy for COVID-19 as well as Tylenol and acetaminophen for his muscle pain and cough. Though he couldnt assist in the ER during his three-week self-isolation, Chen found other ways to be useful, by documenting his own symptoms and oxygen saturation at home and using an ultrasound machine to monitor the inflammation in his lungs. I wanted to share that information to the medical community, Chen said. He began posting daily updates on Twitter, including videos of his ultrasound scans to show the progress of the disease. The ultrasound turned out to be a useful tool, he said. Now, with that gained experience, I am using it with every single patient that Im treating in my hospital. I use the ultrasound because its portable, cost effective and has no side effects. Dr. Yale Tung Chen monitored his symptoms at home while self-isolating after testing positive for the coronavirus. (Dr. Yale Tung Chen via Twitter) IMAGE Kass was able to continue seeing patients via telemedicine while she was recovering at home and found it gave her a unique way to connect with her patients. I will say that taking care of patients who were symptomatic for coronavirus while I was symptomatic for coronavirus, and then after I found out I had it, was actually a gift that I wasnt expecting for my ability to be a really compassionate and empathetic doctor, Kass said. I actually started using this analogy about the Hair Club for Men that I wasnt just a doctor, but I was also a patient, Kass quipped, alluding to the 1980s television ad. And people laughed. Kass, Chen and Batizy have recovered and returned to work in the emergency room, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance that health care workers can return to work after either a negative test or three days of no symptoms and at least seven days after symptoms appeared. But after weeks away, returning to the ER presents a new set of psychological challenges. Kass says she was petrified going into her first shift back. Her colleagues had kept her informed of the worsening conditions in the emergency room. By the time I was going back to work, New York City had changed, Kass said. New York has become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, with over 200,000 cases and more than 10,000 deaths in New York state alone. Every patient, regardless of original presenting complaint, had turned into a coronavirus patient, Kass said. So it didnt matter if you had a broken leg or pneumonia, everybody was coronavirus positive. And that was overwhelming to everybody. We are seeing many co-workers, friends, colleagues, mates, that have fallen into the disease, Chen said of his hospital in Spain, where he said 60 percent of his colleagues have become ill. Many of the physicians, health care workers, we cry. We struggle. We face the worst time of our lives, Chen said. But dont lose hope. I was actually having a lot of anxiety about it beforehand, Batizy said of returning to work. Not so much just for myself, but in Colorado were kind of on the upswing with our cases. So I was nervous about what I was going to encounter at work. Batizy says that while she was ill, a colleague and friend in New Jersey died from COVID-19 after contracting the virus while working as an emergency room physician. He was all about compassion and empathy in your approach to patient care, and I think that thats really what has to be at the heart of what you do, or you really dont belong in medicine. Shes keeping the letters she wrote to her family to give to them when the inevitable day comes and its my time which I hope is a long ways away. Batizy, whose 73-year-old father is also a practicing emergency physician, has a daughter in nursing school and a daughter currently applying to medical school. She says her letters to them impart advice on life philosophy, such as approaching life and others with love and kindness, and reiterate guidance she has given them on life in the medical profession. They were long letters, Batizy said. Ive had conversations with them about medicine before this hit, but this pandemic underscores the advice that Ive always given them, which is that you go into medicine because you have a passion to want to help people, and you enjoy the challenge of the science. You dont go into it for any other reason. _____ 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: Researchers of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich have synthesized nanoparticles that can be induced by a change in pH to release a deadly dose of ionized iron within cells. This mechanism could potentially open up new approaches to the targeted elimination of malignant tumors. Ions play crucial roles in all aspects of cell biology. They trigger signaling cascades, regulate enzyme activities and control the pH of the intra- and extracellular media. The concentrations of free ions are therefore tightly regulated, and sudden changes in their intracellular levels can induce programmed cell death. However, this very fact has made it difficult to elucidate the complex mechanisms that control ion concentrations in cells. Because cells act rapidly to block the import of excess ions, they effectively resist attempts to manipulate intracellular ion levels. A research team led by Hanna Engelke and Evelyn Ploetz (Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, LMU) has now synthesized nanoparticles that make it possible - for the first time - to rapidly trigger the large-scale release of ionic iron within cells in a controlled manner. This in turn precipitates a form of inflammatory cell death known as pyroptosis, a type of reaction that is specific to cells of the innate immune system. According to the new study, which appears in the journal Advanced Materials, the ability to induce pyroptosis on demand could in principle be utilized to eliminate malignant cells, and to trigger an immune reaction that is specifically directed against cancers. The rapid-release effect is a direct result of the structural properties of the nanoparticles, which belong to a class of substances known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The interstices formed by these frameworks provide identical binding sites to which other substances - in this case, iron-oxygen complexes - can be specifically attached. "Structurally, these binding sites are tiny hexagons that are connected to each other by organic linker molecules," Ploetz explains. "MOFs can be thought of as scaffolds, and the pores within each nanoparticle are large enough to allow reaction partners to diffuse into them." In addition the nanoparticles are coated with lipids, which enables them to be taken up by cells. Once inside the cell, the nanoparticles are transported into organelles called lysosomes, where they are degraded. "We were able to demonstrate that the rate of degradation depends on the pH of the extracellular medium. If the pH value is relatively low, as it is in an acidic milieu, degradation occurs rapidly, which results in a sudden and massive release of iron ions," Ploetz says. She and her colleagues suspect that this effect is attributable to the fact that, under mildly acidic conditions, the reduced form of the amino acid cysteine - which promotes the dissolution of the nanoparticles - is present in excess. "We were particularly surprised to find that the release of iron from the nanoparticles did not induce ferroptosis, as one might expect in the presence of excess iron. Instead, they trigger a reaction known as pyroptosis," says Ploetz. Induction of pyroptosis in cells of the innate immune system results in a strong inflammatory reaction, which kills the cell concerned, but may serve as a signal that activates anti-tumor immunity. The authors point out that these nanoparticles have great potential as therapeutic agents, particularly in the treatment of malignant tumors. "The extracellular medium within tumors is more acidic than that associated with normal cells. In principle, this pH difference could be exploited for the targeted release of the iron within the tumor environment. That would enable the nanoparticles to attack the primary tumor directly, while inducing pyroptosis to activate the immune system," says Ploetz. "But because their properties can be readily controlled by altering the pH, they are also ideally suited for application in other contexts." ### Journal Advanced Materials DOI 10.1002/adma.201907267 Advanced Materials 2020 Thousands of mail carriers, sorters, and clerks who work for the United States Postal Service (USPS) are at risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19 due to the dangerous conditions in which theyve been working for the past couple months. On top of the lack of protective gear and sanitary supplies that many workers face, hundreds of USPS workers have reported that management has not informed them of workers in their facilities who tested positive for the virus or even died. People are scared because management has stopped communicating, a mail handler at a Long Island processing plant told ProPublica. We have a right to know from management exactly how many cases are confirmed in the building. ProPublica obtained reports from workers at 11 facilities thus far who found out of sick coworkers through social media or conversations with coworkers, without any official notification from USPS. There are likely dozens, if not hundreds more cases like them. The latest reported numbers from USPS, from March 30, claim that 207 workers have been diagnosed with the coronavirus. In New Haven, Connecticut, letter carriers reported that they learned through co-workers that there was at least one confirmed case. Management at a facility in New Orleans failed to track and inform those who had come into contact with a worker who tested positive until five days after the sick worker raised it as a concern. The discovery of the criminal failure to protect workers on the job has provoked widespread discontent among USPS workers, leading to a number of wildcat sickouts and walkouts. USPS workers are joining Amazon and other workers across and beyond the logistics industry in a growing wave of strikes and job actions around the world that have erupted largely outside of and in opposition to the trade unions. Little under two weeks ago, 40 percent of workers at a mail processing facility in North Texas walked out after learning of anywhere from two to 19 cases of COVID-19 at two locations in the small city of Coppell. The following day, four hundred workers called in sick, or roughly 60 percent of the staff. In Middle Village and Ridgewood, two neighborhoods within New York City, large numbers of workers called out sick in early April after learning through Facebook that several coworkers had tested positive for COVID-19. Normal delivery operations were heavily slowed down due to the sickouts. These actions and publicized stories of USPS workers have attracted support from large sections of the population that increasingly rely on mail delivery for communications, medications, welfare benefits and other services necessary for daily life under conditions of lockdown. As of this writing, over 640,000 people have signed an online petition demanding hazard pay for all USPS workers. Last Friday, the hashtag #SaveThePostOffice was trending on Twitter, reflecting popular support for safe conditions and full government funding that has so far been denied. A mail carrier in Northern California told the WSWS, I consider myself along with my fellow workers, a necessary constant in the community. Mail volume might be slowly going down, but parcels are through the roof. I am concerned with the government not giving us the extra funding. We deliver many essential items people rely on, like medications every day. Considering were quasi-federal, and not government funded, she said, it seems like the government should be able to fund such an important essential function. While starving the post office of funding, the Trump administration, with the full backing of the congressional Democrats, is making trillions of dollars available to prop up the stock markets, the airlines and other major corporations. For their part, the four unions at the post officethe American Postal Workers Union, National Association of Letter Carriers, National Postal Mail Handlers Union and National Rural Letter Carriers Associationhave served to mask over the severity of the situation and keep workers on the job at managements behest. Union officials have repeatedly asserted that they are committed to the health and safety of postal workers and are in constant discussion with USPS over this. In reality, they have done nothing to seriously address the threat to the health of workers and the public, which would require universal testing and the immediate closure of facilities where workers have showed symptoms or tested positive. It is 50 years since the 1970 strike when hundreds of thousands of postal workers walked off the job in defiance of the Nixon administration and the union bureaucracy in the largest strike against the federal government in US history. Over the last four decades, the unions have collaborated in the systematic destruction of postal workers wages and working conditions, including the establishment of part-time, low-wage positions. This has only encouraged the privatization efforts by successive administrations, with Trump using the pandemic to accelerate the attack on postal workers. Before the coronavirus, USPS had a negative net worth of $65 billion and an additional $140 billion in unfunded liabilities, stemming largely from the pensions and retiree health care benefits owed to retired postal workers and their families. With the reduction of usual mail traffic and additional competition from Amazon, USPS spokesmen have estimated that USPS will run out of money and may be forced to completely shut down by September 30 at the latest. The recent CARES Act passed by both capitalist parties, and approved by the socialist Bernie Sanders, offered USPS a $10 billion loan, compared to the $4 trillion freely handed to Wall Street and giant private corporations. On April 9, USPS requested $75 billion in emergency funds to help it survive the immediate crisis under the pandemic. The struggle against privatization and the defense of the basic health and safety needs of postal workers, along with their livelihoods, will not be carried out by the unions, which are tied to the Democratic Party and defend the capitalist system. This fight must be taken up by postal workers and every section of the working class in opposition to the corrupt unions and the two corporate controlled parties. Rejecting the division and isolation imposed by the four USPS unions, postal workers from all trades should organize rank-and-file workplace committees, independent of the unions, to unify on the common basis with each other and with other key sections of the working class around the world, especially Amazon workers, UPS workers and FedEx workers who carry out the same essential duties for society. The needs of the working class and humanity must be placed above all considerations of profit and wealth. Rank-and-file committees must demand that all workers be informed of confirmed cases at their facilities, and those facilities must be shut down until workers have been tested and quarantined as needed, and workplace committees, working in conjunction with health care specialists, can ensure that a safe environment exists. Every worker must receive protective gear, sanitation, and permanent pay raises, along with hazard pay and full compensation for any time lost due to COVID-19 related issues. This must be combined with a fight for socialism, including the transformation of USPS and the major logistics corporations into public entities under the democratic control of the working class, so they can be run on the basis of social need, not private profit. One of Britain's smallest twins boys who was born at just 23 weeks and weighed less than a tin of beans has died in his mother's arms aged nine months after a battle with a chronic lung disease. Talia Keates, 33, who was already a mother-of-four, gave birth to twin brothers Ashley and Joe in April last year. Talia, from Wiltshire, went into labour 17 weeks early, before welcoming the boys, who were so premature their eyes were still fused shut. Talia Keates, 33, pictured with twin brothers Ashley and Joe (left) and Ashley, pictured right. He passed away in his mother's arms aged nine months after battling a chronic lung disease They spent 129 days in intensive care with Ashley, born at 14.2oz (0.9lb) and Joe, born at 15.1oz (0.95lb), slightly larger in 0-3 month babygrows. At the time, Talia and her husband Oliver, 35, were warned their babies might not survive. They seemed to have beaten the odds when they returned to their home in Trowbridge at four-and-a-half months old. But tragically, Ashley was diagnosed with incurable pulmonary hypertension in November 2019, as a result of a chronic lung disease that both twins suffered due to their prematurity. He passed away in January of this year in the arms of his mother, who said: 'It just doesn't seem fair. They'd already been through so much and beaten the odds as a pair. 'At the time Ashley passed away, Joe woke up screaming in his cot at home. It breaks my heart they won't get to grow up side by side.' Twins Ashley and Joe pictured when they were in hospital. Talia went into labour 17 weeks early before welcoming the boys, who were so premature their eyes were still fused shut Talia and Oliver, a business owner, found out they were having twins in November 2018. They 'already had their hands full' with four children at home - Imogen, eight, Jacob, seven, Theo, six, and Sebastian, aged three - but were excited to expand their happy family. When they discovered they were twin boys at a later scan, they decided to name them Joe and Ashley, and set about buying matching baby grows for the pair. But Talia began to bleed heavily at 17 weeks and was rushed to Royal United Hospital in Bath, Somerset. Doctors couldn't work out what was wrong so sent her home - but just three weeks later Talia's waters broke in one of the amniotic sacs which contained Joe. Although a termination was suggested, Talia held on until 23 weeks, when she finally went into labour and was warned that Joe, the larger of the two twins, would not survive. Despite the odds, Joe and Ashley were delivered safely on April 16th 2019, at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, weighing just 403g and 429g respectively - each less than an iPad. Both were rushed into critical care where they remained for a few months - and Talia couldn't even touch her newborns until they were five-weeks-old. Talia with her son, left, and her husband Oliver, right, pictured with Ashley. Talia and Oliver, a business owner, found out they were having twins in November 2018 Talia said: 'They were taken straight to the neonatal unit. It was awful, you never know if you are going to get a call to say they haven't made it - if they are going to survive. 'Their skin was so fragile that our touch could have broken in - and their little eyes were fused shut as they were so underdeveloped.' The babies spent 129 days in the unit, battling sepsis and various other complications, before being transferred to Royal United Hospital Bath, and then finally being allowed home in August 2019 when they were four-and-a-half months old. The pair remained on oxygen as both had been diagnosed with chronic lung disease due to their prematurity and under-developed organs. But doctors assured that as the twins got bigger, their lungs would grow and they should beat the disease. Talia added: 'Joe was such a placid little baby, while Ashley had more of a temper. 'But the pair of them were like two peas in a pod, and it was magical to watch them and have them home.' The family thought they were 'out of the woods' and on the way to a full recovery - but sadly that was not the case. Talia and Oliver began to worry about Ashley, as he wasn't putting on as much weight as Joe and had always needed more oxygen than his brother. They took him to Bristol Children's Hospital in November 2019 and were given the devastating news that Ashley had pulmonary hypertension - a serious condition that can damage the heart and lead to heart failure. It had been caused by the chronic lung disease the twins had had since birth, and the family were told it was incurable. Ashley, pictured. The twin brothers remained on oxygen as both had been diagnosed with chronic lung disease due to their prematurity and under-developed organs Just a short while later, Ashley was ventilated, until January 16th when doctors took the parents aside and told them that Ashley wasn't going to make it. His lungs were too weak and they were told he would never breathe on his own. That night, a nurse switched off the ventilator and placed Ashley in Talia's arms. 'Oliver and I sobbed uncontrollably as we told Ashley how much we loved him,' Talia said. 'We cuddled him for 40 minutes, before our tiny boy passed away in my arms. He was only nine months old, and I will never get over the heartbreak.' Talia's mum, Linzey, 56, had stayed with their other children that night, and said that Joe had 'felt it' when Ashley passed away. Talia added: 'Mum told us that at the exact time Ashley left us, Joe had woken up in his cot, screaming. He knew his brother was gone.' The family held Ashley's funeral on February 14 at their local church and carried him in a white coffin draped in white flowers. 'The pain of losing him is with me every day, but I'm glad Ashley is no longer suffering,' Talia said. Ashley and Joe pictured in their matching baby grows. The family thought they were 'out of the woods' and on the way to a full recovery - but unfortunately that was not quite the case 'It feels so cruel - most of his life he was traumatised by invasive procedures, and for what? 'It's horrible to say, but sometimes I wonder if it would have been better for him to have died at birth or for us to have gone ahead with the termination - but then we would have lost Joe too. 'You can't let those decisions get you down though - we made them all for the right reasons.' Joe is now one and weighs 11lb and is finally big enough to fit into the babygrow that Talia bought before he was born. Talia keeps Ashley's outfit safely in a memory box given to her by a friend, which the family are filling with keepsakes for Joe to open when he turns 18 in memory of his lost twin. 'I know he misses his twin - we all do,' said Talia. 'They both fought so hard, and I will always be proud of that. Ashley may have lost his battle, but he will always be in our hearts.' The Nigerian Correctional Service has denied reports that Maryam Sanda the woman convicted and sentenced to death by hanging for killing her husband, had been granted a Presidential pardon, and released from the Kuje maximum prison. Reports have been rife on social media that Sanda who stabbed her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, to death during an argument in their Abuja home in November 2017, joined the list of 2600 prisoners who were recently granted presidential pardon by President Buhari, last week. In a statement released today April 16th, the spokesman of the service, Augustine Njoku, denied the report. 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 centrethe statement reads Njoku said the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, clearly stated the categories of inmates qualified for the amnesty which include: 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 Convicted inmates who spent 75% of their sentence after remission. It obvious that Maryam Sanda does 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 will ensure the safety and humane containment of the inmates in our custody and therefore advice the public to discountenance the rumor that Maryam Sanda benefited from the presidential pardon. the statement read Sanda was sentenced to death by hanging on January 27th 2020 by an FCT High Court for killing her husband. She has approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja, asking the court to set aside the verdict and acquit her. The post Nigerian Correctional Service says that the news that Maryam Sanda has been Released is fake appeared first on . Share this post with your Friends on "The pandemic is of course challenging Vietnams ambitious plans for its ASEAN Chairmanship. However, from what I see, Vietnam has turned the challenge into opportunity," wrote Norway's Ambassador to Vietnam Grete Lochen. Norway's Ambassador to Vietnam Grete Lochen We have all entered the New Year 2020 with ambitious plans and hopes, as it marks the beginning of a new decade. This year, Vietnam is assuming a dual role as the Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and a non-permanent member of the United National Security Council (UNSC). Norway is going to celebrate the fifth anniversary of our sectoral dialogue partnership with ASEAN and is seeking a seat on the UNSC 2021-22. Then suddenly appeared the coronavirus. Leave no one behind! For three months, this tiny virus has turned the world upside down and caused an unprecedented global crisis. It has freezed international travel, closed borders, paused economic activities and confined people all over the world to their homes. As now, it has hit almost every country be it poor, developing or developed, all segments of our society, infecting over two million people and claiming over 100,000 deaths. Every country is struggling to control and prevent the virus from spreading. We also know that the most vulnerable in our societies, the elderly, the sick, the migrants, the disabled and the poor are at a heightened risk during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the UN Secretary General, 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. However, the coronavirus has really shown us that the world is interconnected in all aspects, health wise, socially, economically, that we need to act together. Never before has so much importance been attached to international cooperation and solidarity. Look to Vietnam, Learn from Vietnam As Norways Ambassador to Vietnam, I am very impressed with what the Government of Vietnam has done so far to combat the coronavirus nationally, regionally and internationally. Since the very early stage, you have proactively taken strong actions to isolate and prevent the virus from spreading through information campaigns, medical and administrative measures, such as tracing and testing of people, quarantine arrangements, closing of schools and the most recent measure of social distancing. These measures seem to be effective as up to now among over 200 infected cases in Vietnam, there are no fatalities. Not only health professionals and caregivers who work days and nights to save peoples lives, but the whole Government of Vietnam seems to make every effort to control the pandemic and to support the affected people and businesses in the spirit of leave no one behind. The pandemic is of course challenging Vietnams ambitious plans for its ASEAN Chairmanship. However, from what I see, Vietnam has turned the challenge into opportunity. The theme of ASEAN 2020 Cohesive and Responsive is reflected in the early Chairmans Statement on ASEAN Collective Response to the Outbreak of Covid-19. Vietnam has been actively sharing information and encouraging cooperation regarding Covid-19 within the bloc, and just recently took initiative in holding Special ASEAN Summit and Special ASEAN+3 Summit on the Covid-19 response through video conferences, for the first time. All the participating countries in these Summits strongly supported Vietnams call for unity, cooperation and action to combat Covid-19 and maintain the connectivity. It is encouraging to see Vietnam, while trying its best to control the spread of Covid-19 domestically, has started to reach out assisting its neighbour countries, ASEAN member States, and partners with medical equipment and facemasks. It is solidarity in practice! Norway a consistent global partner for our common future In Norway, we do have more or less the same experience. Timely, accurate and transparent information sharing from the political leadership and professional health authorities as well as showing international solidarity has been key in getting the trust of the Norwegian people in the joint efforts to combat the Covid-19. This is about our common future! Norway, like Vietnam, is a staunch supporter of a rule based international order and a multilateral system with a strong United Nations at its core. Multilateralism unites and gets us all together. For a small nation like Norway, it is our best protection. Norway strongly believes that global threats require global responses. Multilateral and regional organisations already in place such as ASEAN, European Union, African Union and in particular UN with WHO in the frontline would and should play a leading role in driving international cooperation and joint efforts to control the Covid-19. The pandemic hurts everyone, the poor and vulnerable countries will be most affected. Both urgent humanitarian actions and coordinated efforts are more than ever important to mitigate long-term effects. For this reason, Norway took the initiative to propose the establishment of a global trust fund to help vulnerable countries with weak health systems and which might face devastating social economic impact of this crisis. It is great to see UN acted so quickly on this initiative. The multi-donor trust fund was launched by UN Secretary General Guterres on 31 March. Norway initially committed NOK 150 million (USD 14.5 million). We do hope that other countries will follow suit. The trust fund will promote a coordinated UN response at country level in support of national governments. At the same time were in continuous dialogue with key partners (UN agencies and NGOs) on how Norways humanitarian support can be best tailored to the response in areas and sectors where needs are greatest. Un-earmarked funding is key in this regard. Norway has initiated and supported global health initiatives for decades. Today international researchers are working around the clock at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to develop a vaccine to combat the virus - a vaccine that should be made for all and distributed fairly. Recently Norway allocated a further NOK 2.2 billion (USD 209 million) in research funding to CEPI. It comes in addition to the NOK 1.636 billion (USD 156 million) that have previously been announced. It is now vital that we do what we can to enable CEPI to develop a vaccine against Covid-19 as quickly as possible. We all have to pool our resources, make sure of accurate and transparent information sharing and take coordinated, decisive and innovative actions in the spirit of multilateralism and international solidarity to get through this difficult time. I would like to end by echoing what my Prime Minister Ms Erna Solberg said It is not just what we do in our country. It is also what other countries are doing. Theres no way that we can handle this crisis without having a stronger international, multilateral cooperation. Your Prime Minister Phuc also said We will win this together. Grete Lochen - Norway's Ambassador to Vietnam Vietnam proposes measures for COVID-19 fight at multilateral meeting Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh proposed four main measures to fight the COVID-19 pandemic while addressing the Ministerial Video-Conference of the Alliance for Multilateralism on COVID-19 on April 16. South Carolina is almost ready to get back to business as usual after a month of restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Gov. Henry McMaster did not offer a firm date for lifting a stay-at-home order or reopening nonessential businesses, but he and other state officials gave signs Thursday that they were ready for a return to normalcy. Cases appear to be slowing, a top state health official said. Major manufacturers plan on reopening next month with new supplies arriving, the states commerce chief said. And a task force is being formed to help restart the economy, the governor said. In a small step, McMaster reopened public boat ramps on Thursday. We can tell around the country the feeling is that the end is in sight, McMaster said after joining other governors in call with President Donald Trump. McMaster said he believes South Carolina can keep up and maybe even get ahead of some of the other states looking to re-start work on May 1 because of how it handled business closings and social distancing orders. The optimism came on a day when the number of coronavirus cases reached a new daily high in South Carolina at 276. The new cases bring the state to the precipice of 4,000 COVID-19 patients, with a total of 3,931 cases, 109 of them fatal. Cases are not supposed to peak until early May. But the new spike came after five days where cases had dropped. Case data could see-saw with testing backlogs and delays in reporting from private labs, S.C. state epidemiologist Linda Bell said. "Weve had some suggestions of slowing, but I say that very, very cautiously, she said. We have to see a trend and a consistent trend. Whats encouraging is what were seeing in other communities. We're recognizing some slowing and stronger evidence for it in the hardest hit areas. Still, Bell said South Carolina is still on the upward slide of that curve. Bell said the data will decide when to remove restrictions not a date on the calendar. She and McMaster stressed that South Carolinians still need to follow precautions, including social distancing and telecommuting, to slow the spread of the virus. Its too early to celebrate, McMaster said. We have got to keep the lid on ourselves, contain your enthusiasm, because we still have to get out of this. But were going to get out of this, but its going to be sooner rather than later. McMaster showed that he's ready to relax some restrictions as more than 270,000 South Carolinians filed for unemployment in the past month. In addition reopening boat ramps, he softened his request to have hospitals stop elective surgeries since the state has enough beds at the moment. Officials at the Medical University of South Carolina said they do not expect their hospital to be overwhelmed. McMaster also said he has no plans to delay the June 9 primary election: We expect things to be moving very well by then. The governor is ready to roll out a recovery task force called Accelerate SC with manufacturing, tourism and agriculture business leaders, as well as state agency officials and legislative leaders to get business humming again. But he said the group will make recommendations about reopening business while trying to avoid a flare up of the fast-moving virus. To do so too quickly would be reckless, and if we had a return of the spread of the virus, it would be virtually impossible for us to turn the system around again, he said. S.C. Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt said Thursday that a restart of supplies means big manufacturers can reopen plants next month. He said most manufacturers have personal-protective equipment, established safety workplace policies and plan to open in stages. We are ready for this. We have been planning it, he said. "We will have outlines for our companies. We will help them understand what they need to do. The state's automakers, which paused production in late March, said they will reopen early next month with protection in place for workers. Volvo, which employs about 1,500 people building S60 sedans at a plant near Ridgeville, will reopen May 4. The 11,000 people who work at BMWs campus in Spartanburg County will resume building X-model SUVs until May 1. Palmetto State manufacturers have not specifically said how they will keep employees safe, but most of the health measures are expected to be adopted industry-wide. Boeing Co., which builds 787 Dreamliner jets at its North Charleston campus, said it plans to resume production of commercial planes on the West Coast, but hasn't set a target for restarting the South Carolina factory. Boeing said it will keep workers at least 6 feet from one another, provide masks or face covering and other equipment and stagger shift times to reduce the number of employees arriving and departing work at the same time. Hitt also said state leaders have begun work to bring back tourists to help South Carolinas biggest industry. "We can make South Carolina a safe place to vacation," Hitt said, citing the large number of tourists who drive to the state. Lord knows people around us in our neighboring states are restless to go to the beach. We can create the beach to be a good place to go with proper distancing; working through our hotels and restaurants, we believe we can make South Carolina a destination people will go and looking for respite after this long, difficult period. Were not quite there yet. Charleston's tourism industry still expects more losses in the weeks ahead. Many of the hotels that have temporarily closed have said they don't plan to open their doors again until mid-May, and with occupancy rates holding at less than 17 percent, it's likely to a take a while before hotels reach the 80 to 90 percent levels they're used to this time of year. "Everything is indicating that its going to be a staged recovery," said Wayne Smith, chairman of College of Charleston's Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management. McMaster said Thursday that he has not decided if he would extend public school closings that last through the end of April. Meanwhile, in-person classes at all 32 diocesan and parish Catholic schools across South Carolina will be suspended through the end of May since coronavirus cases are not expected to peak until early next month, officials said Thursday. S.C. Independent School Association Executive Director Spencer Jordan said its 125 or so member schools are awaiting further guidance from the governor before deciding to extend school closures beyond April 30. David Wren, Emily Williams, Sara Coello, Fleming Smith, Mary Katherine Wildeman, Jenna Schiferl and Seanna Adcox contributed. Zoom is "not safe", Indian officials have said. The government warned employees not to use the chat app, warning that it was an insecure platform. It is just the latest of a run of countries and companies who have expressed concern about the security of the app, which has surged in popularity as people under lockdown work and study from home. With the new popularity has come an increased focus on its privacy and security failings. Issues have included "Zoombombing, where strangers will drop into video conferences and often show offensive or otherwise troubling messages. The company has apologised for the privacy flaws, and committed to fix them. It has promised not to launch new features in the coming months and instead direct its resources to fixing any security issues. Recommended 5 best Zoom alternatives Countries including Taiwan and Germany have already discouraged the use of the app. Companies including Google and SpaceX have also done the same, telling employees to stop using it and banning it from laptops. "Zoom is a not a safe platform," the Cyber Coordination Centre (CyCord) of India's ministry of home affairs said in a 16-page advisory. The document said that employees could use the app for personal communications if they wish, but not for official business. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty Since the run of privacy issues, Zoom has introduced a range of changes, including easier to use security options. Gov. Charlie Baker gives his daily update on the novel coronavirus pandemic and Lauren Baker and Joanna Jacobson, who announced the establishment of the relief fund. Governor Announces COVID-19 Relief Fund, Testing Facility for WMass BOSTON A COVID-19 testing facility is expected to be up and running in West Springfield by the end of the week for public safety workers. The information was provided at Gov. Charlie Baker's daily update on Monday, which also included the announcement of a $13 million Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund to support local foundations and community assets, especially front-line workers during the novel coronavirus pandemic. The governor had indicated on Sunday the possibility of a testing center Western Massachusetts while speaking at the opening of a drive-through testing center at Gillette Stadium for first-responders. Two drive-through testing sites were set up about two weeks ago in Waltham and Shrewsbury. "We've now tested about 76,500 people in Massachusetts and 13,837 have tested positive," he said. "Tomorrow we'll announce a new site, in partnership with CVS, that will conduct up to 1,000 tests a day. ... There's another one that will be going up probably later this week at the Big E in West Springfield." The sites will probably be by appointment and "work through a variety of communities such as first-responders and others in public safety," he said. The governor has stressed the need for more testing and tracing of the contagion even as it remains difficult for people to get a test unless they have symptoms or have been in contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19. The current number tested is only about 1.1 percent of the state's population. He cautioned not to draw conclusions from the daily numbers coming out of the Department of Public Health by reading into one or two-day figures on the contagion's spread. "I know people want to look for trends in this, especially positive trends given the anxiety that's created by the presence of the virus in the first place," he said. "But I think the best way to look at this is is over time ... "I do believe if you follow the trend line right for Massachusetts, you can see it starting to bend a little in terms of the cases but I don't ... I think we should all be very careful about drawing too many conclusions from small points of data." Baker urged residents to continue following recommendations for social distancing, washing hands and regular sanitizing to slow the spread. Not enough is known about this coronavirus to conclude antibodies will be enough to prevent anyone from being infected again, he said. "What I do know is we need, as I said in my remarks, we need to continue to take all the issues associated with distancing and social spread seriously, and I believe that people in Massachusetts are doing that based on, with small exceptions, with based on what we see," the governor said. Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund is being established with seed funding of $1.8 million from One8 Foundation and founded by first lady Lauren Baker and foundation Trustee Joanna Jacobson. The fund will be administered at no cost by Eastern Bank. "There are a lot of communities across Massachusetts where even in the best of times, people struggle. These are communities where families live paycheck to paycheck and they've been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 health crisis," said Lauren Baker. "We founded the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund to help people in every corner of this commonwealth access the resources that they need." The fund will partners with community foundations and nonprofits to "who have deep roots in their communities and boots on the ground to deploy these funds quickly and effectively," she said. Donors have allowed the fund to launch with $13 million available for people in need. Donations can be made at MACovid19ReliefFund.org "The people of Massachusetts, always step up. We're resilient. We're compassionate and strong. We have proven time and again that we will work together, support each other, and do whatever it takes to overcome any challenge," Baker said. "Well, the COVID-19 crisis is probably the biggest challenge any of us have faced." Jacobson said the $13 million is only a small beginning that can make a great difference in the lives of Massachusetts residents hurt by the pandemic. "It will not be the magic answer to everything. But if we do this well, if we do this together, we can have an impact," she said. By Kim Bo-eun Attention to the troubled internet-only K bank is growing as it seeks to normalize its operations after business was virtually suspended due to capital issues. Telecommunications giant KT led K bank's launch in 2017. Last year, KT sought to become K bank's majority shareholder, but was barred by regulations that stated it should be free any record of violating fair trade regulations. The authorities halted a review of KT's eligibility as the major shareholder, because it was under investigation for collusion with other telecommunications firms in a circuit line business project. KT devised a plan for its affiliate BC Card to take over its 10 percent stake in K bank, and help the lender increase its capital. BC Card's board approved the plan Tuesday. BC Card aims to increase its stake in K bank to 34 percent, by purchasing new shares issued by the lender. Boosting its capital base is of the utmost priority for K bank, which halted extending new loans in April last year due to the shortage of capital. BC Card needs to receive approval from financial authorities to buy KT's shares. The authorities are likely to approve the move, since it does not have any record of violating regulations, and also because of a precedent of approval in another similar case. Korea Investment Holdings used the same tactic when handing its shares of Kakao Bank to IT firm Kakao. The holding company initially sought to sell 29 percent of Kakao Bank shares to its brokerage unit, Korea Investment & Securities. This would have made the brokerage Kakao Bank's largest shareholder, but this was impossible due to a penalty that was imposed on the unit in 2017 for a violation of fair trade regulations. The holding company therefore opted to sell its shares in Kakao Bank to Korea Investment Value Asset Management. Financial Services Commission Chairman Eun Sung-soo also stated that authorities would help K bank with capital issues. The plan was unveiled after the revisions to regulations on internet banks failed to pass a plenary session at the National Assembly. The revisions eliminate requisites for entities seeking to become major shareholders of internet banks to be clear of violations of the Fair Trade Act. But the revisions are expected to be passed soon, based on pledges lawmakers of the ruling and opposition parties have made. A K bank official said earlier it would prepare for both scenarios. Even though the volunteers can't visit with our elderly, the Jewish Pavilion made sure that seniors living in area assisted-living facilities had Passover goodies for the Passover week. Here are two senior residents of Savannah Court and Cove in Maitland showing their gifts. In addition to providing adequate sick time so that no one comes to work while sick, we continue to pay our employees who are out sick, pay for child care in the face of school closures, and supplement grocery purchasing so that staff have more time to care for their own families instead of shopping, she said. The economic meltdown brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has governments deploying historically vast fiscal spending packages to support millions of their citizens and businesses. This spending is necessary to support economies officials agree on that much. But the debt incurred over time could mean a deeper crisis and a doubled-down recession for some countries, according to recent reports. "Debt crises may be coming," the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) wrote in late March. "For now, governments are ramping up fiscal spending to fight the epidemic, maintain basic economic architecture and keep workers in their jobs. As a result, fiscal deficits will rise sharply in the coming years." Already in early January, before any country imposed coronavirus lockdowns, the World Bank warned of the risk of a fresh global debt crisis. It described the current wave of debt accumulation which started in 2010 as "the largest, fastest and most broad-based increase" in global borrowing since the 1970s. In the first half of 2019, global debt surged by $7.5 trillion, hitting a new record of more than $250 trillion, according to the Institute for International Finance. "With no sign of a slowdown, we expect the global debt load to exceed $255 trillion in 2019, largely driven by the U.S. and China," the IIF wrote in late 2019 before the year was over and well before anyone was talking about a global pandemic. Now, the International Monetary Fund projects that the global economy this year will "very likely" suffer the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, as governments around the world extend lockdowns and economic shutdowns to fight the spread of Covid-19. The Washington-based fund now expects the global economy to contract by 3% in 2020. In January, by contrast, it had forecast a global GDP expansion of 3.3% for this year. Half the world has now asked the IMF for a bailout, the organization's chief Kristalina Georgieva told CNBC on Wednesday, highlighting the severety of the economic crisis. Southern European countries could be hit first The EIU report warned that under such unprecedented pressure and with no certainty as to how long the current crisis will last, states' options for pulling themselves out of debt holes after the crisis subsides are becoming increasingly slim. While austerity has been used to curb high fiscal deficits in the past, this is unlikely to prove viable during any post-crisis recovery, given the level of trauma and economic pain most of the world will have experienced. With no realistic measures in place to prevent sovereign debt crises, a second and potentially deeper blow could hit economies particularly heavily indebted developed countries like Italy and Spain, threatening contagion to more markets, the EIU warned. Raising fiscal revenue through higher taxes will be unpalatable for some time and may not even be sufficient, the report authors wrote. On top of that, we could see investor appetite for ever more sovereign debt weaken. "Many developed countries may, in the medium term, find themselves on the brink of a debt crisis," Agathe Demarais, global forecasting director for the EIU, wrote in the report. "This is compounded by the fact that many of the European countries that are among the worst affected by the epidemic, such as Italy and Spain, already had weak fiscal positions before the coronavirus outbreak." Spain and Italy are the world's second and worst-hit countries in terms of coronavirus cases after the U.S., with 182,816 and 165,155 cases of the coronavirus as of Thursday, respectively, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Italy has registered more than 21,600 deaths from the disease, and Spain's death toll is at more than 19,100. Much of Southern Europe is still getting over years of austerity, Demarais added, and is weighed down by high debt, fiscal deficits and ageing populations. "A debt crisis in any of these countries would quickly spread to other developed countries and emerging markets, sending the global economy into another, possibly much deeper, economic crisis." Steve Brice, chief investment strategist at Standard Chartered Private Bank, told CNBC he does not in fact see a debt default cycle ahead. "We will avoid a massive debt default cycle, but in the short term we might get some worse news," he said, referencing the $349 billion U.S. small business rescue loan program that ran out of money on Thursday. "Clearly we'll need some more funding. And that seems to be less easy today than it was two, three weeks ago," Brice said. "We still think it'll come through, but in the near term, if you don't get very positive data on the reopening of the economy, then markets are going to be a bit vulnerable short term." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Madrid Fri, April 17, 2020 13:00 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd27a872 2 Books Luis-Sepulveda,Chile,writer,author,obituary,coronavirus,COVID-19,Spain Free 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 said on Thursday. He was 70. "The writer Luis Sepulveda has died in Oviedo," said a statement by Barcelona-based Tusquets, adding it "deeply regretted his loss". Best known for "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories", Sepulveda was exiled from Chile in 1977 by the Pinochet dictatorship and traveled extensively before settling in Europe in the 1980s. He first began showing symptoms of COVID-19 on February 25 after returning from a festival in northern Portugal and was taken to hospital in Oviedo in the northern Asturias region where he had lived for more than 20 years. By March 10, local newspapers reported he was in critical condition, but since then, no further details have been made public at the family's request. Read also: 'Harry Potter' author J.K Rowling says fully recovered from likely coronavirus "Health workers gave everything to save his life but he never got over the illness. My condolences to his wife and family," tweeted Adrian Barbon, president of the Asturias region. Born on October 1949 in Ovalle, north of the Chilean capital Santiago, Sepulveda became a political activist when he was young, first with Chile's Communist Youth, and then with the Socialists. In 1973, he was arrested by the Pinochet regime and jailed for treason for two-and-a-half years, but was freed after Amnesty International intervened, then spending time on the run before his exile in 1977. He wrote some 20 novels, chronicles, stories and children's books which are known for their simple humor and depictions of life in Latin America and been translated into multiple languages. COLUMBUS, OhioThe Ohio Houses coronavirus economic recovery task force will hear more testimony from Democratic-supported witnesses after the panels top Democrat accused majority Republicans of gathering one-sided testimony in favor of quick end to Gov. Mike DeWines coronavirus restrictions. State Rep. Terrence Upchurch, a Cleveland Democrat and vice chair of the task force, also criticized House Republicans on Thursday night for inviting testimony so far almost entirely from white men who are either business owners or represent industry trade groups. We were under the impression by the Majority that this task-force would be a bipartisan, collaborative effort to map out next steps for the General Assemblys response to the COVID-19 crisis in Ohio, Upchurch said in a statement. However, it became almost immediately apparent from the agenda and the chosen speakers that this task force was actually designed to gather one-sided testimony that only supported the idea of opening Ohio as soon as possible. This was never a democratic process. State Rep. Paul Zeltwanger, the Warren County Republican chairing the task force, returned fire in a statement Friday morning, suggesting that Upchurch hasnt worked to bring in minority business owners to testify. We appointed Representative Upchurch vice chair of the task force expecting that he would bring minority businesses into the discussion," Zeltwanger said in a statement provided by the House GOP. "Apparently he hasnt taken the initiative to reach out to minority owned businesses to participate. Why is that? Zeltwanger later told cleveland.com that Upchurch and other Democrats on the panel only submitted three of the 150 requests he has received asking for people to testify. Two were submitted on Friday morning, the chair said, and the third -- Johnathan Smith, president and CEO of Lancaster Bingo -- testified earlier this week. Zeltwanger said at the start of Fridays task force meeting that he was very disappointed about the potshots taken by Upchurch. We dont have time for it, he said. After Fridays task force meeting, Upchurch said that he spoke with Zeltwanger and reached an agreement for the task force to hear from at least some of the witnesses sought by Democrats. They include representatives from the Ohio State Medical Association, Ohio Municipal League, United Food and Commercial Workers union, and the Fraternal Order of Police. It remains to be seen how many representatives from those organizations who end up testifying are women or people of color. I think we're in good shape moving forward, Upchurch said. During the task forces first four meetings, all 22 people providing testimony have been white men. One woman, Ohio Society of CPAs Chair-elect Crystal Faulkner, was scheduled to testify, but a past chair of the group, John Venturella, ended up testifying in her place. Almost all of the committee presenters have been either business owners or officials with industry trade groups. Testimony was given by representatives from the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters, a labor union that has endorsed both Republicans and Democrats in the past. House Democrats have, as a group, stood behind the DeWine administrations stay-at-home" orders, which have closed all non-essential businesses and sent unemployment skyrocketing to unprecedented levels. House Republicans initially backed DeWine, a fellow Republican, as well. But in recent days, an increasing number of GOP lawmakers have pushed DeWine to lift his coronavirus restrictions now, citing the sweeping damage done to Ohios economy. The testimony gathered by the task force so far has illustrated how extensive that damage has been for Ohio businesses, including that, in a matter of weeks, about 1 of every 7 Ohio restaurants are expected to close and that 70 percent of Ohio hotel employees have been laid off. If the data doesnt support it, then we need to open up, Zeltwanger told cleveland.com earlier this week. Everyone is getting really antsy. The task force was created earlier this month by House Speaker Larry Householder, a Perry County Republican who earlier this month questioned the DeWine administrations decision to begin counting probable coronavirus cases in its running tallies of the diseases spread around the state. How does that make any sense? Unless you are trying to escalate your numbers, Householder told the Dayton Daily News. But 700,000 Ohioans are unemployed now while they are escalating their numbers to justify the policies. Some GOP task force members have expressed concern about making sure that the hundreds of thousands of Ohioans who have filed for unemployment will be able to get back to work and stop receiving benefits when the restrictions are eased. Read more Ohio coronavirus coverage: BOP says sixth inmate dies of coronavirus at Elkton federal prison in Ohio Ohioans describe common glitches, frustrations with state unemployment filing system JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels stores can remain open during coronavirus emergency, AG Dave Yosts office says Midwest governors announce coordinated reopening effort, but Gov. DeWine calls it informal [CCP Virus] How the World Is Being Manipulated By Covid 19 Propaganda From ChinaMichael Waller Luck Reunion Aside from his legendary songwriting skills and storied career in country music, Willie Nelson is perhaps best known for his affinity for a certain recreational substance, so its no surprise that the superstars favorite holiday is 4/20. This year, Willie will spend the special day with his friends and fans as he hosts Luck Presents: Come and Toke It, a special variety show featuring artists, chefs, comedians and cannabis-lovers of all description. Additionally, Luck Productions and Willies Reserve have launched the #ComeAndTokeIt #PassItLeft challenge, calling on viewers to post footage of themselves passing whatever their preferred toking material is to their left, along with the challenges hashtags. One participant will be selected to say hello to Willie during the virtual broadcast. The special supports the Last Prisoner Project, a coalition of leaders from the cannabis industry dedicated to restorative justice and decriminalizing cannabis use. Participants joining Willie for the show will be rolled out over Luck Reunion social media channels. The show will stream from Luck Reunions website as well as its Twitch channel. Naturally, the broadcast will take place on Monday at 4:20 PM CT, and will last for four hours and 20 minutes. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. CUTS Ghana, a research and public policy think tank, has called on the African Union to immediately postpone the scheduled date for the commencement of trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It said the proposed July one date for the commencement of trade under the AfCFTA was no longer feasible due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Delaying the event for at least six months from the scheduled dates, CUTS said, would allow countries and businesses to recover from the pandemic to enable a smooth take off of trade. A statement issued on Thursday, and signed by Mr Appiah Kusi Adomako, the Country Director of CUTS International, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said it was undeniable that the virus had already taken a significant toll on lives and the economies across the continent. The projected revenue of African governments had been hard hit and majority of businesses, it said, were not in a good shape to take advantage of the agreement. It explained: "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, the statement. It explained that a postponement of the date would also allow for the unfinished agenda on the protocols on goods to be completed and also permit the Secretariat, which is headquartered in Accra, Ghana, to be fully set up in terms of personnel and staff to ensure that trading took off with no hitch. 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. 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 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. Follow latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here 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. 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." Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths 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. Air Force update for COVID-19 By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs / Published April 16, 2020 WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- In an effort to minimize the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 and to prioritize the health and safety of Department of the Air Force personnel, the following modifications have been made: April 16, 2020 Air Mobility Liaison Officers from the 621st Mobility Support Operations Squadron are currently assisting U.S. Army North with air movements of field hospital units into coronavirus disease hot spots around the U.S. The AMLOs are rapidly responding to emerging air mobility requirements in New York City, Seattle, Dallas and New Orleans in coordination with Air Mobility Command and the 618th Air Operations Center, as part of the whole-of-government U.S. response to combating COVID-19. Read more about their efforts here: https://www.expeditionarycenter.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2151582/amlos-provide-expertise-in-covid-19-response-aid-field-hospital-unit-movements/ Approximately 100 Air Force Reserve aeromedical evacuation specialists from across the country have been called up to help care for Americans affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 60% of America's capability to provide global patient movement resides in the Air Force Reserve. Read more about their mobilization here: https://www.afrc.af.mil/News/Article/2151951/reserve-aeromedical-evacuation-medics-called-to-the-fight-against-covid-19/ An innovative solution by the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center's Detachment 4 at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is giving commanders from U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa the ability to accurately assess operational risk and protect lives in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Geospatial tools developed by the detachment's GeoBase team are providing commanders with near real-time data detailing the spread of the disease in their areas of responsibility. Read more about this new tool here: https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2152514/afimsc-geospatial-tools-help-commanders-manage-covid-19-risk/ Airmen and Soldiers with the 44th Civil Support Team (FLNG) prepares for their upcoming mission of providing support to two assisted living facilities in Starke, Florida. They will be testing the residents and staff at both facilities, to help gage the COVID-19 threat. More than 230 Airmen and Soldiers from the Kentucky National Guard have spent the past four days turning a cavernous exhibit hall into an Alternate Care Facility with 288 beds for patients recovering from COVID-19. Read the story about their efforts here: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/367493/ky-guard-stands-up-alternate-care-facility-covid-19-patients On April 14, U.S. Transportation Command directed the use of personally procured or self-made face coverings in all TRANSCOM and Air Mobility Command terminals and on all military or commercially contracted aircraft to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The directive is in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation and Department of Defense guidance to wear cloth face coverings in public settings where social distancing at a minimum of six feet of separation is difficult to maintain. Read more about this directive here: https://www.amc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2151374/ustranscom-issues-guidance-for-face-coverings-in-passenger-terminals-aircraft/ Essential missions throughout the Air Force still continue even during this pandemic. Below are some links to stories on how these units have adapted to make sure they can continue to execute these missions despite COVID-19. 40 days, nights: AMC Commander's Battle Staff directs round-the-clock support in COVID-19 fight - https://www.amc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2151433/40-days-nights-amc-commanders-battle-staff-directs-round-the-clock-support-in-c/ Tinker finds ways to stay social despite social distancing - https://www.afmc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2152674/tinker-finds-ways-to-stay-social-despite-social-distancing/ Maintenance team's face-covering ingenuity helps meet requirement (149 FW, TXANG)- https://www.dvidshub.net/news/367514/maintenance-teams-face-covering-ingenuity-helps-meet-requirement 71st IS conducts virtual Unit Training Assembly to maintain mission readiness - https://445aw.usaf.afpims.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2152373/71st-is-conducts-virtual-uta/ Airmen lead volunteerism during COVID-19 pandemic - https://www.aetc.af.mil/News/Article/2152161/airmen-lead-volunteerism-during-covid-19-pandemic/ 97 TRS implements distance friendly training for students - https://www.aetc.af.mil/News/Article/2151166/97-trs-implements-distance-friendly-training-for-students/ Air Force Totals of COVID-19 Positive Cases as of 9 p.m., April 15, 2020. CASES HOSPITALIZED RECOVERED DEATHS Military 317 (+18) 8 (-1) 59 (+5) 0 Civilian 166 (+8) 12 29 (+2) 0 Dependents 184 (+30) 5 37 (+5) 0 Contractors 64 (+2) 4 8 (+1) 1 Total 731 29 133 1 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UTICA, N.Y. The Greater Utica Sunrise Rotary Club is delivering food to fire stations throughout the community to show appreciation for first responders. Members of the club stopped by Station No. 1 Thursday to surprise them with the meal while practicing social distancing, of course. We're going to be bringing pizza and salad and wings off to each of the firefighters, said Rotarian Judy Reilley The Sunrise Rotary Club is still holding Zoom meetings. For more information, visit the clubs Facebook page. - President Rodrigo Duterte slammed his critics in his address to the nation last night - The President claimed that his critics do not contribute anything to the country except criticize his administration - Senator Antonio Trillanes responded harshly to the president on his social media account - Aside from saying Batukan kaya kita, the senator tweeted that Duterte should not be asking for contributions from his critics since he supposedly already has a 4-trillion budget in the battle against COVID-19 PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed President Rodrigo Duterte slammed his critics, claiming that they do not contribute anything to the country except criticize his administration. Ano ang nagawa ninyo para sa bayan? Pag sinabi ninyo ako, wala. Eh kayo? What have you done for the country except talk and criticize and talk? Duterte asked in his address to the nation last night. Senator Antonio Trillanes responded harshly on his social media account, saying that Duterte should not be asking for contributions from his critics since he supposedly already has a 4-trillion budget in the battle against COVID-19. Four Trillion ang budget mo, tapos hahanapan mo ako ng ambag? Batukan kaya kita, Trillanes tweeted. 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, there are now over 5,660 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country. Senator Antonio Trillanes is a senator in the Philippines, known for being a vocal critic of President Rodrigo Duterte. In the 2016 elections, Trillanes ran for vice president but lost to Leni Robredo. 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! Our host Paula Coling gave some amazing tips on how to wisely spend your time amid the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon! Check out all of the exciting videos and celebrity interviews on our KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: KAMI.com.gh FREDERICTON - The premier of New Brunswick says the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has wiped out a projected $92.4 million surplus for the coming year. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/4/2020 (634 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FREDERICTON - The premier of New Brunswick says the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has wiped out a projected $92.4 million surplus for the coming year. Blaine Higgs made the comment Friday following a brief sitting of the provincial legislature. "Oh absolutely, it's gone. In less than three weeks (the budget) isn't worth much at all in what it was projecting," Higgs said. "Things changed so rapidly and we saw such a different outlook. The surplus is gone. The ability for us to pay down the debt is certainly, I would say, not probable at this time at all," he said. Earlier in the day, the legislature passed a pair of bills to help the province deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. A handful of members from the four parties, sitting well apart, met for just 20 minutes to quickly approve the legislation without any debate. The changes to the Employment Standards Act are aimed at protecting the jobs of workers who are quarantined or forced to stay home to care for loved ones during the pandemic. Meanwhile, Public Safety Minister Carl Urquhart brought in amendments to the Emergency Measures Act to help essential workers. "Daycare services are essential for many of these people. An amendment is being made to provide authority for government to provide emergency daycare services in areas of need when all other avenues have been exhausted," Urquhart said. Premier Blaine Higgs later told reporters that change was made in case it's needed. "We are not looking to go out and start a daycare at the expense of the current ones that are in operation. We want those to continue and we're hopeful they will continue," he said. There were also changes to extend the deadlines for various actions before the courts and tribunals. Green party Leader David Coon used the short session to table a petition calling on government to provide year-round ferry service to the island of Campobello. Residents have complained they are being forced to cross into the United States for supplies or make the one hour drive, through a portion of the state of Maine, in order to reach the New Brunswick mainland. Some have complained that opens them to added risk of exposure to COVID-19. Coon said while the quick sitting of the legislature was necessary, he hoped there would not be similar sessions in the future. "It's my sincere hope that this is the last time we go through that, and it's the last time that we sit in the legislature without question period, and without the opportunity for members to make statements, and without debate on bills," Coon said Friday. He said a committee of the legislature has been asked to develop a plan for re-opening the legislature and report back to the all-party COVID-19 committee next month. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2020. The Toronto Zoo is asking for donations to help feeds its 5,000 animals after ticket and parking sales disappeared because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Thursday, the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy, a fundraising arm of the Scarborough-area zoo posted a call on social media for donations to help with the $1-million annual feeding costs. That expense, a Facebook post said, is typically covered by parking and admission revenues. The Zoo Food For Life campaign is looking to raise $100,000. As of Thursday, theyd already raised over $30,000. As of right now, CEO Dolf DeJong said theyve ordered several months of some specialty food and have made other changes in order to be able to focus on affording to care for the animals. The zoo earlier announced it was temporarily laying off 118 non-permanent employees and postponed hiring of 275 summer positions. In this season, excluding March Break, the zoo brings in about $500,000 a week, he said. But he noted the $100,000 theyre hoping to raise through the fundraiser is a significant chunk 10 per cent of their food budget. Thats the kind of support that is going to bridge us for at least a month and thats really important at this time to have those other sources coming on, DeJong said. He couldnt say how the zoo would fare in the long-term as the pandemic continues on. The zoo a corporation of the City of Toronto has long struggled financially, with attendance and revenues below expected projections and requests for loans from the city for programs management claimed would boost visitors. One of those programs an interactive light show, Terra Lumina, was expected to run until April 13 but was forced to end earlier due to the zoo closure, DeJong said. An additional $500,000 in revenues was expected in that final month for the show. Revenues at the end of 2019 were $3.7 million below what was budgeted and up $2.6 million over the previous year, according to a report to the zoos board. Hundreds have been rendered homeless in Aworowa in the Techiman North District of the Bono East Region after a rainstorm that destroyed houses in the community last night. The rainstorm destroyed 78 houses and other properties and residents are calling for support. Charles Amponsah, the Assembly Member for Aworowa said: We have over a thousand people homeless now so I am appealing to the government and non-governmental organisations to come to the aid of my people. The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Coordinator for Techiman North District, Samuel Agyei Effah, told Citi News that the community has gotten some support despite some lags because of the coronavirus pandemic. [We have been] assisted by the District Chief Executives and the Member of Parliament. We were given 45 packets of roofing sheets and 90 bags of cement and four boxes of nails. There are some goods on the way coming to the region and we are going to have our share, he also assured. -citinewsroom Patiala District Child Welfare Unit sends 3 year old child to his parents in Jammu. Mayankvir was stuck with maternal grandparents due to curfew. Parents appreciated district administration endeavour. Image Source: IANS News Patiala District Child Welfare Unit sends 3 year old child to his parents in Jammu. Mayankvir was stuck with maternal grandparents due to curfew. Parents appreciated district administration endeavour. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, April 17 : Showing a humane approach amid strict implementation of the nationwide lockdown, officials of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir coordinated to reunite a three-year-old boy with his parents. The boy, Mayankvir Singh, had travelled to his maternal parents house in Urban Estate Phase-II in Patiala city of Punjab along with his mother Puneet Kaur in March. She left her son with her parents and returned to her marital home in Kathua. Meanwhile, the nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic was announced from March 24 midnight, following which Mayankvir could not go back to his parents. The lockdown was further extended from April 15 to May 3. The boy gradually grew homesick and urged his grandparents to send him back to his parents. So, his grandfather contacted the Patiala Child Welfare Unit while the boy's mother contacted child welfare officials in Kathua. Patiala's Assistant Commissioner Ismat Vijay Singh liaised with officials concerned in Jammu and Kashmir, following which Puneet Kaur was issued a pass for inter-state travel. She drove to Patiala and was united with her son. Both then proceeded back to Kathua, with Mayankvir undergoing screening on the interstate borders before he was allowed to proceed further. Punjab's Women and Child Welfare Minister Aruna Chaudhary tweeted about the incident on Friday, pointing out that the boy's parents had praised officials for their help in the matter. Union Minister Smriti Irani retweeted Chaudhary's tweet. Italy reported a slight drop in new coronavirus cases on Friday even as a record number of people were tested, though experts warn the virus is not yet in check. There were 3,493 new cases of the disease, compared with 3,786 a day earlier, civil protection officials said at their daily briefing in Rome. Confirmed cases in the country now total 172,434. New Delhi, April 17 : Private schools in the national capital can only charge tuition fee on a monthly basis from the parents and also cannot hike fee without the government's nod, Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia said on Friday. Sisodia, also the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, said the schools cannot charge any other fees, like annual fee or transportation fee, from the parents in wake of the pandemic coronavirus. Speaking to the media through a digital press conference, Sisodia said there were reports of unfair fee hike, demand of quarterly payment and reduced or non-payment of salaries by some private schools. He announced that private schools are allowed to charge only tuition fee on monthly basis from their students. "We are receiving complaints from many parents that private schools have increased their fees. And those students who are failing to pay the fees on time are being dropped from the online classes. I would request the private schools to not come down to this level," said Sisodia. Outlining the new directions issued by the Directorate of Education on Friday, Sisodia said as per the order, all private schools are informed that they will not increase their fees under any head without a prior approval by the Delhi government. "Only tuition fee can be charged from the students on monthly basis. Schools cannot ask for three months' fees at a time. And online classes facilities will not be stopped or terminated by private schools for the students, even if they fail to pay their fees. All students will have access to online learning facilities provided by their individual schools, even if they fail to pay the tuition fee." Stressing that the order was issued in compliance with the National Disaster Management Act and the Delhi School Education Act, Sisodia advised the private schools to take it seriously. He also asked the schools to release full salaries of their employees on time. "All schools are directed to release full salaries of their staff on time including teaching and non-teaching staff. The order is applied to all permanent, contractual and outsourced employees of the schools. Those schools which are not complying with this order will be booked under Delhi School Education Act and National Disaster Management Act." A nationwide lockdown is in force till May 3. Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous nights highlights that lets you sleep and lets us get paid to watch comedy. If youre interested in hearing from The Times regularly about great TV, sign up for our Watching newsletter and get recommendations straight to your inbox. Gridlocked and Goaded Late night celebrated one month of Covid-19 quarantining by riffing on demonstrations this week in Ohio, Michigan and other states where locals protested state-based shutdowns. One protester in Michigan misspelled governor on her sign, which Jimmy Kimmel said showed us how important it is that we do get schools open ASAP. Hyderabad: A case has been registered against the Nizamabad deputy mayor, belonging to the AIMIM, and others for allegedly obstructing police and health officials from performing COVID-19 lockdown duty, police said on Thursday. A video showing some persons purportedly arguing with a police official was also telecast by local news channels. According to police, the incident happened on Tuesday afternoon in Nizamabad, when the police sub-inspector and a medical team went to the area after receiving information about the death of an 83-year-old woman (on Monday night), whose house is located in front of a COVID-19 positive patient, in order to shift the woman's family for government quarantine purpose. However, when the police and medical staff were on their work at that time Nizamabad deputy mayor Mohammed Idris Khan and an AIMIM corporator and others reportedly argued with the SI and the medical staff telling them not to shift all the family members in quarantine, a police official said. When the doctor and medical staff tried to explain to them about the need for quarantine of the deceased woman's family members, they allegedly told them "what is the necessity when the test results would be negative", police said. The family members were willing to shift to government quarantine but the deputy mayor and others "interfered", police said,adding they were also told that if they had any objections for government quarantine they can inform the district collector and seek permission for home quarantine. Later the family members were shifted for quarantine and subsequently police registered a case under various IPC sections including 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) against the deputy mayor, corporator and others, the police official added. The exact cause of death of the elderly woman was not clear while the positive COVID-19 patient near her residence is undergoing treatment in a state-run hospital in Hyderabad, police said. This job expired on 16 May 2020. Pieces of the puzzle will always be missing, says one public health expert. Granada, Spain Fears of an underestimation of Spains coronavirus death toll have risen sharply this week, amid emerging evidence that mortality rates could be much higher than anticipated. As of Thursday, Spain already had the greatest total of confirmed coronavirus infections in Europe, with 188,068. It also had Europes second-highest death toll, after Italy, with 19,478 fatalities. But while Spains central government has previously defended its criteria for its published figures as following World Health Organization guidelines, for days multiple media reports as well as the opposition have suggested that the real toll is more severe. On Friday, Spanish news website El Confidencial claimed at least five major regions, among them Catalonia and Madrid two of the worst affected by COVID-19 had not been counting deaths reported outside hospitals in updates sent to central government, even for confirmed coronavirus cases. The website estimated that another 2,700 deaths could have been included in the official toll. Last week, Madrids regional government said almost 3,500 people had died in care homes with probable symptoms. But with no tests, the official death toll for the regions care homes since March 8 remained at 781. More than 7,000 had died in total across the Madrid region as of Friday April 17. Opposition figures have repeatedly accused the government of hiding the true figures. On Wednesday, Juan Luis Steegmann, an MP with the hard-right Vox party, confronted the health minister over the polymerase chain reaction tests that can tell if a patient currently has the virus, asking: Thousands of people have died without the PCR tests who are they? The leader of the main opposition party, Pablo Casado, likewise challenged Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, saying: Tell us if it is true that the number of coronavirus deaths is double the official figures. Catalonias president, Quim Torra, meanwhile said he had recently changed data criteria adding more than 2,000 fatalities to the regions death total because citizens have the right to know what is happening. Conflicting criteria Last week it emerged that civil registries nationwide had been ordered to scour past records of deaths to report possible cases of coronavirus. But with most officials at home under lockdown, computer programmes used for transmitting this data reportedly crashed, jamming fresh updates. Amid rapidly rising criticism and confusion, on Friday the government confirmed it had asked all regional medical authorities to unify criteria on death tolls and infected cases, something Spanish scientists have repeatedly been demanding. We need everybody to use the same criteria and to do it for a considerable length of time, Professor Juan Ayllon Barasoain, director of preventative medicine and public health at the University of Burgos, told Al Jazeera. Its not at all useful simply to say, 5,000 people have died or 20,000 people have died. Whats actually useful is to know how the data is evolving, and to say this number of people have died according to these parameters. That way we can see if the figures go up, go down or stay level. And decisions can be made about how the pandemic is evolving and what action should be taken. On Friday, Spains director of health emergencies, Fernando Simon, recognised that conflicting criteria over data for infections, deaths and recovered patients had reached a point where the official records would have to be changed. The alterations, he said, would take place in the next few days. It was yet to be finalised which sources would be used to make those changes. While arguing it would be almost impossible for the European Union to establish a single series of criteria for the pandemic its hard enough for the regions within Spain to do it Barasoain says the most accurate reflection of the ongoing crisis would be the number of admissions to intensive care units in hospitals, because theres no way of changing that number. But, he warns, we wont be able to establish a clear total of coronavirus victims until a considerable amount of time has gone past. And pieces of the puzzle will always be missing. U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Gary, is calling on Northwest Indiana voters to support former Vice President Joe Biden in this year's presidential election. In a statement issued Friday, the Region's 36-year congressman endorsed the former Delaware senator over Republican President Donald Trump because Visclosky said Biden will "revitalize our economy and recognize the dignity of the work of every American." The vice president possesses a selfless dedication to serving others and an understanding of the struggles that so many of our fellow citizens face," Visclosky said. "Our nation today desperately needs these qualities, his temperament and his leadership." Visclosky previously endorsed former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg for president. But Buttigieg last month ended his campaign for the Democratic nomination and threw his support behind Biden. The congressman said he was proud of the campaign Buttigieg ran and appreciated the "dedication and advocacy" all the Democratic presidential candidates. Jharkhands capital Ranchi on Thursday recorded its first Covid-19 case outside Hindpiri locality after a 50-year-old man, resident of MG Road behind Punjab Sweet House, was found infected with novel coronavirus infection on Wednesday night. The patient lives in Haidri apartment on the by-lane. The administration has declared this area, which lies behind citys famous Punjab Sweet House and Capitol Hill, as containment zone and sealed the lane for next 72 hours to conduct contact tracing and health screening of residents. There are eight apartments in this containment zone. The man, who is reportedly a contractor and social worker, was admitted to Covid-19 hospital at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) for treatment. Five other members of his family were also shifted to isolation centre. We have sealed the lane for next 72 hours to conduct health screening of residents and carry out contact tracing exercise to identify people who came in direct or indirect contact with this man. The patient has been shifted to Covid-19 hospital at RIMS. The other family members were put in isolation centre, said Ranchis sub-divisional officer Lokesh Mishra. We are investigating into the mans travel history, if any, or contact history with any positive case. We are gathering information on this from family members and others in this regard, Mishra said. This is the 14th confirmed case reported in Ranchi district. Barring this, all other cases are concentrated in Hindpiri locality, which is the epicentre of the disease. The states first Covid-19 case was identified in this area when a Malaysian woman was tested positive. The woman was part of the 22 member group including 17 foreign nationals who were recovered from two mosques in Hindpiri. The group had arrived in Ranchi last month after attending Tablighi Jamaat in New Delhis Nizammudin area. As many as 28 confirmed cases of Covid-19 have so far been reported from across the state, which had also witnessed two deaths due to this pandemic. These cases are spread over six districts with maximum number of cases (14) registered in Ranchi district followed by Bokaro which have nine positive cases. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Joanna Trollope claims that women want to make men 'dependent' on them, but then resent them when they succeed. The 76-year-old, who lives in London, told The Lady magazine that 'emotionally ambitious' wives and mothers want to have it 'every which way'. She also claims they want to keep control of 'domestic roles' in order to maintain a sense of control. The multi-million selling 'Aga Saga' novelist said this 'passive-aggressive' behaviour is 'no good' and means women have 'made a rod for their own backs'. Joanna Trollope, 76, (pictured) who lives in London, believes women are emotionally ambitious and resent when they succeed in making men dependent on them Joanna who is twice-divorced has penned a new book that examines 'the so-called 'sandwich generation' of middle aged people caught between having to care both for their children and their elderly parents. This impacts particularly on women who are juggling careers and childcare. But these women haven't helped themselves, she suggests. Joanna said: 'Women are emotionally ambitious: they want to make a man or a child dependent on them, and then they resent them for being dependent. 'That's no good - you can't have it every which way. And it's classic passive-aggressive behaviour.' Oxford educated Joanna, claims that women still see domestic chores as their responsibility. 'Women don't necessarily want to surrender their domestic roles, which means they sometimes make a rod for their own backs,' she continued. The 76-year-old novelist (pictured) said women don't want to surrender their domestic roles, because it's a manageable control 'Women want to control a lot of things in the domestic area because it's a manageable control. 'When you've had your heart broken almost the best thing you can do is clean the bathroom - because tap-polishing is one of the things you can control.' The mother-of-two who also has two stepchildren, sprang to fame with the 1991 bestseller The Rector's Wife. Her success had an impact on her two marriages, as her husbands - David Potter and Ian Curteis (corr), did not know how to handle it. She said: 'My success did make both my husbands feel threatened. 'They were brought up in a certain way - and I don't blame them for that.' Joanna and Ian split up in 2001. 'It's no small thing, divorce - it's an enormous trauma,' she said. 'Society still disapproves, so it makes it as hard for you as it possibly can.' She is currently single and concentrating on being a grandmother. Joanna added: 'I have reached an equilibrium - at last I've come to a realisation that I'm stuck with myself and might as well make something of that.' Press Release April 17, 2020 Dispatch from Crame No. 771: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the alleged waiver releasing DOH from responsibility should volunteers contract COVID-19 4/17/20 When the DOH callously asked health workers to volunteer their services and risk their lives in exchange for 500 a day, the people resoundingly reacted, saying heroes deserve better than that. When Malacanang said that health workers who die in service can be interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, people questioned the government's false equivalence between a tragic death in the line of duty and an act of heroism. NO FRONTLINER SHOULD DIE IN DUTY. We should not be talking about burials but rather the proper equipment and support they need to save lives. Alalahanin natin na ang ambag ng mga frontline healthworkers ay ang pagligtas sa mga buhay, hindi ang walang saysay na pagsasapanganib sa kanilang buhay. Hindi nila kailangang mamatay para maituring na bayani. Words are cheap. A government that praises our healthworkers while failing to provide the most basic of support for their welfare is as useless as the voice of reason in Mr. Duterte's mind. At hindi lang doon matatapos ang kawalang-galang ng gobyerno sa kanila. There are now allegations that the volunteer medical personnel are required to sign waivers which release the DOH from any liability should these workers contract COVID-19 while in service. This is an unfathomable callousness. It should not have been an issue in the first place if the DOH did its job to fill up the thousands of vacant plantilla positions by hiring these health workers outright and granting them the proper salary and benefits as mandated by law. Instead they chose to lowball the very people who have the necessary qualifications and competence to fight this pandemic head-on. The slow government response to help our healthcare workers led to some of them having to use garbage bags as makeshift PPEs. The private sector and VP Leni had to step in to extend them the much needed assistance. We have one of the worst levels of infection and mortality rate for our healthcare professionals. 21 doctors have died of COVID-19 related illness. Deaths that would have been prevented if our government had been mindful of their needs. Nananawagan ako na ipadama naman natin ang tunay na pagpapahalaga sa ating mga frontline health workers. Marapat lamang na sila'y mabigyan ng tamang kabayaran at proteksyon para sa kanilang serbisyo. Our healthcare workers should receive nothing less than just compensation, hazard pay, continuous supply of PPEs, health and life insurance, and most of all our respect and admiration. We are at war to save lives, not lose them. Proper work demands proper compensation, protection, and regard. Anything less is injustice. ### (Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 771 here, https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_no._771) The cultural phenomenon of late 2019 was undoubtedly The Mandalorian on Disney+, thanks to Baby Yoda, and the streamer is looking to recapture that glory with its next Star Wars project. New details have emerged on the yet-to-be-titled Star Wars Rogue One/Cassian Andor series with Variety reporting that Stellan Skarsgard and Kyle Soller are being added to the cast. The series already has Rogue One actor Diego Luna attached, who will be reprising his role as Cassian Andor in a plot that will explore the early days of the Rebellion against the Empire and events leading up to those seen in the 2016 film. A gilded cast addition: New details have emerged on the yet-to-be-titled Star Wars Rogue One/Cassian Andor series at Disney+, with reports that acclaimed actor Stellan Skarsgard is being added to the cast; seen here at the Golden Globes this past January in Los Angeles Skarsgard, 68, is a Swedish actor best known for roles in Good Will Hunting and the recent Chernobyl. Stellan is also father to famous sons Alexander Skarsgard of True Blood fame, and younger Bill Skarsgard of the terrifying It. Soller, 36, is a slightly lesser known actor from films like Anna Karenina and series like the newest version of Poldark and the animated 101 Dalmatian Street. Another already announced member of the new series cast is Alan Tudyk, the prolific actor and voiceover star with credits including Arrested Development, Big Hero 6: The Series, and V. Biggest job yet: Joining Stellan is young actor Kyle Soller; seen here in April of 2019 in London He's back: The new series already has Rogue One actor Diego Luna attached, who will be reprising his role from that film, Cassian Andor Like Luna, Tudyk will be reprising his role from Rogue One K-2SO, Andors wise-cracking droid sidekick. 2016's Rogue One was the first standalone Star Wars Story, which was outside of the episodic saga films. The film, also starring Felicity Jones, was a critical and financial success, scoring a healthy 84 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and grossing over 1 billion dollars worldwide. Smashing success: 2016's Rogue One was the first standalone 'Star Wars Story,' which was outside of the episodic saga films Another already-announced member of the new series cast: Alan Tudyk, the prolific actor and voiceover star, will also reprise his Rogue One role; seen here in January History making: Rogue One was a critical and financial success, scoring a healthy 84 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and grossing over 1 billion dollars worldwide Tony Gilroy, who co-wrote Rogue One, is attached to write the pilot for the new 'spy thriller' series stemming from the film, as well as direct multiple episodes. And while Disney had previously indicated the show would debut in 2021, both a premiere date and planned start of production are as yet unconfirmed due to current industry-wide shutdowns as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Following the huge success of The Mandalorian late last year, Disney+ was understandably in the midst of capitalizing on development and production around other Star Wars properties before the pandemic hit, including a second season of Mandalorian as well as an Obi Wan-Kenobi origin series with Ewan McGregor set to reprise the role. Riding on his coattails: Following the success of The Mandalorian late last year, Disney+ was understandably in the midst of capitalizing on development around other Star Wars properties Given that Matt Hancock is currently failing to reach his own targets on coronavirus testing and ventilators, failing to have much of a clue how many thousands of people are dying from undiagnosed coronavirus in an unknown number of care homes, and failing to provide the proper protective equipment to prevent NHS doctors and nurses dying at work, youd think he perhaps wasnt looking forward to facing the first ever video conference-based version of the Health Select Committee. But nothing could be further from the truth. Its week four of lockdown now and, according to sources, the atmosphere has become so tense in the Hancock household that even two hours being torn to shreds over the laptop comes as a welcome relief. The decision to hold parliamentary hearings over popular video conferencing service Zoom has been criticised by internet security experts since the moment it was announced, and it turns out they were right, as Russian hackers have leaked these extraordinary transcripts from Mr Hancocks house, recorded just moments before the meeting began. Matt why havent you emptied the dishwasher? Darling, I recognise, just as you do, that the dishwasher needs to be emptied. That is why today I am launching my five-pillar plan for dishwasher emptying. No dishwasher can hope to be emptied without engaging the plates, the cutlery, the mugs and the cereal bowls. Everyone must play their part. I get it. And that is why I am saying, today, that by the end of the month, that dishwasher will be empty. Matt, I know youre busy but I cant do all the home schooling by myself. I just cant. Youre going to have to help. Listen, since this crisis began, my sole focus has been on ensuring that you do not become overwhelmed. If you cant cope, that has knock-on effects for the whole family. That is why, today, I am launching my six-point Mini Hancock battle plan. Recommended Matt Hancock ridiculed after announcing badge for care sector workers Point 1. Switch on the telly. Point 2. Put Paw Patrol on. Point 3. Go back to staring at my phone. Point 4. OK, point 4 well worry about later, because by the time were on to Point 2, Ill have launched a new seven-point plan anyway. But the point is this. I get it. I hear you. We will get through this crisis if we all do our bit. Matt, I know youre the secretary of state for health at a time of the worlds biggest ever public health emergency, and compared to you, I am nothing, but its still your turn to take the bins out. Im not doing it again. Look, I want you to know that you are valued in what you do. People like you are the backbone of the Hancock household. And that is why, today, I am giving you a very, very small badge, with the word BINWOMAN written on it in tiny letters. To give you the recognition that you deserve. Matt, your mother phoned. She said, when you do the Health Select Committee thing later, and they ask you why youve not sorted out the testing, or the PPE, or the ventilators, or the care homes, or anything else, just try and give a proper answer. Dont just come out with some new load of old crap about six-point plans and five-point pillars and three-point turns and all the rest of it. No one believes a word of it, she said. She said youre just making a wally of yourself. OK, tell her, Im going to level with her. The results on the Basic Credibility Of Her Son front are not where they should be. But that is why I am setting a new target, today, to stop talking complete bollocks, completely, by the end of April. As I said last week, we cannot get a grip on all the bollocks until we have a clear picture of where it is coming from. We have now completed that phase of the plan and we are now clear that the bollocks is coming from me. Tell her that today I can announce that I have launched an independent inquiry into whether this new terrible outbreak of complete bollocks may even have escaped from a special Chinese bollocks laboratory that was secretly set up inside the UK secretary of state for health, which is to say, me. Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Show all 15 1 /15 Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A rose is delivered by drone to a woman on Mother's Day in Jounieh, Lebanon AFP/Getty Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Women dance on their balcony as a radio station plays music for a flash mob to raise spirits in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A skeleton stands on a balcony in Frankfurt, Germany AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies The film Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna is projected on a building in Rome AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman uses a basket tied to a rope to pull a delivery of groceries up to her balcony in Naples, Italy EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Francesco Cellini plays for his neighbours from the rooftop terrace of his flat block in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman gestures from her balcony in Barcelona EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Cellist Karina Nunez performs for her neighbours at the balcony of her flat in Panama City Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Nash Petrovic live streams a set from his roof in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies People applaud medical workers from their balconies in Modiin, Israel Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A Brooklyn resident relaxes in a hammock hung on their balcony Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Residents toast during a "safe distance" aperitif time between neighbours in Anderlecht, Belgium Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony in Budapest, Hungary Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man and his son on their balcony in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man sits alone on a roof terrace in Rome Reuters Dominic Cummings has read a big book on Chinese Spies and he reckons Jeremy Hunts wifes done it. Eamonn Holmes was talking about it on the telly this morning. Says its got something to do with a giant lasagne theyre making inside Wembley Stadium. All I can say is that until that inquiry has concluded, please tell mum Ill do my best. ****** Hello secretary of state, its Jeremy Hunt here. Thank you for joining us today. Can you tell us why it is that France estimates that 50 per cent of its Covid-19 deaths have happened in care homes, and your estimates put the figure in the UK at two per cent. Thats just not realistic, is it? Well chair, what I can tell you is that today I am launching a twenty-two-sided triangle for social care, we are ramping up that triangle and by the end of the month, it may even be a nine-point square. In the meantime, it is very important that 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. Manhattan Beach Toyota will be offering their showroom to help hospitals receive the supplies they need to save patients lives. Guests are welcome to make an appointment and help donate blood. During this time, hospitals need all the supplies they can get to help them provide excellent health care to their patients. Manhattan Beach Toyota will be hosting a blood drive at its showroom on May 5. The blood drive will run from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Interested parties can sign up at redcrossblood.org and use the sponsor code: MB Toyota. The Rapid Pass on the Red Cross website can help make donors time quicker at the blood drive for those who want a more expediated donation experience. Manhattan Beach Toyota has improved its sanitation standards to make sure the that showroom is clean for the sake of shoppers and donors. Hand sanitizer stations are around the showroom for visitors to use when they need it. The staff also practice social distancing and maintain high standards when it comes to the hygiene of the showroom. Interested parties can learn more about Manhattan Beach Toyota and the blood drive this May 5 by visiting the dealership website for more information: manhattanbeachtoyota.com. Donors or other guests who are interested visiting the showroom can speak with a representative by calling the dealership at 855-955-7001. The Manhattan Beach Toyota showroom is located at 1500 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 for prospective donors who want to sign up. Any other questions about the event or the dealership can be answered by the representatives at Manhattan Beach Toyota today. 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. US crude erased early gains to trade lower in Asia on Friday as China's first economic contraction in decades eclipsed President Donald Trump's plans to reopen the coronavirus-battered US economy. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate was up in the morning session after Trump laid out his plan to restart the world's biggest economy. But after the that China's economy shrank 6.8 per cent in the March quarter from the previous year after authorities imposed drastic measures to contain the virus, the contract was down 0.75 per cent to USD 19.72 a barrel in the afternoon. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was up 2.16 per cent at USD 28.42 a barrel, paring stronger gains in the morning session. "The poor data from China appears to be having the more outsized effect on prices this morning," OANDA senior market analyst Jeffrey Halley told AFP. "WTI has eased as poor retail sales in particular suggest that China's domestic-led economic recovery remains elusive." But Asian stock markets posted gains because the GDP numbers were not as bad as some as feared, despite signalling the first negative growth since the world's second-largest economy began logging quarterly data in the early 1990s. The virus first emerged in China late last year before marching round the globe. Oil rices have tanked to 18-year lows as the virus outbreak triggers worldwide lockdowns and travel restrictions which have throttled demand, while a Saudi-Russian price war compounded the crisis. Riyadh, kingpin of exporting group OPEC, and non-OPEC member Moscow ended their dispute last weekend when they led a group of top producers in striking a deal to cut output by nearly 10 million barrels a day to boost battered markets. But prices have fallen even further since, with analysts saying the agreement will not be enough to make up for the loss of demand caused by the virus. The International Energy Agency said this week that 2020 was likely to be "the worst year in the history" of the sector, while OPEC warned Thursday that oil markets were undergoing a "historic shock". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) France's interior ministry says its new order for hundreds of drones is not linked to the Covid-19 health crisis. But civil liberties groups fear that the flying cameras, already in use in some French cities, are an attempt to increase mass surveillance. Earlier this month, the French Interior Ministry published a tender for the supply of 650 drones worth 4 million euros. Companies bidding for the contract have until 19 June to finalise their proposals. The French order is part of an internal security programme funded by the European Union. The left-leaning French daily Liberation asked the Interior Ministry to confirm which security categories the government's new purchases fell into, and if all the drones on order are covered by the EU funding programme. Libe was told that the order corresponds to the needs of national security at all levels, adding that the order was placed at the end of 2019, and had nothing to do with the Covid-19 crisis. Civil liberties disappearing? Civil liberties groups are concerned that this is a further step in what they see as a generalisation of drone use, under the cover of enforcing the confinement measures in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The French website la Quadrature du Net, which specialises in digital technology and human rights, spoke out about the use of drones earlier this month, pointing out that they are already being used in several French cities to make sure the population was adhering to the lockdown. The organisation has deplored the lack of a framework in French law when it comes to drone use and the guarantee of civil liberties. Budget priority: policing or health? A message published by the Facebook group known as Cerveaux Non Disponibles (No Brains Available) and reposted over 11,000 times challenged the spending of public money on security, considering the gravity of the current health crisis. "While hospitals are struggling with a lack of masks and protective clothing due to the government's lack of foresight, we're seeing more fines issued than tests, this is a clear sign of a society under surveillance." Since the beginning of lockdown on 17 March, drones have been used to survey public spaces in Nice, and the wider Alpes-Maritimes region, where the private company Drone 06, has been hired to assist police patrols. There are currently 300 drones used by the French gendarmerie and around 110 used by national police officers. Most models include a loud-speaker which broadcasts a message to remind passers-by of the lockdown rules. Across the country, the gendarmerie and national police have used their own stock of drones to patrol major cities such as Marseille, Lille and Paris as well as French coastlines, river banks and lakes. 'Temptation to ignore' fundamental rights Amnesty International France has issued a series of recommendations for EU member states to avoid possible human rights abuses during the crisis, and called for the French government to be vigilant when policing confinement. "The Covid-19 pandemic has affected our societies as a whole, including how institutions operate. In these troubled times, the temptation is great for governments to ignore fundamental rights," insists Cecile Coudriou, director of Amnesty France. France voted a state of emergency for health law on 20 March which allows the government more powers to manage the Covid-19 crisis, such as suspending the fundamental freedom to move around and hold peaceful gatherings. For Amnesty these restrictions must remain strictly "necessary, proportionate, and limited". As for police controls, Amnesty warns against the use of excessive force, and the checking of the individual permission slip must respect the legal rights of individuals, without discrimination. "We ask that public authorities cease the restrictions as soon as the health crisis is over," declared Coudriou, "and in no way should these measures become common law." Geolocation technology Amnesty is particularly attentive to the use of digital tracking measures which are being employed in other countries and rely on the geolocation of mobile telephones. To prevent the infringement of privacy, Amnesty says any collection of data should remain anonymous and if they need to be personalised, users must consent to the use of their data, in line with French law and European directives. WASHINGTON, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- World Food Program USA (WFP USA) has exceeded its emergency fundraising goal of $5 million to support the United Nations World Food Programme's (UNWFP) critical COVID-19 response. WFP USA is grateful for the generous support of Americans from all walks of life and all corners of the country, and our long-standing U.S. foundation and corporate partnersincluding UPS and The UPS Foundation, Bank of America, Mars, Cargill, Sealed Air and Herbalife Nutrition, as well as new partners Allegis Group Foundation and C.H. Robinsonwho have all stepped up to support WFP's COVID-19 response in this time of great need. "The private sector, in partnership with humanitarian organizations, has an important role to play in responding to COVID-19," said Eduardo Martinez, President of The UPS Foundation and UPS Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. "We're all in this together, and our combined efforts and resources can make a substantial impact as we equip communities to prepare, respond and recover from this pandemic. We are honored to partner and support WFP's lifesaving work at this critical time." These vital donations from individuals, foundations and corporate donors will support WFP's efforts to provide lifesaving food to severely hungry people and combat the coronavirus threat in the world's most vulnerable communities. Private sector support includes a combination of cash and in-kind donations from UPS and The UPS Foundation for global logistics and transportation services, a focus on school meals from Cargill, supply chain and critical logistics operations from Herbalife Nutrition and from Mars, help toward managing logistics for emergency food and lifesaving equipment to hospitals in affected areas. With the success of the initial fundraising appeal, WFP USA has increased its goal to $8 million by May 30, to support the escalating needs from the pandemic threat. As the leading humanitarian organization fighting global hunger, WFP plays a critical role in providing food assistance for 100 million people worldwide, while supporting the global humanitarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic. WFP is on the frontlines, responding to the needs of poor, marginalized and hungry populations living in countries that are ill-equipped to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. World Food Program USA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that proudly supports the mission of the United Nations World Food Programme, the leading humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. By mobilizing individuals, lawmakers and businesses in the U.S. to advance the global movement to end hunger, we bolster an enduring American legacy of feeding families in need around the world. SOURCE World Food Program USA Michigan ranks third in the nation with 2,093 deaths associated with coronavirus COVID-19, but that total doesnt tell a complete story. Medical experts agree the death count isnt completely accurate. Where they disagree is whether the states real death toll from the pandemic is higher or lower than whats been reported. At least 2,093 Michiganders have died over the last 30 days, though some more accurately died with COVID-19 than died of COVID-19," according to medical examiners from some of the states most populated counties. I think a lot of clinicians are putting that condition (COVID-19) on death certificates when it might not be accurate because they died with coronavirus and not of coronavirus, said Macomb County Chief Medical Examiner Daniel Spitz. Are they entirely accurate? No. Are people dying of it? Absolutely. Are people dying of other things and coronavirus is maybe getting credit? Yeah, probably. Michigan doesnt have a uniform process for testing individuals who die outside of hospitals and before they can be tested for the virus. Medical examiners, who investigate unnatural and unexpected deaths, are responsible for determining how those individuals died and who to test. Some medical examiners are testing every body that comes through their office. Others are limiting tests to those who were symptomatic before death. Between at-home deaths, asymptomatic patients and a lack of widespread testing, some health officials believe the death toll from the virus could be higher than whats been reported. The reported total is probably a little low, said Lynn Sutfin, communications director for the Department of Health and Human Services. There probably are some out there who werent tested. Not outrageously low ... but there are some being missed who arent being counted. Deaths with coronavirus boost total In Macomb County, Chief Medical Examiner Daniel Spitz had a recent case in which an individual died by suicide. Because they had a family member in the hospital suffering from COVID-19, Spitz had a postmortem test done and found that the individual who died at home was positive for COVID-19. The virus wasnt their cause of death, but the individual is counted as a COVID-19 death. Similar cases of death with coronavirus have likely been included in the states count. In Oakland County, every individual who has died while infected with COVID-19 has counted as a coronavirus death, according to Dr. Ljubisa J. Gragovic, the countys chief medical examiner. We are testing all the people who are deceased who are brought in, whether they sustained injuries or were in a hospital setting or their place of work or home, whether theyre victims of violence or unexpected sudden death, were testing them," Dragovic said. Oakland County has 5,576 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 392 reported deaths. Dragovic said his office began testing everyone a few weeks ago when testing materials became more readily available. Hes gotten virtually one or two positives back a day. Dragovic doesnt believe hes alone in testing at a higher rate. Hes heard of medical examiners across the country who are testing as consistently as he is. But with the busy workload and limited staff working from their offices, there hasnt been time to communicate how each office is handling the crisis statewide. State Rep. Triston Cole, R-Mancelona, said hes been concerned that the state is inflating its death totals to justify Gov. Gretchen Whitmers executive orders, which have disrupted much of the states economy and everyday life in an effort to reduce the spread of the virus and keep health care systems from being overwhelmed. Cole said his questions to state health officials about the accuracy of the death total have gone unanswered. I think the numbers are being confused on purpose, he said. I dont want this to be confused with me not taking the virus seriously though. Social distancing, washing your hands and wearing a mask in public are still an absolute must. Death is often under-reported for infectious disease In most COVID-19 deaths, patients test positive for the virus and receive treatment at a hospital before dying, according to the National Association of Medical Examiners. Coronavirus patients with underlying health conditions are more susceptible to serious cases. However, there are cases where individuals die at home before they can be tested for COVID-19. In those cases, Michigan leans on medical examiners to investigate the deaths with the help of law enforcement and public health officials. In places like Macomb and Kent counties, testing for the virus by the medical examiners office is only conducted if the investigation into the cause of death revealed an individual showed symptoms of the virus before dying. With any infectious disease, death can often be under-reported, said Emily Toth Martin, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. If you arent going to a hospital or going into care before passing, there is a lower chance youll be tested. The other thing to think about is not everyone that dies from an infection has classic symptoms that indicate they needed to be tested. Health officials believe as many as 25 to 50 percent of people with COVID-19 might not show symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Macomb Countys medical examiner said theyve had a lot of their postmortem tests come back positive, though some have been negative. His office isnt testing on a daily basis. In Kent County, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Cohle has had two county residents tested postmortem and one Northern Michigan resident whose body was sent to his office. All three tested negative for COVID-19. Cohle said he would test every body that came into his office if county health officials asked him to. That hasnt been the case thus far, and he said testing those who didnt show symptoms would be wasteful in his opinion. A positive COVID-19 test from a patient who clearly died from another cause would also not warrant another tally in the states COVID-19 death count, he said. You should mention COVID-19 on the death certificate but you shouldnt certify its due to COVID if they died in a crash, Cohle said. Thats dying with COVID, not of COVID ... It defeats the point of having statistics. More data is best Whether Michigans death toll is higher or lower than reported, Martin said looking at death counts is a simple way to look at the impact of a virus and if infections are going up or down. Death counts allow epidemiologists to determine who is most at risk for serious cases, and to help find who should be prioritized for vaccination once one is available. Martin said getting an accurate death count or infection timeline is challenging, however. Patients can die without reporting symptoms, and some may die weeks after being infected. With influenza, people might die of a heart attack and they might have had influenza but they might not have had influenza symptoms to suggest testing them, Martin said. It makes us rely on other indicators like the number of people who are symptomatic or who test positive. That information has a lot less delay." Dragovic sees significant benefit" in calculating every case of COVID-19 in Oakland County, whether the virus was a factor in a death or not. Ideally, every resident would be tested, he said. That data is crucial for those working in health departments who are studying the penetrability of the virus in communities, which would otherwise be unknown. This is how we all learn about the behavior of a virus and how to respond to it in future situations, Dragovic said. Its better we know better how to handle it at a clinical level and level of prevention. Its important to get any bit of information about this virus and its behaviors in a population to those who are working day and night in development of new ways to cure or prevent or completely eliminate the virus. In addition to death counts, the state is reporting other data health professionals find helpful. Things like confirmed cases, recovered cases, positive and negative tests, and hospitalizations. Spitz, Macomb Countys medical examiner, said counting the virus death toll isnt an exact science. Itll take future analysis from epidemiologists to determine the actual number of deaths and the death rate. We cant know the death rate, we havent tested everyone, he said. If you dont have total cases, you cant be totally sure how many are dying. All the numbers have some value, it just depends how you interpret them. The more data we can put together, the more helpful it will be. 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. More from MLive: Gov. Whitmer hints at how Michigan will start reopening, come May 1 More than 2,000 people have died of coronavirus in Michigan Yes, Michigan is in a recession, and a quick recovery is unlikely Michigan health care system launches study testing for coronavirus antibodies There was growing ill-feeling between the political parties nationally this week over how to steer the country out of the health crisis and the impending economic crisis. The left-wing government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wants a cross-party deal similar to the historic Moncloa Pacts, wide-ranging social agreements used at the restoration of democracy. However, parties to the right have been reluctant to agree to the idea. Speaking in the first prime minister's questions since the crisis, where most MPs listened in remotely, the PM explained why he thought new pacts would be a good idea and complained at opposition parties' reluctance. "Let's hope that a new way of carrying out politics brings with it the general interest and not party interest," he said. Leader of the Partido Popular, Pablo Casado, replied, "He said in his weekly sermon that he is the high representative of Spaniards, but this isn't true. You aren't the King however much you summon us to talks." Casado said he was willing to reach consensus but "in the full light of day". Some smaller parties, especially regional ones normally supportive of the government, have also distanced themselves from the call for cross-party pacts. It also will allow taxi companies and ride share operators to defer paying some fees to the city, and will give restaurants and cafes more time to apply for licenses to operate sidewalk dining areas, though its anybodys guess when Chicagoans will again have the option or the desire to crowd into curbside seating areas to eat and drink. Amid the continuing lockdown in India, an ambulance driver and a sweeper were booked after denying to take the body of a COVID-19 victim to the crematorium. The incident took place on Friday in Uttar Pradesh and the deceased is said to be a native of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu, Sambhal SP Yamuna Prasad told news agency ANI. BCCL/Representational Image The COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease. Several doctors and healthcare workers who treated coronavirus patients have tested positive for the illness themselves. With more than 1000 cases recorded in India in the last 24 hours, the total tally in the country rose to 13,835, while 452 patients were reported dead due to the disease, according to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare data. A total of 1,076 new Covid-19 infections were reported in the past 24 hours while there are 11,616 active patients in the country since the outbreak. On the other hand, 1,766 patients have been discharged or cured from the disease and one migrated from the country, the data stated. During the press briefing on Friday evening, Lav Agrawal from Health Ministry also said that the ratio between recovered Covid-19 patients and deaths stands at 80:20 in India, which is higher than that in several other counties. Polaris Slingshot Recognize Todays Unsung Heroes With a Superhero Ride And Donates To Goggles For Docs MINNEAPOLIS---In a time of unprecedented events, millions of Americans are going above and beyond; whether its a battle through new adversity in daily life or helping someone in need. In an effort to shine a light and celebrate these individuals, Polaris Slingshot is asking its community to share stories about the superheroes in their lives. Whether a medical professional, a first responder, grocery worker, an educator learning to teach from a far, a seamstress supporting a local medical facility, a young adult delivering food to the community, or a stay-at-home mom turned school teacher Slingshot wants to hear these stories and say thank you. From now until June 3, Slingshot will be celebrating and acknowledging these local heroes on its social media channels. And to show appreciation, the company is awarding four of the submitted heroes a free three-month rental of an all-new 2020 Slingshot roadster. During these unprecedented times, Americans have had to adapt and stretch to unimaginable lengths, said Chris Sergeant, Vice President of Polaris Slingshot. Everyday tasks are more challenging. Jobs are significantly more demanding. These are the individuals we want to show our gratitude for, share their story and, in some cases, reward them with a free three-month Slingshot rental. Because every superhero deserves a superhero ride. To submit, anyone can post to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #SlingshotSuperhero. In the post, submitters should explain the heros story and how they are battling through adversity, lending support, or committed to their trade during these trying times. Slingshot will highlight a number of submissions throughout the program, while one winning submission will be awarded every two weeks until early June. Consumers can also register online at: https://slingshot.polaris.com/en-us/nominate-a-superhero/. Prize fulfillment will come at a time when the winner can get out and fully enjoy all the fun Slingshot has to offer. For more information on Slingshots superhero program, visit PolarisSlingshot.com. Follow Slingshot on social media: Facebook.com/PolarisSlingshot, @Slingshot on Twitter and @PolarisSlingshot on Instagram. About Polaris Slingshot Polaris Slingshot, a wholly-owned brand of Polaris Inc. , continues to define the category through style, ride experience and community with our three-wheeled autocycle. With AutoDrive and manual transmission options, an open cockpit, side-by-side seating, 5 ride height and a 2.0-liter 4 cylinder engine, Slingshot comes in a variety of models that are sure to make a statement. Step into a Slingshot for an adventurous and unrivaled ride experience. Learn more, visit slingshot.polaris.com. Slingshot is a three-wheeled motorcycle. It is not an automobile. It does not have airbags and it does not meet automotive safety standards. Three wheel vehicles may handle differently than other vehicles, especially in wet conditions. Always wear a DOT-approved full-face helmet and fasten seatbelts. The Driver may need a valid motorcycle endorsement. Drive within the limits of the law and your own abilities. Read, understand, and follow your owners manual. Never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Unless noted, trademarks are the property of Polaris Industries Inc. 2020 Polaris Industries Inc. Polaris Donates 509 And Klim Goggles To Support Goggles For Docs MINNEAPOLIS, MN (April 16, 2020) Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) today announced it has donated nearly 1,300 pairs of 509 and KLIM goggles to support Goggles For Docs , providing eyewear to healthcare workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic. This donation comes at a critical time as healthcare workers and first responders face a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The donation of nearly 1,300 pairs of goggles equate to a total MSRP of $72,200 and were distributed to hospitals and medical facilities across the nation including AMR Riverside in California, Newark Division of Fire & EMS in Ohio and Emory University Hospital in Georgia, among others. During these unprecedented times, we have seen so many examples of healthcare workers and first responders working in the most demanding circumstances despite the lack of PPE for the greater good, said Tom Delanoy, 509 founder and president. Working with Goggles For Docs to provide eyewear for those fighting on the frontlines of this pandemic seemed like a great way for us to contribute and we are humbled to be part of the solution. Goggles For Docs is a grassroots effort to provide healthcare workers with ski, snowboard, snowmobile and off-road goggles as they treat COVID-19 patients, offering a solution to the shortages of healthcare eye protection. As of April 4, more than 29,000 goggles have been shipped across the country. Dozens of new medical centers are being vetted daily by dedicated Goggles For Docs volunteers as the need for more goggles continues to grow. Goggles For Docs was created to help mitigate the lack of eye protection for medical workers and first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Jon Schaefer, Goggles For Docs founder. The need for goggles increases daily and we wouldnt be able to meet demands without the generosity of brands like Polaris, 509 and KLIM who have stepped up to provide much needed eyewear. 509 and KLIM are a part of Polaris broad portfolio of snowmobile and off-road riding gear, apparel and accessory offerings. To find more information about Goggles For Docs visit: GogglesforDocs.com. Also, join the conversation and follow the progress of the movement on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter . Polaris is committed to supporting its customers, dealers, employees and local communities, learn more about additional actions taken to support the Polaris family. About Polaris As the global leader in powersports, Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) pioneers product breakthroughs and enriching experiences and services that have invited people to discover the joy of being outdoors since our founding in 1954. With annual 2019 sales of $6.8 billion, Polaris high-quality product line-up includes the Polaris RANGER, RZR and GENERAL side-by-side off-road vehicles; Sportsman all-terrain off-road vehicles; Indian Motorcycle mid-size and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot moto-roadsters; snowmobiles; and deck, cruiser and pontoon boats, including industry-leading Bennington pontoons. Polaris enhances the riding experience with parts, garments and accessories, along with a growing aftermarket portfolio, including TransAmerica Auto Parts. Polaris presence in adjacent markets includes military and commercial off-road vehicles, quadricycles, and electric vehicles. Proudly headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves more than 100 countries across the globe. www.polaris.com . About Goggles for Docs Goggles For Docs came to life on March 28, 2020 via an email to Jon Schaefer, the General Manager of Berkshire East ski resort in Massachusetts. A New York City doctor was looking for used goggles to give to his team for eye protection. A quick spreadsheet documenting who needed what and where was created and a snowball effect was created. A group of seasoned and passionate volunteers all of whom are goggle-wearing sports enthusiasts run the program, which is entirely crowdfunded. 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. As the coronavirus outbreak hit the U.S., many states changed laws and regulations related to alcohol. Now, however, those changes between states have created a confusing scene for consumers and retailers over the last few weeks, and experts say leaders need to work together to avoid bigger problems. While 40 states with shelter-in-place orders have deemed liquor stores and other shops that sell alcohol essential businesses and allowed restaurants to deliver alcoholic drinks, some states, like Pennsylvania, have shut down their brick-and-mortar liquor stores during the pandemic. In some cases, the closures have resulted in shoppers seeking beer, wine and spirits to cross state lines -- potentially putting themselves at health risk to stock their shelves. SLIDESHOW: Coronavirus outbreak sparks global health emergency "It's almost like a trade war, but it's driven by health care," Michael D Belsky, the executive director of the Center for Municipal Finance at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy, told ABC News. Belsky and alcohol industry experts say the different regulations need to be sorted out soon to provide a balance of economic boost and safety. At the same time, experts say some of the new rules put in place could be a sneak peek of post-coronavirus regulations that would benefit the state, sellers and consumers. PHOTO: In this March 18, 2020, file photo, a pedestrian walks past a boarded up Wine and Spirits store in Upper Darby, Penn. (Matt Slocum/AP, FILE) Pennsylvania's alcohol laws mandate that any wine or spirits be sold through state-run stores, but since the governor issued a shelter-in-place order, residents can only purchase those bottles through a state website. Residents living close to the state's borders, meanwhile, have flocked to West Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey and other locations where liquor stores were still open. Reports of huge crowds waiting in line to purchase alcohol prompted both Ohio and West Virginia to issue new rules that mandated only residents with state-issued ID can purchase products from alcohol stores. Story continues 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. Michael Bilello, a spokesman for the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, a trade group that represents over 400 wholesalers across the country, told ABC News distributors are worried that the different regulations could lead to more black market sales. "We need to look at the lessons learned from Prohibition: When you shut down consumer's access to alcohol, they will find other ways," he said. "The states that kept wine, spirits and beer sales going are giving consumers access to safe products." PHOTO: Chris Scobee delivers alcohol to a business during the coronavirus outbreak, April 16, 2020, in Shaker Heights, Ohio. (Tony Dejak/AP) Belsky, who is also the former mayor of Highland Park, Illinois, said lower alcohol sales are going to eat into state revenue collected from taxes. He noted that Illinois' government takes in $300 million annually from its alcohol sales, and without restaurants and bars open for businesses, it's losing revenue needed for services. "The state laws have been written in a way to regulate alcohol use that it's not so readily available, but people's behaviors are changing now, and that might change their expectations," he said. Belsky said state governors have been doing a good job coordinating public health policies -- such as uniform education closures and stay-at-home orders -- but some needed to take a strong look at their alcohol and other commerce sale policies. MORE: How the alcohol industry is helping combat coronavirus "I think in any public policy, you need to have a balanced approach," he said. "No one wants to endanger the health of their constituents, but at the same time you risk everyone's health if they're going to the state border to buy alcohol." The National Association of American Wineries released a study in March that said the average winery lost $37,376 in sales that month. Bilello said there is some offset from the losses of brick-and-mortar locations, especially in the states that are allowing alcohol delivery options, such as New York and New Jersey. PHOTO: A liquor store in New York is shown on April 7, 2020. (Alison Wright/ZUMA Wire via Newscom) Apps like Drizly and Postmates, which are offering alcohol delivery from stores in certain states, have seen an increase of use, and customers are getting accustomed to this new convenience, according to Bilello. "We think this is a great thing and it shows we can properly sell our products this way and vet our customers are purchasing safely," he said. 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 Belsky said these relaxed regulations for alcohol sales distribution could lead to changes in state regulations in the long-term since governments are looking for ways to rebound the economy. He did also note that as the pandemic continues, states will have to keep an eye on consumption and its effect on public health. "You can gain in the economy but you may have to spend more when it comes to alcoholism," he said. How coronavirus is causing confusion with states' alcohol laws originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The Reserve Bank of India unexpectedly cut its key deposit rate on Friday, for the second time in three weeks, to discourage banks from parking idle funds with it and spur lending instead, to revive a flagging economy amid the coronavirus lockdown. The RBI cut its reverse repo rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 3.75% with immediate effect, Governor Shaktikanta Das told a video conference. The rate had already been cut by 90 bps on March 27. The central bank kept its benchmark lending or repo rate unchanged at 4.40% after a cut of 75 bps last month. The RBI also announced another round of targeted long-term repo operations (TLTROs) worth Rs 50,000 crore to help non-banking financial companies. Besides, RBI said it would also provide a Rs 50,000 crore refinance facility for institutions such as NABARD, SIDBI and NHB. Since his last address on March 27, Das said, India's economic and financial landscape has "deteriorated precipitously" in some areas. "The surplus liquidity in the banking system has risen significantly in the wake of government spending and the various liquidity enhancing measures undertaken by the RBI," he added. "In order to encourage banks to deploy these surplus funds in investments and loans in productive sectors of the economy, it has been decided to reduce the fixed-rate reverse repo rate." Indian banks had been extremely wary of lending over the last few quarters as the economy cooled, and those fears have only increased in recent weeks as business activity collapsed. Banks have parked 4.36 trillion rupees ($57.02 billion) on average with the RBI over the last three weeks, highlighting the extent of surplus rupee funds in the system. "It is doubtful whether this flow can be stemmed easily," said Joseph Thomas, head of research at Emkay Wealth Management. "Banks are not lending or investing because they fear that under the current conditions they may be adversely impacted." TARGETED MEASURES The central bank also took several steps to improve liquidity in the money markets, particularly for non-banking finance companies (NBFCs). Announcing the launch of second installment of targeted long term repo operations - TLTRO 2.0 - for easing credit to NBFCs, Das said the central bank will conduct them for an amount of Rs 50,000 crore, to begin with, in tranches of appropriate sizes. The new round of up to Rs 50,000 crore will be provided to banks as long as they invest these funds in investment grade bonds, commercial paper and non-convertible debentures of small, mid-size and large non-bank finance companies. The RBI also opened a refinance facility of Rs 50,000 crore for the National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Small Industries Development Bank of India and National Housing Bank to meet the long-term funding needs of various rural and small sectors. However, analysts believe the government will have to provide far more help to tide over the crisis. It has announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore package targeted at the poor but refrained from any "Big Bang" measures. "We think more targeted coordinated fiscal and monetary measures may be needed with increasing growth downside risks backed by depth and longevity of COVID-19," said Madhavi Arora, a lead economist with Edelweiss. Das said the central bank would monitor the situation and take further measures as and when required, while the expected trajectory of inflation would also open up space for policy action, barring any supply-side shocks. - Additional reporting by Ray Managh The High Court has appointed joint provisional liquidators to the Irish arm of the fashion retailer Laura Ashley, which operates five stores in Ireland. Laura Ashley Ireland Ltd, which is part of the Laura Ashley group and employs 76 people in Ireland, sought the winding up order arising out of its UK parent's decision to enter administration in that jurisdiction. The group, which sustained losses in recent years, entered administration after the outbreak of Covid-19 ended its attempts to raise third-party investment that it said it required in order to continue to trade. At the High Court this afternoon Mr Justice Michael Quinn said he was satisfied to appoint experienced insolvency practitioners Ken Tyrell and Declan McDonald of PWC as the company's joint provisional liquidators. The evidence before the court was that the company was insolvent. Seeking their appointment Rossa Fanning SC for the Irish firm told the court that the UK parent had informed his client that because of the administration it would no longer be able to provide the Irish company with any further financial support. Without that support the Irish company, which had seen a decline in revenue in recent years, could not survive as it has a balance sheet deficit of over 563,000. Counsel said that in addition to the parent group's situation, the Irish firm had also been experiencing financial difficulties in recent years. However, the Covid-19 outbreak has had a catastrophic impact on its financial position. In line with all other retailers the five Irish stores closed some weeks ago. Prior to closing their doors, counsel said that there had been a dramatic reduction in customer volumes and sales when people stopped going to shops, he added. Counsel said the Irish company has liabilities of 3.3m, 80% of which was owed to other companies within the group. Other creditors include Revenue, trade creditors and landlords. The appointment of provisional liquidators would help ensure an orderly winding up, and was in the best interests of all the parties concerned. Counsel also said that the parent firm's administrators had been in talks with a party interested in acquiring some of the group's Irish and UK assets. A successful sale, counsel added, could potentially result in some or all of the Irish jobs and the business being saved. It was also envisaged that the provisional liquidators will work with the administrators of the UK parent as part of the asset sale process, counsel said. The parent company, which had made losses in recent years, went into administration last month after it failed to secure fresh investment that would have allowed it continue to finance its operations. The emergence of Covid-19 resulted in a sudden deterioration in the global economic outlook and for fashion in particular, counsel said. The virus meant that the group was unable to raise the funding it required to allow it continue to trade, resulting in the appointment of administrations and the closure of a large number of its stores in the UK. The judge, after confirming the provisional liquidator's appointment, adjourned the matter to a date in early May. Looks like 1-4" occur north of 24 with less than 1" in a narrow corridor for a while just south of there. I had brief snow as we wet-bulbed from 40 to 35 overnight, but it went to rain, as it was just only about 1-2 degrees from all snow at low-levels. It was literally 1 to less than 2 degrees from mostly snow in Benton, White & Cass counties. Extremely tricky! Dew points rose a bit too much prior to precipitation, prevent best wet-bulbing for more in the way of snow in the heart of area & parts of the north. Totals as of 1 p.m.: 4" Talma 3" Akron 3" 7 NE Demotte 2" Roselawn 2" Morocco 1" Twelve Mile 0.5" Macy Trace Kentland Trace Remington Trace Monticello Trace Flora Trace Logansport Some spotty rain & snow is likely this afternoon-evening with lots of clouds, some fog & blustery, chilly highs of 38-46. We should clear tonight with frost & some late patchy fog & lows 23-29. Saturday looks good with sunshine & 52-60, followed by 39-44 Saturday night. Only issue Saturday will be strong gusty winds from the southwest up to 33 mph. Sunday should be a few scattered showers & t'showers morning to early afternoon with cloudy skies. Then, there should be a late afternoon-early evening break with mostly cloudy skies, followed by a few showers & t'showers in the evening as cold front passes. Some some clearing will follow. With breezy to windy conditions, highs of 57-64 are likely. As skies clear & winds diminish, some patchy fog is possible Sunday night-early Monday morning. Severe weather outbreak is likely from eastern Texas to South Carolina with ENHANCED RISK for severe weather up. Thinking that corridor of near or at MODERATE is possible from southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi to southern Alabama where a belt of higher strong, longer-track tornado risk may evolve. Periodic showers/t'storms are likely late next week to next weekend. A couple of periods of some severe weather risk are possible. First looks MARGINAL. Second on the weekend looks SLIGHT to ENHANCED per parameters projected. Temperatures certainly warm with highs 60s & even 70s (80 next weekend?) & lows in the 50s to 60s. Above normal warmth central Plains & East & unseasonably cold weather in the West & Northern Plains signals stormy (with severe weather episodes) pattern here & through Midwest, Plains & parts of the South late April to early May. Rainfall looks above normal here. Mid-May is cooler, drier than normal here with lack of severe weather. Late May colder weather in Rockies & Plains & warmth Midwest & East signal stormy pattern (with severe weather episodes) again here with above normal rainfall. Looks colder than normal Plains & Rockies & warmer than normal East. June also looks wetter than normal here & wetter than normal from the Northern Rockies & Plains to throughout the Plains & East. Only the Far West & central & southern Rockies look to have below normal precipitation. July is trending hotter & drier than normal, especially mid to late month. Two areas of substantial above-normal temperature anomalies will likely develop. One will be eastern Canada to New England to as far west as the Midwest. The other should be over the Pacific Northwest. It may be a bit cooler (more normal) in parts of the Rockies & Northern Plains. Temperature anomalies: Rainfall anomalies: Parts of the Rockies & Plains should see normal to slightly-below normal temperatures for August overall. The cores of highest above normal temperatures will be similar to July: Northwest U.S. & Eastern Canada to Northeastern U.S. to as far west as Midwest. Data shows landfalling tropical systems have influence on our August rainfall. Without these, it looks drier than normal, but signals of enhanced tropical development & landfalling are showing up. June-July-August 2020 overall temperatrure anomalies: Hotter Midwest to Northeast.....normal to below normal Plains & Rockies & hotter Northwest & Far West U.S. June-July-August rainfall: Below normal rainfall Far West & Far East U.S. with above normal central & South. Our above normal rainfall is part of June & then earmark shows up in latter August with tropical development. July looks the driest. July also looks like the hottest month of the summer. September-October-November 2020 (Fall) continue to trend drier than normal overall. Fall 2020 continues to trend warmer than normal. Deep South looks normal temperature-wise due to more rainfall (partially from tropical development). China Grain Reserves Group Ltd. Company (CGRG) developed a smart granary management system based on the Internet of Things (IoT) across the country, proving strong guarantee for food security. A camera in a granery (News.cn/Li Guodong) The CGRG built a modern grain depot containing over 6,000 grain sensors and monitors in Huadu district of Guangzhou, capital of south Chinas Guangdong province, which is one of its IoT-based granaries. Covering an area of about 12 hectares, the Central Grain Reserves Guangzhou Directly Managed Storehouse, one of Chinas central grain reserves, can store more than 100,000 tons of grain, which is sufficient for 1 million people to eat in half a year. We have 20 1,500-square-meter warehouses, so it previously took time and effort to walk around them, let alone to check the grain situation, said Li Xiaodong, general manager of the storehouse, adding that the IoT enables quick and efficient scrutiny only in front of computers. Li noted that about 300 temperature measurement points and two humidity sensors for the grain piles can send real-time data to the CGRG headquarters and its branches, so that potential problems, if any, can be handled immediately. High-definition monitors enable the management departments to conduct all-weather remote monitoring of silos without any blind spots, said Tao Linyan from the CGRG Guangzhou branch. With 4.3 million sensors and 81,158 monitors deployed in over 980 grain depots, the IoT-based granary management can also provide intelligent ventilation solutions by calculating ventilation methods and timing, and by remotely controlling ventilators. Technology advances in grain storage have significantly reduced the rate of abnormal situations, such as overheating and mildew of grains, Tao added. The IoT-based solutions have greatly enhanced the CGRGs grain storage capability and Chinas capacity in guaranteeing food security, said Jin Jing, general manager of the CGRG Guangzhou branch. Toronto Public Health has built its own coronavirus data-tracking system, saying it needed a more nimble public health database than Ontarios outdated and clunky province-wide system. Torontos secure internal database, launched Thursday with provincial approval and called Coronavirus Rapid Entry System (CORES), was developed over the past eight weeks, primarily by City of Toronto technology staff. Dr. Eileen de Villa, Torontos public health chief, told reporters CORES will speed up her departments efforts to trace people who came into contact with infected Torontonians, and yield better data on the local spread of COVID-19 to share with the public. The nimble new system will also track test results, hospitalizations and deaths, she said. It will upload information to the Ontario health ministrys Integrated Public Health Information System (iPHS) local public health agencies have been required to use to report infectious disease information since 2005. The new database will also allow more of Torontos front-line staff to work from home, Toronto Public Health said in a news release. Previously, TPH was inputting our case and contact-tracing data into the provincial integrated public health information system, also known as iPHIS, which all local public health departments are required to use to report infectious disease information, the release states. This system has served TPH well during routine public health work. However, it is not equipped to deal with a health emergency of this magnitude and the scale and speed of data-entry required to provide up-to-date data. TPH chair Coun. Joe Cressy said Toronto started working on CORES as soon as the scale of the global pandemic, and the limitations of Ontarios 15-year-old system, still used by the other 33 public health units, became apparent. To be frank the (provincial) system, we found, was outdated and clunky and not as effective as is necessary right now, Cressy said in an interview. The time it took to input and update information was onerous and slow. The data reports that could be pulled from it, that help guide and inform our response, were not as comprehensive as needed. The central tenet of infectious disease prevention during a pandemic is adequate testing, followed by rigrous contact tracing. Our tracing work was severely restricted by an outdated data management system. Premier Doug Fords government was supportive of Torontos decision to develop its own system to feed better data back to the provincial system, said Cressy, who added that Toronto has kept other cities abreast of its work on CORES. Cressy said he expects Ottawa will follow Torontos lead and launch its own data-tracking system soon. Ottawa officials could not be reached for comment Thursday evening. Also Thursday, Brian Beamish, Ontarios information and privacy commissioner, wrote to public health agencies reminding them of their requirement to be forthcoming with the public about COVID-19s spread. Agencies should provide as much information as is necessary to protect public health, without naming individuals, Beamish wrote. The data could include number of cases, approximate age and gender as well as geographic locations of infected or deceased individuals, including those in long-term care facilities. De Villa , who on Tuesday suggested people seek infection data directly from long-term care homes, said Thursday she agrees with Beamish, and CORES will allow her department to give more COVID-19 data to Torontonians. But public health officials must balance disclosure, she said, with a need to give ill Torontonians, and the family of deceased people, the space to recover. TPH reported that, as of early Thursday afternoon, Toronto had 2,881 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases including 230 people hospitalized, 88 of them in intensive care. The virus has claimed the lives of 147 Torontonians. The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care had dropped from 94 on Wednesday, but total deaths rose by 26. 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. China must be held accountable if US intelligence's investigation into claims the novel coronavirus could have originated from a laboratory in Wuhan turns out to be true, lawmakers have insisted. It comes after President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the US is trying to determine whether the coronavirus first crossed to humans accidentally during experiments with bats at the Wuhan Institute of Virology Lab. Senator for Arizona Martha McSally said there is 'zero doubt' the Chinese government has 'American blood on its hands' (File image) Texas Senator Ted Cruz tweeted that there is 'much circumstantial evidence' to suggest the virus was leaked from a Wuhan laboratory (File image) The Wuhan Institute of Virology is China's only bio-safety level four (BSL-4) facility A US intelligence official confirmed the intelligence community is actively seeking information on the topic and are updating lawmakers on their findings, according to a CBS report. Senator for Arizona Martha McSally said there is 'zero doubt' China has 'American blood on its hands'. 'There is zero doubt that the Chinese communist government has American blood on its hands. 'They put American lives at risk by covering up the origin and scope of the coronavirus crisis,' she told Fox News. Texas Senator Ted Cruz tweeted that there is 'much circumstantial evidence' to suggest the virus was leaked from a Wuhan laboratory. Speaking on The Sean Hannity Show, Senator Tom Cotton (pictured) agreed it seemed 'highly coincidental' that 'this very contagious virus originated just a few hundred yards or maybe a couple miles from laboratories where the Chinese Communist Party researches coronaviruses' 'What we do know is we know that this virus originated in Wuhan, China,' Secretary of State Mike 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' 'HUGE. There is much circumstantial evidence, including TWO Chinese labs in Wuhan that were studying bat coronaviruses. 'If the virus accidentally escaped from the labsand the CCP covered it upthen the Chinese govt is responsible for 130k+ global deaths,' he wrote on Wednesday. Speaking on The Sean Hannity Show, Senator Tom Cotton agreed it seemed 'highly coincidental' that 'this very contagious virus originated just a few hundred yards or maybe a couple miles from laboratories where the Chinese Communist Party researches coronaviruses.' Cotton also said there must be repercussions for the Chinese Communist Party 'if it turns out that Chinese negligence and then Chinese corruption and treachery was responsible for unleashing this pandemic on the world.' A worker is seen ninside the P4 laboratory in Wuhan. Texas Senator Ted Cruz tweeted that there is 'much circumstantial evidence' to suggest the virus was leaked from a Wuhan laboratory 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. A colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (red) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow), isolated from a patient sample The Wuhan laboratory pictured in a file photo. 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 'What we do know is we know that this virus originated in Wuhan, China,' Secretary of State Mike 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.' It comes as China today revised the death toll in coronavirus ground-zero Wuhan, revealing that nearly 4,000 people have died from the illness in the area. In a social media post, the city government added 1,290 deaths to the tally in Wuhan, bringing the toll to 3,869. Officials said many fatal cases were 'mistakenly reported' or missed entirely in an admission that comes amid growing global doubts about Chinese transparency. The global pandemic originally emerged in Wuhan and went on to suffer the vast majority of China's fatalities from Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Senator Tom Cotton claims that China 'deliberately' allowed coronavirus to wreak havoc on the rest of the world as he calls for the Chinese Communist Party to be 'held responsible' Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton has claimed that China 'deliberately' allowed the rest of the world to become infected with the novel coronavirus. He made the comments during an interview on Fox's Outnumbered Overtime after it emerged that US intelligence officials are investigating whether the virus could have leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan. Cotton said that even if there was a lack of 'conclusive evidence' on where the virus originated, the cover up in the weeks following the outbreak allowed the disease to spread beyond China to wreak havoc on the rest of the world. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton has claimed that China 'deliberately' allowed the rest of the world to become infected with the novel coronavirus China has strongly refuted claims that coronavirus could have first crossed to humans accidentally during experiments with bats at the Wuhan Institute of Virology Lab. 'Even if we can't establish it conclusively, we still know that they covered up this virus for weeks in December and January when they could have been forthright, when they could have tried to arrest its spread in Wuhan,' Cotton said. 'But instead they made this decision deliberately to allow this virus to spread around the world. 'In my opinion, Xi Jinping had decided if China is going to suffer then the rest of the world, especially the United States, is going to suffer, and there has to be consequences to those actions.' Cotton also commented: 'There is a lot of circumstantial evidence to point to those labs as the sources of this pandemic. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Mike Pompeo demands truth from Beijing as US investigates if... China increases Wuhan's Covid-19 death toll by 50 PER CENT... Share this article Share 'There's virtually no evidence, circumstantial or direct, to point to a food market in Wuhan. 'It just takes a little bit of common sense to say that the Chinese Communist Party needs to be held responsible.' It comes after a report by Fox News in which multiple sources claimed investigations are underway to determine if coronavirus could have first crossed to humans during experiments with bats at the Wuhan Institute of Virology laboratory. Advertisement 'These are acts of WAR!' Economist claims China covered up its early coronavirus outbreak and preempted global crisis by inserting a 'pandemic clause' in trade deal with United States Jack Elsom for MailOnline China committed an 'act of war' by covering up the scale of its early coronavirus outbreak for six weeks, a leading economist has claimed. Danielle DiMartino Booth, an author and chief executive, said Beijing officials were aware of the deadly disease spreading in Wuhan last November and allowed it to snowball into a global pandemic. She said Chinese officials had countless lives on their hands and should be hauled before an international court as their 'under-reporting' did not afford the rest of the world time to enforce border restrictions. The economist points to a 'pandemic clause' in the January trade deal between Washington and Beijing, which she believes is evidence the Communist regime knew the extent of their crisis while publicly downplaying it. DiMartino Booth said: 'The World Health Organisation should be held accountable for not holding China accountable to providing good valid data so the rest of the world could prepare for fewer people to die. 'And that's what you're talking about. To me these are equivalent to acts of war.' China committed an 'act of war' by covering up the scale of its early coronavirus outbreak for six weeks, a leading economist has claimed (President Xi Jinping pictured in March at a hospital in Wuhan) Danielle DiMartino Booth, an author and chief executive, said Beijing officials were aware of the deadly disease spreading in Wuhan last November and allowed it to snowball into a global pandemic Her blistering attack, made on the Valuetainment YouTube show, came as Wuhan, the epicenter of the pandemic, revised the city's official death toll to add nearly 1,300 fatalities. She told host Patrick Bet-David that reports of a virus in Wuhan emerged in November, and that six weeks later on January 15, Washington and Beijing signed a trade deal in which she claims China preempted the pandemic. In an agreement which ended the bitter trade war between the world's two economic powerhouses, Xi Jinping would buy $200million of Americal goods and Donald Trump would ease tariffs on Chinese exports. But DiMartino Booth said that buried in this deal was 'an out-clause, a very clever out-clause that the Chinese made sure was in there.' She continued: 'That said if there was any act of God, a pandemic, then they didn't have to make good on what they'd committed to buy from the United States. President Donald Trump stands with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He after signing 'phase one' of the US-China trade agreement in the East Room of the White House in Washington January 15 'Within days they'd announced the first coronavirus (case). 'So, did the Chinese know damn well that this thing was running around the world for six weeks before they shut down Wuhan? Yes they did. Is that criminal? Yes it is. Does it deserve to go in front of a world tribunal? Yes it does.' The clause DiMartino is understood to have referred to is Article 7.6, which stipulates that the parties shall 'consult with each other' in the event of a 'natural disaster or other unforeseeable event' outside of their control. China first officially started investigating a pneumonia-type disease in Wuhan in December, but last month the South China Morning Post unearthed a report which suggested the government were aware of an outbreak as early as November. Questions have long swirled around the accuracy of China's case reporting, with Wuhan in particular going several days in January without reporting new cases or deaths. Funeral home workers remove the body of a person suspected to have died from the coronavirus outbreak from a residential building in Wuhan on February 1 That has led to accusations that Chinese officials were seeking to minimize the impact of the outbreak and could have brought it under control sooner. A group of eight medical workers, including a doctor who later died from the virus, were even reprimanded and threatened by police after they tried to alert others about the disease over social media. Chinese officials have denied covering up cases, saying their reports were accurate and timely. However, the WHO has come under criticism for defending China's handling of the outbreak. President Trump has now suspended funding to WHO over what he alleges is its pro-China bias. Trump's blaming of China came after he initially showered praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping for the country's response, while largely dismissing the risk it posed to the US At the start of the outbreak, China proceeded cautiously and largely in secret, emphasizing political stability. Experts estimate more than 3,000 people were infected before China's government told the public about the gravity of the situation, which officials had concluded six days earlier. The risk of sustained human-to-human transmission was also downplayed, even while infected people entered hospitals across the country and the first case outside China was found, in Thailand. As Trump and other US officials and lawmakers started blaming China for the outbreak, Chinese officials sought to shift blame back to the US. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian tweeted in March: 'It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan.' A displaced woman washes her hands before receiving cash assistance at Kigonze site, Ituri Province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. UNHCR UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency is warning that the latest rounds of violence in eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) displacing thousands of people could unleash terrible consequences for the country as it grapples to initiate a new fight against the deadly coronavirus. More than five million people have been uprooted by conflict within the DRC's borders, the single-largest internally displaced population in Africa. The country also hosts over half a million refugees, fleeing unrest and persecution in the neighbouring countries. Recent attacks in North Kivu and Ituri provinces are reported to have displaced more than 35,000 people in recent weeks including some 25,000 in villages south of Lubero territory. In the meantime, security has deteriorated in the Djugu Territory in Ituri province, where a growing number of attacks by unknown assailants have displaced over 12,000 persons so far this month. These attacks hamper humanitarian access, hinder assistance to desperate displaced people, and disrupt vital coordination on COVID-19 prevention and sensitization. Ongoing violence and insecurity in other parts of the country could also make it harder for the displaced to access public health facilities. Many areas and sites hosting displaced people are also overcrowded, making it difficult to implement physical and social distancing. As confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in DRC with 287 confirmed cases and 23 deaths, mainly in the capital Kinshasa, UNHCR is working closely with other UN and humanitarian partners to prevent the spread of the disease among refugees and the internally displaced. At the same time, we continue our activities to protect and assist refugees and internally displaced people. As to date, no cases of COVID-19 infection have been reported among refugees and asylum seekers in the DRC. UNHCR is redoubling its efforts to implement prevention and response measures in refugee camps and sites. We are extremely concerned that insecurity and diminishing humanitarian access will generate major challenges for the country, already overwhelmed and under-resourced with its health services. Insecurity in the East had forced UNHCR partners to withdraw staff from displacement sites in Drodro and Bule in the Ituri province at the end of March, leaving displaced people without effective support. UNHCR and its partners have facilitated the establishment of 14 humanitarian committees to temporarily provide remote management, until the security situation improves. Our efforts also continue against COVID-19 despite challenges in many other parts of DRC as we draw lessons from the worlds second-largest Ebola epidemic, which has been affecting the country since 2018. UNHCR is strengthening its regular health and sanitization activities in camps, sites and transit centres where possible. The present prevention COVID-19 measures include temperature screening at entry points of camps, sites and transit centres, and have installed some 365 hand-washing stations, and carried out an initial distribution of more than 23,000 soap bars. UNHCR is also conducting mass awareness-raising activities on health measures being implemented by the Government and on guidance on preventive measures to lower the risk of infection. Refugees and displaced persons often express fears about the virus, mainly as a result of misinformation. While physical distancing can be challenging in overcrowded camps or settlements, the advice to regularly wash hands is globally keenly followed. Across DRC, UNHCR is also supporting the national healthcare system to scale-up its response. We are for instance setting up three isolation centres in the Kasai province where patients with COVID-19 symptoms will be referred to for treatment, hence limiting the burden on public hospitals and health structures. We are also, together with our partners, delivering medical equipment, beds, masks, gloves and other materials to help address critical shortages in areas hosting refugees and internally displaced persons. These are often in remote locations where there is already a lack of basic healthcare infrastructure and frequent medicine supply shortages. Meanwhile, we are maintaining existing programmes where possible. We continue to assist with cash-based interventions to support the displaced in North Kivu province to meet a variety of needs, including access to food, healthcare and shelter. We are now using mobile money transfers to reduce physical contacts and have provided over 5,900 internally displaced households with mobile phones and SIM cards. Furthermore, nearly some 2,000 Burundian asylum-seekers who have recently arrived and remain in a transit centre in South Kivu province, will be transferred to a permanent settlement. Temporary shelters are currently under construction and these new arrivals will remain in quarantine for 14 days and will receive cash for shelter to build their own shelters through mobile money transfers. UNHCR continues its advocacy for equal access to refugees and displaced people in the national health systems being put in place to fight COVID-19. For more information on this topic, please contact: The COVID-19 virus is spreading aggressively in jails throughout California and the rest of the United States. Detained people, jail staff and the communities they return to face increased and potentially deadly exposure unless policymakers take decisive action to lower jail populations to levels that allow necessary social distancing, quarantine, and medical treatment. On April 6, Californias court leadership, the Judicial Council, using authority granted by the governor, issued emergency rules setting bail amounts at zero upon an initial arrest for most lower level charges. Depending on how local courts carry them out, these rule changes could substantially lower the number of incarcerated people and move facilities toward safer population levels. Unfortunately, an order issued March 28 extends the time that people who do have bail set must stay in jail, needlessly enhancing their exposure. In the best of times, jails are not healthy places. They lack adequate standards of hygiene and sanitation. Recirculated air is conducive to transmission of airborne infections. People live in extremely close quarters, often crowded into dorm rooms with dozens of others, or small cells with stacked bunks. Respiratory ailments, like tuberculosis, are common. As a team of doctors specializing in medicine in correctional institutions recently said in a declaration expressing concern about the potential spread of COVID-19 in Illinois correctional facilities: Jails and prisons are long known to be breeding grounds for infectious respiratory illness. COVID-19 raises the stakes. Coughing and sneezing spreads droplets containing the virus through the air or onto walls and other surfaces, infecting many who come in contact. Avoiding infection through social distancing is difficult in jails. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends living quarters in which people have 6 feet of space in all directions between them a difficult standard in most, if not all, California jail facilities. The potential for rapid and deadly spread of COVID-19 among prisoners is staggering. New Yorks Rikers Island facility and Chicagos Cook County Jail have already experienced severe outbreaks; jails in California are beginning to report cases. Some policymakers across the country are recognizing the danger, taking mostly modest steps to reduce jail populations to allow a greater degree of social distancing. Concern remains that these efforts are not enough. The danger is not limited to prisoners. Jail staff are at risk. Because jails have rapid turnover and relatively short stays, people returning home from custody can also bring infection to their families and neighbors, while new prisoners and staff can bring infection into the facilities. The Judicial Councils April 6 zero-bail order will permit people accused of most misdemeanor and non-violent felony offenses to remain safely at home while their cases are pending. Judges retain discretion to set higher bail at future court appearances in exceptional cases, but the default is zero. This new rule should keep many people from entering jails, resulting in decreased crowding. The change also applies to those in pretrial custody. This change can make a substantial positive difference, but this can vary by county. Courts could order the bail reductions for everyone in jail who qualifies, rapidly releasing large numbers of people, or they can choose to hold hearings to evaluate each case on an individual basis an irresponsible approach that would slow the process and keep people in danger longer. Complicating the situation is the March 28 Judicial Council order, which extends from 48 hours to seven days the time people can be detained before their first court appearance, their first opportunity to ask the judge for release. It also extends the time from that first court appearance until a preliminary hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to proceed with the case from 10 court days to 30 and delays the right to a speedy trial by an additional 30 days. It applies similar delays to juvenile court proceedings. These delays will keep people in jail longer, increasing their risk of exposure. They could also make it difficult to get bail reductions if courts decide to hold hearings on bail using these longer deadlines. The most urgent public safety challenge California courts face today is to protect people in jail and their communities from the spread of the deadly virus. Reductions of jail populations to a level that allows proper social distancing, non-punitive quarantine and quality treatment need to occur quickly. Courts should apply the change in bail to all qualified people in jail through blanket orders effective right away. And while it is understandable that the courts want to adjust their operations in light of the pandemic, the Judicial Council should withdraw the extensions of time limits that keep others in jail beyond their ordinary statutory time. John Raphling is a California-based senior criminal justice researcher at Human Rights Watch. SELAH AND THE SPADES (2020) Stream on Amazon. This debut feature from the filmmaker Tayarisha Poe was praised by critics when it debuted at last years Sundance Film Festival. Set at a fictional, prestigious boarding school in Pennsylvania, the movie centers on Selah (Lovie Simone), the head of a powerful clique who takes under her wing a new student, Paloma (Celeste OConnor), whom she mentors in navigating the schools knotted social order. The dynamic between the two shifts when Paloma begins to threaten Selahs grasp on social power. In her review for The Times, Teo Bugbee called the film exceptionally composed. Poe, she wrote, designs her frames with care and sets a languid pace, a relief from the desperate freneticism of many teenage tales. HERE WE ARE: NOTES FOR LIVING ON PLANET EARTH (2020) Stream on Apple TV Plus. The artist and illustrator Oliver Jefferss childrens book Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth gets an infusion of star power in this animated short film adaptation. Ruth Negga and Chris ODowd voice parents walking their young son through essential pieces of knowledge, like why humans keep track of time. Meryl Streep narrates. Actor Aamir Khans upcoming film, Laal Singh Chaddha, which was slated for a Christmas release, will likely be pushed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Filming is yet to be completed on the project, an official remake of the Hollywood classic Forrest Gump. Writer Atul Kulkarni told Pinkvilla, Laal Singh Chaddha, I think, would release next year now. We were supposed to release in December. In the film, Aamir plays a Sikh man on a cross-country journey. Desribing the character, Aamir had told Hindustan Times, This character is very lovable. Hes so innocent he has got this different way of looking at things. Hes someone you immediately empathise with when you connect. Unless I perform it badly (laughs), then its a different game. As a written character, its such that youd fall in love with him straightaway. Directed by Advait Chandan, the film also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan. Kareena, who has worked with Aamir in films such as Talaash and 3 Idiots, said that she agreed to do the film mostly because she wanted to work with Aamir again. She told Mid-Day, I wouldnt have agreed to do this for anyone except Aamir. He is a genius, and he would want to do the best for his film. If he asked me to audition, it is only because he knew I was perfect for the part. But he wanted to be sure of what he was seeing in me. Theres science to that decision. Aamirs last release was the critical and commercial disaster, Thugs of Hindostan. He told Hindustan Times that he felt obligated to apologise to fans after it didnt work. I felt emotionally that I should address it and apologise to people for not living up to the expectations, he said. Follow @htshowbiz for more According to his wife, Mr. Quinones, who is immunosuppressed and suffering from a gastric ailment, has become "extremely thin," and she is extremely concerned that she will not be able to visit him for the indefinite future: "the prison is closing tomorrow until further notice, which reflects how the virus has gotten worse throughout Cuba." Mr. Quinones was imprisoned on charges of "resistance" and "disobedience." These alleged acts occurred in April 2019, when he was detained and beaten without cause for covering a politically-charged trial of homeschooling parents in Guantanamo. "These cruel tactics are part of a long-standing war of attrition waged by the Communist Party against dissidents and other liberty advocates. Party apparatchiks want to break Quinones, but he will stand firm. They will fail," said Jason Poblete. "We will continue to highlight these abuses, help secure Quinones's freedom, and, eventually, hold Quinones's abusers to account." Quinones Matter Summary Roberto de Jesus Quinones Haces, like many freethinkers, has suffered several decades of the Cuban regime's persecution. In the past, he has been blocked from traveling abroad and has undergone multiple unlawful searches-and-seizures and detentions. On April 22, 2019, Mr. Quinones was arrested at the Guantanamo courthouse and beaten for five days. He had been covering the trial of Pastors Rigal and Exposito for homeschooling, for CubaNet. Radio Marti has a recording of Mr. Quinones speaking about the beating he received here, and ADN Cuba shows photo evidence of his attack in a profile of the case here. In June 2019, GLA agreed to work on Mr. Quinones's behalf. On August 1, he was cited for refusing to pay a fine for his alleged misbehavior. This was the day after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed his concern for Mr. Quinones in a phone interview. Mr. Quinones appealed his first sentence from house arrest. This appeal was rejected and he was imprisoned on September 11. On April 1, 2020, One Free Press and the Committee to Protect Journalists featured Mr. Quinones as one of several journalists worldwide who was unjustly imprisoned. In support of Mr. Quinones and his long-suffering family, and since there is no legal reason to have detained him to begin with, GLA demands the Cuban regime release Mr. Quinones immediately. The GLA shall redouble its efforts to defend him and also hold to account those involved in the unlawful imprisonment of Mr. Quinones. The Global Liberty Alliance is committed to defending fundamental rights and the rule of law, including the fundamental right to freedom of speech. You can find more information about the work that GLA is doing on our blog, our Facebook page, or our Twitter account. CONTACT: Veronica Mayer (703) 566-3037 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1156938/Global_Liberty_Alliance.jpg SOURCE Global Liberty Alliance A Florida man threatened a shooting at a local supermarket because not enough of the customers were wearing protective face coverings Police in Florida have arrested a man who threatened to go on a shooting rampage in his local supermarket because he thought too few shoppers were wearing protective masks against the coronavirus. Robert Kovner, 62, was arrested after he posted on Facebook that he would "empty every clip I own" in his local Publix supermarket because not enough customers were wearing protective face coverings, police said. "Will it take shooting a few of you selfish A-holes in the parking lot to get the message through?" Kovner was reported to have posted on social media. "Trust me, the virus is not the only thing that may cause your demise!" Police in Sebring, some 85 miles (135 kilometers) south of Orlando, said that "these are stressful times, but there is no excuse for making threats like this." "It's not a joke. It's not just a bad day. It's a crime. We will ALWAYS take them seriously, and you will go to jail," they said. Florida has some of the laxest gun laws in the United States, a country rife with mass shootings and where the right to possess guns is guaranteed by the constitution. Gun shops have been listed as essential services during the pandemic and have racked up record sales since March. Following federal guidelines, Florida recommends the use of masks in public spaces to prevent the spread of the disease, but face coverings are not obligatory outside of cities like Miami and Miami Beach, whose mayors have ordered them to be worn in enclosed spaces that are open to the public. By Friday, Florida had recorded more than 24,000 cases of coronavirus, with 680 deaths. Kovner was charged with threatening to carry out a mass shooting. A police spokesman told AFP he was released on $30,000 bail and that his weapons were confiscated. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. With having published myriads of reports for global clients, Future Market Insights exhibits its expertise in the market research field. Our dedicated crew of professionals rides the wave of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and big data analytics, to project the adoption pattern and consumption trends regarding the market. A three-step quality check process - data collection, triangulation, and validation is paramount while assuring the authenticity of the information captured. Global Radiopharmaceuticals Market Report The latest business intelligence study by FMI suggests that the global market size of Radiopharmaceuticals reached US$ xx Mn/Bn in 2018(Base Year) and is anticipated to registerUS$ xx Mn/Bn by the end of 2029 with a CAGR of xx% from 2019 to 2029(Forecast period).The research study focuses on the drivers, restraints, opportunities and trends impacting the Radiopharmaceuticals Market. All the relevant vendors running in the Radiopharmaceuticals Market are examined based on market share and product footprint. Key players include GE Healthcare, Siemens (Siemens Healthineers), Novartis (Advanced Accelerator Applications), Lantheus Holdings. The data associated with each market player includes: Company Profile Main Business Information SWOT Analysis Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin Purchase reports by today to avail discount offer!!! Download Sample Copy@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1992 Radioisotope-wise Segmentation Assessment: Technetium-99 Fluorine-18 Iodine-131 Leutetium-177 Yttrium-90 Gallium-68 Gallium-67 Rubidium-82 Iodine-123 Iodine-125 Indium-111 Others Application-wise Segmentation Assessment: Oncology Cardiology Gastroenterology Neuroendocrinology Neurology Nephrology Others Ask an Analyst @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-the-analyst/rep-gb-1992 Source-wise Segmentation Assessment: Cyclotrons Nuclear Reactors End user-wise Segmentation Assessment: Hospitals Diagnostic Imaging Centers Ambulatory Surgical Centers Cancer Research Institute Regional Analysis North America Latin America Western Europe Eastern Europe APEJ Japan MEA The Radiopharmaceuticals Market research also takes into account the important countries that hold significant share in the respective regions, such as U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Nordic Countries, Benelux among others. Request for covid19 Impact Analysis: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/covid19/rep-gb-1192 What does the Radiopharmaceuticals Market research holds for the readers? Market segmentation assessment, including qualitative and quantitative research depicting the impact of economic and non-economic factors. Breakdown of each Radiopharmaceuticals Market player as per mergers & acquisitions, R&D projects, and product launches. Leading regions holding significant share in the global Radiopharmaceuticals Market along with the key countries. One to one company profile of prominent stakeholders. Critical study of each Radiopharmaceuticals manufacturer, such as market share, regional footprint, and product innovations. The Radiopharmaceuticals Market research clears away the following queries: Why region holds the largest share in the Radiopharmaceuticals Market over the forecast period? Why are stakeholders shifting away from conventional methods for manufacturing Radiopharmaceuticals? In which year, the global Radiopharmaceuticals Market has the lowest Y-o-Y growth rate? At what rate has the global Radiopharmaceuticals Market been growing throughout the historic period 2014-2018? By end use segment, which segment currently leads the global Radiopharmaceuticals Market? And many more How could former FBI director James Comey and his accomplices be so bold as to think they could get away with spying on Carter Page, a 2016 Trump campaign adviser, when they objectively knew Page was not a Russian agent? Answer: Because they had already corrupted the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court system. Applications for warrants to spy on Americans were being approved without truthful and accurate corroboration of their allegations. The standard for the government to obtain warrants under FISA is the highest in U.S. law because preventing terrorism and foreign danger involves the otherwise unconstitutional invasion of privacy of U.S. citizens. In theory, the facts alleged on the application have to be correct. In practice, prior to being caught, corrupt actors in charge of the relevant bureaucracies could spy on whomever they chose. Another answer to the question posed above is that top officials at the FBI thought they would never be audited in a million years. The Audit of the Woods Procedures But the release of the Horowitz Report in late 2019 in which U.S. Inspector General (IG) Michael Horowitz found 17 inaccuracies and omissions by the FBI and a litany of false and even falsified representations used to continue the secret investigation targeting the Trump campaign and its associates, would lead to an IG audit of the FISA process. Mr. Horowitz is currently auditing, but his troubling discoveries have prompted him to send a memo to FBI Director Christopher Wray prior to completing his audit. The IG is primarily focused on reviewing previous FISA warrants within a five-year period (October 2014 to September 2019) for Woods Procedures compliance with FBI rules. Agents handling FISA applications are required to establish a Woods Procedures file to keep the evidence used to verify the allegations contained in the FISA application. So far, the IG has looked into 29 of 700 FISA applications in eight FBI field offices. The primary question of the IG is whether the Woods Procedures files support the allegations in the corresponding applications to the court. In four of the 29 audits the Woods Procedures files could not be located. In the remaining 25 cases, an average of 20 errors were found in each FISA application. By errors, Horowitz refers to allegations in the applications that are not supported by Woods Procedures files; not corroborated by Woods Procedures files; and not consistent with the information in the Woods Procedures files. In his memo, the IG states: we do not have confidence that the FBI has executed its Woods Procedures in compliance with FBI policy, or that the process is working as it was intended to help achieve the scrupulously accurate standard for FISA applications. In truth, the IG has more than a lack of confidence, it has actual knowledge that the FBI has not complied with policy. It has become apparent that the FBI established a practice of not properly verifying their allegations in their FISA applications. The Audit of the Audits The FBI didnt see an independent audit of the FISA process coming because the bureaucracy had been auditing itself by what it calls accuracy reviews. But IG Horowitz has revealed the internal agency audits were perfunctory show audits that merely created the appearance of integrity. The Chief Division Counsel (CDC) at each FBI field office is required to do an annual accuracy review. The CDC selects one FISA application to audit and sends a report to FBI headquarters. Additionally, the National Security Divisions (NSD) Office of Intelligence (OI) of the DOJ is required to do an annual accuracy review of at least one FISA application. Those accuracy review audits, as reported by the Epoch Times, arent focused on assessing compliance with Woods Procedures and instead focus on whether support exists at the time of the review for each factual assertion in the FISA application under review. The key words in that quote are whether support exists at the time of the review. Heres the clincher from the IG: prior to the FBI CDC or NSD OI review, field offices are given advance notification of which FISA application(s) will be reviewed and are expected to compile documentary evidence to support the relevant FISA application(s). In other words, its not a real audit or review or whatever you want to call it. Getting advance notice of which FISA application will be reviewed and getting time to assemble documentation ex post facto to support the claims in the application is anything but an honest audit. In his typical style of understating the obvious, the IG asserts, this method [of auditing] should identify fewer unsupported facts in the application than would result from only reviewing the Woods File because the responsible personnel are aware of the upcoming review and given time to gather any existing documentation to support the factual assertions in the FISA applications. Nevertheless, of the internal agency accuracy review audits the IG reviewed, 390 issues were discovered which include unverified, inaccurate and inadequately supported facts. Of the 390 issues, none were identified by the internal auditors as being material errors. And the IG, for whatever reason, has decided to not reach certain conclusions while sitting on a mountain of evidence. That is reminiscent of the IG stating in his 2019 report that no bias was documented on the part of the FBI in its spying on the Trump campaign. In other words, no one interviewed admitted to bias. The Democrat Party news media had their misleading headline: no bias found. Likewise, though the fake news headline can be: no material errors identified in FISA applications, here is the context from the memo to Director Wray: The 2009 joint FBI-NSD policy memorandum states that OI determines, in consultation with the FBI, whether a misstatement or omission of fact identified during an accuracy review is material. The 34 reports that we reviewed indicate that none of the approximately 390 identified issues were deemed to be material. However, we were told by NSD OI personnel that the FBI had not asked NSD OI to weigh in on materiality determinations nor had NSD OI formally received FBI CDC accuracy review results, which accounted for about 250 of the total issues in the reports we reviewed. Horowitz clarified that the Department of Justices OI makes the determination as to whether the unverified, inaccurate and inadequately supported facts are material errors. Significantly, the OI never received the relevant FBI CDC accuracy reviews and were not asked to make any materiality determinations. When the dust settles, James Comey and his media allies cannot be allowed to somehow compartmentalize their own version of the truth. Common sense, I believe, will prevail. The Horowitz audit is solidifying what many had long suspected: the FBI used its systemic abuse of the FISA system to illegally spy on the 2016 Trump campaign. Monte Kuligowski is a Virginia attorney. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Silver Bull Resources, Inc. (TSX: SVB; OTCQB: SVBL) (Silver Bull or the Company) is pleased to announce the detailed voting results on the items of business considered at its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on April 16, 2020 (the Meeting). A total of 91,530,912 or 38.73% of the Companys issued and outstanding shares were represented at the Meeting. The following nominees, as listed in Silver Bulls Management Information Circular, were re-elected as directors of the Company. Director Votes For % Withheld Votes % Timothy Barry 24,610,794 76.51% 7,554,068 23.49% Brian Edgar 22,161,594 68.90% 10,003,268 31.10% Daniel Kunz 22,123,692 68.78% 10,041,170 31.22% John McClintock 22,108,492 68.73% 10,056,370 31.27% Silver Bull is pleased to announce that the Shareholders have ratified and approved the appointment of Smythe LLP, as auditors of the Company (85,026,850 or 92.89% voted For, 5,627,440 or 6.15% voted Against and 876,622 or 0.96% abstained from voting) until the next annual meeting of shareholders or until their successor is appointed, at a remuneration to be fixed by the Companys directors. The Shareholders voted to approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the Companys executive compensation package (20,129,391 or 62.58% voted For, 11,124,310 or 34.59% voted Against, and 911,161 or 2.83% abstained from voting). Full details of all proposals are fully described in the Companys Management Information Circular available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. About Silver Bull: Silver Bull is a mineral exploration company whose shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and trade on the OTCQB in the United States, and is based out of Vancouver, Canada. The Sierra Mojada project is located 150 kilometers north of the city of Torreon in Coahuila, Mexico, and is highly prospective for silver and zinc. On behalf of the Board of Directors Story continues Tim Barry Tim Barry, CPAusIMM Chief Executive Officer, President and Director INVESTOR RELATIONS: +1 604 687 5800 info@silverbullresources.com South Africa: Law will prevail in Alexandra man death probe: Mapisa-Nqakula The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, says the law will take its course in the investigation into the death of an Alexandra man, who was allegedly beaten by South African National Defece Force (SANDF) members. Speaking at a briefing on regulations pertaining to the extension of the COVID-19 lockdown on Thursday, Mapisa-Nqakula said the investigation into the death of Collins Khoza is being conducted by the South African Police Service (SAPS), Military Police and the Military Ombuds Office. We are unable to comment at this point what the next cause of action is going to be. We are saddened by what happened. We regret that this has happened. We dont know exactly what the circumstances are which led to [this], but the investigation will soon provide us with more information and therefore, we will be able to determine what steps to take at that point, Minister Mapisa-Nqakula said. The Minister also expressed her sincere condolences to the deceaseds family. She said the Chaplain General and a number of soldiers visited the Khoza family home on Wednesday to convey condolences on behalf of government. The Minister pleaded that the investigation be given time to unfold and all due processes to be followed. It is important to keep in mind that in such cases, the law will take its course," the Minister said. The Minister reiterated the call for citizens to stay indoors as a means of controlling the spread of COVID-19. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 19:51:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plan to provide each household across the nation with two cloth masks as a measure to contain the spread of coronavirus, began Friday with deliveries swinging into gear. Japan Post Co. started delivering the masks in Tokyo with 50 million households nationwide expected to receive the masks by the end of May at a cost of 46.6 billion yen (432 million U.S. dollars) to the government. Part of the government's 108 trillion yen (1 trillion U.S. dollars) extra budget for fiscal 2020, to be submitted to parliament soon will be allocated to fund the distribution to each household of the two reusable masks. Tokyo and other large urban areas have registered growing numbers of coronavirus infections and have been prioritized by the government to receive the washable masks first. Earlier in the week, Abe said the government's cloth mask plan was "reasonable" to help curb the spread of the coronavirus amid short supply of regular face and surgical masks. Critics, however, have said the reusable cloth masks would be ineffective to protect against the coronavirus and that rations of two masks per household were rather low. One opposition party member questioned, "In the case of a family of four, what would the family have to do, share? Or take turns when they go outside?" Japan's public broadcaster NHK said Friday that some workers at a care facility said the masks were too small for adults and could not cover both nose and mouth. "Some have resorted to putting the cloth mask inside a disposable one so they can use the disposable one longer," NHK said. Face and surgical masks, however, have long been missing from the shelves of Japanese drug and convenience stores amid a lack of supply. As the cloth masks can be washed, the government is hoping that the fact they can be used multiple times will also help ease anxiety that regular face and surgical masks are in extremely short supply and almost literally unavailable to buy regularly at public stores, particularly in large cities. The first deliveries of the masks on Friday came a day after Abe declared a nationwide state of emergency over the coronavirus crisis, expanding the designated prefectures from seven to the entire country. Enditem The Ecuadorean government reported a massive spike in deaths during the first 15 days of April in the province of Guayas, which has been slammed with the highest number of positive coronavirus cases in the country. The Civil Registry revealed 6,703 people died between April 1 and 15 in Guayas during a web press conference Thursday. While only 421 deaths have been officially recorded as due to coronavirus, Jorge Wated, Ecuador's joint task force leader, said the increased numbers in the first two weeks of April were due to 'different causes: COVID-19, presumably COVID and natural deaths' as noted in death certificates. Wated said Guayas' death toll in the first half of April surpassed March's total of 4,236 people dead. A doctor checks a patient being treated for COVID-19 at the field hospital set up by Los Ceibos Hospital in Guayaquil, the capital of the Ecuadorean province of Guayas. Guayas has reported 6,703 deaths in the first 15 days of April Workers in the province of Guayas place plastic wrap on a coffin that contained the remains of a person who died from the coronavirus Municipal police in the Guayas city of Guayaquil unload food aid boxes to be distributed in the Cisne 2 neighborhood The southwestern province has become the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Ecuador with 70 percent of the 8,450 positive cases that have been identified by the heath ministry as of Friday. Guayaquil, the capital of Guayas, has close to 4,200 confirmed cases. By Thursday, the ravaging virus had been officially blamed for the deaths of 187 people in Guayas. Ecuador's vital records department reported 1,679 deaths for Guayas in February, a slight decrease from 1,943 in January. A city employee fumigates as a preventive measure to stop the spread of the coronavirus in the Guayaquil neighborhood of Cisne 2. Guayaquil, the capital of the Ecuadorean province of Guayas, has close to 4,200 confirmed cases Resident cover themselves with face masks while waiting outside a supply center in Guayaquil A doctor talks to a woman while checking for COVID-19 symptoms in Cisne 2, a neighborhood in Guayaquil, the capital of Guayas 'Within this harsh reality ... we hope that in the next few days these figures will be reduced,' Wated said. On Wednesday, President Lenin Moreno admitted that government was simply overmatched in its response to the coronavirus epidemic. 'I have read and heard several comments that indicate that we were not prepared. Of course we were not prepared. No one was,' Moreno said. The coronavirus upsurge has added more pressure on Moreno to default on $17 billion in debt and devote more resources toward fighting a pandemic that has left bodies in the streets of Guayaquil. The crisis has overwhelmed health and funeral services in Guayaquil, where authorities have built emergency cemeteries and families had to store relatives' bodies at home for days because of delays in collection. For Moreno - a former ally of Ecuador's former leftist leader Rafael Correa who has tacked to the center since taking office in 2017 - boosting funds to fight the virus could conflict with efforts to pay creditors and implement austerity measures to balance a gaping fiscal deficit. Moreno says Ecuador will not default and will cover expenses with $3 billion from multilateral agencies and China, but the government only has firm commitments for $580 million. Among South American nations, Brazil has been hit the worst by the global pandemic with 1,952 deaths and 30,891 positive cases. Although the number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in Maharashtra has witnessed a dip in the past few days, medical experts and Maharashtra government officials, whom HT spoke with on Friday, said the downward curve of cases in the state is likely to begin only on April 21 or 22. The state recorded 119 Covid-19 cases on Friday after it had reported 232 and 286 cases on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. There were 352 and 350 cases in the state on Monday and Tuesday. State health department officials said there are 60% chances of the curve of positive Covid-19 cases dipping after the two 14-day incubation cycles, which began from March 22 when international air traffic was stopped, are completed. The two cycles of incubation period of infection end on April 20 We expect the beginning of the downward trend from that point. But if the curve moves upwards, it could be alarming and difficult to contain, said Dr TP Lahane, director, Directorate of Medical Education & Research, adding that the state has not witnessed the community transmission stage yet. If the number of cases moves upwards after April 21, then it could be called as the commencement of community transmission. A health department official, on condition of anonymity, said the trend mostly depends on cases in densely populated areas such as Dharavi, Worli and the slums in Pune. The official said although the containment zones in these areas have been carefully screened, certain factors like the density of population are not in their control. The official said if the tracing of contacts failed in these areas, it could prove problematic. In Mumbai, too, there has been a massive drop in the number of cases, with the city reporting 12 cases on Friday as against 177, 140, 216 and 242 on the previous four days. Medical experts said the sudden dip could be because of the change in the testing policy of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). As per a new circular issued by BMC, following the instructions of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), only symptomatic patients along with high-risk patients will be tested. For those who were in close contact of asymptomatic patients, testing will be done only after five days of them being in contact with an infected person. Before April 14, the BMC was testing all close contacts of a patient for Covid-19. Earlier, all the close contacts of a patient were tested, but now, they are being home quarantined. They will be tested between five and 14 days of their quarantine period. So, as the number of tests has decreased, the number of cases will automatically go down, said Dr Sanjay Pattiwar, a public health expert. However, the civic body has noticed that due to narrowing down of testing, the cases of false reporting have decreased. Before implementation of the new rule, around 5% of the total people tested for Covid-19 were found positive. Whereas, now, the positivity rate has gone up by 11%, said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner (health), BMC. In several cases, we have seen that even though a person has tested negative, he/she has turned positive days later. So, we need to give time to the virus to grow. Health officials said the mortality rate in the state, too, is expected to drop further and the doubling of positive cases is expected to take longer. The mortality rate has come down to 6.05% on Friday from 6.41% on Thursday and 6.84% on Tuesday. We expect a continuous drop as the response time to the infection has improved owing to aggressive testing. The deaths reported earlier were because of delay in admission and treatment and underlying ailments, said the official. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 17:54:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Australia's top agricultural research body has debunked claims that the country is going to run out of food because of COVID-19. In a report released on Friday, Australia's Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Science (ABARES), found that fears of shortages of food staples were misplaced. It said that shortages of rice, pasta and flour in supermarkets were a result of panic buying rather than any disruptions to the supply chain or fundamental shortages. "We remain a net exporter of food. We export 70 percent of our agricultural production. In terms of specific commodities -- that's 76 percent of our beef and veal, 71 percent of our wheat and 41 percent of our dairy products being exported," David Littleproud, Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, said in a media release on Friday. "We've implemented strategies that include maintaining agriculture's service and supply lines, extending work visas, and providing air freight support," he added. According to the report, imported food accounts for around 10 percent of Australian consumers' food spending. "Potential disruptions to these imports would be unlikely to have any impact on Australian food security -- in terms of ensuring a sufficient supply of healthy and nutritious food -- although higher prices or limited availability of specific products may disappoint or inconvenience some consumers," it said. The government has said that Australia produces enough food to feed 75 million people -- about three times of the population. Enditem Former vice president Joe Biden speaks at an event at Berston Field House in Flint, Mich earlier this month. Read more WASHINGTON Former vice president and likely Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden released a new short-term compensation plan Thursday aimed at helping companies keep more employees on payrolls during the coronavirus pandemic. More than 22 million people have filed for unemployment in the last month. Biden is recommending all 50 states increase their short-term compensation programs in which companies keep workers employed at reduced hours and the federal government assists in covering the difference in wages. The Biden campaign said 27 states have established such programs. We should be committed to keeping as many people as possible attached to their employment, so they can easily return to work when appropriate, and maintain their income and benefits, Biden said in a statement. Bidens proposal calls for small businesses that use this program to not be excluded for other small business loans and to ensure companies that the companies taxes dont go up in the future. If elected, Biden says he would codify the program at the federal level, ensuring all financing for short-term compensation comes from the federal government, not the state government, and loosening the programs rules to increase participation. FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered CAMBRIDGE, England, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- STORM Therapeutics, the biotechnology company focused on the discovery of small molecule therapies modulating RNA epigenetics, today announces that it has published a scientific paper in the peer reviewed journal Nature Reviews Cancer. The paper entitled 'Role of RNA modifications in cancer' is an authoritative and comprehensive review of the emerging and highly promising field of RNA epigenetics, highlighting pathways implicated in cancer to-date, describing their biological functions and their connections to the disease. The paper, written by Tony Kouzarides and Isaia Barbieri from The Gurdon Institute, The University of Cambridge describes insights into seven different internal RNA modifications, their mechanisms of actions (where known) and the evidence linking them to cancers. See link to paper: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41568-020-0253-2. Professor Tony Kouzarides, Founder of STORM Therapeutics and Deputy Director of Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, said: "This paper describes the importance of understanding key RNA epitranscriptomic pathways and their implications for a wide range of cancers. It highlights that an increasing number of RNA modifications and the enzymes responsible for their deposition, removal and detection (or writers, erasers and readers) play context-specific roles in a rapidly expanding catalogue of cancers. They are expected to be tractable for development of targeted small molecule therapies for a wide range of those cancers and could additionally enhance the efficacies of current cancer treatments by affecting primary and acquired drug resistance." Keith Blundy, CEO of STORM Therapeutics, said: "I am delighted to see the publication by our Company Founder of this paper in a world leading journal. The diversity of RNA modifications and the molecular pathways in which they are involved demonstrates this is only the beginning of the era of RNA epigenetics in cancer therapy and treatment of a wide range of other diseases. STORM Therapeutics is the leading company currently tackling disease through modulating RNA modifying enzymes and is developing a unique platform to address these enzyme classes, including RNA methyltransferases. We expect our lead drug candidate, METTL3, to be the first RNA epigenetic drug to enter human clinical trials in 2021." NOTES TO EDITORS About STORM STORM Therapeutics, founded in 2015, is a University of Cambridge spin-out translating the ground-breaking work of Professors Tony Kouzarides and Eric Miska in RNA epigenetics into the discovery of first-in-class drugs in oncology and other diseases. Storm is the leading company tackling disease through modulating RNA modifying enzymes and is developing a unique platform and pipeline to address these enzyme classes, including RNA methyltransferases. STORM is backed by blue chip investors Cambridge Innovation Capital, M Ventures, Pfizer Ventures, Taiho Ventures LLC, Seroba Life Sciences and IP Group, who share the team's ambitions to build a world-leading company in the field. In a scenario where the economy worldwide seems to be coming to a grinding halt, and people are losing their jobs left, right and centre, one would assume, sensible people will not go all out spending their money. But then, not everyone is Jeff Bezos. Reuters Thanks to the stronghold that Jeff Bezos Amazon has all over the world, thanks to its businesses such as the e-commerce platform and Amazon Web Services, Jeff Bezos and Amazon saw their net worth increase exponentially over the last financial quarter. In fact, Jeff Bezos, who was any way the richest man on earth, despite a divorce settlement that saw half of his wealth go to his now ex-wife, saw his personal wealth grow by $24 billion. Reuters Now, what do you do when you just cant stop minting money even when the world around you seems to be crumbling down? If youre Jeff Bezos, you buy additional units around one of your apartments in New York City, a city with one of the highest real estate prices, for $16 million, or Rs 122 Crores. Twitter/JeffBezos Despite the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, Jeff Bezos bought another apartment unit at 212, Fifth Avenue, where he already owned a Penthouse, worth $58 million, and a few additional units around the penthouse worth $22 Million. In Indian money, thats Rs 445 Crore, and 168 Crore, respectively, which adds up to Rs 613 Crores. VisualHouse The combined value of his property in just that one building comes up to be Rs 735 crores. As per a New York Post article, construction and renovation permits were granted to Bezos to combine all these units into one apartment. VisualHouse In an interview with the New York Post, a New York-based real estate broker, Dolly Lenz said that for his latest 3 bedroom apartment, the one he bought for $16 Million, Bezos paid more than the market value. This comes at a time when New York City has emerged as the global hotspot for the novel coronavirus, with over 2,22,000 active cases as of while writing this article. Reuters Bezos was recently in the limelight for asking people to donate to Amazons charity fund so that the warehouse workers across the Amazon network all over the world, and other people in need could be taken care of, and some money would go into research around the virus. Reuters Bezos latest acquisition comes on the back of several reports stating that in a number of warehouses, workers havent been given the proper PPEs to work, and often, they have to work while ignoring social distancing norms, because of the nature of their work. Not to say that much before the entire pandemic, Amazon has had several documented cases of having warehouses with inhuman working conditions. Reuters One would assume such allegations and such PR nightmares would be enough for Amazon and the companys top bosses would face the music. But given how the company was recently valued at over $1.1 trillion, that does not seem likely, anytime soon. Photo credit: Courtesy From ELLE With the COVID-19 pandemic, it's easy to feel like everything has screeched to a halt. We can't gather with our friends or make dinner reservations, schedule trips or even safely walk down a crowded street. But not everybody has been putting their plans on hold while waiting for daily life to return to "normal." Instead, these five couples took matters into their own hands, confidently moving forward to the next stage of their relationship: Proposals. Here, each couple shares their own story of how they got engaged during quarantine. Ali Knapp, 27 & Billy Clemons, 27 Billy: "Im in business school, and in May, all of us were supposed to go to different international locations to work for about a month. I was going to go to Santiago, Chile, and at the end, Ali was going to meet me there. We were going to go to Peru and do the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. I had picked out a spot at the top of the trail where I wanted to propose. Then, obviously with COVID-19, that wasn't happening anymore. Instead, I tried to recreate it in our house. I set up a tent in the living room and cast onto the TV the spot where I wanted to propose. I put those little glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, got Chilean wine and Peruvian food and had lantern lights in the kitchen. When she walked into the living room, I proposed. Afterwards her family, who live down the street, came over to celebrate with us. In normal circumstances we would've probably done something with more people; her grandparents are nearby, and we would have wanted to go show them. It was a little bright side in what would have otherwise been cloudy times. It was nice to have good news to share, especially when there hasn't been that much in a while." Ali: "I thought a proposal might be coming in the summer or early fall, but I had no idea what he was planning. I was so surprised, and it's really those little details that got me. We were supposed to a wine tour in Chile, so the Chilean wine was an extra touch. He had my granddad's wine glasses with it, and then we were supposed to do a cooking class in Peru so he had the Peruvian food. I don't know how he found it with everything being closed around us, but he did." Story continues Nicole Pomponio, 26 & Bob Kane, 28 Photo credit: Courtesy Bob: "Nicoles been talking about getting engaged since we met in 2016, and I first started looking at rings in late January. I had this plan where I was going to put "Marry me?" spelled out in balloons outside, and I would be dressed up with our dog in a dress. But then the world shutdown. I had the ring hidden in my closet, and I thought, 'There's got to be a good time.' I was trying to come up with a plan B. Then, I got told by my job that I was going to get furloughed. We were both really upset, and we were talking about, 'Where can I apply to jobs? When can I apply for unemployment?' and Nicole starts asking me how much money I have saved up. In my mind, I knew I couldnt tell her I just spent basically all the money I had saved up on a ring. I just said, 'I don't have any money because I just spent it on a huge purchase.' She took that as, 'You just bought a used video game system from GameStop.' And she starts crying with her head in her hands. So I get up from the kitchen table and said to myself, 'I'm just going to do it now.' It seems like a cop out that I wanted her to stop crying, but I needed her to understand that we would be fine because we had each other. I really wanted to balance the negative of finding out I was getting furloughed with, 'I want to spend the rest of my life with you.' When she lifted her head from her hands, I was on one knee and she's screaming, 'No, no, no. This wasn't supposed to happen like this. No, no, no.' And I said, 'Will you marry me?' And she just kept saying no. I was like, 'Do you mean yes?' and then she said yes. We have a really good support system. Nicoles okay, and I'm able to file for unemployment and get a part-time job. I didn't want us to think about the quarantine as that time that I lost my job for a brief time. I wanted to think about when we were stuck in the house, and we got engaged." Nicole: "The funniest part from my side was that when I heard him get up, I thought he was going to the room to get the video game and go return it. Then he came back with a ring. I opened my eyes, and I was expecting the video game to be in his hands. Thats why I said no. I was really surprised. I had no idea that he had been hiding that for a couple months. I got a lot of messages from people saying, 'This was amazing to see in this time.' I got emails from people from my work saying, 'You really made my whole week.' I think it was that real glimmer of hope that life will move on at some point. We won't be stuck in this forever. When you get engaged. you know that there's planning involved afterwards. People see that as, 'Okay, this is a new beginning. It's not the end.' There are new beginnings that are coming out of this. too." Brea Baker, 25 & Mariah Harris, 26 Mariah: "I had planned a proposal that was completely different from the one that actually happened but because of the coronavirus, I had to improvise. I had made reservations at a restaurant that has a private chef table. Friends and family had booked their flights. The ring was being made and was going to get to me by April 1st. Then everyone's flights were getting canceled. The restaurant ended up closing its doors. I thought, 'I'm not going to let this prevent me from making this moment happen.' One night, I took her on a walk and said, 'I have a confession to make. The walk that we went on had a purpose. Tonight is a full moon.' I said, 'A few years ago, you told me that if you give someone a moonstone on the night of a full moon, it's a symbol of eternal love, and I love you very much. I have known I've wanted to marry you for nearly four years now. So I want to ask you a question.' By this point, she was bawling. I get on my knee and ask her, 'Will you marry me?' For me, I thought just because it's not what I planned doesn't mean that it's not a good proposal. I can modify my plans, and it'll be just as good, if not better. That's what ended up happening. I loved it so much more. It happened exactly how it needed to happen. I was also selfishly really excited to be engaged to her. I knew that even though it wasn't under ideal circumstances, this would all just be part of our story. Just because the story that's being told is different doesn't mean it's not just as impactful or as meaningful." Brea: "We knew we wanted to get married sometime in the next one to two years. We both wanted a proposal and we both wanted a ring. I was so caught up in planning my own proposal, I was not looking out for signs that she was planning something and beating me to it. On the day of the proposal, she started getting dressed up and showered. I'm like, 'Why are you getting all nice for the living room?' And she said, 'I felt like sprucing myself up. I haven't been feeling my best lately.' So I got dressed up, too. After the proposal, she said, 'If everything had gone as planned, your family would've been here, and we would been celebrating with them. But since we're all quarantining, everybody's going to be on a Zoom call.' It was really nice to immediately celebrate with them. She had a queue of Zoom calls scheduled." Julie Becker, 24 & Sam Spector, 24 Sam: "Julie's a teacher, and we were planning on coming down to Florida for her spring break in April. But with everything that happened, I convinced her to fly down a little bit early to her parents' house in Jupiter, Florida. I flew with the ring knowing that I was planning on getting engaged. My dad passed away at the end of January, and I got to go with him and pick out a ring. She had no idea I bought it. Our families were both supposed to be at the proposal, but with the pandemic, I didnt know the next time we would all be able to be together. I thought, 'Why hold onto it for another six to eight weeks not knowing what the future holds? Why not take this time where we're stuck in the house and make it a happy moment?' Julie and I actually both got COVID-19 around the same time while we were in Florida. We both had extreme fatigue, a super dry cough, the normal symptoms. Day six and seven got much worse for me, whereas Julie got a little bit better. I started to have some shortness of breath and had trouble breathing for probably two weeks. I went to the hospital one night to get some oxygen. On April 4th, when I actually proposed, we had already started to feel better. I thought, 'Well, we got through that. Why not just do it now?' With her parents, we came up with a plan. We told her we were going to go take family photos on the beach. We get there, and theres caution tape and barricades up. We ended up climbing over some of the tape and went around the barricades. I knew we had to be quick with it. So I said what I said and proposed right there on the beach." Julie: "I was expecting an engagement, but we had a trip planned in July so in the back of my head, I thought that's when he was going to propose. But when he said, 'Let's just go to the beach,' I thought maybe it was happening. When he first got down on one knee, the first words out of my mouth were, 'Oh no.' It wasn't because I was upset, but I was surprised and shocked. I was like, 'Wait, what's happening?' But Im so excited. I was a little upset that my whole family wasnt there, but obviously I totally understand that we were unsure of the next time we'll be able to see them. So Im happy that he decided to go through with it. People have expressed how this has brought so much happiness during this crazy timeits a bit of hope for people looking out to the future." Erika Saucedo, 27 & Justin Sisson, 26 Photo credit: Courtesy Justin: "I had this planned out pretty far ahead. Her two sisters and her mom were planning to come in for the engagement on March 19th. Then everything got tossed out the window. The restaurant closed, the location where I was going to propose closed. But her sisters were saying, 'Hey, you can still do it. We'll do a FaceTime.' My brother that lives with me was going to have both of our families on FaceTime. Two of my cousins who live pretty locally agreed to take pictures and catch the moment on video. So that day, I told Erika, 'Hey, let's go for a walk at this park.' When we got to the location, I was sweating bullets, and I could see my cousin hiding behind the tree. We started walking, and then I started getting into how I planned that day to be a special day and how I still wanted it to be a special day. She actually stopped me and said, 'Did you talk to my family?' I knew that was the biggest thing. I said, 'Yeah, actually I did, and they're watching right now.' My brother popped out, and he's got both our families on FaceTime, and then I dropped down on one knee and asked her. She said it was the easiest yes that she's ever made. It did cross my mind to just wait, especially when I got the message from her sisters that they were canceling their trip. But then they were so encouraging and trying to help me figure out how to still do it. I knew I wanted to marry her and I wanted to propose, so there was no doubt with that. It was just wanting to make sure it was still special for her. I have no regrets." Erika: "I had an idea that he was going to propose the week that it happened. I'm in optometry school, and I had told him, 'I just want to make sure I've already taken my board exam when you propose.' The week that he proposed, I was supposed take my exam that Monday and I figured he was going to do it within the next few days. But then my board exam got canceled because of the coronavirus, and everything was closing down. I thought, 'There's no way he's going to propose.' I wanted my family to be at the proposal, but nobody was flying. On the actual day, he asked me to go the park, but he was wearing khakis and a formal shirt. I was getting ready to wear workout clothes. That's what I knew something was going on. He was like, 'Don't you want to dress up a little?' And I was like, 'Why? We're going to the park.' But in the middle of all the chaos, it was still very special and very meaningful. After being engaged, we got to enjoy being together in quarantine. I think it solidified to both of us how we can see each other working through tough situations together." You Might Also Like A 35-year-old COVID-19 patient man, also suffering from multiple ailments, died here on Friday raising the coronavirus pandemic death toll in Bihar to two. Following the death of the adjacent Viashali district's man here in AIIMS, Patna, the adjoining district administration said the deceased had no travel history and feared that his testing positive could be indicative of community transmission of the virus. The death marks the second COVID-19 casualty in Bihar. A 38-year-old from Munger had died onMarch 21, a day before his test reports confirmed him to be coronavirus-infected. The Vaishali man, who died in AIIMS here, was also suffering from numerous complications besides having tested positive for COVID 19, Patna AIIMS Director Prabhat Kumar Singh told PTI-Bhasha. According to sources in the health department, the deceased belonged to Raghopur panchayat falling under Vaishali district and suffered from tuberculosis, typhoid, brain fever and several other illnesses. Before being referred to AIIMS, Patna he was admitted to a private hospital here, which has been sealed, and its occupants quarantined, after he tested positive two days ago. Vaishali District Magistrate Udita Singh said, the deceased had no travel history. After falling ill, he had visited Samastipur and, later, Patna for treatment. Given the circumstances, his testing positive raises the probability of community transmission. Accordingly, instructions have been issued to strictly enforce lockdown in the district. The area within a radius of three kilometers from the village of the deceased has been made a containment zone wherein entry and egress has been banned and all essential supplies were being made by the administration, which was also carrying out sanitization of the zone, she added. More than 60 samples, of people who may have come in contact with the deceased, have been sent for testing. None has reported positive so far, she said. The deceased happened to be the lone case reported from Vaishali district, which is among the 13 out of 38 in Bihar where people have tested COVID-19 positive. Siwan and Munger districts have reported maximum cases of infection. At least 83 people have tested positive for the dreaded coronavirus in the state so far. Of these, 37 have recovered. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the global number of COVID-19 cases surpasses the two million milestone, Vietnam has started to receive international accolades for its all-out efforts that have managed to keep its tally considerably low given its close proximity to China. People have their temperatures checked before entering a market on Yen Thai Street in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. VNA/VNS Photo Strict mass quarantine, intensive contact tracing, early sealing off of borders with virus-hit regions, decisive leadership and social unity were variously cited as the reasons for Vietnams initial successes against the onslaught of the novel coronavirus despite having limited resources, while many other advanced nations buckle under an explosion of patients with deaths running up to the thousands. As of April 15, Vietnam has 267 confirmed COVID-19 cases by 6pm yesterday since the first cases were reported on January 23, with more than half of them foreigners or Vietnamese returning from overseas and 60 per cent of the cases already recovered. Only 96 active cases remain in treatment, and the country has upheld the envious record of zero deaths for months now. Nearly 133,000 tests have been conducted to date, while nearly 68,000 people who either recently returned from virus-hit regions or have close contacts with confirmed cases are currently placed under quarantine including 533 under close observation in hospitals. Kidong Park, the World Health Organisations representative to Vietnam, noted that Vietnams success can be attributed to its swift and early response to the virus, with the first risk assessment drill held in early January, just when the first reports of a mysterious pneumonia-like disease in China started to crop up. The WHO official has also lauded Vietnam for its proactiveness and consistency throughout the response, while the US ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink has hailed the Vietnamese Government for its outstanding response to the disease and for its cooperation and transparency. Vietnams Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc declared the novel coronavirus outbreak an epidemic and officially grounded all flights to and from China at the beginning of February. The land borders have been frequently patrolled to prevent illegal entries. Thanks to the early actions that were seen by Harvard infectious disease expert Todd Pollack as inspired by its experience during the SARS outbreak in 2003, Vietnams official tally in the first wave of virus infections colloquially used to refer to the domestically reported cases that traced back to China when Wuhan remained the epicentre of the COVID-19 stood at merely 16. The 16th case was confirmed on February 13. The country enjoyed a relative lull with no new cases until March 6, when a Vietnamese socialite tested positive for the virus after visiting Italy and the UK, marking the beginning of the so-called second wave of infections where the new epicentre of the outbreak started to shift to European countries and the spike in new positive cases in Vietnam were imported. Starting March 15, the country started to deny entry from UK and Schengen countries before closing down its border completely for foreign entries on March 22 as quarantine sites started to burgeon due to its strict 14-day compulsory quarantine policy for all arrivals. The ASEAN Post noted how Vietnam has implemented strict contact tracing measures to break up transmission chains, stamp out local outbreaks and prevent widespread community transmission. Mass testing is good, but it depends on the resources of each country, said Tran Dac Phu, a senior health official advising Vietnams Emergency Operation Centre, likely referring to the mass testing strategy that the more technologically advanced South Korea and the US have been doing when their case numbers spike. Vietnam has successfully conducted tracing via the quick identification of infectious contacts based on the Ministry of Healths classifications of infected, suspected, and exposed cases of COVID-19 and the rapid mobilisation of health professionals, public security personnel, the military, and civil servants to implement the tracing, noted the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada in its report. The Financial Times offered an insight into how Vietnam has earned praise the world over for a low-cost model in its offensive against SARS-CoV-2, again citing stringent isolation, contact tracing measures and determined leadership for the countrys successes. During the outbreak, Vietnam's health ministry in cooperation with telecom giants have rolled out the nCoV app available on both mobile platforms Android and iOS. Bundled inside the app is updated information on the pandemic situation in the country and the world, official links to information resources on the disease, electronic health declaration forms, a map of all detected infection cases and clusters, and reporting of suspected cases. The user can watch the movement of all those placed under quarantine. Despite low cases, the Vietnamese Government repeatedly urged vigilance and reiterated messages of protective measures staying home, avoiding large gatherings, wearing masks, washing hands in all forms of media to the public on various platforms. On April 1, the Government decided to put the whole country under a 15-day social distancing order, which it insisted was not a lockdown, but more of a call for voluntary compliance when the caseload reached 212 but showed worrying signs of community spread. Germany news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur wrote Vietnam did so to "prevent an avoidable national crisis" unlike in other countries that imposed lockdowns when the outbreak already hit disaster level and case number reached thousands. Even then, life and most activities in Vietnam were already significantly disrupted since early February. Schools in Vietnam, supposed to resume on February 6 after the traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays, remained closed until this day and likely at least until the end of April, while non-essential businesses were ready to be closed anytime during March. But apparently, these seeming overactions have benefited the entire countrys public health, which could mean the country would spring back into action early and robustly when the pandemic blows over. Its worth noting that all Governments efforts could not have been as successful without the full buy-in from the whole population. In a recent report from Infocus Mekong Research, 90 per cent of Vietnamese are in favour of better safe than sorry measures and want social distancing measures to be extended, despite the tremendous toll on the economy, livelihoods and ways of life. In late March, Vietnamese people have shown to have the most confidence in the Governments response, with 62 per cent of those surveyed by Dalia Research in a large-scale global public opinion study on COVID-19 saying that the Government was doing the right amount of actions to combat the outbreak. The Guardian ran an article entitled 'In a war, we draw': Vietnam artists join fight against COVID-19, in which numerous Vietnamese artists were described as contributors to national efforts in containing the outbreak by crafting paintings that employ traditional wartime propaganda aesthetics to convey pandemic-relevant messages, from hygiene tips, encouragement to frontline doctors and nurses, to showcasing the peoples resilience in this challenging time. Health workers collect samples from people living in Ha Loi Village with a population of 10,000 outside of Hanoi. The city has ramped up mass testing after a dozen cases were found to have connected to the rural village. VNA/VNS Photo No one behind Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has more than once said that the Vietnamese Government is doing its best to walk the fine balance between maintaining its stellar growth records while ensuring public health, but insisted that the priority is always on the latter even if it means sacrificing growth, in the spirit of leaving no one behind. Vietnam's success is not a miracle but "the result of a heavily planned economy with a socialist government that puts people over profits," Liberation News site remarked. All of the stringent and early measures it adopted painful and difficult as they are might not only spare Vietnam from the devastation witnessed in the west and elsewhere, but also put Vietnam ahead in the road of revival. The COVID-19 global safety ranking released on April 12 by the Hong Kong-based Deep Knowledge Ventures has placed Vietnam at 20th position, becoming the only developing country in the worlds top 20 safest entries, only behind highly developed nations and economic powerhouses like Germany, Israel, Canada, UAE, South Korea or China. Similarly, East Asia Forum ran an article on April 14 saying that Vietnam has been one of Asias most successful in dealing with the pandemic. Despite expected growth in 2020 falling to 4.9 per cent, it is among only a few economies in Asia Pacific and perhaps the world to still post growth, it wrote. The Asian Development Bank, while predicting a sharp decline in GDP growth in Vietnam, said its economy remains uniquely robust in the subregion, it went on, adding that Vietnams success in curbing the virus spread may attract more foreign investors, as will its traditional advantages of cheap labour, political stability, and proximity to China. The low number of cases in Vietnam is not just a statistical achievement, it also means less stress for frontline healthcare workers and a higher chance of recovery and survival for patients as they could receive the medical attention that they need. A 43-year-old British pilot, Vietnams COVID-19 patient No 91, admitted to Cho Ray Hospital in HCM City a month ago remains in critical condition. The complicated path of his condition blood coagulation, surviving on ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation), stopping breathing multiple times, and the fact that his bodys autoimmune system is mistakenly carrying out assaults on his own lungs in an exaggerated response to the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has put him near deaths door several times. Fortunately, he is enjoying the full expertise from Vietnams best doctors: telehealth meetings are held frequently among leading public hospitals in the country to determine necessary steps in response to any emergency. The health ministry said it is placing an order for a particular drug from overseas to treat the patients coagulation, as his condition does not respond to any existing drugs available in Vietnam. Arguably, all these extraordinary steps just to save a single patient would hardly have been possible were the doctors overwhelmed by a patient deluge and unable to cater to everyone's needs. Two of Vietnam's COVID-19 patients, a British couple - 74-year-old man and his wife - talk to doctors at National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. VNA/VNS Photo A British former nurse together with her husband were declared clear of the virus and discharged from the Tropical Diseases Hospital in Hanoi on Tuesday, weeks after her 74-year-old husband was admitted to the intensive care unit as he became one of the rare critical cases in Vietnam. Upon leaving the hospital and preparing to fly home later that day, she exuberantly thanked Vietnamese medical teams, telling local media that: If we got sick in Britain, we might not have been saved, which was probably prompted by grim reports of the COVID-19 situation in her home country where a dire shortage of life-support machines and ventilators might force her colleagues to make the harrowing decision of choosing who has the best chance of living. A relatively controlled spread domestically also puts Viet Nam at a place where it could comfortably extend help to its friends and partners. As a show of solidarity, the Vietnamese Government has donated 555,000 antibacterial masks to five European countries hit hardest by the virus, and aid and medical supplies to China during the epidemics peak, and later to Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar (not counting several other smaller scale donations made by Vietnamese agencies and communities to these countries and others). Drawing comparison to Chinas face mask diplomacy in which China sent masks, PPE or test kits to nearly 90 countries to help them deal with the pandemic, Professor Carl Thayer, Emeritus Professor at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra, commented that while Vietnam can't match China in the volume and dollar value of its aid but it can provide assistance where it counts. VNS Streets of Hanoi filled with informative messages to aid fight against COVID-19 Plenty of colourful posters can be seen on streets throughout Hanoi, all of which send messages of unity to the capitals citizens and encouragement to push back the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic. New Delhi, April 17 : Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday instructed states that there should not be any dilution of quality and standards in manufacturing of PPEs, masks, ventilators and other equipment. In the meeting of the Group of Ministers, he suggested that stringent punishment may be fixed for the manufacturers in case of any deviation from the quality standards/protocols while manufacturing the PPEs, masks and ventilators. "He reiterated that detailed advisories and guidelines for who should use which type of mask and who should use PPE have been posted on the Ministry website, and awareness regarding this is also being created through IEC campaigns," a ministry statement said. Harsh Vardhan emphasised that social distancing and isolation are the most effective social vaccines against Covid19 and urged everyone to follow protocol of personal hygiene. This was the 12th such meeting where the Group of Ministers (GoM) strategised on India's response to Covid-19 outbreak. The current status, preparedness and actions for management of Covid-19 related issues in states and the nation were reviewed in the meeting. In the meeting, it was decided that states will be asked to identify Covid-19 centres or hospitals according to the already laid down guidelines. Friday's meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep S Puri, MoS Home Nityananda Rai, Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandavia and Harsh Vardhan's Deputy Ashwini Choubey. The meeting was also attended by Chief of Defense Staff, General Bipin Rawat. Various government departments like Science & Technology, Bio-Technology and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) were also represented in the meeting where they gave detailed presentations to the GoM on diagnosis, drugs and vaccine development for Covid-19. The departments also informed that they are working together to find the solutions and support for the management of Covid-19 along with the ICMR and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Singapore (AFP) - Here are the latest developments in Asia related to the novel coronavirus pandemic: - Wuhan deaths rise - The Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged raised its death toll by 50 percent to a total of 3,869. The revision came as a growing chorus of world leaders suggested China had not been entirely open about the full domestic impact of the virus. The additional deaths in Wuhan were cases that were "mistakenly reported" or missed entirely, according to the official announcement. That also pushed the nationwide death toll up sharply to 4,632, based on official data. Meanwhile, China's economy shrank for the first time in decades during the last quarter. "We are now facing rising pressure in the prevention of imported epidemic infections, as well as new difficulties and challenges for resuming work and production," National Bureau of Statistics spokesman Mao Shengyong told a press conference. - Duterte threatens 'martial law' crackdown - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to order the military and police to take control of the country's capital if people do not start obeying a virus lockdown. "The military and police will enforce social distancing at curfew... It's like martial law. You choose," he said. The Philippines has detected about 5,660 coronavirus cases and recorded 362 deaths, but those figures are expected to climb as the nation ramps up testing. Duterte's remarks came as nine inmates locked up at the Quezon City Jail in Manila -- which is so overfull that prisoners have to take turns sleeping in staircases and open-air basketball courts -- tested positive for the virus. About 30 other prisoners at the facility were showing virus symptoms, sparking urgent calls from rights groups to avert "catastrophe" by easing congestion. - Hong Kong airline sheds staff - Hong Kong's flagship carrier Cathay Pacific said it was closing its US cabin crew bases in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles with a loss of 286 jobs. Story continues The airline blamed the coronavirus pandemic, saying it had "virtually halted travel". Only three percent of its pre-virus routes are running and in March it had just 311,000 passengers -- a 90 percent drop on the same month last year. "As the economic impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic is intensifying, a recovery timeline in our customer demand remains impossible to predict," said Ronald Lam, Cathay's chief customer and commercial officer. - Australia police track cruise passengers - Australian police began contacting thousands of Ruby Princess cruise ship passengers from around the world as part of a criminal investigation into the liner, whose arrival in Sydney led to hundreds of coronavirus cases and at least 19 deaths in the country. A questionnaire will be sent to more than 5,000 people. It follows reports a Californian man became the first international death linked to the cruise ship. "The questionnaire will allow us to zero in on elements of the cruise that we are interested in," Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith told reporters. Police are investigating operator Carnival Australia over the circumstances that led to thousands of passengers disembarking in mid-March despite some exhibiting flu-like symptoms. - Maldives extends strict lockdown - With eight new confirmed virus infections, the Maldivian authorities have extended a lockdown in the capital island of Male to cover the entire archipelago. Travel within inhabited islands has been banned until further notice. The country has reported 28 cases, 16 of them foreign nationals. A 24-hour curfew in Male, where 150,000 people live within two square kilometres (0.8 square miles), has been extended by two weeks, prohibiting anyone from leaving their homes. - Vietnam records no new virus cases - Vietnam recorded no new coronavirus cases on Friday, the first time its daily total has not increased since March 7. The Southeast Asian country -- which has imposed extensive quarantine and social distancing measures -- has recorded just over 260 cases and no deaths so far. burs-ecl/amj/axn/tom/spm President Donald Trump's former lawyer and longtime fixer Michael Cohen will be released from federal prison to serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement amid the coronavirus pandemic, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Cohen is currently locked up at FCI Otisville in New York after pleading guilty to numerous charges, including campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress. He will remain under quarantine for 14 days before he is released. Federal statistics show 14 inmates and seven staff members at the prison have tested positive for coronavirus. After he is released, Cohen will serve the remainder of his sentence at home, according to the person, who could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Cohen's release comes as prison advocates and congressional leaders have been pressing the Justice Department for weeks to release at-risk inmates ahead of a potential outbreak, arguing that the public health guidance to stay 6 feet (1.8 meters) away from other people is nearly impossible behind bars. Attorney General William Barr ordered the Bureau of Prisons earlier this month to increase the use of home confinement and expedite the release of eligible high-risk inmates, beginning at three prisons identified as coronavirus hot spots. Otisville is not one of those facilities. As of Thursday, 473 federal inmates and 279 Bureau of Prisons staff members had tested positive for coronavirus at facilities across the U.S. Eighteen inmates have died since late March. Many federal inmates have been seeking home confinement as the number of coronavirus cases grows in the federal prison system, but advocates have accused the Bureau of Prisons of moving too slowly to release inmates. The Bureau of Prisons said it had moved more than 1,000 inmates to home confinement since March 26, when Barr first issued a directive to increase its use in late March. The agency said it is a tremendous logistical lift that was accomplished through the marshaling of all of BOP's resources. A federal judge had denied Cohen's attempt for an early release to home confinement after serving 10 months in prison and said in a ruling earlier this month that it appears to be just another effort to inject himself into the cycle. But the Bureau of Prisons can take action to move him to home confinement without a judicial order. Cohen began serving his sentence last May and was scheduled to be released from prison in November 2021. Other high-profile inmates have also been released as the number of coronavirus cases soars. Last week, a judge ordered Michael Avenatti the attorney who rose to fame representing porn star Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against Trump to be temporarily freed from a federal jail in New York City and stay at a friend's house in Los Angeles. Avenatti had said he was at high risk of getting the coronavirus because he had a recent bout with pneumonia and his cellmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan was removed due to flu-like symptoms. Former New York state Senate leader Dean Skelos, 72, who was also serving a sentence at Otisville, is also expected to be released soon from prison to home confinement after testing positive for the coronavirus, prosecutors told a judge Wednesday. CNN first reported Cohen was being released to home confinement. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan declined to comment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Afropessimism By Frank Wilderson Liveright. 352 pp. $29.95 --- In 1940 the great activist and thinker W.E.B. Du Bois published a peculiar book called "Dusk of Dawn." It declared its peculiarity on its face, in a subtitle that described it as "An Essay Toward an Autobiography of a Race Concept." This subtitle, like the book's intertwining of theory and memoir, expressed Du Bois's conviction that his life was of public interest only because it illuminated the broader racial dynamics of his time. It is tempting to describe Frank Wilderson's new book, "Afropessimism," as an autobiography of a critical theory. The book provides both sequel and prequel to "Incognegro," Wilderson's account of his experiences in the South African freedom movement. At the same time, it uses its autobiographical narrative to dramatize and support the theory that gives the book its name. I acknowledge that describing the book in this way might violate a core Afropessimist principle. A key point of the theory, at least as it appears in Wilderson's book, is that blackness, unlike autobiographies, has no story. Stories are narratives that move toward closure. They have characters seeking redemption or solving problems. According to Afropessimism, there can be no redemption for blacks, no way to solve the problem of anti-blackness. We are not characters in our own story. Black degradation and death are the ground on which other people's stories - human stories - unfold. Wilderson's ambitious book offers its readers two great gifts. First, it strives mightily to make its pessimistic vision plausible. Anyone unconvinced by the vision may find this a dubious contribution, but enough people have been convinced by the view to make an accessible introduction to it a valuable resource just for understanding contemporary intellectual life. Second, the book depicts a remarkable life, lived with daring and sincerity. "Afropessimism" shares unvarnished glimpses of Wilderson's childhood, his undergraduate years, his life as a worker and activist between stints in the academy, his graduate studies and their toll on his mental health, his personal relationships, and his experiences as an increasingly well-regarded academic. The main challenge of the book may be that it offers both these gifts at once. It wraps its critical theory in a memoir, in a way that means for both elements to be mutually supporting. The narrative vividly establishes the need for theoretical intervention, and the theory provides keys to understanding the narrative. When a white woman in the story cannot comprehend her black neighbor's request that she knock before entering the neighbor's home, the theory concludes that a master-slave script still governs interracial interactions. When a Palestinian friend tells Wilderson that Israeli military aggression is particularly humiliating when the soldiers are Ethiopian Jews, the theory says that anti-blackness runs deeper than other forms of injustice. When Wilderson's mother asks him what problems Afropessimism solves, the theory says she is unwilling to face the hard fact that anti-blackness is a problem with no solution. This simultaneous commitment to analysis and to narrative sometimes pulls the book in opposite directions. Paragraphs that could have helped develop a scene instead crank up the theoretical machinery. Energy that could have been spent translating jargon into normal prose goes instead into setting up a metaphor. One can almost hear the gears grinding as the book shifts from one mode to the other. These clashing objectives are most costly on the theoretical side. Just in the form I tried to give them above, the Afropessimist's claims are probably puzzling to the uninitiated. How does one face a problem with no solution? Why say that blacks are not human, instead of just that we're treated that way? Why does anti-blackness have to trump capitalist exploitation, gender oppression and white supremacy directed at people other than blacks? Reading the book felt a bit like returning to the culture wars of the late 20th century. Some people back then ostentatiously courted paradox as a way of pointing to the limits of language. Others grumpily insisted that "paradox" is a $20 word for "inconsistency" and pointed out that inconsistencies tend to complicate practical activity. When one side said "There's no truth," the other side said "How can it be true that there's no truth?" The point, of course, was that truth-seeking doesn't work the way we usually think. It hides the operations of power, and it relies on institutions - like media companies, universities and think tanks - that have goals often quite opposed to producing knowledge. The paradox is both shorthand and provocation, potentially useful but in need of unpacking. Wilderson revels in a similar sleight of hand. His claim that there is an "(BEGIN ITAL)essential(END ITAL) antagonism between Blacks (Slaves) and Humans (masters)" probably means that the notion of humanity doesn't function the way we usually think, and the causes and pleasures of anti-blackness run too deep for humanist appeals to justice and rights. But this is also a provocation in need of unpacking - one of many. "Afropessimism" is a contribution to a long-standing debate in black letters over the place of optimism in an anti-black world. The debate flares up at key historical turning points and recruits its combatants from the brightest lights of each era. Albert Murray criticized James Baldwin in the wake of the U.S. civil rights movement. Stanley Crouch took up arms against Toni Morrison in the long valley between Selma and Obama. Ta-Nehisi Coates took on all comers as the Black Lives Matter movement gathered momentum. After he published "Dusk of Dawn," Du Bois seemed to join the pessimist side of this fight. Near the end of his life he gave this advice to a young admirer: "Chin up, and fight on, but realize American Negroes can't win." What can one do with that? Du Bois gave one answer when he indeed fought on from outside of the United States, in Ghana. Many years later, Cornel West teased another response out of tragicomic cultural forms like the blues. Accept the absurdity of a world that arrays itself against you, while working - in faith, hope and love, and with whatever joy one can find or create - toward the better outcomes that, however unlikely, are not impossible. I confess that Afropessimism strikes me as a refusal of the possibilities that make "fighting on" conceivable. Afropessimists say this misses the point, but I usually lose the thread of their responses when the sleight of hand begins. The best reply I've seen is not in Wilderson's book but in an essay by University of California at Irvine professor Jared Sexton. He describes Afropessimism not as a problem-solving intervention but as a commentary on the cost of trying "to delimit the 'bad news' of black life." There is homespun wisdom here, not terribly distant from the thought that the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. But Wilderson wants to go further. He wants to say that we can't even imagine an alternative to anti-blackness. Not yet. The best we can do is to imagine and fight for what he keeps calling "the end of the world," at which point (I hope he thinks) new possibilities will reveal themselves. But even that way of putting it may be too optimistic for him. If so, I'll simply commit to admiring the economy and the poetry of his provocations. It's not clear what else one can do when someone says that he would "make my home in the hold of the [slave] ship and burn it from the inside out." --- Taylor is the W. Alton Jones professor of philosophy and a professor of African American and diaspora studies at Vanderbilt University. At a meeting of the expanded national cabinet yesterday afternoon, the federal Coalition government, along with state Liberal and Labor governments, discussed plans to wind back lockdown measures over the coming months. They made clear that this would be aimed at forcing workers back on the job to resume the flow of corporate profits, despite the risk of a full-blown outbreak of COVID-19. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared that the governments were preparing measures for the road out of the current crisis. He couched his comments in terms of reversing the dire impact on business activity of lockdowns instituted over the past month. The announcement was prepared by a joint media-government campaign over the past fortnight, proclaiming that Australia has succeeded in flattening the curve of infections and slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The claims are highly dubious, under conditions where most states still have highly restrictive testing criteria. In New South Wales, for instance, the most populous state with the highest number of infections, criteria were expanded at the beginning of the month, but only to health and aged care workers showing symptoms and those in areas with a high number of confirmed infections. In other words, most people with symptoms are denied testing, while the estimated 35 to 50 percent of infected individuals who are asymptomatic have no prospect of being examined. The government announcements, moreover, were made amid some of the lowest testing rates since early March. The day before the cabinet meeting, just 4,851 tests were conducted across the country, compared with more than 16,000 on March 29. From Monday to Thursday, only 1,000 tests per day were conducted in Victoria, which has a population of more than 6.3 million. Clusters continue to emerge, including at two hospitals in Tasmania last week and at a number of medical facilities in Victoria. Modelling released by the Actuaries Institute yesterday, based on World Health Organisation data, suggested that there may have been 20,000 people infected with the virus on April 9, well above the official figure of several thousand active cases. The report stated that community transmission of the virus is likely far more widespread than is indicated by official data. Despite this, Morrison declared at the press conference that while existing lockdown measures would remain in place for the next four weeks, they will be reviewed and likely eased late next month. Morrison outlined three policies that would supposedly manage the virus as lockdown measures are wound back. He claimed that testing would be dramatically increased, which raises the obvious question of why this has not yet been carried out. The prime minister stated that clusters of confirmed infections could be met with localised lockdowns to be enforced by the Australian Defence Forceanother indication of the repressive policies being prepared. The government is also rolling out a mobile phone app that will track at all times those who sign up. This would supposedly allow the authorities to identify the phone number of anyone that a confirmed case has been in close proximity to for 15 minutes or longer. The measure, based on a model developed by the police-state regime in Singapore, would represent a major escalation of mass surveillance and other ongoing invasions of privacy. The prime minister and Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy gave their most explicit comments to date on the strategy that has underlined the woefully-inadequate government response to the pandemic. They declared that they were not seeking to eradicate the virus, because of the negative business consequences of a sharp lockdown. Instead they were attempting to suppress it. The admission underscores why it took so long for the state and federal governments to introduce lockdown measures last month. It indicates that the governments are preparing to force workers back onto the job while the virus circulates for the foreseeable future and periodic outbreaks become a new normal. It is clear that teachers have been selected as the guinea pigs of the back to work campaign, which threatens to cause thousands of unnecessary deaths. On Wednesday evening, Morrison delivered a video message to teachers, hectoring them to ensure that schools remain open. Morrison made clear that this was aimed at resuming business activity, cynically declaring that teachers could not force parents to decide whether to put food on the table by going out to work or staying at home to look after their children. In reality, it is the federal and state governments, which have focused their response to the economic breakdown on providing billions to the corporations as they lay off workers, that are responsible for the deepening social hardship, not teachers. Comments in the Australian and other media outlets of the financial elite were blunter, noting that reopening the schools was crucial to kickstarting the economy, and creating the conditions for employees to be pushed back into their workplaces. Victoria is viewed as a test case, with the state Labor government of Premier Daniel Andrews forcing teachers back to the schools this week, despite widespread anger over a lack of safety precautions. Teachers are being compelled to go to schools, where they risk infection, while developing online curricula for the majority of students who are still learning remotely, greatly increasing their workload. In New South Wales, the state Liberal government has signalled that it will begin a staged reintroduction of face-to-face classes starting on May 12. This is in line with calls from the states Teachers Federation for Year 12 and kindergarten students to begin attending schools again. As in every state, the unions have collaborated closely with the government, brushing aside the concerns of the teachers they falsely claim to represent. In the Northern Territory, teachers are being forced to take classroom lessons and to prepare online classes. Measures for a full reopening of the schools are doubtless being discussed in other states and territories. The stated rationale for resuming face-to-face teaching, that schools are unlikely centres of infection, is highly dubious. Earlier this month, a cluster of over 70 infections emerged at Marist College in the New Zealand city of Auckland. A number of schools in New South Wales and South Australia were forced to close prior to the end of Term One after cases were detected. In reality, teachers are being subjected to dangerous conditions as the first step in imposing similar conditions on broader sections of the workforce. At the same time, tens of thousands of construction workers remain on the job at the behest of governments and the unions, despite the impossibility of practicing social distancing. Behind the scenes, the ruling elite and its representatives are discussing how many people will be allowed to die to minimise any impact on corporate profits. In an interview with Morrison last night, the Australian Broadcasting Corporations Leigh Sales noted that there have been no deaths under the 50- to 59-year-old cohort, and asked: 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? Sales asked whether it might be possible, as some business leaders have suggested, to return to a sort of normal existence for everyone under 60 and lockdown measures restricted to older Australians and younger people with serious health issues. An article in the Australian Financial Review by Sam Lovick, headlined, The next stage must be to let the virus spread, was even more explicit. Hailing government moves to end the lockdowns, he wrote: In the absence of a vaccine or a cure, the best policy involves a managed increase in spread so that some degree of herd immunity develops, seeking to protect those most at risk while it does. How might we achieve this? One policy that is unlikely to work is to try to prevent every death. Why not? Because to do so we would need to eliminate infections entirely. That can only be done with severe and prolonged social distancing at prodigious economic cost (2 percent of GDP per month for at least 10 months, at least $400 billion). Lovick detailed two scenarios, allowing a managed spread of the pandemic. He claimed that under the first model, of a gradual easing of lockdown measures, 64,000 lives would be saved because intensive care units would not be overwhelmed despite a rise in infections. Under his second scenario, Some 3,000 fewer lives are saved, largely because we are short around 500 ICU beds for one month. But the impact on GDP is much smaller at 4.1 per cent ($85 billion). The cost per life saved falls to $1.4 million. The cost of saving those additional 3,000 lives is $9 million each, more than society is normally willing to pay. In other words, the corporate and financial elite, and the governments that represent them are preparing to inflict thousands of deaths to shore up their bottom lines. This underscores the necessity for workers to immediately develop their own response to the crisis. As a first step, new organisations of struggle, independent of the corporatised trade unions, must be developed everywhere, to lead a fight against any premature return to work. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has increased humanitarian assistance to Ukraine from $1.2 million announced last week to $9.1 million to combat the uncontrolled spread of coronavirus, the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington has said on Facebook. "The United States has expanded assistance to Ukraine to $9.1 million in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds will be allocated to Ukraine through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)," the embassy said in a post early on Friday, April 17. The report says U.S. assistance will help prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. In addition, U.S. assistance "will also prevent and control infection at targeted health facilities; and support water, sanitation and hygiene interventions for the most vulnerable populations in Donetsk and Luhansk." In this regard, the Embassy of Ukraine in the U.S. thanked U.S. partners "for their support and concerted efforts." op CENOVIS stands for family health and has been loved and trusted by Australian families for over 80 years. 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Fiqih Prawira Adjie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 17, 2020 20:32 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2a1e64 1 City COVID-19,emergency-hospital,Nine-Residence-Apartment,Plaza-Mampang,Siloam-hospital,Lippo-group,James-Riady,Henry-Riady,anies-baswedan Free Tenants of the Nine Residence apartment complex in Mampang, South Jakarta, are preparing legal action after the building owner Lippo Group turned the Lippo Plaza in Mampang --a shopping center located on the ground floor of the complex-- into a COVID-19 emergency hospital without their consent or prior notification. Nine Residence tenants representative A. Alif Fimualif said that the tenants were planning to take the matter to court after receiving no significant response from the Lippo Group and the Jakarta administration regarding their complaints. We are preparing two legal actions, one to cancel the hospitals establishment through the State Administrative Court, and a lawsuit in the South Jakarta District Court [seeking damages], Alif told The Jakarta Post on Thursday, adding that all apartment tenants opposed the hospitals establishment. The approximately 100 tenants who live in the units believe the hospitals establishment violates the Consumer Protection Law by breaching their right to security and safety and by failing to disclose information regarding the emergency hospital. Additionally, they claim that by changing the buildings function from residential to a hospital, the developer violated the 2011 law on apartments. On April 1, property developer Lippo Cikarang advisor Henry Riady posted on his Instagram account that James Riady, his father and the deputy chairman of Lippo Group, and Caroline Riady, his sister and the executive director of Siloam Hospitals owned by Lippo, had turned Lippo Plaza in Mampang into a Siloam emergency COVID-19 hospital. The post has since gone viral on social media. The post showed the hospitals progress from its initial construction. This is to save lives, malls can be rebuilt again (or you can make new ones), but you cant replace lives. But after this COVID-19 [pandemic] is over, Caroline, you owe your brother a new mall, Henry wrote on one of the pictures posted. The emergency COVID-19 hospital has been operational since early April. Read also: Family moves to forest to avoid stigma after being examined for COVID-19 Nine Residence tenants, however, said that they had not received any prior notice that their ground floor would be converted into a COVID-19 hospital. Chantya Arentina, a 23-year-old apartment resident, said that she found out about the hospitals establishment through social media posts, adding that she had not personally received any written notice from the apartment management as of Thursday. When I found out that the building I was living in would have a COVID-19 hospital, I began to wonder if it would be safe staying at home? she told the Post on Thursday. Danang Nizar, a 28-year-old apartment resident, also said that he initially heard about the hospitals establishment through social media. Since then he had moved out of the apartment to stay with his parents because of safety concerns. All matters [relating to the hospital] were conducted in a secretive manner, even access to the building is constantly changing and confusing, Danang said. Lippo Karawaci spokesperson Danang Kemayan Jati said on April 1 as quoted by kompas.com that Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan had welcomed the help from Lippo Group. A photo handout distributed by Lippo Group showed that Anies visited the emergency hospital on March 31. On April 6, Danang said that the developer made sure the tenants would not have direct interaction with either patients or medical workers. "Entrances and exits, access to elevators, water supply, electricity, AC supply and others are separate and will not intersect," Danang said on April 6 as quoted by kompas.com. He said the air from the hospital would also not circulate in the living area but would be routed back to the hospital. The residents, however, have posted a video on Instagram that appeared to show that the hospital and apartments used the same building and access. This video shows that not only are the [apartments and hospital] in the same building, but they share the same access, @tim.p9r, the tenant association Instagram account, posted on April 10. As of Friday, Danang had not responded to the Posts question about the tenants plan to take legal action. Nasarawa is among states without a ventilator to help in the fight against coronavirus pandemic, but the state governor, Abdullahi Sule has bought 24 Toyota Hilux vehicles for state lawmakers, estimated at nearly N500 million, Daily Trust reports. There are 169 ventilators nationwide spread across only 16 states, Daily Trust exclusively reported last week. On Thursday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 407, with 128 patients discharged after treatment and 12 deaths reported. Speaker of Nasarawa House of Assembly, Ibrahim Abdullahi, on Monday stated that Abdullahi gave the 24 Toyota Hilux to the lawmakers as official vehicles. At an average cost of N21m per car, they are worth a combined total of N504m. Some Medical and Health Workers in the state on Thursday protested non-payment of their March salary by Doma local government. They threatened to embark on industrial action from Friday, if they are not paid. Cost of ventilator Findings reveal that a hospital-grade ventilator cost between $25,000 (N9.175m) and $50,000 (N18.350 m), using the Central Banks official exchange rate of N367 for a dollar. A ventilator is a machine that provides mechanical ventilation by moving breathable air into and out of the lungs, to deliver breaths to a patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathing insufficiently. A respiratory expert who craved anonymity said Nigeria requires about 10,000 respirators for emergencies over the ongoing pandemic. Most of the ventilators already present in the country are in tertiary hospitalsfederal medical centres and teaching hospital, he noted. He said ventilators were very important equipment, not only being used for supportive care of COVID-19 patients, but other respiratory illnesses, adding that it was important for all hospitals to have them. Nasawara has not reported any confirmed case of COVID-19 but it shares boundaries with Kaduna, Abuja, Kogi, Benue and Taraba. Abuja, Kaduna and Benue have 58, six and one confirmed cases respectively. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Adhoc release Kitting supply agreement with Chinese blade manufacturer Zurich, Switzerland, April 17, 2020 - Gurit (SIX Swiss Exchange: GUR) announces a two-year supply agreement with one of the leading Chinese blade manufacturers. The agreement entails engineering and supply of Core Material Kits for a strategically important project to the customer for the years 2020 and 2021 and is expected to deliver Net Sales of CHF 13-16 million over the contract period. "We have set a strategic ambition of getting a foothold in the Chinese domestic market and this deal proves that our business model and engineering capabilities are a match for the Chinese market. We will continue to find smart and flexible solutions to serve the Chinese Domestic market." says James Mei, Head of China Domestic Sales of Gurit's Kitting business unit. About Gurit The subsidiaries of Gurit Holding AG, Wattwil/Switzerland, (SIX Swiss Exchange: GUR) specialize in the development and manufacture of advanced composite materials, composite tooling equipment and core kitting services. The product range comprises structural core materials, fibre reinforced prepregs, wind blade moulds, formulated products including coatings, resins and adhesives as well as structural composite engineering. Gurit supplies global growth markets such as the wind turbine industry, aerospace, marine, rail and many more. Gurit operates production sites and offices in Canada, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Germany, Indonesia, India, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States. www.gurit.com Gurit Group Communications Thomas Nauer; phone: +41 44 316 15 50; e-mail: thomas.nauer (at) gurit.com All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law. Forward-looking statements: To the extent that this announcement contains forward-looking statements, such statements are based on assumptions, planning and forecasts at the time of publication of this announcement. Forward-looking statements always involve uncertainties. Business and economic risks and developments, the conduct of competitors, political decisions and other factors may cause the actual results to be materially different from the assumptions, planning and forecasts at the time of publication of this announcement. Therefore, Gurit Holding AG does not assume any responsibility relating to forward-looking statements contained in this announcement. HARBIN, April 17 (Xinhua) -- April 7 was the day Guan Xiangdong wrapped up the arduous anti-epidemic battle in Wuhan, Hubei province and returned to his workplace in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. However, he soon threw himself into the frontline again and flew to Suifenhe, a border city over 3,700 km away facing a mounting challenge of imported cases, without even meeting his family. Suifenhe sits at the China-Russia border in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. By Wednesday, the province had reported 354 confirmed imported COVID-19 cases, with another 50 asymptomatic cases. Suifenhe mainly receives asymptomatic carriers due to limited medical resources. Most confirmed cases are transferred to the city of Mudanjiang, which administers Suifenhe, for treatment. That is also where Guan's new battlefield is. As per his experiences in Wuhan, Guan, director of the department of critical care medicine at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, said tiered diagnosis and treatment should be implemented to coordinate the management and treatment of severe and critical patients. "We should plan ahead and have beds waiting for patients, not the other way around," said Guan. "Our experiences in Wuhan have given us the confidence to win here the fight against COVID-19." FIGHTING TO THE END The night before April 14, when the first batch of medics from Heilongjiang Province to aid Hubei ended their medical observation, some of them made a bold and respectable decision. They offered to join the anti-epidemic fight again in Suifenhe. "We're not afraid and will fight to the end," read a letter with their red thumbprints, a symbol of resolution. "I made the decision without much thinking. I just wanted to treat the patients," said Ni Xin with the Hongqi Hospital Affiliated to Mudanjiang Medical University. Ni is among the medics to aid Wuhan from Heilongjiang. She returned home on March 21 and went to Suifenhe immediately after her quarantine was over. "The virus is very cunning. We must carefully monitor the patient's condition and give timely treatment," said Ni. Yang Ni, in her 20s, is taking care of silent carriers at the municipal people's hospital in Suifenhe. "We actually do more psychological counseling than medication," she said. "Staying calm and brave can help boost their immunity." ANOTHER BATTLEFIELD Lu Xuexin works on another battlefield. The technician came to Suifenhe a week ago from Beijing. Before that, he was in Wuhan. On April 13, materials for a mobile negative pressure lab were transported to Suifenhe and put into use immediately. The lab meets the third level of biosafety and helps raise the city's daily nucleic acid testing capability to 1,000. Lu is responsible for packaging and inactivating throat swab samples sent by the hospital and then sending them to the next laboratory for nucleic acid testing. "We must be highly concentrated and race against time to detect the virus as early as possible to buy time for timely isolation, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 patients," said Lu. In addition to testing, Lu and his peers are also working out a standardized testing procedure and training local medics to improve the efficiency of the nucleic acid test. "All the samples must be tested the same day they're delivered," said Wu Guizhen, chief biosafety scientist with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, who walked out of the lab at 1 a.m. Titan releases 2019 annual report and assesses COVID-19 impact 17 April 2020 Titan Group released its 2019 annual report this week, covering its performance financially and with its environmental and social programmes. It also gave an outline of how it had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tarkis Arapoglou, chairman of Titan's Board of Directors, said: "The slow, steady and simultaneous recovery of the global economy in recent years continued throughout most of 2019 but regrettably was abruptly interrupted by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic." Moderate growth in 2019 Despite the set-back due to the coronavirus, Titan reported that 2019 saw positive growth in the USA for the group and the Greek market showed its first signs of growth, mainly in tourism and private sector construction. Most of the group's markets in southern Europe benefitted from increased demand, while Brazil turned in moderate growth. The downside of the cycle was witnessed in Egypt which saw further decline, together with the commencement of the army's mega plant, leading to a further deterioration of capacity utilisation. The situation in Turkey is similar for the company with Dimitri Papalexopoulos, chairman of the Group Executive Committee, explaining that: "Following a major drop in demand, there are signs of stabilisation at low utilisation levels." Lower global fuel costs helped performances, but there were also increased electricity and logistical costs, notably in the USA. The net effect of regional performances was stable to positive for the group, with increasing revenues of EUR1609.8m, up eight per cent, and EBITDA increasing 2.8 per cent to EUR267.1m. Net profits after tax fell to EUR50.9m, down 5.5 per cent. Investment continued with spending of EUR109m in capital expenditure in the year. Long-term trends Up until the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Titan's planning for 2020 was based broadly on a positive outlook. "The coronavirus has created a major source of uncertainty and is expected to have a negative effect on the global economy," said Mr Papalexopoulus. On a more positive note, the second long-term trend can be seen in the fundamental shifts coming from the digital revolution. "The changes start with the new ways to capture operational efficiencies in our plants, where in 2019 we rolled out several new digital pilots relating to production optimisation and predictive maintenance," added Mr Papalexopoulus. "We expect our digital evolution to go well beyond that, experimenting with tools and platforms that will enhance and possibly redefine our supply chain and the interface with our customers. At this point in our journey, we are focussing primarily on developing our digital capability through accelerated experimentation within our organisation." "We have further made progress in CO 2 reduction, in particular through the increase in the use of alternative fuels; we expect to meet our 2020 target of a 20 per cent reduction of specific emissions compared to our base year of 1990 with a short delay, due to regulatory and market conditions that influence product and fuel mix," reported Mr Papalexopoulus. The group has avoided 2.8Mt of CO 2 and 56,600t of dust emissions between 1990-2019. Water consumption was lowered by 29.1Mm3 between 2003-19, while alternative fuel substitution rate has risen to 13.6 per cent in 2019 from 12 per cent in 2018. A total of EUR26.6m has been spent by the group on green investments and EUR7.1m on innovations, including group CO 2 inititatives. Titan cement, aggregate and ready-mix volumes, 2018-19 2018 2019 YoY change (%) Cement (Mta) 18.2 17.0 -7 Ready-mix concrete (Mm3) 5.3 5.2 -1 Aggregates (Mta) 17.1 18.0 +5 COVID-19 risk assessment Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 in most countries, large-scale social distancing measures were imposed from March 2020, disrupting the global economy and reducing demand. Titan expects to be impacted in the short term, although all the groups cement plants have remained open to this point. Reduced volumes are predicted in 2Q20. The construction and cement sectors are less exposed than most sectors of society to the immediate effects of the virus, but inevitably results will be impacted. Titan has strengthened its liquidity position to EUR400m in combination of cash in hand and available committed bank credit facilities. In Greece the optimism for a pick-up in construction in 2020 remains. At the same time, the group has been actively preparing for the upcoming new phase of the CO 2 ETS, which will inevitably lead to a reduction of clinker exports. Published under Governors edged Friday toward relaxing restrictions to combat coronavirus after President Donald Trump released new national guidelines, but they cautioned that testing shortages and other hurdles could hinder progress to revive the economy. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday plans to reopen state parks Monday, to ease limits on surgeries Wednesday and to reopen retail businesses for pickup, delivery and mail orders April 24. We have demonstrated that we can corral the coronavirus, Abbott said. But New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose state has faced the biggest outbreak with more than 200,000 cases and 12,000 deaths, said the only quick fix would be a vaccine or better anti-viral treatment, which could be months or more than a year away. Until then, reopening the economy will be incremental, to avoid flaming another outbreak. Youre not going to hear any day soon, its over, the nightmare ends and we wake up, Cuomo said Friday during his daily news conference. Its going to be incremental and we have to be smart. Charting a course to reopen Trump issued guidelines Thursday to ease restrictions for social distancing and for reopening parts of the economy during three phases, such as schools, restaurants and theaters. Each phase requires a 14-day period of a downward trajectory for COVID-19 cases. But in a key shift, Trump said governors would determine the pace of lifting restrictions. "We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time," Trump said. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, the current chair of the National Governors Association, described the recommendations as pretty good." But he also said that his state is looking at its own metrics for when to reopen and has been doing so for several weeks. Well gradually start easing things off and opening things up when we believe its safe to do so, the Republican governor said Friday during a virtual event organized by the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. Story continues Hogan stressed that governors have their own public health experts and economists studying the timing on when to reopen. We all want to get the economy opened up and states back open as quickly as possible but were not going to do it in a way that endangers the lives of thousands of our citizens, he added. Like other governors, Hogan noted that Trumps remarks this week claiming to have authority to make the decision put everybody in a big uproar but said that the president completely reversed himself days later. Hogan said that reversal was a good decision. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican who initially resisted a stay-at-home order until early April, said Thursday that he would use the guidelines to create a plan for safely returning to more routine operations. In the coming days, I will outline how Georgia will move forward, said Kemp, whose statewide restrictions expire April 30. Many Georgians are ready to get back to work, and the fundamentals of our economy remain strong. I am confident that we will successfully rebound from this public health emergency. Hawaiis Democratic Gov. David Ige said the state does not meet the criteria established by the White House for a phased opening because it requires a downward trajectory in coronavirus cases over a two-week period. Were making progress, but were not there yet, Ige said, according to Hawaii Public Radio. So please continue your hard work and perseverance. We will get through this together. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat repeatedly praised by Trump for his handling of the virus, expressed skepticism about reopening a state with 80,000 cases, for lack of robust testing to track the virus. Were not ready, Murphy told reporters flatly. Theyre basically saying the governors are the ones who will determine a lot of this. We agree with that. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan speaks during a news conference in Annapolis, Md., Friday, April 10, 2020. Consensus: Expanding testing is key Key requirements for states to ease their restrictions are to increase testing, so that infections can be traced and isolated, and reviving their economies. But significant hurdles remain for both. Scott Gottlieb, a former head of the Food and Drug Administration, has said the county needs to test 750,000 people a day, or about 4 million per week, to track the virus. But only about 1 million tests are conducted per week, according to Ron Klain, former White House ebola coordinator during the Obama administration and an adviser to former Vice President Joe Bidens presidential campaign. This is kind of a bipartisan view of heath care experts that you need to have the testing, Klain said Friday at a Politico interview. Why? Because if youre not testing at least 1% of the population every week, or three to four million people, you dont really know how bad the disease is, how many hidden cases we have, where its being spread and so on and so forth. Cuomo said his state is developing the capacity that hasn't existed for large-scale testing that the coronavirus will require. New York has 300 labs in hospitals for virology testing, but they must all be coordinated, he said. Even if private companies provide test kits, the labs need chemicals to get results that are only available from China, he said. That is a piece of the equation that I cant figure out, Cuomo said. The federal government cannot wipe its hands of this. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he would use the Trump administrations guidelines as a baseline for reopening the state, but perhaps not follow every detail. Florida has been one of the leaders in testing, with 225,000 results so far, he said. Two walk-in sites in Broward County staffed by the National Guard, Florida Department of Health and Sheriffs Office opened Friday to conduct 200 tests per day for people with symptoms, he announced at a Fort Lauderdale news conference. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper also said his state made great strides on testing, with 73,000 completed so far. Three schools the University of North Carolina, East Carolina University and Duke University are coordinating research to track infections, to get a better idea of how many people have the virus without symptoms. We need testing to be more widespread, and we need to use it to give us a better indication of where we are in this fight, Cooper said. President Donald Trump Some friction for Trump, governors The reliance on China to reopen the country became a source of friction between governors and Trump. After Cuomo mentioned the need for more testing supplies from China, Trump tweeted that the governor should spend more time 'doing' and less time 'complaining.'" But Cuomo said only the federal government can resolve international disputes over supplies. Cuomo said he thanked Trump repeatedly for the beds at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, for the Navy ship Comfort, for intervening with China to obtain protective equipment and for help finding ventilators. What am I supposed to do, send a bouquet of flowers? Cuomo asked. Cooper said the federal government has helped negotiate the worldwide breakdown in supplies and equipment, but more is needed. Easing restrictions here in our state without enough masks, gowns and gloves is like setting off on three-day camping trip with enough food for just one night, Cooper said. Same rules for hotspots or not? The pace of reopening is expected to vary from state to state, and perhaps even from county to county. Part of what governors must weigh is whether to open some regions while continuing to clamp down on hotspots. New York City has had the bulk of that states cases. But whenever attractions open up in one area, people may flock to it. I think its logical to think the reopening plan would take into consideration the differential in infection rates and overall hospitalization rate, Cuomo said. But he warned that the first barber shop or marina to open up could get overwhelmed by demand from people who are sick of being cooped up. The risk is that reviving the economy could also revive the spread of the virus. We are on the cusp, Cuomo said. Were still in the midst of a public health crisis. Just because the numbers are flattening, lets not take our eye off the ball. Cooper said its difficult to set restrictions county by county in North Carolina because people may live in one place, work in another and play in another. But the state will consider setting different rules for different regions. We arent there at that point yet, but thats an option were keeping open, Cooper said. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gives updates about the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic during a press conference on April 17, 2020 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The governor announced that starting Saturday, two walk-up testing sites will open in Broward County one at the Urban League of Broward County in Fort Lauderdale and the other at Mitchell Moore Park in Pompano Beach. Getting back to work Governors noted that the coronavirus devastated their economies and their state budgets. The situation were in now is unsustainable, said Cuomo, who said the federal government will have to help cover state shortfalls. You cant keep the economy closed forever. In Florida, the disbursement of unemployment benefits was improving after being swamped with claims. About 100,000 payments were made this week, after 35,000 last week, DeSantis said. The figures compared to 350,000 payments during all last year, he said. Its thrown a lot of Floridians out of work, DeSantis said. But DeSantis said about 43% of hospital beds statewide are unoccupied. He argued that most infections in hotspots happened indoors or in public transportation, so he will seek ways to allow people to go outside. Ive always promoted essential activities with recreation, DeSantis said. Going forward, weve got to be promoting people to get outside. Do it in a safe way. In Texas, Abbott unveiled executive orders including the formation of a strike force, with further guidelines to be announced April 27. Schools will remain closed for the remainder of the school year. Even more openings will be announced in May when it is determined that the infection rate continues to decline, that hospital capacity remains available and when testing capacities are sufficient to detect and contain outbreaks of COVID-19, Abbott said. In North Carolina, Cooper said he was consulting with business leaders about what kinds of conditions to set on reopening. Grocery stores, for example, have ideas about limiting the number of occupants. Restaurants and bars have other ideas. The Chamber of Commerce and small businesses are offering suggestions. We do want to open up North Carolina, Cooper said. We want to open it up in the right way with input from businesses about how they can protect their employees, how they can protect their customers, and how they can get back to work so we can put people back to work. Contributing: Maureen Groppe This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: Governors shape plans to relax restrictions, reopen states We can not sit home and relax. All we need is permission to go back to our usual begging spots. If we do not, the family is going to go for days without food. Every month we send money and some food back home. Our parents are just peasant farmers and they cannot do much to support our children, said Chimuka. The ruling was dated March 13, shared with the parties this week and reviewed by Reuters on Friday, April 17. A Kyiv court has rejected an appeal by Chinese investors to unfreeze the shares of a Ukrainian aircraft engine maker. This is a setback for the Chinese company that has sought to acquire the Ukrainian firm in a deal opposed by the United States, Reuters said. China's Skyrizon Aircraft Holdings Limited bought a majority stake in the aircraft engine maker Motor Sich, but the shares were frozen in 2017 pending an investigation by Ukraine's security service (SBU). Washington wants the deal scrapped. Read alsoU.S. hopes Ukraine's Motor Sich not be sold to China The United States and China have competed for influence in Ukraine since its relations with Moscow soured when Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014. In its ruling, the court kept the shares frozen, citing the SBU probe into whether selling Motor Sich sabotages national security by allowing sensitive technology into foreign hands. The ruling was dated March 13, shared with the parties this week and reviewed by Reuters on Friday. Skyrizon plans further appeals, said a lawyer involved in the case, speaking anonymously due to the political sensitivity of the case. Zelensky's office, the U.S. embassy and the Chinese embassy did not respond to a request for comment. Motor Sich and the SBU declined comment. Motor Sich severed ties with Russia, its biggest client, after the annexation of Crimea. The wrangle over its future has held up efforts to find new markets, and supporters of a quick resolution say it is now operating at less than half capacity. "Motor Sich has become a hostage to the geopolitical situation," former Prime Minister Anatoliy Kinakh, chairman of an industrial union which has called for the government to resolve the dispute quickly, told Reuters. The state's anti-monopoly committee has launched its own investigation and says it is waiting to receive more documents before deciding whether to sanction the sale. President Volodymyr Zelensky's administration has had to balance strengthening ties to Beijing with keeping the United States, its biggest military aid donor, onside. In recent weeks, Beijing and Washington have both offered aid to Ukraine to fight the coronavirus. "At the moment it is a very difficult task when we have the biggest powers in the world and their interests are in conflict in Ukraine," Oleksandr Danylyuk, a former top security official under Zelensky, told Reuters. Migrant workers and homeless people being made to do yoga at New Delhi's Yamuna Sports Complex which was converted into a makeshift camp for those stranded in Delhi without a home. (DC Photo: Pritam Bandyopadhyay) There has been a stream of gut-wrenching reports about stranded migrant labourers in different cities across India in the past few weeks. More will follow as the coronavirus pandemic-induced lockdown is extended till May 3. But let us not delude ourselves into thinking that the precariousness of migrant lives is a new phenomenon. While we must keep up the pressure on governments to deal with the immediate needs of migrants -- food and shelter -- it is imperative to address the political economy of migrant misery. Migrant workers have been neglected and invisibilised for long because politically they are not significant. They constantly move between the city and the village and between worksites. Often, they are registered as voters in their villages but cannot vote because they are somewhere else at the time. Welfare benefits are tied to their place of origin. Local elected representatives in places where they work do not feel responsible for them. We in middle-class India have not cared much either about how migrant workers live, as long as they delivered. A new report by a group of volunteers who call themselves the Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN) brings some critical facts to the fore. The network of over 70 volunteers interacted with 11,159 stranded workers -- split into 640 groups -- since March 27. Migrant workers have lived and worked in the blind spots of our societal imagination. Scenes of their discontent and resistance against the lockdown and the sudden extension came to the fore recently in Surat and Mumbai as thousands gathered on the streets. All they want is to be extricated from the continued trauma and helplessness and be able to go home; the most basic of human needs, the report says. The roots of their helplessness lie in the informality of the work they do. Millions of migrant workers in sectors such as the construction industry, for example, leave no paper trail -- they are not on any official payroll. For all intents and purposes, they dont exist. Therefore, they can be treated and are treated like disposables 89 per cent of those surveyed have not been paid by their employers at all during the lockdown. How do policies and directives taken to help migrants play out on the ground? The report points out that though the Union home ministry issued an order on March 29 saying employers should pay workers full wages and homeowners should not charge rent from stranded workers to prevent their migration due to the lockdown, only about nine per cent of those surveyed said they were paid, that too partially; some who were given food by employers have been told the cost will be deducted. Some migrant labourers have been threatened so that they do not complain, says the SWAN report. India has never lacked policies or even laws. The problem is always in execution. In many laws, there is a binding obligation on Central and state governments to record migrant labour -- the Inter-state Migrant Workers Act (1979), the Street Vendors Act (2014) and even the National Disaster Management Act (2005), among others, as the report notes. There are other laws that mandate workers entitlement to payment of full wages on time, to displacement allowance, a home journey allowance including payment of wages during the journey and so on. The harsh ground reality is something else -- the majority of stranded workers who were surveyed were not able to recall the name of the main builder or company they have been working for. Nor did they have any social network to tap into at their places of work. Their only link to the city or town where they are working is through their contractor. They were only able to name their contractor, not even the name of the registered company of the contractor. In most cases, contractors have switched off their phones leaving workers to fend for themselves, says the report. The lockdown is only visibilising what has always been true and what has been overlooked -- the absence of administrative oversight on contract labour and lack of accountability of both employers and governments, as the report correctly notes. My own conversations with stranded migrant workers in several cities in India over crackling phone lines also point to the same conclusions. Many state governments are providing relief. Many non-profits like ActionAid India, Oxfam India and others are at work. But the demand for food and shelter far outstrips the supply. We are making a special effort to look for those who are falling through the cracks, the really vulnerable people, Samadhan Patil, who works with ActionAid in Madhya Pradesh, told me. Mr Patil and his team have been busy distributing food to migrant workers stranded in Bhopal. Rukshana Khatun from Malda, West Bengal, who was working as a construction labourer in Bhopal, told me she had not been paid for the past three months. I am worried about my children who live in the village. I used to earn Rs 400 a day but now I have very little money left and cant send any back home. The misery is everywhere. Along with hungry and desperate migrant workers taking to the streets, images of people looking through garbage heaps and eating rotten bananas on the banks of the Yamuna in New Delhi will be seared in the minds of those who saw the footage. What should the governments do? Right now, it is critical to cater to the immediate pressing needs of food and shelter and medical care. There must be universal access to foodgrains, pulses, cooking oil and soap, irrespective of whether someone has a ration card or not. Alongside, governments have to start addressing the root causes of the migrants misery. The number of migrant workers all over the country has gone up dramatically this century, as villages are less and less able to provide livelihood options. Governments have turned a blind eye. If politicians want to be elected, they cannot afford to do so any longer. The number of migrant workers is simply too large, and they will find ways to express their misery. Clearly, it is not enough to have laws. Governments must ensure compliance. The Interstate Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act 1979 seeks to protect migrant workers from abuse and exploitation. But as many experts have pointed out, its provisions have gone unimplemented for decades. This must change. Trinity School of Midland has been sharing Facebook posts about alumni helping locally and beyond during the coronavirus pandemic. Shelby Hammer, the head of school at Trinity School, said there are a lot of alumni who are on the front lines of making good things happen at this difficult time. We wanted both for our alumni to know that we recognize and appreciate what they are doing and also they are great role models for our current students who are thinking about what their next steps might be, she said. To put that in front of our current students and help them develop their thoughts about what their future could hold. Before the pandemic, Trinity School hosted alumni panels earlier in the semester that brought alumnus from different professions to campus to speak. All those people came back to campus and we did a large group session with all of our upper school students, she said. But then our juniors and seniors also got to do a breakout group with them and sit down in a smaller group with a field they were most interested in. She said the alumni love coming back and seeing their school, while also meeting current students. Hammer said current students also like seeing that theres life after high school. She said as an independent school they are completely run by their mission. Trinity Schools mission is as a college preparatory community that provides a nurturing environment to enrich the mind, strengthen the body, enliven the soul and inspire servant leadership, Hammer said. When we think about those four areas of mind, body, spirit and leadership, everything in our program is directed toward at least one of those areas, she said. Starting from the youngest ages, our kids get involved in servant leadership and giving opportunities. Hammer said that seeing how alumni have been helping during the pandemic gives a great sense of satisfaction to know that lessons the school has worked so hard to impart have taken root with students, and students carry them into the world. If you talk to alumni, theyll tell you, I knew from the time I was at Trinity, that it was important to help other people however I could, and that doesnt necessarily mean just giving money, she said. Kailea Walker, who graduated from Trinity in 2009, has been helping care for people locally. She said in an email that she started working at Medical Center Hospital in 2012. She started as a nurse intern and then received her registered nurse degree in 2013. She then worked in cardiac and ICU units until last year. She now works for ProCare: Odessa Heart Institute. Walker said she has always wanted to be health care. I have always been a natural caregiver. I always felt the need to care for my grandmother and father, with their various ailments, she said. I have always hoped that I could make a difference in the community by giving back, and helping patients improve their health and daily lives. She said attending Trinity School taught her how to better care for others, especially in the smaller groups. This helps bring people together, and everyone gains a better understanding, and empathic relationships can blossom, Walker said. The course work at Trinity School helped prepare me for my college courses, which gave me a slight edge in regards to being able to study more efficiently, stay focused and only helped improve my work ethic and drive. Walker said the pandemic has affected the patient volumes as well as minimizing the number of elective procedures. It has been difficult not knowing what is to come, she said. But she has been uplifted by the support of colleagues and family. Trinity taught me to strive to be the best I can be, and I carry that with me in my career still, she said. *** Trinity School alumni highlighted in Facebook posts Alumni who were highlighted in a Facebook post from March 20 include: --Brittney Rothbone, class of 2013, is on the front line in New Orleans fighting coronavirus in the ICU. --Craig Stoker, class of 1995, is the director of communications at the West Texas Food Bank. --Michelle Carter, class of 2012, is a doctorate of nurse anesthesia student in the simulations lab at TCU. --Austin Green, class of 2012, is a PharmD and MPH public health advocate at a clinic in Dallas. Alumni who were highlighted in a post from March 21 include: -- Bill Fleischmann, a former head of middle school at Trinity, donated blood in Florida. --Dr. Heather Bartlett, class of 1998, built a tent for triage and evaluation in Ohio. --Casey Snipes Smith, class of 2004, is Upper School lead administrator is educating students virtually at the Clariden School. --Beth Webster, class of 2011, is the director of prevention for the Life Center is educating and counseling students and parents in need. Alumni who were highlighted in a post from March 24 include: -- Susan (Strange) Green, class of 2007, is a physical therapist providing home exercise ideas for patients. --Dr. Emily Newman Dodd, class of 2006, is an anesthesiologist serving the community of San Angelo. --Dr. Shena Patel, class of 2012, has been swabbing patients for coronavirus at a drive-thru testing center in Houston. --Lydia Jackson, class of 2005, is a registered nurse supporting patients on the cardiac floor in Mobile, Alabama. Alumniwho were highlighted in a post from March 27 include: -- Lexie Willingham, class of 2011, is a nurse practitioner student in the medical ICU trenches in Lubbock. --Kelly Hoose Johnson, class of 1997, is an emergency manager in Utah at a drive-thru POD operation for testing. --Laura Quinn Sonnenburg, class of 2007, is a physicians assistant treating family medicine patients in Midland. --John-Mark Echols, founder of the Fields Edge, class of 2007, is arranging hand-washing stations for homeless people who have lost access to restrooms and washing facilities. Alumni who were highlighted in a post from April 2 include: --Former student Kirby Winstead, who works in the ICU at UT Southwestern. --Morgan Kuehler Gray, class of 2016, reports on coronavirus from KUT, Austins NPR station. --Lindsay Friesenhahn Lapucha, class of 2013, is a physicians assistant student volunteering at testing sites in Fort Worth. --Margaret Coffey, class of 1991, is a naturopathic physician working in a community health care outreach in Montana. Alumni who were highlighted in a post from April 7 include: --Cameron Salehi Kelly, class of 2004, is participating in a coronavirus antibody testing initiative in Colorado. --Dr. Jitae Kim, class of 2011, is a resident with Baylor University in Houston. --Kailea (Stephens) Walker, class of 2009, is a nurse practitioner caring for cardiac patients at Medical Center Health System. --Katie Bourland, class of 2009, is a music therapist at a childrens hospital. Yemen flooding kills 4 kids in IDP camp From same family (ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, APRIL 17 - Four children have died in Yemen and another 100 people were injured from flooding after heavy rain in the central region of Maarib. The country was already suffering after years of war, famine and endemic diseases. Arabic media report that the four children were from the same family of IDPs in a camp in Maarib, 170 km east of the capital, Sanaa, in an area near the frontline between the Iran-linked Houthi rebel fighters and loyalist forces backed by Saudi Arabia. The flooding and bad weather, activists quoted by Arabic media said, have destroyed about 20 IDP camps in the Maarib region. The shack in which the family with the four children who died was living was entirely swept away by the water and wind, sources on the ground said.(ANSAmed). How to Do It is Slates sex advice column. Have a question? Send it to Stoya and Rich here. Its anonymous! Every Thursday night, the crew responds to a bonus question in chat form. Dear How to Do It, My new girlfriend (three months or so) likes pain. I mean really likes pain. Biting, crushing her breast, nail pinching her labium and clitoris, pulling hair, violent PIV cervix thrusts, twisting her wrists and arms, and more. For the most part I am OK with it. Indeed it is a bit of a turn-on for me. But heres the thingIm really, really worried about actually physically hurting her. Advertisement We are practicing informed consent each time we have sex, discuss what we are going to do, have established safe words, etc. However, in the heat of the moment, she always screams for More! More!, wanting me to go further and becomes turned off and disconnected from our playing if I back off from going there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She says she knows how much her body can take, and while of course she has her own agency, I have a tendency to doubt that, for example, twisting a breast into a knot can be a good thing for anyone. I should mention that I am noticeably older, bigger, and stronger than her, and could pretty easily cause hospital emergency room type injuries if I wasnt careful. How do I resolve being a good lover, giving what my bed partner wants, while tempering my actions out of concern for her safety and well-being? Advertisement Advertisement Out for Injury Get Sex Advice in Your Inbox Every How to Do It column, plus letter follow-ups, delivered weekly. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Rich: This question has me wondering: How DOES this work? When I did sleep with women, around the time of the Pleistocene, I always found the potential strength disparity daunting. This ideamore than anything about womens anatomyis still extremely intimidating to me. I dont feel it with men. Stoya: Its a sticky one. Our writer really could cause lasting damage with some of the acts hes describing. I think an experienced pro-dom/domme is the way to go here. First, our writer should have a talk with his girlfriend to tease out exactly what appeals to her. Is it the threat of serious damage? Is it the sharp sensation? Is it the power exchange? A dom/domme with at least a decade of experience is going to have a whole toolkit of safer options than nail-pinching one of the most delicate parts of the human body or similar. Advertisement Advertisement Rich: So, in other words, hire a dom/domme as an instructor? Stoya: A consultant. Or instructor, yes. Rich: That makes sense. I am not loving that his boundaries arent being respected, even if hes the ostensible dominant party. It sounds like shes topping from the bottom and at times, forcefully. Advertisement Advertisement Stoya: Im noticing a trend of guys feeling like they need to prioritize their female lovers desireswhich is great!and forgetting about their own agency, which can be an issue too. Rich: Someone wanting to receive pain is only half of the equation; the other party should want to give it. Stoya: For the most part I am OK with it. Indeed it is a bit of a turn-on. Advertisement Advertisement Rich: That reads limp to me, a faint sort of enthusiasm. Stoya: To our writer: Remember, you get to have boundaries and agency too. If something is too far for you, its too far. Rich: And its OK to say that. It does sound like hes catering to her as it isstriking a balance, finding a happy medium, is crucial here. You know, the writer is concerned about being a good lover, but reading this made me wonder if the girlfriend is so concerned herself. Advertisement Advertisement Stoya: Theres very little about his own desires, which could be because hes focused on this issue but could be because his desires arent focused on. Rich: Right, and that could be a product of circumstance or some kind of submissive streak in our writer. I will say that the concern that prompted him to write this to us bespeaks several qualities that Id associate with good lovers. Advertisement Stoya: Absolutely. Hes concerned about his partners happiness and his partners well-being. Rich: I dont think this situation is resolved fully without some giving on the girlfriends part, toohopefully she can view the situation from that perspective. More How to Do It I have a wonderful boyfriend who is very sexually generous but for one thing: He totally avoids me during my period. We dont touch or kiss, and he doesnt allow me to go down on him because he says he doesnt want to be selfish. Because of the pill, I barely have a flow, and the little there is still too much for him. We are talking about marriage, and I am a little impatient at thinking of a future with 25 percent of the month off the table for sex. What do I do here? U.S. Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) depart the ship to move to off-ship berthing April 10, 2020 U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chris Liaghat The Navy has tested nearly the entire crew of the deployed aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt for coronavirus, and the results offer insights into how the virus spreads and the importance of extensive testing. Calling the situation "disconcerting," Secretary of Defense Mark Esper revealed Thursday that more than half the crew never showed any symptoms a finding that underscores the importance of social distancing to limit its spread. Navy officials told Reuters that roughly 60% of the carrier's infected sailors were asymptomatic. Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham, the Navy surgeon general, said last week that "with regard to COVID-19, we're learning that stealth in the form of asymptomatic transmission is this adversary's secret power." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The US Navy has tested nearly the entire crew of the deployed aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt for the coronavirus, and the results offer some insight into the how the disease can spread undetected, especially among young, healthier populations. The Navy is the military branch hardest hit by the coronavirus, with over 1,000 cases among military personnel. And, the majority of those cases, 660, are aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Since the outbreak began in late March, the Navy has tested 94% of the ship, a force of roughly 4,800 personnel. On NBC's "Today Show" Thursday, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper revealed that more than half of the infected sailors never had any symptoms. "What we've found of the 600 or so that have been infected, what's disconcerting is a majority of those, 350 plus, are asymptomatic," he said, adding, "So it has revealed a new dynamic of this virus that it can be carried by normal, healthy people who have no idea whatsoever that they are carrying it." The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), front, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59), left, and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), transit in formation. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Anthony J. Rivera Story continues The US military has not been able to conduct the kind of sweeping testing seen on the USS Theodore Roosevelt in all areas, which means US military personnel could appear healthy but actually be infected. The Department of Defense can carry out about 9,000 tests a day at present, but it aims to significantly increase its testing capacity to 60,000 tests per day. The Pentagon has recorded only 2,986 coronavirus cases among US service members so far, but there could be more. Talking about the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Esper said earlier this week that "there are people who have tested positive ... who are just moving around." He added that "the same could apply to all of us." Speaking on lessons learned from the situation aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham, the Navy surgeon general, told reporters at the Pentagon last Friday that "with regard to COVID-19, we're learning that stealth in the form of asymptomatic transmission is this adversary's secret power." In early April, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and prominent member of President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force, said "somewhere between 25% and 50%" of people infected with the virus may never show any symptoms. Navy officials told Reuters that roughly 60% of the carrier's infected sailors were asymptomatic. While some sailors were asymptomatic, others were not. Among the infected sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, more than half a dozen have been hospitalized. Two have been placed in the ICU. One died Monday, and the other remains in intensive care. Read the original article on Business Insider Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday reappointed Amy Tong as state Chief Information Officer and director of the California Department of Technology.Tong, 46, has been state CIO and CDT chief since June 2016, having served first as acting director after former state CIO Carlos Ramos retired. She was appointed to the top job by then-Gov. Jerry Brown and confirmed by the state Senate the following year. Her reappointment was announced Thursday evening by the governors office.Tongs tenure at the top of state IT governance has been marked by significant changes in CDT, including an emphasis on cloud technology, a streamlined procurement system, a concerted effort to partner more closely with counties and cities -- and, less favorably, technological problems within the Department of Motor Vehicles for which she received criticism from some state lawmakers.Last summer, the state reorganized its IT governance, creating an Office of Digital Innovation -- a name appropriated from CDT and reconfigured under the auspices of the state Government Operations Agency, parent of CDT.Tongs rise through the state IT hierarchy has been steady. She served as acting chief information officer at the State Water Resources Control Board, where she served from from 1994 to 2008. From there, she was named chief of the data center for the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), a position she held from 2008 to 2011.After serving at CalPERS, Tong was named chief technology officer for the State Board of Equalization, where she worked until 2012. From there, she served as deputy director and CIO of the California Lottery until 2014. After that, she was named chief deputy director for the Office of Systems Integration and agency chief information officer for OSIs parent entity, the California Health and Human Services Agency, a role she held until she was named acting state CIO in 2016.Under Tongs leadership of CDT, the state has expanded its career development curriculum, which began with the Information Technology Leadership Academy (ITLA), a flagship training ground for future state IT leaders. That academy has spawned several others under CDTs Office of Professional Development, focused on such disciplines as digital services innovation, project management, and security.Tong addressed the issue of security in an interview last month that appeared in Techwire.We are in the midst of working with the administration on a data use agreement for all of the Cabinet agencies that would address all of these sensitive personal data issues, she said. While that policy side is being worked through, our technology side is gearing up for expanding the data platform to be able to address the exchange of that sensitive data. Its going back to that human-centered design thinking.Several high-profile personnel changes have also occurred under Tongs watch. Her former second-in-command, Chris Cruz, left the position of CDT chief deputy director and deputy state CIO last year to take the CIO position in San Joaquin County. Richard Rogers, another veteran of state IT service, is now the acting deputy state CIO and chief deputy director of CDT.The states chief information security officer, Peter Liebert, left the department last year and has gone into security consulting. Vitaliy Panych is now the acting CISO.Tong, an Elk Grove resident, earned a masters degree in business administration from California State University, Sacramento. Shes active in civic organizations and is a member of the California Northstate University Board of Trustees, the NAACP, the Asian Pacific State Employee Association, and the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association. She has also served on the Elk Grove Planning Commission.Tong is paid $197,797 per year, and she does not declare a political party affiliation. An intimate conversation with Dame Judi Dench will become available to watch online as part of the campaign to save the Orange Tree Theatre. Recorded in 2017 at the venue in Richmond, south-west London, the 90-minute discussion was hosted by broadcaster Gyles Brandreth. Viewers can watch the film on the theatres website from later this month, through a payment of 4.99. Announcing Dame #JudiDench in conversation, hosted by @gylesB1: available to stream online to support the Orange Tree Theatre from Sun 26 April at 3pm. Find out more >> https://t.co/2tEi3zLnE2 Watch the trailer pic.twitter.com/oSlAlLjiZY Orange Tree Theatre (@OrangeTreeThtr) April 17, 2020 It saw the veteran actress recount stories of Sir John Gielgud, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, Clint Eastwood and Johnny Depp among others, and took place as part of the inaugural Under The Orange Tree series. Money raised will go to the Orange Tree Theatres Survival Fund, launched in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The venue closed its doors on March 16, subsequently losing 74% of its income. The theatres artistic director, Paul Miller, said: This film records one of my happiest days ever: the day Judi came to the Orange Tree. Its 90 minutes of enormous fun and fascinating insights, in the company of a national treasure with few, if any, rivals for our collective affection. Expand Close Dame Judi Dench on the Graham Norton Show (Isabel Infantes/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dame Judi Dench on the Graham Norton Show (Isabel Infantes/PA) Video of the Day We hear about John Gielgud and Peggy Ashcroft; Clint Eastwood and Johnny Depp; about Ken Branagh, Peter Hall and how to speak Shakespeare. The crucial importance of company spirit runs through it all like a golden thread. And what company she is: this is a treat to savour in your home, while we wait to welcome you back to ours one day. The interview will be available from 3pm on Sunday April 26 via orangetreetheatre.co.uk. NCR Announces First Quarter 2020 Earnings Conference Call NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) will release its first quarter 2020 financial results after the market close on Thursday, April 30, 2020. A conference call is scheduled at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the same day. Participants should plan to access the call 15 minutes prior to the start time to ensure a smooth connection. Details are as follows: Dial in Number Passcode Time/Date Conference call 888-820-9413 (Toll free) +1 786-460-7169 (Local) 7971508 4:30 p.m. Eastern, April 30, 2020 The live conference call and related presentation materials will also be available at http://investor.ncr.com/. The conference call will be archived and available at the same site shortly after the conference call is complete. For any difficulties accessing the conference call, please contact Candice Wilson from NCR at 470-372-4394. About NCR Corporation NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a leading software- and services-led enterprise provider in the financial, retail and hospitality industries. NCR is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., with 36,000 employees globally. NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries. Website: www.ncr.com Twitter (News - Alert): @NCRCorporation Facebook (News - Alert): www.facebook.com/ncrcorp LinkedIn (News - Alert): www.linkedin.com/company/ncr-corporation YouTube (News - Alert): www.youtube.com/user/ncrcorporation View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005240/en/ New Delhi: As the month-long Ramzan is about to begin, Ulemas and Muftis from all schools of Islamic thoughts have appealed to the Muslim community to offer Taraveeh prayers from homes, since the imposition of the second phase of lockdown to stop spread of coronavirus pandemic. In a press note, the Ulemas and Muftis urged people to follow the instructions given by the government to observe the lockdown. "Follow the advice of health and medical experts and observe preventive measures, especially social distancing, strictly," the note read. They asked the community to partake in Iftar at homes.. and not to host parties and appealed that the money saved through this is doanted to the underprivileged section of the society instead. Muslims in India been asked to refrain from holding gatherings for Taraveeh and recitation of the Holy Quran, as well. This is what the press note said: Hyderabad, April 16: Ulemas and Muftis from all Schools of Islamic Thought have appealed to the Muslim community to offer Taraveeh prayers at their homes during the ensuing month of Ramzan in view of the lock-down all over the country due to Corona Virus pandemic. In a statement issued here, the Ulemas and Muftis said that, as Sahr is done at home, all the Muslims shall also partake Iftar at home and they shall not go to mosques for Iftar. They are also requested not to 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. Further, the Ulemas and Muftis have 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 observe preventive measures, especially social distancing, strictly. While staying at home, the Muslims shall offer prayers, observe fasting (rota) 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 (Astasqfar). In the Shariah, responsibilities and duties are assigned and at the same time, exceptions and concessions are given during extraordinary circumstances. Offering Taraveeh is Sunnah and here, too, exceptions are allowed. Once again, the Ulemas and Muftis appealed to the Muslim community to offer special Duas to earn the mercy of Almighty Allah. The holy month of Ramzan, is likely to commence from April 24 or April 25, subject to sighting of the crescent moon. During the month of Ramzan, the devout observe rigorous fasting for about 30 days and do not consume food or water from dawn to dusk. They eat Sehri (a pre-dawn meal) and break their day-long fast with Iftar in the evening. By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 17, 2020 | 01:36 PM | SOUTHERN ILLINOIS The Southern 7 Health Department has given an update on COVID-19 testing in their region.As of Friday morning, there were a total of 15 positive cases in southernmost Illinois, with the two most recent cases confirmed on Thursday (see link).In response to inquiries, Southern Seven reported that as of Friday, 254 tests have come back negative for the virus. Here is a list by county:Alexander - 16Hardin - 15Johnson - 32Massac - 43Pope - 11Pulaski - 23Union - 114Neither the testing or the approval of which individuals get tested is done by Southern 7 Health Department, it is done by the Illinois Department of Public Health, and by state and private laboratories. Private doctors can also refer patients for COVID-19 testing at commercial, hospital, or academic laboratories.The health department encourages everyone to stay informed by watching Gov. Pritzker's daily update at 2:30 pm. This press conference can be found on the Illinois Department of Public Healths website (see link).You can also stay informed by following the Southern 7 Health Department's Facebook page (see link).As of Thursday afternoon, there were 25,733 cases of COVID-19 in Illinois and 1,072 deaths in 90 counties. In just 6 days those totals had climbed from 16,422 cases and 528 deaths in 81 counties.The data shows that COVID-19 is spreading rapidly, so everyone should assume that it is circulating within your community. Stay at home unless absolutely necessary, and when you must go out, observe social distancing and wear a face mask and gloves.There have been four COVID-19 hotlines established for residents of the Southern 7 region. These are:Massac Memorial Hospital 1-618-638-1344 (7am-7pm)Southern Illinois Healthcare 1-844-988-7800 (24 hours)St. Francis Medical Center 1-573-331-4200 (7am-5pm)Baptist Health Paducah 1-888-227-8478 (24 hours)For more information visit cdc.gov/coronavirus or idph.illinois.gov. You can also call the IDPH Hotline with questions at 1-800-889-3931. On the Net: The police in Bankura district of West Bengal has booked Bankuras Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subhas Sarkar under different sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Disaster Management Act (DMA), 2005, for allegedly spreading false alarms. Another MP, Alipurduars John Barla, has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah alleging that he has been put under house arrest by the district administration. While the administration remained tightlipped over the issue, polices action against Sarkar comes after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees warning on April 15 that people spreading misinformation around Covid-19 would have to face legal action. Sarkar, who is a doctor, has been booked under section 54 of DMA that deals with punishment for whoever makes or circulates a false alarm or warning as to disaster or its severity or magnitude, leading to panic. He has also been booked under section 505 (1) (b) of and 188 of the IPC. The case was registered at Bankura police station on April 14. Section 505 (1)(b) pertains to Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, rumour or report with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public. Section 188 deals with the disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant. Criticising the role of the administration, Sarkar said, I raised the issue of two bodies being secretly buried. Fortunately, none of them tested positive. But the secrecy and the manner in which the burial took place itself caused panic among the people of the district. Sarkar wrote these things on social media on April 13 and the issue was later raised by other BJP leaders, including the partys IT cells national head, Amit Malviya. Meanwhile, John Barla, who wrote to Amit Shah on April 15, alleged on Thursday that a team of 40 policemen were guarding his residence to ensure he could not move out. The administration is facilitating Trinamool Congress workers and leaders in distributing relief material but when I went out to offer relief to those in need they seized all the materials and brought me back home. This is a gross injustice, Barla said. BJPs Darjeeling MP Raju Singh Bista, too, issued a press statement condemning how Barla had been disallowed to move out of his residence. Another BJP MP, Arjun Singh of Barrackpore, alleged on Thursday that the police blocked his way to a place where he was going to provide relief material. While on the way to distribution of food packets and other necessities, I have been detained by police at Amdanga under my LS constituency, Singh alleged in a tweet on Thursday. However, the partys Hooghly MP Locket Chatterjee distributed relief material within her constituency without facing any trouble. While the administration remained tightlipped, senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and state food minister Jyoti Priya Mallick said that BJP leaders were trying to create trouble at a time the government was focussed on strict implementation of coronavirus lockdown and ensuring that relief reached every household in need. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Former VP Joe Biden said Thursday that he believes Gov. Andrew Cuomo has all the makings of a good president but completely ruled out announcing him as his 2020 running mate. The New York Governor has seen his political stock rise considerably since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, lauded by many Democrats as a president in waiting for his handling of the crisis in his state. Some plaudits have even gone as far as to say Cuomo should be considered as Joe Biden's vice president pick. But when questioned about the possibility of a Biden-Cuomo ticket earlier this evening, presumptive Democratic nominee Biden said that though Cuomo is certainly 'capable' of one day becoming president, he is still determined to announce a female VP who could 'become president tomorrow'. Former VP Joe Biden said Thursday that he believes Gov. Andrew Cuomo has all the makings of a good president but completely ruled out announcing him as his 2020 running mate The New York Governor has seen his political stock rise considerably since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus last month, lauded by many Democrats as a president in waiting for his handling of the crisis in his state 'I think that Governor Cuomo is capable of being president. I think he's a great guy, but I also think that it's important that there be a woman [on the ticket],' Biden said of the speculation. 'Look, I want an administration to look -- and there's plenty of qualified, there's plenty of women with the experience and with the capability of being president tomorrow.' Biden continued: 'And I think it's important that we begin to have my administration, God-willing, is going to look like America and I genuinely mean that. 'Not just vice president but making sure that we have a Supreme Court, we have a cabinet, we have a White House that looks like the country. And I think it really matters.' Biden the reiterated the 'importance' of remembering there's 'plenty of qualified people who have the experience and background who are women and are ready to be president on day one. And I'm gonna stick with that.' During a Democratic Debate back in March, Biden publicly pledge to select a female running mate. 'I would pick a woman to be my vice president,' Biden said at the time, following a promise to also elect the first black woman to the Supreme Court. During a Democratic Debate back in March, Biden publicly pledge to select a female running mate. Among the suspected contenders are former 2020 rivals Kamala Harris (left) and Elizabeth Warren (right) Among the contenders are former 2020 rivals Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, and Elizabeth Warren. While pundits are continue to discuss the options, bookmakers in Las Vegas have identified Harris as the most likely pick. Senator Elizabeth Warren said Wednesday that she would accept the offer, if she was asked to assume the role by Biden, despite so far refusing to publicly endorse him. 'Yes,' said Warren when she was asked on MSNBC how she would respond if Biden asked her to serve as his vice president. Former first lady Michelle Obama, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Georgia's Stacey Abrams are also all considered likely candidates. 'I would be an excellent running mate,' Abrams said in an interview published in Elle 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. 'I've spent 25 years in independent study of foreign policy. I am ready to help advance an agenda of restoring America's place in the world. If I am selected, I am prepared and excited to serve.' She added that she was very 'fortunate' to hear her named mention in contention. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Airbus is pictured at the aircraft builder's headquarters of Airbus in Colomiers near Toulouse By Johanna Decorse TOULOUSE, France (Reuters) - Airbus will furlough some 3,000 French aerospace workers by tapping a government-backed scheme for four weeks starting from Monday, the planemaker said on Friday, in its latest effort to cope with the coronavirus crisis. The company said the measures would apply to those unable to work because their workstations "cannot be fully secured" in line with health measures imposed during a country-wide lockdown in force since March 17. Confirming a Reuters report, the company said some 3,000 workers would be affected at factories in Toulouse, Nantes and Saint-Nazaire. The CGT union said this represented 20% of the Airbus workforce in France. It employs 130,000 people worldwide. Airbus has announced plans to cut jetliner production by at least a third after demand for air travel collapsed and most airlines found themselves unable to take delivery of aircraft. Airbus said the furlough or "partial activity" scheme may be extended beyond a planned May 17 end-date if needed to address an unprecedented downturn and recently lowered production rates. The "partial activity" or "partial unemployment" scheme, which is widely available to companies in France, allows firms to reduce working hours and provide workers with partial compensation that can be recovered from the government. Unions backed the scheme which sources said would allow employees to receive some 92% of their usual salary during the furlough. "Since the beginning of the confinement, we have been asking management to apply the ... scheme," said CGT union official Xavier Petrachi. "It is an essential measure to protect employees and save jobs." (Reporting by Johanna Decorse; Writing by Tim Hepher; Editing by David Evans and David Holmes) President Muhammadu Buharis aide on new media, Bashir Ahmad has attacked a former lawmaker Senator Dino Melaye for sharing what he (Bashir) described as fake news. Recall that the former lawmaker from Kogi had on Thursday posted a video showing multitude of Nigerians struggling for some mini bags of rice being thrown to them from a trailer. Also Read: Senator Dino Melaye Explains Lockdown In Bits (Photo) The former lawmaker had called out the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to do something, alleging that Nigerians were starving. Reacting to the video, Bashir who claimed that the video posted by the former lawmaker is an old video, queried the motive of sharing such information. See his tweet below: So, you're stuck at home with elevated sugar levels. You may not want to visit your diabetologist even if he is a few kilometres away, because you simply don't want to expose yourself to the dreaded Covid-19 infection. What do you do? Don't fret. You can get quality advice right within the confines of your home, through a mechanism called telemedicine. All you need is a smart phone to start consulting health specialists over video call, phone call, whatsapp, and other applications. Telemedicine has been around for quite a while in India, but it is only recently ... Admittedly, most CalPERS board members have been working hard at imitating potted plants. The rare exceptions that attempt to perform their constitutionally-mandated jobs as fiduciaries, like JJ Jelincic and now Margaret Brown, are subjected to CalPERS-orchestrated attacks in the press and petty hazing. However, in a brazen power grab, the staff is about to have the board sign away its remaining power, even though the board members cannot escape their legal responsibilities by saying, Oh, those CalPERS people did it. How was I supposed to know? Yet the board is about to go officially into head in the sand mode despite the fact that it is becoming even more clear that leaving the staff on auto-pilot leads to abuse. Tony Butka of LA CityWatch has a good piece out on this power grab: COVID-19 or the CalPERS Board Which is Worse?. Well turn to it later in the post. The latest example is the fiasco of Chief Investment Officer Ben Meng failing to tell the board about his decision to exit two tail risk investments just as they were about to turn spectacularly profitable. These hedges were intended to reduce the damage of a market downdraft, to the tune of over $1 billion in missed gains. The only reason CalPERS didnt suffer from even more egg on its face was the manager of the smaller exposure begged CalPERS to delay the wind-down, with the result that CalPERS had a bit of unintended protection through the end of March. On top of that, Nassim Nicholas Taleb alleges that Meng flagrantly misrepresented the cost and benefits of what Meng claimed were superior and lower cost alternatives to the abandoned hedges. Taleb does not dispute that the two approaches, long dated Treasuries and factor-weighted equity investing, blunted CalPERS losses by $11 billion this year. But Taleb called out Meng for fibbing about the cost, which was sacrificing roughly $30 billion in investment profits last year. That leaves CalPERS net $19 billion worse off than if Meng had left things alone. In combination with the $1 billion in sacrificed tail risk profits, should we start calling Meng CalPERS $20 billion wrong way man? The issue here isnt simply that Meng made poor investment calls. Even storied investors make mistakes. It is that Meng looks to have exceeded his authority by firing the tail risk managers without informing the board or even CalPERS consultant, Wilshire Associates. He then lied about it to the board, beneficiaries, and California taxpayers when asked a direct question at the March board meeting. Meng then went further in the cover up is worse than the crime territory via claiming his supposedly better risk mitigation strategy made even more than the lost in the hedge fiasco. Taleb exposed that as false by showing that all in, it was a big turkey. Taleb is in a position to know that pretty well because CalPERS asset allocation major domo left just this month for Universa, the fund with which Taleb is affiliated, so Taleb has a good idea of how CalPERS was implementing its strategies. So CalPERS has its top investment official defying normal requirements and sound investment practice by ignoring the advice of CalPERS expert, Wilshire, and ditching the hedges.1 And this defective decision process blew up with surprising speed. What other risk bombs might be about to go off? Yet with CalPERS having even more visible management problems than ever, and at the worst possible time, when the world economy is falling off a cliff and recovery could be many years away, the board is about to go into hands off the wheels mode. Well go over the details shortly, but the votes on the boards abdication are set to take place first in the Investment Committee on Monday, April 20, and then before the full board on Wednesday. You can see how Marcie Frost orchestrated this coup. First she persuaded the board to meet fewer times a year, pushing it further out of the picture. Then she got them to agree to shrink the Investment Committee, knowing that the only board member who is vigilant and reasonably clued in, would be excluded, since the other board members are allergic to asking staff questions. Cant harsh their mellow! As Butka put it: .faced with relatively low return on investments, the institution, has adopted a siege mentality, with the key executive staff manipulating a compliant Board to hide the real inner workings of CalPERS. As well as its problems and failures [It] raises questions as to whether the CalPERS Board members are simply toadies to the staff, instead of doing their fiduciary duty to the beneficiaries and taxpayers who fund the institution. The Staffs Plan to Get the Board to Resign So lets now look at the CalPERS boards death warrant. As regular readers know, the CalPERS board has been abandoning any pretense that it supervises staff. It has been handing over more and more power to the staff in the form of increasing its delegated authority, as in how much the staff can spend on investments without getting board approval. Committee chairmen also regularly tolerate staff insubordination by not calling staff out when they fail to report back on certain matters. As JJ Jelinic summed it up, Only Private Equity and Real Estate have staff delegation limits in their policy. Other than that there are no limits on staff. However, staff cannot just overturn Board decisions on asset allocation and risk levels. At least until April when the Board will withdraw its limited control. As Jelincic alludes, the board does have some remaining points of intervention, such as investment manager selection. That has proven to be extremely important. Remember that CalPERS was planning to hand over its entire private equity program to BlackRock, even though that would clearly increase costs with no reason to expect improved performance. The need to discuss this and other parts of the ever shape-shifting private equity new business model to the board provided enough transparency for the idea to become bogged down under the weight of its internal conflicts. Weve embedded the key document at the end of this post. This section shows how the Board is giving up virtually all investment supervision and setting itself up simply to hear staff pleasantries and vote in favor of them: In all seriousness, what is there left for the board to do? It is no longer conducting asset allocation but merely waving through what staff wants to do. It no longer have any say over strategies within asset classes. Recall that CalPERS made a costly mistake a few years back in deciding to considerably reduce the number of private equity fund managers and concentrate on fewer and bigger managers. The board wont have any ability to review or challenge changes like these. Similarly, giving up the authority to Oversee selection process and performance of investment partners, managers and consultants makes clear the Investment Committee is just a big charade. It is alarming to see the board ceding Oversee investment office risk assessment and control environment. As weve described, CalPERS already has a defective risk management structure, with risk control reporting to the Chief Investment Officer rather than the General Counsel or the CEO. This is the same bad approach that led to the JP Morgan London Whale fiasco. At least risk control now has what organizational management types like to call a dotted line relationship to the board, a limited window in. That is set to go. And in keeping with the wrong-headedness of this exercise, the next section, on page 3 of the embed below, strikes out all of the requirements from the California Constitution. The CalPERS board in theory cannot abandon these obligations, but putting them next to the boards clear abandonment of its role evidently makes the contradiction too obvious: And dont kid yourself that the board can also delegate its duties to staff. Those responsibilities are always and ever the boards. Per Article 16 sec. 17(a) of the California Constitution (emphasis ours): The retirement board of a public pension or retirement system shall have the sole and exclusive fiduciary responsibility over the assets of the public pension or retirement system. As former prosecutor, now prominent retiree David in Santa Cruz warned: This means that when the members eventually see their contributions increased and the beneficiaries eventually have their benefits cut, and are looking for someone to sue, it is the individual board members who will be sued personally. Then Jones will also discover that the E&O self-insurance that the CalPERS CAFR reveals is not reserved as required by both state and common law provides as much coverage as the Emperors New Clothes. Its always a bad idea for a fiduciary to involve him or herself in a cover-up. Its doubtful that a future governor or legislature tasked with bailing-out the fund will be much interested in bailing-out the current board from personal bankruptcy when they so blatantly ignore their duty to hold managers accountable. CalPERS Elected Board Members Thumb Noses at Public by Taking Time Off Via Shedding Duties While Lying to Employers and the Public The fact that the Investment Committee, far and away the most important and time-consuming activity of the board, is meeting less often, dumped some members and is about to dump pretty much everything it once did, begs the question as to why board members (for the ones that are current government employees) are being compensated in the form of undeserved paid vacations at CalPERS expense. Six of the 13 board members are elected by beneficiaries. One seat is for a retiree. Of the rest, at least three and potentially all five of the rest are held by active employees. These employees get release time from their employers to (supposedly) work on the board (its formally called employer reimbursement). The theory is that the board member works for CalPERS X% of the time and CalPERS reimburses them for that. In a show of utter disrespect to the public, the requests for release time authorization are also scheduled for the board meetings next week. Yet most board members are asking for the same or increased release time despite the fact that they are clearly doing vastly less than they used to. Specifically: All are vastly in excess of actual board meeting time. The release time presupposes that board members are carefully reviewing all the materials the staff sends prior to board meetings. From the caliber of discussions, it is evident never happens save for the board members that staff treats as dissidents and has successfully gotten the rest of the board to treat as pariahs). At Butka noted: Just go look at the video recording of any meeting and look for any questioning of staff by Board members on anything. Good luck finding any fiduciary oversight. More like a bunch of crash test dummies. In addition, the ability of the board to do anything between board meetings is severely circumscribed by the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, which is designed to bar deliberations outside of formal meetings with stipulated notices and disclosures. On top of that, the reality is for any desk job, it is hard for employers to make use of the remaining <30% or less time (recall that ~10% is vacation, so the remaining work time is <20% of total man days/year). So in many cases, employers dont ask the CalPERS board member to take on meaningful work the balance of their time (this was clearly the case for long-standing board member Priya Mathur). So it is no accident that Rob Feckner asks for far more release time than anyone else (95%). He is a glazier, meaning he fixes broken windows. Thats one of the few things an employer could readily arrange to be done on an ad hoc basis for a few days total every month. Notice that staff provides cover for these ludicrous number in the form of baselines that are out of date by showing 12 months of board meetings when the board went to 10 several years ago and has now cut that further. The matter of release time may seem trivial compared to the utter abdication of duty. But its the sort of thing that sticks in the craw of the beneficiaries who vote for candidates for these seats, and even more so to employers, who resent how increases in CalPERS contributions were breaking their budgets even before the coronavirus came also to crush their revenues. There is a tiny silver lining to the coronacrisis. CalPERS will, for the first time, read e-mailed public comments into the record during the board meeting. They to be limited to roughly three minutes of speaking time. Please, if you are a CalPERS beneficiary or a California resident, give CalPERS a piece of your mind! State that you firmly oppose the reduction of board investment oversight as a rejection of its fiduciary duty. The more voices speak out, the better the odds of beating back these abuses. We have the rare luck of the wind of deserved bad press at our backs. From CalPERS: Public Comment Individuals present at the CalPERS auditorium may provide public comment on agenda items at the time each item is heard. Members of the public may also submit written public comments by email to board@calpers.ca.gov. Written public comments should note the meeting and agenda item the comments relate to and shall be read into the record at the time the corresponding agenda item is heard. All public comments shall be subject to CalPERS Pusblic Comment Regulation (Cal. Code Regs. tit. 2, 552.1.) https://www.calpers.ca.gov/docs/board-agendas/202004/board-notice.pdf Be sure to check the board vote on April 20, because you have two shots at defeating these changes. Even if they are approved at the Investment Committee on April 20, they still need to be approved by the full board on April 22. So you may need to submit a second round of critical comments and perhaps enlist even more friends and colleagues to join you. Give them a piece of your mind! And please circulate this post widely and ask everyone you know to do the same! ____ 1 It may seem I am making overmuch of this point, but the key to avoiding liability as a board or executive is acting in accordance with expert advice, and papering your files very well as to why if you choose to ignore it. Meng is violating bedrock practices in blowing off Wilshires recommendation. As we can see from the his talk in this post, Meng did not have independent expert advice that diverged with Wilshires view based on looking at the performance of the two funds and how they managed their hedges. Instead, all he could muster were two articles, neither specific to these managers, and one not rising to the level of being academic work. Recently, a camera trap has captured a Royal Bengal Tiger at an elevation of 2,497 meters in the densely forested mountains of Dadeldhura in far-western Nepal. It is the country's highest-ever recorded tiger sighting. Although Bengal tigers have been reported at higher elevations in India (3,602 meters) and Bhutan (4,038 meters), Nepal's national record reminds us of the value of the high-altitude forested Himalayan mountains as a habitat for these endangered big cats. To understand the significance of this sighting and its role in shaping future tiger conservation strategies, World Atlas spoke to Dr. Ghana S. Gurung, country representative of World Wildlife Fund-Nepal (WWF-N). A Boost To Tiger Conservation In Nepal A tiger in Bardiya National Park, Nepal. Image credit: DNPWC/WWF/NTNC/ZSL "Tigers are highly adaptive species with their range spanning from sea levels to mountainous regions, so it isnt surprising that theyve been recorded at 2,497metres. The significance is huge for a small country like Nepal. With this finding, the tiger range in Nepal extends to the Mahabharata range, and beyond the boundaries of Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) - the only landscape in Nepal with known tiger distribution to date. This finding will, therefore, form the basis for shaping the conservation of tigers in Nepal beyond the Terai Arc Landscape" - WWF-N. Taking the cue from local reports of tiger sightings in the forests of Mahabharat Range in Dadeldhura, the Divisional Forestry Office set up 32 camera traps in the region to capture evidence of the presence of tigers. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) provided the financial and technical assistance needed for this month-long campaign. In addition to the tiger, the installed camera traps in Dadeldhura also caught images of several other species including those that are suitable prey for tigers. Various species of deer, pheasants, porcupines, civets, red foxes, and even leopards were recorded - all this in a habitat that is not even within the limits of a protected area. This is a great achievement, and shows that the nature corridors offer connectivity for wildlife. It also proves that with a growing tiger population in the Tarai national parks, the animals are dispersing and moving up the mountains, said Dr. Gurung. Shows The Way To The Future Two Bengal tiger cubs in a playful mood at Nepal's Bardia National Park that is located in the Tarai region of the country. Image credit: Paco Como As per WWF-N, the tiger sighting at 2,497m meters opens up new avenues, specifically in understanding whether these high-altitude temperate forests are only used temporarily by the tigers or are a permanent home for the predators. "These habitats have not been explored previously and therefore the presence and likelihood of tigers inhabiting these regions since historical times cannot be overruled. Additionally, these forests are well connected to Jogbuda and Brahmadev forests within the Terai Arc Landscape, Nepal and with Boom, Danda and Champawat forest ranges in India. The study also confirms good prey base with relatively less anthropogenic disturbances in the region," reported WWF-N. Another intriguing fact, as mentioned by WWF-N, is that the tales of the alleged man-eating Champawat tigress of the early 20th century could also serve as an indication that these high-altitude habitats have supported tiger populations historically. Champawat forest range that was a favorite haunt of this legendary tigress (that was killed down by Jim Corbett) is right across the Nepal-India border in India and contiguous to the forest patch where Nepal recorded the tiger at 2,497 meters. Thus, it becomes clear that in-depth studies to learn more about this high-altitude address of Bengal tigers are the need of the day. WWF-N enlists some steps to be taken in this direction: Protection of tigers, prey and habitat through community stewardship (some level of prey poaching already exists- in communication with citizen scientists) Managing human-wildlife conflict (is already a problem there) Supporting the government to intensify monitoring in other unexplored regions of the Mahabharata range- will also contribute towards our TX2 goal. Support Nepal Governments initiative in bringing diverse stakeholders (District Forest Office, community forests, the local and provincial governments, national and international organizations) on board and investing on-ground actions to save and protect this endangered global icon and their last remaining habitats. A Reminder To Conserve South Asia's Potential New Home For Tigers Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarakhand, India. A tiger was captured on camera here in June 2019. In 2019, a study led by the Global Tiger Forum (GTF) stressed on the importance of protecting the potential high-altitude habitats of tigers. It described "habitat suitability" of tigers in the Western and Eastern Himalayan regions spread across the three countries of India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The total tiger populations in these countries are 2,967, 235, and 103, respectively, as per their most recent estimates. The study mentioned several factors that encourage the presence of tigers in the Western and Eastern Himalayan regions. However, such habitats have not been extensively surveyed for tiger presence, prey and habitat status although they hold great ecological value, and tiger protection plans can boost the overall conservation of such precious habitats. The study also emphasized that in-depth investigations of tiger adaptation and movement in high-altitude areas are essential to creating a future conservation roadmap. So, how does the high-altitude tiger sighting in Nepal further aid the progress of such studies? According to WWF-N: "Nepal's finding has further validated the study commenced by GTF which revealed that high altitude regions in Nepal, India, and Bhutan could become stable tiger habitats with 2213 Sq. km of potential high-altitude tiger habitat in Nepal. The camera trap sighting of the tiger thus provides solid evidence for furthering the cause of tiger conservation in the Mahabharata Range and other high-altitude regions of Nepal. Further, WWF Nepals study on the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in TAL undertaken by Thapa et al., 2016 identified these forests (northern flanks of TAL) as potential climate refugia. Protecting these climate refugia are therefore vital to securing future habitats in changing climatic scenario." 17.04.2020 LISTEN As part of measures to ensure the full implementation of President Akufo-Addo's directive on free water supply in the wake of Covid-19, the Ghana Water Company Limited has deployed 26 huge polytanks to Damongo, capital of the Savannah region. The regional capital has been facing perennial water crisis for decades. According to the Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited, Engineer Dr. Clifford Braimah, the move is to ensure full implementation of the President's directive of free water for all citizens. He said, local tankers both private and public working in the capital have been mobilized to supply water. Dr. Clifford revealed that the take over of the Damongo water project by GWCL is long overdue. He indicated, the necessary documentation has been completed and contract awarded to Biwater for the construction of the Damongo water system. He mentioned that the water will be drawn from Yapei in the Central Gonja District to Damongo. "The polytanks with over 10,000 gallons capacity will be situated at various points to serve water to the people," he stated. He expressed worry over how the people have suffered over the years and gave the assurance the situation will soon be a thing of the past. Dr. Clifford appealed to residents of Damongo to continue to exercise patience in this trying moments. He maintained, the Akufo-Addo government is poised on alleviating the sufferings of the people of Damongo and giving them water was a priority. "The situation is dear to the President who appointed me as the MD and I will complete it for the visionary Nana Addo," he assured. The Damongo water system has been a major concern to the people for years now. The town has a very low water table hence making it difficult to rely on boreholes due to the long distance to a water source. Very few mechanized boreholes serve a town with a population of over 10,000. This has been a worry to the people. Amanda Ducachs Houston-based startup SocialMama was awaiting its next batch of seed money when the stock market plummeted in March. Then came the bad news from a key investor: The money to fund a promised $100,000 just wasnt available. Thats how it is with funding, Ducach said. Supposedly its still coming. But until its in your bank, it doesnt exist. Our runway went from months to, well, not months. SocialMama - built around a smartphone app that helps mothers find each other for support - doesnt yet make money from operations. Its at the stage where it is trying to grow a user base before it tries to make money, and for now, investors cash is its lifeline. Ducach is seeking new backers. The novel coronavirus crisis gripping the country and the world is putting stress on Houstons nascent tech scene. Sector leaders and those who help startups get off the ground said companies are scrambling to make their businesses and their interactions more virtual even as they seek emergency capital to keep going. HOUSTON RISING: At the Tech Rodeo, Houston startups take on the world Some, like Ducach, have seen sources of funding vanish. Others are trying to turn the crisis to their advantage, providing products and services related to the pandemic. And surprisingly its the smaller, newer startups with fewer expenses, smaller staffs and less to lose that may survive best, tech leaders said. If you have not yet brought on any staff or signed any agreements, you are actually not all that vulnerable, said Harvin Moore, president of Houston Exponential, a nonprofit that works to grow the citys tech community. The vulnerable companies are the ones that have grown, added staff and obligations, but they have no funding runway. In Ducachs case, she had to furlough two of her nine employees. And SocialMama has launched a new feature that originally wasnt set to roll out for another four months. The Expert Program, which was first envisioned as part of a subscription tier but is free for now, brings medical and social-care professionals to the app so its members can draw on their expertise. Moms are incredibly overwhelmed right now, Ducach said. Theyre working from home, doing home schooling, trying to keep their families healthy. We felt like we needed to make this available to moms now. Its not easy to get a therapist to talk to you for three minutes for free. Topl is another Houston startup that has had to cut staff. CEO and co-founder Kim Raath said her company, which applies blockchain technology to provide a tamper-proof log for supply chains, had two people in an office in the Netherlands that were let go. It was part of a restructuring we would have done anyway, but we did it sooner because of the coronavirus, Raath said. Topl had planned to seek more funding this year, and Raath said the company will proceed, but she expects it will likely take most startups six months rather than eight to 10 weeks to raise money right now. Blair Garrou, Houston managing director at the Mercury Fund, a startup venture capital firm, said there remains investment money to be found, but the pandemic has backers thinking differently about companies. We are leaving an environment where its growth and growth alone that investors want, he said. Investors want to know the basics of the company are stable. They want to see a startup offering solutions needed beyond the current crisis. Garrou said most Houston startups are in pretty good shape because many were already lean. Thats not the case everywhere. On the East and West coasts, you have a lot of unicorns (startups with billion-dollar valuations) that have very high burn rates, he said. They are going to be having to do some serious layoffs and payroll reductions. Responding to stumbles Helping startups adapt and innovate during the coronavirus crisis, leaders in the startup scene said, are two events that were catalysts for the current emphasis on building the tech ecosystem: The failure of Houston to make the short list for online retail giant Amazons second headquarters, and Hurricane Harvey. With Amazon, Houston was dinged for, among other things, the lack of a strong startup culture and an educational system wasnt producing the kind of employees the company needed. With Harvey, tech startups responded in ways that answered pressing needs in the community. Gabriella Rowe, chief executive of Ion, which is charged with building out the citys innovation district, said Houston may have found its niche in resiliency. HANDHOLDING: Are accelerators becoming a trap for startups? Houston has gotten close to this with Harvey. We were shut down economically as a city for weeks, she said. On a scale standpoint, this is so much bigger, but we have the muscle memory to help us get there. Tech leaders give the example of TX/RX Labs, a prototyping startup in Houstons East End that used its equipment and expertise in a partnership with Memorial Hermann Health System to build protective gear for medical personnel as a shortage grew. Another example is Luminare, a startup founded by Dr. Sarma Velamuri, a former internist who specialized in transplant medicine. When a friends daughter died from septic shock in a Houston intensive care unit, he vowed to do something to prevent such deaths. I came home, mortgaged the house and started the company, Velamuri said. Luminare developed software that automates the gathering of information from a variety of inputs during a patients stay in the hospital. Artificial intelligence then warns doctors and nurses if the patient is in danger of going into septic shock, which happens when an internal infection runs out of control. Velamuri said it is the No. 1 cause of death in hospitals. The system is now in five hospitals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while working with Luminare for a trade show display that was ultimately canceled due to the pandemic, suggested its software could also be used to create a screening tool for COVID-19. It took Luminares programmers a short time to morph its existing technology, testing it first at an Arkansas hospital. Harris County Public Health now uses it, as does Fort Bend County, Houston Health Care for the Homeless, and Corpus Christis public health office just signed up. Its available to explore at CheckForCorona.com. We arent selling it, we arent gaining anything from having more people on it, he said. However, Luminare believes it is gathering enough epidemiological data that it could be used to predict where outbreaks are likely to occur. Change in approach Startup culture thrives on getting its members together. Networking sessions, happy-hour meetups, panel discussions and pitch nights are all designed to generate a critical mass. Thats why incubators and accelerators, where budding companies sign up to get access to mentors and each other, are so popular. But socializing has given way to social distancing in the pandemic, and Houstons startup development organizations are shut down and empty. Instead, being technologically astute, theyve moved much of their activities online. Houston Exponential has built a calendar on its website at houstonexponential.org/events where organizations and accelerators can list their online events, and there are dozens. From career tips to office hours with experts and investors to roundtables and panel discussions, the events looks like one youd see in any thriving startup community, except that they are all conducted via video conferencing. Release Notes: Get Dwight Silvermans weekly tech newsletter in your inbox The Cannon, a tech incubator with three locations in the area, is one of those that has shifted into virtual mode, said CEO Jon Lambert, and its online sessions have been well-attended. The audiences seem to be about the same size, but one thing I cant tell you is if its the same audience as those who frequented the Cannons live events, Lambert said. Both Lambert and Moore, of Houston Exponential, said they have noticed the frequency of meetings has increased. It could be the nature of the work-at-home order. People will get onto a virtual meeting if it gets them away from their dog barking, Lambert said. Focus on staying viable In most cases, what drives people to seek online connections now is figuring out how to keep their businesses going. Carolyn Rodz, the founder of Alice, a small business hub that focuses on companies owned by women and minorities, said founders right now are focused on finding money to help them survive. The businesses she works with are looking for help filling out forms for emergency grants and loans, and much of the chatter on the community forums on Alice has to do with this. Alice has partnered with Verizon, Silicon Valley Bank and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to offer $10,000 grants in a program called Business for All. It was something Rodz planned to do anyway this year, but now the program has taken on more urgency. The site has 100,000 registered members, but another 100,000 users separately have visited its COVID-19 Business Resource Center at covid19businesscenter.com to fill out the application and explore other resources. A report it issued last week included results of a survey conducted among Alices membership - which includes small businesses other than tech - on how much money they would need to survive. Thirty-four percent estimated theyd need $10,000-$25,000, while 25 percent said theyd only need $5,000-$10,000. And 56 percent said they need help immediately. Everything right now is centered on, How do I get my hands on funding? Rodz said. Asked if they thought the growth of Houstons nascent tech scene could be stunted by the pandemic and the resulting economic lockdown, all those queried said that likely wouldnt happen. Lawson Gow, the founder of The Cannon accelerator, was the most adamant. I refuse to even think along that path, Gow said. We cant lose the momentum we have. That is not an option. dwight.silverman@chron.com twitter.com/dsilverman houstonchronicle.com/techburger Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 20:10:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) will launch an appeal for covering basic economic needs of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and Syria amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Asharq al-Awsat local newspaper reported on Friday. "The outbreak of COVID-19 increased the suffering of Palestinian refugees in these two countries so we are working around the clock to secure more resources for the needs of refugees," said Commissioner-General of the UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini. He said that the agency is taking measures to eradicate the virus in camps similar to measures adopted by host communities. Lazzarini said that he will focus mainly on communicating with donor countries in Europe and the Arab region in the coming period in an attempt to increase financial support for the agency. UNRWA provides humanitarian aid and support to around 5.6 million Palestinian refugees in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. The agency runs 709 schools that provide education to 532,000 pupils and 144 clinics, besides millions of refugees who receive food supplies in the five areas. Enditem OKLAHOMA CITY EDITORS NOTE: On April 19, 1995, a former U.S. Army soldier parked a rented Ryder truck loaded with explosives outside a federal office building in Oklahoma City. The blast at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building killed 168 people and injured more than 500 others in what remains the deadliest act of domestic terrorism on American soil. The bombing occurred just two years after the first attack on the World Trade Center. Media and some Americans immediately speculated that Middle Eastern men were the culprits before the FBI later found that two white men were responsible for the attack. Former U.S. soldier Timothy McVeigh was convicted in 1997 on 11 counts of murder, conspiracy and using a weapon of mass destruction in the explosion. He was executed in 2001. Another ex-soldier, Terry Nichols, was convicted on similar charges for his role in the bombing and sentenced to life without parole after the jury deadlocked on the death penalty. Both men were motivated by contempt for government, the hatred sharpened by the 1993 federal raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. Twenty-five years later, the AP is making the original story and photographs available. ____ A car bomb ripped deep into Americas heartland Wednesday, killing at least 33 people and leaving 200 missing in a blast that gouged a nine-story hole in a federal office building. The dead included at least 12 youngsters, some of whom had just been dropped off by their parents at a day-care center. The government had received calls from six people saying they were from different Muslim groups, asserting they were responsible for the deadliest U.S. bombing in 75 years. But there is no way to know if the calls are genuine, said a Justice Department official, who declined to be identified by name. They could be hoaxes. At least 200 people were injured 58 critically, according to Fire Chief Gary Marrs. Scores were feared trapped in the rubble of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. I was in Japan for the Kobe earthquake and saw the devastation, said James Lee Witt, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The area impacted here is just as bad, if not worse. Three people were pulled from the rubble Wednesday night but two died a short time later, said Assistant Fire Chief Jon Hansen. He said a 15-year-old girl was taken from the building in critical condition. He also said a woman trapped in the basement said there were two others with her. She didnt know if they were dead or alive. The death toll was certain to rise. Our firefighters are having to crawl over corpses in areas to get to people that are still alive, said Hansen. The first of four urban search and rescue units activated by the federal government was headed into the building early Thursday, using dogs, acoustic listening equipment and tiny cameras to look for victims. Attorney General Janet Reno refused to comment on who might have been behind the attack. President Clinton called the bombers evil cowards, and Reno said the government would seek the death penalty against them. A Department of Public Safety dispatcher in El Paso, Texas, told the El Paso Times that an alert had been issued from the DPS for two people who may be bloodied and may be trying to cross into Mexico at Laredo, Texas. The bulletin said the information was on the authority of the FBI. The bomb was believed to be in a minivan with Texas plates, owned by National Car Rental, said Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Kim Hughes. An axle of the vehicle was found about two blocks from the scene, said a police source who requested anonymity. Their clothes torn off, victims covered in glass and plaster emerged bloodied and crying from the building, which looked as if a giant bite had been taken out of it, exposing its floors like a dollhouse. Cables and other debris dangled from the floors like tangled streamers in a scene that brought to mind the car bombings at the U.S. Embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983. I dove under that table, said Brian Espe, a state veterinarian who was giving a slide presentation on the fifth floor. When I came out, I could see daylight if I looked north and daylight if I looked west. Mayor Ron Norick said the blast, which left a crater 30 feet long and 8 feet deep, was caused by a car bomb. He said the vehicle had been outside, in front of the building. Obviously, no amateur did this, Gov. Frank Keating said. Whoever did this was an animal. Police Sgt. Bill Martin said that 12 of those killed were children. Earlier in the day, paramedic Heather Taylor said 17 children were dead at the scene, a figure later disputed by police. Dr. Carl Spengler, one of the first doctors at the scene, said the children, all at the day-care center, ranged in age from 1 to 7, and some were burned beyond recognition. About 20 of 40 children in the day-care center were missing late in the day. The search continued after nightfall, with about 100 Oklahoma Army National Guard soldiers activated to help with rescue and security operations in the downtown area. The explosion, similar to the terrorist car bombing that killed six people and injured 1,000 at New Yorks World Trade Center in 1993, happened just after 9 a.m., when most of the more than 500 federal employees were in their offices. The blast could be felt 30 miles away. Black smoke streamed across the skyline, and glass, bricks and other debris were spread over a wide area. The north side of the building was gone. Cars were incinerated on the street. People frantically searched for loved ones, including parents whose children were in the buildings day-care center. Christopher Wright of the Coast Guard, one of those helping inside the building, said rescuers periodically turned off their chain saws and prying tools to listen for pleas for help, but we didnt hear anything just death. Youre helpless really, when you see people two feet away, you cant do anything, theyre just smashed, he said. Doctors had to amputate one womans leg to free her. She was lying underneath a beam. It was obvious that she could not be extracted alive, said Dr. Andy Sullivan. The attempt to remove the concrete beams would have caused the rest of the building to collapse. So at that point there was no decision made other than to crawl into the space and perform the amputation to get the patient out. The building, which opened in 1977, has offices of such federal agencies as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Social Security, Veterans Affairs, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Housing and Urban Development, and a federal employee credit union and military recruiting offices. The bomb was perhaps 1,000 to 1,200 pounds, said John Magaw, ATF director. As for whether his agency suspected terrorists, he told CNN: I think any time you have this kind of damage, this kind of explosion, you have to look there first. Bob Ricks, agent in charge of the FBI in Oklahoma, said that there were hundreds of leads and that the bureau was treating them all seriously. At this point we do not speculate as to who is responsible, he said. Keating said he was told by the FBI that authorities were initially looking for three people of Middle Eastern descent in a brown pickup truck. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol put out an all-points bulletin for the three, but Keating later downplayed the report, saying it was one of many leads being checked. Keating also said they were checking whether the rental of a vehicle in the Dallas-Fort Worth area was tied to the explosion. Dallas is about 200 miles south of Oklahoma City. The explosion heightened U.S. fears of terrorism. Federal buildings in several cities were evacuated because of bomb threats, and the government ordered tightened security at federal buildings throughout the country. In 1920, a bomb blast in New Yorks Wall Street area killed 40 people and injured hundreds. Authorities concluded it was the work of anarchists and came up with a list of suspects, but all had fled to Russia. After Wednesdays blast, emergency crews set up a first aid center near the federal building, and some of the injured sat on the sidewalks, blood on their heads or arms, awaiting aid. Carole Lawton, 62, a HUD secretary, said she was sitting at her desk on the seventh floor when all of a sudden the windows blew in. It got real dark and the ceiling just started coming down. She then heard the roar of the whole building crumbling. She managed to crawl down some stairs and was not injured. The explosion occurred on the second anniversary of the fiery, fatal ending to the federal siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. That siege began with a raid by ATF agents a month and a half earlier. Oklahoma City FBI spokesman Dan Vogel wouldnt speculate if there was a connection. The FBIs offices are about five miles away. In the World Trade Center bombing in February 1993, a rented van blew up in a parking garage beneath the twin towers. Four Muslims were convicted. Malla Nunn, author of "When The Ground is Hard," winner of the 2019 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for young-adult literature. (Daryl Robinson) Malla Nunns When the Ground is Hard, the 2019 winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for young-adult literature, will summon a familiar world for fans of her award-winning Detective Emmanuel Cooper series. Both narratives are set in the earlier years of South African apartheid, a time and place far removed from authors longtime home in Sydney, Australia. Nunn was born in Swaziland, and her novel When the Ground Is Hard pays homage to her mother and aunts 1960s schooldays at a missionary-run Christian Academy, the same one Nunn herself eventually attended before emigrating Down Under, at 14, with her family. Unlike many young-adult novels reaching into the writers childhood, it was hardly a work of nostalgia. This book came out of a massive failure of trying to write something that I thought would just be entertaining, says Nunn, speaking by phone from Sydney, instead of just writing what was close to my heart. Ive been to this boarding school, why would I want to go back there? But a writer friend encouraged me, and also said: Take really good care of yourself while you work on this. Youre going to be going back to a place you didnt love. No one loves the Keziah Christian Academy of Nunns novel, especially not protagonist Adele Joubert, whose mother feels proud that her childrens bigamist white South African father pays their school fees. Accustomed to being in the clique of pretty girls in the institution for multiracial children, Adele returns for the new year to find herself sent down a rung forced to room with Lottie, whose poverty and odd behavior make her a pariah. Even after I conceived of the relationship between these two girls, I was still pretty resistant to actually writing about them, says Nunn. This is my blood in this book. Its my mother, my aunties, my grandmother. We all went to that school. My parents worked at that school. Our experience was not entertaining. I needed to write about what was actually important in our experience. Story continues She needed to make it understood across cultures as well. Its not something Americans can understand, even Americans of color, she says. The caste system, for people like me who were multiracial, was microclassified. I learned that we were completely between things, as if my entire world was saying, There is no solid ground for you. You must find your own way. You could do that, Nunn says, only by importing whatever powers you can back from those who are on solid ground. If you were lighter skinned, it was really important that you had money, for example. There were a huge amount of rules to remember and follow. Take, for instance, Adeles habit of hoarding shop-bought cookies and canned fruit: First, those packaged sweets are manufactured, which means more Western, more wealthy. Also, since you could keep them for months without spoilage, they promised celebration at any time, without it being a holiday or an outing. Third, a bit of sweetness is such a human need. (Putnam Books For Young Readers) Despite her own later experiences at the school, Nunn needed a gut-check from her elders to know shed fully captured the texture of the '60s. When I finished this book I sent it to my aunt, on whom Lottie is based, Nunn says. She responded by text and said, Im crying now. Id like to tell you Im crying for Lottie. But Im really crying. I knew then Id gotten something right. It was personal, Nunn explains. Her aunt was very tall, slender, poor and bright. It was tough enough to be female and mixed, but to be poor and bright as well? There were three roles you could fulfill. You could be a teacher, a nurse or the boyfriend of a rich white guy. That was absolutely part of the cultural understanding. Though focused on Adele and Lottie, the novel takes in the broader scope of apartheid, which left no one unscathed including the oppressors. An important subplot in the book involves an Afrikaans farmer whose land abuts Keziah Christian Academy. Mr. Bosman is as poor as many of the academy students, but he wields his white privilege as a weapon against all incursions. Poor white people were just often hanging on to that privilege because it was all they had, says Nunn. They had terrible lives and took it out on black people. There were just layers of suffering everywhere, with everybody. Nunn feels sympathy even for those who made their fortunes off apartheid. When I see very rich white South Africans who come to Australia: Well, youve escaped. But somehow, I hope at some point, you take stock of who you are and how your money was made. I hope you have some grace about it. But I doubt it. Nunn is grateful that her family too escaped, including her aunt, the real-life Lottie, who went to a reunion at the Christian school a couple of years ago. I said to my aunt, was it really hard? Nunn remembers. And she said Malla, I loved it. You know why? Because I live in Australia. I have a daughter who works at Apple and a grandson in law school. I walked in there and I used to be one of the poorest kids, with holes in my shoes. And I felt like God may not come when you want him, but hes always right on time. Economy and Finance Ministry Development Finance Bureau Director Lee Dae-joong. / Courtesy of Ministry of Economy and Finance How the South Won the Civil War By Heather Cox Richardson Oxford. 240 pp. $27.95 --- In 1964 the Republican Party nominated Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona for president. Goldwater, a strident conservative who liked to wear a cowboy hat, called for reductions in federal spending, criticized an "activist" Supreme Court and hoped to curtail welfare programs. In his 1960 book, "The Conscience of a Conservative," which helped revive the conservative movement, Goldwater proclaimed that he had "little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size." His aim was "not to pass laws, but to repeal them." It seemed like an odd, if not dangerous position to those Americans who had depended on the government during the dark days of depression and war in the 1930s and '40s. Baffled by Goldwater's national appeal, the Columbia University historian Richard Hofstadter asked, "When, in all our history, has anyone with ideas so bizarre, so archaic, so self-confounding, so remote from the basic American consensus, ever got so far?" Bucking the consensus, the Southwestern senator had opposed the 1964 Civil Rights Act on the grounds that the federal government should not compel states or individuals on such matters. Southern segregationists nodded with approval. Martin Luther King Jr., like many other African Americans, believed that Goldwater was a threat to democracy and to the black freedom struggle in the South. In King's estimation, Goldwater gave "aid and comfort to the racists." King warned that Goldwater's campaign was "obviously an attempt to appeal to all of the fearful, the insecure, prejudiced people in our society." Heather Cox Richardson, a professor of history at Boston College, explains Goldwater's crusade and the trajectory of modern conservatism in her masterful "How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America." A timely book, it sheds light on what was perhaps the most important political coalition of the 20th century. It's not surprising that Goldwater won his home state of Arizona. Yet he also swept the Deep South, taking Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina. White Southerners, many of them Democrats, saw a kindred spirit in the square-jawed, bespectacled stalwart from the West. His campaign may have been a colossal failure, but, Richardson claims, it established a new, fiery brand of conservatism, drawing on long-standing connections between the South and the West. For decades there had been a Western brand of anti-government, anti-communist, free-market, right-wing libertarianism that had united Americans from Southern California to South Carolina. Regions and cultures that seemed so different were, in fact, joined in a common cause. Richardson tells the engrossing and deeply relevant story of these connections, and she ties that story to the most important political and social developments of American history. While the Confederate South may have lost the war in 1865, its conservative, elitist ideology found fertile soil in the sprawling American West. Goldwater, a key player in Richardson's account, won the 1964 nomination with the support of South Carolinian delegates, who rallied to his cause. Similar to the elite slaveholders of the pre-Civil War South, says Richardson, these men held fast to hierarchies and considered the lesser sorts - the poor, minorities, women and the weak - to be dangerously unfit for self-governance. Throughout, she emphasizes that this oligarchic "vision of the world stood against a very different set of principles that lay at the heart of the idea of American democracy: equality and self-determination." Since the election of Donald Trump in 2016, these competing visions have been in sharp contrast. Another central figure in Richardson's narrative is the South Carolina slaveholder, governor and senator James Henry Hammond, perhaps one of the vilest characters in American history. Hammond ascended to power even though he admitted to sexually assaulting his four young nieces, "lovely creatures," in his words. For Richardson, Hammond embodied the ironclad authoritarianism of the white slavocracy. White Southern elites saw themselves as destined to lead and rule over menial laborers, slaves and a horde of inferiors. These men built the region's slave system on this rigid order, and the Confederacy aimed to protect it at all costs. That old Southern order seemed to come to a swift end in 1865. The Civil War and Reconstruction, writes Richardson, "had given the nation a new birth of freedom." The Northern victory, for a time, did away with the threat that oligarchy posed. Yet that victory was short lived. Southern states stripped African Americans of hard-won rights, and an era of white-supremacist violence lasted decades. Shifting to the West, Richardson traces the other ways the freedoms secured during the Civil War evaporated. As settlers fanned out across new territory and the government provided incentives for exploration and homesteading, the ideals of the Confederacy took root. Violent campaigns against indigenous peoples, Mexicans and new Chinese immigrants, along with white beliefs about natural rights to land and resources, drove the quest for empire. Notions of racial and gender hierarchy followed the migration of Southerners into the West. Richardson fittingly turns to the myth of the American cowboy, which "carried all the hallmarks of the strife of the immediate postwar years: [The cowboy] was a hardworking white man who started from nothing, asked for nothing, and could rise on his own." In fact, she underscores, about a third of cowboys were people of color, and it was a dangerous, unrewarding life. Theodore Roosevelt and the historian Frederick Jackson Turner celebrated the West as a land of opportunity and promise, but those perceptions bore little relation to the harsher realities. As in the South before, so now in the West, "poor white men had little opportunity, people of color and women had even less, and leaders worked to keep it that way," Richardson writes. Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan built their political careers on the Western myths of proud independence and self-made heroism. Both also had a taste for cowboy cosplay. Goldwater appeared on the cover of Life magazine in 1963 in Western gear with his arm around the muzzle of a tan horse. In the 1970s and 1980s, photojournalists snapped pictures of Reagan on horseback, wearing his white cowboy hat, at his Rancho del Cielo in the Santa Ynez Mountains, known as the Western White House. Reagan defined himself against effete, urban New Deal liberalism. His political philosophy was as ill-suited to the economic realities of the late 20th century as Hollywood western film sets were to the elements. Reagan was fond of telling adoring crowds: "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government, and I'm here to help." Today, amid the worst health crisis of the modern era and when Americans could use more government help, that tired saying seems particularly grotesque. Moving from Reagan and the rise of the New Right, Richardson turns to more recent history. She sees in President Trump the culmination of an elite white paternalism, imbued with a sense of macho self-reliance, that the Republican Party has nurtured for decades. In the 2016 election, Trump swept all the states of the former Confederacy, with the exception of Virginia. He also had a strong showing in the West. His cynical vision of an America that only he could save, his cronyism, his casual misogyny, and his preference for elite corporations over the middle and working classes fit a long-standing pattern. It was little wonder that Trump fulfilled his promise to gut the government, ignore expertise and "put in charge of government departments officials whose only qualification was great wealth." Richardson ends her book with a kind of call to action. The conservative vision of oligarchs, she argues, stands in direct contrast to other American ideals of equality and self-determination. She fittingly titles her conclusion "What Then Is This American?" Does the nation truly hold to its possibilities and promises? When he started his presidency, Trump defined it as "a land of carnage, a nightmare." But Richardson sees positive developments in the resistance and the female candidates who claimed stunning victories in the 2018 midterms. An otherwise dark picture is brightened when she notes that "women and voters of color are helping to redefine the image of an American for the twenty-first century, as they did briefly, after the Civil War and after World War II." There is a glimmer of hope, especially in these tumultuous times, that a more just and equal America will emerge and thrive. --- Stephens is a professor of American and British studies at the University of Oslo. His most recent book is "The Devil's Music: How Christians Inspired, Condemned, and Embraced Rock 'n' Roll." By PTI NOIDA: A teenager allegedly hanged himself to death at his home here as he was apparently "depressed" over not getting "likes" on his TikTok videos of late, police said on Friday. The 18-year-old lived in Salarpur, under Sector 39 police station limits in Noida, and the incident was reported on Thursday evening, the police said. They said the teenager was active on TikTok, a China-made mobile phone application that allows users to post short clips of themselves performing acts, stunts and lip-syncing songs and tunes. "The local police reached the spot immediately after they were alerted about the incident. "They broke down the door that was bolted from inside and found his body hanging from the ceiling fan on Thursday evening," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Noida, Ranvijay Singh said. ALSO READ | Coronavirus outbreak: TikTok video lands Hyderabad man in police lockup "During inquiry it came to light that he would make videos on TikTok and nobody was 'liking' his videos on the app since past few days. It's a shocking finding. People from his family and neighbourhood said that he was really worried over not getting 'likes' on TikTok and that is why he took this extreme step," the officer said. The ADCP said no suicide note was found from the spot but the teenager had told his family members and neighbours that he was "depressed" because he was not getting the expected response on the social media app. "However, we are investigating the matter and proceedings will be carried out depending on the findings in the case," Singh said. A popular social media app now, India is one of the most significant markets for TikTok. 5 1 of 5 Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 5 of 5 As Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday that public schools across the state will stay closed for the remainder of the school year, schools in Montgomery County were set to continue remote teaching. Remote instruction will continue through the end of the school year on Friday, May 22, 2020. We will complete the school year providing instruction to students weekly through online materials and home work packets, Montgomery ISD superintendent Beau Rees told his school community in a statement following the governors order. MISD is committed to staying connected with our families, and our amazing educators are ready to assist in anyway possible. A police car and ambulance in New Jersey in an April 16, 2020, file photograph. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images) Holocaust Survivor Dies of CCP Virus 75 Years After Being Freed From Concentration Camp A woman who survived the Holocaust was killed by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from mainland China last year. Margit Feldman died 75 years after being freed from the Bergen Belsen concentration camp. Feldman, a Hungary native, was sent to Auschwitz when she was just 15. She was liberated several years later and was living in New Jersey when she died on Tuesday. Gov. Phil Murphy said at a press conference Thursday that Margits legacy is best captured in her work to ensure that the world never forgets the horrors of the Holocaust. Margit Feldman, right, is remembered by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy during a press conference on April 16, 2020. (New Jersey Governors Office) 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, he added. Feldman gave people so much hope during her life, the governor said. May her memory be a blessing to her family and to us all. Feldman was 90 when she passed away. Her husband, Harvey Feldman, is in the hospital. He also has the CCP virus, which causes a disease called COVID-19. The elderly and people with underlying health conditions are most at risk from the disease. The Feldmans son, Joseph, is a doctor caring for COVID-19 patients. A picture taken in October 1945 in the Belsen Nazi concentration camp shows Nazi Officials forced by British authorities to exhume and then bury properly the bodies of 100 shot political deportees after the liberation of the camp by the Allied troops. (AFP via Getty Images) Concentration Camps Feldman was held in more than one concentration camp before being death marched to Bergen-Belsen. In a 2016 documentary, Feldman said the taste of soup she had at the camp stuck with her for decades, as did memories of sleeping where people had passed away. Feldman also recalled the sick games the Nazis would play, including counting Jews and murdering every 10th one. She was liberated by British soldiers in 1945 and immigrated to the United States two years later. She was married in 1953 and became an x-ray technician with two children. Feldman said she believed she survived the inhumane treatment by Germans to speak to others. I feel that I survived for a reasonto tell the world about the uncaring human beings who existed, Feldman told a local paper in 2016. I speak on behalf of the six million people who did not survivethis is a commitment I made to God. Her family said that she devoted her life to telling her inspiring story and touched the hearts of thousands of students, educators, and members of the community. Her goal was to inspire people to stand up for one another and fight against all forms of prejudice and hate, they said in her obituary. Feldmans work included helping pass a state bill requiring a Holocaust and genocide curriculum in the public school system. Gov. Gavin Newsoms administration has yet to release details about its $1 billion contract with a Chinese company hired to provide masks to combat the spread of the coronavirus a deal that has drawn scrutiny over the companys reported track record of selling defective products. An official from the Newsom administration refused to provide state senators with a copy of the contract during a budget oversight hearing in Sacramento on Thursday, despite the state having already paid half the cost. Christina Curry, chief deputy director of the state Office of Emergency Services, told senators via videoconference that disclosing all the specifics of its contract with the Chinese manufacturer BYD could disrupt the supply line of masks to the state. We have concerns about releasing too many details of it, Curry said. Our goal is to get the supply into California for the people who need it. She added, We do intend to provide that when we have assurances that the supply is going to be arriving and with the requirements that we have set forth. The Office of Emergency Services hasnt provided a timeline for when it will release the contract, which the governor has declared will provide the state with 200 million protective masks monthly to provide to hospital workers and others. The deal came under scrutiny after Vice News reported that BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, has previously been blacklisted from some federal contracts because of concerns about the quality of its products. BYD has no history of making medical protective gear, and it only recently retrofitted a factory to produce masks. The companys subsidiaries specialize in manufacturing electric vehicles, including buses sold in the United States. BYD did not respond to a Chronicle request for comment. Company spokesman Frank Girardot told the Associated Press that it absolutely, 100% complies with U.S. safety requirements. Some California lawmakers have been asking for details of the BYD contract for more than a week. State Sen. Holly Mitchell, a Los Angeles Democrat who chairs the Budget Committee, sent a letter to the Newsom administration requesting full details, including quality standards and price per mask. Under normal circumstances, the Legislature would have had more time to deliberate an expenditure of this magnitude and would have been allowed to thoroughly vet the details of the contract before proceeding, Mitchell wrote. On Thursday, Curry brushed off senators questions for more information, including a request for a public accounting of where masks will be sent. She said disclosing those details could threaten the states supply because such masks are now highly sought after. Sen. Richard Pan, a Sacramento Democrat and physician, kept pressing. Since were a coequal branch, at least share that privately with the Legislature so we know, Pan said. Because we have to exercise our oversight function. Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner PHOENIX The Arizona Supreme Court is considering an appeal in a case that involves both the cost of tuition to attend a state university and the authority of the state attorney general. The justices will rule sometime in the future after hearing legal arguments Thursday on Attorney General Mark Brnovichs appeal of a lower courts ruling that dismissed Brnovichs lawsuit against the state Board of Regents over tuition costs. Brnovichs 2017 lawsuit contends that a series of tuition increases approved by the regents violated a state constitutional mandate for university tuition to be as nearly free as possible, while the regents successfully argued in the lower court that Brnovich lacked authority to sue the regents over the tuition issue. Brnovich appealed to the Supreme Court after the Court of Appeals upheld a trial judges dismissal of the suit. A central issue to be decided is the applicability of a 1960 ruing by the Supreme Court that limited the ability of the state attorney general to pursue litigation against a state agency. Numerous current and former attorneys general from various states urged the Arizona court to rule for Brnovich, while the regents drew support from a bipartisan coalition of government officials and groups representing businesses and municipal governments. Because of the coronavirus outbreak, lawyers argued through videoconferencing. An online commemoration for journalist Lyra McKee will be held tomorrow to mark the first anniversary of her death. Ms McKee was shot dead in the Creggan area of Derry city on April 18 last year as she observed rioting. Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) will hold a virtual commemoration at 11am on Saturday morning using the hashtag #WeStandWithLyra on social media. The NUJ is inviting media organisations, trade unionists, civil society leaders and members of the public to join in. Media workers have been invited to share examples of Lyra's journalism, tributes, memories and pictures on Saturday morning. In a statement, Secretary of the Irish NUJ, Seamus Dooley said: In the current circumstances we will gather through social media, which she used so effectively, to celebrate Lyras legacy of hope and optimism. We ae asking members to take time at 11am to remember Lyra. Her partner and family will be in our thoughts as the NUJ community unites under the banner WeStandWithLyra. That slogan remains relevant; Lyras positive spirit serves as an inspiration in these dark days. There hasnt been a serious uptick in domestic violence in the Bismarck-Mandan area since stay-at-home recommendations were put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but Abused Adult Resource Center Director Michelle Erickson isnt letting her guard down. I feel like were going to have an influx at some point, Erickson said. Im just not sure when. More people are working from home or are simply staying home under social distancing guidelines. Those are measures North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on Monday called vital in the fight against the pandemic, but warned that the isolation also gives abusers an opportunity to control victims by limiting access to basic necessities, keeping them from seeing friends and family, and watching their every move. This isolation may have also shattered support networks of friends, making it difficult for victims to either get help or escape, Burgum said. Its a situation Erickson and others knew -- perhaps dreaded -- might be coming. The center provides services and shelter, crisis intervention, resources, counseling and attorney referrals for victims of domestic violence. She knows her shelter capacity is limited, and that has slimmed now as they work to keep more distance between clients. The deeper worry for Erickson is that people are trapped with abusers and cant get out. If people know someone in a situation like that they should give them the number for our crisis line, or just support them so if they do have a chance to call they can, Erickson said. Erickson said she and the centers staff are brainstorming ideas to make it easier for an abused person to reach out. Keeping the centers name in front of people -- discreetly, so an abuser wont know action is being taken -- hasnt been easy. Among other efforts, theyve put contact information on tear-off posters and posted them at places they know are staying open, such as grocery stores and pharmacies. Andrea Martin, a professional clinical counselor at Soul Survivor Counseling Services in Bismarck, said one of the characteristics of domestic violence offenders is to isolate their victim from family and friends. They dont want their partner to reach out so they dont reveal whats going on, Martin said. A situation such as the nation is in now -- where people are staying home more and not socializing -- makes it easier for a batterer. They dont have to work quite as hard, Martin said. Abusers bring character defects into all their relationships, Martin said. The stress of isolation wont cause a person to become an abuser but it can lead to an escalation of incidents by someone who is already an abuser. If that occurs, Martin said, its likely there is a history. It would be a very new relationship where it seemed like it came out of nowhere, she said. Domestic calls by Bismarck and Mandan police havent skyrocketed, but officials are watching. The Bismarck department since March 1 has seen overall calls for service drop more than 21% from that same time period last year. Domestic calls are up about 1.5% -- 217 this year compared to 214 last year. In Mandan, police have made six arrests since April 9 and responded to 17 domestic calls since April 5. Its only a slightly higher rate than the department usually sees, Deputy Mandan Police Chief Lori Flaten said. Wed expect, with people staying home and not going to work, thats whats going to happen, Flaten said. Its a scenario that presents several times in the course of a year, especially during the holidays when people gather. Most of the domestic calls to Mandan police lately have been for arguments that went too far, not physical altercations, Flaten said. Martin said she works with AARC to provide a number of services to victims. Most important, she said, is keeping them safe through all phases of the process. Bills wont be sent to the victims home, for example, and her office wont call a victim but will have them call her instead. We keep our services under wraps so the partner doesnt know, she said. We never want to do something that might put somebody at risk. Most victims know something is wrong and that abuse is not OK, Martin said, but they dont like to call it that or be referred to as a victim. If the arguments are escalating, its still worthwhile to reach out and get help, she said. The Abused Adult Resource Center has solid working relationships with area law enforcement departments, Erickson said. If police respond to a situation where they believe AARC can help, theyll call us to get an advocate there, she said. Crisis intervention resources Abused Adult Resource Centers 24-hour crisis line 866-341-7009 The National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233 Stronghearts Native Helpline 1-844-7NATIVE (7628483) To locate a crisis intervention center go to cawsnorthdakota.org/get-help/ Reach Travis Svihovec at 701-250-8260 or Travis.Svihovec@bismarcktribune.com Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The family of an Australian backpacker who went missing after a bad magic mushroom trip in Canada are still no closer to finding out what happened in the hours before he died. Owen Rooney, from Ulladulla on the New South Wales south coast, disappeared without a trace in August 2010 after abruptly leaving Boundary Hospital in Grand Forks without his backpack and wallet. While his bones were found seven years later 3km from where he was last seen - not are between the border between British Columbia and the US border, the details surrounding his death are still unknown. His family believe their questions may have been answered if police had taken his disappearance more seriously at the time. The family of Australian backpacker Owen Rooney (pictured) who went missing after a bad magic mushroom trip in Canada are still no closer to finding out what happened in the hours before he died. Owen's sister Bree Rooney told the Daily Telegraph there was a stigma around young people who go missing because people believe they don't want to be found and often fail to look for them. 'This was especially the case for a young male traveller. It was not taken seriously, each missing person case needs to be treated with equity and not made on assumptions,' she said. His mother Sharron Rooney said at the time they had endured comments from authorities that 'maybe he wanted to go missing.' She said the family has been forever changed since her son's disappearance. His remains were discovered on June 10, 2017 by members of the Grand Forks Search and Rescue Unit while on a training exercise near Hardy Mountain (pictured) 'We have been allowed to grieve, but that loss never really leaves you, but it is different,' she said. The 24-year-old electrician had tried to hitchhike back home after a bad experience on magic mushrooms at the Shambhala music festival in Salmo on August 14, 2010. But after an alleged assault left him with a head wound he ended up at the hospital before he simply vanished. Despite thousands of residents taking up a call through social media to search for Mr Rooney it's believed police efforts hampered any real attempts to uncover the young Australian. The family desperately made their own efforts to locate their son - flying half way across the world to search for him on their own two feet. Owen Rooney, from New South Wales' coastal town of Ulladulla, disappeared without trace in 2010 after abruptly leaving Boundary Hospital in Grand Forks without his backpack and wallet Hardy Mountain is about three kilometres from Boundary Hospital (pictured), where Rooney was last seen before his disappearance But without a serious effort from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police they felt they didn't have a chance. Police swept city limits but failed to bring in tracker dogs within the first few days - something Mrs Rooney believed could have made all the difference in solving the mystery. The remains of an Owen Rooney were found on June 10, 2017 - by members of the Grand Forks Search and Rescue Unit while on a training exercise. His remains were discovered on June 10 but an initial search only unearthed two thirds of his body. DNA tests confirmed his identity. A year later his upper torso and skull were discovered. While a coroner's report revealed damage to his sternum and a rib, the cause of death was unable to be determined. As President Trump continues to push toward a reopening of the American economy in the coming days, he took to Twitter Friday to call on a handful of states with stay-at-home orders, including Michigan, to be liberated." LIBERATE MICHIGAN! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020 Trump also tweeted for the liberation of Minnesota and Virginia, but gave almost no insight as to what that meant aside from saying LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege! All three states have had recent protests of their respective stay-at-home orders. In Michigan, thousands gathered for a stay-at-home protest in downtown Lansing on Wednesday. Many of those at the protest spoke about the need to allow for people to go back to work and to relax restrictions in the order. Shelly Vanderwerff of Zeeland was one of the protestors at Wednesdays rally. While she didnt use the phrase liberate she did say Michiganders need to be free to return to work while maintaining safety guidelines and protecting both customers and employees. 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, Vanderwerff said. Other protestors made signs and banners with phrases like: Stop Oppressive Quarantining: Bring Back Common Sense and Freedom Isnt Negotiable." While Trump has scaled back calls for states to reopen the economies right away, on Thursday he issued a road map of sorts for how states can begin to open businesses and get people out of their houses. Were starting our life again, Trump said. Were starting rejuvenation of our economy again. Among the suggestions are to scale back stay-at-home orders in less effected areas while still maintaining strict social distancing in public. From there states can begin to consider allow social gatherings of less than 50 people before finally beginning to return to normal. 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 5 things that need to happen for Michigan to reopen its economy after the coronavirus crisis Whitmer partners with governors in 2 other states, asks Trump for more money during coronavirus battle Unemployment claims top 1M in Michigan as coronavirus closures continue More than 2,000 people have died of coronavirus in Michigan LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill., April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CDW Corporation (CDW), a leading multi-brand technology solutions provider to business, government, education and healthcare customers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiaries CDW LLC and CDW Finance Corporation (together, the Issuers) intend to offer, subject to market and other customary conditions, $500 million in aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2025 (the Notes) in an offering registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Note Offering). The Issuers intend to use the proceeds from the Note Offering for general corporate purposes and to pay fees and expenses related to the Note Offering. The Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, on a senior unsecured basis by CDW Corporation and by certain of CDW LLCs current and future direct and indirect wholly owned domestic subsidiaries. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Barclays Capital Inc., MUFG Securities Americas Inc. and BofA Securities, Inc. are acting as joint bookrunning managers and Capital One Securities, Inc., RBC Capital Markets, LLC and U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. are acting as co-managers for the Note Offering. The Note Offering is being made only by means of a prospectus supplement and an accompanying base prospectus. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus relating to the Note Offering may be obtained from (i) J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10179, Attention: Syndicate Desk or by telephone (toll-free) at (800) 245-8812 or by e-mail at hy_syndicate@restricted.chase.com, (ii) Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014, by telephone (toll-free) at (866) 718-1649 or by e-mail at prospectus@morganstanley.com, (iii) Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, telephone: 1-866-471-2526, facsimile: 212-902-9316 or by emailing Prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com, (iv) Barclays Capital Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 by e-mail at Barclaysprospectus@broadridge.com, (v) MUFG Securities Americas Inc., Attention: Capital Markets Group, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10020 by telephone at (877) 649-6848, (vi) BofA Securities, Inc., NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd floor, Charlotte NC 28255-0001, Attn: Prospectus Department, or by email at dg.prospectus_requests@bofa.com, (vii) Capital One Securities, Inc., 201 St. Charles Ave., Suite 1830, New Orleans, LA 70170, Attention: Gabrielle Halprin and Jennifer Blevins, (viii) RBC Capital Markets, LLC, 200 Vesey Street, 8th Floor New York, New York 10281, Attention: Leveraged Capital Markets; or by telephone at 1-877-280-1299 or (ix) U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., by telephone (toll-free) at (877) 558-2607. Story continues CDW Corporation, the Issuers and the subsidiary guarantors of the Notes filed a Registration Statement on Form S-3ASR, which was effective upon filing on October 16, 2017, including a base prospectus dated October 16, 2017, and a preliminary prospectus supplement dated April 16, 2020, to which this communication relates. Copies of the Registration Statement on Form S-3ASR, the base prospectus and the preliminary prospectus supplement can be accessed through the Securities and Exchange Commissions website at www.sec.gov. This press release is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes or any other securities. The Note Offering is not being made to any person in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale is unlawful. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements, including with respect to the proposed Note Offering. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond our control that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, whether the Issuers will in fact offer the Notes or consummate the Note Offering, which is subject to various conditions, and the anticipated use of the proceeds of the Note Offering. Although CDW believes that the forward-looking information presented in this press release are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove correct, and actual events may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Any forwardlooking information presented herein is made only as of the date of this press release, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise. 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. Contact: 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 CDWPR-FI A nurse has died on shift after suffering a medical episode on Friday morning. The 49-year-old man died at Liverpool hospital in Sydney's western suburbs after medical staff were unable to revive him. The mental heath nurse fell ill just after 11am. New South Wales Health said the department will provide support to the nurse's colleagues. The 49-year-old man died at Liverpool hospital (pictured) in Sydney's western suburbs after medical staff were unable to revive him New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard and NSW Mental Health Minister Bronnie Taylor offered their condolences to the man's family. 'The entire NSW Health family are devastated by our colleague's untimely death,' they said in a statement. 'Our deepest sympathy goes out to the nurse's spouse, children, family, friends and co-workers.' As part of efforts to drive financial inclusion agenda in Ghana, Fidelity Bank, has adopted Adenkerebi, a community in the Eastern Region, through the Bank's year-long Financial Literacy Campaign (FFLC) for 2020. The FFLC's focus is enhancing community knowledge in savings, investments, entrepreneurship, budgeting and bookkeeping. Over the past six years, Fidelity Bank has successfully run financial literacy campaigns for women groups, youth in agriculture, smallholder farmers and market associations. These initiatives have reached over 100,000 people in Ashanti and the Northern Regions. The initiative started when Fidelity's Inclusive Banking unit responded to an invitation by the Adenkerebi Welfare Association to their fundraising event to build a new community centre. Ms Ophelia Ama Oni said "At one of their events, we used the opportunity to educate the community on the importance of savings. The Fidelity team interacted with executives of the Adenkerebi Welfare Association who requested Fidelity to participate in their next welfare meeting to educate members on formal financial services." She added, "We accepted the invitation and visited the community in January to kick off its first financial education session." Fidelity Bank leveraged this opportunity to open a low KYC Fidelity product called the Smart Account and educated the community on essential banking services, mobile banking via USSD and the Fidelity Mobile App. Ms Oni expressed her sense of pride that Fidelity Bank is the lead driver of financial inclusion and continues to champion it. She said, "We look forward to successfully digitizing the operations of Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) through the FFLC." The Adenkerebi Welfare Association, which meets once every two weeks, operates a VSLA model through which members save. It is the only form of banking they are used to and trust. Source: Peacefmonline.com 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 All domestic and international commercial passenger flights have been suspended during the lockdown. New Delhi: A day after the Centre stated that air passengers can ask for full refunds for tickets booked during the first phase of lockdown for travel up to 3 May, Vistara said it is "reviewing" the order and will comply once the government clarifies some of its aspects. Several passengers have complained on social media against Indian airlines for giving refunds for flights cancelled due to the coronavirus lockdown and instead issuing credit vouchers for future travel. "We are reviewing the ministry''s notification on refunds for bookings affected in the lockdown and will comply once the authorities have clarified some aspects of it, Vistara spokesperson said. India imposed a lockdown for 21 days on 25 March and then extended it till 3 May. All domestic and international commercial passenger flights have been suspended during the lockdown. On Thursday, the civil aviation ministry ordered that if a passenger has booked tickets during the first phase of lockdown for travel up to 3 May, and if the airline has received the payment during the first phase of lockdown itself, the passenger can ask the airline to issue a full refund. The refund must be given within three weeks from the date of the request for cancellation, the ministry said. The US government earlier this month asked its airlines to issue refunds to passengers for ticket cancellations. India has been locked down to curb the spread of coronavirus, which has infected more than 12,700 people and killed over 400 in the country. Kerala was the first Indian state to report a positive COVID-19 case when a 33-year-old salesman who had returned from a recent trip to Dubai landed in Kerala with coronavirus-like symptoms. He was taken for sample collection and allowed to go back home to his village on the condition that he self-isolates for 14 days, and stays away from his family. The man followed every advice and upon testing positive went to the hospital and recovered. Twitter Today the village of Chengala has 22 confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 400 people in quarantine. But that hasnt deterred the villagers' confidence because the village heads and joint-council worked proactively to prepare for the outbreak at the grassroot level. There is active testing for villagers, hospital facilities for the infected to get treated and packaged food from the community kitchens for those who are in isolation. Residents and migrant workers are well-fed and health officials ensure that people take their medication on time. BCCL Thats just one example of how Kerala is working to flatten the curve. Kerala is a tourist hotspot and sees a lot of people crossing its borders in search of work. But despite its 370 confirmed cases, Kerala has managed to flatten the curve to a great extent with other states reporting more number of cases now. What did the administration get right? Apart from ensuring strict imposition of lockdown, the state is thorough about contact tracing. Kerala has dedicated Covid-19 care centres in every district for outsiders who have been stuck and need to isolate. Health workers care for the differently-abled and the elderly. Twitter No one is left behind, and Kerala continues to test more and more people on a regular basis. But what experts feel made the biggest difference was the fact that the state government under the aegis of CM Pinarayi Vijayan worked at the grassroots level involving the village councils. The next factor is Keralas healthcare system which has proved its mettle during this time of crisis. Talking about how Keralas medical system has come through amid the coronavirus outbreak in the southern state, neurosurgeon B Ekbal told BBC journalist Soutik Biswas, "A strong game-changer was the decentralised health care system. And village councils took upon themselves to enforce and monitor mass quarantine with the consent of the people. The shutdown also helped. BCCL Sharing this recent development, Anand Mahindra took to his Twitter account and shared his joy over the prospect of seeing Kerala become the first Indian state to flatten the curve and contain the COVID-19 infection in the state. He also added that he is tired of reading about how South Korea and other nations are managing the outbreak, and cannot wait to brag about his own southern state. If the curve stays flat, Kerala will be a shining example for the world in managing Covid. Tired of reading about S.Korea & other examples of how to manage the pandemic. @vijayanpinarayi Coronavirus: How India's Kerala state 'flattened the curve' https://t.co/K2WR7spWvC anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) April 17, 2020 We agree with you Mr Mahindra because Kerala has surely shown the rest of the country how to go about tackling the outbreak and work efficiently to not only trace and eliminate it, but also care for those who cannot care for themselves. Right from mobilising management at the ground level, to ensuring active testing and tracing of possible infection carriers and providing citizens with proper care facilities, Kerala is truly a shining example in Indias fight against the coronavirus outbreak. Inputs taken from BBC coverage by Soutik Biswas. Sonora, CA Heres the latest COVID-19 business buzz for those who are self-employed and or small business owners here in the Mother Lode. Tuolumne County Director of Innovation and Business Assistance Cole Przybyla shares with Clarke Broadcasting a reason why self-employed folks who applied for California Employment Development Department (EDD) Unemployment Benefits may have received an EDD response stating they would get zero benefits. It is because the program has not yet been implemented and will not be taking applications until April 28. It is called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) under the federal CARES Act, and will provide assistance for unemployed or partially unemployed individuals who are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance and who are unable or unavailable to work due to COVID-19 related circumstances. Among those potentially eligible are independent contractors, self-employed, those without sufficient work history or have exhausted their regular and any extended UI benefits. All must self-certify to be able and available to work except due to being unemployed due to a COVID-19 related reason. Przybyla says that the assistance amount will equal proof of earnings of no less than $167 with an added $600 from March 29 through July 25. He adds that payments can be retroactive starting from the week of February 2 providing up to 39 weeks of benefits. Online applications will be taken beginning April 28. For more information on who is covered, how much coverage can be claimed, and how long you can receive coverage, click here. SBA EIDL, PPP Loans Status As far as Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) go, the online loan portal is currently paused due to a lapse in appropriations. Przybyla notes that businesses that have already applied and have an application number which begins with 3 are in the queue, waiting for SBA to process their application. However the portal is not available to new applicants. The Fresno SBA office is encouraging people to continue to check back on the SBA Covid-19 Relief webpage, so when it opens back up they can apply. With regard to SBAs Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), he says his office has received confirmation from local banks that their funding of PPP loans will pause due to federal funds being allocated until Congress adds more local banks, and will not fund any new applications. Oak Valley Community Bank described the process for them going forward as that the applications in the queue will just be ready for the next program which should be out this week. Przbyla maintains that this gives Oak Valley Community Bank and other banks more time to approve more applications and then hit the fund button when federal funds are allocated. More On Who Qualifies For PPP As earlier reported, PPP is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. It also provides a means for self-employed workers who meet PPP conditions to receive loans. For example, a person with a 2019 Schedule C profit (reported on line 31 of the tax return) of $40,000 having zero other payroll costs, health insurance or pension to deduct would for PPP purposes effectively yield a $40,000 payroll cost and potentially qualify for a loan of $8,333. The figure is based on dividing the persons total payroll cost by 12 to determine the average monthly payroll cost, which in that case is $3,333, and then applying the PPP loan 2.5X multiplier. To access a list of local banks and their participation in the PPP program, click here. Coronavirus: USD 5 mln to Palestinians After 2 yrs of funding freeze (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, APRIL 17 - The US will give 5 million euros to the Palestinian National Authority (PA) to deal with basic needs during the fight against COVID-19, US ambassador to Israel David Friedman announced on Twitter. The move is the first of the kind in two years after the US froze funds to the PA due to Palestinian opposition to US president Donald Trump's peace plan. Friedman said that the money would be for hospitals and to support families in need and that the US is helping the Palestinian population as well as others throughout the world suffering from the pandemic. Republican senators had in recent days urged the US administration to help Palestinians. (ANSAmed). You know, any life is a life lost, but to get every child back into school where they are being safely educated, being fed and making the most out of their lives with the theoretical risk on the backside might be a trade-off some folks would consider, he said. New Delhi, April 17 : Principal Economic Adviser Sanjeev Sanyal on Friday said that the socio-economic situation, supply chain, and geo-politics will not remain the same in the after the world comes out of the coronavirus crises. In a tweet, Sanyal shared his view that the world may not return to the pre-COVID situation. Outlining India's approach towards to the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis, he wrote: "An important consideration for the post-Covid reconstruction is that we will probably not be returning to the pre-Covid world. The socio-economic, geo-political, technological, supply chain, global governance architecture will be different." He also said that Indian should engage actively in creating this new world and added that it cannot be done in a defensive manner. "We need to take risks - not just business risks - more broadly in terms of how we respond as a people to the emerging opportunities (and problems) of this new landscape." In another tweet, Sanyal said that the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is taking steps to support the economy in a phased manner. He mentioned that the government would also have take some liquidity and other measures for the reconstruction of the economy post the crisis. He said that India has deliberately opted by a step-by-step feedback loop based approach that is different from the big-bang approach of some other countries. "The step-by-step approach does not mean government/RBI does not recognize the seriousness of the situation or is unwilling to do big things. Remember, we will need some ammunition for the post-Covid reconstruction - hopefully not far away if we manage the health situation," the Principal Economic Adviser to the Finance Ministry said. Sanyal said that the country is dealing with an an uncertain evolving situation and for the economic crisis, the government will first provide cushion for the worst case and then respond according to new information. The same would be the procedure in terms of health, he added, first the lockdown and then identify the problem areas followed by a systematic opening. The government and regulatory bodies including the RBI have in the past one month announced a number of measures to support the common man, under privileged, businesses and the economy. On Friday, central bank Governor Shaktikanta Das announced a fresh slew of measures to infuse liquidity in the system including reduction in the reverse repo rate by 25 basis points. The government is also preparing a stimulus package for the industry which is expected to be announced soon. Epifaniy and Sviatoslav call on parishioners to "pray online". Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) Epifaniy (Epiphanius) and Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) Sviatoslav have called on believers to celebrate Easter at home and not expose themselves and relatives to danger. "We asked all our believers to celebrate this Easter at home. And we will be able to rejoice this Easter together but without endangering your health and life. Therefore, we will pray together, pray online. We will bless Easter baskets while you're home," Sviatoslav said at a TV panel show Pravo na Vladu [Right to Power] on Thursday. Read alsoEastern Christians celebrate Palm Sunday, western Christians observe Easter on April 12 "Of course, we will celebrate the Resurrection of Christ under special conditions. But we see that our believers have responded to the church's call to stay at home. At the latest service in Kyiv's St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, we saw that people responded to our call and are joining prayers online," Epifaniy said. STAMFORD Angelica Aparicio was remembered fondly as a lover of her faith, friends, family and traveling in an obituary posted following her death earlier this month. Aparicio, 82, died on April 7 due to pneumonia associated to COVID-19, her obituary said. She was born in Iquitos, Peru, in 1938 to Manuel Curto and Petronila Leon. She married Santiago Aparicio in 1966. He died in 2008. Her obituary said Aparicio was a cancer survivor. She loved to nurture friends, family and spread her devout faith as a Jehovahs Witness, the obituary said. Often expressing her love thru family banquets for brothers in faith, friends and family. Aparicio loved to cook and share recipes from her upbringing, the obituary said. She loved to travel the world with family, visiting places like Europe, Africa and the Americas. She will be missed, and remembered, by many of her brothers and sisters in faith, the obituary said. Aparicio is survived by her sisters, her sons and her grandchildren. Funeral arrangements were made by the Lacerenza Funeral Home in Stamford. Online condolences can be left at www.lacerenzafh.com. New online library memberships have soared by more than 300% across Ireland since the outbreak of Covid-19. New book worms have turned to online library services as strict measures are keeping the nation at home. E-books and audio books have become increasingly popular as the Government reported a dramatic increase in the use of online services in recent weeks. Senior Government official Liz Canavan said: Theres been a 106% increase in e-book loans and a 66% increase in eAudiobook loans since the beginning of March. In addition, there has been over a 300% increase in new library users throughout March. Bringing forward this payment should significantly improve cash flow on Irish farms in these challenging times Liz Canavan Its heartening to know that people are taking advantage of community services that are made available to support them at this difficult time and reading is a great way, not only to entertain ourselves during this crisis, but also to look after our mental health. It was also confirmed during the governments daily briefing that farmers will be able to access funding from an agri-environment scheme a month earlier than planned. Ms Canavan said: As part of the response to the impacts that Covid-19 is having on Irish farming incomes, payments for the Green, Low-Carbon, Agri-Environment Scheme GLAS will commence a month ahead of schedule. Bringing forward this payment should significantly improve cash flow on Irish farms in these challenging times. The GLAS scheme incentivises farmers to promote biodiversity, protect water quality and also to combat climate change on their farms. Over 26 million euros in GLAS balancing payments will be issued to 42,300 farmers who are participating in the scheme and will reach bank accounts early next week. Irelands Department of Employment has also warned of a bogus email which is seeking a refund of unemployment payments made to customers to a nominated bank account. Ms Canavan said the emails generally came from a Gmail or Hotmail address. The department has asked us to warn you categorically that it does not use Gmail or Hotmail addresses when issuing notifications to customers, she said. These incidents are treated with the utmost seriousness and the gardai have been notified. Should a person receive such an email and be in any doubt as to its authenticity, please contact the department at 01704308. She also said that over 1,000 calls were made to the Community Call Forum on Thursday. The forum, which is run by local authorities across Ireland, has received over 14,600 calls since it was set up last month. Ms Canavan also said that a dispute has arisen between the owners of Liverpool Port and P&O ferries. This has resulted in a P&O ferry being prevented from sailing from Liverpool to Dublin yesterday, she said. While this is primarily a contractual matter, any protracted dispute would have implications for the supply chain in Ireland. The Department of Transport is engaging actively with P&O and other port companies to resolve the issues. P&O ferries account for less than 20% of the freight between Ireland and the UK. Its understood that our supply chains wont be materially impacted. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 17, 2020 07:18 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd26789b 1 Business ojol,ojek-driver,COVID-19,stimulus,tourism,social-aid Free The governments assistance for Indonesias estimated 4 million ojol (app-based motorcycle taxi) drivers, who are among the informal workers most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, have sparked concerns over whether there is a certain degree of favoritism by the government toward the drivers over other workers in the country. This idea was reinforced by the image of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's car, with its trunk open, and his security officers handing out an estimated 400 staple food packages to ojol drivers in the Harmoni area of Central Jakarta last week. The gesture followed the issuance of Transportation Ministerial Regulation No. 18/2020, which was also passed on the same day, giving ojol drivers legal leeway to transport passengers, despite a previous Health Ministry regulation that prohibited them from carrying customers as part of the efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. They initially were only permitted to transport goods. Read also: Can we take motorcycle taxis? Clashing regulations leave passengers confused State-owned oil and gas company Pertamina also announced on Tuesday that a total of 10,000 ojol drivers would be eligible for 50 percent cashback when they purchased non-subsidized fuel through the firms app MyPertamina. Tadjudin Noer Effendi, a labor expert from Gadjah Mada University, suspected that the governments gestures were due to the political power that the drivers wield through sheer numbers, their ability to coordinate protests and the solidarity among them. Whenever the drivers stage a protest, Jakarta is crippled. It is possible that the government sees that whenever they organize rallies all over Indonesia with their sizeable numbers, they are a political force, he said. Since its establishment in 2010, homegrown decacorn Gojek has signed up at least 1.7 million ojol driver partners in Indonesia. Rival app Grab entered the Indonesian market in 2014 and has operated alongside Gojek ever since. Furthermore, given the uncertain legal status of motorcycle taxis, the drivers have formed strong driver associations such as the Two-Wheeled Action Movement (Garda), with its 100,000 members, which has actively voiced drivers demands throughout the years. Thousands of online 'ojek' (motorcycle taxi) drivers rally in front of the House of Representatives building in April last year. They demanded that the government regulate tariffs. (Antara/Sigid Kurniawan) Tadjudin was of the view that the government did seem to pay more attention toward the drivers compared with workers from other sectors, like tourism. Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) data show that 1,642 hotels have temporarily closed as of April 15 with Tourism Ministry data revealing that around 200,000 workers in the tourist sector have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Some 2.8 million people have lost their jobs so far this year, according to data from the Manpower Ministry and the Workers Social Security Agency (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan). More than half have been furloughed or placed on paid or unpaid leave. To date, Indonesians impacted by the pandemic still eagerly await the full disbursement of the Rp 110 trillion (US$7 billion) worth of social safety net programs allocated by the government, which includes cash transfers, staple food relief, the family hope program (PKH), free electricity and the preemployment card. However, there is still a lingering worry about bureaucratic red tape that might hamper people in accessing the government aid, raising the question about who will be eligible to get it. Social science scholar from Airlangga University Bagong Suyanto said the government should have more objective parameters in deciding on which people to help. Read also: COVID-19: Govt to disburse aid for tourist and creative economy sectors [The people who are suffering] are not just ojol drivers. People who are laid off, whose businesses have gone bust are suffering as much as the ojol drivers, he said, adding that the government should pay attention to workers in other sectors so as not to give an impression of unfairness. Djoko Setijowarno of the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI) and Felix Iryantomo, a researcher from the Transportation Study Institute (Instran), also criticized Pertaminas policy and contended that the policy should be fair to other workers in the transportation sector such as taxi, bus and even bajaj (three-wheeled taxi) drivers. The program could lead to jealousy among other transportation business players, they wrote in a statement. They further argued that the workers on other public transportation modes such as bus drivers were in a more dire situation as they could not switch to logistics transportation in the way ojol drivers can. Garda head Igun Wicaksono denied there was any special treatment for ojol drivers, although he said the drivers did need special attention from the government. Maybe people think that ojol drivers keep on getting the attention, but to us, its normal. The drivers who are still actively working have assisted people in their activities during the pandemic, we are the most at risk, so we need extra attention from the government, he said, adding that the drivers income had plunged by 70 percent during the pandemic. Read also: 70 million informal workers most vulnerable during pandemic Leading expert at the Office of the Presidential Staff Donny Gahral Adian also denied special treatment for ojol drivers. Those prioritized are the ones who are truly suffering and having difficulties due to COVID-19, those who do not have any liquid assets, who truly have lost their income to support their daily needs, he said over the phone. He said that there would be a scale of priority based on the severity of the impact on people for the distribution of aid, and that accurate and reliable data collection would be ensured. The semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan in Iraq will defer payments to oil companies operating in the region for the oil sales they had made between November 2019 and February 2020, one of those companies, London-listed Genel Energy plc said on Friday, as Iraq and the Kurdistan region are struggling to meet their obligations after the oil price crash. Genel Energy, which has interests in three producing fields in the Kurdistan Region Taq Taq, Tawke, and Peshkabir has received payment for the oil sales in March 2020, the company said today. Yet, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) had proposed to Genel Energy to defer the payments due for the period between November last year and February this year, interest-free, for at least nine months. Should the oil price recover to c.$50/bbl, a payment programme to recover the deferred invoices will be put in place, Genel Energy said. Genel welcomes the KRGs approach to establish a framework that provides clarity and predictability for overdue and future payments, and the commitment to full repayment of deferred invoices as the oil price recovers, the company added. According to RBC analysts, cited by Reuters, the deferred payments are worth a total of around $300 million, of which another company operating in Kurdistan, DNO, is entitled to three-quarters of those payments. Genel will get the rest. Iraq and Kurdistan are struggling to pay the companies extracting their oil as crude prices have crashed by 60 percent since the beginning of the year, crippling oil revenues that are vital for both Iraq and the Kurdistan region. Iraq, which relies on oil revenues for 95 percent of its budgetary income, is one of the least diversified economies in the Middle East. The federal government saw its revenues cut nearly in half in March when oil prices collapsed, even though OPECs second-largest producer exported more barrels of crude last month than it did in February. Kurdistan is included in Iraqs commitment to reduce oil production as part of the new OPEC+ deal, Iraqi Oil Minister Thamer al-Ghadhban said earlier this week. Iraq was the biggest cheater in previous OPEC+ pacts. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A man has been charged with an immigration offence in connection with the investigation into the deaths of 39 migrants in a refrigerated lorry. Gazmir Nuzi, of Tottenham, London, was arrested on Thursday, Essex Police said. The 42-year-old has now been charged with conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law by a non-EU person, the force said. Gazmir Nuzi, of Tottenham, London, is charged with conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law by a non-EU person, Essex Police said Police forensics officers at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, after 39 bodies were found inside a lorry on the industrial estate, October 23, 2019 He is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court today. The 39 Vietnamese nationals were found in a lorry container parked on an industrial estate in the early hours of October 23 last year in Grays, Essex. Ten teenagers, including two 15-year-old boys, were among those found dead. Lorry driver Maurice Robinson, of Craigavon in Northern Ireland, pleaded guilty to manslaughter during a hearing at the Old Bailey on April 8. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 10:12:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan Ministry of Health on Thursday discharged eight more patients who have recovered from COVID-19 after treatment, bringing the count in the country to 20. Emmanuel Ainebyoona, spokesperson for the ministry, told Xinhua that seven patients were discharged from Mulago National Referral Hospital in the capital Kampala and one from Hoima Regional Referral Hospital in the western part of the country. "All the discharged patients tested negative twice for COVID-19. We are now remaining with 35 active cases from the confirmed 55 cases in the country," said Ainebyoona. Uganda started discharging patients who recovered from the novel coronavirus on Saturday with three patients from Entebbe Referral Hospital, about 40 km south of the capital. The country has registered 54 confirmed cases and is currently under a three-week extended nationwide lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of the virus. Enditem China committed an 'act of war' by covering up the scale of its early coronavirus outbreak for six weeks, a leading economist has claimed. Danielle DiMartino Booth, an author and chief executive of research and analytics firm Quill Intelligence, said Beijing officials were aware of the deadly disease spreading in Wuhan last November and allowed it to snowball into a global pandemic. She said Chinese officials had countless lives on their hands and should be hauled before an international court as their 'under-reporting' did not afford the rest of the world time to prepare for an onslaught. The economist points to a 'pandemic clause' in the January trade deal between Washington and Beijing, which she believes is evidence the Communist regime knew the extent of their crisis while publicly downplaying it. DiMartino Booth said: 'The World Health Organisation should be held accountable for not holding China accountable to providing good valid data so the rest of the world could prepare for fewer people to die. 'And that's what you're talking about. To me these are equivalent to acts of war.' China committed an 'act of war' by covering up the scale of its early coronavirus outbreak for six weeks, a leading economist has claimed (President Xi Jinping pictured in March at a hospital in Wuhan) Danielle DiMartino Booth, an author and chief executive, said Beijing officials were aware of the deadly disease spreading in Wuhan last November and allowed it to snowball into a global pandemic Her blistering attack, made on the Valuetainment YouTube show, came as Wuhan, the epicenter of the pandemic, revised the city's official death toll to add nearly 1,300 fatalities. She told host Patrick Bet-David that reports of a virus in Wuhan emerged in November, and that six weeks later on January 15, Washington and Beijing signed a trade deal in which she claims China preempted the pandemic. In an agreement which ended the bitter trade war between the world's two economic powerhouses, Xi Jinping would buy $200million of American goods and Donald Trump would ease tariffs on Chinese exports. But DiMartino Booth said that buried in this deal was 'an out-clause, a very clever out-clause that the Chinese made sure was in there.' She continued: 'That said if there was any act of God, a pandemic, then they didn't have to make good on what they'd committed to buy from the United States. President Donald Trump stands with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He after signing 'phase one' of the US-China trade agreement in the East Room of the White House in Washington January 15 'Within days they'd announced the first coronavirus (case). 'So, did the Chinese know damn well that this thing was running around the world for six weeks before they shut down Wuhan? Yes they did. Is that criminal? Yes it is. Does it deserve to go in front of a world tribunal? Yes it does.' The clause DiMartino is understood to have referred to is Article 7.6, which stipulates that the parties shall 'consult with each other' in the event of a 'natural disaster or other unforeseeable event' outside of their control. China first officially started investigating a pneumonia-type disease in Wuhan in December, but last month the South China Morning Post unearthed a report which suggested the government were aware of an outbreak as early as November. Questions have long swirled around the accuracy of China's case reporting, with Wuhan in particular going several days in January without reporting new cases or deaths. Funeral home workers remove the body of a person suspected to have died from the coronavirus outbreak from a residential building in Wuhan on February 1 Senator claims China 'deliberately' allowed coronavirus to wreak havoc on world Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton has claimed that China 'deliberately' allowed the rest of the world to become infected with the novel coronavirus. He made the comments during an interview on Fox's Outnumbered Overtime after it emerged that US intelligence officials are investigating whether the virus could have leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan. Cotton said that even if there was a lack of 'conclusive evidence' on where the virus originated, the cover up in the weeks following the outbreak allowed the disease to spread beyond China to wreak havoc on the rest of the world. He said: 'In my opinion, Xi Jinping had decided if China is going to suffer then the rest of the world, especially the United States, is going to suffer, and there has to be consequences to those actions.' Advertisement That has led to accusations that Chinese officials were seeking to minimize the impact of the outbreak and could have brought it under control sooner. A group of eight medical workers, including a doctor who later died from the virus, were even reprimanded and threatened by police after they tried to alert others about the disease over social media. Chinese officials have denied covering up cases, saying their reports were accurate and timely. However, the WHO has come under criticism for defending China's handling of the outbreak. President Trump has now suspended funding to WHO over what he alleges is its pro-China bias. Trump's blaming of China came after he initially showered praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping for the country's response, while largely dismissing the risk it posed to the US At the start of the outbreak, China proceeded cautiously and largely in secret, emphasizing political stability. Experts estimate more than 3,000 people were infected before China's government told the public about the gravity of the situation, which officials had concluded six days earlier. The risk of sustained human-to-human transmission was also downplayed, even while infected people entered hospitals across the country and the first case outside China was found, in Thailand. As Trump and other US officials and lawmakers started blaming China for the outbreak, Chinese officials sought to shift blame back to the US. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian tweeted in March: 'It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan.' Senators accused of insider trading to profit from the coronavirus shutdown of the US economy have been named on the committee to reopen the US economy. Georgia Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue were appointed to the White House's task force to reopen America again just weeks after facing demands for their resignation. Ms Loeffler reportedly sold millions worth of stock following a 24 January Senate Health Committee meeting on the coronavirus threat, while also purchasing stocks in a company that offers teleworking software. "Thank you, @realDonaldTrump for appointment me to your task force on re-opening America safely in the wake of #Covid19," she Tweeted on Thursday. Mr Perdue, meanwhile, reportedly bought stocks in a personal protective equipment manufacturer on the day of the coronavirus meeting, which his office said he did not attend. Both Ms Loeffler and Mr Perdue maintain they are not involved in their personal financial decisions. Ms Loeffler has called any accusations of wrongdoing "ridiculous and baseless," while a spokeswoman for Mr Perdue said he uses an outside financial adviser. Republican senator Richard Burr has also come under scrutiny after selling off a portion of his portfolio following the 24 January coronavirus briefing. CNN reported that the Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission had launched a probe into the matter and have contacted Mr Burr as part of the investigation. Mr Trump on Thursday announced that the bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers would participate in the task force that would determine when and how the country would return to normalcy. They will be joining business leaders from across the country "to provide counsel to the president on the reopening of America in the wake of Covid-19," The White House wrote in an email to task force members. - Most of the affected members were from the lower branches of the royal family - King Salman, 84, went into isolation to avoid the outbreak and one of the princes was put in intensive care - The hospital which treats the royal family extended capacity to up to 500 beds to cater for the monarchs As many as 150 members of the Saudi Arabia royal family have contracted the novel coronavirus. Senior Prince and Riyadh Governor Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, 71, who is among those sick was moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) over coronavirus complications. READ ALSO: 3 Nairobi pastors move to court to petition govt lift ban on church gatherings Senior prince and Riyadh governor(pictured) is in intensive care after contracting the virus. Photo: Aljazeera. Source: UGC READ ALSO: TUKO stands with all Kenyans, be strong we are in this together According to a report by Aljazeera and other international media outlets, doctors at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital where the royals receive health care said they were expanding their capacity to up to 500 beds as the pandemic rocks the royals. King Salman, 84, also went into isolation in a nearby island near the palace to avoid contracting the disease. "Directives are ready to receive VIPs from around the country. We do not know how many cases we will get," operatives at the hospital told its senior doctors. READ ALSO: Kenyans support landlord who broke tenants' doors over rent arrears: "Landlords have loans" The Saudi princes travel to Europe and it is believed they contracted the virus abroad and brought it to their country. Most patients are from the lower branches of the monarch. Saudi Arabia has recorded 2,932 cases and 41 deaths. 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. Couple names new born twins Corona and Covid | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Tania Stoker, the assistant superintendent for the Northern Lehigh School District in Pennsylvania, remembers the moment when administrators realized they needed a new plan for distance learning. Schools in the district had been shut down for about two weeks, sending out review packets by mail and posting enrichment activities to Google classroom. Administrators didnt want to hold students responsible for new learning, because they couldnt know what was going on at home. But the activities were only a stopgap measure, a way to keep kids in the educational mindset, Stoker said. And every day, the questions loomed larger: What if this extends? What are we going to do? The turning point came at the end of March, when Gov. Tom Wolf announced schools would be closed indefinitely. Just over a week later, they would be closed for the academic year. We said, OKwe need to kind of figure out what were doing here, Stoker said. We need something more structured. By now, more than half of all states have recommended or ordered schools closed through the academic year. Faced with the new reality that they wont see students in classrooms again this year, many districts are having to make the same choice as Northern Lehigh: Should they reinforce the learning that students have already done this year, continuing to provide optional enrichment and review? Or should they try to forge ahead through the curriculum, continuing to cover new standards and content? U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos weighed in on the question earlier this month, saying that learning should continue for all students. We would hope that it would be an aspirational goal ... that the students would not only maintain their current level of learning, but continue to expand, she said. But states have issued conflicting guidance. A report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Teaching Systems Lab found that this decisionenrichment versus progressing through the curriculumwas one of the most common areas of policy divergence in states distance learning plans . The decision often hinges on questions of equity. If students dont have internet access, devices, or a quiet place to work at home, they might fall behind as teachers cover new concepts. If we charged forward and tried to say were covering a lot of new learning, were just going to exacerbate a lot of inequities, said Jared Myracle, the chief academic officer for the Jackson-Madison County Schools in Tennessee. Between 60 percent to 70 percent of students in the district have internet access at home, he said. But not moving forward comes with its own consequences, said Thomas Parker, the superintendent of the Allentown school district in Pennsylvania. The district plans to start its distance learning plan the week of April 20, after about a month of enrichment and review during closures. Inequities in his students lives have already created a divide, between kids in his district and kids in wealthier districts. We cant afford not to push the envelope, Parker said. If their peers are progressing, they have to progress, too. Avoiding Dogmatic Guidance State level guidance on this question mostly consists of suggestions, with frequent caveats that districtsand even individual teachersmay make different decisions based on unique circumstances. No one is dogmatic about these things, said Justin Reich, the director of the MIT Teaching Systems Lab, and one of the authors of the report on state remote learning guidance. For instance, Massachusetts recommends that districts focus on reinforcing skills already taught this school year as well as applying and deepening these skills, but notes that teachers may wish to continue with new material. Tennessee suggests that remote learning materials be duplicative of what students have mastered to allow for independent work at home. But schools can include bonus material that covers new content if they want to. Some states have changed their guidance, as closures have extended. In Pennsylvania, the department originally gave districts a choice between planned instructionmoving forward with new standardsor enrichment and review. Now, all districts are expected to submit a continuity of education plan, though the state suggests still making enrichment and review available. Nebraskas guidance from the department of education recommends a layered approach, where districts might start with short-term enrichment opportunities and then move to a long-term instructional plan for the rest of the closure. Nebraskas schools are now closed through the end of the academic year. An enrichment-only approach made sense back when Nebraska districts thought they might only be closed for two weeks, said Cory Epler, the academic officer in the states office of teaching, learning, and assessment. But as closures extended further, we wanted [districts] to be thinking about the different phases of the resources they would be providing students. What Do You Do With Kids in the Fall? As for most questions about distance learning during this pandemic, theres little roadmap or precedent for which approach is best. But the topic has courted controversy. When Philadelphia Superintendent William Hite announced that teachers couldnt cover any new material until May 4to give the district time to get devices and internet out to students without connectivityhe faced criticism that the decision disadvantaged students who had the access to start new lessons immediately. As long as Philadelphia denies its students online instruction, they will fall behind students from other districts. Whats equitable about that? wrote Paul T. von Hippel, an associate professor of public affairs at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas, Austin, in an article for Education Next. But forging ahead through the curriculum, when only some students are logging on, creates other problems, Reich said. What do you do with kids in the fall, when half of the kids have progressed through the standards and half havent? he asked. The question isnt just hypothetical . In New York City, the mayor has said theres clearly an issue with attendance in remote learning; in Los Angeles, thousands of students are missing from online classes. And its not clear that one approach over the other would be best for students wellbeing during this time, said Isaiah B. Pickens, the assistant director of service systems at the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress. The context for each kid experiencing this pandemic is different, he said. Pushing forward through the curriculum could help children stay engaged in schooland keep them from getting too bored at home. But kids who are experiencing intense stress and traumamaybe they have a family member whos sick with the virusmight have limited ability to focus on new material. Enrichment could be more useful for them, Pickens said, as a tool to stay connected with familiar routines. Regardless, Pickens said, predictability is important. Students should know what theyre doing and when, and what outcome theyre working toward. Anyone with a coherent, simple, communicative plan, is going to be better off than otherwise, Reich said. Figure Out Ways to Cover New Material In districts that dont yet have plans to cover new materialor have waited several weeks into shutdowns to make the transitionleaders say theyre trying to get the system right before they start requiring kids to participate. For Myracle, the chief academic officer in Tennessee, consistency is a key part of the plan. Right now, the district is focusing on enrichment, providing resources that are aligned with the universal curriculum that Jackson-Madison uses during the school year. Knowing that students will be doing enrichment activities in curricula that theyre already familiar with and use year-round can assist in maintaining some momentum, said Myracle. Not every student has adults at home who can help with schoolwork, so his district took this approach to make sure that lessons could be completed independently, without adult supervisionas advised in Tennessees remote learning guidance. As we continue to get further into this, were going to try to figure out ways to cover new material, while keeping in mind that not every kid has a parent at home to help, Myracle said. For now, the district is still trying to make contact with all of their students, some of whom they havent heard from. Their learning is still unaccounted for during this time, he said. In Allentown, devices and internet connectivity are the limiting factor, said Parker, the superintendent. The district plans to start its long-term distance learning plan the week of April 20, a month after schools first shut down. The 17,000-student district started with an enrichment approach so as not to disadvantage students without internet access, and give schools time to plan for how they would serve English-language learners and students with disabilities, Parker said. Preliminary results from a survey of families found that 83 percent of students had internet at home, and a little over half have access to a computer. The district is planning to purchase additional devices and transition to Edgenuity and Odysseyware, online learning platforms that the state has provided access to. Allentown has also applied for the state department of educations new equity grant program, which will allocate up to $5 million in grants for devices and hotspots in districts, and to pay for delivery of paper materials. Theres an almost unseen, untalked about issue with districts that are fiscally distressed, Parker said. This has been an extra burden and an extra challenge, because we just didnt have the capacity internally to turn around as quickly as some of our peers. Overwhelming Gaps to Fill In some ways, the Northern Lehigh districtless than an hour away from Allentownseemed poised to make an easier transition out of review work and into new learning. Schools there have 1-to-1 computing environments at all grade levels, and many teachers had already uploaded their classes onto Google Classroom or Canvas in the year before the pandemic. Northern Lehigh is also a tenth of the size of Allentown, at about 1,700 students. Staff were able to search for individual students Chromebooks in school buildings, and hand-deliver them out to kids whose families drove to pick them up. For some teachers, this infrastructure made for a mostly seamless shift. But for others, progressing through the curriculum online still wont come close to what they could have done in the classroom. Kim Filipovits, an 8th grade English/language arts teacher at Northern Lehigh Middle School, said shes had to rework some lessons, but can still cover most of her curriculum remotely. Shes assigning about 30 minutes of work a dayper district guidelineswhich works out to about the same amount of time she would have gotten with students in a 45-minute class period. Her students are familiar with Google Classroom, having used it this past year. There will definitely be review and catch-up [next year], but I dont know if its going to be as much as people think, Filipovits said. But even when students have technology access, some teachers have had to radically redesign their instructional plan for the rest of the year. Tony Tulio, a 5th grade math and science teacher at Slatington Elementary in the district, has students for an hour and half in math class each day during the regular school year. Online, he only has 30 minutes. One day of assignments is now split over three days, Tulio said. Thats the tough part. As soon as he and his colleagues heard that the district would be moving to a longer-term distance learning plan, they got to work on a month-long calendar, outlining the standards and essential content that they would cover. Some things had to go. Practice opportunities were slashedinstead of 10 word problems, for instance, students would only do one or two. The entire last module of the year, in which 5th graders learn about graphing, plotting points, reading charts, had to be cut. The 5th and 6th grade math teams worked on the distance learning calendar together, Tulio said, so next years teachers will know what students still need to cover. Still, hes worried. It makes sense to try for new learning, Tulio thinks. Its going to be easier to bridge gaps than its going to be to teach something brand new, he said. But theres going to be a lot of gaps to fill. Were trying not to think about it now, because its a little bit overwhelming, Tulio said. Northern Lehigh is already planning to address learning gaps in the fall, said Stoker, the assistant superintendent. Id love to say that were going to be at the same point, but probably, we wont, she said, noting that there was likely learning lost in the first few weeks of the closures. Making plans for fall should be a priority for everyone, regardless of which approachreview or new content districts take, said Reich, from MIT. If districts decide to move forward through their curriculum, some students wont be able to complete assignments from home. But if districts stick with enrichment and review, families with more time and resources will make sure that their kids are progressingalso widening gaps, Reich said. I think there are very few ways of imagining what happens that dont expand inequality, he said. There may be more to be gained in investing resources in the fall than in investing resources in trying to make remote learning work. Hawaii Gov. David Ige is proposing reductions among public workers' salaries due to the novel coronavirus, according to reports. News outlets said unions have reported the governor's proposal would involve a 20% pay cut for teachers and 10% reduction for other public workers, such as nurses. The other public workers also include police officers and firefighters, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. The cuts are meant to prevent an "economic collapse as the coronavirus pandemic cuts off major sources of state revenues," Hawaii State Teachers Association President Corey Rosenlee told Hawaii News Now. Rosenlee told his fellow union members in an emailed message Tuesday night that it was unclear if the governor intended to implement the cuts as furloughs or as across-the board salary decreases. The reductions could come as early as May 1, he said. The union was informed of the idea during a meeting at the state Capitol, Rosenlee said. He said the proposal was unacceptable. Video: Frontline workers getting creative in dealing with COVID-19 While we recognize the coronavirus has already started to cripple Hawaiis economy, no one can be sure of its long-term impacts. We believe cutting salaries for tens of thousands of state workers is rash and will hurt our state even more, Rosenlee said in his letter. The union represents 13,700 public school teachers statewide. The Hawaii Government Employees Association, which represents 40,000 state and county employees, objected to cuts, especially when workers are on the front lines in the fight against the virus. "Needless to say, any immediate furlough or salary reduction for government employees would only result in a greater strain on our local economy via unmet mortgage obligations, failure to make rent payments and a general inability to spend money to support local businesses," Randy Perreira, the union's executive director, said in a letter to Ige. Ige's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Both unions urged the governor to find money elsewhere. Rosenlee said Hawaii had a cash surplus and a rainy day fund totaling more than $1 billion at the end of the last fiscal year. He noted Congress appropriated stimulus funding for the state and counties. Perreira said Hawaii was sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars that could be used to shore up the state budget. He also suggested the state temporarily forgo payments into the Employees Retirement System, which he estimated amounts to $1 billion a year. Hawaii's major sources of tax revenue are getting hit hard by the social distancing requirements brought on by the coronavirus. Hawaii has effectively shut down the tourism industry by imposing a 14-day quarantine on all arriving travelers, dealing a blow to hotel tax revenue. Restaurants and retail stores have also shut down, all of which has damaged general excise tax revenue. Reese Witherspoon has discussed her mental health struggles. Speaking to Jameela Jamil on her I Weight podcast, the Legally Blonde actress, 44, revealed that her 'anxiety manifests as depression' and after giving birth to her three children she has had various experiences with mental health. The star shares daughter Ava, 20, and son Deacon, 16, with her ex Ryan Phillipe, and son Tennessee, seven, with husband Jim Toth and admits motherhood has taken her to many highs and lows with her depression. Open and honest: Reese Witherspoon has discussed her mental health struggles (pictured with Ava and Deacon in December) Reese said: 'I definitely had anxiety, my anxiety manifests as depression so I would get really depressed. My brain is like a hamster on a wheel and it won't come off, I've been managing it my entire life.' On motherhood and depression, the esteemed actress candidly went on: 'I've had three kids. After each child I had a different experience... 'One kid I had kind of mild postpartum, and one kid I had severe postpartum where I had to take pretty heavy medication because I just wasn't thinking straight at all, and then I had one kid where I had no postpartum at all.' After her firstborn Ava came along, she admitted the unknown made things particularly stressful. She went on: 'We don't understand the kind of hormonal rollercoaster that you go on when you stop nursing. No one explained that to me... Her love: Speaking to Jameela Jamil on her I Weight podcast, the Legally Blonde actress, 44, revealed that her 'anxiety manifests as depression' and after giving birth to her three children she has had various experiences with mental health 'I was 23 years old when I had my first baby and nobody explained to me that when you wean a baby, your hormones go into the toilet. I felt more depressed than I'd ever felt in my whole life. It was scary.' In 2015, Ryan confessed that he too struggled with depression and claims to have 'passed it on' to their daughter Ava. He told Elle Magazine: 'You know, depression has been a huge obstacle for me ever since I was a child. As you get older I think it decreases some, but I'm just innately kind of a sad person. Her brood: Reese shares daughter Ava, 20, and son Deacon, 16, with her ex Ryan Phillipe, and son Tennessee, seven, with husband Jim Toth and admits motherhood has taken her to many highs and lows with her depression 'I'm empathetic, and I take on the feelings of others and transpose myself into the position of others. I see it in my daughter [Ava]. 'She has it, and I wish to hell she didn't. It's just, some people do have this pervading sort of sadness, or they're so analytical that they can kind of take the fun out of things because they think too much.' 'It can ruin your f**king life. But I'd prefer to suffer through the sadness than to be a complete moron with no feelings.' As of midnight April 15, Israeli politicians have 21 days to avert the countrys fourth consecutive elections. To recap: Following the third elections on March 2, President Reuven Rivlin gave Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz first crack at forming a government within 28 days. Gantz failed. Rivlin decided he would only hand the mandate to someone endorsed by 61 Knesset members (out of 120). And so, he skipped over Interim Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who does not have the required number of endorsements, continuing to the final leg of the electoral process. Thus, Rivlin handed the mandate to the Knesset. Each of the parliament members now has until May 7 to mobilize 61 lawmakers and form a government. Should one of the 120 achieve this feat, Rivlin will be required by law to let them try their hand. If none of the lawmakers comes up with the required 61 signatures, Rivlin will then declare game over. The 23rd Knesset will automatically disband, and fourth elections will be held three months later, apparently on Aug. 4. Ironically, Gantz, the chair of the Blue and White party who was on the verge of getting a shot at the premiership until April 15 at midnight, will now oversee the Knessets efforts to pick a prime minister from his perch as speaker of the parliament. For now, representatives for Gantz and Netanyahu are continuing the negotiations they have been conducting for almost four weeks on forming a power-sharing, coronavirus emergency government. Gantz, who has not missed a single chance to avoid mistakes during that time period, is trying to resuscitate his remaining options. He is conducting talks with Netanyahu as if a unity government is about to jell but also preparing to push through legislation to block Netanyahus way to the premiership should negotiations fail. Gantz and Netanyahu are both facing tough choices. Netanyahu has to choose between two options. The first is the highly tempting option of standing for fourth elections and a chance to increase the support of his Likud party and its right-wing and ultra-Orthodox allies and obtain a 61-seat Knesset majority, likely allowing him to evade trial on corruption charges (his bloc has already committed to adopting legislation that would offer Netanyahu immunity). The second option is going for the power-sharing deal, which would mean having to vacate his seat in 18 months and hand it to Gantz, in a rotation agreement. The dilemma for Gantz is clearer. He must decide whether Netanyahu is toying with him and cheating him the way he has all his previous rivals, or whether he truly intends to forge a unity deal with the rotation it entails in 18 months. The decision by Gantz to go for the unity government option was rejected by about half of Blue and Whites lawmakers, who opted for dismantling the party. Chief among them is Blue and White senior Yair Lapid, who now heads a separate Knesset faction. But after paying the price of dismantling his own party, Gantz was up for a surprise. On April 16, Gantz realized the agreements he has since reached with Netanyahus people had miraculously vanished in the face of new conditions Netanyahu pulled out of his sleeve only minutes before the deadline for concluding the deal. Gantz was left high and dry, having forfeited the support of his center-left voter bloc and been denied entry into Netanyahus camp. Gantz nonetheless is soldiering on, still negotiating even as these lines are being written, and even toying with the idea that despite it all, Netanyahu knows in his heart of hearts that his best and most certain option right now is unity. All other options are too risky. On April 16, Gantz gave the unity-rotation deal one final chance. Unless Netanyahu signs off on a coalition agreement by April 20, Gantz and what remains of his original Blue and White party intend to speedily move ahead with proposed legislation against the Likud party leader in the remaining days before the Knesset is dispersed and new elections are called. The bills, tabled by Yisrael Beitenu party Chair Avigdor Liberman, would bar Netanyahu from forming a government as long as he is under indictment for bribery. This was Blue and Whites Plan A before Gantz split the party in order to try and join Netanyahu. Gantz and Netanyahu know that the decision they face will determine the fate of their political careers. Gantzs foray into politics could be ignominiously buried a year and a half after the retired army chief ventured into the political minefield. Netanyahu, for his part, has already broken all of Israels political records, including the dubious one of being the first incumbent prime minister indicted in court on charges of corruption. Now he wants to be the first (and probably last) in history to survive such a predicament. Netanyahu is torn, and he is not alone. His wife, Sara, and son, Yair, are both with him in coronavirus-induced isolation at the official residence on Balfour Street, pushing him to go for broke. With the latest polls giving his Likud party 40 Knesset seats (compared to 36 on March 2), he could be facing a historic opportunity to change the face of the nation, humble the Supreme Court, and pass laws enabling him to remain in power and avoid trial. Still, Netanyahu himself knows that the 40 seats forecast by the polls could go up in smoke by August in light of Israels deep economic crisis that would have hundreds of thousands of unemployed clamoring for his head. Netanyahu, however, has in recent years lost his ability to decide for himself. Decisions on Balfour Street are made by an executive board consisting of himself, his wife and his son. According to his associates, he usually finds himself in a minority, with his status in this triumvirate lower than that of the other two. Netanyahus greatest concern right now is focused on the Supreme Court. Having adopted the deep state belief espoused by the American alt-right, Netanyahu is accusing the justices, especially activist former Chief Justice Aharon Barak, of plotting to overthrow him. People who have spoken with Netanyahu in recent weeks report that he is convinced that if the Supreme Court rules in the coming weeks that an indicted politician cannot form a government, masses of Israelis will take to the streets in violent protest against the decision. Some two years ago, Rivlin predicted that Netanyahu would fight to the last drop of Israeli blood and not hesitate to burn down the club and its members in order to retain power. Rivlins prophecy seems to be coming true at great speed. Benny Gantz is Netanyahus complete opposite: a polite officer and gentleman completely unfamiliar with the laws of the jungle regulating life in Israels political swamp. Gantz did not learn a thing from all the stunned politicians tricked by Netanyahus unfulfilled promises for the past 30 years. As aforementioned, in the sincere belief in Netanyahus word and handshake, Gantz dismantled the alternative party he had formed to replace him, only to realize minutes later that Netanyahus word was no good and the same hand he shook had now plunged a knife into his back. Surprisingly, Netanyahu manages to continue playing Gantz. The negotiating teams met April 16 and are scheduled to meet again April 17. Thus, Netanyahu is buying valuable time. The 21-day clock is ticking, and with every passing day, the chances of Gantz mobilizing his walking-dead, 61-seat Knesset bloc to complete anti-Netanyahu legislation are diminishing. The perfect storm into which the State of Israel was plunged over a year ago is growing in intensity and shows no signs of abating. On the contrary: A fourth round of elections will turn the current chaos into pure hell, a Supreme Court ruling on petitions against Netanyahu could set off civil strife, and the rampaging coronavirus crisis lacks the energy by now to douse the flames. The secretary-general of Egypts National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, Azza Al-Ashmawy, passed away on Thursday due to ill health. According to her family, Al-Ashmawy died after a battle with cancer. She was among Egypt as well as Africas top activists for the rights of children. Al-Ashmawy was the vice chair of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC). She was also a member of the committee that drafted the 2014 constitution of Egypt. Search Keywords: Short link: Volunteers are building villages of tiny houses for formerly homeless people. Credit: Bruce Kelsh/Cottage Village Coalition, CC BY-SA Even when the economy is booming, the United States has trouble figuring out how to deal with homelessness. Now, with unemployment soaring and millions of Americans unable to pay their rent, solutions are more needed than ever. I think it's worth considering some of the ways Eugene, Oregon a city of about 170,000 peoplehas approached this problem. A citywide effort to count the homeless in December 2019 found 2,165 people who were either sleeping in shelters or on the streets. With 432 homeless persons for every 100,000 residents, Eugene has the highest number of homeless per capita in the country. The national average is only 170. Despite a recent uptick, the total number of the homeless in Eugene fell between 2011 and 2016. When I studied the mid-sized city's approaches, three programs struck me as particularly promising. All of them are a result of the local government working with nonprofits and concerned residents to solve this daunting problem. A local housing movement Efforts to do more about homelessness in Eugene took shape during the Occupy movement, which began in New York City in 2011 to protest inequality and soon spread across the globe. In December 2011, an Occupy encampment, located at a park in the middle of the city, hosted hundreds of the homeless, championing homelessness as the movement's main cause in the city. The camp triggered a citywide public debate over how to solve this problem. That debate, in turn, led to close collaboration between the city and county governments, neighborhood associations, local nonprofits and activists and the city's homeless community. Besides providing services for the homeless, several innovative programs came out of this collaboration. People who used to be homeless have settled down in tiny homes custom-built to accommodate them in Eugene, Oregon. 1. Occupy Medical Being homeless is fraught with medical and health problems, from sleep deprivation to a high risk of becoming injured. Eugene's Occupy Medical, a clinic with both mobile services and a permanent location, is staffed by volunteer doctors, nurses, nutritionists and other health professionalsand also offers services like basic grooming. The clinic requires no insurance or even an identity card. Anyone seeking medical help is welcome on a no-questions-asked basis. "It's more than just a free clinic," the clinic manager explained during an interview I conducted. "It's the model that we have of judgment-free, patient-centered care, integrated health, community involvement and recapturing your own body." 2. "Rest Stops' Eugene bans sleeping in public places, which can lead the homeless to spend their nights in nearby forests and along river banks. Its "Rest Stop" program, a collaboration between the local city government and nonprofits, offers safe temporary shelter for people to transition to more permanent lodging. Eugene's authorities provide land in parcels big enough to host up to 20 individuals in Conestoga Huts, hard-shelled, insulated tents that were locally designed and built. The huts are mobile and can not be connected to electricity, gas or running water. Occupants are allowed to stay for up to 12 months. During their stay, occupants are expected to get mental health services, apply for jobs and seek out affordable housing. Nonprofits fund and operate these places at no cost to taxpayers. No alcohol or drugs are allowed on the premises. 3. Tiny house villages Tiny houses, free-standing homes that may or may not include kitchens and bathrooms and are only up to 400 square feet in size, are growing more popular. Villages of these diminutive homes reserved for the homeless are springing up everywhere from Seattle to Austin to Detroit. Eugene led the way in 2013 with its Opportunity Village, building on the lessons it learned through the Rest Stop program. The village offered permanent housing structures with access to shared kitchen, bathroom and laundry facilities for 30 individuals. Emerald Village Eugene expanded to offer 22 permanent, fully equipped houses that range in size from 160 to 288 square feet. Volunteers designed and built the structures and residents are maintaining them and the surrounding land, enforcing their own village code and screening future occupants. Individuals and families began moving into this village in 2018. Their payments of between US$250 and $350 per month cover all their housing, utilities and maintenance costs. The rent residents pay goes toward their purchase of a stake in the land and their homes. A third village of tiny houses in the nearby community of Cottage Grove will accommodate another 13 tiny houses people, following a similar model. Explore further Cities can learn from how Los Angeles is starting to address homelessness This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. From the Sweetwater County Historical Museum The Sweetwater County Historical Museum Board of Directors will be conducting their monthly meetings on an online platform until COVID-19 related restrictions on public gatherings are lifted, Director Brie Blasi said last week. The details for these public meetings, including instructions for how to join, will be posted on the museums website. On March 19, the Museum launched its new digital / online outreach program called Wyoming and Sweetwater County History Outreach. Though the Museum is temporarily closed to the public, throu... Ever since early March, when Russia and Turkey sealed a deal on Idlib, it's been an open question as to how Turkey will force the armed groups controlling the last rebel stronghold to toe the line. Since then, Turkey has doubled its military presence and, according to Syrian opposition sources, has a new plan to merge rebel factions into an organized army under the control of the Turkish military. Turkey has responded in a lenient and controlled manner to protesters hampering Turkish-Russian patrols on the M4 highway, suggesting that Turkey prioritizes a silver-tongue approach. In the Moscow deal, however, Turkey renewed its commitment to eliminating terrorist groups. Yet the plan to transform armed groups into an organized army involves some of the factions on the target board in Idlib. In December 2017, Turkey gathered various groups under the umbrella of the Syrian National Army (SNA) as it sought to tidy up the field after Operation Euphrates Shield and to turn the armed opposition into an interlocutor in the Astana process. Factions that remained outside the SNA formed a coalition, called the National Liberation Front (NLF), in May 2018. In early October 2019, as Turkey geared up for an offensive east of the Euphrates, a total of 44 factions from the two groupings teamed up under the SNA umbrella. Yet the factions have retained their own setups, commands and flags. Though attached to the defense ministry of the oppositions interim government, the SNA lacks a real chain of command. It is an army only in name. Under the new plan, armed groups are reportedly expected to disband and join the new army. According to Syrian opposition sources, Turkey is drawing fighters from various groups in Idlib to its military outposts, with 300 fighters to assume integrated action with Turkish forces at each base. The initial goal is said to be an organized army involving SNA and NLF factions. A successful completion of this stage would be followed by an effort to get Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant group in the region, to disband and join the new army. Naturally, HTS' response to the plan is of crucial importance. Thus far, the group is cautious to not have a falling out with Turkey, despite in-house rifts and concerns about a Turkish occupation. At the same time, Syrian media have accused HTS of orchestrating the resistance on the M4. HTS is also reportedly reinforcing its positions in some areas. On April 14, HTS commanders ordered the creation of three new brigades. HTS is also averse to Turkey-backed groups gaining clout in Idlib. The group briefly detained a commander of Faylaq al-Sham along with 10 of his men in Saraqeb on April 13. This was believed to be a response to Faylaq al-Sham accompanying Turkish forces to break up a sit-in on the M4. Such moves are signs of HTS resistance to any changes in the status quo in Idlib. Nevertheless, HTS has maintained cautious public diplomacy with Turkey, rejecting accusations that it is behind the protests blocking the M4. In an April 15 statement, the group denounced a video of militants from an unidentified group ridiculing Turkish soldiers and threatening to behead them. The Turkish army has been a partner of the Syrian revolution in the war against the criminal regime and its allies, HTS said. The Syrian war has seen myriad attempts to unite armed factions, either in umbrella groups or joint operation rooms. The most remarkable endeavor, perhaps, was the Army of Conquest, which captured Idlib, but its two main components Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham turned on each other afterward. Today, the situation is more serious. Turkey is in a position to impose its terms, as all groups in liberated Idlib know the end of the road is near. Still, the plan for an integrated army is a tall task. Creating an army from predominantly jihadi factions that are ideologically troublesome and steeped in bad blood is betting on the impossible. Turkey has failed to prevent fighting between allied militias, even in regions under its control. The most recent skirmishes took place April 14 in Jandiras in the Afrin region, and again April 16 in al-Ghandourah in the northeastern Aleppo countryside. HTS has been unwilling to share Idlib with Turkeys allies, and it remains to be seen how it will respond to the plan. HTS' reaction aside, what does the plan envisage for Hurras al-Din the coalition of groups pledging allegiance to al-Qaeda and its inspired factions such as Ansar al-Din, Ansar al-Tawhid and Ansar al-Islam? What about the Taliban-affiliated Turkistan Islamic Party, the Chechen Ajnad al-Kavkaz and the Uzbek Imam al-Bukhari Brigade? Those groups show no intent of submitting to any Russian-Turkish deal. Turkey is bound to come to loggerheads with Russia again if its way of eliminating terrorist factions as designated by the UN Security Council boils down to an attempt to rebrand and unify those factions. No doubt, such an effort buys Turkey time. Though Russia is aware that the deal is not working and the rebels are gaining time to recuperate, it prefers, for now, to keep tensions manageable. Its ultimate expectation remains the dissolution of those groups so Damascus can again control the region. Turkeys new plan amounts to protracting the armed insurgency and involves some open-ended calculations. It shows that Turkey wants to use the factions entirely for its own interests and has no intention of withdrawing from the Idlib outposts and from border areas of a 40-kilometer (25-mile) depth. Turkey hopes to transform its section of the security corridor along the M4 into a new roadblock for the Syrian army once the highway is reopened. The ensuing objective would be to control the whole area from the M4 to the Turkish border, in collaboration with a unified army of militias. This, in a sense, would mean a replication of the Turkish military, civilian and administrative setups in the Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch pockets. Moreover, a militia army integrated with the Turkish military might alter the character of the Syria crisis, transforming it into a full-fledged state-to-state conflict. Whether the planned army materializes or not, the rebels are already preparing for the next battle in coordination with Turkey. According to SNA spokesman Naji Mustafa, armed groups are using the lull in Idlib to set up camps across the region and draw up assault and defense plans. The rebels, he said, have been coordinating with Turkish forces, which have stepped up their own reinforcements in the region. Dole Food Company announced today that in an effort to help with the COVID-19 crisis, Dole and its associated growers have so far donated more than two million pounds of fresh produce to recipients along its supply chain, from local food banks in the U.S. to the communities in Latin America. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005885/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) The virus is ruthless, and we have seen the brutal impact it has had on peopledirectly to their health and their income, stated Johan Linden, CEO of Dole Food Company. We want to answer the needs of the communities around our operations and do what we can to strengthen them during this moment of hardship. Dole recognizes these donations alone will not solve the food needs issue brought on by the coronavirus, but believes that we should all do what we can to help those around us. Dole is committed to continuing these efforts during this crisis. Vince Hall, CEO of Feeding San Diego, an organization whose mission is to connect every person facing hunger with nutritious meals, shared his comments on Doles actions. While medical providers and first responders battle the COVID-19 crisis, Feeding San Diego is battling unprecedented hunger across San Diego County. One of our most important allies in this fight is Dole Food Company, a significant employer at the Port of San Diego. Dole continues to regularly donate large amounts of nutritious fresh fruit, especially bananas, which are very popular in the community and contribute to good health. Dole is to be commended for helping Feeding San Diego take care of those in need all year round, but especially during the current health crisis. In addition to San Diego, Dole has made donations in other U.S. cities including New York, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Houston, Los Angeles. In Latin America, where Dole grows its tropical fruits, such as bananas and pineapple, the crisis is also hitting hard, and the company is supporting those rural communities where food security is most at risk. In the Aguan Valley of Honduras, for example, in addition to fruit Dole is distributing household staples such as rice, beans and cooking oil to employees and local communities. Beyond food, the company is also providing masks, sanitizing gel, testing kits and other health supporting supplies. Similar support is happening for communities in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala and Colombia including the provision of over 15,000 personal hygiene kits to aid in the prevention of infection. As an important local employer, it is our duty to support local communities. The consequences of this crisis are just starting to be felt here and the need for social support will continue to be felt in the weeks and months to come, stated Renato Acuna, President of Dole Fresh Fruit Latin America. Our local foundations and those of our associated producers are actively working on the ground and on the front line of this crisis, and Dole will provide additional support as long as necessary. The Dale Foundation, funded by Dole and its Ecuadorian growers, is using its medical staff and facilities to get the word out to the community on the importance of COVID-19 prevention, identifying high risk citizens to help them undertake the proper care, advancing purchases of medication that can help with respiratory illness, and continuing to operate its health clinics and provide remote medical services for its patients in the agricultural community. Dole is also supporting those working on the front lines of the crisis by donating to hospitals in various countries where it operates and working with civil authorities to provide local aid. For example, in the U.S., Dole has joined national produce distributor PRO*ACT, and other produce partners, to bring fresh produce to the tables of healthcare workers and their families during the COVID-19 crisis. The Feeding our Frontlines program (www.producepartners.org) provides boxes of fresh produce for healthcare employees to take home at the end of a long shift as a way of saying thank you to those taking care of us." About Dole Food Company Dole Food Company, Inc., is one of the worlds largest producers and marketers of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Dole is an industry leader in many of the products it sells, as well as in nutrition education. For more information, please visit www.dole.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005885/en/ By PTI WASHINGTON: Two US lawmakers Thursday announced to introduce a legislation in the Congress that would allow Americans to sue China in the federal court to recover damages for death, injury, and economic harm caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Introduced by Senator Tom Cotton in the Senate and Congressman Dan Crenshaw in House of Representatives, the legislation, if passed and signed into law, would amend the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to create a narrow exception for damages caused by China's handling of the outbreak Modelled after the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, which 97 members of the Senate had voted in favour of in 2016, the bill makes clear that that covering up the virus and causing it to spread faster or further than it otherwise would have can be considered a tortious act. It also gives the US a powerful tool to get China to pay for the damage it has caused. If the United States and China come to an agreement to settle the claims, then the private suits could be dismissed, the bill proposes. "By silencing doctors and journalists who tried to warn the world about the coronavirus, the Chinese Communist Party allowed the virus to spread quickly around the globe," Cotton said. "Their decision to cover up the virus led to thousands of needless deaths and untold economic harm. It's only appropriate that we hold the Chinese government accountable for the damage it has caused," Cotton added. "We need to hold the Chinese government accountable for their malicious lies and coverup that allowed the coronavirus to spread across the world," alleged Crenshaw. "The communist regime expelled journalists, silenced whistleblowers, and withheld vital information that delayed the global response to the pandemic. Simply put: their actions cost American lives and livelihoods. This bill will help ensure China's actions are not without consequences," he said. Meanwhile, Congressman Michael McCaul, lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), along with 16 Republican members of the committee, in a letter urged President Donald Trump to condition Fiscal Year 2020 voluntary contributions to the WHO on the resignation of Director-General Tedros. "We have lost faith in Director-General Tedros' ability to lead the World Health Organization. We understand, and value, the vital role that the WHO plays around the world, especially in acute humanitarian settings," the lawmakers said. At times, the WHO is the only organization working on the ground in the worst places in the world, and the US should continue to support this important work, they wrote. "However, it is imperative that we act swiftly to ensure the impartiality, transparency, and legitimacy of this valuable institution. In light of the information presented in this letter, we recommend that you condition any future Fiscal Year 2020 voluntary contributions to the WHO on the resignation of Director-General Tedros. Sadly, we know COVID-19 is not the last pandemic the world will have to face", the lawmakers wrote. The Congressmen alleged that signs of the outbreak of a new deadly virus in Wuhan were visible in early December 2019, when Zhang Jixian, a doctor at the Hubei Provincial Hospital, warned PRC health authorities that a novel coronavirus was affecting some 180 patients. Several other doctors publicly discussed the outbreak in an attempt to sound the alarm but were subsequently arrested by PRC authorities or disciplined by their supervisors. A senior doctor at the Wuhan Central Hospital, Ai Fen, instructed her staff to wear protective clothing and masks despite PRC official instructions to the contrary, they wrote. The Congressmen said that several concerning facts that have been established including WHO knew that COVID-19 was spreading through human-to-human interaction at least three weeks before it informed the rest of the world. Congressmen alleged that WHO Director-General Tedros' policies prevented the WHO from heeding Taiwan's warning and undermined the credibility of the information Taiwan provided to other countries. "Director-General Tedros cast the tie breaking vote that delayed the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, despite clear evidence of the rapid spread and human-to-human transmission of COVID-19," they said. Tedros heaped praised on the PRC despite clear evidence that the Chinese government COVID-19 cover up delayed the proper response to the initial outbreak, they alleged. "Tedros' long-standing relationship with PRC authorities and embrace of CCP propaganda and polices undermines his ability to serve impartially as Director-General," they said. KALAMAZOO, MI -- Kalamazoo County saw the highest single-day increase of new coronavirus cases on Thursday, April 16. The county reported nearly double the amount of new cases as the day before, with 14 new positives for COVID-19 reported Thursday. Previously, the highest daily increase was eight new cases reported on Wednesday. In total, the county is reporting 118 cases and eight deaths. All eight individuals who have died in Kalamazoo County have been over the age of 70 with underlying health conditions, according to the county. With testing capabilities expanding in Kalamazoo County case numbers will likely continue to rise, Health Officer Jim Rutherford said earlier in the week. We know that when were sampling more well probably find more, Rutherford said. The largest age group of patients within the county is 30-39, which makes up 18.6% of positive cases. Half of the cases are in people ages 49 and younger, county data shows. Of the Kalamazoo County residents who had tested positive as of Thursday, 44 were black, making up 37.3% of the countys total confirmed cases. African Americans make up less than 12% of the countys total population, according to the latest census data. A rolling drive-thru testing lab was set up through the Family Health Center and the state health department in an effort to expand testing to high risk populations. The lab will make its first stop in the county from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Friday, April 17, in the parking lot at Stones Church, located at 1225 W. Paterson St. Depending on demand, future testing may happen elsewhere in Kalamazoo County in the coming weeks, said Denise Crawford, president and CEO of Family Health Center in Kalamazoo. The Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services appointment-based testing site has been functioning for a week in the parking lot of 311 E. Alcott St. in Kalamazoo. The testing site at the health departments location on East Alcott Street received Abbott rapid testing materials and began testing with them on Wednesday, Rutherford said. The company claims the point-of-care test can deliver positive results in as little as five minutes and negative results in 13 minutes. Its been three weeks since Kalamazoo County reported its first cases. With that in mind, Rutherford said there will be cases of individuals who have recovered from the virus within the county as well, but that data will be hard to determine given that not all individuals with the virus are diagnosed. We know that theres been enough time lapse there to have some assurance that weve had enough people that have gone through it, he said. RELATED: Drive-thru coronavirus testing coming to Kalamazoo County Public health officials have feared that individuals without permanent housing will be vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19. When we say sheltering at home, it doesnt really take into consideration, or hasnt taken into consideration, the realities that we have for our vulnerable population, including our elderly population and our individuals that are housing challenged, Rutherford said. This week three shelters opened up in the Kalamazoo area to help alleviate the overflow at shelters. A Battle Creek hotel will have 100 rooms available for individuals from Kalamazoo and Calhoun County who are symptomatic or who have tested positive but do not have a place to stay. The program is aimed at individuals who have manageable, mild symptoms and do not need hospital care just an isolated environment, Rutherford said. Individuals will be transported from the health care facilities where they were tested, he said. One individual from Kalamazoo County has used the quarantine hotel so far, Rutherford said. The plan is intended as a safety net given the high risk of having individuals with pre-existing health conditions congregate in one shelter, he said. Weve been very fortunate to date that we havent had a massive outbreak," he said. This is no different than what we experienced in some of our long-term care facilities where you have a group of individuals that have congregate meals that have compromised immunity." On Thursday, a Kalamazoo hotel opened to provide rooms for families who would normally stay at shelters in the area, including the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission. A new day shelter opened on Tuesday, April 14, at The River, located at 517 Walbridge St. The church is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day of the week. RELATED: A timeline of coronavirus in the Kalamazoo area Statewide, the death toll surpassed 2,000 on Thursday. The state reported 1,204 new cases and 172 new deaths. In total, Michigan has seen 29,263 positive cases and 2,093 deaths since the pandemic started. Elsewhere in Southwest Michigan, Berrien and Calhoun counties saw double-digit increases for the second day in a row. Berrien County, where officials are investigating a cluster of COVID-19 at a nursing home, reported an increase of 10 cases, bringing the total to 133 cases and seven deaths. Calhoun County reported 15 new cases and one new death on Thursday, bringing the total to 119 cases and four deaths. A visual representation of the increasing case counts and death toll in Kalamazoo County is shown below, based on data reported by the state. Apparent conflicts in data reported there result from slight differences in daily case counts provided by state and county health officials. Browser does not support frames. More coronavirus coverage on MLive: Kalamazoo teachers adapt to new normal during coronavirus pandemic Front-line workers can quarantine for free at Kalamazoo Expo Center campsites Man, 49, dies of coronavirus while wife fighting for her life across the hall Taking serious note of several vice-chancellors (V-Cs) of the state universities remaining out of headquarters during the lockdown period, Bihar governer-cum-chancellor Phagu Chauhan late Wednesday sought clarification from them for the unauthorised absence from university headquarters without taking leave of absence or permission from the chancellor, as per the provisions. While some of the V-Cs, including those having additional charge of another university, rushed back to their respective headquarters soon after receiving the letters, others are yet to do so. In view of Covid-19 pandemic and consequent lockdown, the V-Cs were expected to be in headquarters and exercise leadership role as the principal executive and academic officer of the university. It is during the hours of crises that the responsibility of leaders of organisations goes up manifold, said the letter from Raj Bhawan additional secretary Ram Anugrah Narayan Prasad to the Pataliputra University V-C Gulab Chand Ram Jaiswal. The letter stated the order did not explicitly or implicitly state or imply that the officials could leave their headquarters and stay on unauthorized leave during lockdown. In fact the V-Cs were expected to enforce lockdown in their universities and colleges, besides taking measures for facilitating online education, the letter said, seeking clarification within a week. The chancellor has asked his principal secretary to seek report about online teaching on weekly basis. All the university officials have been asked to facilitate online education and put links of the topics on the university website for the students. V-C Jaiswal could not be contacted despite repeated attempts on his mobile number. Pataliputra University Pro-VC Girish Kumar Choudhary, however, said that he was given charge for three days only from March 16-18 through a WhatsApp message. I dont know anything after that, he added. BRA Bihar University V-C Hanuman Prasad Pandey, who also holds the additional charge of JD University, Chapra, said that he had applied for permission, but left before its approval as he required medical help. I am a heart patient and had gone to Faziabad (UP) on March 21 for check. I was hospitalised and in the meantime, there was lockdown and I was stuck there. I requested the DM for a pass to move from there, he added. Pandey said that he had reached JP Univeristy, Chapra and would join at BRABU in Muzaffarpur on Friday. Nalanda Open University V-C HN Prasad, who was appointed on March 9, has been out of Patna since March 22. He sent a WhatsApp message from UP to the pro-VC that the latter should discharge routine functions in his absence. He did not pick up phone despite repeated attempts. Prof RK Verma of Munger University, though within state, is in Gaya. I was on leave on March 21 and had applied for the same on March 18 as I had to go Jamshedpur for work. As there was a meeting with additional chief secretary and principal secretary to Raj Bhawan on March 23 and then lockdown was announced, so it became difficult. Also, the death of a Munger man due to coronavirus created further problem, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Severe storms and tornadoes devastated several states in the Southeast over the weekend. Over 30 people have died across the region from the dozens of tornadoes which ravaged through Mississippi, South Carolina, and Georgia. The natural disaster comes as nationwide stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19 have left millions out of work and in precarious situations. Over the course of about two days, 71 tornadoes were reported in nine different states across the South. Over a million homes lost power during the series of storms. Two days later, half a million people remain without power. Hundreds of homes were destroyed as the tornadoes ripped through neighborhoods. Emergency crews were reportedly unable to reach many of the more devastated areas due to debris and damage to roads and bridges. Hundreds, if not thousands of people are now homeless, looking for refuge and therefore at greater risk of catching and spreading the virus. According to reports, the tornadoes that hit Mississippi were particularly destructive, with the most powerful tornado being classified with the rare EF-4 rating with winds up to 170mph. Strong gusts of wind, up to 80 mph in Georgia and Florida, along with deadly tornadoes, were also reported in those states. By Monday afternoon, tornado watches stretched as far north as Virginia and Washington DC, as well as parts of Maryland and Pennsylvania. Southern Mississippi remains the hardest hit in the region with 11 reported deaths. Supercell thunderstorms arrived one after another on Sunday carving a path of destruction across several miles. On Monday, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves posted a series of tweets about the storms, the worst the state has seen in over a decade. Underscoring the severity of the storms, he wrote: We are used to tornadoes in Mississippi. No one is used to this, the governor tweeted, Winds topped 200 mph. The trail was long and devastating. Mississippi residents responded on Twitter by taking the governor to task for his failure to prepare properly for the COVID-19 pandemic, which some say exacerbated the impact of these already devastating storms. Tornado Emergencies, a rare and more extreme weather warning issued when weather events merit a stronger response than the usual Tornado Warning designation, were also issued in Monroe, Louisiana; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Walterboro, South Carolina. Dozens have been injured across these impacted states whose hospitals are already flooded by COVID-19 patients. In Georgia, at least eight people died as tornadoes tore through mobile home parks in Murray County and Bartow County. Alexandra Vargas, a resident of Chatsworth, Georgia, described the scene as she got a tornado warning alert on her phone soon before the tornado coursed through her neighborhood. It was like a train derailing, Vargas said, describing the roar of the tornado, Shook the entire house. And you could hear trees snapping and debris hitting the roof. In South Carolina, at least nine people were killed, including Jack Harvill, a 77-year-old security guard working at a BorgWarner auto parts production plant. Harvill, who was working security for the plant under the employment of American Security contractors, died from blunt force traumatic injuries when the building he was working in collapsed at around 3:30 a.m. The causes of death for many in Mississippi and South Carolina were the result of trees crashing into mobile homes. One woman in Alabama took to social media to describe the destruction in their neighborhood and the impact on her family: The power was out for three days. Weve probably lost several hundred dollars worth of food. Countless others have also posted on Twitter about the setbacks experienced because of these storms. One person wrote: Power loss = loss of everything in the freezer. People will be forced to start from scratch as grocery stores are already running out of food because of the pandemic. The chief of forecast operations at the National Weather Services Storm Prediction Center, Bill Bunting, told New York Times reporters, Unfortunately, it has played out like we feared. All of the ingredients, all the conditions we look for when were forecasting tornadoes and strong tornadoes were in place. In Monroe, Louisiana, a large tornado ripped through several neighborhoods and a nearby airport, with wind gusts up to 65 mph. In a statement, the Monroe city mayor said that some 200-300 homes were destroyed. In a video that went viral on Twitter, a resident describes the aftermath: It just wiped out everything around me. Natural disasters such as these are made incalculably worse because of the immense social crisis gripping the region. Decades of neglect and defunding have led to crumbling infrastructure and job losses, all exacerbated by the rampant lack of health services and a gutted health care system. Such events on top of a deadly pandemic ravaging the nation could prove catastrophic to the poor and working-class populations that get hit the hardest. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 17, 2020) - IMPACT Silver Corp. (TSXV: IPT) (OTC Pink: ISVLF) ("IMPACT" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed the binding deal non-brokered financing, first announced April 13th, 2020 (the "Private Placement") to a syndicate of investors (the "Investors"). The Company received aggregate gross proceeds of $2,000,000 from the issuance of 6,666,667 units (the "Units") of the Company at a price of $0.30 per Unit. Each Unit will comprise one common share in the capital of the Company (each a "Share") and one common share purchase warrant (each a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one Share at a price of $0.385 and expires in 36 months from the closing date. All securities issued under the Private Placement will be subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the closing date. Fred Davidson, CEO of IMPACT comments, "We welcome an investor group for the full allotment of this binding financing. Given these unprecedented times of uncertainty, a stronger balance sheet ensures future growth for all stakeholders as well as offer opportunities and strategic directions on new assets." "We believe IMPACT will be a key holding in the investor's portfolio for long-term as the silver market continues to trend upwards. I want to thank our stakeholders and team for the ongoing dedication to our operation and growth." The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Private Placement to further explore the Zacualpan land package including extensions to the Veta Negra open pit and gold anomalies at Valle De Oro, mineral pre-concentration tests at the Capire Production Centre, ongoing efficiency improvements at the Guadalupe production mill, and general working capital purposes. The Company has not paid any finders fees on this transaction. Story continues The Private Placement is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. About IMPACT Silver Corp. IMPACT Silver Corp. is a successful silver explorer-producer with two processing plants on adjacent districts within its 100% owned mineral concessions covering 211km2 in central Mexico with excellent infrastructure and labor force. Over the past 15 years over 10 Moz of Silver has been produced, generating revenues of over $175 million, with no long-term debt. In the historic Royal Mines of Zacualpan Silver District three underground silver mines and one open pit feed the central 535 TPD Guadalupe processing plant. To the south, in the Mamatla District the Capire processing plant is currently rated at 200 tpd, but is expandable. It is adjacent to an open pit silver mine with a National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") compliant resource of over 4.5 Moz Silver, 48 million lbs Zinc and 21 million lbs Lead (see IMPACT news release dated January 18, 2016 ) that is awaiting higher silver prices to be restarted. Since acquiring the project, IMPACT has compiled an exhaustive database with over 5,000 old mine workings, assayed over 34,000 rock samples and over 54,000 drill core samples, analysed over 50,000 soil samples, and put six mines into production. Additional information about IMPACT and its operations can be found on the Company website at www.IMPACTSilver.com. On behalf of IMPACT Silver Corp. "Frederick W. Davidson" Frederick W. Davidson President & CEO For more information, please contact: Jerry Huang CFO & Investor Relations inquiries@impactsilver.com +236-863-2067 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54567 March was a fevered blur for Carrie Smith, 44, a nurse in St. Louis assigned to a hospital's cardiac floor. On her worst days recovering at home, she slept 20 hours a day. Half of the respiratory therapists at her hospital went out sick, and a fifth of the nursing staff. "I was so scared," she says. "I had written out my living will. I had prepared as if I was going to die." This is what solace sounds like on the other side of the tunnel. "It's been a relief. Everyone in my house got it, and nobody died from it." Madeline Long, 56, of Bowie, Maryland, is a breast cancer survivor and CEO of a company that produces devices for digital mammography. "I was terrified. For three days, I didn't think I would wake up. I couldn't breathe. I thought it was the new normal," she says. "It was worse than anything I went through with breast cancer." Long spent five days in the hospital. How does she feel now? Silence, then sobbing. "I guess I've answered your question." The pandemic, which arrived so fast and with such force, left confusion for those who now view the virus in their rearview mirror. Guidelines for recovery vary. It can be a challenge to obtain clearance status from local government, to even get through to an overtaxed health department. How cleared is cleared? Do you tell everyone or keep it to yourself? What is the protocol for health-care workers who have had the virus, especially with patients who haven't? "Now, I can go help people. I can work on the front line," Smith says. "Do they want me to tell people, to reassure them? If I was a patient, and my nurse had it, I would want to know that she was really sick and now she is OK." - - - The first nine days were bearable. Mild cough, scratchy throat, lower back pain. Jill Baren, a triathlete, ascribed the last symptom to overdoing exercise. The next eight days? Horrific. Severe fevers, chest pain, cramps, fatigue, diarrhea and dehydration that sent her to the hospital. "The way people looked at me in the ER, the look in people's eyes, I've never seen that," says Baren, 59, of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. "They looked at me like I could die." These people knew her well. Baren, president of the American Board of Emergency Medicine, was lying in the Philadelphia emergency room where she works as a physician. Last week, fully recovered, Baren returned to caring for patients. "It feels empowering to have been through this," she says. "I'm in a position to help in a way that other people are not. I don't have to live in dire fear if a droplet goes through my protective clothing," she says. "I can reassure people, tell my story." Baren is among the recovereds, the almost 44,000 in the United States who have survived covid-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. Because of faulty results and a lack of testing, their true number is believed to be substantially greater and will continue to mount for months to come. As of Tuesday, more than 600,000 Americans had contracted the virus. How does it feel to be among them? To be alive on the other side of the pandemic, the crush of anxiety? Lucky. Lucky and weepy and invincible and relieved and tired and motivated and perplexed and altered. There is so much information and, then again, not enough as to how to proceed. People who have recovered, even those who are still weak, share an urgency to help, inform and donate, especially plasma, anything for research. Some people report feeling like superheroes, virus Avengers. Others sense being stigmatized, that the healthy will avoid them for fear of risking infection. - - - Diana Berrent, 45, a photographer in Port Washington, New York, has become a public face of the recovered, after fighting to get tested. Last month, she launched the Facebook group Survivor Corps, which has attracted more than 31,000 members. "I would be able to use that superpower at the end of this to go help others," she says. Berrent took to television and created a video diary chronicled in the New York Post. "If I'm going to be the canary in the coal mine, I'm going to be the loudest canary in the coal mine," she says. "I feel like I have a sense of purpose." "We can hold the hands of the dying. We can donate plasma," says Berrent, who has participated in two studies and volunteered to participate in four more. "There's no better therapy for survivors than using the superpowers your bodies created to save lives." Berrent acknowledges "I wouldn't say I am definitely immune. We shouldn't be assuming anything. I still haven't gone to the supermarket. I'm still cautious. I'm taking my time. People can't be careful enough." Experts say there is no scientific assurance that someone recovered from the coronavirus is completely immune - or certainty as to how long any immunity might last. Cases vary radically. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump met with people who have recovered; their cases ranged from life-threatening to slight, the duration from a few days to a month. People have relapsed with symptoms, and South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports citizens testing positive after being cured. The U.S. CDC and many state health departments suggest that covid-19 recoverees wait 72 hours after fever and respiratory issues end before returning to work. That may be too short and too vague, given relapses and the infected who never exhibit major symptoms, Berrent argues: "It's going to be the death of us." - - - But gratitude is a constant. People living alone are grateful they didn't infect family, didn't have to care for toddlers, and were free to sleep and sweat in bed for hours. Parents of young children assume their children were infected yet are grateful that they appear asymptomatic. Young adults are grateful their cases are milder. Those with severe cases are especially grateful that they have joined the recovered. Will Stanley, 30, is an Episcopal priest who started serving a large church in Richmond, Virginia, as vicar on Ash Wednesday. Three weeks later, he had to inform the entire congregation of 4,700 that he had contracted the coronavirus after participating in a Louisville leadership conference, a "super-spreader event" where many attendees later became ill. Stanley's case was mild. His worries were far from it. "I have a lot of contact with people over the age of 60. The notion that I was getting anyone of them sick was really weighty," he says. Still, "I do feel fortunate. It gives me a way of solidarity for people who aren't doing well." "I'm a bit of a wreck. For most of my life, I've been head over heart, more intellectual. Now, the slightest thing will make me cry. Every emotion is amplified," says David Lat, 44, who lives in Manhattan but is convalescing with his husband and toddler at his parents' home in Saddle River, New Jersey. Lat, the founder of the legal news website Above the Law who wrote about his experience for The Washington Post opinion section, spent 17 days in a hospital, six of them on a ventilator. He's raw. His voice scarred, his lungs weakened. Exhaustion is constant. "I feel like I was given a pass," Lat says. Cliches, he realizes, even apologizes, tumble yet resonate. "This is my second life. This is not the end of the story. It's really the beginning." He has donated plasma for research, been interviewed by documentarians. While at NYU Langone Health, he shared his medical condition on social media, his Twitter followers nearly tripling, surpassing 95,000. Atlanta pediatric emergency physician Stephanie Cohen, 45, feels "this sense of immunity," not only from the virus but from anxiety. "I don't have to worry." Cohen, a mother of five, wants to donate plasma, participate in studies and deliver food to the elderly in Albany, Georgia, where 30 people have died from the coronavirus. "I can put it to best use in the hospital. If somebody with the virus needs to be intubated, I can do this." One of Cohen's colleagues told her, "You've taken fear and anxiety, and turned it into truth and reality." Yet anxiety persists. "I feel lucky. I'm young and had a mild case. But I feel like a pariah. Our neighbors run away from me," says Rebecca, 21, a college junior from Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, who spoke on the condition that her last name not be used. She fears reprisals for her mother, who has yet to get sick and works in health care. Philip Kruse, 64, of Seattle, a former employee for a residential tree service who's now on disability, had a mild case - half his family got the virus - but kept it "totally undercover that I was sick because I live in public housing, and you know what a rumor mill that can be." - - - Still, there is a gift in being among the first people to get it - and to get over it. Julia Marsh Rabin, 51, an architect in Beverly, Massachusetts, says, "I'm so glad it's behind me. If I was other people, I'd be scared," she says. "I got it so early, I didn't know to be scared. I didn't have time to be scared." Samantha Brownell, also 51, of South Orange, New Jersey, tested negative, but two physicians are confident she had covid-19.She was sick for 12 days. "I've never experienced such body pains. I could barely walk from the bed to the toilet," she says. "I'm so frustrated. I'm in a state of shock," Brownell says of the negative test. "It doesn't make any sense of whatsoever. Kind of makes you feel like you're going crazy. She plans to get retested, and proceed as though she had the virus. Richard Phillips, 49, is confounded by the lack of information of what happens after having the coronavirus. How is he supposed to proceed? How can he help? "It's kind of maddening. Some people could still be shedding the virus. I'm trying in vain to find a study, people doing plasma treatments," says Phillips, a business and nonprofit consultant in Philadelphia. "We have this moment. I can't believe I didn't get a call from someone at the University of Pennsylvania saying, 'Come down here. We're going to take as much blood out of your body as possible.' " Roles and responsibilities, post-virus, are still being defined. Kruse worries about his economic situation. He's donated plasma five times, gettingpaid $200 a visit. Long is concerned that black Americans have been infected and are dying at much higher rates than the general population. "There's such large numbers in our communities," says Long, who offered to care for the 4-year-old son of a friend of a friend in Washington, D.C., who appears to have the virus. "Where else is that child going to go? Everyone is fearful that the child has been exposed to his mom," she says. "What happens to the single mom who gets sick? What happens to her children?" Lat sees himself as "a witness, a communicator, a connector. Everyone needs to find their own special niche, their talent and apply that to this." On March 30, Berrent became the first volunteer to donate plasma at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. "I am free of the virus, positive for the antibodies, AND I am a universal donor!!!" she shared with Survivors Corps a few days ago. "Someone, sew me a cape!" North Macedonia's prime minister Oliver Spasovski and three other cabinet members will go into self-isolation after they met with a mayor who has tested positive for coronavirus, the government said on Thursday Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Apr, 2020 ) :North Macedonia's prime minister Oliver Spasovski and three other cabinet members will go into self-isolation after they met with a mayor who has tested positive for coronavirus, the government said on Thursday. The group, which also included deputy prime minister Bujar Osmani, health minister Venko Filipce and education minister Arber Ademi, met on Wednesday with the mayor of the northern city of Kumanovo, who was later found to be infected. "At this moment all of them are going into home self-isolation", the government said in a written statement, adding that the cabinet would continue to operate through digital means. The four men are part of an interim government in charge of the Balkan state until elections postponed over coronavirus concerns can be held. The leaders of the state's two leading political parties also started a 14-day isolation a week ago after giving interviews to a journalist with the virus. Both have tested negative so far. COVID-19 has killed at least 45 people in the country of around two million people, while authorities have confirmed nearly 1,000 infections. North Macedonia swiftly shuttered schools, shops and banned gatherings after the first coronavirus cases were detected in early March. Authorities are also now enforcing an evening curfew and a 24-hour lockdown over the weekends. A state of emergency will be extended for an additional 30 days, the President announced on Thursday. Filipce, who has become a popular figure for his handling of the crisis, assured he would continue to work from home. "Even from isolation I will stay in regular communication with the commission for infectious diseases and will continue to coordinate all processes for managing the crisis", he said. Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Tribune (CATT) On March 13, 2020, the Oklahoma State Department of Health reports four confirmed positives for COVID-19. Four short weeks later the data showed 2,263 confirmed positives, 510 currently hospitalized and 123 deaths from COVID-19, as of April 15. As the number of confirmed positives and deaths increase daily across Oklahoma and the United States, there seems to be many who still hold to the belief, this wont happen to our family. And that mind set is the most frustrating for Tomi Bailey. Tomis mother, Shineesta Emily Bushyhead Adams (Shine) has been hospitalized with COVID-19 for over two weeks, fighting for her life. Shine, 61 years old, is a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes living in Newkirk, Oklahoma, who, prior to becoming exposed to the coronavirus and being diagnosed with COVID-19, was in good health and active in her children and grandchildrens daily lives. In Oklahoma Native Americans are the second largest numbers of people being reported as positive for COVID-19 at 6.7 percent. A pie chart posted by the Oklahoma Department of Health shows Native Americans representing 6.7 percent of positive COVID-19 cases. That's the second highest percentage of infections in the state. Stay home. Social distance please. This is taking lives. It is separating families and people are fighting this alone. Nobody wants to be separated from their mothers, their fathers, and their children their grandmas or their grandpas. The hardest thing is you are alone in this. If they die from this, they die alone and you are not able to give them a funeral. This is serious. It is NOT the flu, Tomi said in response to being asked what was one message she would want to send. How Shine came into contact with the virus is still somewhat of a mystery but the force and quickness the virus attacked Shine follows along with almost every account one reads about a person who becomes infected with COVID-19. My brother AJ came home on the 20th (March) and he wasnt feeling very good so he had gone to the clinic here in Newkirk. They said he had a sinus infection and he asked if he could be around his mom and dad, and they said yes, Tomi, said. By March 24 Shine began to show symptoms. Fever, a cough, and said she had had a headache for three days. On March 25 Shine went to her primary doctor who tested her for the flu, it came back negative, and the diagnosis ended up being bronchitis. They gave her medicine and sent her home. For days my mom sheltered at home, exhibiting all the symptoms of COVID-19, getting worse with each passing day. The following Thursday she was admitted to the Ponca City Alliance Hospital and by the 28th of March she was placed on a ventilator and being sedated into a coma, Tomi said. Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Tribune https://t.co/DArNtW6gf7 via @issuu C&A Tribal Tribune (@CATribalTribune) April 15, 2020 Shines ventilator was set at 75 percent, and before long she seemed to be making progress so the doctors started to wean her down off of the ventilator. First 55 percent, then 50 percent and then 45 percent everything looked promising. But then overnight she took a turn for the worse. Her body started filling up with fluid, her legs, arms, her lungs and it became hard for her to breath on her own again. They had to turn up her ventilator to 85 percent, which means my mom is only breathing 15 percent on her own, Tomi said. For Tomi and her family they are learning how little medical doctors really know about the coronavirus causing COVID-19. The hardest thing is everything is unknown. The doctors and the nurses cant really predict whats going to happen because they dont really know what is happening next. This virus is affecting people differently and some people need oxygen and being placed into a coma, and some just need to be quarantined. My mom happened to be the one who needed to be on the ventilator and be sedated, Tomi said. Upon arriving to the hospital with severe symptoms, Shine was given a COVID-19 test. Within 48 hours the results were back positive. The family was contacted from the hospital and was told everyone Shine had come into contact with needed to quarantine, and if any showed symptoms to come to the hospital for testing as soon as possible. AJ went ahead and went in because they told him he needed to go get tested. He goes in but they did not test him saying his symptoms were mild and to just go home and quarantine. So they are not testing everybody, they are only testing the severe ones, Tomi said. They should be testing those who arent showing major symptoms so we can figure out how to handle it from there instead of waiting until they are severe and have to be on the ventilator. The lack of testing has been a key issue in Oklahoma and many states, causing frustration among doctors and nurses across the country. Tomi said it was possible AJ could have been a carrier, but without adequate testing no one knows, You dont have to necessarily be showing any symptoms to be a carrier, but he has been fever free and doing good now. It still feels like a bad nightmare for Shines family a nightmare they wish they could wake up from. Her husband, Alton Adams stayed in isolation for 14 days, off work with no pay and no contact with any loved ones except over the phone while his wife, Shine laid in the hospital fighting to stay alive. He wants to hold her hand, to be there and kiss her on the forehead, instead he just had to stay home alone, cut off from all his family and his wife. There was nothing else he could do and thats just the hardest part. We do a lot of calling. A lot of praying and keeping up with updates from the hospital everyday, Tomi said. Tomis last time seeing her mom was through her window as Shine sat in her car in her driveway, talking on the phone. The next day Shine was hospitalized. My mom drove herself to the hospital. Shes a strong woman. We had quarantined, me and my children, right when all this started happening. Before there was a positive case in Kay County we had been staying inside and not going anywhere. Thats the hardest part, Tomi said. Tomi said she is hanging on to the words her mother told her that day. Shine told her daughter she was not going to give up, she would fight and giving up was not an option for her. She said she is going to come home to us and Im going to hold her to that, shes going to come home, Tomi said. A Native American newspaper with a big voice and strong dedication to its readers, the Tribal Tribune is your best source for Cheyenne & Arapaho news. Follow the Tribal Tribune on Twitter @CATribalTribune Tomi said she believes more needs to be done to make people realize how serious COVID-19 is and a stay at home order needs to be enforced. Especially when she sees photos of parents taking their children to the parks in Ponca City spreading the virus, or photos of high school kids gathering together while her mother lies in a hospital bed fighting for her life. Makes me sick to see people out there doing that because my mom is alone. We are alone trying to find out how to take care of my mom from a distance. And to see people out there who treat this virus like its nothing or say its just like the flu, its not like the flu. This is killing people, Tomi said. There needs to be a lock down and get this under control. There are too many in the state of Oklahoma that have contacted the virus and something needs to be done. And Tomi hopes for many other families, there will be more testing available. We need more testing. We need more testing for our people and our clinics because without proper testing we are going to see our tribal numbers decrease. What about our elders and our children? We need to protect them. We need to stop the spread of this virus and in order to do that I do believe the stay at home needs to be implemented, Tomi said. My mom is not a statistic of COVID-19. She has a name. And her name is Shineesta Emily Bushyhead Adams, and she is a warrior. The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Tribune can be reached at:Public Information Office700 North Black Kettle Blvd.Concho, OK 73022P.O. Box 38405-422-7608 | 405-422-7446 Editor in Chief Rosemary Stephens can be reached at rmstephens@c-a-tribes.org Copyright permission Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Tribune Join the Conversation A few weeks ago, in a now-deleted Instagram post, Madonna shared her thoughts about the new coronavirus. Sitting in a petal-filled bathtub listening to soft piano music, she stated, it doesnt care how rich you are, how famous you arewhats terrible about it is that its made us all equal in many ways and whats wonderful about it is that its made us all equal in many ways. New Yorks Governor Cuomo echoed a similar sentiment, describing the pandemic as an equalizer. Theres a certain irony to calling COVID-19 the great equalizer. Epidemics have long extracted bigoted rhetoric and folded it into the public eye. According to the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, reports of hate crimes against Asian Americans have spiked. A video shared on Twitter showed an Asian woman, wearing a face mask, being attacked in a New York subway station. In Midland, two Asian children and their father were stabbed in a grocery store. The instigator suggested that he had been trying to prevent them from spreading disease. Though COVID-19 can infect anyone, media outlets, social media users and elected officials have effectively racialized the virus as Asian. Health discourse often serves as a conduit for discrimination. Historian Joan Trauner refers to this phenomenon as medical scapegoating, describing public health responses in the late 19th and early 20th century. In 1900, an outbreak of bubonic plague struck San Francisco. Public health inspectors identified Chinatown residents collectively as culpable patient zero. Municipal reports described Chinatown as a laboratory of infection, distilling its deadly poison, contaminat[ing] the atmosphere of a populous, wealthy, and intelligent community. The American Federation of Labor (AFL), meanwhile, stated that the almond-eyed Mongolian is watching for his opportunityto assassinate [children]with one of his many maladies. Years prior, the AFL and other nativist groups had cited purported filth and illness as a crucial justification for the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. Racializing illness is not limited to Asian Americans. When H1N1 cases were confirmed in the United States in 2009, Latinx and Hispanic immigrants, especially those of Mexican heritage, were similarly scapegoated. Hosting a segment on H1N1 prevention on his talk show, Michael Savage warned his audience, No contact anywhere with an illegal alien!. On Alex Jones website, an anonymous user wrote that MEXICANS ARE PIGS, a convenient association to H1N1s mainstream, colloquial nickname swine flu. Similarly, before being identified in the United States, Ebola was all but invisible from mainstream American health discourse, as well as the budgeting priorities of the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization. People afforded little to no sympathy or concern for Ebola and Ebola patients when they believed they couldnt be among them. When American panic over Ebola peaked in 2014, media outlets portrayed it as inherently African and inherently foreign. Dinesh DSouza called it Obola, likening Ebola to then-president Barack Obama whos continuously faced a slew of suspicions and criticisms for his own allegedly foreign background. The first Ebola patient in the United States was of Liberian descent, hospitalized in Dallas; African immigrants across Dallas reported experiencing greater suspicion and facing backlash. Assigning the burden of a disease to marginalized communities is nothing new and its certainly not reserved solely for racial prejudice. The New York Times described AIDS as Gay-related Immune Deficiency when cases were confirmed in the U.S. Conversationally, people also used the terms gay cancer and gay plague. LGBTQ+ men were banned from donating blood due to assumptions that they likely carried HIV or AIDS. The FDA recently alleviated some of these restrictions, allowing men who have sex with men to donate blood given that they had had no sexual contact within at least the last three months. No such restriction exists for heterosexual blood donors. Blood donations are crucial in light of COVID-19; researchers have found promisingly high levels of antibodies in the plasma of COVID-19 survivors, but, as with many other points within the U.S. health system now, theres a tremendous shortage. When we examine our past and present alike, its truly difficult to suggest that COVID-19 or any widespread disease is an equalizer, especially when they have served as mediums to express bigotry. Likening marginalized communities to illness enables the reconfiguration of prejudice into a form of supposedly justifiable hypochondria. Furthermore, with both communicable and noncommunicable diseases, there are clear, devastatingly disparate outcomes. COVID-19 cannot be considered as an equalizer when its mortality rates are disproportionately higher among black Americans. It is, in fact, one of many epidemics that have ultimately underscored the inequalities built into the social and institutional fabrics of the United States. Mu is a student at Rice University. Advertisement Ministers have been accused of 'treating the public like children' by refusing to discuss how they may steer the UK out of lockdown - as Scotland's first minister Nicola Surgeon promises to set out an exit strategy next week. Alok Sharma, the business secretary, claimed that discussing an exit plan detailing how restrictions may come to an end with the public during the daily coronavirus briefings would only 'muddy the waters' and undermine the 'stay at home' message. Former Tory party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said the Government should stop treating people 'like children' by refusing to discuss exit strategies for ending the lockdown. It comes amid reports of frustration in the Cabinet over a lack of debate on the issue as the damage to the economy mounts. The Office for Budget Responsibility warned earlier this week that curbs stay in place for three months it will slash GDP by 35 per cent, with unemployment soaring to 10 per cent and the government's deficit hitting 273billion - the highest level since the Second World War. It emerged on Friday night that ministers are considering two possible strategies, which are being discussed by their scientific advisers. The first involves extending the full lockdown well into early summer to push the numbers right down although this would risk further damaging the economy. The second could see restrictions lifted much earlier, potentially after the current three-week extension expires on May 8 even though it could risk a second virus peak. Alok Sharma, the business secretary, claimed that discussing an exit plan detailing how restrictions may come to an end with the public would only 'muddy the waters' and undermine the 'stay at home' message, April 17 Ministers are torn over which strategy to follow and it has led to a lack of clarity among the public. Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the Times: 'The Government is going to have to accept and admit we are coming out of lockdown. 'We need to trust the British people and not treat them like children. We must respect their common sense. They need to know that the sun is rising at some point in an economic sense.' According to the Daily Telegraph, ministers have not agreed on which strategy to follow and will not formulate a plan until Boris Johnson resumes his duties as Prime Minister. Mr Johnson is continuing his recovery at Chequers and is not doing Government work, according to a Government spokesman. Frustration grows in the Cabinet over whether to lift the lockdown in May or wait until summer Ministers are torn over whether to lift the lockdown at the start of May or wait until the summer. Frustration is growing in the Cabinet over a lack of debate on the issue as the damage to the economy mounts. It emerged on Friday night that ministers are considering two possible strategies, which are being discussed by their scientific advisers. The first involves extending the full lockdown well into early summer to push the numbers right down although this would risk further damaging the economy. The second could see restrictions lifted much earlier, potentially after the current three-week extension expires on May 8 even though it could risk a second virus peak. It came as a minister warned businesses they would have to adapt to a new normal after the crisis has passed. This led to concerns restrictions could continue until a vaccine is ready or even afterwards with more working from home and possible staggered work starts to try to cut the impact of the rush hour. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced on Thursday that the lockdown would continue for another three weeks, as he unveiled five tests ministers would use before deciding if it is safe to lift the restrictions. It is believed some ministers are unhappy that there has not been a proper debate in Cabinet about when the lockdown could end. On Friday Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said departments had been asked to come up with exit proposals in two weeks. The Government was forced to deny claims by Labour that it was in limbo while Boris Johnson was recovering from the virus. Although the Prime Minister spoke to Mr Raab on Thursday, he has not been working on his government boxes. Scientists say extending the lockdown into the summer would drastically reduce transmission rates and the extremely low level of cases would make it easier for health officials to manage the pandemic. Advertisement Other cabinet ministers are said to agree privately with Sir Iain Duncan Smith's view that the government will lose the public's support if they continue to play their cards to close to their chest, reports The Times. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps revealed today that Britons should hold off booking summer holidays until the 'trajectory' of the coronavirus outbreak is clearer - as he admitted an 'exit plan' from lockdown will not be unveiled for at least two weeks. He said he had no intention of lining up a break himself amid fears that travel curbs could drag on for months to come. And Mr Shapps raised fresh fears about drift in the government by revealing that medical and scientific advisers have been asked to present their options for easing the draconian social distancing measures in a fortnight's time. The extraordinary schedule emerged despite mounting pressure to show how the country can get out of the crisis that is threatening to tear the economy to shreds. It is believed some ministers are unhappy that there has not been a proper debate in Cabinet about when the lockdown could end. On Friday Mr Shapps said departments had been asked to come up with exit proposals in two weeks. The Government was forced to deny claims by Labour that it was in limbo while Boris Johnson was recovering from the virus. Although the Prime Minister spoke to Mr Raab on Thursday, he has not been working on his government boxes. Scientists say extending the lockdown into the summer would drastically reduce transmission rates and the extremely low level of cases would make it easier for health officials to manage the pandemic. This is because they would have the capacity to isolate anyone who tests positive, as well as tracing and testing their contacts. However, such an approach would mean that the economy would continue to stall. The second option could see the lockdown lifted in as little as three weeks. But the rate of community transmission would still probably be relatively high at this point, and it would not be possible to individually track all cases. This could risk a dangerous resurgence of the disease. A source close to the Government confirmed that, whichever option is followed, the plan is to lift the lockdown in stages with outdoor spaces likely to be first and pubs last. Under plans being drawn up, certain social distancing measures, including working from home where possible, will stay in place until there is a vaccine. Some experts believe this to be at least a year away. Labour leader Keir Starmer accused Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab of being 'reluctant' to sign off a plan while Boris Johnson is still recuperating from his own infection at Chequers. Sir Keir Starmer (right) accused Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab (left) of being 'reluctant' to sign off a strategy while the PM is still recuperating from his own infection at Chequers Britons should hold off booking summer holidays until the 'trajectory' of the coronavirus outbreak is clearer, Grant Shapps suggested today Meanwhile, Nicola Sturgeon fueled the row by insisting she is 'treating the public like grown ups' by unveiling her own 'framework' next week for how lockdown could be phased out. Mr Shapps told LBC radio: 'We've said now that this three-week period will contain a review by the scientists at the end of this month, so that's actually only two weeks away, whilst they'll be reviewing this. 'And I hope we'll be in a position to provide, well I know we'll be in a position to provide, greater clarity.' On another helter-skelter day in the coronavirus crisis: Britain's coronavirus daily death toll today dipped slightly to 847, fuelling hopes that the UK's fatality curve is finally flattening after days of uncertainty; China has revised its coronavirus death toll in Wuhan province upwards by 50 per cent, fuelling suspicions it has covered up the scale of the outbreak; London mayor Sadiq Khan has urged Londoners to wear facemasks despite doctors warning that they can actually make people more likely to get infected; A survey of thousands of care homes for ITV has revealed that 42 per cent report coronavirus cases, amid fury at shambolic testing and a lack of PPE for staff; A think-tank has warned the government's watchdog might have underplayed the potential hit to the economy from lockdown, as it assumed there would not be permanent damage to capacity; Announcing in Downing Street last night that the curbs will stay for at least another three weeks, Mr Raab said there was 'light at the end of the tunnel' and the outbreak was coming under control. But he rejected calls for an 'exit strategy' to be unveiled now, amid fears that the public would assume the restrictions are about to be lifted. 'We are being as open as we responsibly can at this stage,' he said. But Ms Sturgeon struck a notably different tone yesterday morning. 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 Speaking on the BBC's Coronavirus Newscast podcast last night, Sir Keir said: 'I think that throughout this they've struggled with taking decisions quickly enough... 'It feels as though they've been in a position probably for a week or 10 days now where it's been difficult for the Government to make big decisions. And I think there's a bit of that lying behind this as well. 'I suspect, although I don't know, that Dominic Raab is just reluctant - he probably does know that it's time for an exit strategy - but he's probably reluctant to sign it off without the Prime Minister and I think there's a bit of that in the mix.' 'I'm not going to set out next week the date on which lockdown will be lifted,' she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme 'What I'm going to try to do is set out the decision-making framework that we're operating in, so that we are treating the public like grown-ups that they are.' In what might be the first glimmerings of a plan, Mr Shapps speculated that in future businesses could help reduce risks by allowing staff to come in at different times. Asked whether passenger numbers could be restricted during rush hour after lockdown measures are removed, Mr Shapps said: 'It may well be in the future companies say actually it's worked pretty well having some of our staff working from remote locations, why don't we carry on doing that? 'Actually why does everybody have to get up and travel during the rush hour at a particular time in the morning?' Around half the public are now resigned to the draconian 'social distancing' curbs being in place into June He added: 'There may be different ways to help, both in terms of businesses and organisations making those decisions, but also to do with the way that Government responds to spread the load better.' Mr Shapps also warned people off planning summer holidays - as the crisis threatens to drag on through the middle of the year. He said 'clearly people will want to see what the trajectory of this disease is in the next few weeks'. He told Today: 'I won't be booking a summer holiday at this point, let's put it that way.' Asked about the comments today, Downing Street pointed to the lockdown restrictions in force making clear that they meant people should not go on holiday. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised against all but essential international travel since March 17. These measures have hit travel firms hard, with trips being cancelled and many people - such as Mr Shapps - delaying making future bookings. A number of companies have furloughed staff due to the sector grinding to a halt. WHAT IS R0? AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF IT IS LESS THAN ONE? Every infectious disease is given a reproduction number, which is known as R0 - pronounced 'R nought'. It is a value that represents how many people one sick person will, on average, infect. WHAT IS THE R0 FOR COVID-19? The R0 value for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is estimated to be around 2.5. But some experts analysing outbreaks across the world have estimated it could be closer to the 6.6 mark. Estimates of the R0 vary because the true size of the pandemic remains a mystery. HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO OTHER VIRUSES? It is thought to be at least three times more contagious than the coronavirus that causes MERS (0.3 - 0.8). Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases, and has an R0 value of 12 to 18. Chickenpox's R0 is estimated to be between 10 and 12, while seasonal flu has a value of around 1.5. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE A LOW R0? The higher the R0 value, the harder it is for health officials control the spread of the disease. A number lower than one means the outbreak will run out of steam and be forced to an end. This is because the infectious disease will quickly run out of new victims to strike. HOW IS IT CALCULATED Researchers take into account several factors when assessing an infectious disease's R0. They include how long patients stay infectious for, contact rate and the mode of transmission. INFECTIOUS PERIOD For instance, some strains of influenza and the common cold are contagious for up to eight days. Experts say COVID-19 is infectious up to three days before symptoms begin until three days after symptoms end. But one Yale University study found that patients were still infectious up to eight days after symptoms vanished. NUMBER OF CONTACTS Another factor depends on how many people the infected come into contact with that aren't vaccinated or immune. If the infectious disease causes severe symptoms early, many patients would stay at home and have little contact. For example, Ebola is known to have a low R0 (2) because it tends to develop before tell-tale symptoms appear. But if it had a longer incubation period - the length of time before symptoms begin - then it would have a higher R0. This is because the infected would come into contact with more people, allowing the virus to spread. TRANSMISSION MODE Transmission mode can also play a role, with viruses spread through the air known to be more contagious. With COVID-19, evidence shows that it can be caught by breathing near an infected patient. The virus can also live on surfaces, meaning it can be picked up without ever touching someone. But Ebola is spread through bodily fluids, making it harder to catch the virus. HOW DOES A LOCKDOWN BRING DOWN THE R0? The UK's draconian lockdown imposed on March 23 has slowed Britain's coronavirus crisis, studies show. Scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine last month analysed the virus in the UK. They estimated each infected patient may now only be passing COVID-19 on to 0.62 others, down from 2.6. The team said the virus was struggling to spread because people were having less contact with others. They used a survey of 1,300 people who were asked to list what human contact they had in the past 24 hours. This was compared to a similar survey done in 2005 to give an idea of how it had changed because of lockdown. Advertisement Instead of an exit plan, Mr Raab last night 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'. In a sombre speech in Downing Street, Mr Raab - who is deputising during Mr Johnson's recovery - 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.' Government adviser James Rubin, who sits on the behavioural insights group, told MPs yesterday that openness on the plan was crucial and it was 'very important that people have their expectations set on this'. In a bad-tempered interview yesterday, Health Secretary Matt 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. As pressure grows, a think-tank warned today that Britain's fiscal watchdog has 'downplayed' the crippling long-lasting effects on the economy. The Adam Smith Institute accused the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) of underestimating the long-term hit from the lockdown and closure of a third of the economy. It said the analysis released earlier this week did not factor in the risk of systemic economic decline if Britain's lockdown is sustained. The OBR predicted the economy could shrink by 35 per cent and unemployment rise by two million if the lockdown continues for three months followed by a partial lifting for three months - but its analysis did not assume any lasting economic consequences. The institute warned the UK was falling behind other countries that already have reopening strategies and timelines in place, such as Germany, Italy, Norway, Austria, Spain, Denmark and the Czech Republic. It said this was holding UK businesses back from being able to plan for recovery once lockdown restrictions are eased. Matthew Lesh, head of research at the Adam Smith Institute and co-author of the report, said: 'The limbo must come to an end. 'The closure of one-third of the economy has been necessary to slow the spread and protect the health service - but it cannot last forever. 'We need a route out of this mess: a strategy to protect from this virus while allowing life to progressively return to normal. 'This will mean testing and tracing capabilities ramped up, maintaining physical distance in shared spaces, but allowing as many businesses as possible, as quickly as possible, to reopen their operations.' Britain should consider prepping for a phased reopening and scaling back of state support for the economy, according to the free market think-tank. One of the government's own key experts warned yesterday that 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. 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. 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.' "Enterprise technology is an economic powerhouse and building a differentiated practice there has always been a focus for Method," CEO David Parkinson said. "Adrian, Ruben and Josh enhance our culture of strong senior leadership that fosters deep relationships and impressive results for some of the most exciting names in tech. They immediately add to the incredibly talented team we have in place with expertise, ideas and counsel that will be invaluable to our growing list of global enterprise clients." Eyre brings over 15 years of global technology and corporate public relations experience. Before joining Method, he served as SVP and head of enterprise technology at Edelman, where he led client strategy and managed global teams to ensure optimization of programs across the U.S., EMEA and APAC, with a focus on driving organic growth of accounts in-market. He most recently served as team lead for the VMware corporate business, where he drove media, thought leadership, and executive visibility. In addition, Eyre held senior leadership roles across the agency's enterprise client portfolio that included Informatica, Infosys and ServiceNow among others. Prior to that, he spent almost a decade at Ogilvy Public Relations, where he worked with major enterprise technology companies such as Dell, Intel, BMC Software and Brocade as well as consumer brands such as Virgin America. "Method has made a name for itself as a nimble and innovative agency focused on creating a standout culture which has been key to sustained growth. Like many in the industry, I've been impressed by how Method breaks from the traditional agency model by putting people first--from staff to clients to reporters," Eyre said. "I look forward to helping Method further expand its capabilities and increase our global enterprise tech presence." Lefkowitz joins Method to lead its New York office. Previously, he held senior positions at AxiCom, North of Nine and Burson-Marsteller. Lefkowitz brings extensive B2B and enterprise technology experience working with industry leaders such as Intel, Orange Business Services, Sony Mobile Communications, Secureworks, IBM, Alcatel and SAP. Simpliciano joins Method with experience in enterprise tech and venture capital PR. Before joining Method, he serviced brands such as Intel, HP and Epson in the U.S. and Asia-Pacific, across three WPP agencies: Burson-Marsteller, North of Nine and AxiCom. He's also led PR programs for Intel Capital, Intel corporation's venture capital arm, and has served as the technology practice lead for Singapore's Burson-Marsteller office. With offices in San Francisco, New York City, Salt Lake City and London, Method has established itself as an agency partnering with Fortune 500 companies as well as some of the biggest names in tech, including 1Password, Adyen, Confluent, Galileo, PagerDuty, Podium, SurveyMonkey and Vivint Smart Home. About Method Method is the PR and marketing partner for challenger brands shaking up the status quo and market leaders facing challenges of their own. Method is part of Chime Communications Group PLC and partners with award-winning European technology agency Harvard and customer advocacy specialists inEvidence. The firm was recently named a finalist for 2020 North American Technology PR firm of the year by PRovoke Media, formerly The Holmes Report. To learn more, visit methodcommunications.com or connect through LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. SOURCE Method Communications Related Links http://methodcommunications.com Police responding to an anonymous tip found more than a dozen bodies at a nursing home in northwestern New Jersey, according to news reports. Five bodies were found Sunday and 13 more were found on Monday at the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center, 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. Police released a photo of a box truck parked outside the home that was being used to store the bodies after a hazmat team removed them. More than 100 residents and staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the Times reported . The coronavirus has spread quickly through nursing homes around the country, leading to pressure on federal health officials to publicly track COVID-19 infections and deaths. In New Jersey, 471 residents of long-term care facilities have died, and 358 of the states 375 facilities have reported positive cases, according to state health officials. Since last month, the state has banned visitation, ordered universal masking and required that all facilities notify residents, family and staff of any outbreaks. Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said this week that 123 facilities have been prohibited from admitting patients because they havent demonstrated they can effectively segregate COVID-19-infected residents from those who arent infected. Persichilli said that in the last week, the state had distributed more than 100,000 N95 masks, nearly 700,000 surgical masks, 7,000 face shields and more than 700,000 gloves to long-term facilities. Still, state health officials have declined to name nursing homes where residents have died, with one exception last month when they ordered the closure of St. Josephs Senior Home in Woodbridge after staff illnesses left the facility unable to care for residents. More than 90 residents were moved to another facility. Mosque buildings will remain closed to the public during Ramadan following the Governments decision on extending the lockdown, according to the Mosque and Imams National Advisory Board (Minab). The board said in a statement that it is going to be extremely painful and emotionally challenging not to be able to pray together in mosques or hold iftar events in the spirit of Ramadan. But we have a religious and moral obligation to protect life and follow the medical advice to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. Imam Qari Asim, chairman of Minab, said: It would be deemed extremely irresponsible to congregate for night prayers (tarawih prayer) or hold religious gatherings during this Ramadan in any mosque or houses with people who are not members of the immediate household. During the epidemic, the desire to perform prayers with a congregation in a mosque comes second to saving lives. We applaud the efforts of imams and mosques, across the country, that have continued to provide religious and spiritual guidance through online and creative ways, whilst the doors of mosques sadly remain closed during this period. The beginning of the month of Ramadan will be confirmed upon sighting of the new moon, which is expected on April 23. Ramadan is also a time when people give zakat, or alms, and the charity Islamic Relief UK said it is pushing ahead with its Ramadan appeal. File picture of thousands of people attending Birminghams Eid celebration of the end of Ramadan (Joe Giddens/PA) It said funds from the this years appeal will prioritise projects that support communities with water, food and healthcare and those facing emergencies such as natural disasters or conflict. Islamic Relief said it will also distribute food parcels in 31 of the worlds poorest countries including Syria, Yemen, Bangladesh and Somalia, following social distancing guidelines, as well as support vulnerable communities in the UK. Tufail Hussain, director of Islamic Relief UK, said: Ramadan is a time for British Muslims to thank Allah for our good fortune and to reflect on those less fortunate than ourselves. In this current crisis with so many communities coming together to help one another, your Zakat will help make a difference to the most needy, and is safe with Islamic Relief. Mumbai, April 17 : Around 171 mediapersons were tested for Covid-19 by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in a two-day special camp organised here, an official said on Friday. The camp was coordinated by Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi following directions from Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray. A BMC spokesperson said that a request was made by TV Journalists' Association and Mantralaya and Legislature Reporters Association to Uddhav Thackeray to organise such a camp for the mediapersons who go out for reporting at great personal risks. Accordingly, the camp was organised on April 16-17 in which 171 mediapersons, including reporters and camerapersons, participated. It was held near the Mumbai Press Club premises, opposite the BMC headquarters in south Mumbai. They were also given instructions on ensuring their personal safety in public places by wearing masks, using sanitisers and other precautions during their course of duty amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently awarded contracts for the construction of new treatment wings that will add over 300 beds at three New Jersey hospitals in hopes of easing the crush of new patients due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Corps Philadelphia office is spearheading the projects at East Orange General Hospital, in East Orange; Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, in Paramus; and St. Francis Medical Center, in Trenton, the Corps announced in a statement. The organization assessed 22 facilities starting in late March, working with officials from the state Department of Health and the State Police, and studied turning existing spaces areas at hospitals and medical centers into alternate care facilities. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage Starting last week, contracts were awarded and work started within days on the following projects: - At East Orange General Hospital, an unused part of the hospital is being turned into a 250-bed wing. The work is being done by contractor, Cutting Edge Group, LLC. - At Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, contractor Conti Federal Services, LLC is converting the centers gymnasium into a 30-bed facility, and DynCorp International, LLC is constructing a 100-bed medical tent in a parking lot. - In Trenton, contractor Sand Point Services, LLC is converting portions of St. Francis into a 37-bed facility. Hospital capacity everywhere is a major concern as the COVID-19 crisis rages on, and these additional beds will greatly benefit Mercer County and the region, Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes said. We thank the Army Corps, FEMA and the State of New Jersey for planning and coordinating this project. The Corps does the planning, engineering and management of the work after contracting the construction work to companies. The agency did not give project costs or the amount contracted to the companies. The Army Corps of Engineers was also involved with the creation of four pop-up hospitals around the state in the past few weeks. The coronavirus, and the disease it causes, COVID-19, has claimed the lives of 3,518 New Jerseyans and sickened over 75,000 people as of Thursday. Contractors work at the Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is converting the hospitals gymnasium into a 30-bed facility as part of the federal coronavirus response.(Mike Ervine photo) 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. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook. GODFREY Lewis and Clark Community College has announced that all summer courses will either be taught online or remotely. Any course qualified to be taught online will be taught online. Summer courses will include those courses unable to be completed in Spring 2020. SAN DIEGO (AP) During the first week that her San Diego public school was shuttered to slow the spread of the coronavirus, not one of Elise Samaniegos students logged on to her virtual classroom. Three weeks in, the teacher still hadn't connected online with roughly two-thirds of the students in her third- and fourth-grade combo class at Paradise Hills Elementary. She fears the pandemic will exact a devastating toll on education in the United States, especially at low-income schools like hers. "I do have several students below grade level, and this is just going to make it worse," said Samaniego, who has been emailing and calling families to get her 22 students to participate. Teachers across the country report their attempts at distance learning are failing to reach large numbers of students. Hundreds of thousands of students are still without computers or internet access. Those who do log on have countless distractions: They are babysitting siblings, sharing laptops, lying in bed during lessons. Others log on only to walk away. With schools closed for the rest of the year in at least 23 states, including Pennsylvania, the uneven progress with remote learning is raising concerns that those who already were struggling will be left further behind. "The pandemic is an educational equity crisis for vulnerable students who were too often underserved by our education system in 'normal' times," said Ian Rosenblum, executive director of The Education Trust-New York. Not all schools are struggling. Those accustomed to technology transitioned smoothly. Derek Blunt, a math teacher at Making Community Connections Charter School in Keene, New Hampshire, said students are issued iPads in normal times and regularly use Google Classroom and other platforms. A week after the school closed, nearly all of his 65 students were doing their work. In contrast, students at Samaniego's school faced several hurdles before learning could begin. Some only had internet access through their parents' phones. "I can't tell them even where to start," she said. "Do you have a computer? That's step 1. Then you have to download Chrome. That's step 2." In New York City, the nation's largest school district, tens of thousands of tablets and laptops have been lent to students, and the plan is for everyone to have a device by the end of April. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the district was still gathering data, but "there's clearly an issue with attendance." That is true in many places. In the Los Angeles Unified School District, the country's second largest, as many as 40% of elementary school students had not logged on even once as of the first week of April three weeks after the system closed. As for those who have made an appearance, superintendent Austin Beutner, cautioned that "merely logging in does not tell us anything more than the student turned on their computer." In ordinary times, some 16% percent of public school students nationally are chronically absent, with higher rates among high school, black and Hispanic students, according to the U.S. Education Department. Many districts are now not tracking attendance because it tells them so little. But attendance is usually critical: Absenteeism is linked to a significant increase in the risk of dropping out of school. And attendance is only one part of the puzzle. Michelle Katz, a math teacher at the public Northridge Academy High School in the Los Angeles area, revamped lessons so they would work online. Most students in her Algebra II and pre-Calculus classes are doing their work. But only about half of her 10th grade geometry students are logging on, and even some of them aren't handing in assignments. "When they were in class, you could get on their back and ask them about what was going on, where is the work?" Katz said. "It's hard from a distance." Adding to her frustration was a student who interrupted a virtual class with yelling and profanity five times. 7 Middletown School District hands out iPads to all Elementary Students Schools are responding by making accommodations. San Diego Unified School District said this month is for working out the kinks, and instruction officially starts April 27. Some schools are adopting pass or fail systems or "no harm grading," in which grades will not be lowered during distance learning but can go up. Given the difficulties of conceiving lessons and science labs that are effective virtually, some assignments feel like busy work to Emily Weinberg, a senior at Lexington High School, a public school in Massachusetts. "I had to try to figure out what the kinetic energy of a dime was when I pushed it," she said. "I felt like this is wasting my time." Even so, she's completing all her work. But others aren't and, in light of the challenges, some districts are ending the school year early, rather than leave many students behind. Many states are waiving the day requirements they set for this year. Officials have not said what will happen in the fall, though there have been some calls to have certain kids who already were struggling repeat the year. Dan Gannon, who teaches history at Bronx Leadership Academy, a public school in the nation's poorest congressional district, agrees lessons have suffered in shortened periods without teacher aides. Participation in his classes has vacillated between 50% and 80%. Still, some learning is better than none, he said. Expectations need to be adjusted, but "that shouldn't stop us from trying to do some kind of teaching and some kind of learning." By JULIE WATSON and CAROLYN THOMPSON, The Associated Press BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17 By Eldar Janashvili - Trend: So far, about 15,500 legal entities and more than 21,000 individual entrepreneurs have applied for receiving financial support in Azerbaijan, Trend reports on April 17 referring to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Economy. The Azerbaijani government is implementing a set of measures to render financial support to individual entrepreneurs affected as a result of coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Presently, thousands of individual entrepreneurs and taxpayers are applying daily for the use of both programs. Financial support for taxpayers is rendered by the Internet Tax Administration through existing electronic cabinets, based on the appeals submitted. The main condition of the mechanism for obtaining financial support is that to take advantage of this program, taxpayers must apply online through their personal profiles. After considering the applications, a certain part of the salary and the corresponding social insurance contributions, which must be paid to the applicants' employees as soon as possible, is transferred to the bank accounts of the entrepreneurs. A certain part of the salaries of employees will be paid gradually during two months by dividing the amount into two equal parts. If some employees working at the enterprise receive a salary higher than the average monthly salary, then the state support for them is calculated as part of the average monthly salary. In accordance with the state support program, the funds which are paid to the entrepreneurs must be used only for the intended purpose, that is, to pay the salaries to the employees. One of the main conditions of the support program, especially related to individual (micro) entrepreneurs, during the process of rendering financial support is the availability and activation of the bank account of legal entities and entrepreneurs. The bank account of an entrepreneur wishing to receive financial support must be active as the funds allocated from the state budget are transferred exclusively to the bank accounts of entrepreneurs. Taxpayers who do not have a bank account must send an application for a certificate about opening a duplicate account. An account is opened in a bank selected by the entrepreneur as soon as possible after the acceptance of the application. Afterwards, an entrepreneur may send a request for getting financial support. In some cases, an entrepreneur who does not have a bank account has a tax and social insurance debt at the moment of making an appeal. In ordinary cases, until the entrepreneur repays the debt, he/she is not entitled to open a bank account. But given the existing conditions, certain concessions were made. So, in such cases, an entrepreneur must submit an application in free form to remove the restriction. If the application is approved, the entrepreneur may apply for opening a bank account after removing the restriction on obtaining a duplicate certificate. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @eldarjanashvili Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 23:47:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, April 17 (Xinhua) -- President of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Sangita Reddy on Friday welcomed the fresh measures announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to ensure enough liquidity in the economy in the wake of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The economic measures were announced to boost especially the farming activity, small businesses and refinancing institutions. These measures were mainly aimed at helping the farming community as harvest season is going on, particularly in north India. Earlier in the day, Reserve Bank of India (RIB) Governor Shakrikanta Das said an amount of 50,000 crore Indian Rupees (6.7 billion U.S. dollars) would be provided to the refinance institutions like the National Bank For Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD), the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), and the National Housing Bank (NHB). A similar amount would be given to the other non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs), added Das. He also announced a cut of 25 basis points in Reverse Repo Rate (RRR) from 4 percent to 3.75 percent. Commenting on the RBI announcements, the FICCI president said that the move would help countering the negative impact of COVID-19 on the economy. "The economy and industry need a heavy dose of liquidity infusion and the financial intermediaries need the confidence that the steps they take to support industry in this hour of crisis will be viewed leniently and not attract regulatory actions in terms of asset reclassification and attended provisioning. Today's announcements show the RBI moving the ball in both these areas and FICCI is encouraged by this stance," added Sangita. "We are glad that the RBI has announced that liquidity to the tune of 50,000 crore Indian Rupees will be made available to NBFCs and MFIs and that banks availing funds under this window will be required to make investment in financial instruments issued by NBFCs within a month of availing such funds," she said. Additionally, the special refinancing line offered to NABARD, SIDBI and NHB to the tune of 50,000 crore rupees should further add to the flow of funds to NBFCs, micro finance institutions (MFIs), and Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs), added the FICCI president. According to her, the reduction in the RRR further from 4 percent to 3.75 percent should disincentivize banks from going in for risk free parking of funds and instead look at channeling funds to the productive sectors of the economy. "We feel the RBI could have reduced the reverse repo rate by a larger quantum as the need today is to have liquidity flow into the system," she suggested. Enditem [April 17, 2020] New Tool Empowers Organizations to Demand that Third-Party Business Partners Prove that Their Information Systems are Secure and Private MENDOCINO, Calif., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- InfoSecurity Infrastructure Inc.'s just-introduced scripted compliance audit process now enables all United States corporations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies to demand that their third-party business partners prove that their information systems are both secure and private. That process, called a Duties Audit, is used to assess the "tone at the top" of third-party corporations. More specifically, it provides an independent attorney's professional opinion indicating whether the directors and officers at any third-party corporate business partner are, in all material respects, in compliance with all of their information security and privacy legal duties. Cutting through the incredible complexity of the information security and privacy field, this new process can be performed in a few weeks, for a very reasonable price, according to a rigorous and scripted process, and delegated to an independent attorney. The result is a one-page professional opinion, which can then be delivered to the directors and officers. That opinion indicates whether or not they are "fully compliant," and in those cases where they are not, a separate management letter providing specific recommendations for coming into compliance is also delivered. The process uses the most rigorous technical and legal protections for the information examined by the independent attorney performing the Duties Audit, such as attorney-client privilege and attorney work product doctrine. These rigorous protections allow the independent attorney to obtain an accurate assessment of the "tone at the top" that has been set by the directors and officers. This "tone at the top" (prevailing ethial climate) creates both an example for employees and a corporate culture. The "tone at the top" is vitally important because it flows down to the entire third-party firm, and according to a 2018 study by Opus and Ponemon Institute, some 61% of breaches are caused by inadequate controls at third-party vendors (increasing 5% from the prior year). All that a customer firm sees is the professional opinion that is if the audited firm chooses to disclose that opinion. The Duties Audit process can be performed entirely internally, and then the results can be quietly used to up-level internal information security and privacy activities. Alternatively, the professional opinion can be shared confidentially with certain business partners, or it can be released publicly. The last option is particularly powerful because it communicates to existing customers and prospective customers, in addition to investors, creditors, regulators, and the public, that the firm is well-managed, that it is a good corporate citizen, that it has taken diligent steps to make sure that it is in compliance with all relevant legal requirements. This can be particularly important for marketing, public relations, and competitive advantage purposes. Trust of corporate America is a big issue these days. For example, according to a 2001 Harris Interactive survey, 91% of the respondents indicated that if privacy practices were verified by a third party, that fact would cause them to do more business with the audited firm. The Duties Audit process is far better than existing mechanisms to assess third party risk, like an evaluation of the security policies of third-party firms, or the demand that third party firms respond to a questionnaire. These existing mechanisms include the Privacy Rule in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which requires that "satisfactory assurances" be provided by third-party firms. Likewise, these insufficient mechanisms include the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) 404 which requires certain high-ranking officers make representations about the adequacy of internal controls. All of these existing mechanisms are weak and suspect, because the results originate with the management at the third-party firm, and that group has reason to paint an unduly rosy picture. Unlike all of these approaches, the Duties Audit method involves the provision of a legal opinion from an independent attorney auditor, someone who has actually performed a compliance audit, and someone who has no motive to shade the truth. Furthermore, since this legal opinion is generated by a rigorous scripted process, it is replicable, and meaningful, so as to allow comparisons from firm to firm, and from year-to-year. Author Charles Cresson Wood, Esq., JD, MBA, MSE, CISM, CISSP, CISA, CGEIT, CIPP/US, has published nine other books, including Information Security Policies Made Easywhich has been used by 70% of the Fortune 500 Companies (the book is now in its 12th edition). He has been working in the information security and privacy field for over 40 years. The new book's title is Corporate Directors' & Officers' Legal Duties for Information Security and Privacy: A Turn-Key Compliance Audit Process. For further details, see www.DutiesAudit.com or call 707-937-5572 (Pacific Time). Contact: Charles Cresson Wood, [email protected], 707-937-5572 (Pacific Time) View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-tool-empowers-organizations-to-demand-that-third-party-business-partners-prove-that-their-information-systems-are-secure-and-private-301042513.html SOURCE InfoSecurity Infrastructure Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Gandhinagar, April 17 : The number of fatalities due to coronavirus reached 38 in Gujarat on Friday, while the number of people infected with the virus crossed the 1,000 mark even as the health authorities intensified surveillance and testing in five containment zones in the state to curb the spread of Covid-19. As per the state health officials, Gujarat has reported 250 Covid cases in the last 48 hours, taking the total count of such infections in the state to 1,021. 92 fresh cases were registered in the state, with two deaths confirmed during the last 12 hours. With an increased and intensified surveillance and testing of Corona virus infection, carried out on a campaign mode inside the hotspots of Gujarat, especially the containment areas in five major cities, the health authorities confirmed 92 new positive cases detected in the last 12 hours in the state, out of which Ahmedabad has the maximum once again. In the last 12 hours Ahmedabad saw 45 new positive cases springing up (33 M, 12 F), followed by Surat with 14 cases (8 M, 6 F), Vadodara 9 (6 M, 3 F) Bharuch 8 (5 M, 3 F), Narmada 5 (2 M, 3 F), Botad 3 (2 M, 1 F), Panchmahals 2 (2F) and one female each in Patan, Chotta Udepur and Dahod and a male each in Anand and Kheda. Two more infected patients succumbed to the virus on Friday, as a male (31) admitted to the SSG hospital, Vadodara died. Another male (55) with hypertension admitted to the Civil hospital Ahmedabad also died from the virus. Nearing the 600 mark, Ahmedabad has the maximum number of positive cases 590, followed by Vadodara 137, Surat 102, Rajkot 28, Bhavnagar and Anand with 26 each, Bharuch 21, Gandhinagar 17, Patan 15, Narmada 11, Panchmahals 8, Banaskantha and Chotta Udepur with 6 each, Kutch, Botad and Mehsana with 4 each, Porbandar, Kheda and Dahod with 3 each, Gir-Somnath 2 and Jamnagar, Morbi, Sabarkantha, Mahisagar and Aravalli with one each. "Out of the total 909 active cases, the condition of 901 is stable, are on normal air or simple oxygen, whereas the condition of 4 is critical and they are on ventilator," said Jayanti Ravi, the principal secretary, Health and family welfare Department, Gujarat. "In the last 24 hours, we have taken 1,608 samples for the testing, where 150 have been found positive, 1,458 negative. The total number of test carried out by the health department till now is 21,812 out of which 1,021 are positive, 20,791 are negative," added Ravi. The total number of quarantined in the state is 15,914, where 13,689 are under home quarantined, 2,054 in government facilities and 171 in private facilities. A man (64) admitted to the Civil hospital Ahmedabad was discharged on Friday. A total of 74 positive patients have been discharged till now. With more and more positive cases of Corona emerging from Gujarat's hotspots or cluster areas, in the walled city area of Ahmedabad, five containment zones in Surat, Vadodara's Nagarwada areas, the health authorities intensified the surveillance and testing in these areas. But even in the other areas apart from hotspots, the number of positive cases are increasing like in Anand, Bharuch, Narmada, Patan and other districts as well, for which the health authorities are worried about. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text CMIC president warns that workers may soon lose salary 17 April 2020 The national president of the Mexican Chamber of the Construction Industry (CMIC), Eduardo Ramirez Leal, has warned that the minimal operation of smaller construction companies will result in around 500,000 workers in the sector losing income at the end of April. "In the next 15 days, it's when a lot of workers are no longer going to be getting paid because their employers won't have to pay them," said Mr Leal. The chamber represents 12,000 construction companies across the country. "It would be impossible, if we are stopped from supplying cement inputs, then the construction industry would also have to stop if the call to recognise the whole industry as an essential activity is not served," he added. Published under Private schools will not be allowed to increase fees during the coronavirus lockdown and they can only charge tuition fee till the time schools reopen, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia announced on Friday. AFP Sisodia said at a press conference "We have got several complaints about schools increasing fees and also levying charges like transport fee, which is not even being utilised during the lockdown. Rules have been issued under Epidemics Act and Delhi School Education Act. Now no private school will be allowed to increase fees without seeking permission from the government. Schools also cannot charge beyond the tuition fee." Charges incurred on transportation, annual charges are forbidden. Fees can be taken for one month only and not for three months in advance he added. Sisodia who is also the education minister of Delhi, he clarified that charges such as transport fee, annual fee or any other miscellaneous head cannot be charged during the lockdown, which will continue till May 3. AFP Sisodia said, "No school can charge three months' tuition fee, the fee has to be collected monthly. Schools are mandated to pay salaries to their staff including the contractual ones. If they are short of funds, they can reach out to their parent organisation for funds. No school can stop the online education of students on failure to pay fees. All schools must pay all their staff, teaching/ non-teaching, permanent/ contractual, their pay on time. Failure to do so will attract punishment under the epidemic act which is in force now." The High Court has appointed a interim examiner to the Dublin-based regional airline CityJet. The airline and its subsidiaries, which flies routes on behalf of other airlines including SAS and Aer Lingus, employs 1,175 people, over 410 of whom are based in Dublin. The airline, which is best known for flying routes out of London City Airport, sought the protection of the courts from its creditors due to financial difficulties which were exacerbated after its fleet was grounded by the Covid-19 outbreak. The impact of the virus, the company's counsel Rossa Fanning SC told the court, interrupted and adversely affected a planned merger with another airline and a proposed private restructure of the company. However despite the uncertainty in the aviation caused by the pandemic CityJet says that the business can be saved following a successful examinership process. At the High Court on Friday Mr Justice Garrett Simons said he was satisfied to appoint experienced insolvency practioner Kieran Wallace of KPMG as interim examiner to CityJet DAC. The judge said while the company was insolvent and unable to pay its debts as they fall due he accepted evidence from an independent expert that the airline has a reasonable prospect of survival if certain steps are taken. Those steps include a successful restructuring of the airline and the examiner putting together a scheme of arrangement with the company's creditors, which if approved by the High Court will allow the firm to continue to trade as a going concern. Cost cutting measures have also been introduced, which the company says will result in the saving of millions of Euro. Mr Fanning, appearing with Stephen Byrne Bl, said the company founded by respected entrepreneur Pat Byrne, who is one of the company's current directors and its executive chairman, had been in business since the early 1990s. Counsel said the company, which no longer flies scheduled routes itself, and has moved to a model known in the aviation industry known as wet leasing where it provides serviced aircraft and crews to operate routes for other carriers. In each of the last three years the firm had revenues of over 220m. The company had made a profit in 2017, but suffered significant losses in 2018 and 2019 due to various factors. The company has debts of 500m, and current has a net deficit of liabilities over assets on a going concern basis of 186m, counsel said. Its creditors include the Triangle Group, firms involved in the leasing of aircraft, Investec, the Revenue Commissioners, as well as debts owed to related companies. In order to counter its difficulties plans had been put in place with its creditors to restructure the business and merge with Spanish airline Air Nostrum. The airlines fleet of 33 aircraft, which mainly flies routes around the Nordic countries and Scandinavia, were grounded as a result of the outbreak. Counsel said that there were positive aspects including that company's main customer SAS has agreed to support it during the current hiatus, and that there had been positive engagements with its creditors. Counsel said while a return to commercial flying was uncertain the company expected that its services will return gradually over the coming months, and that the company could make a profit if the examinership process is successful. Counsel said that the appointment of an examiner would be beneficial for all parties concerned. The Judge said that he was satisfied from the evidence put before the court that an interim examiner should be appointed to the firm. The examinership the judge said would be a complex one, when all matters including the amount of debt involved were taken into account, and he said not time should be lost in a process that must be completed within 100 days. After approving Mr Wallace's appointment as interim examiner Mr Justice Simons adjourned the matter to a date later this month. SIAM has also asked for fund allocation for diesel/CNG bus procurement by state transport undertakings, over and above the allocation for electric buses under FAME 2 scheme. New Delhi: Auto industry body SIAM on Friday said it has sought temporary GST rate cut on vehicles and introduction of incentive based scrappage policy from the government at the earliest in order to revive the sector amid the coronavirus pandemic. While appreciating RBI's announcement to support NBFCs and MSME sector by infusing liquidity in the system, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) sought several 'key interventions' for the the auto sector. "COVID-19 has left the Indian economy and automobile industry in deep distress and financial support and demand revival is a necessity," SIAM president Rajan Wadhera told PTI. COVID-19 is an unprecedented situation and hence requires unique measures, he added. "SIAM is hopeful that the lending rates would be slashed substantially for consumers to benefit in these challenging times," he added. In order to revive the auto industry, SIAM has sought temporary reduction in standard Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate by 10 percent across all vehicle categories, auto components while maintaining the current product segment GST rate differential, Wadhera said. The auto industry body has also sought introduction of incentive based vehicle scrappage scheme to generate demand. "The incentives can be in the form of 50 percent rebate in GST, road tax and registration charges," he added. SIAM has also asked for fund allocation for diesel/CNG bus procurement by state transport undertakings, over and above the allocation for electric buses under FAME 2 scheme, Wadhera noted. Besides, it has also asked to expedite release of all pending payments to vehicle manufacturers and contractors of highway and infrastructure projects against past procurement by central government and other agencies to increase liquidity in the system, he added. Wadhera said SIAM has also asked for fast track disbursement of all government incentives and benefits to all industries. "The automotive industry is the backbone of manufacturing sector in India in terms of employment and contribution to GDP, and its revival will be critical for the manufacturing sector and economy of India," he added. Children in the Tibetan Autonomous Region are losing fluency in the Tibetan language as schools in the region are increasingly teaching subjects in Mandarin on Chinese government orders. Now most students in Tibet will only hear Tibetan-speaking teachers in classes where they study the language itself. As a result, many parents in the region are saddened that Mandarin has become the dominant language of their children. Instruction in Mandarin has been in effect in most middle and high schools in the region since the 1960s, but in the 2010s, many elementary schools and even kindergartens are now also teaching in Mandarin due to the educational policies of the regional government, Human Rights Watch research showed. A source in Tibet who requested anonymity to avoid legal trouble told RFAs Tibetan Service Thursday that in Shigatse (in Chinese Rikaze) the switch to Mandarin in primary and middle schools had resulted in reduced competency in Tibetan due to diminished usage. After school is over even, the students prefer to use Chinese instead of Tibetan, even in their daily conversations, the source said. As such, the standard of the Tibetan language of Tibetan kids is very poor, the source said. Another source, a mother who requested anonymity, told RFA, For tests and exams, the children are more inclined to get better grades in Chinese and other subjects, with little care or attention to Tibetan. This trend of Chinese priority over Tibetan is worrying to us, she said. Arya Tsewang Gyalpo, the spokesman for the Central Tibetan Administration, told RFA that the waning use of Tibetan language in education is leading to a loss of national identity for the Tibetan people. Chinese as a medium for instruction strips off the students love for the Tibetan language and their sense of pride in studying their mother tongue, he said. The current Chinese education policy in Tibet violates both Chinas Regional Ethic Autonomy Law and the Tibetan Autonomous Regional Law, he added Article 36 of Chinas Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law states that autonomous agencies in ethnic autonomous areas have the right to make decisions about education, including the language used in instruction, but only in accordance with state guidelines on education and in accordance with the law. In neighboring India, Karma Tenzin, a researcher at the Dharamsala-based Tibet Policy Institute, told RFA that Mandarin instruction in Tibetan schools is meant to achieve the Chinese governments aim of structural change in the region. It further erodes and marginalizes Tibetan culture and language and disengages Tibetan youth from their own culture and tradition. The Chinese governments attempts to push Mandarin on educational institutions has met backlash outside Tibet. Previously in Chabcha (Qiabuqia) and Rebgong (Tongren)in Qinghai province, the Chinese government attempted to replace Tibetan as a medium with Chinese, but student bodies rose up to protest against their proposal, Nyithar, a college instructor at the Dalai Lama Institute in Bangalore, India. This clearly shows that [instruction in Mandarin] is not the aspiration of the Tibetan people, he said. Mandarin in primary schools first became the norm in the urban areas of Tibet, but data from HRW shows that it is spreading to schools in the countryside as well. In an Op-ed piece published in the Los Angeles Times, HRWs China Director Sophia Richardson wrote, Ordinary Tibetans have expressed widespread concern about the increasing loss of fluency in Tibetan among the younger generation as a result of changing school policies. While many favor Tibetan children learning both languages, there is considerable opposition to Chinese authorities approach, which erodes the Tibetan language skills of children and forces them to consume political ideology and ideas largely contrary to those of their parents and community, she added. Mandarin in Tsang RFA sources confirmed that the switchover to Mandarin is occurring in Tibet at the direction of the Chinese government. A source who requested anonymity in Tsang, the region west of Lhasa that is considered the Tibetan cultural heartland, told RFA Tuesday, It is true that Chinese has become the lingua franca in Tsang, and Tibetan students are becoming more interested in Chinese, so the Chinese language is widely used among the students. An exile from Tsang who declined to be named told RFA that he inquired with his contacts there and could confirm that the Chinese authorities have implemented Sinocentric education policies in central Tibet. In Tsang in central Tibet there are very few private schools teaching [in] Tibetan. In such a situation, introducing Chinese [as the] medium of instruction has become quite easy for [the authorities], said the exile. A primary teacher in Tsang Thong county middle school in Central Tibet was quoted by the Tibet Times as saying, A few days ago some of my close students informed me via phone that the school started teaching math and physics in Chinese. When the news hit my ear I was very surprised, anxious and felt deeply sad, said the teacher. Some people think making the Chinese the dominant language of instruction is beneficial for the students, but I dont buy it, the teacher added. The teacher pointed out that Chinese authorities call for racial harmony, but such preferential treatment for Mandarin over Tibetan is sowing the seeds of disharmony. Those who doubt the utility of Tibetan language in modern time shows their bias. The teacher also said that the superiority of the Tibetan language was proven by the emergence of Tibets great scholars, who received their instruction only in Tibetan. Several Tibetan analysts, who requested anonymity in order to speak freely, expressed their concern about Chinas assimilation of Tibetans through education. Tibetan language is the heart and soul of Tibetan culture, and by destroying the language, it destroys the very identity of being a Tibetan, said one analyst. Such a change in educational policy should be condemned as it is the doing of low-level officials and not the central Chinese government, said another A March 5, 2020 report by Human Rights Watch details a growing emphasis on Chinese-language schooling in Tibet, calling the trend an assimilationist policy for minorities that has gained momentum under President Xi Jinpings leadership. Drawn from interviews conducted in September 2019 with Tibetan parents and teachers in six rural townships in the Nagchu municipality in the Tibet Autonomous Region, the 91-page report reveals a pattern of pressure on local schools to give preference to classroom instruction in Chinese, even at the kindergarten level. Thousands of non-Tibetan speaking teachers have now been hired from other parts of China to teach in Tibetan areas, with ethnically mixed classes promoted in the name of the unity of Chinas nationalities, HRW says in its report. Language rights have become a particular focus for Tibetan efforts to assert national identity in recent years, with informally organized language courses typically deemed illegal associations and teachers subject to detention and arrest, sources say. Reported by Lobsang Gelek for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Why the global economic slowdown is unlikely to change Canadas immigration plans post-coronavirus. After coronavirus: Immigrants will be key to Canadas economic recovery After coronavirus: Immigrants will be key to Canadas economic recovery Why the global economic slowdown is unlikely to change Canadas immigration plans post-coronavirus. After coronavirus: Immigrants will be key to Canadas economic recovery Why the global economic slowdown is unlikely to change Canadas immigration plans post-coronavirus. After coronavirus: Immigrants will be key to Canadas economic recovery Why the global economic slowdown is unlikely to change Canadas immigration plans post-coronavirus. Kareem El-Assal Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A The coronavirus pandemic is having a devastating impact on economies around the world. The IMF projects the global economy will contract by 3 per cent in 2020, in what it calls the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Just days before it announced travel restrictions to help contain the spread of COVID-19, Canada said it would welcome over 1 million immigrants between 2020-2022, mainly to help grow its economy. Of course, little did Canadian government officials know at the time of the announcement that the global economy would be heading towards such a major contraction. Discover your Canada immigration options Should Canada welcome more immigrants? The current state of affairs may lead one to legitimately question whether Canada should continue with its immigration plan, or scale it back. There is no doubt that COVID-19 will require Canada to adjust its immigration plan. However, it would not be sound economic policy to significantly reduce Canadas immigration levels beyond the coronavirus crisis. The reason for this is that Canada needs immigrants more than it ever has in its modern history to promote economic growth. Why Canada needs more immigrants Canadas desire to welcome over 300,000 immigrants per year is meant to help alleviate its demographic challenges. Canada has one of the worlds lowest birth rates and one of the worlds oldest populations. As more Canadians retire, it will struggle to replace them in the labour market since the country is not having enough children. This is where immigration comes in. Immigration has been the main driver of Canadas population growth since the 1990s, and will be the only driver of it by the early 2030s. Population growth is important because it fuels labour force growth. The two ways to grow an economy is by adding more workers and using those workers more productively. Today, immigration tends to account for all of Canadas labour force growth, or the vast majority of it, in a given year. This means that Canada would constrain its economic growth potential if it welcomed fewer immigrants. Canada will see a full economic recovery The consensus among economists is that the Canadian and global economy should rebound fairly quickly once social distancing measures have been eased. This means that more Canadians will be back to work, and there will also be more job opportunities for immigrants. Canadas economy pre-coronavirus is very telling of what we can expect once the economy is back to normal. Leading up to the coronavirus pandemic, Canadas unemployment rate was at record lows and its economy enjoyed a decade of growth following the 2008 global financial crisis. Remember that Canada maintained high levels of immigration even following that crisis, which in hindsight, was the correct economic decision to make. One significant reason for the low unemployment rate pre-coronavirus is many of Canadas over 9 million baby boomers were retiring, which caused a shortage of workers as the economy was expanding. This benefitted Canadian-born workers and immigrants alike. Similarly, Canadian-born workers and immigrants are poised to benefit from the post-coronavirus economic rebound. In the coming years, it is realistic to expect Canada to deal with worker shortages again, and even more so than prior to COVID-19 as all of Canadas 9 million baby boomers reach the age of retirement within the next decade. Immigration policy always has long-term economic implications and we should not lose sight of that even in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Immigrants will help to create more jobs post-coronavirus Canadas economy is facing tough times, but immigration will play a pivotal role in supporting Canadas economic recovery since immigrants will help to fill newly-created jobs and also support job creation in other ways. Statistics Canada research shows that immigrants have a high propensity to start businesses. In one of its recent studies, Statistics Canada found that immigrant entrepreneurs created 25 per cent of new private sector jobs between 2003 and 2013, even though they accounted for 17 per cent of companies studied. In other words, immigrant entrepreneurs punched above their weight when it came to job creation. Hence, immigrant entrepreneurs post-coronavirus will create businesses that will create new jobs for fellow Canadians. Finally, immigrants bring significant savings with them which helps to fuel the economic activity that is critical to fueling job creation in Canada. Consider the useful proxy of international students. According to the federal government, the over 600,000 international students in Canada contribute over $22 billion in economic activity each year which supports nearly 200,000 Canadian jobs. Canada has over 8 million immigrants, who make an even bigger contribution to economic growth and job creation than international students. Discover your Canada immigration options Kareem El-Assal is the Director of Policy & Digital Strategy at CanadaVisa. Media contact Click here if you wish to interview us. 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved Videos posted on social media purportedly showed dozens of people present at a farmhouse in Karnataka for the marriage of former chief minister HD Kumaraswamys son, despite appeals not to gather at the venue in view of the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown. Nikhil Kumaraswamy, the son of the former chief minister and grandson of former prime minister and Janata Dal-Secular chief HD Deve Gowda, married Revathi, the grand-niece of former Congress minister M Krishnappa, at a ceremony in a farmhouse on the Bengaluru-Mysore highway in Ramanagara district, a JD-S stronghold. A video released by ANI news agency featured a large video screen that showed a sizeable number of people present during the wedding rituals. Reports from Bengaluru said the media was barred from the area around the wedding venue, though more than three dozen cars were seen going to the site. #WATCH Karnataka: Nikhil Kumarswamy, son of former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, tied the knot with Revathi, the grand-niece of former Congress Minister for Housing M Krishnappa, today in Ramnagar. (Video source: anonymous wedding guest) pic.twitter.com/5DH9fjNshQ ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 However, members of the JD-S, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, contended only the first circle of family members from the groom and brides side were present at the event. A JD-S leader, who too didnt want to be identified, told Hindustan Times: Even party members werent present and it was strictly a family affair. Social distancing was practised to ensure everybody remained safe. JD-S legislator TA Sharavana told PTI that lockdown norms werent flouted. There were only eight people on the stage to perform rituals as against the claim that people crowded the venue, he said. Public gatherings and the presence of large crowds at events such as weddings have been barred under the guidelines for the nationwide lockdown till May 3. Karnatakas deputy chief minister CN Ashwath Narayan told the media: I have sought a report from Ramanagaras deputy commissioner. I will speak to the superintendent of police. We need to take action, otherwise it will be a complete mockery of the system. Nikhil Kumaraswamy has acted in a few movies and is also president of the Yuva Janata Dal-Secular. He contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Mandya seat but lost. Before the lockdown was imposed, the Kumaraswamy family had planned a grand wedding at a custom built mandap on the Bengaluru-Mysore highway. Nearly 500,000 people had been expected to attend the wedding at that time, primarily from Ramanagara and Chennapatna constituency, represented in the state assembly by HD Kumaraswamy and his wife Anitha. The former chief minister has indicated that, as and when the situation permits, the family could organise a public function so that constituents and well-wishers can bless the couple. Leaders from different political parties, including chief minister BS Yediyurappa, conveyed their blessings and wishes to the newly married couple. In a video message earlier this week, HD Kumaraswamy had appealed to JD-S workers, relatives and well-wishers not to visit the wedding venue. He said the marriage was planned at the familys home but was moved to Ramanagara as social distancing norms would be a challenge. Former head of the State Property Fund (SPF) of Ukraine Vitaliy Trubarov is trying to be reinstated on the post at court, SPF Head Dmytro Sennychenko said at a briefing on Friday. "The administrative court of Kyiv has accepted this lawsuit," Sennychenko said. According to the head of the Fund, Trubarov motivated the delay in filing the lawsuit by saying that "he was allegedly afraid of (ex-Prime Minister Oleksiy) Honcharuk and the government of Honcharuk and did not launch his reinstatement." Fewer than 24 hours after Port Arthurs mayor officially announced his city would get its own testing site for everyone, regardless of symptoms, Jefferson County officials have denied that was even a possibility for Friday morning. The response 35 individuals, some wearing masks, gathered early Friday morning illustrates the need, said Jefferson County Commissioner Michael Shane Sinegal, whose precinct includes the city. Mayor Thurman Bill Bartie by text message said he isnt sure what happened Friday morning but maintained the testing would happen. On Thursday afternoon, he said the arrangement for open testing was made with Jefferson County Health Authority Dr. Cecil Walkes and Sinegal. Walkes could not be reached for comment. RELATED: SE Texas will not open first coronavirus test site for residents without symptoms, other risk factors Sinegal said he didnt know what gave Bartie the idea that testing would begin Friday morning, but the mobile medical unit already has been being used to test some people, by appointment. More Information Helpful numbers (409) 550-2536: Hotline for residents of Jasper, Jefferson, Hardin, Newton, Orange and Tyler counties who have symptoms that could be coronavirus and/or are first responders and want to be tested. 211, option 6: For general coronavirus inquiries. See More Collapse But there arent nearly enough test kits to open it up for everyone at this time an issue that Sinegal and Commissioner Everette Bo Alfred are working on with state Rep. Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont. At the same time, the two are advocating potentially moving the countys testing site or adding some in north Beaumont and Port Arthur. While Port Arthur hasnt emerged as a hot spot for coronavirus cases at this time, Sinegal said that could be because not enough people have been tested. He said hes aware of only 144 Port Arthur residents who have been tested. Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox The city has confirmed 26 positive cases. Were going to get it straight, find out whos sick and hold people accountable, he said. A clearer picture of who has the virus is necessary to make decisions on how to reopen businesses across the state an issue Gov. Greg Abbott discussed during a Friday afternoon news conference. The county judges in Hardin and Jefferson counties both said that Abbotts phrase colossal challenge seemed more than accurate when describing the process of determining how to send residents back to work. Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said he plans to read the executive orders and have a phone call with Abbott before responding with more specific comments. However, he said he agrees with the reopening of state parks because of the exercise and health benefits they can provide, as well as curbside pickup at Home Depot and other big-box stores. RELATED: UIL, TAPPS cancels spring amid coronavirus pandemic I agree that we cannot just open the doors and say everything is OK ... it has to be very calculated and measured, Branick said. He, too, said testing needs to be more widely available. Hardin County Judge Wayne McDaniel also didnt give any concrete dates or approaches he plans to take in his county, McDaniel said he plans to review the executive orders, local data and speak with medical providers to determine how the county can best adapt Abbotts orders locally. I agree that this is how I characterize this entire battle with COVID-19, not necessarily just for myself, but for all Hardin County citizens, he said in a statement released after Abbotts address. It was also mentioned that the spread of the coronavirus had been slowed as a result of our actions. I say, this is a result of our citizens actions they get the credit, not me or any government official. RELATED: Southeast Texas schools to stay closed Meanwhile, Southeast Texas on Friday recorded its largest single-day increase in positive test results since March 30. The 27 new cases brings the region to 315. The city of Beaumont also recorded an additional death of an individual with pre-existing conditions on Friday, bringing the regions total to 11. While this may seem like a spike, Hardin County Public Health Authority Dr. Jana Winberg said labs that test the kits have been backlogged and she expects a small surge as they get caught up. The hotline set up to streamline the screening and testing process also saw the highest number of calls in the past two weeks 145 while the number of people tested at sites in Hardin and Jefferson county fell to 147 from 165 the day before. The number of people being tested has stayed pretty steady between 136 and 169 this week, compared to weeks prior where some days saw a difference of nearly 100 people day-to-day. Officials have said theyre watching the number of people calling to be tested and actually being tested when making decisions about how to reopen commerce, instead of just the number of positive cases being confirmed. kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/KaitlinBain It's no secret that the past year has been hard on business. At least 85 of San Francisco's restaurants have closed. Relatives around the country are calling us to ask about the supposed "San Francisco Exodus" of former downtown workers. The local arts scene is standing on its last leg. Luckily, however, our right to spend our money on legal pot was protected. Cannabis businesses were declared essential, and though a few dispensaries closed (like the medical-era Urban Pharm, RIP), the majority have hung on. While smoking and vaping remains prohibited at cannabis lounges due to Covid-19, some, like at Posh Green Boutique, now let you sit down and enjoy an edible. And even though the traditional 4/20 festivities at Hippie Hill are canceled again this year, a few outdoor events, like the High, San Francisco! cannabis-themed scavenger hunt on April 17th, have been given the go-ahead. Whether you plan to gather with your pandemic pod or just enjoy a day parked in front of the TV, 2021 is most definitely a year to celebrate all the herb has given us. Impulsively bought pre-rolls, after all, saved us from many a night of pandemic boredom. Cannabis-infused salves and lotions cured the back pain induced by our lousy home office equipment. Discreet, low-dose edibles made three-hour Zoom meetings manageable. Soothing tinctures kept our pandemic anxieties at bay. So roll up a joint and let out a big exhale. The best thing about the stoner's holiday is you can make it just as relaxing, exciting, or sociable as you please. Here are some of the best products, dispensaries, deliveries, and adventures available within a couple hours' drive of the Golden Gate Bridge to help guide you on your journey. High-End Cannabis Dispensaries & Deliveries in the Bay Area Sleek and strategically located in San Francisco's posh shopping mecca Union Square, Stiiizy, from social equity program proprietor Cindy De La Vega, is the city's first Latina-owned cannabis dispensary. (Courtesy of Stiiizy) Lucky for daily tokers and occasional smokers alike, cannabis was declared an "essential" business in California this past year. The trip to the dispensary became our monthly outing, and local budtenders and delivery drivers became the smiling faces we could always count on. These are some of the best dispensaries and delivery services that have been meeting our needs over the past year, offering some of the most luxurious products available in the Bay Area. SAN FRANCISCO There is no bigger name in cannabis than Cookies, and there is no better location for a cannabis dispensary than the Haight-Ashbury near Golden Gate Park. Luckily Berner's on Haight (1685 Haight St., Upper Haight) has both the Cookies supply and the location, sitting at the corner of Cole and Haight and routinely carrying more than 50 different cultivars. If you ask CEO/founder Shawn Richard, however, he's most proud of his "equity shelf": a rack of flower, vapes, and edibles brands produced by other social equity entrepreneurs. // The first dispensary in San Francisco independently owned by a Black woman, Posh Green Cannabis Boutique (828 Innes Ave., Bayview), touts a stylish shop and places priority on wellness with their own, in-house CBD line. Having had their official opening interrupted by the pandemic, they're hosting an official grand-opening "Community Appreciation Event" on 4/20/21. Check out their Instagram for more updates. // Though smoking lounges are still a forbidden luxury, the centrally located Vapor Room (79 Ninth St., SoMa) has a carefully curated flower menu that, pound-for-pound, may be the best in the city. It's our choice for grabbing IC Collective flowerthe only true, Grateful Dead-approved Chem Dog aroundas well as the best sun-grown flower and the latest luxe edibles. // SPARC (1256 Mission St., 471 Haight St., 502 14th St.) still encourages customers to order online for pickup or delivery in order to reduce the amount of customers in the store, but it's worth the extra step. In addition to having their own vertically integrated farm operations, they also have made a pointed effort to support and advertise great social equity brands like the San Francisco Cannabis Oversight Committee's own Nina Parks' brand, Gift of Doja. // If you're a germaphobeand who isn't these daysThe Green Cross (4218 Mission St., Excelsior) is your jam. They've been taking pandemic safety seriously since before the first shelter in place order, and strictly enforce mask wearing and social distancing. // If you're heading back into the office, you'll want to get acquainted with the new Stiiizy location downtown (180 O'Farrell St., Union Square), a friendly, community-oriented shop with one of the widest vape and edible selections around. Cindy De La Vega, the store's co-owner, is supported by the city's social equity program and has developed a name for herself as a community activist with the violence-prevention and youth-development group United Playaz. Work remotely and never get downtown these days? Get a taste of the Stiiizy label by ordering its live resin pods in Gold Wedding Cake x Watermelon Z for home delivery ($30, available at Eaze). // If you've been surprised by the number of new Apothecarium locations (in the Castro, Marina, and SoMa) popping up around the Bay Area, don't worry, it's not short-term memory loss. They're owned by the Canadian company TerrAscend, one of the most successful companies in weed, and are rapidly expanding throughout the region. Their status also means they have one of the widest and consistently stocked selections in SF. // When a product is new on the market, Barbary Coast (952 Mission St., SoMa) will always be one of the first dispensaries to carry it. Stop by to check out the freshest edibles, eighths, and vapes on the scene. // Chic cannabis boutique Urbana (locations in the Inner Richmond and Mission District) transforms cannabis users from stoner to cannaisseur. This dispensary never carries anything "bottom shelf," so if you don't have the time to research before, you can rest easy knowing anything from Urbana is a safe bet. EAST BAY Located in a downtown space formerly used by legalization legend Oaksterdam University, Cookies Oakland (1776 Broadway, Oakland) is the top brand's flagship Bay Area locationand is also delivering to "most" of the East Bay. Call ahead to see if your secret retreat away in the hills isn't so remote after all. // Conveniently located near Oakland freeways, East Bay native and equity entrepreneur Alphonso "Tucky" Blunt's semi-eponymous Blunts+Moore (701 66th Ave., Oakland) is open from 10am to 7pm daily. // The original Harborside (1840 Embarcadero, Oakland) is still receiving steady shipments from its 47-acre farm in Monterey County, as well as from every ambitious flower provider in Northern California, and then delivering it all to you. Even better, they've dedicated an entire grow room to clones, just in time for the growing season this year. // Hi Fidelity (2465 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley) still boasts one of the biggest selections in the Bay Area, consistently stocked with Emerald Cup winners and hard-to-find boutique and craft products. // The dab bar is closed, but Magnolia (161 Adeline St., Oakland) is open and certified RN Barbara Blaser, the legendary cannabis nurse, is available via phone and FaceTime to advise you on what may best relax your stress. // Farmacy (3243 Sacramento St., Berkeley), founded by cannabis activist Sue Taylor, also offers excellent service, emphasizing education and a welcoming atmosphere where there's no wrong questions. SOUTH BAY If you ever worry about the amount of plastic packaging you accrue buying cannabis, Airfield Supply Co. (1190 Coleman Ave., San Jose) is the place to go this 4/20. For the full week leading up to the holiday, April 13th through April 20th, Airfield is encouraging customers to bring in as much plastic cannabis waste as possible so the dispensary can convert it into diesel fuel with the help of recycling innovator Resynergi. In return, customers receive a redeemable coupon for a wide range of edibles, vape cartridges, and pre-rolled joints with any purchase of $25 or more. // If one of your weekend road trips brings you to Santa Cruz, Kind Peoples (3600 Soquel Ave., 533 Ocean St.) is worth a stop on your trip. Not only does the Soquel location carry a wide variety of seeds and clones rare in the Bay Area, but they also have a long list of buy-one-get-one deals on cannabis eighths, vapes, and edibles. // East of Eden, with locations in Moss Landing and Salinas, consistently offer enough deals on products to fill up an entire web page. It's their extract selection, however, that keeps us coming back, stocked with both extracts for dabbing and multiple varieties of powdery hash to sprinkle atop your bowls and joints. For their tiered 4/20 giveaway, customers who purchase anywhere from $10 to $150 worth of products will receive raffle tickets for awesome prizes. The grand prize is a Marley Natural bong. MARIN + WINE COUNTRY The lone brick-and-mortar dispensary in Marin County is still the CBC Marin Alliance (6 School St. #210, Fairfax), just as it's been since the 1990s. Walk-ins are medical only, but the delivery service is for everyone 21 and up. // Those of us lucky to enjoy a Russian River getaway already know about Riverside Wellness Collective (15025 River Rd., Guerneville). Online express ordering is recommended when you're in a rush, though their membership offers access to coworking and event spaces as well. // Harvest House of Cannabis (2449 2nd St., Napa) is operating normal hours but is one of the few dispensaries still only offering curbside pickup. // If you're a fan of the low-cost and top-tier cannabis from Talking Trees, it's worth the trek to Humanity Wellness (3791 Cleveland Ave., Santa Rosa). In addition to Talking Trees, they regularly carry top-shelf brands like Seven Leaves, Cookies, and Wonderbrett at unbeatable prices. WEB- AND APP-BASED DELIVERIES Social distancing accelerated the already rising popularity of all things delivery, and that applies to cannabis, too. Customers can order nearly every product available on the California market through the Bay Area's top-tier dispensaries, as they often have the widest selections around. Still the biggest name in the smartphone-hailed weed delivery game after its initial arrival a half-decade ago, Eaze remains the most consistent delivery company around with its exhaustive menu, quick delivery times, and unparalleled coverage area. If you can't get Eaze delivered to you, you may not exist. // If Eaze has any competitors, it's Caliva, a statewide delivery service with an extensive selection of sungrown flower, edibles, and social equity brands (they also just opened a deli-themed dispensary in SoCal, if you ever make the trip south). Always whimsical and never stuffy, their colorfully packaged sungrown flower is toposthough they also carry a wide range of other brands including Jay-Z's pricey cannabis brand Monogram if you're feeling fancy. // From Bolinas to the Sausalito pier, if you live in Marin County, you must get to know San Rafaelbased Nice Guys Delivery. They're still one of the few retailers offering discounts for first-time patients (a whopping 25 percent off), and have a long list of changing buy-one-get-one deals on their website. // Bud.com has fully embraced the CBD game. Anchoring its CBD hemp line are packs of smokes, full-spectrum tincture, and gummies, but THC products, including Dosist vape pens and Chong's Choice party joints, are available throughout most of the state. They're even stocked up on CBD treatments for your furry friends, if you want to share the love. // Cannabis to impress comes from the carefully curated selections at women-founded, women-run Sava. If you're on the lookout for creams to cure your aches and pains, this delivery service has the best wellness selection in the Bay Area, hands down. They also carry some of the best, small-batch, craft products: Check out the rosin-infused, Michelin star-chef created Turkish delights from Rose or whole-plant infused olive oil tinctures from Cosmic View. // For when only the very finest flower will do, the first and last call goes out to C.R.A.F.T. On top of their own legendary strains, find IC Collective, Alien Labs, and Connected. Their most fun deal, however, is the Baker's eighths, which are $45 ounces of mixed sativa, hybrid, or indica nugs selected for infusing your own oils and butters at home. // Punching in 1-800-CANNABIS to your phone calls up Weden. Selections are cued up by desired outcome: Sleep? Party? McLovin' time? The latter keeps the spirit of brand ancestor Lady Chatterley's alive. // CaliXpress' lane is the "best value marijuana you can find." Rather than a concierge, CaliXpress positions itself as "a grocery store," a necessity rather than a treat yo'self splurgeno small promise in these essential times. // Ganja Goddess was founded by a woman who felt uncomfortable visiting most California dispensaries, and for good reasonthe ogling and "bro" culture of some cannabis dispensaries can be overwhelming. Though Ganja Goddess is an online delivery, they prioritize education and service, with patient customer support available daily via phone. Ganja Goddess is the place to go for luxury edibles or any wellness products you might need a little extra help choosing between. Artisanal Cannabis Edibles + Drinks Cooking with cannabis? Potli's cannabis-infused olive oil still takes the cake. (Courtesy of Aster Farms) As we begin to re-enter the real world, discreet consumption is once again the name of the game. Luckily, while we all got high watching Bridgerton last year, cannabis companies experimented with all types of different infusions to get us higher, quicker, and in even more delectable and creative ways. Indulge in a fast-acting aperitif, sautee vegetables in THC olive oil, or munch on some rosin-infused chocolates before bed. We are living through the renaissance of cannabis edibles, and there's never been a better time to indulge. FOR THE KITCHEN Though several cannabis brands have entered the cannabis olive oil game, Potli still takes the (olive oil) cake. They have a hemp-CBD variety if you need your olive oil to cross state lines ($32), a THC-infused collaboration with Aster Farms ($43) or, best of all, their CBD/THCA variety, which keeps you sober when served cold or activates with THC when heated ($55). Their THC-, CBD-, and CBN-infused organic local honey ($35-$45) also makes for the ultimate throat-soother if you're suffering from seasonal allergies. // For a little extra spice, Pot D'Huile has designed some mouthwatering offerings. Their CBD-infused Hot Sloth Hot Sauce ($36, available online) is ideal for pork or fruit, made with pungent, tangy ingredients like Japanese plum, purple sweet potato, shiso, and koji. Their Loud Grandma CBD-infused Chili Crisp Oil ($29, available online), delightfully packaged in an imitation take-out box, is also a wonderfully authentic-tasting topper for noodles and meats. // If you're a fan of Mexican food, FA Ninos' Smoking Green Pot Sauce ($25, available at Stiiizy Union Square) has all the classic tang of jalapenos, serranos, and garlic necessary for topping tacos through the summer months. CHOCOLATES + SNACKS Industry-dominating gummy brand Plus has finally entered the premium whole-plant edible market with their new limited-edition orange-blossom-flavored hash gummy, backed by old school hash masters Biscotti Brands, just in time for 4/20 ($29, available at Harborside). Prefer a more classic boost? Pop one of Plus' sour watermelon Uplift gummies for fast-acting bubbly vibes ($18, available at Eaze). // Papa & Barkley's hash-infused chocolates ($21) are as creamy as a Ghirardelli square and are infused with relaxing, whole-plant cannabis that gets you lifted with none of the typical edibles anxiety. Their hash-infused gummies, too, yield the ideal, euphoric, Sunday afternoon high while melting away the week's aches and pains ($20, both available at Farmacy Berkeley). // From Oregon but legally ported to California, Wyld is the industry leader in gummies ($18), with 1:1 and high-CBD varieties, and also stands out with its blood-orange, sativa-enhanced white chocolates (available at Posh Green, Urbana, and Project Cannabis). // If you must travel, melt away pandemic stress by popping a hand-crafted Mellows marshmallow in either THC-infused peppermint bark or the CBD-rich brown-butter sage ($7, available at Vapor Room). // Oakland-based Kiva Confections has entered the world of whole-plant edibles too, and for good reason: Within only a few weeks on the market, their Lost Farm line of fruit chews and gummies became a statewide favorite. Bite into a juicy peach-flavored gummy and enjoy the euphoric sativa high of the strain Mimosa ($25, available on Ganja Goddess). More of a chocolate lover? Order the brand's Terra Almond Bites ($28, available at Eaze)with 5mg each of THC and CBD, it's ok if you can't eat just one. // The new Kanha nano vegan gummy takes the guesswork out of edibles because their specialty nanoemulsion technology lets effects kick in within about 10 minutes. In flavors Blood Orange Bliss, Luscious Lemon, and Serene Green Apple, these indica, sativa, and CBD gummies are perfect when you're in a pinch ($20, available at Posh Green Boutique). // If you have any dietary restrictions, Dosist has you covered. Their new gummies, labeled with the same easy-to-understand names as their vapes like Bliss and Calm, are both vegan and gluten-free ($20, available on Sava). DELIGHTFUL DRINKS Cannabis has advanced from the White Claw era to fine faux liqueurs and mocktails, with infused drinks of every kind hitting the scene (and your brain). Up first is Wunder with their line of low-dose and low-calorie sparkling seltzers that feel more like a canned mocktail than sparkling juice. Infused with just 2mg THC, 2mg of THC's milder body-heavy cousin Delta-8, and 4mg CBD, these beverages bring on a subtle, social feeling unique from any other drink on the market ($20 per four-pack, available on Sava). // The magic of cannabis and caffeine is captured in Somatik, the first-of-its-kind (and still the best) cannabis cold brew ($8, available on Sava); the brand also offers THC coffee beans and CBD-rich goji berries, called Sparks, in its collection. // Designed with women foremost in mind, Kikoko made its mark with a variety of CBD and THC tea blends for all situations and occasions ($6 single-serve, $20/four-pack, $44/can of 10, available at Hi Fidelity); the Marin-based brand now also offers honey shots, tinctures, and mints. // Aperitifs are meant to stimulate the appetite and mind before a meal, so it makes complete sense to pour a little THC into your glass. Artet, however, is the only cannabis aperitif brand on the market so far, offering a botanical faux liqueur that has 2.5mg THC per serving ($50 per bottle, available at Posh Green Boutique). // Hops and cannabis are closely related, and so Lagunitas' combination, Hi Fi Hops, is rightly revered as one of the top weed drinks around. Try the 18:1 CBD:THC sparking water ($8, available at Posh Green Boutique). // Want a buzz without the booze? Grab a Cann Social Tonicwith 2mg THC and 4mg CBD, these sparkling waters provide a microdose in tasty flavors including ginger lemongrass. For 4/20 this year, the brand has released a special lime basil flavor in collaboration with the delivery service Sava ($5-$18, available on Sava). A note of caution: Cannabinoids in most drinks absorb more efficiently in the body, making them a bit stronger per milligram than the average edible. As the veteran stoner saying goes: Start low (dose), and go slow. // Sometimes, your cravings are just too specific for a pre-made beverage. Infuse your own drinks with Purejuana, an all-natural, rapid-onset powder that comes in easy-to-use 10mg packets. Better yet, the cannabinoids are strain-specific, so you can choose the ideal effect to go with your favorite drinks ($30, available at Barbary Coast). RECIPES + COOKBOOKS Most everyone has gotten more into cooking over the past year, whether it be by choice or out of necessity. If you're out of new recipes to try, the cannabis cookbook category continues to grow, with infinite meal and dessert options you can infuse at home. Mellows creator and San Franciscan Stephanie Hua and Cannasseur Series executive chef Coreen Carroll give all their secrets away in Edibles: Small Bites for the Modern Cannabis Kitchen. Featuring directions on how to prepare 30 low-dose edibles, the book is a roadmap for budding chefs as well as mindful entertainers. // Chef Cheri Sicard believes that cooking with cannabis should be an everyday venture. She also grasps that fudging the active ingredient is a recipe for disaster, which is why her Easy Cannabis Cookbook provides both a dosing guide and a 101-level explanation, as well as 60 recipes suitable for weekday nights and lazy brunches. // If you love to keep your bar cart stocked and mix cocktails at home, the new book Cannabis Drinks, from "Herb Somm" Jamie Evans, walks you through making THC and CBD drinks both with pre-made tinctures or honey and home-infused simple syrups. The Ginger Rabbit, made with THC honey, fresh carrot, ginger, and lemon juice will have you blissed-out all summer long. The Purest Vapes, Cartridges + Concentrates The new Pax Era Life vape comes in four colors and is even smaller and sleeker than previous models. (Courtesy of Pax) Each method of cannabis consumption has a time and place. Edibles are great for long hikes or movie marathons, joints are great for socializing, and bongs are there when you're ready to go all-in. But when it comes to discretion, nothing works better than vaping. With little smell, a quick, potent onset, and a similar appearance to nicotine vapes, it's tempting to keep one in your pocket at all times. These are the best cartridges and tech for your on-the-go vaping needs. CARTRIDGES AND DISPOSABLES For the peak top-shelf experience, it's hard to beat Friendly Farms' selection of exotic pure live resin cartridges ($36 per half gram, available at Hi Fidelity). A brand known as much for their community-first mindset as their premium concentrates, they routinely collaborate with other big-name brands like Connected, Wonderbrett, and Seven Leaves. // Raw Garden has become an industry standard for a reason: They're consistent, and probably offer the best bang for your buck. The cartridges are a blend of whole-plant live resin and distillate, yielding many of the benefits of top-shelf extracts at a reasonable price point. Pick up a 3 Bears OG half gram cart and you'll never go back to your post-work glass of wine again ($35/half gram, $60/gram, available at The Green Cross). // Though whole-plant extracts like live resin, sauce, and rosin are a must if you're looking for a heavy-hitting high, Eden's diamond distillate cartridges are the most premium distilled THC oil money can buy. In fact, the oil is so pure it's clear, and is delivered via a patented mouth piece that makes for a smoother than usual hit ($45, available at East of Eden). // Jetty Extracts utilizes sustainable farming practices and industry-leading hydrocarbon extraction in its high potency cartridges. Take a tropical vacay with a gram of the Gold Pineapple Express ($50, available at Eaze). // Born in Humboldt County, Dosist celebrates the seat of cannabis legacy in its plant sciencebased formulas that are "chemically engineered to make people feel a certain waycalm, sleepy, relieved of painwithout getting high." Most important, however, is the brand's patented technology: These pens buzz in your hand and shut off after puffing the proper "dose." Previously only sold in a disposable format, the pens now come in a rechargeable form. Better yet, the brand has also recently delved into live resin, so you can pair the premium technology with top shelf concentrates ($40-$100, available at SPARC). // We get it: You're a pro. You want potency, as quickly and cleanly as possible. Even more, you don't mind if it wears off in an hour or twoquick, potent highs are the name of the game, because you have stuff to do. You, friend, want the full-gram cartridges from Heavy Hitters, with full flavor and full effect ($60, available at Magnolia Oakland). // Known for clean cannabis, Oakland-based Brite Labs was one of the very first to be certified safe and free of the deadly additive Vitamin E acetate, the culprit behind the 2019 vape crisis. Breathe easy when you see the Brite Labs label on Pax Era pods and regular pen cartridges ($30-$50, available at Urbana). // For the best value, we can't argue with what's on offer from Circles ($15/half gram, $25/gram, available at Eaze). Their sauce cartridges, and particularly the Forbidden Fruit variety, are similar in quality to cartridges that sell for $20 more. CONCENTRATES Concentrates used to only suit the most serious of stoners, mainly because of their potency and the fact that a blow torch is typically needed to vape them. However, refillable vape pens like the Puffco Plus ($89) make it simple and easy to enjoy the purest concentrates at approachable doses. // Oakland-based Guild Extracts has one of the widest selections around, including oils that focus on specific cannabinoids. Try their distilled Delta-8 ($45, available at Barbary Coast) for a functional and comparatively subtle body high. // Whether it's after a killer workout or a tough day at work, sometimes we just need a hefty dose of CBD. Craft company Blessed Extracts has you covered with their Emerald Cup-winning Suzie Q CBD concentrate ($38, available at Hi Fidelity). // On nights when you're trying to let loose, it's hard to do better than Berkeley-based artisan rosin-makers Doc Green's. Their completely solventless extracts are made as pure and true-to-the-plant as humanly possible, so you get all the benefits of smoking with none of the smoke ($66, available on Sava). FLOWER POWER Born of the same lab that brought you a certain very notorious product popular with teens, Everyday's quarter-ounce of Mandarin Cookies ($105, available at Born of the same lab that brought you a certain very notorious product popular with teens, Pax carries none of the stigma and all of the design genius. The new Pax Era Life comes in three colors in addition to the classic black, and is even a tiny bit smaller and sleeker than their previous Pax Era models ($35, available at pax.com ). // The Hydrology9 NX, from Bay Areabased hardware company Cloudious9 , is the best tech for enjoying both extracts and flower without a flame. Throw the small water pipe in its nifty carrying case and you're set for any West Coast road trip no matter how long you're gone ($300, available on cloudious9.com ). // Just want to roll a J? For the everyday toke, pick up's quarter-ounce of Mandarin Cookies ($105, available at Eaze ). Cannabis for Wellness: Tinctures, Topicals + More Say "bye" to workaday stress with a ylang ylangscented, cannabis-infused bath bomb from Life Elements. (Courtesy of Life Elements) With the conditions around us fluctuating as much as they are, self-care has never been more important. For many of us, that means at-home spa days and pampering, and there's no better companion for a day of relaxing than cannabis-infused wellness products that amplify the relief. TINCTURES Papa & Barkley is a top brand for topicals, but in addition to balms and patches they also offer tinctures in both high CBD, 3:1, and 1:1 CBD:THC ratios ($45-$90, at dispensaries Bay Areawide; hemp-based CBD products may be ordered online for shipping directly from papaandbarkley.com). // Ditch the Ambien and place a dropper full of Cosmic View's Slumber tincture, a 4:1 ratio of THC:CBD with added skullcap, chamomile, and valerian for a peaceful night's rest ($62, available on Sava). // Chemistry's Lady Benbow 10:1 CBD-rich tincture ($50, available at Caliva) is an Emerald Cup first-place winner. Its healing properties come courtesy of full-spectrum cannabis extract, steam-distilled terpenes, and organic MCT oil. // If you need to relieve daytime anxiety and find CBD tends to make you sleepy, Juna's Balance CBD drops are designed to keep you clear-headed and awake despite the added sense of calm ($60, available at juna-world.com). OILS + LOTIONS + BALMS Melt away the day with one of Melt away the day with one of Life Elements ' hand-dosed, broad-spectrum CBD bath bombs ($14-$28, available at lifeelements.com ). These bath bombs are advertised as "water-activated pain relief," and the statement is true: Nothing cures post-workout muscle soreness better than a soak in a frothy, ylang ylangscented bath. // Cannabis is rife with essential oilsa terpene by any other nameand Sweet Releaf 's Roll-on Body Oils, coming in "warm" and "cool" varieties, are like an IcyHot from another dimension ($22-$40, available at Sava). Their standard topical, the Comfort Body Butter, is a favorite pain-reliever among industry veterans and has been around since the Prop 215 days. // Mary's Muscle Freeze ($44, available at Eaze ) combines CBD with menthol in a roller applicator to cool that burn in your back. // If you need a little help regulating yeast and bacteria in the down-there areas, Quim 's line of daily care products prioritize health over irritating scents. Their lubricants, on the other hand, increase sensation and libido in a healthy, temporary way by aiding blood flow ($48, available on Sava). // Lord Jones is an 'It' brand for those seeking luxurious, CBD-rich skin and body care products. And while the brand is actually based in Los Angeles, we're giving them props for having donated $300,000 worth of soothing CBD product to healthcare workers amid the Covid-19 crisis. Their high-CBD body lotion ($60), moisturizer ($75), and bath salts ($65) are typically available at FortyFiveTen (6540 Washington St., Yountville, fortyfiveten.com ) and Spa Radiance (3011 Fillmore St., Pacific Heights, sparadiance.com ), and may be purchased online at lordjones.com The Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged raised its death toll by 50 per cent on Friday, revealing the ground zero of the global pandemic had been much worse hit than Beijing had previously reported. The revision came as a growing chorus of world leaders suggested China had not been entirely open about the full domestic impact of a virus that has killed more than 140,000 people globally and confined half of humanity to their homes. It also followed US President Donald Trump ordering a cautious easing of lockdown restrictions in an effort to kick-start his stalling economy, and as GDP data revealed China's economy had slipped into reverse for the first time in decades. In Wuhan, where the virus was first detected late last year, an official announcement raised the city's death toll by half, to a total of 3,869. The additional deaths were cases that were "mistakenly reported" or missed entirely, the posting said. But the revision will play into a growing narrative of Chinese untrustworthiness led by Trump's nationalist administration. That has now garnered support from Britain and France, fuelled by two US media outlets reporting suspicions the virus accidentally slipped out of a sensitive Wuhan laboratory that studied bats. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, deputising for Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is still recovering from the virus, said there would be "hard questions" for Beijing. French President Emmanuel Macron told the Financial Times it would be "naive" to think China had handled the pandemic well, adding: "There are clearly things that have happened that we don't know about." Beijing and Moscow slapped down the attacks, with Russian President Vladimir Putin denouncing "attempts by some people to smear China." Life-and-death balance World leaders are grappling with the question of when to re-open society, seeking a life-and-death balance between unfreezing stalled economies and preventing a deadly second coronavirus wave. While Trump declared Thursday the time had come for the "next front in our war" with a phased re-opening of the US, others took the opposite path -- Japan, Britain and Mexico all expanding current restrictions. Despite the United States suffering a staggering 4,500 deaths in the last 24 hours -- taking the national toll to almost 33,000 -- Trump proclaimed: "We're opening up our country." The president's approach was more cautious than previous hopes for a sudden re-opening however, with state governors given the lead. Lightly affected states can open "literally tomorrow," said Trump, while others would receive White House "freedom and guidance" to achieve that at their own pace. Top US government scientist Anthony Fauci said: "Light switch on and off is the exact opposite of what you see here." In New York state for example -- where more than 11,500 have died -- Governor Andrew Cuomo extended a shutdown order until May 15. New Yorker Jamie O'Reilly, owner of a dog-walking business, summed up the agonising predicament world leaders face. "Why does the economy matter if we're not around to spend any money because we're all sick?" the 31-year-old told AFP. The shutdown was "stressful" but "you just have to roll with the punches... That's what New Yorkers do." 'Lost decade' Meanwhile, there were more and more signals of the global economy imploding. China's reported Friday its gross domestic product shrank 6.8 percent in the first quarter of the year. That is the first contraction since quarterly growth data became available in the early 1990s. In the US, another 5.2 million workers lost their jobs, bringing the total number of newly unemployed to a staggering 22 million since mid-March. John Williams, a top official at the Federal Reserve, predicted it would take "a year or two" if not longer for the US to recover from what the International Monetary Fund has termed the "Great Lockdown" battering the global economy. The virus could spark another "lost decade" in Latin America, the IMF warned, while experts cautioned that freezing debt for poor countries will not save many developing world economies. On April 15, 2020, one of the members of a royal family appealed for her release from prison via Twitter. Princess Basmah bint Saud of Saudi Arabia disappeared more than a year ago, but it was recently found out that she was jailed without charges. She made a rare public appeal to the king and crown prince for her release from a high-security prison, saying that she would "die" inside because of her "deteriorating" health. "I am currently being held in Al-Ha'ir prison without criminal or other any charges against my person," the Princess tweeted on her verified Twitter account, adding, "My health is deteriorating to the extent that is severe, and that could lead to my death." "I have not received medical care or even a response to the letters I dispatched from jail to the Royal court." The tweet was posted in Arabic and English, and she addressed her plea to King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Though the Princess didn't specify what was wrong with her, the tweet comes as the kingdom fights with the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic. Princess Basmah is also a blunt member of the Saudi royal family. She has been a frequent advocate of reform in the kingdom, and had advanced women's rights and human rights during a brief media career and living several years in London where she acquired a business career. In the past, she called for Saudi Arabia to become a constitutional monarchy, a change that would have separated the position of the monarch from the country's executive branch - a radical shift in its current status of an absolute monarchy. Princess Basmah returned to Saudi Arabia in 2015, assuming the role of supporter of the royal family, but also a royal critic. She was detained March last year just before she was scheduled to travel to Switzerland for medical treatment. The 56-year-old businesswoman claims she's being arrested without charge in Riyadh with one of her daughters and said that neither of them had received an explanation for their arrests, despite repeated pleas to the kingdom's royal court, and her uncle, the king. Saudi authorities have not revealed the reasons for her detention. Princess Basmah is the last of King Saud's 108 children. What Princess Basmah did was a rare step in a country where problems within the royal family are not typically raised or talked about in public. Since Prince Mohammed became the official heir to the throne in 2017, authorities have detained most of his family relatives who were accused of extortion and others for unstated reasons. Some, however, have been released. Among the most notable royals to be held captive were the king's full-blood brother Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, and the former Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who was taken into custody just last month. The government has yet to officially comment on what's happening, which has already raised fears of government instability. However, according to one source who told AlJazeera, the royal court dismissed such concerns and said that the detentions were meant to send a stern warning within the royal family not to oppose the de-facto crown prince. READ MORE: Royal Disappointment: Meghan Markle Having a 'Lonely Time' Since Moving to LA Chiles celebrated author Luis Sepulveda, who died Thursday aged 70 from COVID-19, was a committed writer exiled by the Pinochet dictatorship for his political activities. Best-known for his 1992 novel, The Old Man Who Read Love Stories, Sepulveda was particularly successful in Europe, where he had been based since the 1980s. His works, appreciated for their simple humour and depictions of life in South America, have been translated in some 50 countries and range from novels, chronicles and novellas to childrens stories. - Dark times under Pinochet - Sepulveda was born on October 4, 1949, at Ovalle, north of the Chilean capital Santiago. From a young age he was a political activist, first for Chiles Communist Youth, and then for the Socialists. He was arrested and jailed for treason for two-and-a-half years in 1973 under the military regime of Augusto Pinochet. He wrote of this dark period in La locura de Pinochet (2003), (Madness of Pinochet and other articles). I write because I believe in the militant force of words, he said in the book. Pinochet imposed a right-wing dictatorship that lasted 17 years, during which at least 3,200 people were killed or disappeared. Around 38,000 were tortured. After rights group Amnesty International intervened, Sepulveda was freed and escaped, living underground for nearly a year before being recaptured and sent into exile in 1977. He never returned to live in Chile and it was only in 2017 that he regained his Chilean nationality, which had been stripped from him decades earlier. After leaving his home country he travelled around Latin America, where he founded theatre troupes in Ecuador, Peru and Colombia. In Nicaragua, he fought with the Sandinista revolution, which would overthrow the dictatorship in force at the time. - Amazon tribe and environmentalism - In 1978 Sepulveda spent a year living under a UNESCO study programme with the indigenous Shuar people in the Amazon. They would feature in his first novel, published in 1992, The Old Man Who Read Love Stories, a rallying call to redefine mans relationship with nature. Translated into 35 languages, the novel was a global success and in 2001 it was adapted to the cinema by Rolf de Heer and starring Richard Dreyfuss in the main role. Among Sepulvedas other most popular works was The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly (1996), a book for young people from 8 to 88 years old, according to the subtitle on its original Spanish edition. From 1982, Sepulveda settled in Europe, firstly in the German city of Hamburg, where he became a journalist and sailed the seas for several years on environmental activist group Greenpeaces boats. With his first wife, the poet Carmen Yanez, who had been tortured under the Pinochet dictatorship, he settled down in 1996 at Gijon in Asturias, northern Spain. The writer has not changed... He is a stocky and discreet dinosaur, who resembles the late Charles Bronson, French daily Liberation wrote of him in 2017, referring to the US actor known for his tough-guy roles. As a sideline, Sepulveda also wrote screenplays and directed films. He first began showing symptoms of COVID-19 on February 25 after returning from a festival in Portugal. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Amazon has no clarity yet on when its warehouses in France might reopen, the head of its French business said on Thursday, after the e-commerce giant clashed with unions over the measures taken to limit the risks of coronavirus contagion. Amazon closed six French warehouses used to stock and package goods for shipment on Thursday until at least April 20, in one of the biggest fallouts yet from a growing stand-off with its workers over safety measures during the pandemic. The worlds largest online retailer is facing mounting scrutiny on both sides of the Atlantic as it juggles a surge in online orders during unprecedented lockdowns during the pandemic and employees safety. France is the only country where it has shut down all of its so-called fulfillment centers after unions complained that they were still too crowded and filed a legal challenge. A court sided with the workers on Tuesday, ordering Amazon to focus only on delivering essential items like food while it revised health protocols. Amazons French Chief Executive Frederic Duval rejected the courts order on Thursday, saying the company had spent colossal amounts on health precautions including sanitary gels and face masks. The firm will appeal, he said. Duval added that rather than limiting its activities, Amazon had temporarily suspended trade through the warehouses because the court order, which included a 1 million-euro ($1.1 million) per day penalty for non-compliance, was too vague. The court did not order the closure of the warehouses but requested they limit deliveries to groceries, medical supplies and hygiene products. There is a huge ambiguity, Duval told RTL radio. Is a nail clipper a hygiene product? Is a condom a medical item? Im not able to define that. He said the company would work with unions to ensure the sites could reopen quickly, but added: I cannot confirm at this stage on what date they will reopen. Amazons vice president of the European Union segment, Roy Perticucci, has stepped down, the company confirmed on Wednesday, a day after the French courts ruling. The French shutdown could pile more pressure on small businesses and third party vendors which use Amazons site and logistics to reach clients, and especially so after France introduced store closures in March to try and combat the pandemic. The six warehouses employ 10,000 permanent and temporary employees. Amazon will tap a state partial unemployment scheme to pay its employees, according to an internal document seen by Reuters. I hope, for the sake of Amazon employees and French clients, that business can resume as soon as possible, but with security protocols in place, French Labour Minister Muriel Penicaud told LCI radio on Thursday. ($1 = 0.9185 euros) (Reporting by Sarah White, Marine Pennetier, Gwenaelle Barzic, Mathieu Rosemain; editing by Mathieu Rosemain and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) Topics COVID-19 Amazon France It is easy to spot Trumps falsehoods and misdirection, so why dont news organisations do it more? I have a television fantasy. Whenever the US president appears, he gets fact-checked, as he goes, in real-time. MSNBC is one news agency that is claiming to do that with Trumps so-called coronavirus briefings. But they dont. They just let him rant on. When he takes a break to do something, like bring on a guest performer to do a short routine, MSNBC turns to its own little team and gives it a chance to make comments. Sadly, I find that by doing the Google, I can come up with more falsehoods than they do, and I do it more quickly, too. For example, on Tuesday, April 14, Trump came out swinging against the World Health Organization (WHO). He announced he was going to cut all US funding to them. He said it was because WHO had called coronavirus all wrong. According to him, they were too late in telling the world the full extent of the danger posed by the virus. They called it wrong, he said. They could have called it months earlier. They would have known, and they should have known, and they probably did know, so well be looking into that very carefully. That, he said, is what caused everyone in the world to respond the wrong way. Except him, of course. Therefore, WHO was responsible for all the disease and death. Or at least a lot more than would have happened if WHO had not minimised the threat very strongly. In reality, of course, WHO had sounded the alarm early. Trump had already made these accusations a few days before, although not as viciously. USA Today had already fact-checked and rated Trumps claims false to mostly-false, except for the charge that WHO was too friendly to China, where USA Today found no clear evidence either way. I found all that out as he was speaking. Trump claimed that we went into the ventilator business. We made tens of thousands of ventilators. When I searched, I could not find any large number recently made. There is a big contract with General Motors to deliver 30,000 ventilators to the Strategic National Stockpile by the end of August this year, with a production schedule promising delivery of more than 6,000 by the start of June. These have not been shipped from the manufacturer to anywhere yet, but are expected to be at the end of the month, at which point they will send out 600. Ford is scheduled to begin deliveries of ventilators within the US in June, but might start earlier. Trump went on to claim that the US has more hospital beds for coronavirus victims than any other country in the world. In fact, it has 2.8 beds per 1,000 people. Half the number of Belgium. France, Austria and Germany have even more. South Korea has 12 for every thousand people. Indeed, most advanced countries have more hospitals per capita than the US. When it comes to hospitals, the US is Number One in only one area the number of administrators. And on and on like that. OK, credit to MSNBC, sometimes the New York Times, and a little bit at CNN, for trying to keep up with Trump Deception. But they arent good at it. Here is what I propose. Set it up like Jeopardy. On one side of the screen, there is Trump, making pronouncements. On the other, there are four or five journalists and researchers. Each has a big button. They compete to be the first to catch each lie. Smash the button. Freeze the pres. The contestant announces what they think is the truth. If they are right, they get points. Or money. A new refrigerator. A supply of face masks. If they are wrong if they are the liars they get voted off the island. At some point, we hope, the audience votes Trump off the island as the biggest liar. The overall question on this particular night is why attack the WHO? Trump did what Trump does. He made a list of everything he himself did wrong, then accused someone else of doing them. While announcing that everything he himself did was perfect. Why now? We go back two days. On Sunday, April 12, the New York Times, in its detailed, methodical, print way, laid out the history of Trump and COVID-19. It was a devastating depiction of complete dysfunction. All backed up by documents and testimony. He was warned. He was told. What has come to pass was predicted. Over and over. He runs an administration that cannot do anything effectively. Even when it sort of, kind of, wants to. Except destroy. The next day, Monday, April 13, Trump really went off the rails. He snarled at the camera: When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total. And thats the way its got to be. Its total. That is a claim that democracy is over. That the US now has a dictator. A loony King Donald. Copies of the Constitution can now be recycled as toilet paper. But for the most part, the media treated this as Trump-speak. One of those things that he blurts out instead of the greatest of all transgressions. Or they minimised it as only part of the context in which it occurred a debate about who gets to call the end of shut-downs; state governors or the president. If that was the case, then it would not matter that much because in reality they can and he cant and, when the time comes, Trump will probably forget what he said and expect that everyone else will too. This is the way it has always been with Trump. What is truly weird is the reaction he gets. Those who like him, keep liking him. They dont really believe that he lies. Those who dont like him, know he lies, are outraged over and over, and frustrated that they cant do anything about it. The Gallup polling organisation has charts of presidential approval and disapproval ratings for every president from Roosevelt to the present. All of them change vividly, up and down, bouncing around. Except Trumps. For him, approval and disapproval maintain remarkably straight lines. His lies lock him in with that portion of the population who crave lies and lock him out from those who despise them. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. The call to a south Houston home was one of Travis Tracys last during a recent shift. A woman in her 20s, pale and weak, battling a fever and a cough that sounded like a dog barking. She fit all the criteria for someone sick with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. She had gone to the hospital days before with breathing problems, but the medicine theyd given her hadnt helped. Now she felt worse. Earlier this year, paramedics Tracy and John Spiro would have grabbed gloves and rushed from the ambulance to the patient, to check her oxygen levels and temperature. Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer They held back, instead. I need to do everything I can to not get sick, Tracy thought. The 34-year-old paramedic didnt want to infect his crew at Houston Fire Station 33 or bring the virus home to his wife or 4-year-old daughter. Only after he donned his protective gear a mask, gown, goggles, and gloves did he finally approach the patient. He later reported the case to his supervisors, who told him to monitor for symptoms for two weeks. Since the coronavirus forced the closure of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and brought life in Houston to a halt, the citys paramedics and EMTs have watched the virus buckle fire departments across the nation and bring profound change and anxiety to their jobs. More than two dozen Houston firefighters have tested positive, with hundreds more having possible exposures like Tracys. Godofredo A. Vasquez/Staff photographer Interviews with more than a dozen EMTs, Houston Fire Department officials and representatives from the fire union show that the coronavirus has upended a generations-old tight-knit culture where firefighters work, sleep, and eat together and how those close quarters are putting them at risk. During a recent early morning at Station 33, firefighters began the day washing down and disinfecting their vehicles and the station. If Im going to be on this thing for 24 hours, I want it to be as clean and comfortable as I can, said JW Robinson, as he wiped down a radio. Before, each shifts crew was responsible for cleaning a different part of the firehouse. Vehicles on Monday. The station on Tuesday. And so on. Firefighters clean out the whole station and their vehicles twice a day. And sometimes, more. Every call ends with a deep clean. Paramedics scrub down every surface, to try to remove any trace of virus. When they return from runs before they even enter the firehouse they disinfect their vehicles, spray boots and wash their hands. Inside the firehouse on April 8, a captain beckoned each firefighter over and checked their temperatures. Moments later, they received medical masks part of a new policy requiring firefighters to wear them throughout their 24-hour shifts. How are you supposed to eat? one firefighter said, as his colleagues chuckled. You dont! In the field, they must use the tighter-fitting N95 masks which filter out 95 percent of airborne particles on every call, even low-risk cases where they might have previously eschewed masks. Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer They show up ready to go, Chief Sam Pena said. But in the back of their mind, theyre just as concerned as any other citizen. They dont want to take this home. Where EMTs often tried to get through low-risk calls quickly, they are having to slow down. Instead of whole teams going into homes to assist patients, just one paramedic or EMT will now approach a patient, said Shelby Walker, who supervises Station 33 and other stations serving the fire departments operations south of I-10. We have to be a little more standoffish, which takes a lot, he said. Were used to just walking up to people and asking whats going on. And where medics used to wear just gloves and goggles on simple medical calls, they now must wear N95 masks on any patient call. At the station, they also must wear cloth masks. The changes have not gone without hiccups. Fifty percent of exposures in the first two weeks were from not wearing (personal protective equipment), said Assistant Chief Michael Mire. Now you wont catch them without PPE. Marty Lancton, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, said firefighters received confusing guidelines and only recently have gotten some of the PPE they'd been asking for since the pandemic first reached Houston. Godofredo A. Vasquez/Staff photographer Exposures spread through the ranks The fire departments first COVID case came on March 17. In the weeks since, nearly 1,400 of the citys 3,700 firefighters reported possible exposure to the virus. They watched Station 105 Chief Al Capistran, 51, spend weeks in the hospital, fighting for his life. If this can put my husband in the ICU it can affect anyone, Kristen Capistran said in a note to firefighters urging them to be careful. My husband is in great physical shape with no underlying health problems. Over the course of each day, firefighters continue to respond to car crashes, attempted suicides, lacerations, shootings, heart attacks. After some EMTs got sick, more than 220 firefighters were forced into quarantine, including whole crews at five different firehouses, taxing an already overburdened department. Firefighters have watched New York and other dense northeastern cities strain under the virus impact. They have anxiously tracked its spread in Houston. Here, calls have dropped between 10 and 20 percent, HFD records show. Calls to 911 also are down across the city, by a similar margin, from 5,321 on March 14 to 3,876 on April 15. That is likely due to local stay-at-home orders, officials said. With fewer people driving, there are fewer car crashes. Some likely are reluctant to go to hospitals full of patients sick with COVID-19 and so dont call 911. But even as call volume has dropped, the number of serious medical calls has risen by about 15 percent, Mire said. And paramedics are making calls even as the fire department scrounges to keep its stockpiles of PPE maintained. They have to worry about coronavirus but still respond to all the other crashes and emergencies of everyday life in the nations fourth largest city. Houston firefighters are working through tough, new issues, said Lancton. Despite hundreds of firefighters being quarantined at times, were proudly on the frontline of the pandemic response. Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer You never know On a recent Wednesday, Station 33s paramedics and EMTs darted from call to call. About 11 a.m., they got a call to help a man at a dialysis center whod fallen ill. An hour later, Robinson and EMT Robert Murrell rushed to help a cyclist, whod crashed and hurt his shoulder. As Murrell asked questions, Robinson gingerly leaned over and passed the fallen man a thermometer. No fever. They wrapped his arm in a sling, helped him onto their stretcher, and wheeled it into the ambulance. Hours later, Tracy and Spiro were flying down the freeway to the Stonehaven apartment complexes on Skyline where a young man was complaining of a sore throat and not feeling well. They found Station 28 EMTs Obed Ceballos and Michael Hinks inside. He just started feeling ill yesterday, Ceballos told Walker. He doesnt feel any symptoms right now. He ran down the mans vitals, reading off some notes he made on his glove. The man had a sore throat. He started feeling badly after being out in the rain the day before. His oxygen was OK. But a temperature check revealed a fever. They hustled outside and donned the light blue protective gowns the department has given them. They loaded him into the ambulance, and then they were off. Our job is to bring order to chaos, Ceballos said later. You want to get in and help work with your hands. Now, you never know. Whatever the call is, whoever is involved say its a car accident you dont know if the driver could be infected. Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Do you really want to go to the hospital? As Tracy and Spiro left that call, they were dispatched to an apartment complex in west Houston to care for a 65-year-old man struggling with a heart problem and possible chest pain. The mans wife had called. She was worried about his blood pressure. Tracy pulled on gloves and peered from the doorway and noticed a portable oxygen tank sitting on a TV tray. The man, who has been undergoing cancer treatment, was feeling nauseated. Hed had a cough and been feeling weak for a few days. But he didnt have a fever and his oxygen levels were healthy. Did he really want to go to the hospital? If I saw something suggesting immediate life threatening, we wouldnt be having this conversation, Tracy said. Wed just go. It is the same conversation he and hundreds of firefighters are having with residents every day. Paramedics and EMTs are now urging sick residents to stay home if they can, instead of going to the emergency room, where they run a higher risk of running into sick patients or overloading ICU wards. If youre not really sick, you probably dont want to be there right now, Tracy said. Thats where all the really sick people are. Godofredo A. Vasquez/Staff photographer After work, decontaminating On Tuesday, Tracy returned to the firehouse for his next shift. It was two weeks and two days since hed made the call with the young woman who seemed likely to be battling the coronavirus, and hed just finished his period of self-monitoring for potential infection. Most of the shift passed without incident. Then, at 3:40 a.m. Wednesday morning, what would be the last call of his shift, the tones sounded throughout the firehouse. A likely coronavirus patient at a local nursing home near the Texas Medical Center. They found a woman inside, in her 70s. She had dementia and couldnt give much information, but she had a fever somewhere between 99.3 and 101 and a cough. They put on their PPE. They were already wearing their N95 respirators and gloves, but they donned their protective gowns and the new face shields theyd just received that day. Then, they took her to the hospital. It wasnt until after theyd cleared the hospital and got back to the firehouse that Tracy had time to think. He slipped the face-shield off, then the gown, moving carefully. He didnt want to slip up, taking his gloves off wrong, or touching his face. They spent an hour and a half decontaminating, then he headed home. As he pulled into his driveway, one thought flashed through his mind. I need to make sure I dont bring anything into the house. E is the right answer. Quote: A. Meteorologists predict that rainfall in central southern Africa will be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is a reliable forecaster of drought. is Quote: B. Meteorologists predict that rainfall in central southern Africa will drop greatly this year below last year's as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are a reliable forecaster of drought. Quote: C Meteorologists predict that rainfall in central southern Africa will be much lower this year than for last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is a reliable forecaster of drought. Quote: D. Meteorologists predict that rainfall in central southern Africa will be much lower this year than last , the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are a reliable forecaster of drought. Quote: E. Meteorologists predict that rainfall in central southern Africa will be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are a reliable forecaster of drought. The plural subject anomalies does not agree in number with the singular verb. Rainfall will be much lower X: this year than Y: last [year]. The comparison in A on the other hand, is okay. Eliminate A for the S-V error.The subject-verb agreement error in A is corrected in B. Rainfall will drop greatly X: this year below Y: last year's. The comparison is absurd. Rainfall will drop greatly this year below the drop in rainfall last year? This is not a very logical comparison. I will look for a better alternative that probably maintains the original sentence and only correct the subject-verb agreement error in A.The subject-verb agreement error in A is repeated in C. Eliminate C.The subject verb agreement error is corrected in D and the comparison is the same as in the original sentence. However, D is run on sentence. Two main clauses cannot be joined together with only a comma. A subordinator is required for the second clause. Eliminate D.Correct. The S-V error is corrected in E. The comparison maintains the same correct structure that is in the original sentence. E is superior in my opinion to B. It was inevitable, but now it's official: Taylor Swift has called off her Lover Fest East and West concerts due to the coronavirus pandemic. The two shows were her only live U.S. appearances scheduled for the rest of the year. "I'm so sad I won't be able to see you guys in concert this year, but I know this is the right decision," she wrote on social media. "Please, please stay healthy and safe. Ill see you on stage as soon as I can but right now whats important is committing to this quarantine, for the sake of all of us." All of Swift's other performances and appearances at festivals around the world have also been canceled. Her U.S. and Brazil shows will take place in 2021; all tickets will be honored for those new dates when they are announced later this year. Refunds for the U.S. Lover Fest shows will be available starting May 1 via Ticketmaster. I'm so sad I won't be able to see you guys in concert this year, but I know this is the right decision. Please, please stay healthy and safe. Ill see you on stage as soon as I can but right now whats important is committing to this quarantine, for the sake of all of us. pic.twitter.com/qeiMk2Tgon Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) April 17, 2020 Taylor Swift 'so sad' to cancel her Lover tour amid coronavirus pandemic originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com VINYL In lieu of the now postponed Record Store Day, the Australian Music Retailers Association has organised the Great Australian Warehouse Sale. Indie record stores are selling vinyl online with a huge list of artists and titles to choose from. Saturday and Sunday, recordsale.com.au ART Take part in the National Gallery of Victoria's virtual Drop-by Drawing program. Contemporary artists shed light on their drawing techniques while taking inspiration from the gallery's collection. See Kenny Pittock interpret impressionism in parts two and three from 9.30am on Sunday. IRON MOUNTAIN, MI Two adult males have admitted damaging at least 32 headstones at an Upper Peninsula cemetery. The unnamed men caused thousands of dollars of damage to the gravesites at Iron Mountain Cemetery Park sometime overnight April 5-6. Most of the damage was due to headstones being kicked over, police said. A formal complaint has been sent to Dickinson County Prosecutor Lisa Richards for review. No further information will be released until formal charges and arraignment take place in 95-B District Court in Iron Mountain. The Iron Mountain Police Department was assisted on scene by an evidence technician from the Michigan State Police. Starting next Tuesday, South Middleton School District will expand its meal distribution program to reach even more families affected by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, South Middleton received approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to become an open serve site, clearing the way for the district to distribute meals to any child within the community. Previously, the district had only distributed meals to economically disadvantaged students eligible for Free and Reduced priced meals, Superintendent Matthew Strine said. Families that are not receiving this service, but would like to request meals, need to complete a signup form available on the district website at www.smsd.us. To access the form, click on the link Meal Assistance for Children on the homepage. Signing up To properly fill out the form, each family must include a home address, the name of a parent or guardian, a contact phone number and email address for the household, the name and grade of each child and the school each child attends. Families much choose between two sites for meal pick-up on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10 and 11 a.m. The sites are Boiling Springs High School or the W.G. Rice Elementary School. The district wants to avoid wasting food so by completing a form each family is committing itself to picking up meals on all the designated distribution days. Families may request meals for all children living in a household up to age 18. Each family will receive two breakfasts and two lunches per child on Tuesdays and three breakfasts and three lunches per child on Thursdays. Typical breakfast menu items include cereal bars, pop tarts, cereal bowls, microwavable waffles or pancakes, muffins, graham crackers, fresh or dried fruit and fruit juice. Typical lunch items include pizza, chicken tenders/nuggets, a ham and cheese sandwich, a turkey and cheese sandwich, a chicken patty sandwich, assorted fruits and vegetables and a cookie. Milk will be served with all the meals. Menu items are subject to change based on availability. The district is not able to make substitutions nor can it accommodate gluten free food requests. Starts Tuesday The first distribution under the expanded program is Tuesday, April 21. Several Pennsylvania State Police troopers will be on hand to help district staff provide meals to the families. Having them work together to help those in need exemplifies that we are all in this together, Strine said. State Police in Carlisle, through Trooper Kelly Smith, reached out to the district in an email to offer support, said Nicole Weber, district director of business and operations. There are numerous other times prior to this situation where we have partnered together for the betterment of our district. We are so proud of that prior establishment, which makes coming together during a crisis that much easier. The district knew there were growing needs beyond those families served by the closed-site distribution, Weber said. We knew our families have been financially impacted. Their financial outlook may have changed dramatically in a very short period of time. We wanted to be able to provide an essential item like food to feed their children to eliminate that financial burden for them. The driving force behind this effort was a team of staffers led by Kim Spisak, district director of student services, Strine said. Team members worked with the state Education Department to track data, share information with the public and get the expanded program up and running. Originally, South Middleton had a program of daily distribution that proved to be too much of a burden for families, Weber said. So the program was changed to a Tuesday and Thursday distribution. Chartwells, the district food service provider, has kept up with the demand of providing healthy meals for families, Weber said. Rohrer Bus Service was on hand to distribute meals directly to families experiencing transportation challenges, she said. Key personnel have included Nick Milone, food service manager, and Jen Metz, food service secretary. Email Joseph Cress at jcress@cumberlink.com. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) Patients recovering from the coronavirus disease do not have to test negative for COVID-19 before they are sent home, the Department of Health said Friday. But they should be isolated for two more weeks, the DOH stressed. "Maaaring pauwiin ang isang pasyenteng bumuti na ang kalagayan kahit wala pa pong negative test result subalit dapat sumailalim pa rin sa istriktong home quarantine sa loob ng 14 na araw," Health Spokesperson Ma. Rosario Vergeire said in an online briefing. [Translation: A patient whose condition has improved may be sent home even without a negative result but he still needs to undergo strict home quarantine for 14 days.] "Pagkatapos po nito kailangan pa rin po niyang magpa-test gamit ang RT-PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) o kaya yung approved o validated na rapid antibody test ng FDA (Food and Drug Administration)," Vergeire said. [Translation: After this, the patient still needs to be tested using RT-PCR or the approved rapid antibody test of the FDA.] Vergeire added that this has been part of the guidelines being followed by the DOH. The ideal is for a patient to test negative for coronavirus twice. PCR can't detect virus in recovering patients? This clarifies a statement made by Special Assistant to the Health Secretary Beverly Ho in Thursday's briefing. She said the department has shifted its protocol following the advice of experts that the PCR tests may not be able to detect coronavirus infection in patients nearing recovery, but who may still have the virus. Batay po sa ating guidelines, kailangan magrepeat test ang mga confirmed cases para malaman kung negative sila, Ho said. [Translation: Based on our guidelines, confirmed cases need a repeat test for them to be declared negative.] But because science is evolving, we have shifted as per the advice of our experts that the PCR test will not be effective in capturing the presence of a virus in the patient especially if they are on their way to recovery already, she added. Ho said now, clinical improvement and resolution of symptoms are enough for patients to be sent home, though they still need to be isolated for 14 days. The department considers a PCR test as the gold standard for coronavirus testing because it can detect the actual presence of the virus, even when the patient is asymptomatic or not showing any symptoms. It is more accurate than a rapid test, which detects the presence of antibodies that a persons body may not be able to produce during the early stages of infection. The Philippines has been using PCR tests for much of the crisis period but President Rodrigo Duterte recently ordered the immediate purchase of rapid antibody test kits as the country aims to expand coronavirus testing. Malacanang now requires the President's visitors to take the rapid test. Philippines' COVID-19 outbreak The country now has 5,878 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 387 deaths and 487 recoveries. In an online hearing, the DOH said the fatality rate is at 6.6 percent, slightly above the global average of 6.4 percent. The number of those who have survived the viral illness has surpassed the nationwide death toll for a second consecutive day on Thursday. The DOH said there could be more recoveries since their report only covers patients who have tested negative for the infection, and does not include those who have clinically recovered or have been discharged from the hospital even without a repeat test. It usually takes patients 13.5 days up to more than a month to recover from the disease, the DOH said, in explaining why there were more deaths than recoveries from March 11 to April 14. President of Panama Laurentino Cortizo toured Thursday a modular hospital specially constructed to treat COVID-19 patients in Panama City. The hospital, built at a cost of six million dollars, will have one hundred intensive care beds for coronavirus patients. "Panama is one of the countries conducting more tests," said President Cortizo. The ten doctors and thirty-five nurses working there will have the capability to monitor patients through a closed camera system minimizing exposure. No indication was given as to when the newly built hospital will open to patients. Panama has confirmed over 4,000 infections and reported over 100 deaths. 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. The US on Friday said it is helping Pakistan in its fight against coronavirus with more than USD 8 million in new contribution. The US embassy here said Ambassador Paul Jones discussed several new ways with the government and said Washington was partnering with Islamabad to combat the coronavirus pandemic which has infected over 7,000 people and killed more than 130. With more than USD 8 million in new contributions, the United States is collaborating with the Government of Pakistan to help stop the spread of coronavirus nationwide and to care for afflicted people, the US mission said in a video message. All of these contributions were identified as top priority needs by the Pakistani authorities, and they are fully paid for by the American people, according to the statement. This funding will be utilised for a number of activities, including providing three new mobile labs so that Pakistanis living in virus hotspots can be tested, treated and monitored through USD 3 million in contributions. It would also be used to fund high-tech emergency operation centers in Islamabad, Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan with USD 1 million. The support will help expand partnership with USD 2 million to train community healthcare workers to assist people in their homes to lessen the burden on hospitals. It will also be used to conduct life-saving activities in Afghan refugee and host communities in Pakistan with USD 2.4 million, administered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. What I've described today is the latest chapter in a long, vibrant US-Pakistan health partnership, said Ambassador Jones. He said the latest support builds on US contributions over the past 20 years of more than USD 1.1 billion in the health sector, and more than USD 18.4 billion overall to the US-Pakistan development partnership. Together, we can stop the spread of this deadly disease to protect our loved ones and regain our prosperity and freedom, Jones added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) All food passes issued to suppliers of agricultural produce starting March 8 are valid until the end of the month, the Department of Agriculture has said. We immediately issued DA Memorandum Circular No. 11, on April 14, 2020, extending the legitimacy of the food passes we issued through our Agribusiness Marketing and Assistance Service to suppliers and truckers of food, rice, vegetables, fruits, meat and processed products, as well as farm, fishery and livestock inputs, raw materials and equipment, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in a statement on Thursday. Dar also called on regional offices of the department to ensure that the extension will be honored at all checkpoints nationwide. The extended validity is due to the extension of the Luzon-wide quarantine. Food passes were given out to permit vehicles carrying essential food commodities to pass through checkpoints and enter Luzon. The DA said it has issued a total of 73,189 food passes. Task force spokesperson Karlo Nograles and Dar said the extension aims to ensure the unhampered food supply amid the public health crisis due to the coronavirus disease. President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire northern Philippines under quarantine, limiting the movement of people to slow the spread of coronavirus disease a month ago. He ordered most, except for those rendering vital services, to stay at home. It was originally scheduled to last until April 12. Ross Kenneth Urken and his wife took a restorative trip to Spain ahead of the birth of their baby. Today, he imagines building upon the original itinerary and spending more time in happy spaces as a family of three. It has been particularly difficult to watch the toll Covid-19 has exacted in Spain, with more than 182,000 confirmed cases and the death count approaching 20,000. The country distills and spreads joy quite unlike any other place Ive beenmerrymaking is practically a national sport. The current reality stands in sorrowful contrast to the convivial one I recently encountered on a trip that I will treasure for the rest of my life. It was an experience I hope to build upon with added flair (and a new family member) when the world returns to normal. On a beach in Marbella this past New Years Day, my wife, Tiffan, then six months pregnant, lifted her shirt to expose her convex belly to direct sunlight for the first time. Sure, Id felt my child kick before and seen it move so wildly in response to the ultrasound wand that we gave the baby the nickname Wiggles. But here with this particularly potent solar intrusion, the baby went on such an excited rampage that we could see the jabs from the outside. This babymoon moment of bliss, enhanced by the crashing Mediterranean before us and the weather in the high 60s, stands in particular contrast to our confined reality in New York City in the middle of a pandemic as we approach the due date. That day in Spain, I took a dip in the frigid seaa 2020 baptism. Id like to think jumping in cold water is part of my personal brand; lying slumped on my couch in a Zoom meeting is certifiably not. In fatherhood, I was planning to be groundedbut not so entirely immobile. Because of this new shelter-in-place reality, one in which a trip downstairs to receive packages proves an ersatz adventure, Ive been dreaming a lot about a future where I return to the Iberian Peninsula with Tiffan and our child at age 3 (old enough to appreciate, and hopefully remember, the experience) to relive its first trip abroad and add in a more adventurous twist. During our last escape to Spain, we remained relatively antisocial and sedentary. Now that Ive been cooped up for weeks, theres nothing Id like more than to join in the revelry of Andalucia with a jaunt to Marbella and Jerez. A Road Trip, Starting in Marbella Well fly into Malaga and rent a vintage red Fiat 500 to drive 45 minutes to Marbellas Anantara Villa Padierna, a Tuscan-style pink palace hotel set among cypress trees (and an Obama family favorite). After checking in and getting settled, well rally and head to the charming downtown Casco Antiguo with its orange-tree-stuffed squares and serpentine, white-stucco alleywaysscored by guitar arpeggios and local laughter. In this populated shopping district, my child will learn to do as daddy: eat all the churros at Churreria Marbella in the Plaza de la Victoria. After we wipe powdered sugar and chocolate off our faces, Tiffan and I will take turns reading our child a toddler-oriented version of Don Quixote that integrates the Spanish language. Then well hold hands as a family, our child in the middle, and stroll along Playa de Venus, thronged with palms. Back at the hotel, after an indulgent siesta, Tiffan and I will take turns retreating to the all-marble Roman baths-style Anantara Spa, complete with a sea salt hammam and laconium, followed by fancy cocktails at viscount-ready, fireplace-warmed Eddys Barin glasses shaped like frogs, octopuses, and lily pads. During our stay, well be sure to visit Villa Padiernas seaside Club de Mar, a seafood-centric restaurant that provides easy access to the Mediterranean, and see how this child, no long in utero, dances to the Costa del Sol warmth. The Festivals of Sherry Country The trip will have to be in May so that, after enjoying life on the coast for a few days, well be able to drive two hours to Jerez de la Frontera, Spains sherry country, to celebrate at the Feria de Jerez or the Feria del Caballo (Horse Fair), a Spanish mashup of Mardi Gras pandemonium and royal wedding sophistication (but fascinators are paired with outlandish flamenco dresses). This trip will be all about community in an amped-up capacityno more isolation. Crowds, remember them? Dating to the Middle Ages when farmers assembled to sell their animals, the Feria de Jerez in its modern incarnation still features beautiful Andalucian horses that parade attendees around in carriages. During this vibrant time, the entire society distills and emanates duende, the Spanish state of heightened passion and authentic emotional expression. Under arcades of hanging lights that mimic a Moorish facade, well walk through Parque Gonzalez Hontoria, the bustling fairgrounds that play host to the carousing. When were craving some bellota ham or a rebujito (an elixir of lemonade, ice, and fino sherry), well visit the casetas (makeshift restaurants and bars) that glow on either side of the expansive park whose ground is golden-cinnamon sand and enjoy the rides and carnival games. Well stay at the soon-to-open Hotel Bodega Tio Pepe, a 27-room boutique located in a rehabilitated 150-year-old building within the sherry cellars where winery workers used to live. Its on the site of what is thought to be the most visited winery in Europe, Gonzalez Byasss Bodega Tio Pepe, which welcomes some 200,000 annual guests. Well be able to enjoy the aromas of the wines aging in oak casks and once again find some momentary calm away from the hoopla. Nestled with our child by the blooming jacaranda trees, well reflect on our last time in Spain when Tiffan meticulously set up our registry. Ill reminisce about how I learned what a Boppy was and how the word Snoofybee, an enhanced baby changing pad, entered my vocabulary. But we wont want to stay in for too long. After a siestamas fiesta. Currently staring down the prospect of keeping our child (whom we call the Urkling) mostly inside for the first bit of its life, save occasional stroller time to stave off jaundice, my reveries veer toward a future where our Spanish sojourn exhausts and enlivens us. In our new traveling family experience, one in which we guiltlessly violate 6-foot-distance prescriptions and embrace social proximity, well bask in the camaraderie and preternatural zest for life that Spaniards espouse. In that combination of sun, sherry, and sociability, well find a certain zen, propelled through greedily profound and mask-free inhalations, in our ability to be part of society again in vibrant fashion and as a family that has come out of confinement. Because I know it takes a village to raise a child, during this difficult time, I have top of mind the National Domestic Workers Alliance advocacy organization and its Coronavirus Care Fund, which provides money for home-care workers, such as nannies, whove encountered financial difficulties as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter The last plan of Formula 1 to start the 2020 season in the short term is to start in Austria at the Red Bull Ring, followed by two British Grands Prix at Silverstone. According to the BBC, Thursday evening during a call between the teams, the FIA and Liberty Media discussed how the 2020 F1 season can start in the short term. Due to the relaxed lockdown measures in Austria, the race in Spielberg in the weekend of July 5 could continue behind closed doors. Formula 1 could also travel to Silverstone after this to drive two Grands Prix without an audience. The plan to drive two races in the United Kingdom is not new. Earlier this month this proposal was already reviewed. Formula 1's latest plan to get the 2020 season off the ground is to hold the Austrian Grand Prix as scheduled - followed by two races at Silverstone. In full: https://t.co/NOL1OclNns pic.twitter.com/GydstDjxKC BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 17, 2020 Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 21:27:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ANKARA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkish security forces killed four members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq as part of an ongoing cross-border military operation, the defense ministry said Friday. "Four PKK terrorists, identified by reconnaissance and surveillance in Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq, were neutralized by an air operation," said a ministry statement. "Our operations will continue until the last terrorist is neutralized," the written statement added. The Turkish army uses the term "neutralize" to indicate the terrorists who have surrendered, been killed or seized. In the ongoing operations in Turkey's Cukurca district and Haftanin region in northern Iraq, the Turkish military seized and destroyed three binoculars two of which are of night vision, two grenades, five detonators, two 60-mm mortar rounds, 287 dochka bullets and others, according to the statement. The ministry also said the army killed four members of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria. "The terror group's attempt to infiltrate the Operation Peace Spring zone with aims to disrupt the peaceful and secure environment was prevented by our heroic commandos. Four YPG/PKK terrorists were neutralized before reaching their aims," the ministry said. Turkey sees the YPG group as the Syrian branch of the PKK and launched Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016, Operation Olive Branch in 2018, Operation Peace Spring in 2019 and Operation Spring Shield in 2020 in order to create a YPG-free zone along its border within Syria. Enditem Sani Aliyu, national coordinator of the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19, says the committee is concerned about reports of pe... Sani Aliyu, national coordinator of the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19, says the committee is concerned about reports of people being smuggled in trucks out of Lagos. Giving updates on COVID-19 on Thursday, Aliyu said inter-state travels are leading to community spread of the disease. He appealed to Nigerians to limit their movement if the disease must be curtailed. Several states in the country had banned inter-state travels in a bid to check the spread of COVID-19. I will like to talk on travel restrictions and to reemphasise the need for people to stay at home especially in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun. I would also like to note the issue of people travelling in-between states, inter-state travel. We have noticed that community spread is now being traced to people travelling across state borders, Aliyu said. We need to try and restrict our movement in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus. This is particularly pertinent with regards to news of people being smuggled in trucks out of Lagos which is quite concerning to us. (NCDC) raised concerns about how stigmatisation is inhibiting the governments fight against the outbreak. On their parts, Osagie Enahire, minister of health, and Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control,(NCDC) raised concerns about how stigmatisation is inhibiting the governments fight against the outbreak. Ihekwazu said stigmatising people who tested positive for COVID-19 would cause them to run away from treatment, consequently leading to further spread of the disease. People have been asking questions, where are the people with COVID-19 living? What part of town are they? Of course, everyone is anxious and frightened. Unfortunately, this anxiety seems to be leading to stigmatisation, Ihekweazu said. When the HIV hit our world, we did the same thing. But this is an infection, it doesnt get to you because you have done anything bad or you have committed a crime. It is not karma, it is just a virus. The people with this virus have children, wives, family members. They need to be respected. It affects their mental well being if we as a society are stigmatising them. It is preventing our work from happening because contacts are choosing not to come forward, to hide, to run away, because we have started stigmatising them. What makes us a great nation is our humanity. If we start stigmatising people because of an infection, it will not only disrupt all the great work being done across the country but it will have a profound impact on our ability to control this outbreak and our ability to get back to life. What will happen is that people will go underground, they wont come out for testing, infect others and the cycle will continue. All these things are connected. Ehanire said: The next phase of our strategy in the health sector due to the available evidence of community transmission in Nigeria, now focuses on community response rather than individual travellers and their contacts in the society. There will be more community testing. COVID-19 outbreak seems to have provoked some social stigma and rejection of anyone thought to have been in contact with the virus as well as their caregivers, families, friends who may be stereotyped and discriminated against. This is not necessary because stigma can prompt social isolation of persons or groups and drive people to hide the illness and prevent them from seeking healthcare immediately. This could cause a situation where the virus is more likely to spread and increase difficulty of controlling the outbreak response. A family of non-resident Indians (NRIs) in Kerala, which contracted coronavirus disease Covid-19, has said that it was a big mistake on their part to not follow the advice to remain in home quarantine. The family, who lives in Italy, came to their home in Keralas Ranni on February 29 on a three-week leave and attended many functions before testing positive for Covid-19 a week later. We did a big mistake. It was unintentional and borne out of ignorance. Many cursed us. Some of our family members even said we will not come alive from the hospital, said 26-year-old Rijo Moncy, who works in Italy. They were dubbed super spreader after Pathanamthitta, a hilly district in central Kerala which Ranni is part of, was declared a Covid-19 hotspot. One hundred eighty two passengers who travelled with them from Qatar were also quarantined and Moncys 94-year-old grandfather and 88-year-old grandmother tested positive. My father literally collapsed when he heard my grandparents were also transmitted. He needed rigorous counselling to come out of the shock and infamy, said Moncy, narrating the initial days of isolation in Kottayam medical college hospital. More than the virus, the stigma and guilt hounded them. They were vilified and were targeted by trolls online, who wanted them to be flogged publicly. We three were together at the hospital. After initial shock and counselling, my parents took to spirituality reading Bible throughout the day. I was allowed to use my mobile but I stopped checking social media to avoid a barrage of criticism and bad news from other parts of the world which upset me. At one point I thought it is difficult to come out, Moncy explained. The family spent 25 days of isolation at the hospital. At times I used to watch news on my phone. But all channels bombarded worst news on virus and that made me more nervous. The counsellors advised me to watch movie clips and hear songs. I was particular not to show my nervousness or worries before my parents because they were banking on me heavily, he said, adding that he enjoyed comic strips most. Moncy said the family thought it will face a vindictive treatment at the hospital too, but they were mistaken. He gave full credit to the medical team of the Kottayam medical college hospital and termed it as one of the best medical care facilities in the world. They nursed us back to life. Their mental support was very crucial. Health Minister K K Shailaja called us personally and consoled us a couple of times. Suffering from many medical complications I never expected my grandparents will be back. It is a medical wonder, said Rijo, who works in a pharmaceutical firm in Venice. His parents have been living in Italy for the last 20 years and visit their aged parents once in two years. While treating Moncys grandparents, one of the nurses of the medical college hospital - Reshma Mohandas - turned positive. They behaved like little children. We also considered them like that only. Since both of them had some hearing problem I had to be very close, Mohandas said, adding that she was just doing her duty. After the nurse fell ill it aggravated our concerns. But none of the medical fraternity blamed and they treated us like family members. We owe our lives to them. We have seen hospitals in Italy and many other European countries but I feel Keralas facilities and care were more than what is offered there, he said, adding that his family members turned emotional while leaving the hospital. Moncy said when they left Italy in end of February, the situation was not that serious and they got tested before taking flight in Venice. He feels they might have contracted the virus either from Venice airport or on Venice-Doha flight. The situation in Italy is really serious now. My parents are Italian citizens. We will to go back once things are settled. We are really grateful to our country and the state, said Moncy. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Director: Matthew Heineman Cast: Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan, Tom Hollander, Stanley Tucci Its a biopic on the heroic war journalist, Marie Colvin. Based on an article Marie Colvins Private War written by Marie Brenner, the film retraces celebrated war correspondent Marie Colvins journey from the war-torn Homs in Syria, where she died in 2012 to around a decade or so back. It opens in Sri Lanka, where she has come to meet the commanders of the Tamil Tigers. She poses some hard-hitting questions about the collateral damage caused to the common people amidst the struggle and is moved by the pitiful conditions around her. She tragically loses an eye when her escort is hit by the government forces. As a result of the injury, she became famous as an eyepatch-wearing journalist after the incident. The pirate-like look added to her aura. In one of the film's key scenes, she states that she sees such things so that others don't have to. And that pretty much sums both what she was and what the film is in one line. Director: Matthew HeinemanCast: Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan, Tom Hollander, Stanley TucciIts a biopic on the, Marie Colvin. Based on an article Marie Colvins Private War written by Marie Brenner, the film retraces celebrated war correspondent Marie Colvins journey from the war-torn Homs in Syria, where she died in 2012 to around a decade or so back. It opens in Sri Lanka, where she has come to meet the commanders of the Tamil Tigers. She poses some hard-hitting questions about the collateral damage caused to the common people amidst the struggle and is moved by the pitiful conditions around her. She tragically loses an eye when her escort is hit by the government forces. As a result of the injury, she became famous as an eyepatch-wearing journalist after the incident. The pirate-like look added to her aura. In one of the film's key scenes, she states that she sees such things so that others don't have to. And that pretty much sums both what she was and what the film is in one line. Newspapers and newspapermen are said to be the conscience keepers of society. Ideally, they should be free of the diktat of the advertisers and the government and publish the closest possible version of the truth. When they go ahead and do it, thats when real headlines happen. Journalistic work isnt glamorous at all but painstakingly boring. It involves following leads at odd hours, checking the facts with a telescope and connecting the dots patiently till you get the whole sordid picture. Presenting some of thebased on newsrooms and newshounds to have come out of Hollywood in recent times.Director: Kevin MacdonaldCast: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, Helen MirrenA thief fleeing through Georgetown in Washington is shot by a man carrying a briefcase. A deliveryman who witnesses the incident is also shot by the killer and is left in a coma. The following morning, a young woman is killed and it could have been suicide Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) confides in hispal Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) that he was having an affair with the girl and asks for help. It can all be related to an investigation into PointCorp, a shady private defence contractor. Cal is assisted in his investigation by Della Frye (Rachel McAdams), a reporter and blogger with the online division of Cal's newspaper. As the two dig deeper, they become the target of a mysterious assassin themselves. All is not what it seems and even Collins could be involved. The films plot had plenty of twists and turns and coasted on Crowes portrayal of a shrewdwho has a nose for a story.Director: Michael CuestaCast: Jeremy Renner, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ray Liotta, Tim Blake Nelson, Barry Pepper, Oliver Platt, Michael Sheen, Michael K. Williams, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Andy GarciaIts a biographical crime thriller based on the book of the same name by Nick Schou and the book Dark Alliance by Gary Webb, which focuses on CIA involvement in cocaine trafficking. In 1996, journalist Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner) then working for the San Jose Mercury News, broke a story holding the CIA directly responsible for using Nicaraguan rebels to smuggle cocaine into the U.S. in exchange for raising funds to support the contras. His shocking allegations dont go down well and the CIA hits back, exposing his personal life, questioning his journalistic ethics and putting pressure on his employers. All such things take a toll on his mental and emotional health. Webb is said to have committed suicide in 2004. The films highpoint is the straight-from-the-heart performance by Jeremy Renner as Gary Webb.Director: Tom McCarthyCast: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley TucciThe film is based on The Boston Globe's Spotlight team and its investigation into cases of widespread child sex abuse in the Boston area by numerous Roman Catholic priests. It is based on a series of stories by the Spotlight team that earned The Globe the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. The film is a kind of press procedural. We see journalists taking notes, tapping their sources, checking and cross-checking stuff twice and thrice because of the sensitive issue at stake. They come to realise that the problem isnt just local or national but leads back to the Vatican itself. It seems that the Church knows about the sins committed by the parties involved but chose to keep a blind eye and worse, concealed them from the public eye, helping the perpetrators roam scotfree and hunt other victims. Sensitive performances by the entire cast make for compelling viewing.Director: Steven SpielbergCast: Meryl Streep, Tom HanksWhat can be better than having one of the best directors in the world -- Steven Spielberg -- directing two of the best actors in the world -- Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks? The combination is mouth-watering indeed and lives up to the hype. The Post depicts the true story of attempts by journalists at The Washington Post to publish the Pentagon Papers, classified documents regarding the 20-year involvement of the United States government in the Vietnam War. All this was way before The Watergate Scandal hit the spotlight. This was the story that actually brought much-needed prestige back to The Washington Post and established its credentials as an unfearing sentinel of the truth. The film is fraught with tension as publisher Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep) debates with her chief editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) whether or not to publish the sensitive material they have that could very well tarnish the governments image. They go ahead and print it and brave it out. The government retaliates with a lawsuit but the final verdict comes in the favour of freedom of the press. Both Streep and Hanks were in complete control of their characters and gave a wholesome lesson in flawless acting. New Delhi, April 17 : An Indian Air Force (IAF) apache helicopter made an emergency landing on Friday on a field in Punjab's Hoshiarpur. The helicopter took off from Pathankot base earlier but due to some technical glitch it landed in the Budhwar village fields. Initial reports stated that both the pilots and the helicopter were safe and there has been no damage to the villagers. On Thursday morning, an IAF helicopter made an emergency landing on an expressway in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat while it was on its way to supplying COVID 19 test samples of Leh to Chandigarh. The IAF Cheetah chopper made an emergency landing on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway in Baghpat district. The IAF clarified that the actions taken by the pilots were prompt and correct. "No damage to any property has been reported," IAF stated. The IAF aircrafts have been pressed into services in the fight against spread of novel Coronavirus in India. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 02:12:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A farm laborer wearing a mask harvests wheat during a lockdown against the COVID-19 in Jalandhar district of India's northern state of Punjab, April 15, 2020. (Str/Xinhua) Asia'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), the IMF said. WASHINGTON, April 16 (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. An employee at a Whole Foods Market location in Massachusetts died from the coronavirus, officials announced. A staff member at the companys Swampscott store died on Wednesday, a Whole Foods spokesperson said in a statement. The worker was not identified. Our hearts are with his loved ones during this incredibly difficult time, and with his fellow Team Members at our Swampscott, Massachusetts store, the statement said. We are offering counseling support to our Team Members as we grieve this tremendous loss. Earlier this month, Vitalina Williams, a staff member at Market Baskets location in Salem, died from COVID-19 after working at the store for 11 years. Her death led U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton to call on Gov. Charlie Baker to designate grocery store workers as emergency personnel. Grocery stores continue to operate during the public health crisis as they are deemed essential, but some employees worry about potential exposure to the viral respiratory infection. If youre having trouble viewing the embed to sign up on your mobile device click here. Related Content: A woman delivered a baby boy inside a police jeep amid the ongoing lockdown while they were on their way to a hospital in west Delhi's Khyala, police said on Friday. The pregnant woman along with her family went to the police station and met a woman constable Suman on Thursday night, they said. The family requested the constable to seek an ambulance for the woman. The constable informed her seniors and a police gypsy was sent, said Deepak Purohit, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West). The pregnant woman, Mini Kumar, was in labour and delivered the baby inside the police jeep, the DCP said. According to police, the jeep was hardly one kilometre away from the hospital when the woman delivered the baby. Her husband and sister pulled out the baby while the woman constable helped in the delivery. The doctors were informed and they came to the jeep with their medical equipment. The baby was wrapped in a towel and handed over to the doctors later who took care of both of them. Both the mother and baby are healthy and have been shifted to the hospital, police added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nearly a year and a half after then presidential candidate Bernie Sanders held a campaign rally in National City, the Vermont senator has paid his bill for event expenses. National City Attorney Angil Morris-Jones said Tuesday that the city received a check last Wednesday for roughly $32,000. While the initial total, mostly for public safety overtime, was about $28,000, the city tacked on an additional $3,819 in interest. Sanders held his rally May 21, 2016, in Kimball Park. Advertisement The original invoice requested payment no later than June 2, after which city officials sent a courtesy notice and three subsequent delinquent notices to the Sanders campaign. No one from the campaign could be reached for comment Tuesday. In early August, the City Council authorized the city attorney to sue the Sanders campaign for breach of agreement. A letter demanding payment in October was unsuccessful, and the city turned the issue over to collections agency Financial Credit Network in Vermont, where Sanders campaign office is located. Morris-Jones said it was because of the attention given to the delinquency by the media that the Sanders campaign attorney contacted her in late August to begin working on some type of settlement for the payment. They wanted to pay less, and the council refused to take anything other than the full amount, she said, adding if the campaign didnt pay what was owed, the city would pursue litigation. Because bill was turned over to collections, the city doesnt receive the entire amount back. Morris-Jones said that roughly a quarter of it will go to the debt collector. When asked if the attorney provided any insight as to why the campaign didnt pay its bill, Morris-Jones said the reason given was that the bill belonged to the Secret Service, not the campaign. We didnt sign any agreement with the Secret Service, she said. It was with the campaign and all these costs were known to them. The cost of a temporary use permit, which is what Sanders campaign needed to hold its event at the park, is generally paid in full before an event is held, according to city officials. Because the event required city officials to pull things together in a few days, that didnt happen. Morris-Jones said that going forward the city will likely clear up language about temporary use permits. Because of this we may add additional documents to sign so they dont try to walk away from an obligation. A handful of other governments in California including Cloverdale, Vallejo and Solano County, also had issues with collecting on unpaid bills following rallies held by Sanders campaign. Locally, a $6,000 bill for a Sanders rally held May 22, 2016, at Rancho Buena Vista High School in Vista was promptly paid to the Vista Unified School District, district officials said. SPRINGFIELD The executive director of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts said there was a 23% rise in its food distribution in March, and thats expected to increase more as unemployment soars amid the coronavirus pandemic. Andrew Morehouse, who heads the Food Bank, was among officials speaking during a Town Hall remote meeting this week shown on Focus Springfield Community TV. We know that with the unemployment claims skyrocketing, we expect that food insecurity, which means not knowing where your next meal is going to come from, is going to spike even more, Morehouse said. In the month of March, the Food Bank distributed 1,241,133 pounds of food, Morehouse said. That compared to 1,010,841 pounds of food in March of 2019. The state has processed 572,562 unemployment claims since mid-March a figure representing about 16% of the total state workforce eligible for the benefits. The Food Bank, based in Hatfield, serves the four counties of Western Massachusetts, with approximately 175 food pantries and meal sites. The increase in demand occurs as some of the food sites are closed due to COVID-19. The Food Bank had to cancel nine of its 26 mobile food bank distributions due to requests by host agencies, as well as 11 of its 51 Brown Bag distributions for seniors including six in Springfield, Morehouse said. In addition, all Springfield Council on Aging sites were shut down by city order. Our role is to provide food assistance to whomever is in need of it, regardless of your circumstances, Morehouse said. All of our partners, and our own direct distribution, are provided with compassion, respect and dignity. ... Its a service for everyone. Morehouse urged that anyone in need and anyone wishing to help the Food Bank to go on the organizations website for additional information. The website is foodbankwma.org. In Springfield, the Food Bank served approximately 23,000 people last year at 40 sites, providing the equivalent of 3 million meals over the 12-month period, Morehouse said. The Food Bank receives roughly half its food from the federal and state governments, and is requesting more food assistance from the government in response to the coronavirus, Morehouse said. The other 50% of its food supply comes from the private food industry including supermarkets, local farmers and others, he said. On Friday, Morehouse praised the public response to the rise in food insecurity. We have received an outpouring of support from the community individuals, businesses, and foundations from our region, across the commonwealth and even nationally, Morehouse said. We are grateful for this commitment to our neighbors in need when they we as a society need it most. The Food Bank welcomes anyone in need to its food distributions whether they have needed help before or are coming for assistance for the first time, Morehouse said. We hope in this crisis when there are so many more people facing uncertainty, whether economic or otherwise, that they know that the community is there for them, and there is healthy food available if they should need it, he said. Were here to help. There should be no stigma in seeking food assistance, as those in need are our neighbors, members of our congregations, our fellow employees and just about anybody, Morehouse said. Of those who seek help, 23% are children and 21% are elderly, he said. There are also many who are disabled, veterans, under-employed and now unemployed, he said. The Town Hall meeting was conducted by City Councilor Jesse Lederman, and involved city officials and organizations that have provided and expanded assistance to people during the coronavirus pandemic. The Pants Store has been working with a skeleton crew of 14 people since March 22, when the clothing stores five storefronts in the Birmingham area, Tuscaloosa, and Huntsville closed during the coronavirus pandemic. If a small business emergency task forces recommendations are endorsed by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and State Health Office Dr. Scott Harris, the family-owned store based in Leeds will rehire 80-85% of its 78-person workforce. I had to lay off 65 folks and I would love to get them back to work, said owner Michael Gee, who has been meeting with his team to develop a strategy of implementing safety precautions in case his businesses are allowed to unlock the doors. Right now, sales are conducted on Facebook and the stores website. My hearts with the people who are sitting at home, said Gee. A majority of them want to come back to work. Indeed, small businesses ravaged by the economic shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic are eager to return to work. The task force, overseen by Lt. Will Ainsworth, unveiled Friday a list of recommendations that included reopening almost all of the closed businesses as soon as possible, with safety precautions in place. Businesses are hopeful that Ivey, a Republican, will loosen the restrictions after President Donald Trumps administration authorized a reopening of the economy by providing state governors the authority to do so. Ivey, on April 3, ordered a shutdown of the economy through the end of the month, but the task forces recommendations call for immediate reopenings. Ivey said on Friday that while she appreciated the recommendations, an executive committee on the Coronavirus Task Force created by the governors office will start plugging them in, where appropriate as the state weighs all our options about opening up the economy. Ivey also said the process will be gradual, echoing calls by Trump on Thursday. Part of the Small Business Task Forces rationale for immediate calls of reopening small businesses is because of inequities in what they say are businesses labeled essential. In particular, mega-sized big-box retailers have been allowed to stay open while the small businesses have shuttered and have had to scramble to apply for the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program, which recently ran out of money. The big box stores have been allowed to remain open this entire time, said Rosemary Elebash, Alabama state chairwoman of the National Federal of Independent Business. Crowds of people have been inside them. The small businesses, you wont have crows of customers in there. Every single business in America is essential. They collect and remit public tax dollars. Everyone single one is essential to make the economy run. A potential reopening would come with restrictions, as laid out by Ainsworth on Friday. The recommendations include limiting the number of individuals inside any store to 50% of fire capacity occupancy, or 8 customers per 1,000 square feet. Employees would be encouraged to wear personal protective gear such as facemasks and gloves. Other measures include recommendations for people to stand 6 feet apart, sanitized entrance and exit doors three times daily, to encourage customers to use hand sanitizer once entering the store, among other things. As bad as (small businesses) want to open safely, said state Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville. They want to protect their employees, their families and their own personal lives. They dont want to infect anyone else. Garrett said the reopening plan includes three things for employers: Protecting employees, customers and how to prevent the spreading of the virus. At Learning Express Toys & Gifts in Huntsville, owner Rebecca Vergara said her business would take precautions such as keeping play and toy demonstration areas for children closed. She said that the store would also tape off 6-foot spaces where people would stand in line, similar to what has occurred at retail stores throughout Alabama and the nation. Anything we can to keep our business, Id be more than happy to do, said Vergara, whose toy store has remained opened for online and curbside sales only. Its just not the same as having customers come in and make the purchases they make while in the store. So much with toys is that they see what it is they might want and then being able touch the product and having it in their hands. Plenty of public health concerns remain even as the number of COVID-19 confirmations in Alabama seem to have slowed since earlier this month. For instance, in some counties like Mobile County the number of new confirmations remain relatively high. On Thursday, the county had its fourth-highest number of new confirmations since tracking the virus began last month. Dr. Rachael Lee, assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birminghams Division of Infectious Diseases and the hospitals health care epidemiologist said the public should remain vigilant when out in public. It is unclear if we are going to have another peak or a surge greater than what our state has experienced, but it is certainly possible, she said. Our lives have completely changed after COVID-19, and we need to think critically about how to be safe when going to restaurants or entering businesses. She said people should wear a mask when going inside businesses or churches. Everyone must continue to be vigilant when it comes to fighting this whenever the states shelter-in-place order expires, because its currently unclear how long COVID-19 will remain in our community, she said. Another looming concern revolves around a lack of testing, and a lapse of a cohesive national response toward detecting the virus in patients and communities. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, there have been 1,300 total tests performed in Baldwin County, which is less than one percent of the countys total population. Downtown Fairhope, with its mom and pop shops, has been a quiet place since the strict social distancing guidelines went into effect in March 2020. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). Fairhope Mayor Karin Wilson, who is also a small bookshop owner, said shes concerned that the recommendations for immediate reopening might be too soon. As a business owner, I am suffering just like everyone else, said Wilson. Our whole livlihoods are on the line. There will be many businesses that probably will not be able to make it through this. We are concerned about that, too. She added, But right now, my biggest job is making sure we do things very safely. We have a higher than average senior citizen population and the truth is we havent been testing. With rapid testing kits, it will be a tool that will be helpful to manage going back to work. But weve tested hardly anyone. Wilson said that Fairhope, which is Alabamas fastest growing city with a downtown filled with small mom-and-pop shops, is considering to pump up a marketing efforts to support the businesses. She said the Fairhope City Council will be asked next week to support $40,000 toward the project. She didnt anticipate, however, having to push for the marketing efforts so soon. Wilson said, I want to be supportive of both sides because, just like Im criticizing some of these things, Ill be criticized, too. You cannot win on this one. Its just totally a unique situation. Here are some related stories on Fridays recommendations: Alabama doctors offices open up in May, plan recommends As Alabama looks to reopen, state health official says people need to stay home Masks and temperature checks? Rules vary by business in Alabamas plan to reopen When will beaches reopen? Is it safe? Uncertainty looms despite proposal to reopen Alabama salons, tattoo shops Could youth sports really resume in Alabama on May 11? A scene from "Time to Hunt." The film will now be released on Netflix. / Courtesy of Little Big Pictures By Kwak Yeon-soo Korean crime thriller "Time to Hunt," whose debut on Netflix was halted after a court injunction, will be heading back to the streamer after the dispute was resolved. The film was originally scheduled for theatrical release in Korea, Feb. 26, but this was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. The film's distributor Little Big Pictures struck a deal with Netflix, which set the premiere for April 10 in 190 countries. It was to become the first Korean film to go to a third-party streaming service after skipping theaters. But the film's overseas sales company Contents Panda filed a lawsuit against the distributor, claiming the film's debut on Netflix would invalidate sales contracts it had signed in more than 30 countries. A Seoul court then ruled in favor of Contents Panda, banning the premiere of the film outside Korea. As a result, Netflix halted the film's domestic and international release. On Thursday, Little Big Pictures and Contents Panda issued separate statements saying they have settled the dispute and agreed that the film will be released on Netflix. "As the distributor of the film, we feel deeply sorry and responsible for the confusion being caused," Little Big Pictures said. "We unilaterally notified Contents Panda of the termination of contracts while ignoring its contribution to overseas sales over a year. We respect the court's decision and apologize to Contents Panda for causing frustration." Contents Panda said: "After renegotiating with overseas buyers, we have reached an agreement with Little Big Pictures to withdraw the injunction and make sure there is no problem to release 'Time to Hunt' through Netflix." A new release date is yet to be announced. "Time to Hunt" is the second feature film written and directed by Yoon Sung-hyun, who won the best new director award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2011 with "Bleak Night." Set in a dystopian near future where the country is suffering from poverty following a financial crisis, the story follows four young men who commit crimes to survive. They are chased by a relentless killer amid their struggle for survival. The film's cast includes "Parasite" actor Choi Woo-shik, and Lee Je-hoon, Park Jeong-min, Ahn Jae-hong and Park Hae-soo. In a grim assessment of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on children, the UN has said the looming global recession resulting from the outbreak could cause hundreds of thousands of additional child deaths this year, effectively reversing recent gains in reducing infant mortality, and push millions of children into extreme poverty. 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. 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, a new Policy Brief: The impact of COVID-19 on children' released Thursday by the United Nations said. 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 a 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. 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. 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 the Johns Hopkins University data, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed two million globally and 144,000 people have died so far. The US is the worst hit with more than 670,000 COVID-19 cases and 33,000 deaths. It further added that rising malnutririon 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, it said. 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, he said. 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. Governments are also urged to take steps to counter the unintended effects on children by rolling out or expanding social assistance to families, securing food supply chains and local food markets, and prioritizing the continuity of services such as schooling, nutrition programmes, and maternal and newborn care. Standard strategies for physical distancing and lockdowns should be adapted in places such as low-income settings in urban areas, refugee camps and conflict zones. The report underlined that the UN is working across all settings and stands ready to support countries striving to invest in the world's youngest generation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kylie Jenner is not letting quarantine get in the way of her growing business empire. On Thursday, the reality star took to her Instagram to make a sponsored post for fans, promoting the make-up brand BoxyCharm, while wearing a skimpy red bikini. The 22-year-old billionaire entrepreneur is currently on lockdown at her momager Kris Jenner's luxe $12million Palm Springs vacation home in California. Business as usual: On Thursday, Kylie Jenner took to her Instagram to make a sponsored post for fans, promoting the make-up brand BoxyCharm, while wearing a skimpy red bikini. Earlier in the day, Kylie posted a shot of her on the compound in active wear with the caption: 'Sending out my love and prayers. & hoping this will all be over soon.' Impressively, the mother-of-one has been trying to do her most as COVID-19 claims over 30,000 lives in the US. The reality star has not only donated $1m of her own money, but her Kylie Cosmetics company, along with its new parent company Coty Inc, has made 6,000 pounds of hand sanitizer for hospitals. Body cam: The reality star posed in a bikini as she made her sponsored post on IG R&R: Kylie also posted this poolside shot from her mother Kris Jenner's Palm Springs vacay pad 'The hand-sanitizers will be donated to the emergency and healthcare workers caring for patients on the front lines of the current COVID-19 public health crisis,' a representative said. 'The custom hand sanitizer includes a special message for recipients: Dedicated to first responders working to support our communities.' This post comes after a report the siren has been leaning on her ex-boyfriend Travis Scott amid the coronavirus pandemic. Idyllic: Kris Jenner's luxury $12m Palm Springs vacation home Keeping up with Kylie: The 22-year-old billionaire entrepreneur is currently on lockdown at her momager Kris Jenner's luxe Palm Springs vacation home in California. The star and the 27-year-old rapper - who have two-year-old daughter Stormi together - split last year, but have been spending more time together in recent months, with several rumours swirling about a possible reconciliation. Meanwhile, Kylie recently fired back at an online troll after they attempted to insult her post-baby body on Instagram. Nice digs: Kris Jenner bought a sprawling mansion in La Quinta, California Sneak peek: Kris has already shared a look inside her Palm Springs holiday home in a recent episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians 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. Positive message: Earlier in the day Kylie posted her prayers for fans on Instagram Christopher Dobbins, 40, (pictured) former VP at Stradis Healthcare in Atlanta, 'deliberately damaged the ability of healthcare workers' to effectively respond to the pandemic, authorities say A disgruntled healthcare executive has been accused of deliberately delaying the delivery of PPE to frontline workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic after he was fired from the company. Christopher Dobbins, 40, former vice president of finance at medical device packaging company Stradis Healthcare in Atlanta, has been charged with making a computer intrusion that authorities say 'deliberately damaged the ability of healthcare workers' to effectively respond to the crisis that has now killed more than 36,000 Americans. Dobbins broke into the company's computer systems and altered and deleted thousands of files after he was axed by the firm in early March, the FBI said. The vengeful worker sabotaged the company's shipments of personal protective equipment such as gloves, masks and gowns, being sent to hospital and medical staff, triggering delays of up to three days, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday. This comes as healthcare workers across the US have repeatedly warned about shortages of the equipment, which is critical to protecting them as they work on the frontline saving lives and grappling to bring the pandemic under control. 'This defendant allegedly disrupted the delivery of personal protective equipment in the middle of a global pandemic,' said Atlanta U.S. Attorney Byung J. Pak. 'Scarce medical supplies should go to the healthcare workers and hospitals that need them during the pandemic. The Department of Justice is dedicated to moving quickly on cases like this to bring criminal opportunists to justice and protect the public during these challenging times.' Dobbins, who joined Stradis Healthcare in August 2016, was fired from his job on March 2. PPE deliveries from Stradis Healthcare (pictured) were delayed by up to 72 hours because of Dobbins' alleged sabotage, authorities said The reason for his firing is unclear but records show the executive faced disciplinary action in August and December following conflicts with another department. His access to the company's computer systems was also shut down, the DOJ said. But the former VP had allegedly created a fake user account before his firing that he then used on March 29 - three days after getting his final paycheck - to sneak into the company's shipping information. Dobbins then created a second fake user account and used that to alter 115,581 records and delete 2,371 records before deactivating both accounts and logging out, prosecutors said. The company spotted the intrusion the same day and altered the FBI on April 7, court records show. FBI Special Agent Chris Hacker said Dobbins' actions posed a 'threat to public health and safety by delaying shipments of PPE' by between 24 and 72 hours that would usually be delivered the same day. Healthcare workers across the US have repeatedly warned about shortages of PPE, which is critical to protecting them as they work on the frontline saving lives Hacker also said the disgruntled ex-employee had impacted the care of some patients, citing 'a potential modification or impairment of the medical examination, diagnosis, treatment, or care of at least one person.' The incident is estimated to have cost Stradis around $5,000 in lost revenue and investigating costs. 'The FBI is making it a priority during the worldwide pandemic to make sure crucial supplies are not being disrupted or diverted from the front lines of medical care,' said Hacker. 'We are grateful to the medical packaging company for promptly reporting this disruption to their delivery of important medical supplies, so that we could react quickly.' Stradis Healthcare CEO and co-founder Jeff Jacobs blasted the 'immeasurable internal harm' caused by the ousted employee as the company works to deliver protective gear to hospitals and medical facilities across the Southeast, New York City and Washington state. Jacobs said in a statement that the company's shipments of PPE have since returned to normal: 'This distraction is no longer in the way of our critical day-to-day role in getting vital supplies to our heroes in patient care, and saving lives in the process.' Dobbin was released on bond following a court hearing Thursday. More than 36,000 Americans have now been killed by the coronavirus outbreak and confirmed cases have surpassed 690,000 as the US continues to be the hardest-hit country in the world. Fifty years after Apollo 13, you can hear NASA's Apollo engineers discussing live what it was really like to work at the agency during one of its most hair-raising missions. The live broadcast, titled "Splashdown! A discussion with the engineers who helped bring Apollo 13 home," will begin today (April 17) at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT) almost exactly 50 years after the Apollo 13 mission returned to Earth. The three-person crew of Apollo 13 safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 17, 1970, at 2:07 p.m. EDT (1807 GMT). The webcast will be hosted by author John Rocco, who most recently wrote and illustrated the book "How We Got to the Moon," (Random House Children's Books, 2020). Joining Rocco will be Ed Smith, chief engineer for the Apollo command and service module; Don Rethke, an Apollo lunar module life support systems engineer; and Chuck Lowry, an Apollo parachute system designer. You can watch the discussion live on YouTube here or register here to be a part of the live discussion on Zoom here. Related: NASA's Apollo 13 mission of survival in pictures The three retired engineers will talk about their experiences working behind the scenes at NASA during the harrowing Apollo 13 mission, when three astronauts almost didn't make it back to Earth alive. Apollo 13 was chock-full of difficulties and obstacles. Following an oxygen tank explosion 56 hours into what was supposed to be a lunar landing mission, NASA's mission controllers, engineers and the Apollo 13 astronauts themselves Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise had to fly into action to bring the astronauts safely back home to Earth. This past week, people around the world have been remembering and celebrating the mission, which has famously been known as a "successful failure." While the Apollo 13 astronauts never landed on the moon, the ingenuity from everyone who supported the mission at NASA and their ability to bring the crew back home alive and safe remains remarkable. Rocco's "How We Got to the Moon" will be released on Oct. 6. Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Some beaches in north Florida will reopen a day after Donald Trump announced guidelines for states and local governments to begin relaxing coronavirus quarantine efforts. Jacksonvilles mayor, Lenny Curry, said it marked the beginning to a pathway back to normal life when beaches re-open from 5pm to 8pm on Friday. Well get back to life as we know it but we must be patient, he added. The beaches will remain open for limited activity walking, biking, hiking, fishing, running, swimming, walking pets and surfing from 6am to 11am and 5pm to 8 pm daily. Duval County beaches have been closed since 21 March. Health officials in Florida have confirmed more than 23,000 Covid-19 cases in the state and at least 633 deaths, as of 16 April. On Thursday, the White House announced the presidents three-phase Opening Up America Again plans for states to begin lifting stay-at-home measures and restrictions on nonessential businesses. The president appeared to declare victory over the invisible enemy as the US death toll reached more than 31,000, with more than 6410,000 confirmed cases of the disease. Critics say the administrations plan is too inconsistent to be effective, potentially enabling new spikes of infections. Mr Trump had claimed some states that already met some criteria for re-opening could begin easing restrictions literally tomorrow but declined to name parts of the country that were prepared to do so. Last month, officials in Florida faced backlash for keeping beaches open during peak spring break activity, with thousands of visitors flocking to seaside towns and beaches. Governor Ron DeSantis refused to issue statewide closures, leaving those decisions up to local governments and limiting gatherings to no more than 10 people, while footage of young people ignoring social distancing measures and dismissing concerns about spreading the virus went viral. Though several counties did close beaches and parks before a statewide order, the governor ultimately mandated closures in late March. In a statement last month, Floridas Department of Environmental Protection said the agencys limited capacity and operating hours has not resulted in the reductions needed to best protect public health and safety as Florida continues to mitigate the spread of the virus. The governor said his administration was working for a plan to begin reopening parts of its economy and will announce a proposal very soon following the presidents latest guidelines. Sanders strongly advocates what he calls Medicare For All, with a federal takeover and eventual abolition of private coverage. Biden, meanwhile, clings to the Affordable Act, aka Obamacare, of which he was a principal architect as vice president, and which he defended against repeated failed Republican efforts to "repeal and replace" it. Biden, in deference to those who are covered by corporate and union health plans and who don't want to lose that coverage, proposes a "public option" that is not compulsory. Incidentally, former President Barack Obama, who remained uncommitted throughout the 2020 presidential competition presumably on ethical grounds, is said to have discussed the withdrawal with Sanders, and has now officially endorsed the Biden candidacy, throwing his continued popularity among Democrats into the fray against Trump. In the 2016 Democratic race for the presidential nomination, Sanders was seen as benefiting greatly from opposition in the party to his rival, former first lady Hillary Clinton. This time around, Biden has not encountered such opposition, and is expected to garner heavy support from Democratic women, as well as from African American voters who were instrumental in reviving his floundering campaign this year in the South Carolina and subsequent primaries. Soldiers from the Philippine Army march during the 121st founding anniversary of the Philippine Army in Taguig City, the Philippines, March 20, 2018. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) MANILA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Eleven Philippine Army soldiers were killed and 14 others wounded in an hour-long clash with Abu Sayyaf militants in the remote southern Philippine Sulu Province on Friday, the military said. The Armed Forces of the Philippines' Western Mindanao Command chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana said in a report that Army troops on patrol clashed with around 40 militants in a village in Patikul town around 3:00 p.m., resulting in the killing and wounding of soldiers. Sobejana said Abu Sayyaf militants also sustained casualties based on the bloodstains on the clash site. Abu Sayyaf Group is considered the smallest but the most violent of the extremist groups in the southern Philippines. The group, which has an estimated 400 fighters, is active in the impoverished archipelagic provinces of Sulu and Basilan. The group is responsible for the series of kidnappings, deadly bombings, ambushes of security personnel, public beheadings, assassinations, and extortion in the Mindanao region. The group, which has been sowing terror in the Philippine southern region since the 1990s, preys on foreign tourists, businessmen and fishermen not only from the Philippines but also from Indonesia and Malaysia and hide them in Philippine jungles or remote islands. Sani Aliyu, national coordinator of the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19, has stated that the committee is concerned about reports thats people are being smuggled in trucks out of Lagos. This, Aliyu said while giving updates on COVID-19 today. He said inter-state travels are leading to community spread of the disease. He called on Nigerians to reduce their movement if the disease must be curtailed. Several states in the country had banned inter-state travels in a bid to check the spread of COVID-19. I will like to talk on travel restrictions and to reemphasise the need for people to stay at home especially in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun. I would also like to note the issue of people travelling in-between states, inter-state travel. We have noticed that community spread is now being traced to people travelling across state borders, Aliyu said. We need to try and restrict our movement in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus. This is particularly pertinent with regards to news of people being smuggled in trucks out of Lagos which is quite concerning to us. On their parts, Osagie Enahire, minister of health, and Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, (NCDC) raised concerns about how stigmatisation is inhibiting the governments fight against the outbreak. Ihekwazu said stigmatising people who tested positive for COVID-19 would cause them to run away from treatment, consequently leading to further spread of the disease. People have been asking questions, where are the people with COVID-19 living? What part of town are they? Of course, everyone is anxious and frightened. Unfortunately, this anxiety seems to be leading to stigmatisation, Ihekweazu said. When the HIV hit our world, we did the same thing. But this is an infection, it doesnt get to you because you have done anything bad or you have committed a crime. It is not karma, it is just a virus. The people with this virus have children, wives, family members. They need to be respected. It affects their mental well being if we as a society are stigmatising them. Share this post with your Friends on DETROIT, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research announces the launch of a new market research report on Aircraft Milled Parts Market by Aircraft Type (Commercial Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, Helicopter, Military Aircraft, and General Aviation), by Application Type (Airframe, Engine, Interiors, and Others), by Material Type (Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Titanium, and Other Metals & Alloys), by End-User Type (OE and Aftermarket), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2020-2025. The report, from Stratview Research, provides a comprehensive analysis that reflects today's aircraft milled parts market realities and future possibilities for the forecast period 2020 to 2025. The report segments and analyzes the market in the most comprehensive manner to provide a panoramic view of the market. The vital data/information provided in the report can play a crucial role for market participants as well as investors in the identification of low-hanging fruits available as well as formulate growth strategies. Aircraft Milled Parts Market: Highlights Milled parts or components are those machined components which are mainly produced through the milling process. A wide and diverse range of machined components are used in the aerospace industry, made via processes such as milling, turning, and drilling. Milling offers rapid profiling of aircraft structural components, which are majorly made with aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, and their alloys; with better surface finish and greater dimensional accuracy than metal forming of aircraft structures. Rapid advancements in the milling process i.e. from conventional milling machines to advanced CNC (Computer Numerical Control) milling machines and high-speed machining centers have paved the way for milled components/parts in the aerospace industry. These advancements have also helped the industry to achieve its main objective of optimizing metal removal rates and minimizing chatter. As per Stratview Research, the aircraft milled parts market is projected to grow at a healthy rate over the next five years to reach an estimated value of US$ 4.3 billion in 2025. The outbreak of COVID-19 is ending the longest 16 years of the industry boon, which had begun when the industry had emerged out from another infectious disease SARS (2002-2003). The aerospace industry is projected to be one of the most severely impacted industries due to the COVID-19 outbreak. As per the recent estimates of IATA, the airline industry is expecting to record a possible loss of US$ 252 billion of passenger revenues, an equivalent of a 38% loss in RPKs in 2020 from 2019. Complete lockdown of many countries, due to the pandemic, has forced several airlines to cut their flying capacity due to grounded fleets and operate at a reduced capacity of 5% to 40% of their total strength. For instance, Lufthansa Group has recently announced a 95% capacity reduction due to the outbreak. The overall impact of the outbreak is still unpredictable; however, currently, it is anticipated to be graver than the SARS (2002-2003) and the MERS (2015). And yet the industry is optimist about its recovery as it did during SARS (2002-2003). The demand for milled parts in the industry is largely dependent on the overall health of the aviation industry. Huge order backlogs of Boeing and Airbus (13,237 aircraft at the end of Feb 2020), accelerating demand for replacing iconic aircraft such as A380 and B747, which are forced to retire early by several airlines due to the outbreak, with A321, A350XWB and B787, and the market entry of new aircraft programs such A321XLR, B777X, C919, and MC-21; are anticipated to assure a speedy recovery of the aircraft industry including milled parts. Click Here and Run Through the Detailed TOC of the Report: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/toc/825/aircraft-milled-parts-market.html Commercial aircraft is likely to remain the growth engine of the market during the forecast period, mainly driven by an expected increase in commercial aircraft deliveries in the coming years. The short-term outlook of the commercial aircraft market seems struggling to owe to the continuous grounding of the B737 Max, reduction in production rates of A320, A330, and A350 XWB programs and expected delay in the entry of upcoming aircraft programs such as B777X and C919. Based on the application type, the airframe segment is likely to maintain its unassailable dominance in the market during the forecast period. The dominance is majorly due to large number of applications of milled parts in the application segment with most of them being large-sized structures. However, the engine segment is projected to witness the highest growth in the coming five years, mainly driven by a handful of engines, such as LEAP, GE9X, GEnx, PW F135, PW1000G, and Rolls-Royce Trent XWB and 7000. Based on the material type, aluminum is projected to remain the most dominant material type in the aircraft milled parts market over the next five years, owing to its widespread usage and excellent track record in the aircraft industry. Titanium is estimated to be the fastest-growing material type in the market in years to come, mainly propelled by increased penetration of titanium in the next-generation aircraft programs, such as B787 and A350XWB. Register Here and Ask for a Free Sample on the Exclusive Report: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/825/aircraft-milled-parts-market.html In terms of region, North America is projected to remain the largest market for aircraft milled parts during the forecast period. The USA is expected to remain the growth engine of the North American market, owing to the presence of several aircraft OEMs such as Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Bombardier Inc., and Gulfstream Aerospace as well as the presence of various tier players and milled part manufacturers in the country. Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period, driven by upcoming indigenous aircraft program i.e. COMAC C919 and Mitsubishi SpaceJet, and opening of assembly plant of Boeing and Airbus in China for B737, A330, A320, and A350. Further, key economies, such as India and China, in the region are incessantly increasing their defense budget with the purpose to acquire the latest military aircraft to solidify their defense capabilities along with their offset policy and development of indigenous military aircraft such as Tejas and J20. The supply chain of this market comprises of raw material suppliers, aircraft milled parts manufacturers, distributors, tier players, aircraft OEMs, airlines, aircraft leasing companies, and MRO companies. Some of the key players in the aircraft milled parts market are Precision Castparts Corp., GKN plc, Spirit AeroSystems, Inc., Magellan Aerospace Corp., Triumph Group Inc., Senior plc, Minebea Mitsumi, Inc., LMI Aerospace, Inc., Air Industries Group, Inc., and Gardner Aerospace. Report Features This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report: Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis. Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis. Market trend and forecast analysis. Market segment trend and forecast. Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc. Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities. Emerging trends. Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players. Key success factors This report studies the global aircraft milled parts market and has segmented the market in five ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. Following are the five ways in which the market is segmented: Aircraft Milled Parts Market, by Aircraft Type Commercial Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Regional Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Helicopter (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Military Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) General Aviation (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Aircraft Milled Parts Market, by Application Type Airframe (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Engine (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Interiors (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Others (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Aircraft Milled Parts Market, by Material Type Aluminum Milled Parts (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Stainless Steel Milled Parts (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Titanium Milled Parts (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Other Milled Parts (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Aircraft Milled Parts Market, by End-User Type OE (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Aftermarket (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Aircraft Milled Parts Market, By Region North America (Country Analysis: The USA , Canada , and Mexico ) Europe (Country Analysis: France , Germany , the UK, Russia , and Rest of Europe ) Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: China , India , Japan , and Rest of Asia-Pacific ) Rest of the World (Sub-Region Analysis: The Middle East , Latin America , and Others) Stratview Research has number of high value market reports in the global aerospace & defense industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/market-reports/Aerospace-Defense.html Some of our other premium market reports in the aerospace & defense industry: Aircraft C-Class Parts Market by Aircraft Type (Commercial Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, General Aviation, Helicopter, and Military Aircraft), by Part Type (Hardware Parts, Bearings, Electronic Components, and Machined Parts), by Sales Channel Type (Direct Sales, Distributors, and Part Brokers), by End-User Type (OE Sales and Aftermarket Sales), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2019-2024. Aircraft Specialty Fasteners Market by Aircraft Type (Commercial Aircraft, Military Aircraft, Helicopter, Regional Aircraft, and General Aviation), by Product Type (Blind Rivets, Blind Bolts, Solid Rivets, Panel Fasteners, Studs and Inserts, and Others), by Material Type (Titanium, Aluminum, Steel, and Others), by Application Type (Airframe, Engine, Flight Control Surface, Interior, and Others) by End-User Type (OE, and Aftermarket) and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2019-2024. Aircraft Brackets Market byAircraft Type (Commercial Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, General Aviation, Military Aircraft, and Helicopter), by Application Type (Fuselage, Wings, Control Surfaces, and Others), by Bracket Type (Class A, Class B, and Class C), by Material Type (Aluminum, Steel, and Others), by End-User Type (OE and Aftermarket) and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2018-2023. About Stratview Research Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas. We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies. Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making. For enquiries, Contact: Stratview Research E-mail: sales@stratviewresearch.com Direct: +1-313-307-4176 Advertisement Michigan Gov. Gretchn Whitmer said she hopes to relax the state's lockdown on May 1 Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on Friday that she 'hopes' to relax some of her state's lockdown orders after receiving backlash from four sheriffs who said they would not enforce it and after protests erupted over people's inability to return to work. In an interview with Good Morning America, Whitmer responded to President Trump's May 1 reopening guidelines by saying they left much to be answered with regards to testing, but that she is hopeful she can adhere to them. 'I do hope to have some relaxing come May 1st but its two weeks away, and the information, the data and our ability to test is changing so rapidly. 'Its hard to tell you precisely where well be one week from now, let alone two weeks from now,' she said. She added that her state was in a 'unique' position because it has the third highest number of deaths in the state but is comparatively small. As of Friday afternoon, Michigan had 30,023 cases - an increase of 760 in a day. There have been 2,227, an increase of 134 since Thursday's figures. President Trump tweeted on Friday afternoon that it was among a handful of states that should be 'liberated'. In an afternoon press conference, Gov, Whitmer said she hoped his remarks will not incite further unrest. 'I hope that its not encouraging more protests. One of the things that I think in this moment right now is to acknowledge is people are feeling very anxious. Gov. Whitmer said she hoped this tweet issued by President Trump on Friday morning did not incite any more protests 'We will re-engage our economy when it's safe. I'm going to be listening to the best medical experts across the country, as I have been.I know we are doing the right thing and what we're doing is saving lives. 'There's no one more eager to re-engage sectors of our economy than I am,' she said. It comes after four sheriffs issued a joint statement saying that while they would spread public health messages about hand-washing and social distancing, they would not strictly enforce Whitmer's stay-at-home policy because people needed to get back to normal life. 'While we understand her desire to protect the public, we question some restrictions that she has imposed as overstepping her executive authority. 'She has created a vague framework of emergency laws that only confuse Michigan citizens,' the sheriffs - Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Borkovich, Benzie County Sheriff Ted Schendel, Manistee County Sheriff Ken Falk and Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole - wrote. '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 that we are the last line of defense in protecting your civil liberties. Protesters carry rifles near the steps of the Michigan State Capitol building in Lansing, Mich., Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Flag-waving, honking protesters drove past the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to show their displeasure with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's orders to keep people at home and businesses locked during the new coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak April 15, 2020, Lansing, Michigan, USA: Traffic lined up down Michigan Avenue heading west from I-127 to the State Capitol. Protestors, from their cars and on foot, surround the State Capitol during ''Operation Gridlock'' in Lansing People rally against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus outbreak Wednesday, April 15, 2020 Rallygoers, including Michigan Liberty Militia member Phil Robinson of Barry County, Mich., protest against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home order near the state Capitol Wednesday 'Together, as a community, we will overcome this pandemic, and as Americans, we will persevere and come out stronger than before. 'As sheriffs of your community we want you to know we have your back and will continue to serve the people who have entrusted us with your protection,' they said. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is refusing to shut down her state. She has accused Americans across the nation of giving up their 'liberties for a little bit of security', vowing to go against the grain and keep her state open as protests against lockdown orders are staged nationwide. Infections in the state have trebled in just one week and is home to one of the country's largest virus hotspots following an outbreak at a pork processing plant. At the start of the month there were only 129 infections in the state but, as of Thursday, 988 cases have since been confirmed and six deaths reported. Despite the alarming surge of COVID-19 cases in such a short space of time, Noem insists she still had no plans to implement a lock-down. The controversial Governor assured critics that she will continue to make decisions based on 'science and 'facts', 'rather than letting emotion grab a hold of the situation.' South Dakota saw its infection numbers spike following an outbreak at a Chinese-owned pork processing plant in Sioux Falls where about 500 employees tested positive for coronavirus She argued that it was up to individuals - and not governments - to decide if they should go to work, worship or stay at home. 'I took an oath when I was in congress, obviously to uphold the constitution of the United States. I believe in our freedoms and liberties,' Noem said in an interview with FOX News. 'What I've seen across the country is so many people give up their liberties for just a little bit of security. And I don't have to do that. 'If a leader will take too much power in a time of crisis, that is how we lose our country. So I felt like I've had to use every single opportunity to talk about why we slow things down, we make decisions based on science and facts and make sure that we are not letting emotion grab a hold of the situation.' South Dakota saw its infection numbers spike following an outbreak at a Chinese-owned pork processing plant in Sioux Falls where about 500 employees tested positive for coronavirus. An estimated 120 people, who are family members of the employees, have also now tested positive. The combination of the figures means the outbreak at Smithfield Foods, which was forced to shutdown this week, is responsible for the single largest cluster of coronavirus cases in the country. At the start of the month there were only 129 infections in the state but, as of Thursday, 988 cases have since been confirmed and six deaths reported Backlash protests against lockdown orders have been staged all over the country this. Protestors The Michigan Conservative Coalition and Michigan Freedom Fund demonstrated on the steps of the State Capitol on Wednesday, demanding shutdowns be lifted While acknowledging the troubling outbreak, Noem said that, outside of Sioux Falls, two thirds of South Dakota has either no cases or only one coronavirus case in an entire county, which in her opinion is an indication the situation is very much under control. 'We are addressing the one hot spot that we do have an aggressively testing in that area,' Noem said. 'And South Dakotans are doing a fantastic job following my recommendations.' By ignoring calls to shutdown the state, Noem says she has been able to keep businesses open, while also allowing people to 'take on some personal responsibility'. Gov Noem also accused the media and high-profile critics such as Elizabeth Warren of conflating her decision not to issue a lockdown with the outbreak at the food plant. 'What they are neglecting to tell folks is that this processing plant is critical infrastructure. Regardless of a shelter-in-place order or not, it would have been up and running because it's an important part of our nation's food supply,' Noem Thundered. 'So that's what's been happening on the national level, they've been not telling all the facts behind us. 'If the people of South Dakota can be trusted to make good decisions. We have common sense. That's why people want to live here that's why I love living here.' By ignoring the calls to shutdown the state, Noem says she has been able to keep businesses open, while also allowing people to 'take on some personal responsibility' (Pictured: Demonstrators stand outside of the Virginia State Capitol refusing to comply with their state's shutdown orders) Protesters from a grassroots organization called REOPEN NC demonstrate against the North Carolina coronavirus lockdown at a parking lot adjacent to the North Carolina State Legislature in Raleigh on Tuesday Smithfield Foods, which is headquartered in Virginia, is owned by China's WH Group Ltd. The company announced that in addition to closing its Sioux Falls plant, it was also shutting plants in Wisconsin and Missouri. Employees, local officials and industry sources told Reuters late last year that workers box up pig carcasses to ship to China instead of providing meat to Americans. It comes after the South Dakota State Medical Association wrote a letter to Gov Noem on April 3 urging her to issue a quarantine order for residents. 'A stay-at-home order would give our health professionals the necessary time and resources to manage this pandemic,' the group said. '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.' Sioux Falls Mayor Paul Ten Haken, who is also a Republican, issued an ordinance this week that requires residents in the city to stay at home after Gov Noem refused his request to issue a statewide one. His ordinance allows residents to still travel for work, as well as out for groceries and essential items. It urges people to social distance if they are outside. In an interview with CBS This Morning on Wednesday, the mayor said the number of cases were 'staggering'. 'The growth that we've seen in our COVID cases, really in the last week, has been a bit staggering,' TenHaken said. 'We're doubling and we've been doubling every four days for the last 18 days.' In reference to Gov Noem refusing to issue a lockdown, the mayor went on to say that he would rather be 'chastised for being over-cautious' than for not doing enough to stop the spread of the coronavirus. With no consensus between religious leaders and authorities, congregational prayers are held at some mosques. Islamabad, Pakistan A lack of consensus between religious leaders and the Pakistani government has seen Friday congregational prayers still being held at some mosques across the country, in defiance of government guidelines on social distancing amidst the coronavirus outbreak. In the capital, Islamabad, hundreds gathered at the Red Mosque, led by hardline religious leader Abdul Aziz, to offer prayers, standing shoulder-to-shoulder and filling the mosques main hall to capacity. Reports indicated that congregational prayers were also held at major mosques in other cities, with varying levels of social distancing. Aziz, who led an armed standoff between his followers and the government that culminated in Pakistani soldiers raiding the mosque in 2007, was not available to speak on Friday. He had spoken to Al Jazeera earlier this month by telephone, during which he remained adamant that he would continue to lead congregational prayers at the mosque. [Lockdowns are] not the answer to these problems, Aziz had told Al Jazeera. We believe the people should not be made to fear things right now, they should have faith in God at this time, and to place their hope in him If death is written for you, then it will come. Prayer leader Saeed-ur-Rehman said while the mosque was open, he expected a small gathering of worshippers compared with the hundreds who normally attend [Asad Hashim/Al Jazeera] Pakistan has seen at least 7,008 coronavirus cases so far, with at least 134 deaths, according to the governments data. At least 1,757 patients have recovered. Earlier this week, Pakistans government eased a nationwide lockdown, reopening more than a dozen industries and categories of businesses in a bid to stave off spiralling unemployment and economic slowdown caused by the lockdown. Mosques, however, were advised to restrict congregational prayers to a maximum of five people, all of whom were required to be staff members residing within the mosques premises. Police stood guard outside the Red Mosque in Islamabad, but did not intervene when the crowd formed inside. A police official at the scene, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Al Jazeera they did not have orders to stop people. Asked whether congregants should be asked to maintain distance between them in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Aziz was adamant. Our stance is against this. [Doctors] opinion is not the word of God, that is their opinion, he said. It is our opinion that this is a punishment from God, and it is coming because we have filled the world with sins. Pledge to reopen mosques rescinded On Tuesday, religious leaders from more than a dozen prominent religious organisations signed a pledge to reopen their mosques, while promising to take precautions against the spread of the novel coronavirus. The order was rescinded on Thursday, with several religious leaders who were present at the Tuesday announcement saying they were entering into negotiations with the government to develop standard operating procedures to reopen the mosques safely. In grocery stores, people are gathering in crowds and is there no corona[virus] there? Muneeb-ur-Rehman, a prominent religious leader, told Al Jazeera on Friday. This is just a movement to try and target religion and mosques. At this mosque in Islamabads F-8 neighbourhood, normally packed for Friday midday prayers, worshippers were advised to maintain at least six feet of distance between themselves [Al Jazeera] If the issue is gathering, and if people gather in other places according to an SOP [Standard Operating Procedure], then we can do that in the mosque as well. Please end the hate against the mosque. Rehman is among a number of senior Muslim leaders due to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday to lay out regulations on how the mosques will operate during the coronavirus pandemic. In other mosques in Islamabad, Muslim leaders enforced social distancing guidelines. Whoever wants to come can attend the prayers, said Saeed-ur-Rehman, a prayer leader at a mosque in the citys F-11 neighbourhood. We have told our congregants about all of the steps they need to take. At another prominent mosque in the citys F-8 neighbourhood, normally packed for midday prayers on Friday, there were roughly 40 worshippers gathered, all sitting nearly six metres apart from one another. We are following all the advices on distancing given by the government, said Ghulam Nabi Janbaz, a member of staff at the mosque. Asad Hashim is Al Jazeeras digital correspondent in Pakistan. He tweets @AsadHashim. Advertising & Marketing 101SEOPro Releases a Guide on How to Select the SEO Keywords 17.04.2020 09:07:19 - 101SEOPro is a SEO agency located in US & Hong Kong that provides affordable, long-lasting and effective search engine optimization service for English and Chinese websites. (live-PR.com) - When it comes to SEO, it is very important to choose the right keywords. In addition to increasing the traffic of your own website, we need to attract potential customers to visit your website. Moreover, the choice of keywords should be specific (not too general); otherwise, the conversion rate would be very low. If your website offers goods or services, - When it comes to SEO, it is very important to choose the right keywords. In addition to increasing the traffic of your own website, we need to attract potential customers to visit your website. Moreover, the choice of keywords should be specific (not too general); otherwise, the conversion rate would be very low. If your website offers goods or services, we should choose the keywords with strong purchase intentions, such as "Cheap XX", "XXX company", etc., we can also add "HK"/US keywords to help localize SEO. 1. Keywords can't be too unpopular If you choose keywords that have small search volume, even if your web page can be ranked in the first page, there will not be many people clicking & viewing it. Especially for SEO in Hong Kong, the ideal keywords should be searched by hundreds to thousands of people every month. Of course, the choice of keywords is limited to your industry. But our 101 SEO Pro will do keyword research for you, so as to help your website to select a keyword with a relatively large search volume and related theme, and then help you do on-site and off-site SEO. The goal is to increase the conversion rate and your turnover. 2. Good keywords must be specific If you want to see the effect of SEO quickly, we should choose the specific, targeted keywords. We have to do the reverse thinking and estimate what they will search in Google. For example, if your business is Playgroup, the keyword "Playgroup" is searched by thousands of people in Hong Kong every month, but the people who type this word may not want to spend money, and there may be many people who want to look at more information about Playgroup. Information about Playgroup, for example, when can you send a girl to Playgroup, the advantages and disadvantages of Playgroup, etc. If we just target Playgroup, it would take a long time to rank and we may suffer the low conversion rate. At this time, we need to understand what would the real potential customers, says mom and dad, search? An example of an ideal keyword is "Playgroup Trial Session". Why this keyword is better? Because we can have the reverse thinking. The parents who search for Trial Session has already a large buying intention they really want to send their kids to the Playgroup, but just want to try different schools. It is actually worthwhile to invest in these keywords as it has a very high buying intention. If your company has this free trial policy, it will attract many potential customers to come to your school. Our SEO company can help you increase potential customers to view your web pages. Of course, we will help you find the right, targeted keywords with high buying intention, so as to help you increase conversion rate and income. 3. Keywords with too much competition When doing the SEO, we should avoid choosing a keyword that is too competitive. What does it mean? Generally speaking, the shorter the keywords or the fewer the words, the greater the competition. Usually it takes a longer time to get a good ranking. If you want to reduce the level of competition, one of the methods is to add a local region in front of a product or service. For example, "Kwun Tong Playgroup", "Shau Kei Wan Playgroup", after adding this regional Modifier, in addition to reducing the level of keyword competition, it can also be more specific to attract customers to visit their own web pages. In fact, adding a local name is a useful method, because Mom and Dad will try to find the school that is near to their home. Of course, if you are selling other products or services in other industries, our 101 SEO Pro team will help you with the keyword analysis for your industry for free, so that you can improve your web page ranking in a short time, thereby increasing traffic. 4. The overall keyword should be related to the theme of the website Using the previous example, if you hold a Playgroup school, in addition to writing information about Playgroup services, you can also write about relevant topics, such as parent-child activities, kids development, language learning and so on. By doing so, you can tell Google that the theme of your website is about child learning, so that Google feels that your website has a clear and specific theme. This can improve the overall search ranking of the website. When the parents search for the relevant information, they may discover you are actually a Playgroup School. They may want to learn more about it after reading your site. 5. Choose key words in question form Another way to select keywords is to ask and answer the questions. For example, we can write an article about "What should I pay attention to when choosing a Playgroup?", "Is Playgroup helpful to child growth & development?", Etc. These are all questions that parents may want to ask. If your web page answers your questions, you may want to know more about your Playgroup. Of course, different industries and products will have other keywords or Q&A. 101 SEO Pro can help you find the right keywords, so as to help you increase web traffic and guide potential customers to look at your site. 6. Google's related searches Some people may ask how to find such the useful keywords? We can think for ourselves. For example, we need to ask ourselves what will the customer type? If we dont have any idea, we can make use of the Related Searches at the bottom of the search result page. It should give you the relevant ideas. If you are interested in knowing more about the SEO keywords, please feel free to contact us, we offer free keyword consulting services. we should choose the keywords with strong purchase intentions, such as "Cheap XX", "XXX company", etc., we can also add "HK"/US keywords to help localize SEO.1. Keywords can't be too unpopularIf you choose keywords that have small search volume, even if your web page can be ranked in the first page, there will not be many people clicking & viewing it. Especially for SEO in Hong Kong, the ideal keywords should be searched by hundreds to thousands of people every month. Of course, the choice of keywords is limited to your industry. But our 101 SEO Pro will do keyword research for you, so as to help your website to select a keyword with a relatively large search volume and related theme, and then help you do on-site and off-site SEO. The goal is to increase the conversion rate and your turnover.2. Good keywords must be specificIf you want to see the effect of SEO quickly, we should choose the specific, targeted keywords. We have to do the reverse thinking and estimate what they will search in Google.For example, if your business is Playgroup, the keyword "Playgroup" is searched by thousands of people in Hong Kong every month, but the people who type this word may not want to spend money, and there may be many people who want to look at more information about Playgroup. Information about Playgroup, for example, when can you send a girl to Playgroup, the advantages and disadvantages of Playgroup, etc. If we just target Playgroup, it would take a long time to rank and we may suffer the low conversion rate.At this time, we need to understand what would the real potential customers, says mom and dad, search?An example of an ideal keyword is "Playgroup Trial Session". Why this keyword is better? Because we can have the reverse thinking. The parents who search for Trial Session has already a large buying intention they really want to send their kids to the Playgroup, but just want to try different schools. It is actually worthwhile to invest in these keywords as it has a very high buying intention. If your company has this free trial policy, it will attract many potential customers to come to your school. Our SEO company can help you increase potential customers to view your web pages. Of course, we will help you find the right, targeted keywords with high buying intention, so as to help you increase conversion rate and income.3. Keywords with too much competitionWhen doing the SEO, we should avoid choosing a keyword that is too competitive. What does it mean? Generally speaking, the shorter the keywords or the fewer the words, the greater the competition. Usually it takes a longer time to get a good ranking. If you want to reduce the level of competition, one of the methods is to add a local region in front of a product or service. For example, "Kwun Tong Playgroup", "Shau Kei Wan Playgroup", after adding this regional Modifier, in addition to reducing the level of keyword competition, it can also be more specific to attract customers to visit their own web pages. In fact, adding a local name is a useful method, because Mom and Dad will try to find the school that is near to their home.Of course, if you are selling other products or services in other industries, our 101 SEO Pro team will help you with the keyword analysis for your industry for free, so that you can improve your web page ranking in a short time, thereby increasing traffic.4. The overall keyword should be related to the theme of the websiteUsing the previous example, if you hold a Playgroup school, in addition to writing information about Playgroup services, you can also write about relevant topics, such as parent-child activities, kids development, language learning and so on. By doing so, you can tell Google that the theme of your website is about child learning, so that Google feels that your website has a clear and specific theme. This can improve the overall search ranking of the website.When the parents search for the relevant information, they may discover you are actually a Playgroup School. They may want to learn more about it after reading your site.5. Choose key words in question formAnother way to select keywords is to ask and answer the questions. For example, we can write an article about "What should I pay attention to when choosing a Playgroup?", "Is Playgroup helpful to child growth & development?", Etc. These are all questions that parents may want to ask. If your web page answers your questions, you may want to know more about your Playgroup.Of course, different industries and products will have other keywords or Q&A. 101 SEO Pro can help you find the right keywords, so as to help you increase web traffic and guide potential customers to look at your site.6. Google's related searchesSome people may ask how to find such the useful keywords? We can think for ourselves. For example, we need to ask ourselves what will the customer type? If we dont have any idea, we can make use of the Related Searches at the bottom of the search result page. It should give you the relevant ideas.If you are interested in knowing more about the SEO keywords, please feel free to contact us, we offer free keyword consulting services. Press Information: 101 SEO Pro 4826 Frank Avenue, Springfield, MA 01105 Contact Person: Scott Lindell Marketing Director Phone: 413-200-8064 eMail: eMail Web: http://101seopro.com 17.04.2020 09:07:19 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. (Photo : REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo) FILE PHOTO: The Airbnb logo is seen on a little mini pyramid under the glass Pyramid of the Louvre museum in Paris, France, March 12, 2019. Airbnb has ended its contracts with contingent workers early and postponed summer internships, reports say. Contractors at Airbnb include property inspectors, domestic specialists, and more. According to Protocol, contractors would receive no less than two weeks' pay after receiving word from their temp agencies. Airbnb will also postpone hiring undergraduate students until 2021, the report added. ALSO READ: Airbnb's Formula To Be Profitable: China + Millennials Worst Q&A ever? According to a worker who was in the meeting, Airbnb's CEO Brian Chesky terminated contingent worker contracts during his weekly Q&A over Zoom on Thursday. "It was the most tone-deaf, bizarre Q&A format I've ever seen," said the worker, who found out on the call that they were being laid off. The employee added Chesky didn't thank the contractors, nor saying 'we hope to bring you back.' The CEO just proceeded into the Q&A portion, the worker added. Managers received an email containing more details from Beth Axelrod, Airbnb's VP of employee experience, according to the worker who spoke with Protocol on the condition of anonymity. The email signed "Beth" wrote the company had to make the tough decision to reduce the size of Airbnb's contingent workforce significantly. Axelrod, according to the email obtained by Protocol, also promised more records next week to assist managers in helping their contingent workers through this transition. She clarified contract employees might be hearing without delay from the third-party businesses that would hire them within weeks. Axelrod added that no person being let go might receive less than weeks' pay after receiving notice. Airbnb contractors also shared on LinkedIn the news that they had just been let go and seek help to their networks, Protocol's report added. "Reaching out to my network for some help! Today I learned that I will be laid off from Airbnb due to COVID-19," wrote project manager Emilee Hannum. Hannum also expressed her concern over what comes next. Airbnb's class of summer interns shared similar news on the same platform. One computer science major at Stanford also reached out to other tech companies in LinkedIn for potential internship opportunities this upcoming summer. Airbnb has around 5,000 and 10,000 people in its workforce, according to Glassdoor. The New York Times reported it had approximately 6,000 full-time staff employees last year. ALSO READ: Airbnb Finalizes $1.5 Billion Funding At $25.5 Billion Valuation Drastic changes? Airbnb isn't the only tech company to cancel internships amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Yelp canceled its summer internship program in March. Checkr, Funding Circle, Glassdoor, and StubHub canceled their internship programs, too. These changes came just one day after Airbnb secured a $1 billion loan. Earlier this month, Airbnb raised an additional $1 billion in debt and equity. Chesky also said at the Q&A that he and his co-founders wouldn't be taking salaries this year. The company's top executives are making 50% pay cuts, reports claim. "We need to make tough trade-offs and operate with more discipline than we ever have before, so Airbnb can be a much stronger company on the other side of this crisis," Axelrod wrote. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. As essential businesses continue to deliver services during the ongoing pandemic, their normal operational flows can be overwhelmed by crisis conditions. Quite simply, in an effort to perform their functions safely and efficiently, they may not have time to manage some of their other daily tasks, including paying regular attention to email and other communications. But, those communications are often an essential component of customer and staff management, especially now, when information timing is essential to ensuring worker and customer safety, as well as simply managing customer needs and relationships. Doctors, for instance, are under a significantly greater burden that normally, having to treat patients with all sorts of conditions, while preventing the spread of the coronavirus. That may mean having to communicate office hours and policies to patients, or sending appointment updates as needed. Many restaurants and other food service providers are offering delivery or pickup services, and need to communicate with customers regarding their orders. Teachers may need to communicate with their students regarding coursework or online learning arrangements. Leadership teams within any business might need to communicate organizational updates to essential employees. There are countless situations where communication is critical, but phone and email simply arent the most viable option. Text messaging, on the other hand, can get information to employees or customers quickly, even if they are unable to check email or answer the phone immediately. Research also shows that text messages have a much more immediate read rate than email, making it more effective for communicating important information. SMS provide a simple response mechanism that people are understand and for which they dont need a separate app or device. Right now, when essential workers are already operating at maximum capacity, real-time, accessible communication is more important than ever, said Andrew Kimmell, CMO and Co-founder of TextUs. Text messaging is the most efficient communication channel for conversations requiring fast, timely responses. TextUs offers a business text messaging solution on a scalable platform that allows companies to communicate with staff and customers in real time, ensuring faster delivery and timely response capability. Importantly, during a crisis, SMS may be the easiest and most effective way to engage with customers and it works both ways, ensuring customers have a way of contacting your businesses with any questions or concerns. Given the current pandemic, TextUs has enabled us to communicate quickly to hundreds of our staff about work assignments, address issues day and night, and stay connected even with our remote team members, said Bruce Weinberg, assistant vice president, Nursing Workforce Management at Ochsner Health System. This application has been instrumental in how we communicate with our front line employees. TextUs is offering its platform to essential businesses at no cost through Q2 2020, to help them more effectively manage staff and customer communications as they help overcome this pandemic. Edited by Erik Linask Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have kept a low profile in Los Angeles, with even their location unknown amid uncofirmed reports that the pair are living in Malibu Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan handed out meals to sick people in Los Angeles, in their first known public activity since moving to California at the start of the state's coronavirus lockdown. The pair, who have formally stepped down as senior members of the British royal family, first volunteered with Project Angel Food on Sunday, delivering food to people living with chronic illnesses. "They were here Easter Sunday, and then they surprised us on Wednesday," said communications manager Anne-Marie Williams. "They handed out to 20 of our clients, and they rocked their worlds." The Duke and Duchess of Sussex relocated to California last month after announcing in January that they intended to quit royal life and "work to become financially independent." They have kept a low profile, with even their location unknown amid unconfirmed reports that the pair are living in Malibu. It emerged last week that they are planning to launch a wide-ranging non-profit organization in the United States named Archewell, focusing on mental health, education and wellbeing. They said they wanted "to do something of meaning, to do something that matters," but have delayed releasing full details because of the pandemic and will make an announcement "when the time is right." Los Angeles nonprofit Project Angel Food, which delivers medically tailored food to chronically ill people, appears to be the first charity publicly supported by the pair since their secretive move. "We kept the conversation very casual, all I know is that they're very intent on being of service, and that they want to see Los Angeles through the lens of Project Angel Food and through the lens of philanthropy," Richard Ayoub, the organization's CEO, told AFP. The pair learnt of the charity through Meghan's mother, who lives in Los Angeles and had heard that the organization needed extra help during the pandemic. Upon their departure from the frontline of the British monarchy, the couple agreed to relinquish their "Royal Highness" titles. "They're very down to earth people -- very sweet and genuine and don't stand on ceremony at all. They insisted we call them Harry and Meghan," said Ayoub. Many of Project Angel Food's clients are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus, and Ayoub said he hoped the couple's attention would help drive donations to www.angelfood.org/covid19. He added: "I'm keeping my fingers crossed, hoping they'll come back. With all this publicity, we don't know. But we're hoping that they do come back." - Princess Sofia undertook a three-day medical course at a Stockholm university and will now assist healthcare workers at the Sophiahemmet hospital - She started assisting healthcare workers amid the coronavirus pandemic to relieve the workload of health workers - The hospital established a new training scheme run by the university so more volunteers could join to help in the fight against coronavirus Swedish princess Sofia Kristina Hellqvist has begun working alongside healthcare assistants in the hospital to help her country in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The Duchess of Varmland completed a three-day training course at Sophiahemmet University College in Stockholm and will now assist healthcare workers at the Sophiahemmet hospital. READ ALSO: Clever girl: Albino baby elephant shows its intelligence by using spade during playtime Princess Sofia of Sweden today started working in the hospital to help the country's fight against coronavirus. Photo: Daily Mail. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Heartwarming moment teacher visits upset first grader to calm her down A statement issued by Sweden's Royal Court on Wednesday, April 15, said the princess decided to contribute as a voluntary worker so she could relieve the workload of health workers. "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." The hospital has been overwhelmed by COVID-19 which led to the establishment of a new training scheme run by the university. READ ALSO: Teso South couple donates 2 acres of sweet potatoes to villagers as coronavirus bites The royal (centre ) who is married to Prince Carl Philip took a three-day medical course at Sophiahemmet University College in Stockholm. Photo: Daily Mail. Source: UGC The scheme will see 80 people a week follow in Sofia's footsteps by completing the course and joining the front-line of healthcare workers. These people will not directly treat patients, rather they will provide relief for doctors and nurses by performing tasks such as disinfecting equipment, cooking and cleaning. The former glamour model Sofia became a member of the Swedish royal family in 2015 when she married Prince Carl Philip, who is the son of King Carl Gustaf. READ ALSO: 10-year-old girl improvises facemasks using kitchen towel, donates to less fortunate children The former model became part of the Swedish royal family in 2015, after marrying Carl Phillip, who is the son of King Carl Gustaf.Photo: Daily Mail. Source: UGC Sweden has come under fire over its handling of coronavirus, with schools, pubs and restaurants remaining open as the number of new cases in the country rises sharply. The country's death toll stands at 1,333. This is more than its Scandinavian neighbours, with Finland recording 75 deaths, Norway 152 deaths and Denmark - by far the most densely populated Nordic country - recording 321. 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 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. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe 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. Experts were afraid this might happen. As the coronavirus pandemic has forced most people to stay at home, there's been a spike in calls to L.A. County's domestic violence hotline, as well as to some shelters for abused women. The number of calls to the hotline in March jumped nearly 70% over the same month last year, from 432 to 726. Officials at shelters report more calls as well. Barbara Kappos, executive director of the East Los Angeles Women's Center, said a higher percentage than usual of the women calling are in search of shelter or alternative housing. "We had for instance last night a young woman with her child sleeping in her car fleeing from an abusive situation," Kappos said. Her organization was able to secure the woman a hotel room. icon DON'T MISS ANY L.A. CORONAVIRUS NEWS Get our daily newsletters for the latest on COVID-19 and other top local headlines. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Most shelters we spoke with are full. "Just last week, there were 32 clients that we had to turn away," said Iliana Tavera, executive director of the Haven Hills domestic violence shelter in Canoga Park. She said her shelter only had to turn away 10 women in the entire month of February. "The call volume and the requests for services has increased tremendously since the beginning of this pandemic," Tavera said. There hasn't been an increase in calls to the Women's Shelter of Long Beach, said Executive Director Mary Ellen Mitchell. But she's concerned many victims are struggling to find the privacy to phone for help in the first place. Mitchell described the situation of a woman her shelter heard from last week: "She actually was calling from her cell phone ... kind of hiding in the backyard, making sure the abuser didn't know what she was doing." HELP IS STILL OUT THERE Mitchell said it's important to get the word out that shelters like hers are still open and able to help victims, even if they don't necessarily have a bed to offer. And while many court proceedings are on hold right now, essential functions, including filing domestic violence restraining order applications, are still available. "We've assisted clients with restraining orders where the abuse dynamic was very much COVID specific," said Julianna Lee, supervising attorney at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. "In one case, it's where the abuser is frequently going in and out of the home and making the household more vulnerable to [COVID-19] exposure intentionally." Earlier this month, Rihana's Clara Lionel Foundation -- in cooperation with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey -- announced a $4.2 million grant to the Mayor's Fund for L.A. "to provide 10 weeks of support for victims of domestic abuse including shelter, meals and counseling for individuals and their children." Some shelters are having trouble freeing up existing beds due to COVID-19, according to the East Los Angeles Women's Center's Kappos. In the midst of a global pandemic, it's not an ideal time to be looking for permanent housing or handling the stress of a move. And there are concerns about the lasting effects of the turmoil and stress COVID-19 is creating for people in abusive situations. "The longer this goes on, the damage in terms of trauma is going to be enormous," said Lee. "The detriment that it causes to children in those households is going to be enormous, not to speak of the physical injuries that could result from a situation like this." IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS EXPERIENCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Lenovo announced that it will be offering 24*7 technical support to all laptop and desktop customers other than Lenovo. The customer support will be available at a toll-free number. Commenting on the initiative, Rahul Agarwal CEO and Managing Director, Lenovo India said, Whether its technology or helping those most in need, Lenovo is dedicated to working together to fight this pandemic on every front. With the ongoing pandemic causing public restrictions & health concerns, Lenovo will be offering support to its customers as well as the community at large. The technical helpline will offer basic and general assistance to customers. Lenovo is fully committed to the safety and well-being of its employees, business partners and customers. The technical support will be available until May 3, 2020. The toll-free number will be open 24 hours and can be reached at 1800 419 5253. The technical support will provide assistance for: Almost half of Canadian health-care workers involved in the coronavirus crisis feel they need mental health help, according to the results of a recent survey. In the survey, conducted April 1-6 by Montreal research firm Potloc and the Canadian Public Health Association a non-profit public health advocate 47 per cent of health-care workers surveyed said they needed psychological support. Forty-five per cent of respondents also felt they needed more training, and 40 per cent said they needed more medical staff at their facilities. While most of the survey was multiple-choice, the 578 health-care workers who responded made over 3,200 responses to eight open-ended questions asking about their experiences. One frequent theme in those answers was the apparent disconnect between front-line health-care workers and their administrators. One Ontario nurse commented: Within my organization, due to different sources including WHO, CDC, and local health authorities having different (infection prevention and control) recommendations, there is a sense of mistrust brewing between front-line care staff and the administrative upper management. Care workers have been feeling the burden of dangerously worsening patient workloads and resources for years, and feel scared about meeting the needs of their patients and keeping themselves and their families safe. Despite all of this, I still hear laughter and singing in the hallways on the units and staff putting on a brave and reassuring approach with patients and their worried families. We talk about how we can support each other and how we will make taking on more hours work, because we know it is needed. Another Ontario nurse described a typical day at work: I get up at 5:15 a.m. after having slept on a cot in the den to self-isolate. I get to work at 6:40 and after entering hospital and being screened for symptoms and given a mask, I report to the main ICU unit to find out what unit I will be working in. The day is busy, there is always work to be done, whether caring for your own patient or helping your co-workers. The patients are sicker there seems to be no downtime for staff. Isolation protocols are now implemented for most patients and this adds to staff discomfort and fatigue (it is HOT in all that gear for 12+ hours a day)! There are many more emergency situations (crashing patients) and the pressure on all medical and hospital staff seems to be increasing daily. Through it all, we continue to support one another and continue to try and smile, share a laugh and lots of tears. We are a team. Surveys were sent via Facebook and LinkedIn to Canadians self-identifying as health-care workers. Initial respondents were filtered down to 578 actively involved in providing coronavirus health-care services. Respondents to the survey were mostly from Ontario (38 per cent), primarily female (90 per cent), between 35 and 44 years old (30 per cent) and largely nurses (52 per cent). Because samples were not gathered in a fashion that would give all members of the population an equal chance of being selected, a margin of error cannot be applied to the results. In response to questions about their current work situation, health-care workers described feeling anxious, unsafe, overwhelmed, helpless, sleep-deprived and discouraged. They also said they were generally unsatisfied with the behaviour of the public during the epidemic. Im not surprised, said Dr. Sandy Buchman, president of the Canadian Medical Association. This is completely consistent with what were hearing from our members. People were telling me they were frightened, they were telling us that they were scared. There was concern about the surge in the number of patients that would come in with serious COVID-19 illness, and there was uncertainty and fear about the lack of personal protective equipment. However, Buchman said that anecdotally, it appears his colleagues this week are a little calmer than at the beginning of the month. He attributes that to an apparent flattening of the infection curve and the fact that the predicted surge of patients has not yet arrived. Those numbers dont surprise me at all, said Vicki McKenna, a registered nurse and provincial president of the Ontario Nurses Association. Its physically and mentally exhausting and that does take a toll. Some of them are feeling it, particularly for those who are working directly with COVID patients, or in COVID units. To be honest with you, nurses and health-care workers dont look after themselves. They make sure everything else is done, everyone else is looked after, until they finally get around to themselves. And thats one thing that we are very conscious of: encouraging them to be conscious of each other and talk about making sure they look after themselves. SM Steve McKinley is a Halifax-based reporter for the Star. Reach him via email: stevemckinley@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @smckinley1 Read more about: Let's talk about the popular Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG). The company's shares received a lot of attention from a substantial price increase on the NYSE over the last few months. As a large-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the companys outlook is already priced into the stock. However, could the stock still be trading at a relatively cheap price? Lets examine Chipotle Mexican Grills valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if theres still a bargain opportunity. Check out our latest analysis for Chipotle Mexican Grill What's the opportunity in Chipotle Mexican Grill? Chipotle Mexican Grill is currently expensive based on my price multiple model, where I look at the company's price-to-earnings ratio in comparison to the industry average. In this instance, Ive used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stocks cash flows. I find that Chipotle Mexican Grills ratio of 62.33x is above its peer average of 12.7x, which suggests the stock is trading at a higher price compared to the Hospitality industry. Another thing to keep in mind is that Chipotle Mexican Grills share price is quite stable relative to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. This means that if you believe the current share price should move towards the levels of its industry peers over time, a low beta could suggest it is not likely to reach that level anytime soon, and once its there, it may be hard for it to fall back down into an attractive buying range again. What kind of growth will Chipotle Mexican Grill generate? NYSE:CMG Past and Future Earnings April 17th 2020 Future outlook is an important aspect when youre looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. 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. Chipotle Mexican Grills earnings over the next few years are expected to double, indicating a very optimistic future ahead. This should lead to stronger cash flows, feeding into a higher share value. Story continues What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? CMGs optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading above industry price multiples. At this current price, shareholders may be asking a different question should I sell? If you believe CMG should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards the industry PE ratio can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed. Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping tabs on CMG for some time, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its industry peers, which means it is likely that there is no more upside from mispricing. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for CMG, which means its worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop. Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters the fundamentals before you make a decision on Chipotle Mexican Grill. You can find everything you need to know about Chipotle Mexican Grill in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Chipotle Mexican Grill, 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. GLENDORA, Calif., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- After planting over 300 million trees in 8 project nations, one of the most prolific tree planting organizations on the planet, Eden Reforestation Projects, is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day in a "little" way. The organization launched their "What Can $3.00 Provide?" campaign that aims at building awareness at what a difference $3.00 can make for people and the planet. Also, thanks to a generous donor, the first $100,000 donated to the campaign will be matched so that the impact will double. The current crisis the world is facing will impact people living in impoverished nations the most. During this time of uncertainty, Eden Reforestation Projects' goal is to keep at the forefront the urgent issues of climate change and poverty alleviation for the communities they serve. They are communities that will likely not be receiving any government assistance, and for whom $3.00 can provide life-saving necessities while helping restore the environment in a big way. The organization is inviting everyone to give $3.00 to plant trees and save lives. It may not seem like much, but a $3 donation can make a big difference. Three dollars can provide a cup of coffee, fast food, or a gallon of gas for most people in the U.S., but for people in Eden's project nations, $3.00 does a whole lot more. $3.00 can provide a day's wages, enough food to feed a family of six, and plant and protect 30 trees. Please join us this Earth Day by making a $3.00 Difference! Visit edenprojects.org to give $3.00 or to learn more about the work. About Eden Reforestation Projects: Eden Reforestation Projects (Eden) is a 501(c)3 international nonprofit that is committed to alleviating extreme poverty and restoring healthy forests in Madagascar, Haiti, Nepal, Indonesia, Mozambique, Kenya and beyond. Through their "Employ to Plant" methodology, they provide fair-wage and consistent employment to thousands of people in communities suffering from extreme poverty. People are employed to produce, plant, and guard an average of 5 million trees every month. Since Eden's launch in 2005, over 300 million trees have been planted, and the lives of thousands of people are being transformed. Eden's employees are now sending their children to school and able to afford food, clothing, and medical care. Further, as a result of consistent employment, hundreds of Eden's workers have escaped debt slavery, and sustainable farming and fishing are returning as a result of the restored environment. SOURCE Eden Reforestation Projects Related Links https://edenprojects.org/ External Article 17 April 2020 Hotel website Booking.com, until recently one of the most profitable companies in the Netherlands, has asked for government support as the number of bookings plunges to 15% of those of a year ago, according to the Volkskrant and the Financieele Dagblad. The company has asked for help to pay its 5,500 workers in the Netherlands and 48 customer service staff who were still in their probationary period have been let go as the impact of coronavirus on tourism continues to bite, the Volkskrant said. The company is a major employer in Amsterdam with a IT workforce comprising 80 different nationalities. According to the VK, the average salary at the Dutch operation is 47,000 a year. State Bank of India has decided to waive off charges for all ATM transactions made on SBI as well as other banks till 30 June amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. State Bank of India has decided to waive off charges for all ATM transactions made on SBI as well as other banks till 30 June amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The bank issued a statement on their website that read, In view of the announcement made by the finance minister on 24 March 2020, State Bank of India has decided to waive ATM Service Charges for all ATM transactions made on SBI ATMs and other bank ATMs on account of exceeding the free number of transactions up to 30 June 2020. Stay Home, Stay Safe. On 24 March, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that no charges will be levied on customers on cash withdrawals from any banks ATMs for three months. She had revealed that debit cardholders can withdraw cash from any other banks for free amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The government had also mentioned that no minimum balance requirement fee will be charged from account holders over the next three months as well Earlier, SBI customers were allowed three free transactions in six metro centres (Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad & Bengaluru) and five free transactions at other centres. India has registered over 13,000 cases of COVID-19 with at least 430 deaths from the dreaded disease. Glaring health disparities and socioeconomic factors complicate the COVID-19 response. Jaime Begay now spends her days assembling and delivering coronavirus care kits on the Navajo Nation in Tuba City, Arizona. The research program coordinator with the Center for American Indian Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health fills packages with nonperishable food, household disinfectants, soap, water, paper goods, diapers, and other essentials. She then takes them to elderly residents and families with children sheltering at home. Delivery is a three-step process. Begay, who is Navajo and from Tuba City, leaves the box at the doorbut not too closeand calls the resident, who knows not to retrieve the box until Begay returns to her car. Were dropping off these boxes in the safest way possible, she says. The project is one piece of the emergency response by the Center, which has worked closely with tribal communities to improve their health and well-being for 29 years. Center staff, the majority of whom are Native American, know well the unique challenges people face: overcrowded living arrangements, lack of running water in some homes, and some of the countrys highest rates of diabetes, heart disease, and asthmaconditions that put Native American peoples, in general, at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness. In multigenerational homes, eight people could be sleeping in one roomfrom very little children to much older adults and elders, making social distancing impossible, says Center director Allison Barlow, PhD, MPH 97. There is a good proportion of homes that have no running water, and this is a pandemic where the best advice is to keep washing your hands. For Native Americans, the coronavirus outbreak is a reminder of the devastating losses that tribes suffered in the 1918 and 2009 flu pandemics, with mortality rates four to five times higher than in the U.S. overall. Theres an element of historical trauma that has been triggered by this pandemic, Barlow says. Because of poor health care and poverty over generations theres now a greater proportion of Native people that have underlying health conditions that make them more vulnerable to severe illness and death. The federal Indian Health Service reported a total of 1,124 COVID-19 cases in IHS jurisdictions nationwide as of April 14, 2020,with 693 confirmed cases on the Navajo Nation, the largest tribal nation in the U.S., which crosses New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Indian Country Today reports a total of 55 deaths in tribal communities, based on data from tribes, IHS, local health departments, and the CDC. But lack of adequate surveillance systems and widespread racial misclassification mean that the cases counts are actually much higher, Barlow says. As part of the Centers emergency response efforts, more than 140 Native American and allied doctors, nurses and community health workers are carrying out surveillance, education, and delivering 2,000 care kits of critical medical and household supplies in five Navajo Nation sitesTuba City, Chinle, and Fort Defiance in Arizona; and Gallup and Shiprock in New Mexicoand on the entire White Mountain Apache tribal lands in Arizona. The Center is also sourcing personal protective equipment and health communications materials, food, and supplies to its Great Lakes Hub that serves 11 Ojibwe bands in Minnesota and Wisconsin and tribal partners in Michigan and Montana. Additionally, the Center is building handwashing stations, and has hired tribal members to make face masks and gowns. In collaboration with the IHS, it developed COVID-19 education materials, including fact sheets, public service announcements, and social media messages that can be customized in Native languages. These efforts are a start, but also illustrate a staggering need for strengthened health care and emergency services in tribal communities, and in some cases, for the most basic resources. Our Indian Health Services in general are woefully underfunded relative to other groups that receive federal money for health care, whether its Medicaid or money for federal prisoners, says Melissa Walls, PhD, inaugural director of the Centers new Great Lakes Hub in Duluth, Minnesota. The Department of Health and Human Services in early March allocated $80 million in funding to tribal organizations to support the COVID-19 response and, in a later round of emergency funding, earmarked $10 billion for American Indians. In the coming months, innovative ideas and approaches will be needed to promote health and safety amid the increasingly dire socioeconomic conditions in tribal communities, Barlow says. One possibility, she notes, is converting spaces in tribal communities to alternative care sites, which would allow for more social distancing. In this care model, the sites would house people with COVID-19 who are sick but dont need hospitalization to recover and remain separate from family members. We are really trying to utilize our public health and infectious disease expertise so that Indian Country has access to the best available science and data on COVID-19, says Walls. That means translating information for our tribal audiences, getting accurate data out to our tribal leaders and community members, and using those networks to be stewards of information. Our job is really to be partners to the tribes, she says. Communities know how to answer the call, how to take care of our elders. Its not our job to swoop in and take charge, but to respect that sovereign right and to support it in any way we can. Jackie Powder is an assistant editor in the Communications & Marketing Office at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. RELATED CONTENT April showers bring May flowersand April waterfalls. This spring, spend some time getting to know North Alabama by taking a day trip to view its many amazing natural features. North Alabamas unique location in the foothills of the southern Appalachian Mountains and on the banks of the Tennessee River provides a wealth of creeks, streams, rivers, mountains, and lakes to explore. Our recommended waterfall road trip takes you to five of the areas 13 spectacular waterfalls in one day, but it could certainly be extended into a long weekend if youre aiming to hit them all. 9:30 a.m. Eberhart Point Hike Stretch your legs after the hour-and-a-half drive with a short but steep hike that begins at Eberhart Point. Eberhart Point is the last of the Little Canyon scenic drives improved overlooks. The area was once Canyonland Park, where a popular chairlift took guests over the canyon. The hike leads to the bottom of the canyon, where you can spend some time walking along the river and skipping rocks. Be sure to note the remnants of large concrete pillars that once held up the chairlift. Just remember, what goes down, must come up. Youll definitely be feeling your quads by the end of the 1.5-mile roundtrip hike. 10:30 a.m. Graces High Falls The scenery around the first waterfall stop feels decidedly un-Alabama. With the walls of a steep canyon on either side, and a rushing river below, Graces High has the grandeur many associate with destinations out west. Its not quite the Grand Canyon, but its grand in its own right. At 133 feet, the waterfall is one of the tallest in the state; however, its not very wide, so put this one down as a seasonal waterfall thats only around when rain has been abundant. Grace's High Falls is 133 feet, making it one of the tallest waterfalls in the state of Alabama. Photo by Ojas Gokhale. 11:00 a.m. Little River Falls Little River Canyon National Preserve (which also includes Graces High Falls) is one of the deepest and most extensive canyon systems east of the Mississippi River. Little River Falls is the 14,000-acre preserves crowning jewel. The falls are easily accessible from many viewing points along Highway 35. In the summer (when the falls arent as strong), watch for kayakers running the falls, and consider packing a swimsuit to splash around in the pool below. After taking in Little River Falls, explore more of the preserve by taking an adjoining trail (just off the parking lot) to Marthas Falls. The trail is only 0.3 miles from here, but if you begin at the Little River Falls boardwalk, it goes up to 0.75 miles. Little River Falls is the crowning jewel of the 14,000-acre Little River Canyon National Preserve. Photo by Ojas Gokhale. 12:00 p.m. Lunch at Vintage 1889 After a morning outdoors, fuel up for the rest of the waterfall trail at a historic mill in Fort Payne. The former home of Davis Hosiery Mill, Vintage 1889 is now a combined restaurant and antique shop. The massive, all-brick mill offers a glimpse into Fort Paynes history as the unofficial sock capital of the world. (At its peak in the mid-1990s, there were around 125 sock mills in the area.) The former home of Davis Hosiery Mill, Vintage 1889 is now a combined restaurant and antique shop. Photo by Ojas Gokhale. Order a specialty sandwich like the Vintage Cuban or a burger on a pretzel bun and listen to the guitar picking from a local artist set up in the corner of the cafe. For a small operation, Vintage 1889 has a surprisingly large beer selection that features more than 90 bottle varieties and six taps. If the weather allows, take your meal into the open-air courtyard beneath the old water tower. Either way, end your visit with a stroll through the adjoining vintage shop. You might just find a souvenir to take home. Vintage 1889 serves a casual lunch menu of sandwiches, burgers, soups, and salads. *Note: Vintage 1889 is currently closed due to COVID-19. So we recommend packing a picnic lunch to enjoy with a beautiful waterfall as your backdrop. 2:00 p.m. DeSoto Falls Next, take a short drive to Mentone, Alabama to visit one of the states most well-known waterfalls. At 107 feet tall, with numerous smaller falls around it, Desoto is a sight to behold. The waterfall is part of DeSoto State Park on Lookout Mountain. From the parking lot, a short walk to a set of steps leads to a railed overlook where you can see the A.A. Miller Dam (which starts the falls), as well as the upper falls. Head down another set of steps to view the lower main waterfall (pictured). If time allows, explore more of DeSoto State Park with a moderate 2.3-mile loop trail called Laurel Falls and Lost Trails Loop. DeSoto Falls in Mentone, Alabama is one of the state's most popular waterfalls. Photo by Ojas Gokhale. 3:15 p.m. High Falls Be sure to stop into the visitors cabin to sign the guest book and see what cities, states, and even other countries have been represented at High Falls. High Falls is most impressive for its incredible width. The falls span 300 feet wide and feature a natural bridge at the bottom, as well as a walking bridge that crosses over the waterfall. For the daring, theres a narrow rock that juts out over the water with falls on both sides that will make you feel like youre in the middle of the falls. *Note: High Falls is currently closed to COVID-19. Be sure to call their offices at 256-659-4683 before planning a visit. High Falls spans 300 feet wide. Photo by Ojas Gokhale. 5:00 p.m. Noccalula Falls End a wonderful day chasing waterfalls by getting up close and personal with one of the states most-visited waterfalls. Named after a Creek Indian princess, Noccalula cascades 90 feet into the Black Creek ravine. The park has plenty to offer, including a paved trail system, an authentic Huntington miniature train, a petting zoo, and a pioneer village. Campgrounds are offered all along Black Creek Gorge offering great views of the falls. For a one-of-a-kind view, take the Black Creek Trail system (accessed from a gravel pathway beside the Noccolula Falls wedding chapel) to the bottom of the falls where you can walk along slippery rocks and stand directly behind the rushing waterfall. Noccalula Falls cascades 90 feet into Black Creek ravine. Photo by Ojas Gokhale. This story appears in Birmingham magazines April 2020 issue. Subscribe today! C oronavirus self-testing kits could be delivered to UK homes by Amazon, it has been reported. A pilot program "using Amazon logistics" which will deliver throat swabs that are picked up one hour after a sample has been taken is said to be being launched. Text messages will deliver the results, with the whole process to be completed in less than 48 hours, according to the Times. The paper said the test was different from attempts to create a home test that shows antibodies to coronavirus. Large-scale testing can help prevent the spread of coronavirus / AP A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care did not confirm the report and neither did Amazon's press office when contacted. Loading.... Mr Hancock is expected to be quizzed on personal protective equipment (PPE) and an exit strategy as he appears before a virtual session of the Commons Health Committee. Meanwhile, the body which represents NHS biomedical scientists has said its members are still being held back from ramping up Covid-19 testing by a lack of kits, not a lack of capacity. The Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) said NHS labs were still struggling to source kits and reagents, and cast doubt on the ability to reach Mr Hancock's end-of-the-month target of 100,000 tests a day. The body also warned new mega-labs set up by the Government may end up competing with established NHS labs. Downing Street said on Thursday the UK now has the capacity to conduct 35,000 coronavirus tests a day - although fewer than half that number are currently being carried out. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said that in the 24 hours up to 9am on Wednesday, 15,994 tests were carried out across England, Scotland and Wales. Total testing capacity includes 20,771 in public facilities and a further 14,300 through commercial testing facilities. "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 spokesman said. IBMS president Allan Wilson said the issue within NHS labs was not capacity, but a lack of kits. Matt Hancock: Everybody Going From Hospital Into Social Care Will Be Tested And Isolated "The 17,000 NHS laboratory workers that I represent are increasingly expressing their frustration," he said in a statement. "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 State's ambitious target, but they are still not able to source the testing kits and reagents they require. "It concerns me when I see significant investments being made in mass testing centres that are planning to conduct 75,000 of the 100,000 tests a day. "These facilities would be a welcome resource and take pressure off the NHS if the issue around testing was one of capacity. "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 mass testing centres "may only serve to increase competition for what are already scarce supplies". Loading.... He said NHS testing numbers could fall if laboratories were competing with big testing centres for Covid-19 testing kits and reagents "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 (HCPC) registered biomedical scientists working in heavily regulated United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS) accredited laboratories, the other delivered mainly by volunteer unregistered staff in unaccredited laboratories that have been established within a few weeks." Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast: Dr. Gerardo Guillen is the Director of Research at the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Cuba, where a clinical trial of the COVID-19 vaccine is being conducted. The Director of Research at the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Cuba, Dr Gerardo Guillen, says a clinical trial is now being held for a vaccine aimed at activating the immune system to combat COVID-19. Speaking during a recent television interview, Guillen said that the drug, called CIGB 2020, is undergoing trials at the Luis Diaz Hospital in Havana, with volunteer patients suspected of being carriers of the disease. He says the drug is nasally and sublingually administered to strengthen these areas, and encouraging results have already been observed regarding the activation of the innate immune system. He added that CIGB 2020 is a drug that is inserted, along with another Cuban vaccine developed by Finlay Institute, in a field of research that has been much debated in contemporary science, which is the development of specific vaccines to stimulate innate immunity, which is powered by the new coronavirus. "Our researchers have been able to make lab technologies available to this research in record time and after these first results, we will continue with the trials and analyse the results, Guillen said. Meanwhile, up to Tuesday, there were 766 positive COVID-19 cases across the island. The stock market is currently caught in a somewhat volatile trading range. The news headlines are far from pretty the ranks of newly unemployed jumped to 22 million in the U.S. since policymakers are keeping people home to stem new coronavirus infections. Economic growth came to a standstill to end the first quarter, and start the second. But there are pockets of strength, and will be more in the coming months. Once the economy gets to 2021, the year-over-year trends in next years first and second quarters could be eye-popping. Healthcare is holding up very well for obvious reasons. Technology is another standout. Indeed, a nice strategy right now is to seek out top names in technology. Investment firm Needham recently did that in its technology hardware space, which had been riding high as its been at the forefront of some important secular trends. Gamers like to game in any economic climate and are probably happy to have orders to stay at home. The stay-at-home trend is also driving cloud computing and the need for related chips and storage products. Below are three names high on Needhams list. We used TipRanks database to help analyze these compelling ideas in more detail. Applied Materials (AMAT) Semiconductor equipment maker Applied Materials makes integrated circuit chips for a wide range of electronics, including TVs, smartphones and flat panel display screens. Sales and profit estimates have been declining on the back of global economies that were put on hold to fight covid-19, but consensus estimates still project nearly 13% sales growth to $16.5 billion. The expected sales growth is impressive given the near-term outlook for the world economy. Analysts also see strong earnings growth of 32% this year and EPS of $3.77. That puts the forward P/E at a very reasonable 14, which is a key reason that it is research firm Needhams best idea in the tech hardware space. It also has a strong balance sheet and nearly enough cash on hand to cover its long-term debt. Story continues 5-star Needham analyst Quinn Bolton has a $73 price target on Applied Materials. Thats a projected gain of 37% ahead of the current share price of $53.16. (To watch Bolton's track record, click here) In Boltons view, semiconductor giants Intel, Samsung, and Taiwan Semiconductor dont want to lose an inch of their competitive positioning in the current downturn and will keep their spending on important equipment to make their chips going. According to Bolton, we believe the foundry/logic spending environment remains stable as it is largely driven by process node migration at leading vendors, including those listed above. This represents about half of Applied Materials spending. The other half is from memory, which will struggle more with smartphone demand reduced by the outbreak, but still has a favorable long-term demand outlook. Overall, the chip king is without question a Wall Street favorite, considering TipRanks analytics indicate AMAT as a Strong Buy. Out of 20 analysts tracked in the last 3 months, 16 are bullish on Applied Materials stock while 4 remain sidelined. With a return potential of nearly 26%, the stock's consensus target price stands at $66.78. (See Applied Materials stock analysis on TipRanks) Nvidia Corp (NVDA) If there is a stock that investors have had been very happy to own so far in 2020, it could be video game and cloud computing chip maker Nvidia. The share price had fallen 16% YTD following what could turn out to be the height of covid-19 worries, but right now is sitting pretty with a 24% gain for the calendar year. Returning to Needhams recent report on top ideas, Nvidia is also on its list of best hardware ideas. Analyst Rajvindra Gill points out that Nvidia fits its investment criteria in the current tepid environment. The 5-star analyst loves Nvidias gaming exposure (48% of sales) that was growing anyway but will take off the longer people are required to stay hunkered down at home. Cloud computing is being driven by similar trends and represents 31% of Nvidias business. Gill also sees increased resources being committed to the medical field to run sequencing in DNA and drug development to help develop a vaccine for covid-19. Nvidias GPU chips help support these efforts. Finally, it is in an even stronger financial position than AMAT Nvidia can easily cover its $2 billion in long term debt with its $11 billion of cash in the bank. Collectively, analysts project 65% profit growth and EPS of $7.45 for the year. Out of 30 analysts tracked by TipRanks, 26 say "buy," while 3 suggest "hold" and only 1 recommends "sell." The average price target of $306.14 is slightly above the current stock price of about $290, but its comforting to be investing in a stock that has exhibited such strength in a tough market. (See Nvidia stock analysis on TipRanks) Micron Technology (MU) Micron's share price is down 15% so far this year so is lagging both the market and key semiconductor indices. This could be because sales are currently projected to fall nearly 14% to a hair over $20 billion. This isnt really anything new though. Demand for memory devices is much more uneven. Micron is another top idea of Rajvindra Gill (also covers Nvidia) in the hardware space. The emphasis on increased cloud computing as many workers stay home is driving its data center (storage) demand. Demand is also quickly recovering in China and represents 30% of Microns sales. The near-term dip in demand for smartphones, consumer electronics, and automobiles will also impact demand for Microns chips. But Gill likes the reasonable P/E of 13.3 off his current annual EPS of $4.86. Underlying customers are also building demand in case supply chain disruptions continue, or resurface again in the fall. Returning on last time to downside, Micron, like Nvidia, is also in an enviable financial position. It has an estimated $7.5 billion in cash on its balance sheet, which is more than enough to cover total debt of approximately $6 billion. Gill reiterates a Buy rating on Micron shares along with a $63 price target, which implies about 40% upside from current levels. (To watch Gill's track record, click here) How does Gill's bullish forecast echo against the word of the Street? Quite positively, it seems, as TipRanks analytics exhibit MU as a Buy. Based on 25 analysts tracked in the last 3 months, 19 rate the chip giant a Buy, 5 maintain a Hold, and only 1 says Sell. These analysts suggest that if everything goes as planned, MU will be a $62.50 stock in the next 12 months, implying nearly 40% return. (See Micron stock analysis on TipRanks) Disclosure: The author has a Long position in NVDA. To find good ideas for tech stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. The first piece of evidence fell out of the sky. At about 9 a.m. on April 19, 1995, Richard Nichols, a maintenance man in Oklahoma City, was huddled on the floor of his car, cowering from an enormous blast that seemed to sweep over him like a prairie twister, when he heard a strange whooshing noise. It sounded, he thought, like a giant boomerang spinning right at him. With a crash, a heavy rod of twisted metal smashed into the hood of his car, shattering the windshield. It was a truck axle. It had belonged to a Ryder truck filled with two tons of explosives that had, moments earlier, transformed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building into a mass morgue. ... For 22 months, the most massive federal investigation since the assassination of John F. Kennedy has been quietly collecting evidence, and the feds believe that the detail weaves around Tim McVeigh like a noose. The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday inaugurated the union territory's first Covid response call centre in Srinagar, an official spokesperson said. It also launched web and mobile applications which will help in real time integrated management of the coronavirus disease, he said. The call centre and the web and mobile applications were e-inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor G C Murmu, the spokesperson added. Deputy commissioner, Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary said the magnitude of the COVID-19 crisis needed a central response. "Our colleagues were working on a unique system. The Lt Governor has dedicated to Srinagar the first Covid response Call Centre," he said. The applications will help in quarantine management system, COVID-19 symptom tracking, Geo-fencing, tracking of quarantined persons and health survey, Chaudhary added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian Army chief General MM Naravane on Friday condemned the relentless ceasefire violations by Pakistan on the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, saying the whole world is battling the coronavirus pandemic but the neighbouring country has not stopped stirring trouble. Gen MM Naravane is on a two-day visit to the region to review the security situation amid the national lockdown and an unusual spike in ceasefire violations by Pakistan army. This is the army chiefs first visit to a forward area after the lockdown was imposed to break the chain of coronavirus infections. He will return to Delhi on Friday. It is very unfortunate that at a time when the whole world and India is fighting the menace of this pandemic, our neighbour continues to foment trouble for us, Gen Naravane said while speaking to ANI. While we are busy not only helping our own citizens but the rest of the world by sending medical teams and exporting medicines, on the other hand, Pakistan is only exporting terror. This doesnt augur well, he added. The five commandos, as well as five terrorists, were killed on April 5 when the troops prevented the group from sneaking into the Kashmir Valley from Keran sector. The army had said on April 10 that it destroyed launch pads and ammunition dumps in Kupwaras Keran sector across the LoC in retaliation to the ceasefire violation. The army had targeted Pakistani positions with artillery guns and caused severe damage to Pakistani army posts, terror launch pads and an ammunition dump in a response to an unprovoked ceasefire violation. India has already lodged protests with Pakistan for the killing of a woman and two children in firing by Pakistani forces in Jammu and Kashmir. India in the demarche over the Kashmir violation condemned in the strongest possible terms the deliberate targeting of innocent civilians that had led to the killing of Shamima Begum, 35, and Javid Ahmad Khan, 17, residents of Reddi Chokibal and eight-year-old Zeeshan Bashir of Kupwaras Tumna village. The demarche underlined that Pakistani forces continue to resort to unprovoked firing and ceasefire violations and asked Islamabad to probe such heinous crimes against civilians, people familiar with the developments had said. The Pakistan army has carried out more ceasefire violations during January-March this year compared to the corresponding periods of the previous two years. Pakistan violated the ceasefire 1144 times between January and March, with the highest number of violations (411) recorded last month when Covid-19 cases started peaking globally. The Pakistan army violated the ceasefire 685 times in 2019 and 627 times in 2018 for the period January to March. Rallygoers protest against the lockdown measures in Lansing, Michigan on Wednesday (Matthew Dae Smith/AP) A growing wave of unrest over coroanvirus lockdown measures appears to be rising in the US, with a number of protests taking place this week in various states. In places including Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia, actions of dissent have been organised outside governors mansions and state parliament buildings. Small-government groups, supporters of President Donald Trump, anti-vaccine advocates, gun rights backers and supporters of right-wing causes have united behind a deep suspicion of efforts to shut down daily life to slow the spread of the Covid-19. As their frustration with life under lockdown grows, they have started to openly defy the social distancing rules in an effort to put pressure on governors to ease them. Some of the protests have been small events, promoted via Facebook groups that have appeared in recent days and whose organisers are sometimes difficult to identify. Expand Close Protesters carry rifles near the steps of the Michigan Capitol building as a protester holds a sign decrying governor Gretchen Whitmers advocacy of lockdown measures (Paul Sancya/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters carry rifles near the steps of the Michigan Capitol building as a protester holds a sign decrying governor Gretchen Whitmers advocacy of lockdown measures (Paul Sancya/AP) Others are backed by groups funded by prominent Republicans donors, some with ties to Mr Trump. The largest so far, a rally of thousands that jammed the streets of Lansing, Michigan, on Wednesday, looked much like one of the presidents rallies complete with MAGA (Make America Great Again) hats or Trump flags. The signs of frustration come as Mr Trump has pushed for easing stay-at-home orders and tried to look ahead to restarting the economy. He unveiled a framework for governors to follow on Thursday, but acknowledged they will have the final say on when their state is ready. Health experts have warned that lifting restrictions too quickly could result in a surge of new cases of the virus. But the president and some of his supporters are impatient. Thousands of people in their cars packed the streets of Lansing to protest Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home order and other restrictions. Theyre suffering ... they want to get back Donald Trump Outside the state capitol building, some chanted Lock her up, a throwback to Mr Trumps calls during the 2016 election about his rival Hillary Clinton. One woman held a sign reading Heil Whitmer. Asked about the protesters, Mr Trump on Thursday expressed sympathy with their frustration, saying: Theyre suffering they want to get back. He also dismissed concerns about the health risks of ignoring state orders and potentially exposing themselves to the virus. I think theyre listening. I think they listen to me, he said. They seem to be protesters that like me and respect this opinion, and my opinions the same as just about all of the governors. Nobody wants to stay shut. Polls show the protesters views are not widely held. An AP-NORC survey earlier this month found large majorities of Americans supported a long list of government restrictions, including closing schools, limiting gatherings and shutting bars and restaurants. Three-quarters of Americans backed requiring people to stay in their homes, and majorities of both Democrats and Republicans gave high marks for the state and city governments. But the protests expose resilient partisan divisions, particularly in battleground Michigan. The protest there was organised by the Michigan Conservative Coalition, a group founded by a pro-Trump state representative and his wife. Another group that promoted the event, the Michigan Freedom Fund, is run by Greg McNeilly, a longtime political adviser to the DeVos family, who are prolific Republican donors and have funded conservative causes across the state for decades. But it is not just Democratic governors feeling the heat. A procession of cars swarmed around the Republican-dominated statehouse in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, with messages written on windows or signs that said stop killing our economy, we need our church and time 2 work. Other gatherings have links to fringe groups. A protest on Thursday in the Texas capital of Austin, where protesters chanted Free Texas and Make America Free Again, was broadcast live by InfoWars TV, part of a company owned by conspiracy theorist and radio host Alex Jones. The Ohio event earlier this week brought together a collection of anti-vaccine advocates, Second Amendment supporters, tea party activists and other anti-government activists. Jasmine Knoll, MD is the recipient of a 2020 Takeda/ACMG Foundation Next Generation Fellowship Award. Dr. Knoll's award is in addition to the two Takeda/ACMG Foundation Next Generation Fellowship Awards that were announced in March 2020. This award is part of the fourth set of awards given after Shire--now part of Takeda--made a $1.8 million commitment in 2017 to support the training of future medical geneticists. The Takeda/ACMG Foundation awards provide funding for two different specialties in 2020, including two Medical Biochemical Genetics Subspecialty Fellowship Awards and a Clinical Laboratory Biochemical Genetics Training Award. Dr. Knoll, a board-certified pediatrician and geneticist at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, has been awarded a Medical Biochemical Genetics Subspecialty Fellowship Award. Dr. Knoll completed her residency training in a combined pediatric-genetics residency program at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her academic work focused on educational development for medical students and residents, as well as optimizing equitable access for genetic testing in at-risk populations. Dr. Knoll will continue at Boston Children's Hospital for her medical biochemical genetics fellowship. Her research interests lie in the application of network-based analysis of large data sets to derive polygenic interactions that influence phenotypic expression. Utilizing this technique, she hopes to improve disease modeling and identify novel targets for therapy and monitoring. The focus of her clinical project will be a multi-omics evaluation of individuals with Gaucher disease including an analysis of the biologic impact that occurs at the time of an enzyme replacement infusion. Upon receiving the award, Dr. Knoll said, "I am honored to receive the 2020 Takeda Next Generation award. This award enables me to pursue my long-time passion for biochemical genetics and promotes research to further our understanding of lysosomal storage disorders. Thank you to our industry sponsors and the ACMG Foundation and all of those who worked hard to make these awards possible. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue my training and research and be a part of the 'next generation' of geneticists hoping to advance the field of inborn errors of metabolism to improve the lives of our patients and families." Bruce R. Korf, MD, PhD, FACMG, president of the ACMG Foundation said, "We are grateful to Takeda for their ongoing commitment to training of clinical and laboratory geneticists. The explosion of genetics and genomics applications in medicine make the need for such training greater than it has ever been." ### About the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine The ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is a community of supporters and contributors who understand the importance of medical genetics and genomics in healthcare. Established in 1992, the ACMG Foundation supports the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) mission to "translate genes into health." Through its work, the ACMG Foundation fosters charitable giving, promotes training opportunities to attract future medical geneticists and genetic counselors to the field, shares information about medical genetics and genomics, and sponsors important research. To learn more and support the ACMG Foundation mission to create "Better Health through Genetics" visit http://www.acmgfoundation.org. Note to editors: To arrange interviews with experts in medical genetics, contact ACMG Senior Director of Public Relations Kathy Moran, MBA at kmoran@acmg.net. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 17, 2020) - Pacific Booker Minerals Inc. (TSXV: BKM) (OTC Pink: PBMLF) is announcing that the mining lease for the Morrison project, which was issued in July 2019 for an initial term of one year, has been extended to December 31, 2021 by an order from the Chief Gold Commissioner. The order extends the time frame for registering work requirements or registering revised expiry dates for all existing mineral and placer claims due to the impacts of COVID-19. The order states (in part): "I hereby extend the time limit for registering a statement of exploration and development, registering payment instead of exploration and development, registering a revised expiry date, or registering a rental payment, until December 31, 2021, for all mineral and placer mineral titles as described in the attached Schedule A." Section 2 of Schedule A states: "All mining leases and placer leases in the Mineral Titles Online Registry and in existence as of the date of this Order, and where the lease is not terminated, and where the annual rental date of the lease is prior to December 31, 2021." If you would like to be added to or removed from our email newsgroup, please send your request by email to info@pacificbooker.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors "John Plourde" John Plourde, Director Telephone: (604) 681-8556 Toll Free: 1-800-747-9911 Fax: (604) 687-5995 info@pacificbooker.com www.pacificbooker.com No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this news release. This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future production, reserve potential, exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that the Company expects are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54576 State Sen. Steve McClure is among a chorus of lawmakers demanding answers about the early release of prisoners. In a letter Thursday to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, McClure and Sen. Jil Tracy joined seven other lawmakers who said they want answers about why some sentences were commuted. Pritzker has addressed the need to reduce the prison population amid the COVID-19 pandemic and during a March 31 news conference said his administration was working to identify pregnant prisoners and low-level offenders near the end of their sentence. Prison reform advocates have pushed for such release, saying prisoners are particularly susceptible to the coronavirus because of the close quarters in which they live. The groups Equip for Equality and the MacArthur Justice Center filed a lawsuit this month against the state to force its efforts. In the legal action, the groups said an outbreak of the virus might have been prevented at Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill if the administration had acted faster. At least five prisoners have died and dozens more have either been hospitalized or were showing symptoms of the illness. Statewide, hundreds of prisoners and corrections staff members have confirmed COVID-19 infections. Instead, (the Illinois Department of Corrections) has continued to house thousands of elderly, disabled and medically vulnerable prisoners who could be released, many of whom are approaching their release dates and have homes in which they could more safely quarantine, according to the lawsuit. Pritzker last week acknowledged he used his executive clemency authority to commute the sentences of 17 prisoners since mid-March including seven serving time for murder convictions. The lawmakers letter specifically refers to the case of Alma Durr, a Calumet City woman convicted of fatally shooting her 21-month-old son in the head with a .357 revolver because she was stressed. Durr, then 26, is now 50. She had been sentenced to life in prison and was serving her sentence at a prison that currently has no inmates infected with COVID-19, according to IDOCs website, the letter said. The Chicago Tribune has reported she is among those who will be released. Few details have been released about the commutations. The letter to the governor said lawmakers found out about the planned releases through media reports. We dont know if this related to a plan to reduce prison populations related to COVID-19 or if the administration is using the pandemic as a cover to hide the releases, said McClure, who is a former prosecutor. Either way, releasing violent felons, including convicted murderers, seems like a danger to public safety. Lawmakers said they recognize the challenge of the times but we also know that we cant short circuit the mechanisms in place to protect the citizens of our state. The lawmakers want the governor to notify and consult with law enforcement authorities, judges, the General Assembly and the victims family. It also asks that the names of released prisoners be published on the Illinois Department of Corrections website, that the names of those being considered for release be provided to legislators, that details be provided about those with whom the governor consulted before making each decision and that the administration give information about the capacity for parole officers to handle all of these new cases. A comment was requested from the governors office but was not immediately available. The people of Illinois deserve answers as to why the governor is reportedly releasing violent felons into their communities with little to no transparency, McClure said. At a time when the doors of many businesses across the state are closed due to a pandemic, we shouldnt be opening the doors of our prisons to let violent offenders out. The letter also was signed by senators Jason Plummer, Brian Stewart, Chapin Rose, Paul Schimpf, Craig Wilcox, Dan McConchie and Dale Righter. Politics ABC News 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. But this is like thinking that because you laid out several thousand dollars to replace your broken furnace in the dead of winter, you can also add a whole new wing to the house. Being forced to spend a large sum in a serious emergency, and even borrow to cover it, doesnt mean you would be wise to give up living within your means. The logo of Samsung is seen on a building during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona By Phuong Nguyen and Khanh Vu HANOI (Reuters) - Authorities in northern Vietnam have ordered people working at a unit of Samsung Display in the country to be quarantined after a worker there tested positive for the new coronavirus. A 25-year-old worker of the EQC-SI unit of the Samsung Display factory in Bac Ninh province tested positive on Sunday, according to a statement released on Monday by the anti-COVID-19 task force of neighbouring Bac Giang province. Parent Samsung Electronics Co Ltd confirmed the case, but said Samsung Display's production lines in Vietnam had not been affected. Nguyen Huong Giang, chair of the People's Committee of Bac Ninh province, told state broadcaster VTV on Monday that 44 people at the unit had been quarantined, and that the factory and buses used to transport workers have been sprayed with disinfectant. Samsung Electronics is the largest single foreign investor in the Southeast Asian country, and its shipments, mostly smartphones, account for around a quarter of Vietnam's exports. Vietnam's health ministry has reported 262 COVID-19 cases in the country, and no deaths. (Reporting by Phuong Nguyen and Khanh Vu; Additional reporting by Heekyong Yang in Seoul; Editing by Kim Coghill and Christopher Cushing) Following the Presidents directive of Free Water, to all Ghanaians from the month of April, May and ending in June 2020, the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah has led a team from the Ghana Water Company limited into some communities in Greater Accra to assess the level of compliance of citizens to the directive. The Minister and the team observed some teething challenges and it is essential that clarity is brought to bear to enable a smooth implementation. The Minister in educating customers made it clear that; All customers of the Ghana Water Company Limited who are on category 611(Domestic) will from April to June use water for free within the period and have the Government absorb their bills. Customers on category 611 who sell water to members in the communities should continue. They should, however, visit the district offices of the GWCL for registration and re-categorisation to be eligible for the payment of commission/compensation. All customers on category 612 (commercial) and are selling the water, must also visit the district offices, also to be re-registered so as to be eligible for commission/compensation. All stand-pipes shall be used to serve citizens for free and the Government shall absorb the bill and pay commission/compensation to the vendors. Vendors are expected to still mount the stand-pipes and ensure the prudent and judicious use of the water. Landlords and landladies who sell water to tenants and community members must allow the use of the water for free from April to June and must also register with the district offices of the GWCL to be eligible for commission/compensation. Hon. Dapaah admonished the staff of GWCL to step up their monitoring and supervisory roles to ensure effective service to Ghanaians. The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources and the Ghana Water Company Limited require the general public to be cooperative and collaborate in all ways possible for a smooth implementation of the directive. The UK is facing the highest coronavirus death rate in Europe and the government was too slow to act to tackle the epidemic, a former WHO director has told MPs. Professor Anthony Costello said that the UK was facing probably the highest death rates in Europe, and that the harsh reality is that the response was too slow. He has predicted that there will be 40,000 deaths in the UK by the end of the first wave of the virus. So far the UK has recorded more than 13,000 deaths from COVID-19. The UK is facing probably the highest death toll in Europe, a former WHO director has warned. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) Giving evidence to parliaments health and social care committee, Professor Costello said the UK is facing further waves of the virus. 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 He said: If were going to suppress the chain of transmission of this virus in the next stage we all hope that the national lockdown and social distancing will bring about a large suppression of the epidemic so far but were going to face further waves. And so we need to make sure that we have a system in place that cannot just do a certain number of tests in the laboratory, but has a system at district and community level. He warned in a previous interview that there could be up to ten waves before herd immunity the point at which enough people have had the virus and gained immunity to stop it spreading would be achieved. Professor Costello has been an outspoken critic of the governments approach to the coronavirus pandemic, condemning the failure to carry out mass community testing. He has advocated contact tracing and quarantining like that which has been carried out in South Korea, where people who have come into contact with someone with coronavirus are alerted and put in quarantine. On Friday he suggested offering incentives to some parts of the population to stay socially isolated in order to get the economy going again. Story continues He said: We have to get the economy going and if it means locking down 10% of our population, even giving them incentives to stay in quarantine and with digital apps to help monitor their symptoms and give them support, thats the way to really keep this going until we get a vaccine and safe herd immunity. Coronavirus: what happened today Apple is rolling out a new feature called "battery health management" that will change how laptops charge themselves. The update will mean that laptops may not charge themselves all the way up all of the time, if the computer believes doing so will protect the life of the battery. It aims to avoid a problem that means fully charging a laptop's battery puts a strain on it, because of the chemicals inside. Leaving a computer charged up in this way can therefore reduce its capacity, leading the battery life to fall over time. Instead, if the computer believes that it is not likely to need 100 per cent battery in the future, it will only charge up some of the way. The computer will show that the battery is full, but it may not actually be. The feature can be turned off and may not be activated in all situations, Apple said. It will also ensure that the battery life is not significantly affected, the company said. Recommended Everything you need to know about the new iPhone SE A similar feature is already in place on Apple's iPhone, and was introduced in a recent update. It means that the phone will learn when it goes on charge at night and when you tend to wake up, for instance, leaving the final bit of charge until it expects you to get up and start using your phone. The Mac update will work in largely the same way, using its history of charging and battery use to notice times when you tend not to need the full battery life. If a computer tends to be used plugged in throughout the day, for instance, it may not charge up its battery fully. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty The feature will come to any MacBook that Thunderbolt 3. That includes every MacBook Pro since 2016 and the MacBook Airs that haev been released since 2018. COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) has put the spotlight on China like never before. It is believed that this virus originated in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province of China, sometime in December 2019 and has rapidly assumed global pandemic proportions. There is definitely an element of justifiable suspicion with regards to Chinese candour (or the lack of it), with regards to the actual origin and dissemination of this Virus. China operates under a Communist Iron Curtain and the Chinese State decides what news will flow out of China to the rest of the world, thereby severely impairing the credibility of any such news/information. Only time will tell if the Chinese subterfuge resulted in avoidable deaths of thousands of souls and loss trillions of dollars to global economies. Which brings us to the central theme of this piece how should India approach China in a post-Covid19 world? Against China, Indias hasnt always exhibited the same resolve in foreign policy matters that it has against Pakistan. The Chinese economic might, second only to the United States, was probably a deterrent for several countries to speak out clearly against China and its policies. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, China has lost its aura and India must be quick to recognize this shift and seize the initiative to make some much needed tactical and strategic changes to its China policy. READ | Here's Why Coronavirus Will Not Be Fatal For India BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE (BRI):- Firstly, India must strongly request the SAARC nations (other than Pakistan, for obvious reasons) to reconsider their participation in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The hyper-ambitious BRI is the dream project of the Chinese commissars, especially its incumbent President Xi Jinping. It consists of the creation and development of several rail, road and sea-based international trading corridors emanating from China to almost the 50% of the globe, by creating the required physical infrastructure using Chinese money, labour and technical expertise. The Chinese have sought to market the BRI as the New Silk Route. The ancient Silk Route was an important trading corridor between China and Europe passing through the Indian sub-continent and Central Asia, before events in medieval history rendered this route unviable. But in reality, the BRI is closer to a 21st-century Chinese version of the British East India Company of 17th-century vintage, rather than the Old Silk Route. Just as several Asian countries/kingdoms underestimated the East India Company and thought them to be mere traders, similarly the 70 countries, through which the BRI worms its way, think that this is an innocuous international trade initiative by the Chinese, to aid and develop the participating countries' economies. Those countries forget the cardinal rule of international politics - "there aint any free lunches", and in this context one may add, that there certainly aint any free Chinese Lunches! READ | '1951 Cut-off Date & ILP Could Fulfill Many Demands Of Indigenous People Of Assam' The BRI has the potential to put the participating countries, which do not enjoy even a fraction of Chinese fiscal strength, in an inextricable and spiralling Chinese debt trap, swiftly reducing them from trading partners to mere vassal/satellite states of the Chinese Dragon. Through the BRI, China would own the assets it creates in the participating countries and use these assets not only to sell their goods creating a captive market, but also to exercise global economic and political leverage. This is the Chinese formula to unseat the USA as the worlds eminent financial and military super-power. India has rightly stayed away from this BRI. From the Indian perspective, an important sub-project of the BRI is the CPEC (China- Pakistan Economic Corridor) which consists of investments of billions of dollars in overhauling and creating several land and rail-based physical infrastructure projects in Pakistan. READ | Supreme Court's Order Enabling Private Labs Will Help India's Battle Against COVID-19 I have always been intrigued by the China-Pak bromance. On the face of it, there are no cultural, political or ideological affinities between the godless communists and a jihadi deep state which has perfected the art of using religion-based terrorism to further its international political objectives. But yet, no Sino-Pak summit is complete without hyperbolic proclamations of "Iron Friendship between All-Weather Friends whose friendship is purportedly "Higher than Mountains, Deeper than Oceans and Dearer than Eyesight". You would hardly come across such exaggerated puffery, between any two countries especially when Pakistan and China would not have even shared a de facto border had the Pakistanis not perfidiously occupied PoK, post-1948. Common hatred for India is the only glue that binds these two all-weather friends. India is the only country in Chinas extended neighborhood that is immune to its bullying. Hence this alliance, to bind India down in local complexities and prevent its rise as a credible rival to China on the global platform. INDO-PACIFIC ALLIANCE:- Secondly, with tacit support from the US and the EU, concrete steps must be taken to form an economic alliance/string of pearls of Indo-Pacific Nations, between countries like India, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Australia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia, which can collectively replace Chinese global hegemony in the manufacturing and technological sectors. India must also ramp up the pressure on domestic companies to gauge and relook the extent of Chinese involvement in Indian companies especially any covert acquisition of Indians companies or their stocks and shares, whose UBO (Ultimate Beneficial Owner) is a Chinese entity. The Chinese have non-existent labour laws and flimsy wages. Hence their products are always cheaper compared to similar products of other countries. We must abrogate the "lowest price" principle, as far as the Chinese entities are concerned. National Security imperatives must override short term economic benefits. READ | The Chinese Culpability: Of Unregulated Wet Markets, History Of Lab Leaks And Cover-ups AKSAI CHIN AND SHAKSGAM VALLEY:- Thirdly, it is not merely Pakistan that has illegally occupied a part of Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) but a substantial part of it viz Aksai Chin and Shaksgam Valley are under Chinese illegal occupation. We have seen repeated attempts by China to embarrass India by raking up the Kashmir issue at the United Nations. Not only should India strongly oppose such moves by aggressively but also highlight the Chinese duplicity on this issue. The ground position is that almost half of the areas shown in our map, comprising parts of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh, are in the illegal occupation of China and Pakistan. In 1950, the Chinese occupied 38,000 sq km of Aksai Chin (equivalent to the State of Kerala) which is the northeastern part of Ladakh. In 1963, a Sino-Pak agreement gifted to the Chinese, more than 5,000 sq kms of the Shaksgam valley (an area north-west to the Siachen Glacier), which was a historically a part of the Gilgit region of J&K. Both Aksai Chin and Shaksgam are strategically important for the Chinese to connect their two largest provinces Tibet and Xinjiang (Sinkiang). Undisputedly, Ladakh and Gilgit, in its entirety, were a part of Maharaja Gulab Singhs Dogra kingdom, which merged into the Indian Union post-independence. The Dogra suzerainty over these areas was acknowledged by the Imperial British Empire also. Therefore Chinese has no tenable legal basis to continue to occupy Aksai Chi and the Shaksgam Valley. In any case, Chinese legal claims arent superior to Indias. Lastly, India must shed its traditional timorousness towards China. It is a bit rich for the Chinese to talk of human rights. Some of the worst human rights excesses have been committed on the minority Muslim Uighurs population of Xinjiang by the Chinese but its all-weather friend Pakistan whose heart is every ready to bleed at the plight of the Muslim Ummah in Kashmir considers the Uighurs Muslim repression as an internal matter of the Chinese. This must take the gold medal for double standards. As we domestically battle the Chinese Virus, let us not forget that Corona is not the only problem that India has inherited from the Chinese. Author of this article, Sunil Fernandes is an Advocate-on-Record practicing in the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court. He has served as the Standing Counsel for the State of Jammu in the Supreme Court for five years spread out over two tenures and also as the Additional Advocate General for the State of Madhya Pradesh in the Supreme Court. (The views and opinions expressed within the article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing do not reflect the views of Republic TV/ Republic World/ ARG Outlier Media Pvt. Ltd.) Premier Doug Ford is promising to ramp up COVID-19 testing for residents of long-term care, homeless shelters, group homes for people with disabilities, and for pregnant women and patients undergoing dialysis or chemotherapy. But vulnerable seniors in assisted living are on their own. There has been no mention of assisted housing, a small subset of homes funded by Local Health Integrated Networks, (LHINs), where seniors in apartments rely on personal support workers to help with daily needs such as bathing, dressing and eating. Advocates want the government to give assisted-living homes the same COVID directives as those given to nursing homes. Recent protections aimed at long-term care include expanded COVID-19 testing, surgical masks for all workers, and, starting next week, a 14-day rule requiring the mostly part-time workforce report to one home only, to stop the spread of the virus. British Columbia recently imposed a similar one-site order, but unlike Ontario, it did not add an expiry date, saying the rule will continue until further notice. Leaders in the assisted living sector, such as Patrick ONeill, CEO of the Niagara Ina Grafton Gage Village in St. Catharines, said his residents are just as fragile as those living in long-term care but are being overlooked. The issue is the government has not recognized that these areas are as risky as (long-term care), ONeill said. Last month, a man in his 80s, who lived in assisted living at Niagara Ina Grafton Gage Village, tested positive for COVID-19 and died in hospital. There are 200 residents in assisted living at the seniors housing complex, with 40 living separately in long-term care. They share the dining room and public spaces at the home. Even though there was no government directive telling him to do so, ONeill told staff to work in one home only and locked down the entire complex. We changed all the exterior door locks, so no one could get in and out and funneled everyone into the main entrance for screening, he said. ONeill said he sent more than a dozen staff home to isolate for two weeks, paying their wages because its not their fault and hired new workers as replacements. He is paying summer students to screen visitors at the front door, for travel history and symptoms of COVID and is paying to have all the hard surfaces in the building cleaned four times a day. ONeill said he has spent $75,000 on protections for the assisted living building, with no promise of reimbursement from the government, although nursing and retirement homes will get extra money. So far, no other residents have tested positive for the virus, he said. Out of all the congregate living homes in Ontario, assisted living continues to fly under the radar, said Lisa Levin, CEO of Advantage Ontario, which represents not-for-profit, municipal and charitable seniors housing. Most are independently operated, some by charities or churches, making it hard to track the number of people they serve, she said. Its because they are so eclectic that it is hard to put something in place or identify them, Levin said. Its also difficult to know how these homes are faring during the pandemic. Other than the COVID-related death of the man from Ina Grafton Gage, there have been few reports of outbreaks in assisted living homes. Thats my concern. Why are we not hearing anything? she said. Is it because there is no COVID in those homes? Which is great. Or, is it because something is slowly brewing? I dont know. Earlier this week, Advantage Ontarios daily bulletin for its members included a copy of a letter sent to Premier Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott, asking for equal protections and funding for assisted living. Levin refused to comment on the letter. A copy obtained by the Star warned that the risk of COVID in group settings such as assisted living and supportive housing for people with disabilities is extremely high. The Ontario Community Support Association also signed the letter. It cited the privately run Residence Herron in Dorval, Quebec, where at least 31 residents have died. These situations will continue here in Ontario if we continue to neglect these facilities, the letter said. We cannot allow this to continue. Read more about: Models used to predict the spread of COVID-19 and deaths caused by the virus are driving a wedge between Michigan officials and the White House about how quickly the coronavirus will subside. State and federal officials are using various, sometimes conflicting, models to inform their actions to slow the spread of the coronavirus, but epidemiologists say forecasts cant accurately predict exactly when Michigan will see confirmed cases and deaths decline. Health officials said models never offer concrete predictions, but those inherent limitations are worsened by a lack of testing and incomplete data on who is infected. A forecasting model used by the White House to chart the coronavirus pandemic predicted Michigan would reach its peak daily COVID-19 deaths last week, but state officials are hesitant to say deaths and confirmed cases wont continue rising. Whitmer opened a recent press conference by casting doubt on projections celebrated by the president while making a case for her decision to expand social distancing orders, saying other models Michigan is relying on tell a much different story. It assumes a very high level of adherence with sheltering in place, Wuhan China style, that is not happening in Michigan or anywhere in the country." Whitmer said on April 9. This model also doesnt represent the reality of what is truly happening, the number of cases, the number of people in critical care and the number of deaths that we have continued to see rising every day. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. One day earlier, President Donald Trumps White House Coronavirus Task Force celebrated a forecast that predicted states may need fewer hospital beds, ventilators and other equipment than previously expected. That model, created by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, makes evolving projections about the time of peak hospital strain and the number of deaths for every state based on data aggregated by John Hopkins University. Were getting closer, Trump said April 8. You see the numbers. Were getting much closer to getting our country back to the way it was. This week, the president unveiled guidelines for states to use as they assess sending people back to work. By Friday, the president was pushing harder for Michigan to reopen the economy. LIBERATE MICHIGAN! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020 The IHME model predicted Michigan would reach its peak number of deaths on April 10, followed by a decline in daily deaths reported for the rest of April. April 10 was Michigans deadliest day of the pandemic so far, with 205 reported deaths. The death rate slightly dropped but began to rise again later in the week, with 166 deaths on Tuesday and 172 deaths on Thursday. Confirmed cases followed a similar pattern, dropping after April 10 but jumping up again after the weekend. Tuesday saw the largest daily increase in new confirmed cases since April 8. One of the key benchmarks for Trumps guidelines to reopen the economy is a two-week decline in confirmed cases. Michigan hasnt come anywhere near that goal. Whitmer said Wednesday that Michigan is in the premature early stages of the flattening of the curve. Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun also expressed optimism that recent data showed the rate of increase in coronavirus cases and deaths reach a plateau, but she noted more data is needed. A plateau does not mean that we are out of the woods, Khaldun said Wednesday. There are a large number of cases, we see a significant burden of cases particularly among the elderly, among African Americans. It would be premature to only look at a few days of data to make a determination that we should absolutely ease off social (distancing) measures. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is tracking multiple sources of modeling, including the IHME forecasts and work from the University of Michigan, COVID Act Now and assumptions in an academic paper from Imperial College London. SOURCE: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Whitmer said those models are used to inform how long the state will remain under aggressive social distancing guidelines that recently began attracting more criticism from the governors political rivals and residents eager to see the economy reopen. Each model offers a slightly different picture based on what kinds of data are used to build predictions. MDHHS spokesperson Lynn Sutfin said theres not one peak to keep track of, different parts of the state will likely reach a peak at different times. This week, the president unveiled guidelines for states to use as they assess sending people back to work. Trump acknowledged some states are further ahead than others, but said the country as a whole has seen the worst of the outbreak. Our experts say the curve has flattened and the peak in new cases is behind us," the president said. Nationwide, more than 850 counties, or nearly 30 percent of our country, have reported no new cases in the last seven days. Joseph Eisenberg, professor and chairman of the Epidemiology Department at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, said its more useful to track the outbreak from the local level. When well see peak cases in the U.S. is not really a question that we think is actually interesting because each state is different," Eisenberg said. One thing that a lot of the models are moving toward is to look at this spatially by county. So it might not be the right question to ask about the state as a whole. You really might want to be thinking about whats happening in the different counties and the risks of relaxing social distancing on a county that hasnt seen a case yet." Eisenberg said models provide a rough road map for public policymakers, but rely on incomplete data that is rapidly changing. Eisenberg said its difficult to gauge the full extent of the outbreak -- and determine when social distancing requirements can be relaxed -- without more widespread testing. The only way were going to be able to move forward in a strategic way is to have the tests out there to know so that we know whats happening, he said. Otherwise, youre flying blind. Khaldun also indicated the lack of testing is making it difficult to forecast Michigans cases and deaths. MDHSS reported 97,093 tests were taken as of Tuesday, less than 1% of Michigans population. The number of tests taken statewide dropped in the last seven days compared to the previous week. Regions outside Southeast Michigan have had significantly fewer tests taken. Khaldun said the state needs to conduct at least 20,000 tests each day to fully grasp the extent of the outbreak. The state averaged 3,658 tests per day for the last week of available data. MDHHS announced Tuesday that more people will have access to testing soon. Testing criteria was expanded to include people with mild symptoms and published a tool to help residents find COVID-19 test sites near them. Researchers at the University of Michigan say surveillance data detects only a fraction of the true total cases, and predictions remain highly uncertain before testing capacity increases. The U-M model tracks a variety of variables, including confirmed cases and deaths, the time it takes patients to seek medical care and the duration of hospitalizations. The U-M model predicts Michigan will continue to see the number of confirmed cases and deaths to continue rising throughout April and into May. Cases in Detroit and Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties are expected to slowly climb through the end of the month. Dr. Nirav Shah, a senior scholar at Stanford Universitys Clinical Excellence Research Center, is among researchers who put together the COVID Act Now model, which forecasts infections, hospitalizations and deaths. Shah said different models have wide variability in their predictions. Some assume the decline in cases will mirror the sharp upward slope of confirmed cases, while others predict cases and deaths to gradually drop over a longer period of time. I think the important point is that all models are just reflections of reality, Shah said. Theyre not accurate forecasts in the sense that theyll tell you the future, but they tell you the direction and the magnitude in most cases. Theoretically, if youre doing the right things, what happens is that all models are wrong. COVID Act Now predicts hospitals could be overloaded in a matter of weeks, or not at all, depending on how closely people follow social distancing requirements. As of Friday, COVID Act Now projected a bed capacity in Michigan of 23,058 beds. In the worst-case scenario, the model predicts Michigan would exceed its capacity on May 13. Whitmer cited the model when warning residents that up to 70% of the Michigan population could become infected if people dont comply with her executive orders. Strict adherence to social distancing over a three-month period would keep hospitals from being overloaded and significantly drop the infection rate to 17%. Even in the best-case scenario, the COVID Act Now model predicts hospitals in Wayne County could come extremely close to overloading hospitals by May. Shah, a former commissioner of New Yorks state health department, said its unknown how many people are complying with social distancing. Without widespread testing, he said, social distancing guidelines shouldnt be loosened. Were gonna have a second wave as soon as we relax the only tool we have in our toolbox, being social isolation -- which is draconian, but thats all we have," Shah said. 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. Read more on MLive: 6 reasons Michigan has four times more coronavirus cases than Ohio Parents, we want to hear from you: How is social isolation going for your family? Coronavirus deaths surge again during Michigans second-deadliest day Worst may be over: Michigan doctors, others cite glimmers of hope in Michigans coronavirus crisis Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. When author Deborah Copakens then-3-year-old son was badly bleeding from an accident in a Manhattan playground, paramedics told her that her 1-year-old daughter was not allowed in the ambulance. You act on instinct and think fast, she said. I had to leave her with my buildings super all night, who, thank God, was generous enough to step up to the plate. Child care options offered by hospitals vary; a press officer at the American Hospital Association said there was no industrywide policy. Many hospitals have in-house social workers that can help; two of the few that offer on-site emergency child care for patients are Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Womens Hospital, both in Boston, but the child care is only available during business hours. Parents should have an emergency plan ready to go, said Dr. Whitney Cesares, M.D., a Portland, Ore., pediatrician. When youre in the middle of a medical emergency, its not the time to rack your brain about who in the world might be able to watch your child. Enlist four or five trustworthy friends to be on your emergency child care contact list, and offer to be on theirs, Dr. Cesares suggested. Designate them as such in your phone (iPhone and Apple Watch have an emergency contacts section in the Health app). Think about adding neighbors to your list, when possible, she added, given how much faster theyll be able to rush to your side if you have an emergency at home. Then create a document to share with your emergency contacts, with important details about your childs medical history, insurance information and pediatricians contact details in case she needs medical care while youre unwell. Nicole Delahoussaye, an attorney in Delotes, Texas, and host of podcast Hella Smart Muvas, recommended drafting emergency temporary guardianship orders that name someone local and are on file at school and readily discoverable at home. When such papers are on file, she said, if kids are away from home or left at home with a minor sitter, they wont be entered into child protection if no immediate family is available. If your contacts arent reachable, several national babysitting chains, such as Nanny Poppinz, offer emergency sitting services. Were truly 24 /7, says the company president and owner, Susan McCloskey. Because child care emergencies dont happen Monday through Friday 9 to 5, do they? They happen when youre on vacation in Miami. McCloskey said she can typically get a screened, CPR-trained nanny to a family within a half an hour to an hour. Weve had nannies pick up children at the hospital and get them settled at home, she said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 17:13:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JINAN, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Shandong Gold Mining Co., Ltd., a major gold producer in China, reported a 25.91 percent growth in net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company in 2019. The company said Friday its net profit hit 1.29 billion yuan (182.3 million U.S. dollars) last year. In 2019, its sales revenue reached 62.63 billion yuan, up 11.33 percent year on year. The growth resulted mainly from the rise in price and sales volume of gold. The company, one of the largest gold producers in China, said its gold output is expected to be no less than 39.586 tonnes in 2020. Enditem U.S. Navy Says Iranian Vessels Harassed Its Ships In Persian Gulf By RFE/RL April 16, 2020 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. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-navy-says- iranian-vessels-harassed-its-ships- in-persian-gulf/30558809.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address KOREA International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Tanzania has signed agreements with United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to support a USD 5 million joint Programme, for young women empowerment. Titled Realising Gender Equality through Empowering Women and Adolescent Girls, the programme is for empowering women and adolescent girls in Singida and Shinyanga regions, especially at this time when the global community is battling the COVID-19 pandemic, said the KOICA Country Director, Mr Kyucheol Eo. "The coronavirus pandemic, which has now reached Tanzania, will change the lives of many people in the country, while its impacts both short- and long-term may be felt most disproportionately by women and adolescent girls, with existing gender-based inequalities exacerbated by the outbreak, he said. He asserted that through the Joint Programme, KOICA will support efforts to address the crucially intertwined socioeconomic challenges facing women and adolescent girls in rural Tanzania, which include barriers to economic empowerment and social norms and values that perpetuate Gender Based Violence (GBV) and harmful practices, he said. During the signing ceremony on Wednesday in Dar es Salaam, UN Women Representative, Ms Hodan Addou, said that starting in April 2020 through March 2023, UNFPA and UN Women will work together to strengthen the social and economic resilience of some of the furthest behind rural women and adolescent girls in Ikungi and Msalala districts of Singida and Shinyanga regions, respectively. According to her, UN Women will focus on economically empowering women and female youth farmers by improving agricultural production, collective marketing and entrepreneurship skills; and enhancing land tenure security, addressing both the short- and long-term economic shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Although women are crucial, food producers and contributors to livelihoods, they face challenges in maximising their production and marketing potentials. This is exacerbated by the gendered norms and practices experienced not only in some communities in Tanzania but also in other African countries," she said, adding: The Programme will strengthen women farmers' capacity in agriculture and collective marketing. It will also address land planning and ownership; and household decision-making in collaboration with both men and women in the community at a time when collective efforts are so critical to ensure women are safe and economically resilient in the face of COVID-19. UNFPA Representative, Ms Jacqueline Mahon, commented that while it is too early to say what the long-lasting impacts of COVID-19 will be, there is a danger that advances in gender equality could stall or even reverse. The Joint Programme will seek to build on progress towards realising national and global commitments to advance gender equality, particularly to end all GBV and harmful practices against women and girls by 2030. Citing a semi-flattened curve of novel coronavirus cases in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott announced three new executive orders during a Friday press conference outlining the process of re-opening the state's economy. The orders include implementing a Strike Force that consists of a team of nationally recognized medical experts and private and public leaders that will advise on best practices to safely re-open the state. SCHAUMBURG, Ill., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Zurich North America, a leading insurance provider for businesses and individuals, is introducing a COVID-19 reimbursement product for employers to provide cash benefits to eligible employees hospitalized for more than five consecutive days as a result of COVID-19. In the U.S., net profits from the offering will go to hunger relief charities, at a time of rising food insecurity fueled by unemployment. The COVID-19 reimbursement product, brought to market as a Surplus Lines policy, is available to large employers, typically with 5,000 or more eligible employees, in most industries. "This new offering is one way we can help support the resilience of employers and employees coping with coronavirus impacts," said Zurich North America CEO Kathleen Savio. "We want to enable employers to provide financial assistance, beyond medical benefits they may provide, to eligible employees hospitalized for COVID-19." The cash benefits can help with the financial stresses of an extended hospitalization, including costs that primary health insurance may not cover. Here is an overview: Benefits are provided for hospitalizations exceeding five consecutive days. Benefits include an amount per day (subject to a maximum number of days) and an additional lump sum amount upon discharge from the hospital. In total, individual employees may be eligible for up to $4,000 of benefits. "Seeing the unfolding impact of coronavirus, we developed this product swiftly with input from our brokers and customers, the global Zurich organization and our Accident & Health team," said Paul Horgan, Head of Zurich's U.S. Commercial Insurance business unit. "It's a powerful example of speed and collaboration designed to support employers and employees in this time of COVID-19." The employer, who is the policyholder, pays cash benefits to the eligible employees, then submits its claims to Zurich for reimbursement. Interested employers should contact their insurance broker or their Zurich representative. For additional information about what businesses need to know now to manage COVID-19, go to Zurich's Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Hub on Zurichna.com/covid19. About Zurich North America Zurich North America is one of the largest providers of insurance solutions and services to businesses and individuals. Our customers represent industries ranging from agriculture to construction and include more than 90 percent of the Fortune 500. We've backed the building of some of the most recognizable structures in North America. Our North American, LEED Platinum headquarters is located in the Chicago area. We employ approximately 9,000 people in North America and have offices throughout the U.S. and Canada. Further information is available at www.zurichna.com. Zurich North America is part of Zurich Insurance Group, a leading multi-line insurer that serves its customers in global and local markets. With approximately 54,000 employees, Zurich provides a wide range of property and casualty, and life insurance products and services in more than 210 countries and territories. Zurich's customers include individuals, small businesses, and mid-sized and large companies, as well as multinational corporations. The Group is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, where it was founded in 1872. The holding company, Zurich Insurance Group Ltd (ZURN), is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and has a level I American Depositary Receipt (ZURVY) program, which is traded over-the-counter on OTCQX. Further information is available at www.zurich.com. Visit us on social media: LinkedIn and Twitter SOURCE Zurich North America Related Links www.zurichna.com They are people who, based on their tombstones dates, had to worry about surviving scarlet fever and typhoid, not COVID-19. Some of the stone markers at St. Michaels Cemetery on Bethlehems Southside have faded, toppled or become buried under grass, but the site that dates to 1867 is still maintained by a crew of volunteers. Right now, I need the help of the community," caretaker Al Barron said Friday morning. Northampton County probation usually sends a crew serving community service to help on Saturdays, but because of coronavirus protocols, officials have said the earliest they may be able to have people out is in June. It could be prolonged, depending on everything else, Barron said. The grass and brush are still growing at the cemetery off of Fourth Street, and Barron needs volunteers to man a lawn mower or pick up trash. Its easy to maintain more than the six feet recommended for social distancing at the cemetery, while getting some fresh air, Barron said. He could use between four to six more people to keep on top of the work, he added. If we get more, great." Anyone interested in volunteering can contact the Friends of Saint Michaels Cemetery, Bethlehem, PA Facebook page here. The group also accepts donations for supplies, like gas and mower blades. Since hes off of work from his fiber optic research and development job, Barron said he can help volunteers during the week, in addition to the weekend. Kids home from school can come, too, as long as the parents supervise them and stay with them, Barron said. Some spots have become dumping grounds. The South Bethlehem Historical Society is working to get signs to be posted at the cemetery, Barron said. For now, they rely on neighbors to call the police if they see someone dumping trash. Barron, who lives in Freemansburg, started volunteering at the cemetery when he was sentenced to community service, but has been the lead volunteer since about 2016. He doesnt have any family in the cemetery -- they are buried over in Holy Saviour Cemetery off of Linden Street -- but his grandmother lived on the SouthSide and his father was born there. Its an old cemetery with some steep hills. This is work, especially when it comes to July and August, and the humidity starts to hit in the morning, Barron said. The steep terrain offers beautiful views of Bethlehem Steels iconic blast furnaces and the city. On Friday, blooming trees and bright yellow daffodils dotted the grounds. Dress warm, Donald Mack offered as advice for potential volunteers, as he manned one of the mowers Friday morning. Mack has worked at the cemetery for more than two years. The cemetery was a major burial site for local immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries, and includes graves for people from more than 25 countries. It has been the site of famous photographs and at least two movies have been filmed there. 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. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Two US lawmakers Thursday announced to introduce a legislation in the Congress that would allow Americans to sue China in the federal court to recover damages for death, injury, and economic harm caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Introduced by Senator Tom Cotton in the Senate and Congressman Dan Crenshaw in House of Representatives, the legislation, if passed and signed into law, would amend the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to create a narrow exception for damages caused by China's handling of the outbreak Modelled after the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, which 97 members of the Senate had voted in favour of in 2016, the bill makes clear that that covering up the virus and causing it to spread faster or further than it otherwise would have can be considered a tortious act. It also gives the US a powerful tool to get China to pay for the damage it has caused. If the United States and China come to an agreement to settle the claims, then the private suits could be dismissed, the bill proposes. "By silencing doctors and journalists who tried to warn the world about the coronavirus, the Chinese Communist Party allowed the virus to spread quickly around the globe," Cotton said. "Their decision to cover up the virus led to thousands of needless deaths and untold economic harm. It's only appropriate that we hold the Chinese government accountable for the damage it has caused," Cotton added. "We need to hold the Chinese government accountable for their malicious lies and coverup that allowed the coronavirus to spread across the world, alleged Crenshaw. "The communist regime expelled journalists, silenced whistleblowers, and withheld vital information that delayed the global response to the pandemic. Simply put: their actions cost American lives and livelihoods. This bill will help ensure China's actions are not without consequences," he said. Meanwhile, Congressman Michael McCaul, lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), along with 16 Republican members of the committee, in a letter urged President Donald Trump to condition Fiscal Year 2020 voluntary contributions to the WHO on the resignation of Director-General Tedros. "We have lost faith in Director-General Tedros' ability to lead the World Health Organization. We understand, and value, the vital role that the WHO plays around the world, especially in acute humanitarian settings, the lawmakers said. At times, the WHO is the only organization working on the ground in the worst places in the world, and the US should continue to support this important work, they wrote. However, it is imperative that we act swiftly to ensure the impartiality, transparency, and legitimacy of this valuable institution. In light of the information presented in this letter, we recommend that you condition any future Fiscal Year 2020 voluntary contributions to the WHO on the resignation of Director-General Tedros. Sadly, we know COVID-19 is not the last pandemic the world will have to face, the lawmakers wrote. The Congressmen alleged that signs of the outbreak of a new deadly virus in Wuhan were visible in early December 2019, when Zhang Jixian, a doctor at the Hubei Provincial Hospital, warned PRC health authorities that a novel coronavirus was affecting some 180 patients. Several other doctors publicly discussed the outbreak in an attempt to sound the alarm but were subsequently arrested by PRC authorities or disciplined by their supervisors. A senior doctor at the Wuhan Central Hospital, Ai Fen, instructed her staff to wear protective clothing and masks despite PRC official instructions to the contrary, they wrote. The Congressmen said that several concerning facts that have been established including WHO knew that COVID-19 was spreading through human-to-human interaction at least three weeks before it informed the rest of the world. Congressmen alleged that WHO Director-General Tedros' policies prevented the WHO from heeding Taiwan's warning and undermined the credibility of the information Taiwan provided to other countries. "Director-General Tedros cast the tie breaking vote that delayed the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, despite clear evidence of the rapid spread and human-to-human transmission of COVID-19, they said. Tedros heaped praised on the PRC despite clear evidence that the Chinese government COVID-19 cover up delayed the proper response to the initial outbreak, they alleged. "Tedros' long-standing relationship with PRC authorities and embrace of CCP propaganda and polices undermines his ability to serve impartially as Director-General," they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bhopal: The clamour for the Cabinet formation has gained momentum in Madhya Pradesh after former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia met BJP chief Amit Shah, reportedly seeking appointment of his close aides as ministers in Shivraj Singh Chouhans government. Scindia was referring to the six ministers who had resigned from the Congress party and joined BJP along with him. Since taking oath as the chief minister on March 23 in a brief ceremony amid the coronavirus outbreak, Chouhan is yet to form his Cabinet. By doing so, he has set a record by becoming the longest serving CM without a council of ministers. Chouhan, on Thursday, completed 25 days in power as chief minister. This record was previously held by Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, who had formed his Cabinet after 24 days of assuming power. It was Congress Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankha who spoke about this development. Congratulations Shivraj ji. Amidst so much gloom in MP you managed an Indian record as the longest serving CM without a council of ministers. Previous record of 24 days of was Mr Yediyurappa CM Karnataka., Both become CM fourth term and formed governments with the aid of defection (sic), Tankha wrote on Twitter. He added that the Kamal Nath government was dislodged by unfair means. Tankha, while replying to a tweet from a senior journalist on Friday, said, Hope they (BJP) realise how MP suffers cause of their shenanigans. Bhopal wrecked with 90 plus cases and Health dept. Indore with 800 plus positive cases and highest mortality in country is to less and too little to wake BJP, the senior lawyer added. Congress leaders have repeatedly criticised Chouhan over the delay in Cabinet formation and accused him of usurping power by unfair means during the coronavirus pandemic. Chouhan, in an apparent reply to the Congress jibes, tweeted on Thursday, Aap Bas Rajniti Karen, Main Bas Kaam Karta Rahunga. (You keep indulging in politics, I will continue to work. Responding to Chouhans tweet, Congress media cell in charge Jitu Patwari said, You achieved what you wanted to, but have mercy and please save the public. In an earlier interview with News18 India, Chouhan had said that there was little time to form the Cabinet as the state was reeling under the coronaviris outbreak. He added that the party leadership, too, had advised that the Cabinet formation take place after the lockdown has been lifted. Recently, however, BJP formed a task force to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, comprising senior BJP leaders, including CM Chouhan. The team saw representation of Scindias camp as well, with his close aide Tulsiram Silawat being nominated to the group. Meanwhile, sources also believe that the BJP has its task cut out as it has to accommodate not just its senior leaders, but also leaders from Scindias camp. Half a dozen former ministers of Scindias camp Mahednra Singh Sisodia, Imarti Devi, Pradyumn Singh Tomar, Tulsiram Silawat, Prabhuram Chaudhary and Gvoind Singh Rajput, who had lost membership of the Assembly are eyeing a ministerial berth. Complicating matters, others who deserted Congress and joined BJP, including Aidal Singh Kansana, Rajyawardhan Singh Dattigaon, Bisahulal Singh, are also hoping to be included in the Cabinet. New rules to heavily protect tenants during the COVID-19 crisis will be altered to protect "mum and dad investors" after the original draft was heavily criticised by the real estate sector. Queensland Housing Minister Mick de Brenni said revised guidelines would be published in the coming days although the prime objective was still to protect financially troubled tenants from eviction. "We know for many of those mum and dad investors they are not rich, they are not wealthy, they have simply invested in a property for the family's future," he told reporters on Friday. "Our guidelines protect that investment and ensure that there is a process for landlords and tenants to come together to reach a result where tenants simply can't pay the rent." This opinion column is part of John Archibalds Diary of Alabama. Tom Saab, the chef and owner of Bistro218 in downtown Birmingham, opened a new restaurant this year, an Italian place with house-made pasta and white tablecloths in a space previously occupied by Rogue Tavern. Bocca opened in late February, with fresh bucatini and garganelli and a fresh take on it all. It opened, he said, with a boom. Three weeks later, the world shut down. And so did his restaurants. For now. We got blindsided, he said. We didnt know it was coming. One could talk of the bum luck, of the fear and uncertainty. And why not? Restaurants across Alabama, like so many other businesses, have been hammered by quarantine and safety concerns. Chefs and owners like Saab have had to send workers home workers desperate for income and hours and a hard business becomes even harder. Saab believes his restaurants will make it through. He keeps in touch with staff, and tells them theyll have a job when all this is over. In the meantime, though, he and volunteers from his restaurants have been using their skills and that fancy new pasta maker from Bocca to make chicken pasta salad by the bushel. They plate it up and call Don Lupo, the city of Birminghams Operations manager, who makes sure it gets to the homeless in Linn Park, or to feed whole shifts at Birmingham Police Departments, or those at the county health department who face hard and important work. Were concerned for the first responders, Saab said. If that breaks down, were in big trouble. There are so many people doing so many things to hold on to humanity in this socially distant time, to reach out when their own worlds might be closing in, that it makes Lupo breathless and emotional when he talks about it. There are small restaurateurs and large ones donating food they cannot use. There are laid-off workers volunteering to help those who have it worse than they do. There are all those people who gather from places like the Church of the Reconciler and go into the world at great personal risk to make sure people have food. If we dont have people like that, groups of people dont eat, Lupo said. He runs through those people as if giving an Oscar speech, trying desperately to name everybody all in a rush, worrying that he will forget to mention many, and ultimately running out of time. It is an impossible task. Theres George Sarris at the Fish Market who calls him every week with a check for a homeless shelter, even though his own business is suffering. There is Tasos Touloupis at Teds, feeding medical staff at UAB with help from a fund set up by Alan and Lynn Ritchie and UAB Foundation. The people at Bamboo are feeding health care workers, and those at Rodney Scotts send barbecue to first responders. Lupo talks of how Jack's Family Restaurants sorry, I will always think of them as Jacks Hamburgers donated truck loads of food from the warehouses to homeless shelters, and how Vestavia Hills Elementary West did the same. Strawberry milk from the elementary school was wildly popular on the streets. The lists grow so long you start to believe that goodness might be the rule, rather than the exception. Don Lupo often connects helpers with those who need help. The CareHealth campaign works with restaurants such as Saws Soul Kitchen, Post Office Pies and others to send restaurant meals to doctors and nurses. It is easy to feel Lupos frustration. It is impossible to name them all across Alabama people who put aside their own safety or discomfort or financial distress to do what they know how to do, to care for someone other than themselves, to make a hard world a little more caring. Thats what Saab wants to do though he admits the feeding program was in part motivated by his hopes to stay in contact with his staff while the restaurants are closed, for he knows they are valuable and wants more than anything for them to return when the doors are opened and the future is as bright as it looked when the year began. Most of all, though, it is just the decent thing to do. Lupo is an emotional man. He knows people who need help as well as anybody Ive ever met, and is driven to help at a risk to his own health -- though he brushes that aside like it is a germ. We are fortunate to live in a giving community, he says. But when he talks of those who are helping, or those who are being helped, he must stop, and compose himself, before speak again. A decade from now, he says, those people who are now handing out lunches to hungry children and adults may remember what it feels like to give, and it will shape them. And a decade from now, those who were in need of meals today may just remember the love and the dignity that was shown to them when they were hungry, and perhaps it will be the thing they need to improve their own lives. Maybe its a pipe dream. I dont know. But it is Lupos dream, and has been for a long time. It is comforting, these days, to see that he is not alone. John Archibald, a Pulitzer Prize winner, is a columnist for AL.com. His column appears in The Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register, Birmingham Magazine and AL.com. Write him at jarchibald@al.com. Chennai: A first-year physiotherapy student of Saveetha Medical College at Thandalam near Sriperumbudur allegedly jumped to death from the 13th floor of an under-construction building on the college premises on Wednesday. The 19-year-old student Andrews, hailing from Nagercoil, was staying at a room in Iyappanthangal area in Chennai. He had been confined to his room since the lockdown began. On Wednesday evening, he rode his motorbike to the college, and went up to the 14-storied empty building and plunged to death. Hospital employees, who found him lying on the ground in a pool of blood, rushed him to the hospital but he died immediately. Sriperumbudur Police has taken the body to the government hospital for post mortem. The boys parents living in Nagercoil have been informed about the tragedy. Every Thursday evening for the past month, the streets of the U.K. have erupted with noise as people stand on doorsteps or balconies, clapping or banging pots and pans, in a weekly sign of appreciation for healthcare workers. But many doctors, nurses and carers say they dont want applausethey want better testing and equipment. The U.K. has more than 100,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, making it the sixth-worst affected in the worldbut its real number is widely believed to be far higher due to a shortage of test kits. And more than 14,500 people are confirmed to have died in U.K. hospitals from COVID-19, putting it behind only the U.S., Italy, Spain and France. That number, too, is an underestimate: the U.K.s official statisticians suggested Tuesday that the real number could be as much as 15% higher, due to a combination of delayed reporting of deaths, and the fact that those who died in nursing homes and private residences are not included in official figures. Although daily deaths in British hospitals appear to have flattened over the last week, there is uncertainty over the real figures, and experts worry the U.K could soon overtake its neighbors. A senior government health adviser has warned the U.K. could end up being the worst affected country in Europe, while a British former WHO official has questioned the system errors that led us to have probably the highest death rates in Europe. As other European countries have started lifting their lockdowns, the U.K. announced Thursday it would be prolonging its own for at least another three weeks. Although, like in other countries, popular support for the government has skyrocketed during the crisis, politicians are now coming under fire for shortages in personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and testsshortages that experts say could have been avoided if the government had followed WHO advice. The government was slow to act, didnt give coronavirus the priority and attention it deserved and has made some significant mistakes, says Professor John Ashton, a former regional director of public health in England. Theyve handled it very badly. Story continues Early errors Epidemiologists and former public health officials say the U.K.s strategy for combating COVID-19 was muddledleading to delays in purchasing essential equipment and tests, mixed messages about public health practices, and a lag behind its neighbors in implementing social distancing and other restrictions. That likely allowed the virus to spread fast and undetected. Britains first mistake, according to Ashton, came around the time when the coronavirus was first confirmed in England, on Jan. 31. Prime Minister Boris Johnson chose not to chair a meeting of the governments emergency COBRA committee, leaving his health secretary Matt Hancock to do so instead. Because Johnson didnt chair the meeting at the beginning of February, the government missed the opportunity to see that they needed to be ready to do lots of testing, that they would need to sort out stocks for personal protection and for oxygen and other supplies, Ashton says. Johnsons decision not to step in until the beginning of March was a surprise that allowed shortages of vital health equipment, including tests, to sneak up on the British government, says Dr. Liam Smeeth, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The mistake, he says, was that the government placed too much confidence in Britains scientists and doctors, without doing enough to obtain the scarce equipment they required to do their jobs. During the Ebola outbreak, the government could say, what we need is some personal protective equipment or test kits, so lets find a hundred million pounds and buy them, Smeeth told TIME. But it very rapidly became obvious in the coronavirus pandemic that this was a global problem, and therefore global supply chains just dried up. Instantly countries were competing for the supply of goods in a way that we hadnt really seen before. I dont think that was something people here were really prepared for. Still, in the early stages of the outbreak in February, Britain appeared to be coping well with identifying the infected and doing contact tracing. When the first two cases were identified in the northern city of York at the end of January, health officials put them into isolation and traced their contacts. The same was done for a man from Brighton, who had traveled to Singapore and then France before returning home and infecting four people. The U.K. did really well with the earliest cases, says Helen Ward, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London, whose colleagues are mathematical modelers advising the U.K. government on the spread of the disease. I think they did a pretty good job. Keep up to date on the growing threat to global health by signing up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. Pre-dug graves for COVID-19 deaths are seen in Maker Cemetery on April 14, 2020 in Maker, England. | Dan Mullan/Getty Images Critical shortages It didnt become clear until later, when confirmed cases began to increase exponentially in early March, that Britains failure to move fast on obtaining testing kits back in February would have such a big impact. The catalog of us being short of things began at that point, Ashton says of Johnsons decision in early February to effectively delegate responsibility for tackling COVID to his health secretary, turning what could have been a whole-government response into a departmental one for a crucial month. The government would have been able to get orders in for that sort of equipment. And now theyre at the back of the queue because they didnt identify early on what they would need. While Germany was testing some 20,000 people per day in the second week of March, Britain was testing on average under 2,000. On top of what Ashton calls the material mistake of not moving to obtain tests early enough, Johnsons government made a string of controversial decisions in mid-March. The first came on March 12, the day after the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic, when public health officials announced the U.K. would cease tracing and testing the contacts of coronavirus patients effectively accepting that a full-scale outbreak was inevitable in the country. The U.K. was moving to the next phase of its plan, the delay phase, where the imperative was to flatten the curve, Johnson announced at a press conference. We need to squash this sombrero, he told a packed room of journalists and officials at his 10 Downing Street residence in London. The decision to stop community testing, I think, was against WHO advice, which is that you need to test, test, test, and push back hard to suppress the virus, says Ward. Despite Johnson announcing that Britains new focus was to delay the spread of the disease on March 12, it took four more days before he formally advised the public to begin socially distancing on March 16. In the meantime, at a press conference, his chief medical adviser mentioned the governments long-term goal was for Britain to develop some kind of herd immunity against the disease, or in other words, letting a large percentage of the healthy population catch COVID-19 in order to prevent it from spreading to the most vulnerable. It was never official policy, but coming when it did, at a time of a policy vacuum, it sent a confusing message, epidemiologists said. I think that was an error, says Smeeth, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine professor. Briefly, the government made it sound as if they were embracing the idea of herd immunity as a tool to control the epidemic, which I dont think it was ever intended to be. That message changed swiftly on March 16, three days later, when a new scientific study by modelers at Imperial and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine arrived at Downing Street. It showed that the impact of the disease could be far worse than previously thought. If the government did nothing, 510,000 people would die, it predicted. If the government continued on its current course, the study said, the death toll would still swell to 250,000. Later that same day, Johnson pivoted. People should work from home if they could, he said in an address to the nation, and avoid public venues like pubs and restaurants. His government did not, however, make these measures legally binding, nor did it explicitly tell businesses to close their doors. It would be a whole week until it did. (By comparison, Italy went into lockdown on March 9, Spain on March 14, and France on March 16.) On March 23, Johnson finally appeared on television to announce the country would go into lockdown the next day, with all non-essential travel banned and most businesses being forced to close. Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a televised address to the nation from inside 10 Downing Street on March 23, 2020. | PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images That week, between the 16th and 23rd when there was no formal lockdown, was the week when we could have gained time in a more aggressive lockdown, says Ward, the epidemiologist from Imperial College London. Johnsons long-held conservative belief in personal freedoms, says Ashton, had obstructed a public health imperative. It was left to individuals to choose whether they went to the pub or not, until it got really bad, Ashton says. Eventually the government had to make those decisions, but reluctantly. The governments line was that it was important to impose the measures at the right time not too early, not too late to ensure they coincided with the peak of the disease. The right moment, as weve always said, is to do it when it is most effective, when we think it can make the biggest difference to slowing the spread of the disease, Johnson said March 16. And in the meantime, the government was busy trying to increase the capacity of the National Health Service (NHS), Britains state-funded healthcare body. The army was drafted in to help finish a giant hospital in a convention center in London, which opened on April 3 after nine days of preparations. Even as the disease has spread rapidly across the U.K., one of the governments key aims stopping the NHS from being overwhelmed by critical patients has been achieved, with the new hospital in London treating just 19 patients over the Easter weekend out of a capacity of 2,900 ICU beds. Machinists sew gowns at shirtmaker McNair, who have changed production to making gowns for the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, in Slaithwaite, northern England, on April 17, 2020, during the nationwide lockdown to combat the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. | OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images What next? After Boris Johnson was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 27, the countrys attention briefly shifted away from testing and PPE shortages and toward the Prime Ministers condition. When he was taken into the hospital and then intensive care, there was a moment when it seemed possible the Prime Minister could really die in office. Although hes now in the clear, doctors have advised Johnson to take weeks off to recover, leaving the U.K. under the temporary leadership of Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. But the country is, to some extent, still leaderless Raab is only governing by consent of the cabinet, and its unclear what power he has to take major decisions, including a strategy to exit the lockdown. With Johnson now safe, attention has switched back to the structural problems the U.K. is facing. Into its third month fighting COVID-19, the country is still struggling with shortages of protective equipment and test kits. Hancock, the Health Secretary, pledged at the start of April to bring Britains daily test rate up to 100,000 per day by the end of the month, but on April 15, it tested under 20,000, missing an interim target. In the struggle to obtain antibody tests amid unprecedented global demand, the British government paid $20 million to a Chinese company for kits that turned out not to work. On Friday, NHS bosses were preparing to ask doctors and nurses to work without full-length gowns because stocks of protective equipment were set to run out within hours, the Guardian reported. In Britain, the ongoing shortage of tests means a return to any semblance of normal life could be far slower than other countries. Already, the U.K.s Office for Budget Responsibility, an official watchdog, said the ongoing lockdown could shrink Britains economy 35% by June, making more than 2 million extra people unemployed. Modeling shows that any route out of the coronavirus crisis requires widespread testing, to allow a choreographed end to the lockdown and economies to come back to life. Were going to face further waves and so we need to make sure we have a system in place that enables you to test people rapidly, Anthony Costello, director of the Institute for Global Health at University College London, told lawmakers on Friday. We have to get the economy going. Please send tips, leads, and stories from the front lines to virus@time.com The UK's Princess Anne talks to Prime Minister Boris Johnson (C) and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a reception for NATO leaders. Photo by Yui Mok - WPA Pool/Getty Images Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Princess Anne, Princess Royal attend the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George's Chapel on October 12, 2018 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Owen Humphreys - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Undated picture showing the Royal British couple, Queen Elizabeth II, and her husband Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, with their two children, Charles, Prince of Wales (L) and Princess Anne (R), circa 1951. (Photo credit should read OFF/AFP/Getty Images) Andrew Parker Bowles (left) with Zara Tindall (centre and The Princess Royal (right) on day one of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse The Princess Royal arrives at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Britain's Princess Anne has warned against younger royals attempting to "reinvent the wheel" when it comes to their duties. One of the most famously hard-working royals who carried out 500 engagements in 2019, Anne was the original independent trailblazer in her family choosing not to give her children any HRH titles when they were born, allowing them some semblance of a normal life. In celebration of her 70th birthday, the Princess Royals covers the new issue of Vanity Fair in which she gave a rare - but characteristically candid - interview reflecting on her life behind palace gates. She said: "I don't think this younger generation probably understands what I was doing in the past and it's often true, isn't it? You don't necessarily look at the previous generation and say: 'Oh, you did that?' Or: 'You went there?'" "Nowadays, they're much more looking for: 'Oh, let's do it a new way' and I'm already at the stage, 'Please do not reinvent that particular wheel. We've been there, done that. Some of these things don't work. You may need to go back to basics.'" Anne did not name any young royals in particular, but it's believed to have been aimed at Kate Middleton and Prince William, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who recently left their royal roles to move to Los Angeles. Expand Close Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Princess Anne, Princess Royal attend the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George's Chapel on October 12, 2018 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Owen Humphreys - WPA Pool/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Princess Anne, Princess Royal attend the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George's Chapel on October 12, 2018 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Owen Humphreys - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Both couples are establishing their own paths with charity and spoke of their respective desires to modernise the monarchy and its approach to philanthropy. But each has been accused of being 'work shy' completing significantly less engagements annually in comparison to their older relatives. Earlier this month, Meghan and Harry recently announced the launch of their non-profit Archewell. Anne also praised her parents Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip for working into their nineties, saying they worked longer than she anticipated, but respects their ethic. Prince Philip retired in 2017. Before coronavirus lockdown in the UK, the British monarch continued a number of engagements, but no longer carries out international travel. "I think both my father and my mother have, quite rightly, made decisions about, you know, 'I can't spend enough time doing this and we need to find somebody else to do it,' because it makes sense," she told the magazine. Video of the Day "I have to admit they continued being there for a lot longer than I had in mind, but we'll see." The only thing Rick Siewierski finds harder than protecting himself from COVID-19 is keeping his pregnant wife safe from the virus too. The Ontario paramedic is positive hes been exposed to the highly contagious novel coronavirus, but is anxious about the prospect of deserting the family home in the final months before the couple welcomes their first child. So when the 35-year-old got wind of a national effort to loan motorhomes out to health-care workers, first responders and anyone else working on the front lines of the fight against the global pandemic, he jumped at the chance to be part of it. I need to still work, I want to still work, I want to help out where I can, but my family comes first, Siewierski said as he set up his new temporary home near Orillia, Ont. This is a solution to the problem. Siewierski is one of a growing number of essential workers seeking alternative places in which to preserve physical distance after venturing out into workplaces likely contaminated with COVID-19. Widely accepted public health guidance suggests that anyone who may have had exposure to the virus should self-isolate for 14 days in order to stave off further spread. The workers collective plight was what prompted Windsor, Ont., resident Ashley Oriet to try and establish a means of helping them out. Inspired by efforts in the United States to match American front-line workers with RVs and other mobile shelters, the 30-year-old launched a Facebook group to try and establish a similar network closer to home. RVs for Canadas Frontline has only been up and running for two weeks, but Oriet said requests for campers and offers of loaner RVs are pouring in daily from across the country. A team of nine volunteer administrators manage the site, logging both front-line workers and would-be donors into a database and matching them up by region. So far, however, Oriet said demand has greatly outstripped supply. We have a lot of requests, but we need to have more relationships with dealers and places that are willing to lend their campers out, she said. Oriet said any and all volunteers are welcome, citing the need for individuals or businesses to help with related tasks such as waste disposal from RVs that are currently in use. Al and Stacey Robinson, owners of the Great Canadian RV dealership in Peterborough, Ont., are among those that have already jumped on board. The couple joined forces with Oriets group after initially launching a similar venture on their own. Stacey Robinson said they were spurred into action after receiving a request from a local doctor that they were initially unable to accommodate. After reaching out to friends and procuring the desired trailer, she said they realized there was a vast, untapped market of RV owners unable to take their vehicles to parks or camp grounds now shuttered as a public health precaution. We kind of went, wait a minute, we have really great customers, and theyre not allowed to use their units right now, Robinson said. I wonder if any of them would be willing to maybe lend. Since then, the Robinsons have delivered RVs to nearly 30 front-line workers, travelling as far east as Ottawa in one case to ensure those in need of self-isolation spaces can keep themselves and their loved ones safe. Siewierski, for his part, said a weight has been lifted from his shoulders now that hes in possession of a motorhome. He said living in his own driveway for the foreseeable future will allow him to exchange greetings and eat outdoor meals with his wife, as long as they follow physical distancing guidelines. Obviously I want to be in my home and my home is the most comfortable place I can be, he said, but this is a great second option. Local businesses are the linchpin of our community, and they need the support of their loyal customers now more than ever. Shop Local is a new partnership connecting us to these vitally important local businesses through an online marketplace. Purchasing a gift card through this marketplace provides local businesses a timely boost while giving you the flexibility to shop at a later date or through their online e-commerce. These local businesses need this important revenue to help them through this difficult time. Special thanks go to the Grand Island Area Economic Development Corporation, Pump & Pantry, Tommy Gunz Bistro and Central Community College for sponsoring this initiative so that businesses can be included at no cost to them. Every little bit helps right now. So, check out our Shop Local Page to see who is offering gift cards by going to the link below. At this time I would also like to recognize my incredible news team. They remain dedicated to getting you the most up-to-date information in the heart of a global pandemic. Independent employees are dedicated to Nebraska in the most powerful and meaningful ways. Members of the omnibus sector in session last Tuesday. A letter was expected to be sent to the government by the Vincentian Transport Association (VINTAS), requesting a meeting to discuss recommendations agreed at a meeting of omnibus operators, drivers and conductors, last Tuesday. Failure by the government to respond could see a further suspension of the omnibus service beyond April 20, as was originally proclaimed. Tuesday meeting was held under the auspices of the Vincentian Transport Association (VINTAS) to discuss the effects of COVID-19 on the omnibus sector, Governments stimulus package for the omnibus sector, and decide on actions forward. However, much of the discussion surrounded financial issues affecting operators. Some noted that the governments offer of $250.00-$300.00 a month for two months as compensation for lost earnings, was not enough. One driver suggested cutting the price of fuel by half and increasing bus fares, while another suggested increasing the current restriction on passenger capacity from 9 to 12. When the discussion subsided, the meeting agreed that among other areas, the following shall be advanced to government for its consideration: provision of mask for operators and conductors; further subsidies; increased sanitization; increased passenger capacity. Another meeting is scheduled for this Sunday, April 19, at the Arnos Vale Sporting Complex, starting at 2pm. Royron Adams, Vice President (Ag) of VINTAS, implored owners of minibuses to register with the association. Public transportation here was thrown into a quandary on Wednesday 7th April when the majority of omnibus operators withdrew their services. The decision to withdraw services was said to be in support of the national effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus and not about money. The mayor was reluctant to take such drastic measures, according to the account. It would severely hurt business if word got out that Lemont was having a serious outbreak of smallpox. Farmers would ship from other towns and not come to town to buy goods. He and Supervisor Starshak reasoned that the disease was fairly mild and the epidemic would probably end soon. The Great Construction nationwide project is an important tool for regional development. "The Great Construction is an important tool for regional development. A new hub school, a modern center for the provision of administrative services, a completely constructed kindergarten, and repaired roads - these are the things that increase the standard of living of Ukrainians in communities. It is such things that affect the development of regions, and therefore of Ukraine," Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine Oleksii Chernyshov said during a working visit to Poltava region, the Government portal informs. The Minister held a meeting with the regional leadership dedicated to the progress of implementation of the Government's commissions, in particular, on curbing the spread of COVID-19 and the epidemiological situation in the region, as well as the construction of the facilities within the framework of the national Great Construction project and the State Regional Development Fund. Chernyshov reminded that the nationwide construction project initiated by the President had been launched in Ukraine in March. Within the framework of this program, Poltava region has set a goal to complete the construction and reconstruction of 5 schools, 5 kindergartens and 5 stadiums in 2020. The total project budget exceeds UAH 194 million. Three sites are currently under construction. Projects vary in scale and cost. But all of them are relevant for the region because they are aimed at improving the quality of life of residents of the region, the minister emphasized. ol Governors of the six South-West states of Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo have dissolved the Board of Directors of Odua Investment Limited. This was contained in a statement personally issued on Friday in Akure by Ondo State governor and Chairman of the South West Governors Forum, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. The governors, who mandated the Group Managing Director of the company to take charge of the business venture bequeathed to the states by the old Western Region, said the dissolution was with immediate effect. The governors, who also took further steps to jointly tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, agreed on closure of all entry points as well as compulsory wearing of face masks. The South West Governors at its virtual meeting held on Thursday, April 16, resolved as follows: That as Owner State Governors, we dissolve the Board of Directors of ODUA Investment Limited with immediate effect. The Group Managing Director should take charge of the conglomerate affairs pending the constitution of a new board. That the entry points of our six states be closed forthwith to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. That the state governors agreed that people involved in essential services or dealing in medicine, water and consumable items, in particular traders and market men/women, should endeavour to wear nose masks while outside plying their trade to minimise the spread of the deadly virus. The governors further agreed that wearing of nose masks will be made compulsory for everybody coming out of their homes effective from Friday April 24 in their respective states, the statement said. Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a letter to his employees said that he is proud of the way Google has handled the coronavirus crisis but also said that it is time for the company to consider its hiring pace. He said that the company hired 20,000 Googlers in 2019 and had plans to hire a similar number this year too. Pichai said that Google is now taking a more "critical look at the pace of hiring". Pichai's letter, accessed by Bloomberg, comes amid a revaluation by tech giants of their operations and costs. Pichai said that amid the restrictions and pressure felt due to the coronavirus spread, Google is "facing delays in getting everyone their essential equipment, such as laptops and security keys". Also read: Coronavirus Live Updates: Delhi second worst-affected after Maharashtra with 1,640 cases; India's tally-13,387 "We believe now is the time to significantly slow down the pace of hiring, while maintaining momentum in a small number of strategic areas where users and businesses rely on Google for ongoing support, and where our growth is critical to their success. By dialing back our plans in other areas, we can ensure Google emerges from this year at a more appropriate size and scale than we would otherwise. That means we need to carefully prioritize hiring employees who will address our greatest user and business needs," stated Pichai in his letter. Also read: Health insurance to cost up to 25% more, cover more diseases He added that Google will continue to invest and recalibrate the focus and pace of their investments in areas such as data centres and machines, and non business essential marketing and travel. Pichai stated that one takeaway from the 2008 financial crisis has been to prepare early to brave the storm. "We're only a quarter of the way through 2020, and it's already been the most unusual year in memory. None of us could have predicted that most of us would now be working from home during the biggest global pandemic of our lifetimes," he said. Also read: TCS share price rises 8% post Q4 earnings: Time to buy, sell or hold the stock? 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. How much is China really spending on defense? Official Chinese spending is about 30 percent of what the U.S. spends. Yet China has a larger, by about 53 percent, number of troops on active duty than the 1.3 million personnel in the American military. And the Chinese build about three times as many warships each year compared to the United States as well as more warplanes and armored vehicles. The situation is similar to what went on during the 1947-1991 Cold War when figuring out how much the Soviet Union (communist Russian empire) was actually spending. Until near the end of the Soviet Union, the Russians never published an accurate defense budget. For most of the Cold War the official budget, the one available to most Russians and all foreigners, showed a number that was less than 25 percent of what the U.S. spent. In the last few years of the Cold War a reform minded Russian leader published more accurate defense spending data. This showed annual defense spending that was about 70 percent of what the Americans spent. It was worse than that, something most Russians, in and out of the government, discovered. Russia was spending about 20 percent of GDP on the military, a percentage more than three times what the U.S. spent. This was meant to explain to the Russian people why the nation was poor and becoming more so each year. There were growing food shortages and less spending on infrastructure, housing and things that mattered most to the majority of Russians. The Soviet Union was not defeated militarily but economically. The Soviet Union literally fell apart in 1991, with half the population forming themselves into 14 new nations. The Soviet Union didnt fight this because it couldnt rely on the security forces because most of the troops were conscripts who knew how bad life was. Even many career officers, especially the younger ones, were not willing to fight to preserve the Soviet Union. China was alarmed at the sudden demise of the Soviet Union and learned from it. During the last decade of the Soviet Union China realized that the communist economic model did not work and devised a new system that retained the communist dictatorship but allowed the economy to operate largely free of tight government control. This was similar to the fascist model of World War II that was adopted by Germany, Japan, Italy and several other smaller nations. China learned from that as well. The World War II fascists destroyed themselves with overambitious military expansionism. The German fascists called themselves national socialists and that meant the traditional German national anthem, Deutschland Uber Alles (Germany over all others) was applied literally and with enormous violence and initial success. The Japanese took a similar approach and like the German fascists eventually suffered enormous losses and total defeat. The Chinese fascist state revved up the economy and built a huge and powerful military but used that force to intimidate rather than wage war on a ruinous and potentially self-destructive scale. Slow-motion and more subtle conquest was actually something of a Chinese tradition developed over thousands of years. Another Chinese innovation was to make the enemy pay for the Chinese economic and military buildup. Not in the traditional way, with armies being sent out each year to spend a few months plundering enemy territory, or using the threat of that to extort large payments for protection from the plundering. China realized that the most valuable item foreign nations had was technology, especially secret military technology and commercial tech (trade secrets) not protected by patents. To use that patented commercial tech you had to pay for it and the trade secrets were even more difficult to obtain legitimately. But if you stole trade secrets and patents and modified it a bit you could get away with calling it Chinese developed. This tech plunder has been a major factor in the rapid growth of the Chinese economy and the military. One way this became clear was when American intelligence agencies and military researchers tried to build an accurate picture of actual Chinese defense spending. This soon turned into a deja vu experience. During the Cold War the American CIA tried the same thing with the Soviet Union and discovered that the Russians were indeed using far more of their economy for the military than their official military budget indicated. The CIA discovered using an analysis technique called PPP (Purchasing Power Parity). While the United States alone accounts for over a third of the annual defense spending worldwide, this is not as overwhelming as it appears to be. There are several very practical reasons for this misperception. First is purchasing power parity, which is mainly about using the relative cost of common goods in different countries instead of just what things cost in the United States. If you take into account PPP, those nations with lower costs (like China and India), loom larger as defense spenders. They get more bang for their buck, at least on paper. Without PPP the top five in military spending are the United States, China, Russia, Britain and Japan. Adjust for PPP and India rises into the top five while Japan falls out. Thats because things like local supplies and labor are much cheaper in India than Japan. Applying PPP also makes American defense spending much less effective compared to what China spends. Thus without PPP American defense spending is closer to 20 percent of global spending. Adjusting for PPP Chinese defense spending goes from a quarter of what America spends to over 70 percent. Yet American forces deploy many more high teach weapons than China. Thats because U.S. defense spending has been the highest in the world since the 1940s. Since major items of military equipment (ships, aircraft and armored vehicles) have useful lives of over 30 years the Americans have had plenty of time to accumulate a much larger arsenal of expensive equipment than China. But that will change in the future because Chinese annual defense spending has nearly tripled in the last decade. Thus if China keeps its defense spending high and relative costs low, it will match the U.S. in many areas within two or three decades. That probably will not happen because of other factors and trends that do not favor China and many other nations. First, there is the fact that not only has the Chinese economy been growing rapidly since the 1980s, but so have wages and the costs of much else besides. Thus over time the PPP advantage diminishes. China also has a greater problem with corruption in the military than the United States and most Western nations. This greatly (by 20 percent of more) diminishes the effectiveness of their defense spending. Corruption in defense spending is found everywhere, but it has, for thousands of years, been particularly bad in China. The Chinese government has, since the late 1980s, been making strenuous efforts to reduce corruption but has had limited success. What was not taken into account until recently was the value of technical knowledge China has stolen. Western mass media have long been full of stories about Chinese hackers stealing enormous qualities of Western data and using to gain an economic advantage. When the value of military R&D (Research and Development) is taken into account, and you calculate what it would have cost the Chinese to develop all that military tech it turns out that Chinese defense spending is nearly 90 percent of American defense spending. The technology angle plays an enormous role in creating military power, something many people fail to take into account. The larger amount of technology and knowledge now used in warfare is why modern weapons are more powerful, and expensive than those of the past. Consider, for example, the differences between a World War II bomber, and a modern one. The principal World War II bomber was the B-17, which weighed 29 tons, had a crew of ten, and could carry three tons of bombs to targets 1,500 kilometers away. In current dollars, each B-17 cost about $2.5 million. But that was because over 12,000 of them were built. If bought in much smaller quantities, as is typical in peacetime, each B-17 would cost over $15 million. Now compare that to a modern bomber of comparable size (or at least weight), the F-15E. With a max weight of 36 tons, an F-15E can carry up to seven tons of bombs three or four times farther than the B-17. An F-15E has a crew of only two. But this $90 million dollar aircraft is much more than six times as lethal as the B-17. That's because of smart bombs. A B-17 carried a dozen 500 pound bombs, but it took over 300 of these unguided bombs to guarantee a hit on a target below. The smart bombs of the F-15E guarantee a hit with two bombs. Actually, it's 1.something, because there are occasional system failures with smart bombs. The smart bombs also glide 40 kilometers or more, allowing the F-15E to avoid most anti-aircraft fire. Thus the big difference between these two aircraft is knowledge, as manifested in more, and better, technology. This tech was expensive to develop, both in terms of time and money. This has been a trend that has been ongoing for over a century and continues. More technology requires fewer people in harms way to achieve the same results or results that were impossible in the past. Casualties are also lower. The air force is not the only component of the armed services that is undergoing these simultaneous personnel shrinkages, and increased capabilities. China realized the value of tech and the enormous advantages they would obtain if they found ways to steal and apply this tech. There is another complication when comparing defense spending. This big one is the relative cost of defending your nation versus attacking someone somewhere else. Its much cheaper to defend. Going on the offensive, especially over long distances, is much more expensive. Depending on how far your forces have to travel, equipping an offensive force can be anywhere from a quarter more expensive if you plan to attack a neighbor, to more than twice as expensive if you are prepared to go anywhere in the world. China does not have global military obligations and, historically, chose not to go that way. Despite the dependence of the modern Chinese economy on imports (oil and ores mainly) from distant places, China still sees itself as a continental power concerned mainly with being military superior to the neighbors and not much concerned with waging war halfway around the world. Then there is your military leadership. If your generals and admirals know what they are doing and maintain high standards for subordinates and concentrate on training and readiness for combat, the forces at their disposal will be much more effective than when, as is often the case, the military is treated like a jobs program to keep unemployment low and, if there is a lot of corruption, make politicians and senior officers rich. The Chinese military served this purpose for a long time but when modernization got going in a big way back in the 1980s the Chinese military began to shrink while training became more intense and based on proven Western models. PPP works in other ways. Nations that spend little cash, but have cheap local costs for food, housing and payroll, like Iran and Pakistan, all of a sudden have larger defense spending, Iran is now about six percent of U.S. spending, and Pakistan about four percent. Purchasing Power Parity shows how poor nations can spend only a few billion dollars a year on defense, yet have hundreds of thousands of troops in service. If these soldiers have good leadership and train regularly, they can be a formidable foe even to a high tech force from the West. But most of the poor nations don't have high quality officers and NCOs, and their troops fade quickly when confronted with a well-equipped and well trained force. Unfortunately, the media is not very keen on examining the quality of training and leadership in anyone's armed forces. Yet, time and again, these two factors have proved to be the most critical ones. And that will remain the case in the future. All this explains how China was able to become a worldwide military threat in such a short period of time. From the Chinese perspective, this is simply returning China to the status of the worlds most powerful and prosperous nation. This was the status China enjoyed for most of the last three thousand years. China lost that status several centuries ago when the West had the Industrial Revolution and China did not. For China, the good old days have returned. During the outbreak of COVID-19, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has consolidated his power more than ever before and he doesnt easily suffer local officials who step out of line. The governor has unilaterally imposed a stay-at-home order that closed nonessential businesses and coordinated the transfer of equipment from one locality to another. He has been running the response to the new coronavirus pandemic almost singlehandedly, with little competition or input from the state Legislature. Cuomo has long relished the broad powers granted to New York governors, and governors throughout the country are seeing their powers expanded because of the extended emergency. This is a command situation, said Gerald Benjamin, director of the Benjamin Center for Public Policy Initiatives at SUNY New Paltz. It demands directive behavior, and he is suited to that. But this assertiveness, which has drawn widespread praise from the media, fellow elected officials and average New Yorkers, has brought him into conflict with some local government executives. And some experts question Cuomos broad assertions that only the state possesses certain powers and that local governments cannot do many things, such as manage their own school calendar, without his approval. Cuomos leadership style has previously caused some friction with local leaders, most notably New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, the other major executive in the state. The pair have famously feuded for almost the entirety of de Blasios tenure. Even a massive public health emergency hasnt changed that. In many ways, its exacerbated the situation, Baruch College political science professor Doug Muzzio said. Cuomo apparently believes that uniform messaging to the public is more important than ever, so he has even less tolerance for any contradiction. Most local leaders seem to have fallen in line behind Cuomo, with little public dissonance between the state and local governments. De Blasio appears to be the most notable exception. When Cuomo announced downstate school closures on March 15, he did so with the county executives of Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester, all of whom are Cuomo allies. Despite Cuomo also saying New York City schools must close along with the three neighboring suburban counties, de Blasio was not part of the call. When de Blasio proposed a shelter-in-place order for New York City on March 17, Cuomo dismissed the idea out of hand, adding that the city would not have the authority. On March 18, Cuomo signed an executive order preventing localities from issuing their own emergency orders without state approval, apparently in an attempt to keep de Blasio from instituting a shelter-in-place order. Just days later, the governor announced the New York on Pause executive order, a shelter-in-place order by another name for the entire state. There was no mention of de Blasios prior suggestion on the need for more strict social distancing measures, despite the similarities. Muzzio said that de Blasio and Cuomo have always competed for control in the states largest city, with the governor often swooping in to either overrule city action, as in the case of a citywide plastic bag fee in 2017, or taking the lead and the credit for de Blasios initiatives, like the $15 minimum wage. Now is no different. Theres something in the DNA of both players that it just infuriates them, Muzzio said. I tend to think that (Cuomo) just simply likes working with (the suburban county executives), dislikes working with de Blasio and gives him a minor nose thumbing. Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi told City & State that neither politics nor personal feuds played any role in the executive order limiting local emergency powers, but rather simply the recognition of the need for unity. Yes, people started to make their own policies and it wasn't working, Azzopardi said by email. This public health emergency is no time for small politics or breathless palace intrigue -- we don't have that luxury." The de Blasio administration did not return a request for comment. Cuomo may like working with most suburban county executives, who tend to be Democrats in Cuomos moderate mold, but not all of them. Rockland County Executive Ed Day, a Republican, complained that Cuomo had tied his hands and didnt provide the county with the ability to enforce state mandates as the number of COVID-19 cases rose. Day said that without the ability to issue local emergency orders, which Cuomo effectively took away from county leaders with the March 18 executive order, local police did not have the power of law to issue fines or other penalties to those violating state social distancing mandates. The Cuomo administration insisted localities had that authority, and asserted that Day was simply playing politics. Day spokesman John Lyon said that after the state rejected an emergency order that Rockland submitted to the state for approval to explicitly give local police that power, the county received clarification from the Cuomo administration on enforcement authority, allowing police to take action. Publicly, at least, other county executives in hard-hit areas have not experienced similar issues regarding enforcement. Westchester Executive George Latimer, a Democrat, told City & State that his county never felt there was any question about local police authority to enforce the state executive orders. He saw the value in Cuomos decision to limit local emergency powers and agreed that statewide and regional decisions make more sense than individual policies. The state has since rejected another proposed emergency order from Day, who sought the authority to require that grocery stores and pharmacies limit the number of customers allowed in. Anyone who has seen a sign from their local government on the wall of a restaurant limiting its capacity would assume that a city or county has this power, especially during a public health emergency. Normally, it would. But the March 18 executive order from Cuomo limiting the emergency authority of localities prevents counties from issuing additional public health safety rules without state approval. Lyon said the order was instead adapted into new guidelines from the state Department of Agriculture and Markets, adding that the state is becoming more responsive to local requests. More recently, de Blasio announced that New York City schools would remain closed for the rest of the school year, beyond the April 29 date the state had mandated. Immediately, Cuomo said the decision was simply the mayors opinion and that de Blasio had no authority to make decisions about schools. Cuomos administration pointed to the March 16 executive order from the governor closing schools statewide as giving only the governor the power over when they may reopen. Roderick Hills Jr., law professor at New York University, questions that interpretation. State law gives the New York City schools chancellor the authority to shut down city schools during an emergency. City Hall doesnt need the governor to approve every time it wants to order a snow day, for example. Cuomo never explicitly suspended that particular section of the law. Hills said that it would be easy for Cuomo to suspend it and overrule the citys decision on schools, but he is uncertain as to whether the governor was legally correct in saying that the city no longer has any authority, or was instead trying to assert dominance over de Blasio with something of a threat. The mayors office reportedly did notify the governor of the decision until shortly before de Blasio made the announcement, which may have provoked an even more bullying response than usual from Cuomo. A spokesperson for the mayor did not respond to a request for comment. But Cuomos reaction and assertion of his executive power also caused confusion for city parents looking for a degree of certainty about what the rest of the year holds. After all, the mayor was going further than what the state currently mandates, not attempting to roll it back. Given that the states pause order has been extended until May 15, and that epidemiologists predict months, if not years, of continued social distancing, it seems likely that Cuomo will extend school closures by the time April 29 rolls around. Still, some political observers felt that Cuomos reaction to de Blasio was appropriate. Lawrence Levy, executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University, said that at this time, Cuomo is rightly the person in charge, and it only makes sense that local leaders follow his lead, as most others in the state have done. He is the overarching official in the state, Levy said. If a local official decides to go their own way without checking in with the state or getting approval, why should the onus be on Andrew Como to make nice? Benjamin has been critical of Cuomo and the degree of power he has tried to assert over his rivals in the past, but he commended the governors strong leadership now in responding to the coronavirus crisis. He has a difficult relationship with some specific individuals, and it's been played out in a less than gentle way, Benjamin said, but I just can't be critical of this, the path he's taken. Hyderabad: The government on Thursday appealed again to people who had direct or indirect contact with Tablighi Jamaats Markaz visitors, to immediately go to the nearest government hospital or call 104 to get tested for Covid-19 disease. Around 650 of the 700-odd Covid-19 positive cases in Telangana state till Thursday are from the group of people who are Markaz attendees or their contacts. They know who they are. We appeal to them to come forward for testing. This is for their safety and that of their families, health minister Etala Rajendar told a news conference. If you have been in either direct or indirect contact with Markaz attendees, or their immediate contacts, then please come forward. The quicker we get all of you tested, the faster we can control the spread of the coronavirus, Rajendar said. The disease burden from this set of patients so far has been large and just one member who attended the Markaz ended up infecting 22 people in his family, including children, in Talabkatta. Six of the returnees ended up infecting 81 others, Rajendar claimed. Despite such being the case, some people are not coming forward. This is not good. Be honest and do not be irresponsible. It will be good if you come forward on your own before our officials, after contact tracing, visit you and take you for testing. Just a single person can end up infecting 100 persons or more. Please cooperate, the minister said. He said that every Markaz attendee, who has been identified and tested, even if the results were in the negative, must remain in home quarantine till April 21. Their contacts must do the same till April 28 or as advised by doctors. The minister added that every need of those who come forward for testing, or are placed in quarantine, or test positive, will be met. The government has also issued orders to improve housekeeping at all its hospitals and repair all bathrooms and toilets. This is being done on a war-footing, he added. He urged individuals who have tested positive and been in hospital, to maintain restraint and not move about. Our doctors met with them and explained that just because they are asymptomatic does not mean they are not infected. We are providing all they need, including good food. Everyone should cooperate, he said. Cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 pediatric intensive care patients in the United States from March 18 to April 6, 2020. Credit: University of South Florida The number of children infected with the coronavirus is far more extensive than what is currently reporteda hidden detail that could vastly underestimate the demand on health care systems and pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). A new study published in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice from the University of South Florida (USF) and the Women's Institute for Independent Social Enquiry (WiiSE), estimates that for each child who requires intensive care for COVID-19, there are 2,381 children infected with the virus. This calculation follows a report from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention regarding its clinical study of over 2,100 children in China with COVID-19. According to the North American registry, Virtual PICU Systems, 74 children in the U.S. were admitted to PICUs between March 18 and April 6, signaling an additional 176,190 children were likely infected during this timeframe. Children younger than 2 accounted for 30 percent of the cases, 24 percent were ages 2 to 11 and 46 percent of the PICU cases were children between ages 12 and 17. Researchers say that if as many as 25 percent of the U.S. population becomes infected with the coronavirus before the end of 2020, 50,000 children with severe illness will need to be hospitalized, with 5,400 of them critically ill and requiring mechanical ventilation. Clinical reports indicate the average length of stay for pediatric COVID-19 is 14 days. According to a national survey aimed to evaluate the U.S. pediatric critical care capacity and published in Critical Care Medicine, there are approximately 5,100 PICU beds in the U.S. Cumulative estimated number of children infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the United States from March 18 to April 6, 2020. Credit: University of South Florida "Although the risk of severe illness from COVID-19 is lower in pediatric cases than adults, hospitals should be prepared and have the proper equipment and staffing levels to deal with a potential influx of younger patients," said author Jason Salemi, associate professor of epidemiology in the USF College of Public Health. "Government officials and policy makers should understand the likelihood of capacity challenges, which underscores the importance of effective mitigation strategies such as frequent and thorough handwashing and persisted social distancing measures." Pediatric coronavirus is highly complex, as many hospitals are prohibiting visitors in order to implement social distancing and quarantine protocols. A caretaker may also be infected, which would require logistical and infection control accommodations that place an additional strain on hospital resources. Upon hospital discharge, young children may be unable to independently comply with home infection control and self-isolation recommendations. Projected numbers of children aged 0 to 17 years in the United States who will require hospitalization for COVID-19 during 2020. Credit: University of South Florida Researchers point out the infection rate will be much higher for children in low-income families with parents in blue-collar and service jobs, which preclude the option of working from home. There's also an increased risk to children who live in urban public housing projects due to the close proximity of housing units and small communal recreation and commons areas. The study's authors recommend all state health departments and the CDC begin reporting confirmed COVID-19 cases in age-specific tables, using the standard 5-year age groups for health surveillance and make the data publicly available. More information: Elizabeth Barnett Pathak et al. COVID-19 in Children in the United States, Journal of Public Health Management and Practice (2020). Journal information: Critical Care Medicine Elizabeth Barnett Pathak et al. COVID-19 in Children in the United States,(2020). DOI: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001190 The world will have to revisit the existing global order starting with the efficacy of the United Nations System and its fragility with the composition and perfunctory and total say of just five permanent members of the Security Council with the power of veto given to each single member in global affairs. by Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne writing from Montreal Dont waste a good crisis The Economist, April 4th, 2020 In support of the aforesaid headline, The Economist speaks only of who the winners are in the current global health and economic crisis: big tech. It went on to say that the large digital platforms, including Alphabet and Facebook, will come out of the crisis even stronger. This may well be true from a business perspective but does not cover the half of it. The overall winners would be all of us who recognize the cause rather than the symptoms. In 1930 John Maynard Keynes, in his essay Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren wrote prophetically: I look forward, therefore, in days not so very remote, to the greatest change which has ever occurred in the material environment of life for human beings in the aggregate. But, of course, it will all happen gradually, not as a catastrophe... [T]he pace at which we can reach our destination of economic bliss will be governed by four things-our power to control population, our determination to avoid wars and civil dissensions, our willingness to entrust to science the direction of those matters which are properly the concern of science, and the rate of accumulation as fixed by the margin between our production and our consumption; of which the last will easily look after itself, given the first three. Although this Keynesian philosophy may not be the exact formula for a successful post Covid-19 strategy, yet it resonates sense that may be worth noting. Taking a cue from Keynesian thinking, which still resonates after 90 years, the pace at which an economic revival and normalcy should take place after the global health crisis is over could do well with the four factors as reasonable precautionary measures should be taken to avoid another global pandemic and economic disaster. Firstly, as Keynes said, the control of a population explosion which will gravely aggravate the negative aspects of connectivity upon which the world depends heavily, should be seriously considered. This year the population of the world is 7,794 billion. According to the United Nations, the world will have 8.6 billion people in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100. In Africa, which portends the largest growth, what was 1.2 billion in 2015, will reach 2.5 billion by 2050 and continue growing to 4.5 billion by 2100. Notwithstanding United Nations 3rd Sustainable Development Goal of universal health -which will prove horrendously difficult with these figures - Jeffrey D. Sachs, Professor of Sustainable Development and Professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University and advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations on the UNs Sustainable Development Goals, believes the world should invest in raising the education levels of adolescents in Africa in particular to raise awareness among girls and boys of high school age. As for the second Keynesian principle - our determination to avoid wars and civil dissensions which the world is riven by be it the type of conflict in Afghanistan, Yemen or Syria or internal conflict without foreign intervention - civil dissension provides the main causative factor for failure of the world to come together in combatting the pandemic. The absence of global cooperation and leadership and the promotion of nationalistic policies is what Sachs calls pure politics top to bottom which has nothing to do with anything meritorious other than the idea of temporary advantage in some geopolitical contests and contexts. Global cooperation during the current crisis has been conspicuously absent. In the words of Yuval Noah Harari what we are seeing around the world now is not an inevitable natural disaster. It is a human failure. Irresponsible governments neglected their health care systems, failed to react on time, and are at present still failing to cooperate effectively on a global level. We have the power to stop this, but so far we lack the necessary wisdom. It is evident that nations have acted in their own individual interests in a global crisis. The third Keynesian thought - our willingness to entrust to science the direction of those matters which are properly the concern of science is critical at this juncture and economic revival and the return to normalcy will be entirely dependant on scientific research, findings, and recommendations. Again, as Keynes said in the aforesaid essay: but, chiefly, do not let us overestimate the importance of the economic problem, or sacrifice to its supposed necessities other matters of greater and more permanent significance. It should be a matter for specialists-like dentistry. If economists could manage to get themselves thought of as humble, competent people, on a level with dentists, that would be splendid! As for the fourth Keynesian factor - the rate of accumulation as fixed by the margin between our production and our consumption; of which the last will easily look after itself, given the first three, Nobel laureate Paul Krugman says in The New York Times: the economics profession went astray because economists, as a group, mistook beauty, clad in impressive-looking mathematics, for truth. Until the Great Depression, most economists clung to a vision of capitalism as a perfect or nearly perfect system. That vision wasnt sustainable in the face of mass unemployment, but as memories of the Depression faded, economists fell back in love with the old, idealized vision of an economy in which rational individuals interact in perfect markets, this time gussied up with fancy equations. He goes on to say that economists will have to be more resilient in anticipation of unseen circumstance and not turn a blind eye to the limitations of human rationality that often lead to bubbles and busts; to the problems of institutions that run amok; to the imperfections of markets especially financial markets that can cause the economys operating system to undergo sudden, unpredictable crashes; and to the dangers created when regulators dont believe in regulation. In other words, the world will have to revisit the existing global order starting with the efficacy of the United Nations System and its fragility with the composition and perfunctory and total say of just five permanent members of the Security Council with the power of veto given to each single member in global affairs. The solution may lie in the immediate formation of a temporary global governance system to immediately address the Covid-19 crisis, taking into consideration the relevance of the fourfold 90 year old Keynesian approach. In the words of Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2007 to 2010, as appeared in The Guardian recently: This is not something that can be dealt with in one country, there has to be a coordinated global response. It is hoped that good sense will prevail of self serving interests of State and industry. New Delhi: As the world struggles to bring down the number of COVID-19 infections, India has received around $5.9 million in health assistance to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus in the country. The US State Department in a statement said that the financial aid will be used in providing care for the COVID-19 affected, spreading useful health information to the public, surveillance and case finding. It could also be used in emergency preparedness and response to the global pandemic. "This builds on a foundation of nearly $2.8 billion in total assistance, which includes more than $1.4 billion in health assistance, the United States has provided to India over the last 20 years," it said in a update of the US efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The State Department and the US Agency for International Development have now committed nearly $508 million in emergency health, humanitarian, and economic assistance, worldwide. America has provided COVID-19 assistance to Afghanistan ($18 million), Bangladesh ($9.6 million), Bhutan ($500,000), Nepal ($1.8 million), Pakistan ($9.4 million) and Sri Lanka ($1.3 million). Meanwhile, India reported a total of 12,759 infected cases which includes 1515 cured cases and 420 deaths, on April 16 at 5 pm. While globally 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. (With agency inputs) Nigeria on Friday recorded 51 new cases of COVID-19, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said. This is the highest daily number of confirmed cases reported so far since the index case was reported in the country in February. The newest update brings the total number of cases in the country to 493. Also, Nigerias death toll from the disease increased from 13 on Thursday to 17. Details of the states were the four new deaths were recorded were not provided. The NCDC in a tweet Friday night said that the new cases were reported in eight states Lagos, Kano, Kwara, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Oyo, Katsina, Ogun, and Ekiti. The breakdown of the new cases showed that Lagos has 32 cases, followed by Kano 6, Kwara 5, FCT 2, Oyo 2, Katsina 2, Ekiti 1 and Ogun State 1. Lagos remains the epicentre of the outbreak in Nigeria, while confirmed cases in Kano have been on the rise since the first confirmed case was announced on Sunday in the city. The NCDC said as of 10:10 p.m. on April 17, 493 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Nigeria. Of this, 159 have been discharged while 17 people have died. 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 283 cases, followed by FCT 69, Kano 27, Osun 20, Edo 15, Oyo 16, Ogun 10, Kwara 9, Katsina 9, Bauchi, Kaduna and Akwa Ibom 6, Delta 4, while Ondo and Ekiti have 3 cases. Enugu, Niger,and Rivers have two cases each, while Benue and Anambra have recorded one each. Increasing cases The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, said at the media briefing on Friday that the recent increase in the number of COVID-19 cases is linked to increased efforts to conduct more tests including house to house testing of suspected cases. Mr Ehanire emphasised the need for citizens to provide accurate information about themselves to enable the health workers promptly investigate, diagnose and treat correctly. He said this will improve the chances of a patients survival, as well as keep health workers and others safe. He reiterated that unaccredited private health facilities should not treat people suspected with the virus but rather refer the cases to the assigned treatment centres. Meanwhile, NCDC chief, Chikwe Ihekweazu, said that as of 6:00 p.m. on April 17, a total of 7153 samples have been tested for COVID-19 in Nigeria. He said the government is working very hard to increase the number of samples tested, including community surveillance in the FCT and Lagos. It is not our priority at the moment to accredit private laboratories, but we have started because we need to scale capacity, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 12:39:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SEOUL, April 17 (Xinhua) -- South Korea recorded the first employment fall in 10 years last month as the COVID-19 outbreak led companies, especially small firms and microbusiness owners, to reduce or lay off employees, statistical office data showed Friday. The number of those employed totaled 26,609,000 in March, down 195,000 from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea. It was the first decline in over 10 years since January 2010. It was the biggest reduction since the number of jobs tumbled 240,000 in May 2009 amid the negative effect from the global financial crisis. The services industry was hit hardest as the coronavirus pandemic encouraged people to stay at home and avoid shopping and traveling. Employment in the wholesale and retail sector dropped 168,000 in March from a year ago, marking the biggest fall since January 2014. The lodging and eatery industry saw the number of jobs slide 109,000 last month, turning downward in 14 months. The number of jobs in the education services sector slipped 100,000 in the month as schools delayed semester and reopened in April only with online classes. Employment among manufacturers turned downward in three months, while those for the health and social welfare services, and the transportation and warehouse sectors increased last month. The number of irregular workers plunged 195,000 in March from a year earlier, logging the biggest slide in over 21 years since the reading plummeted 447,000 in December 1998 in the aftermath of the foreign exchange crisis. Regular workers advanced 459,000 in the month, but daily employees contracted 173,000. The number of those who took a leave of absence, included in the number of those employed, soared to 1,607,000 in March from 1,260,000 a year earlier. It was the biggest increase since relevant data began to be compiled in July 1983. The hiring rate among those aged 15 or higher shrank 0.9 percentage points over the year to 59.5 percent in March. The OECD-method employment rate for those aged 15-64 fell 0.8 percentage points to 65.4 percent. The employment rate among those in their 60s or higher rose 0.8 percentage points, but the rates of the other age groups declined last month. The employment rate gauges the percentage of working people to the working-age population, or those aged 15 or above. Amid the aging population, it is used as an alternative to show the labor market conditions more precisely. Jobless rate fell 0.1 percentage point over the year to 4.2 percent in March. The number of those unemployed was 1,180,000 in March, down 17,000 from the same month of last year. The lower unemployment rate came as companies put off recruitment schedules on the fear of COVID-19 infections, reducing the number of job-seekers. The so-called expanded jobless rate, which reflects labor market conditions more accurately, gained 1.8 percentage points over the year to 14.4 percent in March. The expanded unemployment rate for youths aged 15-29 went up 1.5 percentage points to 26.6 percent last month. The official unemployment rate refers to those who are immediately available for work but fail to get a job for the past four weeks despite efforts to actively seek a job. The expanded jobless rate adds those who are discouraged from searching a job, those who work part-time against their will to work full-time and those who prepare to get a job after college graduation, to the official jobless rate. The number of economically inactive population advanced 516,000 over the year to 16,923,000 last month, marking the biggest increase in over 10 years since May 2009. The so-called "take-a-rest" group, which replied that they took a rest during a job survey period, expanded 366,000 in the month. It is considered important as the group can include those who are unemployed or too discouraged to search for work for an extended period of time. Discouraged job-seekers, who gave up efforts to seek a job because of the worsened labor market conditions, grew 44,000 over the year to 582,000 in March. Enditem (Newser) Michael Cohen, currently serving a three-year sentence related to "hush money" payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, among other things, was scheduled to be released in November of next year. Instead, he'll be released any day now, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Cohen's lawyer and multiple other sources familiar with the matter confirm the news to CNN, saying Cohen, President Trump's former personal lawyer, was informed of the decision Thursday. It's not clear when he'll be released, but he'll have to spend 14 days in quarantine at prison first, and then he'll serve the rest of his sentence on house arrest. A federal judge had earlier denied his request for compassionate release, but the federal Bureau of Prisons also has the authority to release prisoners to home confinement. story continues below And the bureau is indeed releasing some nonviolent or medically vulnerable inmates as it works to avoid COVID-19 outbreaks at its facilities. Fourteen inmates and seven staffers have tested positive at the New York prison camp where Cohen is serving his time, the AP reports. "These are very difficult times for people who are running correctional facilities at federal, state and local levels because of the budgets that they have to work with, lack of staffing issues, protecting the safety of staff and inmatesthere are just agonizing situations at this time," Cohen's attorney says, per ABC News. "I am pleased that he [Cohen] will be on home confinement for the remaining balance of his sentence." (Stormy Daniels' lawyer got similar news.) Defending his performance in the coronavirus crisis Iran's Health Minister Saeed Namaki has praised the "management pattern" of the disease in the country as "unique" and "unmatched" in the world. There are also reports on the possibility of reopening Shiite holy shrines in the cities of Mashhad, Qom and Shiraz. As the month of fasting, Ramadan (April 23) approaches, religious activities will be resumed as well, local news outlets say. Meanwhile, on Friday, April 17, Namaki dismissed a former Deputy President's vitriolic comments on the mismanagement of the deadly virus outbreak in the country. The performance of the Ministry of Health in fighting the epidemic has been entirely based on "scientific methods", Namaki insisted. Critics have harshly criticized the performance of the Islamic Republic in handling the epidemic. Many believe that the government knew arrival of the virus in Iran and waited weeks to announce the outbreak, but even then failed to quarantine the religious city of Qom, the epicenter of the outbreak. The government's handling of the crisis was also marked by confusion, contradictory announcements and the lack of a clear strategy. Earlier, former Special Assistant to the President for Economic affairs (2017-18), Masoud Nili, had lambasted Namaki and his team for their "hasty decisions". In a note for Donya-e Eqtesad (World of Economy) daily on Thursday, Nili had blasted the National Headquarters for Combating Coronavirus for hastily moving towards normalization and reopening provinces still on the country's red alert list. More than half of the country's population live in these provinces, yet the Ministry of Health has decided to "normalize" them, Masoud Nili wrote. Firing back on the same daily, Namaki responded that since January when the coronavirus outbreak was declared in China, I requested holding an 'emergency meeting' to stop all flights to and from China." However, Namaki disregarded the fact that the outbreak was first identified in Wuhan in December 2019. Eventually, under a barrage of criticism, President Hassan Rouhani's administration banned flights between Iran and China on January 31, but even after that flights continued for at least three weeks, amounting to at least 55 flights. Furthermore, Namaki has described the "scientific management" of the deadly virus as "successful", adding, "We will soon publicly expand on the management pattern of the COVID-19 as a successful national model that probably is unique to our beloved homeland." In the meantime, religious authorities in Iran have announced the possibility of reopening shrines and other religious sites across the country. Ahmad Marvi, who is responsible for the guardianship of Shiite sites in the city of Mashhad, northeast Iran, declared on Friday that a guideline has been prepared for reopening the sites. In a note on Instagram Marvi said the guideline was based on hygienic requirements and would soon pave the way for reopening religious sites in Jaamkaran, Mashhad and Qom. Following the coronavirus outbreak in Iran, clerics and religious authorities strongly opposed the temporary closure of religious sites, including shrines. The eventual closurea triggered a series of unending heated debates and conflicts between health experts and religious authorities. Moreover, President, Hassan Rouhani has called on the Minister of Health to "form a team" to look into the possibility of implementing programs and holding worship services during the holy month of Ramadan in the provinces that have a stable condition, amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus and its related deadly disease, COVID-19. Samsung announced the Galaxy S10 Lite for international markets back in January, and it's been available ever since February. Right now it's finally time for it to make the big trek across the ocean and land in the US. That will happen tomorrow, on April 17, when the device will become available in unlocked form at both Samsung's online store as well as Amazon and Best Buy. The price you'll need to pay to grab one is $650, and you can choose any color as long as it's Prism Black. To soften that blow at least somewhat, Samsung is offering up to $250 off the price with a qualifying trade-in, Amazon is throwing in a free pair of Galaxy Buds, and Best Buy shaves $200 off the price with a qualified activation on a wireless service plan. The Galaxy S10 Lite looks like it's the cheapest member of the S20 family, but has a different name for whatever reason. It comes with a 6.7" 1080x2400 AMOLED touchscreen, the Snapdragon 855 chipset, 6/8GB of RAM, 128/512GB of storage, a triple rear camera setup (48 MP main, 12 MP ultrawide, 5 MP macro), a 32 MP selfie snapper buried in the centered screen hole-punch, and a 4,500 mAh battery with 45W fast charging support. It runs Android 10 with One UI 2.1 on top. Via - Israels ministry of health required Uganda to supply dry marijuana flowers at a gate price of KSh 150,000 per kilo - The 250 kilograms of cannabis left the country on Monday, April 6, at around 11.30 pm - This made Uganda the first one in the world to have direct access to the Israeli medical marijuana market Uganda has joined the short list of countries that export marijuana for profit. This is after the country sent its first shipment of 250 kilograms of dry marijuana flowers to Tel Aviv, Israel. READ ALSO: Kenyans maul celebrity radio host Andrew Kibe after going live in his dingy bedsitter The consignment was sent to Israel using a Turkish Airlines plane. Photo: Daily Monitor Source: UGC READ ALSO: Wilbroda, Awinja, Shix Kapienga excite fans will with reggae version of don't rush challenge According to Daily Monitor, a Ugandan-based medical marijuana company located in Kasese, Industrial Hemp (U) Limited, delivered it's first medical marijuana consignment to Israel using a Turkish Airlines plane. The 250 kilograms of cannabis grown in Uganda left the country on Monday, April 6, at around 11.30 pm. TUKO.co.ke has learnt Israeli government agreed to pay KSh 37 million for the shipment. The export was seen as a great leap for the private firm, Industrial Hemp(U) and Uganda a whole as the country has now become the first one in the world to have direct access to the Israeli medical marijuana market. READ ALSO: Diana Marua pens love letter to Bahati as she awaits grand wedding after pandemic Israeli government agreed to pay KSh 37,500,000 for the shipment. Photo: UGC Source: UGC READ ALSO: Afisa wa polisi amiminiwa risasi na genge la wahalifu lililokuwa linasafirisha bangi Daily Monitor reported that Industrial Hemp (U) secured the deal through a renown Israeli cannabis firm, Pharma Limited. The delivery came just months after Industrial Hemp signed a delivery deal with Israels ministry of health that required Uganda to supply dry marijuana flowers at a gate price of KSh 150,000 per kilo. The same company had also put pen to paper in yet another KSh 160 billion deal to export medical marijuana products to Germany and Canada for 10 years. 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. Couple names new born twins Corona and Covid | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Researchers at Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine may have solved a mystery surrounding the novel coronavirus pandemic: Why men infected by the virus generally show more severe symptoms and are more likely than women to die from COVID-19. In collaboration with the Kasturba Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Mumbai, India, the scientists showed for the first time that men clear the virus from their bodies slower than women and found a possible explanation: a potential male-only reservoir for coronavirus. Their study was uploaded today to MedRxiv, a website created by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to make research quickly available to the scientific community before undergoing the usual peer review process. It has become widely used to share information quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 studies worldwide have consistently shown a higher incidence and greater severity of the disease in men compared with women. Our collaborative study found that men have more difficulty clearing coronavirus following infection, which could explain their more serious problems with COVID-19 disease. Aditi Shastri, M.B.B.S., assistant professor of medicine at Einstein, a clinical oncologist at the Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care, and lead author of the Montefiore-Einstein study The viral-clearance analysis involved 68 people (48 men and 20 women) with symptoms of COVID-19 who were examined at Indias Kasturba Hospital for Infectious Diseases, in Mumbai. After undergoing initial nasal swab tests indicating active infection, individuals were re-tested with serial swabs until the tests turned negative, indicating the time taken to clear the coronavirus. The women cleared the virus significantly earlier than men: a median of four days for women vs. six days for men. Next, three Mumbai families were identified in which men and women had tested positive for coronavirus infection on swab testing. Again, the women in all three families cleared the coronavirus earlier than male members of the same family. Why do men have trouble shaking off their infections? Seeking a molecular explanation, the researchers focused on how coronavirus infection occurs. To infect cells, coronaviruses must first latch onto well-known proteins, called ACE2 receptors, that sprout like tiny antennae from the surfaces of cells. Cell types expressing copious levels of ACE2 on their surfaces would theoretically be most susceptible to infection. The researchers consulted three independent databases with information on ACE2 expression in different tissues. They saw that the testes, along with the lungs and kidneys, were among the areas of the body with the highest ACE2 expression. By contrast, ACE2 could not be detected in tissue of the ovaries, the female equivalent of the testes. Dr. Shastri stresses that the novel coronavirus ability to infect and multiply in testicular tissue needs to be confirmed, but says it wouldnt surprise her. A recent study from China compared the levels and ratios of sex hormones in male COVID-19 patients vs. healthy men of the same age. The results indicated that the COVID-19 patients had experienced impaired testicular functionevidence that the testes may be significantly affected when men develop COVID-19. Such a COVID-19 complication could have important medical and public health implications, she notes, and deserves to be investigated by clinical trials. The studys Montefiore-Einstein senior authors are Amit Verma, M.B.B.S., professor of medicine and of developmental & molecular biology at Einstein and director of hematologic malignancies at Montefiore; and Ulrich Steidl, M.D., Ph.D., professor of cell biology and of medicine and the Diane and Arthur B. Belfer Faculty Scholar in Cancer Research at Einstein, and associate chair for translational research in oncology at Montefiore. The studys other senior author is Jayanthi Shastri, M.D., a microbiologist and infectious disease specialist. As director of Kasturba Hospitals molecular diagnostic laboratory, Dr. Jayanthi Shastri led Mumbais effort to serially monitor and analyze coronavirus infection in individuals and their family members. He is currently self-isolating amid the coronavirus lockdown. And Pierce Brosnan, 66, left fans shocked on Friday when he shared a funny Instagram selfie with a rugged grey beard and scraggly long locks. The James Bond star appeared to have dirt on his face and left fans speculating whether he will be bringing back his shipwrecked character, Robinson Crusoe. Is that you? Pierce Brosnan, 66, left fans shocked on Friday when he shared a funny Instagram selfie with a rugged grey beard and scraggly long locks The actor jokingly shared: 'Isolation and this is only week six!' Fans were left shocked by his unruly appearance which was a far cry from the iconic slick 007 tuxedo. Many fans teased that he is perhaps bringing back his 1997 role of Robinson Crusoe, who was left ship-wrecked on a deserted island. However, some followers suggested that he in fact resembled James Bond when he was held captive in North Korea. In character: The James Bond star appeared to have dirt on his face and left fans speculating whether he will be bringing back his shipwrecked character, Robinson Crusoe (1997) 007: Some followers suggested that he in fact resembled James Bond when he was held captive in North Korea in Die Another Day' (2002) One said: 'Thats how Bond would look like had he never got released from the North Korean prison in Die Another Day.' Last week, the actor looked completely different while sharing a tribute to his wife Keely Shaye Smith on their anniversary. The couple, who met in 1994 and tied the knot in 2001, took to Instagram to share sweet throwback snaps. Pierce wrote: 'My darling angel heart Keely, thank you for bringing such love and beauty into my life, for making these past twenty six years the greatest joy of my life...Happy anniversary my brown eyed girl'. Sweet: Pierce and wife Keely Shaye Smith shared heartfelt tributes to one another as they celebrated their 26th anniversary last week Keely, 56, wrote: 'Still celebrating the day we met ...on a beach in Mexico. Happy 26th my love 4/8 (1994).' The American journalist posted a throwback photo alongside a more recent one of the pair. Pierce and Keely met the year before he made his James Bond debut and got married in 2001 at Ballintubber Abbey in his native Ireland. He was previously married to Australian actress Cassandra Harris, herself a Bond girl to Roger Moore in For Your Eyes Only, from 1980 until her death after a battle with ovarian cancer in 1991. Soulmates: The couple, who met in 1994 and tied the knot in 2001, took to Instagram to share throwback snaps Pierce is the biological father of three sons, two by Keely - Dylan, 23, and Paris, 19, - and Sean, 36, by Cassandra. He is also the adoptive father of Charlotte and Christopher Brosnan, Cassandra's two children by her first husband Dermot Harris, whose brother was Richard Harris of Harry Potter fame. Charlotte, who like Christopher took Pierce's surname when she was adopted, died at the age of 42 in 2013 of the same illness that claimed her mother's life. He has often been vocal about how Keely saved him from depression following his personal tragedies, describing her as a ' strength I wouldnt be able to live without.' Pierce is now a proud grandfather of three - Charlotte's children Isabella, 21, and Lucas, 14, as well as Sean's daughter Marley May, four. The Social Democrats are demanding more detailed economic costings on the promises being made by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail before it makes a decision on entering government formation talks. The party, which has six TDs, has written to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe seeking more information on the economics underpinning the joint framework document agreed by the two bigger parties. The party, led by Catherine Murphy and Roisin Shortall, met in Leinster House on Friday and it wants to know what level of borrowing would be required to honour the pledges in the agreement. Gary Gannon, TD for Dublin Central told the Irish Examiner that the partys position after the meeting was unchanged and that the clarity it is seeking will be needed before any decision on entering government or not can be taken. It also wants clarity if the agreement takes account of the impact Covid-19 will have on the world economy. Mr Donohoe has said that he would present updated economic projections to the House in the next few weeks. The Finance Minister hit back at comments from other political parties that the document includes "licenses to write blank cheques" and "lacks specifics". He said he has been part of the national effort to get Irelands finances into surplus and said "there is no way we are going to be part of anything that unravels all of that". He said: "I have been the Minister for Finance for the last number of years in successive governments which have seen a transformation in the quality of our national finances. Those finances are now being tested on the ability to fund Covid-19 measures. There is no way Leo Varadkar and Fine Gael would put that progress at risk. Mr Donohoe said the joint document is "not a programme for government" but does include commitments to capital expenditure, Slaintecare and increasing bed capacity, and building more housing. He said the "detail and affordability of it is something that will be the subject of a programme for government". "The difference between this document and our general election manifesto is in our general election manifesto we were making commitments to additional social welfare, to additional tax reductions. Those are absent in this document because we accept that the reality has changed." The U.S. believes Russia continues to develop chemical weapons, concealing data on CW stocks, as well as maintains an offensive bacteriological weapons program. Russia has been violating bilateral and international agreements restricting nuclear tests and on nuclear nonproliferation, as well as other agreements on chemical and biological weapons, the U.S. Department of State reported. "The United States has determined that in 2019, the Russian Federation continued to be in violation of its obligations under Articles I, IV, and VI of the INF Treaty not to possess, produce, or flight-test a ground-launched cruise missile with a range capability of 500 kilometers to 5,500 kilometers, or to possess or produce launchers of such missiles," reads the executive summary of findings on adherence to and compliance with arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament agreements and commitments, drawn up by the U.S. Department of State, according to Guildhall. The Russian GLCM in question is the SSC-8 SCREWDRIVER, which the United States assesses to be designated by Russia as the 9M729, according to the report. Read alsoThink tank: La Stampa's findings on intel-gathering nature of Russian "aid" mission in Italy confirmed The U.S. also assesses that Russia has conducted nuclear weapons-related experiments that have created nuclear yield, which raises compliance concerns with Russia's obligations under the Treaty on the Limitation of Underground Nuclear Weapon Tests. At the same time, the U.S. believes Russia continues to develop chemical weapons, concealing data on CW stocks. "The United States certifies that Russia is in non-compliance with the CWC [Chemical Weapons Convention] for its use of a military grade nerve agent on March 4, 2018 in an assassination attempt on UK soil," the report reads, referring to a poisoning of former GRU spy Yuriy Skripal and his daughter. "This attack indicates Russian retains an undeclared chemical weapons program," the summary reads. Neither can the United States certify that Russia has met its obligations for complete declarations of its CW production facilities, CW development facilities; and CW stockpiles. Furthermore, the United States has concerns that Russias pharmaceutical-based agents program is for offensive purposes. Available information does not allow the United States to conclude that the Russian Federation has fulfilled its obligation under Article II of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (BWC) to destroy or to divert to peaceful purposes bacteriological weapons items specified under Article I of its past BW program. Historically, the issue of compliance by Russia with the BWC has been of concern for many years. Though the assessments have changed over time, as noted in the 2005 report, the United States assessed that Russia maintained an offensive BW program in violation of Article I of the Convention. The United States continues to have concerns about Russian activities. Man Tracks Down His Late Mothers Car From 1971 and Buys It, Finds Her Sunglasses Inside Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 12:58:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Boeing announced on Thursday that it will resume all commercial airplane production in a phased approach at its Puget Sound-region facilities next week, after suspending operations last month in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 27,000 people in the Puget Sound area will return to production of the 747, 767, 777 and 787 programs, supporting critical global transportation infrastructure, cargo services and national defense and security missions, said the company. Employees for the 737, 747, 767 and 777 will return as early as on April 20 with most returning to work by April 21. Employees for the 787 program will return as early as April 23, with most returning to work by April 24, Boeing detailed. The 737 program will resume working toward restarting the production of the 737 MAX and Boeing South Carolina remains in a suspension of operations at this time, the company added. "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," said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Boeing will continue monitoring government guidance on COVID-19, assess the impact on company operations and adjust plans as the situation evolves, the announcement said. Enditem 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 2.16 million Global deaths: At least 146,071 Most cases reported: United States (671,425), Spain (184,948), Italy (168,941), France (147,091), and Germany (138,135). The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University as of 7: p.m. Beijing time. All times below are in Beijing time. 7 pm: Switzerland's virus death toll reaches 1,059, confirmed infections surpass 27,000 Switzerland's public health agency has recorded a further 42 fatalities as a result of the coronavirus over the last 24 hours, Reuters reported Friday, taking the country's death to 1,059 up from 1,017. The number of people that have now tested positive nationwide increased to 27,078, it added, up from 26,732 on Thursday. Sam Meredith 6 pm: Spain's total number of coronavirus infections cross 188,000 Spain's health ministry said on Friday that the total number of coronavirus cases in the country had jumped to 188,068, up from 182,816 on Thursday. Second only to the U.S. worldwide, Spain has recorded the highest number of Covid-19 infections in Europe. Earlier on Friday, Spain's social security minister said the government would try to support roughly 1 million of the poorest households with a monthly basic wage. Speaking to COPE radio station, the minister said the policy was designed to help people weather the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis. Sam Meredith 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 4:55 pm: Indonesia reports over 400 new cases of the virus, death toll climbs to 520 Indonesia's health ministry confirmed an additional 407 coronavirus cases on Friday, taking the country's total number of infections to 5,923. To date, the Southeast Asian nation has recorded 520 deaths as a result of Covid-19. Sam Meredith 4:25 pm: Russia reports record daily jump in cases Russia reported 4,069 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours a record rise in new infections, reported Reuters, citing the Interfax news agency. That brings total cases in Russia to 32,007, according to the report. Yen Nee Lee A couple in face masks look at their mobile phone in a deserted Red Square during the pandemic of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Sergei Savostyanov 4:20 pm: China updates national tally for cases and deaths after Wuhan revision China's National Health Commission said that it has updated the death toll and total confirmed cases in the mainland after Wuhan city revised its tally. (See 3:26 pm update) China's national level death toll now stands at 4,632, up from the 3,342 that the NHC provided on Friday morning. Meanwhile, total confirmed cases have been revised from 82,367 to 82,692, the NHC said. Yen Nee Lee 4:00 pm: Switzerland's Roche joins race to make coronavirus antibody tests Swiss drugmaker Roche said it aims to offer blood tests to identify those who had been infected with the coronavirus, reported Reuters. The tests could be available by early May in countries that accept European CE regulatory standards, according to the report. The Basel-based company is also seeking authorization from U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the report said. Before Roche's announcement, other companies such as U.S.-based Abbott Laboratories and Becton Dickinson and Co, and Italy's DiaSorin said they hope to sell tests that show people's immune systems have developed antibodies in response to the coronavirus. Yen Nee Lee 3:32 pm: China's economic recovery is tied to how others fare in global recession, Australia's ex-prime minister says The synchronous nature of the global recession is affecting external demands for Chinese goods, Kevin Rudd told CNBC's "Squawk Box." "The compounding effect of other countries and economies in the world suppressing their own imports from China, for the simple reason that they themselves are experiencing demand-side crises as well," is affecting the Chinese economy, according to Rudd, who's currently the president at think tank, Asia Society Policy Institute. A little over an hour after Rudd spoke to CNBC, China reported its economy shrank by 6.8% in the first quarter. (See 10:10 am update) Saheli Roy Choudhury 3:26 pm: China's Wuhan raises death toll by 50% after city revises figures Wuhan city, the center of the coronavirus outbreak in China, said that a local investigation found another 1,290 deaths from the disease. That means the national death toll is at least 4632, with 3,869 in Wuhan. The investigation combed through funeral and medical systems, among other data sets, and acknowledged initial figures were incomplete since the outbreak had overwhelmed the city and some patients died at home. Lilian Wu 3:00 pm: Cases in Germany jump by 3,380 to 133,830 Germany reported 3,380 more confirmed cases, bringing its tally to 133,830, according to the Robert Koch Institute, a federal government agency responsible for disease monitoring and prevention. The country also reported 299 additional deaths, with its total fatalities now standing at 3,868 since the outbreak, the institute said. Yen Nee Lee 2:37 pm: Chinese driverless car firm launches autonomous deliveries in California as lockdown continues Chinese driverless car start-up Pony.ai has launched a delivery service in Irvine, California using its autonomous vehicles as people remain stuck at home due to the coronavirus outbreak. Last year, the company launched a robo-taxi service in Irvine in partnership with Hyundai using the South Korean automaker's cars equipped with Pony.ai technology. That driverless taxi service was suspended after a "shelter-in-place" order was issued northern California in March. Pony.ai has repurposed its fleet of 10 vehicles for deliveries. It has teamed up with e-commerce site Yamibuy for the initiative. Arjun Kharpal 1:52 pm: Global economy may not fully recover from the virus crisis by 2021, says IMF chief economist Global economic activity, which has been hit by the coronavirus pandemic, may not fully recover even by the end of 2021, said Gita Gopinath, chief economist at the International Monetary Fund. The fund this week downgraded its economic forecast. It now expects the global economy to shrink by 3% this year before growing 5.8% next year a rebound that Gopinath described as a "partial recovery." "So even by the end of 2021, we're expecting level of economic activity to be below what we had projected before the virus," she told CNBC "Squawk Box Asia." Yen Nee Lee 12:11 pm: Brazilian president fired his health minister after they clashed over how to fight the coronavirus outbreak Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro fired his health minister after they clashed over how to fight the coronavirus outbreak, Reuters reported. Bolsonaro also called for states to end stay-at-home orders and said those measures were hurting the economy, according to the news wire. The leader previously played down the threat of the pandemic, describing the virus as "a little flu," and criticized state governors for imposing restrictions that were supported by the outgoing health minister as well as other experts, Reuters said. Brazil has more than 30,600 reported cases and at least 1,947 people have succumbed to the disease. Saheli Roy Choudhury 12:04 pm: Global cases more than 2.15 million, death toll over 144,000 Reported cases of coronavirus infection worldwide stood at more than 2.15 million and at least 144,243 people have died, data from Johns Hopkins University showed. The United States had the most number of reported cases at over 671,000. Infections in Spain, Italy, France, and Germany trickled up, with each country reporting more than 135,000 cases, according to Hopkins. Total cases in the United Kingdom reached 104,147 infections and more than 13,700 people have died, the university's data showed. Saheli Roy Choudhury 11:44 am: New Zealand says it will decide on extending or easing current lockdown measures next week Senior government ministers in the New Zealand cabinet will meet on Monday to discuss and decide if the country's current restriction levels will be extended, or eased, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said at a press conference. New Zealand is currently at alert level 4, which means residents are required to stay indoors unless they're providing essential services; all nonessential businesses and public gathering places, including bars and restaurants, are closed and social gatherings are not permitted. The country reported eight new confirmed and suspected cases of Covid-19 on Friday and two additional deaths. Speaking about the new deaths, Robertson said, "This also serves as a somber reminder that we need to continue to stay home to save lives and to break the chain of transmission." "We must make sure that we're following the rules and guidance for level 4," he added. There have been 1,409 cases in total and 11 people have died in the country. Saheli Roy Choudhury 10:10 am: China says its economy shrank by 6.8% in the first quarter as the country battled coronavirus China reported that its first quarter GDP contracted by 6.8% in 2020 from a year ago as the world's second largest economy took a huge hit from the coronavirus outbreak, data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China showed. A woman wears a medical mask during a snowfall in Beijing, China, February 2, 2020. Artyom Ivanov | Tass | Getty Images The contraction in the first quarter would also be the first decline since at least 1992, when official quarterly GDP records started, according to Reuters. The world's second largest economy came to standstill earlier this year as Beijing implemented large-scale shutdowns and quarantines to limit human contact in order to contain the coronavirus outbreak. In the first quarter, retail sales in China fell 19% from a year ago while industrial production fell 8.4% in the same period, data from the bureau showed. Huileng Tan, Evelyn Cheng 9:30 am: Mainland China reports 26 new cases, no new deaths China's National Health Commission (NHC) said there were 26 new confirmed cases as of April 16, of which 15 were attributed to travelers coming from overseas. That brings the country's total to 82,367 cases, the NHC said. No new deaths were reported, and the total number of fatalities remained at 3,342, according to the NHC. Separately, there were 66 new asymptomatic cases, where people tested positive for the virus but did not show any symptoms. That brings its number of asymptomatic cases currently under medical observation to 1,038, the NHC said. Weizhen Tan 9:05 am: Australia could keep coronavirus restrictions for another year, its prime minister says Australia could keep imposing restrictions to curb the virus spread for another year, its Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, according to a Reuters report. He said that some social distancing measures, such as requiring people to stand at least 1.5 meters apart, could be in place for several months more. "Social distancing is something we should get very used to," Morrison told radio station 3AW, according to the report. "It could be a year, but I'm not speculating about that." However, he pushed for the reopening of schools, citing medical advice that children are a low risk of transmission, said the report. Weizhen Tan 8:35 am: Investors wait for China's GDP data China's first-quarter GDP data, set to be released Friday morning, will be closely watched as economists assess the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Efforts to contain the virus have hit China's key manufacturing sectors and other parts of the economy badly. A Reuters poll showed China's economy is forecast to have shrunk 6.5% in the first quarter from a year ago. That would reverse a 6% expansion in the previous quarter and mark the first decline since at least 1992, according to Reuters. Weizhen Tan 8:10 am: Singapore reports another record for daily new cases Singapore reported 728 new cases as of noon on April 16, yet another daily record high this week and drastically higher than the previous high of 447 reported for Wednesday. This week, the Southeast Asian country has reported a spike in the number of infections after managing to keep numbers low earlier in the outbreak. Most of the new cases were foreign workers who are housed in dormitories, at which several infection clusters have been found. The men, typically from other Asian countries, work mostly in the construction sector. The number of fatalities overall in the city-state remained at 10, with the total number of cases now at 4,427. Weizhen Tan All times below are in Eastern time. 6:58 pm: Dr. Deborah Birx outlines the White House's plan to reopen the US economy 6:22 pm: Dow futures rip 700 points higher amid report Gilead drug showing effectiveness treating coronavirus 5:14 pm: Gilead stock surges after report says drug trial shows encouraging early results Gilead Sciences shares surged by more than 10% in after-hours trading after an industry publication said Covid-19 patients being treated with the company's antiviral drug Remdesivir appear to have "rapid recoveries in fever and respiratory symptoms." STAT News said a doctor running a Chicago-based hospital conducting a closely watched trial on the drug found that most of its patients had been discharged in less than a week. There are no proven therapies to treat Covid-19, which has infected more than 2 million worldwide as of Thursday night, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Some health authorities in the U.S. and China have been using Remdesivir, which was tested as a possible treatment for the Ebola outbreak, in hopes that the drug can reduce the duration of the virus in patients. Berkeley Lovelace Jr. 4:58 pm: Trump issues guidelines to open up parts of US where coronavirus cases are in decline, testing ramped up Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Miami, April 17, 2020 Venezuelan authorities should immediately release journalist Eduardo Galindo and his family, and ensure that members of the media can work without fear of retribution, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On April 15, at about 5 p.m., a group of agents from the Anti-Extortion and Kidnapping Unit of the Venezuelan National Guard arrived at Galindos home in the city of San Fernando de Apure, arrested him, and brought him to their headquarters to be interrogated regarding a report published by Senderos de Apure, the news website he edits, according to a report by his outlet and a video by Galindo, taken during the arrest, which was posted to Twitter by the National Union of Press Workers, a local press freedom organization. Around two hours later, National Guard agents returned to the home to confiscate Galindos equipment and, when his family members refused to let them in, broke in, confiscated computers and phones, and detained Galindos wife and brother, according to posts on Twitter by the National Union of Press Workers and the Institute of Press and Society, another local press group. Galindo, his wife, and his brother are detained at the National Guard regional headquarters, according to Jose Ramon Gonzalez, secretary-general of the Apure-Amazonas division of the National Journalists Union, another local press freedom group, who spoke with CPJ via phone, and Senderos de Apure. Authorities in Venezuela should immediately release journalist Eduardo Galindo and his family members, said CPJ South and Central America Program Coordinator Natalie Southwick, in New York. Arbitrarily detaining a journalist and his relatives only serves to highlight the abusive efforts by authorities in Venezuela to censor information, as the country continues to suffer a dire economic crisis in the middle of a pandemic. Galindos detention was related to his reporting on fuel shortages in the region, according to news reports. Venezuela has been experiencing severe nationwide fuel shortages in recent months, according to reports. Gonzalez said that authorities have not provided any additional information about Galindos arrest, which had been conducted without a warrant, or filed any charges against him. He said that the local prosecutors office had declined to receive a document prepared by the National Journalists Union demanding Galindos release. CPJ called the National Guard for comment, but no one answered the phone. Former Chief Executive of GNPC, Mr. Alex Mould has asked the government to as a matter of urgency, communicate and implement its Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP). He says, three (3) weeks after Parliament passing the CAP bill with the understanding that an implementation plan was imminent, the citizens still do not have the exact details of CAP's roll-out plan. The Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) was proposed by the government to effectively manage social and economic recovery in Ghana as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, or so we thought. However, a clear CAP implementation strategy has not been communicated to date, he added In a statement, he explained that It is common knowledge that the majority of small businesses have been adversely impacted by the lockdown. "And when the Finance Minister during his CAP presentation to Parliament on April 8th where he highlighted the program's strategic objectives, mentioned support to be given in the form of soft loans to micro, small, and medium-size businesses (and the self-employed), Ghanaians felt some semblance of reassurance". Yet, three (3) weeks after passing the bill with the understanding that an implementation plan was imminent, we still do not have the exact details of CAP's roll-out plan, the statement added. Read Statement Below Alex Mould writes: The Government needs to communicate and implement its CAP strategy immediately The Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) was proposed by the government to effectively manage social and economic recovery in Ghana as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, or so we thought. A clear CAP implementation strategy has not been communicated to date. It is common knowledge that the majority of small businesses have been adversely impacted by the lockdown. And when the Finance Minister during his CAP presentation to Parliament on April 8th where he highlighted the program's strategic objectives, mentioned support to be given in the form of soft loans to micro, small, and medium-size businesses (and the self-employed), Ghanaians felt some semblance of reassurance. Yet, three (3) weeks after passing the bill with the understanding that an implementation plan was imminent, we still do not have the exact details of CAP's roll-out plan. The CAP strategy needs to be transparent and answer the following questions: - the quantum of loans/funds that would be made available - When will these loans be disbursed? - What is the qualification criteria? - Which financial institutions will be disbursing these loans? - What is the risk-sharing arrangement between these institutions and GOG? - How long will interest be forgiven? - What is the maturity of these loans? As other nations extend their lockdown period to protect human lives and numbers of those infected by the COVID-19 virus; and Ghana's cases continue to rise, we need to be realistic and prepare economically for an extension of this lockdown period to the mid-May (and possibly, even to end of May). Already, most small businesses are struggling to meet even 25% of their monthly sales targets, and it is projected that many may not hit the 50% mark of their 2019 sales number post- lockdown. This is because demand will pick up very slowly, and this trend will continue before demand in the market fully bounces back the best-case scenario is September 2020. Since it is estimated that projected 2020 sales may reach only about 50% of its value for most SMEs and traders in Ghana as a result of COVID 19, the government needs to encourage spending. It should lead by example, by injecting funds into businesses that produce essentials, particularly in this lockdown i.e. food, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals. The expectation is that discretionary spending will drastically reduce as workers lose their earnings paying full wages is going to continue to be more difficult for businesses as the lockdown continues. Many will rely on their savings (where available), and banks will have to reschedule loan repayments for small businesses i.e. provide a grace period of paying interest and principal. Economists are predicting a decline in economic activity and reduced spending and this contraction could put Ghana, potentially, in a recession by end the year. As such, Ghanaians must be advised of a sound economic path laid out by the government to move us forward. For instance, we should have begun to see estimations on the financial impact of this pandemic by the healthy sampling of businesses in our market. Such surveys will amongst other things, shed some light on understanding the effects this pandemic is having on our businesses and project reduced demands; given that most businesses are very likely to downsize if this situation persists. Another thing that Ghanaians need to see immediately is the cost-saving measures in government spending and the elimination of non-essential grandiose programs I just wonder if the government is going to take any decisive actions to reduce the over-bloated workforce in some non-performing parastatals and agencies, and other special government initiatives? If these critical cost-cutting measures are not executed, our economic status will end in a disaster this year. My analysis reveals that there will be a funding gap of government spend of about GHS25bn (best-case scenario if measures are taken). Heres why; Our 2020 estimated revenue is GHS 67bn. I envisage a downward review in a few weeks, to about GHS 50bn (10% below 2019) due to lower revenue from oil receipts and taxes as a consequence of the general slowdown of the economy. Even with a healthy review of cost-cutting measures in government spend, how will this cater for our current projected 2020 spend of between GHS 86bn (budget) to GHs93bn (from the Appropriations bill)? My forecast- a review of this expenditure number to a more prudent number of approximately GHS75bn when some of the not-so-well thought through programs and projects are axed. Our expectation of government is to demonstrate that they are mitigating the social and economic troughs of COVID-19 in Ghana. Crucial topics such as this projected GHS 25bn fiscal gap, coupled with keeping depreciation of the Cedi below 10% and keeping GDP growth above 2% ought to be addressed. With clear, comprehensive and concise financial roadmaps be shared with both Ghanaians and investors. Food for thought! I hope we get some answers quickly. Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/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. Featured Video In this screengrab from Joebiden.com , Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a Coronavirus Virtual Town Hall from his home on April 8, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. Senator Bernie Sanders announced that he is dropping out of the Democratic presidential race leaving Biden as the presumptive Democratic nominee. (Handout/Getty Images North America/TNS) Lopez, a critic of Mayor Lori Lightfoot, wants an initial $1 million payment into the fund. That would cover an $8,000 payment for the employees funeral expenses, plus payments of between $20,000 and $40,000 to the surviving family members based on how many children are in the household and whether another parent is still alive. Volunteers have played an important role in Chinas battle against COVID-19. Xiang Yafei is a special example of this, having played at least four roles during this fight. (Photo/Chutian Metroplis Daily) The 30-year-old restaurant owner didnt go home during the Chinese New Year holiday as Wuhan was locked down to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The city also suspended public transportation to prevent cross-infection, making it difficult for medical workers who depended on it to get to their jobs. When Xiang saw this, he and some friends decided to provide car-hailing services to these front-line workers. During that period, he offered free rides to 20 to 30 medical workers a day. When construction began on the Fangcang makeshift hospitals, Xiang volunteered to help. He helped transform the Hongshan Stadium, where one Fangcang hospital was located, into a health-care facility. (Photo/Chutian Metroplis Daily) After the Fangcang hospital was completed, Xiang immediately volunteered to become an ambulance driver to shuttle COVID-19 patients between hospitals in Wuhan. The job was dangerous, as it meant coming into close contact with the patients. But Xiang was reassured after learning that he would be equipped with a protective suit and that medical workers would be assigned to take care of the patients in the ambulance. When I put on the protective suit, I felt like I was a soldier who was going to save lives, Xiang recalled. On the first day, he transferred eight patients. At the end of the day, despite carefully disinfecting himself, he was unable to sleep well out of fear that he might be infected. After a few days, when he got more used to the work, his anxiety subsided. One day in mid-February, Xiang helped an 80-year-old female COVID-19 patient go through nucleic acid testing and CT scanning. He then sent the elderly patient to the ICU of the hospital after she was diagnosed as being severely ill. He also ran errands for the patient and cooked for her. Xiang was saddened to hear that the elderly patient passed away a few days after she was hospitalized. He then made up his mind to work as hard as he could to bring hope to more patients. After a month and a half, Xiang left the job as the number of confirmed patients continued to decline. On March 15, he signed up to take part in a clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine. During his time in quarantine after receiving the injection, he felt well and even gained some weight. After 14 days of quarantine, Xiang left the hospital on April 2. Inspired by him, his friends signed up for the second clinical trial for the vaccine. I didnt tell my parents what I did because they would certainly worry about me. Luckily, they expressed understanding and support for me after finding out everything, Xiang said. After the quarantine, Xiang set up a team of volunteers to help farmers in Hubei sell agricultural products. They first went to Zigui, a county known for growing navel oranges. The video clips of Zigui oranges filmed by the volunteers attracted more than 1.2 million viewers online. CNN host Chris Cuomo and his wife both have the coronavirus, yet they are being quarantined separately in their home out of an "abundance of caution." Cuomo, 49, spoke on CNN Thursday night about how his wife, Cristina, 50, has been faring since he shared on Wednesday that she tested positive for COVID-19 after she had been caring for him for more than two weeks while he battles the virus himself. "This was tough for Cristina to get it, and it's frustrating because it once again plays on ... fact and fear,'' Cuomo said. "We have a lot of fear because we don't have a lot of facts. "Last night we were celebrating how: 'Oh, it turns out that you're more contagious before you're symptomatic.' Same night, my wife gets hit with coronavirus, 17 days into my case. We have completely different symptoms, thank God." Chris Cuomo and his wife, Cristina (Dave Kotinsky / Getty Images) Cuomo at least figured he would be with his wife as they both dealt with the illness after he had been isolated in the family's basement for more than two weeks. "The one silver lining I thought would be that she and I could be together. No, why? Again, we don't know this BS about the antibodies and whether or not I'm immune,'' he said. "Whether it's (Dr.) Anthony Fauci or anyone on down who does this will tell you they don't know that I have any immunity even if I have the antibodies and how it works and how long it would be." CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta asked Cuomo why the two needed to be separated if they both have it. "Here's what they say. They don't know, and in the abundance of caution, I could get reinfected so they want us to stay separated,'' Cuomo said. "We do have completely different symptoms." Cristina Cuomo has been experiencing a loss of her sense of smell and taste, sinus pressure, and lethargy, but no fever, according to her husband. In the past 17 days, the CNN host has experienced symptoms like a persistent high fever, losing 13 pounds in three days, chipping a tooth because he was shivering so hard, enduring "scary" chest X-rays and even having a hallucination of his late father, former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, who died five years ago. Story continues Download the TODAY app for the latest coverage on the coronavirus outbreak. The two will remain quarantined separately until May, while their three children - Bella, 17, Mario, 14, and Carolina, 10 - help care for them. "The only frustrating part is I cant be there for my kids right now in the way they need me as Chris is in isolation too still, no fever and feeling better," Cristina wrote on Instagram Thursday. "Bella, Mario and Carolina have grown up overnight." "So my wife and I have to be separated for another two weeks, which means our house is dependent on a 17-year-old, my daughter, Bella, who's stepping up,'' Chris Cuomo said. "This is now 'Lord of the Flies' in my house. The kids are in control." Cristina Cuomo also believes some of their children may have already had the coronavirus at the end of last year. "The kids, now anecdotally Cristina believes that at least two of them have had it in the last few months,'' Chris Cuomo said. "Why, we don't know, but atypically long duration sinus, fever, lethargy. I think we're gonna learn that coronavirus has been in this country since like October." Cuomo feels confident his wife will emerge healthy after her fight with the virus. "She's stronger than I am,'' he said. "She has a stronger immune system, she's got a stronger constitution and stronger character." GREENWICH Officers arrested three teenagers and accused them of stealing mail from residences Tuesday afternoon, police said. Greenwich police officers were called to Glenville Road near Sutro Place on a report of juveniles taking mail from containers, according to the arrest report. The three juveniles had pieces of mail with addresses from Glenville Street and Glen Ridge Road in their possession when they were detained, police said. The suspects were two 16-year-olds and a 17-year-old, all from Bridgeport, police said. Their identities were not released due to their age. The three were each charged with larceny. The youths were released to family members, and the criminal case was relayed to Family Court. The community has been hit with a number of alleged mail-thieves in recent months, some petty, some major. Last October, officers charged a pair of Bronx men with larceny after they were apprehended in Riverside. Officers recovered 368 personal checks from over 200 victims spread out over 25 jurisdictions in Fairfield County, Westchester County, N.Y., and New York City, police said. A team of mail thieves was apprehended in the west end of town in December after they were spotted going from house to house taking items from mail boxes, police said. In October in Cos Cob, a suspected mail thief was found in possession of mail-fishing tool, and he was charged with possession of a burglary tool. Need to know more about coronavirus in New York? Sign up for our daily morning newsletter. The morgue at the Ozanam Hall nursing home in Bayside can only hold two bodies at any given time. So far, more than 50 residents there have died from what appears to be COVID-19, workers say. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 began last month, there have been times where two residents died in a single day, leaving the dead to lay waiting in their rooms to be picked up by the city morgue or a funeral home, several employees told THE CITY. The situation is not nice. Its not pleasant all around. People you know for a very long time, theyre just dropping, one longtime nurses aide said, on condition of anonymity. We are not comfortable but they still have to get care. We try and protect ourselves as best we can, the aide added. Its just, its heartbreaking. Ozanam Hall isnt an outlier: As of Tuesday, over 3,000 nursing home and adult care facility deaths across the state were believed to have been caused by COVID-19. But with little transparency from nursing home operators or state and city officials, its difficult to pinpoint where outbreaks of the virus are happening, who its affecting and what caused it. That along with little or no chance to visit loved ones leaves family members of residents desperate for information and answers. Im Fighting for You Berna Lee said her 77-year-old mother, who lives at Sapphire Center in Flushing, has battled a fever since April 3. Her mothers roommate died last week, possibly from the virus, but its hard to know, she said. Lee said she hasnt been able to get clear answers from Sapphire officials about her moms condition or information about the number of possible COVID-19 cases and deaths in the 227-bed facility. Shes trying everything she can to see her mom in person through an emergency exception to the lockdown on nursing home visitors, which went into effect in mid-March. Im not asking to spend the afternoon or to watch a movie. They can make arrangements. They can suit me up in PPE and let me see her for 10 minutes, Lee said. I think she must be really scared and confused. I just want to see her for 10 minutes and let her know its OK. Just let her know Mom, Im here, Im fighting for you. Lees mother shared a room with Andy Liaos mom, Xiao Qun, who died at the age of 84 on April 8. Before her death, Liao said, a Sapphire nurse told him that his mother had pneumonia and a fever, and was coughing. The home, like most, doesnt have the ability to test for coronavirus, Liao noted. Liaos final moments with his mother were spent on a video call, since he couldnt see her in person. I told her a hundred times during that 10-minute call that I was coming to see her, said Liao, 59, of College Point. I just tried to give her some hope. Sapphire officials did not return calls for comment. Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Flushing) charged the state with failing to protect some of New Yorks most vulnerable. They knew this was happening and they didnt do anything. Heads should roll, Kim said. Fire Through Dry Grass Seeking to avoid what turned out to be an early warning in Washington State where COVID-19 ran rampant through a nursing home, killing dozens of residents starting in February state health officials limited visits to nursing homes in New York in early March. Two days after the directive was issued, the state Health Department banned all visits to nursing homes in an effort to stop COVID-19 from spreading like fire through dry grass, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Yet it raged on. The state began releasing county-level data on fatalities in nursing homes and adult day care facilities on Monday. By Tuesday, the number of deaths in those facilities had increased by 162 in New York City. The 1,893 deaths among nursing home and adult care residents made up nearly 28% of the confirmed 6,480 COVID-19 fatalities in the five boroughs as of Tuesday, according to the most recently available data from the Cuomo administration. City figures show that most deaths in nursing homes attributed to COVID-19 involved patients who were not tested for coronavirus. David Grabowski, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, argued that states could have taken additional small, but meaningful, steps to reduce the spread of the virus at nursing homes. We did the hard thing we shut off these older adults from their families, but we werent able to do some of the easier things like instituting widespread testing and getting the staff enough personal protective equipment, said Grabowski. If we had done that, we maybe wouldnt have needed to be so strict in isolating the residents. According to the states latest data, about 40,700 residents were in city nursing homes as of early April. State health officials declined to say how many positive cases of the virus there were among nursing home residents throughout the five boroughs. Cuomo administration officials said they would disclose a list of specific nursing homes where coronavirus-related deaths have occurred by Friday morning, after weeks of pushing back on reporters requests for the information, citing health privacy laws. Responding to the outcry from family members of nursing home residents, Cuomo issued an executive order Thursday evening requiring nursing home and adult care facilities to notify relatives within 24 hours if a resident tests positive for COVID-19 or dies from the virus. There needs to be more disclosure of whats going on in nursing homes, said Bill Ferris, the legislative director for AARP in New York. There needs to be a tremendous amount of transparency and a lot of communication going on between the nursing homes and families. Until Theres No Hands Compounding the problem of having COVID-19 spread among a population with the highest risk of succumbing to the virus are staff shortages among these facilities, which were already prone to high turnover before the pandemic hit. At Riverdales Hebrew Home one of the states biggest nursing homes, where around 700 older adults live administrative staff say theyve been enlisted into frontline care. They have security guards taking our temperatures, said a non-clinical employee who has worked at the home for more than five years. They have people in finance packing up residents rooms. You have people crying because theyre doing things that do not, one, fit their job description, and two, are pushing their personal boundaries. Employees at Hebrew Home said having dozens of non-clinical staff members present daily some of whom may be carrying the virus and be asymptomatic, or living with someone at risk of becoming seriously ill from it compounds the risk of infection or death for residents or themselves and their families. Even though weve had staff and residents test positive, theres really been no change in this approach, said one clerical employee whos been asked by Hebrew Home leadership to serve resident meals. Its kind of like all hands on deck until theres no hands, another staff member said. Im expecting to be here until I unfortunately get sick myself, she added. In an emailed statement, a Hebrew Home spokesperson said: As with every other healthcare institution, the COVID pandemic has affected staff through illness and childcare challenges. The majority of staff are coming in and doing their jobs with great spirit and compassion. Just like all other healthcare organizations, employees at the Hebrew Home have been redeployed to assure the safety and well-being of our residents. The facilitys leadership declined to share the number of its residents who have died from the virus. Staffers said as many as 45 residents have died since mid-March, although it was not known how many fatalities may have been COVID-related. Dozens Out Sick At the Ozanam nursing home, more than 40 employees were out sick as of Thursday with symptoms similar to those of COVID-19, according to UFCW Local 342, the union that represents 370 employees at the 432-bed facility. Ozanam officials could not be reached for comment, but an automated message for the facilitys main line says the home is making every effort to maintain the health and safety of everyone involved. Multiple employees complained that the nursing homes 10 floors are so understaffed that theyve been required to work double shifts or risk losing their jobs. All you want to do is go home, strip your clothes off, go straight and take a hot shower, one employee said. Instead you have to stay for another shift, and if you refuse theyre telling you that your job can be in jeopardy. Workers said they have been told to reuse blue surgical masks while attending to patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 and those who appear symptomatic. One staffer said some patients are sharing rooms with others who have the virus. The union sent an email to a handful of Queens local elected officials Thursday evening asking for more PPE and for a temporary morgue arrangement. Alarming Neglect A doctor at Montefiore Medical Center in The Bronx, who spoke to THE CITY on condition of anonymity, said a number of nursing home patients are being hospitalized not just with symptoms of COVID-19 but with signs of alarming neglect. The doctor said one patient arrived with sodium levels so high that it appeared no one had given her any water in days. Its the folks coming from nursing homes these signs of basic neglect that are so deeply unsettling and heart-wrenching, the doctor said. I suspect whats happening is that these nursing homes are probably overwhelmed, the doctor added. Its shocking to me that patients in nursing homes are some of the most vulnerable patients and the fact that there seem to be no protections. Three City Council members sent a letter Thursday to State Department of Health Commissioner Howard Zucker asking for better protection of residents and staff at nursing homes in southern Brooklyn. They expressed concern over reports that a lack of personal protective equipment was contributing to unnecessary transmissions and deaths at area nursing homes, that staffers were forced to work when sick, and that families of residents cant get any information about their loved ones. They also complained about the lack of testing at the nursing facilities, even for patients who have died of COVID-like symptoms. For every individual complaint we received, we have reached out to the facility, and alerted city and state health officials to provide support, wrote Councilmembers Mark Treyger, Justin Brannan and Alan Meisel, all Democrats from Brooklyn. No one from the city or state has been able to confirm COVID-19 cases, but it is evident that there are systemic issues in our nursing homes. Want to republish this story? See our republication guidelines. SUPPORT THE CITY You just finished reading another story from THE CITY. We need your help to make THE CITY all it can be. Please consider joining us as a member today. DONATE TODAY! - China's Wuhan city said it had revised up its total death toll by 1,290 - Wuhan also reviewed the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases by 325 - Authorities said the revisions were meant to address incorrect reporting, delays and omissions - The move came after President Donald Trump accused China of lying about its death toll, - Trump has since launched an investigation into whether the virus started in a Wuhan lab Health authorities in China's Wuhan city have revised the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic upwards by over 50%. Wuhans Epidemic Prevention and Control Center said on Friday, April 17, that 3,869 people had died from the disease in the city as of Thursday, April 16. READ ALSO: Landlords and tenants association orders all tenants to stop paying rent citing COVID-19 impact Wuhans Epidemic Prevention and Control Center said that 3,869 people had died from the disease in the city as of Thursday, April 16. Source: Getty Images READ ALSO: Comedian Michael Che to pay rent for 160 tenants at building his late grandmother lived According to state media, fatalities shot up by 1,290 compared to previous data with the total number of COVID-19 cases of infections in Wuhan being revised to 50,333, an increase of 325. The authorities said the revision was made in order to include patients who were not treated at hospitals and passed away at home. Authorities claimed medical facilities faced a shortage of resources during the early stage of the outbreak and was therefore not able to account for the deaths. READ ALSO: Princess Sofia of Sweden begins work as healthcare assistant to fight COVID-19 They added at the peak of the epidemic in early 2020, hospitals were overloaded, with medics preoccupied with saving patients lives, leading to delays and oversight in reporting the cases. Some facilities also failed to connect with the wider epidemic network immediately, while information related to fatalities was incomplete and led to misreporting or repeated counts. The revision came after US President Donald Trump directly accused China of lying about its death toll, before launching an investigation as to whether the virus started in a Wuhan lab. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Heartwarming moment teacher visits upset first grader to calm her down US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, meanwhile, said Beijing needed to come clean on what they knew as the source of the killer virus remained a mystery. The US intelligence had indicated the COVID-19 most likely occurred naturally and not in a lab. However, Fox News on Wednesday, April 15, reported that the virus originated in a Wuhan laboratory, but not as a bioweapon. READ ALSO: Teso South couple donates 2 acres of sweet potatoes to villagers as coronavirus bites Instead, the American news network said it was 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 US. The Fox News report and others suggested the Wuhan lab where virology experiments took place was the origin of the virus. They alleged lax safety standards there led to someone getting infected and appearing at a nearby "wet" market, where the virus began to spread. 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 Walgreens said the company has adjusted its protections for pharmacists as guidelines have evolved. The company said it was able to get face covers out to stores nationwide within about a week of the CDCs initial April 3 recommendations on masks. At that time, the agency advised citizens to wear cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, such as grocery stores and pharmacies. A British Airways crew has flown 2.5million pieces of PPE equipment back to the UK from China in a 28-hour non-stop mercy mission. Seven pilots and six crew made the trip to pick up the supplies and bring them back to be used by NHS frontline staff amid a nationwide shortage. Every seat on the Boeing 777 jet was filled with a box of protective masks, gloves and overalls while all the overhead lockers were also packed with supplies including ventilator parts. BA arranged the flight at the request of the British Government, who paid for the flight as the row over poor planning for PPE rumbled on. Frontline NHS workers fighting the coronavirus claim they have been left 'petrified' to treat patients, others had to buy their own PPE from hardware stores. Alarming pictures have shown nurses wearing homemade gowns from bin bags and curtains. One NHS hospital boss today even resorted to begging British fashion chains such as Burberry and Barbour to help with the shortage of gowns. Despite the repeated pleas from medics in every corner of Britain, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has insisted there is enough of the 'precious resource' to go around. Care workers fighting a hidden epidemic in care homes and bus and train drivers have also had to beg for PPE during the COVID-19 crisis. In other developments to the coronavirus crisis engulfing Britain today: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge revealed they home schooled their children during the Easter holidays without telling them; London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for compulsory masks to be worn on tubes and buses; Nicola Sturgeon took a swipe at government secrecy and urged ministers to treat the public like grown-ups; Questions about the UK's coronavirus screening policy were raised after it emerged 15,000 people are flying into Britain without tests every day; England 1966 World Cup winner and Leeds United legend Norman Hunter died aged 76, a week after being admitted to hospital with coronavirus; A diabetic mother-of-three died with coronavirus a week after giving birth to her third daughter Coronavirus hopes were raised after an experimental Ebola drug was found to help critically-ill patients recover within a week. A British Airways crew has flown 2.5 million pieces of PPE equipment back to the UK from China in a 28-hour non-stop mercy mission. First officer Helen Geering, 40, said it was an absolute privilege to be able to bring supplies back to the NHS Seven pilots and six crew made the trip to pick up the supplies and bring them back to be used by NHS frontline staff. In a video posted to social media pilot Andy Goodliffe (above) walked through the packed economy section after ground crew had completed their loading Every seat on the Boeing 777 jet was filled with a box of protective masks, gloves and overalls while all the overhead lockers were also packed with supplies More than two million masks were loaded into the hold of the BA flight from Shangahi to Heathrow and a further 480,000 were strapped into the economy section. It is the first time the passenger section of a BA jet has ever been used to transport cargo. In a video posted to social media, which has been shared thousands of times, pilot Andy Goodliffe walked through the packed economy section after the ground crew had completed their loading. He said: 'The whole plane is jammed. 2,000 face masks in each box. Opening an overhead locker to show off the load, he added: And a thousand in each of these. NHS STAFF SHOULD REUSE PPE GEAR AS A LAST RESORT, REPORT REVEALS NHS staff on the coronavirus frontline are being told to reuse personal protective equipment as the 'last resort', a staggering leaked report revealed on Wednesday. The document from Public Health England said the safe reuse of items was under consideration, under plans to tackle shortages of PPE, according to the BBC. Emails seen by the locum GP and freelance BBC reporter, Dr Faye Kirkland have also revealed that some hospitals have started to wash single-use gowns so that they can be worn again, in a bid to preserve stocks. Alarming pictures from the nation's hospitals in recent weeks have revealed nurses wearing homemade gowns from bin bags and curtains amid a shortage of protective wear that is putting medics' lives at risk. Advertisement First officer Helen Geering, 40, was among those who took part in the 28-hour flight. She said it was an absolute privilege to be able to bring supplies back to the NHS. Standing in front of seats packed with cardboard boxes she described it as a precious cargo that would be given to the people who most need it. Three pilots flew the jet out to Shanghai on Wednesday while the others rested during the 12-hour flight. On the return leg the other pilots took over the controls to comply with safety regulations. Captain Elliot Goodbody flew the final leg of the flight and said he was proud to be part of the British Airways team bringing in 20 tonnes of supplies. Each of the seats in the economy section of the jet, which can take up to 300 people, had been filled with a box containing masks and other PPE equipment. Ground crews at Shanghai airport in protective clothing loaded the boxes before netting was placed over the top of the seats to keep them secure during the flight. BA arranged the flight at the request of the British government as the row over poor planning for PPE rumbled on. Demand for the crucial equipment is so acute that one NHS hospital boss begged British fashion chains such as Burberry and Barbour to help with the shortage More than two million masks were loaded into the hold of the BA flight from Shangahi to Heathrow and a further 480,000 were strapped into the economy section It is the first time the passenger section of a BA jet has ever been used to transport cargo Three pilots flew the jet out to Shanghai on Wednesday while the other rested during the 12-hour flight. On the return leg the other pilots took over the controls to comply with safety regulations UK MISSED THREE CHANCES TO TAKE PART IN EU SCHEME TO BUY PPE The UK has missed three chances to participate in an EU scheme to buy huge quantities of personal protective equipment (PPE), it was reported this week. The EU has ordered 1.5billion (1.3billion) worth of protective masks, gowns and gloves for doctors and nurses but Britain did not take part in talks about the purchases. Some 25 European countries and eight companies are involved in the joint PPE procurement scheme and the first deliveries could be received within days, The Guardian reported. A spokesman for the commission said the joint scheme has led to offers of protective gear in excess of the amount requested. However, the UK will miss out on the PPE because it did not take part in any of the three rounds of bulk-buying which were first launched by the EU in February. The Government has previously said it was unable to join the EU's procurement schemes as it had not received an email of invitation. Advertisement Plastic sheeting had earlier been placed over the seats to protect them during the flight. Only the business class section where the crew sat was not full of PPE equipment, which will be distributed to hospitals across the UK. NHS staff on the coronavirus frontline are being told to reuse personal protective equipment as the 'last resort', a staggering leaked report revealed on Wednesday. The document from Public Health England said the safe reuse of items was under consideration, under plans to tackle shortages of PPE, according to the BBC. Emails seen by the locum GP and freelance BBC reporter, Dr Faye Kirkland have also revealed that some hospitals have started to wash single-use gowns so that they can be worn again, in a bid to preserve stocks. Earlier this week it was revealed the UK had missed three chances to participate in an EU scheme to buy huge quantities of PPE. The EU ordered 1.5billion (1.3billion) worth of masks, gowns and gloves for doctors and nurses but Britain did not take part in talks about the purchases. Some 25 European countries and eight companies were involved in the joint PPE procurement scheme, The Guardian reported. Nurses have been pictured in hospitals using clinical waste bags as PPE Dr Alan Courtney has urged the government to give more PPE to NHS staff Images of Motocross goggles, pictured, which an NHS doctor paid 90 for to protect his team on the coronavirus frontline, sparked outrage on social media NHS doctor is forced to spend 90 on DIRT BIKE GOGGLES to make improvised protective equipment for his team An NHS doctor was forced to spend 90 of his own money on dirt bike goggles to create 'improvised' personal protective equipment (PPE) for his team fighting coronavirus, an MP has claimed. Munira Wilson, the Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for health, posted an image on social media of three sets of Motocross anti-fog neon-yellow goggles. The MP for Twickenham said in a message retweeted more than 900 times that she'd been sent the picture by a frontline doctor. The products, which are retailing online for 34.99 each, and advertised by Motocross as a 'budget goggle' look similar to those used for skiing, but are designed for off-road motorcycle racing. Advertisement However, the UK did not take part in any of the three rounds of bulk-buying which were first launched by the EU in February. The Government has previously said it was unable to join the EU's procurement schemes as it had not received an email of invitation. Last week the Health Secretary told NHS medics to only use the protective equipment they need because it is a 'precious resource'. Addressing the nationwide shortage that has left nurses 'petrified' to fight the crisis, Mr Hancock claimed: 'There is enough PPE to go around.' But he added that the supply of masks, aprons and gloves would only stretch across the UK's healthcare workforce if it is 'used in line with our guidance'. Guidelines now say medics no longer need to change PPE between patients, instead wearing the same gear for longer spells - called 'sessions'. In the Downing Street conference, Mr Hancock admitted Number 10 was struggling to source additional PPE to help NHS workers fight Britain's crisis. NHS hospital boss asks British fashion brands Burberry and Barbour for help amid fears his staff will soon run out of gowns as he brands Matt Hancock's denial of nationwide PPE shortages a 'fantasy' An NHS hospital boss working in southern England has asked British fashion brands to make more personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gowns for his staff. The man, who wished to remain anonymous claimed staff at his hospital had ran out of gowns over the weekend. It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock claimed hospitals had enough PPE to go around. The hospital boss slammed these claims and insisted Mr Hancock's theory was a 'fantasy'. mbulance workers transport patients outside St Thomas Hospital in Westminster, wearing personal protective equipment NHS worker Lucia Pareja Cebrian posted an image of herself with the Barbour designed gown on social media FEMALE NHS STAFF ACCUSE MINISTERS OF 'SEXISM' FOR THE PPE 'DESIGNED FOR MEN' Female NHS workers have taken to social media to criticise the government for providing PPE designed and made to fit men. A Scottish ICU nurse explained she and her female colleagues are forced to 'tighten' their protective equipment, such as masks and face guards, in order to make them fit their smaller faces and frames. The revelation was shared on Twitter by the unnamed nurse's friend. Other female frontline workers took to the platform to share their similar personal experiences and said it made them feel like the government prioritised the health and well-being of their male colleagues. Advertisement The man, who wished to remain anonymous, phoned the BBC's business reporter Simon Browning and asked for the factory phone number of Burberry, which has turned over its production to make PPE for healthcare workers. Burberry is among a list of labels including Barbour, Louis Vuitton and Philip Treacy to have pledged to manufacture equipment crucial to fighting Covid-19. Browning said such gear was being made efficiently but was not reaching the front line quickly enough, with manufacturers telling him they have been receiving 'upsetting' phone calls from NHS staff about to run out of equipment. It comes as Mr Hancock faces questions from MPs on Friday over the Government's coronavirus response, a day after lockdown measures were extended for at least another three weeks. Earlier this week Barbour switched from making wax jackets to creating medical gowns. NHS workers have already thanked the luxury clothing brand for turning its factory into a production line for PPE and delivering gowns to North East hospitals. Michael Burke, CEO of Louis Vuitton talks to an employee tailoring a protective gown, as the company makes PPE masks and gown Pictured: The Barbour factory in Jarrow, which is now turning out the gowns for NHS workers Barbour has teamed up with the Royal Victoria Infirmary on its first batch of gowns (file image of a Barbour jacket) Working with the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, its factory on Bede Industrial Estate in Jarrow, South Tyneside, has made a quantity of disposable gowns which have now been delivered to grateful staff. The navy blue gowns arrived in Barbour branded packaging, stamped with the Royal seal of approval. Barbour will now move to a larger scale production of gowns and scrubs for the RVI and other North East NHS trusts to support frontline medical staff who are in urgent need of these items. Company chairman, Dame Margaret Barbour, said: 'Everyone has a role to play in fighting COVID-19 and I wanted my daughter Helen and I to play our part by turning our South Shields factory over to produce PPE product for the NHS. 'Our staff's welfare is our most important priority and we have undertaken a strict risk assessment to ensure we adhere to social distancing and that they are fully protected whilst undertaking this important role. 'I am very grateful to my staff for their overwhelming support. The factory, where we normally make our classic wax jackets is no stranger to adaptation. 'During both World Wars, we turned the factory over to make military garments to assist the war effort. 'We are pleased to once again be able to make a difference and this time, to support the NHS.' It came as a new website - ppeexchange.co.uk - was launched to allow medics who need PPE to put in orders with providers who still have remaining supplies. The site is not-for-profit and has already been flooded with requests for thousands of pieces of equipment. Fishermen work aboard a trawler off the coast of North Shields, in northeast England. (William Edwards/AFP via Getty Images) The UK government on Friday announced a 10m ($12.4m) fund to shield Englands fishing and aquaculture sectors from the impacts of coronavirus. More than 1,000 fishing and aquaculture businesses in England will receive 9m in direct cash grants through a new fisheries support scheme, the government said, noting that the supports were designed to assist the sector with its immediate needs during the crisis. The government also said that a further 1m would be made available to support projects to assist fishermen to sell their catch in their local communities during the pandemic. The move, it said, would enable them to find new markets and support communities that depend on the fisheries industry. Read more: European stocks rise as Trump unveils plan to reopen US states The industry last month warned that a decline in demand from export markets and restaurants in the UK had resulted in a very severe shock for fishermen. The government noted on Friday that the English fishing fleet, which is focused on fish stocks such as hake, scallops, and crab, had been particularly hit by the closure of traditional export markets. The support measures, which are designed to support smaller fishermen, will run for up to three months. The fund, which will cover fixed business costs, will be open to those with vessels under 24m that recorded sales of 10,000 or more in 2019. This 10m scheme will provide a lifeline for more than 1,000 fishing businesses so they can continue to maintain and operate their boats during this challenging time, which has seen falling prices and lack of demand for fish from the restaurant industry, said environment secretary George Eustice. Read more: New car registrations in EU plunge by 55% in March We are continuing to work closely with the fishing and aquaculture industry to ensure that they are supported, he said. Chief secretary to the treasury Steve Barclay noted that fishing was at the heart of many of Englands coastal communities. Given the loss of trade particularly to restaurants as a result of COVID-19, this support will help fishing businesses weather the current challenges they face, and facilitate new growth in retail markets through innovative local distribution, said Barclay. She is in the final weeks of her pregnancy. And Millie Mackintosh gave fans a tour of her nursery on Instagram on Wednesday as she and husband Hugo Taylor prepare for the arrival of their daughter. The former Made In Chelsea star, 30, explained the thought process behind her jungle themed room, which came complete with a stunning wall mural, designer wardrobe and baby Roald Dahl books. Oh, baby! Millie Mackintosh gave fans a tour of her nursery on Instagram on Wednesday as she and husband Hugo Taylor prepare for the arrival of their daughter Starting the tour, Millie said: 'Welcome to the nursery, Im so excited to show you around. 'So this is my favourite room in the house and it has been such a joy to work on it. 'From the planning stage on Pinterest, to things arriving and it getting put together. I just feel so happy and calm when I come in here. Its a really light space and has a happy energy. Expensive: The former Made In Chelsea star, 30, explained the thought process behind her jungle themed room, which came complete with a stunning wall mural and designer wardrobe Calming space: The reality star said: 'We've got the crib from a Norwegian brand. I wanted a wooden finish to go with the nature theme' Millie went on to say she wanted a feature wall with a jungle theme. After going to an interior designer for advice, the star discovered a safari themed wallpaper which was covered in palm trees, a giraffe, hornbill bird and elephant. She said: 'I love the colours. I love the pops of green and palm trees. 'Ive got this gorgeous day bed which is lovely to just sit and chill, someone can sleep in here which is helpful to look after the baby. I will probably be sleeping in here quite often.' Sweet: 'Weve got a feature wall with really nice toys and books. I've got her Roald Dahl books, I loved them as a kid and I really want her to enjoy too', Millie said Girly: Going over to her wardrobe, Millie explained she has picked things she would like to wear Millie got colourful scatter cushions to tie the colours of the wallpaper into the accessories of the room. The reality star went on: 'We've got the crib from a Norwegian brand. I wanted a wooden finish to go with the nature theme. 'For now we put her elephant in the crib so I can imagine her being here and I have a little knitted bird mobile. Special: 'It's very girly. There are lots of pastels and pink,' she said, picking up Hugo's Christening gown Striking: Millie went on to say she wanted a feature wall with a jungle theme. After going to an interior designer for advice, the star discovered a safari themed wallpaper 'Weve got a feature wall with really nice toys and books. I've got her Roald Dahl books, I loved them as a kid and I really want her to enjoy too.' Going over to her wardrobe, Millie explained she has picked things she would like to wear. 'It's very girly. There are lots of pastels and pink,' she said, picking up a pink cashmere cardigan. 'She's due this spring so can wear all these cute summery dresses. Hugos Christening dress really fine cotton Im hoping she'll be able to wear it in the summer but if not she can wear it in the winter with tights'. Mummy-to-be: Millie said: 'For now we put her elephant in the crib so I can imagine her being here and I have a little knitted bird mobile It comes after Millie shared a refreshingly honest post about the reality of being in her final weeks of pregnancy on Instagram on Thursday. The former Made In Chelsea star said while she was uploading 'smiling bump photos', behind-the-scenes she was dealing with a leaky bladder, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome and sugary cravings. Millie announced she was expecting a baby girl with Hugo, 33, last November. At the time, the television personality told Hello!: 'I'm so excited it's a girl. I would've been delighted with either, but when I found out we were having a girl, I suddenly realised this is what I really wanted.' Comfy: 'Ive got this gorgeous day bed which is lovely to just sit and chill, someone can sleep in here which is helpful to look after the baby' Millie and Hugo tied the knot in June 2018 at Hugo's uncle's country estate Whithurst Park, in West Sussex, one year after he proposed during a holiday to the Greek island of Mykonos. The couple briefly dated during their Made In Chelsea days back in 2011 and reunited in May 2016 shortly after Millie's split from her first husband, rapper Professor Green, 35. Millie was married to the musician, real name Stephen Manderson, for two-and-a-half years before they announced their split in February 2016. The former couple finalised their divorce in May 2016, the same week Millie and Hugo went public with their rekindled romance. United States intelligence is exploring the possibility that the novel coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory rather than a market, according to report in the CNN. Reuters It has been a puzzle for long - where exactly did the virus spread from? The US is now looking to solve the puzzle and come up with definite answers regarding the origin of COVID-19. One theory being suggested is that the coronavirus originated in a lab. The theory is one of multiple being pursued by investigators as they attempt to determine the origin of the disease that has resulted in a pandemic and killed hundreds of thousands, the report said. Reuters The US does not believe the virus was associated with bioweapons research, and officials noted that the intelligence community is also exploring a range of other theories regarding the origination of the virus, according to an intelligence source. Earlier on Wednesday, Fox News claimed 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 US. The lab theory has been strongly denied by the Chinese government and many outside experts have also cast doubt on the idea, claiming that scientific evidence does not support a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus. Reuters China has maintained repeatedly that the lab was to not to blame, instead saying that the virus came from a wet market in Wuhan. Chinas foreign ministry noted on Thursday the World Health Organization has said there is no evidence coronavirus was made in a lab. More than 2.14 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 143,744 have died, according to latest reports. Infections have been reported in more than 190 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. Over the last few weeks, weve talked about several topics. Well, mostly Ive written, and youve read. I like to think we are having a conversation. As COVID-19 started to change things for us in the United States, I suggested we focus on those things that we can control, because spending a huge amount of mental capacity spinning on things we cannot control is truly burdensome for our mental wellbeing. Instead, I recommended going about your day with an attitude of gratitude finding aspects of your life to enjoy in the moment. For me, yesterday, I soaked in all the laughter our family had while eating lunch together. Most of it was at my expense, but what a great thing to be so peculiar as to make your children laugh! How blessed I am to have daughters and a spouse to share raucous laughter and humor. I thoroughly enjoyed the sun shining on me and warming my back as I sat at our dining room table (which my daughters built for me yes, Im proud) as I worked. My oldest, as a rare treat, sat beside me taking her college classes. I was grateful for a wonderful cup of tea in a beautiful pottery cup from a set my husband purchased from a potter in Eastern Montana who we have known for years. The tea was from a family trip we took with my father-in-law to visit relatives in South Carolina. Ive taken to buying tea when I travel because it is light, packs well and when Im making a cup I think about the people, places and experiences from that trip. Tea stores well and I try to always have a good stock in my pantry. Speaking of pantries, having you organized yours yet? We discussed that a few weeks ago and what expirations dates really mean, as well as meal planning and using items you have in food storage first, if you are fortunate to have such. If you have taken stock of your pantry and you are well supplied, now might be a good time to donate to your local food bank. I suspect the best way to do so would be with a check mailed to the organization in your community. Are you enjoying meal planning and meal preparation? Ive had a little challenge at our home gauging how much we will eat and need to build in more meals of planned-overs so we can eat down the remainders of meals that are crowding the fridge. We are used to having more teenage friends in our home helping us consume our food! It is good to remember that many cooked meal items can be frozen well and saved for later maybe when we are all a different kind of busy and back to life as we knew it. Also, if you have thawed meat properly in the refrigerator, thinking you will use it and then realize you have too many meals already prepared, it is safe to refreeze the meat. Or, you can cook it and freeze to use later. I have taught a class called, Once a Month Cooking, where I made 30 meals in a day and then froze them. I used to use that method in my own home, but now I more commonly batch prep ingredients to have on hand for quick meal assembly. For instance, I may cook chicken and either shred or cube, or fry a bunch of ground beef and have that in the freezer ready to go. My younger daughter and I discovered this year that mirepoix, a sauteed mixture of diced veggies, such as carrots, celery, onions and garlic, also freezes well. We had some vegetables getting to the end of their prime in the refrigerator, so we diced and sauteed them, put them in jars, labeled the lids and put in the freezer. We just thaw in the microwave and much of the work of making soups and casseroles is already done. If you wonder what freezes well, look for the USDA information on freezing foods on the internet or contact your local MSU Extension Office. Since we are speaking of freezing, now may be a good time to consider a spending freeze. After participating in a financial book club a few years ago, our family has taken a month each year to try to freeze our spending. Of course, we still pay our bills for housing, utilities, etc., but we really try to limit all other spending. It has been a good opportunity to practice restraint and replenish both the budget and our appreciation for what we already have. I realize many people may have unexpectedly lost their jobs and may be facing tremendous financial upheaval. Now is a good time for most of us to review our expenses and make sure we have a budget and live by it. There are many great resources at msuextension.org on financial matters. For beginning budgeting, look at the MontGuide, Developing a Spending Plan, because after all, a budget is to make sure your money does what you need it to do most. Know what your needs are for shelter, utilities, transportation, food and insurance. For many, transportation costs may be lower now at least in terms of fuel. There are ways to cut costs and simplify food expenses. The USDA has a great guide available for download called, Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals, that has menu plans and recipes. As you review or draft a budget, see if you can find room to put money into emergency savings. It doesnt matter how little it might be. You can start with $5 or $20. The important part is to have the emergency savings account established and start building the habit. If you can, automate the amount going to savings. Those who have emergency savings will weather the unexpected changes to their financial status with much less stress. There are resources at AmericaSaves.org. I have enjoyed reading their Saver Tips and Stories. One of my favorites is about a woman who had lost her home and whose family was living in a rundown hotel. Her future seemed bleak, but she committed to saving $10 per week for an emergency fund. Within three years, her financial goals and habits had changed enough that she could buy a home, appliances and still had money in her savings. In addition to America Saves materials, she used Purdue Extensions Making Your Money Work. Extension has a great network of educators and resources across the United States providing credible, reliable information. MSU Extensions Joel Schumacher organizes and teaches many of the Solid Finances classes found at solidfinances.msuextension.org. He has tapped into the Extension network with guest presenters. Here are just a few of the classes you can take by viewing the recording online: 10-Minute Daily Financial Workouts with Luke Erickson, University of Idaho Extension; Creating a Financial Recordkeeping System and Sticking With It with Carrie Johnson, North Dakota State University Extension; Organizing Your Financial Paperwork with Karen Richel, University of Idaho Extension; Budgeting for Your Good Life with Elizabeth Kiss, Kansas State University Extension and Slash Your Spending with Carrie Johnson, North Dakota State University Extension. Responsive and current, MSU Extension is offering webinars from 2 to 3 p.m. each Thursday from April 2 until April 23. The courses will be presented by MSU Extension specialists and economists from the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research and the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research to provide insight to how Covid-19 is currently impacting the economy in their areas of expertise. The webinars are free and open to the public. Topics that will be covered in week one include Assessing the Impacts of Coronavirus in Montana, the U.S. and the World presented by Pat Barkley from the BBER; Small Business, Coronavirus Stimulus by George Haynes from MSU Extension; and Individuals and the Stimulus by Joel Schumacher, associate specialist with MSU Extension. Week two will feature presentations that cover travel and recreation, agriculture and health care by Norma Nickerson from the ITRR, Kate Fuller of MSU Extension and Robert Sonora from the BBER. Topics for weeks three and four are to be determined. To register and participate in the webinars, visit http://farmpolicy.msuextension.org/covid19/. On the Solid Finances website there are numerous classes from Marsha Goetting, MSU Extension. Additionally, she is offering Tuesday Tips: A Series of 30-Minute Estate and Legacy Planning Webinars. Goettings Health Care Power of Attorney MontGuide has just been released and can be found at MSU Extension Publications at store.msuextension.org. When budgeting some time for reviewing your finances, be sure to look at Power of Attorney, advanced directives and wills. As you take stock of your pantry, your budget, your finances and legacy planning, be sure to remember gratitude and take stock of your blessings. I saw years ago the idea of filing a love letter with your will. It struck me that a persons sentiments of love might be the most cherished inheritance anyone could receive. How we live our lives and the love we share with others may be the best legacy of all. May you and your loved ones be well. Jennifer leaves her two children alone at their home in Northwest Portland every day when she leaves for her job as a clinical care coordinator at a doctors office. Ava, 12, and Nathan, 9, have struggled to adapt to online learning since schools closed statewide due to the coronavirus pandemic. Jennifer, who asked that her last name not be used to protect the safety of her family, calls her children on her breaks to go over their schedules and spends every evening helping them with schoolwork. Still, she knows that they would benefit from having a parent around during the day. But Jennifer, a single parent and essential worker during the coronavirus outbreak, is the sole provider for her family. Staying at home with her children isnt an option. She is one of the many single parents who are struggling to adjust to a new normal amid the coronavirus crisis as they balance their own jobs with caring for their children. Divorced parents face similar challenges, while also having to navigate custody agreements with Oregons stay-home order in place. Ive been on the brink of a panic attack since this whole thing started, Jennifer said. My daughter is in near tears every day, trying to get a handle on this stuff. Just in the last couple of days, I decided that this isnt important to us right now. I just cant do it. Shes going to do her best, but I told her, if the schoolwork doesnt get done, if you cant keep up, it is what it is. A LACK OF CHILDCARE OPTIONS Jennifer was initially excited when she heard about the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which gives employers with fewer than 500 employees tax credits to provide certain employees with paid leave, including those who are unable to find childcare due to school closures related to the coronavirus pandemic. But Jennifer soon learned that she wouldnt qualify because her company employs more than 500 people. Next, she sought out childcare options through the state. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has mandated that schools provide emergency childcare for workers in essential industries, but the system has been hard to navigate for parents. Portland Public Schools are offering childcare services at Rieke Elementary School for children in Pre-K through sixth grade, but Jennifers seventh grade daughter wouldnt be eligible for that option. Other childcare centers that Jennifer has called either dont have openings or arent set up to support children with schoolwork, which is what she said her children need the most. A Northeast Portland mother who spoke with The Oregonian/OregonLive said she has faced similar problems finding childcare. She asked to remain anonymous because she is leaving her 10-year-old son alone at home three days a week when she goes to her part-time job as a bookkeeper at a medical facility. On a recent morning, she woke up to a man banging on the windows of her apartment asking for food. She called her employer and said she would be late for work because she felt too nervous to leave her son alone. But she cant afford to miss her shift on a regular basis. She already had her hours slashed due to the coronavirus outbreak at the other part-time job she holds as a bookkeeper at a law firm. She has been the sole provider for her son since her husband died and is worried about continuing to pay her rent if her work hours remain limited over the next few months. Hes an incredibly responsible kid, but even so, hes still a kid, she said. Hes handled it, but his anxiety has definitely increased. At bedtime, hell say he doesnt want me to leave. He wants me to be with him. He wasnt always like that before. I dont know what the best thing to do is, ultimately. Do I quit and struggle financially? Im trying to balance it as best as I can. SHARED CUSTODY Michael Chapman, a program director at a humanitarian health organization, said he feels lucky that his job allows him to work from his home in Tualatin, but acknowledged that it has been a challenge to balance his work while caring for his three daughters, Ellie, 9, Hazel, 7 and Ruby, 5. He shares custody with his ex-wife and tries to finish as much work as possible when his daughters are with their mother or during the early mornings and evenings, so that he can give his children more attention during the day. Still, Chapman said he is worried that his children are going to be behind when they return to school in the fall. A Portland study recently found that elementary and middle school students are likely to start school in the fall equipped with only about 70% of the reading and writing skills and 50% of the math skills that they would have had if schools remained open. Our youngest was in preschool and shes going into kindergarten at a Spanish immersion program next year," Chapman said. "I think shell be fine, but just the disruption is hard because she was making a lot of progress. Because theyre home, the kids dont really want to focus on school. Theres a lot more resistance to getting any type of assignment done. Having the help of a second caretaker has been vital for some divorced parents, like Chapman, during the pandemic. Andrew Newsom, a family law attorney at Gearing Rackner & McGrath LLP, said some divorced parents are collaborating more amid the coronavirus pandemic as they balance caring for their children with their jobs. But in some cases, where those relationships arent salvageable, the pandemic has put greater stress on parents who arent used to communicating with their ex-spouses on a regular basis. One Lake Oswego mother, who asked to remain anonymous because she is in a contentious custody battle, said she was able to avoid seeing her ex-husband when schools were open by exchanging custody of her five-year-old daughter through after-school pickups. Now, she has to communicate regularly with her ex-husband to maintain their custody plan, even as the suit he brought against her remains pending. The hearing for the case was postponed from May until October due to the pandemic. To have to extend it another five months, that actually felt devastating for me, she said. I just want it to be done and I just want to move forward with my life and to have it kind of hanging over my head all the time has been really hard and expensive." THE TOLL ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN On April 8, Brown ordered that public schools statewide remain closed for the remainder of the school year. The decision was expected, but it has still caused an additional layer of stress for single and divorced parents who will now have to navigate school closures for an extended period. Unable to find childcare or financial relief options, and without a support system to fall back, Jennifer has been left struggling on her own to make things work for her family. While she said her children are old enough to safely take care of themselves alone at home while she works, she said she doesnt feel as if they are old enough to thrive on their own. I feel like there is a whole segment of society that is working harder than theyve ever had to work now and isnt getting the support that they need, Jennifer said. I feel like Im in this very much alone. Jennifers last name was removed from this story after publication at her request. -- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com | @jamiebgoldberg Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Rajasthan began conducting rapid testing for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Friday with the arrival of 10,000 testing kits from Delhi. All the 52 persons tested at the urban PHC Topkhana Desh on Friday evening tested negative. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said another 50,000 kits are expected to arrive tonight and over next three days, the state will get 2 lakh rapid testing kits to push up testing. We have received 10,000 kits and have started conducted rapid testing. In addition to rapid testing, PCR based testing will continue, said Gehlot. Rajasthan plans to use rapid test for community surveillance and scale up testing capacity to 10,000 tests per day over the next ten days. Rapid tests have began India on Friday following 5 lakh rapid-testing imported from China being dispatched from the Indian Council of Medical Researchs (ICMR) main depot at its National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR) on Friday, for six regional depots that will further distribute it to local laboratories doing testing. The lot testing of the batch was completed today, and all kits were found to be of satisfactory quality. The consignment has been dispatched from NIMR, said an ICMR official, requesting anonymity. There are six institutes that ICMR has identified across India for storing the kits as it requires to maintain a cold chain conditions. Ten more institutes are being added as the number of kits being ordered is rising. The rapid testing kits are being dispatched and being distributed among states that have high disease burden. The kits are being directly given to states and will be deployed or used by them as per their requirement, as long as ICMR guidelines for testing are adequately followed, said Lav Agarwal, joint secretary, Union health ministry. The health ministry, however, did not give information on the number of kits being sent to each of their institutes or to which states and how many. The consignment that arrived on Thursday morning 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. There are 170 hotspot districts and 207 other districts with clusters, according to the health ministry. The Rapid testing kits, as I have been saying again and again, are not to be used for diagnostic purposes, rather surveillance purposes to know the disease prevalence within the community. Thats how these kits should be used, said Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar, head, epidemiology and communicable disease, ICMR. Rapid testing kits are meant for mass testing to detect undiagnosed infection. Rapid testing works when you have to test a large number of people in a short span of time, as it is quicker and cheaper, said Dr T Jacob John, former head of virology department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu. Apart from the central pool, the states have also been given a free hand to procure kits locally as per their needs. Andhra Pradesh received a consignment of one lakh rapid test kits manufactured by SD Biosensors from South Korea, which arrived on chartered flight Air India flight on Friday. Chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was the first to get tested at his camp office in Tadepalli, tested negative. The flight reached New Delhi on Thursday and was brought to Hyderabad in the same evening. From there, the kits were brought to Vijayawada by road on Friday morning, the spokesman We feel fortunate to have been blessed with great clients to work for, and enjoyed helping sellers price, market and sell, as well as helping buyers navigate, then negotiate, the coastal Alabama real estate market. Bellator Real Estate and Development, in 2020, recognized the Beckham Partners Real Estate Team after a solid year of sales where they were the #1 Top Sales in 2019, company-wide! Broker and team leader, Michelle Beckham says, "2019 saw great opportunity. We feel fortunate to have been blessed with great clients to work for, and enjoyed helping sellers price, market and sell and help buyers navigate and negotiate the market. The accomplished team of Alabama agents, assists home buyers and sellers of the real estate markets in Fairhope, Daphne, Spanish Fort, Foley, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Loxley, Bay Minette, and Mobile. The Beckham Partners Team includes Michelle Beckham, Angelina Needham, Jennifer Doyle, Mike Hamm, along with a full-time marketing and administrative staff. The real estate team had major sales over the past year, to be named the companys Top Producing Team of Realtors - with almost $28-Million in closed volume on the year! The award-winning Beckham Partners Team was also Bellator's #1 Eastern Shore sales achiever the previous year, and has been the company's overall number one sales leader for now seven out of the company's nine years. "Angelina, Jennifer and I have been with Bellator since day-one, and are happy to see the company's recent announcement of having the #1 Closed Sales Volume of Real Estate companies in 2019, for Mobile and Baldwin Counties, which makes this achievement with the top local company, even that much more special". Michelle Beckham is the Broker of Bellator's downtown Fairhope Office at 217A Fairhope Ave., and has been a resident of Mobile and Baldwin counties for almost 30 years. A graduate of the University of South Alabama, with a Bachelors Degree in Human Resources, she also obtained a Masters degree from Troy State University and is currently a Broker Associate, of Bellators downtown Fairhope Office. 2019 saw home buyers taking advantage of fantastic rates & prices. Home sellers saw tremendous results in Mobile & Baldwin counties. We were so lucky to be in a top economy, nationwide, through this unpredictable time. The good news is rates are still at an all-time low, so the time to buy is still fantastic! The Beckham Partners Team also consists of marketing, tech and industry professionals that coordinate to operate an extensive online real estate network that includes page one real estate placements on Google, Bing, and Yahoo for Baldwin County, Daphne, Fairhope, Spanish Fort, Foley, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Loxley in Baldwin County, as well as Mobile. With myriad websites such as the team's primary website, http://www.BeckhamPartners.com, in addition to many others targetting specific areas, such as http://www.DaphneALA.com, http://www.FairhopeALA.com, http://www.SpanishFortAL.com, a full staff is required to keep all posts up-to-date and relevant. Such innovative approaches as real estate walk-through videos, tweets, facebook groups, and google business updates - the team also has a YouTube channel, 13-year-old e-Newsletter announcement list, and 5,000+ dedicated facebook subscribers. The real estate team has also just launched a brand-new website targetting the entire Alabama gulfcoast, http://www.ALARealEstate.com, along with a full accompaniment of social media accounts. "We do our very best to bring the latest real estate trends, announcements, and area info not only through a single website", said Beckham, "but also through whatever the latest tech is that emerges. We target specific areas, with many websites specific to each, as well as whatever social and tech channels home buyers are utilizing each year". The team dedicates all announcements to not only it's 5,000+ facebook business page but also myriad pinterest, instagram, and twitter pages, with web addresses that speak to the specificity of their approach: Twitter.com/FairhopeAlabama/ Twitter.com/SpanishFortAL/ Twitter.com/DaphneAlabama/ Twitter.com/BaldwinCounty/ Twitter.com/GulfShoresHomes/ If you would like Michelle or any of the team to recommend solutions to market or sell your home, and help you find a home for sale, you will be going with Bellators #1 agents! For additional information, contact Michelle Beckham, Licensed Broker: (251) 709-4558, or call the office phone number: 251-990-0071. ABOUT BELLATOR Bellator Real Estate & Development is a full service real estate company that specializes in Developing, Listing/Marketing, Brokering and the Acquisition of real estate located in Baldwin and Mobile County, Alabama. Bellator serves both Mobile and Baldwin County communites from 8 different offices, with over 160 agents! These office include West Mobile, Midtown Mobile, North Mobile, Spanish Fort, Downtown Fairhope, Orange Beach, Ono Island, and Gulf Shores, Alabama. View all of the Beckham Partners announcements at https://www.facebook.com/BeckhamPartners/ Trend The work on the settlement of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is underway despite the coronavirus pandemic, Spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said at the briefing on April 17. During the recent telephone conversations of the Russian foreign minister with his Azerbaijani and Armenian counterparts, the issues related to the conflict settlement were also considered, the spokesperson said. "Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as the personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office are in regular contact with the parties of the conflict, Zakharova said. The special attention is paid to the coronavirus pandemic, its impact on the negotiation process, as well as some aspects of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement within the ongoing consultations, the spokesperson said. The situation on the border and the line of contact is discussed." 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 the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz WASHINGTON - President Donald Trumps former lawyer and longtime fixer Michael Cohen will be released from federal prison to serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement because of the coronavirus pandemic. Cohen is currently locked up at FCI Otisville in New York after pleading guilty to numerous charges, including campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress. He will remain under quarantine for 14 days before he is released. Federal statistics show 14 inmates and seven staff members at the prison have tested positive for the coronavirus. After he is released, Cohen will serve the remainder of his sentence at home, according to a Justice Department official and another person familiar with the matter. They could not discuss Cohens release publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Prison advocates and congressional leaders have been pressing the Justice Department for weeks to release at-risk inmates ahead of a potential outbreak, arguing that the public health guidance to stay 6 feet (1.8 metres) away from other people is nearly impossible behind bars. Attorney General William Barr ordered the Bureau of Prisons earlier this month to increase the use of home confinement and expedite the release of eligible high-risk inmates, beginning at three prisons identified as coronavirus hot spots. Otisville is not one of those facilities. As of Thursday, 473 federal inmates and 279 Bureau of Prisons staff members had tested positive for the coronavirus at facilities across the U.S. Eighteen inmates have died since late March. Many federal inmates have been seeking home confinement as the number of coronavirus cases grows in the federal prison system, but advocates have accused the Bureau of Prisons of moving too slowly to release inmates. The Bureau of Prisons said it had moved more than 1,000 inmates to home confinement since March 26, when Barr first issued a directive to increase its use in late March. The agency said it is a tremendous logistical lift that was accomplished through the marshalling of all of BOPs resources. The Justice Department official said Barr had told senior officials at the Bureau of Prisons when he first issued his directives that they must scrupulously apply the same criteria to all inmates and not give anyone special treatment. On Friday, the Bureau of Prisons said it was moving about 111 inmates most of whom are likely to qualify for home confinement or furlough from the prison camp at Otisville into the medium-security prison at the facility so they could begin a quarantine period, which would be required before they could be released, as their records are reviewed. A federal judge had denied Cohens attempt for an early release to home confinement after serving 10 months in prison and said in a ruling earlier this month that it appears to be just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle. But the Bureau of Prisons can take action to move him to home confinement without a judicial order. Cohen, 53, began serving his sentence last May and was scheduled to be released from prison in November 2021. Other high-profile inmates have also been released as the number of coronavirus cases soars. Last week, a judge ordered Michael Avenatti the attorney who rose to fame representing porn star Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against Trump to be temporarily freed from a federal jail in New York City and stay at a friends house in Los Angeles. Avenatti had said he was at high risk of getting the coronavirus because he had a recent bout with pneumonia and his cellmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan was removed due to flu-like symptoms. Former New York state Senate leader Dean Skelos, 72, who was also serving a sentence at Otisville, is also expected to be released soon from prison to home confinement after testing positive for the coronavirus, prosecutors told a judge Wednesday. CNN first reported Cohen was being released to home confinement. A spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office in Manhattan declined to comment. The Bureau of Prisons said Friday the death of a case manager working at USP Atlanta is being considered the first potential coronavirus death of a federal prisons staff member. Robin Grubbs, who had worked at BOP since 2007, was found dead at her home Tuesday and posthumously tested positive for coronavirus, according to an agency spokesman. Officials said she had last worked at the Atlanta prison on April 10 and appeared to be asymptomatic. A cause of death is undetermined. ___ Associated Press writer Larry Neumeister in New York contributed to this report. A driver who lost his eye after a cyclist stabbed him with a pen in a brutal road-rage confrontation has forgiven his attacker despite fearing he would never see his family again and risking a major brain infection. Roble Abdikarin was exiting the Bentley Plaza Shopping Centre car park in Perth's south last month when he collided with cyclist Jahrah Kruger. Roble Abdikarin (pictured) was forced to have his eye removed after he was allegedly attacked outside a shopping centre in Perth Mr Kruger is alleged to have opened the car door and punched Mr Abdikarin in the eye and ribs before grabbing a pen from the centre console to stab the driver's arms. The driver managed to push the cyclist out of his the car but not before his keys were snatched from the ignition, according to 9 News. Mr Kruger then allegedly smashed Mr Abdikarin's windscreen and punched at the passengers window before fleeing the scene on his bike. 'I was thinking "am I going to see my family again" or is this the last time,' Mr Abdikarin said. The father-of-two was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital before his eye had to be surgically removed to prevent a brain infection. Jahrah Kruger (pictured) allegedly punched and stabbed the driver with a pen before fleeing the scene Mr Kruger attended a Perth court on Thursday where he faced six charges including grievous bodily harm. Mr Abdikarin, a Somalian refugee, said he has forgiven his alleged attacker despite his loss of eyesight. 'I always forgive, I'm going to forgive him,' he said. Mr Abdikarin said he has been left living in fear since the incident. 'I always feel like whoever approaches me wants to attack me,' he said. The alleged attacker was refused bail in court. Jetting off on holiday seems like a distant dream at the moment. But with the prospect of lockdown restrictions abating, this is what to expect when it comes to planning your next holiday. What is happening with the current coronavirus travel ban? International borders were closed in Australia on March 20, with Australians banned from flying overseas, except in essential circumstances such as repatriation. Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory have all closed their borders, with the remaining states banning all non-essential travel, including driving to stay in a holiday house. Anyone returning from overseas has an enforced 14-day quarantine in a hotel, supervised by the police. If you need to be repatriated, some airlines are flying in and out of Australia, says travel specialist and owner at Mobile Travel Agents, Jacqui Cameron. Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines are flying to and from the UK around twice a week at the moment, she says. Costs have come down in the last week. Make sure you buy a through ticket, so you dont get stranded at a stopover destination. Grounded Qantas aircraft are seen parked at Brisbane Airport in Brisbane, amid the coronavirus outbreak. Source: AAP When can I book an international holiday again? Probably not until next year. The smart money is on international restrictions not being lifted until at best the end of 2020, and most likely in to 2021, says Executive Director of the Australian Tourism Industry Council, Simon Westaway. International travel restrictions have played a key role and will continue to play a key role" in keeping Australians safe from COVID-19, according to Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham. 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, he said recently. What countries will I be allowed to travel to when restrictions are lifted? The first international service to return will likely be the Trans-Tasman route [between Australia and New Zealand], says Mr Westaway. The Trans-Tasman bubble around COVID-19 is in a place few other parts of the world are, so it makes sense for it to happen. Story continues New Zealand are very keen as Australian visitors make up about a third of their tourism market. I suspect this might happen in the last quarter of 2020. He adds: This isnt to say other markets couldnt come on the line either before or in parallel with this, if testing and social distancing at airports is established. Travellers and Australian residents who arrive into the country from overseas are being sent straight to makeshift quarantine facilities across Australia. Source: AAP When can I take a domestic holiday again? We anticipate there might be some flow of movement for domestic travel by the end of May, says Mr Westaway. However, he suspects that many people will choose to drive to a holiday rather than fly. People can still socially distance when theyre in their own vehicle, he says. Often when people start to travel after a disaster they take short trips, so a car seems easier for people. He believes the majority of people will start taking day trips or short driveable weekend breaks before heading interstate. Police screen incoming passengers at the domestic airport in Brisbane. Queensland is one of the Australian states which has closed its borders. Source: AAP Will flights be more expensive when the coronavirus restrictions are lifted? Despite suggestions that flights could be expensive due to being able to carry fewer passengers because of social distancing, Mr Westaway believes the airline industry will have to be competitive. Airlines will need to fill their seats, so prices will have to be good, he says. That goes for prices across the whole tourism industry. The market will need to be stimulated. Ms Cameron agrees: When restrictions are lifted, Im expecting to see good prices from carriers such as Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad and Cathay Pacific, who will be competing for the same passengers. It is possible domestic travel could be a reality by May this year. Source: AAP Should I book a cheap holiday now for in a few months time? There are some cheap deals around, but its a judgement call as to whether you risk booking. Weve had some fairly strong assurances from the Prime Minister that we are well on track with our COVID-19 response, says Mr Westaway. If youre booking domestic travel for the last quarter of the year, then of course it comes with a risk, but you could get some great prices at the moment. Ms Cameron adds: I would advise not to book any domestic holidays before September, and international holidays before at least the end of the year. What if I had to cancel my holiday due to coronavirus? If you had a holiday booked and are unable to get there due to the travel restrictions, contact the company you booked through originally, advises Ms Cameron. If you booked through a travel agent, dont call the airline direct as they wont be able to help you. If you booked direct through an airline and cant get hold of them, you could speak to a travel agent who might be able to help you navigate the system. But you should expect to be charged a service fee. A seagull flies over tourists sitting on a concrete bench in front of the Sydney Opera House in central Sydney prior to the coronavirus outbreak. Source: Reuters Will there be a rush to book holidays when restrictions are lifted? It will depend on peoples circumstances. There will be a large number of people who are unemployed, so travel will not be a priority, says Mr Westaway. Its looking like the travel industry in Australia will take between three and five years to fully recover. However, Ms Cameron reports that anecdotally people are keen to travel. So many people want to go and visit family, or just really need a change of scenery, she says. I think people are desperate to get out there. 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. Confirming a coronavirus outbreak at Geneva Lake Manor nursing home, the Walworth County health department today issued a public health order restricting the Lake Geneva nursing home's operations for at least two weeks. The order prohibits or restricts transferring patients, permitting visitors, sharing staff with other facilities, and moving residents within the nursing home. It also requires Geneva Lake Manor to disclose close contacts of anyone diagnosed with the virus within 36 hours. County health department deputy director Carlo Nevicosi said the three-page order lists "some practices we needed to address" with staff at Geneva Lake Manor, 211 S. Curtis St. Although county officials would not divulge how many coronavirus cases have been diagnosed at Geneva Lake Manor, they said an outbreak is defined as three or more cases among the nursing home's residents or staff. The county also said another outbreak has been confirmed at a second facility. Nevicosi said officials have been assured that the unidentified second facility is planning to self-identify publicly. The Lake Geneva Regional News filed an open records request Thursday after county officials announced the first outbreak without saying what sort of facility was involved or where it was located. Geneva Lake Manor management today issued a statement acknowledging the county's public health order and vowing to comply with federal and state health guidelines. "We have reviewed current practices," the statement said, "and have found that we are in compliance, and will continue to follow any further guidance that we are provided." The county's order remains in effect until Geneva Lake Manor goes 14 days without any new confirmed case of coronavirus, and until all residents and staff have been released from county isolation. Other provisions require Geneva Lake Manor to: ensure that employees utilize protective equipment, report any transfer or discharge of residents, assign staff to work only in their primary work areas, and disclose the virus outbreak to anyone being admitted or discharged. Noting that coronavirus "poses a significant threat to the public's health," the order states: "There is no less restrictive alternative to control the spread of disease and protect the public health." _____________________________________________________________ A Lake Geneva nursing home has acknowledged the presence of coronavirus in its facility, and officials say every resident and employee has been tested for the virus. Officials at Geneva Lake Manor, 211 S. Curtis St., are not saying how many people at the nursing home have been confirmed as being infected with the contagious virus. "Despite our greatest efforts, we have received confirmation that individuals at Geneva Lake Manor have been diagnosed," the facility's management group said today. "We are pleased to inform the community that the majority of those confirmed have been asymptomatic." It is the first known instance when a workplace or organization in Walworth County has publicly announced the presence of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. The announcement comes one day after county health officials reported an outbreak of coronavirus cases at an undisclosed facility. The county has not divulged the number of cases associated with the outbreak, but the number of cases reported countywide has jumped from 49 to 75 in the past two days. Bob Siebel, president of Carriage Healthcare Inc., the company that manages Geneva Lake Manor, said he is withholding the number of people infected at the nursing home "out of respect for the residents and their families." Asked if Geneva Lake Manor is the facility mentioned in the county's announcement of an outbreak, Siebel said, "I don't know that." Geneva Lake Manor administrator Lori Schlais also issued a statement regarding the coronavirus cases, saying that the safety of the facility's residents is the top priority. "We want to thank our tremendous staff for stepping up during this unprecedented time and risking their own health for our residents and patients," Schlais said. "They are truly heroes." She also thanked Geneva Lake Manor resident families for their "trust and encouragement." The nursing home on Curtis Street is licensed for 60 beds and, as of a few weeks ago, was reported about 90 percent full. The facility has about 125 full- and part-time employees. Geneva Lake Manor is owned by nonprofit Wisconsin Illinois Senior Housing Inc., which has contracted Carriage Healthcare to manage the operation. The same ownership and management operates the nursing homes Holton Manor in Elkhorn and East Troy Manor in East Troy. Siebel said no cases of coronavirus have been reported at East Troy Manor, and that test results are pending for some people associated with Holton Manor. After cases were confirmed at Geneva Lake Manor, he said, state health officials made enough test kits available to test all residents and employees at the Lake Geneva home. He called the move "not routine," but said it was prompted by the presence of confirmed cases. Nursing homes are particularly susceptible to the contagious virus, because the advanced age and poor health of many senior citizens makes them more vulnerable to the infection than the general population. "It is particularly unkind and brutal to elderly," Siebel said. __________________________________________________________ The Lake Geneva Regional News has filed an open records request with state and local government officials for details about a reported outbreak of coronavirus cases at an undisclosed local facility. The newspaper is not trying to identify any coronavirus patients, but it is trying to get information for the general public about what facility is involved and where it is located. The newspaper today submitted an open records request to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and to the Walworth County Department of Health & Human Services. Neither agency has responded yet. County officials announced earlier today that the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Walworth County had jumped to 72 an increase of nearly 50 percent in one day and that there had been "an outbreak at a facility." Officials at both the county and state declined the newspaper's requests for details about the facility and its location. Regional News general manager Rob Ireland said: "We shouldn't need to file an open records request to know where an outbreak of a deadly virus occurred. The county and state should disclose this information to the public immediately." The newspaper request covers any reports, correspondence, emails or other records exchanged among government officials regarding the reported virus outbreak in Walworth County. Wisconsin's open records law states: It is declared to be the public policy of this state that all persons are entitled to the greatest possible information regarding the affairs of government." ________________________________________________________ Walworth County health officials today announced an outbreak of coronavirus cases at an unidentified facility, driving up the number of confirmed cases locally to 72. That is nearly a 50-percent increase in one day up from 49 confirmed cases reported as of Wednesday. Officials at the county health and human services department would not name the facility or disclose its location. "Our number of lab-confirmed cases has risen significantly since yesterday," department deputy director Carlo Nevicosi said. "The large increase in cases is associated with an outbreak at a facility. All impacted individuals have been contacted by public health and are currently being isolated." The number of coronavirus deaths in Walworth County still stands at three, previously described as all older people with underlying health conditions. According to today's report from the county health department, local patients include five who are hospitalized, another 46 who are isolated at their primary residences, and 18 who have recovered fully from their symptoms. Neither the state health department nor the county would disclose details of a reported outbreak in Walworth County. "I know that people are very curious about where the virus is and where it is spreading," Nevicosi said. "The important answer is that it's happening in all of our communities," he added. "We don't believe that further disclosure serves to better protect the public, and that the privacy and health interests of individuals and any impacted private entities outweighs the public interest in disclosure." Editor's note: This report has been updated to reflect that Geneva Lake Manor reports having 125 full- and part-time employees an update from an earlier estimate. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Technavio has been monitoring the dental floss market and it is poised to grow by USD 1.03 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of over 5% 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/20200417005300/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Dental Floss 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. Colgate-Palmolive Co., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Johnson Johnson Services Inc., Procter Gamble Co., and Sunstar Group are some of the major market participants. The need of biodegradable dental floss 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 of biodegradable dental floss has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Dental Floss Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Dental floss market is segmented as below: Product Waxed Floss Unwaxed Floss Others 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=IRTNTR31390 Dental Floss 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 dental floss market report covers the following areas: Dental Floss Market Size Dental Floss Market Trends Dental Floss Market Industry Analysis This study identifies growing awareness about oral health as one of the prime reasons driving the dental floss market growth during the next few years. Dental Floss Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the dental floss market, including some of the vendors such as Colgate-Palmolive Co., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Johnson Johnson Services Inc., Procter Gamble Co., and Sunstar Group. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the dental floss 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 Dental Floss Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist dental floss market growth during the next five years Estimation of the dental floss market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the dental floss market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of dental floss 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 Waxed floss Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Unwaxed floss Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Others 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 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 Rising popularity of automated floss dispensers Advent of 3D flossers Rising emphasis on biodegradable dental flossers PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Colgate-Palmolive Co. GlaxoSmithKline Plc Johnson Johnson Services Inc. Procter Gamble Co. Sunstar Group PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors 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/20200417005300/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/ Small businesses across New Mexico face fiscal uncertainty like never before, and an impasse on Capitol Hill over a massive emergency loan program is only adding to it. Business owners are at the proverbial fork in the road: Should they lay off staff now and hope to reopen later, or retain their personnel while seeking payroll reimbursement from another major federal program whose rollout has been underwhelming? The now-tapped-out $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program, a cornerstone of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act, offered forgivable low-interest loans for businesses with fewer than 500 employees. It was aimed at covering two and a half months of payroll. The federal loans will be forgiven for businesses that do not cut staff or wages, and even those that have laid off employees are eligible if they rehire and bring their payrolls close to previous levels. Launched April 3, the program has already run out of money, and more funding for version 2.0 has been stalled on Capitol Hill. Even before the funding dried up, the Paycheck Protection Program was plagued by system crashes and confusion that frustrated small businesses, lenders and state officials. Some lenders did not participate, and others wouldnt accept new customers. Kudos to those lenders who are providing loans for non-account holders because the businesses desperately need the loans. Michelle Coons, regional president New Mexico for Washington Federal Bank, tells the Journal that all types of businesses are seeking the guaranteed federal loans. They run from small mom-and-pop shops to nonprofits to businesses that provide hundreds of jobs. Coons says lenders will receive fee payments from the Small Business Administration instead of collecting interest and we see it primarily as break-even process, but such a critical and right thing to do. Carla Sonntag, president of the New Mexico Business Coalition, says many businesses would prefer to be allowed to reopen safely instead of taking government aid and adding to the federal deficit. But without that option, too many are struggling and need the government relief. President Donald Trump and lawmakers from both parties have pledged to appropriate more money into the payroll relief program, but leaders have been locked in a two-week showdown. Republicans want to limit a replenishment bill to $250 billion; Democrats want to add $250 billion for hospitals, food assistance and state and local governments. Now is no time for partisan bickering, larding up the assistance or getting distracted from the need at hand: PPP is a valuable option for many small businesses that dont want to let employees go. And businesses that keep their workers on the payroll perform a critical public service at this time, reining in already record unemployment levels. Its an important tool in salvaging the economy. But it is time for lessons learned from PPP 1. Lenders and borrowers need to have clear guidelines for the application process. Lenders that do their due diligence should not be liable for borrowers that pull a fast one. And loans need to cover more than 25% of expenses outside of payroll, such as rent and utilities. With or without these reforms, Congress needs to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program promptly. As the nation looks for a transition past this pandemic, we need our businesses to be able to keep their staffs in place and their operations running. 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. Audio - Click play to listen My Dear Fellow Clergymen: While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms. I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against "outsiders coming in." I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Frequently we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates. Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here. But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid. Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds. You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative. In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action. We have gone through all these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community. Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. These are the hard, brutal facts of the case. On the basis of these conditions, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. But the latter consistently refused to engage in good faith negotiation. Then, last September, came the opportunity to talk with leaders of Birmingham's economic community. In the course of the negotiations, certain promises were made by the merchants--for example, to remove the stores' humiliating racial signs. On the basis of these promises, the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and the leaders of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights agreed to a moratorium on all demonstrations. As the weeks and months went by, we realized that we were the victims of a broken promise. A few signs, briefly removed, returned; the others remained. As in so many past experiences, our hopes had been blasted, and the shadow of deep disappointment settled upon us. We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action, whereby we would present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and the national community. Mindful of the difficulties involved, we decided to undertake a process of self purification. We began a series of workshops on nonviolence, and we repeatedly asked ourselves: "Are you able to accept blows without retaliating?" "Are you able to endure the ordeal of jail?" We decided to schedule our direct action program for the Easter season, realizing that except for Christmas, this is the main shopping period of the year. Knowing that a strong economic-withdrawal program would be the by product of direct action, we felt that this would be the best time to bring pressure to bear on the merchants for the needed change. Then it occurred to us that Birmingham's mayoral election was coming up in March, and we speedily decided to postpone action until after election day. When we discovered that the Commissioner of Public Safety, Eugene "Bull" Connor, had piled up enough votes to be in the run off, we decided again to postpone action until the day after the run off so that the demonstrations could not be used to cloud the issues. Like many others, we waited to see Mr. Connor defeated, and to this end we endured postponement after postponement. Having aided in this community need, we felt that our direct action program could be delayed no longer. You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?" You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension." I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. The purpose of our direct action program is to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. I therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue. One of the basic points in your statement is that the action that I and my associates have taken in Birmingham is untimely. Some have asked: "Why didn't you give the new city administration time to act?" The only answer that I can give to this query is that the new Birmingham administration must be prodded about as much as the outgoing one, before it will act. We are sadly mistaken if we feel that the election of Albert Boutwell as mayor will bring the millennium to Birmingham. While Mr. Boutwell is a much more gentle person than Mr. Connor, they are both segregationists, dedicated to maintenance of the status quo. I have hope that Mr. Boutwell will be reasonable enough to see the futility of massive resistance to desegregation. But he will not see this without pressure from devotees of civil rights. My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture; but, as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals. We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied." We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse and buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five year old son who is asking: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"; when you take a cross county drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading "white" and "colored"; when your first name becomes "nigger," your middle name becomes "boy" (however old you are) and your last name becomes "John," and your wife and mother are never given the respected title "Mrs."; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness"--then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience. You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws. This is certainly a legitimate concern. Since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Court's decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, at first glance it may seem rather paradoxical for us consciously to break laws. One may well ask: "How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?" The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all." Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. Segregation, to use the terminology of the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, substitutes an "I it" relationship for an "I thou" relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things. Hence segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful. Paul Tillich has said that sin is separation. Is not segregation an existential expression of man's tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness? Thus it is that I can urge men to obey the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court, for it is morally right; and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are morally wrong. Let us consider a more concrete example of just and unjust laws. An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal. By the same token, a just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal. Let me give another explanation. A law is unjust if it is inflicted on a minority that, as a result of being denied the right to vote, had no part in enacting or devising the law. Who can say that the legislature of Alabama which set up that state's segregation laws was democratically elected? Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which, even though Negroes constitute a majority of the population, not a single Negro is registered. Can any law enacted under such circumstances be considered democratically structured? Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application. For instance, I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an ordinance which requires a permit for a parade. But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First-Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest. I hope you are able to see the distinction I am trying to point out. In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist. That would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law. Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire. To a degree, academic freedom is a reality today because Socrates practiced civil disobedience. In our own nation, the Boston Tea Party represented a massive act of civil disobedience. We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws. I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection. I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress. I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that the present tension in the South is a necessary phase of the transition from an obnoxious negative peace, in which the Negro passively accepted his unjust plight, to a substantive and positive peace, in which all men will respect the dignity and worth of human personality. Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with all its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured. In your statement you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion? Isn't this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery? Isn't this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquiries precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock? Isn't this like condemning Jesus because his unique God consciousness and never ceasing devotion to God's will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion? We must come to see that, as the federal courts have consistently affirmed, it is wrong to urge an individual to cease his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest may precipitate violence. Society must protect the robbed and punish the robber. I had also hoped that the white moderate would reject the myth concerning time in relation to the struggle for freedom. I have just received a letter from a white brother in Texas. He writes: "All Christians know that the colored people will receive equal rights eventually, but it is possible that you are in too great a religious hurry. It has taken Christianity almost two thousand years to accomplish what it has. The teachings of Christ take time to come to earth." Such an attitude stems from a tragic misconception of time, from the strangely irrational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will inevitably cure all ills. Actually, time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right. Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy and transform our pending national elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity. You speak of our activity in Birmingham as extreme. At first I was rather disappointed that fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist. I began thinking about the fact that I stand in the middle of two opposing forces in the Negro community. One is a force of complacency, made up in part of Negroes who, as a result of long years of oppression, are so drained of self respect and a sense of "somebodiness" that they have adjusted to segregation; and in part of a few middle-class Negroes who, because of a degree of academic and economic security and because in some ways they profit by segregation, have become insensitive to the problems of the masses. The other force is one of bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence. It is expressed in the various black nationalist groups that are springing up across the nation, the largest and best known being Elijah Muhammad's Muslim movement. Nourished by the Negro's frustration over the continued existence of racial discrimination, this movement is made up of people who have lost faith in America, who have absolutely repudiated Christianity, and who have concluded that the white man is an incorrigible "devil." I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the "do nothingism" of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist. For there is the more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest. I am grateful to God that, through the influence of the Negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle. If this philosophy had not emerged, by now many streets of the South would, I am convinced, be flowing with blood. And I am further convinced that if our white brothers dismiss as "rabble rousers" and "outside agitators" those of us who employ nonviolent direct action, and if they refuse to support our nonviolent efforts, millions of Negroes will, out of frustration and despair, seek solace and security in black nationalist ideologies--a development that would inevitably lead to a frightening racial nightmare. Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom, and something without has reminded him that it can be gained. Consciously or unconsciously, he has been caught up by the Zeitgeist, and with his black brothers of Africa and his brown and yellow brothers of Asia, South America and the Caribbean, the United States Negro is moving with a sense of great urgency toward the promised land of racial justice. If one recognizes this vital urge that has engulfed the Negro community, one should readily understand why public demonstrations are taking place. The Negro has many pent up resentments and latent frustrations, and he must release them. So let him march; let him make prayer pilgrimages to the city hall; let him go on freedom rides -and try to understand why he must do so. If his repressed emotions are not released in nonviolent ways, they will seek expression through violence; this is not a threat but a fact of history. So I have not said to my people: "Get rid of your discontent." Rather, I have tried to say that this normal and healthy discontent can be channeled into the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action. And now this approach is being termed extremist. But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice: "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Was not Martin Luther an extremist: "Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God." And John Bunyan: "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." And Abraham Lincoln: "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." And Thomas Jefferson: "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal . . ." So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime--the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists. I had hoped that the white moderate would see this need. Perhaps I was too optimistic; perhaps I expected too much. I suppose I should have realized that few members of the oppressor race can understand the deep groans and passionate yearnings of the oppressed race, and still fewer have the vision to see that injustice must be rooted out by strong, persistent and determined action. I am thankful, however, that some of our white brothers in the South have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it. They are still all too few in quantity, but they are big in quality. Some -such as Ralph McGill, Lillian Smith, Harry Golden, James McBride Dabbs, Ann Braden and Sarah Patton Boyle--have written about our struggle in eloquent and prophetic terms. Others have marched with us down nameless streets of the South. They have languished in filthy, roach infested jails, suffering the abuse and brutality of policemen who view them as "dirty nigger-lovers." Unlike so many of their moderate brothers and sisters, they have recognized the urgency of the moment and sensed the need for powerful "action" antidotes to combat the disease of segregation. Let me take note of my other major disappointment. I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership. Of course, there are some notable exceptions. I am not unmindful of the fact that each of you has taken some significant stands on this issue. I commend you, Reverend Stallings, for your Christian stand on this past Sunday, in welcoming Negroes to your worship service on a nonsegregated basis. I commend the Catholic leaders of this state for integrating Spring Hill College several years ago. But despite these notable exceptions, I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. I do not say this as one of those negative critics who can always find something wrong with the church. I say this as a minister of the gospel, who loves the church; who was nurtured in its bosom; who has been sustained by its spiritual blessings and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of life shall lengthen. When I was suddenly catapulted into the leadership of the bus protest in Montgomery, Alabama, a few years ago, I felt we would be supported by the white church. I felt that the white ministers, priests and rabbis of the South would be among our strongest allies. Instead, some have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leaders; all too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained glass windows. In spite of my shattered dreams, I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership of this community would see the justice of our cause and, with deep moral concern, would serve as the channel through which our just grievances could reach the power structure. I had hoped that each of you would understand. But again I have been disappointed. I have heard numerous southern religious leaders admonish their worshipers to comply with a desegregation decision because it is the law, but I have longed to hear white ministers declare: "Follow this decree because integration is morally right and because the Negro is your brother." In the midst of blatant injustices inflicted upon the Negro, I have watched white churchmen stand on the sideline and mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities. In the midst of a mighty struggle to rid our nation of racial and economic injustice, I have heard many ministers say: "Those are social issues, with which the gospel has no real concern." And I have watched many churches commit themselves to a completely other worldly religion which makes a strange, un-Biblical distinction between body and soul, between the sacred and the secular. I have traveled the length and breadth of Alabama, Mississippi and all the other southern states. On sweltering summer days and crisp autumn mornings I have looked at the South's beautiful churches with their lofty spires pointing heavenward. I have beheld the impressive outlines of her massive religious education buildings. Over and over I have found myself asking: "What kind of people worship here? Who is their God? Where were their voices when the lips of Governor Barnett dripped with words of interposition and nullification? Where were they when Governor Wallace gave a clarion call for defiance and hatred? Where were their voices of support when bruised and weary Negro men and women decided to rise from the dark dungeons of complacency to the bright hills of creative protest?" Yes, these questions are still in my mind. In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. Yes, I love the church. How could I do otherwise? I am in the rather unique position of being the son, the grandson and the great grandson of preachers. Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists. There was a time when the church was very powerful--in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being "disturbers of the peace" and "outside agitators."' But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were "a colony of heaven," called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be "astronomically intimidated." By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests. Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent--and often even vocal--sanction of things as they are. But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust. Perhaps I have once again been too optimistic. Is organized religion too inextricably bound to the status quo to save our nation and the world? Perhaps I must turn my faith to the inner spiritual church, the church within the church, as the true ekklesia and the hope of the world. But again I am thankful to God that some noble souls from the ranks of organized religion have broken loose from the paralyzing chains of conformity and joined us as active partners in the struggle for freedom. They have left their secure congregations and walked the streets of Albany, Georgia, with us. They have gone down the highways of the South on tortuous rides for freedom. Yes, they have gone to jail with us. Some have been dismissed from their churches, have lost the support of their bishops and fellow ministers. But they have acted in the faith that right defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. Their witness has been the spiritual salt that has preserved the true meaning of the gospel in these troubled times. They have carved a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment. I hope the church as a whole will meet the challenge of this decisive hour. But even if the church does not come to the aid of justice, I have no despair about the future. I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in Birmingham, even if our motives are at present misunderstood. We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom. Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with America's destiny. Before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson etched the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence across the pages of history, we were here. For more than two centuries our forebears labored in this country without wages; they made cotton king; they built the homes of their masters while suffering gross injustice and shameful humiliation -and yet out of a bottomless vitality they continued to thrive and develop. If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands. Before closing I feel impelled to mention one other point in your statement that has troubled me profoundly. You warmly commended the Birmingham police force for keeping "order" and "preventing violence." I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you were to see them slap and kick old Negro men and young boys; if you were to observe them, as they did on two occasions, refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together. I cannot join you in your praise of the Birmingham police department. It is true that the police have exercised a degree of discipline in handling the demonstrators. In this sense they have conducted themselves rather "nonviolently" in public. But for what purpose? To preserve the evil system of segregation. Over the past few years I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. I have tried to make clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or perhaps even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends. Perhaps Mr. Connor and his policemen have been rather nonviolent in public, as was Chief Pritchett in Albany, Georgia, but they have used the moral means of nonviolence to maintain the immoral end of racial injustice. As T. S. Eliot has said: "The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason." I wish you had commended the Negro sit inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation. One day the South will recognize its real heroes. They will be the James Merediths, with the noble sense of purpose that enables them to face jeering and hostile mobs, and with the agonizing loneliness that characterizes the life of the pioneer. They will be old, oppressed, battered Negro women, symbolized in a seventy two year old woman in Montgomery, Alabama, who rose up with a sense of dignity and with her people decided not to ride segregated buses, and who responded with ungrammatical profundity to one who inquired about her weariness: "My feets is tired, but my soul is at rest." They will be the young high school and college students, the young ministers of the gospel and a host of their elders, courageously and nonviolently sitting in at lunch counters and willingly going to jail for conscience' sake. One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters, they were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judaeo Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Never before have I written so long a letter. I'm afraid it is much too long to take your precious time. I can assure you that it would have been much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else can one do when he is alone in a narrow jail cell, other than write long letters, think long thoughts and pray long prayers? If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything that understates the truth and indicates my having a patience that allows me to settle for anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me. I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith. I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil-rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty. Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood, Martin Luther King, Jr. King, Martin Luther Jr. 16 April 1963 Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== 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 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. Ben Lerner, author of "The Topeka School." (Catherine Barnett/Catherine Barnett) Notable as a poet, Ben Lerner has in the last decade also published a trio of witty, topical, challenging novels that redefine what we want from and can expect of contemporary fiction. The first, Leaving the Atocha Station, referred to by critic Geoff Dyer as a comet from the future, was a savvy and moving assessment of Americans abroad and adrift after 9/11. His followup, 10:04, moved the action to Brooklyn and Manhattan, where the author pondered indignities large and small, from bad lunches to Hurricane Sandy. The Topeka School, winner of the 2019 Los Angeles Times Book Award for best fiction, deploys an even more potent arsenal of autofiction, erudition and dry wit. Set in the '90s, the story concerns three generations in Kansas, including a pair of psychotherapists and their champion debater son, and culminates in an act of violence that seems to change everything. Its about the power of words, the worst we can do to one another and the durability of memory, family and protest. Lerner discussed family, manipulation and the pitfalls of empathy in a long email exchange. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) At the heart of Topeka School is the bizarre art of speed debating, or spreading. How does it relate to what currently passes for, as your narrator Adam called it, national political discourse? The book wants to locate something like hope and not just horror in the extremity of fast debate or even in Trumps word salad. It wants to say that when a language collapses and becomes pure sound we are also reminded of our power to remake language, to refresh the social capacity for meaning-making. I think a lot about that phenomenon called semantic saturation how if you repeat a word often enough it starts to lose its meaning. On the one hand, its scary you feel the human world slipping away, language becoming noise. On the other hand, you are also reminded of the crazy miracle of language. New languages are always possible. You were a champion debater. How did it shape you as a citizen? Story continues I think debate for me kind of weaponized discourse, made it about winning and losing and point-scoring. In a way the adult Adam writing the book is at once horrified by the spread and sees it as a way these adolescents were pushing language to an extreme in order to reveal the emptiness of a lot of political rhetoric. He sees it as a kind of avant-garde poetry. I dont think it made me any kind of citizen but maybe it led me toward literature? The tragic character of Darren is a deeply vulnerable and also potentially scary figure. As a cerebral writer, how do you think about the smaller work of empathy? I think empathy in fiction means both imagining other minds and acknowledging the limits of ones ability to occupy the position of another. The italicized and peripheral sections written from something like Darrens perspective are the older Adams attempt to imagine Darrens vantage there is never really the pretense to having unmediated access to Darrens internal experience. The work of empathy is urgent, but if it passes into a kind of universalism or omniscience it can become a form of condescension or domination. I think the artistry is in trying to get the balance right: How do I identify with someone and also respect whats unknowable about them? How do I respect that I cant even know myself? Another theme is the way parents have to both teach and trust their children. Now that so many of us are homeschooling, how are you feeling about that balance? This is a book in part about remembering my childhood from my parents perspective now that Im a parent myself. And undertaking a thought experiment like that for me has involved both incredible admiration (the book is really an homage to them) and the realization that they like me often didnt know what they were doing. I dont pretend to have any wisdom about homeschooling in a crisis. Luckily I am married to an incredible educator so I have someone to teach me. Is there a young, emerging writer you want to highlight? I was recently taken by the Mexican novelist Fernanda Melchors novel Hurricane Season. Just today somebody sent me some very powerful poems by a poet out of Michigan named Jonah Mixon-Webster. Im fond of Emily Skillings poems. I encounter scores of great emerging writers through teaching. The classic Gelett Burgess poem The Purple Cow, featured in Topeka School, seems oddly perfect for the bizarre world we live in now. Some isolated readers seem to be finding solace in poetry. Whats your take on how poetry might offer us guidance? The poem is really important in the novel. Adams mother, Jane, learned it from her mother and passes it on to Adam but (the child) Adam and Jane play a little game of misquotation in which Adam always inserts errors into the poem and then Jane, pretending to be exasperated, corrects him. Jane is passing something down, but she and Adam are also making it their own, showing how the patterns of a family, like the patterns of the poem, can be broken and remade. So a nonsense poem becomes really important for them, full of meanings they cant otherwise speak. A poem can be a meeting place where we find and make and share meaning and watch those meanings change and multiply. Poems circulate between the living and the dead too. They suggest a different relation to time than the perpetual present of the news. Deuel is the author of Friday Was the Bomb: Five Years in the Middle East. The aim of the joint framework paper prepared by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael this week is about keeping them in power and is designed to keep Sinn Fein out of government, according to Louth TD, Ruairi O Murchu. The two parties signed off on a document outlining the pillars of what they believe could be the foundation for a programme for government, which is now being offered to all parties in Leinster House, except Sinn Fein, says Deputy O Murchu. The Dundalk-based TD was critical of the document which he called a wishy-washy shopping list of promises which is designed to keep Sinn Fein out of government while paying lip-service to our policies. Mr O Murchu said: This is the archetypical Late Late Show audience giveaway theres something for everyone in this document. There is even the suggestion they would create a unit that would plan for Irish reunification and commitments to support efforts towards a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Since the election results, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have been working hard to exclude Sinn Fein from government and refuse to hear the voices of the people who voted for us. That has been their main aim and this document is just an extension of that. Its a pity that it has taken a worldwide pandemic for them to begin to see that attainable housing, universal healthcare and affordable childcare were the issues that the voters wanted action on. When this crisis caused by the pandemic is over, we will be facing a new Ireland, a new world. This document is designed to lure smaller parties into coalition with them and to make people think these two parties will deliver real change but its really about keeping them in power. Voters wont buy what theyre selling here, because they have a long, long history of not delivering. Fine Gael in particular are the masters of spin, but are lacking when it comes to actual delivery. What people voted for in the general election is change and that change means the biggest housing building programme in the States history, being able to see a doctor when you are sick, affordable childcare, meaningful climate action and the right to a State pension at 65. And none of this is in this framework document. Real change needs stable government that will lead and deliver and thats what Sinn Fein wants to see. Sinn Fein has shown an ability to work with everyone in order to deal with the Covid-19 crisis. We would have liked a greater level of engagement with government which would have assisted in smoothing out the issues that have emerged in social protection, in PPE provision and in other areas and which could have led to better results for people. In the midst of a global pandemic, people are looking for mature politics and discourse, rather than old-style power grabs. Britains health officials do not disclose names or ethnicities of those succumbing to coronavirus, but individual stories behind the statistics are emerging: of the Indian-origin grocer who delivered supplies to a hospital, only to pass away in it days later. Or that of Uber driver Rajesh Jayaseelan, 45, who moved to the UK from Bengaluru 10 years ago: he drove to Heathrow to collect a passenger, showed symptoms soon after, and died in the Northwick Park Hospital on April 11. Raj Aggarwal, 51, dropped off groceries for medical staff at the Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, continued to support local causes through the crisis, but passed away after a short battle with the virus on April 9. Krishnasamy Chiyamalan, another retailer in the city, died a week earlier. Kin of those afflicted are unable to be around them in their dying moments, as hospital visits are prohibited due to the likelihood of the infection spreading, adding to their anxiety and grief. London boroughs with large populations of Indian origin have a high incidence of the virus. Also counted among the nearly 14,000 dead in UK are Jitendra Kumar Rathod, a greatly respected doctor in Wales; Pooja Sharma, a pharmacist in east Sussex, and her father Sudhir Sharma, an immigration officer at Heathrow. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab reflected concern over statistics concealing individual stories behind them during the daily briefing on virus-related developments in Downing Street on Thursday. He said: Every time I come to this lectern, and I read out the grim toll of people who have so sadly passed away. I walk away from here, and I think about what their sons and their daughters must be going through right now. Their brothers and sisters. Their grandchildren. All the loved ones left with their unbearable, long-term, grief. It makes me and it makes this government focus even harder on what we must do. Initial hospital data suggests that the minority non-white people in the UK constitute 35 per cent among those in critical care hospitals, prompting an inquiry. Most of the medical staff who died in recent days are non-white. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Cindy Kienzle, owner of Hungry Monkey, said that since her company was spotlighted April 1 by Mandel on the selling platform talkshoplive, her business has been working to keep pace with demand. The online marketplace provides small businesses with a litany of services. New Delhi, April 17 : For as long as humanity has existed, man has built monuments to commemorate deities, people and events. These structures and spaces act as physical archives of the past, representing a version of history. Woven with memories and experiences, their presence reveals visible footprints of the ones that came before us, playing an essential part of our identities. Surprisingly, while we make much effort to conserve our heritage, the notion that sites and monuments should be preserved and protected, is not too old. Thanks to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), endangered monuments have been protected and rescued. As a part of this initiative, UNESCO has established April 18 as the International Day for Monuments and Sites in 1983. This is also known as World Heritage Day, which aims to raise awareness about the diversity and vulnerability of the world's monuments and heritage sites, as well as the efforts required to protect and conserve them. Here are some of Azerbaijan's modern architectural monuments and medieval UNESCO World Heritage sites. The country's rich heritage dates back over 5,000 years; back to a time when numerous empires were attracted to the country's geographical location. Located on the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the Caucasus country was part of the Great Silk Road. Icherisheher The capital, Baku, is home to Icherisheher, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a valued space in Azerbaijan's cultural heritage. Located in the heart of Baku, the 12th-century defensive walls make up a maze of narrow roads spotted with limestone buildings. The city reveals, along with the dominant Azerbaijani element, evidence of Zoroastrian, Sassanian, Arabic, Persian, Shirvani, Ottoman, and Russian presence in cultural continuity. Shirvanshahs' Palace Located within the walls of Icherisheher is the Shirvanshahs' Palace, one of the pearls of Azerbaijan's architecture. Built at the highest point of Icherisheher, the structure dates to the late 12th century to the late 14th century, exhibiting a fascinating variety of medieval Islamic architecture. The structure preserves the tombs of the king Khalilullah I and his close relatives. Maiden Tower Maiden Tower is a much-loved symbol of Azerbaijan looming dark and enigmatic, overlooking the sea at the edge of Icherisheher. The origins of the tower are shrouded in mystery. Some evidence suggests that the construction of the Tower might have been as early as the 6th-7th centuries BC, and it was used as a fortress for defense in Shirvanshahs' period in the 12th century. From an aerial view, it resembles a "buta" (paisley pattern), which is the symbolic ornament of Azerbaijan. Some believe it could possibly be a temple of Zoroastrianism, as the "buta" represents fire. Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan's Palace The historic centre of Sheki and Sheki Khan's Palace are the most recently inscribed UNESCO site, added in July 2019. Located 5-hours from Baku at the foot of the Greater Caucasus mountains, the historic town of Sheki has ancient origins as part of Caucasian Albania, dating from the 6th century BCE. The charming city is one of Azerbaijan's most picturesque towns, filled with cobbled streets and medieval architecture. By the 19th century, Sheki, on the Silk Road path through Northwest Azerbaijan, was an international centre for silk production and various crafts. As a city known for its craftsmanship, a prime example of its creativity is Sheki Khan's Palace, a unique architectural monument of the empire of Khanate. Built by Huseyn Khan in 1762, the lavish tiles, fountains, and stained glass of the Palace are a visual feast. The facade is covered with shebeke, unique in that the mosaic of coloured glass set in a wooden latticework is assembled entirely without nails or glue. Gobustan Just 40 miles southwest of the centre of Baku, you will find unique art that predates to the Paleolithic age. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape covers 537 ha of more than 6,000 rock engravings bearing testimony to 40,000 years of rock art. The country is one of the earliest human settlements with evidence of early human habitation. The site at Gobustan features the remains of inhabited caves, settlements and burials, all reflecting intensive human use by the inhabitants of the area during the wet period that followed the last Ice Age, from the Upper Paleolithic to the Middle Ages. Awe-inspiring carvings are the furthest east that artwork of its kind has ever been found. As China tames the coronavirus epidemic now ravaging other countries, its success is giving rise to an increasingly strident blend of patriotism, nationalism and xenophobia, at a pitch many say has not been seen in decades Hong Kong: After 16 years in China, a Congolese businessman thought he knew what being black there entailed. He had been subjected to racial slurs and denied apartments, but he had also learned Chinese and made local friends. He loved the country; he called it his second home. But the businessman, Felly Mwamba, had not anticipated the coronavirus pandemic, during which he would find himself sealed in his home, prohibited from leaving and eyed as a carrier of the disease simply because he was African. The way they are treating black people, you cannot accept, Mwamba said by telephone. We are not animals. As China tames the coronavirus epidemic now ravaging other countries, its success is giving rise to an increasingly strident blend of patriotism, nationalism and xenophobia, at a pitch many say has not been seen in decades. A restaurant in northern China put up a banner celebrating the viruss spread in the United States. A widely-circulated cartoon showed foreigners being sorted into trash bins. African residents in the southern city of Guangzhou, including Mwamba, have been corralled into forced quarantines, labelled as dangers to the countrys health. Some of the uglier manifestations of nationalism have been fuelled by government propaganda, which has touted Chinas response to the virus as evidence of the ruling Communist Partys superiority. And recriminations from abroad, including calls to make China pay for the pandemic that began there, have triggered defensiveness on the part of many Chinese. Whipping up national pride has long been a tool for solidifying the partys grip on power. In the short term, the nationalism may be useful to the Central government as it seeks to quell lingering discontent over its early attempts to play down the outbreak. But if left unchecked, the vitriol risks isolating China internationally just as the Communist Party seeks to use the pandemic to promote itself as a global leader. In recent days, countries that are usually friendly with China have denounced Chinese xenophobia, while business leaders have warned of difficulties operating there. The real risk that the nationalism poses is to foreign governments perception of threat from China, said Jessica Chen Weiss, a professor at Cornell University who has studied Chinese nationalism. Chinas heightened us-against-them mentality is perhaps most apparent in its recent strictures aimed at foreigners. Although the Chinese government denounced racist attacks against Asians overseas when the outbreak was centred in China, it now casts people from other countries as public health risks. Last month, China barred virtually all foreigners from entering, even though it had criticised other countries for closing their borders. Officials emphasise that most of Chinas new cases are now imported often without mentioning that many are Chinese citizens returning home. Fear of imported infections has at times exploded into, or provided cover for, xenophobia. In Beijing and Shanghai, foreigners have been barred from some shops and gyms, supposedly as part of a campaign to combat the virus. We are temporarily not accepting foreign friends and people whose temperature is above 37.3, read a sign in a hair salon near Beijings central business district. A salon employee said she didnt see it as discrimination. It is an epidemic, after all, she said. John Artman, the American editor of a Chinese tech publication, said his office building in Beijing reopened last month after closing during the outbreak. But he was told that the building was not admitting foreigners. By coincidence, the company was already planning to move its office. But when he tried to visit the new office two weeks later, a colleague said the new site, too, would not permit foreigners to enter. Artman is still working from home. In Yiwu, a city in Zhejiang province, Lucky Destiny, a Nigerian jewellery exporter, said that whenever he went outside during the past two weeks, locals would cover their noses or move away. Shopkeepers shooed him away, and people got off buses when he boarded. He has taken to buying food only at night, when the streets are emptier. I had a plan for business, being able to build something for my family, said Destiny, 28. If this continues, I will try to leave. Authorities have said their outbreak prevention measures apply equally to Chinese and non-Chinese. But they have sometimes singled out foreigners in the same breath. A recent editorial in China Daily, a state-run newspaper, denied discrimination against foreigners even as it said that some foreigners choose to flout Chinas rules on containment. Some expressions of anti-foreigner sentiment have made no pretence about public health concerns. Last month, a porridge restaurant in the northeastern city of Shenyang displayed a banner that read: Celebrating the epidemic in the United States and wishing coronavirus a nice trip to Japan. Perhaps nowhere has xenophobia manifested itself more strongly than in Guangzhou, a manufacturing hub with a large African population. In recent days, African residents have reported being evicted from their homes and hotels after five Nigerians there tested positive for the virus. Africans have also been ordered to undergo 14-day quarantines at their own expense, even if they have no recent travel history or have already tested negative. Images shared on social media showed groups of black people sleeping on a sidewalk and a sign banning black people from a McDonalds. Mwamba, the Congolese trader, said he and other community leaders spent one night last week walking around the city, looking for lodging for Congolese students who had been ejected from their hotel. Soon after, his apartment door was taped shut with Mwamba inside, and local officials told him he could not go out for 14 days, he said. The events in Guangzhou have drawn sharp and unusual condemnation from officials in Africa, where China has cultivated close ties and economic reliance through billions of dollars in loans and investments. Ghanas foreign minister Saturday criticised the inhumane treatment of Africans in China. A group of African ambassadors wrote a letter to Chinas foreign minister denouncing stigmatisation and discrimination. Foreigners are not the only targets of Chinas swelling nationalism. Chinese people deemed insufficiently admiring of the government have been subjected to vitriolic online attacks by Chinas army of little pinks, a nickname for the generation of young digital warriors who pounce on any criticism of the Communist Party. They recently targeted a novelist, Fang Fang, who for two months published a daily journal of life under lockdown in Wuhan, where the outbreak began. She wrote of the bravery of ordinary people around her while also vowing to hold local government officials to account. When news emerged last week that her diary would be translated and published in English, she faced a torrent of abuse, accusing her of helping foreign governments undermine her own country. Her writings are being used to blackmail China, to demand that China pay compensation, to bring China to trial, to interrogate China, Sima Nan, a Maoist scholar and well-known defender of Communist Party rule, said about Fang Fang in an interview. She has become a political tool. Fang Fang has likened the harassment to her childhood during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 70s, when anyone seen as even mildly critical of Mao Zedong risked torture or imprisonment. A few prominent voices have warned of the dangers of excessive national pride. In a recent essay, Hua Sheng, a respected economist, urged more introspection. Some people say if we investigate our countrys culpability, we would be giving evidence to outsiders and giving them a sword with which to hurt our national interests, he wrote. I must say, its precisely the opposite. There are signs that the nationalism already threatens to create a backlash that could undermine Chinas economic and diplomatic status. Jorg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, recently said that the scope of limitations on foreigners in China was much deeper than in other countries and excludes us from a lot of public spaces. The chamber has called Chinas restrictions on arriving foreigners an unprecedented challenge for corporations. Further hostility could intensify existing pressure for countries to reduce their reliance on China. Last week, Japan historically a target of Chinese nationalism announced a $2.2 billion fund to help companies shift production out of China. The next day, Larry Kudlow, a top economic advisor to President Donald Trump, suggested that the United States follow suit and pay the moving costs of American companies from China back to the US. Mwamba, who exports motorcycle parts and construction materials, has been contemplating a move of his own, despite his deep ties to the country. This week made me really think a lot, he said. I love China, but sometimes, Im feeling tired. Vivian Wang and Amy Qin c.2020 The New York Times Company Private schools in the national capital will not be allowed to increase fees during the coronavirus lockdown without government approval and only the tuition fee can be charged till the time schools reopen, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced on Friday. Also, schools cannot withhold salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff or collect fee quarterly, Sisodia said. Schools found not following the directive have been warned of action under the Delhi School Act and National Disaster Management Act. "We are receiving complaints from many parents that private schools have increased their fees. These schools have also not notified the Delhi government. Costs like transportation fees are being added and demanded by the schools. And those students who are failing to pay the fees on time are being dropped from online classes. Private schools should not stoop down to this level," Sisodia said addressing a digital press conference. Sisodia, also the minister of Delhi, clarified that charges such as transport fee, annual fee or any other miscellaneous head cannot be levied during the lockdown. "Only tuition fee can be charged from students on monthly basis. No other fee like annual or transportation fee or under any other head should be charged in wake of the pandemic COVID 19. Schools cannot ask for three months' fee at a time. "And online classes facilities will not be stopped or terminated by private schools for students even if they fail to pay their fees. All students will have access to online learning facilities provided by their individual schools, even if they fail to pay the tuition fee," Sisodia said. Schools have also been mandated to pay salaries to staff including the contractual employees and seek funds from their parent organisation if they face any crunch. "All schools are directed to release full salaries of their staff on time including teaching and non-teaching staff. This order applies to all permanent, contractual and out-sourced employees of the schools. If they are short of funds, they can reach out to their parent organisation for funds. Those schools which are not complying with this order will be booked under Delhi School Act and National Disaster Management Act," Sisodia said. The country is under a lockdown since March 25 due to coronavirus spread. The lockdown has now been extended till May 3. While schools were closed and exams postponed at least two weeks before the lockdown was announced, online classes are being conducted by private schools as well as Delhi government-run schools. Several parents have been approaching the government with requests for fee waivers during the lockdown period. Sisodia, in an online interaction with parents, had said the government is deliberating on the subject as schools cited concerns about payment of salaries to staff. However, FICCI ARISE, a collegium of stakeholders who represent different facets of school education said the move will put private schools in jeopardy and government also nee to come up with some measures for them. "We re certainly going through an unprecedented crisis and we appreciate the government's intent to provide relief to parents. However, in light of the facts that there has been practically no fee increase in Delhi for the last five years and schools are being forced to pay seventh pay commission salaries, the schools' reserves have been completely depleted," said Shishir Jaipuria, Co-Chairman, FICCI Arise. "Besides many schools have deficits in their balance sheets for multiple years. Schools have already been drawing on development fees and annual charges to pay salaries to their teachers. This will put several schools in jeopardy and it may become very difficult to revive these institutions that are already in critical care. While taking such measures the government also needs to come with a slew of measures to save private schools," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jerry Seinfeld got it right when he praised the black-and-white cookie on Seinfeld: Two races of flavor living side by side in harmony. . . . If people would only look to the cookie, all our problems would be solved. And what would happen if that 1994 episode of the show, The Dinner Party, aired today? I assume Jerry would find himself widely denounced as racially insensitive, and NBC would get very nervous, not that it would even allow such an episode to air today. Seinfeld emphasized the importance of getting some vanilla and some chocolate in each bite: fusion, as opposed to separatism, was Jerrys vision of cookie fellowship. Today, fusion cuisine may be a hot trend, but it also faces the nightsticks of the cultural-appropriation police. Does food bring us together or highlight our differences? The question arises in a light, cute feel-good dramedy, Abe, that sets out to applaud the bridge-building properties of food but winds up doing the opposite, seemingly without its director even being aware. Abe (which is being released digitally and via VOD services) is sure to attract attention over at Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedins place: Its about a 12-year-old kid (played by Noah Schapp of Stranger Things) who is being raised in a secular Brooklyn household where the mothers side of the family are Israeli Jews and the fathers side are Palestinian Muslims. The parents want no part of Middle Eastern feuds and have done what generations of previous Americans have done: raise their kid as simply an American. Even the title of the film is a declaration of neutrality: Abe, the boys preferred handle, evades the question of whether he is Ibrahim, as his Palestinian grandparents think of him, or Abraham, his name to his Israeli relatives. The parents want Abe to be neither Muslim nor Jewish; the boys father even serves him a pork sandwich. Yet Abe wants to be both Muslim and Jewish to have two reasons to reject that pork. He announces that he wants a bar mitzvah even as he fasts for Ramadan. This makes no sense to either side sorry, its one or the other, the grandparents tell him but Abe is applying foodie principles to his identity. His true religion is cuisine. Hes already an advanced cook who loves to merge cuisines of different ethnicities in inventive ways and flourishes under the tutelage of an Afro-Brazilian chef, Chico (Seu George), who runs a popular street booth selling delectables on the Brooklyn waterfront. Story continues The message of Abe is that food brings us together: Whats more fun than wacky mashups like Chinese food in a taco? This kind of melting-pot thinking is characteristic of Chico and his compatriots from the famously inclusive Brazil. The Brazilians come from various racial and ethnic groups, but there are no cultural barriers among them, either interpersonally or in the food they cook. The only rule is that whatever tastes good together belongs together. Yet at home, Abes grandparents cant keep their politics away from the dinner table, where things have a tendency to get huffy. Youre occupying our land, and all that. Abes plan to use his culinary talents to heal rifts turns out to be disastrous at a Thanksgiving feast that intends to celebrate both Palestinian and Israeli traditions yet serves only to remind everyone about the various sources of disputation back in the Middle East. Charges of cultural appropriation fly. Directed by a Brazilian, Fernando Grostein Andrade, and written by two Palestinian-Americans, Lameece Issaq and Jacob Kade, Abe boxes itself into a corner it cant get out of, so the hurried third act amounts to a cop-out that avoids the conflict. No one in the film realizes this, but Abe would have been better off if, instead of a multicultural feast, he had presented for Thanksgiving a buffet of desultory mashed potatoes, watery corn, and insipid squash to go with bland turkey. The way to achieve peace, on this all-American holiday, would have been to serve up a robustly inoffensive all-American meal that everyone could quietly pretend to like. As Abe does the opposite, Abe delivers an unintended seminar in how bristling multiculturalism tears people apart; we shouldnt break into factions when we break bread. So an upbeat film turns dispiriting as it reminds us that Mideast-style tribal thinking increasingly gets attached to food. With their sensitivity to cultural appropriation and squabbling about who holds an ancestral claim to which delicacy, Abes grandparents sound like nothing so much as Oberlin students. More from National Review The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has condemned the inhuman treatment meted out on some Nigerians by the Chinese authorities in Beijing. Gbajabiamila stated that China must explain its action against Nigerians, he further stated that the House is waiting to hear from the Chinese ambassador at least by Tuesday next week. The Speaker stated this on Thursday during a meeting with Zhou Pingjian, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria. He challenged Pingjian with the protest video of the incident, where a Nigerian was seen challenging Chinese officials over the maltreatment. Also in attendance at the meeting were the Minority Leader, Rep. Ndudi Elumelu and Deputy Minority Leader, Rep. Toby Okechukwu. The Speaker noted the viral videos showed some Nigerians been forced into another 14-day quarantine after the initial 14 days they spent for the same purpose over the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Gbajabiamila told Pingjian that there should be an official explanation for treating Nigerians in such a manner. He demanded to know if the Chinese Ambassador has taken up the issue with his home country, adding, If the diplomatic relationships between our two countries are for the mutual benefits of our citizens, then there must be respect for our citizens, and we should not compromise it. As a government, we will not allow Chinese or other nationals to be maltreated just as we will not allow Nigerians to be maltreated in other countries. The way you treat your citizens, we expect thats how youll treat others. We will not tolerate our citizens breaking your laws, but the crime of one citizen cannot be used to stigmatize the whole country. It appears thats what happened in this case. You cant use one brush to smear the whole wall. Whatever the reason, it cannot be used and taken out on the entire community in China. Ambassador Pingjian in his response noted that he has not been officially informed about the details of the incident, but will take it up with his government. Speaking further, Gbajabiamila said the House will expect feedback from the Ambassador as soon as possible, saying We are glad you are looking into it but we are hoping to have it at least by Tuesday. It is better we nip it in the bud so that it doesnt escalate to another level. So, by Tuesday, if you have the information to give us if steps have been taken, lets talk about it and lets see the way forward. Share this post with your Friends on India's fuel consumption slumped by a record 50 per cent in April as all petroleum products except LPG saw massive demand erosion following a nationwide lockdown halted economic activity and travel. According to provisional industry data for fuel consumption in the first half of April, petrol sales were down 64 per cent, while diesel slumped by 61 per cent. Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) consumption collapsed by 94 per cent as most airlines have stopped flying. The only fuel that showed growth was LPG as the government dole of free cooking gas cylinders to poor households fired up consumption by 21 per cent during April 1 to 15, the data showed. Overall the decline in petroleum product sales was 50 per cent, it said. The data pertains to sales made by three public sector (PSU) oil marketing companies. Private firms such as Nayara Energy do not share mid-month sales trend and their numbers get reflected only in the monthly consumption numbers released by the oil ministry in the second week of every month. Industry officials said this is the biggest ever drop in sales and the first data for the complete lockdown period. March sales numbers were released last week but this included consumption in the pre-lockdown period as well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a 21-day lockdown beginning March 25, shutting offices and factories, barring those involved in essential services. Also, flights were suspended, trains stopped plying, vehicles went off the road and cargo movement stopped as most people were asked to stay home to help check the spread of coronavirus. The lockdown was earlier this week extended till May 3. India had consumed 2.4 million tonnes of petrol and 7.3 million tonnes of diesel in April 2019. As much as 6,45,000 tonnes of ATF was used in that month last year. In March 2020, the country's petroleum product consumption fell 17.79 per cent to 16.08 million tonnes. Diesel, the most consumed fuel in the country, saw demand contract by 24.23 per cent to 5.65 million tonnes. This is the biggest fall in diesel consumption the country has recorded as most trucks went off-road and railways stopped plying trains. Petrol sales dropped 16.37 per cent to 2.15 million tonnes, while ATF consumption fell 32.4 per cent to 4,84,000 tonnes. However, LPG sales rose 1.9 per cent to 2.3 million tonnes in March. Officials said petrol and diesel consumption is likely to pick up in the second half of the month as the government has allowed trucks to ply as well as farmers and industries in rural areas to resume operations after April 20. Besides inter and intra-state movement of goods traffic by road as well as rail, vehicles used by e-commerce operators will also be on-road from April 20. Also, farming operations, as well as industries outside municipal limits, have also been allowed to operate from April 20. Besides, road construction and resumption of work on projects in industrial clusters have been allowed. All these will involve fuel consumption, they said. As part of a plan to exit the world's biggest lockdown and revive stalled economic activity, the government on Wednesday allowed makers of information technology hardware, farmers and industries in rural areas to resume operations after April 20. From April 20, the government will lift restrictions on e-commerce companies, goods movement by roads and restart port and air cargo operations. Factories beyond municipal limits, including those in the food processing industry, mining, packaging material, oil and gas exploration, and refineries will be allowed to operate. Road construction, irrigation projects, construction work and projects in industrial areas such as SEZ and EoUs will be allowed to function. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nguyen Thanh Ha, lawyer of Vietbid Consulting Co., Ltd. Despite having an advantage of environmental protection, LNG has been a luxurious energy solution because it depends much on high, fluctuating oil prices, sophisticated transport infrastructure, and ports and warehouses, as well as complicated re-gasification, thus requiring huge investment. However, with recent changes in the worlds energy picture and a downtrend in oil prices, the LNG price has seen many downward changes towards being more affordable, stable, and independent with oil prices. Many years ago, the Vietnamese government passed a masterplan for the countrys gas development until 2025 with a vision towards 2035 which requires government agencies to study and find potential markets, and strengthen infrastructure development for LNG imports with the volume of one to four billion cubic metres a year during 2021-2025, and from six to 10 billion cu.m during 2026-2035. The Politburos recently-enacted Resolution No.55-NQ/TW on the orientation of the National Energy Development Strategy of Vietnam to 2030, with a vision to 2045, which also placed a stress on LNG development strategy prioritising investment in technical infrastructure development for imports and consumption of LNG. Specifically, the resolution touches on developing infrastructure to be able to import 8 billion cu.m of LNG annually by 2030, and around 15 billion cu.m by 2045. In spite of having these plans for years, Vietnam has so far not developed any related projects. One of the reasons for this is that the country had no urgent demand for LNG import over past years, as the countrys energy sources of on local hydropower, and coal and natural gas were still sufficient. Now the countrys exploration and exploitation of sources of sizeable hydropower and coal apparently has reached off limits so that it is impossible to have new large capacity of hydropower and coal-fired power. In the meantime, the existing supply of natural gas has tended to decline significantly, while no new significant sources are discovered. Therefore, the countrys local supplies will hardly meet local demand in the coming time. Moreover, even if the country wants to import coal for coal-fired power generation, it will be increasingly infeasible because many countries in the world, especially developed nations from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, have policies to limit or even ban loans for development of related ventures. As a result, LNG import will be an inevitable solution for Vietnams energy in the future. In the last two or three years, there has been a wave of proposals for the development of gas-to-power projects from domestic and foreign investors. Among international financiers, such groups range from powerful LNG traders and leading equipment manufacturers to newly-founded companies. In particular, in the first group of LNG traders, many famous names included JERA of Japan and South Koreas Kogas. JERA, in particular, annually trades about 40 million tonnes of LNG, accounting for over 30 per cent of LNG trading volume globally. The second group are of the worlds leaders in LNG exploitation and supply, for example ExonMobil (US), Shell (UK), Gazprom (Russia), and Woodside (Australia). The third group includes leading manufacturers of equipment such as GE (US), Siemens (Germany), and construction and engineering companies like GS and Daewoo (South Korea). The fourth group are power companies, including Kepco of South Korea and B.Grimm of Thailand, among others. The fifth group includes organisations who represent investment funds such as Americans Gen X and VinaCapital. The final batch has involvement of newly-established smaller companies whose founders are experts, consultants, and entrepreneurs such as ECV and Singapores Delta Offshore Energy Pte., Ltd. (DOE), aiming to develop and obtain approval of the projects and then call for investment from other firms, including those in the aforementioned groups. In fact, this last group has some advantages such as their high flexibility in project development. Probably partly because of this advantage, the first LNG scheme licensed by the government the Bac Lieu LNG initiative is developed by one of the companies in this group. Worth approximately $4 billion, it is the biggest foreign direct investment scheme in the Mekong Delta region, invested by DOE. Thus far, these groups have submitted many LNG initiatives, with the location focusing in central coastal and southern regions such as Thi Vai, Long Son, Ca Na, Ke Ga, and Van Phong. According to initial statistics, total capacity of mixed gas turbine power plants using imported LNG being proposed in the central and southern regions reaches over 40,000MW, which will push annual demand for LNG imports to 30 million tonnes. This figure surpasses the targets set in the master plan and Resolution 55. Many experts said that the actual development of LNG may be much bigger than the countrys strategies and plans, which might happen in a similar fashion with solar power in recent years. However, solar power projects are generally small-scale with capacity of several dozens of MW and investment capital of less than several hundreds of million US dollars, and are invested by domestic companies, thus possibly accessing loans from local banks with easier lending conditions. Conversely, most LNG initiatives have a much bigger scale, capacity, and investment capital, and are likely to be financed largely by international banks with stricter requirements and conditions. Instead of developing specific mechanisms for each venture as it does at present for the Son My and Nhon Trach projects, the government needs to have general policies and regulations for all such schemes in the industry, especially in regard to the issues of the take or pay mechanism, the pass through of fuel prices, and others. On the other hand, the synchrony between gas sales agreements and power purchase agreements with Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) is a critical issue for developers in the context that gas sales contracts face much instability in the global market, while power sales to EVN is increasingly following the auction mechanism of the competitive power generation market. There remains hope that some LNG to power projects will be developed and constructed soon, making them a foundation to build and complete legal frameworks for the countrys new energy industry in the future. T he European Union will be doomed as a political project if its richest nations adopt a sinners must pay approach and fail to help Italy and Spain recover from the coronavirus crisis, Emmanuel Macron warned today. The French President said the EU faced a moment of truth as it decided whether to approve an unprecedented debt-sharing plan designed to help countries across Europe rebuild. The scheme has met resistance from the Netherlands, Germany and others who are reluctant to bail out southern European countries that have run up debts through lax spending controls. But Mr Macron whose blunt message today in an interview with the Financial Times follows a similar warning from Italys prime minister last week said the eurozone and the EU itself were at risk unless its weakest members were supported. 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 Asked if failure to do this could lead to the eurozones collapse, Mr Macron replied: Yes, we must be clear and also of the European idea. You cannot have a single market where some are sacrificed. He added: If we cant do this today, I tell you the populists will win today, tomorrow, the day after, in Italy, in Spain, perhaps in France and elsewhere. I believe [the EU] is a political project. If its a political project, the human factor is the priority and there are notions of solidarity that come into play. The French president said this meant there was no choice but to set up a fund dubbed a coronabonds scheme which could issue common debt with a common guarantee to support EU member states. Mr Macrons warning follows an admission yesterday by the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that it had failed to give adequate support to Italy the European country worst affected. Its right that Europe offers a heartfelt apology, she said. Too many were not there on time when Italy needed a helping hand at the very beginning. Meanwhile, Denmark announced today that it will allow certain small businesses, such as hairdressers, beauty salons and driving schools to reopen on Monday. Loading.... There were also renewed signs of progress in Germany where health minister Jens Spahn said the coronavirus outbreak had become manageable. Mr Spahn said the number of patients who had made a recovery had been higher than the number of new infections every day this week. Earlier, Mr Spahn said a coronavirus contact tracing app would be ready for Germans to use in three to four weeks. In Italy, a police investigation has been launched after it was revealed as many as 190 people in the countrys largest nursing home had died since the start of the coronavirus outbreak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday assured India's support to South Africa in maintaining essential medical supplies to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi apprised about his discussion with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and South Africa is ably coordinating the African Union effort against the pandemic. Had a good discussion with President @CyrilRamaphosa about the COVID-19 challenge, and assured Indias support to South Africa for maintaining essential medical supplies. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 17, 2020 PM Modi added that as a long-standing friend of Africa, India stands ready to support this effort in every way. READ: COVID-19 doubling rate improves to 6.2 days; growth rate declines by 40%: Health Ministry The Prime Minister also discussed the global health crisis with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. "Discussed on phone with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi @AlsisiOfficial about the COVID-19 situation in India and Egypt. India will extend all possible support to Egypt's efforts to control the spread of the virus and its impact," Modi said in another tweet. READ: MHA expands lockdown exemption: Forestry, plantation, construction in rural areas allowed South Africa has been on lockdown except for essential services to combat the coronavirus pandemic. If the results so far appear promising, crime at its lowest level in years, a downtown Johannesburg seemingly free of air pollution, there is a toll. Small businesses like these cannot operate. The biggest collateral damage in South Africas lockdown, which has been extended until the beginning of April, may very well be felt by the 2.5 million workers and business owners in the informal sector, which accounts for 36% of the countrys non-agricultural employment. For many people living in overcrowded townships like Soweto and informal settlements, the coronavirus is a rich white mans disease. Their main concern is putting food on the table. READ: EAM Jaishankar discusses COVID-19 crisis with Spanish FM Meanwhile, In another piece of good news, the Ministry of Health on Friday said the average growth rate of COVID-19 cases has declined by 40% from mid-March to now while the doubling rate of the disease has gone up to 6.2 days according to data of last seven days. The Ministry informed that the doubling rate is lower than the national level in 19 States and Union Territories. The recovery rate of COVID-19 patients has also improved to 13.06%. "The average growth factor of cases has been 1.2 from April 1, while during March 15-31, the average growth factor was 2.1. This decline of 40% has occurred due to an increase in testing, including testing of SARI and ILI cases," Joint Secretary of Health Lav Agarwal said. READ: China denies cover-up in coronavirus outbreak hours after raising death toll by 50% For many Houston-area high school seniors, the novel coronavirus pandemic has robbed them of prom, graduation and other special end-of-year traditions. But one Houston shelter is helping animal-loving seniors celebrate their own version of prom. The Houston Humane Society's "quarantine prom" will offer a small group of Houston seniors on Friday their own animal-themed party, complete with "promposals," corsages and photo-ops. This is a sample of the PCR Testing Kit developed and approved for use in South Korea. It is one of two testing kits developed in the country. (Photo Credit: Romania-Insider.com) For those Caricom countries interested in procuring COVID-19 test kits, they need look no further than the Cayman Islands. Following consultation with the Chief Medical Officer, Medical Officer of Health and the Chief Executive Officer of the Health Services Authority, the Cayman Islands government set aside 100,000 test kits that were obtained in a minimum shipment of 200,000 PCR test kits from South Korea, for its own use. PCR tests are considered to be the gold standard for COVID-19 testing. It will offer the remaining kits, at cost, to regional Caricom and British Overseas Territory governments. Cayman Islands Minister of Health Dwayne Seymour, in noting that Cayman Islands has for decades been home to many persons from around the Caribbean region, said he was pleased to support his Premier and Cabinet colleagues in the decision to avail the test kits to their Caribbean colleagues, in their fight against the coronavirus. Since the offer was availed, 35,000 kits have been sold to Bermuda, and by April 11, Barbados had taken possession of 20,000 units. Commenting on his countrys offer, Premier Alden McLaughin commented after the transfer to Barbados: "We have fortunately been able to purchase many more test kits than we need. It is only fitting that we share the excess with our friends and neighbours, who can use them to help save lives and eradicate this virus, something that is in everyones interest. Eager to reboot the US economy after unprecedented unemployment claims and instable markets, Donald Trump has been impatient to resume business as usual and lift Americans from stay-at-home orders across the US in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. He shared his "Opening Up America Again" guidelines, borrowing from his campaign slogans, with governors on Thursday, with plans to gradually reopen businesses as soon as 1 May. The president told governors that "you're gonna call your shots" and stressed that the guidelines are recommendations. He previously said he has "total authority" to determine how states can reopen. (States and local municipalities alone determine whether to end their quarantines.) He said: "If you're ready and you have those beautiful, low numbers like some of you have, let's get going. Let's open up your state." To begin re-opening, states must have a "downward trajectory" of "influenza-like illnesses" and confirmed Covid-19 cases within a two-week period and must prove "robust testing" for at-risk workers. States must also be able to "quickly set up safe and and efficient" screening sites and contact tracing and ensure "sentinel surveillance" sites are also screening asymptomatic people. The states also must have personal protective equipment and other medical supplies readily available in the event of a surge in cases, and protect frontline workers as well as public transit riders, among other safety protocols. Phase One recommends Americans continue physical distancing efforts in public and to "avoid socialising" in groups of more than 10 people. It also recommends avoiding nonessential travel. Under Phase One of reopening: Employers should continue remote working and to close common areas and "enforce strict social distancing protocol." Restaurants, places of worship, gyms and movie theatres can reopen with physical distancing measures enforced. Bars should remain closed. Doctors can resume elective surgeries. Schools that have closed should remain closed, and hospitals and senior living facilities should remain off limits to visitors. States without a spike in cases through Phase One can move to Phase Two: Schools, restaurants, bars and gyms to reopen with a smaller occupancy limit. Non-essential travel can resume People can gather in groups no larger than 50 people, but employers should encourage remote working. Without any "rebound" in virus activity during Phase Two, states can move to Phase Three: Staff is overburdened and often unprotected In addition to calling for increased transparency by nursing homes and state and federal agencies, Ryan said AARP is advocating for increased COVID-19 testing for nursing home residents and staff, increased access to personal protective equipment for nursing home caregivers, and a solution to the staffing crisis at nursing homes, which were understaffed before the pandemic. In Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan has called on strike teams of Maryland National Guard members to help overburdened nursing homes. New Hampshire is the first state to implement hazard pay for state health care workers, Ryan said. AARP is pushing for other states and the federal government to help recruit workers to stem the caregiver shortage. Experts said the coronavirus has spread so quickly in nursing homes for several reasons. First, residents are particularly vulnerable to the virus because they're older and often have multiple underlying health conditions. Residents are often housed as tightly as three to a room, and meals and activities are communal. And caregivers, who are often paid minimum wage, sometimes work at multiple facilities to increase their income, which has the potential to spread infections. A lack of communication with families But many nursing homes had poor records for infection control before the crisis struck, which made them particularly vulnerable to the pandemic, according to Patricia McGinnis, executive director of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform. In March, for example, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported that employees at 36 percent of nursing homes it inspected did not follow proper handwashing guidelines, and 25 percent failed to demonstrate the proper use of personal protective equipment. Nursing homes couldn't deal with C. diff, sepsis and MRSA, McGinnis said, referring to a list of infections that swept through nursing homes before the pandemic. With COVID-19, the spread is just no surprise." A Washington Post analysis of records from the 650 nursing homes that have reported COVID-19 cases found that 40 percent had been cited multiple times for problems with infection control. Industry officials said that they are doing all they can but that the virus presents a unique threat. "Outbreaks are not the result of inattentiveness or a shortcoming in nursing homes, said a spokeswoman for the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). It's the combination of the behavior of this virus and the unique threat it presents to the people we care for older adults with multiple underlying health conditions. Nursing homes and assisted living communities are doing everything they can with the limited resources they have been given to slow the acceleration of the virus for our residents." In New Jersey, which is reeling from nursing home deaths, Evelyn Liebman, AARP state director of advocacy, said nursing homes have done poorly at communicating with families since the homes closed to visitors. Nursing homes in the state are required to notify families within 24 hours if a resident has a COVID-19 infection, but that's often not happening, she said. Laurie Facciarossa Brewer, the New Jersey ombudsman for long-term care facilities, echoed those concerns. "People are dying in nursing homes, and they are dying in some cases very quickly, and families in some cases are unable to get information or updates on their loved ones, Facciarossa Brewer said. It's horrifying." It is not just the poor alone who are taking time to wrap their head around the long-lasting consequences the coronavirus pandemic can have on the world Editor's Note: Thousands of Indians are stranded in foreign lands across the world, some by choice, others due to geopolitical, financial and academic constraints. In this multi-part series, Firstpost takes a look at how they are managing through the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic *** Twenty-five-year-old Shyamali, who lives in Berlin, Germany, calls her parents in Ludhiana, Punjab, every day to keep them updated with genuine COVID-19 information rather than let them being swayed by viral and unfounded WhatsApp forwards. Her family has been very careful especially after the first case emerged in Punjab on 19 March 2020. My parents have lived through the Emergency of 1984. Thats why while talking about the current lockdown to them I try not to trigger their trauma," she says. Shyamali informs that one her uncles died during the 2009-10 swine flu pandemic, and having lived through it is working in their favour since the symptoms and precautions (of swine flu and COVID-19) are similar. "Since, my parents went through the swine flu ordeal, they know how to disinfect surfaces and touch points. They know the drill, she says. Germany is currently capable of testing 5,00,000 people in a week with the least number of critical cases and many empty ICUs. Since every person with the symptoms is not being treated unless there has been direct contact with an infected person or one has travel history to one of the COVID-19 infected countries employees are exempted from showing up to work if they have mild respiratory disease, hence, helping curb the spread of the disease. However, language proves to be a barrier when accessing the healthcare in Germany for non-German speakers. One of the problems I face here while accessing the healthcare is that the doctors mostly do not speak English and I have fundamental knowledge of German, which sometimes is not enough. That makes it a bit difficult to access the facility. I just wish they would learn to speak English so it is easy to communicate with the foreigners, she says. While people across a broad spectrum are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, globally, it is the poor who are categorically left out of the conversations on COVID-19. In India, the mass exodus of migrant labourers in various cities is a massive oversight and shows a lack of coordination between state governments and the Central Government. Without a systematic support to keep themselves abreast of latest updates, it is uncertain how the virus will impact different demographics, especially those who are poor, undernourished and without resources to self-isolate. Pranshu Upadhyay (28), a consulting engineer in Rome, Italy, notes this about his city Monteverde: Mostly people cooperated since the initial stage. However, some people did not pay heed to the rules and did not take them seriously. They were mostly poor people. However, it is not just the poor alone who are taking time to wrap their head around the long-lasting consequences COVID-19 can have on the world. I dont think I realised the gravity of the pandemic since the situation here was relatively better than Northern Italy. People did panic a bit initially wondering how a lockdown would be and guessing if the supplies would be available. But they are available now. Plus, strict norms are being set by the authority to maintain social-distancing, adds Upadhyay. Twenty-eight-year-old Visvak, who is doing MA at SOAS University in London said that healthcare is available to all in the UK via the National Health Service which is funded out of general taxation. Everyone gets it via student and work visas and it is a good amount. But right now because of COVID-19, NHS is overwhelmed and is not able to handle the number of cases. One person in my flat was ill for almost two weeks and we contacted the NHS two or three times but they told her to self-isolate. This was difficult since we all share the kitchen in dormitory. This put everyone else at risk. Luckily, she recovered a couple of weeks back and it was just a seasonal sickness, he informs. Abhijit Banare (27), an MPhil student of public policy at University of Cambridge said that the students at the University were emailed helpline numbers, email ids and cell phone numbers to be used in case of emergency. If there are any symptoms, one would have to call the college administration so that they know the possible isolation cases. They would then coordinate with the NHS. An email id is dedicated to advisories and day-to-day updates and suggestions, he informs. After a disaster there is usually a search for someone to blame but sometimes the reckless vengeance can be as bad as the original calamity. After the September 11, 2001 attacks the US lashed out in anger and invaded Iraq which resulted in the deaths of almost 5000 US servicemen. That example should be borne in mind as the world considers how to apportion blame for the current coronavirus epidemic. The finger of blame is being pointed at China, whose responsibility is clear, but also at the World Health Organisation, the Geneva-based United Nations body which, among other things, is supposed to act as an early warning system for global health emergencies. It stands accused of failing for a few crucial weeks to issue forceful warnings about the risk of the COVID-19 epidemic in China spreading to the outside world. This is a very unique museum in Tokyos Edogawa district. It has hundreds of dwarf trees or known as bonsai, which is mastered by Japanese bonsai artists for 800 years. The museum is visited by tourists from all over the world as well as local people to enjoy these mesmerizing trees. Many students from around the world come to learn the art of bonsai by Japans most famous bonsai teacher. The price of these trees ranges from tens of dollars to about $1 million for a single bonsai depending on its type, age and the technique used to bend its torso and twigs. Kunio Kobayashi, Bonsai Teacher said, Seventeen years ago, I decided to build this museum to spread the art of bonsai in the world. This museum has more than 1,000 bonsai trees of about thirty different species. Some of which are as rare as black pine bushes and so on. About 30 kinds of trees are exhibited. Bonsai art was born in China 1,300 years ago and moved to Japan 800 years ago. Our ancestors delete wasting elements based on the sense of beauty. It made the present form. One of the most famous bonsai trees in Japan is kept in this museum. This tree is well known for its extreme age. A visitor said, Im really impressed with the bonsai. The level of detail in the bonsai and the way they are maintained is very intricate, and it shows a lot of hard work. Visitors can come and if they wish they can receive a guided tour to understand bonsai more. This museum also offers a unique experience to learn about bonsai and understand the basics to treat owning bonsai. For more depth experience they also offer learning courses, which students want to join from all over the world. Hang Yuwai, a Chinese student said, Bonsai trees are very expensive in my country, and are only bought by the rich. I want to learn this art to spread it to others and give everyone the ability to enjoy the beauty of this art. Japan has become the homeland of bonsai for good reason. Japanese quality and effort turned un-matured and unpopular practice into a highly respected and widely practised art form. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After taking a financial beating during trade wars the last two years alleviated to some extent by federal bailouts the agriculture sector in Iowa now must cope with the ramifications of the coronavirus epidemic. Americans have had to change dining habits. According to the U.S. Department of Agricultures household resilience index, food purchased away from home for hotels, restaurants and institutions previously accounted for 54% of total food expenditures, and eating at home was 46%. Now restaurants can no longer offer dining in, hotels are largely empty and schools are closed. Fruits and vegetables have been in danger of quickly rotting while awaiting rerouting. The growers association recently implored USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue to have the agency buy $1 billion worth of perishables. Some of that produce has gone to food banks. Iowas agriculture industry a leading producer of corn, soybeans, hogs, eggs, cattle and dairy is also feeling the pain. Beleaguered dairy producers, who never seem to catch a break, are hurting with school cafeterias closed, while restaurants and hotels have less need for milk and cream. According to CNBC, grain futures in recent weeks have been grim. Corn futures were down 10% and soybeans 4%. Corn-based ethanol is caught in the crosshairs of the oil war between the Saudis and the Russians, which have increased production while COVID-19 has reduced consumption. With an oil glut, prices have tanked at $20 per barrel and storage space is running out. For the U.S. oil producers, its also an opportunity to drive down competitors in ethanol and fracking. The Trump administration reneged on promises to help the former, then vowed more help. The latter is awash in debt with conservatives and environmentalists opposing a possible bailout bid. With fewer Americans eating out, demand for beef, pork, chicken and fish has declined. Futures prices for lean hogs decreased 12% over a recent two-week period and cattle prices 13%. Iowa farmers have had to assess the risk theyre willing to take amid an uncertain future. One question is whether China will honor its commitment to buy $40 billion to $50 billion in farm goods that President Donald Trump maintained in February was a condition of an interim trade pact. Prior to the two-year trade war, China bought $20 billion in U.S. farm products, which fell to $8 billion annually. Because African swine fever has wiped out nearly half of its hogs, more pork purchases are expected. China presumably wants to keep Trump happy, even if forgoing soybean deals with Brazil, which has its own problems. But Iowa farmers concerns are compounded by the availability of seasonal workers willing to take jobs Americans wont even take in times of high unemployment. They come from Mexico, Central and South America as well as migrants from other states often U.S. citizens who detassel and process corn; walk beans; work in hog confinements, on dairy farms and in egg production; and assist with a variety of other crops. The availability of workers qualifying for H-2A guest work permits had been in doubt with consulates closed at the border due to COVID-19. The federal government recently waived the required in-person interview for first-time and many returning applicants. Whether workers will make the trek, though, is questionable. COVID-19 cases reported in Mexico are significantly less than the U.S. Many Mexicans may be hesitant to leave their families to take health risks. Yet the Mexican government until recently was reluctant to shutter its economy. Its testing also lagged far behind the U.S. 65 tests per million compared to 2,250 per million in the U.S., according to the Washington Post. That should raise issues in the agriculture community about health precautions for workers from social distancing to wearing gloves and the need for testing. The recent economic rescue package passed by Congress helps. It provides agriculture with a $50 billion safety net, up from $30 billion. Farmers received 24% of their income from government programs in 2019. John Deere is being whipsawed by COVID-19 as well. Farmers are expected to spend less on new equipment because of lower crop prices. Deere stock dropped 21 percent in recent weeks, although J.P. Morgan upgraded it from Sell to Hold. Deere is designated as an essential critical infrastructure business, requiring it to maintain domestic operations, although it recently suspended work in Dubuque and Moline, Ill., after a worker tested positive in both locations. Its situation in Brazil is more precarious. COVID-19 forced it to stop production at six plants. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is indifferent, calling it a measly cold and belittling precautions. Brazilians, he said, can be dunked in raw sewage and dont catch a thing. With limited testing, it has 6,836 cases and 240 deaths. While health workers and first responders on the front lines are rightfully applauded, behind-the-scenes farmers should be recognized for aiding our well-being in turbulent times. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 12:03:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HARBIN, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Thursday reported three new locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and eight new imported confirmed cases, the provincial health commission said Friday. All the new imported cases were Chinese nationals returning from Russia. Of them, four were previously asymptomatic cases, according to the commission. By Thursday, the province had reported a total of 364 confirmed imported COVID-19 cases. It had traced 2,093 close contacts, with 1,337 still under medical observation. On Thursday, Heilongjiang reported a new imported asymptomatic case. The province had a total of 47 imported asymptomatic cases by Thursday. Enditem By Yang Sung-chul April 19 of this year marks the 60th anniversary of the April Revolution in the Republic of Korea. Students and citizens protested against President Syngman Rhee's 12-year-long authoritarian regime. It was triggered by the fraudulent presidential election a month earlier. The police shot and killed 186 unarmed protesters on that day. Rhee stepped down and his regime collapsed on April 26. The Korean people could have celebrated this anniversary, though we are still divided after 75 years as the last remnant of the Cold War. Then, we fought for freedom, justice and democracy. Now we have achieved them to a substantial degree. The Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index 2019 ranked South Korea, Japan, and the United States, 23rd, 24th, and 25th, respectively, under the category of "flawed democracy" while North Korea is ranked last at 168th. South Korean democracy today did not spring up overnight. The April Revolution was only the start. The civilian Chang Myon government was overthrown by the military coup d'etat in May 1961. The authoritarian military regimes continued for 31 years under Park Chung-hee for 18 years, Chun Doo-hwan for eight years, and Roh Tae-woo for five years. During this period, a series of anti-military regime mass uprisings took place. They are notably the 1979 Busan-Masan Protest for Democracy, the May 18, 1980, Gwangju Democratization Movement, and the June 10 Democracy Movement of 1987. We are now fighting the COVID-19 pandemic like virtually everyone around the world. I called it the "first global germ war." This virus evolved to its current pathogenic state through natural selection in a non-human host and jumped from animals across the species barrier to humans, as did SARS by civets and MERS by camels. It is invisible like other viruses. Only specialists can detect it under an electron microscope. They suspect that the host for this new virus is the pangolin, an armadillo-like mammal, sold in wet markets, probably including those in Wuhan, China. Let me explain why I call the fight against this pandemic, the first global germ war. These are the reasons. One, it triggered a global war on the virus. Unlike the two world wars and the Cold War of the last century, there is only one enemy COVID-19. Two, it is borderless. It has spread to all five continents in less than three months, unprecedented in the history of the pandemics. Three, it is blind to time, space, temperature, skin color, gender, age, social and political status, ideology, religion, wealth or poverty, and democracy or dictatorship. Four, it threatens simultaneously the lives of the people of every nation on earth. Five, it is a war against all the people in the world. The previous wars had been always fought between states or the alliance of several states against one another. Finally, it is unique in its scope (215 countries on five continents), speed (two to three months), and number (2,084,599 infected, 134,674 deaths and 514,431 cured, as of April 16). History is full of pandemics. They date back to the Dark Ages in Europe. The plague swept across Europe in the 14th century and claimed 75 million to 200 million lives. But the deadliest pestilence in recent history was the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. One hypothesis on the origin of the Spanish flu offered by Dr. Robert Gallo, a virologist, poses that the great influenza pandemic during and after World War I started in a U.S. Army barracks in Kansas in March 1918. This deadly disease spread to other camps by soldiers on their way to France. Some 670,000 Americans died, and the worldwide toll was estimated at 50 million. Unlike COVID-19, the 1918 pandemic was limited to a specific population and areas of the world. What we urgently need now is a vaccine to effectively prevent the spread of this virus and medicine to cure the infected people. Coping successfully with this virus may also require changes in the existing political, military, economic, and social paradigms. We cannot fall back to the archaic ways of building walls between countries. That is the chauvinistic nostalgia of the bygone era. We must turn our thinking 180 degrees in identifying our enemy and beating it completely. It is not another state, group of states, or various mutually hostile religious, ideological, and regional groups. Virus, global warming, poverty, illiteracy, inequality, chauvinism, revanchism, and others are our enemies. National self-isolation is not a solution but an anachronism. We must launch a new globalism. We must be awakened from the illusion that our enemy is other humans or rival nations. Our enemy is here now COVID-19. We can wipe it out together, not with the weapons of mass destruction, but with effective vaccine and medicine. If we can win this "one-enemy global germ war," then, new global paradigms for a peaceful and mutually prosperous coexistence for the 21st century may commence. I am the first one to admit that there is a vast gap between identifying enemies of humans and eradicating them. There is no great leap in nature, as there is none in human life and society. Still, work half begun is work half done. Dr. Yang Sung-chul (sungchulyang39@hotmail.com) was the ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States and the author of "Revolution and Change: A Comparative Study of the April Student Revolution of 1960 and the May Military Coup d'etat of 1961 in Korea" (Seoul: Korea University Press, 2015). Industries in Gurugram outside municipal limits shall be allowed to operate from April 20 onwards, while strictly following social distancing norms, the Haryana government said late Friday. Deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala said Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in this regard will be issued for the entire state on Saturday that each industry would have to strictly follow. Financially starved due to a sharp dip in revenue collection owing to the lockdown, the Haryana government inched closer to resuming commercial and manufacturing activity in the state from April 20, the day designated by the Central government for operationalising the enterprise. The industries and commerce department and labour department of the state government held consultations with industry representatives on Friday evening. Additional chief secretary, industries and commerce, TVSN Prasad, said they would issue guidelines for resumption of manufacturing operations on Saturday. We have constituted district and block level committee to process approvals and monitor containment requirements including social distancing, Prasad said. These committees will evaluate which factories or industries can be permitted to carry out operations. When asked about the opening of industrial units in Gurugram, which has been designated a red zone by the state government, Chautala said that only areas falling within the municipal limits of Gurugram had been categorised as such. Industries in areas that are outside the municipal zone in Gurugram and arent categorised as a containment zone will be allowed to resume operations, with some riders. We will issue SOPs for statewide operations on Saturday, he said. There are six containment zones in the district, as of Friday evening. The development means that around 2,000 units based in Manesar, including auto major Maruti Suzuki, could resume manufacturing Monday onwards, but at a limited capacity. On the other hand, Udyog Vihar, which falls within municipal limits, may have to wait longer to resume operations. A number of Manesar-based industrialists have repeatedly asked the government over the last few days to allow the resumption of industry, after the nationwide lockdown was extended, and threatening to plunge the economy and industries further into turmoil. We are ready to start work and have already worked out SOPs for safe working, while maintaining social distances, said Manmohan Gaind, vice president, Manesar Industries Welfare Association. A Maruti spokesperson when asked about the matter said they could issue a statement only on Saturday, after the SOP is released. As per government directions, manufacturing units will be allowed to work with 50% staff, who will have to maintain a six-feet distance from each other within the units. The factories will have to ensure that entry and exit of workers happen in a staggered manner. The workers will have to wear masks and arrangements will have to be made to provide food inside the units. The union government has divided districts across the country into red, orange and green zones based on the number of Covid-19 cases in these areas. As per the government order, 170 districts have been marked red zones, 207 have been identified as orange zones, out of the countrys 720 districts. The red zones in Haryana are Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. High recovery rate may provide optimism in the midst of wide spread fear and despair Covid-19 or Coronavirus (aka SAR-COV-2) are the words on the tip of everyones tongues the world over. Global infection rates continue to climb and many countries have been forced to implement full and partial lockdown conditions to try and contain the pandemic. In Ghana, an increase in SAR-COV-2 (ie. Coronavirus) infections was expected and infection rates will continue to climb as enhanced purposive testing is rolled out across the country. This certainly does not mean all infected with SAR-COV-2 (ie. Coronavirus) will convert to the associated disease called COVID-19. The intensified testing is essential if we are to build a reliable database and provide the data needed for ongoing research and drug and vaccine development. As of April 13, the mortality rate in Ghana as a percentage of known infections remained below 1.45%. South Africa had a similar mortality rate at 1.2% and the global mortality rate stood at 6.2%. Known infections as a percentage of Ghanas total population remained below 0.002% and serious and critical cases stood at 0.35%. As at April 15 there have been 83 full recoveries from COVID-19 in Ghana. This represents 13% of known infections and rising. The key now is to focus on the recovery rate as a percentage of the total infections. I am hopeful that this rate, which can be determined through ongoing data collection and mining, will show that Ghana is experiencing a relatively high recovery rate. This will provide Ghanaians with a more positive outlook on the COVID-19 disease. Collectively we will win this battle. May the Almighty continue bless and protect Ghana and the rest of the world. Keep hope alive stay safe and blessed. The higher the recovery rate the more hope and optimism we can attain for our beloved Ghana. This, I believe, will assist with the gradual replacement of the partial lockdown with an adapted and workable form of social distancing that protect the health and wellbeing of our people while at the same time allowing our economy to recover. The social and economic consequences of this global pandemic have been unprecedented. Lives are being lost and economies are struggling. But Ghana, with our very limited resources, has already achieved so much in the battle against the virus and we must continue to act to ensure that we emerge collectively from this crisis as a stronger and more self-sufficient nation. About Professor Boateng Professor Douglas BOATENG, Africas first ever appointed Professor Extraordinaire for supply and value chain management (SBL UNISA), is an International Professional Chartered Director and an adjunct academic. Independently recognised as one of the vertical specific global strategic thinkers on procurement, governance, logistics, and industrial engineering in the context of supply and value chain management, he continues to play leading academic and industrial roles in supply chain strategy development and implementation, both in Africa, and around the world. Recognised for his contribution to the advancement of local and international aspects of supply chain management he was honoured with a Platinum Life Time Global Achievers Award (2016) and a Life Time Achievers Award (2013) by the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, and its various local industry associations. He has been an elected member of the UKs Institute of Directors for over 20 years, and continues to assist organisations and CEOs with board level, directional, and governance matters. In addition, Professor Boateng has been publicly acknowledged by leading institutions, including the Commonwealth Business Council, for his ongoing contribution to international procurement, supply chain development and governance, and its link to emerging world long-term socio-economic development. Source: Professor Douglas Boateng 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 COLUMBUS, Ohio - The 9,107 coronavirus cases to date in Ohio are spread across 87 of the states 88 counties, with 418 deaths, the Ohio Department of Health reported Friday. This map is updated daily: see this link for the latest Ohio coronavirus maps. The total was up from 8,414 cases in the same 87 counties on Thursday, while the number of deaths increased from 389. 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. A chart with county-by-county details is included at the bottom. The number of coronavirus-related deaths reported by state officials have ranged from 14 to 28 a day over the last couple of weeks. Some deaths may be added later for the most recent days, including Friday, as more information becomes available.Rich Exner, cleveland.com Friday marked the eighth day of new reporting standards to comply with federal guidelines to now include cases identified from non-testing evidence and some other tests not previously included. This has resulted in 249 additional probable cases than would have been reported previously, including 74 on Friday. That is just one variable that has played into tracking the numbers. Also, in the last week testing has ramped up significantly in prisons, even among those showing no symptoms. Prison officials on Friday identified 692 inmates and 197 staff with coronavirus, up from 489 inmates and 184 staff on Thursday. Gov. Mike DeWine said one report he received from a prison official was that among 152 positive test results, 60 of the people had not shown symptoms. But for the overall population, Dr. Amy Acton, the states health director, said testing supplies are being rationed in Ohio and across the country. Overall, there were 693 new cases reported Friday, after an increase of 623 on Thursday and 511 on Wednesday. The number was below 400 in other recent days. The rolling average of the number of new coronavirus cases reported by the Ohio Department of Health had leveled off somewhat until the state this week began reporting substantial increases in prisons following increased testing there.Rich Exner, cleveland.com By percent, the total was up 8% from Thursday. 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%. 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. These are the estimated onset dates since March 1 for each of Ohio's reported coronavirus case. 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. The recent spike may be related in increased testing in prisons, where state officials say several cases were identified for people who had no previous symptoms.Rich Exner, cleveland.com Among the cases reported by the state, 418 have died, 3,678 others had an onset within the last two weeks and 5,011 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 Acton has said she believes the number of reported cases is a gross underestimation because testing has been so limited and targeted to certain groups, including the most ill, at prisons and health care workers. There have been 77,677 tests to date. The age range for confirmed cases to date is from under 1 to 106, with a median age of 54. Nearly half of all deaths have been to people age 80 and over (207 of 418, or 49.5%). Another 108 (25.8%) 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 48 in Cuyahoga County, 44 in Mahoning, 30 in Hamilton, 28 in Lucas and 24 in Portage. More than three-quarters of the Ohio coronavirus deaths have been to people age 70 and older.Rich Exner, cleveland.com Among the 7,780 cases in which race is known, 63.3% are white, 24.2% 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 Thursday about 1,000 were currently hospitalized across Ohio with coronavirus. Among all cases reported to date, 2,424 have been hospitalized and 740 treated in intensive care units. These totals were 2,331 and 707 on Thursday, 2,237 and 677 on Wednesday, and 2,156 and 654 on Tuesday. There have been 77.9 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 657.5 and 432.8, respectively. Mahoning County is third highest at 239.2 per capita. Gov. Mike DeWine spoke about increased testing in prisons and for those being released from prisons, and said this focused testing will cause in an increase in confirmed cases. This map shows how many residents of each Ohio county have died from coronavirus, according to the Ohio Department of HealthRich Exner, cleveland.com The counties with the most cases are Ohios largest, Cuyahoga (Cleveland) with 1,383, and Franklin (Columbus) with 1,320. The statewide total of confirmed cases was 5,878 a week ago, the first day the expanded reporting criteria was used. 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. 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 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 Friday. 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 65 32 9 63.5 Ashland 5 1 0 9.3 Ashtabula 54 12 4 55.5 Athens 3 1 1 4.6 Auglaize 21 6 1 46.0 Belmont 63 13 3 94.0 Brown 8 2 1 18.4 Butler 155 50 2 40.5 Carroll 15 5 0 55.7 Champaign 6 2 1 15.4 Clark 25 5 0 18.6 Clermont 66 14 1 32.0 Clinton 26 6 0 62.0 Columbiana 154 82 11 151.2 Coshocton 16 3 0 43.7 Crawford 28 2 0 67.5 Cuyahoga 1,383 398 48 112.0 Darke 55 9 10 107.6 Defiance 13 6 0 34.1 Delaware 119 18 3 56.9 Erie 23 9 1 31.0 Fairfield 95 23 2 60.3 Fayette 12 0 0 42.1 Franklin 1,320 225 22 100.2 Fulton 13 5 0 30.9 Gallia 6 3 1 20.1 Geauga 96 17 4 102.5 Greene 33 9 2 19.5 Guernsey 10 1 0 25.7 Hamilton 658 153 30 80.5 Hancock 27 7 1 35.6 Hardin 13 1 0 41.4 Harrison 2 0 0 13.3 Henry 3 1 0 11.1 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 130 44 6 56.5 Lawrence 20 4 0 33.6 Licking 94 19 4 53.1 Logan 12 2 0 26.3 Lorain 245 57 14 79.1 Lucas 682 268 28 159.2 Madison 27 8 3 60.4 Mahoning 547 197 44 239.2 Marion 428 13 1 657.5 Medina 130 38 10 72.3 Meigs 2 0 0 8.7 Mercer 13 3 1 31.6 Miami 129 47 22 120.6 Monroe 2 2 0 14.6 Montgomery 222 75 8 41.8 Morgan 3 0 0 20.7 Morrow 16 4 0 45.3 Muskingum 8 2 0 9.3 Noble 3 1 0 20.8 Ottawa 21 5 0 51.8 Paulding 5 2 0 26.8 Perry 8 3 0 22.1 Pickaway 253 18 4 432.8 Pike 1 0 0 3.6 Portage 166 45 24 102.2 Preble 21 5 1 51.4 Putnam 13 2 0 38.4 Richland 50 19 1 41.3 Ross 28 7 0 36.5 Sandusky 16 6 2 27.3 Scioto 5 0 0 6.6 Seneca 11 5 1 19.9 Shelby 28 10 0 57.6 Stark 210 51 22 56.7 Summit 323 142 17 59.7 Trumbull 213 94 15 107.6 Tuscarawas 31 7 0 33.7 Union 12 1 0 20.3 Van Wert 2 1 0 7.1 Vinton 0 0 0 0.0 Warren 93 16 5 39.6 Washington 55 9 5 91.8 Wayne 72 15 11 62.2 Williams 6 3 1 16.4 Wood 73 30 6 55.8 Wyandot 16 2 2 73.5 Statewide 9,107 2,424 418 77.9 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. Read related coverage Ohio loses 39,700 jobs, unemployment rate increases to 5.5% in March report; full hit from coronavirus not reflected See coronavirus cases by day for each Ohio county Ohio releases nursing home details for coronavirus cases; 14 in Cuyahoga County About 1,000 Ohio hospital beds now occupied by coronavirus patients Why Ohio widened criteria for counting coronavirus cases, what other states are doing, and the difference in numbers New coronapositive cases drop to 25 but state among the top three in India Chennai: Only 25 fresh cases of coronavirus infections were recorded in Tamil Nadu on Thursday. There had been 38 on Wednesday; 31 on Tuesday; 98 on Monday; and 106 on Sunday. This dwindling sequence of numbers formed the basis for much optimism expressed by the state's chief minister Edappadi Palaniswamy this evening. Although Tamil Nadu remains the state with the third highest number of coronavirus positive cases on hand (1267), and a death toll of 15 (one today), the chief minister said the state would hit "zero level" in the next three days and 'turn negative' thereafter, meaning there would be fewer new arrivals and more discharges from quarantine facilities. The press conference was an elaborate affair following a video-conference Palaniswami held with district collectors and top-level officials. It was remarkable for the length to which the chief minister went to defend his government's performance and hold out hope for the days immediately ahead. It was also notable for one nimble leap of logic: Palaniswamy pledged a solatium of Rs 5 lakh to any journalist who dies in the line of duty due to a corona infection, but declined to extend that sop to other victims. Why? Because the novel coronavirus, "a rich man's disease", did not originate in Tamil Nadu and was largely spread by travellers coming into India from abroad. So the question does not arise. But largely, the presser was a get-back at criticisms levelled by DMK leader M K Stalin and a few others that Tamil Nadu did not act early and fast enough against the outbreak. Palaniswami proceeded to detail every step taken: purchase of medicines, facial masks, N-95 masks for medical personnel, personal protection equipment (PPE), confirmatory 'PCR' test kits and 'Rapid Test Kits (RTK)'. "In fact, we have been all along doing what they (the opposition) have been demanding, including movement restrictions under Section 144 Cr.P.C," he quipped. There were enough stocks of drugs and beds to treat patients and 27 testing labs (ten at private hospitals, and 17 in government hospitals) that can test up to 5,590 samples per day. There was an elaborate containment plan (CP) under which 85.07 lakh people have been screened for coronavirus symptoms, and continuous monitoring was being carried out of all those under quarantine; besides, the State has issued orders to procure another 35,000 PCR kits, 2,571 ventilators and five lakh RTKs. All these facts show that the opposition's criticisms are baseless," Palaniswami said. Palaniswami also elaborated the economic relief measures to a large section of the people including a Rs.1,000 cash dole to unorganised sector workers. He said another 8.60 lakh workers in the informal sector have also been added now, apart from those under various welfare boards. He said 13,407 migrant workers from other states have been staying in 311 places and their needs taken care of, besides of differently-abled, destitute, aged persons and others. The community kitchens set up for the poorer sections across the state have ensured that 1.80 lakh persons have access to food every day. "So, nobody is going hungry in Tamil Nadu," he asserted. Kathmandu, April 17 As many as 14 new coronavirus infection cases have been confirmed in Nepal on Friday. With this, the number of infected persons in the country has reached 30. Twelve new cases are from Udayapur district of Province 1 whereas two are from Chitwan. Among the Udayapur patients, most are said to be Indians. The Ministry of Health and Population has confirmed that all 12 patients are men, aged between 20 and 40. A few days ago, locals of Bhulke, Udayapur municipality-3 of Udayapur district had found 12 Indians hiding in a local mosque. Then, they had informed the local authorities. Four Nepalis had accompanied them. At first, all 16 of them had tested negative in the rapid diagnostic tests, but eight tested positive in another round of tests at Koshi Hospital on Wednesday. Their swab samples were collected and sent to the National Public Health Laboratory in Kathmandu. Likewise, two of Chitwan are a mother-son duo from Ratna Nagar municipality-8 of Chitwan. The Chitwan patients, aged 63 and 27, had returned from the United States on March 16. They are isolated at Bharatpur Hospital. Apparently, they have not shown any symptoms. Polarized is a weekly series featuring Americans from all 50 states sharing their views on the 2020 elections. Click here if you would like to be a part of this project Some Americans have had a rough go of it in the last few weeks under lockdown orders amid the coronavirus pandemic but James Callahan says hes loving the hell out of it. A retired federal agent, the 54-year-old independent voter lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and says hes basically been quarantined for the last four years, engaging in few social interactions besides the occasional errand or when grabbing a bite to eat. Callahan spent the bulk of his career with the US Marshals, after serving as a border patrol agent in San Diego, California. The border, and specifically illegal immigration, are key issues to the former lifelong Republican. I hate the Republican Party and I hate the Democratic Party, so theres really nowhere else to go, Callahan says in a recent interview with The Independent about why he chose to drop his affiliation with the GOP nearly two years ago. He cites the failure of the Republican Party to get anything done for the reason as to why he switched to an independent voter status, which forbids him from partaking in his states closed primary system. Callahan is a former member of a Young Republicans club in Tampa, Florida, and often agrees in principle with the partys platform. But as a federal agent living in Washington, he says he saw the corruption first hand before retiring nearly nine years ago. It made him loathe politicians in general, and led him on a path to who he is today: a voter that helped Donald Trump secure the White House, but now has second guesses about giving the incumbent his ballot a second time over. There was a short period of time when the Republicans had the congress, the Senate and the presidency, and they failed to get anything done particularly on immigration and the national debt, he says. Callahan says he voted for Trump in 2016, and he supported his agenda in the White House despite having previously donated to Florida senator Marco Rubios failed 2016 campaign. His frustrations with the GOP leave him at an interesting crossroads, he says. Im going through a struggle with family and friends over this very issue: Im a philosophical conservative, libertarian is probably the best way to describe it, he says. But for the first time in my life I started looking at Bernie Sanders. I get he has his issues too, but hes been singing the same song for years, hes not nearly as corrupt and clearly we have a corrupt system. And youre talking to a lifelong Republican. I spoke to Callahan after Sanders, the progressive Vermont senator who was once seen as the frontrunner in the Democratic presidential primaries, announced he was dropping out of the campaign and endorsing former vice-president Joe Biden. Callahan says he wanted to hear more about what Bernie had to say and for him to more clearly outline his views on democratic socialism. Socialism doesnt work, neither does communism my own philosophy is that all isms are designed to fail, he says. Capitalism is doomed to fail, too. Its just the best of the worst, and it had a great run. Of course, Sanders is no longer an option in the race against Trump, as he plans to support Biden rather than launch an independent bid. Not that Callahan would likely have voted for him anyway I voted for Donald Trump, and if I had to pull the switch today, Id vote for Donald Trump again, he says. But the presidents inability to fulfil his campaign promises such as building a big, beautiful wall that spans the entirety of the US-Mexico border has led Callahan to the point where he says hes on the fence about casting his ballot for Biden. He considers the choice to be some form of protest against the Republican Party: Im looking at all these Republicans who I used to support, and now theyre OK with bailing out peoples mortgages and paying their student loans. What does that tell somebody like me? Callahan says he pays a disproportionate amount of taxes and is concerned about what he describes to be excessive spending during the pandemic. People are dying, I understand that, he says, adding that some measures must be taken to help flatten the curve and avoid the crisis worsening. But he also notes that federal debt has soared past $23 trillion (18.4 trillion) and now it seems to him even the Republicans have washed their hands of the problem. This thing hit the whole damn world, he says. But we have to remember our priorities. Click here to read more of The Independent's series, Polarized: Voices From Across America In this handout photo released by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka gets assistance shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-15 space capsule near Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 17, 2020. An International Space Station crew has landed safely after more than 200 days in space. The Soyuz capsule carrying NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Russian space agency Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka touched down on Friday on the steppes of Kazakhstan. (Andrey Shelepin, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, via AP) A U.S.-Russian crew landed safely Friday in the steppes of Kazakhstan following a stint on the International Space Station and was greeted with extra precautions due to the coronavirus. NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan. and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka touched down as scheduled at 11:16 a.m. (0516 GMT) Friday. Their Soyuz capsule landed under a striped orange-and-white parachute about 150 kilometers (93 miles) southeast of Dzhezkazgan in central Kazakhstan. Russian officials said they took stringent measures to protect the crew members amid the pandemic. The recovery team and medical personnel assigned to help the three out of the capsule and to perform post-flight checks were under close medical observation for nearly a month before the landing and tested for the coronavirus. Morgan wrapped up a 272-day mission on his first flight into space. He conducted seven space walks, four of which were to improve and extend the life of the station's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, which looks for evidence of dark matter in the universe. Meir and Skripochka spent 205 days in space, with Meir carrying out the first three all-women spacewalks with crewmate Christina Koch, who returned from space in February. In this handout photo released by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, rescue team members carry Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-15 space capsule near Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 17, 2020. An International Space Station crew has landed safely after more than 200 days in space. The Soyuz capsule carrying NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Russian space agency Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka touched down on Friday on the steppes of Kazakhstan. (Andrey Shelepin, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, via AP) The crew members smiled as they talked to medical experts wearing masks. Following a quick checkup, they will be flown by helicopter to Baikonur, from where Skripochka will be taken to Moscow, said Vyacheslav Rogozhnikov, a Russian medical official who oversaw the crew's return. Morgan and Meir will have to be driven from Baikonur to Kyzylorda, 300 kilometers (190 miles) away, to board a NASA flight to Houston. Restrictions on international flights imposed by Kazakhstan required the long drive, Rogozhnikov said. "A 300-kilometer ride after landing is quite a load on the astronauts," he said, adding that Russia deployed its doctors to help the astronauts, if needed. Skripochka will spend three weeks under observation at a medical facility at the Star City cosmonaut training center outside Moscow, Russian space corporation Roscosmos said. Star City officials said the medical personnel monitoring him will wear hazmat suits to protect him from becoming infected with the new virus. In this handout photo released by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, U.S. astronaut Jessica Meir waves shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-15 space capsule near Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 17, 2020. An International Space Station crew has landed safely after more than 200 days in space. The Soyuz capsule carrying NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Russian space agency Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka touched down on Friday on the steppes of Kazakhstan. (Andrey Shelepin, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, via AP) On Thursday, the Russian government coronavirus headquarters reported the first infection at the Star City, which serves as the main hub for pre-flight training of U.S., Russian and other international crew members of the International Space Station. The Star City also has residential quarters for cosmonauts and support staff. Roscosmos Director Dmitry Rogozin said Wednesday that the Russian space corporation had 30 coronavirus cases. The crew returned to Earth exactly 50 years after the Apollo 13 astronauts splashed down in the Pacific after an oxygen tank explosion aborted the moon-landing mission. Speaking from the orbiting outpost before their landing, the three said that coming back to a world drastically changed by the pandemic would be challenging. Morgan said they tried to keep up with coronavirus news in spaace, but added that it was hard to comprehend what was really going on below. In this handout photo released by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, U.S. astronaut Andrew Morgan gestures shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-15 space capsule near Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 17, 2020. An International Space Station crew has landed safely after more than 200 days in space. The Soyuz capsule carrying NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Russian space agency Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka touched down on Friday on the steppes of Kazakhstan. (Andrey Shelepin, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, via AP) In this handout photo released by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, rescue team members open the capsule hatch shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-15 space capsule near Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 17, 2020. An International Space Station crew has landed safely after more than 200 days in space. The Soyuz capsule carrying NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Russian space agency Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka touched down on Friday on the steppes of Kazakhstan. (Andrey Shelepin, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, via AP) In this handout photo released by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, a search and rescue team works on the site of landing of the Soyuz MS-15 space capsule near Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 17, 2020. An International Space Station crew has landed safely after more than 200 days in space. The Soyuz capsule carrying NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Russian space agency Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka touched down on Friday on the steppes of Kazakhstan. (Andrey Shelepin, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, via AP) In this handout photo released by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, U.S. astronaut Andrew Morgan gets assistance shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-15 space capsule near Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 17, 2020. An International Space Station crew has landed safely after more than 200 days in space. The Soyuz capsule carrying NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Russian space agency Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka touched down on Friday on the steppes of Kazakhstan. (Andrey Shelepin, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, via AP) In this handout photo released by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, U.S. astronaut Andrew Morgan sits in the capsule shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-15 space capsule near Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 17, 2020. An International Space Station crew has landed safely after more than 200 days in space. The Soyuz capsule carrying NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Russian space agency Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka touched down on Friday on the steppes of Kazakhstan. (Andrey Shelepin, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, via AP) In this handout photo released by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, Russian space agency Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka sits in the capsule shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-15 space capsule near Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 17, 2020. An International Space Station crew has landed safely after more than 200 days in space. The Soyuz capsule carrying NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Russian space agency Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka touched down on Friday on the steppes of Kazakhstan. (Andrey Shelepin, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, via AP) In this handout photo released by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, U.S. astronaut Jessica Meir sits in the capsule shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-15 space capsule near Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 17, 2020. An International Space Station crew has landed safely after more than 200 days in space. The Soyuz capsule carrying NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Russian space agency Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka touched down on Friday on the steppes of Kazakhstan. (Andrey Shelepin, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, via AP) In this handout photo released by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, rescue team members carry U.S. astronaut Andrew Morgan shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-15 space capsule near Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 17, 2020. An International Space Station crew has landed safely after more than 200 days in space. The Soyuz capsule carrying NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Russian space agency Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka touched down on Friday on the steppes of Kazakhstan. (Andrey Shelepin, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, via AP) In this handout photo released by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, U.S. astronaut Jessica Meir sits in the capsule shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-15 space capsule near Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 17, 2020. An International Space Station crew has landed safely after more than 200 days in space. The Soyuz capsule carrying NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Russian space agency Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka touched down on Friday on the steppes of Kazakhstan. (Andrey Shelepin, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, via AP) In this image from video made available by NASA, U.S. astronaut Jessica Meir speaks, accompanied by Andrew Morgan and Chris Cassidy, during a news conference held by the American members of the International Space Station on Friday, April 10, 2020. Meir and Morgan said they expect it will be tough returning to such a drastically changed world next week, after a half-year or more in space. (NASA via AP) In this image from video made available by NASA, newly-arrived International Space Station crew members, foreground from left, Chris Cassidy, Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner, stand with outgoing crew members, background from left, Andrew Morgan, Oleg Skripochka, and Jessica Meir during a news conference on Thursday, April 9, 2020. (NASA via AP) In this handout photo released by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, rescue team members get out of the capsule U.S. astronaut Andrew Morgan shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-15 space capsule near Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 17, 2020. An International Space Station crew has landed safely after more than 200 days in space. The Soyuz capsule carrying NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Russian space agency Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka touched down on Friday on the steppes of Kazakhstan. (Andrey Shelepin, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Roscosmos space agency, via AP) "It is quite surreal for us to see this whole situation unfolding on the planet below," Meir said. "We can tell you that the Earth still looks just as stunning as always from up here, so it's difficult to believe all the changes that have taken place since both of us have been up here." A new crew comprising NASA's Chris Cassidy and Russians Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner arrived at the station on April 9. They said before blastoff that they had been under a very strict quarantine for a month before the flight and felt well. Explore further After months in space, astronauts returning to changed world 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host Jeremy Clarkson made a savage dig at 'coughing Major' Charles Ingram on Friday. The presenter, 60, took to Twitter to reveal he would be hosting an online pub quiz for his followers during the coronavirus lockdown, and joked that they didn't even have to cough to cheat. Ingram was thrown back into the spotlight this week following the premiere of the ITV drama Quiz, based on his conviction of deception relating to his appearance on Millionaire. Brutal: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host Jeremy Clarkson, 60, made a savage dig at 'coughing Major' Charles Ingram on Friday In the brief video, Jeremy asked his fans to tune to his virtual pub quiz, saying: 'Greetings. At 7 o'clock this evening on the DriveTribe YouTube channel, I'm going to be hosting a pub quiz. 'It's rubbish and there's no prize money but it's very easy to cheat. You don't even have to cough. 'So, see you then. What else are you going to be doing? Watching Channel 4 News?' Brutal: Major Charles Ingram was convicted of deception following his appearance on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire in 2001 (pictured) Funny: Jeremy referenced Ingram as he teased his online pub quiz, saying: 'It's rubbish and there's no prize money but it's very easy to cheat. You don't even have to cough' Jeremy took over as host of Millionaire in 2018 when the show was brought back to celebrate its 20th Anniversary. His savage dig came after ITV aired it's long-awaited series Quiz, based on the scandal which saw Major Ingram and his wife Diana cheat their way to the top prize on Millionaire. Ingram was a contestant on the show, and used the coughs of Whittock to find the correct answer. Comedic: The former Top Gear host took over as the presenter of Millionaire in 2018, after the show was brought back to screens Opinionated: It comes after Millionaire's original host Chris Tarrant insisted he still thinks the Ingrams after guilty, after the story was depicted in the acclaimed drama Quiz But their plot was eventually exposed and in 2003 the Ingrams and Whittock were found guilty of one count of procuring the execution of a valuable security by deception and given suspended prison sentences. To this day Ingram still denies that he ever cheated on the show, thought host Chris Tarrant has insisted he thinks they are guilty. 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. Tense: Charles and Diana were found guilty of deception in the third and final episode of Quiz, but the series ending on an ambiguous note, hinting they could have been innocent 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!' 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?'' Kentucky Guard builds COVID-19 alternate care facility By Dale Greer | 123rd Airlift Wing April 16, 2020 LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- More than 230 Kentucky National Guard Airmen and Soldiers spent four days turning a cavernous exhibit hall into an alternate care facility for patients recovering from COVID-19. The 288-bed site in the South Wing of the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center was ready to accept patients April 15, said Army Lt. Col. Jessicah Garrett, commander of the joint Army-Air Guard unit that is providing clinical services. Her team of nearly 200 troops includes 82 doctors, nurses and medics who stand ready to provide around-the-clock medical care at the facility, should area hospitals reach capacity. The facility, which can be expanded to 2,000 beds, was designed to treat patients who are in their final days of recovery and don't need intensive medical care, said Garrett, commander of the Kentucky Guard's Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high-yield Explosives Enhanced Response Force Package, also known as CERFP. "These are patients who are able to walk," Garrett said. "They can provide self-care with minimal assistance, such as go to the bathroom or take a shower, and are fairly self-sufficient." Kentucky Air Guard Lt. Col. Kevin Howard said he expects patients to stay no longer than seven days, at which point they would not test positive for the virus and could go home. "If we can take these patients here, local hospitals will have beds for the more urgent patients," said Howard, a medical doctor for the Department of Veterans Affairs and commander of the Air Guard's Louisville-based 123rd Medical Group Detachment 1. Howard's staff includes a wide spectrum of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses and medics who usually work in civilian hospitals and clinics when not performing military duty. Besides practitioners from the Kentucky Air Guard, the team also includes clinicians from the Kentucky Army Guard's Shelbyville-based 1163rd Army Medical Support Co. "The staff I have here are all excellent providers and more than capable of handling this mission and taking care of our patients in this facility," he said. "It's an honor and privilege to be able to help. "One of the nice things about the Guard is that we are Kentuckians helping fellow Kentuckians. That's a unique aspect, and I know everyone is happy to be here and do what we've trained to do." Garrett agreed. "We're proud to come in here and help Kentuckians in any way possible," she said. "If you talk to any Guardsman, Air or Army, they are 100 percent Team Kentucky. They want to be out in the community helping. That's the whole reason we serve." Air Force Maj. Jarret Goddard, who led a team of 39 Kentucky Guard members that built the facility, said he was thankful for the broad range of agencies supporting the effort. "The design phase of this project began about a week ago in collaboration with multiple entities," said Goddard, operations officer for the Kentucky Air Guard's 123rd Civil Engineer Squadron. "From the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Kentucky Emergency Management and the Kentucky Department of Public Health, it has been a real team effort. "Being able to help our fellow citizens is a pretty rewarding thing for all of us." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Australians are most interested in baking traditional bread, finding creative ways to support local businesses and playing old-fashioned family games during the coronavirus crisis, new data from Pinterest reveals. Searches for 'ways to support small businesses' soared by 3,124 percent in March, as Australians mount a united front to keep their favourite cafes, restaurants and fitness studios afloat during the nationwide shutdown. Current social distancing restrictions will remain in place for at least another month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced after a National Cabinet meeting late on Thursday afternoon. Families are entertaining themselves by playing Monopoly and card games like 'Spoons', while amateur bakers are researching recipes from bygone eras to make simple bread with nothing but flour, butter and water. Home cooks are also experimenting with elaborate desserts like homemade Krispy Kreme doughnuts and indulgent Baileys chocolate fudge as the country nears its second week of shutdown. Online searches for 'ways to support small businesses' soared by 3,124 percent in March. Pictured: Annie Karam, owner of Speedos cafe at Bondi Beach, hands a takeaway coffee cup to a customer on March 23, 2020 HOW TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES Australians self-isolating displayed their 'True Blue' spirit online last month with a record number researching how they can support neighbourhood businesses. The shutters came down on pubs, clubs, gyms and cinemas at midday on Monday, March 23 under the second phase of the federal government's social distancing laws designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. The roll out of stage three restrictions on March 30 forced the closure of all remaining non-essential services, including nail bars, beauty salons and exercise classes, leaving hundreds of thousands of employers and more than one million workers reliant on government financial support overnight. Australians keen to show solidarity with small business owners have been ordering takeouts and buying vouchers to help their favourite retailers and eateries survive the unprecedented crisis. How Australia is supporting workers, pensioners and the unemployed during COVID-19 The Australian government has announced a raft of measures to keep Australians in jobs and support those out of work during the coronavirus crisis. The economic stimulus package is made up of $214billion in direct, on-budget spending from the federal government, individual states and in lending from the Reserve Bank and the federal government. The handouts from this tripartite initiative are broken down as follows: WORKERS: $1,500 fortnightly payments to six million workers as part of the $130billion JobKeeper stimulus package starting on May 1. This caters for businesses forced to stand down staff as pubs, clubs, cinemas, gyms and dine-in restaurants closed to slow the spread of COVID-19. The payment will be paid to employers for up to six months, for each eligible employee that was on their books on March 1, 2020 and who has been kept on during this time. UNEMPLOYED: A doubling of jobless benefits from April 27 as the $550 coronavirus supplement is added on top of the usual $565.70 JobSeeker payment. This measure was announced as part of the second $66.1billion stimulus package. PENSIONERS AND STUDENTS: $750 payments to 6.5million Australians who are unemployed, on the aged or disability pension, are studying for a degree, qualification or an apprenticeship or are parents eligible for Tax Benefit Part B. Advertisement DAMPER BREAD Thousands - even hundreds of thousands - of Australian amateur cooks have been baking their own bread, cakes and pastries since the pandemic triggered widespread panic buying and forced millions to self-isolate at home. With supermarket shelves stripped bare of basic essentials, interest in traditional bread recipes skyrocketed. Searches for 'damper bread', a simple Australian soda bread made from flour, butter and milk or water, rose by 263 percent across the country between February and March. British people have been searching for 'no yeast bread', while Americans have been researching recipes for Navajo bread, a light flatbread deep-fried in oil which was first made by the Native American Navajo people of the southwestern United States. Searches for 'damper bread' (pictured), a simple Australian soda bread made from flour, butter and milk or water, rose by 263 percent across the country between February and March How to bake homemade Australian damper bread Ingredients: 250grams of self-raising flour 25grams of unsalted butter 175ml of milk Half a teaspoon of salt Method: Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl Add the butter and rub into the flour with your fingertips until it binds together like crumbs Stir in the milk until the mixture becomes soft, but not sticky Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and shape into a smooth ball Place on a greased baking tray and gently flatten the dough, cutting a deep cross into the top and brushing it lightly with leftover milk Bake in the oven at 190 degrees for roughly 30 minutes or until golden brown Source: Australia's Best Recipes Advertisement OLD-FASHIONED FAMILY GAMES Searches for 'family games' increased by 155 percent on Australian shores in March, with old-fashioned games like Monopoly among the top trends. Card playing families have been entertaining themselves with 'Spoons', a game named for the utensil each player is trying to win a chance to grab and the word everyone is trying not to spell. Players take turns trying to collect four-of-a-kind and when someone does, everyone tries to grab a spoon. If you're the player without a spoon, you get assigned a letter. The last player to spell out 'spoons' wins. Spoons can be played with up to 13 people, making it the perfect game for households of all sizes. Interest in family board games rose by 1,291 in Mexico, while in Spain - one of the nations hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak - searches rose by a staggering 2,830 percent. Spain recorded 184,948 infections and 19,315 deaths on Friday, April 17, along with 74,797 recoveries. Searches for old-fashioned family games like Monopoly increased by 155 percent in Australia in March CREATIVE DESSERT RECIPES Quarantining and comfort eating appears to go hand in hand, with searches for elaborate dessert and creative cake recipes climbing by over one thousand percent from February to March. Australians have been sharing their attempts at indulgent chocolate fudge with Baileys and Maltesers, homemade Kentucky Fried Chicken wings and even DIY Krispy Kreme doughnuts on Facebook and Instagram. Searches for 'mimosa cake', a classic sponge laced with champagne, rose by 1,408 percent month-on-month in Italy, while searches for 'fried sweet fritters' rose by searches for 'healthy gut recipes' increased by 2,145 percent in Argentina. Quarantining and comfort eating appears to go hand in hand, with searches for elaborate dessert recipes - like this Baileys and Malteser fudge cake - climbing by over one thousand percent from February to March Mr. Cramer was a professor of painting and drawing at Temples Tyler School of Art and Architecture. Read more People Weve Lost Richard Cramer 87 years old Taught at Temple Art professor took his students on annual foliage trips More Memorials Richard Cramer preferred Lord Chesterfield Ale for some social gatherings, and was happy to share. He also loved to teach outdoors. For a good portion of his 37 years as a professor of painting and drawing at Temple Universitys Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Mr. Cramer annually took his class of around 20 students to Schuylkill County, Pa., amid the dazzling fall foliage, for his course Urban Industrial Landscape Painting. It was just the perfect place to go and kind of lose yourself, and to draw and to paint and to photograph, someplace completely different from what you were used to, said his wife, Carol Markel. I went there quite a bit with Richard, and I always felt like I was going into Brigadoon. There would be a mist coming up, and all of a sudden youd be in these little towns. She said Mr. Cramer would take his students to the shuttered St. Nicholas Breaker, a relic of the anthracite era, where they created fantastic works of art over the years, works later put on display around the county. Their day would end at the Yuengling mansion in Pottsville, where they would sleep on bedrolls on the floor. Richard would buy a couple of cases of Lord Chesterfield Ale, and they would just sit around in the kitchen talking and having fun, Markel said. Mr. Cramer, 87, died Friday, April 10, in White Plains, N.Y., of the coronavirus. Born in Appleton, Wis., Mr. Cramer developed his love of art at Milwaukees Layton School of Art. He was appreciative of brilliant colors in landscapes, which included the scenery in the hilly copper-mining town of Bisbee, Ariz., near which he was stationed in the Army in 1955 the inspiration for his Schuylkill County trips. In the late 1960s, Mr. Cramer developed a color-mixing system that created paintings consisting of thousands of individual colors applied in small rectangular units, seeking to re-create a sense of colored light he experienced in Bisbee and other places. Mr. Cramers paintings were shown in museums in New York and Boston, and his works are in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In addition to his wife, Mr. Cramer is survived by daughter Dianna and sons Joseph and Richard. Another daughter, Catherine, died in 2013. Joe Juliano William Hoy stood like a lion amidst his pride. They were eight strong, men who had seen it all, Fusiliers and Royal Engineers. It was June 1st 1879 at a Kraal in Zululand, east of the Kahlamba mountains in South Africa. Six short months earlier the British had taken part in an historic engagement against the Zulus at Rorke's Drift, made famous by the film 'Zulu'. Subsequently, they were massacred at Isandlwana, later to be come the classic movie 'Zulu Dawn'. But would they be making a film about William Hoy, a man from Drogheda Street in Balbriggan, and now facing down a band of 40 Zulu warriors, inflamed with a desire to kill the enemy? The silver buttons on his prized red tunic caught the light of a bright South African morning as the decision was taken to retreat. But one man didn't make it. In a flash the Zulus were upon him. And his death would send shockwaves around the world. The Prince Imperial of France, Napoleon Eugene, the last of the Bonaparte dynasty, rode out with the party that morning. In the mayhem that followed the Zulu advance, he'd been lost and it was some time before the small party, that also lost two further soldiers, returned. Hoy and his comrades, led by Lt Carey, brought his body back to base camp but an investigation was launched immediately. The 23-year-old prince had fled France in the 1870s after being proclaimed Napoleon IV. He ended up in England, the Bonapartes intent that he would eventually return to France to claim the crown. In the meantime the prince went to the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich and after much pressure, was allowed to go to war in Africa, but with commanders ordered to protect him at all costs. Queen Victoria ordered sanctions against the company leader that morning, Lt Carey, and his career was virtually ended. A veteran Scottish Fusilier, William Hoy would continue to serve, spending another four years in the army. Tight corners were something Hoy had become used to. He had 21 years service in the army, fighting in Peshawar, Pakistan in 1864 and then the Abyssinian War in 1878. He decided to end his career in 1883 and left for home again and the streets of Balbriggan. Indeed, he continued to serve in many ways, becoming the rural district postman for the area. But the Hoy family and the army story did not end there. It got better! William had four sons, Herbert, George, Edward and William and all four entered the ranks of the British military. However, it's William junior's story that continued the heroic tales. He married Christina Hoy and worked for a period in the hosiery trade in Balbriggan. The lure of action took him off to war and ironically, to South Africa again. He served five years there, including the Boer War and figured in one of the most dramatic incidents of that campaign. He was on the armoured train conveying troops to Ladysmith when it was held up by the Boers and all on board were taken prisoner. William Hoy protected many of those on the train that day, including a man who would become a world leader 40 years later, Winston Churchill. It's said that when Churchill was beginning the campaign against the Germans in WWII, Hoy was encouraged to write to him in London, asking did he recall the incident. Churchill wrote back, saying he did, thanking Hoy and enclosing a 10 pound note! Earlier, Hoy had served as a driver in the Royal Field Artillery in France for four years in WW1 and on September 12th, 1917, was awarded the military medal for gallantry and devotion to duty in action. He would see out the war and returned to Balbriggan where he died n 1958. The chief mourners at his funeral were his four daughters, Mrs Atkins, Mrs Fagan, Mrs Bossonett and Mrs Caron and sisters, Mrs Conway and Miss A Hoy. Also sons-in-law, D Atkins, L Fagan, G Bossonett and W Caron.. He is buried in Holmpatrick. * More 'military families' stories in this week's Drogheda Independent Many of the millions of people expecting the payments are struggling with an IRS Wheres My Payment webpage intended to give the status of their funds. Several users said on Twitter their payment information is unavailable, even though they should qualify for the money. Some said the IRS deposited the money into a bank account that isnt theirs. The Reserve Bank of India provided a big relief to small and mid-sized NBFCs and MFIs, and also relaxed NPA recognition norms for NBFCs, but the market came off from the day's high after the announcement as made. The BSE Sensex gained 1.5 percent to trade at 31,056.22 and the Nifty50 rose 1.39 percent to 9,117.90 at the time of writing this copy. Both indices had rallied more than 3 percent each ahead of the RBI announcement. Also read: RBI announces additional measures to fight slowdown; highlights from the presser Today the RBI has decided to conduct targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO 2.0) for an aggregate amount of Rs 50,000 crore and said funds availed by banks under TLTRO 2.0 should be invested in investment-grade bonds, commercial paper, and non-convertible debentures of NBFCs, with at least 50 percent of the total amount availed going to small and mid-sized NBFCs and MFIs. RBI news updates "This will comprise Rs 25,000 crore to NABARD for refinancing regional rural banks (RRBs), cooperative banks and micro finance institutions (MFIs); Rs 15,000 crore to SIDBI for on-lending/refinancing; and Rs 10,000 crore to NHB for supporting housing finance companies (HFCs). Advances under this facility will be charged at the RBI's policy repo rate at the time of availment," said the RBI. Along with the above measures, the RBI also reduced the fixed rate reverse repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points to 3.75 percent with immediate effect and relaxed NPA classification norms. Experts feel these liquidity measures are expected to benefit NBFCs, HFCs, banks etc. "RBI has provided supplementary measures to address financial market liquidity, NPA recognition, and operational concerns. Key measures that are likely to have a positive impact are a reverse repo cut, additional targeted LTRO for NBFCs and additional funds for HFC," Sahil Kapoor, Chief Market Strategist at Edelweiss Broking told Moneycontrol. This along with relaxation in NPA classification norms is likely to soothe markets, he said. He also expects RBI and Government to bring in a COVID bond or monetize central government deficits, which could happen down the line. RBI's whatever it takes stance is encouraging and market off highs is largely due to volatility, he said. Sundar Sanmukhani, Head of Fundamental Research Desk at Choice Broking also agreed with Kapoor, saying RBI's latest announcements to infuse liquidity and expand bank credit are expected to provide big relief to the non-banking financial sector (NFBCs) as 50 percent of the proposed TLTRO worth Rs 50,000 crore will be invested in small and mid-sized NBFCs and MFIs. On the relaxation of NPA recognition norms for NBFCs, he said banks would also get relaxation on special mentioned account, which are unpaid with 60-90 days as on March, but have to make 10 percent provisioning against such standstill account. Here is what other experts said: Vishal Kampani, Managing Director, JM Financial Group The RBI Governor has announced some commendable measures and acted swiftly to offer Rs 1 lakh crore liquidity window and cut reverse repo rate to support NBFCs and that promptness signals a strong intent of the RBI to turn the wheel of the economy. The reverse repo rate cut will prompt banks to increase lending, leading to a broader liquidity transmission to the NBFC sector. Broadly these measures will strengthen the liquidity position of the NBFCs and corporates. The banks, on the other hand, need to ensure that the credit transmission to the NFBCs take place regardless of the credit-ratings. I am happy to learn that this is just the beginning and RBI will come up with further measures so that the economy is able to tackle the COVID-19 challenges. Jaspal Bindra - Executive Chairman, Centrum Group The RBI has shown pragmatism while announcing the second round of measures, aimed at maintaining liquidity and incentivizing credit flows. Banks are required to invest a significant portion of the TLTRO with NBFCs & MFIs, is positive as they have been hit significantly. Relief packages of Rs 50,000 crore allotted to NABARD, SIDBI and NHB combined with the reduction in reverse REPO rate will incentivize banks and NBFCs to step up their lending activities. Additionally, the 90 day NPA norm wont be applicable to loans where the moratorium is granted. This along with 1 year extension on loans given to the real estate sector will help preserve asset quality. Sujan Hajra, Chief Economist and Executive Director, Anand Rathi Shares & Stock Brokers RBI's move today addressed some of the liquidity problems particularly for NBFCs, MFIs and state governments. MSME sector should also get some liquidity boost. The picture for banks is mixed. Temporary elongation of NPA recognition period and lowering of liquidity coverage ratios are positive. Cut in reverse-repo rate and continued need for provisioning on overdue credit. Increased TLTRO and WMA limit for state governments should keep bond yield range bound. This should benefit PSU banks with sizable excess reserve. Reverse-repo rate cut should marginally nudge banks to lend. If credit growth does not accelerate, would expect the cut in reverse-repo to continue. Joseph Thomas, Head of Research - Emkay Wealth Management RBI has reaffirmed its commitment to support the economy and the markets, and have announced an additional Rs 50,000 crore TLTRO. This would be targeted at supporting corporates and smaller private entities. But the issue is that there no lending by banks nor any investment into sectors that require more support. Banks are parking with RBI on a daily basis an amount close to Rs 6 lakh crore. So whatever money they have with them and whatever they are getting from RBI, the banks are giving back to RBI instead of investing it or lending it. The reverse repo rate cut is to discourage thus reverse flow to RBI. But is doubtful whether this flow can be stemmed easily. Banks are not lending or investing because they fear that under the current conditions they may be adversely impacted if they employ the money for investments or lending. Even three months back the approach of the banks was one of extreme caution. RBI has now specified where the money should go to encourage sectoral lending. Once a clear channelization of credit to segments or sectors that require the support is achieved, the economy will get the much-needed stimulus. Mihir Vora, Director & Chief Investment Officer, Max Life Insurance The RBI announcement of the Reverse Repo rate cut, TLTRO 2 targeting NBFCs, Refinancing via NABARD, NHB, SIDBI are very essential to support the weakest segments of the economy. RBI has been proactive in addressing the pain in areas which were not getting the full benefit of the earlier measures. Widening of the LAF corridor by reducing the Reverse Repo rate further disincentives banks to park money with the RBI and encourage lending. RBI also increased the WMA limit for States. This will defer supply of State Govt. paper and lower spreads on SDL borrowings, which had shot up last week due to large supply getting bunched up. TLTRO to be used for 50% large and 50% smaller NBFCs will help the NBFC sector which is under increasing stress of NPAs and liquidity. Standstill in asset classification and one time restructuring for commercial real estate will support banking sector stability. The steps will ease some of the burden on the financial system and will aid to keep credit flowing to the economy. Governor also kept the option of more such measures if needed. We expect a continuation of such measures by RBI and Government, given the gravity of the situation. Overall, the measures are timely and welcome, though maybe not a 'bazooka' like we have seen in the highly unconventional tools used by the US Fed, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan etc. All eyes are now on the government to announce fiscal measures to support the economy. Jimeet Modi, Founder & CEO, SAMCO Securities & Stock RBI's big bang stimulus was not a bazooka after all, given the expectations, rather it was a conservative approach and indicated a piecemeal manner of infusing liquidity. The measures though significant were not substantial enough as a mere Rs. 50,000 Crs in the form of TLTRO is rather conservative. However, for the moment major concerns have been addressed as real estate and NBFC sectors have received massive relief, NBFCs (small and large) have liquidity coming in from TLTRO 2.0, financial institutions like SIDBI, NABARD and NHB have received liquidity directly from the RBI and there is relief on the NPA recognition and stressed asset reclassification for Banks. To add to it, a 25bps reduction in the fixed reverse repo rate will enable banks to lend further and improve liquidity in the system. This has definitely boosted investor confidence as the quarterly numbers to be published by corporates will no longer be a horror story. Additionally, RBIs openness of providing further relief if the situation worsens further is a big relief in these distressed times. Dhiraj Relli, MD & CEO, HDFC Securities NBFCs are clear beneficiaries of these measures. For investors in Banks the provision of higher liquidity and relaxation in provisioning norms are welcome, but the bar on dividend distribution and new provisioning norms are negatives for the time being. While the RBI is doing its part in providing reliefs in the current times, the street could keep expecting more and there could also be some concern about the time it would take for these measures to have an impact at the ground level. : The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Govt removes curbs on exports of formulations made from paracetamol.(DC Photo) New Delhi: The government on Friday removed restrictions on exports of medicines made from Paracetamol amid the outbreak of Covid-19. However, restrictions on exports of Paracetamol active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs or raw materials) will continue, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification. To export a product, which is under restricted category, an exporter requires no-objection certificate or permission of a licence from the DGFT. "The formulations made from Paracetamol (including fixed-dose combinations) are made free for export with immediate effect. However, Paracetamol APIs will remain restricted for export," it said. The government on March 3 had put export restrictions on 26 pharma ingredients and medicines, including paracetamol. However on April 6, it removed the export restrictions on 24 APIs and formulations excluding Paracetamol. India exported formulations made from Paracetamol worth USD 5.41 billion during April-January 2019-20. It was USD 5.8 billion in 2018-19. According to Mumbai-based doctor Sachin Ramteke, Paracetamol is used commonly to treat body pain and fever. "It is used as symptomatic treatment to control body temperature," he said. MBABANE Only a few hours after government announced the relaxed partial lockdown, Eswatini recorded its first death of a COVID-19 patient. The deceased, who was patient number 15, a 59-year-old liSwati man, passed away at the Lubombo Referral Hospital, which is the countrys COVID-19 health facility. The sad news was announced yesterday by the Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi, during a press conference held at the Cabinet Offices. Ironically, patient 15 passed away just a few hours after the Prime Minister, Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini, had announced that the relaxed partial lockdown would last for 21 days, starting yesterday. Further, the minister also announced a new positive case yesterday which brings the number of people who have tested positive in the country to 17. Deceased According to the minister, the deceased had been admitted to the COVID-19 treatment facility on Easter Monday, which was April 13, 2020. The deceased was from the Manzini Region and according to the ministry, had no history of travel and people he had been in contact with were still being investigated. The deceased was reported to be employed in the forestry industry, but cannot be named for now. The minister said he was admitted to the facility after having been unwell for about two weeks after being removed from another hospital in the country, where he had been admitted for other ailments. Nkosi said when the deceased patient was admitted to at Lubombo Referral Hospital, he was found to have been suffering from pneumonia and other diseases which he was being treated for. She said among these were diabetes mellitus. Nkosi stated that when he was admitted, patient number 15 was stable and not someone critical as he was able to talk and even walk without any assistance. He was given oxygen therapy at the facility and treated with antibiotics and medication for diabetes mellitus, she said. Nkosi said, however, the patients condition took a turn for the worst and suddenly deteriorated whereby he collapsed. She said he was resuscitated, but unfortunately he died on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Nkosi observed that COVID-19 had the effect of making the diseases which the deceased had worse. She said of the previously mentioned cases which were then 16, the country now had its first death. Meanwhile, Dr Velephi Okello stated that there were special guidelines to follow when burying a person who had died after testing positive for the coronavirus. She said there were regulations which had been forwarded by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Eswatini had also prepared its own guidelines (adaptation). She said they had handed over the instructions to the deceaseds family on how to bury their loved one. She said relatives were allowed to bury COVID-19 victims either by cremation or in the grave. However, the handling of the corpse has its own regulations which have to be followed, for example they cannot wash the body as we normally do in Eswatini culture, she said. Infectious She said a post-mortem could, however, not be conducted because if this happened, the body would release the virus which was inside the chest of the deceased and was highly infectious. Okello said the body could be placed in the mortuary, but only in a closed body bag. She said relatives who wanted to view the body could but they could only see the person at the mortuary or a funeral parlour. Even then they can only view the person from a distance and those people are expected to wear masks, but only for a short while, she said. Dr Okello further stated that the fact that Eswatini was able to now test, it would speed up the process. She said the patients who were already under care were constantly monitored and after every three days they would take their blood samples, which was a way of testing if they were responding to treatment. She said this had previously not gone well because it would take time for the results to return as the tests were done in South Africa. Now that we have the capacity to do it on our own, this will speed up the process and positive cases can quickly be admitted before they are critically sick, she said. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Cross River State branch, has reacted to a controversial comment made by Governor Ben Ayade on face mask. PREMIUM TIMES reported Mr Ayade saying that people who put on face masks do not need to practise social distancing because the mask protects them from being infected with coronavirus. The Cross River State government has made it mandatory for residents of the state to wear face back whenever they are in public. I know once you put on this mask you already have been protected, Mr Ayade is heard saying in a 50-second video that circulated on Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp. You dont need social distancing when you are properly protected. The states branch of NMA is a recent statement said the governors remark was capable of luring the people into a false sense of security by the mere use of face mask. The statement was signed by Agam Ayuk and Ezoke Epoke, the NMA state chairman and state secretary respectively. The NMA said the use of face mask is helpful but does not give full protection against COVID-19. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Interim Guidance of April 6, 2020, the use of face masks (medical or non-medical) whether for source control (used by infected persons) or prevention of COVID-19 (used by healthy persons) alone is insufficient to provide an adequate level of protection and advises other measures to be adopted, the statement said. READ ALSO: Therefore, face mask is complementary to social/physical distancing of at least 1 meter, avoiding mass gatherings, effective hand and respiratory hygiene and cleaning of all contact surfaces among other measures as recommended by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and the World Health Organisation. The association advised the Cross River State government to rescind its order on some government workers in the state to resume work because it is ill-timed and not in the best public health interest of the State. Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, has asked Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, to name those officials who are enriching th... Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, has asked Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, to name those officials who are enriching themselves in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Shehu was reacting to comments made by the senator on the federal governments efforts to provide palliatives for citizens as the country fights the spread of COVID-19. While speaking with journalists in Borno on Thursday, Ndume asked the president to disband the committee in charge of giving relief to the poor over alleged fraud. We have reliable information that the names they generated are fake and that they connived with some of the banks to defraud the poor. If they should continue this way , it is better to stop the exercises, the senator reportedly said. But in a statement on Friday, Shehu said it is disappointing of the politician to call out unnamed individuals in the administration and accuse them of unknown transgression. The presidential spokesman asked the senator to provide proof to back his claims, describing him as a discontented politician. A number of ranking officials have been shown the way out at various times simply on account of this, he said. Similarly, he believes in loyalty and truthfulness. Should any individuals be found to be serving themselves and not the people, then it is right and proper to call them out. But this must be done on the basis of evidence and proof not on conjecture. It is therefore disappointing to hear a politician call out unnamed individuals in the administration and accuse them of unnamed transgressions. If this politician has evidence then he should make public their identities as well as his proof. Innuendo is not proof. Similarly, simply claiming that the COVID-19 Palliative Measures Committee is not functioning as it should is not the same as presenting proof for such a claim. No one replaces an institutional government body in the midst of the global pandemic without clear and irrefutable evidence that it needs replacing. A press briefing from a discontented politician is rarely the source of such evidence. Shehu said every citizen should help combat the spread of the disease rather than make political capital out of it, whatever his or her grievances. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinwar's expression of his movements readiness to hold prisoner-exchange negotiations has stirred mixed reactions in Israel. Shortly after Sinwars announcement and far from the media spotlight, Russian and Egyptian mediators siezed the opportunity to move forward a file that has been on hold for more than five years. In a televised interview with the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa channel on April 3, Sinwar expressed Hamas willingness to make partial concessions to Israel regarding a deal to release Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, specifically the elderly, the sick, children and women. He added, However, Israel should pay the highest price in this prisoner-exchange deal. On April 7, as soon as Israel received Sinwars surprise announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israels Coordinator for Captives and Missing Persons Yaron Blum and his team, in collaboration with the National Security Council and the defense establishment, are committed to acting constructively with the aim of bringing back the soldiers bodies and missing civilians and putting an end to the issue. He called for immediate dialogue between mediators. Hamas detained two Israeli soldiers during the 2014 Israeli war on Gaza and has refused to disclose their fate. Israel claims the two soldiers were killed in battle, while Hamas claims they are alive. In 2015, Hamas announced the arrest of two Israelis in the Gaza Strip. Negotiations on a prisoner exchange have been on hold since the end of the 2014 war. Hamas had insisted on Israel releasing the Palestinian detainees who had been previously released as part of the Gilad Shalit deal in 2011 but were subsequently re-arrested before the 2014 war. The detainees released a statement April 11 calling on Hamas to demand their release before undertaking any prisoner-swap negotiations. They voiced resentment of Hamas previous refusal to consider making any concessions. Moussa Doudin, the Hamas official in charge of prisoner issues, told Al-Monitor that Hamas has received calls from several mediators who were pushing for negotiations such as Germany, Qatar, Turkey and Egypt. Doudin noted that the mediators requested explanations about Sinwars overture. He explained that Hamas is waiting for Israel to take action to begin the actual negotiations. Doudin said that the move is humanitarian in light of the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in Israel. He declined to share any steps that Hamas might take and underlined that the movement is waiting for a serious step from Israel before revealing its own. In the past few years, Hamas has released videos of the alleged Israeli captives to impel the families of Israeli detainees to pressure the Israeli government to start negotiations. These efforts have failed. Soon after Sinwar made his announcement, the Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper revealed April 9 that the Egyptian intelligence service had made calls to both sides. An Egyptian member of parliament close to Egyptian intelligence told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the Egyptians took action after Netanyahus office announced the negotiation teams readiness to engage in serious talks through mediators. He noted that the current situation in Israel and the region, with the coronavirus pandemic, might move things forward. The source added that Egypt is interested in a prisoner exchange because it is convinced that the negotiation process would resolve many disputes between Israel and Hamas and and contribute toward ending the blockade on the Gaza Strip. He expects more action from Egyptian intelligence in the coming days. In an April 10 op-ed, Haaretz called on Netanyahu to take Sinwars overture seriously. The newspaper asked Netanyahu to adopt a humanitarian stance. Alaa Rimawi, director of Al-Quds Center for Israeli and Palestinian Studies in Ramallah, expects the prisoner exchange file to advance in the coming months, citing both parties desire to settle it. Both will likely capitalize on the humanitarian aspect, given the coronavirus pandemic, which might make concessions more palatable to their populations, Rimawi told Al-Monitor. Iyad al-Qarra, political analyst and writer at the Hamas-affiliated Felesteen newspaper, told Al-Monitor that Sinwars overture relieved mediators, who immediately began making calls to end the stagnation that has gripped this issue for years. Both sides stand to make significant steps toward a successful prisoner exchange, though they still have a long way to go before finalizing a deal. The Congress on Friday said migrants and daily wagers should be giving ration and cash as incentives to instil confidence in them to stay in cities during the nationwide lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The party also urged the Delhi government to waive school fees and fixed power charges for shopkeepers, and pay 75 per cent salaries of teachers in aided schools, as it put forth a 10-point demand charter before the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation to help those in distress. Senior Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken demanded from the city government that "all micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) should be given 75 per cent of their employees' salaries for three months" to help them tide over the current crisis. He also sought Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), to be notified as regulations, for delivery agents in Delhi as a COVID-19 prevention measure. On Thursday, a pizza delivery agent tested positive for the coronavirus in south Delhi, following which 89 families whom he delivered pizza to were put under home quarantine. Maken said all the people who came in contact with the delivery agent have been quarantined and they should be immediately tested for the virus. Testing should be ramped up in the national capital, he said while addressing a press conference through video-conferencing. Maken also asked the government whether Delhi had entered the community transmission stage (stage-3) of the virus as 135 people have been kept "under investigation". The former Delhi Congress chief said," migrants should be incentivised in Delhi and in other towns as they are the backbone of any city and demanded that they be given Rs 7,500 per month immediately to help them cope with the crisis." "Migrants are the backbone of any city and hence they should be incentivised to make them feel safe in Delhi and other towns," Maken said. He demanded payment of ration for two months to the poor and vulnerable, besides advance payment of pension to senior citizens and widows, and risk allowance to sanitation and frontline health workers. Maken asked for an allowance of Rs 5,000 to all the unemployed people in the national capital. He suggested that random testing should be ramped up. "India has the lowest population wise testing in the world for COVID-19. India needs to equal the best in the world on testing levels,"Maken said. He noted that India is not among the top 40 safest countries to challenge the virus. As part of its 10 suggestions to the Kejriwal government, Maken said Delhi has one of the highest cases at 1,640. "There are 135 patients under investigation. So, have we entered the stage 3 of COVID-19? Fifty-five healthcare professionals have been infected in Delhi. "Highest in the country, but no efforts by the Delhi or the Union government to procure new ventilators, while the faulty ventilators at many places still exist," he said. He said aggressive testing both at the state and national levels need to be done. "We suggest SOPs for delivery boys should be prepared and be notified as regulations so that they are binding on everyone. Protection gears, including sanitisers, mask, and hand gloves, should be provided by employers," the Congress leader said. He said the Rajasthan and Punjab governments -- both Congress-ruled states -- have deferred fixed charges on electricity bills of all non-domestic and industrial connections for March and April. The Delhi government should ensure that no fixed charges on electricity bills are charged for the period of three months from the industrial and non-domestic (commercial) connections, he demanded. He also said that two months ration including 70kgs of rice, 2kgs of sugar and 3kgs of pulses, be given to all households in slums, and resettlement, unauthorised, and unauthorised-regularised colonies. This, he said, will cover around 60 per cent of households in Delhi. He said the Delhi government should pass an order for not charging any fees and should ensure 75 per cent of the salaries for the teachers are provided to schools. " Private or government safai karamcharis (sanitation workers) and healthcare workers should be provided Rs 7,500 per month as risk allowance for three months," Maken said. On the pattern of that in Punjab and Rajasthan, two months pension for senior citizens, widows and physically challenged should also immediately be released. Besides, all unemployed youth up to the age of 35 yrs, who have already registered up to April 30, should be provided unemployment allowance of Rs 5,000, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Washington, April 17 : US President Donald Trump excluded Republican Senator Mitt Romney from a congressional group that focuses on the reopening of the coronavirus-hit nation. Romney, the 2012 presidential nominee, was the only Republican Senator to vote to convict Trump in his impeachment trial earlier this year, reports Xinhua news agency. The Senator voted to convict the president on the abuse of power charge and to acquit him on the obstruction of Congress charge. Several Democratic senators who voted to convict Trump were among those tapped to serve on the task force. Trump hosted phone calls with members of the group on Thursday, said a White House press release. The dialogue included "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", the release said. Earlier in the day, Trump lashed out at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who initiated the impeachment drive against him last year and has recently criticized his handling of the coronavirus outbreak. "She is totally incompetent & controlled by the Radical Left, a weak and pathetic puppet. Come back to Washington and do your job," Trump tweeted. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Pelosi said that Trump "ignored the warnings about the pandemic" and that "he told his most loyal followers it was a hoax and would magically disappear". "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 added. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, April 18 2020 Rare but there: Rocks jut out from the Ciliwung River at a pristine fishing spot in Cibinong subdistrict of Bogor regency, West Java. Once dubbed the worlds most polluted river, the Ciliwung River has its charms for those who like to fish. The 119-kilometer river, which flows from Bogor to Depok in West Java, and then on through the nations capital to empty into Jakarta Bay, is a favorite fishing spot for many an angler. Agus Setiawan, who lives in Bojong Gede subdistrict in Bogor regency, West Java, often goes to the Ciliwung to fish. Its close to home, and theres fish aplenty, says Agus, who frequently goes sea fishing as well. Those who live near the Ciliwung, especially in Bogor, usually head to the river for catfish, tilapia and carp. They use worms, moss or pellets as bait, and the fish they catch usually end up on their dinner plates. Preying on predators: Four anglers wade through the Ciliwung to reach a hampala fishing spot in the Bojong area of Bogor, West Java. Meanwhile, the more serious anglers use artificial lures made of wood, plastic or metal and set their sights on predatory fish species like the hampala. They use the casting technique to flick their lures toward the water and practice catch-and-release, a more sustainable way to fish. However, others use more harmful and dangerous methods such as electrofishing and poison fishing. These methods not only harm the river ecosystem, and are also dangerous for those using them as well as other people who rely on the river for their daily needs. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Keep your distance, ploise. (Photo: ABC/Riley Turner Productions ) OPINION: If you asked me who my favourite Kath & Kim character was a few months ago, you can bet it wouldnt have been Kaths busybody neighbour, Mandy. But while the country cracks down on social distancing and forced periods of self-isolation and quarantine, Australia has cracked down on dobbing people in, and Mandy is fast becoming one of the most relatable Australian characters on Netflix, lurking behind the fence with the cops on speed dial waiting to dob in our every wrong move. Have be become a nation of nosey neighbours? (Photo: ABC/Riley Turner Productions ) In recent days, illegal gatherings with police issuing fines for non-compliance have dominated the news, with one such party allegedly taking place in the North West of Tasmania. Just like any good old witch hunt, it started with a Facebook rumour, according to a bunch of people no doubt named Karen, who work at Stay at Home Mummy and attended the School of Hard Knocks. The story goes that a group of health care professionals had held a dinner party, which helped to spread Covid-19, essentially locking down the North West of the state. It summoned a collective, Oh, Kim, you stewpid gurrrl in our very best Kath Day-Knight voices. Now, after initially repeating the unsubstantiated information, its since been clarified by old mate Brendan Murphy, the countrys Chief Medical Officer, that the gathering never happened. How can we blame him for being led astray? We are living in an age where so many people will hit share or flippantly comment on social media posts with limited proof. Looking at you, Pete Evans. Thats not to rule out that another gathering might have occurred, as a group of individuals from the North East of Tasmania have since been charged, but its not suggested that they are the so-called health professionals from the north-west that were originally thrown under the Facebook bus. Credit: ABC/ Riley Turner Productions (Photo: Riley Turner Productions) The circulation of completely unfounded Corona content on Facebook is largely thanks to the Boomers, and my nan. But what is it about this particular age group that makes them so eager to believe that someones neighbours cousins friends aunt heard from her sisters doctor that you can stop the spread of Coronavirus by spraying brandy down your throat? Happy to give it a go, but come on, Karen. Story continues Join me in unpacking some of the widely spread untruths of Covid-19 on the link below: Related... The Truth Behind Five Coronavirus Myths Aside from false, and potentially dangerous information, the other thing this generation is becoming known for is dobbing people in. And you know what? Im joining them. If the childhood insult that dobbers wear nappies is in fact true, then throw me a 24-pack of Huggies, because, mate, if youre doing the wrong thing by not following social distancing rules, breaking quarantine or at the very least licking your fingers while prying apart the plastic produce bag at Coles, I will not hesitate to rat you out. Its the neighbourhood sticky beaks time to shine! At the time of writing, in the North West of Tasmania, there have been over 2400 checks on businesses and households required to be in quarantine, carried out by police and the SES. In Queensland, over $1m in fines have been issued to members of the public for non-compliance of social distancing laws. NSW has issued fines totalling $165,000. Thats a deposit on a cupboard in Bondi! Law-abiding folk by majority, Dance Federation President Barry Fife said it best in Strictly Ballroom One bad egg can rot the whole barrel. So while the majority of us are doing the right thing, the minority who are stepping out on social distancing are ruining it for the rest of us and breeding a whole new generation of Mandys. Take for example, my friend Allie, who dobbed in a man in his sixties her own dad. I was sick to death of ranting at him, she says. He travelled around Tasmania, then kept going from his boat to other boats down at the marina visiting his friends which is no different from going to other peoples houses. Hes currently at a mates shack, not socially distancing. So I called and dobbed him in. I told them that I was his daughter, and I left my details. Just not on, I dont care who you are! My cousin Amy lives opposite a family in quarantine, after they returned from interstate. The police are regularly checking in on them, as is Amy from the comfort of her own couch. Ive been watching them, she says. A few days ago, they had visitors. I was going to call the cops, but I didnt in the end I just made sure to film it in case. Ill bet you did, Mands! You can't help but feel a little Leo-style passionate about this whole pandemic thing. (Photo: HuffPost ) While its hard to gather exact figures on how many members of the community are dobbing people in, the amount of fines being issued nation-wide after reports of flaunting the rules are excessive, so we can only assume theres an army of meddling Mandys, armed with binoculars. And while we would normally resent neighbourhood snoopers, if theyre doing even just a small part to keep Covid-19 from spreading further, then I say, let them dob. Its easy to forget that these restrictions are in place for a reason, basically, so we dont die. Nothing major. So, Mandys of Australia, who you gonna call? Crime Stoppers. kath hero (Photo: ABC/ Riley Turner Productions ) Kate Fox is a writer, copy editor and content producer based in Hobart, Tasmania. Follow her on Twitter here. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. More victims of the coronavirus pandemic in Northern Ireland have been named - including a Co Armagh pensioner who died on her 71st birthday. Mabel Donnelly, from Keady, passed away on Wednesday, the day she turned 71, and was laid to rest following a private funeral in accordance with the social-distancing measures in Blackwatertown yesterday. Last weekend, Co Tyrone man David Montgomery (55) died at the South West Acute hospital in Enniskillen on April 11. He was a well-known and highly regarded farmer who live in the Dromore area of the county. Mr Montgomery was also an active member of the small country parish of Togherdoo Methodist Church, where a service of thanksgiving for his life will be held at a later date. He is survived by his three sisters, Anne, Liz and Helen. Meanwhile, Mrs Donnelly's son, Peter, thanked health care staff who had cared for his mother, the Ulster Gazette reported. "We would like to thank all the staff in Dunlarg Care Home and also the staff in Craigavon Hospital," Peter added. The Parish of Keady and Derrynoose, where Peter is the parish caretaker, said on its Facebook page they had learned of the Keady resident's death with "great sadness". The Keady Community Festival committee, of which Peter is chairman, said on social media they were saddened to hear of Mrs Donnelly's passing. "(Mabel) was always present at any fundraising events and our St Patrick's Day parade each year," they said. The group also offered its condolences to Mrs Donnelly's family, saying: "We wish to extend our deepest sympathy to Peter, Tam, their father Paul and their families at this particularly sad time. May she rest in peace." N etflixs Too Hot to Handle is like Love Island with a twist - the contestants are not allowed to hook up during their stay in tropical paradise. Instead, the singles must try form emotional bonds, or risk decreasing the $100,000 prize money at the end. Francesca Farago is one of the stars hoping to find love and bag the cash prize. Heres everything you need to know about the contestant... Netflix: Too Hot To Handle (Season1) - In pictures 1 /32 Netflix: Too Hot To Handle (Season1) - In pictures Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Who is Francesca Farago and how old is she? Francesca Farago is a Canadian travel influencer, accustomed to taking luxury trips to hot and exotic locations. The 25-year-old previously dated star DJ Diplo, and is described as a free spirit and thrill-seeker. Though she says she is a commitment-phobe, Francesca once tattooed an ex-boyfriends name on the inside of her mouth. Is Francesca on Instagram? Francesca frequently updates her followers with her modelling work, posting various looks from her home in Vancouver. She also runs her own swimwear label, which according to its Instagram bio, is ethical, sustainable, biodegradable. 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. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our nonprofit public service journalism: Donate now. The coronavirus outbreak has made it hard for some people to continue to make ends meet. Several organizations around L.A. have stepped up to provide food to those in need, and drive-thru pantries and other meal distribution events are happening every day throughout the county. Here's an ongoing list of what we know is happening, and we'll be updating it continually. Be sure to check the official listings for updates, because details may change -- and if you know of any more, let us know. (This list is just for pop-up meal distribution events that are happening this week. If you're looking for a more comprehensive list of places offering free meals on a regular basis, we have that here.) FRIDAY, APRIL 17 Drive-thru mobile food pantry, open to members of any union Location: 3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Los Angeles Time: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Hosted by: L.A. County Federation of Labor, in collaboration with Labor Community Services, L.A. City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, and the L.A. Regional Food Bank Details: Facebook post Drive-thru food distribution Location: Los Angeles Black Worker Center, 5350 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles Time: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Hosted by: Los Angeles Regional Food Bank Weekly vegetarian meal distribution, served via pickup or drive-thru Location: Khalsa Care Foundation, 9989 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Pacoima Time: 2 p.m. until meals run out Hosted by: Khalsa Care Foundation with L.A. City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez Details: Facebook post; Khalsa Care Foundation also hosts a weekly food pantry distribution from 5:30-6:30 p.m. SATURDAY, APRIL 18 Drive-thru food bank for families in need Location: Teamsters Local 572 Headquarters, 450 E. Carson Plaza Drive, Carson Time: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Host: Teamsters Local 572, in conjunction with the L.A. County Federation of Labor and Labor Community Services Details: Facebook post MONDAY, APRIL 20 La Brea Bakery bread distribution Location: Time: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (by appointment only) Host: Sen. Ling Ling Chang (R-Diamond Bar) and La Brea Bakery Details: Announcement from Sen. Chang's office TUESDAY, APRIL 21 La Brea Bakery bread distribution Location: Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (by appointment only) Host: Sen. Ling Ling Chang (R-Diamond Bar) and La Brea Bakery Details: Announcement from Sen. Chang's office THURSDAY, APRIL 23 Grab 'n Go Bag meal distribution for anyone experiencing food insecurity Location: Crenshaw Family YMCA, 3820 Santa Rosalia Drive, Los Angeles 90008 Time: 3:00 p.m. Host: Los Angeles Oasis WISE and Healthy Aging Details: Facebook Post FIND MORE RESOURCES FOR FOOD HERE: Well, it finally happened. On Wednesday, Elizabeth Warren bit the bullet and formally endorsed Joseph Biden for President. Her support is surprising coming from, the same woman who brutally attacked Brett Kavanaugh and Michael Bloomberg based upon their alleged sexual wrongdoing. Neither in her video endorsement nor at any other time has Warren said a thing about Joe Bidens long record of groping little girls and women (as seen on videos) or about Tara Reades allegation that Biden sexually assaulted her. Warrens endorsement video has an awful lot of nice things to say about Joe Biden: In this moment of crisis, its more important than ever that the next president restores Americans faith in good, effective governmentand Ive seen Joe Biden help our nation rebuild. Today, Im proud to endorse @JoeBiden as President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/VrfBtJvFee Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) April 15, 2020 While the video is superficially generic, the reality is that Warrens hypocrisy in endorsing Biden is breathtaking. In 2018, when Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court nomination was temporarily derailed by Christine Blasey-Fords risible and unsubstantiated sexual assault claims, Warren was one of the most aggressive senators attacking Kavanaugh: The events described by Julie Swetnick, Ms. Ramirez & Dr. Ford are absolutely heart-wrenching. The idea that the Senate would continue this confirmation process without an FBI investigation is even more revolting. @realDonaldTrump must withdraw Brett Kavanaugh's nomination. Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 26, 2018 Christine Blasey Ford is brave, deserves to be heard, and treated with respect as she raises new questions about Brett Kavanaugh. No votes until that happens. Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 17, 2018 Senator Warren certainly was a believe all women firebrand back in 2018. She showed the same zeal for believing and defending women when she launched a scathing attack against Mike Bloomberg in February based upon allegations about how he treated women in the workplace: Id like to talk about who were running against, she said. A billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians. And no, Im not talking about Donald Trump. Im talking about Mayor Bloomberg. About 40 minutes later, the debate returned to Bloombergs alleged mistreatment of women when he was asked to address the accusations. He responded by touting the number of women in leadership positions within his foundation and business, noting, I have no tolerance for the kind of behavior that the #MeToo movement has exposed. I hope you heard what his defense was: Ive been nice to some women, Warren said, drawing applause. That just doesnt cut it. Clearly, Warren not only believes all women, she believes that men who harass and abuse women need to be removed from the political scene. Except for Joe Biden. Tara Reade has made a credible allegation that Joe Biden pushed her against a wall in the Congress and penetrated her with his fingers. The media, determined to get President Trump out of the White House and currently stuck with Biden as the Democrat candidate, ignored the allegations as long as possible. Then they called the victim a liar. As an outspoken feminist whose campaign was based in part on her assertion that her XY chromosomes entitled her to become the Democrat nominee, one would think that Elizabeth Warren would support Reade and eviscerate Biden. But when youre a leftist, the only fixed principle is power; everything else is negotiable. So dont ask, What happened to Warrens principles? Instead, ask, What did Joe Biden promise her in exchange for abandoning any semblance of decency? The Kano ministry of health on Friday said three members of the state taskforce on COVID-19 have tested positive to coronavirus. A statement issued by the spokesperson of the ministry, Hadiza Namadi, said the officials were tested and three of the results came out positive of (for) the coronavirus disease. The government therefore advises the general public to keep social distancing, avoid overcrowding and stay at home to keep safe as it continues to take measures to contain the spread of the disease in the state, it added. According to the statement, the number of confirmed cases in the state as of 11:15 a.m. Friday remained 21 with a single death. It said the Kano State deputy governor, Nasiru Gawuna, who heads the taskforce tested negative for COVID-19. Meanwhile, an elated Mr Gawuna announced this on Friday in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES by his spokesperson, Hassan Fagge. The deputy governor commended Kano people for complying with the lock down order. The admistatration of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is taking all measures to halt the spread of the disease in the state, he said. It is important for all to cooperate with all agencies working to curb the spread of the dreaded disease and to eradicate it. READ ALSO: Thus, there should be no circulation of rumours, false and misleading information, only official statements from appropriate agencies should be relied upon. He urged the public to maintain social distancing, washing of hands regularly and to comply with all other advice given by medical experts. The state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje had earlier declared a seven-day lockdown from Thursday to curtail the spread of COVID-19. English fishermen have two reasons for optimism after the lockdown prompted renewed enthusiasm for local fish and the government announced a 10m lifeline for the industry. More than 1,000 fishing and aquaculture businesses will receive up to 9m in cash grants and 1m to help sell their catch locally, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said on Wednesday. The grants are to help fishing businesses through the coronavirus pandemic, which has decimated exports of fish to mainland Europe and China. Despite the tough conditions some fishermen are optimistic, and believe the government support will help them weather a difficult few months. Paul Gilson, whose family have fished off the Essex coast for 250 years, says the grants will allow many boats to keep going that would otherwise not have been able to. He has also seen an unexpected side effect to the social distancing measures that have kept people at home. The industry has been advertising its catch to local customers and seen a renewed interest from people buying directly from fishing businesses. People are so used to just going to the supermarket and picking up whatevers there, something frozen or boil in the bag. Thats the only experience theyve ever had, he said. Now theyre thinking: Im not going anywhere, Ill spend a few bob and try that. Im not doing anything else. Its like having a decent cup of coffee for the first time. For an extra 20p you get something that makes you go: cor, that aint half nice. The mass-produced stuff doesnt often deliver. When people put themselves out there and its been happening all around because Ive been talking to a lot of fishermen the customers are coming back and saying theyve never had anything like it before. Its fabulous. It puts a real spring in your step. At the moment Im very positive, he said. There will be winners and losers as there always are but this [government support] is a very, very good start. I want people to eat more local fish. All round the country there are some treats that people havent tried. New converts to local British fish will have to become reacquainted with the idea of less choice but higher quality, he said. Around Leigh and Southend youll find Dover sole, skate, sea bass, and maybe a few cod whove strayed away from their more northerly home. Along the south coast of England youll get a lot more scallops, bream, yellow sole and that sort of fish. Every place wont be like a fishmonger where you have 80 different species of fish on the counter, but how many places turn around and tell their customers: Dont eat their fish today, its too fresh. Its only just died? Thats what we have to do, certainly with skate and cod. It has to relax, its like a piece of beef. You dont kill a cow and carve a lump off and eat it, do you? He said he hoped the newfound openness to local fish is here to stay and people will open their eyes to produce they do not normally eat in great amounts. The British public are not keen fish eaters. They like a bit of cod but the Dover sole, the monkfish, the scallops go to Europe. Maybe that will change. Despite signs of changes in consumers attitude to local fish, many boats face a difficult future, with restaurants closed and exports down sharply. UK markets have collapsed for higher-end produce like lobster, langoustine and scallops which are typically bought by restaurants. Exports to mainland Europe have also fallen dramatically, while sales of crab to China have completely dried up. Barry Deas, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermans Organisations, welcomed the government funding. He said: It is vital now that the promised 10m of assistance flows quickly to help fishing businesses survive and that the government continues to listen and support the industry beyond the immediate crisis. Defras announcement comes after Scottish and Northern Irish authorities announced separate support packages for their own fishing fleets. The San Antonio Food Bank, which has given away millions of pounds of food in the last 40 years, is now helping thousands of Texas residents in need through the coronavirus pandemic. Before sunrise on Friday, hundreds of cars lined up outside of Toyota Field soccer stadium to get much-needed groceries. The food bank, which services 16 counties in the southwest Texas area, also made deliveries to the elderly and disabled. MORE: Struggle to apply for unemployment continues across the country At the food bank's giveaway last Thursday, 6,000 people pre-registered but 4,000 more lined up in their cars and waited for hours to receive free 120-pound packages of fresh fruits and vegetables donated from local farms as well as bread, non-perishables and at least one meat. PHOTO: People wait in line to get food at the San Antonio Food Bank distribution center being held in the parking lot at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, April 17, 2020. (Larry W Smith /EPA via Shutterstock) The items are expected to last a family of four for a full week, Michael Guerra, the chief development officer at the San Antonio Food Bank, told ABC News. Beatrice Ortiz was one of the first people in line, and the mother of three told ABC News she parked her car outside the dome at 4 p.m. Thursday. The distribution line didn't open until 10 a.m. local time. By then, she will have waited in line for 18 hours to get food. "There's a lot of people hurting here. Even people in my family," Ortiz 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. Ortiz said local grocery stores don't have the basic items, like milk and eggs, that she needs to feed her family. During normal times, she would just make dinner for kids, because they would get breakfast and lunch at school. Ortiz says that has changed at her home and food goes fast. PHOTO: Workers and volunteers help load cars with food at a San Antonio Food Bank drive-through distribution during the coronavirus pandemic in San Antonio, April 7, 2020. (Eric Gay/AP, FILE) Like any parent, Ortiz is determined to feed her family and talks of how she's helping others as the San Antonio food bank helps her. "During the corona it has been difficult. I don't let anybody out except me. If we have to go somewhere, it's just me. If we have to go to Walmart or H-E-B it's me," she said. Story continues MORE: Minority-owned small businesses face unique, steep hurdles amid coronavirus cash crunch For Friday's event, the organizers capped the pre-registration at 2,000 people. "We are trying to do more frequent and moderate-sized efforts. After last week, we decided to go smaller -- more of an effort to better serve the people and not have to wait in long lines," said Guerra of the food bank. PHOTO: Workers and volunteers help load cars with food at a San Antonio Food Bank drive-through distribution in San Antonio, April 7, 2020. (Eric Gay/AP, FILE) Guerra is, however, concerned about how the food bank will make it through the next few months. "It looks like FEMA may be offering some food help, but we may also see donor fatigue," he said. The #COVID19 crisis has brought an unprecedented season of need for many in our community. They are the people who serve us at our favorite bars and restaurants, help us at our favorite retail outlets, and serve visitors to our city. They are our neighbors and family. pic.twitter.com/wocSrHgPso SA Food Bank (@safoodbank) April 16, 2020 San Antonio Food Bank says that every dollar donated equals 10 pounds of food or seven meals for one family. The food bank usually services 58,000 people a week and has ramped up efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Guerra noted that San Antonio has surpassed Detroit last year for the highest poverty rate in a major city. PHOTO: People waiting in line to get food at the San Antonio Food Bank distribution center being held in the parking lot at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, April 17, 2020, are checked. (Larry W Smith /EPA via Shutterstock) Under normal operations, it costs $3 million a week to service the community, Guerra said. "Now we are up to $6 million we have to raise a week," he said. 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 Unemployment rates have skyrocketed across the country as businesses were forced to close in order to abide by health guidelines to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. More than 20 million people have filed unemployment claims in recent weeks. But Guerra is hopeful "our community is great and everyone is pulling for us to get through all this." San Antonio drive-thru food bank gives groceries to thousands of families originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The University of Chicago Medicine (Chicago, IL, USA) has announced encouraging data from its clinical trial of Gilead Sciences (Foster City, CA, USA) antiviral medicine remdesivir for the treatment of severe COVID-19 patients. Out of 125 COVID-19 patients inducted into Gileads two Phase 3 clinical trials, 113 had severe disease and all the patients were treated with daily infusions of remdesivir. According to the University of Chicago Medicine, most of these patients were discharged and only two patients lost their lives, suggesting that remdesivir could be a promising treatment for COVID-19.Remdesivir is an investigational nucleotide analog with broad-spectrum antiviral activity, but is not approved anywhere globally for any use. Remdesivir has demonstrated in vitro and in vivo activity in animal models against the viral pathogens MERS and SARS, which are also coronaviruses and are structurally similar to COVID-19. The limited preclinical data on remdesivir in MERS and SARS indicate that remdesivir may have potential activity against COVID-19. Remdesivir has also shown promising results in the treatment of COVID-19 of 14 coronavirus-infected patients in Japan.Overall, seven clinical trials have been initiated to determine whether remdesivir is a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19. China initiated the first two studies in early February for patients with severe and moderate symptoms of the disease. Since then, an additional five trials have been initiated around the world. Two Phase 3 studies are being run by Gilead in areas with a high prevalence of COVID-19 in the US, Asia and Europe. One of these is for patients with severe disease and the other studies remdesivir in patients with more moderate symptoms. The US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) also began a global trial in February that randomly assigns patients to treatment with either remdesivir or with a placebo to enable a controlled comparison of outcomes.Gilead expects preliminary data from the study of remdesivir in severe patients at the end of April and initial data from the placebo-controlled NIAID trial as well as data from its own study of patients with moderate symptoms of COVID-19. Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Montgomery County continued to see a double digit increase in COVID-19 cases as health officials confirmed another 19 Thursday, bringing the total to 350. Since Saturday, there have been 99 new cases. However, the Easter weekend slowed testing and Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Executive Director Jason Millsaps said the numbers are in line with the expected growth in cases. The national average home sales price also went up by 12.5% year-over-year, but CREA Senior Economist Shaun Cathcart said that looking at this figure alone might lead to misleading conclusions about the state of the market. Numbers for March 2020 are a reflection of two very different realities, with most of the stronger sales and price growth recorded during the pre-COVID-19 reality which we are no longer in, Cathcart said. The numbers that matter most for understanding what follows are those from mid-March on, and things didnt really start to ratchet down until week four. Preliminary data from the first week of April suggest both sales and new listings were only about half of what would be normal for that time of year. TD Economics supported these observations, saying that the outbreak clearly marked the beginning of a different, more challenging era. However, equally important is the fact that listings have cratered alongside sales, as pandemic pressures have forced potential sellers to the sidelines. This is keeping markets balanced and maintaining a floor on prices, TD Economics said. The sharp decline in March new listings (with another massive drop likely to occur in April) suggests that financial stresses have not (yet) compelled households to list their homes en masse. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked all states and UTs to screen Rohingya Muslims living in their jurisdiction for coronavirus COVID-19 as many of them had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin, sources said on Friday. In a communication to Chief Secretaries and DGPs, the ministry said there have been reports that several Rohingya Muslims have attended 'Ijtemas' and other religious congregations of Tablighi Jamaat and there is a possibility of their contracting COVID-19. The ministry said the Rohingyas residing in camps in Hyderabad had attended Tablighi Jamaat 'Ijtema' at Haryana's Mewat and had also attended the meet at national capital's Nizamuddin. Similarly, Rohingyas living in Delhi's Sangam Vihar and Shaheen Bagh, who had gone for the event, have not returned to their camps. Also, the presence of Rohingya Muslims, after attending the event, has also been reported from Dera Bassi in Punjab and Jammu area. Therefore, Rohingya Muslims and their contacts may need to be screened for COVID-19 and accordingly, necessary measures may be taken in this regards on priority, added the sources. 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. 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. President Donald Trump started tweeting on Friday with messages encouraging Americans who have been protesting stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 crisis. People in Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia have been protesting in groups despite orders to stay at home as the country grapples with the outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Each of the states is run by a Democratic governor. Trump tweeted, LIBERATE MINNESOTA! and LIBERATE MICHIGAN! In Michigan, thousands protested a stay-at-home order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. During the protest, people were not following social distancing recommendations, which encourages people to stay six feet away from one another. Lansing Mayor Andy Schor has said that at future protests, people could be ticketed for not practicing social distancing, according to MLive.com. In Minnesota, a protest was planned Friday for the governors mansion in St. Paul. Protesters are calling out orders that require them to stay at home, as well as the closure of non-essential business, according to Valley News Live. LIBERATE MINNESOTA! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020 LIBERATE MICHIGAN! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020 LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020 The president also tweeted LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege! In Virginia, a group gathered at the state capitol, protesting a stay-at-home order and an order closing non-essential business, according to NBC 12. Trump on Thursday offered governors a three-part plan to reopen the country. The president reportedly told governors they would be able to call the shots when it came to reopening. Related Content: T he number of NHS workers who have died during the coronavirus pandemic is higher than the official figure of 27, the Health Secretary has admitted. Matt Hancock said we know the toll has increased, while being quizzed by MPs during the first ever virtual Commons session on Friday. It comes after a highly valued and loved pregnant NHS nurse became the latest to pass away, but her baby was delivered successfully by emergency cesarean section. Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, 28, who worked at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital for five years, died on Sunday after battling Covid-19 for a week. Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong died after contracting Covid-19 / GoFundMe Pressed on the true figure by his predecessor Jeremy Hunt during a grilling by the Health and Social Care Committee, Mr Hancock said: The official verified figure remains 27, it gets updated three times a week and I will let you know as soon as I get an update. Sadly weve all seen reports of Mary, the nurse who was in the late stages of pregnancy and died since the publication of the previous figures, so we know that the figure is higher. Asked if he would commit to plans to publish the figures three times a week, he vowed to try to change them to daily. Mr Hancock also revealed that 7.1 per cent of NHS staff are currently off sick for suspected Covid-19 but that 50,000 front line healthcare workers had been tested. It comes as the Government is under fire over shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) on the front line, which some NHS workers families have blamed for their loved ones deaths. NHS staff have warned of shortages of PPE / Getty Images The head of an NHS trust in southern England has reportedly pleaded for the help of a British fashion company as he fears his staff will soon run out of hospital gowns. Mr Hancock admitted the NHS was "tight" on PPE gowns, describing it as "our current pressure point". He added that 55,000 more are arriving today and one billion items of PPE will have been distributed by the weekend. Nurses, doctors, surgeons, hospital porters and midwifes are among the NHS workers who have fallen after contracting the virus. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast: 548 Shares Share Three resident physicians died last week from COVID-19 and are the first known deaths of medical trainees in the United States. Dr. Chris Firlit, a 37-year-old oral surgery resident from Detroit, died from complications of COVID-19. He leaves behind his wife Sylvie and three children, Alexander, Viktor, and Katerina. Sadly, we know residents like Dr. Firlit will not be the only ones to lose their lives in this pandemic. Unbeknown to many, young doctors are among the least powerful and lowest compensated healthcare workers in America and face an alarmingly high risk of exploitation. When you are a patient in a hospital, it can be difficult to distinguish between your doctors by level of training. You might be surprised to learn that the doctor you interact with most is a resident. Residents are physicians who have completed an undergraduate degree followed by four years of medical school and are undergoing on-the-job training before they can practice independently. They are responsible for the majority of direct patient care in academic hospitals, with oversight by attendings. Attendings have completed their residency and are independently practicing board-certified physicians. Residents routinely work 80 hours per week and receive a stipend of about $60,000 per year, equaling roughly $14 per hour. Residency training can last anywhere from three to seven years, depending on specialty. During this time, doctors make close to minimum wage, accrue interest on hundreds of thousands of dollars of student debt, and lose significant earning potential compared to peers in other fields. In our current system, completing residency is the only path to practicing medicine independently in America. So why do hospitals sign up to provide on-the-job training for residents? Simply, they are cost-efficient labor. They are the workhorses of the hospital, working the longest hours for the lowest pay. Numerous studies have demonstrated that replacing residents with attendings would significantly increase cost to hospitals. Even reducing the number of hours that residents work from 80 to 60 hours per week would cost a hospital millions of dollars in additional staffing. Prior to COVID-19, a resident would not be expected to take care of infectious patients without proper protection. They would not treat someone with active tuberculosis without wearing an N95 mask, nor would they perform an invasive procedure on an HIV positive patient without gloves. During this pandemic, however, hospitals are no longer providing essential safety equipment. Residents are expected to care for these patients without N95 masks (the gold standard per CDC guidelines) and instead are given single-use droplet masks, which may not provide adequate protection. Often, they are forced to wear these masks for days when the manufacturer recommends a maximum of four hours. To make matters worse, in many hospitals, healthcare workers are reported for wearing their own protective equipment during the pandemic. While attending physicians can easily advocate for themselves, residents futures rely heavily on the subjective evaluations of their colleagues. One negative report can jeopardize a residents standing and letter of recommendation for future employment. Residents are forced to bear the burden of direct patient care without adequate protection or the power to advocate for their safety. While some attending physicians are choosing not to work amid dire supply shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), residents do not have the freedom to make this decision without severe personal and professional repercussions. An extreme power differential exists. If a resident chooses to leave a training program, even because they feel unsafe or unprotected, the process to find a new program can take months or years. Leaving a residency program is generally seen as a red flag to future programs. If a resident decides to leave residency all together, they will be saddled with insurmountable debt and no clear path to future employment as a physician. For many, this makes residency feel more like indentured servitude than true apprenticeship. When doctors complete medical school, they take an oath to care for the sick, and they take this oath very seriously. For most doctors, medicine is a calling. It is this drive to care for the most vulnerable that fuels them to endure one of the most difficult and costly professional training programs in existence. Throughout this pandemic, residents have been reminded that it is their duty to care for these patients. Having sacrificed their income, relationships, and even health to care for patients, these young doctors are deeply committed to this duty. If they choose to opt-out of caring for COVID-19 patients, because of risks to themselves or their families, it can take a significant psychological toll. They are made to feel like theyve broken a sacred oath, calling into question their identities as young physicians. People who maintain that residents should abide by their oath regardless of protection conveniently forget an essential part of that oath: First, do no harm. Caring for COVID-19 patients without adequate protection can cause harm. You run the risk of contracting the virus and unknowingly infecting others. You transform from healer into a vector of disease. While residents take an oath to care for the sick, caring for patients infected with a highly virulent pathogen without adequate protection does not reflect the spirit in which that oath was written in fact, it does the opposite. Residents are being sent to fight a war with no protection, no power, and no voice. They are fighting this war diligently but invisibly. The general public is largely unaware of these soldiers and how they are used on the frontlines. We are exploiting our lowest paid and hardest working doctors and asking them to shoulder the greatest risk without adequate protection. We are sacrificing our youngest, most vulnerable physicians without their consent and calling them heroes. As talk circulates of graduating medical students early so that they too can care for COVID-19 patients the moment the Hippocratic Oath leaves their lips, we must ask ourselves, is this how we treat our heroes? This article represents the authors opinions about a national problem and does not reflect their personal experiences at their home institution. For additional reference, see the article published by the American Medical Association. Constance Chace, Supraja Thota, and Milla Kviatkovsky are internal medicine physicians. Image credit: Shutterstock.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Champignon Brands Inc. (Champignon or the Company) (SHRM.CN) (496.F) (SHRMF), a human optimization sciences company focused on applying novel and natural treatment protocols to address a broad range of disorders and deficiencies with an emphasis on psychedelic medicine, is pleased to announce its common shares are now eligible for electronic clearing and settlement through the Depository Trust Company (DTC). DTC is a subsidiary of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. (DTCC) that manages the electronic clearing and settlement of publicly traded companies in the United States. Champignons common shares are now fully DTC eligible and will continue to trade under the ticker symbol SHRMF on the OTC Markets. Through an electronic method of clearing securities, DTC eligibility simplifies the process of trading and transferring the Company's common shares between brokerages in the United States. We are actively engaged in pursuing new avenues of distribution both in North America and internationally, in order to enhance the ability of larger audiences to participate in the Champignon story, as well as broaden our already robust shareholder base, commented Gareth Birdsall, CEO of Champignon. With the receipt of DTC eligibility, our common shares will become accessible to United States investors, both retail and institutional - the jurisdiction where many of the important initiatives in psychedelic medicine are emanating and where the Company plans to roll out new clinical entities within significant urban population centres." About Champignon Brands Inc. Champignon Brands Inc. (SHRM.CN) is a research-driven company specializing in the formulation of a suite of medicinal mushrooms health products as well as novel ketamine, anaesthetics and adaptogenic delivery platforms for the nutritional, wellness and alternative medicine industries. Via its vertically integrated alternative medicine product range, Champignon is pursuing the development and commercialization of rapid onset treatments capable of improving health outcomes, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as substance and alcohol use disorders. Under a collaborative research agreement with the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine, the Company is conducting preclinical studies and eventual human clinical trials, with the objective of demonstrating safety and efficacy of the combination of psilocybin and cannabidiol in treating mTBI with PTSD or stand-alone PTSD. Champignon continues to be inspired by sustainability, as its medicinal mushroom-infused SKUs are organic, non-GMO and vegan certified. For more information, visit the Companys website at: https://champignonbrands.com/ . Story continues ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS W. Gareth Birdsall CEO & Director T: +1 (613) 967-9655 E: info@champignonbrands.com FOR INVESTOR INQUIRIES: Tyler Troup Circadian Group E: SHRM@champignonbrands.com FOR CHAMPIGNON BRANDS FRENCH INQUIRIES: Remy Scalabrini Maricom Inc. E: rs@maricom.ca T: (888) 585-MARI The CSE and Information Service Provider have not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release. Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement In the early days of Britain's coronavirus outbreak, leading scientists predicted the crisis would take a sombrero-hat shape on graphs. But leading experts say it is unlikely the UK will have a symmetrical curve, instead it could look more like steps as it starts to shoot downwards. None of the UK's European neighbours have seen their daily COVID-19 deaths and cases drop off sharply after hitting the peak of the crisis. For example, Italy's fatality rate per million people jumped 2.4-fold in the fortnight before hitting the peak on April 3. However, data shows it is taking much longer to drop, with the rate having not even halved in the last 14 days. And its rate of new cases per million people went steadily up but has took a much different step-like pattern down with several small spikes. Charts paint a similar asymmetric picture in Spain - the worst-hit nation in Europe. And leading experts expect the UK to follow a similar trend. For example, Italy's fatality rate per million people jumped 2.4-fold in the fortnight before hitting the peak on April 3. However, data shows it is taking much longer to drop, with the rate having not even halved in the last 14 days MailOnline has mapped the coronavirus crisis day-by-day to show how it has really panned out in comparison, showing a rollercoaster of fluctuations Government officials produced a graph in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak, showing the cases following a smooth curve (pictured, the red line with no measures, and the green line with the action later imposed on the whole of the UK, such as social distancing) Daily tallies rely on a number of factors including how many people are being tested or how quickly deaths are reported. Pictured: The death rate since March 4 Dr Joshua Moon, of University of Sussex's Science Policy Research Unit, explained that 'predictions are always based on assumptions. He told MailOnline the reality will be a 'lot messier', adding: 'What I think we are likely to see is something like a series of steps. 'As we start to see the deaths decline, there will be a loosening of current lockdown restrictions. The decrease will either slow down, or reverse for a bit.' But Dr Moon said as draconian restrictions are lifted across European nations, more people will start infecting each other again. Spain and Italy have already re-started some industries, offering hope to Britons that there will be an end to the UK's unprecedented lockdown. Explaining how Britain could get a smoother decline, he added: 'The key to reduction is keeping on top of cases and all their contacts. HOW QUICKLY HAVE CASES AND DEATHS DROPPED IN EUROPE? Italy's daily death toll began its rapid ascent on March 10, with figures showing its death rate per million people was around 0.97. By March 20 it had risen to 5.6 before eventually starting to slow day-on-day eight days later (12.06). The nation's daily fatality count peaked on April 3, with 13.59 deaths recorded for every one million people. Its death rate then began to decline quickly, plummeting to 9.85 by April 11. Figures show it has slowed since, with the rate today being 9.19. Spain's death toll began to climb on March 21 (2.69) and rose at a much steeper rate than Italy, overtaking its neighbour by March 29 (13.33). Its rate peaked on April 4 (18.57) and now sits at just less than 12, according to an analysis of official figures by the website Our World in Data. But it also rose much quicker than it dropped, going from 2.69 a fortnight before it peaked to the 11.89 recorded today. Top scientists have repeatedly warned that Britain is two or three weeks behind its European neighbours, meaning it has yet to start its descent. But figures are beginning to show promise, as health officials announced only 847 new fatalities today. It means the daily death rate has stayed below 900 for six days in a row, suggesting the UK's darkest days are behind us. Figures show the four deadliest days of the UK's crisis were between April 8 and 11 (938, 881, 980, 917). Department of Health data shows 3,716 deaths were recorded in the spell, roughly a quarter of all of the 14,576 deaths to date. But the rate of new cases looks even different on graphs, with Italy's outbreak having a rollercoaster-like appearance on graphs. Data showed it rose steadily to 99.80 on March 23, up from 19.39 two weeks earlier. In comparison, the rate has dropped by just 24 in the fortnight after (75.56). Between the peak and now, the rate actually increased on 10 different days - a trend which was mirrored in Spain, France and Germany. The UK's new cases rate appeared to peak on April 13, with a rate of 94.29 for every one million people. But it dropped rapidly over the following two days. Today it rose slightly (71.06 up from 69.71), as officials declared more than 5,500 new infections - up from 4,617 yesterday. Advertisement 'Once a person is diagnosed, you need to sit down and interview them about the last seven days of their life. 'Within that you find contacts and you isolate all those people, instead of the whole population.' He said that Britain's exit strategy has to include contact tracing, or transmission will 'just spiral out of control and we will be back in lockdown within six months'. Dr Moon added: 'Thats why it will be a step wise pattern because it will take a while to get back on top of it once lockdown is eased.' Italy's daily death toll began its rapid ascent on March 10, with figures showing its death rate per million people was around 0.97. By March 20 it had risen to 5.6 before eventually starting to slow day-on-day eight days later (12.06). The nation's daily fatality count peaked on April 3, with 13.59 deaths recorded for every one million people. Its death rate then began to decline quickly, plummeting to 9.85 by April 11. Figures show it has slowed since, with the rate today being 9.19. Spain's death toll began to climb on March 21 (2.69) and rose at a much steeper rate than Italy, overtaking its neighbour by March 29 (13.33). Its rate peaked on April 4 (18.57) and now sits at just less than 12, according to an analysis of official figures by the website Our World in Data . But it also rose much quicker than it dropped, going from 2.69 a fortnight before it peaked to the 11.89 recorded today. Top scientists have repeatedly warned that Britain is two or three weeks behind its European neighbours, meaning it has yet to start its descent. But figures are beginning to show promise, as health officials announced only 847 new fatalities today. It means the daily death rate has stayed below 900 for six days in a row, suggesting the UK's darkest days are behind us. Figures show the four deadliest days of the UK's crisis were between April 8 and 11 (938, 881, 980, 917). Department of Health data shows 3,716 deaths were recorded in the spell, roughly a quarter of all of the 14,576 deaths to date. But the rate of new cases looks even different on graphs, with Italy's outbreak having a rollercoaster-like appearance on graphs. Data showed it rose steadily to 99.80 on March 23, up from 19.39 two weeks earlier. In comparison, the rate has dropped by just 24 in the fortnight after (75.56). Between the peak and now, the rate actually increased on 10 different days - a trend which was mirrored in Spain, France and Germany. The UK's new cases rate appeared to peak on April 13, with a rate of 94.29 for every one million people. But it dropped rapidly over the following two days. Today it rose slightly (71.06 up from 69.71), as officials declared more than 5,500 new infections - up from 4,617 yesterday. Before the UK went into a full-scale lockdown, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his advisers presented what they forecast to happen in the following months. The first press briefing at No10 Downing Street, on March 12, was accompanied with presentation slides showing the expected curve of the UK's pandemic. One line represented where a huge peak of cases would sit if no action was taken - at the end of April - and the other line showed how the peak could be reduced. Both lines were smooth and symmetrical - indicating a drop in cases as dramatic as the incline. The reality is always different. Tallies rely on a number of factors including how many people are being tested or how quickly deaths are reported. When there are more swabs analysed, a spike in cases lags behind because it takes a couple of days for the results to come back. The bigger picture shows cases have steadily increased for the past two months, hitting almost 108,700 so far. But now, they appear to be stabilising Joshua Moon, a research fellow at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) University of Sussex said it's a better idea to look at a 'moving average' - which combines data for a number of days (such as this graph for deaths) Testing capacity has altered a lot over the outbreak - it's slowly been increased to reach figures of no more than 14,100 per day. Testing will largely dictate how many cases are reported BRITAIN'S INFECTION RATE IS 'FRIGHTENING' EU LEADERS The UK is recording the largest number of new coronavirus cases in deaths in Europe and the rate at which they are soaring is 'frightening' other EU states, Austria's health minister said on Wednesday. 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'. 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. Advertisement For example, the highest jump in new cases so far - 8,719 on April 11 - came three days after the highest number of tests on a singular day was reported on April 7. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has set a goal of reaching 100,000 tests per day by the end of April. If these goals are met, potentially thousands more cases be detected. Mr Moon said: 'If we hit the 100,000, I would imagine we would see a slight spike. 'But the hope is that with social distancing measures in place, that would reduce transmission enough that we see a plateau forming. 'At the moment we have a lot of questions. Are these figures an artefact of testing, or are these the real numbers? There is a lot of uncertainty around that.' Looking at trends over weeks or months, rather than singular days, is the preferred way to analyse the outbreak, Dr Moon said. It's what ministers will be doing to decide when the draconian lockdown - imposed on March 23 and extended for three more weeks - can be lifted. Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, of Cambridge University, said: 'There is inevitable variation from day-to-day due to the play of chance. 'But also systematic differences because, for example, weekends and holidays can affect both testing activity and reporting of deaths.' Professor Spiegelhalter said: 'When we look at daily reported deaths, we see a curve that roughly follows Italy by around two weeks. 'It looks like an underlying decline in daily deaths may have started, although we cannot be sure. 'Broadly, we might expect the UK to follow a similar trend as Italy, whose curve is not symmetric - the decline is not as rapid as the increase.' Health officials have emphasised the weekend has an impact on how rolling cases or deaths are recorded in the week, which may explain fluctuations. Moreover, the daily death toll announced each day - which is only from hospitals - is not what it seems. The information is always a day behind due to how DHSC collects information from hospitals, and sometimes included fatalities that happened days before. Serbs are set to celebrate Orthodox Christian Easter inside their homes over the weekend because of a curfew that will be imposed as a measure to combat the spread of the coronavirus. The government-imposed curfew will start at 5p.m.(1500GMT) on Friday and last until 5a.m.(0300GMT) on Tuesday. During that time, only people will special permits will be allowed to leave their homes. The Serbian Orthodox Church has asked authorities to revoke the curfew on Sunday to allow believers to attend Eastern liturgies but the request was rejected. Nonetheless, dozens of citizens visited churches in Serbia before the start of the curfew and attended pre-Easter services as some priests kept their churches open. The head of the church, Patriarch Irinej, urged people to stay at home with their families and follow the advise of epidemiologists. "This is an opportunity for us to think carefully about ourselves and the whole world," he said. Serbia has imposed some of the harshest measures in Europe to contain the outbreak. That includes banning people over 65 years old from leaving their homes and a daily and weekend curfews. According to the Johns Hopkins University, Serbia has 5318 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 103 recorded deaths. 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. Many countries in the world are in complete lockdown due to the COVID-19 global health crisis. The only way to survive this pandemic is to be in this together and stay in quarantine. Several NGOs, volunteers and individuals are coming forward to help the needy at this hour of the crisis. Its because of this compassion we can fight this pandemic and come out stronger than ever. In one such instance, an Indian-origin safari operator based in Kenya is feeding thousands of families there. Reuters Pankaj Shah is spearheading this volunteer effort, and started the initiative after he was devastated to see people starving and struggling to sustain themselves amid the lockdown. People were getting hungry and angry, Shah told Reuters. In Kenya, safari operator Pankaj Shahs team has sent out 24,000 hampers since setting up on March 22, each with enough food to last a family of five for two weeks https://t.co/d5tSxOFpjy pic.twitter.com/zHvmsD00qZ Reuters (@Reuters) April 16, 2020 Initially, when he started getting in touch with people who were interested to be part of this noble initiative, a local school which was closed due to the coronavirus outbreak offered their campus premises as headquarters. Kenya's Asian community, which was officially recognised as the country's 44th tribe three years ago, came together in this battle against the virus. They brought cheques or truckloads of food that could not be transported due to the cancellation of flights. Interestingly enough, the volunteers, who call themselves Team Pankaj, have sent out 24,000 packages of food since March 22. Each hamper contains enough food to last a family of five people for two weeks. Reuters "One old woman told us she hadnt eaten for days - her sons had stopped supplying her because they have no work," Shah told. Notably, this Indian-origin safari operator gets his inspiration for community service from his idol Mother Teresa whom he says he met decades ago in Nairobi. He is urging wealthy Kenyans to donate 4,000 Kenya shillings (Rs 2,890) for the food packages. Also, he pointed out that the amount is about the cost of two pizzas and a bottle of wine. "I just need half the rich people here to care enough to fund a hamper," he said. Two lorries full of food were sent for distribution in Deep Sea slum last week. Residents were given with orange tokens and had to get their fingers inked before getting the boxes and bags of vegetables. Pregnant women and those with babies were offered help by volunteers, said the news report. As of now there are around 246 coronavirus cases in Kenya and the death toll stands at 11. Kudos to this man and his team for this noble gesture! (Source: Reuters) 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. 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 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. Britain will face further waves of coronavirus and will probably have the highest death rate in Europe because the British Government was too slow to act, a leading physician has warned. Professor Anthony Costello, of University College Londons Institute for Global Health, told a committee of MPs that the harsh reality is that we were too slow with a number of things. (PA Graphics) And so we need to make sure that we have a system in place that cannot just do a certain number of tests in the laboratory, but has a system at district and community level. Prof. Costello, giving evidence to the Commons Health and Social Care Committee, said we should not have any blame at this stage but that we can make sure in the second wave were not too slow. MPs were also told that healthcare staff are genuinely concerned about the safety of patients being compromised if workers are spread too thinly. Dr Alison Pittard, Dean at the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, said: Weve had to spread ourselves more thinly and we have developed guidance to try and make sure that continues to be safe, but if we have to expand even more and spread ourselves even more thinly, there would be concern that safety could be compromised. So everyone is working really well, were doing everything that we can but staff are genuinely concerned. And Dame Donna Kinnair, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, told the committee sick NHS workers are being forced to drive two hours away to be tested. She urged: We need some really clear direction on how we can access testing both in the NHS but more so for social care, because they dont have the same infrastructure as the NHS. Meanwhile: London mayor Sadiq Khan urged the British Government to change its advice to the public on wearing face masks to combat the spread of the virus. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he would not be booking a summer holiday at this point. Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would deviate from the UK Governments lockdown measures if her advisers told her it was in the best interests of her country. Prof. Costello said he was not sure we need 100,000 tests per day in reality if we can get this epidemic damped down and that it was more important to have the systems in place. How are they restructuring the public health teams? Have they got plans in place? Will they need extra volunteers, for example? He also suggested offering incentives to 10% of the population to stay socially isolated in order to get the economy going again. We have to get the economy going and if it means locking down 10% of our population, even giving them incentives to stay in quarantine and with digital apps to help monitor their symptoms and give them support, thats the way to really keep this going until we get a vaccine and safe herd immunity. Washington President Donald Trumps former lawyer and longtime fixer Michael Cohen will be released from federal prison to serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement amid the coronavirus pandemic, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Cohen is currently locked up at FCI Otisville in New York after pleading guilty to numerous charges, including campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress. He will remain under quarantine for 14 days before he is released. Federal statistics show 14 inmates and seven staff members at the prison have tested positive for coronavirus. After he is released, Cohen will serve the remainder of his sentence at home, according to the person, who could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Cohens release comes as prison advocates and congressional leaders have been pressing the Justice Department for weeks to release at-risk inmates ahead of a potential outbreak, arguing that the public health guidance to stay 6 feet (1.8 meters) away from other people is nearly impossible behind bars. Attorney General William Barr ordered the Bureau of Prisons earlier this month to increase the use of home confinement and expedite the release of eligible high-risk inmates, beginning at three prisons identified as coronavirus hot spots. Otisville is not one of those facilities. As of Thursday, 473 federal inmates and 279 Bureau of Prisons staff members had tested positive for coronavirus at facilities across the U.S. Eighteen inmates have died since late March. Many federal inmates have been seeking home confinement as the number of coronavirus cases grows in the federal prison system, but advocates have accused the Bureau of Prisons of moving too slowly to release inmates. The Bureau of Prisons said it had moved more than 1,000 inmates to home confinement since March 26, when Barr first issued a directive to increase its use in late March. The agency said it is a tremendous logistical lift that was accomplished through the marshaling of all of BOPs resources. A federal judge had denied Cohens attempt for an early release to home confinement after serving 10 months in prison and said in a ruling earlier this month that it appears to be just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle. But the Bureau of Prisons can take action to move him to home confinement without a judicial order. Cohen began serving his sentence last May and was scheduled to be released from prison in November 2021. Other high-profile inmates have also been released as the number of coronavirus cases soars. Last week, a judge ordered Michael Avenatti the attorney who rose to fame representing porn star Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against Trump to be temporarily freed from a federal jail in New York City and stay at a friends house in Los Angeles. Avenatti had said he was at high risk of getting the coronavirus because he had a recent bout with pneumonia and his cellmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan was removed due to flu-like symptoms. Former New York state Senate leader Dean Skelos, 72, who was also serving a sentence at Otisville, is also expected to be released soon from prison to home confinement after testing positive for the coronavirus, prosecutors told a judge Wednesday. CNN first reported Cohen was being released to home confinement. A spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office in Manhattan declined to comment. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Coronavirus: 8,000 people in CNY likely had the virus and never knew it Onondaga Co. coronavirus: 5 fatalities in deadliest day yet; 579 total cases Updated: See our newest list of CNY restaurants offering takeout and/or delivery Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Lalley isnt sure when the stay-at-home order will be lifted or whether it will be extended as other states have done. Its important to think long term and realize once the order is lifted, there may be modified restrictions. Things will take a little bit of time for people to feel comfortable, she said. People may still need to wear masks because there will still be a risk, just a reduced risk, she said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 06:53:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU)'s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Thursday relayed the EU's strong support to the World Health Organization (WHO) in a phone talk with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy also reiterated the need to continue working together through the multilateral system to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The EU's external action service said in a press release that Borrell "expressed concern about the decision by the United States to suspend its funding to the WHO and committed to work towards mobilizing additional resources." U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration is halting the nation's funding to the WHO. According to the press release, Borrell and Tedros discussed the current situation and the important work of the WHO to stop the spread of the virus, and agreed on the need for global collective investment in preparedness measures to cope with this and future pandemics. The EU has already pledged 114 million euros (123.58 million U.S. dollars) in response to the WHO appeal to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, said the press release. (1 euro = 1.084 U.S. dollars) Enditem Australian shares posted strong gains to end the week, supported by US President Donald Trumps plan to restart the US economy along with speculation over a potential treatment to successfully combat the coronavirus. Having been up more than 2.5 per cent at one point in early trade, the local markets gains were trimmed towards the close with benchmark S&P/ASX 200 finishing the session up 71.2 points, or 1.3 per cent, at 5487.5. The Short Squeeze looks at the unusual business and central bank behaviour caused by lockdowns to slow the spread of coronavirus. Credit:Louie Douvis Mirroring the reaction to another raft of weak US economic data released on Thursday, investors looked through news that Chinas economy contracted by a record amount in the March quarter, along with weaker-than-expected retail sales and fixed asset investment data for March. For the week, the index gained 1.9 per cent, the fourth increase in a row. The benchmark has now rallied 24.7 per cent from the lows struck on March 23. Bernie Sanders speaks at a rally last July at Hahnemann University Hospital, railing against its closure. Read more U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders bid for the presidency is over. Again. But the democratic socialists agenda marches on. Again. This time, the remnants of Sanders campaign are waging a social media pressure war, slamming former Hahnemann University Hospital owner Joel Freedman for keeping the facility closed during the coronavirus pandemic. Its a throwback to when Sanders joined nurses and health-care workers last summer to protest the hospitals closure. Text messages sent from the Bernie 2020 campaign to people in the Philadelphia area last weekend put Freedman, a millionaire private equity investor from Los Angeles, on blast for closing the hospital and balking at reopening it during the crisis without a substantial payment from the city. Now, as our city faces the coronavirus pandemic, we are in desperate need of hospital beds and treatment centers. Joel Freedman is putting thousands of lives on the line, reads the text, which links to a petition launched by Councilmember Helen Gym calling on Freedman to reopen the hospital. Elisa Wilkinson, a Sanders volunteer from Easton, Pa., was among the legion of tweeters. Even though I do not live in the community that Hahnemann served, Bernie asked us to fight for someone we dont know, Wilkinson told Clout. Gym, who endorsed Sanders, said the petition had about 6,000 signatures before the texts and now has 16,000. Shes hoping to figure out a way to deliver it to Freedman on the West Coast. (His home in the Rittenhouse Square area has been defaced several times.) The petition isnt likely to have much impact. Mayor Jim Kenney has said the city is no longer in discussions with Freedman. But, Gym said, as with any progressive movement, if you cant win, you can still push. Consider Sanders. An unlikely two-time national candidate from Vermont pulled the Democratic policy conversation to the left and will remain on primary ballots even though he has just endorsed the presumptive nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden. I understand the Kenney administration decision to pull out of talks with an individual whos trying to shake down a city in a time of global worldwide pandemic, Gym said. I hope Joel Freedman gets the message that the world is watching, and were watching whatever it is he decides to do with the property. Freedman has become almost a cartoon villain in Philadelphia despite it being unclear if the facility could even be used for the purposes being demanded. State officials have said Hahnemann which was gutted and has no beds would have needed extensive work just to be used as quarantine space. Freedmans team has said hes been unfairly maligned. Not everyones on board with the shaming via petition. Some Sanders fans just used the effort to knock Biden. Others questioned whether campaign resources should be deployed this way. And Billy Ciancaglini, the Democrat turned Republican crushed by Kenney in last years mayoral race? He, keeping it classy, bragged on Facebook about having suggested to a Sanders texter that he should do something unnatural with his mother. Jim Kenneys oldest union ally furious over hazard pay The mayor goes back a long way with District 1199C, the union that represents health-care workers at city detention centers. Kenney was a member while working a hospital front desk job in high school and college. The union endorsed his 2015 bid for mayor before he even entered the race. Chris Woods, 1199Cs new president, remembers all that. Woods, in a tele-town hall meeting Tuesday with members, Gym, and two state legislators, called out Kenney for not paying the union members the time-and-a-half hazard pay city unions received for two weeks when they were deemed essential workers for the coronavirus pandemic. Weve been there on the front lines for people when it was their time and their need, Woods said. So for people to not stand up for us is a problem and is something we will never forget. The union estimates it would cost the city about $750,000 to give the unions 500 impacted workers hazard pay. A spokesperson for Kenney said the union should look to Corizon Health, the city contractor at detention centers, for the money. Bob Bradys lobbying firm lands Comcast, Blue Cross Former U.S. Rep. Bob Bradys one-man lobbying shop has landed its second and third clients hometown behemoths Comcast-NBCUniversal and Independence Blue Cross. Brady, chairman of Philadelphias Democratic Party, filed his registration Friday as a lobbyist for Comcast in the U.S. House and Senate, according to Politico. He told Clout on Tuesday that he had also landed the Blue Cross account. Brady spent 20 years in the House before announcing in 2018 that he would not seek another term. Federal regulations require a one-year cooling off period for departing members of Congress before they can start lobbying their former colleagues. Brady said he expects to advocate for Comcast on legislation impacting its business, as directed by the companys senior executive vice president, David L. Cohen. Whatever David wants, Brady answered when asked what he expected to be doing. Brady was known in Washington as the mayor of Capitol Hill, thanks to his time as chairman of the House Administration Committee. He still has close relationships with members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Brady picked up his first client, Rivers Casino Philadelphia, last year, thanks in part to his friendship with attorney Richard Sprague, a minority owner in the business. His firm Robert A. Brady Consulting LLC lists Spragues law firm as its address on federal and state forms. Brady said he is negotiating to pick up more clients. These other guys do it. Why not me? he said. Ive got enough energy to take care of what I got to do. If I get more, maybe Ill hire some more people. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed on the implementation of joint investment projects in priority areas. A telephone conversation between the two ministers took place on April 16, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported. According to the agreement reached by the leaders of Ukraine and the UAE during a telephone conversation on April 13, Kuleba noted his readiness to intensify cooperation in investment, trade and economic sectors between Ukraine and the UAE. We should focus on the implementation of investment projects with the UAE in priority areas. We will work on a synergy of opportunities between Ukraine and the UAE to strengthen global food security, Kuleba said. He thanked the Emirati side for rendering humanitarian assistance and helping more than 3,000 Ukrainian citizens return home from the UAE, as well as in transit from other regions of the world. The Ukrainian foreign minister invited his Emirati colleague to visit Kyiv. As reported, on April 10, a flight of Etihad Airways arrived at Boryspil International Airport delivering from the UAE 11 tonnes of humanitarian aid and 113 Ukrainian citizens to Ukraine. ish 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. New Delhi: 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. A doc at Hindu Rao Hosp has been fired to sharing a video of water dripping on a patient's bed- thereby bringing 'disrepute' to the hosp. He is also being accused of stealing masks/kits etc for taking a donation of kits & distributing it to docs. @suraiya95 can you confirm? pic.twitter.com/kDvhb8mkVJ Vidya (@VidyaKrishnan) April 16, 2020 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 immediate effect 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". Thus, he not only misled the donor, defied the MS, and diverted the material, but also gave it away to people who didnt need it to the loss of those who needed it more, taking decisions which were nowhere in his purview. Varsha Joshi (@suraiya95) April 16, 2020 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 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) New York, United States Fri, April 17, 2020 09:05 635 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd26b0af 2 Business World-Bank,IMF,International-Monetary-Fund,COVID-19,lending Free The IMF and World Bank have aggressively pushed out financing to help countries deal with the health and economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Here is a summary of the financing available from the Washington-based development lenders: Regular lending capacity All members of the International Monetary Fund have access to the US$1 trillion in lending capacity. As of Thursday, 102 out of 189 IMF member countries had made requests for aid, and 50 of them will receive it by the end of April, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said following the virtual spring meetings. The World Bank plans to provide up to $160 billion in aid over the next 15 months. Emergency aid The IMF's emergency aid capacity recently was doubled to $100 billion, available through two tools: the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) and the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF). The RCF is interest-free and accessible to low-income members, while the RFI is accessible to all members, without the need to negotiate a traditional loan program. The funds "can be disbursed very quickly to assist member countries implement policies to address emergencies such as the coronavirus," the IMF said. Disaster relief The IMF also uses its redesigned Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT) to provide grants for debt relief to the poorest and most vulnerable countries with outstanding obligations to the IMF to help address disasters, including public health disasters. This instrument was used to support Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone during the 2014 Ebola epidemic. The IMF board approved a six-month debt payment standstill for 25 countries eligible for CCRT funding, which potentially could be extended. Georgieva put out an urgent call for donations to boost resources of this fund, and she said Thursday the IMF has received commitments totaling $600 million from Britain, Japan, China, the Netherlands and Germany. Poverty reduction fund Georgieva also has called for an additional $17 billion in donations to shore up the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT), which provides concessional lending to low-income countries. She said the fund already has received commitments for 70 percent of this amount from Japan, Britain, France, Australia and Canada. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the United States is considering a possible contribution. Short term credit line For countries that are not eligible for concessional lending, the IMF on Wednesday approved a new Precautionary Liquidity Line (PLL) to help countries with "sound policies" deal with "adverse shocks" from the coronavirus. The countries that qualify can draw on the credit backstop for six months, one year or two years. Funding field projects The World Bank intends to roll out $160 billion over the next 15 months in countries like Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Haiti, Ecuador, India, Mongolia and Tajikistan to strengthen their medical resources to respond to the pandemic's immediate health crisis and bolster economic recovery. The bank already has pushed out fast-track financing, with programs underway in 25 countries totaling $1.9 billion, and others moving forward in 40 countries amounting to $1.7 billion. The focus is on "fast, broad-based action, especially for the poorest countries," the World Bank President David Malpass said Thursday. "By the end of April, we expect to have COVID-19-related projects in 100 countries, and we are taking steps to provide unprecedented financing to help countries respond to the crisis." Life comes apart on the reef. Changes to ocean chemistry and temperaturegenerated by the fossil-hunger of militarism, extractivism, and industrialismbreak open coral worlds on Australias northeast coast. Encountering deaths ascendency on the Great Barrier Reef, scientists seek to track coral life by descending within: to study limestone structures, the tiny polyps that build them, and the microscopic symbiotic algae that provide the energy for their construction. But life is not only captured through coral skeletons, bodies, and their many symbionts. There is also a second capture, in the other direction, as researchers ascend to view the planetary-scale effects of anthropogenic ocean changes on the metabolic pulse of Earths reefs (Cyronak et al., 2018). Both movementstowards the molecular and towards the planetaryenact the insides and outsides of what could be called the coral body: a membrane-bound reef assemblage of named and unnamed marine species. This body is a flattened topography of life and nonlife, a body we fear to be dying or sickened, like a human patient in a hospital. Altered by the changing chemistry and temperature of the ocean, the coral body is a site for thinking porosity, absorption and the transmission of toxicity. In the same way that this body operates at multiple spatiotemporal scales, its health and metabolism are also multiple, becoming molecular and planetary. To think the thinking of this multiscalar coral body brings us into contact with scientists and medical anthropologists of the 20th centurysuch as Margaret Lockwho have approached health in a way that interrupts bodily boundaries by distributing bodies across personhood and time (Yates-Doerr, 2017: 154). In the 21st century, we see further interruptions with the shifting body-world configurations that characterise what Hannah Landecker has termed the new metabolism (2011). Landeckers account of post-industrial porosity, which builds on the body-busting work of Lock, tracks the trajectory of the biological gaze as it is extended (Niewohner, 2011: 290) from the internal fleshy matter of humans outward into external molecules in their environments. Rather than attempting to tell a story about matter itself, I want to consider the gaze and its extensions as a heuristic for breaking apart the reef. The gaze is a crude knife that cuts around the life of the Great Barrier Reef as it follows specific trajectories, producing membranes. Tracking the gaze may be one way to bring into being the orientations and practices that stage the insides and outsides of these membranes, a place to begin asking the question: Where is the life of the coral body? Floating in clear saltwater off the northeast coast of Australia, I look at my compass to orient myself in the swell. Two divers and I, heavy with scuba equipment, are floating far out on a high tide in Geoffrey Bay, the site in the Great Barrier Reef where mass coral spawning was discovered in 1981. Where will we drop down? one of the divers asks. As we swim backward, kicking slowly, I gesture behind us with my head: The reef starts over there. Corals can be many things. Some are soft, others hard; some grow in shallow, sunny and warm water, others in deep, dark and cold water. Those that build limestone reefs in tropical oceansthe kind most often referred to in the context of anthropogenic climate changeare called hermatypic-zooxanthellate corals. These are small, millimeters-thin translucent animals with stinging tentacles that build stone structures (the quality that makes them hermatypic) from the energy provided by photosynthesising plants that live inside their skin. These plants are called zooxanthellae: microscopic algae who have tightly coupled with their tentacular hosts alongside dense microbial communities. This symbiosis between animal coral and vegetal algae allows both to survive. It is the engine of the reef (Roth, 2014), which drives a kind of monstrous coral body to continue building the worlds largest bioconstructions, including the largest: the Great Barrier Reef. In research articles, documentaries and tourist media, the coral body-machine of that reef is often made whole through metrics. We learn that it was built by billions of coral polyps, and runs 2,300 kilometers down the northeast coast of Australia. It has a maximum width of 330 km. It covers a total area of 344,400 km2. It contains around 900 islands and 3,700 coral reefs situated 15-150 km from the coast in 10-40 meters of water (Hopley, 2007). We are off the coast of one of those islands, above one of those reefs, and within one of those 344,400 km2. The sun is slipping toward the horizon, the tide has turned, and a current is lightly tugging us further out to sea. I ask the divers with me if they are ready to descend. We put on our masks, test our regulators with measured breaths and hold high hoses from our buoyancy control vests to purge the air keeping us afloat. As the gas hisses out, we float down toward hermatypiczooxanthellate reef-builders. Beside me, one of the two young Californian tourists I am guiding releases air from her vest and sinks deeper. She approaches the carbonate limbs of a branching Acropora coral, hoping to see the tiny tentacles of the polyps that built it. She gets our attention and gestures at the coral, using a finger to draw a large circle that first encompasses the whole colony, then individual branches. Her finger points out different parts of the colonythe top, bottom, and sidesbefore she signals I dont know with a shrug. I was trying to ask where the coral is, she says after we surface, bobbing in the swell. Swimming back to shore, I ask the divers why they chose to come here. We came to see the Reef, one says. You mean this reef? No, we came to see the Reef. But, I tell them, this reef is also part of that reef. They seem unconvinced. Where else can we dive?, one asks. There are many drop zones for descending into an encounter with the life of the coral body. Thinking chronologically would take us back to the reefs first encounters with the epistemological fishing net (Veron 2008, 6) of Western marine science, as British explorers attempted its taxonomic and cartographic capture. This descent begins in 1770 as Captain James Cook maps the coastline of what would become known as Australia, opening routes of passage for the invasion of the continent. Coral biology was not well understood at this time, and the existence of a stretch of coral structures at the scale of the Great Barrier Reef would have been hard to conceive. But in July of that year, Cooks vessel makes contact with this unthinkable object, which tears holes in its wooden hull. After the boat is mended the reality of a seemingly endless series of ship-destroying reefs begins to manifest. As reef historian Iain McCalman writes, the onboard naturalist Joseph Banks neatly summarized Cooks resulting predicament and, in the process, coined a term to describe the coral maze that the Captain would quickly adopt (McCalman, 2012: 16): Banks wrote that the crew were ready to sail with the first fair wind but where to go? To windward was impossible, to leeward was a labyrinth of shoals (Banks, quoted in McCalman 2012: 16). Cooks labyrinth hung over the colonial imaginary of the reef for 30 years until Matthew Flinderson a similar mission to cartographically capture, name, and subjugate the continentcame into contact with what he described as great reefs off the northeastern coast. He wrote that they formed so extraordinary a barrier he suspected they might be connected with the Labyrinth of captain Cook (1814: 102). This great barrier became further membrane-bound as a singular entity through the writing of Charles Darwin, who described it as the grandest and most extraordinary coral formation in the world (Darwin, 1838). Viewed from a passing ship in the 1700 and 1800s, the reef becomes a mineral monument: impenetrable. A labyrinth, barrier, and formation. The geological gaze that membrane-bound the coral body in the 18th and 19th centuries was soon replaced by a different way of seeing and constructing the life of the reef. In the 20th century, we encounter the coral body through the extension of a biological gaze deep into the fragile, fleshy bodies that grew the mineral barrier. In laboratory tanks and through the lenses of microscopes, corals emerge as a thin film of living tissue that has shaped the face of Earth more than any other organisms (Birkeland, 2015: 6). Advances in marine science, producing a net with smaller holes, showed the life of this flesh-stone assemblage emerging from different biological locations: from the synchronous mass spawning of pink sperm-egg bundles (Harrison et al., 1984) and the evolutionary currents they drifted on (Veron, 1995); and from a symbiosis between animal, plant, and microbial bodies. Through this work, the 3,700 reefs dribbling along the continental shelf were seen as belonging to a single living biological system: the Reef. A system whose boundaries became further strengthened in 1975 with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act, which made the Reef a legal entity with clearly defined geographic and biological limits. Ironically, as life comes apart on the reef in the 21st century, the biological membrane around the body appears to strengthen. In 2019, in response to reports of mass coral death on the Great Barrier Reef, a campaign was started to make the Great Barrier Reef an Australian citizen. This echoes other attempts outside Australia to conceptually membrane-bind ecosystemsrivers, mountains, forestsas legal persons. Organisers justified the legal personhood of the Reef by listing the value of its ecosystem services, based on a Deloitte report that determined her net worth at $56 billion Australian dollars. But despite her massive contribution to Australia, the campaigns press release reads, shes still denied the one basic right of every Australian citizenthe right to live. But the question remains, where is the life of the coral body? The more intensive the attempts to locate life by descending into the biology of a body, the more that pressure increases to realize the spatiotemporal contexts a body is embedded within (Niewohner, 2011). Toxicity, generated by petrocapitalism, draws out this embeddedness, linking billions of bodies, human and calcareous, through changes to oceans. The question then becomes one of a different location: how deeply is the coral body embedded? As reefs diminish in the altered environments produced by anthropogenic climate change, attempts to spatially and ecologically delimit reef biology are supplemented by projects that more explicitly attempt to existentially delimit the reef. Entering this space are the coral scientists tracking changes in alkalinity and carbon in the water column to determine the metabolism of immense reef systems. Here we encounter a membrane enacted through a chemical gaze. This research locates the coral body elsewhere: not within the limestone terrain of the reef itself, or inside the coral polyp, but expanding outward along metabolic pathways through different functional scales (Takeshita et al., 2018). By looking into the chemistry of the water around the Great Barrier Reef, these studies are seeking molecular indicators of ecosystem-level response to climate change (Cyronak et al. 2018, 10). Scientific work like this appears to run alongside those studies into human metabolism that hunt for indicators of bodily health in the molecular environment outside a body, extending the biological gaze into the world. But corals are not like humans, and the environments they each inhabit are ontologically incommensurable. Those observing the chemistry of the water around the Great Barrier Reef are not only looking at how an altered ocean environment will alter biological bodies but also tracing an interpenetration of saltwater and the carbonate reef. In one extreme case, to capture the edges of the reefs metabolic pathways, a group of researchers looked at shelf-scale dynamics (Lnborg et al. 2019) by tracking the relationship that the Great Barrier Reefat the level of continental shelfhas with the atmosphere through carbon fluxes between ocean and air (exchanges of CO 2 ). Studies like these highlight the growing recognition of the importance of examining biogeochemical processes across different functional scales (Takeshita et al., 2018: 1). These tangled biological, geological and chemical processes pass matter between living systems and the environment; planetary cycles that wholly reorder body-world configurations underwater. Attempting to examine reef life at this scalewith a biogeochemical gazeproduces something like vertigo, as hermatypic-zooxanthellate corals literally coalesce into the world and the small, locatable lives of polyps and their symbionts sink in an ontological labyrinth. In some ways, this work follows the outflowing of biological life to the environment seen in Landeckers conceptualization of the new metabolism. But thinking with the heuristic of the gazethat crude knife that cuts around lifethe membrane-binding of the reef suggests other body-world configurations emerging in the context of post-industrial porosity. The molecularization of the environment (Landecker, 2011: 179) extends the biological gaze from within human bodies out into an altered world of active molecules ready to be metabolized. It is a gaze that configures life by traveling from within to without along biological trajectories. Thinking the coral body offers the possibility for other pathways. Distributed in space and time, the life of the coral body crystalizes through the trajectories of nested gazes that enact metabolism at different functional scales. These gaze trajectories are not only represented by biological lines extending outward from bodies to environments but also through more difficult and uncertain shapes: those immense biogeochemical loops that spiral life and nonlife in and out of the Earth. Works Cited Birkeland, C (2015). Coral Reefs in the Anthropocene. Springer. Cyronak T, Andersson A, Langdon, C et al (2018) Taking the Metabolic Pulse of the Worlds Coral Reefs. PLOS ONE 13 (1): e0190872. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0190872. Darwin, C (1838) On Certain Areas of Elevation and Subsidence in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, as Deduced from the Study of Coral Formations. In Proceedings of the Geological Society of London: November 1826 to June 1833. Flinders, M (1814) A Voyage to Terra Australis, Undertaken for the Purpose of Completing the Discovery of That Vast Country and Prosecuted in the Years 1801, 1802 and 1803 G. and W. Nicol. Harrison, P L, Babcock R, Bull G, et al Mass Spawning in Tropical Reef Corals. Science 223, no. 4641 (March 16, 1984): 118689. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.223.4641.1186. Hopley D, Smithers S, and Parnell, K (2007). The Geomorphology of the Great Barrier Reef: Development, Diversity and Change. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press. Landecker, H (2011) Food as Exposure: Nutritional Epigenetics and the New Metabolism. BioSocieties 6 (2): 16794. https://doi.org/10.1057/biosoc.2011.1. Lnborg C, Calleja M, Fabricius K et al. (2019) The Great Barrier Reef: A Source of CO2 to the Atmosphere. Marine Chemistry 210 (March 20): 2433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2019.02.003. McCalman, I (2012) Turtle War: Captain Cooks Environmental Crisis on the Great Barrier Reef.The Great Circle 34 (2): 718. Niewohner, J (2011) Epigenetics: Embedded Bodies and the Molecularisation of Biography and Milieu. BioSocieties 6 (3): 27998. https://doi.org/10.1057/biosoc.2011.4. Roth M (2014) The Engine of the Reef: Photobiology of the CoralAlgal Symbiosis. Frontiers in Microbiology 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00422. Takeshita Y, Cyronak T, Martz T et al. (2018) Coral Reef Carbonate Chemistry Variability at Different Functional Scales. Frontiers in Marine Science 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00175. Veron, J (1995) Corals in Space and Time: The Biogeography and Evolution of the Scleractinia. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. Veron, J (2008) A Reef in Time: The Great Barrier Reef from Beginning to End. Cambridge, Mass.; London: Belknap Press. Yates-Doerr, E (2017) Counting Bodies? On Future Engagements with Science Studies in Medical Anthropology. Anthropology & Medicine 24, no. 2 (May 4, 2017): 14258. https://doi.org/10.1080/13648470.2017.1317194. Cameron Allan McKean is a Ph.D. Candidate, Anthropology, Deakin University. Share this: Share Email Facebook Twitter Reddit Tumblr LinkedIn [view academic citations] [hide academic citations] French President Emmanuel Macron said there were grey areas in China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak and that things "happened that we don't know about", speaking in an interview with the Financial Times published Thursday. "Let's not be so naive as to say it's been much better at handling this," he said of China's management of the outbreak. "We don't know. There are clearly things that have happened that we don't know about." The United States and Britain took a tougher line on China, where the coronavirus outbreak emerged in December. "We'll have to ask the hard questions about how it came about and how it couldn't have been stopped earlier," British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said at a press conference Friday when asked about future relations with Beijing. Raab is standing in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is recovering from 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 US President Donald Trump's administration is investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, saying it does not rule out that it came from a laboratory researching bats in Wuhan, China. Chinese scientists have said the virus, which has killed more than 140,000 people worldwide, was likely transmitted to humans late last year at a Wuhan "wet market" that slaughtered 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 the virus may have come -- accidentally -- from a sensitive bioresearch centre in the city. 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." The Rice Village district has announced the launch of FARE for CARE - a meal donation campaign which began on Thursday, April 16, that will provide nourishing fare from Rice Village restaurants to emergency and critical care medical teams battling COVID-19 at the Texas Medical Center. Rice Village will donate a minimum of 5,000 meals and match community donations for at least another 5,000, potentially serving more than 15,000 meals to emergency room and critical care teams working at TMC member institutions: CHI St. Lukes Health, Houston Methodist Hospital and Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. With $50,000 in seed money donated by Rice Management Company, owner of the 1938 shopping district The Village, FARE for CARE is positioned to provide sustenance to emergency and critical care teams at the Texas Medical Center Rice Village food hall Politan Row, which temporarily closed its doors due to complying with COVID-related restrictions on dine-in guests at Houston area restaurants, along with additional Rice Village Restaurants Mendocino Farms, Sixty Vine, and Sweetgreen, are all participating. Given the robust culinary offerings at Rice Village and our close proximity the Texas Medical Center, we created FARE for CARE as a way to give back to the heroic healthcare workers who are risking their own lives to save others while simultaneously supporting our restaurant partners as they face a challenging time, said Rice Management Company Investment Manager Cecilia Ceci Arreola in a news release. And it gives our neighbors a tangible way to show love and support for the brave women and men on the medical frontlines. Rice Village is inviting neighbors to join the campaign by donating meals with a click of a button at https://rice-village.com/fare-fore-care with 100 percent of donations being used directly by restaurants for ingredients and meal production. According to a press release, neither Rice Management Company nor Rice Village will receive any profits from the operation and implementation of the FARE for CARE program. The first stage of the campaign is estimated to continue for 14 days, and with RMCs support, Rice Village plans to expand and extend the program based on community support - potentially growing the number of participating Rice Village restaurants along the way. We are committed to donating the first 5,000 meals and would be thrilled to join with our neighbors to double at least the next 5,000 meals that could feed more than 15,000, said Rice Village Senior General Manager AJ Coffee in the news release. ryan.nickerson@hcnonline.com Lee Nak-yon (L), South Korea's former prime minister and candidate of the ruling Democratic Party, and his wife Kim Suk-hee (R) hold flowers in a sign of victory in the parliamentary elections, at his office in Seoul on April 15, 2020. South Korean President Moon Jae Ins ruling Democratic Party won big in the countrys legislative elections Wednesday, a development that will have a lasting effect on Seouls approach toward North Korea, at least through the next election cycle. The Democratic Party, along with a satellite party it created to compete in proportional representation as a result of new election rules, will control 180 of the 21st National Assemblys 300 seats. North Korea was not a key election issue, as most South Koreans are desensitized to Pyongyangs provocations, and while reunification is defined as a national priority in the South Korean constitution, only 53.7 percent of the country consider it necessary, according to a 2017 poll conducted by Seouls Ministry of Unification. Analysts believe that Moons party cleaned up due to South Koreas relative success in handling of the coronavirus pandemic in comparison to other countries, including in holding the election itself, in which 66.2 percent of eligible voters cast ballots, most of them in-person. But in backing the Democratic Party again, the South Korean public effectively voted for the continuation of an approach toward North Korea that predominantly focuses on diplomacy. The Ministry of Unification said in a statement Thursday that the country would maintain its existing policy to enhance inter-Korean cooperation while making efforts to ensure success in U.S.-North Korea talks. A South Korea-based expert interpreted the statement to mean that the South will maintain what critics call its passive stance on North Korean human rights. The North Korean Human Rights Act itself may not be in operation," Yoo Dong-ryul, the director of the Korea Institute of Liberal Democracy, told RFAs Korean Service, referring to the Souths legislation. Also, the South Korean government and the National Assembly [will have the power to] openly refuse to talk about North Korean human rights issues in the international community, said Yoo. It is feared that the South Korean government will only try to curry favor with the Kim Jong Un regime, while emphasizing peace on the Korean Peninsula on the surface, Yoo said. Yoo predicted that the Democratic victory could also mean that South Korea might butt heads with the United States over the role of economic sanctions in efforts to stop North Koreas nuclear weapons and missile programs. Once South Koreas 21st National Assembly opens, the ruling party is expected to pass a resolution calling for the lifting of sanctions against North Korea, he said. An official of the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations Thursday said that this might indeed be a possibility. I can imagine that the Moon administration might feel like it can push harder on trying to find ways to promote economic integration with North Korea, said Scott Snyder, director of the CFRs U.S.-Korea Policy Program during a webinar hosted by the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI). That is an issue that potentially can generate some friction with the United States as the U.S. is still committed to sanctions [and] a maximum pressure policy on North Korea so well have to wait and see how that goes, Snyder said. But the point might be moot, as another South Korea-based observer said that even if Seoul attempts to improve relations with Pyongyang, its unlikely that the North will change its stance of recent years to accommodate the South. We are in a situation where improved relations with the U.S. and talks are regarded as North Koreas [goal], Ko Young-hwan of the Institute for National Security Strategy told RFA Thursday in Seoul. Although the ruling party won the parliamentary election, analyses predict that North Korea will not pay attention to the South Korean government. Former North Korean leaders, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, saw inter-Korean and North Korea-Japan relations as mere variables in [the much more important] U.S.-North Korea relations, said Ko. Snyder also noted that North Korean leadership has shown a lack of interest in smoothing things over with the South. I do think that the strong position of president Moon makes him a more authoritative potential interlocutor for North Korea, he said. Its really a question of whether Kim Jong Un sees any benefit from trying to go down that road, because so far he has not, said Snyder. Thae wins Gangnam seat Thae Yong Ho, center, former North Korean diplomat, who defected to South Korea in 2016 and a candidate of the main opposition United Future Party, reacts after he was certain to secure victory in the parliamentary election in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, April 16, 2020. AP Also notable in the election was the victory of former high-ranking North Korean diplomat Thae Yong-ho who won a seat in the assembly representing the opposition United Future Party in Seouls wealthy Gangnam district. Thae, who defected while serving as Pyongyangs deputy ambassador to the U.K. in 2016, won his race with more than 58 percent of the vote, becoming the first such defector to win a constituency in the assembly. Ji Seong-ho, another former North Korean, who escaped the North in 2006, also won an assembly seat in a satellite party aligned with the opposition. Mr. Thae sent us a strong message that a defector can actually participate in the South Korean Politics by becoming a lawmaker representing a constituency, said Ji Hyun Park, co-founder of the U.K.-based Stepping Stones, an organization advocating for human rights in North Korea. I hope Mr. Thae will live up to the expectations of North Korean defectors in South Korea by raising the issue of North Korean human rights in the South Korean National Assembly and show leadership in representing the North Korean defectors, Park told RFA. Though human rights organizations outside of Korea would classify Thae as a defector and Ji as a refugee, in the Korean language they are both referred to by a catch-all term that has come to describe those in both situations. Former Minister Thae and Mr. Ji Seong Ho belonged to a totally different social class in North Korea one being the elite class and the other belonging to the lowest class. The fact that they both have become assemblymen in South Korea sends a very positive message to North Koreans that any of them can have the opportunity to become a politician after the unification of the Korean Peninsula, Park added. North Korean refugee Joseph Kim, who now resides in the U.S., said on Twitter Thursday, Former North Korean refugees Thae Yong Ho and Ji Seong Ho won in the 2020 election in South Korea. While each comes from two different backgrounds, both share a common desire - freedom. Congratulations to both of you! It is my sincere hope that your shared desire & aspiration for a free N. Korea would unite all of us to build a better and stronger community. Ambassador Robert King, the former U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean human rights issues also lauded Thaes victory. I think its significant that he was able to be elected in South Korea. It certainly indicates that there are opportunities for people who want to serve in the South Korean parliament, he told RFA. The fact that the people in Mr. Thaes constituency were willing to vote for him in a free, open and fair election and Mr. Thae was successful in winning certainly says the people in South Korea are interested in and concerned about the policy toward North Korea and about the way people are treated in North Korea, he said. Suzanne Scholte, President of the Defense Forum Foundation and a supporter of North Korean refugees, said: I have always believed that those who have lived under tyranny understand better the cherished values of democracy and human rights. But, also imagine what his election will mean to people in North Korea especially those who serve the Kim regime who wonder if there is any life for them should the regime collapse. This clearly shows they could have a future in a unified Korea if they stop supporting a regime that is committing crimes against humanity every day, she said. Hee Jung Yang, Yewon Ji, and Yong Jae Mok contributed to this report. Translation by Leejin Jun and Hee Jung Yang. 04/17/2020 Photo (c) Irina Shatilova - Getty Images Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.) Total U.S. confirmed cases: 672,293 (640,291) Total U.S. deaths: 33,325 (31,015) Total global cases:2,188,194 (2,090,110) Total global deaths: 147,632 (139,469) U.S. daily death toll sets new record After setting a record this week for deaths from the coronavirus (COVID-19) in a 24-hour period, the daily death toll doubled to 4,591, according to the running tally administered by Johns Hopkins University. As grim as that statistic is, it could signal an improvement in conditions in the U.S. Health officials have pointed out that the death toll is a lagging indicator since those who have died likely contracted the virus two to three weeks earlier. A large number of the deaths occurred in a handful of states, including New York, New Jersey, and Michigan. Chinas death toll rises as it adds overlooked cases The Chinese government has upped its official coronavirus death toll to 4,632 -- an increase of nearly 40 percent. The revision was made after the discovery of 1,290 cases in Wuhan that hadnt been counted before. The official Chinese news agency reports some patients died at home and therefore never officially entered the system. Even with the increase, Chinas number of cases and deaths remains far below those in the U.S., even though China has a much larger population. Chinas number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is 83,760, just 12 percent of the cases confirmed in the U.S. New hope for an effective treatment A report by a medical news publication says the Gilead drug remdesivir has reportedly shown positive results, leading researchers to hope it might be an effective treatment for the coronavirus. STAT News reports that a small clinical trial at a Chicago hospital administered the drug to a group of patients exhibiting severe COVID-19 symptoms. The patients who received the drug saw a rapid recovery, with fever breaking and upper respiratory issues improving. Nearly all patients were discharged in less than a week, according to the publication. Walmart waives fees for MoneyCard accounts To help consumers who lack bank accounts get their government stimulus money faster, Walmart is promoting its MoneyCard and is temporarily waiving fees for new accounts. The IRS is sending payments first to people who have direct deposit accounts on file. Weve waived monthly maintenance fees on the Walmart MoneyCard Reloadable Debit Card from April 10-June 30, encouraging customers to set up direct deposit and receive stimulus funds electronically, Walmart said in a statement. This offer applies to new MoneyCard customers who deposit $500 or more to their MoneyCard account. It also eliminates the need for individuals to leave their homes to cash or deposit paper checks. Consumers may open an account online here. After that, theyll need to register the account with the IRS. Millions of homeowners are in a mortgage forbearance program As of Thursday, more than 2.9 million homeowners 5.5 percent of all mortgages have entered into COVID-19 mortgage forbearance plans. That allows the homeowners to put off paying the principal and interest on the loan for as long as a year. The payments are then added to the end of the loans term. Those figures were compiled by Black Knight, a mortgage data analytics firm. The company says the numbers show $651 billion in unpaid principal and includes 4.9 percent of all GSE-backed loans and 7.6 percent of FHA/VA loans. Around the nation The United Nations Secretariat on April 15 announced Vietnams report on the UN Security Council (UNSC) presidency month (Report No. S/2020/258). At a meeting of the UN Security Council (Photo: VNA) The report reviews all the activities Vietnam carried out in January when it held the UNSC presidency. Accordingly, information about the 14 open meetings and 13 closed-door meetings and consultations on hot issues in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and America, and matters regarding the maintenance of international peace and security, are mentioned transparently and in detail. Vietnam had discussions with other UNSC member countries and the UN Secretariat while drafting and completing the report. The country completed the report and sent it to the UN Secretariat on March 31, two months after it fulfilled the UNSC rotating presidency. Normally, the work takes from five to six months. The full text of the report can be found at https://undocs.org/S/2020/258./. VNA UNSC: Vietnam calls for adherence to ceasefire in Libya Vietnam has called on all concerned parties in Libya to abide to the temporary ceasefire in Libya and work to early reach a long-term ceasefire and ensure access to humanitarian aid, at an online meeting of the UNSC on Libya on March 26. The RRC South Eastern Railway, Kolkata, has called for online applications from qualified and interested employees of South Eastern Railway for recruiting 617 Assistant Loco Pilots, Ticket Clerks, Typists and Junior Engineers through direct recruitment in the pay range of Rs. 5,200 to Rs. 34,800 per month under General Departmental Competitive Examination(GDCE) quota. The online registration-cum-application process towards the same closes on May 23, 2020 by 6:00 pm. CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Asst. Loco Pilots, Clerks, Typists and Junior Engineers Organisation RRC South Eastern Railway (RRCSER) Educational Qualification Matriculation/SSLC/SSC or equivalent with ITI in relevant trade; HSC/Class 12/Intermediate or equivalent with Typing; Bachelors Degree; Degree with Typing; Diploma in relevant engineering discipline Experience Desirable Skills Required Typing Job Location Kolkata Salary Scale In the range of Rs. 5,200 to Rs. 34,800 per month per the designation Industry Railway Application End Date May 23, 2020 Age Criteria And Fees Candidates interested in applying for various posts under South Eastern Railway must have completed 18 years of age and not have exceeded 42 years as on January 1, 2020 with relaxation (upper age limit) up to 45 years (OBC) and 47 years (SC/ST) respectively as detailed in the notification. For details regarding application processing fee, refer to the official advertisement given at the end of the article. India Post Recruitment 2020 For Staff Driver Posts, Apply Offline Before May 4 Educational Criteria And Eligibility Candidates applying for various posts under South Eastern Railway must have passed Class 10/Matriculation/SSC or equivalent with ITI in relevant trade; Class 12/HSC/ Intermediate or equivalent with certificate in Typing; Bachelor's Degree; Degree with Typing; Diploma in relevant engineering streams from a recognised Board/University/ Institution with desirable work experience in the concerned field as detailed in the notification. Selection And Pay Scale The selection of candidates for various posts under South Eastern Railway will be done through Computer-Based Test (CBT), Typing Test/Skill Test, Document Verification and Medical Examination. Candidates selected for various posts under South Eastern Railway will be paid emolument in the range of Rs. 5,200 to Rs. 34,800 per month per the post. EIL Recruitment 2020 For Senior Manager And Manager Posts, Apply Online Before April 19 How To Apply Candidates applying for various posts under South Eastern Railway must register online on official RRCSER website at https://appr-recruit.co.in/ and submit their applications on or before May 23, 2020 by 6:00 pm. Read the extended notification about South Eastern Railway recruitment for Asst. Loco Pilots, Clerks, Typists and JE posts here http://rrcser.co.in/pdf/SOUTH EASTERN RAILWAY.pdf Read the detailed notification about South Eastern Railway recruitment for Asst. Loco Pilots, Clerks, Typists and JE posts here https://www.rrcser.co.in/pdf/New Doc 2020-03-20-10.48.17.pdf Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine plans to begin a slow reopening of the state on May 1. In a Thursday statement, DeWine acknowledged that Ohioans will still be in danger from COVID-19 coronavirus until a vaccine is development but added that the state cant wait that long to restart its economy, Cleveland.com reports. Ohioans need to return to work to avoid increases in other health problems like drug abuse and homelessness, he said. The states stay-home order expires on May 1. We have a plan to start opening Ohio back up, DeWine said in on Twitter. Its going to be gradual- one thing after another. We want to do this in a thoughtful way that engenders confidence and ensures customers and employees are safe. As we open back up, we will continue to monitor where we are at in the curve, the amount of PPE we have available, and Ohio's testing capacity, he said on Twitter. Life will not resume to normal for a while. We all have continue taking precautions and protecting the most vulnerable Ohioans- seniors and those with pre-existing and chronic health conditions. Safeguards expected during reopening include including taking employees temperatures, wearing masks, wiping surfaces and more, the report said. DeWine did not provide details on how businesses will reopen, when events will be able to resume or whether children will return to school. As of Thursday, the state has recorded 398 deaths related to coronavirus and has 8,414 cases, according to the Ohio Department of Health. While totals continue to climb, the states curve has flattened, Cleveland.com reports. RELATED: Gov. Whitmer hopes for some relaxing of stay-at-home order May 1, she tells Good Morning America Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appeared on Good Morning America on Friday saying she hopes to have some relaxing of restrictions on May 1, but shes not ready to commit to it two weeks out. Michigan is under a state of emergency and stay home order through April 30. Whitmer has signed several executive orders that have closed businesses and limited social gatherings in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the infectious respiratory virus that has sickened at least 29,263 residents, including 2,093 who have died. 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. READ MORE: 5 things that need to happen for Michigan to reopen its economy after the coronavirus crisis Whitmer partners with governors in 2 other states, asks Trump for more money during coronavirus battle Unemployment claims top 1M in Michigan as coronavirus closures continue More than 2,000 people have died of coronavirus in Michigan 12 portraits that made art-market history at Christies A good portrait offers so much more than the depiction of another person it can offer a glimpse into their soul. Here, we look back at some of the finest ever sold at Christies 1 The Chandos Portrait (1600-10) by unknown artist Sold for 33,400, 15 Aug-7 Oct 1848 This picture has two major claims to fame. One: its thought to be the only portrait of William Shakespeare painted from life. Two: it was the first work to enter the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London, on its founding in 1856. Unknown artist, The Chandos Portrait, possibly William Shakespeare, circa 1600-10, attributed to John Taylor (d. 1651). Oil on canvas. 22 x 17 in (55 x 44 cm). Sold by Christies for 33,400 between 15 Aug and 7 Oct 1848 at Stowe House in Buckinghamshire. National Portrait Gallery, London. Photo: Bridgeman Images The artist and date of execution are unknown. Likewise the first owner, although it is possible it could have been Sir William Davenant, a poet and theatre manager who claimed to be Shakespeares son. The Chandos of the title refers to a later owner, James Brydges, 3rd Duke of Chandos. In the mid-19th century, one of his cash-strapped descendants put all the paintings in his home, Stowe House in Buckinghamshire, up for sale the buyer of the Shakespeare portrait later donated it to the NPG. Find out more about our updated online sales calendar 2 Juan de Pareja (1650) by Diego Velazquez Sold for 2,310,000 in 1970 During a two-year stay in Rome between 1649 and 1651, Diego Velazquez produced some of the most accomplished portraits of his career, including his famous depiction of Pope Innocent X. He also painted the assistant accompanying him on his travels, Juan de Pareja, in a portrait that combined sympathy, immediacy and a likeness to its subject that left contemporary viewers astounded. Diego Velazquez (1599-1660), Juan de Pareja, 1650. Oil on canvas. 32 x 27 in (81.5 x 70 cm). Sold for 2,310,000 on 27 November 1970 at Christies in London. Purchase, Fletcher and Rogers Funds, and Bequest of Miss Adelaide Milton de Groot (18761967), by exchange, supplemented by gifts from friends of the Museum, 1971. Inv. 1971.86. Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art / Art Resource / Scala, Florence De Pareja was Velazquezs slave and received his liberation in the mid-1650s, after the pair had returned from Rome. Hed go on to work, for a number of years, as an independent painter in Madrid. As for the portrait, it passed through many hands before being sold by the 8th Earl of Radnor in 1970, when it became the first ever painting to fetch more than 1 million at auction. Today it forms part of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts collection in New York. 3 Gimcrack on Newmarket Heath, with a Trainer, a Stable Lad, and a Jockey (1765) by George Stubbs Sold for 22,441,250 in 2011 The grey colt, Gimcrack, was one of the top thoroughbred racehorses of the 18th century, renowned for his small size and great speed. In 1765 he won 10 consecutive races, and it was at one of those in Newmarket that George Stubbs painted this portrait for Gimcracks then owner, Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke. Stubbs is regarded as one of the greatest horse painters of all time, thanks to his mix of compassion and anatomical accuracy. Here, he depicts Gimcrack (and jockey) twice in the same picture: leading the race in the background, and standing next to the rubbing-down house in the foreground. The painting has passed through Christies salerooms four times, first in 1780 and most recently in 2011. 4 George Washington at Princeton (1779) by Charles Willson Peale Sold for $21,296,000 in 2006 After failing to make a go of it as a saddle-maker or clock repairer, Charles Willson Peale proved to be markedly better at his third-choice profession: art. By the end of his career, hed painted pretty much every key player in the American Revolution, from Thomas Jefferson to Alexander Hamilton. He also produced 60 portraits of George Washington, who sat for him seven times. In this work, his subject leans confidently against a cannon, after victory in the all-important Battle of Princeton. Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827), George Washington at Princeton, 1779. Oil on canvas. 96 x 61 in (244 x 156 cm). Sold for $21,296,000 on 21 January 2006 at Christies in New York. Private collection The painting was meant to be sent as a diplomatic gift to France, but the ship it was sailing on was forced by bad weather to dock in Spain instead. The work ended up with an order of Capuchin friars in the northern Spanish province of Navarre. In 2006, back on US soil, it sold for more than $21 million at Christies in New York, setting an auction record for an American portrait. 5 Portrait of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (1787) by Thomas Gainsborough Sold for 10,100 guineas in 1876 Huge crowds descended on Christies in May 1876, with The Times reporting all the world had come to see the beautiful duchess by Thomas Gainsborough, and all were conquered by her fascinating beauty. The cause of all the excitement was the artists masterly, 18th-century portrait of the Duchess of Devonshire. She suggestively grasps a pink rosebud between her index finger and thumb, and gives a flirtatious glance befitting a lady renowned for her liberal attitude to sexuality. Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788), Portrait of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, circa 1785-87. Oil on canvas. 127 x 101.5 cm. Sold for 10,100 guineas on 6 May 1876 at Christies in London. The Devonshire Collections, Chatsworth. Reproduced by permission of Chatsworth Settlement Trustees / Bridgeman Images The sale itself matched the hype, The Times describing it as an extraordinary contest in which bidding was among the most exciting ever witnessed until the hammer finally went down and the audience, densely packed on raised seats and on the floor, stamped, clapped and bravoed. The picture sold for 10,100 guineas, then the highest price ever paid for an artwork at auction. 6 Portrait of a Commander, Three-quarter-length, Being Dressed for Battle (circa 1612-1614) by Peter Paul Rubens Sold for 9,001,250 in 2010 Portrait of a Commander, Three-quarter-length, Being Dressed for Battle was completed at the height of Rubens powers as an artist and yet the painting was unattributed until 1947. It was thought to be by the School of Rubens, and then the School of Frans Pourbus. Why it languished for so long in the backwaters of art history is something of a mystery, although it may have something to do with the ambivalence with which Rubens work was viewed in Britain in the 19th century. When the aristocratic Spencer family bought the painting in 1802, Rubens was considered in Europe to be the prince of painters, but in Britain his sensuous colour and theatrical Baroque style were viewed with puritanical suspicion. Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), Portrait of a Commander, Three-quarter-length, Being Dressed for Battle, circa 1612-14. Oil on panel, 48 x 38 (123 x 98 cm). Private collection Portrait of a Commander depicts a heroic but battle-weary military man preparing for combat. His unyielding gaze suggests a hard-won understanding of the ravages of war, yet his hand rests tenderly on his page in a quietly affectionate manner. For 200 years, the painting hung by a doorway at Althorp, the Spencer familys seat in Northamptonshire. It sold to the German dealer Konrad Bernheimer for more than 9 million in 2010, and is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 7 May Prinsep (Head of St John) (1866) by Julia Margaret Cameron Sold for 48,000 in 2006 The Victorian photographer Julia Margaret Cameron was one of the great portraitists in the history of the medium. In this rich albumen print, mounted on card, she captured her niece, May Prinsep, in the guise of St John. Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879), May Prinsep (Head of St John), 1866. Albumen print. 15 x 12 in (38 x 30.5 cm). Sold for 48,000 on 14 November 2006 at Christies in London. Private collection At a time when photography was still in its infancy and portraits were concerned, above all, with detailed recording of a subjects features Cameron rejected convention for innovation. Here, she tightly cropped Prinseps head and harnessed the magic of light and photochemistry to achieve a soft focus that lends the picture a mystical quality. 8 Portrait of Dr. Gachet (1890) by Vincent van Gogh Sold for $82,500,000 in 1990 Paul Gachet was the physician who cared for Vincent van Gogh in the final few months of his life. The artist painted this portrait of his doctor shortly before committing suicide in 1890, describing it as weary with the heartbroken expression of our time. Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), Portrait of Dr Gachet, 1890. Oil on canvas. 26 x 22 in (66 x 57 cm). Sold for $82,500 on 15 May 1990 at Christies in New York. Private Collection. Photo: Bridgeman Images The portrait had been purchased by a number of well-known figures over the years, including the Parisian art dealer, Ambroise Vollard, and the high-ranking Nazi, Hermann Goring. It was sold again in 1990, at the culmination of a decade-long splurge by Japanese buyers on Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. The paper manufacturer Ryoei Saito acquired Portrait of Dr. Gachet at Christies for $82.5 million, at the time the highest price ever paid for an artwork at auction. 9 Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II (1912) by Gustav Klimt Sold for $87,936,000 in 2006 The wife of a Jewish sugar merchant, Adele Bloch-Bauer was a leading, high-society hostess in turn-of-the-century Vienna a status reflected by this portrait of her by Gustav Klimt. Wearing an opulent dress and wide-brimmed hat, her slender figure is captured within a richly decorated, domestic interior. Gustav Klimt (1862-1918), Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer 2, 1912. Oil on canvas. 75 x 47 in (190 x 120 cm). Sold for $87,936,000 on 8 November 2006 at Christies in New York This painting along with another by Klimt of the same subject, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I was confiscated by the Nazis in 1938. Sixty years later, the Austrian government passed a restitution law allowing property stolen by the Nazis to be returned to its old owners. In 2006, after a lengthy legal battle, Adeles niece, Maria Altmann, won the right to call both portraits her own. She subsequently sold Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II at Christies. Sign up today Christies Online Magazine delivers our best features, videos, and auction news to your inbox every week Subscribe 10 Self-Portrait with Loose Hair (1947) by Frida Kahlo Sold for $1,650,000 in 1991 In 1947, Frida Kahlo turned 40. She had anything but a happy birthday, however. That year she underwent a series of gruelling operations on her spine, which had been broken in several places during a bus crash two decades earlier. She painted Self-Portrait with Loose Hair in a period of convalescence. Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), Self-Portrait with Loose Hair, 1947. Oil on masonite. 24 x 18 in (61 x 45 cm). Sold for $1,650,000 on 15 May 1991 at Christies in New York. Artwork: Banco de Mexico Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / DACS 2020 Kahlo rejected traditional perceptions of beauty, commonly depicting herself with a thick mono-brow and downy moustache. This work is even more candid than usual: her long hair, often seen braided or tied back, is let loose to cascade over her left shoulder, suggesting vulnerability. Kahlo died in 1954, aged 47. In 1991, Self-Portrait with Loose Hair became the first Latin American artwork to sell for more than $1 million at auction. 11 Three Studies of Lucian Freud (1969) by Francis Bacon Sold for $142,405,000 in 2013 The friendship between Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud was as fascinating and complex as that between any artists in the 20th century. For many years, they were inseparable, and this rare triptych of Freud by Bacon was painted in 1969, shortly before their relationship cooled for good. Francis Bacon, Three Studies of Lucian Freud, 1969. Oil on canvas, in 3 parts. Each: 78 x 58 in (198 x 147.5 cm). Sold for $142, 405,000 on 12 November 2013 at Christies in New York. Artwork: The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved. DACS 2020 It features three, full-length portraits of Freud side by side, each one depicting him with violently contorted facial features and sitting on a chair within a cage-like structure. Against Bacons wishes, the works three panels were separated in the mid-1970s only to be reassembled in the late-1980s. When the triptych appeared at auction in 2013, heated competition between 10 bidders ensued, before it eventually sold for $142,405,000, then the highest price ever paid for an artwork at auction. 12 The Brigadier (2003-04) by Lucian Freud Sold for $34,885,000 in 2015 Lucian Freuds portraits were never intended to flatter and honour. Cold scrutiny was his watchword. In almost all cases, his subjects gazes are averted: these figures are looked at, but never look back. Lucian Freud, The Brigadier, 2003-4. Oil on canvas. 88 x 54 in (223.8 x 138.4 cm). Sold for $34,885,000 on 10 November 2015 at Christies in New York. Artwork: The Lucian Freud Archive / Bridgeman Images Charlotte Hawkins was among the stars who joined thousands across the country by applauding the NHS and key workers on Thursday evening. The Good Morning Britain presenter, 44, uploaded a video of herself alongside her daughter Ella Rose, five, as she stood outside her home and joined in the cheering. Alongside the video, she wrote: 'A very noisy #clapforourcarers on our road tonight!! Such a special moment every week. A big thank you to all our frontline workers.' Clap: Charlotte Hawkins, 44, was among the stars who joined thousands across the country by applauding the NHS and key workers on Thursday evening with her daughter Ella Rose, five The TV star and her daughter both had their backs turned to the camera in the clip as they looked out onto the street while clapping. While many people across the country are now working from home, Charlotte is still presenting from the ITV studios on Good Morning Britain. The broadcaster and her colleagues, including Piers Morgan, Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard, are practicing social distancing at work by sitting further apart than normal. Charlotte recently shared a snap of herself and Ben in studio where they were sat noticeably further apart to comply with government guidelines. Thankful: Alongside the video, she wrote: 'A very noisy #clapforourcarers on our road tonight!! Such a special moment every week. A big thank you to all our frontline workers' Alongside the photo, she wrote: 'Sadly having to keep my distance from the lovely @benshephardofficial this morning'. Several stars were seen outside their home as they joined millions across the nation at 8pm to applaud the heroes across the country who continue to place themselves in harm's way to beat coronavirus. Declan Donnelly and wife Ali Astall joined Christine and Frank Lampard, Holly Willoughby, Tess Daly and Vernon Kay during this week's applause. Distancing: Charlotte shared a snap of herself and Good Morning Britain co-star Ben Shephard in studio where they were sat noticeably further apart to comply with government guidelines Fellow ITV star Holly admitted she clapped so hard during the applause she accidentally broke her wooden spoon. The This Morning host took to Instagram and shared a snap of her smashed wooden spoon after she broke it while banging it against a pan during the applause. Proudly holding up the spoon, Holly captioned the snap: #Clapforyourcarers #NHS '. Washington 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, 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. 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 news 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." "You really can't go back to work until we have more tests." But some of Trump's conservative allies 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 can't have 30 million people in this country unemployed or you're going to have social chaos." GETTY Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced new aid for Canadas battered oil and gas sector, responding to pleas for help as commodity prices fell to record lows and demand disappeared due to COVID-19. Speaking at his daily news briefing in front of Rideau Cottage, Trudeau said Ottawa would spend $1.7 billion on cleaning up abandoned oil and gas wells in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. He also announced a $750 million Emission Reductions Fund, including $75 million to help the offshore oil industry. The measures are expected to help the sector maintain roughly 10,000 jobs across the country. Right now, workers and families are struggling because of things beyond their control. Both the devastating effects of the pandemic and the price war driven by foreign oil interests. As a result, companies have had to slow down or pause their operations, leaving many people out of work, Trudeau said on Friday. Our goal is to create immediate jobs in these provinces, while helping companies avoid bankruptcy, and supporting our environmental targets. The energy industry-funded Orphan Well Association estimates there are nearly 3,000 orphaned wells in Alberta as of April 15. The wells are themselves a product of the dramatic downturn the Canadian energy sector has suffered in recent years. These wells, which are no longer in use, can be detrimental not only to our environment, but to peoples health, Trudeau said. Think of the farmer who cant grow anything on his land because of an abandoned well a few steps away from her home. Trudeau said the Emission Reductions Fund will focus on reducing the methane output across Canada's energy industry, including on offshore rigs in Newfoundland and Labrador. This fund will provide primarily repayable contributions to firms to make them more competitive, reduce waste and pollution, and most importantly, protect jobs, Trudeau said. Right now, many energy firms are experiencing a cash crunch, so they do not have the funds to invest in technologies to reduce emissions or fix methane leaks. Story continues Trudeau said the government is also working with Export Development Canada and Business Development Canada to expand credit support for at risk medium-sized energy country companies, so they can maintain operations and keep their employees. Asked if the oil and gas support measures announced on Friday will constitute the entirety of the governments response, Trudeau pointed to previously announced measures to support individual workers and businesses at large. He added that Ottawa continues to look at ways to support important industries, including oil and gas. Rank and file oil and gas workers, C-suite executives, and scores of Canadians employed by businesses that rely on a functioning energy industry have held their breath since late March, when Finance Minister Bill Morneau said a plan would be unveiled in hours, potentially days. Companies in Canadas energy patch have been bombarded by the dual shock of constricted global demand due to COVID-19, and the threat of a flood of cheap foreign crude as a result of the Saudi-Russian price war. Rachel Ziemba, founder of Ziemba Insights, said the Prime Minister found a smart way to thread the needle between environmental goals, energy sector liabilities, and employment needs. I doubt the oil patch will be very happy, she added. They hoped it would lead to major support or carbon tax abatement. But this its a good way to increase technology and make elements of the Canadian energy sector more competitive in a world that is not going to forget about decarbonization, despite the crisis. In a letter revealed in news reports on Friday, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers CEO Tim McMillan asked Trudeau and other government ministers to relax environment regulation and freeze the carbon tax while the industry weathers the storm of COVID-19. Asked about the letter, Trudeau responded by saying, Just because were in a health crisis, doesnt mean we can neglect the environmental crisis. Rory Johnston, managing director and market economist at Price Street, called the new measures announced on Friday a good support effort in the face of extremely negative global conditions. These programs are far from a complete offset, and the Canadian oil patch needs prices to rebound in order to avoid further production shut-ins, he said. Canadas oil and gas sector has laid off workers, halted operations, slashed spending, and shut in production. Albertas benchmark heavy oil, Western Canadian Select, plunged to a record low below US$3 per barrel earlier this week as it was dragged down by the worldwide oil slump. The spat between the energy powers Saudi Arabia and Russia began at the March 5 OPEC+ meeting in Vienna. Russia balked at a plan to restrain production to stabilize the global crude market in response to COVID-19. Saudi Arabia responded by slashing its official selling prices for April to between US$6 and US$8 per barrel. OPEC+ responded last week with a 9.7 million barrels per day production cut for May and June that would wind down before ending in 2022. Jeff Lagerquist is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jefflagerquist. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. The police commander in Irans oil-rich Khuzestan Province says that in the last 12 months the government confiscated more than 6,000 illegal weapons. The police chief Haydar Abbasszadeh added that an abundance of weapons is one of the serious threats in the province, the official news agency IRNA reported on Friday, April 17. Khuzestan has a substantial Arab-speaking population which is disgruntled with perceived discrimination by the government and lack of investments, when the province provides the biggest chunk of income to the rest of the country. In addition, residents in the province have the usual grievances that has led to widespread protests in Iran in the past 28 months. Abbasszadeh made his remarks on Thursday during the inauguration of a police station in the port city of Khorramshahr. He complained of a lot of illegal weapons in the hands of some people. He also said security forces have arrested many people for firing weapons and people who disrupted public order; a possible reference to protesters. During widespread unrest last November, Khuzestan was a hotbed of protests. Security forces in one city of Mahshahr reportedly killed dozens of people by opening machinegun fire on marches they were hiding to avoid an attack by the Revolutionary Guard troops. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tim Loh (Bloomberg) Fri, April 17, 2020 13:38 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd280150 2 Health antibody,health,Roche,coronavirus,COVID-19,coronavirus-testing,antibody-test Free Roche Holding AG developed an antibody test for COVID-19 that it says it plans to start selling early next month, adding another of the diagnostic tools experts think will be needed to lift social-distancing measures put in place around the globe. The test will probe blood samples for antibodies that show whether a person has been infected by the new coronavirus, the Basel, Switzerland-based company said in statement. Monthly production could reach the high double-digit millions by June. We will have a very, very steep ramp up, said Thomas Schinecker, Roches head of diagnostics, in a phone interview. It plans to adopt the same high-intensity approach to making this test as it has been using to churn out its molecular tests, which have been around since January. We are working 24 hours, seven days a week. Antibody testing is crucial to help identify people who have already been infected, maybe even unknowingly, and better understand the pandemics true scope. A wide testing campaign could help pinpoint those who are presumably immune to the new coronavirus and can start rebuilding shattered economies. And it can also be used in tandem with other tests that look for the virus in a persons nose or throat. The accuracy of the antibody tests has been a point of concern. Countries including the UK, Spain and the Czech Republic ordered large numbers of early versions of the tests, only to later acknowledge that the kits theyd bought werent reliable enough to be used widely. The tests are bad at diagnosing people with the virus early on, since the body needs a week or more to build up large amounts of antibodies. And if theyre not sensitive enough, they can misread antibodies from other viruses as a past COVID-19 infection. Read also: Malaysia turns to coronavirus antibody tests to supplement laboratory checks Roche said it aims to have its test available by early May in countries accepting Europes CE mark and that its working with the US Food and Drug Administration to gain permission for emergency use. It plans to publish figures about how reliable its test is when producing positive and negative results closer to the products launch. The test will be available to hospitals and reference laboratories that have Roches cobas e device, a fully automated system that can produce 300 results per hour. One test takes about 18 minutes, the company said. A shocking photo of angry protestors in America during the coronavirus lockdown has been likened to a scene from a zombie movie. The image, taken by photographer Joshua Bickel, shows a crowd of protestors yelling outside the Statehouse Atrium in the US state of Ohio on Monday. Live blog: Coronavirus news and updates Reporters had just heard an update on how the state was going to respond to the coronavirus pandemic when the protestors, including state senate candidate Melissa Ackison pictured on the left, were snapped in full voice. The protestors are calling for an end to lockdown procedures put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19. Thats despite the fact the US has more than 670,000 confirmed cases of the virus and 33,000 deaths. Protestors, including Ohio state senate candidate Melissa Ackison (left), call for an end to the lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic outside the Ohio Statehouse. Source: AAP Mr Bickel told The Columbus Dispatch the group of about 100 to 150 people waited outside as Governor Mike DeWine gave a daily update. Once the briefing started, I wasnt too concerned with making pictures because I was running the livestream of the briefing to the Dispatchs Facebook page, he told the paper. After about an hour or so, reporters started asking questions and the crowd outside started chanting again, and at some point started banging on some windows briefly. Open Ohio, tyrants Ms Ackison, who was part of the protest, told the paper the lockdowns are full-on unconstitutional tyranny and its time to get Ohio back to work. Open Ohio, tyrants, she tweeted. The natives are restless. A man protests bans on mass gatherings in March, calling Ohio Governor Mike DeWine a coward. Source: Getty Images Ms Ackison said she has no fear whatsoever of contracting the virus and has dismissed it as hype. As patriots, we put President Trump in office for a reason, she said. If hes not able to give a convincing enough argument to these governors that they need to open up, then he needs to do something to take action. Is this real life? On Twitter, the Mr Bickels photo was compared to something out of a horror movie. I thought this was a screen cap from a zombie movie, one woman tweeted. Another woman asked, is this real life? Story continues Holy s***, a man tweeted. In two weeks a lot of these people are gonna wish they stayed home, another man tweeted. Id rather not have had them learn the hard way but its like that sometimes. Theyre suffering The group, calling for the reopening of businesses, arent alone either. On Wednesday, thousands of Michigan residents blocked traffic in Lansing, the states capital, while protesters in Kentucky disrupted Democratic Governor Andy Beshear's afternoon news briefing on the pandemic, chanting "we want to work!" States including Utah, North Carolina and Ohio also saw demonstrations this week, and more are planned for the coming days, including in Oregon, Idaho and Texas. Protesters outside the Michigan State Capitol building in Lansing, Michigan. Source: AAP In Michigan, where Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer has imposed some of the country's toughest limits on travel and business, some protesters at "Operation Gridlock" wore campaign hats and waved signs supporting US President Donald Trump. Meshawn Maddock, who organised the rally and is part of the Republican-aligned Michigan Conservative Coalition, said the Trump administration had nothing to do with the rally. She added militia group members and a man holding a Confederate flag were not part of the Michigan rally either. When asked about the protests at a press conference on Thursday, Mr Trump said theyre suffering and want to return to work. I think theyre listening. I think they listen to me, he said. They seem to be protesters that like me and respect this opinion, and my opinions the same as just about all of the governors. Nobody wants to stay shut. Earlier this week, the president pulled funding for the World Health Organisation. Polls show the protesters views are not widely held. An AP-NORC survey earlier this month found large majorities of Americans support a long list of government restrictions, including closing schools, limiting gatherings and shuttering bars and restaurants. Three-quarters of Americans backed requiring people to stay in their homes. And majorities of both Democrats and Republicans gave high marks for the state and city governments. with Reuters and The Associated Press 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. Pastor Tim Keller on 'Gods message to the world' amid COVID-19, duty of the Church (pt. 1) Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Through disasters like the coronavirus pandemic, God is reminding humanity of their need for Him and challenging the Church to love and support those of different races and religions, according to noted theologian and bestselling author Timothy Keller. Weve never had a global pandemic like this, and its because were globalized that this sort of thing can happen and can happen again, the 69-year-old retired pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, told The Christian Post. Gods message to the world during times like this always is, Youre not really in charge. You may think you are going to get ready for the next one, but you never will. The world isnt under your control; its under my control. You need to turn to me. You are not sufficient to run your own life. You need my wisdom and you need my help. In every disaster, whether its 9/11 or COVID-19, God is saying to people, Eventually, Im going to put an end to all of this. But for the time being, this world is broken, and every time you think you dont need me and that you can get on top of it, something like this will come along to remind you that, no, you do need me, he continued. Keller, co-founder of The Gospel Coalition and author of The Reason for God and The Meaning of Marriage, founded Redeemer in the fall of 1989 with a group of 15 people meeting weekly in an Upper East Side apartment. By 2016, the Manhattan-based church was holding eight Sunday worship services each week averaging over 5,300 people in attendance. Three years ago, Redeemer became three smaller churches with locations on the East Side, the West Side, and Downtown. Though he retired as senior pastor of Redeemer in 2017, Keller told CP he remains very much involved with the church, which he revealed has been deeply impacted by the virus. Three weeks ago I knew of 12 pastors and staff members who had come down with COVID-19, he shared. And that was three weeks ago. There are lots and lots of members with COVID. I don't know anyone who has died, but keep in mind, Redeemer is a young church. There are very few old people, therefore my hope is there wont be many fatalities. With more than 222,200 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 10,913 deaths as of Friday morning, New York state has by far the most cases in the United States, with more than a third of the national total. According to Keller, in many of the neighborhoods in Queens and other areas, "most everybody knows somebody who has died on their block." I hope other places dont go through what were going through; it's truly a terrible thing, Keller said. Were so densely populated here and so international. Were so much more connected than the rest of the world. Im hoping New York City is the hardest-hit place in the whole country." Keller, whose latest book Uncommon Ground focuses on how Christians should interact with the fractured world around them, told CP that right now, hes not certain what God is telling the Church, specifically, through the pandemic. The real test for Christians, he posited, will come several months down the road when presented with opportunities to witness that we cant even envision just yet. For example: What if your community escapes pretty much and in three to four months youre OK, yet some communities you know are hurt economically and there are tons of unemployed people?" he asked. "Maybe you could lock arms with a Church in a more hurt area. I think in the future, there will be ways to help, but that wont be obvious for a while." Short-term, Keller said the best way to love your neighbor and family is to not take risks. Its odd because by you trying to avoid getting it, youre also loving your neighbor, he said. You cant take a risk and say, Im going to go out and do things because I dont care if I get it or not. The trouble is, youre risking the health of those who might not be able to get over it so quickly." Keller pointed out that when disaster strikes, people tend to come together and work alongside those they otherwise wouldnt agree with. Weve been through this before, he said. Redeemer did have fatalities in 9/11; people who were in the towers when they fell. With 9/11, it took weeks for us to figure out what we should be doing, because nobody knew what was going to happen. You have to hold tight, spend a lot of time trying to keep up and thinking about the future, but you wont be able to know for sure immediately. Dubbed the most successful evangelist in the city by New York magazine, Keller currently serves as the chairman of Redeemer City to City, which has helped start more than 500 churches in dozens of the most influential cities in the world. According to Keller, the coronavirus is doing what 9/11 did to the state: presenting a unique opportunity for Christians to serve as a beacon of hope amid darkness. At the national level, I dont have much hope, he admitted. Politicians are trying to pin the other side with the blame for the virus and its discouraging. Theyre trying to score points so that when the pandemic begins to ease, they look good. But at the local level, thats probably not going to happen. Everyone is going to say, OK, how do we deal with the devastation in our communities? And thats where I think, if Christians are willing to get out there and be Good Samaritans and say, How do we work with people of different races and religions and just try to love them and how can we join hands? we will have less polarization and a real opportunity to witness. Less than a month ago, Singapore was being hailed as a country that got its coronavirus response right. The city-state seemed to have quashed the epidemic without the need for strict lockdowns. It was testing widely and isolating anyone found to be potentially contagious. Then a second wave hit. Since March 17, Singapore's number of confirmed coronavirus cases has grown from 266 to more than 5,900. So what went wrong? It seems likely that authorities overlooked clusters of cases among migrant workers living in cramped dorms, James Griffiths writes. Once the virus started circulating among that community, it was only a matter of time until it spread to the rest of the nation. Singapore's story is not unique. Similar policy missteps are occurring across the world. When Japan recorded its first cases in February, officials focused on containing infection clusters rather than widespread testing. The country's health system is now struggling to cope. In Hong Kong social distancing rules were relaxed last month, only to be tightened again. And a football game between Atalanta and Valencia might have led to spikes in cases in Italy and Spain, two of the world's worst affected countries. As countries start drafting coronavirus exit strategies, one lesson seems clear: every move matters. YOU ASKED, WE ANSWERED Q: Do people need to show symptoms to be contagious? A: No. One study published this week found that people might be most infectious with the novel coronavirus before they show symptoms. It found that viral shedding -- when the pathogen is easily released and spread to others -- could begin two to three days before symptoms appear. The amount of the virus that spreads seemed to decline after people began feeling sick. More than 50,000 people have asked us questions about the outbreak. Send yours here. Are you a health care worker fighting Covid-19? Message us on WhatsApp about the challenges you're facing: +1 347-322-0415. WHAT'S IMPORTANT TODAY? Grim milestones and a story behind each death More than 20,000 people have died of Covid-19 in Spain, a grim milestone only Italy and the US have witnessed. But health officials are reporting some encouraging signs, with downtrends in daily death tolls and new infections. New York City has lost more than four times the number of people who perished in the 9/11 attacks. Entire families have been struck. One church in Harlem has lost nine parishioners to the virus in the last month. Every victim has left behind a story, writes John Avlon, including that of Mohammed Jafor, a cab driver and a Harvard dad who died on April 1. Four ventilators for 12 million people As countries scramble to buy life-saving equipment, amid unprecedented hospital demand, the coronavirus crisis has exposed huge inequalities between countries. South Sudan has a total of four ventilators and 24 ICU beds for a population of 12 million people. In Venezuela there are 84 ICU beds for its 32 million residents. The Mafia exploits coronavirus Mafia clans are exploiting the coronavirus pandemic, especially in southern Italy. Anti-Mafia officials tell CNN that the Mafia is providing poor neighborhoods with everyday necessities like food handouts, welfare support, and business credit. The criminal group also plans to profit from the billions of euros being lined up in stimulus funds. Testing in US needs to rise to 500,000 daily If the US wants to reopen its economy, it has to increase testing to at least 500,000 per day, say Harvard researchers. The half million target is a far cry from the current 150,000 tests administered daily. Testing is a critical part of the road to reopening, but the US has struggled, with some critics blaming the White House for the slow response. ON OUR RADAR TOP TIPS Two NYPD officers are under investigation after taunting they would "slap the shit" out of a man in an expletive-laden confrontation captured on video and posted to social media. Video posted to Twitter on Wednesday night showed patrol officers pulled over on New York City's desolate streets threatening the man, who appears to be screaming in a state of distress, over the vehicle's loudspeaker. "Shut the f**k up or I'll smack the s**t out of you. I'll slap the s**t out of you," the officers can be heard before they continue antagonizing the man, saying "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah". Gage Kearns, 29, filmed the video after hearing the officers driving down the street saying "eat a fat one" to the man, who was making noise in a way that made him appear upset. "It looked as though he could have been homeless, there has been a larger homeless presence in Hell's Kitchen since the pandemic, but I couldn't believe what I was hearing," Mr Kearns said. "Law enforcement is supposed to be just and make sure the community is protected and that wasn't doing anything to better the situation." Activist for the NYC Anti Violence project Eliel Cruz, who posted the video to Twitter, said the incident went on for some time near the corner of 49th and 8th in Hell's Kitchen as the officers told the man to "suck my dick". "The response to this egregious harassment and purposeful escalation should be swift," he wrote. The chief of the NYPD's transit bureau, Edward Delatorre, responded to Mr Cruz that he was "equally alarmed" by the video and that their internal investigators were also looking into the matter. The NYPD confirmed it opened an internal investigation into the matter after the incident in Midtown Manhattan surfaced on social media. "This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated by the New York City Police Department," Detective Annette Shelton told The Independent in a statement. "The incident in question was put under immediate investigation after becoming known. Our internal investigation will be conducted as expeditiously as possible. A group of lawmakers and business leaders advising Gov. Kay Ivey issued a report today recommending that restaurants, retail stores, barber shops, and other businesses reopen immediately under special social distancing guidelines. Ivey released a statement in response to the report indicating she does not plan to take any immediate action on the recommendations. The Small Business Emergency Task Force, led by Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth and state Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, released its report called Reopen Alabama Responsibly. The report doesnt change anything yet, its only a set of recommendations. Read the report The Small Business Emergency Task Force is one of several groups the governor asked to help plan an incremental approach to ramping up the economy as the state continues to adjust its response to the coronavirus pandemic. Ive already sent this report to the Executive Committee of the Coronavirus Task Force, which I created, and I know they will begin looking at these suggestions and start plugging them in, where appropriate, as we weigh all our options about opening up the economy, Ivey said in a statement today. On a call with the president and vice president yesterday, President Trump made it clear that this will be a gradual process, even as he said that our nations governors will be responsible for leading these efforts and that his Administration will continue to stand by us as we do this. Consistent with what weve been saying all along, the president made it clear that the return to normal wont be a quick or simple process. We will need to see declining cases and stronger testing over at least 14-days to make certain we dont see a return in the spike up of the infection. In addition to the report from the Small Business Commission, I also look forward receiving reports from our seven members of Congress by the middle of next week. Were also getting feedback from the mayors of our 10 largest cities as well as a lot of other good suggestions and our Executive Committee is already looking into many different ideas and plans. No good idea will be tossed aside, but even as we look at every way we can to reopen the economy, were going to need to continue to maintain social distancing and other health measures to ensure the virus doesnt flare up again." Here are some related stories on Fridays recommendations: Alabama doctors offices open up in May, plan recommends As Alabama looks to reopen, state health official says people need to stay home Masks and temperature checks? Rules vary by business in Alabamas plan to reopen When will beaches reopen? Is it safe? Uncertainty looms despite proposal to reopen Alabama salons, tattoo shops Could youth sports really resume in Alabama on May 11? Small businesses optimistic with recommendations to re-open; caution urged On April 3, Ivey issued a stay-at-home order that is in effect until April 30. A prohibition on restaurants serving customers on site and on certain categories of retailers being open are among the many restrictions now in place. On Tuesday, Ivey said the stay-at-home order and social distancing guidelines were working and urged Alabamians to continue to follow them. The governor said she and State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris would review recommendations no later than April 28 and develop a plan for any possible changes to the stay-at-home order. A few weeks ago, Ainsworth called for a more urgent response to the pandemic and cited numbers showing the potential for a rapid rise to a caseload that could overwhelm the states health care system. Today, he said the numbers have improved considerably since April 3, allowing the possibility for some restrictions to be lifted providing specific guidelines are followed. Obviously this virus is deadly, its dangerous, but our committee believes there is a way to safely reopen the Alabama economy and get people working responsibly," Ainsworth said at a State House press conference. We believe theres a way to safely open restaurants with limited capacity and proper spacing, Ainsworth said. The protective measures for restaurants would include seating customers at least six feet apart and no more than six per table. Social distancing standards would apply in waiting areas. Tables and seating would be sanitized after each customer. There would be no condiments left on tables and menus would have to be disposable for one-time use or cleaned after each use if laminated. Drink refills would be in new glasses or cups. Restaurants would post signs saying that no one with fever or COVID-19 symptoms would be admitted. Ainsworth said the recommendation on reopening restaurants did not apply to bars. But he later said he was not opposed to bars reopening if they can follow the same social distancing guidelines as restaurants. Garrett said members of the Small Business Emergency Task Force talked to hundreds of business owners across the state and found many on the verge of bankruptcy. Garrett said businesses were generally eager to reopen but committed to doing so safely. The report said 306,000 Alabamians have filed unemployment claims since March 16, more than twice the number that filed claims in all of 2019. We know theres a mortality rate associated with COVID-19 and we understand the seriousness in that," Garrett said. "But theres also mortality rates and health impacts from dire financial crisis. And so were concerned about this and its important that we move forward to reopen our economy as safely and as soon as possible. For every category of business covered in the recommendations, the report lists what steps are taken to protect employees, protect customers, and prevent the spread of the virus. Ainsworth said the group recommends allowing retailers such as clothing stores to reopen while following the same rules that have allowed big-box stores to stay open during the pandemic, limiting their customers to half the normal occupancy rate or to eight customers per 1,000 square feet, as well as following other precautions. We believe that smaller stores equal smaller risk," Ainsworth said. Categories of retailers the group recommended reopening immediately include department stores and those that sell clothing, furniture, shoes, sporting goods, books, crafts, and other items. The group also recommended reopening jewelry stores immediately and including a special set of protective guidelines because of the nature of the business with close interaction with customers. The report recommends immediate reopening of close contact services, which include barber shops, hair salons, nail salons, waxing salons, tattoo parlors, and massage therapy businesses. The 162-page report includes specific restrictions they would have to operate under. The report calls for reopening the states beaches on May 1. But that would be only for activities like walking, running, swimming, and fishing. Congregating on the beach with chairs and umbrellas would not be allowed. The report suggested further easing of beach restrictions on May 15 to allow gatherings of up to 10 people. The task force recommended reopening medical practices on May 1. It also recommended the same date for dentists, oral surgeons, physical therapists, and optometrists. May 1 is also the recommended opening date for casinos, exercise facilities, museums, and planetariums. The task force recommends allowing youth sports leagues to start on May 11. Ainsworth said the return of youth baseball and softball would be beneficial. He said some national groups have recommended the May 11 date and also some specific guidelines, like no public concession stands and kids wearing masks while in dugouts. I think when you look at our kids, and giving them hope, and our national pastime this summer, youth baseball is something that can certainly give us hope, as well as potentially other sports that can maybe be done safely. But baseball being outside, we think theres a way to safely do that, Ainsworth said. . In addition, the report includes guidelines to protect employees, customers and to slow the spread of the virus in businesses that remain open, including pharmacies, residential and commercial real estate sales, manufacturing, and agriculture. Business Council of Alabama President Katie Boyd Britt released a statement supporting the report. Britt is a member of the task force. BCA is proud to be a part of the great work being done by the Alabama Small Business Commission Emergency Task Force," Britt said. "The recommendations made in the Reopen Alabama Responsibly plan are a critical first step in revitalizing Alabamas economy and getting citizens back to work in a safe and responsible manner. According to Ukraines Healthcare Minister, all cases of confirmed coronavirus are included in the overall statistics Open source During the last weeks, over 2,500 tests for coronavirus were held in Ukraine due to pneumonia cases as 112 Ukraine TV channel reported citing Healthcare Minister Maksym Stepanov. According to Stepanov, on April 9, he signed the order on the amendment of the algorithm of testing for coronavirus. All citizens with pneumonia were included in it. Totally, during this time, 2,506 tests of people with pneumonia were held and, of course, all these cases were included in the overall statistics, the minister said. Besides, the Healthcare Minister noted that all tests for coronavirus are free and any abuse in this are is impossible. There is a clear algorithm, how the test for coronavirus is held; in other words, with the presence of particular symptoms. It is dry cough, fever, shortness of breath. The system of the healthcare will hold a test for freeAny abuses in such cases are impossible. If there are such cases, I ask to appeal to the hotline of the Healthcare Ministry; we will deal with each particular case, he stated. As of early April 17, there are 4,662 confirmed cases of infection with Covid-19 in Ukraine. 501 new cases have been confirmed over 24 hours (April 16). In total, 125 people succumbed to the disease, and 246 patients recovered. The presidency on Friday challenged Borno senator, Muhammed Ndume, to provide proof for his claims that President Muhammadu Buhari is surrounded by kleptocrats, or shut his mouth for good. Mr Ndume had on Wednesday at a press conference in Maiduguri called on President Buhari to disband the federal government palliative committee on COVID-19 headed by the minister of humanitarian affairs, Sadiya Farouq. Mr Ndume said the committee lacks credibility to manage the huge resources at its disposal. He said so far, the distribution of the relief materials has been laced with fraud. The senator who also alleged lopsided distribution of the palliative funds, said some people are rushing to either share or steal this money. Mr Ndume a former majority leader of the Senate who also unsuccessfully ran for the presidency of the current session of the Senate, said he has proof of a fraudulent disposition of the palliative committee. I have reliable information that even names they have generated are fake, the BVN is not fraud-proof, one person will generate thousands of names and after conniving with banks, they are issued BVN. Investigation will reveal all these, he said. They have the names of their cooks, drivers, relatives, relatives of their house helps and those they call the poorest of the poor and give this money to them. In a terse rebuttal issued by presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, the presidency challenged Mr Ndume to prove his claims or keep quiet. Describing the former senate majority leader as a discontented person, Mr Shehu faulted his claims, saying he did not back them with facts. READ ALSO: Mr Shehu said when he was first elected president in 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari said that he belonged to everybody and belonged to nobody. What was true then remains true today, he added. He said Mr Buhari believes in public service, as a servant of the people and he expects the exact same commitment from members of his government and, of course, his closest aides. The President has made it clear times without number that anyone who will not, cannot, or does not pull his weight nor meet these exacting standards is not welcome in his administration. A number of ranking officials have been shown the way out at various times simply on account of this. Similarly, he believes in loyalty and truthfulness. Should any individuals be found to be serving themselves and not the people, then it is right and proper to call them out. But this must be done on the basis of evidence and proof not on conjecture. It is therefore disappointing to hear a politician call out unnamed individuals in the administration and accuse them of unnamed transgressions. If this politician has evidence then he should make public their identities as well as his proof. Innuendo is not proof. Mr Shehu also tackled Mr Ndume on his call to disband the COVID-19 palliative measures committee because it is for not functioning as it should. No one replaces an institutional government body in the midst of the global pandemic without clear and irrefutable evidence that it needs replacing. He said Mr Ndume was attacking the Buhari administration with allegations he could not prove because he is disgruntled. A press briefing from a discontented politician is rarely the source of such evidence. At this difficult time of the battle by Nigeria against Coronavirus, everyone should help the fight and not seek to make political capital out of it, whatever his or her grievances, he said. In Christian communities, science news on COVID-19 arrives in a landscape already shaped by tricky contours, including not only broader societal skepticism toward science but also unique concerns about whether science conflicts with faith. Within that context, the science and faith engagement organization BioLogos, in conjunction with Christianity Today, hosted a livestream event aimed at providing Christians with a trustworthy source on the coronavirus pandemic: Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health and an outspoken Christian. Collins addressed several questions on Monday, ranging from research on potential treatments and vaccines to ethics around triage and the origins of this new virus. Since information proliferates through varying mediums and newsgathering methods can create conflicting narratives, the event centered on common questions arising among the general public. Though scientists have refuted it, many still question whether the new coronavirus could have originated in a lab. After all, there is a virology lab in Wuhan, China, where the virus first emerged. It turns out this idea holds more plausibility with Christians than with the general US population, according to a recent Pew Research poll. About 36 percent of both white evangelicals and black Protestants believe that the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 was made in a lab, either intentionally or accidentally, according to the March poll. Only 29 percent of all US adults surveyed agreed. Atheists are least likely to think the current strain was manufactured. Further, younger respondents believed this at higher rates than older respondents, as did Republicans or those more conservative politically. Collins, who founded BioLogos in 2009, addressed this theory during the livestream event. If you were trying to make a virus, you wouldnt make this one, he said. As scientists have studied the genetic sequence of the virus, theyve noticed some properties that computer models wouldnt assume could make it contagious. And yet it is. Therefore, its very unlikely a bioengineer would have chosen this route to make a virus. Instead, the virus resembles coronaviruses found in both bats and pangolins. In this case, the bioterrorist was nature, said Collins, adding that viruses have been mutating this way for centuries. He explains on his blog that scientists are still searching for how it began infecting people. The story is an anecdote in a bigger landscape of how best to care for the sick, practice social distancing, and support a lagging economy. Yet it also illuminates how information is perceived, challenging us to think about how we evaluate truth. Jim Stump, vice president of BioLogos, said that their staff considers how some in their audience may perceive science as something clouded with ideology. Some scientists have used public platforms to express disdain for religion. He pointed out that science works independent of ideology. However, every area of knowledge is influenced by ideology. Its not that people consciously evaluate information based on ideas and values they are committed to, said Stump, referencing Jonathan Haidts, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion. That might happen sometimes, but far more often it happens in the background of our thinking. However, human reasoning is most often driven by the values of our group, said Stump. We cannot just plop the cold, hard facts down in front of people and expect them to accept those. BioLogos staff consider how to communicate science to Christians, some of whom may be skeptical about science. Particularly in our age of social media, there is so much information availableand much of it conflictingyou must first establish trust with your audience. For us, that includes using scientists who share our values and faith in Christ, Stump said. Article continues below We are so grateful to have sincere believers like Francis Collins in influential positions where the science does not become mixed with an anti-Christian ideology. Meanwhile, as scientists continue to fight the coronavirus pandemic, communicating findings on where the virus came from is only the beginning of public engagement. Social distancing appears to be working in parts of the US as lower numbers of cases and deaths are predicted now than were originally feared, yet Collins cautioned viewers that this moment is far from over. Though there may be some relief this summer, most scientists assume the virus may thrive again in the fall. Thus, the primary hope in ending the pandemic is seen to be a vaccine. Yet the publics skepticism toward vaccines has grown, even among Christians. Last fall, a Pew survey found that 12 percent of US adults do not feel the benefits of the childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella outweigh the risksthe number goes up for blacks (26 percent) and Hispanics (22 percent). A majority of white evangelicals (87 percent) see the benefit of the measles vaccine, but that percentage is lower on average than among all white Americans (92 percent). Though science communication during the pandemic has more challenges ahead, Pew found that 79 percent of US adults surveyed say the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is doing a good jobmore than approve of other institutions, with the lowest approval given to the media and President Donald Trump. In this moment, as Americans seem to value science institutions, Stump holds out hope that people (will see) the importance of scientific research and results on things like vaccinations. This trust will be needed when a coronavirus vaccine becomes available in the future. Rebecca Randall is the science editor at Christianity Today. This story was originally published on Jan. 24, 2020 on NYT Parenting. Josephine, 7, had dragged every couch cushion to the corner of the Airbnbs living room to construct a womb-like structure. She burrowed into the cocoon, her tiny limbs concealed from view. From across the room, her half sister spotted her wisps of hair peeking out from the cushions and took a running leap onto the fort. She peeled back a layer of pillows and brought her face close to Josephines so that their noses touched. I love you, the half sister whispered, unprompted, then sped away. For generations, Hollywood and classic literature sold a storyline as familiar as it was reductive: Unhappy families come in many varieties, we were told, but happy families look mostly alike. Families like Josephines are rewriting that age-old plot. Josephine and the other children gathered in a rented house west of Toronto share a significant portion of their genetic material. They are diblings, a term that has come to characterize children from different families who were conceived with the same sperm donor. Their own network now includes 31 kids, who live in the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia. The oldest known member of the group is 7, and the youngest is less than 1 month old. Eight of them met in mid-July for their second summer reunion. [A family portrait: brothers, sisters, strangers.] On the linoleum kitchen counter lay a photo album, with a different dibling family on each page. Lior, 4, flipped the book to the page with the donors picture. Thats my sperm donor, he said. The toddlers surrounding him broke into excited chatter. Several piped up: Hey, thats my sperm donor, too! Every Drop of Blood: The Momentous Second Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln By Edward Achorn Atlantic Monthly. 376 pp. $28 --- Dawn flickered fitfully to life. Black clouds loomed low in the sky above Washington, and a heavy downpour turned the city's filthy, unpaved streets into yellow mire. The vile muck spattered men's boots, stained horses' hoofs, ruined ladies' crinolines. Still, throngs of thousands trudged toward the parade route, determined to glimpse the president. The spectators were destined for disappointment. Abraham Lincoln, with characteristic elusiveness, had long since made his way down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol, alone. It was March 4, 1865, the day he would commence his second term, and he was preparing to give one of the shortest inauguration speeches in American history: barely 700 words on a single sheet of paper. Despite its brevity, Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address was destined to be regarded as one of the greatest speeches ever given by a president - perhaps eclipsed only by his even briefer remarks at Gettysburg 15 months earlier. Some historians, indeed, give pride of place to the 1865 oration. The Gettysburg Address - delivered while the Civil War's outcome still hung very much in doubt - dealt with the war's aims, its price in human suffering and its place in God's mysterious plan for the nation and world. In the Second Inaugural - given as the Union armies closed in on their inevitable final victory - Lincoln brilliantly reprised those themes, while also speaking of the past, present and future in ways that wove together his policies with his philosophy. In "Every Drop of Blood: The Momentous Second Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln," Edward Achorn gives relatively little space to examining the speech itself, a mere 14 pages out of nearly 300 pages of text. Readers expecting an extended close reading of the oration, similar to Garry Wills's Pulitzer Prize-winning classic "Lincoln at Gettysburg" (1992), will not find it here. Instead, what Achorn gives us is a lively guided tour of Washington during the 24 hours or so around Lincoln's swearing-in. We not only slosh through the mud on Pennsylvania Avenue but also slip among the gaslit parlors of Cabinet members' mansions, ride the streetcar with Walt Whitman and join the expectant crowd at the East Front of the Capitol. Achorn, a longtime writer and editor at the Providence Journal, has a journalist's gift for finding just the right quotation. He deftly fishes memorable descriptions - often less-than-flattering ones - out of 19th-century newspapers and diaries, especially as he introduces the most distinguished residents of the nation's capital. The first lady, Mary Todd Lincoln: "a sallow, fleshy, uninteresting woman in white laces, & wearing a band of white flowers about her forehead, like some overgrown Ophelia." (So said an Illinois newspaper.) She used to "cook Old Abe's dinner and milk the cows," but now swanned about the White House in low-cut gowns designed "to exhibit her milking apparatus to public gaze." (So commented an Oregon senator.) Her husband, the president: a man with "long, bony arms and legs, which, somehow, seem to be always in the way" and "nose and ears which have been taken by mistake from a head of twice the size." (So reported a British journalist.) Yet the same writer admitted that Lincoln possessed "an air of strength, physical as well as moral, and a strange look of dignity coupled with all this grotesqueness." Members of Congress: "little mannikins, shrewd, gabby, drest in black, hopping about, making motions, amendments." (So wrote Whitman.) The first week of March 1865 was an action-packed moment for the nation, even apart from the inaugural festivities in Washington. A little more than 100 miles south, Gen. Robert E. Lee was asking Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to start negotiating the terms of peace. Deeper into the crumbling Confederacy, Gen. William T. Sherman was on the final leg of his relentless march. With his typical flair for spectacular destruction, Sherman celebrated Inauguration Day by blowing up 23 captured rebel cannons - including the one that had fired the first shot at Fort Sumter in 1861 - at the exact moment when he calculated that Lincoln would be taking the oath of office. Meanwhile, back in the capital, in a nondescript boardinghouse on H Street, a mediocre stage actor named John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators were plotting an equally dramatic annihilation for Lincoln himself. (Achorn quotes an unenthusiastic theatergoer's review of a Booth performance: "Did not like him at all. He rants & his face has no more expression than a board fence.") The Civil War's final months were a time of almost dizzying change for the nation's 5 million or so African Americans, some 90% of whom had until recently been slaves. According to contemporary witnesses, about half the spectators massed along Lincoln's inaugural parade route were black, including many newly freed men and women who had poured in from the surrounding countryside of Virginia and Maryland. The day symbolized "the triumph of their race over a fast fading social prejudice and political injustice," a reporter for the Times of London enthused prematurely. That journalist ought to have noticed the evidence of intransigent racism clearly visible alongside portents of change. While hundreds of soldiers from the U.S. Colored Troops guarded the Capitol, black spectators were barred from entering the building. (An ironic, tragic footnote: Booth, who was in attendance, possessed a VIP pass.) Despite Achorn's sharp eye for such immersive details, his big-picture narration offers little that is new or surprising. Readers unfamiliar with this much-chronicled period of history will probably appreciate his skill in depicting a pivotal city at a pivotal moment. But anyone who has read even one or two of the many, many other good books on Civil War-era Washington might end up skimming through his workmanlike accounts of Lincoln's contentious Cabinet, the capital's social whirl and the unfolding assassination conspiracy. The pace sometimes drags as Achorn stretches out this single day over the entire book, frequently interrupting his flow with digressions, explanations and flashbacks. There's a meandering chapter that's interpolated between the moment when Lincoln stepped out onto the inaugural platform and the moment, a few seconds later, when he took a seat. Shortly afterward, just as the president strode to the lectern, the long-awaited sun broke suddenly through the clouds. Lincoln began to speak, his voice "singularly clear and penetrating," in the words of one spectator. "It had a sort of metallic ring. His enunciation was perfect." He commenced with no trumpet-blast of rhetoric as in his address at Gettysburg. Indeed, his first words were nearly as dry as an Illinois legal brief, with even an apology that his remarks would be short, since "little that is new could be presented." But the five minutes that followed would be unprecedented in American public speech - and unequaled since. Nearly all of the shape-shifting Lincolnian personae had a moment onstage: lawyer, politician, historian, mystic, preacher, prophet. Achorn writes: "Abraham Lincoln proceeded to share what he had learned from four years of horror and suffering; of sending young men to their deaths; of shattered limbs and amputations; of unleashing savagery, hunger, and disease; of irreparable loss, tears, and heartbreak in homes across America. No inaugural address had ever ventured into the mystery of suffering this way; none ever would again." One of the extraordinary qualities of Lincoln's rhetorical style is that unlike nearly all great leaders, especially wartime ones - think of Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt - his words were rarely stirring in the sense that he lit a fire in his listeners, rousing his supporters to heroic action. Rather, his writings and speeches, even at the height of wartime, were calming and pacifying, tamping down excitement, infused with humane sympathy even for the country's enemies. When Lincoln spoke of the price to be paid for the sins of slavery - "every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword" - he exempted neither North nor South from that awful moral burden. When he spoke of the need to "care for him who shall have borne that battle, and for his widow, and his orphan," he implied that this included Confederate veterans as well as Union ones. No one in the audience that afternoon, besides perhaps the assassin himself, knew that Lincoln's second term would last only a few dozen days. The last lines of his last great speech - "With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right" - are our best clue to how he might have led the nation through its tortured years of reconstruction, had he lived. --- Goodheart, director of Washington College's Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, is the author of "1861: The Civil War Awakening." Three people have been charged after allegedly lying to border officers about self-isolating before entering a restricted indigenous community. Two men, aged 51 and 30, and a 51-year-old woman from Townsville, north Queensland, travelled to Doomadgee on April 12 when they were stopped by border control officers. The indigenous community has been restricted to all outsiders due to the community's vulnerability to the killer COVID-19. The Indigenous community has been restricted to all outsiders due to the community's vulnerability to the killer COVID-19 The trio were asked if they had quarantined themselves for 14-days in Townsville before arriving at Doomadgee. They allegedly told the officers that they had before being allowed to enter the indigenous town. Soon after their arrival, locals raised concern and local police found that the trio had lied about self-isolating. All three were arrested and charged with one count of failing to comply with an emergency requirement and failing to comply with COVID-19 public health direction CHO. Doomadgee Office in Charge, Senior Sergeant Lisa Damman said the Queensland Police Service continues to enforce the directions of the Chief Health Officer as we work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19. 'We urge everyone to follow the public health directions, employ social distancing practices and avoid unnecessary travel so we can limit the spread of Coronavirus. 'Local police will not tolerate this reckless behaviour and have strict measures in place to ensure the Doomadgee community is protected. As the world is fighting the deadly coronavirus pandemic, Pakistan has resorted to a ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LOC) in Jammu and Kashmir and has even gone a step ahead to attempt infiltration. Lashing out at Pakistan's vicious attempts amid COVID-19 outbreak, Army Chief General MM Naravane said to news agency ANI on Friday that the neighbouring country is increasing the trouble. Speaking to ANI from Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara, Army chief said that the world is exporting medicines to tackle the menace of Coronavirus, and India is not only helping its own citizens but also sending help elsewhere, but Pakistan is exporting terrorism. "While we are busy not only helping our own citizens but the rest of the world by sending medical teams and exporting medicines, on the other hand, Pakistan is only exporting terror. This doesnt auger well." He added that Imran Khan's Pakistan continues to foment trouble amid a global pandemic. It is very unfortunate that at a time when the whole world & India is fighting the menace of this pandemic, our neighbour continues to foment trouble for us: Army Chief Gen MM Naravane to ANI, in Kupwara (J&K) #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/NYq7CVKS9R ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020 READ: Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad booked for money laundering amid 'self-quarantine' He also added that earlier this month the Indian army foiled an infiltration attempt, and killed all 5 terrorists. He said that such an attempt is not possible without Pakistan army's collusion. "This attempt was made under the difficult situation in snow-covered areas. It won't have been possible without the Pakistani Army's support. The responsibility of maintaining peace, the onus is on Pakistan," he said. READ: COVID-19: 325 districts across India without any case, 27 districts report 0 for 14 days Infiltration attempt Last week, Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire in the Kupwara sector of Jammu and Kashmir. It was reported that heavy artillery firing took place and the Indian side retaliated strongly. That was the fifth consecutive day of unprovoked shelling and firing along the LoC. Sources said the Pakistan Army is trying to push terrorists into J&K to foment trouble in a region already facing the COVID-19 challenge. In the past month, Pakistan has increased ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts. Pakistan's provocative posture along the LoC has remained unabated despite the novel Coronavirus pandemic that has forced respective governments to impose lockdowns to contain the outbreak. READ: Coronavirus LIVE Updates Baker Jack Phillips finds himself back in court over refusing to sacrifice his sincerely held religious beliefs. Phillips, who owns Masterpiece CakeShop in Denver, has been sued by Autumn Scardina for refusing to bake a gender-transition cake, CBN News reports. On the day that the Supreme Court announced that it was going to hear the Phillips case against the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Scardina came into Phillips shop and requested a blue and pink gender-transition cake. Phillips refused to bake the cake because he believes that God created humans as male and female. A few months later, Phillips also turned down Scardinas request for a cake which featured Satan smoking marijuana. Scardina filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission. Weeks after Phillipss win at the Supreme Court, the Civil Rights Commission found that he had violated state law. Phillips sued the Civil Rights Commission and eventually many of the states charges against him were dismissed. Now Scardina, who is an attorney, is filing another lawsuit against Phillips over the incident. Instead of appealing the Commissions decision to dismiss the charges, Scardina is asking for over $100,000 in damages, fines, and attorneys fees. Maureen Collins, who is the web writer for the Alliance Defending Freedom, reasserted Phillipss rights to conduct his business according to his religious beliefs. According to Faithwire, she wrote, We live in a country where freedom of speech and religious liberty are protected. While we may disagree on certain issues, we should all be free to live and work according to our beliefs. Jack Phillips, just like every creative professional, as the right to decline to use his artistic abilities to express messages or celebrate events he disagrees with. Jake Warner, legal counsel with the ADF, asked the judge to dismiss the charges. He said Scardina should have filed at the court of appeals. He further argued that Scardina wants to start the case all over and that isnt fair to Mr. Phillips. He closed saying, At some point, your honor, this must stop. Mr. Phillips just wants to get back to making cakes. Phillips won his 2018 case before the Supreme Court on a 7-2 vote. The court found that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission violated his first amendment rights. Collins says that after that victory, For some, it wont be enough until Masterpiece Cakeshop closes its doors and Jack Phillips is in financial ruin. They want Jack, an average American business owner, to pay a hefty price all because he wants to live according to his faith. Warner agrees, saying that Scardinas relentless pursuit of Jack was an obvious attempt to punish him for his views, banish him from the marketplace, and financially ruin him and his shop. Related: Christian Cake Artist Jack Phillips Faces Another Lawsuit Federal Court Rules Masterpiece Cakeshop Baker Can Sue Colorado for 'Anti-Religious Bias' Supreme Court Sides with Christian Baker in Gay Marriage Wedding Cake Case Photo courtesy: Alliance Defending Freedom Scott Slayton writes at One Degree to Another. Scott Slayton writes at One Degree to Another. The Home Ministry has asked all states and UTs to screen Rohingya Muslims living under their jurisdiction for COVID-19 as many of them had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin, officials said on Friday. In a communication to Chief Secretaries and DGPs, the ministry said there have been reports that several Rohingya Muslims have attended 'Ijtemas' and other religious congregations of Tablighi Jamaat and there is a possibility of their contracting COVID-19. The ministry said the Rohingyas residing in camps in Hyderabad had attended Tablighi Jamaat 'Ijtema' at Haryana's Mewat, and had also attended the meet at the national capital's Nizamuddin. Similarly, Rohingyas living in Delhi's Shram Vihar and Shaheen Bagh localities who had gone for Tablighi Jamaat activities, have not returned to their camps, it said. There are also reports from Derabassi, Punjab, and Jammu area of Jammu and Kashmir about the presence of Rohingya Muslims, who have come there after working for Tablighi Jamaat, the ministry said. "Therefore, Rohingya Muslims and their contacts may need to be screened for COVID-19. Accordingly, necessary measures may be taken in this regard on priority," the communication said. According to the home ministry, there are around 40,000 Rohingya refugees living in different parts of the country, including in Delhi, Jammu and Hyderabad. Last month, eight Rohingya Muslims, who have been living in Jammu, were put in quarantine after they attended the Nizamuddin meet. So far, more than 500 COVID-19 positive cases and about 20 deaths in the country were found to have links with the Tabligihi Jamaat meet at Nizamuddin. Over 2,300 activists, including 250 foreigners of the Islamic organisation, were found to be living at its headquarters located at Delhi's Nizamuddin last month despite the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. At least 9,000 people took part in the congregation at the Nizamuddin Markaz last month after which many travelled to various parts of the country for missionary works. The participants included citizens of 41 nationalities --379 Indonesians, 110 Bangladeshi, 77 from Kyrgyzstan, 75 Malaysian, 65 Thai, 63 Myanmarese and 33 Sri Lankans. The home ministry had also asked the Delhi Police and police chiefs of other states, where these foreigners are currently living, to take legal action under the Foreigners Act and the Disaster Management Act. The Home Ministry had said about 2,100 foreigners have come to India since January 1 and indulged in Tablighi activities in different parts of the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CAIRO The last round of talks held in Washington in late February on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) faltered to yield a comprehensive agreement on the filling and operation of the dam after Ethiopia withdrew from the negotiations. A State Department readout of a call between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on April 13 made no reference to the dam dispute. This comes at a time when the Trump administration, along with the World Bank, has been arbitrating discussions among Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan. Addis Ababa has since turned to the Nile Basin countries to shore up support in a bid to confront Egypt's international moves to block Ethiopias unilateral decision to start filling the dam without any agreement with Egypt and Sudan thus imposing a policy fait accompli. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced April 1 the start of the filling of the dam by the next rain season that starts in June. Meanwhile, Ethiopias President Sahle-Work Zewde paid visits to Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, which are member states in the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), a regional organization tasked with managing cooperation between the Nile Basin countries. Zewde called for the need of the Nile Basin countries to adhere to just and equitable use of water, and reject any agreements that were not concluded in peaceful means, a jab at the historical water agreements signed during the British colonial era. After the visits, several official Ethiopian media reports accused Cairo of obstructing the dam talks and trying to impose a colonial-like agreement, while clinging to the 1959 water-sharing agreement, whereby Egypt receives an annual release of 55.5 billion cubic meters of water from the Nile. Sudan and Egypt had signed the agreement to organize water management in the downstream countries. On April 3, the official Ethiopian News Agency quoted members of the governments negotiating delegation, who accused Egypt of wanting to impose its colonial desires, and calling upon the Nile Basin countries to ensure that they have a fair and reasonable share of the Nile waters. Although Ethiopian officials have been evoking what they called colonial agreements, Egypt and Ethiopia share several other historical agreements on the Nile when Ethiopia was not part of any colony, such as the 1902 agreement signed by Emperor of Ethiopia Menelik II. According to this agreement, Ethiopia pledged not to build any facilities on the banks of the Nile without prior consultation with Egypt. Under a 1993 agreement, Ethiopia also undertook not to construct facilities that would cause significant damage to Egypts share of the Nile waters. Commenting on Ethiopias claims that Egypt was seeking to thwart the negotiations over the historical shares of the Nile waters, a technology official in the Egyptian negotiating delegation told Al-Monitor, Since the signing of the 2015 Declaration of Principles, Egypt has been committed politically, legally and technically to its [the declarations] terms and provisions to reach a comprehensive and fair agreement regarding the filling and operation of the GERD. The source, who refused to be named, added, Egypt has attended all tripartite meetings between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, and meetings under the auspices of the United States and the World Bank, which shows Cairos seriousness and flexibility amid the intransigent and dodging positions of the Ethiopian side. This led to the faltering of the Washington talks. [Ethiopia] has been trying to evade its obligations and [the terms of the Declaration of Principles] and to start the unilateral filling of the dam disregarding all legal norms. Commenting on Ethiopias attempt to mobilize the Nile upstream countries against Egypt and threatening to reinvoke the Cooperative Framework Agreement of the Nile Basin countries, the source said, This agreement is dead and it was not accepted or signed by all of the Nile Basin countries. Ethiopias attempt to shuffle the cards will not be in the interest of any party. Egypt maintains good relations with the Nile Basin countries as there has been cooperation at the technical and political levels regarding the issue of water management. All attempts to push upstream countries to sway Egypts position will be to no avail, the source said. The Cooperative Framework Agreement was signed by six of the upstream countries in 2010, with the exception of Egypt and Sudan, which rejected several contentious terms, including one that deprived Egypt from its NIle water share and another that gave the upstream countries the right to build dams on the Nile without any arrangement with the downstream countries (Egypt and Sudan). Shortly after the agreement was signed, Egypt withdrew from the NBI and froze all cooperation activities with the Nile Basin countries conducted under the initiatives umbrella. Mohamed Nasr Eldin Allam, a former Egyptian minister of water resources and irrigation, told Al-Monitor, Ethiopias propaganda, whereby it accuses Egypt of clinging to its historical shares in the Nile water albeit Egypts legitimate right is an attempt to get out of the terms of the 1997 UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lake and the Helsinki Rules on the Uses of the Waters of International River. These agreements stipulate prior notice and the submission of ecological studies that any [construction] project would not cause any environment, social and economic damage to the dam safety and structure. Allam, who was in office when the Cooperative Framework Agreement was signed, added, Ethiopia resorting to the upstream countries is going to get it nowhere, as Addis Ababa is not linked to these countries in the Equatorial Lakes. Geographically, the Blue Nile, one of the main tributaries of the Nile, flows from its source in the Ethiopian Highlands and merges with the White Nile in Sudan, the longer tributary that strems from the Equatorial Lakes all the way to Egypt. During the negotiations on the Cooperative Framework Agreement talks, Ethiopia was leading blocks from the Nile upstream countries against Egypt, claiming that Cairo was taking the lions share of the Nile water, Allam noted. Ethiopias efforts to incite upstream countries against Egypt depend on its ability to forge real interests with these countries 10 years after Egypt suspended its membership in the NBI. During this time, Ethiopia did not achieve any tangible progress in the framework of regional cooperation to enhance the utilization of the Nile water in favor of the basin countries. Ukraine is an active participant in the mutual exchange of assistance to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, including the cargo flights delivering rubbing alcohol for disinfectants, and the exchange of experience between Ukrainian and EU doctors. Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Vadym Prystaiko said this during a meeting with international partners from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations (UN) and the European Union on April 17, 2020, the Government portal reported. Ukraine is an active participant in the mutual exchange of assistance to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, including the cargo flights delivering medical alcohol for disinfectants, and the exchange of experience between Ukrainian and EU doctors. At the same time, the Government is directing all available resources to fight the coronavirus infection. In particular, the establishment of the State Budget Stabilization Fund with a resource of over UAH 64 billion. But sometimes national resources are lacking and this problem is typical not only for Ukraine but for a number of countries all around the world, he stressed. Prystaiko emphasized that analysis of the needs to combat the coronavirus pandemic in cooperation with international partners will help the countries avoid duplication of information and costs, improve the interaction of Ukraine with the international community, both within the framework of support programs and new initiatives, including humanitarian, financial and logistical assistance. On April 2, on the instructions of Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, a single coordination mechanism was created to collect data and coordinate the provision of international humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Vadym Prystaiko was authorized to ensure overall coordination of this work. ish The Tunisian National Unit for Investigation into Terrorist Crimes Thursday said it thwarted a plot by a group of terrorists planning to contaminate security forces with novel covid-19. The spokesman for the National Guard, Houssemeddine Jebabli, said two takfiris (Islamists militants who often accuse their victims of being infidels) were arrested. The group leader, hailing from Kebili governorate, according to the spokesman, is known to security forces as he has just been released from prison where he was incarcerated in a terrorism-related case. The ex-inmate had used his influence to indoctrinate several followers who were tasked to assault security units to contaminate forces through coughing, sneezing and spitting. These takfiris, subject to administrative control, have to go frequently to the security units. One attacker reportedly revealed to authorities that the mission was hard to carry out owing to measures in place at the various security establishments. Tunisia, grappling with the novel disease has imposed a lockdown restricting citizens movements. The North African country has so far confirmed 822 coronavirus cases and 37 deaths. As many as 136 UK nationals stranded in Hyderabad, left for their home country by a special relief flight from the international airport here on Friday. The special flight of British Airways, which arrived from Bahrain departed with the passengers to Ahmedabad, where few more UK nationals were to be airlifted to the gulf nation and then onwards to London, a press release from the airport said. All these passengers were serviced through the "fully sanitized" Interim International Departures Terminal (IIDT) of GMR Hyderabad International Airport, which has been kept ready for evacuation operations, it said. In coordination with the British Deputy High Commission here and the Telangana government, the UK-bound passengers arrived at the airport from various parts of the city. Special screening and safety measures were in place during the flight's handling to protect against the COVID-19 threat including thermal screening prior to terminal entry, mandatory social distancing enforced through special queuing arrangements at all passenger processing points, the release said. As on April 17, the Rajiv Gandhi international airport has served over 600 foreign nationals, who were repatriated by various special relief flights from here to their respective countries, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) LANSING, MI -- When thousands of people descended on downtown Lansing Wednesday for a planned protest speaking out against Gov. Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home order, some asked why police were not issuing tickets to people who were clearly violating the states social distancing guidelines. Michigan State Police said they were practicing extreme discretion when patrolling the protest, electing to push for compliance rather than ticketing people. Of Friday, Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said the city police department will not exercise the same discretion during future protests. Lansing is proud to be the Capital City and I strongly believe in the right for people to protest their government. However, the right to protest does not include violating the rights of others or breaking local laws. Nor does it include preventing public safety from getting to emergencies, Schor said in a press release. We will always allow legal protesting, but we will be on vigilant watch for violations of the rights of our residents, workers and others who are just doing their jobs and living their lives. Countless photos and videos captured at the scene Wednesday showed people protesting in their cars, on the streets and on the lawn of the Michigan Capitol. Many photos showed people in groups clearly not adhering to the state guidelines of staying six feet away from people who do not live in your house while in public places. MSP First Lt. Darren Green said their department was not aware of any serious issues during the protest and while officers were aware of people violating the guidelines, officers were electing to ask for compliance from citizens. Green said the decision was partially for the safety of officers and also because it would possibly cause more harm to start ticketing large groups of people who are already agitated. Its a delicate balance. People are upset and obviously they are entitled to their opinions on the governors order, Green said. Theres a lot more positive for law enforcement and MSP to exercise discretion. Schor said city officers cannot do anything about people gathering on the grass at the Capitol as that property falls under MSP jurisdiction. However, Lansing police will continue to offer mutual assistance on the grounds if requested so some officers may be on the grounds. For future protests, Schor said the city will implement several policies which includes having city officers monitoring for distancing violations. Lansing Police will also look for social distancing violations on City streets and warn and/or cite people as appropriate, reads part of the release. The city will also seek mutual aid from other agencies during protests and officers will be on the lookout for other violations including: excessive noise, purposely blocking roads, and public urination or defecation and more. Schor indicated the response is in part because of how Wednesday protest played out and filtered into the downtown area, away from the Capitol. While many people stayed in their cars to protest at the Capitol, some gridlock protesters went further and took their frustrations out on the entire City of Lansing by including our downtown, neighborhoods and corridors., Schor said in the release. Some also left their cars and engaged in outside protesting (as protected by the First Amendment) but refused to socially distance and follow CDC recommendations as required in the Executive Order. Demonstrators not practicing social distancing put the safety of Lansing residents, first responders and their respective communities at risk. 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 5 things that need to happen for Michigan to reopen its economy after the coronavirus crisis Whitmer partners with governors in 2 other states, asks Trump for more money during coronavirus battle Unemployment claims top 1M in Michigan as coronavirus closures continue More than 2,000 people have died of coronavirus in Michigan A whistleblower whose career was 'ruined' after he raised concerns about an 'unethical' audit of a Dubai gold refiner by his former employers EY has been awarded around 8.8 million in damages. Auditor Amjad Rihan brought a claim at the High Court in London against four businesses within the network of the global accountancy firm, formerly known as Ernst and Young. He had to leave Dubai with his family and claimed he was forced to resign after flagging serious irregularities in dealings by EY's client, Kaloti Jewellery International. In a ruling on Friday, Mr Justice Kerr concluded EY owed an 'audit duty of care' to Mr Rihan and breached that duty in a number of ways. Amjad Rihan brought a claim at the High Court in London against four businesses In a statement after the judgment, Mr Rihan said: 'Almost seven years of agony for me and my family has come to an end with a total vindication by the court. 'My life was turned upside down as I was cruelly and harshly punished for insisting on doing my job ethically, professionally and lawfully in relation to the gold audits in Dubai.' He added: 'I hope that EY uses this judgment as an opportunity to improve and take the necessary measures to avoid anything like this ever happening again.' The judge said Mr Rihan worked for EY in the Middle East from 2008 until his resignation in January 2014. The judge said both issues 'gave rise to a reasonable suspicion' that Kaloti was involved in money laundering Mr Rihan's case was that, in 2013 during an early stage of the audit, he became aware of serious irregularities - including gold bullion smuggled out of Morocco coated in silver, to avoid restrictions on the export of gold by deceiving the Moroccan authorities, and cash transactions in gold involving about 5.2 billion US dollars. The judge said both issues 'gave rise to a reasonable suspicion' that Kaloti was involved in money laundering. Mr Rihan alleged that, after he informed the Dubai Metals and Commodities Centre (DMCC) about the irregularities, DMCC put 'improper pressure' on him and EY Dubai to do its reporting in a way that would be 'misleading'. After he resisted this and raised concerns with EY, the judge said he left Dubai for the UK in 2013 'not knowing if he would be able to return and fearing for his and his family's safety if he were to challenge the position of Kaloti and the DMCC from within Dubai'. Mr Rihan eventually resigned, after refusing to return to work for EY in Dubai amid fears for his safety, and disclosed his concerns to the media. He said his concerns were dismissed after he protested that this behaviour was unethical and argued Kaloti's conduct should be immediately reported to a UK-based watchdog. He eventually resigned, after refusing to return to work for EY in Dubai amid fears for his safety, and disclosed his concerns to the media. His whistleblowing exposed Kaloti's practices and, following another audit, the firm was 'delisted' by the DMCC, causing damage to its gold trading business. The judge said: 'But for the claimant's disclosures and Grant Thornton's subsequent audit, the true facts about Kaloti's dealings would have remained concealed, as the defendants, the DMCC and Kaloti intended, contrary to the public interest.' EY denied any responsibility for what happened, arguing Mr Rihan's losses resulted from his own decisions to resign and go to the media. Lawyers for EY also claimed he was a 'liar and an opportunist' who was motivated by a 'thirst for publicity and fame in pursuit of compensation'. However, among a series of findings, Mr Justice Kerr concluded EY's attempt to portray Mr Rihan as a 'mendacious, workshy freeloader' was 'unfair'. The judge said that, by proposing a change in the compliance period to miss out 'the inconvenient year 2012', two members of EY staff put the firm 'in breach of the principles of integrity, objectivity and professional behaviour'. He added: 'They were not acting with integrity because it was obvious that the proposed audit report would mislead by omitting or playing down the damning findings about how Kaloti was running its business in March 2012. 'They were not acting with objectivity because they proposed to bow to pressure from the DMCC, which was obviously not impartial and unbiased, to conceal or minimise Kaloti's wrongdoing. 'The defendants thereby sought to involve the claimant in unethical conduct, putting them in breach of the audit duty of care.' Mr Rihan was awarded 10,843,941 US dollars for loss of earnings and 117,950 for loss of employment benefits. His solicitor Paul Dowling, from law firm Leigh Day, said Mr Rihan's character and actions had been 'completely vindicated', adding: 'This important judgment sends a clear message to would-be whistleblowers that they do not have to tolerate unethical conduct within their organisation, no matter how high up the chain it goes.' Kaloti, which was the UAE's largest gold refiner in 2013, could not immediately be reached for comment. It has previously denied wrongdoing. EY, one of the world's 'Big Four' accounting firms, said it was surprised and disappointed by the ruling. 'We will appeal and, therefore, not comment in detail,' EY said in a statement. 'It was the work of an EY Dubai assurance team that uncovered serious irregularities and reported them to the proper authorities.' 'Their work ultimately resulted in sanctions against the refiner and contributed to significant changes in the sourcing of precious metals and the regulation of refiners in Dubai.' Kaloti remained accredited by UAE authorities until 2015, when a different auditor found it was buying gold from Sudan, which was then under U.S. sanctions. A Reuters investigation last year found that the United Arab Emirates is the destination for billions of dollars' worth of gold smuggled from across Africa. But the people who have no God also live in fear and thats not fear of the virus so much as fear of the poor or fear of what the virus will do to them. What will happen to the poor people? some ask. By that they dont really mean, How will the poor survive? The rich have always been in awe of the resilience of the poor, as they pay them monthly wages that are a fraction of the bill for their own three-year-olds birthday party. What the rich worry about is that if the poor really starve and this time they actually might starve the poor will come for them to try to eat them. The nonpoor, be they godless or godful, try to console themselves by sitting at home and telling each other that this epidemic is natures way of healing itself. Consumerism was destroying the planet, and now we have the chance to save it by organizing Zoom parties and baking cakes. The poor dont have anywhere to turn. Mosques are Pakistans only social centers, except for the clubs of the very rich and some parks for the middle class. They are equipped with public-address systems and have running water; many are air-conditioned. Mosques could have been used to disseminate health tips and distribute food to the needy, or as quarantine centers and temporary hospitals. But the government is too reluctant to take on the men of God to do any of that. So mosques, the very places that might have provided relief to the people, have been left to become, at best, battlegrounds over Gods intentions or, at worst, incubators of infection. Before Pakistan had a coronavirus problem, it had a polio problem. The country came very close to eliminating that one, but the polio virus has resurfaced: Some people were refusing to get their children vaccinated because they feared that the United States government was using the inoculation program to spy on them. They were also thinking: If God wants to cripple our children, who are we to stop Him? Soon after the lockdown of Karachi began last month, I called up a doctor friend who worked at the front lines of an anti-polio campaign in the city a few years ago. He told me that while his team administered polio drops in hostile neighborhoods he would stay a street away. Because you just never knew, he said: Here you were wanting to save somebodys newborn from losing the use of her limbs, but the parents might just shoot you in the head for interfering with Gods plan. New Delhi, April 17 : The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in a letter to all the colleges and institutes providing courses on engineering, management, architecture and pharmacy has instructed them not to compel students to pay fees during the lockdown. The AICTE has issued a letter to these colleges on the instruction of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The letter stated that students can't be forced to deposit fees during the lockdown. It also contains instructions to pay the salaries of teachers and not to sack them. A senior official of the Ministry of Human Resource Development said. "Instructions have been given to take this step keeping in mind the interests of students and teachers during the lockdown". AICTE Secretary Prof. Rajiv Kumar has issued the suggested guidelines. All colleges and educational institutions have been directed to provide this information on their website and notice board. Students, teachers and educational institutions have also been urged not to believe in any kind of fake news on social media, and trust the information available on the website of AICTE, UGC and Ministry of Human Resource Development. Also, the Prime Minister's Special Scholarship Scheme will also continue as usual. Students who have not been able to do internship due to the lockdown can complete it online from home. At the same time, the UGC committee is preparing the report on online examination and semester examination. Based on the report, the AICTE will release a new academic calendar for 2020 and a new guidelines for the annual examination. The latest issue of Vietnam Briefing Magazine, titled A Guide to Vietnams Supply Chains, is out now and currently available to subscribers as a complimentary download in the Asia Briefing Publication Store. In this issue: The China One Plus Strategy An Effective Supply Chain Network The Status of Vietnams Supply Chains Vietnams supply chains have significantly evolved from how they were a decade ago. Today, supply chain shifts to Vietnam are ongoing, helped in some part by the US-China trade war, as a growing number of businesses seek out ASEAN or alternate markets to invest in. Among the countries competing for investment, Vietnam has emerged as a highly effective alternative for relocation in Southeast Asia. Vietnams pursuit of foreign investment, competitive costs, trade agreements, and liberal investment environment have made it an ideal location for China-based investors seeking to reduce costs and diversify supply chains. Nevertheless, foreign investors considering the Vietnamese market need to have a clear understanding of the capacity and limitations of Vietnamese production. Despite its advantages, Vietnam is not without its share of challenges. Manufacturers need to figure out how to realign their supply chains, establish which production elements to relocate, what is the market entry strategy, and understand the rules and regulations that govern Vietnams several trade agreements. In this issue of Vietnam Briefing magazine, we examine Vietnams supply chain network. We look at ways to plan supply chain shifts while using Vietnam as a China plus one investment destination. We then look at Vietnams free trade network, the advantages and disadvantages of investing in the country along with rules of origin guidelines. We conclude with the status of Vietnams supply chains and how they are developing as manufacturing in the country matures. This magazine is based on Dezan Shira & Associates years of experience in supporting foreign enterprises in Vietnam, including facilitating supply chain shifts during an infectious disease outbreak, such as COVID-19. SPRINGFIELD Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday that he and five other Midwestern governors have agreed to coordinate with one another as they make plans for reopening their economies after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. Pritzker, a Democrat, joined Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D), Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) in announcing the regional effort. Our number one priority when analyzing when best to reopen our economy is the health and safety of our citizens. We will make decisions based on facts, science, and recommendations from experts in health care, business, labor, and education, the governors said in a joint statement. The governors said they will consider at least four factors in determining when best to reopen their economies: sustained control of the rate of new infections and hospitalizations; enhanced ability to test for the disease and trace the routes of its spread; sufficient health care capacity to handle a resurgence; and best practices for social distancing in the workplace. The governors stressed that not all parts of the economy, and not all regions, will reopen at the same time. Phasing in sectors of our economy will be most effective when we work together as a region, the governors said. 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 six-state Midwest agreement is the third such regional compact to be announced so far. Earlier, California, Oregon and Washington said they would coordinate their reopening. Also, New York announced earlier this week that it will coordinate with six other northeastern states. During his daily media briefing in Chicago, Pritzker gave little by way of response to questions about why the states of Missouri and Iowa were not included in the group. We would love to have as many states as want to join as a part of it. Iowa chose not to be part of this, he said. I know they don't have a stay-at-home rule, you know, yet in place. They've made a lot of different decisions than we have. The Midwest compact was announced on the same day the U.S. Department of Labor reported another 5.25 million Americans filed first-time unemployment claims during the week that ended April 4, including 141,049 in Illinois. It also came on the same day the Illinois Department of Public Health announced 1,140 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 125 virus-related deaths over the previous 24 hours, by far the highest single-day death total since Pritzkers disaster declaration went into effect March 9. Since the pandemic first appeared in Illinois, the state has recorded 25,733 confirmed cases of the disease, including 1,072 deaths. COVID-19 cases have now been recorded in 90 of the states 102 counties. The state has tested 122,589 people for the virus, an increase of 5,660 in the past 24 hours. Testing and PPE purchases ramp up Also Thursday, Pritzker announced that the state has significantly increased its capacity to perform COVID-19 screening tests and its ability to supply hospitals and health care centers with personal protective equipment, or PPE. One of the biggest obstacles to expanding the states testing capacity, the governors office said in a news release, has been the lack of testing equipment, and specifically the swabs and viral transport media, or VTM. Pritzker announced Thursday that it had secured commitments from state universities and outside vendors to supply the state with an abundance of those materials to stock state laboratories and other labs throughout the state. In addition, the administration announced that the equipment manufacturer Thermo Fisher Scientific has addressed problems previously identified with its COVID-19 testing machines, and the five machines it provided to the state are now operational, and Thermo Fisher has prioritized Illinois as a customer of its equipment and testing procedures. Those five machines that we had concerns about are now up and running with reliable results, so reliable that as we ramp up over the next week, we're estimating additional capacity of thousands more tests per day at our state labs alone, Pritzker said. Illinois recommended testing criteria will now include all those who are experiencing COVID-like symptoms, according to the governors office. The new guidance will apply to state-run drive-thru testing centers and will be offered to medical providers across Illinois, although those with mild symptoms are still encouraged to call a medical provider before seeking a COVID-19 test. Finally, Pritzker said the state has also managed to purchase enough personal protective equipment to keep hospitals and first responders in supply for at least the next few weeks. Pritzker said the administration has 28 million N95 and KN95 masks, which protect workers from inhaling the virus, along with nearly 30 million surgical and disposable masks, gowns and coveralls, 27 million gloves and 7.6 million face shields. Currently, the statewide 10-day burn rate for those items the number used in an average 10-day period is roughly 1.5 million N95 masks, 25 million gloves, 4.4 million gowns and 700,000 surgical masks for hospitals and long-term care facilities. You cant go to a bar right now and have a beer, mixed drink, shot, or glass of wine because of stay at home orders and business closures related to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the World Health Organizations Regional Office of Europe is urging people to go a step further and limit alcohol intake, period. If youre thinking no chance, well, just please drink responsibly, but there is one valid reason for the news release issued on Thursday: Some seem to think that drinking a lot of a high alcohol content spirit will somehow make them immune from getting COVID-19, believing it will act in a similar way to how hand sanitizer kills germs on your hands. Thats not true, of course, the W.H.O. notes. Fear and misinformation have generated a dangerous myth that consuming high-strength alcohol can kill the COVID-19 virus, the W.H.O writes. "It does not. Consuming any alcohol poses health risks, but consuming high-strength ethyl alcohol (ethanol), particularly if it has been adulterated with methanol, can result in severe health consequences, including death. Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter There are, of course, other reasons to monitor or restrict alcohol consumption at any point in time, as the W.H.O says that it can exacerbate health vulnerability, risk-taking behaviours, mental health issues and violence and In particular, alcohol compromises the bodys immune system and increases the risk of adverse health outcomes. Therefore, people should minimize their alcohol consumption at any time, and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic." All of this may not stop you from pouring a glass of something, popping a top, or crushing a can this weekend, just do it responsibly. Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. At this point, it's safe to say most people know hand washing is one the most effective ways to stop the spread of the coronavirus, but in case you need a reminder, and you happen to own a Tizen wearable like the Galaxy Watch Active 2, Samsung's latest app is here to help. The company has released an app for its smartwatches that will remind you to wash your hands every couple of hours. Once you make your way to the washbasin, it will also ensure you spend enough time scrubbing your hands with a 25-second timer (WHO guidelines recommend spending at least 20 seconds). The app also comes with a watch face (pictured above) that allows you to see how long it has been since you last washed your hands. And like a diligent mom, it will let you know when you've missed a scheduled visit to the faucet. The software was developed over two weeks by a team from the Samsung Research Institute-Bangalore and not to worry, they made the app while working from home. Earlier this week, Google updated Wear OS to add handwashing reminders as well. In the case of Google's wearable operating system, it will try to get you to scrub your hands for about 40 seconds. Forest rights activists wrote to Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Arjun Munda on Friday, flagging that an advisory issued to prevent the transmission of coronavirus between humans and animals can be "misused" to restrict the access of tribal and nomadic communities to natural resources. The Union Ministry had on April 6 asked all states to take immediate steps to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 from humans to animals and vice-versa, after a tiger in New York's Bronx Zoo contracted the disease from an infected caretaker. Among other directions, the ministry had sought a reduction in human-wildlife interface and restrictions on the movement of villagers inside and around protected areas. Expressing concern over this aspect of the advisory, the forest and tribal rights groups, including the Van Panchayat Sangharsh Morcha, the All India Union of Forest Working People and the Adivasi Jan Van Adhikar Manch, said, "There are around three to four million people living inside and around protected areas, and many more in the immediate surroundings." "These are mostly Scheduled Tribes and others including, Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, nomadic and pastoralist communities, fish workers etc. They are dependent on the natural resources within and around the protected areas for their daily livelihoods," the letter to the Union minister and tribal affairs minister read. The activists said there are reports to show that the nation-wide lockdown imposed to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus has affected the livelihood and survival of tribal and other households, as they are unable to collect and sell forest produce in this summer season. "We fear there is great danger of this advisory being misunderstood and misused to further alienate and restrict access of these communities to the natural resources they are dependent on for their livelihoods," they said. "Therefore, we urge you to reissue the advisory with clarifications that it should not be implemented to restrict customary and legal rights of use and access of the local communities living in and around protected areas," the letter said. Forest and Revenue departments must ensure that villagers are not restricted or evicted from protected areas during this time, the activists said. Citing reports, the forest and tribal rights groups claimed that these communities have acted responsibly and isolated themselves from the pandemic. "In fact, district-wise spread of COVID-19 data in Maharashtra suggests that there are no or negligible cases reported from forested and tribal-dominated districts of the state," they said. Also, there is absolutely no evidence so far of human beings being able to infect free-ranging wild animals. The only reported case is of a captive tiger in the US, the activists said. They also appealed to the state governments to provide free rations and items that people in and around protected areas need for survival. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The original cast of High School Musical reunited for the first time in over a decade for ABC's The Disney Family Singalong Thursday night. Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman and Lucas Grabeel led the way, via remote, from their homes for a performance of We're All In This Together from the Disney Channel Original Movie. And what better way to kick off the anthem than to have show host Ryan Seacrest hand it over to Zac Efron for the introduction. Class Reunion: Zac Efron introduced the High School Musical reunion on ABC's The Disney Family Singalong special Thursday night Class reunion: Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman and Lucas Grabeel led the way, via remote, from their homes for a performance of We're All In This Together from the Disney Channel Original Movie 'Hi everyone and I hope that you are safe and healthy you're doing as well as possible during these unprecedented times,' Efron began amid his home sequester due to the coronavirus crisis. 'It is my greatest pleasure to introduce a musical performance by some of my oldest friends and some new ones.' He ended by adding, 'I hope you enjoy and remember that we're all in this together.' Host with the most: Ryan Seacrest played host for the Disney special Classy: 'It is my greatest pleasure to introduce a musical performance by some of my oldest friends and some new ones,' Efron said during his introduction They're all in this together: High School Musical trilogy director, Kenny Ortega, joined the five original castmates After Efron's classy words, Seacrest handed it over to the man who directed the High School Musical trilogy, Kenny Ortega. He then joined the class reunion with Hudgens, Tisdale, Bleu, Coleman and Grabeel for the rendition of We're All In This Together from the Disney Channel Original Movie. Joining them in the performance were stars from Descendants, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Zombies, as well as Raven-Symone, Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Meg Donnelly and Milo Manheim. Safety first: Each of the castmates and guest stars practiced social distancing and performed from the confines of their own homes Team work: Joining in on the performance were stars from Descendants, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Zombies, as well as Raven-Symone, Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Meg Donnelly and Milo Manheim One world! We're All In This together has become a rallying call of sorts as people across the globe self-quarantine to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic Ortega revealed that the request for his participation on the singalong special came straight from Disney CEO Bob Iger, which didn't leave any hesitation on his part. 'I wanted to find something I can do to participate and it was so great to be given the call and invited by ABC to join,' he said. 'It gave me a purpose to get up every morning. I feel really good that we have an opportunity to do something like this its good medicine.' The gang's back! Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale are arguably the most recognizable stars from the original High School Musical cast; they are pictured in 2006 Nailed it: 'I wanted to find something I can do to participate and it was so great to be given the call and invited by ABC to join,' Original High School Musical director Kenny Ortega said; he is pictured in July Last but not least: Apparently everyone was excited to be a part of the reunion, but it took a bit more wrangling to get ahold of Zac Efron; he is pictured with Hudgens shown in 2008 Apparently everyone was excited to be a part of the reunion, but it took a bit more wrangling to get ahold of Zac Efron. 'We couldnt reach Zac until late but when we did, he immediately jumped in, of course,' Ortega said. The original East High Wildcat's song We're All In This Together has become a rallying call of sorts as people across the globe self-quarantine to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. 'Youre hearing those words chanted out Ive been sent videos from doctors, orderlies, nurses and medical professionals in masks and hospital gowns singing Were All In This Together in the hallways of hospitals,' Ortega added. still from High School Musical (2006) Credit due: Ortega credit Ashely Tisdale with spreading the who We're All in This Together movements in the wake of the coronavirus crisis He credited one of the show's stars with renewing the song's popularity via her social media videos. 'I think Ashley [Tisdale] started this whole movement with her home video,' he said. 'I cant imagine that Matthew Gerrard and Robbie Nevil, who wrote this song, had any idea that it would have the legs and perhaps mean more now than when we first did it. 'These artists that have come together are heroes,' he continued. 'There are young people out there that look up to these people and have for a long time. To see them in their own living rooms and in their sweatpants hanging out with their families helps everyone realize theres truth behind these words were all in this together in various circumstances. We need to feel that company .' The Disney Family Singalong also featured a bevy of celebrity guests, including Christina Aguilera, Michael Buble, Kristin Chenoweth, Aulii Cravalho, Amber Riley, John Stamos, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Alan Menken, Elle Fanning, Josh Groban, Darren Criss, Tori Kelly, among others. Familiar face: That's So Raven and Cheetah Girls star Raven-Symone was also among the Disney Channel regulars joining the special; she is pictured in June Representing: Cast members from Disney's The Descendants lent their skills Debenhams in High Street, Stratford-upon-Avon Stratfords Debenhams store has closed its doors for the final time and will not re-open when coronavirus restrictions are lifted. The future of the store has been up in the air for some time, with the company previously stating it would close at some point in the next two years. Last week Debenhams entered an administration agreement and has been in negotiations with landlords to agree terms on their stores, but Stratford is one of seven across the country where the company has been unable to reach an agreement. The Debenhams store in Leamington is one of the other six that will also not re-open across the country, though more may join that list. Debenhams CEO Stefaan Vansteenkiste, said: Im delighted with the progress we are making with our landlord discussions which reflects the pragmatic view the vast majority of them are taking of the current market conditions. We have agreed terms on the vast majority of our UK stores and talks are proceeding positively on the remainder, positioning us to reopen these stores when government regulations permit. Regrettably we have been unable to reach agreement on seven stores and these will not be reopening, and Id like to express my thanks to our colleagues in these stores at what I know is a difficult time for everyone. 422 members of staff across the 7 stores will be affected and have been informed of the closures. Debenhams say they are still aiming to retain more than 100 stores across the country when the company comes out of administration. Last year Blue Coast Capital, the developers of Bell Court and owners of the Debenhams unit, unveiled plans for a new hotel on the site. Blue Coast Capital have always said their plans were put in place in case Debenhams decided to vacate the unit in the future, while the retailer has said the landlord's plans to redevelop the unit were the reason the store would likely close. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size There's a lot more planning for this lunch than usual. As well as organising our meal a couple of days ahead with The Recreation Hotel, there's the matter of how Myf Warhurst and I will conduct our remote rendezvous; neither of us is tech savvy. We eventually settle on Google Hangouts, but when the time comes, our connection is terrible; we're both freezing mid-sentence. A few minutes after she says it, I make out Warhurst suggesting Zoom but my work laptop won't allow me to use Zoom. We then try Skype. Warhurst has finished her Negroni delivered in a vacuum sealed bag and I've eaten my entree of leek and fontina croquettes. By the time we settle on a simple WhatsApp video call, it's been 45 minutes. "I've eaten half my risotto," says Warhurst. I'm on my second glass of wine. Myf Warhurst makes the most of her Spectrum interface at home in her backyard. Credit:Joe Armao Our food has travelled well; The Recreation has, for now, rebranded as The Rec Delivered, offering a varied selection of gastro-pub meals delivered to nearby postcodes, and available for pick-up. When I call to arrange this lunch, one of the Rec's co-owners, Joe Durrant, is already well across this set-up the pub has already had punters ordering meals for same-time delivery at different addresses so people can enjoy a meal "together". Warhurst ordered king prawn risotto and I'm having cassoulet, and we both have a side-serving of grilled broccolini with smoked yoghurt. Our segregation necessitates two bottles of wine the riesling for Warhurst and the house white for me. We were intrigued by the pre-packaged mixed drinks; Warhurst chose the Negroni and I ordered a dry martini (which languishes still in my freezer). Advertisement It's not the same as dining together, but it has a certain charm. "It's all part of the process now," Warhurst, famously down-to-earth (and evidently unflappable), says. She's already done link-ups with her friends. "I played Pictionary on Zoom it's really hard! But after a few wines, it's hilarious," she says. "It's a bit less stressful than a phone call; they can still be pretty formal." She's been in quarantine a week or so longer than many of us, having self-isolated due to being unwell. "I feel like I've totally settled into it now! Although you know, it's madness I'm doing lots of things to fend of all those feelings of impending doom," she says. "I've painted the deck and I've painted all the walls and the fence and the back gate. I'm doing every odd job imaginable just to stay a bit like I've got stuff to do." The Recreation delivers wine, croquettes (top right) and prawn risotto (bottom right) to Myf Warhurst's door. Credit:Joe Armao Like millions of Australians, Warhurst is out of work and concedes she is "trying not to freak out". "Everything I had in the calendar has gone; any gigs I had, TV, any kind of MC gigs all gone," she says. "I mean, I'm lucky I'm in a position where I had work in January, so I'm OK for now but who's to say in six months' time? I'm just trying not to get too anxious." Advertisement For the past few years, Warhurst, best known as a panellist on ABC's Spicks and Specks, has been a fixture on ABC radio first on Double J, and then every weekday in the early afternoon in her national show. That gig, however, came to an abrupt end last November. I was surprised, I say, to read that news. "Well, I was too," she says with a laugh. While there was scant media coverage, I had read that she resigned? "No no, no, no," she says. "They didn't recommission the show. I never put a statement out, and neither did they and it all ended a bit weirdly, to be honest." She's adamant not to "speak ill of the ABC ... especially at this time when it's so vital to the nation", but says it was a "weird" end to the year for her. Everything I had in the calendar has gone; any gigs I had, TV, any kind of MC gigs all gone... I'm just trying not to get too anxious. Myf Warhurst "It's never nice getting the arse," she says. "It was hard to gauge (if the show rated well), I think, because it was a national show on local radio maybe they decided it just didn't work with the audience on a local radio network? "I don't know. You get sacked a lot in this radio business, but it never gets easier." Advertisement The shock of it, though, cemented her decision to appear on Ten's reality show I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. "And thank God I did, otherwise I'd be selling my house right now!" Loading Warhurst has been asked to appear before, but has always said no. This time she felt she had nothing to lose. "I was just so sad and ... flat," she said. "I put my everything into that show and it's hard when you realise that not even the hardest of your work is good enough, you know? I didn't know what I was going to do, so I thought, stuff it I'll go to the jungle." She spent a month in the jungle camp in South Africa, which she describes as almost a practise-run for isolation. "I always thought it wasn't something that would be right for me, but I loved it! I'm in my 40s, heading towards 50 I probably got a bit anxious over the last few years. And it really shook me out of my comfort zone and was genuinely transformative." Despite being "scared of everything", she bungee-jumped out of a helicopter, ate cow's penis and jumped off a waterfall. Advertisement "You get very used to the way you live at this age, and I think I needed a kick up the backside," she says. "The whole thing's very pantomime ... as long as you remember that and don't take it too seriously, it's actually kind of fun." Over the rest of our lunch, we discuss our cats (she holds up Merv to the camera; he's not into it), we're interrupted repeatedly by my seven-year-old daughter ("This is the new normal now, don't apologise!") our respective isolation activities ("I already do yoga online anyway Ive always been too terrified to do it in public"), the prospect of all the novels being written right now ("Oh mate one of them will be mine!") and the upcoming Spicks And Specks special, focusing on the music of the 2000s, which was filmed late last year. The band is back: Spicks and Specks: 00s Special. Credit:Ben King "I got a photo from ABC ... and everyone was standing really close to each other and touching it felt really weird!" After I'm A Celebrity, Warhurst co-hosted Eurovision, Australia Decides, but Eurovision, like everything else in the arts, was cancelled. Like everyone, she is reeling from the impact on the arts industry. "Hopefully now people will realise how much the arts add to the economy. Maybe this might help emphasise to people how important it is and make for a kinder environment for artists," she says. "I'm trying to look for silver linings; I've been trying to do that a lot lately." Advertisement Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 20:12:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Military medical staff airlifted by eight large transport planes of the air force of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) arrive at Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Min) BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the People's Republic of China, has signed an order of commendation to honor all the military personnel undertaking the mission of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the whole military has resolutely carried out the decisions and commands of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the CMC and shouldered heavy responsibilities, making outstanding contributions to winning the people's war against the epidemic, according to the order. Party organizations and members at all levels in the troops undertaking the mission have played an exemplary role, and military medics have worked day and night to battle the virus, functioning as a mainstay force in the anti-virus war, the order reads. Scientific researchers in the military have raced against time in their emergency research efforts to provide strong scientific and technological support for the epidemic prevention and control. Journalists have braved hardships to tell the army's anti-virus stories, boosting the morale and confidence of China and the world, according to the order. Military medics salute to the Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 15, 2020.(Xinhua/Fei Maohua) The personnel charged with work coordination, transportation, security, logistics and other tasks have also worked hard to support the epidemic prevention and control efforts, the order reads. The coronavirus outbreak is a great battle and a major test for the whole armed forces, the order said, noting that all participants of the mission have demonstrated firm confidence and dedication, made great sacrifices and have successfully completed the mission. Putting people's life and health as the greatest priority, all the honored personnel have implemented the overall principle of shoring up confidence, strengthening unity, ensuring science-based control and treatment and imposing targeted measures. "They have displayed the dauntless spirit of the Chinese military," the order reads. The order called on the whole armed forces to learn from the participants of the mission and make further progress in building a powerful military. The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram, Honourable Sam George Nartey, has cautioned the Government of Ghana to be mindful of the revenue needed to revive the economy after the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Ghana's port sector is a very critical area for more revenue to be efficiently and effectively mobilized in the country through the use of an already existing system deployed by GCNet. The MP for Ningo Prampram, in an interview on TV3's Hot Issues show on Tuesday, 14th April 2020, added that the economy will suffer after the COVID-19 pandemic is over and a strong source of revenue is needed for the government to use to pay loans received to fight the spread of the virus. The Government of Ghana has a 35% shareholding in GCNet through its representative bodies Ghana Revenue Authority (Customs Division), Ghana Shippers Authority and GCB Bank. GCNet pays a portion of profit made through its 0.4% charges as shareholding dividends to government. With the remaining 65% of the profit, GCNet pays tax on it to the government On the other hand, the government has 0% shareholding in UNIPASS and no dividends will be paid to the government. UNIPASS is already taking off with a tax waiver in respect of things they bring into the country, Mr. Nartey explained. He enquired why the Government would want to terminate the contract of a company such as GCNet that has been consistently bringing in revenue and has a track record of boosting the economy in the country and go for a system like UNIPASS where the profit will be gained by an individual. The MP for Ningo Prampram debunked all the accusations made about GCNet not being a Ghanaian company, not having a robust system, not offering an end to end service, not providing value for money as well as not having a valid contract. He insisted that GCNet has well-established facilities and, for the past 15 years, has been spending, on the average, 5million dollars as an investment every year to improve on their robust system. GCNet's smart end-to-end system has been tried and tested with an impeccable track record of increased revenue mobilization at the ports sector. It has a proven, sophisticated Information Security Management (ISM) system which is highly secure with a certification of ISO 9000 and ISO 27000, Honourable Sam George Nartey emphasized. He further stated GCNet operates a state of the art Tier III Data Centre and four other Data Centres across strategic locations across the country as part of its deep commitment to ensure data integrity and security in the space in which it operates. However, UNIPASS does not have a Tier I data centre established in the country The MP for Ningo Prampram, who is also a member of the Communication Committee at the Parliament, indicated that the government of Ghana, in haste to sign the UNIPASS deal, has flouted the laws of the land which clearly state in the Data Protection Act 843 of 2012 that any company that handles critical data in the country must be registered under the Data Protection Authority. He revealed that GCNet is registered under the Data Protection Authority to handle critical data and also certified by the Electronic Communication Act of 2008. UNIPASS, on the other hand, has not been registered under the Data Protection Authority and is not certified by the Electronic Communication Act in Ghana. If UNIPASS has superior systems to offer, how come the contract signed between the Government and UNIPASS indicate that it can only pick up when the Government is able to get the source code and the right to the software that GCNet is using and hand it over to UNIPASS to manage, Mr. Nartey quizzed. He concluded that the UNIPASS deal is yet another scam and all must come together to resist it. Australia seems to be headed on the path of fully recovering from the Coronavirus spread within the country's border, says a new report. A tracking model used by the nation predicts that the COVID-19 infection levels in the country are low enough to suggest a complete elimination of the virus from mainland Australia. Reuters The experts in the region accredit the control of the outbreak to social distancing. The new federal government modelling shows that every 10 people infected in Australia currently spread the virus to five more people on an average. At that rate, the virus would eventually be unable to circulate and would die out within Australia. That, however, is no reason to stop following the ongoing lockdown and social distancing measures, warns Professor Jodie McVernon, director of Doherty Epidemiology, leader of the team responsible for the COVID 19 tracking model. "Our epidemic is in decline but it does not let us be complacent. If we were to release those measures now ... those 10 cases today would produce 25 new cases over the course of their infection, not five," she says. (Representative Image: Reuters) How things look positive Australia saw a peak in the number of COVID-19 cases detected on March 28. At 460, the peak has since then fallen steeply, to a mere 38 new diagnosed cases across the nation on April 15. The Doherty model is being used by the Australian government to assess the situation and respond to the pandemic accordingly. The model focuses on Australias R0, or reproduction number a measure of the average number of people possibly infected by an infected person. For the virus to be eradicated from a community, the R0 should be below one. At present, it stands at 0.5 for Australia. (Representative Image: Reuters) Still a long battle Despite the relatively positive prediction of the Australian Coronavirus model, experts have warned that if the social distancing measures are loosened, the number of infected will rise again. This basically means that such measures need to be maintained to keep the virus at bay and life as we knew it might not be coming back to normal anytime soon. The model is not accurate enough to predict when the virus would be eliminated in the community. The best guess experts have is that normalcy, or the complete eradication of the virus, might still be months away. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton has claimed that China 'deliberately' allowed the rest of the world to become infected with the novel coronavirus. He made the comments during an interview on Fox's Outnumbered Overtime after it emerged that US intelligence officials are investigating whether the virus could have leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan. Cotton said that even if there was a lack of 'conclusive evidence' on where the virus originated, the cover up in the weeks following the outbreak allowed the disease to spread beyond China to wreak havoc on the rest of the world. Sen. Tom Cotton made the comments during an interview on Fox's Outnumbered Overtime after it emerged that US intelligence officials are investigating whether the virus could have leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan China has strongly refuted claims that coronavirus could have first crossed to humans accidentally during experiments with bats at the Wuhan Institute of Virology Lab. 'Even if we can't establish it conclusively, we still know that they covered up this virus for weeks in December and January when they could have been forthright, when they could have tried to arrest its spread in Wuhan,' Cotton said. 'But instead they made this decision deliberately to allow this virus to spread around the world. 'In my opinion, Xi Jinping had decided if China is going to suffer then the rest of the world, especially the United States, is going to suffer, and there has to be consequences to those actions.' Cotton also commented: 'There is a lot of circumstantial evidence to point to those labs as the sources of this pandemic. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton has claimed that China 'deliberately' allowed the rest of the world to become infected with the novel coronavirus 'There's virtually no evidence, circumstantial or direct, to point to a food market in Wuhan. 'It just takes a little bit of common sense to say that the Chinese Communist Party needs to be held responsible.' It comes after a report by Fox News in which multiple sources claimed investigations are underway to determine if coronavirus could have first crossed to humans during experiments with bats at the Wuhan Institute of Virology laboratory. 'China has American blood on its hands': Senators demand China pays the price as US intelligence investigates if a Wuhan lab could be the real source of the coronavirus China must be held accountable if US intelligence's investigation into claims the novel coronavirus could have originated from a laboratory in Wuhan turns out to be true, lawmakers have insisted. It comes after President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the US is trying to determine whether the coronavirus first crossed to humans accidentally during experiments with bats at the Wuhan Institute of Virology Lab. Senator for Arizona Martha McSally said there is 'zero doubt' the Chinese government has 'American blood on its hands' (File image) Texas Senator Ted Cruz tweeted that there is 'much circumstantial evidence' to suggest the virus was leaked from a Wuhan laboratory (File image) The Wuhan Institute of Virology is China's only bio-safety level four (BSL-4) facility A US intelligence official confirmed the intelligence community is actively seeking information on the topic and are updating lawmakers on their findings, according to a CBS report. Senator for Arizona Martha McSally said there is 'zero doubt' China has 'American blood on its hands'. 'There is zero doubt that the Chinese communist government has American blood on its hands. 'They put American lives at risk by covering up the origin and scope of the coronavirus crisis,' she told Fox News. Texas Senator Ted Cruz tweeted that there is 'much circumstantial evidence' to suggest the virus was leaked from a Wuhan laboratory. Speaking on The Sean Hannity Show, Senator Tom Cotton (pictured) agreed it seemed 'highly coincidental' that 'this very contagious virus originated just a few hundred yards or maybe a couple miles from laboratories where the Chinese Communist Party researches coronaviruses' 'What we do know is we know that this virus originated in Wuhan, China,' Secretary of State Mike 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' 'HUGE. There is much circumstantial evidence, including TWO Chinese labs in Wuhan that were studying bat coronaviruses. 'If the virus accidentally escaped from the labsand the CCP covered it upthen the Chinese govt is responsible for 130k+ global deaths,' he wrote on Wednesday. Speaking on The Sean Hannity Show, Senator Tom Cotton agreed it seemed 'highly coincidental' that 'this very contagious virus originated just a few hundred yards or maybe a couple miles from laboratories where the Chinese Communist Party researches coronaviruses.' Cotton also said there must be repercussions for the Chinese Communist Party 'if it turns out that Chinese negligence and then Chinese corruption and treachery was responsible for unleashing this pandemic on the world.' A worker is seen ninside the P4 laboratory in Wuhan. Texas Senator Ted Cruz tweeted that there is 'much circumstantial evidence' to suggest the virus was leaked from a Wuhan laboratory 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. A colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (red) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow), isolated from a patient sample The Wuhan laboratory pictured in a file photo. 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 'What we do know is we know that this virus originated in Wuhan, China,' Secretary of State Mike 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.' It comes as China today revised the death toll in coronavirus ground-zero Wuhan, revealing that nearly 4,000 people have died from the illness in the area. In a social media post, the city government added 1,290 deaths to the tally in Wuhan, bringing the toll to 3,869. Officials said many fatal cases were 'mistakenly reported' or missed entirely in an admission that comes amid growing global doubts about Chinese transparency. The global pandemic originally emerged in Wuhan and went on to suffer the vast majority of China's fatalities from Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Advertisement 'These are acts of WAR!' Economist claims China covered up its early coronavirus outbreak and preempted global crisis by inserting a 'pandemic clause' in trade deal with United States Jack Elsom for MailOnline China committed an 'act of war' by covering up the scale of its early coronavirus outbreak for six weeks, a leading economist has claimed. Danielle DiMartino Booth, an author and chief executive, said Beijing officials were aware of the deadly disease spreading in Wuhan last November and allowed it to snowball into a global pandemic. She said Chinese officials had countless lives on their hands and should be hauled before an international court as their 'under-reporting' did not afford the rest of the world time to enforce border restrictions. The economist points to a 'pandemic clause' in the January trade deal between Washington and Beijing, which she believes is evidence the Communist regime knew the extent of their crisis while publicly downplaying it. DiMartino Booth said: 'The World Health Organisation should be held accountable for not holding China accountable to providing good valid data so the rest of the world could prepare for fewer people to die. 'And that's what you're talking about. To me these are equivalent to acts of war.' China committed an 'act of war' by covering up the scale of its early coronavirus outbreak for six weeks, a leading economist has claimed (President Xi Jinping pictured in March at a hospital in Wuhan) Danielle DiMartino Booth, an author and chief executive, said Beijing officials were aware of the deadly disease spreading in Wuhan last November and allowed it to snowball into a global pandemic Her blistering attack, made on the Valuetainment YouTube show, came as Wuhan, the epicenter of the pandemic, revised the city's official death toll to add nearly 1,300 fatalities. She told host Patrick Bet-David that reports of a virus in Wuhan emerged in November, and that six weeks later on January 15, Washington and Beijing signed a trade deal in which she claims China preempted the pandemic. In an agreement which ended the bitter trade war between the world's two economic powerhouses, Xi Jinping would buy $200million of Americal goods and Donald Trump would ease tariffs on Chinese exports. But DiMartino Booth said that buried in this deal was 'an out-clause, a very clever out-clause that the Chinese made sure was in there.' She continued: 'That said if there was any act of God, a pandemic, then they didn't have to make good on what they'd committed to buy from the United States. President Donald Trump stands with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He after signing 'phase one' of the US-China trade agreement in the East Room of the White House in Washington January 15 'Within days they'd announced the first coronavirus (case). 'So, did the Chinese know damn well that this thing was running around the world for six weeks before they shut down Wuhan? Yes they did. Is that criminal? Yes it is. Does it deserve to go in front of a world tribunal? Yes it does.' The clause DiMartino is understood to have referred to is Article 7.6, which stipulates that the parties shall 'consult with each other' in the event of a 'natural disaster or other unforeseeable event' outside of their control. China first officially started investigating a pneumonia-type disease in Wuhan in December, but last month the South China Morning Post unearthed a report which suggested the government were aware of an outbreak as early as November. Questions have long swirled around the accuracy of China's case reporting, with Wuhan in particular going several days in January without reporting new cases or deaths. Funeral home workers remove the body of a person suspected to have died from the coronavirus outbreak from a residential building in Wuhan on February 1 That has led to accusations that Chinese officials were seeking to minimize the impact of the outbreak and could have brought it under control sooner. A group of eight medical workers, including a doctor who later died from the virus, were even reprimanded and threatened by police after they tried to alert others about the disease over social media. Chinese officials have denied covering up cases, saying their reports were accurate and timely. However, the WHO has come under criticism for defending China's handling of the outbreak. President Trump has now suspended funding to WHO over what he alleges is its pro-China bias. Trump's blaming of China came after he initially showered praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping for the country's response, while largely dismissing the risk it posed to the US At the start of the outbreak, China proceeded cautiously and largely in secret, emphasizing political stability. Experts estimate more than 3,000 people were infected before China's government told the public about the gravity of the situation, which officials had concluded six days earlier. The risk of sustained human-to-human transmission was also downplayed, even while infected people entered hospitals across the country and the first case outside China was found, in Thailand. As Trump and other US officials and lawmakers started blaming China for the outbreak, Chinese officials sought to shift blame back to the US. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian tweeted in March: 'It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan.' Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington on March 2, 2020. (Susan Walsh/AP Photo) Esper Says CCP Needs to Be More Forthright on COVID-19 Pandemic Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on April 16 that if the Chinese regime had been more transparent about the COVID-19 earlier, the world would have developed more solutions to controlling the pandemic by this time. If the Chinese government, the Party, had 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, Esper said on the Today show. They need to be far more forthright than what theyve been, he said. Researchers have pointed out that the genetic code of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, has undergone slight mutations since spreading from person-to-person out of Wuhan, China. They say that understanding the viruss routes of transmission is important for further informing global public health responses. The Defense Secretary also said that the United States is investigating whether it can believe the CCPs denial that the virus originated from a Wuhan bio-lab. I find it hard to trust much of what comes out of the Chinese Communist Party, he said, adding that the CCP has been opaque and misleading the world from the beginning of the outbreak. I dont have much faith that theyre even being truthful with us now, he added. The outbreak of the CCP virus started in Wuhan, a city of some 12 million, in 2019 before spreading around the world. The Defense Secretary said that American intelligence is taking the issue very seriously and is investigating the possibility that the virus did not originate from the widely-cited wet market in Wuhan but from the nearby bio-lab. This is something weve been watching closely now for some time, Esper said, adding that the results were inconclusive. On Wednesday during the daily White House coronavirus task force briefing, President Donald Trump also shared similar thoughts and said: more and more, were hearing the story. We are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation that happened, he said. Trump declined to give details on the content of his discussions with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The Epoch Times has recently premiered a documentary Tracking Down the Origin of the Wuhan Coronavirus, which includes interviews that shed light on what might have happened in Wuhan regarding the virus. Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. Cheung Cheng became the CEO of Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) Company Limited (HKG:366) in 2015. This report will, first, examine the CEO compensation levels in comparison to CEO compensation at companies of similar size. After that, we will consider the growth in the business. Third, we'll reflect on the total return to shareholders over three years, as a second measure of business performance. This method should give us information to assess how appropriately the company pays the CEO. Check out our latest analysis for Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) How Does Cheung Cheng's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? According to our data, Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) Company Limited has a market capitalization of HK$586m, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth HK$3.1m over the year to December 2018. Notably, the salary of HK$3.0m is the vast majority of the CEO compensation. We took a group of companies with market capitalizations below HK$1.6b, and calculated the median CEO total compensation to be HK$1.8m. Pay mix tells us a lot about how a company functions versus the wider industry, and it's no different in the case of Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings). On a sector level, around 76% of total compensation represents salary and 24% is other remuneration. Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) is focused on going down a more traditional approach and is paying a higher proportion of compensation through salary, as compared to non-salary benefits. As you can see, Cheung Cheng is paid more than the median CEO pay at companies of a similar size, in the same market. However, this does not necessarily mean Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) Company Limited is paying too much. 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 Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings), below. SEHK:366 CEO Compensation April 17th 2020 Is Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) Company Limited Growing? Story continues Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) Company Limited has seen earnings per share (EPS) move positively by an average of 13% a year, over the last three years (using a line of best fit). In the last year, its revenue is down 10%. This demonstrates that the company has been improving recently. A good result. Revenue growth is a real positive for growth, but ultimately profits are more important. We don't have analyst forecasts, but shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow. Has Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) Company Limited Been A Good Investment? Given the total loss of 50% over three years, many shareholders in Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) Company Limited are probably rather dissatisfied, to say the least. So shareholders would probably think the company shouldn't be too generous with CEO compensation. In Summary... We compared total CEO remuneration at Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) Company Limited with the amount paid at companies with a similar market capitalization. We found that it pays well over the median amount paid in the benchmark group. However, the earnings per share growth over three years is certainly impressive. However, the returns to investors are far less impressive, over the same period. One might thus conclude that it would be better if the company waited until growth is reflected in the share price, before increasing CEO compensation. On another note, we've spotted 4 warning signs for Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) that investors should look into moving forward. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. 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. 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." California Governor Gavin Newsom seal View Photo Sacramento, CA Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an Executive Order to provide financial security for grocery store employees, farm workers, delivery drivers, fast food workers and various others in the food service industry who are impacted by COVID-19. Newsom says those essential workers will receive a supplemental check for two weeks of sick pay from the state, should they become ill from COVID-19 or be directed by health officials to quarantine after coming into contact with someone with coronavirus. In making the announcement, Newsom stated that 51 workers recently tested positive for COVID-19 at a Safeway distribution center in Tracy. He says they are essential to keeping food on the table, but must have the ability to stay home, and not have the fear of missing a paycheck, if they contract the coronavirus. The federal government already has an emergency program to provide this benefit to employers with less than 500 employees, and the new state program will now provide assistance to the larger companies. Additionally, the Executive Order provides health and safety standards to increase worker and customer protection by permitting workers at food facilities to wash their hands every 30 minutes, or as needed, to increase proper sanitation measures. The Saudi Arabia led coalition has launched dozens of airstrikes in Yemen a week since declaring a truce to help the country battle the deadly coronavirus, according to a new report. The United Nations has urged all sides to come to the negotiating table fearing that hostilities will only hamper efforts to stamp out Covid-19, after the country announced its first case on 10 April. The Gulf coalition launched a unilateral cease-fire a week ago answering a global appeal by the UNs Secretary-General Antonio Guterres who called for world-wide truces of the pandemic. But the Houthis dismissed the Gulf offer as a ploy and clashes have continued since, casting doubt over a future peace agreement. The Yemen Data Project said on Friday it recorded at least 106 Saudi-led airstrikes, across 26 raids in Yemen over the last week since the ceasefire was declared. The Houthi-held capital Sanaa was the worst hit. Although this is a reduction on the week before, the monitoring group said it followed the worst month of bombardments since November 2018. The watchdog recorded 227 bombings in March, nearly a 50 per cent rise from February and the highest number of air raids in a single month in a year and a half. The United Nations said that more than 500 people, a third of them children, have been killed in Yemen during the first quarter of 2020, despite the global pandemic. The Houthis have advanced on areas in the centre of the country and also reportedly fired missiles at Saudi Arabian territory. On Thursday Mark Griffiths, the UN Envoy for Yemen, told the UN Security Council talks between the country's Gulf-backed recognised government and the Houthis were 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. "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 added. Medics have warned of the deadly impact of a coronavirus epidemic in Yemen, where only half the medical centres are functioning following a five-year war. The fighting has already sparked the worlds largest humanitarian crisis in terms of numbers with 80 percent of the population or some 24 million people relying on humanitarian aid to survive. Two-thirds of the country, meanwhile, have been pushed to the brink of famine. This has weakened many Yemenis, the UNs humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said this week adding that epidemiologists warn that COVID-19 in Yemen could spread faster, more widely and with deadlier consequences than in many other countries." The fighting first erupted when the Tehran-backed Houthis swept control of the country ousting recognised Yemeni president Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Saudi Arabia and its Sunni partners, including the UAE, Egypt and Sudan, launched a bombing campaign in March 2015 to reinstate their ally Mr Hadi. Despite several attempts at ceasefire and truces, none have held. Abdel Salam, a spokesman for the Houthis, said Thursday the current UN peace proposal neglects a key rebel demand to lift Saudi Arabia's air-and-sea blockade, which aid officials partly blame for fuelling the country's humanitarian crisis. "Dialogue under fire and siege is only a strong-arm tactic that works in the interest of the military option," Salam said. Piling on the pressure is massive UN funding shortfalls which the UN warns will see its key humanitarian programmes in Yemen shut down. Mr Lowcock said this week that unless they were able to secure additional financial support quickly 31 of the UNs 41 programmes in the country will close in the next few weeks. This could mean that up to 1 million displaced will not receive critical supplies and nutrition programmes will be cut, "affecting 260,000 severely malnourished children and 2 million more children with moderate malnutrition," he said. The external fund manager backed by Berkshire Hathaway's Charlie Munger, Li Lu, makes no bones about it when he says 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital. 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. As with many other companies China Leon Inspection Holding Limited (HKG:1586) makes use of debt. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating? When Is Debt A Problem? Generally speaking, debt only becomes a real problem when a company can't easily pay it off, either by raising capital or with its own cash flow. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. While that is not too common, we often do see indebted companies permanently diluting shareholders because lenders force them to raise capital at a distressed price. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together. Check out our latest analysis for China Leon Inspection Holding What Is China Leon Inspection Holding's Debt? The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that China Leon Inspection Holding had debt of CN63.3m at the end of December 2019, a reduction from CN76.1m over a year. But it also has CN76.0m in cash to offset that, meaning it has CN12.7m net cash. SEHK:1586 Historical Debt April 16th 2020 A Look At China Leon Inspection Holding's Liabilities Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that China Leon Inspection Holding had liabilities of CN162.0m due within 12 months and liabilities of CN31.2m due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had CN76.0m in cash and CN94.7m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by CN22.5m. Story continues Since publicly traded China Leon Inspection Holding shares are worth a total of CN463.2m, it seems unlikely that this level of liabilities would be a major threat. Having said that, it's clear that we should continue to monitor its balance sheet, lest it change for the worse. While it does have liabilities worth noting, China Leon Inspection Holding also has more cash than debt, so we're pretty confident it can manage its debt safely. Better yet, China Leon Inspection Holding grew its EBIT by 229% last year, which is an impressive improvement. That boost will make it even easier to pay down debt going forward. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But you can't view debt in total isolation; since China Leon Inspection Holding 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 company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. While China Leon Inspection Holding 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. Considering the last three years, China Leon Inspection Holding actually recorded a cash outflow, overall. Debt is usually more expensive, and almost always more risky in the hands of a company with negative free cash flow. Shareholders ought to hope for an improvement. Summing up We could understand if investors are concerned about China Leon Inspection Holding's liabilities, but we can be reassured by the fact it has has net cash of CN12.7m. And we liked the look of last year's 229% year-on-year EBIT growth. So we don't have any problem with China Leon Inspection Holding's use of debt. 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. Be aware that China Leon Inspection Holding is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those doesn't sit too well with us... If, after all that, you're more interested in a fast growing company with a rock-solid balance sheet, then check out our list of net cash growth stocks without delay. 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. PHILIPSBURG:--- 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. Sarah Ferguson is letting the world know how she feels about her sister, Jane Ferguson Luedecke. In honor of National Sibling Day, Ferguson posted a sweet tribute to her sister that included some rare photos of Princess Eugenies wedding. The post came shortly after Ferguson appeared alongside Prince Andrew, who stepped down from his royal duties last fall. Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York | Toby Melville WPA Pool/Getty Images Sarah Ferguson gushes about her sister Fergusons sister may live in Australia but she felt plenty of love during National Sibling Day. Taking to Instagram, Ferguson wrote a heartfelt tribute to her sister, thanking her for being such a dream of a sibling all these years. There is nobody like my @janeferguson7. She is a dream of a sibling (not a pain!), she wrote. My sister makes my world so bright and I somehow accept when she says I am not right! Sarah Ferguson added that, in honor of National Sibling Day, she wanted to make a toast to her sister, whom she called the finest in the land. The post was well-received by royal watchers around the world. It garnered close to 10,000 likes after the first day and prompted a response from Fergusons sister, who wrote, Bless you my dearest sister Sarah, how kind and generous with your words. No one more fairer. This, of course, is hardly the first time Ferguson has celebrated National Sibling Day. According to Daily Mail, she posted a similar comment last year on social media. Although the two live thousands of miles apart, they are still obviously very close. The Duchess of York shares a rare photo from Princess Eugenies wedding Fergusons tribute on National Sibling Day was accompanied by a rare photo of Eugenies wedding. The pic was a behind-the-scenes look at Sarah Ferguson and her sister during the wedding festivities at the Royal Lodge. Both of the siblings are wearing their finest dresses for the celebrations. Ferguson rocked a green dress from designer Emanuel Ungaro for the wedding, while her sister donned a blue gown complete with sapphire earrings. Eugenie tied the knot with Jack Brooksbank in October of 2018 after dating for seven years. The wedding took place inside St. Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle, the same venue Prince Harry and Meghan Markle used for their ceremony earlier that same year. While fans loved the photos from Eugenies wedding, Ferguson has been working hard behind the scenes to help support frontline workers amid the coronavirus pandemic. Prince Andrew steps out with Sarah Ferguson After spending months away from the spotlight, Andrew was just pictured alongside his former wife. Fergusons assistant, Antonia Marshall, recently shared a photo of her and Andrew assembling packages for hospital workers at Windsors Thames Hospice. In one of the images, Andrew shows Sarah Ferguson one of the care packages while wearing a red shirt and dark pants. In a second pic, Andrew was photographed outside of the hospice getting ready to hand out the bags. @sarahferguson15 and @hrhthedukeofyork packing all the care packages for @thameshospice in Windsor today, the caption read. The York Family are a wonderful and steadfast unit and through this crisis, are continuously helping others. During the lockdown, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are reportedly staying at the Royal Lodge with Eugenie and her family. The two divorced in 1996 but have remained very close friends throughout the years. Andrew stepped away from his royal duties last year due to his controversial ties with Jeffrey Epstein. He has kept a low profile over the past few months, and royal watchers were surprised to see him back in the spotlight. What is Princess Beatrice doing during the lockdown While Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew are doing their part during the current crisis, most members of the royal family are under strict lockdown. This includes the couples oldest daughter, Princess Beatrice, who is believed to be living with her fiance, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Beatrice, Princess of York, was due to exchange vows with Mozzi at the end of May. Those plans, however, have been derailed as the entire United Kingdom is under lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus. Beatrice probably would have stayed at the Royal Lodge with her parents and Eugenie, but that might have separated her from Mozzi until the lockdown is over. Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mozzi have officially canceled their wedding plans and are likely staying at his home in West London. Sarah Ferguson has yet to comment on when and where Princess Beatrice may tie the knot. Institutional investors in 15 big pharmaceutical companies have called on the drugmakers to set aside rivalries and short-term interests and cooperate on finding solutions to the coronavirus. The investor group which holds more than 1.9 trillion euros ($2.1 trillion) in assets and includes Nordea, Nomura, Boston Common Asset Management and Dutch pension fund PGGM said it will send drugmakers including Roche, Johnson & Johnson and Gilead, a list of principles it wants them to abide by for the coming year. The list includes prioritising the development of tests, medicines, and vaccines, working together on data-sharing, paying suppliers on time, understanding if customers have a financial hardship and ensuring supply lines are working. The group said in a statement dated April 16 that it had unfortunately seen some examples of priority being given to short-term financial and competitive considerations. A group of investors says it will send drugmakers including Roche, Johnson & Johnson and Gilead, a list of principles it wants them to abide by as they research drugs to treat COVID-19 [File: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg] Frank Wagemans, representing Achmea Investment Management told Reuters News Agency that the investors have a range of opinions about whether they might disinvest or what other actions they might take if a company is perceived to not be following the principles. Wagemans firm has 147 billion euros ($160bn) in assets under management, While drugmakers have sprung into action to try and come up with vaccines to treat the coronavirus and test for the presence of COVID-19 and other measures, investors say they need to do more. The negative societal and financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis is unprecedented and needs to be resolved soon, the investor group said in its April 16 statement. Enforcing patents, excessive price setting, not disclosing relevant findings or securing extended market exclusivity through, for example, orphan drug designation should not run counter to this responsibility. Wagemans said several additional investors intend to join the group, which will bring its collective investing power to 2.5-3 trillion euros ($2.7-3.3 trillion). He said companies would be receiving both general letters containing the principles, as well as tailored remarks discussing individual behaviour. This will be a primary subject in our conversations with companies over the coming two years, he said. We will be following shareholders meetings with great interest. Two teenagers have been arrested and charged in relation to an incident which saw 15 cars broken into and a van stolen. Gardai investigating the theft from the vehicles in Eltins Wood and Compass Quay, Kinsale, Co Cork on April 6 have arrested and charged two males. At around 4am on April 6, 15 cars were broken into and had items taken. A white Renault van, partial reg 11-KY was also stolen. The two juveniles, both aged in their late teens, were arrested today. They were detained at Bandon Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 and have since been charged in connection with the incident. They are both due to appear before a special sitting of Bandon District Court this evening. Speaking at Kinsale Garda Station, Crime Prevention Office Sgt James O Donovan said: "Last year our Park Smart campaign highlighted that criminals are going through housing estates and trying to open car doors, hoping they get some that are unlocked. Unfortunately, a lot of the cars last night were left unlocked. "However, it was good to see that most people had no items in their cars at all. Since 2016, 30 million worth of items were stolen from vehicles and outside our homes and in driveways are the most common places for it to happen. "Because everyone is adhering to Government restrictions on staying indoors, our vehicles are going to all be parked up for the next couple of weeks so I would ask that nobody leave anything of value in them, no matter where it is parked, and make sure it is locked at all times. Gardai would again like to remind the public about the need to take all valuables from their vehicles and make sure it is locked at all. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment One of the biggest things God is wanting to happen during the break from organized services, rooted in religious institutional practices as opposed to a Christian lifestyle, is to re-establish relationship with his people. With the forced church closures, many people, for the first time, will be left with the responsibility for their own spirituality and growth. The churches that have focused on empowering their members in a christian lifestyle prior to closure will be better off in all ways compared to organizations who have institutionalized their members and not equipped them with the necessary knowledge or skills to continue individually (such as knowledge in spiritual warfare which God values greatly.) My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me -Hosea 4. 6 Of great concern are the people who have been conditioned into religious spiritual practice who dont know how to interact with God without the institutional scaffolding in place (like the liturgy or holy communion.) They have been chained into a codependent relationship with the church instead of being empowered in relationship with Jesus himself who gives freedom. Without the institution, the ego of the church-goer who once loved the certainty and familiarity of the church service might be forced to realize they are not as spiritual as they once thought they were, prompting a hunger to seek God in relationship without the familiar prompts and structures of the organization. Only then will people be able to experience the true supernatural lifestyle that Christianity is in its truest form without a middle man. Alternatively, the church-goer might be so disempowered spiritually that they may not get closer to God because they have become completely lost and fall into temptation or worldly activities fueled by the ego. The need for a shift in the Religion to Relationship debate heats up when we focus our attention on the topic of communion. Communion at home (conducted safely) during coronavirus and Easter is considered essential by many Christians and churches and they participate in it as Jesus has encouraged them to do in the gospels. Legalism in the institutional church and man-made canon law has however meant that millions of people around the world have not been empowered or allowed to celebrate communion at home during coronavirus and at Easter when they would like to. This is where religion has got it wrong. Why? Jesus never once said in the bible that remembering him through the last supper had to be done by a church official. That directive from Jesus does not exist anywhere. The necessity of having ordained clergy present for communion is just something the church conveniently made up to hold on to power and keep people co-dependent with them instead of empowering them spiritually. Consider what Jesus said to officials in the Jewish church who practiced legalism: For you shut the kingdom of heaven in peoples faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter go in - Matthew 23. 6. These words should act as a serious warning to church leaders who deny their members everything good about communion for the sake of maintaining power and control in their institutions especially during times when communion should be celebrated as often as possible such as Easter and during times of hardship. While it is not the intention of this article to retract from the necessity of corporate worship and congregating with Christian people, the take home message is that church services of any kind are not intended to act as a substitute for a relationship with God one-on-one. This is a clear lesson from God during this time, that Christianity is a lifestyle that is lived everyday and not a service exclusive to Sundays. Churches and ministries who exist to empower their members in relationship with God, it seems, will receive far greater favor from God in the future than churches who exist for the agendas of their own organizations and failing to accurately lead people to Jesus the way that Jesus taught them to... That is, if God doesnt use the coronavirus as an opportunity to close certain institutions doors that he is displeased with before they can re-open. The Wapping branch is one of the Foxtons sites to close (John Stillwell/PA) London estate agent Foxtons has said it hopes to raise 22 million after the company was forced to furlough 750 employees. The business, which also has 350 staff working from home, said that the vast majority of furloughed workers are on 80% of their usual pay. Foxtons said it would raise 22 million from shareholders by flogging an early 20% stake in the business. It has already maxed out its revolving loan, bosses said. The London property market has been severely disrupted by the necessary measures the country has taken to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, said chief executive Nic Budden. Prior to the lockdown, Foxtons trading in 2020 had been in line with the boards expectations and we started the year in a strong financial position, with a cash balance of over 15 million and no external borrowings and a growing sales commission pipeline. The business said that revenue from its letting arm had dropped by 5% to 13.9 million in the first three months of the year, with sales flat at 7.1 million. Overall, therefore, revenue fell by 3% to 23 million as both supply and demand were hit by the country going into lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus. However, despite early signs, it is too early to forecast the exact impact that the lockdown might have on performance. All Foxtons branches are closed. Mr Budden said that the fundraising came during an extremely challenging period. He added: Notwithstanding our current strong financial position, the board considers it prudent to raise additional capital at this time to enable the company to maintain liquidity in a reasonable worst-case scenario and preserve vital business capability to support customers when the Covid-19 pandemic subsides. Dear President Xi Jinping Your embassy in Berlin has addressed me in an open letter because we asked in our newspaper BILD whether China should pay for the massive economic damage the corona virus is inflicting worldwide. Let me respond: 1. You rule by surveillance. You wouldn't be president without surveillance. You monitor everything, every citizen, but you refuse to monitor the diseased wet markets in your country. You shut down every newspaper and website that is critical of your rule, but not the stalls where bat soup is sold. You are not only monitoring your people, you are endangering them and with them, the rest of the world. Lesen Sie auch Brief an Chinas Staatschef Sie gefahrden die ganze Welt Sehr geehrter Herr Prasident Xi Jinping, Ihre Botschaft in Berlin hat sich in einem offenen Brief an mich gewandt, weil wir in BILD... 2. Surveillance is a denial of freedom. And a nation that is not free, is not creative. A nation that is not innovative, does not invent anything . This is why you have made your country the world champion in intellectual property theft. China enriches itself with the inventions of others, instead of inventing on its own. The reason China does not innovate and invent is that you don't let the young people in your country think freely. Chinas greatest export hit (that nobody wanted to have, but which has nevertheless gone around the world) is Corona. Auch Interessant Lesen Sie auch US Secretary of State Pompeo There will be a time for assigning blame On BILD Live, US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo said: There will be a time when the people responsible will be held accountable. 3. You, your government and your scientists had to know long ago that Corona is highly infectious, but you left the world in the dark about it. Your top experts didn't respond when Western researchers asked to know what was going on in Wuhan. You were too proud and too nationalistic to tell the truth, which you felt was a national disgrace. 4. The "Washington Post" reports that your laboratories in Wuhan have been researching corona viruses in bats, butwithout maintaining the highest safety standards. Why are your toxic laboratories not as secure as your prisons for political prisoners? Would you like to explain this to the grieving widows, daughters, sons, husbands, parents of Corona victims all over the world? 5. In your country, your people are whispering about you. Your power is crumbling. You have created an inscrutable, non-transparent China. Before Corona, China was known as a surveillance state. Now, China is known as a surveillance state that infected the world with a deadly disease. That is your political legacy. Your embassy tells me that I am not living up to the "traditional friendship of our peoples. I suppose you consider it a great "friendship" when you now generously send masks around the world. This isnt friendship, I would call it imperialism hidden behind a smile a Trojan Horse. You plan to strengthen China through a plague that you exported. You will not succeed. Corona will be your political end, sooner or later. Yours sincerely Julian Reichelt This week's top stories Here are the top stories that made headlines in the last seven days, according to Acumen Media: The number of people testing positive for coronavirus continues to increases. The number of coronavirus infections in South Africa stands at 2,605, with 48 fatalities to date. Minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, confirmed that the lockdown would be gradually lifted, with weekly announcements on which sectors may continue operating. Sixty-seven schools have been looted and torched since the lockdown began three weeks ago. The news of a man allegedly killed by SANDF members during a crackdown in Alexandra township has been the focus of many headlines. The government continued with the rollout of the coronavirus mass screenings to communities. The #FeedRuralKZN relief project lifted off in Mbazwana, KwaZulu-Natal, ensuring 50 families are fed. Lockdown food parcel protests hit Mitchells Plain in Cape Town and Alexandra in Gauteng, while some parts of Sebokeng township in the Vaal is still without water supply. South Africa throws its weight behind the World Health Organization after US president Donald Trump announced that his administration would halt funding to the organisation. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 19:46:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Friday said that it has not received any financial aid from the U.S. administration, noting that contacts between the two sides are still suspended. Ibrahim Melhem, spokesman of the Palestinian government, said in a press conference held in Ramallah city that "we have not received any money from the current U.S. administration and there are no relations or contacts with it." Melhem's remarks came as a response to U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman's remark on Thursday that his country will provide 5 million U.S. dollars to Palestinian hospitals and families amid the COVID-19 outbreak. In late 2017, the Palestinian Authority has broken off its political contacts with the U.S. administration after a decision was taken by President Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Since then, U.S. President Donald Trump suspended all U.S. aids to the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Enditem Sweden's Princess Sofia has begun doing shifts as a healthcare assistant in Stockholm after completing a three-day course to help ease strained healthcare resources during the new coronavirus pandemic, the Swedish Royal Court said Friday. The 35-year-old princess started volunteering at the Sophiahemmet hospital in Stockholm on Thursday. "As the honorary chair of Sophiahemmet, she wants to help out in this crisis that Sweden is in," Margareta Thorgren, information director at the royal court, told AFP. Princess Sofia, who joined the royal family when she married Prince Carl Philip in 2015, completed a three-day course last week to be able to help out. The course was part of an initiative to re-train furloughed airline cabin crew and hotel employees to work as hospital and nursing home staff. Sweden has not imposed the extraordinary lockdown measures seen across Europe, instead urging people to take responsibility and follow official recommendations. The government has banned gatherings of more than 50 people and barred visits to nursing homes. On Friday, Sweden reported 13,216 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,400 deaths. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Unfortunately, at this time, Ive been advised not to comment, Mr. Rathbun said in a brief telephone interview on Thursday. I have nothing to say. The incident came as assisted-living centers and nursing homes around the country have been ravaged by the coronavirus outbreak and as Jews have faced spasms of anti-Semitic violence, including attacks on synagogues in Poway, Calif., last April and in Pittsburgh in 2018. Anti-Semitic attacks in the New York area have also been more frequent in recent months, with three people killed in a shooting at a kosher supermarket in Jersey City, N.J., and a knife attack at a rabbis home in Monsey, N.Y. In times of national crisis, hatred based on religion often blossoms into violence, said Andrew E. Lelling, the United States attorney for Massachusetts. We will find, investigate and aggressively prosecute anyone engaged in this kind of mayhem. Mr. Rathbun, who made an appearance in federal court via videoconference on Wednesday, has not yet entered a plea. A federal magistrate judge, Katherine A. Robertson, initially released him to home confinement in East Longmeadow, Mass., over the objections of prosecutors, who said the decision appears to have been greatly influenced by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. On Friday, a federal judge, Mark G. Mastroianni, ordered that Mr. Rathbun be detained. Mr. Rathbuns federal public defender, Timothy Watkins, had argued that home confinement was appropriate. He pointed to the rapid spread of the coronavirus in jails and said that, given the notoriety generated by Mr. Rathbuns arrest, and a stay-at-home order in Massachusetts, it is frankly inconceivable that Rathbun would venture out into a lightly traveled world. GOFREY Three local colleges and universities will receive $12.5 million in federal funds to provide emergency cash grants to college studets for education-related expenses due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville. Illinois will receive nearly $108.5 million from the U.S. Department of Educations Governors Emergency Education Relief Fund to provide flexible funding to fit the states specific educational needs, Davis said. Performance by media platform. Flew, T., Dulleck, U., Park, S., Fisher, C. & Isler, O. (2020). Trust and Mistrust in Australian News Media. Credit: Brisbane: Digital Media Research Centre. The COVID-19 global pandemic has seen news consumption rise in Australia. Audiences for TV news are up and Australians are spending more time on news websites seeking reliable information about the virus and the social and economic consequences of our policy responses. This makes trust in the media more imperative than ever. Researchers at the Queensland University of Technology and the University of Canberra have undertaken a survey of 1,045 Australians to gauge levels of trust and mistrust in news and what influences it. The most trusted voices in news We found people trust the news they personally consume more than the news in general, and that trust in news was higher than trust in business or government, although lower than trust in friends and educational institutions. Our participants deemed television the most credible source of information that provides good analysis of current events. Online news sources (including online only and mainstream media) were not viewed to be as credible or professional as traditional offline media. Some brands were more trusted than others. Trust in established news brands and public broadcasters was highest. Measured on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest, ABC TV (3.92) and radio (3.90) ranked highest, followed by SBS TV (3.87). Among commercial media, the most trusted news brand was The Australian Financial Review (3.74), followed by The Age (3.69) and The Australian (3.69). More recently established brands had lower levels of trust, with Guardian Australia (3.45) being the most trusted. Declaring conflicts of interest is important To find out why people do or don't trust the news, we asked them to rank a range of possible influences. Factors that promoted mistrust in news included a past history of inaccurate stories, opinionated journalists or presenters, a lack of transparency, sensationalism and excessive advocacy on behalf of particular points of view. Ways to improve trust in news from the perspective of news trusters and mistrusters. Flew, T., Dulleck, U., Park, S., Fisher, C. & Isler, O. (2020). Trust and Mistrust in Australian News Media. Credit: Brisbane: Digital Media Research Centre Factors that promoted trust included depth of coverage, the reputation of the news brand, the reputation of particular journalists or presenters, and openness to comments and feedback from audiences. The single most significant measure that would restore trust in news brands was journalists declaring any conflicts of interest or biases with regards to particular stories. These measures were supported most by both trusters and mistrusters of news. The negative impact of perceived bias and conflicts of interest appears consistently in studies about trust in news. News outlets need to take this seriously. Hiring more journalists and social media are not the answers Our research also reveals some interesting contradictions in how to improve trust in the media. On the one hand, there was a clear desire for more in-depth reporting. However, most respondents simultaneously showed less support for media outlets employing more journalists. This suggests audiences want better-quality journalism, but not necessarily more of it. In fact, employing more journalists and being more active on social media were deemed the least likely to increase public trust in mediatwo approaches that feature prominently in the business models of most news organisations. As with institutional trust more generally, there is also a "trust divide" between educated elites and the wider population when it comes to the news media. Older people also have higher trust in news than younger people. Trust in news is hard to restore Importantly, our findings show that people who don't trust the news are less supportive of ways to improve it. In contrast, people who do trust the news are more enthusiastic about options to boost it further. In particular, mistrusters do not see employing more journalists or reporters using more social media as a way to boost trust. Doing either of those things would only increase the circulation of news they already mistrust. This suggests it is harder to improve trust of those who are already sceptical and mistrustful of news. This is an important message for news outlets to take on board. Once lost, trust in news is harder to restore. Explore further Cynical social media voices can erode trust in news media This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Instagram influencers are having to slash their rates as their income starts to dry up because of the coronavirus pandemic. The demand for social media stars promoting products has diminished after the Australian economy was brought to a crashing halt as the crisis took a tighter grip. Hundreds of businesses were forced to close when the government ramped up social distancing measures last month to slow the spread of the deadly illness. And now influencers are doing whatever it takes to ensure brands continue to book them. One influencer dropped their fee for a post from $5,000 to $2,000, while another star who was charging a fee of $1350 for a post is now charging $600. Model Rozalia Russian (pictured) has been doing some posts for free to support Australian businesses during the downturn Australian travel influencer Lauren Bullen (pictured) says she has been cautious about the content she posts during the crisis 'Some, not all, are offering 50 per cent reductions,' Sarah Gale, managing director of public relations firm AMPR told the Daily Telegraph. Model Rozalia Russian has been doing some posts for free to support Australian businesses during the downturn. 'Its not about cancelling jobs and campaigns, what we have done with all my clients is put things on hold or tweaked the overall strategy until we come out of this. 'Until that time, I will continue supporting my brands and clients in any way I can, even if it means shooting some at-home content for them at no charge, because we really need to stick together and support each other so we can all get through this.' '(We're) having to think about not really travelling too much at the moment because it could be seen negatively to be promoting travel at a time like this Influencers have been forced to adapt during the pandemic (Pictured: Australian travel influencer Lauren Bullen) Influencers are having to be careful how they market to their audience during the crisis as certain posts could be seen as poor taste, Roxy Jacenko, of social media agency Ministry of Talent, said. She said now is not the time to be posting images of yourself in flash cars or on lavish getaways because 'the world is hurting'. Australian travel influencer Lauren Bullen told Nine she has been cautious about the content she posts. '(We're) having to think about not really travelling too much at the moment because it could be seen negatively to be promoting travel at a time like this.' (This story has been updated with comment from Attorney General Dana Nessel.) FLINT, MI -- Flint water prosecutors will either have to act quickly or forget about charging anyone with misconduct in office by a public officer in relation to the citys water crisis. Despite a looming April 25 deadline to file felony misconduct charges, Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy said in a statement Friday, April 17, that their overall investigation remains on track and we are delivering on our commitment to the people of Flint. MLive-The Flint Journal could not immediately reach a spokeswoman for Hammoud and Worthy for comment on whether they intend to file misconduct charges before that deadline or whether the investigation will continue with the potential for other charges like involuntary manslaughter or obstruction of justice instead. April 25, 2014, is a significant date in the history of the Flint water crisis. However, we want to correct the misconception that April 25, 2020 is the deadline to bring charges against those who may be criminally liable, the joint statement says. Criminal statutes of limitations vary depending on the offense and the date of the alleged criminal act. Flints water source was changed to the Flint River on April 25, 2014, while the city was being run by state-appointed emergency financial managers. The water was never treated to make it less corrosive, causing damage to pipes and plumbing throughout the city and allowing lead to leech into drinking water. In addition to elevated levels of lead in Flints water, the switch in water sources also coincided with outbreaks of Legionnaires disease here. Fifteen current and former city and state officials were charged with crimes related to the water crisis, and some, like former state Department of Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon, faced the misconduct charge before Attorney General Dana Nessel replaced former special prosecutor Todd Flood with Hammoud in January 2019. Hammoud announced in June 2019 that all charges against eight remaining defendants who had not accepted plea deals would be dismissed, accusing Flood of having failed to properly review millions of documents that could have lead to additional or reduced charges. At a town hall meeting here in June, the solicitor general said she and Worthy were restarting their own investigation but needed to move quickly to avoid problems with the six-year statute of limitations for misconduct. As we approach six years since the water switch in Flint, we must remember the ongoing struggle of the people of Flint, and their resiliency in the face of a man-made disaster that will span generations. But they did not volunteer to serve as a cautionary tale of government gone wrong," the statement from Hammoud and Worthy says. "This fate was imposed on them by a series of actions and inactions that created the historic injustice of the Flint water crisis. From the outset, our team committed to a complete investigation ... using all investigative means at our disposal. We committed to professional prosecution of anyone criminally responsible for this man-made crisis and the resulting death, injury and trauma experienced by the people of Flint. Despite the challenges posed to our state by the COVID-19 pandemic, the current state of emergency will not prevent us from pursuing justice, the statement says. Two state legislators from Flint had hoped to extend the statute of limitations by introducing bills last year that would have would have extended the statute of limitations for misconduct to 10 years, and Nessel said she supported that change. But the bills never passed and the COVID-19 emergency has prevented the Michigan Senate and House of Representatives from even meeting to continue consideration of them. State Rep. John Cherry, D-Flint, introduced one of the bills, which received a committee hearing but was never up for a vote in the House. I know I had support from Democrats but I dont think we had support from Republicans, Cherry said last week. Cherry said he hasnt been contacted by state prosecutors about their plans with the current investigation. The current prosecution team in the Attorney Generals Office ... they take very seriously the concept of confidentiality, he said. They do not really communicate what they are going to do until it happens. State Sen. Jim Ananich, the Senate minority leader, said hes also been given no update on the investigation. The quiet made me nervous but its probably the way an investigation should be, Ananich said. I get the impression they are operating a serious investigation. Nessel, who separated herself from the criminal water crisis investigation to focus exclusively on the resolution of the civil water cases, issued a statement Friday, saying Hammoud and Worthy have built their on pursuing and delivering justice to the victims and communities that they have served. Like the people of Flint, Im glad to know that their investigation has not been and will not be impeded by time or this current public health crisis, the attorney generals statement says. "It comes as no surprise to me, though, that their commitment to the people of Flint is as strong today as it was the day they took up this important cause. The people of Flint, like myself, are fortunate to have Fadwa and Kym working on their behalf. Flint residents express hope and skepticism at water crisis forum AG Nessel backs longer statute of limitations for government misconduct Hindalco Industries Ltd is quoting at Rs 121.7, up 0.95% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The stock is down 41.26% in last one year as compared to a 22.1% slide in NIFTY and a 42.21% slide in the Nifty Metal. Hindalco Industries Ltd gained for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 121.7, up 0.95% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 1.81% on the day, quoting at 9155.3. The Sensex is at 31176.21, up 1.87%. Hindalco Industries Ltd has gained around 11.45% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Metal index of which Hindalco Industries Ltd is a constituent, has gained around 7.98% in last one month and is currently quoting at 1779.75, up 0.97% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 76.04 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 161.51 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark April futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 122.05, up 1.16% on the day. Hindalco Industries Ltd is down 41.26% in last one year as compared to a 22.1% slide in NIFTY and a 42.21% slide in the Nifty Metal index. The PE of the stock is 47.13 based on TTM earnings ending December 19. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) When I struggled to find books to read to my son in our colloquial dialect, Saussan introduced me to Reem Makhoul, a Palestinian former journalist who became a childrens book publisher after a fruitless search for books in colloquial Arabic to share with her young daughter. Even for children, most Arabic books are published in formal standard Arabic, or fusha. But for children growing up in countries where they hardly hear any Arabic at all, thats like teaching them to run before they can walk. In 2015, Reem and her Irish husband, a former New York Times reporter, set up a publishing house called Ossass Stories, producing books for children, like their own, in the Palestinian dialect of Reems heritage. Like Kalamna, Reems business has been very successful because demand is high, and she has since expanded into other dialects, including Egyptian. When I asked Reem why she invested so much in this business, she insisted that the risk to her childrens future was higher. Our language is our identity, Reem said. Its not just our identity; its our roots, our culture; its our music, our food. Its everything. Especially colloquial Arabic, its the language of our everyday life, its what connects us to this place, to this land, to our parents. I was beginning to understand what had drawn me to the Arabic childrens sessions. While I had struggled to come to terms with my identity as an Egyptian and then a naturalized British citizen, my son would have his own identity issues to deal with, being both English and Egyptian by blood. Not only did the other Kalamna children also speak his other, foreign language, many of them also happened to be biracial. The contrast of my sons pale skin against his dark locks was nothing compared to the blond curls of many of these children, who shared his part-Arab part-Caucasian parentage. With time, I realized that what I had also been craving was for my son to feel that he belonged, in both worlds. Just like in our other playgroups, I nestled my son in my lap as we clapped and crooned, then oohed and aahed at the bubbles popping out of the mouth of a plastic whale, signalling the end of the session. But in Saussans Kalamna classes, my son would toddle up to collect a sticker reading Well done! in Arabic, while I revelled in a deep sense of achievement: We had found our tribe. My husband and I have never really resolved our dialect standoff. Regardless, our sons linguistic development has exceeded our expectations. My son can now express himself adequately in both English and Arabic. Even though he is much more confident in English, he seems just as happy to learn Arabic, and I am content to encourage him at his own pace. To my great surprise, he can even discern the formal Arabic words my husband sneaks in when Im not watching. Jubna, my son responds, giggling, when I ask him what he wants in his sandwich, knowing full well that I taught him to say the Egyptian gibna for cheese. In a way, its a reassuring sign that he may soon be ready to learn the more formal written language. Buoyed by an outpouring of financial and political support, the strained San Antonio Food Bank served more than 2,000 households at its latest mass food distribution Friday. Many of those who collected bags of groceries at the drive-thru giveaway at the Alamodome the Food Banks fifth since the coronavirus pandemic reached South Texas had waited in line for hours. Among them was Emilio Lerma, 76, a retired Northside School District custodian. The Vietnam veteran arrived at 3 a.m. to collect food for himself, a disabled neighbor who served in World War II and the neighbors wife. This was my first time getting food, said Lerma, who wore a homemade face mask he had fashioned out of a red bandana. Something told me I should get here early. The crowd at the dome fell far short of the 10,000 that showed up for a Food Bank distribution April 9 at Traders Village, a flea market on the Southwest Side. But it was in line with the three other recent distributions, which averaged a little more than 1,800 households. More than 2,000 households participated in Fridays event after 2,200 preregistered, Food Bank spokesman Michael Guerra said. In order to qualify, families must claim a COVID-19 crisis-related hardship or be registered for a federal assistance program such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Traders Village giveaway came to symbolize the plight of San Antonio families blindsided by the economic collapse brought on by COVID-19. It also highlighted the pressure on the Food Bank. On ExpressNews.com: With S.A. Food Bank in national spotlight, lawmakers pressure state for help The nonprofit served 58,000 households per week before the pandemic. Now, its supplying 120,000 per week through all its programs. A San Antonio Express-News report on the Traders Village distribution, accompanied by photos showing thousands of waiting cars, drew national attention and triggered an outpouring of donations. On ExpressNews.com: We just cant feed this many On Friday, former City Manager Sheryl Sculley and her husband, Michael, were part of a volunteer force of 400 who helped distribute more than 200,000 pounds of food and other items. The Sculleys walked from their downtown home to aid the nonprofit, which they have supported for years. Everyone is helping, Sculley said. Thats just the way the San Antonio community is so giving. Sculley, who was known for her take-charge style during her 14 years as San Antonios CEO, said it hasnt been easy sitting on the sidelines during the pandemic. Its a little bit hard for me because I am not there in charge, but I have been giving them a lot of moral support and a lot of ideas, whether they like them or not, Sculley said while wearing a white face mask. Among donations received by the Food Bank was $400,000 from Valero Energy and the Valero Energy Foundation. The contribution included 2,000 fuel cards worth $20 each that were handed out to those waiting in line for food Friday. People drove up thinking they were just going to get food, but they also got fuel, Valero spokeswoman Lillian Riojas said. It was a complete surprise for them. On ExpressNews.com: Food Bank set to receive badly needed federal aid Two more food giveaways are planned for next week: Tuesday at the Hardin Athletic Complex on the Northwest Side and Friday at Toyota Field on the Northeast Side. Preregistration for both events already is full, Guerra said. With more than 22 million Americans filing for unemployment aid since President Donald Trump declared a national emergency March 13, there have been long lines at food bank distributions across the country. Eric Cooper, president and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank, said last week that the nonprofits warehouse would be empty within three weeks without an infusion of aid from the state or federal governments. The Food Bank needed 171 truckloads of food worth $12 million, Cooper said. Since then, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has reached agreement with the Texas Division of Emergency Management to provide 5 million pounds of food in 144 truckloads, with a value of $9.3 million. Details still are being worked out. In addition, the Food Bank has received donations totaling more than $1.4 million over the past week from Valero, Bank of America ($200,000), SWBC Financial ($50,000) and members of the public (more than $750,000). On Thursday, the Hearst Foundations announced a $250,000 grant to the Food Bank. (The foundations are independent of Hearst Corp., a privately owned media company whose holdings include the San Antonio Express-News.) The donations have allowed the Food Bank to stock our shelves during the pandemic, Cooper said. But how long will it be until fatigue sets in and the dollars run out? Cooper said. Thats why I am anxious to get funding from FEMA (and other sources) to stock our shelves. On Monday, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who sits on the advisory board of the Food Bank, gave Cooper and his staff a pep talk via conference call. On ExpressNews.com: Food Bank gets pep talk from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich On Friday, numerous elected officials appeared at the Alamodome to offer support, including Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, whose district encompasses parts of North San Antonio; state Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels; and state Rep. Philip Cortez, D-San Antonio. I feel for these people, said Roy. A lot of people are hurting right now restaurants and hotels and retail and everybody. We are just trying to do our part and help people in the community. Part of that assistance will come from restarting the economy, Roy said. We have got to find a path to a safe but as quick as possible restart to get our economy going and get our society and churches and everybody working together again, he said. Cortez praised Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff for their stay-at-home orders, which have shut nonessential businesses. Cortez said the orders have kept San Antonians safe and kept the number of cases down. Theres not any type of training or any type of prior experience anybody can get to where you can be prepared for this type of state emergency we are dealing with, so Mayor Nirenberg and Judge Wolff are doing an outstanding job given the circumstances, Cortez said. Politics was far from the minds of most people in line for food Friday. You could see in their eyes how grateful they are to get food, said volunteer Ashleigh Garcia, 30. Added volunteer Lucy Cantu, 30, We hear, God bless you, and Thank you so much. They are really going through a hard time. Leaning against his 2001 Chevrolet Silverado, Lerma, the retired custodian, said hes been busy trying to calm nerves in his West Side neighborhood. People panic for no apparent reason, he said. I tell them, What are you panicking for? You are alive. This is temporary. But many people get emotional. There is nothing wrong with it, but this is not going to be for a lifetime. What particularly bothers him is the panic buying he said some of his neighbors have done. I tell them, What are you buying lots of stuff for? Lerma said. I tell them, You are greedy. Dont be greedy. Let the other person buy some. But people go crazy. Tom Orsborn covers sports news in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Tom, become a subscriber. torsborn@express-news.net | Twitter: @tom_orsborn KANSAS CITY, Mo. - As primary and general elections loom later this year, the Missouri chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against the state to allow absentee voting by mail. was filed Friday in Cole County on behalf of the NAACP of Missouri, the League of Women Voters of Missouri and individual residents. One unforeseen source of stress for intensive care units in COVID-19-positive hospitals has been the disease's association with kidney damage. In some New York hospitals, 30% of severely affected coronavirus patients also experience a loss of kidney function that requires lots of dialysis treatments to remedy. Patients severely affected by COVID-19 usually need dialysis to filter their blood for much longer periods than they need to use a respirator for help breathing. Hospital systems that suddenly find themselves treating hundreds of coronavirus patients with dialysis are blasting through the usual amount of supplies kept on hand. Unprecedented demand Hospital employees aren't the only ones noticing rapidly diminishing dialysis supplies. Baxter (NYSE:BAX) manufacturers dialysis fluids, and the company's seeing a five-fold increase in demand at the moment. The FDA hasn't reported any shortages of dialysis equipment or supplies, although people that needed regular dialysis treatments before the COVID-19 pandemic could see disruptions at a local level. Around one in seven adults in the U.S. is living with chronic kidney disease, and many of them need a regular supply of dialysis fluids. At the moment, Baxter is manufacturing new supplies at top speed to meet spiking demand in coronavirus hot spots without disrupting the usual supply. Baxter and its peers might be able to keep supply chains from breaking down, but there isn't much that hospitals can do to boost a limited number of trained nursing staff available to administer time-consuming dialysis treatments. Coronavirus lockdown fines vary wildly across Australia, meaning people are far more likely to be stung if they live in certain areas, data suggests. With each state bringing in different laws during the COVID-19 pandemic, they are also being adapted differently by police forces. Officers in Victoria are dishing out more than double the number of fines compared than their neighbours in New South Wales. Since the laws were brought in across the states and territories, 509 fines have been given out for breaking lockdown restrictions in NSW. This is compared to the whopping 1,249 dished out in Victoria, compared to just 24 in the Northern Territory. Queensland Police are seen moving on a sunbather from the beach at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast on April 10 (pictured) Police in South Australia stop a man near the border east of Pinnaroo, with people entering the state required to go into 14 days is self-isolation The state with the second highest number is Queensland with 827 fines, followed by NSW with 509. In Western Australia, 27 have been given out, with 68 issued in South Australia. Meanwhile in Tasmania, the police aren't issuing on the spot fines at all, instead choosing to make arrests and let the courts decide. As of Friday, 36 people were arrested in Tasmania for alleged breaches of the lockdown laws, with 24 subsequently charged. The laws are different in every state. For example, taking a family member out on a driving lesson is allowed in NSW, but may warrant a fine elsewhere. It comes amid concerns police in Victoria, which has issued the highest number of infringement notices, may have been 'overzealous' with the fines. NSW police are seen on patrol (pictured) as social distancing measures are put in place for trading at the Sydney Fish Market on April 10 CORONAVIRUS FINES: STATE BY STATE The number of fines given out for alleged breaches of the COVID-19 lockdown laws vary by state. Victoria: 1,249 Queensland: 827 New South Wales: 509 South Australia: 68 Western Australia: 27 Northern Territory: 24 Tasmania: 36 arrests (no spot fines) ACT: Unknown Advertisement Victoria's own deputy police commissioner Shane Patton implied some fines have been dished out unnecessarily. 'If some of those aren't properly issued, or they don't pass that common sense test, they will be withdrawn,' he said. One man in NSW received a fine last week for eating a kebab on a bench. Lawyer James Caldicott, based in Adelaide, said some police had taken a 'heavy-handed' approach. 'In states where (the outbreak is) quite clearly is a more significant issue, like we've seen in New South Wales, Victoria, they're going to be more strict,' he told ABC. 'You see a more relaxed approach in states where it hasn't been necessary or hasn't been as serious, like South Australia, the Northern Territory and somewhat in Tasmania. Residents across Australia are being urged to stay at home to stop the spread of COVID-19 (pictured, a sign in North Sydney's CBD on April 10) 'Then you see in other states like WA most recently, a very heavy-handed approach and serious take on those discretionary matters [resulting in] a jail term.' Under Victorias stage three restrictions, residents can leave their homes only to go shopping for food and essential supplies, medical care or caregiving, work or education if necessary and exercise. People can be fined $1,652 if they leave home for non-essential reasons and businesses face a $9,913 fine if caught. Some of those fined in the state included four people having a barbecue at a bathing box on Brighton Beach and 10 people partying in a backyard in Strathdale. Fines were also given to 10 people gathered at Montrose. Victoria police are seen speaking to a man at St Kilda beach in Melbourne on April 13 (pictured) Two police officers patrol along Cottesloe Beach in Perth on April 10, looking for potential rule-breakers HOW MUCH ARE THE FINES? 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. Advertisement But on Tuesday, Victorian Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt defended officers on ABC Radio Melbourne. He said that the transition to working with 'everyday Victorians' rather than 'crooks' was a difficult one - and the new rules left some officers confused. 'It's a difficult position to be in,' he said. 'Some of the new rules and regulations are somewhat ambiguous and entirely subjective in their assessment.' Victorian police recently dropped a $1,652 fine handed out to 17-year-old learner driver Hunter Reynolds, who was receiving driving lessons from her mother Sharee, about 30km from their Hampton home, in Melbourne's south-east. Despite some people - dubbed COVIDIOTS online - breaching the rules, many Australians have followed the orders to stay at home and exercise social distancing by staying 1.5 metres from others. The latest fines in NSW include a brawl in a unit, a group of people drinking alcohol at a shopping mall and a teenager smoking and drinking in a park. Queensland police commissioner Katarina Carroll holds a infographic explaining social distancing and isolation rules during a press conference in Brisbane on April 8 The Police Federation of Australia (PFA) said enforcing the new restrictions had been an 'incredibly difficult' task for officers. 'When the restrictions were out in place, it was quite clear it was extremely urgent and extremely necessary, and police were very clear with regards to being black and white in enforcing those restrictions,' PFA chief executive Scott Weber said. A 26-year-old man from south-west Sydney is the latest to get busted, with police revealing he had 'told officers he was going to see a friend for relationship advice' The resident of Heckenberg was given a $1,000 fine, 10 minutes after he had disobeyed a formal warning from the Liverpool area command to go home. NSW police officer (pictured) is seen pulling over a P-plate driver in Sydney on April 12 At the other end of the age spectrum, a 64-year-old man from Woollahra, in Sydney's east, was found almost 300km at Boomerang Beach, near Forster, on the state's mid-north coast. Asked why he was there, he allegedly told police 'he had been on the beach for two hours using his mobile phone'. Last week, a 41-year-old man from Bathurst, in the state's central west, was fined $1,000 for taking a morning walk, even though exercise is allowed under tighter COVID-19 public health order restrictions that came into effect on March 31. Despite that, the police argued 'he gave several different reasons for being out of his home'. Police oversee passengers from the cruise ship Vasco da Gama disembark at Fremantle after completing their quarantine period on Rottnest Island on April 10 (pictured) 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 Under stage three restrictions in NSW, gatherings are restricted to no more than two people except for members of someone's immediate household. Residents are only allowed to leave their homes for essential reasons, including for food, work or education, exercise and medical care or compassionate needs. 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. Fines across Australia are a controversial issue, considering people are being penalised even for obeying strict rules to remain 1.5 metres apart in public. 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 Girl, 17, who was fined $1,652 for going on a driving lesson with her mum has the penalty dropped - but police warn other L-platers won't be so lucky A learner driver slapped with a $1652 fine for breaching coronavirus regulations is off the hook after a police review. Hunter Reynolds, 17, was issued a fine for learning to drive in wet conditions with her mother, Sharee, as the passenger on the weekend. The duo had travelled about 30km from their Hampton home to Frankston in Victoria before a police officer pulled them over and said they were breaking the stage-three restriction rules. She was slapped with a huge fine but after publicly sharing their story, the police hierarchy reviewed the fine. But police say learner drivers should not be taking lessons under current COVID-19 restrictions, leaving open the possibility others may be fined in future. Scroll down for video Hunter Reynolds (pictured), 17, was issued a fine for learning to drive in wet conditions with her mother as the passenger on the weekend The duo had travelled about 30km from their Hampton home to Frankston in Victoria before a police officer pulled them over and said they were breaking the stage-three restriction rules (pictured: Ms Reynolds with her mother, Sharee) Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton told 3AW on Tuesday that blatant rule-breakers should be fined but admitted there was community confusion. 'We will withdraw it because clearly that wasn't widely understood by the public,' he said. 'Undertaking a driving lesson by itself, to go out and simply drive off somewhere to undertake a driving lesson with your parent - you are not able to do it.' The teenager was issued with a $1652 on-the-spot fine for breaching the stage three restrictions relating to COVID-19. The teenager and her mother Sharee Reynolds felt she had done nothing wrong. They had planned to fight the fine in court. She was slapped with a huge fine but after publicly sharing their story, the police hierarchy reviewed the fine But police say learner drivers should not be taking lessons under current COVID-19 restrictions, leaving open the possibility others may be fined in future (pictured: Officers stopping drivers) The infringement comes amid confusing enforcement of coronavirus restrictions around the country, which have seen thousands of beachgoers allowed to break social distancing rules while others have been penalised for taking a breather on a park bench while staying more than 1.5 metres apart. Her mother didn't think taking a driving lesson was doing the wrong thing. 'We weren't in contact with any person, we weren't stopping anywhere, we weren't planning on visiting any destinations, we were just learning to drive in those conditions,' Ms Reynolds said. Since last Monday, residents in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and the ACT have been banned from leaving home except for food and supplies, medical care, exercise, and work or education. Australian National University Medical School Professor Peter Collignon said the $1652 fine 'doesn't make biological sense' considering the learner driver already lived with her mother. 'They're in the same house anyway,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday. 'How is it going to be any different if they go for a drive together?' OTTAWAThe federal government has rolled out a grab bag of financial aid worth almost $4 billion to clean up abandoned oil wells, support arts and culture and aid small business startups as Ottawa funnelled help to hard-hit sectors of the economy. The initiatives announced Friday will support at least 10,000 jobs in the oil and gas sector where workers and families are struggling because of things beyond their control, Trudeau told reporters Friday. The government is also bolstering the capacity of two of its lending facilities, providing extra government-backed credit to help severely distressed sectors of the economy meet their payroll and pay their bills. Fridays move builds on previous announcements to provide credit and targets medium-sized businesses with greater financing needs, starting in the energy sector. But future announcements are expected to expand the credit help for other sectors such as forestry and retail. The assistance will come in the form of loans between $15 million and $60 million repayable over four years. Finance Minister Bill Morneau said this assistance was critical, especially for companies in the energy sector, to help bridge them through a really difficult time. Public health officials on Friday reported 30,659 cases of COVID-19 nationwide and 1,250 deaths from the virus. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said there was cause for being ever so slightly, cautiously optimistic that the pandemic may be flattening in Canada. In their weekly call, premiers and the prime minister talked Thursday about the economic impact of the lockdown as they contemplated next steps to restart the economy when the health threat ebbs. We all agreed that we need to continue to remain very, very vigilant as we carefully look at reopening the economy, about relaunching certain sectors in the future, he said. This is Canada which means that there are very different needs and very different approaches that will be in place across the country, Trudeau said. Trudeau said the border between Canada and the United States was likely to remain closed to non-essential travel to ensure the safety of Canadians. We do not feel that reopening the border anytime soon is likely, he said. Fridays announcement sprinkled funding in a variety of directions in a bid to help sectors that have fallen through the cracks of fiscal measures already announced. There was almost a billion dollars into regional development agencies and research funds money that is meant partly to help high-tech start-up firms that have been missed by other supports. Canadian Heritage got $500 million to support arts, culture and sports organizations suffering lost revenue because of closed facilities and cancelled events. Two of the measures target the oil-and-gas sector that was already limping before the pandemic struck. Oil prices have fallen to record lows partly because of a price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia. That war has abated but oil prices have not recovered. We recognize that certain industries are facing even more difficult times, Trudeau said, pointing in particular to oil and gas. Those industries are particularly hard hit. Ottawa committed $1.7 billion to the cleanup of an estimated 5,650 abandoned oil-and-gas wells in Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C., an initiative that Trudeau said would create 5,200 jobs as well as tackle long-standing environmental concerns. Ottawa has been talking with Alberta about funding to clean up oil wells since the last federal election. Cleaning (abandoned oil wells) up will bring people back to work and help landowners who had these wells on their property for years but havent been able to get them taken care of and the land restored, Trudeau said. Our goal is to create immediate jobs in these provinces while helping companies avoid bankruptcy and supporting our environmental targets, he said. The government will also provide $750 million in loans to help energy companies comply with stricter methane regulations. He acknowledged that given the industry downturn, the costs of compliance could be onerous. Of that, $75 million will go to cut emissions in the offshore industry in Newfoundland and Labrador. Just because were in a health crisis doesnt mean we can neglect the environmental crisis, Trudeau said. Federal assistance for the oil sector risks stirring protests. But the environmental focus of Fridays funding drew plaudits. The Pembina Institute said both initiatives will put people to work and help tackle two of the persistent problems of the sector abandoned oil sites and methane emissions, one of the most potent greenhouse gases. Trudeau and Morneau have indicated repeatedly that extra help will be coming for industries that are being decimated by the pandemic: oil and gas, tourism, airlines and commercial real estate. Companies that have seen a large drop in revenue are able to tap into the federal governments wage subsidy that would pay 75 per cent of a firms payroll. But the federal government has been quick to acknowledge that some key sectors will need extra support because the damage is so deep. Right now, workers and families (in the energy sector) are struggling because of things beyond their control. Both the devastating effect of the pandemic and the price war driven by foreign interests are a challenge, Trudeau said. As a result, companies have had to slow down or pause their operations, leaving too many people out of work. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney praised Fridays promise of funding to speed the cleanup of old wells. This is critical to getting thousands of people in the energy sector back to work immediately, he said on Twitter. Read more about: He started to feel ill on March 28. Jennis younger sister, Sara, texted Jenni at 7 p.m. to tell her their dad was going to the hospital. Jenni and her wife, Rebecca Kell, were just about to launch into the second week of the citywide singalong they started a week prior the one where people from all over Chicago and the suburbs and other states took to their windows and balconies and porches and belted out Livin on a Prayer by Bon Jovi. The one where Jon Bon Jovi even hopped on Instagram to say he was joining the effort, eager to spread a little joy and connect communities during a global pandemic. Father Sloyan was born in Yonkers, N.Y., and was ordained as a priest in 1944. He wrote more than 20 books and edited biblical translations. He was a leading figure in progressive Catholic thinking, particularly about such issues as social justice, racism and ecumenical and interreligious understanding. In Jesus on Trial and other books, Father Sloyan used his knowledge of religious history and languages to challenge the long-held view of some Christians that Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus. CHINA: A nurse sheds a tear while discussing the situation at Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province, where the coronavirus outbreak began, on Feb. 13. (Barcroft Media / Getty Images) The coronavirus is taking a serious toll on the doctors and nurses risking their lives while treating infected patients. Moving in and out of negative-pressure rooms, putting on protective equipment and taking it off again, nurses are caring for patients who are severely ill and sometimes dying. They spend the greatest amount of time with the patients. These nurses draw blood, obtain samples, provide oxygen, and devotedly tend to their patients needs. When a patient is placed in intensive care, its the nurses who do the mundane and the heroic to help the patient recover or die with a little more comfort. Nurses are the underappreciated heroes of this crisis. Though they are usually the coolest of head in the room, they are now feeling the tremendous pressure of their situation. Here we take a closer look at some of the brave men and women who are on the front lines battling this virus. BELGIUM: Home nurse Christophe wipes the face of one of his patients in the city of Ciney on April 6. Christophe said he has received a box of 50 face masks from the Belgian government and no other personal protection equipment. (Oliver Hoslet / EPA/Shutterstock) FLORIDA: Nurse practitioner Gregory Pierre holds the hand of Leonardo Toledo Martinez, who is homeless, as he is tested for COVID-19 in Miami on April 16. (Lynne Sladky / Associated Press) CHINA: Medical staff members hug one another in an isolation ward at a hospital in Zouping in Shandong province on Jan. 28. (AFP / Getty Images) CHINA: Medical staff from Jilin province hug nurses from Wuhan they worked with during the coronavirus outbreak on April 8. (Hector Retamal / AFP/Getty Images) IRAN: A nurse wears protective gear in a COVID-19 ward at a hospital in Tehran on March 8. (Mohammad Ghadamali / Associated Press) WASHINGTON: A nurse at a drive-up coronavirus testing station in Seattle holds a swab used to take a sample from the nose of a person in their car on March 13. (Ted S. Warren / Associated Press) HUNGARY: Nurses gear up before treating COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Budapest on March 16. (Zsolt Szigetvary / Associated Press) DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: A nurse holds a thermometer used to screen people crossing the border from Haiti on March 17 in the city of Jimani. (Dieu Nalio Chery / Associated Press) March 17, 2020 FLORIDA: Nurse Jany Guedes administers a coronavirus test to Maria Laso at a drive-up testing site in Miami on March 20. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) PENNSYLVANIA: Nurse Jamie Huot, a Philadelphia Medical Reserve Corps volunteer, works at a coronavirus testing site in South Philadelphia on March 20. (Tim Tai / Associated Press) SOUTH KOREA: Nurse Kim Eun-hee, her forehead cushioned with bandages to prevent chafing from her protective face shield, takes a break between shifts caring for COVID-19 patients in Daegu on March 12. (Ed Jones / AFP/Getty Images) COLOMBIA: A nurse takes the temperature of a woman outside the main bus terminal in Bogota on March 24. (Fernando Vergara / Associated Press) GERMANY: A nurse puts on a gown in the isolation ward for coronavirus patients at a hospital in Schwerin on March 26. (Jens Buettner / Associated Press) GERMANY: A nurse prepares medical equipment at a hospital in Essen on March 26. (Martin Meissner / Associated Press) ITALY: Ana Travezano, 39, a nurse at the Humanitas Gavazzeni Hospital in Bergamo, removes her mask at the end of her shift on March 27. (Antonio Calanni / Associated Press) NEW YORK: A nurse holds a sign asking for more protective equipment outside the emergency entrance at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx on March 28. (Kathy Willens / Associated Press) LEBANON: Nurses applaud a performance by musicians from Ahla Fawda, a nongovernmental organization, for staff and patients at Rafic Hariri University Hospital in Beirut on April 16. (Hussein Malla / Associated Press) NEW YORK: Katherine Ramos, right, a nurse from Cape Coral, Fla., shares an intimate moment with her 4-year-old daughter Victoria on April 1 at a relative's home in Patterson, N.Y., where they are staying after Ramos answered New York's call for volunteers to reinforce staff at hospitals overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic. (James Ramos / Associated Press) TEXAS: Nurse Yvette Laugere adjusts her safety goggles at a newly opened COVID-19 testing site in Sugar Land outside Houston on April 2. ( David J. Phillip / Associated Press) la-na-Covid19-Nurses MEXICO: A nurse takes the temperature of a patient at the Jalisco Dermatological Institute in Guadalajara on March 13. (Ulises Ruiz / AFP/Getty Images) ENGLAND: A nurse prepares to swab a driver at a drive- through COVID-19 testing station in Chessington on March 28. (Peter Summers / Getty Images) SPAIN: Staffers embrace in the intensive care unit at Bellvitge University Hospital in Llobregat near Barcelona on April 9. (David Ramos / Getty Images) 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 be 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. In addition to the Paycheck Protection Program, Grassley expects Congress will need to appropriate more funds for state and local governments that have seen their sale tax and income tax revenues plummet because of the government-imposed shutdowns. Hospitals also will need more funds at some point. Also noting the mounting financial pressures facing health care providers, Ernst is proposing county-owned hospitals be made eligible to receive the relief provided in the Paycheck Protection Program just like small businesses. This will allow them to keep their staff on payroll and continue to serve our communities, Ernst said. Both of the Republican senators are frustrated that Democrats have blocked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells attempt to add the $250 billion through the Senate unanimous consent process. Unless Democrats consent, boosting the funds available will have to wait until the Senate reconvenes May 4. This could have been avoided, Ernst said. Unfortunately, politics got in the way. Ernst said the failed Republican push for $250 billion was a simple measure that would have bolstered the programno political gimmicks, just a simple ask to put more money in this program. Grassley called Democrats refusal to go along with the infusion of funds illegitimate and said it will be hard for them to defend those actions. We know there is a need for $250 billion and it could be appropriated in two minutes in the Senate and two minutes in the House if there wasnt any objection, Grassley said. The path forward is not very clear at this point. Ernst sounded more optimistic. Well go back to the drawing board, she said. More of our Democratic colleagues are feeling the pressure to get this done as well. So I think weve got a little bit of a bipartisan movement going here to get the PPP refunded as quickly as possible. Also Thursday, it was announced the both Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and Senate president pro tempore, and Ernst were named to the bipartisan task force focused on safely reopening America following the current public health crisis. The task force includes Democratic and Republican members of both the Senate and House. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Iranian Instagram star Fatemeh Khishvand, who was renamed as zombie Angelina Jolie by the netizens has been diagnosed with COVID-19, claim reports. The reports further add that she is currently on ventilator support. Sahar Tabar is residing in an Iranian prison after she got arrested for social media activity as part of Irans crackdown on Instagram stars. Angelina Jolie Zombie According to NYPost, her lawyer had made a request for her release in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic but it was turned down by the judge. Angelina Jolie/Instagram We find it unacceptable that this young woman has now caught the coronavirus in these circumstances while her detention order has been extended during all this time in jail, Sputnik News quoted her lawyer as saying. Iran had arrested her for drastically altering her appearance through cosmetic surgery, Tasnim news agency has reported. She was detained on the orders of Tehran's guidance court, which deals with "cultural crimes and social and moral corruption", added Tasnim. Twitter She is facing charges including blasphemy, inciting violence, gaining income through inappropriate means and encouraging youths to corruption, the news agency added. Tabar had shot to prominence on Instagram last year after posting a series of images of her face altered through plastic surgery. Most of the photos and videos shared with her 26,800 followers have also been heavily edited so that she seemingly resembles Hollywood star, Angelina Jolie. Twitter The account featured mages of her with a gaunt face, pouting lips, and a sharply turned-up nose. In some, she can be seen wearing a loosely fitting hijab over her hair and a white bandage on her nose commonly seen on Tehran's streets. According to the latest statistics, more 89 more people have died from the novel coronavirus in Iran. The country's official fatalities remained in double figures for the fourth day. Iran is the most affected country in the Middle East, with the number of positive cases close to 80,000. D ebenhams has closed a further seven shops after collapsing into administration due to the coronavirus crisis, affecting hundreds of jobs. The department store said its branches in Truro, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Salisbury, Westfield in west London, Warrington, Leamington Spa and South Shields will not reopen after lockdown, leaving 422 staff redundant. The retailer said it is in "advanced" talks over its 135 remaining stores and is confident they will be saved. But with deals struck so far on 120 - leaving a further 15 on the line - the chain admitted a "handful" more sites could be axed. Debenhams announced last week that it was entering administration for the second time in 12 months, placing more than 20,000 jobs at risk. The seven closures make 420 staff redundant / Ben Birchall/PA The firm appointed administrators from FRP Advisory to make the changes, which has shuttered all stores in Ireland. It has furloughed all of its staff under the Government's rescue scheme which pays 80 per cent of staff salaries of up to 2,500 a month. But bosses said the retailer is trading online "normally" and hopes at least 100 stores will survive the lockdown, which was extended for a further three weeks on Thursday. It is the latest round of closures for the struggling chain after 19 shut in January and three were axed in December. Other retailing giants such as Oasis, Warehouse and Laura Ashley have also drafted in administrators, raising fears the high street may have changed forever. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily Podcast Debenhams chief executive Stefaan Vansteenkiste said: "I'm delighted with the progress we are making with our landlord discussions, which reflects the pragmatic view the vast majority of them are taking of the current market conditions. "We have agreed terms on the vast majority of our UK stores and talks are proceeding positively on the remainder, positioning us to reopen these stores when government regulations permit. We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. UW American Heritage Center Seeks to Archive Wyoming Residents Coronavirus Stories The University of Wyomings American Heritage Center (AHC) and the Wyoming State Museum are collaborating to collect information about the experiences and thoughts of Wyoming citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic. Newspapers and websites are recording the broad sweeps of national and state politics and events, but what about individuals, their families and their friends? For its part, the AHC invites you to consider what you would tell future historians about your experiences and memories of this unusual time, and then to share them with us, says Paul Flesher, AHC director. Each persons written or spoken thoughts or creative projects can help future historians understand what it was like to experience daily life during this local and global crisis. The easiest way for Wyoming residents to share their thoughts and experiences is by answering a few open-ended questions provided in the AHCs COVID-19 survey. The survey provides short questions that can help inspire comments. Questions that could spark peoples interest include: What stories would you tell about your difficulties or disappointments? What bright spots or moments of happiness have you found? If you are running a business, how has Wyomings response to this health emergency impacted it? If you are home with children, what are the challenges and opportunities for your family day to day? While any Wyoming citizen may contribute their observations through this survey, the American Heritage Center is particularly interested in hearing from members of the University of Wyoming community, says UW Archivist Sara Davis. If you are a student, describe how your life has been changed and disrupted. If you teach, how has the switch to online teaching impacted your courses? If you are a staff member or in administration, what adjustments have you needed to make to work remotely or to manage your area of UW through the changes imposed by the COVID-19 emergency? In addition, of course, the AHC wants to hear from UWs alumni, Flesher adds. UW graduates are the backbone of Wyomings citizenry; more Wyoming citizens have graduated from UW than from all other universities combined, Flesher says. Hearing our alums experiences with COVID-19 will provide a good approximation of the states experience during this pandemic. We look forward to their contributions to this project. If people have more to share, the AHC welcomes other items that capture personal experience, such as poems, photographs and other creative works. If residents are writing down personal thoughts -- perhaps in a COVID-19 journal -- consider donating a copy to the AHC. Or, if contributors are sharing thoughts on a blog or through social media, use the hashtag #COVID19WY for AHC archivists to compile tweets and posts later. This would be especially helpful for photographs of changes caused by the current situation, such as empty streets, shop windows indicating new conditions of business or the display of teddy bears, Davis says. We ask participants in this project to provide permission to the AHC to preserve what you share with us and later provide public access to them. Contributors may remain anonymous or even restrict public access to personal stories for five years. Please note that we are unable to accept submissions from persons under the age of 18. We also are unable to accept submissions with identifiable heath information (HIPAA content), Flesher adds. For more information about the project, or if you want to donate something beyond the scope of the survey, email Davis at sarad@uwyo.edu or AHC digital Archivist Rachel Gattermeyer at rgatterm@uwyo.edu. More information can be found on the AHCs webpage at www.uwyo.edu/ahc or #COVID19WY. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Scientists all over the world are working to understand, contain and cure Covid-19. Heres a quick look at four important advances that made headway this week. A positive trial for an antiviral drug Yesterday a rare bit of good news emerged from a clinical trial at the University of Chicago. STATnews reported that the antiviral drug Remdesivir appeared to have some fighting force against Covid-19. The trial included 125 people, 113 of them classified as having a severe case of the virus. All got the drug; there was no placebo group. Most were released from the hospital less than a week later, and only 2 died an unusually low number given how deadly the disease has been in those who get severely ill. Other trials around the world, if they go this well, should lead to quick FDA approval for the drug, manufactured by Gilead Sciences. Long before the current Covid-19 pandemic, scientists at the University of North Carolina and Gilead began developing this drug in anticipation of new coronavirus epidemic. Two other deadly outbreaks that occurred this century, SARS and MERS, were both caused by coronaviruses from bats, as with Covid-19. One of the developers of the drug, Timothy Sheahan of the University of North Carolina, told me in an interview last January that the drug was designed to interfere with enzymes SARS and MERS need to replicate themselves. At the time, his group had just started to see impressive results in animal studies of MERS. The only human trials before the current outbreak were in Ebola patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While it didnt work against Ebola as well as other therapies, it did pass basic safety standards. The drug has been given sporadically for Covid-19. Anecdotal reports abound of people near death bouncing back after getting the drug. And even this clinical trial has to be viewed with cautious optimism, since it was small, and wasnt compared with a placebo. But more trials are underway around the world including 2,400 participants with severe disease and 1,600 patients whose symptoms are moderate. Story continues New clues to how the virus spread from China Genetic sleuths are digging deep into the origin and early spread of the Covid-19 virus, tracking small mutations in its genetic material. One surprise is that the virus had already branched into two subtypes by the time it was isolated from the first patient in Wuhan on December 23, and this patient seemed to have the second subtype not the original. Peter Forster, a genetics professor from Cambridge University, has dubbed the original variant A, and the one found in that Wuhan patient variant B. (B carries two mutations not found in A.) Strain A is more than 96% identical to samples isolated from horseshoe bats, which he believes harbored the virus before it jumped to humans. A molecular clock technique puts that leap between September 18 and December 7, 2019. Forster said he and his colleagues, who published their work in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, used a collection of published viral sequences collected in an international database normally used to track influenza. The paper only included the first 160 viral genomes, but his group has now studied more than 1,000. Looking at data from before January 17, which represents the earliest date people started travelling for Chinese New Year, Forster found that of 44 Wuhan samples, 42 were B and only 2 were A. There were more A strains in the Guangdong Province in southern China. Some people have speculated that the virus escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which may have been experimenting on coronaviruses, but Forester says his data point to a jump from bats in Southern China that subsequently spread to Wuhan and other areas. The B strain might have branched off before it reached Wuhan, where the first major outbreak was noticed. Meanwhile, he says, they find viruses from cluster A in Americans whod travelled from China to the West Coast of the United States between January and early March. Before March 24th, most U.S. cases were A. B, however, quickly became the dominant type in Wuhan and across China. Another mutation in B led to a strain C, which is nearly absent in China, but is still spreading across Europe. Europe has also shown a lot of sequences from the B cluster. (Whether these mutations affect the behavior or lethality of the virus is yet to be determined, since mutations dont always lead to changes in function.) Forster said the viral genetics show the first case in Italy in late January originated from an early spread in Germany, though Italian health authorities focused only on the patients possible connections to China. Meanwhile the disease is spreading uncontrolled across Italy. Researchers at NYU and Mount Sinai used similar genetic information gathered later in the outbreak to determine that cases in New York City originated from multiple sources elsewhere in the U.S. and Europe, rather than directly from China, and that there had been local spread in New York for a month or so before it was officially first identified there at the end of February. Their paper is pending publication. Forster hopes further work in sequencing genomes could help health authorities track new outbreaks without looking in the wrong place. And finding the true origin of the pandemic could help us avoid making the same mistake again. Antibody studies are looking for more volunteers Antibody tests have become a hot topic since people jumped to the conclusion that getting a positive test means you cant get or spread Covid-19. While standard tests detect genetic material from the virus itself, antibody tests can detect proteins the body makes to fight the infections. New York Times tech columnist Kara Swisher wrote this week that she got one, because she knew a guy, but found it a moral dilemma to take a test so many others need. It would have presented no moral dilemma had the guy been the head of a legitimate research project, because scientists still cant be sure antibodies from a previous infection always protect against a new one. Harvard epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch also warned that too little is yet known about post-infection immunity to assume people cant get re-infected. Its hard to know what immunity to this virus looks like since its only been in humans since, maybe late 2019, says Harvard immunologist Duane Wesemann, who is collecting samples from volunteers to figure it out. Several other coronaviruses infect humans, causing a subset of common colds. Scientists want to know whether recent infection with these might affect the severity of Covid-19 infections. The testing itself isnt rocket science, says Wesemann. But understanding the complex relationship between the virus and the human immune system is. So far only about 6% of volunteers from around the Boston area were positive in a preliminary data set. Some reported a cold or sore throat in February or March, while others recalled no symptoms at all. But the sample is still small, and in a follow-up email, Wesemann explained that it may not be representative. Antibody-rich blood could help protect health care workers If antibodies do work, and you test positive for them, you may be able to share your protection with several other people. Already, patients whove recovered from documented infections are donating their antibody-rich blood to others. Doctors in China have treated small groups of patients and reported promising results in the Journal of the American Medical Association and the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences. In the United States, some severely ill patients get the same treatment under compassionate use guidelines. But those are the cases where its least likely to work, says Johns Hopkins immunologist Arturo Casadevall. By then the virus has already done too much damage. The rule of antibody therapy, he says, is it always works best if used early or prophylactically. Earlier this month, he and his fellow researchers at Johns Hopkins got approval for a clinical trial giving donated antibodies to front-line health care workers to protect them from getting sick. Casadevall says he started pushing to develop the technology early, before the disease started spreading in the United States. His enthusiasm, he says, is based on his knowledge of medical history. Similar convalescent serum treatments have been used since the early 20th century to prevent or treat measles, mumps, and polio. Unlike a vaccine, borrowed antibodies from recovered patients would confer only temporary protection starting to fade after a half-life of about 20 days. Still, thats long enough to help health care workers desperate to avoid getting infected. The big limiting factor now is supply, he says. But that could change with more recovered patients and more antibody testing of people who had been only mildly ill. Donated blood can also be tested for antibodies. Casadevall is optimistic that the biomedical research community will make quick inroads on this virus between new treatments, new ways to speed up testing, and ways to protect people before a vaccine is close. While this is the worst pandemic since 1918, and governments in many countries were slow to take precautions, he believes the international biomedical research community is a mighty force. Humanity has never been better prepared. (Updates with additional information about Wesemanns research sample in the 22nd paragraph of the article published April 17.) This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Faye Flam is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She has written for the Economist, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Psychology Today, Science and other publications. She has a degree in geophysics from the California Institute of Technology. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. UN Libya mission 'alarmed' by rise in violence, slams rebel shelling of Tripoli Iran Press TV Thursday, 16 April 2020 9:11 AM The United Nations mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has censured the rising violence in the North African country, expressing alarm about a fresh round of clashes raging through areas on the outskirts of the capital, Tripoli. The UNSMIL said in a statement on Wednesday that it was "alarmed by the continuing escalation of violence," particularly by the intensification of deadly fighting in the past few days, which risked creating "new waves of displacement." Fighting has recently intensified near the Libyan capital, which is the seat of the country's internationally-recognized government headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. Since April last year, rebel forces under the command of renegade general Khalifa Haftar have been fighting in an all-out offensive to capture Tripoli and unseat the government but have remained bogged down on the city's outskirts. Libyan government forces on Tuesday managed to make major gains against the armed rebels, capturing seven cities and towns located northwest of the capital. The rebels retaliated by firing rockets at residential areas in Tripoli. In the statement on Wednesday, the UNSMIL also condemned the rebels' "indiscriminate bombardment of Tripoli with rockets, many of which have landed on civilian neighborhoods, resulting in casualties." The mission warned that "acts of revenge will further escalate the conflict, and lead to a cycle of revenge that threatens the social fabric in Libya." Clashes around Tripoli escalated over 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. The breach compelled the Libyan government to launch an operation on March 25 to push the rebels back. 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. Sarraj said in an interview published Wednesday by Italian daily La Repubblica that he would no longer negotiate a political solution with Haftar over the "crimes" he has committed against the Libyan people. Libya plunged into chaos in 2011, when a popular uprising and a NATO intervention led to the ouster of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Since 2014, two rival seats of power have emerged in the North African country the United Nations (UN)-recognized government of Sarraj in Tripoli, and another group based in the eastern city of Tobruk, supported militarily by Haftar's rebels. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New Delhi: An engineer residing in Delhi's Rohini area on Thursday night allegedly stabbed his roommate to death, after a fight broke out between them. According to police, the incident happened after deceased, Anuj, under the influence of alcohol, started abusing the accused -- Rohit. Following the argument, the accused brought a knife and stabbed him. There was another person present in the room beside the two. Thereafter, the landlord made a call to the police, and North Rohini police arrived at the spot. The accused is from Jamshedpur in Jharkhand and was doing a computer course in Delhi after completing his BTech. Further investigation is underway. Chennai, April 17 : Tamil Nadu police have decided to release the vehicles seized from riders for violating the lockdown regulations. According to a circular issued by the Director General of Police (DGP) the seized vehicles will be released from Friday onwards. Police said the owners will get a message on their mobile phones on the date and time of their vehicle's release. The owners have to bring the original registration certificate/driving licence and copy of the First Information Report (FIR). The police seized about 1.8 lakh vehicles in the state and arrested about two lakh persons and later let out on bail for violating the lockdown orders. The police have decided to release the vehicles as people may need it during emergency and also space constraint to park them. The state police had tried various methods -- ranging from baton charging, seizure of vehicles, booking the vehicle riders to gentle persuasion and campaigns -- to deter vehicle owners from hitting the roads. Manage expectations. Its helpful to understand that the reality of early parenthood isnt as rosy as one might think. Dr. Darby Saxbe, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at the University of Southern California, recommended lowering both your standards and your expectations. The reality is that a lot of expectant parents feel ambivalent or overwhelmed. Dr. Saxbe recommended reframing early parenthood as a temporary period that youre expecting as opposed to a crisis thats going to destroy everything that you value. If that sounds a little scary, it should. A baby changes everything and your life will not be the same after the baby arrives, said Dr. Diana Morelen, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology at East Tennessee State University who specializes in perinatal mental health. You may lose your ability to get restful sleep. You wont be able to do all the things you think you should. Dr. Lindsay Trent, Ph.D., a San Francisco-based psychologist and the co-founder of the therapy app Basis, recommended asking yourself what changes you expect in your life and relationships. Be kind to yourself, added Dr. Morelen. Lower the bar. Then maybe lower it again. Connect with your partner. Focus on the couple relationship (if applicable) and shore that up before the often-rocky first year of parenting hits. Dr. Saxbe said that a couples relationship quality tends to decline around the transition to parenthood, but you dont have to follow that trend. The year following childbirth is one of the most stressful times in marital relationships; couples who havent adequately prepared for the hardships of parenting in terms of logistics, child-rearing philosophies and financial issues are more likely to experience conflict and marital stress, said Dr. Noosha Niv, Ph.D., a psychologist and the founder of the Mind Matters Institute, in Glendale, Calif. How can you prepare your relationship? Reflect on the strengths and challenges within your union, Dr. Morelen suggested. (And check out our guide for how partners can best support pregnant women.) A new baby will stress even the healthiest of relationships, so its important to build strong communication strategies with your partner before the baby arrives. Establish parenting values. Dr. Niv said she helps expecting couples to establish where their parenting values align and, more importantly, where they dont align. Its important to identify and reconcile values surrounding parenting before the baby is born; reaching resolution on parenting topics is far more difficult when youre stressed and sleep-deprived, she said. If youre parenting with a partner, its a good idea to discuss childrearing philosophies before the baby arrives. When youre visualizing and preparing your parenting plans, add your baby to the picture. Think about what your baby will be like, said Dr. Morelen. Think about traditions youd like to share, lessons youd like to teach, songs youd like to sing, etc. Face fears. Its natural to feel fearful or anxious about certain aspects of parenthood. Give yourself permission to feel a range of emotions, said Dr. Morelen. Talk to trusted loved ones about your feelings chances are youll learn that youre not alone. But if fear or stress is persistent, Dr. Trent recommended taking a hard look at the scenario that scares you. Set aside a block of time solely devoted to nailing down what, specifically, about the situation or possible outcome is evoking fear or stress, she said. Doing so allows you to realistically appraise the actual concern (instead of the more nebulous fear) and also allows for problem-solving. If this strategy doesnt provide enough relief, consider seeking professional help to ease anxiety. Overestimate recovery time. Its helpful to overestimate how much recovery and support time youll need. Postpartum medical care generally ends after the six-week postpartum checkup, and hormones have usually evened out by that point. But studies have shown that it can take six months to a year to fully recover (physically and mentally) from childbirth. According to a study by researchers at the University of Michigans School of Nursing, it can take over eight months for pelvic floor recovery alone. Research by Dr. Julie Wray, Ph.D., of the University of Salford in England found that mothers need up to a year to recover. Its just not realistic to expect to bounce back two weeks after birth. Unfortunately, it also may not be realistic to avoid going back to work. - A recent survey has revealed that about half of American businesses in Ghana have been affected by the coronavirus - American Chamber of Commerce-Ghana (AmCham) has nonetheless called on its members to provide any form of support they can to the government - The companies captured under the survey were sampled from the manufacturing, oil and gas, transport and education industries Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The American Chamber of Commerce-Ghana (AmCham) has revealed that the outbreak of the COVID-19 has negatively affected its members. The Chamber explained at about 50% of its members are at risk of losing business due to the outbreak of the virus. It has, however, called on its members to continue supporting the government with financial, logistical and technological resources to help deal with the pandemic. USA Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie Sullivan Source: Pulse.com.gh Source: UGC READ ALSO: Ghanaian farmers and others warn of possible food challenges after COVID-19 The Chamber explained that it conducted a survey to assess the impact of the outbreak of COVID-19 and highlight potential outcomes for American businesses operating in the country. Per a report by citibusinessnews.com, the review covered a wide range of industries including manufacturing, oil and gas, transport and education. It was discovered that only 35 percent of businesses had plans in place to preserve business continuity and build enterprise resilience during the pandemic. The Chambers Executive Secretary, Simon Madjie added that 85% of the businesses are likely to experience a disruption in their supply chain if there continues to be a restriction on movements in Ghana. In other news, a Ghanaian entrepreneur, Freda Obeng-Ampofo, has opened up about the challenges businesses face in the wake of the spread of the coronavirus. Interacting with CNNs International Anchor, Richard Quest, she indicated that her employees are the biggest assets. Obeng-Ampofo, who owns Kaeme, a cosmetics company, went on to say that it is necessary to implement measures to ensure that they are alright, even in times of crisis. According to her, even though about 95% of her business is no more due to the economic effects of the coronavirus, measures have been adopted to ensure that they continue working. READ ALSO: COVID-19: Local businesses to begin producing facemasks and others - Akufo-Addo Read the best news on Ghana #1 news app. Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana Nana Addo shouldn't share the food to the kayayo's only - Market women cry out | #Yencomgh Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos Source: YEN.com.gh Interior CS Fred Matiangi has five days to amend the list of essential services and personnel exempted from the 7 pm to 5 am coronavirus curfew. The High Court, while ruling on the alleged unconstitutionality of the curfew on Thursday, directed the Interior Ministry to include lawyers and IPOA officers on the list. The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) had asked the court to suspend the curfew or extend it to start at 10 pm. The lawyers also sought orders compelling the government to come up with proper guidelines for the curfew, quarantine and containment of the virus. In his judgement, Justice Weldon Korir declined to declare the curfew illegal. He also said he was not convinced that there was a need to issue special guidelines for the curfew order. South Africa has said that it is "alarmed" by President Donald Trump's "regrettable" decision to cut the WHO funding at such a crucial time when the global health body deserves increased support from the member states to bolster its efforts to stop the coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesday, President Trump said that the US will halt funding to the World Health Organisation after he accused it of severely mismanaging" the coronavirus pandemic that surfaced in China. The president said hundreds of millions of dollars in US funding would be suspended while a review was conducted to assess WHO's role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus". South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation in a statement said that the Government of the Republic of South Africa is very concerned and alarmed at the announcement by the President of the United States of America to cut funding to the WHO with immediate effect." Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor has also come out in strong support of WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, whom Trump accused of inefficient leadership earlier this week. "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 combating the deadly COVID 19 pandemic." "It is alarming that this very regrettable decision is announced as this deadly virus strikes Africa and the poorest and most vulnerable states."South Africa has recorded 2,506 confirmed cases. The country has reported 14 more fatalities on Thursday from the novel coronavirus, bringing the country's death toll to 48. The statement said that WHO, as the lead UN Agency, is mandated to promote health and to ensure universal health coverage globally, as well as being tasked to lead global efforts to suppress the transmission and stop the COVID-19 pandemic. 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 recognised and supported. With the coronavirus cases escalating at a rapid pace by the day, the announcement by the US to cut its funding to the WHO will have a significantly adverse impact on its programmes, and the world's ability to fight and eliminate this pandemic. The US is the world's largest financial contributor to the WHO, accounting for roughly 15 per cent of its budget. This, at a time where now more than ever, the international community has to stand together and work in the spirit of human solidarity and cooperation with one another. 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. South Africa has also called on the US to review the decision. We are hopeful that the government of the United States will reconsider its decision and re-join the international community in fighting this pandemic, the statement concluded. Pandor has also come to the defence of Ghebreyesus after Trump's allegations that under his leadership WHO had failed to get its medical experts into China to objectively assess the COVID-19 outbreak at its source. Pandor said her assessment of Ghebreyesus was that he had led the global health agency of the United Nations with excellence. He has done an excellent job. He has been transparent. He has been accountable and he has indicated to the world that all of us need to be alert. It is not easy to say to the world that this is a pandemic, meaning the globe is affected, and he did, Pandor told the Independent Online. No one can honestly accuse Tedros of being transparent and accountable. I believe he has done an amazing job and I think through his communication, a lot of us became alert and said we must begin to prepare, Pandor added. Several world leaders like, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and many others have rebuked Trump for his decision to stop funding the WHO. The deadly coronavirus has infected more than 2.1 million people and killed at least 145,000 worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The European Union is urging its 27 member countries to make the use of mobile telephone tracing apps voluntary and to apply similar standards to ensure that national systems can work together in fighting the spread of the coronavirus. The virus has infected more than 850,000 Europeans, killing some 90,000 people, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. As countries lift movement restrictions, tracing whether someone has come into contact with an infected person will be key to allowing a return to normal life. The use of such apps would do away with the need for the time-consuming, painstaking work involved in questioning people who have contracted the disease to try to work out where they picked it up. In a new set of guidelines, the European Commission says that public trust is paramount for the system to work. Such apps can only show their full potential if many people use them. Therefore, we want to give Europeans the trust in these apps, said commission spokesman Johannes Bahrke. It's fundamental that the instillation and use of an app is voluntary. Concern is rife about the potentially invasive nature of tracking people's movements or the risk that their data might be shared with unknown authorities without their consent. In the past, European consumer groups have routinely warned about the privacy risks posed by using online health devices. The commission said the platforms should be managed by public health authorities and dismantled once they are no longer needed. Their use should be voluntary, and no one should be punished for deciding not to download them. The apps should function through Bluetooth wireless connections and work without any other mobile phone location services being activated. Ideally, data would be protected by state-of-the-art encryption and only be kept as long as needed, the commission said. We don't recommend to use personal location for this. We actually say that it is not necessary, Bahrke said. The idea of tracing is not that the user knows who might have had it, but that he has had contact with someone who could have had it. Essentially, it's a case of who, not where. The idea is to warn people when they have come close, and for a certain time, to someone who is infected, but not to log exactly where that contact might have taken place. The apps should then provide advice about the best next steps, like whether to self-isolate, where to be tested and what to do to manage any symptoms. It could also allow patients to communicate with their doctors. While no single Europe-wide app is likely to be developed, the commission said it's important to align national systems given that many people commute to work in neighboring countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MIDLAND, Mich., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Most economists and business leaders are predicting the economy will take a very long time to recover from the shock brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, and many are saying the economy may never look the same. Dr. Timothy Nash who directs Northwood University's McNair Center for the Advancement of Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, believes the economy will return more quickly to pre-pandemic levels sooner than mostand could show signs of growth within a few months. He sees signs in the data that support his optimistic and somewhat contrarian view, but believes the window of opportunity will not stay open long. "It is critical that government and business work closely together over the next three weeks to maximize benefits of testing and social distancing," said Nash. "This should allow large segments of the U.S. economy to be responsibly opened, possibly driving double-digit GDP growth in Q3 and Q4." According to the index, the economy is just below 60 percent of the way back to pre-coronavirus levels, with optimism slowly returning. The index follows seven variables, is updated daily and can be found here: https://mcnair.northwood.edu/covid-19-optimism-index Northwood University's McNair Center for the Advancement of Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship is a premier think-tank generating information focused on the study, advocacy and expansion of the free-market process and the creation and cultivation of entrepreneurs. ABOUT NORTHWOOD UNIVERSITY Northwood University is committed to developing leaders of a global free-enterprise society and prepares students for success in their careers and communities. Rooted in the Northwood Idea, the university promotes the importance of free enterprise, ethics, individual freedom and responsibility. Private, nonprofit, and accredited, Northwood specializes in managerial and entrepreneurial education at a full-service, residential campus in Midland, Michigan. The Adult Degree Program is delivered in multiple states and online for students with transfer credits and work experience who are looking to complete their undergraduate degree. The DeVos Graduate School of Management offers MBA and Master of Science degrees in Finance, Business Analytics, and Organizational Leadership with day, evening, and online delivery options. The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program is delivered online, with a differentiated focus on leadership and business analytics using qualitative and quantitative methodologies. International education is offered through study abroad and at International Program Centers in Switzerland, China (Changchun and Wuxi), and Sri Lanka. For additional information regarding Northwood University, go to www.northwood.edu. SOURCE Northwood University Related Links http://www.northwood.edu - Brazil's Christ the Redeemer statue was illuminated to look like a doctor on Easter Sunday - This was in a tribute to front-line healthcare workers battling the coronavirus pandemic around the world - The flags of several countries affected by the outbreak were also projected on the monument - Messages of thanks in various languages appeared on the statue while pictures of medical professionals were also shown - This is the second time the monument was illuminated in response to the pandemic In a touching tribute to medical workers fighting coronavirus from the frontline around the world, one of Brazil's most iconic attractions was illuminated with a doctor's uniform. A special mass was held on top of Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro to honour those risking their lives to save others with Christ the Redeemer statue lit up to mark the occasion. READ ALSO: 12 photos of Mercy Akinyi who was killed by her lover's children View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer in tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus. Source: Getty Images READ ALSO: Kenyatta University students develop ventilators in fight against COVID-19 The flags of several countries affected by the outbreak were also projected on the monument which towers over Rio de Janeiro, CNN reported. Messages of thanks in various languages also appeared on the statue while pictures of medical professionals wearing scrubs and putting on face masks were also shown. The slogan "Fique Em Casa" meaning Stay at Home and "Obrigado," the Portuguese word for thank you were projected onto the 38-meter-tall statue. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Newborns given baby face masks for protection View of a medical worker on the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer in tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. Source: UGC Moving videos of medical workers plus flags of nations around the world accompanied by the word hope were also projected onto the figure standing atop the 710-meter granite peak. Other positive messages included "Everything will be alright," written by children. This is the second time the monument was illuminated in response to the pandemic. READ ALSO: Six Kenyan clinical officers test positive for COVID-19 Aerial view of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" in tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus Source: Getty Images In March 2020, a composite of various countries' flags was displayed on the statue recognising nations that had reported cases of the virus. Countries around the world have honoured their healthcare workers in various ways during the coronavirus pandemic. In the United Kingdom people clap for National Health Service workers every Thursday at 8pm. READ ALSO: Twendi Twendi hit maker Justina Syokau opens up on losing husband to househelp The flag of the US, which has been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic, was projected onto the monument. Source: UGC New York City resident, the epicentre of the US outbreak, applaud their doctors and nurses every evening at 7pm. Brazil has so far recorded more than 22,000 COVID-19 cases and 1,230 deaths, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. However, the country's President Jair Bolsonaro remains one of the few world leaders playing down the threat of the 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 Source: TUKO.co.ke There are now over 2.2 million cases of COVID-19 across the world and close to 148,000 people have lost their lives to it. There are now over 2.2 million cases of COVID-19 across the world and close to 148,000 people have lost their lives to it. Several European countries are in the process of easing lockdowns, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Norway even as the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to warn of the consequences of easing restrictions too quickly. The UK extends national lockdown by three weeks Eight hundred and sixty-one new deaths were announced in the UK yesterday, 100 more than the day before. Given the state of affairs in the country, the foreign secretary Dominic Raab, who is standing in for the PM Boris Johnson as he recovers, announced that the country would extend the lockdown for three more weeks. This means that the country will face restrictions until mid-May at least. He added that until there was not a steady decrease in daily deaths, an increase in diagnostic capacity and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), respite for hospitals, and an indication of no secondary outbreak, it would be difficult to reopen the country. At last count, the country had over 103,000 cases and over 13,700 deaths. The UK has also set up the largest clinical trials on existing drugs that may combat COVID-19. Dubbed Recovery the clinical trials will recruit over 5,000 patients across 165 NHS hospitals. The drugs included are Kaletra (an HIV drug combination), dexamethasone (which reduces inflammation) and tocilizumab (which can help calm cytokine storms). Convalescent plasma therapy may also be involved in the trials, but this remains under discussion currently. Researchers involved with the process said they expect to see results by June. Wuhan adjusts death toll up by 50% China has been under fire lately over accusations of suppressing information about deaths and infections caused by COVID-19. In light of these criticisms, the government raised the death toll in Wuhan by 1,290 to 3,869 - a 50% increase. Officials said these changes were made in accordance with the new understanding of the disease, and that initially hospitals were overwhelmed and could not adequately classify the deaths. The case count was increased by 325 as well, to take infections in the district up to 50,333. These developments were prefaced by suspicions from within Wuhan; residents commented on overflowing crematoriums and long lines at hospitals. An incendiary investigative report from the Associated Press also presented information on how officials sat on concerning developments for 6 days at the beginning of the outbreak - lost time that has allegedly cost the world dearly. Indonesia now has the most COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia Indonesia saw 407 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative number to 5,923. This surpasses the count in the Philippines, making it the worst-affected country in the region. According to a projection, the number of cases could rise to one million in the capital, Jakarta, by July if lockdown measures are not taken seriously. Experts around the world are concerned about the beginning and end of Ramadan when hordes of people might travel in and out of major cities and take the virus with them. The country has stepped up testing after facing criticism for its tardy response to the pandemic. For more information, read our article on COVID-19: List of drugs being tested for treatment. 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. KYIV -- A court in Kyiv has placed former lawmaker Tetyana Chornovol under house arrest on suspicion of murder during deadly antigovernment protests known as Euromaidan in February 2014. The Pechera district court ruled late on April 16 that Chornovol, a member of the European Solidarity party led by former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, will stay under house arrest until June 8. Police searched Chornovol's home in Kyiv on April 10, and later she was officially informed that she was a suspect in the murder of an employee of the office of the pro-Russia Party of Regions. The man died after the party's office in downtown Kyiv was set on fire. Investigators say Chornovol led a group of people who set the building on fire, which the former lawmaker rejects. Poroshenko last week criticized the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR) for launching the probe against Chornovol, a former investigative journalist well-known for her anti-Kremlin stance, calling it "an attempt to rewrite the history under Moscow's orders." Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov also criticized the DBR for the investigation and called on the DBR's chief Oleksandr Babikov to resign. Avakov publicly recalled that Babikov used to be a lawyer of Russia-friendly former President Viktor Yanukovych, who led the Party of Regions before winning presidential election in February 2010. Yanukovych was toppled by the Euromaidan protests in February 2014 and has been residing in Russia ever since. Weeks after he fled the country in late February 2014, Russia illegally annexed Ukraines Black Sea Crimea peninsula and threw support to pro-Moscow separatists in Ukraine's east, where some 13,200 people were killed in the ongoing conflict. There are lessons to be learned today from the 1918 flu pandemic, public-health officials say. One of the big lessons: On the whole, communities that ended their quarantines and reopened their economies more quickly took the longest to recover economically. Thats because ending social distancing too soon can allow a highly contagious and virulent virus to run rampant once again, exacerbating economic disruption. If large numbers of people fall ill or are afraid of getting sick, theyre not going to return to work or shopping or going to bars and restaurants. Thus, getting control of the disease outbreak is paramount. Thats why governors around the country -- and countries around the world -- have locked down their economies in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and why they are laying careful plans in regards to reopening workplaces, schools and businesses. Below is a list of five things that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and public-health experts say need to happen for Michigan to ease of its stay-at-home orders. 1. Significant, sustained drop in new cases. Everybody is looking at the number of new cases diagnosed each day. The number of cases seems to be going down or plateauing in metro Detroit, which has been the epicenter of the outbreak in Michigan. But other areas of the state, particularly the Flint-Saginaw area, are seeing increases. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. The goal is to lower the number of cases to the point where public-health officials can test anyone who might have coronavirus and track down the people that patients might have infected, achieving sort of hot spot control, said Emily Martin, an University of Michigan epidemiologist who is working on coronavirus forecast models. In a press briefing Monday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the states chief medical officer, hesitated to offer a target number for new cases that would convince Whitmer to re-open the economy. Its not zero cases, necessarily, but the number has to be small enough to contain localized outbreaks, Khaldun said. What that exact number is, people will debate, said Dr. Vikas Parekh, who heads a Michigan Medicine team modeling coronvirus forecasts. But what wed like to see is a sustained period of time with very few new cases diagnosed in a region or in the state." Thursday, April 16, the state reported 1,204 new cases. 2. Michigan hospitals have to move beyond crisis mode. Michigans health-care system has been severely upended by coronavirus, which impacts not just coronavirus patients but also hundreds of patients who have had medical care deferred to free up resources to deal with the epidemic. This is a virus that is ravaging our state, that threatens the very ability to meet peoples critical health-care needs by overrunning our hospitals, Whitmer said Monday. Even hospitals with few or no COVID-19 patients have been impacted because the pandemic has created a worldwide shortage of personal protective equipment such as masks and gowns that are critical supplies for hospitals. Right now, Michigan hospitals are banned from doing elective surgeries or procedures, an order than is in place through April 30. That order is designed to save the personal protective equipment for those working with coronavirus patients, and to ensure that non-coronavirus patients arent exposed to the virus. Were not going to get back into business as usual until some of those restrictions are lifted, Parekh said. But I think already many health systems are beginning to think, how do they catch up on the care that was deferred? he said. Things like cancer surgeries that could be delayed for a couple weeks but you cant wait for a couple months. Getting hospitals back to a more normal state requires a drop in the number of coronavirus patients, and officials from some hospitals such as Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor and Henry Ford Health Systems in Detroit said theyre seeing a decline in coronavirus hospitalizations. But Peters points out that another critical factor is easing the shortage of personal protective equipment, which hospitals need regardless of whether patients have COVID. The shortage results from the fact that much of the production of masks and gown occurred in China, and the pandemic has disrupted that supply chain. Peters, the ranking Democrat on the Senates Homeland Security committee that oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said his biggest priority right now is helping to figure out how to ramp up production here in the United States for this critical, critical equipment. Im constantly thinking about, how do we do that? How do we incentivize that? he said. U.S. production of masks is more important than ever, he said, not just to provide to hospitals but because widespread use of masks by the general public may well continue for months. 3. Major expansion of testing. Testing is an area where the United States really dropped the ball on its coronavirus response, says Dr. Teena Chopra, infectious disease specialist for Detroit Medical Center. Youre now seeing all the consequences from the lack of testing options, Chopra said. As of April 11, almost 86,000 coronavirus tests had been completed on Michigan residents. But there is widespread agreement that test needs to be greatly expanded, and there are many, many cases of coronavirus now going undetected. Experts now think 25% to 50% of coronavirus patients are asymptomatic, which means people can spread the disease without knowing it. Theres probably 10 times the number of cases for every positive test, said Linda Vail, public health office for Ingham County. Theres a whole bunch of cases out there we dont know about. Although Michigan now ranks fourth beyond New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts in total number of coronavirus cases, its below the U.S. average in testing per-capita, according to one website tracking the numbers. During the first month of the crisis, testing was largely limited to hospitalized patients and people with more serious COVID-19 symptoms who were health-care workers, first-responders, living in a long-term care facility or at risk of complications because of their age or other health conditions. Whitmer announced Monday that the number of testing sites has been expanded and the criteria to qualify for a test has been broadened to include more front-line health-care workers and people in the general public with more mild symptoms. Ideally, we would first want to test every single healthcare worker, whether or not theyre symptomatic, all first responders, all other essential workers like grocery workers and of course, we would have widespread community testing, said Ruth Sudderth, spokeswoman for the Michigan Health and Hospital Association. Countries that have successfully managed this virus have had widespread and rapid testing. We still hope we can get to that point in the U.S. and in Michigan. Many have pushed for surveillance testing, in which a population sample is tested to see if they have antibodies that indicate exposure to the virus. The antibody tests, which are just now coming into use could reveal two critical pieces of information: The scale of exposure within a community, as well as the identity of people who are now have some degree of immunity. Widespread testing so far has been limited by a shortage of tests and test supplies, a result of high demand and the fact many of the supplies are made overseas and the pandemic has disrupted supply chains. But once those issues are resolved, Martin said, theres still another problem: Michigans current health-care infrastructure would need to expand considerably to handle such a massive testing program. Were talking about running more tests than the system has ever run before, she said. So were talking about things like lab personnel and people to collect the tests, all that kind of stuff needs to be expanded. 4. Ability to identify and contain new outbreaks. The expansion of testing is critical to containing the spread of coronavirus once the economy re-opens, most experts agree. That means having a robust public-health system throughout the state that can quickly identify new cases of coronavirus as well identify others who may have been exposed. You need rapid testing for those patients, and you need a public-health infrastructure that can isolate those patients and do the contact tracing to limit the infection spread," Parekh said. That gets back to the resource issue, Martin said. Contact tracing -- which is identifying all the people who had contact with a patient and potentially were infected -- can be time-consuming, especially when it involves a highly contagious disease where the person was likely contagious for several days before he or she realized they were sick. Were doing now about what the system was built to do, Martin said. We need to ramp it up. But its going take a fundamental rethinking of how the system works. 5. Creation of protocols to reopen workplaces and businesses in a safe way. Because its so contagious and potentially lethal, careful thought needs to be given to ensuring that workplaces dont become a hotbed of infectious disease. Thats already an issue in hospitals and grocery stores, where people have gotten sick and even died from contracting coronavirus at work. Yes, Michigan is in a recession and a quick recovery is unlikely You want people to feel confident about going back to work, said Lisa Cook, a Michigan State University economist. Confidence in the measures that have been put in place. Confidence they wont get sick. Otherwise, people will not want to go back to work. Plans are in the works to establish best-practice for workplaces, Whitmer said Monday. Its going to be a data-driven approach, based on facts, based on science, based on recommendations from experts and epidemiologists and economists. Peters said its hard to know when Michigan will be able to reopen its economy. Its difficult to put a date on it, he said. "The virus is in control right now, and we have to slow the spread of that virus. We have to take this day by day, week by week, he said. But I think its important that we do put a plan in place, and people need to know there is a plan. "Weve got to start bringing life back to some sort of new normal. 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 6 reasons Michigan has four times more coronavirus cases than Ohio Whitmer responds to frustrations over Michigans stay-at-home order Worst may be over: Michigan doctors cite glimmers of hope in Michigans coronavirus crisis Top 10 BOARD GAMES people are buying on Amazon while staying safe at home One of the coronavirus tests as it is about to be shipped to Physicians Group Laboratories Rochester International Airport is eligible for nearly $2.5 million in federal emergency resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds are a portion of $10 billion provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Airport Grant Program. "This $10 billion in emergency resources will help fund the continued operations of our nations airports during this crisis and save workers jobs," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao in a statement announcing the funding this week. Seven municipal and regional airports throughout Southeast Minnesota are also eligible for funds, with most earmarked to receive $20,000 or $30,000. Red Wing Regional Airport will see more than double the others, with $69,000 slated to go to the city-run facility. ADVERTISEMENT Tom Blue, caretaker of the Red Wing airport, said activity has decreased sharply, and the terminal is opening by appointment only. "Basically all our operations here, as far as our base jets, are shut down," he said, indicating 15 jets are based at the facility. Additionally, he said smaller aircraft flights have dropped below a quarter of what they have been, which puts a dent in the airports fuel revenue. As a result, some staff has been laid off and others have had hours cut due to the lack of work. The Rochester airport has also seen a slow down amid the pandemic. Tiana OConnor, the airports marketing and communications manager, reported significant decreases in passengers, similar to the impacts the entire aviation industry is experiencing. "The industry is seeing passenger traffic drop to about one-tenth of normal operations," she said in late March. "The airport does remain operational as we are serving commercial passengers that have essential travel and also cargo operations and private aviation operations." A report by Rochester City Administrator Steve Rymer indicates the Rochester airport will see $2.3 million to $3.2 million in lost revenue this year. ADVERTISEMENT The states stay-at-home order doesnt directly impact airport operations since most are deemed essential, but it has resulted in a lack of business for airports of all sizes. Dodge Centers municipal airport hasnt seen a corporate aircraft land in months, Airport Manager Wayne Trom said. "Thats just dropped off to nothing," he said, adding that smaller private flights also have decreased. However, the downturn hasnt had a large impact on whats required to keep the city-run facility operating. "We dont have any less work," he said. Pam Schroeder, who manages Fillmore County's airport, said the Preston facility has also seen reduced fuel sales and related flights, estimating it's largely due to the lack of destinations that area open to visitors. The airport officials said the added federal funding will help the facilities maintain plans for improvements and keep operations running. Rochester International Airport officials plan to define how the funds will be spent after the Rochester City Council meets Monday afternoon. During that meeting, city revenue and expenses impacts related to COVID-19 are expected to be discussed. ADVERTISEMENT The council will also be asked to authorize accepting the federal funds during Mondays meeting. Rochester's $2.5 million award is the fourth highest in the state. The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is slated to receive $125 million, followed by nearly $18 million for Brainerd Lakes regional Airport and $5.2 million for Duluth International Airport. The federal funding is intended to support continuing operations and replace lost revenue resulting from the sharp decline in passenger traffic and other airport business due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The funds are available for airport capital expenditures, airport operating expenses including payroll and utilities and airport debt payments. Schroeder, who is secretary and treasurer for the Minnesota Council of Airports, said questions remain regarding how the funds can be used, and she's waiting for additional details before earmarking the fund for specific budget items. "It's kind of a wait-and-see thing," she said In Red Wing, the added funding is expected to help keep plans for fuel tank replacement on track. "With the decrease in traffic, fuel sales which are a primary revenue source for the Red Wing Regional Airport, have decreased, and this grant funding will help supplement the airport budget," said Rick Moskwa, Red Wings director of Public Works. In Dodge Center, Trom said the $30,000 the city expects to receive will also be used to supplement the airports budget and move ahead with planned repairs to its taxiway. Eight Southeast Minnesota airports are eligible for federal funding through the CARES Act. Along with the funding amount, they are: Austin Municipal Airport -- $30,000 Houston County Airport -- $20,000 Dodge Center Airport -- $30,000 Fillmore County Airport -- $30,000 Red Wing Regional Airport -- $69,000 Rochester International Airport -- $2,479,991 Rushford Municipal Airport -- $20,000 Winona Municipal Airport -- $30,000 With an increased work-load on police personnel as they are forced to concentrate more on high-risk red zones, cops have roped in society residents to ensure that those ordered home quarantine do not step out of their houses. Home quarantined people are those who may have been exposed to the Sars-Cov-2 virus which spreads Covid-19 and are isolated to see if they develop symptoms of the disease. Mumbai police have identified monitors in hundreds of residential societies across the city where over 46,332 home quarantined people are staying. Each home quarantine person has a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) stamp on their hand. Since we need to focus more on enforcing movement restrictions in containment areas and at the same time also check the movement of those home quarantined, we have turned residential societies chairmen, secretaries as monitors to see if home quarantined are not stepping out of their homes. We have shared contact numbers and have asked them to inform us if any home quarantined person steps out, said Viresh Prabhu, additional commissioner of police (central region). The senior officer added that police personnel are also posted at the gates of these societies, even security guards and watchmen have been asked to be more vigilant. The concerned police station regularly co-ordinates with the personnel and check status. Our patrolling staff also look for suspects on the street and check their hand for home quarantine stamp. Surprise checks are also being conducted to ensure that nobody steps out, Prabhu said. In the city, 12 first information reports (FIRs) have been registered for violation of home quarantine orders, police said. Around 11,368 people finished their quarantine period while over 3,271 are in institutional quarantine facility in Mumbai. (With inputs from Faisal Malik and Mehul Thakkar) The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has reacted to the report circulating the social media that President Muhammadu Buhari has granted presidential pardon to convicted-death row inmate, Maryam Sanda. KanyiDaily recalls that Maryam Sanda was convicted and sentenced to death by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, in January, for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello. Justice Yusuf Halilu said every available evidence had proved that Sanda fatally stabbed her husband to death in Abuja on November 19, 2017. On Thursday, April 16, 2020, there were speculations that Sanda may have been released from the prison custody as part of those who were granted presidential pardon, alongside 70 other inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje However, the NCoS spokesman, Deputy Controller of Corrections, Chuks Njoku, in a statement on Thursday, said Sanda did not meet the requirements for the pardon, noting that she was still in custody and will remain as such. According to him, the condemned inmate did not fit into any of the categories of inmates who qualified for pardon as listed by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. 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 centre, Njoku said. Njoku said the Minister of Interior clearly stated the categories of inmates qualified for the amnesty which include: 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 Convicted inmates who spent 75% of their sentence after remission. It obvious that Maryam Sanda does 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 will ensure the safety and humane containment of the inmates in our custody and therefore advice the public to discountenance the rumor that Maryam Sanda benefited from the presidential pardon, he asserted. KanyiDaily had reported that President Buhari approved the release of some inmates from the Correctional Service formations due to the coronavirus pandemic. NEW YORK, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cohen & Steers, Inc. (NYSE: CNS), a leading real assets specialty manager, is pleased to announce that the Cohen & Steers SICAV European Real Estate Securities Fund ("The Fund"), has received a 2020 Refinitiv Lipper Fund Award for the real estate category in France and Switzerland. The Fund was awarded for its strong risk-adjusted performance for the 3- and 5-year periods ended December 31, 2019. Rogier Quirijns, Head of Europe Real Estate and Senior Portfolio Manager, said: "We are honored to receive this award for our fund's exceptional performance over the respective three- and five-year periods. We are committed to providing clients with liquid and diversifying real estate investment strategies and believe the current environment presents an attractive opportunity for investors. "The recent decline in listed real estate share prices has resulted in net asset value (NAV) discounts not seen in years. These NAV discounts may provide active managers with opportunities to exploit temporary mispricing in the market to generate alpha." The Fund seeks current income and capital appreciation by investing in REITs and other publicly traded real estate companies located in Europe. The Fund seeks to identify companies that we believe have attractive valuations and growth prospects. We believe the European markets offer the potential for strong returns based on variations in country-specific economic and property sector cycles and the diversity of business models. Within the European real estate securities markets, we believe there will be alpha generation opportunities for well-resourced, disciplined, active managers. Please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of any Cohen & Steers fund carefully before investing. A prospectus containing this and other information may be obtained, free of charge, by visiting cohenandsteers.com or by calling +44 207 460 6350. Please read the summary prospectus and prospectus carefully before investing. About Cohen & Steers. Cohen & Steers is a global investment manager specializing in liquid real assets, including real estate securities, listed infrastructure and natural resource equities, as well as preferred securities and other income solutions. Founded in 1986, the firm is headquartered in New York City, with offices in London, Hong Kong and Tokyo. About Cohen?&?Steers SICAV Europe Real Estate Securities Fund. The Fund is a sub-fund of Cohen & Steers SICAV, a Luxembourg-domiciled undertaking for collective investment in transferrable securities (UCITS). Shares of the Fund are only offered pursuant to the current prospectus and the sales of shares of the fund may be restricted in certain jurisdictions. In particular, shares may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly in the United States or to U.S. persons, as more fully described in the Fund's prospectus. See prospectus for additional information including important risk considerations, including potential loss of capital, and details about fees and expenses. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. About Lipper Fund Awards The Refinitiv Lipper Fund Awards, granted annually, highlight funds and fund companies that have excelled in delivering consistently strong risk-adjusted performance relative to their peers. The Refinitiv Lipper Fund Awards are based on the Lipper Leader for Consistent Return rating, which is a risk-adjusted performance measure calculated over 36, 60 and 120 months. The fund with the highest Lipper Leader for Consistent Return (Effective Return) value in each eligible classification wins the Refinitiv Lipper Fund Award. The real estate category in Switzerland for the 3- and 5-year periods includes 23 and 20 funds respectively. The real estate category in France for the 3- and 5-year period includes 34 and 33 funds respectively. For more information, see lipperfundawards.com. Although Refinitiv Lipper makes reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data contained herein, the accuracy is not guaranteed by Refinitiv Lipper. About Lipper Leader Ratings for Consistent Return. Ratings for consistent return reflect funds' historic returns, adjusted for volatility, relative to peers. Ratings are computed for all Lipper classifications with five or more distinct portfolios and span both equity and fixed-income funds. The ratings are subject to change every month and are calculated for the following time periods: 3-year, 5-year, 10-year, and overall. The highest 20% of funds in each classification are named Lipper Leaders for Consistent Return. The overall calculation is based on an equal-weighted average of percentile ranks for the Consistent Return metrics over 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year periods (if applicable). Lipper Leaders for Consistent Return may be the best fit for investors who value a fund's year-to-year consistency relative to other funds in a particular peer group. Investors are cautioned that some peer groups are inherently more volatile than others, and even Lipper Leaders for Consistent Return in the most volatile groups may not be well suited to shorter-term goals or less risk-tolerant investors. Website: https://www.cohenandsteers.com Symbols: NYSE: CNS Cowtown Must See TV Clever Sitcoms With Kansas City Ties You Need To Be Binge-Watching! - In Kansas City Well, it would appear that we're all hunkered down for another few weeks. Time to continue our brigade of binge-watching, yes? Here are some of our fave, mindless sitcoms that give you exactly 24 to 27 minutes of comedic relief. Oh, and each has a Kansas City connection. Romeo Wherefore Art Thou??? Shut Down Due To COVID-19!!! Shakespeare Festival postpones summer production in KC due to coronavirus concerns The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival has announced it is postponing its summer production of "The Tempest" due to concerns related to the coronavirus crisis in Kansas City. The show was originally scheduled to run June 16 to July 5 at Southmoreland Park. Festival organizers announced Thursday that the "The Tempest" will be postponed until summer 2021. Cowtown Vanity Unfair Salon owner and stylists waiting for unemployment benefits Many people in both Kansas and Missouri have had trouble getting their unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 crisis. A Missouri salon owner said she and dozens of stylists have been hitting roadblocks.Empty chairs are an unusual sight at Salon 152 in the Northland. China Lied, People Died AP report claims China knew of pandemic danger in Wuhan even as officials downplayed risk of virus New questions are being raised over just when China understood the potential severity of the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, and how long the country's leaders sat on critical information that might have helped stave off a global pandemic. Prez Trump Snubs Sen. Mitt Trump's outreach on restarting economy includes every GOP senator except Romney President Trump on Thursday hosted phone calls with dozens of bipartisan lawmakers, including every Republican Senator except Mitt Romney. The Congress members contacted by the president would serve on a panel to discuss how to move forward with reopening the economy, called the "Opening Up America Again Congressional Group." D.C. Against Doc??? Lindsey Graham Throws Dr. Anthony Fauci Under the Bus on 'The View' Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was ready to blame everyone but Donald Trump for America's coronavirus calamity during a Thursday morning appearance on The View. That included China, the World Health Organization and, most notably, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Horrific COVID-19 Pileup 17 Bodies Found at New Jersey Nursing Home Ravaged by Coronavirus After Anonymous Tip The bodies of 17 people were found in a New Jersey nursing home on Monday based on an anonymous tip. Police officers in Andover were told that there was a body left in a shed at Andover Subacute and Rehab Center, the largest licensed nursing home in the state. Thirsty USA Revealed US megadrought 'already under way' A drought, equal to the worst to have hit the western US in recorded history, is already under way, say scientists. Researchers say the megadrought is a naturally occurring event that started in the year 2000 and is still ongoing. Climate change, though, is having a major impact with rising temperatures making the drought more severe. Lockdown Workplace Shared PHOTOS: Here's what working from home looks like in KC (Part 2) - Kansas City Business Journal The Kansas City area's stay-at-home order, which recently was extended from April 24 to May 15, has many residents working from home for the first time, so many in fact that we had too many submissions for just one photo gallery. As with all new things, there are pros and cons. Sleaze Scummit Gunplay Antique guns stolen from Lee's Summit Historical Society Museum Police in Lee's Summit hope someone can help them solve a case after several antique guns were stolen last week from the Lee's Summit Historical Society Museum. Kansas City Chef Considers Brave New Foodie Future Rieger revolution: Why Chef Howard Hanna won't return to 'business as usual' after COVID-19 Editor's note: The following is part of Startland News' ongoing coverage of the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Kansas City's entrepreneur community, as well as how innovation is helping to drive a new normal in the ecosystem. Click here to follow related stories as they develop. KC Coldness Right Now Friday will be windy, chilly after rain ends Hide Transcript Show Transcript YES, THERE IS MORE RAIN WHERE THIS CAME FROM. WE WILL NOT BREAK OUT OF THE RAIN UNTIL SOMETIME AFTER MIDNIGHT. WINTER STORM ADVISORIES. THAT IS THE PURPLE YOU SEE. 36 HIGHWAY. CLOSER TO THE IOWA STATE LINE, A WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7:00 TOMORROW MORNING. Longtime hottienow into her mid-50s and she inspires us to gather this collection of pop culture, community news and info from across the nation and around the globe . . .And this is thefor right now . . . Kabul: An unknown gunman shot dead six local workers from the main American military base north of Afghanistan's capital and wounded three others, an Afghan official said on Friday. The nine workers, all Afghan nationals, were on their way home late Thursday when a gunman riding a motorcycle opened fire on them about 500 meters (about a quarter mile) from Bagram air base, Parwan provincial governor's spokeswoman Wahida Shahkar said. Shahkar said the gunman escaped. No insurgent groups immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but Taliban and Islamic State group fighters are active in northern areas of Afghanistan. IS claimed responsibility for firing five rockets from a vehicle at Bagram air base on April 9 but there were no casualties. Shahkar said Afghan national security forces began an investigation to find the person who attacked the workers, who provide cleaning services at the base. The Afghan government and Taliban are in the process of exchanging prisoners as part of a peace deal signed by the US and the Taliban on February 29 in Doha. The release of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 government personnel ahead of intra-Afghan negotiations is a condition of the US-Taliban deal. France said on Friday there was no evidence so far of a link between the new coronavirus and the work of the P4 research laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the current pandemic started. "We would like to make it clear that there is to this day no factual evidence corroborating the information recently circulating in the United States press that establishes a link between the origins of COVID-19 and the work of the P4 laboratory of Wuhan, China," an official at President Emmanuel Macron's office said. The broad scientific consensus holds that SARS-CoV-2, the official name of the coronavirus, originated in bats. In 2004, France signed an agreement with China to establish a research lab on infectious diseases of biosafety level 4, the highest level, in Wuhan, according to a French decree signed by then-foreign minister Michel Barnier. US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday his government was trying to determine whether the coronavirus emanated from a lab in Wuhan, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Beijing "needs to come clean" on what they know. 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 General Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, 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. The Washington Post said this week that national security officials in the Trump administration have long suspected research facilities in Wuhan to be the source of the novel coronavirus outbreak. 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. Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here President Donald Trump seemingly sided with protesters in Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia who are defying social distancing orders to rally against the states' safety measures intended to stop the coronavirus spread. In back-to-back tweets Friday morning, Trump wrote: "LIBERATE MINNESOTA" and then, "LIBERATE MICHIGAN" and then, "LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!" Minutes before Trump's tweets, Fox News had a segment about a group calling itself "Liberate Minnesota," which is planning a protest outside of Gov. Tim Walz's residence Friday in opposition to his stay-at-home order. Fox also had on a Michigan sheriff to discuss people challenging Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's orders. A rowdy protest outside the Michigan Capitol on Thursday clogged roads and crowded the downtown streets, resembling a Trump rally, with maskless people wearing MAGA hats and chanting "Lock her up," referring to Whitmer. Trump has publicly sparred with Whitmer, who has been critical of the White House's response to the public health crisis. Whitmer warned Thursday night that these public displays of disobedience threaten to extend the stay-at-home guidance by spreading the infection among large groups of people. On Friday morning, during an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America," Whitmer said she could handle people lashing out at her, but urged them not to make this pandemic "overly political." "Let's focus on the public health. ... I know that there are a lot of businesses and people that are hurting right now. But the fact of the matter is it's better to be six feet apart right now than six feet under," she said. Also Thursday, a smaller group protested in Virginia by holding a picnic on the Capitol grounds without social distancing or wearing masks. Trump's reference in his tweet to the Second Amendment is most likely a reference to a slate of gun safety bills Gov. Ralph Northam signed into law last week, which included expanding background checks to all firearm sales. The states are all governed by Democrats and are considered battlegrounds in the presidential campaign. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won Minnesota while Trump took Michigan, each by narrow margins. Clinton more easily won Virginia. Trump has been known to incite his supporters with his rhetoric. During his rallies in 2016, he offered to pay the legal bills of supporters who roughed up a protester and also made an oblique reference to using the Second Amendment against Clinton if she won. - - - The Washington Post's John Wagner contributed to this report. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17 Trend: We see that by carrying out political and economic reforms in parallel, we can really achieve great success, said Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev while making an opening speech at the meeting on the socio-economic results of the first quarter of 2020 through videoconference, Trend reports. Of course, life does not stand still, it continues, and I am sure that 2020 will also be a year of deep and broad reforms just like a significant part of reforms was implemented in 2019. In fact, a new phase of reform began after the 2018 presidential election. In my speech at the inauguration ceremony, all directions of our development and reforms were clearly identified. After that, we began to engage in the consistent implementation of these reforms, and I can say today that there is a better situation in our country politically, in the economic sphere and in addressing social problems. Of course, if the coronavirus pandemic had not intervened, our success would have been even more tangible. But I am sure that we will overcome this difficult situation, our economy and jobs will be restored, said the head of state. President Ilham Aliyev noted that the pandemic has once again shown that successful development requires a sustainable economy. To achieve this, reforms must certainly be carried out in all areas both in the socioeconomic and political spheres. I believe that the implementation of political reforms will continue to expand our capabilities. We see excellent results from these reforms. Azerbaijan will continue to take important steps towards democratic development. We have a fairly strong political will. We see that by carrying out political and economic reforms in parallel, we can really achieve great success, said the head of state. European Union (EU) countries will need to ease border restrictions to let in cross-border and seasonal workers as they gradually pull out of lockdowns and relaunch their economies, the commissioner for jobs said on Friday. The EU's executive Commission issued guidelines to the 27 member states in March, urging them to let critical frontier workers, such as in the health or food sector, cross borders . Some 1.5 million people live in one EU country and work in another. Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Nicolas Schmit told Reuters from Luxembourg the situation had improved after many countries' initial reflex to close frontiers, but problems remained. "One of Luxembourg's biggest neighbours, more in the east, they have just closed a few border points to enter Luxembourg, which means people have to cross 25-30 km to go to another border point," he said, in a reference to Germany. "This is just a reflex, which doesn't add anything to health security." Data on truck crossing times from logistic services company Sixfold show long queues in eastern Europe - between Bulgaria and Romania and into Hungary - as well as into Switzerland, also a large recipient of cross-border workers. Schmit said he understood the need for health controls, but border restrictions had to be proportionate and not discriminate against workers living in different countries. "Now the moment has come really when we have to be in conformity again with the principles of the Schengen code," he said, referring to the 26-country European area which normally has no border checks. "Now we are in a new phase of exit, companies are restarting and so it is not acceptable that workers living in that member state can go to work and the cross-border workers cannot." Schmit said the EU executive was talking to governments to find a solution, including to establish how seasonal farm labourers, also identified as critical, could travel to plant or harvest crops. Local people would not have the skills that the largely eastern European workers possessed. Up to 80,000 seasonal workers are due to arrive by plane in Germany in April and May, but hundreds of thousands are needed across the bloc. Schmit said a major issue was provision of accommodation that allowed social distancing. Schmit, whose EU brief includes minimum wages and rights for platform workers, said the crisis had taught people that professions they might not have regarded highly in the past were important and deserved adequate pay. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Fans were waiting with excitement to watch Aamir Khan on the big screen again after Thugs Of Hindostan, and had to wait only till Christmas this year for the release of Laal Singh Chaddha, his next film. However, it looks like the film's release may get pushed until 2021 as the Coronavirus crisis has made the situation rather uncertain and has already got many films' releases pushed indefinitely. According to a report by Pinkvilla, Laal Singh Chaddha's writer Atul Kulkarni hinted that the film might get postponed. "Laal Singh, I think, would release next year now. We were supposed to release in December," he said. The indefinite pushing of release dates began with the Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif film Sooryavanshi in March. Soon after, Ranveer Singh's '83, which was scheduled to hit theatres on April 10, was also pushed. Laal Singh Chaddha is a remake of the Hollywood film Forrest Gump. Aamir will be playing the titular role, starring alongside Kareena Kapoor Khan. Mona Singh and Vijay Sethupathi have supporting roles in the film which is directed by Advait Chandan and produced by Aamir and Kiran Rao. Several looks of Aamir from the film kept surfacing on the internet throughout its shoot, piquing fans' interest. One thing many are sure waiting for is to see Aamir and Kareena share screenspace again after 3 Idiots. Kareena has always maintained that Aamir is one of her favourite co-stars. ALSO READ: Coronavirus: Aamir Khan Contributes To PM CARES, Doesn't Announce Contribution ALSO READ: Kareena Kapoor Khan Talks About Her Character In Laal Singh Chaddha: People Will Be Shocked The first wave of furlough announcements for Wisconsins public universities came Friday with hundreds of employees ordered to take unpaid time off as a way for campuses to address the growing financial fallout associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The University of Wisconsin System will furlough its nearly 600 administrative employees one day each month through June 2021 to save about $3 million. Chancellors of UW campuses, where the bulk of the Systems 39,000 employees work, are making their own decisions on whether to furlough employees. UW-Milwaukee became the first to say it will most likely impose a campus-wide furlough for its roughly 3,700 employees. UW-Madison, which is bracing for the largest loss among the campuses with an estimated $100 million shortfall, expects to announce details by the end of the month. The move marks the first time in at least five years that university employees will be placed on mandatory unpaid leave. Leaders have resorted to other measures layoffs, buyouts and unfilled vacancies to address budget shortfalls in recent years. The coronavirus pandemic, however, presents a problem college administrators across the country say they have never seen before. The System conservatively estimates COVID-19 will cost its campuses nearly $170 million for the spring semester alone, a figure officials project will increase as the pandemic continues. The estimate includes the cost of issuing refunds for on-campus parking, dining and housing services, along with technology purchases to move classes online, payments to student employees who abruptly lost their jobs and losses in athletic ticket sales. Uncertain outlook The furloughs for the 588 UW System Administration employees begin in May. Every worker must take one unpaid day off each month over the next 14 months, System President Ray Cross wrote in a Friday email to System administration employees. This is a painful but necessary reality, he wrote in the email. And it is difficult news to share. You and your colleagues across the UW System are the very lifeblood of who we are and what we do. Cross cautioned that conditions could change and additional action may be needed. But for now, this will be our plan, he said. The Systems announcement on furloughs comes one day after the executive committee of the UW Board of Regents unanimously authorized leaders to develop furlough plans. Campus plans Financial circumstances among the campuses differ, so furlough plans will vary, Cross said. The Wisconsin State Journal asked campus representatives Friday for details on furlough plans and, if not available, when employees can expect to learn more: UW-Madison is working on a furlough policy. Employees can expect information by the end of the month. UW-Milwaukee said it will most likely implement a campus-wide furlough for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Year-round employees will receive eight furlough days, though higher-paid employees will receive even more unpaid days off. Employees on nine-month contracts will receive six furlough days. The university also said it may furlough specific employees who cannot work remotely or work in units facing the largest financial losses as soon as May 2. Faculty will not be eligible for position-specific furloughs. UW-La Crosse is not planning to impose a campus-wide furlough, but is considering a small number of reassignments and targeted furloughs as well as offering some voluntary furlough options. Employees can expect more information in the near future. UW-Superior has no plans to lay off or furlough employees through June 30. Leaders are working on personnel decisions for the next fiscal year. UW-Stevens Point anticipates furloughs will be needed in the weeks and months ahead. Leaders expect to share additional information with employees Wednesday. UW-Whitewater will release details next week. UW-Platteville is deciding whether to use the furlough process to address budget shortfalls. More information will come next week. UW-Green Bay said a decision on furloughs or layoffs will be shared by April 24. UW-River Falls will furlough some of its employees starting in early May for those who cannot complete their work from home. An estimated number of affected employees was not available. UW-Eau Claire said it will use some of its reserves to make up for an $8.5 million shortfall. Leaders are exploring the possibility of a semi-hiring freeze, furloughs or layoffs, but no decision has been made and there is no timeline for when employees can expect details. Spokesman Michael Rindo said budget cuts in 2015 forced hard decisions then that put the campus on solid financial footing to address the pandemics economic fallout. UW-Parkside said it doesnt know which areas might be impacted by furloughs. Employees can expect information by the end of the month. UW-Stout provided a general statement that did not include specific information on furloughs or indicate when employees can expect to learn more. UW-Oshkosh did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Most of the major hospital ICUs in the area are seeing better survival rates than what had been previously reported in Europe as we gain experience with the complications of the coronavirus. (British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is the most recent high-profile example of an ICU survivor of COVID-19.) Moving into the second phase of the pandemic, we are faced with a number of new questions, including where to place COVID-19 hospital survivors who are still too sick to return home and may still be contagious. LONDON, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Commonwealth of Dominica is the best country for Citizenship by Investment (CBI), according to an independent report published by FT Specialist. Reputable investors continue to trust it, while governments considering implementing a CBI Programme look up to Dominica as a benchmark. Earlier this month, His Excellency Ambassador Nanthan, the Head of the Dominican Citizenship by Investment Unit explained why CBI is a success story for the small Caribbean country. His Excellency credits the tangible impact on the island and the Programme's reputation for integrity and efficiency. Applicants feel confident in the safety and stability the Dominican citizenship offers. This is due to the high due diligence standards, accountability and transparency in managing the Programme to pre-empt any reputational or security risks. Nonetheless, the process is smooth and timely without compromising on quality. "We approve an individual applicant within three months," says Ambassador Nanthan. "Dominica is well known for its ability to have a rapid process for our applicants," His Excellency adds. Referring to the countless CBI-sponsored projects across the island, especially through the fund route, Ambassador Nanthan says that "people look at our programme as a benchmark because of what we do." Single applicants generally prefer to obtain second citizenship from Dominica by making a one-off contribution to the Economic Diversification Fund (EDF). Qualifying investments start at US$100,000 however families can apply jointly. EDF funds are then invested in the country's infrastructure, healthcare, education, etc. IMF, ECLAC and ECCB praised Dominica's usage of CBI funds for making a difference in completely transforming the island over the past two years. Economic citizens can appreciate how their contributions changed the lives of their new fellow nationals. Meanwhile, the investors themselves and their descendants can benefit from these improvements for life. Alternatively, the real estate route may be more suitable for entrepreneurs interested in diversifying their portfolio. There are several CBI-approved hotels and resorts, selected on the basis of their high likelihood of both timely completion and success. This reassures CBI applicants that their investment is safe, as development progress is closely monitored by the government. Three luxury CBI resorts have opened within a year, two of which - Jungle Bay and Secret Bay - have not sold out of CBI shares just yet. Another three CBI-approved resorts - Anichi (Marriott), Tranquility Beach (Hilton) and Sanctuary - will open soon. CONTACT: pr@csglobalpartners.com, www.csglobalpartners.com The Home Ministry on Friday extended regular and e-visas of all foreigners who are stranded in India due to the coronavirus lockdown till May 3 on gratis basis. The Home Ministry also said the visa granted to those foreigners, except diplomats and UN officials, who are supposed to come to India, will remain suspended till May 3, an official statement said. Regular visa, e-visa or stay stipulation, of such foreign nationals who have been stranded in India because of spread of COVID-19 in many parts of the world and also due to travel restrictions imposed by Indian authorities, and whose visas have expired or would be expiring during the period from February 1 midnight to May 3 midnight, would be extended till midnight of May 3 on 'Gratis' basis, after online application by the foreigner, the statement said. The home ministry said that after considering the matter, it has been decided to extend the period of providing consular services by the Office of Foreigners Regional Registration Officers and Foreigners Registration Officers to foreign nationals, presently stranded in India. Exit to such foreign nationals, if so requested by them during this period, will also be granted up to 14 days beyond May 3, i.e. May 17, without levy of overstay penalty. The Home Ministry has also decided to extend the suspension of all existing visas granted to foreigners, except to those belonging to diplomatic, official, UN and international organisations, employment and project categories, till May 3, it said. The home ministry has further directed that all incoming passenger traffic in India through any of the 107 immigration check posts shall remain suspended till May 3. However, no such restriction would apply to vehicles, planes, ships, conveyance, trains and other carrying any goods and supplies whether essential or non-essential. Their crew, sailor, driver, helper, cleaner and others shall be subjected to thorough medical screening for COVID-19. In order to remove confusion, the home ministry on March 28 had granted consular services on gratis basis to foreign nationals, presently residing in India due to travel restrictions in the context of COVID-19 outbreak, till April 30. The government had first extended the regular visa and e-visa of foreigners who are currently in India and unable to leave the country due to coronavirus outbreak till April 15. Subsequently, the home ministry extended it till April 30. Several thousand foreign nationals are in the country since imposition of travel restrictions and are unable to exit the country during the validity of their visa. The ministry has also provided the essential consular services through the office of the Foreigners Regional Registration Officers and Foreigners Registration Officers to foreign nationals. Exit of such foreign nationals, if so requested by them during this period, will be granted without levy of overstay penalty, the ministry had said earlier. The lockdown was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 in a bid to combat the coronavirus pandemic. It was further extended till May 3. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) For years, manufacturers of ventilators and other medical equipment have kept a tight grip on the ability of hospitals to service and repair those products, prompting lawsuits and under-the-table sharing of repair manuals and software passwords. Now, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for product information to keep ventilators up and running is at an all-time high. Modern ventilators are typically serviced either every six months or 2,000 hours of use and can last for 10 years if maintained properly. But now nearly every ventilator is being called into near-constant service in hot spots, with some pulled out of storage after eight years on the shelf. When any ventilator breaks down amid the surge of cases, waiting two weeks for a repair can mean patients die. While some manufacturers have made limited concessions to help hospitals and third-party service providers maintain equipment during the crisis, many biomedical equipment technicians, known in the field as "biomeds," are facing roadblocks in evaluating and servicing ventilators desperately needed for patient care. "Manufacturers have been in more of a protective mode, making sure they're protecting their market share and the quality of their services," said Ken Ottenberg, vice president of medical equipment management for Denver-based service provider HSS. "Saving lives and taking care of patients is what we're trying to do. Are we not going to meet the demand at this time because of a business decision, instead of a quality-of-care decision?" AdvaMed, a trade group for medical device manufacturers, has argued against allowing third-party servicers to work on complex equipment without proper training and oversight, and maintains that even during the current crisis, there is no evidence of a shortage of qualified manufacturer-trained technicians. "The bottom line is that medical technology companies or their designated representatives are best equipped to service their products and keep patients who use them safe," said AdvaMed spokesperson Jim Jeffries. "They are effectively serving the needs of patients and health care providers to respond both to the COVID-19 pandemic and other ongoing health care needs. Part of the equation is economic. Many manufacturers add to their revenues by controlling the servicing and repair of the equipment they sell. They restrict access to equipment information to only those technicians who complete a manufacturer's training course. And as machines have become more computerized, companies use software locks to prevent repairs without permission. "If you cant get the access to the software, then all you have is a bunch of metal there," said Bill Bassuk, president and CEO of the College of Biomedical Equipment Technology in San Antonio. "If they sold the equipment and it belongs to the hospital, then whomever that hospital wants to work on that equipment should be allowed to work on it." Right to repair That's prompted a "right to repair" movement for medical technology, seeking to break up the manufacturers' monopoly on service and repair. Similar battles have been fought over cars, farming equipment and cellphones. "When the only company to fix it is the company that made it, that's another incentive for them to get you to buy a new one instead," said Nathan Proctor, director of the Right to Repair campaign for the public interest advocacy group U.S. PIRG. So far, at least 20 states have passed right-to-repair legislation. Colorado was scheduled to vote on a bill this year, but the legislature was shut down early because of the pandemic. Proctor argues that manufacturers should allow access to service information at least during the current crisis. Once the pandemic abates and lives are no longer at stake, the industry could have a more measured discussion about the right to repair. Some manufacturers have made allowances during the past month as demand for ventilators and servicing spiked. Medtronic, for example, released the schematic designs for an older ventilator model so that new manufacturers can refer to a proven design. But technicians said they are still having trouble accessing service manuals for Medtronic's top-of-the-line ventilators. "They need to move from a service model to an information-sharing model," Proctor said. "There needs to be training, and there needs to be access to service information and passwords." In a statement emailed to Kaiser Health News, Medtronic spokesperson John Jordan said the company provides service manuals to hospital biomeds to help them with basic troubleshooting and testing when requested but, to date, had received fewer than 10 requests. "Currently, our hospital customers are more concerned about having or receiving a ventilator than servicing one," Jordan said. "Publishing service manuals broadly would not help increase the number of available ventilators." Manpower issues In Colorado, Ottenberg said, one ventilator manufacturer, which he declined to name, has just two service technicians for the state. "In any given normal month, those technicians can service all the equipment as needed for scheduled maintenance," he said. "Now we get into COVID, there's no way." Marty Fulkerson, director of operations for clinical engineering at the Centura Health system, which includes 17 hospitals in Colorado and Kansas, said that when one manufacturer's service technician in Colorado was quarantined for two weeks after a COVID-19 exposure, the company pulled senior officials with repair experience out from behind their desks to meet the demand. Third-party service providers say manufacturers may have no choice but to loosen their restrictions, as they cannot handle the increased need for service. Ottenberg said the industry has had a shortage of technicians for the past two years at least, and with the pandemic, many of the technical schools have stopped training new biomeds. Now, biomeds say, service calls are scheduled out at least one to two weeks, leaving some equipment offline. "Its insane. Its unacceptable if they cant get out there for one to two weeks," Bassuk said. "Theyre trying to recruit enough to have a proper workforce, but theyre pretty much going to be overworked now." While in-house and third-party biomeds are willing to take on the extra work, they have not been able to attend in-person training sessions because of restrictions on travel. Some manufacturers are holding online training to help biomeds trained on one model of ventilator troubleshoot other equipment from the same company. Burning the midnight oil Jean Roberts, a biomed with the University of Vermont Medical Center, has been working six to seven days a week to maximize the availability of his facility's ventilators. "Thankfully, we biomeds are pack rats by nature," he said. "Anything not in use, but not defective either, we scurried away to a warehouse for times like this." During the crisis, he has pulled 14 older ventilators out of storage and worked to replace the batteries and perform required maintenance. He then had to find the disposable components for those ventilators and train staffers who had never used those old-school machines before. "They're used to a touchscreen," he said. The University of Vermont hospital had more than 100 ventilators scheduled for preventive maintenance in April. Roberts and another senior biomed put other tasks aside in early March to work solely on ventilator maintenance, knowing a surge in demand was likely coming. But finding replacement parts has been a challenge. "Were getting a lot of partial orders where we get all but one part we need," he said. The arrival of new ventilators from other hospitals or from a stockpile can mean biomeds need to get up to speed quickly on unfamiliar equipment. Roberts said that when Vermont ordered new ventilators, three of the four models available were ones the University of Vermont hospital had never used. Some of the stockpiled ventilators haven't been used for six to eight years and require immediate maintenance before they can be pressed into service. Seeking help When manufacturers are unwilling to share maintenance procedures, biomeds sometimes turn to online forums, such as MedWrench or iFixit, for help. The forums are inundated with requests for service manuals or software passwords for ventilators from technicians all over the world. Frank's Hospital Workshop, a website run by a German biomed living in Tanzania, created a site with manuals for older medical equipment that finds its way to hospitals in developing regions. Those hospitals have little choice but to try to make repairs on their own and eke out additional years of life from the aging equipment. Still, manufacturers have prohibited the download of some service manuals on the site, arguing that the equipment can no longer be safely repaired. "For a premature child, the downside of it not working is a lot bigger than the repair quality," Proctor said. "It's not that complicated a device." Roberts has tried to help other biomeds posting on forums by directing them to manufacturer websites, but he said he won't go so far as to share service manuals or passcodes, even during the current crisis. "If you werent doing the maintenance to begin with," Roberts said, "now's not the time to learn." These unprecedented conditions, however, may be biomeds' time to shine. "The work that biomeds do has been historically largely confined to the dark corners of the basement or the lower recesses of the hospitals," said Richard Gonzales, director of the College of Biomedical Equipment Technology. "But they do truly keep the lights on in the hospital." A New Jersey dog is looking for a new home after both of her owners, two brothers, died due to coronavirus. Monmouth County SPCA shared photos of Che-Che on Facebook on April 13, saying that the nine-pound pup will receive some medical care before they find her a new family. 'Unfortunately, Che-Che is the first of many animals that we anticipate needing a safe haven in these uncertain times,' the post read. Sad puppy: A New Jersey dog is looking for a new home after both of her owners died after contracting coronavirus All alone: Monmouth County SPCA shared photos of Che-Che on Facebook on April 13, saying that the nine-pound pup will receive some medical care before they find her a new family Frightening: She was 'scared and shaking when she arrived,' they said 'Che-Che came to the Monmouth County SPCA this past weekend when two members of her family passed away due to the virus,' the post explained. She was 'scared and shaking when she arrived.' Che-Che was brought into the shelter by members of her owners' family, who were unable to offer her a home themselves after losing two relatives, who left behind four dogs. Dennis Traverso, 79, and his brother, James 'Cricket' Traverso, 73, died within one week of each other, both from complications from COVID-19. 'These were tireless, self-made men that worked labor jobs their whole life,' Dennis' daughter Denise told Good Morning America. 'They're heroes...they were not formally educated, but were two of the most intelligent men I know.' Denise and her sister were left not only with the grief of losing their beloved father and uncle, but also with the task of finding loving homes for the brothers' pets, something that they weren't able to do while also looking after their own families. Loss: Che-Che was owned by two brothers, James Traverso (left), 73, and Dennis Traverso (right), 79, who both passed away a week apart after contracting coronavirus So, they turned to the local shelter, who arranged for them to drop the dogs off in the safest way possible. 'We met them outside in full PPE,' the shelter's executive director revealed, while adding that the family had done all they good to give Che-Che the home that she deserves. 'Che-Che was scared, the kids were in the car crying,' he continued. 'They tried their hardest and just couldn't do it. WE told them we could give her a good home.' 'We can't imagine what it's like for a dog like her to suddenly lose everything she's ever known and then end up in an unfamiliar place,' the shelter staff added in the Facebook post. 'Our staff knew Che-Che needed some comfort and even through our PPE, we could tell a loving touch was all it took to help her to feel safe.' According to her late owner James' niece Gina Mellish, Che-Che was abused before she was taken in by the brothers, and needs a calm and stable home without any children or other pets. All clean! They're giving her veterinary care and also treated her to a bath Improving: On Thursday, the organization offered an update, saying hat Che-Che 'has done a beautiful job of settling in with us' Help out: The SPCA has other animals who also need care and adoption, and they're soliciting donations now Che-Che has more changes ahead. The SPCA said she'll get veterinary care, vaccines, and a dental cleaning in the next few days, plus 'a warm bubbly bath so that rubbery gloves and crinkly gowns are no longer needed to give her some affection! 'When Che-Che is ready, we plan to honor the family and those they lost by finding this sweet little girl the perfect home,' they wrote. While Che-Che is not available to adopt just yet, the SPCA has other animals who also need care and adoption, and they're soliciting donations now which will be matched up to $200,000 as part of their 'Compassion Counts' Matching Gift Campaign. On Thursday, the organization offered an update, saying hat Che-Che 'has done a beautiful job of settling in with us.' 'She's received nothing but love and affection (and a warm, soapy bath) and has been feeling MUCH better compared to when she first arrived,' the wrote. What you need to know about the coronavirus right now First responders applaud healthcare workers during a shift change at the EvergreenHealth Medical Center during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kirkland (Reuters) - Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Turning a corner? Such is the appetite in financial markets for good news of any sort that prices across the board are jumping on hopes of a gradual re-opening of the U.S. economy and a media report of a possible COVID-19 treatment. President Donald Trump's guidelines released on Thursday recommend a staggered, three-stage approach - somewhat in contrast to the "big bang" restart he once called for but enough for some to see light at the end of the tunnel. Separately, medical news website STAT reported that the University of Chicago hospital trial treating COVID-19 patients with the Gilead antiviral medication remdesivir is seeing rapid recoveries. UChicago Medicine, also in an email, said "partial data from an ongoing clinical trial is by definition incomplete and should never be used to draw conclusions". Despite the caveat, that and the Trump plan cheered the pan-European STOXX 600 index to gains of 2.6% earlier on Friday. "Manageable again" That positive tone was echoed in a statement of Germany's health minister on Friday as he described national efforts to combat the pandemic. "The outbreak has - as of today - become controllable and manageable again," Jens Spahn said, adding that the local health care system had "at no time been overwhelmed". Germany has had proportionately fewer fatalities than other countries hit by the outbreak but has always urged caution. The new language marks a more upbeat mood. Wuhan toll revisited China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the global coronavirus outbreak that has now caused more than 143,000 deaths globally, said it had revised up its total death toll by 50%, addressing incorrect reporting, delays and omissions of cases. That would take China's total deaths to over 4,500. The revision comes as U.S. and other officials question the accuracy of China's tallies - but also as those countries hit hardest by the pandemic have widely varying methodologies for counting their dead. The World Health Organization in Geneva has so far not commented on the Chinese revision. Story continues (For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread, open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser.) (For an interactive graphic tracking how coronavirus spread from Wuhan through China, click https://reut.rs/2XDMFmp) In India, distrust undermines efforts Efforts by health workers to identify and track cases have been a source of suspicion in India where there is a deep-rooted distrust of Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government. The doubts have been fuelled notably by a new citizenship law that critics say discriminates against Muslims and a crackdown by India in the Muslim-majority territory of Kashmir. Some Muslims believe health workers are secretly collecting data for a proposed database to identify illegal immigrants, according to community leaders and interviews with residents. A spate of viral videos carrying false information depicting Muslims attempting to spread the virus by spitting or blowing their noses with currency notes is inflaming the situation. From cramped dorms to cruisers Singapore is considering placing recovered migrant workers on cruise ships for their safety after COVID-19 cases surged in sprawling housing complexes where the foreign labourers live. Cruise ships have been the centre of some mass outbreaks, including the Diamond Princess, which was quarantined for over a month in the Japanese port of Yokohama with more than 700 people becoming infected. "Cruise ships are being considered as they have readily available rooms and en-suite toilets to minimise person-to-person contact," Singapore's tourism board said in a statement on Friday. (Compiled by Karishma Singh and Mark John) "Protecting law enforcement officers is core to our team, and this partnership with Havis provides more officers access to our ballistic vehicle armor," said George Tunis, Hardwire's CEO. Havis, Inc., is excited to announce a partnership with Hardwire to provide mission-critical ballistic armor for public safety vehicles. "Protecting law enforcement officers is core to our team, and this partnership with Havis provides more officers access to our ballistic vehicle armor," said George Tunis, Hardwire's CEO. "We are excited to reach more police departments to ensure that they know armor is available, functional, and affordable." Hardwire ballistic panels are proven, high performance, life-saving vehicle armor. The armor provides NIJ Level IIIA armor protection, and tests confirm they stop .357 SIG and .44 Magnum ammunition fired from longer barrel handguns as well as shotgun fire. This enhanced armor provides additional protection to public safety officers while in the field or on the scene. "Exterior ballistic panels are already standard for both the New York and Philadelphia Police Department," said Dan Heiland, Product Manager for Material Handing and Versatile solutions at Havis. "Our solutions support a range of vehicles already in the field, and they are simple to install, which means minimal downtime for police vehicles." Hardwire's armor kits from Havis include an external door and window insert solution. The kits are lightweight and durable, easy to install or remove, and transferable to like models. From vehicle-specific consoles to unique device mounts to K9 transport systems and more, Havis offers a dash-to-trunk line of purpose-built and innovative solutions that provide extreme officer protection. For more information, contact media@havis.com or visit http://www.havis.com. ABOUT HAVIS Havis, Inc., is a privately held, ISO 9001:2015 certified company that manufactures in-vehicle mobile office solutions for public safety, public works, government agencies, and mobile professionals. For more than 80 years, the Havis mission has been to increase mobile worker productivity with industry-leading products that are built to the highest safety and quality standards and are designed with comfort in mind. Havis is dedicated to responsible intellectual property management and fosters ongoing innovation. It's patent and trademark portfolio demonstrates a commitment to consistently researching and developing unique products and solutions for mobile industries around the world. Havis currently employs more than 300 people, with headquarters in Warminster, PA, and additional locations in Plymouth, MI, and globally. For more information on Havis, please call 1-800-524-9900 or visit http://www.havis.com.. ABOUT HARDWIRE Hardwire's corporate mission is to enable the survivability of humans. Hardwire produces armor for the U.S. military, law enforcement organizations, bridges, and public facilities. In addition to vehicle armor for law enforcement patrol vehicles and Command Centers, Hardwire makes the lightest body armor in the world, and holds the contracts to produce the soft armor for the Special Operations Command and the U.S. Marine Corps. http://www.hardwirellc.com. 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. 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 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 in Hunterdon, Warren and Sussex counties, along with other organizations. Margit gave us so much hope over her 90-plus years, Murphy said. Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. At least 12 factory workers were reported to have died from COVID-19 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Health officials are worried the virus may have been silently spreading for weeks. Health leaders voiced their concerns about the rising number of coronavirus victims working at assembly plants---most of which are US-owned. The new cases may be an indication that the global pandemic may have gone undetected for weeks. Juarez authorities reported over 82 new coronavirus cases on Thursday. Twenty patients died due to the virus; twelve were discovered to be workers at maquiladoras, the border factories considered to be crucial to Ciudad Juarez's economy. In El Paso, the city just across the border, health officials reported nearly 400 COVID-19 cases along with six fatalities. Chihuahua's top health authority Dr. Arturo Valenzuela said the conditions in Juarez provide opportunities for the virus to rapidly spread through the general population, leading to explosive surges in coronavirus cases. Before governments imposed strict lockdown procedures, most of the 300 maquiladoras employed 250,000 residents living in the area. Coronavirus-Presumed Deaths Lear Corporation, a Michigan-based company, was one of the hardest hit. A spokesman for the company confirmed some employees from one of their plants died from "a respiratory illness" said to be COVID-19. The company, which specializes in making car parts, refused to give an exact number of fatalities. They also declined to comment when the workers fell ill and whether or not their families and friends also caught the disease. Lear Corp. shut down plants in Juarez weeks ago in compliance with the Mexican government's orders. The state government issued lockdown guidelines on March 23. Lear closed its doors on March 27 after production in the US started declining. According to the spokesman, the company later learned that some of its workers were seeking medical attention at a local government medical facility. "We are saddened that several employees at our Juarez City operations have passed away," a company statement said. The company said it is collaborating with Social Security Mexican Institute to provide affected families with support, including medical care and counseling services. Death Train The Mexican Institute of Social Security oversees the operation of the country's public health system. Many experts believe there are far more cases and deaths than those officially reported. Susana Prieto, a lawyer and labor rights activist, said she believes the overall numbers are higher. She revealed that one COVID-19 patient working for Lear was recently transported to El Paso in a special ambulance. "We're looking at a death train," she said. Many local groups and organizations are raising funds to support local health care facilities. They fear many workers would have a hard time recovering from the recession brought by the virus. The Mexican government is reportedly lacking in financial aid for affected citizens as well as support for small and medium businesses. It's unclear how many people living near the border have been tested for COVID-19. Most, however, are sent to hospital #66, where nurses and doctors are running out of medical supplies. Several plants have shifted production to help resolve the supply shortage. Unfortunately, firms are not only meeting growing demands for personal protective equipment, but also body bags. This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic. Californias 2017 and 2018 catastrophic wildfire events hit state insurers historically hard, with record-breaking losses of over $25 billion.1 2 Three years later, state regulators, utility companies, and insurers are still scrambling to find solutions for homeowners who have lost their homes. In response, California Department of Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a mandate. On November 14th, 2019, the commissioner ordered the FAIR Plan Association, a state-established insurer of last resort ran by a pool of private carriers, to offer comprehensive homeowners insurance, adding traditional perils like water damage, theft, and personal liability to their fire coverage. Here are six things you need to know in order to understand this recent development in Californias insurance regulatory environment. Carriers Reduced Coverage After Wildfires After the recent damaging wildfires throughout the state, many traditional carriers reduced or discontinued their insurance coverage in zones deemed high-risk of wildfire. This meant many homeowners who needed insurance were forced to purchase insurance from the FAIR Plan which has rates that are often 2-3 times the rates of traditional carriers.3 California Mandates Carriers Maintain Coverage To combat insurers cancelling coverage in high-risk wildfire zones, The Wildfire Safety and Recovery Act (CA SB-824) of 2019 mandated a one-year moratorium on non-renewal of homeowners insurance for at least 800,000 homes in ZIP codes near recent wildfire disasters. While existing law prevents carriers from non-renewing homes with a total loss, this new law also protects those living adjacent to a declared wildfire emergency who did not suffer a total loss.4 This moratorium is not unprecedented, as a similar policy was put into place after Hurricane Andrew wreaked havoc in Florida in August of 1992. In this case, Florida property and casualty insurers were faced with over $16 billion in losses.5 A year later, the Department of Insurance imposed a moratorium on non-renewals of residential property coverages in Florida for 90 days. The Department also later issued a moratorium phaseout, where insurers were prohibited from cancelling more than 5% of their homeowners policies in the state over a 12-month period and more than 10% of their policies in any given county. This phaseout was set for three years until 1996 and was then replaced with a similar law that lasted another three years until 1999.6 After October 2018s Hurricane Michael, the Florida Insurance Commissioner issued a 90-day moratorium for carriers in impacted counties. Californias moratorium is a lot lengthier, and is proving a challenge for state insurers as they work to control losses amidst many years of consistent devastating wildfire events.7 California Orders FAIR to Offer HO-3 In November 2019, the California Department of Insurance ordered the FAIR Plan to (1) offer a comprehensive HO-3 homeowners policy which adds traditional homeowners insurance features like water damage and personal liability, (2) increase the combined dwelling coverage limit from $1.5 million to $3 million, and (3) offer a monthly payment plan and allow policyholders to pay by credit card or electronic funds transfer without any fees. The CDI mandated that this order be completed by June 1, 2020. The FAIR Plan has publicly stated that it is supportive of increasing coverage limits and offering a monthly payment plan without fees, but it is opposed to offering a comprehensive HO-3 policy.8 FAIR Plan Files Writ of Mandate FAIR Plan is concerned that the order would increase insurance costs for all policyholders of the Plan and further reduce incentives for traditional carriers to sell insurance in wildfire prone areas.9 As such, the FAIR Plan filed a writ of mandate to the Los Angeles Superior Court in December 2019 asking for a withdrawal of the California Department of Insurances order. The FAIR Plan argues that the order to offer comprehensive homeowners insurance is outside of the associations statutory mandate to provide basic property insurance and maintain actuarially sound rates, and that the FAIR Plan does not have the resources or expertise to provide HO-3 insurance. The association also asserts that the order conflicts with the FAIR Plans goal of encouraging maximum use of the traditional insurance market.9 Los Angeles Court Issues Preliminary Injunction In February 2020, the Los Angeles Superior Court imposed a preliminary injunction against the California Department of Insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara, ruling that the FAIR Plan cannot be compelled to issue a HO-3 policy. However, the court upheld the requirement for raising the dwelling coverage and creating a no-fee monthly payment plan.10 California Introduces Hardened Homes Bill The California Insurance Commissioner and state lawmakers introduced Assembly Bill 2367, named Renew California. The bill would create a Wildfire Resilience Task Force, which would include the Insurance Commissioner, the Director of the Office of Emergency Services, and the State Fire Marshal, to establish minimum standards for fire-hardened homes and communities. The bill would also require admitted property insurers in the state to write or renew policies when (1) the applicant or insured owns a residence with an estimated replacement cost consistent with the insurers underwriting guidelines and (2) the residence and community meet the minimum standards for fire-hardening.11 While mandatory HO-3 coverage for the FAIR Plan is not likely to be upheld in court, coverage limits for the plan will likely indeed be raised from $1.5 million to $3 million. This, combined with an elimination of electronic transfer fees, will likely result in higher FAIR Plan rates. This is not good news for homeowners in wildfire-prone areas, who are already unable to obtain coverage from a traditional carrier. The result could be a continued lack of sufficient coverage in wildfire zones and could potentially impact current and future development in these areas if prospective homeowners are not able to obtain insurance coverage. Sources: Topics Carriers California Catastrophe Natural Disasters Legislation Florida Wildfire Homeowners Numbers A survey conducted by Swiss Re in late March found that 70% of respondents were more likely to reconsider priorities in life, and that many are actively considering buying a life insurance policy. While the COVID-19 outbreak presents life and health insurers with many challenges for underwriting new business, Life Guide access includes the ability to reverence new guidance to help insurers address the emerging risks associated with the outbreak alongside other commonly searched risk factors including cancer and cardiovascular disease. These are unprecedented times and uncharted waters for life and health insurers, and we recognize the urgent need and value to share our expertise beyond our existing base of registered users, said Paul Murray, head of life and health products for Swiss Re. Our priority is to use our experience, leadership and perspective to help insurers continue to underwrite sustainable business and preserve the ability to deliver on those promises. Additional reporting by Aoife Moore, Cianan Brennan, and Maresa Fagan The spread of Covid-19 here may have reached a plateau, and its growth rate has slowed to close to zero, as a result of the stringent lockdown measures enacted in March. As the country recorded its highest daily death toll from the virus, new modelling suggests that Ireland may have turned a corner in the fight against the spread of Covid-19, with the virus now close to contained. However, easing any of the current restrictions will need careful consideration to prevent a further spike in the disease. Thats according to the latest modelling carried out by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET). The latest study suggests that the reproductive growth rate of the virus, known as the RO, which measures how many people each infected person passes the disease onto, now stands between 0.7 and 1. At the beginning of the crisis, the RO here roughly stood at 4. The modelling suggests we may have reached a plateau, said Philip Nolan, chairman of NPHETs epidemiological modelling advisory group.Were at a moment of very delicate balance between suppression of the disease and further outbreak. There is currently no need to drive the RO any lower, said Prof Nolan. The challenge now is to find a way to keep it at that level using more liberal measures, he added. If we are thinking about relaxing measures, even slightly, we need to be very careful. Serious concerns have also been raised about the growing death toll in nursing homes and in residential settings. This followed the deaths of nine residents at a centre of psychiatry of old age in Portlaoise. Eight of the residents at the Maryborough Centre at St Fintans Hospital tested positive for Covid-19. Measures are ramping up to control the spread of the virus in these homes, including more focused testing, according toTony Holohan, Irelands chief medical officer. Minister for Health Simon Harris said stopping the spread of Covid-19 in nursing homes is now his number one priority. We need to have a serious conversation about how we care for older people in this country after this pandemic, the current model is not fit for purpose, he said. Ireland recorded its highest daily death toll from the virus yesterday, as a further 43 people lost their lives due to Covid-19. A further 724 new cases of the virus were also confirmed, bringing the total number of cases here to 13,271. However, the epidemic had continued here unmitigated, Ireland would have been heading towards 7,800 new cases of the virus confirmed yesterday, said Prof Nolan. By [April 23], wed be looking at 2,200 people requiring intensive care and we wouldnt be able to look after them, he said. This is a very serious situation that was prevented by measures taken on March 28. Meanwhile, the temporary takeover of 19 private hospitals could cost the state more than 300 million over the next three months.Under the three-month deal brokered all patients attending private hospitals will be treated as public patients and no private work can be carried out. While the Department of Health said details of the agreement with the Private Hospital Association were commercially sensitive and confidential it confirmed that the HSE has already made advance payments of 90 million to private hospitals for the month of April. The deal, however, has also left 600 private-only hospital doctors in limbo following a wrangle between the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) and Department of Health over the public-only terms of a proposed temporary contract. The Irish Examiner has seen the terms of the agreement between the HSE and private hospitals, which specifies that no private work will be permitted and that staff costs will only be reimbursed up to a maximum salary of 200,000 per annum. The agreement also suggests that the onus was placed on private hospitals to encourage private-only doctors to sign up to a Category A type contract, which excludes all private work. To date doctors working exclusively in private hospitals have refused to sign, maintaining that their private patients should not be abandoned. One of the worlds rarest owl species has a chance at survival after a breakthrough on a remote Australian island. A pair of morepork owl chicks have become the first in more than a decade to survive in Norfolk Islands national park. There are only about 45 to 50 of the birds left in the world, and researchers and park staff were said to be ecstatic when the chicks were discovered. Dr James Findlay, director of Australias national parks, said the find marked a significant step in the recovery of the morepork owl population on the tiny island in the Pacific Ocean. He said: Id like to congratulate Parks Australia staff, Norfolk Island community members and researchers for their incredible work over the years to rebuild the population of this very rare bird. Environment news in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 Environment news in pictures Environment news in pictures Davos 2019: David Attenborough issues stark warning about future of civilisation as he demands practical solutions to combat climate change Sir David Attenborough has issued a stark warning about climate change to business figures gathered in Davos, telling them that "what we do now...will profoundly affect the next few thousand years". On the eve of this year's World Economic Forum, the renowned naturalist told the audience that the worlds of business and politics should "get on with the practical solutions" needed to prevent environmental damage. "As a species we are expert problem solvers. But we've not yet applied ourselves to this problem with the focus it requires. "We can create a world with clean air and water, unlimited energy, and fish stocks that will sustain us well into the future. But to do that, we need a plan," he said. The broadcaster made his speech after receiving a Crystal Award, which is awarded by the forum to "exceptional cultural leaders". AFP/Getty Environment news in pictures At least 60% of wild coffee species face extinction triggered by climate change and disease Two decades of research have revealed that 60 per cent of the worlds coffee species face extinction due to the combined threats of deforestation, disease and climate change. The wild strain of arabica, the most widely consumed coffee on the planet, is among those now recognised as endangered, raising concerns about its long-term survival. These results are worrying for the millions of farmers around the world who depend on the continued survival of coffee for their livelihoods. As conditions for coffee farming become tougher, scientists predict the industry will need to rely on wild varieties to develop more resilient strains Alan Schaller Environment news in pictures Warming Antarctic waters are speeding the rate at which glaciers are melting The Antarctic ice sheet is losing six times as much ice each year as it was in the 1980s and the pace is accelerating, one of the most comprehensive studies of climate change effects on the continent has shown. More than half an inch has been added to global sea levels since 1979, but if current trends continue it will be responsible for metres more in future, the Nasa-funded study found. The international effort used aerial photos, satellite data and climate models dating back to the 1970s across18 Antarctic regions to get the most complete picture to date on the impacts of the changing climate. It found that between 1979 and 1990 Antarctica lost an average of 40 gigatonnes (40 billion tonnes) of its mass each year. Between 2009 and 2017 it lost an average 252 gigatonnes a year. This has added 3.6mm per decade to sea levels, or around 14mm since 1979, the study shows Nasa/Getty Environment news in pictures Greater Manchester to ban fracking, paving way for confrontation with government over controversial industry Greater Manchester is to effectively ban fracking, raising the prospect of fresh confrontation with the government over the controversial industry. All of the regions 10 councils are to implement planning policies which create a presumption against drilling for shale gas in their areas, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has announced. Campaigners said the move was the latest sign that the tide was turning against fracking, which has been the subject of multiple legal battles across the country. Critics of fracking say it poses environmental and health risks. Drilling at the UKs only operational fracking site, run by Cuadrilla in Lancashire, has repeatedly been halted due to earth tremors. But ministers support the industry and last year unveiled plans to accelerate the development of new drilling sites Ross Wills Environment news in pictures Japan confirms plan to resume commercial whaling in its waters from next year Japan will resume commercial whaling next year for the first time in more than three decades, in a move that has provoked strong criticism from campaigners and the international community. Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said his nation would leave the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to resume hunting the marine mammals in Japanese waters. However, he stated the activity would be limited to Japans territory and the 200 mile exclusive economic zone along its coasts. This means controversial scientific trips to Antarctica in which Japanese vessels killed hundreds of whales, as well as activity in the northwest Pacific, will stop in 2019 AP Environment news in pictures COP24: Environmental groups criticise morally unacceptable climate deal reached after major Poland summit Diplomats from around the world have agreed a major climate deal after two weeks of United Nations talks in Poland. But climate campaigners warned the deal effectively a set of rules for how to govern the 2015 Paris climate accord agreed between almost 200 countries lacked ambition or a clear promise of enhanced climate action. Activists cautiously welcomed elements of the plan, saying important progress had been made on ensuring that efforts to tackle climate change by individual nations can be measured and compared. But environmental groups were also highly critical of the agreement, warning it lacked ambition and clarity on key issues, including financing for climate projects for developing countries. The COP24 deal, which is aimed at providing firm guidelines for countries on how to transparently report their greenhouse gas emissions and their efforts to reduce them, was confirmed on 15 December, after talks overran Reuters Environment news in pictures Unprecedented changes needed to stop global warming as UN report reveals islands starting to vanish and coral reefs dying Greenhouse gas emissions must be cut almost in half by 2030 to avert global environmental catastrophe, including the total loss of every coral reef, the disappearance of Arctic ice and the destruction of island communities, a landmark UN report has concluded. Drawing on more than 6,000 scientific studies and compiled over two years, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) findings, released this morning, warn enormous and rapid changes to the way everyone on Earth eats, travels and produces energy need to be brought in immediately. Though the scientists behind the report said there is cause for optimism, they recognised the grim reality that nations are currently nowhere near on track to avert disaster AFP/Getty Environment news in pictures Africas three biggest elephant poaching cartels exposed using DNA from illegal ivory shipments DNA taken from massive shipments of ivory has been used to identify the three largest wildlife trafficking gangs operating at the height of Africas elephant poaching epidemic. Ivory tends to be shipped around the world from African ports in bulk, and scientists have used genetic evidence gleaned from intercepted batches to reveal their origins. Led by Dr Samuel Wasser from the University of Washington, they traced a number of these shipments to three cartels operating out of Kenya, Uganda and Togo. Evidence collected by Dr Wasser has already helped convict ivory kingpin Feisal Mohamed Ali, and as his team joins the dots between shipments they plan to shore up the cases against more of the continents most prolific smugglers Art Wolfe The fledgling owls are being closely monitored by Norfolk Island National Park staff and researchers from Monash University. The health of the new birds continues to be assessed and a very close eye will be kept on them as they grow and reach full maturity. Staff at Norfolk Island national park have worked closely with the Norfolk Island community and researchers for more than 40 years to help the species recover. A pair of rare morepork owl chicks have become the first in more than a decade to survive on Norfolk Island, in the South Pacific. (Parks Australia/Monash University) Their work began in the 1980s when the population declined to a single female. In 1989, she was successfully paired with one of two male owls from a New Zealand subspecies. The cross-Tasman relations meant that all subsequent generations of moreporks on Norfolk Island were now a unique hybrid of the Norfolk Island and New Zealand morepork owls. Dr Sally Box, Australias threatened species commissioner, said the Norfolk Island morepork owl was one of 20 priority birds targeted for recovery under the Australian governments threatened species strategy. As people rushed to stock up on toilet paper and hand sanitizer in March, Debi Meinwieser dropped thousands of dollars on more than 400 bottles of vape juice for e-cigarettes. The 56-year-old from Whiting Township said she sought out the supply not in anticipation of the coronavirus outbreak and stay-at-home order, but to avoid a drought when the state law banning flavored vaping products takes effect Monday. I stocked up, she said. But Im concerned for the new vapers and the smokers who havent had the chance to start vaping yet." Meinwieser, like many others across the country, said she quit smoking cigarettes after three decades once she started vaping. She had tried nicotine gums and patches, but nothing helped to wean her off nicotine. Instead, she credits the flavored vaping products she has used for nearly five years for saving her life. As New Jersey officials watch for the forecasted peak in coronavirus cases later this month, another date looms: April 20, the day when vape shops must stop selling flavored products. Gov. Phil Murphy signed the law banning the sale of of flavored vaping products, which include candy and fruity flavors that may attract teens, in January. It came with a 90-day waiting period before going into effect. The measure marked the nations first permanent flavor ban, going further than several emergency orders some states issued last year as a mysterious vaping health crisis took hold in the fall. Rhode Island has since made its temporary flavor ban permanent, too. The illness put 2,807 people into hospitals and killed 68, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Supporters of the law say it will keep the products out of the hands of teens, who have taken up vaping years after youth cigarette use fell. But opponents say it will force adult users, many of whom previously smoked cigarettes, either back to those products or to the black market. And vape shops, largely small businesses employing a few thousand people across the state, have promised the ban will thrust them into bankruptcy. It will also rob the state of tax revenue as people shift to the web or stores over state lines to buy the products. Theyre still easily accessible, ordering online, shipping in state, said Sheryl Agro, owner of InnoVapes in Wrightstown. Youve effectively just given up your control over these products. A former version of the flavored vaping bill included a ban on menthol cigarettes, but state Senate President Stephen Sweeney said lawmakers put that on hold, planning to bring it up again later this year during budget discussions. The change has vapor rights advocates accusing lawmakers of playing a political game, rather than looking out for the health of the state. The stress on the industry was exacerbated when Murphy ordered non-essential businesses to close in an effort to contain the coronavirus outbreak. In mid-March, the vape shops suddenly found themselves fighting a tighter deadline to unload the products, but had no customers walking through their doors. Now, theyre pleading for an extension on the ban, and for the state to allow them to operate with curbside pickup as essential businesses. Activists and shop owners say they havent heard back from officials. Cigarettes are still labeled to be sold. Cigarettes are proven to be killing, said Shoaib Iqbal, CEO of Good Guy Vapes and a vice president of the New Jersey Vapor Rights Coalition. We feel like an alternative should also be able to be sold. Other countries under lockdown including Spain, Italy and France have kept vape shops open, and last week, Louisiana reversed a decision to close them. And for those like Meinwieser, who found relief in a legal and regulated product, the policy is a gut punch. When I started vaping, I had no clue that vaping was being attacked, she said. I just thought, Oh my god, I finally found something to help me quit smoking. She, too, wonders why vape shops have not been allowed to operate with curbside pickup as essential businesses, like takeout restaurants or stores that sell cigarettes. She bought some 400 bottles at $8 a piece, a wholesale price, but knows many others do not have the luxury to drop so much money at once. In early March, with about five week left until the ban took effect, vape shop owners said they had not seen customers stocking up yet, both because time remained, and because some customers knew they could order online. Now theyre facing even larger stockpiles of soon-to-be banned product than expected. Weve been kind of robbed of that time, Iqbal said. Were hoping to get some sort of extension. A spokeswoman for Murphy declined to comment on an extension of the enactment date. While theyve started online ordering, Iqbal says many customers have reached out desperately they do not know how to order products online, or do not have credit cards to pay for them. During the 90-day period, vape shop owners were meant to unload product and pivot their business models. Agro sells some CBD products for people and pets, but most of her revenue to support five employees with benefits comes from the flavored vaping products purchased by military personnel at nearby Fort Dix. She did not think her shop would survive the ban, and said the closure of nonessential businesses in March put her further behind. For her, the inability to open during the stay-at-home order only builds on the idea that the government has something against vape shops. To deem vape shops as nonessential is just more blatancy from the government that they just dont want to accept that this works as a smoking cessation product, Agro said. I quit the day I started vaping. I would never go back. I had a dream that if I could do this myself, I could help so many other people. Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. (CNN) -- Dozens of actors and film crew members crammed into a small hair salon in an upscale Cairo neighborhood in early April. They were racing to finish filming a TV serial scheduled to premiere during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which starts next week. The narrow streets of the Egyptian capital were a beehive of activity with dozens of crew members moving up and down the road or resting on plastic chairs on the sidewalks. In previous years, the crowd, the six trucks and 32 vehicles lining the surrounding streets would have attracted passers-by hoping to see their favorite film stars. It is a common sight in the weeks before Ramadan, a high season for TV, when crews work 16-20 hour days to meet their deadlines. But at a time when Egypt is observing a partial curfew to stem the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, concerned neighbors were alarmed to see a big crowd ignoring social distancing guidelines and called the police. That day officers showed up to the set seven times but everything they were doing was perfectly legal, Ahmed Yehia, a producer working on the serial, told CNN. Yehia works on a comedy, but his experience is representative of the Egyptian pre-Ramadan film industry. Egypt's government advises against activities involving crowds and only imposes fines on those violating the curfew, which was 7pm-6am initially. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, who promised cash handouts to workers impacted by the virus, said in a televised speech last week that he did not want to completely "suspend work completely in all sectors." Since the start of the outbreak, the government has suspended schools and universities, grounded most flights and closed mosques and churches in a bid to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. It advised those who can to work from home, but encouraged production in different industries to continue, including TV which is mostly controlled by privately owned companies with ties to the state. Insiders in the multi-million dollar TV industry warned that continuing to work in crowded sets over long hours could be deadly. "How can we make a living if we and our loved ones are dead?" script writer Mariam Naoum said in a public appeal on Facebook to stop productions on March 22. By that date, the virus had officially claimed 14 lives, including two military generals, and the country's confirmed cases stood at 327. TV channels were pressuring producers, who were pressuring actors to continue filming, Naoum said. Though she was able to work from home as a scriptwriter, she felt she was facilitating the work that was happening on those crowded sets, she added: "I feel that with every scene I [write and] send, I hurt people that I love very much." 'Ramadan is our Super Bowl' Millions in Egypt and around the Arab world will be glued to the high-production period dramas and thrillers throughout the holy month of Ramadan, which begins on April 23. Discussions of plot twists dominate the traditional family gatherings after the day-long fast. In good years, Egypt can produce up to 80 serials for that month alone, shown on local and international Arab channels selling ad slots to corporations splurging on big stars and expensive productions. "Ramadan is our Super Bowl," film director Tamer Mahdy said about the ad industry. This struggle between protecting people from the virus without bringing the economy to a screeching halt is mirrored globally, in everything from government responses to people's daily choices. Egypt has a population of nearly 100 million people living in densely populated cities and villages. Its fragile health care sector is reeling under budget cuts and its political leadership is widely perceived to lack transparency, and flout its own rules. A third of the population lives in poverty and at least half of the economy is made up of workers who depend on daily wages for survival "There is no protective gear. And that's why doctors are at high risk," Dr. Mohammed Hassan, a physician and former Egypt's doctors' union leader told CNN. But for a population the size of Egypt's, experts worry about the country's capacity, with just 346 ventilators set aside to treat coronavirus patients. Health and government officials didn't respond to multiple CNN requests for comment over the span of a week. Egypt's Minister of Health, Hala Zayed, has repeatedly cited Egypt's low number of confirmed cases as a point of pride for the Egyptian government. Egypt reported 2,505 cases and 183 deaths as of Wednesday and the World Health Organization (WHO) has commended its early interventions to contain the virus. But experts warn that the health sector is ill-equipped to handle an outbreak like the one seen in Europe, and equipment shortages are affecting hospitals across the country. "We managed to collect donations and buy the basic medical supplies," a cardiologist at a public hospital told CNN. "The health ministry is doing its best," but "a corrupt and poor system" can't be reformed during a pandemic, she added. The cardiologist spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid punitive measures. At least three doctors have died from the novel coronavirus and 43 others health workers have tested positive, the doctors' syndicate said, leading to partial closures of public hospitals offering free healthcare to thousands of the most vulnerable. One of the hospitals that has had to reduce its capacity is the National Cancer Institute. The WHO said 13 percent of Egypt's confirmed cases are healthcare workers. And even where the capacity still exists, some patients say they don't feel safe. Seeing how some doctors and nurses didn't use basic protective gear or observe social distancing at a public hospital, cancer patient Amr Asaad told CNN he is "reluctant to resume his chemotherapy." Stopping is not an option "Postponing or not shooting is not an option," said Mohammed Gamaleddine, a line producer in an upcoming Ramadan drama, told CNN. "We are freelancers, not rich stars. There are hundreds of people who work in this industry and most of us may stay at home with no job or money from year to year. It could be the only gig we have," he added. Despite these appeals and the concerns expressed by crews and actors, shooting only stopped on productions that were so behind in their schedule that they would not have been able to meet their deadlines while working under the curfew, according to several industry insiders who spoke to CNN. Those who had finished 70% of filming acquired permits to work through the curfew, scaled down the production, halved the number of crews on newly sterilized sets and brought physicians on site, they said. Ashraf Zaki, the head of the semi-official actors' syndicate said in early April only 25% of the planned serials would make it to the screens in Ramadan. "The government wants us to finish the series, so people can find something to entertain them during the lockdown. The production company will pay a huge fine [to TV networks] if they don't deliver before Ramadan," Yehia, the producer who worked on the shoot at the hair salon, told CNN. A week later, Yehia's crew moved to a hotel to film a number of other scenes. A shoot at the hotel reception involved 130 people. The following scene was shot in a hotel room, with a minimum of 20 people "after cutting down all unnecessary staff," he explained. To cut costs, by paying the hotel for one day instead of two, the crew kept on working for 20 hours -- a common practice in the annual race. "Right now, I am wearing a mask and gloves, but in a couple of hours -- like every day -- I will get too busy or get tired and will throw them away," Yehia told CNN on the phone from the hotel. "We are all crammed in one place. There is no way we can have social distancing." "We all would rather be at home with our families. I am so scared for my family. I agreed with my wife that the kids will be safer in our hometown Alexandria and I haven't seen them or my mother for the past three weeks," Yehia added. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Egypt's soap operas defy a deadly virus for Ramadan prime time. But at what cost?" They gathered at the Avantara Evergreen Park nursing home, where Coleman had lived in recent years. The celebration of a long, full life would be the last time his family would get to enjoy the company of a man who seemed to know everything. World coronavirus deaths surged past 150,000 Friday as US President Donald Trump accused China of continuing to cover up its toll, even after Beijing revised figures sharply upward for Wuhan, the original epicenter of the global pandemic. COVID-19 fatalities mounted in the United States and hard-hit Western Europe countries, but fresh data on rising infections and deaths in Africa showed the virus is leaving no continent uscathed in its global march. More than half of humanity -- 4.5 billion people -- were confined to their homes, with evidence mounting of social distancing's success in slowing the pandemic. But widespread nervousness remained over when and how to ease confinement measures to revive the world economy, battered by what the International Monetary Fund has dubbed the "Great Lockdown." - 2.2 million cases worldwide - More than 2.2 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in 193 countries and territories, according to figures collected by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organization (WHO). The figures probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections however, because many countries are testing only the most serious cases. For example, a new Stanford University study testing Silicon Valley residents for viral antibodies suggested that the true number of COVID-19 infections was at least 50 times higher than the official figure. The daily number of confirmed deaths across the globe remained high at over 8,800. Out of more than 150,000 total deaths since the outbreak erupted, the United States has recorded 36,773, Italy 22,745, Spain 19,478 and France 18,681. Illustrating the increasing threat in countries less in focus, Africa reported its 1,000th death on Friday. China meanwhile raised its estimate of deaths to 4,636 on Friday. That came after it increased the official toll for the city of Wuhan by 1,290 -- a precise 50.0 percent -- to 3,869. Trump, who has been accused of reacting too slowly to the coronavirus threat, alleged that Beijing's numbers were still not accurate. "It is far higher than that and far higher than the U.S., not even close!" Trump tweeted. Trump did not offer evidence, but pressure has mounted in recent days on Beijing to come clean over its handling of the original outbreak. US media has reported suspicions that the virus came not from a Wuhan wet market as first claimed, but from a poorly managed nearby research facility studying bat-related diseases including coronaviruses. Leaders in France and Britain have also questioned China's management of the crisis, and French President Emmanuel Macron said it would be "naive" to think Beijing had handled the pandemic well. Beijing hit back earlier Friday, insisting there had been no cover-up. "There has never been any concealment, and we'll never allow any concealment," a foreign ministry spokesman said. - Life-and-death balance - Governments around the world are grappling with the question of when to reopen society, seeking a life-and-death balance between unfreezing stalled economies and preventing a second deadly coronavirus wave. Germany became the latest country to unveil plans to lift some restrictions, taking on the delicate task of reopening without triggering a new wave of infections. The government declared its outbreak "under control" and said select small shops will be allowed to reopen Monday and some children would return to school within weeks. Infection rates there "have sunk significantly," Health Minister Jens Spahn said Friday. Switzerland, Denmark and Finland were also gradually re-opening shops and schools, and even in hard-hit Italy, people began emerging from lockdown, with Venice residents strolling around quiet canals stripped of their usual throngs of tourists. But Japan, Britain and Mexico all expanded current restrictions. And in Russia, recorded infections topped 32,000 as President Vladimir Putin warned that "the risks surrounding the epidemic's spread are still very high, not just in Moscow but in many other Russian regions". In the United States, a more complex picture was emerging. Trump, whose reelection in November could hinge on how fast US life returns to normal, appeared to endorse protests against stay-at-home orders in several states -- although he has officially left it to governors to decide when to lift lockdowns. In Florida the governor, a close Trump ally, gave a green light to reopening some beaches and parks. But in New York state, with its namesake city the hardest hit in the world by the coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo extended a shutdown order until May 15, as he accused Trump of not helping in efforts to expand testing. - Vulnerable economies - Signs of the economic damage of the pandemic also mounted. China reported Friday its GDP shrank 6.8 percent in the first quarter, the first contraction since quarterly growth data started in the early 1990s. Lockdown measures were starting to pinch some of the world's most vulnerable economies. Tobacco farmers in Zimbabwe fear a delayed start to the normally busy auction season, the lifeblood for thousands of growers in impoverished rural regions, due to lockdown measures. "This year our harvest hasn't been good at all," farmer Shaw Mutalepo told AFP, as workers in face masks crunched cured leaves into large bales. In Washington, the Trump administration announced another $19 billion in relief for farmers, who have been hit by a massive shift in food consumption with schools and restaurants shuttered across the country. "Having to dump milk and plow under vegetables ready to market is not only financially distressing, but it's heartbreaking as well to those who produce them," Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said. Some $3 billion will be used to buy up surplus dairy products and produce that farmers have been destroying, unable to get it to consumers or food processors. Meanwhile the IMF and World Bank said that Africa needs another $44 billion to fight the pandemic, even after a freeze in debt payments for many countries and massive support pledges. The IMF also warned the virus could spark another "lost decade" in Latin America, with debt moratoriums said not to be enough support. With several hospitals in the city and neighbouring Howrah district ceasing operations after patients admitted there died due to Covid-19, people here have been largely inconvenienced, some having to do without treatment for their ailments over the past week. Apart from Charnock Hospital, SS Chatterjee Heart Clinic and state-run Howrah General Hospital -- which have completely shut down operations -- specific wards of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, NRS Medical College and Hospital and the Calcutta Medical College have also stopped functioning for the time being, with authorities there working to get the premises sanitised, an official said. The decision to shut down these facilities has affected many patients, who needed immediate treatment, but the move was necessitated to ensure safety of people and medical professionals, the health department official said. A senior official at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), however, said that the number of patients visiting the facility for regular treatment has reduced since the imposition of the lockdown. "After Covid-19 patients died here and our doctors and nurses were found to have contracted the disease, we had to close some wards for sanitisation. Notices have been put up in this regard outside the hospital building," he said. Rohit Agarwal, a resident of Salt Lake, said he was at a loss trying to figure out where to take his father for his weekly dialysis, with Charnock Hospital having shut down "Charnock Hospital is closer to my place and my ailing father can't travel for long... Also, amid the restrictions, finding another nearby hospital that would provide requisite services seems difficult. I don't know what to do." he said. According to the health department official, nearly 250 doctors, nurses, support staff as well as patients from the aforementioned hospitals have been put in isolation. "It takes around 7 to ten days to complete the sanitisation process. Even the doctors and the nurses who tested positive require a minimum of 14 days time to recover. Our priority is to keep a check on the spread of Covid-19 so that patients visiting the hospitals do not stand the chance of getting infected," the official said. Indrajit Dolui, a resident of Noapukur, complained that his wife, suffering from gynaecological problems, had been "practically lying unattended at RG Kar hospital" over the past few days. "She has been keeping unwell... I think I might have to look for a doctor elsewhere, at some other hospital. There, too, chances of infection remain..." he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MIDDLETOWN Spirit day was an especially poignant one this year for Macdonough Elementary School teachers, parents and students who were at turns elated and melancholy, pining for a time of normalcy before the coronavirus pandemic pushed learning online. The week, which included sunglasses day, a reading show-and-tell and a selfie day, ended with a celebration of the arts. A promenade of staff proceeded Thursday afternoon from the Spring Street school to Prospect Street, then snaked around the neighborhood for about an hour, leaving loads of joy in its wake. Full of excitement, children and parents waved to occupants of every vehicle, shouting out greetings such as we miss you! As students of all ages jumped up and down at street corners throughout the North End, they were clearly overjoyed to see familiar and, in some cases, beloved faces. Each was met with we miss you, too! The parade was led by Middletown police cruisers, with two Middletown fire trucks last in formation. Principal Damian Reardon stopped by one students house to make sure he was able to access the Seesaw education platform earlier in the day. I was getting ready to do the social distancing thing when he gave me a hug and would not let go. The smile on his face was huge. This is going to be a tremendous spirit lift for our community, he said. The children were prepared with their own colorful signs reading Mac SURFS (The schools policy that encourages children to demonstrate self-responsibility, understanding, respect, fairness and safety). Other placards affixed to vehicles named their particular teachers. Lets keep active, one teacher wrote in markers on her cars back window. Another was adorned with little posters proclaiming we [heart] you, We are Mac strong, #ridethewave, and Wash your hands! Gov. Ned Lamont issued an executive order last week closing schools until at least May 20. Several other schools in Middletown conducted similar events just before the district moved to online leaning March 30. I know a lot of other schools went early, but the fact that were doing it now a little ways into it gives a little bit of hope, Reardon explained. Were now thinking what can we do in a couple more weeks to keep the kids going and connect with them. Second-grade teacher Shalan Paul coordinated the entire event. The Macdonough community is a remarkable and strong one, she said. The North End neighborhood walking school lends itself to a tight-knit community, she said. We have a really good relationship with our kids, and we want to make sure were able to maintain that contact and encourage them. This is new for everybody. Being able to see them face-to-face and have all these positive messages was a spectacle she was thrilled to lead. Its new to all of us. There are a mix of those struggling with this and others who are successfully distance learning. Our teachers are working so hard right now to get things done that can be meaningful to our students, Reardon explained. Before the procession began at 4:30 p.m., he admitted it was going to be rough for everyone to remain in their cars, and not give out hugs and high-fives like they often do. Were very excited and we needed something to bring kids that excitement. We were getting kids to do different things all week and lift their spirits, too, said STEM teacher John Ferrero. Macdonough mother Karen Comstock was joined by her sons Derek and Trent. Both boys posed for a photo with their SUV decorated to the hilt. He loves the STEM program here, and couldnt wait to see his teachers. [Derek] misses them so much. Trent attends Wilbert Snow Elementary School. Comstock said online learning has been successful for both her boys. Theyre doing really well. They were equipped, because they have most of their learning already online for the STEM kids. It was almost seamless for [Derek]. Kindergarten teacher Kelly Lenihan, who helped map out the route, brought along her children. Once the motorcade got underway, her son popped his head out the sunroof. She admitted to feeling wistful for pre-COVID-19 days. Its sad not to see them for so long, and we really miss it. You dont realize how important it is to have that connection with the kids until you cant have it anymore. Her young charges love coming to school, and cant help but form a bond with their instructor. Elementary students dont attend multiple classes as they do in middle school. Many grade-schoolers consider their teachers mentors from whom they derive comfort away from home. Were like their parents throughout the day, Lenihan added. To view photos taken throughout the event, visit the Macdonough Twitter feed. For information, check out the schools Facebook page. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) President Rodrigo Duterte floated the idea of a police and military takeover amid violations of quarantine measures in Luzon, and the country's top cop expressed readiness to take orders. "The Philippine National Police stands squarely in support of President Rodrigo R Dutertes intention to decisively enforce a total lockdown for the entire period under Enhanced Community Quarantine," PNP Chief Police General Archie Gamboa said in a statement on Friday. Gamboa said some people may feel "they can get away" with their violations since authorities are required to release them within 12 hours in the absence of inquest officers. READ: DILG clarifies quarantine violators will still be arrested "Trust me, their brush with the law today will not go unpunished. There will be a day of reckoning for all lawbreakers when we shall find the appropriate time to directly file criminal charges in court to begin their agony of criminal prosecution," Gamboa said. Complaints can be filed to the lower courts through e-mail. The Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine has forced most workers to stay home, including government workers, except those offering basic and essential services and those identified as part of the skeletal workforce. Gamboa lamented how "many people are willfully violating government orders to remain indoors," endangering the lives of frontliners, including the policemen. The PNP has recorded 65 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among its personnel. Of this number, eight have recovered while three have succumbed to the viral illness. On Thursday night, Duterte said he is putting the police and military on standby for them to enforce quarantine measures if people continue to break them. Dutertes threat came after officials noted increased vehicle traffic on roads and highways and increased foot traffic in certain public markets. 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.] Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the President's statement is no cause for concern. "Walang dapat ikatakot ang publiko kahit 'parang martial law, (The public does not have to fear the statement 'it's like martial law'). It simply means na mas may military presence to help the police enforce the law and that is for the protection, not oppression, of the people," Guevarra said in a statement. He further assured that the military will only keep law and order and instill public discipline, and the courts will continue to function and human rights will be respected. He also stressed that Duterte knows martial law can only be declared in cases of rebellion or invasion, but added that the President can also call out the armed forces to suppress lawless violence whenever necessary, "including lawless violence that may arise due to the COVID-19 pandemic." Photos of the Gateway Arch, either completed or in various stages of construction, typically are used to spotlight the role of St. Louis as the Gateway to the West, a key factor in the nations growth and the regions heritage and importance. But the cover photo of this exhaustive examination of the areas role in race relations is clearly designed to tell a different story. It shows the monument unfinished, with the north and south legs yet to be joined at the top, under the words Broken Heart and framing the subtitle St. Louis and the Violent History of the United States. Hyperbole? Absolutely. Even for people who have spent their whole lives in this area, Walter Johnsons way of connecting the dots of racial strife across the American centuries, and having the message spell out St. Louis, will throw a new, not particularly flattering light on familiar events. Readers of The Broken Heart of America will never view the history of the region the same way again. Johnson certainly intends to have that effect. In his prologue, he puts his contrarian view this way: A Sumatran elephant was found with its trunk hacked off earlier this week as authorities suspect it was killed for intruding on residential areas. The male elephant's carcass was found around 2.15pm on Wednesday in the Riau province of Indonesia. It was found 2.5 miles away from the Kelayang district office in Indragiri Hulu regency, The Jakarta Post reported. A Sumatran elephant was found with its trunk hacked off and a mutilated face in the Riau province of Indonesia on Wednesday afternoon The elephant, regarded as critically endangered, was found with its face severely mutilated and trunk cut off. Suharyono, the head of Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) in Riau, said: 'The dead elephant ... was separated from its herd in the Tesso Tenggara elephant enclosure.' The elephant lived in the southeast Tesso elephant area of Riau's Tesso Nilo National Park. He thought the elephant could have been considered a pest by locals. It entered residential and plantation areas which are part of its home range on multiple occasions and some plants were damaged several times as a result. It is thought the dead elephant was separated from its herd in the Tesso Tenggara elephant enclosure Between May 2019 and April 2020 a BKSDA team had tried to drive the elephant back into the forest four times. The agency has been going on regular attempts to barricade some residential areas since last year. This would keep the elephants away but Suharyono said some villagers haven't been cooperative. He said the report he received indicated the elephant's head was cut open with a sharp object and some parts of its trunk were scattered around the carcass. BKSDA Riau launched an investigation of this case with Kelayang District Police and the Special Crime Unit of Riau Police. They arrived on the scene and are conducting an autopsy into the elephant's death. Suharyono said: 'The BKSDA strongly condemns the killing. Together with the police, we will find the culprit and bring them to justice.' WWF estimates the population of Sumatran elephants is between 2,400 and 2,800. WWF estimates that the population of Sumatran elephants is between 2,400 and 2,800 They are protected under Indonesia's conservation laws but still face serious threats in some places. Threats to Sumatran elephants include illegal logging, human-wildlife conflict and illegal hunting where poaches kill for the animal's tusks. Their status was changed from 'Endangered' to 'Critically Endangered' in 2012 after half the population was lost in a generation. This was largely due to habitat loss and a result of human-elephant conflict, according to WWF. In November last year a 25-year-old female Sumatran elephant was found allegedly killed by poison in East Aceh regency of Indonesia. This came after a male elephant was found decapitated with its tusks ripped off in the same week. A 40-year-old elephant was found dead as a result of a chronic digestive problem in Riau in February this year. DEARBORN HEIGHTS, MI Police are searching for a man in connection with the stabbing death of his mother on Thursday, April 16. The woman was found stabbed to death around 7 p.m. Thursday at a Dearborn Heights home in the area of N. John Daly and Ford roads, ClickOnDetroit reports. Police have not released the names of the deceased or the person of interest in the killing, although it is clear that police are searching for the womans son, the report said. The person of interest could be driving a silver 2018 Jeep Cherokee Loredo with Michigan plate DYV 2064, which was last seen in the area of Simone and Amboy streets. In the early hours of Friday, April 17, Michigan State Police took over the scene from the Dearborn Heights Police Department. Anyone with information about the incident should call Dearborn Heights police at 313-277-6770. Britain paid two Chinese companies an estimated 16 million for two million coronavirus antibody tests which officials then found were not accurate enough to be rolled out. The UK, along with every other country in the world, is still trying to find a test which can be mass produced which shows if someone has had the disease and now has immunity to it. The government pounced on an early offer of potential tests produced in China with the New York Times reporting officials agreed to pay approximately $20 million to secure the home testing kits. However, when the antibody tests were put through their paces they were found not to be sufficiently accurate and as a result could not be used. Officials are now scrambling to try to get the money back. Boris Johnson, pictured at a Downing Street press conference in March, said a working anti-body test would be a 'game-changer' in the fight against coronavirus Downing Street today did not deny the claims but the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said he was not aware of the specific $20 million figure. The spokesman said: 'Where tests are shown not to have any prospect of working then we will seek to recover as much of the costs as we can.' Officials have previously insisted that they had only purchased the minimum number of antibody test needed to conduct initial trials with full orders contingent on the kits actually working. Mr Johnson spoke about the importance of antibody tests on March 19 as he revealed the UK was in negotiations for the kits. He said at the time: 'We are in negotiations today to buy a so called antibody test, as simple as a pregnancy test, that could tell whether you have had the disease. 'And its early days, but if it works as its proponents claim then we will buy literally hundreds of thousands of these kits as soon as practicable because obviously it has the potential to be a total game-changer.' Coronavirus testing can currently be split into two types: Antigen and antibody. The antigen test is the one currently being carried out across the nation which shows if someone has coronavirus. But antibody tests would be able to show if someone has already had the disease and if they have some resistance to it which would allow that person to return to normal life. Mass produced antibody tests are therefore seen by many as the key to restarting the UK's creaking economy. Professor John Newton told the Science and Technology Select Committee on April 8 that none of the antibody tests assessed by the government so far were up to scratch Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced at the start of April that he had appointed Professor John Newton as the UK's testing tsar. Prof Newton has been tasked with ramping up the government's testing operation. He told MPs on April 8 that none of the antibody tests assessed by the government so far had worked well enough to be rolled out. He said experts had set a 'clear target' for the reliability of the tests but that of the devices assessed to date 'none of them frankly were close' to hitting it. Despite the bleak outlook, Prof Newton insisted he and his scientists were still 'reasonably optimistic' of a breakthrough in the near future. WESTPORT For the second time this week, the town has gone a day with no new coronavirus cases added to its 183 total, state officials reported Friday. Weston saw one new case bringing its total to 43. Stamford, Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Danbury led the state with 1,713, 1,121, 844 and 828 cases respectively. [April 17, 2020] See how Chinese leading Social E-commerce platform O'MALL benefits consumers with Aussie vitamin brand CENOVIS through the upcoming "THE RAP OF GOODS" event SHANGHAI, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- This year in May, CENOVIS and Chinese top Social E-commerce platform O'MALL will launch a special event during 11/05-17/05 "THE RAP OF GOODS" in China to benefit consumers with quality goods and great deal of sales. Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8715151-cenovis-vitamins-supplements-omall/ CENOVIS stands for family health and has been loved and trusted by Australian families for over 80 years. It is the well-known Australian leading immunity brand that provides quality products that are tailored to the changing needs of families and designed to fit with their bus lives. CENOVIS is manufactured by Sanofi, the only large-scale vitamin, minerals and supplements business in Australia to be fully integrated with research and development, strict quality testing, manufacturing and packing capabilities. At our state-of-the art Brisbane manufacturing centre, the team of in-house scientists controls the products from source to shelf. The centre is Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) licensed as well as meeting Sanofi's global pharmaceutical standards which require additional strict quality controls. O'MALL, a Chinese top Social E-Commerce platform, with the innovative "Brand direct supply+Efficient sales+Great margin" social retail model, which integrates supply chain resources to build a comprehensive system that can highly guarantee the profitability of platform resellers through Cross-Border and sales penetration through Wechat networks. O'MALL adheres to the vision of "Source and distribute Goods globally, select goods carefully"; and continues to develop and build the global ecological structure. O'MALL sources products from more than 36 countries and regions including Australia, Germany, France, the Netherlands, South Korea, Canada, Malaysia, the United States, Japan, Thailand, New Zealand, Israel, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Norway. Commodity categories include 13 core categories such as beauty, maternal and child, health care, personal care, food, home, digital home appliances, luxury (bags / accessories), fresh food, automobiles, pets, drinks, and clothing. Currently, there are 6,000 cooperative brands, with up to 500,000 SKU databases available. Up until now, O'MALL has rapidly attracted more than 800,000 store owners and brought them on the business expansion journey, which creates lots of employment opportunities and development paths for talents from all industries. Shopping CENOVIS on O'MALL gives you the assurance of product quality and best services. O'MALL, gives you more! View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/see-how-chinese-leading-social-e-commerce-platform-omall-benefits-consumers-with-aussie-vitamin-brand-cenovis-through-the-upcoming-the-rap-of-goods-event-301042493.html SOURCE CENOVIS [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A 23-year-old old woman who was shot in the head and ended up crashing into six vehicles Friday afternoon in the Eden Green neighborhood on the Far South Side, Chicago police said. Donations of computers for students in the Northwest Territories have dried up, as have flights to ship them. Even if a student gets a computer, theres no guarantee they can afford internet access. Thats a concern when the territorys largest post-secondary institution, Aurora College, is trying to move as much programming as it can online. The college says it is working through problems on a student-by-student basis as courses return to life through distance learning after a brief hiatus brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Aurora Colleges three largest campuses have moved most programming to online systems, phone calls, emails, and distribution of printed material, said Lynn Morris Jamieson, vice-president of student affairs. Every effort has been made to keep students aware of the changes and how they may be impacted, she said. Were very limited in what we have right now in our usual pipeline of donated computers. The availability of computers is a problem for some, she said. College staff are working to get all students connected. The primary point of contact for students has been their instructor and accommodations are being made on a case-by-case basis to support each student through the challenging shift to a new way of learning, said Morris Jamieson. Chris Hunt is the executive director of the Smart Communities Society, which helps N.W.T. communities get online and runs a Computers for Schools program. Hunt said his society is working with the territorys Department of Education, Culture and Employment to get as many computers as possible into students hands. However, stocks are lower than usual as the pandemic shuts down supply lines. Were very limited in what we have right now in our usual pipeline of donated computers, said Hunt, which from all levels of government, of course has dried up like everything else. We spoke with Aurora College and teachers at the other levels of schooling and said, You tell us where your priorities are and well get as many out as quickly as we can. Getting the computers is step one. Sending those computers out to students is step two, and Morris Jamieson said that brings difficulties too. This process takes time. Every effort is being made to get computers to students in their home communities across the N.W.T. as quickly as possible, she said. (Its) not a matter of cost, rather it is facing the same operational challenges many organizations are facing, including staff now working from home and reduced flights. Even the job of prepping donated machines is being disrupted by physical-distancing measures. At his societys Computers for Schools workspace, Hunt said theres only so much room. We take donated government computers from the (territorial) and the federal government, and then we refurbish them, wipe the hard drives, clean them, get them ready and load them with software, he said. And of course, were limited. We can only have one person in our workshop space at a time right now. Two years ago, the Canadian government invested more than $4.6 million in new or improved internet connections for Colville Lake, Gameti, utselke, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Sambaa Ke, Ulukhaktok, and Wekweeti. Connectivity costs in the N.W.T., however, remain some of the most expensive in the country. The N.W.T. Bureau of Statistics said in 2014 nearly half of the households in many communities lacked internet access. That means even once a student gets a computer, theres one more barrier to their learning the cost of getting online. Hunt said students are often already living on a limited income with little to spare. He sees a widening digital divide and thinks the number of those struggling to connect is likely higher than reported. Even those numbers are a bit funny, because sometimes they just say if they have access to (internet), you know, physically, he said. Then (students might) have access to the internet, but that also doesnt reflect the financial reality where theres no disposable income because they dont have the economies required to support that. Cabin Radio asked the N.W.T.s Student Financial Assistance program if any funding assistance will be provided for students to pay for internet access. Program managers had not responded at the time of publication. Read more about: Photo credit: Maskot - Getty Images From Good Housekeeping Filing state and federal income taxes is an annual chore many people dread, but 2020 brings at least one spark of good news: This year's federal tax-filing deadline has been extended to July 15, 2020, according to the Internal Revenue Service. The new date applies to all individual returns, trusts, and corporations and will apply automatically, so you don't have to do anything to take advantage of it. However, if you live in the District of Columbia or one of the 42 states that collects income tax, the original deadline may still apply for your state taxes. Check the Federation of Tax Administrators website to find out when your state income tax is due. So now that you have more time to prepare your federal returns, you also have an extra grace period to find the best way to do so. Online tax filing software has gotten more popular over the years, according to a study done by technology firm Exponential. Among members of Gen X and Baby Boomers, 59.5 percent and 55.9 percent are likely to use it. But it's much more popular among Millennials and Gen Z. Filers aged 21-24 are 82.4 percent more likely to file online, followed by 24 percent of those aged 2529. But even if you've decided not to consult an accountant to get your taxes done, choosing the best method for your job situation can be daunting. We combed through the most popular options to give you some guidance, depending on the complexity of your forms. Best for Simple Returns: H&R Block If you claim the standard deductions using a W-2 tax form, the free version of H&R Block will work for you. You can also use it to report business income, alimony, deductible student loan interest, some retirement contributions, the alternative minimum tax, dependent care credit, the Saver's Credit, and Lifetime Learning Credit. H&R Block also has helpful explanations throughout the process and the site is easy to navigate and use. However, if you need to make itemized deductions or report business income, you will need to upgrade to a paid version. You can also access live support via chat or by phone, but you'll need to pay for the privilege. If you don't want to go through the whole process by yourself, you can also upload your documents and pay to have an H&R Block pro do it for you, without leaving your house. Story continues Another Great Option: Credit Karma For those with simple tax returns who don't need a lot of help, Credit Karma Tax is totally free for both state and federal returns. You won't run into any sneaky added fees with Credit Karma, which can happen with other filing software. It can handle W-2 and 1099-INT forms, the 1099-DIV to report interest from your bank, as well as the 1098-E for reporting student-loan interest. Just like H&R Block, it will help guide you into the forms you'll need. It also comes with an audit defense guarantee, which offers nice peace of mind. However, if you need to file in multiple states, have a lot of complex forms, or you want more hand-holding along the way, Credit Karma's basic system might not be for you. Best Paid Software: TurboTax Some things are just worth paying for. If you need to itemize your returns, have income from rental properties or investments, or want a more hands-off process, TurboTax is here for you. There's a free version that works with the IRS for active duty military with an adjusted gross income of less than $69,000, those who qualify for the Earned Income Tax credit, and those whose AGI is less than $36,000. But if that's not you, TurboTax still offers robust support, with help from a real, live person along the way. It starts at $60, but guarantees you'll receive your maximum return. For many people, the cost is worth the knowledge that you've done your taxes correctly. And if they do make a mistake, TurboTax will pay the penalties to the IRS. Now that's service. Best for New Circumstances: TaxAct If you've undergone a major life event since the last time you filed, like losing or getting a new job, buying or selling a home, or having a baby, TaxAct will help you zero in on how those will impact your taxes. It will also help you pinpoint deductions if you're self-employed, a handy feature for those who might not know all of the little things they can get a break on. While TaxAct is also pretty no-frills, it makes a good budget-friendly option. You will pay extra to file state taxes with all but the most ground-level option, so be aware of that. For those who felt burned by their tax filing choice last year, TaxAct can help with that too. It easily imports returns from other preparers, so you can switch without much of a headache. Best for Budgeters: TaxSlayer For tax filers on a budget, TaxSlayer offers several different levels tied to the amount of support you need, not the returns it can file. So if you feel pretty confident filing your taxes and don't want to pay for help you won't use, TaxSlayer should work well. It also offers a quick file option, in which you simply search for a keyword that matches your situation rather than hunting for what you need. Because it's web-based, TaxSlayer also works on just about any device. So if you don't want to sit at a desktop to get your taxes done, this simple interface can help on the go. If you do need help though, you'll pay for it. TaxSlayer doesn't have the same sort of live chat that other services do, but a tax pro will get back to you within one business day. When to Hire a CPA Instead Some tax circumstances just call for a professional. If you're a small business owner, have a lot of investment engines or properties, or if you're a freelancer who needs to file in multiple states and circumstances, you may want to shell out for a pro. And if you've recently bought or sold a home or have other capital gains or losses, getting the returns you're owed may warrant consulting a professional, too. Finally, if you don't feel comfortable inputting the information yourself, you're afraid you might miss deductions, or want the security of knowing it's in a pro's hands, take it to the experts. Some things are just better left to those in the know. You Might Also Like New feature, first of its kind for the Cyber Insurance industry, provides ransomware business interruption estimates for brokers and their clients. BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 17, 2020 / Corvus Insurance, a leading provider of commercial insurance products powered by AI-driven risk data, today announced the launch of its new Ransomware Business Interruption (BI) Calculator. This new capability allows brokers to quickly reference a client's financial risk in the event of a cyber-related shutdown, and more effectively evaluate the appropriate level of cyber insurance to purchase. The Corvus BI Calculator is an automated estimate of a client's losses in the event of a shutdown. Long-duration ransomware attacks are driving increased cyber insurance claim severity. The Corvus BI Calculator allows brokers to provide more transparency around the limits they are recommending to clients. With this tool, brokers will be able to share quantitative values that make it easier to understand insurance purchasing decisions. "Even in normal economic conditions, one of the most common challenges that we hear from brokers selling cyber insurance is how to explain appropriate insurance limits to purchase," said Phil Edmundson, CEO of Corvus. "At a time of recession, when every dollar counts for businesses, we want to provide the tools to empower brokers in their conversations about limits, as well as encourage clients to buy the appropriate coverage for the risks they face. By showing the financial exposures, brokers can more effectively articulate why certain levels of coverage are appropriate." Corvus Insurance is the first cyber insurance provider to include this feature in every quote. Brokers can access the new BI Calculator when requesting a quote for any Smart Cyber Insurance or Smart Tech E&O policy. The resulting estimate is based on data already entered in the application combined with proprietary Corvus data. All components and calculations are exposed on the page, making it easy for brokers to walk through the details with policyholders. To learn more, visit www.corvusinsurance.com About Corvus Corvus Insurance is an InsurTech managing general agent (MGA) offering Smart Commercial Insurance policies powered by AI-driven risk data. Corvus empowers commercial insurance brokers and policyholders to better predict and prevent complex risks with data-driven tools. With each policy, Corvus supplies its proprietary Dynamic Loss Prevention reports, which inform policyholders of critical risk areas and provide actionable recommendations. Founded in 2017 by a team of veteran entrepreneurs from the insurance and technology industries, Corvus is backed by Telstra Ventures, Obvious Ventures, MTech Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, Hudson Structured Capital Management, and .406 Ventures. The company is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and has offices across the U.S. PR CONTACT Lauren Perry Lauren@calibercorporate.com 952.221.4615 SOURCE: Corvus View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/585460/Corvus-Insurance-Launches-Automated-RansomwareBusiness-Interruption-Cost-Calculator Thiruvananthapuram, April 17 : Kerala Health Minister K.K. Shailaja on Friday said that there was just one new coronavirus positive case, taking the total number presently under treatment to 138. In all, those presently affected and cured cases stands at 395. "Today there are 78,454 under observation at homes and 526 at various hospitals in the state," said Shailaja and added. She, however, added that this is not the time to relax as all in the state have worked hard to see that this has happened and should continue to be cautious. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 07:03:20|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close Medical staff work at Intensive Care Unit in Sant'Orsola-Malpighi hospital in Bologna, Italy, on April 15, 2020.(Photo by Gianni Schicchi/Xinhua) BRUSSELS/COPENHAGEN, April 16 (Xinhua) -- World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge on Thursday described the continent as being in the "eye of the storm" as some European countries start to reopen over signs of a slowing in the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. "EYE OF STORM" Speaking at a briefing broadcast online from the WHO Regional Office for Europe in Copenhagen, Kluge said: "the storm clouds of this pandemic still hang heavily over the European region." According to Kluge, about one million Europeans have been infected with COVID-19, making up about 50 percent of the global total. Kluge made a call for action to European governments as some Europeans were letting down their guard as they found social distancing and lockdowns tiresome and without end. Emphasizing there were no "quick wins," Kluge went on to list six key points from new guidelines drawn up by his office for European governments transitioning from a lockdown. The guidelines are due to be released in full next week. -- Evidence shows COVID-19 transmission is controlled. -- Public health and health system capacities must be made ready to identify, isolate, test, trace contacts and quarantine. -- Outbreak risks must be minimized in high-vulnerability settings such as homes for the elderly, mental health facilities and people residing in crowded places. -- Workplace preventive measures must be established, including physical distancing, hand-washing facilities, and respiratory etiquette. -- Importation risks can be managed. -- Community engagement and participation in the transition. "If you cannot ensure these criteria are in place, before easing restrictions, I urge you to re-think," said Kluge. EASING OF LOCKDOWN Some European countries have started tentative easing of restrictions or are preparing for it. Denmark announced last week gradually reopening of daycares, kindergartens and part of primary schools, making it the first country in Europe to send their youngest children back to their institutions. The government is expected to expand the reopening by April 20. French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday announced that the lockdown might begin to be eased starting from May 11. Nurseries and schools would gradually reopen, but cafes, cinemas and cultural venues would remain closed, and there could be no summer festivals until mid-July at the earliest. President of the Swiss Confederation Simonetta Sommaruga on Thursday announced the decision to ease the restrictions in three phases from April 27. In Germany, although Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Wednesday that the general contact restrictions would be extended till May 3, her government eased some measures. 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. Cypriot cabinet approved on Wednesday a three-stage plan for an exit from the current coronavirus crisis, which aims for the gradual lifting of restrictions and the reopening of vital businesses from early May, provided the epidemiological data allow it. Italy, one of the hardest-hit European countries, on Tuesday reopened book and stationery stores, businesses selling baby products, and electronics repair shops. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has appointed a special task force of economists, labor leaders, managers, and psychologists to advise him on the so-called "phase 2," which aims for gradually widening the reopening. SPLIT IN APPROACH While some are easing the measures, others are maintaining restrictions or even tightening. Portuguese parliament approved on Thursday the second extension of the state of emergency until May 2. Sweden on Thursday announced an extension of the restrictions on international travel until May 15. Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said that it may take months before Sweden can lift other restrictions put in place to stem the spread of the coronavirus. "It is still way too early to ease restrictions and recommendations," said Lofven. The Serbian government has announced a stricter curfew during this weekend, from 5 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Tuesday. Albanian lawmakers approved amendments of the Criminal Code on Thursday, under which violators of anti-pandemic restrictions will face a maximum penalty of eight years in jail. On whether to open schools by the end of May or finish this school year online, Croatian Minister of Science and Education Blazenka Divjak told reporters on Tuesday that the European Union (EU) states are split. After a four-hour video conference of European education ministers, Divjak said that half of the EU member states are considering bringing back students to schools by the end of May, while the other half contemplate finishing the academic year in the online form. "Coordination is necessary to enable high-grade education and finish of the school and academic year in this difficult situation," said the minister of Croatia, which took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU on Jan. 1. Enditem Gujarat on Friday became the sixth state to cross the 1,000 mark in coronavirus cases whose all India tally jumped by over one thousand for the fourth straight day to surpass 14,000 even as the Centre said the doubling time of the infection rate has slowed down in the last one week. As it prepared to distribute five lakh rapid antibody testing kits, which arrived from China on Thursday, to states for districts with high case burden, the Union Health Ministry said it took 6.2 days for coronavirus cases to double in the last one week as against three days before the nationwide lockdown came into effect from March 25. "Before lockdown, the doubling rate of coronavirus cases was 3 days. Going by the number of cases in the last seven days, the doubling rate has been 6.2 days. In 19 states and Union Territories the doubling rate is less than the national average," Lav Agarwal, joint secretary in the ministry, told reporters. The total number of coronavirus infections in Gujarat touched 1,021 on Friday after 92 new cases were reported, while the death toll reached 38 with the addition of two fatalities, health officials said in Ahmedabad. Principal Secretary, Health, Jayanti Ravi attributed the sudden spurt in the cases to intensive surveillance and testing in coronavirus hotspots, including those which have been placed under curfew till April 21 in the walled city of Ahmedabad. Maharashtra(3,236), Delhi(1,640), Tamil Nadu(1,323), Rajasthan(1,193) and Madhya Pradesh(1,164) were the other states where the number of COVID-19 cases had surpassed the 1,000 mark. In Mumbai alone, these cases rose to 2,120 with 77 more persons testing positive, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said, adding the number in the Dharavi slum area reached 101. COVID-19 cases in the country rose by 1,076 and 32 deaths were reported in 24 hours, taking the tally to 13,835 and the fatalities to 452, according to the latest Health ministry data. A total of 1,767 patients have recovered, it said. According to a PTI tally in the night based on reports from states, the total number of cases was 14,173 and 1,896 had recovered while the death toll stood at 479. The COVID-19 cases had jumped by 1,463; 1,118, and 1,043 on the three days respectively from Tuesday this week, according to official data from the Health ministry and the states. Agarwal maintained there had been a 40 per cent decline in the growth of new cases. The average growth factor of cases from April 1 stood at 1.2, whereas between March 15 and 31 it was 2.1. This decline of 40 per cent was due to increase in testing, including that of cases with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI). he said. The official also said that India has been doing better than many other countries on the outcome ratio, which is the number of recoveries from coronavirus infection versus the number of deaths. "If 80 per cent of the patients in India are recovering and in 20 per cent cases deaths are being reported, then by that standard India has been doing a little better than many other nations on the outcome ratio." Of the total 452 deaths listed by the health ministry, Maharashtra tops the tally with 194 fatalities, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 57, Gujarat and Delhi at 38 each and Telangana 18. Tamil Nadu has reported 15 deaths while Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh reported 14 fatalities each. Punjab and Karnataka reported 13 deaths each. Rajasthan has registered 11 deaths while West Bengal reported 10 deaths fatalities. Some states have reported less than 10 deaths. Despite being under a strict curfew since late March and enjoying the reputation of being India's cleanest city, Indore in Madhya Pradesh has acquired a dubious distinction of recording a very high coronavirus mortality rate. Till Friday morning, the city recorded 842 COVID-19 cases, and the 47 deaths since the outbreak began less than a month ago are 10.75 per cent of country's fatality rate. The 5.58 per cent death rate from the cases in Indore is itself above the national average, officials said. As on Friday, there were 155 containment areas, covering almost 6 lakh residents in a city of 30 lakh, and curfew continues to be in force since March 25 when the first COVID-19 case was detected in the city considered as the state's commercial capital. Meanwhile, authorities continued to maintain there was no threat of community transmission in the city. "The new COVID-19 cases are mainly of those who are either related to or have known the earlier patients. Such persons are already quarantined and, therefore, the question of community transmission does not arise," said Chief Medical and Health Officer Praveen Jadia. At his media briefing, Agarwal said 1,919 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals with 1.73 lakh isolation beds and 21,800 ICU beds have been readied till now. Agarwal said a Group of Ministers held a meeting on Friday to chalk out a roadmap about the lockdown and reviewed efforts of science and technology institutes in diagnosis, vaccines, drugs, hospital equipment accessories and general wellness. Head of Epidemiology and Communicable diseases at Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar said 3,19,400 COVID-19 tests have been conducted so far in the country. "Out of these, 28,340 tests were conducted on Thursday, of which 23,932 were done at 183 laboratories under ICMR network and the rest at 80 private labs," he added. Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan, meanwhile, said the Thiruvananthapuram--based Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Science and Technology in Kerala has developed a low cost diagnostic test kit that can confirm COVID-19 infection in two hours. The kit can detect coronavirus in 10 minutes, and the sample to result in time will be less than two hours, Vardhan tweeted. A total of 30 samples can be tested in a single batch in a single machine, he added. The Health ministry also said containment operations will be scaled down if no secondary positive case of COVID-19 is reported from a quarantine zone for at least four weeks after the last confirmed test has been isolated and all his contacts have been followed up for 28 days. According to the ministry's "Updated containment plan for large outbreaks COVID-19", a containment operation (large outbreak or cluster) is deemed to be over 28 days from the date the last case in that zone tests negative. The plan said the authorities will do extensive contact tracing and active search for cases in containment zone, test all suspect cases and high-risk contacts, isolate all suspect or confirmed cases, implement social distancing measures and intensive risk communication as part of the cluster containment strategy. "The objective of this containment plan is to stop the chain of transmission thus reducing the morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19," the ministry said. Karnataka has scaled up the number of coronovirus tests by five times, said Medical Education Minister Sudhakar K, who regretted that some of those who died due to COVID-19 pandemic could have saved their lives had they opted to avail the treatment early. The state has recorded 13 deaths. A staggering 38 new positive cases have been confirmed in the state taking the total number of affected to 353, the Health department said. This is the highest single day tally so far. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Modi government is leaving no stone unturned to tackle the coronavirus crisis. "Modi government is leaving no stone unturned in this fight against COVID-19, ensuring minimum disruption in people's lives while planning for a strong and stable India in days ahead," he tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19, an Indian-origin safari operator based in Kenya is feeding thousands of families there. Pankaj Shah started the initiative after he was devastated to see people starving and struggling to sustain themselves. People were getting hungry and angry, Shah told Reuters. According to Reuters, Shah started getting in touch with people who were interested in lending a helping hand. Thankfully, a local school which was closed due to the coronavirus outbreak offered their campus premises as headquarters. Reuters Kenya's Asian community, which was officially recognised as the country's 44th tribe three years ago, came together to contribute in every possible way. They brought cheques or truckloads of food that could not be transported due to the suspension of flights. Meanwhile, the volunteers, who call themselves Team Pankaj, have sent out 24,000 packages of food since March 22. Each hamper contains enough food to last a family of five people for two weeks. In Kenya, safari operator Pankaj Shahs team has sent out 24,000 hampers since setting up on March 22, each with enough food to last a family of five for two weeks https://t.co/d5tSxOFpjy pic.twitter.com/zHvmsD00qZ Reuters (@Reuters) April 16, 2020 "One old woman told us she hadnt eaten for days - her sons had stopped supplying her because they have no work," Shah told Reuters. Pankaj Shah finds his spirit for community service from his idol Mother Teresa whom he says he met decades ago in Nairobi. Reuters Shah is urging wealthy Kenyans to donate 4,000 Kenya shillings (Rs 2,890) for the food packages. He pointed out that the amount is about the cost of two pizzas and a bottle of wine. "I just need half the rich people here to care enough to fund a hamper," he said. Two lorries full of food were sent for distribution in Deep Sea slum last week. Residents were given with orange tokens and had to get their fingers inked before getting the boxes and bags of vegetables. Pregnant woman and those with babies were offered help by volunteers. All Inputs Reuters San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced a new health order Friday requiring city residents and workers to wear face coverings at essential businesses and on public transportation. The order goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, but will not be enforced until April 22. Transportation workers and other essential employees who interact with the public must also wear face coverings. Businesses are also required to take "reasonable steps" to bar entry and refuse service to those not wearing face coverings. The new rule is supposed to help the city prepare for a future lifting of its current shelter-in-place policy and reduce transmission of the virus, according to the order. "As we look to a time where we can begin to ease the Stay Home Order, we know that face coverings will be part of that future and we want San Franciscans to become more comfortable with this new normal," Breed said in a statement. "We know it will take some time to get used to, but it will help save lives." Face coverings are not required to be worn at home, in cars or while exercising outdoors. Children ages 3 to 12 are not required to wear a mask by the order, and children age 2 and under should not wear a face covering, which could increase the risk of suffocation. San Francisco currently has 1,058 positive cases of the coronavirus, according to the latest data from the city's Department of Public Health. Other areas near San Francisco are also mandating the wearing of masks. Marin County issued an order Friday requiring facial coverings to be worn in indoor public settings where individuals come into contact with people not from their household. That order also goes into effect April 22. "Marin County and other counties in the Bay Area will be moving forward with an order requiring facial covering in certain settings," Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County public health officer, said in a video statement Thursday. Willis said the facial coverings required by the order do not have to be surgical or N95 masks. This week, President Donald Trump announced the formation of a council of CEOs and business leaders he said will provide the White House with advice for reopening the economy as the coronavirus pandemic stretches on and as Trump agitates to get the nation's businesses humming again. Among the 200-plus invitees were two dozen from the food and beverage world, a list that included mostly chiefs of chain restaurants, including McDonald's and Starbucks, and large manufacturers such as Coca-Cola - with the notable exception of four restaurateur/chefs: Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Daniel Boulud. The roster, announced by the White House on Tuesday night after a hasty, chaotic process that left a number of participants unaware that they were being named to it, immediately drew criticism. Among the grievances aired on social media about the group who will provide Trump with guidance for reopening the hard-hit restaurant industry? It's too white, many commenters said, too male (there were no women on it), and includes no representation for the thousands of laid-off restaurant workers. Keller, in particular, came under fire for a Wednesday night tweet in which he proclaimed himself "honored" that Trump had tapped him and his fellow chefs to serve on the body. "Proud to work together toward a strategy where the safety of Americans is top of mind in conjunction toward economic revitalization," he wrote. The message drew criticism, much of it from apparent critics of the president. Membership on the panel appears to be based on previous interactions with the White House. Many of the representatives from the big chains participated in a call with Trump last month about the impact of the coronavirus on the restaurant industry. Keller, Boulud, Puck and Vongerichten also had a call with the president this month in which they reportedly pressed a number of issues, including urging insurance companies to reverse denials of restaurants' claims for business-interruption insurance stemming from the pandemic. It's unclear how much influence the new advisory group will have. On Wednesday, the president participated in a handful of calls with its members, including one with those representing restaurants, retail, banking and real estate. Puck, who was on the call, said several members representing some of the biggest companies spoke, including Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos (who also owns The Washington Post). "I listened, but they shut down before I could talk and before several others could talk," he said. Puck said much of the call focused on the need for widespread testing to allow businesses to reopen and on the Paycheck Protection Program, the relief loans managed by the Small Business Administration, which announced today that it had run through its $350 million in funding. And even if he didn't get the chance to weigh in on Wednesday, Puck says he thinks the White House is open to hearing the concerns of the restaurant industry, which he noted is the largest private employer in the country. He said that in the smaller group conversation with Trump this month that the president seemed to listen and understand their concerns. "I hope the president will do the right thing," he said. Puck said he and many other restaurateurs share Trump's desire to get the economy moving again. "We know how antsy the president is," he said. "And we want to open up. Safety is first - so we have to figure out a way to protect employees and customers and open up without these big fears." He isn't sure when the group will convene again, but he's hopeful that the White House will take steps he said are needed, including extending the PPP through October. Other priorities include leaning on the insurance companies to pay out restaurants' claims for business interruption and providing stimulus even once restaurants are permitted to start serving again. He also said the concerns that the advisory group only included high-profile owners of large restaurant groups - himself, Boulud, Keller, and Vongerichten- are misplaced. He says they are trying to speak for the industry as a whole, including the mom-and-pops without the kind of name recognition they enjoy. "We're not doing this for us - we are all in this together," he said. "Chefs are a tight fraternity, and we have a solidarity, big or small." And he brushed aside criticism the chefs garnered for working with the polarizing president. "This is not about politics, it's about the survival of our industry," he said. "[Trump] being controversial - that's not the point." Jose Andres, the humanitarian chef and sometimes Trump critic who was not named to the council (despite many on social media who had called for his appointment), said he's glad the president is thinking about the future of America and how to jump-start the economy. At the same time, he said there's still a lot of unfinished work in the present. He'd like to see a council created for the Americans who are suffering right now. "The humanitarian crisis has not been given the right support. I think we are taking for granted that people are doing well," Andres said. "We have food banks that are overwhelmed. We have more hungry people, more people without jobs. Not everybody has a mask. There are not enough masks. We have farmers that don't know where to sell. We have that problem as we speak. I don't think we're doing enough, period. We need to do better on that front. That is where I'd put the emphasis right now." The full list of members in the food and beverage sector, per the White House: Marvin Irby of the National Restaurant Association; Chris Kempczinski of McDonald's; Gene Lee Jr., of Darden Restaurants; James Quincey of Coca-Cola; Ramon Laguarta of PepsiCo; Dan Cathy of Chick-fil-A; John Chidsey of Subway; David Deno of Bloomin' Brands; David Gibbs of YUM! Brands; Rob Lynch of Papa Johns; Todd Penegor of Wendy's; Walt Ehmer of Waffle House; Kevin Johnson of Starbucks; Ray Washburne of M Crowd Restaurant; Jimmy John's founder Jimmy John Liautaud; Michael Mullen of Kraft; Dirk Van Dongen of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors; Robert Cresanti of the International Franchise Association; and Paul Brown of Inspire Brands. - - - The Washington Post's Tim Carman contributed to this report. The ghosts of Brisbane's past have been brought back to life in a new book, which looks into the stories of those buried under the tombstones in cemeteries across the region. Among the ghost stories in the Brisbane edition of Grave Tales is English conman Walter Thomas Porriott, who is accused of being Jack the Ripper - the man responsible for a series of gruesome murders in Whitechapel, London. Authors of Grave Tales, Helen Goltz and Chris Adams. The horrific killings took place between August and November in 1888 in east London. While the murders of 11 women over several decades have been attributed to the serial killer, London police believe only five of the deaths during the three-month period were in fact connected to Jack the Ripper. The five victims were all prostitutes and mutilated to different extents, with the most brutal killing involving a woman's body parts being severed and rearranged. Flash 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. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. According to a new study published by Polaris Market Research the worldwide microscope market is anticipated to reach USD 12,851.2 million by 2025. In 2017, the electron microscope segment dominated the global market, in terms of revenue, whereas Asia-Pacific accounted for the majority share in the global microscope market. Several technological advancements in the fields of nanotechnology, semiconductors and life sciences have augmented the growth of the microscope industry. In addition, this has encouraged government bodies to invest in research and development; which in turn has led to an increase in research and development activities in companies, small laboratories and academic institutions. Companies and academic institutions are increasing collaborations for shared use of advanced laboratory equipment has further supplemented market growth. The other factors driving the market growth include lightweight and portability of certain microscopes production of robust, more accurate and relatively cheaper instruments, and widespread adoption of microscope use by manufacturers across various domains. Emerging market in developing countries and newer innovative fields of application provide numerous opportunities for growth. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/microscope-market/request-for-sample The major driver of the growth of the microscope market is the advancements in the field of nanotechnology. Various factors such as optimal energy consumption and its conservation, environmental preservation, and increasing industrial productivity and quality by optimizing operational efficacy have fuelled the growth of nanotechnology. Also, miniaturization in semiconductor and electronics industry and material science has boosted market growth. Furthermore, the extensive use of microscopes and technological advancements in the field of forensic sciences, pharmacology, cell biology, biophysics and microbiology among other life sciences has augmented market growth. In view of increasing technological advancements and its benefits, there has been an increase in the research and development activities in companies, small laboratories and academic institutions. It has also encouraged the government bodies to increase funding of such research and development activities. Moreover, companies and academic institutions are collaborating in order to use advanced laboratory equipment, which in turn has also supplemented market growth. The recent technological advancements in the manufacturing process of microscopes has led to the production of robust, more accurate and relatively cheaper instruments. In addition, certain microscopes are lightweight and portability in nature which has further contributed to the market growth. Furthermore, recent advancements in commercial applications of nanotechnology, life science and semiconductor manufacturing has led to a widespread adoption of microscope use by manufacturers across various domains. Browse for full research summary: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/microscope-market Asia-Pacific dominates the global market and is predicted to exhibit growth at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This rapid growth is due to the swelling economic growth in countries such as China and Japan. Various factors governing the growth in this region include presence of major market players in this region, increasing government and rapidly increasing research and development activities. Furthermore, various technological advancements in the field of material and life sciences, and nanotechnology is further boosting the market growth. The different types of microscopes include optical microscopes which is further categorized into inverted microscopes, stereomicroscopes, phase contrast microscopes, fluorescence microscopes, confocal scanning microscopes, near field scanning microscopes, other optical microscopes; electron microscope which is further categorized into transmission electron microscope which is further categorized into scanning electron microscope; scanning probe microscope; and others. The electron microscope segment is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period owing to technological advancements, in the fields of material and life sciences. Electron microscope segment is further sectioned into scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The key market players profiled in the report include Nikon, Carl Zeiss AG, Leica Microsystems, Hitachi High Technologies, Bruker Corporation, NT-MDT Company, FEI Company, Jeol Ltd., Olympus Corporation, Asylum Research, Omax Corporation, Amscope, Celestron, Motic and Magnus Analytics. These market players have adopted various strategies such as such as new product release, novel technology development and collaboration among others to expand their foothold and increase their customer base. Avail discount on this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/microscope-market/request-for-discount-pricing 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. Contact us- Polaris Market Research Phone: 1-646-568-9980 Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.com Web: www.polarismarketresearch.com During the 1918 influenza pandemic in Birmingham, churches were closed. The Birmingham News offered to print sermons, service outlines, scriptures and announcements sent in by various clergy to help people worship at home. On Monday, Oct. 7, 1918, Alabama Gov. Charles Henderson ordered the closing of schools, churches and theaters to avoid the spread of the Spanish influenza. It was a similar situation to today, where the spread of coronavirus has forced the closure of most houses of worship since March 15. Some have already announced they will continue to suspend public worship through May 17 as a matter of public safety. The 1918-19 influenza pandemic started as World War I (1914-18) was ending and killed more than 20 million and as many as 50 million worldwide, more than twice as many people as the number killed in the war. Because Spain was believed to have experienced the first major reported outbreak, it was nicknamed the Spanish flu. Many of the deaths hit young adults age 20 to 40 who had no immunity from previous strains of influenza. In Alabama, the first cases were reported in Huntsville, which had 1,100 reported cases by Oct. 5, 1918. Nearly 12,000 people in the state died of flu or pneumonia in 1918, and more than 4,000 in 1919, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. The Rev. James E. Coyle, pastor of St. Pauls Cathedral from 1904 until he was shot to death on the porch of the rectory next to the cathedral on Aug. 11, 1921, wrote a column in the Birmingham News that appeared in the newspaper leading up to Sunday, Oct. 20, 1918, the second consecutive Sunday that churches were asked to stop public gatherings. Coyle fully supported the closing of churches and explained its necessity to readers. You are for the first time in your lives deprived of the opportunity of hearing Mass on Sunday, and you will, I trust from this very circumstance, appreciate more thoroughly what Holy Mass is for the Catholics, Coyle wrote. Sunday service is no mere gathering for prayer, no coming to a temple to join in hymns of praise to the Maker, or to listen to the words of a spiritual guide, pointing out the means whereby men may walk in righteousness and go forward on the narrow way that leads to life eternal. Coyle, who was also dean of Catholic clergy in North Alabama, kept clippings of the wide range of submitted items from area clergy in a scrapbook that is still in the parish records of the Cathedral of St. Paul. Access to 1918 newspaper microfilm archives is currently limited by the closure of libraries and state archives. The Rev. Bryan Jerabek, current pastor of St. Pauls, shared photographs of the scrapbook Coyle kept of newspaper clippings from 1918. Clergy offered a wide range of submissions to The Birmingham News. Some of the leading clergy of the day contributed. They ran under the headline: Sermons given for churchless people of city, with this introduction by the newspaper: 30,000 or more persons who usually wend their way churchward Sunday morning will be spending this Sabbath in their homes. The News presents to them excerpts from the sermons they would have heard had not the ruling of the City Commission closed the churches until the influenza epidemic is checked. Unique Sabbath The Rev. Fletcher Parrish, pastor of Eleventh Avenue Methodist Church, preached on Genesis 24:63 and reflected on the opportunity for a true Sabbath. Meditation is very profitable for the soul, but the rush of the world is so great at present that very little time is given to cogitation and reflection, Fletcher wrote. Men think they have no time to walk out in the fields for contemplation, or to sit quietly by the fireside and muse. However, we have a God-given opportunity for this helpful indulgence by reason of this unique Sabbath which has dawned upon us. Out of necessity our churches are closed, and all public gatherings must be discontinued. We cannot go motoring, and we would not go to business if we could, and even the fields are dangerous lest we should come in contact with goldenrod and ragweed and take influenza. But we can sit by the fire and give ourselves to thought and reflection which will bring great profit to us. IPC pastor offers prayer The Rev. Henry M. Edmonds, pastor of Independent Presbyterian Church, offered a prayer that started, Almighty and ever merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Builder of worlds, Refuge for the hearts of men, who hast been, art and shall be we approach Thy throne as sinners begging forgiveness. In the holiness of Thy presence we tremble and are ashamed. For we are unclean, of unclean hands and unclean lips. Our garments are spotted. Thine eyes search our poor souls. Thou seest all of the greed, the envy, the desire to advance ourselves, the coldness, the lack of vision, the lack of love. Rabbi reflects on war Temple Emanu-El Rabbi Morris Newfield focused his reflection on the effects of World War I. There is a new spirit abroad, Newfield wrote. It grips us all; the men fighting and suffering on the battle front as well as those behind the fighting lines, in the fields and factories, in the shops and stores, in all walks of life all of us are made to feel the breath of this new spirit. It grips us with a new understanding of the destiny of man and with a clearer vision of God. The stupendous conflict now raging on the bloody fields of the old continent is but humanitys groping, agonizing effort, inspired by this new vision, to come back to God. The nations of the world are struggling to find their souls; those that do not, will go, as others have gone, into the oblivion of decay. Prepare to meet thy God The Rev. H. Reuter, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in West End, submitted a sermon on the prophet Amos. The prophet Amos, though a man of little education, was a powerful preacher of repentance. His words cut to the marrow. Prepare to meet thy God may serve as an illustration, he wrote. Where are the big men? The Rev. S.A. Ebinger, pastor of Friedens Evangelical Church, wrote a sermon titled The Big Man: Have you ever stopped to think of what you said when your lips repeated the words of the Apostles Creed: I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints.? Have you ever been told that it was Christ who founded a worldwide organization, The Church, for the salvation of man, and that it is He who created a brotherhood of man into which every human being which would believe in Him should be admitted? Do you know that for the preservation of that church as a unit He offered His last prayer, saying, Father, I pray Thee, that they may be one as we are one.? Truly, it is not a little thing that Christ had in mind, when He founded His church, it was a big thing, the very biggest thing, so big that only the very biggest men can grasp it. But where are the big men today? Is it not true that the world is full of little men who try to hold down a big job? Be that as it may, our times are big and thousands of souls turn to God. How to tithe The Rev. P.B. Wells, pastor of Highlands Methodist Church, offered the following announcement: There will be no services at this church until further notice. If there be sickness among the membership, please notify the pastor. The treasurer will be glad to hear from you. You will readily appreciate the importance of this announcement. Zion Lutheran offered an announcement about how to handle tithing: As the churches may be closed for a period longer than two weeks all members are requested to remit their dues to the treasurer, J.M. Fox, 1819 Pearson Avenue, West End. Dark valleys seem necessary Dr. C. Ross Baker, pastor of Woodlawn Baptist Church, preached on Romans 8:28. Take a good look off in life, and your soul will be filled with thanksgiving to God that you are so much better off than you might be, Baker wrote. Every individual has his or her peculiar trials. Sorrow comes to every household. The thorns and the beetling rocks and the threatening clouds and the dark valleys seem necessary to the grandeur and splendid beauty of the scene. Necessary action The Rev. S.O. Coxe, pastor of Handley Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1328 North 31st Street in Birmingham, reflected on the need for a ban of public gatherings for worship. :By the wise and necessary action of the City Commission and the Board of Health, on account of the scourge of disease now prevailing, all congregational activities are canceled for a minimum period of two weeks, Coxe wrote. But, while this providence is a severe one, affecting as it does all our plans and programs in this the most opportune season of the entire church year, may we not yet turn this season to best account by accepting it as an opportunity for the exercise of a fuller devotion to God and to the things of His Kingdom? Necessarily we shall be kept in our homes many hours that would otherwise be spent in recreation and amusement. Perhaps this circumstance will serve to remind us that in these sacred home-circles there is to be found the very finest of fellowship and the sweetest and most wholesome of all influences. And certainly if we should improve these hours by prayer and meditation, the seeming curse of this scourge would not be unmixed with blessing. Dissenting opinion The Birmingham News also printed an editorial with a dissenting opinion from a Bible teacher. Is it well to close churches? was the title: To the Editor of The Birmingham News, from C.H. Watson, Sunday school missionary and Bible teacher, Oct. 10, 1918. I notice in your paper of Tuesday, Oct. 8, that it had been suggested to close the churches of the county for a period of two weeks for the purpose of trying to prevent the spread of the dreadful disease influenza that is now raging in our county. I think that everything should be done possible to prevent the spread of this most dreaded disease. I also notice in the same issue of your paper that in a small town in the state five doctors were down with this disease. The persons whom we are depending on to cure us and prevent its spread seem to be falling themselves. As this is true, as a Bible teacher I would like to ask the following questions: Dont you think in time of sickness and distress is the time for us to manifest our faith in God? Dont you think in such times as these instead of closing the churches it would be well to open them daily that the people might at their convenient hours assemble therein and pray to God, the great Physician, to help the doctors to remove this disease? Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on April 2, 2020, in Washington, DC. The United States opposes the creation of liquidity through the 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 said 70% of the funds created through an SDR allocation, something akin to a central bank "printing" new money, would go to G-20 countries that did not need it, while only 3% would go to low-income countries. Instead, he said, members should contribute to two IMF facilities that provide funds to the poorest countries, and the U.S. government was exploring such a contribution itself. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Peter Truong is stuck between delivery app overhead and a hard place. Truong is the co-owner of Kyu Bistro, and like most Winnipeg restaurateurs, he has moved to a takeout and delivery model to retain some revenue during the pandemic. Kyus three restaurants Kyu Bistro, Kyu Bochi and Kyu Grill rely on Skip the Dishes, Uber Eats and DoorDash to get orders to customers, but Truong said the cost of third-party food delivery services is not worth the convenience. "The margins are already low for restaurants and during this time business is not the same, so giving up any amount of commission hurts us," he said. For every $10,000 worth of deliveries, Truong estimates he pays a total of $2,500 in commission to the three services. In March, Skip the Dishes rolled out a 15 per cent commission rebate program for restaurants in its network. On Thursday, the Winnipeg-based company announced it would bump up the rebate to 25 per cent for independent restaurants during the next six weeks. "Its important that we support restaurants, its the business that were in," said chief executive officer Kevin Edwards. "We need to come out of this with strong, independent local hero restaurants." The platform introduced an option for customers to tip restaurants directly while ordering. To date, Skip users across the country have made $200,000 in direct gratuities. Truong said the longer his dining rooms stay closed, the more unsustainable it is to continue using Skips services, even with the higher rebate. "Any percentage does help, but Im sure every restaurant is in the same boat the commission they charge is huge," he said. He is considering starting an in-house delivery service to hold onto more revenue and create more work for his staff. Edwards said more local restaurants have joined the platform, including Jena Rae Cakes, Brazen Hall and De Lucas. He wouldnt say whether there has also been an increase in restaurants cancelling Skip service because of cost. "Everyone has to make their own decisions based on their own business model," he said. Independent restaurants across the country are getting a boost from initiatives such as Canada Takeout, which has started a social media campaign to make Wednesdays national TakeoutDay. Truong added Kyu Bistro to the groups online listing service and was surprised by the response on April 15, the inaugural day of the promotion. "I didnt think it was going to matter," he said "But definitely yesterdays sales were up... it was a lot busier." Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Shaun Jeffrey, executive director of the Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association, said TakeoutDay is a positive way to call attention to the fact Manitobas 1,900 restaurants are facing significant challenges now. "For most restaurants, about 70 to 80 per cent of their revenue is from dine-in, so now theyre strictly relying on takeout and delivery," he said. "Trying to run any business with 20 per cent of what you had six months ago is substantially different." Jeffrey said there have been some positive developments, such as the provincial governments decision to allow restaurants to sell alcohol with delivery and takeout orders, and the federal governments emergency benefit, which gives laid-off workers financial relief. "If you want our industry to look the same after we come out of this situation, then we have to continue to support as much as possible," he said. eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @evawasney By Express News Service CHENNAI: The Koyambedu market continues to be a source of worry for authorities and traders alike, with the steady stream of people from across the city thronging the market, and social distancing seldom being maintained. Although a few steps were taken, including blocking vehicles, to curb retail sales, people find their way in, say traders. There was a sizeable crowd in the market on Thursday morning, said Baskar, a wholesale dealer, adding that blocking roads served no purpose. AM Vikramaraja, president of Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peramaippu said, this could pose risk among traders and public alike. Only vendors should be allowed inside the market. Among the vendors, social distancing must be followed too, he said. We are taking all necessary precautions. Now they have made masks compulsory. But even earlier, if people came without masks, we would give it to them, said Abdul Khader, secretary of Koyambedu Vegetable Wholesale Merchants Association. An official from the Market Management Committee said, Small sales hardly happen these days. People are buying in bulk, so that, it will last them a few days at least. He added, We have been distributing pamphlets to discourage people coming to the market, and telling them to buy from their nearest retail stores instead. City corporation officials said, they would extend cooperation wherever needed or sought. When the lockdown began, we had held talks with the management committee and the police on how this can be handled, said the official said. Former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is sticking with his vow to name a female running mate, despite a surge in popularity for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Biden, a Syracuse University College of Law alumnus who still has ties to Central New York, is the presumptive winner of the Democratic nominee after Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign and endorsed him. During a virtual town hall on CNN Thursday, Biden was asked about his possible VP pick. "Despite your previous pledge to pick a woman for vice president, would you reconsider that for a qualified candidate who has performed admirably during this crisis, like Governor Cuomo? " small business owner Evan Eads asked Biden. I think that Governor Cuomo is capable of being president. I think hes a great guy, but I also think that its important that there be a woman, Biden said. Look, I want an administration to look and theres plenty of qualified, theres plenty of women with the experience and with the capability of being president tomorrow. And I think its important that we begin to have my administration, God-willing, is going to look like America and I genuinely mean that. Not just vice president but making sure that we have a Supreme Court, we have a cabinet, we have a White House that looks like the country. And I think it really matters. And so I think its really important and theres plenty of qualified people who have the experience and background who are women and are ready to be president on day one. And Im gonna stick with that. Joe Biden says he thinks NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo is capable of being President but that he still plans to choose a woman as his VP: Theres plenty of qualified people who have the experience and background who are women who are ready to be President #CNNTownHall pic.twitter.com/hx7QhLYbFB Anderson Cooper 360 (@AC360) April 17, 2020 Cuomo, also a Democrat, has seen his approval rating rise as he leads New York in trying to slow the spread of coronavirus and provide medical facilities and equipment. Hes appeared on Howard Sterns radio show and the cover of Rolling Stone; his daily briefings are being viewed by millions; and past critics, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, a Republican who ran against Cuomo in 2018, have also sung his praises. Its uncharted waters, and hes providing the leadership necessary in what is a very trying time for us all, Molinaro told the Wall Street Journal last month. An opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal this week said a Biden-Cuomo ticket is the way to beat Trump, but Cuomo has repeatedly shot down the idea of becoming Bidens running mate. "I dont want to be vice president, Cuomo told Albany radio station WAMC last month. I told the people of the state of New York that I wanted to be their governor and I said I would serve as governor, and thats what I want to do. I want to be the best governor I can be, and I want to make a meaningful difference in this state. Thats my ambition." Biden has not hinted at who hell choose as his running mate, but names that have been floated around include Stacey Abrams, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and California Sen. Kamala Harris. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-17 02:20:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Customers are seen at the Varvakeios Meat Market in Athens, Greece, April 17, 2020. The Varvakeios Meat Market in Athens has seen smaller number of customers than before amid measures to contain COVID-19. The Orthodox Easter is due on Sunday. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) ATHENS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The Greek government announced on Thursday that stiffer fines await those who violate the containment measures introduced to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, as the country is preparing to celebrate Orthodox Easter on April 19. At a regular press briefing, officials said that from 9 p.m. local time on Saturday until midnight on Monday, the fines imposed for unnecessary movement outside the home will be doubled to a minimum of 300 euros (325 U.S. dollars) and violators will have their car plates removed. Since March 23, Greece has been in a lockdown, which is expected to end on April 27. The authorities have beefed up controls at toll plazas on national highways to prevent the traditional mass exodus to the countryside from urban centers. During the lockdown, citizens are only allowed to go out for essentials near their primary residence. Between March 23 and 1200 p.m. on April 16, the police have issued a total of 42,606 fines nationwide to violators of measures restricting the movement of citizens, according to the Ministry of Citizen Protection. All proceeds from the fines are invested in boosting public hospitals' capacity to fight the virus. Greece has reported 15 new confirmed coronavirus cases and three new deaths over the past 24 hours Currently, the total number of COVID-19 infections in Greece stands at 2,207, with 105 deaths. (1 euro = 1.08 U.S. dollar) Editors note: Todays guest editorial originally appeared in The (Tacoma) News Tribune. 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. When Gov. Jay Inslee ordained marijuana stores essential but ordered bars, restaurants and countless other businesses to close last month, he made a dubious decision with awkward optics. Let people keep buying smokable weed while a devastating respiratory infection is sweeping Washington? Not a good look. Then again, state law left him little choice. He could have, probably should have, halted recreational pot sales. But marijuana has been recognized as medicine for qualifying patients in Washington for more than two decades, and visiting a retail outlet is the only legal way to purchase it. Its time for state lawmakers to confront this anachronism. That means figuring out how best to implement a home-delivery option for cannabis products. Keeping licensed pot shops open during the coronavirus pandemic has raised eyebrows from Littlerock, Washington, to Little Rock, Arkansas. In a recent national TV interview, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson listened to Inslee boast about Washingtons social-distancing rules. Then Hutchinson interjected a compliment of the most backhanded kind. Even with a stay-at-home order thats one of the most stringent, he said with a smile and genial drawl, you can still go buy your marijuana. Frankly, we dont care what any politician 2,300 miles away thinks of our public-health policies, much less one of the few US governors still recklessly resisting a stay-home order. What does matter is the shutdowns impact on Washington retailers and small businesses. Many were operating before the dawn of our states recreational cannabis industry, approved by voter initiative in 2012. They might now wonder: Washington survived 123 years of statehood without legal pot. Whys it so essential now? Heres a question that may be more to the point: Why cant Washingtonians buy medical-grade cannabis products from the safety of home? Other Western states that were legal-marijuana pioneers have since passed home-delivery laws; Colorado recently joined California, Nevada and Oregon. During the COVID-19 emergency, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak has ordered all marijuana dispensaries to temporarily shift to delivery only. Medical cannabis products, in particular, should be more accessible than Washington law allows. Requiring patients who are frail, sick or immunocompromised to leave home to get medicine is ill-advised during a pandemic. Or anytime, for that matter. Washington lawmakers should finally get serious about home-delivery legislation. Medical marijuana would be a natural place to start; there should be no hurry to extend it to able-bodied recreational users. Marijuana stores have seen a spike in sales during the COVID-19 lockdown, especially right after it went into effect. Theyve taken steps to reduce transmission risk, such as disinfecting surfaces and encouraging social distancing. Washington also tweaked its rules to temporarily allow curbside pickup. But none of this would be necessary if Washingtonians could have cannabis products delivered to their doorstep. Officially, the state Liquor and Cannabis Board is neutral on the issue. In a 2018 report completed at the Legislatures request, however, the board noted the merits of home delivery, saying it would bring state policy in alignment with the general principle that patients should have access to medicines that may contribute to their well-being. The Washington CannaBusiness Association has historically opposed mobile sales, saying they could disrupt safety enforcement and quality control, as well as walk-in business and tax revenue. But that was before coronavirus showed up and changed everything. The group is currently surveying its members on the subject. We understand the cannabis industry has huge financial interests to protect; nationally, it employs 240,000-plus full-time workers more than four times the coal industry. Keeping many of those jobs filled during a pandemic is good for the US economy. We realize, too, that Washington government has big revenue at stake; it collected $395.5 million in legal marijuana income and license fees in 2019 $172 million more than it collected in liquor revenues. We also get that policymakers cant flip a switch and create an effective, responsible home-delivery system overnight. But lets face it: The fact that Washington weed retailers are open during a public-health shutdown rests on a tortured definition of an essential business. Medical marijuana may indeed be essential. Having to buy it at a store is not. Advertisement Belgium has the highest number of daily coronavirus deaths per head of population of any country in the world - but ministers say this is only because they are being more transparent with their data. The European nation had reported 4,857 deaths from coronavirus as of Thursday, an increase of 417 in 24 hours, despite having a relatively small population of 11.6million people. But, unlike many of its European neighbours, it is counting deaths outside of hospital and deaths where the patient had coronavirus symptoms but had not been tested in those figures. These deaths account for almost half of Belgium's total, meaning that the true scale of coronavirus deaths in other countries could be double the official figures if that trend is replicated elsewhere. A graph showing the number of coronavirus deaths per day in countries when compared to their population size. The line represents a seven-day rolling average, meaning it shows trends in the data rather than precise figures. It reveals Belgium has the highest rate in the world, but minister say this is because they are being more transparent with their data A gravedigger prepares a pit for burial in the Verrewinkel Cemetery in Brussels, Belgium, where work has tripled since the start of the coronavirus pandemic In fact, Belgium is now considering producing a second, lower, daily total meaning it can be fairly compared with its European neighbours, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to the latest report by Belgium's Federal Public Service for Health, just 49 per cent of the country's total official deaths occurred in hospital where cases of coronavirus had been confirmed. Another 49 per cent died in care homes, while around 1 per cent of cases died at home or in other locations. Of the deaths that occurred in care homes, 94 per cent had not been diagnosed with coronavirus but did have suspected symptoms. This means the country's death total would have almost halved, if it had used the same methods as other European nations. 'In Europe, no country counts like the others. We have the most detailed method,' Belgian Health Minister Maggie De Block told the television news channel LN24. It comes after repeated warnings from officials in France, Spain, Italy and the UK that deaths in care homes are being ignored leading to a 'hidden epidemic'. In the UK alone, 4,000 people are thought to have died in homes from coronavirus and are not being counted among the country's 13,729 total deaths. A month ago, the mayor of the Italian town of Bergamo - at the epicentre of the country's outbreak - issued a similar warning about care homes there. Medical staff gather for a briefing in the corridor of a nursing home in Huesca, Spain, where 46 coronavirus patients were being treated as of April 16 An elderly coronavirus patient lies in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Vigo, northwestern Spain, on April 16 'There are significant numbers of people who have died but whose death hasnt been attributed to the coronavirus because they died at home or in a nursing home and so they werent swabbed,' Giorgio Gori said Until the start of April, France had also omitted care home data from its official tally - before reporting 1,416 additional deaths from care homes on April 3. However, the figure was issued with the caveat that a third of care homes had yet to report data. Meanwhile leaked regional government data in Spain suggested that 57 per cent of the country's death toll from the virus between March 8 and April 8 was in care homes, The Guardian reported. Some doctors in Belgium have complained that deaths caused by hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular pathologies and other causes have been lumped into the COVID-19 category. However, Emmanuel Andre, a spokesman for national health authorities, insisted the broad Belgian method of counting 'is necessary.' The virus specialist explained that 'the accepted practice is to take suspected cases into account' when tracking the spread of an epidemic. COVID-19 deaths that were confirmed by a positive test have represented only around five per cent of those reported by retirement homes up to now, but Andre said that increased testing in those facilities would push the rate much higher in coming days. It would also allow authorities to better measure the extent of COVID-19's spread, he added. Doctor Katharina Franz and paramedic Andreas Hankel try to resuscitate a coronavirus patient at a clinic in Hanau, Germany Sociologist Geoffrey Pleyers said 'a social and ethical human tragedy' had played out 'unseen, behind the walls' of retirement homes as Belgian officials focused on whether hospitals had intensive care capacity to deal with the pandemic. 'What proportion of deaths could have been avoided if people had received hospital care' for other pathologies, Pleyers asked in commentary published by the newspaper Le Soir. The government plans to multiply by 10 the number of coronavirus tests provided to retirement homes. But the target of 210,000 kits 'is not enough to test everyone,' said Vincent Fredericq, general secretary of Femarbel, the leading federation for the sector in French-speaking Belgium. He said it cared for 160,000 residents across the country and employed 110,000 staff who were also potential vectors of the virus. 'In the Brussels region, 95 per cent of the personnel use public transport, either the metro, trams or buses, which are unfortunately good places to become contaminated,' Fredericq noted. Herbert Wigwe The Managing Director of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe has revealed the total amount donated by the private sector to the war against Covid-19. According to him, all the donations is now N23billion. Wigwe who spoke to Stephanie Busari of CNN in an interview on how the private sector is helping to further reduce the negative impact of Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria added that another N20billion would soon be realised from donations. He said the donations would be used to get medical equipment, build isolation centres and distribute food to citizens. According to him, the whole money donated by the private sector is domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and not in the custody of the Federal Government. There are different committees that give an account of every penny spent from the money, Wigwe said. Every 30 days KPMG carries out an audit process on money going in and coming out from this donations for accountability purposes. He stated that there there would be distribution of foodstuffs to 1.67 million households all over the country noting that each food item is bagged and branded CACOVID NOT FOR SALE. The Access Bank boss said the foodstuff distribution would be done through state governors of each state, to the local government and finally to the wards, stressing that we would give to the female head of homes in each family, the process would take two to three weeks. He said if the distribution can reach out to 80 per cent of the 1.67 million homes, it would be a success level in reaching out to Nigerians. Speaking on the building of isolation centres, he explained that the private sector coalition would be partnering with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to get it done in about 20 states including Lagos, Abuja and Portharcourt, adding that ventilators and bed would be provided. Wigwe also assured that by next week the group would receive 38,000 molecular testing kits which he said were part of the 250,000 ordered. With that, he said ,at least 1000 tests can be performed a day noting however, that 100 PCR testing kits that were ordered cannot come again due to rationing of it all over the world. He said the Covid-19 pandemic has shown that the private sector and the banks need to invest heavily into the health care and pharmaceuticals even after the pandemic. The CEO of Access Bank also said his group was open to supporting the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the manufacturing sector such as companies manufacturing face-masks and health care equipment especially now that foreign exchange is scarce. He said Access Bank has been significantly supporting the SMEs. Fox News on Thursday quoted "multiple sources" and claimed that the COVID-19 is "likely originated in a Wuhan laboratory." A Fox News reporter also asked US President Donald Trump about the issue during the White House coronavirus news briefing, and Trump didn't deny it. This has promoted the spread of this accusation in the international media. Everyone knows that Fox News is a media outlet that firmly defends Trump. It did not even dare to say the source of information. We have reason to suspect that Fox News fabricated the news out of thin air. This is their special operation to assist Trump's reelection. Scientists worldwide have opposed the opinion that the COVID-19 was leaked from the laboratory. On February 18, before China and the US had diplomatic frictions on the origin of the virus, 27 prominent public health scientists released a statement to "strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin." Fox News' report is to cater to the political needs of Trump and US ruling elites. The media is turning itself into a part of their political attack. There are only more than six months before the 2020 US presidential election. The US is at the peak of the epidemic and it is uncertain whether it can be controlled. After a slight decline in infections, the number of new confirmed cases and deaths in the US soared by 40,678 and 2,538 over the past 24 hours, both reaching a new high. The epidemic will impose a continual and dangerous political pressure on the Trump administration. To win the election, Trump and his Republican Party urgently need to pass the buck to others and divert public attention and anger. They will mobilize all their resources and pass the buck to China. Attacking the WHO is a new way to divert people's suspicion on China. US ruling elites probably believe that whether they can make voters believe the US' highest infections and deaths are all because of China, and whether they can incite extreme nationalism among the Americans against China and make voters hate China, instead of US' rulers, are the keys to their election. Fox News, US Republican lawmakers, the government-controlled intelligence agencies and the high-ranking officials who appear in public are all playing different roles. They are jointly painting a false picture that China is lying about the main information of the epidemic and hiding key facts from the world. They are trying to convince Americans that China's so-called concealment has led to the US government's contempt for the epidemic, and has reinforced people's impression that the death toll in the US is too high. They want voters to believe that the US government has done a good job, and the US' death toll is acceptable and is much less than the worst case. Are American people and international society so gullible? Let us see what will actually happen in the end. Our judgment is that politics will confuse some people and interests may help lies spread, and thus there will be people who chime in with Washington's claims. But common sense and real science will be more powerful. People in and outside the US will agree that the US must be responsible for its terrible COVID-19 management. Washington will only fall into a bigger crisis if it wants to use a lie to weather the current one. They will pay a greater price for it. If you are struggling to get a good nights rest during the coronavirus, you are not alone nearly 77 percent of Americans are suffering from pandemic exhaustion. A survey found that anxiety regarding the virus is top on list for why people are losing sleep. The second most frequent answer was worrying about loved ones, followed by loneliness and then an inconsistent sleep schedule due to the fact that their normal lives have been upended by the disease. The outbreak has also created a new phenomenon called pandemic dreams,' which are vivid dreams centered on death and fear about the outbreak. Scroll down for video If you are struggling to get a good nights rest during the coronavirus, you are not alone nearly 77 percent of Americans are suffering from pandemic exhaustion More than 340 million Americans have been impacted by the coronavirus in some way. Many have lost their jobs or have been forced into a lockdown or isolation across the country. As of Thursday, there have been over 658,000 cases and more than 33,000 deaths reported in the nation. And anew study investigates how the pandemic is affecting their sleeping patterns. Commissioned by SleepStandards, the survey interviewed 1,014 Americans about their sleeping patters during the coronavirus, as reported by Study Finds. A survey found that anxiety regarding the virus is top on list for why people are losing sleep. People are also experiencing 'pandemic dreams' that are impacting their sleep The poll found that 76.8 percent of peoples sleep has been affected since the outbreak began spreading across the US 56 percent were women and 43 percent were men. However, 23.2 percent said they have not experienced any changes in their sleep pattersn. The most consistent answer that is keeping Americans up at night is anxiety, with 48 percent reporting feeling uneasy about the current situation. Approximately 26 percent said they are worrying about their loved ones and 23 percent reported either being lonely or just having an inconsistent sleep schedule. Most people (58 percent) said they are sleeping one hour less since the virus spread to the US, but 19 percent noted they are actually sleeping more. Participants were also asked if they have found ways to improve their sleep during this time of uncertainty. The most popular suggestion is avoid watching the news and reading about the coronavirus before bed. Reading a book was, followed by using sleep supplements and then medication. And 16 percent shared they are have sex before going to bed in order to get a better nights rest. The second most frequent answer was worrying about loved ones, followed by loneliness and then an inconsistent sleep schedule due to the fact that their normal lives have been upended by the disease. People are also having vivid dreams about the coronavirus that are keeping them up at night Twitter has been flooded with people sharing their experiencing of vivid dreams about the outbreak. They include having their temperatures taken at stores, getting too close to people and bringing the information they heard on the news into their dream world A new phenomenon has also emerged during the coronavirus pandemic dreams. Twitter has been flooded with people sharing their experiencing of vivid dreams about the outbreak. They include having their temperatures taken at stores, getting too close to people and bringing the information they heard on the news into their dream world. One Twitter users shared: ' I dreamt that @iamcardib walked up to me in my grocery store and took my temperature to see if I had a fever and she told me I have corona virus?? #pandemicdreams #COVID19.' While another realized they have to stop watching the news before bed: 'I thought it was just me having crazy #pandemicdreams and not sleeping well. They're far worse if I watch the news before bedtime.' However, experts say these type of dreams are normal and are a way for our brains to cope with stressful information we hear while awake. More than 340 million Americans have been impacted by the coronavirus in some way. Many have lost their jobs or have been forced into a lockdown or isolation across the country which has over 658,000 cases and more than 33,000 deaths Sleep medicine expert Dr. Meir Kryger, professor of pulmonary medicine and clinical professor of nursing at Yale School of Medicine, told CNN: This [pandemic] is something that they've never experienced before. And it's possible that their brains are trying to find a time when things weren't like that. It's like when sometimes people are trying to fall asleep and they can't turn their minds off. They will try to think about a time when things were better. Sleep experts suggest we use dreams to play out different scenarios in a safe environment, which would be difficult to accept in real life. Another theory states that dreams are our way of solving emotional struggles we may be experiencing at the moment. And vivid ones could be used as a coping mechanism. Mary Garcia was on top of the problem before most people realized there was one. Garcia is supervisor for environmental services for Maryville, the Beaverton care facility operated by the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon. She became worried after talking with venders months ago about Maryvilles supply of personal protective equipment (PPE). So, before coronavirus was a major concern in the Portland area, Garcia and her husband began making medical masks at home. By the time the coronavirus turned from an outbreak to a pandemic and PPE was scarce, Maryville was prepared. By then, nuns who live in the convent on the campus that includes Maryville and the Valley Catholic schools, were part of a large-scale project to provide enough medical masks and gowns to keep Maryville supplied. We are trying our best to make sure our employees feel safe and taken care of so they can take care of our patients, Garcia said. Liz Fochtman, who is Maryvilles Nutrition Services Director, has a background as seamstress. She gets the gown-making process underway with help from some members of the facilitys housekeeping staff, who cut out the fabric. Im sewing the large pieces together, Fochtman said. I have a serger, which makes it very quick to sew large pieces together. Then we send the larger pieces over to the sisters who are helping us put the sleeves in, put the neckbands on and the ties on. Those things take a little more time. It can take at least an hour to put a gown together after you have all the parts ready. It can be tedious. So, its really helpful to have more than just one person doing it. Its sort of a mass production kind of situation. A number of the nuns at Maryville are accomplished with needle and thread. They maintain an on-campus craft gift shop. The sisters are pretty talented ladies, said Stacy Kean, chief communications officer for the Sisters of St. Marys of Oregon. They have a variety of talents. Were very fortunate the sisters took this on. They have teamed with community volunteers to make masks as well. Maryvilles masks and gowns are reusable once Garcias crew sanitizes them with a thorough cleaning process. Our masks arent beautiful ones like you might see around, Garcia said. But they are made to be maintained. The work doesnt end after the equipment has been produced. To be safe, the cleaning process for gowns and masks must be thorough. And even though the masks and gowns can be reused, they dont last forever. Sometimes they must be repaired or replaced. So, there is a constant demand. The Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon keep at it. This isnt the first time they have answered the call. When the Spanish flu pandemic swept through Oregon in 1918, Sisters Mary Agnes ORourke and Mary Alexia ORourke were teaching school in Verboort. The school closed and the sisters wanted to help care for the stricken, some of them students and their families. They asked permission from their Mother General, who told them she wouldnt order them to do it, but wouldnt prevent them either. And, so, they went. Kean, the communications officer, said: It amazes me the sisters have been around so long, and serving the community for so long. -- Ken Goe kgoe@oregonian.com | @KenGoe Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. In a far corner of Eastern Europe lies a war-torn territory roughly the size of Belgium and occupied by around 4 million people where coronavirus cases aren't being counted in global tallies, yet health experts warn the situation there is bad and likely to grow worse. The territory in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions is divided into two parts that Moscow and the Russia-backed forces that hold them call republics. But neither is recognized by the international community, contributing to the area's current status as a coronavirus black hole. The number of coronavirus infections is rising rapidly, there is no personal protective equipment to be bought anywhere, and there is a shortage of capable doctors, according to a local nurse who spoke to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity. There are also a very limited number of tests for the coronavirus, and no ventilators for patients who need assistance with their breathing due to COVID-19, the deadly disease caused by the virus, the nurse said. Many residents are not taking the pandemic seriously, and because local authorities have allowed many businesses to remain open, the streets are still bustling with people -- a strange sight at a time when much of the world is practicing social distancing. No Recognition Local separatists, backed with money, arms, and soldiers from Moscow, have fought an armed conflict against Ukrainian government forces since April 2014 that has killed more than 13,200 people. And despite the coronavirus pandemic, fighting rages on.. Because Kyiv does not control the separatist-held territories and no UN member, including Russia, considers them independent states, they are not included in global coronavirus tallies such as those maintained by the World Health Organization and Johns Hopkins University. The coronavirus was officially slow to arrive in the separatist-held areas. The forces in control claimed zero cases in March, although Ukrainian officials in Kyiv suggested an uptick in pneumonia cases there likely meant coronavirus cases were going undiagnosed in these territories, and confirmed the first ones only in early April. But, now that its arrival is acknowledged, concerns that the deadly virus could wreak havoc in a region woefully unprepared to handle such a public-health crisis are being raised. Ravaged by six years of armed conflict, and challenged with an ailing health-care system and a sizable elderly population, the separatist-held areas could face a paralyzing COVID-19 outbreak, according to local health experts and international humanitarian groups. As of April 17, the Russia-backed separatists in Donetsk had reported 32 cases of the coronavirus and their counterparts in Luhansk had confirmed 21 infections. "There is panic" among medical workers, the nurse said. The medical worker, as well as several other residents of Donetsk, Luhansk, and surrounding cities, spoke to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals by the de facto authorities, who have exhibited a penchant for violence against those who criticize them, as well as imprisonment and even torture. Kyiv's lack of control over the territories, along with the separatist forces' hesitance to allow international organizations access to the areas they occupy, could also mean that they receive little outside help. With the Russia-backed separatists barring most humanitarian organizations to the areas, "there's a sharp new limit on the availability of supplies," Rachel Denber, deputy director for Europe and Central Asia at Human Rights Watch (HRW), told RFE/RL by phone from Moscow. Looking for help from Moscow might also not be an option, with the Kremlin facing its own deepening health crisis within its official borders. The Ukrainian state has effectively cut all ties with the Russia-backed separatists who control the areas, meaning that the type of assistance with medical supplies provided to other parts of the country is unlikely to be allocated to separatist-held territories. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry on April 15 called on Russia "as an occupying country to ensure the protection of life and health of the population of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic." 'We Can't Afford To Shut Down' According to the nurse, "transport, large enterprises, food establishments, shopping centers, supermarkets, and other businesses are still functioning" in Donetsk and surrounding cities. Secondary schools and universities have closed their doors for an indefinite period of time and are doing distance-learning online, "but kindergartens are still open," she said. An entrepreneur from Donetsk said many people "don't seem to be scared" of contracting the coronavirus and are not taking precautions, let alone self-isolating at home like people in much of the world. Asked if people wear masks on the streets there, a woman from Makiyivka, a Donetsk suburb, said, "No, they don't want to be embarrassed." The woman said that when another woman was recently spotted by a group of passers-by wearing a mask on the street, "they laughed at her." A woman in Luhansk told RFE/RL that the situation there is very similar. She said masks are worn "only in the hospitals" and by a few workers in local supermarkets. She admitted, however, that such supplies are hard, if not impossible, to come by. She said some of her acquaintances have begun making their own protective gear, including cloth masks. In place of hand sanitizer, which is also in short supply, she said they are making their own with recipes found online, or using homemade alcohol, known as samogon, or cheap vodka to douse their hands. Some people think that the de facto authorities "hide the true information about the [number of] sick people" and the overall scope of the health crisis, a woman from Donetsk said by phone. "You understand that everything in the republic is shrouded in secrecy, in the best traditions of the Soviet Union, so you don't know what is really happening," she said. For Denber of HRW, transparency and access to accurate information about the coronavirus and how to prevent its spread is one of the biggest concerns in the region. "Accurate information is probably one of the most important tools in fighting the spread of coronavirus," she said. "When there are impediments to spreading and receiving accurate information, that's only going to jeopardize public health." The reason for the lack of transparency seems to be that the Russia-backed separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk view a shutdown of their already struggling economies to be worse than the pandemic itself, and they don't want to cause panic. "I'll be totally honest. For a variety of reasons, including economic ones, we can't afford to shut down businesses or announce a period of no work, especially as, I repeat, right now we have no one suffering from COVID-19," Denis Pushilin, the Kremlin-approved head of the Donetsk separatists, told residents in a video address in late March, before he and his office had confirmed the area's first coronavirus cases. There have been some measures put in place to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Separatist leaders in Donetsk have ordered people over the age of 65 to self-isolate at home, allowing them to go outside only to purchase groceries or to walk a pet -- and even then they are permitted to venture just 100 meters away. They have also limited gatherings to fewer than 50 people, and suggested voluntary self-isolation for the rest of the population of some 4 million people in the two separatist regions combined. Separatists in the Luhank and Donestk regions have also ordered the unofficial boundaries with the rest of Ukraine and the border with Russia to be closed, and even shut down the regional border between themselves to stop the flow of people and, in effect, the virus. In the separatist-held part of the Luhansk region, the cities of Pervomaisk, Antratsyt, and Krasniy Luch have been completely closed off over fears that unwitting infected persons had come in contact with many others before showing symptoms of the virus. Possible 'Outbreak Of Considerable Scale' The measures might not be enough. Among the international groups sounding the alarm is the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which wrote in its Humanitarian Response Plan for the coronavirus pandemic in March that the risk of rapid local transmission in Donetsk and Luhansk is high and the regions "may face a COVID-19 outbreak of considerable scale." It cited the proportion of elderly people living in the separatist-held areas, who are particularly vulnerable to the disease and account for about 36 percent of total population, and the deterioration of the health-care system as a result of the ongoing armed conflict. Reporter Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey). Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) Nine detainees and nine prison employees at the Quezon City jail have tested positive for coronavirus disease, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology said Friday. BJMP spokesperson Xavier Solda said in a briefing that the infected inmates were brought to a quarantine facility in Payatas. On March 25, the BJMP said an inmate in Quezon City jail died of suspected COVID-19. The nine detainees who tested positive for the contagious respiratory disease have no known exposure to the suspected case. Solda said a team is tracing those who may have been exposed to the infected prisoners. Meanwhile, some employees afflicted with the virus were told to go through self-quarantine at home as they did not exhibit severe symptoms. "But nandun parin yung common symptoms na may sore throat, meron paring may ubo sa kanila so they were advised na mag-home quarantine muna," Solda said. [Translation: The common symptoms are there so they were advised to go on home quarantine for the meantime.] He added their conditions are "improving." In early April, 22 prisoners who have underlying medical conditions filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking temporary freedom amid the coronavirus disease outbreak. The high court on Friday asked the BJMP to comment within five days on the prisoners' petition, sources said. The Philippines now has 5,660 confirmed cases of the viral disease, with 435 recoveries and 362 deaths. The European Union has welcomed a mutual release and exchange of detainees that took place in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, April 16. A relevant statement has been published on the website of the European External Action Service. "This is a welcome next step towards the implementation of one of the measures agreed at the Paris Normandy Format Summit of 9 December 2019. The European Union expects all parties to continue work to implement the Minsk agreements, including by drawing on the recommendations agreed in the Normandy Format," the statement reads. The European Union also reaffirmed its support to the work of the Normandy Format, the 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," the statement reads. The document notes that 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. "The European Union remains steadfast in its firm support of Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity," the statement reads. As was reported earlier, 20 Ukrainian citizens, who were held in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, returned to government-controlled areas as a result of a mutual release on April 16. In particular, nine Ukrainians were held by militants for a long time in the occupied territories of Donetsk region and 11 more in the occupied territories of Luhansk region. Among them are two Ukrainian soldiers. The exchange took place at the Mayorske checkpoint in Donetsk region and near the town of Shchastia in Luhansk region. Instead, 14 citizens left for the occupied territories. The mutual release of detainees took place as part of the "all-for-all" format. The exchange first took place according to the formula when Ukraine transferred more people than it received. Thirty-eight people were released as a result of the exchange of detained persons on April 16. Thirty-four of them were transferred, and four refused to move to the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Upon return, Ukrainian citizens will undergo observation and verification procedures. This was the third detainee exchange in the past seven months. The previous mutual release of detained persons took place in December 2019, when 76 Ukrainians returned home. The Office of the President of Ukraine said negotiations were underway to release those held in Russia-occupied Crimea and in Russia. op Shes in her first year of residency in emergency medicine. Each day, after she takes off her protective gear and attempts to wash off both the virus and the fear, she goes home and worries about whether she will be allowed to complete her residency. Losing DACA would mean losing her ability to repay her loans, treat desperate patients, even stay in the only country she has ever known. Shes been here since age 2. Five policemen on patrolling duty were attacked by more than a dozen people after they asked them to stay at home in an area under curfew over the coronavirus pandemic in Rajasthans Tonk district, officials said. The injured policemen were rushed to a government hospital after which two of them were discharged while three are still undergoing treatment. According to police officials, the incident took place in Kasai Mohalla of Panch Batti area under Kotwali police station limits. The injured cops were patrolling in the morning. Around 8am, when they saw some people were roaming unnecessarily in the curfew hit area and when these cops asked them to stay inside their homes, the accused started beating them, Vipin Sharma, Tonks additional superintendent of police, said. Sharma said as soon as senior police officials came to know about the incident, an extra force was sent to the spot and the situation was brought under control using mild force. The injured constables were identified as Rajendra, Rajaram, Rajesh, Bhagchand and Asharam. Three of them, Rajaram, Rajendra and Bhagchand, are undergoing treatment as they sustained serious head injurious while rest two were discharged after first aid, added Sharma. Station house officer (SHO) of Tonks Kotwali police station Bansi Lal said seven people have been detained so far and a case has been registered. The case has been registered by the injured cops under section 307 (attempt to murder), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to public servant), 353 (assaulting governments servant) and 188 (disobeying government order) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), said Lal. The condition of the cops is stable, Lal added. Further investigation is on. Amid coronavirus pandemic, people are stuck indoors due to the lockdown measures and they are finding creative ways to spend their time in isolation. A couple from Hungary have come up with the best possible way to utilise their time as they are recreating some iconic scenes from their favourite Hollywood blockbuster films. The couple took to Facebook to show how they are using different locations in their house along with the basic resources, like toilet paper and sausages, to recreate the movie scenes. While speaking to an international media outlet, the couple said they as they possess a lot of accessories and costumes, they have managed to recreate scenes from Star Wars, Rambo, Men in Black, Iron Man, and The Shining. The couple, Fanni Kovacs and Husszu Norbert said that they recreated scenes and improvised based on the accessories they had in their house. From using a kitchen tool for Sylvester Stallones scene from First Blood to using toilet paper for recreating other movie scenes, the couple has been lauded for their creativity. READ: Assam: Siblings Perform With Drums Made From Cardboard And Steel Tray READ: Kerala: Elephant 'patrols' Streets At Night Amid COVID-19 Lockdown, Watch Video READ: Video Of Monkey Flying A Kite Amid Lockdown Leaves Netizens In Splits 'You are fantastic' With several internet users resharing their Facebook posts, netizens have also called their idea brilliant. One Facebook user wrote, The best thing Ive seen lately. Another user while calling them an addiction suggested, There could be movie details with short dialogue?! READ: Police Therapy Dog Sleeps Through His Own Swear-in Ceremony, Video Has Netizens In Splits Meanwhile, coronavirus, which originated in China in December 2019, has now claimed over 146,000 lives worldwide as of April 17. According to the tally by an international news agency, the pandemic has now spread to 210 countries and territories and has infected more than 2.1 million people. Out of the total infections, more than 553,000 have recovered but the easily spread virus is continuing to disrupt many lives. Major cities have been put under lockdown in almost all countries including Spain, and the economy is struggling. READ: What Happened To Eve On 'Last Man Standing'? Will She Ever Come Back? 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. Those of a certain age must have blinked to hear Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackerays address on April 14 as migrants thronged the Bandra railway station expecting to get on to trains to make their way home and had to be lathicharged. First, he spoke in Hindi. Obviously, speaking in Marathi to a labour force that is primarily from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with a small (and increasingly dwindling) section from south India, would have been somewhat pointless. But for a Shiv Sainik, this was a big, big concession. And then, what he said! Its fit to take your ... A father whose seven-year-old son passed away from a brain tumour whilst watching cartoons in the arms of his mother, has thanked a Cork community for giving his child a magical send-off. Conor Harnett passed away two weeks ago with his funeral taking place four days later. His father David told the Neil Prendeville show on Corks Red FM that he would forever be in the debt of his wonderful friends and neighbours in Killavullen. Mr Harnett described the death of his son as peaceful as could have been hoped for under the circumstances. My small man passed away from a brain tumour in his brain stem on April 3 last. He died in his mother's arms watching cartoons. His brother slept with him the night he passed away 'to keep him warm'. "We had the funeral on Monday April 6 and it was just magical. It was not the traditional Irish funeral. Little Conor was diagnosed with the DIPG - a Brain Tumour in the Brain Stem - in April of last year. He had been experiencing difficulties with his balance and with swallowing food. He was referred to Mercy University Hospital in Cork city for tests before being sent to Cork University Hospital where the tumour was found following an MRI scan. Conor then went to Temple Street Childrens Hospital for a biopsy. Mr Harnett said when they heard about the brain tumour it was like a train going through the wall. We were hoping they would operate and take it out. I went with him in the ambulance that night and we arrived around 12. He went asleep. We were in Temple Street for 10 days. "They did biopsies and the second one gave us what we did not want to hear. We were told what we were dealing with. "It was a brain tumour called DIPG which is in the brain stem so basically the medical diagnosis for that is the same today as it was 40 years ago. There is no advance in It and it was terminal." David said the consultant in Temple Street told them that life expectancy was going to be short. He basically told us go and make memories. That was hard to swallow so we left the hospital the following day. He was still healthy and strong at the time and they decided to go down the road of radiotherapy and chemo. He had 13 radiotherapy sessions and Conor was doing well. He was walking but with aid from us. All his left hand side was not doing what his brain was telling it to do. Conor at school. "He went back to school for a while. He loved school he wasnt able to do what he wanted to do and that killed him. He wanted to be a six-year-old without being helped. We didnt tell him. What we told him was there was an ant in his head and the doctors were trying to get it out. We brought it down to a childs level and once he knew that he was happy. "But he was very upset he couldnt run around with his brother and do the things he would normally do. What he really missed was food because Conor couldnt swallow anything. He was fed through a tube." David went on to describe how life came to a standstill for him and his family. He said: "Myself and his Mam Jacqueline we were 24/7 with him. He went downhill Christmas 2019. "With this you are given nine to 18 months and January was the ninth month and he started to deteriorate a lot. He was paralysed on the left side, he couldnt close his left eye - he was all aware but his body was locked. We had Santy for him but he was in no mood, no fun. He was lying on the couch looking at his presents which we opened for him. "He was very angry we had to do that for him. He was always a very independent child and he wanted to do everything himself. And that was all taken from him. "His condition deteriorated on a weekly basis since then and he passed away peacefully on April 3rd, just gone in his mothers arms watching cartoons. David said Conor was really courageous and never complained about his illness. The couple had been renting a house in Killavullen but moved to Mallow. Killavullen to him was home, he loved it. He loved messing and playing in the river with the dogs. We were in the new house with him and he passed four days after we moved in "He was in bed all day and he didnt want to get up. I brought him down around 7pm and sat him on the couch. He was watching cartoons with his older brother. Jackie was sitting with him on the couch he died there. The three of us were together and we held him. We put him back to bed and his brother Rory slept with him to keep him warm and the following day I rang the undertakers and they came. David said, thankfully, they had made arrangements and choices around the funeral. Conor was mad about Batman and I asked the undertaker if he could get him a Batman coffin and he did. I wanted to celebrate his life. The family had planned to let Conors schoolmates come in and sign his coffin but they had to ditch that plan because of Covid-19. However locals didnt let them down. David said: The minute we left home with Conor taking the back road from Mallow to Killavullen people were standing at gaps, gates, doorways. boreens. It was so magical and their waves were like a tap on the shoulder. We went out that road, and his best friend was standing with his dad with Batman signs all painted. We came into the village of Killavullen which Conor loved so much and a lot of people stood at their doors and waved. When we arrived at the Bridge all the local clubs all gathered. It was magical. David has urged parents to appreciate their children. All I will say is spoil your children because you dont know when it is going to change. Within a shot it can all be taken away. Conor got nine to 18 months and he was 25 days short of 12 months when he died. "He went fast and without pain. I look at it now he is not suffering and he will always be with us. [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] Silvano Aureoles, Governor of Michoacan, recently warned that his entity is not abiding by provisions of Hugo Lopez Gatell, the Undersecretary of Health. The provisions of the specific times scheduled for the "conclusion of the emergency by the COVID-19 pandemic" the country currently experiences. Aureoles indicated via the video broadcast posted on his Twitter account that the health undersecretary said that by May 23, it would be the most dangerous phase of hospitalization. Then, on June 25, the Governor continued, Lopez Gatell also said, "It would be the stage of stabilization." Although at the same time, life would turn the norm in several municipalities. These measures, Aureoles said, seemingly talking to Lopez Gatell, that he was announcing, "Michoacan is not abiding by them," since they will take care of the health of their people. Aureoles' Warning The Governor continued to warn the health official saying if he wants to continue to deceive the country's population to "do it." However, not everyone is blind, and his efforts "comment little" accountability of what he has done in this challenging time. More so, Aureoles accused Lopez Gatell of taking the current situation lightly. He said, it's either they like to lie to the other government officials, or they are forcing them to lie. "But stop lying to the Mexican society," he said. With this, the Governor announced that he is returning the 96 alcohol bottles and 2,000 blindfolds sent to Michoacan since it's not serving them even for one day and that he is not delivering the health workers, "out of respect," while he reiterated his request the medical supplies needed to be sent. Additionally, Governor Aureoles told Zoe Robledo, the IMSS director, that the state has no IMSS Technology Center where respirators should be carried out. Lopez Gatell's Earlier Report Earlier on, Lopez Gatell informed via one of the morning press conferences, the latest news on the advance COVID-19 in Mexico. Based on the data he presented, he announced some necessary measures. The first measure was the scheduled Healthy Distance Day set for April 30 and extended until May 30. Then, the second measure announced was on health distance to be retained even after end-May, specifically for susceptible groups comprising of pregnant women, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses. Meanwhile, the measures' intensities, according to Lopez Gatell, should be regionalized and would include, among other things, segmenting nationwide mobility, geographical restraint. Non-contagious municipalities' inhabitants would be asked not to leave, and the highly-contagious municipalities' inhabitants, as well. Concerning this, according to the health undersecretary, the segmentation should allow several municipalities to "conclude the healthy distance on May 17." Lastly, still as part of the measures, June 1 would be scheduled as the start of a staggering return to classes and work. Lopez Gatell added, the pandemic's peak in Mexico is going to be between May 8 and 10 and is expected to subside by June 25. Read More: Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth announced a committees plan to reopen Alabamas economy. The press conference was earlier. You can watch live at AL.coms Facebook page or below. You can see the entire report here. Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth and Rep. Danny Garrett of Trussville release a plan from a small business advisory group on reopening the states economy in response to the status of the coronavirus pandemic. Posted by al.com on Friday, April 17, 2020 Our task force and members of our office are still up late working on finalizing the plan to get Alabama safely back to work. Looking forward to sharing the plan tomorrow morning with Alabama. #emergencysmallbusinesscommission pic.twitter.com/bkpxZ7Xww7 Will Ainsworth (@willainsworthAL) April 17, 2020 Gov. Kay Ivey tapped Ainsworth to lead the Alabama Small Business Commission Emergency Task Force designed to look at the best ways to open Alabamas economy thats been shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic. Reopening Alabamas economy and getting business back to work will not be like flipping a light switch but it will more likely be accomplished in stages once the COVID-19 pandemic begins to ease, Ainsworth said when announcing the committee. The purpose of this subcommittee is to provide a roadmap to reopening the economy that balances the publics health and safety with the need for small business owners and employees to resume operations. Alabama is currently under a stay at home order to stop the spread of the virus. The order has closed all non-essential businesses though theres a growing call for places like beauty shops and barbers, small stores and others to open. Members of the economic development committee are: State Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, will serve as the subcommittees chairman. Members are: Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Fairhope; Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman; Rep. Joe Lovvorn, R-Auburn; Rosemary Elebash, National Federation of Independent Business, Alabama chair; Mindy Hanan, Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association executive director; Katie Britt, CEO of Business Council of Alabama; Rick Brown, president of Alabama Retail Association; Tony Cochran of CK Business Solutions in Albertville; and Stephen McNair of McNair Historic Preservation in Mobile. Hindi News Business Corona Related Rumor Damaged Poultry Industry By 24 Thousand Crores, Snatching Employment Of 6 Lakh People : , 24 , 6 2 80 5 . (-19) 6 24 1.20 4 2 - , ( ), () , 70-80 18-20 80 5 () 80 5 20 , 10 3 15 30-40 () 30-40 15 3.8 , 80-90 71 , 180 31 5 28-30 () 18 100 5 150 , , 20-30 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 17, 2020) - Tower Resources Ltd. (TSXV: TWR) ("Tower" or the "Company") announces that it has made application to the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") to extend the term of 6,250,000 common share purchase warrants (the "Warrants") that were issued under the Company's private placement of units completed on May 8, 2019. The Warrants that are the subject of the application have an exercise price of $0.10 per common share and are set to expire on May 8, 2020. Insiders of the Company hold 12.8% of the Warrants. The Company has applied for consent to extend the term of the Warrants from twelve months (12) to twenty-four months (24) from the date of original issuance of the Warrants in accordance with Exchange policies. About Tower Resources Tower is a Canadian based mineral exploration company focused on the discovery and advancement of economic mineral projects in the Americas. The Company's key exploration assets are the Rabbit North copper-gold porphyry project located between the New Afton and Highland Valley Copper mines, the Nechako gold project near New Gold's Blackwater project and the More Creek gold project in the Golden Triangle area of Northern British Columbia. On behalf of the Board of Directors Tower Resources Ltd. Joe Dhami, President and CEO (778) 996-4730 www.towerresources.ca Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada 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/54566 Former Trump advisor Roger Stone was denied a retrial on the grounds of jury bias: AFP via Getty Images Donald Trumps longtime friend and adviser Roger Stone has been denied a new trial after a failed attempt to claim jury bias during a previous trial. Amy Berman Jackson, a US District Court Judge in Washington DC, rejected Mr Stones claim that a jury forewoman with strong opinions on the US president had been biased against him. Mr Stones bid for a new trial was described by Judge Jackson as a tower of indignation, but at the end of the day, there is little of substance holding it up. The confidant of Mr Trump had claimed that a forewomans bias against the president disqualified her decision in Mr Stones guilt or innocence, on the basis of social media posts presented by Mr Stones lawyer. However, on Thursday, the judge ruled that there was zero evidence of explicit bias against Stone, and that the forewoman did not lie about her opinions during an initial screening for bias, in contradiction to Mr Stones claims. The assumption underlying the motion that one can infer from the jurors 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, said Judge Jackson. Instead, the judge added that Mr Stones lawyers had not been diligent enough to do their own research at the beginning of the trial, when such information about her social media presence was a few mouse clicks away. Mr Stone was sentenced to 40 months in prison in November in the aftermath of Special Counsel Robert Muellers inquiry into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election. The Trump advisor was convicted on seven counts of obstructing justice, including lying to Congress about his communications with WikiLeaks, the website that released damaging emails about Hillary Clinton during the 2016 US election campaign. With his bid for a new trial denied, Mr Stone is expected to ask an appeals court to throw out his conviction. Additional reporting by Reuters Quarantine is a temporary but extremely important measure to combat the spread of coronavirus, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. He said this at a traditional meeting on combating coronavirus, the press service of the head of state reported. "Yes, everyone loves spring picnics. Everyone wants to have a traditional barbecue. We need to understand people with these desires. But it necessary to tell them that quarantine is temporary but very important. Such a picnic or barbecue today can cost someone's life. Communication and clarification are extremely important at such a difficult time," Zelensky said. According to Heath Minister Maksym Stepanov, the mortality rate from COVID-19 in Ukraine is 2.7% of the number of people infected with the virus. This is a much lower figure than the world average. At the same time, Ukraine has not yet reached the peak of its incidence, and it necessary to be cautious due to the Easter and May holidays. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that more than 90% of pharmacies and stores in Ukraine had been provided with personal protective equipment. In addition, it was noted that hospitals' inspection commissions in the regions showed that, despite good statistics from local authorities, there were many problems for doctors. In particular, the issue concerns the delivery of some medicines, as well as the settlement of transport issues and nutrition of doctors, especially those who stay overnight in medical facilities because of the epidemic. The government said that the money for these services had been allocated and that the local authorities had to provide these services. "If the authorities in the regions do not know [how that can be done], then it is necessary to tell them, explain them. If there is money, it is necessary to ensure their most efficient use," Zelensky said. According to the Ukrainian Health Ministry, 4,662 laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases were recorded in Ukraine as of 09:00 on April 17. A total of 125 people died of the disease, and 246 patients recovered. A total of 501 new cases have been recorded in Ukraine over the past 24 hours. op The Defense Department's top watchdog wants to analyze whether the Navy's newest fleet of maritime surveillance aircraft is fully ready to hunt and track submarines near Europe, nearly seven years after achieving operational readiness in 2013. In a letter sent to the service as well as U.S. European Command, the Inspector General's Office this week said it will begin a fact-finding investigation to determine "whether the readiness of U.S. Navy's P-8 Poseidon aircraft fleet meets the anti-submarine warfare requirements of [EUCOM]." Officials said they will look to gather information from crews at Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland; Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Group, Norfolk, Virginia; Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 10, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington; Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida; U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany; and U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Naval Forces Africa, Naples, Italy, according to the letter. The news comes as the Navy investigates whether it can retrofit the P-8 to hold more ammunition at a time when adversary submarine activity -- particularly from the Russian navy -- is surging. Related: Head of Global Strike Command Wants to Make Air Force Bombers Even More Lethal The main mission of the P-8A, which replaced the Navy's P-3C Orion, is to track submarines by dropping buoys that ping, listen and detect. The intelligence-gathering aircraft is a Boeing-made adaptation of its 737 commercial aircraft. The plane's 120 buoys are transported within cylindrical cases in the rear of the aircraft. The on-board crew decides which it will drop based on weather and altitude, and they then monitor the data they collect. The aircraft also uses a mix of sophisticated GPS systems, radios, electronic warfare tools, communication nodes, infrared imaging and high-tech radars to detect things happening on or below the water's surface. Its lightweight AN/APY-10 radar, nestled within its "snoopy nose," can detect and classify threats at long ranges. The aircraft can also strike: Crews can zero in on submarines to lob an MK-54 torpedo or AGM-84D Harpoon missile. The plane carries the missiles on its external wing pylons or in the weapons bay on the underside of the aircraft. But it may be able to carry more. According to a presolicitation notice posted in January, the service wants to incorporate the AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) onto the P-8, which has a greater-than-200 nautical mile standoff range, according to the weapon's maker, Lockheed Martin Corp. The precision-guided, anti-ship standoff missile first achieved early operational capability on the B-1B Lancer bomber in 2018. LRASM will be able to autonomously sensor-locate and track targets while avoiding friendly forces, Lockheed officials have said. The potential expansion would boost the variety of the P-8's weapons stock as the Navy plans to cut back the size of the fleet. The Navy's 2021 fiscal budget request does not fund any more Poseidon patrol aircraft, capping out the total fleet to 117 aircraft instead of 138, according to Forbes. Yet the spy aircraft has a vital mission, especially as hotspots around the world continue flaring up. Specifically in Europe, submarines coming from the Barents Sea -- where Russia has a submarine hub near the Kola Peninsula -- tend to slip through the Greenland, Iceland, U.K. waterways, nicknamed "the GIUK," and into the Atlantic Ocean. Speaking to reporters in February, Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters, the head of U.S. European Command who also serves as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander-Europe, said officials have observed "a 50% increase in the number of resources Russia committed to the undersea" activity between 2018 and 2019. Allies and partners continue to acquire the aircraft. Boeing delivered the first submarine-hunting and anti-surface warfare aircraft to the United Kingdom last fall. Australia already flies long-range aircraft, and the Indian Navy flies the P-8I variant. Norway has also bought into the program. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Read more: Army Debuts Redesigned Arctic Tab as It Shifts Focus to Cold-Weather Training 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. From The Epoch Times by Brendan Tuma | Bengals Correspondent | Wed, Apr 15th 9:29am EDT Paul Dehner of The Athletic writes that Joe Mixon is "prepared for a holdout" if a long-term contract isn't reached between him and the Bengals. (The Athletic) Fantasy Impact: Mixon is set to earn just $1.2 million in the final year of his rookie contract this season. Still just 23 years old, Mixon obviously knows that running backs have a small window to cash in these days. A holdout could be risky, however, as evidenced by what happened with Melvin Gordon over the past calendar year. Cincinnati is expected to turn a corner offensively once they select Joe Burrow in next week's draft. Obviously, they would like to have Mixon on the field as their rebuild reaches the next stage. Remarkable new archaeological discoveries in Israel are revealing important details about the religious and political environment in which Jesus is said to have grown up, and which are likely to have influenced his own religious and political outlook. Detailed new research suggests that Nazareth, which according to Christian tradition is where Jesus grew up, was substantially bigger than previously thought, religiously very conservative and politically very anti-Roman. The archaeological work, directed by a British archaeologist, Dr Ken Dark of the University of Reading, suggests that there was a very substantial difference between the religious values adhered to by Jews living in Nazareth and those living in a neighbouring town called Sepphoris. Detailed examination of archaeological finds from Nazareth reveals that they only used ceramic and other artefacts regarded as ritually pure, while in neighbouring Sepphoris such religious rules appear to have been less strictly applied. Furthermore, archaeological survey work, carried out on agricultural land between the two towns, has revealed that the ancient inhabitants of Nazareth seem to have kept very strictly to what appears to have been a religiously generated prohibition on the use of human excrement to fertilise fields; while their neighbours just four miles away in Sepphoris seem to have had no such ban. Probably shortly after the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans in AD70, a top priestly family chose to live in Nazareth. This first-century-style rock-cut tomb very near Nazareth (and similar to ones near Jerusalem) may well have been the final resting place of one of those priests (Ken Dark) Its known that the people of Sepphoris, including much of its substantial Jewish population, led lives that were highly influenced by Greek and Roman culture. By contrast, the new evidence suggests very clearly that the people of Nazareth lived purely Jewish lives and kept to all the major ritual laws. The area seems to have been actively anti-Roman. In the year 4BC, an anti-Roman revolt is known to have broken out in the area and rebels attacked the military arsenal and government treasury in the centre of nearby Sepphoris. Indeed, the archaeological investigation revealed that in Nazareth itself, in the middle of the first century AD, anti-Roman rebels created a sizeable network of underground hiding places and tunnels underneath the town big enough to shelter at least 100 people. Religious Jews saw Roman and Greek influence as a serious and direct threat to their faith. Thus pious religiosity and anti-Roman politics often went together. The new archaeological investigation the largest ever carried out into Roman period Nazareth has revealed that Jesuss hometown is likely to have been considerably bigger than previously thought. It probably had a population of up to 1,000 (rather than just being a small-to-medium sized village of 100-500, as previously thought). Our new investigation has transformed archaeological knowledge of Roman Nazareth, said Dr Dark, who has just published the results of his research in a new book Roman-Period and Byzantine Nazareth and its Hinterland. For the first time ever, we are now gaining a reasonable understanding of the sort of place Nazareth was in Roman times. An early image portraying Jesus, as he would have been perceived in the fourth century AD. Earlier images tended to portray him looking clean-shaven and very Roman but by the fourth century, artists had started to portray him with a beard, thus giving him a more traditionally Jewish dimension (Wikimedia Commons) By examining in detail all the archaeological evidence, gained from recent landscape-survey work and from a detailed re-analysis of previous excavations, we are now beginning to learn about the cultural and economic environment in which Jesus grew up, Dr Dark told The Independent. One of the most significant revelations to have come out of Dr Darks investigation is the fact that the farmers of Nazareth seem to have had a prohibition on the use of human manure as a fertiliser, in contrast to the people of Sepphoris and potentially many other areas. Field surveys by the archaeologists have revealed that, about halfway between the two towns, there is an abrupt change in the agricultural strategy. The discovery is significant because different Jewish groups took very different attitudes to human excrement. Mainstream religious Judaism took the view that such excrement was unpleasant, rather than ritually impure. Their only prohibition on the subject was that people should make sure that human excrement should be at least four cubits (almost 2 metres) away when prayers were being recited. However, an ultra-religious Jewish sect called the Essenes (and potentially, therefore, other extreme groups) did regard excrement as ritually/spiritually impure and unclean, as well as being merely physically unclean and unpleasant. They took the view that all human excrement must be buried so as not to offend Gods divine rays of light. The ancient agricultural land near Nazareth where the archaeologists carried out their crucial landscape-survey work (Ken Dark) The fact that the people of Nazareth seem to have had a strict prohibition on the use of human excrement as a crop fertiliser implies therefore that they too regarded it as ritually impure, rather than simply unpleasant. It therefore suggests that they were, in some ways, either aligned with aspects of Essene thinking or with the thinking of another similarly hard-line religious movement within Judaism of the first century AD. However, in other aspects of their material culture, the people of Nazareth were totally in line with other, more mainstream forms of pious Judaism. The archaeologists have found numerous fragments of stone bowls and cups in and around Nazareth: a fact that strongly suggests a high degree of traditional religiosity in the town. Religious Jews of the first century AD believed that stone vessels were immune to ritual and spiritual impurity in a way that ceramic and wooden vessels were not. So to keep themselves and their homes ritually clean, they often preferred to use stone vessels. Nazareths Church of the Annunciation, under which lie a complex of hiding places used by anti-Roman Jewish rebels (Ken Dark) The belief is stated quite clearly in chapter 10 of the Mishnah, the Roman-period compendium of Jewish tradition and law that was later incorporated into the Talmud. Indeed, the use of stone vessels for ritual washing is also referred to in chapter 2 of St Johns Gospel. Frequent hand-washing after sleeping, before eating bread, before worship was, and still is, an extremely important aspect of strict traditional Jewish religious life. However, religious Jews of Jesuss time may also have been reluctant to use manufactured goods that may have been rendered ritually impure during their manufacture: for instance, by having been placed near non-kosher food or near to a dead body or by having been handled by a woman during menstruation. This fear may well be behind the type of ceramics used in Nazareth. Archaeologists have found thousands of fragments of pottery in and around Nazareth. In contrast to the pottery of Sepphoris, however, it is virtually all of one type: a rough ware, made in a Jewish village called Kefar Hananya, 23 miles to the north of Nazareth. Interestingly, archaeologists have found that the distribution of stone vessels and Kefar Hananya pottery in first-century Palestine seems to correlate. Its likely that religious Jews were taking no chances with their domestic utensils, and made sure that their pots came from strictly religious Jewish sources that could be relied upon to keep them ritually pure during manufacture. The newly emerging picture of Roman-period Nazareth as a place of substantial religiosity does, however, resonate not only with the emergence of its most famous son, Jesus, but also with the fact that, in the mid-first or second century, it was chosen as the official residence of one of the high priests of the by-then-destroyed Temple in Jerusalem, when all 24 of those Jewish religious leaders were driven into exile in Galilee. Indeed, what are probably priestly tombs have been discovered by archaeologists in and around Nazareth. Remarkably, some of them were even equipped with extremely rare life-size glass versions of the goats horn musical instruments the shofarot, or shofars, that had been used during religious services in the Temple in Jerusalem and which are still blown today during the two most important religious events of the Jewish calendar. Significantly, after the fall of Jerusalem in AD70, when the Romans destroyed the Jewish Temple there, the shofar came for a period to be seen, and blown, as an expression of mourning for the Temples destruction. The archaeological investigation in Nazareth will help historians to better understand the ways in which Jesuss hometown may have helped shape his religious outlook. The gospels of St Mark and St Luke suggest that his views were not popular there and it may be that what seems to have been the ultra-strict nature of Nazareths religiosity had actually pushed Jesus towards a perspective that would perhaps have been more acceptable to less strictly religious Jews, such as many of those living in places like neighbouring Sepphoris. Land OLakes butter packaging is getting a new look after nearly a century. The company has decided to remove the Native American maiden that was featured prominently on its butter. Instead packaging will include photos of real Land OLakes farmers and co-op members, and the phrase Farmer-Owned more prominently. As Land OLakes looks toward our 100th anniversary, weve recognized we need packaging that reflects the foundation and heart of our company culture," said Beth Ford, President and CEO, Land OLakes. And nothing does that better than our farmer-owners whose milk is used to produce Land OLakes dairy products. 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) Mia, the Native American maiden, appeared on the packaging in 1928, which evoking rural Minnesota with a blue lake, green pine trees and a Native woman in a buckskin dress and feather headdress, according to Grand Forks Herald. Its been redesigned twice since then, including in the 1950s when Patrick DesJarlait, an Ojibwe artist, was hired to revamp the depiction, according to a blog of Villanova Universitys History Graduate Program. Yes, its a good thing for the company to remove the image," Rep. Ruth Buffalo, D-Fargo, who is a registered member of the Mandan, Hidatsa Arikara Nation, told the newspaper. But we cant stop there. We as a whole need to keep pushing forward to address the underlying issues that directly impact an entire population that survived genocide. Related Content: Investor Webinar - Sayonas Expansion Strategy Brisbane, April 17, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Emerging lithium miner Sayona Mining Limited ( ASX:SYA ) ( FRA:DML ) ( OTCMKTS:DMNXF )invites investors to learn more about the Company's exciting expansion plans and long-term strategy at a webinar planned for next Monday, 20 April 2020 at 9am AEST.Sayona's Managing Director, Brett Lynch will outline the Company's current growth plans and vision to become a leading producer, amid its bid for North American Lithium and growth of the lithium-ion battery market in North America and globally.Sayona Quebec CEO, Guy Laliberte will also participate, providing the latest update direct from Quebec on its support for the battery minerals sector.Attendees may submit questions to management during registration or via the webcast. A recording will also be made available following the event on the Company's website.Webinar DetailsTime: 9am AEST Monday, 20 April 2020 (7pm Sunday, 19 April 2020 Montreal time)RSVP: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7660857568417472523 Dial-in Numbers: Australia +61 3 8488 8990Canada +1 (647) 497 9385United States +1 (562) 247 8421Access Code: 989-265-657For any questions concerning the webinar, please email info@sayonamining.com.au or phone +61 (7) 3369 7058.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 Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively continue to grind away helping others. The Deadpool star, 43, had Gossip Girl actress, 32, appear on his Instagram Stories feed as he plugged a T-shirt for Conquer COVID-19, an emerging charity out of his native Canada that's focused on getting healthcare workers essential PPE and resources. 'Are you sick and tired of fashion? Is your mother-in-law hunting you?' the Vancouver native wrote while wearing the black shirt with white lettering that reads Conquer COVID-19. In it together: Ryan Reynolds, 43, had Blake Lively, 32, appear on his Instagram Stories feed Thursday as he plugged a T-shirt for Conquer COVID-19 , an emerging charity out of the actor's native Canada that's focused on getting healthcare workers essential PPE and resources 'We're asking every Canadian to purchase this t-shirt, and as you can see, is boring as f***,' the actor said in accompanying clip. 'This shirt is so unremarkable that it actually renders its wearer completely invisible - for instance, I'm quarantining with my mother-in-law and she's been looking for me for days.' The charismatic star noted that all 'of the proceeds of this horrific shirt are gonna go to buying PPE for frontline personnel in our most vulnerable communities.' He added, 'Now, I know that's not an exciting prospect or point, but the faster we get those guys protected, the faster they get us back to boring.' As the clip ended, the voice of his mother-in-law, Elaine Lively, called on him but he sat in place and didn't say anything. She said, 'I could have sworn I heard his voice.' Keep it simple: The Vancouver native wore the black shirt with white lettering that reads Conquer COVID-19 Witty: The charismatic star noted that all 'of the proceeds of this horrific shirt are gonna go to buying PPE for frontline personnel in our most vulnerable communities' On his Instagram page, the leading man urged his followers to visit conquercovid19.ca and help those who REALLY need you.' On the website, the organization says it's 'comprised of physicians, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and other volunteers who are working together to ensure frontline workers responsible for the health and wellbeing of Canadians have access to masks, gloves, and other supplies that are essential in treating patients and minimizing the spread of the virus.' In another post, the 6 Underground leading man delivered a deadpan line in "support" of the good cause garment: 'To buy this obscenely boring shirt, swipe up. Then wear it to unimpress your friends.' Reynolds and Lively, who share two kids - James, five, and Inez, three - have been among Hollywood's most philanthropic stars amid the outbreak of the pandemic, using their platforms and dollars to wage battles on many fronts against the virus. Last month, they made donations of $1 million to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada; $400,000 to hospitals in New York City; and $10,000 to the Canadian Professional Bartender's Association. Reynolds and Lively continue their tireless efforts as number of celebrities have publicly confirmed testing positive for the virus, including Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Idris Elba, Prince Charles and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Worldwide pandemic: In Ryan's native Canada, 1,231 people have died amid 30,973 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Johns Hopkins University reported Thursday Fighting the good fight: Reynolds and Lively, who share two kids have been among Hollywood's most philanthropic stars amid the outbreak of the pandemic Other notable Hollywood names to test positive for coronavirus include actresses Olga Kurylenko, Debi Mazar and Rachel Matthews; and actors Kristofer Hivju and Daniel Dae Kim. Performers to succumb to coronavirus-related symptoms include Jaws actress Lee Fierro, 91, Aliens actor Jay Benedict, 68, and Nashville actor Allen Garfield, 80. As of Thursday, the death total for COVID-19 was at 28,998 people in the U.S., with 662,045 total positive diagnoses, Johns Hopkins University reported, while in Ryan's native Canada, 1,231 people have died amid 30,973 confirmed cases. On a global level, 144,047 people have died amid 2,157,108 positive diagnoses worldwide. When Facebook unveiled Libra 10 months ago, it intended to create a single global currency that would be pegged to a basket that included fiat currencies, like the US dollar and euro, and securities like treasuries. That plan faced criticism from politicians and regulators worried that Libra could usurp some power from central banks, who use money creation as a tool to influence and protect markets, or be used for black-market purposes, like money laundering. The organisation has also begun talks with Swiss regulators for a payments licence, and hopes to register with FinCEN, the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, as a "money services business," according to Dante Disparte, head of policy for the Libra Association. "We're working toward a late 2020 readiness timeline" to launch the Libra network, Disparte added. The Libra Association, the governing body overseeing the proposed project, redesigned the currency and made other changes responding to financial regulators concerned the effort could undermine the power and control of central banks. The group said it plans to support multiple Libra stable coins, with each working like a digital version of a country's existing currency. Facebook and its partners said their Libra cryptocurrency project will now support multiple versions of the digital coins, the majority of which will be backed by individual fiat currencies like the US dollar, as part of changes made to appease sceptical regulators worldwide. After months of discussions, the Libra Association has backpedalled on those initial plans, though it still hopes to create a version of the Libra currency made up of "a digital composite of some of the single-currency stable coins," the organisation wrote in a white paper published on Thursday (US time). Bloomberg previously reported on the association's plans to offer multiple versions of the Libra currency. Facebook has said it won't launch Libra without regulatory approval, but it's unclear whether the changes will appease critics and financial officials. "Which currency will be adopted and used will vary by use cases," said Christian Catalini, head economist for Facebook's Calibra division, which created the project. He suggested that when sending money across borders, the multicurrency Libra could be a better option, whereas the single-currency stable coins would make more sense for everyday purchases in a consumer's home country. The restructuring could help Libra with regulation. The original plan led some to characterise Libra as a security, a designation that brings much greater regulatory oversight. Some central banks also worried that a popular coin backed by a basket of currencies would undermine their ability to manage fluctuations of their home currency, a concern the Libra Association acknowledged in its white paper. The changes could also potentially clear the way for more companies to join the association as members, perhaps lowering the risk of backlash from regulators. Many of the original high-profile participants left the organisation before it signed a charter, including Visa, Mastercard and PayPal. Included in the association's update was a change in plans for its Libra blockchain. Last year, the group said it planned to eventually let anybody participate in running its network - not just members - the way anyone can participate in the Bitcoin network. Now Libra is backpedalling to say that anyone who wants to verify transactions on the network will need to gain certain approvals. The exact approvals process is still being worked out. The United Nations (UN) says it has received delivery of vital health supplies including 10,000 test kits, 15 oxygen concentrators, personal protective equipment (PPE), vaccines, and other vital health supplies for onward donation to the Nigerian government. The supplies are co-financed by the European Union (EU) and IHS Nigeria, the Nigerian subsidiary of IHS Towers. Currently, Nigeria has about 442 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with over 25 per cent recovery a d 12 deaths. In a statement on Thursday, the Chief of Communications, UNICEF Nigeria, Eliana Drakopoulos, said the supplies will support Nigeria, through the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), to prevent and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in affected states across the country. The supplies are co-financed by the European Union (EU) and IHS Nigeria, the Nigerian subsidiary of IHS Towers, she said. She said additional COVID-19 response supplies are expected in a UN joint flight to be delivered to Nigeria in the coming days. The personal protection equipment (PPEs) will protect medical personnel and ancillary staff who are the first responders in the frontline, providing care and treatment to people affected by the virus, she said. She said the test kits will enable healthcare workers to test those who they suspect may have the virus to verify their health status, so they can get treatment and protect their families and communities. She said the supplies will support the Nigerian Governments COVID-19 Response Plan and UNICEFs work with children and families in Nigeria. UNICEF has reportedly shipped more than 6.3 million gloves, 1 million surgical masks, 267,831 N95 respirators, 230,395 gowns, 13,128 goggles and 19,178 face shields to countries across the world. Testing According to the UNs Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, it is important to test many people as possible especially those with recent travel history and those who came into contact with travellers. These test kits will support Nigerias drive to control the transmission of COVID-19 infections and support the governments ongoing strong efforts to protect the country from an escalating pandemic, he said. He said working together with the government and other partners, including the private sector, is the surest way of preventing and containing the COVID-19 pandemic. Other donations Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in Nigeria in late February, different organisations have supported the country with relief materials and cash PREMIUM TIMES reported how the government said the European Union donated N21 billion to help Nigeria in the fight against coronavirus. The ministry of health also received donations from the Jack Ma Foundation. The donations included 107 boxes of medical supplies comprising surgical masks, medical disposable protective clothing, face shields and detection kits all weighing about 1,400 kilogrammes. Jack Ma is a Chinese business magnate, investor, and politician. A 46-year-old man who tested positive for the novel Coronavirus, Simon Okafor Chukudi has bolted in the Upper West Region. The Nigerian national was 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. The Upper West Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Osei Kuffuor Afreh who confirmed the development to Citi News said after breaking the news about Okafor's status to him the same day, health officials followed up to his residence at Wapaani, a suburb of Wa to transport him to the isolation centre at the Upper West Regional Hospital but he was nowhere to be found. He was among the six new cases we recorded recently. Unfortunately for us, when we went to send him to the isolation centre, he could not be traced, Dr. Afreh said. The Regional Health Director appealed to the public, especially residents of Wa to help trace the whereabouts of Mr. Okafor. Meanwhile, Citi News sources at the Upper West Regional Police Command indicate that a search team has been deployed to apprehend Simon Okafor Chukudi. The incident has already generated fears among the populace in the Upper West Region with some resorting to social media to express their opinion on the matter. Salifu Razak, a resident at Dobile in Wa in a Citi News interview expressed his fear and displeasure about the incident. How can we be safe? This incident happened since Monday but they kept the information from us. What is the guarantee that the man has not infected innocent people in the region? COVID-19 patient escapee from Tamale arrested in Accra Meanwhile, a Guinean who tested positive for COVID-19 but subsequently escaped from a quarantine facility at Tamale in the Northern Region was arrested in Accra. The then, Deputy Health Minister, Alexander Abban said while the patient was spotted and arrested, it was surprising how she was able to bypass the security barriers in the locked-down areas in the Ashanti Region and ended up in Accra. I'm just wondering how this person got to Accra because she was actually spotted and arrested. That is the shocking bit. How did she cross Kumasi? The person has been arrested. Yesterday when I was in Korle-Bu I chanced on that information, he said. ---citinewsroom The global oil cartel, OPEC, has approved the allocation of $1 billion to support developing countries in their fight against novel covid-19 disease, reports say. The aid to release by the organizations Fund for International Development (OFID) will be deployed in the form of Opec Fund public, private and trade finance loans and aims at o fund Covid-19 impact and recovery efforts in developing countries. We recognize 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, said the Fund Director-General Dr Abdulhamid Alkhalifa. The pledge comes on the heel of March commitment by the OFID to allocate a package of $200 million to support international efforts to combat the Covid-19 outbreak. $500,000 from the aid will be granted to Iran hard-hit by novel disease. Egypt, the Maldives, Mali, Nicaragua and Tanzania also received pledges for a combined support worth more than $390m in form of new funding for the public sector. Created in 1976 by 13 countries, OFIDs mission is to provide aid to developing countries. U.S. COVID-19 research facilities have been targeted by nation-state hackers, FBI says GETTY While the Federal Bureau of Investigations ... U.S. COVID-19 research facilities have been targeted by nation-state hackers, FBI says GETTY While the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) warning public about scams, fraud and fake news on COVID-19 hacking threat now something a lot more sinister and disturbing has emerged. It has been reported that the FBI has seen evidence of foreign state-sponsored hackers breaking into U.S. COVID-19 research institutions.The FBI has been urging everyone from kids at home from school to the public at large to be vigilant during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic . This is in light of hackers and scammers looking to exploit our fear, uncertainty, and doubt regarding the current health crisis and the FBI has warned of a significant spike in such scams. Now it would appear that the threat stakes have been raised.According to a Reuters report , FBI deputy assistant director, Tonya Ugoretz, has confirmed the Bureau has "seen reconnaissance activity, and some intrusions," into companies and institutions actively researching COVD-19 treatments. Speaking during an online discussion on April 16, hosted by international think tank the Aspen Institute, Ugoretz warned that organizations that have announced their research efforts publicly "make them a mark for other nation-states that are interested in gleaning details about what exactly theyre doing and maybe even stealing proprietary information that those institutions have."Cyber-criminals, such as the Maze ransomware group, have already made a play for medical facilities associated with COVID-19 vaccine research, such as an attack against Hammersmith Medicines Research in London on March 14. And only this week I reported how security researchers were cautioning hospitals on the frontline of the pandemic fight regarding a new "double extortion" threat from ransomware attackers.But the kind of threat that the FBI is talking about is at a different level altogether. State-sponsored hackers, which are usually referred to as advanced persistent threat (APT) actors, are known for both their sophisticated attack methodologies and a penchant for cyber-espionage. As the pandemic unfolded across the United States, we have already seen such elite hackers targeting the World Health Organization although without success. Now, as Ugoretz has confirmed, that appears to have changed.On April 16, coincidentally, the U.S. Departments of State, the Treasury, Homeland Security, and the FBI had published an advisory regarding cyber-threats originating from the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) and announced a $5 million (4 million) reward for information leading to the identification of the state-sponsored hackers involved.Speaking at the time, Mark Sangster, vice-president and industry security strategist at eSentire Inc, suggested that the timing of the advisory suggested it could be "in response to something that the intelligence community has identified but cannot release in detail without exposing sources." The FBI deputy assistant director did not identify the facilities that had been hacked, nor specify which countries were thought to be behind the ongoing attacks.Cyber-criminals, such as the Maze ransomware group, have already made a play for medical facilities associated with COVID-19 vaccine research, such as an attack against Hammersmith Medicines Research in London on March 14. And only this week I reported how security researchers were cautioning hospitals on the frontline of the pandemic fight regarding a new "double extortion" threat from ransomware attackers.But the kind of threat that the FBI is talking about is at a different level altogether. State-sponsored hackers, which are usually referred to as advanced persistent threat (APT) actors, are known for both their sophisticated attack methodologies and a penchant for cyber-espionage. As the pandemic unfolded across the United States, we have already seen such elite hackers targeting the World Health Organization although without success. Now, as Ugoretz has confirmed, that appears to have changed.On April 16, coincidentally, the U.S. Departments of State, the Treasury, Homeland Security, and the FBI had published an advisory regarding cyber-threats originating from the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) and announced a $5 million (4 million) reward for information leading to the identification of the state-sponsored hackers involved.Speaking at the time, Mark Sangster, vice-president and industry security strategist at eSentire Inc, suggested that the timing of the advisory suggested it could be "in response to something that the intelligence community has identified but cannot release in detail without exposing sources." The FBI deputy assistant director did not identify the facilities that had been hacked, nor specify which countries were thought to be behind the ongoing attacks. CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelan officials have taken to state TV in recent weeks to crow that the socialist government is conducting more coronavirus tests than any other country in Latin America. But instead of detecting more infections, as has happened elsewhere when testing ramps up, they are reporting fewer. The odd result highlights that Venezuela is going about testing its citizens unlike any other country: Mass deployment of a rapid blood antibody test from China that checks for proteins developing a week or more after someone is infected, while using on a much smaller scale the gold-standard nasal swab exam that detects the virus from the onset. Doctors warn Venezuelas approach could be missing untold numbers who test negative because they do not yet have high antibody levels but could nonetheless have the virus and be spreading it to others. We could be letting people slip under the table who have the infection, said a doctor at the University of the Andes medical school, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Physicians in and outside Venezuela say the antibody test is best utilized not as a diagnostic tool but to help assess how widespread the virus is in a community, when to lift quarantines or to identify potential plasma donors. Yet defenders say Venezuela, mired in a profound economic and public health crisis that began years before the pandemic, has little choice but to rely on it as a first-line test. The nation is one of the least-prepared to confront the pandemic, with hospitals routinely lacking basics like running water, gloves and masks, and thousands of physicians having emigrated in recent years. With limited staff and financial resources, the country has to explore other options such as the rapid test, Dr. Gerardo de Cosio, head of the Venezuela office of the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization, told The Associated Press. De Cosio, who has worked with government health officials on the nations strategy, said Venezuela is further hampered in terms of machines and personnel available to process nasal swab tests, which can take hours. The antibody test comes from Chinese biotech company Wondfo and takes about 20 minutes to yield a result, health workers say. Those who test positive are then given a nasal swab exam to confirm, a process that can take days because a single lab in Caracas is processing almost all of them. Those who come back negative but have numerous coronavirus symptoms or were in contact with an infected person also undergo the swab test. Only swab-test positives are added to the countrys official case count, several physicians told AP. Government officials, who did not respond to a request for information on the matter, have not said exactly who is getting tested, but doctors and TV images indicate subway workers, hospital staff and returning fishermen and migrants are among those being tested. Its not clear how many positives the antibody tests have yielded. Im not sure I would choose to do exactly what theyre doing, said Dr. Angela Caliendo, a professor of medicine at Brown University and board member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Still, she too noted Venezuelas resource difficulties and said they have a lot of these tests that are inexpensive to run (and) theyre getting quite a bit of data. Bruised by years of economic calamity and more recently by U.S. sanctions, President Nicolas Maduro appealed for international help in March even before the countrys first confirmed case. Allies Beijing, Havana and Moscow plus the United Nations sent tests, medical gear and, in Cubas case, doctors. One of the largest shipments from China arrived at the end of last month carrying a half-million antibody tests. As of March 31, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Venezuela had done just 1,779 swab tests with an 8% positive rate. In the two weeks since, authorities say they have conducted more than 250,000 tests, and Pan American Health Organization figures show all but about 3,000 were antibody tests. We are at the forefront of Latin America, Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez declared. But its an inexact comparison since the rest of the region relies on the genetic swab test. Neighbouring Colombia, for example, has conducted about 50,000 tests, all swabs. Mexico health undersecretary Hugo Lopez-Gatell has expressed disdain for the antibody tests, saying theyre about as reliable as a coin toss. Chile has also ruled out using them as a diagnostic tool. Its complementary to what we are doing, Chilean Health Minister Jaime Manalich said. But it doesnt work for a general screening of the population. The Wondfo test has approval from an EU regulating agency, but some physicians warn that many exams are being pushed to market without rigorous testing and its not yet known how sensitive they are. Venezuelan officials say 143 coronavirus cases were confirmed during the second half of March, and 61 since the dramatic ramping up with antibody tests. Whats seen normally is that when a country increases testing, cases increase, said Enrique Acosta, of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany. I look at (Venezuelas) numbers with concern. Experts say the antibody tests do have value as a broader public health tool and are likely to be used more around the world in the months ahead. It does give you a snapshot of what is going on with the virus, said Dr. Carl Fichtenbaum, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Cincinnati, but its probably a bottom number. Some physicians believe its possible the virus has not yet begun to spread widely in Venezuela, which could help explain the still-low case numbers. The country was largely cut off from the world even before the pandemic, and severe gasoline shortages make even domestic travel difficult. A strict quarantine the first nationwide shutdown in Latin America could also be slowing the virus. In the coastal state of Nueva Esparta, a military plane arrives about every three days to pick up nasal specimens for transport to the lab in Caracas. Until results come back, doctors must rely on potentially imperfect information from antibody testing. Its all we have right now, said Dr. Elesban Gomez, head of the states public health unit. Its the only thing to guide us. ___ Christine Armario reported from Bogota, Colombia. Associated Press writers Eva Vergara in Santiago, Chile, and Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report. A new Panama City hospital, which will solely treat coronavirus patients, was inaugurated on April 16. According to an international media report, President Laurentino Cortizo inaugurated the $6 million Panama Solidario hospital, which has almost 100 intensive care beds. The hospital reportedly also has a camera system to allow doctors and nurses to monitor patients while also minimising exposure. According to worldometer, Panama currently has more than 4,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and the deadly virus has claimed nearly 109 lives in the country. It is still not clear when the facility will begin accepting patients, however, Cortizo reportedly said that the new hospital is part of a broader strategy. With an increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country, the new hospital will allow an aggressive testing program that will help authorities to identify people with the virus and devise a plan to begin treating them. READ: Peru, Panama Introduce Gender-based Virus Measures Quarantine measures In a bid to contain the virus from spreading, the Panama government also announced a strict quarantine measure that separate citizens by gender. As per reports, the guidelines allow both, men and women, to step out of the house for two hours and on different days. The measures by Panama is the first time that the government imposed such gender-wise restrictions. READ: Dogs Might Be Able To Detect Coronavirus In Humans: Researchers As a part of the guidelines laid before the citizens, men are allowed to go out to the supermarket on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, whereas the women are allowed to be out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Sundays are a complete lockdown for every citizen. Addressing this serious issue to the people, security minister Juan Pino reportedly said in a press conference that this absolute quarantine is to protect and save the life of every citizen. Meanwhile, coronavirus, which originated in China in December 2019, has now claimed over 147,000 lives worldwide as of April 17. According to the tally by an international news agency, the pandemic has now spread to 210 countries and territories and has infected more than 2.1 million people. Out of the total infections, more than 557,000 have recovered but the easily spread virus is continuing to disrupt many lives. Major cities have been put under lockdown in almost all countries including Spain, and the economy is struggling. (Image source: Shahdiamassoud11/Twitter) READ: Bangladesh Govt Declares Entire Country At Risk Of Coronavirus Pandemic READ: Dominic Raab States 'UK Cannot Continue Usual Business' With China Post Coronavirus What happens the moment you die? Popular theologians weigh in Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment 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. Many of you are concerned about the current COVID-19 pandemic. Youre not alone. Were in this together. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/4/2020 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. "Many of you are concerned about the current COVID-19 pandemic. Youre not alone. Were in this together." McPhillips PC MLA Shannon Martin "Kids have questions about COVID-19. This Thursday, join us for a special event where kids ask the questions and receive answers from Lanette Siragusa and Dr. William Li. Were in this together, so lets talk about it!" Spruce Woods PC MLA Cliff Cullen, on his Twitter account "To those on the front lines, we thank you deeply. We all have a part to play in fighting #COVID19, but frontline workers are most at risk." Brandon West PC MLA Reg Helwer on Twitter MIKAELA MACKENZIE/WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILE Justice minister Cliff Cullen. "Thank you to our #frontline and essential service workers. Your dedication and commitment to our province during this challenging time is greatly appreciated by all Manitobans. Were in this together." Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister, also on Twitter "On #COVID19, Manitobans of all ages are all in this together." Morden-Winkler PC MLA Cameron Friesen "We know many Manitobans are facing financially tough times, and thats why were asking municipalities to waive interest and penalties on overdue education taxes. Were also encouraging municipalities to do the same with property taxes (2/2) More details to come tomorrow from our Premier in a Manitoba Protection Plan announcement. Manitoba, we are in this together. #COVID19MB" Riel PC MLA Rochelle Squires DARRYL DYCK/THE CANADIAN PRESS Municipal Relations Minister Rochelle Squires. Manitobas Progressive Conservative MLAs sure like to talk the talk when it comes to us being "in this together," but theyre pretty far from walking the walk. Earlier this week, Premier Brian Pallister informed public service unions that the only way to avoid layoffs amid the coronavirus pandemic is to reduce work weeks for non-essential employees. The reduced work week is an "all hands on deck approach to fighting COVID-19," he said. Its a tough pill to swallow, but a reasonable one given the full context of the dire situation we find ourselves in, where front-line services are more important than ever and certain other government functions can fall by the wayside at least a little bit to soften the economic blow that comes with deploying increased resources to mitigate the local impacts of this global pandemic. Still, its not exactly an "all hands on deck approach" given that MLAs are failing to make a similar sacrifice, in spite of Pallisters claim on Tuesday that MLAs are taking a "pay reduction," with this the fourth consecutive year that all government MLAs have "taken a pay cut, which adds up to around 7.5 per cent." You see, its not really a pay cut. They just didnt accept their standard wage increase this year after all MLAs had their wages frozen for the past few years. A static wage is not the same as a cut wage. The basic salary for the provinces MLAs has remained frozen at $94,513. "Theyre not front-line health-care workers, but theyre front-line community workers," Pallister said a baffling statement considering the same could easily apply to many of the government employees who might be asked to take pay cuts via shortened work weeks. Exempting MLAs is an odd approach given its always best to lead by example. The same applies to our nations federal politicians, who have also failed to take actual wage cuts despite the expectation that countless Canadians take various financial hits this year. Earlier this month, Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa Conservative member of Parliament Dan Mazier announced that he was donating this years scheduled $3,750 pay bump toward COVID-19-related causes. Put against MPs total salary of $182,656, unaffected by COVID-19, its not much of a sacrifice. While it makes perfect sense, from a medical perspective, to legislate private businesses either close or scale back services and that certain public-sector jobs roll back, its unfortunate to see our elected officials fail so hard to lead by example. Refusing or donating this years scheduled pay increase is a fraction of the sacrifice many Canadians are being forced to make, and Pallisters defence of MLAs hard work in justifying their unchanged pay rates feels like a slap in the face to those who have been laid off or had their work scaled back. Its tough to watch the people who make decisions that adversely impact us remain relatively unscathed while doing so. Macquarie University will accept students based on their year 11 results next year, as the troubled tertiary sector focuses on securing domestic enrolments while international student numbers collapse. Vice-chancellor Bruce Dowton said year 12 students and their families were worried about how the COVID-19 crisis, and its potential impact on the HSC, would affect their university entry, so this decision gave them certainty. Macquarie University vice-chancellor Bruce Dowton. "We think at the moment, because of the anxiety we've heard about, making a move on our early entry programs is a really wise thing to do," he said in an interview. "They do need to finish year 12. Our experience with these programs is that the students we take on perform as well as if not better than students we take under the pure ATAR scheme." The HSC will be awarded this year, but NSW Education Standards Authority is yet to reveal whether exams or major projects will proceed. The Herald understands NESA wants exams to go ahead, but, if that is impossible, results could still be calculated on assessments or teacher estimates. Samajwadi Party leader Ram Govind Chaudhary on Friday blamed the BJP's of "hatred" for the recent attacks on doctors and vegetable vendors. "The BJP government has been formed on the strength of hatred and lies which has made trading hatred as its mission. The result is in front of all," Chaudhay said in a statement. "The result is that doctors are being attacked, vegetable vendors are being beaten up and the government, instead of maintaining amity,is trying to damage it," Chaudhary, who is also Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, said. There have been reports of doctors and vendors being attacked in some areas of the state. Chaudhary said Mahatma Gandhi had given will power and the strength of labour to the helpless, which the BJP government has "damaged because of its unplanned decisions". "This has forced 30 per cent of the population to face conditions prevailing before 1947," he charged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over the last week, I have been emailing with an Ivy League professor who is deeply concerned about the damage being done to our country by governments reaction to the COVID-19 virus. Today she sent me this eloquent email, which I am posting with her permission. I just thought Id send a few more thoughts your way, for whatever value they might be. Im just so anguished by what is happening in the country. The policy response is so far disproportionate to the threat and is wreaking such unthinkable damage on our society and our economy. I dont have the readership you have (or any non-academic readership, for that matter), and it seems mainstream opinion outlets dont want to question current policy. So I am glad that you are at least out there raising vital questions. Like you, I see huge slippage in what was promised / sought from current policy. The goal of social distancing was to flatten the curve so as to avoid overwhelming hospitals. But hospitals are not being overwhelmed, even though social distancing should just now (at a 3-week lag) have started to reduce hospital demand. Hospitals are so empty that theyre laying off workers all across the country! The demand on hospitals from coronavirus is a mere fraction of what models suggested it would be. Meanwhile, in Sweden, which has taken a far less draconian approach, hospitals are still not being overwhelmed, as per a report from 4/14: So far, ICU admissions have remained steady As long as they can keep that flatthat means the Swedish healthcare system is surviving, its not at breaking point just yet. Despite our success on the hospital front, it seems the goal has morphed to suppress the virus over the long term and keep us socially distanced until everyone can feel safe from disease. There isnt a guarantee that will EVER happen, as a vaccine may not even emerge. In the quest for assurances of safety, Governors, business, and labor leaders are demanding that there be hugely ramped up testing before reopening the US economy. If South Korea can do it, why not us? Because South Korea built up its infrastructure over years after SARS. South Korea also did ramped up testing before everyone in the world was competing for the same supply of the limited resources of reagents, swabs, and other supplies necessary for testing. Business and labor leaders think they are making a reasonable demand, because the policy exists in another, much smaller country that started far earlier than we did. But a hard look needs to be taken at what is possible for us in the here and now. On March 27, University of Minnesota epidemiologist Michael Osterholm warned in the NYT that supplies for testing would start running out in 3-4 weeks as everyone in the world starts competing for a limited set of resources. Right on cue, the administration was notified this week that all needed testing supplies are falling short. We wont be able sustain our EXISTING level of testing, much less ramp up further. What do we do if our preferred policy is not possible? Stay shut down until government officials can tell us were safe? It is here where I think personal choice needs to come in. I am sure that lots of folks will insist upon staying home until they do feel safe, but government-ordered shutdowns need to be lifted. There will be great, inevitable economic damage from the pandemic. But lets not compound it by ordering everyone to stay home and shutting everything down. People should be able to consider their own risks, as long as hospitals arent at risk of being overwhelmed. Maybe most restaurants and bars arent economically viable under current conditions due to insufficient demand, but they should be free to test the market. More importantly, people have many real needsincluding even for health care!!that are being denied right now. Weve got to lift lockdowns if they are not needed to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. I am having real difficulties watching the country destroy itself and its future in an effort to do something that has never been successfully done in the history of the world: distance people from other people in society sufficiently and for sufficiently long in order to stamp out or control the spread of a virus. We will fail at this, and in our failure we will have also destroyed the livelihoods of a vast share of the American (and the worlds) people, along with their childrens futures. Thanks, again, for your work and your voice of reason on these issues. Personal care firmL'Oreal on Thursday announced that it will donate over 60,000 litres of alcohol-based hand sanitiser to contribute towards the nation's fight against the coronavirus pandemic. L'Oral India's operations team will donate hand sanitisers to public health institutions, police forces and NGOs, who are at the forefront of the fight against the virus, said a statement. In addition, the company is also planning to collaborate with primary healthcare centres around its manufacturing facilities in Baddi in Himachal Pradesh and Chakan in Maharashtra to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to their medical personnel, it added. Commenting on the development,L'Oral India Managing DirectorAmit Jain said: "We consider it our responsibility to use the resources available to us in supplementing and contributing to the collective efforts made across the country. Our initiatives are in recognition of those who are at the frontline, working to contain the pandemic and those most afflicted by it. L'Oral India will also provide food and essentials to migrants and their families in Baddi, Chakan, Mumbai, Gurugram and Bengaluru, through its partnership with NGOs ActionAid and Nirmala Niketan. This is in in addition to L'Oral's globalSolidarity Programwhich includes a donation to non-profit organizations. L'Oral India will also channelise the support of its employees through a donation drive towards the PM CARES Fund, and will be matching all contributions with a corporate contribution, it added. The Indian 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 virus. According to the latest updates from the Health Ministry,thenumber of cases from Covid-19 has climbed to 12,380 and death toll rises to 414 in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Up to this point, the virus impact on our business has not been dramatic, Matthew Larson, a spokesman for the towers architects, Chicago-based Goettsch Partners, wrote in an email. But, he added, there is no doubt that the future of our business and all businesses will be affected. GUATEMALA CITY - The Trump administrations failure to test all but a small percentage of detained immigrants for the novel coronavirus may be helping it spread through the United States sprawling system of detention centres and then to Central America and elsewhere aboard regular deportation flights, migrants advocates said Friday. The discovery of numerous COVID-19 cases among deportees on a flight that arrived this week prompted Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei to tell Guatemalans in a national address on Friday he was suspending such flights a step his foreign minister had mentioned earlier to reporters. Just 400 detainees in the U.S. out of more than 32,000 have been tested so far, according to testimony that Matthew Albence, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, gave Friday to a congressional committee. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform said that Albence also confirmed that ICE does not routinely test detainees before deporting them. More than 1,600 people deported from the United States to Guatemala over the last month were allowed to go home and into voluntary, unenforced quarantine. Fears are rising that it may have seeded the Central American nation with an untold number of undetected cases, increasing its vulnerability to the pandemic. U.S. authorities took passengers temperatures before departure, and Guatemalan officials checked them for cough, fever and other symptoms on arrival. Those with possible COVID-19 symptoms had their mucous and saliva tested, but apparently healthy deportees underwent no testing and were allowed to head home even if they arrived on a flight with sick people. Health experts say that was very risky because many infected people never show symptoms but are still highly contagious. Airport workers and at least one family member of a deportee have tested positive in Guatemala and are believed to have been infected by returned migrants, said Dr. Edwin Asturias, a University of Colorado epidemiologist who is from Guatemala and maintains close contact with health authorities there. Its clear that deportees have been coming infected and without appropriate safety measures in the same airspace with other people, Asturias said. As were seeing, this type of deportation is producing contagion in Guatemala. Only on Monday did Guatemala begin testing every passenger who shared a flight with someone confirmed as positive. The same day, a plane carrying 76 people arrived on an ICE flight from Alexandria, Louisiana. A migrant who was feeling ill was tested and found to be infected, leading to tests for everyone else. Forty-three tested positive despite showing no signs of illness and are in medical quarantine, officials said. Giammattei, who spoke while wearing a surgical mask, said a team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also tested 12 of the passengers at random on Friday and all tested positive. He said flights would be suspended until the U.S. certifies passengers on such flights are free of the new virus. Its very worrying because these adults and children are being deported from places with high levels of contagion, said Leonel Dubon, director of Refuge for Childhood, a centre for young and vulnerable deportees in Guatemala. ICE has restricted the movement of hundreds of detainees across the United States after they were suspected of coming into contact with an infected person, according to interviews with detainees and lawyers. The agency says 124 have tested positive for COVID-19 in 25 detention facilities. A Department of Homeland Security official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal procedures said not everyone in immigration custody is tested because there are a limited number of tests available not just to ICE but worldwide. We are only testing individuals we have reasons to believe may have the disease because of symptoms or close contact with individuals with symptoms, the official said. DHS learned that four on a March 26 flight tested positive after arriving in Guatemala. Last week it started ensuring that everyone on deportation flights has a mask, and on Thursday began pulling people off if they had a temperature of 99 degrees, instead of 100.6 previously. The U.S. will consider new procedures if needed but has no plans to halt removals, the official said: We continue to feel strongly that each country has an obligation to receive its citizens, that taking those individuals out of custody is the safest situation for them. At the Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, Louisiana, three cases had been confirmed and dozens of detainees are under lockdown. One Guatemalan detainee who has COVID-19, Diego Ortiz Garcia, said Friday he is confined to a dorm with about 20 others suspected of having the virus. ICE said late Friday that it had confirmed 20 COVID-19 cases at Richwood. Another Richwood detainee who was infected, Salomon Diego Alonzo, was hospitalized Thursday. According to his attorney, Veronica Semino, Alonzo was taken there shortly after a guard told an immigration judge he does not have the lung capacity to speak during a hearing he listened to remotely, by phone. So far there hasnt been any documented case of the virus among deportees to other countries in Central Americas Northern Triangle region. In El Salvador, more than 800 have arrived over the last month and been placed into 30-day quarantine. President Nayib Bukele said in a statement to AP that 70 per cent have been tested with none coming back positive. Tests are pending for the rest. Honduran officials said they werent aware of any cases among deportees, who undergo 14-day quarantine on arrival even if asymptomatic. That hasnt eased concerns. Every airplane that arrives with deportees is an alarm bell for the communities in our countries said Cesar Rios, director of the non-governmental Salvadoran Institute of Migration. ICE has said 25 employees at U.S. detention centres have tested positive including 13 at a removal staging facility in Alexandria, which has sent at least 17 flights to Guatemala this year. It has not said how many of the 32,000 people in U.S. immigration detention have been tested. Attorneys for detainees have raised concerns about the risks of holding people in close proximity. About half of those in ICE detention have no criminal history apart from an immigration violation, and advocates question whether they need to be in custody given the crisis. Despite twice halting deportation flights briefly, Guatemala has been receiving about one per day carrying 50 to 100 people from a variety of U.S. locations over the last month, a sharp reduction from the normal pace. Dr. Michele Heisler, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan, said ICEs practice of screening only deportees with fevers is absolutely inadequate and it would be best to test them all. With a population of 17.2 million, Guatemala had 235 confirmed cases as of Friday afternoon. Guatemala will be overwhelmed, Heisler said. They already have a very fragile health care system. From a public health and medical perspective, this is just unbelievably irresponsible of our country. ___ Merchant reported from Houston, Fox from Washington and Weissenstein from Havana. Elliot Spagat in San Diego, Colleen Long in Washington, Marcos Aleman in San Salvador and Marlon Gonzalez in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, contributed. Klein ISD schools will be closed through the end of the school year following Governor Greg Abbotts Friday announcement which extended closures for all Texas schools. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Cy-Hope and Houston Food Bank begin weekly mega food distribution in the Houston Premium Outlets parking lot In an April 17 update, Klein ISD stated the district would continue its At-Home Learning and food distribution programs through the rest of the school year. Students can find their At-Home weekly lessons at https://kleinisd.net/athomelearning. AT-HOME LEARNING: Teachers see opportunities in online education as Klein ISD wraps up first week of At-Home Learning The school district launched a new portal for students in special programs. The At-Home Learning Family portal, https://kleinisd.net/ParentAtHomeLearning, offers resources for families of students in special programs such as Multilingual Services, Foster Care Services and Special Education. The district is continuing to offer free drive-thru curbside meals for children 18 years old and younger 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays at Hildebrandt Intermediate, Klein Annex, Klein Cain High School, Klein Intermediate, Strack Intermediate and Wunderlich Intermediate. Children must be present during meal pickup. Information about the districts food distribution can be found at https://kisd.us/food. Klein ISD Class of 2020 in-person graduation has been rescheduled for Aug. 1 at NRG Stadium, barring any coronavirus-related factors that would prohibit the event. The school district plans to provide a more detailed update next week regarding Class of 2020 activities such as graduation and prom. For more information, visit sites.google.com/kleinisd.net/class-of-2020. mfeuk@hcnonline.com When Bill Nords boss asked for a volunteer last week to fly to Denver for an assignment, Nord accepted, telling himself that a round trip from Santa Ana in the middle of a pandemic sounds like an adventure. Nord, a 56-year-old inspector who certifies that foods and products are organic, planned to wear a mask during the flight. Plus, he is in good shape from bike riding along the beach. But his confidence was shaken when he heard another passenger on the nearly empty plane cough repeatedly. Oh, no, he recalls thinking. Im taking a real chance. The coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than 600,000 people in the U.S. has pushed the demand for air travel down by 95 per cent in the past week, compared to the same time last year, according to a trade group for the countrys airlines. That remaining five per cent includes people like Nord, who feel it is relatively safe to fly or decide they must risk their health to travel for a work assignment or a family obligation. Airline passengers who are braving confinement in a plane cabin include an elderly woman moving to an assisted living facility in Tuscon, Ariz., to be closer to her family; a parent heading to help his daughter move back home after college dorms closed; a father-to-be picking up his new baby from a surrogate mother in Arkansas and vacationers cutting short trips abroad to ride out the crisis at home. Other airline passengers include pilots and flight attendants commuting home after completing work shifts and medical staff travelling to hard-hit regions of the country to help treat victims of the outbreak. Those who have flown in the past few weeks describe the experience as a mixture of anxiety over the increased risk of being exposed to the virus and amazement over the sight of nearly abandoned airport terminals and almost empty airplane cabins. The airport was about as empty as the planes were, said Dennis Raveneau, a retired teacher and actor who recently returned to Dallas from a vacation in Paris. There were no crowds at all. Most Americans are under stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of the virus, but commercial flights continue to criss-cross the skies for several reasons. A provision of the federal governments $2 trillion (U.S.) stimulus bill requires airlines to continue flying to the cities they previously served if they want to qualify for federal grants. Airlines are also flying to transport cargo across the country. Dramatically cutting air service would also mean storing planes in remote desert airports, an expense airlines want to avoid. Our elected officials want us to provide safe air travel through this crisis, and they want us to be up and flying when demand for travel picks up again, American Airlines Chief Executive Doug Parker said in a recent video message to his employees. A union representing about 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines wrote to the U.S. Department of Transportation on March 31, urging the agency to halt all leisure air travel, limiting all passenger flights to essential services, such as flying medical supplies and first responders to hard-hit areas of the country. Airline representatives say it is difficult to tell how many passengers are now flying out of necessity and how many are still travelling for leisure. Passengers on recent flights say they have been allowed to spread out in the cabin an airborne version of social distancing. Most airlines have either stopped serving food or offer only a box lunch to cut back on the contact between passengers and flight attendants. They pretty much sit there and watch movies on their computer and sleep because they have an entire row to themselves, said Rock Salomon, an American Airlines flight attendant based in Boston. My last trip to Phoenix had less than 20 passengers on each leg. Those who have been flying during the pandemic are finding air fares down 29 per cent or more, with non-stop, round trip tickets from Los Angeles to Miami now selling for as little as $153. Airlines dont require passengers to wear masks and gloves on planes but encourage travellers to abide by the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last month, the nations largest airlines gave flight attendants the go-ahead to wear gloves and masks while serving passengers. Although dozens of flight attendants, ticket agents, TSA agents and CDC health screeners have tested positive for the virus, it is unclear how many travellers could have contracted the virus while flying on a commercial plane. Still, some passengers say they felt anxious flying in close quarters with strangers who could be infected with the coronavirus. Andrea Perdue returned not long ago from attending a wedding in Chile that was planned last year. The Los Angeles translator said she felt nervous about her flight when officials at the airport in Chile took the temperatures of all the passengers and asked them to sign a document saying they had no symptoms. On the way back to L.A., the situation was much more tense, she said. The flight still had a lot of passengers but most were wearing masks. Danny Roman, who runs a tour company in Los Angeles, is worried about a flight he is taking in two weeks to Arkansas to adopt a baby that a surrogate mother is expected to deliver. So, I have to get in two planes to get there, he said. Having my baby and then flying back with my newborn is absolutely terrifying. Other travellers who flew recently said they felt relatively safe because they took precautions before boarding. Kevin Jones, a film professor at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, flew back to his home in Los Angeles last week after face-to-face classes were replaced with online courses. He said about 40 people were on the last leg of his Delta Air Lines flight to Los Angeles but no one sat within a few rows of him. Jones wore gloves and a surgical mask the entire way. After taking a nap on the flight, he said he woke to find a box lunch and a small bottle of hand sanitizer in the seat next to him. Loading and unloading a plane when no one is on is pretty easy, he said. When I went to the baggage claim there was no wait. My bag was right there when I got there. Raveneau, the retired teacher, said he and his wife cut their vacation in Paris short to ride out the pandemic at home. He said he wasnt nervous about the flight back home because he and his wife both had N95 respirator masks. But when they landed in Dallas, Raveneau said he became unnerved when Texas state troopers who wore no gloves or masks rounded up the passengers on his flight in a small room to fill out customs and medical forms. Raveneau, who vacations in Paris annually, has no plans to fly soon. We are going to stay put for a while, he said. Nord, the organic food and products inspector, said he would still consider flying for work in the future, despite the scare with the coughing passenger on his last flight to Denver to inspect a CBD production facility. I wouldnt jump at it, he said of another out-of-town work assignment. Id take a deep breath first and maybe wait until June or July. Read more about: Kim Kyu-jin, fourth from left, CEO of MS Pharma, and Lee Jong-eun, fourth from right, CEO of DNA LINK, pose after signing a strategic memorandum of understanding on the export of COVID-19 test kits, Tuesday. Under the agreement, MS Pharma, a Korean medical equipment company, will be in charge of selling two types of COVID-19 test kits developed by biotech firm DNA LINK. MS Pharma recently signed a contract to export 7 million test kits to Argentina. / Courtesy of MS Pharma This week, the Justice Department took the rare step of weighing in on the side of a Mississippi Christian church where local officials had tried to stop Holy Week services being broadcast to congregants sitting in their cars in the parking lot. As the coronavirus pandemic spread, leaders at Temple Baptist Church in Greenville began holding drive-in services for their congregation on a short-wave radio frequency from inside an empty church save for the preacher. Arthur Scott, the 82-year-old pastor, said Tuesday that it was a good compromise for his group, a wonderful way to preach the gospel and still its like they are there, but you cant go out and see them, but you know theyre there. The federal involvement adds to the rising tension over reconciling religious freedom with public health restrictions designed to fight the pandemic, disputes that are playing out along the same partisan lines that mark the nations overall divide. Greenville city leaders argue the services violate stay-at-home orders and could have put peoples lives in jeopardy. Church officials believe they have been singled out for their religion, especially after eight police officers were sent last week to ticket the faithful, $500 apiece, for attending services, including the pastors wife. We havent missed one Sunday in 45 years, Scott said. We love our people. This is a way we can preach to them. Were afraid of the coronavirus as much as anybody else. And if we thought we were putting our people in danger at all, we wouldnt do this. Even after the mayor said Monday they would not have to pay the fines, the church is pursuing a lawsuit saying their First Amendment religious freedoms were violated. The Justice Department sided with the church. With federal prosecutors now weighing in, the national debate over how far coronavirus gathering limits can go to restrict religion could get even louder. President Donald Trumps reelection appeal to devout conservative voters rests in part on his vocal advocacy for religious freedom, making the issue a politically potent one for his administration to take up. The Kansas Supreme Court upheld Democratic Gov. Laura Kellys move to limit faith gatherings to 10 people, while a federal judge in Kentucky sided with a church that challenged the Louisville mayors restrictions on drive-in Easter services. The church has been in Greenville for more than 65 years. Scott said his congregants, about 125 in all, are mostly older and on fixed incomes, and arent tech savvy, so the radio broadcast was a way to keep them connected. Greenville Mayor Errick D. Simmons, a Democrat, said Tuesday that city officials had received calls about people at drive-in church services getting out of their cars. Simmons said the ban on such gatherings remains in place to try to save lives as the highly contagious virus continues to spread. He has also called on Republican Gov. Tate Reeves to issue clear statewide guidance on whether people are allowed to congregate for worship during the governors statewide stay-at-home order that remains in effect until April 20. Image: (Alliance Defending Freedom via AP The governors order tells people not to gather in groups of 10 or more. Reeves has said he would prefer that churches not hold services in sanctuaries or parking lots. But he has also said the government does not have the right to ban worship. On Tuesday, Reeves tweeted a thanks to Attorney General William Barr for this strong stand in support of religious liberty. The government cannot shut down churches. Attorney Ryan Tucker of the Alliance Defending Freedom, which represents the church, says theres a Sonic Drive-In restaurant about 200 yards (180 meters) from the church where patrons are still allowed to roll down their windows and talk. He said they will continue the lawsuit seeking a restraining order because the mayors order remains in place. The threat is still present, he said. They mayor did not say hes rescinding the order. There are at least 3,000 cases of coronavirus in Mississippi and more than 100 deaths for the states 3 million people. The US has more than 590,000 cases and more than 27,000 deaths. The Justice Department argued in the filing that the city appeared to be targeting religious conduct by singling churches out as the only essential service (as designated by the state of Mississippi) that may not operate despite following all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state recommendations regarding social distancing. The facts alleged in the complaint strongly suggest that the citys actions target religious conduct, the filing says. If proven, these facts establish a free exercise violation unless the city demonstrates that its actions are neutral and apply generally to nonreligious and religious institutions or satisfies the demanding strict scrutiny standard. Barr said that he believes there is a sufficient basis for social distancing rules that have been put in place, but that the restrictions must be applied evenly and not single out religious institutions. But 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 in a statement. Thus, government may not impose special restrictions on religious activity that do not also apply to similar nonreligious activity. The Justice Department has made similar filings in other religious liberty cases, including one in February in support of a Kentucky wedding photographer who is challenging a city ordinance banning businesses from discriminating against gay customers by arguing it would violate her religious beliefs. In June 2019, the department filed a statement of interest in a case in Maine, arguing that a law that banned religious schools from the states tuition program was unconstitutional. In previous administrations, such involvement was highly unusual. A free society depends on a vibrant religious life by the people, Barr said in an interview with Fox News last week. He said he would hate to see restrictions on religion continue longer than they are strictly necessary. Wagster Pettus reported from Jackson, Mississippi. Associated Press writer Elana Schor contributed to this report from New York. Xero chief executive Steve Vamos has ruled out any reduction to the accounting platform's subscription costs for small businesses in distress as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. "We thought a lot about this and we are pretty confident that as subscription businesses go, we offer incredibly flexible terms to our customers," Mr Vamos said from his home in New Zealand. The boss of the $11.43 billion ASX-listed company said struggling small businesses could downgrade their subscription to go on a cheaper plan, suspend or cancel their subscriptions with 30 days' notice. Subscriptions start at $25 a month, rising to $150 a month for up to 100 users. Xero chief executive Steve Vamos is running the accounting platform from lockdown in New Zealand. Credit:Brook Mitchell Xero's share price dropped to $58.75 on March 23 from a February high of $90.22 as the implications of coronavirus for its small business customer base became clear. It has gradually climbed and was trading at $79.18 on Friday. With an increasing number of coronavirus cases across the globe, medical health professionals across the work have been facing a dire shortage of Personal Protective Equipment. At a time of crisis, however, an unlikely group of people have come forward as corona warriors - sex toy makers. Medical fetish porn or role-play is a big part of the porn and sex industry. The type of fetish involves actors or participants dressing up as doctors or nurses before engaging in sexual or erotic activity. With surgical masks, gloves and other protective gear in high demand, the sex toy industry has emerged as an unlikely donor of PPE supplies, thanks to medical fetish enthusiasts. To meet the shortage, sex toy companies in the United States are stepping up and donating PPE to medical staff. The Los Angeles-based SexToyDistributing.com recently partnered with the American University of Health Sciences Foundation and delivered thousands of face masks, nitrile gloves and face shield to hospitals in the Greater Los Angeles area. As per a report in Vice, the company was already in possession of the gloves which are popular merchandise among medical sex fetishes. It sourced masks and shields from the companys factories abroad. The Californian company is not the only sex toy maker to come forward with at this time of crisis. A sex-toy manufacturer called MedFetUK" donated all its supplies of medical scrubs to a National Health Service (NHS) hospital in Southern England. The sex-toy industry has, ironically, also benefited from the coronavirus pandemic in the US, which has killed over 5,000 people in the country. As per a report in LA Times, adult novelty companies have seen a surge in web traffic and sales since the coronavirus lockdown. It isnt just makers of sex toys. Porn sites like PornHub have come forward to help. In March, the company donated 50,000 surgical masks to medical professionals in New York. Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram. Artemis Fowl will release on Disney+Hotstar directly, with the release date set for June 12 Earlier, we had reported that Disney had announced new release timelines for a lot of its upcoming movies. Artemis Fowl, however, Disney said would make it directly to their streaming service Disney+. There was an initial announcement that the movie would release directly on Disney+ Hotstar on May 29th, but now, the release date has moved up to June 12. Due to the global pandemic that is the Coronavirus, cinemas were amongst the first to be hit, as people started to avoid going to crowded places, followed by an actual mandatory shutdown in many parts of the world. As the Coronavirus continues to rampage through the globe, there seems to be no likelihood of the cinema industry returning to its former glory anytime soon. Hence, Disney took the decision to release some films directly to their streaming service, while movies belonging to the Marvel Cinematic Universe such as Black Widow, have all been pushed to a later date for a theatrical release. Given how much money Disney sinks into making a Marvel movie and how much revenue is then generated from theatres, its understandable for Disney to take this route. Disney had earlier marked May 29 as the release date for Artemis Fowl, but it has now been moved forward to June 12. You can watch the new trailer below. Disney, as part of the update, has also rolled out a new trailer for Artemis Fowl. The film follows the 12-year old mastermind thief fighting against magical underground fairies who may have been involved in his fathers disappearance. The movie is based on the events occurring across the first and second book. The movie will stream on Disney+ starting June 12, and in India, anyone who has been a subscriber of Hotstar would automatically now be subscribed to Disney+, as long as they continue their subscription. Disney+ has brought its entire portfolio to the Indian streaming space, including the entire Marvel and Star Wars catalogue. For the kids, there is the Pixar and Disney animated studio collection, thats definitely bound to keep them engaged. Sitting under a bridge with only a few belongings, a 19-year-old student from Ivory Coast was using his phone to call anyone he knew in China. The student said he arrived in the southern city of Guangzhou earlier this month after completing his quarantine in another city. Chinese officials had restricted his movement as part of the countrys campaign against the new coronavirus. "I really need help. I just don't want to sleep on the streets again," the student told the Reuters news agency. He spoke on condition that he not to be identified by name. He came to China to study, but his university closed because of the coronavirus. Hotels kept refusing to give him a room, but he later found one. Africans in Guangzhou say they are being unfairly targeted during the coronavirus pandemic. Officials from their home countries have begun to criticize their treatment in China. Several African ambassadors wrote to the Chinese foreign minister, calling for the "forceful testing, quarantine and other inhuman treatments to stop. Last weekend, Ghana's foreign minister called for a meeting with China's ambassador to express the government's concern. China's foreign ministry said on Monday that all foreigners are treated equally. But it also said virus controls on Africans would be removed except for confirmed cases of coronavirus and those who had close contact with an infected person. "African friends will be treated fairly, justly and amicably in China," the ministry said. Foreigners barred Many foreigners in China say they have been treated unfairly as the country tries to control the spread of the coronavirus. Many Chinese fear that foreigners will bring the virus back to their community. For now, China has barred entry to almost all foreigners. Most imported cases of the virus are from Chinese nationals returning home. Guangzhou is a center for African traders. Chinese officials said on Tuesday that 111 Africans had coronavirus, while a total of 4,553 Africans had been tested since April 4, state media reported. Several Africans said their community was being unfairly targeted for testing. "If they do this to all foreigners, then it's not a problem, but it's only black people," Nigerian Soumana Toudou told Reuters by WhatsApp. He said he was on his second 14-day quarantine because officials did not believe he had completed his first. Reuters could not independently confirm this. The increased testing of Africans has misled some Chinese. "Thetesting has set the Guangzhou locals into panic, thinking black people are carrying the virus," one man said. He did not want to be identified. Targeted for quarantine A Communist Party social worker told Reuters on Monday that black people were being targeted to enter quarantine. The social worker did not want to be identified. Last week, officials announced plans to restrict movement to and from two neighborhoods popular with Africans after five Nigerians got the virus. On Monday, the United States consulate general in Guangzhou advised African Americans to avoid the city. African engagement Recently, videos on social media showed what appeared to be Africans sleeping on Guangzhou streets after being thrown out of their apartment homes. "For a white person, you can't rent around here now because of the virus, but you'll be welcome again in a few months," said a property agent who would not give her name. "But black people, no one will accept them." Im Jill Robbins. The Reuters News Agency reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story quarantine n. isolating a person due to contagious illness pandemic n. a contagious illness that crosses borders amicably adj. in a friendly manner panic n. great fear or hysteria consulate n. a small government office in another country The Free Trade Union of Workers in Iran has reported that a member of its board of directors, Ms. Nahid Khodajo, was summoned to Tehran's Evin Prison, to serve her sentence amid the coronavirus crisis. Deploring the decision, the April 16 statement says the Evin Court of Appeals has given Ms. Khodajoo five days to surrender herself to the prison and serve six years behind bars. "The judge has disregarded the fact that the deadly outbreak of the novel coronavirus has created an extremely life-threatening situation at prisons across the country", the statement noted. A retired worker and a member of the board of directors of the Free Trade Union of Iran, Khodajoo, was arrested in front of Majlis (Iranian parliament) on International Workers' Day last year and released on bail after 33 days in detention. She was later sentenced to six years in prison, and 74 lashes by an Islamic Revolutionary Court. Human Rights Watch (HRW) said at the time, "Radio Farda reported on May 1 that the authorities had arrested more than 35 people in a demonstration in front of Irans parliament that was organized by twenty independent local labor rights organizations. While the authorities released several of those detained, including Reza Shahabi, a prominent labor activist, security forces continue to detain others in Evin prison." Based on the Free Trade Union's Thursday statement, the appeals court held a session without Ms. Khodajoo and her lawyer's presence, and the verdict was not even sent to Ms. Khodajou. "The court verbally informed Ms. Khodajoo's legal counsel that her primary court verdict, six-year prison sentence, and 74 lashes, had been upheld", the statement said. In recent days, the statement has disclosed, the agents of the Ministry of Intelligence have phoned "a significant number" of members of the Free Trade Union and threatened them while demanding an explanation about their involvement in celebrating last year's International Labor Day. An Extended Annual General Meeting "Extended AGM" of Arion Bank hf., ID-No. 581008-0150, will be held by electronic means on 14 May 2020 at 16:00. Shareholders are asked to visit www.smartagm.com in order to receive their unique login credentials. The meeting will be conducted in Icelandic and English. The meeting's agenda is as follows: 1.A decision on payment of a dividend It is proposed that no dividend be paid for the fiscal year 2019 and that net earnings for 2019 be added to the Bank's equity. 2.Other business General Information: The final agenda, meeting announcement, proposals and other documents for the Extended AGM will be available on the Bank's website, www.arionbanki.is/gm , no later than 23 April 2020 and will be accessible at the Bank's headquarters from the same date. An English translation of the meeting material will be accessible to shareholders at the Bank's headquarters as well as on the Bank's website www.arionbanki.is/gm. Should there be discrepancy between the English and the Icelandic version, the latter prevails. Each shareholder is entitled to have a specific matter dealt with at the meeting if he/she so requests in writing or by electronic means no later than ten days prior to the Extended AGM, i.e. no later than 16:00 Icelandic time, 4 May 2020. A rationale or a draft resolution shall be enclosed with such a request. The request shall be sent to the Board of Directors by an email to shareholders@arionbanki.is . Each share of the Bank carries one vote except treasury shares. Voting at the Extended AGM will be conducted by electronic means, by the use of the Lumi AGM app and Lumi AGM web solution. Shareholders are encouraged to download the Lumi AGM app to an internet enabled device, such as a mobile phone or tablet, prior to the meeting, but such devices are required for the purpose of attending the meeting. Shareholders will be able to submit questions at the meeting, using the Lumi AGM app and web solution. Shareholders may authorize a representative to attend the Extended AGM electronically on their behalf and vote on their behalf. Shareholders alone are responsible for what persons/parties they choose to share their login credentials with. Shareholders planning on attending the meeting need to apply for the necessary login credentials on www.smartagm.com. Shareholders, who also are legal entities or who intend to authorize a representative to attend the Extended AGM, are instructed to make sure that the person applying for login credentials is legally authorized to do so. The required form of a power of attorney is available on the Bank's website www.arionbanki.is/gm. More detailed information on how shareholders can receive their unique login credentials, on electronic voting using the Lumi AGM service and other relevant details can be found on the Bank's website. In order to ensure the timely processing of shareholders' request to receive login credentials, shareholders shall request access through the website www.smartagm.comno later than one day before the meeting, i.e. no later than 13 May 2020 at 16:00 Icelandic time. Special attention is drawn to the fact that the Computershare system, previously used by the Bank, will not be available for this shareholders' meeting, as voting will only take place using Lumi AGM. Notice to holders of Swedish Depository Receipts ("SDRs"): Holders of SDRs who wish to participate by electronic means or vote by proxy at the Extended AGM must be registered in the register kept by Euroclear Sweden AB ("Euroclear") by 5:00 p.m. (CET) on 8 May 2020 and perform either of the following: Notify Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) ("SEB") of their intention to participate in the Extended AGM no later than 8 May 2020; or send an original signed proxy form to SEB so as to arrive at SEB no later than 8 May 2020. SDRs are only registered in the name of the SDR holder in the register kept by Euroclear. SDR holders registered in the name of a nominee must have their SDRs registered in their own names in the register at Euroclear to be entitled to participate and/or vote (by an authorized attorney, by proxy form or through Lumi) at the Extended AGM. SDR holders who hold the SDRs through a nominee must therefore ask their nominee to make a temporary owner registration (so-called voting-right registration) in good time before the voting record date 8 May 2020 if they wish to participate and/or vote. Requirement I: SDR holders who are directly registered in the register at Euroclear, or whose SDRs have been voting-right registered by 5:00 p.m. (CET) on 8 May 2020 and who wish to participate (by an authorized attorney, in person or through Lumi) at the Extended AGM must notify SEB of their intention to participate in the Extended AGM no later than 8 May 2020. Notice of the intention to participate, by electronic means, in the Extended AGM should be made to SEB, by mailing the notification of attendance form to the address; SEB, Issuer Agent, AB3, SE-106 40 Stockholm, by e-mailing iadarion@seb.se . Please state your name, e-mail, phone number, ID-number and quantity. Requirement II: SDR holders who wish to instruct SEB to vote by proxy form must send their original signed proxy forms by post so as to arrive at SEB, Issuer Agent, AB3, SE-106 40 Stockholm, delivery address for courier deliveries. Temporary restriction on transferring SDRs to shares During the period from end of business on 8 May 2020 up to and including 14 May 2020 a conversion to or from SDRs and shares in Arion Bank hf. will not be permitted. More detailed information regarding the meeting is available on the Bank's website www.arionbanki.is/gm. Reykjavik, 17 April 2020 Board of Directors of Arion Bank hf. Obviously theres always mixed feelings about construction but we know some residents are looking forward to the roundabout. Hopefully it will be a good improvement for everyone, Swanson said, adding INDOT officials are staying in contact with two businesses near the intersection and local residents who will be impacted the most. The three men had gone door to door distribution rations to needy people Just last week, things were looking up in Chikkaballapur with COVID-19 patients being sent home after recovery. (PTI) Bengaluru: Panic gripped Chikkaballapur town in Karnataka after it was found that three persons who had gone door to door distributing rations to needy people tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday. The district administration immediately sealed off 31 wards in the town, and began tracing their contacts. Officials said the three men possibly contracted the contagion through contact with a person who tested positive after returning from Saudi Arabia. One of the three men is said to be a tailor by profession, which is all the more reason for officials to be worried about. Officials said that one of the three was a local leader who took up philanthropic work when the coronavirus lockdown was announced. He worked with small vendors and daily wage workers, organising food and ration kits for them. The other two are his associates who helped him in the work. Last week, they distributed over 150 ration kits to people in several wards. None of them had any symptoms of COVID-19. After issuing orders to seal off the 31 wards, Chikkaballapur deputy commissioner G Latha ordered that no one should come out of their houses until further orders. The district administration is making arrangements to collect data on the contacts of the three social workers. The RBI on Friday allowed non-bank financial companies to extend the date for commencement of commercial operations (DCCO) for loans given to commercial real estate by additional one year without considering it as restructuring Mumbai: The RBI on Friday allowed non-bank financial companies to extend the date for commencement of commercial operations (DCCO) for loans given to commercial real estate by additional one year without considering it as restructuring. Currently, RBI has permitted banks to extend the DCCO in respect of loans to commercial real estate projects delayed for reasons beyond the control of promoters by an additional one year, over and above the one-year extension permitted in the normal course, without treating the same as restructuring. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak It has now been decided to extend a similar treatment to loans given by NBFCs to commercial real estate, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said while addressing the media via video conference. Click here to follow LIVE news and updates on stock markets The move will provide relief to non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) as well as the real estate sector, he said. The governor also announced a slew of measures to support the economy which has been affected due to disruptions on account of COVID-19. The Pakistan Army on Friday shelled civilians areas and forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in town sectors of Poonch district, drawing retaliation from the Indian Army, officials said. This is 13th consecutive day of shelling and firing by Pakistani troops along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. On Thursday, Pakistan targeted civilian areasand forwards posts along the LoC in three sectors of Poonch and Rajouri districts, officials said. "At about 1100 hours, the Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation along LoC in Qasba & Kirni sectors of district Poonch by firing with small arms", Defence spokesman Lt Col Devender Anand said. The Indian Army retaliating befittingly in all these sectors, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Joe Exotic's third husband Dillon Passage has revealed he doesn't know if the Tiger King star has cheated on him in jail but says it's 'disgusting' if he has. Speaking to the Fifi, Fev and Byron radio show in Australia on Friday, Dillon 22, said he used to talk to Joe, 57, several times a day before he was moved to a different facility, but now their communication has significantly decreased. Dillon admitted Joe would support him if he decided to find a new relationship, but wasn't sure whether Joe had found someone else in jail. 'We usually speak three to five times everyday': On Friday, Joe Exotic's (right) third husband Dillon Passage (left) revealed what their relationship is really like Dillon explained he used to speak to Joe around 'three to five times everyday'. 'But recently he was moved to another facility so I've only been able to speak to him two times in the past three weeks,' Dillon said. Dillon doesn't plan on 'going anywhere', but he's unsure if Joe feels the same. Chats: Dillon explained he used to speak to Joe around 'three to five times everyday'.'But recently he was moved to another facility so I've only been able to speak to him two times in the past three weeks,' Dillon said 'I have no idea, if he has [cheated] then that's disgusting but good for him. I have no idea if he has, but if he has, he hasn't told me about it,' Dillon admitted. Joe is currently serving 22-year sentence after being found guilty of a murder-for-hire plot against his exotic animal rival Carole Baskin, 58. The husbands have had a conversation about whether Dillon, who is 35 years Joe's junior, should move on to a new relationship. 'If I decide to move on and find somebody that he's going to support me,' he said. 'That's disgusting but good for him': He admitted Joe would support him if he decided to find a new relationship, but wasn't sure whether Joe had found someone else in jail Tiger King tells the story of zoo owner Joe as he spirals out of control amid a cast of eccentric characters in the true murder-for-hire story from the underworld of big cat breeding. Joe reportedly loves the docuseries, and the fame it's brought him, with Dillon affectionately labelling him an 'attention whore'. Meanwhile, Big Cat Rescue CEO Carole has been receiving death threats over the allegations she murdered her millionaire first husband Don Lewis, who went missing in 1997. MIAL (Representative Image) The days leading to April 17, 2019 - when Jet Airways suspended its operations - were the toughest for the airline's 16,000 employees, including the Chief People Officer Rahul Taneja. Till then, Taneja and his colleagues continued working "with an endeavour to continue running the airline operations. No one ever gave up. It was only after I had released the communication of the suspension of service, did the gravity of the situation dawn on me," recounts Taneja, who later joined Jindal Steel & Power Ltd as the Group Chief HR Officer. Excerpts of his interview with Moneycontrol: Q. Could you take us through those days before April 17? A: Those were some of the toughest days of our lives. While we all were battling it out, we remained focussed on the task at hand and kept evaluating options after another with an endeavour to continue running the airline operations. No one ever gave up. All employee groups collaborated and worked cohesively all those days, weeks and months leading to April 17. It was only after I had released the communication of the suspension of service, did the gravity of the situation dawn on me. The toughest decision for me, and I am sure for all employees, was leaving each other. Q. As the HR head, it would have been difficult to rally the employees. What were the steps taken to answer their queries and calm them? A: We made sure that we communicated extensively and comprehensively. After each quarter result, we would conduct town halls at over 22 locations and till the last quarter result, we conducted these town halls and open houses across the network. We met with all the employee groups regularly every week and attempted to answer their questions with all the information we had. And when we had no information to share, we went ahead and told them that as well. They all knew that, while we were engaging with them, we simultaneously engaged with the government, financial institutions, regulators and potential investors as well. Commitment was high during the last three quarters. If you were to look at the OTP (on time performance) data, you would see that Jet Airways was amongst the top two for most of the sectors. Q. In our story earlier, we wrote that employees - despite the financial loss - look back fondly at their stints in the airline. What made the company popular? Is it because, as is said in the industry, they were the highest paid among their peers? A: Yes, it was a good pay master as it employed best of breed talent and never compromised on its quality of hire. What stood out for employees was the airline's impetus on overall personality development. Our development belief was based on a philosophy, enable people with skills & competence (technical, functional and behavioural) to handle adversity with elan. Q. Despite the problems it faced later on, Jet Airways remained popular among customers? What explains that? A: Founder Naresh Goyal put together some of the finest teams. Be it the folks that oversaw in-flight services, delivered to perfection by the always well-turned up, ladies in the cabin, what with their striking yellow long jackets and smartly attired guys in the blue bandhgalas; or the ground services team that created what was Indias first and only personalised service that JetPrivilege Platinum and Gold members used to swear by. The airline had the best breed of pilots and an enviable team of engineers who maintained one of the most complex fleets with even more complex sub-fleet, in this part of the world. Not to forget the commercial leadership that always led the markets with its data led, yet intuitive decision making. Q. You worked closely with Naresh Goyal. Your observation on the promoter and entrepreneur. A: Mr Goyal, as we called him, remained till the end, its last and the only chairman. He will always be remembered as a man who dreamt of creating an Indian airline that was modelled on the service excellence of Singapore Airlines and operational prowess of KLM. He believed in service excellence and, for him, customers always came first and ensured that all of us lived by those ethos. Q. In hindsight, do you think operations could have been revived before Jet Airways was admitted into NCLT in June? A: There are a lot of ifs and buts, and really a lot has been said about that. I would just say that it was destined to be so. Q. Are you hopeful of seeing Jet Airways fly again? A: I really do not know what to say about that. Gold prices inched lower on Friday as Asian equities showed signs of a rebound, but fears of a steep global recession due to the coronavirus pandemic limited a drop in the metal's price, putting it on course for its second straight weekly gain. FUNDAMENTALS Spot gold eased 0.1% to $1,716.56 per ounce by 0045 GMT. U.S. gold futures slipped 0.1% to $1,730.30. The metal was up about 1.6% for the week so far, on track to post its second consecutive weekly gain. Asian stocks look set to bounce on Friday to recover towards a one-month high as investors, following Wall Street's lead overnight, sought silver linings in a run of data that showed the world is in its worst recession in decades. 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 China's coronavirus crisis is expected to have tipped its economy into its first decline since at least 1992, data is set to show on Friday, raising pressure on authorities to prop up growth as mounting job losses threaten social stability. U.S. data showed 5.2 million Americans sought unemployment benefits last week, down from a slightly revised 6.6 million the week before, but lifting total filings for claims over the past month to a record 22 million. U.S. President Donald Trump proposed guidelines on Thursday under which U.S. state governors could act to revive the U.S. economy from its coronavirus shutdown in a staggered, three-stage process. The Federal Reserve's balance sheet increased to a record $6.42 trillion this week as the central bank used its nearly unlimited buying power to soak up assets to keep markets functioning amid an abrupt economic free fall due to the virus. Britain extended its nationwide lockdown on Thursday as stand-in leader Dominic Raab ordered Britons to stay at home for at least another three weeks to prevent the spread of the outbreak which has already claimed over 138,000 lives globally. 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 outbreak and cushion the economic downturn. Palladium rose 1.7% to $2,190.78 per ounce and platinum gained 0.4% to $786.30, while silver fell 0.7% to $15.51. An icy rain falls on the city of Madrid. The streets are deserted. The scene is desolate. The capital is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Spain, with senior residences and care homes one of the major focal points of the pandemic. On the outskirts of the city, in a residential area of Alcala de Henares, 48 paratroopers stand under a shower of rain that turns to snow and covers their black berets in white. An accumulative lack of sleep has caught up with them and there is not much in the way of chat. The courtyard of the senior care home has been turned into a parking lot for military vehicles. The paratrooper brigade has been there since dawn, and is ready to follow orders to disinfect the place. At least three staff members at the center have already contracted the coronavirus, and a couple of very elderly residents are showing symptoms and are being isolated at one end of the building. Through a window, one of them looks to be in a terrible state, but no one knows for sure if they have the virus as they have not been tested. We are here to help; its good for Spaniards to see what we are capable of and what we are doing with their taxes General Rafael Colomer, head of the Guadarrama XII Brigade The paratroopers decontamination mission is vital. The vast building, with 180 rooms and 200 residents, is believed to have a high viral load. Second Lieutenant Carlos Infante, a veteran nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) defense specialist who is leading the operation, rolls his first cigarette of the day and addresses his unit. Were going to wait until the seniors have finished their breakfast, then confine them to the dining room on each floor, then well go in, he says. Its a big job, itll take 12 hours. A drop of rain soaks his cigarette and he looks up at the sky. At this early hour, other units from the large military bases on the outskirts of Madrid are on similar missions. So far, theyve disinfected more than 2,000 residences. Its a high-risk assignment and they know it. But they do it every day. What happens if were afraid of catching the virus? We cant be. What we are doing is the most fundamental act of solidarity. Otherwise, what are we good for? says a young paratrooper. Soldiers from the Alcala de Henares Parachute Brigade stationed on the outskirts of Madrid, arrive with their NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) defense equipment to disinfect a seniors residence. Carlos Spottorno Convoys of vehicles filled with troops and decontamination material cross the ghostly capital, stopping at traffic lights. The Guadarrama XII Brigade, stationed at El Goloso military base where they keep Leopard battle tanks with cannons that have a 30-kilometer reach, is now on a mission to disinfect residences in Colmenar Viejo and Galapagar, north of Madrid. And the Military Emergency Unit (UME), the so-called invention of former Socialist Party (PSOE) prime minister Jose Luis Zapatero, which has been assisting in land, sea and air emergencies across Spain since 2005, is heading for the commuter towns of Alpedrete and San Sebastian de los Reyes. The military units disinfect an average of 200 residences a day. The demand is relentless. In every corner of this devastated city, the military transports the sick and the dead in their hundreds. They build field hospitals and shelters for the homeless. They work at the field hospital in Spains Ifema convention center; they patrol the streets both alone and together with the Civil Guard and the National Police and try to protect, offer security and instill confidence. In other parts of the country, they are also protecting essential infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants, as well as manning Spains borders, flying in medical resources and helping Spaniards trapped abroad. They clean and patrol hospitals, airports, train and bus stations, and public buildings and they hand out water and food. They have even helped turn military vessels into floating hospitals. And since the epidemic began, nearly 300 members of the armed forces have contracted the virus. They work without schedules. They eat when they can. Theyre on the frontline. We are here to help; its good for Spaniards to see what we are capable of and what we are doing with their taxes, says General Rafael Colomer, head of the Guadarrama XII Brigade. Supporting the civilian authorities is part of our annual training plan, and you know, you fight the way you train. Since the epidemic began, nearly 300 members of the armed forces have contracted the coronavirus Colomer is currently monitoring the deployment of 1,300 soldiers and 300 vehicles from the Tactical Operations Center (TOC) of his headquarters, where the walls are covered with maps of Madrid. He is in constant contact with the Buenavista Palace, the headquarters of the General Army Barracks in Madrids central Plaza de Cibeles square, which assigns daily duties to army personnel across Spain. During the military coup detat on February 23, 1981, the Guadarrama XII Brigade, which formed part of the famous Brunete 1st Armored Division, was ordered by Lieutenant General Jaime Milans del Bosch to occupy Madrid and destroy democracy. Forty years later, on this gray morning, the same unit is in the city to help the public and carry out tasks not under the remit of other authorities, such as cleaning, building, transporting and patrolling. This time, their weapons are not just guns, but cloths and mops. Lieutenant Elvira Barbasan, who has not yet turned 30 and already commands around 100 gunners, is upbeat about the job at hand. The best thing about all this is were standing by Spaniards in these tough times, interacting with them, being useful, which they clearly see and understand, she says. This is something that does not happen very often to us in the military and it is very gratifying. The citizens dont know much about us. And it is a chance to offer some insight. Every object and nook and cranny needs to be disinfected with ten-liter sodium hypochlorite spray bags, making the air impossible to breathe. CARLOS SPORTTONO Her boss, General Colomer, explains that one of his units is in Barcelona disinfecting the regions public buildings, from airports to police stations. Meanwhile, members of other units are working in the Basque Country and Valencia. There hasnt been a single problem, he says, despite the fact Catalonia and the Basque Country are regions with strong nationalist movements that have been historically opposed to intervention from the central government. The daily feedback is extraordinary. We go wherever we are wanted. Each of these military units working across Spain 8,000 soldiers a day, including 3,000 military health professionals some of whom have come out of retirement is signaled on the huge electronic map covering a wall at the Joint Operations Center (JOC) at the Retamares base, west of Madrid. Today 400 missions are underway. This is the nerve center of Operation Balmis the Armed Forces mission to combat the coronavirus crisis. The JOC looks like a cinema with the lights dimmed. At the front of the room are screens showing data that is continuously updated. Close by, officers from the three different armed forces are on computers. They are experts in operations, logistics and intelligence. At the top of the amphitheater, three generals and a naval captain receive all the information they need to make decisions. There are also members of the Civil Guard, the National Police, Civil Protection and the Military Emergency Unit, as well as liaison officers who are in contact with Spains Health, Defense, Interior and Mobility ministries, all of which are managing the crisis. Operation Balmis is named after Francisco Javier de Balmis, a military doctor who organized an around-the-world expedition to distribute the smallpox vaccine in the early 19th century This is pure coordination, explains a naval officer. We are like mailboxes; we have information about what is needed everywhere in Spain at any given time and we know which military unit can do it because of their proximity and competence. And we cross reference this data. Every unit knows 24 hours in advance what it has to do the next day. Currently, 12-hour shifts are the order of the day here, but the JOC is active 365 days of the year. Spains air, sea and land space is also controlled from this room, as well as its military operations abroad, in which 3,000 Spanish soldiers are currently participating some of whom have also been infected. A handful of electronic clocks mark the time zone of every place that Spanish military personnel have been deployed, whether they are in transit or in Lebanon or Iraq. At 8am, the operations update takes place in this room with mathematical precision, during which the shift supervisor who is about to go off duty explains the current state of play to the officer relieving him and to the lieutenant general, Fernando Lopez del Pozo, who is in charge of executing Operation Balmis. A specialist in emergencies, Lopez del Pozo struggles to arrange his mask, which he is careful to keep over his nose. All the JOC officers wear one, as well as latex gloves. And they maintain a safe distance from one another. A lieutenant colonel continually warns the journalist not to go near him. Neither of us can get sick, he says. The Joint Operations Center at the Retamares base, outside Madrid. The entire Operation Balmis is directed from this center. Carlos Spottorno The JOC was activated by Defense Minister Margarita Robles on March 13, when the royal decree implementing a state of alarm, aimed at slowing the coronavirus outbreak, was published. Early on Saturday, March 14, we had a meeting of the Planning Group to set the whole operation up, explains Colonel Juan Bustamante. That meeting produced an operations plan a brief dossier that considered the needs of the ministries of Health, Defense, Interior and Mobility, and how we could support them. At the end of the meeting, a naval captain suggested naming the operation Balmis the name of a military doctor [Francisco Javier de Balmis] who organized an around-the-world expedition to distribute the smallpox vaccine in the early 19th century. It fit. This is a military mission to support the civilian population. Pure crisis management. In just 48 hours by Monday, March 16 we were on the streets, with Madrid as a priority, and the soldiers patrolling the subway and train stations. This is a military mission to support the civilian population. Pure crisis management Colonel Juan Bustamante But it wasnt entirely unknown territory. We pay a lot of attention to detail, explains one officer from the Operations Command. The military has a strategy for everything. This command center, from which a war involving Spain would be directed, has the advantage of having a permanent structure with which to conduct operations as well as the technical support from around 20 contingency plans, drawn up by 100 full-time analysts, which are updated every year. These plans contemplate a variety of potential risks to state security, from high-intensity conflicts to terrorist threats and natural disasters. And when any of those contingencies arise, the corresponding sealed envelope is opened and the response activated. Pandemics and epidemics were included in the 2017 National Security Strategy under the Mariano Rajoy administration. Lieutenant General Lopez del Pozo explains that the situation was being considered in the light of the 2014 Ebola epidemic. That epidemic caused only one death in Spain, but 12,000 in Africa, and it continues to hang like the sword of Damocles over humanity though not in the same way as the coronavirus. This [the coronavirus crisis] is exceptional. But we are responding to it every day and helping the most disadvantaged groups, says Lopez del Pozo. Come on, Maria, finish your milk and your muffin, says a nurse to an 80-year-old eating breakfast in her room at the Alcala de Henares residence where the paratroopers are waiting to disinfect. The police are going to come and help us. The senior care facility is a home of smaller homes, with each room holding the treasured memories of the resident as well as their most prized possessions. There are old black and white photos, framed fans, childrens drawings and religious prints. On the sink stands the perfume gifted by the grandchildren at Christmas. One of the rooms looks like a small palace with silver candlesticks and a red velvet armchair, and another looks like the cell of a Carthusian monastery. The resident of this one doesnt want to go out in the hall. He needs convincing. The care workers at the residence have lifted the mattresses, opened the wardrobes and bathrooms and removed the curtains and carpets. The residents are confined to the dining room on each floor and sit there with their masks on, on separated chairs. All look confused and some look panic-stricken. Most are sad. After a while, they appear to become lost in their own thoughts. One woman, who has been watching the decontamination process through the glass, suddenly claps her hands and cries, Long live Spain! #CORONAVIRUS: La guerra de esta generacion | Reportaje | El Pais Semanal An inside look at Operation Balmis (Spanish text). Second lieutenant Carlos Infante puts out his cigarette and moves his unit into action. They are provided with freshly opened NBC equipment camouflage uniforms made of a technical and leathery fabric that hermetically covers their face, head and body, and fastens at the wrists and ankles with duct tape. They wear thick rubber gloves and rubber shoes that make them walk like ducks. Over their faces are black M6-87 masks with carbon filters that protect against bacteriological, chemical and radioactive contamination. They can drink without removing this from a flask that looks like an anteaters snout. When they put the mask on, it fogs up and their breathing becomes labored. Any physical effort is four times as hard. The effect is similar to a feeling of drowning. Communicating with gestures alone, the paratroopers climb the stairs to all four floors of the residence. The NBC operational procedure means disinfecting from the top floor down, without going near the hot spot where the sick have been isolated. Before entering the building, the soldiers themselves have been thoroughly disinfected to ensure that no germs enter or leave the residence. Whenever they take a break, they have to repeat this process, which entails being sprayed with cold water and bleach sodium hypochlorite washing shoes, gloves and finally hands and face. The mask comes off and for a few minutes they can breathe easily. Then they go back inside. Here, even if you go out to pee, you have to disinfect yourself again, one soldier jokes. We have been given this mission and I treat it as if it were a high-intensity conflict, like a war against the virus Solider disinfecting senior residence in Madrid Decontaminating the residence is a slow and systematic business. Soldiers spray bleach on the ceilings and walls. Then another team of paratroopers arrives, spraying ten-liter bags filled with bleach into every nook and cranny, dousing the beds, wardrobes and bathrooms. Then comes the Commando Wipe team that cleans each doorknob, mirror, door, table and handrail with a cloth. Finally, there is the mop brigade that deals with the floors. Room by room, corridor by corridor, bathroom by bathroom. When its all done, the residence is dried and ventilated. We have been given this mission and I treat it as if it were a high-intensity conflict, like a war against the virus, says one exhausted soldier. The armed forces work under Operation Balmis is fast, flexible and modular. And it is going on everywhere in Spain. On the one hand, the military are offering the civilian authorities tangible support and on the other, they are shoring up confidence and helping the public feel more secure. When French President Emmanuel Macron launched a similar military mission against the coronavirus called Resilience, French president, he made it clear that it was quite different from Operation Sentinelle, which is designed to combat Islamist terrorism within the country. Resilience will be focused on supporting citizens and public services in a continuous dialogue with the state authorities, he said. And that is the key being at the service of the authorities; making the population feel safe. When Lieutenant Ezequiels unit patrols the deserted streets of El Escorial some 50 kilometers northwest of Madrid, and the footsteps of around 30 soldiers from the Guadarrama brigade reverberate across the cobblestones of the monastery, their role is clear. They dont carry rifles and only the officers are armed. From the windows the residents smile down at them. Captain Diego Ruiz responds with a salute and the residents break into applause. Military engineers set up a field hospital in Madrid. Carlos Spottorno What is the point of these patrols? According to the royal decree officially declaring the state of alarm, these soldiers are agents of authority. This does not mean that they can make arrests or file complaints, because they are not judicial police, explains Lopez del Pozo. Consequently, some patrols have joined forces with members of the National Police and the Civil Guard, which is a way of using 120,000 Spanish soldiers to help with public security, under the orders of the state security forces and the Interior Ministry. The prime minister [Pedro Sanchez] has looked in the states toolbox and has seen that the military is ideal in a moment of national crisis when the security and well-being of citizens is threatened because we can do everything we reach everywhere, we are disciplined, we have a capillary structure, logistical means and we are not afraid. We have a complete catalogue of abilities and are very clear on how far we can go, explains a senior military official. Captain Francisco Jose Gonzalez has just set up a field hospital with 130 beds in Segovia, northwest of Madrid, with the Salamanca Engineer Command, which is specialized in setting up military camps. He is now setting up another field hospital in Madrid, outside the Gregorio Maranon hospital, which has been overwhelmed by coronavirus patients. Next, the unit will be in the Catalan city of Sabadell to set up an emergency hospital in the citys sport center. The interior of the enormous Drash tents, set up in just minutes outside the Gregorio Maranon hospital, is bright, comfortable, clean and even warm. They are a perfect backup for the hospitals emergency department, but not as a permanent ward for coronavirus victims. Two generators installed by Captain Gonzalezs soldiers provide the field hospitals power there is air conditioning and toilets. A brief chat with these military engineers reveals that they are young and highly motivated people. We are happy to lend a hand wherever we are needed, says one. On the other side of Madrid, a non-commissioned army officer has been entrusted with a more taxing job that of transporting corpses to the temporary morgue that has been set up in Madrids Ice Palace skating rink. Without missing a beat, he explains the task: first strict triple identification protocol of the bodies, then the sealing of the body bags with a zipper, followed by the sealing of the coffins. The key is not to break the chain of care at any time; to get rid of any doubts. This is the job we have been called on to do. Yesterday we moved almost 100 [bodies]. Its another way of serving Spain, one we could never have imagined. This is the war of our generation. English version by Heather Galloway. BEIJING The coronavirus outbreak has brought Chinas extraordinary, nearly half-century-long run of growth to an end a stark reminder of the enormous task ahead for world leaders trying to restart the global economy. Chinese officials on Friday said that the worlds second-largest economy shrank 6.8 percent in the first three months of the year compared with a year ago, ending a streak of untrammeled growth that survived the Tiananmen Square crackdown, the SARS epidemic and even the global financial crisis. The data reflects Chinas drastic 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. The stark numbers make clear how monumental the challenge of getting the global economy back on its feet will be. Since it emerged from abject poverty and isolation more than 40 years ago, China has become perhaps the worlds single most important growth engine, one that lifted fortunes during previous times of trouble, like the financial crisis. Now 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. The coronaviruss spread to the United States and Europe, which froze the economies there, has led to forecasts that the worlds output could shrink far more this year than it did even during the financial crisis. Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing a Chattanooga church filed suit in Federal Court on Thursday to challenge the citys ban on drive-in church services. The group said, "Originally, the city and its mayor, Andy Berke, tailored its COVID-19 restrictions to a statewide order that allows for drive-in church services but abruptly reversed course to specifically to prohibit them."On April 9, Berke posted a message aimed at churches on the city website and on his official Facebook page regarding the order, stating that drive-in serviceseven in their cars with the windows rolled up, for any length of time, will be considered a violation of our shelter-in-place directive. Neither the mayor nor the city has been willing to back off on the amended directive, despite the U.S.Department of Justices strong concern over the overreaching bans, as expressed in a statement of interest that the agency filed in a similar ADF case in Mississippi."City officials go too far when they single out churches for punishment, preventing them from alternate versions of worship during this pandemic that are specifically designed to comply with health and safety recommendations from both state and federal authorities, said ADF Senior Counsel Ryan Tucker, director of the ADF Center for Christian Ministries. It makes no sense that you can sit in your car in a crowded parking lot or at a drive-in restaurant in Chattanooga, but you cant sit in your car at a drive-in church service. Chattanoogas ban is unnecessary and unconstitutional, and thats why we have filed suit.The group said, "Earlier this month, Pastor Steve Ball of Metro Tab Church asked the Chattanooga Police Department whether drive-in church services were permitted in the city. Pastor Ball was told that a drive-in church service would not violate the citys order. And another pastor in Chattanooga told Pastpr Ball that he discussed holding a drive-in church service directly with the mayor, who indicated at that time that it was permissible."Based on this information, Metro Tab Church began planning to hold drive-in services on Easter Sunday that would use a short-range FM transmitter to broadcast the pastor, from the front of the church, to cars in the parking lot. No person-to-person contact would be allowed, the church building would be closed, and congregants would be instructed to remain in their vehicles. The production team inside and outside the building would be limited to less than 10 people."On April 9, the city and the mayor banned drive-in church services, so the church cancelled its plan for a drive-in Easter service but intends to begin drive-in services on April 19."The lawsuit says, Despite being on notice from both the DOJ and [the churchs] counsel that its drive-in church ban is unconstitutional, the City issued another statement on April 14, 2020, stating that The Mayor is required to reissue these orders every seven days and continues to do so until it is deemed safe to lift this order. This means: . . . No drive-in church service.The city published a statement on enforcement of its stay-at-home order which states, If the business and responsible party refuse to adhere to the Order, the responsible party could be issued a citation or other enforcement mechanisms. Amid coronavirus COVID-19 spread, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday directed that there should not be any dilution of quality and standards in the manufacturing of personal protective equipment (PPEs), masks, ventilators and other equipment. Addressing the 12th meeting of Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 held at Nirman Bhawan, he also suggested that stringent punishment may be placed for the manufacturers in case of any deviation from the quality standards/protocols while manufacturing the PPEs, masks and ventilators. He also reiterated that detailed advisories and guidelines for who should use which type of mask and who should use PPE have been posted on the Ministry website, and awareness regarding this is also being created through IEC campaigns. The minister also added that social distancing and isolation are the most effective social vaccines against COVID-19 and appealed to everyone to follow the protocol of personal hygiene and respiratory protocols during the lockdown period. The meeting was held under the chairpersonship of Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan and was attended by Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep S Puri, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, Minister of State for Home Nityananda Rai, Minister of State for Shipping & Chemical and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya, and Minister of State Health & Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey. The Group of Ministers (GoM) had detailed deliberation on containment and management of COVID-19. The GoM also discussed the actions taken so far, the current status of social distancing measures as a preventive strategy and the stringent actions taken by the Centre as well as the States to contain the spread of COVID-19. GoM was informed that all districts have been asked to prepare and strengthen their contingency plans to combat COVID-19. Several other measures about strengthening the capacity of states including devoting adequate resources for creating dedicated COVID-19 hospitals, equipping the medical institutes with PPEs, ventilators and other essential equipment etc., were also discussed in detail. States have been asked to identify COVID-19 centres/hospitals according to already laid guidelines. GoM was apprised that as of now the death rate is around 3% while recovery rate is around 12%, which is comparatively better than most of the countries and may be taken as a positive effect of the Lockdown in the country along with the cluster management & containment strategy. GoM also reviewed the testing strategy and availability of testing kits across the country along with the strategy for hotspots and cluster management. GoM was informed that 170 districts are being put in Red Zone (Hotspots) with 123 districts with large outbreaks and 47 districts with clusters. There are 207 non-hotspot districts with clusters and 353 districts which are placed in the green zone as they are non-infected. If no case is reported in last 14 days then the red zone district will be placed under the orange zone and further no case is reported in next 14 days then that district will come under Green zone. GoM was apprised regarding the adequacy and availability of PPEs, masks, ventilators, drugs and other essential equipment against the requirement. GoM was informed that domestic manufactures have been identified for the production of PPEs and orders have been placed. In addition, order for ventilators has been placed. GoM was briefed about the number of public and private labs presently testing for COVID-19 along with the number of tests that are being conducted every day through this network of labs. Department of Science & Technology (DST), Department of Bio-Technology (DBT) and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) gave a detailed presentation to the GoM on diagnosis, drugs and vaccine development for COVID-19 and also informed that they are working together to find the solutions and support for the management of COVID-19 along with ICMR and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Union Health Minister had recently held a review with DG CSIR, Dr Shekhar C Mande and the other CSIR lab. directors through video conference of the steps undertaken by CSIR and its constituent 38 labs. towards developing technological solutions to manage COVID-19 outbreak in the country. GoM opined that the timely availability of solutions is the key. Since the beginning of the day, Russian mercenaries landed one attack on positions of Ukrainian forces in Donbas. According to the Joint Forces Operation HQ, the enemy used automatic grenade launchers to shell Pisky, Donetsk region. None of Ukrainian serivcemen were injured or killed in action. Pro-Kremlin armed gangs did not use any of the weaponry banned by Minsk agreements. As is known, Ukraine and the non-recognized republics of Donbas exchanged prisoners on Thursday, April 16. 20 Ukrainian citizens returned hom from captivity of pro-Russian mercenaries. During the first part of the exchange, the militants of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic transferred nine people to Ukraine in the area of Horlivka and the Mayorsk checkpoints. During the second part of the exchange, 11 people returned from the so-called "Luhansk People's Republic" near the settlement of Shchastya. Teams of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) acted as a neutral mediator during the exchange of prisoners between Kyiv and temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, so that all Ukrainians and released detainees could safely meet their families. This article, Astronomers watch star dance with a black hole, proving Einstein right (again), originally appeared on CNET.com. The mammoth black hole at the center of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A* (or, in short, Sgr A*), is orbited by a veritable buffet of stars which are beholden to its gargantuan gravitational effects. After three decades observing star S2, which orbits Sgr A*, an international collaboration of researchers at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) have come to a familiar conclusion: Einstein was right, again. The study, published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics on Thursday, peered into the heart of our home galaxy and followed the movements of S2 over 27 years using the ESO's Very Large Telescope, an all-seeing cosmic eye located in the Atacama Desert of Chile. S2's orbit carries it close to the Milky Way's supermassive black hole and this orbit provides a natural, experimental setting for astronomers to test out Einstein's general theory of relativity. That theory dictates how space, time and gravity interact and says huge, dense objects like black holes can warp space around them. When scientists went hunting for an image of a black hole in 2019, Einstein's predictions about what they might see held true. S2 swings around Sgr A* once every 16 years and gets quite cozy with the black hole (in astronomical terms), coming within about 12.5 billion miles (20 billion kilometers) -- about four times as far as Pluto is from the sun. Even at those distances, the huge gravity of the supermassive black hole keeps S2 spinning back time and again -- and for 27 years, ESO astronomers watched. In total, the research team nabbed 330 measurements of the star's position and velocity. "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*," said Stefan Gillessen, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics and a co-author on the paper, in a press release. The work by the ESO team is is the first time this precession has been detected in a star orbiting the Milky Way's black hole where precession is dominated by Einstein's theory. A Schwarzchild precession is an orbit predicted by Einstein's theory. It sees one cosmic body drift around another in an orbit "shaped like a rosette" because of the extreme gravitational pull and bending of space-time. Think of it like a clock face. At the center of the clock is a black hole and at the edge, right over the number 1, is a star like S2. As S2 swings into the center of the clock and passes around the black hole, extreme gravity and the curvature of space time rotates its orbit a little. It swings back out to the edge of the clock face, but finds itself positioned over the number "2" at the clock's edge. We can see precession in our own solar system -- the way Mercury orbits the Sun demonstrates this, but the effects are largely driven by other planets tugging on Mercury. Every year, Mercury strays a little and its orbit rotates around our sun. The research built on previous observations of S2 conducted by ESO showing how the light from the star shifted as it approached the black hole. This shift was also predicted by Einstein, who now seems impervious to taking an L when it comes to the very theory holding our universe together. The Very Large Telescope will have some black hole-gazing competition in five years time when the Extremely Large Telescope is expected to be fired up. It's hoped the team will be able to see stars which are even more faint and closer to the black hole, providing another chance to put Einstein's theory to the test. "If we are lucky, we might capture stars close enough that they actually feel the rotation, the spin, of the black hole," said Andreas Eckart, an astrophysicist at Cologne University and co-author on the paper. "That would be again a completely different level of testing relativity." My money's on Einstein chalking up another win. Originally published 12 a.m. PT By Aram Roston and Mark Hosenball April 16 (Reuters) - Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney to U.S. President Donald Trump, will be released early from prison because of the coronavirus pandemic, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters late on Thursday. Cohen, who has served less than one year of a three-year sentence, will serve the rest of his time in home confinement, one of the sources said. Before his release, he will have to undergo a two-week quarantine to ensure he does not have symptoms of COVID-19, according to the source, who asked not to be identified. Roger Adler, Cohen's lawyer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons said that as of Thursday night Cohen was still incarcerated in the Otisville Federal Correctional Institution. A spokesman for the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cohen, who once said he would "take a bullet" for Trump, was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 for directing hush payments to pornographic film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed they had affairs with Trump. The U.S. president has denied having the encounters. Cohen, 53, was sent to a minimum-security camp at Otisville in upstate New York, about 70 miles (110 km) northwest of New York City. He had pressed to be released early due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has hammered New York state and surfaced in prisons around the country. Last month, a federal judge denied the request, saying Cohen should accept the consequences of his crimes rather than invoke the pandemic to justify his freedom. "Ten months into his prison term, it's time that Cohen accept the consequences of his criminal convictions for serious crimes that had far reaching institutional harms," U.S. District Judge William Pauley in Manhattan wrote. The judge said that Cohen's attempt to "single himself out for release to home confinement appears to be just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle." (Reporting by Mark Hosenball and Aram Roston in Washington, Writing by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Noeleen Walder) The remains of Robbie Lawlor are brought to the Sacred Heart Church, Laytown. Photo: Mark Condren Murdered gangland serial killer Robbie Lawlor was buried yesterday just three graves from his brother-in-law Richie Carberry, who was shot dead late last year as part of the same criminal dispute. Our exclusive photos show the brothers-in-arms' final resting place at Dardistown Cemetery in north Dublin. Earlier, just over a dozen people, including children, attended Lawlor's funeral in Laytown, Co Meath. It is understood that the body of Lawlor, who was shot dead as part of an elaborate double- cross in Belfast two weeks ago, was released to his family by the PSNI on Wednesday. Privacy He was waked at his home before the funeral mass, which was celebrated yesterday by Fr Denis McNelis at the Sacred Heart Church in the seaside town. Expand Close Mourners at Robbie Lawlors funeral yesterday at the Sacred Heart Church in Laytown / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mourners at Robbie Lawlors funeral yesterday at the Sacred Heart Church in Laytown When contacted by the Herald, Fr McNelis said he did not wish to comment on the funeral as Lawlor's family had requested privacy. After the mass, the congregation left in six cars, three of which sported black flags. Armed detectives in an unmarked garda car followed the hearse and mourners for the 37km from Laytown to Dardistown. Lawlor was buried very close to his brother-in-law and partner in crime Richie Carberry, who was shot dead outside his home in Bettystown, Co Meath, last November. His murder is believed to have been ordered by the same mob who had Lawlor shot. Expand Close Hitman Robbie Lawlor was shot dead in Belfast / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Hitman Robbie Lawlor was shot dead in Belfast It is understood Lawlor's sister Eileen, who was married to Carberry, was at yesterday's funeral, which was monitored by undercover gardai. It came only hours after PSNI detectives appealed for information about a hooded man spotted close to the scene of Lawlor's murder. The 36-year-old was shot dead outside a house on Etna Drive, Ardoyne, at around 11.50am on April 4. Detective Chief Inspector Peter Montgomery said: "It's been nearly two weeks since the brutal killing, and I have received reports of a person wearing a black jacket with the hood up and carrying a holdall while walking along Jamaica Way towards Old Park." No one is in custody in relation to Lawlor's murder after a 36-year-old man was freed on bail after his arrest in Belfast. Four other males, aged 33, 30, 27 and 17, were arrested in the city and questioned within hours of the shooting but were released without charge. Two of them, the 33-year-old and his teenage nephew, are key members of the McCarthy- Dundon gang who travelled to Belfast with Lawlor. A "blame-game" has broken out between members of the Limerick gang, who gardai believe were hired to set-up the murder of Lawlor, and the Maguire mob from Drogheda, who are suspected of ordering the shooting. The row is over the 50,000 blood money seized by gardai, which was partial payment for the hit. Barbaric Lawlor had a fearsome reputation and was one of the chief suspects for the barbaric murder and dismemberment of Drogheda teenager Keane Mulready Woods last January as part of the Drogheda feud. Lawlor, who was a member of the so-called anti-Maguire faction, was also the chief suspect for a string of murders including that of Tallaght criminal Mark Byrne (29) in 2005, David 'Fred' Lynch (26) in 2009 and his pal Noel Deans (27) the following year. Only hours after Deans' killing, Lawlor perversely drank tea with and consoled his victim's heartbroken mother. Lawlor was also the chief suspect for the murder of his former close associate, Kenneth Finn (36), in February 2018. The International Monetary Fund Thursday approved disbursement of USD1.386 billion as a financial assistance to Pakistan to meet its urgent balance of payment needs stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak. The IMF's decision comes at the request of Pakistan, which faces an urgent balance of payment crisis. This is in addition to the USD 6 billion bailout package that Islamabad signed with the IMF in July last year to stave off a balance of payment crisis. "The outbreak of Covid-19 is having a significant impact on the Pakistani economy," said Geoffrey Okamoto, the IMF's First Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair. The domestic containment measures coupled with the global downturn are severely affecting growth and straining external financing which has created an urgent balance of payments need, he said. "As the crisis abates, the authorities' renewed commitment to the reforms in the existing Extended Fund Facility -- in particular those related to fiscal consolidation strategy, energy sector, governance, and remaining AML/CFT deficiencies -- will be crucial to entrench resilience, boost Pakistan's growth potential, and deliver broad based benefits for all Pakistanis," Okamoto said. Expeditious donor support is needed to close the remaining balance of payments gap and ease the adjustment burden, he added. Okamoto said that in response to the crisis, the government of Pakistan has taken swift action to halt the community spread of the virus and introduced an economic stimulus package aimed at accommodating the spending needed to tackle the health emergency and supporting economic activity. "Crucially, the authorities are increasing public health spending and strengthening social safety net programs to provide immediate relief to the most vulnerable," he said. "Similarly, the State Bank of Pakistan has adopted a timely set of measures, including a lowering of the policy rate and new refinancing facilities, to support liquidity and credit conditions and safeguard financial stability. In this context, the authorities' policies should be targeted and temporary," Okamoto said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) FLINT, MI -- A Flint neighborhood safety officer has died of COVID-19, according to officials. Officer Paul Forster is the first person employed by the city of Flint known to have died from coronavirus and one of three individuals known to have been positively diagnosed, the city said in a Friday, April 17 news release. Both Forster and the other two individuals diagnosed were quarantined more than 14 days ago. We have lost another hero to this deadly disease," Mayor Sheldon Neeley said in a news release. Mayor Neeley has ordered flags in the city lowered to half-staff in recognition of the citys lost heroes, the release states. "Paul helped to serve this city at the ground level, fighting blight and making our community a better place. We will miss him dearly, Neeley said. I ask this community to join me in keeping his wife and children in our prayers. Flint hospitals union president, Edward Nelson, dies from coronavirus It was with heavy hearts, the Flint Police Department learned about the death of Forster, the department wrote in a Friday, April 17, Facebook post. Forster was with the Flint Police Department for three years. He always had a smile to offer and was willing to help in any way he could, the post reads. The department offered sympathies, thoughts and prayers to Forsters wife, a longtime Police Reserve Lieutenant, and their children, family and friends. Forsters family gave permission for news of his death to be shared publicly, according to the city. Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here Michigan inmates hide coronavirus symptoms to avoid prison quarantine Republicans, Democrats at odds about who should return to work and when When and how will it end? Considering the end-game for Michigans coronavirus crisis With the coronavirus lockdown firmly in place, many people are adjusting to a new normal where social interactions have been limited to a quick pop to the shops and a daily round of exercise. And it seems some are taking advantage of the down-turn to test out an unusual beauty hack - by ditching the shampoo and giving up washing their hair. People from around the world have flocked to the social media hashtag #NoHairWash to boast about how long they've gone without cleaning their tresses and have even argued that it is leaving their locks more luscious than ever. And while for some it seems a week-long experiment, others appear more dedicated to the cause, including What Not To Wear presenter Susannah Constantin, 57, who revealed earlier this week that she hadn't washed her hair in over a month. Who else has ditched washing their hair? One woman, whose location is unknown, revealed on Instagram she was joining the 'no poo' movement Another gym bunny, from Chicago, revealed her quarantine involved a lot of excersie and avoiding washing her hair Make it fashion! Another no poo advocate, from Edinburgh, swept her hair into a neat ponytail as she headed out to the shops But giving up shampoo and conditioner isn't just a coronavirus trend, with advocates of the so-called no poo movement choosing to forgo conventional soapy detergents such as shampoo and conditioner. Instead, they wash their hair with only with water, or use natural ingredients such as rye flour, vinegar, raw eggs, porridge and chalk on their hair. Celebrity fans including Kim Kardashian, Shailene Woodley, Adele, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Simpson say they delay washing their hair for days, weeks and even months on end but some use shampoo during rare washes. Some worry the chemicals in shampoo are damaging to their hair and scalp, while others embark on the regime to save time - or because they believe it simply makes their hair look and feel better. And it's not just amateurs! One hairdresser, from Herefordshire, revealed she had ditched the shampoo and makeup for five days to give her skin and tresses a boost Ecstactic! Another woman, from America, appeared to be making the best of quarantine as she revealed on Instagram she wouldn't be washing her locks Over a week! One woman shared a snap of her locks after eight days without washing, saying she was overjoyed with the results Many people sharing snaps of their hair online claimed the detox was leaving them feeling refreshed. One hairdresser, from Herefordshire, revealed she had given washing her tresses and wearing makeup during lockdown to give her skin and hair a detox. But is it safe to ditch shampoo during the coronavirus pandemic? There is no evidence to suggest coronavirus can be carried in strands of beards or facial hair. Advertisement And another Londoner claimed that after ten days without washing, the grease in her hair was 'starting to lift'. Another no poo convert said since ditching the shampoo during quarantine, her hair had been left lighter than ever. The Nopoomethod website claims the hair's sebaceous oil glands are triggered to release extra sebum when they sense the hair drying out'. But Carol Walker, a trichologist from the Birmingham Trichology Centre, has previously warned that while the no poo method leads to healthy, glossy hair for some people, it can cause spots and exacerbate skin problems in others. She told MailOnline: Vinegar, eggs, dry shampoo which is made from chalk - have been used for decades to clean hair. They just absorb the grease. Social distancing win! Another noo poo convert revealed she hadn't washed her hair in nine days and it was feeling 'lighter than ever' If they have a healthy scalp, go ahead, try it, it wont damage your hair. Some of these products, however, could dry out the scalp and make conditions such as dandruff, eczema and dermatitis worse, she said. And for people with naturally oily skin, going without shampoo may trigger or worsen acne. If you are susceptible to spotty skin, leaving your hair to go oily can lead to spots on the scalp and around the hairline and can re-infect spots or eczema. This can then cause a secondary infection.' Going hippy for lockdown! One Londoner said the grease in her hair was starting to 'ease off' on the tenth day without washing her locks It comes after Susannah took to Instagram where she insisted her blonde locks don't smell, even after 'a lot of exercise' but admitted she had to sleep with a towel on her pillow. Susannah shared a video of herself in which she showed off her unwashed mane and gave fans an update on her 'hair situation.' 'Hello. So, I thought I'd give you a little update on the hair situation,' began Susannah as she took her tresses down from the top knot they were in, and started brushing them through. 'So, I'm now on week four... Actually I've come out, I've done a month with no hair washing, in the hope that it's going to start to self-clean. Another woman, whose location is unknown, urged her followers to 'give themselves some TLC' and ditch shampoo during lockdown 'So, that's how it's looking. The grey is really beginning to do my head in, literally,' said the presenter as she gave viewers a close-up of her roots. 'And it's kind of not really beginning to self-clean yet really, is it? But it's not so bad, you know. 'It's not kind of itchy, which is good, and it does feel in good condition and I'm brushing the natural oils through every day. It comes after What Not to Wear presenter Susannah Constantin, 57, revealed she hasn't washed her hair for five weeks 'At the back it feels pretty terrible - I don't know if you can see that?' said Susannah, turning around to show her fans the back of her head. 'Because I'm running a lot so it gets kind of sweaty as well. And at night I have to put a towel on my pillow,' she confessed. Susannah captioned her Instagram video: 'Heading interview week 5 of dirty hair...... #projectselfclean.' Uttar Pradesh police has registered 20,453 cases and booked 68,811 people so far for defying lockdown norms, a senior official said. Police has recovered over Rs 8.11 crore fine from those violating the lockdown put in place since March 25. "To strictly implement the lockdown in districts, police registered 20,453 FIRs against 68,811 violaters so far," Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Awanish Awasthi told reporters on Friday. These persons were released on bail to avoid congestion in jails, he added. The FIRs were lodged under IPC section 188, which deals with disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant. In this period, over 18 lakh vehicles were checked and over 24,000 seized, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An unprecedented series of measures may not be enough to save Australia's normally robust economy. For many in Australia, the bushfire catastrophe now seems a distant memory as the coronavirus pandemic takes this country deeper into the unknown. The "miracle economy" that avoided recession during the 2007-2008 financial crisis, avoided the worst of the 1997 Asian financial crisis as well as the lancing of the dot.com bubble is in deep trouble. The Black Summer fires were adding to an escalating economic malaise but the coronavirus has inflicted a jolting collapse. In one week about one million Australians became unemployed. Within days the centre-right government had unveiled Australia's biggest ever economic package - A$130bn ($80bn) is to be spent on keeping six million people, or around half the workforce, in jobs. So far, direct government aid to businesses in response to the virus is approaching A$200bn, or about 10% of the nation's income, or GDP. This has never happened before. Tim Harcourt, from the University of New South Wales Business School, says the JobKeeper allowance is a throwback to more collaborative times. "The wage subsidy idea is Australian in the sense that we've got this tradition of the trade unions and the employers working cooperatively with the government. They've been working on this almost as a tripartite approach, which brings us back to the Australia of the '1980s and '1990s," he told the BBC. Conservative rethink The conservative government is abandoning its economic dogma. Its past preoccupations with budget surpluses are rusted or no more. "It is probably an approach where Australia has dropped its ideology and sought to do whatever it takes to get Australia through the pandemic," added Tim Harcourt. Australia will soon head into winter. The government's mega job saving scheme is an attempt to put the economy into hibernation. It sleeps while the country battles the Covid-19 health crisis and, when the fight is eventually over, companies and their staff can, in theory, spring back into action. "This is similar to the scheme announced in the UK, and is supposed to keep the lines of communication between employers and employees open, allowing for a relatively rapid restoration of activity if and when normal service resumes. This takes some pressure off the welfare system," explained Dr Andrew Grant from the University of Sydney's Discipline of Finance. In recent times large-scale unemployment has not been an Australian affliction, but it is now. The jobless rate is set to double to 10% by mid-year, says the government. There have been long queues outside the government's welfare agency, Centrelink. In the Sydney suburb of Brookvale, they have stretched around the block. "This is my very first visit to a Centrelink office. It is horrible," said Chris Dawson. "I am almost 60 and I have never been unemployed in my life." "I am devastated. We have four adults in our family and three of us are unemployed as of this week," she added. Few sectors will be spared, but the fortunate few will flourish. Supermarkets are recruiting thousands of staff to cope with demand, and alcohol sales are up. A friend wryly observed that "the curve of daytime drinking seems to be rising exponentially"! End of globalisation? It's almost certain that the economy once dubbed the "wonder down under" is rapidly slipping into reverse. "It is the recession we have deliberately created due to the measures we've had to take to flatten the curve, which makes it very different to past recessions that were unexpected and policy-makers were quite shocked at the depth and length of them," explained Tim Harcourt. Australia knows what's coming. The International Monetary Fund has forecast a 6.7% contraction to the economy. Number crunching by UBS Asset Management has forecast a budget deficit here next year of A$300bn, or 16% of national income. The UK, Germany and the US are bigger, wealthier countries and are spending more to prop up their economies, but Australia's Covid-19 rescue packages are its greatest ever financial gamble. Dr Andrew Grant predicts the post-virus recovery could take up 18 months, but the truth is no-one knows. Australia could suffer more than others because of the unfolding of two of its key exports: tourism and education. "It's the end of globalisation as we know it," said Tim Harcourt. "All major economies have been hit almost at once by impact of the coronavirus and it's done damage to global supply chains in manufacturing and even more to people- based industries like education and tourism." For now, this nation of 25.6 million people is primed for a war with an enemy that can't be seen or tamed, yet. "For many young and old, 2020 will be the toughest year of our lives," warned Prime Minister Scott Morrison. BBC PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc discusses COVID-19 measures with Australian counterpart Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc talked on the phone with his Australian counterpart Scot Morrison on April 9, during which the two government leaders discussed bilateral and regional cooperation amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Some residents of Oyo State have urged the governor, Seyi Makinde, to distribute the over N200 million relief fund and relief materials worth over N50 million it received from organisations and philanthropists as donations to cushion the effects of a lockdown in the state. The state government shut major activities in the state, to curb the spread of COVID-19, a deadly respiratory disease caused by coronavirus. Mr Makinde through his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, had on April 9, announced that barely a week after the Oyo State COVID-19 Endowment Fund was set up, donations in form of cash reached N200m while materials worth over N50m have been received from corporate organisations, religious groups and individuals from within and outside the state. Mr Adisa said, As of April 8, 2020, the funds in the three accounts domiciled in First Bank, UBA and Unity Bank stand at N200 million, while donations in food items and other materials worth close to N50 million have also been received. Besides the cash donations, some groups, corporate entities and individuals have also made donations such as foodstuffs, drinks and other items worth millions to the states Food Security and Emergency Task Force. Some of the food products donated to the state, according to him, include rice, beans, garri, yam and vegetable oil, sanitisers, medical items, knapsack sprayers and buckets, among others. But, residents of the state, among whom are traders, artisans and shop owners, whose business premises have been locked up on the order of the state government, are wondering when these palliatives would get to them. Though, Mr Makinde did not declare total lockdown in the state, some markets and shop that are not under essentials were ordered to be closed and have been for two weeks. Mr Makinde announced the extension of the closure of the markets and shops for two more weeks at the weekend. Some of the affected markets that were closed in Ibadan, the state capital include; Araromi spare parts market in Gate, Aleshinloye market, rubber and footwear market at Ifeleye, cloth shops at Ogunpa, ready-made clothes shops at Ogunpa Oyo, electrical appliances shops at Oke Parde and Salvation Army Road and some other markets that are not categorised as essential markets. Investigation by PREMIUM TIMES revealed that the crime rate has also increased in some parts of Ibadan as some miscreants have used the opportunity of staying at home to perpetrate evils. Some of the areas where residents had to keep vigil included Papa, Water side in Apete, FESTAC in Mokola, Oke-Itunu, Ijokodo, Olomi, Olunde, Oke Ado, Oke Bola, among other areas. A motor battery seller at Oke Parde, Abass Babalola, whose shop has remained closed for the past three weeks, lamented income loss since he was asked to close his shop. Mr Babalola said he was tired of staying at home without any compensation from the government despite the amount of money and materials received so far. We have closed our shops since. Even some of our people who opened a few days after they asked us to close the shops, some security agents came to send them away. (In these three weeks, I would have realized over N300,000. We have been hanging around, we are not allowed to open our shops. There is no money, but the government said it has realised some money and relief materials but I am yet to see anything. An electrical appliances seller at Salvation Army Road, Christian Okey, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, explained that his shop has been under lock since the announcement was made but he has not received anything as palliative. Mr Okey said he was worried that the state government announced such an amount of money and materials but is yet to distribute them. Wasiu Rahmon, a ready-made clothes seller at Ogunpa, said he was surprised that the state government announced closure of the market where he makes his living for another two weeks without any explanation or compensation. Mr Rahmon appealed to the state government to distribute what it has received so far, adding that some miscreants have taken the opportunity to perpetrate crimes. I thought that the two weeks was enough, but I was surprised when they said it has been extended for another two weeks. This is not fair. Some other markets are opening but, they categorized our own as nonessential. Dont we have family members that we cater for. This is too much. Apart from distributing the relief materials, the government must strengthen security in all parts of Ibadan, in fact, some of the areas now, are keeping vigil because some miscreants have been using the opportunity to perpetrate crimes. A motor spare parts seller at Araromi Gate, Sulaiman Adisa, who said that he and his colleagues have been living on credit because they were not allowed to open their shops insisted that the only way to reduce the negative effects of coronavirus on traders whose shops have been closed since three weeks ago, is to call the traders and give them palliatives. As you can see, I have been at home since then. Even the first day that I went to the shop, they had to use security agents to come and chase us away. We have been at home for two weeks, the government extended the closure of our market for another two weeks, what do we eat. We are just hearing it on the radio what the government has received but they did not distribute it. Do they want to wait until those things expire? READ ALSO: The government needs to call us, those of us that have closed our shops. They have to compensate us. We have been at home for three weeks. We have been hanging around. No market, no customers because we are not allowed to open our shops. A resident of Moniya, Kolawole Kazeem, noted that he heard it several times on radio that the government had received some items to cushion the effects of coronavirus from some donors but wondered why it has not been distributed. We have been staying at home for the past three weeks, there is no palliative from the government, despite the fact that they said they had received some millions of naira. When do we expect them? It is until when the elections are coming? We are waiting. We learnt that some states like Lagos have commenced distribution of some food items, but we are still waiting for Oyo State to distribute what it has collected. Advertisements The Ready-Made Traders Association of Nigeria said none of its members has received any palliatives from the government since they were asked to stay at home. The Chairman, Ready-Made Traders Association of Nigeria, Ogunpa Ajumose Zone, Akinwumi Akinsehinde, told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday that none of its members has received any assistance from the government since their shops were shut three weeks ago. They have closed our shops since. We are not opening. You know that it is a government market. They did not allow us to open. They said that if we open the market, they will close it for six months and we dont want such to happen. Over 300 members of this association in Ogunpa Ajumose Zone are affected. We have lost millions of naira and we are yet to receive any assistance. It is not easy to eat and take care of the family now. Our members are roaming around the streets because we are not allowed to open our shops. We are just hearing it that the government has collected some money and relief materials but none of my members has benefited. The Publicity Secretary of the main opposition party in the state, All Progressives Congress (APC), AbdulAzeez Olatunde, noted that the party was surprised that the governor has not deemed it fit to distribute the palliatives. Honestly it sounds so absurd and unbelievable that the Oyo State Government, under governor Seyi Makinde has become the laughing stock in the country, especially in their amateurish handling of COVID-19 pandemic. Till today, despite the contributions from well meaning individuals and corporate concerns to the purse of Oyo State, which we are applauding, the government has of now, has not deemed it fit to consider rolling out its own palliative to the residents of the state. Way forward An Ibadan chief, Adegboyega Adegoke, urged Mr Makinde to constitute a COVID-19 palliative committee for the distribution of the money and relief materials collected so far. Mr Adegoke, who is the Ajia Balogun Olubadan of Ibadanland, charged Mr Makinde to emulate other governors in the South-west region, who had constituted committees for COVID-19 palliative and support fund in their respective states. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun) and Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) have constituted such committee. Efforts to reach the Oyo State Police command on the rising cases of crime as a result of the lockdown, were unsuccessful. Calls put through to Olugbenga Fadeyi, the Public Relations Officer of the state police command on Thursday and Friday were not successful. He also did not respond to messages. Were yet to commence distribution Oyo government The Oyo State government on Friday said it is still receiving donations from groups, corporate bodies and philanthropists in order to cushion the effects of coronavirus on the people of the state. The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Taiwo Adisa, made this declaration while speaking with PREMIUM TIMES. Mr Adisa, while reacting to complaint over the governments inability to commence distribution of donated items, told PREMIUM TIMES the state government is yet to spend any money received as donations. When asked what will happen to some of the donated items that have short life span, Mr Adisa said some of the items that are perishable are still with the donors. We are still receiving donations. Government is yet to spend anything. Government has not started distribution of the items. When the government wants to distribute the items, it will announce. We are yet to distribute anything. Those items that are perishable as you said, we asked the donors to bring a paper where we write the items and we ask them to keep them (the items) in their freezers. We will call them to bring these items when we want to distribute them. The traders that are not opening their shops, ask the federal government to tell us what they want to do for the traders that are not opening their shops. It is the federal government that ordered total lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja. Maybe the federal government should tell us what they want to do for the traders, then we can copy from them. When there is lockdown, lockdown affects everybody. Eurofins Technologies (Budapest, Hungary), a provider of diagnostic technologies in the field of immunoassays and molecular detection methods, has launched a range of testing kits for serology-based antibody detection by ELISA of patients who have been exposed to COVID-19. The development of the assays has been spearheaded by its affiliate companies Gold Standard Diagnostics Inc., Virotech Diagnostics GmbH, NovaTec Immundiagnostica GmbH and Ingenasa (Inmunologia Y Genetica Aplicada SA). These are specialized diagnostic technologies companies who provide testing solutions with a focus on scientific excellence in infectious disease testing and immunology. The first ELISA assays are expected to receive the CE-IVD mark by April 16, 2020 and will also be submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).Over the last six weeks, in close collaboration with leading research hospitals and many of Eurofins human clinical testing laboratories around the world, Eurofins Technologies has been working to develop a broad range of testing methods to support healthcare providers around the world. The company plans to release antibody tests for IgG, IgM, and IgA with very good specificity and sensitivity for use on any open ELISA platform. As an additional option with fast turnaround time, it is also developing and validating an easy-to-use rapid lateral flow antibodies test. The companys affiliate, Gold Standard Diagnostics is offering a suite of instruments for the seamless automation of ELISA assay testing in any laboratory.Additionally, Eurofins laboratories around the world have developed a range of RT-PCR tests for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2. These tests are designed to meet the region-specific requirements for COVID-19 targets. Viracor Eurofins has already received FDA EUA for its SARS-CoV-2 Laboratory Developed Test (LDT). Other Eurofins laboratories around the world have developed alternative RT-PCR options to meet local regulatory obligations and mitigate reagent supply chain issues to enable Eurofins to continue to significantly increase the testing capacity it offers to health authorities fighting the disease. An attempt by a COVID-19 patient to escape from an isolation centre in Kaduna State has been foiled by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, an official of the Corps said Thursday. The patient was captured by Joshua Philip, a Corps Assistant, at the Infectious Disease Control Center, Down Quarters, Kaduna State, spokesperson of the agency, Ekunola Gbenga, said in a statement. Mr Gbenga said the patient, a male, had tried to leave the isolation center for morning prayers without the permission of doctors. This, he said, led to a confrontation between our personnel and the patient, who forcefully picked the keys of the gate of the centre and tried to open the gate to escape, thereby exposing the officer to the virus. Mr Philip, who captured the patient was given some drugs, and has been instructed to self-isolate for two weeks and call the centre if he develops any symptoms, the statement added. Earlier this month, six COVID-19 patients escaped from the isolation centre in Osun State. The state later said five were immediately captured. It is unclear how this escapes might have triggered transmission, but the nations disease control agency chief, Chikwe Iheakwazu, has said there is evidence of local transmission, so has the commissioner for health in Lagos, Nigerias epicentre of the virus, Akin Abayomi, said. Earlier in the week, a gatekeeper in Kaduna State, who recently returned from Lagos State and had no connection to the first five confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, tested positive for COVID-19, Amina Baloni, the Kaduna commissioner for health, said. Also, on Thursday, a 63-year-old male, who had no travel history, died of COVID-19 in Lagos. Nigeria on Thursday confirmed 35 new COVID-19 cases, its highest increase so far, after it recorded 34 Wednesday and 30 Tuesday. Nigerias total cases is now 442, with 150 recovery and 13 deaths recorded, as of Thursday night, according to the NDDC. ANNE DRAGO, Stonington, Girls Basketball, Senior; Drago was named to the all-tournament team at the WCCU Holiday Basketball Tournament. In two games, she scored 38 points and had eight rebounds. DANTE WILK, Westerly, Boys Basketball, Senior; Wilk was named MVP of the WCCU Holiday Basketball Tournament after the Bulldogs beat Chariho in the title game. Wilk had a combined 35 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and eight steals in two tournament victories. TYLER LABELLE, Chariho, Boys Basketball, Junior; LaBelle scored 41 points in two games to earn all-tournament honors at the WCCU Holiday Basketball Tournament. LaBelle had 22 in a win against South Kingstown and 19 in a loss to Westerly. ADDIE HAUPTMANN, Wheeler, Girls Basketball, Senior; Hauptmann scored 32 points in two games in the Montville Christmas Tournament. She also had 20 rebounds, seven assists and eight steals. Vote View Results In search of food and water amid the prolonged drought in Vietnams south-central region, hundreds of endangered black-shanked douc langurs have made their way to coastal protection forests in Ninh Thuan Province over the past few days. According to Tran Ngoc Hieu, head of the management board of coastal protection forests in Ninh Thuans Thuan Nam District, about 200 black-shanked douc langurs have been sighted at 12 different locations near the coastline stretching from the mountains of Mui Dinh in Phuoc Dinh Commune to the mountains of Mui Dien Sung Trau in Phuoc Diem Commune. Perhaps the lack of food and water in the uplands due to the ongoing drought prompted the black-shanked douc langurs to migrate down to the suburban areas, Hieu told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. Duong Tu Giang, head of Thuan Nam Districts forest protection authority, said his unit has acknowledged the rare occurrence and will cooperate with the management board of coastal protection forests in the district to monitor and keep track of the langur tribes quantity and movement for conservation work. The authority will also warn people not to hunt for the langurs, Giang said. Black-shanked douc langurs are sighted in Thuan Nam District of the south-central province of Ninh Thuan, Vietnam, April 2020. Video: Huu Phuong / Tuoi Tre Black-shanked douc langurs, also known under the scientific name of Pygathrix nemaeus nigripes, are listed in Vietnams Red Book of Endangered Species. They traditionally inhabit forested areas south of the Truong Son mountains in Vietnam and the adjacent Cambodian mountains. A historic drought has affected the central, south-central, Central Highlands, and Mekong Delta regions of Vietnam since February. In Ninh Thuan, residents have reported little to no rain for more than a year. Black-shanked douc langurs are sighted in Thuan Nam District of the south-central province of Ninh Thuan, Vietnam, April 2020. Photo: Huu Phuong / Tuoi Tre Black-shanked douc langurs are sighted in Thuan Nam District of the south-central province of Ninh Thuan, Vietnam, April 2020. Photo: Huu Phuong / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Amendments to the draft law, rejected by the committee, can only be considered if a separate procedural decision is taken by the Parliament Open source Ukrainian parliament adopted the draft law No. 1043, which provides for consideration of amendments to the bill rejected by the committee only if a separate procedural decision is made by the Verkhovna Rada. 242 MPs voted for the draft law. 112 Ukraine TV channel broadcasted the extraordinary session of the parliament. Today, the parliament has enshrined in the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada a norm according to which amendments to draft laws, which have been rejected by the committee will no longer be considered at plenary sessions. In the event that the number of amendments introduced to the draft law exceeds the number of paragraphs (but no less than 500 amendments), a special procedure may be applied. A special procedure can be initiated by at least 150 MPs who shall apply to the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada with a motion. And the decision to consider a special procedure can be taken only by 226 votes. (Earlier, one MP was enough to insist on considering the amendment). According to the law, a special procedure means that each fraction and group can insist on the consideration of five amendments, and the non-factional MP - on the consideration of one amendment, which was not taken into account by the committee. After that, the parliamentary committee is given two days to prepare a new comparative table with amendments, on which the factions, groups and MPs insist. HRW Says Azerbaijan Abuses COVID-19 Restrictions To Crack Down On Critics By RFE/RL April 16, 2020 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. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/hrw-azerbaijan- abuses-covid-19-restrictions-to-crack -down-on-critics/30559657.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Scottish farmers have written to the government calling for action to deliver better price transparency in the beef supply chain once the Covid-19 outbreak is over. Strong sales of beef, particularly mince, through retailers and butchers shops throughout the pandemic have been hugely encouraging for the red meat sector. More traditional joints have been more difficult to sell. To secure better carcase balance, promotional activities over the Easter weekend have focused on higher value cuts such as roasts and steaks. However, farmgate prices for beef cattle have been falling, NFU Scotland has pointed out. In a letter to Defra Secretary George Eustice, NFU Scotland President Andrew McCornick said the Covid-19 pandemic has 'changed the marketplace'. "Food service sales have plummeted, and retail sales are strong in parts and are fluctuating in others. There is huge frustration being expressed by beef farmers right across the country on what is happening to beef prices and this is a direct result of the lack of transparency in the meat industry." While there is transparency on the average price received by farmers, the further the animal goes from the farm gate, the less information is made available on price, he said. There is a distinct lack of information on margins in the processing sector or the farmers share of the carcase price received. "Unless farmers know how much the beef carcase is selling for, it is impossible for them to determine if they are getting a fair price," Mr McCornick explained. And part of that discussion must be any value or cost associated with disposing of the fifth quarter the hide, organs, bones etc. "This will undoubtedly have a bearing and the price the farmer gets will be related to the entire beast." With the loss of the food service sector, the dominance of domestic retail sales and concern with export volumes, the industry has urged government to look at price transparency across the beef supply chain. In particular, Scottish producers say a key focus must be on establishing what processors are receiving for the beef carcass and how this is determining the price paid to farmers. By doing so, it will ensure more efficient decision-making by all in the chain once we emerge from this crisis," Mr McCornick said. "Increasing transparency is also about fairness. With all parties knowing what is happening, this will build trust and bring greater clarity on how the food supply chain functions. Government has withdrawn the 13.5 pesewas Cylinder Recovery Levy imposed by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) with immediate effect. The NPA on Wednesday, April 1, 2020 directed liquefied petroleum gas marketing companies and industry players to charge 13.5 pesewas on each kilogramme of LPG. The Authority, in a statement, said the introduction of the levy was intended to support stakeholders in the LPG supply chain ahead of the implementation of the Cylinder Recirculation Module. The move incurred the anger of the LPG Marketing Companies Association of Ghana and called for the withdrawal of the levy since the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected businesses. The LPG marketing companies asked the NPA to find innovative ways to generate revenue instead of imposing new levies. Mr John Peter Amewu, the Energy Minister, answering a question on the matter at a media briefing on COVID-19 case management updates and electricity relief package, announced the withdrawal of the LPG levy. He said the LPG Cylinder Recovery Levy was a proposal under the Cylinder Recirculation Module, explaining that, since that policy was yet to be rolled out, the levy should be withdrawn for now. Meanwhile, the Energy Minister provided further explanations on the electricity relief package provided by the government for all Ghanaians, starting from April, May and June. He said it would cost the nation one billion Ghana cedis equivalent, with 4.8 million electricity metres expected to benefit nationwide. 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 The original cast of High School Musical reunited for a special performance of 'We're All In This Together' as part of the 'Disney Family Singalong' that went to air in the US. Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Lucas Grabeel, Monique Coleman, and director Kenny Ortega all logged in to sing together from the comfort of their own homes. Check out the full singalong above! New Zealands prime minister Jacinda Ardern lightened the mood at a press conference earlier this week by expressing her concern that one reporter was not getting enough sleep. Ms Arderns comment came after a journalist called Jason forgot the question he had planned to put to her. The prime minister said: Well come back to you no problem. I do worry about your sleep at the moment though, Jason. Her response prompted laughter from those who were attending the press conference on Monday. Ms Arderns other recent highlights include classifying the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny as essential workers during the lockdown, and taking a 20 per cent pay cut in solidarity with the people of New Zealand. Significant restrictions will remain in place even if the government decides to ease its month-long lockdown, Ms Ardern announced this week. A decision on whether or not to lift the lockdown will be made on 20 April. New Zealand introduced its level 4 lockdown measures in March, meaning offices, schools and non-essential services such as restaurants are closed. This is a wider range of restrictions than its neighbour, Australia, which has allowed some businesses to continue operating. Ms Ardern said on Thursday there would be no rush to normality even if the country moves to level 3 restrictions. We have an opportunity to do something no other country has achieved, eliminating the virus, she added. As of Thursday, 1,401 people have tested positive for the virus in New Zealand and nine people have died as a result of it. New Zealand has won global plaudits for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Additional reporting from Reuters live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Graphite India share price was locked in 5 percent upper circuit intraday on April 17 after the company announced resuming partial operations at Satpur plant. The stock was trading at Rs 197, up 9.35, or 4.98 percent, on the BSE at 1239 hours. The stock has rallied 85 percent since March 24 after falling 67 percent in the previous two months. The company on April 16 told the BSE that it had started partial manufacturing operations at its graphite electrode plant in Satpur, Nashik, Maharashtra, engaging minimum labour. "The company is taking adequate measures to protect its employees/ labourers," it said. There are 335 outbreaks of Covid-19 in long-term residential care homes. HSE chief operations officer Anne OConnor said 186 outbreaks were in private centres and 112 were at HSE providers. At a briefing this afternoon, Ms OConnor said 196 (or 59%) of outbreaks of Covid-19 are in nursing homes. Ms OConnor said everyone will be tested in a nursing home where there is a confirmed case of Covid-19. In a nursing home where there are confirmed cases, we will test everyone and that is something that was a clear requirement in terms of our capacity to track this and provide the most accurate data in terms of this epidemic. We have the National Ambulance Service deployed to do mobile testing in nursing homes on the basis of a suspicious case and that is continuing but we are now scaling up to be able to test all residents and staff in nursing homes where there are confirmed outbreaks. We know that people in nursing homes already do swabbing during flu season so we are going to be working with nursing homes so they can do more of their own swabbing. Now that our laboratory capacity has increased, we are able to do more testing and to have those tests turned around more efficiently. Chief clinical officer of the HSE Colm Henry said any decision to allow patients dying from Covid-19 to have a loved one by their side must be made with public health considerations in mind. The Irish Hospice Foundation Read More: 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. Dr Henry said NPHET will look at the recommendation. He said: Clearly we have to balance this with the public health interest. Each death is a tragedy, and this is an incurable illness, it doesnt matter where you are. There is no treatment for this disease. [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] Metaphysics class: Unity Lincoln 9 a.m. (Sundays). The Rev. Coleman leads philosophy and religion, 1941 N. 68th St. UnityLincoln.org. Please call ahead 402-476-6887 (leave a message). Noon hour silent prayer: Contemplate Lincoln 12:15-12:45 p.m. (Mondays-Fridays). Brief reading, followed by 20-minute sit, closing with a second reading, free, 135 N. 31st St. ContemplateLincoln.com. St. Mary's Catholic Church 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (Daily). Adoration: Ten people are allowed in the church at a time; leave your keys in exchange for a church key. Confession: 11:30 a.m.-noon. (Mondays-Fridays); 11 a.m.-noon, 3-4 p.m. and 8-9 p.m., will be heard outside rectory window, 1420 K St. Website: stmarylincoln.org. St. Joseph's Catholic Church Confessions by appointment only, call 402-483-2288. At this time, you are encouraged to pray an Act of Contrition instead. Website: stjosephlnk.org. St. Patrick's Church See website for all services. Website: stpatricklincoln.com. What are you going to do with the families whose religion tells them they should not be living next to a cemetery because of their beliefs of what happens to spirits of people who have passed away?" McCombie said, referring to the VA. Are you going to relocate the people? Credit: CC0 Public Domain Nearly six out of every 10 people around the world are currently forced or urged to stay at home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to an AFP count on Friday. An AFP database shows that this concerns at least 4.5 billion people, or around 58 percent of the world population which is estimated by the United Nations at 7.79 billion in 2020. Confinement measures started to make themselves felt in-mid-March as the number of cases of the novel coronavirus soared and the pandemic spread relentlessly around the world. By March 18 a total of 500 million people had been confined , that rose to a billion on March 23, two billion on March 24, three billion a day later and four billion on April 7. On Friday the figures topped 4.5 billion, spanning 110 countries and territories. Most of them, at least 2.93 billion people in 66 countries and territories, have no choice and are obliged to stay at home. All continents concerned No region of the world has been spared. In Europe Britain, France, Italy, Spain and a large part of Russia have imposed lockdowns, while in Asia India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, the Indonesian capital Jakarta and half of the Philippines have done the same. In the Middle East Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, ad Saudi Arabia have introduced confinement measures, as have Morocco, Rwanda, South Africa and Zimbabwe, along with Nigeria's main cities, in Africa. In America a large part of the United States is under lockdown, as well as Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, as is New Zealand in the Pacific region. Malawi and the Sudanese state of Khartoum will join them from Saturday. In most cases it is possible to leave home to work, buy basic necessities and to get health care. Easing in sight At least 15 other territories, covering 1.03 billion people, have urged their people to stay at home, while not actually forcing them to do so. That is the case in Mexico, a large part of Brazil, as well as Canada, Germany, Iran, Japan, Switzerland and Uganda. At least 25 nations or territories grouping some 500 million have enforced curfews, banning people going out in the evenings and during the night. This measure is widespread in Africa and Latin America. Elsewhere in the world Kuwait Serbia, Syria, and Thailand have also installed curfews. At least four countries have placed their main cities under quarantine, with bans on entering and leaving. That is the case with the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo Kinshasa, Almaty and Nur-Sultan in Kazakhstan and Baku in Azerbaijan. Like Wuhan, the ground zero in China of the pandemic which lifted its confinement measures on April 8except for a number of neighbourhoodssome places are starting to plan a gradual end to the lockdowns, especially in Europe. The Czech Republic plans to gradually ease its lockdown from Monday, Switzerland from April 27, Italy from May 4 and France from May 11. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 AFP Bengaluru, April 17 : Karnataka-based IT-BT companies may resort to employee pay adjustment amid Covid lockdown than laying off, said Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwathnaraya on Friday. "Companies could find better ways of dealing with the situation (Covid), including measures such as pay adjustments rather than resorting to retrenchment," said Ashwathnarayana after a virtual meeting with industry heads. He said it is not right for Covid-stricken companies to shut shop or lay off employees citing reasons such as lack of new work orders or projects. "Finding new jobs at this point of time will be difficult," said the Deputy Chief Minister highlighting the plight of thousands of employees across the state. Interestingly, his opinion was echoed by industry veterans who deliberated with Ashwathnarayana. Former Infosys Chief Executive Kris Gopalakrishnana and Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw were among the executives who participated in the virtual conference. KYODO NEWS - Apr 16, 2020 - 21:00 | All, Japan, Coronavirus A popular tourist city in Japan urged sightseers on Thursday to refrain from visiting for the time being, due to growing concerns from residents over the potential spread of the coronavirus. Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, has continued to see tourists, despite a state of emergency declared by the Japanese government on April 7 for areas including Kanagawa. (Visitors take photos in front of a Buddha statue in Kamakura) Under the monthlong state of emergency that covers Kanagawa and five other prefectures including Tokyo and Osaka, residents have been asked to stay home and nonessential businesses to temporarily close. In urging tourists not to visit, Mayor Takashi Matsuo told a press conference, "As a tourist spot, it breaks my heart to say this but it's important to prevent the further spread of the virus." Related coverage: Foreign visitors to Japan sink 93% in March, biggest on-year drop At the entrance to one eatery in the area, a sign has been put up refusing entry to tourists. The owner recounted how a couple entered his store without face masks about a week ago. The tourists refused to put them on despite the owner's plea, saying they had heard the pandemic was almost over. Many of the store's regular customers are elderly residents, and the owner does not want them interacting with tourists and possibly spreading the virus. "I support the (city's) call," he said, adding that the pandemic "would end more quickly if everyone shares a sense of crisis." According to the city, the number of people visiting popular spots such as the Komachi-dori shopping street and the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine has fallen. However, vehicles from other prefectures have continued to travel to the area, causing traffic congestion. President urges Taiwan's full participation in WHO ROC Central News Agency 04/16/2020 03:29 PM Taipei, April 16 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen () on Thursday rebutted a claim by the World Health Organization that it has been maintaining regular technical exchanges with Taiwan and reiterated the need for the country to have "comprehensive" participation in the health body. During an interview after inspecting a labor ministry project, Tsai said that 13-point statement by WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic proved that Taiwan can only participate in WHO activities "partially" on a case-by-case basis. Tsai said that based on Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) records, Taiwan was only allowed to attend 57 of the 187 WHO technical meetings in which it applied to participate between 2009 and 2019, representing a rejection rate of 70 percent. "We do not deserve this kind of treatment. We should be allowed comprehensive participation and two-way interaction with the WHO," Tsai said, adding that Taiwan can also contribute by providing information to the WHO and its members. The WHO statement cited 13 examples to demonstrate that it has maintained regular technical exchanges with Taiwanese health authorities over several decades. The statement was issued after the New York Times published an ad sponsored by over 26,000 Taiwanese private citizens aimed at calling global attention to Taiwan's plight of being isolated from the WHO and to tell the world that Taiwan can help in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, MOFA said in a statement Thursday that U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758 should not be cited as a basis for keeping Taiwan out the world health body. "U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758 and World Health Assembly Resolution 25.1 only dealt with the issue of China's representation and did not say Taiwan is part of China," MOFA noted, stressing that the two resolutions did not settle the issue of the participation of Taiwan in the U.N. and did not authorize the People's Republic of China to represent Taiwan in the U.N. On Wednesday, Bob Chen (), chief of MOFA's department of international organizations, said in a press conference that the listing of Taiwan as part of China in WHO epidemic reports showed that Taiwan "has a long way to go" in its efforts to fully participate in the WHO and its activities. Chen expressed regret that WHO's Western Pacific regional office has been refusing to engage with Taiwan and has never provide any health-related information to the island. MOFA also denied Beijing's claims that the Taiwanese people initiated personal attacks against WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, saying that those attacks came from Chinese "cyber warriors" pretending to be Taiwanese, citing a probe by Taiwan's Bureau of Investigation. MOFA also stressed that China's political maneuvering cannot erase the fact that its cover-up of coronavirus in the early stages has costs thousands of lives around the world. (By Chen Wei-ting, Chang Hsiung-feng, Chen Yun-yu and Emerson Lim) Enditem/J NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The US president is in a warring mood. Having declared himself a president at war, a meaningless gesture given that the US is always, somewhere in the world, at war, finding necessary enemies in distraction was always going to be a priority. Donald Trump already had the China virus in his artillery, attaching nationality to pathogen. Now, and it took some time in coming by his standards, is the World Health Organization, a body which has, as its utopia, an idea of health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The US tends to contribute a large slice of funding to the WHO some $400 million a year and ten times, say, what China does. It has been foot dragging lately: $200 million is still to be paid for the last round. (As a point of interest, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the second largest donor, with a touch over $200 million based on 2018-9 figures.) In a flourish of indignation, Trump has decided to freeze the revenue stream. On Tuesday, he claimed that the WHO had failed in its basic duty in responding to COVID-19. I am directing my administration to halt funding while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organizations role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus. The White House has been eager to disgorge any material to press outlets keen to understand the nature of WHO villainy and corruption. Accusations read like mirror portraits, and the headline of one of the factsheets is hysterical: Delaying world mobilization in the fight against COVID-19: Working with China to cover up the deadly spread of COVID-19, who hindered critical efforts that could have saved lives. The charge list on the White House fact sheet is the usual muddle of slung mud and mild accuracy: the role played by brave Taiwan; the WHO deference to Chinese propaganda that covered up the virus spread and fatalities, praising Beijing for its false efforts and promoting the use of Chinese traditional medicine to treat the disease. Nor can we deny the obvious remark that the US was not alone in its well-founded criticism. WHO has faced constant critique over its poor coordination, lack of transparency, and finances from multiple parties. This would sound like a superb summary of the Trump administration, but the president lacks humour in such matters. The organisations director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who had previously praised Trump as showing leadership in this crisis (we are all entitled to slips), was regretful. The US had been a long-standing and generous friend and we hope it will continue to be so. The WHO is the convenient whipping boy of pandemic and epidemic; of premature assessment or over eager commitment. Uncertainty is its curse, leaving it vulnerable in such instances as the swine flu epidemic, when it was accused of being too quick off the mark in declaring it to be a pandemic; or too foot slow in declaring the West African Ebola outbreak a pressing health emergency. And forgotten in its current shade of demonization by Washington is the fact that the WHO, for decades, was belittled for being an auxiliary of US foreign policy. Like other United Nations (UN) agencies, comes a sombre assessment in the American Journal of Public Health in 2016, the WHO quietly abandoned its dreams of a collaborative community of nations and instead began to come to terms with international political realities. The agency moved closer to US foreign policy and became partially captive to US resources and priorities. By no means should the WHO be seen as angelic. No international organisation is, marked as they tend to by the gravy train effect, the flabby end of upper management more interested in first class travel than fighting healthy problems. At the same time, it has also operated with one hand tied behind its back, reliant, as it were, on the initial drips and drabs coming from the source country where an infectious outbreak has taken place. Its chief has, it is true, shown an unsettling tendency to praise the Chinese effort, which has veered between harsh and muscular concealment to harsh and muscular quarantine. But it is worth casting an eye to the more workmanlike nature of the process of how the WHO formed a picture of what was happening. Chinas first smidgens of information on COVID-19 reached the WHO on December 31, describing it as a pneumonia of an unknown cause. On January 5, the organisation, based on what was provided by Chinese sources, stated that the material showed no evidence of significant human-to-human transmission. No causal agent had been as yet identified or confirmed, and the WHO admitted to having limited information to determine the overall risk of this reported cluster of pneumonia of unknown etiology. The advice given in that note now seem like the haunted warnings of premature assessment: no recommended specific measures for travellers; no application of travel or trade restrictions on China. Again, the caveat, weighty as ever, was always on what was in the hands of WHO functionaries, who, it should be said, are not entirely shock horrors in the epidemiology department. In time, the picture became more muddled as information started to clot the canvas. The Wuhan Health Commission refused to rule out the possibility of human-to-human transmission. The WHO, as January progressed, started drawing parallels, basing its assessments on other coronaviruses. What this chaotic swirl of information does not seem to show, as Trump alleges, is that Taiwan in its exchanges with WHO, went heavy on the idea of human-to-human transmission. Then came Trumps own glorious words of praise, lost in consciousness but retrievable in cyberspace. China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus, he tweeted with boyish enthusiasm on January 25. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American people, I want to thank President Xi! Not exactly hostile. Trumps change of heart revolves upon supposed tardiness in sending in that class of individuals he tends to despise: the experts. Had the WHO done its job to get medical experts into China to objectively assess the situation on the ground and to call out Chinas lack of transparency, the outbreak could have been contained at its source with very little death. Lacking in this resentful assessment is the point that plagues all international bodies: their need to respect the sovereignty of member states. The immediate consequences of such funding will have the effect, as has been threatened before, of driving the WHO to bankruptcy. The front organisation responsible for marshalling the medical side of combating disease and infection will be hobbled. Trump can at least have one historical comfort: in pulling US funding, he joins the defunct Soviet Union in refusing to pay membership fees for several years after it had deactivated its membership. Grievances with international governance, be it over health, security, even sport, never age. Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: [email protected] The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) as part of efforts to fight COVID-19 in the country, has supplied some communities in the lockdown areas with water to aid their activities. Some of the communities that benefited from the free supply of portable water include, Mataheko Flamingo, Mamprobi Akoshie Junction, Kotobaabi Down, Kasoa Millenium City, Nyanyano, Trebea (Adjinkotoku), Red Top behind West Hills Mall, Chorkor Santana and Kadjanua area in Tema. Divisional Officer II Ellis Robinson Okoe, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the GNFS, in a statement issued in Accra and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said this activity was a humanitarian service as part of its mandate to vulnerable communities. It said water was an essential commodity especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and thus assured that the Service would from time to time supply communities that were in need of it. The Service took advantage of the activity and visited gas filling stations to offer safety advice to owners and customers especially on the dangers associated with the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas in homes to prevent fire outbreak, it stated. Some of the gas filling stations we visited are; Trinity Oil, Nedrap Gas, Midas Oil and Gas (Christian Village), Sam Gas, Naabek Gas (Kissieman), and Ghedebaddoo Gas, it added. He advised people to observe the social distancing protocol as well as the other directives outlined by the government and health authorities to ensure their safety. 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 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ruslan Sangaji (The Jakarta Post) Palu, Central Sulawesi Fri, April 17, 2020 18:18 634 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd299141 1 Business Palu,manufacturer,COVID-19,Palu-special-economic-zone Free City-owned developer PT Bangun Palu Sulawesi Tengah (BPST), which oversees the development of the Palu Special Economic zone (SEZ) in Central Sulawesi, has reported that at least two manufacturers are still operating in the industrial district amid the unfolding COVID-19 outbreak. Moringa processing company PT Moringa Organik Celebes Indonesia (MOCI), which operates in the SEZ, is developing an integrated machine to process moringa leaves and seeds, said BPST president commissioner Iwan Yunus recently. MOCI has planted drumstick trees on a 10-hectare piece of land to provide raw materials for its factory. The company is seeking to produce 20 tons of moringa powder from a 40-hectare of plantation. It is also planning to sell its products to the European market by partnering with PT Moringa Indonesia. "The company, therefore, will partner with farmers groups," said Iwan. "The existing plantation serves as an example." As of Thursday, 5,516 cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed nationwide. Many companies in the country have decreased or suspended their production to follow the government's social restriction order amid slowing demand. As a result, the country's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), a monthly survey of trends in the manufacturing sector, recorded a contraction from 51.9 to 45.3 between February and March, the steepest decline since the survey began in 2011. MOCI was not the only company to keep operating in the special economic zone. Rattan manufacturer PT Kaili Rotan Industri is continuing to produce polo sticks and raw materials in Palu for furniture-making in Cirebon, West Java. The firm buys various types of rattan from, among other locations, North Morowali, Sigi and Donggala in Central Sulawesi. "This company will ship two containers of polo sticks in June and 30 tons of raw materials for furniture production to Cirebon for the first time," said BPST president director Andi Mulhanan Tombolotutu. Mulhanan said the companies operating in the SEZ were complying with health protocols related to COVID-19. The firms divided the operations for 10 workers into two shifts: from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The workers were also advised to keep a safe distance from each other, wash their hands and wear face masks while doing their jobs. "Another policy is giving turns to different groups of workers. If the first group works today, they do not go to work the next day," said Mulhanan. "Instead, they will go back to work the day after tomorrow. So they take turns." (dfr) I am a front-line provider, but only part-time. This has caused me to feel so many competing emotions. But should I only be feeling these emotions part-time? I am anxious. When I am home, sitting on the bench, I feel even more distressed than when I am working as a nurse practitioner. I am anxious about all of the unknowns in the coming weeks. In the days leading up to work, the anxious anticipation is palatable. I am nervous about possible exposure for myself, but more for the unknown transmission to my family. I can't sleep on those days. I am anxious that the virus will live on my clothes, my shoes or my phone when I come home after a long shift and I will infect my innocent family. If I do contract COVID-19, I am anxious about whats next. Sure, I could recover as I would from a common cold. Or I could have a severe case because of my exposure to seriously ill patients where I develop respiratory failure. Or worse I could infect my loved ones and they may require hospitalization. I am experiencing death anxiety. I am, by proxy, familiar with the anxiety patients who are seriously ill feel when faced with their own mortality. I have guided countless patients through their death anxiety, from the 38-year-old mother of two with aggressive lymphoma, or the 42-year-old man with complications related to HIV, to the 81-year-old woman with a progressive neurological disorder. While no less tragic, most of my patients have some time to consider how they want to live the rest of their lives. Yet, in the times of this horrible pandemic, no one knows who will be affected and who will die. I feel a sense of dread when I picture myself dying and leaving my husband a widow and my children motherless. My anxiety affects me both physically and emotionally. I am short-tempered. I cry. And my heart races when I think these unimaginable thoughts. I am worried. Knowing what I know about COVID-19 the highly contagious transmission, the high incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome, and the rising mortality rate I worry about the future. I worry about those I love who may be personally impacted by the virus. I worry about my patients, dealing with cancer; their lives already turned upside, now panicking at the thought of a virus causing their death before the cancer. I worry about how long this will last. I worry about the impact of this pandemic on the world and on our health system. I worry about my full-time colleagues who are experiencing unprecedented daily distress, grief, and trauma that will ultimately culminate. I worry about the post-traumatic stress that they will experience in the future when looking back. I am scared. I am scared of the unknown. Fear is difficult to separate from anxiety and worry. These intertwined emotions weave into a bigger ball inside me every day as uncertainty builds. I am scared when I see the number of cases in Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, in the United States, and in the world ever-increasing. When will it peak? I live in fear, waiting for the experts to say we are on the other side. And then, of course, I fear the second wave. In fleeting moments, I am relieved. I am relieved that, for now, my family is safe. I am relieved that my risk is low because I am only in contact with patients part-time. And finally, I am feeling conflicted. I feel all these emotions. Anxious to work, happy to be home safe most of the time. I hope to protect my family from the possible exposure of a positive patient that I may encounter. I hope to serve my patients in the best way possible, fully present when I am working. I hope to serve my colleagues who are putting themselves at far greater risk than me. In over a decade of clinical experience, I used to be proud of my learned ability to leave work at work in order to be fully present at home. In crisis, though, it is impossible to compartmentalize. I am a part-time front-line provider and I feel the distress of COVID-19 every day. Anessa M. Foxwell, MSN, CRNP, ACHPN, is a fellow at New Courtland Center for Transitions and Health at University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and part-time nurse practitioner at Penn Medicine. An enlarged image of the different bioparticles found in a specimen including the micro-beads to better isolate bacteria. Engineering researchers developed a next-generation miniature lab device that uses magnetic nano-beads to isolate minute bacterial particles that cause diseases. Using this new technology improves how clinicians isolate drug-resistant strains of bacterial infections and difficult-to-detect micro-particles such as those making up Ebola and coronaviruses. Ke Du and Blanca Lapizco-Encinas, both faculty-researchers in Rochester Institute of Technologys Kate Gleason College of Engineering, worked with an international team to collaborate on the design of the new systema microfluidic device, essentially a lab-on-a-chip. Drug-resistant bacterial infections are causing hundreds of thousands of deaths around the world every year, and this number is continuously increasing. Based on a report from the United Nations, the deaths caused by antibiotics resistance could reach to 10 million annually by 2050, Du explained. It is urgent for us to better detect, understand, and treat these diseases. To provide rapid and accurate detection, the sample purification and preparation is critical and essential, that is what we are trying to contribute. We are proposing to use this novel device for virus isolation and detection such as the coronavirus and Ebola, said Du, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering whose background is in development of novel biosensors and gene editing technology. The lab team is interested in the detection of bacterial infection, especially in bodily fluids. One of the major problems for detection is how to better isolate higher concentrations of pathogens. The device is a sophisticated lab environment that can be used in field hospitals or clinics and should be much faster at collecting and analyzing specimens than the commercially available membrane filters. Its wide, shallow channels trap small bacteria molecules that are attracted to packed, magnetic microparticles. This combination of the deeper channels on the nano-device, increased flow rate of fluids where bacteria are suspended, and the inclusion of magnetic beads along the device channels improves upon the process of capturing/isolating bacterial samples. Researchers were able to successfully isolate bacteria from various fluids with a microparticle-based matrix filter. The filter trapped particles in small voids in the device, providing a larger concentration of bacteria for analysis. An added advantage of a smaller device such as this allows for multiple samples to be tested at the same time. We can bring this portable device to a lake which has been contaminated by E. coli. We will be able to take a few milliliters of the water sample and run it through our device so the bacteria can be trapped and concentrated. We can either quickly detect these bacteria in the device or release them into certain chemicals to analyze them, said Du, whose earlier work focused on devices that use the CRISPR gene-editing technology and the fundamental understanding of fluidic dynamics. Teaming up with Lapizco-Encinas, a biomedical engineer with expertise in dielectrophoresisa process that uses electrical current to separate biomoleculestheir collaboration provided the increased capability toward better pathogen detection, specifically for bacteria and microalgae isolation and concentration. Our goal is not only isolating and detecting bacteria in water and human plasma, but also working with whole blood samples to understand and detect blood infection such as sepsis. We already have a concrete plan for that. The idea is to use a pair of the nano-sieve devices for sequential isolation, said Lapizco-Encinas, an associate professor in RITs biomedical engineering department." Du and Lapizco-Encinas were part of a team that consisted of mechanical and biomedical engineers from Rutgers, University of Alabama, SUNY Binghamton, and Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute in China to address the global challenges of disease pandemics. The new data is published in the article Rapid Escherichia coli trapping and retrieval for bodily fluids via a three-dimensional bead-stacked nano-device, in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. The research team is RIT engineering doctoral and graduate students Xinye Chen, Abbi Miller and Qian He; University of Alabama assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering Yu Gan and undergraduate student Shengting Cao; Ruo-Qian Wang, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering from Rutgers University; Xin Yong, assistant professor of mechanical engineering from SUNY Binghamton; Peiwu Qin from the Center of Precision Medicine and Healthcare, Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, China; and Jie Zhang, Carollo Engineers Inc. in Seattle. Chinese airlines are considering buying embattled Virgin Australia after the Morrison government refused to bail out the struggling airline. China Southern Airlines, China East Airlines and Air China are all in discussions about purchasing the carrier in a last-minute takeover in a bid to stop its 'catastrophic' collapse. Sources told the Courier Mail that the Chinese government-owned airlines were yet to make a formal offer. However any offer could provide a much-needed lifeline to Virgin Australia and the market-led cash solution the Morrison government urged them to find. Chinese-owned airlines are considering purchasing Virgin Australia (pictured) to stop the company from collapsing amid the coronavirus crisis Virgin Australia wanted the Federal Government to hand over $1.4billion to save them from collapse but the money has not been forthcoming. A joint approach from two Chinese carriers could see the foreign-owned Virgin Australia Group prevented from falling into voluntary administration. The move would likely require approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board before a solution could be reached. It is believed Australians would lose millions of Velocity Points and flight credits if the company went into administration. On Friday night it was revealed that the Queensland government will offer the troubled airline $200million towards a bailout in the hope that other states will follow suit. The company's corporate headquarters are located in Brisbane but the head office and Velocity Frequent Flyer businesses may potentially move to Melbourne. The managing director of the Virgin Australia Group, Paul Scurrah, on Wednesday refused to speculate about voluntary administration. A joint approach from two Chinese carriers (pictured) could save the struggling company On Thursday Virgin Australia asked the ASX to suspend its shares for seven days and revealed it was in confidential talks to save the company from collapse. '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 Australia has already suspended all but one domestic route, stood down 8,000 workers and had its credit rating downgraded. The Federal Opposition called on the government to provide financial support for Virgin Australia yesterday. Labor Senator for Queensland, Murray Watt, said it was 'an issue of national interest' to keep Virgin Australia afloat. Senator Watt said the government should take an equity stake in Virgin Australia and that the airline was a 'proud Queensland company' essential to the state's tourism. 'Maintaining two airlines is critical for a functioning tourism industry and jobs,' he said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison previously said any public funding for aviation would be spread across the entire sector. A man in military uniform who is part of the Security personnel detailed at COVID-19 Barrier at Doboro near Nsawam to enforce the lockdown directive has reportedly shot a motor rider three times. The incident occurred Friday Morning around 8:00 am. It is not clear why the military man shot the rider but an eyewitness said, the ridder ignored orders to stop when he approached the barrier. I cant tell exactly why the soldier shot the motor rider but I saw that he refused to stop at the barrier and decided to run away so all that I heard was three gunshots then the rider fell with the motorbike. There was blood all over and has been rushed to Nsawam Government Hospital. The Soldier also picked a taxi and followed them to the Hospital. The Nsawam District Police Commander, DSP Marian Adu -Osei said she was yet to be briefed and was unaware of the incident. This is the second shooting incident involving a military officer on lockdown duties. A week ago, a policewoman, Lance Corporal Francisca Tenge, who was also on Operation COVID-Safety duties with a military man was shot at a checkpoint at Tema Newtown. The Military high command assured that would investigate the incident. Ghana has recorded 641 confirmed cases of Coronavirus with 8 deaths and 83 recoveries. The national capital-Greater Accra and parts of Greater Kumasi are under lockdown for the past three weeks. ---starrfmonline The novel coronavirus has killed 1,000 people across Africa since the pandemic emerged late last year, according to an AFP tally using official figures. Algeria is the African country with the highest number of deaths at 364, followed by Egypt with 205, Morocco 135 and South Africa 50, according to the figures compiled at 2000 GMT on Friday. African countries have recorded a total of 19,334 infections since the virus emerged in China in late December, the figures show. Africa has so far suffered less than other regions from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus -- at least according to official numbers. But limited testing in many countries has deprived African officials of a full picture of the disease's spread. The worldwide death toll has topped 150,000 people while more than 2.2 million infections have been declared. Health experts have warned of the devastation the deadly virus could cause in Africa, where most hospitals are desperately short of equipment and trained staff. The World Health Organization last month warned Africa faced a dramatic evolution of the pandemic even as governments imposed restrictions, curfews and travel bans to help curb the spread. The continent appears poorly equipped to manage a major health crisis and is struggling to test enough to monitor virus cases. Containment measures in poorer parts of Africa have also been difficult to enforce in impoverished and densely populated neighbourhoods, where houses are overcrowded and most survive thanks to informal work. The World Bank and IMF said on Friday that Africa needs USD 44 billion more to fight the coronavirus pandemic despite a freeze in debt payments for many countries and massive pledges of support to help the continent prepare for a possible surge in infections and the economic fallout. Former Today Show co-host Kathie Lee Gifford signed off from the morning news program a little over a year ago. Occasionally dropping by in person or via video to chat with pal Hoda Kotb and update her fans, Gifford recently called in to share how shes spending her time in quarantine during the coronavirus crisis. Kathie Lee Gifford | Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images Kathie Lee Giffords life in Nashville During Giffords last show on Today with Kathie Lee & Hoda on April 5, the television personality shared that she was excited for her next chapter. I feel great, she said during the broadcast, according to Today.com. I have no expectations. You just want to bear it well. You also want to remind people of why this show worked in the beginning because we have fun. We have a great love and affection and respect for our audience. Moving from Connecticut to Nashville, Gifford is thriving in her new environment. Its the most creative place in the world. I came from Greenwich, Connecticut, 38 years Ive lived in the Northeast, she told D Magazine in October Its just this constant, like, what any artist experiences when theyre in their full joy, full zone. Though Gifford missed her Today family, she wasnt pining for some of the chores that came along with co-hosting a daily television show. I used to get glammed up every single day for the show, and Ive got to tell you, it is a joy not to have to do that, Gifford revealed. No. Most of the time Im either writing, editing, or Im in the studio, or Im actually in Israel directing films now. So none of that requires Spanx or high heels, thankfully. Chatting with her former Today Show colleagues Last week, Gifford called in to Today to speak with Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager on where shes spending her time in quarantine. Im down here in Florida with no hairdryer, Gifford told the co-hosts via video call, adding her trademark humor. My children insisted on sending me here because Im old. Old people go to Florida. The former Today star shared that shes enjoying her time with daughter Cassidy and her fiance Ben Wierda in the sunny surroundings of Florida, while expressing empathy for those not in ideal situations. A beautiful place to be if youve gotta be quarantined. It aint bad here, Gifford said, according to Fox News. Its quite beautiful, but I feel for everybody else in cramped quarters and maybe still that cold weather. Gifford revealed that like everyone else, shes hoping to soon return to some semblance of normalcy, adding with her trademark humor, Ive never been normal or had a normal life but my own normal. Kathie Lee Gifford wants to bring hope The former NBC star also served as co-host alongside Regis Philbin for 15 years on their top-rated syndicated talk show Live with Regis & Kathie Lee from 1985 to 2000. Wishing she was still on the air to offer some type of help during the current COVID-19 crisis, Gifford recalled a similar feeling after 9/11 when she had already left her post next to Philbin. Ive been frustrated in that Ive not been able to be a part of the healing, she told Kotb and Hager. I remember when I left the show with Regis, and then 9/11 happened. It was the only time I was really longing to still be on the air because I wanted to be a part of the healing and give comfort to people So Im happy to be with you guys today. This is a time where people need hope and healing. Our beautiful friend @kathielgifford updates us on how she's doing and what she's been up to. pic.twitter.com/JMqFdmncGi TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) April 10, 2020 Though shes no longer on morning television, Gifford is still hard at work on her music where she released three new oratorios on Easter hoping to bring a light during the pandemic. My prayer is that they will bless people, Gifford shared. They will give them hope and healing and comfort, and thats all we can hope for. The drug has generated excitement because a laboratory study, with cultured cells, found that chloroquine could block the coronavirus from invading cells, which it must do to replicate and cause illness. But drugs that show promise in the laboratory do not always translate to success in the human body, and other studies have found that it failed to prevent or treat influenza and other viral illnesses. Early reports from doctors in China and France have said that hydroxychloroquine, sometimes combined with the antibiotic azithromycin, seemed to help patients. But the studies were small and did not use proper control groups patients carefully selected to match those in the experimental group but who are not given the drug being tested. Research involving few patients and no controls cannot determine whether a drug works. At most hospitals in the Ochsner Health system in Louisiana, including those in New Orleans, infected patients are routinely given a course of hydroxychloroquine. Patients in the intensive care unit are also given the drug if they have not received it earlier in their illness. Dr. Leo Seoane, the chief academic officer at Ochsner Health, said the health system had declined to participate in research trials that included a placebo arm, in which some patients would be selected not to receive the drug. We didnt think it was ethical at this point in the crisis to withhold the therapies that could be beneficial, he said. But he acknowledged that even though the hospital gives the drug to nearly everyone who is admitted, the percentage of people who end up in the intensive care unit about a third of those admitted is similar to reports in other places where the drug is not used. From a gut feeling, its hard for me to know that it is having an impact, said Dr. Seoane, who is also a pulmonologist and critical care physician. A t least 50 NHS workers on the front line of the fight against Covid-19 have died after contracting the virus. Although the official death toll remains at 27, tributes from local NHS trusts and loved ones indicate the actual number is almost double. A mental health nurse, a senior GP and a healthcare assistant are among those to have lost their lives to the virus. Dr Krishan Arora is the 50th healthcare worker believed to have died after contracting the virus, as announced by the South West London Clinical Commissioning Group. The 57-year-old was a senior partner at Violet Lane Medical Practice, and had been a GP in Croydon for 27 years. He died on April 15 after testing positive for the virus. He had followed national guidance and self-isolated at home when he developed symptoms, and was not in work at the time of his death. Colleague Dr Agnelo Fernandes said: We are all greatly saddened by the death of Dr Krishan Arora. Krish was extremely well-liked and worked tirelessly to care for his patients and improve services for everyone in Croydon. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Krishs family, friends and close colleagues at this difficult time. We will miss him. Clinical Support Worker Jane Murphy had worked at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for almost 30-years, first as a cleaner before being retrained as a clinical support worker. A friend said: Jane would help anybody out, but would tell you if you were wrong. Much-loved mental health nurse Gladys Mujajati was described by colleagues as warm and caring, following her death after contracting Covid-19. Ms Mujajati, who had an underlying health condition and had stepped away from work in recent weeks, died in hospital, the Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast: Known to his colleagues as Bob, radiology support worker Amrik Bamotra, leaves behind a wife, daughter and a son. The 63-year-old had worked at the King George Hospital in Ilford, east London for four years. Colleagues said Mr Bamotra treated everyone like his own family. 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". Gurugram, April 17 : A 35-year-old man having criminal connections was found dead in Gurugram's sector 9, police said on Friday. Rahul Kumar died on Thursday night after sustaining 10 bullet injuries. He had several cases of murder, attempt to murder and arms act against him in the past. He was also involved in the murder of Gurugram gangster Neetu Gahlot on July 10, 2008 and was out on bail, said Preet Pal Singh Sangwan, ACP (crime), Gurugram. "As per CCTV footage, four to five persons who are supposed to be his friends had taken him on a motor bike from his home. As there are police checkposts at various locations, he and other bikers were asked to return. The police team escorted them till near his house," Sangwan said. As per the statement of the deceased's father, when he did not reach home they searched for him in the adjoining areas. His body was found lying in a pool of blood near Greenwood public school in sector 9. "The deceased's family suspects that his friends might have murdered him," Sangwan said. Weve taken almost all the actions that people have been recommending, Hogan said. And were continuing to take more steps every day. . . . Its not an issue that were not concerned about, but Im not sure how many more letters we need to get thats going to help us along in that process. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) The Metro Manila Development Authority is stepping up its efforts as lead agency, proposing solutions to ward off issues concerning COVID-19 related deaths. In a televised briefing on Friday, MMDA Spokesperson Assistant Secretary Celine Pialago shared the plans of the coordinating agency in handling remains of patients who have died of the coronavirus infection. "Isa po diyan [sa issues] 'yung delay sa mga death certificates. DOH will instruct the hospitals to fast track 'yung pag-prprocess po ng death certificates. While waiting sa official certificates, ang simpleng certification po issued by the authorized representative of the hospital ay maaari na munang gamitin," Pialago said. [Translation: One of the issues is the delay on the issuance of death certificates. DOH will instruct the hospitals to fast track the processing of the death certificates. While waiting for the official certificates, (the concerned) may use a simple certification issued by the authorized representative of the hospital.] The Department of Health has yet to verify whether it can allow the issuance of provisional death certificates, the MMDA noted. On the shortage of supply of personal protective equipment (PPEs) and body bags, Pialago pointed out that both public and private hospitals will be recipients of donated supplies. She said there are currently 7,000 available body bags for COVID-19 remains, according to the DOH. "Ang kailangan lang po, mag-request nang formal, at ito ho ay dapat manggaling sa concerned hospital," Pialago said. [Translation: A formal request has to be made, and it should come from the concerned hospital.] The MMDA said it has also come up with the "Cremate Now, Pay Later" plan, together with the Health Department, the Trade Department, and the Office of Civil Defense. However, the plan will only benefit COVID-19 patients who are "indigents" or members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). Pialago said crematory services have set up a fixed rate of P25,000; but the concerned can expect financial assistance from the cluster offices of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, if not from the officials of local government units. "Isa rin po sa recommendation kahapon ng mga funeral services ay hikayatin 'yung mga LGUs na buksan 'yung public cemeteries [para makapaglibing] po tayo ng mga COVID-19 fatalities," she stated. [Translation: It was also recommended by (representatives of) funeral services yesterday that we urge the LGUs to open public cemeteries, so we can bury COVID-19 remains.] "Borderless accommodation" will also be implemented in crematoriums, the MMDA said. Crematoriums, public and private, will have to accept all COVID-19 remains, regardless of the patient's residence. As for the urns of patients who have succumbed to the viral illness, Pialago said they are still in talks with the concerned agencies. She specified that there may be a certain classification for crematory services, funeral parlors, as well as their suppliers, so they can be issued travel passes. Meanwhile, the DOH has instructed the agencies involved to put external tags on COVID-19 remains to prevent the need to reopen body bags, the MMDA said. It also said they will coordinate with manufacturers to ensure the stable supply of disinfectants. "Just in case [naman] po mag-increase ang bilang ng mga COVID-19 fatalities, freezer vans po can be used, in case po 'yung mga morgue natin ay mapuno," Pialago said. [Translation: Just in case the number of COVID-19 fatalities spikes, and our morgues reach its full capacity, freezer vans can be used.] The MMDA earlier announced that it will serve as the coordinating agency of local government units, hospitals, and concerned agencies to avoid problems with burial and cremation procedures for remains of COVID-19 fatalities. In the Philippines, a total of 5,660 cases of the coronavirus disease have been recorded, including 362 deaths and 435 recoveries. Coronavirus can survive exposure to temperatures of up to 140F (60C) for relatively long periods of time, a study has demonstrated. The finding suggests that standard measures used for disinfection in research labs heating to such a temperature for an hour are ineffective against COVID-19. Instead, to kill the pathogen, researchers found that they had to maintain temperatures of 198F (92C) for a quarter of an hour. Scroll down for video Coronavirus can survive exposure to temperatures of up to 140F (60C) for relatively long periods of time, a study has demonstrated The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Aix-Marseille, in the Provence region of southern France. In their tests, the scientists used kidney cells from an African green monkey a standard host material for viral activity tests which had been infected with coronavirus that had been isolated from a patient in Berlin, Germany. These cells were then loaded into tubes representing two different types of environments, one 'clean' and the other 'dirty'. The latter used animal proteins to simulate the biological contamination found in real samples such as oral swabs. The team then heated both samples to 140F (60C) for one hour, as per standard cleansing protocols. However, while the viruses in the clean environment were completely deactivated, the team found that some in the dirty environment survived and were still able to replicate at that temperature, local media have reported. In a real laboratory disinfection scenario, this would mean that the viral samples would still pose a threat to unsuspecting laboratory personnel. To actually render the virus 'deactivated', the researchers had to raise the temperature to near the boiling point of water for 15 minutes. The protocol of heating viral samples to 140F (60C) for one hour is standard across many laboratories that work with various deadly viruses, including Ebola. The results of the study are of great significance as the world sees demand for coronavirus testing increasing. Such tests are undertaken by staff who may be accidentally exposed to the coronavirus if inadequate disinfection protocols are employed. New 'toolbox' for urological cancer detection 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, says 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. Cancer Society of Finland has funded the research conducted in Turku. The study has been published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles. This story has been published on: 2020-04-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Editors Note: Youk Chhang is the director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia. The Center's focus on memory and justice seeks to assist Cambodians in discovering the truths upon which a genuine national reconciliation depends. In this essay, Chhang argues that Cambodia is not only a nation of survivors but a nation of resilience and hope, which will help the country in battling the coronavirus pandemic by not steering away from its moral obligations. For several weeks now, I have been traveling throughout the countryside of Cambodia. In the midst of the global pandemic and before Cambodia implemented its government curfew, I have been traveling throughout the countryside of Kandal, Kampong Cham, Pursat, Battambang, Pailin, Banteay Meanchey, and Siem Reap provinces. What I observed during my travel, and since I have returned, has made me recall a darker, sadder, and tragic time under the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979). I am not alone. I was approached by a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime, and like many other persons I talked to in the villages, she was fearful of the global pandemic that was penetrating Cambodia. She was interested in my thoughts on the situation, and she asked me a question that made me pause and respond only with silence. She asked me: "Why is the world panicking? Right now, there is zero death in Cambodia, yet in the United States, there is a death rate at about .007 percent. During the Khmer Rouge, despite the number of people who were killed each day, we also had people who were deathly sick, who barely had food to eat, and who probably also suffered from some pandemic disease, but no one seemed to care until we lost 3 million lives. Why?" The complete accuracy of her facts aside, I could not respond because I did not have a justifiable answer. Her question exposes gaps, missteps, and failures of the world community in the past. It also exposes the relative nature of our moral obligations to humanity. Having returned from my trip, I am taken aback by how societal-level crises expose how we think, behave, and relate to our fellow human beings. Whether they occur on a personal, community, or society-level, crises should represent opportunities for leadership and moral character. A global pandemic stresses all levels of human society, but our moral obligations to humanity should remain unchanged. Crises represent an opportunity for individuals, businesses, and governments to demonstrate their fidelity to their core principles and loyalty to the people who depend on them. Governments should prove their commitment to truth and care for their citizens and residents, which begins with ensuring people have as much information as possible to protect themselves and their families. Truth should never be filtered, diluted, or restricted when lives are at stake. Businesses should also show that their relationship to their customers, the public, and supply chain partners are not solely based on profit margins and the payment of routine debts. All businesses depend on a priceless commodity called reputation, and how a business treats its customers, the public, and its partners will determine the true value of this commodity in the months and years to come. As human beings, we owe an obligation to our fellow man and woman. We owe an obligation not only to ensure their physical health and safety, but also their social security because every person needs to know they are not alone. At all levels of society, people should take this opportunity to find ways to prove their commitment to the higher principles of civic duty, truth, and kindness to our fellow human beings. Historically, our moral and even legal obligations to humanity have depended on political and economic circumstances. This is not acceptable if we are to truly call them obligations of humanity. Today's struggle with the coronavirus pandemic makes many survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime recall horrific memories, which is empowering as much as it is painful. Survivors of this period are empowered by their memory in a way that other generations can only partially understand. Despite the horror, tragedy, and loss of this time period, the survivors of this time period have a level of resilience that no other generation can match. But apart from resilience, the survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime have appreciation. With memories of horror and tragedy, it is impossible to not have a greater appreciation for humanity and how fragile human life can be. Having an appreciation for human life is the foundation of humility, which is possibly among the greatest of human virtues. Before the deadly coronavirus hit New York, Francisco Diaz's job as a gerontological nurse practitioner was educating seniors on managing their diabetes. Now, he's at the heart of the pandemic, working in a New York City emergency room. "I have worked during the influenza outbreaks, the swine flu, but never a public health threat of this dimension," said Diaz. April 8 was "one of the hardest days" at his hospital, Mount Sinai West, he told KHN. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced nearly 800 people in the state died that day from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. "I am tending to a lot of Latino patients with COVID," he said. In New York City, more Hispanics have been killed by the virus than whites, Asians or African Americans who are not Hispanic, preliminary data from city health officials shows. Diaz pointed out that many of his Hispanic patients cannot afford to stop working and face a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus. His ability to speak Spanish and understanding of Latino culture make it easier for him to connect with these patients and their families, Diaz said. "For Latinos, it is particularly difficult because with COVID-19 the patient care is more impersonal," he said. "We can't touch the patient, get too close. That is why talking to the family is very important, to offer them information about their loved ones, in a language they can understand." There are 276,000 Latino nurses in the United States, accounting for 10% of the health workforce "despite the fact that Hispanics are 30% of the population," said Norma Cuellar, president of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses. Diaz was born in New York City as his family took shelter there from the 1965 civil war in the Dominican Republic. After the war ended, his family moved back to Santo Domingo, where he grew up. At age 25, he moved to New York to pursue a career in health care. On normal days, Diaz works with seniors at Mount Sinai Morningside on Manhattan's Upper West Side while studying to earn his doctorate in nursing. But during the coronavirus crisis, he has been transferred about 60 blocks south to Mount Sinai West. Now, depending on the day, he is in charge of eight to 12 ER patients with symptoms of COVID-19. Diaz accompanies them if they have any tests run, administers medications and takes their vital signs. He also helps describe the process to patients - in Spanish, if that is their preferred language - and, although he spends only a short time with each one, tries to keep them comfortable. Nurses have a very direct link with the patient, he said. During the epidemic, he said, he has been working with patients ranging in age from 21 to over 90. Afterward, he often doesn't know how they fared. "I am not working in the ICU," he said. "I don't have to see some of them die." Diaz said he is careful in his work and anxious to make sure he doesn't bring home the virus that would hurt his husband. Every night, immediately after arriving home, he removes all his clothes and goes straight to the shower. He said his outlook is positive: "I am 54, but I am healthy, I do not have preexisting conditions." "People ask me more than ever if I am scared," he said. "I am not. I am only doing my job." Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the World Health Organization's emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, speaks during a press conference following an emergency committee meeting over the new coronavirus in Geneva on Jan. 22, 2020. "This was done in an attempt to leave no case undocumented," Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's lead scientist on Covid-19, said at a news briefing from the agency's Geneva headquarters. "They looked at the funeral service systems. They looked at hospital systems. They looked at laboratories to see if there were any duplications or if there were any cases missing." The World Health Organization said Friday that China revised its Covid-19 infection counts "to leave no case undocumented" and that other countries will also likely need to amend their own data as systems around the world are overwhelmed. Reporting the true number of deaths caused by Covid-19 is crucial to understanding the virus, Van Kerkhove said. Without accurate reporting of cases and deaths, epidemiologists struggle to calculate the rates of infections and fatalities, which can be used to guide government response. U.S. economists and politicians have previously questioned the accuracy of China's coronavirus figures. China's National Health Commission has reported a total of 82,692 cases and 4,632 deaths, which is dwarfed by figures in the U.S. and some European countries, including Spain and Italy. "It is very important to know the numbers of people who have died from Covid-19 because this is of public health importance and it is important that we have the accurate reporting of this," Van Kerkhove said. Early in the outbreak, as White House officials, including economic advisor Larry Kudlow, raised questions about China's numbers, the WHO repeatedly defended China and the country's transparency regarding the outbreak. On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was suspending funding to the WHO, criticizing them for accepting China's reporting as accurate. "The WHO willingly took China's assurances at face value, and they willingly took it at face value and defended the actions of the Chinese government even while praising China for its so-called transparency," Trump said Tuesday. "I don't think so." China state news agency Xinhua posted a notice Friday from Wuhan's municipal government, which explained the discrepancies in the city's data. First, the notice said a surge of patients in the early stage of the outbreak caused a shortage of medical resources and inadequacy in the city's treatment capacity. That resulted in some patients dying at home In addition, hospitals were overwhelmed, which resulted in delayed, missing or erroneous reporting of cases and deaths, according to the notice. The deadly coronavirus which has overwhelmed China and the world was discovered in an elderly couple in December last year in Wuhan through a CT scan done by Zhang Jixian, a woman doctor, the official media reported on Friday, hailing her for alerting the authorities about the vicious virus. Since its emergence, the virus which has so far killed at least 145,000 globally and infected over 2.1 million has become a source of concern and controversy as China is yet to reveal the details of its source or origin. In China alone, 4,632 people died of COVID-19 and 82,692 cases were reported. On December 26, an elderly couple from a nearby community visited the Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Zhang, a veteran respiratory doctor in a Wuhan hospital, recalled how the coronavirus, an alien pathogen facing mankind, emerged from a seemingly ordinary case in what was stated to be China's first official version of the timing of the discovery of the disease. Since the virus came to light, there is a great deal of interest in the world about the zero case of the COVID-19 which could throw light on how it emerged from what is believed to an animal to human and then progressed into human to human transmission. China faced criticism from the US and other countries for revealing too little about the virus which spread to Wuhan and the world like wildfire. Throwing light on the first case, Zhang, director of the hospital's respiratory and critical care medicine department recalled that the symptoms of the old couple included fever, coughing and tiredness, which "looked like flu or common pneumonia." 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, state-run Xinhua agency reported. 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, Zhang said. It was Zhang's insistence that brought her the second piece of evidence: the son's lungs showed the same abnormalities 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 December 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 centre 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." After filing the report, Zhang cordoned off an area in the department's ward to hospitalise 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 December 29 convened a panel of 10 experts to discuss the seven cases, the report said. 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. 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 January 30. According to an official timeline released on April 6 on China's response to COVID-19, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission on December 30 sent out an urgent notification to medical institutions under its jurisdiction about an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause in the city. 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 recognising her leadership and arduous work in the hospital's fight against COVID-19. The doctor, however, tried to play down the honour. "I was just doing what a doctor was supposed to do, driven by professionalism," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police are threatening to publicly shame spitters on Facebook, following a spate of gruesome attacks on hard-working medical staff. New South Wales police commissioner Mick Fuller encouraged victims to come forward, saying he was happy to name and shame attackers online. There has been a worrying number of spitting attacks in recent weeks, apparently sparked from the mistaken belief that nurses and doctors are spreading COVID-19. Fuller said he wouldn't hesitate to post footage of the perpetrators online, with attackers facing fines of $5,000 and criminal charges. Some brave nurses battling on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic have even been advised not to wear their uniform outside of work in fears of them being abused in the street. Staff are being verbally attacked, and even pelted with eggs, in supermarkets and on public transport. A nurse screens patients outside a clinic in the Barossa Valley on March 31 (pictured). Some medical staff have told not to wear their uniforms outside of work in fear of getting abused 'We are only six officers down with coronavirus, were still 17,000 strong,' he told reporters on Friday. 'We will take those reports and we will put those people up on our Facebook site if we need to.' He said the attacks represented the 'worst of humanity', but that thankfully it was only a 'small percentage of people'. Under new coronavirus rules, anyone who spits or coughs on health care workers or police will be slapped with a $5,000 fine. The extreme measures were announced in response to the 'abhorrent' incidents in the last few weeks which saw nurses and police coughed or spat on during the coronavirus pandemic. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard (pictured) and Police Minister David Elliott said anyone found guilty spitting at healthcare workers will cop a $5,000 fine and possible prison time NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Police Minister David Elliott said anyone found guilty of the disgusting act will cop the huge fine and possible six months in prison. Every day our doctors and nurses, police and paramedics put their health and safety on the line to protect us, and a threat to them, is a threat to us,' Mr Hazzard said. 'The virus has infected thousands of health workers around the world and killed many, so if you deliberately risk people's health you will be fined and possibly imprisoned.' One NSW nurse (pictured) revealed a patient suspected of having coronavirus spat in her face while she was treating him Bradley Lonesborough, 37, (pictured) is accused of punching a senior constable in the face before spitting at him and claiming to have coronavirus 'Like most people, I find the recent actions of a handful of individuals utterly foul and obnoxious but worryingly, the behaviour is potentially life threatening,' Mr Elliot said. 'COVID-19 kills the global death toll is already more than 85,000 people and climbing so if you spit or cough on any of our police officers, who are putting their own safety on the line to protect you, you will face the consequences and be slapped with a fine.' Earlier this month, Bradley Lonesborough, 37, allegedly spat and punched a police officer in the face after claiming he had coronavirus. Last week, one NSW nurse revealed a patient suspected of having coronavirus spat in her face while she was treating him. In March, a woman caught speeding was stopped by police and proceeded to spit at the officer after claiming she was on her way to get tested for COVID-19. In March, a woman caught speeding was stopped by police and allegedly proceeded to spit at the officer after claiming she was on her way to get tested for COVID-19 (pictured) A healthcare worker (pictured) talks to a man at a pop-up clinic testing for the coronavirus disease at Bondi Beach on Wednesday after several outbreaks were recorded in the area 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 bullying is taking place across Australia, with staff at hospitals in Queensland told to take the drastic measure of hiding their uniform. Workers at the Princess Alexandra, Queensland Children's, Prince Charles, Logan, Gold Coast and several Mater hospitals have all reported such incidents, according to the Courier Mail. Steven Miles, Queensland's health minister, called the treatment 'abhorrent'. 'They have been vilified, they have been threatened, they have been treated abhorrently,' he said on April 3. 'I want to call on every Queenslander if you see someone out and about in a Queensland Health uniform, they're our heroes. 'They should wear their scrubs with pride not fear they'll single them out for abuse. 'They are people who go to work every day to take care of us, so thank them, don't yell at them.' It comes after a whistleblower in NSW revealed members of healthcare staff were even being spat on. A woman has her temperature checked (pictured) before entering the Sydney Fish Market on April 10 I was literally just doing my job, making sure the service is up and running, making sure we were connecting everyone, says Michael Demetroudi, and this incident just occured out of nowhere. Demetroudi is an apprentice network engineer for Openreach, the BT subsidiary which runs the UKs broadband network. He was working on a roadside cabinet in north London on Tuesday when two members of the public stopped to speak to him. One asked for a cigarette but the other quickly became aggressive and shouted at him, while standing close enough for flecks of spit to land on his face. First he complained that every time an engineer comes to this box, something goes missing in his flat as he lived right in front of the cab, Demetroudi recalls. Then he goes: All you engineers are just trying to import the 5G in every single box. This was the third time in the space of a week that Demetroudi had been confronted by a member of the public taken in by the conspiracy theories surrounding 5G and the coronavirus. Together, Openreach and fellow operators EE have recorded around 85 incidents of telecoms engineers being abused, threatened, intimidated or harassed since the start of the coronavirus crisis. The vast majority of these relate to theories circulating on social media channels that 5G is responsible for the coronavirus crisis. Mobile phone masts across the country have also been targeted in arson attacks as conspiracists claim the electromagnetic waves of the network have somehow induced the pandemic. As these theories are amplified by celebrities such as Eamonn Holmes, Amanda Holden and Amir Khan, companies say workers are reporting new cases of abuse and harassment every day despite the theories having been called out as false by scientists and governments across the globe. Before being spat at in the street, Demetroudi had a woman walk out in front of his van, swearing and gesturing at him, and claiming he was spreading 5G from the top of the vehicle. Then, while queueing to pay for a sandwich in a supermarket, a man noticed the Openreach logo on the back of his hi-vis jacket. He saw it and it kicked off. Fortunately I was lucky enough that two officers were pulling in to have their lunch as well. They saw the incident occur. I just said: Can I please go and get my sandwich? On this third occasion, Demetroudi once again responded calmly, assuring the man that he was only working with standard broadband rather than anything to do with 5G. He wasnt interested in what I had to say and just got more and more aggressive. As a result of the spit landing on his face, Demetroudi is now having to stay off work and self-isolate at home for two weeks. He lives with a diabetic family member who is at high risk of contracting coronavirus and is therefore taking every precaution that he can. Another engineer was approached by an agitated member of the public while working near a bus stop in the village of Abercynon in south Wales. He was told he had to shoulder some of the blame for coronavirus deaths because 5G was killing people. Others at the bus stop then joined in, accusing him of risking lives. When a landline engineer in Birmingham was confronted by two male youths over the 5G conspiracy theory, he was forced to assure them he was not working on the installation of the new high-speed network. One of the young men punched his van door and warned him that if he discovered he was working on 5G that there will be f***ing trouble. Openreach engineer Michael Demetroudi And in Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, a driver pulled up beside an engineer to ask whether he was working on 5G. When the engineer told him he was not, the driver said: Good because its killing people and if I find out who is, Im going to beat them up. Some engineers have been labelled murderers. Others have been accused of breaking social distancing rules by working outside, despite them being considered key workers under the governments guidelines. Some have even had bricks thrown at them. Thankfully, they missed. Recently, its like certain members of the public are not even willing to listen to the fact that we are not out here to harm anyone, says Demetroudi. We are here just to connect you, so you can speak to your loved ones, be safe and just do what we do. I feel like its getting worse and worse. He admits to being a little wary of doing his job among the public since the abuse and harassment of engineers began. Theres always a little fear since this whole thing happened in the back of your mind, Is everything going to be safe today? Thats not fair for us engineers to have that in the back of our minds. Demetroudi is at least pleased with the support and guidance that he has received from his employers, who were already investing and enhancing their violence at work training programme for engineers before the worrying surge in incidents which Openreach has ascribed to the bogus 5G theory. Recommended Ofcom to review This Morning after Eamonn Holmes 5G comment Of the abuse and harassment of their workers, an Openreach spokesperson said: Its not only deeply concerning but totally misjudged, as our engineers are key workers. Theyre playing a vital role in connecting crucial public services, vulnerable customers and millions of friends, families and businesses throughout the UK. EE is introducing measures to ensure engineers can continue to do their work safely, increasing security at high risk sites and warning that attacks on key workers and infrastructure could prevent calls from reaching ambulance services. The Communications Workers Union which represents many of the countrys telecoms engineers is working closely with the government on how best to protect its members. But workers are only likely to be truly safe once the spread of misinformation regarding 5G has stopped. Demetroudi believes those with the biggest platforms should be particularly careful about what they share online but also that we all have a responsibility not to spread misinformation. Take a moment, think about what youre posting, think about all the followers you have following you and how it can affect their own personal life as well, or the innocent bystander that they might walk past, he says. Theres no need to believe everything that is spread through the internet. Theres no need for it. Russian Newspaper Forced To Take Down Chechnya Coronavirus Report, Author Threatened By RFE/RL's Russian Service April 16, 2020 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 country's 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 Russia's Investigative Committee and to the Prosecutor-General's 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. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-chechnya- novaya-gazeta-coronavirus-article- pulled-roskomnadzor/30559155.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Most of us are living life with the internet, Wi-Fi and other cyber connections, and we dont think about them often unless and until theyre The XDBOT is a box-shaped creation on wheels mounted with a robotic limb, which can reach awkward locations such as under tables and beds. The eXtreme Disinfection roBOT (XDBOT), a semi-autonomous robot, disinfects a table in a cafeteria of the Nanyang Technological University Smart Campus in Singapore. (Photo | AFP) Singapore: Singapore researchers have invented a disinfecting robot with an arm that mimics human movement, to help take the load off overworked cleaners during the coronavirus pandemic. The XDBOT is a box-shaped creation on wheels mounted with a dexterous robotic limb, which can reach awkward locations such as under tables and beds. The robot, built by researchers at the city-states Nanyang Technological University (NTU), has a high-powered nozzle for spraying disinfectant and can tackle large surfaces rapidly. It can be controlled remotely with a laptop or tablet, reducing the risk to cleaners of becoming infected with the virus, which has killed over 140,000 people worldwide. Using our new robot from a distance, a human operator can precisely control the disinfection process... with zero contact with surfaces, said Chen I-Ming, an NTU scientist who led the project. The cleaning robot differs from others on the market, which are mainly intended to clean floor surfaces and cannot disinfect odd-shaped objects. The robot could help meet growing calls in Singapore for more deep-cleaning and disinfection services, with reports suggesting cleaners are having to work long hours as demand explodes during the pandemic. The XDBOT has been trialled on the NTU campus, and its creators hope to test it in more public areas and hospitals. Singapore is battling a fast-moving second wave of infections, with case numbers jumping by 728 Thursday to bring the total to 4,427, including 10 deaths. The outbreaks epicentre are crowded foreign worker dormitories. From Thailand to Israel, robots are increasingly being used in the fight against the coronavirus, as they are seen as fast, efficient, and contagion-proof. "A typical day for me, and this would vary from person to person, is really a juggle between family and work, as my wife Jo and I have a 2 and 4-year-old. Not an easy age for a lockdown! I've had a few near misses on video calls with children bursting through the door in varying states. Robert Grace, founding partner and head of strategy at M&C Saatchi Abel/Group What was your initial response to the crisis/lockdown and has your experience of it been different to what you expected? Comment on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the agency and creative industry or economy as a whole? How has the lockdown affected your staff? What temporary HR policies have you put in place regarding remote working, health & safety, etc.? Before you build a connection with your customer, you build one with you employee first. Comment on the challenges and opportunities. My view would be that these brands need to now move from the inspirational and sentimental platitudes that weve seen (and were needed and I believe mostly welcomed by consumers) and now match this with action; what are you actually doing to help your consumers through this. And this can be done in many ways: be it through specific action like we saw Standard Bank leading the way on payment holidays, or adapting your business to contribute to the situation like LVMH repurposing fragrance production lines to make much-needed hand sanitizer, or simply offering an escape from the anxiety-like Yuppiechef doing free online cooking classes. These brands will be built lasting equity through these actions. Most importantly it has to be authentic and not seen as a marketing opportunity. The challenge is that many organisations cut back at a time like this and often only focus on conversion driving communication efforts to meet short-term targets. And more and more, the data is revealing that this approach and strategy has limited runway on brand and business metrics. So the adage of why waste a crises rings true but that certainly doesnt mean being opportunistic. Speaking of opportunities, the world has really turned to creativity during this time. Why do you think this is the case and what does this mean for the industry, agencies and their clients/brands? Robert Grace is speaking at the UN's @14th_WFC2015 on how powerful communication can give the world's forests a voice pic.twitter.com/mValqt61fP M&C Saatchi Abel (@mcsaatchiabel) September 8, 2015 How are you navigating physical distancing while keeping your team close-knit and aligned and your clients happy? What are you busy working on? Any initiatives/campaigns relating to the coronavirus? Has this global crisis changed your view of the future of advertising/marketing in any way? Any trends youve seen emerge as a result of the crisis? A period of release : Having been constrained both physically and mentally, a desperate need to experience the things I missed or have learnt about and want to try whilst in isolation. : Having been constrained both physically and mentally, a desperate need to experience the things I missed or have learnt about and want to try whilst in isolation. A period of reset : Looking at how I pick up the pieces of my life across family, social circles and work and apply some learnings from this period to get back to the day-to-day tasks of life. : Looking at how I pick up the pieces of my life across family, social circles and work and apply some learnings from this period to get back to the day-to-day tasks of life. A period of renewal: The more higher-order phase, but a period of time where I re-think where and on what I spend my time and money. What is your key message to fellow industry folk? "It is hard at times, but I think one of the things we hopefully will take out of this is really experiencing each others humanity; whether its a partner or spouse whose head pops into the video call by mistake, or my naked 2-year-old covered in cookie dough bursting through the doors whilst talking to a client, it shows our common humanity and I think thats a good thing as we all go through this together. Founding partner and head of strategy at M&C Saatchi Abel/Group, Robert Graces account of work-life in the time of Covid-19."These are unprecedented times for any brand (and their agency), regardless of the category they operate in, and now more than ever, brands need to be absolutely clear on their response both now and post Covid-19. And this ultimately means being clear on one fundamental: understanding the role your brand plays in the lives of your consumers."As a Group, we planned well in advance for a lockdown scenario to ensure the nearly 350 people across our teams are able to work remotely, supported not just by the right tech and platforms, but also emotional support and inspiration."As I mentioned we started planning well in advance of this potential scenario. And from the get-go, from the hygiene interventions we put in place at our campuses through to keeping our clients informed as to how we would be operating through this, we were very conscious to avoid hype or fear language (read: no computer-generated images of a scary-looking virus or the word unprecedented).So throughout it, weve focused on being calm, clear and pragmatic in our response and communication. And whilst it is a very serious situation, we have also adopted an optimistic lens to the communication focusing on what we very fortunately are still able to do and the value we still bring to our clients, their brands and importantly their consumers.New challenges and situations have presented themselves (and continue to), and our teams share these with the task team that I lead to plan and implement our response to Covid-19. We meet twice a week to ensure we are agile and quick in our response.The industry is in for a rough ride. Often in a crisis brands cut back marketing spend unfortunately succumbing to short-termism something that isnt new, but will be more pronounced. Of course, the ability to get through this depends on ones client mix, the services you offer, but also your business model.Businesses with existing cracks in them, tragically those cracks are going to turn into gaping holes. So, ultimately its about coming back to the fundamentals of your business: absolute clarity on what value you bring, being an indispensable partner, building strong teams, robust cash flow.Whatever your approach to this situation, how you treat your people should be front and centre. Businesses who are putting their people first, that have spent the time and investment in building meaningful relationships with their people (and suppliers) will weather this far better, and most likely see greater commitment and even performance over this period. Theres a great quote from Angela Ahrendts, the former CEO of Burberry who spearheaded the phenomenal turnaround of the brands, which rings true:Weve implemented a number of immediate responses for our teams to ensure they are supported over this time. One example is our group-wide emergency relief fund, which weve put in place to support any member of our team whose household finds themselves in a, particularly vulnerable situation.The most important thing for us though is to keep connected to our teams. So, every week the Exco have a live event where the leadership engage directly with our people, and weve kept our usual engagements going just on a digital platform so weve kept our weekly Wednesday breakfast catch-ups and Friday drinks@Home.Whatever you do, dont stop. What do you do during the single biggest global conversation around a pandemic that is affecting everyone? I see two approaches:Firstly, there are those brands that are going to be active over this period and should be.And secondly for some brands, perhaps this is a time to pause or to go into quarantine. But that doesnt mean to stop. Take this time to refine or develop new strategies and innovations so that when were through this, youre ready to go to market with impact. That day will come.Im part of a communicators network which is pulled together by the United Nations and we go to various gatherings (on pause for now) of researchers and scientists who are tackling the climate crisis . And the work we do there is to stress the importance of creativity and demonstrate the power of communication to be included in their solutions. At a more recent session last year in Brazil one scientist came up to me after our session to say he got into science because science = hope, but that now he realises science + creativity = hope. And I believe that creativity, especially when it presents itself as a beautifully simple solution in this complex and challenging world, has never been more needed or more valuable.To achieve this though, you need to be absolutely clear on the clear role your brand plays in someones life.Im glad to see that the question uses the word physical and not social distancing. A key shift the WHO asked us to adopt. And they are totally right. At this time, it is more important than ever to be social when people are feeling isolated, alone and in some cases, experiencing feelings of anxiety and depression.What this means is that everything we have done, across agency and client, has been to ensure ongoing conversations and communication. What that has forced us to do, and happily so, is to look at how we digitise what we would usually do physically.Microsoft Teams is the platform we use for all our internal and external communications and this has been amazing for us, and our employees and clients have adopted it quickly. It is, quite simply, our virtual office space. Not just a meeting platform. People have even started creating great shared-interest groups from a Wine Appreciation to a Cyclist Support Group.As I mentioned before, some of our clients are active and have campaigns live because its authentic and true to the role of their brand. Think about a brand like Mweb or Takealot that provides a really valuable and essential service. Were active and delivering work for them and many other clients. At the same time some of our clients have also, and rightly so, for the moment paused. And whilst going dark for a short period of time has shown not to affect brand or business metrics, being absent for too long a period will cause damage. So, over this period were working on adapting and fine-tuning strategies or focusing on innovation pipelines.The key thing for us is to not waste this time and use it.Returning to a new normal. Many thought pieces and trend forecasters predict major and significant changes in consumer mindsets and behaviours. Weve all seen the dramatic soundbites.Of course, this period has forced new behaviours, most obviously in the technology space and use of technology in our lives.You may even see greater demand in accountability from other spheres of government if their swift action and response over the next few weeks achieves its objective and demonstrates their ability to deliver.I take a pragmatic view of what the world looks like post-Covid-19, one that is based on the principle that the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour. I asked our Intelligence Unit in London to assess global social media conversations on previous pandemics which showed that three months after these major events the conversation dies out, even people professing to being bored with the conversation and clearly moving on with life. Just one small but relevant data point.We think there will probably be three consumer responses, perhaps in phases and also dependent on which segment of the market, but loosely for most economically active South Africans we see:Now, more than ever, we need to unleash the power of creativity.The M&C Saatchi Group of Creative Companies employs close on 350 people across seven companies. We deliver a wide range of creative solutions and currently rated as Agency of the Year by our peers and the industry. We work with a broad range of clients, including Takealot, Nandos, Lexus and Standard Bank helping grow their top-line and brand equity through breakthrough communication and creativity. The new reality presented by COVID-19 has spurred operational changes at Abound Credit Union ($1.7B, Radcliff, KY). The Bluegrass State cooperative has a longstanding devotion to the financial wellness of its members and communities, however, and continues to help them make ends meet. When the pandemic struck, the credit union was quick to offer assistance to protect the health and safety of members. For the month of April, it is waiving the $35 fee for its skip-a-pay program that covers auto, RV, and personal loans. It also is offering payment deferrals for up to 90 days on auto, personal, and home loans as well as consumer credit cards. New members refinancing loans from higher-rate lenders have payment deferral options, too, and members who need immediate assistance to stay current on their day-to-day expenses can tap into a low-interest emergency loan. Across the United States, members and communities are looking for solutions to help them combat the fallout from the coronavirus. Credit unions such as Abound those guided by values-based leadership are stepping toward, not away from, the challenge. Throughout these consecutive crises, the Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, has lost power to hardliners, which is perhaps the biggest misstep that the US has made in this game to date. Rouhani has already largely been sidelined, Iran is now exporting 300,000 bpd of oil, down from 2.5 million bpd in the spring of 2018. Now, its IPOing Shasta, the Social Security Investment Company (SSIC), offering up a 10% stake (8 billion shares) on the Tehran Stock Exchange. Iran is being decimated by the novel coronavirus, though no one knows for sure how many cases there really are amid allegations of a government cover-up. Its economy is in big trouble due to sanctions and the oil price war, and its reached out to the IMF for a $5-billion Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI). Its worth noting, however, that the US is a dominant shareholder in the IMF and is opposing such funding for both Iran and China. As of April 15th, there were over 2 million confirmed COVID-19 cases globally, with over 127,000 deaths, though the infection rate has been slowing as we witness a flattening of cases in Europe, while cases in Russia, Indonesia, India, and Japan continue to rise at a quicker pace. The consequence of the economic shutdown could be the loss of some $9 trillion through the end of 2021, with some analysts predicting another 18 months of shutdown, which would make that loss even higher. As of April 15th, there were over 2 million confirmed COVID-19 cases globally, with over 127,000 deaths, though the infection rate has been slowing as we witness a flattening of cases in Europe, while cases in Russia, Indonesia, India, and Japan continue to rise at a quicker pace. The consequence of the economic shutdown could be the loss of some $9 trillion through the end of 2021, with some analysts predicting another 18 months of shutdown, which would make that loss even higher. Irans Hardliners Win, and That Means War Iran is being decimated by the novel coronavirus, though no one knows for sure how many cases there really are amid allegations of a government cover-up. Its economy is in big trouble due to sanctions and the oil price war, and its reached out to the IMF for a $5-billion Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI). Its worth noting, however, that the US is a dominant shareholder in the IMF and is opposing such funding for both Iran and China. Iran is now exporting 300,000 bpd of oil, down from 2.5 million bpd in the spring of 2018. Now, its IPOing Shasta, the Social Security Investment Company (SSIC), offering up a 10% stake (8 billion shares) on the Tehran Stock Exchange. Throughout these consecutive crises, the Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, has lost power to hardliners, which is perhaps the biggest misstep that the US has made in this game to date. Rouhani has already largely been sidelined, and the coronavirus pandemic will only further cement the power of the hardliners. That is especially true now that Rouhani has been thrown under the bus for misreporting the COVID-19 situation in Iran. While the government initially confirmed 76,000 cases, with 4,700 deaths as of Wednesday this week, the actual numbers as conceded by a parliamentary report are up to 8,500 deaths, with infections potentially reaching 760,000. If things between the United States and Iran were off-balance before COVID-19, they are exponentially more off-balance now. That will mean more targeting of US interests in Iraq, and as we have seen this week, more showdowns in the Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz. The US policy of maximum pressure has backfired dangerously. Iran did not back down; rather, the hardliners assumed more power and are now convinced they can gain ground in terms of regional influence by provoking the United States in proxy venues. As the coronavirus continues its deadly march, Iran - with Rouhani sidelined - will not be distracted. Conflicts between Tehran and Washington are heating up now and will continue despite the pandemic. The most recent preview was the incident in the Gulf this week when Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sent nearly a dozen naval vessels to make harassing approaches to six US Navy and Coast Guard ships, passing within 10 yards of a Coast Guard cutter while the US Navy was taking part in military exercises with Army Apache helicopters. And the previous day, unidentified armed men, believed to be IRGC, seized a Hong Kong-flagged tanker in the Gulf of Oman and then released it after leading it into Iranian waters. Its sheer provocation, and its meant to elicit a response from Trump to keep the game going. Mufti Maksat Azhi Toktomushev has called on the Muslims of Kyrgyzstan to strictly adhere to quarantine requirements. The holy month of Ramadan will take place between April 23 and May 23 and its end will be marked by Eid al-Fitr. READ: Naqvi Asks State Waqf Boards To Ensure Lockdown Guidelines Are Adhered To During Ramzan 'Follow guidelines' "I urge everyone to be patient in such a difficult time. Orozo (Ramazan) will begin in a few days. This year iftars should take place at home, I ask you all to adhere to the rules of quarantine," he said in his address. "Tarawih prayer should also to be read at home with family. We will overcome all the difficulties, if we strictly observe order," he added. READ: Zoom Rolls Out New Measures To Tackle Security Breach As MHA Warns Against Its Use The holy month of Ramadan will take place between April 23 and May 23 and its end will be marked by Eid al-Fitr. In India, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi 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. READ: Over 50,000 Chinese PPE Kits Fail Quality Test In India, Domestic Production Ramped Up 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. READ: Indian-American Ro Khanna Appointed To White House COVID19 Advisory Council There has been a steep rise in crime against women across the country amid restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak, with the National Commission for Women receiving 587 complaints from March 23 to April 16, out of which 239 are related to domestic violence. According to data shared by the NCW, 123 cases of domestic violence were received between February 27 and March 22. In the last 25 days, the commission received 239 more such complaints. NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma earlier said that the high number can be attributed to the lockdown imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak which has locked the abuser and the victim together. The nationwide lockdown was declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 to control the spread of coronavirus. From February 27 to March 22, a total of 396 offences related to women were reported to the NCW, while from March 23 to April 16, as many as 587 such complaints were received, according to the data. The highest number of complaints were related to domestic violence. The NCW had launched a WhatsApp number -- 72177135372 -- on April 10 to report domestic violence on an emergency basis during the lockdown. The commission constituted a special team to handle these complaints on a fast track basis. Since the launch of this dedicated WhatsApp number, a total of 40 messages were received reporting domestic violence, the data showed. The NCW, in a statement, said these messages are first scrutinised and those related to domestic violence amid the lockdown are taken up on priority and to provide immediate security to aggrieved women with the help of state police and administration. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Natural News) Democrats in California continue to flout laws making it illegal to sneak into the United States by rewarding such lawlessness with benefits paid for by citizens. The latest gift to illegal immigrants is a $125 million Wuhan coronavirus bonus, most of which will be paid for by the states taxpayers. On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the program, stating that $75 million would come from state funds while the other $50 million would be donated by corporations and philanthropists. In all, about 150,000 illegal aliens living in the state will receive $500 each. Fox News reported: California has had an estimated 2 million immigrants living in the country illegally. They have not been eligible for the $2.2 trillion stimulus package approved by Congress last month, which pledged cash payments to most Americans while boosting unemployment benefits by $600 per week. 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, Newsom said, noting that at least 10 percent of Californias workforce consists of people who are in America illegally. And while he also said they pay some $2.5 billion a year in state and local taxes, thats the least they can do given that they didnt have to go through any process to come into the country legally, like hundreds of thousands of other immigrants do every year. The network reported that a group of charities has only coughed up about $5.5 million of the $50 million that is supposed to come from people other than taxpayers including the Emerson Collective, Blue Shield of California Foundation, the California Endowment, the James Irvine Foundation, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and an anonymous donor. Why do Democrats in California pander to and attract homeless and illegal aliens? And unlike the federal coronavirus relief checks sent to American citizens, Newsom said there will be no income-based distribution of cash to illegal aliens: Everyone gets the same amount. (Related: How do covid-19 deaths compare to 9/11, the Las Vegas shooting and other high death toll events?) Their personal information will not be required to get those support, he said. Fox News added: California has been seen as the most aggressive state in the nation when it came to giving benefits to immigrants living in the country illegally. Last year, California became the first state to give taxpayer-funded health benefits to low-income adults 25 and younger living in the country illegally. This year, Newsom had proposed expanding those benefits to seniors 65 and older. Now you can see why the state continues to be a magnet for cross-border lawbreaking. Meanwhile, congressional Democrats wanted all American citizens to contribute money to a coronavirus relief fund for illegal immigrants, Fox News noted though that provision isnt likely to get past a Republican Senate or president, all of whom are more concerned with helping needy Americans who are lining up at food banks by the tens of thousands after being laid off, thanks to mandatory business closures tied to governors coronavirus shutdown orders. And while were at it, when was the last time Gov. Newsom bothered to offer funding and help to homeless veterans? How about the hungry in his own state? He and other Democrats brag about how California has the fifth-largest economy in the world, but they never say much about the fact that their state also has the countrys highest rate of poverty, per capita. And the most homeless people. But hey, lets make sure we cut checks to illegal immigrants while offering them healthcare, education, and anything else they would normally not have a right to, not being citizens and all. Why do Democrats in California pander to and attract homeless and illegal aliens? Political power. Census counts the number of people in a state, not the number of citizens, and congressional seats are awarded on the basis of population, not citizenry. So, the more, the merrier. Sources include: USAToday.com MotherJones.com FoxNews.com NaturalNews.com MOSCOW, April 16 (Reuters) - Russian internet firm Yandex is working with local laboratories to offer a new service allowing Moscow's residents to get tested for the novel coronavirus at home during the lockdown, it said on Thursday. Yandex, sometimes referred to as "Russia's Google," offers a wide array of online services including an internet search engine, taxi reservations and food deliveries. Its new service will allow Muscovites over the age of 65 to order a coronavirus test to be carried out by a medical professional at home. Yandex said the tests would be made available to people in other age groups and regions when more laboratories begin testing for the novel coronavirus. Russia has so far recorded 27,938 cases and 232 coronavirus-related deaths. Moscow this week introduced a digital travel permit system to help it police a lockdown meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The measure initially created traffic jams and long queues of people wanting to use the metro. (Reporting by Nadezhda Tsydenova Writing by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber Editing by David Holmes) Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during his first remote news conference on the COVID-19 outbreak, in London, Britain, on March 25, 2020. (Andrew Parsons/Pool via Reuters) Perspective on the Pandemic: British PMs Ties With the Chinese Regime Commentary British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on March 27 that he tested positive for the CCP virus. Johnson is the leader of the ruling Conservative Party. Since taking office as prime minister on July 24, 2019, he has encountered pressure and criticism on issues such as Brexit, Huawei, and its role in Britains 5G networks, BritishU.S. relations, and China policy. Johnson, 55, is one of the highest-profile patients in the world to be infected with the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. The Epoch Times editorial article, Where Ties With Communist China Are Close, the Coronavirus Follows, suggests that the heaviest-hit regions outside China all share a common thread: close or lucrative relations with the communist regime in Beijing. So what are Johnsons ties with the CCP? In ancient China, every time disasters befell the empire, leaders and officials reflected on themselves. In history, there were 79 emperors that issued a Condemnation on Oneself to examine their own faults, hoping to seek forgiveness and protection from heaven. Applying traditional principles of governing the country, we can also draw lessons for todays society. This article attempts to analyze some missteps of Johnsons governance. Britain Gives Green Light to Huawei On Jan. 28, Johnson announced that Britain would allow high-risk suppliers to participate in the construction of the non-sensitive part of the UKs 5G network to a limited extent, which means giving a green light to Huawei. Some U.S. officials and British conservative politicians were disappointed with Johnsons decision. On the same day, Zhang Jiangang, vice president of Huawei, welcomed the UKs decision of allowing Huawei to participate in its 5G network. Huawei is relieved because of this, Zhang told Chinese state-run media Xinhua. On Jan. 28, the BBC stated in a report that the UKs decision to allow one of Chinas most important and valuable companies to operate in the UK is an endorsement that will please Beijing. Huawei insiders reveal that the company has close ties with the CCP, and has been accused of stealing from others to develop its own technology. The Trump administration has sought to convince allies to ban Huawei from 5G networks over security concerns. However, Johnson ignored the U.S. warning and concerns voiced by British lawmakers. Tom Tugendhat, Conservative member of Parliament (MP) and former head of the British Parliaments foreign affairs committee, opposed Johnsons decision to allow Huawei access to Britains 5G networks. He used the analogy of allowing the fox into the hen house when really we should be guarding the wire. Tugendhat wrote on Twitter that the governments statement leaves many concerns and does not close the UKs networks to a frequently malign international actor. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), member of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, called for a thorough review of U.S.-U.K. intelligence-sharing after the UK decision was announced. He said, I fear London has freed itself from Brussels only to cede sovereignty to Beijing. He added that the British decision is like allowing the KGB to build its telephone network during the Cold War. On Feb. 18, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage criticized the decision to let Huawei into 5G networks and called it the worst decision any British government has made in years. It threatens the Five Eyes partnership, our prospects of a new trade agreement with the US and Australia and perhaps even the future of NATO, he told the Sydney Morning Herald. After the official decision, eight members of the Conservative Party who advocated the exclusion of Huawei proposed an amendment to the Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill. The proposal would require the UK to terminate Huawei and other high-risk companies participation in domestic 5G network construction by Dec. 31, 2022. On March 10, parliament rejected the proposal, with Johnsons government winning the vote by 306 to 282, Reuters reported. Huawei in London The UK is one of the European countries that cooperate with Huawei closely. Although the British government is aware of certain security issues with Huaweis products, it believes that the risks are manageable. The British approach represents the European mode of acceptance of Huawei, which allowed it to slowly expand in the past decade. After Johnson took office, Huaweis business activities in London remained high-profile and active. In September 2019, Chinese mainland media quoted U.S. news outlet Business Insider, revealing that Huawei had already set up a new artificial intelligence (AI) research laboratory in London. It is reported that the new laboratory is part of Huaweis OpenLab global research and collaboration center network. A source familiar with Huaweis plan pointed out that the company planned to staff the office with 200 AI research engineers. On Dec. 16, 2019, Huaweis 5G Innovation and Experience Center in London was unveiled. The center is located in one of the largest shared office spaces in the Cocoon Global building, a Chinese-funded co-working space. On Feb. 24, Huawei held a virtual press conference on new products and solutions, themed TOGETHER, Connecting Possibilities. New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote in an article headlined Ive Seen the Best and Worst of China. Be Wary: If a company like Huawei is asked to cooperate with Chinese State Security spies, its executives simply cant say no. Johnsons China-Friendly Stance On July 23, 2019, the day before Johnson took office, Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television interviewed him. Johnson said, We are very enthusiastic about the Belt and Road Initiative. We are very interested in what President Xi is doing [for the plan]. Johnson also mentioned in the interview that the UK is the first Western country to join the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and he would do his best to keep the UK as the most open economy in Europe. Johnson said: Dont forget [we are] the most open international investment [destination], particularly [for] Chinese investment. We have Chinese companies coming in to do Hinkley, for instance, the big nuclear power plant. Johnsons Interactions With the CCP as Mayor of London In October 2013, Johnson led a trade delegation to China as the then-Mayor of London for a six-day visit. They met with Chinas top entrepreneurs, major investors, and high-ranking officials, hoping to establish a closer cooperative relationship with China. During his term as mayor, he promoted a partnership between London and Shanghai, two financial hubs. On June 17, 2019, the China Securities Regulatory Commission and Financial Conduct Authority of the United Kingdom made a joint announcement of their approval of the new Shanghai-London Stock Connect. On the same day, the inauguration ceremony was held in London. According to the rules, eligible companies listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange would be able to issue global depository receipts (GDRs) to the UK and global investors and apply for them to be listed on the London Stock Exchanges Main Market. Eligible companies listed on the London Stock Exchange would be able to issue Chinese depository receipts (CDRs) to Chinese investors and apply for them to be listed on the Main Board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Some commentators pointed out that the establishment of the Shanghai-London Stock Connect is tantamount to a blood transfusion to support the CCP. Post Brexit UKChina Relations After the Johnson administration left the European Union, it naturally needed to find new trade partners. On the one hand, the UK maintains its friendship with the United States, but its also eager to strengthen economic and trade ties with China. China has become its second-largest trading partner outside the EU. In 2018, the bilateral trade volume between China and Britain was $68.3 billion. From January to Aug. 23, 2019, Chinese companies completed 15 major acquisitions in the UK, worth approximately $8.3 billion, according to the South China Morning Post. For example, Alibabas Ant Financial acquired London-headquartered money transfer company WorldFirst in February. Hillhouse Capital acquired the shares of the Scotch whisky brand Loch Lomond Group for 400 million pounds ($504 million) in June and became its largest shareholder. In September last year, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange attempted to acquire the London Stock Exchange for $36.6 billion, but was rejected. The Hong Kong government is the largest shareholder in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and approves six among its 13 board members. Its foreseeable that, if the acquisition had been successful, the CCP would have had significant influence over the entire European financial market. On Jan. 2, 2020, five sources told Reuters that the Chinese regime temporarily suspended the Shanghai-London Connect plan because of the British stance on Hong Kongs pro-democracy protests and the UKs response to the detention of a former employee of the British Consulate in Hong Kong. The next day, the China Securities Regulatory Commission nonetheless claimed that Shanghai-London Connect was not affected. In fact, the CCP is accustomed to using economic interests as a bargaining chipto coerce Western governments and commercial enterprises to remain silent about the CCPs violation of human rights. Perhaps Johnson has not yet realized that the path of economic and trade cooperation with the CCP is extremely unstable. Any nation that partners with the CCP may be forced to give up its conscience at a certain point. UK Politicians Criticize Johnson and His Family On Feb. 22, 2020, Brexit Party leader Nigel Paul Farage published an article in Newsweek titled, We Didnt Free Britain from Brussels Only to Bow Before Beijing. He opposed Johnsons plan to allow Huawei to help build Britains 5G network and criticized him for inching closer to the CCP in recent years. Sadly, under Boris Johnsons regime, not much appears to have changed. Just look at one of our key strategic industries, British Steel. It appears to have been sold to another Chinese firm, Jingye, despite competitive bids from other parts of the world. I believe that the same establishment that sold out our nation to the European Union is now selling us out to China, Farage wrote. He also pointed out that Johnson has been influenced by many pro-China figures, including members of his own family. Only a couple of weeks ago his father, Stanley, had a 90-minute meeting with the Chinese ambassador to London, Liu Xiaoming. Afterwards, Johnson Snr emailed UK officials outlining Xiaomings worries that his son Boris had failed to send a personal message of support after the coronavirus outbreak. This fascinating insight only became public because Johnson Snr accidentally copied the BBC into his message, Farage wrote. Then there is Boriss younger brother, Jo, who was Britains Universities Minister until 2019. During his time in post, he endorsed the University of Readings partnership with Chinas Nanjing University, which specialises inyou guessed itinformation, science and technology, he added. Farage exposed that the prime ministers step-brother Max also has close ties with the Chinese regime. According to public information, Max Johnson got his MBA from Tsinghua University in Beijing before working for Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong. He is now running his own investment company, which caters to firms that sell products to China. The Epoch Times editorial article, Where Ties With Communist China Are Close, the Coronavirus Follows, points out that countries and regions with close ties to the CCP have been most seriously affected by the CCP virus pandemic. One can only hope that Boris Johnson will learn a lesson from his illness and reflect on his policies. A previous version of this article mischaracterized the recent legislative proposal to exclude Huawei from Britains 5G networks. The Epoch Times regrets the error. Special Coverage: For our latest coverage of the CCP Virus Outbreak, visit our new section and sign up for our daily newsletter. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Unorthodox is a Netflix drama series that came out on Mar. 26 of this year. The limited series portrays the life of a Hasidic Jewish girl named Esty Shapiro. We see her grow up, get married, and thenrun away. The character of Esty is loosely based on a writer named Deborah Feldman. Her 2012 memoir Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots, inspired the scenes in the series set in the Orthodox Jewish community. She says that while many people found her community to be patriarchal, Feldman saw it differently. Women, she says, carry the stories forward. What is the Satmar Jewish community? Deborah Feldman, writer, sitting at home in Berlin with her dog | Christophe Gateau/picture alliance via Getty Images In addition to the four-episode Netflix series, the streaming platform released a short documentary titled Making Unorthodox. The 20-minute show portrays behind-the-scenes tidbits. In the short, Unorthodox co-creator Alexa Karolinski explained that the Satmar Jews, the community that Feldman grew up, is a Hasidic community. Its Brooklyn, New York, founders hail from the town of Satmar, Hungary. Many of them are Holocaust survivors who emigrated to New York after World War II. Unlike many ultra-Orthodox communities, who have their traditions long before the war, the Satmar community did so after the Holocaust. It is founded by people who are struggling with the most immense trauma we can imagine, Feldman contributed in Making Unorthodox. This trauma was a very driving force behind the ideological structures of this community. Because the Satmar Jews are often closed off from mainstream pop culture, Unorthodox was a novel experience for many in this community. People like me never saw ourselves reflected back in the stores told in popular culture, Feldman said in the mini-documentary. Michal Birnbaum, an actress in the series who was also raised in a Hasidic Jewish community, said the series was a powerful experience. I think this is the first show ever to accurately portray the Hasidic community, Birnbaum said. Deborah Felmdan, Unorthodox author on women in her community Many scenes in Unorthodox depict women under the control and influence of menespecially the rabbi. This leads many to believe that the Satmar men run a sexist, oppressive society. Unorthodox still | Anika Molnar/Netflix But in many ways, the author didnt find that to be her experience. She revealed that in an interview with the New York Times. When I married my husband, I just remember being so impressed in a bad way by the fact that he was completely in the grips of his mother, Feldman told the publication. It took him a very long time to free himself from that. The memoir author also recalled experiences in college courses at Sarah Lawrence, which she began taking after she got married. When classmates in a feminist philosophy class told her you left the patriarchy, she found it confusing. She said of her former community that the women in her life were the ones who betrayed her: Well, if I left the patriarchy, where were all the men in this patriarchy? Why were they always bent over books while the people who oppressed me were women? Why was it that the people who hurt me the most were my aunt, mother-in-law, female teachers, the female mikvah attendant, the female Kallah teacher and the female sex therapist? For Feldman, growing up in the Satmar community made her view the men differently than current-day Unorthodox viewers do of the male characters in the series. I had so little interaction with men, and the little I had made me see men as very passive and stuck, she said. Unorthodox memoir author says that women make the story real Deborah Feldman continued on her perspective on men and women in the Times interview. She shared this powerful sentiment: Men tell the story and women make the story real. Women make the story happen. Writer Deborah Feldman and actress Shira Haas as Esty in Unorthodox | Anika Molnar/Netflix On Unorthodox the Netflix limited series, the writer said: The government-imposed lockdown has been ignored by some people, who have paid for permits that allow them to travel around freely reports Sowt Al-Asima. Curfew and travel restrictions were not imposed on everyone, as some were exempted from these measures, including media figures, journalists, members of the local militias and members of the Baath Party. As soon as the new rules were implemented, hundreds of people appeared in every district of Damascus and its countryside, holding permit-cards and conducting official missions. Sources told Sowt Al-Asima that the Minister of Interior, Mohamed Rahmoun, has recently issued instructions to thoroughly check press cards and old work-permits of groups exempted from the curfew decision, indicating that his new instructions came after he saw hundreds of videos for people wandering Damascus neighborhoods at night on the pretext of holding these cards, although not assigned with any official mission. The sources confirmed that several people who have power in ministries, governorates, and security services have started issuing official missions that allow their holders to move freely for 15 days from the date of the permits issuance, indicating that they are signed by governors and ministers or their deputies, in exchange for sums of money amounting to 100,000 Syrian pounds for every mission. The security branches and officers in the Ministry of Interior did not spare the opportunity either, and once the curfew and self-isolation decisions were issued, they imposed royalties on those entering and leaving the city center and set a range of prices and visit durations. In the districts of al-Qazzaz, Sidi Miqdad and Kashkool, the imposed amounts of money ranged between 1,500 to 3,000 Syrian pounds for every person wishing to leave the area for hours to shop for food from the capitals markets. The sources noted that the security patrols stationed in the areas of Sidi Miqdad and Qudsaya suburbs imposed amounts estimated at 25,000 Syrian pounds per family as a price for the final exit from the area. Meanwhile, the military checkpoints stationed at the entrances and exits of the capital towards the cities and towns of Damascus countryside, raised the value of the royalties paid by drivers of freight cars specialized in transporting goods to 5,000 Syrian pounds for a smaller vehicle, and 10,000 pounds for large trucks, especially those heading to Qudsaya, Maaraba, Sahnaya and Mouadamiya Sham. Notably, before the ban, every vehicle had to pay only 1,000 Syrian pounds. Sowt Al-Asima revealed earlier, through several sources in different areas of the capital Damascus and its countryside, that curfew and travel restriction measures were not applied in all areas and on all people, indicating that there were exceptions made without official permits as soon as the measures were announced. Police and criminal security personnel assigned to monitor the implementation of curfew decisions and deal with violators arrested nearly 500 people in Damascus during the first two days, while the Ministry of Interior revealed the arrest of 135 violators, however, according to residents in the capital, the measures were not imposed on everyone equally. 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. Terming Phagwara-based Lovely Professional University's attitude as extremely callous and irresponsible in handling the case of a 21-year-old, corona-positive woman hosteller and keeping itself open, the Punjab government has sought the varsity's explanation over the breach of lockdown orders. The LPU violated the government of India's lockdown orders under the Epidemic Act and section 144 of Cr P C for closure of the educational institutes across the country, the state government said, asking the varsity to explain why the no objection certificate given to it should not be revoked. The notice, issued on Thursday, sought to remind the LPU that Punjab's Higher Ministry had on March 13 ordered suspension of all kinds of teaching work in all institutions, including the private ones. Confirming that LPU was issued a show cause notice on Thursday, Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner Deepti Uppal said a copy of the same was received by her on Friday. In the notice, the state's Higher and Language Department asked LPU, which also has several foreign students on its rolls, to explain within seven days why the NOC issued to it should not be revoked for violating the government orders and endangering the lives of 3,200 people, and many more. The notice said the Punjab higher minister had also ordered the suspension of teaching in all institutions, including the private ones, on March 13. It has now come to light that in spite of the instructions, ignoring the gravity of the situation and jeopardising the lives of about 3,200 people and thousands of others to which infection can spread, you did not shut down completely, it said. Considering the highly infectious nature of the disease and despite the fact that there was sufficient time for you to send all students to their respective homes from March 13 to March 22, you continued with the functioning of the university and its hostels and made no efforts to send them to their homes, the notice said. The notice said, It might be argued by you that the movement of students was not possible in the light of the complete lockdown. But, there is no denying the fact that norms about maintaining social distancing were flouted and the administration was informed that the university was shut and vacated, while that was not the case. It is amply clear that you did not pay any heed to instructions of the district administration on March 23 and kept it in dark, the government told the LPU authorities. When the world is battling this deadly virus and the only remedy is the complete isolation, your administration threw all instructions to the winds and put hundreds of lives at risk, it added. Referring to the case of 21-year-old Maharashtra student testing positive on April 12, the notice said, There was a corona positive case in your institution and that too was not handled in right earnest. The university authorities did not cooperate with the district administration and the Health Department in sending the patient to hospital. It is clear from above that your conduct and response of the university have been extremely callous and irresponsible, said the strongly-worded notice. At present, the student is undergoing treatment at Kapurthala civil hospital. The notice also mentioned that the issue of the university functioning despite the lockdown had been raised by some dignitaries. Former Union minister and ex-Hoshiarpur BJP MP Vijay Sampla and Kapurthala ruling party MLA Rana Gurjeett Singh had taken up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Amarinder Singh respectively earlier this week. LPU Additional Director Aman Mittal, however, could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TDT | Manama Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) secretary-general Dr. Mustafa Al Sayed announced yesterday the launch of an online donation platform. This is part of the national efforts led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), and in implementation of the directives of His Majesty the Kings Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs representative, National Security Advisor and RHF Board of Trustees chairman His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa. RHF is now accepting donations from businesses and individuals in support of national efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 via its website rco.gov. bh. Al Sayed noted that the Feena Khair campaign was launched in response to growing requests from individuals and entities across the private sector who wish to make monetary contributions to the national efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus. Businesses and individuals who wish to donate by bank transfer should use the following account details: Account Name: MOFNE THE NATIONAL EFFORT TO COMBAT THE CORONAVIRUS COVID 19 IBAN: BH66 NBOB 0000 0082 1093 70 National Bank of Bahrain. Al Sayed welcomed the ongoing cooperation between the public and private sectors, and their shared commitment to safeguarding the well-being of citizens and residents which serves to underline Bahrains united stand against COVID-19. The first WhatsApp message from Cuba asking whether my family and I were all right in New Jersey took me by surprise. Internet access in Havana is limited and very expensive, and the typical Cubans I came to know as I researched a book over the past few years have rarely kept in touch. Im usually the one reaching out, worried about how theyre handling hurricanes, government crackdowns or critical shortages of food and medicine. But not now. The news from New York is really bad, one couple wrote, and were worried about you. That happened just days before life in New York came to a screeching halt a month ago. Cuban officials had yet to admit that any people there were infected, and I assumed that whatever their citizens had been told about us probably had made conditions here seem worse than they were. It wouldnt have taken much. Cubans generally belittle our health care system, compared with their own, and I know that the Communist Partys newspaper, Granma, never misses a chance to condemn Yanquis, as they call us. Already, the paper had published an article putting the blame for the growing pandemic on an American plot to weaken our enemies. Small wonder, in a way, because this time such propaganda had more than a little fact with which to back it up. According to the Cuban government, a big donation of masks and medical equipment from a foundation headed by the Chinese billionaire Jack Ma couldnt be delivered because the airline that was supposed to bring in the supplies feared prosecution under the six-decade old American embargo on commerce with Cuba. Indeed, the Trump administration was ignoring calls from the United Nations and human rights organizations to temporarily lift such sanctions during the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis. EQS Group-Ad-hoc: Medacta Group SA / Key word(s): AGMEGM Medacta announces pay cuts to BoD and GEM members and publishes 2020 AGM invitation 17-Apr-2020 / 19:48 CET/CEST Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 KR The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Press Release Medacta announces pay cuts to Board of Directors and Group Executive Management members and publishes 2020 AGM invitation - BOD and GEM decided voluntary to reduce their 2020 annual compensation to soften the economic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic; - Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on 19 May 2020 at the headquarters in Castel San Pietro, Switzerland, in accordance with the COVID-19-Ordinance 2. CASTEL SAN PIETRO, 17 April 2020 - Ing. Francesco Siccardi, CEO of Medacta, says "The COVID-19 Outbreak is heavily impacting all of us and is rapidly evolving around the world, we must respond to this Coronavirus pandemic with every action within our control to protect our business. In this regard, I would like to thank our members of the Board of Directors (BoD) and Group Executive Management (GEM) to agree in reducing their 2020 compensation and further extend the measures in place to fight this crisis". 2020 pay cuts to Board of Directors and Group Executive Management members To further respond at the pandemic and soften the financial impact in our business, both the Board of Directors and the Group Executive Management decided to cut their 2020 total compensation. Our Founder and Chairman of the BoD, Dr. Alberto Siccardi and our Chief Executive Officer Ing. Francesco Siccardi decided to reduce their 2020 total compensation by 50%. The other members of the BoD and GEM will reduce their total compensation by 20%. Medacta publishes 2020 AGM invitation Medacta Group SA will hold its AGM on 19 May 2020 in accordance with the provisions as stipulated in the Ordinance of the Federal Council of Switzerland on the policies for fighting the coronavirus (COVID-19-Ordinance 2). Accordingly, shareholders are not allowed to attend the Annual General Meeting in person. Shareholders will only be able to vote their shares by giving a power of attorney and related voting instructions to the independent proxy, either by returning the proxy form or by exercising their voting rights online as per the instructions provided in the invitation letter. The Board is proposing the re-election of Dr. Alberto Siccardi as Chairman of the Board of Directors. All current board members stand for re-election, except for Mr. Marco Gadola as previously communicated. The Board is also proposing the election of the members of the Remuneration Committee and the approval of the compensation for the member of the Board of Directors and the Group Executive Management. Further motions include the election for the financial year 2020 of the Independent Proxy Holder and Auditors. All details on the motions can be found in the invitation to the Annual General Meeting 2020 at https://www.medacta.com/EN/agm. Contact Medacta Group SA Corrado Farsetta, CFO Phone: +41 91 696 60 60 investor.relations@medacta.ch About Medacta: Medacta is an international company specializing in the design and production of innovative orthopaedic products and the development of accompanying surgical techniques for joint replacement, spine surgery, and sports medicine. Established in 1999 in Switzerland, Medacta's products and surgical techniques are characterized by innovation. Medacta is a pioneer in developing new offerings on the basis of minimally invasive surgical techniques, in particular its Anterior Minimally Invasive Surgery ("AMIS") technique for hip replacements. Medacta has leveraged its orthopaedic expertise and comprehensive understanding of the human body to develop the sophisticated "MySolutions" technology, which offers surgeons highly personalized pre-operative planning and implant placement methodologies by creating advanced personalized kinematic models and 3D planning tools for use in hip, knee, shoulder and spine procedures. The RBI may also clarify if the three-moratorium applies to non-banking finance companies as well. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das will address the media at 10 am on 17 April. This would be the RBI Governor's second press briefing since the COVID-19 outbreak began in India. In his previous address on March 27, Das had announced a rate cut of 75 basis points. On 27 March, Das had announced a massive 75 basis points cut in repo rates as a measure to counter the economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The reverse repo rate has been cut by 90 basis points to 4 percent. Das said this has been done to make it unattractive for banks to passively deposit funds with the RBI and instead lend it to the productive sectors. The RBI governor has said that all banking institutions can offer three-month moratorium on all loans for a period of three months. The RBI has also allowed banks to restructure the working capital cycle for companies without worrying that these will have to be classified as NPA. On 17 April (today), it is expected the Governor may announce further liquidity measures to help the economy. The central bank may also clarify if the three-moratorium applies to non-banking finance companies as well. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), headed by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das, was originally scheduled for 31 March, 1, 3 April 2020, but was advanced in view of the coronavirus pandemic. After the three-day meeting which ended on 27 March, the RBI reduced the key policy rate by 75 basis points. The death toll in New Jersey from the coronavirus pandemic continued its steady ascent on Thursday, reaching 3,518 with 75,317 positive tests, according to state figures. State officials on Thursday reported 362 new fatalities and 4,391 new positive tests. Thats the third straight day of 300 or more deaths, though the state says delays in confirming the virus in patients after they die means not all of those occurred in the previous 24 hours. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage The number of deaths in N.J. from COVID-19 now exceeds the number of residents who died in World War I. Is the above chart not displaying? Click here. For just the second time in the 13 days since the state began releasing numbers, the total number of hospitalizations in N.J. dropped from the previous day. On Thursday, 8,224 people were hospitalized, down 46 from the day prior. Is the above chart not displaying properly? Click here. Also on Thursday, Gov. Phil Murphy extended the closure of all N.J. schools through at least May 15. He originally ordered the closures on March 18 for two weeks before extending for the first time to April 17. Let me be perfectly clear: There is nobody who wants to open the schools more than I do, Murphy said. I cant do that right now. Is the above chart not displaying properly? Click here. 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. Nick Devlin is a reporter on the data & investigations team. He can be reached at ndevlin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @nickdevlin. Chances of getting placed in top-class company Strong international community to offer world-class teaching and research Numerous courses, research programs, and professional diplomas Affordable and reasonable fee structure A better way to discover the countries and your potentials Final Words To summarize all the benefits of studying in European countries, it can be said that various courses offered by the top-notch institution of advanced education are a better way to start your career. If you have high expectations and want to achieve high academic experience, you can easily go for registering yourself in the college of Europe for developed education without even thinking twice. Just imagine all the great experiences that can be gained by studying abroad campus. Surely, you will never regret your decision. Along with textbooks knowledge, students get unlimited chances to discover themselves and the country. Studying in Europe is all about living life happily. It does not mean only attending boring lectures or spending the whole time in the library surrounded by books, it is about learning the cultures of different countriesand having fun along with studies.the main focus of these European nations is to make tutoring affordablefor students, thus colleges always offer quality education along with reasonable living facilities. Across Europe, fee structure and prices of various courses are much better than any other destination. Apart from this, scholars even receive scholarships and free edification from top universities depending on the terms and conditions. This makes learners feel confident and motivated to focus more on their studies.The best part of getting higher education in Europe is that it offers numerous choices to students. With the availability of 1000 + universities across Europe and research institutions, pupils can choose the degree or course according to their suitability and experience they want to enjoy.Although most of the campuses in Europe offer professional courses only in the English language but you can also go for the universities that offer these programs in other languages. There are 24 official languages all over the world and thus you can choose the college which offers the course in your language.Due to these reasons, students often visit Europe to get the degree they want to. Everyone deserves to get the best and that is why Europe always offers the best education to its apprentices.Fee structure and costs of courses are the main things that make a student go for the course hewants to study in Europe. Students often compare the cost of courses available in different universities and always choose the one which is available at the most reasonable prices. Thus, after comparing different courses offered by 1000+ academies in the countries of Europe, it has been noticed that these countries invest more in the teaching system as compared to others.The courses are available at the best prices and offer many other facilities to undergraduatesfree of cost. Also, along with tutoring expenses, living cost is more suitable here than in othercountries.The decision of going to abroad and getting higher learning depends on various factors. Students need to compare many things before deciding the country and university to gain international study experience. This is because this will have a great impact on their future and thus it is better to go for European universities. Here are some points that will surely make you think over it: Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The global automotive brake system market is anticipated to witnessing a substantial growth due to fresh prospects of the automotive industry in emerging along with developing economies and increased safety concerns by the government. It was stated in the report that the overall growth of the market is expected to reach a market value of above US$ XX Billion through 2026, exhibiting a strong XXof CAGR throughout 2017-2026. In modern cars mostly two kinds of brakes are used which are drum brakes and disc brakes. Every new car has disc brakes on the front wheels, whereas the rear wheels may possibly use whichever drum or disc brakes. Of these, the disc brakes category has a comparatively bigger share in the overall market during 2017 and will account for a market evaluation of US$ XX Billion for the duration of the forecast 2018 to 2026. On the other hand, the expansion rate for the drum brakes segment will be on the climb in the approaching years. Report For Report Sample with Table of Contents@ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/3550 In terms of the sales channel, the worldwide market is categorized into aftermarket and OEM. The OEM category reflects a revenue share of about fourth-fifth and will foresee a remarkable XX CAGR for the duration of the assessment, 2017-2025. The aftermarket category is relatively a lot smaller and consists the share of residual revenue in the worldwide market for the duration of the assessment. By, vehicle type, the worldwide market is categorized into premium passenger cars, heavy commercial vehicles, light commercial vehicles, luxury passenger cars, compact passenger cars, and mid-sized passenger cars. Of these, the compact cars will have the benefit of being trouble-free to maneuver together with being undemanding on the wallet at the fuel pump. Therefore, it isnt astounding to acknowledge that compact cars will expand market share for the duration of the assessment. The mid-size car category abides by compact cars on the basis of popularity, however, are yet probable to lose market share. The advanced technologies used in the modern cars are electronic stability control (ESC), anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and traction control system (TCS). Europe to foresee a lucrative market with the highest contribution and the companies in the market are proposed to centralize their efforts on this region with lucrative prospects for a good ROI. With the market in Europe, the companies are trying to center on APEJ or North America, since both the regions will have worldwide market evaluations valuing billions of dollars for the duration of the assessment. Request For Report Discount@ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/discount/3550 The foremost market players active in the worldwide market are Continental AG, Robert Bosch GmbH, Wabco Holdings, Inc., ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Aisin Seiki Co, Ltd., Knorr-Bremse AG, Akebono Brake Industry Co. Ltd., TRW Automotive Holdings Corp., Halla Mando Corp., Brembo S.P.A. and others. Make an Inquiry before Buying@ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/checkout/3550/Single Sean Rayford/Getty In a sign of how the ground has shifted domestically when it comes to Israeli politics, the progressive-minded Israel advocacy group J Street announced its first ever presidential endorsement on Friday. And its recipient, former Vice President Joe Biden, eagerly embraced it. Im honored to have earned J Streets first-ever presidential endorsement, Biden said in a statement sent to The Daily Beast. J Street has been a powerful voice to advance social justice here at home, and to advocate for a two-state solution that advances Middle East Peace. I share with J Streets membership an unyielding dedication to the survival and security of Israel, and an equal commitment to creating a future of peace and opportunity for Israeli and Palestinian children alike. Thats what we have to keep working towardand what Ill do as President with J Streets support. Founded in 2007 as a philosophical counterweight to more reflexively pro-Israeli government advocacy organizations like AIPAC, J Street was, for a time, treated as a creature of the liberal foreign policy diasporaan institution that intellectuals were fine embracing but mainstream Democratic politicians kept at a safe distance. That has changed in recent years as public opinion among Democrats has turned more sour on Benjamin Netanyahus government, particularly as it trashed Barack Obamas Iran nuclear deal and cozied up to Donald Trump. Today, J Street finds itself to the ideological right of a good chunk of the current Jewish left. Biden, more a traditionalist on U.S.-Israel relations, has resisted some of those tectonic shifts. He was one of the few presidential candidates this year who declined to skip addressing AIPACs forum. Hes criticized the BDS movement and has said he would not move the U.S. Embassy back to Tel Aviv after Trump relocated it to Jerusalem. But his embrace of the J Streets endorsement is being hailed by the group as evidence of its own growth on the domestic political landscape. Story continues The alignment in the Democratic Party and the shift of the conversation on our issues allows us to feel really great about lining up behind someone like Joe Biden, said Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Streets president. Asked if he felt that shift had occurred even within the last four years, since J Street passed on endorsing Hillary Clinton, Ben-Ami conceded that it probably had. Whether or not it is the moment or the candidates, there has been a shift, he said. Politics is different in 2020 than it was in 2016, and this issue is no exception. The way the politics in Israel has moved so far right and the way Trump has embraced whats going on there has created a lot more space for Democratic candidates. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. An encounter broke out between security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Friday, police said. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Dairoo area of Shopian in south Kashmir on Friday following specific information about the presence of militants there, a police official said. He said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants fired upon security forces, who retaliated. The gunfight is on, the official said, adding further details are awaited. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) LONDON, April 16 (Reuters) - Investor demand fell to a four-week low at two auctions of British government bonds on Thursday, though remained high by historic standards, as the country continued with its plan to issue a record volume of bonds this month. Investors bid for 2.40 times the 2 billion pounds ($2.50 billion) on offer of the 30-year benchmark 1.75% 2049 gilt , and 2.38 times the 3 billion pounds of the 1.5% 2026 gilt , both the weakest bid-to-cover ratios since March 19. Typical bid-to-cover ratios at British gilt auctions are normally just over 2, and gilt prices were little moved by the auction results, with benchmark 10-year gilt yields up 1 basis point on the day at 0.31%, in line with German Bunds. The average yield received by successful bidders at the six-year gilt auction was a record low for a conventional bond at 0.117%, reflecting the global fall in government borrowing costs due to the weaker economic outlook caused by the coronavirus. British government bond prices and demand at auctions has been supported by the Bank of England's commitment to buy 200 billion pounds of assets, mostly gilts, over the next few months as part of its quantitative easing programme. This support comes at a time when Britain is expected to need to borrow record amounts to fund government programmes to reduce the economic impact of shutdowns to slow the spread of COVID-19. The United Kingdom Debt Management Office already plans to issue 45 billion pounds of debt in April - a monthly record - and will set out new full-year borrowing plans next week. ($1 = 0.8012 pounds) (Reporting by David Milliken; editing by Alistair Smout) NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (left) and Doug Hurley rehearse their Demo-2 test flight on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceflight ahead of a May 27, 2020 launch to the International Space Station. The first flight of NASA astronauts from U.S. soil in nearly nine years finally has a launch date: May 27. The mission will launch astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft in a final test flight for NASA. The mission, Demo-2, will mark NASA's first crew launch from American soil since the agency's space shuttle fleet retired in July 2011. Liftoff is set for 4:32 p.m. EDT (2032 GMT) from historic Launch Pad 39A the same site used for NASA's Apollo and shuttle missions at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. "On May 27, will once again launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil!" NASA chief Jim Bridenstine wrote on Twitter in an announcement today (April 17). Related: SpaceX Crew Dragon arrives at launch site for historic Demo-2 flight Infographic: How SpaceX's Crew Dragon space capsule works The Demo-2 mission will use a Falcon 9 rocket (also built by SpaceX) to launch Benhken and Hurley on the first crewed test flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft. NASA has not set a specific duration for the mission, describing it only as "an extended stay at the space station," in an announcement. Once the mission is complete, Behnken and Hurley will return to Earth with a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean, off Florida's east coast, to be retrieved by a SpaceX recovery ship. SpaceX launched its first uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station in March 2019. While that flight, called Demo-1, was a success, the capsule used on the mission was destroyed a month later during ground-based tests of the abort engine designed to protect astronauts during a launch emergency. SpaceX has since fixed the abort engine issue and launched a successful in-flight abort test in January of this year. The company has also completed a series of successful parachute tests, setting the stage for the Demo-2 launch. SpaceX is one of two commercial companies tapped by NASA to fly astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The other company is Boeing, which is developing its own Starliner spacecraft and launched an uncrewed test flight in December that failed to reach the station due to software issues. Boeing plans to fly a second uncrewed test flight for NASA before launching astronauts. NASA picked SpaceX and Boeing as its space taxi providers in 2014, initially awarding $2.6 billion to SpaceX and $4.2 billion to Boeing to develop the new spacecraft. NASA's investment in both companies has increased over the years, with SpaceX receiving more than $3.1 billion for Crew Dragon's development and six operational crewed flights to the station, according to Spaceflight Now. NASA has already named the crew for the first operational Crew Dragon mission to follow the Demo-2 launch. That flight would launch NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Jr., Shannon Walker and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi to the space station sometime after Demo-2. Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Instagram. Sometimes paramedics dont wear seatbelts. The medic seat in the back is across the ambulance from the stretcher, and with a seatbelt you can only reach the arm of the patient: not the head, not the chest. Being a paramedic is seen as an ambulance blaring through a red light, or the urgency of CPR, or rushing the stretcher into the hospital. There is more to it, of course. Much more. But in the pandemic, everything changed. Nothing is an emergency anymore, said one Ontario paramedic, who like the other paramedics in this piece asked their name not be used so they could speak frankly. Not in this situation. Usually when something sounds like an emergency, someone is in cardiac arrest, trauma, etc., we move pretty quick, the paramedic said. We cant do that now. Putting on all the (personal protective equipment, or PPE) properly takes time, and for us could be a matter of life and death as far as our safety goes. So we dont rush. It might take a few minutes to get to a patients side now. Those minutes might alter the outcome for that patient but selfishly, our safety is our number one priority. So nothing is an emergency for us. Everything slows down. As hospitals hold but long-term-care homes are ravaged, paramedics are another front line in the battle with COVID-19. The system is hanging together, though there remains PPE rationing everywhere, mixed with stress and fear. And for paramedics, a societal emergency has made nothing urgent. One Hamilton paramedic estimated ordinary response times would be two to eight minutes, but that its between five and 15 minutes within city limits. Were all shocked by how our care has to change, said another paramedic in the Peel region. PPE slows us down. My partner has to take off her stuff and wash before she gets in the front to drive. That means she cant get in the back to help when I need a hand or something changes. We would typically stop on the side of the road to fix an issue: troubleshoot an airway, defibrillate. Were also having to consider the public when we arrive at a hospital. I cant put the people on the sidewalk at risk, like the security walking to get a coffee as I roll by doing CPR. Treatment has to stop so I dont spread droplets, until we find a safe place to work again. Many say the practice of even attempting CPR has almost stopped, and that firefighters have pulled back their response to cardiac events. CPR has a very low chance of success at the best of times some studies say less than 10 per cent outside a hospital, and some peg it lower and a high chance of potential infection. But more, patients who might be borderline resuscitation cases are often being pronounced dead at the hospital. Transporting the pulseless patients feels pointless. The chances of surviving arent there, said the Peel paramedic. Too much risk. Medicine to get them to discharge with any quality of life usually takes weeks; those systems dont exist now. The resources in hospital are quickly disappearing. The chance of getting COVID while in hospital is increasing. The majority of my patients are COVID symptoms plus something else. COVID and a fall. COVID and drunk. COVID and cancer. COVID and anxiety attack. Medics have understood the daily risks of our job: seatbelts, assaults, regular infections, mental health and suicide. Its worse now. Protocols keep changing. Support from superintendents is often seen as distant. Every single moment, PPE has to be a focus; it is exhausting. Its true we knew the risks: thats why I feel for grocery store workers, said the Hamilton paramedic. They didnt sign up for this. If its overwhelming all of us, I cant imagine how its directly affecting people like them. Often its just my partner and I, since the fire department has stopped responding to cardiac arrests in the usual way, said an Ottawa paramedic. We know that some of us will get sick; we know there is a chance some of us may die. I cant imagine being a paramedic near the end of their career, the men and women in their 50s or early 60s. I have a new heightened awareness of my own mortality and vulnerability, and Im young and healthy. And then there are the vulnerable cases: one paramedic talks about three tradesmen he found in separate homes: one drunk and sick with the coronavirus, one so sick he had passed out and fallen down the stairs. He figured they had been working in Ontario construction, or doing jobs for cash. They also know that any COVID patient might never see their family again, and those conversations can be hard. The minor calls, relatively speaking, which go up with people afraid to go to hospitals, and still put paramedics at risk, feel even more enervating in a pandemic. Compassion fatigue, said the Ontario paramedic, is a real thing. Im not someone who experiences job stress very easily, thankfully. But the emotional toll is pretty high. I think its getting perilously close to a flood of burnouts, said the Hamilton paramedic. Like a storm. One paramedic says he was taught in school that most of them last an average of seven years. As in policing and the military, the job already produced divorces, drinking, all the dimensions of damage. Many paramedics talk about how to leave the profession, but its hard when you are well-paid and get time off. Thats harder to do now. Everything is harder. They walk up to the house, to the sidewalk, to the emergency, and they stop. They put on the gear. The virus could be anywhere. Like every health-care worker, they live in that space every day. I slept alone for the first three weeks, said the Peel paramedic, who has two children. Showering at work, not touching my family, bleaching anything I touched. I broke. I couldnt do it anymore. I can fight this virus for a few months. We can rally and battle. I cannot fight in these trenches for years. Maybe they wont have to. But they are tiptoeing through the plague in the glare of the lights, seatbelts on, robbed of urgency. They, like so many of us, are trying to survive. The latest news on the COVID-19 global pandemic (all times Eastern): Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/4/2020 (634 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The latest news on the COVID-19 global pandemic (all times Eastern): 8:15 p.m. 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, orange, emerging from the surface of cells, gray, cultured in the lab. Also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus causes COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-NIAID-RML via AP British Columbia is reporting 43 new COVID-19 cases, but no new deaths. A joint statement from Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says B.C. now has a total of 1,618 COVID-19 cases. The statement says 119 people are in hospital with 52 of those people in intensive care. It says 966 people have recovered from COVID-19. Earlier Friday, Henry and Dix released modelling data showing B.C. is flattening the COVID-19 curve to the point where plans are underway to loosen some provincial restrictions. --- 7:10 p.m. Yukon has recorded another infection of COVID-19, bringing the territory's total to nine cases. Yukon chief medical health officer Dr. Brendan Hanley says the infection of the person in Whitehorse is related to international travel and contact tracing is underway. A statement from the territory says there has been no known community transmission and it expects to find fewer infections because of the border restrictions recently introduced. The territory beefed up its border control measure on Friday, giving enforcement officers stationed at Yukon's boundaries the legal authority to deny non-essential travellers from entering. --- 6:30 p.m. Saskatchewan's chief medical health says there are more cases of COVID-19 in the province's long-term care homes. Dr. Saqib Shahab says a second staff member at an assisted living facility in Regina has tested positive for COVID-19 and three residents are showing symptoms. He also says there's an outbreak in the northern Saskatchewan community of La Loche tied to an assisted living centre. The province updated its public health orders to say long-term and personal care homes should ensure staff only work at one facility. Staff already have to have their temperatures checked before entering a facility. --- 6 p.m. Alberta is reporting no new deaths today from COVID-19. But Premier Jason Kenney says there have been 239 new infections. That brings the total number of cases in Alberta to 2,397. The total number of fatalities in the province remains at 50. Kenney says 1,124 people have so far recovered. --- 4:18 p.m. The Saskatchewan government says the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to a $3.3 billion decline in provincial revenue. Officials have released projections based on different scenarios where revenue declines range from $1.3 billion to $3.3 billion. Finance Minister Donna Harpauer says it's still unclear how long restrictions on public interaction will be in place. Meanwhile, officials announced one new and one presumptive case of the virus bringing the total in Saskatchewan to 307. It says 228 people have recovered and four have died. --- 3:30 p.m. Transport Canada says that starting Monday, people flying to or from Canadian airports will have to have masks to contain their germs. Minister Marc Garneau says that starting at noon on April 20, passengers won't be allowed to board planes unless they have non-medical face coverings, to try to slow the spread of COVID-19. They'll only have to wear the masks when they have to be close to others, such as at screening points or if the planes are crowded. Masks are being encouraged for passengers on boats, ferries, trains and buses but aren't being made mandatory. --- 2:30 p.m. The latest health models examining British Columbia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic show the province has managed to "flatten the curve," slowing the spread of the virus. Officials say B.C.'s rate of cases of the new coronavirus is below expected levels and well below those recorded in Italy or in China's Hubei province, where the virus was first reported. Henry says the data shows early implementation of measures such as social distancing allowed B.C. to cut the number of cases of the illness. She says B.C. is experiencing a slowing of the rate of infections but warns the "new normal" will include continued public health restrictions for at least the next several months. --- 2:27 p.m. Manitoba health officials say there are no new COVID-19 cases in the province, leaving the total at 250. For the first time, the number of recovered cases has surpassed the number of active cases. Five people have died in Manitoba since the pandemic began, and eight are currently in hospital. --- 2:20 p.m. Ontario is making free emergency child care available for more workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Education Minister Stephen Lecce says that in addition to previously announced spaces for health-care workers, first responders and correctional officers, another 11,300 spots could be needed under the expansion. Workers who will be eligible now include staff in developmental services, victim services, violence against women services, children's aid societies, probation and parole officers, staff in homeless shelters, power workers, RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency officers, and Canada Post employees. Lecce did not give any indication if school closures will be extended beyond May 4, but says Ontario has partnered with Rogers Communications and Apple to send more than 21,000 iPads with free wireless data to families in need to help with at-home learning. --- 2 p.m. Environmental groups are praising the federal government's oilpatch bailout, saying it helps people and not polluters. Merran Smith of Clean Energy Canada says the $1.7 billion plan to clean up abandoned energy facilities and $750 million to reduce methane emissions shows the Liberals remain committed to their environmental program. Keith Stewart of Greenpeace says the program will put people back to work, but he warns the money should include conditions to ensure taxpayers aren't stuck with future environmental liabilities. --- 1:45 p.m. The Quebec government is appealing to people who have recently lost their jobs because of the pandemic to lend a hand in farm fields. Premier Francois Legault says the province will be announcing a program this afternoon to make the work more attractive by adding $100 a week to what farmers pay their workers. He says he knows the work is not easy but it could be "a beautiful experience" for many Quebecers. Legault also says it is possible to maintain a distance of two metres from other when working on farms. --- 1:40 p.m. Health officials in New Brunswick aren't reporting any new cases of COVID-19 today and they say three more patients have recovered from the virus. The province's total number of confirmed cases sits at 117, including 83 patients who have recovered. Five people remain in hospital, three of them in intensive care. --- 1:20 p.m. Quebec is reporting a total of 16,798 cases and 58 more COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the provincial toll to 688. Premier Francois Legault says while 1,076 people are hospitalized, with 207 of those in intensive care, the COVID-19 situation in Quebec is largely stable outside the Montreal area. Legault said he's been considering what he could have done since becoming premier to have avoided the situation in the province's hard-hit long-term care homes that are dealing with a severe lack of staffing. He says if he could do it again, he would have raised the salaries of orderlies more quickly. --- 12:50 p.m. Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting four new cases of COVID-19. The province's total number of confirmed cases now stands at 256. Health officials say seven people remain in hospital, three of them in intensive care. The viral infection has claimed three lives in the easternmost province. --- 12:45 p.m. Prince Edward Island is reporting no new cases of COVID-19 Friday, leaving the provincial total at 26 cases. Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison says 23 of those cases are considered recovered. She says public health measures being followed by Islanders are working and encouraged people to continue to follow the measures. --- 12:35 p.m. The federal government is planning virtual Canada Day celebrations in place of the traditional gathering on Parliament Hill. It is working with Canadian artists to put together a program, and promises more details soon. --- 12:30 p.m. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will provide $500 million in support to the arts, culture and sports sectors through Heritage Canada. The move comes as part of broader efforts to support creative industries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Trudeau says those industries "continue to make us dream, particularly in dark times." More details on the financial support are expected to be outlined today by Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault. --- 12:25 p.m. Health authorities in Nova Scotia have confirmed a fourth person in the province has died from complications caused by COVID-19. The latest victim is a woman in her 80s from Cape Breton. The province now has 606 confirmed cases, with 27 cases added to the list on Friday. Eleven individuals are in hospital five in intensive care and 177 have now recovered. --- 12:20 p.m. The Senate will not resume sitting until June 2 at the earliest. The office of the Speaker of the upper chamber says the decision was taken as part of the Senate's efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Senate was slated to return on Tuesday. Negotiations continue among the major parties as to whether and exactly how the House of Commons will resume Monday. --- 11:50 a.m. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is suggesting Parliament sit one day a week to support democratic principles while respecting public-health advice during the pandemic. The Conservatives want four days a week of in-person sittings, potentially supplemented by eventual virtual meetings. The four main parties in the House of Commons are locked in negotiations to determine if and how Parliament resumes on Monday, the deadline set for it to reconvene following its adjournment in mid-March. --- 11:35 a.m. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will support work in the oil and gas sector by spending $1.7 billion to help clean up "orphaned wells." He says restoring abandoned oil and gas wells is good for the environment, for landowners who have to contend with them, and for thousands of workers the effort will employ. The federal government is also creating a $700-million fund to cut methane emissions. Trudeau says more assistance is coming for workers in the arts and other sectors as well. --- 11:30 a.m. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is sending military assistance to Quebec. He says 125 members of the Canadian Armed Forces with medical expertise will travel to the province to support the province's long-term care facilities. --- 10:50 a.m. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says his party isnt satisfied with the governments response to a proposal to have Parliament sit virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tories have asked for a few sittings a week, with just a few MPs in the House of Commons sitting at least two metres apart. The Liberals are proposing virtual sittings with all MPs. Speaking at a press conference this morning, Scheer says there is no reason that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet ministers cant stand in the House of Commons to answer questions when they hold daily press briefings. --- 10:50 a.m. Ontario is reporting 564 new COVID-19 cases today, with 55 new deaths. It's the largest single-day increase of cases, though the growth rate is still holding steady at around six per cent. Ontario has now seen 9,525 cases, with nearly half now resolved, and including 478 deaths. The number of patients in hospital with COVID-19 grew from 807 to 829, but the numbers of people in intensive care and on ventilators remained steady. --- 9:20 a.m. Quebec's political parties have agreed to adjourn the legislature until May 5 amid the COVID-19 epidemic. At the beginning of the outbreak, the government had set April 21 as a date to resume sitting. The request for an extension came from the governing Coalition Avenir Quebec and was agreed to by the three other main parties at the national assembly. The parties have also agreed to hold virtual parliamentary committee hearings between April 24 and May 1 that will feature several cabinet ministers, including Health Minister Danielle McCann. --- 9:10 a.m. An Ontario health-care union says a personal support worker at a Toronto long-term care home has died from COVID-19. SEIU Healthcare says their member of 31 years was a caring and compassionate worker, and her death is a reminder of the very real dangers front-line health workers are facing. The woman worked at Sienna Altamont Care Community in east Toronto. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has issued a letter to principals and directors of colleges asking them to be aware of fake news. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has issued a letter to principals and directors of colleges asking them to be aware of fake news. AICTE has asked colleges to not believe in fake news being spread on social media through WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook etc. Colleges have been told to refer to official websites for all matters related to classes, exams, entrance tests, admissions, fee payment, dates and approvals among others. AICTE tweeted about it too, urging colleges to maintain social distancing from fake news during the coronavirus lockdown. Earlier, AICTE had shared a public notice by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Twitter. The NTA notice alerted people about a fake circular which was doing rounds on social media regarding rescheduling of JEE (Main) exam to the first week of July 2020. The AICTE had on April 15 issued instructions to institutes and colleges regarding payment of fees and payment of salary to faculty members. In the notification, the technical body directed colleges not to demand fees from students during the lockdown period. It asked colleges to display information in this regard on their website. On reports of institutes not paying faculty members, AICTE said salaries must be disbursed for the duration of the lockdown. It added that any orders for termination of faculty or staff members during the lockdown period need to be withdrawn. Georgia has announced a nationwide ban on driving cars and other private vehicles beginning at noon on April 17 as an additional measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The ban will last until April 21, said government spokesman Irakli Chikovani. It excludes freight transport vehicles and delivery cars. Chikovani said the decision was made to mitigate the active stage of the virus spread and because of intensive traffic despite restrictions. He also predicted a significant rise in the number of cases in the coming weeks and reiterated the governments appeal to citizens to stay at home. The country has reported 348 cases of infection by the virus and three deaths from COVID-19, the disease it causes, according to the Johns Hopkins University database. Georgia already is under a state of emergency set to last until May 10. It includes a curfew starting at 9 p.m. and ending at 6 a.m. Grocery stores and pharmacies remain open, but nonessential shops along with restaurants, cafes, and petrol stations have been closed. Chikovani warned that unless Georgians observe state-of-emergency restrictions, the government might have to beef up lockdown measures by imposing a complete quarantine. Two additional measures that take effect on April 17 are a requirement to wear face masks inside all buildings open to the public and the closure of public cemeteries, Chikovani added. Based on reporting by Reuters and Interfax. Nearly two months after the first case of the coronavirus was reported in the United States, medical professionals across the country are reflecting on what they wish they had known when the outbreak began: how quickly it would sweep through their communities, how devastating the emotional toll would be, how unprepared they and their health care systems were to treat a disease they had never seen before. Dr. Stefan Flores, an emergency physician in New York City, said he had a new appreciation for how valuable masks and gloves are as hospitals were forced to ration the life-saving tools. Prior to this pandemic, I would throw away gloves and never consider how scarce N-95s would be and how crucial they would be to the existence of my life, said Flores, who works at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. I wish we would have enacted quarantines sooner and social distancing and really taken this seriously prior to it hitting our nations shores, he said. Image: Maimonides Medical Center (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) Dr. Jeff Le, who works at the Maimonides Medical Center in New York, said he wished he had known that things would change quickly and that the hospital would be limited in beds, personal protective equipment and ventilators. I don't think our country or government was ready," he said. "We didnt have the necessary supplies to accommodate the influx of very sick patients." Dr. Tarak Trivedi, an emergency physician in Los Angeles, said there were a lot of unknowns in terms of just how quickly the virus could spread and how. Initially, we didn't know that there was so much transmission or there was a possibility of transmission between asymptomatic people, he said. I have friends here, even in Los Angeles, who are physicians and nurses who have caught the coronavirus, he added. I think if you were to ask them, I think they would probably tell you that they wished that they had recognized what a dangerous environment work really is. Story continues Anthony Ciampa, a registered nurse in New York, said, "If I could have gone back far enough, I would've done more to just raise the alarm and say, Hey, we need to stay healthy so we can take care of our patients.'" Dr. Chloe Bryson-Cahn, who works at the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where the coronavirus was first reported in the United States, said that initially it felt like juggling a ton of different things." "How are we going to safely get people into the hospital? How are we going to operationalize testing? Who are we going to test? she said. You know, I don't know that we could have been here a month ago, she added. I think we had to do a month of this work, learn the process of how we safely get people through our front doors into the emergency department. Image: Maimonides Medical Center (Caitlin Ochs / Reuters) Doctors also said they wished they would have known how to deal with the mental and physical toll of treating the disease; more about potential treatments; and when best to take measures such as intubating patients. Le, of New York, said he wished he had known how quickly patients could decompensate," or deterioriate. I wish I knew how closely I had to keep an eye on these patients, he said. He added that he had no idea of the type of emotional havoc this would cause on my life, the lives of my colleagues and my patients. Download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak Dr. Prakash Gatta, a surgeon at Multicare Tacoma General Hospital in Washington state, said, I wish I was able to understand why some patients do well and why some don't survive." Trivedi said that early on intubation was kind of par for the course for patients showing up with those kinds of oxygen saturation numbers. When the first wave of coronavirus cases hit New York, we, like everyone else, were intubating these patients early on and we were intubating a ton of these patients," said Dr. Reuben Strayer, who also works at the Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Then, short- and long-term data from China and Italy showed "people who were intubated for COVID had really poor outcomes, Strayer said. And it made sense to us at that point that we should be limiting intubation and only performing intubation on patients who have demonstrated unequivocally that they really need it." Flores, the emergency physician in New York, said he regretted not considering end of life care for his patients sooner. I wish I would have told patients early on to consider drafting a will, he said. Despite all of the dark and difficult moments, the medical professionals said they felt they had come together as a community and spoke of their work with a sense of pride. Bryson-Cahn, of Washington, said that what was most important "is just having a practice of gratitude every single day, from our custodians to our nurses, to our respiratory therapists, to the folks at the door who are screening patients." Amy Pacholk, a surgical trauma nurse at Stony Brook University Hospital in New York, said that she wasn't emotionally prepared to see patients recover from critical care. "The things that I see that make me happy, and I wouldn't actually necessarily expect from a month ago, is that hearing someone's voice after theyre extubated and speaking to their family, how amazing that is," she said. "Just today we extubated a patient, my patient, and it's kind of exhilarating when we do it," Pahcolk said. "It's happy." Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak 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. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian speaks to dignitaries and members of the Invictus Team Australia Squad at the official launch at Admiralty House on Jun. 7, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Toby Zerna/Getty Images) NSW Proposes New Roster System for Face-to-Face Learning in Schools New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on April 17 that a roster system will be implemented in her states schools so that students whose parents choose to send them can return to face-to-face learning with their teachers. The proposed roster system would work by alternating the days that students attend school, and is a solution to avoid the problem that some students could face up to a year or longer at home due to the crisis caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus. The premiers decision comes a day after Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for schools to reopen so that disadvantaged children dont miss out on an education. In an interview with the ABC on April 16, the prime minister said, We want children back to school, learning in a classroom in front of a teacher because thats the best place for a child to get their education. He acknowledged, however, that states and territories are in charge of schools. Berejiklian supported the prime ministers notion and said it should be done in a reasonable way. She said that some NSW students could potentially return to school even in term two, and said she was speaking with stakeholders and school communities to get it right. NSW mum Jasmine Jones said that parents had been thrown in the deep end and have not had time to build up the resources or to plan a curriculum for their children. This is not homeschooling that is happening now, it is crisis schooling. No matter how skilled the parents are, they dont have the resources a normal homeschooler would, such as museums and parks and other families to support the social and learning experiences, she told The Epoch Times. Add to this working from home and we have a recipe for failure for both parents and children, Jones said. She said teachers or staff who are over 65 or immune-compromised, and in a face-to-face role, should be offered non-facing rolls or early retirement if they choose. She also suggested high ranking undergraduates from relevant disciplines could be offered a one-year education course as a way to fill the gap with a younger workforce. Prior to the premiers decision, on April 14, the NSW Teachers Federation President Angelo Gavrielatos said that older and vulnerable teachers are less likely to return to their classes as restrictions are lifted. He also proposed that the education department should begin with a staggered approach. He suggested starting with Year 12 (final year) students and kindergartentwo groups with the most to lose. NSW students are currently on school holidays following the end of term one and are set to return on April 27, when lessons will continue online. A medical doctor has died in Akwa Ibom State after showing symptoms of the coronavirus. Dominic Essien, a physiotherapist, owned a private clinic in Uyo and was also a lecturer in the Department of Physiology, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Akwa Ibom State branch, Nsikak Nyoyoko, confirmed Mr Essiens death in a statement on Thursday. He said the late medical doctor showed symptoms of the coronavirus before he was rushed to the Ibom Specialist Hospital in Uyo before he passed on. I was called last night by a colleague who intimated me that one of our colleagues was sick with a week history of fever, cough and shortness of breath which worsened yesterday with his SPO2 as low as 72%, requiring him to be placed on oxygen at his clinic, Mr Nyoyoko said. I immediately called upon a member of the State #COVID19 Response Team to swing into action and somehow, later last night, our colleague was admitted into ISH and managed by specialists in respiratory medicine. With the symptoms elucidated above, a suspicion of COVID-19 was entertained and he had his sample taken today awaiting transportation to the laboratory for COVID-19 testing. Unfortunately, this revered colleague of ours died midafternoon. Akwa Ibom State has six confirmed cases of COVID-19. The state government said two days ago that three persons have recovered from the viral infection and have been discharged from the hospital. Donald Trump has declined to condemn protesters in Michigan who violated their states stay-at-home order to stage a demonstration at which they toted guns and blocked the state capitals streets to demand restrictions be lifted. Asked by a reporter at his daily press briefing what he would say to those who violated Coronavirus lockdown orders, Mr Trump offered empathy and focused on their appreciation for him. When you look at what theyve been through, when you look at all of the death and all of the problems and all of the sickness, when you look at whats happened, I just think the American people have been incredible. The reporter, ABC Newss Jonathan Karl, followed up to ask specifically about those who are refusing to comply with instructions from local authorities, I think theyre listening, said Mr Trump. I think theyre listening to me. They seem to be protesters that like me and respect this opinion, and my opinion is just the same as about all of the governors. They all wanna open nobody wants to stay shut, but they wanna open safely. The protest Mr Karl was referring to was organised by a hard-right grassroots group, the Michigan Conservative Coalition. Their protest on 15 April, termed Operation Gridlock, saw them assemble outside the Michigan state capitol in their thousands, many displaying firearms and wearing Make America Great Again hats or waving Trump flags. They claim Michigan's lockdown has gone too far and say they are fed up with Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmers radical, progressive agenda, which they say has allowed dope stores to stay open while small businesses remain closed. The demonstrators also blocked streets near the capitol with cars and pickup trucks, obstructing ambulances. Michigan is one of the hardest-hit states in the US, with nearly 30,000 cases and more than 2,000 deaths confirmed so far. Governor Whitmer has become something of a bete noire on the right since she imposed some of the countrys strongest social distancing orders, which members of the protest group have described as tyranny. Michigan Conservative Coalition organiser Meshawn Maddock accused Ms Whitmer of self-promotion while small businesses struggled and other Michiganders lost their jobs and incomes. She used an interview with Fox News to propagate a false story that Ms Whitmer has prohibited stores from selling American flags. Imagine this. Shes a governor who is keeping abortion clinics open, but she bans the sale of the American flag. To me, that pretty much sums her up. While Mr Trump said he agrees with about all of the governors, he has previously criticised Ms Whitmer for her ingratitude towards his administration. Referring to her as the woman in Michigan a sobriquet Ms Whitmer now wears on a t-shirt he suggested that state governors might expect limited assistance until they thanked him. He has also said that some governors may have received too much credit for their response to the crisis. UNODC Deploys Mentors to Prevent and Combat Violent Extremism in Sri Lankan Prisons Photo: UNODC Colombo (Sri Lanka), April 2020 - From March 2020, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP) has deployed two prison experts to support the Sri Lanka Department of Prisons in preventing and countering violent extremism in prisons (P/CVE). The experts, embedded as full-time mentors for the duration of the project, are currently conducting assessments in several prisons to identify suitable facilities for the implementation of P/CVE activities. In parallel, they will strengthen prison officers capacity in dynamic, procedural and physical security, identify needs on security-related equipment in selected prisons, support the design and development of rehabilitation and reintegration programmes, and work closely with prison management staff to implement an optimal classification instrument for high-risk inmates. As opposed to a top-down training model, UNODC-GMCP uses a mentoring approach for its capacity building initiatives. In addition to delivering basic theoretical and illustrative practical sessions, mentors accompany prison officers during their day-to-day activities in order to observe, evaluate and reinforce what they have been taught. This approach allows for a more sustainable, hands-on learning experience for targeted prison staff, allowing for an increased knowledge of security practices and prisoner treatment techniques in accordance with international human rights standards. Anders Persson, one of the Prison Security Experts deployed, said that: Aligning prison officers practices with human rights provisions, such as the Nelson Mandela Rules, is fundamental for a successful prison management. This does not only apply to offenders with minor charges, but also prisoners linked to violent extremism. I look forward to working with the Sri Lanka Department of Prisons and I have no doubts that improving the skills and abilities of its staff will have a positive and sustained impact in the overall prison environment. UNODC-GMCP has gained valuable experience on P/CVE activities in prisons thanks to the implementation of similar projects in East Africa in the handling and managing of high-risk inmates and violent extremist prisoners (VEPs). Masatomo Yamaguchi, UNODC-GMCPs Programme Coordinator for the Indian Ocean East Team covering Sri Lanka, said: We are very proud of encouraging the adoption of good practices in prison settings by taking advantage of successful experiences in other Member States to support the Government of Sri Lanka in improving the capacity of its correctional service. UNODC is committed to contributing to more secure, more humane prison settings to facilitate disengagement, reintegration and rehabilitation of prisoners. These activities are possible thanks to the generous support of the European Union in its efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism in the country. Note : Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, UNODC-GMCP strives to continue delivering planned activities in line with current prevention and mitigation regulations and supporting national counterparts in any way possible. In light of this, UNODC-GMCP mentors are exploring potential ad-hoc initiatives to support the Sri Lanka Department of Prisons in this difficult situation. Further information UNODC Global Maritime Crime Programme The American flag has been projected onto the Matterhorn mountain in the Swiss Alps as part of a breathtaking light illumination series spreading 'hope and strength' amid the coronavirus pandemic. Renowned Swiss light artist Gerry Hofstetter, 58, has been lighting up the 14,690 ft mountain with spectacular displays of country flags and messages of hope since March 24. And the US stars and stripes were emblazoned onto the jagged mountain on Thursday night, which stands alone on the horizon amid the border between Switzerland and Italy. A statement from the Zermatt tourism website said 'May our message convey solidarity and give you hope and strength. We look forward to meeting again at the foot of the Matterhorn, we are all in this together' as the flag was shone on April 16 In a bid to stop members of the public flocking to the mountain under federal stay-at-home measures, webcams from around the Matterhorn livestream the illuminations for people to enjoy at home A statement issued by tourist site Zermatt Matterhorn said: 'As it stands, the USA, is the country that has been most impacted by the COVID-19 crisis with the highest number of confirmed cases. 'Our thoughts are with all American people at this unprecedented time. 'May our message convey solidarity and give you hope and strength. We look forward to meeting again at the foot of the Matterhorn, we are all in this together.' The Embassy of Switzerland in the United States tweeted an image of the American flag projection alongside the caption: 'INCREDIBLE! As a sign of solidarity, the American flag was projected onto the Matterhorn last night. 'Switzerland is sending hope and strength to the United States of America.' The UK flag was also projected on the mountain on April 10. A statement at the time said that Zermatt was 'deeply connected' to the UK with British mountaineers having first brought tourism to the area. British mountaineers first brought tourism to Zermatt, with tourism website describing how the area is 'deeply connected' to the UK through its history On April 9 the Matterhorn was emblazoned with the French flag, designed to offer 'hope in these unprecedented times' The Japanese flag illuminated the mountain on April 15, with the tourist website saying 'We greet our Japanese friends, partners and guests and send them a sign of hope and strength to overcome this unusual and difficult time' The German flag was projected on April 14. A statement said: 'With the German flag on the Matterhorn, the Swiss symbolic mountain, we send a sign of solidarity across the currently closed borders and look forward to the time when mutual visits are once again possible' The many lights of Zermatt glow beneath a projection of the Portuguese flag on April 5 The projector can be seen illuminating the mountain with the Swiss flag, above The Spanish flag was shone as the country was wished 'much perseverance and good health' in light of the country's cancelled Easter processions The first image that illuminated the mountain on March 24 simply read '#Hope' in striking white letters against a red backdrop. Hofstetter has also projected the flags of Japan, Germany, Spain, France and Italy as well as textual messages including '#StayAtHome' and #AllOfUs onto the Matterhorn. Other slogans projected on the mountain include the phrase 'Dream now - travel later' because, as the website says although travel is banned, 'dreaming is not prohibited'. In a bid to stop members of the public flocking to the mountain under federal stay-at-home measures, webcams from around the Matterhorn livestream the illuminations for people to enjoy at home. The trustee of one of the country's largest superannuation funds has attacked the Prime Minister for suggesting industry funds bail out embattled airline Virgin Australia. Scott Morrison called on the not-for-profit superannuation sector to recapitalise Virgin in a television interview on Thursday night, singling out the transport-union affiliated fund TWU Super as a potential investor. Mr Morrison said the government did not want to get in the way of a "market commercial solution" for the struggling carrier that last month sought a $1.4 billion government loan to help it survive the coronavirus pandemic. "The industry super funds in this country have got $3 trillion worth of assets here we've got a company that needs capital," Mr Morrison told ABC's 7.30. "Its own workers have been paying in to industry funds and there are funds out there in these super funds that could be investing in a number of companies." A CAHERDAVIN man has spoken about his two-week ordeal spent in a makeshift isolation camp in Vietnam. Twenty-four year old Mikey Hogan from Caherdavin was one of 60 Irish citizens stuck in the camp after being identified as a coronavirus risk. It came after he spent time in an ex-pat bar in the countrys largest city, Ho Chi Minh., where he is teaching English as a foreign language. Mikey was left sharing a room in the military standard facility with John McLoughlin, 29 from Cork and Clare man Seanie Lynch, 24. He was stuck there for 14 nights in a room with no air conditioning and no windows in searing heat. Speaking to the Limerick Leader from Vietnam, Mikey explained: On March 14, I was at a bar in Ho Chi Minh city. It was St Patrick's weekend, so many people were out. But it came out after that that a British pilot who was at the bar had tested positive for the virus. The agency Mikey works with were alerted to the incident. And knowing it was a popular spot for people working as teachers in the city, Mikey said he was told that if he was at the bar, he had to self-isolate at home for a fortnight. So I isolated inside, he explained. However, on the penultimate day of his two-week isolation period, Vietnamese authorities arrived. I was asked to pack in a hurry and we were ferried onto a crowded bus, he recalled. The bus went around the crowded city in sky high temperatures for five hours picking up other ex-pats, who were deemed as being at risk of having caught coronavirus. This came in spite of the fact Mikey had tested negative twice for Covid-19. Despite this, information was at a premium Mikey said. We were ordered onto this bus and we were asking just how long we'd be away for, and what's the story. It wasn't clear at all what was happening. We only knew what was happening from other people when we got there. I didn't know how long I had to pack for, or where I was even going, he said. With outdoor temperatures in Vietnam well over 30 degrees, the room he was in was hot and very cramped. There are no windows, there is no air conditioning, he said from the camp. It was only just before Easter Sunday he was released after a third coronavirus test was returned negative. The young man was weighing up returning to Ireland following the ordeal, but has decided to remain in Asia for the time being. Having always enjoyed travelling, Mikey linked up with friends in Ho Chi Minh city who helped him get a job and a place to live. Although Vietnam has largely controlled the outbreak of coronavirus, all but essential businesses remain closed. A Coronavirus patient who attempted to escape from an isolation centre in Kaduna State has been arrested and taken back. It was ga... A Coronavirus patient who attempted to escape from an isolation centre in Kaduna State has been arrested and taken back. It was gathered that a gallant officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, an official of the Corps foiled his attempt to escape on Thursday. The patient was captured by Joshua Philip, a Corps Assistant, at the Infectious Disease Control Center, Down Quarters, Kaduna State, spokesperson of the agency, Ekunola Gbenga, said in a statement. According to Gbenga, the patient, a male, tried to leave the isolation center for morning prayers without the permission of doctors. He said this led to a confrontation between our personnel and the patient, who forcefully picked the keys of the gate of the centre and tried to open the gate to escape, thereby exposing the officer to the virus. Midland County confirmed one new COVID-19 case on Friday, according to the afternoon state report, bringing the total number of cases to 42, and one death. Bay County recorded two more cases, bringing the total up to 69, with no COVID-19 related deaths. Gladwin County saw no new cases, maintaining its number of reported cases at 8. Isabella reported one new case and one death, bringing its total up to 46 cases and 6 deaths. Saginaw County saw an increase of 20 cases and four deaths, reporting 369 total cases and 24 deaths. The state added 760 new cases on Friday, April 17, and 134 deaths. Overall, Michigan is at 30,023 cases and 2,227 deaths. The average death age is 73.7, according to the state website, mich.gov, with the deceased ranging in age from 20 to 107. The state lists 38% of the deceased as 80-plus and 27% age 70-79. State statistics show 56% of coronavirus deaths are male and 44% are female. 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 total positive cases are 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 can also 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. If you plan to send pumped breast milk to the day care for your child, find out how the staff store, label, handle and prepare breast milk, Dr. Donoghue said: If they have a lot of infants who are breastfed, how are they making sure the babies get the right milk? Child Care Aware has checklists of questions to ask and resources to consider for parents seeking child care. Research health and safety practices. Ask about the centers policies around staff health and hygiene, Dr. Donoghue advised. A lot of parents dont know how important handwashing and staff immunization is, she said, noting that preventative measures can be more effective at stopping the spread of illness than strict policies about sending mildly sick kids home. The kid with the runny nose has probably already infected all the kids in child care before they get sent home, so all that does is inconvenience the parents, Dr. Donoghue said. It doesnt contribute to the greater health in the child care setting. You should ask about the centers practices for food handling and safety and about the nutritional quality of meals. Its also important to know about the centers emergency plans and preparedness, both for emergencies involving a sick or injured child and for natural or other disasters. If they have no plan, that says they might not be diligent enough, Dr. Donoghue said. Visit the center and observe interactions. Once youve narrowed down your options, plan to spend at least an hour visiting each center youre considering, McCready advised. Go to the center during operating hours and make sure to see the specific rooms where your child would be, as well as any outdoor space. Pay attention to the child-to-caregiver ratio the A.A.P. has recommendations based on age. One of the most important things to watch for is how the teachers interact with the children, Dr. Glenn-Applegate said. You can have beautiful shiny cubbies, bright shiny toys and a lovely playground, but thats not going to be as important as the interactions between the child and the adults, she said. As per WHO, 226 million Indians have disabling hearing loss 60% of childhood hearing loss is due to preventable causes- Dr Sanjay Khanna Over 100,000 babies are born with hearing deficiency every year in India Neonatal hearing screening for hearing loss can be done on 2nd Day of Birth- Dr Sanjay Khanna Contrary to the notion that cochlear implant is done only in children, it is equally rewarding in adult population as well - Dr Sanjay Khanna PANCHKULA, India, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- To create awareness on hearing loss in children and cochlear implant surgery, a team of doctors from Paras Super Specialty Hospital Panchkula addressed the media person today. Present on the occasion were Dr Sanjay Khanna, Senior Consultant & Head , Dept of ENT and Dr Lokesh Mittal, Associate Consultant from Paras Specialty Hospital, Panchkula. Addressing the media person, Dr Sanjay Khanna said, "About 226 million Indian are suffering from disabling hear loss and only 15000 cochlear implant have been done in India till date." Deafness or hearing loss means when a person is unable to hear. Disabling hearing loss refers to hearing loss greater than 40 decibels. According to WHO, around 466 million people worldwide have disabling hear loss, out of which 266 million are Indian and 34 million are children. 60% of childhood hearing loss is due to preventable causes. Hearing loss may result from genetic causes, birth complications, ear infections, few drugs, noise exposure and ageing. It has been estimated that by 2050 over 900 million people or one in every ten people will have disabling hearing loss; however, India has already reached this scenario. The majority of people with disabling hearing loss live in low- and middle-income countries. Approximately one third of people over 65 years of age are affected by disabling hearing loss and the prevalence in this age is greatest in South Asia, Asia Pacific and Africa. WHO refers the 'hard of hearing' to those people who have hearing loss ranging from mild to severe. These people can get benefit from hearing aids, cochlear implants and other assistive devices. However, those patients including children and adult who are having significant or profound hearing losses can be only benefitted from cochlear implant surgery. Speaking on this occasion, Dr Sanjay Khanna who has performed the 1st cochlear implant Surgery of Panchkula in a 4-year-old child at Paras Hospital, Panchkula said, "Cochlear implant is a Gold Standard surgery for children who are profoundly deaf (hearing loss more than 90 decibel). The earliest this device is implanted, the sooner a child can hear and speak." Dr Sanjay Khanna has wide exposure and expertise in cochlear implant surgery and sleep apnea surgery. He further enlightened that in a surgical procedure of 3-4 hours implant is placed inside the inner ear of the patient. After this implantation a child has to undergo speech therapy session for at least two years. With the help of this procedure deaf and dumb children can learn to hear and speak . To diagnose if a child can hear or not, early hearing screening of new born is necessary. OAE, which is a basic hearing screening test, is performed to check whether a child can hear or not in future or the child is hearing impaired. This test can be done after second day of the birth. In more advance countries like US, Europe and Australia more implants are being done in adult population as elderly patients are unable to understand speech despite the best quality hearing aids. Dr. Sanjay Khanna gave an insight on this device and said, "Cochlear Implant is an electronic device that provides sound signals from damaged or non-functioning part of inner ear to the brain. cochlear implant has two parts, the first part is surgically implanted into the bone surrounding the ear which consists of a receiver stimulator that decodes and sends an electrical signal to the brain. The second part is an outside device which is made up of a microphone or receiver, speech processor, and an antenna. This part receives the sound, converts it into an electrical signal and sends it to the inside part of the cochlear implant.'' Dr. Sanjay Khanna said in Haryana more than 115,000 people have some form of hearing loss and this number is increasing. To check the increase in number of children going undetected and subsequently crossing the appropriate age for treatment, a Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) program is urgently needed in Haryana. Paras Hospital, Panchkula has all facilities for early diagnosis, intervention and habilitation for children identified with various forms of hearing loss. Mr. Ashish Chadha, Facility Director, Paras Hospital, Panchkula said, "In India, four in every 1000 children suffer from severe to profound hearing loss, with over 100,000 babies born with hearing deficiency every year. The estimated prevalence of adult-onset deafness in India is 7.6% and childhood onset deafness 2%, according to Union Health Ministry. Hearing disability is the second most common cause of disability in India." About Paras Healthcare Paras Healthcare was founded in 2006. The key specialties that are mainly focused in all units are - cancer care, neurology, neurosurgery, orthopaedics & joint replacement, urology, nephrology, kidney transplant, cardiology, cardiac sciences, gastroenterology & GI surgery, general & lap surgery along with plastic surgery to list a few. Approximately each unit has at least 30 specialties and super specialties. For more information, visit https://www.parashospitals.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/535431/Paras_Healthcare_Logo.jpg SOURCE Paras Healthcare Pvt. Ltd (Paras Hospitals) Paras Group